How yoga is offering support to refugee women in Berlin Published on January 9, 2017 Story by Lisa Braamt Translation by: Emily Spencer en de es it fr pl "How it is possible to feel comfortable in a new home if you don't feel comfortable in your own body?" asks Bettina Schuler. Through the practice of yoga, the young Berlin resident wants to connect people who were forced to leave their homes with those who are only too happy to welcome them to theirs. Bettina Schuler is a journalist, novelist and yoga instructor living in Berlin. It was during her pregnancy that she started to practice yoga, discovering a budding passion for the ancient Indian practice. Eventually, she made the decision to become a yoga instructor so that she could share this passion with others. But in 2014, Bettina felt a longing to reach out to those who couldn't easily access yoga classes. Helplessly, she watched as terrible images of the refugee crisis continually flashed across her television screen. "The passivity made me crazy", she recalls. Bettina realised that yoga's healing effects on the body and mind could be especially beneficial for people in crisis. She contacted a refugee reception centre on the outskirts of Berlin and in 2014, gave her first yoga class to refugee women. On a Monday, she called the shelter, visited it on Tuesday and by Wednesday of the same week, she was teaching her first class. And then came Arwa At first, only a few women attended her classes. Sometimes nobody showed up but Bettina remained optimistic. Arwa Idress, from Syria, was one of the first women who came to practice yoga with Bettina and has become one of her good friends. Bettina's classes gave them the opportunity to talk and share a little of their lives with one another. In this way, Bettina not only taught her students the correct way to breathe and how to execute a variety of yoga poses - she also advised them on administrative procedures and other difficulties that could arise in the process of applying for asylum. Once she had begun giving yoga classes, other opportunities presented themselves: she wrote for Missy Magazin ( a feminist magazine for women) and has written a book titled 'Norahib bikom' Means Welcome. The book centres around Bettina's relationship with Arwa, who escaped from Syria and became a regular attendee at her yoga classes in Berlin. It was at these classes that a friendship developed between the two women - Bettina helped her deal with the authorities, taught her how to navigate the labyrinth of German bureaucracy, took the time to get to know Arwa's family, whom today she considers her second family. "People who come to Germany don't want to be reduced to a 'refugee.' Of course, it is important to have an understanding of and empathy for their plight, but they're not looking for pity," says Bettina. On an equal footing "Many people try to proselytise refugees, believing that it's their moral duty to set an example, to show them how they believe a modern, young person should live. But by doing this, they are unwittingly disrespecting refugees' own cultures and their way of life. Not to mention the fact that evangelism is the last thing that people in such a situation want or need: somebody's tireless efforts to get them to abandon their previous way of living and values." Bettina wanted to provide a safe haven for those who had no choice but to leave their own country. A place that would provide not only yoga classes but also professional, psychological and careers advice - a place that felt like home. So she launched the crowdfunding campaign "Citizen2Be," in an attempt to raise money to make her cherished dream a reality. "There are many people who would like to help, but who have only two or three hours a week to spare. These volunteers should be able to volunteer on a regular basis. I'd like to be able to host evening get-togethers as an incentive to get young people on board." Bettina's story and dedication illustrate that as with yoga, what matters the most in life are the connections that we make with others, those precious encounters and exchanges. Something to build on The Bochum Association for refugee aid provides similar classes. Here, Raphael Hummel offers yoga classes for refugees at his Oyengar-Yoga teachers' studio. He teaches an all-male class once a week. Sarah, a yoga teacher and former soap opera actress also an almost exclusively female, with the exception of one young man who travels from nearby Cologne specifically for the class. One day, he brought along someone who also appeared to show an interest in yoga: Jilan is a Jesuit who came to Germany from Iraq, a few years ago. She recently graduated with a degree in architecture. As well as trying to launch her career as an architect, she campaigns for the rights of refugee women - most of whom are fleeing from her home country. Many women are traumatised as a result of what they've been through and consequently, have difficulties sleeping. Jilan, herself, often feels overwhelmed by the stories that the women tell her. The women's motives for practising yoga are clear - it equips them with coping strategies that can be used to alleviate their anxiety. They learn how to do body scans (a progressive relaxation of the muscles), as well as gaining an understanding of the importance of focusing on their breath. They learn exercises that coordinate movement and breathing, promote a sense of wellbeing, and make them more aware of their bodies. Exercises such as these can sometimes be as effective as small gestures; people start to open up and life stories may even be divulged. As simple as that may sound, that is often what is needed in life - a little interaction and conversation, both on and off the mat. Story by Lisa Braamt Translated from Sonnengru gegen Kalte: Yoga fur gefluchtete Frauen Ghost Town Effective In Bamenda Wilson MUSA The Minister of Secondary Education Jean Ernest Massena Ngale Bibehe has left Bamenda for Yaounde days before the end of his working visit which began last weekend. The departure of the minister according to close sources is due to the successful observation of a ghost town Monday January 9, 2017 in all schools in the North West region. Meanwhile the minster after visiting Bamenda, Ndop and Kumbo and reassuring the people that security measures have been taken for smooth back to school for second term was confident that they will heed to his call. Jean Ernest Ngale Bibehe was embarrassed when informed that no school was opened for his tour. He finally left the Ayaba hotel Monday by 11 am. GBHS Down Town Bamenda As Quiet As Grave Yard (c) Wilson MUSA Ghost Town Respected As early as 6 am all vehicles, bikes were packed beside the road and in garages, while just few private cars were seen circulating most being government owned. The ghost town in Bamenda went effective as from 7am, major areas like T-Junction, City Chemist, Hospital Round About, Mobile Nkwen, Mankon among others were as quiet as a grave yard. Only Pedestrians could be seen moving up and down, some trekking for long distances to their various destinations. All schools were shut down,from GHBS Old town to GBHS Bamenda, then Sacred Heart College Mankon, GS Down town everywhere was closed. A few Francophone teachers came to teach did not meet students, we were told even Francophone students are afraid of the unknown. Markets were equally shut down, the Bamenda Food market, Ntarikon market, Bamenda Main market were closed. Shops beside the road were also shut down and people found it very difficult to get basic needs. But the people of Bamenda are firmed on their stand, this to them is the only means to tell the Biya regime how serious they are in this strike action. | BY Ricki Green | The Midas Awards for the Worlds Best Financial Advertising has announced the award winners for the 2016 competition. Australia has picked up six Midas Gold Ingots and six Midas Silver Ingots led by MercerBell with two Gold and two Silver. MercerBell scored Gold for Pirates of the High Fees for World First and a second for Theres a Flight in Every Card for client Qantas. R/GA Sydney was honored with two Gold Ingots for Money Minded Monday for client ANZ and Wunderman-Bienalto was recognized with 2 Gold Ingots for Ed: Anxiety-busting banking for ME Bank. Clemenger BBDO Sydney, Saatchi & Saatchi and thedylanagency all scored one Silver Ingot each. The 2016 Midas Awards Grand Jury awarded 1 Grand Midas Award, 62 Midas Gold Ingots, 77 Midas Silver Ingots and 138 Finalist Certificates from entries submitted from 24 countries. FP7/DXB (Part of McCann Worldgroup) earned the coveted 2016 Grand Midas Award for A Priceless Delivery for client MasterCard. The award-winning campaign partnered MasterCard Priceless Causes with Salma, an innovation in food relief, that sources high-quality and securely-packaged food to create an interactive wall in Dubai Mall. The wall gave people an immersive and priceless experience when they bought a meal and metaphorically delivered it to the children through the interactive wall allowing Salma to deliver 400,000 meals and counting to displaced children and their families in the Middle East. A Priceless Delivery also earned 5 Midas Gold Ingots, 2 Silver Ingots and 2 Midas Certificates. Says Tahaab Rais, regional head of strategic planning, FP7/MENA (A part of McCann Worldgroup): Our job, being part of a burgeoning creative economy, is to solve the really hard problems around us (brand, business or societal) through the power of our creativity. It gives us purpose and is our way to survive. A Priceless Delivery is one such creative idea, where we have taken the first steps through MasterCard (one of the worlds best-known brands) and its meaningful Priceless Causes program, to address a real-world problem of underprivileged and displaced children and families not getting sufficient access to quality food which is a basic human right. We have moved people in the UAE to give and then, encouraged them to give more by showing them the impact their contributions can make; thus, removing the metaphorical wall that is often formed between those who give and those whose lives they improve. And we have garnered a lot of support that has helped scale this idea and make it sustainable. In todays world, its imperative that more leading global brands (beyond NGOs) do similar meaningful work for causes that are affecting the world around us. They have the influence. Heres wishing that more is done by the big brands we all work with, to help people affected by atrocities around the world, through the power of creativity. Savvy advertisers employed creative event marketing to engage consumers and champion causes. Gold Ingot winners: The Jupiter Drawing Room (South Africa) Johannesburgs Cafe Prosper, a pop-up coffee shop, served up some of the finest coffee in the world, while allowing consumers to rest up, recharge and engage, while becoming a channel of communication to consumers for client Absa/Barclays . McCann New Yorks MasterCard Restroom for All, MasterCards installation at Pride Fest demonstrated their support of global acceptance by installing a restroom that accepts all humans, no matter their gender identity. McCann Londons #44 Days of Crazy for MasterCard harnessed the spirit of international fans traveling through London via branded taxis; riders were challenged to show team spirit by singing their nations rugby anthem and see their taxi fare roll down. Joe Public Pty Ltd South Africas Twitter Track for client Nedbank Sponsorships incorporated inspiring tweets into an encouraging running track to raise funds for children requiring prosthetics. US agencies were in the lead this year, earning 13 Midas Gold Ingots. McCann New York earned 5 Gold Ingots total for client MasterCard. The agency received 3 Gold Ingots for MasterCard Restroom for All. In addition First Big Trip, and Stand Up To Cancer EEG Experience for MasterCard also earned Gold Ingots. McCann Worldgroup also saw campaigns for MasterCard earn Gold Ingots including Together and Experiences Are Priceless. Other US agencies striking gold: R/GA New York earned 2 Gold Ingots for E*TRADE Opportunity is Everywhere Trader, Retire, Invest; Publicis North America Citi Double Cash Card? Double Means Double? Campaign TV Spots was honored with 2 Gold Ingots; and SapientNitro The Webster Bank Warm Welcome Guerilla Campaign earned 2 Gold Ingots. Prudential Advertising #Run401k The Race for Retirement for Prudential earned a Gold Ingot. FP7/DXB Dubai (Part of McCann Worldgroup) struck gold with a total of 11 Midas Gold Ingots including 3 Gold Ingots for A Priceless Delivery for MasterCard. The agency earned a robust 6 Gold Ingots for client Emirates NBD, taking home 3 for The AC Vests 2 for An Uber Ramadan and a single Gold Ingot for The Beautiful After. FP7/DXB was also recognized with a single Gold Ingots for Ad D for National Health Insurance Company Daman. South African agencies were in the winners circle earning a total of 6 Gold Ingots. The Jupiter Drawing Room (South Africa) Johannesburg received 4 Gold Ingots for client Absa / Barclays including 2 Ingots for Ready. Set. Go. and both Cultivating the Exceptional and Cafe Prosper each earned a single Gold Ingot. Joe Public Pty Ltd earned 2 Gold Ingots for Twitter Track for client Nedbank Sponsorships. Three Canadian agencies were honored with Gold Ingots: Zulu Alpha Kilo received Gold Ingots for both Be In The Black and Pets with Credit for client Interac Association. In addition, KBS Canadas BMO TARC for BMO and McCann Canadas Mastercard Safety & Security for client MasterCard earned Gold Ingots. Global Agencies were honored with multiple Gold Ingots. McCann Londons #44 Days of Crazy for MasterCard. McCann Worldgroup London earned 2 Gold Ingots for Mark Ronson Surprise for MasterCard and McCann Singapores Biometric ID Posters also for MasterCard received 2 Gold Ingots. Publicis Communications Switzerland UBS Retirement Campaign for client UBS Switzerland and CJ WORX Thailand s Big Daddy Form for client Krungsri Market along with. R/GA Brazils Gabriel for client Banco Bradesco S.A. each earned 2 Gold Ingots. | BY Ricki Green | Initiative Australia has named Michael Stanford (right) as the agencys chief creative solutions officer, a new position for Initiative. In his new role Stanford will lead the development and direction of creative content across the myriad of media channels engaged by Initiatives clients. Says Melissa Fein (left), CEO, Initiative Australia: We are placing Mike in this vital new position because of his highly effective track record in tailoring and directing creative content to the most relevant points of peoples relationships and interests in brands. He has rare skills and instincts in blending creativity with media delivery and his role is a key aspect of the differentiated offer we are evolving for clients at Initiative. Stanford has a 25-year career in advertising and media. He has been the executive creative director of some of Australias largest and most high profile creative agencies, including Publicis Mojo, George Patterson Y&R and McCann Erickson. In 2011 he joined Network Ten to develop dedicated client solutions built on strategic and creative content creation, digital and social integration. Prior his appointment to Initiative, he was managing director of Ensemble, IPG Mediabrands brand experience agency. Stanford said the chief creative solutions officer role was a unique opportunity: The intersection between creativity and media is a very valuable place to be in peoples brand relationships. My focus will be to bring our clients brands to that point of maximum relevance in how people engage in their consumer journey. | BY Ricki Green | The campaign promotes Westpacs Bump account offering. The spot opens up on a young Australian couple getting ready to deliver their bump with the voice over talking to the unborn baby about the financial difficulties parents face. The spot then goes on to say that if parents open up a Westpac Bump savings account, the bank will transfer $200 for the bump to access when theyre older. | BY Lynchy | Publicis Singapore has appointed Sharim Gubbels, as Creative Director of Social. Gubbels further strengthens a formidable social unit which has successfully integrated social media into broader brand conversations, sweeping local and regional marketing effectiveness awards in the past three years. These accolades include Scoot being named Client Marketer of the Year for the third year running at the Marketing Excellence Awards 2016. The decision to strengthen the Publicis Singapore social team coincides with a growing social roster including brands like Audi, Nespresso, OCBC and Sadia, underscoring the growing importance of the agencys social business. Lou Dela Pena, CEO, Publicis Communications Singapore, said, Social and content are now staples in todays communications mix and Sharim brings depth and experience in this space. I am confident that Sharims expertise will be important for many of our clients within the Publicis Communications Hub to continually lead the change and deliver creative excellence across all touch-points. Gubbels arrives from social agency We Are Social, and is armed with a stellar reputation in the digital and social space. He has creatively led major Singaporean brands such as Singapore Airlines, and global accounts like Lenovo. Gubbels stellar portfolio of work over his 17 years of experience has garnered an enviable mix of multiple creative and effectiveness awards under his belt for social and digital work at CCA, Spikes Asia and New York Festivals awards. "The removal of cash from the premises reduces risks associated with armed robbery and allows our staff to get out from behind security screens to interact with our customers in a more personal way." The statement called for such programs to be used as a "front-line approach to preventing blood-borne viruses" and Dr Gannon said it "should not be seen as having a permissive attitude" towards drugs, instead arguing people should recognise the realities of drug use in prisons and "we should do what we can to reduce harm". She has also added brunch and lunch to the menu of cakes. And a mini-high tea for two will be available throughout the week for those who can't make the bigger high teas on a Saturday. "To suddenly deny a person their liberty to live freely in the community based on nothing more than an allegation that has led to the laying of criminal charges, raises the question of whether the department is acting prematurely by cancelling a visa and whether the department is not following the spirit of the explanatory statement that introduced this legislation," the report said. 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. In a bid to retain the current students and encourage other students to take up research and complete their higher studies, IIT is planning to introduce an executive M.Tech course especially for working professionals. Presently, the MTech programs are for two years duration and the institutions pay Rs 12,400 per month as fellowship for MTech students and charge tentatively Rs 20,000 per annum as fee. Whereas for this proposed executive MTech progarmme , IITs are planning to charge fee as per the market rates which will also help them increase their revenue. It is to be noted that the fees for MTech at IITs are currently lower than those of private institutions. "It was felt that a number of changes should be made and a new executive programme can be introduced. The executive M.Tech programme can cater to those who are already working, and can be compressed into a one-year programme, and charged as per market rates," sources said. The income from this programme can also help reduce the fee burden for students in the regular M Tech programme, so that IITs do not run into losses, explained an official. 23 IITs in the country with a total count of 72,000 students are present. Over 14,000 MTech students are enrolled in the institutes. Earlier, many IITs were known reporting about their financual crunch to successfully run the Mtech programs as more students who got job offers after graduation, resorted to take it up and withdrew their Mtech admissions. "The M Tech programme is an essential step towards good research work. We want more students to complete their Masters. Generally students get placed after completing their graduation and this progarmme can cater to such students," added the source. This idea was discussed during the 155th meeting of IIT directors hosted by IIT-Kanpur in December 2016. Issues related to Mtech were also discussed by the directors here. They had a conversation about encouraging sponsored MTechs by industry thereby charging the course for the actual cost. A number of IIMs and other management schools already offer an executive MBA programme for working professionals. The project is now being worked out by a committee has been formed comprising three IIT directors: Bombay, Hyderabad and Roorkee to work out the details of the project. The proposal will then be sent to the IIT council, the highest decision making body of the IITs, which is chaired by the HRD minister. IIT Kanpur Offers Short Term Course on Nano Transistors Like the NEXT (National Exit Test) proposal for medical students, now, engineering students might also have to face an employability test before they graduate from the college. The Centre is planning to enforce the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) to test students on their technical strengths to confirm if they possess the required skills to be job and industry ready. In order to discuss about this proposal by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Ministry for holding such a test the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) is likely to hold a meeting this week. "The council will have to take the final call on its implementation," official sources said. But the catch here is that, the exam might not be a mandatory one for graduation. "It will be up to the students to decide whether they should take the test," the sources said. However, the proposal has been submitted for a mandatory test for all engineering colleges, including those in private ownership, to participate in the nationwide test. "Continuation of the AICTE approval to the engineering programmes of the institution will depend on their response to the proposed test. It will be their responsibility to encourage their students to take the test," sources said. When the move is finally decided, a draft will be prepared by the the AICTE for regulation to hold the proposed test across the country, and disciplinary action will be taken against institutions that do not adhere to the mandated law. According to an AICTE official, the GATE exam that would be revamped if made compulsory, would not be a big deal for engineering students as many people already attend it for their higher studies. "About 80% to 90% of engineering students take GATE every year as it is mandatory for admissions to MTech. Many public sector undertakings hire engineering students on the basis of their GATE scores," he said. These scores will be shared with employers in all sectors. "The proposed test will also help improve the quality of the technical institutes," an official said. Depending on the performance of their students, the institutes would be encouraged to take measures to improve their standards. For admissions into degrees such as M Tech and ME, The GATE is usually organised by Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. This exam scores are valid country wide. National Exit Test ( NEXT ) for MBBS Graduates in Draft Bill For Chevrolet and Honda, 2017 marks their second year in a row receiving either a North American Car of the Year or Truck of the Year award, whereas the Chrysler Pacifica is only the second minivan ever to win a NA Utility of the Year award. Thanks to the Bolt EV winning the 2017 North American Car of the Year award, this is now the fourth year in a row that Chevrolet has received an award, after the Corvette Stingray and the Silverado won it in 2014 (COTY & Truck of the Year), and then the Colorado in 2015. Honda too are back in the winning column after securing last years NACOTY honors with the Civic. This is also the Ridgelines second NACTOY award, the first coming in 2006. In order to reach their conclusions, a panel of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada looked over dozens of new vehicles that went on sale this year, before deciding on the Bolt EV, Honda Ridgeline and Chrysler Pacifica as this years champions. The Bolt EV fulfills Chevrolets promise to offer an affordable, long-range electric, said Mark Reuss, executive VP, GM Global Product Development. It is a game-changer that is not only a great electric vehicle, its a great vehicle period. The Bolt EV comes with an EPA-estimated 238 miles (383 km) of range on a full charge and has a starting price of $37,495 before tax incentives of up to $7,500 kick in. Standard features include, electronic precision shift, Regen on Demand steering wheel paddle and a 10.2 touchscreen. Launched back in June, 2016, the 2017 Honda Ridgeline also represents an impressive all-round package, boasting a unibody construction, a Dual Action Tailgate, In-Bed Trunk, a scratch and dent-resistant composite truck bed as well as the worlds first Truck Bed Audio System. This award is a prized validation of the innovations and advantages the Ridgeline offers midsize pickup truck customers and a great recognition of the American development teams work, stated American Honda Motor exec John Mendel. As for the Chrysler Pacifica, being named 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year marks the first time since 1996 that an FCA US minivan has received such honors. It managed to win, despite heavy competition from the Jaguar F-Pace and the Mazda CX-9. The Ridgeline and the Bolt EV on the other hand, edged out the Ford F-Series Super Duty/Nissan Titan and the Genesis G90/Volvo S90 combos in their respective categories. CHEVY BOLT EV HONDA RIDGELINE CHRYSLER PACIFICA A new Ford Bronco is actually happening, as after many years of rumors, the Blue Oval officially confirmed the development of the SUV together with the return of the Ranger in North America at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday. Weve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive, said Joe Hinrichs, Fords president of The Americas. Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup thats Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 44 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city. The new iteration of the Bronco SUV will be added to Fords global vehicle portfolio in 2020, while the midsize Ranger pickup truck will join the brands North American lineup after a long hiatus in 2019. Both will be manufactured at Fords Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The news on the Bronco and Ranger comes shortly after Ford announced 13 global electrified models planned for launch over the next five years, including the Mustang Hybrid, the F-150 Hybrid and the Transit Custom Plug-In Hybrid. Photo Gallery Video Rolls-Royce has just recorded its second highest annual sales result after delivering 4,011 vehicles throughout 2016, just behind its 2014 record. That figure represents a jump of 6 per cent over 2015s sales figures and last year, record performances were recorded in all global regions excluding the Middle East. In Europe, deliveries jumped up 28 per cent while the Americas grew by 12 per cent and Asia Pacific swelled by 5 per cent. Last year proved particularly fruitful for Rolls-Royce in Japan where sales jumped 51 per cent, 30 per cent in Germany and 26 per cent in the United Kingdom. Although sales in the Middle East fell away slightly, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai came home as the brands highest selling dealership globally. The British marque says key drivers to the higher sales were the introduction of the Black Badge variants of the Rolls-Royce Wraith and Ghost as well Dawn production ramping up to capacity. According to Rolls-Royce chief executive Torsten Muller-Otvos, This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the worlds most discerning patrons. Rolls-Royce is a true Great British manufacturing success story, one driven by the hard work and ingenuity of the men and women employed at our Centre of Luxury Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex. PHOTO GALLERY Nissans press conference in Detroit is about to go live, with the automaker ready to debut the Rogue Sport and a new four-door concept. After reports of Nissan wanting to bring its widely popular Qashqai into the States, the Rogue Sport was revealed yesterday as part of the successful Rogue lineup. Nissans new SUV will be offered with a single powertrain option -a 2.0-litre petrol with 140hp, paired to a CVT transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, with the all-wheel drive being an option. The company says that they have altered the suspension settings for the needs of the American market, with the new Rogue Sport to be produced in Japan, instead of UK where the European Qashqai is being made. Nissan is also going to surprise us with a new four-door sedan concept thats going to show us the next design steps the company is willing to make. The new concept is also likely to host the brands autonomous systems. The press conference is set to begin at 11.30 EST or 17:30AM CET if you live in Europe. VIDEO (An Air Ambulance was used to take an 86-year-old to hospital from a crash on the Coquihalla Wednesday) UPDATE JAN 9 4:00 P.M. The BC Coroners Service has confirmed the identity of a woman who died after her car was struck on the Coquihalla Highway near Merritt on Jan. 8, 2014. She was Gayle Alverna Ashforth, 85, from Calgary, Alberta. Ms. Ashforth was the front-seat passenger in the SUV that was struck head on by a forestry chip truck on the Coquihalla Highway near the Mine Creek exit south of Merritt. Road conditions were icy at the time and Ms. Ashforth was found deceased at the scene of the collision. The condition of the male driver of the SUV is still unknown after he was listed as critical yesterday after being taken away by air ambulance. The BC Coroners Service and RCMP Traffic Services continue to investigate this death. The accident that closed the Coquihalla southbound for most of the day has turned tragic. Merritt RCMP confirm an 85-year-old woman died at the scene. The driver, an 86-year-old male, was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries. At 9:18 a.m. emergency personal were called to a two vehicle collision 52 kilometres south of Merritt on Highway 5. RCMP say a unloaded commercial unit or semi-truck was heading northbound when the driver lost control. The semi-truck crossed the centre median and entered the southbound lane striking an SUV head on. The womans name is being withheld pending notification of her family. Central Interior Traffic Services continue to investigate the incident. Photo: CTV UPDATE: 2:55 p.m. A cougar captured outside a Kelowna apartment building has been euthanized. Initially, conservation officers were going to release the animal, but its poor health made them rethink the plan, CTV News reports. The big cat had problems with its teeth and sores all over its body. It was decided the animal was too sick to be released into the wild. UPDATE: 6:30 a.m. Kelowna RCMP are providing more details about a cougar encounter Sunday night. Police were alerted at 8:49 p.m. to the big cat's presence at an apartment building on the 2100 block of Cooper Road, says Const. Steve Holmes. The large, female cougar was taking shelter in a brick alcove just outside the main entrance doors to the complex. Tenants wisely kept their distance and stayed inside the building until police arrived. While police monitored the situation, the Conservation Service was notified, and two COs used a tranquilizer gun to dart the animal. It made a run for it, but didn't get far before succumbing to the sleep agent. "Clearly this situation ended in the best possible way", said Holmes. "People were prudent in leaving the cougar alone, and the conservation officers did a terrific job in dealing with this beautiful but dangerous animal, protecting both her and the public in the process." UPDATE: 10:34 p.m. Conservation officers have subdued the cougar that was spotted on the 2100 block of Benvoulin Court Sunday evening. After arriving about 10 p.m., conservation officers were able to tranquilize the big cat from a second-floor balcony of an apartment building beside the cougar. It managed to move about a block before succumbing to the tranquilizer, and officers were able to take custody of it. The cat will be released sometime Sunday night or on Monday, when it wakes up from the tranquilizer. ORIGINAL: 9:27 p.m. A cougar has been spotted on the 2100 block of Benvoulin Court in Kelowna by Orchard Park Mall. Castanet has received several tips that the cougar is in the area, and Kelowna RCMP has advised that the Conservation Officer Service has been notified. Conservation officers are reportedly on their way, but in the meantime, police are asking people to keep their distance. RCMP is attempting to keep from scaring the big cat away from the area until conservation officers arrive on scene. with files from Wayne Moore Photo: CTV RCMP say a murder suspect has died after a shooting that occurred when officers went to arrest him on a First Nation west of Calgary. Police say Ralph Stephens, 27, was one of three suspects in the death of Lorenzo "Billy" Bearspaw, whose body was found Friday on the Stoney Nakoda First Nation. Police say officers went to a home in the community on Saturday and arrested one suspect without incident, but they say another suspect "engaged police" and shots were fired. RCMP say Stephens was taken to hospital but didn't survive. John Stephens, 29, remains in custody and faces a charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Bearspaw. Police were still looking on Sunday for Deangelo Powderface, the third suspect in the case. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team, the province's police watchdog, is investigating the shooting. "On behalf of the RCMP, I want to extend sincere condolences to the families of Lorenzo Bearspaw and Ralph Stephens," Southern Alberta RCMP Chief Superintendent Tony Hamori said in a news release. "I also urge calm in the community while the investigations take place." RCMP said Powderface, 22, is considered to be dangerous and should not be approached. Bearspaw was reported missing by his sister on Jan. 3. RCMP say police dogs were used as part of the search, and it was the dogs that located his body. They say investigators then identified three suspects and obtained Canada-wide arrest warrants for first-degree murder for Ralph Stephens, John Stephens and Powderface. Police say John Stephens is expected to have his first court appearance in the coming days. Photo: The Canadian Press The daughter of a Newfoundland man shot by a police officer spoke through tears Monday as she described her late father as a funny, vocal man with a big heart who lovingly raised her alone. "He was a really good father," said Meghan Dunphy of her father Don, wiping her eyes and pausing to collect herself. "I didn't want for anything." The 28-year-old Eastern Health worker was the first witness at a public inquiry into why Don Dunphy was fatally shot by a Royal Newfoundland Constabulary officer on Easter Sunday of 2015. Const. Joe Smyth served as a member of then-premier Paul Davis's security detail. Smyth has said Dunphy aimed a loaded .22-calibre rifle at him before he fired four shots, three of them fatal, at Dunphy's home in Mitchell's Brook, 80 kilometres southwest of St. John's. Smyth had gone alone to the small house to check out Twitter comments flagged as potential threats against politicians. Smyth sat listening in the public gallery as Meghan Dunphy described how her father raised her alone from the age of three after her mother died of diabetic complications. Her father was in chronic pain since being crushed by heavy machinery on a construction site in 1984. Meghan Dunphy told the inquiry that her father did not have mental health issues. She said he had struggled for years with the workers' compensation system and his house was rundown because he lived in poverty. "It was through no fault of his own, really," she said. As she spoke, the rifle later found loaded beside her father's body sat on an exhibit stand next to her. Meghan Dunphy said she had seen a rifle like it behind her father's couch, but could not say for sure it's the same one. Photo: eskimolens Toronto police are searching for a man who allegedly assaulted someone while wearing an Angry Birds costume. Police say on Oct. 30, around 2:30 a.m., a 24-year-old man was walking on a downtown street with friends when they were approached by someone wearing an Angry Birds costume. They say the 24-year-old man had commented on the costume when the person in the Angry Birds suit allegedly turned around and began to assault him. Police say the man was knocked to the ground but the person in the costume allegedly continued to punch and kick him. They say the 24-year-old man sustained serious injuries. Police want to speak to anyone with information on the incident. Photo: The Canadian Press Women who were sexually harassed as RCMP employees will soon receive letters letting them know they are eligible for compensation if, as expected, a judge certifies a class action against the police force. Lawyers for the plaintiffs and government told Federal Court on Monday that certification will allow a publicity blitz to reach the affected women and set the stage for final settlement of the lawsuit. Many victims are fragile and would find it difficult to pursue individual claims, lawyer Won Kim told Judge Ann Marie McDonald. "This is the only real way for the women to come forward," Kim said. McDonald said she would rule "very shortly" on granting the requested order certifying the class. Among other things, the order would appoint former RCMP officers Janet Merlo and Linda Davidson as representative plaintiffs, and set a 60-day clock ticking on opting out of the class action. The estimated 14,000 to 17,000 victims would also have an opportunity to comment on the proposed settlement before it is put to the courts for final approval, likely in the spring. Claimants would then have six months to make a claim. The proposed settlement, which would be administered by retired Supreme Court of Canada justice Michel Bastarache, creates six categories of claimants. Those who suffered the most egregious abuse would be eligible for up to $220,000. In some cases, family members of the RCMP employees would also be eligible for cash. The lawyers also asked McDonald to approve their cut 15 per cent of the payout. The government has already agreed to pay them $12 million. Photo: Contributed A Salmon Arm woman was taken to hospital after being struck by a vehicle, but not before she walked home from the accident scene. RCMP Staff Sgt. Scott West said on Jan. 6, police were called to an accident on Grandview Bench Road. West said a vehicle being driven by a local man lost control and went into the ditch. The weather was clear at the time, but the road surface was slippery and in this rural area there are no sidewalks. As the vehicle went in the ditch, the vehicle did strike a female pedestrian who was walking along the roadway, said West. West said the unidentified woman was helped by the driver of the vehicle and walked home only to be taken to hospital a short time later. At hospital, it was determined that she had suffered injuries that would require immediate care by a physician, said West, adding the driver of the vehicle was served a violation ticket under the Provincial Motor Vehicle Act. Photo: The Canadian Press Dr. Robert Bristow Canadian researchers have identified a genetic fingerprint that explains why up to almost a third of men with potentially curable localized prostate cancer develop aggressive disease that spreads following initial treatment. Co-principal investigator Dr. Robert Bristow of Toronto's Princess Margaret Cancer Centre says the discovery could help doctors personalize more effective, targeted therapies from the moment a man is diagnosed with prostate cancer. The study published online Monday in the journal Nature analyzed the tumours of 500 Canadian men in the general population with localized, non-inherited prostate cancer. Researchers used DNA sequencing techniques to understand how prostate tumours differed from one man to another, giving them clues as to what kind of treatments would improve chances of a cure. And in a related study published Monday, Bristow and collaborators report on how they cracked the genetic code to show why prostate cancer caused by the inherited BRCA2 gene mutation often turns lethal. Bristow says the next step will be to translate the findings into a diagnostic tool that can be used in the clinic. "We will be testing 500 more men over the next two to three years to accomplish that," he said. "We will soon be able to identify in the clinic the exact genetic state of a man's cancer and react on a patient-to-patient basis to cure more men worldwide." Prostate cancer is the most common malignancy among Canadian men and the third leading cause of cancer deaths in males, after lung and colorectal cancers. An estimated 21,600 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2016, and about 4,000 died from the disease. Semen Indonesia expects 5% sales growth in 2017 09 January 2017 State-owned cement company PT Semen Indonesia (Persero) Tbk is targeting 4-5 per cent sales growth in 2017. Semen Indonesia Corporate Secretary Agung Wiharto said that new plants in Rembang in Central Java and Indarung VI in Padang, West Sumatra, will help it achieve higher sales. If they go according to plan, we expect Semen Indonesias new plants in Rembang and Indarung can contribute [to push growth], he said. He revealed that Semen Indonesias total cement capacity stands at 29Mta. Agung expects not to see decline in cement price this year. The companys cement product is currently sold at around IDR800,000 - IDR820,000/t (US$59.8 - US$61.3/t). As of November 2016, the companys cement sales hit roughly 28-29Mt. Decembers sales number is expected to be similar to previous the months realisation. Published under Swiss cement demand advances 4.2% in 2016 ICR Newsroom By 09 January 2017 Swiss cement producers dispatched 1,076,007t of cement in 4Q16, up 1.6 per cent from 1,058,619t delivered in 4Q15, according to the latest data of the country's cement association, Cemsuisse. The figures include dispatches to Liechtenstein. In 2016 total cement deliveries reached 4,397,180t, a 4.2 per cent increase from 4,219,466t when compared with the previous year. Around 52.1 per cent of deliveries were carried out by rail. Ready-mix concrete plants accounted for 73.5 per cent of dispatches while on-site concrete plants at large construction sites represented 19.6 per cent. Published under Bleubeard and I welcome you Art, including the journey, background techniques, sewing on both paper and fabric, new experiments, photos, failures, and successes will be shared on this site. I have removed my e-mail address until such time as I can get it to work again. Thank you for understanding. You can always leave a note on my blog and I will visit you. Please check out my Previous Collaborations link above to see what projects I have been involved in over the past 12 years. Current and ongoing projects only are shown below. Occasionally, Silent Sunday will showcase photos of my home, neighborhood, or community. A picture is often worth a thousand words. Feel free to drop by every second Thursday of the month for my Second Thursday Tutorials. They are interspersed with my other Tutorials found at the link page above. Jaxport CEO Eric Green said the $23.5 million grant marks a milestone in our initiatives to build the port of the future and move cargo in the most efficient and eco-friendly way possible. The Oregon Supreme Court is being asked to look at the legality of subsidies the Port of Portland gave to ocean carriers in 2012 and 2013. The Oregon Supreme Court is being asked to look at the legality of subsidies the Port of Portland gave to ocean carriers in 2012 and 2013. The 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals last week referred questions raised in a lawsuit filed by the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) against the port that challenged the subsidies, saying it was not clear if the way the subsidies were accounted for was legal under current Oregon case law. We are hesitant to expand Oregon law in a manner that may be contrary to Oregons wishes and in an important subject matter in Oregons history, the 9th Circuit said. If the Oregon Supreme Court declines certification, we will resolve the question according to our best understanding of Oregon law. The lawsuit grows out of a dispute between the ILWU, the port, and terminal operator ICTSI Oregon, which won a lease for Terminal 6 in Portland in 2010. The dispute was over whether work having to do with refrigerated containers at Terminal 6 should be done by ILWU members or members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. John Kitzhaber, then governor of Oregon, brokered a deal that gave the jobs to the ILWU in 2013. As a result of the labor disputes and slowdowns by the ILWU at Terminal 6, the court noted the Port of Portland implemented four incentive and subsidy programs to keep Terminal 6 operating at financially sustainable levels. The ILWU challenged those subsidies, questioning whether they violated Article XI, Section 9 of the Oregon Constitution, which bars a state public entity, such as a municipal corporation, from raising money for, or loaning its credit to, or in aid of, any company. However, the 9th Circuit explained the port employed various accounting and budgetary measures to segregate tax revenue from non-tax revenue. The subsidies failed in keeping container business at the port. All three of the container carriers that had called Terminal 6 Hanjin Shipping, Hapag-Lloyd and Westwood eventually abandoned the port in 2015 and 2016. The court said it is well-settled law in Oregon that a municipal corporations sale of revenue bonds does not violate Section 9. However, the court said there was a question about whether an Oregon municipal corporation can protect tax revenue as Section 9 requires by employing accounting and financial management methods or whether the structural protections of revenue bonds necessary to avoid running afoul of Section 9. It certified the question of law to the Oregon Supreme Court saying its answer may be determinative of the ILWUs complaint. The U.S. International Trade Commission said theres a reasonable indication that imports of softwood lumber products from Canada are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value. The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) on Friday said theres a reasonable indication that imports of softwood lumber products from Canada are subsidized and sold in the United States at less than fair value, harming U.S. producers. As a result of the ITCs affirmative determinations, the Commerce Department will continue its antidumping and countervailing duty investigations of these products from Canada. Commerces countervailing duty determination is due by Feb. 20, while its preliminary antidumping duty determination will be completed by May 4. Dumping occurs when a foreign company sells a product in the United States at less than fair market value, while a countervailable subsidy is financial assistance from a foreign government that is contingent on a domestic companys export performance and use of domestic goods over imported goods. The petitioner for the investigation is the Committee Overseeing Action for Lumber International Trade Investigations or Negotiations (COALITION), which is an ad-hoc association whose members include the U.S. Lumber Coalition of Washington, D.C.; Collums Lumber Products in South Carolina; Hankins in Mississippi; Weyerhaeuser Co. and Potlatch Corp. of Washington; Rex Lumber Co. in Florida; Sullivan Forestry Consultants in Georgia; Seneca Sawmill Co., Stimson Lumber Co., Swanson Group, Carpenters Industrial Council and Giustina Land and Timber Co. of Oregon; and Sierra Pacific Industries of California. According to Commerce, imports of softwood lumber from Canada in 2015 were valued at $4.5 billion. Here is a list of classics podcasts ( I would appreciate notice if you know of others!): Todd Landman, Podcasting is perfect for people with big ideas. Heres how to do it. The Guardian January 13, 2016. https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2016/jan/13/podcasting-is-perfect-for-big-ideas Surprisingly few academics have learned how to podcast but its a great way to reach a wider audience. A recent article in The Guardian makes the case for the medium, and offers some how-to advice: Jessica Hughes and Elton Marker, Classics Confidential. Interviews with classical scholars on various subjects, since 2010. The producers are members of the Department of Classical Studies at The Open University. https://classicsconfidential.co.uk/2016/12/12/senses/ Ryan Stitt, The History of Greece Podcast. By a self-confessed enthusiastic amateur. http://www.thehistoryofancientgreece.com/ Rhannon Evans, Emperors of Rome. Dr. Evans is Lecturer in Ancient Mediterranean Studies at La Trobe University, Melbourne https://itunes.apple.com/podcast/emperors-of-rome/id850148806 Alessandro Conti, Semones Raedarii. https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/sermonesraedarii Podcast Latinum incisum dum autoraedam moderor. Loquor prolixe et mendose de arte docendi. Interdum etiam fabulas narro. Jeff Wright, Trojan War: The Podcast. Historys most awesome epic. Retelling of Trojan War mythology with comment on matters mythological. http://trojanwarpodcast.com/ Chris Francese, Latin Poetry Podcast. http://blogs.dickinson.edu/latin-poetry-podcast/ a series of short Latin passages, discussed, translated, and read aloud. Lantern Jack, Ancient Greece Declassified. http://greecepodcast.com/ a podcast about making the Classics accessible to everyone. Lantern Jack is a graduate student in ancient philosophy. Alison Innes and Darrin Sunstrum, mythTake. https://mythtake.blog/ Scholarly informed discussions of mythological heroes and topics. Alison Innes is a journalist with an MA in classics from Brock University, in Ontario. They also maintain a list of humanities podcasts Nowadays podcasting is a highly developed and diverse medium, widely enjoyed as recreation be people as they exercise, walk, travel, go about housework routines, etc. This is an audience hungry for new content, eager to explore new ideas, and interested in all sorts of things. For my podcast I did a series of 510 minute recordings on Latin metrics, close readings of interesting passages, and whatever I was reading or thinking about at the time. I felt that the podcast medium was ideal to discuss Latin pronunciation and metrics, which are passions of mine, but also to bring across Latin poetry as a performance art. I never focused on grammar or translation as I would have in a classroom setting, but tried to foster appreciation and aesthetic enjoyment. I kept the tone informal, warm, and conversational. My model has always been Karl Haas , the classical music radio host, who used to make the world of classical music sound like the most welcoming, wonderful place, and who could effortlessly pronounce half a dozen languages. With him you always felt like you were getting the benefit of a lifetime of experience and wisdom in the presence of a true humanist. There are now a variety of podcasts on classical topics, many especially on Greek mythology and history, and Roman history. None of them is overwhelmingly successful, or up to the Karl Haas level, and suffice it to say there is room for a lot of innovation and improvement in this medium. Im a journalism student from Australia, who also learnt Latin in high school (read at poetry competitions too) and I have desperately been trying to find someone who still reads it. Your site is perfect. I have been teaching myself Latin over the last 8 years and I really enjoy your podcasts! I hope well be getting some new updates soon! Many of the comments I got on my podcasts were urging me to get off my duff and produce more, or noting problems in download. This is not the place to get into the mechanics of podcasting. Suffice it to say that it is well within the technological competence of most classicists, and there are several good how-to guides to be found on the internet. The most gratifying aspect of podcasting is that it gets you in touch with a whole audience of like-minded enthusiasts and autodidacts out there who really appreciate hearing from somebody with some expertise. They often show their appreciation by leaving comments or voting in various podcast awards competitions. Success in the medium, as with much teaching, requires a conversational style, a sense of humor, and an ability to tell stories. Its important to have fun with it, not to be turgid or pedantic. Podcasting principles: Be conversational. Imagine talking to your mom. Tell good stories. Be enthusiastic. Enjoy yourself. Listen to other podcasts. Always respond promptly to comments. Buy a Snowball microphone ($50 US) If you have thoughts about what makes an effective podcast, or know of any classics ones that I missed, please leave a comment! FRIENDS and family came from as far away as Canada to celebrate the golden wedding of happy couple Peter and Mary Glenister. Peter Glenister, 71, and his wife Mary, 69, of Stag Lane ,Great Kingshill, were joined by 57 guests at their anniversary lunch at the Compleat Angler Hotel, Marlow, last Thursday. Among the guests were family who had witnessed their wedding in 1951 as well as the couple's four children and 11 grandchildren. "It was a wonderful day especially being able to share it with relatives and friends who came from all over Yorkshire, Devon and our nephew, another Peter Glenister, who travelled from Canada," said Mr Glenister. "We are proud to say both the youngest and the oldest living Glenisters were in attendance our 18-month-old grandson Thomas and my 92-year-old aunt Olive." Mr Glenister was born and bred in High Wycombe but met wife Mary, who is originally from Hazlemere, when she moved to Wooburn Green. "A mutual friend introduced us when I was 19 and Mary was 17. Our first date was at the Old Parish Cinema in Frogmoor," said Mr Glenister. "Two years later we married at Wycombe Parish Church." Mr Glenister worked in the insurance business and although he officially retired in 1989, continues to work at the family newsagents in Great Kingshill. Mr Glenister's grandparents, Charles and Ann Glenister, of Flackwell Heath, were featured in the Free Press at their golden wedding in1939 and their diamond wedding in 1949. What's it really like to work at Chicago startups and tech companies? Blue Sky's Inside Job lets people on the ground tell us in their own words. John Alex Colon, 37, Business Analyst at VelocityEHS Advertisement The EHS stands for Environmental Health and Safety. We help companies comply with government regulations about workplace safety. It's a good place to work, knowing the thing you're doing is helping people stay safe. The main software product I work on is called MSDSonline Material Safety Data Sheet. If you have chemicals on site, and you're managing those chemicals, you're required to let your employees know the hazards. If the chemical is there, the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) needs to be there, specifying how to handle it, how to store it, what happens if it spills, what happens if somebody comes into contact with it. Advertisement Day-to-day, I'm writing software requirements. What stresses me out the most is being clear in my writing. They have to build software based on something I'm writing. So if I don't make it clear enough to make it work well for our users, then down the road, that's a bug in the software. I grew up in Cicero. We were like one of the first Hispanic families. It was mostly Polish and Italian families in the '80s. My dad worked for the radiology department at Rush (University Medical Center), and he got my sisters and me into computers at an early age. There was always a computer in the house and Atari, Nintendo, things like that. I went to the University of Illinois at Chicago for my grad and undergrad. I have to shout out to Truman College because I went for my associate's degree there. My bachelor's was in urban planning and public affairs. Grad was in public administration. I see it converging in (what I do now) in that you're always looking at how compliance and regulations affect regular people. At this job, it might not be a direct path to what I studied, but the idea that an administration can pass a regulation through one of its agencies, and suddenly, our 12,000-plus customers have to do those things, and then another administration can come in and say, "That regulation doesn't apply to you anymore," what does that look like? The culture here was a really good match. It's polite, professional and fun. Everybody smiles at each other. Everyone holds the door open for each other. Everyone has some good banter in the cafeteria/game room area. There's a huge Cubs contingent here. I live on the North Side, right by Wrigley Field. I'm a super-Cubs-fan. I moved to the neighborhood when they were terrible. My nephew lives with my wife and me. He's 6 years old and has only known the Cubs as a great team. We have a little over (300) people here. We have a buddy program here for new employees, so they get matched up with an employee who's been here for a while in a different department. So when we have our parties, you don't sit in the corner and have nobody to talk to. In the summer, we get let go early on Fridays, usually 2 or 3 in the afternoon, and a lot of people use that as an opportunity to keep hanging out. We have a volunteer day, so we can pick a charity or organization to volunteer for as paid time off. Advertisement There's a perk that's pretty specific to my team. For Star Wars Episode VII, for "The Force Awakens," and for this newest one, "Rogue One," our whole team went to see Star Wars. We're going to talk about it at one of our meetings, so we might as well just all go see it together. The sales team has a trip, the dev team has movie day. There's a good clique atmosphere, but then there are friendships between all the cliques. When my dad passed in September, to have the kind of camaraderie my team extended to me the texts, the emails, a co-worker actually swung by my house I felt like everybody cared. These guys are like my work family. I didn't feel like I was dealing with that loss alone, and that was really important. As told to freelance reporter Erin Chan Ding. Stories are edited for length and clarity. Forget unicorns. Chicago needs redwoods. To become a world-class tech hub, some say, a city needs founders to think beyond creating the $1 billion private companies known as unicorns. It needs companies to go public and reach 10 times that size and beyond. Advertisement Pat Ryan Jr. , founder and CEO of Incisent Labs Group and chairman of Chicago Ventures, calls these companies "redwoods," a nod to the towering, long-lived kings of the forests found mostly in California. They include Facebook, LinkedIn and Salesforce. Chicago has a handful of unicorns including Avant, Uptake, Mu Sigma and SMS Assist but no redwoods. Advertisement Ryan believes that establishing a redwood forest is the ultimate goal in creating a tech ecosystem. While no Chicago companies appear to have redwood potential in 2017, he sees Grubhub, which went public in 2014 and has a market cap of $3 billion, as the city's best bet for doing so in the next few years. While a point of pride, unicorns aren't on their own a sign that a tech ecosystem has arrived. "A unicorn can be either a waypost along the way to becoming a redwood or it can be an ephemeral state that doesn't sustain," Ryan said, noting that valuations are merely snapshots of a company's progress over funding periods. "There are a lot of companies that achieved unicorn status that sold for less than the amount invested, and some went bankrupt," he said. "It's a good check on progress, but it's just not an end state or ultimate goal." Instead, he believes unicorns are valuable as one of three ingredients that attract the kind of venture funding that propels startups to lofty status. Those factors: The number of redwoods, a density of unicorns and buzz from deals between top-tier venture capital firms and hot startups. For example, he said, messaging app Snapchat, whose maker recently rebranded as Snap, focused the attention of Bay Area startup influencers on Los Angeles. "The national perception of the L.A. ecosystem has been helped by their unicorns, but Snapchat which is an emerging redwood has been a game-changer in people's perception of the L.A. ecosystem," he said. "The visibility and credibility that Snapchat provides for L.A. is hard to overstate. There's this regret in the Valley that Snapchat is not based in the Valley." That kind of buzz buys powerful visibility and credibility that ultimately feeds on itself. Advertisement "It has been a catalyst to both a greater migration of entrepreneurial and tech talent to L.A., as well as venture capitalists paying much more attention at much higher levels than they were a few years ago," Ryan said. Marcelo Ballve, research director of New York-based startup research firm CB Insights, agrees. "The best way to jump-start a startup hub is for a big exit to emerge from a previously less-dynamic city or region," he said in an email. "VCs and other investors are prone to herding just like anyone else, and when a flurry of exits signals a region as hot or up and coming, they take notice." But "one unicorn or even decacorn does not make a tech hub," he adds. In L.A., he said, not just Snapchat but also Dollar Shave Club and Honest Company "emerged and built a lot of momentum for startup investing. There needs to be a certain critical mass for this to happen." He called the Chicago market "probably underrated" by coastal VCs. "While it's had some interesting exits in Groupon, Grubhub, Cleversafe and Braintree, especially given the disappointing run Groupon has had, it could use another big spark," he said. Advertisement "There's no inherent reason why a blockbuster startup couldn't be incubated in Chicago right now," he added. "That's not something you can predict very reliably, but I wouldn't rule that out." While Ryan asserts that more local venture firms need to take bigger risks as lead investors in Chicago startups, there is a critical benefit that top-tier national venture firms have over local ones: Top-tier coastal VCs have a deeper network of management and board talent with the experience to scale companies to redwood levels. "We have a finite number of people who have gone through that and had success. There are only so many Jai Shekhawats," he said, referring to the Fieldglass co-founder who sold his company to SAP for $1 billion in 2014. "The fact is, the density that they have creates the combustion to spawn great things. We just don't have as many as we need to reach our potential." One way to get a piece of the action: Draw top-tier venture partners to join Chicago startup boards, he said. He said Silicon Valley-based VC Bill Gurley, a star dealmaker who was on the Grubhub board until the end of 2015, was "a huge asset" in helping Grubhub CEO Matt Maloney with recruiting. "Bill was a key early part of the team and very helpful accessing talent outside of our networks and all across the country," Maloney said in an email through a spokeswoman. "Bill certainly helped position Grubhub for growth and to prepare the company to go public." One hurdle for Chicago startups is that many of its most successful startups serve business customers instead of consumers. "If you look at the redwoods in the Valley, very few of those are B2B companies," Ryan said. "Salesforce is the current example, and in prior decades Microsoft and Oracle were, but that was before the internet. In the internet age, it takes a lot longer and is a lot harder." Advertisement In our consumer-driven economy, where Google (now Alphabet) has a market capitalization of $549 billion and Amazon $360 billion, the public is less aware of B2B redwoods like Salesforce, valued at $51 billion. "There are not only more B2C companies they literally get exponentially larger," Ryan said. "B2Bs tend to have a better batting average, but they are less likely to be giants." Shekhawat subscribes to the notion that there are two kinds of startups that draw venture capital: those that create something better, faster, or cheaper; and those that are trying to solve world-changing problems. He said that Chicago investors have historically focused on the former. "We don't fund Brave New World here," he said. "We fund good, solid businesses. If you're building a Brave New World, that's highly risky. Maybe the Valley is better for that." He cited Webvan as an example. "That was the grocery delivery service that took in a huge amount of money that went down in flames because the model didn't work," he said. "That type of firm isn't likely to be funded here. Most investors here don't have a model that allows them to lose that kind of money." However, he doesn't believe that Chicago startups need to focus on consumer companies to grow its own redwoods. Instead, it should help startups become more visible to potential business-to-business buyers. Advertisement And he raised another intriguing idea about how the ecosystem could help: Bigger companies need to let in some light to spur the development of solutions to their problems, the basis for building successful B2B companies. Fieldglass, for example, provides software that helps companies manage contingent workers. "It would make the next generation of entrepreneurs more informed about problems that big firms have, and maybe they'll start building and that's how it will happen," Shekhawat said. "There are countless such problems buried inside large companies waiting to be addressed." Kate MacArthur is a freelance writer. Twitter @katemacarthur Craig Breedlove appears in video from 1963 when he built his jet car "Spirit of America," which recorded a new land speed of 407.25 miles per hour on the salt flats of Bonneville, Utah. (National Archives) (Handout) It's full speed ahead for a lawsuit filed against the Museum of Science and Industry for allegedly damaging a record-setting jet car on display for 50 years. A Chicago federal judge last week ruled that Craig Breedlove can move forward with his claim the museum caused more than $395,000 in damage to his historic Spirit of America car. Advertisement The museum previously succeeded in getting claims of negligence and breach of fiduciary duty dismissed, but the court left the door open for Breedlove to take a second crack at it. Breedlove's amended complaint, filed in October, included supporting documents on standards and best practices from the American Association of Museums, of which the Museum of Science and Industry is a member. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 An image of the Spirit of America rocket car (designed by Craig Breedlove), Chicago, Illinois, August 2, 2007. It broke two land speed records before being donated to the museum in 1965 to become part of the transportation exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry. (Photo by J. B. Spector/Museum of Science and Industry, Chicago/Getty Images) ** OUTS - ELSENT, FPG, CM - OUTS * NM, PH, VA if sourced by CT, LA or MoD ** (J.B. Spector / Museum of Science and Industry) Steven Young, a Los Angeles-based attorney representing Breedlove, said Monday the AAM standards "made clearer to the court" that the museum was negligent in its handling of the vehicle. "They didn't live up to museum standards," Young said. Breedlove sent his jet car to the museum in 1965 after breaking land speed records and the 500-mph barrier. The car was returned to him in 2015 with graffiti, a rewelded frame and a missing seat, among other damage, according to the lawsuit. In his ruling, Judge Ronald Guzman cited a section from the AAM standards on stewardship: "Stewardship is the careful, sound and responsible management of that which is entrusted to a museum's care. Possession of collections incurs legal, social and ethical obligations to provide proper physical storage, management and care for the collections and associated documentation, as well as proper intellectual control." Guzman's ruling also rejected the position that the AAM, now known as the American Alliance of Museums, had not yet produced its standards in writing at the time the museum took possession of the jet car. A spokesman for the AAM, which was founded in 1906, said Monday that stewardship standards existed prior to publishing its manual in 2008. The Museum of Science and Industry has been accredited by the AAM since 1975. "The museum takes its responsibility to care for items in its collection very seriously," Museum of Science and Industry spokeswoman Renee Mailhiot said in an email Monday. "We are not able to comment further on pending litigation." The lawsuit, originally filed in June, seeks for the museum to pick up the hefty repair bill. Advertisement Breedlove, now 79, designed, built and piloted the world's fastest car while still in his early 20s. In 1963, he took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah and became the first to cross the 400-mph threshold. The following year, he set a new record, clocking in with a speed of more than 526 mph before crashing into a saltwater pool far beyond the course. It was the last time he drove the car. In 1965, Breedlove lent his jet car to the museum, entering into an "oral agreement" that the car would be returned to him in the event it was pulled from display, according to the lawsuit. Fifty years later, the museum notified Breedlove in writing it intended to return the car. It arrived at his Rio Vista, Calif., home in October 2015, but in far less than the "mint condition" stated in the museum's letter, according to the lawsuit. Damage included exterior panels that no longer fit, stretched intake duct mountings for the jet engine and graffiti where schoolchildren carved their initials in the aluminum finish, the lawsuit said. In addition, Breedlove said the vehicle's frame had been cut and "unprofessionally" rewelded, and the driver's seat was missing. The car was taken to a professional restoration shop, which estimated repair costs at $395,000. The museum and Breedlove have a settlement meeting set before the judge on Jan. 23. Young said he would like to see the case resolved without either the museum or Breedlove having to "spend more money," but said a settlement is unlikely. Advertisement "If it doesn't (settle), we will go forward ... and ultimately, we will see the museum in court," Young said. rchannick@chicagotribune.com Twitter @RobertChannick Sephora's 605 N. Michigan Ave. location, which opened Aug. 26, is a new type of store it's calling the Beauty TIP Workshop that's "Teach, Inspire, Play," according to a Sephora news release. Sephora is closing its nearby store in The Shops at North Bridge. Sephora's 605 N. Michigan Ave. location, which opened Aug. 26, is a new type of store it's calling the Beauty TIP Workshop that's "Teach, Inspire, Play," according to a Sephora news release. Sephora is closing its nearby store in The Shops at North Bridge. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) Three stores on a single half-mile stretch of the Magnificent Mile was too much even for cosmetics giant Sephora. Sephora is closing its store at The Shops at North Bridge at 520 N. Michigan Ave. on Jan. 15 and directing customers to its new flagship, which opened in August at 605 N. Michigan. Advertisement Sephora, owned by luxury goods group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, also has a store at Water Tower Place. When the beauty retailer opened the new flagship last summer, it said it planned to keep both mall shops open. Advertisement Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 6 A couple of passers-by look inside the new Sephora store on Michigan Avenue on Aug. 25, 2016, while members of the media took a tour before opening day. (Abel Uribe / Chicago Tribune) But it changed its mind with an eye to giving customers a better experience at the newer store, Celia Wing, Sephora's vice president of real estate, said in an email. "Double the square feet of our former location, Michigan Avenue allows us to better service beauty lovers," she wrote. The 605 N. Michigan shop also has extra services, including space designed for group beauty classes and skin care and fragrance studios. The Water Tower Place shop at 835 N. Michigan is remaining open and has been recently renovated, Sephora said. lzumbach@chicagotribune.com Twitter @laurenzumbach Iris Gottlieb purchases a potato-spinach lentil soup mix from Thomas Frierson of Spark of the Heart at a farmer's market held at Glencoes North Shore Congregation Israel on Sunday. (Daniel I. Dorfman / Pioneer Press) Farmer's markets are normally associated with June not January but shoppers looking for such a market could find one Sunday in Glencoe. Glencoe's North Shore Congregation Israel hosted a farmer's market on Jan. 8 sponsored and coordinated by Faith in Place, an Illinois group that advocates for religious institutions to work on environmental goals, according to its website. Advertisement Among its programs are winter farmer's markets that take place virtually every weekend, according to Faith in Place officials. "The idea is to help out local vendors in the winter when they don't have as many outlets to sell their products as they would in the summer months," said Carly Persson, a Faith in Place market coordinator. Advertisement Faith in Place brings in vendors from a 250-mile radius of the Chicago area. On Sunday, they sold breads, locally grown vegetables, chocolates, salsas, preserves and even ice cream on a bone-chilling day. While the Faith in Place winter markets have been taking place for eight years in the city and other Chicago suburbs, this was the first time NSCI hosted the market. "This is part of a broader initiative to raise awareness of the food we eat and how the food we eat impacts our bodies and the planet," NSCI Assistant Rabbi Ryan Daniels said. "This is in line with a number of programs we've done." Persson said the markets are an opportunity to get residents to check out a local house of worship. "We are trying our best to get people to come into a congregation they pass by every day on their way to work, but they have never stopped because that is not where they worship," Persson said. An estimated 200 people came to the market. Among the crowd were people just looking to get some food onto their shelf, such as Iris Gottlieb, who bought a potatospinach lentil soup mix. "This market is a great idea. There's nothing here I wouldn't buy," Gottlieb said. "I'm happy the people are ecologically aware of what they are selling and all the preparations are done locally. I can feel comfortable that everything is pure and natural." Advertisement Gottlieb purchased her soup mix from Thomas Frierson, operator of Spark of the Heart, a Chicago-based company that touts gluten-free, all-natural products including soups, salads and side dishes. Frierson said the crowds are going to be smaller at this time of year compared to in the summer, but he believes this is still a good time to cultivate growth for his company. "There are fewer people coming to the markets, but they are looking for artisan products and they want to support the local vendors," Frierson said. "It's an opportunity to get your products to a population you normally wouldn't see." Daniel I. Dorfman is a freelancer for Pioneer Press. The restaurant, hidden down an alley, is a onetime horse barn, operated in the late 1880s by the Borden Condensed Milk Company. (John Konstantaras / Chicago Tribune) Nostalgia is great if you get the dosage right. The Barn, the latest Evanston restaurant by Amy Morton (Found), pretty much does. There's enough yesteryear to the place to stir rosy-hued memories, but not so much that the restaurant loses its sense of the present. And that's the balance one has to strike; overindulge in a bygone era, and you risk reminding everybody why it died out in the first place. Advertisement The old-timey touches start early. You reach the restaurant through an alley an alley with valet parking, granted, but gritty enough to make my wife doubt my sense of direction. The grit gives way to glam as you pass through the front door and curtain to find a faded-brick space with 20-foot ceilings (enough to accommodate a loft overlooking the dining room) and a generally crowded bar. The atmosphere is warm, and so is the temperature; on one chilly evening, my wife removed her sweater, and her upper arms haven't appeared in public since August. A large photograph of an alpaca named George adds a bit a humor to the dining room. "I fell in love with the guy," said owner Amy Morton. (John Konstantaras / Chicago Tribune) The Barn is, in fact, a onetime horse barn, operated in the late 1880s by the Borden Condensed Milk Company (the horses pulled the buggies that delivered the milk). The original barn door is mounted outside, adjacent to the front door; boarded-up window spaces were once the horse-stall windows. The faded Borden's Milk mural on the loft wall is actually a recent addition, but it's true to the building's history. Modern touches include a beautiful chandelier that graces the main room without blocking the loft tables' view; a large photograph of an alpaca named George adds a bit a humor. Waiters are quite gentle with customers asking, "What's with the llama?" Advertisement "I fell in love with the guy," Morton said of George. "He just brings life to a stark wall." There are references to Morton's past, too, specifically that of her father, the legendary restaurateur Arnie Morton. The menu's three steaks nod to Morton's the Steakhouse, and classic dishes and those prepared tableside echo Arnie's, the elder Morton's fine-dining restaurant that opened on State Street in the 1970s. Tableside preparation is tricky under the best of circumstances maneuvering the cart, timing entrees for the whole table and, based on my month-apart visits, the staffers haven't nailed this service down. One night, I was seated at a table so close to a service cart that passing waiters kept bumping my chair. But they are improving. One thing that has helped is that the steaks, previously carved at the table, are now plated in the kitchen. Remembering my experience at another restaurant, watching a server gamely saw through a hunk of beef while three other entrees on my table achieved thermal equilibrium with the dining room, I think this is a good call. Go old-school with a Little Gem salad prepared tableside by general manager Stefan Bosworth. (John Konstantaras / Chicago Tribune) You can still enjoy that presented-just-for-you feeling with the Little Gem salad, which has all the components of a classic Caesar with a couple of bonuses (pumpkin seeds and pickled Vidalia onions). General manager Stefan Bosworth, a tableside-service maven from his years at Lawry's the Prime Rib, rolls up with a cart loaded with pre-portioned ingredients (a triumph of mise en place) and assembles them with understated flair; by the time he crowns the salad with a thin white anchovy, you can't wait to dig in. You'll be happy when you do. I'd order the salad as a separate course it's easily shared but I'd spend a little more time among the appetizers. Chef Nicole Pederson, who also runs the kitchen at Found, Morton's other Evanston restaurant, has put together a solid, familiar menu. It doesn't call itself comfort food, but that's pretty much what arrives on the plate. Nifty starters include a warm casserole of buttery king crab with diced beets and a beet-laced seafood stock, and a hearty tartare of venison, balanced with root-vegetable slaw and paper-thin sweet-potato chips. The "ode to La Tour" sweetbreads represent a different sort of nostalgia. The crisped sweetbreads with brown butter, lemon and capers are not named for the bygone La Tour restaurant in Chicago (I doubt Pederson is old enough to remember that place) but the very much extant La Tour in Vail, Colo., where Pederson once worked. There's also a fine fish soup, fortified with poached halibut and topped with a dollop of herbed whipped cream that adds richness without taking the dish into bisque territory. My favorite is the tomato onion tart, served at room temperature. Cut from one very large tart (on display near the host stand), the wide slice offers surprisingly respectable tomato flavor amid the onions and thyme; combined with a sturdy cornmeal crust, this tart reminded me just a bit of a deep-dish pizza, a nod to Chicago's culinary roots that, I'm assured, is quite unintentional. Advertisement To start, try a warm dish of buttery king crab with diced beets and a beet-laced seafood stock. (John Konstantaras / Chicago Tribune) The main course is where The Barn shows off its muscles, quite literally. Though a roasted vegetable platter is included in the mix, this is very much a meat-centric assortment, boasting a fine pan-seared pork chop with sweet-potato puree and hazelnuts, za'atar-seasoned roasted chicken (in half and whole portions) with excellent crispy skin, and Bolognese pasta featuring chitarra noodles, house ricotta cheese and chunks of ground bison. Heritage Angus steaks are excellent, presented over a thin puddle of demiglace. Add some smashed German butterball potatoes with marrow-butter Bearnaise sauce for $2.95 ($6.95 a la carte). And there are blue-plate specials, ranging from Wednesday's chicken pot pie to Saturday's veal chop (which was a beautiful rack of lamb on my first visit, but switched after customers objected to the fat cap on the Colorado lamb; sigh). Desserts are worth contemplating. Pederson has fun with affogato; in addition to the classic vanilla gelato and espresso combination, she'll offer other versions, notably one with lemon sorbetto and Aperol (or moscato, if you prefer something less bitter) that I absolutely loved. There's also a very good hazelnut-chocolate mousse, strewn with candied hazelnuts, and a respectable creme brulee. The theatrical choice is the cheesecake, doused with sauteed and flamed cherries done tableside, of course. Think of it as cherries jubilee, with soft cheesecake standing in for vanilla ice cream. Service, the occasional bump aside, is well-versed and very professional. Beverages include budget-conscious wines and a tidy list of mostly classic cocktails, though the bar couldn't resist one final homage with its vodka-based "Mortini." Barely over two months old, The Barn isn't yet as good as it will be, but already it's well worth a visit. The food is solid, the space is welcoming and I get a kick out of the visuals. Advertisement Say hi to George for me. Phil Vettel is a Tribune critic. pvettel@chicagotribune.com Twitter @philvettel The Barn 1016 Church St. (rear), Evanston 847-868-8041 www.thebarnevanston.com Eat. Watch. Do. Weekly What to eat. What to watch. What you need to live your best life ... now. > Tribune rating: Two stars Open: Dinner Tuesday to Saturday Advertisement Prices: Entrees $18.95-$34.95; steaks $46.95-$48.95 Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V Reservations: Strongly recommended Noise: Conversation-challenged Other: Wheelchair accessible; valet parking Bill Murray got to celebrate Cubs and Blackhawks wins in Chicago over the weekend. The actor, who grew up in Wilmette, attended a private party Saturday for the Cubs and Sunday's Blackhawks game at the United Center. Advertisement MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Murray sang while Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder played the guitar at the Cubs party, according to Chicago indie band Twin Peaks, which posted pictures from the event. An ardent Cubs fan, Murray has repped the team at the White House and on "Saturday Night Live." Advertisement So about last night with the @Cubs pic.twitter.com/9nFHiw7EfM Twin Peaks (@TwinPeaksDudes) January 8, 2017 On Sunday, a representative for Chicago Cut Steakhouse posted a picture of Murray with Cubs pitching great Rick Sutcliffe at the restaurant. Later that night, Murray wore a gold blazer as he cheered on the Blackhawks from a suite at the United Center. The Blackhawks beat the Nashville Predators 5-2. Ladies and gentlemen, Bill Murray!! pic.twitter.com/DXuZrtSb0x Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) January 9, 2017 RELATED STORIES: Bill Murray and brothers tentatively bringing Caddyshack restaurant to Rosemont Everyone wants to be Bill Murray, including this guy Watch Bill Murray praise Cubs as he beats Obama in putting contest Watch the latest movie trailers. Two years ago the New Orford String Quartet, made up of principal players of the Montreal and Toronto Symphony orchestras, opened Northwestern University's Winter Chamber Music Festival by making one of the most satisfying local debuts of recent times. Sunday night the 8-year-old ensemble returned to Pick-Staiger Concert Hall in Evanston to begin the 2017 edition of the festival, again bringing tried-and-true programming and sterling interpretation. Advertisement As before, the New Orford presented a new work by a Canadian composer alongside two masterpieces from the 19th century. Also as before, the contemporary piece, Uriel Vanchestein's "Les Veuves" ("The Widows"), was conservative, looking back to the history of musical tone painting with reverence. "Les Veuves," a New Orford commission from the Montreal composer, conductor and clarinetist, is a nine-minute essay in storytelling based on a work by poet Richard Desjardins. It evokes in sound various forces of nature as well as a human disrespect for them that is met with violence by a girl from a native tribe of Quebec. There are imitations of rushing wind, swishing leaves, birdsong and the cutting down of trees. Much of the music leading up to one great outburst is quiet, lyrical and mildly dissonant. It wraps ecological concern in an easy-to-take pictorialism. Little wonder that Vanchestein, 32, is studying film scoring. Advertisement MOST READ ENTERTAINMENT NEWS THIS HOUR Claude Debussy's String Quartet is an early piece, though many ensembles play it leanly and coldly, as a modernist exercise in the denial of sentiment. Not this time. String tone was soft, pliant and keenly responsive to Debussy's frequent call for hushed dynamics. The shadowy andantino, marked "gently expressive," was more heartfelt than lighthearted and the better for it. The work came across as distinctly of its period, part of the nocturnal world of Symbolist literature and painting that surrounded it, yet clarity and precision were there as well. Ludwig van Beethoven's Opus 127 is, as cellist Brian Manker explained, one of the composer's late pieces, written under the full effect of deafness. It contains a number of oddities as well as in its slow movement, a depth of feeling often thought otherworldly. In 2015, the New Orford's Beethoven the 11th Quartet was so silvery and proficient that it minimized some of the rough-hewn quality. This time the group treated its successor to a full range of expression, right down to a vivacity in the third movement that Manker confessed sometimes eludes the players. The sole encore was more Beethoven, the cavatina from the Opus 130 Quartet, realized with solemn, withdrawn poetry. The festival continues on weekends at 50 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston, through Jan. 29; 847-491-5441; www.pickstaiger.org Alan Artner is a freelance critic. ctc-arts@chicagotribune.com Twitter @chitribent Advertisement RELATED STORIES: For 2017 Grant Park Music Festival, music and finances join in sunny harmony For classical music fans, plenty of diversions to ward off winter chill Howard Reich's best jazz performances of 2016 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) "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek with Northbrook native Jack Paleczny, who appears on the show Jan. 9. (Sony Pictures Television / HANDOUT) Warning: Spoilers ahead Jack Paleczny, a second-year Chicago-Kent College of Law student, performed well for much of Monday's episode of "Jeopardy" -- until the final exam. Advertisement Paleczny, who grew up in Northbrook, incorrectly answered the "Final Jeopardy" clue about the late artist Vincent van Gogh and placed third in the competition. Paleczny got off to a slow start, but a pair of "Daily Doubles" placed him in the lead going into "Final Jeopardy." His competitors, Virginia social worker Blair Moorhead and returning champion Joe Bartolomeo, correctly answered the final clue. Advertisement Moorhead edged out Bartolomeo, a Massachusetts professor, to win the episode. Paleczny walked away with $1,000, which may help with the speeding tickets Paleczny told "Jeopardy" host Alex Trebek he has a penchant for getting. "Jeopardy" airs 3:30 p.m. weekdays on WLS-Ch. 7. Sarah Labadie, a senior policy associate for Loop nonprofit Women Employed, is set to compete on Thursday's episode of the quiz show. Esteban Santiago, handcuffed, shackled and wearing a red, maximum-security jumpsuit, spoke in a monotone Monday as he answered questions from a judge in court and was told he may face the death penalty. Santiago, 26, is accused of killing five people and wounding six others at Fort Lauderdale's airport. He was flanked by nine deputy U.S. marshals as he answered questions from U.S. Magistrate Alicia Valle. Advertisement "The maximum penalty, if you were to be convicted, is death it is a capital offense," Valle told him. She also explained he could face life in federal prison. Complete coverage of the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting Advertisement Santiago, who stared down at the defense table for much of the hearing, said he understood the seriousness of the charges he is facing. Santiago was slightly hunched over and took deep breaths, as if he was trying to calm himself. Santiago said nothing about his alleged motive or why he came to South Florida. The Iraq war veteran also said nothing, in court, about his documented history of mental health problems. Agents said he reported having terroristic thoughts, believed the government was controlling his mind and pushing him to watch Islamic State propaganda. Santiago, who wore jail flip-flops with no socks and has tattoos on both forearms, answered the judge's questions. He told her he has no assets and only about five or 10 dollars in his bank account. Santiago told the judge that he had not worked since November when he left his job as a security guard in Anchorage, Alaska. He said he had been earning about $2,100 dollars monthly during the past three years. Prior to that, Santiago said he was in the Army "um, around 10 years," earning about $15,000 per year by the end of his stint. After the hearing, Santiago was quickly returned to the Broward Main Jail, where he is being held on federal allegations he fatally shot people, as well as firearm and airport violence charges. Santiago is on suicide watch, partly because of the gravity of the allegations against him, according to the Sheriff's Office. He is being kept in solitary confinement in the medical unit on the third floor, jail records show. Inmates on suicide watch are checked much more frequently than other prisoners. Advertisement Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo Del Toro said prosecutors wanted Santiago detained without bond while the case is pending. After ruling that Santiago did not have enough money to hire private counsel, the judge appointed Assistant Federal Public Defender Robert Berube to represent him. Berube and Santiago spoke briefly during the hearing, whispering as they huddled next to each other. Berube said he had just met his client in court for the first time. "There is a time and place to make a comment, this is not it," he told the Sun Sentinel. Security was much tighter than usual inside the courtroom and around the courthouse on Monday. There were metal barricades at the entrance to the courthouse and armed federal agents and explosives-detecting dogs patrolled the perimeter of the building. The marshals surrounded Santiago in court and several others guarded the rear of the courtroom for the 30-minute hearing. More than 60 reporters, from all over the world, crowded into the courtroom for the hearing and dozens more, with video cameras, lined the sidewalk outside. Advertisement Airport security video shows Santiago pulling a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shooting at people in the baggage carousel area in Terminal 2. Santiago confessed shortly after the Friday afternoon shooting, according to the FBI and Broward Sheriff's Office. He told investigators that he planned the attack and bought a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale to carry it out, according to court records. Agents said he legally checked a 9mm Walther semi-automatic and two magazines of ammunition - but no clothes or other belongings - for a Delta Airlines flight from Alaska via Minnesota. After picking up his bag from the baggage carousel, he told investigators he unpacked the gun, loaded it inside a stall in the men's restroom, and shot the first people he saw after he walked out of the restroom. The judge ordered that Santiago will remain jailed until a Jan. 17 detention hearing. Santiago has not yet been formally charged but an arraignment, when he would announce if he plans to fight the allegations against him, is scheduled for Jan. 23. pmcmahon@sunsentinel.com, 954-356-4533 or Twitter @SentinelPaula "Binti: Home," by Nnedi Okorafor, 176 pages, Tor.com, $14.99 Nnedi Okorafor made her original reputation with young-adult fiction, and much of her work is characterized by a vivid mixture of fantasy, science fiction and African folklore. Last year's "Binti," her first venture into classic outer-space fiction, won both the Hugo and Nebula awards, and now "Binti: Home" follows up on that tale of the first Himba girl to leave her homeland to study at a vast galactic university, only to become the sole survivor of a brutal alien attack on the spaceship. Nevertheless, Binti managed to begin her studies at Oomza University, where she was one of the few human students. Advertisement Okorafor's characters are often outsiders trying to come to grips with their own identities in relation to their cultures, and now Binti, upon returning home accompanied by one of the very aliens who had murdered her shipmates, finds herself as much an outsider in her village as she had been at university. But a strange amulet called an edan, which Binti had found in the desert before leaving home, helps her unlock secrets involving her own ancestry and an even more ancient people. As the story comes back down to Earth from outer space, it opens up Binti's tale in astonishing ways, while provocatively exploring questions of identity and kinship. "Passing Strange," by Ellen Klages, 224 pages, Tor.com, $14.99 Advertisement Readers often think of science fiction and fantasy in terms of short stories or very long novels, but some of the most exciting work of the past few years has been at the intermediate length of the short novel or novella. Ellen Klages has won awards for her short fiction, but her only two novels have been well-received young-adult historicals. "Passing Strange" is her best adult work to date partly a meticulously researched portrait of gay life in 1940s San Francisco, partly a magical fantasy about the power of women working together, partly a doomed romance, partly even a tribute to a particular erotic tradition of pulp magazine art. Loretta Haskel is a talented artist Diego Rivera is a friend who makes her living doing those pulp covers that, decades later, will make her an enigmatic figure whose original pastels are fabulously rare. The origin of one of those paintings, which holds a precious secret, is the heart of the story. Along the way, we meet a witch whose origami can somehow alter real-world geography, a young writer expelled from Wellesley for being gay, a refugee from wartime Britain, and a lawyer who works as a dancer in a tawdry Chinese-themed nightclub. When Haskel is threatened by a figure from her past, they ingeniously pool their talents to rescue her in a manner both wildly romantic and genuinely moving. "The Lost Child of Lychford," by Paul Cornell, 144 pages, Tor.com, $14.99 Paul Cornell, the prolific British writer of fiction, screenplays (including "Doctor Who") and comics, probably knows the conventions of multigenre writing as well as anyone, and with this short novel, he returns to the charming English village that was besieged by supernatural forces in last year's "Witches of Lychford." What makes such villages charming are the colorful inhabitants, and the three women who set about protecting themselves and the village from a new threat make a winning team: a recently appointed curate of the local church, her free-spirited friend who owns a magic shop, and an experienced if short-tempered older witch with a mysterious, reclusive husband. One of the cherished traditions Cornell invokes is the Christmas ghost story. Plans are underway for an elaborate Christmas Eve wedding at the church, and as the story opens, two of the women have encountered the ghost of a 3-year-old boy who nevertheless turns up at school the next day as a perfectly healthy child. The women begin to suspect that dark forces are at work, and it gradually becomes apparent that the wedding, planned by an out-of-town couple with some very peculiar requirements, may have something to do with it. The hazards facing Lychford turn out to involve a lot more than ghosts and witches, though, and Cornell introduces some genuine existential chills into this ingratiating setting. printersrow@chicagotribune.com Red or green ? That's what everyone asks you in New Mexico restaurants. Translation: Do you want New Mexico's famous red or green chiles? The story goes that a waitress at Tia Sophia's, the popular breakfast and lunch place on Santa Fe's Plaza, got tired of the question, so she'd just ask people if they wanted both -- Christmas! Now that term is widely used all over New Mexico, but Tia Sophia owner, Nick Maryol, who took the popular eatery over from his dad, swears the story is true. Tia Sophia has another claim to fame -- besides excellent, well-priced Mexican food. It's said to be the first place a breakfast burrito was ever put on a menu in New Mexico. Now, there are so many varieties of breakfast burritos that there is a state-sanctioned Breakfast Burrito Byway celebrating its popularity. Maryol's dad, Jim, first put it on the menu in the 1970s -- a breakfast burrito is typically bacon, potato, cheese all wrapped in a tortilla and smothered with red or green chiles. (Today, you can have it with ham, sausage or bologna, too.) "It's still the most popular breakfast," Maryol says -- and a bargain at under $10. Certainly you can eat well in New Mexico no matter what your budget -- like the 1,000-seat El Pinto Restaurant and Salsa Company, spread out over 12 acres in Albuquerque. The company, run by twin brothers, grows its own chiles, keeps its own chickens and produces 4,000 cases of salsa and green chile sauce a day. You can teach the kids a lot about the culture of a place through its food. Besides, it's fun. Two-thirds of those polled for the 2016 Portrait of American Travelers say fine-dining is important on vacation. Food is especially important for millennial families. Seventy-seven percent of those polled said experiencing new cuisines was a motivation for vacation, MMGY Global's Steve Cohen told the attendees at the TMS Family Travel Summit I co-chair. Chefs and hoteliers report that often kids are the biggest foodies in the family and turn up their noses at traditional kids' menus, once they are past kindergarten. "The families I see today have a whole different take on food," said celebrity chef and hotelier Charlie Palmer, the father of four sons. "They are concerned about the quality of the food they are eating." To that end, it's up to all of us to help restaurants and hotels up their game when it comes to food for kids. If you think the kids' menu is too limited, ask to order a half portion at half price or an appetizer portion. If the waiter balks, ask to speak to a manager. Award-winning San Francisco chef Traci Des Jardins wishes American restaurants would take a page -- a menu page -- from their counterparts in other parts of the world. "The United States is one of the only places in the world that has special meals for kids," she said. "We are conditioned to teach kids to eat differently than we do and that is a mistake." This is especially true when kids' menus are not only pedestrian, but unhealthy, serving up processed, fat-laden dishes like macaroni and cheese and chicken fingers. Here are five ways to up your food game -- and encourage picky eaters to try new foods on your next 2017 trip: CONSIDER A CRUISE. Families tell me cruises offer the chance for kids to try all kinds of new foods, because if they don't like something, they can simply order something else. And at the bountiful buffets you can encourage them to sample something beyond pizza or a burger and fries (a curry, for example). According to the 2016 Portrait of the American Traveler, the vast majority of those polled who vacationed with kids -- 88 percent -- said food available onboard was influential in their cruise line selection. Just be mindful of the upcharges for specialty restaurants aboard ship. (Check to see if kids can go free, as those staying in Carnival Vista's Family Harbor can, or at a reduced price.) VISIT A FARMERS MARKET where you can chat with local farmers about what they grow and taste varieties of fruits and vegetables different from home. One of my favorites is the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco; Barcelona's La Boqueria Food Market also shouldn't be missed. The Original Farmers Market at Third and Fairfax in Los Angeles has been its city's most extraordinary landmark since 1934 when 18 pick-up trucks drove onto a large vacant lot to offer fresh fruits and vegetables to families in the growing community. Let the kids help choose picnic fixings. TAKE A FOOD TOUR and learn about local culture through food. Most recently, I took a food tour in Athens with Context Travel, which offers themed walking tours all over the world. Another particularly good one was the "eating history" tour in London's East End with EatingLondonTours.co.uk. Another option: Designate food as your interest when you sign up for a complimentary tour led by a local through the Global Greeter Network, which operates in cities around the world. How about desserts, if you are in NYC with Sugartooth Tours. SIGN ON FOR A FAMILY COOKING CLASS. You'll find them all around the world, from the Family Funday at Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley to La Cuisine Paris where courses are taught in English. Got your apron? (For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com and also follow "taking the kids" on www.twitter.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.) Advertisement RELATED STORIES: Travel tips and trips: Pond hockey on the Great Lakes, SpringJam in Panama City A cacao tour of southern Belize from bean to bar Advertisement Where to travel based on your zodiac sign "What I do oppose is a dumb war." Oct. 2, 2002 Federal Plaza From a Jan. 18, 2009, story by Patrick T. Reardon: On Oct. 2, 2002, the state senator from the South Side was one of several speakers at a rally against the Iraq War at Federal Plaza in the Loop. "I stand before you," Obama began, "as someone who is not opposed to war in all circumstances," and he cited the Civil War as a legitimate conflict. Three times he would repeat the phrase, "I don't oppose all wars," providing examples each time. Watch the video "Young people don't shoot each other when they're succeeding in school." Sept. 29, 2004 WTTW-TV Studios From a Sept. 30, 2004, story from news services: A panel of high schools students grilled U.S. Senate candidates Alan Keyes and Obama on gun control, drug use and gay marriage, asking them why they hold the positions they hold and whether they applied them to their own lives. Asked about the pressures teenagers face involving drugs and alcohol, Obama, who has admitted to using drugs in his youth, said students who abuse drugs or alcohol often "don't know who they are or what they care about." He said he stopped after teachers he respected asked him what his goals were in life and what he was doing to improve his community. "Then when you start embracing that, all of those other distractions start fading away ... because suddenly I was consumed and much more interested in how could I have an impact," he said. Watch the video "I have three words for them. What are those words? Yes, we can!" Nov. 3, 2004 Hyatt Regency Chicago From a Nov. 3, 2004, story by John Chase and David Mendell: Winning nearly every major demographic and geographic division of the state, Obama captured a landslide U.S. Senate victory with voters who had been caught up in his story. Watch the video "There are no good options left in this war." Nov. 20, 2006 Chicago Council on Global Affairs Conference Center From a Nov. 20, 2006, story by the Associated Press: Then Democratic Sen. Barack Obama called for a "gradual and substantial" reduction of U.S. forces from Iraq that would begin in four to six months. Speaking to the Chicago Council on Global Affairs, Obama envisioned a flexible timetable for withdrawal linked to conditions on the ground in Iraq and based on the advice of U.S. commanders. He also called for intensified efforts to train Iraqi security forces, U.S. aid packages tied to Iraqi progress in reducing sectarian violence and new diplomacy with Syria and Iran. Watch the video "The American people weren't just failed by a president. They were failed by much of Washington." Oct. 2, 2007 DePaul University From a Oct. 3, 2007, story by John McCormick: Obama used the fifth anniversary of his 2002 antiwar speech to try to maximize the notion he demonstrated sound judgment by opposing an impending war that was then generally popular and backed by two of his leading Democratic rivals. In a speech delivered in Chicago and twice again later in Iowa, Obama tried to draw a clearer distinction between himself and Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina, who both voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq. Watch the video "But there is one thing on this February night that we do not need the final results to know -- our time has come, our movement is real, and change is coming to America." Feb. 5, 2008 Hyatt Regency Chicago From a Feb. 6, 2008, story by Christi Parsons, John McCormick and Mike Dorning: Continuing to split voters along lines of race, class and gender, Sens. Hillary Clinton and Obama swapped states, delegates and bragging rights as Super Tuesday produced a muddle instead of a presumptive nominee. The hometown advantage was in full effect, with Obama overwhelmingly winning Illinois and Clinton taking both New York and New Jersey and Arkansas. Watch the video "What makes you a man is not the ability to have a child. Any fool can have a child. That doesn't make you a father. It's the courage to raise a child that makes you a father." June 15, 2008 Apostolic Church of God From a June 16, 2008, story by Jeff Long and Christi Parsons: The story of fatherhood -- never a simple one for Obama, abandoned by his father when he was a young boy -- was especially poignant in his Father's Day speech at a Chicago church. It came in the aftermath of a painful separation from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright Jr., a father figure who, as Obama's longtime pastor, played a crucial role in his spiritual maturation. Watch the video "It's been a long time coming, but tonight, because of what we did on this day, in this election, at this defining moment, change has come to America." Nov. 4, 2008 Grant Park From a Nov. 5, 2008, story by Mike Dorning and Jim Tankersley: The Illinois senator won a larger share of the popular vote than any Democrat since Lyndon Johnson in 1964. He redrew the electoral map, sweeping nearly all the traditional battleground states -- including Ohio and Florida -- and winning some longtime Republican strongholds, such as Virginia. A crowd of 125,000 gathered at the downtown park, and thousands more spilled out onto nearby streets. Watch the video "On the other hand, our preference would be to get a shelter dog, but a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me." Nov. 7, 2008 Hilton Chicago From a Nov. 8, 2008, story by John McCormick, Bob Secter and Rick Pearson: With the world suddenly hanging on his every word, Barack Obama answered questions for the first time as president-elect, speaking cautiously about a skittish economy and joking that his family's discussion of a new puppy had become "a major issue." Obama sought to reassure the nation and world that the financial crisis has his full attention, while delicately trying to bridge the transition from the current presidency to his own. Watch the video "The cost of our health care is a threat to our economy." Jun 15, 2009 Hyatt Regency Chicago From a June 16, 2009, story by Bruce Japsen, John McCormick and Noam N. Levey: Obama presented his most detailed pitch for a $1 trillion overhaul of the nation's burdened health care system, calling it a "ticking time bomb" that threatens America's prosperity. The nearly hourlong speech in Chicago to the country's largest doctors group was a balancing act: Obama sought to preserve an emerging consensus that the time might be right to overhaul the business and practice of medicine, while fending off critics who see his plan as leading to a government takeover of health care. Watch the video "I refuse to walk away from this industry and American jobs. I put my faith in the American worker." Aug. 5, 2010 Ford Motor Co. Assembly Plant From a Aug. 5, 2010, story by Rick Pearson and John Byrne: Obama told autoworkers at a Southeast Side Ford plant that his bailout push helped save an "industry on the brink." He later attended a series of fundraisers. Watch the video "Ordinary folks can do extraordinary things. That's what this campaign is about." April 14, 2011 Navy Pier From a April 15, 2011, story by Christi Parsons: There was no shortage of hoopla as Obama returned home for the first time since formally announcing his re-election bid, using past and present stars of his playoff-bound favorite Chicago Bulls to cap an evening of fundraising that could net about $2 million. Speaking in Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom before an estimated 2,300 people who paid $100 to $250 to attend, Obama challenged the crowd to come together for him as they did four years ago. Watch the video "There is no doubt that there have been tensions between (International Security Assistance Force) and Pakistan, the United States and Pakistan over the last several months." May 21, 2012 McCormick Place From a May 21, 2012, story by David S. Cloud and Kathleen Hennessey: In remarks to more than 50 world leaders, Obama made clear his frustration over what the administration views as Pakistani intransigence by publicly thanking Russia and other Central Asian countries for providing "critical transit" of war supplies into Afghanistan. Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari sat a few feet away, but Obama pointedly did not mention Pakistan. Watch the video "Democracy in a nation of 300 million can be noisy and messy and complicated. That won't change after tonight. And it shouldn't." Nov. 7, 2012 McCormick Place From a Nov. 11, 2012, story by David Lauter: The 2012 election marked the point at which a new American electoral coalition solidified its hold on politics, one built on a growing nonwhite population and on cultural changes that have given younger voters of all races a far different outlook on political issues than their elders. The impact could be seen not just in Obama's re-election and Democratic successes in the Senate, but in statewide referendums in which advocates of same-sex marriage unexpectedly won four out of four. Watch the video "But last year, there were 443 murders with a firearm on the streets of this city, and 65 of those victims were 18 and under. So that's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months." Feb. 15, 2013 Hyde Park Academy From a Feb. 15, 2013, story by John Byrne and Dahleen Glanton: The president's visit brought a national and international spotlight on Chicago's gun violence. Mayor Rahm Emanuel sought to make the case that Chicago's struggles aren't particular to this city. "Like every major city in the country, Chicago faces two critical challenges: the strength of our schools and the safety of our streets. Our streets will only be as safe as our schools are strong and our families are sound," Emanuel said. Watch the video "I care about what happens here." Oct. 19, 2014 Chicago State University From a Oct. 19, 2014, story by Monique Garcia: Obama sought to tap into his hometown popularity to energize the Democratic base in a non- presidential election year that typically sees lower voter turnout. It marked the second time returned to Chicago on behalf of then Gov. Pat Quinn , with the rally following a high-dollar fundraiser. "We're in the fight of our lives for the soul of our democracy," Quinn told a crowd estimated at 6,200. "We are the government of the many, and we are taking on those who think government is of the money. They may have more money, but we have President Obama." Watch the video "If any part of the American community doesn't feel welcomed or treated fairly, that's something that puts all of us at risk." Nov. 25, 2014 Copernicus Community Center From a Nov. 25, 2014, story by Rick Pearson and Bob Secter: Saying the American experience was formed by "stitching together folks from different backgrounds," Obama used a Polish cultural center in Chicago as a backdrop to draw a line between immigration reform and unease over a Missouri police shooting. Watch the video "Just to give you a sense of perspective, since 9/11, fewer than 100 Americans have been murdered by terrorists on American soil -- 400,000 have been killed by gun violence. That's like losing the entire population of Cleveland or Minneapolis over the past 14 years." Oct. 27, 2015 McCormick Place From a Oct. 27, 2015, story by Rick Pearson: Returning to Chicago to speak to the International Association of Chiefs of Police , Obama readily acknowledged gun violence remains an acute problem that has plagued the city's reputation for years. The president issued a renewed call for federal action to increase and tighten background checks of gun buyers and increase coordination of background information among all agencies -- steps aimed at curbing inconsistencies in a patchwork of state gun laws. Watch the video "Merrick Garland is an extraordinary jurist who is indisputably qualified to serve on the highest court of the land and nobody really argues otherwise." April 7, 2016 University of Chicago Law School From a April 7, 2016, story by Kim Geiger and Rick Pearson: Speaking for nearly 90 minutes in a town hall setting that featured questions from students at the University of Chicago Law School, Obama also touched on a broad array of topics that included his defense of drone technology in warfare, opposition to limiting voting rights and view that the divergence within the Democratic Party between supporters of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders is not comparable to divisions within the GOP. Watch the video Laurel Sutherland, left, and her sister, Bree, were "like two little peas in a pod." (Family photo) Bree and Laurel Sutherland, sisters who grew up together in southwest Michigan, each moved to Chicago after college to pursue careers in which they could help others reach their goals. "They cared about people," said their aunt Susan Barnes. "They were there when you needed them." Advertisement Barnes described Laurel as quick-witted, sensitive and artistic. Bree, she said, was "a firecracker, outgoing, energetic and bubbly, she just pulled people to her." Bree, 37, and Laurel, 41, died Dec. 26 in a car crash in Weesaw Township, Mich., near Harbert. The two were backseat passengers in a car being driven by their father, Michael. Their father and mother, Deborah, were in the front seat and were seriously injured in the crash. Advertisement The sisters grew up in Niles, Mich., and attended Brandywine High School there. With an interest in other cultures, Laurel Sutherland went on to Syracuse University in New York, where she earned a bachelor's degree in geography and Russian. "She was very interested in other cultures and curious about the world," Barnes said. Bree Sutherland studied at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo, where she earned a bachelor's degree before going on to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign to get a master's degree in education. Bree began work last August as the director of learning for the Association Forum of Chicagoland. "She was a very strong asset to the organization during the short time she was here," said Michelle Mason, the group's president and CEO. "She was definitely passionate about education, adult education and online education." Mason described her as a lifelong learner, positive and energetic and with a high level of enthusiasm. "Bree was just an amazing professional, and we were so fortunate that she was able to call Forum her work home during the time she was here," Mason said. Laurel Sutherland was a senior account executive with Avant Healthcare, based in Carmel, Ind., and had recently been promoted to account director. The company is a medical education communications company. Sutherland regularly received client accolades, a company official said. Advertisement A note to Avant staff described her as "a truly bright light. Her life was built on a foundation of absolute kindness, and it impacted everyone around her." She was described as loving, funny, intelligent, committed and passionate. Her aunt said the job fueled Laurel Sutherland's interest in traveling and in meeting new people, as her work took her across the U.S. Her travel and wide-ranging interests in reading and movies made her a formidable trivia contest competitor. Bree Sutherland was a concertgoer, regularly attended Chicago Cubs games and had a special fondness for oyster bars. Their aunt described the two as "very close, like two little peas in a pod." In addition to their parents and aunt, the sisters are survived by a number of other aunts, uncles and cousins; Laurel's close friend and former husband Alex Feigelson; and Bree's longtime companion Greg Duncan. 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This Is Everything You Should Know About Caroline Heldman, Her Career Portfolio and Other Facts Love it or hate it, there is no escaping the fact that feminism has come to stay in our world. The movement has continued to garner momentum over the years and this is due to the sustained push by several women, and even men, including the likes of Caroline Heldman. A Professor of Politics at ... Understanding The Enigma That Is Gavin McInnes, The Controversies He Has Stirred and All About His Wife Gavin McInnes is a polemical English-born writer and TV personality, who is best known for his racist and fascist ideologies, as well as his co-ownership of Vice Media and Vice Magazine. He is also an actor a A Harvey police car sits Jan. 9, 2017, in front of a home in the 200 block of Calumet Boulevard where a home invasion left one dead and two others injured. (Warren Skalski / For the Chicago Tribune) A 21-year-old man was fatally shot and two other family members were injured one by gunfire during a home-invasion Sunday at a house in Harvey that the family moved into about a month ago, police said. Police identified the slain man as Deon Beamon. About 7:40 p.m., Beamon and another man walked out of their house in the 200 block of Calumet Boulevard to pick up food from a restaurant, police said. Advertisement "They were ordered back into the house by two masked gunmen," Harvey Deputy Police Chief Greg Thomas said. At least one of the gunmen entered the home and ordered everyone to the floor, according to Thomas and a police news release. Advertisement Beamon was shot in the back, another man was shot in the leg and the man who had left the house with Beamon was "badly beaten," police said. Beamon was transported to Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, where he died. The other person who was shot was taken to the same hospital, and his condition was stabilized, Thomas said Monday. The man who was beaten was not in the hospital as of late Monday morning, police said. There were about seven people in the home at the time, including two children, Thomas said. "They were not in the area of the incident where it took place," Thomas said. "We were told they were inside a bedroom playing video games and they didn't witness the incident at all." No arrests were reported. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The family had moved to Harvey about a month ago and had no interaction with Harvey police, Thomas said. The neighborhood is a "very, very neighbor-friendly area," Thomas said. "It's a quiet area, it's not one of the high-crime areas," he said. The family recently moved in from a neighboring town, Thomas said. Advertisement "This was not a random act," Thomas said. "It appears there was tampering around the house, which would indicate they were probably being stalked." Police were still interviewing witnesses and trying to determine if one or both gunmen entered the home. The incident lasted about five minutes, and police had not determined if the offenders left the area by vehicle or on foot. An autopsy of Beamon was scheduled but results were not available late Monday afternoon. Erin Gallagher is a freelance reporter. World War II Navy veteran Josephine Regnier, 94, was outside her Southwest Side home when she was attacked Dec. 7 for her purse. "Why did he have to do all that?" she said. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) At 71 years old, Kathye Dawoudi isn't afraid of waiting alone at a dark Chicago bus stop after her nightly swim class. She tells off people who eye the bulging purse perched on her walker. And she doesn't hole up inside her Auburn-Gresham home even though her grandson was shot to death last year. "I probably need to be (more concerned), but I'm not," Dawoudi said on a recent morning at a senior cafe and center in the South Side's Chatham neighborhood. "I'm not going to put that on my mind. ... Fear can be smelt." Advertisement Her sister, however, copes differently. Eighteen months older than Dawoudi, she won't leave her Edgewater home on the North Side after being mugged and enduring repeated car burglaries, Dawoudi said. Gone is the fun-loving sister who would accompany Dawoudi to museums or theaters. "I just want to hide," the woman told Dawoudi on the phone after Dawoudi inquired about an interview on behalf of a Tribune reporter. The sister declined. Advertisement As Chicago closed 2016 with its highest level of bloodshed in 20 years, the two women represent the range of ways senior citizens are dealing with the unsettling violence that has garnered national attention. More than two dozen people 65 and older were shot in 2016 up from 12 in 2015 and seven in 2014, according to Tribune data. The data reflect cases in which victim ages are known. As the city's homicides ticked upward each month this year, it also saw criminal sexual assaults, robberies and thefts surge by double digits compared with 2015. Eleven seniors were homicide victims in 2016, Tribune data show, more than double the number from the previous year. Experts point to Dawoudi's sister as an example of the self-isolation that often results from fear of crime. It can keep seniors from leaving home and participating in activities that benefit their health and emotional well-being. In interviews with the Tribune, however, many seniors also expressed resilience, declaring they won't be prisoners in their own homes. Nationwide, violent crime against seniors nonfatal shootings, armed robberies, assaults and rapes jumped 27 percent from 2003 to 2013, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Its report does not account for homicides. The increase comes as violent crime as a whole has steadily tapered off over several decades. That could be caused, in part, by the aging baby boomer generation. As the fasting-growing segment of the population, there are more seniors over 65 than ever before. In Illinois, for example, the number of people 65 and older is projected to increase 18 percent by 2030, according to the 2010 U.S. census. People over 60 make up 12 percent of the Chicago area's population. Though seniors experience fewer violent crimes compared with other age groups, they report the highest levels of fear of being victimized, data show. Advertisement Indeed, neighborhood safety ranks as a chief concern among Chicago's elderly, according to a study commissioned by the city after it received an "age-friendly" designation from the World Health Organization. The study, conducted by Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine in 2014, found that 43.8 percent of seniors in its 2,600-person survey rated neighborhood security fair or poor. Survey participants who lived in high-crime areas wrote in a comments section that walking outside could be dangerous. "Before you would see people sitting outside in front of their house on a hot summer day, kids playing. Nowadays at 6 o'clock in the evening, people don't want to walk because there are no people. All you see is cars and they are shooting,' " wrote one study participant. 'One lemon' The beating and robbery of a 94-year-old World War II veteran inside her Southwest Side home in December cast renewed light on the distinct experiences of seniors, a group sometimes overlooked as victims in Chicago's often-gang-driven violence that kills scores of young men. Advertisement Sitting in a rocking chair in her Garfield Ridge home last week, Josephine Regnier recalled the attack, which left her with bruises on her face, a head injury and three broken ribs. She was waiting outside by the sidewalk for her daughter to take her to the dentist but retreated inside because of the cold. A 26-year-old man followed her, punched her multiple times in a stairwell leading to the home and fled with her purse. At 5 feet and a frail 100 pounds, Regnier was overpowered. She slid down the wall and let the man beat her, unable to fight back, she said. She felt helpless. "It was constant. He just didn't let go. He just socked me," Regnier said in her soft, high-pitched voice. "If he had just asked me for the purse, I would have given it to him. But why did he have to break my ribs and hurt my back? Why did he have to do all that? I don't know. From all the good people, one lemon." Since the attack, her daughters said, Regnier startles when someone appears at the door. Her daughters changed all the locks. They hope their mother won't be too scared to sit outside on the porch when the weather improves. Despite the trauma, Regnier said she still feels the neighborhood is safe. She "doesn't have any complaints" about living there for 53 years, without any issue until recently. Neighbors and others who heard about Regnier's plight filled the home with flowers, handmade cards, cookies and other sentiments sent by mail to show their support. Regnier said she sees the attack as a random event. She was just an unlucky target. Still, it's going to be a long recovery. Regnier is taking pain medication for her back, but it's still sore. A faint purple ring, part of a larger bruise that spread across her face, encircles her right eye. Advertisement "He really took the starch out of me," she said. Close to home From a health standpoint, crime can pose dire consequences for seniors, said Bob Gallo, the Illinois director of AARP. "Elderly people don't psychically recover from injuries as fast as younger individuals," he said. "Anything that's traumatic, like a mugging or an assault, is much more dangerous for an older person. ... As a result, you also feel psychologically much more vulnerable." AARP, which has held workshops in communities such as Bronzeville and Englewood in recent months, is consistently fielding concerns about crime from residents, Gallo said. Fewer older adults are being targeted, he suggested, because many stay home in the late evening, the high-crime hours when more robberies and shootings tend to occur. Advertisement Yet home isn't always safe either. Nearly 60 percent of senior victims who experienced violent crime between 2003 and 2013 said it happened at or near their home, according to the Justice statistics report. That was true for Lillie Turner, 65, who was shot in the leg Tuesday on the West Side while inside her East Garfield Park apartment. A stray bullet from shots fired at two teenage boys outside penetrated her front door. The boys, 16 and 17, both died. Turner, who suffered a bone fracture from the bullet, said she wants to move out of her home of three years because she's tired of the drive-by shootings at night and people on her block selling drugs. She said she would like to see more police in her neighborhood to deter the violence. "I'm blessed I'm still alive, and I'm moving," she said Wednesday on the phone from her room at Mount Sinai Hospital. "Going outside you have to watch your back ... you never know." Being home also didn't protect 71-year-old Federico Laguardia, who was shot while watering his lawn in Marquette Park on the Southwest Side. A neighbor's surveillance camera pointed at the 7000 block of South California Avenue caught the Sept. 6 attack on video, which was shown on cable networks, igniting national outrage. Advertisement In broad daylight, as cars whizzed by on the street, two young men on bicycles approached Laguardia standing in the grass. One got off his bike and wrestled with him, pushing Laguardia to the ground and demanding his wallet. When the man refused, the attacker shot him in the abdomen and rummaged through his pockets before taking off. Laguardia declined an interview request. But a day after the shooting, his son Frederick Laguardia told reporters at a news conference that the event changed his dad, whom he described as a "friendly, sober and increasingly uncomplicated man." "Personally, I want to take my parents far away and put them somewhere no harm will ever come to them again. Maybe my front pocket. But moving out won't change the fact that he was shot," his son said. "It doesn't change the reality that after this trauma, my once open-hearted father told me that he will now have to be suspicious of every person that passes by." Loisteen Walker, the elder Laguardia's neighbor and president of the 69/70 Calfair Block Club, said the incident has made her more careful about being in public. Walker, 63, doesn't open the garage door until she's locked inside her vehicle and always pays attention while walking through neighboring Englewood. She also avoids the closest grocery store, which is a few blocks away in West Englewood, because there's a parking lot where people loiter. Advertisement "Should we have to live like this? No. But it's a reality," she said. Not afraid Many seniors agreed they are more vulnerable to crime because they are perceived as weak or because assailants think they may have valuables. Some, like 81-year-old Henry Winchester, have taken precautions. The retired security guard, who was eating pancakes and eggs at the senior cafe in Chatham run by Mather LifeWays, said he got a concealed-carry license two years ago to protect himself. He said he can't remember the violence being this bad before. While he's active during the day and exercises at Mather's three times a week, Winchester said he doesn't like to go out after dark. He's not afraid of shootings, but he doesn't want to be outside his Chatham home when they happen. Advertisement "If I stay at home, I don't have any problems," he said. Ann, 71, said she moved from her home on the southern edge of Chicago to Kenwood two years ago. She requested only to be identified by her nickname because she still associates with people from her old neighborhood. A retired teacher, Ann said she wanted to live in a building with a doorman and a security guard so she would feel safer at night. She also didn't like her son coming to her old neighborhood in case trouble cropped up. "I was afraid of home invasions and things like that," she said. "I feel the elderly are especially vulnerable to those people who are maybe on drugs or whatever they are doing ... the violence dictates how I operate." Yet even in neighborhoods with the highest homicide rates in the city, some seniors refuse to relinquish their lives to fear. Evelyn Gooden, 85, has lived in Englewood nearly her entire life. Retired from Nabisco's payroll department, Gooden said the 6300 block of South Sangamon Street, where she resides, doesn't have much violent crime, despite the area's reputation. And she won't let that stop her from going about her daily activities. Advertisement "I'm not afraid to go out," she said. "I'm not going to become a prisoner in my own house. These bad things are happening around me but not to me." For Dawoudi, whose grandson was fatally shot in Chatham last year, prayer offers the best protection. She was several blocks away when it happened June 18, 2015. Dawoudi's 23-year-old grandson, Hammood, was inside his apartment when someone started buzzing all the units about 10 p.m. Hammood answered the door and the person shot him, she said. His girlfriend and toddler were inside but unharmed. Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The gunman then shot into a basement unit where a 20-year-old resided. That resident who was shot in the shoulder and leg and had a graze wound to the head was a gang member, and the shooting was believed to be retaliation for an earlier incident, police said at the time. Dawoudi said her grandson was an innocent bystander killed in the feud. A practicing Muslim, she can only think of his slaying as the will of God. Advertisement "It did not affect my fear," she said. "It was his time. Evidently God intended for him to die that way ... I'm not going to let the death of my grandson or the violence in which he died in dictate me." Chicago Tribune's Assistant Data Editor Ryan Marx contributed. echerney@chicagotribune.com Twitter @ElyssaCherney The onetime owner of a rooftop club overlooking Wrigley Field was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison Monday for hiding more than $1 million in revenue to avoid paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties owed to the Cubs as well as state and local taxes. R. Marc Hamid, 48, was convicted by a jury in July of nine counts of mail fraud and illegal bank structuring for falsifying attendance records at the Skybox on Sheffield, a rooftop club beyond the right field wall. Advertisement In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Thomas Durkin said that as a lawyer and successful businessman, Hamid "had no reason to go out and commit these crimes." But Durkin's sentence was well below the recommendations of prosecutors, who at one point had advocated up to about eight years behind bars. The judge said the amount of money involved paled in comparison to most fraud schemes charged in federal court and noted it was likely the Cubs' "celebrity" as a victim "made this investigation so dogged." Advertisement Before he was sentenced, Hamid, dressed in a dark suit and glasses, sobbed as he apologized to the Cubs as well as for the "collateral damage" he caused his family and friends. He described Wrigley Field as a "very special place" and partnering with the team as a dream opportunity that he squandered when he fell into financial difficulty. "I betrayed the Cubs and that opportunity by defrauding them," said Hamid, pausing to dab at his eyes with a tissue. "The day-to-day pressures blinded me to the reality of what I was doing." Hamid was found guilty of under-reporting attendance and revenue at Skybox on Sheffield from 2008 to 2011 through a variety of schemes, including "zeroing out" invoices and charging customers through one of his ticket brokerages, Just Great Seats and Just Great Tickets, instead of the rooftop business itself. The phony numbers meant the Cubs did not get as much in royalty payments as the 17 percent of gross annual revenues called for under terms of the rooftop owners' agreement with the team. According to prosecutors, Hamid then submitted false sales tax returns to the state of Illinois and amusement tax returns to Cook County and the city of Chicago for those years, failing to report about $1.5 million in sales. Hamid allegedly used some of the unreported money for personal and business expenses, including payments on luxury cars. Hamid's nine-day trial included the testimony of Skybox on Sheffield manager Richard Zasiebida, a former Oak Park cop who admitted on the witness stand that he pocketed cash at the door from fans who wanted a seat at the venue. The company's accountant, Joseph Gurdak, admitted he helped Hamid hide the funds from the team. Both Zasiebida and Gurdak have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Prosecutors also presented evidence of the bad blood between the Cubs and rooftop owners, a tense situation that had escalated after the Ricketts family bought the team in 2009. In one email, when asked whether the latest revenue estimates should be sent to Cubs business President Crane Kenney or some other team executive, Hamid wrote back, "Just write to (the) resident (expletive) and they can figure it out." Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > In arguing for probation, Hamid's lawyer, Chris Gair, told the judge Monday that Hamid at his core was a "selfless, generous person" who failed to confront his financial problems honestly. Advertisement "He chose to cheat and revealed himself to be a flawed human being," Gair said. "... But nobody is better off by Marc Hamid going to prison for this crime." Hamid was ordered to report to prison by July 30. The judge also ordered that he pay $392,000 in restitution to his victims. Opened in 1993 and renovated six years ago, Skybox on Sheffield once touted gorgeous sightlines from just inside the right field foul pole to home plate. The owners sued in 2015 over the Cubs' plan to erect a 2,250-square-foot right field video board and other signs that would block the views, but a federal judge refused to order a halt to construction. With no view of the infield, Skybox's website now entices fans with its proximity to the "energy of the area" around Wrigley. jmeisner@chicagotribune.com Twitter @jmetr22b President Barack Obama's longtime political strategist David Axelrod took an oratorical stroll down White House memory lane Monday in a Chicago speech the day before the president's farewell address at McCormick Place. The veteran Democratic operative also used the opportunity to offer his analysis of the incoming administration of Republican President-elect Donald Trump and the lack of bipartisan cooperation in Washington. Advertisement In a question-and-answer session following a City Club of Chicago address, Axelrod said Trump's lack of true political philosophy has created a vacuum that congressional Republicans appear poised to fill by pushing their top issues. "I think that what Republicans have figured out is that there are not a lot of philosophical things that this new president cares about," Axelrod said as some in the audience laughed. "He's not sitting there mulling over his multiplicity of ideas about how to improve the country. So, they see in the absence of that to pass stuff they want to pass, a very deep tax cut, deregulation, the Obamacare repeal." Advertisement The former Obama senior adviser also said "it's not love that binds a lot of Republican politicians to Donald Trump," and noted that the president-elect's propensity to confront various businesses through his Twitter feed could rankle many free-market conservatives as his presidency develops. Asked for his advice to Democrats in Washington, Axelrod cautioned against taking a similar obstructionist path that Republicans on Capitol Hill deployed during Obama's presidency. Further erosion of public faith in government, he said, will impact the philosophy of Democrats the most. So he advised Democrats to fight Trump on principles but not to advocate for legislative gridlock. "I have a concern that we're in this mad cycle of mutually assured destruction, and if our attitude is we're not going to do anything even if it's meritorious because it might redound to the benefit of this president I think that we are only going to increase the level of already very significant cynicism people have about whether the system can work," Axelrod said. "If that happens, it's actually Democrats who will suffer the most, because they actually believe in government." Speaking to reporters afterward, Axelrod also warned against efforts by Senate Republicans to rush through the confirmation of Trump's Cabinet picks without the traditional vetting to check for conflicts of interest and other potential problems. Such an approach, he said, "invites scandal." During his speech, Axelrod fondly recalled his time working side-by-side with Obama, a relationship he said dates to 1992. The political guru said what he believes Obama will be remembered for the most is the "dignity, honor, thoughtfulness and grace he brought to this office." Throughout his talk, he stressed Obama's penchant for putting legislative principles over politics. "I was the guy who had to brief him on the politics, on the polling and the political ups and downs of these things," Axelrod said. "He always listened respectfully and just dismissed what I had to say. I always say I like him so much because he listened to me so little." As an example, he recalled the internal debate in the White House in 2009 on whether to embark on the politically difficult challenge of what became the Affordable Care Act. Advertisement "One of my colleagues was raising the issue of whether this could be done, and the president turned to Phil Schiliro, his legislative aide, and said, 'Phil, do you think we can pass this?' And Phil said, 'Depends on how lucky you feel, Mr. President,' which isn't necessarily an answer a president wants to hear," Axelrod said. "The president laughed and said, 'Phil, I'm a black guy named Barack Hussein Obama, and I'm president of the United States. I feel lucky every day.'" bruthhart@chicagotribune.com Twitter @BillRuthhart Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison holds a town hall meeting at the Church of the New Covenant-Baptist on Dec. 22, 2016, in Detroit. (Sara Rice / Getty) Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Topspin Minnesota U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison has reached out to Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan about his bid to become chairman of the Democratic National Committee and plans to do so soon with Mayor Rahm Emanuel. But speaking to reporters prior to a Sunday rally of progressive Democrats on his behalf in Lincoln Park, Ellison also said he's gotten no commitment from Madigan, the state's Democratic chairman, though he said the House speaker is someone "who I admire tremendously." As for Emanuel, who during his time as head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee butted heads with then-DNC Chair Howard Dean, Ellison said, "I have a good relationship with Mayor Emanuel and I expect he's going to be playing an important role in all of this. I haven't talked to him just yet but I'm reaching out to him soon." Ellison, who has been in Congress since 2007 representing parts of Minneapolis and its suburbs, is among a growing list of contenders for the DNC chairmanship in the aftermath of the party's drubbing in contests from the White House to the statehouse in the Nov. 8 election. Last week, South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg became the latest contender, joining a list that includes Ellison, Labor Secretary Tom Perez, state Democratic chairmen Jaime Harrison of South Carolina and Raymond Buckley of New Hampshire, and Idaho Democratic Party executive director Sally Boynton Brown. The contest is expected to be decided late next month. Ellison, the first Muslim elected to Congress, has pledged to give up his seat to run the DNC full time. He said his candidacy represents "an inclusive, progressive vision" to address what he said was an economic "tilting away" from working class-voters and to use the grassroots to stand up to Republican President-elect Donald Trump. Ellison said he would be surprised if Trump lasted in the presidency for a full four-year term. "He's already shown he's not on the side of working America and we're going to stand up to him and show people that if you confront him, you can beat him and that starts now," Ellison said. One avenue Ellison said Democrats would use to take on Trump was in the courts. "The fact of the matter is he is a walking, talking conflict of interest which is why he has not been transparent and which is why instead of draining the swamp he's filling it worse. So I think he will be held accountable and if he lasts four years, I'd be a little surprised," Ellison said. "We will sue (Trump) if we need to and we will organize the legal community to look for causes of action to uphold and defend and protect the Constitution. So that's what we'll be doing. We'll be fighting at the ballot box, in the public square, but also in the courts," he said. Ellison was a supporter of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders bid for the Democratic presidential nomination. Perez, the U.S. Labor secretary, backed Hillary Clinton's failed White House bid. Among Ellison's Illinois supporters are U.S. Reps. Luis Gutierrez and Jan Schakowsky, Cook County Clerk David Orr; Cook County Recorder of Deeds Karen A. Yarbrough and Cook County Commissioner Jesus "Chuy" Garcia, who was a prominent national Sanders surrogate. Ellison also has the backing of Alds. Roderick Sawyer, 6th; Susan Sadlowski Garza, 10th; Ricardo Munoz, 22nd; Scott Waguespack, 32nd; Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th; and John Arena, 45th. Also attending the Ellison rally was Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle. (Rick Pearson) Advertisement What's on tap *Mayor Emanuel will be at a morning event to announce CTA Red Line funding. *Gov. Bruce Rauner will appear at a law enforcement breakfast in Springfield. Advertisement *The Illinois General Assembly returns for a two-day lame duck session. *David Axelrod, former White House senior adviser, gives a speech to the City Club of Chicago. *The week ahead: Tuesday: President Barack Obama gives his farewell speech in Chicago. Wednesday: the new General Assembly is sworn in. What we're writing *As Obama exits political stage, Chicago legacy debated. *Six years after Daley, Emanuel still using high-cost borrowing practices. *Obama's parting gift to Chicago: $1.1 billion for CTA Red Line. *Lame-duck lawmakers return to Springfield for lame duck session with obstacles in way of budget deal. *Obama farewell tickets go fast, being sold for big bucks online. Advertisement *Currie: no deal on CPS budget expected soon. *Illinois financial watchdog finds himself in spending scandal of his own. *Illinois EDGE jobs program could see new life. *Should Illinois hospitals have to pay property taxes? Case is before state Supreme Court. What we're reading *Former CPD official dies after possible heart attack at South Loop eatery. *Busy year ahead for O'Hare soundproofing. Advertisement *Rare deadly police shootout on Metra train. From the notebook *SEIU picks sides: The well-connected woman who Mayor Emanuel appointed alderman of the South Side 4th Ward has picked up the endorsement of one of the state's biggest labor unions ahead of the February special election in which she will try to hold onto the seat. The nod from the Service Employees International Union state council could help Sophia King bolster her progressive bona fides in the liberal-leaning lakefront ward, which includes Kenwood and part of Hyde Park and has President Barack Obama's family home in its boundaries. King is a friend of the president and First Lady Michelle Obama. In its news release backing King, the SEIU notes she joined the City Council's Progressive Caucus in December, about eight months after Emanuel named her to replace Will Burns when Burns stepped down to take a job at Airbnb. Aligning herself with the group of aldermen who most often oppose Emanuel's initiatives will help King counter any campaign criticism that she's a rubber stamp for his agenda. And the move made it easier for the SEIU, which has clashed with the mayor on the city minimum wage and work conditions at O'Hare and Midway airports, to back her. Four people are set to oppose King in the Feb. 28 contest. A fifth person who filed to run, Jack Taylor, withdrew from the race while facing objections to his nominating petitions and statement of economic interest. The winner of the special election will be cleared to serve at least until the regular City Council elections in 2019. (John Byrne) Advertisement *The Sunday Spin: On this week's show, Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson's guests were PBS NewsHour special correspondent Chris Bury on GOP efforts to repeal Obamacare; Northwest Side Ald. Ameya Pawar on his plans to seek the Democratic nomination for governor; and newly minted 8th Congressional District Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, a Schaumburg Democrat. The "Sunday Spin" airs from 7 to 9 a.m. Sunday on WGN 720-AM. Listen to the full show here. Follow the money *Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here. Beyond Chicago *Some of Trump's picks not vetted yet as Senate pushes for confirmation hearings. *NYT profile on Trump AG nominee Sessions. *How week of Trump tweets moved markets, altered plans. Advertisement *Gingrich, Trump's inconvenient truth teller. Airport shooting suspect Esteban Santiago being escorted from the Broward jail Monday morning, Jan. 9, 2017 to be taken to the nearby federal courthouse for a scheduled hearing. (Amy Beth Bennett/Sun Sentinel) Esteban Santiago, handcuffed, shackled and wearing a red, maximum-security jumpsuit, spoke in a monotone Monday as he answered questions from a judge in court and was told he may face the death penalty. Santiago, 26, is accused of killing five people and wounding six others at Fort Lauderdale's airport. He was flanked by nine deputy U.S. marshals as he answered questions from U.S. Magistrate Alicia Valle. Advertisement "The maximum penalty, if you were to be convicted, is death it is a capital offense," Valle told him. She also explained he could face life in federal prison. Santiago, who stared down at the defense table for much of the hearing, said he understood the seriousness of the charges he is facing. Santiago was slightly hunched over and took deep breaths, as if he was trying to calm himself. Advertisement Santiago said nothing about his alleged motive or why he came to South Florida. The Iraq war veteran also said nothing, in court, about his documented history of mental health problems. Agents said he reported having terroristic thoughts, believed the government was controlling his mind and pushing him to watch Islamic State propaganda. Santiago, who wore jail flip-flops with no socks and has tattoos on both forearms, answered the judge's questions. He told her he has no assets and only about five or 10 dollars in his bank account. Santiago told the judge that he had not worked since November when he left his job as a security guard in Anchorage, Alaska. He said he had been earning about $2,100 dollars monthly during the past three years. Prior to that, Santiago said he was in the Army "um, around 10 years," earning about $15,000 per year by the end of his stint. After the hearing, Santiago was quickly returned to the Broward Main Jail, where he is being held on federal allegations he fatally shot people, as well as firearm and airport violence charges. Santiago is on suicide watch, partly because of the gravity of the allegations against him, according to the Sheriff's Office. He is being kept in solitary confinement in the medical unit on the third floor, jail records show. Inmates on suicide watch are checked much more frequently than other prisoners. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ricardo Del Toro said prosecutors wanted Santiago detained without bond while the case is pending. Advertisement After ruling that Santiago did not have enough money to hire private counsel, the judge appointed Assistant Federal Public Defender Robert Berube to represent him. Berube and Santiago spoke briefly during the hearing, whispering as they huddled next to each other. Berube said he had just met his client in court for the first time. "There is a time and place to make a comment, this is not it," he told the Sun Sentinel. Security was much tighter than usual inside the courtroom and around the courthouse on Monday. There were metal barricades at the entrance to the courthouse and armed federal agents and explosives-detecting dogs patrolled the perimeter of the building. The marshals surrounded Santiago in court and several others guarded the rear of the courtroom for the 30-minute hearing. More than 60 reporters, from all over the world, crowded into the courtroom for the hearing and dozens more, with video cameras, lined the sidewalk outside. Airport security video shows Santiago pulling a semi-automatic handgun from his waistband and shooting at people in the baggage carousel area in Terminal 2. Advertisement Santiago confessed shortly after the Friday afternoon shooting, according to the FBI and Broward Sheriff's Office. He told investigators that he planned the attack and bought a one-way ticket to Fort Lauderdale to carry it out, according to court records. Agents said he legally checked a 9mm Walther semi-automatic and two magazines of ammunition - but no clothes or other belongings - for a Delta Airlines flight from Alaska via Minnesota. After picking up his bag from the baggage carousel, he told investigators he unpacked the gun, loaded it inside a stall in the men's restroom, and shot the first people he saw after he walked out of the restroom. The judge ordered that Santiago will remain jailed until a Jan. 17 detention hearing. Santiago has not yet been formally charged but an arraignment, when he would announce if he plans to fight the allegations against him, is scheduled for Jan. 23. pmcmahon@sunsentinel.com Twitter @SentinelPaula It's not clear why up to 20 Jewish community centers across the South and Northeast were targeted, said Richard Sandler, chair of the JFNA board of trustees. "Some of the threats were robo-calls," said Sandler, adding that the number of threats was unusually high. No additional details about the calls were immediately available. Some community centers were evacuated but no explosives were found, Sandler said. Bomb threats also targeted Jewish community centers and schools in central Florida and Tampa last week, but Sandler said there was no apparent link between those threats and the calls received Monday. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Amanda Hils said in an email that the agency was aware of the threats and its field divisions were ready to assist state and local law enforcement. Most of the centers have resumed normal operations, said David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America. The Maitland Jewish Community Campus was evacuated Monday for the second time in a week because of a bomb threat. The complex includes a school, community center, a Holocaust museum and the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando. Bomb threats also were received at the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville. A Miami-Dade Police bomb squad was dispatched to the Alper Jewish Community Center, where staff evacuated hundreds of children "as an abundance of caution," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta. In Nashville, Tennessee, 225 people were evacuated from the Gordon Jewish Community Center and an adjacent school after a security guard received a bomb threat over the phone. Buildings were evacuated and authorities investigated similar threats in Atlanta; Tenafly, New Jersey; Columbia, South Carolina; and Wilmington, Delaware. In Maryland, threats also were called into Jewish community centers in Baltimore and Rockville. Associated Press Syrian President Bashar Assad, left, speaks with French journalists in Damascus, Syria, on Jan. 9, 2017, in this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA. (SANA / AP) BEIRUT Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published Monday that he was prepared "to negotiate everything" at planned talks later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces' recapture of Aleppo last month. However, the upcoming talks, brokered by Ankara and Moscow, are still in doubt as Syrian opposition groups have yet to confirm their participation. Advertisement Syrian activists meanwhile reported what appeared to be a U.S.-led special forces raid on Islamic State militants in eastern Syria. Omar Abou Leila, who runs Deir Ezzor 24, said four helicopters landed in the desert between the IS-held cities of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa on Sunday. Commandos set up checkpoints and intercepted a vehicle carrying several Islamic State militants, killing all of them and flying off with the bodies, he said. Advertisement "It's an operation that apparently targeted an important figure," Abou Leila told The Associated Press from Germany, where he is based. Deir Ezzor 24 is one of several locally staffed underground groups reporting from IS-held territory. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another activist-run group, said 25 militants were killed in the ambush. Local witnesses said at least some of the commandos spoke Arabic. There was no immediate comment from the U.S.-led coalition. In the northeastern province of Hassakeh, a car bomb exploded Monday night in the predominantly Kurdish town of Qamishli, wounding several people, including the driver of the vehicle, state TV, the Observatory and a local official said. Jwan Mohammed, a Kurdish official in Qamishli, said security forces detained the driver of the car, who lost his legs in the blast. He said the car blew up in a main square that is home to several security offices. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but IS had carried out suicide attacks in Kurdish areas in the past. Speaking to French reporters at his Damascus palace, Assad defended his troops' deadly bombardment of eastern Aleppo, saying the alternative would have been to leave the city's civilians to the mercy of "terrorists" a term the government uses for all rebels. Assad questioned the credibility of Syrian opposition groups backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, which make up the bulk of the armed and political opposition to his rule. "There's no limit to negotiations," Assad said, in remarks carried by Syrian state media. "But who is going to be there from the other side, we don't know yet. ... The viability of the conference depends on that." Advertisement Past Syrian peace talks have run aground on the question of Assad's future and whether he is to continue as president, with the opposition insisting his departure is a precondition for any reforms. Assad said the matter could only be resolved through a constitutional referendum. "If they want to discuss this point, they need to discuss the constitution. You need a referendum for every (constitutional amendment). This is one of the points that could be discussed in the meeting" in Kazakhstan, he said. The talks are scheduled to begin in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Jan. 23. They follow a lengthy rapprochement between Russia, a key backer of Assad, and Turkey, a main sponsor of the opposition, that culminated in a cease-fire agreement that came into force on Dec. 30, but which has already started to erode. Russian officials have suggested the U.S. could be invited to the talks at a later date. The Obama administration has been at odds with Russia over how to resolve Syria's conflict. Incoming President Donald Trump has indicated he might distance the U.S. from Syria's rebels, bringing Washington in closer alignment with Moscow. Advertisement Trump wrote on Twitter Saturday that he would strive to build good relations with Russia, and "perhaps, work together to solve many of the great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" Asked about the comments, Assad said warmer relations between Washington and Moscow "reflects positively on the Syrian conflict." As for Aleppo, Assad said the government forces were forced "to liberate" the city. "There is a price, sometimes, but at the end the people are liberated from the terrorists," he said. Once Syria's largest city and industrial hub, Aleppo has been devastated by nearly six years of war. Rebels took control of its eastern districts in 2012, before surrendering it to government authority last month. The U.N. said the government's relentless military campaign, which displaced tens of thousands of civilians, could have violated the laws of war. Advertisement Associated Press This week is shaping up to be one of the most consequential of President-elect Donald Trump's transition, as senators prepare to consider as many as seven Cabinet nominees in committee. Republicans are under fire from Democrats and ethics officials for scheduling confirmation hearings before investigators complete a background examination for each nominee, a precedent that goes back decades. But Sunday, Republican leaders vowed to press ahead, saying there are no plans to change the schedule. Advertisement Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told CBS' "Face the Nation" on Sunday that Democrats should "grow up and get past" the election result. "We confirmed seven Cabinet appointments the day President Obama was sworn in," he said, noting Republicans were a comparable position in 2009. "We didn't like most of them, either. But he won the election," McConnell said. "So all of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration at having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate." --- Advertisement YOUR GUIDE TO THE CONFIRMATION HEARINGS Prepare yourself -- things are about to get confusing on Capitol Hill. Here's which committee is considering which nominee: Tuesday: --Senate Judiciary Committee, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Ala.), for attorney general. --Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Gen. John Kelly (Ret.), for homeland security secretary Wednesday: --Sessions hearing continues --Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rex Tillerson, for secretary of state Advertisement --Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Rep. Mike Pompeo, for CIA director --Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Betsy DeVos, for education secretary --Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Elaine Chao, for transportation secretary Thursday: --Tillerson hearing expected to continue --Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, Wilbur Ross, commerce secretary Advertisement --Senate Banking, House and Urban Affairs, Ben Carson, housing and urban development secretary --Tentatively Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Andrew Puzder, labor secretary --- The packed schedule prompted a critical tweetstorm from Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, D: 1) Simultaneous hearings on cabinet nominees make it physically impossible for most of us, on multiple committees, to advise and consent. 2) Add to that the lack of a full disclosure of the standard ethics information, and we are being asked to rubber stamp a cabinet. Advertisement 3) The current plan is for these hearings to be more brief than usual, without multiple rounds of questions. --- ON THE CALENDAR: TRUMP NEWS CONFERENCE, BUDGET VOTE-A-RAMA It's been six months since Trump held a news conference, and now, he's finally expected to submit to open questioning from the press on Wednesday. As our The Post wrote this weekend, the timing means Trump will receive pointed questions about Russian interference in the election -- a topic Trump's team is trying strenuously to avoid. Complicating matters Wednesday, the Senate will consider its first budget resolution of the new Congress. This means one thing: a vote-a-rama expected to go late into the night, involving dozens of amendment votes, since any senator can offer an amendment on any issue. In the late 1960s, engineering specialist William Eisler and a colleague at Argonne National Laboratory near Lemont developed a device called the "Nephelostat" to be used in an automated system that could grow animal cells without interruption. It was a major accomplishment, one that even today is considered among the top achievements at Argonne and earned Eisler one of his three patents. Advertisement "It was a totally unique device that opened up a world of possibilities in research," said Don LeBuis, a former colleague and engineering specialist at Argonne, who retired in 2004. "There was nothing else like it at the time." Eisler, 91, who worked at Argonne in Lemont for nearly four decades, retiring in 1990, died of congestive heart failure Dec. 29 at Morningside of Pekin, an assisted living facility in Pekin. Advertisement By July 1970, Eisler, working with a team of two other scientists and utilizing the Nephelostat, completed a test and created a system in which human cancer cells could be grown longer than ever before. It was quickly seized upon by medical researchers. "It was a very busy time in his career," said his daughter Nancy Thompson. "He'd be called into work on weekends, and sometimes he'd get home from the lab only to have to turn around and go right back." Human cells had been grown in a laboratory before, but only in large, complex facilities and in cultures that grew for a limited time. The new Argonne system was compact, fast, reliable and relatively inexpensive to operate. It would allow biologists and biochemists to maintain their own continuous stock of cells for use in their own laboratories. "What was known about cancer in the '60s and '70s was quite rudimentary," LeBuis said. "What Bill and his team accomplished back then went a long way in furthering cancer research." The Nephelostat was developed by Eisler and R.B. Webb and designed initially as a device for automatic maintenance of micro-organisms in continuous growth, such as yeasts and bacteria. But the two found the system could be adapted for mammalian cells. "It was a huge breakthrough," Thompson said. "I remember him getting postcards and letters from scientists all over the world wanting to learn more about the Nephelostat and his work on it." Eisler, working with Argonne colleagues Carl Peraino and Silvia Bacchetti, went on to do further research using the Nephelostat, and by the summer of 1970 completed a successful test during which human cancer cells were grown continuously for nine months. His other two patents were for a radio chromatic scanner and small rodent feeder. Advertisement "Bill was a highly respected member of every project he ever worked on," LeBuis said. "What he brought to the equation was its practical application." Born and raised in Chicago, Eisler graduated from Calumet High School in 1943. After high school he worked for Doolittle Radio in Chicago and attended Armour Institute for electronic engineering. "He was always drawn to how things worked and how they could be made to work better," Thompson said. "His whole life, he was someone that could fix just about anything." Eisler enlisted in the Navy in 1944 and served in the Pacific Theater until the end of World War II. He was a radioman on the mine sweeper USS Garland. He kept in touch with his comrades from the Navy for decades. "He was always there for his war buddies," Thompson said. "Whenever he'd go out, he'd wear his Navy cap." After the war, Eisler returned to Chicago and took a job doing switchboard repair at Lyon & Healy, a manufacturer of musical instruments. He later worked at Kellogg Switchboard & Supply, where he met Beverly Jean Gasaway. Advertisement They married in 1948, and four years later Eisler began working at Argonne. The couple lived in various suburbs before moving to Pekin 13 months ago. In addition to his wife and daughter, Eisler is survived by another daughter, Gayle Bartell; a son, William; six grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned for a later date at Community Presbyterian Church, 39 North Prospect Ave., Clarendon Hills. Giangrasse Kates is a freelance reporter. Activists participate in a rally in front of the White House in 2014 to urge President Barack Obama not to deport the parents of so-called Dreamers, children who were brought illegally to the U.S. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) Do we believe in the American Dream or not? That's the question the nation faces after learning that President-elect Donald Trump's transition team is reviewing President Barack Obama's executive orders, including one that protects young immigrants from deportation. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program allows young people who were brought to the United States before the age of 16 to stay in the country and work. Candidate Trump expressed opposition to DACA. More recently, however, President-elect Trump has said that he's open to protecting young immigrants. His remarks could signal a way forward, especially if they represent an appreciation of what is at stake if the U.S. government breaks the promise it made to the roughly 750,000 DACA enrollees who want nothing more than to offer their gifts to the only country they call home. Advertisement Many of these young men and women live in Chicago. They didn't break the law of their own volition. Their parents brought them here when they were children. They are our co-workers, our classmates and neighbors. And most have been here for quite some time. About 85 percent of DACA enrollees have lived in the United States 10 years or more, according to a study by the Center for Migration Studies of New York. So it's no surprise that the same study found that 91 percent of them speak English very well, and that 89 percent are gainfully employed. What's more, they are getting educated: Ninety-three percent have at least a high school diploma, and 43 percent have attended or graduated from college. Advertisement But these young people are more than mere data points. You may even know a few. Many of them have bravely come out of the shadows to claim their human rights at great risk to themselves and their families. They have shared their stories, either through the media or in person. They have earned the right to remain in the United States and to become American citizens. Pope Francis reminded us of our shared identity with immigrants when he spoke to the U.S. Congress last year. "We the people of this continent," he said, "are not fearful of foreigners, because most of us were once foreigners. Let us help others to grow, as we would like to be helped ourselves. In a word, if we want security, let us give security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities." Like all Americans, DACA enrollees want to contribute to our society. They strive as much as any American to be teachers, doctors, lawyers, firefighters, police officers, architects, computer scientists, engineers, members of the armed forces and, yes, elected officials. But most of all they want to be Americans, officially. They want to help to build up the common good of the country they know, the nation they call home. Why wouldn't we want them to join our ranks as citizens? Why wouldn't we want them to add their unique contributions to our great nation, a nation of immigrants, one that has always drawn strength from its diversity? These are the very people who have made America great. With the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, I ask Catholics and all Americans to support the bipartisan Bar Removal of Individuals who Dream and Grow our Economy Act, introduced by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., original sponsor of the DREAM Act, and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., legislation that would preserve the basic elements of the DACA program. This is but a temporary measure to address a significant gap in our broken immigration system. That is why I also urge Congress to pass the DREAM Act in order to protect DACA enrollees permanently, so that they can become U.S. citizens. To remove DACA protections would put hundreds of thousands of young people at risk of deportation, cutting short their dreams of a better future. But that won't be the only consequence of forcing these aspiring Americans out. Deport them, and we deport their potential to make our nation stronger. Deport them, and we deport our future builders of bridges, teachers of children, savers of lives. Deport them, and we deport our fundamental values as Americans. We owe it to ourselves, to our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents, who risked everything to join this nation of families, to allow DACA enrollees to add their difference to the multitudes as we hold one another up. That is the story that has made America great. And we must never stop telling it. Cardinal Blase J. Cupich is archbishop of Chicago. Pedestrians walk pass the for lease space at London House on East Upper Wacker Drive and North Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Friday, Dec. 2, 2016. The retail portion of the Magnificent Mile is expanding south along Michigan Avenue, starting with the incoming Apple store. (Jose M. Osorio, Chicago Tribune) The beautiful brides are an indicator, as are the computerized heat maps: People are smitten with Michigan Avenue around the Chicago River, and that's terrific news for this city. Stroll toward the gorgeous Wrigley Building, even on a winter day, and there on the riverside plaza you may find a bride and coterie posing for wedding photos. If you're in a hurry to cross the DuSable Bridge, watch out for folks congregating on the span they want Trump Tower in the background for selfies. Advertisement Heat maps that measure where people upload postings to social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter show that the densest location of activity in downtown Chicago (aside from tourist meccas Navy Pier and Willis Tower) is the intersection of Michigan Avenue and Wacker Drive, just south of the river, according to Todd Siegel, senior vice president at Chicago real estate firm CBRE. "It really means we have a captive audience that at the end of the day translates to a consumer," Siegel told Tribune business reporter Ally Marotti. Advertisement The fun is only beginning. Apple is spending about $27 million on a striking new store with a glass-sheathed roof at Pioneer Court, overlooking the river at 401 N. Michigan Ave. Big crowds will come to shop, but they'll also gain access to the north bank riverwalk via new flights of stairs. It will act as a vibrant counterpart to the expanded south bank riverwalk. That's not the half of it: Real estate experts see the Apple store as a key catalyst in extending the Michigan Avenue shopping strip south to the river and then across the bridge toward Millennium Park. What's happening? Chicago is reinventing its downtown for the better, as great cities do. Michigan Avenue, once Pine Street, once Michigan Boulevard and referred to as "Boul Mich," gained prominence almost a century ago as the connector street between the affluent Gold Coast and the Loop. Later, North Michigan Avenue took on the moniker Magnificent Mile. Most of the action stayed at the north end of the street with luxury shops, the John Hancock Center and Water Tower Place shopping mall as focal points. Foot traffic petered out the closer south you got to the river. Not anymore. Next door to the Apple store's new home is Tribune Tower, providing us with a lovely perch from which to observe the transformation at least until the newspaper's lease expires. Our building's new owner, CIM Group, plans to reshape the property, adding new construction as part of a likely mixed-use development that could include retail, residential, office space and a hotel, with the landmarked tower at the center of any plans. It will mean more bustle, more spending, more selfies on Michigan Avenue. Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 34 The Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue was built in 1925 and houses the Chicago Tribune and other businesses. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) All good for a world-class city that, yes, has many problem neighborhoods yearning for development, new infrastructure and jobs that investment brings. We appreciate those needs and write often about how to meet them. But Chicago also needs to keep the downtown dynamism going to attract tourists, business investment, suburbanites anyone with money to spend. Commercial real estate agents say landlords along what you might call Mag Mile South are so high on the potential that they are in no hurry to fill every vacant retail space. They bet that demand and rent are on the rise for stores and restaurants. "Everyone knows that something very different and dramatic is going to happen," one expert told the Tribune. Sure, that's what real estate agents are supposed to say, but the energy on Michigan Avenue is palpable. The view of the placid river with skyline silhouetted above is stunning. There are a million things to do and see. Who wouldn't want to spend time here? Join the discussion on Twitter @Trib_Ed_Board and on Facebook. At the moment, President-elect Donald Trump's America is tiny. It doesn't have to be, but he's making it so by pretending social media allows him to speak directly to the American people. Advertisement Trump treats Twitter like a megaphone, when it's little more than a tin can tied to strings that reach cans held up to only a small fraction of the population's ears. Social media is an effective means of reaching a targeted group of people, not a wide swath. It's a mathematical fact that Trump, via social media, is communicating with only a small percentage of Americans, but he and the people around him promote this commander-in-tweet approach as if it's a populist innovation. Advertisement Incoming White House press secretary Sean Spicer recently said: "I think it freaks the mainstream media out that he has this following of over 45-plus million people that follow him on social media, that he can have a direct conversation. He doesn't have to have it funnel through the media." Let's break that "45-plus million" number down a bit. Assume Spicer's number is correct it isn't and that the president-elect can relay his thoughts or policy announcements directly to 45 million people. Also assume those people are all Americans they aren't and then put that audience in perspective by comparing it to the current U.S. population which, according to census data, is about 320 million people. That's 14 percent of the American public Trump could reach via social media. That's a tiny America. Now let's actually add up Trump's current followers on Twitter and Instagram, likes on Facebook and subscribers on his YouTube channel. The total is about 41.1 million, not, as Spicer said, "45-plus million." Also, you'll note I don't qualify that number as "41.1 million people" or "41.1 million Americans." That's because it's neither. One of the key flaws in Spicer's math is that it's treating Trump's followers on each social media platform as unique. But any social media user will tell you that if they like someone on Facebook, they may also follow that person on Twitter and Instagram. So there are an unknown number of people in that total who are being counted two, three or even four times. Advertisement More importantly, it's unclear how many of Trump's social media devotees are American. Twitter reports on its corporate website that 79 percent of its users are outside the United States. So there's no doubt a sizable portion of Trump's 19.1 million Twitter followers the ones he is supposedly having a "direct conversation" with aren't even from this country. Add to that the fact that any high-profile Twitter user is followed by an array of automated accounts called "bots" as well as people who no longer use the service and Trump's audience shrinks even more. A report from two months ago by the website twitteraudit.com estimated that about 2.5 million of Trump's followers are fake or inactive. That's not a knock on Trump, it's just the reality of using Twitter. An audit of Kim Kardashian's Twitter followers shows roughly the same percentage of fake accounts. So when Spicer says that it "freaks the mainstream media out" that the man who will lead this country "can have a direct conversation" with "45-plus million people," he's wrong. He's wrong about the number and he's wrong about the reason for concern. What bothers me as a card-carrying member of the mainstream media is that the president of big America thinks it's OK to speak only to tiny America, and to do so without responding to any scrutiny from the press. Trump's last formal press conference was July 27. He is scheduled to hold a press conference this week I'll believe it when I see it but the clear message from him and his handlers is that he will turn his nose up at any traditional press availabilities and keep throwing thoughts out on social media. Advertisement Which gives us situations like this: On Sunday, Trump tweeted about a U.S. intelligence report on Russian hacking during the election. He wrote: "Before I, or anyone, saw the classified and/or highly confidential hacking intelligence report, it was leaked out to @NBCNews. So serious!" That's a false statement. The report was not leaked to NBC News. Nobody at NBC News ever saw the report. An intelligence source shared a few details from the report, and NBC News reported those details. The same thing happened at the Washington Post. But reporters can't ask the president-elect to clarify his statement or probe how he would respond to intelligence sources speaking to the media. And that's the rub. Trump throws something out on Twitter, it gets amplified by the media because that's all there is to go on, media outlets note what's incorrect in the tweet and then Trump or one of his representatives responds by saying the media is dishonest. It's a vicious and wildly undemocratic cycle. Advertisement And it's not how things are supposed to work in big America. So, as Trump prepares to take the oath of office, I ask him to please answer this one big question: Why, President-elect Trump, is your America so tiny? rhuppke@chicagotribune.com Two Orlando-area law enforcement officers were killed this morning, one shot by a murder suspect who managed to get away and a second killed in a crash while officers and deputies scrambled to find him. (Orlando Sentinel) Hundreds of law enforcement officers are searching for a fugitive after two Orlando-area cops were killed Monday morning, one shot by the murder suspect who managed to get away and a second killed in a crash while officers and deputies scrambled to find him. By Monday evening, officers largely abandoned the apartment complex in northwest Orlando that was the focus of their search for much of the day, and suspect Markeith Loyd, 41, was still at large. Advertisement "We are going to bring this dirtbag to justice, and he's going to jail," Orlando Police chief John Mina said. Orlando police Master Sgt. Debra Clayton was shot about 7:15 a.m. by a murder suspect after someone pointed him out at a Walmart and she gave chase on foot, the agency reported. Advertisement A sheriff's deputy identified as Norman Lewis, 35, was later killed in a crash with a 78-year-old driver. He had been with the sheriff's office since 2005. The manhunt prompted the lockdown of more than a dozen schools and snarled traffic for hours. A $60,000 reward is being offered for anyone who has information to help capture Loyd, 41, who was accused of murdering his pregnant girlfriend in December. Clayton, the first Orlando officer killed in the line of duty in a decade, was one of the first responders to Pulse nightclub in June after a mass shooting. Orlando Police Chief John Mina called Clayton "a hero. She gave her life for the community she loves." The Florida Department of Law Enforcement sent out an alert midday, describing Loyd as 6-3, 230 pounds and having last been seen on Cinderlane Parkway, a road through Rosemont, a high-crime area. An Orlando SWAT team came and went and came back again to an apartment complex on that street. Early on, an officer on a bullhorn called the suspect by name and told him to come out. Overhead a law enforcement helicopter circled. The squad left and returned mid-afternoon -- helicopter, too -- and at least four armored vehicles rolled into position. Advertisement "We have several hundred law enforcement officers from multiple agncies that are assisting us. .... We are reasonably certain that we have the suspect in the area," said Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings. Shortly after 6 p.m., dozens of patrol cars and armored trucks left the area. A SWAT officer said they did not find Loyd. TaQueria Jones, a Walmart cashier, said Clayton checked out at her register minutes before the shooting Monday morning. "We talked about family, we talked about God," Jones said. While the suspect was still at large, the cashier and others planted flowers in a spot just feet from where Clayton was killed. "I'm going to be out here every day to straighten them up. Every day," Jones said. Advertisement Both Clayton and Lewis graduated from the University of Central Florida. Lewis' friends said being a law enforcement officer was his passion and that he loved serving others. "We're sad on this day for many reasons," Demings said at a morning news conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center. "In my 36-year career, this is possibly one of the toughest days for me." Loyd has a long criminal history and on Nov. 30 wrote this on his Facebook page, "Goals!!!! To be on Americas most wanted." Both OPD and the Sheriff's Office described him as armed and dangerous, and Demings asked anyone with information about his whereabouts to contact law enforcement immediately. Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs asked Orange County residents to simply stay indoors. "We need citizens to be diligent, we need them to be careful. ... If you don't have to be out, don't be out," she said. Advertisement Also at that morning news conference were Mina, Demings, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer and Gov. Rick Scott, who happened to be in town for a business event but cancelled it. The violence started at the Walmart just before sunrise when a citizen who knows Loyd and knew he was wanted spotted him and told Clayton, a 17-year department veteran and patrol officer, Mina said. She was on duty and wearing body armor, he said. She called dispatch, reporting that Loyd was at the store, spotted him then there was a short chase, Mina said. She called out, "Stop," Mina said, and he opened fire. She returned fire but did not hit him, the chief said. Backup officers arrived 28 seconds later, but Loyd was already gone, Mina said. Advertisement The backup officers tried to save Clayton with CPR, according to the city, but she was pronounced dead at 7:40 a.m. at Orlando Regional Medical Center. A short distance away, a captain at the Orange County Sheriff's Office who was in the area spotted Loyd near Pine Hills Road and North Lane, according to that department. Loyd pulled into an apartment complex and fired at least once at the deputy, who was in an unmarked SUV. The bullet missed him but hit his SUV, the agency reported. The suspect then carjacked a vehicle and fled. He abandoned that vehicle near Rosemont and Cinderlane Parkway. That prompted the manhunt and produced two law enforcement crashes. The fatal crash happened about 9:45 a.m. on Pine Hills Road. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, Lewis was on a motorcycle traveling south when he was struck by a van turning left onto Balboa Drive. Advertisement The deputy plowed into the side of the van, was thrown from his motorcycle and killed, FHP reported. The driver of the van that collided with the motorcycle deputy is Billie Jarrard of Clermont, FHP reported. He faced possible charges. No one answered the phone Monday at his home. Records show he is a 78-year-old recent widower with no criminal history in Florida. Online court records in Lake County list one traffic offense, for failing to obey a traffic control device in 2000. Ten minutes after that crash and 200 yards away but also on Pine Hills Road, another law enforcement officer, Orange County Deputy Nelson Borjas, 46, of Orlando, was involved in a crash that sent him to the hospital with minor injuries, according to the highway patrol. Deputies had been on the lookout for Lloyd for weeks because of a murder warrant: He's accused of murdering his pregnant 24-year-old girlfriend, Sade Dixon, on Dec. 13 and wounding her 26-year-old brother, Ronald Steward. They were shot at a home on Long Peak Drive. Loyd served 10 years in prison and five years on probation for conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine, according to federal court records. Advertisement He was sentenced in 1999 and was released from probation in 2014, according to federal records. Shortly after Monday's shooting, Orlando City Commissioner Regina Hill identified Clayton as her liaison with the police department. "Oh God!!!! Please pray for my OPD Liaison, she's been shot down in Pinehills," Hill wrote on Facebook. The last OPD officer killed in the line of duty was Al Gordon, who was shot during a robbery Oct. 4, 2007, the agency reported. Dyer declared Monday an official day of mourning and cancelled a City Council meeting. U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch said agents with the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and U.S. Marshals Office were helping in the search. Advertisement At the Rosemont apartment complex surrounded by SWAT, Michael Ridenour, 40, said he heard the Sheriff's Office helicopter overhead about 7:30 a.m. and went outside to see officers with rifles telling residents to stay indoors. "It's scary," he said. "I mean if he's willing to shoot a police officer, he's willing to shoot anybody." Lupe Garcia and her 9-year-old son were stuck outside their home for most of the day. Garcia walked to drop him off at school and came back to find her home surrounded in crime scene tape with dozens of officers holding long guns. "It's scary," she said before she was let back into the complex. After she picked her son up, they waited with dozens of others outside the complex. Advertisement Her son, Migul, said as he and his mom were waiting an Orange County deputy flagged him down and asked if he was hungry. The deputy pulled out a chocolate protein bar and gave it to the boy. Jeff Weiner, David Harris, Steve Lemongello, Paige Wilson, Red Huber, Caitlin Dineen and Scott Maxwell contributed to this report. Maestro Mei-Ann Chen will conduct the Chicago Sinfonietta annual Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King concert at the North Shore Center for Performing Arts in Skokie and at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. (Photo courtesy of Chicago Sinfonietta) (Chris Ocken) For nearly three decades, the Chicago Sinfonietta has paid tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a special concert to honor his life's work. "We like to perform this concert and try to illuminate the theme that (is) consistent with the way Dr. King led his life and how he tried to champion for social justice," Executive Director Jim Hirsch said. "For us it's not only an opportunity to remember, but also celebrate his legacy. And to bring people together under the arts as a way to celebrate the things that are similar between us, and to really think about what his life meant and remember some of those important things that he did." Advertisement The 29th annual tribute concert, conducted by Maestro Mei-Ann Chen, will be performed at 8 p.m. Saturday at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, and at 3 p.m. Jan. 15 at Wentz Concert Hall in Naperville. In addition, the Sinfonietta will perform at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Symphony Center in Chicago. "It's our attempt to have a very optimistic look at where things are," Hirsch said. "That's why this concert actually has really incredibly talented young people who partner with us from the very first note of the concert all the way to end of the concert." Advertisement The program opens with "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis" by Ralph Vaughan Williams. The piece will feature musicians from the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, The People's Music School and Merit School of Music who will play "side by side" with the Sinfonietta. "These young musicians sit right next to our musicians, and they perform the piece together," Hirsch said. "There's close to 20 young musicians on stage with our people." The piece will deliver this first optimistic message of the concert, Hirsch said. "We've got these wonderful young people who will carry on this legacy." While the Sinfonietta resets the stage, E'mon Lauren, Chicago Youth Poet Laureate, will perform an original piece of poetry. "She is affiliated with the Young Chicago Authors, which is a fantastic youth poetry organization," Hirsch said. The first half of the concert will conclude with Antonio Vivaldi's violin work "Concerto for 4 Violins" along with "Cello Opus 3 No. 10 B Minor Opus." The works will feature soloists Maria Arrua, Teddy Wiggins, Tomer Marcus and Tara Lynn Ramsey. "All four soloists come to us by way of the Civic Orchestra, which is the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's training orchestra," he said. "These are some of the finest musicians anywhere in the country." During intermission there will be activities in the lobby for audience members. Advertisement "We kind of explore a lot of the themes of Dr. King's life: peace, social justice," Hirsch said. "And we're going to be inviting people to explore what they personally believe in and what they stand for." The audience engagement activities are part of every Sinfonietta concert. "Our goal is to give audience members a deeper understanding of what the themes of the concert are and give them very much a hands-on personal experience to participate in," Hirsch said. "We think it creates a much more robust concert experience." After intermission, two short works by Antonin Dvorak will be performed. Guest conductor Kalena Bovell will conduct "Slavonic Dances Opus 46 No. 2" and "Slavonic Dances Opus 72 No. 7." Bovell is in her second year of the Sinfonietta's Project Inclusion program, Hirsch said. "We find the most talented and promising musicians, conductors and administrators, and we do very, very high-level professional development activities for them," he said. "Kalena will actually be making her public conducting debut with the Chicago Sinfonietta in Chicago during these concerts." Advertisement The final piece to be performed is the fourth and final movement of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Symphony No. 9." "It is based on the melody 'Ode to Joy,' which is one of the most uplifting and beautiful melodies ever written," Hirsch said. The movement employs a choir and four soloists, and will feature the Roosevelt University Conservatory Choir, led by Cheryl Hill Frazes, and vocal soloists Nicholas Davis, Jared Esqurerra, Kimberly Gunderson and Louise Rogan. The concert will then conclude the way it does every year. "By inviting the audience to stand, hold hands and join with us as we sing 'We Shall Overcome,'" Hirsch said. "It's a Sinfonietta tradition." Tickets to the annual tribute typically sell out before the event, Hirsch said. Advertisement "I would recommend that people get tickets in advance, because it's very unlikely that there will be any tickets left at the door the day of the show," he said. The concert, he said, is very family-friendly, appropriate for those age 7 and above. "The concert's pretty fast-moving, and they'll see a lot of young people on stage," Hirsch said. Along with paying tribute to King, the concert is the Sinfonietta's attempt to remind people to take action, he said. "If we're going to create the society that we want and the kind of country that we want, people need to be activists. That doesn't necessarily mean liberal or conservative or this or that, but be involved in shaping our communities. Stand up for what you believe in and do something," Hirsch said. "That's also what we really hope to do, is just remind the audience and all participants that this is our country and we need to be active in shaping it the way we think is the right way." Advertisement Kathy Cichon is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun. Chicago Sinfonietta's Annual Tribute to Dr. King When: Jan. 14 at North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, 9501 Skokie Blvd., Skokie; Jan. 15 at Wentz Concert Hall, 171 E. Chicago Ave., Naperville Tickets: $29-$58 for Skokie performance; $48-$60 for Naperville performance Information: 312-284-1554 or www.chicagosinfonietta.org by Dominik Schendel DOM Publishers , 2016Paperback, 192 pagesIn November last year I traveled to Berlin to cover the World Architecture Festival (WAF) for World-Architects (some highlights are here ). Previously I'd visited Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart, but this was my first trip to Germany's capital, Berlin a much overdue visit. To plan for what to see in what little time I had outside of WAF, beforehand I bought a used book covering projects completed in the 1990s. With so much construction taking place this century, that dated guidebook was missing plenty of what I wanted to see, even obvious projects like Libeskind's Jewish Museum. So I was pleased to learn that DOM was giving out a Berlin guide to WAF attendees. Compared to other DOM guidebooks (I've reviewed those on Venice Japan and Taiwan ), this guide to Berlin is shorter, more selective, but also more thematically honed.There are many consistencies with other DOM guidebooks: the simple cover, the paper size, the page layout and graphic design, the helpful maps and aerials, and the presence of QR codes linked to maps for easy smartphone navigation. But whereas the guides to modern and contemporary architecture in Brazil, Venice, and other countries and cities present hundreds of buildings, Dominik Schendel's guide to Berlin is structured as four tours and is therefore limited to buildings sited along their routes. Each walking, biking or driving tour tackles a theme, not just a geographical area: "The Former East: Unter den Linden," "The Former West: Kurfurstendamm," "On the Trail of the Berlin Wall," and "On the Trail of."As might be obvious from the names of the tours, history is an important part of this guide, a bit more so than in other DOM guides: for one, the Berlin buildings highlighted are not limited to modern and contemporary projects. And perhaps more than the other DOM guides, Schendel provides a remarkably deep sense of understanding the city, not just buildings, through his tours. Given Berlin's obviously difficult and divided history, as well as its remarkable rebuilding since the Wall came down, it is certainly deserving of such a treatment. Speaking of the Wall, the most remarkable chapter is the third one, which is devoted to its absence. Those going on the tour (two hours by bicycle) trace the former dividing line between East and West, seeing in the process a small section of the Wall itself and a remarkable selection of the historical and contemporary architecture that graces this dynamic capital city. Here are some birds that come from the boreal forest and other northerly breeding grounds to Illinois in winter, and what to feed them. The National Wildlife Federation recommends keeping feeders clean, and away from predators like cats. If you go out of town for a while, birds will find other food sources, according to the federation. They don't rely on just one backyard for their winter meals. Advertisement Dark-eyed junco Eats millet and seeds, including sunflower chips and pieces fallen to the ground; attends feeders low to the ground; small dark, gray with white belly and black bib; common in winter American tree sparrow Eats various seeds including sunflowers chips; forages mostly on ground but will attend feeders; small bird with rufous cap, black spot on chest; fairly common in winter Advertisement Red-breasted nuthatch Eats nyger seed and peanuts; small bird with white belly, red breast, dark cap with black line through eye; common some winters, mostly absent others Common redpoll Eats nyger seeds; small bird with a red crown, yellow bill and black chin; sporadic, rarely comes to Northern Illinois in large numbers Pine siskin Eats nyger seeds; resembles a goldfinch, but with brown streaks throughout and hint of yellowish wing bars; common some winters, rare others Birds that come to feeders in Illinois year-round include the northern cardinal, which eats sunflower oilers and safflower seeds; the downy woodpecker and white-breasted nuthatch, which eat suet and peanuts; and the American goldfinch, which eats nyger seeds. Squirrels can be kept away by using baffles and scattering corn on the ground. Source: Jan Lyons, National Wildlife Federation, National Bird-Feeding Society. Lack of precaution Here we go again. Three more guys shot in Chicago while standing on the corner. It happened around midnight in a bad neighborhood. Why would you stand on a street corner if you know people might drive by and shoot you? What are you doing out that late? Don't you have a job to get up for in the morning? Just a bunch of thugs hanging out and looking for trouble. It's the legal gun owner's fault with legal FOID cards who are blamed for these shootings. Advertisement Unfair election In Talk of the County, we see a lot of people still complaining about the election. Perhaps we should get rid of the Electoral College. If the present government wants to serve the people, only 46 percent of the people voted for Donald Trump. Hillary Clinton won by almost 3 million votes. Perhaps we should have a run-off election. As it stands now, people who live near large cities are not represented by anyone. Advertisement A note about voting Instead of talking about hacking, why don't you recount the votes in Chicago that were cast by dead people and illegal immigrants? Aldermen vie for governor seat Here they come. We have tons of Democratic aldermen who want to run for governor. The people of Illinois are fed up. We've had it with Democrats running the state. The vote will be split up 15 different ways, and then we'll have all kinds of problems. It's time to get Michael Madigan out of office and let this state run smoothly for a change. Lake County News Sun Twice-weekly News updates from Lake County delivered every Monday and Wednesday > Living on a dream and a prayer This is about the comment on saving the building at Washington and Sheridan. It's been converted to what some would call luxury condos, but they can't sell one building. How will they do a complete lakefront development? This city is living on a dream and a prayer just keeping its doors open. Don't put any stock in cleaning up the lakefront or having any major development. It's been industrial here, and that's all it will ever be. Remember that between the Gold Coast lakefront property they want to develop and ComEd lies the biggest asbestos dump in the world. What a joke. Miffed about mayoral election We have a village trustee in Antioch who submitted a petition to object to a candidate for mayor. I wonder what person he is supporting and trying to keep someone else from running. Antioch trustees should stay out of elections. Advertisement Twitter @NewsSun Editor's Note Talk of the County is a reader-generated column of opinions. If you see something you disagree with or think is incorrect, please tell us. Call us at 312-222-4554 or email talkofthecounty@tribpub.com. For a continuously updating blog of Talk of the County comments, go to newssunonline.com/talk. Cardinal Blase Cupich offers blessings Jan. 8 for the Golden Anniversary Jubilee Mass at Our Lady, Mother of the Church in Chicago. (Karie Angell Luc / Pioneer Press) An estimated 600 people packed the pews on Jan. 8 for the Golden Anniversary Jubilee Mass at Our Lady, Mother of the Church in Chicago. The church, located near Norridge at 8747 W. Lawrence Ave., welcomed Cardinal Blase Cupich who celebrated the Mass. Advertisement The cardinal's appearance at Our Lady, Mother of the Church is among his first high-profile local duties of 2017. "We are renewing the church and the archdiocese," he said. Advertisement The Sunday celebration included the 11 a.m. Mass. Nearly 250 people attended a 50th anniversary banquet luncheon in Des Plaines after the Mass. "I am very happy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the parish," said the Rev. Andrzej Bartosz of Our Lady, Mother of the Church. "It's a great community. It's not a big parish but very nice and more like family." On March 1, 1966, Cardinal John Cody appointed the Rev. Peter F. Hayes as founding pastor of the parish. According to the church's website, Masses during its first year of existence were celebrated at Leigh School in Norridge and in a storefront at Lawrence and Cumberland avenues. Bartosz said 800 families are parishioners. Metal chairs were unfolded at the last minute to accommodate the overflow in the church pews. "I love this area; I love the church. It's perfect," said Rosa Favia of Chicago, a 35-year parishioner. "I was actually baptized here, so it's cool to come back and see it all," said Favia's granddaughter, Angelina Greico of Addison. Cardinal Cupich offered the homily with historical references, adding humor at several points. "Of course, here in Chicago," he told the audience, "we might think the moment which history was revolutionized [and] the trajectory changed, was winning the World Series by the Cubs." Advertisement "Everything in the world is now changed," he added, garnering laughs. Those who offered the bread and wine at Mass, were members of the Schorsch family. The Schorsch family (Schorsch Builders) donated the land to the Archdiocese of Chicago in the 1950s on which Our Lady, Mother of the Church was built starting in autumn of 1966. A black-and-white photograph of the church's groundbreaking has a date written on top, April 16, 1967. Nearly 20 members of the Schorsch family attended the Jan. 8 celebration with two tables at the banquet, said Carl Schorsch of Elk Grove Village. Schorsch family members traveled from Indiana, Wisconsin, Washington (state) and Chicagoland to attend, also visiting a local cemetery to honor deceased relatives. "It's special, quite a thing to see," Schorsch said, of being at the Mass. His sister, Lucy Schorsch Mark of Zionsville, Ind., got married at Our Lady, Mother of the Church in 1977. Her husband is Herb Mark who grew up in Northbrook and attended St. Norbert School, also in Northbrook. Advertisement "It's nice knowing my family did this," Lucy Schorsch Mark said, of her family's land donation. Cardinal Cupich's homily ended with words that Catholics, "are in this together." People left with complimentary epiphany kits to use as a blessing for the home. "You're all getting homework," Cardinal Cupich said at the end of Mass. "Do your homework." Karie Angell Luc is a freelance photographer and reporter for Pioneer Press. Oakbrook Center was the scene of a robbery and a vehicle theft in separate weekend incidents. A 65-year-old Burr Ridge woman reported Sunday a man robbed her of her purse. Advertisement The incident occurred at 5:08 p.m. in the Yellow-F parking lot south of Macy's, police said. The woman had just entered her vehicle when an unidentified man approached her. The victim told police that the man opened her car door and demanded her purse. When she refused the man implied he had a knife, but did not display one, police said. The suspect pulled at the woman's purse, causing her to fall out of the vehicle and release the purse. The man fled the area south toward 22nd Street. Advertisement The victim refused medical attention, police said. Oak Brook police officers searched the area, but were unable to locate the offender, police said. The suspect is described as a white man, 30 to 40 years old, 6-feet tall, with a stocky build, brown hair, wide nose, round face and squinty eyes, wearing a gray jacket and hood. A 2014 black Nissan Pathfinder reported stolen Saturday was found later the same day in Chicago. Police responded at 10:25 p.m. to the Clubhouse Restaurant, 298 Oakbrook Center and were old by a valet that the Pathfinder had been stolen about 10 minutes earlier. The valet told police he had pulled the Pathfinder in front of the Clubhouse Restaurant to be claimed and left the vehicle running so it could warm up while he returned to his vehicle to remain warm and await the owners. The valet told police that a white SUV pulled up next to the Pathfinder and two slim-build black men, 18 to 25 years old, exited the SUV and entered the Pathfinder. As the valet tried to stop the suspects, both vehicles were driven west on 22nd Street. Oak Brook officers were notified one to two hours later that the Pathfinder had been recovered by Chicago police near the 1100 block of West 63rd Street. The vehicle, which was in good condition, was towed back to the Oak Brook Police Department and is being processed for evidence, police said. Oak Brook Detectives are continuing to investigate both incidents and are asking anyone having information to contact officer Garrett Church at 630-368-8734, or send information to crimetips@oak-brook.org. Advertisement cfieldman@pioneerlocl.com Twitter @chuckwriting YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Azerbaijan made over 30 ceasefire violations in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact, the defense ministry of Nagorno Karabakh told ARMENPRESS. The ministry issued a statement, saying: Overnight January 8-9 Azerbaijani forces violated the ceasefire regime in the Nagorno Karabakh-Azerbaijan line of contact around 30 times, firing more than 420 shots from various caliber small arms at Nagorno Karabakh posts. The Armed Forces of Nagorno Karabakh are in control of the tactical-strategic situation and continue their service accordingly. A Park Ridge aldermanic candidate says he is considering a write-in campaign after being knocked off the April 4 election ballot due to a lack of valid voter signatures. An examination of 6th Ward candidate Patrick DeStefano's nominating petitions by the Cook County Clerk's Office found 17 of the 67 signatures he had collected were invalid, leaving him without the minimum number of signatures needed for his name to appear on the ballot. The findings were announced by City Attorney Julie Tappendorf during Monday's hearing of the Park Ridge Municipal Officers Electoral Board, consisting of City Clerk Betty Henneman, acting Mayor Marty Maloney and 4th Ward Ald. Roger Shubert. Advertisement "In this case, a candidate must have 67 valid signatures of registered voters at the address they signed next to and who signed their own name in order to qualify to run for this particular office," Tappendorf said. Current 6th Ward Ald. Marc Mazzuca, who is running for re-election, had filed an objection to opponent DeStefano's candidacy, claiming 22 signatures on his nominating petitions were invalid because they belonged to non-registered voters, were not actually signed by the person who was named, or contained missing, incorrect or inadequate addresses. Advertisement The Cook County Clerk's Office examination supported Mazzuca's objection to 17 of the 22 signatures, and the three-member Park Ridge Municipal Officers Electoral Board agreed to uphold these objections, removing DeStefano from the ballot. Initially, DeStefano's attorney, Leonard Cannata, asked the electoral board for more time to collect sworn affidavits from the residents whose signatures were deemed invalid, but Mazzuca objected to this request, saying that the electoral board's own rules required any objections from the candidate be filed within 24 hours after the records examination by the county clerk's office was complete. Cannata later agreed that his client would be unable to obtain the required affidavits that would give DeStefano the minimum number of valid signatures he needed to appear on the ballot. Mazzuca had also objected to DeStefano's notarized Statement of Candidacy, saying the original notarization date had been altered and the change was not initialed by DeStefano or the notary public. The electoral board did agree to overrule this objection. "I think both Cook County and the board found correctly that Mr. DeStefano didn't put in the amount of work necessary to be on the ballot," Mazzuca said following the hearing. DeStefano said he would have liked time to get sworn affidavits from the people who signed his petitions, but expressed confidence that he could mount a successful write-in campaign against Mazzuca. DeStefano said he collected 67 signatures during very cold temperatures "so I think I can manage a write-in campaign without wasting everyone's time here." Henneman said residents who wish to run as registered write-in candidates must file an official form with her office. No voter signatures are required to be a registered write-in candidate, she said. DeStefano, a four-year resident of Park Ridge, acknowledged in December that his candidacy was "a last-minute idea," motivated in part by the fact that he feels "nothing really changes" in the city. He expressed frustration with getting a "gap" in this street repaired successfully and that his neighborhood had not been chosen for soundproofing though the O'Hare Residential Sound Insulation Program, which is not a Park Ridge initiative. Advertisement DeStefano is vice president and general manager of his family's business, Mr. Beef and Pizza on Harlem on Chicago's Northwest Side, and said he also works in day trading and investing. He has not previously served on any city boards or commissions Mazzuca, who was appointed to the City Council in June 2012, was elected to a full four-year term in 2013 after defeating opponent Vincent LaVecchia. During his time on the council, Mazzuca has been critical of spending within the city's Public Works Department and pushed for improvements in the city's bidding process for good and services, leading to the hiring of a procurement officer and new procurement practices. Mazzuca, who is chairman of the City Council's procedures and regulations committee and has a professional background in finance, said his plans for a second term include "continued fiscal discipline, investing in infrastructure and continuing to hold city staff accountable for quality services and responsiveness to residents." jjohnson@pioneerlocal.com Twitter: @Jen_Tribune Police have charged a Portage man with a felony following a shooting in the Harbor Oaks subdivision Saturday afternoon. Police said they believe Isaih Darnell-Lenburg, 20, of Portage, drove a blue SUV with three to four other people inside after one of the people shot a 20-year-old man near his home in the 1700 block of Lincoln Street. Advertisement Police are seeking other suspects. Darnell-Lenburg was charged with aiding in an aggravated battery, a felony, police said. After securing an arrest warrant for Darnell-Lenburg, Police Chief Troy Williams encouraged Darnell-Lenburg to surrender. Williams declined to comment on any motive for the shooting or any possible retaliation from anyone affiliated with the victim. Advertisement "This is a serious incident, and we would encourage Isaih to surrender himself," Williams said. Williams said the victim is in serious but stable condition. According to the police, a shooter in the vehicle Darnell-Lenburg was driving, fired one shot from what appears to be a high-powered rifle, striking him in the left lower back and exiting from his front left side lower pelvic region. Police responding to the scene located the victim and began applying pressure to the gunshot wound until Portage medics arrived and transported him to Methodist Hospital Northlake in Gary, according to police. Portage detectives are trying to determine a motive for the shooting. Williams insisted Portage residents should not be concerned the shooting was more than an isolated incident. "I don't want the people of Portage to think there's somebody randomly shooting people," Williams said. According to Williams, a witness followed the blue SUV after the shooting into Gary, but the witness lost the vehicle. Portage police later found and impounded the vehicle. Williams thanked Portage fire and EMS, the Indiana State Police and police departments from Gary, Ogden Dunes and Burns Harbor for assisting in the initial investigation. Advertisement Williams described Darnell-Lenburg, who lives with his father at 2278 Swanson Road, as a white, 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing 150 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes. Anyone with information on Darnell-Lenburg or his whereabouts is encouraged to contact Portage Police Capt. Joe Reynolds at 219-764-5704 or contact the police department via the Portage Police Department Facebook page. Michael Gonzalez is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. Carlos Velazquez (right) and his helper Jason Duncan prepare holiday orders for customers. (Sue Ellen Ross / Post-Tribune) The Weekend Baker has found its niche in downtown Hammond. Nestled between tall office buildings and two nearby courthouses, the new business serves up coffees, teas, and a bevy of baked goods for visitors. Advertisement The decision to settle in the busy downtown hub this past year was a natural for owner Carlos Velazquez, who has 30 years of baking knowledge under his belt. "I am a Hammond resident, and as such, I saw the need for a bakery that could meet the needs of customers in this area," he said. "So I decided to stay (near) home." Advertisement His varied experience has taken him through all aspects of the bakery business, he added. "But this is my first venture as an owner." Approximately 50 customers are served daily, but there's room for more in the cozy eatery that has half a dozen tables in the middle, a long comfy couch along one wall and a unique bistro table in one corner that's available for board games. The average customer is looking for a hot cup of coffee and a snack, as well a utilizing the free Wi-Fi service. On the menu are coffees, teas, pastries, cupcakes and muffins, quesitos, pastelillos, and custom cakes, as well as breads. Cold-cut sandwiches also are offered for lunch. Recipes come from all those years of bakery experience, but some Velazquez received from friends and customers. "For example, the zucchini recipe came to me from the former owner (of a business located in his current space)," Velazquez said. "She got it from her grandma, who in turn, had gotten it from a relative in the Czech Republic." It was written in Polish when he received it, he added. "I had to jump some hoops to get it translated, but I'm glad I did. It's now one of our best sellers." One typical staple found in bakeries is not present at Weekend Baker donuts. Advertisement "If it's fried, you won't find it here," Velazquez said. The new business is almost a one-man show, as his only helper is Jason Duncan, 19, who came to him through a WorkOne program. "I do just about everything," Duncan said, with a laugh. "Whatever my boss needs, I'm right there." That can include displaying wares, washing dishes, cleaning up and talking with the customers, as well as picking up baking techniques. "One of the most interesting things I've learned is how to shape fondant," Duncan added. "And it always smells so good in here." The new business occupies a small section of the former NIPSCO building. This area was gutted when Velazquez first looked for a home for his new venture, so there was much work to do before putting up a sign and opening the front door. Advertisement But it's paying off. There's quite a bit of foot traffic in front of the business, with visitors stopping in for their morning coffee, mid-morning snack and then again at lunch for a quick sandwich. Cakes also are a big thing for Velazquez, especially on the weekends, when he usually designs custom cakes for all occasions. Future plans call for expanded service, as well as putting a staff in place. "At this point, we do not have any employees," Velazquez said of his new company. "We are concentrating our efforts in developing our brand and our name." If the steady steam of customers coming through the door is any indication, this little bakery seems well on its way to continued success. Advertisement Sue Ellen Ross is a freelance writer for the Post-Tribune. If you go What: The Weekend Baker Where: 215 Russell Street, Hammond Hours: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; and closed on Sunday. For more information: (219) 290-9090 Valparaiso resident Bill lltzsche, 63, is an avid member of the Porter County chapter of the Izaak Walton League. (Photo Provided by Bill Iltzsche / Post-Tribune) "Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter." Izaak Walton Advertisement Bill Iltzsche is among the one percent of Valparaisans who doesn't jog. But, he also is among the one percent Valparaisans who has six consecutive consonants in his surname. I'd interview him just for that. I sometimes have trouble pronouncing Eastern European names. I think of former interviewee Joe Boguszewicz. The guys at American Maize soon christened him "Roby Joe." Italian names are easier for me being as they are more vowel voluminous. Mario Cuomo, Lido "Lee" Iacoccoa and Joey "Doves" Aiuppa come to mind. By the way, Bill's last name is pronounced: ILL-chee. Iltzsche, 63, lives in Valparaiso with wife Diana. He is retired from Owens-Corning in Valparaiso and she is a retired teacher. They have raised two daughters. Advertisement Bill also is an avid member of the esteemed Porter County chapter of the Izaak Walton League. The 1927 New Yankees' dangerous lineup (known as "Murderer's Row") featuring the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel and Tony Lazzeri had nothing on the likes of conservationists Herb and Charlotte Read, Jim Sweeney, Desi Robertson-Thompson, Don Frame, Bonnie and Susan Swarner, Tom "Coyote" Larson, Liz McCloskey, Sandy O'Brien, Annette Hansen and Bill Iltzsche. *** "I was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., just a few blocks away from Ebbets Field," Iltzsche began. "A couple years later, the Dodgers left Brooklyn. By the time I was 3, my parents moved to Queens." Let me guess. I'm a highly trained professional. Iltzsche is a German name. "Correct. My father's parents came from the Dresden area in eastern Germany." Kurt Vonnegut wrote about Dresden in "Slaughterhouse-Five." "Yes, that's where the firebombing was done." Ironically chillingly, perhaps Dresden is the name of the nuclear power plant located near Morris, Ill., not too far from the confluence of the Kankakee and Des Plaines Rivers, thus forming the Illinois River. Advertisement "That's right, I forgot about that." Bill, it was almost surreal filming "Everglades of the North: The Story of the Grand Kankakee Marsh" from a boat and seeing black angus cattle wading in the wide but shallow Kankakee while guards armed with high-powered rifles loomed above them from the top of Dresden Power Plant. Tell me more about New York City. "My grandfather owned a butcher shop on Avenue J in Brooklyn. Those were very diverse neighborhoods. We played a lot of stick ball in the streets. I attended a Lutheran grade school next to a church. Then, I went to a Lutheran high school; that's where I met my wife. As far as college, my parents told me they would pay for my education, but I had to attend Valparaiso University." Yet another Lutheran school. "Yeah, we're not Missouri Synod anymore, we're ELCA (Evangelical Lutheran Church of America). The Missouri Synod is a more conservative branch of the Lutheran Church. We're (ELCA) the more liberal branch of the church. We have female pastors. They don't. "I left for Valpo in '71. Diana stayed in New York and went to Hunter College for two years. Then, she felt she had a calling to go into the ministry. She looked into becoming a Lutheran deaconess. She ended up going to the Lutheran deaconess program here at VU." Advertisement Former owner-operators of Front Porch Music in Valparaiso, Paul and Jane Schreiner, have appeared in this column. Jane was maybe still is a Lutheran deaconess. "I worked on a building with Paul. The Schreiners are good people." Once you and Diana graduated from VU, you decided to stay. "Yes, we liked it better than New York. We got married at the Chapel of Resurrection." What was your degree in? "Biology. After graduation, I couldn't really find anything in my field. I ended up being a manager at the old York Steakhouse in Merrillville. Then, I went to Pizza Hut. I got burned out on restaurants. After working as a janitor, I finally received a call from Owens Corning where I eventually got a position in their lab." Advertisement The Porter County chapter of the Izaak Walton League? "I joined the Ikes about eight years ago. We meet at the Thomas Library in Chesterton. We don't have a lodge. Most Izaak Walton's have lodges. They have shooting ranges and other things. Our particular chapter is strictly conservation. We're a group that wants to preserve something for future generations. We're not anti-hunting and we don't try to force anything down someone's throat. At the same time, we don't want anyone to try to force something down our throats. We'll fight back for certain things that we feel are wrong." Like building a boozy "swingin' hot spot" in the middle of the dunes? "First of all, the vast majority of us are not teetotalers. Right up there by the pavilion, you've got that major migratory flyway of the birds. There's a lookout place where you can observe the birds flying, and you look over there, and that's the pavilion they're going to build three stories up of glass. Bam!" How many members comprise the Porter County Ikes? "Just under 60. We've actually doubled our size in the last couple years. I've been working a lot with Don Frame and Gary Brown. The three of us are preparing a piece of property that Don donated to our group. We want to create an educational facility there. Advertisement "Bonnie Swarner donated a '64 Ford tractor. We've actually got it working and have attached a bush hog to it. We've been planting trees. We've placed tubes around the bases of the trees to discourage the deer. Liz McCloskey and Sandy O'Brien have been out there telling us what to plant and what to eradicate. We've had a lot of 4-Hers out there volunteering under the tutelage of our executive director Annette Hansen. Annette just got us a grant so we can build a nature playground at one of the two Frame properties. We have a trail for the children." The confluence of Reynolds Creek and the Little Cal is located on one of the Frame properties, correct? "Yes. We're trying to reintroduce trout in that vicinity." Goals or projects the Ikes have on the horizon? "I went to the convention this summer which we had up in Steven's Point, Wis. Our major focal point which was voted on at the convention was water monitoring of various streams. By the year 2020, we hope to add monitoring to 100,000 streams. Right now, it's a very small percentage of the streams that have monitoring in this country for pollutants." *** Advertisement Hats off to Bill Iltzsche and the rest of the Porter County Ikes. Good company. Jeff Manes is a freelance columnist for the Post-Tribune. Page program accepting applications Applications are now available for students interested in participating in the Indiana House Page Program. While at the Statehouse, House pages will spend the day with Rep. Michael Aylesworth (R-Hebron). They will tour the House and Senate chambers, the Indiana Supreme Court and the governor's office. In addition, students will have an opportunity to observe the legislative session directly from the floor of the House, and listen to debates on policy issues. Pages are assigned age-appropriate tasks such as delivering messages and sorting files. Applicants should be between the ages of 13 and 18, and will receive an excused absence from school. House pages are scheduled for Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Large groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts may be scheduled to page on Wednesdays. Applications and information are at www.indianahouserepublicans.com/pageprogram or 800-382-9841. Advertisement Valparaiso names Officers of the Year The Valparaiso Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 76 has named their Patrol Officer and Supervisor of the year for 2016. Officer Chris Allison, a nine year veteran of the department, was named patrol officer of the year, and Sgt. John Patston was named supervisor of the year. Patston also is a nine year veteran of the department, and has spent six of those as a supervisor. Advertisement Free tax preparation Participants from the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program will be available Feb. 2 through March 30 at the East Chicago Public Library, 2401 E. Columbus Drive. The VITA program offers free tax assistance to people who generally make $54,000 or less, persons with disabilities, and limited English-speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers will provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals. Appointments are required and can be made by calling the Reference Department at the library at 219-397-2453, Ext. 12. Bring completed tax forms from last year and any pertinent forms or statements to the appointment. More information is at www.irs.gov/VITA. Methodist Hospital to offer childbirth classes Prepared Childbirth Classes are offered throughout the year at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville. The next four-week course will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays Jan. 31, Feb. 7, 14 and 21 at 8701 Broadway. The classes are designed to educate parents-to-be about labor, delivery and the immediate postpartum period. The first three weeks focus on relaxation and breathing during labor, and breast feeding. Week four offers parenting topics. Registration is at 800-909-3627. Park district to host dances Join the Schererville Parks and Recreation Department for the "Medieval Princess and Noble Knight" Daddy-Daughter/Mother-Son dances. Daddy-Daughter dances will be from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 3 and 11, and Mother-Son dances will be from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 4 and 10 at the Schererville Community Center, 500 E. Joliet St. Pizza will be served, and photographs and gifts will be available for an additional cost. Sons and daughters are encouraged to wear costumes. Cost is $23 for residents, $25 for non residents. Information is at parks@schererville.org or 219-865-5530. Staff report A couple of days after a judge denied his request to deem the state's death penalty statute unconstitutional, the attorneys for a man charged with fatally shooting a Gary police officer began sorting through potential jurors Thursday. One by one, people were called into Judge Samuel Cappas' courtroom where the defense and prosecution teams sorted through potential concerns about the person serving on a jury based on answers they filled out on a preliminary questionnaire. Advertisement Carl Le'Ellis Blount, 27, sat to the right of his attorneys as they sifted through the list of potential jurors. Blount has pleaded not guilty to a murder charge filed in the July 2014 death of Gary police Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield. The attorneys focused on basic questions Thursday afternoon to see if a person should be exempt from the jury process, such as looking at language barriers that would prevent them from understanding what was happening in the courtroom. They also looked for potential conflicts of interest, including if a person knew potential witnesses or Blount, or if being on a jury could impact a person's livelihood or health if they had to be sequestered during a trial. Advertisement The question of whether a person could be impartial or fair came up a couple of times, particularly due to a person's religious convictions. Given the possibility of the death penalty in the case, some potential jurors expressed concerns they could not even consider sentencing someone to death. While some people were dismissed, others were selected to move forward in the process and will receive longer questionnaires in the mail in the coming weeks to see if they would be a good fit. Blount's trial, which prosecutors estimate could last a few weeks, is scheduled to have opening statements Feb. 27, with jury selection starting in late January. Before then, Blount has another hearing scheduled Dec. 2 to check in on his case. Earlier this week, Cappas denied motions made by Blount's attorneys and the counsel for Darren Vann, who is also facing a death sentence in Lake County on charges in connection with the deaths of seven women, that the Indiana death penalty statute is unconstitutional. Blount's defense teams has been preparing for trial in recent months. Earlier this week, they filed notice of an alibi, claiming Blount was at the home of a family member in Gary from the early morning until his arrest in the afternoon on the day of the shooting in 2014. rejacobs@post-trib.com Twitter @ruthyjacobs A Canadian truck driver reported missing on a Facebook post for missing truck drivers was found dead in his cab Saturday morning at a Porter truck stop. Porter County Coroner Chuck Harris identified the driver as Douglas J. Harkness, 71, of Wingham, Ontario. Harkness, found in the sleeper cab of his truck, appears to have died of natural causes, though a toxicology report is being conducted to rule out anything else, Harris said. The results should be back in a few weeks, Harris added. Advertisement Another truck driver contacted police around 10 a.m. Saturday to say he was at Travel Centers of America South, 1441 W. U.S. 20, and he believed it was the same semitrailer that had been reported missing Friday on Facebook's "Missing Truck Driver Alert Network." The truck driver told police he comes to the truck stop a lot and saw the truck at the same location around 10:30 a.m. Friday and spotted it in the same place on Saturday, at which point he checked the Facebook page for missing drivers and found the number on the truck matched up with the Facebook post. Advertisement Porter police said the truck was parked on the access road that leads to Worthington Drive, facing west. Police knocked on the door but there was no response, and the truck driver who contacted police was able to climb on the engine compartment and look through the front windshield. He said he could see someone in the back of the cab and he wasn't moving, a report said. The Porter Fire Department brought a ladder so police could peer more fully into the cab. Police received permission from the owner of the trucking company to break into the truck to gain access to the cab, the report said. Police popped out a window vent and the fire department was able to open the door, and police found Harkness on his back in the cab, the report said. Police said there were no signs of foul play. The owner of the trucking company, who arrived at the scene, told police he had been checking truck stops for a couple of days to find Harkness because they hadn't had any contact with him since Thursday, the report said. The Indiana State Police Motor Carrier Unit assisted with the investigation, which is ongoing. Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune. YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. The first conscripts of the winter draft began their service- the launch of the winter draft was given with some changes. Defense Minister of Armenia Vigen Sargsyan and Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Movses Hakobyan visited the Central Recruitment Office of Yerevan on January 8 to monitor the process of drafting and wish the conscripts safe and peaceful service. Once again we admired the spirit, attitude and determination of the boys. We will do everything for them to feel the innovations and changes which were carried out in the Armed Forces, Sargsyan stressed. Speaking about innovations, the minister said the conscripts will from now on receive their gear and uniform in the Central Recruitment Office. Movses Hakobyan mentioned the selection of the training base will be made until the selection of the main service base. This is done so that we are able to dispatch better trained conscripts to military posts. Hakobyan said according to the new order, conscripts will carry out military service only after completing the 6 month training. The first group of conscripts of this year were drafted to military service in Gyumri also. The military commissariat of Gyumri organized the recruitment process from the Mother Armenia memorial, accompanied by music and dances, in order to maintain the high spirits of the young men. For this draft, even two Armenians living in Russia considered their duty to return to the Fatherland and service their country, Colonel Gagik Khachatryan, military commissar of Gyumri told ARMENPRESS, adding that the drafting process proceeded normally, as expected. Governor of Shirak Hovsep Simonyan, deputy mayor of Gyumri Vagharshak Mkhitaryan and Colonel Gagik Khachatryan were present in the Mother Armenia memorial and wished safe and peaceful service to the conscripts. Skokie officials are considering how to allocate an estimated $500,000 in federal grant funding to proposed village projects and local non-profits serving village residents. The village expects to receive the money from the Community Development Block Grant program this year, Skokie officials said. Advertisement The CDBG program is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and funds are allocated on an annual basis to communities across the country, including Skokie, with the aim of providing housing and economic opportunities to primarily low and moderate-income individuals, according to details of the program on the HUD website. The village hosted the second of three public hearings on CDBG funding Jan. 3. Officials heard proposals from village staff seeking funding for village-related projects and from 15 different nonprofits looking for financial support for both programming and capital projects. In total, the proposals sought nearly $610,000 in funding over 20 percent more than the amount of money expected to be available for distribution. Advertisement Staff will recommend funding allocations at the third and final public hearing scheduled for Feb. 6, according to village documents. Skokie officials don't yet know how much federal grant money the village will actually receive, said Carrie Haberstich, a planner for the village and Skokie's CDBG administrator. The village received about $517,000 in CDBG funds last year and expected only to receive about $450,000, she said. She told officials at last week's public hearing that the village has nearly $40,000 in surplus funding from the prior year that can be used to fund proposals this year. Officials expect to know the actual amount of CDBG funds Skokie will receive this year sometime in the spring, Haberstich said. Village departments requested a total of $378,000 in CDBG funds, according to village documents. The requested funds would be used to cover costs associated with Skokie's home improvement program -- which offers grants to low income households for repairs to single-family homes. Also, the money could pay for costs associated with some street and alley resurfacing and the village's sidewalk replacement program. CDBG funds could also go toward administrative expenses associated with administering the program, itself. The village's Human Services Division requested approximately $43,000 to cover 60 percent of the cost of a village social worker., The majority of the requests from nonprofit leaders sought founding for costs associated with services and programming, others requested money to offset capital costs. The largest request came from Shore Community Services, a Skokie-based organization that provides services for people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities. The agency asked for nearly $41,000 to replace a heating and air conditioning unit at the organization's Laramie Avenue headquarters, according to village documents. The new HVAC system would provide a more comfortable and safe environment for nearly 90 adults living on the ground floor of the building, Shore Community Services leaders said. Advertisement PEER Services, which provides substance abuse prevention and treatment to young adults and teens, was among the nonprofits that had requested CDBG money last year. PEER Services requested $12,000 to help pay a counselor to provide outreach, assessment and treatment services to Skokie teens, families and adults struggling with substance abuse. North Shore Senior Center asked for $10,000 to cover the costs associated with providing long-term case management for older, low-income adults in Skokie. And The Harbour requested nearly $11,000 to help pay for programming aimed at assisting homeless youth in their transition to self-sufficiency, village records show. Asian Human Services, a social service agency focused on Asian immigrants with offices in Skokie and Chicago, requested $15,000 in CDBG funding to subsidize the salaries of dental assistants who provide care to low-income Skokie residents. According to village documents, the agency did not receive CDBG funds from Skokie last year. Open Communities, a Winnetka-based non-profit that provides advocates for and services related to affordable housing in the north suburbs, requested $10,000 to provide landlord-tenant liaison services to Skokie residents. The agency also did not receive CDBG funds from the village last year. Because the amount requested exceeds what the village anticipates receiving in CDBG funds, Haberstich said the agencies likely won't see all the funding they've asked for. Additionally, she said, federal rules dictate that only 15 percent of CDBG funds can be used to pay for non-capital related services and only 20 percent can be used for costs associated with administering the CDBG grogram. Mayor George Van Dusen said the village would do what it could to fund the requests. "The most vulnerable among us are the ones who come to you and are in great need of your assistance," he said. "We will do everything we can within the guidelines of (the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) to meet your needs and your requests." Advertisement Lee V. Gaines is a freelancer. Director Damien Chazelle holds the award for Best Director - Motion Picture for "La La Land" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., Jan. 8, 2017. [Photo/VCG] Critically applauded musical-comedy "La La Land" dominated the 74th Golden Globes, taking home seven awards and breaking the record for most Golden Globes won by a single film. The previous record was shared by "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975) and "Midnight Express" (1978), with six wins apiece. Damien Chazelle's "La La Land" won every award it was nominated for, including best musical/comedy film, best director and best screenplay (Chazelle), best actor (Ryan Gosling) and actress (Emma Stone), best score and best original song ("City of Stars"). "I'm in daze now, officially," said Chazelle as he accepted his award for directing at the ceremony held in Beverly Hills, California. His film will be imported to Chinese market early this year. A collection of Tibetan Thangka art pieces were exhibited at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing on Saturday. Tibetan Thangka artists are painting at the exhibition's opening ceremony at the National Art Museum of China, Beijing, Jan. 7, 2017. [Photo / Tibet.cn] Titled "Tibet in the Heaven - Joint Exhibition of Top Tibetan Thangka Works," the exhibition displays 55 art pieces created by young and senior local Tibetan painters and Thangka artists. The art form of Thangka has a history of more than 1,300 years and usually depicts religious themes. Thangka arts are separated into different schools of paintings, including Manthang , Karma Gardri and Chintse schools, among others. This exhibition shows the integration of modern and traditional skills that have been popular in Tibet for centuries, said Zhang Xiaofeng, vice president of the Tibet Autonomous Region Federation of Literary and Art, at the opening ceremony of the exhibition. Tashi, 34 years old, one of the Tibetan Thangka painters attending the opening, began learning to paint when he was 11. He told China.org.cn that his father and grandfather are both Thangka painters and that Thangka painting has become the family's sacred mission. One of his paintings displayed at the exhibition was finished after eight months' hard work, while some more complicated works need several years to finish. When not on display, Thangka paintings are traditionally kept unframed and rolled up. Because of their delicate nature, they have to be kept in dry places. The exhibition will last until Jan. 18. China is working to set up the world's highest altitude gravitational wave telescopes in Tibet Autonomous Region to detect the faintest echoes resonating from the universe, which may reveal more about the Big Bang. Construction has started for the first telescope, code-named Ngari No.1, 30 km south of Shiquanhe Town in Ngari Prefecture, said Yao Yongqiang, chief researcher with the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. The telescope, located 5,250 meters above sea level, will detect and gather precise data on primordial gravitational waves in the Northern Hemisphere. It is expected to be operational by 2021. Yao said the second phase involves a series of telescopes, code-named Ngari No. 2, to be located about 6,000 meters above sea level. He did not give a time frame for construction of Ngari No. 2. The budget for the two-phase Ngari gravitational wave observatory is an estimated 130 million yuan (US$18.8 million). The project was initiated by the Institute of High Energy Physics, National Astronomical Observatories, and Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, among others. Ngari, with its high altitude, clear sky, and minimal human activity, is said to be one of the world's best spots to detect tiny twists in cosmic light. Yao said the Ngari observatory will be among the world's top primordial gravitational wave observation bases, alongside the South Pole Telescope and the facility in Chile's Atacama Desert. Gravitational waves were first proposed by Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity 100 years ago, but it wasn't until 2016 that scientists with the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory announced proof of the waves' existence, spurring fresh research interest among the world's scientists. China has announced its own gravitational wave research plans, which include the launch of satellites and setting up FAST, a 500-meter aperture spherical radio telescope in southwest China's Guizhou Province. You are here: Home Three suspects connected to a 2015 violent attack in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region have been gunned down by the police. The suspects were shot and killed in southwest Xinjiang's Pishan County. The police from south Xinjiang's Hetian said the suspects resisted arrest during the operation. No police officers were injured. No more information about the incident is available at this point. A Dutch couple has brought their adopted daughter back to China to thank the people who helped the girl 6 years ago when she was abandoned, Ningbo Daily reports. Yu Yongduo (left in the front) meets with the abandoned girl (right in the front) he saved 6 years ago, at his home in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, on Tuesday, January 3, 2017. [Photo: Ningbo Daily] Yu Yongduo, a 68-year-old man from a village in Ningbo city, Zhejiang province, found the child in the grass near a warehouse in March 2011. There was no information with the child about who she is, said Yu. Yu sent the little girl to a local welfare institution. After being recorded by police, the girl stayed in the welfare institution until she was adopted by the Dutch couple. The Dutch couple called Yu last month via an interpreter, saying they would bring the child back to China to thank the welfare institution as well as him. The Yu family gave a feast to the girl and her Dutch parents on Tuesday. They agreed to meet each other again in 2020 when the Dutch family comes to China again. Anhui province has used new media to help 97 lost people find their way back home within the last six months, Xinhua News Agency reports. The provincial Department of Civil Affairs has cooperated with popular news app toutiao.com since last June to send precise location information regarding lost-and-found people to the app's large number of users, said Sun Bangping, Deputy Director General of the department. Meanwhile, staff at rescue agencies in the province have been included into a WeChat group so that information can be shared in time. Compared with publishing information in newspapers or on television, it is more efficient to find lost people with the help of new media, said Sun. Among the 97 people who have been returned to their families, there is a woman who was abducted and trafficked when she was little, more than 29 years ago, and there are 9 people who suffer from Alzheimer's disease. The new model has been promoted to other places around China, with more than two thousand rescue administrative centers joining the project. YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzhas assessment over the incident which occurred near Chinari village of Armenias Tavush province was very clear, Armenias Defense Minister Vigen Sargsyan said during the military recruitment on January 8, reports Armenpress. The Secretary Generals statement over the incident in Chinari was very clear, and the Secretary General is one of the most important institutions of the CSTO and he expresses the organizations whole opinion during the sessions, the Defense Minister said. Azerbaijani forces attempted a sabotage infiltration in the Armenian state border, south-east from Chinari village of Tavush province in the early morning of December 29. The Armenian Armed Forces have neutralized the Azerbaijan attacks. Azerbaijani forces were pushed back, suffering losses and WIAs, including in the military positions. CSTO Secretary General Nikolai Bordyuzha issued a statement over this incident. The CSTO Secretariat is strictly concerned about the information received in connection with the armed incident that happened near Chinari village of Armenia. We consider such actions within the territory of the CSTO member state as a provocation, in particular, against the backdrop of quite a serious incident in the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in April of this year during which heavy armored equipment was applied. It seemed that the Nagorno Karabakh conflict settlement process would eventually move forward due to the efforts made by both sides, as well as a number of countries. However, recently the information received from the region on the ceasefire violations, as well as the December 29 incident, that killed servicemen, create a serious concern, Nikolai Bordyuzha said in a statement. You are here: Home Physicist Zhao Zhongxian Pharmacologist Tu Youyou Two Chinese scientists, physicist Zhao Zhongxian and pharmacologist Tu Youyou, won China's top science award Monday for their outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation. Zhao is a leading scientist in superconductivity, while Tu won the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her discovery of artemisinin to treat malaria. The pair were presented the award at an annual ceremony held to honor distinguished scientists and research achievements. Winners are each entitled to an award of 5 million yuan (around 722,000 U.S. dollars). The winners were chosen by the State Council. Flash Turkish police have identified the alleged Islamic State (IS) militant who attacked a famous nightclub at the heart of Istanbul as Uzbek national Abdulkadir Masharipov, Turkish Hurriyet News reported on Sunday. The attacker arrived in Istanbul from the Central Anatolian province of Konya on Dec. 15, 2016 to stage the attack on the New Year's Day. An IS cell in Konya that consists of Uzbeks continued to provide logistical support to Masharipov, whose code name is "Ebu Muhammed Horasani," according to recent information. The attacker still remains on the run after escaping the Reina nightclub despite a massive police presence amid worries of an attack targeting New Year's celebrations. Masharipov is accused of killing 39 people and wounding 65 others at the club, although some eyewitnesses have suggested there were more than one attacker. Flash A truce in the rebel-held water-rich Barada Valley near Damascus has ended Sunday, with military operations resuming after the rebels thwarted negotiations to defuse the situation in that area, the main water source to Damascus, a military source told Xinhua. The truce, which was established on Thursday, ended after the failure of the negotiations, as the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front fired, for the second day, at the government maintenance workers, who were poising to enter the valley to fix the water pumps feeding the capital with water. The faltering truce aimed to give a respite of battles to allow negotiators to conclude an understanding to defuse the explosive situation in that area. This comes as battles have raged over the past two weeks between the government forces and the rebels, who were accused by the government of cutting off the drinking water from the capital Damascus, as the valley contains Ain al-Fijah springs, the main water source feeding the capital's over five million inhabitants with drinking water. Previous attempts to reach a truce and understanding between the rebels and the government had failed, which led to a wide-scale military offensive by the Syrian army backed by the Lebanese Shiite Hezbollah group against the area, with the rebels responding by severing the water from Damascus. As negotiators were inside the valley Saturday morning, government maintenance workers were on standby in the nearby town of Deir Qanun, some 5 km from Barada Valley, to start fixing the Ain al-Fijah springs, which sustained damages as a result of the military showdown near that area. Later in the day, the state TV said the maintenance workers couldn't enter the area, as they were targeted by rebels' snipers in that area, which led to delaying their entry. Some activists groups said the rebels will allow the workers to enter Barada Valley on Sunday, but such promises were rendered flat with renewed firing on the workers. Barada wasn't considered by the government to be part of the a Turkish-Russian sponsored ceasefire that went into force on Dec. 30, as the area is largely controlled by the al-Qaida-linked Nusra Front, which is designated as a terrorist group, and thus excluded from any settlement in Syria. However, the Nusra fighters there have cut off the water from Damascus since Dec. 22, causing a massive water outage, amid recent reports that water poisoning cases started to surface as people have resorted to unclean water. Flash A U.S. veteran of the Iraq war accused of shooting five people dead and wounding six others at a Florida airport has been charged with federal crimes that could carry the death penalty. Esteban Santiago, 26, is charged with firearms offenses and carrying out an act of violence when he opened fire at the busy Fort Lauderdale airport. Santiago, who had earlier shown signs of "erratic behavior," arrived on a flight from Alaska on Friday. At baggage claim he retrieved a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and ammunition that he had declared and stowed inside his checked luggage, then allegedly loaded the weapon in a bathroom and opened fire in the crowded baggage claim area of Terminal 2. Once his ammunition was exhausted Santiago lay on the floor with his arms and legs spread out and peacefully surrendered when a sheriff deputy approached him, witnesses quoted in U.S. media said. The hail of bullets sent thousands scrambling for safety and shut down the airport, a major gateway to the Caribbean and Latin America. If convicted, Santiago could face the death penalty or life in prison, U.S. Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said in a statement. "Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims' heads until he was out of ammunition," Ferrer said. FBI special agent George Piro said agents were looking into the motives for the attack, including "continuing to look at the terrorism angle." Piro said Santiago appeared to be acting alone and "every indication" is that he followed rules in flying with the weapon. Santiago is due to appear in court today. A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, he served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011. His military service ended in August. On November 7, Santiago walked into the FBI office in Anchorage, Alaska and complained that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos. This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. Anchorage police chief Christopher Tolley said Santiago came to the FBI office with a loaded magazine, but left his gun and newborn child in his car. Police took the weapon for safekeeping, but he was able to reclaim it on December 8. Santiago's brother Bryan criticized the way authorities had handled his case. "They had him hospitalized for four days and they let him go. How are you going to let someone leave a psychological center after four days when he said he hears voices that the CIA is telling him to join certain groups?" The shooting renewed anxieties about airport security. The Transportation Security Administration lets passengers travel with unloaded firearms and ammunition as checked baggage. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the district that includes the airport, said the rules needed to be re-examined. The incident should prompt a review of "whether or not you should be allowed to check a firearm at all," she said. Flash The Republican leader in the U.S. Senate said on Sunday U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's hope to improve relations with Russia would be "dashed" quickly. This combination of pictures created on December 30, 2016 shows a file photo taken on December 28, 2016 of US President-elect Donald Trump (L) in Palm Beach, Florida; and a file photo taken on December 23, 2016, of Russian President Vladimir Putin speaking in Moscow. [Photo/Xinhua] "My suspicion is these hopes will be dashed pretty quickly," said Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in an interview with CBS. "The Russians are clearly a big adversary, and they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election," he added. On Saturday, Trump tweeted that "Only 'stupid' people, or fools" do not want a good relationship with Russia. "When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" he tweeted. McConnell on Sunday played down Trump's intention to improve relations with Russia, arguing that former President George W. Bush also had the same hope at the outset of presidency. "I don't think it is all that unusual for a new president to want to get along with the Russians," said McConnell. The U.S. intelligence released a report on Friday, accusing Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering "an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election" in order to "undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process." Trump had repeatedly refused to accept the findings that Russia has intervened in the 2016 presidential election. The Russian government has also denied the accusations. Flash Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the next stage of the Syria war after the liberation of Aleppo city won't be easy given the Western continuing support to terrorist groups, state news agency SANA reported. "The Western powers as well as their tools and agents in the region are carrying on with supporting the terrorist organizations," Assad said. He also said recapturing the entire Aleppo city from rebel groups represents an "important station toward the victory in the war imposed in Syria." Assad's remarks came during his meeting with the visiting Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani. "Syria, with the help from its friends, mainly Iran and Russia, is moving forward in doing whatever it takes to provide the suitable ground to find a solution, through which the Syrians could determine the future of their country without foreign intervention," he told Shamkhani. For his part, Shamkhani made it clear that his country will spare no effort to support Syria and frustrate any "terrorist scheme and its backers" since counter-terror is a "decisive issue not only for Syria but the entire regional countries." Iran, the main regional ally of the Syrian government, has recently strengthened its diplomatic engagements with Syria, as Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, visited Damascus last week, and Syrian foreign ministry officials visited Tehran in the same period. The diplomatic shuttling apparently aims at coordinating stances between the two countries ahead of the Russian-Turkish planned Syria peace talks in Astana later this month. During his latest visit to Syria, Boroujerdi said that Iran supports the upcoming Syria talks in Astana, which were expected to bring, for the first time, representatives from both the Syrian government and the rebels together, as previous failed talks in Geneva were only between the government and the exiled political opposition. Experts say high expectations are held for the new talks as the United States will not be part of the supervising team, as the Assad government is still deeming the Western support to the rebels as what is behind the ongoing conflict. On Sunday, Assad also met with a visiting French delegation including a number of French lawmakers and intellectuals. During the meeting Assad said that France's current policy is disconnected from the reality about the war in Syria. He stressed that the policy has helped inflame the situation through support to "terrorist organizations," which, he said, have become a threat, not only to Syria but the Western countries alike. The French delegation said what they have learnt about Syria contains a great deal of distortions to the truth. A day earlier, the French delegation arrived in Aleppo on an airplane, the first civilian plane to land at the Aleppo airport in four years. The rebels in the countryside of Aleppo fired several rockets on the airport after the delegation deplaned, causing a delay in their flight to Damascus. Flash Iraqi security forces on Sunday recaptured new areas from the Islamic State (IS) militants in the city of Mosul, as the troops reached the eastern bank of Tigris River for the first time in northern Iraq, the Iraqi military said. Iraqi special forces Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) members battle against Islamic State group jihadists (IS) in Mosul's al-Rifaq neighbourhood on January 8, 2017, during an ongoing military operation against the militants. [Photo/Xinhua] In the eastern front, the elite forces of Iraq's Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) continued their progress in two routes; the first one was advancing to the fourth bridge on the Tigris River, which bisects the city, and capturing the eastern bank for the first time in the battles of Mosul, a statement by the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said. The battles left some 40 militants killed and two car bombs destroyed, as well as destroying a vehicle carrying heavy machine gun, the statement said. The second CTS route within the eastern front was advancing toward Baladiyah and Succar neighborhoods amid heavy clashes that resulted in seizing the southern parts of the two neighborhoods, killing 43 extremist militants and destroying a vehicle carrying heavy machine gun, the source said. In the southeastern front, the Iraqi federal police and army soldiers continued their heavy street-to-street fighting against IS militants in the neighborhoods of al-Salam, Palestine, Domiez and Sumer, recapturing several buildings and killing some 25 militants, according to the statement. In the northern front, the army soldiers backed by international aircraft fought sporadic clashes during clearing operation to many of the 168-building residential compound of Hadbaa, which were freed in the advance which occurred for the time on Friday in the northern edges of the eastern side of Mosul, the statement said, adding that the clashes left some 10 militants killed and three booby-trapped vehicles destroyed. In southwest of Mosul, the federal police forces repelled an attack by dozens of IS militants on the troops positions at the village of al-Adhbah, killing 12 militants and destroying two vehicles carrying heavy machine gun, it said. The battles in Mosul came as the CTS commandos, army troops and federal police launched on Dec. 29 the second phase of a major offensive to free Mosul. The troops made their new push into several neighborhoods in the eastern side of Mosul, locally known as the left bank of the Tigris River. Last month, battles in Mosul had been slowed as extremist militants used locals as human shields, resorted to suicide car bombs and made mortar and sniper attacks in stiff resistance. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a recent report that the military operations in Mosul, have pushed about 136,000 civilians to flee their homes in the city and its adjacent districts since the beginning of military offensive in October to reclaim the IS largest stronghold in Iraq. More than 1.5 million people were trapped in the city of roughly two million population previously. Cold winter worsened the conditions for the displaced people who suffered severe shortages of food and water, while camps and other emergency shelters reached maximum capacity. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi on Oct. 17 announced a major offensive to retake Mosul, the country's second largest city. Since then, Iraqi security forces, backed by international coalition forces, have inched to the eastern fringes of Mosul and made progress on other routes around the city. Mosul, some 400 km north of the Iraqi capital of Baghdad, has been under IS control since June 2014, when Iraqi government forces abandoned their weapons and fled, enabling IS militants to take control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions. Flash The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Sunday that it will launch an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) "anytime and anywhere" determined by the country's supreme headquarters. "The U.S. is wholly to blame for pushing the DPRK to have developed ICBM as it has desperately resorted to anachronistic policy hostile toward the DPRK to encroach upon its sovereignty and vital rights," the official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying. The unnamed spokesman said that Pyongyang's ICBM program is part of the efforts to bolster its self-defense capability so as to cope with ever growing nuclear war threat from the United States. The spokesman echoed remarks made by top leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year address that the DPRK will continue to step up self-defense capabilities, the pivot of which is nuclear forces, as long as the U.S. nuclear threat continues and as long as the war games conducted by the United States and its "vassal forces" around the Korean Peninsula are not stopped. Kim also said that the DPRK is now at the final stage of test-launching an inter-continental ballistic missile. On Thursday, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said qualitative improvement was observed in the DPRK's nuclear and missile capabilities last year. He called for sustained and comprehensive pressure on the DPRK to curb those programs. Last year, the DPRK had conducted two nuclear tests and several missile tests, including a long-range rocket. The UN Security Council adopted two new resolutions to tighten sanctions on the DPRK in response to its nuclear and missile programs. Flash U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has accepted U.S. intelligence community's findings that Russia was behind the cyber attacks targeting the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Trump's team said on Sunday. "He's not denying that entities in Russia were behind this particular campaign," said incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus in an interview with FOX News. "He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia. So, that's not the issue." Priebus did not clarify whether Trump agreed that the Russian hacking was intended to help him win. It is the first time for any senior official from Trump's transition team to acknowledge that after months of denial and sometimes even disparagement of the U.S. intelligence community, Trump had agreed that Russians were responsible for the hacking that led to the leaking of damaging material which dogged Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton till the Election Day. The U.S. intelligence released a report on Friday, making public its assessment of alleged Russia's interference in the U.S. presidential election last year. "We assess Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election," the report said, adding that Moscow's goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process. "We further assess Putin and the Russian Government developed a clear preference for President-elect Trump," it said. "We have high confidence in these judgments." The report said Moscow's action was part of its "longstanding desire to undermine the U.S.-led liberal democratic order," and demonstrated a "significant escalation in directness, level of activity, and scope of effort." YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. No snowfalls are expected in the territory of Armenia from January 9-13. Cloudy weather is expected in the Ararat valley and the foothills of Aragatsotn and Vayots Dzor and in separate areas fog and light snowfalls. Temperature will mainly remain unchanged from January 9 to 13. The ministry of emergency situations told ARMENPRESS the weather in Yerevan will be cloudy in the abovementioned period, and in separate areas light snowfalls and foggy conditions are expected. A Christian, whose face has been blurred for security purposes, shows the beatings he received at the hands of the authorities. (Photo: China Aid) China Aid (Langfang, HebeiJan. 4, 2017) Several Christians in Chinas northern Hebei province were hospitalized with serious injuries after gang members hired by authorities attacked them for resisting the destruction of church property on Thursday. Local Christians have taken to protest after the hospitalizations. Local officials plotted with land developers to coerce Fuxing Church, a state-run congregation meeting in a former school building, to sign a land transfer agreement, which would force the church to move. Fuxing Church is an officially registered church in the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, Chinas government-controlled Protestant church. A church elder surnamed Han asserted that the church exists legally, was sanctioned by the government, and was open to relocating. However, the Communist Party offered them less than 2 million Yuan [$287,534.00 USD] in compensation, and they purchased the property for 3 million Yuan in 2002 [$362,319.00 USD at the time]. According to Hans estimates, given the current price of housing, officials should have offered more than 15 million Yuan [$2,156,505.00 USD]. Because of the great discrepancy in value, the church members opposed the signing of the agreement. In response, the developers hired gang members to destroy the churchs circuit breaker. An anonymous pastor from Shandong province said, Fuxing Churchs pastors called for help, saying that [gang members] were destroying their churchs circuit breaker. When Christians working inside the church came out to put a stop to it, they were injured. Additionally, Han said, On the morning of Dec. 29, my son and his friend went out to eat, and, when they had finished eating, came out [of the restaurant]. Seven or eight gangsters surrounded them, dragged them from the car and beat them up. His friend was injured so badly that he could barely open his eyes. He was bleeding profusely, and his nose bridge was fractured. The police came out after I reported the case, but they colluded with the gangsters. We went to the police station and recorded the incident, but nothing was done about it. On the next day, several church elders went to the municipal government to petition. Church members repeatedly visited government offices, but officials refused to do anything about this incident. After the Christians visited the public security bureau, gang members smashed the churchs power meter and harassed its members, who returned to petitioning government offices until authorities pressured Han to persuade them to stop. We are prepared to petition the provincial government, Han said. First of all, we are not violating any laws. Secondly, we are defending our legal rights. The believers are not afraid of any consequences, even death. Today [Jan. 2], the [Christian] brothers, sisters, and leaders from every church throughout the Langfang area came to support us, promising that they would accompany us even to Beijing. We have about six or seven thousand believers now. China Aid exposes abuses, such as those suffered by Fuxing Church members, in order to stand in solidarity with persecuted Christians and promote religious freedom, human rights, and rule of law in China. ChinaAid Media Team Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here Yang Hua (Photo: China Aid) China Aid (Guiyang, GuizhouJan. 5, 2017) Yang Hua, a house church pastor who has been detained since Dec. 9, 2015, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison by a court in Chinas central Guizhou province today. Yang Hua, the common pseudonym of Li Guozhi, was accused of divulging state secrets. He was originally detained during a raid on his church, Huoshi Church, when he tried to stop police from confiscating a hard drive. The prosecution appointed by the government reportedly tortured him in prison, but were not removed from his case, despite Yangs lawyers filing a lawsuit against them. This is nothing but purely barbaric religious persecution, said Bob Fu, president and founder of China Aid. We urge President Obama and President-Elect Trump to unequivocally condemn this brutal act. China Aid reports on cases of religious persecution and human rights abuse, such as the detention and trial of Yang Hua, in order to expose the Chinese governments mistreatment of Christians and other Chinese citizens. ChinaAid Media Team Cell: (432) 553-1080 | Office: 1+ (888) 889-7757 | Other: (432) 689-6985 Email: [email protected] For more information, click here People, who are called "hosts", speak to their audiences through live video streaming platforms. [Photo/China Daily] BEIJING - China's digital economy is predicted to create over 400 million jobs by 2035, a new report has said. Internet-based economy could be worth $16 trillion by then, according to a Boston Consulting Group report, released at a new economy summit sponsored by Alibaba Group on Saturday. Alibaba, China's biggest online trader, is expected to generate over 100 million of those jobs, according to the report, with 30 million created last year. As jobs are created, digital technology like cloud computing and artificial intelligence will replace more and more manpower, the report said. Meanwhile, 20 percent of the world's population will become self-employed or freelance via the internet in the next decade, Alibaba Vice President Gao Hongbing said at the summit. The digital economy will surpass the manufacturing sector in scale and account for a quarter of the world's economy, Gao said. Vehicles drive past the Murray Road multi-story car park, operated by Wilson Parking Holdings Ltd, left, in the Central district of Hong Kong. [Photo/Agencies] Hong Kong's government has announced the first sale of commercial land in the city's central business district for more than 20 years. The site, currently used as a multi-story car park in Murray Road, Central, is about 31,000 square feet, according to a government statement. The plot is valued at HK$15.8 billion to HK$17 billion ($2.2 billion), according to Vincent Cheung, Colliers International executive director of valuation and advisory for Asia. It is the first commercial development site available in Central since 1996, Cheung said, and rents will set "a new indicator" for offices in the district. The sale of the plot, situated near the Bank of China building and billionaire Li Ka-shing's Cheung Kong Center, is slated for the first quarter of 2017. It comes after some record-breaking deals in Hong Kong's office market, driven by strong demand from Chinese companies. In July, Wheelock & Co sold HarbourGate East Tower to Shenzhen-based company Cheung Kei Group for HK$4.5 billion. In 2015, Chinese developer China Evergrande Group and China Life Insurance Co bought office blocks in separate transactions worth a combined HK$18.35 billion. The sale may attract attention given the lack of new supply and low prime-office vacancy rates in the area, Bloomberg Intelligence analyst Patrick Wong wrote in an email. The potential high price may stimulate investment demand for office properties in Central and sale prices of existing offices in Central may rise further, he said. On the residential front, the government is projected to supply 19,460 private units in the fiscal year ending March, which is 8 percent above its target. That's the biggest supply since 2010, Paul Chan, the city's development secretary, told reporters on Thursday. Hong Kong's residential property prices have risen to record highs and sales volumes have surged even after the government raised stamp duty in November, defying previous forecasts that the measures would send transactions plunging by as much as 70 percent. Private housing prices in November reached the highest since data was first made available in 1979, the city's rating and valuation department said. BLOOMBERG Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site. License for publishing multimedia online 0108263 Registration Number: 130349 Registration Number: 130349 KABUL - A Chinese construction firm signed a contract on Sunday to build a key road in central Afghanistan. Afghan Minister of Public Works Mahmuod Baligh and Vice-Chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) Lu Shan signed the $205 million deal during a ceremony held in Afghan Presidential Palace which was witnessed by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and other high-ranking officials. "Launching of Dare-e-Sof and Yakawlang Road project by the Chinese firm will definitely increased Afghan economic growth and it is a significant step for connecting Afghan provinces," Baligh told the ceremony. The road which goes through more than 37 villages will connect Dare-e-Sof district in northern Samangan province to Yakawlang district of the neighboring central Bamyan province, he said. The 178-kilometer-road project was the second part of a National North-South Corridor and the first phase of the corridor which connects northern Marzar-i-Sharif city to Yakawlang has already been completed, and the ministry is currently in the process of planning and surveying of the third phase of the corridor, a 550-km road, which connects Bamyan to southern Kandahar province, the minister noted. "The project will definitely improve the connectivity in the country and the region at large," Baligh said, adding that the project will further bring facilities for local farmers and it will also help the government to exploit a coal mine which is locating along the project. The project will take some three and half years to complete in the mountainous region. The project comprises of building of a seven-meter-road, eight big bridges as well as constructing of 194 small bridges, according to Baligh. Lu told the ceremony that Afghanistan is a friendly neighbor of China and that China had an important role in reconstruction process of Afghanistan. The project will be financed by the Asian Development Bank. Ways to create a more inclusive globalization model will be discussed at the Boao Forum For Asia's annual conference 2017. BFA Secretary General Zhou Wenzhong said on Monday that the theme of the four-day conference would be "Globalization & Free Trade: The Asian Perspective". It will be held March 23 to 26 in Hainan in southern China and will cover four modules: globalization, growth, reform and the new economy. The opening ceremony will kick off on March 25. "A more inclusive globalization will be the keynote of the annual conference," Zhou said. To champion the goal, a plenary session following the opening ceremony will bring together prominent leaders from international organizations, businesses and academic communities to explore the issues of globalization. The conference has so far planned 42 official sessions and 12 private sessions, covering a broad range of topics including Asian regional cooperation, the Asia-Pacific free trade zone advocated by China, global economic sub-health, the limits of monetary policy, reform of the supply side, labor market, industrial design and the sharing economy. More sessions are expected to be added in the next three months, and BFA welcomes diversifying topics from different social sectors, Zhou added. The 2017 conference will invite six or seven heads of state and government, as well as more than 80 international organization leaders and ministers of economic affairs. The Chinese economy has adapted to its "new normal" in 2016 amid rising concerns on GDP growth, supply-side structural reform, monetary policy, renminbi, and more. With the new year approaching, how will the economy fare in 2017? Here are six areas where experts call for close attention. Stable growth A wind farm at Rudong in Jiangsu province. [Photo by Xu Congjun / for China Daily] Despite remaining downward pressure, China's economic growth stabilized at 6.7 percent in the first three quarters of 2016, scotching rumors of a hard landing. In 2017, stabilizing the economy will still be prioritized by policymakers given the Communist Party of China will hold its 19th National Congress in Beijing during the second half of the year. Economists predict a "soft landing" for China's economy, while noting that proactive fiscal policy will continue to play a positive role. "China's steady growth will be guaranteed by both strong growth potential and effective macro-control policies," said Zhang Liqun, a researcher with the Development Research Center under the State Council. In 2017, the growth of real estate investment and sales will slow, but the negative effect could be offset by infrastructure investment, said Robin Xing, chief China economist with Morgan Stanley. A young mother takes her child to an auto show in Zhengzhou, Henan province, on Nov 4, 2016. [Photo by Zhang Tao/For China Daily] Industrial insiders predict substantial falls in profits for automobile manufacturers in the Chinese market in the near future, as car buyers born in the 1990s lead a shift toward entry-level vehicles. They observed that the average age of first-time, new car buyers are dropping, causing cheaper, entry-level products to gain in popularity. This could lead to fierce rivalry among automakers in the low-price segment, driving down profitability. According to German firm Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, the majority of carmakers in China could face a scenario in which average product prices slide while costs will be hard to reduce, squeezing profits over the next five to 10 years. "International brands used to contribute a larger portion to the industry's profit pool, but their product prices will be further slashed in the future to achieve target sales volumes," said Zheng Yun, principal of the automotive practice at Roland Berger. "There won't be a big differentiation between brands, so international brands will struggle to maintain their already narrowed pricing premium. They will have to join the race with local brands in the future, by lowering their prices. "Looking back, those cars now priced at 120,000 yuan ($17,500) used to cost from 150,000 to 160,000 yuan," he added. Recent research from Nielsen China, a United States consumer research company, forecast that passenger cars priced from 50,000 to 120,000 yuan would be the mainstream in the Chinese market by 2020 and represent a 69 percent market share by volumes. With year-on-year sales growth at the forefront of automaker executives' minds, entry-level vehicles are an obvious solution because they are more affordable for young Chinese buyers. But, such products usually contribute limited profits, or even cause losses for manufacturers, as pricing is a key competitive tool to drive up volumes in this segment. "The majority of new car buyers in China will be those born in the 1990s. They are becoming one of the industry's biggest potential targets. But, migrants to large cities are also among the first-time new car buyers," said Zhao Xinzhi, director of Nielsen China's auto vertical division. A shift to local brands According to Zheng, the 25-30 age group has become the Chinese mainstream and each generation differs from another. "The generation born in the 1980s often perceive cars carrying international brands as higher-price with better quality, in contrast to the lowprice, poor-quality Chinese brand cars," Zheng said. "But those born in the 1990s have a higher acceptance of Chinese brands. They are seeking value for money, at a time when local brands are rising in quality. These brands meet younger Chinese buyers' desire for lower-priced vehicles perfectly." Nielsen China's research echoed these comments. It said Chinese brands are now favorites among the younger generation, while second place goes to Japanese brands, followed by German brands. Both firms anticipate rising Chinese brands with better performance. Neilsen's Zhao said: "We are optimistic about Chinese brands, which we expect will take about half the market volume in the next five years, with a great leap from about 7 percent currently." Zheng, at Roland Berger, said the firm expects local brands to catch up with international names in the next five to 10 years, not only in terms of product quality, but also in average product prices. He said: "Prices for Chinese-branded products will climb to an equal range with international brands in certain niche markets. Many local brands, such as SAIC's Roewe, GAC Motor's Trumpchi, Chery, Geely and Great Wall, have their strengths in specific segments." Thanks to rising average product prices and cost effectiveness, many domestic brands are very likely to evade the low profitability trap, according to Zheng. He also said that some will even achieve higher profits in the future, "but it won't alter the overall industry trend toward lower profits, as these carmakers contribute a limited amount to the wider market". YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Lori Governor Artur Nalbandyan held a meeting with 3 workers of Vanadzor-Khimprom CJSC who have gathered outside the Governorate by the demand of paying their unpaid wages, press service of the Governorate told Armenpress. Artur Nalbandyan promised to once more talk with the liquidation commission since the workers are already dismissed and the property of the company is put on sale and the proceeds must be transferred to workers. Years before the company workers applied to the court by the same demand. The court accepted their demand and obliged the company to pay the wages. Visitors walk through a Toyota showroom in Tokyo on Jan 6. [Photo by Kazuhiro Nogi/For China Daily] US President-elect Donald Trump targeted Toyota Motor Corp on Thursday, threatening to impose a hefty fee on the world's largest automaker if it builds its Corolla cars for the US market at a plant in Mexico. "Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for US. NO WAY! Build plant in US or pay big border tax," Trump said in a post on Twitter. It was Trump's latest broadside against automakers building cars in Mexico and the first against a foreign automaker. The president-elect's attacks on investments by companies in Mexico have cast a shadow over cross-border production networks central to more than $583 billion a year in trade between the two countries. The value of the Mexican peso has skidded amid fears that Trump's policies would harm Latin America's second-biggest economyand declined on Thursday after Trump's tweet. Toyota, which announced plans to build a new Mexican facility in Guanajuato in April 2015, said it would not take away from US employment. "Toyota looks forward to collaborating with the Trump administration to serve in the best interests of consumers and the automotive industry," Toyota spokesman Scott Vazin said. Trump's tweet confuses Toyota's existing Baja plant with the planned $1 billion plant in Guanajuato, where construction got under way in November. A Trump spokeswoman did not return a request seeking additional comment. Baja produces around 100,000 pickup trucks and truck beds annually. The Guanajuato plant will build Corollas and have an annual capacity of 200,000 when it comes online in 2019, shifting production of the small car from Canada. Toyota President Akio Toyoda said in Japan on Thursday that the automaker has no immediate plans to curb production in Mexico, preferring to wait until after Trump's Jan 20 inauguration before deciding whether to make any changes. "We will consider our options as we see what policies the incoming president adopts," Toyoda said at an industry gathering in Tokyo on Thursday before Trump's tweet, when asked whether his company was considering any changes to a production plant the automaker was building in Mexico. Automakers in the United States have been slammed by Trump for building cars in lower-cost factories south of the border, which he said costs American jobs. Pressure to curb that production intensified last week after Ford Motor Co scrapped plans to build a $1.6 billion assembly plant in Mexico after Trump harshly criticized the investment. During the campaign, Trump criticized barriers to US auto exports to Japan and said the US government did not do enough to open the market to more Americanmade vehicles. "Until you open your markets, you're not selling any more cars over here," Trump said of Japan in an August 2015 interview with the Detroit News. "That's going to force people to build in the United States." Toyota has extensive US investments, operates 10 US plants in eight states and builds more than 1.3 million vehicles in the US annually. Based on current investment plans, Mexico's auto production capacity will grow by another 50 percent over the next five years, according to the Michigan-based Center for Automotive Research, which draws funding from the auto industry. It said Toyota imported fewer vehicles from Mexico than any other major automaker building cars there last year. Detroit's Big Three automakers collectively exported more than 1.1 million vehicles to the United States from Mexico in 2016, while Toyota sent about 47,000 Mexican-made vehicles to the United States. Trump has also said General Motors could become subject to tariffs on Mexico-made cars for the US market, and that he would like to renegotiate terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement signed with Canada and Mexico, or scrap it altogether. Reuters Finding parking space could be a headache in a crowded downtown area, but not for drivers in Nanjing's busiest business district, thanks to smart robots that function as parking valets. A parking lot with robot valets, designed and built by Shenzhen Yee Fung Automation Technology Co, started operations in early December. Located at the Confucius Temple area, the parking space is surrounded by a bus station, metro rail line exits, hotels, shopping areas and tourist sites. "The size of the parking space is only 2,000 square meters and the shape is not a perfect square," said Duan Xinfeng, Yee Fung's deputy general manager and chief strategy officer. Usually, around 10 cars would park here, but now there are 57 slots and 95 percent are full every day in the first month of operations, Duan said. Parking has become a problem in many crowded cities in China. Zhang Jun, a director of the quality committee of the Beijing-based China Parking System Manufacturers Association, is concerned that inadequate land resources in cities would widen the gap between surging demand and available parking lots. Parking lots with robot valets emerged as a possible solution when Hikvision Digital Technology Co Ltd, a Zhejiang-based video surveillance products supplier, presented such an innovation during the Third World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, Zhejiang province, in November. Yee Fung says its robot valets, named Geta (Get A Car), with laser navigation guidance and a novel mechanism to lift and park cars in predetermined lots, are safest and most efficient. Geta made its debut in Shenzhen in April 2016, and have won orders from all over the world. But the project in Nanjing is the first to open for business, according to the company. Instead of moving a car by lifting an entire board under it, Geta uses its comb-like edges to move directly under the car's four wheels to shift the vehicle to and from a parking platform. Duan said the technology takes no more than two minutes to complete a parking operation. Laser-guided navigation increases the accuracy rate of robot valets. Errors are less than 5 mm. They can move at a maximum speed of 1.5 meters per second. Duan affirms the technology is key to commercialization of robot valets made for parking lots. "The technology can create a new business model for underground real estate property. HMD Global CEO Arto Nummela Hu Shengli (left) shakes hands with Hu Shengli, president of JD.com Inc's 3C business department at the two company's strategy partnership signing ceremony in Beijing, on Jan 8, 2017. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] HELSINKI - Finland-based company HMD Global announced on Sunday its first Nokia branded mobile phone. Based on the Android system, the Nokia 6 is intended for the Chinese market. Available in early 2017, the price of the new gadget will be 1,699 yuan ($245.49), the company announced in its press release. It also said it will be available in China through JD.com only. Arto Nummela, CEO of HMD Global, said "we intend to move with speed to establish a position as a player in the smartphone category." HMD Global is based in Espoo, Finland. It has obtained the Nokia trademark through exclusive licensing valid for ten years. Nummela previously worked with Nokia and Microsoft. HMD Global's main office is located in Espoo, close to the current Nokia main office. HMD Global in Finland designs and markets the phones, but actual production takes place in Asia. Besides smart phones, the company also plans to produce tablets. The Nokia 6 display has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem. It has 4GB RAM and 64GB storage with which to run the latest version of Android Nougat. The return of Nokia as a mobile phone brand got an early start in December as the Nokia website resumed its mobile phones section. HMD operates the mobile phone pages of the website. Once the flagship of the Finnish IT industry, Nokia handsets began losing markets in late 2000s. Nokia sold its original mobile phone operations to Microsoft and the US conglomerate later replaced Nokia with "MS Phones" brands, albeit the Nokia-launched Lumia name survived. Under the license agreement, Nokia -- today mainly in telecommunications and internet development -- receives royalty payments from HMD for sales of every Nokia branded mobile phone and tablet, covering both brand and intellectual property rights. Nokia is not an investor or shareholder in HMD. JIUQUAN - The rocket Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) has sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission on Monday. The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at around 12:11 pm Monday Beijing Time, according to a statement from the center. The KZ-1A was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 rocket with improvements in adaptability. It is a low-cost solid-fuelled carrier rocket with high reliability and short preparation period and was designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kg. The JL-1 is a multifunctional remote-sensing satellite providing high-definition video images which is expected to be used for land resource and forestry surveying, environmental protection, transport and disaster prevention and relief purposes. The XY-S1 and Caton-1 are experimental satellites to test technologies of low-orbit narrow-band communication and VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) respectively. A rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation was responsible for the launch mission. The success of the mission marks the company's capability of providing flexible, convenient, quick and economical launch services for domestic and overseas clients, said the statement. Chinese people check their WeChat 14.5 times on average and spend 48 minutes on social media per day. [Photo/IC] Chinese internet giant Tencent Holdings Ltd launched "mini apps" on Monday, which let users interact with app-like services within its instant messaging app WeChat, without having to download and install them. Users just need to scan the QR code or search from their WeChat accounts to open these apps, where they could book tickets or do shopping, Tencent said. They can exit the apps easily without downloading them, these apps won't disturb users, such as by sending notifications and subscription messages, according to Tencent. This is an important step in Tencent's commercialization of its messaging service. WeChat now has 846 million users worldwide, according to Tencent's fiscal 2016 third-quarter earnings report. Lu Zhenwang, CEO of Shanghai-based Wanqing Consultancy, said: "The launch of mini apps can solve some of the problems caused by apps, but it won't take the place of AppStore or Android Market." "Some 'lightweight' apps, which possess fewer functions and more simple algorithms, and apps that are not commonly used, are more suitable as WeChat's mini apps. However, the commonly used ones should still be downloaded to your phone," Lu added. Dong Xu, an analyst with Beijing-based consultancy Analysis, said: "With the mini apps, users could find and use them whenever they need, and won't receive any advertising when they stop using them." The aim is to ensure users spend more time on WeChat and extend Tencent's lead as an app vendor. Mobile app developers are vying for users in the fiercely competitive and lucrative market. Chinese people check their WeChat 14.5 times on average and spend 48 minutes on social media per day, according to a report released by Chinese tech startup Kika. Wang Qian, an employee of an IT company, has tried the "mini apps" since they were launched on Monday. "The design of these apps is very clear, and will increase the utilization rate of the WeChat wallet. Maybe it could replace some apps, but I still prefer to download apps from my app store." A traveler from the United States watches as a quarantine inspection officer examines her cat at Beijing Capital International Airport late last month.[Ding Shan/China Daily] China could be about to scrap its mandatory quarantine period for "low risk" pets entering the country, a top government agency has revealed. Cats and dogs arriving from overseas have to spend at least seven days at an inspection facility to undergo extensive tests for rabies and other conditions that could cause an epidemic. However, animals deemed "low risk" could in future be released after passing a simple test at the port of entry, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has told China Daily. It means instead of waiting a week, owners could be reunited with their pets within an hour of arrival. The authority said the move could be included in revised quarantine regulations and is in line with recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health, an intergovernmental organization, on methods for preventing the spread of rabies. The proposed change comes at a time when China is seeing a growing number of pets arriving from overseas. According to the administration, about 8,000 pets - only cats and dogs are allowed to be carried into China as pets - were brought in between January and November. Half arrived at airports in Beijing and Shanghai, while the major source countries included the United States, Canada, Italy, Russia, Japan and South Korea. Under the current regulations, passengers can bring one dog or cat per entry, with each animal required to be quarantined for seven to 30 days. The only exemptions are for certified working dogs, such as guide dogs. At inspection facilities, veterinarians check the animals for conditions such as rabies, leishmaniasis (an infectious disease caused by parasites that can be fatal), distemper and canine hepatitis. In August, officers with the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found more than 200 ticks on a bichon frise, a small breed of dog, traveling with a British tourist from Thailand. Zhang Ao, who works at the quarantine inspection office at Beijing Capital International Airport, said the number of pets arriving at the airport has been increasing for several years. "During peak seasons, such as summer holidays, we can receive seven or eight dogs or cats a day," he said. Most of the people bringing in pets are Chinese students returning from studying abroad, foreign diplomats and foreigners who are permanent residents in China, Zhang said. The airport quarantine inspection officers check all pets on arrival and send them to a nearby holding facility. For those found to have serious conditions, Zhang said the city bureau will usually advise they be returned to the country of origin. Most passengers comply willingly with the quarantine regulations, but some find it difficult to part with their pets, he said. "Some burst into tears and beg us not to send their pets away. We have to just try our best to persuade them." He advised passengers traveling to China to look up the country's quarantine laws and regulations before bringing pets. "We've received different types of animals, such as birds, tortoises and lizards, which are forbidden to be carried into the country," he said. "All of them are sent back." China's top health authority will intensify monitoring and research into smog to minimize its impact on people's health, amid rising public tension caused by recurrent heavy smog this winter in many parts of northern China. The National Health and Family Planning Commission will also guide medical institutions in diagnosis and treatment during heavily polluted weather, and improve public health education so members of the public are better equipped with knowledge to protect themselves, commission spokesman Mao Qun'an said at a news conference on Saturday. At the same time, the commission will increase investment in scientific research on the health impact of heavy air pollution, and promote the formulation of standards for health protection products, such as masks and air purifiers, he said. The commission began conducting nationwide monitoring of the health impacts of air pollution and risk evaluation in 2013. The project has covered 60 cities in all 31 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China, Mao said. Based on the monitoring, the density of air pollutants in major cities in North China so far this year has decreased compared with the same period in 2013, and the number of patients in hospitals under monitoring during days of heavy smog has not seen any dramatic increase, he said. What exact impact the recurring smog will cause to human health in the long term is not clear, Mao said, as large-scale surveys currently underway have not concluded. Shi Xiaoming, chief of environmental research at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said the nationwide survey by the health commission has been conducted for only a few years and lacks enough data for conclusions about the health impact of smog on humans. However, initial analysis shows that the rise in density of PM2.5 - particles smaller than 2.5 microns in diameter that pose the greatest health risk - corresponds to rising death rates and rising incidence of certain diseases, such as respiratory and cardiovascular disease, he said. There is no firm evidence that smog alone induces lung cancer, he added. Wang Yu, director of the disease control center, advised people to take precautionary measures to reduce harm from smog, such as using air purifiers indoors and wearing protective masks when going outdoors. "People should take positive measures to address the negative psychological impact of smoggy weather, as a negative mindset over a period of time can lead to depression," he said. A court in Beijing has accepted a case involving an online novel writer whose allegedly plagiarized work was adapted for a popular TV soap opera. The Chaoyang District People's Court confirmed that 11 online writers had jointly sued Zhou Jing, who writes under the pseudonym Qin Jian, for copying their works. Zhou, the author of the novel The Princess Weiyoung, previously titled The Poisonous Daughter, was accused of plagiarizing more than 200 novels. Zhou's novel was used for a high-profile TV series called The Princess Weiyoung, which began airing on Beijing TV and Dragon TV in November. The novel was published in installments beginning in 2012 on the website of Xiaoxiang Academy, a popular literary channel. Wang Guohua, a lawyer at Beijing-based Zhongwen Law Firm, along with his team, is representing the 11 writers in the lawsuit. "In the novel The Princess Weiyoung, there appears to be a large number of copycats regarding sentences and plot," Wang said. "It is not a simply inspired literary work but, 'copy-paste' plagiarism and infringement." According to Beijing News, a group of volunteers compared The Princess Weiyoung with more than 200 other novels. They found that out of 294 chapters, only nine chapters are original, according to a volunteer quoted by the newspaper. "The writer may have used software to help her copy other works," the paper quoted the person as saying. By searching "online novel software" on Alibaba's Taobao online shopping portal, many results popped up, with prices ranging from 10 to 2,000 yuan ($1.45-$289). One online store advertised "software to help write The Princess Weiyoung". Screenwriters, including Wang Hailin and Yu Fei, have raised 100,000 yuan to help protect the copyrights of their intellectual property. Zhou has not yet published any response regarding the accusation. In July, the National Copyright Administration, China's top copyright watchdog, created blacklists naming websites, mobile apps and other platforms that violate copyrights. "This year's campaign will include blacklists and whitelists to indicate the level of copyright protection of commercial websites, internet literature websites and apps. The whitelist will highlight good examples, and the blacklist will warn of infringements," said Yu Cike, director of the administration's copyright management department. According to the administration, 4,263 TV series and movies played on 16 online video websites in 2015 needed copyright authorization from the administration. Most submitted authorization requests and were approved. But 35 percent - up to 1,506 shows - were not authorized. 1 Nie Shubin was pardoned 21 years after he was wrongly executed for rape and murder. 2 Xu Yuyu, 18, a student from Linyi, Shandong province, died of a heart attack after being cheated out of the money she planned to use for tuition fees. Her case went viral online and accelerated the release of legal guidelines to deal with telecom fraudsters. 3 It was announced that corrupt officials given suspended death sentences will spend the rest of their lives in prison without parole, one of the harshest punishments available under China's Criminal Law. 4 Chen Man, 53, was freed in Hainan province, 23 years after he was wrongfully imprisoned for murder. It was China's longest case of wrongful detention. 5 Tianjin No 2 Intermediate People's Court imposed prison sentences on 49 defendants for negligence after devastating blasts at a chemicals warehouse in the northern port city that killed at least 165 people. 6 The Supreme People's Court, the nation's top judicial body, handed down a death sentence to Jia Jinglong, who killed a village head in Shijiazhuang, Hebei province, during a dispute about house demolitions. 7 Four employees of QVOD Technology - a popular but now-defunct, internet company in Guangdong province - were sent to prison after being found guilty of broadcasting pornography as part of the company's online services. 8 The Supreme People's Court overturned a previous ruling and ordered a Greek company to pay a Chinese transport authority 6.59 million yuan ($985,000) for breaching a salvage agreement. 9 Fujian Provincial High People's Court was ordered to rehear a case in which a 20-year-old man was sentenced to life for buying 24 BB guns online. 10 More than 300 suspects were arrested after a woman and her daughter were discovered to have illegally bought and sold vaccines in Shandong province, East China. TAIPEI - Taiwan on Sunday reported a new bird flu case in a chicken farm in Yunlin county. The H5N2 avian flu virus was confirmed at the farm, where 2,672 chicken had been slaughtered to prevent further infection, according to the island's animal and plant health inspection authority. The farm owner was given a fine of 50,000 New Taiwan dollars (about $1,560 US) for failing to report unusual deaths of chicken in a timely manner, the authority said. This is the second avian flu case reported in Yunlin in 2017. Altogether more than 26,500 fowl were culled in the two cases. The island has reinforced monitoring of the unusual death of poultry, ordering a fine of up to 1 million NTD on the cover-up. YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Georgias Foreign Minister Mikheil Janelidze will arrive in Turkey on an official visit on January 9, the Georgian MFA said, reports Armenpress. He will have meetings with Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. The sides will discuss urgent issues, including the work of the Georgian-Turkish high level Strategic Cooperation Council. The foreign policy and security priorities of the two countries will be covered during the meeting. Within the framework of the two-day visit, the Georgian FM will take part in the annual conference of Turkeys diplomatic corps where he will deliver a speech. SHIJIAZHUANG - Hebei Province, a leading iron and steel producer, pledged on Sunday it will make every effort to achieve the 2013-2017 targets of cutting steel, cement and glass capacity. Iron and steel capacity will be cut by 32 million tonnes this year, said governor Zhang Qingwei at a session of the provincial legislature on Sunday. Capacities of coal, cement and flat glass will be reduced by 7.42 million tonnes, 1.1 million tonnes and 5 million weight cases in 2017. "2017 will be our toughest year in capacity reduction. No matter how difficult it is ,we are determined to succeed," said Zhang. Hebei produces one fourth of China's iron and steel and has more than half of the ten most polluted cities in the country. The average PM2.5 density in Hebei dropped 9.1 percent last year and further fall of over 6 percent is required this year. Hebei's "blue sky" action plan promotes use of electricity and gas instead of coal. China's first polar fixed-wing aircraft, Xueying 601, arrives at Zhongshan station on Nov 11, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] China's polar fixed-wing aircraft has become the first in the world to land successfully on the highest ice feature of Antarctica at more than 4,000 meters above sea level. The Xueying 601, or "Snow Eagle" in English, successfully landed on Dome A at Kunlun station, 4093 meters above sea level at 5:35 pm Beijing time on Sunday, Xinhua reported. The plane took off from China's Zhongshan station, about 250 meters above sea level, and flew 1,316 kilometers in 4 hours and 45 minutes to arrive at Kunlun station. About five hours later, the plane left Kunlun station. To fulfill the milestone landing on Dome A, Chinese researchers began flattening a runway on the soft snow layer with vehicles and other tools about a week ago. The fixed-wing aircraft is designed for fast transport and emergency rescue and is also suitable for research purposes. The successful landing marked the possibility of China's polar fixed-wing plane's fast reach to any place in the whole Antarctic, said Sun Bo who leads China's 33rd Antarctic expedition team. Chinese scientists have tested the flight characteristics under the climatic conditions of Antarctica and the performance of the aircraft's equipment including the ice radar, the gravimeter and magnetometer in 2015 and 2016. It successfully flew over the Kunlun station on Jan 9, 2016. A State-level energy research institute is set to open at Xi'an Jiaotong University in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, after winning approval from the National Energy Administration, Ministry of Education and Shaanxi provincial government. The university announced over the weekend that it would build the National Western Energy Research Institute as a world-class energy technology research center, engineering application center and high-level personnel training base, taking advantage of the school's comprehensive advantages in various disciplines. The institute will mainly focus on researching core technology and key equipment as well as an energy strategy for the clean and efficient development and use of coal, oil and gas. Renewable energy, the chemical industry, energy storage, smart grid technology and nuclear power will also be studied. Its aim is to help ensure China's energy security, which is vital to the nation's prosperity and development. The new research institute will be built in the university's newly developed technological innovation park in Xixian New Area, a national-level urban development zone between Xi'an and Xianyang. It is due to open by the end of the year. Wei Sihao reads in the Hangzhou Public Library. [Photo/VCG] East China's Hangzhou city will erect a statue to honor a "scavenger" whose deep love for books and philanthropic deeds touched the hearts of many. A 1.6 meter-high bust of elderly man Wei Sihao with papers and books will be erected at the library where he often read. The statue will also include the bamboo stick and plastic bottles he carried with him. "That's how the elderly man read in the library," statue designer Zhu Bingren said. Wei Sihao became well-known after a picture of him washing his hands carefully before reading in a library in Hangzhou went viral online. A frequent visitor to the library, Wei would put his bamboo stick and bags of recyclables beside him every time he read there. The library, which is open to beggars and vagrants, was dubbed "the warmest library". For more than 10 years, Wei went there to read every weekend. "Books are my spiritual food. I cannot live without them for one day," the man told chinanews.com in a 2014 interview. "I am getting old and the brain is weakening. I need to charge myself and refresh my mind continuously." Unfortunately, the elderly died in a road accident in December 2015. It was only after his death that his philanthropic deeds were discovered. Wei was a teacher in a senior middle school in Hangzhou before he retired. Although he received a pension of more than 5,000 yuan ($720) a month, he had been collecting recyclables to support students in need for years. Zhao Zhongxian (left) and Tu Youyou [File photo] President Xi Jinping gave China's 2016 Top Science and Technology Award to physicist Zhao Zhongxian and Nobel Medicine Prize 2015 co-winner Tu Youyou on Monday. Zhao Zhongxian, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, has spent four decades researching the superconductor. Tu Youyou is best known for discovering artemisinin, or qinghaosu, used to treat malaria. She shared the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, becoming the first female to claim the award. Five foreign experts, including Katharina Kohse-Hoinghaus, a professor at the University of Bielefeld, were awarded China's international science and technology cooperation prize. The Chang'e-3 project shared the Top Science and Technology Progress Award with 19 other projects. The national top science and technology awards were established to cover science and technology, natural sciences, technical inventions, scientific and technological progress and international cooperation in science and technology. William Lindesay and his wife, Wu Qi, show Mongolian herders postcards of a more familiar Great Wall, near Beijing. James Lindesay / for China Daily "The Great Wall is an amazing sight, and it deserves to be seen in its best light," said William Lindesay in an interview with the BBC, after filming the wall from the air with the help of his family. The Lindesays spent a total of 60 days tracing the world wonder with their drone in 2016, celebrating William's 60th birthday and his 30th year of living in China "for the wall", according to the BBC report. William Lindesay is an Englishman living in Beijing, devoted to exploring, researching and protecting the mammoth construction. Childhood dream Lindesay was born in 1956, in Wallasey, a small town in north England. He studied geography and geology at Liverpool University. His love of the Great Wall of China began when he was 11. The headmaster of his school asked students to put three books by the bedside: the Bible, a prayer book and an atlas. Looking at the map of China in the atlas at one night, Lindesay came across the saw-tooth-like line that zigzags through the vast expanse of north China. "I fell in love with it immediately," he said in an interview with China Daily. "I thought it would be a great journey, a great adventure if one day I could travel along it, from end to end." Most people forget their childhood dreams and end up doing something else. "But I am one of those rare exceptions," Lindesay said. Three decades for the wall Lindesay's about 3,000-km solo run along the Great Wall began in 1987. It's an epic journey from the far west of China to the point where the structure meets the sea. Running the length of the wall was a brave expedition, venturing into sparsely populated regions where there was little chance of help if the runner had a mishap. The Briton endured extreme heat, giant blisters and chronic fatigue during the grueling run, which took place in two parts, during spring and fall, to avoid the more extreme heat of midsummer. On one expedition out in the Gobi Desert, the explorer almost died from dehydration. During another trip, Lindesay and his team ventured deep into the Gobi Desert of Mongolia, and located a previously unknown section of the wall. In total, Lindesay estimates in an interview with China Daily, he has spent about 1,600 days of his life, or four full years, on the Great Wall in all seasons. Lindesay's devotion to the wall is more than exploration. As of 2016, the 30th year of his journey along the Great Wall, he had published five books on the structure. Lindesay is winner of the 1998 Friendship Award and 2008 Beijing Great Wall Friendship Award, according to the website of China's State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. He also received the Order of the British Empire from the Queen in 2006 for his contribution to cultural exchanges between China and Britain. Campaigning for the wall's environment Lindesay and his wife, Wu Qi, whom he got to know and fell in love with during his trips in China, had a farmhouse at the foot of the wall. During his exploration, he noticed some sections of the wall were badly damaged and covered with litter. Modernization and development were making the situation even worse. "Some people say it will take generations to change; I say we don't have generations of time. It's got to be much quicker," he said. A name card is usually a small piece of paper with a person's name, address, telephone number and professional title printed on it. But Lindesay uses a garbage bag as his calling card. The cloth bag bears a set of nine simple guidelines in Chinese, which calls on people to observe while traveling or camping outdoors: "Take your own garbage home," "Pick up litter left by others," "Don't damage plants or flowers, or pick fruit" and lots more. Lindesay always carries a garbage bag with him in the wilderness, picking litter along the way. In 2001, Lindesay founded the International Association of Friends on the Great Wall, which uses volunteers from across the planet to collect garbage and protect the wall. Since 1994, he has organized two major "Great Wall Clean Ups", according to the information from his personal website. His wife Wu is president-assistant of the association, and is also concerned with the wall's environment protection. Thanks to his contribution to the protection of the wall, Yulin city in Shaanxi province made him an honorary citizen in 2007. Now a permanent Chinese resident, Lindesay lives in Beijing with his wife and two sons. He believes children are the most influential members of society. Yes, not only influential, but also very creative. The drone filming idea came from his sons. The filming results, as he sees them, have been "out of this world". It's definitely a great gift for his 60th birthday. China launches commercial rocket mission Kuaizhou-1A Xinhua | Updated: 2017-01-09 15:43 JIUQUAN - The rocket Kuaizhou-1A (KZ-1A) has sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission on Monday. The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center at around 12:11 p.m. Monday Beijing Time, according to a statement from the center. The KZ-1A was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 rocket with improvements in adaptability. It is a low-cost solid-fuelled carrier rocket with high reliability and short preparation period and was designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kg. The JL-1 is a multifunctional remote-sensing satellite providing high-definition video images which is expected to be used for land resource and forestry surveying, environmental protection, transport and disaster prevention and relief purposes. The XY-S1 and Caton-1 are experimental satellites to test technologies of low-orbit narrow-band communication and VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) respectively. A rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation was responsible for the launch mission. The success of the mission marks the company's capability of providing flexible, convenient, quick and economical launch services for domestic and overseas clients, said the statement. BEIJING -- The disciplinary arm of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Panzhihua City Committee is planning to launch an investigation into a shooting incident in this Southwest China city last week, an official said Monday. Zhu Guoxian, chief of the publicity department of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection (CCDI) made the announcement when answering questions at a press conference in the State Council Information Office. The police is investigating the case, Zhu said, adding that authorities in Sichuan Province will release information in a timely manner. The shooting incident took place at a conference and exhibition center in the city on Wednesday, injuring the city's Party chief and mayor. The suspect, who was identified as the city's land and resources chief Chen Zhongshu, committed suicide after the shooting. BEIJING -- China unveiled a pilot program on provincial territorial planning on Monday to upgrade the country's capability and efficiency in managing territory. The program was issued by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council. Seven provincial-level regions, including Jilin, Zhejiang, Fujian, Jiangxi and Henan, are newly included in the pilot program, in addition to Hainan and Ningxia, which were part of the previous trial program. Under the program, urban space, agricultural space, ecological space and the "red line," or bottom line, for ecological protection in pilot areas will be clearly defined. The boundary between urban development and permanent farmland will also be defined, according to the program. The program has set goals to improve the country's development quality and efficiency of resource use to achieve a sustainable environment. The Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region will continue to tighten security in border areas to prevent terrorists from entering or leaving the region illegally in 2017, the chairman of the region said. The region already stepped up efforts in entry-exit management in 2016, said Shohrat Zakir, the Xinjiang chairman, while delivering his work report at the annual session of the regional People's Congress in Urumqi, the capital, on Monday. Many terrorists who carried out attacks in the region in recent years received training abroad and then returned illegally. Some also crossed the border illegally to flee, said Aniwar Turson, a top Party official of southern Xinjiang's Kashgar prefecture. "We need to make sure not a single terrorist can get in or out of Xinjiang illegally, especially when our neighboring countries are facing rising terrorist threats," Aniwar said. Xinjiang, which borders eight countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, has been China's main battleground in the fight against terrorism. On Sunday night, three terrorists were killed in a police raid in southern Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture, local media reported on Monday. The suspects resisted arrest and were shot dead at around 8 pm. No police officers were hurt, according to Ts.cn, a news portal affiliated with the regional government. The suspects were believed to have conducted an attack in April 2015. Azez Musar, a senior official of southern Xinjiang's Hotan prefecture, said that terrorist cells are particularly active in border areas in Xinjiang. "We must improve our ability to detect suspicious activities in those areas and conduct strict inspections near the borders in accordance with the law," he said. It has been more than four months since Chen Quanguo, former Party chief of the Tibet autonomous region, stepped in as the new leader of Xinjiang. Chen sees keeping the region stable as the overriding political goal. Chen decided Xinjiang officials would concentrate first on maintaining social stability. The other main goal is the region's social and economic development. He also warned officials that they would be evaluated based on the security situation. Since a terrorist attack left five dead in Hotan's Moyu county on Dec 28, both the heads of the prefecture and the county have been put under investigation. Contact the writers at cuijia@chinadaily.com.cn YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Due to low temperature periods will be reduced in schools of certain provinces of Armenia. The weather is warm in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Lori and other provinces and it is possible to study at schools, whereas, in Ararat, Armavir and certain provinces there are schools that are not fully heated. Such schools can work on a flexible schedule, Head of the Public Education Department of the Ministry of Education and Science Narine Hovhannisyan told Armenpress. She said they urge children living in Yerevan to go to school since schools in Yerevan are heated. Narine Hovhannisyan informed that as of January 9, there have been absences in different schools due to unfavorable weather conditions. Maybe in certain schools of provinces the classes will start at 10:00 and last half an hour, she said. Ensuring sufficient temperature conditions are under the spotlight of the Ministry of Education and Science. Classes of the 3-12 graders began on January 9. Taking into account unfavorable weather conditions, Minister of Education and Science Levon Mkrtchyan held phone conversations with all Governors, as well as Yerevan Mayor. He clarified the conditions on ensuring sufficient temperature aimed at organizing the education process in schools. E-governance, info-infra projects CEC's priorities in S. America, Africa In April last year, Ecuador in South America was struck by a massive 7.8-magnitude earthquake that killed about 700 people, injured 5,000 others and rendered 80,000 homeless. It was widely reported that casualties could have been higher but for the multipurpose Chinese security technology that doubled up as an alarm telephone line during the quake aftermath. Many survivors said they owed their lives to the quick response of the authorities concerned to their ECU911 emergency calls. One survivor, Pablo Cordova, was to eventually meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during the latter's state visit in November last year. A cold wave across Europe has left at least 23 dead in the past two days, including several migrants and homeless people, authorities said on Saturday, with the frigid temperatures expected to continue through the weekend. Russia, meanwhile, celebrated the coldest Orthodox Christmas in 120 years, and even Istanbul was covered with a blanket of snow. Ten of the latest victims of the cold perished in Poland where temperatures were as low as - 14 C on Saturday. "Seven people died on Friday in what was the deadliest day this winter," said spokeswoman Bozena Wysocka from the Polish government center for security (RCB). "We recorded three other victims the previous day," she said. "This takes to 53 the number of hypothermia victims since November 1." In Italy, in the past 48 hours the cold has been blamed for seven deaths, including five homeless people, two of them Polish nationals, authorities said. There was heavy snowfall in central Italy and also in the southeast where the airports at Bari and Brindisi as well as in Sicily were closed on Saturday morning. Prague's emergency services reported three deaths - two homeless people and a parking lot guard - overnight in the Czech capital, the coldest night so far this winter. Temperatures in Moscow fell to -30 C overnight and to -24 C in Saint Petersburg where police found the body of a man who had died of hypothermia. And in Bulgaria on Friday the frozen bodies of two Iraqi migrants were discovered by villagers in a mountain forest in the southeast of the country near the border with Turkey. Authorities expect the toll to rise as weather conditions are set to remain unchanged this weekend. Snow in Istanbul The heavy snowstorms reached Turkey, paralyzing its biggest city Istanbul where almost 65 centimeters of snow fell, forcing hundreds of flights to be canceled on Saturday. Coastguards also ordered a halt to shipping traffic in both directions through the Bosphorus Strait - one of the world's busiest sea thoroughfares - and the municipal ferry service between the European and Asian sides of the city was suspended. Greece likewise has seen fierce cold weather over the past week. In the north near the Turkish frontier a 20-year-old Afghan migrant died of the cold on Tuesday. With more than 60,000 mainly Syrian refugees on its territory, Greece has moved many migrants to prefabricated houses and heated tents. The temperature in Athens on Saturday was zero C and down to -15 C in the north of the country. The coldest temperature in Europe so far this winter was recorded on Friday in the Swiss village of La Brevine at - 29.9 C. (China Daily 01/09/2017 page11) Rural teachers awarded by Jack Ma Foundation By Yang Fan ( chinadaily.com.cn ) Updated: 2017-01-06 Rural teachers are celebrated in Sanya, Hainan province, on Jan 5. [Photo/xinhuanet.com] Eleven teachers from rural Guizhou province were given 100,000 yuan ($14,454.84) each on Jan 5, at an award ceremony hosted by the Jack Ma Foundation. The teachers were awarded thanks to their time, dedication, and passionate teaching in rural areas, an often forgotten responsibility. The ceremony, held in Sanya, Hainan province, honored some 100 rural teachers from 13 provinces and autonomous prefectures around the country. Celebrities, such as Jet Li and Vicki Zhao, were invited to the event by e-commerce entrepreneur, Jack Ma, the founder of Jack Ma Foundation and the Chinese e-commerce behemoth Alibaba Group. The foundations rural teacher awards plan was launched in 2015 and honored 18 teachers last year. Ma has pledged to donate 10 million yuan each year to carry out the plan. Ma spent six years as a college lecturer and so teaching is close to his heart. The awarded teachers went through a selection process and were evaluated by local media and the foundation. Ma explained that he chose Hainan an island province in South China to host the awards because he wanted those receiving the prizes to experience the sea. Wu Shangxing from the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong autonomous prefecture in Guizhou picked up an award. Three generations of his family have taught in Liping county for more than 60 years. I have been teaching for 19 years and I would like carry the cause on, said Wu. At the ceremony, Wu brought with one of the handmade hats of the Dong ethnic group to give to Jack Ma as a thanks for his contribution to rural education. LUO JIE/CHINA DAILY Another thick shroud of smog has covered cities in North, Central and even East China, forcing the closure of expressways and delaying flights, and compelling Beijing to issue an orange alert, the second-highest level in a four-tier emergency response system, for the weeklong heavy air pollution. Bad weather is surely partly responsible for the situation, but smog is more common in winter because huge quantities of coal are burned to supply heating in most northern cities. Worse, many residents in rural and suburban areas, where central heating system is not available, still use primitive boilers that emit considerable coal-related pollutants to keep warm in winter. The need for clean, renewable energy as an alternative to coal is therefore more urgent than ever. Given the technological difficulties in using wind and solar power to generate the heating supply, a more feasible solution lies in the use of electricity, which can be generated by green energy as well as coal. In fact, about 30 percent of electricity in China is provided by clean energy. But heating fueled by electricity and gas costs more than coal-powered heating, which explains why some rural residents do not embrace the former unless it is sponsored by the local authorities. Yet the use of coal has to be reduced, and the options are not many. Gas-fueled heating would be welcome, but China's limited gas resources mean the country needs to import large volumes of gas, which poses a challenge to the country's energy security. However, there is plenty of room for reform in China's coal consumption, nearly half of which is used to generate electricity. The efforts to transform electricity into heat are about making the most of the other half of the total coal consumption. Ideally, such a transformation should play a key role in reallocating excess electricity, promoting the use of green energy and reducing air pollution. China has fairly harsh emission restrictions on thermal power plants, about 70 percent of which started operations after 2003.Comparedwith the older power stations in other countries with service lives of 40 to 50 years, China's thermal power stations are equipped with state- of- the- art technology. In other words, most Chinese thermal plants are quite new and can efficiently keep their emission levels under control. If run at peak efficiency, they have the potential to replace other coal-consuming sectorsand produce much less pollution. On average, the thermal power plants are seven to eight times more efficient than medium- and small-sized boilers in curbing the emissions of pollutants. That explains why most developed economies use at least 80 percent of their coal consumption to generate electricity. Introducing an electricity-powered heating system will also help tackle the oversupply of renewables such as wind and photovoltaic power in West China. Despite the official endorsement and subsidies, the actual market demand for photovoltaic power remains unpromising, particularly in the sunshine-rich northwestern areas. Statistics show that the usage of photovoltaic power in Shaanxi, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, and the Ningxia Hui and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions, was just 611 hours in the first half of 2016. Cities in East China, too, have a small appetite for it, as there is large overcapacity in thermal power plants at present. Therefore, replacing coal with electricity to fuel the heating supply could provide room for the development of renewables. The main problem of substituting coal with electricity for the heating supply is the cost. Using electricity for heating is a lot more expensive than using coal. Since electricity-powered heating will also save residents the trouble of burning coal during the winter and improve their quality of life, governments at all levels should work out long-term policies and provide needed subsidies to supply electricity-powered heating at lower costs. The author is Dean of China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University. PARIS, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Donald Trump, international terrorism, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are among key issues of 2017, French geopolitical expert Lionel Vairon told Xinhua in a recent interview. The first and most important issue is Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20 "with all the consequences this may have on the international order," Vairon said, who was a French diplomat in Southeast Asia and the Middle East for more than 10 years. "Mr. Trump has expressed his willingness to change the lines of the international order in a brutal, radical way, though he is not yet president," the expert said. The United States is still the world's foremost power, and its foreign and economic policies have an influence on all major issues of the planet. The second topic for 2017 is the future of the Islamic State (IS). "The retreat of this terrorist organization will not only have influence on Europe, but also on Russia, with the return of Chechen jihadists," he said. On the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Vairon said: "Although the importance of this issue has diminished in recent years, there is a renewed interest in recent years with Mr. Trump's violent statement made against Mr. Obama and in favor of Mr. Netanyahu." "Trump is radically changing the U.S. official position of neutrality, although I believe that the United States has never been neutral... Of course, the impact will not only affect Palestine, but the entire Arab world and its reaction to the United States," he said. "This violent shift in favor of Israel and Israeli settlement will be a major issue of 2017," he said. With regard to trade relations between the United States and China, solutions can always be found, but in strategic relations the situation is much more complicated and dangerous, Vairon said. Asked about the phenomenon of "deglobalization," Vairon believes globalization is currently going through "the bottom of the wave." "I do not think that globalization, which is not a recent phenomenon, can disappear all the more because it is globalization that generates deglobalization." According to him, "what is truly new is not deglobalization, it is that we are in the era of post-truth, which means that in today's Western democracies, we can elect populist leaders according to their speeches, and the day after the election, we can hear them acknowledge that they lied, but this is not important." "We have it in the UK with the Brexit triumph, we saw the Brexit leader admitted a few days after the Brexit vote that he had lied, for example on the issue of UK contribution to the EU," Vairon said, adding that for Trump, this is also the case. "He said some things, and then he changed, and now he comes back." "Citizens vote today for a leader because he is friendly, and because his populist discourse meets the primary expectations of voters, but this trend will produce a systemic crisis of democracy." "We should not forget that the dictators have come to power in Europe through a democratic mechanism. People are already increasingly suspicious of the democratic system," he warned. BEIJING, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Great uncertainties remain on whether the U.S.-Russia ties can sustain long-term stable development, even after Russia-friendly U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Analysts say it is possible the U.S.-Russia relationship will fall again under the spell of bell-shaped development since the end of the Cold War, as structural contradictions exist between the two countries due to total difference in their global strategies, national security and geopolitical interests. Since the end of the Cold War, the United States, with a strategy of contacting while containing Russia, has not fundamentally changed its policies of weakening and suppressing Russia. In international affairs, Washington usually neglects Moscow's interests on issues concerning Russia's security and strategic interests; while Moscow opposes U.S. hegemonism and unilateralism, and hopes to set up a new global political order to safeguard Russia's national security and geopolitical interests. SPELL OF BELL-SHAPED DEVELOPMENT Since the end of the Cold War, U.S.-Russia relations have experienced bell-shaped development -- improving first and deteriorating later -- during the U.S. administrations of George Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. During Obama's first tenure, ties between Moscow and Washington were relieved after the two countries signed the new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty in April 2010, then Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visited the United States in June 2010 and Russia joined the World Trade Organization in 2011. However, bilateral ties were not able to break the spell and even plunged into the so-called "new Cold War." Washington criticized Russia's parliamentary and presidential elections. It urges other Western countries to jointly isolate Russia, impose economic sanctions on Russia and suspend Russia from the Group of Eight following the Ukraine crisis and Crimea's incorporation into Russia. NATO, RUSSIA'S IRRECONCILABLE DIFFERENCES The relations between U.S.-led NATO and Russia have experienced ups and downs due to the irreconcilable structural differences between the two sides. Russia hopes to prosper again, which is hardly accepted by many NATO members especially the United States and Central and Eastern European countries. Therefore, NATO, holding a strategy of containing Russia, has considered Russia as a strategic rival and has been suppressing it. Besides, NATO wants to foster the basis for common strategic interests among its members through establishing and even consolidating the so-called "Russia threat." NATO and Russia have differences on issues such as the U.S. and NATO's plan to increase military deployment in Central and Eastern Europe, the Ukraine crisis, NATO's eastward expansion and the bloc's European missile defense system. The NATO-Russia ties, affected by the U.S.-Russia ties to a large extent, however, are more complicated. The United States has to consider its European allies' stances while Central and Eastern European and Baltic states have firmly called for the U.S. fulfillment of its commitment to its allies on security. Observers say that after Trump takes office on Jan. 20, the U.S.-Russia ties will improve and the NATO-Russia ties will ameliorate as well. However, as long as deep differences between NATO and Russia exist, NATO will not abandon its strategy of weakening Russia and encroaching on Russia's geopolitical strategic space, which will determine to what extent the United States and Russia can improve their ties. DIFFICULTIES IN COOPERATING ON SYRIA ISSUE Trump's policies on Syria he advocated in the presidential campaign, such as abandoning U.S. policy of overthrowing other countries' governments and fighting terrorists, have offered possibilities of U.S.-Russia cooperation on the issue. However, there are uncertainties about whether the two countries can cooperate in the end and to what extent they can cooperate. First, with the development of the Syria war, the influences of the United States and Russia on the Middle East have been in a waxing-and-waning state. Will Trump, who pledged to "make America great again," abandon the Middle East and concede it to Russia? Second, even if Trump agrees to cooperate with Russia on the Syria issue, who will lead the cooperation is a question. It is not possible that Russian President Vladimir Putin will concede Moscow's leading role on the issue to Washington. But will Washington still cooperate with Moscow under Russia's leadership? Besides, Trump will face issues such as whether he can change the negative impression Russia and the Syrian government have left on the U.S. public opinion, whether Gulf Arab countries that have deep contradictions with Russia on the Syria issue give up their appeal for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's resignation and stop supporting the Syrian opposition, and whether Gulf countries will pay for building a "safe zone" in Syria. Furthermore, it is not easy for Trump to improve the U.S.-Russia ties as the U.S. policy on Russia has been decided by bipartisan political elites since the end of the Cold War and the pro-establishment camp including mainstream Republicans will contain Trump's pro-Russia tendency. By Associated Press in New York | China Daily | Updated: 2017-01-09 07:15 Attendees take photographs outside of the Hamilton musical in New York. The second BroadwayCon will be held in Jan 27-29. [Photo/Agencies] The first-ever convention for Broadway fans was nearing the end of its first of three days in New York last January when snow began falling. It quickly became a nasty blizzard - more than 26 inches hammered the city, triggering a travel ban. "It was crazy. It was the only snow we got all last year. So it was like a targeted attack by God," says Melissa Anelli, the organizer. She had earlier publicly doubted snow would cripple city airports. A more humble BroadwayCon returns this time from Jan 27-29 with one eye on the weather and lots of changes. For one thing, there's a much larger stage, trading last year's midtown hotel meeting spaces for a portion of the cavernous Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The three-day BroadwayCon - sort of a Comic Con for thespians - will have tap dancing workshops, places for fans of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber to meet, huge sing-alongs, exhibits, a Family Feud-style game show, a talent show and a cabaret. Stars planning to attend include Cynthia Nixon, Josh Groban, Chita Rivera, Joel Grey, Kelli O'Hara, Jonathan Groff, Jeremy Jordan, Michael Cerveris, Laura Osnes, and Hamilton alums Christopher Jackson and Okieriete Onaodowan. BroadwayCon says that a session has been added on Jan 27 in which Tony Award-winner Julie Taymor - who directed and designed costumes for The Lion King - and Whoopi Goldberg will discuss the creation of that regal musical, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary on Broadway. The casts and creatives of shows like Dear Evan Hansen, Anastasia, In Transit and Bandstand will talk about their shows, as will the new cast of Hamilton. There will be panel discussions like "The Future of Cabaret", "Fight Choreography" and "Producing 101". "We are intense and nerdy about theater," says Anelli. "This is not something we hired the intense, nerdy people to do. We are the intense, nerdy people. And it's what we would want the most walking into this event." Organizers noted what was popular last year and adjusted. A 10-minute cosplay fashion show - short for costume play - last year has been turned into a full event and they've added new group sing-alongs, one featuring only 11 o'clock numbers and another with Act 1 finales. "Last year, we threw spaghetti at the wall at times to figure out what works," says David Alpert, artistic director of BroadwayCon's main stage programming. "It's such an exciting opportunity for fans to really embrace the fandom." At BroadwayCon, there's no charge for autographs, though fans may have to enter lotteries. Master classes in vocal technique or on things like being a stage manager are free, but require registration and fill up fast. As a blizzard swirled outside last year, organizers scrambled. Panelists couldn't get into the city, so new panels were born. Celebrities like Idina Menzel, Patti LuPone and Audra McDonald were trapped and so called in. Jeremy Jordan and Darren Criss both chatted via video. "If there's one community that knows the show must go on and deals with the circumstances, this is the one," says Anelli, who partnered with Playbill and co-created the event with Stephanie Dornhelm and the original Rent star Anthony Rapp. Some 5,000 people attended all three days last year and organizers expect more this year - up to 6,000 each of the three days. This year, there will be two stages and the main one has 5,000 seats, far larger than any Broadway theater. But organizers stress that despite the celebrities and panels, the convention rises or falls on the theater fans that show up. They were delighted last year when a young woman who was cosplaying Tracy Turnblad from the musical Hairspray met and hugged a girl who came dressed as the character Penny from the same musical. "The con happens between them," says Alpert. "It's people together." YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on January 9 sent a letter of condolences to President of Iran Hassan Rouhani on the death of former President of Iran Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, press service of the Presidential administration told Armenpress. Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani will remain as the President of the neighboring country in the memory of the Armenian people. During his tenure first inter-state relations between newly independent Armenia and Iran were established by giving a new impetus to the centuries-old friendly relations of our two peoples. Based on the firm ground created during those years, today we continue expanding and deepening our mutual cooperation, the Presidents letter reads. Syrians receive UN relief aid in the town of Muadamiyeh, countryside of Damascus, capital of Syria, on Jan 7, 2017. The town of Muadamiyeh witnessed reconciliation between the government and the rebels last year, under which aid convoys must enter the town regularly. [Photo/Xinhua] DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the next stage of the Syria war after the liberation of Aleppo city won't be easy given the Western continuing support to terrorist groups, state news agency SANA reported. "The Western powers as well as their tools and agents in the region are carrying on with supporting the terrorist organizations," Assad said. He also said recapturing the entire Aleppo city from rebel groups represents an "important station toward the victory in the war imposed in Syria." Assad's remarks came during his meeting with the visiting Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani. "Syria, with the help from its friends, mainly Iran and Russia, is moving forward in doing whatever it takes to provide the suitable ground to find a solution, through which the Syrians could determine the future of their country without foreign intervention," he told Shamkhani. For his part, Shamkhani made it clear that his country will spare no effort to support Syria and frustrate any "terrorist scheme and its backers" since counter-terror is a "decisive issue not only for Syria but the entire regional countries." Iran, the main regional ally of the Syrian government, has recently strengthened its diplomatic engagements with Syria, as Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, visited Damascus last week, and Syrian foreign ministry officials visited Tehran in the same period. The diplomatic shuttling apparently aims at coordinating stances between the two countries ahead of the Russian-Turkish planned Syria peace talks in Astana later this month. During his latest visit to Syria, Boroujerdi said that Iran supports the upcoming Syria talks in Astana, which were expected to bring, for the first time, representatives from both the Syrian government and the rebels together, as previous failed talks in Geneva were only between the government and the exiled political opposition. Experts say high expectations are held for the new talks as the United States will not be part of the supervising team, as the Assad government is still deeming the Western support to the rebels as what is behind the ongoing conflict. On Sunday, Assad also met with a visiting French delegation including a number of French lawmakers and intellectuals. During the meeting Assad said that France's current policy is disconnected from the reality about the war in Syria. He stressed that the policy has helped inflame the situation through support to "terrorist organizations," which, he said, have become a threat, not only to Syria but the Western countries alike. The French delegation said what they have learnt about Syria contains a great deal of distortions to the truth. A day earlier, the French delegation arrived in Aleppo on an airplane, the first civilian plane to land at the Aleppo airport in four years. The rebels in the countryside of Aleppo fired several rockets on the airport after the delegation deplaned, causing a delay in their flight to Damascus. PYONGYANG - The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) said Sunday that it will launch an inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) "anytime and anywhere" determined by the country's supreme headquarters. "The US is wholly to blame for pushing the DPRK to have developed ICBM as it has desperately resorted to anachronistic policy hostile toward the DPRK to encroach upon its sovereignty and vital rights," the official KCNA news agency quoted a Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying. The unnamed spokesman said that Pyongyang's ICBM program is part of the efforts to bolster its self-defense capability so as to cope with ever growing nuclear war threat from the United States. The spokesman echoed remarks made by top leader Kim Jong Un in his New Year address that the DPRK will continue to step up self-defense capabilities, the pivot of which is nuclear forces, as long as the US nuclear threat continues and as long as the war games conducted by the United States and its "vassal forces" around the Korean Peninsula are not stopped. Kim also said that the DPRK is now at the final stage of test-launching an inter-continental ballistic missile. On Thursday, US Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken said qualitative improvement was observed in the DPRK's nuclear and missile capabilities last year. He called for sustained and comprehensive pressure on the DPRK to curb those programs. Last year, the DPRK had conducted two nuclear tests and several missile tests, including a long-range rocket. The UN Security Council adopted two new resolutions to tighten sanctions on the DPRK in response to its nuclear and missile programs. This file photo taken on March 8, 2011 shows former Iranian president and head of Iran's Assembly of Experts, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, attending a meeting of the top clerical body in Tehran. [Photo/VCG] MEXICO CITY - Mexican officials on Sunday said they arrested a man suspected of shooting and wounding a US consular agent in Mexico's second-largest city, Guadalajara, capital of western Jalisco state. The state prosecutor's office (FGE) said on Twitter that "Special Forces of the FGE arrested the consular agent's attacker," and handed him over to the federal Attorney General's Office (PGR). According to local media, the man arrested is a 31-year-old US citizen of Indian descent named Zafar Zia, who has been living in Guadalajara since November. As part of the arrest, the daily Reforma reported, officials also seized a .38-caliber pistol, small amounts of marijuana and a Honda with California license plates. The motive for the shooting was a disagreement over a visa procedure, the daily said, though officials have yet to confirm any details. The consular agent was shot on Friday as he was driving out of a building in the city's central Vallarta Norte district. Video footage released on Saturday by the US embassy in Mexico showed the suspect waiting on the sidewalk for the agent to leave the building in his car before firing from a few meters away, and breaking a window. Following the attack, US officials offered a 20,000 US-dollar reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect, who appears in the video wearing hospital-style blue scrubs, a wig and sunglasses. JERUSALEM - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the perpetrator of Sunday's truck-ramming attack, which killed four soldiers in Jerusalem, was an apparent adherent of the Islamic State. Palestinian media identified the perpetrator as Fadi al-Qanbar from East Jerusalem's Jabel Mukaber neighborhood. Israel's police spokeswoman Luba Samri said that the incident -- which took place in Armon Hanatziv, a popular promenade that overlooks East Jerusalem's Old City -- was a "terrorist attack," although the investigation has yet to be concluded. At noon, the assailant drove his truck into pedestrians, killing four soldiers, three of them women, and wounding 15 more, Samri said. Israel's Channel 2 TV news broadcast security camera footage showing the truck driving at high speed off the road and plowing into the crowd. The truck is seen reversing quickly, apparently attempting to drive over more people, before the driver was shot dead by soldiers. "We know the identity of the attacker, and all signs suggest that he was an Islamic State supporter," Netanyahu said in a press conference at the site of the incident. "This is part of the same pattern inspired by Islamic State that we saw first in France, then in Germany and now in Jerusalem," he said. "This is part of the same ongoing battle against this global scourge of the new terrorism," he said, calling for a global action against these attacks. Israeli security forces took several "punitive measures," including closing all the exits and entries of Jabel Mukaber. Interior Security Minister Gilad Erdan said Israel will not transfer the body of the attacker to his family. Israel has been withholding bodies of dozens of attackers and suspects as a measure the authorities say aims to "deter" more attacks. The attack was one of the deadliest amidst a more than yearlong wave of violence. Last June, two gunmen killed four persons at a trendy recreation compound in Tel Aviv. An ongoing wave of violence in the West Bank and Israel has claimed the lives of at least 235 Palestinians and 34 Israelis since September 2015. Israeli leaders accuse the Palestinian National Authority of "inciting" the unrest, while the Palestinians say it is the result of nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, home to more than five million Palestinians, where they wish to establish their state. US Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump appears at a campaign roundtable event in Manchester, New Hampshire, US, October 28, 2016. [Photo/Agencies] WASHINGTON - President-elect Donald Trump accepts the US intelligence community's conclusion that Russia engaged in cyber attacks during the US presidential election and may take action in response, his incoming chief of staff said on Sunday. Reince Priebus said Trump believed Russia was behind the intrusions into the Democratic Party organizations, although Priebus did not clarify whether the president-elect agreed that the hacks were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "He accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia, so that's not the issue," Priebus said on "Fox News Sunday." It was the first acknowledgment from a senior member of the Republican president-elect's team that Trump had accepted that Russia directed the hacking and subsequent disclosure of Democratic emails during the 2016 presidential election. With less than two weeks until his Jan 20 inauguration, Trump has come under increasing pressure from fellow Republicans to accept intelligence community findings on Russian hacking and other attempts by Moscow to influence the Nov 8 election. A crucial test of Republican support for Trump comes this week with the first confirmation hearings for his Cabinet picks. A US intelligence report last week said Putin directed a sophisticated influence campaign including cyber attacks to denigrate Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton and support Trump. The report, commissioned by Democratic President Barack Obama in December, concluded vote tallies were not affected by Russian interference, but did not assess whether it influenced the outcome of the vote in other ways. Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Jan 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] ANTANANARIVO -- Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina to discuss relations and cooperation between their two countries under the initiative on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road Initiative). The Malagasy president said that friendship between Madagascar and China has a long history and that the two peoples are as dear to each other as members of one family. China has offered a lot of selfless assistance to Madagascar for a long time, and many Chinese enterprises have contributed to Madagascar's development, the president said. Madagascar, as a gateway into Africa, welcomes and supports China's Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes that this initiative will enter Africa through Madagascar, Rajaonarimampianina said, adding that the country is ready to actively take part in the Belt and Road construction and deepen cooperation with China in agriculture, fishery, tourism and other areas under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations. Madagascar will resolutely continue pursuing the one-China policy, and maintain mutual support with China on issues concerning each other's core interests, the president noted, saying China is a most reliable cooperation partner to Madagascar and that Madagascar is fully confident in the prospects of bilateral relations, said the president. For his part, Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulation to Rajaonarimampianina on Madagascar's achievements yielded over recent years in national reconciliation, political stability and striding on a new path of development. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, it is hoped that the two sides will avail themselves of this opportunity to discuss and define the direction of development of bilateral relations and the framework of bilateral cooperation in future, Wang said. China proposes that both countries seize the two major opportunities for international cooperation respectively brought about by the implementation of the outcome of the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg and the promotion of international cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative, give full play to their advantages in mutual complementation, and launch mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, fishery, the processing and manufacturing industries, tourism and regional aviation, Wang said. Meanwhile, to promote such cooperation, the two sides are expected to strengthen infrastructure construction, human resources development and trade and investment facilitation, he said. China will practically help Madagascar create jobs, improve the people's livelihood, eliminate poverty and realistically transform the nation's unique advantages in geographical location and natural resources into achievements in development, and help Madagascar accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization and finally realize independent sustainable development, said Wang, totally approved by Rajaonarimampianina. With Chinese families now better off financially and no longer bound by family planning rules that limited them to a single child, the demand for toys is booming, and UK toy makers hope to cash in. UK-based toy expert John Baulch told China Daily from Hong Kong, where he is attending Asia's largest toys and games fair, that this could be a golden time. "UK toy companies are trying to open up the Asian market, particularly China because it is a rapidly growing market," he said. The focus at this year's fair is the growing sector of high tech products. "A lot of toys aren't made in Britain anymore. The reality is; competing with China in terms of raw materials and labor costs is always a very difficult thing to do. But we do have some very good brands making headway in the Chinese market." Christmas may have only just ended but manufacturers are already looking for next year's big seller. Products such as STEM toysthat strengthen understanding of science, technology, engineering and mathematicsare predicted to be hot. Some exhibitors are also showing of their latest virtual reality and augmented reality products at the fair. Peter Jenkinson, a self-described 'toyologist' from UK company Playtime PR, told China Daily: "Usually, one country will start of a trend and others will follow but with VR, markets in China, the US and UK all jumped on the phenomenon at once." But Baulch said UK consumers will have to dig deep for the latest must-haves. "2017 will be a very interesting and challenging year because, as a result of Brexit, the pound is very weak against the US dollar. Most toys are produced in China and the currency there is pegged to the US dollar, so toys coming into the UK this year will cost a lot more than last because of the fluctuation in currency." He said the UK toy industry is looking to mitigate such challenges. "China's middle class is growing, people are earning more," Baulch said, "It's not just about Beijing and Shanghai anymore. The potential in China is huge." He said the Chinese consumer's taste for big brands is important. "It makes sense for a good British brand to look into China's growing market and, if you have the right brand, it is the perfect opportunity. British companies are coming out to Hong Kong to look at what China, Asia and the rest of the world are producing because most of the toys sold globally are actually made in China," Baulch said. According to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, around 80 percent of toys worldwide are made in China. The 43rd Toys and Games Fair runs from Monday and continues to Jan 12 at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center. LONDON - London's 32,000 police officers are to be surveyed to see if they want to be routinely armed with a gun while on duty in Britain's capital, it was announced Monday. Armed Metropolitan Police counter terrorism officers take part in an exercise on the River Thames in London, Britain August 3, 2016. [Photo\Agencies] It will be the biggest ever survey of officers from London's Metropolitan Police and comes in the wake of terror attacks in major European cities. The question of guns will be put to the police officers by their trade union, the Police Federation. Although all police forces in Britain have specially trained armed response teams, police have never carried guns as a standard part of their weaponry. The view has always been that arming police officers as standard would affect the philosophy of policing in Britain. In London, just 8 percent of officers are armed with guns. The Metropolitan Police last year announced plans to increase the number of armed police in the capital by 600, bringing the total to almost 3,000. Ken Marsh, London chairman of the Police Federation said "We've seen a lot of change in Europe and a lot of different kinds of terror attacks such as lorries being used. "We're not an armed force, we never have been. But the terrorism threat in London is constant and our officers must be vigilant and be able to deal swiftly with any scenarios we face." "We're asking our officers if they think they should be armed with Tasers and firearms to get an informed opinion from them. If it comes back overwhelmingly that they want to carry firearms we would have to have a very frank discussion about that, but there is no intention as we speak for that to happen." However, Marsh said arming officers could have a lot of implications, including harder fitness tests for officers. Armed police at major locations and transport hubs in London have become a familiar sight especially at times of high alert or following attacks in mainland Europe. Britain has been on a higher alert against international terrorism for some years, meaning an attack is highly likely. Although the extra 600 firearms officers in London were pledged following the Paris terrorist attacks, bosses at the Metropolitan Police have said they do not support the routine arming of its officers in London. A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "We are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed. Twice in recent years the Met has increased the number of specially-trained officers who carry Taser, and this is kept under constant review." The Police Federation survey will continue until the end of January. Contents of this Article: The phrase May you live in interesting times is often and incorrectly described as a Chinese curse. Although there is in fact no equivalent Chinese phrase, for companies manufacturing in China, these are interesting times indeed. This very long post aims to provide an overview of the challenges of manufacturing in China, as well as strategies for minimizing risks and maximizing opportunities. It outlines the administrative and regulatory requirements, process and production challenges, and specific cultural and market-specific risks. I am writing this post after fielding dozens of requests over the years to put together in one place ALL of the basics necessary to manufacture in China successfully. In this post, Ive tried to include everything that is relevant close to 90 percent of the time, while not bogging you down with the things that happen ten percent of the time, or less. Every business and company is different, however, and the information and advice offered here is intended to alert business managers to the legal considerations specific to the China manufacturing environment; it is not intended to serve as a replacement for bespoke legal advice. You may be the company that actually needs legal help with what I describe above as things that happen ten percent of the time, or less. But no matter what your situation, I urge you to reach out to me if youd like to discuss your specific circumstances or feel you need some help in protecting your company against your China manufacturers. China Manufacturing Challenges Manufacturing in a foreign country can offer significant benefits especially in terms of cost but when the mountains are high and the emperor (thats you, the client) is far away (), problems can arise. The best way to reduce the likelihood of having problems with your China product suppliers is to recognize that most China manufacturing problems stem from something the product buyer failed to do to prevent the problem. In other words, it is mostly up to you to reduce your risks. But what exactly should you do to protect yourself when manufacturing overseas? Start with these six basic measures: Use a Good Manufacturer If you do not know how to find a good manufacturer, pay someone who does. At the very minimum, make sure the company you will be using to make your products actually exists and is licensed to engage in the business for which you will be paying it. If you cannot afford to do these things, you should not be manufacturing overseas. Not kidding. Use Good Manufacturing Agreements Good contracts ensure that your China manufacturer knows what is required of it and what will happen to it if it does not meet those requirements. More than half of the overseas manufacturing contracts our international manufacturing lawyers see are worthless because they were written by someone who either does not know manufacturing or does not know international law, or both. Many are worse than using no contract at all. Use Detailed Contracts Overseas factories that engage in contract manufacturing tend to do exactly what you tell them to do. This means you need to clearly convey what it is that you want them to do, and that means your instructions and specifications should be detailed and in their language. Be overly specific. Visit the Factory Either your own people or a third-party quality control company should pay regular visits to your factory. Doing this allows you to make sure your factory understands what you want and lets them know that you are serious about making sure you get it. It also humanizes you and tells them that you really do care and are not just putting things down on paper to look good to your own buyers or to abide by some regulation somewhere. Inspect Your Products Perform regular product inspections appropriate to the product you are having made. Register Your Intellectual Property If you have intellectual property (IP) worth protecting (and nearly every manufacturer does), make sure you do everything you can within reason to protect it wherever you are manufacturing your products and wherever you sell your products. This means trademarks, patents and/or copyrights. Intellectual Property Rights Protections Register Trademarks in China The Chinese trademark system is complicated: idiosyncratic, highly regimented, and overseen by capricious examiners. So why not register China trademarks via the Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks? The one-size-fits-all Madrid application makes registering a trademark in China seem easy. Really easy: all you have to do is check a box marked China. As a result, Madrid applicants are lulled into a sense of complacency, but all too often the result is a rejection that could have been avoided with a national application in China. Madrid applications are supposed to be cheap and quick, but fixing Madrid problems after the fact is neither. Trademark prosecution in China is highly mechanical; for the vast majority of applications, you file an application, wait 18 months, and at the end of that time your trademark is either registered or rejected. (A slight oversimplification, but not by much.) For this reason, the meaningful work for Chinese trademark applications occurs before the application is filed. First of all, it is essential to conduct a pre-application trademark clearance (a.k.a. a trademark screening) to assess the trademarks registrability. Is the mark inherently distinctive? Does it run afoul of Chinas statutory prohibitions on trademarks? Does it conflict with any preexisting trademarks? Next, assuming the screening results dont scare you away, you must determine which class(es) to file in and the specific products or services (items) to be covered by the mark. This is a lot trickier than it sounds because the Chinese Trademark Office (CTMO) divides each Nice classification into a unique system of subclasses. For purposes of trademark registration, each subclass is treated discretely: a trademark for one item in a given subclass covers all items in that subclass, but is not effective on items in any other subclass. When you file a China national application, you determine the subclasses that you want your application to cover. But when you file a Madrid application, your list of items goes straight to a CTMO trademark examiner, who will decide from your list which subclasses the items should go in without consulting you. This lack of consultation, combined with the examiners often-tenuous grasp of English (or French or Spanish), means that imprecise descriptions of items can lead to problems of both overinclusiveness and underinclusiveness. It is possible to perform a pre-application screening before filing a Madrid application, and it is possible to craft a description of items in a Madrid application that will conform to the Chinese subclass system. But this requires working with an experienced China trademark attorney or agent, and it will cost nearly as much and take nearly as much time as a national application. In other words, you lose all of the advantages of the Madrid System, but keep all of the disadvantages. Finally, even if your Madrid System trademark is registered in China without a hitch, you may still have trouble enforcing your rights. Upon registration, the only formal certificate for Madrid System trademarks is the one issued by WIPO. China does not issue its own separate trademark certificate. In theory, this should not be a problem, because the WIPO certificate should be sufficient to enforce your trademark rights under Chinese law. In practice, Chinese bureaucrats and e-commerce customer service reps generally could care less about Chinas WTO obligations. Much of the time, before they will lift a finger against an infringing factory or website, they will demand a copy of a CTMO-issued Chinese trademark certificate. It is easy enough to request a Chinese trademark certificate based on a WIPO registration, but it takes another three to five months to get one. That can feel like an eternity when your trademark is being knocked off. Register Design Patents in China A design patent in China is generally analogous to a design patent in the U.S. or a Community design in the EU and it covers novel product designs that (1) incorporate shapes, patterns, and/or colors, (2) are rich in aesthetic appeal, and (3) are fit for industrial application. China registers design patents without conducting a substantive examination of the design patent application and so it does not take much at all to secure one. Substantive examinations only occur if a third party challenges a patents validity after registration. A design patent applicant need only submit an application to SIPO that satisfies the procedural requirements, particularly with respect to proper formatting of documents and drawings. As a result, in many circumstances companies must register a design patent on their product(s). If they dont, someone else will and then they find themselves having to challenge that patent in China (which is relatively expensive and time-consuming) or just walking away from China. Even though many of the design patents in China are nothing more than slight modifications of existing product designs, they still can have substantial value because their owners can sue for patent infringement and register the patent(s) with China Customs and have counterfeit or copycat products seized at the border. Even if you do not think your design is novel enough to be patented, there is a first-mover advantage to your filing for a China design patent simply because your design patent will be valid until successfully challenged by a third party. A Chinese design patent grants its holder exclusive use of the aesthetic features of a product, not its functioning portion. In other words, the patent is on how the product looks; its external appearance. What though, does it really mean to have a China design patent? A typical design patent case starts with a phone call from a Western company telling us a Chinese company (usually a company it already knows and usually either its manufacturer or a competitor) just contacted the Western company (or the Chinese company that makes the Western companys product) and said the Western companys product violates the Chinese companys China design patent. The Chinese company then threatens to sue the Western company (and/or its Chinese manufacturer) for patent infringement damages and to block any of the Western companys infringing product from leaving China. Though China Customs frequently blocks products from leaving China due to trademark infringement claims, blocking products due to a design patent claim is considerably less common. China Customs generally requires a party seeking to block a product from leaving China to post a substantial bond, which then becomes available to the party whose product has been blocked by customs. Many more companies are willing to bear this risk to stop trademark infringing products from leaving China than are willing to take this risk for a design patent claim. Whats the best way to nip design patent hijacking? Register your design patent first, before anyone else can do so. If you want to be sure to avoid your products being held up at the Chinese border on an IP claim, you should secure both a trademark and a design patent. Registering your IP with China Customs China Customs will block products that infringe on China IP from entering or leaving China. The leaving China part is why it is 100% essential that you register your IP in China even if all you are doing in China is having your products made there. The leaving China part is also why it usually makes sense for foreign companies that have registered their IP in China to also register that IP with China Customs. Even though manufacturing in China is on the decline, China still manufactures way more than any other country in the world and it is still by far the world center for product counterfeiting. If you register your IP in China, then also register that IP with China Customs, you will have positioned yourself to be able to block counterfeit versions of your products from leaving China for anywhere in the world. China NNN Agreements We love NNN Agreements for China. They are fast, cheap, easy, telling and effective. If in the course of conducting business in China, you are going to reveal anything (e.g. to partners, suppliers) that you do not want made public, you should consider an NNN Agreement. If you are going to be showing your products, prototypes or designs to a Chinese factory, you should consider an NNN Agreement. If you do not want your Chinese manufacturer competing against you with your products, you should consider an NNN. But the most important thing you need to know about China NNN Agreements is that they really should not be an NDA; they should be China-specific NNN Agreements, because Western-style NDA agreements do not work for China, and most of the time, using one is worse than having no protection at all. NDA agreements prohibit your Chinese counterparty from disclosing your secrets. They do not stop them from competing against you or going behind your back to your customers or clients or to anyone else. To prevent these behaviors, you need a China NNN (non-use, non-disclosure and non-circumvention) Agreement. 1. Non-Use Non-use requires your factory to agree not to make use of your idea/concept/product in a manner competitive with you, the disclosing party. The critical point is that this obligation arises by contract. This protection is not based on abstract property rights arising under intellectual property law. The prohibition protects you not because your concept is classified as some form of intellectual property such as a trademark, copyright, patent, mask work or even a trade secret. The factory is prohibited from using your work because it executed a contract that prohibits it from using your work. Getting a factory to sign a contract with a non-use provision means there is no need to look outside that contract to other areas of law for you (and Chinas courts) to be able to control the behavior of the Chinese factory. 2. Non-Disclosure The next element of an NNN Agreement is non-disclosure. This is the core of an NDA, or Non-Disclosure Agreement. Surprisingly enough, you need not be terribly concerned with having your Chinese counterparty disclose the information you want kept secret to an unrelated third party. This is because Chinese companies usually have no interest in letting others in on their good thing. If they want to use your concept, they want to use it for their own purposes, not to disclose it to others. But if you prohibit a Chinese factory from making direct use of your concept, the Chinese factory now has a problem. The clever Chinese entity will not directly breach your non-use prohibition; it will simply disclose your information to someone in its corporate group, then accurately claim it has not breached the non-use prohibition because it is not the one making use of your protected information. For this reason, it is important you understand the type of group with which you are dealing, and you must make clear in your NNN Agreement that disclosure is specifically prohibited within the group, and that if there is any infringement by any member of the group, the factory that signed your NNN Agreement and made the disclosure is fully liable. Often, some education of your Chinese counterparty on this issue is required, because Chinese companies often do not consider disclosure to a member of their own group as violating a non-disclosure prohibition. 3. Non-Circumvention Finally, you need to deal with non-circumvention. The Chinese factory knows you are purchasing the product at the China price, then adding a margin and selling it at a profit in the foreign market. In this situation, it is only natural for the Chinese factory to work to obtain a list of your customers to whom they can sell your product at the China price. After going through your customer list, they start marketing your product to the rest of the world. What would your customers do if offered your product for 50% less? In many industries (especially those where quality and servicing is critical), most customers would say no. But in many other industries including consumer products they quickly and almost uniformly say yes. Note also that if you have not registered your brand name and/or logo as your own trademark in China, there is nothing to stop your Chinese manufacturer from putting your brand name and/or logo on these very same products and selling them into any country where you do not have a corresponding trademark. This is circumvention, and you must prohibit circumvention by contract. There is no other way to do it. A good NNN agreement is your only protection. Finally, we always do our China NNN Agreements in both English and Chinese. We make the Chinese version the official one, and the English version just a translation for our English-speaking clients. Making them in Chinese means that the Chinese courts will be able to better understand them and enforce them more quickly. It also takes away the other sides argument that it did not know what it was signing. Should You Register Your Copyrights in China? Copyrights are automatically protected in China under the Berne Convention, but to be able to sue quickly for a copyright violation and to have full copyright protection in China, it almost always makes sense to file your copyrights there. Just as in the United States and the E.U., you need only submit a small portion of your software code to secure copyright protection on the entire program. Writing a Manufacturing Contract Some of the important considerations, issues and questions to consider when drafting a China manufacturing agreement: Decide if the agreement with your manufacturers will be exclusive or nonexclusive. Decide the manufacturers obligations to sell. There are basically two alternatives. The manufacturers are obligated to produce product under any purchase order you submit and their failure to produce at the agreed price would be a default. You would then almost certainly be required to purchase a minimum amount of product during a specified time period. This approach is best if you want to guarantee supply and you want to hold your manufacturers to their price commitments. Or, obligate your manufacturers to produce product only for those purchase orders it accepts. In other words, they will have the right not to accept purchase orders, at their discretion. The advantage of this to you is that it will not require you to purchase any specific amount of product. The disadvantage is that there is no guarantee of supply and there is no way to hold your manufacturers to any price commitment. Decide whether or not you want to identify specific ports of delivery. If you will have multiple ports and delivery locations in some of the countries where you will be receiving your product, the port/delivery location should be specified in the purchase orders rather than the manufacturing agreements. Decide on payment terms, e.g. payment 30 days after shipment, or 30 days after inspection. If you will provide for payment 30 days after shipment, you will need to determine when you will inspect the product. It is best to have inspection before payment, but this is not always practical. Decide on a warranty period. Decide on trade secrets/IP protection provisions, e.g. a monetary penalty for breach that might be both a lump sum penalty and a percentage of sales penalty. These penalties should be large enough to cause concern for the manufacturer, but not so large as to scare them into not signing. Decide on tooling provisions that may provide for a series of lump sum penalties. Manufacturers commonly refuse to return tooling and the most effective way to control this is to provide for a significant lump sum penalty for such a refusal. Additional considerations in drafting a manufacturing contract include: Product Testing: Where and how will you test your product? Will you do you own independent testing in China or will you wait until you receive the product in your home country? Will you require the Chinese factory to test and then provide you with test results? If you will do your own independent testing in China, it is important to set out the testing procedure in writing. Manufacturing Set-up Costs:Your factory may ask you to pay in advance for some of the manufacturing set-up costs. Though this is normal, it is important to clarify those costs and then get them in writing. Product Pricing: You will want to lock in your costs, especially in consideration of your factorys understandable desire to be protected from increases in the costs of materials. The normal way pricing is done for this kind of item in China is as follows: The product price is fixed for a set period, say, one year. The Chinese manufacturer takes the price risk during this time, both for changes in component prices and for RMB/USD exchange rate risk. It is easiest if the manufacturer builds in the cost of items from the approved suppliers and takes the risk of price changes. Often a manufacturer will calculate that amount at cost+ to cover the risk and to cover the costs of advance purchasing and warehousing. If your manufacturer is not willing to do the above, the quoted product price from them is not really a fixed price and it can change over time. The risk in this situation depends on the integrity and reputation of the manufacturer. Some Chinese manufacturers will double or triple their prices after production has started and after you are trapped into using them as your manufacturer. Reputable manufacturers typically will only raise their prices when there has actually been a material change in component prices. Product Packaging Costs: It should be made clear who has responsibility for packaging design, production, and payment. It should also be made clear how packaging costs will be included in the final cost of the product. It is important to get these costs agreed and in writing. Manufacturing Contract Duration: What will be the term of this agreement? The Three Main Types of Manufacturing Contracts Most manufacturing contracts involve one of three different types of manufacturing arrangements: Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM), Contract Manufacturing (CM), and Original Design Manufacturing (ODM). These three different arrangements influence various legal issues inherent to overseas manufacturing. Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) In this arrangement, the buyer purchases from a factory a product that is already being manufactured by that factory. The product buyer then packages this product with its own trademark and logo. The buyer and the factory may agree to certain cosmetic changes (color, shape, minor added features) that further customize the product for the buyer. In an OEM arrangement, the intellectual property (IP) rights are usually clear: the buyer owns its branding (trademarks, logos and packaging) and the factory owns the product. Difficulty arises once the product is customized. Who owns the IP once the buyer has made changes to the product? An OEM agreement can provide clarity here. Usually, the buyer seeks to restrict the factory from using the customization in selling the base product to third parties. Contract Manufacturing (CM) In this arrangement, the buyer has a fully developed product design. Traditionally, this design was of a product that had been previously manufactured by the buyer. More recently, the product is a new design being manufactured for the first time overseas. In a CM arrangement, ownership may seem simple: the foreign buyer owns all the IP, both in design and branding, and the factory owns nothing. In practice, however, the division is not always so clear. For example, your factory may change your products design and use those design changes to modify its own products it sells in direct competition with your products. Difficulties exist in every contract manufacturing project, and they can be resolved with a clear, written agreement. Original Design Manufacturing (ODM) As external manufacturers are becoming more technically competent, foreign buyers have started entering into arrangements in which their overseas factories do some or all the product design work. There are many variations on this approach. In its most fundamental form, the foreign buyer provides drawings and a specification sheet, and the overseas factory does the rest of the work in consultation with the buyer. In an ODM arrangement, the obvious question is: who owns the design of the product? Both the foreign buyer and its overseas factory may claim ownership of the design using conflicting arguments. The overseas factory will agree to make the product on an exclusive basis for the foreign buyer, but the foreign buyer does not have the right to have the product made by a third-party factory. This position can come as a bad surprise to the foreign buyer, particularly when its overseas factory suddenly announces it will be doubling the price for manufacturing the product. These issues can get even more complex when the product incorporates or is based on technology clearly owned by the overseas factory. In this context, the factory will often state that the buyer can go anywhere it wants to manufacture the buyers own portion of the product design, but no third-party factory can make use of the factorys proprietary technology in the manufacturing process. Consider this case for a foreign buyer that has spent considerable time and effort to develop a product design only to learn after a year that its overseas factory has decided to terminate the manufacturing agreement. There is no simple default answer to these difficult issues; the only way to resolve them is to draft a detailed written ODM agreement in advance, setting out a path to resolution that is fair to both sides. The legal default in most countries will favor the position of the factory. Absent a clear agreement on how to proceed, the foreign buyer will lose pretty much every time. China Manufacturing Contracts Product Development Agreements Foreign companies that outsource their product manufacturing to China often co-develop their products with Chinese manufacturers. In some cases, the foreign company has completed its product development and the Chinese manufacturers only involvement is in setting up to manufacture the product in high volumes. In other cases, the foreign company side has only a general product idea and the Chinese manufacturer is tasked with turning the foreign companys napkin scribblings into a viable commercial product. Sometimes both the Chinese manufacturer and the foreign company contribute technology and know-how so the final product is a blend of both parties contributions. The product development stage is the highest risk stage for foreign companies manufacturing in China, yet it is also the stage most neglected by foreign companies. Foreign companies will use NNN agreements in the factory search stage and they will use OEM agreements for the production stage, but they rarely use product development agreements. This is a big mistake that often leads to one of two disasters for the foreign company. The first disaster can occur when the Chinese manufacturer does not charge the foreign company anything for the product development work. In these situations, the Chinese manufacturer often will claim that any intellectual property in the developed product is its own and will generously offer to make the product on behalf of the foreign company at price, payment, quantity, quality and delivery terms chosen by the Chinese manufacturer. No matter how outrageous the pricing or other demands from the Chinese manufacturer, there is little the foreign company can do because it waited until development was finished before even considering who would end up with its IP. The second disaster stems from foreign companies not considering the procedural issues necessary for successfully developing a product. Foreign companies far too often mistakenly assume that Chinese manufacturers can develop any product within the tight timeframes and close tolerances required by modern business. This often leads to the following: The product is never completed or never works properly. The product is not completed until after the market opportunity has passed. The product cost ends up being far higher than projected. The only good way to address the above product development risks is with a product development agreement enforceable in China. A good product development agreement covers the period between the NNN agreement stage when you are figuring out which Chinese manufacturer to use and the OEM agreement stage when you have already selected your Chinese manufacturer and know exactly what you will have manufactured. A good product development agreement generally includes provisions addressing the following: The product to be developed. The technologies the foreign company and the Chinese manufacturer will contribute. Who will provide the product specifications and in what form. Who will own the IP rights to the resulting product. Who will pay for product development costs? Who will pay for the molds and tooling? Setting of milestones. Chinese manufacturers often agree to do the development work, but fail to do so in a timely manner. Your product development agreement should provide incentives for your Chinese manufacturer to meet milestones and a penalty if it does not. Chinese manufacturers usually prefer to cover all of the costs of product development because they want to own the resulting product and foreign companies far too often go along with this, without realizing this likely means the Chinese manufacturer will end up with the product and its related IP. China Manufacturing Risk Management A China Manufacturing Compliance Checklist If you have familiarized yourself with the applicable Chinese laws and your business has done its utmost to comply with those laws, the odds of your company getting into legal hot water in China are low. We have helped countless foreign companies deal with China compliance failures, and very rarely have we concluded that our client was singled out for no good reason. Even when our client had done nothing wrong, we could still understand why the Chinese government had initially thought otherwise. On top of this, the foreign companies we represent have become much savvier in realizing the need to remain in compliance. It has truly been years since any of our clients have excused their non-compliance by claiming everyone is doing it. And yet we still get plenty of calls from companies that make this excuse after they have been caught operating illegally. Guess what in China like pretty much everywhere else in the world this is no excuse. But what exactly should you be doing now to ensure you are in compliance with Chinese laws? Corporate Compliance Are your companys activities still covered by the scope of business used during its registration? If you registered as an import/export company and you now own a factory, you should make some changes. Is your business in a different location from what is listed on your business license? That requires a change also. Is the person listed as your companys legal representative still with your company and still the person you want in this position? What about the general manager? The supervisor? Have there been any changes to the parent company? China Employment Compliance Chinas employment laws are complicated, localized, and pro-employee. Make sure you have appropriate written employment agreements with all of your employees in China, domestic and foreign. Review and update your employee manual (a.k.a. Employer Rules and Regulations). Review and update all other employment-related documents, from offer letters to severance agreements and everything in between. Make sure you otherwise stay in compliance: are all of your non-Chinese employees work permits and residence permits up-to-date? Have you secured approval from the local labor bureau for any employees under a non-standard working hours system? Have you secured all necessary renewals for such employees? Are you paying into the appropriate social insurance accounts for each employee? China Tax Compliance It is sometimes necessary to engage a competent local accounting firm. Your accountants must of course understand Chinese tax law, but they should also have at least a rudimentary understanding of your home countrys tax laws as well. For instance: make sure your transfer pricing is current and accurately reflected in your contracts and that your profit margins are high enough to keep Chinas tax authorities at bay. China IP Compliance We frequently get calls from foreign companies doing business in China that have let their China IP registrations fall into disorder (or never organized their IP in the first place). Most of the time, it is my law firms China IP lawyers who spot the problem. Even if you registered everything appropriately when you first came to China, have you kept up with newer products/services or brands? Are you registering design patents before you release your products? Are you keeping sufficient evidence of trademark use to fend off a non-use cancellation? Have you properly drafted and registered any trademark license agreements? Are you taking full advantage of Chinas trademark system to protect your brand name, slogans and logos? China Contract Compliance Many foreign companies do business in China in a way that makes it all but impossible for them to enforce their contractual rights. Do you have written agreements with all your major sources and clients? Are you using a lawyer to draft your design/manufacturing/licensing/purchase/etc. agreements? Are these agreements in Chinese? Enforced under Chinese law? Spend the time now on the above to avoid having to spend a lot more time later. Protecting Yourself from Scammers What can you do to help prevent China factory problems? The quick answer is to know your factory before you contract with them and especially before you send them any money. The way to know your factory is to do due diligence on them. The bare minimum due diligence on your potential China manufacturing partner should include the following: Obtain the Chinese manufacturers actual Chinese company name. This can then be verified by comparing it with the companys business license. Check with the official Chinese government registry to see if your Chinese manufacturer has actually been registered as a Chinese company. Check your Chinese manufacturers capitalization to see if it is sufficiently large enough and well-funded enough to handle your proposed deal. Check the Chinese companys corporate officers and shareholders to see if they have any conflicts of interest by owning other companies. This is quite common and often explains why they are insisting on you using certain sub-suppliers. Check the Chinese companys current operational status: Open, Irregular Operations, or Revoked. We have found that clients potential Chinese business partners had been placed on the irregular operations list by their districts Market Supervision and Administration Bureaus. The reasons for a company being flagged as such are often because of financial difficulties and mismanagement. You do not want to do business with such a company, because the consequences of a company being flagged as having abnormal operations include: Banking accounts and activities restricted or frozen. Services and licensing provided by government bureaus restricted or prohibited. Administrative penalties imposed. For example, a failure to notify the Bureau of a change in registered address carries a fine of RMB 10,000 to 100,000. The individuals in charge of the company restricted. Additionally, if the company has been flagged for three years, it will be placed on the list of companies that have seriously violated the law. We are seeing many more Chinese manufacturers on the irregular operations list than previously. Worse than that, we are also seeing more Chinese manufacturers showing up on the operations revoked list. Make sure the Chinese government has authorized your Chinese manufacturer (per its business scope) to do the type of business it is proposing to do with you. Companies in China must specify their intended business scope in their articles of association, and this scope is subject to approval by the government registration authorities and if a Chinese company exceeds its scope, it is operating illegally. Check the history of the Chinese manufacturer with which you might do business. Most fake companies do not bother to create a business history. If a company does not have a history you can verify, you should seriously consider walking away. Find out what property and IP your Chinese manufacturer owns. Companies that own property and/or IP are much less likely to scam you than those that dont. Check your Chinese manufacturers litigation history and whether and how often it has been in trouble with the government. A company that is constantly getting fined by the government and/or constantly getting sued by its product buyers is not a good company with which to do business. Have a good and China-specific manufacturing contract with your Chinese manufacturers. If the Chinese company formally declares bankruptcy (which does happen) and if it has some assets left (which also does happen) and if you have a China-centric manufacturing contract you at least have a chance at getting some or all of your money back. Pay as little as possible until your product has arrived and been quality-checked. One of the best things you can do to reduce your China product buying risks is to delay all or almost all payment until after you have confirmed delivery of conforming product. But few Chinese manufacturers will agree to this, and even fewer Chinese manufacturers that intend to scam you will do so. Use common sense. If a manufacturer seems too good to be true, it probably is not. Red flags: Insanely good proposed pricing Unrealistic promised delivery times Few questions to you about the details of the work Unresponsive to your questions to them Your Manufacturer Is Your Likeliest Competitor In deciding to manufacture in China, you will essentially be educating your Chinese manufacturer in how to compete with you. And guess what? It is perfectly legal for your Chinese factory to copy your products unless you have a contract forbidding that. It is also perfectly legal for them to use your brand name in China (or even to register your brand name as its own trademark) if you have not registered your brand name as a China trademark. Years ago, it was common to do business in China without a contract. Before China had modern trade laws and courts that were able to handle business disputes, this informal approach made sense because there was no alternative. To pursue a claim successfully against a Chinese company, there must be a written contract between the parties, executed by both parties in accordance with the Chinese law requirements. Unlike in the U.S. or the E.U., Chinese courts rarely allow for proving the existence of a contract by putting together pieces evidenced by scattered POs, invoices, emails and desperate phone calls. The court will insist on a written agreement that unambiguously names the parties and provides the basis for the agreement. Additionally, the contract must be enforceable in China. As a practical matter, Chinese courts incredibly rarely enforce foreign judgments, and it can be quite difficult to get them to enforce a foreign arbitration award. A contract enforceable in China must meet the following basic standards: YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Nearly 1.5 million Armenian nationals visited Georgia in 2016, Armenpress reports Georgias Department of Tourism informs. Armenia ranks 2nd among the countries from where tourist flows to Georgia were the largest. Azerbaijan tops the list with 1 million and 523 thousand tourists, while 1 million and 496 thousand Armenian tourists preferred Georgia in 2016. Turkey comes next with 1 million and 254 thousand tourists. Russia ranks 4th with 1 million and 37 thousand tourists, TASS informs. 164.5 thousand Armenians visited Georgia in December, 2016, making Armenia the leader of the monthly results. 6 million and 351 thousand tourists visited Georgia in 2016, which is an increase of 7.6% against 2015. YEREVAN, JANUARY 9, ARMENPRESS. Minister of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia Suren Karayan met with Hovel Chenorhokian on January 9 who introduced the opportunities to make use of the Geneva-based FEDA business and exhibition center, Armenpress was informed from the Ministry of Economic Development and Investments of Armenia. The 3800 square meter center is aimed at creating comprehensive representation for Armenian entrepreneurs in Europe. Hovel Chenorhokian presented the opportunities of the center, particularly, the representation of Armenian products in Europe, the prospects of exporting those products as a result of cooperation with major European commercial networks, as well as the logistical capacities of the center. Minister Suren Karayan highlighted the activities of the center where he had toured before. According to the Minister, the correct use of the centers capacities can record significant results. The participants of the meeting exchanged ideas over the creation of a logistics center in Armenia which will foster the representation of Armenian products in Europe and their export procedures. An agreement was reached according to which the Ministry will introduce in the near future the list of those Armenian companies the products of which will meet the qualitative standards of Europe and will be interested in exhibiting their products in the center. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan on January 9 sent a letter of condolences to President of Iran Hassan Rouhani on the death of former President of Iran Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, press service of the Presidential administration told. STEPANAKERT, JANUARY 9, ARTSAKHPRESS: Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani will remain as the President of the neighboring country in the memory of the Armenian people. During his tenure first inter-state relations between newly independent Armenia and Iran were established by giving a new impetus to the centuries-old friendly relations of our two peoples. Based on the firm ground created during those years, today we continue expanding and deepening our mutual cooperation, the Presidents letter reads. (Photo : Getty Images) Trump says warmer ties with Russia are a good thing. Advertisement US President-elect Donald Trump said on Saturday that only "stupid" people or "fools" would be against creating closer ties with Russia. Despite his classified briefing on an intelligence report that shows proof of Russia interfering with the election on his behalf, Trump remained unswayed. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing," Trump said in a series of tweets, adding that the two countries have enough problems without one another. According to Trump, Russia will have more respect for the United States with him in power than they currently do with Barack Obama in the White House. Putin allegedly had a "clear preference" for Trump in his race against Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton. However, Trump has repeatedly voiced his skepticism on the insistence by American intelligence agencies that Russia interfered in the 2016 Presidential election. Trump argued that his approach to ties with Russia might allow the two adversarial nuclear powers to close ranks and work together to "solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the world." US intelligence agencies have also made a troublesome prediction: Russia is not yet done with intruding in American politics and policymaking. They say that immediately after the Nov. 8 election, Russia initiated a "spear-phishing" campaign in an effort to get people to reveal their email passwords. The campaign targeted US employees and think tanks that specialize in defense, national security, and foreign policy. The unclassified intelligence report revealed that Russia provided emails to wikileaks. The website's founder Julian Assange has, however, denied allegations that they got the emails released from Moscow. The intelligence report also accused Russia of using state-paid "trolls" to make nasty comments on social media sites. The public report did not include classified details that intelligence officials shared with Obama. In an interview with journalists on Friday, Trump said that he had learned a lot from his discussions with intelligence officials. He, however, declined to say whether he accepted their belief that Russia had interfered with the election on his behalf. Advertisement TagsRussia, donald trump, Vladimir Putin (Photo : Youtube Screenshot) A group of 20 young people has been arrested in China over gang fight. Advertisement Over 20 young people in Southwest China were arrested and detained on Friday after they were found to have allegedly been preparing to be part of a gang fight. The South China Morning Post reported that the planned fight was discovered while carrying out another police investigation into an assault case, local officials in Sichuan said on its social media account. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "The suspects were trying to recruit over 20 people to take part in the fight mostly from Xichang in the prefecture," according to a statement from police officials. "They were planning to drive to the Nanhing county to help one of the suspect's cousins fight against a rival gang." Over 20 police officers had to be gathered to ensure that the suspects were rounded up as they head to the county. Investigations about the case are currently still ongoing. Meanwhile, gang fights are not quite as common in China than in other states. However, Chinese gangs have in the past been known to create cartels for their own self-interest. For instance, in October 2016, Chinese gangs mostly from Dongguan and Zhengzhou district were uncovered for using disabled people as beggars. The gang had been using the disabled people and people with disfigured faces to go begging in Asian streets after they had been issued travel visas from China. The beggars are tasked to ask for money in common tourist hotspots and later hand most of it over to the gang leaders. One beggar who was willing but still frightened to communicate said that the gang was quite large and had connections. "Back in China, there are many beggars who are suffering because of this gang," he said. Advertisement Tagschina, Gang fight, arrest (Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Mexican authorities say a gunman disguised as a female nurse shot and wounded a US consular official in Guadalajara, Mexico in "a direct attack" on Jan. 6, 2017. Advertisement Mexican authorities are seeking for a gunman disguised as a female nurse who shot a US consular official on Friday night in the western city of Guadalajara, prompting the FBI to offer a $20,000 reward for information leading to the suspect. The attack was captured on a surveillance video that was released by the Consulate General in Guadalajara. One footage showed a man in gym clothes paying at a parking ticket machine at 6:16 p.m. local time, while being immediately followed by another man. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The assailant wore a wig, a pair of sunglasses, purple scrubs, and white shoes. He was seen loitering by the car park exit while waiting for the victim to drive out of the parking garage. In a second video timed at 6:20 p.m., the suspect pointed a gun at the driver of a black vehicle and fired once before running away. Bystanders rushed to help the victim. A police source told media that the shooter may have been a professional hitman. "That's not an easy shot. He was probably aiming for the head but he missed as the [the victim] leaned over to put his ticket in the machine." A source in the city police identified the injured as 31-year-old Christopher Nolan Ashcraft, a foreign service officer in Guadalajara since June 2015. The US official, who was shot on the chest but is now in a stable condition, interviews visa applicants at the consulate, Jalisco state attorney general Eduard Almaguer Ramirez said. The US Consulate confirmed on Saturday that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was offering a $20,000 reward for information regarding the attacker. "The safety and security of our employees overseas is among our highest priorities," a state department spokesperson said. In recent years, a couple of US consular agents have been attacked in Mexico. In 2010, US consulate employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton, her husband, and the husband of a colleague were killed as they were leaving a children's birthday party. Citing "continued instability," the US Embassy advised American citizens a "travel warning" for Jalisco area, including Guadalajara, Puerto Vallarta, and Lake Chapala. Advertisement TagsMexico, USA, FBI, shooting, US Embassy (Photo : Getty Images) The Obama administration released a report calling for more thorough scrutiny of Chinese policies, which may put the US national security at risk. Advertisement The Obama administration released a report issuing a warning about the impact of Chinese industrial policy on the US chip market. The report, released on Friday, called for more thorough scrutiny of Chinese policies, which may put the US national security at risk. The report, released by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, stated, "We found that Chinese policies are distorting markets in ways that undermine innovation, subtract from U.S. market share, and put U.S. national security at risk." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement It further said that China has not shown corresponding commitment to global openness, despite benefiting from it. China, on the other hand, is also preparing its strategy to counter the anti-China rhetoric of President-elect Donald Trump. Bloomberg reported that China may impose tax or antitrust claims on bigger US companies. It may also resort to carrying out anti-dumping probes on US firms. China is also looking to gain a foothold in the international semiconductor sector, where it has allocatted $150 billion to be spent over the next 10 years. The latest report said that the US needs to come up with an effective response to maintain its position in the industry. The US has also exercised its international clout to check China's growth in global technological sector. It is believed to have hindered acquisition of German firm Aixtron by a Chinese business. It also nuked the sale of Philips' US lighting business to Go Scale Capital, which consisted of several Chinese businesses such as Nanchang Industrial Group and Asia Pacific Resource Development. Advertisement Tagschina, USA, donald trump Perhaps some of the blame lies with the early feminists, who could be very prickly indeed. Why should a man be afraid of a liberated woman? When a genteel man ventures forth in the cities, towns, suburbs and villages of the modern world, he knows that one of the most dangerous creatures he might encounter is a liberated woman. With razor sharp tusks, these formidable animals can disembowel a man and leave him dying on the ground. EVERY hunter who goes into the forest knows that one of the most dangerous creatures he is likely to encounter is a wild boar. If you watch archival footage of Germaine Greer eviscerating male panellists and audience members its easy to understand the basis of this fear. Germaine tended to go straight for the jugular, or should I say testicular? She was very good at ridiculing men and their sexuality in front of appreciative female audiences. Papua New Guinean men may not be aware of Germaine and her peers but the fear of having their sexual prowess and egos ridiculed might have something to do with their preference for wild boars over liberated women. Whatever the cause, this fear of the strong woman is deeply entrenched in the psyche of many men. However, if such men choose to read the forthcoming anthology of Papua New Guinean womens writing, My Walk to Equality, which I have had the opportunity to do, they will realise this fear has no basis. Far from being a diatribe against men, the anthology is more an invitation from Papua New Guinean women for men to join them in their quest for equality. As Elvina Ogil says in one of two scintillating forewords to the 300-page book: If Papua New Guinea is to claim its place among civilised nations, its women must walk with its men. Not behind, not beside but with [them]. The invitation is also extended to Papua New Guinean women still labouring under old world beliefs that see men as naturally superior. This sentiment is expressed and underpins the essays, reflections, stories and poems in this first collection of PNG womens writing. The message is clear: We are liberated women, come join us as liberated men. There are criticisms of men, of course, but these are not presented so much as censure as genuine attempts to illustrate archaic and misdirected thinking that is no longer relevant in modern Papua New Guinea. The days of strident feminism are gone and this is a good thing. Feminism has matured and is a lot more confident of itself and its aims. The anthology is a first for Papua New Guinea and while its value will be measured by the veracity of its arguments, it is only a first step. The next step has to be a lot more highly personalised. Oxytocin is a hormone that produces a sense of well-being and happiness when people interact and socialise. Men and women who have happy and fulfilling relationships with their partners and neighbours produce lots of this hormone. The chemical, however, is influenced by other hormones, notably estrogen and testosterone. Too much testosterone can overwhelm oxytocin and nullify its effect. Men have to learn to not feel threatened by women who exert their rights and then respond with testosterone powered aggression. Women must be careful how they exert themselves. They should not do what Germaine Greer did in goading men. To achieve equality women must be much smarter than that. And perhaps one day being a liberated Papua New Guinean man will be a mark of pride and represent a major step in gender relationships and building a more effective society. (Photo : Getty Images) Despite a cross-border agreement with Taiwan, China is still holding custody to over 200 Taiwanese telecom fraud suspects deported from different countries. Advertisement China is still holding in custody at least 223 Taiwanese suspects deported for telecommunication fraud from other countries over the past nine months, the Mainland Affairs Council said on Sunday. The Taiwanese government is now calling Beijing to uphold its deal with Taipei on joint efforts to curb cross-border telecom scams as well as to maintain cooperation to safeguard the rights and interests of people from both sides, the Taipei Times reported. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The Chinese government is currently holding the suspects on different detention centers across the mainland, and the Taiwanese government is seeking to bring them back to Taipei to face trial, the China Post reported citing the council. China, on the other hand, refused to send the suspects and claimed it has the right to try them, defending that although they are Taiwanese, most of their targets were Chinese citizens. Furthermore, Beijing noted the perceived lenience of Taiwan's justice system. Of the more than 200 suspects, 50 of them were nabbed in Kenya in April and August 2015 and are held at a detention center in Haidian District in Beijing. Last year, Malaysia also expatriated 32 suspects in April and 21 in November. They were detained at two detention centers in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province and Xiangyang in Hubei Province, respectively. Cambodia also deported 25 suspects in June last year and 13 in September. They are being held in Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province and Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, respectively. At least 78 suspects were also deported from Armenia in September 2015 and are held in two detention centers in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province. Vietnam is the latest country to exile telecom fraud suspects. It deported four just this month and all are being held captive in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province. Advertisement Tagsinternet scam, VoIP, telecom fraud, telecom fraud suspects, Taiwan (Photo : Getty Images) US Texas senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott met with Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday during her transit stopover in Houston. After the meeting, Cruz blasted to China for pressuring them to call off the meeting. Advertisement In an outright challenge to China, US Texas senator Ted Cruz along with Governor Greg Abbott met with Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday during her transit stopover in Houston. The transit stopover in the US was an important itinerary to the Taiwanese leader's weeklong tour to Central America. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Cruz issued a critical statement immediately after his meeting with Tsai where he lambasted China for pressurizing Houston's congressional delegation to call off their meeting with Taiwanese leader. "The People's Republic of China (PRC) needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," Cruz said in a statement. "This is not about the PRC. This is about the US relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." Cruz outlined issues that were discussed during his hour-long meeting with Tsai. This included issues like arms sales and economic relations as the US senator hoped for trade relations between Texas and Taiwan market. In a separate statement issued by Abbott, he said that his meeting with Taiwan's president stressed on issues like agriculture, gas trade, and energy cooperation. No Meeting Between Trump and Tsai China will certainly breathe sigh of relief that the US President-elect Donald Trump did not meet with the Taiwanese president during her transit stopover. There are also less chances of possible meeting between the two leaders while Tsai will again make a transit stopover during her return journey. Trump had already categorically stated that he will not be meeting the Taiwanese leader due to diplomatic protocol. As per American diplomatic procedure, the US president-elect cannot meet any important leader before his official coronation. Trump is scheduled to assume the office as the 45th President of United States of America on Jan. 20. China Uncomfortable by Trump's Overtures Towards Taiwan Meanwhile, Trump may have already set a tenor for an uncomfortable relation with Beijing by offering unexpected overtures towards the island nation. Barely weeks after his stunning victory, the US Republican broke diplomatic protocol by accepting a phone call from Taiwanese president Tsai. He became the first US president to make such a move since US' official recognition of 'One China' policy in 1979. While this was not enough, Trump, almost a week later, sent another shockwave to Beijing by questioning the US government's commitment to 'One China' policy while urging them to use the policy as a bargaining chip. Advertisement TagsTed Cruz, US Senator Ted Cruz, Taiwan President, Taiwan president Tsai-Lng-wen, China and Taiwan, donald trump (Photo : Getty Images) A B-1B Lancer from the U.S. Air Force 28th Air Expeditionary Wing drops arsenal while on a combat mission in support of strikes on Afghanistan in this image released December 7, 2001. Advertisement The United States dropped an estimated 26,171 bombs in seven countries last year, which were 3,027 more than that of in 2015, according to the data released by the Council on Foreign Relations. However, although the airstrikes were conducted on seven countries, nearly 93 percent of those were dropped in Syria and Iraq, based on the data visualization shown by Graphiq. Both countries suffered 12,000 bombs each, China's CCTV noted. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement US bombing in Afghanistan also increased to 1,337 in 2016, which is nearly 50 percent increase compared with that of in 2015. Air strikes, however, decreased in countries such as Yemen with 34, Somalia with 14, and Pakistan with three in the last two years. Tucson News noted that the increase of US bombing could be attributed to the rising violence brought by the Islamic State, which is the primary target of US airstrikes in the Middle East and Africa. While the US increased its military campaigns of ISIS strongholds last year, including in Iraq's Mosul and Syria's Raqqa, terrorist attacks from the group also increased, with massacres recorded at a bigger global scale. Libya, which has been fighting since the fall of longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011, is the only new country added to the list, suffering 496 explosives. A US air strike was carried out in the country in August against the ISIS. However, Micah Zenko, a senior fellow of the council, noted that "This estimate is undoubtedly low, considering reliable data is only available for airstrikes in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia, and Libya." The report also did not consider the number of bombs dropped per strike and the US-supplied bombs dropped by other countries, which is likely quite a huge figure since US is the world's biggest weapon exporter. Advertisement TagsUS bombing, US bombing ISIS, US bombing 7 countries, US bombing syria, US bombing yemen (Photo : Getty Images) China said the US' accusation that it is conducting cyber warfare operations in Beijing hotels is 'groundless' and is part of a 'smear campaign' being waged by unscrupulous groups against Beijing. Advertisement China on Friday vehemently denied the US' accusation that the Chinese military has been launching cyber attacks against Washington using two hotels in Beijing as their headquarters. The Ministry of National Defense, in a statement released over the weekend, said the US media reports were 'outright lies' and that the accusation was part of a 'smear campaign' being waged by unscrupulous groups against Beijing. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "The Chinese military has not supported any hacking activities," the defense ministry's statement said. 'Groundless Claims' "The Chinese government has been consistent in cracking down on the criminal activities of cyber attacks in accordance with the law. The US should not make groundless claims against China," the statement added. Beijing demanded an explanation from the US officials about the existence of a surveillance program, Prism, in which the top US security department gathers data on internet communications from top level US-based internet companies. Last Thursday, the US media reported that the Chinese military hacking units have been holed up in two Beijing hotels reportedly owned by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), conducting cyber attacks against the US. Top Secret Operations The media reports said cyber warfare has been part of Beijing's top secret operations and the military's headquarters' location in two hotels have been proven to be one of the better strategies in conducting their activities. China and the US have been trading barbs for the past year over cyber hacking, accusing each other of committing cyber warfare and espionage. Despite the two sides' 2015 agreement that they would not sanction computer hacking, a Chinese military personnel pleaded guilty to hacking classified US military information last July and was sentenced to four years imprisonment. Advertisement Tagscyber warfare, cyber hacking, cyber attacks, PRISM, surveillance program, top secret operations, People's Liberation Army (Photo : Getty Images) Jared Kushner, a real estate developer and son-in-law of Donald Trump, is reported to have met with Chinese businessman Wu Xiaohui, owner of Anbang Insurance. Advertisement Despite President-elect Donald Trump's anti-China rhetoric, his son-in-law Jared Kushner is reported to be mulling a deal with a Chinese business tycoon. The rumored negotiation is likely to take its toll on Trump's upcoming inauguration proceeds. Kushner, a real estate developer, is reported to have met with Chinese businessman Wu Xiaohui. Kushner is married to Trump's daughter Ivanka, while Wu is the chairman of Anbang, a privately owned Chinese business group. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The duo is said to have met as recently as Nov. 16 at the Waldorf Astoria. The meeting was reportedly regarding a potential joint venture related to the 666 Fifth Avenue building in New York City. The Waldorf Astoria property belongs to the Chinese business, which bought it for about $2 billion in 2014. The New York Times reported that the Anbang discussions were started before Trump recorded his presidential victory. However, Risa Heller, a spokesperson for Kushner, declined to provide any financial details about the negotiations. Kushner is believed to have hired a leading Washington law firm WilmerHale to deal with potential issues related to federal ethics law. Trump's son-in-law may seek to join the White House staff as an adviser to the president. The Anbang chairman is also politically well-connected as he is married to the granddaughter of China's former leader Deng Xiaoping. His company is also believed to have connection to several significant Communist Party associates. Anbang was formed in 2004, and since then, it has grown into a multi-national conglomerate. Advertisement TagsJared Kushner, Wu Xiaohui, Anbang (Photo : Getty Images) Sources claimed that Indias prominent leader Rahul Gandhi has officially been invited by the Communist Party of China (CPC) for a weeklong tour, which will commence on Jan. 15. Advertisement India's prominent political leader Rahul Gandhi will be on a weeklong tour to China from next week, people familiar with the matter have said. Gandhi is the vice president of Indian National Congress (INC), one of India's most powerful political parties. Sources claimed that Rahul Gandhi has been officially invited by the Communist Party of China (CPC) for a weeklong tour that commences on Jan. 15. He is likely to meet several important Chinese leaders and hold discussion on range of issues affecting both countries. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement It must be noted that a CPC delegation had visited India in May last year when they met Congress President Sonia Gandhi (Rahul Gandhi's mother) and also India's former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The CPC delegation also held a meeting with India's current Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The exchange between CPC and Indian political parities is not a new occurrence at all. The party-to-party exchange between the two Asian countries has been in practice for almost a decade now. In fact, Sonia Gandhi paid a visit to China in 2007 with an official invitation of CPC. She met the then Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during her weeklong visit. However, Rahul Gandhi's visit comes at a very critical time as relationship between the two countries has hit a rough patch in recent months. The contagious Masood Azhar and Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG) issues are proving to be a thorny issues in their bilateral relationship. It is not clear whether Gandhi will be discussing these sensitive issues with the Chinese leaders during his weeklong tour. Advertisement TagsRahul Gandhi, china, China and India, Rahul Gandhi to Visit China, India (Photo : Getty Images) Chinas Global Times warned Trump that if he abandons 'One China' policy, Chinese people will instigate the government to take revenge. Advertisement China's popular nationalistic tabloid on Sunday warned US President-elect Donald Trump that Beijing would set on a "revenge" mode if he renounces the "One China" policy. The warning comes barely hours after Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen made a controversial stopover at America's Houston city before flying to South America. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement The Global Times editorial categorically stated that the "One China" principle holds paramount importance in the Sino-US relationship and any compromise on it is simply unacceptable. "Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon US presidents, but an obligation of US presidents to maintain China-US relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific," it said. The editorial claimed that if the Trump administration attempts to abandon the one China principle, then "Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining." The use of word "bargaining" seems to deliberate on the part of Global Times editorial, since Trump had categorically stated that US ought to use the "One China" policy as a bargaining chip against the Chinese government. Meanwhile, several senior US Republican lawmakers met Taiwan's president Tsai during her brief stopover at Houston on Sunday. The meeting seen as an open challenge to China included prominent members like Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott. Shortly after the meeting, Cruz issued a stern statement against China saying that Beijing needs to understand that Americans are free to make decisions about meeting the visiting leaders. China apparently had warned the US not to allow the Taiwanese leader to make a transit stopover in the country while on a enroute to Central America. However, Chinese leadership can breathe a sigh of relief that Trump did not held any meeting with Tsai on Sunday. The US president-elect cited "diplomatic protocol" for his inability to meet the Taiwanese leader during her US stopover. However, Trump last week indicated media reporters that he is open to meet Tsai after his official coronation on Jan. 20. Advertisement Tagsdonald trump, china, Trump China, One China policy, US and China, Taiwan, China and Taiwan (Photo : YouTube Screenshot) Three 'terror' suspects have been shot dead by police officials in Xinjiang, China. Advertisement Three alleged terror suspects were shot dead by police officers in China's Xinjiang Province on Sunday night. The police had been in pursuit of the suspects, who resisted arrest, for their connection to a terror incident that transpired in 2015. Reuters reported that the region's governing body explained that the incident occurred in Hotan after police officials were faced with hostility from the "violent terror group." Like Us on Facebook Advertisement "We shot the thugs dead at the scene," the government told the Tianshan Net official news site. "There were no casualties on our side." So far, additional information on the Sunday incident has been withheld. A similar incident had been witnessed two weeks earlier in western Xinjiang, where members of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) rammed a car into the government compound in Karakax County. The suspects launched an attack and detonated a bomb on the location. In retaliation, police officials shot and killed three of the culprits. An official and a security guard from the government side, however, lost their lives due to the incident. Following the tragedy, the region's governing body revamped its anti-terrorism measures and carried out an investigation to the area chief, He Jun, over failure to perform his duty as well as discipline violations. Prior to the attack, Xinjiang enjoys a peaceful state with no major crimes being reported in the past few months. Rights groups and analysts argued that China's harsh regulations imposed on the Uighurs religion and culture are to blame for the rising violence. Advertisement Tagschina, terrorism, ETIM (Photo : Getty Images) India has reportedly started discussion with Vietnam for the sale of its indigenous Akash Missile. Both countries have apparently made this move to counter China's aggression in the South China Sea. Advertisement With China continuing to flex its muscles in South China Sea, India and Vietnam are now going all out to shore up their defense cooperation. The latest report on military cooperation comes on the back of several defense pacts signed between the two countries in recent years. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Reports in Indian media claimed that New Delhi has started a discussion with Vietnam on sale of Akash surface-to-air missile. Akash is India's indigenous missile that can intercept hostile aircrafts, helicopters, and drones within the range of 25 kms. Sources within New Delhi claimed that Vietnam is showing interest in acquiring the Akash missiles and discussions have already reached advanced stage on critical issues such as "transfer of technology" and "joint production." "Talks are in progress to arrive at a common plan. It's relatively easier on the Akash front since the missile system is 96% indigenous," a source said. These talks are likely to reach conclusive level when two defense secretaries of both countries will meet soon enough. Both secretaries are also likely to explore military projects under the new $500 million defense line of credit announced by the Indian prime minister in September. It must also be noted that India and Hanoi signed a civil nuclear cooperation agreement in December last year. India, over the years, has been pushing hard to forge defense pacts with countries located in China's backyard, with an apparent aim to challenge Beijing's supremacy in the South China Sea region. New Delhi's hard stance on South China Sea is apparently seen as a fitting response to China's alleged interference in the South Asian region where Chinese companies are carrying out massive infrastructure projects. India alleged that through these infrastructure projects, China is trying to cement its footprints in its backyard. However, Chinese projects in Indian subcontinent have been dodged with controversies and marred with public protest. Advertisement TagsIndia, India and Vietnam, Vietnam, Akash surface-to-air missile, china, China and India (Photo : Getty Images) Observers in China are worried that the country's boys are losing their masculinity. Advertisement Some people in China believe that the nation's overprotected boys are quickly becoming physically and emotionally weak. With a strongman president, a powerful military, and an enormous economic clout, China is worried that this "crisis of masculinity" is tainting the country's image of strength and confidence. Like Us on Facebook Advertisement Gender equality in China is less defined compared with western countries, and some observers in the country believe that the so-called masculinity crisis could lead to social problems and even put the country's national security in peril. As a result, a new school textbook, which aims to teach boys how to be masculine, has been released. The book called "Little Men" tackled the differences between boys and girls as well as the importance of establishing a solid father-son relationship, interacting with nature, and managing money. The book was first published in 2015 by Shanghai Educational Publishing House and has been approved for fourth and fifth grade classes in China. "This course is necessary for boys. They are so overprotected by the family they don't do physical exercises anymore," Miao Li, a 36-year-old businessman, said. "Nowadays, girls are becoming more like boys while the boys are becoming more like girls, introverted and shy," Huang, a parent and a hotel employee, noted. Tian, a retired worker and grandfather to an 8-year-old boy, believes that boys are now less masculine than during his time. Another retiree named Huang said that boys are more fragile emotionally and physically owing to too much homework. China's masculinity problems can be traced to a number of events. One of the major ones is the country's One Child policy, which was implemented between 1979 and 2015 to restrict the number of children Chinese families are allowed to have in a bid to curb rapid population growth. Sheng, the mother of a first grader, suggested that over-indulgence and parents' fear of losing their only child has curbed the adventurous nature of boys. Observers have long complained of a social phenomena such as the "little emperor syndrome" or "Prince Syndrome," where children grow with pampering and constant praise, leading many of them to have poor social skills and increasingly over-reliant on their parents. Some observers also blamed China's education system, pointing out that an acute shortage of male teachers deprived boys of male role models. Advertisement Tagschina, gender equality, Society news VLT ESO/NASA/JPL-Caltech/STScI ESO has signed an agreement with the Breakthrough Initiatives to adapt the Very Large Telescope instrumentation in Chile to conduct a search for planets in the nearby star system Alpha Centauri. Such planets could be the targets for an eventual launch of miniature space probes by the Breakthrough Starshot initiative. ESO, represented by the Director General, Tim de Zeeuw, has signed an agreement with the Breakthrough Initiatives, represented by Pete Worden, Chairman of the Breakthrough Prize Foundation and Executive Director of the Breakthrough Initiatives. The agreement provides funds for the VISIR (VLT Imager and Spectrometer for mid-Infrared) instrument, mounted at ESOs Very Large Telescope (VLT) to be modified in order to greatly enhance its ability to search for potentially habitable planets around Alpha Centauri, the closest stellar system to the Earth. The agreement also provides for telescope time to allow a careful search programme to be conducted in 2019. The discovery in 2016 of a planet, Proxima b, around Proxima Centauri, the third and faintest star of the Alpha Centauri system, adds even further impetus to this search. Knowing where the nearest exoplanets are is of paramount interest for Breakthrough Starshot, the research and engineering programme launched in April 2016, which aims to demonstrate proof of concept for ultra-fast light-driven nanocraft, laying the foundation for the first launch to Alpha Centauri within a generation. Detecting a habitable planet is an enormous challenge due to the brightness of the planetary systems host star, which tends to overwhelm the relatively dim planets. One way to make this easier is to observe in the mid-infrared wavelength range, where the thermal glow from an orbiting planet greatly reduces the brightness gap between it and its host star. But even in the mid-infrared, the star remains millions of times brighter than the planets to be detected, which calls for a dedicated technique to reduce the blinding stellar light. The existing mid-infrared instrument VISIR on the VLT will provide such performance if it were enhanced to greatly improve the image quality using adaptive optics, and adapted to employ a technique called coronagraphy to reduce the stellar light and thereby reveal the possible signal of potential terrestrial planets. Breakthrough Initiatives will pay for a large fraction of the necessary technologies and development costs for such an experiment, and ESO will provide the required observing capabilities and time. The new hardware includes an instrument module contracted to Kampf Telescope Optics (KTO), Munich, which will host the wavefront sensor, and a novel detector calibration device. In addition, there are plans for a new coronagraph to be developed jointly by University of Liege (Belgium) and Uppsala University (Sweden). Detecting and studying potentially habitable planets orbiting other stars will be one of the main scientific goals of the upcoming European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT). Although the increased size of the E-ELT will be essential to obtaining an image of a planet at larger distances in the Milky Way, the light collecting power of the VLT is just sufficient to image a planet around the nearest star, Alpha Centauri. The developments for VISIR will also be beneficial for the future METIS instrument, to be mounted on the E-ELT, as the knowledge gained and proof of concept will be directly transferable. The huge size of the E-ELT should allow METIS to detect and study exoplanets the size of Mars orbiting Alpha Centauri, if they exist, as well as other potentially habitable planets around other nearby stars. More information The Breakthrough Initiatives are a program of scientific and technological exploration founded in 2015 by Internet investor and science philanthropist Yuri Milner to explore the Universe, seek scientific evidence of life beyond Earth, and encourage public debate from a planetary perspective. Breakthrough Starshot is a $100 million research and engineering program aiming to demonstrate proof of concept for a new technology, enabling ultra-light unmanned space flight at 20% of the speed of light, and to lay the foundations for a flyby mission to Alpha Centauri within a generation. ESO is the foremost intergovernmental astronomy organisation in Europe and the worlds most productive ground-based astronomical observatory by far. It is supported by 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, along with the host state of Chile. ESO carries out an ambitious programme focused on the design, construction and operation of powerful ground-based observing facilities enabling astronomers to make important scientific discoveries. ESO also plays a leading role in promoting and organising cooperation in astronomical research. ESO operates three unique world-class observing sites in Chile: La Silla, Paranal and Chajnantor. At Paranal, ESO operates the Very Large Telescope, the worlds most advanced visible-light astronomical observatory and two survey telescopes. VISTA works in the infrared and is the worlds largest survey telescope and the VLT Survey Telescope is the largest telescope designed to exclusively survey the skies in visible light. ESO is a major partner in ALMA, the largest astronomical project in existence. And on Cerro Armazones, close to Paranal, ESO is building the 39-metre European Extremely Large Telescope, the E-ELT, which will become the worlds biggest eye on the sky. Just like when God created the world in Genesis, our first assessment of new life comes down to breath. Moms wait for that telltale cry when a newborn sucks in his first gulp of air. Doctors often measure viabilitywhether the baby can survive outside the wombby their ability to breathe. Back in the 1960s, babies born at 36 weeks or earlier regularly died of respiratory distress syndrome because their lungs were not ready to function on their own. Doctors now understand that these young babies need surfactant in their lungslike a lubricant that keeps their tiny air sacs from sticking shutand technology has brought us an artificial substance to help. Because of this development, babies born earlier and earlier have better odds of survival. Recent research shows that over the past 20 years the survival rate for babies born before 28 weeks has doubled. Babies born as young as 22 weeksthats more than four months earlystill have a slim chance. Step into any neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) in America, and youll see how modern medicine has advanced the pro-life cause. Babies whose survival was once declared impossible now live, grow, and thrive. My own twinsborn at 31 weeks and six dayswere saved by such technology. But these developments have also raised new moral and ethical questions. As a pro-life Christian, of course I believe life begins at conception. But when do I believe life is viable? Do we take our cues from medical science here? The Supreme Court declares abortion legal for all non-viable fetuses, meaning that the earlier a baby can survive the harder it becomes to use viability as a pro-choice argument. The NICU proves that life begins far earlier ... 1 New Christian Book Empowers Low-Cost Breakthroughs in Home Schooling and Self Learning Contact: Donald Mitchell, 781-647-4211, donmitchell@fastforward400.com WESTON, Mass., Jan. 9, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Students, parents, adults, teachers, educational administrators, and organizational leaders may obtain free electronic copies of a unique, new Christian book, "Breakthrough Learning -- Quickly Master the Right Material to Be More Fruitful," that explains how to quickly become highly effective in applying any subject or discipline, as well as how to more effectively teach a discipline. Individuals will be able to learn 20 times faster and be able to apply what is learned to accomplish 8,000 times more. "Breakthrough Learning" is based on 21 years of research in more than 60 countries by the 400 Year Project to identify how everyone on Earth can accomplish at least 20 times more with the same or less time and resources. Individuals can enhance their own skills and knowledge with this method. Parents of home-schooled children and those who cannot afford to pay for, but need, more education will particularly benefit. For example, adults who cannot afford advanced education can use the methods in the book to learn from many free online resources provided by major universities. As a result, excellent education is now going to be available to many more people for the first time. Praise God for that! Educators and organizational leaders may also wish to apply this method to make their institutions more effective. The learning method is also intended to be taught at a national level, through a combination of using videos, preparing teachers and local youth to be trainers, and adding the techniques to the study skills curricula in schools, colleges, and universities. Tanzania is the first nation that will be engaged in such an effort. Based on the results there, national efforts will be expanded around the world. In writing this book, Donald Mitchell acknowledges a deep debt to our Heavenly Father; the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Spirit for the content. The author commented, "God directs us to love one another and to serve one another. Seeking, applying, and teaching truth are just three ways of following His commands for loving and serving. 'Breakthrough Learning' should enable us to do so better." Free electronic copies of "Breakthrough Learning" may be obtained by sending a request by e-mail to donmitchell@fastforward400.com. The 400 Year Project conducts research and provides global educational services in how to accomplish much more with existing resources to expand and improve God's Kingdom. home US Bill and Hillary Clinton to attend Donald Trump's inauguration Former U.S. President Bill Clinton and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton are set to attend President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20, aides to the couple confirmed to several news outlets on Tuesday. Sources told New York magazine that after consulting with trusted advisers and friends, Mrs. Clinton came up with the decision to attend Mr. Trump's inauguration as a show of respect for the democratic process in the country. During the campaign period, Mr. Trump pledged that he would pursue an investigation into Mrs. Clinton's use of a private email server as state secretary and the financial operations of the Clinton Foundation. In a late November interview with The New York Times, however, Mr. Trump backpedaled, saying, "I don't want to hurt the Clintons, I really don't." Apart from the Clintons, former President George W. Bush and former first lady Laura Bush will also grace the inauguration. A statement from the Bush camp released on Tuesday read, "President and Mrs. George W. Bush will attend the 58th Presidential Inauguration Ceremony on January 20, 2017, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. They are pleased to be able to witness the peaceful transfer of power - a hallmark of American democracy - and swearing-in of President Trump and Vice President Pence." Mr. Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush, now 92 years old, has said he will have to miss Mr. Trump's inauguration for health reasons. During the campaign period, the younger Bush neither endorsed Mr. Trump as the Republican's presidential bet nor criticized him openly. He also did not support Mr. Trump on Election Day, but his vote did not go to Mrs. Clinton either. Meanwhile, his father voted for the Democratic presidential candidate, sources told CNN. Apart from Mr. Clinton and Mr. Bush, Jimmy Carter is the only other former U.S. president who has announced that he would attend the event. home US Catholic hospital sued for refusing to perform gender reassignment surgery A transgender man has filed a lawsuit against a Catholic hospital in Paterson, New Jersey after it refused to perform a hysterectomy as part of a gender reassignment procedure. The lawsuit was filed against St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center by the gay legal advocacy organization Lambda Legal on Jan. 5 on behalf of Jionni Conforti. According to Life Site News, the suit is requesting an injunction forcing the hospital to provide gender reassignment and other similar forms of treatment. It also seeks damages for Conforti's "emotional distress and suffering, embarrassment, humiliation, emotional pain and anguish, violation of his dignity, and loss of enjoyment of life." The lawsuit stated that Conforti was initially informed by the head nurse in charge of surgery that the procedure will be performed. But he was later told by the hospital administrator that the hysterectomy will not be carried out because the hospital was Catholic. "I felt completely disrespected. That's not how any hospital should treat any person regardless of who they are," said Conforti. St. Joseph's Healthcare System released a statement saying the hospital is following the Catholic Ethical and Religoius Directives (ERDs) proclaimed by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in 2009. "St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center is a leading Catholic healthcare institution serving one of the most diverse and underserved populations in New Jersey," the statement read. "The Medical Center follows the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services in making decisions about care and treatment," it added. The ERD's are guiding principles that were designed to ensure that Catholic hospitals are operating in accordance with Catholic teaching. The lawsuit came just after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction against a U.S. Health and Human (HHS) Services regulation that would prevent doctors, hospitals and insurers from discriminating against individuals based on their gender identity. Judge Reed O' Connor ruled on Dec. 31 that the regulation, which was supposed to take effect on Jan. 1, would force religious hospitals to violate their beliefs or risk severe penalties if they do not amend their policies. The lawsuit claims that the hospital's patient bill of rights guarantees treatment without discrimination and includes gender identity and expression. Conforti argued that the hospital performs hysterectomies for other women who are "cisgender," a term used by transgender activists to describe people who identify with their birth gender. home World Christian ministry trains North Korean women to lead future churches A Christian ministry located in China is training trafficked North Korean women to become leaders of the future church in their home country. Christian charity organization Open Doors is providing assistance and pastoral care to about 150 to 250 trafficked North Korean women in China each year. These women have been sold into marriage and servitude, and many have been maltreated by their husbands or their captors. Hwa-Young is one of the workers who dedicated her life to ministering to the trafficked women. She said that the first two years of her life as a minister had been difficult, but now, she no longer has any doubts about her chosen line of work. She recalled that North Korea's capital of Pyongyang was once considered as the "Jerusalem of the East" because of the prevalence of Christianity. "Now the people have to worship idols of Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il in this city... The women were raised in fear," she remarked. "They grew up in severe poverty. They are always hungry. All of them know what it is like to worry about every meal, to eat from the trash and to beg for food," she continued. She added that North Koreans attend pre-school at about five years old, but they are also forced to watch public executions. Hwa-Young said that the most challenging part of reaching out to the trafficked women are the cultural barriers and their psychological issues. "Even when they are older and leave the country, they still experience that psychological pressure of fear. There is much more freedom here in China, but the women are still not safe. Additionally, most of them have been abused, both in North Korea and in China," she said. Hwa-Young was once shocked to learn that one of the women she was helping was repatriated to North Korea. She later learned that the woman, who was identified by the pseudonym Grace, was taken to a North Korean prison camp as a defector. One police officer suggested to Grace that he would be willing to free her if she knew anyone who could pay money in exchange for her freedom. She was released a month later after her friends in China raised the money demanded by the officer. Grace was able to escape to China again and rejoin Hwa-Young's group after spending six months with her sisters. There are currently 10 women who are being trained to lead the women-to-women ministry in China, with the long-term goal of helping to build the future church in North Korea. The country has held the top rank in the Open Doors World Watch List as the most dangerous place to live as a Christian for 14 consecutive years. home US Democratic Senate leader vows to block Trump's Supreme Court nominee Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer said that he intends to oppose President-elect Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominees that he considers to be "out of the mainstream." Trump is expected to fill a vacancy at the Supreme Court when he takes office. During the campaign period, he released two separate lists of potential nominees that could fill the empty seat. In an interview on MSNBC's "Rachel Maddow Show," Schumer suggested that Democrats are prepared to block efforts to appoint nominees that veer away from the mainstream. "If they don't appoint somebody good, we're going to oppose them tooth and nail," he told Maddow. "We are not going to make it easy for them to pick a Supreme Court justice," he added. When asked whether he would rather keep the seat open than confirm a nominee outside the mainstream, Schumer replied, "absolutely." "It's hard for me to imagine a nominee that Donald Trump would choose that would get Republican support that we [Democrats] could support," said Schumer. The vacancy at the Supreme Court was created after the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February last year. President Obama nominated U.S. Appeals Judge Merrick Garland in March to fill the vacancy, but it was blocked by Senate Republicans. The nomination expired without a vote on Tuesday when the new 115th Congress was sworn in. In June, Schumer castigated Republicans for refusing to give Garland the vote. "Having a deadlocked, 4-4 court could lead to judicial chaos surrounding environmental protections, voting rights, and so many other issues that are important to everyday Americans. This delay has gone on long enough, it's time for the Senate to do the job we were elected to do," he said. Trump is also expected to fill 103 vacancies in federal and district courts across the U.S. There were only 54 vacancies when Obama assumed power in 2009. Democrats have asserted that the high number of judicial appointments inherited by Trump was due to the obstructionism caused by the Republican Congress. Republicans are hopeful that the president-elect will appoint judges who will uphold conservative principles on issues ranging from gun control and abortion to regulatory reform. home US Illinois school district bars students from announcing prayer gatherings on Facebook page Another U.S. public school caved into the demands of the prominent atheist group Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), which has been keeping an eye on state-owned educational institutions, making sure that they don't endorse any religion. Following the receipt of a letter from FFRF, Wayne City Community Unit School District 100 in Illinois ordered that students at Wayne City High School should be prohibited from using the school's official Facebook page to invite schoolmates to prayer gatherings and religious events. The subject of FFRF's letter is a student's post on the Wayne City High School's Facebook page encouraging students to bring their Bibles to school on Oct. 6 and to join a prayer meeting. "We will be meeting in the in the library at 7:50 a.m. to pray over the day. Everybody is welcome to join in on this activity. We will be carrying our Bibles around school this day. This is not just a Wayne City school thing, it's happening Nation-wide," the post read. After reportedly receiving a complaint from one local resident, FFRF attorney Ryan Jayne wrote to Jeff Mitchell, the school district's superintendent, stating that the Facebook post violated "the basic constitutional prohibition by creating the appearance that the school and, by extension, the district prefer religion to non religion and Christianity to all other religions." The letter demanded assurance that the school district employees would not participate in the Bible activity and prayer gathering and that the school district prohibits the use of its social media accounts for religious announcements moving forward. It also asked for the post in contention to be taken down from the school's Facebook page. Mitchell replied on Dec. 27, assuring FFRF that the post had been deleted from the school's Facebook page and that those involved had been informed that such religious announcements are not allowed on any District sites. He asserted, however, that students have the right to bring Bibles to school. The past few months witnessed the Atheist group threatening public schools with lawsuits over activities and practices that appear to constitute religious endorsement, arguing that such violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Oak Park Elementary School in Ocean Springs Mississippi is one those that had been targeted by the group. In August last year, the FFRF was triumphant in getting the school to cancel a planned back-to-school prayer service. In September, the atheists prevailed in taking down a hallway mural of the Ten Commandments and a line from the Old Testament at O'Donnell High School in Texas. Tipton R-VI School District in Missouri also let go of prayers and a religious hymn, which used to be staples in their school programs, after being called out by FFRF. The school also took down a giant portrait of Jesus Christ from the walls of its library. On its website, FFRF describes itself as the largest organization of freethinkers, which it indicates to include agnostics and atheists, with 23,700 members in the United States. Founded in 1978, it endeavors to be a watchdog ensuring that religion and government remain separate. home World Irish church to stop celebrating Sunday mass in English due to priest shortage Parishioners at St. Brigid's Church in Newry, Northern Ireland were disappointed to learn that the only Sunday mass in English has been discontinued due to the shortage of priests. The worshippers are left with the option to attend the Saturday evening service or the Sunday mass that is conducted in Polish, according to Belfast Telegraph. The weekly services were also cut down from three to just one, which will be held every Friday evening. The 9:30 a.m. Saturday mass in the city's cathedral has also been scrapped along with the Saturday vigil at St. Mary's Old Chapel and other services. The members of the congregation were upset that they were not consulted prior to the announcement of the changes, and they were disappointed that the petition containing 600 signatures was not acknowledged. Bishop of Dromore John McAreavey expressed his grief about the decision, but he said that changes were necessary. "There is a sadness to it, of course there is. People are attached to their own Mass, their own church, and sometimes even their own seat. I say this with respect because we all have habits, particularly with religious practice," the bishop told the Belfast Telegraph. "I have a responsibility to make sure there is adequate provision of services, but I also have a responsibility to make sure priests do not find themselves with a burden that is unsustainable. I don't want to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, and that's our clergy," the bishop continued. He explained that the falling priest numbers and the low church attendance, with the exception of Christmas Eve, were the main reasons for the changes. There used to be nine priests serving the Newry Parish a decade ago, but now, there are just three. McAreavey said that the numbers celebrating mass in St. Brigid's had been monitored for six months, and it showed that the attendance was higher on Saturday evenings than on Sunday mornings at 11:30 a.m. SDLP Newry councilor Gary Stokes described the move as the "end of an era" for St. Brigid's. He also pointed out that people at his own parish of St. Mary's were disappointed by the loss of their Saturday vigil mass. Stokes stated that he and other elected officials are attempting to schedule a meeting with McAreavey to discuss the issue, according to The Irish News. The councilor said that he had heard suggestions that the 9:30 a.m. mass in St. Brigid's could be conducted in both languages. home World ISIS sex slaves try to commit suicide but were kept alive by captors Some of the young Yazidi women who were captured by the Islamic State were so desperate that they attempted suicide in order to escape, but their captor kept them alive so that they can be sold as sex slaves. Kurdish smugglers, who are partly funded by the Kurdish Regional Government (KRG), are able to rescue around 3,000 Yazidis from ISIS territories, but around 3,500 more still remain in captivity, Yahoo News reported. Bahara, one of the rescued women, was able to recount her experiences at a slave brothel in Raqqa. She recalled hearing screams when ISIS fighters came to buy new girls. "The girls would tell me their stories, they wanted to commit suicide, they wanted to die, but ISIS would not let them. They would try to cut their wrists," said Bahara. One of the smugglers who is participating in the rescue efforts is a Yazidi businessman named Abdullah. He said that more than 50 of his own family members had been captured by ISIS, which prompted him to start his rescue operation. Each rescue would cost the Kurdish government as much as $8,000, which includes the rent for a network of safe houses. A nongovernmental organization known as Yazda has provided support for the Yazidi women who were rescued from ISIS. However, the organization was shut down by the KRG officials, according to Human Rights Watch (HRW). Yazda staff told HRW that it received no warning from the Kurdish government, and they added that the "officers provided no reason, no paperwork and no information on how long it was being closed. The officers put locks on the doors to prevent staff from coming back." Former ISIS sex slaves Nadia Murad and Lamya Haji Bashar have called on the EU to recognize the ongoing genocide against the Yazidis. "The EU must call for its prosecution and international accountability for Isis, for example before the International Criminal Court, Tribunal, or a special court," the girls said in a joint statement, according to The Independent. They also appealed to the EU and the international community to establish a safe zone for the protection of Yazidis, Christians and other minorities. home US Kentucky lawmakers pass two bills restricting abortions The Kentucky House and Senate passed a bill that will ban abortions after 20 weeks. A separate bill requiring physicians or technicians to perform an ultrasound on a pregnant woman before an abortion will also head to the desk of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin. According to a report from CNN, House Bill 2 (HB2) would require the physician or technician to show and describe the ultrasound images to the mother, and provide the audio of the fetal heartbeat before the abortion. The bill would allow the pregnant woman to avert her eyes from the images and request to reduce or turn off the volume of the heartbeat. HB2 was passed by the House by an 83a12 vote and 23a5 in the Senate. State Rep. Kimberly Moser said that the bill would help ensure that pregnant women are fully informed before they make a final decision regarding an abortion. "It is with accurate information that a patient can make an informed decision regarding their treatment, whether it is treatment for a brain tumor requiring an MRI or CAT scan, or if it is to determine the health and the progress of a pregnancy through an ultrasound," she said, according to Life News. Abortion providers who are found to be in violation will be required to pay a fine of $100,00 for the first offense and $250,000 for subsequent offenses, according to Baptist Press. Senate Bill 5 (SB5) will prohibit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, the period in which the unborn is believed to be capable of feeling pain. The measure provides no exceptions for cases of rape or incest, although it would permit abortions in cases when the mother's life is in danger. The Senate passed SB5 with a 30a6 vote while the House voted 79a15 to pass the measure. Kentucky will be the 16th state to enact the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act if Bevin signs SB5. Kate Miller of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky has released a statement expressing her organization's opposition to the measures. "Senate Bill 5 and House Bill 2 are not about women's health. They represent nothing more than political intrusion in the most personal, private decisions," the statement read. An emergency provision included in both bills will allow the laws to take effect as soon as they are signed by the governor. home World Nepalese Christians are being prevented from burying their dead Nepalese Christians are having difficulty obtaining rights to their own burial grounds, and they are being forced to bury their dead at nearby forests at night, according to a Christian lobbying group. C.B. Gahatraj, general secretary of the Federation of National Christians, Nepal (FNCN), said in an interview with The Christian Post that there have been reports that the deceased Christians were dug up from the ground and dumped at the homes of the relatives or discarded on the streets. Gahatraj noted that Christians who bury their dead in the forests are at risk of facing legal consequences if they are caught, and these Christians will have to dig up the remains and relocate them elsewhere. "If Christians refuse to dig out the bodies of their relatives, in some cases Hindu radicals have themselves dug out the bodies, and taken the bodies to the Christian relatives' home, and in other cases have just left the dead bodies on the streets," he stated. Christians have held hunger strikes to protest the burial ban which resulted in an agreement to temporarily allow a cemetery for Christians, according to Gahatraj. He said that the Christian church is continuously growing despite the hardships they are facing. He noted that there are currently over 10,000 houses of worship, but they are struggling to get registered with the government and be officially recognized as nonprofit organizations. Nepal is officially a secular state, but there are prohibitions against proselytizing. Gahatraj explained that people are allowed to practice their religion, but they are forbidden from sharing their faith with others. Last June, eight Christian counselors were arrested for distributing pamphlets about Jesus in a Christian school. They were accused of trying to convert children, but they denied the allegation. Gahatraj told World Watch Monitor that the pamphlet they distributed was just a children's book that happens to contain the story of Jesus. The charges against the counselors were eventually dropped in December. Some pastors are falsely accused of money laundering when they receive foreign aid, and they are sometimes investigated by the police without a warrant. FNCN is continuously negotiating with the government to stop harassment of Christians. "We have a six-point agreement with the government of Nepal. If the government implements and takes action on this agreement, our rights, our freedom of religion, will be very much benefited, and it will last for a longer period of time," Gahatraj told The Christian Post. The agreement calls on the government to recognize Christian churches across Nepal. It states that Christians should be allowed to manage their sacred religious spaces, and it also appeals for equal treatment with regards to allocated public holidays. home Faith One Christian died for his faith every six minutes in 2016 About 90,000 Christians were killed for their faith in 2016. That translates to one death every six minutes of the previous year. The figures were revealed by Massimo Introvigne, director of the Centre for Studies and New Religions (CESNUR), in a recent interview with Vatican Radio. The numbers will be included in the statistics that will be published by the Center for Study of Global Christianity. Introvigne further shared that Christians killed in tribal conflicts in Africa represent 70 percent of the total Christian deaths because of faith in 2016. The center considered such cases because the Christians died after their conscience could not take it to engage in a lethal fight. The other 30 percent represent those who were slain in terrorist attacks, in the ransack of Christian villages, and in government persecution such as in North Korea. Introvigne noted that the CESNUR's figures are much higher than the numbers generated by studies of other U.S. research centers, but he offered that it's because they counted "people who are killed in a broad sense" and not just those who were given a choice of "either deny your faith or perish." Open Doors, for example, estimates that only 7,000 Christians were slain for their faith, but Open Doors Director of Communication Emily Fuentes explained, in an email to The Christian Post, "This is an extremely conservative estimate, as we only track those we have confirmed details about name, location, etc." CESNUR's numbers, however, appear to be in line with what Bishop John McAreavy, chair of the council for Justice and Peace of the Irish Catholic Bishop's Conference, told the Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, back in 2015, as reported by The Christian Post. Citing findings by Pew Research and International Society for Human rights, he reported that Christians are being persecuted in 110 countries and that at least 100,000 Christians are killed yearly for their faith. home Life People will recognize each other in heaven, says Pastor Greg Laurie Greg Laurie, senior pastor at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, California, said that people will be able to recognize each other when they meet in heaven. Laurie said in a Facebook video that many have asked him whether people will recognize one another in heaven. The pastor suggested that people will know each other in heaven because they will retain the knowledge that they gained on Earth. "Why would you think you would know less in heaven than you know on earth? Maybe I should ask the question 'Do you recognize one another on Earth?' Well, of course you do," he said. "When you get to heaven, you'll know more, not less. The Bible even says that 'we will know as we are known.' It seems to me when we get to heaven our knowledge will even grow over time." Laurie went on to explain. "Yes, you will recognize your loved ones, those who have gone before you and have died in faith, you'll be reunited with them; you'll recognize them, and you'll pick up where you last left off," the pastor concluded. Laurie has spoken numerous times on the subject of the afterlife. Last September, he preached a sermon emphasizing that heaven is reserved not for good people, but for those who have been forgiven. He said that he hopes to see his son, who died in a freeway accident in 2008, when he gets to heaven. In another sermon, he noted that the Great White Throne Judgment is reserved only for non-believers. He explained that it is different from the judgment seat of Christ, where Christians will stand. The pastor warned that non-believers will go to Hades when they die and that the suffering in the afterlife is real. He emphasized that the only reliable account of the afterlife is the Bible, not those who have recounted their out-of-body experiences in various books. Over 476,000 have made decisions to follow Christ after attending Laurie's Harvest Crusades since 1990. In the crusade held in Georgia last September, more than 24,000 people heard the Gospel and over 1,000 people accepted Christ. home US Pro-Life groups not invited to Women's March on Washington Organizers of the Women's March on Washington are receiving flak from pro-life women activists, who, apparently, were not invited to the event. Some of these organizations reportedly applied to be organizing partners, but they never received a response. The Women's March on Washington, which will be held on Saturday, Jan. 21, a day after President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, fashions itself as an inclusive rally meant to bring attention to the importance of women's rights. "The Women's March on Washington will send a bold message to our new government on their first day in office, and to the world that women's rights are human rights. We stand together, recognizing that defending the most marginalized among us is defending all of us," the March's website indicates. While the event has not officially declared itself as pro-choice, its partners include organizations that are widely known to advocate and promote pro-choice principles. These include Planned Parenthood, the National Organization for Women, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and NARAL Pro-Choice America. Pro-life groups like the Susan B. Anthony List (SBA List) and Feminists for Life shared with The Christian Post that they were not contacted by the Women's March on Washington organizers. Former congresswoman Marilyn Musgrave, who currently serves as vice president of government affairs for SBA List, told the publication that the real intent of the March is to show opposition to Trump, who has strongly advocated pro-life sentiments. "Of course, there are other things too, but when you invite someone like Gloria Steinem, the message is all about abortion on demand," Musgrave stated. Meanwhile, Students for Life of America (SFLA), one of the largest national youth pro-life organizations in the United States, is planning to crash the march. According to its president Kristan Hawkins, in comments sent to The Christian Post, SFLA attempted to be a partner for the March, but her inquiries were ignored by the organizers. "Join Students for Life as we show those in attendance at the Women's March that the very thing they are marching against, violence against women, is what they are promoting and lauding with their support for abortion," the youth organization's Facebook page reads. In a statement sent to The Christian Post, Women's March on Washington organizers reasoned out that they have been dealing with a lot of submissions from interested parties. They stated, "As you can imagine, we are receiving numerous requests from hundreds of organizations who have expressed an interest in becoming a partner for the Women's March." home US Texas lawmaker introduces bill restricting transgender bathroom access A Texas lawmaker has introduced a bill that would restrict people's access to bathrooms according to their birth gender. Last Thursday, Republican Sen. Lois Kolkhorst introduced Senate Bill 6 (SB6), which will prevent local governments from passing ordinances that will force businesses to allow people to use bathrooms and changing areas according to their gender identity. The bill would also prohibit transgender people from accessing bathrooms that are not consistent with their biological sex in public buildings like schools and government offices, The Christian Post reported. Citizens will be allowed to file a complaint to the attorney general's office if a government building continues to allow transgender people to enter bathrooms not consistent with their birth gender. Government agencies and departments that are found to be in violation could be fined $1,000 to $1,500 for the first offense. Kolkhorst maintained that the bill was written "not to start a controversy but to end one." Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who promised to prioritize the passage of the bill, said that it was designed to "protect businesses from government interference." "Texans should feel safe and secure when they enter any intimate facility, so I applaud the work of Lieutenant Governor Patrick and Senator Kolkhorst for fighting to protect women and children from those who might use access to such facilities for nefarious purposes." said Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. The proposal has been met with opposition at the new conference unveiling the bill. The organizers had to close the door of a packed room when about a dozen protesters started a chorus of loud boos. The largest business lobbying group in the state has warned that approving the bill would result in the loss of up to $8.5 billion and more than 100,000 jobs. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas and other rights groups have come out to express their objection to the measure. "It's unnecessary, discriminatory and inconsistent with the constitutional value of equal protection for all," the ACLU's legal and policy director, Rebecca L. Robertson said in a statement, according to Fox News. "Make no mistake a the invidious intent of SB6 is to deny transgender Texans the ability to participate in public life," she added. In North Carolina, corporations, musicians, and sporting institutions have avoided the state after an identical law went into effect last year. Lawmakers in Kentucky and Virgina have introduced similar bills despite the fallout. home World Fulani herdsmen terrorists responsible for the killing of 800 Christians and moderate Muslims in Nigeria The Fulani herdsmen terrorists (FHT) are reportedly responsible for the killing of 800 Christians and moderate Muslims, as well as the destruction of at least 16 churches, in the latter part of 2016. Christians in Nigeria have been the target of persecution and violence by the Boko Haram terror group since 2009, but according to a local bishop, the nomadic Fulani herdsmen have grown more violent, with hundreds of Christians slain in attacks initiated by the group. "Fifty-three villages burned down, 808 people murdered and 57 wounded, 1,422 houses and 16 churches destroyed," Bishop Joseph Bagobiri of the Diocese of Kafanchan told international Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need about the situation of Christians in his area since September 2016. Western media has limited coverage of the atrocities faced by Christians and other marginalized groups at the hands of FHTs, but they are a growing threat to Christians living in the area. Fulani radicals and Christians have had conflicts throughout in history, originally over social and economic issues such as the distribution of farming lands. Bagobiri pointed out, however, that the "dimension of the problem has changed." It now includes religious hatred. "The Fulani are Muslim and the land they are attacking belongs mainly to ethnic groups that are Christian; now there is religious hatred driving the violence," the bishop stated. Bagobiri also pointed out that these days, the FHT has "sophisticated weapons they didn't have before, such as AK-47s of unknown provenance," driving the intensity of the violence in attacks from FHT. "The Fulani are Muslim and the land they are attacking belongs mainly to ethnic groups that are Christian; now there is religious hatred driving the violence," the bishop stated. The bishop lamented that Christian persecution in Nigeria does not get the level of international attention as the plight of Middle Eastern Christians. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali Condemns Koran Reading At Anglican Cathedral Epiphany Service Christians are familiar with the Bible texts that detail the conception and birth of Jesus to His mother, the Virgin Mary. But they are not so used to hearing the Muslim version of the story read out in church. And especially not on Epiphany, which celebrates the incarnation of God as His son Jesus - a doctrine denied by Muslims. Michael Nazir-Ali, a leading evangelical Christian in Britain, has now condemned the reading on a service at the Scottish Episcopal Church's Glasgow Cathedral last Friday. The congregation at St Mary's cathedral heard the Muslim version of the Virgin Mary's conception of Jesus, from the Koran's Sura 19, sung by Madinah Javed. The passage explains how Mary gave birth after an angel told her God would give her a child. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet, and that He was a precursor to Mohammed rather than the Son of God. Sura 19 states that Mary was "ashamed" after she gave birth, and that the infant Jesus miraculously spoke to her from his crib and claimed he was "a servant of God". It denies Jesus was the Son of God. A post on the cathedral's Facebook page describes the service as a "wonderful event". It says: "The congregation was also reminded during the service that it is not only Christians who give honour to Jesus. We were joined by friends from two local Muslim communities." The post also shares a video of the recitation. But Nazir-Ali, former Bishop of Rochester condemned the reading and called for discipline against those involved. "The authorities of the Scottish Episcopal Church should immediately repudiate this ill-advised invitation," he said in a statement. He also called for the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, to publicly distance the Church of England and the wider Anglican Communion from the event. " Christians should know what their fellow citizens believe and this can include reading the Qur'an for themselves, whether in the original or in translation. This is not, however, the same thing as having it read in Church in the context of public worship," he said. "It is particularly insensitive to have this passage read in Church on the Feast of the Epiphany when we celebrate not only Christ's manifestation to the gentiles but also his baptism and the divine declaration, 'you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased'." Christian Today has contacted the Diocese of Glasgow and Galloway for comment. Enoch Adeboye Steps Down As Head Of Redeemed Christian Church Of God In Nigeria One of the world's fastest-growing Churches has announced a change of leadership. The high-profile Pastor Enoch Adeboye of Nigeria's Redeemed Christian Church of God is stepping down after changes in rules in Nigeria governing charities and churches. Adeboye and his wife Folu have transformed the Church since he became general overseer in 1981 and it is now flourishing in nearly 200 countries. In the UK alone there are 800 RCCG churches with plans to open 100 more this year. The biggest is Jesus House in Brent Cross, London, with more than 2,000 Sunday worshippers each week. In Nigeria, there are about 14,000 RCCG churches. The aim, in the UK as elsewhere, is to have a church within five minutes of every person. In a statement on its website, RCCG described the change of leadership as a "slight restructuring" and said it was complying with the national code on corporate governance 2015 for not-for-profit organisations and "the need to promote good governance and best practices". The change in leadership applies only in Nigeria and Pastor Adeboye will continue to lead the worldwide church, as he explained in a letter to pastors. New legal requirements set up by the Financial Regulations Council in Nigeria mean that leaders of all registered churches, mosques and similar organisations can now stay in post for a maximum period of 20 years. In retirement, they are not permitted to hand over to their families. RCCG Nigeria is now to be headed by Pastor Joseph Obayemi. Pastor Funsho Odesola will serve as the new Church secretary while Pastor Joseph Adeyokunu is the new Church treasurer, the Church said. "We would like to inform all members of RCCG to understand this new structure and go about their service to God and humanity in holiness and soul winning. Let us also educate people around us and not spread inaccurate information," the statement concluded. Pastor Adeboye was a university lecturer in mathematics, a subject in which he has a PhD, before becoming involved with the Church. He is widely known inside and outside the Church community. In December 2008, Newsweek, the international news magazine, named him as one of its 50 most influential people. He and his wife have four children. In its article, Newsweek reported: "Behind Adeboye's extraordinary success is his reputation for honesty. While other Pentecostal pastors (including some Nigerians) have been accused of financial misdeeds or faking supernatural powers, Adeboye remains above the fray. Nigerian government leaders seek his input on pressing social issues. He recently made a public-service announcement condemning discrimination against people with HIV. He distributes his message globally through Facebook and MySpace, a self-published magazine called 'The Mandate', and a digital-cable channel called Open Heavens TV. His appearance is straitlaced: he always wears a pinstriped suit, a gleaming white shirt and a bow tie. "Adeboye experienced a miracle recently on a long and dangerous stretch of highway near Lagos, he says. His car was out of gas, and the gas stations were empty. Then God spoke to him, clearly, and said to keep driving. Adeboye drove 200 miles on empty. Could his gas gauge have been broken? No, he insists, God intervened 'because of the need in a crisis.' Adeboye knows well what some in the West have forgotten: in today's world, everyone needs a Daddy." Imprisoned And Beaten For Being A Christian: Life Under ISIS In Iraq After two years living under the terror of ISIS militants, a teenage Christian boy has revealed the horrors he saw and experienced. Ismail was just 14 when Islamic State overran Bartella, a Christian majority village in the Nineveh Plains just nine miles from Mosul, where he and his mother lived. They tried to escape but were captured by militants and taken to Mosul. They later received permission to return to Bartella, but were ordered to convert to Islam. When the two refused, Ismail was put in prison. "One day a Shia [Muslim] was shot right in front of me," he told Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in Erbil. "The terrorists told me: 'If you do not convert to Islam, we will shoot you as well'. That is when I converted to Islam. From that time on, we concealed that we were Christians." The pair were moved to a number of different locations, including Mosul. There, Ismail saw a group of children shoot dead orange-clad captives. He also witnessed a woman publicly stoned to death. He was taken to a "correctional camp" where he was forced to confess Islam and encouraged to marry, though he was now just 15 years old. "Yes, I am embarrassed for having had to profess Islam," he told ACN. "Daesh warriors made me pray. I received a prayer rug on which I could call upon Allah. Men were obligated to pray in the mosque on Friday. Anyone who would walk on the streets during the Friday prayer would be beaten. In the mosque, we were told that Assyrians were evil and that Christians did not believe in the right way. My mother should have to pray at home but she did not pray to Allah. "Then the Daesh warriors found my necklace with a cross, a sign that I am a Christian. The Jihadists beat me and I had to study the Qur'an for a month. I was hit whenever I could not answer their questions the way they wanted me to, and my mother was stung with long needles because she had not studied anything from the Qur'an." Ismail and his mother eventually managed to escape after being taken as hostages by ISIS militants when they fled Mosul, and are now living in Erbil where ACN is supporting refugees. ISIS was driven out of Bartella in October last year but the village is not yet habitable because water and electricity facilities were destroyed by militants and some explosive devices left by the jihadis have yet to be defused. However, church leaders have pledged to return and rebuild. Executive director of Samaritan's Purse, Simon Barrington, recently visited Bartella and spoke to priests and nuns there. He told Christian Today: "I was amazed by their determination and commitment to the people of Barterlla and the surrounding region; of their commitment to be a continued witness in that area. "There are huge risks for them in doing that, but they were very determined." Israel Ambassador Apologises After Embassy Employee 'Take Down' Comment Israel Ambassador Mark Regev has apologised after an employee of the Israeli embassy was filmed by Al Jazeera saying he wanted to "take down" Sir Alan Duncan, a minister in the Foreign Office. Regev admitted the comments by Shai Masot, a political officer at the embassy, were "completely unacceptable". In an undercover filming operation, Masot was captured talking to Maria Strizzolo, then chief of staff to Conservative MP Robert Halfon. Masot said: "Can I give you the names of MPs I would suggest you take down?" Strizzolo responded that all MPs have something to hide "something they're trying to hide". Masot then said she knew which MPs he meant, and referring to Duncan, specified the "deputy foreign minister". The apology by Regev was tweeted by Israeli embassy spokesman Yiftah Curiel. Regev said: "The Embassy of Israel rejects the remarks concerning Minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable. "The comments were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat and who will be ending his term of employment with the embassy shortly." PRESS RELEASE @IsraelinUK and @foreignoffice comments regarding remarks made by embassy employee pic.twitter.com/ma6skHB9os Yiftah Curiel (@yiftahc) January 7, 2017 Regev also spoke in person to Duncan last Friday and "made clear that the embassy considered the remarks to be completely unacceptable". Al Jazeera has been investigating the embassy for six months for a four-part series, The Lobby, to go out daily on Al Jazeera from January 15 at 22:30 GMT. Al Jazeera reported that a journalist posed as a pro-Israel graduate activist eager to combat the "boycott, divestment and sanctions" or BDS movement that has strong support from some people in the UK. Duncan has been a critic of Israel over its strategies towards Palestinians. He said in 2014 that he supports Israel's right to exist but believes Palestinian settlements represent an "ever-deepening stain" on the face of the globe and compared the situation in the occupied West Bank to apartheid. Strizzolo also told 'Robin': "If at least you can get a small group of MPs that you know you can always rely on, when there is something coming to parliament and you know you brief them, you say: 'You don't have to do anything, we are going to give you the speech, we are going to give you all the information, we are going to do everything for you.'" When Masot referred to Tory MP Crispin Blunt, who has also been critical of Israel, Strizzolo said: "On the hit list? Yeah!" Masot replied: "Arab apologists". Blunt condemned this as "formally outrageous and deserving of investigation". Lord Stuart Polak, director of Conservative Friends of Israel, told the the Jewish Chronicle: "We utterly condemn any attempt to undermine Sir Alan, or any minister, or any Member of Parliament." Jerusalem Attacker 'Was ISIS Supporter' The Jerusalem attacker had "all the signs" of being ISIS, Israel's Prime Minister has said. The assailant drove his truck into a group of officer cadets as they disembarked from a bus that brought them to the Armon Hanatziv promenade, a spot known for its panoramic view of the walled Old City of Jerusalem. Three women and one man, all in their 20s, were killed. Authorities identified the truck driver as a Palestinian from Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem and said he was shot dead. His uncle, Abu Ali, named him as Fadi Ahmad Hamdan Qunbor, 28, a father of four from the Jabel Mukabar neighbourhood. Benjamin Netanyahu did not give evidence for his claim about the Palestinian man who killed four soldiers in the deadliest attack in Jerusalem in months but the militant group has threatened to attack Israel. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said that nine Jabel Mukabar residents, including five members of the attacker's family, were arrested on suspicion of aiding the attacker. The Israeli military regularly takes soldiers on educational tours of Jerusalem, including the Armon Hanatziv vantage point. Netanyahu visited the scene and convened his security Cabinet, a forum of senior ministers, to discuss Israel's response. He said that security forces were controlling access in and out of the neighbourhood. "We know the identity of the attacker. According to all the signs he is a supporter of Islamic State," the prime minister said. A government source said ministers had called for the demolition of the attacker's home and for his body not to be returned to the family for burial. It also decided to detain without trial persons expressing sympathy for Islamic State. The United States condemned the attack "in the strongest terms" and offered to help Israel work to determine who was behind the attack, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a statement that also expressed condolences for the victims. Roni Alsheich, the national police chief, told reporters he could not rule out that the driver had been motivated by a truck-ramming attack in a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 people last month. "It is difficult to get into the head of every individual to determine what prompted him, but there is no doubt that these things do have an effect," Alsheich told reporters. In another attack claimed by Islamic State and involving a truck driven into a crowd, nearly 90 people were killed in the French city of Nice in July. Actions inspired by Islamic State in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have been rare and only a few dozen Arab Israelis and Palestinians are known to have declared their sympathy with the militant group. A wave of Palestinian street attacks, including vehicle rammings, has largely slowed but not stopped completely since it began in October 2015, with 37 Israelis and two visiting Americans killed in those assaults. At least 231 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip in the same period. Israel says that at least 157 of them were assailants while others died during clashes and protests, blaming the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that allegation, and says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land sought by Palestinians in peace talks that have stalled since 2014. Hamas, the Palestinian Islamist group that controls the Gaza Strip, routinely praises those who carry out street attacks, and did so on Sunday. "We bless this heroic operation resisting the Israeli occupation to force it to stop its crimes and violations against our people," Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum told Reuters. Nickolay Mladenov, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, sent his condolences to the families while condemning the attack and those praising it. "It is reprehensible that some choose to glorify such acts which undermine the possibility of a peaceful future for both Palestinians and Israelis," Mladenov said in a statement. Additional reporting from Reuters. Michelle Obama Says Diversity Of Faith Should Not Be Seen As A Threat Before she steps down from her position as the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama gave a speech promoting racial and religious diversity during the 2017 School Counselor of the Year event held last Friday at the East Room of the White House. "Our glorious diversity our diversities of faiths, and colours, and creeds that is not a threat to who we are; it makes us who we are," Michelle said, according to the Gospel Herald. The First Lady was quite emotional during her speech as she urged the youth of today to always prioritise their education. During her eight years in the White House, Michelle said one of her treasured causes was empowerment through education. When she was just a young girl growing up on the South Side of Chicago, she recalled how her father worked hard just to see her and her siblings go to school. In fact, Michelle said they were the first generation from their family to ever attend college. "The hope of folks like my dad, who got up every day to do his job at the city water plant, the hope that one day his kids would go to college and have opportunities he never dreamed of," Michelle said. "That's the kind of hope that every single one of us politicians, parents, preachers, all of us need to be providing for our young people, because that is what moves this country forward every single day." With a good education under their belts, the youth of today can accomplish great things, Michelle said. "So to the young people here and the young people out there: Do not ever let anybody make you feel like you don't matter, or like you don't have a place in our American story because you do, and you have a right to be exactly who you are," she said. Michelle added that being the First Lady of the United States has been the greatest honour of her life. "I hope I've made you proud," she said. Millions Of Christians Process With Jesus Statue In The Philippines More than a million Filipino Christians processed through Manila on Monday praying for miracles. The devotees paraded with a black wooden statue of Jesus Christ, known as the Black Nazarene, which is believed by many of the country's Catholics to have healing powers. According to Reuters, people reached out towards the icon in the hope that even the slightest touch would bless them, heal their illnesses and those of their relatives. The process occurs every year on 9 January, and in previous years has drawn crowds of more than 12 million. Church officials said up to 15 million are expected to pay their respects this year, during a procession which will last more than 20 hours. Before it began, devotees took part in a vigil and Eucharistic celebration. "My purpose here is to give thanks to the Lord for all the blessings he has given me and my family every day," Jimray Bacomage, 37, told Reuters, saying the Black Nazarene had healed his broken arm. About 80 per cent of the more than 100 million people of the Philippines are Roman Catholic and the former Spanish colony is famous for its colourful religious festivals. The Black Nazarene, a life-sized wooden statue of Christ kneeling with a cross on his shoulder, is also paraded through the city on Good Friday to commemorate his crucifixion. It is usually enshrined in the Quiapo Church in Manila. According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), it has become "an emblem of passion, struggle and faith for Filipino Catholics". Father Jose Clemente Ignacio, Rrector of the Minor Basilica of the Black Nazarene, told CNA that Catholics will wait for hours and hours just to touch the statue. Of the procession, he said: "In a way it is imitating the Calvary experience: the sacrifice and suffering that our Lord endured for our salvation like when Jesus was walking barefoot, carrying the cross to Mount Calvary. "The devotees also want to give back to God by participating in the suffering of our Lord and entering into the Paschal mystery of Christ." "The Lord solved all the problems that came our way ever since I started attending the Feast of the Black Nazarene 16 years ago," 72 year-old Roilo Damiucon, who took part in the procession today, told Reuters. About 4,000 soldiers, police and emergency workers were on duty for the procession but police said there were no serious incidents. Some Western governments had warned of "possible terrorist threats to the procession". Mobile telephone services in the area were cut and authorities banned the use of drones and firecrackers. More than 100 devotees suffered minor injuries in the throng, the Philippine Red Cross said. In 2016, two people were killed and more than 1,200 people suffered minor injuries. Additional reporting by Reuters Pope Condemns Jihadis Who 'Disseminate Death' In God's Name Pope Francis has slammed "fundamentalist-inspired terrorism" which "misuses God's name in order to disseminate death". Speaking to diplomats from more than 180 countries, the pontiff listed attacks by Islamist militants that took place last year across Europe, Africa, Asia and the US. "Sadly, we are conscious that even today, religious experience, rather than fostering openness to others, can be used at times as a pretext for rejection, marginalisation and violence," he said today in the Vatican's Sala Regia. "We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses God's name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power. Hence I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God's name." The Pope said religiously inspired violence "is the fruit of a profound spiritual poverty, and often is linked to significant social poverty. It can only be fully defeated with the joint contribution of religious and political leaders." He urged government leaders from around the globe to invest in education and culture and create "suitable social policies aimed at combating poverty". He also called for a total ban on nuclear weapons, for an end to the arms trade and for a renewed vigour in tackling climate change by world leaders. In an interview with Spanish 'La Vanguardia' magazine last year, Pope Francis branded religious violence a "contradiction". "Violence in the name of God does not correspond with our time," he said. "A fundamentalist group, although it may not kill anyone, although it may not strike anyone, is violent. The mental structure of fundamentalists is violence in the name of God." Additional reporting by Reuters. Queen Recovers From Nasty Cold, Goes To Church For First Time This Year The Queen recoved enough from illness to make her first appearance of 2017 by attending church at Sandringham on Sunday. The 90-year-old monarch suffered a heavy cold over the Christmas period which stopped her going to church on Christmas Day, the first time she had missed the festive service in nearly 30 years. Concerns over her health were raised after other members of the royal family attended church on New Year's Day but the Queen was missing again. But on Sunday morning she arrived at St Mary Magdalene in Sandringham, Norfolk, for the service alongside Prince Philip, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Middleton family. She was driven the short journey from her country home to the local church while other royals walked. After exchanging a short greeting with the vicar she entered the church to cheers from wellwishers. Both the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh cancelled traditional plans to travel by train to their Sandringham estate on 21 December, instead choosing to fly by helicopter the next day. Prince Philip had recovered enough to make the Christmas service with Prince Charles, Prince Harry and other members of the Royal Family but the Queen remained indoors. Buckingham Palace said she was "recuperating" after a heavy cold. Sunday's appearance was the first time the Queen has been seen in public in more than a month. It is extremely rare for the Queen to take time off from public duties. The last time she missed a public appearance was when she cancelled a trip to Rome four years ago while suffering from gastroenteritis. Syrian Regime Will Negotiate On 'Everything' Says Assad Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said his government is ready to negotiate on "everything" in proposed peace talks in Kazakhstan but said it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set. Assad also said a ceasefire brokered by Turkey and Russia, his most powerful ally, ahead of the talks was being violated and the army's role was to recapture an area near Damascus where insurgents control the main water supply for the capital. He made the remarks in comments to French media that were published by the Syrian state news agency SANA. Asked if the government was ready to discuss Assad's position as president, he said "yes but my position is linked to the constitution". "If they want to discuss this point they must discuss the constitution," he said. He indicated that any constitutional matter must be put to a referendum, and it was up to the Syrian people to elect the president. The Syrian regime has been given an overwhelming military advantage over the rebels because of substantial support from Russia. A fragile ceasefire deal has been struck following the capture of eastern Aleppo, a severe blow to the rebel coalition. Russia said on Friday it had begun reducing its military forces in Syria under the terms of the deal brokered between opposition groups and the Syrian government. Additional reporting by Reuters. Woman Priest Becomes Youngest Chaplain To The Queen The Queen has appointed a young woman priest who serves as a Canon at Worcester Cathedral as her newest chaplain, it was announced today. Rev Georgina Byrne, 44, will be the youngest of 34 honorary chaplains to the Queen. She will in her new role preach occasionally in the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace, London, alongside her duties as residentiary canon at Worcester Cathedral. "I feel extremely privileged to have been honoured in this way," Byrne said of her appointment. "The letter from Buckingham Palace arrived, like a very special gift, just before Christmas and I've been smiling ever since." The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, said: "Canon Georgina Byrne is an outstanding priest and I am delighted that this has been recognised by Her Majesty the Queen. The great honour bestowed on her is good news for us at the Cathedral and in the Diocese: we can all bask in reflected glory." The Dean of Worcester, the Very Rev Peter Atkinson, said: "All at Worcester Cathedral will be delighted by the news of this honour for a popular and respected member of the cathedral community." Queen Elizabeth II is known for her strong Christian faith, and has spoken publicly of how it has helped her in her royal duties. In her Christmas address last month, she said Jesus' example helps us to see the value of doing small things with great love. "Even with the inspiration of others it is understandable that we sometimes think the world's problems are so big we can do little to help. On our own we cannot end wars or wipe out injustice," she said. "But the cumulative impact of thousands of small acts of goodness can be bigger than we imagine. "At Christmas our attention is drawn to the birth of a baby some two thousand years ago. It was the humblest of beginnings. His parents Joseph and Mary did not think they were important. Jesus Christ lived obscurely for most of his life and never traveled far. "He was maligned and rejected by many though he had done no wrong. Yet billions of people now follow his teaching and find in him the guiding light for their lives. "I am one of them because Christ's example helps me to see the value of doing small things with great love whoever does them and whatever they themselves believe." Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State tour will stop in central New York this week, but the time for his address has changed. Cuomo is now scheduled to speak at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Oncenter's Carrier Theater, 411 Montgomery St., Syracuse. The speech was originally scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday, but the governor's office send a revised schedule Sunday afternoon with the updated time for his Syracuse speech. Due to the change, Cuomo will now speak at 2 p.m. at the University of Albany's Performing Arts Center, 1400 Washington Ave., Albany. Cuomo is bypassing tradition to deliver six regional State of the State addresses. Governors typically deliver the address in Albany with the state Legislature in attendance. But that won't be the case this year. The State of the State tour will begin Monday with speeches in New York City and Buffalo. It will continue Tuesday with addresses on Long Island and in Westchester County. The Albany and Syracuse stops will conclude Cuomo's regional addresses. Cuomo has already unveiled several proposals as part of 2017 State of the State agenda. Last week, Cuomo held an event with U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders to announce his plan to offer tuition-free college at SUNY and CUNY institutions to students whose families earn $125,000 a year or less. Cuomo also proposed expanding the child care tax credit to help working families and called for stronger state cyber crime laws. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate What would football be without style? Seriously. Just in time for Super Bowl, Houston First has partnered with Sydney Dao of Squid Inc. to create LAUNCH, an exclusive pop-up shop to showcase Houston's growing fashion and design talent. It opens Jan. 14-Feb. 26 on the ground floor of the new Houston Partnership Tower, which is located between the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park. The hours are: Monday Saturday from 10 a.m. 6 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. 5 p.m. For more info, visit the Facebook page. The popup's interior will be designed by interior designer Gino Vian and arist Janavi Folmsbee, whose "Rail to the Sea" Mural located on Sawyer is one of Houston's largest outdoor murals. The featured designers/artisans at the popup are: RongRong DeVoe Rongrong DeVoe is a professional fashion illustrator based in Houston. US. Her fashion illustrations have been featured on Vogue, InStyle and Buzz Feed. Her clients include Chanel,Neiman Marcus, Armani, Maybelline etc. Claire Drennan Knitwear Originally From East Tennessee, Claire creates her luxurious knitwear from her studio in the historic East End neighborhood. www.clairedrennan.com Onyii & Co. Since her launch of Onyii & Co., in 2013, Onyii Brown has incorporated Africa-inspired printed figure-flattering wrap dresses and skirts into each of her collections. She has been featured in the British Vogue and was Martha Stewart's 2015 American Made Finalist. DAO Chloe DAO Chloe Dao - Winner of Project Runway, Season 2 and Houston's most celebrated fashion designer, La Mochi Sarrah Zadeh works closely with the Colombian Wayuu women to create La Mochi's modern interpretation of the mochila. She blends tradition, fine arts, and contemporary design in each bag. www.lamochi.com Stateline Designs Stateline Designs started in 2014 with two best friends wanting to start a local brand with comfortable tees and tanks for all Texans to love. www.mystatelinedesigns.com A Leap of Style A Leap of Style, founded by designer Karissa Lindsay, is an emerging brand of bold, yet classic apparel for the modern woman. The collection, which has been heralded by the Huffington Post, Essence and other national media, uses vibrant African textiles, quality of construction, and versatility of design. Temple Street Ana Mae Holmes is the president and designer of Temple Street, a line of handcrafted, limited-edition jewelry. Brenda Grands Brenda Grands created 'Nature' a new jewelry line that compiles everything she wanted to create. www.brendagrands.com Stash Stash, founded by Cheryl Schulke, is hand built exclusively in Texas. Kisa Kisa Handbags Kisa William's handbag designs are bold and fun. Every physical aspect of a KisaKisa Fashion handbag is Houston made. Marilyn Biles Marilyn Biles paintings have become the inspiration for a line of women's accessories under the Manoosh label. Leighton Hale's life has come full circle. He left Houston in 1999 wanting to experience life in other cities. Los Angles was his first stop; there he met his partner, Carlos Garza. Together they wandered to Anacortes, Washington, for its beautiful scenery. They pondered a move to Savannah, Ga., but landed in Montgomery, Ala., instead. By 2008 they were ready to return to Houston, where Hale has used the entrepreneurial skills he learned through the years to open a unique home decor store, Back Row Home. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This story ran in the Houston Chronicle on April 5, 1969. The headline and words are reprinted as they appeared then. A mechanical heart for the first time is totally replacing a human one in an effort to keep a man alive until a suitable heart transplant donor can be found. The highly experimental artificial heart was implanted in the chest of Haskell Karp, 47, of Skokie, Ill., Friday afternoon in a three hour operation at St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital. The decision to use the artificial device, tested thus far only on animals, was made after an attempted operation to repair Karp's extensive heart damage failed and he "did not recover enough to permit him to leave the operating room alive," said Dr. Denton A. Cooley, who headed the surgical team. More Information Wife's Urgent Appeal Plea for a Heart - 'God-Given Heart' Mrs. Shirley Karp, wife of the patient kept alive with an artificial heart, today appealed for a heart donor: "Someone -somewhere- please hear my plea. A plea for a heart for my husband. I see him lying there breathing and knowing that within his chest there is a man-made implement where there should be a God-given heart. How long he can survive, only can only guess. "I cry without tears. I wait hopefully. Our children wait hopefully and we pray. "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh. But, the Lord also gave us gifted men - such as Dr. Denton Cooley and Dr. Domingo Liotta, who are instrumental in prolonging life. "Maybe somewhere there is a gift of a heart for my husband. Please -." See More Collapse Soon after the artificial heart was attached to a remnant of Karp's own heart, he was able to respond to commands, raise his hands and wiggle his toes, hospital officials reported. Awake and Alert Karp this morning was awake and alert and in satisfactory condition, a hospital spokesman said. His wife, Shirley, visited him briefly and his son. Michael, 22, observed the visit from the operating room gallery. "Our main concern at the moment is locating a suitable donor," the hospital spokesman said. "The three primary characteristics of each donor are irreversible brain damage, good cardiac function and O positive blood," he said. Basic design for the heart pump was developed by Dr. Domingo Liotta of Baylor College of Medicine, who also is a developer of the partial heart assist, the left ventricular bypass, used on several patients by Dr. Michael E. DeBakey. The 8-ounce plastic pump, lined with dracon to reduce damage to the blood, contains all four blood chambers. The two upper chambers are completed by sewing them into the back wall of the natural heart. Only the plastic tubes which connect with the outside power supply, which pulses the heart, are outside the body. They are the size of a pencil. Slightly larger than a man's fist, the two sides are inserted separately and attached to the lung artery and the aorta, the main artery which feeds the body. Previous Attack Dr. Cooley said that Karp, who suffered his first heart attack 10 years ago, was so critically ill that the attempt to repair the damage had to be made. The surgical team intended to remove part of the left lower heart chamber and rebuild it. They discovered this was impossible because the heart was so badly damaged and the wall of the lower chamber so weakened. Fortunately, the artificial pump was available and sterile, said Dr. Cooley. He said if this operation is successful, he intends to keep the pump available at all times. The power supply comes from an elaborate console containing carbon dioxide. The gas is pulsed into the heart device through the connecting tube, pushes against a membrane inside the heart and bleeds off through another tube, never coming in contact with the blood. Explained to Patient Dr. Cooley said that Karp was told before the operation that the device might have to be used. "We explained to him about the planned work repair, and told him there was a 70 percent chance of success, but there was a 30 percent chance that it would fail." Dr. Cooley said. "We told him we would make every effort to keep him alive by using the device until we could get a donor," he said. Dr. Liotta said the artificial heart has worked well in animals for "several" days. Long Operation Dr. Cooley said he thinks the device could function well for a month, but "realistically a week or 10 days." Friday's operation took much longer than the usual hour to an hour and a half for a heart transplant. Karp was taken to the operating room at 2 p.m. "It took us over 45 minutes to find that we could not repair his own heart." Dr. Colley said. Dr. Cooley said that he prefers to perform a transplant as soon as possible, even though it will put Karp through additional strain. Surgeons assisting with the operation were Dr. Grady L. Hallman, Dr. Robert D. Bloodwell and Dr. Liotta. UPDATE The device kept Karp alive for three days after surgery, enough time for a donor heart to be found and implanted. He died 32 hours later of acute pneumonia he wasn't able to fight because of immunosuppressant drugs. Karp's family later sued Cooley and St. Luke's Episcopal Hospital claiming wrongful death and that proper consent was not for an experimental procedure. After a trial, the court sided with the surgeon. The historic surgery was hailed as a milestone, the first implantation of an artificial heart, but it's also remembered for setting in motion one of Houston's signature stories: a rift between Cooley and Dr. Michael DeBakey, which was immortalized in a Life cover story as The Feud. The two would not speak again for nearly 40 years after the procedure. DeBakey claimed the device was identical to one developed in his lab and complained that Cooley had not received - nor sought - approval to use it. He would go on to call the first-ever use of the device a theft, a betrayal and "a childish act" to claim a medical first. Cooley countered that the device's inventor, an Argentinian surgeon who'd come to Houston to work in DeBakey's lab, brought him the mechanical heart after DeBakey rebuffed the project. Cooley said they then redesigned it for use as an emergency bridge to transplantation and used it in a desperate attempt to save a life. The two reconciled in 2007, two years before DeBakey's death at 99. Cooley died at 96 last year. Both are hailed as medical pioneers. In 2000, the artificial heart was one of numerous 20th century inventions - others included Louis Armstrong's trumpet, a chunk of the Berlin Wall and a film clip of Neil Armstrong's moon landing - chosen to be represented in a National Archives time capsule to be unsealed in 2100. The device was represented by just a statement because the real thing resides at the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian often sends news organizations photos of the device for Valentine's Day and American Heart Month. The first artificial heart intended for permanent use was implanted in 1982 at the University of Utah, and the recipient survived for 112 days. - Erin Mulvaney This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A disabled veteran living on FM 1725 near Cleveland is expected to receive some help in getting into his home thanks to the American Legion Post 629 of Camilla. Leo Runnels is a 78-year-old Vietnam War veteran who served for three years as a member of the military police. On Jan. 7, San Jacinto County Veterans Service Officer Dale Everitt along with Post 629 members David Brandon and James Gilvarry visited Runnels' home after receiving a call from his family the prior week. "There were some needs that weren't being met," said Everitt. Everitt, Brandon and Gilvarry discovered that Runnels suffers from injuries that confine him to a wheelchair. "The doctor told me I'd never walk on this leg again," said Runnels. "Every time I get up and get on it, it collapses." According to Runnels, he cannot receive surgery on his leg due to complications with a stroke and COPD. While Runnels is confined to a wheelchair, his home does not have a proper ramp for him to get inside. Brandon also discovered that the home's bathroom doorway is not wide enough to accommodate an entrance for Runnels. "We're looking at enlarging it," said Brandon. "His wheelchair width is 28 inches and the door width is 29 inches." Brandon, Everitt and Gilvarry took measurements of the entryway into Runnels' front yard and home along with the doorway to the bathroom. Anyone who wishes to help with the construction project through donations of money, supplies or work can contact Everitt at 713-962-9299. Carpenters are welcome to donate their time to help with the project. Everitt thanks any volunteers who contribute in advance for their patriotic attitude towards Runnels. "We probably have the most patriotic people in San Jacinto County in America," he said. Runnels is grateful for the concern shown to his wellbeing but is even more grateful to have the opportunity to speak with other veterans. "It's wonderful just to see another vet," he said. "I don't see other vets at all." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate A Houston resident visiting friends in San Jacinto County on Jan. 7 received a surprise when a member of Purple Heart Homes pulled into the driveway to deliver him a new motorized chair to replace the one he lost. Abel Juarez is a Houston resident who relies upon a motorized chair to help with his mobility, having lost both of his legs below the knee. "He's been having a lot of health issues with diabetes," said Leo Vargas, one of Juarez's friends who resides in San Jacinto County. However, Juarez's motorized chair was taken from him, leaving him to rely upon family and friends to help him with his mobility. Vargas reached out to see if anyone could find a replacement motorized chair for Juarez, which was provided by Keith Field of Serving Project, Inc. Field heard about the incident from Brenda Myers of the Community and Children's Impact Center who in turn had heard about it from Vargas. "I just told her we had this chair," said Field. Field brought the chair from Houston with assistance from Vietnam War veteran Richard Morgan. Morgan provided a truck and drove the chair and Fields down to San Jacinto County where Juarez was visiting Vargas. Juarez and Vargas thanked Field for bringing the chair in Juarez's time of need, with Vargas commenting on the character Juarez has as an individual. "He'll do anything for anybody," said Vargas. Juarez in turn expressed his own gratitude to those who came to his aid in his time of need. "He feels happy and he wants to thank everybody for helping him out to get the chair," said Vargas translating for Juarez. One year ago, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman was recaptured by Mexican forces following his second escape from prison. Days after his recapture, news of his interview with actor Sean Penn broke across international media and the meet up was credited to Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. The parable of the prodigal son takes on a whole new and darker meaning in the unsettling miniseries "Taboo," premiering at 9 p.m. Tuesday on FX. This time, the prodigal returns to a dead father and may wind up that way himself if he isn't careful. Tom Hardy plays James Keziah Delaney, who returns to England in 1814 after a decade in Africa getting up to all sorts of strange and possibly nefarious things we can only guess at as the eight-episode series begins. Long thought dead, he has returned to claim his inheritance after the death of his father, who owned a shipping business. Steven Knight created the series with Tom Hardy and his father, Edward "Chips" Hardy. Horace Delaney's (Edward Fox) estate includes a strip of land near what is now Vancouver, British Columbia, that figures in negotiations between England and the fledgling United States to bring the War of 1812 to a close. One of the more delicate issues to be discussed at treaty talks in Ghent, Belgium, is where the border between Canada and the United States will be drawn. The little piece of land Delaney's father bought has enormous economic potential in developing trade with China, and the East India Company, England's dominant trading company, is desperate to get its hands on the scraggly piece of coastline and make sure it stays under the Union Jack. More Information 'Taboo' When: 9 p.m. Tuesday Network: FX xxxx See More Collapse Delaney knows the value of what he's got, or, rather, what he will get if he lives long enough. Whoever doesn't fear him in London hates him, and topping his enemies list is Sir Stuart Strange (Jonathan Pryce), head of the all-powerful East India Company. The company was far more than an economic power in its heyday: It raised its own army and eventually came to all but rule large parts of India. Strange will stop at nothing to ensure East India Company's power, and no one in the British government has the power to stop him. The show's drama is compelling, and the tension between Delaney and the East India Company builds effectively. Delaney's life is in danger every time he steps outside. There are also others seeking to claim the inheritance, including a woman who says she was married to Horace. As engaging as the story is, it's the characters who seal the deal - not just the ones whose allegiances and desires we know, like Strange, but even more the enigmatic characters. And no one is more of an enigma than James Delaney. His body is heavily tattooed and he's given to horrifying and disturbing flashes of memory that suggest that his time in Africa was not consumed with viewing the wildlife from a distance. Hardy has a way of seething every one of his lines, making his character even more disturbing and compelling At its heart, "Taboo" is a melodrama, but a melodrama with superior attention to character detail and finely nuanced performances. It is filled with darkness, danger and mystery, and has a level of quality and import not often seen in television miniseries. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Broadway phenomenon "Hamilton" is coming to the Bay Area a few songs at a time, in "Chronicles of Hamilton," a monthly project that will premiere Jan. 21, said Ashley Ochoa, the founder and artistic director of Majestic Performance Company. The show will be performed at 7 p.m. at Upstage Arts, 100 E Nasa Parkway No. 78 Webster. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets to sit on the floor are available at $6 for children under age 13. To buy tickets, visit https://upstagearts.ludustickets.com/index.php. The group, which includes Stephanie Hendrickson and Bob Young of Friendswood, rehearses in donated space at The School Zone, a day care facility at 1860 W. Main St. in League City. The facility also will host auditions at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 12 for soloists who would like to perform at the Jan. 21 show, as well as the second installment of "Chronicles of Hamilton," which is set for Feb. 18. "We are building the plane as we fly," Ochoa said. Similarly, the prize-winning musical was created piecemeal, with composer Lin-Manuel Miranda debuting its first song, "Alexander Hamilton," in a 2009 poetry jam at the White House. The show, based on Ron Chernow's 2004 biography, "Alexander Hamilton," was nurtured and cultivated, a few scenes at a time, at The Public Theater in New York City, before opening off-Broadway in 2015. The same song, "Alexander Hamilton," plus the popular "My Shot" and "The Schuyler Sisters," will introduce Bay Area audiences to the 2016 Tony Award-winning musical "Hamilton." Bailey Buchanan of Clear Lake will portray the story's title character, who rose from life as an orphan in the British West Indies to become the first secretary of the treasury of the United States. Courtney VanAuken of Manvel will appear as Aaron Burr, who sings the opening lines, "How does a bastard, orphan, son of a whore and a Scotsman, dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean by Providence, impoverished, in squalor grow up to be a hero and a scholar?" "It's a little uncomfortable, because I typically don't cuss," said VanAuken, who is 12 years old and a sixth-grader at Rodeo Palms Junior High in Alvin. However, her parents, Trevor and Lisa VanAuken, agreed that it's OK this time. "To me, kids should never swear, as it's not very becoming of a young man or young woman," said her father, who teaches fourth grade at Red Duke Elementary School. "But this is for artistic purposes. It's an integral part of the story. There is a need for those words to be in there." Less awkward for Courtney VanAuken will be wearing men's clothing in her role as Burr, the third Vice President of the United States. "I've had to play Pinocchio, and I've had to play Tweedledee," in shows at the Pearl Theatre in Pearland, she explained. "There not many young boys in musical theater, so a lot of times, boy roles are played by a girl." However, after playing Burr in the opening song, the young actress gets to change into an 18th-century full-skirted gown of silk taffeta, to portray Eliza in "The Schuyler Sisters." She's joined by Buchanan as Peggy and Alex Jamison, 23, as Angelica. Jamison graduated in 2011 from Clear Brook High, where she played a "Pick-a-Little Lady" in the show "The Music Man." Now about to start an internship at the Medical Center in Houston while seeking a master's degree in speech pathology, Jamison said she hopes to continue performing in the "Chronicles of Hamilton" project, since its limited rehearsal time might not interfere with her academic schedule. "We will have one dress rehearsal, then we perform," said Ochoa, who portrayed Mrs. Mayor in "Seussical the Musical" her senior year at Clear Lake High, in 2006. She is the daughter of Bob and Chris Reeder of Clear Lake, and the wife of David Ochoa, whom she met at an activity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The past six years, Ashley Ochoa has directed church productions, and that experience led her to form the Majestic company. Its mission statement notes, "Borne from a genuine need to create, our mission is to empower individuals by providing opportunities for quality performance that uphold family centered standards of excellence." The group, which is unique in that it doesn't perform on Sundays, debuted with shows Oct. 14-15 at Upstage Arts Youth Theater in Webster. About 60 performers sang and danced to music from popular animated films. Other performers who are rehearsing to appear in the first edition of "Chronicles of Hamilton," include Hendrickson and Young, Jessie Pew of Clear Lake, Elijah Torres of League City and Laurice Larsen of Webster. Hendrickson also choreographed the numbers. Whitney Wyatt of Dickinson is the show's music director and Young is the group's treasurer. For more information, email Ashley Ochoa at majesticperformanceco@gmail.com. Don Maines is a freelance writer who can be reached at donmaines@att.net An elderly man shot and killed a robbery suspect armed with a gun early Monday morning at a business in north Houston, police say. So far, no charges have been filed in the case. The shooting happened about 5:30 a.m. at 600 East Fugate near N. Main in the Heights area, according to the Houston Police Department. A former Auburn Correctional Facility inmate is facing assault charges in Rhode Island after state police arrested him on a warrant upon his release from prison last week. Troopers picked up 31-year-old Richie Marcano on an out-of-state warrant Jan. 5, state police investigators said Monday. According to information from the state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, Marcano had just been released on parole from the Auburn prison after two years for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony. The warrant for Marcano's arrest was issued by the Rhode Island Attorney General's Office and stems from an alleged domestic incident that occurred May 12, 2014 in Providence. Marcano stands accused in Rhode Island of felony assault and second-degree child abuse, both felonies, as well as disorderly conduct and two counts of simple assault, misdemeanors, according to the AG's office. A spokesperson with the AG's office said Marcano was arrested that May after he attacked a woman with a steak knife, cutting a small laceration into her arm. He also allegedly spit on her, threw a glass of lemonade at her and yelled at her in front of children inside the apartment. According to the AG's office, Marcano went to a bedroom to take the woman's daughter, then 1 week old, and leave the apartment with her. The AG's spokesperson said the other children four boys and one girl all aged 13 and under at the time attempted to stop him, while the woman tried to take the baby back. The baby reportedly suffered a minor injury in the struggle. Marcano is currently in the Cayuga County Jail pending his extradition to Rhode Island to face the charges. How one old-school scientist found the biggest oil field this year By David Hunn @davidhunn An unconventional wildcatter is behind the discovery of a new oilfield in the Permian Basin that is being hailed as the biggest find of 2016 . Steve Kennan was already famous in his field when Apache Corp. recruited him to make yet another find. He found oil others had long overlooked. Chemical Breakdown: How an industry thwarted Obama, even after tragedies By Mark Collette and Matt Dempsey @chronMC @mizzousundevil After West, Texas was virtually flattened by an explosion that killed 15, President Obama called for reforming chemical safety laws. But the U.S. chemical industry subsequently successfully fought or delayed reforms by flexing its political muscles. In the aftermath, Texas congressmen, including the representative whose district includes West, argued that changes simply weren't necessary. Most lawmakers either failed to propose or support reforms, the Chronicle reports in the last installment of its Chemical Breakdown series. Blue Bell seeks return to normalcy after listeria outbreak By Katherine Blunt @KatherineBlunt The Brenham-based ice cream maker is asking federal regulators to allow it to relax precautions it too k after three people died in a listeria outbreak last year, according to records the Chronicle obtained. The story includes a recap of the Chronicle's 2015 series on troubles in operations that resulted in a recall and halt in production. How to fix the Houston floods By Dylan Baddour @DylanBaddour A team of Chronicle reporters has spent months probing why and how Houston - the Bayou City - constantly floods for a series called Swamped. Houston's flood czar says solutions to this problem were identified long ago. But the public's zeal for protection - and hefty investment required for fixes - surges only after damaging storms. Read Swamped. Ethics office in GOP sights probed Houston lawmakers By Kevin Diaz @DiazChron A failed effort to kill an independent agency that investigates congress - the Office of Congressional Ethics - began in part because that agency audited a foreign trip and embarrassed several key members of congress who accepted travel expenses from a Houston-based non-profit. The non-profit's leader failed to reveal how much funding for planes, hotels and gifts dispensed to US politicos in Baku had come from a foreign government. The Chronicle's 2014 story on Lawmakers' trips to Baku conference raised questions that prompted the probe - and have never been fully answered. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Give Renae Thornton credit for the effort. Thornton, who lives in the town of West, Texas, reached out to police after finding an unpaid traffic ticket her "Paw Paw," Delbert Kyle, had been issued. The catch: The citation was 57 years old. It had been issued April 27, 1960. Thornton reached out to West Police Chief Darryl Barton through Facebook and said she wasn't sure if the ticket had been paid. FRIENDLY STOP: Texas police pull over car in the name of love Barton replied to Thornton: Well now, let me see late fees, court cost, failure to appear chargesthis could get expensive. Sure, come on over. Lets talk about thisJUST KIDDING." Barton, who wrote about the ticket on Facebook, told Thornton, No worries, but I would be very interested in seeing this piece of history. Thornton retrieved the ticket, snapped a photo and sent it to Barton. The citation was for having one headlight and the back noted Kyle had no driver's license. It also noted that the $10 fine had been paid. WORKING IT OUT: Texas officer has teen do pushups instead of arrest in marijuana bust Barton said he called the court clerk and found out there's records dating that far back in the court office. A bit more exploring turned up no record of the citation. But, based on the receipt on the back of the original ticket, signed by Mayor George Kacir, the ticket was paid and put to rest, Barton said. So, now Kyle can safely visit West, Texas again. So long as his headlights work and he has a driver's license. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Out of more than 650 art pieces and 60 Conroe ISD campuses, one College Park High School teacher will cheer on four of her students chosen by the judges at the Western Art Show Saturday. It took one of her students, senior Claire Zhang, four years to earn the gold medal; and she did it by trying something new: her first oil paint rodeo submission. The 18-by-24-inch piece took Zhang 20-30 hours to finish and features a colorful bronco rider with expressive brush marks. "I was really amazed," said Zhang, who also participates on the Robotics team and once won gold in eighth grade. "It has always been a goal of mine, and to get it as a senior ... I'm getting chills." Now she will have a chance to compete against thousands of students from more than 50 school districts at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in March. HLSR's art show will give students a chance to not only be recognized for their work, but to also win scholarships and auction their pieces. "It's kind of overwhelming," said Zhang, who hopes to earn a scholarship to study engineering at Stanford University. "It's exciting. I can't wait to be there (at the HLSR)." Her father attended Conroe ISD's Western Art Show among the estimated 1,000 spectators who came to admire the students' work. He is proud of her daughter for accomplishing her personal goal. "I am so happy," Jie Zhang of The Woodlands said. "She is so dedicated. She is very busy with her robotics but she still found time to squeeze in her time to practice and finally after several years (win this one)." Zhang said her teacher, Leslie Lewis, gives the students freedom with their art, which she believes helped her and the students this year. Lewis said she encourages the students to shift their focus from the contest. "When they do the art for themselves, they are more passionate," said Lewis, who has taught art for 29 years and at College Park for two years. "It takes the burden off of them." Zhang's classmates, junior Ithza Lopez, senior Olivia Rominger and senior Jenny Qu, also advanced to the HLSR competition. "It's hard to believe (four of her students out of nine who entered from her class are advancing)," Lewis said. "I feel really happy for the students. I have critical eyes in class, so it makes me proud when students make it and their hard work pays off." Lets start with a premise: Donald Trump is unpredictable. While almost universally detested by those left of center, he also creates tension and mistrust among the center-right, New England and West Coast Republicans. As the days go by he begins to turn on his key supporters, poor whites, even quicker than I had anticipated, by appointing billionaires, plutocrats and plain old buffoons to high offices. His cabinet selections are designed as clear signals that his administration will take a hard-right turn on any parts of the government that are perceived as not strictly pro-business. One of the core tenets of that hard-edged, far-right wing platform is that deregulation, up to and including the elimination of government agencies, will have an overwhelmingly positive effect on the national economy. This view was born out of several different factors, including the dissatisfaction from certain business sectors with regulations that have a negative effect on their bottom lines. Unfortunately, that is a false narrative promulgated by a media machine well-funded by a relative few. Like the repeated turning over of a wheel that slowly turns a tractor path into a rut, the story of overregulation destroying the economy has become something like right-wing gospel. As with most issues in statecraft, it just not that simple. As anyone with a cursory training in the agencies currently targeted for shrinking or dismantling can tell you, in most cases regulations create jobs and add to the economy, not the opposite. For example, in New York state there are several regulations for energy projects, including one referred to as Article 10. Article 10 of the New York Public Service Law demands that energy projects that cross a specific wattage threshold must undergo review for various kinds of impacts. This type of review not only employs thousands of people across the state to complete them, but it has also given birth to entire companies, created the need for training programs employing experienced technicians and created demand for the tools and software that goes along with all of it. These companies all pay business taxes, too. Theres an entire galaxy of privately owned support industries out there as a result of regulations like Article 10. Those that exist at the federal level can obviously have a wider impact. Additionally, these regulations typically only come to bear when projects are using government funding in the first places. Therefore, it seems ironic that any business using government money to undertake a project should then turn around and complain about the demands imposed upon them by their funders. Surely those businesses would be no less interested in how their own money was being spent? The only conclusion is that those opposed to these regulations are either greedy beyond understanding, or blinded by the purposefully uninformed anti-regulation rhetoric of the far right. Im going to wager that Trump will save the regulations that have helped him in his real estate business, like the historic rehabilitation or the energy efficiency tax credit programs, and will seek to weaken those that his supporters have deemed too much to bear. City Joseph L. Scharick, Jr., 31, 43 Parker St., Auburn, was charged Jan. 3 with fourth-degree criminal mischief. Tiffany J. Ernst, 34, 6633 Laraway Road, Auburn, was charged Jan. 4 with second-degree aggravated harassment. Robert W. Ransier-Hyde Jr., 25, 185 Seymour St., Apt. 2, Auburn, was picked up on Jan. 6 on a bench warrant. Aaron L. Padgett, 32, 8840 Pump Road, Jordan, was picked up Jan. 5 on a bench warrant. Sherry L. Stephenson, 46, 1985 Freeport Drive, Riveria Beach, Florida, was picked up Jan. 7 on a bench warrant. Ian D. McMahon, 31, 20 Thornton Ave. Apt. 412, Auburn, was charged Jan. 7 with two counts of second-degree assault and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Johnny B. Tolbert, 52, 101 Quill Ave. Apt. 164, Auburn, was charged Jan. 8 with first-degree criminal contempt. Samantha A. Dixon, 28, 36 Seymour St., Auburn, was picked up Jan. 9 on a bench warrant. State Marcus A. Valerino, 25, Camillus, was charged Jan. 3 with failure to register a weapon. Chelsea L. Edwards, 19, Elbridge, was charged Jan. 3 with second-degree criminal contempt. Calvin M. Laning, 21, Auburn, was charged Jan. 4 with second-degree criminal contempt. Nicholas R. Demperio, 32, Auburn, was charged Jan. 4 with fourth-degree grand larceny. Jacob P. Gerros, 39, Syracuse, was charged Jan. 4 with possessing an obscene sexual performance by a child. Richie Marcano, 31, Auburn, was picked up Jan. 4 on an out-of-state warrant. Michelle M. Cox, 46, Brutus, was charged Jan. 6 with criminal obstruction breathing and endangering the welfare of a child. Lawrence Williams, 39, Syracuse, was charged with second-degree aggravated unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle, operating a motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content above the legal limit first offense and driving while intoxicated first offense. DETROIT -- Volkswagens latest conceptual take on its historic Microbus uses a powerful battery pack and two electric motors to transform the once anemically powered hippie-mobile into an all-wheel-drive, high-capacity autonomous minivan. The I.D. Buzz concept -- to be unveiled by VW on Monday at the Detroit auto show -- features a floor-mounted 111-kWh battery pack and up to 369 hp with an effective range of up to 270 miles under U.S. standards and 600 km under European standards, the automaker said. The Buzz is built from VWs Modular Electric Drive Kit, or MEB, which also underpins the compact I.D. hatchback concept the automaker showed at the 2016 Paris auto show. Like the earlier concept, the I.D. Buzz concept features the automakers I.D. Pilot autonomous driving system with a squared steering wheel that fully retracts into the instrument panel when the autonomous driving system is engaged. VW said it envisions the concept in two different optional powertrain configurations. In some regions, a rear-drive single motor would produce 268 hp and be paired with a smaller 83 kWh battery pack. Elsewhere, the Buzz would employ an all-wheel-drive, two-motor configuration that distributes power from the larger battery pack between the two axles electrically. VW says that in its all-wheel-drive configuration, the battery-powered I.D. Buzz can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.0 seconds. The automaker said its battery pack can be recharged to 80 percent of capacity in as little as 30 minutes using high-energy recharging systems. Inside the cabin, especially in autonomous mode, the I.D. Buzz concept looks more like a lounge than a traditional people-hauler, especially with its railed customizable seating system. In full autonomous mode, front seats can swivel rearward, with the seatbacks of the center-row seats able to be folded to form tables, and the third-row seating capable of being made into a bed, the automaker said. From now on, we will be networking the vehicle much more intensively to make it more interactive, Tomasz Bachorski, head of interior design of the Volkswagen brand, said in a written statement. The interior will become a sort of family room, a mobile place where you feel at home. Eschews tradition The I.D. Buzz also eschews a traditional automotive cockpit in favor of a touch-sensitive steering mechanism, an augmented reality heads-up-display, and a large, detachable center-mounted tablet information screen. The configuration allowed designers to increase the space between the first-row seating and the instrument panel by almost 6 inches. In terms of exterior design, the I.D. Buzz leaves little doubt about its Microbus ancestry, with styling cues taken directly from its historic lineage and augmented with modern touches such as fully integrated LED lighting, animated in a way to react to its drivers presence. The wheels are mounted at the corners of the concept, giving it a wide stance on its long 129.9-inch wheelbase. The overall concept of the I.D. Buzz points the way to the future, Frank Welsch, who heads development for VWs board of management, said in a written statement. This concept vehicle is the worlds first electric multi-purpose vehicle to be equipped with a fully autonomous driving mode. It carries the feeling of freedom of the Microbus over to a completely new era of mobility. The automaker could launch the electric Microbus as early as 2022, if management signs off on the project, VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff said. "We're hoping that showing this [at the show] will increase the chances of realization," he toldAutomotive News Europe on Sunday, the eve of the auto show. Still reeling from the legal aftershocks from its decade-long diesel emissions fraud, VW aims to sell 1 million battery-electric vehicles worldwide by 2025. In addition, VW brand CEO Herbert Diess told reporters last November that the automaker was reversing its strategy and would no longer offer diesels in the U.S. in the future. We are making electric mobility the new trademark of Volkswagen, Diess said in a statement. Bischoff said the MEB's flexibility, with its chocolate bar-style flat battery housed in the floor, finally allowed designers the freedom to recreate the proportions of the original Microbus with its flat nose. Marissa Iniguez needed just a little bit of help. The single mother of three had used the wrong forms while trying to file her divorce, a small procedural error that knotted up the legal proceedings when she finally appeared in front of a judge in September. After several visits to court, then to the county's law library, she learned about a program for low-income residents recently created by the Houston Volunteer Lawyers, the nonprofit service arm of the Houston Bar Association. With a little guidance from a lawyer working with the free program, she was able to navigate the system and finalize the divorce she initiated in May. More Information Need legal help? Free clinics to help people in family court are staffed by volunteer attorneys from local law firms and law students from South Texas College of Law Houston each Wednesday and Friday from 9 a.m. until noon at the Harris County Law Library, 1019 Congress. To learn about pro bono services available through Houston Volunteer Lawyers, visit www.makejusticehappen.org See More Collapse "It was a hectic mess until I met Stephanie," Iniguez said of her pro bono, or free, attorney, Stephanie Sommerlatte. "I was about to give up and wait until next year." The twice-weekly legal clinic is a partnership with the Harris County Law Library, South Texas College of Law Houston and Houston law firms. It expands services to those who do not qualify for legal aid but still cannot afford an attorney. Sommerlatte, a staff attorney who generally supervises volunteer lawyers for the program, said Iniguez just needed guidance. "She was very frustrated, and we were able to straighten it out," she said. "She was able to get her divorce that day." Sommerlatte said the program is part of a host of resources for people who want to represent themselves. "We're there to guide them," she said. "But they need to know that not every case is easy to do by themselves, but at least we will be able to point them in the right direction if they need to hire an attorney or seek legal aid." The clinic works in conjunction with a long-established Courthouse Information Booth on the 17th floor of the Civil Courthouse to help the growing number of people who need help. It also gives volunteer attorneys experience in family law that they might not otherwise have. Clients 'motivated' "A lot of times, they teach me because of all the research they've done," said Kelton Miller, who was licensed in November and works at the tall-building law firm Baker Botts. "These people are motivated to get stuff done by themselves, and I can at least help walk them through it." Located in the basement of the Harris County Law Library, the new clinic has the added benefit of free computer access, legal research materials and help from the law library staff for low-income people who contact it. 'It was worth it' That means people like Iniguez, who works a full-time job and had to take time off each time she tried to appear downtown in court, can get through basic legal procedures as fast as possible. "Being on my own, it was a difficult process," the 25-year-old said. "That organization really helped me." She said she would encourage others with small problems in family court to visit the clinic. "Don't be afraid to ask questions. They'll guide you. That's what they're there for," she said. "It wasn't easy, but it was worth it." This blog is written solely by John Ray, who has a Ph.D. degree in psychology and 200+ papers published in the academic journals of the social sciences. It does occasionally comment on issues in psychology but is mainly aimed at giving a conservative psychologist's view on a broad range of topics. There are very few conservative psychologists.The blog originated in Australia and many (but not most) posts discuss Australian matters. Australians have an unusually good awareness of events outside their own country. Australian newspapers feature news from Britain and the USA not as an afterthought but as a major part of their coverage. So Australians do tend to have a truly Western heart, which is the reason behind the old name for this blog. So events in Australia, Britain and the USA all feature frequently here, plus occasional coverage of other places, particularly Israel.SCOTUS is the Supreme Court of the United States, the highest court in the landThe "GOP" stands for "Grand Old Party" and refers to the Republican party. The GOP is at present center/Right, while the Democrats have been undergoing a steady drift Leftwards and now have policies similar to mainstream European Leftist parties.The ideological identity of both parties has however been very fluid -- almost reversing itself over time. In the mid 19th century, the GOP was the party of big government and concern for minorities while the Democrats advertised themselves as "The party of the white man" -- an orientation that lasted into the mid 20th century in the South. The Democrats are still obsessed with race but have now flipped into support for discrimination AGAINST whites.Was Pope Urban VIII the first Warmist? Below we see him refusing to look through Galileo's telescope. People tend to refuse to consider evidence if what they might discover contradicts what they believe.Climate scientist Lennart Bengtsson said. The warming we have had the last 100 years is so small that if we didnt have meteorologists and climatologists to measure it we wouldnt have noticed it at all.The term "Fascism" is mostly used by the Left as a brainless term of abuse. But when they do make a serious attempt to define it, they produce very complex and elaborate definitions -- e.g. here and here . In fact, Fascism is simply extreme socialism plus nationalism. But great gyrations are needed to avoid mentioning the first part of that recipe, of course.Beatrice Webb, a founder of the London School of Economics and the Fabian Society, and married to a Labour MP, mused in 1922 on whether when English children were "dying from lack of milk", one should extend "the charitable impulse" to Russian and Chinese children who, if saved this year, might anyway die next. Besides, she continued, there was "the larger question of whether those races are desirable inhabitants" and "obviously" one wouldn't "spend one's available income" on "a Central African negro".Hugh Dalton, offered the Colonial Office during Attlee's 1945-51 Labour government, turned it down because "I had a horrid vision of pullulating, poverty stricken, diseased nigger communities, for whom one can do nothing in the short run and who, the more one tries to help them, are querulous and ungrateful."The book,, authored by T.W. Adorno et al. in 1950, has been massively popular among psychologists. It claims that a set of ideas that were popular in the "Progressive"-dominated America of the prewar era were "authoritarian". Leftist regimes always are authoritarian so that claim was not a big problem. What was quite amazing however is that Adorno et al. identified such ideas as "conservative". They were in fact simply popular ideas of the day but ones that had been most heavily promoted by the Left right up until the then-recent WWII. See here for details of prewar "Progressive" thinking.R.I.P. Augusto Pinochet. Pinochet deposed a law-defying Marxist President at the express and desperate invitation of the Chilean parliament. He pioneered the free-market reforms which Reagan and Thatcher later unleashed to world-changing effect. That he used far-Leftist methods to suppress far-Leftist violence is reasonable if not ideal. The Leftist view that they should have a monopoly of violence and that others should follow the law is a total absurdity which shows only that their hate overcomes their reasonFranklin Delano Roosevelt was a war criminal. Both British and American codebreakers had cracked the Japanese naval code so FDR knew what was coming at Pearl Harbor. But for his own political reasons he warned no-one there. So responsibility for the civilian and military deaths at Pearl Harbor lies with FDR as well as with the Japanese. The huge firepower available at Pearl Harbor, both aboard ship and on land, could have largely neutered the attack. Can you imagine 8 battleships and various lesser craft firing all their AA batteries as the Japanese came in? The Japanese naval airforce would have been annihilated and the war would have been over before it began. FDR prolonged the Depression . He certainly didn't cure it. WWII did NOT end the Great Depression . It just concealed it. It in fact made living standards worse Joe McCarthy was eventually proved right after the fall of the Soviet Union. To accuse anyone of McCarthyism is to accuse them of accuracy! The KKK was intimately associated with the Democratic party . They ATTACKED Republicans!People who mention differences in black vs. white IQ are these days almost universally howled down and subjected to the most extreme abuse. I am a psychometrician, however, so I feel obliged to defend the scientific truth of the matter:The average African adult has about the same IQ as an average white 11-year-old and African Americans (who are partly white in ancestry) average out at a mental age of 14. The American Psychological Association is generally Left-leaning but it is the world's most prestigious body of academic psychologists. And even they have had to concede that sort of gap (one SD) in black vs. white average IQ. 11-year olds can do a lot of things but they also have their limits and there are times when such limits need to be allowed for. America's uncivil war was caused by trade protectionism . The slavery issue was just camouflage, as Abraham Lincoln himself admitted . See also here Leftist psychologists have an amusingly simplistic conception of military organizations and military men. They seem to base it on occasions they have seen troops marching together on parade rather than any real knowledge of military men and the military life. They think that military men are "rigid" -- automatons who are unable to adjust to new challenges or think for themselves. What is incomprehensible to them is that being(to use the extreme Prussian term for following orders) actually requires great flexibility -- enough flexibility to put your own ideas and wishes aside and do something very difficult. Ask any soldier if all commands are easy to obey. 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. Please Donate In order to maintain this blog I have to pay for its upkeep including a hosting company, support services, virus and other malicious hackers. If you appreciate what I write please make a donation. Racist PayPal Tries to Close Down My Blog As you can see from this article PayPal have removed my blog. I would therefore ask people to make any future donations to the following: Name of Account: Brighton and Hove Unemployed Workers Centre Account No: 04094107 Sort Code: 09-01-50 Reference: Web donations In a post-9/11 world, American airports have taken all sorts of steps to keep travelers safe. But significant vulnerabilities remain. The attack that killed five people Friday at the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., airport raised concerns about how to further protect travelers and what place firearms have in U.S. airports. Authorities say Iraq war veteran Esteban Santiago flew in from Alaska, retrieved a handgun from his checked luggage, went to a bathroom to load it and then returned to the baggage claim area to open fire. Theres no question we need to review not only the question of whether people should be able to travel with their firearms even if theyre in checked baggage, but I think we need to take a hard look at the security around baggage claim areas, and not just leave it at that, said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, whose district includes the airport. Transportation security and law enforcement experts say the baggage claim area remains one of the most vulnerable parts of the airport. Security is lighter and large numbers of people move in and out quickly. What went wrong yesterday is that baggage claim is the softest of soft targets. I mean an elementary school is harder to get into than a baggage claim at an airport, said Chris Grollnek, a former law enforcement officer who specializes in security issues, especially involving active shooter situations. Indeed, he notes, its more difficult to get out of the baggage claim area where at least a minimal security presence screens people leaving to make sure they havent taken someone elses luggage than it is to enter the area. After virtually every terror attack or attempted attack, authorities have issued new restrictions: requiring passengers to remove their shoes to expose any explosive material and limiting the amount of liquid in carry-on bags. But experts say the public areas of an airport remain vulnerable, because the focus of security is devoted to screening passengers to keep their flights safe. Just in the past year suicide bombers targeted ticket and terminal areas in Brussels and Istanbul, Turkey. The only way to prevent such attacks, Grollnek and other experts said, is to ensure the wrong people dont get guns and to encourage the general public to alert authorities if they believe a friend or family member is acting erratically. He likened it to farmers who were enlisted in the Civil Air Patrol to spot potential illegal activity while they were in the air in crop dusters. Florida is one of six states that restrict firearms at the airport, declaring it a gun-free zone, along with schools and government meetings. Before the shooting, state legislators sought to relax those restrictions, arguing they prevent people from protecting themselves from attack. Opponents of those efforts, said having guns there would make them more dangerous. Gun-free zones at airports still allow for travelers to bring their firearms to the airport to be checked, and then retrieve it once they land. Yesterday should serve as a reminder that guns have no place in such areas in our communities, said Michelle Gajda, with Florida Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. But Kevin Michalowski, executive editor of Concealed Carry magazine, said gun-free zones give a false sense of security. What they do is provide a safe space for someone who decides to commit mass murder to go ahead and do it without anyone getting in his or her way, he said. Mark Lea, 53, had just flown in from Minnesota and was in the baggage claim area when the shooting began. He helped evacuate people and saw the shooter. Lea said he has a concealed carry permit but did not have his weapon with him because he was going on a cruise. He said he would have shot the man had he had his own weapon. Yes, by all means, said Lea. I wouldve shot him and not even thought twice about it. Transportation security experts say the safe transport of firearms and gun-free zones present a balancing act between ensuring the publics safety without trampling on constitutional rights. An easy solution might be to require travelers to ship their firearms ahead of time, said Mary Schiavo, former Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Transportation. But then you would run afoul of constitutional issues involving the right to interstate travel and the firearm owners protection act. Another option might be to restrict ammunition from being transported on planes, but that is not without its own constitutional concerns, she said. Its a knotty problem, Schiavo said. (Associated Press reporters Tamara Lush and Curt Anderson contributed to this report.) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Insurance Commissioner Jim Donelon says the cost of workers compensation policies for Louisiana businesses has dropped for a fourth straight year. The state insurance department announced this week that it had approved a 9.8 percent statewide decrease in workers compensation rates, to take effect May 1. The rate cut was requested by the National Council on Compensation Insurance, an organization that files workers comp rates in 35 states. Donelon called the price drop a boost to businesses, which will pay less for the insurance coverage. He says the rates have fallen by 34 percent over the last decade. The insurance commissioner credited the cost decrease to strong competition from insurance companies carrying workers compensation policies and fewer claims from workers. Workers compensation insurance provides coverage for workplace-related injuries and illnesses. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. A state regulation that took effect Jan. 1 requires Oregon construction contractors to make sure workers are protected from falls if work is done six or more feet above a surface. The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division said the new rule will primarily affect home builders because many commercial contractors already require the protections, reported The Register-Guard. The previous state OSHA regulation required the protections for work at 10 or more feet off a general surface but at six or more feet off established floors, mezzanines, balconies and walkways with unprotected sides. OSHA said Oregon construction firms were cited most frequently last year for violating rules about fall protection. Weve come a long way in Oregon in reducing injuries and deaths from falls, particularly in construction, but we still have a ways to go, said Oregon OSHA Administrator Michael Wood in a written statement. Walter Custom Homes owner Tom Walter argued, however, that the new rule is a regulation looking for a problem. He said his firm has constructed 118 homes since 2003 and no workers have been injured in a fall. Ed McMahon, executive director of the Home Builders Association of Lane County, said the groups members will need to figure out how to comply with the rule for some tasks, like when workers install roof trusses. It would appear that we would need to go around the top of the walls and build a safety barrier, then put the trusses up, and then tear the barrier down, said McMahon. On commercial buildings, you see contractors build a little hand rail at the roof. And now we may have to do that for single-family homes. He said the extra time and expense of creating such structures will increase the cost of new homes. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Nearly 540 tons of metals mostly iron and aluminum contaminated the Animas River over nine hours during a massive wastewater spill from an abandoned Colorado gold mine, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday in a new report on the 2015 blowout that turned rivers in three states a sickly yellow. The total amount of metals entering the river system was comparable to levels during one or two days of high spring runoff, although the concentration of metals was significantly higher at the spills peak, the report said. In February, the EPA estimated the amount of metals in the release at 440 tons. The agency said additional data and improved analysis resulted in the higher final estimate. The EPA said its research supports earlier statements that water quality in the affected river system has returned to pre-spill levels. An EPA-led contractor inadvertently triggered the 3-million-gallon spill while doing preliminary cleanup work at the old Gold King Mine near Silverton, Colorado. The blowout affected rivers in Colorado, New Mexico and Utah. The EPA said in its report that only 1 percent of the metals came from inside the mine, while 99 percent were scoured from waste piles on nearby hills and stream beds. The iron and aluminum reacted with the river water to cause the eye-catching mustard color that was visible for days as the plume traveled down the river system into Lake Powell, the EPA said. Besides iron and aluminum, the spill released manganese, lead, copper, arsenic, zinc, cadmium and a small amount of mercury into the river, the EPA said. The EPA said last month it will pay $4.5 million to state, local and tribal governments for their emergency responses, but the agency rejected $20.4 million in other requests for past and future expenses. New Mexico Environment Secretary Butch Tongate accused the EPA of using the taxpayer-funded report to try to defend its actions. The state has sued the agency over the spill. Colorado officials said they had no comment on the report. Utah officials didnt immediately respond to a request for comment. gavel.JPG Delores and Isaac Knight are on trial this week on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy. (File photo) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A mother and son are on trial in federal court this week on charges that they were part of a scheme to fraudulently bill government medical programs to the tune of more than $7 million through their home health-care company. Delores Knight, 71, of Cleveland Heights, and Isaac Knight, 29, of Macedonia are charged with conspiracy to commit health-care fraud and health-care fraud. Delores Knight also faces nine money laundering counts, and Isaac Knight is charged with making a false statement relating to health-care matters. The Knights, along with three others, were indicted in 2015. Prosecutors say the group ran Just Like Familee II Inc. and Just Like Familee III Inc, which provided health care services for the elderly and the disabled from their offices in Cleveland Heights, Twinsburg and Mentor. They collected millions by preparing and submitting forged documents for services that they never provided, authorities say. A jury was picked Monday morning in front of U.S. District Judge Donald Nugent. The trial is expected to last more than a week. In his opening statement, Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Bennett described the companies as small, with a group of tight-knit employees. He said a search conducted by federal agents in 2014 uncovered documents that showed employees tried to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Bennett said that once the company was suspended from doing businesses with those agencies, the Knights formed Elegance Home Health Care in Akron by lying on papers saying the previous company's principals were not involved. Richard Drucker and Jim Jenkins, the attorneys representing Delores and Issac Knight, respectively, tried to pin the blame on the nurses and home health aides who worked at Just Like Familee. Drucker said the aides and nurses committed fraud so they could get paid and that Delores Knight was being misled. Jenkins started his opening statement by saying "what he said," in reference to Drucker. He told the jury that the government was going after the Knights because they had money. Bennett said the fraud started at the top. "Nothing happened without Ms. Knight knowing what was going on," Bennett said. Sonja Ferrell, the company's nursing director and Juliet Bonner, the company's bookkeeper, both pleaded guilty. They will testify against the Knights, Bennett said. Theresa Adams, Knight's daughter, was also charged but died shortly after her indictment. The feds are seeking forfeiture of a home Delores Knight owns in Macedonia and a home Adams owned in Twinsburg. If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Monday's crime and courts comments section. Eastlake bank robber photos.jpg Police said this man robbed a Citizen's Bank on Saturday in Eastlake. (Eastlake police) EASTLAKE, Ohio -- Investigators are searching for a man accused of robbing a bank Saturday in Eastlake. No one was harmed in the incident at the Citizens Bank on Vine Street at East 337th Street, police said in a news release. Investigators on Sunday released surveillance photos of the man accused of robbing the bank. The man passed a note to a teller and forced the teller to put an undisclosed amount of cash into a plastic bag. Witnesses did not see him holding a weapon, police said. The man ran from the bank but might have left the area in a car parked at a nearby apartment complex, police said. The man wore a blue hooded sweatshirt, gray pants, gloves and what appeared to be tinted glasses, police said. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Eastlake Police Department at 440-951-1400. If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Monday's crime and courts comments section. PREVIEW Let's Talk About Love, Baby! Zygote Press (1410 East 30th St) Friday, Jan. 13 "Love Library" Opening Thursday, Feb. 9 "Let's Make ... with Love" CLEVELAND, Ohio - Growing up in Zimbabwe, Chido Johnson watched his mother read one Harlequin romance novel after another as an exercise in improving her English. Anyone who's ever paged through the books knows the storylines can become so predictable that it's difficult to tell where one ends and the next begins. But when Johnson devised his "Love Library" in 2008, the idea was to have artists create their own unique interpretation of the iconic romance novels, then travel the exhibit around the globe with new artists adding their own books in each city. To add to the intimacy, each city the show visits is based on personal invitation. It was artist Sarah Kabot who invited Johnson to bring his library to Zygote Press, 1410 East 30th St., on Feb. 13. Kabot, along with Zygote's co-founder and executive director Liz Maugans, will act as the "love librarians" who invite artists to make their contribution. Each of those artists will then be able to invite one more person into the circle. "This show itself and idea of collective exchange is key to the heart of what we do here at Zygote every day," says Maugans. "Sarah and I both adore so many artists and it was important for us to invite people that have not exhibited here, spreading the love even more. The 'love' connection will continue to spread with each Love Library artist being able to invite someone they love." It's the tour's ninth stop after visiting Rochester, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis and Columbus, as well as Zimbabwe and Ethiopia. At each location, artists explore the Harlequin novel in mediums across the board, from textiles to ceramics. As the show has grown in each city, there are now books by more than 200 participants. Though artists are separated by many things regionally and culturally, it all comes back to the perplexing, confusing, sometimes awkward and magical concept known as love. "There's quite a few similarities between artists who are not connected, who are unaware of each other," says Johnson. "The way we talk about our personal narratives are so varied. But as we recognize their differences, we can see their similarities as well." The contribution of Cleveland artist and writer Evan Fusco takes the broad idea of love presented and focuses it through a biographic lens. His book, "for she's touched your perfect body with her mind," is a combination of his own poetry and photographs as well as text from various sources and images from the internet, primarily of roses. "I was interested in the relationship between this large, seemingly universal idea of love, and the small and personal, and what happens when those two things sit side-by-side," says Fusco. Johnson catalogues the books on the Love Library's website with snippets of each artist talking about their work. In St. Louis, artist Katie Ford created a box holding the mementos of love letters with a mountain constructed inside. "The thing about love is there's always some element of surprise, no matter what's professed or withheld of expected," the recording of Ford relays. "It sneaks up on you." Ford notes that she chose love letters because they endure even after a relationship is over. It's not unlike the exhibit itself, which while fleeting, will continue on. Selection of artists invited to contribute their own addition to the library was split between Maugans and Kabot. It includes up-and-coming artists like Amber Esner, Justin Will, Breanne Trammell and Jake Hatmaker, along with seasoned artists such as David Reid and James Klein, Kristen Cliffel, Loren Naji, Dana Depew and Rian Brown. The show runs through Feb. 25, and will also host a fundraiser, "Let's Make ... with Love" on Feb. 9. Attendees will get to use Zygote Press' printmaking materials to "make all kinds of love," such as T-shirts, posters, coasters and Valentine's Day cards. Poet David Lucas will be leading guests in writing sonnets. Candy hearts, Sweet Designs chocolates and cocktails will be served. On Feb. 25, Zygote will host a closing potluck event featuring artists talking about their work. "There's no better time to start the year with love than now," Johnson says. Mayf Vill. Civic Hall.JPG Mayfield Village residents will soon have access to the 'Get Help' 911 smart phone app. (Jeff Piorkowski/special to cleveland.com) MAYFIELD, Ohio -- All village residents with smart phones will soon have access to the "Get Help" app that will allow them immediate access to 911 help. Village council unanimously approved spending $7,000 for the app at its Dec. 19 meeting. "Now, if a resident makes a 911 call from their cell phone, it goes to CCOMS (the Cuyahoga County answering system)," said Mayfield Village Police Chief Richard Edelman. "With (Get Help), it will go directly to our Mayfield Village dispatcher. If someone calls 911 from their landline, it automatically goes to our dispatcher in Mayfield Village." Get Help, a product of Solon firm 911 Cellular, can shave important time from an emergency call, said company President Chad Salashour. It can take, he said, up to two minutes for CCOMS to answer a 911 call as opposed to the immediacy of a call going directly to police dispatch. "There are shortfalls when using a cell phone to call 911," Salashour said. "The major problem is that cell phones are not designed to give an accurate reading of where the call is coming from. "When you dial 911, cell towers are trying to detect where you are within a half-mile or a mile." By tapping on the large "Get Help" icon that will be on the screen of a cell phone user, dispatch can pinpoint the exact whereabouts of the caller, including the floor of a building from which one may be calling. Salashour said Get Help is now being used in the township of Richfield and in Reminderville, as well as at 80 colleges and universities and at University Hospitals. The colleges and universities include Louisiana State University, Case Western Reserve University, Vanderbilt University, Cleveland State University and Malone College. "I have heard of cases where people's lives have been saved," Salashour said of Get Help use. "There was one case at a college (the name of which he would not divulge) where a student had a heart attack and before he lost consciousness, he tapped 'Get Help.'" Rescue workers, Salashour said, knew exactly where on campus the man could be found. The man's life was saved. If Mayfield residents call 911 on their smart phones while outside the village, the call will go to the dispatcher for that particular location. If there is a situation in which someone is perhaps kidnapped, but that person taps "Get Help" before leaving the village, the app will allow dispatch to follow the caller's whereabouts. Salashour said each entity names its Get Help app as it chooses. The Louisiana State University app, for example, is called "LSU Shield." "We're going to start an education campaign," Edelman said of how word of the app will be spread. "People will have to download it to their smart cell phone. Once we have the software in place, we'll start. "I'll write something in the Voice of the Village (newsletter) and will work with Chad on the campaign." Salashour said the campaign would include visiting senior citizens meetings, as well as those of other organizations, and posting metal signs within the community telling residents of the app. -- In other Mayfield Village news, council, also at its Dec. 19 meeting, awarded the contract for the construction of a band shell at The Grove amphitheater to Skoda Construction in the amount of $284,268. The anticipated completion date for the project is May 31, 2017, just ahead of the start of The Grove's summer season. The original estimated cost of the project was $290,000. The village received two acceptable bids for the work from which to choose. In an effort to help pay for the cost, the village is seeking a $50,000 grant from Cuyahoga County. -- Mayfield Village Fire Department Lt. Michael Girbino was promoted at the meeting by Chief Eugene Carcioppolo to the position of assistant fire chief/fire marshal. police tape.jpg Police are investigating after a car was shot while driving on Interstate 90. (File photo) BRATENAHL, Ohio -- Someone fired gunshots at a car Sunday night just before it crashed along Interstate 90 in Bratenahl, police said. The shooting happened about 7 p.m. on I-90 westbound between the East 136th Street exit and the Lakeshore Boulevard Exit, according to police. A 30-year-old Mentor woman told police she was driving with a 35-year-old Euclid man when she heard two loud noises that sounded like something hit her car, police reports said. A silver Volkswagen Jetta with tinted windows drove by her car. A man in the Volkswagen had his arm hanging out of the window clutching a gun, according to police reports. The Volkswagen got in front of the woman's car and fired more gunshots, police said. The woman said she ducked, slammed on her brakes and crashed into the concrete median, police reports said. The Volkswagen continued to drive away. The woman and her passenger were not hit by the bullets. One bullet glanced off the hood and went through the windshield near the driver's head, according to police. Another bullet grazed the side of the car. Investigators shut down that portion of I-90 and found a bullet casing in the road. Bratenahl police said Monday they have no suspects and are continuing to investigate the case. The woman and her passenger were not injured in the crash, police said. red-light-camera.jpg The Ohio Supreme Court will hear arguments Tuesday in a lawsuit Dayton filed against the state after it enacted restrictions in 2014. The city argues that legislators violated the Ohio Constitution's protections of home rule power when approved the restrictions. (cleveland.com file) COLUMBUS, Ohio - The fate of state restrictions that target how communities use automated traffic cameras will be on the line Tuesday at the Ohio Supreme Court. The court will hear arguments in a lawsuit Dayton filed against the state after legislators enacted restrictions in 2014. The city argues that state legislators violated the Ohio Constitution's protections of home rule power. Several other cities also sued. Those cases were consolidated into this one. What does the law do? Lawmakers passed the legislation and Gov. John Kasich signed it late in December 2014. The law bars communities from using traffic cameras to monitor red light violations and speeding unless an officer is present. Here are the basics: An officer must be present when a camera is in operation. Cameras cannot be set to register speeding citations at less than 10 mph over the posted limit, except near schools and parks, where they can be set to photograph cars traveling 6 mph over the speed limit. Before a community can put up traffic cameras, it must conduct a traffic study of accidents in the area over three years and notify the public of the new camera. But the changes never took effect. Dayton sued five days before the new law was to kick into action. Since then, it has been on hold. Some communities stopped using the cameras, deciding that the cost of posting an officer was too high. Others, like Newburgh Heights and Linndale, adjusted to comply with the new law. Still others, including East Cleveland, have continued to use their cameras without change while the new law remains on hold. What is Dayton's argument? The Supreme Court has upheld the state's ability to trump local ordinances with general laws that apply uniformly across Ohio. The laws must regulate, rather than restrict use of authority. Dayton argues that the law is unconstitutional because it restricts the city's ability to enact and enforce traffic laws. The provisions of the law "exist solely to limit municipal legislative power, waste police resources, create an onerous burden for municipalities, and act as a de facto ban," the city said in its legal brief. The state law doesn't ban use of cameras to regulate traffic, but it was clear during the debate that many lawmakers hoped the legislation would have that effect. Lawmakers added more teeth to the law in 2015, including in the budget bill a threat to cut state aid to local governments in an amount equal to what a community charges in camera tickets. A Montgomery judge agreed with the city. On appeal, the 2nd District Ohio Court of Appeals overturned that decision and ruled for the state. Dayton appealed to the Supreme Court. Several other cities have filed briefs in support of Dayton's case. What does the state say? Lawyers for the Ohio attorney general, representing the state of Ohio, argue that the law doesn't restrict police authority. Rather, they said, it sets up a uniform framework that can be applied across the state by any community using traffic cameras. Cities still have the ability to regulate using their police powers, but they must do so within that framework. The state, they argue, has an interest in having uniform laws for rules of the road. "Just as a local authority may not use blue stop signs or arrest drivers for every minor traffic infraction, so too that local authority may not use traffic cameras in conflict with state standards," they wrote. What happens next? It will be some time before a decision is announced. It can take weeks, or even months, after the court hears oral arguments before rulings are completed and announced to the public. BX098_04D9_9.JPG New inmates at the Cuyahoga County Jail are searched in the hallway after booking and before moving them to the intake pod on Wednesday, June 27, 2012. (Lynn Ischay, The Plain Dealer) CLEVELAND, Ohio - Criminal justice reform was a hot topic in Cuyahoga County this past year and it will continue to be so in 2017. To learn more about what's going on, plan on attending the four-part series "Anatomy of Justice - A Symposium of Criminal Justice Reform in Cuyahoga County." The program is sponsored by the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association and the City Club of Cleveland. The first session of the symposium will be held at the CMBA Conference Center in One Cleveland Center at 1375 East Ninth St. on Jan. 19 at 4:30 p.m. The forum is free and open to the public, although attorneys who receive continuing-education credits for their attendance will have to pay. CMBA members and government attorneys will be charged $25 and non-members seeking credit will be charged $45. Everyone is expected to register for the event. Registration begins at 4:15 p.m. and the program will run from 4:30-6:30 p.m. The first session will focus on issues related to arrest, charging and bail. Video re-enactments of scenarios involving arrest and bail will be viewed during the program and the audience will be asked to participate through interactive polling. Judge John J. Russo of the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, said in November that one reason he and other judges pushed for the forums was all the change going on in the United States related to bail. Advocates for bail reform have been calling for judges to release more defendants without bond, especially those who are poor and can't afford to post bond. Forum panelists include: This commentary originally appeared on The Hill. Many of the nation's most respected Republicans and conservatives are publicly or privately terrified about the risks of a Donald Trump presidency to their party and our country. First, Trump's repeatedly stated admiration for Russian President Vladimir Putin, a dictator who is systematically destroying every mainstream avenue of citizen dissent in his country and systematically attacking democracy in Europe and America, alarms most Republicans as well as Democrats. Second, Trump is aligning the GOP with players that most members of both parties believe are anathema to American values and American interests. In furtherance of his pro-Putin viewpoints, Trump is now praising Julian Assange of Wikileaks, who is intensely disliked in Republican and Democratic cloakrooms. Almost all television networks have run stories with headlines such as "Trump sides with Assange over U.S. Intelligence in Russia." Major newspapers across America have run major stories with headlines such as the The Washington Post ran last week: "To some in GOP, Assange is a paragon, not pariah." The Post quotes Fox News host Sean Hannity's and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's high praise for Assange. Let's be fair to the GOP, though: Hannity and Palin do not speak for many Republicans elected to any office with their praise of Assange. Most Republicans, like most Democrats, deplore Assange. Republicans' concern is a patriotic one that a Republican president and any Republicans or conservatives could praise the likes of Putin and Assange and political that the GOP risks being publicly aligned with those who are hostile to their values as a party and our values as Americans. More from The Hill: Trump: Tax dollars will 'speed up' the wall Vicente Fox to Trump: We won't pay for that f***ken wall Schwarzenegger fires back at Trump Does Trump want to create a pro-Assange and pro-Putin wing of the GOP? The thought is so surreal and ridiculous that it alarms many Republicans and conservatives, outrages Democrats and liberals, and alienates political independents. Third, many Republicans as well as Democrats are terrified when Trump repeatedly denies that Russia was behind attacks against American democracy, and when Trump criticizes our entire intelligence community when it unambiguously concludes that Russia was behind these attacks. Most Republicans agree with Democrats that it is profoundly destructive and damaging to American national security for any commander in chief to publicly castigate and seek to demonize the entire American intelligence community. The intelligence community is composed of courageous men and women who risk their lives every day to protect, preserve and defend our Constitution, security and democracy. It is also composed of many brilliant and deeply patriotic analysts and experts who have accumulated vast knowledge using their talents and ingenuity to analyze world events to combat the attacks of our enemies and adversaries. For Trump to repeatedly insult these men and women of the intelligence community, as he previously insulted various women who did not meet his approval, and various other Americans from Hispanics to the handicapped, is a crime against common sense and a hostile attack against those who defend our nation. It alarms many of the nation's most respected Republicans who are loathe to state it publicly that Trump has not grown into the presidency but has, instead, repeated the same destructive tendencies he exhibited as a candidate. Fourth, many Republicans are well aware of, and deeply concerned by, the fact that Trump often says things that aren't true. There is a debate among the most serious journalists in America, from the editorial page of The Wall Street Journal to the newsroom of The New York Times, about whether Trump should be called a "liar." What would be worse: If Trump sincerely believes that the Russians were not involved in attacks against our democracy, in which case he would be delusional to the point of national danger, or if he does not believe this, in which case he would be a liar? Trump has claimed he won a historic landslide, even though Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton defeated him by almost 3 million popular votes, claimed that climate change was a hoax invented by the Chinese, and claimed the Russians were not responsible for attacks against our democracy in the last election, and the large number of regularly repeated false statements by Trump alarms many Republicans as well as Democrats. Fifth, there is a profound worry among libertarians and civil libertarians, from the right as well as the left, that Trump has dangerously authoritarian tendencies. Can a president who has praised foreign dictators, been intolerant of dissenting voices, and reacts with impulsive anger against those who criticism him be expected to protect our freedom when it is needed most, in a crisis that fires the passions of anger or fear such as a major terror attack? Sixth, would a commander in chief who impulsively writes angry tweets about foreign leaders, and reacts with intense emotion to real or imagined slights against him, be more likely to trigger an unwise and unnecessary war? There will be much news on the Russian operation against American democracy in the coming days from hearings of the Senate Armed Services Committee, even more evidence offered from our intelligence services and an intensive intelligence briefing of Trump by intelligence leaders. The coming week may offer Trump his last opportunity to pivot away from unwise and reckless stands on matters central to our security. Soon, his nominees for key Cabinet posts will testify at confirmation hearings on whether they agree or disagree with Trump about these matters and others. For now, do not underestimate the extreme concern of many Republicans, whose party now owns the Donald Trump presidency. Their support or opposition to Trump as events unfold will be one of the most important and unpredictable stories of 2017 and the possibility that both parties aggressively break with Trump on national security is real. Blueprint Medicines CEO Jeff Albers gave a revealing update on the company in an exclusive CNBC PRO interview with CNBC's Meg Tirrell from JPMorgan's Annual Healthcare Conference. Blueprint is an early-state biotech firm that is developing anti-cancer treatments. Its shares are up approximately 60 percent in the past year. On why the company's shares rallied: "I think it's a reflection of a couple of factors. First off, late in the year we shared data at medical conferences for three different diseases that showed early activity in areas where there is a clear medical need. Secondly, we filed an application with the FDA that's now been accepted," he said. "We signed a collaboration with Roche out of Switzerland." Albers also commented on what differentiates the company, the criteria for partnerships and the upcoming catalysts for the shares. To watch the interview in its entirety, you must be a CNBC PRO subscriber . Blueprint Medicines CEO Jeff Albers gave a revealing update on the company in an exclusive CNBC PRO interview with CNBC's Meg Tirrell from JPMorgan's Annual Healthcare Conference. Blueprint is an early-state biotech firm that is developing anti-cancer treatments. Its shares are up approximately 60 percent in the past year. On why the company's shares rallied: "I think it's a reflection of a couple of factors. First off, late in the year we shared data at medical conferences for three different diseases that showed early activity in areas where there is a clear medical need. Secondly, we filed an application with the FDA that's now been accepted," he said. "We signed a collaboration with Roche out of Switzerland." Albers also commented on what differentiates the company, the criteria for partnerships and the upcoming catalysts for the shares. To watch the interview in its entirety, you must be a CNBC PRO subscriber. Mr Johnson clashed with Mr Trump in 2015 after the president-elect claimed Islamists had made parts of London "no-go zones"; the former London mayor said he would not go to parts of New York because of "the real risk of meeting Donald Trump". Boris Johnson, the U.K. foreign secretary, has held talks in New York with senior members of Donald Trump 's team on Sunday as part of a concerted British effort to build ties with the new US administration. Former London Mayor and 'Vote Leave' campaigner Boris Johnson speaks during a press conference in central London on June 24, 2016. But Mr Johnson put those reservations aside to hold for meetings with Mr Trump's inner team including Steve Bannon, chief strategist, and Jared Kushner, the president-elect's son-in-law. There had been speculation he might meet Mr Trump himself, but the encounter never came to pass. The talks covered foreign policy issues and will have helped prepare for Mrs May's visit to the White House, expected next month. On Monday Mr Johnson will meet Congressional leaders in Washington, including Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Bob Corker and Senator Mitch McConnell. Mrs May is expected to meet the new president in Washington next month and has gone out of her way to curry favour with the new administration, in spite of her concerns about Mr Trump's previous comments about women. More from the Financial Times The UK mindset that heralds a disorderly Brexit Theresa May to shift focus away from Cameron's 'Big Society' How David Cameron lost his battle for Britain To Mr Trump's observation brought up during the presidential campaign that being famous allowed a male star to molest women, Mrs May responded on Sunday: "I think that's unacceptable and in fact Donald Trump himself has said that." Mrs May said she had "two very good, positive conversations" with Donald Trump. Her joint chiefs of staff met Mr Trump's transition team in New York last month to prepare her forthcoming visit. Last month Downing Street criticized outgoing US secretary of state John Kerry after he made critical remarks about Israel's settlement-building program Mr Trump is a strong supporter of Israel. Donald Trump's special advisor on regulation, Carl Icahn, told CNBC that he believes the president-elect can stop what he considers to be foolishness in regulation in the United States. Icahn, a frequent critic of some Obama administration rules, told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Monday that before Trump's victory, he thought "this country was going downhill fast," adding that he still thinks there are problems. "I really backed Donald. Number one, I think he's smart and I think he's one of the few people that can really shake up the establishment and stop what I consider to be almost idiocy with this overregulation," Icahn said. The billionaire investor said, however, that there is good regulation and that he supports regulation of Wall Street. But generally, regulations have "run amok," he said. Icahn, a major fossil fuel investor, has frequently criticized Obama administration energy restrictions. He previously told CNBC that he supported Trump's choice of Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt, who has battled the current president's EPA and expressed doubts about how much humans affect climate change. Icahn previously said the EPA was one of the worst-run agencies he had ever seen. Icahn argued that by cutting back on regulations, businesses will no longer feel that "they are at war with the government." He said that change in sentiment will be a "great thing for our economy and it will create jobs because it will create investment." CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report. General elections throughout the European Union (EU) could be at risk to cyber attack threats from foreign powers, according to the EU security commissioner. Europe is poised to host several key elections throughout 2017 with respective political organizations anxious to boost their defenses to any potential cyber attacks . The citizens of Netherlands go to the polls on March 15 with general elections in France, Germany and Italy to follow throughout the calendar year. "It's clear that many institutions across Europe and more widely, and that includes the European Commission, are subject to a continuously increasing number of cyber attacks from different sources," Julian King, EU security commissioner, told the Financial Times on Sunday. "These threats are persistent; they are aggressive, and more and more dangerous and potentially destructive," he added. France would be just as vulnerable to cyber attacks from foreign powers as the U.S. had been in the 2016 presidential election, according to Jean-Yves Le Drian, France's defense minister. France "should not be naive" in thinking that it could be immune to such attacks throughout its election process, Le Drian told French publication Le Journal on Sunday. watch now In Washington, presidential nominees facing confirmation hearings dread making news. You want to get in, get the hearing over with and get out of there without political enemies landing too many body blows. But the Trump team has a different strategy this week: They're going to make a lot of news. So much, in fact, that the bet is no one piece of bad news will break through the media clutter. It's all about safety in numbers. That's why you'll see a wave of confirmation hearings all scheduled for the same day on Wednesday even as Donald Trump himself provides cover with a long-awaited news conference in midtown Manhattan on the same day. The newser is bound to generate a wave of tweets, blog posts, cable TV hits and newspaper headlines that Republicans hope will wash over any poor performances by Trump's nominees on Capitol Hill. The idea is to flood the zone. President-elect Donald Trump and musician Kanye West pose for media at Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York City, U.S., December 13, 2016. Andrew Kelly | Reuters The week will begin with attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama and Homeland Security pick retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly facing Senate panels on Tuesday. But Wednesday is when Team Trump will really dominate Washington. Here's who will be on the hot seat nearly simultaneously that day: Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, Trump's pick for secretary of State, will go before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which is chaired by Republican Sen. Bob Corker of Tennessee, who was himself a possible candidate for the post. Expect intense scrutiny of Tillerson's connections to Russian leader Vladimir Putin. Tillerson, after all, was decorated by Putin with a Russian Order of Friendship award after signing massive oil deals with Russian companies. Watch for questioning from former Trump opponent Marco Rubio, who tweeted in the wake of Tillerson's nomination: "Being a "friend of Vladimir" is not an attribute I am hoping for from a #SecretaryOfState." Also on the panel grilling Tillerson: Virginia Democrat Tim Kaine, who ran against Trump as Hillary Clinton's vice presidential pick, and who last week compared Russian meddling in the 2016 election to Watergate. Sessions will face the Senate Judiciary Committee for a hearing expected to start Tuesday. Senators are typically extremely deferential to their colleagues who are up for an administration position. But this year, Democrats are spoiling for a fight over what some believe to be Sessions' weak record on civil rights and racial issues. Less than a week after an unprecedented intelligence community assessment that Putin sought to manipulate the 2016 presidential election to benefit Trump, Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kan., will go before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence as Trump's pick to head the CIA. Pompeo will have to explain how he plans to lead the CIA in an era in which the president-elect has been openly mocking the intelligence community and calling into question its central finding that Putin wanted Trump elected. Jeff Sessions Zach Gibson | AFP | Getty Images Both parties said they would want to see significant policy moves in order to consider working together. However, the centre-left SPD, which rules with Merkel in a right-left federal "grand coalition", has long refused to cooperate with the Linke at the national level, largely because of the party's foreign policy views. Together, lawmakers from the centre-left Social Democrats (SPD) and the smaller leftist Linke party, along with the environmentalist Greens, have more seats in parliament than Merkel's conservative bloc. Latest polls show this would continue to be the case. Germany's left-leaning parties have set terms for forming a potential coalition after September's election in a tie-up that could replace conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel. Signalling a readiness for change, Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel (SPD), told Der Spiegel magazine: "We don't want a new edition of the grand coalition." "If it happens too often, then those who are dissatisfied only have the choice between extreme left or right," he added. The parties have already met to explore the possibility of forming a coalition to replace Merkel after the election. "Of course, I can imagine a Red-Red-Green coalition, if it allows the formation of a stable government. But that depends completely on the Linke," Gabriel said. "They must decide whether they want to govern or remain a radical opposition." Merkel's conservative bloc ruled in a grand coalition with the SPD from 2005 to 2009, then with the smaller liberal Free Democrats (FDP) from 2009 to 2013, after which she teamed up with the SPD again in another grand coalition. The SPD would not go along with policies like leaving the euro, said Gabriel. Sahra Wagenknecht, who leads the Linke in the Bundestag lower house of parliament, sees problems in the existing set-up of the single European currency bloc. Wagenknecht said she hoped the SPD, after ruling with Merkel's conservatives, could strengthen its social policies. Arguing that the SPD had been involved in cuts to social services that hurt its electorate, Wagenknecht added: "The stronger we perform, the greater the chance the SPD will correct its course there and, of course, that we can form a joint government." A fractured electoral landscape risks complicating the coalition arithmetic, with a repeat version of the incumbent 'grand coalition' of Merkel's conservative bloc and Gabriel's Social Democrats the only outcome that looks a sure possibility. Much will depend on the performance of two parties now not even represented in the Bundestag: the FDP, which faces a battle to clear the 5 percent hurdle to win seats in the lower house, and the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. An Emnid poll of 834 voters for weekly newspaper Bild am Sonntag put support for Merkel's conservative bloc at 38 percent, up 2 percentage points from a week ago, the SPD on 22 percent, up 1 point, the AfD on 12 percent, the Greens on 10, the Linke on 9 percent and the FDP on 5 percent. Security policy has become a greater focus of the political debate in Germany since the Christmas market attack in Berlin that killed 12 people. Pollsters say this benefits Merkel's conservatives and the AfD, not the left-leaning parties. In a sign the conservative bloc is perhaps ready for change too, the secretary general of Merkel's Christian Democrats (CDU), Peter Tauber, told Bild am Sonntag: "It is often stressful in the grand coalition, because Sigmar does not know in the morning what Gabriel will want in the evening." Follow CNBC International on Twitter and Facebook. This image released by Twentieth Century Fox shows Taraji P. Henson, background left, Octavia Spencer, center, and Janelle Monae, background right, in a scene from "Hidden Figures." Before MacBooks, iPhones and drones, "computers" were people hired to make long and difficult calculations by hand. The movie "Hidden Figures," directed by Theodore Melfi, elevates the true story of three female African-American "computers" who made crucial contributions to the NASA space program in the 1960s. The film surprised industry experts by selling an estimated $22 million in tickets at North American theaters this weekend, even tying "Rogue One" for the No. 1 spot. Based on Margot Lee Shetterly's nonfiction book by the same title, the film follows mathematical prodigy Katherine Johnson, computer programming expert Dorothy Vaughan, and engineer Mary Jackson. Each of these characters must cope with racism, sexism, and segregation in order to make important contributions to the national space program, stand up against injustice and advance their careers. In Shetterly's own words, their story "challenges much of what we think we knew about American history." It also has much to teach about fighting for yourself and your career. Here are just a few of its lessons about how to overcome obstacles to succeed in the workplace: Make yourself indispensible Actress Taraji P. Henson attends the "Hidden Figures" New York special screening on December 10, 2016 in New York City. Noam Galai | Getty Images Katherine Johnson, played by Taraji P. Henson, is a mathematical savant selected to work under the exacting Al Harrison (Kevin Costner), head of the Space Task Group. The work environment in which Johnson must operate is particularly unwelcoming: Her colleagues glare with disgust when she dares to use a coffee pot. Not only must Johnson operate in a hostile work environment, but her colleague Paul Stafford (Jim Parsons) redacts information vital to Johnson's ability to do her job. In order to succeed, Johnson works longer than all of her colleagues, something that her pragmatic boss cannot ignore. She thinks creatively in order to make her assigned calculations with fewer known variables. Later, Johnson uses this skill to help analyze crucial trajectory and landing calculations. In short, she makes herself invaluable, thereby creating a platform upon which she is able to speak against her unjust treatment and the insidiousness of segregation. Be flexible and forward-thinking Actress Octavia Spencer attends the "Hidden Figures" New York special screening on December 10, 2016 in New York City. Noam Galai | Getty Images Octavia Spencer plays the capable Dorothy Vaughan, who oversees the team of African-American female computers and yet is denied the compensation and title she deserves. One day, Vaughan walks by a new "IBM machine" that promises to complete calculations with greater accuracy and at faster rates than human computers. Rather than allow her job and those of her team to become obsolete, Vaughan springs into action. She teaches herself and her team the FORTRAN programming language. When the machine is finally operable, Vaughan has made herself the most qualified and capable person to program it. By predicting the trends in her career landscape, Vaughan manages to save and advance her own career as well as the careers of countless other women, both black and white. Never stop learning Janelle Monae at the "Hidden Figures" New York Special Screening at SVA Theater on December 10, 2016 in New York City. Gonzalo Marroquin | Getty Images Lil Wayne performs during the Collegrove Tour at Oracle Arena on November 10, 2016 in Oakland, California. Hulu is getting a lot of musical artists excited about virtual reality technology, thanks to an unexpected evangelist: Lil Wayne. His website, Weezy, is "an early adopter" of the technology platform, and helped inspire Hulu's new collaboration with Live Nation, "On Stage," executives said at this year's CES technology trade show last week. "He's the real deal," Kevin Chernett, Live Nation's executive vice president of global partnerships and content distribution, said at a panel discussion. "His team would tell you he's in VR all the time," said Noah Heller, Hulu's vice president of emerging technology. "He's using it. He's loving it." Each episode of "On Stage" will feature a different artist. In the first episode, viewers join Lil Wayne's skateboarding crew as they play a concert and explore New Orleans. After seeing what Hulu was able to capture with Lil Wayne, other artists have come on board, Heller said. The next episode will feature electronic dance music group Major Lazer going to a yard party in Jamaica. In the wake of recent tweets by President-elect Donald Trump against U.S. corporations, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty told CNBC on Monday that business leaders need to take the right actions for their companies. "Many of us are global companies. Of course we have workforces around the world," she said in an interview with CNBC's "Closing Bell" from outside the FinTech Ideas Festival in San Francisco. "We, like others, will continue to do the right thing for our own business and do the right thing for IBM ." Most recently, Trump has taken companies like Toyota and General Motors to task. Last week, he threatened Toyota with a large border tax if it builds a new plant outside the U.S. and he attacked General Motors on making one of its Chevy Cruze models in Mexico. Rometty, a member of Trump's Strategic and Policy Forum, wrote to Trump shortly after his election victory, advocating the creation of "new collar" information technology jobs. That's because one of the most important topics that should be worked on is job creation, she told CNBC. "For the jobs of the future here, there are many in technology that can be done without a four-year college degree," Rometty said. Instead, potential employees can get six years of training in "pathways to technology" schools, which is akin to four years of high school and two years of community college or six years of high school, she said. She anticipates the creation of about 25,000 jobs over the next several years, including in areas like cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Johnson & Johnson CEO Alex Gorsky told CNBC on Monday that the health-care giant spoke with "the administration around" President-elect Donald Trump regarding the state of the U.S. health-care system. "And the kinds of things we're talking about is how can we take what I believe is one of the very best health-care systems in the world and how can we make it even better? How can we make changes, recognizing the challenges, economic pressures, regulatory pressures, but keep essential elements like innovation through better integration?" Gorsky said on CNBC's "Power Lunch." Gorsky's comments, speaking at the 35th annual JPMorgan health-care conference in San Francisco, come after Trump said he intends to repeal the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare. Last month Trump also blasted the entire drug industry in an interview with Time magazine, sending shares of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies lower. "I'm going to bring down drug prices," the president-elect said. "I don't like what has happened with drug prices." Despite Trump's rhetoric around the drug industry, Johnson & Johnson's stock is up so far in 2017. Gorksy said the company is pleased with its performance overall, but far from satisfied. "The underlying driver in all that is about innovation. It is about execution and it is about delivering on our commitments," he said. "Over the past four years, we've been able to launch 15 brand new pharmaceutical products that have been great for patients, but also have been a real driver in our business." Johnson & Johnson is currently negotiating a deal to acquire Swiss biotechnology company Actelion . On Friday, a Reuters report said the two companies have asked Switzerland's takeover board about the viability of a complicated takeover deal. Gorksy said the company will look to make more deals in 2017. "We're always a deal maker. Take a look at us historically over the 20, 10, five years," he said. The U.K. Prime Minister Theresa May has dismissed a Red Cross claim that her country's National Health Service (NHS) is in the grip of a humanitarian crisis. The prime minister admitted to Sky news on Sunday that there were "huge pressures" on the health service this winter but her government had provided the funding requested. Rejecting a call for fresh emergency cash, Theresa May said the Red Cross was not painting an accurate picture. "I don't accept the description the Red Cross has made of this," she said. The Red Cross has been drafted to help some hospitals with patient transport and provide care for patients who have returned home. British Red Cross Chief Executive Mike Adamson said in a statement Friday that the British government needed to allocate funds for health and social care. "The British Red Cross is on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country," he said. Jack Ma (R), founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, and President-elect Donald Trump pose for the media after their meeting at Trump Tower January 9, 2017. Timothy A. Clary | AFP | Getty Images Some stocks got a lift Monday after a positive mention by President-elect Donald Trump. The gains in Fiat Chrysler, Alibaba and LVMH contrast with the intraday stock declines on other days after negative comments from Trump. Fiat Chrysler shares were 1.9 percent higher midday Monday after Trump praised the company on Twitter for announcing its U.S. arm will invest in U.S. plants and create jobs. The automaker later said the decision was "coincidental" to the Trump tweets, according to Reuters. FCAU 1-day performance BABA 1-day performance Source: FactSet Trump also met with Bernard Arnault, chairman and CEO of LVMH , and the president-elect indicated the luxury goods maker would create jobs in the U.S. Arnault told reporters that LVMH may expand its operations in the U.S., including its factory in California. The thinly traded over-the-counter shares of LVMH in the U.S. spiked 1.5 percent. LVMHF 1-day performance For years, Thomas Lee has been known as one of Wall Street's biggest bulls, finding optimism in the market where others often saw obstacles. But that's all changing now, due in large part to fears about what will happen when Donald Trump takes office at the end of next week. In fact, Lee believes the first half of 2017 will see the market slide from its current record perch, then rally just enough to get back to unchanged when the final closing bell rings. The year will begin, according to an analysis from the head of research at Fundstrat, with policy confusion amid a flattening yield curve in long-term bonds. That could cause a 5 percent to 7 percent drop in the . Lee's first-half price target is 2,150, with the year-end number at 2,275. "Is the first half of the year a great time to be buying stocks? I think you'll get a better entry point," Lee said on CNBC's "Squawk Box." " In a report for clients, Lee expressed worries that Trump's presidential term could see "a sloppy White House organization (that) creates confusion on U.S. policy, particularly as tweets become policy." He thinks much-anticipated fiscal stimulus may not become reality, and even insinuated that Trump will "fire" Fed Chair Janet Yellen, even though the president lacks the authority to remove central bank officials. Her term runs through February 2018. A U.S. Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels after they closed in at a high rate of speed near the Strait of Hormuz, two U.S. defense officials told Reuters on Monday. The incident, which occurred Sunday and was first reported by Reuters, comes as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. In September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harass the U.S. Navy in the Gulf would be "shot out of the water." The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the USS Mahan established radio communication with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats but they did not respond to requests to slow down and continued asking the Mahan questions. The Navy destroyer fired warning flares and a U.S. Navy helicopter also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired. The Iranian vessels came within 900 yards (800 meters) of the Mahan, which was escorting two other U.S. military ships, they said. The IRGC and Trump transition team were not immediately available for comment. Years of mutual animosity eased when Washington lifted sanctions on Tehran last year after a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions. But serious differences still remain over Iran's ballistic missile program as well as conflicts in Syria and Iraq. One official said similar incidents occur occasionally. Most recently in August, another U.S. Navy ship fired warning shots towards an Iranian fast-attack craft that approached two U.S. ships. In January 2016, Iran freed 10 U.S. sailors after briefly detaining them in the Gulf. The official added that the warning shots fired on Sunday were just one of seven interactions the Mahan had with Iranian vessels over the weekend, but the others were judged to be safe. ROCHESTER, N.Y. The Pike Company, Inc., a Rochesterbased construction firm with an office in Ithaca, has promoted William (Bill) Tehan to company president. The firm has also named Tehan COO of The Pike Companies, LTD, the holding company of The Pike Company, Inc. and LECESSE Construction Services, according to a company news release. He will continue to lead the financial and legal groups supporting both companies. Tehan had been serving as COO of the Pike Company, Inc. and CFO of the Pike Companies, LTD, the company said in an email response to a BJNN inquiry. The companys board of directors approved the promotion during its meeting held in December. As president of the Pike Company, Tehan will direct its day-to-day operations, formulating plans and policies to reach corporate objectives and ensure profitable growth. In his new role as Pike Company president, Tehan assumes the duties that Rufus Judson previously held. Judson will continue to serve as CEO of The Pike Companies, LTD, leading business development for the Pike Company and LECESSE Construction Services. Tehan started his career with Pike in 2001 as treasurer and corporate secretary, and has held multiple leadership positions within Pike for over 16 years. Bill exemplifies Pikes commitment to building long-term relationships. He is a leader highly respected by our clients and team members, Judson said in the release. Established in 1873, the Pike Company provides commercial-building services that include construction management, general contracting, program management, design/build and facility management. Besides Rochester and Ithaca, the company also operates offices in Clifton Park in the Capital Region; the Buffalo suburb of Williamsville; New York City; and a Florida office in Orlando. Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com UTICA, N.Y. Mohawk Valley Health System (MVHS) has selected an architectural firm and a construction manager for the planning, design and construction of the proposed downtown hospital. MVHS chose New York Citybased NBBJ as the architectural firm, MVHS said in a news release issued Monday. Turner Construction Company, which is also headquartered in New York City, will serve as the projects construction manager. Turner operates a Syracuse office at 500 Plum St. It was previously involved in the Gateway Center project at the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry. We are excited to be able to begin this next phase as it means that we are getting that much closer to this project becoming a reality, Scott Perra, president and CEO of MVHS, said in the health systems release. Both companies have extensive local and international experience, with projects in New York and around the United States as well as in many cities abroad. The companies are committed to working with our local businesses whenever possible to complete the project. MVHS is an affiliation of Faxton St. Lukes Healthcare and St. Elizabeth Medical Center (SEMC), both of Utica. The two organizations teamed up in March 2014. The cost projection for the integrated health campus is about $480 million for a 750,000-square-foot facility, MVHS said. MVHS selected NBBJ from a list of 19 of the best health-care architects in the country, David Connolly, senior VP of the Hammes Company, contended in the MVHS release. They bring a wealth of creative solutions that provide a platform of operational efficiency, sustainability and flexibility which will serve MVHS and the community for many years to come, said Connolly. Hammes Company, a Brookfield, Wisconsinbased health-care consulting firm, is the project-management company that MVHS hired to facilitate the new hospital project. NBBJ and Turner have extensive experience working with one another, MVHS said. Together, they have completed more than $2.6 billion in projects, including many that were focused on health care. Turner Construction is one of the top construction-management firms in the world. Its experience will be instrumental as we work through a complex construction project in an urban center, said Connolly. Its team brings a safety record which places the care of the workers and the public as its highest priority. Hammes Company has had the honor of working with Turner on other very high-profile projects and were looking forward to continuing our relationship on this project. Funding pursuit At the same time, MVHS continues to work on the final funding plan for the project. The organization is working with the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) on the request for approval for the $300 million which it will submit to the NYSDOH before the end of January. Officials anticipate hearing from NYSDOH by the end of February as to the disposition of the funding. MVHS in early November had indicated that the planning and design for the hospital would begin once the NYSDOH finalizes the disposition of the $300 million in New York State funding. Information session MVHS will hold a Tuesday information session and community dialogue event focused on the development of the proposed downtown health campus. MVHS will hold two sessions from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Grande Ballroom at the Radisson Hotel-Utica Centre, the organization said. The event will include a project update and allow attendees to participate in the development of the projects guiding principles. Those principals focus on what a new hospital and health-care campus should strive to achieve. Attendees will also work to develop factors for the project steering committee to consider throughout the planning and design phases, MVHS said. This new health campus is an exciting opportunity for our region and we want the community to be involved, Perra said in the release. The guiding principles identified at this event will highlight key areas that our project steering committee will consider as the development process advances. MVHS selected the Radisson because it has space for a large group presentation and breakout groups, the organization said. Should the event exceed capacity, MVHS will schedule additional meetings, it added. For those who are unable to attend, MVHS will post the presentation portion of the event at www.mvhealthsystem.org. People can also submit questions or comments to this address: community@mvhealthsystem.org. Tuesdays event is one of many community-input opportunities planned as the project advances, MVHS said. It also plans to hold individual meetings, group presentations and neighborhood and community-wide forums. Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Monday said he wants to spend $650 million to grow New Yorks life-sciences research cluster including public-private partnerships. The $650 million life-sciences initiative includes $250 million in tax incentives for new and existing life-science companies, Cuomos office said in a news release issued Monday. It also involves $200 million in state capital grants to support investment in wet-lab and innovation space; and $100 million in investment capital for early-stage, life-science initiatives, with an additional match of at least $100 million for operating support from private-sector partnerships. In addition, the state will provide $17 million in capital funding to launch JLABS @ NYC, which Cuomos office describes as a collaboration between Johnson & Johnson Innovation and the New York Genome Center to build a 30,000-square-foot incubator with capacity for up to 30 life-science startups. The New York Genome Center, located in New York City, is an independent nonprofit at the forefront of transforming biomedical research and clinical care, the governors release stated. Cuomo noted the life-sciences initiative during the first of his regional State of the State addresses held Monday morning in New York City. The life-science sector includes the fields of biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, biomedical technologies, life-systems technologies, and includes organizations and institutions that devote the majority of their efforts to the various stages of research, development, technology transfer and commercialization. These firms are also making significant advancements in agriculture and environmental biotechnologies, helping create a cleaner and more sustainable future. The ever-evolving life science sector is discovering solutions to the most pressing problems of our time, helping to cure disease and save lives around the world, Cuomo said in the news release. New York is poised to be a global leader in this industry, and the new, vital incubator JLABS will be the catalyst that pushes our state into the forefront of this exciting field. I look forward to working with Johnson & Johnson and the New York Genome Center to build momentum in the life science industry and establish New York as the home of discoveries that will drive the economy and create a better future for all. Additional details Cuomos proposal would include $250 million in tax incentives for new and existing life-sciences companies that are expanding research and development. His office contends the state must draw more capital to this sector from early stage and angel investors to better compete with other states actively poaching New Yorks top life-science research talent. The additional capital would make it more attractive for existing and new firms in life sciences to locate, invent, commercialize and produce in New York. Under Cuomos program, existing life-science businesses would be eligible for an annual allocation of $10 million in Excelsior tax credits. New life-science businesses would also receive a 15 percent refundable tax credit on all new qualifying research and development expenditures. Small businesses in the life-sciences industry could be eligible for a 20 percent credit. Additionally, angel investors would receive a credit of 25 percent of their investment, with a maximum of $250,000 per investor. The proposal also includes spending $200 million in state capital grants over 10 years and offering more than 4.2 million square feet of space and 2,038 acres of developable land tax free to accelerate life-science innovation at 62 colleges and universities statewide. Cuomos proposal also has the state pledging $100 million for additional investment capital for early stage, life-science firms. In addition, private-sector partnerships are also pledging matching funds for investment and operational support, bringing the total commitment to $200 million. Part of the investment would include a new life-science launch competition, modeled on Buffalos 43North competition, which would further support the growth of this sector. Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com Although they had very similar names, the Bank of the State of Indiana and the State Bank of Indiana were different entities. And unlike a lot of 19th century banks, both were legitimate. From the Collecting Paper column in the Janu. 23, 2017, issue of Coin World: Numerous examples of notes show criminally minded individuals played loose and free with bank names in an attempt to defraud the careless. However, sometimes it all worked out for the best. Take, for example, State Bank of Indiana and the Bank of the State of Indiana. The State Bank of Indiana was chartered in 1834 and soon became one of the most respected banks in the United States. Between 1834 and 1839, during the height of the Panic of 1837, it expanded to a statewide network of branches that served the state in a conservative and highly successful manner. By the mid-1850s, the populist idea of Free Banking swept the state and rechartering the State Bank of Indiana became a politically incorrect action to take. So the state bank started to wrap up its affairs in anticipation of an orderly closing of its business in 1859. Connect with Coin World: Sign up for our free eNewsletter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Banking was still a profitable business and a group of promoters decided to push through a charter for a private bank they called The Bank of the State of Indiana. After a scandalous push to get the charter through the state legislature, the bank was chartered, over the governors veto, in 1855. Hugh McCulloch at the time sagely noted that, while the promoters got the charter deal done, they didnt have the funds to pay for the stock needed to capitalize the enterprise. As a result, the promoters cut a deal with the managers of the old State Bank of Indiana, agreeing to sell 17 of the new branches to the old management team and to not stand in the way of McCulloch becoming president of the new bank. As a result, when Bank of the State of Indiana branches opened Jan. 1, 1857, they were almost universally run by the same officers who had run the branches of the State Bank of Indiana. In many cases, the only thing that changed at a branch was the sign outside of the building. A seamless transition; albeit with a slightly confusing name change. The Bank of the State of Indiana went on to be just as successful, surviving the Panic of 1857 and the Civil War, eventually expanding to 20 branches across the state. Like its predecessor, not a single cent was ever lost by a note holder or depositor of the Bank of the State of Indiana branches. The bank voluntarily liquidated in 1865, with many branches becoming national banks. What might look like a sleight of hand name change really worked out well for all involved. McCulloch, who is owed much of the credit, moved on to be the first comptroller of the currency and later secretary of the Treasury. The front of a souvenir envelope for the 200th anniversary of the U.S. Mint, autographed by some of those who attended the event on April 2, 1992. The Joys of Collecting column from the Jan. 23, 2017, issue of Coin World: Since becoming the numismatic director of Whitman Publishing LLC roughly 14 years ago, I have turned out a long string of titles, with help from many other writers and researchers. The latest in print, A Guide Book of the U.S. Mint, is a recent release. Creating many of these books has involved extensive travel. For this one, under the aegis of Tom Jurkowsky of the Mint, I and helpers went behind the scenes in every production facility Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, and West Point to document the procedures. On April 2, 1992, on the 200th anniversary of the Mint Act of 1792, at the invitation of the Treasury Department I gave the keynote speech at the event. A number of numismatic people attended, and I had some of them sign both sides of a souvenir envelope, the front of which is shown. Then there was the Mint that almost was, but never opened. In the mid-1860s the Treasury Department erected a substantial building in The Dalles, an Oregon town on the south bank of the Columbia River. The idea was to coin precious metals then being found in quantity in the Pacific Northwest. Production slowed, and the idea was scrapped. The Mint building was then sold. Since then it has had various private uses and is still standing. In 1862 the government purchased the private bank and mint of Clark, Gruber & Co. in Denver and renamed it the Denver Mint, which was in use for years thereafter but only as an assay office and repository. So, that federal Mint, while in full operation, uniquely never turned out any coins. Years later, in 1906, a new Denver Mint opened, a facility that, today enlarged, produces many coins. A new Visitors Center will be set up, I was told, to replace the one in use for many years. My new book also covers historical mints other than federal facilities including the mysterious Machins Mills set up in the 1780s on the shore of Orange Pond in Newburgh, N.Y.; Reuben Harmon Jr.s little mint on Millbrook in Pawlet, Vt.; and the extensive facility of Moffat & Co. in San Francisco. The last was purchased by the Treasury Department in 1853, enlarged, and reopened as the San Francisco Mint in March 1854. If you buy or borrow this book, I think youll enjoy it. MoDOT prefers flyover ramps at 70 and 63 Following public and stakeholder meetings, MoDOT is moving ahead with its preferred idea of a flyover at the 70/63 connector. Area residents who would like to join in the American Cancer Societys 2017 Relay for Life in Gage County event are invited to the kickoff event Saturday, Jan. 14. The breakfast meeting will be run from 9:30-11 a.m. at Valentinos, Seventh and Court, Beatrice. This years theme will be Roaring into Relay Celebrating 20 Years. T-shirts have been designed and all teams will be able to sell these shirts as a fundraiser for their team if they want. Relay for Life in Gage County this year will be a 10-hour event and is scheduled for noon-10 p.m. Saturday, April 29, at the Gage County Fairgrounds. Wrap-up will be held right after the luminaria ceremony. The cancer survivor luncheon will be held at noon on April 29 and is open to all area cancer survivors and a guest by invitation. Invitations will be mailed out to survivors from names on file. Any survivor who has not received an invitation or is uncertain if they are on the list may contact Lorrie Stierwalt, 402-239-6073. Persons wishing to participate by walking in the event and joining a team may register online at www.relayforlife.org/gagecone. Donations may also be made online to support your favorite walker or team. Businesses and groups are encouraged to take part in this cause by becoming sponsors. There are multiple levels of sponsorship available. Contact Karie Jobman at 402-239-9403 for information. Everyone is encouraged to form a team now with family members and co-workers and support this cause to raise money in the fight to end cancer. Contact Corinne Koch, 402-239-3904, for more information or to volunteer to help with this event. Donna James Leads a Bold Plan to Revive Victorias Secret James has a proven record as a C-suite executive and adviser. Now, shes guiding the lingerie giant toward a more inclusive, financially sound future. One of the easiest ways to learn about the New Mexico State Legislature is to visit the Capitol during the session and see the action yourself! Common Cause New Mexico is there every day, and we are happy to meet with you, show you around and introduce you to Legislators. Just give us a call and let us know when you will be there we are here to help with the issues you care about most in New Mexico! Tips on Calling Your Elected Officials Prepare. Have an outline of what you want to say and what you want to ask your legislator to do. Identify yourself. Give your name and address. Be brief. Clearly and concisely state your position and make your point. Limit your call to one issue. Mention the legislation, by bill number if there is one. If the legislator isnt familiar with the issue give them a brief summary. Be polite and respectful. Dont argue or act angry. Be courteous, direct and fair. If you need more time to persuade your legislator, request a meeting. Ask for a viewpoint and a vote. Find out where the legislator stands, any concerns about the legislation, and ask for a commitment to vote for (or against) the legislation. Follow-up with a thank you note. Report back. Let us know what your legislator said and any commitments made. Tips on Writing to Your Elected Officials Express yourself. A neatly handwritten or typed letter using your own words and thoughts are best. Form letters and pre-printed postcards do not carry as much weight. Write about how the issue affects you and share any personal experiences you have regarding it. Be clear and concise. Clearly state your position on the issue and what you want the legislator to do. Be direct and firm, but not hostile. Stick to just one issue and keep it to one pagea one-page letter is more likely to be read. Mention the legislation. If a bill has already been introduced, include the bill number. If there is no bill number, for example, you are writing before the session begins, then clearly state the issue. Identify yourself. If you have met the legislator before, remind him/her of where and when you met. If you have a professional or personal investment in the issue, share this with the legislator, for example, if you are a teacher or a parent. Dont forget to include your address. Mail the letter. If the legislature is in session, send it to the legislators capitol address; if it isnt, send it to the home or office address. Follow up. If you dont get a reply (remember to ask for one!) then write a follow-up letter. If the legislator complies with your request (e. g., votes favorably for a bill), send a thank you note. Tips on Finding Out Who Represents You Everyone in New Mexico is represented by two U. S. Senators and one U. S. Representative as well as by one state senator and one state representative. If you dont know who represents you, you can find out either online or with a quick phone call. Visit the New Mexico Legislator website at: http://www.nmlegis.gov and click on Find Your Legislator. Or call the Capitol at 505-986-4600. Visit the www.vote-smart.org and enter your zip plus four in the box on the left side of the screen. If you dont know your plus four, follow the link to the post office web site where you can look it up. Contact your county clerk. The phone number will be listed in your phone book under county government. How to navigate the New Mexico Legislative website Go to http://www.nmlegis.gov. On the front page you can search for any legislation, and at the top, you will find tabs that allow you to find your legislator, all legislation, committees, state agencies and more. You can search anything in the search bar, and you will find updates scrolling via Twitter at the bottom of the page. Spend some time on the site and feel free to email us for answers you dont find there. Tips on Writing Letters to the Editor You can write a letter to the editor in response to an article, an editorial, another letter to the editor or simply on a topic relevant to the papers readership. Here are a few tips on how to get the letter published. Read the letters to the editor for a few days to get a sense of what kind of letters are printed. Some papers are very selective, choosing letters that relate to recently printed stories, while others print nearly every letter, regardless of topic. Look in the paper for guidelines on how long letters should be, if you need to include your phone number, and where to send your lettermany papers will give both a postal address and an e-mail address. Stay focused so that your message is clear to the reader. Send your letter by e-mail to get it to the paper as quickly as possible. If your paper is selective, call to urge that they print your letter. Tips on Attending Legislative Hearings During the legislative session, attend committee hearings. Simply being there and being identified as being pro (or con) is an enormous push for your issue. Smart city technology beta projects and pilot programs are gaining ground in New York City. Walk around the Big Apple, as Computerworld did recently, and you encounter everything from free public Wi-Fi to smart park benches and even sophisticated listening devices that can detect gunshots to allow a quick police response. Much of this wide-ranging tech focus goes back to 2014 when Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed the city's first Chief Technology Officer. He picked private sector tech veteran Minerva Tantoco for the role. During her tenure, she made a practice of pushing for small tech trials that could be modified and adjusted before being expanded. "Taking a page from the CTO playbook is the concept of using pilots and prototypes," Tantoco said in a video interview with Computerworld recorded at City Hall in June of 2016. "The way you do that is create small tests of tech before you take them citywide. That actually has the effect of 'de-risking' the project on a wide scale," she said. "It's a fairly common tech approach, but not so common in government. So this is where some my private sector experience is being brought to the public sector role." courtesy photo New York CTO Miquel Gamino Jr. Tantoco served nearly two years in her city CTO post before departing Aug. 31, 2016 to return to the private sector as senior advisor of Future\Perfect Ventures, a woman-run tech venture capital firm. On Oct. 25, De Blasio named her replacement, Miguel Gamino Jr., a former CIO for both San Francisco and El Paso, Texas, and co-founder of the Council of Global City CIOs. As CTO, Gamino works with all city agencies to further New York's smart city and internet of things initiatives and has taken the lead on city's broadband program, which was previously led by the counsel to the mayor. To find out more about New York's smart city prowess, Computerworld strolled the sidewalks of Manhattan over two days. Here's what we found. Free Wi-Fi on city streets One of the most ambitious tech projects underway in New York, LinkNYC is intended to replace the city's 7,500 eyesore pay phones on city sidewalks with permanent Link kiosks. The kiosks, slated to be installed in all five city boroughs over eight years, provide fast, free Wi-Fi, device charging and a tablet computer for accessing city services, maps and directions. Free public internet calls are also possible from the units, and there's also a red 911 button that can be pushed to call emergency services. NYC Mayor's Office New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio tried out a LinkNYC Wi-Fi kiosk soon after test units were rolled out. A team of city leaders helped shape the project in 2015, which is now under franchise by a consortium called CityBridge that includes telecommunications heavyweight Qualcomm, among others. CityBridge won a 12-year franchise from the city to build the kiosks on the footprint of thousands of former phone booths. The organization is investing more than $200 million to install fiber optic cable for the kiosks, which are funded by revenue from advertising -- large, full-color displays on the sides of the kiosks. Among a number of challenges identified by the New York Times and others, some critics have questioned the privacy of personal data of users of the machines. There is a guarantee to users that any personal identifiable data they enter into the tablet will be encrypted and that user data won't be sold to third parties. (LinkNYC does collect some user data to monitor how well the system is working and determine how many people are using it, primarily to be able to sell ads.) City Wi-Fi: Too much of a good thing? When they launched in January 2016, New York City's LinkNYC kiosks offered free web browsing via built-in Android tablets, but browsing was shut down in September "to curb long-term use of the kiosks," according to LinkNYC's website. There were reports early on that users were lingering at the kiosks for hours, browsing porn sites or playing loud music, according to the New York Times and other sources. At one point early in 2016, LinkNYC installed porn filtering software and dimmed the volume and brightness of the tablet displays at night to respond to community objections. But by September, amid continued complaints, LinkNYC removed the browsing capability. More than 450 kiosks were installed by Dec. 1, 2016 in Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. The project rollout fell behind a midsummer goal of 500 kiosk installations, partly because access was hindered to manholes and other under-street locations for fiber optic cable, according to a LinkNYC spokeswoman. However, the total goal of more than 7,000 kiosks is still envisioned, and the beta project is moving ahead. LinkNYC says its core mission is to provide free phone calls and free, fast Wi-Fi, adding that a team is investigating adding new features such as a direct portal to a voter registration form. City leaders from around the world are watching how LinkNYC unfolds. That's because free public Wi-Fi has a spotty record -- at least in some large cities. Barcelona promotes its free Wi-Fi at beaches and other gathering spots, but maintaining outdoor equipment and keeping speeds fast enough for users has clearly been a challenge. Seattle and Mountain View, Calif., offered free Wi-Fi as early as 2005, then backed off due to high costs or limited wireless capacity. Smart park benches One of the more charming uses of smart tech in New York is being tested with several park benches installed in High Bridge Park at 175th and Amsterdam in Manhattan. The solar-powered benches, designed by Soofa, a startup with connections to the MIT Media Lab, allow park visitors to charge a smartphone or other device while resting, socializing or sunbathing. Changing Environments Inc. The Soofa smart park bench. The smart benches also allow park officials to count Wi-Fi-enabled devices as they pass by, which allows them to estimate foot traffic and in turn determine if more security or trash removal might be needed in an area of a park. Assuaging citizen concerns, the Soofa pilot incorporates a set of internet of things guidelines created by the city which govern privacy and security concerns for new devices. Faster bus rides Meanwhile, for frantic commuters, New York is testing smart bus technology to speed up their rides. The Traffic Signal Priority project, along a bus line in busy lower Manhattan, allows buses equipped with GPS to connect into the existing traffic signal control network. When a bus is stopped for a red light, for example, the system can shorten the amount of time the light is red to allow the bus to move ahead, or the system can extend the green time for an approaching bus. The technology, first piloted in 2012, appears to be taking hold. Results from 2016 showed a savings in bus commute time of up to 20%, and as of January 2017, the city has four bus corridors equipped with the prioritization technology, according to a New York City Department of Transportation spokeswoman. An additional three corridors are under study, and six more are being considered for future operations, she adds. The system also could help reduce the number of single-occupant vehicles on the city's congested streets, according to Doug Newcomb, an analyst and president of C3 Group. Since New York has more than 5,700 buses operating 2,800 miles of routes used for 2.5 million bus rides every day, a 20% savings over an expanded base of riders could make a significant dent in congestion. What's more, in perhaps a decade, many cities like New York could be deploying high-occupancy driverless buses along those same routes, further reducing congestion, Newcomb says. Identifying individual gunshots One of New York's more unusual and recent tech projects is designed to help fight crime. ShotSpotter relies on sophisticated rooftop listening sensors and software to identify the acoustic fingerprint of gunfire. (A 2015 city document, Building a Smart + Equitable City, describes the project on page 18.) Three sensors are used to triangulate a gunshot sound and report the location of the gunshot, within 27 yards, to the nearest police precinct in about one minute. (For more on how the technology works, see Cool cop tech: 5 new technologies helping police fight crime.) After a year-long test over 15 square miles in the Bronx and Brooklyn, police found that 73% of the shots detected by ShotSpotter had not been reported by citizens, sometimes, perhaps, because they didn't recognize the noise as a gunshot. Police found the initial test effective in helping them respond to crimes faster; the technology has been expanded to 24 square miles, including in upper Manhattan. What the future holds . . . New York City has many other smart initiatives in the test phase -- including technologies to more efficiently use water, dispose of trash, protect the air and make it easier to find and use city services. [ Further reading: 5 disruptive technologies to track in 2017 ] For now, city officials only laugh when asked whether New York will allow flying, driverless cars over Manhattan skyscrapers. But stay tuned: At the rate at which New York is adopting smart city technology, flying cars might yet be on the docket and in the air. A Japanese insurance company reportedly is replacing 34 workers with an artificial intelligence system, and industry analysts say the same could start happening in the U.S. this year. Fukoku Mutual Life Insurance Company, a 94-year-old company based in Tokyo, is getting ready to replace human workers with an IBM Watson artificial intelligence-based system, ABC News in Australia reported. A spokesperson for Fukoku Life could not be reached and IBM did not respond to a request for comment, but ABC News said that 34 employees will lose their jobs by the end of March, when the Watson system takes over handling insurance payouts by culling hospital records, patient medical histories and injury data. The final payments will still be handled by human workers. The report also stated that the company expects to increase productivity by 30%, while saving $1.65 million on employee salaries. Fukoku Life will spend $2.36 million to install the system and about $177,000 in annual maintenance costs, meaning the new system should pay for itself in less than two years, ABC News said. The report is likely to continue to validate fears that robots and A.I. are putting people out of work. With A.I. systems making steady advancements that enable them to increasingly learn on their own, make decisions and understand human behavior, companies are widely expected to use the technology to sidestep human workers and get work done without needing to pay salaries and provide health care or vacation time. By 2021, intelligent systems and robots may take up to 6% of U.S. jobs, according to Forrester Research. Smart systems, chat bots and humanoid robots could take over jobs that range from hotel employees and customer service reps to truck and taxi drivers. A year ago, the World Economic Forum, a Geneva, Switzerland-based organization focused on analyzing and improving the state of the world, reported that the next tech revolution, which includes A.I. and robotics, could mean the loss of 7 million jobs over the next few years. The forum also stated that at the same time, 2 million jobs would be created in the fields of computer science, engineering and math. It's also expected that technology will create new jobs that will replace the ones that smart systems are taking. Human workers may also increasingly work alongside smart systems. For example, a worker might have a smart assistant that finds information needed for a project before the worker realizes he or she needs it. However, the concerns today are over jobs that are lost because of A.I. "It's certainly something workers who work with large volumes of data will be concerned about," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with ZK Research. "There's no question that A.I. systems, like IBM's Watson, can analyze and interpret data faster and more accurately than people. We are in the digital era, where the currency of business is speed, and A.I.s can make decisions faster than people with massive amounts of data." With A.I. systems like Watson, data workers, such as those at an insurance company like Fukoku Mutual Life, could be at risk. Kerravala said he also expects to see smart systems replacing American workers possibly as soon as this year. Judith Hurwitz, an analyst with Hurwitz & Associates, agreed that some U.S. jobs will be lost to A.I., but she said there's plenty of room for employees to grow in their jobs alongside smart systems. "This is something that workers will have to be concerned with," Hurwitz said. "However, machines cannot operate in isolation from human judgment. The best use of these analytics systems is to work in collaboration with those that have advanced knowledge of their area and can be supported by smart systems." Technology has been replacing jobs held by people for decades, the analysts noted. It's not unique to artificial intelligence. The use of A.I. is another technology revolution that will change the kinds of jobs that are available, said Dan Olds, an analyst with Orion Research. "As A.I. systems become more sophisticated and less expensive, workers worldwide are going to see some of their functions being replaced by them, or they're going to more likely find themselves working with A.I. systems in their jobs," he said. "This will mean that they'll need to be open to working with A.I. and building a productive relationship with it." Google spinoff Waymo may have just made minivans cool. Well, as much as anyone can actually do that. It is still a minivan, after all. But now, it is a minivan with self-driving capabilities, and for a significantly lower price than previous self-driving cars. So how did Waymo do that? In IT Blogwatch, we hit the road. So what is going on? Keith Naughton and Mark Bergen have the background: Alphabet Inc.s...Waymo has slashed the cost of a key technology required to bring self-driving cars to the masses and rolled it out...in an autonomous Chrysler Pacifica minivan...Waymo has cut costs by 90 percent on LiDAR sensors, which bounce light off objects to create a three-dimensional map of a cars surroundings. Any why is this so important? Raphael Orlove has some insight: One of the reasons LiDAR isnt on all cars...is because a spinning LiDAR turret is big and bulky...but also because these arrays arent cheap...This cost-saving would be a huge step forward for getting complete autonomy into production...Getting the price down for these arrays is crucial if anyone other than the super-rich will buy a self-driving car. It should come as little surprise that of all of the car companies...promising autonomy in the near future, the closest ones have been aiming at the luxury segment. So what is the full array of sensors that the Pacificas are sporting? Michael Wayland is in the know: The...system includes...a short-range and a long-range LiDAR...in addition to a medium-range LiDAR that the company has used...in the early days of its project...the new camera vision system includes eight vision modules using multiple sensors, plus an additional forward-facing high resolution multi-sensor module, enabling 360-degree vision. It also includes enhanced radars with a continuous 360 degree view. ... Waymos technology is built for...Level 4 automated driving, which means the vehicle can operate in most circumstances autonomously but may at some point need a human driver to...take over. Got it. But how did Waymo get the price down? And how much does LiDAR really cost? Duncan Riley shares some numbers: Waymo is...making its own LiDAR sensors...It has brought the cost down...from $75,000 per unit in 2009 to a far more affordable $7,500 a unit now, with an aim to reduce that even further. How much further can the price really be reduced? And when are we going to start seeing these minivans hit the road? Alexandria Sage and Paul Lienert have the details: Velodyne Lidar Inc and Quanergy Systems Inc...have said they are developing smaller solid-state LiDAR units that...would cost $200 or less. ... John Krafcik, head of Google's Waymo unit...said Waymo planned to test the first self-driving Pacificas this month on...roads in California and Arizona. He did not say when the system would be ready to install in production vehicles. Besides the obvious, why is this good for Waymo? Jason Del Rey fills us in: The nuts and bolts of how autonomous technology works won't be the way car companies differentiate themselves. But...building a better suite of sensors and hardware can be key to securing the right partners. When it comes to immersion and gaming, Razers Project Ariana and Project Valerie were both big hits at CES 2017. So big, in fact, that they were likely the two prototypes which Razer reported as being stolen from its booth. The company is not ruling out industrial espionage. I've just been informed that two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today, Razer CEO and co-founder Min-Liang Tan wrote on Facebook. We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue. Although Tan doesnt specify which prototypes were stolen, Project Ariana and Project Valerie were Razers coolest concept devices unveiled at CES; they really packed the wow factor. Project Ariana Project Ariana is a projector, which seems similar to Microsoft Researchs IllumiRoom that was first unveiled at CES 2013. Microsoft seemed to have dropped that ball, perhaps because it required a Kinect, and Razer is running with the idea and showing off Ariana. We see Project Ariana as the future of gaming immersion and a great showcase of what our Razer Chroma lighting technology can do, Tan said. Project Ariana is able to offer a virtual reality experience without a headset and which can be enjoyed by everyone in a room. As you can see, there is a dramatic change when gaming expands from a monitor to an entire wall. In a press release, Razer said it achieved the remarkable abilities of Project Ariana using its Razer Chroma lighting technology and combining it with laser sensors, 4k video projection technology and game code integration in partnership with publishers. The projector experience is additionally combined with custom lighting features on Razer gaming projects and ambient smart lighting and THX-certified surround sound devices. Each element is able to react with games in real-time by way of Razer Chroma software for an immersive visual and auditory experience. Project Valerie Project Valerie features three 17.3 inch 4k screens, making it the worlds first portable laptop with three built-in monitors. The laptop, powered by an Nvidia GeForce 1080 graphics card, supports Nvidia Surround View and offers a stunning 11520 x 2160 resolution. Its not the thin, light laptop that people are used to nowadays as it weighs in at close to 12 pounds and is 1.5-inches thick when folded up for portability. Whichever two prototypes were stolen, Tan said, At Razer, we play hard and we play fair. Our teams worked months on end to conceptualize and develop these units and we pride ourselves in pushing the envelope to deliver the latest and greatest. Tan added: We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously it is cheating, and cheating doesnt sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isnt very smart. The company is asking anyone with information about the thefts to please report it. It was a Denver-area sweep for the 2016 Calvert Foundation Small Business Competition , with three local businesses winning the top three prizes in the national competition.Outdoor adventure and clothing store Feral Mountain Company , took the top prize, $10,000. Denver's Pearl Wine Company took second, winning $3,000 and Golden-based rock and ice-climbing service Golden Mountain Guides , took third, winning $2,000."We are very proud of all our borrowers who participated in this competition and heartily congratulate those who won," says Ceyl Prinster, CEO of Colorado Enterprise Fund (CEF), which supported each of the winners. "Starting a business can be cash-intensive, so when our borrowers are able to access additional funding that can help them grow to the next level, we are all for it."It was the first time the Calvert Foundation held the competition, which was open to small businesses that received financing from nonprofit lenders like CEF. The goals of the contest, sponsored by the Calvert Foundation, were to promote small businesses with ties to the local community, enhancing business operations and educating people on investing in the local community and businesses that create local jobs. The contest also was aimed at generating awareness of the Calvert Foundation's Community Investment Note, which supports investments in small businesses."We had over 5,000 votes -- way more than we expected," says Senior Officer of Investor Relations at the Calvert Foundation Katherine St. Onge. "We are so thrilled that the participants were able to showcase the value of small businesses to so many people!"The Maryland-based Calvert Foundation launched the Ours To Own (OTO) Denver campaign in 2014. That effort is designed to channel capital towards community development efforts in Denver.Contact Confluence Denver Innovation & Jobs News Editor Chris Meehan with tips and leads for future stories at chris@confluence-denver.com Today the Prime Minister delivered this speech at the Charity Commission annual lecture: Thank you for inviting me to be here this morning to deliver the prestigious Charity Commission Annual Lecture. I am delighted to have this opportunity to express my appreciation for all those who work in our charity sector and for those who freely give their time, money and expertise in the service of others. We are a country built on the bonds of family, community and citizenship and there is no greater example of the strength of those bonds than our great movement of charities and social enterprises. But the strength of that civil society which I believe we should treasure deeply does not just depend on the ingenuity, generosity and commitment of countless volunteers, social entrepreneurs and philanthropists. As with other parts of our economy, it also depends on the practices that our charities and social enterprises adopt; and above all on the public trust they command. That is why the work that William, Paula and their team at the Charity Commission are doing is so important. Because the reforms they are leading are strengthening the sector and together with the new Fundraising Regulator ensuring public confidence in our charities and the contribution they make in helping to meet some of the greatest social challenges of our time. The challenge of our time And lets be clear that some of those challenges are significant and long-standing. We live in a country where if youre born poor, you will die on average 9 years earlier than others. If youre black, youre treated more harshly by the criminal justice system than if youre white. If youre a white, working-class boy, youre less likely than anybody else in Britain to go to university. If youre at a state school, youre less likely to reach the top professions than if youre educated privately. If youre a woman, youre likely to be paid less than a man. If you suffer from mental health problems, theres not enough help to hand. If youre young, youll find it harder than ever before to own your own home. There are not easy answers to these problems, but it is vital that we come together to address them. For they are all burning injustices that undermine the solidarity of our society and stunt our capacity to build the stronger, fairer country that we want Britain to be. But the challenges dont end there. Governments have traditionally been good at identifying if not always addressing such problems. However, the mission I have laid out for the Government to make Britain a country that works for everyone and not just the privileged few goes further. It means more than fighting these obvious injustices. It means acknowledging and addressing the everyday injustices that too many people feel too. Because while the obvious injustices receive a lot of attention with the language of social justice and social mobility a staple of most politicians today the everyday injustices are too often overlooked. But if youre from an ordinary working class family, life is much harder than many people in Westminster realise. The injustice you feel may be less obvious, but it burns inside you just the same. For you have a job but you dont always have job security. You have your own home, but you worry about paying the mortgage. You can just about manage but you worry about the cost of living and getting your kids into a good school. You are putting in long hours with little time for yourself working to live, and living to work. You give work your all, but there is still little left over at the end of the month to spend on the things that really matter to you. Your wages have stagnated for several years in a row, and you feel you are getting by, not necessarily getting on. And at the same time, over recent years these people have felt locked out of the political and social discourse in Britain. If they voiced their concerns, their views were shut down. Decisions made in faraway places didnt always seem to be the right decisions for them. They saw their community changing, but didnt remember being consulted or agreeing to that change. They looked at the changing world the onset of globalisation and the advances in technology and worried about what the future held for their children and grandchildren. It is clear to me and I believe that last years vote to leave the European Union partially revealed this to be true that there are growing numbers of people in every part of our country in our cities, suburbs, towns, countryside and coastal areas for whom this is the reality of life. And the consequence is this: when you see others prospering while you are not; when you try to raise your concerns but they fall on deaf ears; when you feel your very identity all that you hold dear is under threat, resentments grow, and the divisions that we see around us between a more prosperous older generation and a struggling younger generation; between the wealth of London and the rest of the country; between the rich, the successful and the powerful, and their fellow citizens become entrenched. Thats why I believe that when we consider both the obvious and the everyday injustices in unison we see that the central challenge of our times is to overcome division and bring our country together by ensuring everyone has the chance to share in the wealth and opportunity on offer in Britain today. And that starts by building something that I call the shared society. The Shared Society The shared society is one that doesnt just value our individual rights but focuses rather more on the responsibilities we have to one another. Its a society that respects the bonds that we share as a union of people and nations. The bonds of family, community, citizenship and strong institutions. And its a society that recognises the obligations we have as citizens obligations that make our society work. A few months ago at the Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham, I upset some by saying that if you think youre a citizen of the world, youre a citizen of nowhere. But my point was simple. It was that the very word citizen implies that we have responsibilities to the people around us. The people in our community, on our streets, in our places of work. And too often today, those responsibilities have been forgotten as the cult of individualism has taken hold, and globalisation and the democratisation of communications has encouraged people to look beyond their own communities and immediate networks in the name of joining a broader global community. I want to be absolutely clear about what I am saying here. I am not arguing against globalisation nor the benefits it brings from modern travel and modern media to new products in our shops and new opportunities for British companies to export their goods to millions of consumers all around the world. Indeed, I have argued that Britain has an historic global opportunity to lead the world in shaping the forces of globalisation so that everyone shares in the benefits of economic growth. But just as we need to act to address the economic inequalities that have emerged in recent years, so we also need to recognise the way that a more global and individualistic world can sometimes loosen the ties that bind our society together, leaving some people feeling locked out and left behind. And the central tenet of my belief the thing that shapes my approach is that there is more to life than individualism and self-interest. We form families, communities, towns, cities, counties and nations. And we embrace the responsibilities those institutions imply. And government has a clear role to play to support this conception of society. It is to act to encourage and nurture those relationships, networks and institutions where it can. And it is to step up to correct injustices and tackle unfairness at every turn because injustice and unfairness are the things that drive us apart. This means a government rooted not in the laissez-faire liberalism that leaves people to get by on their own, but rather in a new philosophy that means government stepping up not just in the traditional way of providing a welfare state to support the most vulnerable, as vital as that will always be. But actually in going further to help those who have been ignored by government for too long because they dont fall into the income bracket that makes them qualify for welfare support. It means making a significant shift in the way that government works in Britain. Because government and politicians have for years talked the language of social justice where we help the very poorest and social mobility where we help the brightest among the poor. But to deliver the change we need and build that shared society, we must move beyond this agenda and deliver real social reform across every layer of society so that those who feel that the system is stacked against them those just above the threshold that attracts the governments focus today yet who are by no means rich or well off are also given the help they need. So we will recalibrate how we approach policy development to ensure that everything we do as government helps to give those who are just getting by a fair chance while still helping those who are most disadvantaged. Because people who are just managing, just getting by dont need a government that will get out of the way, they need a government that will make the system work for them. An active government that will help them share in the growing prosperity of post-Brexit Britain. Thats why we will shortly launch a new Housing White Paper to boost supply, tackle the increasing lack of affordability, and so help ordinary working people with the high costs of this most basic of necessities. Its why we will shortly publish a Green Paper to put forward our approach for a modern Industrial Strategy, setting out our plans to encourage growth, innovation and investment and ensure that as we aim to increase our overall prosperity that prosperity is shared by people in every corner of our country. Its why as part of building a great meritocracy I have already outlined plans to increase the number of good school places so that every child not just those who are fortunate to have parents who can afford to move to a good catchment area or pay to go private can enjoy a school place that caters to their individual interests, abilities and needs. So with all these steps we will deliver this new agenda of social reform. And government will step up to support and where necessary enforce the responsibilities we have to each other as citizens, so that we respect the bonds and obligations that make our society work. This means government supporting free markets as the basis for our prosperity, but stepping in to repair them when they arent working as they should. It means standing up for business as a great driver of prosperity and progress, but taking action when a minority of businesses and business figures tear away at the social contract between business and society by working to a different set of rules from everyone else. It means creating an environment in which our charities and social enterprises can thrive but responding when a small minority pursue inappropriate and unacceptable fundraising practices. And it means not being ambivalent about the efforts of all those who give their time, money and expertise in the service of others; but recognising, supporting and championing those who lead the way in shaping a civil society that can bring the talents of so many in our voluntary sector to bear on some of the great social challenges that we face together. That is why I have continued the important work that David Cameron began through the Points of Light programme, using the office of Prime Minister every day to recognise an outstanding volunteer in Britain whose service can be an inspiration to us all. It is why we are making National Citizen Service a rite of passage for every young person in Britain and supporting all those brilliant organisations in the Prince of Wales IWill campaign who are encouraging our young people to give their time in the service of others. And it is why we will continue to lead the way internationally in the development of social finance to harness the full potential of our charities and social enterprises in working with business and government to tackle some of the biggest social challenges in our country. Our opportunity and responsibility This is the new approach the new philosophy that we need in Britain today. An approach with fairness and solidarity at its heart. And as we reflect on and implement the result of the referendum, we must recognise that we have a unique opportunity and responsibility to deliver the change that people need. An opportunity because Britain is going through a period of great national change, and as we do so we have a once-in-a-generation chance to step back and ask ourselves what kind of country we want to be. A responsibility because a failure to take this opportunity to show the ability of mainstream, centre-ground politics to respond to public concern would further entrench the very divisions we seek to overcome. For we know what happens when mainstream, centre-ground politics fails. People embrace the fringe the politics of division and despair. They turn to those who offer easy answers who claim to understand peoples problems and always know what and who to blame. We see those fringe voices gaining prominence in some countries across Europe today voices from the hard-left and the far-right stepping forward and sensing that this is their time. But they stand on the shoulders of mainstream politicians who have allowed unfairness and division to grow by ignoring the legitimate concerns of ordinary people for too long. Politicians who embraced the twin pillars of liberalism and globalisation as the great forces for good that they are, but failed to understand that for too many people particularly those on modest to low incomes living in rich countries like our own those forces are something to be concerned, not thrilled, about. Politicians who supported and promoted an economic system that works well for a privileged few, but failed to ensure that the prosperity generated by free markets and free trade is shared by everyone, in every corner and community of their land. Politicians who made the deals and signed the agreements that changed the nature of their country, but failed to listen to the publics concerns dismissing them as somehow parochial or illegitimate instead. The result of this consensus this way of conducting politics has been to bring us to a place where all the old certainties are called into question. People are questioning whether the system of globalisation, free markets and free trade one that has underpinned so much of our prosperity is actually working for them. When they lose their jobs, or their wages stagnate, or their dreams such as owning a home seem out of reach, they feel it is even working against them serving not their interests or ambitions, but those of a privileged few. And they are questioning the legitimacy of all the old institutions and systems we have relied on for decades. They have seen a small minority in the banking and business sectors appearing to game the system and play by their own rules. They have watched Parliament dragged into a row about political expenses, the media mired in questions about phone-hacking, a system that allows lawyers to get rich by hounding our brave troops. And they come to a simple conclusion: that there is one rule for the rich and powerful and another for everyone else. This is dangerous for it sows division and despair as the gap between those who are prospering and those who are not gets ever larger, and resentments grow. And it emboldens the voices of protectionism and isolation who would tear down all we have achieved and take us back to the past. So our responsibility is great. It is to show that mainstream, centre-ground politics can deliver the change people need. That mainstream, centre-ground politics can respond to public concern. And that a mainstream, centre-ground government understands what needs to change and has a plan to set things right. Our plan for a stronger, fairer Britain And thats why this Government has a plan, not simply to manage our withdrawal from the European Union, but to take this opportunity to fundamentally change Britain for the better. A comprehensive, wide-ranging plan for the kind of country we want to be. A plan to build a country where wealth and opportunity are shared; where all of us, no matter what our background, play by the same rules; and where future generations enjoy the same opportunities from which their parents have benefited throughout their lives. I will say more about this plan in the coming weeks. I will talk more about our plans for economic reform, our plans to build a Global Britain and our ambitions to build a more united country. But at the heart of the plan is a commitment to building a fairer society and tackling the burning injustices that have been allowed to stand for too long. The burning injustice of mental illness And I want to turn to one of those burning injustices in particular the burning injustice of mental health and inadequate treatment that demands a new approach from government and society as a whole. Let me be clear: mental health problems affect people of all ages and all backgrounds. An estimated one in four of us has a common mental disorder at any one time. The economic and social cost of mental illness is 105 billion roughly the same as we spend on the NHS in its entirety. And for children one in ten of whom has a diagnosable condition the long term effects can be crippling: children with behavioural disorders are four times more likely to be drug dependent, six times more likely to die before the age of thirty, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison. We all know someone a family member, friend or colleague who is directly affected by mental health problems. But while people talk about parity of esteem and it was a Conservative-led Government that legislated for it there is no escaping the fact that people with mental health problems are still not treated the same as if they have a physical ailment or the fact that all of us government, employers, schools, charities need to do more to support all of our mental wellbeing. As Home Secretary I was determined to take on the grave injustices concerning mental illness that were within my remit and I made improving the police response to people with mental health needs a top priority. And I am delighted that we have taken great strides forward in reducing the number of people suffering a mental health crisis who end up in a police cell, for want of somewhere else to go. Since 2011-12, there has been an almost 80 per cent reduction of such incidences across England so more people detained under section 136 of the Mental Health Act are rightly being taken to a health-based place of safety, rather than being held in a cell. And for children and young people the reduction is comparable, and through the Policing and Crime Bill I personally introduced, this practice will be abolished entirely for under 18s from this spring. This proves that innovative reforms that challenge the established way of doing things can improve the response to mental illness. Now as prime minister I want us to go further. I want us to employ the power of government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society, and at every stage of life. For years the only people who have stood up for those with mental ill health have been civil society groups and charities. Now I want us to build upon your success and the fantastic work that many including those here today are doing. Organisations such as Mind who have led the way in helping those experiencing mental health problems. The Heads Together campaign and the fantastic leadership shown by their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry that aims to break the stigma surrounding mental health problems. And the tremendous campaigning work by Black Mental Health UK with whom I worked at the Home Office to expose injustices in the way black people with mental ill health in particular are treated, and ensure politicians take action to put things right. So you are leading the way but today I want us to forge a new approach recognising our responsibility to each other, and make mental illness an everyday concern for all of us and in every one of our institutions. What I am announcing are the first steps in our plan to transform the way we deal with mental health problems at every stage of a persons life: not in our hospitals, but in our classrooms, at work and in our communities. This starts with ensuring that children and teenagers get the help and support they need and deserve because we know that mental illness too often starts in childhood and that when left untreated, it can blight lives, and become entrenched. There is, for example, evidence to suggest an increase in self-harm among young people, with the number of 16-24 year old women reporting self-harm increasing threefold to one in five between 2000 and 2014. And we know that the use of social media brings additional concerns and challenges. In 2014, just over 1 in 10 young people said that they had experienced cyberbullying by phone or over the internet. So first, we will introduce a package of measures to transform the way we respond to mental illness in young people starting in our schools. We will pilot new approaches such as offering mental health first aid training for teachers and staff to help them identify and assist children experiencing mental health problems. And we will trial approaches to ensure schools and colleges work closer together with local NHS services to provide dedicated children and young peoples mental health services. These steps will accompany a major thematic review led by the Care Quality Commission with input from Ofsted looking at services for children and teenagers across the country to find out what is working, and what is not. Following this, CQC and Ofsted will consider how their future joint programme of inspections can ensure Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services are properly held to account for performance. And alongside these reviews, later this year we will bring forward a new Green Paper on Children and Young Peoples Mental Health to transform services in education and for families. These measures will build on the work we are already doing to put a stop to the untold misery of hundreds of children being sent halfway across the country to access mental health services. By 2021, no child will be sent away from their local area to be treated for a general mental health condition. But treatment is only part of the answer. We must look at what more can be done to prevent mental health problems, and work with you to capitalise on the crucial role civil society has to play in helping young people and indeed people of all ages build resilience. Second, I want us to do more to support mental wellbeing in the workplace. So I have asked Lord Stevenson, who has campaigned on these issues for many years, and Paul Farmer, CEO of Mind and Chair of the NHS Mental Health Taskforce, to work with leading employer and mental health groups to create a new partnership with industry, and make prevention and breaking the stigma top priorities for employers. Because mental wellbeing doesnt just improve the health of employees, it improves their motivation, reduces their absence and drives better productivity too. We will also review employment discrimination laws for employees with mental health problems to ensure they are properly supported. And we will do everything we can to get the right support to those with mental health problems who are out of work. For example, through our global leadership on Social Impact Bonds which drive investment in social outcomes we are already providing up to 50 million to support those with mental health issues back into work and to help local areas tackle the link between drug and alcohol dependency and co-existing mental health problems. Third, I want to ensure more people get the support they need, when they need it, in their communities. So we will make up to 15 million of extra funding available for community clinics, crisis cafes, and alternative places of safety to support a wider range of preventative services in the community, and ensure that charities, churches and community organisations can access funding to run them too. And we are already investing over 10 million to support the fast track Think Ahead programme which aims to increase the number of high-calibre mental health social workers by at least 300. Fourth, we will rapidly expand the treatment available by investing 67.7 million in digital mental health services. Online therapy has the potential to transform the way mental health services are delivered by allowing people to check their symptoms, be triaged online and receive clinically-assisted therapy over the internet much more quickly and easily, assuming it is clinically appropriate. These treatments have been tested in other countries and they work. In the right cases, they can offer access to treatment far quicker than traditional services. Fifth, we will right the everyday injustices that those with mental illness encounter starting by examining GP forms relating to mental health and debt. Because sometimes those whose illness has resulted in debt, or means they are struggling to pay their debt, have to prove their mental ill-health to debt collectors and pay their GP to fill in a form to do so. Such a process can worsen both mental illness and financial difficulties, so we will work with the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute to consult on these forms, with a view to ending the practice. And finally, today we are publishing a strengthened cross-Government Suicide Prevention Strategy, which sets out a comprehensive plan to reduce the suicide rate in this Parliament, and targets those most at risk such as young and middle-aged men, those in contact with the criminal justice system and those in the care of mental health services. Because, on average, 13 people kill themselves every day in England, and if we want to improve the life chances of current and future generations, we need to address this shocking reality. And in addition to all this we will ensure that the NHS itself takes the steps it needs to ensure that parity means just that: parity. We will hold the NHS leadership to account for the extra 1 billion we invested in mental health last year. We will make sure that mental illness gets the attention it deserves, in funding, research and technology investment. And we will be clear that when NHS leaders are redesigning services and developing new local solutions, mental health should get its full weighting. As I have said these are just the first steps in our plan to transform our approach to mental health in this country. Meeting this challenge will take years and require more than government action alone it will need a sustained effort on the part of everyone in this room and everyone across society. But this is a historic opportunity to right a wrong, and give people deserving of compassion and support the attention and treatment they deserve. And for all of us to change the way we view mental illness so that striving to improve mental wellbeing is seen as just as natural, positive and good as striving to improve our physical wellbeing. For too long mental illness has been something of a hidden injustice in our country, shrouded in a completely unacceptable stigma and dangerously disregarded as a secondary issue to physical health. Yet left unaddressed, it destroys lives, separates people from each other and deepens the divisions within our society. Changing this goes right to the heart of our humanity; to the heart of the kind of country we are, the attitudes we hold and the values we share. I remember the reaction when, back in 2012, Charles Walker and Kevan Jones spoke in Parliament about their own personal challenges with mental illness. The courage of these two MPs Conservative and Labour to speak out in this way, encouraged us all to put aside party differences and come together in solidarity. That sense of solidarity will be essential in helping us to transform the support we offer those with mental health conditions and to defeat the stigma that makes addressing this issue so much harder than it should be. But I also believe that in a wider sense, that commitment to strengthening the bonds we share as a union of people, can be a defining part of how we meet the great challenge of our time and bring our whole country together. It is by tackling the injustice and unfairness that drives us apart and by nurturing the responsibilities of citizenship that we can build that shared society and make it the bedrock of a stronger and fairer Britain that truly does work for everyone. Conservative Friends of Israel has inevitably found itself enmeshed in the weird yarn of the diplomat, the tape recorder, and Alan Duncan not to mention Boris Johnson and Crispin Blunt. To cut a long story short, an Israeli diplomat called Shai Masot was covertly taped by Al Jazeera while having lunch with an aide to Robert Halfon called Maria Strizzolo: Halfon is one of CFIs most prominent supporters. Masot was rude about a few Tory MPs who are critical of Israel, describing Boris Johnson in passing as an idiot, a view that is mistaken but scarcely novel. More seriously, he also made what the Mail on Sunday, the paper which ran the story, called an apparent threat to take down Sir Alan [Duncan]. Mark Regev, Israels Amassador in Britain, has apologised; Masot has been packed off back to Israel and the story rumbles on. The Al Jazeera programme in question claims to show that Israels Government has infiltrated the two main parties. Stuart Polak, CFIs Honorary President, has said that this is utter nonsense, adding that the Israeli Embassy represents Israel in a professional manner, while also condemning (quite rightly) any attempt to undermine Sir Alan, or any minister, or any Member of Parliament. The Al Jazeera programme in question is not alone in viewing CFI as an organisation of shadowy influence. I have not rocked up to one of its events in recent years (I went to a Conservative Middle East Council lunch the year before last), and have not been on one of its trips to Israel, so I have no personal insight to offer. None the less, CFI clearly differs from other similar Tory organisations Conservative Friends of India, Conservative Friends of Pakistan, and so on not in nature but in scale. (On another topical note, there was fairly recently a Conservative Friends of Russia, which got itself into hot water.) CFIs website records that it hosted five delegations to Israel last year and lists seven staff. It thus seems to be busier and better resourced than those other groups. However, the most comparable organisation is probably CMEC, which identifies three staff on its website, and doesnt list the number of its delegations. CFI is said to have claimed in the past that 80 per cent of Tory MPs are members but, like CMEC, its own website doesnt publish a list of all members. Evidently, however, lots of MPs are members of both, which reflects the compulsive fascination which the Middle East in general, and the Israel/Palestine issue in particular, exerts in Parliament, as elsewhere. It is strange but true that CFI and its detractors have a mutual interest. The latter say that CFI influences Government policy. CFI would scarcely want to suggest otherwise. But the claim is over-egged. During the run-up to Christmas, the UN Security Council passed a resolution that was critical of Israels settlements policy. Britain supported it: indeed, it has been reported that the Foreign Office played an important part in drafting it, although this role is apparently not unusual. Downing Street has sought to balance out Britains vote on the resolution since by picking a fight with John Kerry, who said that Israels Government is the most right-wing in Israeli history. CFIs website carries a statement saying that it was disappointed by Britains vote at the UN. But it would never have been cast had the organisation the reach and clout that its detractors claim. CMEC has had better luck. On the day of the vote, it called upon the Government to support the resolution. For what it is worth, which doubtless isnt much, my own view is that the resolution is broadly right about the settlements, the expansion of which is not in Israels own long-term interests. None the less, the U.N is not a neutral bystander and the Israel/Palestine conflict, which is of less strategic importance to Britain than some claim, really isnt worth falling out with Donald Trump over. As Paul predicted last week, today is the first May Day Monday, by which the Prime Minister seeks to dominate the weeks news with a big speech containing some meaty policy announcements. The tagline of todays speech the shared society hasnt become the centre of attention (probably fortunately, given it recalls Camerons ill-fated big society). Instead, the emphasis has largely been on Mays proposals to address mental health. As she puts it: I want us to employ the power of government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society, and at every stage of life. The lack of support for those with mental health problems was one of the Prime Ministers six examples of the burning injustices which she pledged to challenge in her first speech in Downing Street. Shes certainly being true to her word with Brexit dominating the agenda, many other leaders might have used it as an excuse to put off major announcements on domestic policy, so she deserves credit for sticking to her theme. The big question is whether what she announced today will successfully change prospects for those suffering from mental illness and, if so, how quickly? Put simply, the announcement is composed of three distinct policies: To challenge stigma around mental health in business and wider society; To equip schools to identify and help children with mental health problems; To improve mental health services. The first of those is a huge challenge on its own. Given that a quarter of people experience mental health problems at some point in their lives, you can measure the impact of stigma by considering what proportion of people you know ever talk about it. In the workplace, in the family home and in wider society there can be vast pressures or perceived pressures, with just as much force not to admit to being unwell for fear of being judged or held back as a result. You cant fault the Governments ambition in deciding to take that on any effort to do so has to start somewhere. But by definition, it will take a long time and a lot of work to succeed May herself concedes it will take years and cannot be achieved by the state alone. Working with employers is certainly a sensible start, and is preferable to simply legislating for the sake of it or splurging a fortune on media campaigns, as previous governments might have tried. On the second policy, Justine Greenings Times article offers more detail than Mays speech: Every secondary school in the country will be offered free training in mental health support, so staff can better spot the signs of mental health problems that young people might face. We want to see every school train a member of staff in mental health by the end of 2019. We also want every school in the country to get the best support from their local mental health services, so children needing help can get the right treatment as quickly as possible. This is easier to talk about than to do. Remember, schools are already on the hunt for signs of domestic abuse and political or religious extremism, as well as doing their core job of educating children one trained member of staff in a school of a thousand or more pupils is better than no trained members of staff, but is still only one person. Most immediately necessary is an improvement in the services available to treat people for mental illness. Appropriately, this is the focus for most of the meat in the Prime Ministers speech 15 million for community clinics, 67 million in digital services like online therapy to try to combat waiting times for face-to-face treatment, and a CQC review as well as a new Health green paper to ensure that by 2021, no child will be sent away from their local area to be treated for a general mental health condition. Again, these are positive steps, but only first steps in taking on an issue which the Government estimates costs the economy as much every year as the whole NHS budget. More people trained to identify those who need help, more places for them to access that help and new types of help on offer are all good things to reduce suffering however, the grim reality is that 82 million will only touch the edges of a vast and under-discussed problem. The current phase of Mays Government is a tricky one. She has to fulfil the Brexit mandate in order to buy the right to do anything else, but she must also fight for room to define her wider mission or else risk Churchills fate of being made redundant by her own victory. In mental health she has found a worthy cause, but right now she only has the freedom to establish a toe-hold in order to do the job properly later on. CORNWALL, Ontario Cornwall native Ryan Gosling was awarded a Golden Globe for Best Actor for his role in the 2016 musical La La Land. In the film Gosling plays a jazz obsessed musician named Sebastian. Acting alongside Emma Stone, Gosling has won widespread acclaim for his skill in combining singing, dancing and acting in a single role. Gosling was nominated for the award alongside Colin Farrell for his role in The Lobster, Hugh Grant in Florence Foster Jenkins, Jonah Hill in War Dogs and Ryan Reynolds for his portrayal of the comicbook anti-hero Deadpool. Gosling dedicated his award to his brother-in-law Carlos Mendes who passed away in April 2016 and thanked his wife, Eva Mendes. Ryan Gosling grew up in Cornwall, having attended Gladstone Public School and later CCVS. Close There has been continuous debate about whether or not vaccination causes diseases. For the Amish children who weren't able to receive the mercury-containing vaccinations, they were deemed healthy and immune to autism than those who took the shots. In America, doctors were discouraged to question whether vaccination causes diseases and are likewise compelled to provide these to their patients, particularly to children. However, a recent study revealed that Amish children in America who were not provided with flu shots were found to be healthy. In fact, the study showed that autism, one of the diseases argued to cause defects to infants who take vaccinations during their childhood, was oblivious to these non-takers, reported Natural News. It was also revealed that autism spectrum disorder or ASD would evolve during the first two decades that the vaccination has been acquired by the person before it would become apparent. Amish Americans believe that they should not be infused with medication. Their religious beliefs were the primary reason that they would not acquire the medication. Consequently, they were less exposed to the disease. In fact, in Pennsylvania, it was rare that Amish children suffered autism. There were only three cases who were vaccinated in China before immigrating to the U.S. Additionally, Forbes reported that Cleveland Clinic's Dr. Daniel Neides likewise believed that vaccination causes diseases to patients. He started providing preservative-free vaccine to his patients as he claimed the Centers for Disease Control-prescribed vaccine contained thimerasol or mercury which he claimed to cause such diseases. Although the report indicated that he was correct in his statement, long-term studies from Seychelles confirmed that since vaccinations only contained a small amount of the harmful component, these were deemed safe and unrelated to the autism-causing effect. At present, the report suggested that vaccination causes diseases, as suggested by Neides, lacked evidence with respect to the quantity of mercury present in such. However, since Amish children who did not acquire flu shots and other vaccinations were found to be more resilient towards the disease, did the findings of the prior study confirm that vaccinations are harmful in the long-term? See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare With the Midterm Elections less than one week away: What do you consider the top issues that you will be voting on to be corrected by your better representation? Education Crime Big Government getting Bigger Biden /Democrat controlled Spike in Energy Cost Inflation created by Legislation of Majority in Power Gender Reassignment Corrupted Bureaucratic /Service (DOJ, FBI, etc.) Institutions Abortion Discredited Legacy Media Ending the Corruption of Dishonest Politicians Corruptive Influence of Social Media Wide Open Southern Border Close In the event that a zombie infection apocalypse would take place, it would not take long until all of the humanity would be wiped out - just 100 days. A team of students at the University Leicester in the United Kingdom investigated the possible spread of the zombie virus using a simple epidemiological model, the SIR model, which describes how an infectious disease would spread throughout an entire population. The team worked on the assumption that each zombie would be able to find one victim per day, have a 90 percent chance of infecting that person and manage an "undead lifespan" of 20 days. This is twice as infectious as the "black death", Live Science reports. The students calculated based on the estimated world population of 7.5 billion people today that it would take 20 days for a single zombie to start an epidemic. Then, a pandemic would have begun and the human population would decrease to 181 by day 100 of the epidemic, with 190 million zombies on the planet. By 100 days, only about 100 survivors will be left uninfected. However, within six months, they would also die or become a zombie themselves. The researchers, however, noted that they did not account for other factors that can possibly influence the number of people who would survive. For instance, birth and death rates were not included. Moreover, they did not include the possibility that humans can kill zombies. "Natural birth and death rates have been neglected since the epidemic takes place over 100 days, so the natural births and deaths are negligible compared to the impact of the zombie virus over the short time frame," the researchers wrote in the paper. However, in a follow-up study, the students showed that as humans gradually kill more zombies, make more babies and get better at surviving, the world's population would bounce back after roughly 27 years, Science Alert reports. "Interestingly we find that it is actually possible for our population to survive the zombie epidemic under these conditions," they added in the follow-up study. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close A study conducted by a team of researchers from MIT devised a way to reveal a person's biases in the brain's interpretation of sensory input. The researchers found out that the brain recognizes musical rhythms following simple integer ratios and is influenced by the exposure to the preferred type of music. In order to understand how the brain interprets sensory input like musical rhythms, the researchers looked into the concept of priors. Priors are biases thought to be based on past experiences of the person in the world. Priors also help people to make sense of ambiguity perceived in life by finding familiar speech sounds, words, or linguistic forms based on a person's biases. The study published in the January issue of Current Biology tested both Westerners and a remote Bolivian tribe, the Tsimane, in order to reveal priors for musical rhythm. The researchers also tested for the priors on musicians and non-musicians. The MIT team conducted the test by first asking American students to listen to a randomly generated series of four beats after which the students are asked to tap back the rhythm they thought they heard. The researchers recorded the student's tapped rhythm and were played back to the students to be tapped out again. Following a series of iterations, the researchers found out that the tapped out rhythm of the students changed slightly and was eventually dominated by the students' internal biases. By doing the procedure many times, the researchers, Nori Jacoby and Matthew McDermott, was able to measure the biases for the simple rhythms. Jacoby and McDermott found out that rhythms tapped out by the students follow simple integer ratios. These integer ratios are also common in the rhythms found in Western Music. These meant that the priors for musical rhythm are influenced by the listener's exposure to a certain type of music, Western Music. This was further proven when the researchers tested for priors for musical rhythm between musicians and non-musicians suggesting priors are formed through the listening of music rather than creating music. The same was done to the remote Bolivian tribe of the Tsimane. The Tsimane tribe has little to no exposure to Western music. Doing the same procedure to the Tsimane, the team found out that although the musical rhythms were different from the musical rhythms commonly found in Western music, the Tsimane musical rhythm still follows simple integer ratios. The rhythms favored by the Tsimane are consistent with the known music of the tribe as documented in a few records that exist. This further proves that priors of musical rhythms are based on exposure to music and that regardless of music type people are exposed to, the musical rhythms follow small integer ratios. In an interview with MIT News, Jacoby says, "It's a way to probe the mental representation of what people unconsciously expect. We wanted to find a way to 'read their minds', but without requiring people to introspect or verbalize anything." The researchers are looking into delving prior of musical rhythms across different cultures in future studies. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close The latest dengue update regarding the development of a bacteria strain that stops transmission of dengue in mosquitoes has hit a snag. The bacteria strain that has the ability to stop that transfer of dengue in mosquitoes dies in hot conditions. According to the researchers from the University of Melbourne, the promising bacteria strain failed to survive in warm environments. However, the failure has helped the researchers identify other possible bacteria strain that could not only survive high temperatures, but also be temperature-resistant. The study conducted by Ph.D. student Perran Ross was published in PLOS Pathogens, found out that the wMel Wolbachia strain could not survive as the temperature rose. However, the other strains of the Wolbachia bacteria were able to survive higher temperatures and some are even temperature-resistant. In an on-going research, the bacteria strain, Wolbachia, discovered by scientists has the ability to reduce or completely stop the ability of mosquitoes to transmit dengue. Not only is the Wolbachia effective on dengue-carrying mosquitoes but also those mosquitoes carrying Zika and Chikungunya. Scientists see the Wolbachia as an effective and green alternative to pesticides. Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes have successfully replaced the natural population of mosquitoes in parts of Cairns in Australia. However, sometimes the Wolbachia-infected mosquitoes are slow to invade the mosquito population or fail completely. Successful release strategies in places like Cairns, Singapore, and Kuala Lumpur are being in development. However, the failure of Wolbachia to survive in high temperatures has worried the researchers. "With climate change projections of increasing temperatures, we may see mosquitoes with dengue migrating from Queensland further down to southern Australia, particularly if another invasive species that transmits diseases enters mainland Australia. Also, we expect that higher temperatures will become more common", says Professor Hoffman, lead researcher on the development of Wolbachia-infested mosquitoes. According to The Melbourne Newsroom, Mr. Perran Ross also echoes Professor Hoffman's sentiment saying that further research on possible Wolbachia strains should be looked into especially now as hotter climates have become the norm. This research is especially important as many deaths have occurred due to dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. In Australia alone, dengue kills up to 20,000 people, mostly children, in a year. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close A recent study claims that being active in social groups, like volunteer organizations and church groups help slow down the mental decline in older people. Older people active in social groups are said to have maintained their sharp mental skills even at the age of 50. The study conducted by British researchers from the University of Southampton found growing evidence that being socially active in groups help slow mental decline as people age. Around 9,000 participants at the age of 50 took a standard exam that tests their cognitive abilities such as memory, thinking, and reasoning skills. The researchers found out that the participants who have said to be active in social groups tested higher than those who said they were not active in any social groups. Factors such as higher educational attainment and better physical health and condition also attributed to high test scores. However, even accounting said factors, the result of the study shows that test scores of participants said to be active in social groups are statistically higher than the rest. Ann Bowling, the lead researcher of the study, acknowledges that their study has limitations and the cause-and-effect of the findings were not proven. Published in the journal, BMC Psychology, the researchers do believe that involvement in social groups help older people maintain their communication and social skills thus maintaining sharper cognitive functions. However, in an interview with HealthDay News, a neurosurgeon at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, says Bowling and colleague's study have shortcomings. One of these shortcomings, Dr. Eziel Kornel, sees is those older people who join organizations are said to be a select group. These older people are already intellectually curious and demonstrate sharp mental skills, to begin with. Dr. Kornel does stress the importance of living a healthy life contribute to a good mental well-being. The doctor also points out that physical activity contributes more to the improvement of mental skills in older people. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close Japanese surgeons have extracted a tumor containing a miniature brain, skull and hair from a 16-year-old teenager's ovary. The 10-centimeter-wide tumor discovered the tumor when the girl had a surgery to remove her appendix. Published in the journal Neuropathology, the scientists described their analysis of the specimen they got from the ovary. They found that it was a smaller version of a cerebellum, which usually sits underneath the brain's two hemispheres. What Are Teratomas? About one-fifth of ovarian tumors contain foreign tissue, which could include cartilage, fat, muscle, hair and teeth. Dubbed as teratomas, these tumors may seem monster-like. In fact, the name teratoma was coined from the Greek word "teras", meaning monster. For the girl's case, the tumor is called mature cystic teratoma. These are formed when a mass of cells inside a body grows into various tissue types. Though they seem scary, they are considered benign and are easily removed by surgery. "Neural elements similar to that of the central nervous system are frequently reported in ovarian teratomas, but structures resembling the adult brain are rare," Angelique Riepsamen at the University of New South Wales in Australia, told the New Scientist. She added that the tiny brain even developed in such a way that electric impulses are able to transmit between neurons, just like a normal brain. Cause Of Teratomas Up until today, there is no known cause of ovarian teratomas. However, a theory says that immature cells turn rogue and produce different body parts, Fox News reports. Do not confuse teratomas with parasitic twins, though. Teratomas form from the body's own cells and those found in the ovary frequently contain brain matter. Fortunately for the patient, the patient did not suffer symptoms. On the other hand, for other patients, they may suffer from neurological symptoms when the immune system detects the brain cells as foreign bodies. Hence, the immune system might attack the cells in the woman's real brain. In some cases, women experienced personality changes, confusion, seizures, agitation or memory loss. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare Close Health officials are warning the public of fake health news being circulated in social media platforms such as Facebook. This misinformation could be dangerous and affect serious health conditions of individuals. Experts are now taking active roles in teaching the public how to evaluate information they see online. Information about health and treatment backed by science and evidence are reportedly shared less on Facebook. According to David Colquhoun, professor of pharmacology at University College London, this is often seen in "in areas where conventional medicine can't do as much as people would wish." Last year, among the 20 most-shared articles in Facebook about cancer, more than half are not backed up by doctors and health officials. Authorities are looking into conspiracy of sites that promote cure-all medication. Public Health England and Royal College of General Practitioners have also raised their concerns about fake health news spreading in social media. Cancer Research UK has already called the attention of Facebook. Dr Rachel Orritt, health information officer, said that incorrect articles should be contested to "prevent damaging health messages from spreading." Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, chairperson of the Royal College of GPs, also urges the public to read only from reliable sources and consult a medical doctor for the correct information and treatment. In 2016, US News reported that 62 percent of Americans get their news from social media and 44 percent of that is from Facebook. Recently, the social media giant has already introduced a system where readers can flag fake health news or any disputed information. Academic institutions and libraries are pushing for information literacy among students. They should be equipped with skills to identify, organize and cite information. More importantly, they should be able to evaluate the credibility and appropriateness of information sources. Readers are being cautioned to identify researchers allegedly publishing fake health news, fraudulent results and reviews and even replication of studies. See Now: What Republicans Don't Want You To Know About Obamacare This video may seem harsh, but true; still it is the one video that I could find that is for public consumption of last night's events of 'all things Meryl: Below.' With the Democrats losing the presidency, after winning the popular vote by over 2 million votes more than the victor, Donald J. Trump: Should the constitutional provision of the Electoral College be scrapped? Yes, the votes for president should be concentrated in the population centers. No, the Electoral College provides for better representation from the less populated states. I rarely vote because I have little knowledge of the issues. 103 total vote(s) What's your Opinion? As our 8 year National Nightmare comes to bitter screeching halt, the silliness from all Liberals /Socialists will become the butt of many attempts to make a stand for all things partisan.Even the Democrat Media has a new support group, the Committee to Protect Journalists. which was brought to light at the Golden Globe awards last Sunday night, when consummate actress Meryl Streep attacked the President-elect, and as a good Democrat Socialist made mention of the new committee.To many of us in the know, that Committee to Protect (incompetent, unprincipled) Journalists has long existed; it is the Democrat party.Meryl Streep, do not fret and worry your Socialist heart one more whit, the Democrat Party will continue to provide great succor to the multitudes of unprincipled, incompetent journalists , and those very "journalists" will continue their codependent relationship with Democrat politicians, where they continue to protect them on massive scandals like: ObamaCare dishonesty; waste and fraud of public to Democrat politicians; the Benghazi Cover-up , the IRS Targeting of Conservatives Cover-up ; etc.,etc.Some of us will continue to watch your movies, some of us won't; possibly, because there are plenty of fine actresses, many from foreign countries that are not here in America illegally, and, irrespective of your rallying call for ultra-Liberal actors to lead the charge against the rest of us Americans, we, who make up the patriot class, we will continue to exist. We will continue to consume art; we will make art, and it will be good art; if, for no other reason, there is far more to life than art. Humbling thought there, eh, Meryl?For us, life will go on, and if Hollywood shuts down in defiance of Donald Trump and "The Deplorables" that elected him, America will continue; maybe, even from that true "safe space", which will allow Liberals /Socialists to have the continued opportunity to say, and do the stupid stuff that you, and so many of your peers, are so intellectually familiar with.Hillary Clinton supporter Meryl Streep, still in a stage of recovery from DTS (Donald Trump Syndrome), also stated:As one of L. Hillary 's tens of millions of Americans occupying a place in her "Basket of Deplorables", I too feel bullied and battered by the unconstitutional presidency of Barack Hussein Obama, which Hillary Clinton claimed to the World, she would give us a third term if elected.In this representative government, L. Hillary's sycophants may not be members of the "Basket of Deplorables", but they do support the unconstitutional government of Barack Hussein Obama, and what would have been that of Hillary Clinton. That Meryl Streep would cite the unprincipled Democrat Media as an ally, who did not report the truth of Obama's lawless government, and L. Hillary's accompanying unlawful behavior, is a new level of hypocrisy ... even for the likes of Meryl Streep and a bevy of fawning Liberals. Channel programs News Channel Icon Vitagliano Set To Take Helm At SP 500 Powerhouse Computex Technology Solutions Steven Burke Share this Frank Vitagliano, a channel legend who has developed successful vendor channel programs and partnerships for more than three decades, is moving to the other side of the fence as the president and CEO of CRN Solution Provider 500 powerhouse Computex Technology Solutions. Vitagliano, who has been lauded for his ability to build long-lasting relationships in the intensely competitive technology services business, is replacing co-founder and CEO Jason Haffar, who will remain on the board and continue to serve as a strategic adviser to Computex, No. 124 on the CRN SP500. Haffar had taken over the CEO role from his brother and co-founder, Sam, who moved to become board executive chairman last June. [RELATED: The Haffar Computex Legacy 'Customers For Life, Employees For Life'] Vitagliano's appointment comes with Computex set to embark on an aggressive plan to accelerate sales growth by doubling down on the company's already highly regarded services offerings. "We felt it was important to bring in a seasoned industry veteran like Frank to take the business to the next level," said Jason Haffar in an interview with CRN. "Frank has run very large P&Ls and is very well respected in the IT community on the vendor and distribution side and in all of the channel. This is going to elevate the customer experience and give us a big competitive advantage going forward. " Vitagliano brings a unique set of skills to Computex from an obsessive knowledge of solution provider balance sheets garnered from helping build thousands of partner business plans to an insider's view on how to best leverage vendor and distributor offerings and even enterprise customer sales skills working hand in hand with partners to ensure the success of complex technology solutions. Vitagliano officially takes the helm of Computex with the company celebrating its 30th anniversary. Haffar and his brother, Sam, who will remain executive chairman, have built the Houston-based company from a small family business assembling high-performance white-box PCs into an award-winning national technology services power widely recognized as one of the best in the business. Today, Computex is one of the premier holdings of Navigation Capital Partners, a highly respected Atlanta-based private equity firm. Vitagliano, who stepped down just last month as vice president of channel sales for Dell after four years helping to establish the company as a channel power, said he was "humbled" by the opportunity to build on the Haffar legacy with an eye toward "continuing to grow the business and satisfy customers." "Sam and Jason have built a company with an underlying infrastructure to provide customers with a full suite of outstanding managed services offerings that are second to none," said Vitagliano, who has also held top channel positions with Juniper Networks and IBM. "The platform is in place to grow this business dramatically over the next several years. My vision is for Computex to continue to be a significant pre-eminent player in the industry for a long time to come." Vitagliano, who has known the Haffar brothers for more than a decade working with Computex from the vendor side of the fence as a channel chief, said the "cultural fit" made moving into the role a natural for him. "The cultural fit is tremendous," he said. "That is why this thing came together as quickly as it did. When you go into a new opportunity what takes the longest is to know whether it is a cultural fit. That was not an issue here. Philosophically and culturally, Sam and Jason and I are on the same page: Your word is your bond. You look people in the eye and shake their hand. We think about things similarly. That is going to make the transition natural for employees and customers." Vitagliano shares an "old-school" focus with the two brothers on building strong personal business relationships with customers, employees and vendors. "I learned that coming up through the ranks in the business," he said. "Sam and Jason have used that same formula to delight customers and employees. When you hire really good people, good things happen. I want to continue that." Part of Vitagliano's charter, in fact, is to build on Computex's "Customer For Life, Employees For Life" credo by keeping the needs of "customers and associates at the forefront of all business decisions." Sam Haffar, for his part, characterized Vitagliano's appointment as a "defining moment" that marks the beginning of a new era of accelerated sales growth with even stronger relationships with customers and business partners. "Frank is an original," said Haffar. "His industry knowledge, working relationships and leadership experience are unmatched. Frank has been in the channel for a long time. He knows what works and what doesn't work. He understands solution providers and the value we bring to customers and, at the same time, he knows the ins and outs of the vendor and distributor worlds. He's a people person a salt of the earth kind of guy. We look forward to him leading the charge for future growth and inspiring our team to even greater success." Vitagliano acknowledged that he has a "lot to learn" about what it takes to run a solution provider business, but felt fortified by the presence of Sam and Jason on the Computex board of directors. "I feel a little bit like the new kid at the table," he said. "While I will be responsible and accountable for the business, I have the ability to bounce things off these guys that have built the business over the last 30 years. I am extraordinarily happy about that." The move to the solution provider side of the IT business by Vitagliano is a vote of confidence of sorts in the future growth opportunity for Computex and the channel overall in the midst of the massive shift to cloud services. Vitagliano, in fact, called the partner opportunity in the rough-and-tumble cloud era based on the maxim that "where there is mystery, there is margin" -- as rich as he has ever seen it. "There is no shortage of complexity in terms of the business problems customers are trying to solve and the technology they can use," he said. "The transition to cloud is happening in a big way, and customers are worried about things like security as they make that transition. The solution providers are the trusted advisers the IT department for companies. I don't see that changing. If anything, solution providers are becoming more critical. The opportunity is huge, particularly for solution providers like Computex that have moved from a product-price approach to solving customer problems with a full suite of services. That is why I joined Computex. They figured that out a long time ago." Vitagliano will have an arsenal of technology services weapons at his disposal as he moves to accelerate sales growth at Computex, including two multimillion-dollar state-of-the-art network operations centers in Houston and Minneapolis, a solutions lab for testing complex technology solutions, and three integration centers. Computex has built out a full suite of 24/7 recurring revenue cloud services, including its own cloud service and security and disaster recovery offerings with the aim of delivering an end-to-end customer experience backed up by top-notch technical talent. Vitagliano said he has no "pre-conceived ideas" about how to grow the business, but "organic" growth is a good place to start given the services platform that Computex already has in place. That services platform sets Computex apart from many solution providers that have attempted to grow without a scalable services foundation, said Vitagliano. "I give Sam and Jason a ton of credit," he said. "They have pulled together this business with a full integrated set of systems and services. They are clearly doing something right. Our potential is unlimited given the infrastructure that has been built here." Besides organic growth, Vitagliano acknowledged there may well be acquisition opportunities in the market given the stepped-up pace of consolidation in the solution provider market. "If the right opportunity comes along we would certainly consider it as a way to continue to evolve and capitalize on what the team has already built here," he said. The key to success in the channel, Vitagliano said, will be, as it always has been, to focus sharply on "understanding and figuring out" how to satisfy your customers and then building an organization to capitalize on those opportunities. "It all starts with the customer and then putting in place excellent people to support your customers," he said. "That is what excited me about joining Computex. That is the philosophy that Computex has had for a very long time. To me, it was very important to work with an organization that really gets it in terms of solving customer problems with an outstanding reputation in the marketplace." Vitagliano has watched fortunes won and lost by solution provider entrepreneurs in the midst of multiple paradigm shifts in the technology services business over the past three decades. Now it is his turn to "lay it on the line" and take on what he calls the "role of a lifetime." "I have always admired solution providers for many reasons not the least of which is they put everything on the line to create these businesses," said Vitagliano. "I admire their entrepreneurial drive and business acumen and the importance they play in the overall industry accounting for 70 percent of all IT solutions delivered globally. I always wanted to be part of that at the appropriate time." The time is now. Vitagliano officially takes over as CEO of Computex Jan. 9 and he says he is ready to jump in with both feet ready to put his "heart and soul" into running Computex. "The fact that Sam and Jason are comfortable with me running the business is a nice compliment," he said. "I love this industry and this is one of the few roles that I've always wanted to take on. I couldn't be happier and more excited about the opportunity ahead." Channel programs News The Haffar Computex Legacy -- 'Customers For Life, Employees For Life' Steven Burke Share this Thirty years ago, Sam Haffar and his brother Jason teamed to found Computex Technology Solutions with a simple corporate credo "Customers For Life Employees For Life." That focus on building life-long relationships combined with the leadership of the two brothers has taken Computex Technology Solutions from a family owned Houston business with three employees building white box PCs to a global technology services power house, No. 124 on the 2016 CRN SP500, with 170 employees and a roster of Fortune 1000 companies as customers. Today, Computex is one of the premier holdings of Navigation Capital Partners, a highly respected Atlanta based private equity firm. [RELATED: Channel Icon Vitagliano Set To Take Helm At SP 500 Powerhouse Computex Technology Solutions] "The aim from the get go was to extend the loyalty and unbreakable bond we felt toward each other as brothers to our customers and employees," says Sam. "It is what we fully believe in. That's the only way we know how to do business. It is the Haffar way." The "Haffar way" has made Computex into one of the most admired solution providers in the country with multiple awards including the 2016 Cisco Americas Theater Award for Outstanding Customer Satisfaction and multiple CRN Tech Elite and Fast Growth awards. The company also was recently named the top managed IT services company by the Houston Business Journal. The two brothers together brought an almost visionary zeal to reinventing Computex every five years to thrive in a market moving at lightning speed with massive paradigm shifts from the early days of local area networking to the internet explosion and now cloud services. "It's a constant evolution," said Sam, who was named one of the top executives in the industry by CRN in 2015,. "You have to constantly look into the future and quickly adopt new sophisticated technologies to stay ahead of the pack. That is what allowed us to become one of the top enterprise architecture solution companies. We design, implement and manage complex solutions for some of the most demanding Fortune 1000 customers." The seeds of the two brothers success as entrepreneurs from the dawn of the PC era to a major force in the cloud services era can be traced to their Dad, says Jason. "Dad was a business man who was known for his integrity and hard work," says Jason. "He did business on a handshake. His word was his bond." Jason on Jan. 9 will officially hand over the president and CEO reins to Frank Vitagliano, a channel icon and visionary who has played a prominent role in the growth of the channel over the last three decades as a channel chief for the likes of Dell, Juniper and IBM. "Dealing with Frank over the years has been a sheer pleasure because of the integrity and wisdom he brings to every relationship," says Jason. "I feel very good leaving the Computex "Customers For Life, Employees For Life" legacy to him. I am looking forward to following the growth and success of the company at the board level." Jason credits brother Sam, who will remain executive chairman, for the vision to get into the technology services business. "It was Sam's brainstorm, but we embarked on the journey together slowly building our business, one customer and one vendor at a time," he said. "It's been great supporting and partnering with my brother to grow the business over the course of the last 30 years." Sam, for his part, said he sees the benefits of the company's "Customers for Life Employees For Life" everyday in the long list of customers and employees that have remained with the company from the early days. "We do what we say we are going to do and and stand behind everything we do," he says. "When you do the right thing people believe in you, trust you and want to work with you whether it is customers, employees or friends. I have always said 'we are in the people business' and people do business with people they like and trust." Networking News Report: Chinese Telecom Giant ZTE Set To Slash 3,000 Jobs Mark Haranas Share this China-based telecom and network giant ZTE is slashing 3,000 jobs, representing about 5 percent of the company's 60,000 employees. The layoffs from the Shenzhen, China-based vendor -- which is a rival of Huawei in the region -- stems from its struggling handset business in China, a decline in worldwide smartphone shipments, and an upcoming ban on exports by U.S. companies to ZTE, according to a report by Reuters, which first reported the layoff news. ZTE operates in more than 160 countries, with a broad portfolio of telecom and networking products. Approximately 50 percent of its $15 billion in annual revenue is delivered via the channel, according to research firm Gartner. [Related: Cisco IoT Leader Jumps Ship To Microsoft] The company did not respond to a request for comment by press time. The impending ban on exports by U.S. companies to ZTE is due to the company allegedly breaking the government's sanctions on sales to Iran, according to Reuters. The U.S. Commerce Department is expected to impose the ban next month. Approximately one-third of its components comes from U.S. companies including Microsoft, Qualcomm and Intel, according to Reuters. The vendor is listed in several of Gartner's 2016 Magic Quadrants including Wired and Wireless LAN Infrastructure, as well as Group Video Systems. ZTE offers a full range of switches, WLAN access points, videoconferencing offerings and controllers, with 60 percent of its revenue coming from Asia-Pacific, according to the research firm. The company also manufactures mobile offerings include tablets and smartphones. At CES last week, ZTE said it is working on its first Android Wear smartwatch that it expects to launch later this year. ZTE's stock fell from $15.63 per share Jan. 6 to $14.98 as of Monday afternoon. Security News RSA Names Former EMC Enterprise Content Division Leader As New President Sarah Kuranda Share this RSA has appointed former EMC Enterprise Content Division leader, Rohit Ghai, as its new president, following the departure of Amit Yoran last month. Ghai has been president of the Enterprise Content Division at EMC since December 2014. Dell announced in September that it planned to sell the Enterprise Content Division to Canadian information management firm Open Text Corp. for $1.6 billion. "I am thrilled to join RSAs mission to deliver Business-Driven Security solutions, a transformational architecture that connects insights with business context to enable customers to manage business risk and protect what matters most," Ghai said in a statement. "RSA has a highly talented leadership team and incredibly dedicated engineering and sales teams globally. We remain focused on our customers and partner ecosystem, and will continue to power their security transformation initiatives." [Related: Q&A: Amit Yoran On Leaving RSA, New CEO Role At Tenable And 2017 Security Predictions] Ghai will assume the role of president of RSA when the deal to sell the Enterprise Content Division closes, the company said. In a statement about the appointment, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell said Ghai will help position RSA for the future. Dell acquired RSA as part of its $58 billion acquisition of EMC last fall. "Under Rohits leadership, RSA will continue to excel as one of the industrys most pervasive and influential security brands. RSA is perfectly positioned to help customers transform their security strategies well into the future," Dell said in a statement. Ghai has a reputation as being a technologist, though primarily in the storage space. Prior to joining EMC in 2009, he was vice president and general manager of the storage and availability management group at Symantec. His appointment comes after the departure of former President Amit Yoran in December. Yoran, one of the best-known executives and thought leaders in security, took a position as CEO of Tenable Network Security, starting Jan. 3. One RSA partner told CRN Ghai is a "good guy" with an extensive background in content management and governance risk and compliance. However, the partner said Ghai's lack of a security background, compared to predecessor Yoran, will likely fall flat as RSA looks to maintain relevance in today's competitive security market. "Rohit is no Amit. Period," the partner said. "Amit is straight up a stud in the security space. Rohit is more products and marketing from a compliance side. From an industry standpoint, this will not resonate as RSA being a leader in security. [That's a] big difference from Amit." However, the partner said Dell's appointment of an internal EMC executive to lead RSA helps keep things as "non-disruptive" as possible as the two tech giants integrate. "The only good thing is that Dell is keeping an EMC person at the helm of RSA to keep synergy in other areas going, so excellent move," the RSA partner told CRN. T he Future Of Brocade Brocade Communications new channel chief, Sandra Glaser Cheek, spoke with CRN about what the vendor is doing to keep partners on board and profitable with the impending acquisition by Broadcom on the horizon. "We are investing far more than you've ever probably seen a company invest with the primary two goals of making sure our partners stay with us during this ambiguous time and that they are rewarded for doing that," said Glaser Cheek in an interview with CRN. With Broadcom's plan to divest Brocade's networking business once the acquisition is complete, a deal that includes Brocades $1.2 billion of Ruckus Wireless last year, Glaser Cheek said the San Jose, Calif.-based company is aware of the uncertainty partners are experiencing. "We do know that the longer that this goes on, [the] more disruptive [it will be]," she said. Glaser Cheek also talked about the company's new Network Edge Business Unit, increased channel investments, and what lies ahead for Brocade and its partners. Contact: Daniel Keylin Daniel Keylin daniel_keylin@tillis.senate.gov WASHINGTON, D.C. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) today announced that Courtney Temple will serve as his next Legislative Director.Temple most recently served as Senator Tillis' Senior Legislative Assistant, where she focused on immigration policy. Prior to joining Senator Tillis' office in 2015, Temple was the Director of Government Relations at U.S. Travel Association, where she worked with Republican members of Congress on issues related to traveler visa reform, the TSA screening process, and the Terrorism Risk Insurance program. Prior to that, Temple served as Legislative Director for former Representative Joe Heck (R-NV-3), where she focused on education, workforce, and travel and tourism issues. Temple also served in legislative roles for former Representatives David Hobson (R-OH-7) and Steve Austria (R-OH-7).said Senator Thom Tillis.Temple will be succeeding Katy Talento, who was recently appointed by the Trump-Pence Presidential Transition Team to serve on the White House Domestic Policy Council, where she will oversee healthcare policy. Contact: Noelle Talley Noelle Talley govpress@nc.gov RALEIGH, NC Gov. Roy Cooper served notice today that he is seeking federal approval that would allow the state to cover more uninsured North Carolinians through Medicaid.Cooper, who has called for broader health care coverage by expanding Medicaid, sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) in Washington. If CMS approves a change, if local matching money can be secured, and if state eligibility requirements are changed, then more than a half-million North Carolinians could receive health care beginning in January 2018.Cooper said.The NC Hospital Association says the state's hospitals provide about $1 billion in care annually to residents who cannot pay for it. Hospitals would receive a significant share of additional Medicaid dollars that would come back to the state under Cooper's plan. Cooper believes the contributions can be paid through a combination of savings in existing state expenditures due to the new federal funding and a local matching contribution. Hospitals would contribute a 5% local match that CMS requires. Depending on how many additional residents enroll in the expanded program, the hospitals' contribution could be between $100 million and $150 million in the first year.The Cooper Administration says that a 2013 state law that prohibits the governor from seeking to provide health care for low-income North Carolinians does not apply to this draft plan.Cooper said. To date, 31 states and Washington DC have expanded coverage through Medicaid; in 2016 these states received more than $70 billion in federal funds.The state will accept comments for 10 days on North Carolina's notice of intent to amend its Medicaid plan. The Cooper Administration then will file a State Plan Amendment with CMS.A link to the documents filed today will be made available shortly at Governor.nc.gov Our DNA, our identity, which has been adrift over the last few years, is that we are a Spanish cruise line, said Richard Vogel, president and CEO of the Pullmantur Group, managing both Pullmantur Cruises and Croiseres de France (CDF). In an exclusive interview with Cruise Industry News, he said: We are the only Spanish cruise line, that is what we have to communicate, and also what it means for the onboard product, the onboard language, the atmosphere and the overall experience. Considering those attributes, he continued, Pullmantur has lots of opportunities in the Spanish market. After a recession that led other brands to leave, the market is coming back slowly, but surely, according to Vogel. He said: We are seeing the economy recovering, that more people are willing to travel again, and that is reflected in our bookings. It is not yet back to where it was and you cannot compare the Spanish market to Germany, the UK or Italy. Spain is a smaller market, but it has significant growth potential. While refocusing on the brands original market, Spain, he said that France and Latin America are also considered core markets. Meanwhile, the two-brand structure is on the table, according to Vogel. We are looking at whether it is the right approach; we are working on it, he said. If you compare to the German market, you see that the two leading brands are totally dedicated to that market only. And that makes them much stronger there than the international cruise lines. In that respect, Pullmantur compares favorably when we focus on our core market and dont spread ourselves thin on too many other markets, so at the end of the day we would become an international brand, losing our Spanish identity. While reviewing the two brands, for summer 2017 and the winter season 2017-2018, Pullmantur will, for different reasons, according to Vogel, not have a 100-percent dedicated ship to the French market, because of higher demand in Latin American markets. We will continue to sell our product under the CDF banner, but we have to be focused on the Spanish and Latin American markets, he said, although we welcome French passengers aboard our ships. It may look like CDF will not play a big role, but that only means we are focusing on our two main source markets, Spain and Latin America. We will continue to market in France, but for 2017 we will not have a 100 percent French ship. Vogel continued: We have to be focused on and improving our brand and what we deliver, which, at the end of the day, in my opinion, is not really all that well known in Spain. So step-by-step, I want us to play a more significant role in the Spanish and Latin American markets. Setting the product apart is Spanish-speaking crew, but that by itself is not enough, according to Vogel, who said the onboard atmosphere is that of Spain, including different dinner times, with guest flow being completely different from Northern Europe. And that in turn means that the workflow for the crew is different too, most of whom have been with Pullmantur for a long time, according to Vogel, and consistently receive high ratings from passengers. We have a lot of work ahead of us, we are in a very competitive environment, and we know that we do not have the youngest fleet in the market, but we can compensate for that through our product, our service, and our great team aboard and shoreside, he said. His long-term vision? Make Pullmantur the most successful cruise brand in Spain. Excerpt from Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine: Winter 2016/2017 Cruise Maryland and the Port of Baltimore had their biggest month ever in October, anchored by regular homeporting from Carnival Cruise Line and Royal Caribbean International, plus a host of transit calls from the likes of Silversea, AIDA, Hapag-Lloyd and Azamara. Azamara was here for three days; imagine the economic impact to the region, said Cindy Burman, marketing manager at Cruise Maryland. The port signed a five-year extension agreement with Carnival in 2016, in addition to a three-year deal with Royal Caribbean, with an option for two more. Were excited about that and there is absolutely room to grow, said Burman. They are here only two days of the week, so there are five days left. We are always talking to other cruise lines; hopefully we have something that fits for them and us. With more ships on the orderbooks than ever, Baltimore could be near the top of the list for another homeported vessel in North America. Located in one of the wealthiest areas in the country, Baltimore is also a port complex right on Interstate 95 and has loads of cheap parking. The port has separate lots for Carnival and Royal, and has a third lot ready, should another cruise line join the homeporting fray. Baltimore has made a number of recent improvements, including a VIP room for check-ins, which is part of the conversation in getting bigger ships. There is also a new public address system going in and new check-in counters have recently been installed. For 2017, an enclosed waiting area for disembarking guests waiting for rides will be built. Burman also organized what she called travel agent awareness events at the port on non-cruise days, bringing in hundreds of regional agents to learn about the port. Those awareness events also partner with a cruise line, with line representatives on hand to talk about product offerings. --- Get an in-depth, behind the scenes look at the North America cruise market and the ports that make it happen in the 2016-2017 Winter edition Cruise Industry News Quarterly Magazine. Subscribe today. The LATA (Latin American Travel Association) has appointed Tony Mason as CEO in a newly created role. Mason will support the Chair, Byron Shirto and Executive Committee in the governance of the Association. The role will see Mason manage operations and business activities, marketing, promotion, sponsorship planning and implementation whilst building relations with key partners and stakeholders and growing the membership, according to a statement. Tony Mason, former CEO of the Falkland Islands Tourist Board is known for his success in developing the tourism sector in the Falkland Islands where his work focused heavily on strengthening air links and overseeing destination awareness campaigns. Tourism to the Islands grew under Masons leadership with the winning of three tourism awards testament to this. Prior to his work with the Falkland Islands Tourist Board Mason was MD at U Can Fly Ltd, trading as LycaFly.com and MD of RSVP Vacations. Over the last few years, we have seen an increased appetite from UK consumers wanting to travel to Latin America, which is very encouraging. The creation of this role and the appointment of Tony Mason reflects this positive growth, and our bold and ambitious plans for the future. LATA is delighted to have Tony on board to steer these plans," said Shirto. Mason added: I am extremely excited to have been selected as the new CEO for LATA and I am looking forward to leading the association through the next stages of growth. We have an excellent opportunity to grow the tourism sector in Latin America, whilst supporting our membership and developing business partnerships that will prove vital to our future success. CSSC Wartsila Engine Company (CWEC), the joint venture formed between Wartsila and China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), has opened its new production facility located in Lingang, Shanghai. The opening ceremony took place on Jan. 9. The new 20,000-square-meter production plant is the first in China capable of locally producing large-bore, medium speed diesel and dual-fuel (DF) engines. The plant will also manufacture medium-bore, medium speed diesel and DF engines. Wartsila 26, Wartsila 32, Wartsila 34DF, Wartsila 46F and Wartsila 46DF engines will be produced at the factory, which has a planned production capacity of 180 engines per year. CWEC has already booked orders for more than 70 engines and is focused on the cruise, ferry, LNG carrier, offshore, special vessel, and large container ship markets, according to a statement. "Being close to our customers in order to serve them better is central to Wartsila's global strategy. We are, therefore, extremely pleased to officially open this modern production facility, the first in China capable of producing DF engines, which will serve China's shipbuilding industry with high quality, technologically advanced Wartsila marine engines. It is an honour to be sharing this day with our joint venture partners, CSSC, one of China's most modern industrial corporations. Together, we are supporting China's shipping industry's move into the age of LNG fuel," commented Wartsila's President & CEO, Jaakko Eskola at the opening ceremony. "This is an important day for China's shipbuilding sector as we now have local availability of both medium and large-bore Wartsila diesel and dual-fuel engines. Wartsila's extraordinary technological accomplishments and global reputation have been built on its proud history spanning more than 180 years. With our two companies now standing shoulder to shoulder behind this joint venture, we can anticipate great things for the future," said Wu Qiang, President of CSSC. In November 2016, a similar agreement was signed with Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding (SWS), also a part of CSSC. Wartsila has successfully cooperated for a number of years with SWS, and this agreement is expected to build on this relationship. SWS is currently the largest commercial shipyard in China. The joint venture was established in July, 2014 with CSSC holding 51% of the shares and Wartsila the remaining 49%. Windstar Cruises today announced that John Delaney, president, will host a Star Pride Panama Canal transit cruise in February. I am very excited to host my first Windstar Presidents Cruise aboard the lovely Star Pride cruising to Panama and Costa Rica. Sailing through the Panama Canal is one of my bucket list experiences, explained Delaney. Its iconic for a reason, and we make the week-long journey very accessible with a convenient and action-packed cruise. The ship will depart on Feb. 25, 2017 for the Costa Rica and Panama voyage. The voyage will help guests get to know Delaney, according to a statement, with several hosted events onboard, a special gala dinner, commemorative gifts for guests, surprises, and more. The recently refurbished Star Pride yacht will also be the center of attention as one guest on the cruise will receive a complimentary upgrade to one of two owners suites. The random drawing for the most luxurious accommodations aboard the elegant Star Pride yacht will take place during the Sail Away party from Colon. As every year I find myself working through the list of upcoming conferences around the world. One thing that Ive always been pleased about is the rich variety that is available right across Canada throughout the year. Im going to apologize in advance to the conferences that I leave out of this list. There is no ill will meant for any and I will revisit them in the future. For the purpose of this article I will address 5 Canadian security conferences that will be held in 2017 that you really should check out. This list is presented as a stream of consciousness as opposed to having any rhyme or reason. First and foremost is the Northsec conference that will be held in Montreal, Quebec from the 16th until the 21st this May. I was very fortunate to give a talk at this conference almost two years ago now. The audience is very receptive and the venue is quiet nice. It is located in the old part of Montreal which is a selling point for me in its own right. The conference has a well regarded Capture The Flag (CTF) competition. This isnt a small contest. They have 400 competitors on 50 teams. Link: https://www.nsec.io/ The next entry is the down home entry from Halifax, Nova Scotia. The Atlseccon conference is a personal favorite of mine. For some strange reason they are letting me come back to speak again this year. The conference will be taking place in April on the 27-28th at the World Trade and Convention Centre. This year the conference has managed to get an excellent keynote, Dr. Jessica Barker. Im looking forward to attending this year as well as speaking myself. I have to admit that there is some salt water in my veinsin addition to way too much coffee. Link: https://atlseccon.com/ This year I had a logistical failure in my travel that was frustrating to say the least. In my attempt to make it back to Canada in time I missed my connection. As a result I wasnt able to keep my keynote slot at the Countermeasure security conference in the nations capital, Ottawa, Ontario. Based on all of the messages I received as I sat cooling my heels in the airport I missed a great conference. Hopefully I will have a chance in the future to remedy that missed speaking slot. Link: https://www.countermeasure.ca/ But, what about the left coast? Well, of course I cannot miss talking about the venerable CanSecWest. This conference is held every March in Vancouver, British Colombia. I do have a great deal of frustration in this case. As a father of two there is a week every March where my wife and I are tied up with the kids for their March break holiday. As luck (or the lack thereof) would have it, this conference lands on this week every year. Im just going to have to take the whole family to Vancouver next year. Link: https://cansecwest.com/ The back to Toronto in the center of Canada. Well, not really but, one cant help but to make a joke or two. In Toronto we have the Sector Security Conference. Keeping full disclosure in mind, Im on the Advisory Board for Sector so, Im rather jaded in favour of this conference. This past year we had the 10th iteration of the conference and it was a great time! Ive had a problem in the past where Sector was booked at the same time as several other conferences but, in 2017 the conference actually moves over into November on the 15-17th. Link: https://sector.ca/ All of the aforementioned events treat their speakers really well and as a attendee all are worth the time. Be sure to check out some Canadian content in 2017. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Connecticuts medical marijuana program would expand to include common ailments like eczema, arthritis and fibromyalgia, if a panel of doctors approves the proposals following a public hearing Wednesday. If the seven new ailments proposed are cleared for inclusion, it would allow adult patients with 29 afflictions to become eligible for the program. The eight-member Board of Physicians, which recommends conditions for inclusion in the five-year-old medical cannabis program, will accept public testimony during the hearing. The seven diseases subject to the review include osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, eczema, fibromyalgia, severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, post herpetic neuralgia and muscular dystrophy. It could take months to get the new patients into the program, however. First, Consumer Protection Commissioner Jonathan Harris reviews the boards recommendations. From there, Harris sends his draft regulations to the state attorney general, whose staff reviews and redrafts the measures for filing with the Legislative Commissioners Office. Finally, the proposals are submitted to the legislative Regulation Review Committee, which last year, rejected Fabry Disease, a genetic disorder, for inclusion. Angela DAmico, owner of the Compassionate Care Center in Bethel, one of states eight dispensaries supplied by the four medical-cannabis growers, said Monday that as more patients find relief through use of the drug, its efficacy becomes more obvious. More Information If you go: The state Board of Physicians public hearing on seven new ailments proposed to the medical-marijuana program. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 8:30 a.m. in North Meeting Room D, 450 Columbus Blvd, in Hartford. The public is invited to speak. See More Collapse We see Muscular Dystrophy in a lots of elderly patients, who suffer from degenerative muscle mass, DAmico said in a phone interview. Cannabis can definitely take care of the pain and stiffness from the disease. Currently there are 15,079 patients and about 586 physicians enrolled in the program. There are 3,073 patients from Fairfield County, 3,497 from New Haven County, and 924 from Litchfield County. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With a Navy commitment in hand to build 18 new Columbia-class nuclear submarines, Electric Boat in Groton is planning a hiring and spending spree that will be felt across the state. The company is gearing up to hire 2,000 new employees this year at its Connecticut and Rhode Island plants, with 1,350 jobs slated for Groton. Electric Boat employs about 14,500 people in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and that employment is projected to grow to 18,000 by 2030. Company President Jeffrey Geiger on Monday told business and legislative leaders during an annual update that the company will meet the Navy's expectations and expand its workforce, supplier base and facilities. I'm excited about the potential opportunity, Geiger said. We have a bright future with growth and substantial new work ahead of us. This future provides a great opportunity for state and local communities to come grow with us. Dan Barrett, an Electric Boat spokesman, said that last year the Eastern Connecticut-based company spent $29.1 million on orders from 33 suppliers based in the 4th Congressional District. Electric Boat has 454 suppliers in the state, Barrett said. Over the last five years we've placed orders for nearly $485 million in support of Virginia and Columbia-class submarines. The Navys plan to build 18 new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines, which will also be designed by Electric Boat, follows an announcement several weeks ago that Congress budgeted more than $5 billion for two more Virginia-class attack submarines. More Information Electric Boat's expansion 18 new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines 2 Virgnia-class attack subs 2,000 new workers in 2017- 1,350 located in Connecticut 14,500 workforce in CT. and R.I. (18,000 by 2030) Spent in 2016: $485M on 454 suppliers in CT. $29M on 33 suppliers in the 4th Congressional District $5B allocated by Congress for two more Virginia-class subs $1.9B allocated to develop the Columbia-class sub, estimated to cost $5.5 billion each Here are some highlights of Electric Boat's pending expansion: 18 new Columbia-class ballistic missile submarines and two Virgnia-class attack subs 2,000 new workers this year, with 1,350 located in Connecticut Current workforce of 14,500 in Connecticut and Rhode Island to grow to 18,000 by 2030 Spent $485 million in 2016 on 454 suppliers across the state. Spent $29.1 million in 2016 on 33 suppliers in the 4th Congressional District $5 billion allocated by Congress for two more Virginia-class subs $1.9 billion allocated to develop the Columbia-class sub, estimated to cost $5.5 billion each See More Collapse Another $1.9 billion was committed to developing the Columbia-class sub, which is expected to cost upwards of $5.5 billion each. Good for business Joe McGee, vice president of policy and programs for the Fairfield County Business Council, said the Electric Boat expansion will benefit everyone in Connecticut. For Connecticut, this is a big deal, McGee said. This is a generational commitment. These are good, high paying jobs. A 2015 state commissioned study on Electric Boats impact in Connecticut noted the company spent $579 million in the state during the prior five years, spread across 471 suppliers. About $34 million was spent in a region that includes Fairfield County; the bulk of the companys spending was in Eastern Connecticut and the Hartford region. Nationally, Electric Boat purchases from 3,000 suppliers in 47 states. It takes about 1 million parts to build a submarine. McGee said as Electric Boat expands more opportunities will be available to suppliers and residents across the state. There is a spillover effect, he said. The coming work and new orders are based on a recent Navy proposal for a 355-ship fleet that includes adding 47 ships and 18 attack submarines five more vessels than Republican President-elect Donald Trump proposed while on the campaign trail. Electric Boat also is designing the nuclear powered submarines. Construction isn't expected to begin any sooner than the fall of 2020. Once construction begins, the production of nuclear attack submarines will typically be one a year. The Navy deploys three different submarines, all nuclear: ballistic missile subs, attack subs and cruise missile subs. All of the combat subs are nuclear-powered. Ballistic subs are armed with nuclear missiles. Attack submarines are used to sink ships and subs, and to launch cruise missiles. U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn, and a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said the Navy commitment is good news for Connecticut. Electric Boat said loud and clear today: were hiring, Murphy said. Manufacturing at Electric Boat and its hundreds of suppliers across the state is booming. The Navy is committed to our submarine force for defense at sea, and were positioned better than ever to meet that demand. U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn, also offered support for Electric Boat and continuing the funding stream for new subs. This positive, strong outlook for job growth at Electric Boat including 1,350 new hires in Groton underscores Electric Boats continued dedication to our nations defense, Blumenthal said. Blumenthal added Submarines are a critical lynchpin of our Armed Forces nothing exceeds the stealth, strength, and security of our submarine fleet and I will be fighting in the Senate Armed Services Committee to secure strong funding levels for these technological wonders. The Associated Press contributed to this report Just about every time a patient meets with a doctor or nurse, they'll go through a series of questions and tests to check their vital signs. That includes heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature and rate of breathing, but Montana mental health officials would like to add another item. As part of a larger effort to address Montana's decades-long place among the states with the highest suicide rates, state mental health officials are recommending a significant number of health care providers be trained in depression and suicide prevention screening. National studies have indicated that about 45 percent of Americans who die by suicide see a doctor or health care provider within a month of dying, and as many as 20 percent see one within 24 hours. With that in mind, the Montana Suicide Mortality Review Team included in its 2016 annual report a recommendation for mandatory suicide prevention and risk assessment training for primary care providers that could help them better recognize, address and find help for people at risk. "Primary care is the point of contact for most people because we don't have the mental health resources to adequately meet the need," said Karl Rosston, state suicide prevention coordinator with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services. "My experience is they'll go to a doctor first, clergy second and then maybe a mental health professional." The belief behind the recommendation the team recommends the Montana Legislature take up the issue to create a statewide standard is that front-line medical providers can identify potential mental health issues earlier and get patients the help they need before they harm themselves. It could apply to physicians who have contact with patients, as well as nurses, chiropractors, naturopaths and behavioral health providers, among others. With the right tools, primary care can help prevent suicides, wrote Dr. Jerry Reed, director of the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center, for the federal Center for Integrated Health Solutions. "Primary care physicians are increasingly asked to screen for a variety of health conditions, but often lack the capacity to take these screenings on or know where to make appropriate referrals for those who screen positive," he said. "However, there are brief screening tools for suicide and other mental health issues that people can complete while in waiting areas that providers then review to identify in advance those who may be at risk and need additional time." Rosston said in the past few years he's held free daylong training sessions for as many as 500 Montana health care providers on a simple screening they can complete with patients. Bozeman Health has been a leader in that effort, receiving training for about 300 employees, he said. About 60 nurses at St. Peter's Hospital in Helena also recently received training, while several dozen staff and medical residents at Billings Clinic, students in Rocky Mountain College's physician assistant program and Carroll College's nursing school have also been trained. "We're advocating for depression screening to really be the next vital sign," he said. Asking the questions At St. Vincent Healthcare in Billings, every patient who comes into the emergency department is asked a series of mental health-related questions, from a national evidence-based program, as part of the larger patient questionnaire. Katrina Mitchell, the hospital's director of critical care services, said that during the triage and intake process, the questions must be asked, even though it can be a difficult topic. "Any patient that comes in, regardless of their condition, will get asked those questions," she said. Dr. Michael Butz, a psychologist at the hospital and the federal advocacy coordinator for the Montana Psychological Association, said most providers coming into the hospital have some training in such screenings and that mental health training is part of the process of physicians becoming board certified. In addition, nurses receive training during their education in nursing school. When a patient's answers indicate they might need mental health assistance, options can include making sure they go home with a family member and resources for help in the community, a voluntary inpatient stay, a visit from a mental health professional such as Butz for further assessment or admission to Billings Clinic's psychiatric department for specialized care. "What we're doing right now is we're staffing up to try and meet the need at the most elemental levels," Butz said. "We're well aware of that and are working hard to meet that need now and have a better understanding of where they fall through the cracks." The hospital now has five behavioral health specialists who are on call for mental health services in the emergency room and other departments, and it is working to embed specialists in seven primary care clinics. Lyle Seavy is Billings Clinic's director of psychiatry and said that he's been working with other departments in the hospital including oncology, internal medicine and same-day care to use the same evidence-based screening methods. Those are methods that, much like the suicide review team's recommendations, can be used by PAs, nurses and other staff when seeing patients. "If there is a question about whether or not they've got some type of mental health issue, we trigger our (psychiatric evaluation clinician) process so there's somebody that sees them and is talking to them," Seavy said. "Sometimes patients need a little more attention that they can't get in the emergency department, and we want people where we can give them the best care." How well it works In a related effort at Billings Clinic, an ongoing pilot project is looking at including suicide screening questions in a survey taken on a tablet by patients in the emergency department waiting room. The hospital is assessing how well it works in determining a patient's risk level. Critical access hospitals around the state could eventually offer it, Seavy said. Part of the training and eventual assessments involve creating a safety plan for patients to take home with them, Rosston said. The plan helps with who to reach out to and how to make home safe for the person, and it can be shared with spouses, parents, family members or other loved ones who can help. It also gives people access to a mobile app that lays out the plan and can connect them with a crisis line at the touch of a button. "Its helping a patient develop a plan of action and maybe get them through until they can get to a mental health office," Rosston said. "It gets them through the immediate crisis, and it reduces that isolation." Seavy said that after learning about the safety planning process at a statewide conference, he returned to Billings Clinic intent on putting the practice into place in the emergency department. Trained to use it At RiverStone Health, physicians in the Montana Family Medicine Residency go through suicide prevention and mental health training as part of their training. Claire Oakley, director of RiverStone's Population Health Services, said that it's important for medical personnel to receive such training during their education, not only for the patients' benefit but also because it helps health care providers gain a better understanding of mental health issues and treatment. "If you have it in the training, you're more likely to use it," she said. "And part of that training is to dispel the myths around issues like suicide." The 2016 Montana suicide report noted that in about 74 percent of the reported suicides in the state, the person displayed some warning signs beforehand. Rosston believes training more health providers could serve as a way to catch more people before they attempt suicide. "I don't think we can afford to wait until we have all of the mental health services in place," he said. Butz said training medical staff is just one part of a larger effort needed to address mental health and suicide in Montana. More resources and education are needed statewide and unique barriers, such as the state's large swaths of rural areas, must be addressed. Suicide prevention is a community issue that will take every person listening and work toward a solution, he said. "That takes some community coherence as well as some courage to stretch out and meet people where they are." Walk in the Woods: Late autumn is a great time for hiking Although many people think of hiking as a summer activity, it can be argued that the fall season is actually the best time to be in Nova Scotia's outdoors. Temperatures, while cooler, are actually far more comfortable if you are walking briskly. The ... AKP-HDP anayasa degisikligi icin bir araya geldi! Gorusme sonras acklama yapld: Bugun sohbet ettik, ilgili kurullarmzla karar alacagz Avian influenza has been confirmed in a hunter-harvested mallard duck in Fergus County. At this time there have been no new additional detections of avian influenza in Montana in either wild or domestic birds. The influenza was found in domestic Montana birds in 2015. Wild migratory waterfowl are the natural reservoir for avian influenza. The mallard duck appears to have a similar strain as the 2014-15 outbreak that affected domestic birds nationwide. Testing of the sample is ongoing at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories. No human health issues have been reported for this strain and no illness or mortalities in domestic poultry in Montana have been detected. Most avian influenza viruses do not infect humans and the meat from these animals is safe for human consumption; however, it is recommended that people follow proper sanitary precautions when handling birds. Wear latex or rubber gloves when cleaning birds, wash hands with soapy water after cleaning, clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces that came in contact with the bird, and cook wild birds thoroughly before eating the meat. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends following sanitary handling procedures and cooking poultry to 165 degrees. Waterfowl often dont show symptoms of this disease, so hunters should always take precautions, said Jennifer Ramsey, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife veterinarian. However, people should avoid contact with any sick bird. The Montana Department of Livestock encourages poultry producers, including those with small backyard flocks, to keep domestic birds separate from wild waterfowl and to monitor their birds carefully for any sudden death or signs of illness. If you experience sudden onset of illness or high death loss in domestic poultry, please contact the Montana Department of Livestock (444-2043). Anyone who finds a sick or dead wild bird that may have died from unknown causes should contact the local FWP warden, biologist or regional office, or call the FWP wildlife veterinarian at 406-994-5671. Fergus County is in zone 1 of Montanas Central Flyway, which includes the central and northeastern portion of Montana. Duck season in zone 1 closed Jan. 5. Duck season in zone 2 of Montanas Central Flyway, which is much of the south-central part of the state, closes Jan. 17. Duck season in the Pacific Flyway, which borders Fergus County, is closed, but re-opens Jan. 14-18. STORY LINK Pound Sterling (GBP) to Japanese Yen (JPY) Drops to Lowest Level Since November on Brexit Fears Pound (GBP) Undermined by Prime Ministers Brexit Comments Japanese Yen (JPY) Trends Firmly on Japanese Economic Hopes GBP/JPY Forecast: Quiet UK Economic Calendar Ahead Like this piece? Please share with your friends and colleagues: The Pound to Japanese Yen exchange rate continued to trend poorly throughout Tuesdays European session but held above the weeks worst levels in the afternoon.This was partially due to the weeks GBP bearishness fading, but also hope from investors that the opposition Labour party would help the case for Tory backbenchers after Labour leader Corbyn came out in support for remaining in the market.[Previously updated 09/01/2017]The Pound to Japanese Yen exchange rate edged lower last week as demand for safe haven currencies like the Yen was low enough for Sterling to hold its ground. However, on Monday Brexit fears worsened once again causing GBP/JPY to plummet.GBP/JPY slipped from 144.29 to 143.69 last week. On Monday morning alone, GBP/JPY plummeted over a Yen to 142.05 its worst level since November 2016.Sterling slipped slightly last week, as Britains slew of optimistic PMI figures was not enough to give the British currency a firm footing. Instead, the Pound dropped on concerns that the UK government lacked a concise Brexit negotiations strategy or team.Brexit concerns only worsened over the weekend, when UK Prime Minister Theresa May made comments indicating that Britain cannot simply hold onto bits of benefits from the European Union after the Brexit.To investors, this indicated that May was denying the possibility of post-Brexit single market access. As one of the biggest concerns about the Brexit process worsened, this had a considerable downside effect on GBP trade on Monday.While the Japanese Yens strength has been weighed on by the broad strength of the US Dollar in recent weeks, Japanese economic sentiment has been decent and this is actually due in part to the weakened Yen.As the Yen continues to weaken against the US Dollar, the profits made by Japanese exporters improve. Analysts in recent weeks have also claimed that the Japanese economy is likely to see growth in 2017.Towards the end of 2016, Japanese economic factors began to show an increasing number of upside factors, partially due to higher industrial production.With the Japanese government promising to continue focusing on economic improvement, market sentiment in Japan is solid which has left the Yen with a steady flow of demand.Global risk factors are likely to drive the Pound to Japanese Yen exchange rate for the remainder of the week that is if Sterling can recover from its current Brexit jitters.Analysts still widely expect the Pound will see an extended period of pressure until the plan of the UK government for its post-Brexit UK-EU trade deals become clearer. However, even after the UK governments plan is revealed concerns will remain that the plan may not be agreed to in negotiations.This weeks UK data is unlikely to give the Pound a significant boost either. All of the weeks influential UK stats will be published on Wednesday, including the latest UK trade deficit figures, industrial production, manufacturing production and NIESRs December UK growth projection.Japans economic calendar is a little busier. Tuesday will see the publication of Japans December consumer confidence results, followed by November trade surplus figures on Wednesday and other less-influential stats throughout the week.The strength of the US Dollar will also play a key part in GBP/JPY movement. While USD demand is high, risk-sentiment is usually low which is an upside factor for JPY trade. The Yens own movement will of course by limited by broad USD demand however. International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements. TAGS: Japanese Yen Forecasts Pound Sterling Forecasts How data could be collected and used if hunting tags go electronic brought concerns from several lawmakers on Thursday. Sen. J.P. Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman, introduced Senate Bill 50 before the Senate Fish and Game Committee at the Capitol. The bill, brought at the request of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, gives the department authority to pursue electronic validation for hunting carcass tags. Current law requires hunters to validate paper tags for animals such as elk and turkeys by cutting out the date. We have adapted technology to many similar functions in our lives, Pomnichowski said, pointing to electronic airplane boarding passes and reading books on mobile devices as examples. A law passed last session allows electronic licenses for fishing or hunting not requiring a carcass tag. FWP has seen success and a lot of use with those electronic licenses, said Hank Worsech, the licensing bureau chief for FWP. This will allow the department to adapt to changing technology and customer expectations, he told the committee, adding that other states are pursuing similar technology. The bill does not put electronic tags into practice, but simply allows FWP to pursue and authority to put the technology in place, he said. Before implementing electronic tags, the department would convene a working group to study the technology and any concerns it might come with, he said. Implementation and the scope of any data collection drew the most questions from senators. Sen. Chas Vincent, R-Libby, thanked FWP for bringing the bill and said that he hoped data could be used in wildlife management. But collecting data such as kill locations troubled some senators. A lot of people are very secretive of where they hunt, said Sen. Jedediah Hinkle, R-Belgrade. Sen. Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls, agreed. I do not want the department to have carte blanche on the hunters location, she said, citing concerns about the recently announced change of FWPs enforcement division chief. I dont know any hunter that likes to give up their location except to a dear close hunting partner or a husband. Hinkle floated an amendment idea to put parameters in the law about what data could be collected. Pomnichowski noted that she would be open to the idea depending on the language of the amendment. Data collection would likely be at the hunting district scale, FWP staff said, but what information is collected was more a matter of philosophical limits than technological capability. The tech work in a project like this is really the easy part, said Dustin Templ, FWP chief of Administration. Its really making sure that the user experience is good, making sure people are comfortable with it and making sure their data is secure. The bill drew support from the Montana Wildlife Federation and the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. No immediate action was taken by the committee Thursday. County-specific poll may foretell whether Pa. is going blue or red BOZEMAN A Montana State University professors prize-winning photo of a graduate student holding an endangered pallid sturgeon has been selected for the cover of a journal dedicated to the biological sciences. Christopher Guy, affiliate professor in MSUs Department of Ecology, won first place in the 2016 Faces of Biology photography contest for his photo of MSU graduate student Luke Holmquist releasing a 19-year-old hatchery-reared female pallid sturgeon into the Missouri River. The photo was taken during a sampling of pallid sturgeon in the Missouri River above the confluence with the Marias River. The fish in the photo became sexually mature this past year, but did not spawn. A large part of Guys research program is focused on why pallid sturgeon are not recruiting surviving to sexual maturity in the Missouri River. Holmquist, of Harlowton, earned his bachelors degree in biological sciences from MSU in 2013 and is currently pursuing his masters in fish and wildlife management. His research focuses on the reproductive ecology of hatchery-reared and wild pallid sturgeon in the Upper Missouri River. Guy, who is also the assistant unit leader with the USGS Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, said he was thrilled to learn his photo took the top prize and will be featured on the cover of a 2017 issue of BioScience, a peer-reviewed biology journal from the American Institute of Biological Sciences. I believe the photo epitomizes the type of research conducted in the Department of Ecology and by the Montana Cooperative Fishery Research Unit, Guy said. It illustrates the incredible experience our students obtain while working on their degrees. Second and third place honors went to photographs from Harvard University and Yale University, respectively. BUTTE According to photographer Arron Booth, nighttime photography presents an entirely different perspective of the world in more ways than one. Since 2008 the Butte native has been traveling throughout Montana and Wyoming capturing detailed images of the night sky, where he has had encounters not only with nebulae and swaths of stars from the Milky Way, but also with the sights and sounds of the wilderness. Go out and stand in the mountains right now in the pitch dark, [and] your mind plays tricks on you, said Booth, noting that spending hours alone in the woods can lead to some out-of-this world experiences, replete with coyote cries and bumps in the night. Today Booth exhibits his nighttime images at the Uptown Butte Art Walk, Montana galleries and mom-and-pop establishments. His photos capture things like wilderness landscapes, old barns and isolated country churches beneath images of our galaxy, the northern lights and other light phenomena. Aside from capturing images of the cosmos, Booth said what he enjoys most about nighttime photography is mastering the skills required. To create his photos, Booth said, he uses long shutter speeds and high ISOs and sometimes layers multiple exposures to get the effect he wants. The process also involves using photo-enhancing software, which allows Booth to increase the saturation of his images, among other adjustments. Pretty much youre just pushing your camera to the limit, said Booth. Butte resident Hayes Novich who goes by the moniker Hazer Live says he started dabbling in nighttime photography because he likes the peacefulness of the world at night. Hazer has been taking photos of festivals and other events in Butte for several years and said he started taking photos of the night sky because it was something to do after crowds started to dwindle. Hazer added that the Big Sky State boasts some of the most star-saturated skies with its wide-open spaces and sparse population. Montana has some of the darkest skies in the country, he said. In one of Hazers images, a lone figure with a headlamp looks over a barn and is met by an immensity of stars. In another, the Mountain Con headframe, backed by the nighttime sky, is illuminated by signage proclaiming the mine is both a mile high and a mile deep. To some viewers it may seem amazing that detailed images of the Milky Way can appear through the aid of a simple digital camera. But perhaps more amazing are the implications behind those images. To find out what those implications are, The Montana Standard spoke with Daniel Reisenfeld, professor of physics and astronomy at the University of Montana. Reisenfeld, who heads a space group at the university that has been involved in several NASA missions, including the Cassini mission to Saturn, said images of the night sky have long been captivating to scientists and artists alike. He said his own interest in stars and galaxies began in early childhood when he was fascinated by the idea of space exploration and colonization of far-off worlds. I think that its so vast and so majestic, it challenges our imagination, said Reisenfeld when asked why people find images of space so captivating. He added that space imagery speaks to the possibilities beyond and all the questions that come up including, of course, the quintessential question: are we alone? Hazer concurred, noting that many people are unaware of the size and scope of the Milky Way. Plus, he said, the stars have always been awesome. As for Booth, he said hes learned a lot about astronomy from his nighttime photography adventures. Thats looking toward the center of our galaxy, said Booth flipping through a set of images on his phone. (But) when you get toward the outer ring here, thats looking away into deep space. Booth showed The Standard a photo of St. John the Evangelist, a small white church on Montana Highway 69 near Boulder. The church is framed by an arch of the Milky Way, and Booth pointed to what appears to be a very bright star to the left of the steeple. Thats the Andromeda galaxy, said Booth Thats the galaxy thats going to collide with us in (a few billion years). A sobering thought indeed. And while nighttime photography conjures up questions about the cosmos for some, for others it raises questions about whether the images are real. The Standard asked both Booth and Reisenfeld if the photos are less authentic because they use photo-enhancing software and capture what the naked eye cant see. Reisenfeld said scientists used image-enhancing techniques all the time to visualize their discoveries. He said things exist in space that cant be perceived by the human eye, including in the infrared and ultra violet spectrum. Scientists use software to bring these images into the visual spectrum so that they can study them. Booth, meanwhile, didnt seem concerned whether viewers think of his images as more or less authentic. I like just to be a storyteller, he said. Booths interest in telling stories comes through in one particular photograph. It depicts a lone figure wearing a cowboy hat who looks out at the night sky. With the Highlands in the background, the figure hoists what seems to be a lantern over his head, as though hes just illuminated the underbelly of the Milky Way. He looks a bit like an explorer peering out into a very large world. Ask people if they believe in the freedom of the Press and the public's right to know, and 99 out of 100 will answer an emphatic: 'Yes.' But after more than 300 years of being able to take Press freedom for granted in this country, there's a danger of losing sight of why it is so fundamentally important to the wellbeing of any civilised society. So today, with only 24 hours left for the public to protest against the greatest threat to their right to know in our modern history, the Mail makes no apology for highlighting an issue with the most profound implications for the whole nation and all its people. To begin with an obvious truth, no country can call itself a true democracy without independent media, free from state interference, offering voters as wide a range of news and opinions as possible to weigh up before casting their ballots. This is why dictators make it their first objective to seize control of broadcasting stations and newspapers, so that the public can know only what their rulers wish them to hear or read. But after more than 300 years of being able to take Press freedom for granted in this country, there's a danger of losing sight of why it is so fundamentally important to the wellbeing of any civilised society A Press free from censorship is also the citizen's surest defence against corrupt politicians and officials, unscrupulous employers, fraudsters and other wrongdoers. Time and again, newspapers not Parliament, the police or even the BBC, with its vast public funding have exposed the worst injustices in our society. Remember the Thalidomide scandal, the MPs' expenses racket, the Rotherham sex-grooming cover-up and the monumental police failures over the murder of Stephen Lawrence? All these iniquities, and countless more, were brought to light by the Press. Yes, Britain's buccaneering newspapers are often scurrilous and provocative. They are sometimes hurtful and, like everyone else, they make mistakes. But it is impossible to exaggerate the role played by Britain's 300-year tradition of Press freedom in keeping our country comparatively free from the rank corruption that plagues less fortunate peoples overseas. It is thanks in huge measure to the vigilance of our unshackled newspapers that, in general, British officials and judges do not take bribes and even our least honest politicians are mere petty criminals beside the grand larcenists in power elsewhere in the world. Yet, at the dawn of 2017, the Press freedom that has served our country so well since the 17th century is under attack from all sides. One powerful threat, which this paper laments but about which it makes no complaint, is purely commercial. It comes from the growth of the unregulated internet, that spawning-ground of 'fake news', whose competition for advertising revenue drives more local newspapers out of business every week. This is cause for deep concern and regret, since it means court cases and the proceedings of local authorities go increasingly unreported, leaving the public in the dark about decisions taken in their name. But the Press was born of one technological revolution, with the invention of movable type in the 15th century, and it is no use railing against the advent of another. The Mail is confident that ways will be found to enable responsible journalism to adapt and survive in the electronic age. A more malicious threat comes from Left-wing campaigners who seek to blackmail firms into withdrawing advertising from newspapers with which they disagree. Particular targets are those, like the Mail, which voice public concerns about mass unrestricted immigration and the wanton waste of taxpayers' money on overseas aid, while the elderly and vulnerable suffer at home. But with fair-minded companies refusing to be bullied by groups such as Stop Funding Hate, this assault on free expression can also be overcome. No far more insidious and dangerous to Press freedom is the threat posed by Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, a measure so pernicious and illiberal it is hard to believe Parliament ever passed it. But it did. Indeed, it awaits only the say-so of Culture Secretary Karen Bradley to activate it and thereby put an end to three centuries in which the public's right to know has been unfettered by the state. This is where readers come in. For to her great credit, Mrs Bradley has put Section 40 out to consultation, asking whether it should be triggered or scrapped. The public have until tomorrow to register their views. To summarise, this hugely controversial piece of legislation was Parliament's response to the Leveson Inquiry, called amid the hysteria of the phone-hacking scandal (a criminal matter, in which the Mail, like the overwhelming majority of newspapers, had no involvement whatsoever). Stitched up over pizzas in Ed Miliband's office at 2am with the anti-Press group Hacked Off present, but no representatives of the newspaper industry the idea was to set up a new Press regulator, state-approved by Royal Charter. Now comes the vicious twist. In an attempt to force papers to sign up to a watchdog endorsed by the state something no self-respecting believer in Press freedom or a free society could ever do Section 40 threatens to impose huge financial penalties on any who refuse. They will not only be liable for exemplary damages if they lose a case in the civil courts. Outrageously, under Section 40 they will also be made to pay the legal costs for the losing side even if their reports are found to be entirely true and in the public interest. Thus, a paper that justly exposes a firm for defrauding pensioners of their life savings may be landed with legal costs running into hundreds of thousands or even millions of pounds. For many struggling local papers, this could mean closure while even the most commercially successful publications would hesitate to expose any scandal that might provoke a legal action. Indeed, Section 40 hands crooks, chancers and the corrupt a formidable weapon to silence criticism and continue their wrongdoing, while encouraging papers to print nothing about the rich and powerful except what their publicity agents dictate. But there's a further twist, more sinister and surreal still, exposing the appalling folly of seeking to impose state regulation on the Press. The extraordinary fact is that, so far, the only regulator approved by a Government-endorsed panel of the Great and Good is an outfit called Impress, which is financed almost entirely by a sleazy millionaire with a grudge against the Press. The 3.8 million paymaster in question is former F1 tycoon Max Mosley son of Sir Oswald, who led the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s. Max Mosley (pictured) has pursued a campaign against the Press since he was exposed by the now-defunct News of the World for taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy involving five prostitutes Mr Mosley has pursued a campaign against the Press since he was exposed by the now-defunct News of the World for taking part in a sado-masochistic orgy involving five prostitutes. Among Impress board members is one who has tweeted his wish to ban the Daily Mail, and others who have backed the campaign to drive centre-Right newspapers out of business by starving them of advertising. Even if Impress had impeccably fair-minded credentials, this paper would refuse to join it, on the principle that it is wrong for the Press to submit to state regulation. As it is, the very thought of surrender to such a creepy body is unthinkable. This is why no mainstream newspaper, of Right or Left, has signed up to Impress, which includes only a tiny number of the smallest local papers and online blogs on its books. Most of the rest, including the Mail, have subscribed to the industry-financed Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), run by the former High Court Judge Sir Alan Moses. Unlike Impress, IPSO's panel members don't want to ban newspapers. But they still run the tightest regulatory regime in the free world, with powers to impose fines of up to 1 million and insist on corrections of mistakes on the front page. This paper has said many harsh things about Lord Justice Leveson a distinguished lawyer, perhaps, though clearly out of his depth in the world of the internet and its implications for Press freedom. But even he, in his worst nightmares, could not have imagined that the upshot of his inquiry would be handing control of the Press to the acolytes of a vindictive millionaire acting with the state's imprimatur. So, at this 11th hour, while there's still time, we urge readers to tell the Culture Secretary how much you value the public's right to know. Turn to page 26 to find out how. Only when it has been taken away will we realise how precious a liberty we have lost. You can help stop that happening. Make your voice heard. Act NOW if you want to help defend the right to read a website like MailOnline Imagine someone throws a brick through your window. The case goes to court and the brick-thrower is convicted. But you are told you must pay for your window - and his brick. An unbelievable injustice? Yes - but that's just what Britain's newspapers and news websites face. In the New Year, the Culture Secretary must decide whether or not to implement a piece of legislation so pernicious, so illiberal, it is hard to believe Parliament ever passed it. But it did. Most of our greatest injustices are exposed not by MPs or the police, but by the Press. The MPs' expenses scandal; the Rotherham sex grooming cover-up; the monumental failures over the murder of Stephen Lawrence just a few of the investigations that would never have been possible if Section 40 was in force Under Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act, rushed into law after the Leveson Inquiry, any relevant newspapers or news websites - from MailOnline to The Guardian, Huffington Post and Buzzfeed - which refuse to join a regulator approved under the Government's Royal Charter for the Press, and are sued for libel, will be forced to pay the other side's legal costs even if they win. EVEN IF YOU WIN, YOU LOSE: If this law is implemented, it won't matter if an article is true, lawfully published, serves the public interest, and the complaint is thrown out by the court any relevant newspapers or news websites not signed up to an approved regulator will face paying all the costs, every single penny. FREE TICKET FOR CROOKS, BANKRUPTCY FOR NEWSPAPERS: Costs in High Court legal actions routinely run into hundreds of thousands of pounds sometimes millions. This legislation gives anyone who wants to silence journalists a free ticket. News organisations that fight will face being bankrupted. WHO WILL EXPOSE INJUSTICE? Most of our greatest injustices are exposed not by MPs or the police, but by the Press. The MPs' expenses scandal; the Rotherham sex grooming cover-up; the monumental failures over the murder of Stephen Lawrence just a few of the investigations that would never have been possible if Section 40 was in force. WHY NOT JOIN THE STATE-APPROVED REGULATOR? Called Impress, it claims to be independent, but is bankrolled by former F1 boss Max Mosley, on a mission to 'reform' the Press ever since a newspaper revealed his sado-masochistic orgy with five prostitutes. It has just a handful of micro-publisher members, some barely more than online blogs. No mainstream news organisation has joined. SO WHO REGULATES THE DAILY MAIL AND MAILONLINE? MailOnline and 2,600 other news websites, newspapers, and magazines do not believe the Press can be truly free under rules imposed by politicians. We belong to a regulator which is entirely independent of the Government. Chaired by former Appeal Court Judge Sir Alan Moses, the Independent Press Standards Organisation regularly orders front page corrections and if necessary can impose fines of up to 1 million. ... AND THEN THERE'S LEVESON TWO: The original Leveson Inquiry and associated criminal trials have already cost the taxpayer nearly 50 million. Despite a raft of reforms to the Press, police and politics, the Culture Secretary is under pressure to go over it all again with Leveson Part Two. WHAT CAN BE DONE? Very sensibly, the Culture Secretary has launched a consultation. The zealots of Hacked Off, and their allies in Parliament, are lobbying hard for Section 40 to become law and Leveson Two to get under way. But this time you get your say, too. If you want to defend the right to read a news website like MailOnline, a website which holds the rich and powerful to account, which fights injustice, and which refuses to kow-tow to rules set by politicians and a regulator in the pocket of Max Mosley, you can tell the Government this unjust legislation must be repealed and no money wasted on another Leveson Inquiry. Lord Kerslake, head of the civil service from 2012-14, has taken up the baton in a letter to The Times, a Remain-supporting newspaper Some of Britain's most senior retired civil servants have taken the unusual step of publicly criticising Theresa May over Brexit an insurgency dubbed the Revolt of the Mandarins. The intemperate resignation of Britain's EU ambassador Sir Ivan Rogers, an ardent Europhile, was the trigger for the carefully co-ordinated attack. Lord Kerslake, head of the civil service from 2012-14, has taken up the baton in a letter to The Times, a Remain-supporting newspaper. Questioning the Government's readiness for Brexit, he said civil servants had to be 'led, resourced properly, and listened to even when their advice is not welcome'. As a former head of the civil service, you would expect Kerslake to be an impartial voice. Not a bit of it. Since he entered the House of Lords in March 2015, he's voted 50 times out of a possible 149 and never with the Government. Even though he was made a life peer by then PM David Cameron, every time he's trooped through the Division lobby with Labour, which makes a mockery of the fact he sits on the crossbenches. It's also lucrative work. Kerslake has trousered 40,500 through the tax-free 300 daily attendance up to July, when figures were last published. This is in addition to the gold-plated pension on his 200,000 civil service salary. Just the man to lead the revolt of the Remoaners. By resigning as EU ambassador, Sir Ivan probably hoped to avoid a bruising encounter with Bill Cash, veteran chairman of the Commons European scrutiny committee. But the wily Cash, who has a forensic knowledge of the EU, has reminded Rogers he is expecting him to come before the committee irrespective of the resignation. Book a ringside seat. The Beeb leaves a bad impression The BBC can't help patronising viewers, says Jan Ravens, the Dead Ringers comedian whose Theresa May impression is disturbingly accurate. 'We wanted to do a sketch about [IMF chief] Christine Lagarde and Angela Merkel, but the channel controller said Eileen in Leeds wouldn't know who they are,' revealed Ravens on Radio 4. She rightly insisted: 'Eileen does know who they are now.' Veteran satirist Rory Bremner sums up the craven approach of TV bosses towards comedy. 'They say they haven't got the budget, but they haven't got the balls.' The Left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research is warning that Britain will be blighted for a decade by Brexit. The IPPR was run until very recently by Will Straw, son of former Labour cabinet minister Jack. More tellingly, Straw Jnr left the IPPR to head the mercifully useless Britain Stronger in Europe campaign, which was on the losing side in the referendum. The IPPR also received 140,000 from the European Commission in 2014. I'm sure the two facts didn't influence its report one iota. After the death of Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia in Star Wars, Labour MP Jess Phillips confesses to the New Statesman: 'My brother Luke was named by our older siblings in homage to [Star Wars hero] Mr Skywalker. My mother vetoed calling me Leia.' Is Danczuk back? Is suspended Labour MP Simon Danczuk on his way back into the Party? Danczuk was ejected in December 2015 for allegedly sending lewd texts to a 17-year-old girl. Now the Rochdale MP has had a private meeting with chief whip Nick Brown, whom he claims says he has no case to answer. 'The reality is it's taking so long because I have been a vocal critic of the leadership,' says the Rochdale MP. He compares his case with Labour MP Keith Vaz, who paid for sex with rent boys but is back on a Commons committee. 'I'm very supportive of Keith, but he hasn't been reprimanded. You can't have double standards.' Vaz, of course, has been loyal to Jeremy Corbyn. In a shambolic Commons performance, Boris Johnson stumbled when asked if the Commonwealth flag would fly over Government buildings after Brexit. He admitted to Tory MPs on the Foreign Affairs select committee he didn't even know what the Commonwealth flag looks like. The political director at the Foreign Office, Sir Tim Barrow, came to the Foreign Secretary's rescue. Sitting behind Johnson, he drew the flag complete with its golden globe on a blue background surrounded by 34 spears. Advertisement One's the life of the party, the other a little more reserved. Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, the adorable twins of Crown Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark, celebrated their sixth birthday on Sunday, prompting the Danish royal family to publish new photos of the pair. Here Femail looks back at the twins' life in pictures, from family photo shoots to trips to the snow, with a cheeky Josephine often pictured pulling adorable faces for the camera while a bashful Vincent watched on. Scroll down for video Birthday portrait: The Danish royal family has released new photos of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine to celebrate their sixth birthday Like brother like sister: The twins never fail to capture the spotlight, with Josephine's antics bringing a sense of fun to royal proceedings Royal wave: The young royal is never one to shy away from the camera, and was pictured dancing on the steps of Grasten Castle while her mother, Crown Prince Mary, laughed and attempted to take her inside Free spirited: A spirited Josephine took advantage of the royal photo call by seemingly yelling, while a more bashful Vincent lay face-down on his mother's knees On their sixth birthday the Royal family published black-and-white photos of the young royals. And while their personalities appear to differ, the twins share more than a little in common when it comes to looks. With soft blue eyes and blonde hair, there is not mistaking the twins who sat with their arms around each other for the adorable portrait. While Vincent wore a collared shirt for the occasion, Josephine dressed in a sleeveless floral print vest and white top. Compare the pair: While the twins differ in personality there is no mistaking their likeness, as they both have the same blue eyes and blonde hair All aboard! At just seven months old the twins were taken aboard The Royal Yacht with their parents Mary and Frederik Royal Christening: The twins were christened on April 14, 2011 at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen. They are pictured with their parents and older siblings Prince Christian and Princess Isabella Jet-setter babies: When they were 10 months old the twins travelled to Australia with their parents for a royal tour and were pictured at Admiralty House holding a stuffed koala and kangaroo. Josephine is held by Mary, while Frederik holds Vincent Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda were born on January 8, 2011 to Australian-born Crown Princess Mary and her husband, Prince Frederik. They are the youngest of the Danish royal family, with two older siblings Prince Christian, 11, and Princess Isabella, nine. Vincent is the oldest of the pair by 26 minutes, and on the day of their birth, a 21-gun salute was fired from the Naval Base in Copenhagen. The twins were christened on April 14, 2011 at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen. All wrapped up: Josephine and Vincent were swaddled in soft white blankets on board The Royal Yacht with their parents Smile for the camera: Frederik sat with the twins on the steps of Grasten Castle for their annual photo call in 2013 Fun and games: Prince Christian pulled the twins along in a cart as part of their summer photo call while Princess Isabella ran along beside them Let it snow: Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine enjoyed time in the snow on a family holiday to Switzerland When the twins were just seven months old they were taken on board the royal yacht, where photos show the pair swaddled in soft white blankets in the arms of their parents. Just two months later they travelled to Australia, and were photographed at Admiralty House in Sydney. The twins visited Australia with their parents on what was their first official visit to the country since 2008. Snow games: Their annual ski holiday saw the twins toboggan down the hill with their parents as they puffer jackets to keep warm A cheeky princess: Josephine is known for her sometimes hilarious facial expressions, and is pictured left in 2015 and right 2014 I see you! Josephine pulled a series of funny faces during the Hubertus Hunting Event in 2015 Cute: While Josephine appeared to dance on the steps for the royal photo call in 2015, a more shy Vincent stood quietly with a tennis ball held underneath his shoe When the twins were four-years-old they went on a ski holiday to Switzerland, where photos show them tobogganing down the slopes with their parents. Princess Josephine is known for for bringing a sense of fun to royal proceedings with the six-year-old pictured on many occasion pulling faces for the camera. During the Hubertus Hunting Event in 2015 Josephine was photographed pulling a series of hilarious facial expressions, playing with her Minion toy, and generally acting up alongside her twin brother Vincent. She is also known to steal the show at the family's annual photo calls, waving her hands in the air and grinning as the plays in front of the camera. Something blue: Princess Josephine sported a blue cast in 2015 for the annual summer photo call after breaking her arm in a horse riding accident Royal duty: Mary reportedly wants to delay being Queen so she can spend more time being a mother to her children On Monday New Idea magazine reported Princess Mary, who is in line to take the throne from Queen Margrethe, hopes to delay becoming queen to spend more time with her children. The publication reported a source to have said: 'Having to take over from an inspirational woman is terrifying for Mary. Truth be told she'd love to just be a mum to her kids for a couple more years'. The twins' birthday comes just one week after the Danish royal family celebrated the New Year with a series of banquets and events. A parody Twitter account rewriting Donald Trump's tweets to sound more mature is gaining tens of thousands of followers. The anonymous tweeter has been meticulously going through the president-elect's social media posts since just shortly after the Donald was elected in November, editing them to sound 'more presidential'. Trump became notorious over the course of his presidential campaign for using Twitter to attack his critics, the media and even the governments of other nations. Infamous tweeter: A new parody Twitter account rewrites the tweets of Donald Trump to sound more mature A first look: The president-elect has become notorious for complaining on Twitter about his critics, the media and his political opponents A rework: The PresidentialTrump account alters the Donald's posts to sound more like something a president would say Since he won the election, things haven't changed. However, there has increasingly been a call for the businessman to come across more mature on the social media site - or to stop tweeting all together. Imagining what the former of those requests would look like, Mature Trump Tweets have tackled the soon-to-be president's responses to everything from TV ratings to policy news. During the recent Russian hacking scandal, the account took on each of Trump's tweets expressing opinions on the FBI and CIA's results before even having been briefed on the topic. Putting it across: The avatar for the parody account features a balding Donald Trump Going through: The account meticulously goes through Trump's tweets, including many about the Russian hacking scandal Even-handed: The account shows what it would be like if Trump looked at the hacks like an attack on America rather than as a politically partisan talking point Always complaining: Mature Trump Tweets also takes aim at Trump's frequent grumbling about things like airtime in the media The real stuff: Instead, those tweets are replaced with more serious concerns that deserve the attention of a president The usual braggart: Arnold Schwarzenegger recently became the subject of several of tweets by Trump, who mocked the movie star's ratings on the new season of Celebrity Apprentice The other hand: The account attempts to show what Trump should be using his time focusing on instead of TV ratings 'The "Intelligence" briefing on so-called "Russian hacking" was delayed until Friday, perhaps more time needed to build a case. Very strange!' Trump tweeted on January 3. The Mature Trump version was far less speculative and more about the facts, reading: 'The Russian hacking intel briefing delayed 'til Friday. Looking forward to clarity so we can all deal w/facts & appropriate consequences.' Another tweet that saw Trump mocking the DNC for being hacked while the RNC had 'strong defense' was rewritten to describe the hacking as 'not about politics' and 'a threat to our democracy's integrity'. PresidentialTrump, as the account is called, has amassed more than 70,000 followers on the site, and that number is climbing by the hour. Just an edge: It also looks at other tweets that only need the slightest of tweaks Little edit: The account gives the tweet a presidential change by removing the suggestion that Trump saves his congratulations just for his supporters Finger pointing: Donald Trump viewed the hacking scandal as a 'witch hunt' and made his feelings known frequently online A step back: The account already has well over 70,000 followers on Twitter In some cases, the account takes tweets Trump sent about frivolous topics and replaces them with things that the politician should be talking about. For example, Trump tweeted on January 6: 'Anna Wintour came to my office at Trump Tower to ask me to meet with the editors of Conde Nast & Steven Newhouse, a friend. Will go this AM.' The PresidentialTrump version reads: 'Studying jobs report. Job additions fell short; unemp edged up. Wage gains! I work for you now, and am committed to improving these numbers.' Anyone who has been married knows the anticipation and nerves that set in as you're about to walk down the aisle. But imagine how much worse that is when you've never met the person you're going to marry. After three seasons, Channel Nine's 'social experiment' Married at First Sight is returning at the end of January. Now, behind-the-scenes photos give a sneak peek of the nuptials between divorcee John and former model Debbie. Married at First Sight returns for a fourth season on January 30, with Debbie (left) and John (right) tying the knot Debbie, 53, is seen being carried down the aisle on a throne in behind-the-scenes pictures The blonde beauty wears a strapless white dress and a flower crown on her head for her big day John, also 53, hugs his bride as they meet for the first time (pictured) Photos show the couple meeting for the first time before 'tying the knot' in a stunning beach ceremony. Debbie, 53, wears a stunning white strapless dress in the photos. The bodice appears to be beaded and the skirt full with tulle underneath. The former model's long blonde hair is loosely curled and she wears a crown of fresh flowers on her head. But in the most eye-catching part, Debbie arrives to met her husband-to-be on a wicker throne being carried by four strapping men. Four men wearing blue shirts carry Debbie to her beach nuptials in the pictures Debbie seems enthralled with her silver fox 'husband' John She even gives a thumbs up to the crowd once she's in front of them Debbie, who has never been married, said in a clip that she focused on her career when she was younger John, also 53, looks dapper waiting on the beach for her in a black suit as Debbie is carried onto the sand. The father-of-two has previously revealed in a clip that he was married once, for 17 years, and now wants to find love again. In a trailer for the show, the silver fox stands nervously surrounded by flowers as his daughters watch on. Debbie, who spent her life jet-setting around the world as a model, has revealed that she has starred in 53 television commercials, three films, and thousands of photos. She explained that she never settled down before because she put her career first, but would love to be married. The 53-year-old is a former model who has starred in television commercials, movies and photos She has a dog, Mintie, and said that she would love to be in love In contrast, John has been married before, and has two daughters in their 20s The silver fox seemed excited by the nuptials, poking his tongue out as the couple finished the ceremony Both John and Debbie describe themselves as loving the outdoors in clips from the show, with John saying he enjoys keeping fit and Debbie seen practicing yoga on the beach. They both say they yearn to find someone to spend the rest of their life with so they're not lonely. However there are differences between the two. In contrast to Debbie's jet-setting modelling career, John stayed in Melbourne where he started his own business and raised his two daughters. Both John and Debbie have described themselves as enjoying exercise and the outdoors Only time will tell if the couple end up being one of the great love stories of the show Before being carried in on her throne, Debbie arrived in a yellow Kombi van Photos of her arriving show that her dress is beaded with a full skirt Despite these differences, the behind the scenes shots appear to show the couple are fairly happy with their match at first sight, with both smiling and laughing. Debbie beams as she meets John, and even gives a thumbs up to the wedding guests. John too seems ecstatic, laughing as they hold hands and sticking his tongue out at the camera. Maybe the couple will end up being one of the great love stories of the show, but only time will tell. Advertisement Elisa Iannacone, a cinematographer from London, explored the power of expressing trauma through art when she did art therapy in Toronto. The young artist, who is a rape survivor, found the work changed her life and allowed her to regain the direction she felt she had lost. Inspired and determined to make a difference, Ms Iannacone has created a series of powerful and dramatic photographs that explore the emotional and psychological impact of rape through art. 'One in five adults in the UK have been raped at some point in their life, which I found to be an unbelievable statistic for a first world country,' Ms Iannacone said on her Kickstarter page. Scroll down for video Making a difference: Elisa Iannacone (left), a cinematographer from London has created a series of stunning and dramatic photographs that explore the emotional and psychological impact of rape through art 'I was 5 and he was 16. He said: "If you come up to my room I'll give you a present",' this image is captioned 'It's time to present rape in a way that allows society to speak openly about it. 'I was assaulted many years ago and realised I'd never felt more horrible until I did art therapy and I discovered that healing trauma through art really worked for me.' Ms Iannacone decided this was something she would like to explore with other people and decided to meet with different rape survivors to hear what kinds of images stuck in their heads after an assault. Rachel Kaden, a film maker, said she received an email through a charity about the project and when she heard it was about raising awareness for sexual assault, emailed back without a second thought. 'The plane took me home and brought me back to the country to start an Organization for rape survivors. All along I found my grounding in ballet,' this image is captioned 'In the original fairytale the princess is asleep and the prince rapes her. I felt like Sleeping Beauty and could have stayed in that tower forever,' this image is captioned 'It's actually empowered my story. It's stopped me feeling like it's something I should hide and keep quiet. It's made me come to terms with it,' Rachel Kaden, a film maker (pictured) said 'When you see a picture that's been set up and it's really personal to someone, you're getting a glimpse into how they felt,' she said. It re-creates the thoughts and feelings left spiralling in the survivor's mind after the assault. 'It's actually empowered my story. It's stopped me feeling like it's something I should hide and keep quiet. It's made me come to terms with it.' Another of the survivors, Alex Feis-Bryce, said giving people a voice to tell their story in a positive way that is also producing beautiful art is 'very important.' 'It has changed the way that I remembered what happened in a way,' he said. 'Everything around me felt like a circus': Another of the survivors, Alex Feis-Bryce (pictured), said giving people a voice to tell their story in a positive way that is also producing beautiful art is 'very important' 'The goal is to help more survivors tell their story in this unique way': The images have been shared on the Kickstarter page and will also be part of a book and an installation The images have been shared on the Kickstarter page and will also be part of a book and an installation, The Spiral of Containment: Rape's Aftermath, that will visualise the thoughts of rape victims in the aftermath of their attack. 'It re-creates the thoughts and feelings left spiralling in the survivor's mind after the assault. There will be 24 photographs, each one depicting one rape survivor,' Ms Iannacone said. 'The goal is to help more survivors tell their story in this unique way, and to open up the discourse around rape and sexual assault. 'Each image will be accompanied by a title, a short description, and motion responsive soundscape in the final installation. When you approach an image in the exhibition space you will hear a recording of the subject's voice, but when you step back, it will blend with the voices from other photographs, into white noise. Moody: FemailActress Kristen Stewart is often photographed looking serious From job interviews to meting the in-laws, smiling has long been seen as the key to making a good first impression. But for those afflicted with a Resting B*tch Face it can be a struggle to swap a natural scowl for a dazzling grin. However there is some good news for those with a moodier demeanor. Some believe having a naturally sullen face can make you a better communicator. Writing for Quartz, Rene Paulson, Executive Director of the Center for Research Design and Analysis at Texas Woman's University, said she has come to see her own Resting B*tch Face (RBF) 'as much a blessing as a curse'. She said: 'Women confronted by a world that automatically attaches negative attributes to their non-smiling face must quickly learn how to communicate and also hone a finely-tuned awareness of both our own emotions and the emotions of those around us.' Ms Paulson also cited Dr John Lund, an expert on interpersonal relationships and communication, who said: 'Instead of communicating to be understood you have to communicate to not be misunderstood.' Ms Paulson also said women with RBF must 'also quickly develop a strong sense of self-awareness' and argued they are likely to be more empathetic than others. In February last year researchers revealed the science behind a Resting B*tch Face. Why so serious? Kanye West pictured with US president-elect Donald Trump last month A team working with Noldus Information Technology used a facial expression recognition tool to analyze the many different emotions of the face. The software revealed that 'resting b*tch face' is characterized by higher levels of unconscious, subtle contempt, and while it may not be intentional, the brain is wired to pick up on it. MISSOULA The election in November of Republican majorities in the House and Senate and a Republican president means the Affordable Care Act is likely to be repealed when the new Congress convenes in January. But many Montanans, despite significant criticism of the law known as Obamacare, wonder what the future of affordable health care will look like for thousands of people in this state if it goes away. In an effort to understand community perspective, Senator Jon Tester met with some of those Montanans, along with about 25 healthcare professionals from various facilities, at Missoulas Providence St. Patrick Hospital Saturday afternoon for a Missoula Healthcare Roundtable. Although Tester, a Democrat, started the discussion with introductions, he quickly turned it over to the participants with a single question: How would a potential partial or full repeal of the ACA impact your community? For Mineral County, a repeal of the ACA without an immediate similar or better healthcare plan could mean the loss of the countys only hospital, according to Ron Gleason, CEO of Mineral Community Hospital. The hospital treats everyone in Mineral County, which Gleason said has a large low-income and veteran population, and is operating with a minimum staff. Gleason said the hospital will be closing its assisted living center in February and a repeal of the ACA would mean a loss of even more funding. If Mineral Community Hospital closed, Gleason said there wouldnt be another health center for miles, and much of the population would move or be left without care. A big problem with Washington, D.C. right now is that they dont understand where we live, Gleason said, as much of the room, including Tester, nodded. They think Buffalo, New York is rural. They dont understand the distance and the time it takes to get to a hospital here if these smaller facilities go away. While Montanans across the state could be affected by a total or partial repeal of the ACA, the most common topic of discussion at Saturdays roundtable was the impact it could have on rural Montana. Rural Community Health Centers, which serve more than 100,000 people, could face the loss of 70 percent of their funding. Tester said Lincoln County alone could lose up to $2.5 million a year in asbestos-related disease screening and support. Ken Burd, a Granite County Hospital board member, said the loss of the ACA would set off a series of unintentional events that would eventually cripple rural America. Rural America, Burd said, depends on blue collar, industrial jobs and recreational outdoor activity, both of which are injury prone. Without affordable emergency care, people will stop working industrial jobs and move away from rural America. So this would have larger impacts socially and economically than I think people are looking at now, Burd said. Maria Stoppler, the CEO and director of nursing at the Granite County Medical Center, agreed. When people in rural places cant afford care, they simply stop treating their chronic illnesses until the issues become emergencies and are more difficult to treat. Human Resources Director at the Western Montana Mental Health Center Karen Harrison jumped into the conversation, adding that when people who cant afford health care are injured, theyll look for other ways to cover the cost. In rural areas, this is usually workers compensation. When an areas rate of workers comp rises, Harrison said, fewer employers choose to locate there and the areas economy is negatively affected. Still, Tester said, many people think the ACA doesnt, and wont, affect them. Montanas rate of 7 percent uninsured would surely jump if the ACA was repealed, according to Tester, and nearly 152,000 Montanans with pre-existing conditions would be at risk for losing insurance coverage. In addition, 44,000 would lose tax credits that lower the cost of healthcare. One community member, who wouldnt give his name, said he suffered a heart attack last Friday, and without the ACA, he wouldnt have been able to afford care and probably wouldnt have survived. Now hes worried he wont have insurance if he has another attack. Still, even with the concern surrounding the loss of the ACA, the group agreed it could be improved. Mary Jane Nealon, the director of innovation at Partnership Health Center, said the laws worst area concerns the people of the middle class, whose insurance deductibles are increasing, yet they dont qualify for Medicaid or Medicare. Anybody in healthcare will tell you that the ACA could be better, Nealon said before the room laughed and nodded. But we cant just do away with it. Community member Rita Agin said her family is middle class, and since the ACA was passed, her insurance rates have nearly tripled. Agin said she has two kids, and the rising rates are crippling her ability to care for her own family. What about me and my family? Agin asked the group, nearly all of whom nodded with her. I dont want to have to be poor to pay for healthcare. Tester nodded and said that issue, along with many others, will have to be worked out within the ACA if it isnt repealed. For now, Tester promised to use these stories and concerns to convince Congress to keep the ACA, simply because of the impact its loss would have on the U.S. population as a whole. Something that concerns me is that people think if we repeal the ACA, our insurance rates will go down, Tester said. Thats not happening. So we need be putting out good information because when people have good information, they make good decisions. An image of a girl who appears to have three legs has left the internet in a state of confusion. The snap, which shows a young girl kneeling on a red blanket, is proving so difficult to decipher it has apparently taken one internet user 'two years' to work out. So does she really have an extra limb - or is this just another clever optical illusion? Scroll down for the reveal... This image of a girl has baffled the web as she appears to have three legs. Frustrated viewers confessed they were 'still trying to figure it out' after several attempts The picture has been baffling internet users for some time, but recently resurfaced after it was shared byImgur user AMassiveTRexHoldingaBaby. They wrote: 'Legit had to stare at this pic for a full minute before my brain told me what was going on.' It racked up thousands of views and comments, with one person confessing the conundrum was 'hurting his brain'. On closer inspection, the girl appears to be holding a brown vase - but its shape and colour makes it deceptively tricky to distinguish from her legs. Did you spot it? The 'third leg', circled in red, is in fact a vase. The picture has been baffling internet users for some time, but recently resurfaced after being shared on social media Frustrated viewers confessed they were 'still trying to figure it out' after several attempts, with one admitting: 'I finally get it. After two years I literally JUST got it.' Imgur user Traso commented: 'After you see if you can't see it wrong again.' Over Christmas, a seemingly simple picture of six women in a bar left the internet equally baffled. The snap, posted by Reddit user jr0d7771, shows the friends sitting side-by-side on a sofa, appears to have something amiss - but this only becomes clear on closer inspection. Scroll down for the reveal... This seemingly mundane snap, which shows six friends sitting on a sofa in a bar, appears to have something wrong with it - but this only becomes apparent on closer inspection If you look closely, you will see there are only five pairs of legs for the six women - meaning that the third woman from the left appears to be missing two limbs. Reddit users were desperate to solve the problem and spent hours squabbling over the correct answer. Kacie1989 suggested: 'I actually think the first girl has [her] legs draped OVER the second girl's legs.' Others were confused by the girl on the far right, whose left leg appeared to be abnormally long. Have you spotted it yet? If you look closely, you will see there are only five pairs of pins for the six women - meaning that the third woman from the left appears to be missing her legs However the most plausible explanation came from Canadian_Ireland, who wrote: 'The second girl's legs are behind the first girl's legs.' This would suggest that the girl with the 'missing' legs is actually sitting at a slight angle, with her legs appearing to belong to the friend on her right. In October, seemingly mundane photo of three women sitting on a park bench was the latest snap to leave internet users scratching their heads. At first glance the photo appears to show the trio pausing for a sit down during a sunny stroll. An optical illusion image of three women sitting on a park bench that's recently resurfaced online has been causing confusion But there appears to be no seat on the bench and the women are hovering mid air. The most likely explanation is that the bench features smaller pull-out seats. A photo of a bed with a part of the duvet circled in red went viral last year - with many people failing to spot that the picture is actually a clever optical illusion. Within the red ring there is a section of a white duvet covered in a black floral pattern, as well as part of the carpet. A photo of a bed with a part of the duvet circled in red has been confusing people online - with many not realising that the picture is an optical illusion However, people who spotted the image - which was shared on Reddit - struggled to work out what the circle signifies. The image was posted by Imgur user Idon'tevenknowwhat'sgoingon, and received more than 63,500 views in just 24 hours. Brainteasers like these are becoming increasingly popular online. At first glance the below picture looks like a regular selfie of a woman striking a seductive pose on her bed. Scroll down for the reveal... At first glance this picture looks like any normal selfie you might see. However, if you look closer you will see that something is not quite right However, if you look closer you will see that something is not quite right with the black and white image. The shot has been driving the web to distraction ever since it went viral, with puzzlers unable to figure out the oddity. The image recently resurfaced on Facebook after it first originated in 2003, when it was posted by Deviantart user Missmiserystock. It was titled 'Look carefully'. The woman in the image actually has six fingers, instead of the usual five Eagle-eyed viewers spotted that the woman actually has six fingers instead of five. The subtle abnormality is likely to be a clever trick of Photoshop, designed to confuse. Commenting below the snap, one internet user, Bogina, wrote: 'Hahaha thats insane it took me a while to catch it good job!' [sic] But are your eyes sharp enough to solve this brain teaser driving the web crazy? Scroll down for the reveal... Can you spot the phone? The image has been shared nearly 16,000 times and reached 120,000 reactions It is just the latest in a series of brain teasing images baffling the internet. An image of a floral carpet, uploaded by Jeya May Cruz from Pasig, the Philippines, was shared nearly 16,000 times and reached 120,000 reactions. Why? Because the photograph contains a camouflaged mobile phone that is devilishly hard to spot. If you are struggling, the phone has a floral pattern which does not quite match the carpet. Confused? The handheld device lies just beside the right side table leg at the top of the photo The phone has a floral pattern which does not quite match the carpet but is still a devilishly hard spot Still confused? The device is just beside the right side table leg at the top of the photo. It may seem a simple find, but it has left thousands bewildered. Jeya captioned her image: 'Since I can't sleep, let's play a game. Look for the cellphone.' Sometimes the easiest-sounding brain teasers are the most difficult ones. And another puzzle to recently sweep the web certainly plays by those rules. Created by a PlayBuzz user, this colour photo depicts a grey car seat with a mysterious object hidden on it for you to find. Scroll down for the reveal... Created by a PlayBuzz user, this colour photo depicts a grey car seat with a mysterious object hidden on it that it's up to you to find At first, the secret object is impossible to find. However, after a more detailed search you can spot a grey iPad lying flat on the back on the seat At first, the secret object is impossible to find. However, after a more detailed search you can spot a grey iPad lying flat on the back on the seat. A female protester has left 500 handwritten notes for customers in Harrods claiming that the luxury Knightsbridge store is 'stealing' tips from its waiting staff. Lisa Mckenzie took to Twitter to share the news that she had deposited 500 of the notes around the London shop on Sunday, following protests outside Harrods a day earlier. The missives claim that Harrods is mistreating staff by taking around 75 per cent of service charges paid by customers in the 16 cafes and restaurants in the flagship store. Scroll down for video Following a protest against Harrods keeping a 75 per cent service charge, Lisa McKensie revealed on Twitter that she'd deposited 500 notes around the upmarket store alerting customers to the protest Saturday morning saw a significant protest outside the shop in West London, which is a popular destination for shoppers and tourists. Workers claim the current system means staff are missing out on up to 5,000 a year. Mckenzie decided to fill shoppers inside the store in on the details of the protest, hiding the 500 notes around the store for them to find. She wrote: 'Harrods pinch 75 per cent of their restaurant staff tips! The tips are intended for waiters, NOT the Qatari royal family! Stop stealing from your workers!' After posting a snap of one of the notes, number 12 of the 500, she explained her actions on Twitter, saying: 'Harrods there are 500 of these little beauties in pockets and boxes all over your shop for your customers to find.' Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh added his own choice words to the protest She added later: '500-1 to the service workers V Qatari Royal Family'. Her initial tweet has been liked 8,000 times with supporters retweeting 5,000 times. Among them is Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh, who shared and added his own thoughts, writing: 'Harrods...could you possibly be a little more cheap and c***tish please?' Harrods has been accused of stealing tips from workers, who union bosses say lose out on up to 5,000 per year Saturday's demonstration was organised by trade union United Voices of the World, which represents waiters and kitchen staff at Harrods. Dozens of protesters turned out to make their feelings clear outside the prestige London landmark, where caviar is served at up to 200. It is thought that there are 483 members of kitchen and waiting staff working in the store's restaurants and cafes. Petros Elia, the UVW general secretary, was arrested at the protest and has since been banned from going within 50 metres of the store. Prior to his arrest, he said: 'Customers expect the service charge to go to staff and that's where it should go. If Harrods feels the need to retain a percentage they should explain why.' Protesters gathered outside Knightsbridge store Harrods on Saturday morning to rally against the service charge system A woman holds a sign stating that tips are not for profit outside the upmarket store in Knightsbridge Harrods has said the system for distributing tips is currently under review. A spokeswoman told MailOnline on Saturday: ' Harrods currently employs over 450 employees in its 16 restaurants, all of whom are paid fairly and above national living wage. 'Like many businesses in the hospitality sector, Harrods operates a Tronc system on behalf of its restaurant employees. The Tronc system manages the distribution of the service charge only. 'Employees are not required to accept any deduction in their salary in order to participate in the Tronc system. 'Harrods regularly revisits its policies to ensure that we best serve our employees and has been taking steps over recent months to review and improve the current system through which it distributes its service charge. 'We have been engaging with our staff directly on this issue'. MailOnline has since contacted the store for any further developments. Serving caviar at up to 200, Harrods' array of restaurants are among of London's most expensive department store eateries A trend for 'brelfies' or breastfeeding selfies has divided opinion, but one mother has taken things to a whole new level by involving yoga. The woman, believed to be from the US, known on Instagram as Mottajuice has caused controversy with a video showing her breastfeeding her daughter Julie Ann, while performing a headstand. It's thought that Julie Ann was around a year old when the clip was filmed, and she can be seen happily suckling while her mother maintains an impressive balance. At the end of the 13 second clip, she noticed the camera and turns to point just as her mother performs a scissor movement with her legs. The video was also shared to Facebook, where Sydney Michelle asked other mothers for their opinions. 'Ladies how do we feel about this?' she wrote. 'I feel like that's a woman who still cares about her figure, wants to work out but has a hungry baby. Fair play to her!' However, Sean Neale wasn't impressed by the manoeuvre, saying: 'There is a time and place for it. A mother has divided opinion with a clip showing her breastfeeding her one-year-old daughter while performing a headstand. Known as Mottajuice on Instagram she showed off her yoga skills while feeding her daughter Julie Ann Towards the end of the clip Julie Ann notices she's being filmed and points to the camera 'What if the stupid bitch fell onto her child, she is just doing it for a reaction?' Meanwhile, Gareth Thomas Adams branded her a 'weirdo' and Badshah Imdad Gul said he was 'speechless'. Jemiah was also struggling to verbalise her feelings, admitting: 'I'm stuck for words for a change.' Some commenters were not impressed by the video and branded Mottajuice a 'weirdo' and 'f***** up', while others were left speechless Sydney Michelle felt positive about the video, but Zoe Morgan said it had put her off the idea of breastfeeding However, Dan Woodward had no such trouble and declared 'that's f***** up'. Sydney Michelle then hit back at a commenter who criticised her for filming the moment, saying she probably wanted to 'cherish the memory'. 'I breastfed my daughter for six months and would have done it upside down on my head if I felt like it.' Mottajuice has been introducing her daughter to her yoga practice from an early age. The youngster rides on her mother's back as she performs the crow pose, balancing on her forearms Instagram snaps show Mottajuice teaching her daughter sun salutations as they balance on a log Mottajuice has been introducing her daughter to her yoga practice from an early age. Even when she was a baby, she performed yoga poses with her and as she grows older, she's been learning moves from her mother. Cabin crew often argue that the job is not as glamorous as it's made out to be, but you certainly wouldn't believe it to look at these flight attendants. Sharing their enviable lifestyles on social media under the hashtag #cabincrewlife staff from airlines such as Emirates and Norwegian Air have glossy Instagram profiles, jet set lifestyles and beach bodies to rival any self respecting celebrity. And it's perhaps no surprise that many have sideline careers as models, bodybuilders and personal trainers. Aeroflot hostess Victoria Tzuranova for instance uses her stopovers in locations such as Israel, Thailand and Bali to flaunt her figure on the beach in skimpy swimwear and show off her eye-watering flexibility with a spot of yoga. Airline staff such as Aeroflot hostess Victoria Tzuranova are sharing a glimpse into their enviable lifestyles on social media under the hashtag #cabincrewlife Many flight attendants such as Victoria have sideline careers in modelling. The stunning blonde has a second job as a presenter on the Russian Music Box channel Victoria show off her eyewatering flexibility with a spot of yoga in Bali Victoria (centre) and her friends pose for a cheeky topless shot, while flaunting their pert derrieres When she's not serving drinks and snacks in the air, the fitness fanatic has a second job as a presenter on the Russian Music Box channel. Her Emirates compatriot Georgia Nielsen from Melbourne has built up an impressive 35,000 followers on Instagram thanks to her glamorous travel shots and sexy bikini snaps. The hostess admits that while there are downsides to the job, she often jets off to another city just to have dinner to make the most of her days off. 'Put simply, just like every other job there are ups and downs - jetlag and sleep management are the biggest issues as you can imagine but over time you learn how to best manage this, everyone's body is different!' she told Instagram fans. Stunning Emirates air hostess Georgia Nielsen has built up an impressive 35,000 followers on Instagram Emirates hostess Georgia Nielsen from Melbourne shows off her enviable curves on the beach Georgia enjoying cheese and wine at the Royal Mail Hotel in Victoria, Australia At the Great Wall of China (left) and on the Italian Riviera (right) Sipping drinks in Positano: The hostess often jets to other cities while on a day off, which she says can cost less than going for dinner in Dubai 'It can be hard work but the opportunities and experiences you get out of it far outweigh any negative sides and I am very lucky that I don't seem to have too much issue balancing everything out. 'I try to make the most of days off by either going away for the night, or doing ridiculous things like flying to Monaco or Istanbul for dinner, which if I plan properly can cost less than going out for dinner in Dubai! 'Those sorts of experiences I just could never do living a normal 9-5 life in Australia, so I am extremely lucky. Flight attendant Daniel Smith is also a male model Daniel Najarro Smith (left) was a flight attendant with Monarch, but has now joined Norwegian Air Daniel penning his thoughts in his journal at a hotel in Stockholm at the end of a long day 'Everyone has different ways of being cabin crew though. I really enjoy it.' Georgia is by no means the only one enjoying a five star lifestyle while jetting around the world. Norwegian Airlines' Rainam combines photos of her flashing her long legs in her uniform with plenty of summery shots in skimpy bikinis. Norwegian Airlines' Rainam shows off her slim pins in her uniform Rainam shows off her stunning figure while on a stopover in Alicante The stunning blonde clearly enjoys all the perks of the job Rainam and her cabin crew colleagues enjoy a beach day in sunny Alicante But it's not just female flight attendants turning their followers green with envy. Their male colleagues are equally eager to show off their aspirational lives on social media. Brazilian pilot Hudson Sa has also won a legion of female fans thanks to his handsome snaps from the cockpit On his days off, pilot Hudson Sa is partial to flaunting his toned body in the tightest of swimming trunks Pilot Hudson poses for a selfie at Morro Dois Irmaos in Brazil Daniel Najarro Smith combines his career as a flight attendant for Monarch with a spot of modelling that gives him the chance to show off his toned physique. He may be the pilot rather than cabin crew, but Brazilian pilot Hudson Sa has also won a legion of female fans thanks to his handsome snaps from the cockpit. And when he's not jetting around the world, he likes to pose in the tightest of swimming trunks as he enjoys breaks on the beach. Colombian pilot Tavo, who has an impressive 21,000 follower on Instagram, also likes to flaunt his chiselled body when he's not busy in the cockpit. Colombian pilot Tavo has an impressive 21,000 follower on Instagram Ivanka Trump managed to look utterly glamorous as she braved below-freezing temperatures with bare legs on Monday, but the mother-of-three made sure she was all bundled up while taking her children sledding over the weekend. The 35-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to share a photo of herself holding her nine-month-old son, Theodore, along with a video of her three-year-old son, Joseph, sledding down a hill at their country home in New Jersey. 'Baby it's cold outside!' she captioned the image, which sees Theodore in a snow suit, a green and blue plaid jacket, and gray knit hat. Scroll down for video Kicking off the work week! Ivanka Trump was photographed leaving her Park Avenue apartment building on Monday morning Style star: Despite the below freezing temperatures in New York City, Ivanka kept her legs bare, and she accessorized her glamorous look with a black clutch and bright red lipstick The little boy had snow on his gloves and was clearly enjoying his first winter and snowstorm. Meanwhile, Ivanka was all smiles in a navy hooded jacket and white knit cap. The playful clip, which was presumably filmed by her husband Jared Kushner, sees Ivanka holding Theodore on top of a hill while Joseph sits on his red plastic sled. 'Tell me when you're ready,' she says to Joseph, and when her eldest son gives her the go ahead, Ivanka uses her foot to push his sled down the hill. Proud mom: The 35-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to share this photo of herself holding her nine-month-old son Theodore while they played in the snow Joseph is screaming and laughing with joy the entire ride, and the video ends as soon as his sled comes to a stop. Although it's unclear if Ivanka's only daughter, five-year-old Arabella, was with them, it looks as though the mom had a great time with her boys. However, it was soon back to business for Ivanka, who was photographed stepping out of her Park Avenue apartment on Monday morning. Ready, set, go! Ivanka also posted a video of herself pushing her three-year-old son Joseph down a hill in his sled Perfect day: The little boy was all smiles as he sled down the hill at their New Jersey home Temperatures were only in the teens in New York City, but Ivanka still managed to look elegant in a black wool coat and classic black pumps. Despite the frigid weather, Ivanka left the house without putting on gloves, a scarf, or even tights. The future First Daughter had her blonde hair pulled back into sleep bun, and she accessorized her look with a black clutch, cat-eye sunglasses, and a bright red lip. Suited up: Ivanka's husband Jared Kushner, 35, was also photographed leaving their apartment building on Monday morning, but unlike his wife, he skipped wearing a coat Off they go: Ivanka and Jared were also photographed leaving their home on Friday, and she opted to hold her coat and show off her $113 velvet dress by Oasis Jared was also pictured leaving their apartment in a slate gray suit and navy tie, and this time he was the one who ditched his winter coat. Ivanka has been sporting plenty of festive frocks this winter, and on Friday she was photographed wearing a $113 mauve-colored velvet dress featuring a mock turtleneck and a pleated skirt by Oasis. The winter fabric most likely did nothing to shield the businesswoman from the frigid cold, but she still shunned tights in favor of bare legs and she was cheerful as she carried her coat out the gold doors of her building. Ivanka accessorized her look with a $150 silver clutch and $135 gray suede heels from her eponymous collection, keeping her long blonde hair pulled back in a low bun to show off her stud earrings. Happy family: Ivanka and Jared spent the holidays in Hawaii with their three children, Arabella, Joseph, and Theodore Heading to the top: Ivanka and Jared celebrated Hanukkah and New Year's Eve in Hawaii, and they happily posed for this photo together Ivanka returned to work on Thursday morning after she and Jared spent the holidays at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai with their three children and his brother Joshua. In just a few weeks, Ivanka's father Donald will be sworn in as president, and she and her family is reportedly gearing up to move to Washington, D.C. Ivanka and Jared have completed a deal for a beautiful home in the elite Kalorama neighborhood of the city, according to the Washingtonian. The 94-year-old recently renovated home the family is said to be moving into is just blocks away from the Obamas, who are also said to be moving into that area once they leave the White House. Bristol Palin and her husband Dakota Meyer are patiently waiting for the arrival of their second child this spring, but the couple is clearly having a blast with their one-year-old daughter, Sailor Grace. The pregnant 26-year-old took to Instagram on Sunday to share an adorable photo of Dakota, 28, holding a laundry basket full of clothes and their little girl. Bristol used four smiley face emoji featuring heart-shaped eyes to caption the image, which sees Sailor nestled inside the laundry. Too cute! Bristol Palin took to Instagram on Sunday to share a photo of her husband Dakota Meyer, 28, holding their one-year-old daughter Sailor Grace in a basket filled with laundry Baby on board: Bristol and Dakota are expecting their second child together this spring The toddler was so deep inside the basket that only her head is visible in the precious snapshot. Meanwhile, Dakota looks like he is desperately trying to keep a straight face. Just last week Dakota posted a gushing tribute to his wife on his own Instagram page, while sharing a throwback photo of them in Hawaii together. 'I am by far the luckiest man on Earth to have such an amazing wife,' he wrote. Look of love: Dakota took to his Instagram page last week to share this throwback photo and post a gushing tribute to his wife 'Most spoiled': Last month Dakota bought his stepson Tripp a snowmobile for his eighth birthday. Tripp is Bristol's only child with her ex-fiance Levi Johnston 'Every day I'm reminded that you're the best decision I've ever made. I appreciate and love you more than you'll ever know @bsmp2. Thank you for choosing me.' It's been a busy couple of weeks for the parents, who celebrated both Sailor's birthday and Bristol's son Tripp's birthday at the end of December. Tripp, Bristol's only child with her ex-fiance Levi Johnston, turned eight years old last month, and Dakota gave his new stepson a pretty amazing gift his first snowmobile. Happy family: Bristol and Dakota are pictured posing in front of their Christmas tree with Tripp and Sailor Grace Growing girl: The family Sailor's first birthday at their cabin on December 23 All smiles: Bristol announced last month that she is expecting her third child this spring Bristol, who is expecting her third child this spring, shared a photo of Tripp posing on his extravagant gift just nine months after the boy's grandfather, Todd Palin, was in a serious snowmobile accident. 'First big sled - most spoiled by @dakotameyer0317,' Bristol captioned the image, which sees the eight-year-old posing on top the snowmobile that is parked inside their garage in Wasilla, Alaska. Sailor had her milestone first birthday on December 23, and Dakota couldn't resist paying tribute to his little girl on Instagram. 'Happy birthday to my amazing daughter. It's been the best year of my life. #prouddad,' he wrote. Meanwhile, Bristol's 27-year-old brother Track is embroiled in yet another custody battle. Battle: Track Palin's ex-girlfriend Jordan Loewe (pictured together) has filed for full custody of their three-month-old son Charlie Mitchell Palin The couple, pictured in this Palin family portrait, made headlines last year after Track was arrested for domestic assault. (L-R: Dakota Meyer, Bristol Palin, Willow Palin, Sarah Palin, Todd Palin, Piper Palin, Loewe and Track) Doting cousins: Bristol shared this photo of her son Tripp and daughter Sailor Grace playing with a newborn who is believed to be Charlie in October Jordan Loewe, Track's ex-girlfriend, filed a petition for full custody of their newborn son in Anchorage last week, according to Radar Online. The petition comes nearly a year after Track was arrested for allegedly assaulting 27-year-old Jordan at his parents' home in Wasilla. Jordan wrote in the filing that she is 'concerned' about both her own safety and that of her three-month-old son, named Charlie Mitchell Palin. She is asking for primary physical custody and wants Track's visitation to be 'completely' at her own discretion, according to court documents. After Track was arrested and charged with assault last January, his ex-wife Britta Hanson filed to limit Track's visitation in February with the couple's four-year-old daughter Kyla Grace to only four days a month with no overnight visits. In October Bristol shared a photo of Tripp and Sailor Grace playing with an unidentified newborn who is believed to be Charlie. Middle-aged men going through the male menopause could be risking their health by using testosterone injections like women do HRT, a fertility expert has warned. Testosterone is being misused as a lifestyle drug, according to Professor Ilpo Huhtaniemi, from Imperial College London. The idea of the male menopause has become a new syndrome, blamed by older men for their fatigue, low libido and depression. But only around one in five actually have low testosterone, which is more likely to be caused by obesity than getting older, the conference heard. And of these, only just over two per cent suffer symptoms as a result, making it a medical condition, late-onset hypogonadism, for which they need treatment. Middle-aged men going through the male menopause could be risking their health by using testosterone injections like women do HRT, a fertility expert has warned Despite this, testosterone prescriptions have leapt by 20 per cent since 2012, costing the NHS 20 million a year. However men who take the hormone to try and regain their youthful vitality could increase their risk of having a heart attack or stroke if they have cardiovascular disease, research has found. Professor Huhtaniemi claims it may be not worth the risk as testosterone has little impact on quality of life. In a presentation at last weeks British Fertility Society conference in Edinburgh, he said: There is a strong analogy between what happened with HRT for women 15 years ago in testosterone treatment for men. We have learned nothing from history. Speaking afterwards, he added: We are embracing this new drug without fully understanding or studying the side effects. Testosterone should definitely not be a lifestyle drug, as it is considered by some people. Some older men want to take it because they believe it will boost their masculinity. Experts have claimed doctors in the UK administering testosterone injections are influenced by drug companies who suggest the hormone will get their oomph back. Women commonly take tablets to help with the symptoms of menopause A recent study found this increased oomph could bring with it an higher risk of suffering a heart attack in people with cardiovascular disease. But different research suggests testosterone could improve the survival rate of men with type 2 diabetes. A recent study on how testosterone treatment affected almost 800 men, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found it made no difference to their vitality or ability to walk further and a borderline difference to depression. It did give these men a boost in the bedroom, with their sexual function improving, but this was temporary, lasting less than a year. Professor Huhtaniemi said: I tell people that taking testosterone will give you a strong handshake, but really not very much more than that. It has not stopped certain men swearing by testosterone as having revolutionised their life. For the first time, the drugs testosterone and testosterone undecanoate are now in the top ten most prescribed uncontrolled drugs. The comments made at the fertility conference in Edinburgh have been backed by the Royal College of GPs, whose prescribing adviser Dr Martin Duerden said last year testosterone is being used, as oestrogen has been, as an anti-ageing product. for 130 deaths in care homes and 166 'elsewhere' Two British people are dying each day in care of the NHS as a result of starvation or dehydration, shocking new statistics show. Hunger or thirst were responsible for 1,022 registered deaths in 2015, with patients in hospitals and care homes being 'forgotten to death'. Experts argue that the increasing demand on NHS staff is causing them to provide lower levels of care towards rising numbers of patients. This means they are unable to help elderly people eat and drink by holding their cups and cutlery for them - leading to them starving to death, some argue. Hunger or thirst were responsible for 1,022 deaths registered in 2015, new figures show Dehydration was recorded on 429 death certificates of patients who passed away during a period in hospital. While malnutrition was mentioned on 297, figures from the Office of National Statistics revealed. Figures were based on deaths where either cause was mentioned somewhere on a death certificate, either as an underlying cause or a main factor. In care homes, 54 elderly patients passed away as a result of not being fed properly and 76 died from not consuming enough fluids. A further 80 people passed away from dehydration outside of hospital or care homes, while 86 starved to death in the same setting. HUNGER AND THIRST DEATHS BREAKDOWN In hospital: Malnutrition: 297 Dehydration: 429 In care homes: Malnutrition: 54 Dehydration: 76 Elsewhere: Malnutrition: 86 Dehydration: 80 But experts warn that many of these deaths overlap, and that some certificates will have recorded both causes as a means of death Advertisement This comes after Stanley Mack, 77, was found to have died from dehydration while in hospital in 2008. His son, Ian, told The Sun: 'He was absolutely forgotten to death.' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt today admitted the NHS is also facing some 'very serious problems'. He told the Today programme: 'I don't want to pretend that we haven't - at this most difficult time of the year for the NHS - had some very serious problems in some hospitals. 'I think we need to listen to independent people like Chris Hopson - no friend of the Government when it comes to NHS policy, he speaks for all hospitals in the NHS - who rejects this idea...he says that the vast majority of hospitals are actually coping slightly better than this time last year.' Patient Concern's Joyce Robins also told the newspaper: 'Every one of these deaths is a tragedy. 'Hospital wards are full and staff are run off their feet looking after so many patients it is impossible to give them the care they need. 'Patients will need help eating or drinking but are being neglected.' Dehydration was recorded on 429 death certificates of patients who passed away during a period in hospital. While malnutrition was mentioned as a cause for 297 The British Red Cross last week claimed a winter surge in demand for the NHS had caused a 'humanitarian crisis' in hospitals across the country. Its chief executive said the charity had been 'called in' to help transport people home from hospital to free up beds. But Prime Minister Theresa May rejected its claim and instead said the health service faces 'huge pressures'. DEHYDRATION DEATH Stanley Mack, 77, was admitted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham with a chest infection and was later diagnosed with the superbug Clostridium difficile. He died three weeks later in July 2008 and, during his final days, his family said hospital staff failed to realise he was rapidly deteriorating. His widow Carol previously said: 'There was no record that was reliable of what he was being given. 'He would be given drinks and they would be left there and occasionally they would be written up as given to him, but we knew when we were there that he was not drinking it. 'However, it was described, it wasn't run in a way that met the patient's needs. 'And of course, because of that his condition was allowed to deteriorate and particularly, for him to become acutely dehydrated.' The family endured a five-year legal battle with the hospital to try to get to the bottom of exactly how the pensioner died. An initial inquest returned a narrative verdict suggesting no-one was at fault. But the family appealed for a second inquest in 2013 which ruled Mr Mack had died from dehydration. Advertisement Education Secretary Justine Greening told the BBC's Andrew Marr: 'I don't think it's appropriate to describe the challenges that the NHS faces this winter as a humanitarian crisis.' She said the NHS was better prepared this winter than in previous years. 'We have put in 400 million of extra funding to particularly help these winter pressures and, indeed, the NHS is better prepared this year than it has been in the past,' she said. However, the claims emerged when two patients died on trolleys in Worcestershire Royal Hospital's accident and emergency department in the last week. Dr Taj Hassan, president of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, warned last week: 'The emergency care system is on its knees, despite the huge efforts of staff.' Figures last year suggested that 7,949 deaths may be attributed to hunger and thirst in the past decade. And just last month, a grandmother was found to have died of thirst after being given a powerful drug known to cause dehydration. An inquest into the death of Edna Thompson, 85, from Harrietsham in Kent, heard that she was the victim of a catalogue of errors at the hands of NHS staff. Mrs Thompson was admitted to hospital after losing sight in her right eye with suspected malignant glaucoma, in September last year. During her stay, she was prescribed the diurectic drug diamox to lower her blood pressure. On the same day, she was also given mannitol, a powerful drug normally used when medication such as diamox does not work. Diuretics, known as 'water pills', work by ridding the body of unneeded water and salt through urine. This means the blood is easier for the heart to pump and blood pressure falls as a result. This incredible footage shows a baby with two heads wailing in the hands of medics shortly after being born. Sharing a single body and fitted with tubes, the clip of the newborns was posted on social media by surprised relatives towards the end of last week. Born in Mexico, it is not known if the unidentified parents knew beforehand that they would be born with the deformity. While it appears that they share all of their major internal organs, but have their own heads and brains. But health officials have refused to go into detail about the rare case, instead just confirming that the mother is in a stable condition. Doctors in the city of Ciudad Juarez are now said to be looking at a 'plan going forward' for the babies. Siamese twins, or conjoined twins as they are known to medics, occur in about one in 100,000 pregnancies. Born in Mexico, the video of the conjoined twins was posted on social media by surprised relatives towards the end of last week Medical literature states conjoined twins develop when a woman produces just one egg that doesn't fully seperate after being fertilised. CONJOINED TWINS: THE FACTS Births of conjoined twins, whose skin and internal organs are fused together, are rare. They are believed to occur just once in every 200,000 live births. Approximately 40 to 60 percent of conjoined twins arrive stillborn, and about 35 percent survive only one day. The overall survival rate of conjoined twins is somewhere between 5 percent and 25 percent. For some reason, female siblings seem to have a better shot at survival than their male counterparts. Source: University of Maryland Advertisement The developing embryo then begins to split into identical twins during the first few weeks but stops before the process is complete. Experts say the partially separated egg then develops into a conjoined foetus. Most conjoined twins don't survive because their organs are unable to support their bodily needs. It is estimated that 40 per cent are not alive when they are delivered while 35 per cent die within a day of being born. Their birth comes just two days after a Saudi Arabia king promised to separate two conjoined sisters from Egypt. The young girls, named Menna and May, will be treated at the kingdom's expense, reports in the Middle East have stated. Traditional fillings could become a thing of the past after a drug developed to treat Alzheimer's patients was found to make teeth regrow. The 'natural repair' approach means fillings would never fall out. Instead, the tooth would heal itself by regrowing to fill the hole that in the past would have required a filling. Traditional fillings are created using materials such as dental amalgam, composite and cement. Scientists have discovered a more natural way to fill-in cavities than using filling - relying instead on an Alzheimer's disease drug But as well as falling out, they have other significant drawbacks. They often require replacement during a patient's lifetime, and can be prone to infection. During repairs to a man-made filling, a larger area of tooth has to be drilled out, and after multiple fillings the tooth will often need to be extracted. Now researchers at King's College London have discovered that the drug, Tideglusib, can stimulate dentine, the hard material beneath the outer enamel surface in teeth. The drug has been tested for use in Alzheimer's patients and for another brain disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), which has just claimed the life of singer Peter Sarstedt. Tideglusib was intended to help brain cells regrow but has so far been shown to have no clinical benefit in either Alzheimer's or PSP. Researchers were interested to see if the drug, which stimulates stem cells, would work on teeth. Tests in mice showed that when applied directly inside tooth cavities, the drug stimulated regrowth of dentine. The filling method involves inserting a biodegradable sponge soaked with the drug in the tooth cavity. The cavity is then covered with a cap made from a glass compound. Over time the dentine regrows, but the glass cap has to stay on because the drug does not help enamel to regrow. Because the drug has passed its safety tests in humans, the scientists believe it could be used on people within three to five years. Using Tideglusib, previously used to treat neurological disorders, could now offer a natural solution to help cement gaps in teeth (stock) Team leader Professor Paul Sharpe said: 'The simplicity of our approach makes it ideal as a clinical dental product for the natural treatment of large cavities, by providing both pulp protection and restoring dentine. 'In addition, using a drug that has already been tested in clinical trials for Alzheimer's disease provides a real opportunity to get this dental treatment quickly into clinics.' The scientists, whose study is published in the online journal Nature, Scientific Reports, said further research is needed. Dr Nigel Carter, chief executive of the Oral Health Foundation charity: 'It's an extremely interesting and novel approach which shows great promise and we will look forward to it being translated into clinical application. 'While fillings have remained highly effective in repairing large cavities they are susceptible to wear and tear and can occasionally be in need of repair and replacement.' Exercise and a daily vitamin D supplement can also decrease the risk of falls Experts believe living with a partner can keep one well-fed and physically strong Marriage can prevent you from fracturing a hip in your old age, a new study claims. Elderly men are 50 percent less likely to fracture a hip if they are married, while elderly married women cut their risk by 30 percent, researchers have found. An expert says a possible reason is seniors who live with their partner are less likely to be malnourished or depressed, making them less frail. More than 300,000 Americans above the age of 65 are hospitalized for hip fractures, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dementia was long-thought to raise the risk in older adults as those with the disorder are three times more likely to suffer from a hip fracture than those without it. Elderly men are half as likely to suffer a hip fracture if they are married than if they are not, a study has found. Married elderly women cut their risk of a fracture by 30 percent (stock image) Dr Heike Bischoff-Ferrari, head of the Geriatrics Department at University Hospital Zurich in Switzerland, said elderly people living with someone have the type of familial support around them that will prevent them from falling in the first place. There are additional measures that can reduce the risk of fracture, according to Dr Bischoff-Ferrari, including exercise and a daily vitamin D supplement, the latter by as much as 30 percent. She added it was important for older adults to consume an adequate number of calories - particularly foods rich in calcium and protein to prevent bone and muscle mass loss. It's been long-believed that older adults with dementia are more likely to suffer a fall than cognitively-aware adults. According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), an adult with dementia is up to three times more likely than an adult without dementia to sustain a hip fracture. Past research has indicated that dementia and hip fractures have similar risk factors including age, decreased activity, vitamin D deficiency and osteoporosis. Additionally, the treatment of dementia can cause side effects that increase hip fracture risk such as postural instability. Dr Bischoff-Ferrari, who was not involved in the study, said it was unclear why dementia was missing as a risk factor from this study, but suggested the authors had both risk factors in their model which may have led to the missing signal for dementia. The original study, led by Elena Lobo of the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Zaragoza in Spain, analyzed the medical and psychiatric histories of 4,800 adults over age 55 in Zaragoza. An expert says a possible reason that married couples have a lower fracture risk is that seniors who live with a partner are less likely to be malnourished or depressed, making them less frail For the women, being unable to read increased the risk of hip fracture by about 50 percent and being diagnosed with depression increased the risk by 44 percent. For the men, smoking doubled the risk of hip fracture and being disabled tripled the risk. Dr Bischoff-Ferrari told Reuters: 'It is well documented that smoking is harmful to bone health. 'Additionally, most important at older age smoking reduces calorie intake.' The NIH warns that being underweight is a risk factor for poor bone health. Dr Bischoff-Ferrari said: 'Disability also has a direct effect on bone and muscle health as disability reduces mobility and thereby loss of both bone and muscle mass is the consequence enhancing the risk of falls.' How to get the enviable physiques of the stars. This week: Jake Gyllenhaal's thighs Jake Gyllenhaal (pictured) is known for starring in roles that require a buff physique. He prepares for these like an athlete, with arduous training regimens for months beforehand The Hollywood actor is known for starring in roles that require a buff physique. He prepares for these like an athlete, with arduous training regimens for months beforehand. He keeps his thighs in shape by running up to eight miles and skipping for 15 minutes each day. For his performance in the 2015 film Southpaw, the 36-year-old (pictured) did 2,000 sit-ups a day and flipped a 250 lb tyre 20 times daily. WHAT TO TRY: The plyometric squat. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and squat so your knees are bent to 90 degrees, as if you are sitting on a chair. Jake Gyllenhaal (left), pictured with Greta Caruso (right) enjoying the first day of the year on a beach in France Bend your elbows in front of your body and then jump up, engaging your bottom and thigh muscles as you rise, then land softly in the squat position. America's favorite memory-boosting pill does not work, according to a new lawsuit filed by the Federal Trade Commission. Prevagen is touted on national TV commercials as a scientifically-proven supplement to boost brain proteins. The pills, sold for as much as $68 a bottle in CVS, supposedly replenish lost proteins that we need to stay mentally active. But according to the FTC, there is no proof the supplement works. 'The marketing for Prevagen is a clear-cut fraud, from the label on the bottle to the ads airing across the country,' the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said in a statement. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Prevagen is touted on national TV commercials as a scientifically-proven supplement to boost brain proteins. But according to the FTC, there is no proof the supplement works 'It's particularly unacceptable that this company has targeted vulnerable citizens like seniors in its advertising for a product that costs more than a week's groceries, but provides none of the health benefits that it claims.' The lawsuit, filed in New York on Monday, said that Quincy Bioscience based much of its advertising for Prevagen on a single study. The study gave the drug or a placebo to just 218 people. They then had those people perform nine tasks on a computer. Most of the people using Prevagen did better in the tests. Since 2007, they have earned manufacturer Quincy Bioscience $165 million. However, the lawsuit alleges that this was a flimsy test that failed to rigorously examine the drug's effects. 'The Madison Memory Study failed to show a statistically significant improvement in the treatment group over the placebo group on any of the nine computerized cognitive tasks,' the lawsuit said. Jessica Rich, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, added in a statement: 'The marketers of Prevagen preyed on the fears of older consumers experiencing age-related memory loss. 'But one critical thing these marketers forgot is that their claims need to be backed up by real scientific evidence.' Quincy Bioscience said that it vehemently disagreed with the complaint, which it called overreach. 'Quincy Bioscience will vigorously defend ourselves,' the company said in a statement that called into question how the government analyzed data from its study. The two Democrats on the FTC voted to approve the complaint. Suzy Makin thought she was doing the right thing when she inadvertently began slowly poisoning her husband four years ago. 'For several months Graham had been coming home from his job as a warehouse stock controller and immediately falling asleep on the sofa,' explains Suzy, 51. 'I told a local pharmacist that Graham was tired all the time and seemed run down. 'She suggested an iron tonic and a multivitamin with a high level of vitamin C (to help the body absorb iron). 'It didn't seem to do much good, but he kept taking it so imagine my horror when I discovered after a year that this combination was actually making him worse and could have permanently damaged his liver or caused kidney failure,' says Suzy, a learning disability support worker, who lives with her husband near Manchester. Suzy Makin (pictured left) thought she was doing the right thing when she inadvertently began slowly poisoning her husband Graham (right) four years ago For it turned out that Graham, also 51, didn't have too little iron, but as a result of a genetic disorder he had too much. Normally, your stomach stops absorbing iron when you've got enough, but owing to a faulty gene C282Y Graham's body couldn't control how much iron he got from his food. The iron tonic plus the high-dose vitamin C was making his problem worse. He was tired because iron was building up in his body and was being stored in various organs. If this condition, known as genetic haemochromatosis (GH), is spotted early on, it's rarely a problem, but left undiagnosed, it can cause all sorts of chronic conditions including aching joints, intense fatigue and serious liver damage. It's often missed, leaving tens of thousands suffering painful symptoms needlessly typically, many are told they have arthritis, when a simple test could reveal the real cause (but more of that later). Graham's condition was detected after his GP referred him for blood tests because his hands were becoming numb. One of the tests was for iron. It showed that his levels of a protein called ferritin, which stores iron, were 880 micrograms per litre normal is about 50-300. Some patients with haemochromatosis can have levels in the thousands. Symptoms depend on which organs end up storing the iron. If it's the liver, the organ gradually becomes less effective at clearing harmful chemicals from the blood, which can lead to jaundice and even kidney failure. Iron in the joints makes them stiff and swollen; if it ends up in the thyroid gland, which controls energy levels, it could make you fat or tired. Graham, 51, did not have an iron deficiency - as a result of a genetic disorder he had too much Meanwhile, high levels in the pancreas, which makes insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar, could trigger diabetes. Problems associated with GH often don't emerge until middle age because the iron build-up can be very gradual, as in Graham's case. 'Graham was lucky because he was diagnosed before too much damage had been done,' says David Head, CEO of charity The Haemochromatosis Society. 'Women usually develop symptoms later than men because they are protected to an extent by monthly blood loss.' Once diagnosed, the treatment is simple and effective. It's just like giving blood blood is removed (venesection) in hospital via a catheter (a hollow metal tube) that drains about half a litre at a time into a plastic bag. Once you've got down to a healthy iron level, you can have this done just three or four times a year. GH affects as many as a quarter of a million Britons, according to Professor Kathryn Robson, a geneticist at the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford. Problems associated with GH often don't emerge until middle age because the iron build-up can be very gradual, which is what happened to Graham (pictured right) 'Yet there is no proper testing system to detect those at risk, which means thousands are left undiagnosed and untreated for years.' Some idea of the numbers being missed was revealed recently by a doctor at West Glasgow Hospitals University. Haematologist Dr Edward Fitzsimons knew GPs regularly ordered tests on people with symptoms of anaemia. 'I also knew they didn't know what to do when they found patients with high levels, so they usually ignored them,' says Dr Fitzsimons. 'I wondered how many of these patients actually had haemochromatosis.' It turned out that an alarmingly large number did. In 2012, Dr Fitzsimons tracked 3,500 blood tests for low iron requested by GPs in the Glasgow area. 'We ran a second test on those that showed up high, which tells you how much there is in the tissues,' he says. 'If that was also high, GH is a strong possibility, so we then sent those patients' blood for a gene test.' The results, published last year, found 131 people who'd been told they were fine when they had GH. Applying those results to the UK could mean an extra 8,000 cases being diagnosed a year and 'that's only the number who had a test and were missed,' says David Head. 'It shows the scale of the problem. 'We have many members who are furious and bitter because either they were never tested or they were tested and told they were fine. 'Now they have serious, chronic and painful disorders that are irreversible, which could have been avoided.' Graham and Suzy Makin, pictured at their local pharmacy. Graham's condition was detected after his GP referred him for blood tests because his hands were becoming numb Moira Levy, 71, a retired civil servant who lives in Greater Manchester knows what it is like to have had her GH symptoms ignored. 'In June 2006, I began to have pains in my arms when I reached above my head,' she says. 'Then I began to get very fatigued and my thumb became stiff and painful. But the doctor just said I wasn't getting any younger and what did I expect? He offered me antidepressants.' It wasn't until Moira was seen by another doctor a year later that a test showed a high level of iron. 'Meanwhile, my arm pains and fatigue were getting worse,' she says. 'I didn't start any treatment until early 2008.' Fortunately, it has worked for her less serious symptoms. The Haemochromatosis Society is campaigning for GPs' standard patient MOT test to include one for ferritin and for how much iron is being stored in the tissues (known as transferrin saturation) a key indicator of haemochromatosis. Graham Makin's problems started after he started taking food supplements which contained iron, as the iron levels in his body were already too high. These two tests are already done routinely in Canada. A study by the American Medical Association calculated that such a screen in the U.S. would detect 20 times the current number diagnosed. Those showing high iron levels would then have a gene test. However, even then many cases could be missed as researchers have found more genes can be involved than the two routinely tested for C282Y, which Graham has, and H63D. So if your blood test results show high iron levels, you could still be told you don't have GH because you don't have one or both of these genes. Research by Professor Robson has found there are 16 little-known genes that can affect GH. A common myth is that it is unique to people whose ancestors came from Europe. 'It's true the familiar gene pairs are almost never found in Asia or the Middle Eastern populations,' says Professor Robson. Left undiagnosed, haemochromatosis can cause all sorts of chronic conditions including intense fatigue, aching joints and serious liver damage 'But people there suffer all the classic high-iron problems, and we've found it can be linked with a different gene pair called hemojuvelin. 'At the moment, people with this pair, or any of the 14 other genes, aren't being diagnosed correctly in the UK.' WHAT IS GH? Haemochromatosis is an inherited condition in which iron levels in the body slowly build up over many years. This build-up of iron, known as iron overload, can cause unpleasant symptoms. If it isn't treated, this can damage parts of the body such as the liver, joints, pancreas and heart. Haemochromatosis most often affects people of white north European background, and is particularly common in countries where lots of people have a Celtic background, such as Ireland, Scotland and Wales. Source: NHS Choices Advertisement This new 'gene panel' that Professor Robson uses is only available at certain NHS sites in Oxford and London, but it is possible to send in a disputed blood test to have it checked. Patients can ask their doctors to refer them to Professor Robson's laboratory. The 16-panel gene screen is a sophisticated and expensive piece of equipment, but there is a newly discovered low-tech way of telling if a patient has GH. A common symptom is arthritis. However, there are subtle differences between this and standard arthritis, explains Dr Patrick Kiely, a rheumatologist at St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London. 'Arthritis doesn't usually appear until people are in their 60s unless they've had some sort of trauma in the affected area. 'But people diagnosed with GH frequently develop joint pain in their 40s. 'We should test people for GH if they've had early arthritis-like symptoms in areas that haven't been damaged before.' Then there is a clue from location. A British doctor has developed a hand-held buzzer that could reduce the number of ulcers and limb amputations in people with diabetes. The device, which is the shape and size of a key fob, uses vibration technology similar to that used in mobile phones to test sensation in patients' feet. Preliminary research suggests it can provide early warning of nerve damage which, if left untreated, can lead to serious wounds and limb amputation. A British doctor has developed a hand-held buzzer that could reduce the number of ulcers and limb amputations in people with diabetes Up to 50 per cent of diabetes patients have some form of nerve damage or diabetic neuropathy. It's thought that over the years, uncontrolled high blood sugar levels damage the walls of tiny blood vessels that supply the nerves, especially in the legs. This can lead to symptoms such as loss of sensation and tingling. Patients feel little pain, so any injuries can go unnoticed and may worsen and become infected. One of the first tests for diabetic neuropathy relies on a crude form of vibration technology a tuning fork to check the patient's sense of sensation. The two-pronged fork is shaken so the prongs vibrate against each other, and is placed on the foot. The patient is then asked if they can feel the vibrations. The problem with this is that tuning forks don't provide a constant vibration; they eventually slow down, so there isn't enough time for a proper diagnosis. NEW WAY TO REDUCE PAIN CAUSED BY NERVE DAMAGE? In a minority of cases, diabetic neuropathy can lead to intense pain. Researchers in Germany and Australia may have found a way to stop it for good. Researchers in Germany and Australia have found a chemical that stops pain receptors from working In these cases, the nerve damage causes touch receptors in the skin to become pain receptors, meaning the slightest touch can trigger intense pain. Doctors can give anaesthetic injections to stop this, but these can numb surrounding tissue, too. If this occurs in the limbs it can make it hard to carry out everyday activities, such as walking. In a study on mice, the researchers tested a chemical that stops the action of the STOML3 protein, which is responsible for turning touch receptors into pain receptors. Results in the journal Nature Neuroscience showed the pain from the touch receptors stopped. The finding could lead to a new treatment with fewer side-effects. Advertisement Tuning forks also make a noise as they vibrate, so patients say they can feel it, as they believe that's the answer they're expected to give. The new device, the Vibratip, was invented by Andrew Levy, a professor of neuroendocrinology at the University of Bristol. It provides constant vibration through its tip for as long as the button on the device is pressed down. Doctors hold the Vibratip on the patient's skin twice they then randomly activate the vibrations on the first or second touch and afterwards ask the patient whether they felt any vibrations on either of the two touches. In a study by the University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania last year, 60 diabetes patients were assessed with the Vibratip and a tuning fork. The Vibratip detected nerve damage 77 per cent of the time, compared with 60 per cent with the tuning fork. Researchers concluded that 'given the ease of use of Vibratip, its use is advisable as a screening method for early diagnosis' of neuropathy. The device costs 9.99 and is available in the UK. Stella Vig, a consultant vascular surgeon at Croydon University Hospital, says Vibratip is 'an easy tool for healthcare professionals that does not require intensive training and is more comfortable for patients. As Delhi grapples with the ongoing cash crunch to meet its expenses on sanitation services, South Delhi suffers from the wastage of funds. In the last three years, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has miserably failed to utilise the funds allotted for sanitation. Alleging that corporation has dodged its primary responsibility of cleanliness and sanitation, a corporation official said that SDMC had spent less than 6 per cent in the year 2013-2014 of the total fund it was provided, in a stark contrast with PM's pet programme Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan. In the last three years, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has miserably failed to utilise the funds allotted for sanitation with up to 70% often going un spent in the fight against trash In the next year, 2014-2015, the under-utilisation was higher with only 13.52 per cent of the funds put to use for keeping the south Delhi clean. The record further slump to 12.43 per cent in 2015-2016. SDMC was allotted around Rs 23 crore in 2015- 2016 for improving the services of sanitation but so far only Rs 1.4 crore has has been put to use, claimed Farhad Suri, the leader of opposition. 'There is a dubious mismatch between the amount of garbage that is being generated from the wards of south Delhi and the capacity of landfills,' claimed Suri in response to the budget estimate presented by South Delhi's commissioner Puneet Kumar Goel for 2016-2017. The former Mayor from Congress also criticised the corporation for not utilising funds provided for education and health facilities which has impacted the civic amenities. 'The corporation was allotted Rs 4,079 crore for the purpose of expenditure under these heads but has only spent half of it,' said Suri. Trash is a problem in Delhi (pictured - Yamuna river dumpsite) He further stressed on the deteriorating condition of landfills in the west zone, adding that the dhalaos are being over utilised and have reached a pathetic condition. Distancing himself from the allegations, Chairman of Standing Committee Shailender Singh said that he cannot comment on why the corporation left more than 70 per cent of the funds allotted under-utilised. He further said that this year, South Delhi aims at spending the funds to the point of exhaustion. In agreement with Commissioner, Mayor for South Delhi Shyam Sharma said that corporation has ambitious projects which will be implemented before March. 'SDMC has grand plans for utilising all the funds this year. I have met our new L-G Anil Baijal and discussed the road-map for beautifying South Delhi. All the funds allotted will be utilised for making more toilets and making our zone open-defecation free,' Sharma said. The results will be visible from March, he added. L-G Baijal reviews level of cleanliness in south Delhi Springing into action, Lt Governor Anil Baijal stepped out on Sunday morning for inspecting the cleanliness in areas of South Delhi. Baijal's inspection visit for a reality check included BRT corridor, Press Enclave Road, Aurobindo Marg to Ring Road, (Safdarjung Hospital to R K Puram areas) and Outer Ring Road (at Munirka). 'Keeping the city and its public spaces clean, accompanied by organised parking will be our top priority,' said the new Lt Governor who has previously held key positions in the other ministries. The oath taking ceremony of New Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal in New Delhi Underlining the emergency for a policy that lessens the parking woes of Delhiites, Baijal stated that the Capital needs an implementable parking policy at the earliest. He also said that regular inspections will continue to ensure focus on cleanliness activities. After the ground work, the Governor chaired a meeting at the South MCD office with various departments where he emphasised the importance of proper solid waste management and the removal of malba from pavements and public spaces. LG directed that concerned agencies will be deployed to ensure that the malba is completely removed from the public spaces before the contractors for this civil work are paid. He has further stated in a stringent guideline that the failure to remove malba or solid waste will be removed at the risk and cost of the contractor. He also stressed for the beautification of areas under the flyovers along with unclogging of u-turns across the capital. He added the children should be provided proper public spaces in the city. In order to do that, Baijal has guided the corporation officials to free up parks from garbage and parked vehicles. Lt Governor has asked all the agencies to improve the conditions of the parks for the perusal of residents, especially children. Nodding along, SDMC Mayor Shyam Sharma said that the corporation is working and progressing to achieve targets discussed with the newly appointed Lt. Governor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to be briefed about the process to create the post of a new General for armed forces during the annual Combined Commanders Conference (CCC) to be held at Dehradun in next couple of weeks. Authorities from the National Security Council and the Defence ministry are working on the proposal for creation of the post of permanent, chairman chiefs of staffs committee, who would equivalent to the chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Force. 'A presentation on this issue is expected to be made to the prime minister during the meet which is seen as moving towards reforms in the higher defence management in the country,' sources told Mail Today. Defence ministry sources have been saying that if the process is initiated timely, Lt Gen Pravin Bakshi, who was superseded by the government while appointing new Army chief, can also be considered for the post The permanent, COSC would be a four-star officer who would be given the responsibility of tackling joint issues of the services like training of troops, acquisition of weapon systems and joint operations by the services. Sources said the process of appointing the new officer is likely to depend on the direction issued by the prime minister in this regard. Defence ministry sources have been saying that if the process is initiated timely, Lt Gen Pravin Bakshi, who was superseded by the government while appointing new Army chief, can also be considered for the post. The meeting is expected to be held at the campus of the illustrious Indian Military Academy in Dehradoon which is the training institution of all permanent commission officers in the force. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be briefed about the process to create the post This is the second time that the meeting is being held outside the confines of the South Block on the advice of Modi who wanted to hold the annual conference at operational assets or military bases and not just Delhi. During the conference, all senior army commander-rank officers of the three services along with the officials of the tri-services formations are addressed by the prime minister and given the direction of the national security policy by the government top brass. This will be also the first combined commander conference of the three service chiefs as in-charge of the Indian Navy, Air Force and Army last year. Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba took over on May 31, while General Bipin Rawat and Air Chief Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa took over as chiefs on the last day of 2016. The three services are also likely to brief Modi on the progress made by them in their respective areas in the last two years including modernisation of weaponry and also the efforts made by them in doing away with critical shortages. The surgical strikes by the Army in Myanmar and Pakistan, the situation on the Line of Actual Control and the terrorism situation in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast are likely to be discussed at the meeting. The humble bicycle, the symbol of the Samajwadi Party, faces the threat of being frozen before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls if the Election Commission is not able to decide which of the two factions of the party commands a majority. The two factions were given time till Monday to support their claim. After the split in the party last week, the factions led by Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh had approached the Commission staking claim over the party and the symbol. Both the sides had also submitted documents to further their claim and the Commission asked them to provide signed affidavits of legislators and office bearers to claim control over the party's name and symbol. The humble bicycle, the symbol of the Samajwadi Party, faces the threat of being frozen before the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls if the Election Commission is not able to make a decision (pictured - Akhilesh Yadav) The side which has the support of majority (50 per cent plus 1) MPs, MLAs, MLCs and delegates will gain an upper hand. The Commission, sources said, will have to decide on who commands the majority in SP before January 17 when the notification for the first phase of assembly polls is issued. 'Candidates from Mulayam and Akhilesh camps cannot fight election on cycle symbol at the same time, therefore, the EC will have to take a call on the issue before that date. 'These will be days of fast-paced developments,' a source said. However, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Sunday dismissed the contest and asserted that he was still the party chief. He claimed the special national convention called by Ramgopal Yadav on January 1 in Lucknow was illegal. 'I am the national president of Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is (only) the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. 'Shivpal Yadav is still the president of Samajwadi Party's Uttar Pradesh unit,' Mulayam said. Mulayam is likely to visit Election Commission on Monday himself to stake claim over the party's name and symbol. Soon after reaching Delhi on Sunday afternoon, Mulayam went into a huddle with Amar, Shivpal and a clutch of lawyers, apparently to devise a strategy. Rajya Sabha MP Ram Gopal Yadav, on the other hand, said that the UP Chief Minister is bigger than the party itself. Akhilesh Yadav is a bigger brand than 'Cycle'. Whether we get the 'Cycle' symbol or not, it will not affect our prospects,' Ram Gopal Yadav said. The Goa Assembly elections are likely to be a three-pronged fight with the ruling BJP, opposition Congress and new entrant AAP pitted against each other in the coastal state. While the Manohar Parrikar-led BJP had won in the 2012 elections in alliance with Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP), this time it has been abandoned by its political friends who have now ganged up against it. Hence, the BJP has decided to go to the polls on its own for the Assembly elections scheduled to be held on February 4. Laxmikant Parsekar assumes charge as the new Chief Minister of Goa in Porvorim in 2014 As per a recent announcement, the party will contest in 37 out of the total 40 seats. In the remaining three constituencies under Salcette taluka, which has a Catholic stronghold, it will support the Independents. Departing from its 2012 strategy when it had announced Manohar Parrikar as the chief ministerial face before seeking votes, the BJP this time has said that the elected members will chose their leader. Standing alone, the BJP has covered majority of the ground through its 'Vijay Sankalp' rallies, which have been addressed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar, in 35 constituencies of the state. The BJP, which has seen steady growth in the coastal state, has its strength in the robust organisational set up which percolates to every booth level. BJP Goa chief Vinay Tendulkar recently said that the party is confident of winning over 26 seats on its own. 'We are fighting this election on the plank of good governance and development. We have shown the people that BJP means development,' he said. But according to political experts, it would have been an easy election for BJP if its ally MGP had not split with it and the medium of instruction issue had not given rise to another political outfit Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM) led by RSS rebel Subhash Velingkar. The three pro-Hindutva outfits - MGP, GSM and Shiv Sena - may eat into the votes of BJP and are likely to give the ruling party a tough challenge in several constituencies. MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar MGP leader Sudin Dhavalikar is slated to be projected as the chief ministerial candidate by these parties, which are likely to tie-up soon. The MGP split with the BJP on January 5, a day after election dates were announced. Dhavalikar has exuded confidence that his party will form government in Goa, in alliance with GSM and Shiv Sena. The BJP will be wiped out from the state. In an indication of the rough ride ahead for the Congress in the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, the man who drove party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to the Bhatta and Parsaul villages on his motorcycle at the height of the 2011 farmers' agitation has joined the BJP. Dhirendra Singh said he was upset with the party's functioning in the state and with the team of poll campaign strategist Prashant Kishor. Rahul had sneaked into the tense neighbouring villages on May 10, 2011 on the back of Singh's bike and was later arrested for a few hours. Dhirendra Singh (left) said he was upset with the party's functioning in the state and with the team of poll campaign strategist Prashant Kishor The area had seen violent clashes between the police and farmers over the then Mayawati-led state government's land acquisition policy. Singh spoke to Mail Today about his current frustrations: 'For the past 3-4 months, I could see no solid ground work by the party. All the secretaries appointed by the party were busy keeping senior leaders happy,' he said. Singh claimed that farmers backed the Congress in UP in the past as the party stood for their rights. 'We fought for farmers on issues related to land acquisition. I asked senior leaders to address the issues of farmers of Uttar Pradesh but no one in Delhi took interest,' he said. Rahul Gandhi, pillion on the first bike, on his way to meet villagers of Bhatta Parsaul in Greater Noida Expressing his disappointment with Kishor's team, he said, 'Young volunteers from PK's team started ill-treating party's senior members by giving them orders.' Sharing one of his experiences, Singh said a member in his 20s from Kishor's group called up to ask with how many buses reaching Deoria would be filled with farmers. 'We are at a stone's throw from Delhi and he was instructing farmers from here to travel 900 kilometres in a bus to Deoria. 'Such behaviour is uncalled for,' said Singh who is a resident of Rabupura area in Gautam Budh Nagar district and was associated with the Congress for three decades. Singh said he is saddened by the party headquarters' inaction but did not blame Rahul Gandhi for the condition. 'Rahul Gandhi is working for the party but people around him are insecure and misguiding him. I submitted my resignation to the All India Congress Committee on Saturday. 'I tendered my resignation before the party could announce its candidate for Jewar,' said Singh, who is not optimistic of getting an election ticket from the BJP. In the previous assembly polls, Singh contested the Jewar seat and lost out in a close fight to BSP nominee Ved Ram Bhati. The move is likely to dent the Congress vote bank and change the political equations especially in Jewar assembly constituency where Singh has a strong network. The BJP has high hopes of winning the seat as he has been raising farmers' issues and has been at the forefront of protests. Winning India's main battleground state is vital for the BJP to strengthen the party's position in the Rajya Sabha, where it is still in the minority, before seeking a second term in the 2019 general election. Singh said his decision to join the BJP came only after consulting people from his constituency. 'Congress was not doing anything for farmers so locals used to request me to join the BJP. 'Even I took the final decision only after consulting people living in Jewar constituency,' he said. However, the Congress says Singh's exit would not have any impact on its poll strategy. Blaine Clooten had been fielding calls for days from people who had seen his dog, Mocha, a male German short-haired pointer missing since New Year's Day. On Sunday, he got dozens of calls from complete strangers who had been out driving around trying to locate Mocha. Around noon, he got a call from a woman who claimed to have seen him. She took a photo of the dog and sent it to Clooten. Zooming in on the image to find the recognizable white markings, "I'm pretty sure it's him," Clooten recalled. The photo was taken near 4850 Coleman St., with a St. Gabriels Community sign visible in the background. Clooten drove over to the area, but found nothing. After that, his phone got quiet. There were no more calls. We couldnt find him. Me and some of the other people out there looking were like, My god, somebodys got to find that dog today,'" he said. About 45 minutes later, more calls started coming in. This time, Mocha had been spotted on U.S. Highway 83 heading south toward Bismarck Motor Co. Clooten and a caravan of 10 to 15 cars drove along the highway. Spotting something, he jumped out of the car with a pair of binoculars. It was Mocha, but they couldn't get to him and he got away. Clooten's son-in-law, Erik Way, then saw the elusive dog running along 43rd Avenue Northeast, back toward Highway 83. Mocha crossed the highway and ran to Brookside Lane. The search party headed to that area. Clooten, binoculars in hand, jumped on top of a snow pile trying to locate his dog, but saw no movement. The search party had lost him again. A feeling of disappointment set in. Clooten said he and his family got texts and calls all week after his beloved 18-month-old "lap dog" went missing. Weve had so many disappointing calls," he said -- reports of the wrong dog, or even a coyote. "We chased down hundreds of leads this week," he said. Finally, around 2 p.m. Sunday, Way said he was driving around with his wife, Ashley Way, who is Clooten's daughter. The couple came across a person who asked if they were looking for a dog and said they had it trapped in a stairwell. All of a sudden, (Ashley) calls me and says, Dad, come and get the dog. And Im like, What do you mean come and get the dog? Im confused," Clooten said. "And she goes, No, Dad, come and get the dog. Weve got him. Hes stuck.'" Mocha was found in a outside stairwell. The homeowner and his brother had placed a few wooden pallets over the entryway to make sure the dog couldn't escape before his owner showed up. I couldnt believe it. Im still in shock. Theres no way we got our dog today," said Clooten, who went to the stairwell and found Mocha whimpering in a corner. As soon as he saw me, it was like he recognized me and he started whimpering and crying really, really bad. And of course I did, too. I couldnt believe it was him," he said. Clooten couldn't believe he found his dog, who had been gone for exactly a week, surviving wind chills as low as 40 degrees below zero. This week, brutal wind chills will continue, with single-digit highs and lows dropping into the negative teens. On Sunday, Mocha was reunited with his furry brothers and sister in their north Bismarck home. Besides Mocha's ribs showing from hunger, he has no visible injuries, Clooten said. They plan to take Mocha to the vet on Monday. When Mocha got home, he gobbled up some food and drank some water. Then there was a giant sniffing session with Clooten's three other dogs, Polar Bear, Porsche and Mocha's brother, Cocoa. Countless people helped search for Mocha in the past week. Its been overwhelming, said Clooten's wife, Coleen. "We can't believe it -- people we don't even know." The family created a Facebook page called Bring Mocha Home Bismarck, which received over 2,000 likes. Clooten's daughter Danni Hauck has been managing the busy page, which they plan to repurpose for other missing dogs in the community. Clooten, a custodian at Northridge Elementary School, took the week off from work, going out each day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. looking for Mocha. He said he might spend a day or two to recuperate with his dog. And Mocha happily curled up on Clooten's lap and dozed off, exhausted from his adventure. In what reads like an episode straight out of a TV crime drama series - a Delhi psychotherapist allegedly took work as a hitman to fund his forthcoming wedding. He then poisoned a man after being paid off by the jilted lover of the victim's wife. Ravi, a bank cashier, was returning home on foot with his colleague Satrudra Singh. When they reached the West End Cinema at Bara Tooti Chowk, the accused pushed a cycle rickshaw between the duo to separate them. Prem Singh, the alleged assassin, then approached from behind and injected liquid into Ravi's neck. The Victim: Ravi was a bank cashier who died after a lethal injection into his neck According to Satrudra, Ravi screamed out while grabbing the alleged assassin. But Ravi, the victim, fell unconscious seconds later and the accused managed to flee. The jilted lover: Anish (pictured) allegedly hired Prem as a contract killer However, Satrudra and a number of locals took up the chase and caught him. The police were called and they took Prem into custody. 'Meanwhile, Ravi was rushed to St. Stephen's Hospital where he was kept in the intensive care unit. 'He remained unfit for statement throughout the treatment and succumbed to his injuries on Sunday morning,' a senior police official close to investigation said. The probe revealed that Ravi survived a similar attack in October when he was in an auto-rickshaw. Prem told the police that he needed money to spend on a lavish wedding that was supposed to take place in February. Prem had been awarded a diploma in psychotherapy but was unemployed. However, he managed to earn some money by treating family members. He met the client, Anish, seven months ago while having tea at a stall in Palam Colony. The Assassin: Prem Singh allegedly took work as a hitman to fund his wedding 'Some frequent meetings followed and they became buddies. 'Anish used to tell him about his ex-girlfriend Lata (name changed) who got married in July 2016 after five months of Anish's marriage. But Anish deserted his wife and was now stalking Lata. 'He then decided to eliminate Lata's husband Ravi, and sought Prem's help. 'When Anish offered him a contract of Rs 1.5 lakh, Prem agreed to inject the poison,' the investigator told Mail Today, quoting Prem's confessional statement. Post-mortem showed that Ravi was injected with a combination of Midazolam and Fortwin-Phenergan that proved fatal for him. The police are trying to identify the source of the chemicals. Anish was arrested from his residence based on Prem's statement. Police say he has confessed to hiring Prem to kill Ravi in a bid to marry Lata - his first love. Lata and Anish were both studying at IGNOU when they allegedly fell in love. But the relationship didn't last long. Anish got married in February 2016, while Lata and Ravi tied the knot in July. After Lata's marriage, Anish allegedly became jealous and started threatening to make intimate pictures public. Sources also say initially Anish sent those pictures to Ravi but he didn't react. Luxury car maker Rolls-Royce has reiterated its commitment to Britain, regardless of Brexit, after the German-owned company posted its second highest sales figures in a century. The West Sussex-based firm - which is owned by BMW - sold 4,011 cars in more than 50 countries in 2016, up six per cent on 2015. It said that 'success for Rolls-Royce was success for Britain' as it reported a 26 per cent increase in sales in the UK, alongside strong success growth - sales in the US grew by 10 per cent, in China they climbed 23 per cent and in Japan jumped a massive 51 per cent. Luxury and speed: Rolls-Royce's Wraith is the least expensive model in the existing range, it costs from about 240,000. The robust figures confirm Rolls-Royce Motor Cars' resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods, which have been dampened by economic doubt including the Brexit vote. The car maker should benefit from the fall in the value of the pound since Brexit, however, which will make its vehicles cheaper overseas. Boss Torsten Mueller-Otvos said: 'Rolls-Royce is a true Great British manufacturing success story, one driven by the hard work and ingenuity of the men and women employed at our Centre of Luxury Excellence in Goodwood.' After the EU referendum, Rolls-Royce raised questions as to whether foreign-owned companies will maintain manufacturing hubs in Britain with questions lingering over the single market and higher tariffs. RECORD SALES FOR JAGUAR LAND ROVER Jaguar Land Rover - Britain's biggest car maker - reported a record year of sales today. It sold 583,313 vehicles across the world - representing a 20 per cent year-on-year increase. Land Rover still makes up the lion's share of those sales, at 434,583, but the F-Pace SUV and new XE helped Jaguar's sales surge 77 per cent to 148,730. Jaguar said it had racked up 45,973 F-Pace sales over the year, accounting for almost a third of all its cars sold. But Mr Muller-Otvos, Rolls-Royce's chief executive, said today the figures prove there is still appetite for Britain's luxury brands and promised the company would not be giving up its UK roots. He said: 'This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons.' He added: 'We are deeply committed to a long term, sustainable, successful growth strategy and this result, amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, affirms this approach. '2016 has proven the perfect year to sign off the successful first chapter of the renaissance of Rolls-Royce. 'Success for Rolls-Royce is success for Great Britain and we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining the home of Rolls-Royce in the UK.' Success: Chief executive Torsten Mueller-Otvos has seen confidence coming back into the luxury market Sustained global demand for Rolls-Royce's fine products was driven by the continued success of the Wraith and Ghost, which were further enhanced in 2016 with the introduction of their new Black Badge variants. Last year was also the final one for production of the seventh-generation Phantom, with its successor due in late 2018. The Phantom retained its status as both the company's pinnacle flagship product and the 'best car in the world', with customers eager to secure final Bespoke commissions to complete their collections, and own a landmark piece of Rolls-Royce history. Daily Mail motoring editor Ray Massey enjoys the leather-lined Rolls-Royce Dawn's highly crafted interior The Rolls-Royce Ghost is among the cars made at Goodwood that are seen to represent the pinnacle of luxury motoring Mr Muller-Otvos's comments follow reports that the chief executive wrote to workers in March, warning them that an exit from the European Union would drive up costs and prices and could affect the company's 'employment base'. Rolls-Royce says it is planning to extend its 30,000 square metre technology and logistics centre in Bognor Regis - close to its manufacturing hub in Goodwood, West Sussex - in 2017 by nearly 10,000 square metres 'to meet growing demand and in readiness for future models'. Higher demand also pushed Rolls-Royce to create another 100 new jobs in Goodwood last year. The company now employs 1,700 people, a near 500 per cent increase on its 350-strong team in 2003. Mr Muller-Otvos said: 'Our business model, which is rooted in our unique and detailed understanding of the multifaceted world of luxury, is producing growth at just the right pace for a truly rare and exclusive brand. 'This is what our customers demand of us and this is what we will continue to deliver.' Rolls-Royce said that it had also demonstrated its long-term commitment to supporting future talent, thanks to a record intake on its Apprenticeship Programme, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2016. It now has more than 50 young people learning skilled trades, with similar recruitment levels planned for 2017. Record numbers of graduates and interns also joined the company during 2016. Exquisite: The Phantom is at the top of Rolls-Royce's range and due to soon be replaced Whether one believes in climate change or not, it is hard to dispute the work of the Government-controlled Green Investment Bank (GIB). Founded by the Coalition government in 2012, it has played a valuable role in using public funds to encourage the development of green choices in building and energy infrastructure. It has done it by forming alliances with the private sector and helping to develop skills and technologies which could contribute to exports in the future. In the Government's anxiety to close the budget deficit, it is rightly seeking to privatise all that it can as rapidly as possible. Liability: Macquarie's ownership of Thames water shows why it cannot be trusted as a good owner of the nation's vital infrastructure It has disposed of almost all its stake in Lloyds Banking Group, reducing its holding to less than that of fund manager Blackrock. So one can have no objections to the Government selling down its stake in the GIB. It is important for all those who believe in a cleaner energy future that the GIB, with projects stretching the length and breadth of the country, ends up in safe hands. We don't need a repeat of 2006 when Gordon Brown sold Westinghouse to the Japanese. It now has to court the very same firms, Hitachi and Toshiba, to help build a fleet of nuclear plants in the UK. Keeping the lights on must be a long-term objective of the energy policy of all governments, whatever their political colour. What is causing concern is the decision to sell GIB lock, stock and barrel to the Aussie 'vampire kangaroo' Macquarie. Whatever Macquarie decides to do with GIB, it cannot be trusted as a good owner of the nation's vital infrastructure. Its ownership of Thames Water has seen hundreds of millions of dividend payments shipped off to investors, minimal tax paid and disappointing investment in the network. It is now revealed that Macquarie is already engaged in advanced planning to sell the assets of GIB as soon as it gains control. To do so would make a mockery of the price at which it is being sold. Macquarie will make an instant profit on the 2.7billion outfit, but also runs roughshod over the golden share which was meant to give the Government a continuing say. In keeping with the spirit of the 'golden share' and the Government's promise to cut emissions to an acceptable level by 2030, the Prime Minister Theresa May should halt the current plan. One possibility is that the Government merges the GIB with the British Business Bank to create an organisation similar to Germany's KfW, which has been phenomenally successful in backing new technologies and keeping small- and medium-sized German enterprises in the country. There is no reason why, after a merger, the Government could not float a minority stake in the new bank, either through a Lloyds-style placing in the market or an initial public offer, perhaps with some enhanced tax opportunities for investors. GIB has demonstrated it can embrace technologies ranging from offshore windfarms to biomass, street lighting projects and anaerobic digestion and attract private funding. When the Prime Minister had doubts about Hinkley she halted contracts midstream and ordered a new look. She should do the same for the Green Investment Bank. Vanguard triumph Jack Bogle has very little of the name recognition of the famous investment gurus Warren Buffett and George Soros who cater for the more sophisticated investor. But Bogle, who founded the Pennsylvania based Vanguard group in 1975, is the world's most influential investor. He recognised a truth about fund management. The high fees charged for active management are more likely than not to gobble up a large proportion of the gains achieved. Now at 87, a year senior to Buffett, he is sweeping all before him. Figures from Morningstar show that in 2016 Vanguard attracted 230billion of money into its low cost funds and ETFs, outperforming the inflows of its ten closest competitors. Both its passive and more active funds are doing well largely as a result of low cost fees. The domination of Bogle and Vanguard, for many years seen as a maverick, cannot be regarded as a healthy development for the more active managers charging higher fees and seeking to make big profits for their investors. Vanguard doesn't have to worry so much about profitability since it is, in effect, owned by the clients who are rewarded with fee cuts as the money flows in. The management fees of Vanguard's traditional index funds have been cut to the quick and have now been reduced to just 0.16 per cent with 0.05 per cent becoming the going rate. Britain's greedy fund managers with their fat-cat pay cheques need to look to their laurels. Uphill struggle My horseracing-loving father brought me up to think that there was no such thing as a poor bookie. William Hill might want a corrective to that. It has warned that a run of favourites carrying off the spoils has left its profits for 2016 close to the bottom of its guidance some 20million short of where it hoped. Publically disowned: The Government has sold more of its Lloyds stock Taxpayers are no longer the largest shareholder in Lloyds after the Government sold more stock on the open market. Nearly a decade after the Government saved the bank from collapse, it cut its stake to less than 6 per cent, which makes US fund giant Blackrock the biggest owner. It is a further sign of the bank's recovery after its 2008 rescue when 20.5billion of public cash was used to keep it afloat. The bank is expected to be entirely back in private hands by the end of the year. Chancellor Philip Hammond said: 'We are on track to recover all of the 20billion injected into the bank during the financial crisis.' Around 18billion has been returned to taxpayers, who have a holding of 5.95 per cent. Blackrock has been buying shares recently and owns 6.3 per cent of the stock. With 2016 set to herald yet another record year for the number of new companies formed and start-ups launched, the British love of entrepreneurship shows no sign of diminishing. When asked, around 60 per cent of young people say they would like to start a business at some point in their career and at the other end of the career span, the over 50s and 60s are shunning retirement and opting for the freedom and flexibility that being your own boss brings - as well as the financial reward. As we enter the New Year, starting your own business is becoming the new normal. If its something thats on your mind, 2017 could be the best year yet to give it a go, as costs of starting are low and its perfectly possible to build a business in your spare time. Trendsetters: When asked, around 60 per cent of young people say they would like to start a business at some point in their career and at the other end of the career span Follow these five steps to get yourself off to the best start. 1. Whats the big idea? Come up with an idea for a business by asking yourself three questions; have I spotted a gap in the market, what is my passion/hobby/skill and can this be turned into a way of making a living, and is there something Ive seen that I think I can deliver better myself? The answer to these questions will deliver an idea for your start-up. 2. Have a plan At the start of your business journey, set a plan that will act as your routemap. It doesnt have to be a long document and its easy to remember what to include as it spells IM OFF: I Whats the Idea for your business M which Market are you going to serve O what Operations do you need to get off the ground F are the Finances in order. Do a simple cashflow forecast and work out if you need a small loan to start F who are the Friends to offer support along the way; the mentors, experts and professionals in your network With this plan in hand, youre ready for the entrepreneurial journey ahead! Spreading the word: Emma Jones, MBE, is the founder of the small business support group Enterprise Nation, she is also the Government's SME Crown Representative 3. Make a sale Start out by making sales to friends and family. Grow from there by selling via powerful marketplaces such as Amazon and Etsy and the main social media platforms of facebook and Instagram. Create your own home on the web with template site builders such as Squarespace and consider meeting customers face to face through doing a popup shop or market. Always carry flyers, product or business cards so you have the potential of a sale with every person you meet! 4. Make some noise Turn to social media again to become known across the web and reach out to the journalists and bloggers who influence your customers. Grab their attention with news, survey stats, crowdfunding campaigns, product launches or new client wins. Attach professional imagery to increase the chances of being covered online and off. 5. Repeat, repeat, repeat Go through the above steps again to build momentum. Keep developing the product, making sales and getting known. Throughout, stay on top of the books to ensure theres more money coming in than heading out. Taking these steps will soon see you as the successful owner of your very own enterprise! On 14th January Enterprise Nation hosts StartUp 2017; the UKs biggest StartUp show of the New Year. The event will be hosted in London, Birmingham and Bristol, connecting thousands of start-ups with successful entrepreneurs and practical experts. It is a bitter legal battle that could have been ripped from the pages of a novel a wealthy California businessman is being sued by his much-younger lover for allegedly giving her a sexually transmitted disease during their passionate relationship. But in a new twist, he is accusing her of using a novel based on her experiences to call him a child abuser, a rapist and a sex addict. The electrifying court case, DailyMail.com can reveal, is now set to play out between Mallory Hill, 59, and Liz Crokin, 37, in a trial that opens in Los Angeles later this month. Both sides will bring ground-breaking arguments, with Crokin saying her ex is using litigation to attack her allegations of sexual assault by launching an assault on free speech. In happier times: Former couple Mallory Hill, 59, and Liz Crokin, 37, are to go to war in court over their former relationship with Crokin claiming her wealthy ex infected her with an STD - which he denies. Crokin, an author and journalist, claims she has taped conversations in which her ex, Hill, admits to giving her herpes. He denies the accusation, saying he never gave her the STD She also claims that Hill's act amounted to battery, because the STD left her permanently brain-damaged after it led to her being hospitalized with viral meningitis He, meanwhile, says she invaded his privacy and smeared his reputation in interviews promoting her novel Malice, as well as in the book itself. He flatly denies having infected her with the STD. In court documents seen by DailyMail.com, Hill accuses Crokin of telling 'vulgar and scathing lies' in the book, which she describes as being inspired by her life story. Hill also denies being the source of Crokin's herpes which she says left her permanently brain-damaged after it led to her being hospitalized with viral meningitis. But Crokin, an author and journalist, claims she has taped conversations in which he admits to giving her the STD and says his lawsuit is yet another example of Hill's 'complete disregard' for her health and wellbeing. The former couple enjoyed a short relationship after being introduced by friends in June 2012. During the relationship, Crokin, who lives in Los Angeles, claims Hill, of Corona del Mar, infected her with the STD. Although the pair had been considering marriage, the affair ended in March 2013 after she accused him of being the source of her herpes which, she says, left her 'totally devastated' and shook her faith in men. Hill's lawsuit, which was filed in Los Angeles on December 19, is now the latest round in a legal battle that began in February 2014 when Crokin filed a personal injury case alleging battery and negligence against him. According to Crokin, her brain-damage and subsequent post-traumatic stress disorder could have been avoided altogether if Hill had confessed to having herpes when their relationship began. Hill filed a lawsuit saying the former showbiz columnist is guilty of slandering him in interviews given to promote her novel - titled Malice and that he and the main character are clearly intended to be seen as being the same person Hill's civil complaint reads: 'To suggest that Malice portrays Plaintiff in a less than flattering light is an understatement. It goes to incredible lengths to humiliate Plaintiff, spreading vulgar and scathing lies' In March 2015, Malice, a novel inspired by her experiences, was published. In it, heroine Lana Burke, who like Crokin is a reporter, embarks on a relationship with wealthy older businessman called Malken Murphy only for her life to fall apart after he gives her herpes. In his suit, which was served on Crokin this week, Hill says the former showbiz columnist is guilty of slandering him in interviews given to promote the book and claims he and Murphy are clearly intended to be seen as being the same person. His civil complaint reads: 'To suggest that Malice portrays Plaintiff in a less than flattering light is an understatement. 'It goes to incredible lengths to humiliate Plaintiff, spreading vulgar and scathing lies.' Among the examples pointed to by Hill are scenes in which Murphy has sex with prostitutes, is imagined as being part of a pedophile ring by Burke and is described as 'having slipped [club drug] ecstasy into his wife's drink several times before they were married'. The businessman, who claims he is easily identifiable as being the inspiration for Murphy, also lists an allegation of giving Crokin a date rape drug and other claims, including that he gave his daughter Lyme disease, physically abused Crokin and is a sex addict. He denies giving her the STD. In his court documents he calls her claim a 'false statement'. But Crokin and her attorney Shawn Murphy say that she is exercising her right to free speech to create a work of fiction. They also tell DailyMail.com that the 37-year-old 'stands by every public statement she has made about him' and dubbed the suit 'despicable'. 'This is a further example of his complete disregard for not only her health but her emotional wellbeing,' said Murphy. Crokin's legal team says she is exercising her right to free speech to create a work of fiction 'The fact that he would accuse her of slandering him by saying he infected her with herpes when he has admitted in recorded conversations that he is infected with it and has been for 20 years; to turn around and try to claim that she is falsely accusing him of something he's admitted to is despicable behavior.' Hill also claims invasion of privacy and says his reputation was 'smeared' in interviews given by Crokin to promote Malice and in publicity surrounding the civil case she filed against him in 2014. That case sees him accused of infecting her with herpes which, in court papers seen by DailyMail.com, is described as amounting to battery. According to Crokin, Hill was well aware he had herpes but allegedly insisted on having unprotected sex with her and then lied about having the disease both to her and physicians. Crokin, who says what happened to her is 'the worst case scenario' for people diagnosed with the illness, went on to develop meningitis, which left her brain-damaged. 'My brain had lesions on it,' she said in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com. 'My brain was left severely damaged. 'How is that any different to me walking outside of my house and some crazy person taking a bat and hitting me in the head repeatedly? 'The damage my ex [Hill] did to my brain is very severe and yet, I have gotten nowhere with the authorities in terms of criminal charges and it's very frustrating.' In her civil case, Crokin accuses Hill of battery, negligence, intentional infliction of emotional distress and fraud by intentional concealment all of which arise from him allegedly infecting her with herpes and then, she claims, lying about having the disease. 'All of this could have been avoided if he had just been honest with me when I first brought up my initial symptoms and said he had herpes,' Crokin said. Pictured, the author taking a selfie with Omarosa, who has recently been chosen as 'public liaison' leader in president-elect Trump's White House 'Once I realized he had infected me with herpes, it completely destroyed me it devastated me,' Crokin told DailyMail.com. 'You have to keep in mind this is a man who I loved, I trusted - we had planned on getting married. 'He had lied not only to me but to all my physicians which probably delayed my treatment and is one of the reasons why this [the herpes] progressed into such a serious condition [meningitis]. 'All of this could have been avoided if he had just been honest with me when I first brought up my initial symptoms and said he had herpes. 'To find out that someone I was so in love with could have done this to me was just totally devastating.' Crokin first realized something was wrong after becoming ill during a trip to San Francisco with Hill in late September 2012. A day before she and Hill were due to fly home, she awoke with 'unbearable vaginal pain' according to her civil suit, and was forced to consult a local doctor. At the clinic, she was told she probably had either gonorrhea or chlamydia and was treated for both but her symptoms worsened on her return home and she was rushed to hospital. Eventually, during her stay at Cedars Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, herpes was diagnosed but by then, the disease had progressed into a viral form of meningitis. Later, she also developed encephalitis, a dangerous swelling of the brain that Crokin says left her suffering from daily migraines and vertigo. The illness, she says, also left her unable to work as a result of photophobia an extreme aversion to light resulting from brain damage. A year after her initial diagnosis, she developed post-traumatic stress disorder and says she still suffers from crippling depression and anxiety. In consequence, Crokin says she went from being a successful reporter earning $100,000 a year to living on food stamps and being heavily in debt as a result of her medical costs. 'What he gave me could have killed me and it's left me with permanent brain damage,' Crokin told DailyMail.com. Sequel planned: Crokin says that despite the litigation, she is continuing with her plan to write two sequels to her debut novel 'It's completely destroyed my life in so many different areas and there is no law there that could have protected me. It's been really frustrating.' Crokin is now an advocate for sexual assault victims and wants to see the intentional transmission of an STD other than HIV upgraded from a misdemeanor to a felony under California law. Knowingly infecting another person with HIV is already considered a felony and is punishable with up to eight years in jail. She has also returned to reporting and is writing a sequel to Malice, which she says is the first in a trilogy. Despite the timing of Hill's defamation suit, Crokin's lawyer Shawn Murphy says he does not think the case will have an impact on this month's trial. 'It has been assigned to the same judge that is presiding over our STD case, the personal injury case, but it will proceed on a totally different scale and a different track,' he said. 'We probably won't even answer the case until the trial has been heard for the first one so it probably won't impact [Crokin's personal injury] case.' Crokin says she is looking forward to having her day in court and is looking forward to the end of what she describes as 'four horrendous years'. 'I've been dealing with this nightmare for four years and I just want to get my day in court and get justice for what this person [Hill] did to me,' she said. 'I want to move on with my life and really just focus on myself, my friends and my family, my career and my books and my writing. I don't want to ever have to think about this person ever again. Even though the woman who crossed the country to marry Charles Manson has called off their engagement, she still considers him a 'close friend' and fears for his health after she attempted to visit him in the hospital. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Afton Star Burtons father Phil, 48, has revealed that his daughter no longer plans to marry one of the most notorious killers of all time, but that she continues to care for him deeply. The 82-year-old convict was moved from his Corcoran, California jail cell to Bakersfields Mercy Hospital some 60 miles away last Tuesday night and was understood to be suffering from gastrointestinal bleeding. Manson is now back in prison after he was found to be too weak to undergo surgery But according to Mr. Burton, his daughters efforts to establish the nature and severity of Mansons condition, and to visit him in hospital were thwarted. Afton Burton, 29, known as 'Star,' first met Charles Manson, 82, after she started writing to him as a teen and later moved to Corcoran, California to be closer to him He said: Theyre not married or engaged anymore but theyre still friends and right now shes not able to contact him and hes not able to contact her. 'She really doesnt know anything at all. Afton, 29, who changed her named to Star a decade ago, crossed the country at the age of 18, leaving her home on the Mississippi river and moving to Corcoran. In 2014, 'Star' announced her engagement to the notorious serial killer and cult leader She struck up a relationship with Manson when she started writing to him after a friend chose him as the subject of a school project. It is almost three years since father-of-four, Phil, received the telephone call from his eldest child, announcing: Daddy Im going to marry Charlie. Since then a marriage license has been issued but expired in February 2015 amid lurid reports that Afton had only wanted to marry Manson so that she could take possession of his corpse on his death and use it for profit - charging people a fee to view it. Both her mother, Melissa, 50, and her father strongly refuted the claims and now Phil gives a rather more prosaic cause for the end of the relationship and the couples failure to wed. He explained: There were several complications that arose regarding the scheduling [of the marriage]. There was a lot of time that he was unavailable because he was in solitary confinement. The rumors are that they [the prison authorities] were trying to make it difficult for them. Theres no visitation, no phone calls, no nothing when youre in solitary. Under such pressures the relationship was, he said, impossible to sustain. A marriage license was issued but expired in February 2015 amid reports that she only wanted to marry Manson so that she could use his corpse for profit - charging people a fee to view it Today Phil is pragmatic about his daughter's decade long relationship and its recent demise. Speaking from his home in Alton, Illinois, a thirty minute drive from Aftons childhood home in Bunker Hill, he said: Shes doing really well. I dont know if shes with somebody else - thats something youd have to ask her but I just want my daughter to be happy. I support her no matter what her choices are. I love her. Speaking exclusively to DailyMail.com, Burtons father Phil, 48, revealed that his daughter still cares for Manson Sure everybody makes choices that other people have to live with and deal with but Im a pretty laid back guy. I just roll with the punches. Its an understated response to the news that his only daughter no longer plans to marry a man currently serving nine life sentences for his role in seven of nine murders that took place over a period of five weeks in 1969. The most notorious killings committed by members of Mansons so-called family took place across two nights of brutality in the hills above Los Angeles that left seven dead, including Roman Polanskis wife, actress Sharon Tate. But former flower child Afton seems unfazed by his horrific past or Mansons apparent lack of remorse. The convict was denied parole in 2012 after telling the parole board that he was still a very dangerous man, and has been far from a model prisoner during his four decades inside. Before being taken to hospital last week he had racked up more than 100 behavioral violations including assault, threatening staff and possessing a weapon, cellphone and drugs inside. Another relative admitted that they were 'glad' the engagement had been called off. 'Star' Burton pictured with her mother, Melissa, (center) and other family members Speaking to People, retired Los Angeles County prosecutor Stephen Kay, who helped convict Manson of the 1969 murders, said: He threw hot coffee on a guard and spit on a guards face. He had a saw blade in the sole of a shoe. He was making little dolls, but they were like voodoo dolls of people and he would stick needles in them, hoping to injure the live person the doll was fashioned after. 'He said his main activity was making those dolls. Manson was also targeted by other prisoners - on one occasion a Hare Krishna poured lighter fluid on him and set him on fire. And prior to being moved to Corcoran in 1989, prison guards at the California Medical Facility in Vacaville found a hacksaw blade, marijuana and LSD in Mansons cells according to a report in the LA Times. Manson was rushed to a hospital in Bakersfield last week for gastrointestinal bleeding. He is too weak to endure an operation and has been returned to prison Yet for Afton Burton he remains a compelling figure and friend to whom she was first drawn as a teenager for his uncompromising ecological mandate ATWA (Air Trees Water Animals and All the Way Alive). ATWA is a philosophy that explains protecting what he and his family saw as the unifying forces that balance the earth. And while much has been made of her physical resemblance to Susan Atkins or Sexy Sadie, who was participated in eight of the Manson killings her father, Phil has insisted that unlike Mansons young female disciples of old, Afton has never been troubled. He said that she has a strong and loving family in Bunker Hill to whom she remains close. According to Phil, Mansons musings on nature struck a chord with his then teenage daughter. He said: That is Aftons cup of tea. Shes all about nature and being one with nature. 'So that particular thread attached to her and she started doing her research. Thats basically how it all started. The killer is currently serving nine life sentences for his role in murders that took place over a period of five weeks in 1969 In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com three years ago, Phil described his daughter as extremely intelligent, creative and sensitive. He said that school was easy for her and that she didnt have to work hard to do well. Instead she always seemed to exist on a different level of consciousness. She kicked against the constraints of the strict Baptist household which she shared with brothers Colton, 27, Dalton, 21, and Weston, 14 and it was perhaps always inevitable that she would seek out more from life than her hometown in the mid-West - population 1800 - could give. But while today Phil is seemingly accepting about her jailhouse affair with Manson, another relative told DailyMail.com that they were glad the engagement had been called off. Advertisement At least 23 people have been killed in ISIS suicide attacks during a day of carnage in Baghdad. A suicide car bomb ripped through a wholesale market in the sprawling Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least seven people and wounding 15. Police say a member of the security forces spotted the bomber and opened fire but was unable to prevent the attack yesterday. Later, a bomb went off inside a morgue after a fanatic was killed by shrapnel from the earlier explosion in Iraq's capital city. Scroll down for video Smoke billows from damaged vehicles and market stands at the Alwa fruit and vegetable market in Sadr City after it was targeted during a day of attacks in Baghdad Blood could be seen on the ground next to a vegetable cart in the wake of a bomb attack on a market area in the capital city A suicide car bomb ripped through a wholesale market in the sprawling Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City, killing at least seven people and wounding 15 Police say a member of the security forces spotted the bomber and opened fire but was unable to prevent the attack ISIS claimed the earlier market attack, saying it was targeting Shiites. The Sunni extremist group views Iraq's Shiite majority as apostates deserving of death. Elsewhere in the city, a suicide bomber killed nine shoppers and wounded 16 others at a fruit and vegetable market in a mainly Shiite neighbourhood. Three additional bombings in and around the capital killed seven people and wounded 24 others. Aftermath: Rescuers inspect the scene after a massive bomb blast at a vegetable market in Baghdad yestrerday Citizens inspect the scene after a car bomb explosion at a crowded outdoor market in the Iraqi capital's eastern district of Sadr City Carnage: ISIS has carried out a string of bombings in Baghdad over the past week, killing dozens of people Passers-by look at the blood-soaked ground in the hours after a bomb had ripped through a vegetable market in Baghdad Pictures from the scene show burnt out cars and blood on the ground next to buildings torn apart by the force of the blast Police and medical officials confirmed the casualty figures. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to release information. ISIS has carried out a string of bombings in Baghdad over the past week, killing dozens of people. A suicide bomber struck Sadr City last week, killing more than 40 people. There were a number of explosions during a day of carnage in the capital with the attacks carried out by ISIS extremists One explosion took place in a morgue which contained the body of an extremist killed by shrapnel during an earlier explosion The latest attacks come as Iraqi forces are trying to drive ISIS militants from the northern city of Mosul in a massive operation launched in mid-October In recent days, troops have pushed closer to the Tigris River, which splits the city of Mosul in half. Pictures show the aftermath of one of the Baghdad attacks yesterday ISIS fanatics have claimed responsibility for the wave of attacks on the Iraqi capital. Pictures show the scene of one attack at a crowded outdoor market The latest attacks come as Iraqi forces are trying to drive ISIS militants from the northern city of Mosul in a massive operation launched in mid-October. In recent days, troops have pushed closer to the Tigris River, which splits the city in half. and pulls the woman off of the Shocking video has emerged of a young woman being punched repeatedly by another woman who pins her to the ground and drags her along a Melbourne road. The video, which was posted to a Facebook group on January 7, shows a young woman wearing black trying to cover her face as the other woman, wearing a grey shirt and light pants, holds her to the ground with one hand clutching her hair. The second woman punches the victim 12 times in the head as she struggles to move or defend herself. Scroll down for video A horrifying video has emerged of a young woman being punched repeatedly by another woman as she pins her to the ground and drags her along a Melbourne road by her hair (pictured) The video, which was posted to a Facebook group on January 7, shows a young woman wearing black trying to cover her face as the other woman holds her to the ground by her hair (pictured) She then stands up and grabs onto the victims hair with both hands as she tries to drag her down the street. The woman falls over but quickly climbs on top of the victim again and continues to hit her when a male passer-by jumps in and picks her up off the woman. She continues to punch and kick the air as the man carries her away from the victim. A group of males can be seen in the background of the video watching the violent fight. Victoria police said they could not confirm if the incident took place. The second woman punches the victim 12 times in the head as she struggles to move or defend herself (pictured) President Obama suggested on Sunday that the Affordable Care Act will survive the Republicans' efforts to to repeal and replace his signature health care law - even if it means changing the name from 'ObamaCare' to 'TrumpCare'. Obama told ABC's 'This Week' that he would be the first person to laud the Republicans' if they can 'come up with a system that insures more people cheaper, better'. More than 11 million Americans are insured under the current system, according to the latest enrollment data released by Health and Human Services. Scroll down for video President Obama says the Affordable Care Act will survive beyond his presidency, and is at peace with name being changed from 'ObamaCare' to 'TrumpCare' However, premium costs have risen, partly because young and healthy people, along with doctors and insurance companies, have dropped out of the system. KellyAnne Conway and Reince Priebus, top advisers to Donald Trump, said the president-elect is still considering his options when it comes to the speed of fulfilling his promise longtime promise to replace the Affordable Care Act, Politico reported. 'Well, it really depends what - what the piece of legislation is', Conway said on CNN's 'State of the Union' when asked about a repeal date. Trump repeatedly told voters throughout the campaign that he had a 'terrific' plan to change healthcare when he entered the White House She was vague about Trump's health insurance plan, saying only that it would give Americans the ability to purchase insurance across state lines and to use health savings accounts. Priebus was slightly more specific on the issue. 'I will tell you that it would be ideal if we could do it all in one big action', he said. 'But look. It may take time to get all the elements of the replace in place'. GOP leaders are discussing a repeal of the act that would take effect two years or more after the initial vote to give them time to craft a replacement plan so that millions of Americans wouldn't lose coverage, Fox News reported. Kentucky Sen Rand Paul has warned congressional Republicans not to repeal ObamaCare without a replacement for the health care law But some conservatives, including Kentucky Sen Rand Paul, have said Congress should pass a replacement plan immediately. Other senators have expresses surprise that the GOP Congress hasn't already figured out a solution to the complex issue, suggesting that a repeal should be delayed until a replacement plan is ready. 'I am shocked they don't have a plan', said former Pennsylvania Sen Rick Santorum on 'State of the Union. 'They should have put a little more work into it'. Obama, who turns over the White House to Trump on inauguration day on Jan 20, suggested he wanted to make the kind of changes to the Affordable Care Act that Republicans in control of Congress are seeking. More than 11 million Americans are insured under the Affordable Care Act, according to the latest enrollment data released by Health and Human Services 'But they wouldn't cooperate because they didn't want to make the system work', Obama said. Senate Republicans took the first steps to repeal the act on Tuesday, the first day of the 115th Congress. Republicans successfully defined themselves in opposition to the Affordable Care Act, which passed in 2010 with no GOP votes. They now are under heavy pressure from voters, who expect Trump's 'Day One' promises to end the Affordable Care Act to be fulfilled, despite not having a replacement plan. More federal charges have been filed against a pipeline protester accused of shooting toward law enforcement officers in October. Red Fawn Fallis, 37, of Colorado, allegedly fired a gun while being arrested during a police raid of the northern "front line" Dakota Access Pipeline camp Oct. 27. An indictment filed Jan. 5 charges her with felony counts of civil disorder and discharging a firearm in relation to a felony crime of violence -- which, in this case, is civil disorder. These charges are in addition to an earlier charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Fallis pleaded not guilty to all charges Monday morning. A three-day trial was scheduled for March 7 with U.S. District Judge Daniel Hovland in Bismarck. If convicted of discharging the firearm, Fallis faces a minimum of 10 years in prison. Federal public defender Neil Fulton, whose office is defending Fallis, said he has never seen a felony civil disorder charge in federal court. "I don't think it's terribly common, but it exists on the books," he said. During a December preliminary hearing for Fallis on the firearm possession charge, a federal agent said she fired three shots from a gun in her left hand while officers tried to subdue her. She was being arrested because she was acting as an instigator, according to Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent Derek Hill. In addition, Hill stated that law enforcement found three spent casings in a revolver allegedly possessed by Fallis and two speed strips with six live rounds in each of her pockets. Fallis has a prior felony conviction for being an accessory to a crime in Colorado, Hill testified. The gun allegedly involved was a .38-caliber Ruger revolver. A complaint filed in the case said a boyfriend of Fallis' reported the same type of gun missing on Oct. 28. Fallis' case has drawn national attention, spawning a "Free Red Fawn" movement. A website started for her says she was working as a medic on Oct. 27, and while she was being arrested, "one officer pulled his weapon and placed it against her back. While she was pinned to the ground, shots were fired." Her cause has been endorsed by actors Jane Fonda and Mark Ruffalo, and an online fundraiser has solicited more than $57,000 on her behalf. Magistrate Judge Charles Miller asked Fallis on Dec. 12 to fill out a financial affidavit relating to funds raised online, with the idea being that she may need to repay some of her public defense costs. No such affidavit has been filed in the public records system. Fulton said his office is working with Fallis and investigating the case, which may be delayed from its March trial date. "What's next will depend on what we find," Fulton said. Fiat Chrysler on Sunday announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States, coming as President-elect Donald Trump has been publicly scolding automakers for investing in Mexico. The American-Italian firm will invest $1billion by 2020 in two of its factories in the Midwestern states of Michigan and Ohio, where the new jobs will be based, the company said in a statement coming on the eve of the Detroit auto show. 'FCA US is further demonstrating its commitment to strengthening its US manufacturing base,' it said, adding that it has created 25,000 jobs in the country since 2009. A Fiat Chrysler worker is seen at the FCA Sterling Stamping Plant on August 26, 2016 in Sterling Heights, Michigan BILL PUGLIANO (GETTY/AFP/File) A 2016 Fiat crossover is on display during the Washington Auto Show at the Washington Auto Show in Washington DC on January 28 - Fiat Chrysler announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the US Car manufacturers who get on the wrong side of Trump feel his Twitter wrath Trump, who campaigned on promises of creating industrial jobs in the American heartland, took to Twitter this past week to blast automakers with operations or plans to build plants in Mexico. He slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models south of the border, and Toyota, which is building a new plant there. 'Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax' he wrote. The Jeep Compass models from Mexico are due to begin importing this month - no word yet as to whether they will get the 'border tax' Trump threatens on car companies who move plants If car companies get on the right side of Trump, they can get a thank you tweet On Tuesday, US automaker Ford announced it was scrapping construction of a plant in Mexico to instead invest in the United States and create 700 jobs, citing a 'vote of confidence" in the economic agenda of the incoming president. As thank you, the company got its own Trump tweet: 'Thank you to Ford for scrapping a new plant in Mexico and creating 700 new jobs in the U.S. This is just the beginning - much more to follow.' Trump slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models (above) south of the border Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped Trump's Twitter wrath, but it's due to start importing Jeep Compass models from Mexico as soon as this month. Other auto groups have preemptively said they will be flexible in the new era of American politics. 'We are pragmatic, we will adapt to any situation,' said the chief of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. This is the shocking moment an Asian taxi driver was filmed unleashing an expletive-laden rant on another cabbie after he sounded his horn. Footage uploaded to YouTube by user Oscar Echo, and believed to have been filmed somewhere in Melbourne, shows the furious confrontation unfold. One taxi driver starts filming from the cab of his vehicle as the other motorist begins shouting at him in the middle of a car park. This is the moment two taxi drivers got into an expletive-laden rant in an Australian car park after one of them sounded the horn at the other It appears the man inside his car has honked his horn at the other man, though it is unclear why. The Asian driver unloads a torrent of abuse inviting the other driver to get out of his vehicle and fight him. But the man inside his car refuses, and instead threatens to call the police on the other motorist. While it is unclear who the two men are, they both appear to be taxi drivers, suggesting this may not be the first run-in between them. The footage appears to have been filmed in January last year, but has only started attracting attention online this week. A woman whose stepfather tried to rape her in her sleep before regularly attacking her as she grew up has spoken out, hoping to highlight the toll of sexual abuse. Galina Velas was 13 and living with her parents in a one-bedroom flat in Onehunga, New Zealand, in 1995 when she was first assaulted by her stepfather Mihail Bourduk. As Ms Velas lay sleeping just metres from her parents, she was woken abruptly when Bourduk climbed out of his bed and tried to force himself onto her. While her abuser was finally found guilty by the Auckland District Court Supreme last year, it has taken Ms Velas almost two decades to come to terms with her ordeal. And now she's ready to help others, forfeiting her right to have her name suppressed to raise awareness about the horrifying ordeals happening in so many homes, the NZ Herald reports. Scroll down for video Galina Velas (pictured) was often sexually assaulted by her stepfather from a young age 'I am not a victim, I am a survivor, a growing warrior maybe,' Ms Velas said. 'It felt like i had a heavy load of shame on my shoulders, I felt so bad about myself... and now I realise that it's not my shame and it's not my fault.' The first time Ms Velas was attacked by her stepfather she managed to cough loudly enough to wake her mother, forcing Bourduk to stop. But he wasn't finished. Another time the pair were sitting together on the couch when he used his feet to press and caress her genitals through her clothing. And in a third incident Bourduk told her semen would help the acne on her skin before following her into the bathroom and masturbating in front of her. He said sperm was 'good for the skin' and she should 'apply it to her face'. While the attacks took a physical toll on her at the time, the mental toll over the following years was far greater. For 15 years Ms Velas battled bulimia, lost two children - one to abortion the other to adoption - worked in the adult industry and seen numerous relationships fall apart. Court documents from Bourduk's trial reveal Ms Velas was so scared of being attacked by Bourduk that every day she feared something would happen. She also alleged further instances of sexual assault, including one when she was just five and living with her mother in Russia. Mihail Bourduk was sentenced to eight months home imprisonment for repeated sexual of his stepdaughter Ms Velas In one incident Bourduk attempted to force his penis into Ms Velas' vagina as she slept, while in another he told her that sperm was 'good for the skin' and she should 'apply it to her face' 'In terms of the offending, Miss Velas said that she anticipated that something would happen to her every day,' the documents said. '(That) Either the offender would commit an indecency on her or she would be threatened, induced or compelled to commit an indecency on him.' Despite the horrifying assaults she faced at the hands of her stepfather, Ms Velas' is not searching for sympathy, rather hoping to spur silent victims into speaking up. 'It's not my shame, or anyone else who has been abused... and I want people to know that,' she said. Neighbors of the Fort Lauderdale gunman said the man who now stands accused of killing five people in an airport attack, 'seemed to be so happy'. Pamela VanDyke, who lived near 26-year-old Esteban Santiago in Anchorage, Alaska, said that he and his girlfriend were pleasant enough, until recently. 'We used to watch the mom sit on the front porch and watch her daughter play while she took care of the baby,' VanDyke told USA Today. 'They seemed to be so happy.' Scroll down for video Neighbors of Fort Lauderdale gunman, Esteban Santiago, who now stands accused of killing five people in an airport attack, 'seemed to be so happy'. Pictured is the Alaska apartment complex where Santiago lived with his girlfriend and child Pamela VanDyke, who lived near 26-year-old Santiago in Anchorage said that he and his girlfriend were pleasant enough, until recently. Pictured is VanDyke's backyard view of Santiago's home VanDyke's daughter, Brittany Adams said the trouble began in October. She said that Santiago started parking in a space designated for her mother because of past injuries. She also said police were called to his home because of 'out of hand' parties However, VanDyke's daughter, Brittany Adams said the trouble began in October. Adams told the newspaper that Santiago, who became a father in September, started parking in a space that was designated for her mother because of her past knee and hip surgeries. VanDyke and Adams said they tried to reason with Santiago, but he responded 'rather darkly', according to KREM-TV. Adams told the station that it was only two weeks ago when another neighbor called police because Santiago 'was having a loud party and then kicked in his door'. 'He just seemed to have more parties that got out of hand,' she said. Both women believed that his behavior could have been the result of post-traumatic stress combined with seasonal affective disorder. Alaska is currently experiencing extremely long nights and many residents struggle with the limited sunshine. In Alaskan towns and cities north of the Arctic Circle, residents face nearly 70 days each year of total darkness because the sun sets around the middle of November and does not rise again until the end of January. Esteban served in Iraq and walked into an FBI field office in November and said the government was trying to control his mind and making him watch ISIS videos Family members also told The New York Times that Santiago was never the same after he returned from a nine-month tour in Iraq in 2010. 'After Iraq, something happened,' 70-year-old Hernan Rivera, Santiago's uncle, told the Times. 'When he came back from Iraq, he was a different person.' Earlier on Sunday, shocking surveillance footage emerged that showed the moment Santiago pulling out his handgun and firing at innocent passengers. Witnesses said Santiago sprayed bullets around then lay down on the floor spread-eagled, awaiting arrest He shot dead five people and wounded six more when he opened fire inside the baggage claim at Terminal 2 of the Florida airport on Friday afternoon. The footage, first obtained by TMZ, shows the Iraq war veteran calmly walking before pulling the pistol from his waistband. He then begins firing, appearing to be aiming initially at a man in front of him. Santiago could face the death penalty after being accused of an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death, and weapons charges. He flew into the airport from Anchorage - with a layover in Minneapolis-St Paul - on Delta flight 2182 with a firearm as his only piece of checked luggage, in accordance with TSA regulations, authorities believe. At the time of the attack, Santiago, who was dressed in a Star Wars T-shirt, claimed his bag, went to the bathroom to load his handgun and then started shooting people dead, according to the county commissioner. Witnesses said the gunman sprayed bullets around then lay down on the floor spread-eagled, awaiting arrest. This still image taken from a security camera inside the terminal shows the moment Esteban Santiago opened fire It has also been revealed that FBI agents took Santiago's gun off him when he went into an Alaska field office in November to say the government was controlling his mind. But it was returned to him just a month later, and law enforcement will not reveal why. US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer formally announced Santiago's charges on Saturday. Ferrer said: 'Today's charges represent the gravity of the situation and reflect the commitment of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to continually protect the community and prosecute those who target our residents and visitors'. Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with the cooperative suspect, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a Walther 9mm semi-automatic handgun that he legally checked on a flight from Alaska. He had two magazines with him and emptied both of them, firing about 15 rounds, before he was arrested, the complaint said. 'We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack,' FBI Agent George Piro said. Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. Piro, the FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader's capture, is now leading the investigation into the shooting. This picture shows what may be the weapon that was used by the gunman in the shooting on Friday People are seen taking shelter in a separate video that emerged from inside the baggage claim on Friday In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the US government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said. It has also been revealed he was being prosecuted for breaking through a locked bathroom door to allegedly strangle and hit his 40-year-old girlfriend. The alleged attack took place almost a year before the massacre on Friday. Santiago's girlfriend had been in the bathroom when she says he began yelling at her. He had then forced his way into the locked bathroom, breaking the door frame in the process, shouting at her to 'Get the f**k out b***h,' she claims. Santiago began 'strangling' his girlfriend and 'smacking her in the side of the head', according to court documents obtained by Heavy. By the time police arrived, Santiago had fled the scene. The suspect in the deadly Ft Lauderdale airport shooting is transported to the Broward County Main Jail The Iraq war veteran was arrested a few days later and released on deferred prosecution status - where prosecutors agreed to dismiss the charges in exchange for Esteban's completion of certain conditions which included that he did not contact his girlfriend. Law enforcement sources also told CBS News that Santiago was investigated for child pornography at some point between 2011 or 2012. Three weapons and a computer were seized, but no charges were filed, sources said. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the incident was another brutal reminder that more needs to be done to help veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental issues. 'We keep learning more about how to deal with this kind of illness, we're gonna learn more and we have to do more,' he said on NBC's Meet the Press. James Allen Cushing pleaded guilty to being disorderly while intoxicated A man arrested for urinating in front of a Piggly Wiggly was so intoxicated that even the jail didn't want him. James Allen Cushing, 46, of Columbus, Georgia, was found by a police officer lying on his stomach in front of the grocery store on Wednesday. Officer William Ragland said the man had his pants down around his backside and had urinated on the floor. Ragland said he asked the man if he was all right and told him that an ambulance was coming. He said Cushing then stood up and put his hands in a defensive position as if he wanted to fight the officer. The cop said he tried to cuff Cushing, but he began to thrash around, his pants still down. There were children in the store at the time, the Ledger-Enquirer reported. Fortunately, some help arrived in the form of a soldier. A cop testified that Cushing had his pants down and had urinated on the floor of the Piggly Wiggly and then tried to fight the officer 'Luckily a Fort Benning solider saw the incident and came running to help me,' Ragland testified, according to the outlet. 'The soldier was successful in getting his right arm and getting him into custody.' Ragland then searched the man and said he found a pipe with marijuana residue inside. Cushing also had a warrant out for an unrelated incident. The officer transported him to the local jail, however, it didn't want him. 'He was so highly intoxicated that the jail refused him,' Ragland testified. He was brought to a hospital, where he spent several hours until he could sober up. Cushing pleaded guilty to disorderly while intoxicated, obstruction and possession of a drug-related object. Embattled federal MP Sussan Ley will stand down as health minister amid a string of scandals surrounding her use of numerous taxpayer-funded trips. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull initiated an investigation into Ms Ley's travel claims on Monday after it was revealed she bought a $795,000 investment property on the Gold Coast while on a work trip in 2015. Ms Ley admitted her actions 'failed the pub test', with her role set to be taken over by Arthur Sinodinos, who himself faced a monetary investigation in 2014. Scroll down for video Health Minister Sussan Ley announced on Monday (pictured) she would stand down as health minister amid an investigation surrounding her use of numerous taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast The Minister bought a two-bedroom at Main Beach for $795,000 on May 9, 2015 while on a work trip 'I expect the highest standards from my ministers in all aspects of their conduct, and especially the expenditure of public money,' Mr Turnbull said in a statement. NEW YEAR'S EVE TAB Flight from Albury to Coolangatta, December 30, 2013: $575.08 Taxi from Gold Coast airport, December 30, 2013: $79.62 Cabcharges, December 31, 2013: $43.79 Cabcharge, January 1, 2014: $211.91 Flight from Coolangatta to Sydney, $269.56 Total: $1179.96 Sources: Department of Finance, Herald Sun Advertisement 'The minister has agreed to stand aside without ministerial pay until this investigation is completed by the Secretary.' The announcement came after Ms Ley apologised for buying the ocean-view apartment on impulse in May 2015 during an official ministerial trip to the beach city. She caved in to mounting pressure to step aside on Monday morning, after it was revealed she claimed travel costs to the Gold Coast for New Year's Eve celebrations two years in a row. Ms Ley told reporters she travelled to the Gold Coast for the celebrations at the request of a prominent Queensland businesswoman. In 2013, she claimed flights and taxis to attend a business lunch and the following year attended the businesswoman's annual New Year's Eve event, she said. Ms Ley insists she did not claim accommodation in either year and says she visited the Gold Coast the day she bought her apartment to have ongoing conversations with a patient. She decided it would be cheaper to stay at the Gold Coast that night since she needed to be in Canberra the following day. At a press conference on Monday, Ms Ley (pictured) admitted her efforts 'failed the pub test' Mrs Ley charged taxpayers for airfares and taxi transport so she could see New Year's Eve fireworks to herald the start of 2014 and 2015. (New Year's fireworks in Surfers Paradise, 2016 pictured) Her husband had accompanied her on the trip and drew her attention to an auction for the apartment. 'My decision late Friday to attend this auction was made after I had planned to travel to the Gold Coast from Brisbane,' she said on Monday. 'In hindsight, I should have just got out of the hotel,' she said. The federal Liberal Party MP's latest woes threaten to end her ministerial career, which would make her the fourth Turnbull Government frontbencher to be sacked. Three ministers - Mal Brough, Stuart Robert and Jamie Briggs - have been sacked since Malcolm Turnbull deposed Tony Abbott as prime minister in September 2015. Ms Ley charged taxpayers $1,180 so she could spend New Year's Eve on the Gold Coast two years running, with the majority of those expenses not publicly listed by the Department of Finance. Four months before she bought the investment unit at Main Beach in May 2015, Ms Ley charged taxpayers $269.56 for a New Year's Day flight from Coolangatta, on the Gold Coast, to Sydney, Department of Finance records show. Health Minister Sussan Ley bought an investment unit on the Gold Coast for $795,000 in May 2015 A year before that on December 30, 2013, the Minister took a flight from her home city of Albury, in New South Wales, to Coolangatta, costing the public purse $575.08 plus a $79.62 cab fare, the Herald Sun revealed. TAXPAYER EXPENSES Sydney to Brisbane flight: $609.59 Brisbane to Gold Coast comcar: $268.30 Travel allowance at Main Beach, on the Gold Coast: $370 (including for husband John) Total: $1247.89 Source: Department of Finance records for May 9, 2015 Advertisement She also billed for Cabcharges of $20.38 and $23.41 on the last day of 2013, and took another taxi trip worth $211.91 on January 1, 2014, the report said. On Sunday, Ms Ley offered to repay the cost of travelling to the Gold Coast in May 2015 for 'official business', which was also the day she bought the property. 'I apologise for the error of judgement,' Ms Ley said in a statement. Ms Ley said she had agreed to repay $1247.89 after speaking with Prime Minister Macolm Turnbull. 'I will ask the Department of Finance to invoice me for the costs for the car and travel allowance claimed on Saturday, 9 May 2015, including the relevant penalty applied to erroneous claims,' she said. Sussan Ley charged taxpayers for a New Year's Day flight in 2015 from the Gold Coast to Sydney. (Department of Finance log pictured) Property records show Health Minister Sussan Ley bought the Gold Coast investment unit on the same day she was in town for 'official business' She charged taxpayers more than $600 for a flight from Sydney to Brisbane to make a $1.3 billion Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme announcement 'While attending an auction was not the reason for my visit to Queensland or the Gold Coast, I completely understand this changed the context of the travel undertaken,' Mrs Ley said on Sunday. 'I have always sought to apply higher standards for myself in using valuable taxpayers' funds.' The minister bought the unit for $795,000 on May 9, 2015 and claimed an overnight stay in the same suburb as 'official business'. Ms Ley also waited 17 months to declare her Queensland investment property, which is a breach of the rules outlined for members of parliament. Last week, the Herald-Sun revealed the minister had taken a return charter flight from Canberra to the Gold Coast in March 2016, costing taxpayers $12,000, or 30 times the cost of a $400 commercial flight. With President-elect Donald Trump demanding more ships, the Navy is proposing the biggest shipbuilding boom since the end of the Cold War to meet threats from a resurgent Russia and saber-rattling China. The Navy's 355-ship proposal released last month is even larger than what the Republican Trump had promoted on the campaign trail, providing a potential boost to shipyards that have struggled because budget caps that have limited money funding for ships. US tanks and hundreds of fighting vehicles were also unloaded in the northern German port of Bremerhaven on Friday. They will be moved into Eastern Europe to help allay concerns from NATO countries about Russia. Donald Trump is drawing up plans to produce the biggest naval fleet since the Cold War The Navy's 355-ship proposal released last month is even larger than what the Republican Trump had promoted on the campaign trail, providing a potential boost to shipyards that have struggled. The USS Ronald Reagan is pictured above Workers at Maine's Bath Iron Works who are worried about the future want to build more ships, but wonder where the billions of dollars will come from. A boost in shipbuilding to meet the 355-ship goal could require an additional $5 billion to $5.5 billion in annual spending in the Navy's 30-year projection, according to an estimate by naval analyst Ronald O'Rourke at the Congressional Research Service. 'Whether Congress and the government can actually fund it, is a whole other ball game,' said Rich Nolan, president of the shipyard's largest union. The Navy's revised Force Structure Assessment calls for adding another 47 ships including an aircraft carrier built in Virginia, 16 large surface warships built in Maine and Mississippi, and 18 attack submarines built in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Virginia. It also calls for more amphibious assault ships, expeditionary transfer docks and support ships. A larger fleet would be good for national security, better for both the sailors, who'd enjoy shorter deployments, and for the ships, which would have more down time for maintenance, said Matthew Paxton, president of the Shipbuilders Council of America, which represents most of the major Navy shipbuilders. Bath Iron Works in Maine: The Navy is proposing the biggest shipbuilding boom since the end of the Cold War to meet threats from a resurgent Russia and saber-rattling China 'Russia and China are going to continue to build up their navies,' he said. 'The complexities aren't going to get any easier. The Navy, more than any of the services, is our forward presence. 'We're going to need this Navy.' Many defense analysts agree that military capabilities have been degraded in recent years, especially when it comes to warships, aircraft and tanks. The key is finding a way to increase Navy shipbuilding to achieve defense and economic gains 'in a fiscally responsible way that does not pass the bill along to our children,' said independent Sen. Angus King of Maine, a member of the Armed Services Committee. A boost in shipbuilding to meet the 355-ship goal could require an additional $5 billion to $5.5 billion in annual spending in the Navy's 30-year projection Even when Trump takes office, no one envisions a return to the heady days during the Cold War when workers were wiring, welding, grinding, pounding and plumbing ships at a furious pace to meet President Ronald Reagan's audacious goal of a 600-ship Navy. The Navy currently has 274 deployable battle force ships, far short of its old goal of 308 ships. Lawrence J. Korb, a retired naval officer and former assistant defense secretary under Reagan, said the Navy's request isn't realistic unless the Trump administration is willing to take the budget 'to levels we've never seen.' 'You never have enough money to buy a perfect defense. You have to make trade-offs,' said Korb, senior fellow at the Center for American Progress. But investors apparently are betting on more ships. General Dynamics - which owns Bath Iron Works, Connecticut-based Electric Boat and California-based NASSCO - and Huntington Ingalls, which owns major shipyards in Virginia and in Mississippi, have both seen stock prices creep upward since the election. 'To the generic military shipbuilder, it's a bull market right now,' said Ronald Epstein, an analyst at Bank of America's Merrill Lynch division. In Bath, the 6,000 shipbuilders aren't going to count their eggs before they hatch. The four men fled the scene after a woman A man has been hit in the head with a metal pole and robbed by a gang of men outside a Melbourne gym. The man was leaving Anytime Fitness in Glenroy around 5.30am on Monday when he was assaulted by four men, believed to be Apex gang members, who stole items from his backpack including his car keys. The men then searched the victim's car before one of them followed a woman leaving the gym, who locked herself in her car and called police. The man was leaving Anytime Fitness in Glenroy (pictured) around 5.30am on Monday when he was assaulted by four men The woman became fearful after seeing the injured man and moved her car before calling Triple Zero. The men fled the scene before officers arrived. 'Police have been told the males then used a metal pole to strike the man on the head, causing him to drop his backpack,' Leading Senior Constable Lee Thomson said, The Herald Sun reported. 'The males then allegedly took items from the backpack, including car keys, and approached the victims' car. Police have described the men as of African appearance and are urging any witnesses to come forward. Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. The men then searched the victim's car before one of them followed a woman leaving the gym, who locked herself in her car and called police (stock image) Border Force said about 167 of 900 boxes of washing of drugs were found in a shipment of washing powder Five men have been charged with importing drugs, after the Australian Federal Police seized 300kg of pseudoephedrine hidden in a shipment of washing powder. Border Force Australia told a press conference on Monday police seized the drugs at a container examination facility in Melbourne. An officer said: 'A significant X-ray capability allowed us to look into this container and determine what was legitimate product versus the product you see on the table next to you.' Scroll down for video Five men have been charged with importing drugs, after the Australian Federal Police seized 300kg of pseudoephedrine (pictured) hidden in a shipment of washing powder Border Force Australia told a press conference on Monday police seized the drugs (pictured) at a container examination facility in Melbourne 'So this was an elaborate opportunity where these people importing this material attempted to hide the material within the larger container. 'It was deeply hidden within that container in up to 900 boxes of individual washing powder, 167 or thereabouts of those boxes contained this substance,' the officer said. Pseudoephedrine is an ingredient in methamphetamine. On Twitter, AFP commissioner Andrew Colvin said he was 'incredibly proud of all the men and women in the AFP family who had contributed to this operational success.' An officer said: 'A significant X-ray capability allowed us to look into this container and determine what was legitimate product versus the product you see on the table next to you' The officer said: 'It (the pseudoephedrine pictured) was deeply hidden within the container in up to 900 boxes of individual washing powder, 167 or thereabouts of those boxes contained this substance' Post office staff got quite a fright last week when they discovered a parcel containing three snakes at their facility on the NSW central coast. Staff called police to a post office centre in Newcastle around 10.30pm on January 4 when a gut feeling about the package revealed three reptiles inside, according to the police. The parcel was sent from a post office in Glendale, a north-west suburb of Newcastle, earlier the same day. Post office staff in Newcastle, on the NSW central coast, were stunned on January 4 when a gut feeling about a package revealed three snakes inside (pictured) Officers released CCTV footage of a man they wanted to speak to during their investigation. On Friday, the ABC reported a man had presented himself to nearby Waratah Police Station and was answering questions about the package and its unusual contents. Officers would not say if it is the same man authorities were seeking, but did confirm no charges had been laid and the investigation was complete. 'It appears this matter is now complete with no further police action to be undertaken,' a NSW police spokeswoman said. A snake handler said the snakes range from 20 centimetres to 1.2 metres. Lake Macquarie Snake Catchers identified the largest snake as a Woma Python, which they claim are harmless to humans. The snakes are now in the care of appropriate authorities, officers said. When asked recently where public schools rank among legislative priorities, Sen. Rich Wardner, R-Dickinson, held his hand high above his head. The top, he said. Wardner, the Senate majority leader, is a key architect of both budgets and policy in the Legislature. Over on the House side, House Majority Leader Al Carlson, R-Fargo, agrees. So do chairs of the House and Senate education committees. These legislators have special treatment in mind for schools. Sen. Donald Schaible, R-Mott, chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said the goal for schools will be to hold harmless as the state budget is built. That means keeping funding at current levels. Other areas of government are facing cuts. The budget presented by outgoing Gov. Jack Dalrymple in December suggested no increase in funding for schools in the coming academic year and a 1 percent increase the following year. The budget being drawn by Republican legislators keeps that funding flat. Lawmakers think in terms of per pupil payments -- the state money that goes to school districts. The current amount is $9,640 per student. Thats about 80 percent of the actual cost, though the percentage varies by district. The amount paid to schools is that number multiplied by the number of students. Of course, that means individual schools would get less money if enrollment dropped, and more if it went up. Statewide, that means increased spending because total school enrollment is rising. Funding for schools makes up a third of total spending from the states general fund. This fund consists largely of sales and income taxes paid directly by North Dakota citizens and businesses. Funding isnt the only issue involving public schools facing legislators. In his State of the State Address earlier this month, Gov. Doug Burgum said North Dakotas approach to education demands change. Our basic education model dates back to before statehood," he said. Innovation will be a focus of legislation, according to Kirsten Baesler, superintendent of public instruction. Her office is preparing a bill that would designate school districts as models for new teaching methods. Eight districts are ready to go, she said. Theres potential controversy in this approach, Baesler acknowledged. Teachers arent ready. Parents are skittish. Everyones protective," she said. Other potential flashpoints emerged in talks with legislators last week. One of those is education savings accounts -- debit accounts for families who choose to educate their children at home or send them to private schools. Rep. Rick Becker, R-Bismarck, will offer a bill establishing these accounts. Details are being worked out, he said. Opposition to the idea could come from both parties. Im not a big voucher guy, Schaible said. Sen. Erin Oban, of Bismarck, the lone Democrat on the Education Committee, was emphatic: I support education choice, but I dont support funding it by taxpayers. While potential controversy lurks in some suggestions, theres general agreement that the most bitter dispute of the 2015 session wont recur. This involved the Common Core initiative, which tried to create a set of standards that could be applied nationally. Its history, Schaible said of Common Core. He stressed that next to funding, the biggest thing is standards: North Dakota-based standards for North Dakota children reviewed by North Dakotans. Carlson said he would offer legislation requiring that students pass a test about the Constitution as a condition of graduation. A different issue arose on the first day of hearings in the House Education Committee. Its chair, Rep. Mark Owens, R-Grand Forks, said he was surprised by the intense interest in a bill that would relax state regulations of online education providers, giving that authority to school boards instead. While these issues have the potential for controversy, education leaders and lobbyists at the Capitol were unanimous in their prediction that this will be a smoother session for public schools than the 2015 session though schools wont get the big boost in funding that came last time around. The journalist had rejected his invite to Trump's inauguration Duca, 25, said the CEO's actions were 'an act of targeted harassment' His profile had several photos of Duca Shkreli's account was deactivated on Sunday due to his 'shrine' of Lauren Duca Pharma bro Martin Shkerli's Twitter account was suspended after he harassed a Teen Vogue writer who rejected his invitation to Trump's inauguration. The 33-year-old CEO's profile was deactivated after he changed the page into a shrine of Lauren Duca. He filled his account with photos of the 25-year-old - including one picture where Shkreli photoshopped his face over her husband's. Duca tweeted to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey asking how such 'targeted harassment' could be allowed. Shkreli's profile was later suspended on Sunday. Martin Shkerli, 33, (left) had his Twitter account suspended on Sunday after he 'harassed' Teen Vogue writer Lauren Duca (right) The pharmaceutical boss had changed his Twitter profile to a shrine of Duca, including a photo where he replaced her husband's face with his own Shkreli received serious backlash in 2015 for raising the price of a crucial HIV treatment drug 5,000 per cent. Duca later said to Buzzfeed: 'I dont know how could this could possibly be allowed because this is an act of targeted harassment. 'This is an entire profile dedicated to upsetting me.' The weekend editor at Teen Vogue asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey how such 'targeted harassment' was allowed Duca said Shkreli was 'an insufferable troll who has been harassing me for weeks' Preceding the incident, Duca had rejected an invitation to Trump's inauguration from Shkerli over Twitter. He was looking for a date to the president elect's ceremony on January 20 and asked the journalist if she would join him over a social media direct message. In a scathing refusal, she tweeted out her response to her 129k followers which said: 'I would rather eat my own organs'. Shkerli later said his offer was only a 'joke' and he was asking the 'most liberal journalists out'. Duca rejected the pharmaceutical boss's invite to Trump's inauguration. She responded by saying she would 'rather eat [her] own organs' He responded to Duca saying that she first should eat her heart when she started snacking on her organs Duca said: 'Martin Shkreli is an insufferable troll, who has been harassing me for weeks. 'He doesn't even deserve the attention he got from my tweet. 'I'm similarly repulsed by the idea of attending Donald Trump's inauguration. I will be in D.C. on January 20th as part of the Women's March. Anyone reading this is welcome to be my "+1" to that.' Duca works as weekend editor at Teen Vogue and graduated from Fordham University with a degree in English in 2013. She later obtained a master's in journalism and critical theory at NYU in 2015. He responded to Duca by saying that she should first start by eating her heart when she snacked on her organs. The blistering rejection from the writer didn't stop Shkerli from then asking social media fitness star Jen Selter and Observer journalist Dana Schwartz to accompany him. Shkerli, who came under fire for increasing the price of a crucial HIV treatment drug, then asked Instagram fitness star Jen Selter to accompany him The Instagram star with 10.4million followers declined to respond to him The 33-year-old (left) then turned to Observer writer Dana Schwartz (right) to attend the inauguration with him. Shkreli is known for increasing the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill He causally tweets to Schwartz, implying that he was going to extend the invitation to her next Schwartz followed Daca's lead and said that she could not attend due to previously made plans to 'gnaw off' her limbs Selter, who has 10.4million followers on Instagram, declined to respond and Schwartz said she couldn't go because she 'already made really fun plans to gnaw off all of [her] limbs'. After being turned down by the women Shkerli said he only asked 'the most liberal' journalists out as 'a joke'. After he was turned down by the women, Shkreli said the whole thing was a 'joke' and he was purposely asking the 'most liberal journalists out' This isn't the first time the businessman's dating life has been scrutinized in the public eye, over the past two years his online profiles for Tinder and OKCupid have been found. New York writer Eve Peyser, 23, says she matched with pharmaceutical CEO on Tinder in October of 2015. She then posted her conversation with Shkerli online in which she questions him for the jacking up the price of Daraprim from $13.50 to $750 per pill. Budding reporter Eve Peyser, 23 (left), matched with maligned pharmaceutical boss Martin Shkreli (right) on Tinder in 2015 He explained his reasoning to Peyser for the controversial hike because the 'disease was forsaken by drug companies for not being profitable enough'. He continued: 'Only a few thousand people get it. So no new drugs for 70 years. 'Now we'll fix that. Also no one goes without drug even if they can't afford it.' Peyser's final question to Shkreli is whether he believes he is the Edward Snowden of AIDS drugs, but he never responded. Peyser says that he either blocked or unmatched her on Tinder after that message. She decided to use their exchanges to interview him about his company's controversial price hike of the HIV drug Daraprim Peyser quizzes Shkreli on why he increased the price of the drug from $13.50 to $750 per pill He explained his reasoning was because the 'disease was forsaken by drug companies for not being profitable enough' Theresa May declared war on mental illness today, vowing to end the stigma against sufferers and ensure equal treatment in the NHS. The Prime Minister warned poor mental health 'destroys lives' and unveiled a raft of policy measures to help sufferers. Speaking at the Charity Commission Mrs May placed mental illness at the heart of her ambitions for domestic policy in a strategy branded the 'shared society'. But the Prime Minister was criticised for failing to address wider problems in the health service while she also faced claims David Cameron had made a similar speech exactly a year ago. A key part of the package will be funding to train teachers in every secondary school in England in mental health 'first aid'. So-called 'crisis cafes' will also be set up to help sufferers of poor mental health, while money will also be invested in new online triage and treatment facilities. The Prime Minister used a wide-ranging speech, pictured today at the Charity Commission making her address, to unveil a new fight against the 'burning injustices' suffered by those suffering mental health problems A key part of the package unveiled by Mrs May at today's speech will be funding to train teachers in every secondary school in England in mental health 'first aid' Teachers will be taught how to spot problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders, and offered help in identifying and talking to those at risk of self-harm and suicide. Reports have warned that rising numbers of young people are suffering from mental health issues such as anxiety and stress because of an 'extraordinary range' of pressures. Among them is the rise of modern technology, which has facilitated cyber-bullying and left many children anxious about their appearance or their social lives. In her speech today, Mrs May warned that mental illness 'too often starts in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives, and become entrenched'. PM'S PLAN TO EASE BLIGHT OF MENTAL ILLNESS Theresa May's package of measures to tackle mental illness also includes: Trials to allow vulnerable youngsters to receive fast-tracked care from the NHS; New guidelines for employers to help staff suffering from depression or other problems to return to work; Investment in new 'crisis cafes' across the country to offer support for those who do not want NHS help in dealing with their problems; The expansion of digital diagnosis services that allow people to have their symptoms assessed more quickly online; Moves to end the scandal that can see people already plunged into debt by their problems charged up to 300 by GPs for proof they have mental health issues Advertisement The Prime Minister developed an interest in mental illness and its consequences during her six years as home secretary, where she was struck by how much police time is taken up dealing with the issue and the prevalence of serious mental health conditions among prison inmates. Today she identified it as a key priority in her vision of creating a 'shared society' in which no-one is held back unfairly. She vowed to 'employ the power of government as a force for good to transform the way we deal with mental health problems right across society'. Mrs May said support for mental health sufferers should be offered not just in hospitals 'but in our classrooms, at work and in our communities'. She added: 'This is a historic opportunity to right a wrong, and give people deserving of compassion and support the attention and treatment they deserve. 'And for all of us to change the way we view mental illness so that striving to improve mental wellbeing is seen as just as natural, positive and good as striving to improve our physical wellbeing. 'This starts with ensuring that children and young people get the help and support they need and deserve because we know that mental illness too often starts in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives, and become entrenched.' Mrs May used the annual lecture slot at the Charity Commission to set out her plans on mental health from her 'shared society' strategy Shadow minister Andrew Gwynne said: 'It'll take more than a speech and a slogan for Theresa May to convince people that she wants to tackle division in society. 'The Tories should be judged on what they have done in government: over the last six years they have systematically failed to stand up for the majority. 'Under the Tories those at the top have been given tax breaks while everyone else suffers, working people have had vital support cut and our NHS is being run into the ground.' Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said: 'Today's speech was supposed to be Mental Health. This speech sounds a lot like the David Cameron's before it. 'The Conservatives reheat these proposals more often than most people have microwavable meals.' Rehana Azam, GMB National Secretary, said: 'It is undoubtedly a good thing mental health issues are firmly in the spotlight following Theresa May's speech this morning. 'However the Prime Minister is clearly in a dangerous state of denial about what our mental health service needs. 'The bottom line is more than 12 per cent of mental health staff have left and almost 5,000 mental health beds have been cut since 2010.' Teachers will be taught how to spot problems such as depression, anxiety and eating disorders (stock photo) Today's package has a strong emphasis on early intervention in schools, where problems such as cyber-bullying, 'sexting' and eating disorders have added to anxiety about exams to place youngsters under intense pressure. Staff at 1,200 secondary schools will be offered training in 'mental health first aid' this year, with those in the remaining two-thirds of secondary schools following in the next two years. Trials will also be held to strengthen links between schools and local mental health trusts to ensure faster referrals for those with problems. The Government will also launch a review on the services on offer to help vulnerable youngsters in school, at university and in the home. Speaking yesterday, Mrs May said work was already under way to tackle the 'stigma' faced by mental health sufferers seeking help from the NHS, including a 1billion package announced in January last year. But she is determined to also tackle the problem in wider society. A former Ivy League professor who bludgeoned his wife to death in their suburban Philadelphia home as she wrapped Christmas presents has been released from prison after serving just 10 years behind bars. Former University of Pennsylvania economics academic Rafael Robb, 66, was released Sunday morning from the State Correctional Institution at Albion, Pennsylvania, Department of Corrections spokeswoman Susan McNaughton said. Robb, of Upper Merion, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2006 after killing his wife Ellen. He beat her so badly with a chin-up bar that her brain was coming out of her skull and police originally thought she'd been shot in the face. As part of a plea bargain in 2008, he was sentenced to five to ten years and served the maximum. He was denied parole in 2013. Rafael Robb, 56, has been released from prison after serving just 10 years in jail for bludgeoning his wife to death. The economics professor is seen in the back of a car after leaving court in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania Thursday, February 1, 2007 Former professor Rafael Robb (above) was released from prison Sunday morning - above, as he appeared in civil court in November 2014 The defense had argued that Ellen had pushed her husband, enraging him. Ellen Robb's family won a $124 million judgment against Rafael Robb in a civil suit over her death, and is now trying to collect on it. They believe Robb has several million dollars in retirement funds. They are sometimes protected in such cases, but the family believes her estate is entitled to at least half the money, according to her brother, Gary Gregory, of Sherborn, Massachusetts. Ellen Robb had retained a divorce lawyer and was planning to move out when she was killed in 2006. She had complained for years of verbal and emotional abuse, Gregory said. The couple's then 12-year-old daughter, Olivia, was raised by another brother in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and has since finished college. Robb admitted that he bludgeoned his wife, Ellen, to death in their kitchen while she wrapped Christmas gifts 'Olivia Robb is finally free from the haunting, controlling terror of her murderous father,' said her attorney, Robert Mongeluzzi, when the verdict was announced, reported NBC10. 'The jury's verdict honored the memory of a caring, loving mother and at the same time sent a thunderous message to Rafael Robb, that he can no longer get away with his pathological lies, and that he will not be able to enjoy a life of luxury after his release in a few years. During the trial, Olivia faced her father for the first time in years. 'I didnt believe it for a while. I had my suspicions, but its your father,' she said. Olivia said she has severed all ties with her father and felt like she'd lost two parents. 'This guy killed Ellen to protect his assets,' Gregory told The Associated Press on Friday. 'He has repeatedly shown a lack of remorse.' Robb served the maximum 10 years of the five- to 10-year term for voluntary manslaughter, after the family fought his bid to be paroled after five years. Robb, who taught game theory at Penn, told police that he had come home to find the house burglarized. An undercover trading standards operation found 90 per cent of vaping shops visited sold nicotine-inhaling products to an underage volunteer, according to a new report yesterday. For the latest research shows that out of ten shops visited by the volunteer for Sandwell Trading Standards in the West Midlands, nine sold them products containing nicotine, such as e-cigarettes and e-liquids. Nobw trading standards watchdogs are advising retailers to be vigilant and responsible when selling e-cigarettes and liquid nicotine to under-18s, applying the same checks as they do to the sale of any other age-restricted products. 90 per cent of vaping shops visited sold nicotine-inhaling products to an underage volunteer (file image) In response to the investigation's findings, cabinet member for public health and protection, Councillor Preet Gill, told the Express & Star: 'Clearly this is an unacceptable result. It's important that retailers have procedures in place to ensure they do not break the law. 'Research suggests that e-cigarettes could act as a gateway to smoking tobacco cigarettes and the long-term health effects of using an electronic cigarette are still unknown.' Bob Charnley, Trading Standards and Licensing manager, said: 'It's our job to protect children by ensuring that businesses are aware of the changes in law and understand their responsibility to ensure such products are not sold to minors.' He added: 'We have written to all the offending businesses reminding them of their legal obligations and that a further failure may result in enforcement action such as a criminal prosecution.' Out of ten shops visited by the volunteer for Sandwell Trading Standards in the West Midlands, nine sold them products containing nicotine, such as e-liquids This is despite it having been illegal to sell nicotine-inhaling products to anyone under 18 from October 1, 2015. Retailers caught flouting the law could face a fine of up to 2,500, as well as a criminal record. It has not yet been revealed which shops were caught out in the sting in Sandwell. The ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) charity, which seeks to cut tobacco use, said about 2.8m adults in Great Britain use e-cigarettes. That is up from 700,000 four years ago. Users include 1.4m smokers and 1.3m former smokers. Hannah James (right) was reported to the police by her husband Jassim Alhaddar (left) for alleged adultery A British mother who was thrown into prison in Bahrain for alleged adultery is free to return to the UK. Hannah James, 26, was detained last month in the ultra-conservative Muslim state where Sharia law is enforced after her husband Jassim Alhaddar, 30, reported her to police. Miss James family claimed that her allegedly abusive husband burned her passport when she tried to leave him and told authorities she was having an affair. But last night the Daily Mail located Miss James passport in an apartment she had been renting with another man in Manama, Bahrains capital. A concierge at the 75-a-night serviced apartment block said Miss James, a veterinary receptionist, had arrived with a Saudi Arabian man on December 6 before her husband found her and called police. The worker also said that Miss James told him she had lost her passport shortly after checking in. The employee, who did not want to be named, said: This woman caused some trouble. She arrived on the 6th of December with a Saudi man and stayed for two or three nights. Her family claimed he burnt her passport after she was thrown in prison for a month - but a concierge receptionist found it in an apartment she was staying in The pair have a four-year-old son together, above, who has been brought back to Britain But then her husband came here and phoned the police, he was very upset. They police came and arrested her but the Saudi man ran away. On the first day this woman had told me she had lost her passport. But on Friday I found it behind the microwave in her room. I rang her telephone number but its not working, I dont know how to get it back to her. I think this woman has been jailed because of what happened. Miss James was freed on Thursday night after a month in custody but her family claimed she was unable to leave the country because her husband had destroyed her passport. It is unclear why Miss James or her family made the claim about Mr Alhaddar, a cashier at a pharmacy, burning her passport. The family also accused Mr Alhaddar of violence and released pictures showing bruises on Miss James arm and face. Miss Jamess mother Shelley said her daughter had struggled in prison on rice and water Miss Jamess mother Shelley, from Fraserburgh, Aberdeenshire, said her daughter had struggled in prison on rice and water. In a post on Justgiving.com, where she has been trying to raise 2,500 for legal and travel costs, she said Bahrain was a law unto itself and there was absolutely no need for her daughter to have been imprisoned. She wrote: Things became very difficult for her as she was suffering from domestic violence by the hands of Alhaddar. This became worse day by day. Hannah finally made the decision to leave him and Bahrain with her son, with support and help from her family. He made it impossible for her to leave as he burned her passport. He then went to the police and accused her of having an affair. But Mr Alhaddar insisted he has never intentionally hurt his wife, who he met in 2012. The couple, who married in Bahrain last year, have a four-year-old son, Nelson, who has been brought back to Britain. Mr Alhaddar said: They blamed me for burning her passport, but I did nothing to her passport. Ive had enough of all of this. All the pictures her family have released are old. It is not true. The bruises are from a long time ago. Every time she comes to hurt me Ive had a lot of bruises and scars on my body and I would push her away from me in self-defence and she would fall down on the floor because shes completely drunk. Miss James family also claimed that she was not allowed to leave Bahrain due to legal reasons. But the Bahrain Embassy has said there was no restriction on Miss James and she was free to return to Scotland. A spokesman for the embassy said: The woman admitted to the act and she and her husband agreed to divorce. Hannah's family released these images of Hannah with bruises on her body and claimed Hannah was 'suffering from domestic violence by the hands of Alhaddar'. However, he said it is 'not true' On January 5, 2017, the complainant withdrew the complaint and the wife was released. All charges of adultery were dropped. The divorce of the marriage between the British woman and the Bahraini man was formalised and made final on January 8. There is no travel ban or restriction in place against the British National, the only issue was that of the passport, in which she reported to the police as lost. However, she is free to depart as soon as that issue is resolved with the British Authorities. Yesterday Miss James family released a statement saying: I can now confirm that they have been informed the restriction placed on Hannah leaving Bahrain has been lifted. The family thank each and everyone of you that have supported them through this ordeal. Tucker Carlson is set to takeover the 9pm time slot on Fox News Channel starting Monday. Tucker Carlson Tonight will begin on January 9 and continue to show that he's the sworn enemy of lying, smugness and group think, according to Fox News. Carlson's show is taking over Megyn Kelly's time slot, a move that was announced on Tuesday. Kelly's last day at Fox News was Friday, and she will make the move to NBC in July where she will host a weekday talk show and a Sunday news magazine while also anchoring special event coverage for the network. Tucker Carlson (pictured left with Billy Ray Cyrus during a cooking segment) is set to takeover the 9pm time slot on Fox News starting Monday. His show, Tucker Carlson Tonight will begin on January 9 and continue to show that he's the sworn enemy of lying, smugness and group think Carlson's show is taking over Megyn Kelly (above) time slot. Kelly's last day at Fox News was Friday, and she will make the move to NBC in July where she will host a weekday talk show and a Sunday news magazine while also anchoring special event coverage for the network Fan: Kelly applauded the decision made by Fox News to put Carlson in her time slot (above) Kelly was quick to congratulate her Fox News co-worker on Thursday, writing: 'Congratulations to my friend @TuckerCarlson on moving to the 9p slot at Fox! This is a great decision by FNC & I will be cheering him on!' Carlson, 47, who started out as a contributor on the network back in 2009, will feature spirited debates with guests from across the political and cultural spectrum on his show, according to Fox. He plans to tackle issues largely uncovered by the media, challenge political correctness through an investigative portion called 'Campus Craziness' of America's universities. Carlson is also planning to showcase a nightly forecast of social media's most powerful weather patterns in the 'TwitterStorm'. Fox News said they will also continue to get help from viewers to uncover 'News Abuse' and viewers have a chance to be made the next 'King for a Day'. The news marks a fast rise for Carlson at the cable network, where he began hosting his 7pm program Tucker Carlson Tonight in November. Carlson (left) is planning to showcase a nightly forecast of social media's most powerful weather patterns in the 'TwitterStorm'. Fox said they will continue to get help from viewers to uncover 'News Abuse' and viewers have a chance to be made the next 'King for a Day' Martha MacCallum (above in January with Bill Hemmer) will replace Carlson at 7pm with a new show, The First 100 Days Family: Carlson is married to his high school sweetheart and the couple have four children a son Buckley and daughters Hopie, Lillie (above with her father) and Dorothy Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox and Executive Chairman of FOX News Rupert Murdoch said of Carlson: 'In less than two months, Tucker has taken cable news by storm with his spirited interviews and consistently strong performance. 'Viewers have overwhelmingly responded to the show and we look forward to him being a part of Fox News' powerful primetime line-up.' Carlson got that spot as a replacement host as well, taking over the time slot vacated by Greta Van Susteren when she made the decision to step down as host of her long-running program, On the Record with Greta Van Susteren. Carlson has been with Fox News for years, but prior to taking over for Van Susteren had a smaller role on the channel as one of the three hosts on the weekend edition of Fox & Friends. Martha MacCallum will replace Carlson at 7pm with a new show, The First 100 days. Vagrant charged: Brandon Thompson, 23, was charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding in connection to a machete attack on Brandon Robinson A homeless man from West Virginia has been charged in a brutal machete attack on another vagrant man, who was then hurled into an ice-cold river. The violent altercation occurred Sunday morning in the Kanawha City section of Charleston. Charleston police Lt. Steve Cooper says 23-year-old Brandon Thompson was charged with attempted murder and malicious wounding. According to Cooper, the victim, identified as 19-year-old Brandon Robinson, hasn't been located as of Monday morning and was presumed dead. A police diver search was suspended in the afternoon due to cold temperatures but was expected to resume on Wednesday. Police say witnesses reported Thompson allegedly repeatedly hacked Robinson with a machete, stomped on his head, then dragged him and threw him in the Kanawha River. Scroll down for video Bloody clash: Thompson and his girlfriend were inside their tent in Charleston, West Virginia, Sunday when Robinson allegedly began throwing snowballs at them Thompson, 23, is suspected of repeatedly stabbing Robinson with a machete, stomping on his head and then pushing him into the river Video courtesy of WSAZ After his arrest, Thompson was taken to the South Charleston Regional Jail to await arraignment. Investigators say Thompson and Robinson were acquaintances and were both homeless. According to a criminal complaint cited by the Charleston Gazette-Mail, someone called 911 early Sunday saying he was attacked on the riverbank behind the Lowes Home Improvement store in Kanawha City. Officers who responded to the scene were met by Brandon Thompson and his girlfriend, Alyssa Dennard, who told them that they last saw Brandon Robinson on the riverbank, and that he may have been stabbed. Police observed that Thompson had blood on his clothing, which he said was Robinsons, and they found blood along the shoreline behind Lowe's. A police diver search was suspended in the afternoon due to cold temperatures When questioned by police, Dennard said she and Thompson were inside his tent when Robinson began throwing snowballs at it. Thompson then emerged from their shelter and allegedly got into a scuffle with Robinson, which quickly escalated. Dennard told police she tried to break up the brawlers, but to no avail. Thompson allegedly told detectives that the 19-year-old hit him in the head with a tree branch, prompting him to strike and stab Robinson with a machete before pushing his body into the river. Speaking to the station WSAZ, Thompsons father, Gary Fridley Thompson, speculated that his son must have been pushed 'past his breaking point.' Every frontline officer in Britains largest police force is being asked whether they would be prepared to carry a gun at all times. More than 30,000 officers at the Metropolitan Police are being polled on their views over being routinely armed both on and off duty. Rank-and-file representatives say they want to gauge support for making firearms more readily available in the wake of terrorist atrocities in France, Belgium and Germany. They highlight how the armed Islamic State terrorist responsible for the Berlin Christmas market attack was shot dead by an Italian officer on a routine patrol. More than 30,000 officers at the Metropolitan Police are being polled on their views over being routinely armed both on and off duty But the provocative move has already raised concerns among chief officers who insist there are no plans to ditch 188 years of unarmed policing. Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe moved quickly to distance himself from the survey, saying he does not support the routine arming of officers. We are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed, a spokesman for the force said. The short email survey, organised by the Metropolitan Police Federation, the de fact union for lower ranking officers, was sent to every officer today. Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe does not support the routine arming of officers It asks whether they would be willing to carry a gun both on and off duty, and their views on whether officers should be armed at all times. Highlighting the higher fitness standards required for firearms officers, it also asks whether more weapons should be made available, possibly by converting vehicles into mobile armouries. Officers also face questions over whether they want more access to controversial Taser stun gun weapons, which are already carried by thousands of response officers. The final question asks whether officers would resign rather than carry a firearm if their use was made compulsory. Ken Marsh, who leads the London Federation branch, said: Were not an armed force, we never have been. But the terrorism threat in London is constant and our officers must be vigilant and be able to deal swiftly with any scenarios we face. We are already moving closer towards that by arming 600 more officers and I think its only fair that we ask our colleagues who go out there on a daily basis what they want. Mr Marsh added that there would be no changes to the rigorous training and fitness requirements for officers who carry a gun. I am not saying we should arm every cop on the streets, he added. What I am saying is we need to have a grown up conversation about what officers actually want. Police forces across the UK are already increasing the number of firearms officers in the face of the threat of a marauding attack by terrorists armed with automatic weapons. In London alone, guns are being put into the hands of 600 more officers, including a 200-strong armed reserve of riot squad specialists. They will not routinely carry guns but can be called as a second wave on if firearms teams are committed to dealing with a co-ordinated multiple attack. Any suggestion that politicians should consider routinely arming officers is likely to meet fierce resistance. Former Northern Ireland police chief Sir Hugh Orde has said that arming officers distances us from communities. And retired Greater Manchester Chief Constable Sir Peter Fahy has said he is passionate about not routinely arming officers. Police forces across the UK are already increasing the number of firearms officers in the face of the threat of a marauding attack by terrorists armed with automatic weapons A similar survey more than a decade ago of almost 50,000 officers found eight out of 10 did not support the routine arming of police. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: The position of the Met and the Commissioner is clear - we are proud to maintain the tradition that police in this country are not routinely armed. About 92% of the service is unarmed and armed policing is delivered by highly trained specialist units. There is no plan to seek to change this. Twice in recent years the Met has increased the number of specially trained officers who carry Taser, and this is kept under constant review. A body has been found during a desperate search for a 25-year-old man who was swept away by a strong current in crocodile infested waters. John Young, from Kununurra, went for an early swim with a friend after a night out at 4.45am on Sunday and did not surface after being sucked underwater at Ivanhoe Crossing. His friend raised the alarm at 5am and police have been searching the river banks armed with rifles for more than 30 hours. Just after 1pm on Monday, police revealed they had found the body of a deceased male five kilometres from where Mr Young vanished. A body has been found during a desperate search for John Young, 25, who was swept away by a strong current in crocodile infested waters on Sunday morning John Young, from Kununurra, went for an early swim with a friend after a night out at 4.45am on Sunday They believe the body is Mr Young. On Monday morning, Mr Young's friend desperately searched for any signs he had returned to shore, but was forced to call police, The West reported. Emergency services decided against using divers to look for the young man due to the likelihood of an attack by a salt water crocodile. A helicopter, and SES vessel were used during the search and locals were asked to avoid the area until Mr Young had been found. On Monday morning, Mr Young's friend desperately searched for any signs he had returned to shore, but was forced to call police Mr Young was originally from Kununurra, but had recently moved to Darwin On Sunday, family and friends sat on the bank to watch police search for the missing man. Mr Young was originally from Kununurra, but had recently moved to Darwin. After hearing the news a body had been discovered in the search for Mr Young, friends started posting tributes on social media. 'It still doesn't quite feel real. Knowing that you're not gonna be there at the pub for a cheeky beer fuelled laugh. You were truly one of a kind brother,' one man wrote. 'Rest in peace John, you were taken far too soon,' another friend said. A report will be prepared for the coroner. Antonia Romeo (left, with Alexa Chung), 43, is to be Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade Britain's first woman consul-general in New York has been appointed to one of the Government's most high-powered posts to help strike post-Brexit trade deals with the rest of the world. Antonia Romeo, 43, is to be Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade. Her task, with International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, will be to sell Britain abroad as a mecca for inward investment. The US is Britain's most important trading partner and Mrs Romeo will be at the forefront of the drive to strike a rapid trade agreement with the Donald Trump's incoming administration. In six months as consul-general, she has already made a huge impact. Dr Fox and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson are both huge fans. As home secretary, Theresa May knew Mrs Romeo when she was director-general for criminal justice in the Ministry of Justice. In September Mrs May addressed the United Nations in New York and there were a series of high-powered events at the consul-general's Manhattan residence. The two women really clicked. A senior source said: 'Theresa was impressed when she was home secretary, and saw in New York what a great job she was doing. She wanted Antonia back in Whitehall to lead the post-Brexit trade drive.' Downing Street will sign off on the appointment in days. The appointment is a direct challenge to stuffy Foreign Office mandarins such as Sir Ivan Rogers, who last week quit as ambassador to the EU having never come to terms with the result of June's referendum. 'To hell with grey and resigning ambassadors,' said a supporter of the PM last night. 'Antonia is fiercely clever, stylish, and utterly committed to her job.' Crucially, in any pronouncements in public or private, she has also expressed excitement rather than pessimism about Britain's prospects after leaving the EU. Mrs Romeo, 43, nee Rice-Evans, was educated privately at North London Collegiate School and 33,000-a-year Westminster School. The mother of a 13-year-old daughter and sons aged 11 and eight, she studied politics, philosophy and economics at Oxford and economics at the London School of Economics. After a spell in the private sector at international management consultants Oliver Wyman, where she met her Italian husband John, she joined the Civil Service on a temporary contract as an economist in 2000. Within six years she was principal private secretary to Labour's Lord Chancellor Lord Falconer, and transferred to the Cabinet Office when David Cameron became prime minister in 2010. In 2015 she became director-general of Cameron's Economic and Domestic Secretariat in the Cabinet Office. When her husband's job with Oliver Wyman moved to the US in October 2015 she became Britain's envoy to the US technology industries. In June she was leaving a plane in San Francisco when the referendum results started swinging to Brexit. She later said that, at that point, she realised how much the consul job would grow. When she explained the Brexit vote to her eight-year-old son Rocco, she said: 'Imagine you're in a club with friends where you do your homework together, and the club would protect you against bullies. Well, now you've left that club, but you can still have the benefits of being friends with the club members.' Antonia was also pictured with actress Joanna Lumley at a lunch thrown by the editor of Cosmopolitan for the Absolutely Fabulous stars Like Mrs May with her trademark kitten heels, the elegantly dressed Mrs Romeo is rarely seen out of snakeskin Louboutins. The first British woman consul-general in 231 years in New York, she has already made her mark on the city and its fashion scene. Last summer she hosted a reception to mark the centenary of British Vogue with the editor-in-chief Alexandra Shulman. Dressed in a gown by British designer Jenny Packham, whose clients include Angeline Jolie and Dame Helen Mirren, she mixed with newlyweds Jerry Hall and media mogul Rupert Murdoch, model Alexa Chung, and celebrity photographer Josh Olins. His recent subjects have included the Duchess of Cambridge. She was also pictured with actress Joanna Lumley at a lunch thrown by the editor of Cosmopolitan for the Absolutely Fabulous stars. Now, as the Government gears up to trigger Article 50, starting formal divorce proceedings from the EU, her appointment at the Department of International Trade will send a frisson through Whitehall. The high-flyer has leapfrogged many older, more experienced career civil servants and she will be one of the most powerful unelected women in the Government. 'Antonia will not be like most permanent secretaries. She's fun but focused, tough, but fair and will have a direct line to the Prime Minister,' said another source. In an interview in the autumn, Mrs Romeo, whose office is within sight of the skyscrapers of Wall Street, said: 'Being consul-general in New York is my dream job. My job has got much bigger.' The population of English learners has been increasing in North Dakota schools most recently in rural districts. Its growing. The need there is growing," said Lyle Krueger, executive director of the Missouri River Educational Cooperative, one of eight regional education associations in the state. The MREC is comprised of 37 school districts in south-central North Dakota. In rural districts, Krueger said the numbers are sporadic. They may not have an English learner for years; then, when they do, they are often at a loss to offer help. "They need the assistance," Krueger said. During the 2015-16 school year, 78 districts in North Dakota had English learners, according to Lodee Arnold, administrator of EL programs for the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. In 2011-12, that number was 69. The whole picture of the state looks quite a bit different than it did probably five, six years ago," Arnold said. "Some of those districts may have one or two students, but you can imagine what kind of challenge that poses to them, because how do they serve them if they dont have an EL teacher?" In North Dakota, 116 languages are spoken, including Spanish, Somali, Nepali, Bosnian and Arabic. The cities with the highest English learner student enrollment are Fargo, West Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot and Williston, Arnold said. Bismarck ranks among the highest in beginning-level English speakers. "It used to be primarily in the eastern part of the state, but now it has expanded more west," said Arnold, pointing out that western North Dakota, including Williston and Dickinson, are seeing increases. Growing numbers David Richter, chairman of the North Dakota Regional Education Association the state's network of regional education organizations said needs for English learner services vary between large and small school districts. To procure money to pay for EL services, a district has to apply for Title III funding from the federal government. To qualify, a district has to meet a certain financial threshold, which typically means a large number of English learner students which smaller districts might not have, but still need the services. The state monitors the flow of the money; and, to take into account the smaller districts with English learners, it allows districts to form consortiums. Richter, who is also director of the Great North West Educational Cooperative, said there's a consortium of about eight schools in Williston, most of them with four or five English learners each. About five years ago, the first consortium Richter handled extended from Williston to Trenton and over to Devils Lake. Now, Williston has its own, as does Minot. Some school districts have gone from having four or five English learners to more than double that number. Richter said Williston has 150 now, compared with fewer than 20 five years ago. Its not a steady number, and I think thats what gets the smaller schools, when all of a sudden two or three students show up. They dont have anything in place, and then they have to scramble," he said. Services lacking Riley Mattson, director of the Roughrider Education Services Program in Dickinson, said English learner services were lacking when he started at RESP three years ago. "There was that need coming from the superintendents. We need to do something to help," he said. About two years ago, RESP hired a full-time staff member who provides English learner services to about 20 students in six school districts, according to Mattson. Its worked out great, and I dont know what our schools would do without it," he said. Next year, the grant through which the position was created will run out. "Our districts want these services they need it so theyre willing to help pitch in part of her salary," Mattson said. Consolidation of needs In response to a greater need, a bill was introduced recently to help alleviate the costs faced by many rural districts when English learner instructors are hired. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Kyle Davison, R-Fargo, did not pass in a committee meeting last week, according to Sen. Donald Schaible, R-Mott. The bill would have allowed regional education associations, such as the Missouri River Educational Cooperative, to use funding to help districts with English learners. The bill did not pass after Davison expressed concerns over unintended consequences, said Schaible. Davison said by email that he is not planning to reintroduce any legislation regarding English learner services. Still, some regional education association directors said the need exists for many rural schools, and legislators should be aware of it. We know this may not be the most appropriate time, but you know what? We just want to make legislators aware. Those needs are out there, and if it takes a couple of sessions to get it through, were willing to do that," Mattson said. A 12-year-old boy from Tasmania has spoken of how he overcame the daily terror of dealing with a violent and abusive father. Since Kobe Bennett was a toddler his violent father made his life a misery through vicious assaults and verbal abuse from one day to the next, the New Zealand Herald reports. When he was just three years of age his father threw him against a wall. Soon he was practising self-defence in case he had to fight him off or protect his mother, Maree, from being attacked too. Kobe Bennett (pictured right with his mother Marlee), 12, from Tasmania had been physically abused by his father since he was a toddler 'He hit me and my siblings, and made me feel like c***. 'He yelled at me and bashed me. I remember it, but I just don't like to tell people,' the 12-year-old Tasmanian said. 'To be honest, I thought about stabbing him and I used to practise,' Kobe said. 'When my dad hurt my mum, my heart felt like popping. If you don't tell someone and get rid of your dad when he hurts your mum, your mum will be in a coffin and your dad will be off hurting someone else.' Following the violence that he and his three older brothers had to endure, to help him and others in the same situation cope with it all, he wrote the book The Only House in the Desert. Kobe (pictured) and has now written a book about his experience In it he shares his thoughts on family violence, describing it in the audio book of the publication as 'like Alice in Wonderland only it's like a desert and your house is the only one left in the middle of it'. He wanted the book to give a voice to children who have suffered in the same way as he and his brothers have, and a way of processing what they've had to experience. It details the sickening fear he had of his abusive father, and advises other children how they can protect themselves if they are in the same brutal circumstances. Kobe's literary work was also given the seal of approval in January when received a Human Rights of Tasmania award for his efforts. The prevailing view is the world is going to hell in a handcart. Yet top Swedish academic Johan Norberg argues that the outlook for humanity has never been brighter. On Saturday, he told us to ignore the pessimists. Today, in the final part of our series, he looks to a positive future. Johan Norberg says young people today are the best educated generation The conditions of childhood have never been as beneficial as they are today. Consider a ten-year-old girl living 200 years ago in any part of the world. She has seven brothers and sisters and has already seen two of them die. And she will be lucky to live beyond the age of 30. Her living conditions are primitive. No clean water. No toilet, just a ditch or a tree to go behind. Her surroundings are littered with garbage and faeces, contaminating water sources and devastated lives. Her parents live in constant fear that she will succumb to tuberculosis, cholera, smallpox, measles or starvation. She is stunted from under-nourishment and recurring famine. This slows her brains development, but thats no matter since there is no schooling and she will never learn to read or write. Instead, shell be put out to work at an early age, probably as a domestic servant in another familys home because every other occupation is blocked to her. She will be considered the property of her father until she marries, at which point ownership of her passes to her husband. If he beats or rapes her, there is no law to stop him. She will not be able to organise politically to change this, since she cannot vote nor stand for election. She lives in a brutal world, where the risk of a violent death is three times greater than today. Torture and slavery are common. Peacetime is an intermission between wars. Now look at a typical little girl today and her world is an entirely different and better place. In the past two centuries, humanity has experienced a revolution in living standards. We have almost solved the problems of hunger and sanitation, thereby improving health and more than doubling life expectancy. Today, she is more likely to reach retirement age than her forebears were to live to their fifth birthday. Even if she lives in one of the worlds poorest countries, she has better access to nutrition than a girl in the richest countries 200 years ago. The risk that she will lead a life of extreme poverty has declined from 90 per cent to less than 10 per cent. She goes to school just like almost everyone in her generation, and illiteracy will be eradicated during her lifetime. Consider a ten-year-old girl living 200 years ago in any part of the world. She has seven brothers and sisters and has already seen two of them die. And she will be lucky to live beyond the age of 30 She faces a lower risk of experiencing war than any other generation in human history. Her risk of dying from a natural disaster is 95 per cent smaller than it would have been a hundred years ago, and she will not even hear of a major famine. She has a good chance of living in a democracy, where women have individual rights and protections. Her world is a wide and varied one, compared with the limited outlook of the average person two centuries ago. Not because they were more stupid, less interested or had less human potential, but because they lacked the means. They were not literate and they did not have access to education, the telegraph, radio or the internet. The main source of news for this girl 200 years ago would have been what she was told in church or what her father heard in the pub, perhaps from a foreign visitor. She would have been expected to lead the same kind of life that her mother lived, in the same place, and nothing else would ever have seemed possible to her. Now the whole world is at her fingertips. Soon, three billion people around the world will own a smartphone, each with instant access to knowledge from around the world, each with more computer power than was used by the Apollo programme during its 11-year project of putting a man on the Moon. Dramatic progress has already opened our eyes and our minds, but I believe fervently that ahead lies even greater potential. Of course, it could all go wrong. The fact that things have been getting better overwhelmingly so does not guarantee progress in the future. After years of easy money and debt financing of companies and governments, a large-scale financial crisis is possible, when all the bills are due. Global warming may threaten ecosystems and affect the lives of millions. Large-scale war between major powers is possible. Terrorists could wreak havoc on a massive scale if they get access to our most powerful technologies, but they could also co-ordinate a large number of smaller attacks on civilians. The conditions of childhood have never been as beneficial as they are today (file photo) Most of all, people led by fear might curtail the freedom and openness that progress depends on. Superstition could obstruct the accumulation of knowledge and bureaucracy stop us from applying that knowledge in new technologies and businesses. Such things happen. Radical Islamists stop girls from getting an education and try to reinstitute slavery where they get power. A false rumour that the polio vaccine is a Western ploy to make Muslims infertile has led to the return of the disease, which was almost eradicated in several countries. Similarly, the nonsensical idea that the measles vaccine can cause autism has resulted in an anti-vaccination movement in the U.S. and several outbreaks of the often horrible disease. But against these negatives I put one massive positive the causes of human progress are firmly entrenched. There is no turning back the growth of science and knowledge, the expansion of co-operation and trade and the freedom to act on this. I look with confidence to the young, who see alternatives and are inspired by possibilities that never occurred to their parents and the societies they grew up in. They will have tools we cant imagine, using the collective reservoir of human knowledge. As a result, incredible creativity is going to be unleashed by the next generation. And that progress is set to be phenomenal. The scientist Isaac Newton once wrote: If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants. In his era, only a small elite lived in this world of connected knowledge, where they could make use of the accumulated knowledge of strangers. But now billions do. This time, we do not just stand on the shoulders of giants, were helping each other up. AND EVEN THE SPECTRE OF RACISM IS BEING EXORCISED Evolution has endowed humans with a tendency to be suspicious of and even hostile towards those who belong to other families and tribes. Racism has therefore been a natural part of most peoples mindset since ancient times, and history is one long record of hatred of those different from us. In the 14th century, Jews were blamed for the plague and were slaughtered wholesale. In the 16th century, hundreds of thousands of Protestants were massacred in France during religious wars. And even as slavery was abolished in the U.S., it was replaced by Jim Crow laws that enforced discrimination against African Americans. Racism remained a central part of the world view of some of our most admired and progressive modern statesmen. President Theodore Roosevelt claimed the only good Indians are dead Indians. When a young Winston Churchill described colonial wars of the era, he said the Aryan stock is bound to triumph. Attitudes have changed. The past half-century has seen a significant improvement in the treatment of minorities, with respect and tolerance becoming much more the global norm. In 1950, 44 per cent of the worlds states politically discriminated against at least one ethnic group. In 2003, this had declined to 25 per cent. In 1950, 32 per cent had policies of economic discrimination. By 2003, it was 14 per cent. Many worry that Donald Trumps successful presidential campaign in the U.S. signals the return of racial bigotry, but whats really new is our sensitivity to this issue. In the early Sixties, almost half of white Americans said they would move out if a black family moved in next door. As late as 1987, only 48 per cent of Americans thought it was all right for blacks and whites to go on a date together. Today, it would be difficult to find anyone who expresses views like that, even at a Trump rally. It took a long time to get here, but once the circle of tolerance and respect has expanded, my belief is that it is difficult to shrink it again. Certainly discrimination remains around the world, against women, gay people and ethnic and religious minorities, and in a few countries it has strong official approval. But they are on the wrong side of history. Governments are protecting equality and bigots can no longer be certain of the help, or even silent acceptance, of the majority. That is amazing progress. The next generation will grow up surrounded by more tolerance and greater acceptance than ever before. Advertisement Of course, for all the advances of the past decades, there remain huge economic, social and environmental problems. We still face threats of violence, terrorism, forced migration and natures unpredictability. But the progress we have made also means that more eyeballs than ever can see humanitys problems and more brains than ever are inventing possible solutions. As a species, we have a bigger pool of energy and intelligence than ever, which will be used to make our lives even better. In physics, escape velocity is the speed an object needs to break free from the gravitational pull of a body. Mankind is breaking free from the natural and self-imposed limitations that have always held us down. Humanity has reached escape velocity. Young people today are the best educated generation and they will live longer lives than ever, in greater freedom. They are taking the first few steps in a new world. Our future lies in their hands. Fear and worry are tools for survival. In our distant past, the hunters and gatherers who survived storms and predators were the ones who scanned the horizon for new dangers rather than those who were relaxed and satisfied. So we are programmed to react to perceived threats. But some times we over-react, at thats what has happened with our fears about the environment. There are side-effects from every step forward that mankind makes. In Britain, one price of industrialisation was air pollution, culminating in the Great Smog that hung over London for four terrible days in December 1952 and killed 12,000 people. Today, the expansion of farming through artificial fertiliser has reduced hunger but resulted in oxygen depletion and dead zones in many lakes. But what is important is how we deal with these crises when they arise. And, despite the moans of the green movement and its constant harking on about global warming, we are. Pollution is actually decreasing. In Britain, emissions of sulphur dioxide fell by 94 per cent between 1970 and 2013, with the result that London air is cleaner than it ever has been since the Middle Ages. The hole in the ozone layer, which we were warned would expand and expose life on earth to damaging ultraviolet light, is now recovering. Fears of acid rain killing off forests have proved wrong. Nor has the mass extinction of species predicted in the Seventies occurred. One reason for these successes is our awareness, followed by action. That Great Smog of 1952 drove British politicians to pass a Clean Air Act and shift to cleaner coals, electricity and gas. Cars became cleaner: amazingly, a modern car in motion emits less pollution than a Seventies car did when parked and the engine turned off, due to leakage of petrol vapour. We constantly underestimate our own creativity. Yes, the planets resources are finite, but technology allows us to exploit more reserves of old fuels and search for new ones. It was predicted, for example, that the world would run out of copper for wiring. It hasnt, and is unlikely to for 200 years. And anyway, we have reduced our dependence on it by replacing it with fibre optic cables and wireless technology. Pollution remains a problem in those parts of the world that are going through rapid industrialisation and modernisation, such as India and China. But we have to ensure that drastic efforts to limit carbon dioxide emissions dont hold back their ability to create more wealth and better technologies and to bring power to the worlds poor. That would be a case of killing the patient to cure the disease. A missing man and his six-year-old daughter last seen three weeks ago setting sail on a catamaran off New Zealand could be in Australia. Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que have not been seen since December 17 when they set off from Kawhia Harbour on the North Island, police said. Extensive searches have come back empty handed, and authorities have been alerted the father and daughter may have headed to Australia. Alan Langdon, 46, and his daughter Que, six, have been missing since December 17 Mr Langdon is an experienced sailor, his ex-partner and the mother of the missing girl said (Mr Langdon is pictured on the catamaran) 'Interpol have been notified of the missing boat and its occupants, in the chance that he has sailed to Australia or the Pacific Islands,' police said in a statement last Thursday. Australian police are aware of the possibility, Waikato Detective Sergeant Bill Crowe confirmed to Stuff.co.nz. A 'physical search' for the Mr Langdon and Que has been completed, police said last Thursday. The pair were believed to have been headed to the Bay of Islands to spend Christmas with friends, and possibly visit family near Whangarei. 'It has been suggested that the boat was stocked for a voyage, but it is unknown what direction he went after leaving the vicinity of the Kawhia Harbour,' a police statement said. A 'physical search' for the Mr Langdon and Que has been completed, police said last Thursday Que and her mother Ariane Wyler are pictured together The catamaran Mr Langdon and Que were last seen on is described as being 6.1 metres long, and designed by Wharram. It is painted white with white sails, and the number T878 in black on the sail The catamaran is described as being 6.1 metres long, and designed by Wharram. It is painted white with white sails, and the number T878 in black on the sail. Que's mother and Mr Langdon's ex-partner, Ariane Wyler, said she has hired a child recovery specialist for a private search. Last month, Ms Wyler told NZ Herald she'd had a drawn-out custody battle with Mr Langdon since they split last year. She said the 49-year-old father is a capable sailor. Ms Wyler has also said Mr Langdon is a capable sailor. Three men are dead after a stolen car crashed into a pond on Long Island, New York. State police say the vehicle plunged into the freezing waters at around 6 pm Sunday in the Nassau County hamlet of Albertson. A trooper was on the Northern State Parkway when he spotted a 2010 Honda with plates matching those of a stolen car. Three unidentified men are dead after the stolen 2010 Honda they were driving crashed into a Long Island pond One of the victims was pulled from the icy water and the other two were found in the car after it was pulled from the pond He followed the vehicle without turning on the patrol car's lights or siren when the license-plate reader picked up that the car had been taken from Hempstead, New York, on January 6. Major David Candelaria said the Honda sped up before it crashed through a fence and overturned into a pond near IU Willets Road and Searington Road in Albertson. Candelaria added that the incident was not a police chase. Major David Candelaria said in a Sunday evening press conference: 'It was not a chase, by definition it was not a chase. He did not have his lights on, siren. He was not chasing them. He was waiting for backup' One of the victims was pulled from the water and the other two were found in the car after it was dragged out of the pond, authorities said. The victims were taken to Winthrop University Hospital where they were pronounced dead. Chinese tabloid Global Times sounded a warning to President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday, saying that China would 'take revenge' should he break the One-China policy. The message came only hours after Taiwan's president, Tsai Ing-wen met senior Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Beijing had asked Washington not to allow Tsai to enter the United States and that she not have any formal government meetings under the One-China policy. Chinese tabloid Global Times has warned President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday saying that China would seek revenge if he breaks the One-China policy after Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen (pictured) met with Republican lawmakers 'Sticking to (the one-China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon US presidents, but an obligation of US presidents to maintain China-US relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific,' said the Global Times editorial. The influential tabloid is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily. The policy, which was first adopted in 1979 by President Jimmy Carter, holds that the US recognizes Taiwan as a part of China. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-Wen arrived at the Omni Hotel in Houston on Saturday en route to Central America Trump triggered protests from Beijing last month by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai and questioning Washington's long-standing position that Taiwan is part of one China. In an interview in December, Trump told Fox News he did not feel bound by the policy. He has also said that he will not meet with Tsai. The Global Times said Beijing did not need to feel grateful to Trump for not meeting Tsai, but added: 'If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. 'There is no room for bargaining.' China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who she thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan WHAT IS THE ONE-CHINA POLICY? The policy was first adopted by President Jimmy Carter in 1979 It holds that there is only 'one China' and Taiwan is a part of China Under the policy, The US must maintain Taiwan is not a sovereign country Countries seeking diplomatic relations with Taiwan must break official ties with China and vice versa In 1978 President Jimmy Carter broke off relations with Taiwan to establish relations with China Advertisement China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who she thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations Tsai will travel through the United States again on her way back from Latin America on January 13th with a stopover in San Francisco, according to her presidential office. The second stop over will occur before Trump's inauguration on January 20th. The Global Times, whose stance does not equate with government policy, also targeted Tsai in the editorial, saying that the mainland would likely impose further military pressure on Taiwan, warning that 'Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes.' 'The mainland should mobilize all possible measures to squeeze Taiwan's diplomacy as well as deal a heavy blow to Taiwan's economy,' it said. in attendance were also at Obama's farewell party Friday night Guests at the Golden Globes were surprised with a special message from President Barack Obama. In the 74th year of the awards, attendees opened up their show programs to find an inspiring letter penned by the current president. Obama thanked the night's nominees for devoting their talents to help celebrate human triumphs and to illustrate flaws. The ceremony celebrating film and television 'creative visionaries' marks the last major award show Obama will be in office for. Guests at the Golden Globes were surprised with a special message from President Obama in their award show program Sunday night The president sent his greetings, along with Michelle's, to the 'creative visionaries' in film and television. Sarah Paulson (right) with the award for best actress in a limited series for The People vs. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story The encouraging letter sent by the president reads: 'Michelle and I send greetings to all those attending the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards. 'Film and television have captured our understanding of society. Using the big and small screens to bring diverse tales to life, actors and actresses and creative visionaries behind the scenes have inspired us to find deeper meaning in our shared humanity.' 'Tonight's nominees have devoted their talents to helping us celebrate our triumphs and illustrate our flaws. 'By enabling us to see ourselves in each other and creating a space for the many narratives that reflect our rich and collective history, they remind us of the power and ideas and the ways they can shape our world for the better. 'As you gather to recognize this year's nominees, I wish you all the best for a memorable evening.' Celebrity couples John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are pictured alongside Jerry and Jess Seinfeld at Obama's farewell party on Friday His uplifting words of encouragement were directed to the stars of Hollywood, from whom Obama has received tremendous support from during his eight years in office. Dozens of the celebrities at the Golden Globes also attended Obama's farewell party where guests partied with the president on Friday. The VIP guest list included A-listers in the film and TV industry such as Meryl Streep, Kerry Washington, George Clooney and Tom Hanks. Obama provided hungry guests with chicken and waffles and was still on the dance floor at 3.30am when Scandal actress Kerry Washington left the bash. She added to E! News host Ryan Seacrest: 'He deserves a party, don't you think?' They are known as one of the most dangerous sharks in the world - as footage of this terrifying bull shark attack seems to prove. Diver Kerry Daniel, 35, was spearfishing off the coast of north Queensland near the Great Barrier Reef when he recorded the moment the predator charged at him. Fortunately he was able to jam his spear gun into the shark's mouth, leaving the creature writhing around in pain while he escaped uninjured. Scroll down for video This is the moment diver Kerry Daniel, 35, was almost eaten by a bull shark after the predator charged at him while in the water off the coast of North Queensland At the last moment the diver jams his spear into the shark's mouth, leaving the predator writhing in agony just metres from him But as the video shows, a moment more of hesitation and the roles could have easily been reversed. Daniel, who runs spearfishing channel Liquid Vision, told Daily Mail Australia that he was on a trip with friends when the incident took place. He said: 'We've done this trip once a year for the past six years. 'We've had reef sharks come up to us before, they might take a fish off your line after you shoot it, but nothing like this.' He explained that he was fishing in a channel off the northern-most tip of Queensland when he swam away from the main group. It was then that he saw the shark swimming around 50m below him, and tried to steer clear of it. But he said the creature immediately turned to face him and started swimming toward him. The diver said the shark had been swimming about 20m away before swimming straight toward him and then charging in the last 6m Mr Daniel, 35, was spearfishing off the coast of north Queensland near the Great Barrier Reef when he recorded the moment the predator charged at him He was expecting the predator to give him a bump, as sharks often do when unsure about prey, so kept the spear gun ready. It was only in the last six metres, Daniel said, that the shark charged straight at him. With no time to think, he plunged the spear gun straight into its mouth before leaving the beast writhing underwater. He added: 'He ripped the gun out of my hand, ripped the line off too. I didn't realise the gun was stuck in his mouth so I was waiting for him to spit it out but then thought it wasn't worth it and swum away.' Daniel, who also manages a pesticide business, said he does not know what became of the shark. A two-year-old boy has been airlifted to hospital after being pulled from a swimming pool on the New South Wales south coast. NSW Ambulance paramedics were called to an address on Btu Road at Nowra Hill just after midday on Monday, reported the Sydney Morning Herald. A spokesperson from NSW Ambulance said the toddler was 'immersed in water for a short period'. A toddler has been taken by ambulance to hospital on the NSW south coast then airlifted to hospital in Sydney after being pulled from a swimming pool The toddler's family gave him CPR until paramedics arrived, who took him by ambulance to Shoalhaven Hospital (pictured). He was airlifted to the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick The Illawarra Mercury reported the child was unconscious when paramedics attended the scene. The boy's family are believed to have performed CPR on him before paramedics arrived. The boy was taken by ambulance to Shoalhaven Hospital in Nowra. A spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia the two-year-old was then airlifted to the Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. It comes as 51-year-old man died on the Central Coast the same day, after he was pulled from the water at Umima Beach (pictured) about 2pm, after reports he was struggling in the water A 51-year-old also died on the Central Coast on Monday afternoon, after he was pulled from the water in front of Ocean Beach Surf Club about 2pm, reported the Daily Telegraph. The man was reportedly having difficulties in the water and is said to have suffered some kind of medical emergency. The man's death is the 21st drowning death across the state since Christmas Day. A grandfather charged with the murder of his wife of 55-years 'snapped' when he stabbed her through the neck, police will allege. Leonne Ivanoff, 74, laughed when her husband Ben Ivanoff, 77, wrongly accused her of having an affair, police allege, Daily Telegraph reported. The grandfather 'snapped' while holding a knife, when he allegedly stabbed her about 3pm on Sunday at their home in Umina Beach on the NSW Central Coast. Ben Ivanoff allegedly stabbed his wife Leonne Ivanoff through the neck at their home (pictured) on Sunday afternoon Mr Ivanoff faced Gosford Local Court (stock image) on Monday, charged with murder The blade was found protruding out the other side of Mrs Ivanoff's neck, Gosford Local Court heard on Monday. The court heard Mr Ivanoff suffered depression, mascular degeneration, heart problems, and was recently diagnosed with dementia. His Legal Aid solicitor told the court he intends to plea not guilty. Magistrate Bruce Williams denied bail. Mr Ivanoff is due to appear in court again on March 3. Nowack Avenue, Umina Beach, where the married couple lived together on the NSW Central Coast Former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop claims 'socialists' are to blame for Health Minister Sussan Ley stepping down over an expenses scandal. Ms Ley is under investigation for buying a $795,000 investment property on the Gold Coast while on a work trip in 2015, and 26 other flights to the area in two years. Ms Bishop was herself forced to resign as Speaker in after claiming $5,227 in taxpayer-funded expenses for a helicopter ride to a Liberal Party fundraiser in 2015. Scroll down for video Disgraced former Speaker Bronwyn Bishop claims 'socialists' are to blame for Health Minister Sussan Ley stepping down over an expenses scandal, in a Sky News interview Ms Ley is under investigation for buying a $795,000 investment property on the Gold Coast while on a work trip in 2015, and 26 other flights to the area in two years She claimed Ms Ley's critics were ideologically-motivated and 'behaving like a pack of dogs' fuelled by the 'Twitterati' and the 24-hour news cycle. 'There are socialists out there who want to attack free enterprise and anyone who sticks up for it,' she said on Sky News on Monday. 'I know that socialists, like alcoholics, will blame anyone but themselves. And whereas alcoholics can damage their own families, socialists can destroy the whole country. Ms Bishop was herself forced to resign as Speaker in after claiming $5227 in taxpayer-funded expenses for a helicopter ride to a fundraiser in 2015 (pictured voting for her replacement) She claimed Ms Ley's critics were ideologically-motivated and 'behaving like a pack of dogs' fuelled by the 'Twitterati' and the 24-hour news cycle 'Socialism, which is always on the march, if you expose it, it can be defeated. And be under no illusions, whenever you see some of these arguments come to the fore, there will always be an ideological component.' Ms Bishop said Ms Ley's travel claims were within the rules, just like she maintains her own were, and other politicians got away with far worse. 'To be blunt, if you look at the socialist side of the Labor Party, you look at the people in there and the blokes who have... done many more things like that and, quite frankly, nothing happens,' she said. 'So I think there's one rule for some and a different rule for others.' Ms Ley announced on Monday (pictured) she would stand down as health minister amid an investigation surrounding her use of numerous taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast The former member for Mackellar, who quit politics at last year's election, also slammed Labor MP Penny Wong for criticising Ms Ley's explanation and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull for deciding not to sack her. 'I found it pretty, pretty disgusting to see the Labor sending out a woman to attack another woman this morning. I don't think that's a good look either,' she said. Mr Turnbull on Monday kicked off an investigation into the minister's expense claims, prompting her to step down until it is resolved. Ms Ley admitted her actions 'failed the pub test', with her role set to be taken over by Arthur Sinodinos, who himself faced a monetary investigation in 2014. The Minister bought a two-bedroom at Main Beach for $795,000 on May 9, 2015 while on a work trip 'I expect the highest standards from my ministers in all aspects of their conduct, and especially the expenditure of public money,' Mr Turnbull said in a statement. NEW YEAR'S EVE TAB Flight from Albury to Coolangatta, December 30, 2013: $575.08 Taxi from Gold Coast airport, December 30, 2013: $79.62 Cabcharges, December 31, 2013: $43.79 Cabcharge, January 1, 2014: $211.91 Flight from Coolangatta to Sydney, $269.56 Total: $1179.96 Sources: Department of Finance, Herald Sun Advertisement 'The minister has agreed to stand aside without ministerial pay until this investigation is completed by the Secretary.' The announcement came after Ms Ley apologised for buying the ocean-view apartment on impulse in May 2015 during an official ministerial trip to the beach city. She caved in to mounting pressure to step aside on Monday morning, after it was revealed she claimed travel costs to the Gold Coast for New Year's Eve celebrations two years in a row. Ms Ley told reporters she travelled to the Gold Coast for the celebrations at the request of a prominent Queensland businesswoman. In 2013, she claimed flights and taxis to attend a business lunch and the following year attended the businesswoman's annual New Year's Eve event, she said. Ms Ley insists she did not claim accommodation in either year and says she visited the Gold Coast the day she bought her apartment to have ongoing conversations with a patient. She decided it would be cheaper to stay at the Gold Coast that night since she needed to be in Canberra the following day. At a press conference on Monday, Ms Ley (pictured) admitted her efforts 'failed the pub test' Mrs Ley charged taxpayers for airfares and taxi transport so she could see New Year's Eve fireworks to herald the start of 2014 and 2015. (New Year's fireworks in Surfers Paradise, 2016 pictured) Her husband had accompanied her on the trip and drew her attention to an auction for the apartment. 'My decision late Friday to attend this auction was made after I had planned to travel to the Gold Coast from Brisbane,' she said on Monday. 'In hindsight, I should have just got out of the hotel,' she said. The federal Liberal Party MP's latest woes threaten to end her ministerial career, which would make her the fourth Turnbull Government frontbencher to be sacked. Three ministers - Mal Brough, Stuart Robert and Jamie Briggs - have been sacked since Malcolm Turnbull deposed Tony Abbott as prime minister in September 2015. Ms Ley charged taxpayers $1,180 so she could spend New Year's Eve on the Gold Coast two years running, with the majority of those expenses not publicly listed by the Department of Finance. Four months before she bought the investment unit at Main Beach in May 2015, Ms Ley charged taxpayers $269.56 for a New Year's Day flight from Coolangatta, on the Gold Coast, to Sydney, Department of Finance records show. Health Minister Sussan Ley bought an investment unit on the Gold Coast for $795,000 in May 2015 A year before that on December 30, 2013, the Minister took a flight from her home city of Albury, in New South Wales, to Coolangatta, costing the public purse $575.08 plus a $79.62 cab fare, the Herald Sun revealed. TAXPAYER EXPENSES Sydney to Brisbane flight: $609.59 Brisbane to Gold Coast comcar: $268.30 Travel allowance at Main Beach, on the Gold Coast: $370 (including for husband John) Total: $1247.89 Source: Department of Finance records for May 9, 2015 Advertisement She also billed for Cabcharges of $20.38 and $23.41 on the last day of 2013, and took another taxi trip worth $211.91 on January 1, 2014, the report said. On Sunday, Ms Ley offered to repay the cost of travelling to the Gold Coast in May 2015 for 'official business', which was also the day she bought the property. 'I apologise for the error of judgement,' Ms Ley said in a statement. Ms Ley said she had agreed to repay $1247.89 after speaking with Prime Minister Macolm Turnbull. 'I will ask the Department of Finance to invoice me for the costs for the car and travel allowance claimed on Saturday, 9 May 2015, including the relevant penalty applied to erroneous claims,' she said. Sussan Ley charged taxpayers for a New Year's Day flight in 2015 from the Gold Coast to Sydney. (Department of Finance log pictured) Property records show Health Minister Sussan Ley bought the Gold Coast investment unit on the same day she was in town for 'official business' She charged taxpayers more than $600 for a flight from Sydney to Brisbane to make a $1.3 billion Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme announcement 'While attending an auction was not the reason for my visit to Queensland or the Gold Coast, I completely understand this changed the context of the travel undertaken,' Mrs Ley said on Sunday. 'I have always sought to apply higher standards for myself in using valuable taxpayers' funds.' The minister bought the unit for $795,000 on May 9, 2015 and claimed an overnight stay in the same suburb as 'official business'. Ms Ley also waited 17 months to declare her Queensland investment property, which is a breach of the rules outlined for members of parliament. Last week, the Herald-Sun revealed the minister had taken a return charter flight from Canberra to the Gold Coast in March 2016, costing taxpayers $12,000, or 30 times the cost of a $400 commercial flight. Lawmakers say a bill that would eliminate the angel fund investment tax credit and expand the states seed capital investment tax credit would provide needed transparency to a decade-long program. However, one angel fund manager says it would hamper investment in the state. Members of the House Finance and Taxation Committee reviewed House Bill 1045, which would phase out the credit after Dec. 31. Investors would then have to utilize the states seed capital investment tax credit. The angel fund tax credit drew fire from lawmakers during the interim over a perceived lack of transparency. The issue of investments being made in out-of-state companies that may not be providing a return for the state was a major concern. Information provided by the commerce department to an interim committee that reviewed angel funds showed that, for angel funds from 2011 to 2014, investments totaling $41.3 million have been made by 116 companies. Sixty-one of the 116 companies identified themselves as North Dakota-based. Of the out-of-state companies, 18 have an operating presence in North Dakota. Valley Angel Investment Fund LLC Chairman Tommy Kenville said more stringent guidelines are needed to weed out bad apples, but the angel fund should remain in place to allow the fledgling venture capital industry more time to grow. If access to capital is diminished, venture development will be diminished, Kenville said. North Dakota needs more angel funds, not fewer, and North Dakota needs more capital for growth of startup industries and other ventures vital for innovation. He suggested extending the sunset to 2021 to provide more time for investors. The angel fund investment tax credit was created during the 2007 session and has been repeatedly modified in later sessions. After its creation, the seed capital credit fell by the wayside due to its more stringent requirements. HB1045 would raise the lifetime limit in credits for an investor to $4 million, and the annual cap on what can be claimed would be doubled to $225,000. The overall amount of seed capital investment tax credits available annually would be raised from $3.5 million to $15 million. Businesses would be required to provide annual reporting to the state tax commissioners office for five years. The North Dakota angel fund investment tax credit in its current form is available to all income-tax payers. A taxpayer can claim 45 percent of the amount to each angel fund each taxable year, capped at $45,000 per year with a lifetime limit of $500,000 in credits. To receive the credit, an angel fund must be organized with the intent of investing in at least three primary-sector non-publicly traded businesses with strong growth potential. The credit is an important tool, said Rep. Jason Dockter, R-Bismarck. He added that transparency and oversight need to be beefed up since the interim committee learned of the split on investments in and out of state. Dan Zhong's two-story home in Livingston, New Jersey, is unremarkable by suburban standards, but the businessman's lawyers have told a judge he is willing to pay $144,000 per month to turn the place into a private jail where he can comfortably await trial on charges he exploited immigrant Chinese laborers. His proposal is the latest example of wealthy people facing potentially long prison terms who have asked to finance their own, extravagant house arrests. The requests highlight inequalities between the wealthy and defendants of lesser means who languish behind bars and have spawned a cottage industry of former federal agents and police officers working as private guards. Zhong, 47, a former Chinese diplomat, is accused of forcing immigrants to work on construction projects at Chinese diplomatic facilities in the United States. Wealthy people across the United States have been requesting house arrest as they await trial in hopes of skipping out on jail time. One of the most recent requests comes from Dan Zhong, who wants to stay in his home in Livingston, New Jersey, pictured, as he awaits trial For now, he's a prisoner at the fortress-like Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. But he has resources other prisoners don't - his uncle is a Chinese billionaire, Wang Wenliang, who has drawn scrutiny over his large donations to American political campaigns and nonprofits like the Clinton Foundation. Hiring a security firm to ensure Zhong doesn't flee the property 'is a very, very expensive proposition', defense attorney Thomas Fitzpatrick said at a hearing recently. 'His family in China is willing to spend that money to get him out of the MDC,' he said. Prosecutors so far have won the fight to deny Zhong release on $10million bail, in part by arguing that his finances are too murky. Another hearing is scheduled for Monday. If a judge approved the scheme, Zhong would join a list of loaded defendants who turned their homes into a gilded cage. Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff was released on $10million bail and allowed to live in his $7million Manhattan apartment (pictured above) before he was sentenced to a 150-year prison term in 2009 Police stood guard outside Madoff's New York apartment (pictured above) as he awaited trial Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn posted $5million bail so he could stay, under guard, in his Manhattan townhouse (pictured above) in 2011 until charges were later dropped Police waiting outside Strauss-Kahn's apartment while he was on house arrest six years ago Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff was released on $10million bail and allowed to live in his $7million Manhattan apartment before he was sentenced to a 150-year prison term in 2009. Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn posted $5million bail so he could stay, under guard, in his Manhattan townhouse in 2011 until charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a hotel maid were dropped. More recently, a judge released Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng on $50million bail so he could live in his $4million Manhattan apartment, under 24-hour watch by two $200-per-hour security guards, while awaiting trial in a bribery case involving the United Nations. A judge released Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng on $50million bail so he could live in his $4million Manhattan apartment (pictured above), under 24-hour watch by two $200-per-hour security guards Other judges have been less hospitable. Last year, US District Judge Richard Berman denied a $50million private-jail bail bid by gold trader Reza Zarrab, who is charged with violating US sanctions on Iran. Berman called it 'unreasonable because it helps to foster inequity and unequal treatment in favor of a very small cohort of criminal defendants who are extremely wealthy'. Another federal judge in Brooklyn, Nicholas Garaufis, grew disdainful last year when Jacob 'Kobi' Alexander, a former technology firm CEO who spent ten years on the lam in Africa, unsuccessfully sought release on $25million bail in a securities fraud case. 'Spare me. I wasn't born yesterday,' the judge said at the time. A letter from Guidepost Solutions, a firm headed by former federal prosecutors, lays out the strict conditions for guarding Zhong, including installing alarms, sensors and cameras at his home and instructing his guards to take cellphones from any visitors - and even use 'reasonable force' to keep him from fleeing. But prosecutors in the UN bribery case have questioned Guidepost's resolve in their contract to secure Ng. Zhong is now staying at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in the Brooklyn borough of New York, but is trying to be released to be put on house arrest In court papers, they complained the defendant was visited by a masseuse 16 times and was allowed to pick up meals at his favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Before his arrest, Zhong ran a business affiliated with China Rilin Construction Group, owned by his uncle, Wenliang Wang. Wang has made large donations to Virginia Gov Terry McAuliffe. One of his companies, based in New Jersey, gave $70,000 to the Democrat's gubernatorial campaign and $50,000 to his inaugural committee in 2013, according to campaign finance records. Rilin Construction also gave at least $1million to the Clinton Foundation, according to the foundation. McAuliffe's dealings with Wang touched off a federal probe that the governor's lawyer has said found no wrongdoing. Wang also was among dozens of members of China's legislature expelled last year in a vote-buying scandal. In a past ruling denying Zhang bail, Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes suggested that in dealing with the super-rich, even bails in the tens of millions that could be forfeited to the government don't dampen the incentive to flee. Donald Trump has hit back at Meryl Streep calling her a 'Hillary lover' after her Golden Globes acceptance speech took aim at the president-elect. Streep, who was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday, slammed Trump in front of a room of stunned Hollywood stars. She said the moment he mocked and humiliated a disabled reporter 'broke her heart' as Streep labelled it the year's most stunning performance. Scroll down for video President-elect Donald Trump has hit back at Meryl Streep (pictured with Hillary Clinton in 2012) saying she is a 'Hillary lover' after she used her Golden Globes speech to slam him Streep, who was honored with the Cecil B. DeMille lifetime achievement award on Sunday, slammed Donald Trump in front of a room of stunned Hollywood stars Trump told the New York Times early Monday that he had not seen Streep's speech or the Golden Globes coverage. Poll Should Meryl Streep have brought up politics? Yes No Should Meryl Streep have brought up politics? Yes 24796 votes No 25593 votes Now share your opinion But he said he was 'not surprised' that he was being criticized by 'liberal movie people'. The president-elect said: 'I was never mocking anyone. I was calling into question a reporter who had gotten nervous because he had changed his story. 'People keep saying I intended to mock the reporters disability, as if Meryl Streep and others could read my mind, and I did no such thing.' He added: 'And remember, Meryl Streep introduced Hillary Clinton at her convention, and a lot of these people supported Hillary.' Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in support of Clinton last year, never mentioned Trump by name during her speech. The president-elect came under fire in 2015 for mocking New York Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski by impersonating the journalist's physical handicap. It was an incident replayed frequently in campaign advertising last year. 'There was nothing good about it, but it did its job,' Streep said of the moment in her acceptance speech. 'It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie, it was in real life. Trump came under fire in 2015 for mocking New York Times investigative reporter Serge Kovaleski by impersonating the journalist's physical handicap Streep spoke at the Democratic National Convention and is pictured here with Hillary and Bill Clinton back in 1999 'It was that moment when a person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter - someone he outranked in privilege, in power and in the capacity to fight back. 'That instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same. 'Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose.' Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, also called for the press to stand up to Trump and hold him to account going forward. Meryl Streep, the Cecil B. DeMille honoree, used her Golden Globes acceptance speech on Sunday night to publicly slam Donald Trump for mocking a disabled reporter The Cecil B. DeMille honoree's speech stunned the audience, leaving many teary-eyed Trump had mocked Kovaleski at a rally in South Carolina for what he saw as the reporter stepping away from an article he wrote on the 9/11 attacks in The Washington Post. 'Now the poor guy, you ought to see this guy,' Trump said, drawing his wrists up close to his chest and flailing around. '"Ah, I don't know what I said! I don't remember!"' Kovaleski has arthrogryposis, a congenital condition that has locked his right arm up against his chest in a similar position to the one Trump held. He claimed Trump was mocking his disability, while Trump denied at the time knowing who Kovaleski was. A grieving father who sued a hospital over his partner's death has settled for an undisclosed pay-out. In 2010 at the Latrobe Regional Hospital in Traralgon, Linda Parker, 39, gave birth by caesarean section for the fourth time. But doctors at the facility had failed to investigate the possibility of a 40 per cent chance of a life-threatening problem associated with repeated caesareans, placenta accreta, The Age reported. Linda Parker pictured with one of her children before her death in 2010 Ms Parker's newborn, Alicia, was healthy, but the mother-of-four began bleeding heavily from her womb after the C-section. Bleeding was caused by the placenta being stuck to the uterus rather than naturally detaching - placenta accreta. She was given large quantities of blood to replace what she had lost. But her heart stopped twice and she had to be resuscitated, with an obstetrician even trying to remove her womb to stop the bleed. Instead he accidentally cut her bladder, The Age reported. It was then that her abdomen was packed with gauze and she was airlifted to the Monash Medical Centre, however, efforts were in vain. Ms Parker spent the next week on life support, unrecognisable due to swelling around her face. Jamie Hare with daughter Alicia, who was born just before Ms Parker died Eleven days after giving birth, her life support was turned off. Seven years after her death, Ms Parker's widower, Jamie Hare, and their children are still affected by the loss. 'It breaks my heart that my youngest daughter will never know her mother,' a still-grieving Mr Hare said. 'This should never have happened.' Recently, Mr Hare sued the Latrobe Regional Hospital and obstetrician Andre Paul Hugo over her death. It breaks my heart that my youngest daughter will never know her mother. Grieving partner Jamie Hare They settled for an unspecified figure, according to The Age. In 2015, a coronial inquest found confusion in paperwork led to a failure to identify the potential risks of Alicia's birth. The Coroners Court heard Doctor Andre Paul Hugo - one of Ms Parker's obstetricians - failed to connect her birth history and the risk of placenta accreta. He was later suspended by the Medical Board of Australia during an investigation into stillbirth in Western Australia, where he had moved to from Victoria Hugo also surrendered his medical registration and was fined in 2016. He no longer lives in Australia. Two travellers, who were shamed online for wearing pyjamas in Tesco, have hit out at the man who took a picture of them while shopping. Chris Cooke branded the shoppers 'bloody disgusting' when he posted the picture of the women swanning down an aisle in the chain's Salford store, in Manchester, in pink nightwear and slippers on Facebook. He demanded that people wearing pyjamas be banned from the shop after snapping the two women browsing groceries in their dressing gowns. But the women, from Nottingham, branded their critic 'sexist' and 'racist' and said the whole incident was 'an attack on our culture'. 24 hours: A Tesco shopper was outraged when they snapped two women (pictured) in pyjamas and slippers carrying a basket through the shop at around 7pm One told The Sun: 'I'm disgusted that a man has taken our picture and put it online asking for Tesco to ban people wearing their pyjamas. 'Me and my mum were chatting and our language is different from other people and they probably realised that and decided to target us because of it. 'It would be different if I had no clothes on and was walking around naked but I had clothes on. I don't feel the need to impress the man who is complaining about it. 'I don't need to dress up, put on make-up and do my hair for him. I only have my husband to impress, not some stranger in the supermarket.' When Mr Cooke posted the picture on Tesco's Facebook page he said he had seen people shopping in the Greater Manchester store in their pyjamas on a regular basis and added that the retail giant should bring in a policy not to serve people who were inappropriately dressed. He wrote: 'Dear Tesco, please can you put a rule in place that people like this will not be served in your stores. It's bloody disgusting. 'This was at 7pm last night at your Tesco Salford store and I have seen other people dressed similar on a regular basis. 'I mean who doesn't have the time to get changed into clothes to go shopping?' Public outrage: Chris Cooke took to the Tesco Facebook page to say that the retail giant should bring in an official policy not to serve people who are inappropriately dressed Support: A Tesco spokeswoman quickly replied and revealed that the company had received a number of complaints about under-dressed customers A Tesco spokeswoman quickly replied and revealed that the company had received a number of complaints about under-dressed customers making people feel 'uncomfortable'. The Tesco reply read: 'Many of our customers have told us that they feel uncomfortable when they see other shoppers wearing unsuitable clothing in our stores and we do try to find a balance that everyone is happy with. 'Although we don't have a formal dress code in our stores, we rely on our management team to use their discretion and common sense.' Tesco did ban pyjamas in a superstore in Cardiff in 2010 after customers complained that people shopping in nightwear made them feel 'uncomfortable'. Signs were put up in the window headed 'Tesco Dress Code Police', asking customers to be 'appropriately dressed' when visiting the store. It added: 'footwear must be worn at all times and no nightwear is permitted'. Backlash: Many people could not see a problem and said a customer's attire was their own business. Joel Brackenbury called for Mr Cooke, who posted the image, to be banned Ridicule: Various people made fun of the post, finding it hilarious that Mr Cooke was suggesting Tesco impose some kind of 'dress code' Unpopular: Most continued to mock Mr Cooke's request, with one person pointing out that banning women going to the shops in their PJs would 'not go down well round here' Judgemental: Many people could not see a problem and said a customer's attire was their own business, suggesting that a ban on pyjamas would be impossible Unworkable: One woman, who admitted she has been to Tesco in her onesie before, asked: 'How will you ban them?' 'It's clothing ain't it?: A commenter said that the women were wearing clothes and were therefore not 'lazy,' as Mr Cooke had suggested Clandestine: Another customer said that the real issue was 'snapping pictures without someone's consent'. They added: 'It's pathetic. It's like me complaining about people going out in flip flops with chipped polish on their toes 'Get a grip': Yet more people lambaste Mr Cooke after the comment posted on the Tesco Facebook page gets national media coverage A minority did agree with Mr Cooke and branded the women 'bone idle'. However, others did not share his feelings and shamed him for 'taking photos of strangers minding their own business'. Joel Brackenbury wrote: 'Dear Tesco, can you please put a rule in place that people like Mr Cooke will not be served in your stores. 'I for one find it uncomfortable to have to shop alongside people who spend their time taking photographs of strangers minding their own business rather than ignoring things that do not affect them in any way.' Another customer added: 'It's pathetic. It's like me complaining about people going out in flip flops with chipped polish on their toes. 'It makes me uncomfortable but you don't see me taking photos of people's feet.' The arrests of 17 alleged veteran armed robbers behind the multi-million pound Kim Kardashian jewellery heist in Paris will end 'outrageous' speculation that it was all a publicity stunt, her lawyer said today. The accused men, aged mostly between 50 and 72, are suspected of stealing millions of pounds worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian in Paris. Barrister Jean Veil said his 36-year-old client had been left deeply traumatised after being bound, gagged and threatened with death in the French capital last October. But following coordinated raids at 6am today, the gang including a 'major thug' in his 70s are thought to have been rounded up. 'I welcome this with great satisfaction,' said Mr Veil, who said he was due to discuss details of the raids with Ms Kardashian when she woke up in Los Angeles today. 'These arrests are a nice surprise because on the one hand, it will perhaps make it possible to find the jewellery,' said Mr Veil. 'On the other hand, it puts an end to the outrageous speculation by some, who thought it was intelligent to pretend that this robbery was staged, or a publicity stunt organised by Ms Kardashian.' Mr Veil indicated that Ms Kardashian would look forward 'putting her nose up' at those who had doubted her word. Reality star Kim, 36, was woken at 2.35am on October 3 as she slept in her luxury Paris apartment During recent conversations, Mr Veil said Ms Kardashian 'still showed some form of anxiety. I think she was recently shocked and had the opportunity to say so on television. 'The money she lost during this robbery is not the only issue. Even though my client was not injured, this assault was very brutal and traumatic. Imagine yourself alone, at night, in front of armed people.' Ms Kardashian feared 'they're going to shoot me in the back,' she said this weekend on 'Keeping up with the Kardashians', adding: 'There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it.' Today it also emerged that French police have failed to call on the key witness in the case because the authorities will not grant him a temporary visa to enter France. The sixteen suspects' homes are still being searched, with documents and other potential evidence being seized. A suspect (right) is pictured being escorted to a police station Abdulrahman, the Algerian concierge who was tied up and forced to give the robbers access to the reality star's apartment, left France in November to recover from the stress of the experience. Currently in Algeria, Abdulrahman, 39, is thought to be the only person to have clearly seen the intruders' faces, and to have had prolonged conversations with them on the night of the crime. So far, however, investigators have not contacted him to identify the suspects, and his attempts to enter France to be available to police have been rejected, MailOnline can reveal. 'Before leaving France, the judge in charge of this case told my lawyers that I should renew my residence permit so I can travel quickly for the investigation purposes,' he told MailOnline. 'Last week, I was in Paris to receive a letter from 'le prefet de Police' but he refused my request.' He added: 'It is so crazy.' Coordinated raids at 6am saw a total of 16 men including a 'major thug' arrested in the city, and also in the south of France. A handcuffed man was seen being led in to a police station in Paris following the raids today It comes as police revealed that at least two of the suspects arrested this morning are of northern Algerian descent. Ouatiki's lawyer, Henri de Beauregard, told MailOnline: 'He had a visa that expired in November, and when he applied for a new one, he was refused. 'He doesn't want to stay in France for long, he just wants to come and be available for the investigation and help the police. It is important for justice and important for him. 'A victim is a victim. He is no less a victim than Kim he has a right to face his aggressor. Raids are also underway at other key premises, including a jewellery shop in the centre of Paris. Police are pictured bringing a suspect into custody in Paris 'I don't know if this is incompetence or just a bad decision. He is the best witness, he saw the criminals much longer than Miss Kardashian. I hope the police have a lot of solid proof and evidence, because if they don't, it will be seen as a crazy decision.' The suspects that police have held are accused of breaking into the reality TV star's Paris apartment block last October, and tying her up at gunpoint, along with a security guard. Coordinated dawn raids saw a total of 17 suspects, mostly with long criminal records, arrested in the city and also in the south of France, a source close to the case said. This morning, it emerged that the DNA sample that ultimately led to today's arrest was found on a piece of tape used to gag Ms Kardashian. A suspect in Kim Kardashian West's Paris robbery is brought to BRB building, Brigade de Repression du Banditisme (suppression of banditry brigade), by police After three months of checks, it was finally found to correspond to a well-known criminal who had been involved in numerous armed robberies. He has not been named but like all the others in custody can be held for up to 96 hours before being charged or released. One of the suspected 'Mr Bigs' allegedly involved in the robbery has been partially identified as Pierre B., a 'career villain' living in Grasse, in the south of France. The 72-year-old is part of a diverse network of alleged criminals spanning different communities across France and Belgium. As well as Pierre B. who made millions through counterfeit money they include three women, and two diamond dealers. The suspects that police have held are accused of breaking into the reality TV star's Paris apartment block last October The accused men are suspected of stealing millions of pounds worth of jewellery Sources say that 'months of surveillance' has taken place, including phone taps. A suspect is pictured being taken to a police station in Paris French police have arrested 16 people over the robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris, it has emerged Some of the women are thought to have been involved in trailing Ms Kardashian around Paris before the October heist. Homes are still being searched, with documents and other potential evidence being seized. Raids are also underway at other key premises, including a jewellery shop in the centre of Paris. The source confirmed that 'months of surveillance' has taken place, including phone taps. Spending patterns have been looked at, and attempts to re-sell the jewellery stolen in October. Beyond the five thought to have been directly involved in the crime, others include so called 'fences' who can dispose of stolen goods. One theory is that many of Ms Kardashian's jewels ended up in Antwerp the diamond capital of Europe. Just an hour before the robbery, Kim posted a video on Snapchat that showed her wearing the engagement ring (left) Belgium police are known to be involved in the investigation, and are carrying out checks in a number of businesses in the port city. Ms Kardashian feared 'they're going to shoot me in the back,' she said this weekend, adding: 'There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it.' After months of detailed police work, DNA has now been found in the Hotel de Pourtales also known as 'No Address', which is close to the U.S. Embassy in the French capital. The forensics material matches that of a well-known armed robber with a number of convictions whom another officer described as a 'major thug'. All the others arrested were linked to him. Bling: Kim posted this image of the 3.5m ring that was stolen on Instagram before the robbery 'Coordinated raids took place at 6am today,' said the source. 'The men were arrested at addresses in greater Paris and in the Gard department. 'The oldest supect is 72, while others are in their 50s and 60s. All are well known to the police.' Ms Kardashian, who flew out of Paris within hours of her ordeal, will now have to undergo the ordeal of watching a video of all the men. It is being sent to New York, where she will have to watch it with American officers working with the French. 'The hope is that she will be able to recognise the men, so as to make positive identifications,' said the source. Ms Kardashian, was tied up and locked a bathroom as the gang fled with jewellery including a ring worth around 4million, and a case of jewellery worth 5million. The 36-year-old, who is married to rap star Kanye West, finally broke her silence about the incident on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' at the weekend. The gang escaped on bicycles but one of them dropped a diamond pendant worth around 28,000 in the street outside. It was found by a woman who handed it in to police, as grainy CCTV of the men on bikes also emerged. Ms Kardashian also lodged a legal complaint after she was filmed at the flat immediately after the robbery possibly by an aide. Her lawyers said in October the video was made 'without her consent or the police's and while the police were investigating the crime scene'. Ms Kardashian has, meanwhile, said she is prepared to return to France if summoned by a judge leading the investigation. Jean Veil, the barrister acting for her in Paris, said last year that 'she is very calm and very determined over a matter that was particularly violent'. The multimillionaire, who was in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week, was locked in a bathroom while robbers stole a $4.5 million ring and a case of jewellery valued at $5.6 million Mr Veil said: 'If she is summoned to France, she will come to France, but judges also have the possibility of moving [to the USA]. This is a formal process, which cannot be done on the phone, or even via a video link.' The five men thought to have been directly involved in the attack face charges of 'armed robbery by an organised gang, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping'. An instructing judge is leading an investigation involving some 100 judicial and criminal brigade officers. Ms Kardashian, who flew out of Paris within hours of her ordeal, will now have to undergo the ordeal of watching a video of all the men, and may also have to attend an identity parade in Paris. Germany is considering electronically tagging potential terrorists with electronic ankle bracelets even if they have not been convicted of a crime. Detention without trial is also on the cards if the countries of origin of terror suspects refuse to take them back. Justice minister Heiko Maas is discussing the issue with police chiefs and other ministers in the wake of the pre-Christmas lorry massacre in Germany which left 12 dead and 48 injured. The battered front of the truck that ISIS terrorist Anis Amri used to kill 12 people in Berlin which has prompted ministers to consider tagging potential extremists The truck that was killed 12 people at the hands of Anis Amri is towed away from the wreckage 'We must do everything to have potentially dangerous individuals identified at a glance, even before a possible court verdict,' he said. 'Therefore there can be no taboo around the use of electronic ankle cuffs.' Germany estimates it has close to 600 highly dangerous potential terrorists in its midst which it cannot charge for lack of concrete proof or monitor constantly because of lack of manpower and funds. The law in Germany regarding the use of electronic tagging was changed in the summer of last year following an axe attack on a train by an Isis supporter and the suicide bombing by another. But as it stands only people arrested and freed on bail can be tagged. Maas now wants the law to apply to all potential terrorists hiding among the million-plus refugees who came to Germany over the last 18 months. On Tuesday he will meet with interior minister Thomas de Maiziere. The ankle tagging is one of a raft of security measures under consideration following the truck slaughter. One of them would give police the right to seize and hold individuals suspected of 'endangering public security' even if there were no direct concrete plans for an attack discovered. Also on the table is the possibility of holding rejected asylum seekers considered potential terrorists in custody without trial. Berlin Christmas market truck killer Anis Amri Maas said: 'Detention may be imposed in the future for suspected dangerous people if the countries of origin do not co-operate on repatriation.' Had such a law been in existence last year, the truck attack carried out by Tunisian born Anis Amri might never have happened. He was free to roam around the continent even though he had been served with a deportation order because Tunisia initially refused to accept he was a citizen. Also being discussed are potential sanctions against states which do not take back people rejected for asylum in Germany. Wendi Deng enjoyed a love-in with her Hungarian toyboy as the couple got very intimate outside her holiday home. The 48-year-old ex-wife of Rupert Murdoch was seen snogging 21-year-old Hungarian model Bertold Zahoran as they relaxed at her villa in St Barts. The couple spent the New Year holidays on the Caribbean island and were repeatedly seen kissing on a sunlounger outside the property and strolling hand-in-hand in the streets around her getaway apartment. Wendi Deng has been spotted getting very intimate with her new toy boy Bertold Zahoran The 48-year-old was seen in a tight embrace with the 21-year-old outside her holiday home The pair were repeatedly seen kissing outside the villa in St Barts over the New Year holiday The couple, who met in May but went public with their romance last month, spent the holidays together on the Caribbean island Wendi was seen with her arms draped around her much-younger boyfriend during the trip Mother-of-two Wendi wore a red and white top, a pair of daisy duke jean shorts and a panama hat as the couple laughed while walking together in the sun. Bertold, wearing a maroon T-shirt, jeans and aviator sunglasses kissed his older girlfriend's hand as they strolled behind a driver through the resort. The couple had spent the New Year together along with Deng's two daughters after Zahoran jetted in from spending Christmas with his family in Hungary. Bertold shared photos of them together with his 32,000 Instagram followers, along with the message 'Happy New Year!' in three languages - English, Chinese and Hungarian. The couple were also seen joking as they strolled through the streets near her apartment Bertold kissed his lover's hand as they walked behind a driver during their New Year escape Wendi, 48, wore a red and white top with jeans shorts as the couple walked near her home Bertold smiled and laughed with his new love as they strolled through the resort's car park The couple spent the New Year holidays at Deng's Caribbean retreat with Deng's daughters The couple were repeatedly seen clinching on a sunlounger outside her property The romance, which began last May, has been the talk of fashion circles and among the power players in New York where Deng lives in a 36m home she received as part of her 2013 divorce settlement from Murdoch. In an exclusive interview with MailOnline last week, Bertold's mother, Varga who is herself three years younger than Chinese-born Deng told of her pride at her top model son. She said: 'Physically he is good looking, but all mothers would say that about their son. I wouldn't say he was very aware about his looks. 'He never thought he would be a model but of course people when they see him in magazines tell me how handsome he is.' They were frequently spotted cavorting outside the property during their trip away Bertold's mother - who is younger than Deng - has told of her pride at her son's rise to fame Bertold was born in Hungary but has become one of the hottest properties in the fashion world Zahoran posted a photo of the two celebrating their New Year's Eve together on Instagram Mother and daughter: Wendi posted this photo yesterday on Instagram with daughter Grace Among Bertold's biggest fans is Donatella Versace, who has reportedly chose him personally for one of her campaigns. Deng has not shared any images of her holiday with Zahorian online, instead choosing to post the photos she took with her daughters. She put up a picture of herself and daughter Grace, and later shared an image of daughter Chloe sitting on her lap. Three prisoners were beheaded and another dead in the latest clash between Brazilian drug gangs as the death toll reaches almost 100 inmates in just a week. The latest violence took place at the Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa jail in the center of the jungle city of Manaus, adding to brutal riots last week. In the latest attack, three of the dead were beheaded while one was strangled to death, as the remaining inmates were stripped and made to sit outside for an inspection in the aftermath of the riots. Scroll down for video Inmates stripped and made to sit outside in front of a set of goalposts for an inspection after the riots A huge pile of corpses was pictured in a corridor inside the prison after the riot lat week, during which 33 inmates were killed Horrific pictures have emerged from inside a prison in Roraima, where at least 33 inmates died last week Although government officials did not give a motive for the killings, in the past week 64 inmates have been killed in prisons in or near Manaus as rival drug gangs clashed. A prison uprising in the neighboring state of Roraima left at least 33 dead in another brutal drug feud. A total of 184 inmates escaped from Amazonas prisons in the disturbances. By Thursday afternoon, only 65 had been recaptured. Police set up roadblocks across the city. Adriano de Oliveira was killed following the weekend's riot. Media reports state that there were 12 murders in the 24 hours after the prisoners escaped. Behind the bloodshed is an escalating feud between Brazil's biggest drug gangs, which ended two decades of an uneasy working relationship about six months ago. Brazil's most powerful gang, the Sao Paulo-based First Capital Command (PCC) split with the Rio de Janeiro-based Red Command gang when the PCC took over drug trading routes in Brazil's southeast. Previously, the two groups worked together to ensure a heavy flow of drugs and arms over Brazil's borders. Members of the PCC were targeted last Sunday in the first violent outbreak, which left 56 dead, many decapitated and butchered. It was Brazil's deadliest uprising in more than two decades. It was the North Family gang, allied with the Red Command, that carried out the killings in that riot, authorities said. Police investigators and forensic technicians investigate a crime scene where Adriano de Oliveira was killed in Manaus, Brazil, after 100 inmates escaped Amazonas prisons in riots Five days later, PCC members killed 33 people at a Roraima state prison. Brutal scenes captured on a cellphone video spread widely on social media, in which the inmates are seen hacking away at bodies in acts of revenge. Authorities originally said 31 prisoners died in the Roraima uprising, but revised the total to 33 after finding two buried bodies on the prison grounds on Saturday. Experts say the PCC is moving to infiltrate areas in the Red Command's home base of Rio and infiltrating Brazil's Amazon region in efforts to control cocaine-smuggling river routes. The son of former governor-general Sir Zelman Cowen has died in a paragliding accident. Ben Cowen, 50, was on holiday with his family in Fairhaven, on Victoria's Surf Coast, when he got caught in strong winds and slammed into a cliff face before falling about 15 metres to a road. Mr Cowen suffered leg and head injuries in the crash about 2.25pm on Sunday and died at the scene. Ben Cowen (pictured), son of former governor-general Sir Zelman Cowen, has died in a paragliding accident This image is believe to be of the paragilder before he crashed at Fairhaven on Sunday A copy photo of former Governor-General Sir Zelman Cowen as seen on the order of service at his funeral in 2011 Mr Cowen was blown into cliffs at Fairhaven by strong winds on Sunday afternoon A witness, who wished to remain anonymous, said: 'The wind was really strong. 'He seemed completely fine, but then all of a sudden a horrific scene unfolded.' An entrepreneur, lawyer and investment banker, Mr Cowen had been with his wife and three children at their property near the Great Ocean Road, Fairfax reported. He was the son of the late Sir Zelman who died in 2011. He crashed to the ground near the Fairhaven Surf Life Saving Club (pictured) Former Governor General Peter Hollingworth (left) speaks with fellow former Governor General Sir Zelman Cowen (right) in 2001 Prime Minister Julia Gillard (left) speaks with Ben Cowen (right) in 2011 Sir Zelman was appointed in 1977 in the wake of the sacking of the Whitlam government. In 2003, Mr Cowen launched outdoors megastore Anaconda before establishing advisory firm Edison Partners later in the decade, the Herald Sun reported. He also carried out voluntary work for non-profit organisations and was a large contributor to his Jewish community. His brother, Rabbi Shimon Cowen, told Fairfax: 'He was an outdoorsman, who took his family camping, planning very elaborate trips. 'That was certainly one part of his life, but also he was a very family-minded person, like his father, and very devoted to his siblings and his parents.' He also described his brother as a thrill seeker. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. Donald Trump has lashed out at press again in another late night tweet, this time lambasting news organisations for claiming Mexico would not agree to pay for his controversial wall along the border. The President-elect tweeted: 'Dishonest media says Mexico won't be paying for the wall if they pay a little later so the wall can be built more quickly. Media is fake!' It comes after the former Mexican President Vicente Fox took to Twitter to make it clear that Mexico will not be paying for the wall. Scroll down for video Donald Trump tweeted late last night about his controversial Mexican wall project Trump has promised his supporters Mexico will pay for the wall. Republicans have said the wall may be initially paid for by the US, with the money being recouped from Mexico later Fox blasted The Donald tweeting: 'TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that f***** wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it.' He said earlier: 'Trump may ask whoever he wants, but still neither myself nor Mexico are going to pay for his racist monument. Another promise he can't keep.' The New York Times reported that the Government Accountability Office had estimated the wall would cost $6.5million per mile, with an additional $4.2million per mile for roads and associated works. The border is 1,989 miles long, making the total cost $21.2billion. Current Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has maintained the wall will not be funded by Mexico. A newly built section of fencing on the US-Mexico border at Sunland Park, opposite the Mexican city of Ciudad Juarez Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto (pictured, left, meeting Trump in Mexico City in August) has said there is 'no way' Mexico is paying for the wall In an interview with CNN he said: 'There is no way that Mexico can pay [for] a wall like that.' On Trump's campaign website, in a 664-word plan, it states Mexico will pay for the wall or the US will block wire transfers to Mexico. The site also states Mexicans would pay for it indirectly through higher visa fees. On Friday, congressional Republicans started plans for building the wall along the southern border before Mexico has agreed to pay. It could be funded as soon as April through the appropriations process. Trump has stated it will not ultimately cost US taxpayers. On Friday Trump tweeted: 'Any money spent on building the Great Wall (for sake of speed), will be paid back by Mexico later!' 'Not paying for that f***** wall': Fox has said before that Mexico will not pay for the wall On Friday Trump denied reports that US taxpayers would pay for the border wall Fox and Trump have previously sparred on the topic of the wall which was Trump's most famous campaign promise. Fox has consistently said Mexico will not pay for the wall. During a campaign rally in February, Trump responded to this statement by saying the wall 'just got 10ft taller'. Beyond just the wall, Fox also voiced his other qualms about Trump via Twitter. A resolution filed Monday would allow voters to determine whether the office of state treasurer should be eliminated. Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, submitted the resolution in an effort to streamline state government. During last years state treasurer campaign, Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, pushed the issue in his unsuccessful campaign for the office. Mathern signed on to Nathes resolution as a co-sponsor. We need to take a hard look, Nathe said of government efficiencies. This is nothing against the treasurer or her staff. The office of state treasurer is one of the states smaller agencies, with eight staff members. The office budget approved by lawmakers for 2015-17 was more than $252 million; of this, $250 million are dollars providing 12 percent property tax cuts to state residents. Nathe said the state finds itself in a changing time with a tight fiscal environment and a new governor signaling a desire to reinvent state government with increased efficiencies. "We all sit here and talk a good game, Nathe said of more efficient government. Lets see if were serious about it. If the resolution were to pass and voters gave their approval in the 2018 general election, a second resolution would go into effect. The second resolution would require North Dakota Legislative Management study the changes in state law needed to make the transition and how to parcel out the duties of the office to other agencies. If the resolution were to pass and voters were to approve the proposal, it could open the door to pursuing the same path for other smaller agencies, according to Nathe. State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt hadnt yet seen the resolution Monday morning but provided an initial statement to reporters. The people of this state have voted twice, once in 1984 and again in 2000 to retain the office of the state treasurer, Schmidt said. I believe it will be the voice of the people that will speak again to retain the office. The treasurers office provides the checks and balances and the transparency in government spending that the people have come to trust. In the Legislature, the issue of abolishing the office most recently came up in 2001. A resolution that would have put the matter to a vote of the people and eliminated the office effective Jan. 1, 2005, passed the Senate but failed in the House. Mathern voted against the resolution at that time. Michael Chamberlain, whose baby daughter Azaria was killed by a dingo in central Australia in 1980, has reportedly died at the age of 72. The retired teacher and former pastor died in Gosford Hospital on Monday night after suffering complications from acute leukaemia, Fairfax Media reports. Close friend and solicitor Stuart Tipple told the publication his son, Reagan, and daughter Zahra were both at his bedside in his final hours. Mr Chamberlain became the subject of intense public scrutiny after his newborn daughter Azaria disappeared at the age of two months. Scroll down for video Michael Chamberlain, whose baby daughter Azaria was killed by a dingo in central Australia in 1980, has reportedly died at the age of 72 Baby Azaria was taken by a dingo in August, 1980, during a family camping trip at Uluru (she is pictured at Uluru with mother Lindy Chamberlain) His then-wife Lindy was initially jailed for life for the murder of baby Azaria, after shouting 'the dingo's got my baby' when she discovered her nine-week-old daughter missing during a family camping trip at Uluru in August, 1980. At the time of Azaria's disappearance, her bloodied jumpsuit and nappy were found half buried near a dingo's den. A jury accepted prosecutors' claims Mrs Chamberlain killed her daughter with scissors in the family car, then staged the dingo attack. Mr Chamberlain was found guilty of being an accessory and was given an 18-month suspended sentence. But the chance discovery of Azaria's matinee jacket in an area full of dingo lairs six-years later changed the pair's fate. Azaria's bloodied jumpsuit found half buried in a dingo's den. Prosecutors initially convinced a jury Mrs Chamberlain had buried it there The Chamberlain tent at Uluru nine-week-old Azaria disappeared from in August 1980 '[The discovery of the jacket] opened up a whole can of worms ... we had to find some way to get the whole case reviewed,' former Northern Territory chief minister Stephen Hatton told the ABC. 'We didn't believe the dingo story, but we didn't believe Lindy should be in jail for murder, we thought it was a harsh outcome.' A review eventually led to both Lindy and Michael Chamberlain being pardoned in 1987. By then, Lindy had served three years of a life sentence. After a fourth inquest in 2012 the cause of death on Azaria's death certificate was changed to 'the result of being attacked and taken by a dingo'. Michael Chamberlain and his then-wife Lindy leave court at Alice Springs Michael Chamberlain (pictured with wife Ingrid, daughter Zahra and her boyfriend Michael) has revealed his wife's battle after she was paralysed from a massive stroke four years ago Mr Chamberlain was the full-time carer of Ingrid (pictured) - who he married in 1996 Michael and Ingrid Chamberlain share a kiss in December, just one month before his death Four days before Michael passed away, Ingrid took to Facebook to ask for prayers for her husband After Michael and Lindy were exonerated, their relationship broke down and they filed for divorce three years later in 1991. Michael, who was previously a pastor in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, wrote a thesis at the University of Newcastle in 2002 about the changing nature of the religion. The next year he tried his hand at politics and stood as a Liberal candidate for the seat of Lake Macquarie in 2003. Despite notching an impressive swing against sitting member Jeff Hunter, he did not earn enough votes to claim the seat. He spent three years teaching at an Aboriginal school in Brewarrina, where a man was jailed after assaulting him twice and accusing him of murdering Azaria. After returning to Gosford he continued to teach until his retirement in 2008. Since then, he has released a number of books, and in 2016 was appointed Conjoint Professor at the University of Newcastle. His second wife Ingrid Bergner - who he married in 1996 - suffered a 'massive' stroke in 2012 which left her paralysed and Mr Chamberlain was her full-time carer. Four days before Michael passed away, Ingrid took to Facebook to ask for prayers for her husband as he 'suffered a lot of pain' and was taken to hospital. Population Matter president Chris Packham said the rising number of people in England had to be controlled England's soaring population could bring cities to a standstill as congestion grows leaving drivers spending 12 hours extra in traffic. The forecast was made by the Population Matters think tank, which based its study on estimates the population will grow by 5.5million by 2030. The average household will be 600 a year worse off in lost working time, extra fuel costs and more expensive deliveries. Overall, the England's economy will be hit by 9billion, the research said. Environmental campaigner Chris Packham, who is president of Population Matters, told The Times the natural world was 'losing badly' in a competition with Britain's built environment. And he said families could help ease the situation by making choices about many children they have. He said: 'If we want them to enjoy the natural world to have a thriving, supportive natural world they will need to survive we have to recognise that the more of them we have, the more difficult it will be for them to do that. 'We all need breathing room: animals, plants, human beings. We shouldn't have to compete for it' The Office for National Statistics forecasts that England's population will grow by 5.5 million by 2030 to 60.2 million, 10 per cent above the 54.7 million in 2015. And the number of cars will rise twice as fast, from 25.8 million to 31.2 million, as households become wealthier and acquire more vehicles, according to projections by Population Matters. Road congestion already results in the average person wasting 124 hours a year in queues of traffic and the extra time they have to allow for journeys. This is forecast to rise to 136 hours by 2030. Alistair Currie, head of campaigns at Population Matters, said: 'Every commuter knows the strain our transport system is already under, and the last thing our environment needs is more trains, cars, buses and trucks pumping out more pollution.' The sight of policemen sprinting into an estate with guns would alarm most people. But these Birmingham residents found the whole ordeal highly amusing. They filmed the moment two officers with machine guns ran towards their building from across the road. Birmingham residents filmed the moment two officers with handguns ran towards their building from across the road They laughed hysterically and shouted to each other in their language as they enjoyed the scenes from their balcony. The residents then followed the police with their camera by moving though their flat to another balcony overlooking the other side of the estate. They then filmed the police telling a man 'stay there, stay there' as he stood calmly against a wall during the raid. They then filmed the police telling a man 'stay there, stay there' as he stands calmly against a wall during the raid The residents then walked across a roof where they could see police running through a car park. They continued to chuckle, finding the officers' efforts to keep their streets safe a source of great amusement. The reason for the raid is not known. Australia Zoo has made a joke on social media after a second woman was bitten by a wild snake in a week at the park. The zoo said the woman aged in her 30s, was taken to hospital after she accidentally stepped on a small green tree snake on Monday afternoon. 'Oops... she did it again,' the post said on Facebook. Australia Zoo made a joke on Facebook after a second woman was bitten by a snake in a week The zoo said the woman, aged in her 30s was taken to hospital after she accidentally stepped on a small green tree snake on Monday afternoon (stock image) 'Today a visitor at Australia Zoo didn't see a small, non-venomous green tree snake on the pathway and received a bite to the leg after accidentally stepping on it.' The Facebook post was met with positive comments after the zoo confirmed the woman was doing fine after she was assessed in hospital. 'Following protocol, the guest is now being checked over at the hospital,' the zoo said. 'Ps. Snake is fine too!' However, one woman did not see the funny side to the incident. 'That is certainly no joke. No lol time,' she wrote. 'I wonder if you would be so flip if they were bitten? Especially as they are so young and snake bite don't tickle. Very painful.' A woman (pictured third from the left with her family and the Irwin family) returned to the zoo a day after she was bitten by the non-venomous green tree snake last week The zoo said the woman was taken to hospital after she accidentally stepped on the snake The latest incident comes just a week after another woman, aged in her 20s, was bitten by the same species in the park's wetlands area The latest incident comes just a week after another woman, aged in her 20s, was bitten by the same species in the park's wetlands area. The woman returned to the zoo with her family where they were joined by Terri Irwin and her children Bindi and Robert in a photograph with a giant Burmese python. The zoo issued a statement, saying green tree snakes are a 'common occurrence in the wetlands as it is the perfect environment for their favourite food, frogs'. The venue confirmed last week's incident was 'the only time a guest has been bitten by a snake at Australia Zoo in our 46 year history'. A clubber and his friends claim they were kicked out of an Uber for being gay after the driver told them he didn't want them kissing in the car. Paul Hanafin, 20, said the driver threw his party of four out of the car after one man kissed another on the cheek in the back seat during the journey in London. The group had booked a car after a night out celebrating a friend's birthday at one of the world's most famous gay nightclubs - Heaven in Charing Cross. The student and waiter claims the driver collected them without any issues but his attitude 'turned cold' when one of the men gave another man a peck on the cheek and told them he didn't want 'gay stuff' in his car. Paul Hanafin (left and right), 20, said the driver threw his party of four out of the car after one man kissed another on the cheek in the back seat during the journey in London The group had booked a car after a night out celebrating a friend's birthday at one of the world's most famous gay nightclubs - Heaven in Charing Cross Mr Hanafin, from Thurrock, Essex, said: 'We were all shocked.. You don't expect that sort of homophobia in London in this day and age. 'It was literally a peck on the cheek between two of my friends to say thank you for coming out to celebrate their birthday. 'We had just been chatting away about what a good night we'd had but this totally spoiled it. We had to get a bus the rest of the way. 'He'd just picked us up from a gay club so it wouldn't have been hard for him to guess we were gay before he accepted the journey. 'Heaven is one of the most famous gay clubs in Europe. We had such a good time and all of a sudden the driver just turned cold on us. 'He said: "You're not doing that in my car." We were a bit shocked by it. I said: 'Excuse me?' 'I could maybe understand it if they were snogging but they were only holding hands and had a peck on the cheek. 'We were laughing because we thought it was a joke but he kept telling us it wasn't funny. 'He got dead serious and told us to get out. He told us he didn't want any "gay stuff" in his car. It was so disgusting and so rude.' Mr Hanafin, who has just blogged about the incident for the first time, claims he then had to get a bus back to where his car was parked in Angel Mr Hanafin, who has just blogged about the incident for the first time, claims he then had to get a bus back to where his car was parked in Angel. He praised Uber's support team for the way they handled his group's complaint following the incident, which happened in May. Mr Hanafin said: 'Why should we hide who we are? When he kicked us out I had no idea where we were, our phone batteries were dying, and it was about 4am. 'It was freezing cold and we were all wondering: "What do we do now?" We had to work out how to get a bus to where my car was parked. 'I was not happy. It's homophobia. We wouldn't stand for that if is was sexism or racism. It's not OK for a driver to say: "I don't want any girls in my car". 'This was 2016 in London. Who stands for that? We complained to Uber and gave the driver a rubbish rating. 'To be fair, they were outraged too and were really helpful. They are a modern, international company and dealt with it really well. They gave us a full refund. 'If if hadn't been for their positive response, I would not be using them again. This was probably just one bad egg.' A spokesman for Uber confirmed the incident was investigated internally and the customers were 'comfortable and happy' with how it was addressed. Chinese animal trainers have been caught tying up an endangered tiger for spectators to take pictures with at a circus show. A shocking video of the scenes appeared on Chinese news websites today. In the video, the Amur Tiger, a protected species in China, got its body and limbs tied while lying on a table at an animal circus in Hunan, southern China. Forceful: Three workers tied the tiger on a table at a circus in Hunan, southern China Tourists queued up waiting to sit on the tiger and have their pictures taken, according to the video, which was posted on iqiyi.com, a Chinese video-sharing platform. It is unclear who filmed the clip but the video was widely shared online, drawing concerns from web users and critics from animal rights groups. The short clip, which has drawn over 42,000 views, was believed to be taken at a circus in Yiyang city, Hunan, southern China. Cruel: At least two belts were tied on the tiger's body, leaving no room for the animal to move Many parents and children waited to sit on the animal's back and have pictures taken The beginning of the clip showed three circus trainers tying the tiger on a table with sticks and ropes. The ferocious animal appeared to be powerless and distressed. There were about 30 people, including young toddlers in the circus tent, waiting to have pictures taken with the tiger. One mother carried her child close to the tiger, but the child refused to sit on the big cat and screamed, 'I am scared! I am scared!' Children appeared to be frightened sitting on the tiger, while their parents laughed Outcry: Animal rights group criticised the animal circus for its cruel performance A worker on microphone encouraged the others to follow when a lady sat on the tiger's back. The worker said: 'How cool it is to sit on a tiger? Perhaps this can keep you away from the devils and bring you wealth too?' The action of sitting on a tiger is reminiscent of the God of Wealth in Chinese tradition. People believe that the God of Wealth would bring good fortune and ward off problems. While the tourists were enjoying sitting on its back, the powerful animal looked sad as it was unable to move. The end of the video showed the moment when the tiger was released free from the straps. It pounced off the table and quickly ran away from the stage. The workers released the straps and the tiger was finally set free Animal rights groups, such as PETA UK, condemned the cruel behaviour carried out by the animal trainers. Elisa Allen, Director, PETA UK, said: 'No tiger would trade freedom for captivity to be caged, dominated, tied down, whipped, and used as a prop for a tacky photo.' 'The only way to make these highly intelligent and powerful hunters pose for the camera is to keep them under constant threat of punishment, intimidate them, and restrain them.' Ms Allen added: 'This tiger was bound and strapped so tightly that he couldn't even lift his head, while a caged bear paced around and around in the background, showing the psychological damage that's commonly seen in animals used in circuses.' And it is not just tigers that are subject to cruel treatment at animal circuses in Asia. According to Ms Allen, PETA Asia has found out that circus trainers drag, yank, beat, jab, whip, and kick lion and bear cubs to break their spirits and make them comply. Amur Tiger, also known as Siberian Tiger, is an endangered and protected animal in China Amur Tiger, also known as Siberian Tiger, is listed as an endangered animal by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. It is also a Grade I endangered species under China's law on the Protection of Wildlife. In the 1930s and 1940s, there were about 40 Amur Tigers in the world. Nowadays, the number stood at about 540. Amur Tigers once ranged throughout all of north-eastern China, Russian Far East, and eastern. According to WWF, their main habitat is now restricted to the Sikhote-Alin mountain range in the Russian Far East. The four-hour waiting target at NHS A&E departments could be scrapped for non-urgent cases, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt signaled today. He admitted some NHS hospitals are currently facing 'very serious problems' due to the sharp rise in the number of people attending A&E. Mr Hunt pleaded with the public to stay away from A&E unless they had genuine emergencies. Hospitals say three in ten visits to A&E departments in England are not emergencies. Mr Hunt also hinted at a root and branch review of how NHS England operates A&E departments. The four-hour waiting target at NHS A&E departments will be scrapped for non-urgent cases, Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt signaled today He told MPs in an emergency statement today: 'It is clear that we need to have an honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments.' But despite hospitals reporting unprecedented demand for services and two deaths in Worcestershire A&E last week, Mr Hunt rejected claims the NHS is in 'crisis.' It led shadow health Jon Ashworth to accuse him of living in 'la la land'. He said Mr Hunt and No 10 were to blame for the 'winter crisis' in the NHS and said they made a 'monumental error' to ignore calls for extra support for social care last year. Mr Ashworth demanded the Government brings forward the extra 700million allocated for 2019 and spend it now. Mr Hunt admitted that 'one or two' hospitals have been under severe pressure and repeatedly urged the public to stay away from A&E departments unless they have a genuine emergency. The situation is 'extremely fragile' at a number of trusts, Mr Hunt said - in particular at the Worcestershire Royal hospital - where two patients died while in A&E last week - and services have also been severely affected in the north Midlands. Mr Hunt blamed the 'unprecedented' demand for A&E on an ageing population, increased life expectancy and 'higher consumer expectations' over what patients want from the NHS. Hinting at a root and branch review of A&E in NHS England, Jeremy Hunt told MPs in an emergency Commons statement today: 'It is clear that we need to have an honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments.' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, pictured left speaking to ITV Good Morning Britain presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid today, said 'one or two' hospitals have been under severe pressure and repeatedly urged the public to stay away from A&E departments unless they have a genuine emergency More hospitals reported long waiting lists at A&E departments today, including Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust Some hospitals have reported A&E attendances of up to 30 per cent higher than last year and the Tuesday after Christmas was the busiest day in the history of the NHS. As a result NHS England has hired an extra 1,600 more doctors and 3,000 more nurses since last year. Hinting that the four-hour target for treating non-urgent cases at A&E could be scrapped, Mr Hunt said: ' This government is committed to maintaining and delivering that vital four-hour commitment to patients. 'But since it was announced in 2000 there are nearly 9million more visits to our A&Es, up to 30 per cent of whom NHS England estimate do not need to be there. And the tide is continuing to rise. 'So, if we are going to protect our four-hour standard, we need to be clear it is a promise to sort out all urgent health problems within four hours, but not all health problems, however minor.' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, pictured on ITV today, will deliver an emergency statement to MPs in the Commons today He added: 'As Prof Keith Willett, NHS Englands medical director for acute care has said, no country in the world has a standard for all health problems, however small, and if we are to protect services for the most vulnerable, nor can we. 'So NHS England and NHS Improvement will continue to explore ways to ensure that at least some of the patients who do not need to be in our A&Es can be given good alternative options, building on progress underway with the streaming policy in the NHS England A&E plan. 'This way we will be able to improve the patient experience for those with more minor conditions who are currently not seen within four hours, as well as protect the four-hour promise for those who actually need it.' Earlier today Mr Hunt rejected claims by the Red Cross charity that the NHS is facing a 'humanitarian crisis'. He told the public to listen to people such as Chris Hopson, head of NHS Providers, who has rejected the claim and said it was not an 'appropriate description'. Prime Minister Theresa May also rejected this claim yesterday. Mike Adamson, chief executive of the charity, insisted the phrase was justified by the scale of the 'threat' posed to the nation's health and wellbeing by pressures on the system. Despite hospitals reporting unprecedented demand for services and two deaths in Worcestershire A&E last week, Mr Hunt rejected claims the NHS is in 'crisis,' leading shadow health Jon Ashworth, pictured, to accuse him of living in 'la la land' Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, pictured on Sky News today, will make an emergency statement on the NHS in the Commons this afternoon but rejected claims by the Red Cross that it is facing a 'humanitarian crisis' Jeremy Hunt, pictured left on ITV's Good Morning Britain show with presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, dismissed claims the NHS is facing a 'humanitarian crisis' In an article for The Times, he said there has been a 'significant change' in demand for the Red Cross's help in recent months and the charity is now working in 20 A&E departments. Mr Hunt rejected the claim, telling the BBC: 'I don't want to pretend that we haven't - at this most difficult time of the year for the NHS - had some very serious problems in some hospitals. 'I think we need to listen to independent people like Chris Hopson - no friend of the Government when it comes to NHS policy, he speaks for all hospitals in the NHS - who rejects this idea...he says that the vast majority of hospitals are actually coping slightly better than this time last year. 'We have about 2,000 more doctors than we had a year ago, about 3,000 more nurses.' Mr Hunt said one of the reasons some hospitals had 100 per cent of their beds in use rather than the recommended 85 per cent was 'because the NHS has sometimes decommissioned beds without making alternative provision in the community'. He added the Government was putting 4 billion more this year into the NHS to transform care. But he also blamed 'higher consumer expectations' over what they want from the NHS. He said people needed to remember that A&E departments 'do what they say on the tin', adding 'they are for accidents and emergencies and around 40 per cent of people in A&E departments don't actually need the care of an A&E and we need to find other ways to look after their needs'. Demands for extra NHS spending have grown since after reports of two patients dying on trolleys at the Worcestershire Royal Hospital Theresa May, in her first TV interview of the year, yesterday rejected a Red Cross claim the NHS is facing a 'humanitarian crisis' Mr Hunt also insisted problems in A&E are not just a funding issue. 'If we made the debate just about money, we'd miss a trick. It's not just about funding, it's about standards, it's about quality of care. 'We actually spend a little bit more than the average for rich countries on our health services but we still have 150 avoidable deaths in our hospitals every week we still have weekend provision that's not as good in some places as it could be.' Asked on Good Morning Britain about people waiting for hours on trolleys in A&E departments, Mr Hunt said: 'Well these problems are totally unacceptable. This is the most difficult time for the NHS in the year, it always is very difficult after the Christmas period when GP surgeries are not open over the actual days of Christmas and then they re-open and then a lot of people get sent to hospital.' He added: 'I have said there are some very severe problems in some hospitals, but we also have to listen to people like Chris Hopson who represents all the hospitals in Britain, no friend of the Government when it comes to NHS policy, who says that there is not a generalised crisis. The vast majority of hospitals are actually coping slightly better.' He went on: 'Well the situation as of this weekend is that things have eased significantly and the reports that we're getting back from the front line is that the number of people waiting for too long on trolleys has reduced to a handful now so it's much, much lower than it was a week earlier. 'This is always the busiest week but we need to work with the public to understand that accident and emergency departments are there for what is says on the tin, for accidents and emergencies.' Asked what humanitarian crisis means to him, he said: 'What it means to me is terrible problems that we see in other parts of the world and independent people are saying that is not an appropriate description. 'What is fair and what we have to deal with is the fact that we had some very serious problems in one or two hospitals and I wouldn't minimise those at all.' The Nepalese student who allegedly punched a woman in the face in horrific scenes inside a McDonald's restaurant has claimed it was a case of mistaken identity. Police say Pawan Shrestha, 19, punched a woman in the face at the fast food store on George Street in central Sydney on Saturday after an earlier brawl left him bloodied and bruised. An apologetic Shrestha said it was not his intention to hit the girl. Scroll down for video Nepalese student Pawan Shrestha (above) who allegedly punched a woman in the face in horrific scenes inside a McDonald's restaurant has claimed it was a case of mistaken identity He claimed he had intended on going after the man who had left blood streaming from his mouth but was disorientated from the earlier assault. 'I never try to hit a girl. Why, why, why?,' Shrestha told 7 News. 'I apologise to her. You're a girl, you're someone's daughter.' Shrestha has since been sacked from his job at McDonald's in Bondi and fears he could be deported. Shrestha said it wasn't his intention to hit the girl but he had intended on going after the man who had left blood streaming from his mouth but was disorientated from the assault Shrestha has since been sacked from his job at McDonald's in Bondi and fears he could be deported 'How can I show my face now?' he said. Shrestha and Norbu Sherpa, 20, were forced to surrender their passports after the wild brawl. Both men were charged with assault for their alleged roles in the horrific fight . Shocking footage shows the moment a bloodied Shrestha stumbles towards the camera and then allegedly punches a woman in the face. What follows is an all-in melee which escalates rapidly as bodies are thrown to the floor and bystanders join in - throwing fists and kicks wildly. Pawan Shrestha (pictured) allegedly hit an innocent woman in the face during an all-in brawl at a Sydney McDonald's store early on Saturday morning One man, believed to be the innocent woman's partner, can be seen kicking Shrestha in the face as other men trade blows on the floor of the restaurant. At one point a manager steps in and attempts to break up the fight, but the victim's partner pushes him away and screams: 'Get the f*** out of my face mate.' 'Suddenly he just punches a girl in the face, I was so shocked,' witness Jay Seong told 7 News. 'Just crazy, just really crazy. He just punched the girl.' In a statement given to Daily Mail Australia, NSW Police said they were called to the Sydney McDonald's at about 3.30am on Saturday following reports of an assault. 'Police have been told that the victim was allegedly scratched and punched several times by two men with a woman also assaulted,' the statement read. 'Officers from Sydney City Local Area Command attended and arrested the two men who were taken to Day Street Police Station.' After the woman was allegedly struck in the face, a violent melee broke out between two groups Shrestha was thrown to the floor and hit repeatedly in the face. He was later charged with assault occasioning bodily harm, while fellow Asian tourist Norbu Sherpa was also charged with assault Shrestha was charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm, a sentence that carries a maximum punishment of five years, and common assault. Sherpa, who tried to run away from police before being chased down and taken into custody, was charged with assault. It is believed both men are from Nepal and are in Australia on holiday without permanent residency. Police sources told 7 News the attack was unprovoked and both parties were not known to each other. The pair were given conditional bail and will appear before Downing Centre Local Court on February 15. Daily Mail Australia has approached McDonald's for comment. Advertisement Draped in dazzling kimonos, thousands of expensively made-up young Japanese women marked their entry into adulthood during the country's annual Coming of Age Day with some planning their look a year in advance. The Coming of Age is an annual holiday that marks teenagers turning 20 and so reaching official adulthood in the country. Celebrated on the second Monday of the year from snow-swept northern Japan to the subtropical south, Coming of Age Day includes those who turned 20 over the previous year or will do so before March 31 this year. The age a young person entered adulthood was set at 20 for both genders in 1876. Thousands of Japanese men and women have marked their entry into adulthood in their finest clothes, during the country's annual Coming of Age Day Japanese girls dressed in colorful kimonos pose together for a photograph during the Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at in Tokyo A girl displays an impressive array of flowers on her head as she attends a Coming of Age Day ceremony in Tokyo The age of 20 is significant in Japan because that's the age at which it becomes legal to drink, smoke and vote A Japanese woman wearing a kimono waits for her train after Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony in Tokyo. The second Monday in January is an annual holiday in the country Coming of Age Day includes those who turned 20 over the previous year or will do so before March 31 this year, including these girls in Tokyo Crowds of kimono-clad ladies and suited young men offered prayers at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine over the holiday weekend, while thousands more flocked to Tokyo Disneyland and posed for photos with Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Ceremonies are held nationwide at local town halls and offices, with many attending parties afterwards with family and friends. In Japan's disaster-hit northwest, however, ceremonies were tinged with sadness as young people remembered classmates who perished in the 2011 tsunami. A Japanese woman wearing a kimono gets on a train after the Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony in Tokyo. Some girls plan their outfits up to a year in advance The holiday is known in Japan as ''seijin no hi'', and celebrates young adults, such as these in Nagoya, in Aichi, reaching the age of majority Young adults use their smartphones on a train after attending a ceremony. Many celebrate coming of age by spending a night out drinking afterwards Beauty salons stay open all night to meet the demand for appointments, with girls spending hours having their makeup done and hair elaborately styled Twenty-year-old Japanese female tour guides, dressed in traditional kimonos, walk at Meiji shrine in Tokyo after a purification ceremony to celebrate their landmark day The age of 20 is significant in Japan because that's the age at which it becomes legal to drink, smoke and vote, so the day is seen as a threshold between youth and becoming a responsible adult. Some women make appointments a year in advance to have their hair and make-up done and to have a kimono fitted a notoriously fiddly task. Beauty salons often stay open all night to meet the rush for styling. While most women wear kimonos, men tend to wear business suits. The Coming of Age tradition - a celebration for those who turned 20 in the past year - dates back to 714 when a young prince kitted himself out in new robes and had a fresh haircut to celebrate leaving his teen years behind Young Japanese women dressed in colorful kimonos ride a roller coaster after attending a ceremony marking the 'Coming of Age Day' at the Toshimaen Amusement Park in Tokyo Young Japanese women show off their manicured nails as they pose together for a selfie at the Toshimaen Amusement Park Young Japanese women dressed in colorful kimonos use their smartphones while holding umbrellas outside a train station as they gather for a ceremony marking the 'Coming of Age Day' at the Toshimaen Amusement Park These women celebrated at Toshimaen amusement park, while others flocked to Disneyland Tokyo to ride the rollercoasters in their kimonos Many pay over $10,000 for their glittery kimonos, with beauty treatments such as elaborate nail decorations often costing hundreds of dollars more The Coming of Age tradition - a celebration for those who turned 20 in the past year - dates back to 714 when a young prince kitted himself out in new robes and had a fresh haircut to celebrate leaving his teen years behind. Many pay over $10,000 for their glittery kimonos, with beauty treatments such as elaborate nail decorations often costing hundreds of dollars more. There were an estimated 1.21 million new adults as of January 1 - a decrease of some 50,000 from last year and half the 1970 peak of 2.46 million, according to government figures, mirroring the country's shrinking population. Japan's annual birth rate recently dipped below one million for the first time in over 100 years, reflecting its rapidly ageing society. Women gather for their Coming-of-Age Day ceremony at the Tokyo Disneyland, left, and a 20-year-old tour guide washes her hands during a purification ceremony to celebrate her Coming-of-Age at Meiji shrine in Tokyo, right Japanese women wearing kimonos pose for their memorial photo after their Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at an amusement park in Tokyo A group of tour guides, dressed in traditional kimonos, wash their hands during a purification ceremony to celebrate their Coming-of-Age at Meiji shrine in Tokyo Japanese women wearing kimonos take a 'selfie' after their Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony at an amusement park A group of young women take shelter from the rain. There were an estimated 1.21 million new adults as of January 1 - a decrease of some 50,000 from last year and half the 1970 peak of 2.46 million Many of the new adults were planning to have a night on the booze to celebrate. 'I'm happy I can finally drink alcohol and go clubbing,' college student Rumiko Matsumoto told AFP while getting a $100 manicure in Tokyo's trendy Shibuya district ahead of the ceremony. 'When my nails are dry, I have to get my eyelash extensions done, do my hair and get fitted for my kimono. 'I'm very nervous,' she added. 'It's a special day, the first step towards being an adult. 'My parents told me I have to take responsibility for my own actions now. But first I want to celebrate by going drinking.' Young Japanese women dressed in colorful kimonos sit on a train after attending their ceremony. Months of planning will have gone into the outfits they are wearing A group of women walk together following their Coming of Age ceremony. The day is celebrated throughout the country A twenty-year-old Japanese woman gets manicure at a nail salon in Tokyo to prepare for the celebrations These women are attending a purification ceremony to celebrate their Coming-of-Age at Meiji shrine in Tokyo Clad in Japanese kimono, smile at photographers during a coming of age ceremony at Disneyland in Urayasu, near Tokyo A group of young people dance with Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse and other Disney characters during a coming of age ceremony at Tokyo Disneyland 'I did think 'yikes, I'm an adult' when I turned 20,' said sales assistant Reiko Nakamura as a beautician fussed over her synthetic lashes. 'I have to think about my future so it's a little scary,' she added, admiring her dagger-sharp Hello Kitty nails. 'For now I just want to enjoy a night out drinking with friends I haven't seen since primary school.' And speaking after a ceremony in Tokyo Riki Hayashi said: 'The speeches went on for ages, we will all be getting drunk tonight.' New adults in kimonos attend a Coming of Age Day celebration ceremony in Shuri Junior High School in Okinawa Some women make appointments a year in advance to have their hair and make-up done and to have a kimono fitted a notoriously fiddly task The number of people aged 20 years old, the legal age of adulthood in Japan, was estimated to stand at 1.23 million on New Year's Day 2017. This picture was taken during a ceremony at Disneyland in Tokyo Female tour guides, dressed in traditional kimonos, walk at Meiji shrine in Tokyo after a purification ceremony to celebrate their Coming-of-Age Thousands of mourners have gathered to pay their respects to the late Iranian leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani following his death over the weekend at the age of 82. President Hassan Rouhani and his administration visited the mosque in northern Tehran where Rafsanjani's body was brought. Mourners, including Rafsanjani's family members, wept at the sight of his coffin, reaching out to touch it. Scroll down for video Hassan Khomeini (in brown) the grandson of late Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini mourns with Fatemeh (left) and Mehdi (second left) the children of former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjai, during a mourning ceremony in Tehran Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, pictured, who was in power between 1989 and 1997, suffered a heart attack and could not be saved by doctors President Hassan Rouhani (centre) and his administration visited the mosque in northern Tehran where Rafsanjani's body was brought Thousands of mourners have gathered to pay their respects to the late Iranian leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani following his death over the weekend at the age of 82 Newspapers in Iran published front-page photographs of Rafsanjani, who died Sunday after suffering a heart attack, while state television aired archival clips of his comments and speeches. The country is observing three days of mourning, and Rafsanjani's funeral is set for Tuesday. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani paid tribute to the late leader at the start of Monday's session. He described Rafsanjani as 'a man for hard days whose name has been always accompanying revolution and it will always be so.' Mourners, including Rafsanjani's family members, wept at the sight of his coffin, reaching out to touch it Newspapers in Iran published front-page photographs of Rafsanjani, who died Sunday after suffering a heart attack, while state television aired archival clips of his comments and speeches The country is observing three days of mourning, and Rafsanjani's funeral is set for Tuesday Rafsanjani's son Mahdi, second left, comforts his sister Fatemeh, at the Jamaran mosque in northern Tehran People mourn beside the coffin of Iran's influential cleric politician Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani inside Jamaran mosque in northern Tehran Tehran residents also expressed their grief at the loss of Rafsanjani. 'I don't know who is going to fill his place. He kept Iran safe from hard-liners for so long,' Maziar Rezaei, a real estate agent, told The Associated Press. Zahra Qorbani, a tailor, said she was worried about her children's future. She described the late leader as a 'man who always tried to fix Iran's relations with neighbors and the world.' The life of Rafsanjani, known as a political survivor, spanned the trials of Iran's modern history, from serving as a close aide to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the 1979 Islamic Revolution to acting as a go-between in the Iran-Contra deal. The life of Rafsanjani, known as a political survivor, spanned the trials of Iran's modern history, from serving as a close aide to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the 1979 Islamic Revolution to acting as a go-between in the Iran-Contra deal As well as high profile politicians, Tehran residents also expressed their grief at the loss of Rafsanjani Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 to 1997, during a period of significant changes in Iran He helped found Iran's contested nuclear program, but later backed the accord with world powers to limit it in exchange for sanctions relief. Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 to 1997, during a period of significant changes in Iran. At the time, the country was struggling to rebuild its economy after a devastating 1980s war with Iraq, while also cautiously allowing some wider freedoms, as seen in Iran's highly regarded film and media industry. His image, however, also had darker undertones. He was named by prosecutors in Argentina among Iranian officials suspected of links to a 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. A bipartisan group of North Dakota lawmakers have proposed legislation that, if approved by voters, would phase out the Office of the State Treasurer. Its an idea that was most recently raised by Sen. Tim Mathern, D-Fargo, in his failed bid for the office in the 2016 election. Hes a co-sponsor of a resolution that would amend the state Constitution to remove the state treasurer as an elected constitutional officer effective Jan. 1, 2021. A companion resolution would assign responsibility to Legislative Management to study the statutory changes needed to transfer the offices duties to other state agencies, according to a news release issued Monday, Jan. 9. Supporters say its an effort to create a more efficient government in tough budget times. This is not a new idea, said Rep. Mike Nathe, R-Bismarck, the primary sponsor of the resolution. But I think its a new and different environment we find ourselves in today with the challenges that we face. Kelly Schmidt, a Republican who defeated Mathern for a fourth term in office in November, issued a statement Monday morning indicating she believes voters would retain the office, as they did in 1984 and 2000. The Treasurers Office provides the checks and balances and the transparency in government spending that the people have come to trust, her statement said. In a presentation to a division of the House Appropriations Committee Monday morning, Schmidt pushed back against any perception that her office duplicates services. The complexity of what we do is often misunderstood, she said. Theresa May delivered a stark warning today that political insurgents such as Marine Le Pen could 'tear down' the established order unless ordinary people are given a better deal. In an apparent swipe at the likes of Tony Blair and David Cameron, the Prime Minister condemned the failure of 'mainstream' leaders to improve the lot of those who are struggling to get by. She said complaints about the lack of fairness in society had too often been dismissed as 'parochial and illegitimate' while a 'privileged few' reaped the benefits. In a speech in central London today, the premier pointed to the surge in support for figures previously regarded as 'fringe voices' The grim assessment came as Mrs May set out her vision for an 'active' government that ensures everyone is rewarded for the 'growing prosperity of post-Brexit Britain'. In a speech in central London today, the premier pointed to the surge in support for figures previously regarded as 'fringe voices' from the political right and the left. She said they were 'standing on the shoulders of mainstream politicians who allowed unfairness and division to grow'. Leaders had 'promoted and supported an economic system that works well for a privileged few'. 'We know what happens when mainstream, centre-ground politics fails. People embrace the fringe the politics of division and despair. 'They turn to those who offer easy answers who claim to understand peoples problems and always know what and who to blame,' she said. 'We see those fringe voices gaining prominence in some countries across Europe today voices from the hard-left and the far-right stepping forward and sensing that this is their time... 'They stand on the shoulders of mainstream politicians who have allowed unfairness and division to grow by ignoring the legitimate concerns of ordinary people for too long. Mrs May told the audience at the Royal Society today that failing to address concerns of the public would allow extremists to 'tear down all that we have achieved' 'Politicians who embraced the twin pillars of liberalism and globalisation as the great forces for good that they are, but failed to understand that for too many people particularly those on modest to low incomes living in rich countries like our own those forces are something to be concerned, not thrilled, about.' 'The result of this consensus, this way of conducting politics, is to bring us to a place where all the old certainties are called into question.' Stressing her commitment to a 'shared society', Mrs May said that failing to address concerns of the public would allow extremists to 'tear down all that we have achieved'. Ordinary people were finding that in the modern, globalised economy 'there is one rule for the rich and powerful and another for everyone else'. The PM, pictured arriving for her speech today, said 'mainstream' politicians had too often dismissed concerns as 'parochial' 'When they lose their jobs, or their wages stagnate, or their dreams such as owning a home seem out of reach, they feel it is even working against them serving not their interests or ambitions, but those of a privileged few. 'And they are questioning the legitimacy of all the old institutions and systems we have relied on for decades... 'This is dangerous for it sows division and despair as the gap between those who are prospering and those who are not gets ever larger, and resentments grow. 'And it emboldens the voices of protectionism and isolation who would tear down all we have achieved and take us back to the past.' Mrs May insisted her Government would provide a 'mainstream centre-ground' solution to the problems besetting ordinary working-class families. 'The central challenge of our times is to overcome divisions and bring our country together, by ensuring that everyone has the chance to share in the wealth and opportunity on offer in Britain today,' said the Prime Minister. The intervention came after Mrs May spelled out her desire to tackle inequality. In an interview on Sky News yesterday, she said: 'What is important is that we recognise that this is about dealing with everyday injustices, but it is also about us recognising our obligations as citizens within the communities and society that we have here in the UK. 'It's about recognising that there is a role for government but government needs to ensure that it is acting as effectively as possible in those areas where it should be taking action.' The Government will intervene to set right issues where it can take action, Mrs May said and move beyond helping only the poorest or the most able to rise up the social ladder. In an apparent reference to growing support for figures such as Marine Le Pen in France, Mrs May warned that protectionists and 'fringe voices' were gaining ground across Europe In her speech today, Mrs May also pledged to improve treatment for mental illness. She said problems 'too often start in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives, and become entrenched'. The Prime Minister developed an interest in mental illness and its consequences during her six years as home secretary, where she was struck by how much police time is taken up dealing with the issue and the prevalence of serious mental health conditions among prison inmates. Mrs May said support for mental health sufferers should be offered not just in hospitals 'but in our classrooms, at work and in our communities'. She added: 'This is a historic opportunity to right a wrong, and give people deserving of compassion and support the attention and treatment they deserve. 'And for all of us to change the way we view mental illness so that striving to improve mental wellbeing is seen as just as natural, positive and good as striving to improve our physical wellbeing. The lady IS for turning! PM's jaguar U-turns after turning in to a dead-end Theresa May showed she is a lady for turning today when her prime ministerial Jaguar was forced to make a U-turn after turning in to a dead-end. The Prime Minister's car took a wrong turn on her way to the speech at Carlton House Terrace in central London. Her convoy of security vehicles were forced to perform a U-turn before she arrived at the venue. Theresa May showed she is a lady for turning today when her prime ministerial Jaguar was forced to make a U-turn after turning in to a dead-end today Mrs May's jaguar took a wrong turn in to a dead-end on her way to the speech at Carlton House Terrace in central London Her convoy of security vehicles were forced to perform a U-turn before she arrived at the venue Mrs May marked another departure from Margaret Thatcher's legacy today. She used her first major speech of the year to lay out her vision for a 'shared society' - marking a clear break from Mrs Thatcher's claim there is 'no such thing as society'. Ukip is close to losing 1.4million a year in European Parliament funds after its Italian allies walked out on a political grouping. Nigel Farage, who leads the party in Brussels, had warned the Italian Five Star movement that quitting the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group would be 'completely illogical'. But Beppe Grillo, a former Italian comic, today won a vote among his members on quitting the EFDD in favour of joining the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) group. He said Ukip's success in securing Brexit meant the party would soon leave the European Parliament and leave the group behind. Mr Farage said Five Star had 'joined the establishment' after the vote - which backed Mr Grillo overwhelmingly. Nigel Farage has warned it would be 'completely illogical' for the Italian Five Star Movement to quit the European Parliament group he jointly leads The EFDD is worth almost 70,000 per MEP - or 1.4million a year to Ukip. The party is facing demands to return another 500,000 wrongly spent on campaigns. There must be at least 20 members drawn from six countries in a group for it to qualify for European Parliament funding. Losing the Five Star movement slashes EFDD to just 27 members from seven countries - with Ukip making up 20 of the positions. After the vote, Mr Farage said: 'Beppe Grillo will now join the Euro-fanatic establishment of ALDE which supports TTIP, mass immigration and an EU Army, but oppose direct democracy. 'Five Star have joined the EU establishment.' Mr Farage, the co-president of EFDD, earlier warned Mr Grillo against the move, which would slash the group close to the minimum size required to qualify for funding. He said: 'I have been in contact with Beppe Grillo this morning and congratulated him on his increasingly tough stance on the euro and immigration issues. 'In political terms it would be completely illogical for Five Star to join the most Euro-fanatic group in the European Parliament. 'The ALDE group doesn't support referenda or the basic principle of direct democracy. ALDE are also the loudest voice for a EU army. 'I suspect if Five Star joins ALDE it's support will not last long.' Five Star leader Beppe Grillo has asked his members to vote on whether to leave EFDD to join the liberal group ALDE A Ukip spokesman said: 'Both Ukip and Five Star are free to choose to stay or quit a political relationship. 'While it's interesting that some Five Star MEPs adamantly wish to stay in the EFDD group, as adults we wish them all the best whatever they do.' Announcing his shift in a blog post, Mr Grillo said: 'Recent events in Europe, such as Brexit, have led us to reconsider the nature of the EFDD group. 'With the extraordinary success of the leave campaign, Ukip achieved its political objective: to leave the European Union. 'Let's discuss the concrete facts: Farage has already abandoned the leadership of his party and British MEPs will leave the European parliament in the next legislature. The man identified as Fadi al-Qanbar, 28 The sister of the Israel truck terrorist who killed four soldiers have thanked Allah for his 'saintly death' as the victims are laid to rest. Fadi al-Qanbar, 28, drove a truck into a crowd of troops in Jerusalem, killing IDF Lieutenant Yael Yekutiel, 20, of Givatayim, Cadet Shir Hajaj, 22, of Maaleh Adumim, Cadet Shira Tzur, 20, from Haifa, and Cadet Erez Orbach, 20, from Alon Shvut. The terrorist's sister, who said he acted as a lone wolf, seemingly supported her brother by thanking God for choosing him to become a martyr. Shadia, 28, told Ynet: ' Praise be to Allah that he became a martyr. 'It is the most beautiful kind of saintly death. 'Allah chose him for this martyrdom. Thank God. 'We are patient and we thank Allah for this.' The father-of-four was shot dead inside the cabin and his victims' families have been mourning the deaths of their loved ones at funerals today. A video has emerged which is said to show al-Qanbar's family watching a news report of the terrorist carrying out the attack. The people in the video appear unresponsive in the short clip. The attack came after months of relative calm which prompted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to spark debate by suggesting it was inspired by Islamic State. A video has emerged which is said to show al-Qanbar's family watching a news report of the terrorist carrying out the attack Lieutenant Yael Yekutiel, 20, was one of four soldiers killed in the truck terror attack in Israel Cadet Shir Hajaj (left) and Cadet Erez Orbach (right) were killed by the suspected terrorist Cadet Shira Tzur was buried today, a day after the truck attack in Jerusalem, Israel Israeli security forces carry the coffin of 20-year-old Israeli soldier Yael Yekutiel at Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Avi The mother and father (centre and left) of Israeli Army cadet Shir Hajaj, 20, mourn as her coffin is brought into the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem In an outpouring of grief, the victims' relatives have spoken glowingly of the ambitious soldiers killed in the massacre. Cadet Hajaj had three younger sisters and was said to be at the top of her class. Her father told Ynet: 'These are our children, we send them to the army knowing they may not come back. 'Did I ever think this would happen to me? Never.' Her mother Meirav told the Israeli news outlet that she initially thought the attack had targeted tourists, and prayed officers tasked with informing soldiers' families did not make contact after finding out military personnel were involved. 'She was a flower and we expected great things from her,' the heartbroken mother said. 'She had great determination and perseverance. 'There are no other children like her.' Israeli media published the last message Hajaj's mother sent to her by phone. 'My dear, my life, talk to me, please,' it said. Friends and relatives of 20-year-old Israeli soldier Yael Yekutiel mourn in front of her grave during her funeral at the Israeli Kiryat Shaul military cemetery in Tel Aviv People attend the funeral of Israeli soldier Shir Hajaj, 22, in Jerusalem Two Israeli solders embrace as they mourn at the grave of Israeli Army cadet Shir Hajaj, 20, at the Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem The mother of Israeli soldier Shir Hajaj, 22, who was killed by a Palestinian truck driver when he rammed his vehicle into a group of Israeli soldiers a day earlier Relatives and family members of Shira Hajaj mourn during her funeral on January 9, 2017 in Jerusalem, Israel A female soldier is embraced by a male compatriot as they mourn the death of Shir Hajaj Israeli medical personnel assist an Israeli soldier who was an eye witness to the attack in Jerusalem, on January 8, 2017 Friends and family of Lieutenant Yekutiel gathered at her home in Givatayim, still in shock as to what had happened. Her aunt, Malka Drori, told Ynet: 'She loved life, loved everybody and everybody loved her.' She was described as 'full of life' by a childhood friend, and Liam Gur, another friend of Yekutiel, said the two texted each other Sunday morning before she was killed. Describing her as one of the most amazing people he had ever met, he told The Times of Israel: 'She was there for everything and always knew the right thing to say. 'She was smart and intelligent and had incredible emotional intelligence.' Soldiers lower the coffin during the funeral of Israeli Shir Hajaj, 22, in Jerusalem Israeli soldiers react at the scene after a truck attack on the Armon Hanatziv promenade in Jerusalem, Israel Cadet Tzur's family said she will be remembered for always smiling. A relative told The Times of Israel: 'She was full of life, she liked to give to others and contribute. 'We'll always remember her smiling, and looking ahead to the next challenge. 'Shira's song will never be stopped.' Cadet Orbach was the eldest of six siblings and a statement from his loved ones said: 'He will be remembered for always having a smile on his face and for his willingness to help and volunteer for every good cause.' He graduated from Neve Shmuel Yeshiva in Efrat, before continuing his studies in Maalot Yeshiva. The truck is circled as it crashes into the victims while soldiers stand in the foreground An Israeli policeman walks at the scene of a truck-ramming incident in Jerusalem January 8 Police arrested nine people following the attack and removed a memorial tent set up in the Palestinian's east Jerusalem neighbourhood, located near the site of the incident. Five of the nine arrested were relatives of the attacker, 28-year-old Fadi al-Qunbar, police said. His cousin dismissed Netanyahu's statement that al-Qunbar was an IS supporter. 'There was nothing in his life saying he was ISIS,' Mohammad al-Qunbar, 43, said as he sat near what was left of the tent in the Jabal Mukaber neighbourhood. 'He never contacted ISIS and he doesn't know ISIS,' he added, using an alternative acronym for the jihadist group. He added that 'we were shocked, for sure. We never expected anything like this from Fadi. But what happened has happened and we only say there is no might and power but that of God.' Israeli ministers decided Sunday to take a series of actions, including demolishing al-Qunbar's home and withholding his body, local media reported. They also decided to hold without charge under a policy known as administration detention those who publicly support IS, according to an Israeli official. Netanyahu's assertion that Qunbar 'according to all indications supported' IS, without providing details of what led to the conclusion, sparked debate on Monday. In making the statement, Netanyahu argued, as he has repeatedly in the past, that Israel faces the same 'terrorist' attacks that have hit countries such as Germany and France. However, the incident in many ways fit the pattern of a wave of Palestinian lone-wolf knife, gun and car-ramming assaults that began in October 2015, though seemingly with the intent to cause more casualties than usual. A heavier truck was used -- a flat-bed model with a crane in the rear -- and an entire group of soldiers were targeted. An Israeli forensics expert gathers evidence at the site of the attack in Jerusalem, Israel Israeli police and army personnel go through the belongings of Israeli soldiers, which are out of sight, next to the truck that rammed into a group of army soldiers killing four in Jerusalem Israeli security officials have said that IS influence among Palestinians is limited. A poll released in December found that only five percent of Palestinians believe that IS represents true Islam. Sunday's attack occurred after hundreds of soldiers arrived at the site as part of a tour on the history of Jerusalem. The location overlooks holy sites such as the Dome of the Rock and provides one of the most spectacular views of the city. A video shared online showed a truck drive through a group of soldiers standing next to a bus. The driver then pulls off to the side and tries to reverse back towards where the soldiers were hit before the truck eventually comes to a stop. Visitors, including soldiers, are seen running for cover. Soldiers opened fire as well as at least one civilian. Later at the scene, soldiers could be seen distraught over the incident as rescue workers provided psychological support. A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks erupted in October 2015, but the violence had greatly subsided in recent months. The last time an Israeli was killed in an attack was October 9. Members of a ZAKA voluntary community emergency response teams and Israeli police work in front of the truck An officer in front of the bullet-punctured truck in the aftermath of the brutal attack Israeli security forces and medics gather next to a flatbed truck at the site of a ramming attack in Jerusalem, on January 8 Since October 2015, 247 Palestinians, 40 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 attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. 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. Advertisement A well-known giant sequoia tree known for the massive hollowed-out tunnel at its core has been toppled during California's weekend storms. The historic Pioneer Cabin in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County, California, came down during heavy rains on Sunday at about 2pm local time. The tree, which has stood for centuries before being knocked over during the atmospheric river storm hitting the West Coast, was hollowed out in the 1800s to allow tourists to pass through it. Cars were later able to use the tunnel, but in recent years it has only been accessible to hikers. Pioneer Cabin in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, in Calaveras County, California, fell on Sunday at about 2pm local time The tree (pictured toppled above), which stood in the state park in for centuries, came down during heavy rains that ravaged the West Coast over the weekend The tree (pictured fallen above) was hollowed out in the 1800s to allow tourists to pass through it. It was part of the 'Big Trees Trail' and in recent years has only been accessible to hikers The tree, which was a longtime popular attraction at the state park, was part of the 'Big Trees Trail'. The large tunnel in the tree featured graffiti dating back to the 1800s, when visitors could etch their names into the trunk's bark. The tunnel is likely to have contributed to the tree's eventual demise, because it weakened the base and prevented the tree from growing further, meaning it was more vulnerable when the storm eventually hit. Park volunteer Jim Allday, of Arnold, California, told the San Francisco Chronicle that the tree 'shattered' as it hit the ground. 'When I went out there (Sunday afternoon), the trail was literally a river, the trail is washed out,' Allday said. The tree still has carvings in it from the 1800s, when visitors were allowed to etch their names into the tree's bark 'I could see the tree on the ground, it looked like it was laying in a pond or lake with a river running through it,' he added. There was no immediate word on what caused the tree to fall, but the Chronicle reports that it probably had to do with the tree's shallow root system and the inundation. Allday's wife, Joan, told the Chronicle that the tree had been weakening for years and had even began to lean one way. 'It was barely alive, there was one branch alive at the top,' she said. 'But it was very brittle and starting to lift.' The West Coast was hit this weekend with one of the biggest storms in the last decade, causing thousands of people to evacuate their homes. More than 1,000 homes were evacuated in Nevada and stranded motorists were pulled from cars stuck on flooded California roads in what may be the biggest storm to hit the West Coast in more than a decade. The Russian River in California's Sonoma County and the Truckee River near Reno, Nevada, overflowed their banks late Sunday and officials said both waterways could stay at the flood stage for days. Forecasters warned a second storm is expected to hit the already drenched area Monday night. Schools were canceled in hard-hit Sonoma, where homes were evacuated, thousands were without power and many roads were unpassable. Fears of avalanches were growing in the northern Sierra Nevada as rain soaked the snowpack. Heavy downpours also moved into Southern California early Monday, where commuters were warned of flooding along Los Angeles-area highways and possible mudslides along hillsides scarred by wildfires. Crews across Northern California cleared trees and debris following mudslides caused by the steady rain accompanying the system that could dump 15 inches in the foothills of the Sierra and several feet of snow on the mountain tops before it's expected to move east Monday. In Nevada, emergency officials voluntarily evacuated 400 homes affecting about 1,300 residents in a south Reno neighborhood Sunday afternoon as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow south of US Interstate 80. There was no immediate word on what caused the tree to fall, but it is believed that it had to do with the tree's shallow root system and the inundation. Pictured above, water flows through the trail where the tree once stood 'This is a serious flood situation,' the National Weather Service said in a special flood statement late Sunday night. Flood warnings are expected along much of the Sierra's eastern front and western Nevada into Tuesday No injuries had been reported, but high waters forced the closure of numerous area roads, a series of bridges in downtown Reno and a pair of Interstate 80 off-ramps in neighboring Sparks, where the worst flooding is expected to send several feet of water early Monday into an industrial area where 25,000 people work. An avalanche also closed a portion of the Mount Rose Highway connecting Reno to Lake Tahoe for the second time in three days after more than 6 feet of snow fell atop the Sierra last week. Schools were ordered closed Monday throughout the Reno-Sparks area. Nevada Gov Brian Sandoval - who declared a state of emergency Saturday - told all non-essential state employees to stay home Monday. Toppled trees crashed against cars and homes or blocked roads in the San Francisco Bay Area, and officials rescued stranded motorists from cars stuck on flooded roads. A giant tree fell across the southbound lanes of Interstate 230 in Hillsborough, injuring one driver who couldn't break in time and drove into the tree. A woman was killed Saturday by a falling tree while she took a walk on a golf course. The toppling of Pioneer Cabin came as the West Coast was hit with one of the worst storms in the decade. Pictured above, traffic crosses the raging Truckee River near Reno, Nevada As the region braces for another massive storm to hit Monday night, respondents and cleanup crews in both states are clearing debris following the storms. Pictured above, Karl Starks, right, helps cut and clear a tree that fell from his property onto two cars on Sunday in Sacramento, California More than 1,000 Reno homes have been evacuated as the Truckee River started to overflow its drainage ditches over the weekend A Santa Clara County Roads and Airport Department worker responds to the scene of downed tree and mudslide in the Santa Cruz Mountain There were mudslides and flooding throughout Northern California that led to road closures, especially in the North Bay, one of the areas hardest hit and where the Napa River jumped its banks. There were mudslides and flooding throughout Northern California that led to road closures, especially in the North Bay, one of the areas hardest hit and where the Napa River jumped its banks. Farther north, the US 395 highway was temporarily closed in both directions in Mono County because of flooding. Authorities were watching rising water levels of several rivers, including the Cosumnes, Truckee, Merced, American and Russian. All roads leading to Yosemite National Park's valley floor remained closed amid fears that the Merced River could overflow its banks and cause major flooding. Relatively mild temperatures drove up the snowline to above 9,000 feet throughout the Sierra Nevada, causing runoff in the lower elevations, where the ground is already saturated. Forecasters said Sunday it was tracking pretty much as they expected. 'For forecasters who've been here a decade or more, this is one of the most impressive atmospheric setups that we have seen in a long time for potential flooding in the region,' said Chris Smallcomb, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Reno. 'If you had to write a textbook on how to get a flood in the region, you would use a scenario just like this.' Spectators wander down the Guadalupe River Trail to watch the swollen river as it flows toward an overpass during a storm in San Jose, California A van drives through flooded water on Green Valley Road in Graton, California. On the California coast, weather forecasters anticipate a storm surge from the Pacific called an atmospheric river to dump several inches of rain An unlikely trio of best friends was formed between two guinea pigs and an American pit bull when their owner safely introduced the two species to meet despite being warned her dog might kill the little rodents. Pet owner Kristy Gamayo, 42, was told to keep her pit bull, Moki, away from her two guinea pigs, Frida and Pandora, but it turns out they really love to cuddle. And now Gamayo, of San Francisco, California, has even set up the Instagram account @piggiesandapitty for the adorable trio. Pet owner Kristy Gamayo, 42, was told to keep her pit bull, Moki, away from her two guinea pigs, Frida and Pandora, when she adopted the dog, but the trio has since become friends Gamayo first introduced the pair in a safe environment, where she kept the guinea pigs in her lap as Moki watched from afar Gamayo said: 'When we brought Moki home, we immediately introduced her to the piggies, and we saw that they were a perfect fit. 'Since the only knowledge that I had of pit bulls was that they were supposedly vicious and prey animals - it really surprised me how well and quickly the three of them bonded. 'The piggies are always crawling up to Moki - smelling her - and Moki in return licks them as she lies down with them. 'To this day, Moki and the piggies cuddle together and Moki likes to give them kisses.' The heart-warming bond between Gamayo's pets has earned them a couple of hundred fans on Instagram. Gamayo soon realized that the pair had an immediate bond and eventually let them all meet on the floor of her home Since meeting, the trio have had an inseparable bond, and Moki often gives the guinea pigs kisses When adopting Moki, all Gamayo knew about pit bulls was that 'they were supposedly vicious and prey animals', so she says she as surprised at how quickly the trio bonded Gamayo who lives with partner, Alicia, 25, is a nonprofit director and a therapist by day and cannot get enough of her own furry family at home. She said: 'My partner and I did everything to secure the cage and make sure Moki couldn't jump in and kill them. 'Also, San Francisco Animal Care and Control came to the house to inspect it before we were able to adopt Moki. 'The officer told us that Moki might try to kill them and we needed to keep them apart at all times. 'Immediately after Moki came home, we introduced her to the piggies by having them in our lap while Moki sniffed them and licked them. It appears that Gamayo and her partner, Alicia, also have a second dog (left), who likes to cuddle with the trio Gamayo even staged a New Year's celebration for Moki and the guinea pigs, where she decorated them with confetti and streamers Gamayo adopted the guinea pigs after being inspired by an Instagram account. When Moki was later adopted by Gamayo and her partner, the guinea pigs welcomed her right into the family 'She was gentle with them so we eventually put them on the floor with her and noticed that she would snuggle with them and lick them as if they were her babies.' Bringing all three together under the same roof was hardly smooth sailing for Gamayo, who adopted the piggies and pit bull one by one. Getting guinea pigs was a decision inspired by existing Instagram accounts. She first adopted Frida, who was the time was coupled with another guinea pig named Luna. Advertisement Pope Francis has condemned militant Islamist attacks branding it homicidal madness which use God's name in a play for power. Addressing world leaders on Monday he said social conditions that serve as fertile ground for fundamentalism and radicalisation should be improved. Before diplomats from more than 180 countries, he also forcefully restated a call to ban nuclear weapons, saying experiments by North Korea to build long-range missiles risked setting off a new nuclear arms race. The pontiff, delivering the annual papal state of the world address, also spoke of the need to defend European unification and for greater unity in facing climate change. Pope Francis poses with accredited ambassadors to the Holy See at the Sistine Chapel As the Holy Father was giving his annual address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See, he condemned militant Islamist attacks The Argentine-born 80-year-old reserved his toughest words of condemnation for the wave of 'fundamentalist-inspired terrorism' in 2016, listing attacks by Islamist militants in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. 'Sadly, we are conscious that even today, religious experience, rather than fostering openness to others, can be used at times as a pretext for rejection, marginalisation and violence,' he said in the Vatican's Sala Regia. The 80-year-old, pictured centre, reserved his toughest words to condemn terror 'We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses God's name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power. 'Hence I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God's name,' he said. Francis added: 'Religiously inspired violence is the fruit of a profound spiritual poverty, and often is linked to significant social poverty. 'It can only be fully defeated with the joint contribution of religious and political leaders.' He urged government leaders to enact 'suitable social policies aimed at combating poverty' and invest in education and culture. Francis restated his call for a total nuclear weapons ban, saying North Korea's threats to test an intercontinental ballistic missile were 'particularly disturbing'. He said they 'could destabilise the entire region and raise troubling questions for the entire international community about the risk of a new nuclear arms race.' Francis called for an end to the arms trade, adding that easy access to weapons, 'even those of small calibre,' aggravates conflicts and fosters insecurity and fear. Building peace also meant respecting the environment, he said, backing the landmark 2015 global deal struck in Paris, and hoping that tackling climate change 'will meet with increased cooperation on the part of all'. His stand on climate change has put him in direct conflict with US president-elect Donald Trump, who said during the campaign that it was a hoax perpetrated by China and threatened to rip up the deal signed by President Barack Obama. Since winning the election, Trump has said he will keep an 'open mind' about the deal. Pictured addressing world leaders on Monday from the stand at the Sistine Chapel, he said targeting social conditions that serve as fertile ground for fundamentalism and radicalisation should be a priority With the London Underground strike causing severe disruption for millions of rush hour commuters, thousands of workers didnt even bother travelling to work today. But they reaped the rewards of working from home and took to social media to boast about the pleasure of not having to battle their way into the office. Some employees were enjoying wearing pyjamas and slipper socks, while others told how they were starting their day with leftover pizza and sparkling rose. TV worker Lauren Marks told how she was enjoying working from home in her pyjamas today London-based writer Patrick Gamble posted an image of him working from home with his cat Legal coordinator Channelle Burke said she was 'make up free' while working from home One woman said she had 'unfettered access to my espresso machine' while another said she had done her laundry and cleaned the kitchen by 8.15am. An employee working from home today said she was 'feeling smug' while others faced travel chaos, and another said she was enjoying being make up free. Others posted memes, including one from The Simpsons episode King-Size Homer when Homer becomes too fat to go into the office and must work from home. Phil Sheridan, senior managing director at recruitment agency Robert Half UK, said businesses should consider the benefits of offering flexible working. Ken Li posted a grab from The Simpsons episode King-Size Homer when Homer Simpson becomes too fat to go into the office and must work from home Absolutely Fabulous: One Twitter user posted this image of Joanna Lumley as Patsy Stone This Twitter user said she would be enjoying leftover pizza and sparkling rose this morning He added that remote working has increased by 37 per cent in three years and 50 per cent of employers in London have 'expanded remote working opportunities'. Mr Sheridan told MailOnline: Todays transport turmoil must be used as a catalyst for businesses to ensure they have a proper flexible working structure in place. The needs of employees must be balanced with business objectives. Productivity isnt determined by location, but is by motivation. A business with the capability of offering remote working will benefit from increased productivity, happier employees and will weather the current storm of the turbulent transport in the UK. Commuters reaped the rewards of working from home and took to social media to boast about the pleasure of not having to battle their way into the office Todays 24-hour strike by London Underground workers placed huge demand on the rest of the capital's transport network today. Britains busiest interchange station Clapham Junction was evacuated shortly before 9am as it was dangerously overcrowded, South West Trains said. London's bus network was also under strain, with long queues at many stops including Paddington, Victoria and Golders Green. Emotional: Li Risheng (right) finally met his father, Li Shengxiong (left), after 13 years A Chinese man's fate has been changed thanks to a plate of fried oysters. Li Risheng, who was separated from his family 13 years ago, has found his long-lost father after recalling the name of his hometown while eating its specialty dish, according to Chinese media. The 20-year-old was reportedly sold to another family at the age of seven and had tried to find his birth parents for more than a decade. Last year, Li had some fried oysters at a hawker stall and realised it was the taste from his childhood. Li Risheng, who has been re-named Ye Fengqing by his new family, met his father on January 6 at the Maoming Public Security Bureau, according to Guangzhou Daily. The pair cried uncontrollably in each others' arms after being separated for more than a decade. The police officers were able to reunite Li Risheng and his father Li Shenxiong after comparing their DNA samples in China's national DNA database for missing and abducted children. According to Li Risheng, he was sold to another family when he was about seven years old. Li said one day he followed his mother and two of her friends to go shopping after dinner. The four took a bus and little Li fell asleep on the bus. Li said when he woke up, he found himself in a derelict farm house with his mother and her friends. When he got up the next morning, he could only see one of her mother's friends, who promised to help him find his mother. However, instead of taking Li back home, the unnamed woman transported Li to another town before selling him to a family living in Yangjiang city. The family later moved to Yunfu city, where Li grew up. Happy ending: Li Risheng (right) was separated from his father at the age of seven before being sold to another family. The man had missed his birth parents ever since Li added that he had tried to escape from his new family when he was first sold to them, but his multiple attempts failed. He later gave up the idea of fleeing because he had got used to living with his new parents, the man claimed. The report did not confirm whether or not Li's birth mother knew the boy was taken and sold. The man now lives in Wenshan, Yunnan Province, as a migrant worker. He said he had never given up the hope of seeing his birth parents again. At the end of 2015, he registered his information on Baobeihuijia, or 'Baby Come Home', a Chinese website specialised in connecting missing children and their families. His fate changed when he ordered a plate of fried oysters at a food stall in Wenshan in early 2016. Li said as soon as he bit into the oysters, he recalled it was the taste from his childhood. The stall owner told him that the dish was a specialty from Dianbai District in Maoming, where Diancheng town is. Li immediately set out to the area to find his parents, but he didn't manage to track them down. Taste of home: Li Risheng was able to recall the name of his hometown after eating a plate of fried oysters, the food he would eat when he was little In September, 2016, volunteers from Baibeihuijia brought Li to the Shenzhen Public Security Bureau to collect his blood sample for DNA analysis. The officers also collected his accounts. Police officers in Shenzhen reported the case to their colleagues in Maoming, who managed to track down a man named Li Shengxiong whose son went missing. In December, volunteers from Baobeihuijia brought a man named Li Shengxiong whose son went missing to Dianbai police for DNA analysis. On January 6, the local police of Dianbai District confirmed that Li Shengxiong was Li Risheng's father. The pair were invited to the Maoming Public Security Bureau to meet each other after 13 years of separation. Mark Sciavo, 53, pictured, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for causing the explosion at the Manchester home The boss of a fireworks firm blew up a civil servant's home in a drunken prank after dressing up as Crocodile Dundee for a fancy dress party. Mark Schiavo, 53, sported a cowboy hat, shorts, a trench coat and armed himself with a hunting knife and a large explosive device in a bid to copy the comic Australian hunter played by Paul Hogan. But a court heard the businessman got drunk prior to the event and planted the makeshift bomb - made from an industrial sized firework inside a sweet tin - outside the front door of Geoffrey Rennie's suburban detached house in Manchester in broad daylight. He then calmly walking away as it exploded - blowing off the door and causing 15,000 of damage to the four-bedroom house. The explosion also blew up a Mitsubishi Colt car which was parked on the driveway. Mr Rennie's wife Caroline Rennie, 56, and their children Alexandra, 28, and Sam, 25, were inside the house at the time of the explosion. All escaped unhurt but have since been left 'terrified' and may now move out. Schiavo was caught after passers-by spotted him disappearing into nearby flats in his fancy dress outfit and followed him asking for directions, whilst covertly filming him. Police raided his house in Oldham, Greater Manchester and found a huge cache of fireworks including 47 boxes of bangers and rockets in an outhouse and a further 143 boxes in a Transit van. Detectives investigated claims Mr Rennie, also 56, - who was not at home at the time of the blast - might have been the intended target but no link was ever found. In a statement he told police: 'When I left the house at 8:10 I never dreamt someone would try to put something through my door to hurt my family inside. 'I feel sick and angry and can't believe it. I don't know whether we will ever feel safe in that home again.' The explosion occurred while Caroline Rennie, 56 and her adult children Alexandra and Sam were inside the home, pictured, but all escaped unhurt A huge haul of fireworks, pictured, was found when police subsequently searched Schiavo's home He added: 'The attack was totally unprovoked. I, my wife and children have no idea why our home was targeting in this manner. 'At this moment in time I've been unable to return to work and suffer from stress. My wife is also suffering with her nerves and she too has visited the doctors. 'I've not been sleeping very well since this occurred and have been trying to get my head around what happened.' His daughter Alexandra said: 'This has terrified me, someone tried to hurt me and our family when we were having a relaxing day. 'I don't know how to feel, it's shocking. I now don't feel safe there. Even being asked how I feel has made me relive my feelings.' He was jailed at Manchester Crown Court for three-and-a-half years after he admitted causing an explosion likely to endanger life, possession of a bladed article in a public place plus other offences of possessing drugs with intent to supply, possession of counterfeit currency and possession of ammunition. Prosecutor Mr Robert Hall said the incident occurred at 2.45pm on April 30 last year after Schiavo was seen approaching the Rennie family home in Blackley. He added: 'He put an explosive device at the front door of the property of the detached house and inside at the time were mother and two children of a family of four. 'Some passersby saw the explosion and also a man crossing the road and went to the block of flats to see if they could track his movements. 'They saw him dressed in a cowboy hat with a long leather jacket and shorts. 'They asked him for some directions to video his appearance covertly and that's what they did.' Police later found the hunting knife dumped in nearby bushes. Pictured: Schiavo, left and right, a decade ago at a previous court case when he was caught with 23 tonnes of unlicensed fireworks On his arrest, Schiavo initially told police: 'I've just seen some kids throwing a firework, I'm not from round here I'm just out for a run'. But he later gave no comment in interview. Officers spent three days carrying out an extensive search of Schiavo's 300,000 house fearing there could be further explosives inside. As well as the fireworks they found 25 boxes of phenazepam, the 'Russian equivalent' to diazepam, with 50,000 tablets in total valued at around 43,000. Additionally, 1,420 counterfeit 20 notes were located, valued at 28,460, while blank firearm cartridges were found in the kitchen. In mitigation defence lawyer Martin Callery said his client had suffered a serious back injury after an industrial accident involving his fireworks in 2013. He added: 'He didn't specifically target this address. Some support is found in the fact he was dressed in such a bizarre costume. 'I do not mention it as a prank to minimise that which he has done. This was an incident that took place when he was under the influence. 'This is someone who is a devoted and dedicated family man. He has throughout his life been a hardworking man, a man who his family, church and religion play a major and pivotal part. He has demonstrated remorse and demonstrated regret.' Schiavo was brought to court in the mid 2000s over this haul of fireworks, pictured, that were stored in 'dangerous circumstances' But in passing sentence Judge Richard Mansell QC said: 'It's not the physical damage and financial cost you caused to the family but the terror you induced in this innocent family. 'Geoffrey Rennie was at work and rushed back to find his wife and children in an understandable state of terror. 'He was more concerned about the state of his family and he felt sick and angry that someone had done this. 'Only time will tell whether they do decide to stay there. For him the worst part was he couldn't understand why anyone would want to target him and his family. 'You went out dressed in the manner of some survival expert and you claimed you were attending a fancy dress party dressed as Crocodile Dundee. 'It was simply misfortune that you happened to select their address - but they will continue to fear that you did target them.' A young mother trying to raise 60,000 for lifesaving cancer treatment in Germany has died just 5,000 from reaching her target. Kim Jenkins, 33, had exhausted all therapies in the UK after being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of breast cancer. She started the first of six courses of treatment in Germany in September, just six days after starting the online fundraising campaign. Kim Jenkins, 33, was trying to raise 60,000 for pioneering treatment in Germany after being diagnosed with a rare form of breast cancer but has died just 5,000 short of the target Her partner Tom Halliday (pictured with daughter Miya) said the remaining money will allow them to keep their home. He and Miss Jenkins had been due to marry But after enduring just half of the planned treatments the mother-of-one passed away on January 7, having raised 54,224. Her partner, Tom Halliday, who she was due to marry until the couple were forced to put their plans on hold due to her illness, said he was left 'broken'. He said: 'I am a broken man and have lost half of my existence. I feel her close to me all of the time, but it's hard being in love with someone that is behind the reflective fabric of life.' Writing on the fundraising page, he said: 'The truth is she had hope and a powerful treatment plan all the way to the end, everyone behind her fought like a battalion of thousands. There was no white flag offered from our side, she passed with great honour. 'The remaining funds mean Miya and I won't lose the house anytime soon. This should allow me time to work on being able to support the both of us and keep our home.' HYPERTHERMIA CANCER TREATMENT Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment in which body tissue is exposed to high temperatures of up to 113F. Research has shown that these high temperatures can damage and kill cancer cells, usually with minimal injury to normal tissues. By killing cancer cells and damaging proteins and structures within cells, hyperthermia may shrink tumors. Used with other forms of cancer therapy, such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, it may make some cancer cells more sensitive to radiation or harm other cancer cells that radiation cannot damage. When hyperthermia and radiation therapy are combined, they are often given within an hour of each other. Hyperthermia can also enhance the effects of certain anticancer Hyperthermia is under study in clinical trials ( with people) and is not widely available. National Cancer Institute Advertisement Miss Jenkins, from Torquay, Devon, had triple negative breast cancer which has no targeted therapies in the UK and a high rate of re-occurrence. She was initially treated with 12 weeks of chemotherapy followed by a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery. The family were able to get their life back on track and Miss Jenkins returned to her job as a care worker. She and Tom were planning to get married in August last year, but put the wedding on hold after she found a lump under her armpit and she underwent further treatment. Miss Jenkins had exhausted effective treatment options in the UK so researched treatments abroad and was being treated at a clinic at Bad Salzhausen, Germany. She was going to have six rounds of treatment with a gap of a month between each cycle and last travelled in November, with Tom and their daughter Miya, two. To reduce the costs of staying in Germany, the family received top-up doses of chemotherapy back home, but Mr Halliday was forced to tell donors that the treatment was not enough to save her. Mr Halliday, writing on her fundraising page, added: 'I am sad to break the news to you that we lost our wonderful Jenkins last night. 'It was peaceful and she was in no pain. She had the full support of me and her parents through her difficult transition and journey to the other side. Miss Jenkins had exhausted effective treatment options in the UK so researched treatments abroad and was being treated at a clinic at Bad Salzhausen, Germany 'It is a shock to hear this news after things appeared to be going so well. 'Where local hyperthermia treatments were applied which reached the required temperature it appeared to stop the progression in its tracks very quickly. 'However, in retrospect, during the whole body treatments they failed to get her to the therapeutic temperature range, and it was lower on each visit. 'Although I was a little concerned about this, only five weeks ago her liver and brain scans were completely clear when we left Germany. 'So within that amount of weeks it came out of the shadows and consumed her. MINOT -- A 24-year-old Minot man is facing attempted murder charges after being accused of critically injuring another man in a shooting over the weekend while he was allegedly on a criminal rampage. Javontez Barnes is accused of shooting another 24-year-old man about 4:20 a.m. Saturday morning in the 1800 block of South Main Street. The victim was taken to Trinity Hospital, where he was in critical condition Sunday, according to Minot police investigations commander Capt. John Klug. A woman in the home was also assaulted. Barnes is charged with criminal attempt-murder, burglary and aggravated assault in that incident. Earlier Saturday morning, Barnes also is accused of robbing the Cash Wise store at 3:38 a.m. He faces a robbery charge in that incident. Three days earlier, on Wednesday at about 11:11 p.m., police were called to a shooting in the 1800 block of 2nd St. SE where several rounds were fired through a door into an apartment that was occupied. Barnes has also been implicated in that shooting and charged with four counts of reckless endangerment. He was apparently not alone in the Saturday incidents. Klug said Sunday that Randolph Dashiell Garbutt, 26, is also charged in the Saturday shooting incident as an accomplice in the burglary of the home. Garbutt is also charged in connection with the Cash Wise burglary. Klug said both men were taken to the Ward County Jail in Minot to await their initial court appearances this week. A British backpacker has been found hanged in her Thai hotel room after a late-night argument with her boyfriend. The body of the 26-year-old, named locally as Abigail Louiise Brown from Plymouth, Devon, was found in an apartment in the Thai seaside resort of Phuket. Her boyfriend made the discovery after returning to their rented room at 6.20am at the weekend and, said police. Police said the incident was a tragic suicide. A British backpacker has been found hanged in her Thai hotel room in Chalong (pictured), Phuket after a late-night argument with her boyfriend Officers had earlier claimed that Ms Brown and her boyfriend - who police have declined to name - had had an argument in the early hours of that morning and she had returned alone to the room they were renting at 3.20am. When the boyfriend arrived back exactly three hours later he made the grim discovery. Police Lieutenant Somkiet Sarasit, leading the investigation, told the Phuket News today that there were no suspicious circumstances. He said: 'The young woman hanged herself. There was no fighting and no cuts to her body. The 26-year-old holidaymaker was partying with her partner in Phuket (file picture) but returned alone at 3am after a bust-up 'The man said that they had been out together. They had an argument and she returned early. They had been fighting about silly things. 'It was suicide and we're not looking for any suspects. The body has been sent to Wachira Phuket hospital.' He added that Ms Brown's relatives had been informed of her death and her body was due to be flown back to Britain on Thursday. 'Our investigation into this incident is now closed,' said the police lieutenant. BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner was left stuck on board an easyJet aircraft which had landed in Gatwick after his wheelchair assistant failed to show up. Mr Gardner, who was paralysed after being shot six times by al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia in 2004, complained last night about his treatment on Twitter. His colleague, cameraman Simon Cumbers was killed in the attack. The journalist posted images of the empty plane after his return from a winter break in the French Alps. The airline confirmed Mr Gardner had been delayed for 30 minutes upon his arrival in Gatwick last night. Scroll down for video BBC Security Correspondent Frank Gardner posted this image of the empty aircraft last night Mr Gardner complained the aircraft was parked just yards from an airbridge, pictured, which could have been used to help him from the Airbus without a 30-minute delay Mr Gardner posted an image of the interior of the Airbus with the message: 'Once more stuck on empty plane at Gatwick Airport after all passengers off and heading home as special assistance have failed to turn up.' The jet came to a halt just yards from an airbridge which would have enabled him to depart the aircraft. Mr Gardner said the blame for his delay is down to OCS Assist, who have the contract to help passengers with mobility issues using easyJet services at Gatwick Airport. Gatwick Airport said airlines were responsible for assisting passengers to and from their aircraft. However, Mr Gardner was critical of the airline for the delay because an airbridge was so close to the Airbus jet. He tweeted the airline, airport and OCS Assist and said: 'Your failure to get disabled passengers promptly off planes even AFTER all others are off is inexcusable.' Mr Gardner later told his 65,000 followers: 'Pleased to say Gatwick Airport, easyJet and OCS Assist have all responded and are investigating how to stop disabled passengers [being] stranded on board.' Mr Gardner said the problem is not confined to the UK. He posted an image of him with I Will Survive singer Gloria Gaynor waiting for assistance leaving an aircraft in Paris, France In a statement, the airline told MailOnline: ' easyJet is sorry that Mr Gardner was delayed disembarking upon arrival at London Gatwick last night, cabin crew remained with him during the delay. 'We have taken this up with OCS who are the special assistance provider to all airlines at London Gatwick airport and are in contact with Mr Gardner about his experience.' 'easyJet flies over 1,000 passengers who require some form of special assistance every day and our customer research shows high levels of satisfaction with the service we provide them.' Elizabeth Santiago (pictured at her home in Penuelas, Puerto Rico), 56, told DailyMail.com that she could 'scarcely recognize' her 'crazed' son The mother of Florida airport shooter Esteban Santiago has broken her silence to plead with US authorities: 'Don't execute my son'. Elizabeth Santiago, 56, said she could scarcely recognize the crazed figure who sprayed bullets at a Fort Lauderdale baggage claim Friday, killing five people and wounding eight others. And in an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, she begged federal prosecutors not to press for the death penalty, insisting her former soldier son was mentally ill rather than evil. Speaking from her home in Penuelas, on the US territory of Puerto Rico, she said: 'Esteban served to protect this country. 'He has mental health problems and he should receive the proper treatment. 'The death penalty isn't the right solution to his problems. 'He is a US citizen who has protected his country and he should receive a fair trial.' Santiago, 26, sprayed bullets at a Fort Lauderdale baggage claim last Friday, killing five and wounding eight others Santiago arriving in federal court today to be formally charged with committing an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death Santiago is in federal court today to be formally charged with committing an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. Mrs Santiago said she had not been able to contact her son since he was taken into custody following Friday's bloodbath and wasn't sure if he had a lawyer. Investigators are trying to determine whether the US Army Veteran was a homegrown terrorist or just mentally disturbed. The 26-year-old walked into an FBI office in Alaska two months ago claiming voices in his head were urging him to watch sickening ISIS propaganda videos. He was stripped of his weapon but it was returned to him a month later when he was released from a mental health facility. The same gun was reportedly used during Friday's massacre when Santiago flew from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale before retrieving the legally-checked weapon from a baggage carousel. Santiago flew from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale before retrieving the legally-checked weapon from a baggage carousel. After changing his shirt, he opened fire and reloaded twice After changing his shirt, Santiago emerged from a bathroom and opened fire, picking off fleeing passengers with precise head shots and reloading twice before finally laying down and giving himself up. His family are adamant the FBI are to blame for not doing enough to monitor his condition and for handing back his Walther 9mm pistol. Mrs Santiago told DailyMail.com that her son's problems began when he returned to the US in 2011 after a tour of duty in Iraq where he saw a bomb explode next to two friends. Months later, he lost his father suddenly to a heart attack, potentially exacerbating his existing problems. His family say the FBI are to blame for not monitoring his condition and for handing back his pistol, after he informed them that he was 'hearing voices' telling him to watch ISIS videos 'He has not had any contact with ISIS,' she insisted. 'He has had mental health issues since he came back from Iraq. 'He asked for help but he did not get it.' Fighting back tears, the mother-of-six added: 'We are sorry. We are suffering the same as the victims. 'He is humble, loving, he cared so much about his brothers. Mrs Santiago says her son's mental health issues began when he returned from a tour of Iraq in 2011 'The people who he sought help from didn't help him. He told the FBI what he was seeing and hearing.' US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer formally announced Santiago's charges on Saturday. They could result in capital punishment but Ferrer would not confirm whether his office would be actively seeking the death penalty. Investigators have interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with Santiago himself. According to a federal complaint, he told authorities that he planned the horrifying attack, buying a one-way ticket from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale via Minneapolis. The only piece of luggage he checked was a box containing his handgun. Santiago was born in New Jersey but grew up in rural Penuelas, half an hour west from Puerto Rico's second biggest city, Ponce, after moving there when he was two. He joined the Puerto Rico National Guard in 2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2010 with an engineering battalion before moving to Anchorage, where he has a girlfriend and baby son. The private first class and combat engineer received half a dozen medals but was given a general discharge from the Alaskan National Guard last August for unsatisfactory performance. Court records reveal he was also accused last year of trying to strangle his girlfriend but escaped with a deferred prosecution agreement. Santiago checked into a mental health facility for treatment but was released on December 8, according to officials. His brother, Bryan Santiago (above)) told DailyMail.com: 'This is on them...he wanted help but they didn't give him any' After seeking help in November, Santiago was classified as a 'walk-in complaint' according to the FBI, something that apparently happens every day at FBI offices across the country. He had left his new born child and a firearm in his car and was in possession of a loaded magazine. Agents referred him to the Anchorage Police Department to request a mental health evaluation. Travellers pictured on the tarmac at Fort Lauderdale's Hollywood Airport after the shooting Santiago then checked into a mental health facility for treatment but was released on December 8 and the case was closed, officials say. His brother, Bryan Santiago, blames the police and FBI for the ensuing atrocity because they failed to address the former soldier's PTSD. He also believes the shooting could have been triggered by a flashback of Santiago's frightening combat experiences in Iraq. 'Why the hell would they give the gun back to him?' he told DailyMail.com outside the family's one-story home, a mile outside of downtown Penuelas. 'This is on them. He told them the things he was seeing. He wanted help but they didn't give him any.' An Islamic independent school has been slammed by Ofsted after inspectors found CCTV cameras in the toilets and students could not name the Prime Minister. Darul Hadis Latifiah, an all boys school in east London, was branded inadequate across all areas, as the school watchdog concluded pupils were 'not prepared for life in modern Britain'. Many of the students at the school in Bethnal Green, did not know Theresa May is the country's political leader. Inspectors also found a book which 'promoted inappropriate views' on how girls and women should behave and said changing rooms and showers were 'grimy and disgusting' after mouse droppings and sharp metal were found on the floor. Inspection: Darul Hadis Latifiah, an all-boys school in London, was branded inadequate across all areas, as Ofsted concluded pupils were 'not prepared for life in modern Britain' And the report found school governers and leaders need to do more to help the government's flagship counter-terrorism strategy, 'Prevent'. Prevent is a programme which aims to safeguard people from the threat of terrorism and from joining extremist groups, including ISIS. The report detailed how CCTV cameras had been found in the school, which takes pupils between 11 and 20-years-old. The report read: 'An inspector noted a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the communal area of the toilets. 'The images from this camera could be seen in the reception area on plain view to any visitors. Damning: Inspectors said the was CCTV in a communal area inside toilets at the school in east London (pictured) 'Leaders did not have a consistent view of why and how the camera had been installed and were unable to provide evidence that a risk assessment or consultation had taken place. 'In addition, there was no record of how and when the decision was made. 'The camera was removed before the end of the inspection.' When pupils were asked about the CCTV camera in the toilet, they told inspectors they thought it was 'an invasion of privacy'. The boys also said that if they asked questions about sex and relationships they were put in detention. And some said they felt they could 'learn more' about fundamental British values. The report also detailed issues with how pupils were taught about women. It read: 'Respect for women is promoted during Islamic studies but is limited to the roles of motherhood and families. 'There are too few opportunities to learn about women in modern society. 'For example, although the school asserts that pupils are taught about current affairs, they were not able to identify the new female Prime Minister when shown a photograph of her. 'Pupils were also unaware of the candidate in the US presidential election who is a woman.' An inappropriate book was also found in the library. The report read: 'A book was found in the school library which promoted inappropriate views of how girls and women should behave. 'Leaders told inspectors that they were unaware of the book's presence. However, it was accessible to pupils.' Hygiene issues were also raised. In a statement, a spokesperson for the school said: 'We are currently preparing a formal complaint to Ofsted about the way the inspection was conducted and judgements were made. 'While we accept that there were a few failings affecting the judgement on safeguarding leading to an overall 'inadequate' judgement, we have good reason to believe that the report is excessively negative and does not give an accurate picture of our students' attainment and progress. Thousands of nuclear workers at sites across Britain will be balloted for strikes over the coming weeks in a row over pensions, unions said today. Some 16,000 members of several trade unions, mainly involved in decommissioning work, will vote on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. The unions are protesting at plans by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to make savings of 660million. Sellafield: Thousands of nuclear workers are to be balloted for strikes in a row over pensions The potential industrial action comes after senior trade union representatives from Prospect, GMB, Unite, Aslef and the TSSA met in London today. The workers are based at sites including Sellafield in Cumbria, Dounreay Site Restoration in Caithness and International Nuclear Services in Warrington. The unions said the Government's expectation is that the final salary pension schemes in place across the NDA estate will be reformed by April 2018. Justin Bowden, national officer of the GMB, said: 'Nuclear workers have played their part in keeping the country's lights on for decades. Where are the affected UK workers based? Sellafield (Cumbria) Magnox (Anglesey, Ayrshire, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Gwynedd, Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk) Direct Rail Services (Cumbria) Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (Caithness) Low Level Waste Repository (Cumbria) International Nuclear Services (Cumbria, Warrington) Advertisement 'Senior representatives were unanimous that if this Government is determined to break its promises and is not prepared to negotiate, there is no alternative but to ballot members to take strike action. 'GMB remains committed to resolving these issues amicably and available for meaningful talks should the Government want to pull back from this shocking episode of broken promises to workers in the nuclear industry.' An NDA spokesman said last week: 'Government policy is that all public sector final salary pensions schemes should be reformed by 2018, and four million public sector workers have already moved to new pension arrangements. Pakistan has test-fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and the country's military says it gives them a credible second strike capability. The missile was fired from an underwater mobile platform and hit its target with precise accuracy, said Pakistan's military spokesman. He confirmed the missile, with a range of 280 miles, could carry a nuclear warhead. Scroll down for video Pakistan released this picture of a nuclear-capable cruise missile being launched from a submarine during a test firing at a secret location off the coast Flashpoint: Indian soldiers patrol a street in Srinagar, Kashmir, after a curfew was reimposed following fresh clashes. Pakistan has been accused of stirring up violence among Kashmir's largely Muslim population What is second strike capability? Second strike capability is the idea that in the case of a nuclear attack by one country towards another, the state being attacked would be able to survive an initial strike, and have the ability to counter with a strike of its own attack on that initial attacking state. The second strike - usually by way of submarine-launched missiles - provides a military capability to hit back at an enemy in a situation where its land-based nuclear arsenal had been neutralised The theory is that it makes the aggressor - in this case India - more wary of launching an attack, because it could face a retaliatory attack Advertisement Tension between Pakistan and neighbouring India - which have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947 - has been rising in recent months with India accusing and threatening Pakistan after a series of insurgent attacks in Kashmir. Tension between the two countries has been high since a deadly attack on an Indian army base in the disputed region of Kashmir in September, which New Delhi blamed on Pakistan-based Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed. They have routinely carried out missile tests since both demonstrated a nuclear weapons capability in 1998. Both countries can already launch surface-to-surface ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear or conventional warheads. Pakistan's new Babur-3 missile would put coastal cities like Mumbai under threat, aswell as Bangalore - heart of India's Silicon Valley - which is about 200 miles inland. 'Babur-3 is a sea-based variant of Ground Launched Cruise Missile Babur-2, which was successfully tested earlier in December, last year,' the statement said. 'Pakistan eyes this hallmark development as a step toward reinforcing the policy of credible minimum deterrence.' The military said the Babur-3 SLCM, in a land-attack mode, was capable of delivering various types of payloads. It would 'provide Pakistan with a credible second strike capability, augmenting deterrence'. Theresa May showed she is a lady for turning today when her prime ministerial Jaguar was forced to make a U-turn after turning in to a dead-end. The Prime Minister's car took a wrong turn in to a dead-end on her way to the speech at Carlton House Terrace in central London. Her convoy of security vehicles were forced to perform a U-turn before she arrived at the venue. Theresa May showed she is a lady for turning today when her prime ministerial Jaguar was forced to make a U-turn after turning in to a dead-end today Mrs May's jaguar took a wrong turn in to a dead-end on her way to the speech at Carlton House Terrace in central London Her convoy of security vehicles were forced to perform a U-turn before she arrived at the venue Mrs May marked another departure from Margaret Thatcher's legacy today. She used her first major speech of the year to lay out her vision for a 'shared society' - marking a clear break from Mrs Thatcher's claim there is 'no such thing as society'. In a wide-ranging speech Mrs May stressed the need for a 'shared society' that would help address the concerns of the public. Failing to do so would allow extremists to 'tear down all that we have achieved' she said. She delivered a stark warning that political insurgents such as Marine Le Pen could 'tear down' the established order unless ordinary people are given a better deal. The Prime Minister condemned the failure of 'mainstream' politicians to improve the lot of those who are struggling to get by. She said complaints about the lack of fairness in society had too often been dismissed as 'parochial and illegitimate' while a 'privileged few' reaped the benefits. Theresa May's convoy made the short journey from Downing Street to make her first major speech of the year today Ordinary people were finding that in the modern, globalised economy 'there is one rule for the rich and powerful and another for everyone else'. 'When they lose their jobs, or their wages stagnate, or their dreams such as owning a home seem out of reach, they feel it is even working against them serving not their interests or ambitions, but those of a privileged few. 'And they are questioning the legitimacy of all the old institutions and systems we have relied on for decades... The PM, pictured arriving for her speech today, said 'mainstream' politicians had too often dismissed concerns as 'parochial' 'This is dangerous for it sows division and despair as the gap between those who are prospering and those who are not gets ever larger, and resentments grow. 'And it emboldens the voices of protectionism and isolation who would tear down all we have achieved and take us back to the past.' Mrs May insisted her Government would provide a 'mainstream centre-ground' solution to the problems besetting ordinary working-class families. 'The central challenge of our times is to overcome divisions and bring our country together, by ensuring that everyone has the chance to share in the wealth and opportunity on offer in Britain today,' said the Prime Minister. The intervention came after Mrs May spelled out her desire to tackle inequality. In an interview on Sky News yesterday, she said: 'What is important is that we recognise that this is about dealing with everyday injustices, but it is also about us recognising our obligations as citizens within the communities and society that we have here in the UK. 'It's about recognising that there is a role for government but government needs to ensure that it is acting as effectively as possible in those areas where it should be taking action.' The Government will intervene to set right issues where it can take action, Mrs May said and move beyond helping only the poorest or the most able to rise up the social ladder. Theresa May used her first major speech of the year to lay out her vision for a 'shared society' - marking a clear break from Mrs Thatcher's claim there is 'no such thing as society' In an apparent reference to growing support for figures such as Marine Le Pen in France, Mrs May warned that 'fringe voices' were gaining ground across Europe In her speech today, Mrs May also pledged to improve treatment for mental illness. She said problems 'too often start in childhood and that when left untreated, can blight lives, and become entrenched'. The Prime Minister developed an interest in mental illness and its consequences during her six years as home secretary, where she was struck by how much police time is taken up dealing with the issue and the prevalence of serious mental health conditions among prison inmates. Mrs May said support for mental health sufferers should be offered not just in hospitals 'but in our classrooms, at work and in our communities'. She added: 'This is a historic opportunity to right a wrong, and give people deserving of compassion and support the attention and treatment they deserve. Maria Lena Raymond is the 43-year-old mother charged over the 1996 death of her two-day-old son who was found dead, cut in half and dumped. The newborn's body was also dragged by dogs into a street. The Queensland woman - who would have been 23 at the timeher baby's body was found in a Cairns suburb - has been charged with manslaughter, misconduct with regards to a corpse and concealing the birth of a child. Her 20-year-old secret came to light in December after she allegedly confided in a close friend, The Courier Mail reported. Scroll down for video Maria Lena Raymond, 43, has been charged over the 1996 death of her two-day old baby The baby boy was just 48 hours old when he died. His upper body was found in the driveway of a Cairns home on May 4, 1996 The newborn's body, which still had the umbilical cord attached, had been cut in half and dumped in a creek - but was later dragged to a driveway by dogs ' The case has never been closed and information received by detectives in early December of 2016 culminated in the charges being [laid],' Detective Inspector Geoff Marsh told 9 News. 'A person who was known to the lady and the lady had divulged to this person over the years - some time ago - in relation to the incident.' Advances in DNA testing helped provide results confirming Raymond was the boy's mother. The combination of information and DNA results were required for police to make the arrest. The boy died at just 48-hours-old and his upper body was found in the driveway of a Cairns home on May 4, 1996, according to police. His body, which still had the umbilical cord attached, had been cut in half and dumped in a creek but was later dragged to a driveway by dogs. The baby's body was found in Hayward Street, Mooroobool, Cairns Police launched an investigation into the shocking death and mutilation of the baby but the case went cold and no one was charged. Twenty years after the investigation went cold it was reopened with a public appeal calling for anyone with information to come forward. The appeal led to Raymond being charged. She was also charged with misconduct with regards to a corpse and appeared in the Cairns Magistrates Court on Monday where she was granted bail. Confronted by media, her lawyer said to 9 News: 'we do not wish to make any comment while the matter is before the courts'. The bottom half of the baby's body was never found. There is still a $250,000 reward on offer for information on the baby's death. Raymond is to reappear in court in April. Incoming White House advisor Kellyanne Conway has joined President-elect Donald Trump's counterattack on Meryl Streep by arguing that if the actress was such an advocate for the disabled, she should have stood up for the special needs man subjected to Torture in video posted on Facebook. Streep caused a sensation on the airwaves an online when she delivered a blistering speech against Trump while accepting an award at the Golden Globes Sunday night, where she slammed Trump for mocking New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski in 2015 at a campaign rally. 'That instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same,' Streep said. Conway was having none of it in appearance Monday morning on 'Fox and Friends,' and joined President-elect Trump in hitting back at Streep. 'I'm glad Meryl Streep has such a passion for the disabled because I didn't hear her weigh in or I didn't even hear her use her platform last night ... to give the shoutout to the mentally challenged boy who last week was tortured live on Facebook for half an hour, by four young African-American adults who were screaming racial and anti-Trump expletives and forcing him to put his head in toilet water,' she said. Incoming White House advisor Kellyanne Conway went after Hollywood actress Meryl Streep, asking why, if she's such an advocate for the disabled, she didn't speak about the torture of a special needs man that was posted online 'So I'd like to hear from her today, if she wants to come and continue her platform on behalf of the disabled,' Conway continued. Conway was referencing the sensational video posted online last week of the horrifying treatment of an 18-year-old special needs man in Chicago. In the 30-minute attack, the perpetrators kick and punch the man. At one point, one of them yells "f**k Donald Trump" and "f**k white people." Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye Cooper, 18; and sisters Brittany, 18, and Tanisha Covington, 24, were arrested and charged the following day with aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery and a hate crime Thursday. Prosecutors say they forced the disabled man to drink toilet water, kiss the floor. They also say the suspects stuffed a sock into his mouth, taped his mouth shut and bound his hands with a belt. Conway said the claim that Trump had been mocking the reporter's disability has been 'debunked.' Watch the latest video at video.foxnews.com Kellyanne Conway joined President-elect Donald Trump's pushback against actress Meryl Streep during an appearance on 'Fox and Friends' Monday Four men and women allegedly tortured this 18-year-old special needs man with schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder. Thirty minutes of the horrific ordeal was live-streamed on Facebook on Tuesday Members of the alleged torture gang (l-r) Jordan Hill, 18; Tesfaye Cooper, 18; Brittany Covington, 18; and her sister Tanisha Covington, 24, have all been charged with two hate crimes in addition to other charges 'And Donald Trump is absolutely right. He has debunked this so many times. [Streep] sounds like 2014. The election is over. She lost.' Streep spoke at the Democratic National Convention on behalf of Hillary Clinton, and attended President Obama's farewell bash at the White House Friday. Conway was echoing Trump's online attack that Streep was a 'Hillary flunky who 'lost big.' Trump also called into the New York Times early Monday morning to hit back. Then Conway expanded her attack against Hollywood. 'And he is absolutely right about something else too. Everybody in that audience with very few exceptions was of a single myopic mind of how they wanted the election to go and how they expected the election to go. They lost,' she said. Kellyanne Conway says the president-elect's cabinet nominees are not holding up the appointment process by refusing to fill out financial disclosure forms. Democrats are complicating the process by demanding documents that 'are not in the normal course' from Donald Trump's wealthy nominees like tax filings, Conway, a senior adviser to the incoming president, said this morning. 'There's no scandal here. It's basically just a process that takes a great deal of time,' she said on Fox and Friends. She accused Senate Democrats of playing 'political peeping Toms' with nominees' financial holdings and paperwork. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Kellyanne Conway says the president-elect's cabinet nominees are not holding up the appointment process by refusing to fill out financial disclosure forms Democrats are trying to slow hearings on Trump's nominees, nine of whom will sit before senators and take questions this week. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer produced a letter from the Office of Government Ethics on Saturday raising concerns about the speed at which it was having to vet the president-elect's appointments. OGE Director Walter Shaub told the lawmakers in a letter that his agency was under 'pressure' to 'rush' through their reviews. 'More significantly, it has left some of the nominees with potentially unknown or unresolved ethics issues shortly before their scheduled hearings, he said. On Twitter Warren said, 'This is ridiculous. @realDonaldTrumps noms cant drag their feet on ethics paperwork while their Senate friends try to run out the clock.' 'Cabinet officials must put our country's interests before their own. No conf hearings should be held until were certain thats the case.' The Trump transition team hit back at OGE in a statement to NPR on Saturday. 'In the midst of a historic election where Americans voted to drain the swamp, it is disappointing some have chosen to politicize the process in order to distract from important issues facing our country,' it said. 'This is a disservice to the country and is exactly why voters chose Donald J. Trump as their next president.' Conway said this morning Trump's nominees deserve the 'type of swift action' that Barack Obama's nominees received in 2009, when the Senate confirmed seven by voice vote on the day of his inauguration. The legislative body confirmed five more later that week. The Trump aide brought up George W. Bush's messy election in 2001 that went all the way to the Supreme Court and noted that he was still able to get nine slots filled, including State, Commerce, Treasury and Education. Nominees like Linda McMahon, on deck for Small Business Administrator, and Wilbur Ross, Trump's pick for Commerce, have been 'wildly successful' in their careers, Conway contended. 'It takes time just to get that paperwork.....That's just a timing and process issue and nobody should use it as an excuse, Pete, to hold up the functioning of government,' she told Fox and Friends' Pete Hegseth. Democrats are trying to slow hearings on Trump's nominees, seven of whom will sit before senators and take questions this week Conway said this morning Trump's nominees deserve the 'type of swift action' that Barack Obama's nominees received in 2009, when the Senate confirmed seven by voice vote on the day of his inauguration Senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, pictured, produced a letter from the Office of Government Ethics on Saturday raising concerns about the speed at which it was having to vet the president-elect's appointments. Fox & Friends host Steve Doocy said Democrats are using financial disclosure forms to hit Trump over the head for refusing to release his tax documents. 'Which America knew,' Conway said, 'and yet they voted for him anyway.' Talking about the information being demanded by Democrats, she said, 'They just want America to see what they have, they want to play a bunch of political peeping Toms into the tax records of people.' Conway predicted that Democrats will 'overplay their hand and they will be blamed' just like they were in the last election for Obamacare, regulations and taxes. 'They will be blamed. We won't be blamed because we're putting the people out there,' she said. Trump nominees have endured 70 hours of mock sessions and 2,600 questions from lawmakers behind closed doors. They've met with 87 US senators, including 37 Democrats, Conway said. She said that Democratic senators are drawing their questions from the media and will pounce on story lines in the news, like nominees' relationships with Russian President Vladimir Putin. 'They probably took copious notes at the Golden Globes,' she snarked, making reference to last night's awards ceremony. Actress Meryl Streep, a Hillary Clinton supporter, used her time on stage to relitigate an episode from the campaign when Trump mocked a reporter with a handicap. Trump said this morning on Twitter that he ridiculed the journalist for amending a story to make him 'look bad.' Streep did not mention the president-elect by name. She made a clear reference to the incidence, though, when she said, 'It was that moment when a person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter - someone he outranked in privilege, in power and in the capacity to fight back. 'That instinct to humiliate, when it's modeled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same. 'Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose.' Conway said on Fox & Friends that she'd like to hear Streep talk about the black teens who tortured a disabled white man while screaming racial and anti-Trump epithets at him. 'The election is over. She lost,' Conway added. The Trump adviser said she wished Streep would have said from the awards stage that she didn't like the election results but intends to support the next president. Police say a Grand Forks woman shot by her adult son before he took his own life has died of her injuries. Authorities say 53-year-old Jennifer Harrison died at Altru Hospital days after she was found in her home with multiple gunshot wounds to her torso and head. According to officials, 21-year-old Tyler Harrison shot his mother Wednesday at the home they shared in Grand Forks. Police say he turned the gun on himself and was found dead in their driveway. Officials say the shooting was domestic-related, but that their investigation is continuing. Three people were found dead in an eastern Kentucky home where a man barricaded himself, shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy and set the mobile home on fire, a sheriff said Monday. The bodies recovered from the burned home were believed to be two women and the suspected shooter, Rowan County Sheriff Matt Sparks said. Authorities reportedly converged on the rural home near Morehead on Sunday after the suspect called 911 to report he had shot his girlfriend. Three people were found dead in an eastern Kentucky home where a man barricaded himself, shot and wounded a sheriff's deputy and set the mobile home on fire 'Our belief is that he shot both the female subjects, set the place on fire and took his own life,' Sparks said. The victims, badly burned by the fire, had not yet been identified pending autopsies in Frankfort. The suspect opened fire from inside the home when officers arrived, the sheriff said. The bodies recovered from the burned home were believed to be two women and the suspected shooter Authorities reportedly converged on the rural home near Morehead on Sunday after the suspect called 911 to report he had shot his girlfriend Rowan County sheriff's deputy Baker Hollis was shot in the arm just above the wrist, and has been treated and released from the hospital. Deputy Sheriff Baker Hollis was shot in the hand but has been treated and released from the hospital The suspect fired at least three different types of weapons, based on the sound, and kept moving around the mobile home, Sparks said. 'It was almost like he was trying to draw officers in there,' the sheriff said. 'He was back far enough in the residence that they didn't even see him as he was firing on them.' Sparks said he spoke briefly with the suspect by phone three times during the standoff. The man said he wanted to talk to the FBI and CIA but abruptly hung up each time. 'He was just rambling,' the sheriff said. 'He was pretty much out of it.' Sparks continued: 'It's tragic. It goes back to, you know, some officers were talking at the scene, this person is known to have some mental health issues and it just seems like there's so much of that going on in our country right now and our county.' The standoff lasted at least two hours before the residence became engulfed in flames. Officers didn't enter the burning home immediately because they didn't know if the man was alive and able to open fire on them. Dr Bond, also 62, was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge after paramedics found her lying unconscious on the bed A husband tried to murder his wife by repeatedly smashing her skull with a 12inch-long 2.5lb lump hammer as she slept at their 1million home. Paul Bond, 62, from Over in Cambridgeshire, fractured university lecturer Dr Marian Bond's skull and jaw multiple times in the attack. He then placed the blood-stained hammer under a pillow on the bed and phoned 999, telling the call handler, 'I've really hurt her, she's not OK.' The attacker denied attempted murder but during a week-long trial at Cambridge Crown Court, he offered no defence for the viscous assault. He was found guilty of attempted murder today after a jury spent just one hour deliberating their verdict. Dr Bond, also 62, was rushed to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge after paramedics found her lying unconscious on the bed. The attack had 'caved' in part of her skull and shattered her jaw. She was placed in an induced coma and had part of her skull removed as doctors fought to save her life. She has since made a recovery but will be scarred for life by the attack. Mrs Bond sat in the public gallery for the trial and listened as details of what happened to her were read out by prosecutor Amjad Malik QC. He told the court: 'This defendant made a decision to attack his wife and he chose a time when she would be in her most vulnerable state. 'She was asleep in their bed and she slept, it appears, naked. 'He had ensured that the bedroom was dark. All the curtains, we say, were drawn on that morning. He had switched the lights off. Why did he do that? 'He must have known that this would help prevent his wife, Dr Marian Bond, from being able to see what the prosecution say was a lethal attack that he was about to launch upon her. 'She wouldn't have been able to see what was coming, or it may have been that he wouldn't have wanted to see the results of that lethal attack that he was about to launch upon her.' The court heard how Bond, who ran a computing business from the couple's home, hit his wife up to five times with the 2.5lb lump hammer, which was 12 inches long. The attack left Mrs Bond, who worked in the Animal & Environmental Biology department at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus, with multiple fractures to her skull, as well as depressing bone into the brain and causing her brain to swell. A second blow to the left hand side of the jaw caused multiple fractures, and required surgery to correct. During two police interviews following his arrested he seemed 'emotionless' and refused to answer questions, the court heard, and he did not give an explanation for carrying out the attack. But Mr Malik claimed that after the attack, in which the lights were turned off and the curtains drawn, Bond could not face the reality of what he had done. A husband tried to murder his wife by repeatedly smashing her skull with a 12inch-long 2.5lb lump hammer as she slept at their 1million home He said: 'Although he had tried his hardest (to kill) and he thought that the attack that he had launched and the number of blows he had inflicted had done enough (to kill). 'When he saw the bedroom as she lay with her head on that pillow where she was barely breathing. He had to make a choice. He had to finish her off with further blows to kill her. 'He did not have the strength or the ability to finish her off. He could have left her to die but he chose at that point, in the state that she was in, to change his mind. Bond was remanded into custody to be sentenced tomorrow 'Regret? We will never know because you will not hear from him. That evidence is clear. He called the emergency care services even though, as he said, she is in dire need of help. She is barely breathing.' In his defence Michael Duffy QC said that the fact that Bond called the emergency services shows that he didn't intend to kill his wife. Summing up the case today, Judge David Farrell QC told the jury: 'Much of the evidence is not in dispute. 'He (Bond) had the intention. He is not suffering from any mental conditions. 'We can be sure he wished to kill her. He used a lump hammer. It was planned. His wife suffered no defensive wounds, so she did not know it was coming. 'Prosecution says he did not kill her as he did not have the strength to finish her off. 'Defence suggest he could have killed her if he wanted to but chose not to. When the police arrived he was calm. 'There is no explanation from the defendant what the intent was.' Bond was remanded into custody to be sentenced tomorrow. The court heard how Bond, who ran a computing business from the couple's home, hit his wife up to five times with the 2.5lb lump hammer, which was 12 inches long Speaking after the verdict, Detective Inspector Jerry Waite, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: 'This was an horrific assault which could easily have killed Dr Bond. Without the immediate intervention of paramedics we would probably have been dealing with a murder. 'This is a sad case and the conviction today is not one to celebrate, however, I hope it allows the victim and relatives to move on knowing that justice has taken its course. A couple who are raising the children of parents overdosed on a Florida highway as their kids sat watching movies in their SUV, say the young boys have no idea their mom and dad are dead. Heather and Daniel Kelsey, 30 and 32 respectively, were found lying dead outside the car by a passing Florida Highway Patrol trooper near DeLand in the early hours of December 31. Their three children, Aiden, two, Nicholas, one, and infant Joseph, were discovered unharmed, all still strapped into the backseat. The boys are now being cared for by Heather's parents, Mike and Lynne Belisle. But the couple say that more than a week after the devastating discovery, their grandchildren still have no idea their parents died just a few feet away from where they had sat, watching movies. Heather Kelsey, 30, and Daniel Kelsey, 32, were discovered by police on the I-4 near DeLand, Florida on New Year's Eve Their three children, Aiden, two, Nicholas, one, and infant Joseph, were discovered unharmed, all still strapped into the backseat. The boys are now being cared for by Heather Kelsey's parents, Mike and Lynne Belisle (pictured with her grandson) 'They really don't know. They're kind of looking for mommy right now,' Mike told ClickOrlando. The Belisles are still waiting for the official cause of death for their daughter and her husband. But investigators believe the couple died from a drugs overdose. 'I don't want anybody to ever have to go through what we've gone through. It truly is terrible,' Mike said. The Belisles are still waiting for the official cause of death for their daughter Heather Kelsey (pictured with her son) and her husband Heather and Daniel Kelsey (pictured with two of his sons) who had been married six years, were pronounced dead not long after emergency crews arrived on the scene on New Year's Eve The grandparents (Lynne Belisle with her grandson) admit raising three young children, who suffer with different conditions including autism and hyperfocus, will be difficult A family friend of the grandparents has started two fundraising websites to help them raise the young boys The grandparents admit raising three young children, who suffer with different conditions including autism and hyperfocus, will be difficult. But a family friend has set up not one but two fundraising websites to help support them at this difficult time. So far, they have raised just over $500. 'We're extremely thankful and overwhelmed by how generous people have been,' Mike said. Heather and Daniel, who had been married six years, were pronounced dead not long after emergency crews arrived on the scene on New Year's Eve. Daytona Beach, Florida Police Chief Mike Chitwood said last Tuesday that they are still waiting on the autopsy reports to make a final conclusion on the couple's deaths. 'At first glance, investigators feel [Daniel's death] was an overdose. There was some concern with the female that an autopsy will clear up,' Chitwood said. He added that Daniel Kelsey tested 'presumptive positive' for drugs and had a 'presence of weed' in his urine. Police arrived at the scene at 2.08am on New Year's Eve after a trooper spotted the parked SUV The couple were found at mile marker 122 on the eastbound side of I-4 near DeLand about thirty minutes from Daytona Beach Chitwood said there are no signs of foul play in the couple's death, and no outward signs of trauma. Police arrived at the scene at 2.08am at mile marker 122 on the eastbound side of I-4 near DeLand, a report states. They found the Kelseys unconscious at the scene and they were pronounced dead a short time later. The boys were taken to Halifax Health Medical Center in Daytona Beach as a precaution. Daniel's long-time friend Jerrell Jackson described the pain of coping with his death, which happened on Jackson's 32nd birthday. Jackson told the News Journal that the couple's youngest son had recently started walking, and that the two were 'doing great' in their new city. He said in a Facebook post: 'I can tell you Dan was a loving, devoted father (who) did anything for his kids. Advertisement China's life-like 'robot goddess', Jia Jia, impressed the public by holding conversations with participants at a conference in Shanghai today. The realistic AI humanoid, which was unveiled last April, also made specific facial expressions when asked various questions, including whether or not she had a boyfriend. Her inventor predicted that within a decade or so, artificially intelligent (AI) robots like Jia Jia would begin performing a range of menial tasks in Chinese restaurants, nursing homes, hospitals and households. Scroll down for video Meet Jia Jia: The humanoid robot was created by a team of engineers from the University of Science and Technology of China Workforce of the future: the humanoid robot 'Jia Jia' can hold a simple conversation and make specific facial expressions WHAT IS THE TECHNOLOGY BEHIND JIA JIA? It took the team three years to complete the robot, which can speak, show micro-expressions, move its lips and body, yet seems to hold its head in a submissive manner. The humanoid is programmed to recognize human/machine interaction, has autonomous position and navigation and offers services based on cloud technology. This humanoid has natural eye movement, speech that is in sync with its lip movement and refers to its male creators as 'lords'. Advertisement Billed as China's first human-like robot, Jia Jia was first trotted out last April by a team of engineers at the University of Science and Technology of China. Team leader Chen Xiaoping sounded like a proud father as he and his prototype appeared Monday at an economic conference organised by banking giant UBS in Shanghai's futuristic financial centre. 'In five to ten years there will be a lot of applications for robots in China,' Chen said. With flowing black hair and dressed in a traditional Chinese dress, Jia Jia looks strikingly real. Yet her charm has its limits and simple questions frequently stump her. Still, Chen said his team has made great progress over the past two years in developing her AI. She was able accurately to answer a query about the day's weather, hold basic conversations and recognise the gender of her questioners. 'You are a handsome man,' she complimented one, but when asked later if she has a boyfriend, replied, 'I prefer to stay single.' Workforce of tomorrow: Her inventor believes that artificially intelligent robots like Jia Jia herald a future of cyborg labour Rapid advancements are being made in artificial intelligence and such products stole the limelight at last week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. A range of products were unveiled that can respond to voice commands to play music at home and follow other remote-control orders - or even think on their feet by accessing and 'learning' from the Internet cloud. One company, Hanson Robotics, unveiled its life-like 'Professor Einstein,' which has realistic facial expressions and can engage in informative conversations such as lessons in math and science. Jia Jia is not quite there yet, but Chen sees a bright future for her kind in China. He said growing prosperity was causing many young Chinese to eschew jobs like waitressing, while an ageing population would require more hands on deck in hospitals and nursing homes - even if they aren't human hands. Chen showed a video of a less life-like, but more functional, robot making and serving tea to team members at his university lab in the eastern province of Anhui. Chen, however, dismissed sci-fi fears of future robots getting too smart for our own good. 'As long as this is done in a step-by-step and controlled manner, I don't think there will be a big impact on society. It won't harm human beings,' he said. China's first human-like robot: Jia Jia was unveiled last April by engineers at University of Science and Technology of China Orange County doctor Mark A. Rettenmaier (pictured), who specializes in gynecologic oncology, was indicted in November 2014 on two counts of possession of child pornography The FBI has been accused of paying a Best Buy 'Geek Squad' worker $500 to snoop through the files of a prominent surgeon - who was revealed to have child pornography images on his computer. Orange County doctor Mark A. Rettenmaier, who specializes in gynecologic oncology, was indicted in November 2014 on two counts of possession of child pornography. One of the images, according to the Orange County Weekly, was of a: 'fully nude, white prepubescent female on her hands and knees on a bed, with a brown choker-type collar around her neck.' The type of photograph was described by officials as a 'Jenny' picture - the name given to images of young, naked girls wearing a collar. The 64-year-old also had hundreds of images of young girls on his phone - including some taken during gynecological exams, prosecutors allege. However, more than two years after charges were brought against Rettenmaier, questions still remain about just how the FBI managed to get a hold of the first incriminating image that launched the case. The doctor was unaware that a trip to Best Buy in Mission Viejo, California - about 20 miles southeast of Anaheim, to have his computer fixed would lead to such scandal. The OC Weekly reports the 64-year-old was unable to boot his HP desktop computer, so he took it to the store to be fixed. Child pornography was discovered on the doctor's computer after it was taken to a Best Buy 'Geek Squad' to be fixed After it was taken to the store it was shipped to a repair center in Louisville, Kentucky, where 'Geek Squad' technician John 'Trey' Westphal set to work on fixing Rettenmaier's desktop. However, Westphal - who court documents revealed was an FBI informant - apparently stumbled upon the unseemly picture accidentally while in the process of repairing the PC. Rettenmaier's lawyer, James Riddet (pictured) has accused three 'Geek Squad' technicians of acting as FBI informants and unlawfully searching his clients computer He reported the picture, and then FBI agent Tracey Riley seized the hard drive. Two people Westphal reported the image to at Best Buy, his boss, Justin Meade, and coworker Randall Ratliff, are also accused of being informants for the agency. They allegedly helped pass the information along the chain to agent Riley. After the first picture was found, agents searched Rettenmaier's Laguna Hills home. Authorities said it was during that search they discovered multiple hard drives, an iPhone and a laptop with child pornography on them. But Rettenmaier's lawyer, James D. Riddet, has claimed the searches were carried out illegally and has argued for the majority of the evidence gathered against his client to be thrown out. Another potential issue for prosecutors that Riddet is arguing is based on the requirement that someone must have knowingly had the offending images to be convicted of child pornography offenses. '(The) FBI and Best Buy made sure that during the period from 2007 to the present, there was always at least one supervisor who was an active informant,' Riddet said Best Buy released a statement that said it is required by law to report any child pornography if it is found on computers The lawyer claims the 'Jenny' photo was found in Rettenmaier's 'Trash' folder, which he suggests could be proof the doctor did not know it was on his computer. Despite that, Riddet told the OC Weekly the biggest issue stemming from the trial is the alleged cooperation between the FBI and companies such as Best Buy - and the impact that has on people's privacy being breached. '(The) FBI and Best Buy made sure that during the period from 2007 to the present, there was always at least one supervisor who was an active informant,' he told the newspaper. 'The FBI appears to be able to access data at [Best Buy's main repair facility] whenever they want.' The lawyer went on to claim the allegation are proven by sealed informant files that outline how the arrangement worked, the Los Angeles Times reports. He claims the alleged documents show that Meade specifically worked to catch those using child pornography. Best Buy released a statement that said it is required by law to report any child pornography if it is found on computers. 'If we discover child pornography in the normal course of servicing a computer, phone or tablet, we have an obligation to contact law enforcement. We believe this is the right thing to do, and we inform our customers before beginning any work that this is our policy,' vice president for communications Jeff Haydock said. With its impressive Grecian-style pillars and ornate plaster work, this mansion would no doubt have been a very desirable property in its heyday. But the so-called 'Money Pit Mansion', located in central Florida, has lain empty for decades as the house costs too much to restore to a liveable state. Photographs reveal the decrepit state of the 11,000 sq ft property, which was originally built in 1908 and is made entirely of mahogany wood. A large Civil War-era Chas M Stieff grand piano, estimated to be worth $24,000 to $30,000, remains inside the abandoned property. A 17-year-old girl who met her doppelganger at a San Diego mall has now received photos of at least four other people bearing a striking resemblance to her. Santana Gutierrez, who graduated high school early and is now a student at UC San Diego, went to Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego in September. There, a young woman named Isobel approached her to raise funds for Save The Children. But as Isobel delivered her pitch, Santana could only think about how they both looked exactly the same. The pair took a picture together, which Santana tweeted - and that tweet was still receiving replies as of last week. Other Twitter users have taken Santana's striking encounter to the next level and have sent her photos of other girls and women who look incredibly similar to her. Santana now has at least four extra known doppelgangers. Santana Gutierrez (right), 17, met her doppelganger (left) at San Diego's Fashion Valley Mall and posed for a photo next to her. She later tweeted the picture with surprising results Another Twitter user last week replied to Santana's message with a photo of another girl named Ally Holt, who looks strikingly similar to the 17-year-old and her lookalike Fashion Valley Mall wasn't the closest mall to Santana's home, but she told BuzzFeed News she picked it because it had an Apple Store. Her decision led to her serendipitous meeting with Isobel. 'I kind of felt bad 'cause I wasn't listening to what she was saying all I was thinking was, "This girl looks exactly like me," ' Santana told the website. She and Isobel took a picture together and exchanged their contact details. Santana shared the photo on Twitter, saying she had met her 'literal doppelganger just now'. Her message has been retweeted more than 22,000 times - and has led to more striking discoveries. Someone else responded to the first photo of Ally with another picture, again showing a young woman with the same long brown hair and smile as Santana's Another Twitter user took it even further by unearthing a photo of a second lookalike, calling her Santana's 'triplet' - to the astonishment of many on the platform Another user followed up on Santana's tweet, sending a photo of another young girl looking just like the 17-year-old. This girl, Ally Holt, has the same long brown hair, brown eyes and a similar smile to Santana's. Santana said she was 'freaked out' when she saw Ally's photo on her feed and showed it to her parents, who told her she and Ally were not related. Someone else responded to the first photo of Ally with another picture, again showing a young woman with the same long brown hair and smile as Santana's. Another Twitter user took it even further by unearthing a photo of a second lookalike, calling her Santana's 'triplet'. Others also pointed out a definite resemblance between Santana and two actresses: 22-year-old Samantha Boscarino, who starred in Nickelodeon's 'How To Rock', and 16-year-old Auli'i Cravalho, who voices Moana in the Disney movie of the same name. A 29-year-old man accused of sexual assault remains on the run as police launch a public appeal in a bid to track him down. Nicholas Seddon is wanted on five warrants for other offences including rape. Detectives also want to speak to Seddon in relation to a sexual assault that allegedly took place in Morwell in eastern Victoria on Saturday. Nicholas Seddon (pictured) accused of sexual assault remains on the run as police launch a public appeal in a bid to track him down Victoria Police are warning members of the public not to approach the man due to the 'violent nature' of his alleged crimes. Investigators have made a public appeal by releasing an image of Seddon in the hope someone may have information on his whereabouts. A German father is being hailed as a hero by police after rescuing his daughter from a refugee rapist and then turning the suspect in. The 57-year-old man raced to the crime scene in the town of Kleve after his daughter telephoned him to say; 'There's a man following me home dad.....' When he got there the man had punched his daughter almost unconscious, was on top of her and tearing at her clothes after dragging her from the side of the road into undergrowth. Her dad, who arrived at the scene on a push-scooter, leaped off screaming, hauled the drunken attacker off his daughter and punched him several times. Police officers survey the area in front of the main train station and the Cathedral in Cologne, , where dozens of apparently coordinated sexual assaults were perpetred against women on New Year's Eve last year - many of the suspects were asylum seekers He then held him down with his body while calling police and an ambulance on his mobile phone. A patrol car raced to the scene and took the 'heavily intoxicated' Syrian into custody. He is facing charges of assault and attempted sexual assault. The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment but later released. Crowds of people gather outside Cologne Main Station in Cologne, Germany, 31 December 2015, when dozens of women were sexually assaulted The 23-year-old had been to a disco with friends the previous evening, could not find a cab at 5.30am on sunday morning to get home so began the two mile walk to the house she lives in with her parents. The girl called her father when she began crossing from side to side of the road, each time her would-be attacker trailing her. Her attacker, 23, is understood to live in an asylum seekers' home in Kleve. Three years after the death of Sigurd Nygren, a self-made marine engineer who rose from the depths of poverty, his stepson Wally Rogers was tasked with exploring what Nygren left behind. When he entered the cluttered hangar in Los Angeles, he found a custom Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, nestled beneath sheets of oil cloth. His stepfather bought the car new in 1955 and it is nearly pristine after being untouched for nearly 40 years. Scroll down for video Three years after the death of Sigurd Nygren, a self-made marine engineer who rose from the depths of poverty, his stepson Wally Rogers decided to take a look into the family's small aircraft hangar Inside, he found a custom Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, bought new in 1955, nestled beneath sheets of oil cloth The candy-apple red car with plaid interior has a number of unique additions by its previous owner, according to Yahoo News. Nygren retired the car to the aircraft hangar sometime in 1976, and neighbors said that he would occasionally drive it around the airfield for a few minutes, but never took it on public roads again. The last service record for the vehicle shows an oil change at 30,773 miles in 1974. Sigurd Nygren and his twin brother Albert stand proudly with the Gullwing and Taylor Aerocar, circa 1995 The candy-apple red car is in shockingly pristine condition after being untouched for nearly four decades The proud owner installed his Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association badge on the car The odometer now reads 31,239. For more than 40 years, the car has traveled less than 500 miles, solely within the confines of a private airspace. Not only is the vehicle astonishingly unique in the world of classic cars, it holds a special representation of the interests of its former owner, who instilled his love for aviation within the mechanics. Nygren's penchant for planes was evidenced by his own aircraft, which was stored in the hangar along with the Mercedes. He was no doubt drawn to the Gullwing design due to its airplane-like appearance, with side doors that open upwards. Nygren's penchant for planes was evident by those in the aircraft with the Mercedes, which he was certainly drawn to by its aviation Gullwing design, with doors opening upwards Nygren retired the car to the aircraft hangar in 1976, and neighbors said he would occasionally drive it around the airfield for a few minutes, but never took it on public roads again He also installed a custom rearview mirror, toggle-activated fog lighting, dashboard altimeter and thermometer, plus an aircraft chronometer and small plane windscreen defroster. Nygren was not your everyday buyer of the glamorous car in 1955, whose typical owners were among the rich and famous. An orphan who was raised in a brutal Scandinavian fishing and logging community on the Oregon coast, Nygren joined the US Marine Merchants with his twin brother when they turned 18. Nygren was not your everyday buyer of the glamorous car in 1955, whose typical owners were among the rich and famous The odometer now reads 31,239. For more than 40 years, the car has traveled less than 500 miles Nygren installed a custom rearview mirror, toggle-activated fog lighting, dashboard altimeter and thermometer They both earned their private pilot licenses, and survived multiple convoys in World War I. Nygren later married Wally Rogers' mother Rosie, who died shortly after he did in 2013 of a 'broken heart', according to the Mercedes-Benz Club of America. It is the latest in a string of brutal sex attacks to shock India in recent years Her mother heard screams and went to investigate - only to be 'badly beaten' when she tried to resist her attackers The teenager claimed she was A teenager girl's ears were hacked off while four men were trying to gang-rape her in the latest horrific sex attack to shock India, it has emerged. The youngster, from the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh, north of the capital Delhi, said she was mutilated when she tried to resist her attackers. She had earlier been kidnapped by four men who took her to a house and tried to rape her. A teenager girl's ears were hacked off while four men were trying to gang-rape her in the latest horrific sex attack to shock India, it has emerged. Activists from All India Democratic Women's Association are pictured protesting last year The girl's mother heard screams coming from the building and went to investigate. But the attackers turned their attention to the mother, beating her 'badly' before running off. According to The Hindu, the mother said: 'When she resisted, they cut her ears off with a sharp-edged knife and she screamed out of pain. 'When I reached the nearby house after hearing my daughter scream, the attackers beat me badly and ran away.' Both victims were treated for their injuries after the ordeal on January 4. The youngster, from the Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh (file picture), north of the capital Delhi, said she was mutilated when she tried to resist her attackers Police say they are trying to arrest those responsible. A police investigator said: 'We have registered a case on the basis of the victims complaint. 'No arrest has been made as yet but we are investigating the matter and will soon arrest the culprits.' It is the latest in a string of brutal sex attacks to shock India. The country has introduced tough laws against sex offenders in the wake of the fatal gang-rape of a student in the capital in December 2012 that sparked mass street protests. Network Rail was fined 800,000 after a 62-year-old worker was struck by a train at 80mph while working on a high-risk section of track. Former Network Rail employee Alan Evans has had more than 20 surgical operations since he was almost killed in June 2014 when he was hit by a train travelling from Brighton to London. Shocking footage shown to a judge showed the 62-year-old walking with his back to the train before the driver heard a bang and brought the train to a halt. Former Network Rail employee Alan Evans has had more than 20 surgical operations since he was almost killed in June 2014 An image taken from the onboard train camera just before the moment of impact Mr Evans could still have his right arm amputated after the horrific incident which happened near Redhill, Surrey, while carrying out urgent repair works in a 'red zone.' During a sentencing hearing at Guildford Crown Court today Network Rail was ordered to pay 800,000 in fines after a judge heard poor planning over safety procedures led to Mr Evans being forced from the side of the tracks and down an embankment. The judge heard that he headed up a team of 12 workers who were meant to be made aware of oncoming trains by a worker situated down the line. Judge Stephen Climie also heard that workers had less than one and a half metres of space between the train tracks and a 45 degree slope in which they were meant to take cover. The court also heard that repair works could have been carried out in a safer 'green zone' at night when trains were not running. Mark Watson, prosecuting, said: 'The ability for track workers to retreat was materially compromised. 'The position of the embankment meant other workers had difficulty and had to bend down or kneel to get to a position of safety. This gave rise to serious risks given the speed of the trains and the frequency. 'Evidence revealed the green zone working arrangements were available during the night that would have allowed work to be carried out at a reasonable timescale. 'As a consequence workers were exposed to an unnecessarily high risk to their safety and in the case of Mr Evans was the cause of his serious injuries..' Network Rail admitted two counts of breach of health and safety regulations at a hearing in May and Mr Watson revealed up to 13 trains would travel through the Redhill Tunnel section of track in one direction during a one-hour period. Mr Evans, from Crawley, West Sussex and his colleagues were working to repair train tracks suffering from metal fatigue and were fitting fish clamps to avoid a rail disaster when he was struck by the trains. The workmen can be seen in the distance on the left of the tracks just seven seconds before the train collided with Alan Evans The Rail Accident Investigation Board examined the scene and how the incident happened Mr Watson said: 'Mr Evans said he was used to work in this area during the day but didn't like to do so in the red zone with a poor position of safety. 'He raised the concerns with management on many occasions and all he got back was "we will look into it". 'The warning times for trains approaching were no more than 18 seconds meaning the lookout was standing a lot closer to the work group than he should have been.' A trainee driver and his supervisor saw Mr Evans and heard a bang while travelling at 80mph and brought the train to a standstill after the incident on June 24, 2014. Mr Evans has had 22 surgical procedures to his arm and could lose it later in life. He could also have to have his left knee cap replaced. Network Rail, who were fined 4million following an incident with one of their workers at a level crossing in Ipswich, carried out their own internal investigations and have taken steps to improve the safety of workers. Judge Climie fined the firm 800,000 following their early admission of guilt in May last year. He said: 'Network Rail, the defendant, is a company which owns, operates and maintains the rail infrastructure in Great Britain including trains, signals, tunnels and level crossings. 'We now have 20,000 miles of track within the UK and the company employs some 35,000 people. 'It was decided and later accepted, the decision to work in a red zone was in error. 'A red zone in its nature and name implies a degree of danger and involves operations while lines remain open to day-to-day rail traffic. 'There had been a warning from the lookout of an oncoming train but Mr Evans found himself in a position and was struck with very severe consequences. 'His injuries include the serious risk of his arm requiring amputation.' Following the sentencing Network Rail's managing director John Halsall said: 'Our thoughts are with Mr Evans and his family as the consequences of this accident continue to affect their lives. 'Safety is our absolute priority and it is clear that we fell short in this instance. 'We have made several changes to the way we work following this incident, including banning working while trains are running on this particular stretch of railway. Northern Ireland is facing snap elections that could delay Brexit. Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness resigned as Deputy First Minister yesterday in the latest bitter fallout from a 1billion scandal. The move, which ends his partys ten-year coalition with the Democratic Unionist Party, came in protest at the DUPs handling of a disastrous renewable energy scheme. Former Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers last night said new elections are now inevitable just six months after the province last went to the polls. The move could affect Theresa Mays timetable to trigger the Article 50 EU exit process by the end of March. Martin McGuinness (pictured leaving Stormont today) quit with effect from 5pm, collapsing the administration in Northern Ireland and probably triggering elections First Minister Arlene Foster, who presided over the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) as economy minister, has steadfastly refused to stand aside while the scandal is probed The Supreme Court is currently considering whether she must first seek the consent of devolved assemblies like Stormont which would be impossible in an election campaign. Brexit is likely to be a major issue in new elections, because most voters in the province voted Remain but it is led by the pro-Brexit DUP. Mr McGuinnesss walkout follows months of wrangling over the Renewable Heat Initiative scandal (RHI) which threatens to leave a 490million black hole in Stormonts finances. The subsidy scheme was set up by First Minister Arlene Foster in 2012 in her previous role as economy minister. Mr McGuinness said yesterday it was time to let Northern Ireland voters give their judgment on the scandal It was meant to boost use of renewable energy but the subsidy rates were set far too high and no cap was set on the amounts that could be claimed. This led to huge abuse, with firms said to have exploited the free-for-all by leaving their heating on at all hours with the windows open. The scheme was closed last February because of significant financial risk to the province. But Stormont is locked into 20-year contracts with firms which signed up and the final bill could top 1billion. Rival politicians accused Mrs Foster of incompetence and she faced disputed allegations of corruption. But she refused to step aside to allow an independent investigation, despite claims that she had a clear conflict of interest. Mr McGuinness said yesterday it was time to let Northern Ireland voters give their judgment on the scandal. He added: The DUPs handling of this issue has been completely out of step with a public mood, which is rightly outraged at the squandering of public money and the allegations of misconduct and corruption. In a statement to camera today, Mr McGuinness said he was resigning from the executive with 'deep regret and reluctance' Under the terms of the power-sharing deal, his resignation will automatically bring down Mrs Foster as First Minister and trigger new elections unless Sinn Fein nominates a new Deputy First Minister, which it has vowed it will not. Mrs Foster hit back yesterday by accusing Mr McGuinness of staging a cynical stunt. Sinn Feins actions are not principled; they are political, she said. At precisely the time we need our government to be active, we will have no government and no way to resolve the RHI problems. A huge manhunt is underway in Orlando for the gunman who shot dead a 17-year veteran police officer in the line of duty near a Walmart, as she was trying to apprehend the man who is suspected of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend. Orlando Police Department Master Sgt. Debra Thomas Clayton, 42, died of her injuries suffered in the shooting that happened at the Pine Hills Walmart store early Monday morning, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said during a press conference. 'Debra Clayton is a hero, and she gave her life to protect the community she loves,' Mina said. 'She will be deeply missed.' He added that she was one of the first officers to respond to the Pulse nightclub massacre on June 12. The shooting happened just after 7:15am, as police say Clayton had been shopping in the store and was outside putting bags in the trunk of her car when someone told her that Markeith Loyd, a suspect wanted in connection with the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, may have been inside the store. Scroll down for video Orlando Police Department Master Sgt. Debra Thomas Clayton (left) died of her injuries suffered in the shooting the Pine Hills Walmart store. Markeith Loyd (right), 41, is the suspect accused in the shooting and police are still searching for him Clayton (above) was a 17-year veteran of the police department, a wife and a mother to a son. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said Clayton, 42, is a 'hero' Her flag-draped coffin (above) was removed from Orlando Regional Medical Center and was provided a police escort from the hospital Police escorted Clayton's body from the Orlando Regional Medical Center (above) The 17-year veteran was heading back into the store alone and had radioed in at 7:17am 'to say that she was attempting to contact a murder suspect,' Mina said. She told the suspect to 'stop', but he immediately fired multiple shots at her before fleeing the scene, authorities said. At 7:19am, officers radioed in to say she had been shot and the first responding officers on scene began CPR on Clayton. She was pronounced dead at 7:40am at Orlando Regional Medical Center. While trying to flee, Loyd fired at another deputy in a SUV, who was not injured. Loyd then carjacked a vehicle before getting out of the vehicle and running off, police said. Officials said Loyd was spotted at the intersection of North Lane and Pine Hills Drive by a deputy who followed him to a nearby apartment complex. Loyd, 41, is considered to be armed and dangerous and police are asking anyone who knows his whereabouts to please call 1-800-423-TIPS. Of Clayton (above left), Mina said: 'She gave her life to protect the community she loves.' He added that she was one of the first officers to respond to the Pulse nightclub massacre on June 12 A huge manhunt is underway for the gunman who is suspected of shooting dead Clayton near a Walmart early Monday morning (scene above) The fatal shooting happened just after 7:15am on Monday at the store located on Princeton Street and John Young Parkway (scene above) Authorities appear to be searching for him at an apartment complex near Cinderlane Parkway and Orange Blossom Trail. Orlando police announced Monday afternoon that a reward of up to $60,000 is being offered for information leading to Loyd's arrest. 'We're going to bring this dirt-bag to justice, and he's going to jail,' Mina said of Loyd at the press conference. 'The community can be sure of that.' Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings announced during the same press conference more tragic news, as another law enforcement officer died. Demings said that the deputy was hit by a car while on his patrol motorcycle as he was working a perimeter in search for the suspected gunman. Authorities did not release the deputy's name, pending notification of his family members. Master Sgt. Clayton was deeply committed to the community and to police work. pic.twitter.com/BBelv7Et1V Orlando Police (@OrlandoPolice) January 9, 2017 An Orlando Police crime scene technician photographs the scene on Monday where Clayton was shot James Herman, a witness to the shooting, said that the gunman was wearing a security uniform and fired at least 12 times at Clayton (scene above) Police and other law enforcement agencies are searching the nearby area for the suspect (above scene). He is considered to be armed and dangerous Ten minutes after that fatal crash involving the Orange County deputy, about 200 yards away OPD Officer Robert Castro was involved in a crash that sent him to the hospital with minor injuries, Mina said. 'The Orlando Police Department family is heartbroken today. One of our own was taken in the line of duty. There are no words,' the Orlando Police Department tweeted along with a video showing the Clayton's flag-draped casket being put into a vehicle, as fellow officer saluted outside of the hospital. 'I'm declaring (Monday) an official day of mourning,' Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said. James Herman, a witness to the shooting, told WFTV that the gunman was wearing a security uniform and fired at least 12 times at Clayton. '(The shooter) was an average-looking dude, he walked by me, had a security vest and everything, Herman said. Law enforcement officers hug as other officers, not seen, escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday Florida Gov. Rick Scott bows his head and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, center, salutes as the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy is transported from Orlando Regional Medical Center after the deputy was killed while responding to the Clayton's fatal shooting 'I was walking down the sidewalk, right past the officer, and I heard her tell him to stop, or whatever, and he shot her. He shot her down.' Thirteen schools were locked down during the daytime due to the search of the suspect; but that is no longer in affect. Aerial footage from WKMG shows several officers swarming the area, as some were spotted carrying assault rifles. Loyd is also wanted in connection with the December shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, 24 (above) Loyd is also wanted in connection with the shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, WFTV reported. Sade Dixon, a 24-year-old pregnant mother-of-two, was shot to death outside of her home on December 13. Authorities say Loyd, a convicted felon who has been arrested in Orange County 20 times since 1994, has been on the run since her death. Dixon's brother, Ronald Steward, 26, was also shot and critically injured in the incident, as he was trying to help her, police said. Loyd has served 10 years in prison and five years probation for conspiracy with intent to distribute cocaine, according to federal court records. Back in 1999 he was sentenced to prison and was released from probation in 2014. A November post on his Facebook page says: 'Goals!!!! To be on Americas most wanted'. An unemployed ex-student who posts vile hate-filled racist videos on the internet while appealing for donations has been exposed. Colin Robertson, 34, from Linlithgow, outside Edinburgh, records many of his videos - some of which are more than 50 minutes long - from a bedroom inside his father's house. The self-confessed alt-right activist has spent more than three years uploading videos which are highly critical of refugees, liberals and people on the left of the political spectrum. This is Colin Robertson, 34, from Linlithgow, near Edinburgh who has 20,000 followers on the internet who watch his videos loaded with racist and anti-Semitic terminology Response from YouTube vlogger Colin Robertson, aka 'Millenial Woes' I do not accept that my videos consist of "hate-filled" rants or "racist tirades". I do not hate any group in society, and it is not in and of itself racist or hateful to put one's own people first. To hold an ethno-nationalist or ethno-centric position is entirely legitimate and does not make somebody "vile". What I express in my videos are normal views that, I believe, are shared (whether openly or not) by a large segment of the British public, if not the majority. I would urge readers to look up my material online - especially the forthcoming "Statements" series - and judge for themselves. Advertisement One such video offers advice to fellow far right activists on how to find their perfect women. The 34-year-old unemployed vlogger has 20,000 followers on his YouTube channel and routinely launches racist tirades against black people, Jews, Muslims and women. In one video he claims that refugees trying to reach Europe 'are not hard enough to join ISIS'. A Scottish newspaper tracked Robertson down to his father's house, although he refused to speak. He has posted more than 600 videos which have been viewed a total of two million times. One neighbour told the Daily Record: 'Ive known him since he was a child. Hes lived in Linlithgow all his life. Someone told me about the videos so I watched a bit. Its a free world where people should be able to speak their mind but theyre a bit dark. 'He makes the videos from his bedroom in his dads house.' Robertson has uploaded 600 videos over the past three years on his YouTube channel Neighbours expressed dismay that someone could post such videos from their community Another person said: 'I would have nothing to do with him whatsoever. Those are the total opposite of my views. You might get the odd one, but those are not the kind of opinions youll find among people in Linlithgow..' In one video, Robertson claimed he he was a 'racist'. He said: 'I just didnt want loads of black people in my country. It came down to a racial thing, a racial loyalty. 'I didnt want black people, I didnt want Indians, I didnt want Chinese, I didnt want Arabs, I wanted my country for my people. 'It took me quite a few years to realise the scope of my objection to what I was seeing in the world.' A paedophile was caught by vigilantes after arranging to met with a 14-year-old boy through gay dating app Grindr. Kevin Golden believed he had been sending sexually explicit messages to an underage boy and arranged to meet at the seafront in Sunderland. But when the 54-year-old arrived at the meeting place, he was confronted by online volunteer group Guardians of the North, who attempt to stop paedophile activity online. This is the moment a paedophile who thought he was meeting a schoolboy was confronted by a group of vigilantes Newcastle Crown Court heard that during a series of conversations over a two week period, Golden embarked on graphic chats and asked if the boy would engage in various sex acts. He asked the youth for naked photographs and discussed the boy engaging in activity with another youngster his own age, boasting he could 'get him one'. When Golden arrived to meet the boy at the seafront in Sunderland, two members of Guardians of the North were waiting. Kevin Golden admitted child sex charges Prosecutor Anne Richardson told the court: 'The police arrived and arrested the defendant. 'He voluntarily handed over his mobile phone, saying "it was a silly thing to do" and "I know I have done wrong".' Golden, of Washington, dismissed his claim of being able to get another boy involved as 'fantasy' when he was questioned. He pleaded guilty to attempting to incite a child to engage in sexual activity and attempting to meet a child after sexual grooming. Judge Robert Spragg sentenced Golden to a community order for three years, with programme requirements. He has spent two months behind bars while waiting to appear in court. Golden must abide by a Sexual Harm Prevention Order for ten years and sign the Sex Offenders Register for five years. The judge told him: 'The public are likely to be better protected in the long term by you receiving treatment.' Jamie Adams, defending, said Golden is a 'solitary' man who has not been in a relationship for years and added: 'He was on an adult chatline in the first place and there he stayed.' Mr Adams said the case 'comes as close to entrapment as you will get'. His skin weeping with angry, swollen sores - these are the horrific burns left on Aditya Raj's face after his mother's stalker allegedly threw acid at him. Little Aditya, two, was kidnapped, doused in a corrosive chemical and dumped in a dustbin by his mother's tormentor in revenge for her refusal to marry him, it is claimed. The toddler was found crying the following day and taken with 20 per cent burns to hospital where he risks losing an eye - after half of his face melt away. His mother Soni Prasad, 25, wept: 'I havent seen my son yet, I cant look at him. I can't believe he is suffering like this. I just don't know what to do. He is my only son. I'm just helpless.' Horrific burns: Aditya Raj, two, in India, had acid thrown in his face and was dumped in a bin allegedly by his mother's stalker, and another, in revenge for her refusal to marry him. He was was snatched from outside his family's home in New Delhi while he played on December 13. He was found the following morning dumped in a dustbin and crying Anguish: His mother Soni, 25, claims her son was taken by a man named only as Mangal, 27, who was harassing her last year. Despite knowing that she was already married, she claimed he was trying to convince her to leave her husband. She said that Aditya was taken in revenge Mother-of-one Soni told her husband, Jamna, 33, a labourer, from New Delhi, India that she was being harassed by a local man at the beginning of last year. Despite knowing that she was already married, her stalker, named only as Mangal, 27, repeatedly asked Soni to marry him and leave her husband. 'I kept refusing his offer but he wouldn't stop,' Soni said. 'He was very intimidating. I feared he would do something to me when my husband was away at work. In a bid to escape the harassment, in July last year the couple moved to Shanti Nagar, in Gurugram, another district in New Delhi, for a fresh start. But on December 13 Aditya went missing while he was playing outside the family home. After a desperate, fruitless search involving friends and neighbours to find their missing son, Soni called police. Recovery: Aditya was taken to the burns unit of Delhis Safdarjung Hospital and was transferred to a private hospital in Gurugram. Hed suffered nearly 20 per cent burns to his face, one shoulder and both his hands. He faces further surgery to prevent him losing an eye Agony: Soni, pictured, eight months pregnant with her second child, said: 'My husband says I wouldn't cope seeing him. I dont know how I would control myself if I see him in pain. Those responsible should be hanged or punished in the same way they have attacked my son.' I most definitely feared Mangal had taken Aditya, Soni said. He wanted revenge. I felt he kidnapped him so Id be forced to go to him. The following morning Aditya was found in a dustbin by a truck driver after he had stopped by the side of the road and heard him crying. Jamna said that he believed Mangal kidnapped his son as a warning to Soni. But when he found out we had gone to the police he got stressed. He got scared and discarded my boy,' Jamna said. He added: 'My son was found screaming with acid burning his skin as he was lying in a dustbin. Who could do such a thing to a little boy? He was taken to the burns unit of Delhis Safdarjung Hospital and was transferred to a private hospital in Gurugram. Jamna couldnt afford to take him to a private hospital - but local charity, Make Love Not Scars, paid for him to be treated at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital. Plastic surgeon Dr Anurag Pandey at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said: 'His condition was severe when he arrived. Hed suffered nearly 20 per cent burns to his face, one shoulder and both his hands. 'While his life is out of danger, his eyesight continues to be in danger. His eye cornea is injured but were doing all we can to save his sight. We have kept his eyes closed and will keep them closed to give them time to heal. The majority of his wounds have been taken care of but his shoulder is still pretty raw and will need surgery next week. 'He will definitely need further surgery in the future. He is able to talk and is responding well to the treatment but the skin grafting will take weeks to heal. Mother and son: Soni, 25, a mother-of-one, pictured, said: I most definitely feared Mangal had taken Aditya. 'He wanted revenge. I felt he kidnapped him so Id be forced to go to him. fight for justice: Soni added: 'Those responsible should be hanged or should be punished in the same way they have attacked my son.' Govind Ram Das, 20, a farmer, from Gurugram, has been arrested over the attack. Mangal, 27, accused of harassing Soni, is wanted by police in relation to the case Soni, who is eight months pregnant with her second child, said: 'My husband says I would not cope seeing him. I dont know how I would control myself if I see him in pain. Those responsible should be hanged or should be punished in the same way they have attacked my son. Govind Ram Das, 20, a farmer, from Gurugram, has been arrested over the attack. Mangal, 27, accused of harassing Soni, is wanted by police in relation to the case. Assistant Sub-Inspector Rupesh Kumar, from Khandsa Road Police Station, said: The kidnapping was done to take revenge on the couple. On the basis of CCTV footage, we have discovered that the boy was kidnapped. Govind has been arrested and has admitted to the crime. President-elect Donald Trump hailed Fiat Chrysler this morning for its billion-dollar investment in Michigan and Ohio. The Dodge parent company said Sunday that it was moving production of the Ram HD pickup truck from Mexico to Toledo, Ohio. It's also bringing the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer back into circulation, and those vehicles will be manufactured in Warren, Michigan. 'It's finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs,' Trump said on Twitter this morning. President-elect Donald Trump hailed Fiat Chrysler this morning for its billion-dollar investment in Michigan and Ohio The Dodge parent company said Sunday that it was moving production of a Ram pick-up truck from Mexico to Toledo, Ohio Fiat Chrysler on Sunday announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States after Trump publicly scolded automakers last week for investing in Mexico The two-part tweet said, 'This after...Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C!' Fiat Chrysler on Sunday announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States after Trump publicly scolded automakers last week for investing in Mexico. The American-Italian firm will invest $1 billion by 2020 in two of its factories in the Midwestern states of Michigan and Ohio, where the new jobs will be based, the company said in a statement coming on the eve of the Detroit auto show. Its CEO insisted that the announcement had nothing to do with Trump's tweeting. 'We dont make investment decisions based on risk of a tweet,' CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters at the North American International Auto Show, Bloomberg reported. 'I thank him. We owed the country this investment.' Fiat Chrysler said in a statement that it has created 25,000 jobs in the country since 2009. 'FCA US is further demonstrating its commitment to strengthening its US manufacturing base.' Trump, who campaigned on promises of creating industrial jobs in the American heartland, took to Twitter this past week to blast automakers with operations or plans to build plants in Mexico. He slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models south of the border, and Toyota, which is building a new plant there. 'Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax' he wrote. Trump has threatened a 35 percent tariff on automobiles produced in Mexico and sold in the United States, taking aim at Ford specifically on the campaign trail. Fiat Chrysler is bringing the Jeep Grand Wagoneer back into production. Here's a picture of the old model Car manufacturers who get on the wrong side of Trump feel his Twitter wrath. Above is a tweet he sent last week shaming Toyota The Jeep Compass models from Mexico are due to begin importing this month - no word yet as to whether they will get the 'border tax' Trump threatens on car companies who move plants A 35 tariff on Ford would have amounted to $2.8 billion in taxes in 2016, CNN Money reported. That's more than Ford reported in income in the third quarter of last year, according to its most recent FEC filing. Ford announced a $700 million investment in Michigan and 700 new jobs on Tuesday, cancelling its plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico for production of the Ford Focus. Ford's CEO cited a 'vote of confidence' in the economic agenda of the incoming president and the Republican-led Congress. As thank you, the company got its own Trump tweet: 'Thank you to Ford for scrapping a new plant in Mexico and creating 700 new jobs in the U.S. This is just the beginning - much more to follow.' Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped Trump's Twitter wrath, but it's due to start importing Jeep Compass models from Mexico as soon as this month. If car companies get on the right side of Trump, they get a thank you tweet, like the one he sent Ford last week Trump slammed General Motors for making one of its Chevy Cruze models (above) south of the border last week Other auto groups have preemptively said they will be flexible in the new era of American politics. 'We are pragmatic, we will adapt to any situation,' said the chief of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In December, American air conditioner manufacturer Carrier backed off a planned transfer of 1,000 jobs to the Mexico, after a deal with Trump - and for $7 million in tax cuts. 'That's called the Trump effect,' Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to Trump, said Monday on Fox & Friends. 'A lot of Carrier families had a much better Christmas and holidays...because of Trump working with the private industry in that regard.' John Nimmo sent two threatening emails to MP Luciana Berger in the wake of the Jo Cox murder and has now admitted more offences A serial troll who made anti-Semitic death threats to an MP after the murder of Jo Cox has now admitted sending a string of offensive messages to other victims. John Nimmo, 28, from South Shields, sent two emails to Luciana Berger where he said she would 'get it like Jo Cox' and 'watch your back Jewish scum'. The second message to the MP for Liverpool Wavertree included a picture of a large knife and came just three weeks after MP Jo Cox was killed. In a separate incident he has also admitted sending offensive emails to an anti-hate crime organisation including threats to blow up a mosque. Now the 28-year-old has pleaded guilty to sending hate messages to two other people, including making more anti-Semitic remarks to one of the victims. Newcastle Crown Court heard how he messaged one person saying 'watch your back you Jewish inbred you're dead meat, National Action'. Nimmo entered his guilty pleas on a video link to HMP Durham and was told he will be sentenced for all matters next month. Judge Amanda Rippon said: 'Your case is a little bit complicated and will take a bit of time and I can't deal with it today as I don't have enough time to deal with it properly. I'm going to list the case for one hour on Friday February 10.' The messages to Ms Berger were sent just three weeks after MP Jo Cox died after being shot and stabbed in Birstall, West Yorkshire. Nimmo admitted charges of sending malicious communications relating to emails send on July 6 and 8 last year. One message made reference to a separate case involving Joshua Bonehill-Paine, who appeared in a London court in July charged with allegedly using social media to harass Ms Berger. John Nimmo, 28, from South Shields, sent two emails to Luciana Berger where he said she would 'get it like Jo Cox' and 'watch your back Jewish scum' Nimmo's first email on July 6 read: 'Revenge for Joshua Bonehill-Paine will be sweet. Watch your back Jewish scum. Your friends, the Nazis.' The second message to the MP for Liverpool Wavertree was sent on July 8 and had an image of a large knife attached. It said: 'You are going to get it like Jo Cox did. So you better watch your back Jewish scum.' One message made reference to a separate case involving Joshua Bonehill-Paine, also charged with harassing Ms Berger The messages were traced to Nimmo and he was arrested. In a victim statement to the court, Ms Berger said previously: 'This incident has caused me huge distress, especially at the time I received the second email because I was leaving a surgery at 6pm in the evening. I was extremely concerned for my safety and felt immediately threatened. 'I have had anti-Semitic messages before, but to have both together, alongside reference to my colleague Jo Cox, was terrifying. 'This incident has impacted on me, my husband, parents and friends. Initially, my big concern was not knowing who this was. For all I knew the offender could have resided next door to me. This caused me to feel physically sick. 'The threats of an anti-Semitic nature and the reference to Jo Cox and image of a knife caused me great fear and anguish.' Defence solicitor Paul Kennedy said last July Nimmo had no intention of carrying out the threats and that he 'says things for attention'. In a victim statement to the court, Ms Berger (pictured outside the the Old Bailey where blogger Joshua Bonehill-Paine's case was heard) described how the email made her feel extremely 'concerned for my safety' after the death of her colleague He added: 'Until he was 25 he was not involved with the criminal justice system. He has no offences of violence on his record. 'There is no suggestion that he was going to carry out any of these threats. These are idle threats made by him on social media in a climate that was very unhelpful. These messages were sent at a time when everyone had heightened anxiety, when fear would have been substantial. He had no desire of carrying out any of these threats.' Jo Cox, a colleague of Ms Berger as an MP for the Labour party, was murdered in June Nimmo also previously admitted sending offensive and threatening messages to Faith Matters, a non-profit group that focuses on cohesion and countering extremism. He sent messages through the group's website, in a section that allows users to report incidents of hate crime. A previous hearing heard the emails allegedly contained references to him being a 'holy crusader' and said 'death will come to all Muslims'. He pleaded guilty to two offences of sending grossly offensive messages and two of conveying threatening messages. In the latest set of offences Nimmo admitted two charges of sending a grossly offensive message to a woman on Twitter in September 2015. He also admitted sending a communication containing a threatening message to a man in March last year, who he warned: 'Watch your back you Jewish inbred. You are dead meat. National action.' A judge warned that small airfields in the UK were 'defenceless' against people smugglers as he jailed a pilot for trying to smuggle in three illegal immigrants today. Algirdas Barteska, 60, was caught after Border Force officials acting on a tip off were lying in wait for him as he landed his Albanian passengers at a remote airfield. Officers watched as he helped one man and a mother and her five-year-old daughter climb out of his Cessna light aircraft with their bags and a suitcase at the private member's flying club in Seething, Norfolk. Two of the Border Force staff then sprinted after his plane as it taxied along at around 6mph to take off again and banged on the cockpit window to force him to stop. Algirdas Barteska, 60, was jailed for six years today after being found guilty of trying to smuggle in illegal immigrants to the UK from Germany Pilot Barteska flew a man and mother and daughter to a small airfield in Seething, Norfolk, in his Cessna aircraft, pictured, but was caught by Border Force officials who had been tipped off Barteska was arrested and was found to be carrying 5,000 euros in 500 euro notes which were said to be his fee for bringing in the man and the woman and her daughter on June 24 last year. He told Norwich Crown Court that he was hired to fly three three Albanians from Germany to the UK and back again in his employer's Cessna back because they were interested in buying the light aircraft. Barteska, of Paluknys, Lithuania, said he was forced to land at Seething because the mother and daughter were desperate to use the toilet as they had become ill due to the turbulence and he only had one sick bag on board. But a jury of eight men and four women took just over two hours to see through his lies and find him guilty of people smuggling which has a maximum penalty of seven years Grey-haired Barteska, a former airline pilot and flying instructor in Eastern Europe, had denied three counts of assisting unlawful immigration and was jailed for a concurrent six years on each charge. He will be deported at the end of his sentence Judge Stephen Holt told the pilot that remote airfields in the UK were wide open to people smugglers as there was not enough Border Force staff to monitor each one around the clock. The judge said: 'This case does fall into the more serious category and there has to be a deterrent. 'Small airfields, particularly in Norfolk are just defenceless. There just isn't the manpower and there has to be a deterrent aspect.' Judge Holt added: 'In my judgement there are dozens of small airfields in East Anglia which are extremely vulnerable to this sort of people smuggling. Judge Stephen Holt, pictured, warned small airfields were 'defenceless' against people smuggling 'There are people on duty at the major ports, but hat is the problem. There cannot be people on duty at every single small airfield and that makes them vulnerable.' The judge also ordered the seizure of the 5,000 euros which Barteska was paid and the seizure of the single-engined Cessna which was said to be worth around 20,000. The court heard that Barteska had been contracted to fly the immigrants by Finnish businessman Kristia Tieder who owned the Cessna through a United Sates-registered trust company. Judge Holt described Tieder as the 'principle figure in the people smuggling operation' and demanded to know if the British authorities were trying to bring him to justice. Prosecutor John Farmer said the whereabouts of Tieder were unknown and steps were 'being made to find out where he is'. The five day trial was told that Barteska appeared to have made two trial run flights in the grey Cessna to test out different rural airfields before his smuggling attempt. Records show that he flew into Seething airfield on May 8 with a passenger names as Tieder who ran a business in Helsinki, offering people assistance with immigration according to its website, the court hard. Judge Holt said that the pair left the following day and there was no evidence that they had landed illegal immigrants on that occasion. The court heard that Barteska then flew the grey coloured Cessna to Old Buckenham airfield in Norfolk, on May 10, before flying back to mainland Europe. A member of the public at Old Buckenham became suspicious and tipped off Border Force staff about the Cessna. The records of the plane were logged and the alarm was raised when its transponder showed that it had flown back into UK airspace after taking off from Dinslaken in Germany on the evening of June 24. Barteska, pictured, claimed he only landed in Norfolk because the mother and daughter were 'sick' but a jury convicted him of people smuggling Border Force staff were scrambled to Seething and Old Buckenham in case Barteska flew into either airfield as he flew over the UK coast. Barteska's transponder was then turned off just a few minutes from Seething in an apparent attempt to stop the Cessna being tracked by radar as it landed. The officers saw him touching down at Seething at around 8.30pm and helping his passengers out in an area away from the main buildings. Border Force staff ordered the three Albanians to stay where they were and two officers David Fryer and Mark Chattenton chased after the plane and banged on the window as it taxied along at 5mph to 6mph to take off again Judge Holt commended the pair for their bravery, saying that they could have faced serious injury if Barteska had continued his take off. Officers heard a vehicle speed away, suggesting that a driver who had been due to pick up the Albanians had decided to flee after seeing what had happened. It later emerged that a flight plan had been filed, stating that Barteska was flying alone to Nottingham airfield and had made no mention of his passengers. The court heard that the Albanian man had been deported within a week and that the woman and her daughter were still in the UK and having an application for asylum considered. Stephen Spence, defending, said Barteska who had a young child was of 'impeccable character' with no previous convictions and was motivated by seeking to provide for his family. Mr Spence added that he had been active teaching flying in Moldova and had helped establish a professional pilots association in eastern Europe Giving evidence at the trial, a Border Force officer described how he 'could see some occupants get out of the plane and some bags unloaded'. The officer then took a closer look and saw 'a male, a female and a child walking towards us carrying a suitcase'. He added: 'I reached the aircraft and tried to get the pilot's attention by knocking against the side of the plane and asking him to stop.' Barteska said he decided to land at Seething after his woman passenger began to 'scream' and the man asked if he could find a toilet for her and her child. Barteska, pictured flying his plane, will be deported from the UK at the end of his sentence He said that Seething was on his route so he landed there and the three people had got out of the plane. He said that he was about to turn the plane around and planned to carry on the flight to Nottingham when he was stopped by the officers. 'I had no idea and had no intention of doing anything illegal,' he said. He said he was unaware that his passengers were not allowed to land in the UK. Barteska said: 'I am a normal pilot, who flies a plane safely. I am not a policeman I had no suspicions. What can I do?' Charlotte Mann, the Assistant Director of Border Force's East Anglia Command, said: 'Border Force carries out detailed risk assessments and our officers physically meet any suspicious flights. 'We had been monitoring suspicious movements and it is testament to our intelligence gathering work with domestic and international partners that we were in place to make the arrest.' Adam Hutton, a chief immigration officer in Immigration Enforcement's Criminal and Financial Investigations Team, said: 'Barteska has 43 years flying experience. 'It stretches credulity to believe that someone with such a background could genuinely believe he was entitled to bring three people into the UK without establishing whether they had the right to enter the country. 'The reality is that he agreed to deliberately try to circumvent the UK's immigration controls in exchange for money. A lawsuit that originally pitted the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for improperly authorizing the Dakota Access Pipeline, now has both parties on the same side: They both are refuting the pipelines claim that it has all the necessary permission to bore under the Missouri River/Lake Oahe near the tribes reservation boundary. The tribe and the corps filed briefs Friday in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., asking the judge to dismiss the pipelines suit against the corps, in which Dakota Access claims the agency had issued all the necessary permissions and permits to allow the company to proceed with the critical river crossing, which has been stalled for months at a huge expense to the company in undelivered crude oil contracts. Meanwhile, the company has staged drilling equipment within sight of the Oceti Sakowin encampment, where 700 to 1,000 anti-pipeline protesters remain despite Tribal Chairman Dave Archambault IIs request that they should leave. Archambault made the request following the corps announcement Dec. 4 that it will not provide the easement while it recommended a complete environmental impact statement and a review of alternate routes, including one originally proposed 10 miles north of Bismarck. The chairman said the protest against the pipeline will be settled in court and protesters should leave for their safety given harsh winter conditions. In its brief to the court, the corps says the pipelines claim should be dismissed. There is no signed document conveying to Dakota Access an easement to construct a pipeline under corps-managed land. The army is still considering (the) easement application, the corps told federal Judge James Boasberg. The pipeline company says it has the necessary permission and cites various communications from the corps, including permission under its Section 408 authority and in the corps finding of no significant impact for the project in July. The tribes attorney, Jan Hasselman, of Earth Justice, said Dakota Access is in a mess of its own making. Its own choices including building a significant portion of the pipeline before it had any permits and refusing to voluntarily cease construction in the disputed area around Lake Oahe, as the government repeatedly requested are responsible for its current predicament, Hasselman told the court. He concurred with the corps statement that it has not provided an easement under the Mineral Leasing Act, which is separate from its Section 408 authority. Archambault said the Dakota Access suit is a bully tactic intended to violate the tribe's rights in the matter. It will not succeed. We look forward to working with the corps on an EIS that fully takes into account our history and our rights and are confident that the easement at Lake Oahe will ultimately be denied," he said. The tribe is still awaiting publication of a notice of intent to prepare an EIS to be published in the Federal Register. Boasberg stayed any action on the original lawsuit between the tribe and corps, pending the outcome of the cross claim filed by Dakota Access. Three people have died after they crashed a stolen car into a freezing cold lake while trying to escape the cops. The three people, who have not been named, were spotted in the car speeding down the Northern State Parkway in Long Island shortly before 6pm on Sunday night. The stolen 2010 Honda then crashed into a pond near the intersection of Searingtown and I.U. Willets Road in Albertson, police said. Three people have died after they crashed a stolen car into a freezing cold lake while trying to escape the cops. Pictured is the car being pulled from the water New York State Police said the car had been stolen on Friday, and a trooper gave chase after seeing it on Sunday, NBC New York reports. The officer did not turn on his lights during the pursuit, however police believe the driver figured out they were being followed and accelerated. Just seconds later, the driver lost control and the car flew off the road into the water. Maj. David Candelaria added more detail on the situation, telling reporters: 'The vehicle accelerated into the intersection here at Searingtown Road, crashed into a fence, and I believe overturned into the Sump Pond.' The three people, who have not been named, had been spotted speeding down the Northern State Parkway in Long Island shortly before 6pm on Sunday night. Pictured are officials at the scene The then crashed the stolen 2010 Honda into a pond (pictured) near the intersection of Searingtown and I.U. Willets Road in Albertson, police said New York State Police said the car had been stolen on Friday, and a trooper gave chase after seeing it on Sunday. Pictured is the car after being pulled from the pond and put back on land One of the bodies was found in the lake, while the other two had to be pulled from the car by responders. A man who had been driving near the Honda when it crashed said the wintry conditions contributed to the fatal crash. 'He made a right turn and there was ice there and he just slid into the water,' Damon Multani told the network. The names of those who died will be released after authorities are able to notify families. Another 5,000 Jews have left France to live in Israel in the wake of a spate of Islamist attacks on the community. Daniel Benhaim, from the Jewish Agency of Israel, said that insecurity had been a 'catalyst' for many Jews who were already thinking of leaving. The figures were revealed as France marked two years since attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices and on a Jewish supermarket in Paris, where four shoppers were shot dead. Experts and members of the Jewish community in France say that recent attacks are not the only reason people are leaving for Israel, with family, religious and economic reasons also playing a role The 5,000 departures in 2016 add to the record 7,900 who left in 2015 and 7,231 in 2014. In total, 40,000 French Jews have emigrated since 2006, according to figures seen by AFP. Mr Benhaim said: 'The aliyah (the act of moving to Israel) of French Jews has been significant over the last decade.' The French Jewish community is the biggest in Europe and is thought to number around 500,000 people. It was shocked in 2006 by the kidnapping and brutal anti-Semitic killing of a young Jewish man, Ilan Halimi, in the Paris suburbs, which was followed by a shooting in a Jewish school in the southwest city of Toulouse in 2012. A proportion of those who emigrate to Israel are known to return to their country of origin afterwards. Estimates range from 10 to 35 percent. Experts and members of the Jewish community in France say that recent attacks are not the only reason people are leaving, with family, religious and economic reasons also playing a role. France has marked two years since attacks on the Charlie Hebdo magazine offices and on a Jewish supermarket in Paris, where four shoppers were shot dead (pictured, gunman outside Charlie Hebdo's offices in Paris) France paid homage Monday to some of the victims of three days of violence in Paris in January 2015 that saw two Islamic extremists attack the Charlie Hebdo magazine, killing 12 people, and the Hyper Cacher supermarket in eastern Paris. Gunman Amedy Coulibaly killed four people after taking shoppers hostage at the Jewish store. A motorist is outraged after he was handed a $128 ticket for leaving his car to warm up on his own driveway. Taylor Trupiano, of Roseville, said it had been a typically freezing winter morning in Michigan when he popped outside to warm up his car before work. Leaving the car on his driveway, with the keys in the ignition and the engine running, Trupiano said he went back inside for a few minutes last Thursday. A motorist is outraged after he was handed a $128 ticket (pictured) for leaving his car to warm up on his own driveway Taylor Trupiano, (pictured) of Roseville, said it had been a typically freezing winter morning in Michigan when he popped outside to warm up his car before work So he was stunned when he came back to his car to find a ticket on the windshield. 'I thought it was some kind of joke at first, and then I was thrown back by it,' he told ABC 7. 'I was furious when I saw it.' 'Every person warms up their car,' he said. 'We live in Michigan!' The ticket, left by Officer K. Keary, was for leaving the keys in the ignition with the motor running and no one around. Trupiano said he was only doing something many people in Michigan do during the winter. Yet the DJ and sales consultant at Best Buy, according to his Facebook page, was slapped with a $128 fine. Leaving the car (pictured) on his driveway, with the keys in the ignition and the engine running, Trupiano said he went back inside for a few minutes last Thursday Roseville Police Chief James Berlin said the police will not apologize and is furious about Trupiano's Facebook post 'I was in and out in probably about 7-8 minutes,' he added. 'So in that amount of time he ran up here, gave me a ticket and by the time I got out he was nowhere to be seen.' Trupiano, who says that the cop should have knocked on his door rather than just issuing him with a ticket, posted the ticket on Facebook with the caption: 'Let's all take a moment to thank officer dips**t K. Keary for wasting the taxpayer's money and giving me a ticket for warming up my car in my own damn driveway.' The post has since been shared thousands of times. While there is no state law banning drivers from leaving their cars unattended, there are dozens of local town ordinances. 'We have five to ten cars stolen this way every winter,' Roseville Police Chief James Berlin told 7 Action News. 'It's dangerous, and of course it drives everyone's insurance rates up. It drives our crime rates up.' Many ordinances allow motorists to use a remote start because the vehicle is locked but prohibit leaving keys in the ignition. Trupiano posted the ticket on Facebook with the caption: 'Let's all take a moment to thank officer dips**t K. Keary for wasting the taxpayer's money and giving me a ticket for warming up my car in my own damn driveway' Trupiano said he was only doing something many people in Michigan do during the winter Trupiano, pictured with girlfriend Deserae Diciesare, says that the cop should have knocked on his door rather than just issuing him with a ticket 'It's common sense. We can't warn everybody of the law there is. Common sense says you don't leave your car running unattended,' Berlin said. Berlin said police will not apologize and is furious about Trupiano's Facebook post. 'You see the disparaging comments he made about my officer?' Berlin told ClickonDetroit. 'Drop dead.' Needing to have an operation is a scary prospect for any young child. But one surgeon decided to go the extra mile to reassure a nine-year-old patient - by carrying out an 'operation' on his favorite stuffed toy. Dr Travis Goth, from the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, was photographed stitching up the toy - Monsters Inc's Mike Wazowski - owned by young Ryan Jasen. Dr Travis Goth, from the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, was photographed stitching up a stuffed toy owned by nine-year-old Ryan Jasen Ryan's father Tony said the surgeon decided to sew up the toy after spotting a tear on its arm. He told TMJ4-TV: 'Ryan has probably a thousand stuffed animals, but this one is his favorite. 'When he woke up, he saw his best buddy also kind of patched up and had bandages around him so he felt like he was on the same page with him.' Both Ryan and Mike Wazowski went back to the hospital for a check-up following their respective operations last month and are said to be doing well. Dr Goth said he used his usual operating instruments to sew up the stuffed toy and says the gesture can help children in their recovery. He said: 'By seeing that their toys underwent a procedure as well, I think it just brightens up their day.' Ryan woke up after his operation to find that his Mike Wazowski toy had also been patched up The Children's Hospital shared a photograph of the surgeon operating on the Mike Wazowski on Facebook, writing: 'Check out this picture from our operating room. After performing surgery on a young boy, Dr Groth made the extra effort to perform an additional surgery on the boys best friend - his stuffed animal. 'Our doctors, nurses and staff go out of their way to make sure every child feels comfortable and safe. 'Whether its stitching up their favorite toy or dressing up as their favorite character, we know how to make children feel better.' Ortiz still had shackles attached to one leg when he fled while officer Albert Belcher left the ER for four minutes to make a phone call A prisoner who escaped from the custody of an NYPD officer last month still wearing shackles was captured Saturday after he spent 10 days riding the subway. On December 29, 31-year-old Daniel Ortiz, a homeless man suspected of shoplifting, was being treated at Lenox Health in Manhattan's Greenwich Village for bleeding wounds he had sustained in a fight when police said he fled. It is believed that Ortiz waited until the arresting officer stepped out of the emergency room to make a phone call to slip out of the hospital and find refuge in New York City's sprawling subway system. Caught: Daniel Ortiz, 31, (pictured) was busted at Penn Station on Saturday, 10 days after he escaped from hospital while in policy custody. He was in custody for petit larceny The fugitive was apprehended without incident at Penn Station on Saturday morning, ten days after his daring escape. At the time of his arrest, the manacles were gone from his leg. Police said Ortiz was stopped at around 7am by Amtrak police because he was acting suspiciously and trying to hide his face in his hood, according to ABC 7 NY. Ortiz was not carrying identification, but an Amtrak officer recognized him from 'Wanted' posters. When questioned by the cop, the suspect admitted that he was the escapee. Officer Albert Belcher, a six-year veteran of the NYPD who was in charge of safeguarding Ortiz during his hospital stay, has been suspended in the wake of his escape. The station PIX11 reported that Daniel Ortiz was arrested for allegedly stealing 22 wallets worth about $900 from the Macy's flagship store at Herald Square on the afternoon of December 29. He was taken to Lenox Health's freestanding emergency room on 7th Avenue between 12th and 13th Street around 3.30pm after complaining of what he described as stab wounds on his right hand and stomach. While in the hospital, a doctor asked Officer Belcher to remove a shackle from one of Ortiz's legs and chain his hand to the bed, reported DNAInfo New York, citing unnamed sources familiar with the investigation. While waiting for a doctor to examine the prisoner, Belcher allegedly stepped out of the room for four minutes to use his cellphone, leaving Ortiz unsupervised. Ortiz left the freestanding emergency department on 7th Avenue between 12th and 13th Street (pictured) around 3.30pm on December 29 When he returned, there was no trace of the suspect and only a set of handcuffs were dangling from the bed frame. Ortiz ran out into the street shirtless with shackles still attached to one of his legs and descended into the subway station at West 14th street and Seventh Avenue. Ortiz has a lengthy criminal record that includes at least 16 arrests on charges of burglary, assault and criminal possession of a weapon, to name just a few. His most recent brush with the law prior to the shoplifting arrest took place on December 16, when he was picked up on suspicion of assault. A waitress who served a white couple at a Virginia restaurant was left a racist message instead of a tip. The waitress, Kelly Carter, served the two white people at Anita's in Ashburn, Virginia - a local New Mexico style restaurant - on Saturday morning. It seemed the two diners enjoyed their experience so much they were moved to write, 'great service' on the bottom of their $30.52 credit card receipt. However, the note then continued: 'Don't tip black people'. This racist message was left for a waitress who served a white couple at a Virginia restaurant on Saturday morning 'I looked at the receipt three times because I was so shocked, never ever being a server have I seen that,' Kelly Carter (pictured) said Video courtesy WJLA Carter spoke about the incident to NBC Washington on Sunday night. 'It was just total shock, that's all that I can say,' she told the network. 'I looked at the receipt three times because I was so shocked, never ever being a server have I seen that.' A photo of the receipt was shared by the Loudoun County NAACP chapter on Sunday. 'Hatred will not be tolerated and we will not keep quiet. This has been confirmed and did happen per Mgr @ Anita's in Ashburn,' the tweet read. Tom Tellez, the restaurant's manager, told FoxDC: 'It's appalling, disheartening, outrageous - all of the above.' The waitress, Kelly Carter, served the white couple at Anita's (pictured) in Ashburn, Virginia - a local New Mexico style restaurant The president of the local NAACP chapter, Phillip Thompson (right), blasted the racist message left at Anita's (left), saying it was further proof we need to: 'treat people better' 'Thought it's kind of in line with the political landscape.' Tellez also told the network Carter is a great waitress, and that before she was left the note, she told the couple she would be happy to serve them again. The president of the local NAACP chapter, Phillip Thompson, also blasted the racist message, saying it was further proof we need to: 'treat people better'. President-elect Donald Trump said this afternoon that he expects all his appointees to make it out of the confirmation process, despite Democratic efforts to derail them. 'I think they'll all pass. I think every nomination will be they're all at the highest level....I think they're going to do very well,' Trump told reporters. Senate Republicans are aiming to have a half dozen of Donald Trump's nominees confirmed by the time he takes office on Jan. 20. They'll hold hearings on at least eight of the president-elect's cabinet picks, possibly nine, and his chosen CIA director this week in a jam-packed, three-day session that overlaps with a hotly anticipated Trump press conference. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO President-elect Donald Trump said this afternoon that he expects all his appointees to make it out of the confirmation process. He's pictured in the Trump Tower lobby today, where he spoke to reporters Hearings this week include Rex Tillerson, whose relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has some Republican lawmakers on fence about confirming him to the nation's top diplomatic post, and Attorney General nominee and Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions. The immigration hardliner who was denied a federal judgeship in 1986 by the U.S. Senate over comments his critics said were racially insensitive is a top target for Democrats, as well. Sessions will get his hearing on Tuesday. So will Department of Homeland Security appointee John Kelly. Wednesday will see Tillerson, Betsy DeVos - nominated for Education Secretary - and Elaine Chao - a former labor secretary who Trump tapped for Transportation - go before the Senate committees that will also have the first crack of the bat on voting for their confirmations. Three more candidates, Ben Carson - up for Housing and Urban Development - James Mattis - in line for Defense - and Wilbur Ross - Trump's choice for Commerce - are on tap for Thursday. After a meeting at Trump Tower this morning Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was 'hopeful' his chamber would approve 'up to six or seven' of Trump's nominees, 'particularly national security team in place on Day One' Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder's nomination hearing is tentatively on the calendar for Thursday, as well. Politico says it won't take place until the week of Jan. 16, however. Congressman Mike Pompeo, Trump's choice to lead the CIA, is also on deck for Wednesday. That leaves six cabinet positions for senators to review at a later date - Health and Human Services, Agriculture, Treasury, Interior, Energy and Veterans Affairs. They'll also consider non-cabinet appointees to the Environmental Protection Agency, United Nations, Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Trade Representative, Small Business Administrator, Director of National Intelligence and head of the Council of Economic Advisers. Trump has not yet named anyone to lead his Council of Economic Advisers. He has not picked an Agriculture Secretary of Veterans Affairs head yet, either. Republicans hold 52 seats in the Senate. They need 51 senators to confirm each of Trump's nominees under rules that were previously adopted by Democrats Republicans hold 52 seats in the Senate. They need 51 senators to confirm each of Trump's nominees under rules that were previously adopted by Democrats. NOMINEES BEFORE SENATORS THIS WEEK Tuesday: Alabama Sen. and Attorney General nominee Jeff Sessions; Department of Homeland Security appointee John Kelly Wednesday: Former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson; Betsy DeVos, nominated for education secretary; Elaine Chao, a former labor secretary who Trump tapped for Transportation. Thursday: Ben Carson - up for Housing and Urban Development - James Mattis - in line for Defense - and Wilbur Ross - Trump's choice for Commerce - are on tap for Thursday. Labor Secretary nominee Andrew Puzder's nomination hearing is tentatively on the calendar for Thursday, as well. It may not take place until the week of Jan. 16, however. Also on tap: Congressman Mike Pompeo, Trump's choice to lead the CIA, appears before senators on Wednesday. The CIA director is not a member of the president's cabinet but the position requires Senate confirmation. Advertisement They can only afford to shed one Republican senator each time a nominee comes up for a vote if Democrats stick together. All of his cabinet nominee will be confirmed, including Sessions, Trump predicted today. 'I think he's going to do great. High quality man,' the president-elect said. After a meeting at Trump Tower this morning Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was 'hopeful' his chamber would approve 'up to six or seven' of Trump's nominees, 'particularly national security team in place on Day One.' Democrats say they need more time to review possible conflicts of interest. They're demanding that confirmation proceedings be halted until Trump's cabinet picks finish financial disclosure forms and other ethics paperwork that was provided and must be completed. 'Cabinet officials must put our country's interests before their own. No conf hearings should be held until were certain thats the case,' Elizabeth Warren said on Twitter. Warren and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer produced a letter from the independent Office of Government Ethics on Saturday raising concerns about the speed at which it was having to vet the president-elect's appointments. Hearings this week include Rex Tillerson, whose relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin has some Republican lawmakers on fence about confirming him to the nation's top diplomatic post. He's pictured speaking to Democratic Sen. Chris Coons last week OGE Director Walter Shaub told the lawmakers in a letter that his agency was under 'pressure' to 'rush' through their reviews. 'More significantly, it has left some of the nominees with potentially unknown or unresolved ethics issues shortly before their scheduled hearings, he said. On Twitter Warren said, 'This is ridiculous. @realDonaldTrumps noms cant drag their feet on ethics paperwork while their Senate friends try to run out the clock.' Schumer said Monday on the Senate floor, 'Our caucus was and is concerned about the timely completion about the standard ethics paperwork.' McConnell said Monday from the lobby of Trump Tower that 'everybody will be properly vetted as they have been in the past.' Senior Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Fox & Friends that the 'process that takes a great deal of time' and accused Senate Democrats of playing 'political peeping Toms' with nominees' financial holdings paperwork. Conway said Trump's nominees deserve the 'type of swift action' that Barack Obama's nominees received in 2009, when the Senate confirmed seven by voice vote on the day of his inauguration. The legislative body confirmed five more later that week. White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said later in the day during his regular briefing the Obama administration 'never asked for a nominee to get a hearing' until their Office of Government Ethics paperwork was complete. The Barack Obama spokesman said, 'Republicans in the Senate are forming their own "cheap suit caucus." 'And that's not a commentary on their wardrobe,' he explained. 'It's a commentary on the fact that they are folding and rubber stamping...the nominees of the incoming Trump administration.' Earnest said it 'sounds like a lot of Americans who voted to "drain the swamp" aren't getting what they hoped for, even before their guy takes office.' Schumer said Monday that the difference between 2009 and 2017 is that 'President Obama's nominees, they met all the standards laid out' by then Minority Leader McConnell. 'President-elect Trump's nominees have not.' Every Obama cabinet nominee had their ethics agreement in before their hearing and underwent a full FBI background before the Senate gave them consideration, Schumer said. 'President-elect's nominees are way behind that mark,' he stated. REX TILLERSON - DEPARTMENT OF STATE Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, 64, faces the toughest confirmation fight. Tillerson has only ever worked in the private sector, starting his career at Exxon when he graduated from college. He has a net worth of $245 million after receiving a $180 million buy-out from his former company, which he left early to join the Trump administration. Former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, 64, faces the toughest confirmation fight Legislators are concerned that Tillerson, who was awarded the order of Friendship by Vladimir Putin in 2013, will be too friendly to the Russian government, which was just sanctioned by the Obama administration for hacking into Democratic officials' and operatives' accounts. The prospective secretary of state signed a deal with Russian-owned oil company Rosneft in 2011 to drill in the Arctic. That work was halted in 2014 when the U.S. hit Russia with sanctions tied to its incursion into Ukraine. The Exxon exec had lobbied lawmakers on Capitol Hill not to impose sanctions over the international incident, arguing that they are ineffective because of the difficulty of implementing them comprehensively. He's sure to receive questions from senators about his position on future sanctions, and the possibility that old ones will be overturned, the Iran nuclear deal, the conflict between Israel and Palestine and fighting in Syria. Two Republicans, Marco Rubio and John McCain, have expressed concerns about Tillerson's ties to Putin. Rubio serves on the Foreign Relations committee, which has a one-vote majority over Democrats. If he flips, Tillerson won't make it to the full Senate for a vote. Should he make it through committee but lose votes from Rubio and McCain when it matters most, Republicans would need to convince a Democrat to swing their way. Sen. Joe Manchin of Wyoming, who was on Trump's short list for Energy secretary, has said he'd consider voting with Republicans to confirm Tillerson. Senators on the Foreign Relations committee will hear him out on Wednesday. JEFF SESSIONS - DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Jeff Sessions nomination will be contentious, but he's likely to make it through, as Trump indicated today Democrats are likely to make a spectacle of Alabama senator Jeff Sessions's hearing, bringing up decades-old statements that kept their colleague from being confirmed to a federal judgeship by the same legislative body in 1986. Former colleagues of the Republican testified that he made racist statements about blacks, using the N-word, calling a black U. S. attorney 'boy', and stating that he thought the Ku Klux Klan was 'OK until I found out they smoked pot.' Combined with his anti-illegal immigration positions, Democrats are worried he'll redirect the department's resources from investigating hate crimes to carrying out mass deportations. He voted against 2009 legislation that would have extended legal protections to LGBT individuals. The 70-year-old also sponsored legislation to award Rosa Parks the Congressional Gold Medal and voted in 2006 to renew the Voting Rights Act for 25 years. Republicans holds an 11-9 majority on the Senate Judiciary Committee, ensuring that appointment will make it to the full Senate, even if he recuses himself as Democrats are demanding. If he sits out the final tally, no other Republicans can vote against him for his appointment to pass, assuming he gets no Democratic support. It's dicey, but he's likely to make it through, as Trump indicated today. Senators will hear from Sessions on Tuesday. JOHN KELLY - DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY Retired four-star General John Kelly is expected to breeze through his Senate confirmation hearing for DHS. He's pictured meeting with McConnell last Thursday Retired four-star General John Kelly is expected to breeze through his Senate confirmation hearing for DHS. The 66-year-old who lead the United States Southern Command from 2012 to 2016, which put him in charge of Guantanamo Bay in Cuba has worked with former secretaries of defense Bob Gates and Leon Panetta, the latter of which has endorsed his appointment. Kelly's 2015 claim that 'half a million people have died from narco-terrorism' since 9/11 could cause heartburn when he takes questions from senators on the Homeland Security Committee tomorrow afternoon, however. A Marine Corps veteran, Kelly also would be the first DHS head to have worn the uniform since the position was created after Sept. 11. BEN CARSON - HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT Ben Carson, 65, has no experience working in the government or in the housing sector. Despite Carson's relative lack of qualifications he's not a top target of Democrats, who are more focused on other Trump nominees, like Tillerson Ben Carson, 65, has no experience working in the government or in the housing sector. The retired neurosurgeon who ran for president against Trump initially cited his lack of experience as a public servant and said he couldn't serve in the new administration. Carson had a change of heart accepted Trump's offer to be his HUD secretary, saying he'd draw on his experiences treating urban youth and growing up in Detroit, Michigan, to make decisions. It is unclear if Carson's family ever lived in Section 8 housing or received federal housing subsidies, and he's likely to be asked about it Thursday by senators on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs committee. He's opined in the past about the government contributing a culture of 'dependency' among minorities with safety net programs. Despite Carson's relative lack of qualifications for the position, he's not a top target of Democrats, who are more focused on Trump's nominees to high-profile positions, like secretary of state. BETSY DEVOS - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION A former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, Republican megadonor, philanthropist and school choice activist, Betsy DeVos, like many of Trump's nominees, has never worked for the government A former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, Republican megadonor, philanthropist and school choice activist, Betsy DeVos, like many of Trump's nominees, has never worked for the government. DeVos' husband Richard is heir to the Amway fortune. The DeVos' donated to Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina and Marco Rubio in the primary and Betsy called Trump an 'interloper.' The 59-year-old's fight for charter schools and school vouchers has earned rebukes from teacher's unions. American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten has derided DeVos as the 'most ideological, anti-public education nominee' to lead the Education Department ever. Democrats want DeVos' political action group, All Children Matter, to pay $5.3 in fine and penalties from campaign finance violations before they'll consider her. She's scheduled to testify in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday. ELAINE CHAO - DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Elaine Chao, 63, is one of the most qualified Trump nominees on paper and the least controversial Elaine Chao, 63, is one of the most qualified Trump nominees on paper and the least controversial. She served as labor secretary to George W. Bush and deputy secretary of transportation to his father, George H.W. Bush. Chao was a member of Trumps Asian Pacific American Advisory Council during his campaign, and she's married to McConnell. She'll face no real opposition in the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee on Wednesday. JAMES MATTIS - DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE Retired General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis is well-liked by Democrats, but needs a waiver from the Senate to oversee the Department of Defense. He's pictured meeting with Democrat Kirsten Gillibrand last week Retired General James 'Mad Dog' Mattis is a former head of United States Central Command and a NATO Supreme Allied Commander. He retired from military service in 2013. Mattis, 66, is a member of General Dynamics' Board of Directors. The general is well-liked by Democrats, but needs a waiver from the Senate to oversee the Department of Defense. The National Security Act of 1947 says the head of the Pentagon must have completed service at least seven years before returning. Senators on the Armed Services committee will take a vote on the waiver immediately after Mattis' Thursday hearing. He needs eight Democrats to vote for the waiver in the full body to hit 60, the number of votes necessary to overcome a filibuster. Mattis' financial disclosure forms revealed that he's worth as much as $10 million and received payments of $20,000 or more from Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Northrup Grumman to give speeches last year. He earned another $419,000 as a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. He's agreed to divest in his General Dynamics stock and resign from Hoover - once he's confirmed to DOD WILBUR ROSS - DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE A billionaire, like Trump, Wilbur Ross, 79, has earned a reputation as a turnaround artist. He's likely to get a pass from Democrats as they set their sights on hedge funder Steve Mnunchin, Trump's pick for Treasury A billionaire, like Trump, Wilbur Ross, 79, has earned a reputation as a turnaround artist. Known as 'the king of bankruptcy,' Ross, has a net worth of $2.9 billion. He heads a private equity fund that specializes in rescuing failing businesses and turning them around. Norm Eisen, chief ethics lawyer to President Barack Obama, told Politico that Ross 'might be the second-most complicated person in the administration to vet, behind the president-elect himself' because of all his holdings. He'll sit in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation committee on Thursday. Ross admitted to a 1991 DUI in the Hamptons that saw him pay a $400 fine and have his license suspended for 90 days in a questionnaire he filled out at the direction of the committee. A mystery snowplow driver took a North Carolinian couple to the hospital as the wife was about to give birth. The Virginian-Pilot reported Hugh Dawson, a middle school teacher from Moyock, headed to a hospital about 25 miles away from their home in North Carolina with his wife on Sunday. Stephanie Dawson was a week past her due date. The baby was supposed to have been born New Year's Day. Stephanie (left) and Hugh (right) Dawson welcomed a baby boy after being escorted to the hospital in a snow plow As they were driving at 3.30am, she realized they were not going to make it to Sentara Princess Anne Hospital where Mrs Dawson works as a registered nurse. On an average day it would have only taken 35 minutes to get there but the awful weather worsened road conditions according to ABC News. They then headed toward the closest hospital, Chesapeake Regional Medical Center. Their truck died on an exit ramp, an inconvenience Mr Dawson kept from his wife at the time as to not worry her. Brayden was born 15 minutes after Stephanie Dawson arrived to the hospital The couple is hoping to find the snowplow driver who helped them get to the hospital So Mrs Dawson's surprise, her husband jumped out of the car and flagged down a snowplow heading the opposite direction. Mr Dawson begged the snowplow driver, whose name he did not catch, to drive him and his wife to the hospital. At this point, his wife's contractions were approaching 90 seconds apart. The driver agreed to drive the couple so they climbed into the machine with three passengers in the back seat and headed to the hospital. When they arrived the hospitals front doors were locked so they had to hustle to the emergency room. Mrs Dawson was so far along that there wasn't time for paper work. She ended up filling it out after she delivered baby Brayden. The couple rode with four strangers in a snowplow to the hospital (stock photo) The healthy baby was born about soon after the couple arrived. Brayden weighed six pounds and 13 ounces. The parents' four-year-old daughter met them in the hospital. Mr Dawson said: 'Within 15 minutes of coming through the door, the baby was out and healthy.' 'Without the snowplow, we probably wouldve had the baby in the truck so it was a huge blessing they were coming at just the right time.' The couple is hoping to find and than the guardian snow angel to thank them for helping them safely get to the hospital in time. Mr Dawson said: 'It was a white truck with a big black casing on the back of it. I dont remember seeing any actual logos or wording around it.' President-elect Donald Trump met Monday inside Trump Tower with Jack Ma, the head of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba as the company touted a plan it said would create 'one million jobs.' The company accounts for three-quarters of all online sales in China, a burgeoning market. It wasn't immediately clear if there was anything else on the agenda besides the jobs plan. Trump escorted company head Jack Ma to the lobby of Trump Tower and appeared briefly with reporters after their meeting. The president-elect called it a 'great meeting.' 'We had a great meeting, and a great, great entrepreneur, one of the best in the world, and he loves this country, and he loves China,' Trump said. President-elect Donald Trump speaks to reporters after meeting at Trump Tower with Alibaba Executive Chairman Jack Ma 'Jack and I are going to do some great things,' he added. The company came under investigation by the federal Securities and Exchange Commission over its accounting practices. 'Jack Ma and President Elect to meet today to discuss how $BABA will create 1 MM US jobs by helping SMEs sell to China,' the company wrote. During his remarks, Ma didn't confirm the specific number of jobs. He mention small businesses and a focus on U.S. agricultural products. 'We're focused on small business,' Ma said. Ma called it a 'very productive meeting.' 'We discuss about helping the American small business selling things through [the] Alibaba platform through China and to Asia.' 'We also think that China-U.S. relationship should be strengthened, should be more friendly and do better,' Ma added. 'The president-elect, he is very smart, he is very open minded, listening,' Ma said. 'I tell him my ideas about how [he] can improve the trade, especially supporting small business' cross border trading. LOOK, MA! Trump escorted Ma to the lobby of Trump Tower and addressed reporters afterward Trump says the two men had a 'great meeting' and agreed to do 'great things' Alibaba is under investigation for some of its accounting practices by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The inquiry caused a dip in its stock price in early 2016. Trump has said he intends to nominate Wall Street attorney Walter Clayton to run the SEC. Clayton advised the web giant on its Initial Public Offering effort in 2013, which was the largest in history. The regulator was looking at how the company accumulated web search results. The company said it was cooperating. Clayton would have to recuse himself from the matters relating to the investigation of Alibaba. Trump alongside Bernard Arnault, boss of fashion conglomerate LVMH, in Trump Tower yesterday LVMH has a passive stake in G-III apparel, which licenses Ivanka Trump, Calvin Klein, and other brands Later Monday, Trump escorted another pair of corporate titans to the lobby of Trump Tower: Alexandre and Bernard Arnault of the luxury brand LVMH. Moet Hennesey Louis Vuitton has a passive investor stake of valued at $75 million in G-III apparel, which licenses Ivanka Trump, Calvin Klein, and other brands. Appearing with the father and son execs Friday, Trump hailed the elder, Bernard Arnault, as 'One of the great men, you know that, right? And they all love this country.' Trump said of the meeting: 'They're going to do some wonderful things in this country.' Then he mentioned: 'Jobs. A lot of jobs.' Arnault said the company was considering expanding factories to include possible facilities in North Carolina, a former major textile hub that has seen its manufacturing flee overseas. He has been separating himself from his global real estate business, while he and Ivanka Trump have settled on a Washington, D.C., home in Trump's campaign and had signaled that he planned to move to Washington and work for the president-elect Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law, has been named Senior Advisor to the President, the president-elect's transition team announced. The role will essentially be the same one he held during the Republican's campaign, as he completes the leadership trio, which also includes incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon. Kushner, a billionaire like his father-in-law, will be unpaid. The official transition team release stated 'Kushner has chosen to forego his salary while serving in the administration.' In the press release announcing Kushner's role Trump called his son-in-law 'a tremendous asset and trusted advisor' saying he was proud to put him in a key leadership role despite the fact that it could be politically problematic. 'He has been incredibly successful, in both business and now politics,' Trump said. 'He will be an invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious agenda, putting the American people first.' The husband of Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka was already taking steps to distance himself from his sprawling real estate business in order to clear a series of hurdles that could hinder his taking of a government job. Scroll down for video Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner will join the Republican's administration as a 'senior advisor to the president' One giant - and pricey - sign that Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were serious about coming to work in Washington was that they picked out this house to live in with their children In finding this Washington, D.C., real estate, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump committed to playing a pivotal part in President-elect Donald Trump's administration Another sign he was serious about working in the West Wing is that he and Ivanka already found a home in Washington where they will move with their three kids. The president-elect plans to hold a press conference in New York City on Wednesday and make clear that Ivanka Trump will not be running his business while he's in the White House. Kushner will need to argue that a federal anti-nepotism law that bar officials from appointing relatives to government positions does not apply to him. By not taking a salary, Kushner may more easily skirt the law. He'll also have to eliminate potential conflicts of interest between his family's multi-billion dollar real estate empire and his government duties. Just as week after Trump was elected, Kushner met with Wu Xiaohui, the chairman of Anbang Insurance Group, one of China's most aggressive acquirers of overseas properties, to discuss a deal in the works to redevelop one of the Kushner family's flagship Manhattan addresses, according to the New York Times. The paper used the meeting, which took place at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, a property Anbang owns, as an example of the 'ethical thicket' Kushner will have to navigate through to get to the White House, in part because his business is still a major real estate investor, while the Trump Organization has turned more to branding. Kushner, who often has the last word with the president-elect before a major decision is made, has explored stepping away from his role as CEO of the real estate business and has consulted with federal officials about resolving potential conflicts, according to his lawyer. Jared Kushner is taking steps to distance himself from his sprawling New York real estate business, in preparation for joining his father-in-law's administration 'Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take,' said Jamie Gorelick, a partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, in a statement. 'Although plans are not finalized, Mr. Kushner would resign from his position at Kushner Companies and divest substantial assets in accordance with federal guidelines.' Gorelick said that Kushner 'would recuse from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests. He would also abide by federal rules requiring impartiality in particular matters involving specific parties.' Kushner's challenges highlight a notable pattern of the incoming administration. While some government officials will be forced to divest and rearrange their financial portfolios to comply with federal ethics laws, their boss will not be required to do the same. Vice President-elect Mike Pence, left, and Jared Kushner, second from right, depart from Trump Tower, in New York. Kushner must clear a series of hurdles before he takes any post in Washington As president, Trump is exempt from laws aimed at ensuring federal employees' personal financial interests do not influence their decisions. The president-elect has said he intends to distance himself from his own international real estate business, but he has suggested he intends to break from precedent by retaining a stake in the company. More details are expected to come in Wednesday's news conference, the first Trump has held as president-elect. The Kushner Companies is a major real estate investor in New York and elsewhere and participated in roughly $7 billion in acquisitions in the last decade. If Kushner joined the administration, he would divest some of business interests, including his stake in a major Fifth Avenue skyscraper, according to his spokeswoman Risa Heller. The property, 666 Fifth Avenue, was the subject of the meeting with the Chinese firm on November 16. Kushner has spent months negotiating a redevelopment of that building with Anbang Insurance Group, a real estate giant with close ties to the Chinese government. The mysterious Anbang has drawn scrutiny from Wall Street firms and federal agencies in the past. In addition to working through that nest of potential conflicts, Kushner has also been consulting lawyers about a federal anti-nepotism law that bars officials from appointing relatives to government positions. The 1967 law, which was seen as a response to President John Kennedy selecting his brother Robert Kennedy as attorney general, would also be a potential obstacle for Ivanka Trump, who is also expected to have a role in her father's White House. Some Trump advisers have argued that the law does not apply to the White House, only Cabinet agencies. 'The anti-nepotism law apparently has an exception if you want to work in the West Wing, because the president is able to appoint his own staff,' Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said in December. 'The president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking.' As precedent, some Trump backers have pointed to the woman the president-elect defeated in last year's bitter White House race: Hillary Clinton. President Bill Clinton's decision to put his wife in charge of his health care reform efforts was challenged in court, but two federal appeals judges said the anti-nepotism law did not appear to cover White House staff appointments. But if Trump finds White House roles for his daughter and son-in-law, he's walking an ethical tightrope that could set a precedent for future presidents, said Norm Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's chief ethics counselor. For example, if the first lady's office essentially becomes the first family's office, 'it will be like institutionalizing nepotism,' he said. 'And I think it could be politically perilous.' At the least, Eisen said, Trump should ensure the couple is categorized as regular government employees who must routinely publicly file disclosures about their business ties and investments. In the campaign's stretch, Kushner was a constant presence at his father-in-law's side. He has acted as a gatekeeper to Trump in the transition and has sat in on scores of high-level meetings, including Cabinet interviews. If he takes a government post, his presence in the West Wing would add another power center in a White House that is shaping up to be top heavy. Incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon were announced as 'equals.' Conway, who will serve as counselor to the president, is also likely to have autonomy and direct access to Trump. Ivanka Trump has taken steps to leave her role at the Trump Organization, which the president-elect said would be run by company executives and his two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric. In a brief interview Friday with The Associated Press, Trump said he has a 'very simple solution' for addressing his business ties, but would not detail the plans. He also suggested the matter was not important to Americans. Laura Murray-Woodford was hit by a vehicle as she left a bar in London last year The grief-stricken husband of a headhunter killed on her 30th birthday has described the anguish of losing the woman who gave him 'purpose in life.' Laura Murray-Woodford text her husband to say she was on her way home as she left All Bar One in Ludgate Hill, London, where she had been celebrating her birthday with colleagues on October 20 last year. But just moments later she was struck by a van as she crossed the road, and died in hospital the following day. Mrs Murray-Woodford's devastated husband Ben Kelly-Taylor has described the anguish of losing the 'one thing that made him complete'. Mr Kelly-Taylor phoned his wife an hour after she sent him a text message because he was concerned he had not heard from her. Police answered her phone and told him she had been involved an accident. The IT consultant lost his wife just five months after their dream wedding on his grandmother's farm in his native Australia. Mrs Murray-Woodford text her husband to say she was on her way home as she left All Bar One in Ludgate Hill, London (pictured) Mr Kelly-Taylor told the Evening Standard his wife was 'outgoing, tenacious, warm and humble'. He told the paper he 'fell more in love' with his wife as time went on, adding: 'It was very strange having lost the one thing that made you feel complete and give you purpose in life. It's the most difficult thing. 'You're faced with a complete U-turn.' Mrs Murray-Woodford worked as a recruitment advisor at the City and Guilds group in London for just over a year before her death, having previously worked for the British Heart Foundation and Macmillan Cancer Support. She graduated from the University of East London with a Master of Science in Occupational and Organisational Psychology in 2012 and studied Psychology at Coventry University. The Ascension Eagles, a youth cheerleading squad based in Newham, London, paid tribute to Mrs Murray-Woodford on Twitter The Ascension Eagles, a youth cheerleading squad based in Newham, London, paid tribute to Mrs Murray-Woodford on Twitter. The group wrote: 'Dedicating today to this beautiful lady as we celebrate her life where it all began at the Ascension Church. 'Forever in our #teamlaura' A white Texas policeman was suspended without pay for 10 days, but will not be fired, after being caught on video wrestling a black woman and her daughter to the ground, Fort Worth Police Chief Joel Fitzgerald announced Monday. Fitzgerald said the officer violated policy, is sorry for his behavior and is eager to resume active duty at the end of the suspension. He said he has asked the officer, who will also be required to undergo additional training, to go back into the same community when the suspension ends 'to repair relationships'. The officer, identified as William Martin, responded to a call after resident Jacqueline Craig complained that a neighbor choked her 7-year-old son for allegedly littering in his yard. One of her daughters filmed the interactions between Craig and the officer, which escalated into a violent arrest. The video has been viewed millions of times on Facebook since it was posted last month, and letters and emails have been rolling into the department and to city officials asking that the officer be fired. A Fort Worth police officer (seen above) caught on camera violently arresting a mother and her daughter will be suspended for 10 days but will not be fired, authorities announced Monday When the officer suggested that Craig's son deserved to be choked because he littered, Craig grew angry. Her daughter, Brea Hymond, tried to come between her mother and the officer But Martin will retain his job at the police department despite the outrage drawn bu the incident. 'We are not sanctioning bad behavior... People make mistakes. We have levels of mistakes that every police officer makes,' Fitzgerald said Monday. 'Some things deserve punishment; some do not. Some deserve termination and some do not.' In the video, the officer questions why Craig hadn't taught her son not to litter and later asks why the neighbor shouldn't have put his hands on her son. One of Craig's daughters, 19-year-old Brea Hymond, tries to push her mother away from the officer, but the officer forces Craig and the daughter to the ground. He thrusts a stun gun into Craig's back and later points it at the daughter telling her to stay down. After the scuffle, the officer wrestled Craig to the ground and pressed a Taser to her back (pictured); he then pointed the taser at family members protesting the treatment Hymond yelled as she was hauled away by the officer in handcuffs (left), before the officer then takes the handcuffed mother and daughter to a squad car (right) He arrested Craig and her daughters on charges that include disorderly conduct and resisting arrest. Craig's attorney had demanded that the officer be fired and criminally charged, that all charges against the Craig family be dropped and that the neighbor be charged with assaulting her son. The attorney, S. Lee Merritt, did not immediately return a phone call Monday seeking comment, but he posted a video statement to Facebook Monday afternoon calling the suspension 'intolerable' and describing it as a vacation. 'They are understandably in disbelief, shocked and upset,' Merritt said of the Craig family. 'There are still charges pending against the Craig family.' Hymond (left) and her mother (right) are pictured at the Fort Worth jail after the arrest. Many letters and emails have asked that the officer be fired The shocking video sparked protests outside the Fort Worth Police Department last month after the women were arrested Demonstrators held up placards saying 'stop the hate' as they gathered outside the police department last month to protest against the arrest Fitzgerald said some members in the police chain of command did not agree with his disciplinary decision, but the ultimate decision was his to make. He referred questions about possible criminal charges to the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office. A spokeswoman for the district attorney said the office will send the entire incident file including the department's investigation to a grand jury to determine if criminal charges should be filed against any of the parties involved. 'The report on the Craigs, the officer and the neighbor will all come together before the grand jury,' spokeswoman Sam Jordan said. 'They could find to press charges against all or no one.' A shocking book that says husbands can beat their wives and women should wear sexy outfits to make amends with their spouses is being handed out in parts of Turkey. The book, called 'Marriage and Family Life' by Hasan Calskan, a former employee of the Office of Religious Affairs called Diyanet, has been slammed by Turkish politicians for the controversial 'advice' it offers to couples. A shocking book which encourages men to beat their wives is being published in Turkey (stock image) Some of the appalling statements that were written in the book include: 'A woman who does not beautify herself for her husband, and who does not obey the headmanship of the man can be beaten; this would remind her of the ruler of the house, which is like medicine' 'Polygamy is beneficial. Would it not be better if, instead of divorcing his bad-tempered wife and making her a trouble for another man, the man took a second wife, prompting her feelings of competition, and eventually bringing her down?' The book, called 'Marriage and Family Life' by Hasan Calskan, encourages polygamy, children to get married as young as 10 and for women to not speak during sex as it could lead to child being born with a speech impediment Other shocking statements made in the 'education manual' include children as young as 10 can get married, women should not work as it 'badly influences' the woman's 'sexual duties' to her spouse and women should not speak during sex as it could lead to a child being born with a speech impediment. The 394 page publication was reportedly handed out to people in the city of Kutahya, about 200 miles south of Istanbul, by Kutahya council. A similar version of the manuscript, called 'Marriage and Privacy' was also issued by Pamukkale city council in south west Turkey. Deputy of the opposition party CHP, Fatma Kaplan Hurriyet, said the book (left) was 'irrational', 'unconscionable' and 'considers women as sheep' She brought it to the attention of the Grand Assembly where she slammed it Members of the main opposition, CHP Republican People's Party, have called the book 'irrational', 'unconscionable' and 'depicts woman as second-class citizens and defines them as sexual slaves'. It was brought to the attention of the Grand Assembly by CHP deputy, Fatma Kaplan Hurriyet. According to Sol International, she said: 'This is an irrational, unconscionable book that considers women as sheep, by saying the "the man is the shepherd of the family". My hairs stood on end as I continued to read it.' The leader of the party, Zeliha Aksaz Sahbaz, added the book 'depicts women as second-class citizens and defines them as sexual slaves'. Education Minister Ismet Ylmaz (left) described the publication as 'primitive and non-scientific' but mayor of Kutahya, Kamil Saracoglu, (right) said the council had only just received complaints about it, despite it first being given in 2014 The Education Minister Ismet Ylmaz described the publication as 'primitive and non-scientific'. But the mayor of Kutahya, Kamil Saracoglu, said the council, who has been handing out the books since 2014, had not received any complaints about the book until last month. According to SonDakika.com, a statement published on Kutahya council's website from the mayor said: 'We do not publish this book as a municipality, we buy it from a bookshop and give it as a gift to the marriage. Dr Aria Sabit, dubbed the 'Greedy Butcher', who performed hundreds of unnecessary spinal surgeries in California and Michigan Victims are calling for lengthy prison time for a Detroit-area doctor dubbed the 'Greedy Butcher' who performed hundreds of unnecessary spinal surgeries in California and Michigan. Dr Aria Sabit defrauded the Medicare system by billing insurers more than $33 million despite failing to install vital medical devices in patients during surgeries. Judge Paul Borman heard tearful pleas from former patients on Monday in Detroit federal court. Sabit was in court several months ago to enter a plea deal of ten months in prison, which was thrown out by the judge after he refused the terms. He's now entered a guilty plea. His punishment could result in life behind bars. The FBI reported that he embezzled as much as $600,000 in his eight and 10-year-old children's bank accounts to cover up his crimes, according to Detroit News. He is also accused of falsely obtaining U.S. citizenship in 2013. One of his victims, Rick Porterfield, was an executive at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California, where Sabit was on staff. Dr Aria Sabit has pleaded guilty to defrauding the Medicare system by billing insurers more than $33 million despite failing to install vital medical devices in patients during surgery Porterfield said: 'Every move I make hurts.' He stated he was forced retire because of complications from Sabit's surgery. Prosecutors argue that Sabit used his deceitful funds to finance his $2 million mansion in Bloomfield Hills, and are recommending that the disgraced doctor be sentenced to 19 years in prison, according to Click on Detroit. Sabit was forced to surrender his medical license in California after facing more than two dozen similar medical malpractice suits between 2009 and 2010. However, after simply picking up and moving to Michigan, those troubles disappeared as he wasn't required to inform new patients of his previous legal complaints. Many states do not require doctors to communicate with patients about disciplinary action they face, an investigation by the Atlanta-Journal Constitution uncovered. Tonocca Scott, 40, of Ypsilanti, Michigan, is one of Sabit's victims of a botched back surgery which have left many crippled and in chronic pain Originally from Afghanistan, Sabit came to the United States to study medicine. In his home country, his father served as an attorney general and his uncle was the former speaker of the house. Sabit took up a position in Detroit in 2011 running the Michigan Brain and Spine Physician's Group, where he continued his damaging practices. It's possible that his motivation for committing these heinous crimes may have come from the financial kickbacks he was receiving from medical supply company Apex. According to Medscape, Sabit received a total of $438,570 in 'kickbacks' from Apex for using their medical supplies in his 90 per cent of the 130 instrumented spinal fusion surgeries he performed in just eight months. FBI Special Agent Peter Hayes said: 'Subsequently, after continuing pain, all patients received second opinions from other doctors stating that no such spinal fusion had been performed and there was no evidence of any screw, or any medical device in the spinal column of the patient.' Some of Dr. Aria Sabit's victims entered court with canes. One woman was in a wheelchair. The boy's father was with him and was holding him when paramedics arrived He did not shoot the gun but the weapon was within the vicinity An 11-year-old boy was killed by an accidental gunshot during a hunting trip with his father in Cedar Hill, Tennessee. Emergency services were called to Three Feathers Hunting Preserve at 2.45pm Sunday. The boy was from Clarksville which is northeast of Nashville. Apparently, he was not holding the weapon and police are still investigating the tragic incident. The boy was with his father at Three Feathers Hunting Preserve (pictured) when the accidental shooting occurred. Police are still investigating the accident Smokey Barn News reports the child was shot in his lower abdomen with a 20-gauge shotgun. Adams Fire Chief Ray Brown told the Tennessean: 'There were two people doing CPR, one was a woman and I heard her say she was a nurse at the hospital.' 'The boy's daddy was holding him ... It was one of those deals where everything was "let's go, let's load the victim and get him to the ambulance."' 'He wasn't holding the gun, but it was close by.' 'Once we got him to the paramedics, they continued CPR a little longer, and then they called it. There was nothing we could have done. It was just a bad episode.' Adams Fire Chief Ray Brown (right) attended the scene at Three Feathers Hunting Preserve (left) when a little boy was accidentally shot Three Feathers Hunting Preserve is located in Cedar Hill, Tennessee Three Feathers Hunting Preserve specializes in hunting for game birds. Brown commented on the frequency of these accidents saying: 'This is not the first time we've seen something like this, and you have your own ways of dealing with it.' 'We kind of all get together and talk about it.' He won't be president anymore, but Barack Obama will take one last flight on the presidential plane next week before handing it over to Donald Trump. Outgoing presidents traditionally are allowed one final flight on the famed blue-and-white aircraft. President George W. Bush used it to fly to Midland, Texas, with his wife and family just after Obama was inaugurated. The Obamas plan to continue living in Washington in a rented home after leaving the White House. But White House spokesman Josh Earnest says the Obamas will still leave Washington by plane shortly after Trump's inaugural ceremony. No word yet on where they're heading. Although the plane will be the same, technically it won't be Air Force One. That designation is used only when the sitting president is on board. One more flight: The Obamas had been thought to have to taken their last family trip on Air Force one on January 2, when they returned from Hawaii, but will ride on the presidential plane again on January 20 Bushes say goodbye: George W. Bush used his final flight after leaving office to take his wife Laura, mother Barbara and father, former president George H.W. Bush, to Midland, Texas Start of a new journey: The Clintons were not leaving public life completely when they landed at JFK, New York, on board a VC-25 as Hillary Clinton was starting her life as junior senator from the state The plane will be one of the AIr Force's two - identical - modified Boeing 747s, which are known as VC-25s. It is a perk which every president has spoken of their love for flying on the plane. a symbol of both presidential office and American technological power. Obama said of it in one of his weekly radio addresses shortly before the election: 'Im going to be honest with you one of the best parts of being President is having your own plane. 'And Im going to miss it. A lot.' Until the Monday announcement it had seemed likely that the final flight of the Obamas would be their return from the family's Hawaiian Christmas and New Year vacation. Their younger daughter, Sasha, is a student at Sidwell Friends School in the capital and is likely to have school as normal on the Monday after the Obamas leave the White House. Their new rented home is in Kalorama, just two miles from their current one in the White House residence. The right to a final flight had, of course, been used by other departing presidents. In 2009, George W Bush took a Marine helicopter flight to Andrews Air Force base with his wife Laura, and his parents - former president George H.W. Bush and former first lady, Barbara. Farewell to all this too: Unusually Donald Trump is giving up a plane by becoming president - in his case his personalized Boeing 757 Lap of luxury: Air Force One might be a step down for the president-elect - his own plane has personalized gold seat belts HOW DO THEY MEASURE UP? Air Force One A customized Boeing 747-200B, bearing the words 'United States of America' and the President's seal Top speed of 563mph and room for an entire West Wing of presidential advisers A mobile command center, 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels, a medical suite/operating room, two food preparation galleys which can feed 100 people Trump's plane A Boeing 757-200, which was bought in 2011 and kitted out at a cost of $100m, it is embossed with the legend 'Trump' Top speed of 500mph and space for 43 passengers Marble and gold bathroom, 24-carat gold-plated seatblets, a video lounge with 57-inch screen and sound system similar to a 'top Hollywood screening room' Advertisement In 2001, Bill Clinton, his wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea flew to New York's JFK airport to start a new life in Chappaqua, New York. Hillary Clinton had just won her first election to become the junior senator for New York. Her re-election in 2006 was her second and final election victory. And in 1989, Ronald Reagan flew from Andrews to Point Mugu Naval Air Station near the Simi Valley home to where he and Nancy retired. Unusually for inauguration day, the incoming First Family are also losing the use of their plane, in this case Donald Trump's personalized Boeing 757. Although the narrow-bodied jet is significantly smaller than a 747, it is likely to prove a step down in terms of luxury. Trump will have to give up his personalized decor in favor of that of Air Force One - leaving behind his gold-plated seatbelt with the Trump crest. A judge has ruled that jurors will be allowed to hear that porn star Christy Mack discussed 'rape fantasies' with her MMA fighter ex-boyfriend Jonathan Koppenhaver, before she was viciously beaten and allegedly sexually assaulted by him in 2014. Koppenhaver, 35, who is known as 'War Machine', is accused of attacking Mack in her Las Vegas home on August 8 - leaving her with 18 broken bones, a broken nose, missing teeth, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver. With the case due to head to trial next month, District Judge Elissa Cadish has ruled jurors will be told about rape comments the former couple made to each other. During pretrial hearings, Mack told a judge she had discussed a 'rape fantasy' with her ex. A judge has ruled that jurors will be allowed to hear that porn star Christy Mack (left, in 2014) discussed 'rape fantasies' with her MMA fighter ex-boyfriend Jonathan Koppenhaver (right, in 2015) before she was allegedly attacked by him It came after the 35-year-old fighter admitted to repeatedly claiming, 'real men rape'. 'Do you ever recall stating to Mr. Koppenhaver that "real men rape"?' defense lawyer Brandon Sua asked the actress last week, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Mack first replied by saying it was a joke between them, before she added: 'That was a pretty common slogan for him to say, and yes, I would repeat it back to him.' She then told the judge she had asked 'War Machine' to play out a rape fantasy with her on one occasion, however she said: 'It never came to fruition. Koppenhaver (right), who is known as 'War Machine', is accused of attacking Mack (left) in her Las Vegas home on August 8. They are pictured together in May 2013 Mack (left) was left with 18 broken bones, a broken nose, missing teeth, a fractured rib and a ruptured liver as a result of the alleged attack from 'War Machine' (right) 'I wouldnt want to have an actual rape happen.' The fighter has previously pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts of rape, kidnap and attempted murder. Corey Thomas, a friend of the 25-year-old and was with Mack, was also allegedly beaten for 10 minutes by the 35-year-old MMA fighter. Koppenhaver has created controversy in the courtroom during pretrial hearings, having previous blown a kiss at a prosecutor, while also laughing as Mack tearfully described the alleged abuse and sexual assault. Police say the fighter stormed into Mack's home and accused her of cheating on him with Thomas in the alleged attack. But with the case due to head to trial next month, District Judge Elissa Cadish has ruled jurors will be told about rape comments the former couple made to each other. The two are pictured together Mack (pictured last December) told a judge during a pretrial hearing she had spoken to 'War Machine' about a rape fantasy The porn star and model posted a series of confronting images on social media after the alleged attack showing injuries she suffered in August 2014 In one of the photos posted Mack was seen in a hospital bed, her face swollen (left), while another image showed a large bruise she had on her leg from the alleged attack in 2014 He then set upon Thomas, choking and punching him, before ordering him to leave and not call police, prosecutors have stated. After Thomas left, Koppenhaver allegedly attacked Mack - before forcing her to take a shower afterwards. The actress posted a number of confronting images on social media she claims showed the injuries she suffered in the beating. The fighter has been offered two deals - one that would see him serve 14 to life in prison, and another that would have sentenced him to 18 to 40 years, according the the Review-Journal - but both were denied. He is currently being held in Nevada's High Desert State Prison. Christy Mack cried as she looked at evidence photos presented during a preliminary hearing in November 2014 Jonathan Paul Koppenhaver, also known as War Machine, reacts while appearing in court Wednesday, June 3, 2015, in Las Vegas In a note Koppenhaver wrote in prison, published by TMZ, he accused Mack of preparing 'painful lies' to tell in court. He has also described many of the accusations as 'B.S. fantasy charges' in a note written before he attempted suicide. He has claimed Mack is pursuing the charges to gain publicity and make money. Mack met the fighter in spring 2013, at which point she was already a well-established name in the adult film industry. Koppenhaver had 'dabbled' in working in pornography by the time they met. They began dating a short time after, and in January 2014 they appeared nude together in the magazine, Hustler. The relationship lasted about a year, but Mack told ESPNW 'War Machine' became abusive about four months in. Alex Bateman, 48, stole a logbook belonging to the widow of one of the Dambusters after she lent it to him for his research A military historian stole a logbook belonging to the widow of one of the Dambusters after she lent it to him for his research, a court heard. Alex Bateman, 48, a former employee at Harrow, persuaded Doris Fraser to hand over the 10,000 piece of memorabilia - which had belonged to her late husband, Flight Sergeant John Fraser, in 1996. However when she asked for it back, Bateman allegedly came up with a series of excuses to hold onto the document. Mrs Fraser's husband was one of two men to survive a mission with the famous 617 squadron after his plane was shot down in the Ruhr valley in Germany in 1943. Sergeant Fraser started a new life with his family in Canada after the war but was killed in a plane crash while serving as a pilot in the Royal Canadian Airforce in 1962. Mrs Fraser offered to help Bateman when she spotted a newspaper advertisement about his research on the Dambusters raid. She posted him the log book in January 1996 and the pair enjoyed a friendly relationship until early 2003 when Mrs Fraser's daughter, Shere Lowe, asked for the logbook to be returned. But instead of returning the logbook, Bateman first sent a letter stapled to a piece of card, which read: 'Dear Shere, here as promised is the log book of your father - I know you will find it of interest and it's a pleasure to return it to its rightful owner.' He had also included a cassette tape about the Dambusters raid, but the logbook itself was missing and there was a slit in the bottom of the envelope. Prosecutor Max Hardy said: 'It's the prosecution's case that this was a ruse - it was Mr Bateman pretending to return the logbook to Shere Lowe. 'A very important question for you [the jury] to answer is why the letter was stapled to card but there was no logbook.' Mrs Fraser offered to help Bateman (pictured) when she spotted a newspaper advertisement about his research on the Dambusters raid Bateman then claimed the logbook had been found in the post office sorting room, but suggested he should hand it over in person when the family came to England in May 2003 for a Dambusters reunion 'unless instructed otherwise'. Before the planned reunion though, Bateman produced a Christmas card purportedly from Mrs Fraser gifting him the logbook and asked Ms Lowe not to phone him anymore. It read: 'Dear Alex, thank you for your letter but please keep the logbook, you might find it useful. All the very best for the New Year, Doris Fraser.' Mr Hardy said: 'This reveals Mr Bateman's true intention in this case which was to keep that logbook for himself saying it had been gifted to him. 'That whole envelope thing was to try and say he had sent it to her, but perhaps he had second thoughts about saying it had fallen out in the post.' Mrs Fraser's husband was one of two men to survive a mission with the famous 617 squadron after his plane was shot down in the Ruhr valley in Germany in 1943 The Fraser family instructed solicitors who repeatedly demanded Bateman hand over the card for analysis. A hand writing expert has since examined the Christmas card, and found 'strong evidence' to suggest it was written by someone other than Mrs Fraser, Wood Green Crown Court heard. 'This was the first occasion that it was being suggested there was a Christmas card relevant to his claim that he had been given the logbook as a gift,' said Mr Hardy. 'The prosecution's case is that this was a loan and at no stage did she express an intention to give that log book to Mr Bateman. 'It's the prosecution's case that he acquired that property belonging to her and had no intention of returning it to her. 'The historical significance of this document is great and although no exact value is given it is worth several thousand pounds, perhaps as much as 10,000. 'It's the prosecution case that Doris Fraser would not simply gift not only an important historical document but also an important family document to a man she had never met.' Mrs Fraser offered to help Bateman when she spotted a newspaper advertisement about his research on the Dambusters (pictured) The Fraser family took their story to the press on 28 June 2003, prompting several journalists to approach Bateman for comment. When an article about the allegedly stolen log book appeared in a Sunday newspaper the following day, Bateman reported a burglary at his address and claimed the log book had been stolen. The case was originally dealt with as a civil matter, but Bateman was investigated for theft in 2015. Bateman denies one count of theft. A drifter convicted of brutally killing two Massachusetts men and slitting their throats in 2001 carjackings was sentenced Monday to death in one of the slayings and life in prison in the other. Gary Lee Sampson was first condemned to die in 2003, but a judge in 2011 granted him a new sentencing trial after finding that one of the jurors at his first trial had lied about being a victim of domestic abuse. A new jury deliberated for three days before sentencing Sampson to death for the killing of 19-year-old college student Jonathan Rizzo. Jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision on Sampson's penalty for 69-year-old Philip McCloskey's killing, so Sampson was sentenced to life for that crime. Condemned to die: A jury in Massachusetts on Monday sentenced Gary Lee Sampson (pictured left in 2001) to death in the slaying of 19-year-old Jonathan Rizzo (right) Sampson (pictured in 2004) tricked the carjack victims into thinking he would spare their lives but then stabbed them more than a dozen times and slit their throats, prosecutors said Sampson, 57, had no reaction as the verdict was announced in federal court in Boston. The judge did not immediately set a date for formal sentencing but must follow the jury's decision. 'Today the jury has spoken,' US Attorney Carmen Ortiz said. 'Gary Lee Sampson will pay with his life for all the heinous crimes that he committed.' McCloskey's son Scott said the split sentencing was a little disappointing, but it didn't matter in the end. 'It was difficult, but we still got the verdict we wanted, either way,' Scott McCloskey said after the verdict was announced in US District Court. 'When it's all said and done, he's getting the death penalty. That's what we fought the fight for, and as far as I'm concerned, we won.' After the sentencing, Mike Rizzo, the father of Jonathan Rizzo, was asked by a reporter what he would tell his son about the outcome of the case. '"I hope you are proud of us. I hope you think we did the right thing, and we'll meet again someday,"' he said, according to the station WCVB. Victims: Sampson was convicted of killing Rizzo (left), who was a George Washington University student, and 69-year-old retired pipefitter Philip McCloskey (right) Scott McCloskey, left, son of murder victim 69-year-old Philip McCloskey, faces reporters as Mary Rizzo, right, mother of 19-year-old murder victim Jonathan Rizzo, looks on during a news conference at federal court Monday in Boston Sampson's lawyers said he was brain damaged and mentally ill when he carjacked Rizzo, a George Washington University junior from Kingston, and McCloskey, a retired pipefitter from Taunton, stabbed them each more than a dozen times, slit their throats and left them to die in the woods. Prosecutors said the killings were especially cruel because Sampson repeatedly assured the men that he only wanted their cars and would not kill them if they followed his instructions. They did, but he killed them anyway, telling police he didn't want to leave any witnesses. Sampson, a vagrant who grew up in Abington, a small town south of Boston, received a separate life sentence for killing a third man, Robert 'Eli' Whitney, in New Hampshire. Sampson pleaded guilty to the killings, so the jury was asked only to decide whether he should get life in prison or the death penalty. Jurors saw the pocketknife that Sampson used to kill his first two victims, listened to his confessions in which he described the slayings in gory detail and heard from more than 100 witnesses. Mary Rizzo embraces US District Attorney Carmen Ortiz (left) and prosecuting attorney Dustin Chao (right) after they addressed reporters inside the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston His defense lawyers called experts who testified that Sampson had received numerous head injuries as a child and had a traumatic brain injury resulting from a bad fall at age five they said could help explain his lifelong struggle to control his behavior. They urged the jury to spare his life. But prosecutors said the defense testimony was unreliable and called Sampson's alleged mental deficiency 'the most convenient brain injury you will ever see.' After a series of bank robberies in North Carolina, Sampson returned to his native Massachusetts and began picking off victims. Killing spree: Sampson received a separate life sentence for strangling to death 58-year-old Robert 'Eli' Whitney (pictured) in New Hampshire The first two, McCloskey and Rizzo, picked him up while he was hitchhiking, a move prosecutors called a ruse to find targets. Assistant US Attorney Zachary Hafer said that Sampson planned the killings and manipulated his victims by dressing like a businessman so they would lower their guard and trust him. 'Dressed to deceive,' he said. Sampson convinced both men to accompany him to isolated wooded areas where he tied them up and stabbed them to death in separate incidents. His third victim, 58-year-old Robert Whitney, encountered Sampson when he went to check on a friend's vacation home on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, New Hampshire. Sampson, who was hiding there, strangled Whitney, later telling police that he had gotten tired of getting victims' blood on himself. On an interrogation tape played to the jury, Sampson told police, 'I cooked some breakfast while he was dead in the bathroom.' A senior Russian diplomat has been found dead in his Athens apartment. Andrey Malanin, who was head of the consular section, was found on the floor of his bedroom by a member of the embassy's staff on Monday, after he failed to report for work. A Greek police official confirmed the death of the 54-year-old and said homicide officers had now been drafted in to help with the investigation due to Mr Malanin's diplomatic status. Scroll down for video Police investigators enter the house of the Russian consul Andrei Malanin in Athens Police said a coroner will examine the body, while homicide officers will also investigate the death. This comes after Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrey Karlov, was assassinated by a rogue police officer while speaking at a photo exhibition in Ankara last month. Malanin is understood to have lived alone in a Russian embassy-owned building on a heavily-guarded street where the official residence of the Greek prime minister and president also reside. According to police, there was no evidence of a break-in at the scene of Mr Malanin's apartment in the Greek capital. 'At first sight, we are talking about natural causes,' a police official added. Officers said there are no immediate indications of foul play and the body had no visible injuries. A hearse leaves a residence block where Russian consul Andrey Malanin was found dead The horrific scene as Mevlut Mert Altintas gunned down Russian ambassador Andrey Karlov in Ankara Ambassador Andrey Karlov was gunned down in Ankara by 22-year-old police recruit Mevlut Mert Altintas who shouted 'Allahu Akbar' and 'Don't forget Aleppo' as he murdered the respected diplomat before he was shot dead. The killer had shaved and dressed in a suit and tie before walking 150 metres to the art centre where he used his police ID to enter the premises on December 19. A metal detector alarm went off because of his firearm, but he was waved through because of his assumed police status. Hero dad: Manuel Rodriguez, 28, pictured here with his three young children, was shot dead while protecting his family from an armed robber A young father was shot dead in front of his wife and children when he was ambushed by an armed robber, who was also killed in the altercation, police in Houston say. Manuel Rodriguez, 28, was fatally wounded at an apartment complex at around 8.15pm Sunday. His widow, Isamar, said her husband sacrificed his life to protect her and their three children, all under the age of 10, who witnessed the deadly shootout. According to investigators, Rodriguez, his wife and their children had just returned home from a trip to the supermarket and were unloading groceries at the Santa Monica Apartments in the 7000 block of Ashcroft Drive when they were accosted by a man brandishing a gun. The armed suspect demanded everything Rodriguez had in his possession, but instead of complying, the father-of-three put up a fight. Scroll down for video Rodriguez, his wife and children were unloading groceries at the Santa Monica Apartments in the 7000 block of Ashcroft Drive in Houston when they were approached by an armed man During a struggle that ensued, Rodriguez pulled out his own gun and shot his assailant several times, striking him in the neck or chest, according to Fox 26. The man returned fire, hitting the 28-year-old once in the chest as his family looked on. Speaking exclusively to the station KTRK, the victims heartbroken widow claimed her husband's killer, who has not been named as of Monday afternoon, at one point tried to open the door of their car and shoot their children, who were in the backseat, but Rodriguez came to their defense. 'That was the last thing he did for his kids,' Isamar tearfully said. Rodriguez pulled out his gun an shot the attacker, who returned fire, hitting the dad in the chest outside his home (pictured) The young widow recounted that after the fatal shots rang out, her terrified children began crying and screaming, 'My daddy, daddy!' A witness called 911 and Rodriguez and the robber were taken to a hospital, where they both succumbed to their wounds. Sally Faulkner has launched a fundraising campaign asking for $20,000 to pay for a lawyer in Lebanon to bring her two young children home. In April, the Brisbane mother spent two weeks in a Beirut prison for a failed attempt to snatch Lehela, five, and Noah, three from her estranged husband with the help of Channel 9's 60 Minutes. Since returning home to Australia, Ms Faulkner has made $150,000 on a memoir titled 'All For My Children,' but claims the revenue went toward paying off debts and legal costs. On her GoFundMe page, Ms Faulkner describes 'everyday as a a living nightmare' and said she is 'now at breaking point,' after not speaking to her children in over six months. Scroll down for video Sally Faulkner has launched a fundraising campaign asking for $20,000 to pay for a lawyer in Lebanon to bring her two young children home Lahela and Noah remain in Lebanon with their father Ali Elamine, 32, who reportedly took the children to his home country under the guise of a three-week holiday 'I'm desperate to hear Lahela's voice, to hold Noah's precious hands - to tell them both mummy loves and misses them terribly,' Ms Faulkner wrote. 'Lahela just turned 6 and Noah will soon be 4 - pulled from our life in Brisbane and dumped into a dangerous, war-torn country in the Middle East'. The GoFundMe page, originally set up by friends of Ms Faulkner, has raised over $8,000 and will go toward 'a really good lawyer to fight for custody in Lebanon'. The distraught mother has said she is almost broke and living with her mother in Brisbane after paying off legal fees, The Courier Mail reported. 'I'm trying to build a house to get out of my mum's because I had to move back in with her,' Ms Faulkner said. In April, the Brisbane mother spent two weeks in a Beirut prison for a failed attempt to snatch Lehela, five, and Noah, three from her estranged husband with the help of 60 Minutes On her GoFundMe page, Ms Faulkner describes 'everyday as a a living nightmare' and said she is 'now at breaking point' Ms Faulkner took Facebook to tell her followers she had spent $50,000 paying off credit cards and legal bills, $50,000 on tax and $50,000 on lawyers after returning to Australia On Monday night, she took Facebook to tell her followers she had spent $50,000 paying off credit cards and legal bills, $50,000 on tax and $50,000 on lawyers after returning to Australia. Lahela and Noah remain in Lebanon with their father Ali Elamine, 32, who reportedly took the children to his home country under the guise of a three-week holiday and never returned. Mr Elamine forced Ms Faulkner to sign over the custodial rights of the children to have the child abduction charges against her dropped. Ms Faulkner was released from prison on bail on April 20 along with Tara Brown and her crew, producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson, sound recordist David Ballment. Mr Elamine forced Ms Faulkner to sign over the custodial rights of the children to have the child abduction charges against her dropped Since returning home to Australia, Ms Faulkner has made $150,000 on a memoir titled 'All For My Children,' but claims the revenue went toward paying off debts and legal costs Barack Obama raved about his two daughters as he reflected on their White House upbringing in an interview on Sunday. The president looked back at the past eight years and explained how they have shaped Sasha and Malia, who are now respectively 15 and 18. The girls were just 7 and 10 when they first moved into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Obama and his wife Michelle worried at first that they would 'develop an attitude' - but the commander-in-chief told ABC News' 'This Week' he had watched them grow instead into 'sweet, kind, funny, smart, respectful people' who 'treat everybody with respect'. Malia and Sasha have earned praise from other parents, who complimented the Obamas on their good behavior after having them stay over. The president praised the First Lady, saying he gave her most of the credit for how well the girls have done. Scroll down for video Barack Obama (pictured last week arriving back from a Hawaii vacation with his wife Michelle and their daughters Sasha and Malia) raved about his two daughters in an interview Sunday The president said during the interview that Sasha and Malia have grown into 'sweet, kind, funny, smart, respectful people' who 'treat everybody with respect' 'You don't know how it would have turned out if they had grown up in Chicago instead in a more normal environment. All I can say is they have turned out to be terrific young women,' Obama said. 'We were concerned mostly about whether they would develop an attitude. And they are sweet, kind, funny, smart, respectful people, and they treat everybody with respect.' His observations, he said, were not just the result of his own bias as a parent, but derived from positive feedback he and the First Lady have received from fellow parents. 'You know, we feel pretty good when we hear back from friends. They still have sleepovers and they go to other folks' houses and when the parents say, "Oh, you know, Malia, she's just so sweet," or "Sasha helped to pick up the dishes. What is it that you're doing?'' ' he said. Obama and his wife (pictured getting off Air Force One with their daughters last week) will remain in Washington, DC until Sasha finishes high school Malia (left) and Sasha (right) have earned praise from other parents, who complimented the Obamas on their good behavior after having them staying over The girls did complain about Secret Service once they became teenagers. Obama admitted that being followed by guards with guns and microphones at all times could become grating at that age. 'But they've handled it with grace, and I give Michelle most of the credit for how well they've done,' he added. abusive and she feared 'he's an unsafe father' to twins The heir to Elvis' $300 million estate tells confidantes Lockwood was 'verbally and He says he's sleeping on a friend's sofa while Lisa Marie has a $100,000 a month allowance Lockwood was paid a salary by Lisa Marie to be her musical director The musician is also asking for $100,000 toward legal fees for divorce The agreement stipulates that any property obtained before or after the marriage remain separate obtained by DailyMail.com, Lockwood claims he reluctantly signed a post-nuptial agreement - but never read it or got a copy Lisa Marie Presley's husband has asked for $40,000 a month in spousal support in their bitter divorce battle, legal documents have revealed. Musician Michael Lockwood has also requested Lisa Marie pay $100,000 towards his legal fees. Lockwood claims he's living on a 'below poverty line' income since the couple separated in June last year and Presley has refused to support him. The document, obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com, says Presley, 48, supported her husband, 56, and their two children for ten years since they were married in 2006. Lisa Marie Presley's estranged husband has asked for $40,000 a month in spousal support in their bitter divorce battle, legal documents have reveal A source close to Presley told Daily Mail Online: 'Lisa had had enough of Michael. He was abusive to her but that's just a small part of it - that's not the reason they've split. 'The overriding reason for the divorce is the financial abuse' He was paid a salary to act as her musical director. 'Petitioner worked with or for no one else because that was what Petitioner demanded,' the document filed at LA Superior Court states. The document added: 'Petitioner (Lisa Marie) continues to live an extremely affluent and comfortable lifestyle because she inherited tens of millions of dollars from her famous father, and she may have earned additional income during marriage.' The legal paperwork also states that Lockwood did NOT sign a pre-nuptial agreement in 2005, the year before they were married, when Presley asked him to. But it states Lockwood was eventually forced to sign a 'post-nuptial agreement' in 2007 to 'pacify' Presley who had yelled at him. Presley split with Lockwood because he was 'abusive' and 'took advantage' of her vast wealth, DailyMail.com revealed last year. She is demanding full custody of their eight-year-old twin daughters and has requested that Lockwood only have 'monitored' visitation, because she fears he is is an 'unsafe father'. Presley - the only daughter of Elvis Presley - filed for divorce on June 24 at LA Superior Court citing 'irreconcilable differences'. The sole heir of Rock and Roll icon Elvis' estate Presley has an estimated net worth of $300 million. Mother-of-four Presley has daughter Riley, 27, and son Benjamin, 23, with her ex-husband Danny Keough, and twin daughters Finley and Harper with Lockwood. Lisa Marie Presley has demanded full custody of the couple's twin 7-year-old daughters, Harper and Finley, asking that her producer ex only be allowed supervised visitation. he fears Michael Lockwood is 'an unsafe father' The couple had lived in Tennessee until when they both moved to Los Angeles earlier in 2016. But it's believed they were living separately when Presley filed for divorce. Presley - who has been married four times - wed musical director Lockwood in a lavish $340,000 Japanese ceremony in Kyoto, Japan in 2006. Her first husband Danny Keogh, was best man at the ceremony. Presley was previously married to pop icon Michael Jackson for two years in 1994 and briefly to movie star Nicolas Cage in 2002 before wedding Lockwood. She once admitted the secret behind her fourth marriage was Lockwood's hands on approach. Speaking previously, she said: 'He takes care of everything. He picks the musicians. He gets them ready to tour. 'That's how we met, so we kind of knew each other that way and fell in love - you know, by just working together. 'I'm just amazed at how much he takes on and how much he deals with and handles.' The 'Post-Nuptial Agreement' Lockwood signed was very 'advantageous' to Presley, the document states, because it waived his right to spousal support. According to the documents Presley was worth $60 million in 2007 when the Post=Nuptial Agreement was signed. But lawyers fro Lockwood say this was based on her summary and 'inadequate financial disclosures'. Since the split Lockwood, who claims his monthly expenses were $60,000 a month during the marriage, claims he has had to sell personal property and sleep on a friend's couch to avoid being a homeless person. In his personal declaration Lockwood says Presley received $100,000 a month in income when they were first married. He says in June last year Presley and their two children Harper and Finley left the family home in Nashville, Tennessee to move to Los Angeles. He stayed behind to finish packing their belongings and had intended to continue to live with Presley and their daughters in LA. Presley, here with mom Priscilla and the King, is the sole heir of Rock and Roll icon Elvis' estate and has an estimated net worth of $300 million No more love songs: The singer (performing with her ex) filed for divorce in June citing irreconcilable differences But he says that when he arrived in LA he learned Presley didn't want him to live with them and then he read on the internet that she had filed for divorce. He added that he also discovered that the Department of Children's and Family Services were conducting an investigation regarding Harper and Finley. Lockwood says he has had to sell personal property to make ends meet including some guitars he had in storage for $4,500 and a vintage car he owned for $23,000. In comparison he claims he has heard that Presley is spending $100,000 a month on her living arrangements. Lockwood states in his declaration that the marriage hit a rocky patch six months before Presley filed for divorce. He said they began arguing because, among other things, his wife told him she was upset that he had incurred charges using an American Express card which she would have to pay the balance on. Lockwood says he was forced to use the AmEx card to 'live a lifestyle consistent with Petitioner's (Presley) financial station in life.' He said he was unable to buy birthday and Christmas presents for her and their daughters that were 'appropriate' given Parsley's wealth. Lockwood says that in the spring of 2016 Presley wanted him to sign a document transferring his property, including computers and musical equipment, to her over the credit card debt. He agreed to 'pacify' her but continued to accrue debt on other credit cards to pay for living expenses. Lockwood says that when he followed Presley and his daughters to LA in June 2016 his wife wouldn't let him live with them at Presley's mother's home in Beverly Hills. 'I had no money, no place to live, no musical equipment or computers which would allow me to work and earn money,' he stated. After selling some personal items to make ends meet Lockwood claims he borrowed $10,000 from his parents. A lease car he was driving which Presley had been paying for also had to be returned because the payments stopped. In his declaration Lockwood asks the court not to enforce the 'Post-Nuptial Agreement' he signed because it gave his wife 'unfair advantage' in that she was wealthy when she had him sign it. He said: 'I relied on her to support me for many years, I gave up my career and lost my professional connections because of her insistence that I be available to her and not work with other people, I am now in my mid-50s with no income and no assets, and I received nothing for supposedly giving up the right to receive spousal support.' Dozens of mourners have held a roadside vigil for the man shot dead by police on the M62. Dressed in hoodies bearing the slogan, 'No justice, no humanity, no peace,' some 70 friends and family of Yassar Yaqub shouted 'no more killing' as they brought traffic to a standstill in Huddersfield. This comes one week after the 28-year-old was shot dead on the motorway slip road. Some 70 friends and family of Yassar Yaqub shouted 'no more killing' as they brought traffic to a standstill in Huddersfield Yassar Yaqub's family claim he was 'assassinated' in a pre-planned 'hit' by West Yorkshire Police on the M62 outside Huddersfield last Monday This evening mourners held aloft banners emblazoned with 'unlawful killing' as they marched along the road placed flowers on the grass verge near where the shooting took place. A Facebook invitation was issued to anyone looking to go along and pay their respects, with the invite reading: 'Everyone is welcome to show their love and support for Yassar and his family. 'It will be the one week anniversary since his life was taken so cruelly!' Yassar Yaqub's family claim he was 'assassinated' in a pre-planned 'hit' by West Yorkshire Police on the M62 outside Huddersfield last Monday. An inquest opened into his death heard he died from gunshot wounds to the chest and a handgun, bullets and a silencer was found in the footwell of his Audi by police. At the vigil, Mr Yaqub's brother-in-law, Isaa Akbar, told The Guardian: 'The whole shooting seems to have taken place in a matter of seconds. 'The [police] car stormed in front of them, let three shots off into the passenger side of the car the police didn't get out of the car. 'We just wanted answers for what happened on that day.' Akbar, 26, added: 'We all fear the police now. The people who are supposed to be protecting us.' The mourners were dressed in hoodies bearing the slogan, 'No justice, no humanity, no peace' They held aloft banners emblazoned with 'unlawful killing' as they marched along the road A Facebook invitation was issued to anyone looking to go along and pay their respects The father-of-two's funeral was held at the Masjid Bilal mosque on Friday. His death has sparked protests in West Yorkshire and his father Mohammed said he was the 'perfect son' and not a criminal, adding he felt his son was 'killed unlawfully'. 'He hasn't got a bad past, because he's never been convicted of anything,' he told the BBC. Mr Yaqub senior said he wanted 'answers, full answers, nothing but the truth' about his son's death. 'How can you kill someone like this, at a time like this, without giving him a chance to get out or anything? We're not in America, we're not in third-world countries,' he said. The social media invite read: 'Everyone is welcome to show their love and support for Yassar and his family. It will be the one week anniversary since his life was taken so cruelly!' An inquest into Mr Yaqub's death also started at Bradford Coroner's Court this week - it was opened and adjourned in a three-minute hearing. Coroner Martin Fleming was told how Mr Yaqub was shot through the windscreen of an Audi car on a M62 sliproad. The court was told a firearm was found in the front passenger footwell of the vehicle. The inquest heard that the 'hard stop' of the Audi and a Volkswagen Sirocco happened at 6.10pm on Monday. Mr Dalby said four unmarked police cars were involved in the incident with one - a Mercedes - cutting across the front of the Audi. The New York Giants allegedly trashed their plane home after suffering an embarrassing defeat to the Green Bay Packers. London-bound travelers at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were delayed more than two hours as staff were forced to clean up the mess on the United Airlines plane, which had arrived from Green Bay, Wisconsin. Sian Welby, a British TV weather forecaster-turned-BBC Snapchatter, tweeted a photo of herself on board the plane holding a safety pamphlet with the words 'GO GIANTS!' written on it. The Giants allegedly trashed their plane home after suffering an embarrassing defeat to the Green Bay Packers (Eli Manning #10 of the New York Giants looks angry as he leaves the field following the NFC Wild Card game against the Green Bay Packers) Sian Welby, a British TV weather forecaster-turned-BBC Snapchater, tweeted a photo of herself and wrote: 'Thanks @Giants for trashing this plane so badly it was delayed for 2hrs' On the caption she wrote: 'Thanks @Giants for trashing this plane so badly it was delayed for 2hrs in a "clean up operation" which meant I didn't miss my connection!' Other passengers aboard the United Airlines Flight 934 out of Newark were less pleased with the delay, the New York Post reports. Gordon Allott, president and CEO of the BroadPeak tech firm, tweeted: 'The @Giants are poor losers. #UA934.' Mark Kropf added that the Giants had 'wrecked the first class cabin of #United #UA934 causing a 2 hour delay to repair and clean. #thanks.' Kropf said that he had been sitting on the delayed flight when the pilot came out and explained that the plane had 'needed extra help repairing and cleaning the interior.' 'Another 30 minutes passed and the gate agent told us it was the Giants that destroyed the biz class cabin, and we saw service personnel walking countless seat cushions off the plane,' Kropf said. 'Upon entering the business class cabin, the cleaning scent only partially masked the alcohol smell. I had popcorn, chewing tobacco and other food crumbs on my seat.' The flight, which was initially due to set off from Newark at 8.30am, was delayed by a total of three hours and 17 minutes, according to FlightAware. Odell Beckham Jr endured a torrid time at Lambeau Field and took his frustration out on a wall A photo of the damage Odell Beckham Jr allegedly made to the wall is seen above It came after Odell Beckham Jr was spotted banging his head against his locker and hitting a hole in the wall after the Giants' 38-13 playoff loss at Lambeau Field. Beckham endured a frustrating evening against the Green Bay Packers, dropping two regulation catches in the first quarter, one which would have resulted in a 28-yard touchdown. ESPN's Sal Paolantonio witnessed the 24-year-old headbutting his locker, while Newsday's Neil Best posted a picture of a hole in the wall, which staff confirmed was the work of a Beckham fist. London-bound travelers at Newark Airport were delayed more than two hours as staff were forced to clean up the mess on the United Airlines plane (file picture) arriving from Green Bay, Wisconsin United refused to confirm whether the Giants had been on the flight from Green Bay. But they claimed the delay was due to a mechanical issue. They say the plane scheduled to operate Flight 934 from Newark to London had a problem so they had to try and find an alternative aircraft, which resulted in delay. The manager and an employee of an adult sex store in Connecticut are facing charges after they got into a physical fight about work performance. Holly Saunders, 34, was allegedly trying to counsel her employee Jacqueline Ferraro, 26, about how well she was working at the Very Intimate Pleasures store in Orange. The discussion became heated and soon turned into an argument before spiraling into a fight, authorities said. Holly Saunders, 34, (left) allegedly got into a physical fight with her employee Jaqueline Ferraro, 26, (right) at the Very Intimate Pleasures store in Orange, Connecticut It then became physical when Saunders allegedly hit Ferraro in the head, according to the New Haven Register. Other store employees then had to separate the two women. Police arrived at the scene and took both women into custody. Saunders has been charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of the peace. Ferraro has been charged with second-degree breach of the peace. Both women will appear in court this week. The sister of hacking suspect Lauri Love fears she will never see him again if he is handed to the US. Natasha Love said her sibling will not survive jail if he is extradited and convicted of attacking websites including Nasa and the FBI. Speaking for the first time, she said her quirky brother who has Aspergers should instead be hailed for his expertise in exposing weaknesses in cyber security. In another world the 32-year-old student would be honoured by the Queen rather than facing justice, said mother-of-one Miss Love. Lauri Love is pictured with father Alexander and mother Sirkka (left). His sister Natasha (right) said her sibling will not survive jail if he is extradited and convicted of hacking offences Her brother faces trial in three US states and a 99-year prison sentence if convicted. Experts warn that he will take his own life rather than go to America. Miss Love, 30, says she is now struggling to cope with the idea of a future without him as she released touching pictures showing how close the pair were as children. All I can do is hope that he wins because I cant really think about the alternative, she said. I absolutely believe that he would die if he was extradited. It would be the end of him. Miss Love implored Britain to keep one of its best brains rather than send him to the US where he is unlikely to survive the notoriously harsh American prison system. The new danger to the world is cyber-attacks and terrorism and China and ISIS stealing from the US, she said. They need people like Lauri. He is a credit to Britain and should not be punished. These were problems that already existed that someone identified. Surely the US should thank people, not punish them. Lauri Love, aged 6, with his sister Natasha, aged 4, in 1990 If you saw a broken window in a shop and pointed it out, should someone really charge you to fix it? She added: Big corporations now offer a bounty for people who spot security flaws. Lauri wouldve been honoured with medals from the Queen in another world. The US requested the arrest of the vicars son in 2013. His legal team have requested leave to appeal. But if he loses Miss Love warned that her brother would not be able to cope with jail in the US because he cannot even feed himself when away from home. Despite being extraordinarily bright, he is incapable of doing even the most basic things on his own. He would call me up and say, Ive got some mince and its gone brown. Can I still eat it? she said.The description is reminiscent of fellow Aspergers computer hacker Gary McKinnon who would forget to eat, drink and clean himself when left alone. He was saved after Theresa May, then the Home Secretary, intervened in his case following a Mail campaign. Miss Love now lives in Mantta, near Helsinki. Her mother, Sirkka, is Finnish and the siblings who were best friends as youngsters have dual nationality. But he always had quirks, she said. He didnt understand social norms. It was logical and common sense to him. Lauri doesnt think of the short-term consequences of his actions. He just wants to see what he can do with computers to see where he can get with his skills. He does it because he can. Lauri doesnt think hes committed a crime. He doesnt know right from wrong in the traditional sense. Natasha, aged 10, and Lauri, aged 12, play their recorders in 1996. Speaking for the first time, she said her quirky brother who has Aspergers should instead be hailed for his expertise Among his quirks, Mr Love would create origami objects while appearing at court hearings. He carries speakers with him wherever he goes and carts them around using an old pram. He calls it the techno trolley, said Miss Love. He also has a cart he calls the jungle buggy. He also collects hats and wore a lab coat as a student so peers could write quotes on it. Sayings from philosophers would be written in Latin on his bedroom wall in permanent marker, but his greatest obsession has always been computers. Miss Love said she realised her brother was different as a child when he used an electronics set to make an alarm system for the house. He created his own computer game at the age of 14. As a dual British-Finnish citizen, Mr Love was required to complete a years military service At school in Suffolk, he would get into trouble for reprogramming computers and was once banned from the computer network. As a dual British-Finnish citizen, Mr Love was required to complete a years military service. But he was unable to cope with being so far from home and he refused to return after a Christmas break in the UK. He later studied physics and computing at the University of Glasgow, where he got involved in a protest about funding cuts. Hed never really been involved in politics before, though he always had a keen sense of right and wrong, said Miss Love. Sadly, he couldnt hack it and had a breakdown and my parents had to fetch him from Glasgow. Soon after he returned home, he withdrew and devoted himself to his computer while he recovered. He was spending a lot of time at home, said his sister. He was very isolated. He had regular contact with the doctor about his mental health. The family say they had no idea Mr Love had Aspergers until it was diagnosed following his arrest. I was so used to Lauri being like that, said Miss Love. I just thought boys couldnt do things because my dad was the same. I was always in charge when mum was away because dad couldnt even make toast. Dad has dyslexia. He had his IQ tested and it was stupidly high but he also has a lack of common sense. Kim Kardashian's chauffeur was among the 17 arrested in connection with her armed robbery in Paris, it emerged tonight. The heist, worth around 8.5 million, was France's biggest jewellery theft involving a private citizen in more than two decades. The development strengthens theories the robbery was an inside job and that the gang knew exactly where their target would be at any time. The 27-year-old driver worked for an upmarket firm that was used by the Kardashian family whenever they were in Paris. Police confirmed reports he would have known all her movements. Special French investigators swooped on a restaurant in Rue de Bretagne in connection with the robbery of Kim Kardashian, which happened during Paris fashion week in October A DNA match from the necklace, along with tape used to gag Ms Kardashian, enabled detectives to trace key members of the gang and 17 were arrested in a series of raids French police yesterday arrested 17 people in connection with the 8.5million robbery in October One of those arrested is the chauffeur with the limo firm used by the Kardashian family in Paris, raising further questions over whether the crime was an inside job Special investigators also carried out a dawn raid on an address on Rue De Montreuil, in the east of the city - many of those arrested were well known underworld figures The accused men, aged mostly in their 50s, 60s and 70s, are suspected of stealing jewels and valuables worth 8.5million from Ms Kardashian during Paris fashion week. Pierre B - the 72-year-old alleged ringleader - was arrested after officers broke down the gate of his villa in Plascassier, a village near Grasse, in the south of France. The age of the suspects has echoes of the 2015 Hatton Garden safe deposit robbery in London carried out by a team of veteran British criminals. A police source said: 'The oldest suspect is 72, while others are in their 50s and 60s. All are well known to the police.' Another later arrest involved a 23-year-old. Barrister Jean Veil said his 36-year-old client had been left deeply traumatised after being bound, gagged and threatened with death in the French capital last October. The robbers made off with her 20-carat Lorraine Schwartz engagement ring worth 3.5million and a case of jewellery with a value of 5.24million. Multiple firearms, including an automatic pistol, and 121,000 in cash were found during the raids that took place across Paris on Monday morning The police organised crime brigade (BRB) carried out dawn raids on Monday in the Paris area French police swooped on a gang of veteran armed robbers suspected of stealing 8.5million worth of jewellery from Kim in Paris The reality TV star had a gun pointed at her, her hands and feet bound with cable ties and was left in the bath after masked men with police badges on their jackets burst into her room at a hotel in the city's exclusive 8th arrondissement. Ms Kardashian, the world's highest paid reality television star, was alone because her bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, was out at a nightclub with her sisters. But three months since the heist, the gang including 'career villain' Pierre B are thought to have been rounded up. 'I welcome this with great satisfaction,' said Mr Veil, who said he was due to discuss details of the raids with Ms Kardashian when she woke up in Los Angeles last night. Coordinated raids at 6am saw a total of 16 men including a 'major thug' arrested in the city, and also in the south of France The arrests come three months after the reality TV star was tied up and robbed at gunpoint by intruders at her luxury Paris flat Bags from the raids were taken away by police yesterday and 17 people were arrested in total 'These arrests are a nice surprise because on the one hand, it will perhaps make it possible to find the jewellery,' said Mr Veil. 'On the other hand, it puts an end to the outrageous speculation by some, who thought it was intelligent to pretend that this robbery was staged, or a publicity stunt organised by Ms Kardashian.' Mr Veil indicated that Ms Kardashian would look forward 'putting her nose up' at those who had doubted her word. Reality star Kim, 36, was woken at 2.35am on October 3 as she slept in her luxury Paris apartment During recent conversations, Mr Veil said Ms Kardashian 'still showed some form of anxiety. I think she was recently shocked and had the opportunity to say so on television. 'The money she lost during this robbery is not the only issue. Even though my client was not injured, this assault was very brutal and traumatic. Imagine yourself alone, at night, in front of armed people.' Earlier this month, Ms Kardashian broke her silence on the robbery in a teaser for the family's reality show, telling two of her sisters her thoughts at the time: 'They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it.' The suspects' homes are still being searched, with documents and other potential evidence being seized. A suspect (right) is pictured being escorted to a police station Last night, it also emerged that French police have failed to call on the key witness in the case because the authorities will not grant him a temporary visa to enter France. Abdulrahman, the Algerian concierge who was tied up and forced to give the robbers access to the reality star's apartment, left France in November to recover from the stress of the experience. Currently in Algeria, Abdulrahman, 39, is thought to be the only person to have clearly seen the intruders' faces, and to have had prolonged conversations with them on the night of the crime. So far, however, investigators have not contacted him to identify the suspects, and his attempts to enter France to be available to police have been rejected, MailOnline can reveal. He told MailOnline: 'Before leaving France, the judge in charge of this case told my lawyers that I should renew my residence permit so I can travel quickly for the investigation purposes. 'Last week, I was in Paris to receive a letter from 'le prefet de Police' but he refused my request.' He added: 'It is so crazy.' A handcuffed man was seen being led in to a police station in Paris following the raids yesterday It comes as police revealed that at least two of the suspects arrested yesterday are of northern Algerian descent. Abdulrahman's lawyer, Henri de Beauregard, told MailOnline: 'He had a visa that expired in November, and when he applied for a new one, he was refused. 'He doesn't want to stay in France for long, he just wants to come and be available for the investigation and help the police. It is important for justice and important for him. 'A victim is a victim. He is no less a victim than Kim he has a right to face his aggressor. Raids are also underway at other key premises, including a jewellery shop in the centre of Paris. Police are pictured bringing a suspect into custody in Paris 'I don't know if this is incompetence or just a bad decision. He is the best witness, he saw the criminals much longer than Miss Kardashian. I hope the police have a lot of solid proof and evidence, because if they don't, it will be seen as a crazy decision.' The gang escaped on 'velibs' - hire bicycles which can be rented all over Paris - but one of them dropped a diamond pendant worth around 28,000 in the street outside. It was found by a woman who handed it in to police, as grainy CCTV of the men on bikes also emerged. Police said the butter-fingered thief who lost the necklace had effectively led them to the entire group of suspects. A DNA match from the necklace, along with tape used to gag Ms Kardashian, enabled detectives to trace key members of the gang. A suspect in Kim Kardashian West's Paris robbery is brought to BRB building, Brigade de Repression du Banditisme (suppression of banditry brigade), by police A surveillance operation then led detectives to the other suspects, including jewel dealers thought to have been involved in fencing the stolen gems. Forensics material found in a Paris hotel matched that of a well-known convicted armed robber described as a 'major thug'. A suspected 'Mr Big' has been partially identified as Pierre B, a 72-year-old 'career villain' from the south of France who made millions through counterfeit money. Others arrested include two diamond dealers and three women some of whom are suspected of trailing Ms Kardashian around Paris before the robbery. They can be held for up to 96 hours before being charged or released. The suspects that police have held are accused of breaking into the reality TV star's Paris apartment block last October The accused men are suspected of stealing millions of pounds worth of jewellery Sources say that 'months of surveillance' has taken place, including phone taps. A suspect is pictured being taken to a police station in Paris French police have arrested 17 people over the robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris, it has emerged One theory is that many of Ms Kardashian's jewels ended up in Antwerp the diamond capital of Europe and a police operation was carried out in the Belgian city today (pictured) Belgium police are known to be involved in the investigation, and are carrying out checks in a number of businesses in Antwerp Kim Kardashian returned to social media this month and was on Snapchat for a make-up tutorial in Dubai Homes were still being searched yesterday, with documents and other potential evidence being seized. Raids were also underway at other key premises, including a jewellery shop in the centre of Paris. A source confirmed that 'months of surveillance' had taken place, including phone taps. Spending patterns have been looked at, and attempts to re-sell the jewellery stolen in October. Beyond the five thought to have been directly involved in the crime, others include so called 'fences' who can dispose of stolen goods. One theory is that many of Ms Kardashian's jewels ended up in Antwerp the diamond capital of Europe. Just an hour before the robbery, Kim posted a video on Snapchat that showed her wearing the engagement ring (left) Bling: Kim posted this image of the 3.5m ring that was stolen on Instagram before the robbery Belgium police are known to be involved in the investigation, and are carrying out checks in a number of businesses in the port city. Ms Kardashian, who flew out of Paris within hours of her ordeal, will now have to undergo the ordeal of watching a video of all the men. It is being sent to New York, where she will have to watch it with American officers working with the French. 'The hope is that she will be able to recognise the men, so as to make positive identifications,' said the source. The multimillionaire, who was in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week, was locked in a bathroom while robbers stole a $4.5 million ring and a case of jewellery valued at $5.6 million Ms Kardashian has said she is prepared to return to France if summoned by a judge leading the investigation. Mr Veil said last year that 'she is very calm and very determined over a matter that was particularly violent'. He said: 'If she is summoned to France, she will come to France, but judges also have the possibility of moving [to the USA]. This is a formal process, which cannot be done on the phone, or even via a video link.' The five men thought to have been directly involved in the attack face charges of 'armed robbery by an organised gang, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping'. Britain is first in line for a trade deal with the US, Boris Johnson has said after talks with Donald Trumps senior advisers. The Foreign Secretary was struck by the enthusiasm of the President-elects team for a new trade deal with the UK when he held talks at the billionaires headquarters in New York on Sunday. This positive approach was said to have been matched during the Foreign Secretarys discussions with senior Republicans in Washington. They will play a key role in pushing through any new trade deal. Britain is first in line for a trade deal with the US, Boris Johnson has said (Pictured, Johnson with Senator Bob Corker) Barack Obama sparked anger during the EU referendum by saying Britain would be at the back of the queue for a deal. But Mr Johnson, who once joked he would not visit parts of New York because of the real risk of meeting Donald Trump, said: Clearly, the Trump administration-to-be has a very exciting agenda of change. 'One thing that wont change though is the closeness of the relationship between the US and the UK. We hear that we are first in line to do a great free trade deal with the United States. So, its going to be a very exciting year for both our countries. The signals suggest Britain could beat the EU to sign a free trade deal with the US. Long-running negotiations on an EU-US deal have stalled. France has indicated it could veto a deal and Mr Trump has suggested he is not interested in one. Meanwhile one of Australias most senior politicians said he hopes for a rapid trade deal with the UK. Ex-prime minister Tony Abbott, who is tipped to return to the top job, said the movement of goods between the two countries should be entirely free of tariffs, adding: Brexit means that Britain is back. Pictured: Johnson meets with Speaker of the House Paul Ryan during his trip to Washington During his visit to the US capital, Johnson said: 'Its going to be a very exciting year for both our countries' 'The country that gave the world the English language, common law and the Mother of Parliaments is once more to seize its destiny as a global leader. Its good that Britain will no longer be constrained by the bureaucracy of Brussels. Mr Johnson became the first British minister to hold sit-down talks with Mr Trumps team when he met the President-elects son-in-law Jared Kushner and chief strategist Steve Bannon in Trump Tower on Sunday. He also met with leading Republicans including Bob Corker and Paul Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Sources said the talks did not go into the specifics of a new trade deal, but that Mr Johnson was left in no doubt Britain could succeed where the EU has failed in striking a free trade deal. Mr Johnsons visit was meant to help build bridges with the President-elect's regime, which has been criticised by many British politicians MERKEL THREAT IGNORED Theresa May last night shrugged off a threat from Germany that Britain will be denied access to the EUs single market if it takes back control of its borders. She said Angela Merkel was simply setting out her negotiating position in advance of talks. Earlier, at a speech in London, Mrs May laid bare her irritation that she is being accused of pursuing a hard Brexit. She said: I dont accept the terms hard and soft Brexit. Were going to get an ambitious, good and best possible deal for the UK in terms of... trading with and operating within the single European market. Mrs Merkel had said access to the market is only possible on condition of keeping to the four fundamental freedoms free movement of goods, capital, services and people. Advertisement While the trade talks were positive, Mr Johnson was said to have had a frank discussion about Russia with Mr Trumps aides, in which he warned the UK will not stop speaking out against Russian aggression, despite the new Presidents bid to reach out to Moscow. Mr Johnsons visit was meant to help build bridges with the Trump regime, which has been criticised by many British politicians, including Mr Johnson who said in December 2015 that Mr Trump was unfit to hold office. A mysterious animal species which looks like a mix of a horse and a deer was recently spotted in rural China. This was the first time Chinese forestry officials had seen the rare species, known as 'horse deer', in about a decade. Chinese state media People's Daily yesterday shared a precious footage of the rare animal, shot by an infrared camera in north-west China's Xinjiang Province. Chinese researchers spotted a rare animal species that looked half horse half deer The rare animal was caught by an infrared camera in north-west China's Xinjiang Province The animal, also known as Ebi Lake Red Deer, was sighted on December 24 by the Ebi Lake near the China-Kazakhstan border, according to People's Daily Online. Officers from the Ebi Lake Wetland Management Bureau made the discovery during scientific research. The video also showed the animal's footprints in the snow. With an estimated population of 110, 'horse deer' has long been a myth in Xinjiang. The little-known animal has only be found in the wetland of the Xinjiang Ebi Lake, a 193-square-mile saltwater lake. The animal, also known as Ebi Lake Red Deer, was sighted on December 24 by the Ebi Lake Since 2000, scientists and forestry officials have continued to research into the mysterious species. In 2004, the team captured an Ebi Lake Red Deer and sent it for DNA analysis. The test results showed that the closest relative of the deer is a species called Gansu Wapiti, which live in neighbouring Gansu Province. As the animal's population is small, it has been a challenge for scientists to observe their daily activities from a close distance. The team gathered data by collecting samples of their faeces and hair. The video, taken by officers from Ebi Lake, also showed the animal's footprints in the snow With an estimated population of 110, 'horse deer' has long been a myth in Xinjiang In December 2016, a research team was set up by the Xinjiang Ebi Lake Nature Reserve to find out more about the animal. Researchers have installed five infrared cameras around the wetlands of the Ebi Lake to capture their activities. The wetlands, renowned for rich biodiversity, take up a large part of the Ebi Lake Nature Reserve. House prices have risen so fast in some commuter towns that they could cover the price of an annual train ticket in just eight days, new research has revealed. Homeowners in Esher in Surrey who commute into London fared best as they were in a position to pay off their annual train travel in just over a week. The average property in the town increased in value by around 256.66 a day to 1,109,098 during the past year, meaning the rising value could cover an annual 2,080 fare to London in eight days. Homeowners in Esher, Surrey, who commute into London fared best as they were able to pay off their annual train travel in only eight days. This Esher property is for sale for 850,000 The top 10 commuter towns compares the average increase in house prices in popular commuter towns last year with the cost of annual rail fares to cities nearby Solihull in Birmingham slipped to second place in the annual research by property website Zoopla. This property in the area has an asking price of 320,000 Esher knocked Solihull in Birmingham off the top slot in the annual study by property website Zoopla. The findings compared the average increase in house prices in popular commuter towns last year with the cost of annual rail fares to major employment centres nearby. Commuters in Solihull saw the value of their property increase by 85.11 a day - or 31,149 a year - to 377,890, meaning homes in the town could cover the 745 cost of annual travel into Birmingham in nine days. Nearby Stourbridge also features in the list of the top five most cost-effective commuter hotspots, with property prices rising on average by 61.55 a day or 22,526 a year. This would pay off the 745 yearly rail card to Birmingham in 12 days. Esher is not the only London commuter belt hotspot which is among the quickest locations to pay off the rail fares. Price rises in Surbiton, Surrey, pay off the yearly rail fare of 1,852 in just under a fortnight, as do properties in the neighbouring Surrey town of Tanbridge. This 365,000 property is in Penarth, Cardiff - an area that took the third slot in the research. Stourbridge also features in the list of the top five most cost-effective commuter hotspots,a nd this property in the area is for sale for 369,950 BEST 10 COMMUTER TOWNS Rank Town Commuter Route Average Property Price (December 2016) Rail card prices 2017 Average Property Price Rise in 2016 (%) Time taken to pay off ticket cost (days) 1 Esher London 1,109,098 2,080.00 9.25 8.10 2 Solihull Birmingham 377,890 745 8.98 8.75 3 Penarth Cardiff 304,569 516.00 5.52 11.86 4 Stourbridge Birmingham 266,193 745 9.24 12.10 5 Surbiton London 599,075 1,852.00 8.83 13.95 6 Tandridge (RH8) London 708,225 1,820.00 7.20 14.00 7 Stockport Manchester 251,257 792.00 8.46 14.80 8 Rotherham Sheffield 146,841 532.00 9.40 15.43 9 Yatton (BS49) Bristol 338,239 1,476.00 11.20 15.86 10 Chippenham Bristol 337,245 1,996.00 14.14 17.49 SOURCE: ZOOPLA Price rises in Surbiton, Surrey, pay of the yearly rail fare of 1,852 in just under a fortnight - this property in the town is for sale for 700,000 Despite having cheaper rail fares, lower house prices in the North of England and Scotland could mean a longer wait to pay off the cost of an annual train fare. Stockport is the best performing commuter town in the north due to house prices increasing by 18,588 a year, which would pay off the 792 rail fare to Manchester in 15 days. Musselburgh takes the top slot in Scotland with property prices eclipsing the 664 annual fare to Edinburgh in a little over 18 days. Tandridge is in sixth place in the research and this property in the area is for sale for 650,000 Stockport is the best performing commuter town in the north and this property is for sale in the area for 300,000 This 250,000 property is for sale in Rotherham, Sheffield, which is in position eight By contrast, those living in Greenock, Gasglow, face the longest wait, taking almost a full year at 328 days to pay off their annual travel. Zoopla spokesman Lawrence Hall said: ' : 'Rising rail fares will have been unwelcome news for commuters heading back to work this week, but our figures may at least soften the blow slightly for those already living in the suburban locations at the top end of the table.' This 342,500 property for sale is in Yatton, near Bristol, which is in ninth position This 365,000 property is in Chippenham in Wiltshire, which is ranked in tenth position Razer has had two prototype laptops stolen from its booth at CES in Las Vegas. It follows the unveiling of the company's radical three-screen laptop which impressed crowds at the technology show last week. The company's CEO, Min-Liang Tan, believes that this may be a case of industrial espionage - although he has yet to confirm which designs were taken. Scroll down for video The laptop's three 17-inch screens slide out from the side and can be locked into place to place to give a 180-degree field of view THE VALERIE THREE-SCREEN LAPTOP: SPECS Three 17-inch screens that slide out from the side of the laptop. Immersive gaming with a 180-degree field of view. 11520x2160 total resolution. 4K IGZO display which consumes less power. Nvidia's G-Sync monitor technology so images move smoothly. Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card with 8GB of video RAM and 32GB of system RAM. VR-ready and exceeds the specs required for both the Oculus Rift or HTC Vive. Cooling vapor-chamber. 10-12 lbs and 1.5 inches thick. Advertisement 'Two of our prototypes were stolen from our booth at CES today,' CEO Min-Liang Tan wrote in a Facebook post. 'We have filed the necessary reports and are currently working with the show management as well as law enforcement to address this issue.' 'We treat theft/larceny, and if relevant to this case, industrial espionage, very seriously it is cheating, and cheating doesnt sit well with us. Penalties for such crimes are grievous and anyone who would do this clearly isnt very smart.' Reports widely believe the stolen laptops are the Valerie model. The laptop's three 17-inch screens slide out from the side of the laptop and can be locked into place to give a 180-degree field of view. The laptop weighs between 10 and 12 pounds and is 1.5 inches thick, with each of the screens measuring 17.3 inches with 4K resolution making for a 12K total of viewing space (11520x2160 resolution). It uses the California-based company's short-throw keyboard which requires little effort to type and means the keyboard experiences less wear and tear. It's VR-ready and exceeds the specs required for both Oculus Rift or HTC Vive, making the laptop a dream for VR gamers. It has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card with 8GB of video RAM and 32GB of system RAM. It also uses an IGZO display which consumes less power and has Nvidia G-Sync monitor technology so images move smoothly. The laptop is kept cool with a cooling vapor-chamber that was designed for Razer's Blade Pro laptop. The laptop is kept cool with a cooling vapor-chamber that was designed for Razer's Blade Pro laptop The laptop hasn't been priced as yet, but Razer's Blade Pro laptop which has similar specs is priced at $3,699, so tech specialists have estimated that it will retail at around $6,000. The Valerie isn't the only mind blowing laptop that's been announced by CES. The Valerie laptop weighs between 10 and 12 pounds and is 1.5 inches thick, with each of the screens measuring 17.3 inches with 4K resolution making for a 12K total of viewing space (11520x2160 resolution) Last week, Acer's $9000 Predator 21 X was announced at the Las Vegas show. It's the first ever laptop with a curved screen and it includes some impressive specs such as a touchpad that can be flipped over for a numeric keyboard, four speakers and two subwoofers, and space for up to five storage drives at a time. The laptop has rough black edges with silver accents and has a large 21-inch display. With the reveal of Nintendo's Switch console just days away, the firm has remained guarded on the device's details. But new rumours suggest it could be the most affordable console on the market. The reports indicate that the Nintendo Switch will cost around 180 ($220) - significantly cheaper than its rivals, including the Xbox One and Playstation 4. Scroll down for video With the reveal of Nintendo's Switch console just days away, the firm has remained guarded on the device's details. But new rumours suggest it could be the most affordable console on the market NINTENDO SWITCH The console connects to the TV when mounted in its dock and when removed, it transitions to portable mode to be played through a handheld device. The Switch controller can be used much like a traditional Nintendo controller. But, side components can be removed to create two independent Joy-Con controllers as well. Advertisement The rumours come from Nikkei, a major Japanese newspaper, ahead of the official reveal on Thursday, January 12 at 8pm Japan time (4am, Friday, January 13 in the UK or 11pm, Thursday, January 12 ET). Nikkei says the Nintendo Switch will cost around 25,000 Yen (180/$220). In comparison, when the Wii U console was first launched, it retailed at 245 ($299). While further details about the console are unclear, a patent illustration suggests that the console's handheld screen would be slotted into VR headset, while the user would use the detachable hand controllers to play. The long-awaited Nintendo Switch is due to land in March, though the Japanese games firm has yet to confirm an exact launch date or a price. The patents were originally filed in June but were only made public in December, when they were posted to the NeoGAF forum. Along with VR capability, the patent also reveals that the handheld portion of the Switch may feature a touchscreen. With removable Joy-Con controllers, it is capable of both single and multiplayer use whether youre playing at home or on-the-go 'The touch panel may sense position, pressure or other characteristics of touch,' says the patent. 'In the present embodiment, the touch panel is of a type (e.g. the capacitive type) that enables a multi-touch input'. However, not all of the features listed in the patent will necessarily make it into the finished product. Other details of the new games machine recently emerged in a preview video. A patent illustration suggests that the console's handheld screen would be slotted into VR headset, while the user would use the detachable hand controllers to play Along with VR capability, the patent also reveals that the handheld portion of the Switch may feature a touchscreen But Nintendo president, Tatsumi Kimishima, has said that major details of the console - including a launch date and details of the first games to become available - will be revealed at a live event in Tokyo on 13 January 2017. Sampling events for media, partners, and consumers will take place in the US and Europe after the event. The Japanese firm also said it will provide opportunities for the public to get some hands-on time before the launch as well, with details to be confirmed. Nintendo gave the public its first look at the console in October in a promotional video, showing a shape-shifting console that allows players to switch instantly between home and mobile gaming. The new system connects to the TV when mounted in its dock and when removed, it transitions to portable mode to be played through a handheld device. With removable Joy-Con controllers, it is capable of both single and multiplayer use whether youre playing at home or on-the-go. The tablet-like console clicks into the Nintendo Switch Dock, connecting it to the TV. In this version, the controller can be used much like a classic system, with grips and buttons on both sides. But, these components can be detached to create two independent Joy-Con controllers as well. The tablet-like console clicks into the Nintendo Switch Dock, connecting it to the TV. In this version, the controller can be used much like a classic system, with grips and buttons on both sides, as pictured For single player use, one person can play with a controller in each hand. Or, two people can play using one Joy-Con controller each. The video also shows how the console can be used for mobile gaming by simply lifting the device out of the dock. This immediately switches it to portable mode, and the Joy-Con controllers slide onto each side of the screen. In this mode, as well, the controllers can be removed in both single player and multiplayer scenarios. The video shows how a supporting arm pulls out from the back so it can stand upright on a flat surface. The video also shows how the console can be used for mobile gaming by simply lifting the device out of the dock (pictured left). This immediately switches it to portable mode, and the Joy-Con controllers slide onto each side of the screen (shown on right) The video shows how a supporting arm pulls out from the back so it can stand upright on a flat surface According to the firm, the system will also support multiplayer face-to-face competition by bringing numerous Nintendo Switch systems together. Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like, said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries. In the months leading up to its official release this coming March, the firm says it will be unveiling full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, the configuration and specs. Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in space, with their colossal gravity bending space and time around them and letting nothing, not even light, escape. Some bizarre theories suggest these objects could even be the portal to other universes. And now, a new study has found they may be more common than thought. Black holes are some of the most mysterious objects in space, with their colossal gravity bending space and time around them and letting nothing, not even light, escape. NGC 1448, a galaxy with an active galactic nucleus hidden by gas and dust, is seen in this image HIDDEN GALAXIES Astronomers studying two black holes in the centre of galaxies near our own have now said most galaxies have these objects in their cores, but they are hiding from view. 'These black holes are relatively close to the Milky Way, but they have remained hidden from us until now,' said Ady Annuar, a graduate student at Durham University, who presented the results at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Grapevine, Texas. 'They're like monsters hiding under your bed.' The researches studied a galaxy called IC 3639, which is 170 million light years away and NGC 1448, which is 38 million light years away. Both were found to have black holes. But the second was much more difficult to pinpoint, as it is shielded by a thick layer of gas and dust. Advertisement Scientists have said giant black holes could be hiding 'like monsters under your bed' behind huge clouds of dusts, in galaxies next to our own. Astronomers working on NASA's Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array (NuSTAR) looked at two black holes in the centre of galaxies near our own have now said most galaxies have these objects in their cores, but they are hiding from view. 'These black holes are relatively close to the Milky Way, but they have remained hidden from us until now,' said Ady Annuar, a graduate student at Durham University, who presented the results at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Grapevine, Texas. 'They're like monsters hiding under your bed.' Both of these black holes are the central engines of what astronomers call 'active galactic nuclei,' a class of extremely bright objects that includes quasars and blazars. Scientists now believe most large galaxies have supermassive black holes at their cores, but many are hidden from view. They are being hidden by clouds of dust and gas. 'Just as we can't see the sun on a cloudy day, we can't directly see how bright these active galactic nuclei really are because of all of the gas and dust surrounding the central engine,' said Peter Boorman, a graduate student at the University of Southampton. Mr Boorman looked at a galaxy called IC 3639, which is 170 million light years away. IC 3639 and the second galaxy in the study, NGC 1448, were both found to have black holes. This galaxy, which is 170 million light years away and called IC 3639, also contains an example of an obscured supermassive black hole But the second was much more difficult to pinpoint, as it is shielded by a thick layer of gas and dust. The team had to image the object in various wavelengths to pin down its location. The researchers also found NGC 1448 has a large population of young, just 5 million year old, stars. This indicates the galaxy produces new stars at the same time that its black hole feeds on gas and dust. 'It is exciting to use the power of NuSTAR to get important, unique information on these beasts, even in our cosmic backyard where they can be studied in detail,' said Daniel Stern, NuSTAR project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California. A few theories in particle physics suggest there is much more to our universe than meets the eye and these extra dimensions could answer questions ranging from quantum physics to gravity. One of these, called 'brane theory', suggests multiple dimensions could be hiding extra universes. 'Brane theory is part of a larger theory called string theory, which attempts to explain how all the forces and particles we see fit into one single description,' Dr Chris White, a physicist from the Queen Mary University of London, told MailOnline. One theory of particle physics suggests there are in fact nine dimensions, and black holes might be the key to reaching them. This means that black holes could be portals to other universes WHAT IS STRING THEORY? At its most basic level, string theory, also known as the theory of everything, proposes that all objects in our universe are composed of vibrating filaments (strings) and membranes of energy. The theory suggests that each so-called fundamental particle contains a tiny, vibrating, one-dimensional loop of string. The vibration of the string determines the charge and mass of the greater particle. String theory works in ten or eleven dimensions and we only experience four. Scientists have theorised that the missing dimensions are curled up into a compact space. If the space is tiny, on the scale of the strings, then we would be unable to detect them. Scientists are hopeful that string theory will solve one of the biggest mysteries of the universe; how gravity and quantum physics work fit together. Advertisement 'It suggests that the basic building blocks of nature, instead of being particles, can instead be strings, planes and higher dimensional generalisations collectively called 'branes'. In his book 'The Universe in Your Hand', Dr Christophe Galfard describes a thought experiment, that shows what it might look like if we were able to travel between these dimensions. 'You see what you think might be black holes linking nearby branes through a tube of distorted spacetime, with gravity from each brane attracting others' he said. 'You suddenly wonder if, by any chance, there might be other people living in those branes. 'Could there black holes be a passage between your world and theirs?' Using the Large Hardon Collider at CERN in Geneva, researchers are looking for signs of extra dimensions, and one of these is tiny black holes. 'The LHC could make small black holes if there are extra dimensions of the right size,' Dr White added. its first Android smartphone with the Nokia brand HMD Global has revealed its first Android smartphone with the Nokia name. Called Nokia 6, this handset has a 5.5 inch screen of 2.5D Gorilla Glass, 64 GB of on-board storage, a 16 megapixel rear camera and a 3,000 mAh battery. The smartphone is set to hit the market early this year for about $245, but the Finnish company says it is only releasing the device in China for now. Scroll down for videos Nokia 6 has a 5.5 inch screen wrapped in 2.5D Gorilla Glass, 64 GB of on-board storage, a 16 megapixel rear camera and a 3,000 mAh battery. The smartphone is set to hit the market early this year for about $245, but the Finnish company is only releasing the device in China THE NOKIA 6 HMD Globals Nokia 6 has 4GB RAM, 64GB of on-board storage, which runs with the latest version of Android Nougat. There are dual amplifiers that deliver a 6dB louder sound than traditional amps. Its equip with the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem designed. The body is made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium. There is a 16MP phase detection auto focus rear camera and 8MP front camera. Nokia 6 will debut exclusively through JD.com in early 2017 in China. And will be priced at 1699 CNY or $245. Advertisement The launch marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia Oyj chose to sell its entire unit to Microsoft. We have set ourselves a mission to deliver the best possible smartphone experience, with a beautiful premium design touch, to everyone, at every price point, said Juho Sarvikas, Chief Product Officer, HMD Global. By building on true Nokia phone hallmarks of leading design and materials, an obsessive focus on the latest technology and solving real-life issues, we believe we have a unique proposition for consumers.' 'The Nokia 6 marks the first step on our journey, with more to come in 2017. In December, HMD took over the Nokia feature phones business and struck a licensing deal that gave it sole use of the Nokia brand on all phones and tablets for the next decade. The firm designed the Nokia 6 around the needs of the user and combines quality and in-built durability to deliver a real-life premium point for the highly aspirational Chinese consumer. HMD Globals latest handset has 4GB RAM, 64GB of on-board storage, which runs on the latest version of Android Nougat. There are dual amplifiers that deliver a 6dB louder sound than traditional amps. Its also equip with the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem designed. The phone's body is made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium - the manufacturing process takes about 55 minutes. Following the construction of the device, it then needs another 10 hours for two separate anodising processes and then five hours of polishing before it is deemed ready for the market. HMD Globals latest handset has 4GB RAM, 64GB of on-board storage, which runs on the latest version of Android Nougat. Its also equip with the latest generation Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with X6 LTE modem designed The phone's body is made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium - the manufacturing process takes about 55 minutes. However, some say it looks very similar to the latest iPhone from Apple In addition to a sleek design, the firm promises users will be able to capture the crisp details of the world around them with the 16MP phase detection auto focus rear camera and 8MP front camera. Nokia 6 will debut exclusively through JD.com in early 2017 in China. And will be priced at 1699 CNY or $245. Nokia was once the world's dominant cellphone maker but missed the shift to smartphones and then chose Microsoft's unpopular Windows operating system for its 'Lumia' range. Nokia quit smartphones in 2014 by selling its handset activities to Microsoft to focus on mobile network equipment. Microsoft continued selling Lumia smartphones under its own name but this year largely abandoned that business, too. The phone's body is made from a solid block of 6000 series aluminium and it has a 16MP phase detection auto focus rear camera and 8MP front camera. Nokia 6 will debut exclusively through JD.com in early 2017 in China for 1699 CNY or $245 HMD Global, led by Nokia veteran Arto Nummela, wants to launch its first Nokia smartphone in the early part of next year using Google's Android operating system. Success will require a dash for scale by stealing business from Apple, Samsung and dozens of other players in a cut-throat industry. 'Consumers may be carrying different smartphones now, but are they really in love and loyal to those brands?' said Nummela in an interview. The Nokia consumer brand lives on as the badge on cheaper, entry-level 'feature phones' sold mainly in Asia, India and Eastern Europe, though Microsoft invested little to market the name in recent years. Smartphones typically cost anywhere from ten to 30 times as much as these basic phones, which sell for as little as $20. 'For a new entrant, having an established brand provides it with an instant on-ramp,' said mobile phone analyst Ben Wood of CCS Insight, who suggested that phone vendors with weaker brands should not take the new challenge lightly. The launch marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia Oyj chose to sell its entire unit to Microsoft. Nokia quit smartphones in 2014 by selling its handset activities to Microsoft to focus on mobile network equipment 'The barriers to entry for the Android phone space are low,' said Wood. 'What HMD has is the Nokia brand and management experience. 'The key to its success will be driving scale.' CEO Nummela, who was once responsible for Nokia's sales and product development, does not lack ambition. 'We want to be one of the key competitive players in the smartphone business,' he told Reuters. HMD President Florian Seiche previously worked at Siemens , Orange, HTC and Nokia. Chief Marketing Officer Pekka Rantala is a former CEO of Rovio, the maker of the Angry Birds game, as well as a Nokia veteran. Microsoft tried selling Lumia smartphones under its own name but this year largely abandoned that business, too. 'We are not going to skip any markets in the long term,' Seiche said, adding that HMD had already set up offices in 40 locations around the world. HMD is owned by Smart Connect LP, a private equity fund run by Jean-Francois Baril, who was once in charge of Nokia's world-leading supply chain management system. Other HMD managers have put in money of their own. HMD on Thursday took over the feature phone business that Nokia Corp sold to Microsoft. It has a licensing deal with Nokia giving it sole use of the brand on mobile phones and tablets for the next decade. It will pay Nokia royalties for the brand and patents, but Nokia has no direct investment in HMD. HMD is building its smartphone operating system in partnership with Google and all its Nokia devices will be manufactured by Foxconn of Taiwan, the world's largest contract manufacturer. BEST SELLING PHONES IN THE LAST 20 YEARS The Nokia 5110 with its changeable covers is thought to have sold more than 160 million 1996: Motorola StarTAC, one of the first flip phones sold 60 million 1998: Nokia 5110 with its changeable covers is thought to have sold more than 160 million 1999: One of the first phones without an antenna, the Nokia 3210 sold over 160 million units 2000: Sleeker Nokia 3310 with extra features sold more than 126 million handsets 2003: Cheap and durable Nokia 1100 sold more than 250 million units 2004: Nokia's 2600 offered one of the first set of desktop tools and sold more than 135 million units. 2005: Nokia 110 - popular in developing countries - sold more than 250 million. 2006: Part of the 'Ultrabasic series' the Nokia 1600 sold more than 130 units. 2007: With 360 hours of battery life on standby, the Nokia 1200 was snapped up 150 million times. 2008: Apple iPhone 3G: Over 12 million people bought Apple's second generation iPhone. 2009: Some 35 million people bought the faster follow-up, the 3GS. 2010: Nokia's 5230 with free amps sold 150 million units. One of the first phones without an antenna, the Nokia 3210 sold over 160 million units 2011: Apple's iPhone 4S sold 83 million units despite battery criticism. 2012: With quad core speed and a 4.8 inch screen, Samsung's Galaxy SII and SIII sold 40 million units. 2013: The follow-up handset, the Galaxy S4, sold 40 million units. 2014: The Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus sold 74.5 million handsets - 34,000 an hour at peak. 2015: Tigermobiles predicts the iPhone 6S will be the best-selling handset of the year, with the Samsung Galaxy S6 close behind. Advertisement Nummela says his team's enduring relationships with phone service providers and retailers could help HMD quickly convince owners of Nokia feature phones to upgrade in markets like India, Indonesia and Russia. The Nokia name is still on a tenth of the feature phones sold around the world, though in recent years it ceded ground to Samsung and TCL, maker of Alcatel-brand phones, as well as smaller players, according to market research firm Strategy Analytics. Shipments of Nokia feature phones plunged 40 percent in fiscal year 2015 and HMD must reverse that decline while trying to break back into the smartphone market, where hundreds of vendors compete by selling phones that can be hard to distinguish. The Moon, our planet's constant companion for some 4.5 billion years, may have been forged by a rash of smaller bodies smashing into an embryonic Earth, researchers have revealed. Such a bombardment birth would explain a major inconsistency in the prevailing hypothesis that the Moon splintered off in a single, giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized celestial body. In such a scenario, scientists expect that about a fifth of the Moon's material would have come from Earth and the rest from the impacting body. The Moon, our planet's constant companion for some 4.5 billion years, may have been forged by a rash of smaller bodies smashing into an embryonic Earth, researchers have revealed. A MOON MYSTERY A bombardment birth would explain a major inconsistency in the prevailing hypothesis that the Moon splintered off in a single, giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized celestial body. In such a scenario, scientists expect that about a fifth of the Moon's material would have come from Earth and the rest from the impacting body. Yet, the makeup of the Earth and the Moon are near identical. Multiple hits would have excavated more Earth material than a single one, which means the moonlets would more closely resemble our planet's composition, said the study authors. Advertisement Yet, the makeup of the Earth and the Moon are near identical - an improbability that has long perplexed backers of the single-impact hypothesis. 'The multiple impact scenario is a more 'natural' way of explaining the formation of the Moon,' said Raluca Rufu of the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot, who co-authored the new study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. Such multiple hits would have excavated more Earth material than a single one, which means the moonlets would more closely resemble our planet's composition, said the study authors. Rufu and a team created nearly a thousand computer simulations of collisions between a proto-Earth and embryonic planets called planetesimals, smaller than Mars. Every collision would have formed a disk of debris around the proto-Earth which would, in turn, clump together to form a 'moonlet', they found. Around 20 moonlets would eventually coalesce to form the Moon. 'In the early stages of the Solar System, impacts were very abundant, therefore it is more natural that several common impactors formed the Moon rather than one special one,' Rufu told AFP. Our Solar System is thought to have formed 4,567 billion years ago, followed by the Moon about 100 million years later. Numerous 'impactors' would have excavated more Earth material than a single one, which means the moonlets would more closely resemble our planet's composition, said the study authors. About 20 such crashes would have been required to build the Moon, they concluded, while conceding that further study is needed into the mechanics of Moon formation from 'moonlets'. HOW THE MOON FORMED: THE GIANT IMPACT HYPOTHESIS Many researchers believe the moon formed after Earth was hit by a planet the size of Mars billions of years ago. This is called the giant impact hypothesis. The hypothesis claims the moon is debris left over following an indirect collision between our planet and an astronomical body approximately 4.5 billion years ago. The colliding body is sometimes called Theia, after the mythical Greek Titan who was the mother of Selene, the goddess of the Moon. But one mystery has persisted, revealed by rocks the Apollo astronauts brought back from the moon - why are the moon and Earth so similar in their composition? Several different theories have emerged over the years to explain the similar fingerprints of Earth and the moon. Perhaps the impact created a huge cloud of debris that mixed thoroughly with the Earth and then later condensed to form the moon. Or Theia could have, coincidentally, been isotopically similar to young Earth. A third possibility is that the moon formed from Earthen materials, rather than from Theia, although this would have been a very unusual type of impact. Advertisement The giant-impact hypothesis was first proposed in the mid-1970s, followed in the 1980s with the first suggestions that several collisions may have given the Earth its tide-creating satellite. The latest study has 'revived the hitherto largely discarded scenario that a series of smaller and more common impacts, rather than a single giant punch, formed the Moon,' Gareth Collins of Imperial College London wrote in a comment carried by the journal. An asteroid as big as a 10-story building has passed by Earth at a distance half that of the Moon, researchers have revealed. The asteroid, dubbed 2017 AG13, was only spotted only Saturday by the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey. It is between 50 and 111 feet (15 to 34 meters) long, and when it passed by Earth, 2017 AG3 was moving at 9.9 miles per second (16 kilometers per second). Scroll down for video 2017 AG13, was discovered Saturday by the University of Arizona's Catalina Sky Survey.Between 50 and 111 feet long, when it passed it was moving at 9.9 miles per second. Here, it is so close to Earth its text is almost unreadable. WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF IT HIT? According to an asteroid-impact simulator called 'Impact Earth!' by Purdue University, if a porous rock asteroid of 111 feet (34 meters) long hit Earth at a 45-degree angle, the simulator found, it would have exploded as an air burst. The site says the blast would have released about 700 kilotons' worth of energy dozens of times more powerful than the atomic bomb detonated over Hiroshima. However, since it would have occurred from a distance of about 10 miles high, it probably wouldn't have had much effect on the ground; if anything, a high-altitude boom may have sounded as loud as heavy traffic on the ground. Advertisement The near-Earth object, or NEO, came within about half the distance that the moon is from Earth, according to Slooh. 'This is moving very quickly, very nearby to us,' Eric Feldman, an astronomer with Slooh, said during a live broadcast of the flyby at 7:47 a.m. ET on January 9. 'This one has a particularly elliptical orbit. 'It actually crosses the orbits of two planets, Venus and Earth. Slooh's broadcast said 2017 AG3 was 'roughly the same size as the asteroid that struck Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013,' meaning had it hit, the effects would have been similar. Its next close approach to Earth is expected on December 28, 2017. 'It is not that uncommon of an event, which is one of the reasons it is interesting,' Mark Sykes, director and CEO of the Planetary Science Institute, told Business Insider in an email. About 38 more 'close approaches' like asteroid 2017 AG3's are expected within the month of January alone, according to NASA's Near Earth Object Program. For years scientists have been trying to work out how to deal with the threat of an asteroid, which could hit us with little or no warning. Now the White House has released an official document describing the plan if a meteor or asteroid was to head our way, and it shows we are under-prepared. 'This is moving very quickly, very nearby to us,' Eric Feldman, an astronomer with Slooh, said during a live broadcast of the flyby at 7:47 a.m. ET on January 9. The White House published its 'National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy'. The document 'seeks to improve our nation's preparedness to address the hazard of near-Earth object (NEO) impacts by enhancing the integration of existing national and international assets and adding important capabilities that are currently lacking.' NEOs are asteroids or comets that have an orbit that brings them near or into Earth's orbit. Slooh's broadcast said 2017 AG3 was 'roughly the same size as the asteroid that struck Chelyabinsk, Russia in 2013,' meaning had it hit, the effects would have been similar. If one of these was to zoom towards Earth in the future, it would not be the first time. A 56 foot (17-metre) meteor that struck Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, injured more than 1,000 people came with no warning. This is why one of the strategies outlined in the document is to improve on Nasa's methods of detecting NEOs before it is too late. The White House has released an official document describing the plan if a meteor or asteroid was to head our way, and it shows we are under-prepared. Artist's impression pictured THE SEVEN MAIN GOALS Enhance NEO detection, tracking and characterization capabilities. Develop methods for NEO deflection and disruption. Improve modelling, predictions, and information integration. Develop emergency procedures for NEO impact scenarios. Establish NEO impact response and recovery procedures. Leverage and support international cooperation. Establish coordination and communications protocols and thresholds for taking action. Advertisement In seven main goals described in the document, the White House also focuses on improving modelling and predicting where NEOs will travel. The country also plans to improve it emergency alert systems and invest in hi-tech space probes that could annihilate threats. The document notes, as with other low-probability, high-consequence hazards, 'potential NEO impacts pose a significant and complex challenge.' 'This Strategy is a step in addressing the myriad challenges of managing and reducing the risks posed by both large and small NEOs,' it claims. At the end of last year, Nasa warned we are not prepared for an asteroid strike. Dr Joseph Nuth, a researcher at Nasa's Goddard Space Flight Centre in Maryland was speaking at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union in December. He said: 'The biggest problem, basically, is there's not a hell of a lot we can do about it at the moment.' In the 1998 film Deep Impact, a comet is hurtling toward Earth and could mean the end of all human life. The US government keeps the crisis under wraps, but a crack reporter uncovers the truth, forcing U.S. President Beck (Morgan Freeman, pictured) to announce his plan NASA'S ASTEROID REDIRECT MISSION Nasa is planning an ambitious mission that will see a robotic spaceship visit an asteroid to create an orbiting base for astronauts. The robot shipwill pluck a large boulder off the space rock and sling it aroundthe moon, becoming a destination to prepare for futurehuman missions to Mars. Nasa plans to study the asteroid for about a year and test deflection techniques that one day may be necessary to save Earth from a potentially catastrophic collision. Advertisement While dangerous asteroids and comets rarely hit Earth, Dr Nuth warned that the threat was always there. He said: 'They are the extinction-level events, things like dinosaur killers, they're 50 to 60 million years apart, essentially. 'You could say, of course, we're due, but it's a random course at that point.' Nasa is working on a series of missions including an asteroid redirect mission, that will see a robotic spaceship visit an asteroid to create an orbiting base for astronauts. The space agency has a team of scientists who are always watching the skies for potential threats. But while the US is upping its tactics to seek out the dangerous space rocks, other countries might be even less prepared. In a planned mission, a robot ship will pluck a large boulder off an asteroid and sling it around the moon, becoming a destination to prepare for future human missions to Mars, the US space agency revealed last year In the Spacecraft Structures Lab at Nasa's Langley Research Center, the Asteroid Redirect Mission robotic contact and restraint system was prototyped and tested The US is undecided on whether to invest and prepare costly space technology to intercept those that will not affect its own country. The document, however, suggests the country is looking to collaborate with other nations in the future. 'NEO impacts are a global hazard and could have major environmental, economic, and geopolitical consequences detrimental to the United States, even if the impact is beyond US territory,' it says. 'Although currently a global leader in detecting and tracking NEOs, the United States will depend (in part) on international cooperation and coordination to help develop capabilities for characterization and future capabilities related to the development and implementation of deflection and disruption capabilities for NEOs.' Researchers have made a bizarre discovery of a new Jupiter sized planet 192 light years away using shadows. A possible planet in a nearby stellar system may be betraying its presence in a unique way - a shadow. NASA revealed the shadow is sweeping across the face of a vast pancake-shaped gas-and-dust disk surrounding a young star. Scroll down for video WHERE IS IT? The strange shadow was spotted in the stellar system TW Hydrae, located 192 light-years away in the constellation Hydra, also known as the Female Water Snake. The star is roughly 8 million years old and slightly less massive than our sun. Advertisement The planet itself is not casting the shadow, but instead is gravitationally pulling on material near the star and warping the inner part of the disk. This twisted, misaligned inner disk is casting its shadow across the surface of the outer disk. A team of astronomers led by John Debes of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland say this scenario is the most plausible explanation for the shadow they spotted in the stellar system TW Hydrae, located 192 light-years away in the constellation Hydra, also known as the Female Water Snake. The star is roughly 8 million years old and slightly less massive than our sun. Debes' team uncovered the phenomenon while analyzing 18 years' worth of archival observations taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope. 'This is the very first disk where we have so many images over such a long period of time, therefore allowing us to see this interesting effect,' Debes said. 'That gives us hope that this shadow phenomenon may be fairly common in young stellar systems.' Debes will present his team's results Jan. 7 at the winter meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. Debes' first clue to the phenomenon was a brightness in the disk that changed with position. Astronomers using Hubble's Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) first noted this brightness asymmetry in 2005. But they had only one set of observations, and could not make a definitive determination about the nature of the mystery feature. THE SHADOW PLANET OF HYDRA Given the relatively short 16-year period of the clocklike moving shadow, the planet is estimated to be about 100 million miles from the starabout as close as Earth is from the sun. The planet would be roughly the size of Jupiter to have enough gravity to pull the material up out of the plane of the main disk. The planet's gravitational pull causes the disk to wobble, or precess, around the star, giving the shadow its 16-year rotational period. Recent observations of TW Hydrae by ALMA in Chile add credence to the presence of a planet. ALMA revealed a gap in the disk roughly 93 million miles from TW Hydrae. A gap is significant, because it could be the signature of an unseen planet clearing away a path in the disk. Advertisement Searching the archive, Debes' team put together six images from several different epochs. Over time, the structure appeared to move in counter-clockwise fashion around the disk, until, in 2016, it was in the same position as it was in images taken in 2000. Debes originally thought the feature was part of the disk, but the short period meant that the feature was moving way too fast to be physically in the disk. Under the laws of gravity, disks rotate at glacial speeds. The outermost parts of the TW Hydrae disk would take centuries to complete one rotation. A team of astronomers led by John Debes of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland say this scenario is the most plausible explanation for the shadow they spotted in the stellar system TW Hydrae, located 192 light-years away in the constellation Hydra, also known as the Female Water Snake. 'The fact that I saw the same motion over 10 billion miles from the star was pretty significant, and told me that I was seeing something that was imprinted on the outer disk rather than something that was happening directly in the disk itself,' Debes said. 'The best explanation is that the feature is a shadow moving across the surface of the disk.' Debes concluded that whatever was making the shadow must be deep inside the 41-billion-mile-wide disk, so close to the star it cannot be imaged by Hubble or any other present-day telescope. The most likely way to create a shadow is to have an inner disk that is tilted relative to the outer disk. In fact, submillimeter observations of TW Hydrae by the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile suggested a possible warp in the inner disk. 'The most plausible scenario is the gravitational influence of an unseen planet, which is pulling material out of the plane of the disk and twisting the inner disk,' Debes explained. It could be the end of an era for the internet. Yahoo has revealed it plans to change its name to Altaba, while beleaguered boss Marissa Mayer will leave, if the firm is bought by Verizon. The SEC filing has revealed the firm's plans - despite ongoing concerns the recent revelation a billion user accounts were hacked could scupper the $4.8bn deal. Scroll down for video Yahoo is set to change its name to Altaba, while beleaguered boss Marissa Mayer will leave as part of takeover by Verizon, an SEC filing has revealed WHAT IT MEANS Yahoo is technically only selling its core business and brand to Verizon, leaving behind a sizable investment in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan. The company that used to be Yahoo will remain, but will now be called Altaba, according to the filing. Advertisement Mayer, along with Yahoo cofounder David Filo and four other members of the board will step down after the deal closes, Yahoo said. Verizon is acquiring Yahoo's operating business under the proposed transaction, while Yahoo's remaining business, which consists primarily of its stake in Chinese ecommerce giant Alibaba and its partnership in Yahoo Japan, will continue to exist as a separate company. The board resignations announced on Monday refer to the remaining investment company that's not going to Verizon, and which will be renamed 'Altaba,' the company said. Mayer's resignation from the new board is 'not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices,' the filing says. The deal was rumoured to be on the rocks after a fresh hacking scandal at the beleaguered internet giant. Hackers may have gained access to names, email addresses, telephone numbers, passwords and dates of birth, as well as security questions and answers. It could potentially help criminals get inside bank accounts, social media pages and online shopping profiles. The attack, which happened three years ago, but was only made public on Wednesday, is thought to be the biggest in history. Last week a senior Verizon Communications Inc executive said that the company was unsure about its planned acquisition of Yahoo Inc's internet business. In the SEC filing, Yahoo says: 'In light of the fact that following the Closing the Company will operate as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Board has determined that, immediately following the Closing, the size of the Board will be reduced to five (5) directors. 'Tor Braham, Eric Brandt, Catherine Friedman, Thomas McInerney and Jeffrey Smith will continue to serve as directors of the Company following the Closing, and Mr. Brandt will serve as Chairman of the Board. 'Each of David Filo, Eddy Hartenstein, Richard Hill, Marissa Mayer, Jane Shaw and Maynard Webb has indicated that he or she intends to resign from the Board effective upon the Closing, and that his or her intention to resign is not due to any disagreement with the Company on any matter relating to the Company's operations, policies or practices.' YAHOO'S SHARE PRICE The Yahoo is rumoured to be on the rocks after a fresh hacking scandal at the beleaguered internet giant. Verizon had put in a 4.8billion bid for the business, but may walk away following Yahoo's announcement that 1billion users' details have been stolen. FindTheCompany | Graphiq Advertisement Mayer would walk away with an approximately $55 million severance package if Yahoo's sale to Verizon ousts her from her job. A regulatory filing in April disclosed that Mayer would get a payout consisting of cash, stock awards and other benefits should she be forced out as CEO within a year after a sale. But the actual payout of so-called change-in-control severance benefits is likely to be larger. Yahoo's estimates were based on a share price of $33.26 on Dec. 31. Yahoo came under renewed scrutiny by federal investigators and lawmakers last month after disclosing the largest known data breach in history, prompting Verizon to demand better terms for its planned purchase. 'I can't sit here today and say with confidence one way or another because we still don't know,' Marni Walden, president of product innovation and new businesses at Verizon, said at the Citi 2017 Internet, Media & Telecommunications Conference in Las Vegas. MARISSA MAYER'S DAYS AT YAHOO Mayer became CEO of Yahoo in July 2012. She is the sixth CEO since 2007 to try to turn around the company. She is also Yahoo's second female CEO, following Silicon Valley veteran Carol Bartz, who left Yahoo in September 2011. Mayer had been a top executive at Google who played a key role in its evolution from startup to powerhouse. At Yahoo, Mayer has orchestrated several acquisitions, including a deal to buy online blogging forum Tumblr for $1.1 billion. She's also overseen a redesign of Yahoo's homepage and made mobile services a top priority. As part of her latest turnaround plan, Mayer laid off 15 percent of Yahoo's workforce and closed unprofitable services. Mayer became CEO of Yahoo in July 2012. She is the sixth CEO since 2007 to try to turn around the company. She faced criticism from activist investor Starboard Value LP, which has claimed that since she began with the company Yahoo's wasted money on ill-advised acquisitions and a bloated payroll and mismanaged its lucrative stake in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba Group. Mayer was the highest paid female CEO of 2015 with a nearly $36 million package, according to an analysis by executive compensation data firm Equilar and The Associated Press. Mayer gave birth to her first child, a boy, a few months after becoming Yahoo's CEO. Yahoo's decision to anoint a soon-to-be mom as its CEO was hailed as a breakthrough for women seeking to prove men aren't the only ones who can balance a high-powered executive lifestyle and early parenthood. Her maternity leave was two weeks. Mayer gave birth to twin girls in December 2015 and, similar to her first birth, took only a limited amount of leave. Mayer would walk away with an approximately $55 million severance package if Yahoo's sale to Verizon ousts her from her job. A regulatory filing in April disclosed that Mayer would get a payout consisting of cash, stock awards and other benefits should she be forced out as CEO within a year after a sale. But the actual payout of so-called change-in-control severance benefits is likely to be larger. Yahoo's estimates were based on a share price of $33.26 on Dec. 31. Advertisement Walden added that the merits of the deal still made sense and that there were certain aspects of the investigation that had yet to be completed. She did not provide a time-frame for the completion of the deal. 'We think it will take weeks at least, we don't have a desire to have it drag on forever, that's not our intent,' Walden said. It was the second hack to be announced by Yahoo, after the company disclosed a separate assault, which hit 500million accounts in 2014. The wave of bad press is likely to pile pressure on its struggling chief executive Marissa Mayer, who has previously faced criticism for frequently turning up late to meetings and micro-managing recruitment. Verizon had put in a 3.9billion bid for the business, but may walk away following Yahoo's announcement that 1billion users' details have been stolen. And it is also making Verizon think twice about its plans to take the business on. The US telecoms group is seeking to secure its future by forging a key role in the online world, and acquired internet firm AOL in a 3.5billion deal last year. It warned there would be an impact on the Yahoo takeover after the last breach came to light. And if the company's brand is now fatally tarnished, Verizon may decide to walk away. A group led by AOL boss Tim Armstrong is still working on a plan to get Yahoo up and running after the takeover, sources said. But another team overseen by Verizon general counsel Craig Silliman is said to be assessing the damage. Insiders said they were looking at whether the deal should be abandoned or renegotiated at a lower price. Verizon is understood to want to ensure it is not responsible for any future legal fallout from the scandal. A spokesman said: 'As we've said all along, we will evaluate the situation as Yahoo continues its investigation. 'We will review the impact of this new development before reaching any final conclusions.' Analysts said the business was likely to at least demand a hefty price cut. Paraag Amin, of equity research firm Peel Hunt, said there could be more revelations ahead. 'If they're only coming out with details of these two hacks now, who knows what's happened in the time since?' he said. 'If you were buying this business you would want two things firstly, some forensic consultants to come in to scan the entire system and ensure there's nothing else. 'You then want to make sure the business is safeguarded from anything in the future. 'But all of this will cost money and that is likely to be exacerbated by any fines Yahoo could have to pay.' Just when you thought it was safe to order another Coco Loco and settle into an afternoon snooze on the lounger, along come the wellness warriors to liven up your holiday. Healthier holidays are booming as travellers demand more from their vacation time. And Caribbean company Elite Island Resorts is one travel company riding the wellness wave with the introduction of several intriguing new activities to its winter activities menu. Yes, there are still lazy white beaches, rum-laced happy hours and four course meals as standard across the exclusive resorts. This is the Caribbean after all. Is that coconut water? Just when you thought it was safe to order another cocktail and settle in for a snooze, along comes the wellness army to liven up your Caribbean break But new activities, including floating fitness and stretch classes, happy hour sketching sessions and advice on being mindful from the resorts in-house psychologist, have been added to the roster, inspired by increasingly health-conscious guests who want to use their holiday time to keep up or even take up good habits. And while this is definitely NOT a bootcamp kind of break - its still perfectly acceptable to ignore all of the activities and get busy doing nothing if thats more your thing - the fact that there are some good for you options available is good to know for anyone planning a sunshine break with a bit more substance in the New Year. MailOnline contributor and founder of lifestyle blog Detox-Retox.com Toni Jones is a big fan of this kind of balanced lifestyle - on holiday and beyond - here she shares a typical days diary from her time at the groups Galley Bay resort in Antigua... MORNING 8am - We wake to the sound of waves and birds, and not much else. With most of Galley Bays 98 rooms and villas being directly on the beach guests are treated to peaceful views of the glittering ocean from morning until night, and for anyone looking to use their holiday time to connect better with themselves and nature this is a beautiful way to start the day. Get onboard: Elite Island Resorts in the Caribbean has introduced new fitness and mindfulness activities - including floatfit classes in the water - for the winter season It's much easier sitting down: MailOnline's Toni Jones was one of the first guests to try the new floating fitness classes at the St James's Club in Antigua 8.30 Its the first tough choice of many: whether to blow the cobwebs off with a paddle along the pristine beach, a jog around the palm trees and turtle sanctuary, or a quick gym session in the air con 9.30 - A relaxed breakfast at the beachside restaurant where the healthier options include fruit, yoghurt, eggs and fresh juice of the day. If you intend to leave Antigua fitting into the same jeans you arrived in some willpower will be required though as this all-inclusive has a knack for knocking up devilishly moreish pancakes and French toast as well as the lighter options like Creole eggs. We are trying to take it in turns - one day on, one day off from the most naughty things on the a la carte menu. Because life should be about balance, right? 10.30 - Time to lotion up. Temperatures here can hit 31degrees in peak season and this year Elite Island Resorts are partnering with Swiss skincare brand ultrasun to offer guests bespoke prescriptions to best protect their skin type. My prescription includes the glamorous 'Glimmer' and tinted versions (perfect for camouflaging pasty British legs) and although my husband is less excited by the shimmering suncare he is impressed with the no-fuss, once-a-day design. Time for an evening dip? The Galley Bay resort will also be holding HIIT and stretch classes in the pool morning and evening (Toni pictured far left) 11am - Getting physical with the new floatfit classes in the pool (or the sea if youre staying at the St Jamess Club on the other side of the island). The class is a 20 minute HIIT workout including burpees, lunges, squats, mountain climbers and planks on a floating aqua base board (like an inflatable surfboard) and is a brilliant way to get a bit fit while topping up the tan and having a giggle (the poolside sunbathers watching us wobble into the water are definitely getting a laugh). And theres no excuse for not trying the class: its totally free (all activities at the resorts including daily yoga, hiking and watersports are included in the price of a stay) and working out like this on the water offers a low impact activity that is suitable for all ages, fitness levels and even injuries as the isometric and plyometric exercises work to strengthen and repair weak muscles. AFTERNOON 12pm - Lunch in the lovely Gaugin restaurant, which features romantic thatched cabanas hidden among the palm trees and serves up delicious dishes of grilled seafood and curries of the day as well as neon cocktail specials (to toast all that hard floatfit work). Running to the breakfast buffet? The new activities are designed for health-conscious guests looking to keep up good habits on holiday 3pm - A spot of sunbathing. Its (another tough) choice between keeping things cosy on one of our own private loungers near the room, heading to the hammocks by the pool for a bit of people watching c/o the neighbouring Tee Pee bar or - my favourite way to spend this time of day at Galley Bay - reading in the rocking chairs on the deck. 5pm - Back to the pool for a short stretch class on the aquabase boards. And this time I only fall in once. EVENING Fitness break: The trend for all things wellness means that healthy holidays are more popular than ever Sketch club: The resorts have also introduced mindful colouring books and 'Ink and Drink' sessions to encourage guests to get creative More fun than school: Puffin Illustrator Adam Stower has designed the books and will be in residence at the resorts at various times over the summer Spot the difference: Sketching is said to be calming and help us become more mindful 6pm - A chance to reflect on the day and life generally at Happy Hour. Every hour is technically Happy Hour at the all-inclusive Galley Bay bars, but this is when the sun-kissed guests like to congregate before dinner, and now the resort is serving up bespoke Ink & Drink sketch books alongside the sundowners to offer visitors the chance to colour themselves calm with designs by Puffin illustrator Adam Stower & mindfulness tips by psychologist Dr.Nicole Gehl. A good colouring session has been linked to relieving stress and anxiety and Adams sketches of the propertys views and nature are a great way to be mindful of the jaw-dropping location we are in. We also love Dr. Gehls simple tips on taking the qualities of a great holiday home with us, making a mental note to focus on stillness back in real life Table for two: Dinner at Ismay's, Galley Bay's most charming restaurant, named after the resort's longest-serving member of staff Being mindful: Chilling on the rocking chairs is actually a brilliant way to practise mindfulness, according to the resort's psychologist Dr Nicole Gehl 8pm - A quick visit to the Rum Shack, which opens three times per week and where it is possible to taste more rum than is decent before dinner. 9pm We finish the day with dinner at Ismays. This is the resorts most charming restaurant, named after Galley Bay's longest-serving member of staff, and the perfect place to dress up and celebrate a special occasion. As we settle into one of the romantic tables on the beach we decide to practice some of Dr Gehls methods, trying to be grateful and present by focusing on the feeling of the sand underneath our feet, the sound of the gentle waves and the taste of cold champagne as we toast this beautiful place. And then we fall off the mindfulness wagon by immediately getting busy planning our next visit. Hollywood fiction became fact on Tuesday when an Emirates flight was cancelled due to a snake on the plane. Flight EK0863 from Muscat, Oman, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, was aborted after a snake was discovered in the cargo hold before take-off. The carrier told MailOnline Travel that the serpent was found before passengers boarded. Hollywood fiction became fact on Tuesday when an Emirates flight was cancelled due to a snake on the plane (file image) It said in a statement: Emirates can confirm that flight EK0863 from Muscat to Dubai on January 8, 2017, was cancelled due to a detection of a snake in the cargo hold prior to passengers boarding. 'Engineering and cleaning teams are working to clear the aircraft to re-enter service. We apologise for the inconvenience caused. The situation echoed the 2006 movie Snakes On A Plane, a film most famous for Samuel L Jacksons line I have had it with these mother****** snakes on this mother****** plane. A serpent also caused a scare on a plane last November but this one made an appearance mid-flight. Flight EK0863 from Muscat, Oman, to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, was aborted after a snake was discovered in the cargo hold before take-off (file image) It dropped from an overhead baggage compartment on an AeroMexico flight from Torreon to Mexico City. Witness Indalecio Medina commented on social media at the time: I had to catch it with a blanket and obviously we gave it some magazines to read for a while. 'The snake arrived alive and kicking, frightened but without having paid its airfare. 'And best of all, priority when it came to landing and animal control experts waiting for the unexpected traveller.' It has been reported that the flight had priority landing and the snake was dealt with by animal control. Meet the woman whose beauty has been laid bare on Instagram by incredible photographs of stunning landscapes in which she poses nude. Its no wonder that Magdalena Wosinska has racked up 126,000 followers on the social media site. In the shots the 34-year-old can be seen draped naked over rocks, gazing at sunsets and even tending to horses. Ms Wosinska, who was born in Poland but now lives in Los Angeles, told Foam Magazine that the reason she likes posing naked is because its timeless. She said: Its pretty simple: its just timeless. No one can tell what status, class or group you belong to in the nude. The shots, she explained, are very carefully constructed. She added: Its thought out, composed and takes a bit longer than a snapshot. Ive been shooting self portraits since 1999 so thats kind of when it all started then flourished into a series well before Instagram. Then when the app came along and I decided to join, I started showcasing the work there as well. Here MailOnline Travel reveals some of her eye-catching work Meet the woman whose beauty has been laid bare on Instagram by incredible photographs of stunning landscapes in which she poses nude Artful: Wosinska poses on a chair in a picture taken in Sante Fe Its no wonder that Magdalena Wosinska has racked up 126,000 followers on Instagram Ms Wosinska, who was born in Poland but now lives in Los Angeles, said that the reason she likes posing naked is because its timeless Wosinska said that when you're naked 'no one can tell what status, class or group you belong to in the nude' Mane attraction: Wosinska said that the shots are very carefully constructed Here Wosinska gazes out across the ocean as she stands naked on a rock The photographer said that she's been taking self-portraits since 1999 On her website Wosinska explains that she creates 'images that retain the truth and rawness of impulsive snapshots Here Wosinska poses in the dusty Wild West with a muscle car and cowboy hat. She captioned this picture 'Let The Sun Shine On Ya' Wosinska clearly hates sitting on the fence. She much prefers to lay naked on it Animal magic: Wosinska cuddles a dog in another eye-catching pose Magdalena's first publication, Bite It You Scum, was launched in 2010 Making a splash: Wosinska sits on a beach - her only company a huge palm tree Cheeky: The photographer poses in a rocky wilderness Sources close to Sam Frost's family have told Woman's Day the reality star's loved ones are glad she split from Sasha Mielczarek due to his father's ties to a bikie gang. 'Sam's family have always been fearful of Sasha's dad's ties to the Rebels motorcycle gang,' a close friend told the publication this week. In an October 2015 interview with OK! magazine, Sasha confirmed his biological father, Sasha Mielczarek's Snr, had been linked to the bikie club. Scroll down for video Worried? Sources close to Sam Frost's family claim the reality star's family is relieved she split from Sasha Mielczarek due to his father's ties to a bikie gang. Sasha poses with Mielczarek's Snr (centre) and his brother Jay (R) who's tattoo shop was pelted with bullets in 2015 Sasha Jnr, himself however, has no links to the outlaw gang. 'That's a fact,' he told the publication, clarifying his father's involvement with the motorcycle club, before adding, 'and at the end of the day, I chose a different path'. Former Bachelorette Sam did not seem too fazed either by Sasha's dad's ties to the Rebels bikie club, insisting in 2015 that her man 'has been really open about it'. 'There's nothing I could ever find out that could sway me because he tells me everything. It's all cool on my end,' she insisted. Sisterly love: Sam's family have always been close to her, especially her sister Kristine, who has said in the past that, 'Being Sam's big sister, I'm very protective of her' Confident: Sam, seen here with her brothers, wasn't worried about Sasha's family. 'There's nothing I could ever find out that could sway me because he tells me everything. It's all cool on my end,' she insisted Troubles: The Woman's Day report goes on to say that 'alarm bells rang' for Sam's family (she's pictured here with her mother Debbie) when a Picton, NSW tattoo shop run by Sasha's brother Jay was pelted by bullets in 2015 The Woman's Day report goes on to say that 'alarm bells rang' for Sam's family when a Picton, NSW tattoo shop run by Sasha's brother Jay was pelted by bullets in 2015. Sasha's father denied that the incident had anything to do with his bikie affiliations. 'The place next door was hit three times and this shop has been caught in the crossfire,' Sasha Mielczarek's Snr told The Daily Telegraph at the time. Family ties: 'Sam's family have always been fearful of Sasha's dad's ties to the Rebels motorcycle gang,' a close friend told Woman's Day this week 'I don't have a criminal record and we don't let people loiter around the shop. The business is now run by Jay anyway.' Sam's family have always been close to her, especially her sister Kristine, who has said in the past that, 'Being Sam's big sister, I'm very protective of her'. Over: Sam and Sasha split in December after falling in love on The Bacherlorette They both survived their time on Survivor and now they are ready to make a life together. John Fincher and Parvati Shallow are engaged, a CBS rep revealed to People on Sunday. Rumours that the 33-year-old rocket scientist had popped the question started swirling six days ago when Parvati posted an Instagram snap of herself cuddling up to John on a narrow street under a neon sign flashing the word 'Love.' The sign says it all: Survivor alums John Fincher and Parvati Shallow are engaged The 34-year-old was also wearing bling on the fourth finger of her left hand which did, indeed, turn out to be an engagement ring. 'Happy 2017!!! Cheers to all the love that is and all thats yet to be,' she captioned the cute snap. John appeared in Survivor: Samoa, which aired in 2009, while Parvati put in time on three editions of the hit show. Jungle girl: Parvati, now 34, first competed in Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006 when she was 23 Getting roped in: The 33-year-old rocket scientist appeared in Survivor: Samoa in 2009, She competed in Survivor: Cook Islands in 2006, Survivor: Micronesia in 2008, which she won, and Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010. The duo have been seen together often since they began dating three years ago, including attending fellow Survivor contestant Ethan Zohns wedding last July. Parvati originally auditioned for The Amazing Race, but CBS producers remembered her from her audition and asked if she would be interested in being on Survivor, according to People. She can't get enough: Parvati, second from left bottom row, with the 19 returning castaways in Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains in 2010. She also won Survivor: Micronesia in 2008 However, she might now have a new partner for her world-traveling dream. 'I think it would be so much fun to do that show. Johns dying to do it, and he would be great,' she said in a 2014 Reddit AMA of the possibility of competing in The Amazing Race. She continued, 'But Im direction dyslexic. I always lead us the opposite way, and he gets very upset about that so we would bring a lot of drama to the race.' She welcomed the new year bundled up in Los Angeles. But Vanessa Hudgens had swapped sweaters for swimsuits on Sunday as she soaked up the sunshine in Mexico. The 28-year-old posted a sexy snap posing in her bathing costume, holding a drink. Sunny break! Vanessa Hudgens posted a sexy snap posing in her bathing costume, holding a drink in Mexico on Sunday The 5ft 1in beauty elongated her petite frame with the high cut around her hips and a pointed toe and bended knee as she stood in the sand. The actress covered her head with a straw hat and she added sunglasses as she playfully poutedly. She captioned the picture with a simple emoji of a ocean wave. Hot: She also shared a sultry picture in a cutaway swimsuit, gazing over the top of her Sunday Somewhere sunglasses The High School Musical beauty appears to be enjoying a break at the exclusive Esperanza resort in Cabo San Lucas for the weekend. She also shared a sultry picture in a cutaway swimsuit, gazing over the top of her Sunday Somewhere sunglasses. The beauty also posted a picture puckering up for the camera, which she captioned: 'Hola Mexico.' Beach time: The beauty also posted a picture puckering up for the camera, which she captioned: 'Hola Mexico' The Grease: Live starlet will next be back on the small screen to play insurance claims adjuster Emily Locke in the DC Comics superhero sitcom Powerless, which premieres February 2 on NBC. Powerless will also star Alan Tudyk, known for his roles in I, Robot and Suburgatory, as well as Community's Danny Pudi. Ben Queen, the screenwriter for Pixar's Cars 2 and NBC sitcom A To Z, developed the series. Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West appear to have 'made up' with Jay Z and Beyonce after the Yeezy rapper blasted the Tidal honcho for not supporting him in the wake of his wife's Paris heist ordeal. Kim and Kanye were spotted visiting Beyonce and Jay Z's luxury home in Beverly Hills on Friday, according to USWeekly. They were there to help celebrate Blue Ivy Carter's fifth birthday, the magazine said. Friends again: It's claimed Kim Kardashian and Kanye West have 'made up' with Beyonce and Jay Z after the Yeezy rapper blasted the Tidal honcho for not 'supporting him'. They're pictured at the 2012 BET Awards Back in October, Kanye laid into Jay Z for not visiting after his reality star wife was robbed at gunpoint. On an onstage rant during his now cancelled Saint Pablo tour, the rapper fumed: 'Don't call me, after the robbery, and say, 'How you feelin?' You wanna know how I'm feelin? Come by the house.' 'Bring the kids by the house like we're brothers. Let's sit down,' he went on. Making nice: Kim and Kanye are reported to have paid a visit to Beyonce and Jay Z at their Beverly Hills mansion on Friday He then revealed that his kids with Kim - North and Saint - have never been invited to a play date with Blue Ivy. The children weren't with them on Friday's visit, according to reports. Kim, 36, has recently returned to social media after a silence. And she and Kanye, who suffered a 'psychotic break' on Thanksgiving and is still recovering, have been seen out together just a couple of times in the past couple of weeks. It can be a painful feeling heading back to work after the Christmas break. But it was extra hard for TV presenter Jessica Rowe, who returned to Studio 10 with a nasty-looking sting after coming into contact with a bluebottle. The 46-year-old showed off her leg wound on Instagram on Sunday, taking it as a sign that her holidays were over. Scroll down for video Back to work: Jessica Rowe returned to Studio 10 with a nasty-looking sting after coming into contact with a bluebottle The caption read: 'The bluebottle had something to tell me- 'holidays are over baby- time to go back to work!!' Back on @studio10au tomorrow! (sic)' The effects of the sting can be seen on red and irritated skin above and below her knee as her cat Alfie looks on in the background. More than 10,000 people a year report being stung by a bluebottle, with the sea creatures a common sight across Sydney's beaches throughout the summer. Ouch: The 46-year-old showed off her leg wound on Instagram on Sunday, taking it as a sign that her holidays were over Back to the grind: The journalist returned to her day job on Monday, taking up her seat on the Studio 10 panel after a Christmas break The journalist returned to her day job on Monday, taking up her seat on the Studio 10 panel after a Christmas break. While Jessica was seen with her bleach blonde locks on the show, the mum-of-two had been sporting a rather different look away from the cameras. The former Today show host unveiled her 'holiday hair' last month alongside a picture of her with a new bright pink do. Change of style: While Jessica was seen with her bleach blonde locks on the show, the mum-of-two had been sporting a rather different look away from the cameras New look: The former Today show host unveiled her 'holiday hair' last month, posting pictures of her new bright pink do The published author has kept her followers abreast of her exploits during her time away from TV, posting several images on Instagram. Daughters Allegra, nine, and Giselle, seven, have featured in several selfies as their mum enjoyed her time off. Jess returned alongside Sarah Harris, Joe Hildebrand, Ita Buttrose and Elena Duggan on Studio 10 this morning. Millie Bobby Brown struck a series of poses and blew extravagant air kisses to photographers Just over a year ago British actress Millie Bobby Brown returned to the UK from Hollywood with her family broke after she had failed to make her mark on Tinseltown. But last night, she was back for the Golden Globe Awards only 12 years old but feted for her powerful performance in the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. Displaying a confidence far beyond her years, she was the toast of parties in Los Angeles before the awards, being photographed with heart-throb actor Ryan Gosling and British actress-model Lily Collins. Wearing a sophisticated black and white dress at the Bafta Tea Party in Beverly Hills a highlight of the Hollywood awards season Millie struck a series of poses and blew extravagant air kisses to photographers. The young actress was also due to appear on the Ellen DeGeneres Show on US TV yesterday. It was a far cry from her return to the UK in the summer of 2015, when the family had to stay with an aunt because Millies parents had run out of money, having sold everything to move to the US to help her follow her dreams of stardom. Now it looks like they are coming true. She played Eleven in Stranger Things nominated in the best TV drama series category at the Golden Globes and is due to return in the second season this year, according to industry reports. While the former Bournemouth schoolgirl was excited that the sci-fi thriller was in the running at last nights awards, it faced tough competition from The Crown, Game of Thrones, This Is Us and Westworld. Along with Stranger Things co-star Noah Schnapp were photographed with heart-throb actor Ryan Gosling The Crowns British star Claire Foy was also in Los Angeles, nominated for a Golden Globe for best actress in a TV drama series for her portrayal of the young Queen Elizabeth II. Her performance in the ten-part Netflix series has been widely hailed, but there was one part of being the monarch that was beyond her acting skills getting the corgis on set to obey her. Fortunately, she found the perfect treat to convince the dogs to behave themselves cheese. I have some on me at all times when corgis are on set, said Miss Foy, 32. Theyre not particularly good pets. Theyre quite aggressive but they like cheese. While it helps her play the Queen, it comes with an unusual side effect. I smell of cheese quite a lot, the actress said. Cheddar actually. Sipping a cuppa at the Bafta Tea Party, she admitted she was not a natural dog lover. They were also snapped with British actress-model Lily Collins at the glitzy event The real Queen is very good with them, I think, because her mother had them and so she knows how to be with them, she said of the monarchs beloved corgis. Miss Foy will abdicate the royal role, covering the early years of the Queens reign, when she completes the second season this summer. Director Stephen Daldry said an older actress would portray Elizabeth II in seasons three and four. A third actress will be cast for the fifth and sixth series, which will complete the run of 60 episodes. Miss Foy was out and about on Saturday night with American actor John Lithgow, nominated for his highly praised study of the Queens first prime minister Sir Winston Churchill in the series. Other Britons in Hollywood for the awards last night included Naomie Harris, Miss Moneypenny in the Bond films, nominated for a best supporting actress honour for her role in the film Moonlight, in which she plays a crack-addicted single mother. Miss Harriss own mother, screenwriter and energy healer Carmen Harris, was her plus one at the event. This is a far cry from her return to the UK in the summer of 2015, when theThis is a far cry from her return to the UK in the summer of 2015 Lily Collins, who stars in Warren Beattys film Rules Dont Apply, was also attending with her mother, Jill Tavelman, a former wife of rocker Phil Collins. Thandie Newton, nominated for Westworld, was also there, as was Night Manager star Tom Hiddleston. Nicole Kidman flew in from Nashville with husband Keith Urban. The actress is one of the stars of the tearjerker film Lion, in which she portrays a woman who adopts an Indian boy, played by Dev Patel as an adult. Both were up for Golden Globes. She confessed she was feeling 'nervous' ahead of walking the red-carpet. But Mandy Moore kept any jitters at bay as she put on a stellar turn at the 74th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday. The 32-year-old actress put her cleavage at centre-stage in a plunging gown in Los Angeles. Scroll down for video Plunging: Mandy Moore put on a stellar turn at the 74th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday The This Is Us beauty - who is nominated for a golden statue for the first time - harnessed old school Hollywood glamour in the flowing caped Naeem Khan dress. The outfit was slashed to the waist, and she kept accessories minimal but bling - with costume earrings and a bracelet. Her brunette tresses were styled in a centre parting turned behind her ears and falling in soft waves. Revealing: The 32-year-old actress put her cleavage at centre-stage in a plunging gown in Los Angeles The beauty told Ryan Seacrest on E! that her on-screen husband Milo Ventimiglia was the special man to deliver the exciting news of her nomination. 'I was home, I was awake, and I was getting ready to make coffee and my phone lit up with a text from Milo, my costar, saying, "Congratulations!" 'I said, "Did the show get nominated?" Then he didn't answer me back, so I started frantically looking online and saw the news there.' Show-stopper: The This Is Us beauty - who is nominated for a golden statue for the first time - harnessed old school Hollywood glamour in the flowing caped Naeem Khan dress Classic: The outfit was slashed to the waist, and she kept accessories minimal but bling - with costume earrings and a bracelet Eye-popping! Mandy wowed in the plunging gown designed by Naeem Khan as she presented on stage alongside her This Is Us co-star Milo Ventimiglia Mandy isn't the only cast member of NBC's hit series to earn herself a nomination and was joined by on-screen daughter Chrissy Metz. Metz is nominated in the Best Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film. She was also joined by her on-screen adopted son Sterling K. Brown (who scored a Best Supporting Actor nod for his work in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story) Moore told Seacrest the series returns with high drama. 'We've been off for five weeks and I know we left everyone with a bit of a cliffhanger,' she explained on the carpet, adding: 'But the thing about this show is there are always crazy roller coasters of emotion and this [new] episode is no exception.' Social post: She confessed she was feeling 'nervous' ahead of walking the red-carpet First nomination: She kept her jitters at bay but confessed she was excited and nervous Eyes front! Her brunette tresses were styled in a centre parting turned behind her ears and falling in soft waves Musical La La Land, indie grief drama Manchester by the Sea, and black coming-of-age film Moonlight are leading the awards buzz in a season that has been dominated by escapist fantasy and gritty drama in equal measure. La La Land looks set to sweep the board as it picked up a staggering seven Golden Globe nominations. Last year was marked by soul-searching in Hollywood over movie representations - or lack of them - of people of color and their stories. Purple reign: Mandy isn't the only cast member of NBC's hit series to earn herself a nomination and was joined at the awards by on-screen daughter Chrissy Metz Up for a gong: Metz is nominated in the Best Supporting Performance by an Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Television Film Dapper: Mandy was also joined by her on-screen adopted son Sterling K. Brown - who attended with wife Ryan Michelle Bathe That has all changed with contenders Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Fences, and Loving. In television, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story leads the way with five nominations. AMC crime drama The Night Manager will be close behind, with four nominations, while Black-ish, The Crown, The Night Of, This is Us and Westworld have three each. The nominees are split by genre within the TV and film categories and the outcome is seen as a predictor of how the Academy Awards might go in February. The Golden Globes ranks as the third most-watched annual awards show, behind only the Oscars and the Grammys. The winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are known for springing surprises, its members have no say in choosing the Oscars. 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Global Immersion Project Ignores Incovenient Truth | Main | Iran Planned Terror Attacks Against German Pro-Israel Advocates January 09, 2017 Modern Languages Association Votes Down BDS Resolution On January 5, 2017, The Modern Languages Association (MLA) has voted down a resolution calling for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions. The vote was 113 against the resolution and 79 in favor (59-41 percent margin). Moreover an anti-boycott resolution passed, with 101 voting in favor to 93 opposed. This is the second defeat of pro-boycott resolutions by academic associations notable for their leftward political orientation. Last spring the American Anthropological Association also voted down a boycott resolution. The MLA was founded in 1883. It claims 25,000 members in over 100 countries. It "promotes the study and teaching of languages and literatures through its programs, publications, annual convention, and advocacy work." An anonymous delegate at the MLA convention described the scene of the vote, For the other 99% of conference attendees, on the other hand, the MLA was business as usual. The bar in the lobby of the Philadelphia Downtown Marriott was constantly packed, the atmosphere was social, festive, and gregarious. In the corridors just outside the rooms where the BDS focused sessions were taking place, youd be hard pressed to detect that anything other than great fun. Its not clear how many of the estimated 8,000 or so conference attendees even knew, much less cared, about the drama at the Delegate Assembly this weekend. Inside Grand Ballroom GH, where the Delegate Assembly meeting was held, you could feel the tension, but you also couldnt help but notice how empty the room was. The front half of the room, reserved for the actual delegates, was relatively full (although, given vote tallies, approximately two thirds were in attendance). The back half of the ballroom, reserved for the non-delegate audience, was strikingly vacant. A handful of activists and members of the press crowded the front two or three rows, followed by seven or eight rows of mostly empty seats. This is the state of play at many of the BDS debates at student governments, faculty senates, and academic associations across the country. Despite the press, the pomp, the social media storms, etc., the number of those invested is strikingly small. Yet the activist fringes constantly attempt to seize upon this apathy to hijack these associations with agendas of their own. The defeat of the boycott resolution by an association that is situated within a political milieu in which anti-Israel activism is commonplace represents a significant setback for the BDS movement. Many MLA members commenting upon the vote indicated that they are tired of political grandstanding and want to see the association focus on issues directly relevant to their academic discipline. The vote also reflects the hard work of academics opposed to anti-Israel resolutions. Our work is not over with,? said Cary Nelson, the Jubilee Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the co-editor of The Case Against Academic Boycotts of Israel. Nelson said that it will be a challenge? to garner enough votes in support of the anti-boycott resolution to meet that 10 percent threshold. Posted by SS at January 9, 2017 03:54 PM Guidelines for posting This is a moderated blog. We will not post comments that include racism, bigotry, threats, or factually inaccurate material. Post a comment They are known for their amorous displays on the red carpet. And Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban looked smitten as they attended the 2017 Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Sunday night. During their appearance at the event, Nicole, 49, revealed to Daily Mail that her daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, chose the stunning Alexander McQueen dress she wore on the night. Scroll down for video Gorgeous: Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban looked as happy as ever as they attended the 2017 Golden Globes in Los Angeles on Sunday night 'I was trying all the frocks on and when Zi put this on they both jumped up and said, "Mummy, you look like a beautiful fairy on that dress", so that was it,' she explained. 'I stopped trying on any of the others and said to them that I'm wearing the fairy dress to the Globes. 'It's not really what I would normally wear, but it made the girls happy,' she added as she stood with husband Keith. Nicole's shimmering Alexander McQueen gown featured intricate silver sequin embroidery and a frothy silk train. Fairy dress: Nicole wore her 'fairy' dress on the Globes red carpet, opting for a shimmering Alexander McQueen gown, featuring intricate silver sequin embroidery and a frothy silk train The superstar teamed her gorgeous gown with two diamond choker necklaces, some large diamond rings and a pair of silver stilettos. She kept her hair and beauty look simple, wearing her curly strawberry locks in a low ponytail and glowing in neutral tones for makeup. Keith, meanwhile, looked dapper in a black tuxedo and shiny black shoes. The couple's appearance at the event comes after Hollywood A-lister Nicole told The Mail On Sunday's Event magazine she hopes to become pregnant again in 2017 as children are the joy of my life. Personal: The actress told the Daily Mail that her daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, named the gown Sparkling: Nicole shone from every angle as she posed on the red carpet Intimate exchange: The couple whispered sweet nothings to one another inside the event Structure: Nicole's gown appeared to have boning built into the corseted bust Letting her dress do the talking: She kept her hair and beauty look simple, wearing her curly strawberry locks in a low ponytail and glowing in neutral tones for makeup In everything that has happened in my life, being a mother has been the overriding thing that has changed everything and made it better, she said in an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sundays Event magazine. The actress adopted her oldest children, Isabella, now 25, and Connor, 21, when she was married to Tom Cruise. Then, against the odds, she conceived daughter Sunday Rose naturally with her second husband, country music star Keith, giving birth eight years ago. Flawless: Nicole dress flattered her stunning alabaster complexion Their second child, Faith was born through a surrogate five years ago. But Nicole does not want to stop there. I still have the faintest hope that something may happen to me this year, she said. Keith and I would love to have more babies. My grandmother gave birth to my mother at 49. I would be beyond happy and just welcome it with open arms. The look of love: The pair couldn't take their eyes off each other as they walked around inside the event Close: The couple kept close during the entire event 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement She had no problem flaunting her cleavage on the red carpet in a revealing number. But Kristen Bell revealed before the event that she had a little help in another area. The 36-year-old actress looked absolutely fantastic in a low-cut shimmering gown as she arrived on the red carpet for the 74th annual Golden Globes on Sunday night. Scroll down for video Glamour: Kristen Bell looked absolutely fantastic in a low-cut shimmering gown as she arrived on the red carpet for the 74th annual Golden Globes on Sunday night 'Butt pad': Before the gala, Kristen documented her preparations including a humourous one featuring her wearing a padded undergarment Before the gala, Kristen documented her preparations including a humourous one featuring her wearing a padded undergarment. In the Instagram post she could be seen showing off her backside with the words 'butt pad' written over it. At the event she was joined by husband Dax Shepard at the event held at iconic The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Kristen showed off plenty of cleavage as she rocked a black sequined gown featuring a very low-cut rectangular neckline. Taking the plunge: The 36-year-old actress showed off plenty of cleavage as she rocked a black sequined gown featuring a very low-cut rectangular neckline Just the two of us: She was also joined by husband Dax Shepard at the event held at iconic The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California She kept up with the dark theme as she added a bit of height to her 5feet1 frame with black heels and a matching clutch. The Frozen star teamed the look with rather icy accessories as she sported a large diamond encrusted bracelet on her right wrist along with matching blinged-out dangling earrings. Her signature medium-length platinum blonde locks were worn down flowing over her shoulders as she accentuated her looks with smokey eye and pink lip. Dax, 42, went for the traditional black tie affair look as he sported a black suit with a crisp white dress shirt. Dynamic duo: Dax, 42, went for the traditional black tie affair look as he sported a black suit with a crisp white dress shirt along with black leather dress shoes Eyes on the prize: Kristen stared adoringly at her man on the red carpet He also sported a black tie with matching leather dress shoes as his brown locks were combed to the side. The two Hollywood stars have been together for nine years and have two daughters together. They were married in 2013. Earlier in the day Kristen took to her Instagram to share a few photos of herself getting ready for the big night using the Story feature. Big day: She documented her preparations on Instagram earlier in the day Bed head: She also shared a humourous make-up free photo while wearing her gown before her glam session Shimmering: She also showed off all the bling she would be wearing at the gala The two will also be working together as Dax Shepard directed and wrote a big screen re-imagining of 1970s-80s television series CHiPs which Kristen will also be starring in. The blonde beauty opened up to E!'s Ryan Seacrest about her role in the flick as she said: 'He wrote me in as his sort of trashy, estranged wife. It's a very fun part. He likes me to be a real jerk.' Dax replied: 'I write her weird roles and she has to act them out.' CHiPs - which also stars Michael Pena, Jessica McNamee, Adam Brody and Ryan Hansen - is set for release on March 24. Stunning: The previous night she stunned in a pink metallic strapless number as she attended The Art Of Elysium gala in LA 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement She's dazzled in stunning costumes for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix's hit drama The Crown. But Claire Foy was worlds away from her on screen persona as she hit the 74th annual Golden Globes on Sunday evening in Los Angeles. The British actress looked gorgeous in a shimmering pink gown for her red carpet walk at the ceremony, where she is nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama. Looking royally good! The Crown star Claire Foy was worlds away from her on screen persona as she hit the 74th annual Golden Globes on Sunday evening in Los Angeles Claire, 32, chose a pink sequinned custom gown designed by Erdem for her big night. The pink and silver number featured a train and a sash to highlight the actress' trim waist, while the low, off-the-shoulder neckline flashed some skin. Claire styled her blonde hair into an effortless up do and finished off her look with shimmering eye makeup to match her dramatic dress and a pale pink lip colour. Speaking to the Daily Mail on the red carpet, the actress joked about her lack of regal accessories. Dazzling: Claire, 32, chose a pink sequinned custom gown designed by Erdem for her big night Acclaimed role: The British actress is nominated for Best Actress in a Television Series Drama for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in Netflix drama The Crown 'Drat , I forgot my crown ,' she told Baz Bamigboye. 'But , I have two corgis and a sceptre in my handbag.' 'Handbag wasn't big enough to fit a tiara and crown anyway', she added. The night before the Golden Globes, the actress admitted she is 'completely terrified' about the prospect of winning the award at the BAFTA Tea Party in Los Angeles. Claire has been portraying Queen Elizabeth II in hit Netflix series The Crown - with the first series depicting the power struggle between her and new husband Prince Phillip (played by Matt Smith) when she is thrust into leading the country. Strong contenders: Claire's co-star John Lithgow is also nominated for his role as Winston Churchill, while the show will also compete in the Best Television Series Drama category The Stockport-born star explained that she has 'learnt so much' about herself as a screen star as well as the long-reigning monarch, thanks to the challenging role. She added at the bash: 'I've learnt a lot about being an actor but I've also learnt a lot about her and her role, her duty, and what she's been through in life.' The show, which is the most expensive drama ever with a budget of 100million, made its debut in November when the entire first series was released on Netflix. Claire's co-star John Lithgow is also nominated for his role as Winston Churchill, while the show will also compete in the Best Television Series Drama category. 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement She's currently starring in sci-fi thriller Westworld and has been nominated for a Golden Globe. And Thandie Newton certainly sent pulses racing as she joined the red carpet at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards in LA on Sunday night. The 44-year-old British actress turned heads in a strapless white Bardot dress, embellished with what appeared to be diamonds. Scroll down for video Golden Globe nominee: Thandie Newton certainly sent pulses racing as she joined the red carpet at Sunday's Golden Globe Awards in LA on Sunday night Flashing a glimpse of her toned shoulders, the frock featured a beautiful chain of delicate jewels, draped down the back of her dress. Making the most of her long lean midriff, it skimmed her toned figure perfectly. And reaching the floor, it was completed with a flame-inspired sequin trim. Turning heads: The 44-year-old British actress turned heads in a strapless white Bardot dress, embellished with what appeared to be diamonds While hit series Westworld has been nominated for the Best Television Series Drama award, Thandie has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress, and co-star Evan Rachel Wood for Best Actress. Meanwhile Musical La La Land, indie grief drama Manchester by the Sea, and black coming-of-age film Moonlight are leading the awards buzz in a season that has been dominated by escapist fantasy and gritty drama in equal measure. La La Land looks set to sweep the board as it picked up a staggering seven Golden Globe nominations. Last year was marked by soul-searching in Hollywood over movie representations - or lack of them - of people of color and their stories. Golden Globe nominee: Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood has been nominated for Best Actress That has all changed with contenders like Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Fences, and Loving. In television, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story leads the way with five nominations. AMC crime drama The Night Manager will be close behind, with four nominations, while Black-ish, The Crown, The Night Of, This is Us and Westworld have three each. The nominees are split by genre within the TV and film categories and the outcome is seen as a predictor of how the Academy Awards might go in February. The Golden Globes ranks as the third most-watched annual awards show, behind only the Oscars and the Grammys. The winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are known for springing surprises, its members have no say in choosing the Oscars. 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Advertisement Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone gave very emotional speeches as they led La La Land to a very impressive record-breaking showing at the Golden Globes. The two stars each accepted the Best Performance by an Actor and Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy gongs while the musical as a whole took the Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy award for a clean sweep of seven gongs at the event held at iconic The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. The impressive mark is also historic as it is now the most decorated film in the 74 year history of the event beating out a five-way tie of five with classics including: Doctor Zhivago (1965), Love Story (1970), The Godfather (1972), One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975), and A Star is Born (1976). Scroll down for video Emotional: Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone gave emotional speeches as they enjoyed big wins for La La Land at the 74th annual Golden Globes on Sunday night Historic: The musical also won Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy en route to a record-breaking seven wins as Producers Jordan Horowitz and Fred Berger could be seen accepting the shiny new prize The flick centred around a Jazz Pianist falling for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles also earned wins in the Best Original Score Motion Picture and Best Original Song Motion Picture categories. Damien Chazelle was also recognised for Best Screenplay Motion Picture and Best Director Motion Picture. Ryan, 36, dedicated his win at at the gala award show to girlfriend Eva Mendes and her brother who recently passed away from cancer. Aww: Emma, 28, wiped away a tear while accepting the Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy gong Touching: The 36-year-old actor dedicated the big win to his 'sweetheart' Eva Mendes and her brother Juan Carlos Mendez who had passed away due to cancer back in April Heart: Ryan talked about his ladylove as he said: 'If she hadn't have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So sweetheart, thank you' Winners: (From left to right) Songwriter Justin Paul, Jordan Horowitz, actor Ryan, actress Emma, songwriter Benj Pasek, composer Justin Hurwitz, actor and musician John Legend, Marc Platt, Fred Berger and Benj Pasek lined up on the red carpet Tough times: Ryan's 42-year-old girlfriend pictured with Mendez who passed away at the age of 53 in April 2016 after a long battle with cancer It may have been Ryan's first win at the award show but put the focus on some of his nearest and dearest at the gala. The talented actor said: ' I would like to try to thank one person properly and say while I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I've ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer. 'If she hadn't have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So sweetheart, thank you.' Sentimental: She got emotional as she thanked her mother and brother Going ga-ga: The A-listers posed up with their shiny new trophies after the gala Cute duo: The actor acted like brother and sister on the red carpet that night The one to watch: With such a prestigious nod, the star is obviously looking forward to awards season La-la-laughing out loud: The duo caught the giggles as they mucked about in front of the cameras Man with a plan: Damien Chazelle was also recognised for Best Screenplay Motion Picture and Best Director Motion Picture Accepting the award: The actor was watched by the females presenting the award, onstage Go team: (L-R) Ryan, Emma, Marc Platt, John Legend, Fred Berger and Jordan Horowitz seemed delighted All of the awards: Ultimately, the film collected seven awards, a record-breaking feat 'To my daughters Amada and Esmeralda, I love you. And if I may, I would like to dedicate this to the memory of her brother, Juan Carlos Mendez. Thank you very much to the HFPA. Good night.' Mendez passed away at the age of 53 in April 2016 after a long battle with cancer. Later on in the night his 28-year-old co-star Emma also had quite the tearful speech as she talked about her mother. Saving the best for last? Though La La Land may have had the highest quantity of wins it was Moonlight that was crowned in the signature end of the show spot as director and writer Barry Jenkins accepted the Best Motion Picture - Drama prize She said: 'Thank you, mom, for everything. I moved here 13 years ago this week and without my mom and my dad and my brother, who has put up with me his whole life. Thank you, Spence, youre the best.' Though La La Land may have had the highest quantity of wins it was Moonlight that was crowned in the signature end of the show spot. The Barry Jenkins written and directed movie was given the coveted Best Motion Picture - Drama prize. Crowning moment: Donald Glover bested the likes of Gael Garcia Bernal, Jeffrey Tambor, Nick Nolte and Anthony Anderson for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Gambino: Earlier in the night the creator, director and writer claimed the prize as his FX series Atlanta took home the win for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy What a night: The 33-year-old multi-faceted star proudly showed off his shiny new trophies One of the highlights of the night was when Donald Glover bested the likes of Gael Garcia Bernal, Jeffrey Tambor, Nick Nolte and Anthony Anderson for the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy. In his touching speech the 33-year-old actor talked about how he grew up in a home where magic wasn't allowed but the performances in movies and television were just as good to him. He continued: 'My dad used to tell me every day, "You can do anything you want." And I remember thinking as a kid in first grade, "You're lying to me." But now I do stuff, and he's like,'"I didn't think that was possible."' Shimmering: Tracee Eliss Ross took home the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy gong for her role in Black-ish Gold-ish: The daughter of Diana Ross thanked women, women of colour and colourful people as she said winning the prize was: 'Nice for 44' As if that was not touching enough, the new father added: 'I really want to say thank you to my son, and the mother of my son, for making me believe in people again and things being possible, so thank you.' Earlier in the night the multi-talented star accepted another gong as the FX series Atlanta took home the win for Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy. Creator, writer and actor Donald proudly accepted the gong as he even thanked rapper Migos for track Bad And Boujee. Golden girl: Sarah Paulson triumphed once again as she won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Eyes on the prize: The 42-year-old veteran actress was very gracious during her acceptance speech Hits keep on coming: Executive Producer Nina Jacobson accepts the award for Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for TV for Sarah's television series American Crime Story: The People V. OJ Simpson shortly after Bond: Sarah and creator/producer Ryan Murphy proudly posed with their new trophies Tracee Eliss Ross took home the Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy gong for her role in Black-ish. The daughter of Diana Ross thanked women, women of colour and colourful people as she said winning the prize was: 'Nice for 44.' After that Sarah Paulson triumphed once again as she won the Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television. Sending a message:Leading man Tom Hiddleston won Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television as he used his speech to bring attention to the civil war in South Sudan Big night: The biggest winner in the television categories was The Night Manager as the series took home three gongs in the acting categories including wins for Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie (pictured here) It continued the winning trend for American Crime Story: The People V. OJ Simpson as the FX series was awarded the Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television gong shortly after. The series The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story had led the way with five nominations. The biggest winner in the television categories was The Night Manager as the series took home three gongs in the acting categories including wins for Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie. Leading man Tom Hiddleston won Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television as he used his speech to bring attention to the civil war in South Sudan. Sunny days: Viola Davis was given Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for her role in Fences Double duty: She later gave a passionate monologue as she introduced Meryl Streep for her awarding of the prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award Her platform: Legendary actress Meryl, 67, used her speech as a way to criticise president elect Donald Trump - without using his name - for his actions by calling the moment the president-elect mocked a disabled reporter 'There was nothing good about it, but it did its job': Streep said in the powerful speech that left many teary-eyed. Admiration: Viola stood as she watched her friend and co-star Meryl address the star-studded audience The 35-year-old former boyfriend of Taylor Swift then dedicated the gong 'to those out there who are doing their best.' Viola Davis also had a huge night as she was awarded the Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture gong for her role in Fences. She later gave a passionate monologue as she introduced Meryl Streep for her awarding of the prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award. Proud: Casey Affleck was also a big winner as he won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for Manchester By The Sea Surprise! Perhaps the most shocking upset of all was when Isabelle Huppert upset Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Ruth Negga and Jessica Chastain for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Legendary actress Meryl, 67, used her speech as a way to criticise president elect Donald Trump - without using his name - for his actions by calling the moment the president-elect mocked a disabled reporter. 'There was nothing good about it, but it did its job,' Streep said in the powerful speech that left many teary-eyed. 'It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie, it was in real life.' Starting off strong: Billy Bob Thornton (left) and Aaron Taylor Johnson (right) took home the first two gongs A-listers: Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds were the first presenters of the night Pretty in pink: Claire Foy looked stunning as she won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Crowning achievement: Producer and director Stephen Daidry looked shocked as the Netflix series won Best Television Series - Drama Casey Affleck was also a big winner as he won Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama for Manchester By The Sea. Perhaps the most shocking upset of all was when Isabelle Huppert upset Natalie Portman, Amy Adams, Ruth Negga and Jessica Chastain for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama. The 63-year-old actress was accepting the award for her role in Elle as she told director Paul Verhoeven in her speech: 'Thank you for letting me be what I am.' Revealing: Sofia Vergara definitely turned heads as a presenter He's still got it: Brad Pitt was one of the star presenters as he received a rousing ovation He's back: Leonardo DiCaprio was one of the featured presenters Reunited: Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers presented the final award of the night Tremendous trio: Sienna Miller, Ben Affleck and Zoe Saldana looked fantastic on stage Star-studded: Kristen Bell and Cuba Gooding Jr had a bit of fun as they presented Super pair: Chris Hemsworth and Gal Gadot looked very good Blonde beauties: Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon looked absolutely stunning In a galaxy not too far away: Rogue One: A Star Wars story stars Felicity Jones and Diego Luna, who looked dapper in a navy suit, tie and Ileana Makri tie pin, presented together Dynamic duo: Anna Kendrick and Justin Theroux joined forces In tune: Carrie Underwood and Sting presented music awards Chastain and the Redmayne: Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain looked lovely as they hit the stage Earlier in the night Billy Bob Thornton and Aaron Taylor Johnson were announced as the first winners at the star-studded event . Aaron won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture as Billy Bob won Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama at the event. Hugh Laurie won Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television for his role in The Night Manager in what many consider an upset. The 57-year-old actor made many political jokes even saying he accepted the award on behalf of 'all psychopathic billionaires everywhere.' Dapper: John Legend and Michael Keaton looked handsome in their tuxedos Joining forces: Jon Hamm and Laura Dern accompanied each other to the stage Hilarious: Kristen Wiig and Steve Carell presented and had one of the most hilarious moments of the night Adorable: Dev Patel and young co-star Sunny Pawar stole the show Legend: Anette Benning looked lovely as she presented in a gold number Looking great: Naomi Campbell and Matt Bomer presented together Veep-J: During the break Julia Louis-Dreyfus had some fun as she pretended to DJ in Questlove's spot The show was kicked off by host Jimmy Fallon who had a rough time at first as the teleprompter went down during the monologue. Just before that he was at the centre of a star-studded song and dance video package featuring the likes of Justin Timberlake, Tina Fey, Nicole Kidman, Amy Adams and the cast of Stranger Things. Musical La La Land, indie grief drama Manchester by the Sea, and black coming-of-age film Moonlight are leading the awards buzz in a season that has been dominated by escapist fantasy and gritty drama in equal measure. Tough times: The show was kicked off by host Jimmy Fallon who had a rough time at first as the teleprompter went down during the monologue Jimmy Bond: Jimmy did not do much presenting after the first few segments Every year the nominees are split by genre within the TV and film categories and the outcome is seen as a predictor of how the Academy Awards might go in February. The Golden Globes ranks as the third most-watched annual awards show, behind only the Oscars and the Grammys. The winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are known for springing surprises, its members have no say in choosing the Oscars. Host with the most: the show began with a star-studded song and dance Partner in crime: Tina Fey was featured in the opening video Dynamic duo: Justin Timberlake showed up as they parodied La La Land 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement She is nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Moonlight- which she played in just three days. And Naomie Harris showcased her sensational figure as she hit the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards in LA on Sunday. The 40-year-old British actress posed up a storm in the figure-hugging gown. Scroll down for video Nominee: Naomie Harris showcased her sensational figure as she hit the red carpet at the Golden Globe Awards in LA on Sunday The Bond star made the most of her slender midriff in the slinky metallic piece, which was embellished with delicate embroidery. Flashing a hint of cleavage in the plunging piece, it framed her endless legs perfectly. And wearing her hair in a side parting with tousled waves, she flashed her diamond drop earrings as the natural beauty posed for pictures. Filmed in just three days: She plays Paula, a drug-fuelled, single mother struggling to raise her son Chiron in a rough neighbourhood of Miami in six-time nominated drama Moonlight Moonlight has received a jaw-dropping six nominations, including Best Drama Motion Picture, Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Mahershala Ali), Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture (Naomie), Best Director and Best Screenplay of A Motion Picture (Barry Jenkins), and Best Original Score (Nicholas Britell). Naomie Harris had just three days to play what has turned out to be the role of her career: Paula, a drug-fuelled, single mother struggling to raise her son Chiron in a rough neighbourhood of Miami in Moonlight. For Naomie, who neither drinks nor smokes, that meant resorting to YouTube. Its an important aid for an actor, she told MailOnline. I watched videos of people addicted to drugs. La La Land nominees: Stone and Gosling may be tap-dancing away in the best tradition of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, but those slightly fragile-sounding voices ensure theyre believable as a couple There was no time to work with the other actors when she arrived on set. I got there and the cameras started rolling. Over the course of three days I aged 15 years. It was a combination of make-up, wigs and a change in physicality, she says. We had to cram in so much that I probably felt 15 years older! Musical La La Land, indie grief drama Manchester by the Sea, and black coming-of-age film Moonlight are leading the awards buzz in a season that has been dominated by escapist fantasy and gritty drama in equal measure. Nominees: Underpinning its considerable appeal are two wonderful performances, from Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, both deservedly nominated for top acting honours In television, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story leads the way with five nominations. AMC crime drama The Night Manager will be close behind, with four nominations, while Black-ish, The Crown, The Night Of, This is Us and Westworld have three each. The nominees are split by genre within the TV and film categories and the outcome is seen as a predictor of how the Academy Awards might go in February. The Golden Globes ranks as the third most-watched annual awards show, behind only the Oscars and the Grammys. The winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are known for springing surprises, its members have no say in choosing the Oscars. 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement She's known for her love of hard-partying - and she never seems to get it wrong when it comes to style. So naturally supermodel Naomi Campbell, 46, had two gowns for Sunday's 2017 Golden Globe Awards - both equally impressive and both perfectly complementary. The veteran model hit the red carpet in a dusky pink and black design before slipping into a second lilac gown for The Weinstein Company and Netflix after party as well as the FOX and FX's 2017 after party, later that evening. SCROLL DOWN FOR VIDEO Give us a swirl! Naomi Campbell showcases her flawless style in a spiraling Versace gown as she arrives at the 2017 Golden Globes Complementing: Naomi picked two perfect lilac dresses for the red carpet (left) and the red carpet afterparty (right) at the The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globe bash Naomi led the red carpet that night in her Atelier Versace gown - the rosy panels shimmering in the bright lights and the black sections sparkling with their flickering silver detailing. The gown was designed in an intricate pattern of strips and panels, swishing down the floor-length dress and swirling into cascading lines. One side of the Versace number was off-the-shoulder while the other began the stripped paneling which then continued throughout the remainder of the dress. Whirlwind: Naomi Campbell's daring choice in gown for Sunday's 2017 Golden Globe Awards saw her leading the way when it came to the red carpet fashions Exotic:. The veteran model wore an Atelier Versace gown in a dusky pink and black design - the rosy panels shimmering in the bright lights and the black sections sparkling with their flickering silver detailing Sultry: The exotic beauty's look was competed with a splash of light pink on her pouty lips, matching the tone of the gown Stunner from every angle: Naomi walked the red carpet with conviction, her train obediently following behind her The sparkling black sections began to inject themselves into the design from the 46-year-old's waist downwards and filled out at the base of the gown which trailed behind the model on the red carpet. The chunkier strips at the bottom of the dress gave way to a slit, which allowed a hint of one of Naomi's long legs to be teased. The circular pattern regrouped at the side, as the stripped paneling gathered at Naomi's waist, proving yet another eye-catching feature to the dress. Her second dress - perfect for not just one but two post-parties - was lighter and less structured, with a silk train and sash at the waist. With sequins from top to toe the dress sparkled just as much as she did when she arrived for yet more celebrations. A second dress: A second dress for a third afterparty and Naomi was spotted at the FOX and FX's 2017 Golden Globe Awards after party Glittering: She wore sequins to help the party dress sparkle on arrival The star let her glossy raven tresses trickle down past her shoulders, straightened to perfection. The exotic beauty's look was competed with a splash of light pink on her pouty lips, matching the tone of the gown. The Golden Globes ranks as the third most-watched annual awards show, behind only the Oscars and the Grammys. All star party: Naomi lived it up with Kerry Washington and Sofia Vergara High fives all round! Naomi and Kerry appeared enthusiastic about the chat What's the gossip: The London born-beauty appeared enthralled in Sophia's phone On the night, Naomi had a special role, and was invited to present an award alongside US actor Matt Bomer. The winners are chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association and are known for springing surprises, its members have no say in choosing the Oscars. The supermodel has been doing the rounds in LA during her time in the states, and has appeared on US TV to discuss current matters surrounding George Michael's untimely death and Kim Kardashian's Parisian robbery. The stars: While Naomi is a veteran of the fashion industry, she joined two acting vets in the form of Joan Collins and Donna Mills On the stage: Presenting: She joined Matt Bomer on the stage to present the awards Presenting: The British beauty had a special role at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards Golden girls: Zazie Beetz and Naomi posed up together at the FOX Golden Globes After Party 'I sympathise with [Kardashian] a lot,' she told talk show host Wendy Williams. 'In 2012 I was attacked in Paris. They followed me from the airport. They attacked me. 'They opened my car door and said, "Naomi Campbell, we're going to kill you!"' Unlike Kardashian, Naomi kept the ins and outs of her ordeal out of the press, and has opted to remain private about what exactly took place. But with the similarities between the two incidents - both being in Paris, both being with high-profile people, both involving death threats - Naomi clearly felt the desire to share. Naomi also commented on the death of pop star George Michael, who was found deceased at his Oxfordshire home on Christmas Day. Having famously appeared in Michael's iconic Freedom '90 video, Campbell revealed on Wednesday that she's still grieving for the star. The London-born beauty told America's Loose Women-esque chat show The View: 'Im very sad that hes not here. Gone too soon.' Busy bee: Naomi later rocked an ornate headpiece as she left celebrity hotspot, Catch LA 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Looking this good takes a lot of pre-planning. Heidi Klum glowed as she strutted down the Golden Globes red carpet in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday. The 43-year-old's glow was thanks to her stunning sequinned dress and soaking in some winter sun in Miami earlier this week. Scroll down for all the Golden Globe Winners Golden girl: Heidi Klum glowed as she strutted down the Golden Globes red carpet in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday For the award's show the German beauty wore a striking black and white strapless gown. The J. Mendel dress was created using thousands of iridescent monochromatic beads. The dramatic gown was perfect for showcasing the model turned presenter's lithe frame with a sweetheart neckline and cut outs under her bustline and on either side of her ribs. Already dazzling in the light, Heidi glowed even more thanks to her golden all over tan. Beaded beauty: For the award's show the German beauty wore a striking black and white strapless gown from J. Mendel Peek-a-boo: The dramatic gown was perfect for showcasing the model turned presenter's lithe frame with a sweetheart neckline and cut outs under her bustline and on either side of her ribs The Project Runway star has just returned from a vacation in Miami where she was spotted sun worshiping topless just the day before the awards. Forging a top certainly paid off because she did not have to worry about strap lines ruining the look of the low cut neckline. Heidi also showed off a little bit of underboob in the designer creation but thanks to her saucy sunbaking style her skin tone all matched. Golden Globes prep: The Project Runway star has just returned from a vacation in Miami where she was spotted sun worshiping topless just the day before the awards Tan-rrific: Forging a top certainly paid off because she did not have to worry about strap lines ruining the look of the low cut neckline A little help: The star's makeup artist, Linda Hay, used St. Tropez product, One Night Only Finishing Gloss, to enhance her glow Keeping with her black and white theme, Heidi accessorized her look with black and white diamond encrusted drop earrings from Lorraine Schwartz. Lorraine also provided the star one last little bit of sparkle in the form of two diamond rings. Heidi finished off her look by wearing her hair in a half up half down 'do that featured a voluminous crown section. Heidi had been vacationing in Miami with her boyfriend Vito Schnabel, 30, who did not joining her on the red carpet. Added extras: Keeping with her black and white theme, Heidi accessorized her look with black and white diamond encrusted drop earrings from Lorraine Schwartz 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement The Americans' Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were both nominated but lost Golden Globes during Sunday's live NBC telecast from Beverly Hills. The 40-year-old actress - who relies on stylist Frank Fleming - took the plunge in a caped and flounced leopard-print gown from J. Mendel's pre-fall 2017 collection. The former Mouseketeer had her brunette locks coiffed by Brian Magallones, and her make-up artist of a decade - Tina Turnbow - made sure her smoky eye was camera ready. Scroll down for video At least they have each other: The Americans' Keri Russell and Matthew Rhys were both nominated but lost Golden Globes during Sunday's live NBC telecast from Beverly Hills It's hard to believe it's only been seven months since Keri welcomed her third child, son Sam, with the 42-year-old Welshman. Meawhile, her British babydaddy - sporting a classic black tuxedo - was suffering from a very bad hair day. The acting couple were both up for the best TV drama acting lead trophies for their roles as Soviet spies Philip 'Mischa' Jennings and Elizabeth 'Nadezhda' Jennings. Rhys and Russell lost the statuettes to Goliath's Billy Bob Thornton and The Crown's Claire Foy, respectively. Animal instinct: The 40-year-old actress - who relies on stylist Frank Fleming - took the plunge in a caped and flounced leopard-print gown from J. Mendel's pre-fall 2017 collection The former Mouseketeer had her brunette locks coiffed by Brian Magallones (R), and her make-up artist of a decade - Tina Turnbow - made sure her smoky eye was camera ready So slim: It's hard to believe it's only been seven months since Keri welcomed her third child, son Sam, with the 42-year-old Welshman Sticking straight up! Meawhile, her British babydaddy - sporting a classic black tuxedo - was suffering from a very bad hair day Keri and Matthew continue their portrayal of married KGB officers in the 13-episode fifth season of The Americans premiering this March on FX. 'Keri and I are the same in that we see this as a show about a relationship; an exploration of marriage in a very heightened way,' the Wine Show funnyman told Deadline in August. 'The normal marriage we have is more-or-less life or death than for these two, but then you are bringing this bizarre backstory. So landing that in a very real place is hard, because it just makes everything that much more complicated.' Oh well: The acting couple were both up for the best TV drama acting lead trophies for their roles as Soviet spies Philip 'Mischa' Jennings and Elizabeth 'Nadezhda' Jennings Better luck next year? Rhys and Russell lost the statuettes to Goliath's Billy Bob Thornton and The Crown's Claire Foy, respectively Rhys continued: 'Yes, the themes we deal with are very easily relatable to marriage, but the baggage you bring as two people who lived a false life? Where does infidelity and betrayal live if there was never a real couple in the first place? Where is that gray area where all those feelings live? That in itself is incredibly attractive as an actor, but landing it in a real place I thought would be the challenge.' The Free State of Jones stunner is also mother to two children - son River, 9; and daughter Willa, 5 - with ex-husband Shane Deary. Keri and Matthew reluctantly confirmed their relationship less than a year after she separated from the tall carpenter in the summer of 2013 after seven years. More to come! Keri and Matthew continue their portrayal of married KGB officers in the 13-episode fifth season of The Americans premiering this March on FX Blended brood: The Free State of Jones stunner is also mother to two children - son River, 9; and daughter Willa, 5 - with ex-husband Shane Deary 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement Kenya Moore was left in tears after estranged boyfriend Matt Jordan allegedly punched her driver on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta. The drama unfolded after Matt drove 200 miles to Charlotte, North Carolina, to demand a face-to-face showdown with the reality star at a nightclub opening. When Kenya told him she did not want to talk, Matt allegedly attacked her driver before speeding off in his car as security ushered Kenya inside the club, owned by Cynthia Bailey's estranged husband Peter. Getting emotional: Kenya Moore wiped away tears on Sunday's episode of The Real Housewives Of Atlanta after another run-in with boyfriend Matt Jordan Kenya explained that she had initially invited Matt but told Peter to cancel his flight ticket when she decided it would be a volatile situation. 'I realized that Matt, you have not worked a minute on yourself and you are not in the headspace to be around me. Let alone in a public setting where we arguing could possibly ruin Peter's opening night,' she said. Kenya told Cynthia that Matt had been on social media badmouthing her and revealed he had been texting her abusive messages, which she then read aloud. 'I promise I am going to make it my business that you never want to talk to me again,' she claimed one message read. Supportive friend: Cynthia Bailey urged Kenya to end her relationship with Matt Nightclub opening: Peter Thomas invited Kenya to open his new nightclub 'Do anything to manipulate any situation from this point on I promise you on every fibre of my being you will regret every move you make,' read another message purportedly from Matt. 'Call the police I promise you you will regret it. Flirt with another guy you will regret it. Come to me humble and open your arms,' read another alleged message. Kenya told Cynthia it felt like Matt was 'threatening me to go back to him or he will go ham'. Aggressive texts: Cynthia was alarmed after Kenya shared aggressive text messages from Matt Cynthia said she was also now 'freaking out' about the situation as Matt was driving to Charlotte and she did not want Kenya in a dangerous situation at the club. She then asked Kenya if she was afraid. 'My gut is telling me not to go,' said a serious Kenya leaving Cynthia to surprise Peter by showing up unannounced. Former couple: Peter and Cynthia both admired each other from a distance 'It is so weird to be at Club One and seeing Peter, who looks really good by the way. I feel like he looks a little extra good tonight,' laughed Cynthia. Peter told her she was not invited as he 'did not want to force' things between them. Cynthia took Peter aside and told him that there was an issue between Kenya and Matt and she was nervous to show up because of his aggressive text messages. Looking good: Cynthia said that Peter was looking good but declined to go home with him Kenya however decided that she would not hide out at the hotel and arrived at the club in a limousine. 'I made a commitment to Peter, this is a professional booking, and I am not going to let any man intimidate me to where I don't show up for work,' she said forcefully. But as soon as she arrived Matt appeared and walked up to her car, with Kenya telling the driver that he was 'dangerous.' Professional booking: Kenya was going to stay away due to Matt but decided to go anyway 'I want to talk to you,' Matt could be heard telling her as she told him repeatedly to 'stop.' With the cameras rolling but not on Matt, he could be heard getting near the car, before a loud thud was heard and the driver said he had been hit by him. 'He just hit me. He hit me,' the driver said. Driver hit: The cameras were rolling when Matt allegedly struck Kenya's driver Peter then came out of the club and found Kenya in her car. 'He came over to the car, he looked in and he hit him. He is unstable,' she told Peter as Matt was seen driving away in his car as the police arrived and security ushered Kenya inside. 'I never thought Matt would drive three and a half hours and 200 miles to force me to talk to him. What is he thinking?' said Kenya as Peter instructed security staff to prevent him from entering the club. Good question: Kenya wondered what Matt was thinking driving to Charlotte 'He is unstable, I told you there is something wrong with him,' Kenya told Cynthia. Peter then got Matt on the phone and asked him to explain himself. 'So, I walk up to the driver to look in, to be like ''Kenya let me talk to you'' and he rolls my neck up in the window so I slap that b***h-a** in the face,' said Matt. 'Every time I make an attempt, I get used or manipulated . She call me back when it's convenient for her then when I come back she tell me to shoo, go away,' Matt proclaimed. On the phone: Matt tried to explain his side of the story to Peter and Todd Tucker Peter then told him he had to walk away from Kenya. 'Make sure you send the same message to her, to leave me alone,' Matt implored. Inside the club Kenya told Cynthia the message Matt was sending was plain. 'He is showing me that no one is going to protect you from me, that is the message he is trying to send,' she said. Cynthia told her friend that she had 'reached the point where you have to let this go, for real.' For real: Cynthia told Kenya that it reached the point where she had to let Matt go Peter also told Kenya that she had to 'cut off' the relationship for good. 'I am really left with no choice but to not communicate with Matt. Something is just not clicking and it is a shame as he has so much potential,' Kenya said. At the end of the night Peter invited Cynthia back to his nearby house but she found it awkward and refused and he walked away. That's awkward: Peter made a run at Cynthia but she declined the invite to his place In scenes from next week's show Kenya was shown at her home surveying broken windows on the house and her car, which she blamed on Matt. The show kicked off with Kenya and Cynthia taking their dogs for a spa treatment. Kenya told Cynthia that her father had come into town to meet Matt and that he wanted them to 'take a break' while Matt and Kenya get therapy. Taking a break: The show opened with Kenya telling Cynthia that she and Matt were taking a break 'We are not dating, we are not spending time together, it is something to work on and if it cannot be worked out then we will go our separate ways,' said Kenya. She then told Cynthia she got a phone call from her estranged husband, Peter, who had invited her to be the host for the opening of his new club in Charlotte. 'I am glad you told me,' said Cynthia who was annoyed at Peter for not telling her about the plans. Good to know: Cynthia was the last to learn that Kenya was hosting Peter's club opening Kenya told her that she was not comfortable going unless Cynthia came with her. 'I kind of feel like Peter is pushing me away but at the same time he is like best friends with everyone around me,' Cynthia complained. Peter met up with Todd Tucker at a car dealership and Peter told him that he had deliberately not invited his soon-to-be ex-wife to the club opening. Car shopping: Peter met up with Kandi's husband Todd to look at new cars Kandi meanwhile was surprised when husband Todd showed her a social media post from her ex-assistant, Johnnie, knocking her 'loyalty.' 'I had to let Johnnie go earlier this year as he kept dropping the ball but there were no hard feelings so I still hire his company to do some events that I have going on throughout the year,' she explained. 'I always try to help other people that are up and coming but this would not be the time to go there with me,' Kandi continued. Dangerous territory: Kandi warned that Johnnie Winston shouldn't go there after firing him Kandi told Todd about her recent lunch with Sheree Whitfield and Porsha Williams that the women had organized to work out 'some issues.' 'Once again I did not know that I had any issues,' said an exasperated Kandi. 'I think you all be trying to find reasons to argue with each other,' said Todd. In the middle: Todd was in the middle of drama with Kandi and Peter 'I think they be trying to find reasons to argue. These girls, I am just fed up,' his wife told him. Porsha was visited by brother Hosea who helped her pack up her possessions ahead of moving out of her house. She told her brother she planned on buying a big house and was keen to start her own family, but would be moving back in with her mother until she found one. At home: Porsha was living in her mother's house as she saved for a larger house 'Saying good bye to this house, which was a home that used to inspire me to work hard, it's like saying goodbye to the old Porsha and moving on to the new me,' she told the cameras. Sheree sat down for a meeting with her book publisher for her 'juiciest novel of the year.' 'It may piss a couple of people off but at the end of the day it is my life,' she said of the book. Book deal: Sheree Whitfield met with her book publisher of her juicy new novel Tea party: The book by Sheree was based on her experiences At her Bedroom Kandi event Kandi Burruss was showing some of the new sex toys her company was selling. And she took the opportunity to confront Johnnie Winston over his 'loyalty' post. 'You just put this up, why all of a sudden out of the blue? Especially when I just paid you your money to help us with this thing. Are you feeling a certain kind if way?, ' Kandi told him. Face to face: Kandi confronted Johnnie over his post challenging her loyalty Johnnie told her he felt there should have been a conversation when he was let go by Kandi's company. 'I don't have to have no extra conversations with you about it, I am the one paying you every f***ing week,' said Kandi as Johnnie complained about what he had been paid by her. 'Who the hell does he think he is talking too? Talking about ''You don't pay enough.'' Well b**** why was you asking me for your job back. He won't get another check from me, not an-other,' Kandi declared. Going off: The Kandi Factory owner went off on Johnnie for calling her fake 'You can call me a b****, you can call me an a**hole, but to call me mother f***ing fake is wrong, okay. So I am going to take my fake money and not worry about paying you any more fake money. Let this be your last pay check you have got to get from me,' she told him. Porsha's boyfriend Todd paid her a late night visit at her mom's house and she snuck him upstairs. She bragged she had been doing exercises to 'tighten and tone' her privates. In the bedroom: Porsha got her man Todd in the mood after sneaking him in Porsha told the cameras that she was 'ready to knock the dust off and see if there is still some chemistry there.' She then set the mood with strawberries and whipped cream to get her man ready for some long-awaited romance. Sheree and ex-husband Bob meanwhile started an extreme new workout class to help him lose weight. Working out: Sheree and her ex-husband Bob tried out an obstacle court 'If he wants to get me back then Bob has a lot of work to do. Maybe if he drop about 50 pound plus, then we can talk about it,' she said. During the workout she told him she had written a tell-all book and based one of the characters on him and Bob told her he wanted an advanced copy. 'The only secrets Bob should be worried about me giving up is all the moves he made on other women when we were married,' she told the cameras. Advanced copy: Bob said he wanted an advanced copy of Sheree's book Phaedra got a visit from Johnnie who told her he was 'possibly interested in a lawsuit' after getting the boot from Kandi. She told the cameras she was surprised to see Johnnie as he and Kandi had 'been closer than two butt cheeks.' He complained about the wages, hours and benefits he had received while working for Kandi, and got sympathy from Phaedra. Attorney at law: Johnnie took his complaint against Kandi to lawyer Phaedra 'You know slavery was abolished right? They ain't running a factory over there, they're running a plantation over there,' she said. Johnnie complained that he and Kandi had planned on opening a restaurant together but she had changed her mind and moved ahead with Todd. Phaedra told him that she thought he had a case but that it was not her area of expertise and she would recommend other lawyers for him. Good one: Phaedra blasted Kandi and accused her of running a plantation 'I am not going to take Johnnie's case because I don't want anything to do with the foolishness with Kandi's game and the Factory, and all these folks on the team and in the streets' she said. 'But as an attorney I will help him find justice,' she added. RHOA will return next week on Bravo. She's a media personality, mother-of-six and a beach babe. The younger sister of Hollywood star Nicole Kidman, Antonia Kidman, was again seen enjoying a dip near her family home at Palm Beach last Wednesday. Wearing a black bikini, the 46-year-old showed off her incredibly toned figure in a bikini. Delighted: The 46-year-old enjoyed a swim in the ocean and appeared delighted as she returned to where her family were on the beach Scroll down for video Beach babe! Antonia Kidman placed her hand on her stomach after stripping down to her black two-piece at Palm Beach last Wednesday, during a day out with the family The Australian-born beauty placed her hand on her stomach after stripping down to the two-piece and made her way towards the water. Antonia's long lean legs were on display as she made her way along the sand to cool off in the water before returning drenched. The mother-of-six took a moment to take in the view before slowly making her way into the water. As she made her way out of the water, saltwater beads dripped down her body, glistening in the sunlight and highlighting her tanned skin. Easy does it: The mother-of-six took a moment to take in the view before slowly making her way into the water Toned and tanned: The black two-piece highlighted the media personality's toned arms and bronzed skin after a number of trips to the beach recently The TV presenter looked delighted as she returned to where her family were on the shore. After her swim, Antonia wrapped herself in a black and white towel, placing one hand on her stomach and the other on her chest. Later, she was seen laying out a towel and soaking up some sunshine. Covering up: After her swim, Antonia wrapped herself in a black and white towel, placing one hand on her stomach and the other on her chest Soaking up the rays: After her swim, Antonia was seen laying out a towel and soaking up some sunshine No tan lines here: The mother-of-six appeared to remove the straps on her bikini top to avoid tan lines, while one of her younger children sat in her lap However, first she appeared to remove the straps on her bikini top to avoid tan lines, while one of her younger children sat in her lap. The brunette beauty covered her shoulder-length locks with a pink cap once back on the sand. Antonia later covered up her frame in a loose-fitting black long-sleeve mini dress, which hid her slender figure. Covering up: Antonia later covered up her frame in a loose-fitting black long-sleeve mini dress, which hid her slender figure Windy? Clearly a little cold after getting out of the water, the brunette beauty added a scarf to complete her ensemble and looked very rugged up for the sunny day Clearly a little cold after getting out of the water, the brunette beauty added a scarf to complete her ensemble and looked very rugged up for the sunny day. The mother-of-six arrived at the popular beach on the sunny day with her mother, Janelle and look-a-like daughter, Lucia Hawley. The mother and daughter duo were seen talking as they walked along the beach. Mini-me: Antonia and her look-a-like daughter, Lucia Hawley, were seen talking as they walked along the beach Mother-and-daughter: Antonia was joined by her mother Janelle Kidman, who had a recent health scare In-depth: The pair appeared to have a serious conversation as they stood on the beach Antonia was also seen chatting to one of her four boys, believed to be her eldest son, Hamish, 15. Also there, Antonia's husband, Craig Marran, who was seen laying on a towel under a green beach umbrella before also taking a dip in the ocean with his wife. Antonia was also seen rubbing sunscreen on Craig's back as they sat under the umbrella. Couple's time: Antonia's husband, Craig Marran, enjoyed a dip in the ocean with his wife Family affair: Antonia's husband, Craig Marran, who was seen laying on a towel under a green beach umbrella Antonia appeared to be joined by all six of her children on the outing - she shares four children with her late ex-husband Angus Hawley, and two with husband, Craig. The couple, who are now based in Singapore with their children, have spent the festive season with the extended family in Australia. Antonia was seen joining Nicole and Keith Urban as they enjoyed a number of trips to the beach across their holiday. Advertisement Britannia ruled once again at the first big awards show of the Hollywood season. The Crown and its star Claire Foy won Golden Globes at the star-studded ceremony in Beverly hills on Sunday night, as she paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth, saying: 'I think the world could do with a few more women at the center of it, if you ask me.' And The Night Manager also garnered statues for its stars Tom Hiddleston, Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie. Rule Britannia! Claire Foy won the Golden Globe for best supporting actress in a television drama on Sunday night Let's hear it for the girls: She paid tribute to Queen Elizabeth in her speech, saying: 'I think the world could do with a few more women at the center of it, if you ask me' A good night: Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie each picked up acting awards for The Night Manager, Hiddleston for best actor and Laurie for best supporting actor in a limited series Netflix drama The Crown, about the early years of the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, was named best drama TV series. And when Foy, 32, picked up her first major award for playing the monarch, honored as best actress in a television drama, she gave praise to the reigning monarch, calling her 'extraordinary.' Noting the Queen 'has been at the center of the world for 63 years', she declared: 'I think the world could do with a few more women at the center of it, if you ask me.' On the throne: In the Netflix series, Foy plays the Queen in the early years of her reign with Matt Smith as Prince Philip (left) while the real Queen Elizabeth (right) was pictured in 2006 Gracious: The actress, 32, described her win as an 'out of body experience' and thanked Queen Elizabeth II in her acceptance speech Her support: It's the first major Hollywood award win for Foy who emotionally thanked her co-stars including American actor John Lithgow who played Winston Churchill Delighted: The actress beamed from ear to ear after winning the award, which marked her first ever Golden Globe Success story: The cast proudly showed off their double achievement on the carpet after the ceremony, with the Netflix series also bagging the award for Best TV Drama Looking royally good! The Crown star Claire Foy was worlds away from her on screen persona as she hit the 74th annual Golden Globes carpet after the ceremony Oh what a night! Claire playfully held up her award alongside Peter Morgan, the writer and creator of the Golden-Globe winning series All that glitters: Claire truly shone on the carpet in the dress, which skimmed her stunning figure and emphasised her waist with an elegant satin waistband Elegant: Claire looked incredibly moved later on at The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globes Party as she posed proudly with her new trophy Time to celebrate: Claire happily chatted and partied the night away after her win with fellow actress Molly Shannon Foy told the audience of Hollywood's biggest names: 'When you play a real life person, it's tricky. And you rely very much on the people around you. So I'm going to dedicate this to all those people around me.' She specifically gave a name check to one co-star John Lithgow, who played Winston Churchill. She also thanked Matt Smith who played Prince Philip, and who couldn't make it to the awards show. The British thriller The Night Manager proved an upset in the television acting categories, winning in three of the four categories. The John Le Carre adaptation earned best actor for Tom Hiddleston and best actress for Olivia Colman, who was unable to attend the event. In shock: The actress expressed her surprise and joy as she was interviewed on the carpet Happy: Hiddleston, 35, was delighted with the recognition which marks his first major awards win Thriller: Hiddleston played a hotel concierge recruited to infiltrate the world of a billionaire arms dealer, played by Laurie in the series that aired on the BBC in the UK and AMC in the US Hugh Laurie was named best supporting actor and in his speech made a swipe at president-elect Donald Trump as he suggested this year could be the last Golden Globes ever, 'I don't mean to be gloomy. It's just it has 'Hollywood', 'foreign' and 'press' in the title, he explained as he looked at his statuette. 'To some Republicans even the word 'association' is slightly sketchy.' 'I accept this award on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere,' he added. Political: The former House star took a dig at president-elect Donald Trump when he said: 'I accept this award on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere' Winner: Olivia Colman, the actress who played the agent that recruited Hiddleston's character, won a best supporting actress Golden Globe but was unable to attend the ceremony Meanwhile, Hiddleston came in for some flack on social media after he referenced a recent visit to Sudan as a UNICEF ambassador. In what started out as another celebrity speech about those less fortunate, it ended by him declaring that it was a privilege to have created a television series that aid workers and doctors had binge watched during a shelling attack in the war-torn country. He concluded that he felt honored to have such an impact on the lives of those working to fix a broken world. Awkward moment: The British actor gave a rambling speech about his recent visit to Sudan as a UNICEF ambassador and how aid workers there had enjoyed watching The Night Manager Mixed reaction: He dedicated his win to those working 'to fix a broken world' Big win: The Crown creator Peter Morgan and director Stephen Baldry celebrated backstage after the series was named best television drama Actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson also joined the ranks of Brit winners. The 26-year-old was honored with a best supporting actor in film award for his performance in Tom Ford's Nocturnal Animals. In his acceptance speech, he thanked his 'soulmate' Sam Taylor-Johnson, 49, to whom he's been married since 2012. Recognition: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, 26, rounded out the British winners picking up best supporting actor in a film for Nocturnal Animals 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Erin Molan penned a heartfelt post after flying to Canberra to visit her grandfather on Monday. The Footy Show presenter spent a couple of 'beautiful hours' with him at Canberra Hospital before sharing a photo on her Instagram and Twitter pages. Accompanying a photo of her holding his hand, the 33-year-old thanked nurses and doctors for their love and care during the difficult time. Scroll down for video Family first: Erin Molan penned a heartfelt post after flying to Canberra to visit her grandad on Monday She said: 'Love my Grandpa so much. Blessed to have been able to spend a couple of beautiful hours with him in Canberra this morning.' The Canberra native went on to thank Virgin Australia for helping her get home and then back to Sydney for work. A Sydney Swans scarf appears in the background of Erin's post and she was grateful to the AFL team for their role in her grandad's life. Quality time: The Footy Show presenter spent a couple of 'beautiful hours' with him at Canberra Hospital before sharing a photo on her Instagram and Twitter pages Grateful: The Canberra native went on to thank Virgin Australia for helping her get home and then back to Sydney for work She continued: 'A huge thanks to Roger from @virginaustralia for helping me get down at short notice and back in time for work tonight. 'Also to the @sydneyswans who have given him so much joy throughout his life and the players who have sent messages at various times... and to the nurses and doctors at the Canberra Hospital for their incredible love and care during a really difficult time.' The Channel Nine presenter's dad, former Australian Army officer Jim Molan, underwent surgery for skin cancer in November. Proud father: The Channel Nine presenter's dad, former Australian Army officer Jim Molan, underwent surgery for skin cancer in November After the procedure, Erin told Daily Mail Australia that the 66-year-old was recovering well. She said: 'Dad had a bad skin cancer cut off but is recovering really well and we are very relieved it went well.' Jim has since returned to political commentary and was seen on ABC earlier this month before he could be heard on the airwaves during an appearance on 2GB. It would not be an award show without this star poking fun at her own accent. Sofia Vergara went for laughs at her own expense once again at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. The 44-year-old Colombian ensured she was the butt of a joke - literally- as she introduced the world to this year's Miss Golden Globes. Scroll down for video and a complete list of this year's Golden Globe winners Cheeky: Sofia Vergara went for laughs at her own expense once again at the Golden Globes on Sunday night as she introduced the world to this year's Miss Golden Globes The Modern Family star kicked off her speech by saying, 'Good evening The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has an anal tradition... I didn't mean anal I mean, they have an anus tradition.' Making the joke a little awkward however, was that she was introducing teenage girls, but she did not let that hold her back. Sofia continued: 'They have a tradition that they do every year of choosing a second generation perform to assist in the presentation of the award to fulfill the duties of Miss Golden Globes tonight are the three beautiful daughters of Sylvester Stallone and Jennifer Flavin, Scarlet, Sistine and Sophia Stallone.' While her joke got laughs from the star-studded audience, not everyone was so impressed. Butt of the joke: The Modern Family star kicked off her speech by saying, 'Good evening The Hollywood Foreign Press Association has an anal tradition... I didn't mean anal I mean, they have an anus tradition' Age restrictions: Making the joke a little awkward however, was that the actress was introducing young women, Scarlet, 14, Sistine, 18 and Sophia Stallone, 20 End on a high: She finished the speech on a high however by introducing the girls as the 'three beautiful daughters' of Sylvester Stallone Code: Insert Many took to Twitter to ask why, once again, the star was making a joke about her accent. The digital editorial director of Teen Vogue, Phillip Picardi mused: 'I wish we could live in a world where @sofiavergara doesn't have to CONSTANTLY MOCK HERSELF IN ORDER TO EXIST.' New York Times Best Selling Author Luvvie Ajayi was also critical of Sofia's jokes. Important role: The Stallone sisters were all named Miss Golden Globes this year Do better: While her joke got laughs from the star-studded audience, not everyone was so impressed and took to Twitter I did it! Sofia looked happy with her humorous efforts as she left the stage Going for gold: Sofia dazzled in a sexy semi-sheer gown embellished with shimmering golden sequins She tweeted: 'Award show writers be like: "Sofia Vergara is presenting? Cool! Let's make fun of her accent." It is TIRED AF.' But Sofia did not seem to be too worried about poking fun at herself, posting an Instagram making yet another a** joke. On a picture of herself waiting to go on stage she wrote: 'I look lonely back stage but I was just trying to come up with my an*s joke hahhahha!!!!#goldenglobes2017 #itsallaboutentertaining.' Double trouble: Sofia looked in good spirits later on however when she attended the InStyle and Warner Bros after party later that night with Priyanka Chopra Having a ball: The girls could not stop laughing as they posed together on the carpet Fooling around: Formed of thin mesh at the top, the dress was sure to show off plenty of her cleavage and smooth skin as she cheekily posed alongside Priyanka Helping hand: The girls appeared to help each other adjust their plunging numbers as they headed into the party Sofia looked in good spirits later on however when she attended the InStyle and Warner Bros after party later that night. The actress dazzled in a sexy-semi sheer gown embellished with shimmering golden sequins all over. Formed of thin mesh at the top, the dress was sure to show off plenty of her cleavage and smooth skin as she cheekily posed alongside Priyanka Chopra. Glamorous: Sweeping her hair into a chic ponytail, the Columbian beauty displayed her enviably clear complexion and naturally striking features Vampy glamour: Meanwhile Indian beauty Priyanka upped the glamour with a thick slick of purple lipstick Putting on the glitz: The girls both matched their shimmering ensembles with a smattering of sparkling rings and bracelets Kept it going: But Sofia did not seem to be too worried about poking fun at herself, posting an Instagram making yet another a** joke 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Model Sahara Ray has become as well known for her revealing Instagram shots as her brief rumoured relationship with Justin Bieber. And her latest snap, in which she is pictured topless, is certainly getting attention from the swimwear designer's 1.1 million followers. In the photo, posted on Monday, shows the model in a barely-there black mesh halter top and pouting into the camera. Scroll down for video Golden: Model Sahara Ray posed in a barely-there black mesh halter top and covered her nipples with star shaped gold stickers as she continued to enjoy her Bali getaway over the weekend She is otherwise topless in the see-through garment and covers her nipples with what are either star shaped gold stickers or nipple pasties. The 23-year-old also dons silver glitter make up under both her eyes, the sparkly war paint shining brightly as it catches the sun. To finish up her bohemian look, the blonde has her hair in pigtails and and wears a head band from which a quartz crystal dangles onto her forehead. 'She dreams more often than she sleeps....... What an exquisite paradise,' the beauty captioned the image, adding star emojis. Permanent vacation: The bikini model has posted a series of photos and videos for from her Bali holiday over the past week The bikini model has posted a series of photos and videos for from her Bali holiday over the past week. One of those images, posted last week, prompted fans to speculate she had had her lips done. Some fans weren't so impressed with her new look, with one commenting: 'You look like a bee stung yo face 100 times [sic].' Slammed: Some fans have recently criticised the model's puffy lips 'This lips don't look healthy,' another wrote while yet another fan added: 'She looks yuck in this sorry'. Sahara is the daughter of Australian surfing legend Tony Ray and has her own swimwear line, Sahara Ray Swim. She is the stunning supermodel who never gets it wrong on the red carpet. And Miranda Kerr once again wowed at the Warner Bros. and InStyle 18th Annual Post-Golden Globes Party on Sunday evening. The 33-year-old went for Old Hollywood glamour, wearing a silk ivory August Getty Atelier strapless gown complete with thigh-high split. Scroll down for video Gorgeous: Miranda Kerr once again stunned on the red carpet as she attended the Warner Bros. and InStyle 18th Annual Post-Golden Globes Party on Sunday evening Flawless: Miranda's look screamed Old Hollywood glamour The brunette beauty let her dress do the talking, accessorising with a metallic clutch and a pair of silver strappy sandals. Along with her diamond engagement ring from fiance Evan Spiegel, Miranda wore sparkling diamond jewels from Hearts on Fire, including earrings and two bracelets. The Aussie star pulled her chocolate locks back to reveal her flawless complexion accentuated by perfectly applied makeup, including a copper eye and a burgundy lip. The perfect accessories: Miranda teamed her August Getty Atelier ensemble with a pair of strappy silver stilettos and gorgeous jewels, including her diamond engagement ring from fiance, Evan Spiegel Her nails were painted in the same hue as her lipstick. Miranda's red carpet appearance comes after she was recently in Australia to watch her brother Matthew wed his longtime partner in a commitment ceremony. The outdoor nuptials took place in the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Kerr family matriarch Therese spoke about the special day, telling The Daily Telegraph that same-sex marriage laws in Australia do not dictate the great love that Matt and James share. All in the details: Miranda's gorgeous dress featured a backless design All the right angles: Miranda perfectly posed up a storm for the cameras 'We don't need an Australian government or the law to tell us what love is,' she said adding that she's 'proud as punch.' Miranda was a part of the wedding party and Therese played an official role in the ceremony by acting as the celebrant. 'It's beautiful, I'm actually celebrant,' she said ahead of the nuptials. The supermodel's fiance Evan Spiegel, who is the founder of Snapchat, was also in attendance at the wedding. Miranda made a stunning arrival as she touched down at Sydney airport before the wedding, ready to take a helicopter ride to the Hunter Valley. Sparkling: In additional to her engagement ring, Miranda wore jewels from Hearts On Fire Same-sex marriage is not legally recognised under Australian law and remains a hot button issue across the nation. There are growing calls from marriage equality activists around the world, including American TV star Ellen DeGeneres, for the government to finally legalise marriage equality Down Under. Last month, Australia's parliament rejected the government's proposal for a national vote on whether to legalise same-sex marriage. The upper house Senate voted 33-29 against the coalition government's bid to hold a plebiscite on the issue. Miranda's brother Matt was engaged to his life partner James for nearly two years. Beautiful: Miranda's hair and makeup was flawless 'I want to get married and I think, 'Why should two people that love each other not be able to have that, right?'' Matt previously told WHO magazine. Miranda also showed her support for same-sex marriage, telling the publication: 'Obviously I support gay marriage, I have a gay brother.' While the model didn't appear to return home for her little brother's engagement party in 2015, she did return home in June to celebrate his bucks party in Sydney at The Ivy Penthouse with friends and family. Stunning: The Aussie star pulled her chocolate locks back to reveal her impeccable complexion accentuated by high glamour makeup, including a copper eye and a burgundy lip 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement Former reality TV star Zilda Williams has been making the most of Sydney's summer by enjoying lots of lazy days on the beach and refreshing ocean swims. And on Sunday during a sunny, Sydney day, the 33-year-old had a dip at Icebergs at Bondi Beach and even made sure to take her phone into the water with her. The Bachelor season three star looked eye-catching in a bright yellow swimsuit that revealed her bottom, and she took plenty of selfies. Scroll down for video Sun's out, buns out: Former reality TV star Zilda Williams was seen soaking up the sun at Icebergs at Bondi Beach on Sunday That phone okay? The Bachelor season three star looked eye-catching in a bright yellow swimsuit that revealed her bottom, and she took plenty of selfies Checking them out: Zilda made sure her selfies were on fleek As she played around in the water, she wore a revealing swimsuit, which bore the slogan, 'Sun's out buns out'. Her swimmers were also low-cut, flaunting her assets, which spilled out over the top of the swimwear. The beauty jumped around in the waves, being pelted in foam as she stood by the side of an ocean pool and she took a selfie. Zilda then had a swim in the clear blue water, floating calmly on her back before resting by the side of the pool taking yet more photos of herself. Good view: The beauty jumped around in the waves, being pelted in foam as she stood by the side of an ocean pool as she took a selfie Splash: Zilda gets a full mouthful of water Busting out: Her swimmers were also low-cut, flaunting her assets, which spilled out over the top of the swimwear Floaties! The former Maxim centerfold's swimsuit bore the slogan, 'Sun's out buns out' The former Maxim centerfold then spent some time sunning herself and taking in some rays by the water's edge. Her love of water was also evident last month when the model shared a video in which she was enjoying a steamy midnight swim with Jackson Thomas, 27. She referred to The Voice season three runner-up as her 'crush' writing the word in white over the video, which showed the pair in a hotel pool. A week prior, she was linked to former Australian Idol contestant Rob Mills. Baking: The former Maxim centerfold then spent some time sunning herself and taking in some rays by the water's edge Zilda recently offered her condolences to Sam Frost and Sasha Mielczarek following The Bachelorette couple's tragic split in December. The notorious party girl, who failed to find love with Sam Wood on season three of The Bachelor, gushed over Sasha while sympathising with the heartbroken Sam in an interview with Daily Mail Australia. 'Sam definitely had an amazing catch with Sasha,' said the 33-year-old, before adding: 'He seems like a total legend. He was my favorite of her season of the Bachelorette!' Werk it gal: Zilda perfects her beachworthy pose Sunday marks one of the most important events of award season in Hollywood. But Jennifer Garner decided she'd much rather spend the day enjoying snowy New York City with her eight-year-old daughter, Seraphina Rose. The mother-daughter duo hit the shops on 5th Avenue and even took in some culture at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Playing hooky: Jennifer Garner decided she'd much rather spend the day enjoying snowy New York City with her eight-year-old daughter, Seraphina Rose Spoiling her little one: The Dallas Buyer's Club actress took Seraphina to American Girl Place, where she showered her with toys Dressed in a puffer coat filled with down and snow clothes, 44-year-old Jen ushered her adorable daughter along, who was bundled up in a puffer coat of her own. The Dallas Buyer's Club actress - who hasn't attended a Golden Globe ceremony since 2013 with now-estranged husband Ben Affleck - took Seraphina to American Girl Place, where she showered her with dolls, shirts, reading and coloring books and more toys. The pair walked out with a large shopping bag and hid from the snow. Great shot: The pair walked out with a large shopping bag and hid from the snow Let's go! Dressed in a puffer coat filled with down and snow clothes, 44-year-old Jen ushered her adorable daughter along Meanwhile, Affleck was in warm Beverly Hills, Los Angeles taking in the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show. The 44-year-old actor took the stage with his Live by Night co-stars Sienna Miller and Zoe Saldana to present Damien Chazelle the best director for motion picture award for his film La La Land. And though Ben was not up for an award at this year's ceremony, his younger brother Casey Affleck, rocking a beard and man bun, snagged best actor in a motion picture in the drama category. LA Times journalist Amy Kaufman reported via Twitter that Ben will join his friend Matt Damon at the Amazon bash to celebrate Casey's win. Meanwhile, Affleck was in warm Beverly Hills, Los Angeles taking in the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show. 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement She was nominated for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her role in the sci-fi flick Arrival. And Amy Adams' certainly dressed up for the occasion in a sequinned gown at the 74th Annual Golden Globes, held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday. The 42-year-old chose a chic metallic strapless Tom Ford number that showcased her svelte figure as she was joined by husband Darren Le Gallo, 42. Scroll down for video Red carpet romance! Amy Adams attended the 74th Annual Golden Globes held at The Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Sunday with husband Darren Le Gallo, 42 The ceremony honours the best in film and American television of 2016 as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). And despite missing out to Isabelle Huppert for her role in Elle, Amy still seemed to be enjoying her night. Showstopper! The 42-year-old star made sure to turn heads in a chic metallic strapless number by Tom Ford Slender star: The five-time Academy Award-nominated actress showcased her svelte figure in the form-fitting gown The strawberry blonde beauty stepped out in a pair of black satin platform stilettos. She styled her silky tresses stick straight and parted down the centre for a dramatic look. The American Hustle actress was dripping in diamonds as she donned vintage dropped earrings, several cocktail rings and a blinged out bracelet. Luscious locks: The strawberry blonde beauty styled her silky tresses stick straight and parted down the centre for a dramatic look Fancy footwear: Amy's couture gown featured a high slit in the back which showed off her platform black satin stilettos A touch of smokey matte eye, rosy blush and pale pink glossy lip finished off the green-eyed starlet's evening ensemble. Amy cosied up to her husband Darren who she married in May 2015. The couple are parents to their daughter Aviana, aged six. Although the happy couple became engaged in 2008 they didn't tie the knot until several years later due to the Golden Globe winner's jam-packed schedule. Blinged out babe! The American Hustle actress was dripping in diamonds as she donned vintage dropped earrings and several cocktail rings while gushing over her husband Lucky lady! Amy was also joined by her Arrival co-star Jeremy Renner, who turned 46 one day before on Saturday She was also joined by her Arrival co-star Jeremy Renner, who turned 46 one day before on Saturday. Amy stars in the film as linguist Louise Banks, who is recruited to communicate with aliens. In the sci-fi extraterrestrial drama, a fleet of a dozen mystifying spaceships careen into the atmosphere and hover above the earth, leading military authorities to organize a team to deal with the unexpected arrival. Cosy co-stars: The two-time Oscar-nominated actor boasted over the stunning starlet as they posed up a storm on the red carpet Close encounter: The green-eyed actress stars in the film as linguist Louise Banks, who is recruited to communicate with aliens Honoured: Amy received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama for her role in the sci-fi flick Arrival 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement Usually after parties at awards shows draw a star-studded crowd, this event drew a sequin-studded crowd. Hailey Baldwin, Kaley Cuoco, Vanessa Hudgens were just a few of many actresses to sparkle their way into the Warner Bros. Pictures and InStyle Golden Globes party. The event, held at the Beverly Hilton on Sunday tonight, drew a who is who of Hollywood - both those who were at the Globes and those not nominated. Scroll down for video Shinning stars: (L-R) Hailey Baldwin, Kaley Cuoco and Vanessa Hudgens were just a few of many actresses to sparkle their way into the Warner Bros. Pictures and InStyle Golden Globes party in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday And onlookers almost needed sunglasses there were so many sparkly looks headed into the after party. Kaley certainly ensured all eyes were on her by combining lots of sequins and lots of cleavage. The star - who was styled by Mr. Fashion Police himself Brad Goreski and Daniela Viviana Romero - wore a stunning silver gown. The cap sleeve dress was covered in sliver beading which was applied in lines created by different shaped beads on a nude fabric. Can't miss her: Kaley certainly ensured all eyes were on her by combining lots of sequins and lots of cleavage How low can she go: Kaley's dress had a deep plunging V almost to her midsection, so a significant portion of the 31-year-old's chest was on display Handsome pair: The Big Bang Theory actress brought her boyfriend Karl Cook to the party Kaley's dress had a deep plunging V almost to her midsection, so a significant portion of the 31-year-old's chest was on display. With the gown - and her cleavage - stealing all the spotlight, she kept the rest of her look simple accessorizing with a silver Inge Christopher Penelope satin minaudiere with Swarovski crystal clasp. Also embracing sparkle and low necklines was Hailey, who wore a bedazzled pale pink Elie Saab gown. Pretty in Pink: Hailey wore a bedazzled pale pink chiffon Elie Saab gown that had a belt Balancing act: The dress was both girlie and sexy with a thigh high split and decolletage-flaunting top Bling bling: Hailey matched the gown's shine with jewels from jeweller Lorraine Schwartz The chiffon dress was both girlie and sexy with a thigh high split and decolletage-flaunting top. The dress had beading across the must and beaded stars across the waist which trickled down the side of her hips. The dress was cinched in with a belt and Hailey matched the gown's shine with jewels from celebrity jeweller Lorraine Schwartz. Sizzling: Vanessa showed off every inch of her incredible figure in the chic Naeem Khan gown Look back at it: Skipping the cleavage but not the sequins was Vanessa, with the 28-year-old donning a high neck long sleeve black Naeem Khan dress with silver beading Flower power: The sizzling star looked incredible in her backless gown Perfectly made-up: Vanessa showed off her incredible well styled make-up Sexy stuff! The beautiful star knew exactly how to pull off the best poses Made a splash: If there was such a Golden Globe, Jenna Dewan would have taken home the award for most sequins on any dress Classic colours: Heidi Klum wore a black and white beaded J. Mendel strapless dress Hailey - whose hair was styled to look almost wet - finished off the outfit with a pair of silver Jimmy Choo heels. Skipping the cleavage but not the sequins was Vanessa, with the 28-year-old donning a high neck long sleeve black dress with silver beading. But with the actress did not show any front, she showed plenty of back with the gown having not just a big cutout but also sheer panels. Got the memo: Riley Keough, Hannah Simone, Jamie Chung and Keke Palmer also wore embellished looks Shiniest of them all: Claire Foy - dressed in Erdem - went straight from the ceremony to the party and brought her new Golden Globe with her Mixing it up: Mireille Enos (left) and Felicity Huffman incorporated sequins with simpler fabrics Hailey - whose hair was styled to look almost wet - finished off the outfit with a pair of silver Jimmy Choo heels. Skipping the cleavage but not the sequins was Vanessa, with the 28-year-old donning a high neck long sleeve black dress with silver beading. But with the actress did not show any front, she showed plenty of back with the gown having not just a big cutout but also sheer panels. Golden girls: Dressing to match the name of the awards Priyanka Chopra and Sofia Vergara who both wore gold Say cheese: The two women posed up together on the red carpet and had each other in fits of laughter as they did Tween fashionista: Millie Bobby Brown stayed in her silver Jenny Packham dress that she wore to the ceremony The Upside Down crew: Millie's Stranger Things co-stars Joe Keery, Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton also joined the party No one can resist Steve: The two guys hammed it up for the cameras with Charlie giving Joe a big kiss Understated but chic: Natalia wore a textured cocktail length dress that was simple yet striking If there was such a Golden Globe, Jenna Dewan would have taken home the award for most sequins on any dress. The 36-year-old star looked like some sort of fabulous and chic fish in a black strapless dress with a silver edged train. Dressing to match the name of the awards Priyanka Chopra and Sofia Vergara who both wore gold. Sneak peek: Taking a leaf out of Vanessa's book, Nikki Reed wore a high necked long sleeve Naeem Khan dress that utilized sheer mesh sections to flash some flesh Arm candy: The 28-year-old brought along husband Ian Somerhalder, who wore a sleek tux Ex factor: Ian's former girlfriend Nina Dobrev was also at the party in an Old Hollywood-inspired red gown Party pals: Actors Angela Sarafyan (L) and Evan Rachel Wood - in an Altuzarra custom tuxedo - attended the bash Beaming: Hilary Duff (L) and Julianne Hough posed for a sweet snap at the party The two women posed up together on the red carpet and had each other in fits of laughter. Taking a leaf out of Vanessa's book, Nikki Reed wore a high necked long sleeve Naeem Khan dress that utilized sheer mesh sections to flash some flesh. But not everyone mixed sequins with sexy, stars like Christina Ricci and Diane Kruger shining but with a focus on style rather than sexiness. Chic and cool: Diane Kruger shinned in purple but with a focus on style rather than sexiness All smiles: Blake lively stopped and posed with fellow actress Diane Kruger for a picture Theme dressing: Orange Is The New Black actress Christina Ricci wore an orange number Babe in blue: Sarah Hyland's party look had a hint of sparkle with the star opting for a long sleeve navy gown with black accents Couple's dressing: The Modern Family star was joined by complementary dressed beau Dominic Sherwood who wore Ted Baker London Julianne Hough wore a hint of sparkle, donning a semi sheer white dress with silver sequins just splattered across her bust. The flowing dress featured an iridescent white with touches of silver full skirt with a beaded belt buckle-like detail. The Dancing With The Stars judge was joined by her brother Derek who looked very dapper in a classic suit. JUst a touch: Julianne Hough wore a hint of sparkle, donning a semi sheer white dress with silver sequins just splattered across her bust Ready to hit the floor: The flowing dress featured an iridescent white with touches of silver full skirt with a beaded belt buckle-like detail Dancing duo: The Dancing With The Stars judge was joined by her brother Derek who looked very dapper in a classic suit Silly siblings: They posed up together on the carpet, even pulling some cheesy prom-like poses The siblings posed up together on the carpet, even pulling some cheesy prom-like poses. While the Houghs maybe the professionals, Malin Akerman Yanina gown had her feeling like taking a spin. The dress had a very risque top and a fringed skirt, which the star could not help but twirl around in. Shake and shimmy: While the Houghs maybe the professionals, Malin Akerman Yanina gown had her feeling like taking a spin Style star: While stylish Rachel Zoe usually wears black, she wowed in blue for the InStyle and Warner Bros. event Flower power: Minka Kelly wore a red and nude floral dress which featured a plunging neckline Trying to incorporate movement on the carpet did not go as well for Emily Ratajkowski. The model attempted to show off more leg in her yellow dress but in doing so left herself completely exposed. But the Blurred Lines star did not seem too concerned that she had flashed her nude colored knickers at the world and continued to smile and pose. Blurred lines needed: Trying to incorporate movement on the carpet did not go as well for Emily Ratajkowski Oh dear! The model attempted to show off more leg in her yellow dress but in doing so left herself completely exposed That's better: Miranda Kerr also wore a similarly sexy look, but manages to avoid a wardrobe malfunction like Emily's White hot: The Australian beauty wore a white strapless dress with a crumb catcher neckline Miranda Kerr also wore a similarly sexy look, but manages to avoid a wardrobe malfunction. The Australian beauty wore a white strapless dress with a crumb catcher neckline. The dress had a thigh high split which the model took advantage of but did not find herself over exposed like Emily. Purple perfection: Lea Michele managed to shine bright without a single sequin, instead glowing in a purple metallic creation by Emanuel Ungaro Scene stealer: The long sleeved dress was a departure from the Glee star's normal style but certainly worked - and made for an eye catching look Balancing act: As the dress was such a statement, Lea kept the rest of her ensemble simple and wore her locks out and straight following the gown's sleek lines Lea Michele managed to shine bright without a single sequin, instead glowing in a purple metallic creation by Emanuel Ungaro. The long sleeved dress was a departure from the Glee star's normal style but certainly worked - and made for an eye catching look. As the dress was such a statement, Lea kept the rest of her ensemble simple and wore her locks out and straight following the gown's sleek lines. That's a winner's smile: Viola Davis' big smile was enough to light up the whole room with the star beaming as she arrived with her Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress Loved up: Viola - who did not change - was joined at the party by her husband Julius Tennon, who gave his wife a big kiss Nice accessory: Tracee Ellis Ross also arrived with her award in hand, which she received for Best Actress In A Comedy Viola Davis' big smile was enough to light up the whole room with the star beaming as she arrived with her Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences. Viola - who did not change - was joined at the party by her husband Julius Tennon, who gave his wife a big kiss. Tracee Ellis Ross also arrived with her award in hand, which she received for Best Actress In A Comedy. Round two: Chrissy Teigen, who arrived with husband John Legend, also changed between the ceremony and the party Sheer madness: The model showed off her post-baby body in a very sheer black dress which had black embroidery over it Couple goals: Husband John certainly though she looked good and could not keep his hands - or lips off her I got this: Helping her too look her best, John fixed up his wife's earring which was not quite sitting right While she turned up with her award, the star had popped up to her hotel room and change quickly into a Seventies-inspired yellow silk dress. Chrissy Teigen, who arrived with husband John Legend, also changed between the ceremony and the party. The model showed off her post-baby body in a very sheer black dress which had black embroidery over it. Belle of the ball: Lilly Collins stayed in her ethereal rose embellished dress for the party Classic: Andrew Garfield went from the awards to Warner Bros. event and stayed in his tux Smart: Golden Globe Eddie Redmayne looked smart in a double breasted suit Stuck with it: Kerry Washington also stayed in her yellow sheer lace dress which highlighted her post-baby figure The dress was so sheer, that the mother of one's underwear was very visible. Husband John certainly though she looked good and could not keep his hands - or lips off her. Helping her too look her best, John fixed up his wife's earring which was not quite sitting right. Skipped the sequins: Sophia Bush who looked fantastic in a black gown that had a sleek straight skirt with a sheer and velvet fabric top Making them green with envy: Hillary Duff also followed suit wearing a strikingly simple green gown that clung to her curves Less is more: Following the less is more theme, the star wore her blonde hair tied back in a sleek ponytail Simply stunning: Maria Menounos was a vision in a white sleep dress which she accessories with a silver clutch Why so blue? Adrianne Palicki highlighted her slender physique in a figure hugging blue dress While sequins were the order of the day, some stars opted for something a little more simple. One of those was Sophia Bush who looked fantastic in a black gown that had a sleek straight skirt with a sheer and velvet fabric top. Hillary Duff also followed suit wearing a strikingly simple green gown that clung to her curves. Young guns: The party not only drew a who is who of the industry, it was also attended by Hollywood's young guns including Paris Jackson Besties since birth: Michael Jackson's daughter also got a chance to party with childhood pal Sofia Richie Doing it her way: Lionel's daughter wore a blue slinky midi dress with a black leather belt to cinch in her tiny waist Up and coming: Actress Nicola Peltz wore a rather bizarre sheer outfit to the party Following the less is more theme, the star wore her blonde hair tied back in a sleek ponytail. The party not only drew a who is who of the industry, it was also attended by Hollywood's young guns including Paris Jackson. Paris got a chance to party with childhood pal Sofia Richie. Asset accentuating: As always, Laverne Cox sizzled wearing a dress with two thigh high splits and sheer sections on her bust Leg's eleven: Zoey Deutch also put on a leggy display in a fashion forward gown with crosses on it Careful there: Australian Shanina Shaik almost showed off more than just her leg in a sheer gown which had flowers and ruffles Lionel's daughter wore a blue slinky midi dress with a black leather belt to cinch in her tiny waist. As always, Laverne Cox sizzled wearing a dress with two thigh high splits and sheer sections on her bust. Zoey Deutch also put on a leggy display in a fashion forward gown with crosses on it. Guests who were not part of the young Hollywood crowd - and were of drinking age - sipped on Perrier-Jouet Belle Epoque champagne at the glamorous event. Gorgeous beauties: Also there were Lucy Hale (L), Emmanuelle Chriqui (M), and Victoria Justice (R) clad in a gown designed by Julea Domani by Zeena Zaki Looking good: Andrew Garfield and Laura Dern posed for a snap Hanging out: Andrew Garfield (L) and Eddie Redmayne caught up at the bash Kooky: Actresses Katherine McNamara and Petra Collins put on kooky fashion displays What a beaut: Actor Sylvester Stallone posed with his daughters Scarlet, Sophia and Sistine 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement They are eagerly anticipating the release of their new series Big Little Lies. And Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman proved they have made a leaping transition from co-stars to pals as they were practically inseparable while hitting the red carpet at the star-studded HBO Golden Globes After Party on Sunday night. The Hollywood sweethearts glided into the bash in a flurry of giggles and girly banter while holding hands and cracking jokes - proving they truly are great pals. Scroll down for video All the stars! Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman proved they have made a leaping transition from co-stars to pals as they were practically inseparable while hitting the red carpet at the star-studded HBO Golden Globes After Party on Sunday night Reese oozed natural beauty in a lemon yellow dress which perfectly offset her all-American good looks, due to its simple style. The plunging gown gathered just beneath the bust before extending into a structured top - perfect for flaunting all her best bits. She gave a flash of her toned and tanned legs through the perilous slash extending the length of her pins to add further detail to the gown. The beautiful star boosted her diminutive height with a pair of staggering satin heels with a dainty ankle strap with coordinated with her gown. Mellow yellow: The Hollywood sweethearts hit the red carpet in a flurry of giggles and girly banter while holding hands and cracking jokes - proving they truly are great pals All smiles! Reese Witherspoon oozed natural beauty in a lemon yellow dress which perfectly offset her all-American good looks, due to its simple style Hold on! The plunging gown gathered just beneath the bust before extending into a structured top - perfect for flaunting all her best bits Look at me! The beautiful star boosted her diminutive height with a pair of staggering satin heels with a dainty ankle strap with coordinated with her gown BFFs: The pals happily arrived at the party hand-in-hand as they flaunted the back of their couture ensembles Injecting a true touch of Hollywood glamour into the look, Reese's neck was draped in heavy diamonds - perfect to make her simple getup pop. She pulled her blonde locks into a simple chignon with an oversized fringe cascading in front of her flawlessly made up face. Nicole meanwhile highlighted her famously willowy figure in a sheer gown with dazzling appliques and a frilled cold shoulder. She styled her flame red locks into a sweeping side style complete with bouncy curls, while her alabaster complexion was flawlessly made-up. Diamond girl: Injecting a true touch of Hollywood glamour into the look, Reese's neck was draped in heavy diamonds - perfect to make her simple getup pop Blonde beauty: She pulled her blonde locks into a simple chignon with an oversized fringe cascading in front of her flawlessly made up face Red hair don't care: Nicole meanwhile highlighted her famously willowy figure in a sheer gown with dazzling appliques and a frilled cold shoulder Hello there! Nicole was joined by her dashing husband Keith Urban at the bash The statuesque star, who was joined by her husband Keith Urban, towered over petite Reese as they posed on the red carpet in their stunning ensembles. Big Little Lies is a comedy-drama miniseries, created by David E. Kelley, and set to launch next month, with fellow stars including Shailene Woodley and Alexander Skarsgard. On the red carpert, the girls grabbed Sarah Jessica Parker for a chat as the group all gathered together for a gossip before posing together. Ever the fashionista, the Sex And The City star pushed the fashion boundaries in a sweeping white gown complete with cold shoulder details and a nipped in waist. Hello there! The girls grabbed Sarah Jessica Parker for a chat as the group all gathered together for a gossip and a chat before posing together Catching up: The girls could not resist a giggle on the red carpet All white? Ever the fashionista, the Sex And The City star pushed the fashion boundaries in a sweeping white gown complete with cold shoulder details and a nipped in waist Chic: Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox looked sensational in a plunging black gown with sheer panels extending along the sides and slashes along her lengthy legs. She boosted her height with staggering heels Orange Is The New Black star Laverne Cox looked sensational in a plunging black gown with sheer panels extending along the sides and slashes along her lengthy legs. She boosted her height with staggering heels. Kerry Washington went for a Fifties style look in a gold gown which skimmed her ankles in length with cap sleeves and a bust-boosting sweetheart neckline. Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood was flying the flag for the androgynous look as she slipped into a stunning Altuzarra Custom tuxedo with a silk white shirt tied with a pussybow Suits you: Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood was flying the flag for the androgynous look as she slipped into a stunning Altuzarra Custom tuxedo with a silk white shirt tied with a pussybow Sensational: The starlet looked sensational in her tailored number at the event Style star: Gwendoline Christie dazzled in a nude Vivienne Westwood gown, which helped make her alabaster complexion glow Cute pair: Eddie Redmayne, looking slick in a tuxedo, grabbed Game Of Thrones star for a snap Happy: The pals were all smiles as they posed for pictures at the event Pals: GoTs actors Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, Gwendoline and Liam Cunningham attended the party together High spirits: The trio seemed in a jovial spirit as they got a quick snap at the party at Circa 55 Restaurant Eddie Redmayne, who looking slick in a tuxedo, grabbed Game Of Thrones star Gwendoline Christie for a snap, as she dazzled in a nude Vivienne Westwood gown, which helped make her alabaster complexion glow. Flying the flag for the Brits was Joan Collins who put her typical glamorous stamp on the evening in an incredibly chic adorned jacket. Charmed star Alyssa Milano put on a busty display in a sizzling plunging gown while her brown locks were styled into a choppy bob. Gorgeous in green: Hilary Duff looked sensational in a green pillar dress What a charmer: Charmed star Alyssa Milano put on a busty display in a sizzling plunging gown while her brown locks were styled into a choppy bob Red hot: Actress Vanessa and Laura Marano matched in red looks for the evening Dazzler: The Night Of star Amara Karan borrowed from the Eighties in style with a huge black bardot neck and a fishtail base Hot mama: Flying the flag for the Brits was Joan Collins who put her typical glamorous stamp on the evening in an incredibly chic adorned jacket Cheeky! Kerry Washinton flashed her knickers from beyond her otherwise prim dress What posers! Kerry happily stopped for a picture with HBO Films President Len Amato Incredible: Yet more red ensembles came from Niecy Nash who wowed in a draped gown with a deep plunging neckline Yet more red ensembles came from Niecy Nash who wowed in a draped gown with a deep plunging neckline while actress Laura Marano oozed glamour in a fishtail gown with a plunging front. The Night Of star Amara Karan borrowed from the Eighties in style with a huge black bardot neck and a fishtail base. Yvette Nicole Brown sizzled in a tight sequinned gown with long sleeves and a slashed neckline while her hair was worn in a voluminous side parting. Flame haired French beauty Isabelle Huppert wore a stunning cornflower blue two-piece with a dazzling top and long pillar skirt Leading the men was Bryan Cranston who looked incredibly slick in a tuxedo with a trendy beard. French fancy: Flame haired French beauty Isabelle Huppert wore a stunning cornflower blue two-piece with a dazzling top and long pillar skirt Texture: Malin Akerman and Christina Ricci sizzled at the event in textured numbers Going for gold: Gymnasts Aly Raisman and Simone Biles attended the exclusive bash in style Lilac style: Actress Angela Sarafyan and Canadian TV presenter Keltie Knight worked simple lilac numbers Three musketeers: Actors Angela Sarafyan, Luke and Samantha Hemsworth (L-R) stopped for a quick photo together Monochrome muses: Actresses Lisa Rinna and Lea Thompson worked monochrome looks for the event Perfect pair: Actress Joan posed for pictures alongside Percy Gibson What a pair: Actress Rachel Bloom and Dan Gregor cuddled up at the glitzy bash HBO hello! Leading the men was Bryan Cranston who looked incredibly slick in a tuxedo with a trendy beard What a duo: Acting brothers Chris and Luke Hemsworth looked slick at the event Golden pair: Luke was joined by his wife Samantha Hemsworth at the bash in a 1920's inspired look Dapper: The Big Lebowski star John Turturro sported a dapper tux for the evening 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - TELEVISION Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Sarah Paulson, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER Felicity Huffman, American Crime (ABC) Kerry Washington, Confirmation (HBO) Riley Keough, The Girlfriend Experience (Starz) Charlotte Rampling, London Spy (BBC America) Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Courtney B. Vance, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Riz Ahmed, The Night Of (HBO) John Turturro, The Night Of (HBO) Tom Hiddleston, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Bryan Cranston, All the Way (HBO) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Drama Winona Ryder, Stranger Things (Netflix) Claire Foy, The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Evan Rachel Wood, Westworld (HBO) Caitriona Balfe, Outlander (Starz) Keri Russell, The Americans (FX) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Drama Rami Malek, Mr. Robot (USA) Matthew Rhys, The Americans (FX) Bob Odenkirk, Better Call Saul (AMC) Billy Bob Thornton, Goliath (Amazon) - WINNER Liev Schreiber, Ray Donovan (Showtime) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Donald Glover, Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Anthony Anderson, Black-ish (ABC) Jeffrey Tambor, Transparent (Amazon) Nick Nolte, Graves (Epix) Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series Musical or Comedy Julia Louis-Dreyfuss, Veep (HBO) Issa Rae, Insecure (HBO) Rachel Bloom, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (CW) Gina Rodriguez, Jane the Virgin (CW) Tracee Ellis Ross, Black-ish (ABC) - WINNER Sarah Jessica Parker, Divorce (HBO Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Olivia Colman, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER Chrissy Metz, This Is Us (NBC) Lena Headey, Game of Thrones (HBO) Mandy Moore, This Is Us (NBC) Thandie Newton, Westworld (HBO) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Limited Series or Motion Picture made for Television Sterling K. Brown, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) John Travolta, The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) Hugh Laurie, The Night Manager (AMC) - WINNER John Lithgow, The Crown (Netflix) Christian Slater, Mr. Robot (USA) Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story (FX) - WINNER The Night Manager (AMC) The Night Of (HBO) The Dresser (Starz) American Crime (ABC) Best Television Series - Musical or Comedy Transparent (Amazon) Atlanta (FX) - WINNER Veep (HBO) Black-ish (ABC) Mozart in the Jungle (Amazon) Best Television Series - Drama Game of Thrones (HBO) Stranger Things (Netflix) The Crown (Netflix) - WINNER Westworld (HBO) This Is Us (NBC) Advertisement While many women are still vying for a kiss with Ryan Reynolds, Susanna Reid was busy explaining why the actor locked lips with Andrew Garfield at Sunday night's Golden Globes. Piers Morgan called the stolen moment - caught on camera as Ryan Gosling collected the Best Actor award that the moviestars both wanted - 'a bit odd' during a humorous exchange about the awards ceremony on Monday's Good Morning Britain. And Susanna was quick to remind the breakfast TV presenter that Ryan was happily married, convincing Piers that he was wrong about the 'proper tongue job'. Scroll down for video Having fun! Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan disagreed about the meaning of Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield's kiss on the lips in the audience of the Golden Globes on Sunday Speaking to GMB's showbiz correspondent Ross King, Piers said: 'Erm, the pictures of Ryan Reynolds full on kissing some guy in the audience... proper tongue job.' Laughing, Kate Garraway quickly interjected: 'That's a bit much for this time of the morning!' 'I'm just saying, that it happened,' Piers continued. 'And it was a bit odd... What's going on there, Ryan?' 'Ryan Reynolds by the way, is married to Blake Lively,' explained Susanna, as they clashed on the meaning of the kiss. A bit odd? Piers called the exchange a little bit odd, but insisted he wasn't questionning Ryan's sexuality by pointing it out Another diagreement: Piers (left) and Susanna (right) came to blows again when he called the kiss a little odd and she had to explain that Ryan was happily married 'I'm not saying anything,' Piers justified. 'I'm not questionning his sexuality. I'm just saying he kissed a guy in the audience, with tongues - it's not what you'd expect Ryan Reynolds to do.' Spiderman actor Andrew seized the moment to plant a kiss on Hacksaw Ridge star Ryan's lips as they watched his competitor collect an award, while seated in the audience. Luckily Reynold's wife Blake saw the funny side too, and she was seen looking on and laughing at the prank alongside others at the table. They are seen clutching each other's heads on the passionate moment, during the notoriously booze-fuelled event. Having a laugh: Susanna and Piers were having an exchange with showbiz correspondent Ross King, who was at the Los Angeles event Consolation: The Hollywood actors were seen in the background (left) while Ryan Gosling (right) beat Garfield to the Best Actor gong Andrew had lost out on the gong to Gosling, who starred alongside Emma Stone - the Spider-Man star's on-off girlfriend for four years. Musical La La Land, indie grief drama Manchester by the Sea, and black coming-of-age film Moonlight are leading the awards buzz in a season that has been dominated by escapist fantasy and gritty drama in equal measure. La La Land swept the board as it picked up a record-breaking seven Golden Globe gongs. Missed out! Andrew was at the awards nominated for Hacksaw Ridge, but he sought consolation in Ryan By the way, he's married: Susanna had to remind Piers that Ryan is married to the gorgous Blake Lively, who was seen laughing at the kiss Cheers! Ryan was heading to the stage to accept his best actor gong when the awkward moment happened Cosy! Reynolds also presented an award with Andrew's ex Emma Stone 2017 GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS WINNERS - FILM Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Drama Amy Adams (Arrival) Jessica Chastain (Miss Sloane) Ruth Negga (Loving) Natalie Portman (Jackie) Isabelle Huppert (Elle) - WINNER Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Drama Casey Affleck (Manchester By The Sea) - WINNER Joel Edgerton (Loving) Andrew Garfield (Hacksaw Ridge) Viggo Mortensen (Captain Fantastic) Denzel Washington (Fences) Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Colin Farrell (The Lobster) Ryan Gosling (La La Land) - WINNER Hugh Grant (Florence Foster Jenkins) Jonah Hill (War Dogs) Ryan Reynolds (Deadpool) Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy Annette Bening (20th Century Women) Lily Collins (Rules Don't Apply) Hailee Steinfeld (The Edge of Seventeen) Emma Stone (La La Land) - WINNER Meryl Streep (Florence Foster Jenkins) Best Screenplay Motion Picture La La Land - WINNER Nocturnal Animals Moonlight Manchester By The Sea Hell or High Water Best Original Song Motion Picture Cant Stop The Feeling, Trolls City of Stars, La La Land - WINNER Faith, Sing Gold, SIng How Far Ill Go, Moana Best Motion Picture - Drama Hacksaw Ridge Hell or High Water Lion Manchester By The Sea Moonlight - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy 20th Century Women Deadpool Sing Street Florence Foster Jenkins La La Land - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Animated Kubo and the Two Strings Moana My Life as a Zucchini Sing Zootopia - WINNER Best Motion Picture - Foreign Language Divines Elle - WINNER Neruda The Salesman Toni Erdmann Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Viola Davis (Fences) - WINNER Naomie Harris (Moonlight) Nicole Kidman (Lion) Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures) Michelle Williams (Manchester by the Sea) Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture Jeff Bridges (To Hell and High Water) Simon Helberg (Florence Foster Jenkins) Dev Patel (Lion) Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) - WINNER Mahershala Ali (Moonlight) Best Director Motion Picture Damien Chazelle (La La Land) - WINNER Tom Ford (Nocturnal Animals) Mel Gibson (Hacksaw Ridge) Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Kenneth Lonergan (Manchester By The Sea) Best Original Score Motion Picture Moonlight La La Land - WINNER Arrival Lion Hidden Figures Advertisement She's been busy taking care of the newest member her family. And Sally Obermeder, can't stop gushing over her surrogate-born daughter after arriving home from the U.S. just days ago. The Daily Edition host has taken to Instagram to share a short and cute Boomerang video of herself holding Elyssa Rose. Scroll down for video Sweet: Sally Obermeder traveled to snowy Wisconsin in the US in December with her daughter and sister to welcome her baby girl via surrogate In the clip, the mum holds her precious little newborn close to her chest and is seen kissing her on her head. Wearing dark sunglasses, a flowy, white dress with strappy detailing along the arms, Sally sways side to side as the baby sleeps. The mother-of-two simply captioned her heartwarming video with: 'sway'. Daddy's girl: Soon after arriving home, the mother-of-two took to Instagram to share a sweet picture of her husband Marcus with their newborn daughter Elyssa Rose Happy: The Daily Edition host took to Instagram to share a sweet video of herself holding her baby Her sweet video was well received by her followers who congratulated her on her second time at being a mother, following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2011. One commented: 'Nothing more divine than a bundle like that.' Another wrote: 'Just gorgeous, its magical feeling.' Bonding: Her social media followers congratulated her on her second time at being a mother, following her breast cancer diagnosis in 2011 In December, Sally traveled to snowy Wisconsin in the US with her daughter and sister Maha Koraiem to welcome her baby girl via surrogate. After spending some time in New York, the family flew to warm and sunny Hawaii, where they caught up with friend and PR queen Roxy Jacenko, who is also on holiday with her children Pixie and Hunter. Sally, her husband Marcus and their two daughters have been enjoying quality family time together. She's the woman behind the glitz and glam of Australia's favourite dating show, The Bachelor. And celebrity stylist Anne Stringer has revealed what it's like to work behind-the-scenes on the Channel 10 show, telling TV Week that it's not always an easy feat to get contestants camera ready. 'There have been times when I've had to sew a few people into dresses, as the zips had burst,' she told the publication in a candid interview this week. Scroll down for video 'There have been times when I've had to sew a few people into dresses': elebrity stylist Anne Stringer has revealed what it's like to work behind-the-scenes on The Bachelor 'There was also one moment where I wasn't able to get a dress off someone's hips, as the heat made her swell. The dress was stuck until she cooled down,' she added. Last year, Anne revealed to the Sydney Morning Herald that one mystery contestant coolly requested to wear an extremely pricey gown by couturier J'Aton, when asked what she'd like to wear on the show. J'Aton gowns can retail for up to $40,000 - a price incompatible with the show's lower production cost restrictions. Style maven: Over the past few years, Anne (pictured) has dressed the likes of Sam Frost, Anna Heinrich and Snezana Markoski, all of whom have gone on to become style icons in Australia following the show 'There was also one moment where I wasn't able to get a dress off someone's hips': Anne recounted an incident where a contestant's hips swelled up due to hot temperatures Glam girls: While it's unclear just which one of the beautiful Bachelorettes made the expensive request, there are several fashion-forward ladies who appear to have a taste for luxury Fashionistas: Keira Maguire (pictured) and Olena Khamula caught the eye of viewers with their striking style selections, while Alex Nation became known for her diva-like behaviour during filming 'One girl this year said she wanted something by J'Aton, that hasn't happened yet but hopefully in future seasons,' Anne revealed to the publication. While it's unclear just which one of the beautiful Bachelorettes made the expensive request, there are several fashion-forward ladies who appear to have a taste for luxury. Keira Maguire and Olena Khamula caught the eye of viewers with their striking style selections, while Alex Nation became known for her diva-like behaviour during filming. Coming soon! Now, Anne is gearing up to style the bubbly comedian Julia Morris in head-turning ensembles for her upcoming appearance hosting I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here Over the past few years, Anne has dressed the likes of Sam Frost, Anna Heinrich and Snezana Markoski, all of whom have gone on to become style icons in Australia following the show. Now, Anne is gearing up to style the bubbly comedian Julia Morris in head-turning ensembles for her upcoming appearance hosting I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. Julia is known to wear rather impractical and extravagant gowns while hosting the show, despite the rugged jungle landscape of its setting. She lost millions of pounds worth of jewellery during a harrowing armed robbery in Paris on October 3. And Kim Kardashian, 36, has continued to tone down how she displays her wealth following the shock incident. Used to wearing diamonds totalling up to $4million dollars, the reality star, who lost a 3.5m ring in raid was spotted wearing a $500 gold 'Calabasas' necklace in a new Snapchat video. All change: Kim Kardashian swapped her million dollar jewels for a $500 custom necklace following the armed robbery in October in Paris - 16 people were arrested by police on Monday The news comes after reports claim French police have arrested 16 people over the Paris robbery in which Kim was held at gunpoint. TMZ report that Kim vowed after her robbery in early October she would lose the expensive jewellery for good. They write that her latest necklace is a custom piece from XIV Karats, which sells in the $500 range. Bling: Kim posted this image of the 3.5m ring that was stolen on Instagram before the horrific robbery While it is still rather pricey, it is nowhere near in the league of her seven figure pieces. The site also reports that Kims stylist picked up the piece during the holidays, and Kanye also made the trip and scored some zodiac signs which he gifted to friends. On Monday, French police swooped on a gang of veteran armed robbers suspected of stealing millions of pounds worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian in Paris. Coordinated raids at 6am saw a total of 16 men including a 'major thug' arrested in the city, and also in the south of France. They are mainly in the age range 50 to 72, and most have long criminal records, said a source close to the case. All are accused of breaking into the reality TV star's Paris apartment block last October, and tying her up at gunpoint, along with a security guard. Reality star Kim, 36, was woken at 2.35am on October 3 as she slept in her luxury Paris apartment Ms Kardashian feared 'they're going to shoot me in the back,' she said this weekend, adding: 'There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it.' After months of detailed police work, DNA has now been found in the Hotel de Pourtales also known as 'No Address', which is close to the U.S. Embassy in the French capital. The forensics material matches that of a well-known armed robber with a number of convictions whom another officer described as a 'major thug'. All the others arrested were linked to him. 'Coordinated raids took place at 6am today,' said the source. 'The men were arrested at addresses in greater Paris and in the Gard department. 'The oldest supect is 72, while others are in their 50s and 60s. All are well known to the police.' Ms Kardashian, who flew out of Paris within hours of her ordeal, will now have to undergo the ordeal of watching a video of all the men. French police have arrested 16 people over the robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris, it has emerged It is being sent to New York, where she will have to watch it with American officers working with the French. 'The hope is that she will be able to recognise the men, so as to make positive identifications,' said the source. Ms Kardashian, was tied up and locked a bathroom as the gang fled with jewellery including a ring worth around four million pound, and a case of jewellery worth five million The 36-year-old, who is married to rap star Kanye West, finally broke her silence about the incident on 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' at the weekend. The gang escaped on bicycles but one of them dropped a diamond pendant worth around 28,000s in the street outside. The multimillionaire, who was in the French capital for Paris Fashion Week, was locked in a bathroom while robbers stole a $4.5 million ring and a case of jewellery valued at $5.6 million It was found by a woman who handed it in to police, as grainy CCTV of the men on bikes also emerged. Ms Kardashian also lodged a legal complaint after she was filmed at the flat immediately after the robbery possibly by an aide. Her lawyers said in October the video was made 'without her consent or the police's and while the police were investigating the crime scene'. Ms Kardashian has, meanwhile, said she is prepared to return to France if summoned by a judge leading the investigation. Jean Veil, the barrister acting for her in Paris, said last year that 'she is very calm and very determined over a matter that was particularly violent'. Mr Veil said: 'If she is summoned to France, she will come to France, but judges also have the possibility of moving [to the USA]. This is a formal process, which cannot be done on the phone, or even via a video link.' The five men thought to have been directly involved in the attack face charges of 'armed robbery by an organised gang, criminal conspiracy and kidnapping'. It is undoubtedly the gift that keeps on giving. And LOVE Magazine's saucy calendar certainly delivered in its newest installment as Paris Hilton was the latest star to strip down to practically nothing as she cavorted around with puppies in the video. The 35-year-old socialite-turned-DJ looked sensational as she stripped down to various states of undress while playing around with her puppies. Paris, who is 'mom' to a selection of small breed dogs including Pomeranians, Mini Pinschers and Teacup Yorkies and Chihuahuas, managed to combine a saucy shoot with her beloved animals. As she larked around in a room brightly lit in her favourite colour - pink - she picked up the many dogs running around her ankles during the shoot. Initially the heiress to the Hilton hotel brand, posed in a bra and a full-bodied prom skirt, which was in fact the backdrop to the entire shoot. She later ramped up the sex appeal even further when she slipped into a black sequinned body suit with racy cut-outs at the side. Hello Miss Hilton! LOVE Magazine's saucy calendar certainly delivered in its newest installment as Paris Hilton was the latest star to strip down to practically nothing as she cavorted around with puppies in her video Chic: The 35-year-old socialite-turned-DJ looked sensational as she stripped down to various states of undress while playing around with her puppies Her babies: Paris, who is 'mom' to a selection of small breed dogs including Pomeranians, Mini Pinschers and Teacup Yorkies and Chihuahuas, managed to combine a saucy shoot with her beloved animals Her blonde tresses were flawlessly styled into bouncy waves cascading over her shoulders while her make-up was expertly applied. A projection behind her showed videos of a number of dogs, including an image which appeared to show her beloved chihuahua Tinkerbell, who sadly passed away in 2015. With her love of selfies, there was no doubt Paris knew exactly how to twist and turn to capture all her best angles. Back in June, Paris documented a visit to her dogs' mini mansion on social media, as she houses her beloved pooches in a two-story white Italian-style residence complete with a tile roof and wrought iron railings on an upper outdoor balcony. Working it! With her love of selfies and self-imagery, there was no doubt Paris knew exactly how to twist and turn to capture all her best angles Blonde ambition: Her blonde tresses were flawlessly styled into bouncy waves cascading over her shoulders while her make-up was expertly applied Proud mama: Back in June, Paris documented a visit to her dogs' mini mansion on social media, as she houses her beloved pooches in a two-story white Italian-style residence complete with a tile roof and wrought iron railings on an upper outdoor balcony Picking things up: As she larked around in a room brightly lit in her favourite colour - pink - she picked up the many dogs running around her ankles during the shoot The dog house, in fact, is a smaller version of the kinds of splendid homes found on the palm tree-lined streets of Beverly Hills. Inside the lucky pups have beds, feeding stations, air conditioning and heating while outside they enjoy the run of their own personal fenced-in lawn complete with a tree for their toilet needs. A staircase leads from the ground floor to the upper floor that has a wrought-iron balustrade and the interior is decorated with bright pink paint and features a chandelier. The property, that looks to stand about twelve feet high, also has several windows and outdoor light fixtures. Lucy puppies! The dog house, in fact, is a smaller version of the kinds of splendid homes found on the palm tree-lined streets of Beverly Hills The good days: A projection behind her showed videos of a number of dogs, including an image which appeared to show her beloved chihuahua Tinkerbell, who sadly passed away in 2015 She became an international sensation after placing second in the 2016 Eurovision Song contest. And now Dami Im is set to represent Australia again, performing at the Opera House on Australia Day. Talking to Channel Ten's The Project on Monday, the singing sensation told the panel 'It's an honour'. Honoured:Dami Im is set to represent Australia again, performing at the Opera House on Australia Day. Talking to Channel Ten's The Project on Monday, the singing sensation told the panel 'It's an honour'. The 2013 X-Factor winner stated that she was excited to perform at the concert, given its outstanding line-up. 'Guy Sebastian, Tina Arena, myself', the star joked as she named the list of performers. The blockbuster event will be hosted by Kerri-Anne Kennerley. Excited: The 2013 X-Factor winner stated that she was excited to perform at the concert, given its outstanding line-up. Speaking about what Australia Day means to her, the Brisbane based star said she believes the national holiday is a day to 'celebrate great things Aussies have- from the beautiful beaches to the diversity'. The South-Korean born songstress also revealed to the news program that she will be heading to London for the first time to perform at an Australia Day event in the UK capital. Co-host Peter Helliar asked Dami what she was going to teach the Brits. Diverse: Speaking about what Australia Day means to her, the Brisbane based star said she believes the national holiday is a day to 'celebrate great things Aussies have - from the beautiful beaches to the diversity' 'I'll teach them that we're just better,' she laughed. Dami has cemented herself as one of the country's biggest stars, recently appearing at the much loved Carols in the Domain event. Carols in the Domain: The star shared snaps from backstage at the event with Australian Idol alumni Shannon Noll and Jessica Mauboy. The star shared snaps from backstage at the event with Australian Idol alumni Shannon Noll and Jessica Mauboy. And Dami still stays close to her X Factor mentor, Danni Minogue, with the pair recently spotted having lunch together. She shot to fame on Big Brother before reinventing herself as a digital influencer, spruiking products on Instagram and penning blogs about her sponsored travels. And on Sunday, Tully Smyth took a break from her busy schedule by sharing a relaxing selfie from her pool. However, the 29-year-old looked a little different than usual, sporting a slightly plumper pout than fans are used to seeing. Scroll down for video The perfect pout! Tully Smyth showed off her plumper lips in a selfie (left) on Sunday 'Have lived in this pool, in this bikini and hat all week,' wrote the social media star. She added: 'And I couldn't be happier!' The blonde beauty currently lives in Melbourne, after leaving her previous life as an Eastern Suburbs Sydney socialite behind. 'Have lived in this pool, in this bikini and hat all week,' the social media star wrote That's quite the change! Tully's lips looked noticeably thinner in some older photos The outgoing blogger has previously been slammed by former Big Brother co-star Tim Dormer for her lifestyle. ' We come from the same suburb in Sydney and she represents everything that I don't like about Sydney and that socialite scene,' he told The Fix. 'She's seen at every red carpet there is, except for the Logies... did you Tully?' he sniped. Living the good life! Tully loves to spend time outside in her beautiful pool Tim even went as far as to slam Tully's livelihood as an Instagram sensation. 'I'm trying to get a real job and build a career, I don't really sell myself on Instagram,' said Tim, who later went on to star on The Celebrity Apprentice and Canadian Big Brother. He added: 'A lot of my friends have said they follow [Instagram celebs], but it's not because they admire them, it's almost this trainwreck thing...'. She has never been shy of flaunting the highs and lows of her love life. And Vicky Pattison is showing no signs of changing her habits as she enjoyed a very steamy kiss with her rekindled flame John Noble during a trip to London's swanky Sexy Fish eatery on Saturday night. The 29-year-old former Geordie Shore star looked overjoyed to be spending the evening with her hunky beau, who she dubbed the love of her life and the only man she's ever loved - despite formerly being engaged to be married. Scroll down for video All too public! Vicky Pattison enjoyed a very steamy kiss with her rekindled flame John Noble during a trip to London's swanky Sexy Fish eatery on Saturday night Vicky was dressed-to-impress her man for their evening on the town as she slipped into a sophisticated monochrome ensemble comprising of a sizzling dress and chic trench coat. Her slinky black dress was sleeveless - helping flaunt her toned and tanned arms, with her lingering sun-kissed look lasting from her recent working trip to Australia, where she was presenting the I'm A Celeb sister show Extra Camp. Before stripping down to fewer clothes inside, the brunette beauty wore a stylish waterfall trench coat to combat the blistering January chill. She boosted her height with strappy gold sandals, which complemented her envy-inducing Yves Saint Laurent clutch bag - one of her favoured accessories. Beaming: The 29-year-old former Geordie Shore star looked overjoyed to be spending the evening with her hunky beau, who she dubbed the love of her life and the only man she's ever loved - despite formerly being engaged to be married Hold me close: Vicky was dressed-to-impress her man for their evening on the town as she slipped into a sophisticated monochrome ensemble comprising of a sizzling dress and chic trench coat Keeping her beauty regimen as sophisticated as her ensemble, Vicky pulled her chestnut locks into an elegant chignon with a delicate centre parting allowing tendrils to frame her face. In true Geordie girl style, her make-up was generously yet flawlessly applied as she gave a nod to the contouring trend with lashings of highlighter and bronzer. John meanwhile neared nailing the smart gentleman look, yet fell short when he opted to leave his shirt untucked from beneath his preppy V-neck jumper. Happier than ever: Keeping her beauty regimen as sophisticated as her ensemble, Vicky pulled her chestnut locks into an elegant chignon with a delicate centre parting allowing tendrils to frame her face Loved up: Vicky has been littering her social media with pictures of the couple ever since they rekindled their flame late last year, after an unspecified romance in the past What's meant to be... In her romantic gushings, the Newcastle-native has written: ' What's meant to be will always find a way...', '(He is) the love of my life..' and also branding John 'the only man I have ever loved...' He did however match his stunning girlfriend in opting for a trench coat for their stylish night on the town at the popular restaurant. Vicky has been littering her social media with pictures of the couple ever since they rekindled their flame late last year, after an unspecified romance in the past. In her romantic gushings, the Newcastle-native has written: ' What's meant to be will always find a way...', '(He is) the love of my life..' and also branding John 'the only man I have ever loved...' Come here! The brunette beauty's love life has cut a chequered story since she first soared to fame on Geordie Shore five years ago, where she dated Jay Gardner in the inaugural series, before departing the show in the ninth season in 2013 No love lost: The most prominent of her love stories was undoubtedly her engagement to co-star Ricci Guarnaccio, who she met in the second season while in the midst of another relationship, although she cut off the romance to start dating Ricci The brunette beauty's love life has cut a chequered story since she first soared to fame on Geordie Shore five years ago, where she dated Jay Gardner in the inaugural series, before departing the show in the ninth season in 2013. The most prominent of her love stories was undoubtedly her engagement to co-star Ricci Guarnaccio, who she met in the second season while in the midst of another relationship, although she cut off the romance to start dating Ricci. The handsome star popped the question to Vicky via sky-writing during the third season which was filmed in Cancun, although their relationship came to an explosive close shortly after with accusations of bad behaviour coming from both sides. Mistakes! Following the demise of her relationship, she went on to appear on series one of Ex On The Beach where she became intimate with co-star Ross Worswick yet later lamented the romp Oh dear... Her relationship with CBB winner Stephen Bear kicked off during the third season of Ex On The Beach although the pair later split in an acrimonious break-up Following the demise of her relationship, she went on to appear on series one of Ex On The Beach where she became intimate with co-star Ross Worswick yet later lamented the romp. Her relationship with CBB winner Stephen Bear kicked off during the third season of Ex On The Beach although the pair later split in an acrimonious break-up. Since then Vicky has been linked to Mario Falcone and Alex Cannon although the relationships have never been confirmed. It was just three years ago that Kaley Cuoco was smitten with new husband Ryan Sweeting at the Warner Bros. Pictures Golden Globes afterparty. But The Big Bang Theory actress was flaunting her new love with Karl Cook at the same bash on Sunday night. Breaking into spontaneous laughter, the 31-year-old was looking happier than ever with her new man. Scroll down for video Cute couple: Kaley Cuoco and her boyfriend Karl Cook looked like a cute pair at the Warner Bros. Pictures and InStyle Golden Globes party in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday Kaley was turning heads at the InStyle bash, by combining lots of sequins and lots of cleavage. The neckline scooped right down to her waistband for an eye-popping display, which she softened with some relaxed, blonde curls to frame her face. The star - who was styled by Mr. Fashion Police himself Brad Goreski and Daniela Viviana Romero - wore stunning silver. Shinning stars: Kaley shone in a plunging silver gown at the afterparty Handsome pair: The Big Bang Theory actress brought her boyfriend Karl on her arm The cap sleeve dress was covered in sliver beading which was applied in lines created by different shaped beads on a nude fabric. With the gown - and her cleavage - stealing all the spotlight, she kept the rest of her look simple accessorising with a silver clutch and little in the way of jewels. Boyfriend Karl complemented her in a subtly patterned suit, but contrasted her colour scheme with a purple bow. The couple have been inseparable ever since meeting at a horse show in 2016, even spending Christmas together in New Zealand. Cute twosome: She smiled sweetly as he wrapped an arm around her middle Cheesy grin: The duo made the perfect match, even if they didn't coordinate their outfits Kaley announced her separation from ex-husband Ryan in September 2015, after just 21 months of marriage. Thanks to her prenup, the 30-year-old beauty will be allowed to keep her $72m Big Bang Theory fortune. The couple wed on Dec. 31, 2013, three months after getting engaged. Karl, 25, is the son of billionaire businessman and Intuit software co-founder, Scott Cook. Can't miss her: Kaley certainly ensured all eyes were on her by combining lots of sequins and lots of cleavage How low can she go: Kaley's dress had a deep plunging V almost to her midsection, so a significant portion of the 31-year-old's chest was on display She's had a festive season to remember after holidaying in Barbados and an undisclosed ski resort. But it was back to work for Holly Willoughby on Monday as she reunited with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield. The blonde beauty, 35, wore an animal print jumper tucked into a knee-length black leather skirt. Scroll down for video Wild side: It was back to work for Holly Willoughby on Monday as she reunited with her This Morning co-host Phillip Schofield following her Christmas getaways She looked refreshed and happy to be back, standing beside Phil with a pearly white smile on her face. Her golden tresses fell in loose waves from a middle parting, and she sported pale pink lipstick and minimal eye makeup. Holly's return went incident free, which is more than can be said for showbiz correspondent Rylan Clark-Neal who was forced to present his segment from the back of a taxi due to the tube strike. Welcome back: The blonde beauty, 35, wore an animal print jumper tucked into a knee-length black leather skirt Lucky: Holly had a festive season to remember after holidaying in Barbados and an undisclosed ski resort He pre-warned his Twitter followers while documenting his transport woes, writing: 'LONDON IS CLOSED MATE.' He followed it with: 'I'm gonna have to do @thismorning from the car...... genuinely' Before adding: 'No tube strike gonna stop a bit of @thismorning gossip ! #InTheCab.' Being their typically playful selves, Holly and Phil took the opportunity to tease their colleague, replacing him on the studio sofa with a bearded doll. Pretty as a picture: Her golden tresses fell in loose waves from a middle parting, and she sported pale pink lipstick and minimal eye makeup The show must go on: Rylan Clark-Neal was forced to present his showbiz segment from the back of a taxi due to the tube strike Can't stop him: Rylan was determined to do his piece Filling in: Rylan joked that he'd sent a doll as his representative, before professionally continuing with his improvised slot Addressing the toy, Holly said: 'Did you have something done over Christmas? You look kind of different to me.' Rylan then joked that he'd sent the doll as his representative, before professionally continuing with his improvised slot. During her time away, Holly was pictured enjoying time with her husband Dan, 40, and their three children Belle, seven, Chester, five, and Harry, two. The family regularly hit the beach in the tropical paradise which was worlds apart from their time on the slopes. For the past year there have been reports this longtime couple has been experiencing marriage troubles. But on Sunday evening at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Jimmy Fallon, 42, and spouse Nancy Juvonen, 49, looked perfectly in sync. The blonde best friend of Drew Barrymore stunned in a black dress as she posed with her husband of nearly a decade on the red carpet. Still hot for each other: Jimmy Fallon, 42, and spouse Nancy Juvonen, 49, look perfectly in sync at the Golden Globes on Sunday Celebrating: After his hosting duties, the star took his better half to an after party at Madeo in West Hollywood The talk show king and the Flower Films producer held hands as they flashed megawatt smiles. And though she is a behind-the-scenes gal, Juvonen looked like a movie star in her one-shoulder black dress with a high slit and perfectly coiffed blonde mane. Black platform peep-toe heels were on trend and flashed a cute red pedicure. The early years: The producer and the funnyman at the Music And Lyrics premiere in 2007 Fallon stuck to an elegant tux. The power duo wed in 2007 after being introduced by Barrymore, who worked with the funnyman on 2005's Fever Pitch. They have two children: Winnie and Frances. The two have been accused of nearly breaking up several times in the past few years. Before they wed: Nancy by Jimmy's side in 2006 at a Golden Globes bash The rumours began in 2015 when there were reports he was drinking too much. 'It's gone from being a whisper to a chatter,' an insider told the New York Post. The report was prompted by injuries he received. He was rushed to hospital after nearly severing a finger when he caught his wedding ring on a table corner during a freak fall at home. He had been seen the evening before dining at Italian restaurant Scalinatella in the Upper East Side, sipping wine and posing for photos with fans. Daddy: The power duo wed in 2007 after being introduced by Barrymore, who worked with the funnyman on 2005's Fever Pitch. They have two children: Winnie and Frances The comedian was forced to undergo surgery to save his finger, and spent 10 days in intensive car, forcing The Tonight Show to go on a two-week hiatus. He later shared a photo of his cast on Twitter, writing: 'Tripped and caught my fall (good thing)! Ring caught on side of table almost ripped my finger off (bad thing)'. The funnyman lamented that he was 'tweeting with one hand', also adding that he was 'drugged' and 'blessed'. Fallon then chipped his tooth while trying to tend to his injured finger eight weeks later. On a roll: The star took a dig at President elect Donald Trump in his intro He later posted a selfie to Instagram of his trip to the dentist for an emergency procedure to fix his smile. 'Chipped front tooth trying to open tube of scar tissue repair gel for recovering finger injury. Thank you Dr. Jobe DDS! #BestSummerEver,' he wrote with a sarcastic nod to his June finger injury. In the most recent injury, the accident-prone TV host had been celebrating at a party in his honor, after he was awarded The National Lampoon Elmer Award for Excellence in Humor by Harvard University's legendary comedy magazine. Clean fun: There was dancing in his skit that won raves A fan who caught Jimmy's tumble posted video to Instagram. The grainy party footage sees the comedian holding a beer as he greets fans lined up outside the venue waiting to get inside. When he turned away, the comedian stumbled over a woman who was bent down, and fell to the ground, causing a nearby police officer to rush to his aid. He was rushed to Massachusetts General Hospital, but soon returned to the Cambridge event, where Instagram photos showed he continued partying with his hand wrapped in bandages. As recently as August, US OK! magazine added he was still fighting to save his marriage. She's the red carpet regular with a wardrobe envied by women across the globe. And actress Nicky Whelan, 35, wasn't afraid to flex her sartorial muscles this Monday as she posed on the Golden Globes after party red carpet in a head-turning, blue St. John's gown. Showcasing a generous glimpse of cleavage in the plunging number, the blonde beauty completed her look with a silver clutch bag and a pair of drop earrings. Busty in blue: Nicky Whelan, 35, wasn't afraid to flex her sartorial muscles this Monday as she posed on the Golden Globes after party red carpet in a head-turning, blue St. John's gown Nicky wore her hair in a voluminous up-style parted on the side, while accentuating her lips with a pop of pink lipstick. At one stage, she was joined in front of the media wall by her fiance Kerry Rhodes, who looked dapper in a grey suit with pointed black lapels and a black bow-tie. Nicky has been enjoying a blossoming career in Hollywood since moving to the States ten years ago. Chic: Showcasing a generous glimpse of cleavage in the plunging number, the blonde beauty completed her look with a silver clutch bag and a pair of drop earrings She found fame in her home country between 2006 and 2007 as the character of Pepper Steiger in the hit Australian soap Neighbours. She then starred as an Australian medical student named Maya in the hit comedy series Scrubs from 2009 to 2010. The personality - who was once engaged to American actor Chad Michael Murray - announced her engagement to Kerry in an Instagram post in February. Pretty in pink: Nicky wore her hair in a voluminous up-style parted on the side, while accentuating her lips with a pop of pink lipstick Speaking to Playboy, the Rebirth star admitted she and Kerry were in no rush to walk down the aisle, saying: 'Im just enjoying being engaged.' The show-woman also confirmed the couple had not set a date for their upcoming wedding. 'Getting married is a whole new experience for me, and I have no idea what to do!' she confessed. Here comes her man! At one stage, she was joined in front of the media wall by her fiance Kerry Rhodes, who looked dapper in a grey suit with pointed black lapels and a black bow-tie Kate Hudson showed up at a Golden Globes after party on Sunday evening. The 37-year-old blonde Almost Famous star flashed her chest in a racy gold lace dress as she made her way into the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood before midnight. The mother-of-two has been linked for months to Brad Pitt, 53, who received cheers from a room full of A listers when he presented the film Moonlight at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Party on KH! Kate Hudson flashed her chest as she headed to a Golden Globe party at the Sunset Tower Hotel in West Hollywood on Sunday Always a class act: The blonde wore her hair up, showing off diamond earrings, while on her finger she wore a chunky Sylva & Cie ring The gown was made of gold lace and had a cut out on the side as well as a large keyhole in the front, flashing her chest. The blonde wore her hair up, showing off diamond earrings. The ex of Muse rocker Matt Bellamy held into a black clutch. Loved: The mother-of-two has been linked for months to Brad Pitt, who received cheers when he presented the film Moonlight at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards Thinner: The actor looked slimmer in his tux as he took to the stage solo The movie star may have been at the party to meet up with Pitt, who split from Angelina Jolie, 41, in September. It is not known if the Troy actor hit the Sunset Tower after his GG appearance. Or the How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days actress could have been joining her mother, Goldie Hawn, who was at the Globes as a presenter with Amy Schumer. Hawn was also with longtime beau Kurt Russell. Though a source has told DailyMail.com that a romance between the queen of comedy and the A list actor is not happening, there have been consistent reports she was the woman who got between Jolie and Pitt. Did Kate get in the way? Though a romance between the queen of comedy and the A list actor has been denied, there have been consistent reports she was the woman who got between Jolie and Pitt. Pictured 2014 Sad: Pitt and Jolie are involved in a contentious custody battle over their six children with court records being made public about the therapy the family is undergoing after an alleged nasty incident on a private flight from France to California in September. Pictured 2015 As recently as this week Star magazine had a cover story that Angelina was upset with Hudson. It was reported the Oscar-winning UN ambassador was 'out of her mind' with jealousy over Hudson. It was added that Kate knows how 'miserable' Angelina has made Brad and that she has no sympathy for the Salt actress. Her mama: The How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days actress could have been joining her mother, Goldie Hawn, who was at the Globes as a presenter with Amy Schumer Earlier in December, Star also alleged that Kate found Brad 'so hot,' but Angelina thought the Fabletics spokesperson was 'a nobody.' Talk of a Hudson and Pitt romance began in November when a source told Woman's Day: 'Kate is Brad's mystery woman. They've been extremely close over the past few weeks, following several secret meet-ups. 'So they're two big stars who were very attracted to each other and drawn to one another, and they are certainly enjoying each other's company.' Pitt and Jolie are involved in a contentious custody battle over their six children with court records being made public about the therapy the family is undergoing after an alleged nasty incident on a private flight from France to California in September. They have been enjoying a blissful break to Dubai. And Gary 'Gaz' Beadle and his girlfriend Emma McVey proved the fun never stops as she took to Instagram to share a playful snap of her beau - totally naked in the bath. The 29-year-old Geordie Shore star was seen reclining in the bubbles while his cheeky girlfriend snapped a shot, shortly before she shared an array of sexy bikini-clad snaps from their idyllic beach break. Scroll down for video Cheeky! Gary 'Gaz' Beadle and his girlfriend Emma McVey proved the fun never stops as she took to Instagram to share a playful snap of her beau - totally naked in the bath Gaz has been dating Emma, who was previously in a relationship with TOWIE hunk Mario Falcone, since August and the duo have been inseparable ever since. With his Lothario history, having bragged of bedding thousands of women and insisting her deserves 'a degree in pulling', many women have battled to hold Gaz down for a relationship. Yet Emma appears to be succeeding, as the duo continue to share loved up snaps from their break, yet the latest may be the sauciest to date. Adding a caption: 'Show me your sexy pose...', the stunning model shared the image of Gaz sitting curled over in the bath while using one inked-up hand to protect his modesty and placed the other over his mouth in a mock coy pose. Happier than ever: The 29-year-old Geordie Shore star was seen reclining in the bubbles while his cheeky girlfriend snapped a shot, shortly before she shared an array of sexy bikini-clad snaps from their idyllic beach break Bed time: The happy couple left no part of their holiday undocumented Check me out! Emma looked phenomenal as she posed up as storm in her snaps Many of Emma's 182,000 followers delighted in the hilarious snap yet one disgruntled user penned: 'Why you need to post this in Instagram? I believe its a private picture keep it for your self.' Another sizzling snap showed the duo soaking up the sun, with the model slipping into a strapless pink bikini with low-slung bottoms. Her impossibly small waist and taut abs pulled focus on the snap, yet hunky Gaz held his own in his red swimming trunks which would not look out of place in a scene from Baywatch. Sizzling: Gaz has been dating Emma, who was previously in a relationship with TOWIE hunk Mario Falcone, since August and the duo have been inseparable ever since This is the life! The striking model looked phenomenal as she enjoyed her trip Proving her model credentials even in her downtime, Emma sizzled in a number of stunning bikini snaps. She appeared to have brought an incredible collection of swimwear, as she showed off her figure in the barely-there two-pieces. The couple's romantic outing came after Gaz admitted he'd happily settle down with Emma, when he made the revelation during a series of drunken games with his co-stars for a Facebook Live chat with The Sun. During a round of infamous party game Snog, Marry Avoid, Gaz surprised everyone by revealing he'd marry Emma, snog ex Charlotte Crosby and avoid another ex Lillie Lexie Gregg. Smouldering: Proving her model credentials even in her downtime, Emma sizzled in a number of stunning bikini snaps. She appeared to have brought an incredible collection of swimwear, as she showed off her figure in the barely-there two-pieces All smiles: Gaz looked overjoyed to be enjoying such a chilled out time However, Charlotte recently offered an olive branch to her former flame, which he ignored. After an episode of Geordie Shore last month, she spoke about the time they visited a Love Lock Bridge together and fastened a padlock to show their love at the time. She wrote: 'An interesting fact about this EP thats being played now on @MTVUK me and @GazGShore actually went to love lock bridge and did our own. '.but it never got shown on the actual show. Its still there somewhere on the bridge. cant quite remember what it said.' Lost love: During a round of infamous party game Snog, Marry Avoid, Gaz surprised everyone by revealing he'd marry Emma, snog ex Charlotte Crosby and avoid another ex Lillie Lexie Gregg Despite tagging her ex-boyfriend in the post, he made no comment on social media referring to the post. The pair met when Geordie Shore began in 2011 and over the course of five years, viewers witnessed the pair struggle to make their relationship work. They have spent their Christmas and New Year celebrations on the Caribbean island. But Lucy Watson made sure to share one last bikini selfie with fans on Sunday before she and boyfriend James Dunmore finally returned home to London. The brunette beauty, 25, displayed her toned and newly-tanned figure in a saucy Instagram snap as she soaked up her last rays on a boat trip - before she and 26-year-old beau headed to the airport. Scroll down for video Bikini babe: Lucy Watson, 25, made sure to share one last bikini selfie from her holiday in Barbados with fans on Sunday Reclining on a boat against the stunning ocean scenery, the reality star displayed her incredible figure for all to see in the sizzling snap. Clad in nothing but a skimpy two-piece, Lucy left her washboard abs and long, slender legs on show as she soaked up her last few hours of sun on the island. She maintained her trademark trendy style even in her swimwear by rocking a white halterneck bikini top, which perfectly complemented her deep bronze tan. It's over: She and boyfriend James Dunmore (above) then returned home to London later that day Lucy then completed the quirky beachwear look with a set of clashing turquoise bottoms, and her signature retro rounded shades. However as all good things must come to an end, the boat trip marked the final day of her holiday in Barbados with boyfriend James - with the pair arriving at the airport later that afternoon. The pair ditched their recent uniforms of swimwear for jeans and T-shirts as they checked in to their flight and geared up for a much chillier London. But first, let me take a selfie: Lucy also uploaded a shot of her showing off her tan in a different pair of Ray Bans, which she captioned 'Sunkissed' Good things must come to an end: However the boat trip marked the final day of her holiday in Barbados with boyfriend James - with the pair arriving at the airport later that afternoon Homeward bound: The pair ditched their recent uniforms of swimwear for jeans and T-shirts as they checked in to their flight and geared up for a much chillier London Despite their long journey ahead the good-looking duo still remained in good spirits as they happily chatted and laughed together in the queue after a romantic few weeks away. The pair spent the Christmas and New Year period on the idyllic Caribbean island with James' family - welcoming in 2017 at a luxurious beach party. Posting a selfie with her man on Instagram, Lucy wrote to her followers as 2016 came to an end: 'happy new year!!! i love this one too much, be grateful for the people closest to you.' (sic) Ready to go: Despite their long journey ahead the good-looking duo still remained in good spirits Close couple: The pair were no doubt stronger than after a romantic few weeks away together, spendinf the Christmas and New Year period on the idyllic Caribbean island Clearly stronger than ever, the pair were both absent from the Made In Chelsea spin-off in the South of France last August - wanting to spend time alone and away from drama instead. It was then announced in September that Lucy was leaving the E4 show that catapulted her to fame four years ago. A spokesperson told MailOnline: 'After four amazing years on Made In Chelsea, Lucy feels that now is the right time to explore some other exciting opportunities and projects that she is passionate about. Stylish: Lucy finished her set of holiday selfies with a sizzling snap of her in white shorts and a swimsuit, showing off her famously slim physique 'Being part of such a successful show has been an incredible experience for her, and she wishes everyone involved all the very best for the future.' Her friend and co-star on the show Frankie Gaff later revealed the brunette was taking time away from the spotlight to concentrate on her relationship with James. The Made in Chelsea star told BANG Showbiz: 'Lucy's not going to be in the next series. At the moment she's decided not to because she's loved up.' Lucy and James have been dating since early 2015 after meeting on the London-based show - and have enjoyed a number of romantic holidays together since. Celebrity Big Brother is always set to get steamy. And Bianca Gascoigne ensured things were getting wet and wild on Monday night's episode of the show as she joined her co-stars in stripping down to bikinis for a boozy hot tub session. The 30-year-old strip club owner truly threw herself into the festivities of the evening as she clutched a glass of wine while writing around in the tub. Scroll down for video Sizzling: Bianca Gascoigne ensured things were getting wet and wild on Monday night's episode of the show as she joined her co-stars in stripping down to bikinis for a boozy hot tub session Bianca has been a quick fan favourite since entering the house last week, as many have lauded her for being a genuine and kind addition to the house. The ex-stepdaugher of Paul Gascoigne, is no doubt set to win over more fans after the latest episode of the show, when she stripped down to a barely-there bikini for a hot tub session. She showed off her eye-popping assets in a green leopard print bikini with thick white straps adorned with a jewel detail. With her long blonde tresses tumbling over her shoulders, the stunning star looked extremely sexy with her taut stomach and perky cleavage. Enjoying the festivities: The 30-year-old strip club owner truly threw herself into the festivities of the evening as she clutched a glass of wine while writing around in the tub Hello there! Chatting away in the water, she showed off her stunning figure Having a laugh: Bianca has been a quick fan favourite since entering the house last week, as many have lauded her for being a genuine and kind addition to the house Smouldering: The ex-stepdaugher of Paul Gascoigne, is no doubt set to win over more fans after the latest episode of the show, when she stripped down to a barely-there bikini for a hot tub session Bianca appeared to be performing something of a sexy dance for her co-stars as she sizzled by the tub while sipping what appeared to be rose wine. While she was initially chilling out with Jasmine Waltz and Stacy Francis, soon after it was just her and Austin Armacost left in the tub later on. Her hot tub session comes after CBB viewers had been speculating if she will rekindle her romance with ex-boyfriend Calum Best since they entered the house. Just the two of us... While she was initially chilling out with Jasmine Waltz and Stacy Francis, soon after it was just her and Austin Armacost left in the tub later on Glug, glug! Bianca was certainly enjoying a laugh as she drank her wine A hairy situation: The stunner scraped her blonde locks into a high ponytail But it's now been claimed that there is no chance of a relationship between the pair, as the glamour model is still dating her boyfriend, CJ Meeks. The couple went public with their romance in August, but the blonde bombshell reportedly told CBB producers that she was now single in order to guarantee her place in the house. A source told The Sun: 'Bianca has gone into the house pretending to be single. Producers and viewers want to see hook-ups and love dramas and she didnt want the fact shes in a happy relationship putting them off. Ex beau... Her hot tub session comes after CBB viewers had been speculating if she will rekindle her romance with ex-boyfriend Calum Best since they entered the house Let's stay together? But it's now been claimed that there is no chance of a relationship between the pair, as the glamour model is still dating her boyfriend, CJ Meeks 'Already her reuniting with Calum is a huge talking point, so her tactic is paying off but she was still dating CJ and taking him to showbiz bashes all about London right until she left to do the show.' Viewers have been watching Bianca's interactions with Calum following the pair's stint on Love Island in 2006 where they came out of the show as the winning couple. The circumstances around their eventual split were a little hazy, given that the pair never made their relationship publicly official after leaving the reality dating show. Way back when... Viewers have been watching Bianca's interactions with Calum following the pair's stint on Love Island in 2006 where they came out of the show as the winning couple Elle Fanning may be one of Hollywood's biggest young stars, but it hasn't helped her gain many friends. The Neon Demon star, 18, revealed in a candid chat with Elle UK how she's envious of people with a large social circle. She explained: 'Im not someone that has a lot of friends. I see people who have many friends and get really jealous. I have a good core of three or four friends who are really close to me.' Scroll down for video Envious: Elle Fanning, 18, may be one of Hollywood's biggest young stars, but she revealed she's jealous of people who have lots of friends The actress has a relatively low online profile, choosing to use Instagram rather than Facebook and Twitter. She told the publication she found the mediums intrusive and liked to maintain an element of mystery. Elle also touched on how the sites changed the way relationships worked in the modern day. 'Its so hard in this era when an ex is only a text away,' she said: 'Back in the day they had to work up the courage to call on the phone, talk to your parents, and when you broke up you didn't see them again. 'But now, between Snapchat and Instagram, you can see everything especially them with a new partner. But its damaging so you have to stop... I have high anxiety and Im on my phone constantly, so I find myself comparing myself to others.' Read all about it: The February issue of ELLE UK is on sale 10 January 'I recently turned my Instagram public on my 18th birthday, but I still dont post everything I do, and Im not on Twitter or Facebook. You have to leave a little mystery. 'With old movie stars, all you saw were rare interviews where they only shared what they wanted to thats what made them so interesting. You could separate the characters from the women, so if you watch them on screen youre not thinking about what they had for breakfast.' The famous actress had a busy 2016, with roles in four films, and 2017 is continuing in the same vein, with five more to come. The Maleficent star has a handful of pictures coming out in the next few months, including Live By Night which hits theatres this month. It co-stars Ben Affleck, who also directed the movie, and Zoe Saldana. She also has a number of other films expected to be released in 2017, including How To Talk To Girls At Parties, Galveston and A Storm In The Stars. Selective: The actress has a relatively low online profile, choosing only to use Instagram rather than Facebook and Twitter Meanwhile she has claimed her latest movie project, which is a Western remake, has 'lots of sex.' She told Page 6: 'I just finished The Beguiled, the first film Sofia Coppolas made in a few years starring Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Colin Farrell. Its a remake of Clint Eastwoods movie from 1971. 'Its set in the Civil War era. A soldier from the North hides in a girls school in the South. My period clothes had so many tiny, tiny buttons, so small I could not dress alone. I had to be careful I didnt rip any. 'And theres lots of sex in this movie.' The February issue of ELLE UK is on sale 10 January. They recently enjoyed a delicious dinner at swanky London eatery Sexy Fish. So Vicky Pattison and her boyfriend John Noble may have been keen to make up for their indulgences on Saturday, as they headed to a Jason Vale juicing seminar together. The reality star, 29, opted for a smart-casual look in jeans, heels and heavy make-up as she embarked on the healthy day out at the Hammersmith Apollo with her man. Scroll down for video New year, new me: Vicky Pattison and her boyfriend John Noble may seemed keen to make up for their indulgences on Saturday, as they headed to a Jason Vale juicing seminar together The former Geordie Shore star looked her usual fashionable self in figure-hugging ripped jeans, paired with a white shirt and classically stylish camel coat. Upping the glamour of the look further, she teamed the denim with a set of shining black patent stilettos - clearly unfazed by the cold and rainy London weather. Never one to dress down, Vicky then applied plenty of bronzed and contoured make-up to her face to enhance her pretty features, before tying the look together with a bold scarlet lip. High profile guests: Attracting quite an audience, the event, held by comedian Jason Vale, was also attended by Martine McCutcheon and her husband Jack McManus Meanwhile boyfriend John kept things more casual in a simple black jeans and shirt combo, layered beneath a warm speckled grey coat. Ready for another joint outing after a string of dates in recent weeks, the pair happily chatted as they made their way in to the event side by side. Attracting quite an audience, the event, held by comedian Jason Vale, was also attended by Martine McCutcheon and her husband Jack McManus - who looked more loved-up than ever as they arrived at the theatre hand in hand. January detox: TV presenter Les Dennis also arrived at the event at the Hammersmith Apollo with his wife Claire Nicholson Following suit was TV presenter Les Dennis and his wife Claire Nicholson, who kept things far more casual in jeans and hoodies for the undoubtedly informative talk. Jason Vale, who is also known as the Juice Master, often hosts seminars, events and workshops across the country to spread the word about the importance of healthy eating - which rid him of his psoriasis, eczema, and obesity. The sweet day out only adds to Vicky and John's incredibly loved-up display seen in recent works - enjoying regular dates and even indulging in a steamy kiss during a dinner at Sexy Fish in London. All too public! Vicky Pattison enjoyed a very steamy kiss with her rekindled flame John Noble during a trip to London's swanky Sexy Fish eatery The Geordie Shore star had looked overjoyed to be spending the evening with her beau, who she dubbed the only man she's ever loved - despite formerly being engaged to be married. Vicky was dressed-to-impress her man for their evening on the town as she slipped into a sophisticated monochrome ensemble comprising of a sizzling dress and chic trench coat. Her slinky black dress was sleeveless - helping flaunt her toned and tanned arms, with her lingering sun-kissed look lasting from her recent working trip to Australia, where she was presenting the I'm A Celeb sister show Extra Camp. Beaming: The 29-year-old former Geordie Shore star looked overjoyed to be spending the evening with her hunky beau, who she dubbed the love of her life and the only man she's ever loved - despite formerly being engaged to be married Hold me close: Vicky was dressed-to-impress her man for their evening on the town as she slipped into a sophisticated monochrome ensemble comprising of a sizzling dress and chic trench coat Before stripping down to fewer clothes inside, the brunette beauty wore a stylish waterfall trench coat to combat the blistering January chill. She boosted her height with strappy gold sandals, which complemented her envy-inducing Yves Saint Laurent clutch bag - one of her favoured accessories. Keeping her beauty regimen as sophisticated as her ensemble, Vicky pulled her chestnut locks into an elegant chignon with a delicate centre parting allowing tendrils to frame her face. In true Geordie girl style, her make-up was generously yet flawlessly applied as she gave a nod to the contouring trend with lashings of highlighter and bronzer. Happier than ever: Keeping her beauty regimen as sophisticated as her ensemble, Vicky pulled her chestnut locks into an elegant chignon with a delicate centre parting allowing tendrils to frame her face Loved up: Vicky has been littering her social media with pictures of the couple ever since they rekindled their flame late last year, after an unspecified romance in the past What's meant to be... In her romantic gushings, the Newcastle-native has written: ' What's meant to be will always find a way...', '(He is) the love of my life..' and also branding John 'the only man I have ever loved...' John meanwhile neared nailing the smart gentleman look, yet fell short when he opted to leave his shirt untucked from beneath his preppy V-neck jumper. He did however match his stunning girlfriend in opting for a trench coat for their stylish night on the town at the popular restaurant. Vicky has been littering her social media with pictures of the couple ever since they rekindled their flame late last year, after an unspecified romance in the past. In her romantic gushings, the Newcastle-native has written: ' What's meant to be will always find a way...', '(He is) the love of my life..' and also branding John 'the only man I have ever loved...' Come here! The brunette beauty's love life has cut a chequered story since she first soared to fame on Geordie Shore five years ago, where she dated Jay Gardner in the inaugural series, before departing the show in the ninth season in 2013 No love lost: The most prominent of her love stories was undoubtedly her engagement to co-star Ricci Guarnaccio, who she met in the second season while in the midst of another relationship, although she cut off the romance to start dating Ricci The brunette beauty's love life has cut a chequered story since she first soared to fame on Geordie Shore five years ago, where she dated Jay Gardner in the inaugural series, before departing the show in the ninth season in 2013. The most prominent of her love stories was undoubtedly her engagement to co-star Ricci Guarnaccio, who she met in the second season while in the midst of another relationship, although she cut off the romance to start dating Ricci. The handsome star popped the question to Vicky via sky-writing during the third season which was filmed in Cancun, although their relationship came to an explosive close shortly after with accusations of bad behaviour coming from both sides. Mistakes! Following the demise of her relationship, she went on to appear on series one of Ex On The Beach where she became intimate with co-star Ross Worswick yet later lamented the romp Oh dear... Her relationship with CBB winner Stephen Bear kicked off during the third season of Ex On The Beach although the pair later split in an acrimonious break-up Following the demise of her relationship, she went on to appear on series one of Ex On The Beach where she became intimate with co-star Ross Worswick yet later lamented the romp. Her relationship with CBB winner Stephen Bear kicked off during the third season of Ex On The Beach although the pair later split in an acrimonious break-up. Since then Vicky has been linked to Mario Falcone and Alex Cannon although the relationships have never been confirmed. He played her onscreen love interest and they had a brief affair in real life. So it was understandable that Star Wars actor Harrison Ford was crushed when Carrie Fisher - who played Princess Leia to his Han Solo in the space saga - unexpectedly died after a heart attack in December. He quickly took to social media to express his sadness. On Sunday the 74-year-old was seen out as he braved the snow in New York's Tribeca neighbourhood on a very cold Sunday afternoon. Braving the snow: Harrison Ford was spotted out for the first time since the death of his Star Wars co-star and friend Carrie Fisher in New York's Tribeca neighbourhood on Sunday He layered up in a navy trench coat that he wore over a blue blazer, light green sweater and a blue shirt, plus khaki cargo trousers and heavy brown boots. Harrison played Solo alongside Carrie as Princess Leia in the original first three Star Wars films and they both returned to reprise their roles in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in 2015. In November Carrie confessed to having a three-month affair with Harrison while they filmed the iconic 1977 movie, something Star Wars fans had long suspected. Harrison is presently married to actress Calista Flockhart, 52. Layering up: The 74-year-old film legend wore a navy trench coat over a blue blazer, light green sweater and a blue shirt, plus khaki cargo trousers and heavy brown boots. The actress was just 60 when she passed away in hospital in Los Angeles on December 27, days after suffering a heart attack on a flight home from London. Her mother, Debbie Reynolds, 84, died of a stroke a day later. Meanwhile, tributes to Carrie continue to pour in. Star-crossed lovers: Harrison and Carrie reprised their roles as Han Solo and Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens in 2015. In November Carrie confessed to having a three-month affair with Harrison while they filmed the iconic original 1977 movie, Both she and her mother were honoured at Sunday's Golden Globes awards in Beverly Hills with a video segment and Meryl Streep, who received the Cecil B. Demille Award for lifetime achievement, recalled some words of wisdom from Carrie. 'As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, "Take your broken heart, make it into art," ' the 67-year-old said. The same day Family Guy honored the actress who had had a recurring role as Angela, Peter Griffin's boss, in the Fox cartoon since 2005. Wise words: Meryl Streep paid tribute to 'my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia' at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Sunday The episode, Passenger Fatty-Seven, opened with a memorial card for Carrie read, 'In Loving Memory' along with her picture. She recorded two episodes before her death. On Saturday, HBO aired Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher And Debbie Reynolds. The documentary, completed in late 2015, showed Debbie's final stage show in Las Vegas with Carrie in 2014, as the latter prepared to return to Star Wars for The Force Awakens. Carrie is also due to appear in the upcoming season of Catastrophe on Chanel 4 in the UK and Amazon in the US. She was returning to Los Angeles from filming the third season in London when she had her cardiac episode. Brad Pitt and his estranged wife Angelina Jolie are currently locked in divorce and custody proceedings over their six children. But on Sunday night Angelina's father, Jon Voight, stepped out for The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globe after party in Los Angeles and insisted all is well. 'Everybody is good,' the 78-year-old actor told Us Weekly at the annual fete held at The Beverly Hilton Hotel. 'Everybody is good:' Angelina Jolie's dad, Jon Voight, told Us Weekly about the family while at The Weinstein Company and Netflix Golden Globe after party in Los Angeles on Sunday Surprise! Brad Pitt shocked everyone including his Hollywood pals as he hit the Golden Globes podium on Sunday night. Angelina Jolie filed for divorce from the actor in September This comes just after Pitt made a surprise appearance at the Golden Globes on Sunday night. The handsome and slim 53-year-old was welcomed with cheers from his Hollywood pals as he made his way to the podium to introduce a clip from Moonlight, which went on to win the Best Motion Picture - Drama category. Meanwhile, Angelina filed for divorce from Brad on September 19. The actor was exonerated in November by officials with the FBI and Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, amid accusations he was physically abusive to Maddox during a Europe-bound flight in September. Before the storm: Angelina filed for divorce from Brad on September 19. Pictured 2014 Last week Jolie accused her estranged husband of 'publicly impugning' her character in new court documents that claim Pitt is 'terrified the public will learn the truth'. The allegations came as Jolie approved of Pitt's request that their children's records be legally sealed. Pitt and his legal team asked a Los Angeles Superior Court judge to seal all records relating to their six children, claiming their accessibility is a violation of privacy, on Wednesday. Jolie, 41, agreed with his motives but accused Pitt of using court filings to deflect from his 'own role in the media storm that has engulfed' their children. She appeared on Good Morning Britain on Monday, revealing that she wasn't ready for children just yet. And despite Michelle Keegan's calm demeanor, she had in fact had a rather dramatic arrival, resulting in her going live on air with barely any make-up. The 29-year-old actress admitted that her arrival had been delayed due to the tube strikes, causing a chaotic start. Scroll down for video Late for her This Morning slot! Michelle Keegan had a rather dramatic arrival, resulting in her going live on air with barely any make-up 'I literally came in through the door two minutes ago without a scrap of makeup on,' she told Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan. 'I had five people putting powder, a bit of lippie on, so I'm alright now,' the Our Girl actress laughed. 'If there's anyone who can sit on this sofa without hair and makeup it's you,' Susanna Reid replied as Michelle thanked her. Taking it well: The 29-year-old actress admitted to presenters Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that her arrival had been delayed due to the tube strikes, causing a chaotic start And just three months after slamming split rumours with husband Mark Wright - Michelle also admitted she's not feeling as broody as she used to. The star of Tina and Bobby said her broody levels always go up and down. Piers asked her: 'How are you feeling broody-wise at the moment?' 'I don't want babies just yet': Michelle added that she's feeling as broody as she used to... after slamming split rumours with husband Mark Wright Pictured with her handsome husband: The star of Tina and Bobby said her broody levels always go up and down - and babies are not in her immediate future - pictured in May To which the she replied: 'At the moment, I would say they are down.' However, Michelle did admit that she certainly sees children in her future, but no doubt with her acting career going from strength to strength, work comes first. She said: 'I have to say though, while filming for this role, I worked with kids, so that was really nice. I don't want babies just yet, but in the future.' Michelle, who ran a little late to her slot on the show, due to traffic caused by train strikes, praised make-up artists for sorting out her look quickly. She tweeted earlier on in the morning: 'Tube strikes got me like... traffic. everywhere!!!!!' Back in September, Michelle lashed out at rumours in a chat with The Sun as she dismissed speak of a rift in her marriage to the presenter and former TOWIE star. In demand: Tina has been busy with her work as Tina Moore in upcoming ITV drama Tina and Bobby Talking about her broody levels she said: 'At the moment, I would say they are down' That's how she rolls: She kept things simple in an off-the-shoulder jumper Keeping it casual: The actress teamed her Lipsy jumper with skinny jeans and cream leather heeled boots 'We don't read what is written about us. Are the rumours rubbish? Yeah. We are all very good and everything is fine,' the former Coronation Street star said. Michelle also credited her husband with helping her prepare for her role as Tina Moore in the new ITV drama. She said: 'Mark is a big West Ham supporter. We watched documentaries on him before I started filming which helped with the accent. 'Tina [Moore] had elocution lessons from a young age, so she didn't have a typical accent. So I played her more natural with an Essex twang.' Michelle revealed that Tina was present during a fair bit of filming but after one scene, she gave her a thumbs up which really helped. Iconic: Michelle revealed that Tina was present during a fair bit of filming but after one scene, she gave her a thumbs up which really helped Busy bee: Michelle later stopped by the BBC Radio 2 studios in central London to discuss her role further They're the high-profile lovebirds that secretly wed in November. And model and TV presenter Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) has revealed her and husband Buddy Franklin are in no rush to start a family. The 25-year-old Moet & Chandon ambassador told The Daily Telegraph the couple are solely committed to each other for their first year of marriage. Scroll down for video Taking it slow: Model and TV presenter Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) has revealed her and husband Buddy Franklin are in no rush to start a family 'For me focusing on my career and Buddy with footy, it is a big year for him, so for us we are focusing on our careers,' she explained. 'When the time is right, it will be the right time,' she continued. 'No plans yet, who knows.' The couple were engaged in December 14 when Sydney Swans player Buddy proposed to the Gold Coast-born beauty with a diamond ring worth $100,000. Sparkler: The couple were engaged in December 14 when Sydney Swans player Buddy proposed to the Gold Coast-born beauty with a diamond ring worth $100,000 Their marriage took place in secret in November last year, with only close family and friends in attendance. The brunette stunner recently opened up to Harper's Bazaar on her decision to forego her maiden name and form 'Team Franklin'. 'When we have children, it will be really important,' she said. 'For me focusing on my career and Buddy with footy, it is a big year for him, so for us we are focusing on our careers,' she explained She provided a response to fans who challenged her resolve and said the move would affect her 'branding' and overall career. 'I'm like, "What about the love of my life and the rest of my life?" she offered. The newlyweds celebrated the holiday period in style, enjoying a private boat ride around Sydney Harbour. Happy New Year: The newlyweds celebrated the holiday period in style, enjoying a private boat ride around Sydney Harbour The former Miss Universe Australia enjoyed a stellar 2016, with highlights that included her marriage and being the cover girl for Cleo magazine's final issue. Her profile steadily rose as she was named ambassador for prestige brands David Jones and Moet & Chandon. She also signed with international modeling agency IMG and released her book, Live A Beautiful Life. Rob Mills has denied a romance with Real Housewives Of Melbourne star Pettifleur Berenger after he was reportedly spotted flirting up a storm with the 52-year-old. A guest had told New Idea magazine the pair were 'very intimate all night' and 'sent tongues wagging' with their unexpected show of affection. But the 34-year-old insists that everything was purely platonic between the pair, telling The Daily Telegraph that while Pettifleur is 'beautiful', they are merely just acquaitances. Just pals: Rob Mills has denied a romance with Real Housewives Of Melbourne star Pettifleur Berenger after he was reportedly spotted flirting up a storm with the 52-year-old 'A peck on the lips to say hello is not a pash,' he told Sydney Confidential. 'Shes a very beautiful woman but absolutely not, there was no romance with Pettifleur.' The report had seemed unlikely considering Pettifleur has been in a relationship with businessman Frank Palazzo for nearly a decade. On the night, the reality TV star shared a snap of herself and Rob as they mingled with other guests at St. Kilda's exclusive venue, The Deck at Circa. 'Hanging with the fabulous Rob Mills,' Pettifleur wrote alongside the snap she shared with her 30,200 Instagram followers. The former Australian Idol star later commented: 'Thanks for a fun night guys. Xo.' Reports: A guest had told New Idea magazine that Pettifleur (pictured) and Rob were 'very intimate all night' and 'sent tongues wagging' with their unexpected show of affection Daily Mail Australia reached out to Rob and Pettifleur for comment. Meanwhile, Rob was last seen flirting with Bachelor babe Zilda Williams in December during a photo session for suicide prevention charities R U OK? and Lifeline. The pair looked quite cosy as they shared photos from the Bondi set of the shoot. Blonde bombshell: Rob was last seen flirting with Bachelor babe Zilda Williams in December during a photo session for suicide prevention charities R U OK? and Lifeline 'It's just another regular day at the office, isn't that right, Zilda?' said a shirtless 'Millsy' in a Snapchat video. Rob has also been linked to Beauty and the Geek winner Emma Cam, but his most notable previous love interest was hotel heiress Paris Hilton, 35. The pair enjoyed a brief fling back in 2003, after first meeting at a party at Sydney Opera House. Revealing all: Rob told the Sydney Morning Herald: 'We did pretty much everything but (sex) and then we caught up at the races (Melbourne Cup in 2003) a week after' They later headed back to The Bachelor presenter Osher Gunsberg's house for an after party. Rob revealed in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald the pair left the do and headed for Paris's hotel. 'We did pretty much everything but (sex) and then we caught up at the races (Melbourne Cup in 2003) a week after,' he told the publication. She's the WAG whose equally beautiful sister-in-law is also an expectant mother. And Joanna Burgess showed off her baby bump to Instagram on Monday, two hours after Phoebe Burgess uploaded a similar photo that captured her own silhouette. Joanna has three months till her due date with husband George while Phoebe and Sam Burgess's baby is 37 weeks old, which is considered full-term. Scroll down for video Baby fever!Joanna Burgess has three months till her due date with husband George while Phoebe and Sam Burgess's baby is 37 weeks old, which is considered full-term The blonde beauty, 28, visited Malabar Beach for an impromptu photo shoot with her 24-year-old husband, who plays for the Leeds Rhinos in the European Super League. She showed off her tan in a multi-coloured bikini, with off-the-shoulder sleeves and skimpy bottoms. Her wavy locks hung loosely over her shoulders as she beamed happily, with sunglasses shading her eyes from the glare of the sun. Lady lumps: Phoebe, 27, took to her Instagram two hours before Joanna to flaunt her own impressive physique as she neared her due date She credited her partner for taking the pic and added the caption: 'Afternoon dip'. The handsome couple started dating in 2014 and were married last month with a lavish ceremony in Noosa. Joanna's sister-in-law Phoebe served as one of her bridesmaids. Twinsies: Joanna Burgess showed off her baby bump to Instagram on Monday, two hours after Phoebe Burgess uploaded a similar photo that captured her own silhouette Phoebe, 27, took to her Instagram two hours before Joanna to flaunt her own impressive physique as she neared her due date. The stunning wife of Rabbitohs star Sam held up her phone for a black and white selfie she captioned: 'What swallowing a Swiss Ball looks like.' Married in 2015 at Phoebe's parents' rural NSW property, this is the high-profile couple's first child. Chris Evans feared that he was going to die when he was struck down by illness over Christmas, the BBC presenter has revealed. With his temperature soaring to 106 degrees while on holiday in Barbados, the 50-year-old said he nearly pegged it. But after being sent to a local doctor for his illness thought to be pneumonia Evans managed to recover. On his Radio 2 show yesterday, the former Top Gear host said: It started over Christmas. Chris Evans told his listeners that over the Christmas holidays he became very unwell and 'nearly pegged it' [I was] felled like a sack of spuds on Christmas Eve and still sort of have it. I peaked at a temperature of 106 on holiday. Nearly pegged it to be honest, nearly pegged it. At one point I thought, Do you know what? Ive got a lovely life and love my family to death but do you know I feel so ill at the moment. It was nearly curtains for me. Evans, who spent New Year in the Caribbean with his family, was given an anti-inflammatory injection, plus three other medications. Since arriving back in Britain and going back at work Evans is, like much of the country, still fighting off a lingering cough. He told the Daily Mail: A very nice Bajan doctor diagnosed me with an upper airways infection; actually three one for the ears, one for the nose and one for the throat. He was quite amazed when the thermometer showed that lava-like temperature reading of 106 degrees. Speaking on his show on Radio 2, he said: At one point I thought, Do you know what? Ive got a lovely life and love my family to death but do you know I feel so ill at the moment. It was nearly curtains for me. Above he is pictured with his wife Natasha on their wedding day Immediately he gave me a shot of something rather lively in my gluteus maximus plus three oral medicines that I had to take at various intervals in the day, whilst avoiding grapefruit. Go figure. In addition to that little trio was a duo of nose spray and ear drops. I completed all the prescribed medication in full. There was a lot of it going around the whole island apparently as well as back here in Blighty. The most important thing I learnt was that achy-breaky feeling that makes you feel so vulnerable and sensitive, is in fact the result of lying down for too long and not drinking enough water it seems we are almost always much more dehydrated than we realise. Since arriving back in sunny Berkshire I am still a bit croaky and a bit groggy but so much better than I was. Evans managed to recover enough to go on a yachting day trip with a group of friends while in the Caribbean. Dr Fiona McAndrew, from The McAndrew Practice in Kensington, West London, believes that he may have been suffering from mycoplasma pneumonia a slightly milder form of the illness. Dr McAndrew said: There is a lot of influenza going around, and with a temperature that high I dont think Ive ever seen a patient with one of 106 it is very possible he had pneumonia, or mycoplasma pneumonia. He was photographed looking festive as he left BBC Radio Two studios after finishing his Breakfast show in the days leading up to Christmas Mycoplasma pneumonia, also known as an atypical pneumonia, comes around every four years and 2016 was said to be a mycoplasma year. It can be treated with two types of antibiotics penicillin and macrolides and plenty of rest. Evans, who married third wife Natasha with whom he has two children in 2007, was hailed as a hero on his Caribbean break last year, when he helped a pensioner who had been struggling in the sea. Evans, who announced he was quitting as Top Gears new presenter in July, has previously revealed a prostate cancer scare on his radio show, which is the most listened-to in Europe. In 2015 he was praised for opening up about his health when he told listeners he was having tests for the disease after suffering symptoms. He said: Ive done all the internet stuff that you shouldnt do - scared myself half to death, then gone to see the doctor. He's a doting dad of three children under five. And on Sunday while at the Golden Globes, Chris Hemsworth revealed his joy at getting to spend quality time with his kids while filming blockbuster Thor last year on the Gold Coast. Speaking to the Today Show's Richard Wilkins on the red carpet in Los Angeles, the superhero star admitted Ragnarok, the third movie in the Marvel franchise, was his best movie-making experience yet. Scroll down for video 'It was so good to be able to put the kids in bed every night': Chris Hemsworth revealed the benefits he enjoyed while filming Thor Ragnarok in Australia last year, as he spoke to Today Show's Richard Wilkins at the Golden Globes in LA on Sunday 'That was so good to be able to put the kids in bed every night, in their own bed, and not be in a hotel and be working with the local crews again. 'It was one of the most enjoyable experiences I've had, a lot of fun,' the 33-year-old noted. As for his upcoming projects, the actor will spend a little more time outside of Australia this year filming Avengers: Infinity War, due for release in 2018. 'One of the most enjoyable experiences I've had': The 33-year-old actor dubbed the recent Thor Ragnarok shoot in Queensland one of the best he's had 'Good to be working with the local crews again': The former Home And Away actor was happy to be on-set with plenty of Australian crew 'We shoot Avengers in Atlanta for most of the year actually, but it's sort of pretty spread out throughout the eight months shoot, so I'll be back in Oz a bit,' Chris told Richard. As Chris took to the stage to present an award on the night, his little munchkins - daughter India Rose, four and twin sons Christian and Sasha, two - watched on proudly. Elsa's mother, Cristina Prieto captured the heart-melting shot as one of the twins reached out for their 'papa', while a Thor doll sat alongside them. Sleep time: The doting father-of-three was just happy to be with his children at bed time Keeping it close to home: The movie was filmed a short drive from the superstar's family home in Byron Bay Wish you were here! Chris's children - daughter India Rose, 4, and twin sons Tristan and Sasha, 2 - sat with a Thor doll and gleefully reacted when they saw their father on-screen during the Golden Globes Earlier in the day on their way to the Golden Globes event, Chris gushed over his wife - who stunned in a partially see-through strapless beaded gown by Zuhair Murad. The mother-of-three flashed a glimpse of her trim pins underneath the organza-looking dress, which featured a small train. Clearly, Chris was a fan of Elsa's outfit, telling fans in a post on Instagram: 'Look at my hot date!' Hot couple! Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth stunned as they made their way along the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday Flashing her figure: The mother-of-three flashed a glimpse of her trim pins underneath the Zuhair Murad dress, which featured a small train Brooding: Chris flashed a brooding look for photographers as he posed solo 'Look at my hot date!' Chris Hemsworth gushed about his stunning wife, Elsa Pataky, in a post to Instagram as they made their way to the Golden Globes on Sunday Hand-in-hand: The genetically blessed couple strolled inside The Beverly Hilton holding hands The actor shared a shot of himself pointing at the beauty and appeared to be whistling or shocked by the stunner's look. Chris also looked very dapper in a simple tux and high-shine dress shoes and gave his wife the thumbs up in her Instagram selfie. The couple posed proudly side-by-side on the red carpet and held hands inside the event. The loved up couple also enjoyed the after party together and were spotted leaving the CAA Golden Globes after party at Sunset Towers in LA. Party time! The loved up couple also enjoyed the after party together and were spotted leaving the CAA Golden Globes after party at Sunset Towers in LA Who you gonna call? The Ghostbusters actor was seen calling someone, presumably a car, as they then headed to Jimmy Fallon's after party at Hollywood hotspot Delilah Staying dry: The pair were also seen huddling under an umbrella together as they left Jimmy's bash Out of harms way: Elsa lifted her dress to avoid doing any damage to the glamorous gown in the rain Chris was seen calling someone, presumably a car, as they then headed to Jimmy Fallon's after party at Hollywood hotspot Delilah. Elsa lifted her dress to avoid doing any damage to the glamorous gown in the rain, while Chris dutifully held onto his wife and led the way. The pair were also seen huddling under an umbrella together, where one lady outside the venue tried to take a sneaky selfie, which didn't leave Chris looking too impressed. Such a gentleman! Chris dutifully held onto his wife and led the way as they left Jimmy Fallon's after party Dee Bliss made her shock return to Neighbours - albeit in a dream - on Monday night. Dee, who was last seen flying off a cliff and plunging into the sea alongside husband Toadfish 'Toadie' Rebecchi in 2003, appeared in the very first scene of 2017 as she haunted Toadie in his sleep. The snippet of actress Madeleine West was all fans were given during the first episode of the year, sending viewers into a frenzy on social media. Scroll down for video Guess who's back: Dee Bliss made her shock return to Neighbours - albeit in a dream - on Monday night After tuning in to watch the episode - some for the first time since Dee left the soap 13 years ago - fans took to Twitter to vent their feelings ahead of a proposed reunion with Toadie. Excitement was tangible among some, with one fan tweeting: '#Neighbours was so good tonight!! love the new look and got goosebumps on that opening scene with Dee in the dream!' Another added: 'Toadie dreaming about Dee is what I'm here for. Gimme Dee Bliss already #Neighbours.' Back from the dead: Dee was last seen flying off a cliff and plunging into the sea alongside husband Toadfish 'Toadie' Rebecchi on their wedding day in 2003 Hype: The snippet of actress Madeleine West was all desperate fans were given during the first episode of the year, sending viewers into a frenzy on social media Social stir: After tuning in to watch the episode - some for the first time since Dee left the soap 13 years ago - fans took to Twitter to vent their feelings However, not all viewers were happy with Dee's brief cameo after waiting with bated breath since the announcement of her return was made in September. A clearly disappointed user wrote: 'Can't believe Dee didn't show her face on Neighbours tonight, sucked in after not watching it for 13 years.' While another mused: 'What if Dee is still dead and Neighbours are just taking the p***.' Desperate for more: Not all viewers were happy with Dee's brief cameo after waiting with bated breath since the announcement of her return was made in September Waste of time: Some Twitter users felt that the long wait had not been worth it, venting their frustrations online The story line - one of the most shocking in Neighbours history - had the desired effect of bringing back fans who had previously snubbed the show for years. Those intrigued by how producers planned to resurrect Madeleine's character after she was lost at sea on her wedding day, flocked back to the long-running soap on Monday. One onlooker tweeted: 'Bring back Dee Bliss... and all the viewers from 10 years ago.' Intrigue: The story line - one of the most shocking in Neighbours history - had the desired effect of bringing back fans who had previously snubbed the show for years Return: Those intrigued by how producers planned to resurrect Madeleine's character after she was lost at sea on her wedding day, flocked back to the long-running soap on Monday Coming back: Some users had switched off from the show over ten years ago Another wrote: 'Watching Neighbours for the first time in over 10 years in anticipation of Dee Bliss's return. Buzzing.' Ending an eight-year hiatus, one user tweeted: 'I haven't watched Neighbours nightly since probably 2009 but I'm going to watch it tonight cause I just wanna know about this Dee Bliss s***.' After driving off into the sunset after their tying the knot, Dee and Toadie's car crashed through a fence before flying off the edge of a cliff after the newlyweds got distracted while kissing. Tragic: On their wedding day, Dee and Toadie's car crashed through a fence before flying off the edge of a cliff after the newlyweds got distracted while kissing Survivor: Toadie survived but his new wife's body was never found - and she hadn't been seen until the most recent episode Guest star: The Wrong Girl star Madeleine is signed up to make a 14-week guest appearance on the show Toadie survived but his new wife's body was never found - and she hadn't been seen until the most recent episode. The Wrong Girl star Madeleine is signed up to make a 14-week guest appearance on the show. Last night, Toadie hired a private investigator to find Dee after his brother spotted her in Colac, Victoria. Mexico arrests American in US consular official's shooting The suspect in the shooting of a US consular official in Mexico's western city of Guadalajara is an American who will be deported back to his country, officials said on Sunday. Hours after authorities announced the suspect's arrest, the attorney general's office and the foreign ministry issued a joint statement saying he would face justice in the United States for the "sordid and cowardly" shooting. The official was shot on Friday in a brazen attack by a man wearing a black wig and a blue nurse uniform outside a shopping center's garage in Mexico's second biggest city. Mexican police patrol the streets of Guadalajara Hector Guerrero (AFP/File) Officials have not indicated the possible motive nor revealed the identities of the victim or the suspect. The suspect was arrested by Mexican authorities in "close collaboration" with the FBI and the US embassy, the joint statement said, without providing more details about the day or circumstances of the capture. The victim, who was hospitalized, was in stable condition, it said. A US government official told AFP the victim was a vice consul at the consulate in Guadalajara. Mexican authorities said he handled interviews of visa applicants. An official at the Jalisco state prosecutor's office told AFP on condition of anonymity that the suspect is 31 years old and of Indian origin. The FBI had offered $20,000 for information about the shooter's identity. - US embassy urges caution - The US consulate in Guadalajara posted surveillance camera footage showing the official, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, paying a parking ticket at an automated machine. The gunman is then seen following him. Another security camera shows the gunman later standing outside the garage. When the official's black car stops at the exit, the shooter raises his gun and opens fire. A bullet hole is seen on the windshield and the official opens his door before the footage ends. Jalisco's state attorney general, Eduardo Almaguer, described the shooting as a "direct attack" on Saturday. US Secretary of State John Kerry thanked the Mexican government for the "swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our Foreign Service Officer colleague." "The safety and security of US citizens and our diplomatic staff overseas are among our highest priorities," Kerry said in a statement, wishing the official a "speedy recovery." Friday's shooting prompted the US embassy to issue a security message on Saturday urging US citizens in Guadalajara to "restrict their movements outside their homes and places of work to those truly essential." "They should also take care not to fall into predictable patterns for those movements that are essential," the message continued. "They should vary the times and routes of their movements." Guadalajara and the rest of the state have been hit by violence perpetrated by the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in recent years. - Previous attacks - US officials have faced attacks in Mexico in the past. In 2010, a consular official, her husband and the spouse of another consular official were killed in the northern city of Ciudad Juarez, which was mired in an ultra-violent drug war at the time. An alleged leader of the Barrio Azteca gang was extradited to the United States, where he was sentenced to life in prison for ordering the murder. A year later, gunmen from the Zetas drug cartel opened fire on a vehicle of two US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in the northern state of San Luis Potosi, killing one of the officers. In 2012, two US officials -- widely reported to be CIA agents -- and a Mexican marine where wounded when they were shot at by federal police officers as they drove south of Mexico City. Google's Waymo to expand self-driving partnerships Waymo, the autonomous car subsidiary of Google's parent company Alphabet, announced Sunday at the Detroit auto show that it would develop its self-driving technology with multiple partners, positioning itself as an automotive supplier. CEO John Krafcik also said the company would later this month begin testing Chrysler minivans outfitted with its self-driving system on public roads in Arizona and California. "What we're bringing to market is a self-driving technology platform," Krafcik said during a presentation at the annual Detroit auto show that often features product debuts from auto makers. John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo speaks at a press conference at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, January 8, 2017 Geoff Robins (AFP) Waymo and Chrysler have been building specially-outfitted Pacifica hybrid minivans that are autonomous. The minivans were first unveiled in December. Krafcik said the self-driving project was aimed at creating a platform, not working on any one specific product. "This integrated software and hardware platform will allow us to deliver products and services," Krafcik said. "Some of these we may do on our own. Some we may work on with partners." The first autonomous Chrysler minivans will appear on public roads in Arizona and California later this month, Krafcik said. "As we get ready to scale...using mass-produced vehicles becomes an imperative," he said. The self-driving car subsidiary of the technology giant has already conducted millions of miles of testing on earlier iterations of its autonomous system. Krafcik said they have managed to reduce the cost of its laser-guided radar system by 90 percent, from an original $75,000 price tag. "We'll take that cost down even further, with the goal of making this technology accessible to millions of people," he said. East Timor and Australia to tear up sea border treaty A contentious maritime border treaty between East Timor and Australia which cuts through lucrative oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea is to be torn up, the two sides said Monday. Dili and Canberra have been in dispute over the issue for a decade with the matter last year taken to the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. East Timor has now officially notified its southern neighbour it wants to end the Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea (CMATS), which carves up future revenue from oil and gas reserves in the area. Dili officially dropped its spying case against Canberra before the UN's highest International Court of Justice in June 2015 after Australia returned sensitive documents NICOLAS DELAUNAY (AFP) "The government of Australia has taken note of this wish and recognises that Timor-Leste has the right to initiate the termination of the treaty," the two sides said in a joint statement. "Accordingly, the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea will cease to be in force as of three months from the date of that notification." It did not give an exact date for notification, but added that both governments were committed to negotiating new permanent maritime boundaries. East Timor, which gained independence from Indonesian occupation in 2002, is impoverished and depends heavily on oil and gas exports. In 2006, it signed the CMATS treaty with Australia, which covers the vast Greater Sunrise gas field between the two nations, worth billions of dollars. But Dili has since accused Australia of spying to gain commercial advantage during the 2004 negotiations and demanded the treaty be ripped up. Until Monday, Australia had argued it was legal, binding and valid. Fiat Chrysler announces creation of 2,000 US jobs Fiat Chrysler announced it was creating 2,000 jobs in the United States, coming as President-elect Donald Trump has been publicly scolding automakers for investing in Mexico. The American-Italian firm will invest $1 billion by 2020 in two of its factories in the Midwestern states of Michigan and Ohio, where the new jobs will be based, the company said in a statement coming on the eve of the Detroit auto show. The Warren Truck Assembly Plant in Michigan will produce the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, as well as the Ram heavy duty truck which is currently produced in Mexico, the company said on Sunday. A Fiat Chrysler worker is seen on the production line at the FCA Sterling Stamping Plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan Bill Pugliano (Getty/AFP/File) The Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio will build a new Jeep pickup truck. "FCA US is further demonstrating its commitment to strengthening its US manufacturing base," it said, adding that it has created 25,000 jobs in the country since 2009. Trump, who campaigned on promises of creating industrial jobs in the American heartland, took to Twitter this past week to blast automakers with operations or plans to build plants in Mexico. He slammed General Motors for making some of its Chevy Cruze models south of the border, and Toyota, which is building a new plant there. On Tuesday, US automaker Ford announced it was scrapping construction of a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico to instead invest in the United States and create 700 jobs, citing a "vote of confidence" in the economic agenda of the incoming president. Fiat Chrysler so far has escaped Trump's Twitter wrath, but it's due to start importing Jeep Compass models from Mexico as soon as this month. The company was rebuilt in 2009 after its predecessor the Chrysler Group went bankrupt and required a federal bailout to stay in business. It has three manufacturing sites in Mexico -- in Toluca, Ramos Arizpe and Saltillo -- where it produces pickups as well as the Fiat Fremont and the Fiat 500. Other auto groups have preemptively said they will be flexible in the new era of American politics. "We are pragmatic, we will adapt to any situation," said the chief of the Renault-Nissan alliance, Carlos Ghosn, speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. In December, American air conditioner manufacturer Carrier backed off a planned transfer of 1,000 jobs to the Mexico, after a deal with Trump -- and for $7 million in tax cuts. Mexico's relatively low wages, its proximity to the US market and the free trade deals the country has with 46 countries make it attractive to foreign investors. The main pact is the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) that Mexico enacted with the United States and Canada in 1994. During the campaign Trump relentlessly attacked NAFTA, promising to renegotiate or withdraw from the agreement all together. Technology pours into happy hour The array of products featured at the Consumer Electronics Show flowed into all aspects of modern life -- even freshening up happy hour. Those inspired to reach for a cocktail after navigating seemingly endless CES show floors packed with dizzying displays and throngs of people were in luck: there were gadgets for that. Whether one's preference was beer, wine or spirits, thirst could be sated. Opn manager Tristan Capelier demonstrates the Pernot Ricard-backed home mixology unit at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nevada Glenn CHAPMAN (AFP) Thibaut Jarrousse and fellow co-founders of French startup 10-Vins were on the show floor serving glasses of wine at just the right temperatures and aeration with the help of their creation D-Vine. Large, sealed tubes holding a glass-worth of wine were slipped into the top of the counter-top appliance, which made sure a particular vintage was served just right. "It is like a sommelier," Jarrousse told AFP as D-Vine prepared a Bordeaux. "You come home from work and have a perfect glass of wine in one minute." The startup founders planned to visit the premier Napa and Sonoma Valley wine regions after the end of CES on Sunday to explore adding California vintages to D-Vine's menu. A first-generation version of D-Vine was released last year, with the entire production of 500 units priced at $1,200 each sold out in less than two months, according to Jarrousse. "We were surprised because we didn't know if wine and technology would be good in France, but a lot of people wanted it," he said. A second-generation D-Vine unit featuring touch screen capabilities for menus, buying wine and more was shown off at CES and was to hit the market at the end of this year. - Home-brewed beer - Nearby on the show floor people were bellying-up to a PicoBrew trailer for samples made with the all-in-one kit for crafting beer at home. The $799 system includes a counter-top machine for brewing hops, oats or other ingredients, along with small kegs for fermenting and storage. The US company has licensing deals with craft breweries around the world for recipes, which are pre-measured and sold in "PicoPacks" that slide into the machine to start the home brewing process. PicoBrew announced the addition of a free-style option that lets users go online to create their own beer formulas. The company planned to soon let home brewers publish their recipes, and earn royalties from PicoPack sales related to them, according to marketing vice president Donald Brewer. Each PicoPack makes five liters of beer, and prices range from $19 to $29 each, Brewer said. - Cocktail mixology - Meanwhile, in a suite at the Venetian hotel, Tristan Capelier served up cocktails with an Opn home-"mixology" device designed for people preferring to entertain at home instead of going out to bars or clubs. "People want more and more to go out at their own place," said Opn manager Capelier. Opn is a product of a Breakthrough Innovation Group at wine and spirits powerhouse Pernod Ricard, and expects to make its market debut early next year. Opn home bartending involves spirits packaged in boxes the size of hard-covered books, which sit on a tray synched to a mobile app that helps people select cocktails and then walks them through preparing the drinks. People slice their own citrus and add their own mixers, but the "smart" tray informs alcohol-filled cartridges exactly how much of the spirits to add. Opn has been tested in Paris, London, Munich, Madrid and Moscow. The product is slated to launch first in Paris where the company is located. Appeal of ex-Chad leader Habre over war crimes begins Lawyers acting for Chad's former president Hissene Habre launched an appeal Monday against his life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity, after a conviction hailed as a landmark for Africa. The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union (AU), sentenced Habre in May to life behind bars, an unprecedented ruling seen as a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers. Opening the appeal Monday, lawyer Mbaye Sene told the court the judgement should be thrown out as there was "not a shred of proof for the guilt of president Habre". Former Chadian dictator Hissene Habre leaves a Dakar courthouse after an identity hearing in June 2015 Seyllou (AFP/File) Habre, 74, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, refuses to recognise the court's authority but his court-appointed lawyers are undertaking an appeal on his behalf, which will resume Tuesday. The president of the appeal court Wafi Ougadeye said its deliberations would continue without Habre's presence after a defence team request. Ougadeye said Habre had replied to a letter from the court with the assertion that he did recognise its authority and therefore "was not able to receive any document issued by it." One of Habre's most high-profile campaigning victims, Souleymane Guengueng, told AFP he had "no doubt the judgement will be upheld." "One cannot violate international law with impunity," said Guengueng, who spent two years in detention in the hands of Habre's notorious Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS), Chad's secret police. The verdict will be final. If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another AU country. The hearing is expected to last several days, with the final decision expected by April 30. - 'Verdict that gave hope' - The May verdict brought closure for relatives of up to 40,000 people killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured during Habre's time as president. "The trial of Hissene Habre last year was the result of a tireless battle by thousands of victims and their relatives to ensure justice for crimes under international law committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990," said Gaetan Mootoo, West Africa researcher at Amnesty International. "It gave hope to others around the world that it is possible to end impunity even where it is most entrenched," he said in a statement ahead of the appeal. In July, Habre was further ordered to pay up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives. The trial set a global precedent as the first time a country had prosecuted the former leader of another nation for rights abuses, said US lawyer Reed Brody, who has worked with the victims of the Habre regime since 1999. "The appeals court now needs to make sure that a system is put in place so that Habre's assets can be located, seized and transferred to his victims to compensate them for what they have suffered," he said in a statement last week. Known as a skilled desert fighter and often dressed in combat fatigues to fit the role, Habre fled to Senegal after his 1990 ouster by Chad's current President Idriss Deby. For more than 20 years, the former dictator lived freely in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children. Hissene Habre appeals his conviction J-M.Cornu/S.Ramis/A.Bommenel (AFP) Pro-democracy Hong Kong lawmaker condemns 'violent attacks' Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Nathan Law hit out Monday at "violent attacks" by pro-China protesters at the city's airport on his return from a political forum in Taiwan. Law, 23, encountered the crowd in the arrivals hall late Sunday. Protesters, who accuse Law of favouring independence for Hong Kong, shouted, threw liquid in his face and tried to hit him as airport security struggled to bundle him through. Pro-indpendence lawmaker Nathan Law was met by protestors when he returned to Hong Kong from attending a political froum in Taiwan, January 9, 2017 Anthony WALLACE (AFP/File) It came after Law and other high-profile Hong Kong pro-democracy activists including Joshua Wong, had been greeted by pro-China protesters in Taipei as they arrived for the forum on Saturday. The two-day event was an exchange of views between democratic movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan. "There is never justification for violence, not even in the name of patriotism," Law said in a statement Monday. "I will continue to fight for democracy and the right of self-determination of Hong Kong people." At a press conference Monday afternoon he described the attackers as an example of "gangster politics" and accused the Chinese Communist Party of trying to suppress democratic movements. Fellow pro-democracy lawmaker Eddie Chu, who also travelled to Taiwan, said there was now a "globalised...anti-democratic violent network" controlled by Beijing. Law and Chu are among a new group of legislators who support the idea of self-determination for semi-autonomous Hong Kong -- a notion that has infuriated Beijing, which resumed sovereignty in 1997. At one point during Sunday's attack, television footage showed Law stumbling down a staircase after a water bottle was thrown at him. Protesters shouted: "Trip and die!" and one called Law a "traitor". Law said he suffered scratches and bruises and had reported the incident to police. Police said two arrests had been made relating to attacks on journalists covering the incident. Once a taboo concept, the idea of independence for Hong Kong has gathered momentum since mass protests in 2014 failed to win political reform and as fears have grown that Beijing is tightening its grip on the city. Two pro-independence lawmakers were last year barred from taking up their seats in the legislature because of irregularities in the way they took the oath of office. Law and three other pro-democracy lawmakers will face a court hearing in February that will also seek to disqualify them on the same grounds. They say they are not categorically pro-independence but feel Hong Kongers should have a choice about their future. The forum in Taipei was hosted by Taiwan's New Power Party, which advocates recognition of Taiwan as a nation. Even though Taiwan has been self-ruling since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949, China still sees it as part of its territory. Japan envoy returns home in S.Korea 'comfort woman' row Japan's ambassador to South Korea returned to Tokyo on Monday, reiterating its frustration over a statue of a "comfort woman" which has reignited a diplomatic row over Tokyo's wartime sex slavery. Tensions spiked on Friday when Tokyo said it would recall its envoy over the statue which was placed outside its consulate in Busan last month, symbolising women forced to work in Japanese military brothels mostly during World War II. Japan argues it is against a 2015 agreement between the neighbours meant to put an end to the hugely emotional and decades-long "comfort women" issue with a Japanese apology and payment of money. Japan's ambassador to South Korea has returned to Tokyo after a row over the placing of a "comfort woman" statue outside the country's consulate in Busan, January 9, 2016 STR (YONHAP/AFP) "It is extremely regrettable that the girl statue was set," ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine told reporters ahead of his departure from Seoul Monday morning, adding that he would discuss the issue with government officials, possibly including Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida. The plight of the women has marred relations for decades but the two governments reached an agreement in late 2015 to finally resolve it. Under that accord, which both countries described as "final and irreversible," Japan offered an apology and a one-billion yen ($8.6 billion) payment to surviving Korean comfort women. Critics of the accord say the deal did not go far enough in holding Japan responsible for wartime abuses during its 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean peninsula. Mainstream historians say up to 200,000 women, mostly from Korea but also other parts of Asia including China, were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War II. Detroit braces for Trump tweets as auto show opens The global auto industry on Monday was bracing for more confrontational tweets from President-elect Donald Trump, with the festive Detroit auto show due to kick off here. As he prepares to take office later this month, Trump has used his Twitter account to take aim at auto makers, warning that they may face stiff import tariffs for selling cars made with foreign labor on the US market. As recently as Thursday, Trump trained his sights on Toyota for building cars in Mexico, after having similarly spotlighted Ford and General Motors. Recently, President-elect Donald Trump trained his sights on Toyota for building cars in Mexico, after having similarly spotlighted Ford and General Motors Kazuhiro Nogi (AFP/File) In what appeared to be a preemptive maneuver, Fiat Chrysler announced late Sunday that it return manufacture of the Ram heavy-duty truck to the United States from Mexico, while investing $1 billion in Michigan and Ohio factories and creating 2,000 jobs. After having taken on several auto makers in succession, the annual celebration of the global auto industry in a state which narrowly voted for Trump in November seems like a very inviting target for the president-elect. Scott Houldieson, a regional executive with the United Automobile Workers in Chicago, told AFP that Mexican auto workers earned between $5 and $8 an hour, versus an average of $20 for newly hired Ford workers in the United States. At corporate headquarters and in the halls of Detroit hotels where executives have gathered, a pressing question has been whom the president-elect would target next. Have Ford, Toyota and GM weathered the storm? - Monitoring Trump on Twitter - A representative for one automaker who declined to be named told AFP that keeping close watch on Trump's Twitter account, his favored means of public address, had become a priority for the company's social media team. Other manufacturers said they followed a broad spectrum of media. "We monitor the entire media landscape, including social media, for all news," Volkswagen spokeswoman Jeannine Ginnivan told AFP. AFP got a similar reply from a representative for Audi, a Volkswagen AG brand which began producing the new Q5 model in Puebla, Mexico in September. Volkswagen-branded cars are also produced in the country. The Audi plant, the first for the brand in North America, has a production capacity of 150,000 cars a year and employs as many as 4,200 people. Fiat Chrysler, which took a US taxpayer bailout in 2009 following the global financial crisis, emphasizes its presence in the United States. "Since June 2009, we have announced $8.4 billion in US-based investments and have added almost 25,000 new US jobs," said Jodi Tinson, a spokeswoman. Trump has harshly criticized the trade policies of previous US presidents, claiming they resulted in millions of job losses in the United States. He has also threatened to withdraw from or renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, which involves Canada, the United States and Mexico. Under the treaty, if at least 65 percent of a car's parts have a North American origin, it can be sold duty-free in the region. Auto manufacturers in the United States have seized on this provision to invest in Mexico. Between 1999 and 2013, foreign investments in that country have exceeded $30 billion, according to the Mexican trade promotion body ProMexico. The United States in the first quarter of 2015 also became the largest importer of Mexican-made cars, according to the Mexican automotive association AMIA. The largest US car makers have production facilities in Mexico, including companies like Mercedes Benz and BMW, which will begin producing cars there in 2018 and 2019 respectively. Worst rain 'in 30 years' heaps misery on flood-hit Thai south The heaviest rains in 30 years have caused the floods sweeping southern Thailand, the kingdom's junta leader said Monday, as the army ramped up efforts to reach remote inundated areas. At least 21 people have been killed and nearly one million people affected by the floods after days of unseasonably heavy rain across the country's southern neck. Downpours and flash floods have also disrupted holidays on tourist islands including Samui and Phangan, disappointing tens of thousands of visitors hunting Thailand's peak season sun. Despite the end of the monsoon season weeks ago, there were no immediate signs of respite for flood-battered southern Thailand TUWAEDANIYA MERINGING (AFP/File) Despite the end of the monsoon season weeks ago, there were no immediate signs of respite for the flood-battered region. The "severe flooding is because of the worst rainfall in more than 30 years", Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha told reporters. Prayut, who led the 2014 coup, warned climate change meant floods and droughts were increasingly likely and "Thailand must prepare to handle these problems". Soldiers have been deployed to provide relief packages and rescue stranded people in the worst-hit areas. Meanwhile boats with special pumping equipment have been dispatched to Nakhon Si Thammarat province, which has seen floods reach rooftops in some areas, causing deaths and extensive damage to property. Television images showed villagers wading through muddy water in remote flooded hamlets, scant belongings held high. In areas where the water had receded, locals slopped out mud from their homes and surveyed broken roads, bridges and ruined farmland. Thailand's south is heavily reliant on tourism and agriculture, including rubber, fruit and palm oil plantations, and the floods will likely have a significant economic impact. VANCLEAVE, Mississippi -- A woman whose body was found in Vancleave Saturday night has been identified as 30-year-old Elizabeth Corene Jones. Jackson County Sheriff Mike Ezell said Jones' body was found shortly before 6 p.m. inside her Ridgeland Road home. Investigators say foul play is suspected and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death. Investigators continue to pursue various leads and speak with witnesses. Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Jackson County Sheriff's Office at 228-769-3063 or Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898. This story will be updated as more information becomes available. It's gonna be huge: China factory hatches giant Trump chickens A Chinese factory is hatching giant inflatable chickens resembling Donald Trump to usher in the Year of the Rooster. The five-metre (16-foot) fowls sport the distinctive golden mane of the US president-elect and mimic his signature hand gestures with their tiny wings. Cartoon figures of animals from the Chinese zodiac are ubiquitous around Chinese New Year at the end of this month. A golden mane and tiny wings that mimic his hand gestures -- the resemblence of inflatable chickens produced for the Chinese New Year to US President-elect is unmistakable Johannes EISELE (AFP) The balloon factory is selling its presidential birds for as much as 14,400 yuan ($2,080) on Chinese shopping site Taobao for a 10-metre version. "I saw his image on the news and he has a lot of personality, and since Year of the Rooster is coming up I mixed these two elements together to make a Chinese chicken," factory owner Wei Qing told AFP. "It is so funny, so we designed it and tried to sell it and it turned out to be popular. The cartoon balloon appeared to be based on a sculpture designed by US artist Casey Latiolais, which was unveiled at a shopping mall last month in Taiyuan, capital of the northern province of Shanxi. Wei said he was not aware that the American designer had created the original, but added that "there are some differences in the facial expression. And that one is glass. Ours is inflatable." Trump has captured the Chinese imagination and riled its authorities, threatening to get tough on trade practices he says are unfair after taking office on January 20. Singapore demands return of army vehicles from HK Singapore on Monday demanded the immediate return of nine armoured troop carriers impounded by Hong Kong while in transit from Taiwan, calling the seizure illegal under international law. The November seizure of the Terrex vehicles by Hong Kong customs has triggered a row also involving China, which has sovereignty over Hong Kong and considers Taiwan a renegade island awaiting reunification. The vehicles were being shipped home from military exercises in Taiwan, where land-starved Singapore has for decades trained its troops. Singapore is demanding the immediate return of nine armoured troop carriers impounded by Hong Kong while in transit from Taiwan LAURENT FIEVET (AFP/File) Following the seizure China lodged a diplomatic protest with Singapore over its military cooperation with the island. Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said Singapore had repeatedly told the Hong Kong government that the vehicles and other equipment "belong to the government of Singapore and are therefore immune from any measures of constraint. "Accordingly we have requested the Hong Kong authorities to return our property immediately," he told parliament. The vehicles are protected by sovereign immunity even if shipped by commercial carriers, Ng said. "They cannot legally be detained or confiscated by other countries." Ng said Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had written to Hong Kong Chief Executive C.Y. Leung on the issue, and Hong Kong authorities had replied that the investigation would take time. Hong Kong seized a total of 12 containers, saying they carried "suspected controlled items". The Singapore military has reviewed its shipping procedures to ensure its equipment will not be "taken hostage en route" in the future, Ng added. Ties between China and Singapore are already strained over Singapore's perceived support for Southeast Asian nations disputing China's extensive territorial claims in the South China Sea. A 1974 agreement allows Singaporean troops to train in Taiwan alongside Taipei's forces, and it sends up to 15,000 troops a year to the island. Hong Kong is semi-autonomous after being handed back by Britain to China in 1997 and enjoys freedoms unseen on the mainland, but there are increasing fears over Beijing's interference. Florida airport gunman appears in court to hear charges An Iraq war vet accused of killing five people in a shooting spree at a Florida airport appeared in court Monday to face federal charges that carry the death penalty. Esteban Santiago, 26, who had told the FBI two months before the shooting that he was hearing voices, was brought before federal judge Alicia Valle in Fort Lauderdale in handcuffs and wearing a red prison jumpsuit. He mumbled "morning" to the judge who then read him his rights, explained the next steps in the process and appointed a defense lawyer to represent him. People seek cover on the tarmac of Fort Lauderdale airport after a shooting took place near the baggage area on January 6, 2017 Joe Raedle (Getty/AFP/File) "You committed various offenses, which are performing an act of violence at an airport causing bodily injury; using and carrying a firearm in relation to a crime of violence; and causing the death of a person through the use of a firearm," Valle said. The charges carry a maximum penalty of death or life in prison. The FBI said it had not ruled out a terrorist link in the shooting spree at the Fort Lauderdale airport but that Santiago had approached them in November acting so erratically he was taken for a mental health evaluation. - 'Something has to change' - Santiago flew to Fort Lauderdale on Friday and retrieved a 9mm handgun and ammunition that he had declared and packed in his checked luggage. He opened fire in the busy airport until he ran out of ammunition, then dropped to the ground and peacefully surrendered to a sheriff's deputy, authorities said. Video released Sunday by the TMZ website showed Santiago, bearded and wearing a blue shirt, walking calmly through the baggage claim area. He strolled past some passengers before removing a gun from his waistband and firing it, then ran off-screen. One woman hid behind a luggage cart as others ducked for cover following a brief moment of stunned confusion. Five people were killed and six were wounded. "Something has to change," Broward County Sheriff Israel Scott told ABC's Miami affiliate on Sunday. "People who are suffering from mental illness should not be allowed, in my opinion, to purchase or have firearms at any time." The suspect, who traveled from Alaska on a one-way ticket, told investigators he had planned the attack, FBI agent Michael Ferlazzo said in court documents. Ferlazzo said Santiago fired approximately 10 to 15 rounds, shooting methodically while "aiming at his victims' heads." FBI special agent George Piro said agents were looking into motives for the attack, including "continuing to look at the terrorism angle." But the Miami Herald reported Monday that federal agents had turned up no evidence on social media of a terrorism connection. - Broke and unemployed - During Monday's hearing, Santiago said he had "five or 10 dollars" in a checking account and has been unemployed since November when he left a job in Anchorage, Alaska as a security officer at a firm called Signal 88. Taking into account Santiago's financial situation, Valle appointed public attorney Robert Berube to represent him and set a detention hearing for January 17 and an arraignment on January 23. A former member of the Puerto Rico and Alaska National Guard, Santiago served in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011. He ended his service in August. On November 7, he walked into the FBI's office in Anchorage, Alaska and complained that his mind was being controlled by national intelligence agencies, which were forcing him to watch Islamic State jihadist videos, authorities said. This "erratic behavior" led agents to contact local police, who took him for a mental health evaluation, Piro said. According to several witnesses, including his brother and an aunt, Santiago was suffering from mental health problems. Two of the wounded victims remained in intensive care while the other four had been released or were recovering in the hospital, Israel, the Broward County sheriff, told CNN. Authorities have not identified any of the victims, but three named in media reports were all getting ready to set off on cruises. Esteban Santiago, 26, was accused of killing five, wounding six and sending thousands scrambling for safety in a shooting rampage at the Fort Lauderdale International Airport Handout (Broward Sheriff's Office/AFP) Boko Haram targets Nigeria military base, militia Boko Haram killed at least five soldiers at a military base in northeast Nigeria, while suicide bombers killed three people in the key city of Maiduguri, the authorities said on Monday. The weekend attacks will again prompt questions about the extent to which the Islamic State group affiliate is a spent force, as Nigeria's government has claimed. There was no official claim of responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram, which has frequently hit checkpoints and security services with suicide bombers. The Boko Haram gunmen are believed to have regrouped after Nigeria's military chased them out of the group's Sambisa Forest stronghold in the neighbouring state of Borno last month Stefan Heunis (AFP/File) Rebel fighters, whom the military said were ousted from their Sambisa Forest enclave in Borno state last month, first hit an army base in Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state, at dusk on Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, a wave of five suicide bombers targeted civilian vigilantes assisting the military with security in Maiduguri and elsewhere in the remote region. One senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the Buni Yadi assault led to an "intense battle". "We lost five soldiers in the attack, including a captain who was recently deployed to Buni Yadi," he said. "We are still trying to have a sense of the casualties on the part of the terrorists as their bodies are scattered in the bush." - 'Missing in action' - The Boko Haram gunmen are believed to be remnants of those flushed out of Sambisa as a result of a sustained military operation that began in April last year. The expulsion was described by Abuja as the final stages of the insurgency, which began in 2009 and has left at least 20,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless. President Muhammadu Buhari claimed in December 2015 the group was "technically" defeated but there has been no let-up in attacks, including across the border in Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Attacks on military bases were a regular feature of the fighting and used by Boko Haram to replenish weaponry. A spokesman for the Buni Yadi base, Lieutenant George Okupe, confirmed the attack and said it was "repelled". He added: "I cannot confirm any casualty for now. "All I can say is that some soldiers are missing in action." Buni Yadi, some 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, fell into the hands of Boko Haram in February 2014 after the militants attacked a boys' boarding school. At least 43 students were killed as they slept and the school was set ablaze. The militants sacked the town and remained in control until March last year until they were ousted. - Vigilantes targeted - On Sunday at about 10:30 pm (2130 GMT), two female suicide bombers killed two people in the Kaleri neighbourhood of Maiduguri, said Borno state police spokesman Victor Isuku. Civilian vigilante Babakura Kolo and local residents said the targets were the homes of militia members helping the military in the area. The first bomber was aged about 20 and killed both herself and the vigilante member's teenage daughter, who answered the door. The second female bomber was believed to be aged about 30 and killed the father of the vigilante, who was spending the night with his second wife, said resident Bura Kadiri. About the same time, three male suicide bombers exploded near a military checkpoint on the city limits, killing one vigilante on patrol, according to police. The trio, armed with Kalashnikovs assault rifles, "shot sporadically and attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri" through Muna Garage, said police spokesman Victor Isuku. "The IED (improvised explosive device) strapped to their bodies exploded, killing all of them, and a civilian JTF," he added, referring to civilian vigilantes known as the Joint Task Force. China slams Tsai meeting with US Senator Ted Cruz China said Monday it "firmly opposed" a meeting between Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen and Senator Ted Cruz, as a state-run newspaper warned of "revenge" against President-elect Donald Trump should he abandon the One China policy. Tsai met Cruz in Houston over the weekend, the Republican from Texas said in a statement, with the two discussing arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations. The Taiwanese leader was in transit en route to Central America, where she will meet regional diplomatic allies. Beijing had asked Washington to bar her from US airspace. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen (left) speaks before departing from Taoyuan airport on January 7, 2017 Sam Yeh (AFP) "We are firmly opposed to the Taiwan leaders engagement with US officials under the pretext of transit, and her attempt to undermine China-US relations," foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a regular briefing. He urged the US to abide by the One China policy and "prudently handle" Taiwan-related issues. Beijing was "fully prepared" to break ties with the US should Trump abandon the policy, said the Global Times newspaper, which often takes a nationalistic tone. "If Trump reneges on the One China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining," it said in a Sunday editorial. Cruz, who lost to Trump in the Republican primary elections, said he had gone ahead with the tete-a-tete despite Chinese opposition. He said the Houston congressional delegation had received a "curious letter" from the Chinese consulate requesting that no one meet her. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," the Republican said. "The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." Trump has already irked China by accepting a congratulatory phone call from Tsai after he won the presidential election, upending decades of diplomatic precedent in which the White House has foregone direct communication with the leader of Taiwan. Beijing considers the island to be a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold, by force if necessary. Trump has threatened to get tough with what he sees as unfair Chinese trade practices, and suggested that the One China policy could become a bargaining chip in other disputes. But he appears to have ruled out meeting Tsai during her stopover, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office on January 20. Assad rules out truce in Syria's Wadi Barada Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ruled out a truce with rebels in an area near Damascus which supplies the capital with its water needs, in an interview aired Monday. Millions of people have been without water for weeks after fighting damaged key infrastructure in the Wadi Barada region that is the main water source for Damascus. The government says the jihadist Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as Al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front, is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. Millions of people have been without water for weeks after fighting damaged key infrastructure in the Wadi Barada region that is the main water source for Damascus George Ourfalian (AFP) "The role of the Syrian Army is to liberate that area in order to prevent those terrorists from using that water in order to suffocate the capital," Assad told French media. Assad's forces have been battling rebels in Wadi Barada for weeks and the fighting has continued despite the start on December 30 of a nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey. Assad said the ceasefire was being "breached on a daily basis" and mainly in Damascus "because the terrorists occupy the main source of water" in Wadi Barada. He said "more than five million civilians have been deprived of water for the last three weeks" as a result of the fighting. The United Nations says 5.5 million people in and around Damascus are without water. Assad said that Fateh al-Sham is "occupying" the Wadi Barada region, 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the capital. But rebels deny that the jihadists are in the area and say the mains supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities in the area. Assad also insisted that the ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey does not include Fateh al-Sham or its formidable rival, the Islamic State group. His comments aired by French media came as fighting raged on several fronts in the Wadi Barada region on Monday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The Britain-based monitoring group said regime forces backed by fighters from Lebanon's Shiite militant movement Hamas battled rebels and Fateh al-Sham jihadists. On Saturday maintenance teams attempted to reach the Wadi Barada region to begin working on restoring water supplies for Damascus but were forces back by sniper fire, state media said. Reshuffle in I.Coast, security chiefs out after mutiny Ivory Coast initiated a post-election reshuffle on Monday and fired the heads of its armed forces and police after a brief army mutiny that stoked security fears in the world's top cocoa producer. President Alassane Ouattara issued a statement saying he had accepted the resignations of Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan and the cabinet, who would stay in office until their replacements were appointed. The decision had been widely expected, coming on the heels of a legislative elections last month won by the governing coalition. Outgoing Ivorian Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan (L) walks with Ivorian president Alassane Ouattara (R), following his resignation at the presidential palace in Abidjan, following his resignation on January 9, 2017 ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP) Separately, a presidential statement read on TV said Alassane Ouattara had signed three decrees ordering major changes in top security ranks. The decrees "relieve General Soumaila Bakayoko as chief of staff of the armed forces of Ivory Coast, General Gervais Kouakou Kouassi, senior commander of the national gendarmerie, and the director-general of the police, Bredou MBia," the statement said. Their replacements were named as General Sekou Toure, General Nicolas Kouadio Kouakou and Youssouf Kouyate, respectively. There were no further details. Ouattara also issued decrees ending the functions of the secretary-general of the president's office and the minister in charge of presidential affairs, the post held by his right-hand man Amadou Gon Coulibaly and his younger brother Ibrahima Tene respectively. The mutiny saw soldiers seize the second city of Bouake, firing shots in the air and terrifying residents, while demanding bonuses, better pay and houses. The protests spread to other cities, including the economic capital Abidjan. A deal to end the mutiny was struck on Sunday. Defence Minister Alain Richard Donwahi, who was briefly held by the mutineers over the weekend, assured them on Monday that Ouattara had issued "firm instructions to bring solutions to your concerns". - State employees strike - Bouake, which is home to 1.5 million people, was the cradle of a rebellion which erupted in 2002 in a failed attempt to oust then president Laurent Gbagbo. The revolt sliced the former French colony into the rebel-held north and the government-controlled south and triggered years of unrest. Twelve years later, a similar dispute over pay by rebels-turned-soldiers erupted in Bouake which spread to Abidjan and briefly brought the country to a standstill. The government then agreed to a deal that provided amnesty for the mutineers and a financial settlement. Speculation has mounted in Abidjan that former rebel leader Guillaume Soro, who served as premier for five years until 2012, engineered Friday's mutiny. Just hours after the prime minister's resignation Soro was re-elected as parliamentary speaker, securing 95 percent of the votes case in the 230-seat assembly thanks to support from members of the ruling Houphouetist Rally for Democracy and Peace (RHDP) coalition. Ouattara is scheduled to address the national assembly at 10:00 am (1000 GMT) on Tuesday, Soro announced. Ivorian state employees meanwhile began a five-day strike on Monday to protest against pension cuts ranging from 30 to 50 percent and a plan to raise the retirement age from 55 to 60. "The strike affects all sectors -- especially education, health and territorial administration," Theodore Gnagna Zadi, who is leading the strikers, told AFP. Former Ivorian Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan delivers a speech following his resignation on January 9, 2017 at the presidential palace in Abidjan Issouf Sanogo (AFP) UN appeals for funds for Palestinians caught up in Syria war The UN's agency for Palestinian refugees on Monday appealed for emergency funds to provide aid to nearly half a million Palestinians affected by the war in Syria. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, said almost all the estimated 450,000 Palestinian refugees still inside Syria are in "critical need" of humanitarian aid in order to survive. It said it needed $411 million (390 million euros) to support the Palestinians inside Syria as well as 47,000 others who have fled to neighbouring Jordan and Lebanon. A man stands on a staircase inside a demolished building in the Yarmuk Palestinian refugee camp in the Syrian capital Damascus in April 2015 YOUSSEF KARWASHAN, - (AFP/File) UNRWA said that 43,000 Palestinians in Syria are in hard-to-reach or besieged areas cut off by fighting, including the Yarmouk camp in Damascus. "It's a clear violation of international humanitarian law to deny people who are vulnerable, as a result of displacement, conflict or war, humanitarian assistance," the agency's outgoing Syria head Matthias Schmale told AFP. UNRWA said tens of thousands of Palestinians who have fled to Lebanon and Jordan also needed aid to make ends meet. "Some Palestinian refugees who have not asked for UNRWA funds before are looking to us today to help them cover their most basic needs," said Hakam Shahwan, the agency's ad-interim Lebanon director. He said some 31,800 Palestinian refugees from Syria are among an influx of some one million Syrians who have taken refuge in Lebanon since Syria's conflict began almost six years ago. "That adds to the assistance we have to provide to the Palestinian refugees," Shahwan told AFP. Lebanon was already home to around 450,000 Palestinian refugees, mostly the descendants of those who fled their homes when the state of Israel was created in 1948, or during subsequent conflicts. Palestinian leader writes to Trump opposing embassy move Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has written to US President-elect Donald Trump urging him not to move the American embassy to Jerusalem, official Palestinian media said on Monday. The Palestinian news agency Wafa did not say when the letter was sent but said it aimed to explain the "risks" of moving the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas warned the move would have a "disastrous impact on the peace process, on the two-state solution and on the stability and security of the entire region," Wafa said. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas (C) arrives to cast his vote at the Muqataa, the Palestinian Authority headquarters, in the city of Ramallah in the Israeli occupied West Bank, on December 3, 2016 AHMAD GHARABLI (AFP/File) Trump has said he plans to relocate the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in a controversial move bitterly opposed by Palestinians as a unilateral action while the status of the city remains contested. Israel supports the move and has encouraged previous presidents to take similar steps to no avail. Abbas also sent letters to other world powers including Russia, China and the European Union, calling on them to "spare no effort" to prevent the United States from making the move, Wafa said. The Palestinians regard Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem as the capital of their future state, while Israel proclaims the entire city as its undivided capital. The United States and most UN member states do not recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, and the city's status is one of the thorniest issues of the decades-long Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Trump spokeswoman Kellyanne Conway last month told a US radio channel moving the embassy was a "very big priority" for the president-elect. Trump has also nominated David Friedman, a supporter of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, as his ambassador to the Jewish state. In a Trump transition team statement last month, Friedman said he wanted to work for peace and looked forward to "doing this from the US embassy in Israel's eternal capital, Jerusalem". Even if Anthony had a year to analyze and dissect each piece...(he couldn't tell if it would)... stand the harsh light of public exposure. WUWT insider Willis Eschenbach tells you all you need to know about Anthony Watts and his blog, WattsUpWithThat (WUWT). As part of his scathing commentary , Wondering Willis accuses Anthony Watts of being clueless about the blog articles he posts. To paraphrase: Click here to read more. German auto industry pleads for free trade in Detroit Germany's auto industry on Monday argued for freer trade within North America and between the United States and Europe, as global auto brands gathered to showcase their wares in Detroit. The plea at the opening of the annual Detroit auto show comes as auto makers brace for continued confrontation with US President-elect Donald Trump, who has threatened to slap import tariffs on several major manufacturers for selling Mexican-made cars on the US market. At a news conference at the start of the show, Matthias Wissmann, head of German auto federation VDA, underscored that member companies, which include BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, had quadrupled production in the US since 2009, producing 850,000 vehicles in the United States in 2016. Attendees look at the the Volkswagen lineup of cars and SUVs during the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan on January 9, 2017 SAUL LOEB (AFP) "That is a clear commitment to the US as an industrial location," said Wissmann, reiterating the VDA's favorable stance on free-trade. "For us, the question of how Washington will value globalization in the future is particularly important," he added, pointing to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which links Mexico, Canada and the United States. "It would certainly also be smart not to call the absence of import duties within NAFTA into question." VDA members produced 425,000 units in Mexico in 2016, according to Wissmann. Wissmann also said only 41 percent of US production by German automakers remained in the United States, as the majority is for export. "That means that just over half of the jobs that the German manufacturers have created here in their US plants depend on exports," said Wissmann, who put the number of US workers employed by German auto makers and parts suppliers at 110,000. Wissmann also noted that the proposed trade pact with the European Union, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership or TTIP, would allow US-built cars duty free into the EU market. Near-term prospects for the adoption of the TTIP appear slim to nil, with talks at a standstill and Trump showing no sign of changing his antipathy to such trade deals. Israeli court hands Palestinian gunman 2 life sentences for murder An Israeli military court sentenced a Palestinian Monday to two life terms for shooting dead Israeli hiker Danny Gonen in the occupied West Bank 19 months ago, the army said. The Judea military court also ruled that Mohammad Abu Shahin must pay Gonen's family 3.5 million shekels ($910,000, 860,00 euros) in compensation for the June 19, 2015 killing, a statement said. Gonen's friend Netanel Hadad was also wounded in the attack. Israeli soldiers patrol a street in a northern West Bank village Jaafar Ashtiyeh (AFP/File) Abu Shahin was also convicted of 13 counts of attempted murder for a series of shootings between April 2014 and July 2015 targeting Israeli civilians and security forces, the statement said. A soldier was wounded in one of the attacks. The court said Abu Shahin targeted "soldiers and civilians solely because they were Jewish" and recommended that he should not be pardoned ant that his sentence should not be shortened, it added. The shooting of Gonen, 25, and Hadad, which took place near the Dolev settlement west of Ramallah, sparked outrage among Israelis. The two were not settlers but hikers from Lod in central Israel. Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency said Abu Shahin belonged to an armed group linked to Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas's Fatah party. Abu Shahin was arrested in July 2015 and months later the army demolished his home, as part of controversial measures by Israel to deter further attacks. A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks erupted in October 2015. The violence had subsided in recent months but on Sunday a Palestinian rammed his truck into a group of soldiers, killing four. Since October 2015, 247 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, a Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese have been killed, according to an AFP count. New Yemen offensive looks to break deadlock Yemeni pro-government forces have launched a major offensive to push Shiite rebels from coastal areas, in a move analysts say aims to end a military stalemate and jumpstart political talks. But the forces loyal to President resident Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi -- who are backed by a Saudi-led military coalition -- are facing divisions within their ranks that are hampering their efforts. Supported by coalition air and sea support, loyalist forces launched operation "Golden Spear" on Saturday in Yemen's western Dhubab district, about 30 kilometres (20 miles) north of the strategic Bab al-Mandab Strait. Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed Yemeni president are deployed in the coastal district of Dhubab on January 7, 2017 SALEH AL-OBEIDI (AFP) The goal is to drive Huthi rebels from all of Yemen's Red Sea coast, which stretches some 450 kilometres (280 miles). Battles have raged since the launch of the offensive, with at least 68 fighters, including 55 rebels, killed so far, according to local military sources. The rebels, backed by Shiite power Iran, seized control of large parts of Yemen including the capital Sanaa in 2014. Fearing a rise in influence in its southern neighbour for regional rival Tehran, Saudi Arabia launched the intervention the following March. But despite thousands of air strikes and the sending of coalition troops to support Hadi's forces, the loyalists have been unable to dislodge the rebels from key positions including in Sanaa. UN-backed peace talks have repeatedly broken down, despite the more than 7,000 people killed in the conflict and an escalating humanitarian crisis. - 'Change on the ground' needed - The latest offensive "is important to reignite the political process," Yemen's Foreign Minister Abdel Malek al-Mekhlafi told AFP. "The Huthis will not accept dialogue" unless they are forced into talks by a "change on the ground," he said. In 2015 coalition-backed government forces managed to recapture five southern provinces, but their advance has stalled. The rebels -- and their allies of renegade troops loyal to ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh -- continue to control Sanaa, their heartland around the city of Saada and other northern provinces, and most of the southwestern Taez province. The rebels in November established their own government in Sanaa, tasked with running areas under their control. Hadi and his cabinet have meanwhile set up base in the southern port city of Aden, after returning from exile in Saudi Arabia. "Both sides appear locked in a cycle of escalating violence and provocations, derailing UN peace talks," the International Crisis Group (ICG) said in a recent report. Seven ceasefires brokered by the United Nations have failed, while jihadists of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group continue to take advantage of the chaos to seize ground. Yemeni analyst Najib Ghallab said the impasse is the result of "divisions among the rebels as well as within the legitimate government." Loyalist forces are drawn from a range of different groups, including regular army and police and various local militias. "The army should be reorganised so that it receives orders from a unified leadership, not only from commanders from the Arab coalition," Ghallab said. Member states of the coalition, who have been training and arming units of Yemeni forces, are also recruiting them from different backgrounds. - Political 'sideshow' - The United Arab Emirates, for example, has been favouring Islamist groups to counterbalance the influence of the Al-Islah party, Yemen's affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood which it strongly opposes, political sources said. Another key loyalist force is made up of southern separatists who are demanding the secession of the formerly independent south Yemen. "All these groups agree on fighting the Huthis and the supporters of Saleh, but they disagree over the future of Yemen," a loyalist commander said. Mekhlafi acknowledged a "difference in approach" among various groups but said it "could be overcome the moment we achieve military progress". April Longley Alley, Yemen specialist at the ICG, said the new offensive could make gains. Government forces "have a better chance on the western coast than they do in the mountains around Sanaa," she said. And she agreed that a change on the ground appears needed for talks. Gambia's Jammeh fires 12 ambassadors: foreign ministry Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has fired 12 ambassadors after they called for him to step aside and allow opposition leader Adama Barrow to take power, a foreign ministry source told AFP Monday. The Gambia's ambassadors to China, Britain, Turkey, Senegal, and the United States, as well as the country's permanent representative to the United Nations, were among those sacked after sending a letter asking Jammeh to leave in late December. "The Gambia government has recalled 12 ambassadors after terminating their services," a foreign ministry source told AFP on condition of anonymity. Gambian President Yahya Jammeh has fired 12 ambassadors after they called for him to step aside and allow opposition leader Adama Barrow to take power ISSOUF SANOGO (AFP/File) "I do not know why President Yahya Jammeh terminated their services, but I can tell you that these are the ambassadors that congratulated and endorsed President-elect Adama Barrow for his election victory," the source added. The ambassadors' actions highlight the isolation in which Jammeh finds himself a day ahead of his Supreme Court case against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), seeking to have the December 1 vote result overturned. Meanwhile on Monday, West African leaders were meeting in Abuja to decide on next steps in their mediation of The Gambia's political crisis, following top-level talks in Banjul last month that ended without resolution. Jammeh and his political party have now lodged three separate legal complaints with the Supreme Court alleging manipulation of ballot counting by the IEC and intimidation of supporters. Gambian legal expert Aziz Bensouda said a quick resolution was unlikely and constitutionally Jammeh still had to step down by the end of his five-year mandate on January 18. "In the absence of a court and the pure impossibility of the parties being served in time to appear and enter a response, it seems that an adjournment of the case will be the most likely outcome," he told AFP. Nigerian and Gambian legal experts told AFP that although five Nigerian judges and one from Sierra Leone had been invited to hear the case, none had responded. Jammeh's own lawyer Edward Gomez said he did not know himself how many judges would appear on the day. "Judges have been employed for the Supreme Court, they have been appointed," he told AFP by phone. "Now whether they are here or they are not, I am in no position to tell you." Chief justice Emmanuel Fagbenle is the panel's only sitting judge, as the Supreme Court has lain dormant since May 2015. Striking Kenya doctors told to return to work or be fired Thousands of Kenyan doctors who have been on strike for over a month risk being fired if they do not return to work by Wednesday, government officials said. The walkout by Kenyan doctors and nurses since December 5 has devastated public health services in the east African nation, where few can afford private care. The medics on Friday rejected a 40 percent pay rise offer from the government, demanding the full implementation of a 2013 collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which assured them a 300 percent raise and other improved conditions. Kenyan Defence force doctors are seen inside Kenyatta National Hospital on December, 10,2016, in Nairobi JOHN MUCHUCHA (AFP) "We are calling upon the doctors again, to take the offer by the government and resume work," said Peter Munya, the chairman of the country's Council of Governors. "We have agreed that those who don't resume work, then the process of taking disciplinary action against them begins on Wednesday." Munya said the doctors would be issued with dismissal letters, and their vacant positions advertised. "Striking doctors should consider the plight of Kenyans in public hospitals and resume work. The county and national government has given a very reasonable offer which they need to consider," he added. The Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) has argued that the offer failed to take into account other agreements mentioned in the CBA, from the need to better equip hospitals to funding research and addressing the security of doctors at work. However the government has brushed aside the CBA, calling it defective as it did not have "input and blessings" from the Salaries and Remuneration Commission -- a constitutional body set up in 2010 to review the salaries of public servants. The strike has been a major embarrassment for President Uhuru Kenyatta in the run up to August elections in which he hopes to win a second term in office. Newspaper editorials have urged the government to give the poorly paid doctors a decent wage while Kenyans on Twitter point to endless corruption scandals while healthcare providers struggle to make ends meet. The latest move to outrage the union was a decision by lawmakers just before Christmas to award themselves 10 million shillings ($95,000) each as an exit package ahead of the elections. Body of Rwandan king repatriated after US court battle The remains of Rwanda's last king, Kigeli V, arrived in the country Monday after a court battle between his relatives over where he should be buried, an official said. King Kigeli died in October, aged 80, in the United States. He had been living in exile in the suburbs of Washington since 1992. His death prompted a spat between relatives living in America and those in Rwanda over where he should be buried and a US court ruled last week in favour of those in his home country. Exiled King Kigeli V Ndahindurwa of Rwanda pictured in Washington DC's Union Station on May 3, 1994 Chris Kleponis (AFP/File) "We are very happy to have him back in his country of birth," said James Vuningoma, executive secretary of the Rwanda Academy of Language and Culture (RALC), who was at the airport when the king's remains arrived. However Kigeli's Royal Council said in a statement that the king had not wanted to be buried in Rwanda "as long as the current government administration that was hostile to his majesty in life was still in power." The council had backed the relatives living in the US, while the government backed the king's half-sister who wanted his remains to be brought to Rwanda. Born Jean-Baptiste Ndahindurwa, King Kigeli came to power in 1959 and was forced to leave the country the following year after clashing with the Belgian colonial power. In 1961, the monarchy was abolished. The king began a life of exile in east Africa, including in Kenya and Uganda, before leaving for America. For decades he spoke of returning to his tiny, landlocked east African homeland. However he only wished to do so as king, arguing for a constitutional monarchy much like that in Britain. However authorities were only willing to have him back as a private citizen. His family welcomed the repatriation. Family member Medard Rutijanwa told AFP it was "a feeling of joy, of great joy because we have waited for a long time". Rutijanwa added that the late king should be buried in the coming days in Nyanza, the African country's former royal capital. Israel buries soldiers killed in truck-ramming attack Hundreds of Israelis attended funerals Monday for four soldiers killed when a Palestinian rammed a truck into troops visiting a popular tourist site in a stark reminder of tensions despite a recent lull in violence. Sunday's attack, which also saw the driver shot dead, came after months of relative calm and led Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to spark debate by suggesting it was inspired by the Islamic State group. Police arrested nine people and removed a memorial tent set up in the Palestinian's east Jerusalem neighbourhood, located near the site of the incident. An Israeli forensics expert gathers evidence at the site of the attack in Jerusalem, on January 8, 2017 Menahem Kahana (AFP) Five of the nine arrested were relatives of the attacker, 28-year-old Fadi al-Qunbar, police said. His cousin said he was religious like other members of the family, but dismissed Netanyahu's statement that Qunbar was an IS supporter. "There was nothing in his life saying he was ISIS," Mohammad al-Qunbar, 43, said as he sat near what was left of the tent in the Jabal Mukaber neighbourhood. "He never contacted ISIS and he doesn't know ISIS," he said, using an alternative acronym for the jihadist group. He added: "We were shocked, for sure. We never expected anything like this from Fadi. But what happened has happened and we only say there is no might and power but that of God." Israeli ministers decided Sunday to take a series of actions, including demolishing Qunbar's home and withholding his body, local media reported. They also decided to hold without charge under a policy known as administrative detention those who publicly support IS, according to an Israeli official. - 'Supported' IS? - Netanyahu's assertion that Qunbar "according to all indications supported" IS, without providing details of what led to the conclusion, sparked debate Monday. In making the statement, Netanyahu argued, as he has repeatedly in the past, that Israel faces the same "terrorist" attacks that have hit countries such as Germany and France. However, the incident in many ways fit the pattern of a wave of Palestinian lone-wolf assaults that began in October 2015, though seemingly with the intent to cause more casualties than usual. A heavier truck was used -- a flat-bed model with a crane in the rear -- and an entire group of soldiers were targeted. Israeli security officials have said that IS influence among Palestinians is limited. A poll released in December found that only five percent of Palestinians believe that IS represents true Islam. Sunday's attack occurred after hundreds of soldiers arrived at the site as part of a tour on the history of Jerusalem. The location overlooks holy sites such as the Dome of the Rock and provides one of the most spectacular views of the city. A video shared online showed a truck drive through a group of soldiers standing next to a bus. The driver then pulls off to the side and tries to reverse back towards where the soldiers were hit before the truck eventually comes to a stop. Visitors, including soldiers, are seen running for cover. Soldiers opened fire, as well as at least one civilian. It was not clear whether the attack was planned or spontaneous. The military identified the victims as three women -- Yael Yekutiel, 20; Shir Hajaj, 22; and Shira Zur, 20 -- and one man, Erez Orbach, 20. - 'Candle for you' - Later at the scene, soldiers could be seen distraught over the incident as rescue workers provided psychological support. Israeli media published the last message Hajaj's mother sent to her by phone. "My dear, my life, talk to me, please," it said. Around 1,000 people, including fellow soldiers, attended Hajaj's funeral Monday at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem. Her casket was draped in an Israeli flag. Family members cried out in grief when her coffin was lowered into the ground. "You think that you will be on the front page of the papers for a prize or an invention," one of her sisters said. "But instead in the papers today there was a memorial candle for you." A wave of Palestinian knife, gun and car-ramming attacks erupted in October 2015, but the violence had greatly subsided in recent months. The last time an Israeli was killed in an attack was October 9, 2016. Since October 2015, 247 Palestinians, 40 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 attacks, according to Israeli authorities. Others were shot dead during protests or clashes, while some died in Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. 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. Israeli medical personnel assist an Israeli soldier who was an eye witness to the attack in Jerusalem, on January 8, 2017 Gali Tibbon (AFP) Truck runs down Israeli soldiers Jonathan JACOBSEN (AFP) Obama again defends climate deal President Barack Obama launched a fresh defense of emissions curbs against Donald Trump's plans to scrap a global climate deal, saying the accord was in America's interest Monday. Writing in the journal "Science" Obama said that the United States was proving that reducing greenhouse gases can help economic growth. Reforms can "can boost efficiency, productivity, and innovation," he said. US President Barack Obama attends the Armed Forces Full Honor Review Farewell Ceremony for Obama at Joint Base Myers-Henderson Hall in Arlington, Virginia, January 4, 2017 SAUL LOEB (AFP) Obama's eight years in office have resulted in a tidal wave of new environmental legislation, protecting marine ecosystems, curbing carbon emissions and boosting renewable energy. Obama rushed through ratification of the Paris Climate Accord in record time to make sure that it could not be shelved by the incoming administration. But Obama's agenda is likely to come under sustained assault from the Trump administration. Administration officials fear that while Trump cannot scrap the Paris deal, it could fatally undermine it. Many of the US commitments to reduce carbon emissions are in the Clean Power Act, which Obama unveiled in 2015. The Act limits the amount of carbon pollution power plants can emit. African leaders up pressure as Jammeh faces isolation West African leaders announced they would return to The Gambia this week to try and persuade President Yahya Jammeh to step down, but said the use of force remains an option. The mandate for Jammeh's five-year term expires on January 18, after which president-elect Adama Barrow is supposed to take power. But the strongman, in power for 22 years, has vowed to stay in office until a dispute over the election result is resolved, despite becoming increasingly isolated at home and abroad. Gambian President Yahya Jammeh attends a rally in Banjul in November 2016 MARCO LONGARI (AFP/File) Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari will accompany Liberian counterpart Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Ghana's former president John Dramani Mahama to The Gambia on Wednesday to try and end the crisis. They will impress upon Jammeh "the imperative to respect the constitution", Nigeria's foreign minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, told reporters in Abuja on Monday. There are worries in The Gambia over worsening security, a potential refugee crisis and a media crackdown that has taken several radio stations off air. And while Onyeama said a peaceful transfer of power was preferable, force could be used. "Violence should be avoided but nothing is ruled out," he said. The regional leaders made a previous attempt at mediation with both sides in the electoral dispute in mid-December, a couple of weeks after the poll, but failed to make a breakthrough. In Banjul, Jammeh sacked his Information Minister Sheriff Bojang and replaced him with a National Assembly member who was appointed this month as the ruling party's spokesman. Bojang had previously managed The Standard Newspaper, which was closed in 2012 after criticising Jammeh's regime. A statement carried on Gambian public television on Monday did not give a reason for his dismissal. A foreign ministry source on Monday confirmed that Jammeh had also fired ambassadors to 12 nations, apparently for disloyalty. All the envoys had expressed support for Barrow in late December, and asked Jammeh to step aside and respect the result of the December 1 vote, which delivered the opposition leader a narrow victory. "I do not know why President Yahya Jammeh terminated their services, but I can tell you that these are the ambassadors that congratulated and endorsed President-elect Adama Barrow for his election victory," the source told AFP on condition of anonymity. - Judge shortage? - Authorities also refused to release from custody the former director-general of Gambia's state television and radio broadcaster, despite a court decision to grant him bail. Momodou Sabally was arrested on 8 November 2016 along with a colleague after broadcasting images of the opposition when Jammeh's wife was due to appear, according to Human Rights Watch. On Monday the Banjul High Court ruled that he should be bailed, but the National Intelligence Agency holding Sabally refused to comply when presented with the order, judicial staff told AFP. Meanwhile it appeared increasingly clear there would not be the requisite number of judges Tuesday sitting for Jammeh's Supreme Court case against the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), where he is seeking to have the election result overturned. Nigerian and Gambian legal experts told AFP that although five Nigerian judges and one from Sierra Leone had been invited to hear the case, none had responded. The Gambia relies on foreign nationals as judges due to a shortage of nationals with the requisite training and experience. Jammeh and his political party have now lodged three separate legal complaints with the Supreme Court alleging manipulation of ballot counting by the IEC and intimidation of supporters. Gambian legal expert Aziz Bensouda said a quick resolution was unlikely and constitutionally Jammeh still had to step down by the end of his official term. "In the absence of a court and the pure impossibility of the parties being served in time to appear and enter a response, it seems that an adjournment of the case will be the most likely outcome," he said. Jammeh's own lawyer Edward Gomez told AFP earlier he did not know how many judges would appear on the day. Chief Justice Emmanuel Fagbenle is the panel's only sitting judge, as the Supreme Court has lain dormant since May 2015. Tension and uncertainty has gripped the Gambian capital, with the US embassy sending non-essential staff and family members out of the country, as well as urging citizens not to travel there. A statement issued Monday by the US ambassador described Tuesday's court case as "a potential flashpoint that could lead to civil unrest." Map of Gambia - (AFP Graphic) Globally, tens of thousands of animals suffer in factory farm-like conditions where they are raised for their skins and furs, but producers need markets to sell their wares. Above, a mink in the wild. Photo by Alamy 1.0K shares Weve seen some extraordinary gains in the United States for animals in recent years, but India has more than kept pace, particularly since Humane Society International opened an office there five years ago. Working alongside local groups, our HSI team has just succeeded in persuading authorities to ban the import of the skins of exotic animals and furs into the country. The critical decision by Indias Directorate General of Foreign Trade to ban the import of skins of reptiles like crocodiles and alligators, and mink, fox, and chinchilla fur, is expected to spare the lives of tens of thousands of animals. In India, the consumption of leather and exotic furs has surged in recent years. For example, the import of reptile skins increased by 1800 percent between 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. The amount of other types of fur imported by India has also risen by several hundred percentage points. The ban on reptile skins and exotic furs will help to stem a new and growing market for this cruel trade. Globally, tens of thousands of animals suffer in factory-farm-like conditions where they are raised for their skins and furs, but producers need markets in order to sell their wares. When India stops the import of such items, just as China is stopping the sale of ivory, it changes the equation dramatically for animals. HSI/India also succeeded in fighting off a challenge to a ban on cockfighting in the South Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana where this cruel practice peaks in January, during a local festival. Cockfighting is banned by the Indian Supreme Court, but in states such as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is still widespread. Its an underground activity, but cockfighting enthusiasts are also working to decriminalize it and to clear the path for the continuation of their recreation. Cockfighting is bloody, barbaric, and cruel. It cant be logically exempted from Indias strong legal prohibitions against cruelty. The roosters have knife blades attacked to their feet to accentuate the bloodletting and to expedite the demise of one of the combatants. As in the United States, these enterprises often encourage and involve other crimes, like gambling and, in India, child labor. The high courts decision to uphold the ban on cockfighting will spare the lives of countless thousands of birds, but its critical that its enforced and that its not simply a nominal prohibition. As always, apologists for cruelty invoke tradition and culture as defenses for barbarism. But were breaking through those overbaked arguments and appealing to the true cultural and religious traditions that call for mercy and kindness. In 2015, our HSI/India team ended the cruel Gadhimai festival in Nepal, where half a million animals were slaughtered in mass serial acts of animal sacrifice every five years. In the northeast Indian state of Assam, HSI/India last year succeeded in getting the states high court to uphold a ban against the practice of fighting bulbuls, tiny songbirds, during a local festival. The birds are intoxicated, starved, and then made to fight for an audience. HSI/India also got a ban implemented against buffalo fights in the state of Assam, and against bullfights in the state of Goa. In prior years, weve had gains against confinement of animals on factory farms, the slashing of sharks for their fins, the poisoning of animals for cosmetic testing, and other major advances. Step by step, India is getting closer to honoring the principles of ahimsa nonviolence to all beings and reinvigorating the tenet of mercy to all beings that is so central to many eastern religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, and Buddhism. With more than a billion people in the nation one-seventh of the worlds population these gains are magnified in an extraordinary way. Riyadh Metro on track despite cuts: builder A major contractor on Riyadh's $22.5 billion urban rail and bus system said Monday the project is on track despite Saudi government cuts to infrastructure last year after oil revenues fell. The Metro is the biggest infrastructure project in the history of the Saudi capital. "We are progressing. The project is going on satisfactorily. It is a priority project" for the government, Pietro Bagnati, project director for the Italian construction group Salini Impregilo, told AFP. A picture taken on May 4, 2016 shows a construction site of a section of Riyadh metro system FAYEZ NURELDINE (AFP/File) His firm leads the ArRiyadh New Mobility consortium, one of three foreign groups building the six-line Metro project planned to cover 179 kilometres (109 miles) of the sprawling, congested city. The underground and elevated rail network is to be supported by a bus system. Asked if there had been any cuts to New Mobility's portion of the project, the Line 3 railway covering 42 kilometres, Bagnati said: "Our contract is still the same." He spoke on the sidelines of the EU-GCC Business Forum which aims to strengthen trade and investment ties between the European Union and the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council. The EU is the Gulf's biggest trading partner. Construction on the Riyadh Metro began in late 2013 with 2018 the date initially targeted for completion. EU Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said she understood the completion date to be 2019, and described the Metro as "the biggest global project in urban mobility". Bulc, who opened the EU-GCC forum, spoke to reporters later, after touring the Metro's tunnels and stations. "The deadlines are very demanding but so far they're following... the deadlines well," she said. "As far as I could tell... it's moving well." She arrived Friday in Saudi Arabia, meeting ministers and officials to focus on mutual investment opportunities. Analysts say Saudi Arabia made significant reductions last year in its capital spending, including infrastructure, to adjust to a collapse in oil prices since 2014. This year's budget projects a rise in infrastructure and transport spending, to 52 billion riyals ($13.9 billion) from 37.5 billion riyals in 2016. Netanyahu cancels Davos trip amid Trump speculation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has cancelled a planned January 18 trip to the World Economic Forum in Davos, his office said Monday without explanation. "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not fly to Davos," a terse statement said. There has been speculation Netanyahu could attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington on January 20 or meet the incoming leader around that time. There has been speculation Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could attend US President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration in Washington on January 20, 2017 Abir Sultan (POOL/AFP/File) Israeli daily Haaretz quoted unnamed aides as saying that the Davos cancellation was not connected to an ongoing police investigation into Netanyahu and noted his plans to meet Trump soon, though no date had been set. "They also said a reason for the cancellation was the fact that several heads of state Netanyahu was to have met in Davos were not planning to attend the summit," Haaretz reported. Last month the New York Post said Trump advisers wanted to invite Netanyahu to the inauguration "or arrange a meeting of the two leaders before then". Trump spokesman Sean Spicer on Monday referred questions about Netanyahu's potential attendance at the inauguration to the prime minister's office. Netanyahu's spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. Any invitation to the inauguration would be a break from protocol as normally only ambassadors attend. Netanyahu was one of the first world leaders to call and congratulate Trump, speaking to him the day after his election victory and calling him "a true friend of the state of Israel". Israeli police have so far questioned Netanyahu twice in a corruption probe that has looked into whether he unlawfully received gifts from wealthy supporters. Pledged OPEC cuts encouraging: Kuwait Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzouk, whose country heads a committee to monitor crude output cuts, on Monday described as encouraging production reductions announced so far. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed in November to cut its production by 1.2 million barrels per day starting January to reduce a global supply glut that had kept prices painfully low. A group of 14 non-OPEC producers, led by the world's top crude producer Russia, agreed in December to lower their output by another 600,000 bpd, making the total pledged cuts at 1.8 million bpd. OPEC secretary general Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo (L) holds a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Oil Minister Essam al-Marzuq in Kuwait City on January 9, 2017 Yasser Al-Zayyat (AFP) "So far, all Gulf producers, Iraq and Russia have announced their commitment to the cuts," Marzouk told a news conference after talks with OPEC secretary general Mohammad Barkindo. "These commitments make up between 60 percent and 70 percent of the pledged cuts" from the beginning of January, said the minister. "We expect the compliance to the cuts to be big because of its impact on boosting prices." Kuwait heads the five-member Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee set up to monitor compliance with the pledged cuts. Marzouk said he discussed with Barkindo mechanisms to monitor the cuts by OPEC and non-OPEC members. The Kuwaiti minister said they discussed monitoring output of each member country and also the level of exports with the assistance of international companies. Barkindo described as historic the agreement between the 24 OPEC and non-OPEC producers. Controversial nuclear power plant near New York to close The controversial Indian Point nuclear plant near New York will close in 2021, a casualty of low energy prices and relentless criticism by environmentalists, the power company announced Monday. Under an agreement with New York State, Entergy plans to shut down one of the two operating units at Indian Point by April 30, 2020, and the second unit will close a year after that. Entergy attributed the decision to close the decades-old plant to shifting energy economics. Among the changes, power prices fell as much as 45 percent due to natural gas from the Marcellus Shale formation in New York and Pennsylvania, part of the American shale boom. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and environmentalists applauded the closing of the Indian Point , located within 30 miles of New York, has long been a concern due to safety problems and worries DON EMMERT (AFP/File) "Key considerations in our decision to shut down Indian Point ahead of schedule include sustained low current and projected wholesale energy prices that have reduced revenues, as well as increased operating costs," said Bill Mohl, president of Entergy wholesale commodities. Entergy said it would look for other opportunities for the 1,000 workers employed at Indian Point. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and environmentalists applauded the news since the plant, located within 30 miles of New York, has long been a concern due to safety problems and worries that an accident at the aging facility could affect some 20 million people. "For 15 years, I have been deeply concerned by the continuing safety violations at Indian Point, especially given its location in the largest and most densely populated metropolitan region in the country," Cuomo said in a statement Monday. "This administration has been aggressively pursuing and incentivizing the development of clean, reliable energy, and the state is fully prepared to replace the power generated by the plant at a negligible cost to ratepayers." Entergy officials have defended the plant's safety record but nonetheless have been on the receiving end of blistering criticism at public meetings in the region. Environmentalists last year criticized the company over the degrading of hundreds of stainless steel bolts that they said raised questions about the viability of the plant. They have also said the cooling system harms ocean wildlife in the Hudson River. "This agreement provides what we've been fighting for decades: a definite early closing date for Indian Point - our biggest existential threat in the region," Paul Gallay, president of Riverkeeper, a leading environmental group in the Hudson River region said Monday. Tunisia seeks buyers after record orange harvest Tunisia is desperately looking for orange lovers after a bumper harvest of 550,000 tonnes of the fruit half of which could be destroyed if there are no buyers, experts say. According to Mohamed Ali Jandoubi, who heads the Groupement Interprofessionel des Fruits (GIF), an association of citrus fruit growers, farmers have harvested 550,000 tonnes of oranges so far this year. "Over the past five years we reached a ceiling of 400,000 tonnes. This year we've harvested 550,000 tonnes. It's huge," said Jandoubi. A Tunisian worker collects oranges at a farm on January 3, 2017 FETHI BELAID (AFP) "Half of it could be destroyed" if there are no buyers, the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fishery recently warned, with only 10 percent of the harvest expected to be exported. Jandoubi said the bumper harvest was due primarily to prevailing dry weather conditions and "physiological conditions" which meant the orange blossoms and the fruit held on to the trees. Around 12,000 families work in the orange industry, Jandoubi said, warning the record harvest will not spell good news if there are no buyers. France favours the so-called Maltese orange specific to Tunisia. Orange growers hope to tap more into the French market to increase sales, and are hoping to promote Tunisia's oranges during the Paris agriculture salon, which takes place from February 25 to March 5. Russia could be another market for Tunisian oranges, although they could face tough competition with oranges produced in Egypt and Turkey. Meanwhile orange farmers have urged the authorities to help them develop their industry and find alternative uses for oranges, such as in juices and cosmetics. Tunisia's economy, of which agriculture is a key sector, has been impacted by social unrest since the 2011 Arab Spring and by a string of jihadist-claimed attacks, including on its vital tourism industry. Last year, strong exports including dates and olive oil helped Tunisia's economy "avoid the worst", the finance ministry has said. In 2015-2016, the North African country exported a record 110,000 tonnes of dates, a 10 percent increase on the previous year, and a rare boost for the economy. US warship fires warning shots at Iranian boats in Strait of Hormuz A US warship fired warning shots at the weekend at four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels that approached it at high speed in the Strait of Hormuz, US defense officials said Monday. The shots fired by the destroyer USS Mahan on Sunday put an end to the incident, which US officials denounced as "unsafe and unprofessional." They said the crews of the small Iranian rapid attack boats were manning their weapons as they sped toward the American ship. USS Mahan, pictured in 2008, fired warning shots in the Strait of Hormuz Class Jason R. Zalasky (US NAVY/AFP/File) "Mahan established radio communications with the IRGCN vessels and issued multiple radio and visual warnings to remain clear," a US defense official said. The Mahan also fired flares, let off smoke and sounded the ship's siren and whistle, the official said. "Disregarding the warnings, the IRGCN vessels continued to directly approach Mahan at a high rate of speed," the official said. "Mahan then fired three warning shots with a crew-served 50-caliber machine gun, and the IRGCN vessels arrested their high-speed approach." A series of similar incidents took place in 2015 and early 2016 before decreasing significantly, Davis said. The Pentagon identified 23 incidents in 2015 and 35 in the first half of 2016, the last one in August. The Iranian Revolutionary Guards are a paramilitary force that answers directly to the Islamic republic's supreme leader. Their boats periodically approach US warships in international waters and the Strait of Hormuz, ignoring US radio messages and giving little indication of their intentions. The US Navy regularly denounces such incidents. General Joe Votel, the commander of US forces in the region, has expressed concern about the risk of military escalation triggered by rogue commanders. In January last year, the Iranians briefly captured the crew of two small US patrol boats that strayed into Iranian waters. The 10 US sailors were released 24 hours later. At the time of Sunday's incident, the Mahan was with two other US navy ships, the USNS Walter S. Diehl and the amphibious assault ship USS Makin Island. The incident comes as President Barack Obama is preparing to make way for his successor Donald Trump in less than two weeks. The Republican president-elect has nominated as his defense secretary retired Marine Corps general James Mattis, a tough-talking former head of Central Command who has not minced words criticizing Iran. Syria refugees test Palestinian solidarity in Lebanon When Palestinian Fuad Abu Khaled fled Syria's war in 2013, he sought refuge among his own, looking for solidarity among Palestinian refugees based in Lebanon's Shatila camp. But instead he found a community already struggling to get by and sometimes resentful of new arrivals who are testing the limited resources of the UN agency dedicated to helping Palestinian refugees. "Despite the fact he's Palestinian and I'm Palestinian, I'm Syrian and he's from Lebanon," said Abu Khaled, who fled the Yarmuk camp in Damascus with his family after fighting began there. Palestinian Fuad Abu Khaled, who fled Syria's war with his family, sits with his daughters in his house in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp on January 7, 2017 ANWAR AMRO (AFP) "He sees you as coming to take his place, exploit him, take his daily rations," he told AFP at the camp in southern Beirut notorious for violence in the past. Abu Khaled is one of at least 31,000 Palestinians who have taken refuge in Lebanon since Syria's conflict began in March 2011, part of a larger influx of some one million refugees from Syria. And Lebanon was already home to about 450,000 Palestinian refugees, mostly the descendants of those who fled their homes when the state of Israel was created in 1948, or during subsequent conflicts. Seated on a thin mattress in the one-bedroomed flat he shares with his wife and eight children, Abu Khaled said he simply couldn't make ends meet. Fighting in Syria destroyed the 52-year-old's grocery shop, and the aid he receives from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA and other charity groups has proved insufficient. "I think if the situation continues like this the people could explode," he said. - 'Not welcome any more' - In another part of the camp, Najah Awad sits in a modest room where she has lived with her three children since fleeing Yarmuk in 2013. In the beginning "they welcomed us. But not any more," she said. "Now they see us as taking their jobs, taking their livelihoods." UNRWA Syria's director Matthias Schmale acknowledged the struggles faced by Palestinian refugees from Syria, as well as those in Lebanon hosting them. "The longer this displacement from Syria lasts and the more pressures grow on UNRWA and indeed the host population of Palestine refugees from Lebanon, I think we cannot rule out tensions," he said in English. But he stressed Palestinian refugees in Lebanon had displayed impressive generosity under difficult circumstances, sharing resources and in some cases even hosting Syrian Palestinians. "It takes a lot of solidarity if you yourself live below the poverty line," he told AFP. Some five million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza are registered to receive help from UNRWA, which was created after Israel's creation. The organisation is frequently underfunded, but has come under new pressure with the conflict in Syria, where some 410,000 Palestinians now depend entirely on UNRWA handouts. In response, the agency launched a $410 million (390 million euro) emergency funding appeal on Monday. For Palestinians in Lebanon, including those coming from Syria, the hardships are exacerbated by tight restrictions on their ability to work. - Surviving on half needs - Abu Khaled is breeding canaries, hoping to sell the noisy chicks squeaking in a cage in his living room for up to $30 (28 euros) each. His wife is still recovering from a hernia operation. While UNRWA paid half the hospital bill, he struggled to raise the rest of the money. Some 90 percent of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon live under the poverty line, a 2016 study by UNRWA and the American University in Beirut found. Nine percent cannot meet even their basic food requirements. Najwa Hazeneh, a Palestinian from Yarmuk who works with charities in the camp, said some families have only 50 percent of their needs. "They might cover that by going into debt, and usually they go without lots of things. Some people go without medical treatment. The mother becomes the doctor of the family. Sometimes they go without certain foods." Abu Khaled said he knew people struggling to meet their most basic needs. "It's a catastrophe for those forced to flee. A family in a good situation gets two meals a day. An average one gets one. I know some that get none," he said. Despite the hardships, Mohammed Abu Ali of Fatah al-Intifada, one of several Palestinian armed factions that control Shatila camp, said Lebanese Palestinians were committed to helping their brethren. "We share everything. We can't have them being in the dark while we have electricity, or them not having water while we do," he said, sitting in military fatigues under a Palestinian flag at his office. "We hope UNRWA sees that they need to help us both." People walk in the narrow streets of the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp, on the southern outskirts of the Lebanese capital Beirut, on January 7, 2017 ANWAR AMRO (AFP) Palestinian Najah Awad, who fled Syria's war with her family, pours water in her kitchen in the Shatila Palestinian refugee camp on January 7, 2017 ANWAR AMRO (AFP) Lebanon's new president on Saudi visit Lebanon's Hezbollah-backed President Michel Aoun landed on Monday in Saudi Arabia, his first trip to the kingdom since taking office after a tense year in Saudi-Lebanese ties. The official Saudi Press Agency confirmed his arrival in Riyadh. Aoun's election in November by Lebanese lawmakers ended a two-year deadlock between Iran- and Saudi-backed blocs in parliament. Riyadh governor Prince Faisal bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz (R) greetsLebanese President Michel Aoun upon his arrival in Riyadh on January 9, 2017 The Maronite Christian, a former army chief, clinched the post with shock support from Saudi ally Saad Hariri, a leading Sunni figure who in return was named prime minister. Analysts say Saudi Arabia is hoping for a more stable Lebanon, after Riyadh's concerns about the role played by Hezbollah in Lebanon's government. The Iran-allied Shiite militant group has fighters in Syria supporting forces of President Bashar al-Assad. Saudi Arabia, Iran's regional rival, backs some rebels opposed to Assad. Riyadh last March declared Hezbollah a "terrorist organisation" and urged its citizens to leave Lebanon. In February the kingdom halted a $3 billion programme of military aid to Lebanon to protest what it said was "the stranglehold of Hezbollah on the state". Syria's five-year war has been a major fault line for Lebanon's politics. Anwar Eshki, a retired Saudi general and founder of the independent Middle East Centre for Strategic and Legal Studies, told AFP he expects the stalled military aid to figure in Aoun's talks with Saudi officials. The programme, funded by Riyadh, would have provided vehicles, helicopters, drones, cannons and other military equipment from France. "The only way for peace in Lebanon is to support Aoun," the 81-year-old president, Eshki said. "The main goal of Saudi Arabia is to make Lebanon peaceful and independent," and that includes its army, he said. Aoun's arrival follows a late-November visit to Beirut by Prince Khaled al-Faisal, the governor of Mecca who is also an adviser to King Salman. Prince Khaled's visit showed that "Saudi Arabia did not disengage itself from Lebanon," Tariq Alhomayed, former editor in chief of the pan-Arab Asharq Al-Awsat, wrote in a column for that newspaper. By meeting Aoun, Hariri and other government officials -- rather than party leaders -- Prince Khaled sent a message of support for the Lebanese state, Alhomayed wrote. Tens of thousands of foreign workers at Saudi Oger, a construction firm led by Hariri, have gone months without salaries in Saudi Arabia. Italy announces reopening of Libya embassy Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti announced Monday the reopening of his country's embassy in the Libyan capital, which closed in 2015 along with all other Western embassies due to violence. Speaking at a news conference in Tripoli, Minniti said the Italian ambassador would present his credentials on Tuesday before taking up his duties in the embassy in the Libyan capital. Diplomatic missions in Libya have been targeted in recent years, including in 2012 when an attack on the US consulate in the eastern city of Benghazi killed ambassador Chris Stevens and three other American staff. Italian Interior Minister Marco Minniti speaks during a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Libyan capital, Tripoli, on January 9, 2017 The embassy of Italy, a former colonial power in Libya, was one of the last western missions to close in February 2015 after a coalition of militias seized the capital Tripoli. In a statement, Italy's foreign ministry said the reopening of the embassy showed "confidence in the process of stabilising the country". Minniti said he held talks with Libyan officials on cooperation in the fight against illegal immigration and terrorism. In recent years Italy has been on the front line of migrants arriving across the Mediterranean and has been pushing for agreements with governments in North Africa to facilitate returns. Libya's Foreign Minister Mohamad Taher Siala said he had agreed with Minniti to launch joint initiatives to combat illegal immigration, as well as the smuggling of oil from his country. "We have agreed to build new relations of cooperation on the basis of the friendship treaty signed in 2008," said Siala. The treaty was signed by late Libyan dictator Moamer Kadhafi and former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi. Hillary Clinton was greeted with three rounds of applause when she was spotted in the audience of The Color Purple yesterday. The former Democratic presidential nominee was a special guest in the audience as the production bid farewell to Broadway. The former presidential candidate and her husband Bill attended the Sunday matinee performance at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, the show's last after a run of 482 performances. Hillary Clinton received three standing ovations as she watched The Color Purple at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre According to theatergoers, the Clintons got several rounds of applause, and video footage from inside the theater shows audience member on their feet clapping and cheering Hillary as she and Bill make their way through the crowds. The Color Purple is a stage version of Alice Walker's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set in rural Georgia that covers a lifetime of events observed by Celie, an uneducated farm woman whose dreams are repeatedly shattered. The reaction was in stark contrast to the one that greeted Vice President-elect Mike Pence at Hamilton in November. Then, the cast gave him a lecture about equality directly from the stage. Despite the public continuing to show support for Clinton, she will never run for office again after losing to Donald Trump in the most divisive campaign in memory, a confidante of the Democrat said on Sunday. 'I think she's going to figure out ways to help kids and families,' Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress, a Democratic Party-connected think-tank told CNN. The former Democratic presidential nominee was a special guest in the audience of the final show, alongside husband Bill Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, greet supporters after voting in Chappaqua, N.Y. on November 8 'That's been what she's been focused on her whole life, and a lot of issues that are affecting them, over the next couple of years.' 'But I don't expect her to ever run for any elected office again,' she added. Tanden was reacting to a New York Times article speculating about whether Clinton would run for New York mayor against the incumbent Bill de Blasio, her former campaign chief. 'I don't expect her to run for this and I don't expect her to run for other office,' Tanden said, without giving more specifics about the 69-year-old former Secretary of State's plans. 'I think her job is to - what she's thinking about right now is how to help those kids and families as she has her whole life.' Margot Gerster bumped into Hillary Clinton on a hike near her home in Chappaqua However, Clinton hasn't completely withdrawn from the public life since her defeat on November 8. She has taken part in two public events and fired off a few tweets. She has also been seen several times by members of the public out walking in the woods near her home. Just days after the campaign she was spotted looking happy and relaxed while walking her dog near her home in Chappaqua. She's expected at the State Department on Tuesday for the unveiling of an exhibition hall named after her. Police in West Virginia fatally shoot knife-wielding suspect PRINCETON, W.Va. (AP) West Virginia state police say officers fatally shot a man who threatened them with a knife. State police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous says in a news release that 25-year-old Daniel Scott Giberson of Bluefield was shot Saturday night. Baylous says troopers responding to a domestic disturbance in Princeton, about 90 miles south of Charleston, saw the suspect driving and a pursuit ensued. After Giberson crashed his vehicle, officers found him in the front seat with a knife to his throat. Baylous says after officers removed a passenger from his vehicle, Giberson got out and approached officers with the knife, telling them to shoot him. Baylous says in response to the threat to their lives, officers then shot him. East Timor plans to restart border talks with Australia CANBERRA, Australia (AP) East Timor plans to negotiate a larger share of the oil and gas wealth in the seabed between the impoverished Southeast Asian nation and Australia by restarting talks on a maritime boundary. East Timor and Australia said in a joint statement on Monday that the tiny half-island country plans to give its wealthy neighbor three months' notice that a bilateral treaty on sharing Timor Sea oil and gas will be terminated. That 2006 treaty also suspended negotiations on a maritime boundary for 50 years. By reverting to a 2002 treaty, East Timor plans to restart negotiations and hopes persuade Australia to accept a boundary midway between the countries, Deakin University expert on Southeast Asia Damien Kingsbury said. Australia has long maintained that the border should extend beyond it large continental shelf and much closer to the East Timorese shore, but has failed to reach agreement on the subject with East Timor or with Indonesia which controlled the province before the East Timorese voted for independence in 1999. Instead, Australia has shared the energy wealth of the disputed seabed within an area known as the Joint Petroleum Development Area. East Timor currently collects 90 percent of royalties from the area, which go into a national fund. Kingsbury said East Timor stood to gain 100 percent of those royalties as the oil and gas fields in the Timor Sea were drying up over the next decade. Australia confirmed its commitment to negotiate a maritime boundary and said in the joint statement that it recognized East Timor's right to terminate the 2006 treaty. East Timor's Ambassador to Australia, Abel Guterres, said he expected Australia to accept international law in deciding where the boundary should lie. "It's quite welcome for Australia to take this step and for us to deal with this issue once and for all," Guterres said. "It's very important for both countries in our bilateral relations as well as regional stability and security." East Timor and Australia opened conciliation on the maritime boundary last year before a panel of five experts at a conciliation commission in The Hague convened under an international treaty governing the laws of the sea. The acrimonious dispute has long soured relations between East Timor and Australia, which played a pivotal role in helping East Timor gain independence after a long occupation by Indonesia. China warns after Cruz, Abbott meet Taiwan's president BEIJING (AP) China reiterated its opposition Monday to any contacts between U.S. officials and Taiwan's government following a meeting between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott and the self-governing island's president, Tsai Ing-wen. Cruz and Abbot met with Tsai on Sunday while she was passing through Houston on her way to visit Taiwan's Central American allies. At a news briefing in Beijing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to any contact between Taiwan's leader and "anyone from the U.S. government." He said such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing. CORRECTS SPELLING OF GUATEMALA - Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, left, shakes hands with First Vice President of Honduras Ricardo Alvarez after arriving at Soto Cano Air Base outside Comayagua, Honduras, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017. The Taiwanese leader will meet with Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez on Monday, as part of a weeklong state tour to reinforce Taiwanese relations with Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. (AP Photo/Fernando Antonio) China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on the independence-leaning Tsai since her election last year. Cruz said in a statement that he and Tsai "discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations" in their meeting, which addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic ties. An official with Republican President elect-Donald Trump's transition team said neither Trump nor transition officials would meet with Tsai. Her stop in the U.S. was scrutinized by Beijing for any signs that Trump's team would risk its ire by further engaging with Taiwan, which China considers to be its territory. Trump breached diplomatic protocol last month by speaking by phone with the Taiwanese leader. Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a U.S. policy that since 1979 has recognized Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. U.S. lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the U.S., most recently in June, when Tsai met in Miami with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. The tabloid Global Times, published by China's Communist Party, said in an editorial Sunday that Beijing would take a hard line toward any contacts between Taiwan's government and the incoming Trump administration. China "should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force," it said. China has "seized the initiative. The U.S. and Taiwan now should restrain, or be forced to restrain, themselves," the newspaper said. "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes," it said. 17 arrested over Kardashian West jewelry heist in Paris PARIS (AP) French police arrested 17 people Monday in the October theft of more than $10 million worth of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West, who was tied up and locked in a bathroom after armed robbers forced their way into her rented Paris apartment. Authorities said police seized weapons and a large amount of cash in multiple raids that took place starting around 6 a.m. in different locations in the Paris region and the south of France. The suspects ranged in age from 23 to 72, and included several known for prior robberies and other crimes, according to a police document seen by The Associated Press. Among the items seized were an automatic pistol and other weapons, as well as 140,000 euros ($147,500) in cash, said police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the continuing investigation. FILE - In this June 24, 2015 file photo, American TV personality Kim Kardashian attends the Cannes Lions 2015, International Advertising Festival in Cannes, southern France. Paris police Monday Jan.9, 2017 say 16 people have been arrested over Kim Kardashian jewelry heist. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File) Earlier this month, the starlet broke her silence on the robbery in a teaser for the Kardashian family's reality show, telling two of her sisters her thoughts at the time: "They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out." A spokeswoman for the reality star said she had no comment Monday. The Paris prosecutors' office confirmed the arrests, but declined to say whether they included five people that police have said took part in the actual robbery. During the Oct. 3 robbery, gunmen forced their way into the private Paris residence where Kardashian West was staying, tied her up and locked her in a bathroom before making off with her jewelry. The reality TV star was in Paris attending fashion week shows. Media reports said police tracked down the suspects through DNA evidence in the apartment. Kardashian West has the habit of showing her jewels and whereabouts on social media, including days before the robbery when she posted pictures of herself attending fashion week shows. Police said the thieves stole a jewelry box containing valuables worth 6 million euros ($6.7 million) as well as a ring worth 4 million euros ($4.5 million). Police analyzed footage from surveillance cameras to try to identify the assailants, who wore fake police emblems on their jackets. At the time, a spokeswoman for Kardashian West said she was badly shaken but physically unharmed. The robbery raised new concerns about security in the French capital after a string of deadly extremist attacks. The suspects can be held for up to 96 hours before police must either charge them or let them go. Jean Veil, the French lawyer for Kardashian West, said the news of arrests is "a great satisfaction." "These arrests are a nice surprise because we might be able to find the jewels," Veil told the French magazine L'Express. He said his client could be interviewed again by investigators and might have to face the suspects. Paris has been a special place for Kardashian West and her husband, who spent the weekend there before marrying in Florence in May 2014. ___ Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report. FILE - In this Oct.3, 2016 file photo, a French police officer enters the residence of Kim Kardashian West in Paris. Paris police Monday Jan.9, 2017 say 16 people have been arrested over Kim Kardashian jewelry heist. (AP Photo/Michel Euler, File) German lawmaker's sex-on-prescription idea draws criticism BERLIN (AP) A German opposition lawmaker's suggestion that authorities could subsidize paid sex for patients who require nursing care has drawn a critical reception. Elisabeth Scharfenberg, the opposition Greens' spokeswoman on care policy, told the Welt am Sonntag newspaper she could imagine authorities "financing sexual assistance." The newspaper said the idea is based on a system in the Netherlands, under which applicants must prove a medical need and show that they can't otherwise pay for a sex worker. Lawmaker Karl Lauterbach of the governing Social Democrats told Monday's Bild daily that "we don't need paid prostitution in homes for the elderly, and certainly not on prescription." Minister: Iraq's oil exports from south climb further BAGHDAD (AP) Iraq's crude exports from the country's southern ports inched up last month to 3.510 million barrels per day for the first time, the oil minister said Monday, lauding his ministry's plans and the work of a handful of international companies developing Iraq's prized southern fields. Jabar Ali al-Luaibi described December exports as the "highest and unprecedented" so far. November daily exports from government-controlled fields in central and southern Iraq stood at 3.407 million barrels. The ministry's statement didn't release figures of crude exports through Iraq's northern pipeline network run by the semi-autonomous Kurdish region, which typically average about 600,000 barrels a day. The heart of the country's oil industry is in the mainly Shiite central and southern parts of Iraq that were spared the June 2014 blitz by the Islamic State group, which seized large stretches of the country's north and west, including oil fields and facilities. Al-Luaibi underlined that the December levels will not affect Iraq's commitment to cut daily production as per the OPEC deal aiming to lower output for a six-month period by 1.2 million barrels per day to prop up plummeted oil prices, starting from Jan. 1. The 14-member group is supposed to produce 32.5 million barrels per day. Non-OPEC nation also agreed to pare an additional 600,000 barrels a day off their production. Iraq, OPEC's second-largest producer, already started measures to reduce output by 200,000 barrels a day to 4.351 million barrels since early this year, as per Iraq's share in the deal, the oil minister added, expressing his satisfaction that current oil prices hover around $53 per barrels, from $40s before OPEC dead. Iraq, where oil revenues make up nearly 95 percent of the budget, has been reeling under an economic crisis since late 2014, when oil prices began their descent from a high of above $100 a barrel. The 2014 onslaught by IS has exacerbated the situation, forcing Iraq to divert much of its resources to its 2-year old costly war. Iraq's 2017 budget stands at about 100.67 trillion Iraqi dinars, or nearly $85.17 billion, running with a deficit of 21.65 trillion dinars, or about $18.32 billion. That's based on an oil price of $42 per barrel and a daily export capacity of 3.75 million barrels from all of Iraq. Vatican doctrine chief: No need to correct pope on divorce VATICAN CITY (AP) The Vatican's doctrine chief says there is no need to correct Pope Francis over his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics because "there is no danger to the faith" in what he has said. Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, head of the powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was responding to a public request from four conservative cardinals for the pope to clarify his position contained in the controversial document "The Joy of Love." Conservatives have voiced concern that Francis' opening to allowing divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion has sown confusion among the faithful about the church's teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. The four cardinals posed five questions, or "dubia," in a letter to Francis and Mueller last year and made it public after getting no response. Francis hasn't addressed their complaints directly but has endorsed the interpretation of Argentine bishops who, in a set of guidelines, said "The Joy of Love" clearly allows the possibility of access to the sacraments in exceptional cases. In an interview Sunday with Mediaset's TGCom24, Mueller said church doctrine, and the pope's document, is clear. "Pope Francis asks us to discern the situation of these people who are living in an irregular situation, that is not according to the doctrine of the church on marriage, and he asks us to help these people to find a path for a new integration in the church according to the conditions of the sacraments, of the Christian message on matrimony," Mueller said. Mueller has ruled out letting these divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion, though he agrees that they must be integrated into the life of the church. His comments therefore don't stray from that position, suggesting he is simply taking a more conservative interpretation of the pope's intentionally vague document. Mueller said the four cardinals were free to write the pope seeking clarity, but that it was "damaging" to the church for them to have made their request for clarification public. Ex-Chad dictator Habre's appeal against conviction begins DAKAR, Senegal (AP) The appeal of former Chad president Hissene Habre against his life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture began Monday by the Extraordinary African Chambers, marking the final stage in a landmark case pursued by victims for more than 15 years. Habre's conviction was the first of a former head of state by an African court for crimes against humanity. It also was the first time a former dictator was found personally guilty of rape by an international court. The Extraordinary African Chambers, created by the African Union and Senegal, found Habre guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment in May for crimes committed during his presidency from 1982-1990. FILE - In this Nov. 25, 2005 file photo, former Chad dictator Hissene Habre, left, leaves the court in Dakar, Senegal. The appeal of ex-Chad president Hissene Habre against his life sentence for war crimes, crimes against humanity and torture has begun on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Senegal by the Extraordinary African Chambers. (AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File) The court later ordered him to pay tens of millions of dollars in compensation to victims. Habre has said he does not recognize the court's authority, and his defense lawyers refused to appear during the trial. Court-appointed lawyers, however, represented him and appealed the conviction, alleging that one of the trial court judges should not have been appointed given his background as a prosecutor, and that there were several errors of fact and law. The newly appointed president of the chambers for the appeal, Judge Ougadeye Wafi, on Monday rejected the appeal against the trial court judge. He said, however, the court would allow a request by Habre to not appear during the appeal hearings. The victims' lawyers also have appealed, calling for the creation of a trust fund for the victims. "Habre's conviction was based on strong evidence, including the files of his own political police, documents in his own handwriting, testimony from those who received his orders, witnesses whom he personally sent to prison, and a woman whom he raped," said international rights lawyer Reed Brody, a member of the International Commission of Jurists who has worked with Habre's victims since 1999. "The appeals court now needs to make sure that a system is put in place so that Habre's assets can be located, seized and transferred to his victims to compensate them for what they have suffered," Brody said. Washington UPDATED President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary, Betsy DeVos, is unqualified to lead the U.S. Department of Education and threatens to undo the bipartisan Every Student Succeeds Act, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said Monday. In a speech at the National Press Club, Weingarten said of DeVos, a Michigan school choice and Republican political activist: She is poised to swing her Michigan wrecking ball all across America. If Donald Trump wanted an ideologue, he found one. Weingarten worried that DeVos could reignite education fights related to testing and teacher evaluations that ESSA has addressed by returning many decisions to states and local districts. And instead of the private school vouchers and other choice programs in Michigan and elsewhere that DeVos has supported, public schools could better serve students by emphasizing support for child well-being, building teacher capacity, creating more collaboration, and supporting powerful learning, Weingarten argued. What she brings to the table is an antipathy for public education, Weingarten said of DeVos in an interview after her speech. The organization DeVos used to lead thats backed school choice programs, the American Federation for Children, called Weingartens speech a last, desperate attempt to serve the status quo fueled by her unions campaign contributions to Democrats, not students interests. Its not a surprise that they are giving major speeches today because all they do is talk, AFC spokesman Matt Frendewey said in the statement. DeVos, a major contributor to GOP politicians , has an extensive record of supporting vouchers and other forms of choice in Michigan. Shes also been involved in debates about charter schools and charter accountability there. Its been a tough political year in some respects for Weingarten, the AFT, and teachers unions in general. The AFT and the National Education Association got behind Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton very early and vigorously supported her candidacy. (To get a taste of Weingartens thinking during the election, you can check out my story on a day she spent at the Democratic National Convention in July.) With Clintons defeat, and Democrats in the minority in statehouses and governors mansions across the country, the unions face tricky political terrain over the next few years. However, both unions were supporters of ESSA, and theyre pushing to ensure that states embrace their priorities as education departments formulate their ESSA plans. Its for that reason and others that Weingarten said shes so alarmed about DeVos, saying in her prepared remarks, At every critical moment, she has tried to take the public out of public education. DeVos has shown no interest in charter accountability in Michigan, Weingarten saidher backers counter that DeVos does indeed support tough accountability for failing charters in Detroit . Weingarten also took the time to scold Trump directly, saying that while her union and the president-elect agreed about the importance of career and technical education, Trump was wrong when he said on the campaign trail that America no longer does it, citing schools in Illinois, Ohio, and elsewhere that connect students to career opportunities in manufacturing and emergency services. She highlighted other examples of what she considered productive work in education, including district-union collaboration in Los Angeles suburbs, the unions work in McDowell County, W.Va. , and a parent-mentor program in Chicago. Asked after her speech if she was worried that Congress would go along with a massive school choice expansion like the one Trump floated during the presidential campaign, Weingarten responded, I am worried that Republicans will put party before country and students. Weve never raised this kind of objection to an education secretary nominee, Weingarten added. UPDATE: The leadership at the National Education isnt any more excited about DeVos than its AFT colleagues are. I think from our perspective the nomination of Betsy DeVos is not about a person, its about an agenda that Donald Trump plans to pursue in his administration, said Mary Kusler, the senior director of the NEA. But Trump may have a tough time getting Congress to enact a large -scale voucher program along the lines of his $20 billion campaign proposal. thanks to opposition in his own party, she added. Members on both sides of the aisle have consistently spoken out against the agenda, she said. She noted that amendments to allow Title I money and other federal funding to flow to private schools were introduced in both chambers during the debate over ESSAand both times, the provisions failed to gain sufficient support to move forward. That was partly thanks to opposition from moderate Republicans and those from rural areas, such as Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Deb Fisher of Nebraska. Whats more, Kusler considers DeVos the least-qualified person we have ever seen nominated for secretary of education. ... Shes nothing more than lobbyist and political donor. And DeVos never attended or sent her own children to public schoolsand so has no experience as a public school student or parent, Kusler said. Read the NEAs letter opposing DeVos here . The NEA is also opposing the nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., to serve as Trumps attorney general, in part because of what they cite as his views on special education, and his track record on civil rights in Alabama. Read the organizations letter to lawmakers on the pick here. In a Jan. 5 letter to U.S. senators, Weingarten also urged them to oppose DeVos nomination. You can read the full letter below: Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . Manhunt underway for suspect in killing of Orlando officer ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) An Orlando police sergeant was shot and killed Monday after approaching a suspect wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. A second law enforcement officer was killed in a motorcycle crash while responding to a massive manhunt for the suspect. More than a dozen schools were placed in lockdown during the manhunt, and authorities were offering a $60,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Markeith Loyd, the 41-year-old suspect wanted in the killing of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. Orlando Police SWAT team surrounds apartments off Cinderlane Parkway in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, where they believe a gunman wanted in the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer is holed up. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Red Huber//Orlando Sentinel via AP) Officers and deputies focused their manhunt on an apartment complex in northwest Orlando, and dozens of residences had been searched. Residents who were evacuated from their homes sat on a sidewalk along a street with heavily armed officers and deputies and a parked SWAT team truck. Clayton, 42, was killed outside a Wal-Mart store in northwest Orlando early Monday, and Orange County Sheriff's Office Deputy First Class Norman Lewis was killed in a crash while responding to a manhunt for Loyd. Another Orlando police officer was involved in a crash while responding to the shooting but had only minor injuries. Authorities said Loyd previously was a suspect in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend in December. "He should be considered armed and dangerous," Police Chief John Mina said at a morning press conference. Later in the day, the chief said, "It doesn't matter where he is. We will track him down to the ends of the Earth." Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said deputies had been searching unsuccessfully for Loyd for several weeks and believe he was receiving help from someone. At an afternoon news conference, Demings urged Loyd to turn himself in peacefully. "If we have to go in after him, then that jeopardizes and puts at risk the safety of law enforcement officers ... and we cannot control what happens in that situation," Demings said. Mina lauded Clayton, a 17-year veteran of the force as a "committed" officer and "a hero" who gave her life to the community she loves. The Orlando Police Department said in a tweet that Clayton always had a smile and a high five for every child she came across. Clayton had grown up in the Orlando area and was active in programs that mentored young people, Mina said. "She was always the first to step up and help kids," the chief said. Clayton was a supervisor for a patrol division in the neighborhood where she was shot, and she previously had worked in investigations and as a school resource officer, Deputy Chief Orlando Rolon said. "She made a point, even outside her working hours, to do things for youth and do things for the community," Rolon said. She was married and had a college-aged son. She died Monday at 7:40 a.m., less than an hour after she was shot while on duty. Police released a video of Clayton's body being taken out of the hospital to a waiting van in a flag-covered stretcher. A line of officers saluted as the stretcher was wheeled out. Authorities said 17 area schools were placed in lockdown after the shooting. The apartment complex that was the focus of the manhunt and shooting in northwest Orlando was nowhere near Orlando's tourism corridor in the southern part of the metro area. "There will be a large law enforcement presence in that area until we can determine he is not there," Mina said. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared a day of mourning in the city. While at the Wal-Mart Monday morning, Clayton was tipped off by someone that Loyd was in the area. When she approached him, he fired multiple shots at Clayton, who was wearing body armor, Mina said. Clayton returned fire but didn't hit him, he said. Sheriff's officials said a deputy spotted Loyd fleeing in a vehicle. The suspect pulled into a nearby apartment complex and then fired at a deputy, striking the deputy's SUV twice. The deputy wasn't harmed, the sheriff's office said. Loyd then carjacked another vehicle, drove away and then abandoned the vehicle not far away, according to the sheriff's office. The manhunt was being conducted where he abandoned the vehicle. The Orange County Sheriff's Office deputy was killed more than two hours after the shooting when a van collided with his motorcycle as he responded to the manhunt. Demings described the 35-year-old Lewis as "a gentle giant," and the sheriff's office said he had played football for the University of Central Florida before joining the agency 11 years ago. Gov. Rick Scott canceled an appearance in Orlando because of the shooting but appeared with Orlando officials at the news conference. "I'm heartbroken and angry," Scott said. Police officers block the intersection of Long Road and Clarcona Ocoee Road in Orlando, Fla., after an OPD officer was shot and killed Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. A manhunt is underway for suspect. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orlando Police secure a perimeter at John Young Parkway and Silver Star road, after an Orlando Police officer was shot nearby, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died, and a manhunt is underway for suspect.(Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orange County Sheriff deputies secure a perimeter at John Young Parkway and Silver Star Road, after an Orlando Police officer was shot nearby, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died, and a manhunt is underway for suspect.(Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orlando Police SWAT team surrounds apartments off Cinderlane Parkway in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, where they believe a gunman wanted in the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer is holed up. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Red Huber//Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers salute as the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday is brought to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) In this image made from video and released by the Orlando Police Department, officers salute Master Sgt. Debra Clayton Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. A massive manhunt is underway in central Florida as authorities searched for a man accused of shooting and killing officer Clayton. The suspect has been identified as Markeith Loyd, 41, according to the Orlando Police. (Orlando Police Department via AP) Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings announces the death of deputy during a press conference at Orlando Regional Medical Center, in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Looking on are elected officials, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, far left, Orange Mayor Teresa Jacobs, second left, and Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer,right. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The medical examiner's van, escorted by Orange County Sheriff deputies, leaves Orlando Regional Medical Center with the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Friends and colleagues from Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriff's Office gather at the back of Orlando Regional Medical Center to salute the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy being transported by the medical examiner from the emergency room after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orlando Police motor officer T. Hawxwell salutes as the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy is transported from the emergency room after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Florida Gov. Rick Scott bows his head and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, center, salutes as the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy is transported from Orlando Regional Medical Center after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office in Orlando, Fla., Monday morning, Jan. 9, 2017. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers hug as other officers, not seen, escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday morning, Jan. 9, 2017. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Friends and colleagues console each other after the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy was transported from Orlando Regional Medical Center after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office in Orlando, Fla., Monday morning, Jan. 9, 2017. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Florida Gov. Rick Scott bows his head and Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings, center, salutes as the body of an unidentified OCSO deputy is transported from Orlando Regional Medical Center after the deputy was killed while responding to the fatal shooting of an Orlando Police officer in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Law enforcement officers hug as other officers, not seen, escort the body of the Orange County deputy that died in the line of duty on Monday to the Orange County Medical Examiner's Office on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. The Orlando Police Department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account Monday morning. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer reads a statement expressing condolences during a press conference announcing the death of an Orlando Police officer and Orange County deputy, at Orlando Regional Medical Center, in Orlando, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Looking on are elected officials, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott, far left, Orange Mayor Teresa Jacobs, second left, Orange Sheriff Jerry Demings and Orlando Police Chief John Mina. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) A police officer comforts a woman as he escorts her into the emergency entrance at ORMC on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died, and a manhunt is underway for suspect. (Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel via AP) Orlando Police investigate the scene Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, where an Orlando Police officer was shot at in the Walmart parking lot on Princeton St. and John Young Parkway. Orlando police say THE officer who was shot while on duty has died, and a manhunt is underway for suspect. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP) In this undated photo made available by the Orlando Police Department shows Markeith Loyd. Loyd is wanted for killing an Orlando police officer outside a Walmart in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Loyd is also accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend last month. (Orlando Police Department via AP) Law enforcement officials stand near the entrance to a Walmart where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect.(AP Photo/John Raoux) Orange County Sheriff's officers block the entrance to a Walmart near the scene where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect.(AP Photo/John Raoux) Defiant Bosnian Serbs celebrate their controversial holiday BANJA LUKA, Bosnia-Herzegovina (AP) Bosnian Serbs celebrated a controversial holiday Monday in defiance of the country's other ethnic groups, its constitutional court and the international community. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating four-year war. Police officers, firefighters and folklore groups paraded through the streets of Banja Luka, the de-facto capital of the Serb-run part of the country, Republika Srpska. Members of police forces of Republic of Srpska march during a parade marking 25th anniversary of Republic of Srpska in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating 4-year war. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) Members of a Bosnian Army regiment who come from the Serb chunk of the country were also in attendance despite warnings by the defense ministry and NATO that their participation would be considered illegal. The soldiers did not take part in the parade, but were present on the orders of the Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite presidency, Mladen Ivanic, who insisted he had the right to request a military honor guard. The separate post-war militaries of Bosnia's three ethnic groups merged into a common army in 2005 in what was considered the country's most successful postwar reform. Monday's events were the first time that the army's unity and shared command requiring unanimous decisions by the presidency's Bosniak, Croat and Serb members had been challenged. Bosnia's defense ministry said Monday it had issued a clear order vetoing participation of the Bosnian Army soldiers in the celebration. The ministry added in a statement that it will investigate how and why its order was disregarded. Reacting to the celebration, the U.S. embassy in Bosnia said it was taking "any threat to the security and stability ... very seriously," adding that those responsible for the rule of law violations "must be held accountable" Although Serb leaders insisted that Monday's celebrations would be a secular holiday, they participated in Serb Christian Orthodox ceremonies in the city's main church. That was broadcast live on local television, along with interviews with Bosnian Serb wartime military and political leaders who had been sentenced for crimes against humanity by a U.N war crimes court. During the war that killed 100,000 people and turned half of the country's population into refugees, Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats were persecuted and almost completely expelled from Republika Srpska territory. After the war, Republika Srpska became an autonomous region of Bosnia. Bosniaks and Croats who returned there view the holiday as a celebration of their expulsion. The holiday was banned last year by Bosnia's top court. It ruled that the date, which falls on a Serb Christian Orthodox religious holiday, discriminates against the country's other ethnic groups. The continued celebration was repeatedly condemned by the top European Union and the U.S diplomats in Bosnia who urged Bosnian Serbs to stop defying the country's top court. Members of police forces of Republic of Srpska march during a parade marking 25th anniversary of Republic of Srpska in the Bosnian town of Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating 4-year war. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) President of the Republic of Srpska Milorad Dodik, centre right, attends a traditional service in Orthodox Church marking the 25 anniversary of Republic of Srpska in Banja Luka, Bosnia, on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating 4-year war. (AP Photo/Radivoje Pavicic) U2 to play full 'Joshua Tree' album on stadium tour LOS ANGELES (AP) U2 will play the entirety of its classic 1987 album, "The Joshua Tree," at each stop during a summer stadium tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its release. Powered by singles "With or Without You," ''Where The Streets Have No Name" and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," ''The Joshua Tree" became the band's first chart-topping album in the U.S. and has sold 25 million copies worldwide. The North American leg of the tour kicks off May 12 in Vancouver and wraps up on July 1 in Cleveland, before heading to Europe. The tour includes a June stop at the Bonnaroo Festival in Tennessee. FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2016, file photo, The Edge, from left, Bono and Adam Clayton of the music group U2 perform at the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Festival at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. U2 announced Jan. 9, 2017, that it will play the entirety of its classic 1987 album The Joshua Tree at each stop during a summer stadium tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its release. (Photo by John Salangsang/Invision/AP, File) President Barack Obama cast the adoption of clean energy in the U.S. as 'irreversible,' putting pressure Monday on President-elect Donald Trump not to back away from a core strategy to fight climate change. Obama, penning an opinion article in the journal Science, sought to frame the argument in a way that might appeal to the president-elect: in economic terms. He said the fact that the cost and polluting power of energy have dropped at the same time proves that fighting climate change and spurring economic growth aren't mutually exclusive. 'Despite the policy uncertainty that we face, I remain convinced that no country is better suited to confront the climate challenge and reap the economic benefits of a low-carbon future than the United States,' Obama wrote. He peppered his article with subtle references to Trump, noting that the debate about future climate policy was 'very much on display during the current presidential transition.' As he prepares to transfer power to Trump, Obama has turned to an unusual format to make his case to Trump to preserve his policies: academic journals. In the last week, Obama also published articles under his name in the Harvard Law Review about his efforts on criminal justice reform and in the New England Journal of Medicine defending his health care law, which Republicans are poised to repeal. The articles reflect an effort by Obama to pre-empt the arguments Trump or Republicans are likely to employ as they work to roll back Obama's key accomplishments in the coming years. Yet it's unclear whether Trump or the GOP could be swayed by scholarly arguments in relatively obscure publications. Secretary of State John Kerry, one of Obama's top allies on climate change, echoed the president in a speech Monday at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kerry said the answers to climate change are relatively straightforward and depend on the U.S. relying on cleaner sources like solar, wind, biomass and nuclear energy, but added that he didn't know what policies Trump and the next secretary of state would pursue. 'In the time I've spent in public life, one of the things I've learned is that some issues look a lot different when you're actually in office compared to when you're on the campaign trail,' Kerry said. 'The truth is that climate change shouldn't be a partisan issue. It's an issue that all of us should care about, regardless of political affiliation.' During the campaign, Trump vowed to reinvigorate the U.S. coal industry and dismantle Obama regulations targeting coal-fired power plants. More recently, he's suggested he's keeping an open mind about climate change and about whether he'll pull the U.S. out of the global emissions-cutting deal struck in Paris in 2015 that Obama helped broker. In Science, Obama argued that as the cost of clean energy sources drop, businesses are independently coming to the conclusion that it makes financial sense to wean themselves off of coal and other dirtier fuels. He also said that if Trump pulls out of the Paris agreement, the U.S. would 'lose its seat at the table' on global climate policy. Obama said a key advantage of the U.S. political system is that each president determines his or her own policies. 'President-elect Donald Trump will have the opportunity to do so,' Obama wrote. 'The latest science and economics provide a helpful guide for what the future may bring.' ___ AP Diplomatic Writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report. ___ The Latest: Deputy killed responding to manhunt identified ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) The Latest on the shooting of a police officer in Orlando, Florida (all times local): 5:15 p.m. Authorities have identified the Orange County Sheriff's Office deputy who was killed in a motorcycle crash when responding to a massive manhunt for a suspect in the fatal shooting of an Orlando police sergeant. Orange County sheriff deputies salute as the body of Orange County Sheriff's Office Deputy First Class Norman Lewis was transported from Orlando Regional Medical Center after the deputy was killed in the line of duty in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. An Orlando police sergeant was shot and killed Monday after approaching a suspect wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, and Lewis was killed in a crash while responding to a manhunt for the suspect. (Joe Burbank/Orlando Sentinel via AP) The sheriff's office said Monday that he is 35-year-old Deputy First Class Norman Lewis. Lewis was killed when his motorcycle collided with a van as he was responding to a manhunt for 41-year-old Markeith Loyd. Loyd is a suspect in the fatal shooting of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton of the Orlando Police Department. Lewis had been with the sheriff's office for 11 years and Sheriff Jerry Demings described him as "a gentle giant." The sheriff's office says he had played football for the University of Central Florida. ___ 4:05 p.m. Authorities say they've searched dozens of apartments and residences as part of a massive manhunt for a suspect in the fatal shooting of an Orlando police sergeant. Orlando Police Chief John Mina said at a news conference Monday afternoon that the focus of the manhunt was on an apartment complex in the northwest part of the metro area. Mina says authorities have probable cause to arrest 41-year-old Markeith Loyd for first-degree murder in the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. Authorities say Clayton was fatally shot after she approached Loyd outside a Wal-Mart store Monday morning. He was wanted for questioning in the shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend last month. Mina says Clayton returned fire but Loyd wasn't hit. The chief also says Clayton was wearing body armor. ___ 2:40 p.m. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings is urging a suspect wanted for the murder of an Orlando police officer to turn himself in to authorities. Demings spoke Monday at a news conference held near the area in northwest metro Orlando where hundreds of officers from multiple police agencies were searching for 41-year-old Markeith Loyd. Demings says the best thing he could tell the suspect is to surrender so the situation can be resolved peacefully. Loyd is suspected in the shooting death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. Authorities say Clayton was shot after she approached Loyd outside a Wal-Mart store Monday morning. He was wanted for questioning in the shooting death of his pregnant ex-girlfriend last month. 11:15 a.m. Authorities say a deputy has been killed in a motorcycle crash while searching for a suspect in the shooting death of an Orlando police officer. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told a press conference Monday that another vehicle turned in front of the deputy, who was riding a motorcycle in pursuit of 41-year-old Markeith Loyd. Loyd is suspected in the shooting death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. A massive manhunt was underway for him. Clayton was shot and killed in the line of duty near a Wal-Mart in Orlando. Police Chief John Mina says Loyd also is wanted in the slaying of a pregnant woman. ___ 10:25 a.m. An Orlando police officer who was gunned down while on duty has died. Orlando police announced the officer's death on its official Twitter account Monday morning. The shooting happened near a Walmart store in Orlando earlier Monday morning. The tweet said, "One of our own was taken in the line of duty. There are no words." With the Twitter post was a video of the officer's body being taken out of the hospital to a waiting van in a flag-covered stretcher. Police tell news outlets that suspect Markeith Loyd is still on the run. A massive manhunt is underway and several schools are in lockdown mode. Police have asked anyone with information to contact authorities. A news conference is scheduled for 10:45 a.m. at Orlando Regional Medical Center. ___ An Orlando, Florida, police officer has been taken to the hospital following a shooting as authorities searched for a suspect. According to the police department's official Twitter page, the shooting happened just after 7:15 a.m. Monday not far from a Walmart. A massive manhunt for the suspect is underway. No additional details were provided about the shooting. The Orlando Sentinel (http://bit.ly/2i8wHZ6 ) reports at least seven Orlando police officers and Orange County Sheriff's deputies were seen escorting an ambulance carrying the officer to the hospital shortly after the shooting. Traffic has been detoured around the area. No further details were immediately available. ___ Information from: Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/ In this undated photo made available by the Orlando Police Department shows Markeith Loyd. Loyd is wanted for killing an Orlando police officer outside a Walmart in Orlando, Fla., Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Loyd is also accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend last month. (Orlando Police Department via AP) A law enforcement vehicle drives near a Walmart where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say an officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect. (AP Photo/John Raoux) Orange County Sheriff's officers block the entrance to a Walmart near the scene where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect.(AP Photo/John Raoux) Law enforcement officials stand near the entrance to a Walmart where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect.(AP Photo/John Raoux) You fly more than 100 miles for love. You get rejected. You fly another 100 miles. Another rejection. And another. That's the high-flying but futile sex life of the male pectoral sandpiper looking for love in northernmost Alaska, according to a new study. Some males are more persistent than others. Researchers tracked one desperate small shorebird that logged more than 8,100 miles (13,045 kilometers) in two dozen different hook-up attempts over a frenetic four weeks. In this image provided by Bart Kempenaers via the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, an ale pectoral sandpiper on the tundra near Barrow, Alaska, calling to attract a female. Researchers tracked one desperate small shorebird that logged more than 8,100 miles (13,045 kilometers) in two dozen different hook-up attempts over a frenetic four weeks. THE SANDPIPER Sandpipers migrate from South America to breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra in the summer. The males tend to be sex crazy during this time because females are only fertile for a few weeks. They flit all over the place, trying hard to seal the deal with loud throaty hoots as many times as possible. The problem for them is that the females only mate once or twice a season. Advertisement 'They're definitely trying hard to flirt and court,' said biologist Bart Kempenaers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Germany . 'They are not particularly successful most of them. Failed Don Juans mostly.' Sandpipers migrate from South America to breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra in the summer. The males tend to be sex crazy during this time because females are only fertile for a few weeks. They flit all over the place, trying hard to seal the deal with loud throaty hoots as many times as possible. The problem for them is that the females only mate once or twice a season. 'Copulations are incredibly rare,' Kempenaers said. 'The males need to try and try and keep at it.' Researchers tracked the activity of 100 male birds during a breeding season. It is 'the most extreme example' of promiscuity in animals seen yet, said Kempenaers, who led the study published Monday in the journal Nature. In this image provided by Katharina Kapetanopoulos via the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, two male pectoral sandpipers in a competitive, territorial display flight in Barrow, Alaska, in June 2012. The males mostly forgo sleep as they embark on non-stop flights in search of a mate, getting by on snatches of shut-eye lasting several seconds at a time, Kempenaers said. The average bird flies about 110 miles (178 kilometers) between mating attempts. In a breeding season, the males log on average about 1,900 miles (3,060 kilometers), a bit farther than flying from Los Angeles to Chicago. Sandpipers can fly 40 hours non-stop around 37 mph (60 kph), but these long trips often end up in rejections. Those that successfully mate don't have a role in raising the offspring, Kempenaers said. George Divoky, a biologist at the scientific group Friends of Cooper Island that monitors the changing Alaskan Arctic, said in general Arctic shorebirds are shrinking in population. He called the study on this species of bird impressive, adding that it 'will make me think differently about every pectoral sandpiper I see during the summer.' Morocco midfielder Boufal injured, to miss African Cup LONDON (AP) Morocco midfielder Sofiane Boufal will miss the African Cup of Nations because of a knee injury. Southampton manager Claude Puel says the 23-year-old Boufal has returned home from a training camp and will be sidelined for a few weeks. Puel says "his knee needs operating and he cannot do the African Cup. He will stay with us to recover. ... I hope he can come back in a few weeks." Review: 'Her Every Fear' is effective, compulsive thriller "Her Every Fear" (William Morrow), by Peter Swanson Peter Swanson tells an engaging story of a woman battling severe anxiety who decides to radically change her life and the horrifying results that follow in "Her Every Fear." Kate Priddy lives in London. She suffers from panic attacks and prefers familiarity to the unknown. She started having these attacks after an abusive boyfriend beat her, locked her in a closet and killed himself. When a cousin from the United States she's never met suggests they swap apartments for six months, she feels like it is an opportunity for a fresh start. This image provided by William Morrow shows the cover of the book Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson. Swanson tells an engaging story of a woman battling severe anxiety who decides to radically change her life and the horrifying results that following in Her Every Fear. (William Morrow via AP) She arrives at her new home in Boston only to discover that there is already a problem. The next-door neighbor has vanished and Kate's cousin is a suspect. Kate becomes frightened when the neighbor is found to be the victim of foul play. She starts to wonder if her cousin fled to London to avoid authorities. Meanwhile, Kate begins to meet some of the neighbors, who may have hidden agendas, including Alan. She doesn't realize Alan had an obsession with the deceased that was downright creepy. When the novel focuses on Kate, the writing and story line shine. Swanson made the decision to give other points of view, including the cousin and Alan, and their narratives lag a bit. However, when everything comes together at the end, it's clear why Swanson decided to tell the story in the manner he did. Even so, a sole focus on Kate's perspective would have made it a classic. Either way, Swanson has crafted an effective and compulsive thriller. ___ Online: Ethiopia targets opposition who met with European lawmakers ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) Ethiopia said Monday it will not release a leading opposition figure detained under the country's state of emergency after meeting with European lawmakers in Belgium. Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn told reporters that Merara Gudina of the Oromo Federalist Congress party instead will face justice. "Individuals in the European Parliament who are harboring anti-peace elements cannot save those who trespass the law of the country," the prime minister said. Merara is one of 22,000 people the prime minister said were detained under the state of emergency declared in October after widespread, sometimes deadly anti-government protests. The government has said several thousand have since been released. Merara was arrested immediately after he returned from Belgium, where he met with the lawmakers about the state of emergency. He was accused of meeting with members of an armed Ethiopian opposition group in Brussels, an act banned under the emergency law. Photos posted on social media show him sitting next to Birhanu Nega, leader of the armed opposition group called Ginbot 7 that mainly operates from Eritrea, and Feyisa Lilesa, the Ethiopian marathon runner who crossed his wrists in a sign of protest while crossing the finish line at the Rio Olympic Games. The Association for Human Rights in Ethiopia said the state of emergency's wide-ranging restrictions have severely affected freedoms of expression and assembly. "Tens of thousands of individuals have been arrested arbitrarily" and dissent and independent reporting have been quashed, it said. Analysis: After Rafsanjani, Iran at a political crossroads DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) Former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani will be buried in the shrine of the ayatollah who led Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution, the same man who once proclaimed "the revolution is alive as long as Rafsanjani is alive." The direction of that revolution and Iran's cleric-ruled political system looks less clear following Rafsanjani's death Sunday at 82. He long served as a balance in the extremes of Iranian political thought, a go-between for reformers who seek outreach to the world and hard-liners who press for confrontation with the West. Without his behind-the-scenes influence advocating pragmatism, some fear that one side may feel free to try to overcome the other in particular, that hard-liners could take off the gloves against moderates who have made gains in recent years. The coffin of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday after suffering a heart attack, is set out at a mourning ceremony, in the Jamaran mosque, north Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Mourners from all walks of life in Iran from the country's president to passers-by on the street paid their respects Monday to the late Iranian leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. The photograph in front of the coffin shows Rafsanjani seated, second left, with the late revolutionary founder Ayatollah Khomeini, right, and his son Ahmad Khomeini. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) President Hassan Rouhani's nuclear detente with world powers is seen as embodying Rafsanjani's realist vision. Rouhani is all but certain to stand for re-election in May. With Rafsanjani's death, that vote now takes on an even greater importance as does the decision looming in the coming years on who will replace Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "The political gravitas that Rafsanjani had went beyond political factions," said Adnan Tabatabai, an Iran analyst based in Germany who is the CEO of the Center for Applied Research in Partnership with the Orient. "He was one of the pillars, one of the powerbrokers that everyone knew that as long as he's there, somehow there will be a balance preserving the system." Rafsanjani's life mirrored Iran's modern history. He served as the right-hand man of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the charismatic leader of the 1979 revolution. He led the military during the ruinous war with Iraq in the 1980s. He helped launch Iran's nuclear program and then pushed for reconciliation with the West. In the years after Khomeini's 1989 death, Rafsanjani represented one of an ever-shrinking number of leaders directly tied to the Islamic Revolution. Even the nation's sworn enemy, the Iranian opposition group in exile called the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, acknowledged his role as the "one of the two pillars and key to the equilibrium" of the country. The condolences coming from Gulf Arab countries on Rafsanjani's death show how even Iran's rivals saw him as someone with whom they could work, analysts say. Internally, however, his legacy remains mixed. He was massively wealthy and a veteran at maneuvering within Iran's opaque political system. He was considered a protector of the moderates, but many reformers distrusted him because he was such an insider and because of accusations he was involved in killing dissidents during his eight-year presidency. Hard-liners distrusted him because of his support of moderates and sought to sideline him, but he was too powerful and entrenched to be discounted. "I do think having one of the major revolutionary political heavyweights passing will have ramifications in a major level in terms of how domestic policy is shaped," said Ellie Geranmayeh, a policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "Without him being in the picture, it means that the other political heavyweights in the system now have more force to push for their ideas." That may not immediately affect the presidential election. Rouhani is expected to compete on the back of the nuclear deal, and there are no major hard-liners immediately known to be planning to challenge him. However, there were clear worries that without Rafsanjani, tensions could rise between reformers and hard-liners, weakening Iran on the eve of Donald Trump's presidency in the United States. Trump has threatened to renegotiate the nuclear deal and challenge Iran militarily if provoked in the Persian Gulf. Columnist Firouz Mahboobi warned in the Monday's pro-reform newspaper Noavaran that reformers and hard-liners must avoid any "ill-considered and rash behavior" that could disturb the election. The two camps must act with "intelligence and broadmindedness." He said it is a dangerous time to lose Rafsanjani "given his role in balancing domestic policy and defusing the plots of unfriendly countries," particularly with Trump about to be inaugurated. Rafsanjani's loss likely will be a greater factor whenever it becomes time to select Iran's next supreme leader. Under Iran's theocratic government, voters democratically elect lawmakers and a president. However, the government is ultimately overseen by clerics. At the top is the office of the supreme leader, who is head of state and the highest-ranking political and religious figure in the country. Rafsanjani served on the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that will pick the next supreme leader. Who will replace the 77-year-old Khamenei has become a growing question in recent years, especially after the ayatollah underwent prostate surgery in 2014. With Rafsanjani gone, it's unclear who will serve as a counterweight in the selection process to hard-liners, including those in the Revolutionary Guard, a powerful paramilitary organization with vast financial interests. The Guard was far weaker immediately after Khomeini's death than it is today. It has built a substantial business empire within Iran and wages foreign operations in countries like war-ravaged Syria on behalf of embattled President Bashar Assad. "Because Khamenei has outlived Rafsanjani, the Assembly of Experts will lose a powerful voice that could have helped nudge the selection of the next supreme leader in a more moderate direction," the private U.S. intelligence firm STRATFOR said. Still, Rafsanjani's long life and relevance in Iranian politics show he will be hard to replace as the country decides the direction of its revolution. "He has been, for people inside of Iran, the face of the evolution of the revolutionary figures," Geranmayeh said. "He himself evolved over the years while maintaining a very influential role in the political system, in ways perhaps others couldn't have survived doing." ___ EDITOR'S NOTE: Jon Gambrell, an Associated Press reporter since 2006, has covered the Middle East from Cairo and Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 2013. ___ Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellap. His work can be found at http://apne.ws/2galNpz. Front pages of the Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, edition of Iranian newspapers, published with pictures of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday after suffering a heart attack. Newspapers in Iran published front-page photographs of Rafsanjani, while state television aired archival clips of his comments and speeches. Mourners from all walks of life in Iran - from the country's president to passers-by on the street - paid their respects to him. The country is observing three days of mourning. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi) Family members and others attend a mourning ceremony for former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday after suffering a heart attack, at the Jamaran mosque in north Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Mourners from all walks of life in Iran from the country's president to passers-by on the street paid their respects Monday to Rafsanjani. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) A man weeps during a mourning ceremony for former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday after suffering a heart attack, at the Jamaran mosque in north Tehran, Iran, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017. Mourners from all walks of life in Iran from the country's president to passers-by on the street paid their respects Monday to the late Iranian leader Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. (AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi) Since President-elect Donald Trump nominated her to be his education secretary, Betsy DeVos has attracted a host of support and criticism, which could make her confirmation process quite different from past confirmation hearings for that position. But whos in her corner, and whos been throwing punches? The public-relations squabbling about DeVos has various facets. At least two groups, America Rising and Friends of Betsy DeVos, have been defending her nomination from critics and sharing supportive statements since Trump announced his pick. By contrast, End Citizens United and Every Voice have been attacking DeVos by arguing that senators who have received campaign contributions from DeVos and her family should recuse themselves from considering her nomination . (The situation of senators having received contributions from a nominee is not unique to this nominee and the incoming Trump administration, however.) And over the weekend, Democrats sought to delay the confirmation hearing for DeVos , on the grounds that the the Office of Government Ethics had yet to finish its review of DeVos financial and other disclosures. Its also worth noting that many of the alphabet-soup professional education associations in Washington tend not to take official positions on cabinet nominees like DeVos. Below are examples of both supporters and those who have criticized DeVos, in no particular order. Supporters Mitt Romney, 2012 former Republican presidential nominee In an op-ed for the Washington Post , Romney said the U.S. education system has stalled despite spending a good deal of money on it. As someone who doesnt need an education job down the road and is financially well-off, according to Romney, DeVos is set up perfectly to challenge the education establishment. He also wrote, She founded two of the nations leading education reform organizations and helped open the door to charter schools in her home state of Michigan. I have known her for many years; she is smart, dynamic, no nonsense and committed. (DeVos contributed to Romneys 2012 presidential campaign.) Jeb Bush, former Florida governor DeVos served on the board of directors for the Foundation for Excellence in Education, the research and advocacy group founded by Bush that supports school choice, digital education, test-based accountability, and other policies at the state level. In a Politico story from earlier this month, Bush said of DeVos nomination , I cannot think of a more effective and passionate change agent to press for a new education vision, one in which students, rather than adults and bureaucracies, become the priority in our nations classrooms. (DeVos contributed to Bushs 2016 presidential campaign.) Twenty Republican governors Twenty GOP governors, including some big names such as Wisconsins Scott Walker and Tennessees Bill Haslam, say they expect DeVos will right-size the federal role on K-12 education. Betsy DeVos will fight to streamline the federal education bureaucracy, return authority back to states and local school boards, and ensure that more dollars are reaching the classroom, they write in a letter sent Monday to the Senate education committee . John Bailey, education consultant Bailey, who formerly worked for Bushs foundation as well as the U.S. Department of Education under President George W. Bush and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, said in an email that DeVos was a great board member at [the foundation]. She is passionate about kids and will always put kids needs first. She expressed deep interest in digital learning and how it could expand opportunities for kids. Home School Legal Defense Association In a letter supporting her nomination , the HSLDA wrote that, Among the many new and innovative ideas she brings to the Department of Education is a positive view of alternative forms of education, especially homeschooling. She acknowledges the constitutional right of parents to direct the education and upbringing of their children. New Mexico Gov. Susanna Martinez The Republican governor now in her second term wrote in an Investors Business Daily op-ed that DeVos has extensive experience and an unquestionable commitment to our children. For nearly three decades, she has been on the front lines in dozens of state capitals, working with parents to promote school choice and accountability in the classroom. As our secretary of education, shes going to continue that fight. Amanda Price, ex-leader of the Education Committee, Michigan House of Representatives In an op-ed for the Detroit News, Price said she agreed with DeVos about the importance of parental choice in education . Price also said, With DeVos as education secretary, we can rest assured that shell not pursue the kind of federal overreaches weve seen in the recent past. You might remember Price as an early member of Conservative Leaders for Education, a group designed to push conservative priorities for the Every Student Succeeds Act . Jim Barrett, Great Lakes Education Project chairman and former Michigan Chamber of Commerce CEO On accountability, Betsy DeVos and [the Great Lakes Education Project] have been pushing for a simple A-F letter grading system to use for school accountability, so that parents receive meaningful information about school performance in order to make informed school choice decisions, Barrett wrote in a Lansing State Journal op-ed , referring to the DeVos-founded GLEP organization and DeVos work in Michigan. (DeVos founded GLEP to push her education priorities in Michigan) Skeptics Randi Weingarten, American Federation of Teachers President In a statement posted the same day Trump announced DeVos as his pick , Weingarten blasted her for her lack of experience in classrooms or schools and her opposition to public education in general. Betsy DeVos is everything Donald Trump said is wrong in Americaan ultra-wealthy heiress who uses her money to game the system and push a special-interest agenda that is opposed by the majority of voters, Weingarten said in her statement. Civil rights advocates Organizations including the NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens, said in a joint letter that they are deeply troubled by the unacceptable rhetoric of the President-elect during his campaign and the absence of a record of DeVos support for these students, referring to immigrant students and those with disabilities. They also argued DeVos has demonstrated a lack of respect for the diversity in the nations schools. And the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights also opposes her nomination , saying in a statement that they reject the notion that children are well served by the dismantling of a public school system that serves 90 percent of all American students. Like her counterpart Weingarten, Garcia made her displeasure clear right of the gate. She has lobbied for failed schemes, like voucherswhich take away funding and local control from our public schoolsto fund private schools at taxpayers expense, Garcia said of DeVos in her November statement. Diane Ravitch, education historian and activist Ravitch, an opponent of charter schools and private school choice programs, wrote a satirical piece expressing support for DeVos in which she said, I dont agree with any of her ideas about school reform, but I think it would be refreshing to hear candid advocacy for privatizing and eliminating public schools instead of privatizers pretending that they want to improve public schools. They dont. Anti-Common Core Activists After Trump picked her as his nominee, DeVos said she was not a supporter of the Common Core State Standards. But some common-core foes such as Stop Common Core in Michigan (DeVos home state), for example, have said that statement is not an accurate representation of her actions regarding common core. And common-core opponent Jane Robbins highlighted conservative grassroots activists dismay about DeVos . Robbins, however, didnt totally dismiss DeVos as a nominee: She wrote, for example, how DeVos could counteract suspicion by bringing critics of the standards to the U.S. Department of Education. Harrison Blackmond, Michigan Democrats for Education Reform Executive Director Its rather clear that she doesnt think the federal government should have any role in education, that that should be a strictly state function, Blackmond told us right after DeVos was announced . I happen to think differently. Interestingly, DFER as a national organization took a mixed position , praising DeVos for helping charter schools grow, but worrying about her potential approach to the federal role in accountability. Badass Teachers Association Marla Kilfoyle, the executive director of the union splinter group , said in a statement following DeVos nomination: Public education is not a business. Public education is not a competition. In competition and business there are winners and losers. Public education should be about nurturing our most valuable resourceour children. The group opposes school choice and what it calls the attempts to privatize traditional public schooling. So who did we leave off our lists? Let us know in the comments section. Photos from top: Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, sits in his office with Betsy DeVos after President-elect Donald Trump nominated her to be education secretary (AP Photo/Susan Walsh); Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, who has worked with DeVos through his advocacy group, has praised her nomination (Mark Humphrey/AP); AFT President Randi Weingarten, right, and NEA President Lily Eskelsen Garcia, seen at the Democratic National Convention last summer, are united in their opposition to DeVos. Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 . AP FACT CHECK: President Obama didn't pardon rapper C-Murder WASHINGTON (AP) A story shared on social media that claims President Barack Obama pardoned rapper C-Murder is false. The story shared on gummypost.com claimed Obama issued a pardon for Corey Miller, the rapper's real name, on Dec. 7. It also quoted lyrics from "Dear Supreme Court/Under Pressure," a song in which Miller pleads for the Supreme Court to release him. The rapper was convicted of murder in a 2002 slaying in Louisiana. Obama could not have pardoned Miller even if he wanted to because Miller was convicted of a state crime. Under the Constitution, a president may only pardon or commute sentences for federal crimes. FILE - In this Aug. 16, 2006 file photo, Rapper Corey Miller, who once went by the stage name of C-Murder, arrives at the premier of Spike Lee's new documentary on Katrina "When The Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Parts" in New Orleans. A story shared on social media that claims President Barack Obama pardoned Miller on Dec. 7, 2016, from a 2009 murder conviction is false. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File) Also, the U.S. Department of Justice maintains online lists of pardons and commutations issued by Obama and those lists show no such actions were taken Dec. 7. Miller's name does not appear on the lists under any other date. AP FACT CHECK: Florida restaurant wasn't serving dog meat CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) Police say a viral story claiming a Chinese restaurant in Florida was shut down after an undercover police officer purchased dog meat there was not true. The undated story appears on the website majorthoughts.com. Repeating an old urban legend alleging Chinese restaurants serve foods considered taboo in the U.S., it claims the "China chow restaurant" in Coral Springs had a special menu offering dog meat to VIP customers. It also claims a two-month undercover police operation ended the slaughter of dogs in the back of the restaurant. The Coral Springs Police Department has debunked the story multiple times on its Facebook page since late December. Community Involvement Coordinator Lynne Martzall told The Associated Press on Monday that police wanted to alert the public about the false report because of the number of messages the department had received about it. Jewish centers in several states targeted with bomb threats MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) Bomb threats targeted Jewish community centers in at least six states Monday, and some were made with prerecorded telephone calls, according to an official with the Jewish Federations of North America. It's not clear why up to 20 Jewish community centers across the South and Northeast were targeted, said Richard Sandler, chair of the JFNA board of trustees. "Some of the threats were robo-calls," said Sandler, adding that the number of threats was unusually high. No additional details about the calls were immediately available. Some community centers were evacuated but no explosives were found, Sandler said. Bomb threats also targeted Jewish community centers and schools in central Florida and Tampa last week, but Sandler said there was no apparent link between those threats and the calls received Monday. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Amanda Hils said in an email that the agency was aware of the threats and its field divisions were ready to assist state and local law enforcement. Most of the centers have resumed normal operations, said David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America. The Maitland Jewish Community Campus was evacuated Monday for the second time in a week because of a bomb threat. The complex includes a school, community center, a Holocaust museum and the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando. Bomb threats also were received at the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville. A Miami-Dade Police bomb squad was dispatched to the Alper Jewish Community Center, where staff evacuated hundreds of children "as an abundance of caution," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta. In Nashville, Tennessee, 225 people were evacuated from the Gordon Jewish Community Center and an adjacent school after a security guard received a bomb threat over the phone. Buildings were evacuated and authorities investigated similar threats in Atlanta; Tenafly, New Jersey; Columbia, South Carolina; and Wilmington, Delaware. In Maryland, threats also were called into Jewish community centers in Baltimore and Rockville. ___ Cuba, US sign deal on oil-spill prevention HAVANA (AP) Cuba and the United States have signed an accord on preventing and cleaning up oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. Monday's agreement is another step in the Obama Administration's efforts to solidify its legacy of normalization with Cuba before a Republican administration takes over. The agreement calls on both countries to establish a bilateral operations plan in the event of a spill or other pollution in waters they share. FILE - In this Jan. 8, 2012 file photo, an oil rig floats in the distance as fishermen work in Havana Bay, Cuba. Cuba and the United States signed an accord on Monday, Jan. 9, 2017 on preventing and cleaning up oil spills in the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straits. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano, File) The Cuban and the U.S. Coast Guard already cooperate over migration and drug enforcement in the Caribbean, coordinating interdiction and control efforts and sharing information over activity in the waters of the Florida Straits. Italy reopening embassy in Libyan capital in sign of faith ROME (AP) Italy is reopening its embassy in the Libyan capital after two years of unrest in what the Rome foreign ministry says is a show of support for Libya's stabilization process. Italy's new ambassador, Giuseppe Perrone, will present his credentials to Tripoli authorities on Tuesday. In a statement Monday, the Italian foreign ministry said the reopening of the embassy was a sign of friendship with the former Italian colony and a demonstration of faith in its stabilization efforts. California whale watchers see rare orcas, including calf NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) Whale watchers in Southern California were treated to a rare sighting of Eastern Tropical Pacific killer whales. Dale Frink, a photographer and naturalist who runs a whale-watching cruise, says the five orcas, including a small calf, were seen near Point Vicente on Saturday. He says the Eastern Tropical Pacific orcas, identified by a darker saddle area behind the dorsal fin, make only rare appearances in Orange County waters. They're more common off San Diego and south to Peru. California Killer Whale Project researcher Alisa Schulman-Janiger tells the Orange County Register (http://bit.ly/2i5Mrkw) that it was her first time seeing the rare type of orca in 35 years of research. Marineland charged with 6 new counts of animal cruelty TORONTO (AP) Ontario's animal welfare agency has laid six new animal cruelty charges against Marineland amusement park in the tourist city of Niagara Falls. The Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says the charges relate to elk, red deer and fallow deer kept at the tourist attraction. Deputy chief Jennifer Bluhm said Monday the case involves one count each of permitting elk, red deer and fallow deer to be in distress. She says the agency also laid one count each of failing to provide the standards of care for elk, red deer and fallow deer. Marineland was charged with five counts of animal cruelty in late November that related to the treatment of peacocks, guinea hens and black bears. The Buffalo School Board is moving ahead with plans to oust Carl Paladino, who made racist and derogatory remarks about President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and aide Valerie Jarrett to a Buffalo newspaper last month. The board voted Wednesday to hire a Syracuse-area law firm to help petition state Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia to remove Paladino from the board, according to the Buffalo News. The boards action on Wednesday followed a 6-2 vote last week that demanded Paladino resign in 24 hours, or it will ask Elia to remove him. Paladino, who said the comments published in the Artvoice were meant for his friends, has refused to step down. The calls for Paladinos resignation are in response to answers he provided to the Artvoice about what he would most like to happen in 2017 and who he would like to see go away. Paladino said hed like for President Obama to catch mad cow disease and die and for Mrs. Obama to return to being a male and let loose in Zimbabwe to live with a gorilla. The real estate developer served as the New York co-chair of President-elect Donald Trumps campaign, and a spokesperson for Trump has condemned Paladinos remarks. Paladino, who has a documented history of making inflammatory comments , did not attend last weeks meeting where the majority of the board passed a resolution asking for his resignation. His allies, Larry Quinn and Patricia Pierce, voted against the resolution, saying, in part, that Paladino should have the opportunity to apologize. Paladino had earlier directed an apology to the minority community and insisted that he was not a racist. According to the Buffalo News, all seven members who attended this weeks meetingexcluding Paladino and Quinn, who were both absentapproved hiring Frank W. Miller, a Syracuse attorney with experience in education and labor law, for whats likely to be a protracted fight. Paladino told the Buffalo News the school boards action amounted to a waste of money. Theyll have to pay for my lawyer, too, he told the paper. They could consult the Constitution and know that its protected speech. Under New York state law the education commissioner can proceed with a removal hearing after receiving a formal application. The state education department said last week that it was following the matter closely and would move quickly if it received a formal petition. Other organizations, such as the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the New York state teachers union, which represents educators and healthcare professionals, had also called for Paladino to step down. Brazil's Temer to travel with judge who could oust him RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) Brazil's embattled President Michel Temer is set to travel to Portugal accompanied by the chairman of the electoral court considering whether to remove him from his post. Temer's office confirmed in a statement on Monday that Justice Gilmar Mendes will be on the presidential plane that leaves Brasilia on Tuesday bound for Lisbon. They're scheduled to attend the funeral of former Portuguese President Mario Soares, who died at age 92. FILE - In this Dec. 5, 2016, file photo, Brazil's President Michel Temer arrives for a pension plan proposal to National Congress leaders, at the Planalto Presidential Palace, in Brasilia, Brazil. With Brazil mired in recession, President Temers government spawned outrage when it ordered $400,000 worth of food, including 500 cartons of Haagen-Dazs ice cream and 1.5 tons of chocolate cake, for his official plane trips. The government quickly scrapped the order, but its just the latest in a series of tone-deaf decisions that have put his already wobbly government on the defensive, raising questions about whether it can survive the new year. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres, File) Brazil's electoral court is investigating whether the presidential ticket of Temer and former President Dilma Rousseff benefited from illegal campaign financing. If the ticket is found guilty, Temer would lose the presidency and Brazil would hold new elections for the rest of the term that ends in December 2018. Illinois Senate budget plan to end deadlock stalls SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) The Illinois Senate's plan to end the nation's longest state budget deadlock fizzled Monday after Republicans declared they wanted more time to ensure Gov. Bruce Rauner's demands are met before approving a tax increase. The Senate's planned action would have been symbolic. Democratic President John Cullerton and Christine Radogno, the Republican leader, knew there wouldn't be time in the Legislature's last two scheduled work days to push the package through the House and get it to Rauner. But Cullerton and Radogno were hoping to distinguish the Senate from what has become a nasty battle of wills between Republican Rauner and House Speaker Michael Madigan. Madigan, the resolute Chicago Democrat who has run the House for most of the last three decades. Rauner insists that lawmakers pass some of his reforms aimed at helping business and reducing the influence of labor unions. Madigan says Rauner's demands have nothing to do with the budget. FILE - In this Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2016, file photo, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner speaks to reporters after meeting with legislative leaders during veto session in Springfield, Ill. The General Assembly convenes Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, for just two days to finish its work before a new session begins Wednesday while the two-year budget standoff looms large. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File) "We're two years in and we don't have a budget," Cullerton said. "It's embarrassing for the state and there's been real damage that has happened to people and we want to avoid that." Cullerton pledged to present the plan to the new General Assembly. Radogno said the goal is to move quickly, to get Senate approval before month's end. The legislation would have increased the personal income tax rate to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent to narrow a multibillion-dollar annual deficit and $11 billion in unpaid state bills. But it would also have included a streamlining of purchasing, local government consolidation, reform of the tax code and limits to lawmakers' terms. Those ideas could meet Rauner's desire to make business and political climate changes to boost business and taxpayer confidence in the state. But Republicans were just seeing the plan Monday and didn't want to rush, Radogno said. The current Legislature ends its session Tuesday and a new one is seated Wednesday, so there would be no time to move the proposal to the House. The state has limped along since the middle of 2015 without an annual spending plan. State government has functioned largely because of court-ordered spending on social services and periodic appropriations by lawmakers. But more than one million people have been cut from services such as mental health treatment, elderly care, domestic violence assistance and cancer screenings, as well as financial aid for college, and the state's financial ratings have dropped. With a temporary, six-month budget having expired Jan. 1, the House approved a measure providing what sponsor Rep. Greg Harris called a "lifeline" for education and social services. The Chicago Democrat's plan would take money coming in from income tax revenue and provide $258 million for social services and $400 million for higher education, including $191 million for the popular, income-based Monetary Award Program for college tuition. Rauner's office said the governor opposes that plan unless it is accompanied by other things he wants such as a property tax freeze. ___ The House budget bill is SB2051. ___ Associated Press writers Kiannah Sepeda-Miller in Springfield and Sara Burnett in Chicago contributed to this report. ___ New Hampshire lawmaker wants to consider Russian liquor ban CONCORD, N.H. (AP) If one New Hampshire lawmaker has his way, it might become difficult to find Russian vodka in the state's liquor stores. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Jeff Woodburn on Monday proposed a bill that would establish a bipartisan commission to consider ways the state could respond to what he calls "Russian interference in our democracy." The legislation suggests the state could suspend or ban the sale of Russia-made liquor at stores operated by the New Hampshire Liquor Commission and require that Old Man on the Mountain bottles contain American liquor, not Russian liquor. The bottles have images of the Old Man of the Mountain, a granite face-like profile that crumbled to the ground nearly 15 years ago. The bill calls on the commission to reconsider state retirement system investments in Russian companies. The Latest: Nearly 20 years in prison for rogue surgeon DETROIT (AP) The Latest on the sentencing of a Detroit-area doctor who performed unnecessary spinal surgeries in California and Michigan (all times local): 5:45 p.m. A Detroit-area doctor has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison for performing poor or unnecessary spinal surgeries in California and Michigan. Federal Judge Paul Borman ordered the punishment Monday after listening to 14 former patients who told emotional stories about their treatment under Dr. Aria Sabit (SAB'-it). Some wore braces or supported themselves with canes. A woman was in a wheelchair. Borman called it "cruel and unusual punishment." Sabit had a financial stake in a company that made spinal devices. He worked at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California, until moving to Michigan in 2011. Sabit, a native of Afghanistan, pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud. He apologized and told the judge that he's responsible for the pain and suffering. ___ 2:05 p.m. Victims are calling for a long prison sentence for a Detroit-area doctor who performed poor or unnecessary spinal surgeries in California and Michigan. A judge heard tearful pleas from former patients Monday in Detroit federal court. Some of Dr. Aria Sabit's (SAB'-it) victims entered court with canes. One woman was in a wheelchair. Sabit pleaded guilty to conspiracy and fraud. He admits hurting patients and cheating insurers with his work. One of his victims is Rick Porterfield, who was an executive at Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, California, where Sabit was on staff. Porterfield says, "Every move I make hurts." He says he had to retire because of complications from Sabit's surgery. The Latest: Testimony ends in hearing on Ohio execution plan COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) The Latest on Ohio's plans for the execution of a condemned child killer and a hearing over the constitutionality of the state's new lethal injection process. (all times local): 5:40 Testimony in a hearing over the constitutionality of Ohio's new lethal injection process has concluded for the day in federal court in Dayton. FILE This undated file photo provided by the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction shows death row inmate Ronald Phillips, convicted of the 1993 rape and murder of his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter in Akron, Ohio. Federal Magistrate Judge Michael Merz in Dayton, Ohio, is hearing evidence in a weeklong trial over Ohio's newest lethal injection method using three drugs. Phillips is scheduled for execution on Feb. 15, 2017. (Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction via AP, File) At issue is a three-drug method similar to one the state used for many years but which now includes a type of sedative involved in troubling executions previously in Ohio and Arizona. The magistrate judge is expected to rule soon because the state plans to use the new method to put a condemned child killer to death next month. Death penalty defense attorneys are challenging the use of midalozam (mih-DAY'-zoh-lam), a sedative whose effectiveness at putting inmates into complete unconsciousness has been questioned. Prison system attorneys say experts disagree on how the drug will work. The hearing Monday will continue Tuesday on some evidence. ___ 10:56 Records show Ohio has obtained repeat supplies of the lethal drugs it plans to use on a condemned child killer next month. The inventory logs obtained by The Associated Press through a records request also show Ohio has enough drugs to carry out multiple executions. The logs showing supplies obtained in September and October don't identify the source of the drugs, which are protected by an Ohio law shielding such information. The state plans to execute Ronald Phillips on Feb. 15 for the 1993 rape and murder of his girlfriend's 3-year-old daughter in Akron. The execution would be Ohio's first in three years and the second to use midazolam (mih-DAY'-zoh-lam), a type of sedative that has been used in previously troublesome executions in Ohio and Arizona. Dairy Queen has closed down one of its stores near Chicago and terminated its relationship with the franchise owner he used vile racial slurs in an angry confrontation with a customer. A police report said the franchise owner, Jim Crichton, told an officer he admitted using the N-word against Deianeira Ford, 21, and her children at the store in Zion, Illinois. He also said he was 'fed up with black people' and would go to jail over the issue. According to the report, Ms Ford said Crichton called her and her children the N-word after she asked for a $5 refund for a mixed-up food order in the drive-thru. Scroll down for video Ms Ford asked for a $5 refund from Jim Crichton, the owner of the Zion, Illinois store (pictured). He then allegedly used the N-word against her Ms Ford, the mother of a two-year-old daughter and a five-month-old son, said: 'It was really just upsetting especially with having my children in the car. I mean, no one deserves to be treated like that.' The incident prompted protesters to gather outside the Dairy Queen on Saturday. Ms Ford, who lives in Tinley Park, south of Chicago, said she had hired an attorney and was considering legal action. Mr Crichton apologized in a statement provided by American Dairy Queen Corporation and said he would undergo sensitivity training. Deianeira Ford (pictured) was called the N-word in front of her children by a Dairy Queen franchise owner, police have revealed He said: 'My actions were inexcusable and unacceptable. I can only ask for forgiveness and try to make it up to all involved.' Dairy Queen said Mr Crichton's behavior had been 'reprehensible' and did not represent the chain's values. Police chief Stephen Dumyahn said: 'I'm disgusted and discouraged by the comments made by this business owner. I reached out to Miss Ford to tell her that this does not represent the diverse community of Zion.' Parker Beam, master distiller of Kentucky bourbon, dies LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) Parker Beam, who carried on his family's historic bourbon-making tradition as longtime master distiller for Kentucky-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, died Monday after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 75. Beam's career as a whiskey maker spanned more than a half century at Bardstown, Kentucky-based Heaven Hill, a family owned and operated distilled spirits company and maker of the popular Evan Williams brand. Beam was responsible for distilling and aging Evan Williams the world's No. 2-selling bourbon and other Heaven Hill whiskeys. "He was a true industry giant long before the current bourbon renaissance," said Max L. Shapira, president of Heaven Hill Brands. "Without question, he was committed to our industry and possessed a real passion for the craft of distilling." FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2006, file photo, Heaven Hill's master distiller Parker Beam holds a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye Whisky made at the Bardstown, Ky. distillery. Beam, who carried on his family's historic bourbon-making tradition, died Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, after battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, better known as Lou Gehrig's disease. He was 75. (AP Photo/Patti Longmire, File) Beam's pedigree as a bourbon maker was impeccable. As a grandnephew of Jim Beam, Parker Beam was born into a family that traces its whiskey-making roots in Kentucky to 1795, when Jacob Beam set up his first still. Park Beam, Parker's grandfather and namesake, was Jim Beam's brother. "If you were a Beam, you sort of were destined to follow in the footsteps of either your father, grandfathers, cousins or uncles," Parker Beam said in a 2007 interview with The Associated Press. Another industry patriarch, Bill Samuels Jr., on Monday called his longtime friend "one of the good guys." For some people, living up to a legendary family name can be a burden, but not so for Parker, Samuels said. "In his case, he lived up to and exceeded the burden of having the most famous name in bourbon," said Samuels, who retired after a long career as the top executive at Maker's Mark. During his years-long battle with the disorder, Parker Beam raised funds in hopes of helping find a cure. Parker Beam was among a small fraternity of master distillers who oversaw production at various Kentucky distilleries during bourbon's revival. According to a 2014 report by the University of Louisville's Urban Studies Institute, distilling contributes $3 billion in gross state product to Kentucky's economy every year, up from $1.8 billion two years ago. Kentucky bourbon and Tennessee whiskey exports shot past $1 billion for the first time in 2013, according to the Distilled Spirits Council. By 2015, combined U.S. revenues for bourbon, Tennessee whiskey and rye whiskey rose 7.8 percent to $2.9 billion, while bourbon and Tennessee whiskey exports topped $1 billion for the third straight year, the group said. Parker Beam began his career at Heaven Hill in 1960 and learned the craft by working alongside his father, Earl. The job of master distiller shifted from father to son in 1975 when Parker Beam assumed the role. He developed the company's first premium small batch and single barrel bourbons. That father-son partnership extended into another generation when Parker Beam's son, Craig, started working at Heaven Hill in the early 1980s. For years, the Beams shared duties as co-master distillers. Parker Beam had the title of master distiller emeritus at Heaven Hill at the time of this death. "Parker Beam wasn't just a name on a bottle he was the living embodiment of the whiskey inside authentic, classic, well-seasoned and distilled from old-fashioned hard work and gentleman integrity," said Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers' Association. Craig Beam had his own humble start. On one summer break from school, he cleaned pigeon droppings in a vacant warehouse purchased by Heaven Hill. He later drove a truck for the distillery and worked in the bottling operation. A look at the latest transfer speculation surrounding the Premier League Clubs. Here are the latest gossip and rumours - Mamadou Sakho Liverpool's Mamadou Sakho Southampton Undisclosed The Liverpool defender has been targeted by Southampton as a potential replacement for Jose Fonte, the Daily Mirror reports. The move comes after reports of tensions with boss Jurgen Klopp. Holger Badstuber Germany's Holger Badstuber Bayern Munich Undisclosed New Swansea manager Paul Clement could raid his former club Bayern Munich, according to Wales Online, with the defender a target. The club appear are ready to strength their squad after crashing out of the FA Cup. Morgan Schneiderlin Manchester United's Morgan Schneiderlin Manchester United 20 million The Daily Mail writes that Everton have been told they must pay more than 20 million for the Manchester United midfielder. Schneiderlin cost United 24 million more than a year ago, and the deal currently remains in deadlock. Andrea Belotti Italy's Andrea Belotti Arsenal 65 million euros Arsenal have had a bid for the Torino striker rejected, according to Sky Sport Italia. It appears the club are keen to keep hold of their star striker. Alexis Sanchez Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal Paris St Germain 60 million The family of a mum-of-three murdered during a row over the temperature of a shower have condemned the sentences of the women who helped dispose of the knife that killed her - before going to KFC. In March last year, Natasha Sadler-Ellis, 40, and her friend Simon Gorecki, 48, were stabbed by his housemate Foster Christian, 54, at a property in Canterbury, Kent. Maidstone Crown Court heard how the pair died after an argument over Christian turning on a tap while Simon was in the shower, causing it to run cold. In October 2016, Christian was found guilty of the double murder and jailed for life, with a minimum term of 30 years. As he was sentenced, the thug jeered at the grieving families and held up his middle finger to insult them. Naomi Toro and Samantha Groombridge were also caged for helping Christian to cover up his evil crimes. A photo of Natasha alongside her urn (Collect/PA Real Life) Though Groombridge was sentenced to 10 weeks, and Toro to one year, they have both been released after serving just half their sentences. Natashas mother June, 56, of Margate, Kent said: "Theyre out now, walking the streets while Natasha is gone. Were left with our own sentence. "When Toro went to the house, I think she would have seen Natasha and Simon bleeding to death and just stepped over them, before having a cup of tea with a neighbour and going for a KFC. What kind of person does that?" Foster Christian Before the double murder, the family had never heard of Christian, but knew that Natasha and Simon had recently become friends. Natashas sister Jodie Sadler, 37, who lives in South Yorkshire added: "I only met him briefly but I could tell how well they got on. They really bounced off each other." But on March 29, unimaginable tragedy struck at the housing association property Simon and Christian shared with three other men. Simon was taking a shower when Christian turned on a tap downstairs, making the water run cold. When Simon asked him to stop, an argument broke out between them and Natasha, whod been visiting Simon. Her 20 year-old son Connaugh Harris - then on leave from the army had heard shouting during a Facebook call with his mum, prompting him to go to the house and ensure she was okay. Natasha Sadler-Ellis He arrived to diffuse the situation but, in a frenzied moment of violence, Christian "punched out" at him with a knife. Christian then stabbed Simon, Natasha, and a teenager who cannot be named for legal reasons, before dialling 999 and lying to emergency operators - claiming hed been attacked by the group and had grabbed the knife from them. Despite his own wounds, brave Connaugh desperately tried to help Natasha and Simon - but it was too late. Simon Gorecki The teenager was then raced to hospital, where doctors managed to save him. Recalling the moment she found out her daughter had died, June also mum to Sheryl, 34, and Steven, 29 said: "Connaughs dad phoned me at around 10pm. "It was unusual for him to call, so I immediately feared something was wrong, but I thought Connaugh must have been hurt in an accident. Natasha Sadler-Ellis She continued: "He told me thered been a stabbing and Natasha hadnt made it. The shock was so immense. I had no idea whod want to do something like that to her." In the days that followed, Natasha and Simons relatives discovered that, not only had their loved ones been murdered, but two women Samantha Groombridge and Naomi Toro had helped to cover up the crime. Toro drove to the scene, leaving her 12-year-old twins with Groombridge in the car outside, as she went into the house to help dispose of the knife used to killed Simon and Natasha. Jodie said: "Shed have seen a teenage boy screaming and bleeding outside and just walked past." Callously, just hours later, Groombridge shared a Facebook article about the huge police presence at the scene. When a friend wrote `Hope everyones OK, below the post, Groombridge replied: `There not gunna be OK, theyve been stabbed lol. Naomi Toro With both women now out of prison, Natasha and Simons families are calling for tougher sentences for those found guilty of assisting offenders. They have launched a Change.org petition called `Justice for Natasha and Simon, which has already amassed 1700 signatures. They would also like a revision of the law surrounding post-mortems. Samantha Groombridge And, in deaths which involve a criminal trial, they want the defence and prosecution to do one post-mortem together within a strict time limit, so that grieving families have the chance to say goodbye sooner. "In the end, Natasha had to have two post-mortems," June added. "By the time theyd finished, her body had started decomposing so we couldnt see or touch her. We were robbed of the chance to say our final goodbye. "Foster Christian took absolutely everything from us. Hes an evil monster." Natasha Sadler-Ellis The family would like to see the petition discussed in parliament, but feel they keep having doors slammed in their faces. June continued: "Well never give up. Natasha always fought for a cause, always stood up for what she believed in. Suffering from gastroschisis - a rare birth defect of the abdominal wall Sydney Groves bowel was protruding from her stomach and had to be wrapped in Clingfilm and gradually drawn back in, before being stitched up. It was days before she could go to the toilet, and weeks before she could eat. Even milk expressed by her mum, Fran Groves, now 26, had to be tube-fed into a tube via her nose into her stomach. Now, despite her shaky start in life, she is a lively - and sometimes naughty - one-year-old. Fran and Paul following the birth of their daughter Sydney, on 5 January 2016 (Collect/PA Real Life) Her dramatic birth has seemingly had no ill effects, and she is perfectly healthy. Sydney was diagnosed with the ultra-rare condition at her beautician mums 12-week scan, at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, Essex. It came as a shock, as the majority of newborns intestines have moved inside their abdomen by 11 weeks gestation, after initially developing outside the umbilical cord. Fran and Sydney in hospital, 19 January 2016 (Collect/PA Real Life) "I really didnt expect it," Fran said. "I was with my husband Paul, now 45, and suddenly the consultant noticed something amiss." It was gastroschisis, the cause of which is unknown. From then on, Frans care throughout her pregnancy was transferred to The Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel - miles away from their home in Harlow. Sydney Groves bowel Gastroschisis can lead to some newborns having their intestines or even bladder exposed. But Fran had ultrasounds every four weeks, to check Sydneys progress, and learnt at her 16-week scan, that only her babys bowels were exposed. Fran continued: "It was scary to be told at my first scan that something wasnt right. "It was the last thing that we expected. Sydney Groves bowel She continued: "We were told our baby was just one in 3,000 babies who would be born with this condition, and we had so many concerns." Fran and Paul, an accounts assistant and part-time mobile DJ, were told the pregnancy could not progress beyond 37 weeks, as it would not be safe for Sydney. So, in late December 2015, the expectant mum was admitted to hospital in London for labour to be induced. But it took five days for little Sydney to arrive, following an emergency caesarean. "I was surrounded by about 20 doctors, nurses and support staff," Fran said. "Then, finally, Sydney was there. "Doctors warned me she might not scream, but she let out a giant yell. It was the best sound. Sydney Groves bowel Weighing just 5lbs 8 oz, Sydney was whisked to an incubator in neonatal intensive care (NICU), before her proud mum and dad were taken to see her. "NICU was ready for her with a team of surgeons, midwives, paediatric doctors, nurses and many other support staff," Fran explained. "Sydney was immediately taken to the resuscitation table, where the doctors did all of their initial checks. Her bowel was wrapped tightly to her body, with what looked like a special version of Clingfilm, which would help protect it. Sydney Groves bowel "She was then placed into an incubator and, before she was rushed off, we were lucky enough to be able to see her, take our first photos, and touch her. These were all things we didnt think would be possible, so we were completely and utterly overwhelmed." Fran wasnt shocked by her girls appearance. "A friend of a friend had a baby whod suffered the same thing," she explained. "Shed shown me pictures, so I knew what Sydney would look like. Paul holding newborn Sydney, in hospital, on 27 January 2016 (Collect/PA Real Life) "But we knew once she was born she had a huge battle on her hands. "We didnt know how long it would take her to get better." The couple stayed in The Stevenson House - special family accommodation just minutes away courtesy of The Sick Childrens Trust, enabling them to visit Sydney constantly. Has Avery's Angels Gastroschisis Foundation helped you this year? How? Send it to Kaitlyn Pitman at Kaitlyn@averysangels.org and a picture and we will POST it on our Social Media today and tomorrow! Posted by The Global Gastroschisis Foundation on Saturday, December 31, 2016 They are incredibly grateful to the trust and have raised more than 500 for them through a raffle. Over the next few days the `Clingfilm - actually a silo bag - was reduced in size. Gravity pushed Sydneys bowel back into her body. Then, after four days with her bowel back in her body, surgeons stitched her stomach up during a two-hour operation. Sydney, aged 10 months old, in August 2016 (Collect/PA Real Life) Staying in the London hospital for another four weeks, while she gained weight, she was then transferred weighing 7lb to the Princess Alexandra in Essex, before being allowed home on February 8, 2016. Sydney still returns to The Royal London every six months, for checks, but there have been no further complications. "Shes wonderful," Fran, who remains eternally grateful to hospital staff and The Sick Childrens Trust, Stevenson House managers Alan and Irma for their expert care and support and the hospital, laughed. Sydney due to be transferred to Harlow Hospital, on 1 February 2016 (Collect/PA Real Life) She continued: "To look at her now, its amazing to think what shes been through. The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the appeal of the former superintendent of the Poughkeepsie, N.Y., school district in a civil case in which he alleged two district officials participated in a malicious prosecution of him over alleged financial improprieties. Robert C. Watson Sr. served as superintendent of the Poughkeepsie district from 2000 to 2006, when he left under a $163,000 buyout agreement that caused controversy in the community. Three audits of district finances led to an 18-month state grand jury investigation in which Watson was indicted on charges of grand larceny, offering a false instrument for filing, and payment of an unqualified teacher. In a bench trial, Watson was acquitted in November 2008 of all charges. Watson then filed a federal civil suit against prosecutors, as well as the Poughkeepsie school board and district business manager Jeffrey Baker and the districts outside counsel, Beth Sims. Watson alleged a malicious prosecution, including that the two school district officials and the board intentionally provided false and fabricated information to, and purposefully withheld exculpatory evidence from, the DAs office and external auditors they knew the DA was relying upon for information as part of its investigation, as Watsons Supreme Court appeal describes it. A federal district court dismissed prosecutors as defendants and later granted summary judgment to the school board, Baker, and Bell. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, in New York City, unanimously affirmed that ruling in a decision last April . Watsons malicious prosecution claims against Sims and Baker fail because he has not pointed to any evidence on the record that demonstrates, even when viewed in the light most favorable to him, that either Sims or Baker initiated or continued the prosecution against him, the 2nd Circuit court said. We have explained that reporting a crime to law enforcement and giving testimony does not constitute the initiation of a criminal prosecution. The court held that Watsons claim of municipal liability for the school board failed because it relied on alleged liability of Baker and Sims. The former school superintendents appeal to the Supreme Court in Watson v. Sims (Case No. 16-367) was opposed vigorously in separate briefs filed by the school board, Baker, and Sims. The high court on Jan. 9 refused without comment to take up Watsons appeal. The Duchess of Cambridge celebrates her 35th birthday today. Kate is expected to mark the occasion privately with the Duke of Cambridge and her children Prince George and Princess Charlotte, ahead of her first public engagements of the new year. There were no clues about how she would spend her special day when she appeared with the Royal Family at church in Sandringham on Sunday where the Queen was in attendance for the first time since a heavy cold kept her away from services over the festive period. Kate, wearing a grey furry hat and a forest green coat and black heels, walked the short distance to the church with smartly-dressed William. But there was no sign of George or Charlotte. The rest of the Middleton family, Kates sister Pippa, mother Carole, father Michael and brother James, also attended the service. Pippa was wearing a khaki double-breasted coat and a matching trilby hat and was accompanied by her fiance, financier James Matthews. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge after attending the morning church service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham (Chris Radburn/PA) On Wednesday, the Duchess is dropping in on an Early Years Parenting Unit at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families in north London to learn more about their work with families with children under five years old. The unit offers an assessment and treatment programme for groups of parents with personality disorders, and their children, who are at risk of being taken into care. Kate will also carry out a joint engagement with William the same day when they visit a Child Bereavement UK Centre in Stratford, east London, to mark its first anniversary. Royal watchers are waiting to see whether 2017 will be the year the Cambridges expand their brood. Kate, who is one of three herself, is thought to be keen to have another child. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte George, who turns four in July, is due to start school in September. Although no official announcement has been made, he is expected to attend the same one as his father William the 6,865-a-term Wetherby Pre-Preparatory School in west London. It would mean a move back to Kensington Palace for the Cambridges from their country retreat, Anmer Hall in Norfolk. Kate has Pippas wedding to look forward to in May. Pippa is marrying Mr Matthews near the Middleton family home in Bucklebury, and George and Charlotte are expected to act as page boy and flower girl. Thousands of nuclear workers at sites across the UK are to be balloted for strikes in a row over pensions. Around 16,000 members of several trade unions, mainly involved in decommissioning work, will vote in the coming weeks on whether to launch a campaign of industrial action. The unions are protesting at plans by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority to make savings of 660 million. Thousands of nuclear workers are to be balloted for strikes in a row over pensions - @GMBPressOffice @unitetheunion @ProspectUnion Alan Jones (@AlanJonesPA) January 9, 2017 The workers are based at Sellafield (Cumbria), Magnox (Anglesey), Ayrshire, Dorset, Dumfriesshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, Gwynedd, Kent, Oxfordshire, Somerset, Suffolk, Direct Rail Services (Cumbria), Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (Caithness), Low Level Waste Repository (Cumbria) and International Nuclear Services (Cumbria, Warrington). The unions said the Governments expectation is that the final salary pension schemes in place across the NDA estate will be reformed by April 2018. Justin Bowden, national officer of the GMB, said: Nuclear workers have played their part in keeping the countrys lights on for decades. Senior representatives were unanimous that if this Government is determined to break its promises and is not prepared to negotiate, there is no alternative but to ballot members to take strike action. The Sellafield nuclear complex in Cumbria (British Nuclear Group/PA) GMB remains committed to resolving these issues amicably and available for meaningful talks should the Government want to pull back from this shocking episode of broken promises to workers in the nuclear industry. A Nuclear Decommissioning Authority spokesman said last week: Government policy is that all public sector final salary pensions schemes should be reformed by 2018, and four million public sector workers have already moved to new pension arrangements. Power-sharing in Northern Ireland has been engulfed in a crisis fuelled by a green energy scandal after Martin McGuinness quit and pulled down Stormonts ruling executive. The Sinn Fein Deputy First Minister resigned in protest at the Democratic Unionists handling of a botched scheme that has left the administration in Belfast facing a 490 million bill. His decision to walk away after 10 years sharing power with the DUP came as First Minister Arlene Foster refused to stand aside to facilitate a probe into the ill-fated Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) - the so-called cash for ash furore. Martin McGuinness The UK Government is set to call a snap Assembly election. DUP leader Mrs Foster oversaw the doomed RHI during her time as economy minister. She has rejected Sinn Feins demands to step down temporarily pending the outcome of a preliminary investigation. Under the structures of the peace process-forged institutions, neither Stormonts First Minister nor Deputy First Minister can remain in post without the other, so Mr McGuinnesss resignation spelled the end of Mrs Fosters current tenure in the job. We in Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of Arlene Foster and the DUP, he said. I believe today is the right time to call a halt to the DUPs arrogance. Mr McGuinness denied his health problems, for which he is undergoing intensive treatment, had influenced his move. In response, the outgoing First Minister accused Mr McGuinness of putting politics before principle. Mrs Foster said she was disappointed. His actions have meant that, at precisely the time we need our Government to be active, we will have no government and no way to resolve the RHI. It is clear that Sinn Feins actions are not principled, they are political. -@M_McGuinness_SF to resign as Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister at 5pm over the DUP's handling of the RHI scandal. David Young (@DavidYoungPA) January 9, 2017 Mr McGuinness made clear that Sinn Fein would not replace him in the role. While politicians are set to face the electorate, a poll is unlikely to resolve the crisis if the RHI issue is not dealt with before an executive is re-formed. Sinn Fein has warned there will be no return to the status quo. Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire said: Unless Sinn Fein nominates a replacement to the position of Deputy First Minister within the next seven days, it is incumbent upon me to call an Assembly election within a reasonable period. The state-funded RHI was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel. While the DUP and Sinn Fein were in agreement on the terms of a potential investigation into RHI, the sticking point was the position of Mrs Foster when the probe got under way. Mr McGuinness cited other disputes with the DUP, including over the Irish language and stalled mechanisms to deal with the legacy of the Troubles, in explaining his move. James DeGale believes his path to stardom has been tougher than that of fellow Briton Anthony Joshua as he prepares for his world super-middleweight unification against Badou Jack at the Barclays Center in New York on Saturday. IBF world super-middleweight champion DeGale takes on WBC titleholder Jack as he bids to become one of sports elite fighters. The fight will be DeGales fourth consecutive bout outside of North America having claimed the vacant IBF crown with a unanimous-decision victory over Andre Dirrell in 2015. DeGale has become accustomed to winning away from home, claiming a gold medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 while Joshua captured the world IBF heavyweight title on home soil last year after he won gold at London 2012. James DeGale (Adam Davy/PA) Miami has been fantastic! Now to New York for fight week #jackvsdegale #unification James DeGale (@jamesdegale1) January 9, 2017 And although DeGale credits the achievements of Joshua, the 30-year-old feels he has faced tougher obstacles in his career to date. Ive done it the hard way my whole career, DeGale told ESPN. Even the Olympics was away from home in China. Ive had to go to America. Ive had injuries and boxed in leisure centres and shopping centres. The girlfriend of an RAF serviceman who vanished on a night out has revealed she is expecting his child. Corrie McKeague, 23, from Fife, was last seen in the early hours of September 24 in Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. His girlfriend April Oliver, 21, told BBC Look East she discovered she was pregnant in October just weeks after Mr McKeagues disappearance. Corrie McKeague Miss Oliver, from Norfolk, said: Ive had to make a massive decision by myself. I was hoping and praying that hed come back so we could make the decision together. Mr McKeague, a gunner and team medic, was separated from friends while leaving the Flex nightclub on St Andrews Street South. He was last seen in Bury St Edmunds town centre on CCTV at 3.25am wearing a light pink Ralph Lauren shirt, white jeans and brown suede Timberland boots with light soles. The last sighting shows him walking from a shop doorway and into a horseshoe-shaped area in Brentgovel Street, with no sign of him emerging. TWEETSTORM#support4Corrie TUES 10JAN 8-10pm UKtime Please RT AND JOIN IN ! Keep Corrie trending! Thank you xx pic.twitter.com/QodRSSbvx3 Una Discamus (@UnaDiscamus) January 8, 2017 Miss Oliver said she saw him shortly before his disappearance and was on holiday in the US when he went missing. She said she returned to the UK as soon as she heard the news. I have the support of my family and friends around me, which is great, but its still not the most pleasant thing to go through on your own, especially when the person you love is missing, Miss Oliver said. Ive given it a great deal of thought. Obviously there is the element of what if he didnt come back? what would I do, and that was something I had to take a sensible approach to. When I found out, although it was a horrible time and something I wished I could experience with him, it was also something I was excited about. Asked about when she discovered he was missing, she said: I had only been there a few days when I got the call from the RAF boys asking if Id seen him or heard from him, thats when I knew that he was missing. I very quickly got a plane home. At that point I wasnt entirely sure what had happened to him. It was completely out of character. I found out I was pregnant a couple of weeks after I came back. She said the baby is due in late spring/early summer and that Mr McKeague did not know about the pregnancy. The pair had been together for about five months after meeting on a dating site. Mr McKeagues mother, Nicola Urquhart, who is a police officer from Dunfermline, told the BBC: Its something that somebody would normally want to keep quiet to make sure everythings okay but its getting to the stage now where there are far too many people starting to notice and ask questions. The Iraq war veteran accused of shooting five people dead inside Fort Lauderdales airport has appeared in court and was told he could face the death penalty. Esteban Santiago, 26, faced US Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle in a federal court in the Florida city, shackled and wearing a red jumpsuit. He spoke in a clear voice as he told the judge he understands the charges he faces, which include committing violence against people at an international airport resulting in death, and two firearms offences. Esteban Santiago, right, is returned to prison by US marshals following his court appearance (Alan Diaz/AP) The judge ordered him to be detained until a further hearing later this month, and told him the death penalty could apply if he is found guilty. We are telling you the maximum penalty allowed by law so that you understand the seriousness of the charges, the judge said. He said he had been in the Army but had worked for security company Signal 88 in Anchorage, Alaska, until November. Police officers outside the court house in Fort Lauderdale (Lynne Sladky/AP) Ms Valle set a detention hearing for January 17, followed by a plea hearing on January 23. There was tight security in and around the court, with several armed officers stationed outside alongside mounted police and dog units. Santiago has been in custody since Fridays shooting in the baggage reclaim area of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The FBI said Santiago had flown in on a one-way ticket from Anchorage. Police officers at the airport following the shooting He had checked in one piece of luggage a gun box for his Walther 9mm semi-automatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents allege he retrieved the box in baggage reclaim and loaded his weapon in a toilet before opening fire. In November, Santiago walked into an FBI field office in Alaska with a handgun and his infant child, saying the US government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said. Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him for a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child. Migrants must make more effort to fit in because integration is not a two way street, a top adviser has warned. Dame Louise Casey said Britons must be kind and accommodating to newcomers but the onus to fit in is on immigrants. MPs were told there is more give on one side and more take on the other and it had been a mistake not to be honest about that. Dame Louise Casey (John Stillwell/PA) Fascinating CLG select committee with Dame Louise Casey into her report on integration & community cohesion in U.K. Sarah Champion (@SarahChampionMP) January 9, 2017 The UK must be clearer about what its expectations are from migrants, including on gay rights and equality for women. Dame Louise last month published a controversial review that recommended schoolchildren should be taught British values of tolerance, democracy and respect to help bind communities together amid growing ethnic segregation. The team involved in her report, which was condemned by the Ramadhan Foundation as inflammatory, faced a battering, the Communities and Local Government Committee was told. Dame Louise said: I dont think it is a two way street. I think that is a sound bite that people like to say, which is integration is a two way street. I would say, if we stick with the road analogy, that I think integration is more like you have got a bloody big motorway and you have a slip road of people coming in from the outside. Hearing evidence on social cohesion in the UK from Dame Louise Casey who is appearing in front of the @CommunitiesUK select committee Julian Knight MP (@julianknight15) January 9, 2017 What you need to do is people in the middle of the motorway need to accommodate and be gentle and kind to people coming in from the outside lane but we are all in the same direction and we are all heading in the same direction. To some degree its a two way street but to some degree it is not. There is more give on one side and more take on the other. Thats where we have successively made a mistake, which is we have not been honest about that. Dame Louise called for action against the growing trend for home schooling, which she warned allowed children exposed to extremism or abuse to drop through the cracks in the system. Starting now: our session with Louise Casey on her report into community cohesion. Watch it live here: https://t.co/5caVuVTcgC Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee (@CommonsLUHC) January 9, 2017 MPs were told that the dynamics in the so-called Trojan Horse scandal, where a small group of hard-line Muslims were alleged to have seized control of a small number of schools in Birmingham in 2014, were likely to be at play elsewhere in the country. Outgoing Ofsted chief Sir Michael Wilshaw has been shot down for telling the truth about integration problems in schools. Britain is first in line for a trade deal with the US, Boris Johnson has said after talks with Donald Trumps senior advisers. The closeness of the relationship between the UK and US will not change once the president-elect takes office, the Foreign Secretary insisted. Mr Johnson, who once joked that he would not visit parts of New York because of the real risk of meeting Donald Trump, lavished praised on the Republicans exciting agenda of change. Boris Johnson (Victoria Jones/PA) Great visit to the #US. Held valuable discussions in #NYC yesterday w/ senior members of President-elect @realDonaldTrump's team (1/2) Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) January 9, 2017 Barack Obama warned during the EU referendum campaign that Britain would be at the back of the queue for a trading agreement. But Mr Johnson said: Clearly, the Trump administration-to-be has a very exciting agenda of change. One thing that wont change though is the closeness of the relationship between the US and the UK. We are the number two contributor to defence in Nato. We are Americas principal partner in working for global security and, of course, we are great campaigners for free trade. We hear that we are first in line to do a great free trade deal with the United States. So, its going to be a very exciting year for both our countries. Mr Johnson met Mr Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and the president-elects chief strategist Steve Bannon after flying to New York on Sunday on a hastily arranged trip and has been meeting other key Republicans in Washington. The meeting came after Theresa May condemned Mr Trumps comments about groping women as unacceptable. But she indicated the special relationship between the UK and US would flourish when he was in the White House. Labour does not rule out backing continued freedom of movement when Britain quits the European Union, Jeremy Corbyn said. The Opposition leader used a major speech on Brexit to set out plans to prevent cheap migrant labour from the EU undercutting British workers. Speaking in Peterborough, Mr Corbyn said the party supports reasonable management of migration as part of the exit settlement and is not wedded to the principle of freedom of movement. Jeremy Corbyn (Jonathan Brady/PA) But he told supporters that he did not want comments, which were viewed as an attempt to clarify the partys position after months of confusion, to be misinterpreted. Labour is not wedded to freedom of movement for EU citizens as a point of principle, but I dont want that to be misinterpreted, nor do we rule it out, he said. Mr Corbyn earlier came under fire for refusing to commit to a reduction in immigration after Brexit. #HappyNewYear Let's make 2017 the year we come together to take on the establishment and build a Britain for all. Jeremy Corbyn (@jeremycorbyn) January 1, 2017 Mr Corbyn said closing cheap labour loopholes and strengthening employment laws would probably reduce the number of migrant workers in the UK. He said: Labour supports fair rules and the reasonable management of migration as part of the post-Brexit relationship with the EU, while putting jobs and living standards first in the negotiations. At the same time, taking action against undercutting of pay and conditions, closing down cheap labour loopholes, banning exclusive advertising of jobs abroad and strengthening workplace protections would have the effect probably of reducing numbers of EU migrant workers in the most deregulated sectors, regardless of the final Brexit deal. This morning @jeremycorbyn has told us that a labour party led by him can run Britain Good Morning Britain (@GMB) January 10, 2017 Following his speech, Mr Corbyn was asked whether he regarded it as desirable to reduce immigration. He replied: As far as Im concerned, we have migration into this country and the migrants whove come here have made an enormous effort and worked very hard. Without them, our health service wouldnt survive. Without them, education would be in trouble. Without them, transport would be in trouble. We have done well as a country out of those who have come to make their homes here. The numbers vary from year to year. In five years time, quite possibly, we will be outside the European Union. We are still going to have to be trading with the EU. We also have an ageing population, which does require a younger workforce. Asked whether he would rule out visas for EU workers post-Brexit, Mr Corbyn said: Nothing is ruled out at this stage. Responding to Mr Corbyns speech, Liberal Democrat foreign affairs spokesman Tom Brake said: After so many U-turns in the last 12 hours, Jeremy Corbyns message today seems to be this: if you believe Britain is best at the heart of Europe, vote Liberal Democrat. President-elect Donald Trumps influential son-in-law Jared Kushner will join him in the White House as a senior adviser, transition officials said on Monday. The appointment puts the young real estate executive in position to exert broad sway over both domestic and foreign policy, particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations. Mr Trump has come to rely heavily on Mr Kushner, who is married to the president-elects daughter Ivanka. Ivanka Trump with Jared Kushner (Andrew Milligan/PA) Since the election, Mr Kushner has been one of the transition teams main liaisons to foreign governments, communicating with Israeli officials and meeting last week with Britains foreign minister Boris Johnson. He has also met with congressional leaders and helped interview Cabinet candidates. However his eligibility could still be challenged though Mr Kushners lawyer Jamie Gorelick argued that a 1967 law meant to bar government officials from hiring relatives does not apply to the West Wing. She cited a later congressional measure to allow the president unfettered and sweeping authority in hiring staff. Mr Kushner, who will not be taking a salary, will resign as CEO of his familys real estate company and as publisher of the New York Observer, as well as divest substantial assets, Ms Gorelick said. She said Mr Kushner will recuse himself from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests. On July 1, 2012, I was given the awesome task of the principalship at Plaquemine High School in Iberville Parish, Louisiana. The school was rated a D and considered a challenge many thought was impossible to repair. That summer, I had to build a team to create a vision, implement a positive culture and plan for highly effective instruction. My first and most important job: hire nine new teachers. I wanted the best and most effective teachers I could find. My team created interview questions and scenarios to assist us in the search process. We contacted our human resources department at the school board to get applicants, and we interviewed for the entire month of June. The challenge was great; find teachers who were prepared for a classroom where students came with academic, social and emotional needs. This was a far greater obstacle than I had imagined. The new teachers who we interviewed were naive to the challenges teachers face in a realistic classroom setting: teaching to rigorous academic standards, planning highly effective activities where all students are engaged and challenged, and managing a classroom of students who rely on structures and procedures for their success. Many of those new teachers knew the theory of what it meant to be a highly effective teacher, but the implications of that theory had not been practiced or witnessed first-hand with a master or mentor teacher supporting them in the process. That same school year we also implemented the Teacher Advancement Program, or TAP, and began to train teachers on highly effective strategies and best practices. We created clusters or job-embedded professional learning communities who met weekly. We had master and mentor teachers whose responsibility it was to assist teachers in effective classroom instruction and management. Despite our efforts in training our staff through the TAP process, only three of those nine teachers are still with me today. How great would it have been for my nine new teachers to have experienced an entire year of practice alongside a mentor teacher during their preparation experience before being given the responsibility of their first classroom? In Louisiana, this type of preparation experience will become part of every aspiring teachers entry into the profession thanks to the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE). In fall 2016, BESE approved policies for teacher preparation programs to include a yearlong residency that will benefit both the teacher and the schools in which they serve. The first year for any teacher is the most challenging year in their career. For six of those new teachers, it was too much. I cant help but think if our state had implemented yearlong residencies; those teachers might still be on our team at Plaquemine High School. Since 2012, we have grown to a B school and the credit for that letter grade goes to the outstanding teachers who understand the challenges of the classroom and who believe in the success their students can achieve. In the future, I look forward to hosting aspiring teachers in their residency programs in those teachers classrooms so that every new teacher experiences success in their first year. Chandler W. Smith Principal Plaquemine High School (Iberville Parish, Louisiana) Poland - Factors to Watch Jan 9 Following are news stories, press reports and events to watch that may affect Poland's financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Poland: GMT + 1 hour): Danish firms Enricom and Insero, China's Jiangxi Special Electric Motor, and Poland's Motus foundation are mulling the formation of an energy cluster using methane and solar energy for energy production, the Dziennik Gazeta Prawna daily reports. Electricity bills may double within five years in Poland, the Rzeczpospolita daily reported, due to attempts by the European Union to eliminate coal-generated electricity. Poland will spend 23 billion zlotys ($5.56 billion) in 2017 to build new express ways and highways, the daily Puls Biznesu reports. Poland's Justice Ministry is preparing changes to bankruptcy law that would make it easier to declare bankruptcy, the Rzeczpospolita daily reports, citing sources. Poland's airports in Warsaw and Krakow will an increase in new flights in 2017, especially to southern Europe, the daily Rzeczpospolita writes. Poland's Central European DistributionCorp, headed by Russian billionaire Roustam Tariko's Roust Trading, has filed for bankruptcy in the United States in order to restructure the company's finances, the business daily Puls Biznesu reports. The number of investors willing to park their money in Poland's housing market is increasing, the business daily Parkiet reports. ****Reuters has not verified stories reported by Polish media and does not vouch for their accuracy.**** PRESS DIGEST - RUSSIA - Jan 9 MOSCOW, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The following are some stories in Russia's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. VEDOMOSTI www.vedomosti.ru - President Vladimir Putin has ordered checks on the legality of measures taken by authorities in implementing the law on foreign agents. - The U.S. intelligence service report on Russia's cyber intrusion into the presidential election was aimed against Donald Trump rather than Russia, the daily says, citing Russian analysts. - Russia's largest turkey producer, Evrodon, could face losses of billion roubles ($16.78 million) because of the destruction of 160,000 birds hit by avian flu last year, the daily says. KOMMERSANT www.kommersant.ru - The Kremlin could name Anatoly Antov, a former Deputy Defence Minister appointed Deputy Foreign Minister in December, as Russia's ambassador to the United States, the daily says referring to its sources. - Russia is ready to take serious measures which will lead to a cutting of the shadow sector of the economy, the Economy Minister Maxim Oreshkin says in an interview. ROSSIISKAYA GAZETA www.rg.ru - The daily publishes a law allowing Defence Ministry to sign short-term contracts with reservists and servicemen wishing to serve in the army during "extreme situations" including those taking place outside Russia. - Russian officials are banned from owning foreign assets through trustees, according to a law published on Monday by the daily. IZVESTIA www.izvestia.ru - The Health Ministry has worked out an anti-tobacco strategy by 2022 which includes a permanent ban on sales of cigarettes to people born after 2014. - Russia's federal budget foresees spending 56 billion roubles ($939.62 million) in the next three years on supporting investment projects in Russia's Far East, the head of the ministry in charge of the development of the region, Alexander Galushko says. Slovak Republic - Factors To Watch on Jan 9 BRATISLAVA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Here are news stories, press reports and events to watch which may affect Slovak financial markets on Monday. ALL TIMES GMT (Slovak Republic: GMT + 2 hours) =========================ECONOMIC DATA======================== Real-time economic data releases.................. Summary of economic data and forecasts......... Recently released economic data................ Previous stories on Slovak data.......... **For a schedule of corporate and economic events: http://emea1.apps.cp.thomsonreuters.com/Apps/CountryWeb/#/1C/events-overview =======================PRESS DIGEST============================= JOBS: Economy Minister Peter Ziga said there were 66 investment projects in the country set to come online this year, worth a total 1.8 billion euros ($1.90 billion) and creating 24,000 new jobs. Hospodarske Noviny, page 4 PERSONAL BANKRUPTCY: Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska said she expected about 10,000 cases of personal bankruptcy a year as a new law softening rules for individuals takes effect in March. There were 391 personal bankruptcies in 2015 in Slovakia. Hospodarske Noviny, page 4 (Reuters has not verified the stories, nor does it vouch for their accuracy.) For real-time stock market index quotes click in brackets: Warsaw WIG20 Budapest BUX Prague PX Main currency report TOP NEWS -- Emerging markets News editor of the day: Jan Lopatka on +420 224 190 474 E-mail: prague.newsroom@thomsonreuters.com ($1 = 0.9493 euros) (Reporting by Prague Newsroom) Seven Egyptian police killed in Sinai bomb attack CAIRO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - At least seven policemen and one civilian were killed in a bomb attack on a checkpoint in the northern Sinai city of al-Arish on Monday, and five of the attackers were also killed, the Egyptian Interior Ministry said. Security and medical sources told Reuters earlier that eight policemen were killed. The attackers planted a bomb in a street cleaning vehicle they had stolen a few days earlier, security sources told Reuters. After the bomb exploded, attackers fired guns and rocket-propelled grenades at the checkpoint, the sources said. The Interior Ministry said the attack was carried out by a group of around 20 men who had used RPGs and a vehicle bomb. Security forces had detonated the bomb before it reached the checkpoint, and had killed five of the attackers and wounded three others. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which also wounded 13 people, including four civilians. Police found the body of one of the attackers behind the wheel of the vehicle that exploded. An Islamist insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula has gained pace since the military toppled President Mohamed Mursi of the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest Islamist movement, in 2013 following mass protests against him. The militant group behind the insurgency pledged allegiance to Islamic State in 2014 and called itself Sinai Province. It is blamed for killing hundreds of soldiers and police since then. In November, Islamic State claimed responsibility for an attack on a checkpoint that killed 15 soldiers. PRESS DIGEST - Bulgaria - Jan 9 SOFIA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. -- Snowstorms and freezing temperatures blocked roads and cut off power lines across Bulgaria. The education ministry extended the winter break for students by two days until Wednesday. (Trud, 24 Chasa, Monitor, Standart,) STANDART - The newly elected president Rumen Radev will consult with the political parties the date for the early election, expected in the spring, officials said. The centre-right government resigned in November after losing the presidential election and Radev will have to call snap polls after he takes office on Jan 22. -- Centre-right GERB party asked the president to extend the life of the current parliament so that deputies can adopt a new voting code and introduce the majority voting system ahead of the snap polls. (24 Chasa, Trud, Standart, Sega, Monitor) CAPITAL DAILY - Bulgaria has detained some 19,000 migrants in 2016, mainly from Iraq and Afghanistan. Turkish military ops in Iraq no longer needed once threat removed - deputy PM ANKARA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Turkey reserves the right to take measures inside Iraq to defend itself against terror threats but would no longer need to do so once such threats are removed, Deputy Prime Minister Nurettin Canikli said on Monday. Iraq has long demanded that Turkish forces withdraw from the Bashiqa camp near Mosul in the north of the country. The issue was discussed during a meeting of the two countries' prime ministers in Baghdad on Saturday. "The Bashiqa camp is there because of terror which originates in Iraq, and it is our right to take measures against this. If the threat is removed, there will be no need to," Canikli said in an interview with A Haber television. UK law firm seeks compensation for VW drivers over diesel scandal By Costas Pitas LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A British law firm has launched legal action against Volkswagen, seeking thousands of pounds of compensation each for UK drivers affected by the carmaker's emissions scandal. The German company is involved in lawsuits in several countries and is racing to resolve criminal and civil allegations with the United States' Department of Justice after admitting it cheated diesel emissions tests. Separately on Monday, the New York Times reported the Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrested a Volkswagen executive on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, underscoring how the company is still struggling to move on from the scandal 16 months after it erupted. In Britain, Europe's second-biggest autos market, 1.2 million cars are affected and Harcus Sinclair UK, which is being supported by Slater and Gordon, said around 10,000 drivers had already signed up to the legal action before Monday's launch. The firm will pursue a group action, the nearest British equivalent of a U.S. class action, at the High Court and is asking other drivers affected to come forward and join the case. "We will argue that you received a vehicle that should never have been licensed for sale because it did not meet the required emissions standards," the firm said on its website. "We believe that the Court will assess the difference between what you paid for your vehicle and the inherent value of what you actually received." A spokesman for Volkswagen said the company would "robustly" defend itself in the case and reiterated it did not believe customers would lose out due to the scandal. "We expect no decline in the residual values of the affected vehicles as a result of this issue," he said. Last year, a Spanish court ruled in favour of a buyer of a Volkswagen car with altered emissions software, ordering two of the German firm's local units to pay a 5,000 euro (4,330 pound) fine to the car's owner. But the British authorities have been accused by some consumers and lawmakers of being too slow to act for not pursuing compensation or criminal proceedings. In December, the European Union began legal action against Britain, Germany and five other member states for failing to police emissions test cheating by carmakers. Volkswagen has been hit hard in Britain since the scandal erupted in 2015, with sales of its VW brand cars down 7.5 percent in 2016 despite the overall market rising by over 2 percent to hit a record high. The first hearing in the group action case is due to take place on Jan. 30, a spokeswoman for Harcus Sinclair UK said. Rules on French presidential campaign funding PARIS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - After a series of scandals in the 1980s, France adopted strict rules for political party financing and electoral campaigns. Below are the main provisions according to France's CNCCFP, the official body in charge of policing political financing, ahead of this year's presidential election in spring. SPENDING CAP Candidates cannot spend more than a certain amount on their campaigns for each presidential election. For 2017, the limit was set at 16.851 million euros ($17.86 million) per candidate for the first round, to be held on April 23. For the two candidates reaching the second-round runoff on May 7, the cap is 22.509 million euros each. If candidates respect these limits, those who win more than 5 percent of the votes will get 47.5 percent of the spending limit reimbursed by the state. Those who fare less than 5 percent get 4.75 percent of the first-round spending cap back. In both cases, they cannot get back more than they spent. DONATIONS In general, a single person can not give more than 7,500 euros to political parties per year. Parties cannot be funded by companies (political parties and trade unions being an exception) or foreign legal entities (companies or governments). For the presidential election, a 4,600 euro limit is set for what each person is allowed to donate to candidates. People can give money to one or several candidates, as long as the combined amount does not exceed 4,600 euros. CANDIDATES' FUNDING On top of these private donations, candidates can use money received from political parties (their own or others), money raised through selling publicity products such as T-shirts, or their own wealth. They cannot receive money from foreign legal entities (corporations or governments for instance), but there is no ban in place for foreign individuals, as long as they respect the 4,600-euro limit. STATE FUNDING The state also pays for a certain number of expenses for official presidential candidates (those having received the necessary 500 signatures from elected official "sponsors"): - Official TV and radio ads - Printing expenses for official programme leaflets - Printing expenses for posters on official billboards Each candidate receives a 153,000 euro advance on their state refund. TRANSPARENCY In 2017 for the first time, all official candidates will have to disclose their private wealth at least two weeks before the first round. Before, only the eventual winner had to. Some Gulf Arabs commiserate over Iran's Rafsanjani, Saudi silent DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Four Gulf states sent condolences on Monday for former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, signalling appreciation for a pragmatist who sought regional detente, but there was no immediate word from Riyadh, Tehran's main Gulf Arab adversary. The heads of state of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) expressed condolences after the death on Sunday of Rafsanjani, 82, a founder of the Islamic Republic and a powerful pragmatic influence in Iran's factionalised politics. Rafsanjani's funeral will be held in Tehran on Tuesday. Iran has announced three days of mourning, including a public holiday on Tuesday, for Rafsanjani, who was president from 1989 to 1997 and a key figure in the 1979 revolution that overthrew the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Rivalry between Iran and Gulf Arab states, especially Saudi Arabia, has helped to fuel a decade of violence and turmoil across the Middle East. In Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen, the two sides back sectarian proxy forces that tussle for influence or are openly at war. But Rafsanjani routinely called for improved ties with Gulf Arab states, was known to have good relations with senior Saudi officials and was seen as a key figure who could have resolved rising tensions between the regional rivals in coming years. Writing on his official Twitter account, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash described Rafsanjani as "one of the voices of political realism and moderation". Bahraini Foreign Minister, Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, whose country has tense relations with Iran, voiced condolences on Twitter over Rafsanjani's death. Riyadh accuses Tehran of fomenting trouble in Bahrain and even Saudi Arabia itself. Tehran accuses Riyadh of plotting its destruction with Washington. In an interview in Aug 2015, Rafsanjani told Al Monitor website that Iran did not inherently have problems with Saudi Arabia or other Arab countries "because they are Islamic and we see cooperation with them as a priority in our constitution." He was quoted as saying events in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Bahrain were among a number of issues that had created "a distance", but if Iran and Arab governments decided to work together it would be possible to normalise the situation. "I really believe it is possible. However, we have to see where these events lead, which is very important," he was quoted as saying. Iran to expand military spending, develop missiles By Bozorgmehr Sharafedin DUBAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iranian lawmakers approved plans on Monday to expand military spending to five percent of the budget, including developing the country's long-range missile programme which U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to halt. The vote is a boost to Iran's military establishment - the regular army, the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and defence ministry - which was allocated almost 2 percent of the 2015-16 budget. But it could put the Islamic Republic on a collision course with the incoming Trump administration, and fuel criticism from other Western states which say Tehran's recent ballistic missile tests are inconsistent with a U.N. resolution on Iran. The resolution, adopted last year as part of the deal to curb Iran's nuclear activities, calls on Iran to refrain from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons. Tehran says it has not carried out any work on missiles specifically designed to carry such payloads. Tasnim news agency said 173 lawmakers voted in favour of an article in Iran's five-year development plan that "requires government to increase Iran's defence capabilities as a regional power and preserve the country's national security and interests by allocating at least five percent of annual budget" to military affairs. Only 10 lawmakers voted against the plan, which includes developing long range missiles, armed drones and cyber-war capabilities. The Obama administration says Iran's ballistic missile tests have not violated the nuclear agreement with Tehran, but Trump, who criticised the accord as "the worst deal ever negotiated", has said he would stop Iran's missile programme. "Those ballistic missiles, with a range of 1,250 miles, were designed to intimidate not only Israel ... but also intended to frighten Europe and someday maybe hit even the United States," he told the American Israel Public Affairs Committee AIPAC in March. "We're not going to let that happen." TESTS "INCONSISTENT" WITH DEAL The increase in military spending is part of a growth plan for 2016-2021 first announced in July 2015 by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Khamenei supported last year's nuclear deal with world powers that curbed Iran's nuclear programme in return for lifting of international sanctions. However, he has since called for Iran to avoid further rapprochement with the West, and maintain its military strength. Iran has test-fired several ballistic missiles since the nuclear deal and the U.S. Treasury has imposed new sanctions on entities and individuals linked to the programme. Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said last year that the missile launches were "not consistent with the constructive spirit" of the nuclear deal, but did not say whether they actually violated the U.N. resolution. The United States, Britain, France and Germany wrote to Ban in March about the missile tests, which they said were "inconsistent with" and "in defiance of" the council resolution. Most U.N. sanctions on Iran were lifted after the deal but Iran is still subject to a five-year U.N. arms embargo - unless approved in advance by the U.N. Security Council. Although the embargo is not technically part of the nuclear agreement, the U.N. resolution enshrining the deal requires the U.N. Secretary-General to highlight any violations. In a report submitted to the Security Council before he was succeeded by Antonio Guterres on Jan. 1, Ban expressed concern that Iran may have violated the embargo by supplying weapons and missiles to Hezbollah. Northeast Nigeria bombers kill three in weekend violence upsurge MAIDUGURI, Nigeria, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Two separate attacks by suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers - one by a female duo, the other by three men - have killed three people in northeast Nigeria, police said on Monday. All the attackers died. The bombings late on Sunday in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state where the Boko Haram insurgency began, followed a bloody clash on Saturday in which five soldiers and more than 15 jihadist fighters died in neighbouring Yobe state. The violence marks a resurgence in attacks weeks after President Muhammadu Buhari said Boko Haram fighters had been pushed out of their last stronghold in the northeast where they have been trying to set up an Islamic state. Maiduguri police said the women bombers claimed two victims there late on Sunday evening shortly after the male group had killed one person in the city. Nobody has claimed responsibility for the attacks but they bear the hallmarks of the group. The deaths in Yobe state came in Boko Haram attack on an army base in the remote town of Buni Yadi. The frequency of attacks had slowed down in the last few months, but security analysts say the spate of bombings in the last few weeks has coincided with the end of the rainy season, when movements in the bush are limited. A man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau has appeared in a video denying Buhari's statement that the group had been pushed out of the region. Boko Haram's seven-year-old insurgency, which is aimed at creating an Islamic state in the northeast of Africa's most populous nation, has killed about 15,000 people and displaced more than 2 million people. In early 2015, Boko Haram controlled an area about the size of Belgium. It has been pushed out of most of that territory over the past year by Nigeria's army and troops from neighboring countries, moving to a base in the Sambisa forest, a vast former game reserve in Borno state. Cyprus leaders seek deal in 'historic opportunity' for peace By Michele Kambas and Tom Miles GENEVA, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The leaders of both sides of ethnically divided Cyprus began new unification talks on Monday but sought to temper hopes of a swift breakthrough, though its U.N. envoy said a deal to resolve one of Europe's most enduring conflicts was within reach. Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci and Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, launched a week of consultations in Geneva to tackle dozens of disagreements stemming from the 1974 division of the Mediterranean island. The talks will focus initially on how to handle property disputes stretching back more than 40 years. But with several past reconciliation efforts having failed, both leaders have been careful this week to cool expectations of a quick fix. The United Nations special envoy for Cyprus also said on Monday that the talks were open-ended. "We are now in the final moment. We are now really in the moment of truth. This is actually where will find out if this can be solved," said Espen Barth Eide, a Norwegian diplomat appointed to the U.N. envoy's job in 2014. "I'm not saying on a specific date. Because it's open-ended," told a news briefing, urging islanders estranged for decades to "seize the moment". The talks are scheduled to broaden on Thursday to include Britain, Greece and Turkey, the guarantor powers of Cyprus under a convoluted treaty foisted upon the former colony when it became independent from Britain in 1960. Their concerns will include security, and specifically the role Turkey and its 30,000 troops stationed in northern Cyprus will play in any reunification of the country as a two-state federation. The rival sides are poles apart on that issue. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan discussed Cyprus by phone for more than an hour on Monday, a Greek government official said. "Concerning the process, the Greek Prime Minister expressed the view to the Turkish President that he will travel to Geneva only if it is apparent there is the possibility of a deal. "The two agreed to reassess the situation on the eve of the conference," the official said EXPECTATIONS TEMPERED Asked on arrival at the United Nations in Geneva if he was optimistic, Anastasiades said: "Ask me when we are finished." Akinci was equally circumspect, saying on Sunday: "We are not pessimistic, but I see no need for exaggerated expectations that everything will just happen. We are expecting a difficult week." New U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is expected to attend the conference on Thursday, has described the talks as an "historic opportunity" for a breakthrough. But the issues are difficult. Power-sharing, redrawing territorial boundaries, and security issues in a future reunited homeland have all frustrated past negotiations. Property rights are also a sensitive issue for thousands of internally displaced people who were driven from their homes in periods of conflict before, during and after Turkey invaded the island's north after a brief Greek-inspired coup in 1974. A combination of restitution, compensation and exchange were being discussed on Monday, with International Monetary Fund and World Bank officials included in the talks, though it was unclear how any deal might be paid for. MOMENTUM Despite the expressed caution, mediators are keen to press on while both communities are led by political moderates. Both Anastasiades and Akinci are from Limassol, a port city on Cyprus's southern coast. Akinci belongs to a dying generation of Turkish Cypriots who speaks almost fluent Cypriot Greek. Dozens of issues remaining after 18 months of talks in Cyprus need to be resolved in the next two days before the sides submit maps outlining their proposals for the future boundaries of the island's two constituent states. "It's not easy to make these final agreements ... It is also possible because I don't know any issue in these negotiations that really cannot be solved if sufficient will is available," Eide said. Any agreement must be put to separate referendums in the two communities, with diplomats anticipating a vote around June. A previous peace blueprint put to referendum in 2004 was accepted by Turkish Cypriots but rejected by Greek Cypriots. Analysts see the talks as a unique opportunity to settle a conflict which has brought NATO members Greece and Turkey to the brink of war and which is an obstacle to Turkey's ambitions of joining the European Union. "If this time it fails between these two pro-solution leaders ... then a huge motivation will be lost," said academic Ahmet Sozen, who has followed the on-off peace talks for years. Iraq special forces advance in east Mosul, close to linking with army By Stephen Kalin and Isabel Coles MOSUL, Iraq, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Iraqi special forces made further advances against Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, pushing militants from another eastern district and edging closer to army units nearby, officers in the city said. The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) said it was working to seize areas overlooking Mosul University in the city's northeast, after taking over a nearby district. The ground troops and a U.S.-led coalition backing them launched rockets and air strikes against the militants, who responded with mortars and sniper fire. Residents trickled out of the conflict zone but many also returned to their homes in areas retaken from Islamic State in recent days. The latest advances brought more of eastern Mosul under Iraqi forces' control a day after elite units reached the Tigris river, as the U.S.-backed offensive to drive Islamic State from its last major stronghold in the country pressed ahead with renewed vigour. Reaching the river, which runs through the centre of the northern city where up to 1.5 million people are still thought to be living, will allow Iraqi forces to begin assaults on western districts still under Islamic State's full control. The jihadists have fought back fiercely with suicide car bombs and snipers. Using a network of tunnels and operating close to Mosul's civilian population, they slowed Iraqi advances in November and December. They have also killed dozens of Iraqis in attacks in Baghdad and other cities as it comes under increased pressure. "The Baladiyat neighbourhood is done (recaptured) and Sukkar should be done before nightfall," Major-General Sami al-Aradi of the CTS told a Reuters reporter in Mosul. "This area is very important because it overlooks the university (which) is a central district ... If it falls we will control the forests, the presidential palaces and the eastern bank of the Tigris," he said. Askari said Islamic State has used the university's laboratories to make biological weapons and store chemicals. The United Nations has said insurgents seized nuclear materials used for scientific research at the facility when they overran a third of Iraq in 2014. Though the materials were not thought to be weapons grade, Islamic State has repeatedly launched rockets containing mustard agents at Iraqi and Kurdish forces. JOINING FLANKS The CTS were also close to linking up nearby with the army, which has slowly encroached from the city's northern outskirts, a commander in a regular army unit said. "They will soon liberate other areas and hopefully finish the eastern side ... God willing, we will soon announce the liberation of the entire eastern side from Daesh (Islamic State)," Major-General Najm al-Jubbouri told another Reuters reporter in the al-Hadba apartments complex on the city's northern edge. Soldiers posed for photos with black Islamic State flags, and the corpses of several Islamic State fighters could be seen. There were signs that fierce fighting still raged in parts of the complex, however. Islamic State fighters had carried out four to five suicide car bomb attacks in the area since Friday, several officers said. Monday's advances also consolidated Iraqi forces' control of several districts close to the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, east of the river. CTS forces reached the east bank of the Tigris in an area further south on Sunday, an advance which will eventually enable them to begin assaults on the city's west. The offensive against the group, which began in October, stalled last month but has regained momentum in the last week. Saudi-Iran crisis, economic woes strain Oman's neutrality By Tom Finn and Fatma al-Arimi MUSCAT, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Caught between two vast neighbours locked in a regional struggle, Oman has long been to the Middle East what neutral Switzerland is to global diplomacy. But now its policy of being "friends to all and enemy to none" is under heavy strain. Oman has never found it easy to balance relations with Saudi Arabia to the west and Iran to the north, but worsening rivalry between the region's dominant Sunni and Shi'ite powers is testing its cherished policy of non-alignment more than ever. That policy has been felt far beyond the small but strategically-located sultanate on the Strait of Hormuz, through which 40 percent of the world's seaborne crude oil flows. Oman helped to mediate secret U.S.-Iran talks in 2013 that led to the historic nuclear deal signed in Geneva two years later. It has also helped to free American hostages in Yemen. Omanis believe this Swiss-style peacemaker role is vital in helping to prevent the Middle East from sinking even deeper into chaos. "We hope Oman will stick to the same policies. A full-blown conflict between Iran and Saudi Arabia would be a disaster for everyone," said Tawfiq al-Lawati, a member of Oman's consultative Shura Council. However, an assertive Saudi Arabia, which is leading a bombing campaign against Iranian-allied rebels in Yemen, has insisted that the Gulf Arab monarchies draw closer together to confront Tehran. At the same time, Oman is struggling with a vast budget deficit largely due to low global prices of its oil exports. Muscat is therefore looking to raise trade with Iran, following the easing of international sanctions on Tehran under the nuclear deal, to buttress its economy. As a result, Muscat has had to walk a diplomatic tightrope. "With Saudi Arabia we do sometimes have disagreements and with Iran too," said Lawati. "But there is still more bringing us all together." Muscat surprised neighbours last week by agreeing to join a Saudi-led military coalition - not the one fighting in Yemen but a separate, larger grouping. This is officially aimed at fighting Islamic State and other militants but suspected of serving also as a counter to Tehran around the Muslim world. Gulf Arab citizens hailed the decision as a sign that their nations were finally closing ranks against the perceived Iranian menace. Oman had "returned to the bosom of the Gulf", said prominent Saudi columnist Turki al-Dakhil. King Salman is expected to visit Muscat shortly, Saudi and Gulf sources have said, in what would be a sign of strengthening relations. "In grave times, clear positions are needed," said a Gulf Arab official. "We of course know Oman will stand with us." "STILL NEUTRAL" And yet Oman may struggle to please its wealthier fellow Gulf Arabs consistently. They interpret neutrality as disregard for the Gulf's shared security during wars in Iraq, Syria and Yemen where Riyadh and Tehran back opposing sides. Joining the Saudi-led alliance signals Oman's concern over the spread of Islamic State and Al Qaeda militants who have vowed to carry out attacks on the Gulf Arab monarchies. Oman also faces some domestic uncertainty as 76-year-old Sultan Qaboos has no named successor. But a transformation of the foreign policy balancing act does not appear to be in prospect. A former Omani diplomat, who declined to be named, described the move as a "largely symbolic" gesture to accommodate Riyadh and said it would involve "little material commitment". Ahmed al-Mukhaini, a former Assistant Secretary General for the Shura Council, suggested the move may give Oman more influence to calm strained regional nerves but "would not compromise our independence". "It might even give Oman more leverage, more space, to play a better role in this coalition and the region. By joining the coalition Oman is shielding itself from criticism from Saudi Arabia," he added. PIPELINE POLITICS There are economic risks to a Saudi rapprochement. Any perception that Muscat is allying with Riyadh may irk Tehran, analysts say. Iran has billions of dollars of foreign reserves in Omani banks and could pull the plug on promised projects in the sultanate. The nuclear deal has offered hope of a leap in trade between Oman and its gas-rich neighbour. Muscat expects the end of sanctions to speed the completion of a liquefied natural gas pipeline, which it hopes will feed energy-intensive industries. "Oman needs the economic cooperation that Iran has pledged ... The two countries' planned subsea gas pipeline is an important part of the sultanate's plans for economic improvement," said Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics. Nigerian oil union threatens three-day strike at Exxon Mobil, Chevron LAGOS, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A Nigerian oil labour union will stage a three-day strike at Chevron and Exxon Mobil fuel depots from Wednesday in a protest over sackings if talks with the government fail, union officials said on Monday. The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said it would make a final decision after its leaders meet officials from the ministries of petroleum and labour, as well as the state oil company, on Tuesday in the capital, Abuja. OPEC member Nigeria has already been hit by low crude prices and a wave of militant attacks in its southern Niger Delta oil hub throughout 2016 which has hampered production. Nigerian labour unions have criticised oil companies for sacking workers in recent months. Last week NUPENG held a strike at Total's fuel depots in a row over sackings, but it was suspended after one day because an agreement was reached. No details have emerged about the deal. If the planned strike goes ahead this week, 10,000 workers could down tools, Tokunbo Korodo, who chairs NUPENG's southwestern Lagos zone, said. "There will be a total shutdown of production terminals, distribution and filling stations. We are talking about the downstream sector," Korodo said. Chika Onuegbu, a senior figure in another labour union - Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) - said his members would await the outcome of government talks before deciding whether or not to strike. Portugal seeks to raise funds in toughest bond sale in years By Abhinav Ramnarayan LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Portugal is seeking to raise funds through a syndicated sale of bonds just as a persistent banking crisis, reduced support from the European Central Bank and a sluggish economy have pushed its borrowing costs to one-year highs. Portugal's finance minister Mario Centeno told Reuters in an interview that a syndicated bond issue -- under which banks distribute new bonds to a variety of investors -- is likely to be launched soon. Two primary dealers said Portugal's debt office is monitoring the market and a deal could be launched as early as this week. But investors have turned wary of Portugal's government bonds as the threat of a credit rating downgrade to junk and reduced ECB purchases have sent borrowing costs spiking to their highest level in years. Ten-year bond yields have risen nearly 50 basis points in the past four weeks to top 4 percent for the first time in nearly a year. On Monday the 10-year benchmark bond hit a high of 4.2 percent. Apart from a couple of brief spikes in February 2016, the last time the bond yielded more than 4 percent on a sustained basis was back in August 2014. "This means you get additional yield as an investor, but obviously there's a reason why you get that additional yield - and the drivers for the rise in yields are not exhausted yet," said Commerzbank strategist David Schnautz. "There is still a clean-up of the banking sector that needs to be done and the other elephant in the room is the ECB - they are close to the limit of Portuguese government bonds they can buy." Portugal has struggled to find a buyer for Novo Banco, a bank carved out of the collapsed Banco Espirito Santo, and is in talks with U.S. private equity firm Lone Star. Many expected the ECB to remove a cap on the percentage of government bonds it can own to allow for more purchases of Portuguese government bonds, among others, to alleviate a shortage of assets for its bond-buying scheme. But the central bank chose to enact other measures, such as buying bonds that yield below the deposit rate, to solve that issue - a change that suggests it would concentrate purchases on higher-rated euro zone governments such as Germany. Indeed, the ECB bought far fewer Portuguese government bonds last month than its rules dictate, as it approaches that ceiling. Rabobank analysts believe the ECB could hit the ceiling by June this year, factoring in potential new bond issuance by Portugal and changes to the bond-buying scheme. ACCESS THREAT Bluebay Asset Management portfolio manager Mark Dowding said there is even a risk that Portugal could, in the worst case, end up losing market access. "You can imagine a sequence of events where there's a negative development in the banking sector, or Portugal loses its investment-grade rating, spreads would go from 350 basis points to 450 basis points," he said, referring to the extra yield investors might demand to hold Portuguese rather than German bonds. "In the meantime, Bund yields will have gone higher and Portugal could have to pay 5 percent on its debt, debt to GDP (gross domestic product) would rise and there is no one to bail them out and it enters a death spiral," he said last month in the aftermath of the ECB's changes to its bond buying programme. January is traditionally a busy month for European government bond issuance, and Portugal has chosen this month to sell syndicated debt for the past four years. Its primary dealers say this year's sale will be more challenging than at any point since the euro zone debt crises of 2010-2012. In the last two years Portugal has issued new 10-year benchmark bonds in January, but this time "the steepness of the curve represents a challenge," one primary dealer said. "If you look at the (yield) difference between Spain's five-year and 10-year bonds, it is around 120 basis points. For Portugal it is over 200 bps - that's a very, very steep curve," said one. "From a cost financing perspective it makes sense for them to do something shorter." However, issuing a very short-dated bond may defeat the purpose of syndication, as such bonds are generally sold via auctions. GRAINS-Soy rises on Argentine rains; wheat firms near 3-month high By Mark Weinraub CHICAGO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - U.S. soybean futures firmed on Monday, supported by some concerns about rain in parts of Argentina curtailing crop production from the world's third largest exporter of the oilseed, traders said. Wheat futures edged higher, with traders noting consolidation trade after prices firmed to their highest in nearly three months during the overnight trading session. Corn futures were slightly lower. Moves in all three commodities were muted as traders were reluctant to place aggressive bets ahead of key U.S. Agriculture Department reports on supply and demand on Thursday. Rains in central and northeastern Argentina threatened to flood soybean fields, but the latest forecasts called for improvements in the coming weeks, traders said. "Watching South American weather, it is kind of a mixed picture," said Bill Gentry," a broker at Risk Management Commodities. "There is not a lot of broad-based stress but maybe a couple of areas are getting too much moisture." At 11:13 a.m. CDT (1713 GMT), Chicago Board of Trade March soybean futures were up 5-1/2 cents at $10.00-1/4 a bushel. The market also received support from better-than-expected weekly export inspections data, which provided some relief after a disappointing report on global demand for U.S. supplies last week. The USDA said on Monday morning that soybean export inspections totalled 1.457 million tonnes in the latest reporting week, exceeding the high end of trade forecasts that ranged from 1.1 million tonnes to 1.4 million tonnes. CBOT March soft red winter wheat futures were up 3/4 cent at $4.24 a bushel. Prices peaked at $4.28-1/4, the highest for the most-active wheat contract since Oct. 14. Expectations for a cutback in seedings in places such as Kansas were providing support. The USDA will release its wheat plantings report on Thursday, along with monthly world crop forecasts, quarterly U.S. grain stock estimates and updated estimates on 2016 U.S. crop production. "Wheat's stocks situation is more than ample right now, but a more bullish production situation continues to be setting up for 2017," Matt Zeller, director of market information at INTL FCStone, said in a note to clients. Concerns about wheat production in Europe also lent support due to deep frosts forecast in Black Sea grain-exporting countries Romania, Bulgaria, Russia and Ukraine. The weather risks have helped the wheat market find a footing after swelling global supplies pushed prices to a 10-year low during 2016. Top U.S. Senate Democrat says Trump's nominees need "thorough" vetting By Steve Holland WASHINGTON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, Chuck Schumer, decried what he called undue haste to confirm President-elect Donald Trump's nominations for various top posts, saying on Monday they needed more thorough vetting. Hearings start on Tuesday for the Republican president-elect's choices for senior administration posts, beginning with U.S. Senator Jeff Sessions, nominated to be attorney general, and retired General John Kelly, Trump's pick for secretary of homeland security. Schumer said Trump's nominees, many of whom have extensive business backgrounds at companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp and Goldman Sachs, should be carefully scrutinized to be sure they avoid conflicts of interest. "We're not doing this for sport. Democrats feel very strongly that pushing for a thorough and thoughtful vetting process is the right thing to do," Schumer said in a speech. Republicans, who control the majority in the Senate, are presenting the Democratic objections as political grandstanding, saying they moved quickly eight years ago to confirm Democratic President Barack Obama's Cabinet picks, approving seven the day he began his first term. Schumer said some of Trump's nominees have not completed a review process conducted by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics. Trump transition spokesman Sean Spicer said on Monday that every nominee with a hearing this week has turned in the required paperwork. "Everybody will be properly vetted as they have been in the past," said U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell, speaking in New York after meeting with Trump on Monday. He said he hoped to confirm six or seven national security appointees by the time Trump takes office on Jan. 20. Trump needs to keep the 52 Republicans in the 100-seat Senate on his side to secure the simple majority votes needed for confirmations. One of the more contentious hearings could be over Rex Tillerson, nominated for secretary of state. Trump's stated desire for warmer relations with Russia comes at a deeply sensitive moment, after U.S. intelligence agencies concluded that Moscow used cyber hacking and other methods to try to tilt the U.S. presidential election in Trump's favor over Democrat Hillary Clinton. Republicans including U.S. Senator John McCain and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, veterans in foreign policy and security issues, have signaled concerns about Tillerson's ties to Russia during his tenure as the chief executive of Exxon Mobil. Transition officials expressed confidence that Tillerson would win the pair's support. Sessions is also likely to face a thorough grilling, with critics arguing he obstructed civil rights protections in the past. Democrats are likely to question nominees for positions related to national security about Trump's proposal to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico and his pledge to temporarily suspend immigration from regions deemed to be exporting terrorism. The Trump team has put the nominees through mock hearings that are standard practice ahead of such events. Questions have included the kind of everyday concerns that periodically upset nominees for high office, such as the price of a gallon of gas. Each mock-up has also included at least one disruptive pretend protester, a transition official said. Transition officials say they believe they could pick up Democratic votes from senators facing 2018 re-election bids in states Trump won on Nov. 8, such as U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill of Missouri. Renowned Chinese academic Prof. Ma Zhongwu, in an interview with the Daily Mirror, speaks about the importance of China-Sri Lanka relations in the current global climate for the mutual benefit of both sides. Prof. Ma, who is the Vice Dean of School of Asian and African studies and the Director of Centre for Sri Lanka Studies at Beijings Foreign Studies University, is a frequent traveller to Sri Lanka. He speaks fluent Sinhala and has done his post graduate and doctorate studies here. The excerpts of the interview which was conducted in the Sinhala language in Colombo. "Although China is a big country compared to Sri Lanka, people of both the countries are aware of traditional friendship existing since ancient times. Both China and Sri Lanka want to cooperate with each other" Q As an academic, how do you see the China-Sri Lanka relations? When you talk about it, we cannot forget Bhikkhu Fa-hsien who travelled to Sri Lanka way back in the 5th century. There was a book called Record of the Buddhist Kingdoms published. By reading it, we can learn about the religious, cultural and social situation in Sri Lanka at that time in the perspective of a foreign national. Then, Cheng Ho, the great navigator, sailed westwards from China for seven times between 1405 and 1433. He sailed towards the western sea as we call, passing South-east Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, to East Africa. Many times he travelled past Sri Lanka which was located strategically on his route. It amounted to trade links beyond mere cultural affairs. Then, he should have established certain links with the local community and the local kings. Cheng Ho made an offering to a local temple, which has been recorded by inscription written on a stone tablet. This stone tablet was carved in three languages including Chinese, Tamil and Persian. Now it is preserved at the national museum of Sri Lanka in Colombo. In my idea, China-Sri Lanka relations might have began even before that in the ancient period. Sri Lanka could have been accessed through land at that for China passing via India. Trade and religious links would have been fundamental. It would have happened even before the arrival of Fa-hsien, but may be at a minimal scale. During the period of different dynasties in China, many monks, apart from Fa-hsien, had visited Sri Lanka to study Buddhism. It is mentioned in Chinese ancient history books, link BookofLiang, Book of Song. China- Sri Lanka relations were constrained after Sri Lanka was colonized by the western powers. Only after Sri Lanka gained Independence and the Peoples Republic of China was established, relationship resumed. Q How do you see the importance of relations between the two countries at the moment? I am a Chinese national. Likewise, I did my final year studies for my degree at the University of Kelaniya. I also did my post graduate and doctorate here in the same university and I express my view not as someone with close links with your country. Although China is a big country compared to Sri Lanka, people of both the countries are aware of traditional friendship existing since ancient times. Both China and Sri Lanka want to cooperate with each other. China has launched the Belt and Road Initiatives. We proceed with it in a spirit of mutual cooperation with the countries involved. It is launched in a mutually beneficial manner. That is why the countries concerned cooperated with it. It was proposed in 2013. Sri Lanka is one among the very first countries that agreed and extended cooperation with the project. Sri Lanka is strategically located on this project route linking the East and the West. Now you know, there is no financial hub between Hong Kong in the East and Dubai towards the West. If Sri Lanka teams up with the Belt and Road Initiatives, Sri Lanka can benefit from it for its economic development. The Port City project or the International Financial City project as it is called now, is important for Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka should open its doors and welcome investors from all over the world. As for Hong Kong, why is it popular all over the world? Nobody was opposed to it. It is part of Chinese administration and enjoying in developing its economy with sufficient freedom. This is a concept for economic development. People should be made aware of it. Investors from any part of the world can invest in it. Isnt it good for Sri Lanka? Fa-hsien visited Sri Lanka to study Buddhism Q How important is Sri Lanka for China in terms of maritime security? I do not comment on how important it is for China. It is absurd giving water to someone who is not thirsty; it is needed for someone who is thirsty. For anything to become important, there should be mutual requirement. Had you looked at the ancient silk road, it was a success. Because it was devoid of political interest. Only trade interests remained in ancient times. Sea craft, with items such as silk cloth and ceramic products, voyaged from China. Here in Sri Lanka, you had cinnamon, spices and gems. Trading in goods happened in this manner. Today, the situation is very complex. Problems arise due to influence. It is better to work out arrangements in a manner that is mutually beneficial. It has to be done in a spirit of understanding each others needs. Sri Lanka has its own plan for development. China too has its own. Before I comment on Sri Lankas significance to China, I would like to say that China is also important for Sri Lanka. It is mutual dependence, not unilateral. We are inseparably linked nations. "As I remember, as for the suspension of some Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, there were different interpretations on that. Some of them are pessimistic and even extreme" Although some Chinese projects were suspended during the last one or two years, I think it was a temporary issue. It may be due to misunderstanding. When two friends meet for the first time, there is no mutual understanding. It develops gradually with the passage of time. Misunderstanding emerges even among friends. With the passage of time, it is possible to identify genuine friends. Wife and husband also quarrel in a family. Nevertheless, it should not end up in divorce. We are very happy to see that both sides have already found out the reasons for misunderstanding and have found tangible solutions. Together we could mark the 60th anniversary of establishing bilateral relations and 65th anniversary of the Rubber and Rice Pact between the two countries in 2017. Q How do you analyse the evolution of bilateral relations over these 60 years? I look at things positively. The two countries signed the Rubber-Rice Pact in 1952 even before diplomatic relations were established. We established diplomatic relations only in 1957. Ours are Asian countries bound by common cultural ties. China and Sri Lanka are different in land size, nations and social system. But during the past 60 years, with the support of the great people and under the guidance of the leaders of our two countries, we did set a good example to the rest of the world to cultivate a profound friendship between a big country and a small country. Proposed Maritime Silk Route Q How do you look at cultural ties? When I am in Sri Lanka, like now, I talk with you, I do not feel as such that I am on a foreign soil. We have common hospitality traditions. That is visible when I go to see my friends here. For instance, when I go out for a meal with local friends, the hosts try to pay the bill without allowing me to contribute even. In China too, we do the same. In the western countries, it is different. If two people, even two good friends have a meal together, the bill may be shared equally. Apart from that we have religious links. Sri Lanka is a Buddhist country. In China, the main religion also has been Buddhism. We have the Confucius Philosophy. Besides, both these philosophy and Buddhism are not in conflict with each other. Both are intertwined and influenced by each other. Buddhism is not very stringently followed in China, unlike in Sri Lanka. Some People are not that ritualistic. In the hearts and minds of people in China, there is, however, a great respect for Buddhism. Though they do not sometimes identify themselves as Buddhists, they follow the Buddhist way of thinking and conducting themselves. Buddhist culture is a very important part of China. In Sri Lanka, Buddhism and the Sinhalese culture are entwined. Without Buddhism, there is no Sinhala culture. It is no so in China, though. But, Buddhist influence is visible in all our aspects of life in China. Q What should be done more to foster ties between the two countries? Though relationship was strained a little bit in the recent past, I do not think it would lead to any major issue. People in Sri Lanka should be asked whether the relationship with China is important for them. Actually, we need each other. There is no issue here, but a little misunderstanding. Public awareness has to be created in the future. Traditional friendship will not suffer. Understanding is the key to development and foster ties. I visit Sri Lanka a number of times in a year. Most countries in the world tie up with China in the present context. Not only Asian countries but also European countries cooperate with China. They propose to work with us. The world has evolved to be one whole village virtually. In the western world, they eat with forks and spoons. In Sri Lanka, you use your hands to eat food. We, in China, use chopsticks. So we have to first understand the cultural diversity of human beings and then pay enough respect to each other. The best way to understand each other is to improve people to people contacts, alongside strengthening diplomatic relations. More they visit China, better they have an understanding about the country. It would lead to a positive outcome. More and more people should be afforded the opportunity to visit China. More and more Chinese nationals should be allowed to come here. As I remember, as for the suspension of some Chinese projects in Sri Lanka, there were different interpretations on that. Some of them are pessimistic and even extreme. My friends inquired about it from me. I told them that there was no major issue involved here. I know Sri Lanka and its people because I have travelled here often. Port City Project Q There is fear that the Chinese presence would pose a threat to some other countries in Sri Lankas neighbourhood. What are your views? This is a myth and deliberately created in my view. Chinese nationals travel to Singapore, the UK, Australia, Canada and even the USA. Do you know how many Chinese students are studying in the UK? As I know, in England, the Chinese language was introduced to the school curriculum more than 15 years before. They realized the importance of learning Chinese language. Nobody questions the presence of Chinese students or Chinese people there. Conversely, Now Chinese investors are welcome to most of the countries all over the world. In my view, Chinese nationals, coming to Sri Lanka, obey the law of this country. They mostly do their business activities here. Like me, I come here for education purposes. I will give one small example for your reference and understanding my point. If I open an eatery, I do not mind who the nationalities are my customers. The operator of the next eatery may wonder how I attract so many customers. It may be due to my quality service or reasonable rates. Nobody can find faults with it. If more people - no matter which nationalities come to Sri Lanka - it may be due to what Sri Lanka offers. Sri Lanka has to consider what it needs for future development. It should bring more foreign direct investment. When Sri Lanka does something, the countrys interest should be given the pride of place. Whatever government comes to power, the countrys interests should take precedence above all. People centric approach is strongly advisable. People are not ignorant. They will realize what is needed. The Sri Lankan people and government should seriously think about the future of the country and find out their own development path and style which is better suit the recent national condition without any hesitation to any other external influence. "During the past 60 years, with the support of the great people and under the guidance of the leaders of our two countries, we did set a good example to the rest of the world to cultivate a profound friendship" Leo Art will be presented at the Fairway Galle Literary Fest for the first time in its history Leo Burnett Sri Lanka, the local office of the global advertising network Leo Burnett Worldwide,will present the eighth edition of Leo Art, the agencys in-residence art programme for local artists, at the Fairway Galle Literary Festival from 12- 15 Januaryat the Fort Printers Hotel. The preview will be inaugurated by the Hon. SagalaRatnayaka, Minister for Law & Order and Southern Development. This edition of Leo Art is powered by Mastercard, who has always been at the forefront of promoting creativity in Sri Lanka. Rocell who has introduced to Sri Lanka an exemplary collection of floor and wall tiles also joins Leo Art as a partner. To celebrate the launch of the 8th edition of Leo Art, renowned Sri Lankan author NayomiMunaweera who is residing in the US will read an extract from her latest book titled What lies between us at the preview. The 8th edition of Leo Art will be featuringthe following leading artists; JC Rathnayake: Born in Polonnaruwa in 1978, JC holds a BFA (HON) in Pritmaking from the University of the Visual & Performing Arts (UVPA) in Colombo.A lover of abstract art, JC has been a part of the Leo Art initiative since its inception and is an award-winning artist who is renowned for his paintings.He believes that Leo Art has given great opportunity to artists to enhance and showcase their skills to the world. Sanjeewa Kumara: Born in 1971 in Colombo, Sanjeewa is a visiting lecturer for visual art at Kelaniya University Sri Lanka. He holds a MFA from the Netherlands and had many solo exhibitions, in leading capitals of the world. In 2015, he was named afinalist for the prestigious 2014-2015 Sovereign Asian Art Prize. He loves the fact that paintings do not limit you within boundaries how it does not start from reality. He believes that this is what makes it so unique. Sanjaya Senavirathna:Born in 1977, Sanjaya is a Graduate of the University of Visual and Performing Arts. Sanjaya believes that art is based on Love and this thought is what made him want to become an artist in the first place. His objective is to motivate people to start loving spiritual things in life through his abstract paintings. Susil Senanayake:Born in 1979, he holds a BFA (Hons) Painting Special from the University of Visual & Performing Arts. Abstract paintings has been Susils strongest passion ever since he was small and the appreciation of his work since his small age by the people around him is what made him pursue the dream of becoming an artist. Vajira Gunawardena:Currently a Visiting Lecturer at the University of the Visual & Performing Arts, Vajira holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA Degree) from the Institute of Aesthetic Studies at the University of Keleniya and a Diploma of Product Design (Leather Design) from the Designing Department of the Cottage and Textile Industries Department. Prageeth Rathnayake : Born in 1976, Prageeth is a Graduate BFA Special (Paintings First Class) from the University of Visual and Performing Arts. A Set Designer at RupawahiniCoporation, he feels that initiatives like Leo Art have to be continued in order to uplift the Sri Lankan art industry. Dileepa Jeewantha:Born in Galle in 1980, Dileepa holds a Higher Diploma in Multi-Disciplinary Design from the National Design School in Moratuwa, a Diploma in Graphic Design, a Diploma in Multimedia and a Certificate course in Painting from VAFA Colombo.He strongly believes that Leo Art is an essential part to develop and uplift the Sri Lankan industry. Chiranthi Gunasekara:Born in 1978, Chiranthi, an Art Teacher at Horizon College, Malabe is a Graduate with a BFA (First Class Honours) of the University of Performing Arts. She also has a Diploma in Buddhism from the Buddhist &Pali University and learned the Trade of a Traditional Artist at the National Museum. Chamila Gamage: Born in 1978 and currently a set designer at Rupavahini Corporation, Chamila graduated with BFA Special (Sculpture) from the University of Visual and Performing Arts. He has also followed the Painting & Sculpture Course at Vibhavi Academy of Fine Arts and a Graphic Design Course at Ingrin Institute of Printing & Graphics. Dep Thushara:Thushara believes that the human body is an expression of the true internal conflicts that arise within the human mind. The collection of human contours in his paintings represents the struggle to live in a world made routine by the animalistic instinct to survive. Inspired by Marcell Duchamp and Francis Bacon, Art has been Thusharas passion ever since he was small since he found the way to express himself. He specializes in paintings and sculptures. Leo Art is an artists-in-residence programme which was initiated by Leo Burnett to foster creativity in art. It provides young Sri Lankan artists with spaces to express their creative ideas. These artists also have the opportunity to collaborate with agency teams on commercial projects. Through Leo Art the artists and their work can be seen and appreciated by a larger audience. Leo Art has progressively grown over the years since it was launched in 2008. Last year, Leo Art Strokes at the Mews was hosted at Park Street Mews as part of Leo Burnetts 81st global anniversary celebrations featuring the work of 19 artists. The success of Leo Art at the Mews resulted in the Galle Literary Festival inviting Leo Burnett to showcase Leo Art at the festival. The protest was sparked after a rural health center was set up in Win Taung Village. Locals urged for a medical centre in Karawaiseik Village, where roads are comparatively safer and there are more households. We would like to have the health center in Karawaiseik Village. We can transfer patients to another hospital conveniently as the roads are good. If it is in Win Taung Village, there will be difficulties, because it is on a mountain. For example, if we want to transfer patients, we have to come down the mountain and rush them to other hospitals or clinics. Hence, we staged this protest urging for the construction of a medical branch in our village, said U Aung Ko Hla, a protester. Locals marching in Belin Town (Photo: MNA) Although the locals sent letters to respective health departments, State Government and the President, requesting to have medical branches in Karawaiseik Village, there was no response, according to locals. In terms of geography, Win Taung Village is located on a mountain. If a pregnant woman is in labour but cannot deliver the baby at the health center, she will be rushed back down the mountain. However, if the health center is in Karawaiseik Village, and a pregnant woman cannot deliver the baby, she can be rushed to Belin Town or Kyaikhto Town. The roads are good. That is why the locals have urged to have a healthcentre in Karawaiseik Village, said U Kyi Win. Marching in the town of Belin, protesters shouted slogans such as, The majority of local peoples need for access to health care is our cause, No health center in Win Taung Village is our cause, To have a health center in Karawaiseik Village is our cause, No! to the Healthcare Minister ignoring public reports, No! to the Belin Township Health Department, ignoring local reports. All Ceylon Private Bus Association (ACPBA) Secretary Anjana Priyanjith today requested the government to terminate the Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB) service due to the colossal waste of tax money of the people per year. He said they have the ability to operate private bus service better than the SLTB by providing more facilities to commuters. After closing the SLTB, the government should take steps to acquire private buses to SLTB. That will help the government to save Rs.1,350 million per month which would be used to maintain the SLTB, he said. Meanwhile, he said the Transport Ministry had decided to import 2,000 buses with the intention of providing a better service to the people by using the recent countrywide bus strike as the reason, he said. It is clear that there is an excess of 3,000 private buses in the country. Therefore, the government can use these buses to provide more facilities to the people in a certain procedure. The Minister has no right to import buses to the country. The Ministry had taken this in a manner of destroying the private bus service and its employees, he said. However, if the minister is trying to do so, we cannot let it happen and the minister would have to face bitter experiences, he said. We will not let the minister to destroy the private bus service in the country, he said. Meanwhile, the ACPBA requested the minister to operate the private and CTB buses under a joint time schedule. By assigning the joint time table there would be no need to have races with SLTB buses and that would also help to minimize the roadside accidents, Mr. Priyanjith said. This government has the responsibility to operate the SLTB and private buses in a joint time table to provide a good service to the people in the country, he added. (Chaturanga Pradeep) By Zahara Zuhair Sri Lankas Board of Investment (BOI) Chairman Upul Jayasuriya has requested Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to be sharp and find the right foreign partners to go to the next level, as there are numerous possibilities in the offing. This is the time for Sri Lankan entrepreneurs to look sharp and find the right foreign partners. Specially in Europe, some of the small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are finding it difficult to survive due to high costs. Some of these companies are now looking at third world countries, he said. However, he said when investors look at options, Sri Lanka comes last in their priority list. So he asked the countrys trade chambers to take up this challenge and take the Sri Lankan businesses to the next level. With globalization, there are so many ways of making links with the outside world. The other day, one of the Swiss electrical companies had to close down their company. They looked at the options and finally decided to come to Sri Lanka. With the help of BOI, they started their operations here within three months. Its another success story, Jayasuriya told the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of Colombo Chamber of Commercea chamber that promotes SMEsheld last week. So if you keep in touch with BOI, we can help you to take your message forward, to help your membership and those who require assistance and guidance, promote their businesses and market itself, he said. As SMEs are the backbone of economies of many countries including the USA and India, Jayasuriya stressed the Sri Lankan government too will have to focus on promoting SMEs better than what it is doing at the moment. However, he said Sri Lankan SMEs are facing issues pertaining to the access to state-of-the art technology due lack of know-how and high investment costs. Most SMEs have limited access to larger markets in terms of market linkages, transport, telecommunications, and information exchange which seriously undermine the demand of their products, he noted. About 80 percent of Sri Lankan businesses are SMEs and they account for 50 percent of the countrys Gross Domestic Product, 35 percent of total employment and 30 percent of value added manufacturing output. Taking Maliban Biscuits as an example, he told the gathering how it became a successful business, starting small, to become a world-renowned brand. The Maliban owner was a labourer in Maliban hotel in Borella, and then gradually moved up and he bought the hotel, he started making biscuits in the same hotel, and then moved on to building of his own, and now exports to entire South East Asian region, he said. Meanwhile, Jayasuriya said BOI has taken steps to setup an incubator, which will be done as a public private partnership (PPP) to help the struggling but promising SMEs. The initial investment for this is about Rs. 100 million. The Central Bank will soon initiate a full-scale investigation into the recent allegation made by Finance Minister, Ravi Karunanayake, that the Central Bank distributed Rs.13.0 billion worth of 5,000 rupee notes two days prior to the presidential election in 2015. We are expecting to initiate a full scale investigation on this allegation. There has been an inquiry in this regard, the Central Bank Governor, Dr. Indrajit Coomaraswamy told reporters in Colombo, last week. When asked by a reporter whether cash reserves in the Central Bank shows any shortfall by a similar amount as repeatedly charged by Karunanayake, Dr. Coomaraswamy said there was no such evidence from the outset. However, he added that they could not come to a conclusion without a full-scale probe on the charge, which they intend to begin shortly. According to Karunanayake 5,000 rupee notes had been spirited out of the Central Bank two days prior to the 2015 presidential election to distribute among the people attending the propaganda rallies in support of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government. Last week, the Joint Opposition wrote to Dr. Coomaraswamy seeking authenticity of these charges levelled by Karunanayake. Despite the revelations by Karunanayake, he has so far failed to report his finding to the Cabinet, Parliament or the currency unit of the CID. If Rs.13.0 billion has been spirited out of the Central Bank and has been in circulation for the past two years, it will be the biggest currency-crime in the history of Sri Lanka, a letter signed by the Joint Opposition leader, MP Dinesh Gunawardana stated. Karunanayake, particularly following the appointment of Dr. Coomaraswamy to the top post, has maintained that the Central Bank is politicized as the Rajapaksa cronies still hold office at the highest levels in the institution. However, economists and civil society leaders have pointed out that certain section of the coalition government are making attempts to undermine the Governor of the Central Bank and to re-politicise the institution. Of course there are governing politicians who seek to undermine him (Dr.Coomaraswamy) and to eat away the Central Banks authority and to re-politicise the Central Bank. And I think all those here and outside this room who want to see Sri Lanka has genuinely good, independent, competent public institutions should support the Central Bank Governor to the hilt, Razeen Sally, an Associate Professor at Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at National University of Singapore said during a public seminar held in Colombo recently. In the playout of balance of power in the Indian Ocean region, Sri Lankas strategic location abutting a major sea trade artery has drawn the attention of the world powers since ancient times. In this context, the role and involvement of countries such as the United States, China and India in Sri Lanka are looked at from a geopolitical angle. Currently, the Chinese role is discussed and debated over plans by the government to hand over an 85% stake of the Hambantota Port to a Chinese Company named China Merchants. Against this backdrop, it looks pertinent to shed some light on the evolution of Chinas foreign policy under the Private Public Partnership model. Prof. Kawashima delivered a lecture titled Chinas foreign policy and India-Pacific Region at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies. In it, he described how Chinas foreign policy, starting from modern diplomacy aimed at restoring national rights and territories, evolved over the decades. He said China focused socialist diplomacy between 1949 and 1970 and then diplomacy for between 1980 and 2008. Then, it evolved its diplomacy as a great power. According to this Japanese professor, China underwent transition from its main slogan after 1990s. It adopted the slogan Hiding ones talents and biding ones time. "Historically, China is a land power, though China sent Zheng He in Ming dynasty. And PRC and PLA basically made land-based nation-building. But China needs to protect its coastal area that is the centre of industries and the richest in China, and has to keep its sea lane of resources and security. China also signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but it has a unique concept about the sea, like blue territory" He said China strengthened the importance of sovereignty and security, as well as development. That country displayed flexibility on territorial issues to some extent, like action plan in South China Sea in 2002. And China solved most of land territorial issues in 1990s. However, in 2006-2008, China adjusted its slogan. Then, prospect of Chinese economic growth indicated China changed to be a second largest economic power soon. And conservative socialists strengthened more aggressive foreign policy. Former Chinese President Wen Jiabao insisted on keeping original policy, because he thought China still needed economic growth, he said. He said, in 2009, Chinese foreign and maritime policies apparently changed. Historically, China is a land power, though China sent Zheng He in Ming dynasty. And PRC and PLA basically made land-based nation-building. But China needs to protect its coastal area that is the centre of industries and the richest in China, and has to keep its sea lane of resources and security. China also signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, but it has a unique concept about the sea, like blue territory, he said. Referring to current President Xi Jingpings administration, foreign policy he said Xi is conscious that China is the second largest power in the world, but simultaneously understands its difficult for China to be a global super power soon, he said. "Shin Kawashima, is a Professor of the University of Tokyo delivered a lecture titled Chinas foreign policy and India-Pacific Region at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute of International Relations and Strategic Studies" Commenting on President Xis approach on Asia, he said Xi proposed the concept of Asia, on New Concept of Asian Security. This concept excludes USA, and strengthens Chinese initiative. Xis China provides a series of regional common goods, like AIIB, as a great power in this region. Such a strategy has a domestic background. China has to express CCP realized greater China to keep its legitimacy, and has to cope with the problems of over production and national enterprises, he said. In the light of such comments and remarks by the Japanese scholar, Chinas present engagements with Sri Lanka look bent more on economic and maritime cooperation. It launched its global trade expansion project called One belt, one route in 2013. It is even called the 21st century maritime silk route, modelled on the ancient silk route that facilitated trade across the globe. Hambantota Port is located just four nautical miles off the main trade artery that carries a bulk of products manufactured in the countries such as South Korea, Japan, and China etc to the markets in the Middle East or the western world. Alongside, it is a key trade link supplying much needed fuel from the Middle East to the other side. So, a port in Hambantota will be important, mainly in the provision of services to the ships passing by. "In 2006-2008, China adjusted its slogan. Then, prospect of Chinese economic growth indicated China changed to be a second largest economic power soon. And conservative socialists strengthened more aggressive foreign policy" However, the signing of the agreement for the port project has been postponed indefinitely amidst pressure emanating from various quotes. It is learnt that Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) headed by President Maithripala Sirisena is not in favour of the criterion adopted in leasing out the port. Instead of an 85% stake, the Presidents SLFP is for a lesser percentage for the Chinese company. Also, the public protest has built up against the acquisition of land on a large scale for the port related industrial zone. In the meantime, the Joint Opposition, acting under the leadership of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa also requested the President in writing to postpone the signing of the agreement. It outlined the following reasons for it: "Xi is conscious that China is the second largest power in the world, but simultaneously understands its difficult for China to be a global super power soon" 1 The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), in September 2014, entered into an agreement with the China Merchant Holdings (International) Company Ltd, and China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, to lease the Hambantota Port (Phase II) on a supply, operate and transfer (SOT) basis for 35 years. However, this agreement was nullified. Subsequently, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, and China Merchant Ports Holding Company Ltd, tendered separate proposals without the criteria for their selection having been defined. 2 China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd proposed an initial payment of approximately US$ 730 million for a 50-year lease period, during which a payment structure similar to a royalty was proposed, which made the value of this proposal in fact US$ 1.5 billion. This was reportedly the option preferred by the SLPA, which would have benefited the country and the SLPA. However, the option selected was the proposal of China Merchant Ports Holding Company, for a one-time payment of US$ 1.08 billion, for a 99-year lease, extendable for a further 99 years. The question arises as to why China Merchant Ports Holding Company was selected, and who selected it. 3 The project has been valued at US$ 1.4 billion by the SLPA. The question arises as to what basis was used to arrive at this figure. As far as we know, no proper valuation has been done of the Hambantota Port facilities, infrastructure and land (including the 110 acre island), but only construction costs have been taken into consideration, so the agreement is based on an undervaluation of the assets. 4 The Attorney General has given his opinion that articles 4, 5, 8 and 16 of the agreement are beyond the scope and/or the statutory powers vested with the SLPA. 5 The China Merchant Ports Holding Company Ltd has agreed to invest US$ 1.12 billion in the joint venture project, paying US$ 5 million as a security deposit, 10% of the investment value, including the security deposit, within one month; 30% of the investment value within 3 months and 60% of the investment value within 6 months. According to the agreement, these funds are to be invested in the project itself. The Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has agreed to be responsible for the debts of the SLPA, so the joint venture will not be responsible in the event of the project going bankrupt, GoSL would still have to pay the debts. 6 The SLPA suggested a share split in the original proposed joint venture company, , but this was subsequently changed by the Government to 80% to China Merchant Ports Holding Company Ltd and 20% to the SLPA. The question arises as to how, why and on what basis all these critical calculations and changes were made by the Government. 7 No proper due diligence has been carried out on the project. 8 The Cabinet Appointed Negotiating Committee (CANC) was not given sufficient time and had not followed laid down procedures to study the proposals and make adequate recommendations. 9 Granting of 15,000 acres adjacent to the Hambantota Port which would deprive farmers of their lands have no justification. 10 The SLPA Board cannot give its approval to the project and above mentioned according to the SLPA Act. The JOT wrote, It is proposed to grant a lease of the Hambantota Port to the China Merchant Ports Holding Company for 99 years + 99 years, totalling up to 198 years. Such a vital asset should not be entered into lightly, and should be given due consideration. Six police personnel including a sub inspector attached to the Kandaketiya Police were sentenced to death by Badulla High Court Judge Rohan Jayawardane today after they were found guilty of murdering a youth and assaulting four others at Meegahakiula in Angurukaduwa in 2014. Those convicted are as follows: Kandaketiya Police SI G. Somaratne, Constables P.D. Pathmakumara Gamage, R. Pushpakumara, M. G. Abeyratne, police assistant D.M. Wijeratne and civil defence officer S.M. Jayasundara. The Attorney General had indicted the police personnel on charges of causing the death of a youth arrested on charges of treasure hunting on May 7, 2014. High Court Judge Rohan Jayawardane said prosecutors evidence has revealed that the convicted police officers had arrested the five youth on false charges and assaulted them when the victims had visited Bogahalanda in Kandaketiya to purchase a three-wheeler. The convicts were also fined Rs.5,000 each. (Lunugala Prasanna Pathmasiri) Thirty two suspects, who were arrested on charges of violating court orders and damaging public property during a protest in Hambantota, were further remanded till January 16 by the Hambantota Magistrate Court today. At least 41 persons were arrested for damaging public properties during the protest held against the Ruhunu Development Project in Hambantota on Saturday. Thirteen suspects were arrested by the Hambantota Police, 21 by the Ambalantota Police, four by the Suriyawewa Police and three from the Hungama Police. The chaos started when a pro-government group tried to confront a large crowd led by an Opposition MP protested against the proposed industrial zone. The Police and the Special Task Force later managed to control the two groups, but the pelting of stones made things impossible. Several people including Police officers were injured in the clash. Video by Roshan Gunasekera The industrial zone in Hambantota can be shifted to another part of the country if there is opposition to it, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinge said today. Responding to a question raised by the joint opposition group in Parliament, the Prime Minister said even the President had agreed to set up the zone in Polonnaruwa if it could not be established in Hambantota. "Even ministers Lakshman Kiriella and S. B Dissanayake requested the zone be set up in Kandy or Nuwara Eliya," he said. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinge said land in Hambantota will be acquired for the proposed industrial zone only on the recommendations of the committee appointed to look into it. Responding to a question raised by joint opposition group leader Dinesh Gunawardane, the Premier said the committee was headed by Minister Sagala Ratnayake and MP Chamal Rajapaksa and Ministers Mahinda Amaraweera and Sajith Premadsa were also members of the committee. All agreements on the zone project will be presented to the House for debate and that Parliament could discuss and debate Saturday's incident when the police released a report, he said. (Yohan Perera) Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa announced his New Year resolution a little too prematurely, days before 2017 dawned when he pledged to bring down the government. Last week, his self-anointed cronies put up a good show in Hambantota, though he himself kept way from the scene so that he would not offend the Chinese. Protests at the launching of the Hambantota export zone, where villagers clashed with police highlighted yet again one of the often talked about handicaps in economic development in this country -- people themselves. It is tempting to dismiss protesters as buffoons, because they also have a vote to cast when it comes to elections and the right to protest and not getting shot at. That is the beauty of democracy. That is exactly why Mr Rajapaksas former regime was wrong when the army turned its guns on protesters in Rathupaswala. It is also the beauty of democracy that protesters are lionized, no matter the logic of the protest whether it is Rathupaswala or Hambantota. This a catch-22 situation for any democratic government that wants to govern a country democratically while also delivering some form of economic development. That is because economic development in most cases causes physical and emotional displacement and would necessarily be fought back by some segments of society. Perhaps the government can learn from the strategies of its predecessor, which albeit had its faults, but should be applauded for efficiency with which the projects were implemented (though some of them ended up being vanity projects). However, deploying the Special Task Force to evict squatters, as Mr. Rajapaksa did, does not look good on television, yet the government should be able to evolve a subtle yet effective way. "Mr. Rajapaksa would be the beneficiary of all that mismanagement" Where grievances and disagreements persist, they ought to be looked into in a utilitarian way -- the greater good for the greatest number of people though it would come at the expense of a few. However, the problem of protests, especially when they involve emotive often exaggerated claims such as turning Hambantota into a Chinese colony could have far reaching political consequences. After all the uneasy cohabitation between the UNP and UPFA has been made possible because of an absence of any other tempting alternative for the SLFP parliamentarians who have therefore submitted themselves grudgingly to play the lowly second fiddle in a government dominated by the UNP. As the public statements of discontent of the SLFP MPs made it clear the UNP is not treating their Blue peers well. State minister Priyankara Jayaratne, has resigned and many others are reportedly fuming at the step-motherly treatment they are receiving. When a political opening appears, the aggrieved MPs would abandon the government, like the rats jumping off a sinking ship.That would mean the end of the government itself. It is in the interest of the UNP to be magnanimous towards its SLFP partners in the government. After all, the UNPs current feat could not have been possible without a SLFP president, though he ran the presidential race against his own party. President Sirisenas victory in the presidential election itself was a result of sound calculations of electoral mathematics rather than an outright popular mandate. (He lost the Sinhala majority vote). Then, the UNP could not win the simple majority even after the president by virtue of some of his statements, effectively campaigned against his own party during the general election. Thus this is a government that was formed through compromise and intelligent calculations of electoral mathematics. It can only be sustained through compromise and intelligent behaviour. The UNP itself has its other persistent problems -- the limited public credibility which is mainly due to the former regimes demonizing of the party in the past as being in cahoots with manifold evil forces, hell-bent on undermining the country. A group of UNP parliamentarians who met President Maithripala Sirisena last week has urged him to rein in SLFP parliamentarians who undermine the government or let the UNP to form a government of its own (to which the president has asked whether the UNP itself has numbers to do so). Numbers apart, an exclusively UNP government would find it hard to function effectively and become a hostage of the image it was painted in by its opponents in the past. Any meaningful effort, be it a new constitution or economic development, is more likely to be confronted with greater venom and more people would think the protesters, no matter how selfish their real motives are, have a reasonable case. It will take at least one full term and some tangible economic and democratic gains for the UNP to effect a change in the public perception. Instead of trying to take control of the government prematurely could end its luck. "It is in the interest of the government, including its SLFP members not to create an opening for Mr Rajapaksa to exploit" Mr. Rajapaksa would be the beneficiary of all that mismanagement. He is by far the most accomplished political mobilizer among living politicians, though his success was not so much because of his virtuousness, but his dubiousness; his ability to play multiple roles to different audiences and making sure his family and cronies are happy and well taken care of. As much as Mr. Rajapaksas regime helped end a brutal war and bring peace, for which he is still credited, any future involvement by him in politics would be disastrous for the country. Sri Lanka has left behind that sordid past where extra judicial violence and heavy handedness were mandated to end a greater evil. His return would only revive the past evil. It is in the interest of the government, including its SLFP members not to create an opening for Mr Rajapaksa to exploit. The SLFP Ministers in the unity government themselves would find themselves at a relative disadvantage in case of Rajapaksa ascendancy since Mr Rajapaksa will have to look after those 50 odd members who remained loyal to him during his bad times before he doles out leftovers to others. Thus all the plum ministries will likely go to those 50 time-tested acolytes while others will get bread crumbs, which would do little justice to the SLFP members who jump the ship due to the differences over the distribution of perks and privileges within the government. There is another way that the government can play into Mr Rajapaksas hand, that is by over appeasement of the West. The latest is a proposal by the Consultative Task Force to appoint at least one foreign judge for each bench to hear cases on alleged war crimes. Another risky business is, no matter how noble its intentions are, the on-going deliberations to draft a new constitution. Finding a much needed political solution to address Tamil grievances has proved to be a highly emotive and disruptive affair in the past. Odds are high when there is little effort to inform and sell the solution to the public with an equal vigour that Mr Rajapaksa sold patriotism to the masses. The current economic circumstances are also not conducive for rushing a constitution as people who are increasingly getting frustrated over bread and butter affairs will vent their frustration through other means. Mr Rajapaksa cannot solve any of these problems, but he can exploit them to grab power. He could even govern by exploiting those differences, rather than solving them. Follow Ranga Jayasuriya The Israeli Embassy made a shocking vow to take down UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnsons deputy, a secret film revealed. The bombshell footage, covertly filmed in a London restaurant and obtained by The Mail on Sunday, showed a senior diplomat making the astonishing threat to target Sir Alan Duncan. Extraordinarily, he is egged on by a senior aide to another Conservative Minister, Robert Halfon. The video comes in a film claiming to expose the way that the Israeli government has infiltrated both the Conservative and Labour parties via its embassy in the UK, using secret cash and covert support. Further footage shows the Israeli diplomat, intelligence expert Shai Masot, telling senior Labour MP Joan Ryan that he has obtained more than 1 million to pay for sympathetic Labour MPs to visit Israel. Mr Masot also mocks crazyLabour leader Jeremy Corbyn and his weirdo supporters. Footage shows pro-Israel Labour activists discussing the Jerusalem governments secret role in backing their activities. Last night it emerged that Israeli ambassador Mark Regev had made an apology to Sir Alan for Mr Masots completely unacceptable comments. (Daily Mail, London), 7 January 2017 - The Italian Navy FREMM (European Multi-Mission Frigate) Carabiniere is scheduled to arrive in Colombo for a four-day visit from January 11 to 14. Colombo is the second port visit of a four-months deployment, started in La Spezia on December 20, which will bring the ship to call in several ports in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan and Singapore. ITS Carabiniere is an anti-submarine warship that has been delivered to the Italian Navy in April 2015, as the fourth FREMM of ten to be commissioned. ITS Carabiniere is fitted with a latest generation platform and combat systems based on state-of-the-art military and civil standards. ITS Carabinieres deployment is aimed to strength the on-going cooperation activities with some trans-regional allies and develop relations with potential partners. Main theme of the naval campaign is thus maritime safety and surveillance, cooperation strengthening and naval diplomacy. Oliver Schmidt led Volkswagen regulatory compliance office from 2014 to Mar 2015, and it was he who issued statements dismissing the initial West Virginia University reports of cheating in the emissions control systems of the company's cars, lying to US regulators and insisting that the systems were merely buggy, and not deliberately designed to get around emissions testing; after the company admitted to the fraud, he appeared before the British Parliament and insisted that the fraud didn't violate EU law. Although a low-ranking engineer has already pleaded guilty to his role in the fraud, Schmidt is the first exec to be arrested over the affair. The arrest came as Volkswagen and the Justice Department neared a deal to pay more than $2 billion to resolve the criminal investigation into the emissions cheating. The company or one of its corporate entities is expected to plead guilty as part of the deal. The settlement could come as early as next week, barring any last-minute hiccups, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations. The German automaker has been eager to put the Justice Department investigation behind it before President-elect Donald J. Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20. F.B.I. Arrests Volkswagen Executive on Conspiracy Charges in Emissions Scandal [Adam Goldman and Hiroko Tabuchijan/New York Times] (via Consumerist) ne of the worlds most eminent jurists Justice C. G. Weeramantry -- an international activist for causes ranging from inter-religious dialogue, the environment and the destruction of nuclear weapons --- passed away last Thursday after more than half a century of service to Sri Lanka and the world. Justice C. G. Weeramantry was a priceless gift to Sri Lanka and the international community. Widely regarded as a creative genius, he wrote more than 30 books on a wide range of world issues, with the rare ability of thinking deeply and writing books of substance even when he was being disturbed or while his children and grandchildren were talking or playing around the writing table of this extraordinary man. One of the proudest products of Royal College, he began his career as a lawyer in the late 1940s. Colleagues and friends say money meant little to him and he often appeared free of charge for poor litigants because he believed that justice is justice only if it is made available justly and fairly to all, specially the poor. His prophetic principle was that he fought for causes, not just cases. His values and virtues, integrity and honesty are a powerful example at a time when the legal profession to a large extent has become a big business with the law being turned into an ass and often a rich mans ass. |After he moved to the judicial service, Justice Weeramantry in 1965 was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court. His judgments were filled with spiritual wisdom and prudence. He followed the scriptural principles that justice should come with mercy and that justice without mercy would be tyranny. In 1972 Justice Weeramantry went to Australias well-known Monash University where he was given a prestigious post as a professor of law. From different countries law students came to him and he shared with them the highest concepts and precepts of the judicial and legal services. Thus it was not surprising that the world and the United Nations recognised him by giving him a post on the International Court of Justice in the Hague. Many were the people-friendly judgments he gave on issues ranging from environmental protection and the danger of possessing nuclear weapons. Some analysts believe this dissenting judgment given by Justice Weeramantry on the nuclear weapons issue may have prevented him from rising to the post of ICJ President because all five of the UNs Permanent members possessed nuclear weapons. For instance the US is today known to possess some 31,000 nuclear weapons, with each one of them known to be 50,000 times more powerful than the atom bombs which caused a human catastrophe at Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. In another famous dissenting judgment in the GabikovoNagymaros Dam case before the ICJ, Justice Weeramantry gave the world a beautiful portrait of Sri Lankas ancient environmental wisdom and irrigation marvels. The GabikovoNagymaros Dam is a large barrage project on the Danube. It was initiated by the 1977 Budapest Treaty between Czechoslovakia and Hungary. The project was aimed at preventing catastrophic floods, improving river navigability and producing clean electricity. Only a part of the project has been finished in Slovakia (the successor state of Czechoslovakia), under the name Gabikovo Dam, because Hungary first suspended and then tried to terminate the project due to environmental and economic concerns. Slovakia proceeded with an alternative solution, called Variant C, which involved diverting the Danube, the border river. These caused a still unresolved international dispute between Slovakia and Hungary. Both parties turned to the ICJ for a ruling. Justice Weeramantry in his ruling said - There are some principles of traditional legal systems that can be woven into the fabric of modern environmental law. They are specially pertinent to the concept of sustainable development which was well recognised in those systems. I wish to refer to a system with which I am specially familiar, which also happens to have specifically articulated these two needs development and environmental protection in its ancient literature. I refer to the ancient irrigation-based civilisation of Sri Lanka. It is a system which, while recognising the need for development and vigorously implementing schemes to this end, at the same time specifically articulated the need for environmental protection and ensured that the technology it employed paid due regard to environmental considerations. This concern for the environment was reflected not only in its literature and its technology, but also in its legal system, for the felling of certain forests was prohibited, game sanctuaries were established, and royal edicts decreed that the natural resource of water was to be used to the last drop without any wastage. As Justice Weeramantry was buried last Sunday, many luminaries said they wondered whether Sri Lanka would ever find a gentle giant and genius to replace Justice Weeramantry. L.G Farm (Pvt) Ltd, a broiler production, processing and marketing company based in Minneriya, secured the merit award for the large category at national level at the Entrepreneur of the Year 2016 contest, organized by the Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industries in Sri Lanka. Having started business in 1998, L.G Farm always focused its attention to satisfy of customers with high quality and wholesome broiler meat. Delicious and hygienically-packed L.G chicken products are distributed island-wide under the brand name of L.G. chicken. The company owns and operates a large environment-controlled commercial broiler farm spread over 49 acres in Welikanda, Polonnaruwa which is equipped with worlds latest broiler production and quality control systems. L.G Broiler chicken is available in leading retail and wholesale outlets around the country and the company also supplies its products to major restaurants, star-class hotels and many other places. L.G Farm is leading their way with new investments towards growth and modernization. We can consider this victory as a significant turning point in our journey to be a key chicken producer. I extend my humble gratitude to all our customers for their trust and our staff for their dedication. We hope to continue to supply many more products of superior quality in the future, said Managing Director, Thilak Samansiri. REUTERS, 08th JANUARY, 2017-North Korea said on Sunday it can test launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, saying the United States hostile policy was to blame for its arms development. Kim said on Jan. 1 that his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK, an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the countrys name. The North is formally known as the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. The United States said on Thursday that North Korea had demonstrated a qualitative improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities after an unprecedented level of tests last year. Experts have said that while North Korea may be close to testing an ICBM, it would likely take years to perfect the weapon. Once fully developed, a North Korean ICBM could threaten the continental United States, which is around 9,000 km (5,500 miles) from the North. ICBMs have a minimum range of about 5,500 km (3,400 miles), but some are designed to travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) or further. In the wake of the fresh arrest of 10 fishermen from Tamil Nadu by the Sri Lankan Navy in two separate incidents on alleged charge of trespassing into the island nations waters, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Sunday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to secure the release of the fishermen and the boats. Even as he thanked Mr. Modi for recently securing the release of Tamil Nadu fishermen, Mr. Panneerselvam said the Sri Lankan Navy had again resorted to its harsh and unjust tactic of apprehending Indian fishermen. Six fishermen from the Jegathapattinam fishing base of Pudukottai district and four from the Rameswaram fishing base of Ramanathapuram district were arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy in the early hours of January 8. The government of Tamil Nadu is extremely concerned about the continuing frequent apprehension and detention of our fishermen, he said, and pointed out that 290 fishermen from Tamil Nadu were taken into custody and 53 boats seized the whole of last year on 39 occasions.(The Hindu) MANILA AFP Jan8, 2017 -Philippine police raided an Islamic centre in Manila and briefly detained scores of people as part of heightened security before a major Catholic festival, a spokeswoman said Sunday. Two men were arrested for illegal drugs during the raid on the Islamic Center in the heart of Manila on Saturday, as authorities warned of possible attacks by Islamic militants when the Feast of the Black Nazarene reaches its peak on Monday. This is part of security preparations for the Feast of the Black Nazarene, Chief Inspector Marissa Bruno, spokeswoman for the Manila police, told AFP. She said 82 other people at the centre had been taken to a police station but were released soon afterwards when it was found they had no warrants outstanding. Bruno denied that police had targeted the Islamic Center, which includes a mosque, saying that other parts of the city had also been subjected to police operations. The inaugural ceremony of the national project to convert all the state sector buildings into solar power generating centres within two years was officially held with the patronage of Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake at the Finance Ministry yesterday. The project was launched following a proposal by budget 2017. The project will be implemented under the initiative of President Maithripala Sirisenas Beginning of 3rd Year of a Sustainable Era and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghes concept to build a powerful Sri Lanka under his Economic Policy Statement. The first solar power generation scheme under this project was fixed on the Finance Ministry building. It was commenced by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. Addressing the ceremony, Karunanayake said converting current expensive power sources into new energy sources through conserving environment is a turning point of the ongoing rapid development agenda. He pointed out that introducing solar power will help the government to manage its cost factor specially in repaying the existing colossal debts. He said the Finance Ministry expects to cut its monthly electricity bill by Rs.200,000, accordingly. Karunanayake further said, A huge amount of debt had been borrowed haphazardly when we took over the government on January 8, 2015. As a government, we found two methods to come out from this colossal debt trap. One is to leave them as they were and continue our activities. The second remedy is to go ahead by minimizing public costs, managing the economy and look for new sources of revenue. We have been implementing the best remedial measures. The national project that we inaugurated today will protect the environment on the one hand and on the other hand, it will convert the current expensive energy sources into cheap solar system thereby cutting the state sector energy costs. Therefore, we believe that all will extend their support to make this venture a success. Our aim is to set up solar panels on all state buildings by 2019 to enable them to meet their electricity demand by solar power. State Finance Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena also expressed his views during the ceremony. The previous regime, which foresaw two imminent crises, called snap elections two years ahead of its mandate. One crisis was the international allegations against the previous regime. The second was the looming economic challenges. Under the rule of the current good governance, we have already been able to restore democracy in the country and minimize international influences as well. However, we have to engage with the current global trends therefore the economic crisis is still prevailing. Today, we achieved a special milestone in our journey towards the set economic goals, Abeywardena said. Speaking at the ceremony, Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. R.H.S. Samaratunga said economic development and environment conservation cannot be separated as both are of paramount importance. He said that it was a welcoming sign that the Finance Ministry inaugurated such a programme of national importance. MP Nalin Bandara, Finance Ministry Deputy Secretaries S.R. Atygalle, A.R. Deshapriya and Chandra Ekanayake, Director General H.G. Sumanasinghe and several department heads participated. World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough Mirror Business recently met with World Bank Country Director for Sri Lanka and the Maldives Idah Pswarayi-Riddihough for a brief interview over the World Banks new Country Partnership Framework (CPF) for Sri Lanka and her take on the countrys development agenda. Following are the excerpts from the interview. What are the priorities outlined in the World Bank Country Partnership Framework that will come into effect from FY17-20 period? The recently approved Country Partnership Framework or CPF for Sri Lanka builds on a development partnership of over six decades with the World Bank. We have journeyed together during difficult times and good times, including through the dark days of the three-decade long conflict. As with all journeys, there is so much that we can learn from and successes are all the more rewarding for all involved. The progress that Sri Lanka has achieved, such as the significantly reduced poverty levels, infrastructure development, education attainment, maternal health amongst many shows both the determination and the desire of the country to move rapidly into a solid middle-income country. Sri Lanka has the ambition to become a higher middle-income country with stronger institutional capabilities and commitment to the principles of good governance practices. This declaration resonates with the World Banks twin goals and mission. The priorities outlined in the new CPF are focused on the reforms needed to end poverty and promote shared prosperity, our twin goals, which closely relate to the Government of Sri Lankas declaration of 2017 as the year to end extreme poverty. Improving macro fiscal stability and competitiveness, social inclusion and sustainability are priority areas that we are working on with the government. Many of these areas contain reforms, investments, institutional and capacity-building activities. For the selected reform areas of focus, we expect more and better jobs for educated and skilled youth, better targeting of social welfare programmes to reach the people living in poverty and improved protection to Sri Lankas environment from natural and man-made risks. We have also increased engagement with the people who are the key stakeholders in moving the country up the income ladder. In addition, the World Bank is also putting emphasis on improving good governance practices through systems of accountability and transparency. This closely tallies with the governments emphasis on the Right to Information reforms. Last but not least, we will be emphasizing more than before the need to action gender-sensitive approaches to address development issues that may impact men and women differently. We are seeing positive movement in the reform agenda. For example, in order to access the Development Policy Operation, the government of Sri Lanka fulfilled eight prior actions to enable private sector competitiveness, improve transparency and public sector management and improve fiscal sustainability. We would like to congratulate and encourage the government to continue on the reform path, which will certainly become more difficult as time passes. What are the major projects identified or scheduled under the new CPS and their funding size? The current active World Bank portfolio in Sri Lanka comprises 15 projects 13 financed by the IDA and two financed through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with a total net commitment value of US $ 1.9 billion. Urban and rural development accounts for 26 percent of the overall portfolio, followed by education and health (24 percent), transport and competitiveness (18 percent), water (16 percent) and resilience to climate and disaster risk (16 percent). Trust funds have continued to play an important role in implementing the World Bank Groups Country Partnership Strategy in Sri Lanka, supporting both analytical work and technical assistance, as well as providing stand-alone or co-financing for projects. The portfolio currently comprises five recipient-executed trust funds of a total net commitment value of US $ 54 million. Several new themes were recently added to the portfolio such as projects supporting education, agricultural modernization, social safety nets, urban infrastructure, ecosystems management, disaster risk reduction and transport connectivity and asset management. The World Bank Groups programme of support to Sri Lanka continues to benefit from close coordination and collaboration with the government and development partners. What would the World Banks approach to Sri Lankas development be going forward, given its lower-middle income status? The World Banks approach to Sri Lankas development is as outlined in the CPF. The World Bank programme will be delivered through a combination of investment financing, development policy financing (including guarantees), analytical and advisory services and technical assistance. The World Bank will also assist the government to crowd in private sector financing as well as financing from new development partners such as Asia Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) and established partners such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Japan Investment Corporation Agency (JICA), European Union (EU) and Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) amongst others. Sri Lanka can access knowledge and expertise to learn from different models and country experiences. As demonstrated before, Sri Lanka is capable of finding its own homegrown solutions learning from effective practices of other countries. The World Bank together with other development partners is happy to facilitate this learning and knowledge-sharing effort. Ultimately, it is not one model rather it will be a combination of models that will drive development solutions that are appropriate for its circumstances. How closely is the World Bank working with the present administration on propagating public-private partnerships (PPP) in infrastructure building, state-owned enterprises, etc.? The World Bank, with its global expertise and experience working on public-private partnerships, recently facilitated a knowledge-sharing workshop for key policymakers and development partners. This workshop was based on a diagnostic study identifying Sri Lankas own experiences of carrying out PPP operations in the country and the current constraints to facilitate the Sri Lankan private sector and foreign direct investments following PPP models. As a follow up to the many deliberations with the government and other development partners, the bank will be providing support to the governments initiative to set up a PPP unit, which will serve as a one-stop shop to facilitate PPP projects. It is important to recognize that on their own PPPs are not panaceas. They are a tool among others that can be used to help the government deliver on its development agenda. What is the biggest concern the World Bank currently has about Sri Lankas economy at the moment? The World Banks latest Sri Lanka Development Update a half-yearly report on the Sri Lankan economy and its prospects finds that monetary and fiscal policy corrections and the start of a new IMF (International Monetary Fund) programme have contributed to improving short-term stability of Sri Lankas economy although external reserves remain low. The report emphasizes the importance of adhering to the revenue-led fiscal consolidation path to create fiscal space for increased investment in human and physical capital and the provision of other public goods to sustain growth in the medium term. It also highlights the need for structural reforms to improve competitiveness and governance. Is Sri Lanka doing enough to improve its ease of doing business? Over the past year Sri Lanka made progress in two reform areas that are covered by the Doing Business report, namely Starting a Business and Protecting Minority Investors. The improvements, while important, were not enough to stop a decline in the countrys overall rank from 109 in 2016 to 110 in 2017. This is not necessarily an indicator that the country has slipped down in rank but is more a reflection that other peer economies have undertaken a larger number of reforms in the business environment during the same period. If Sri Lanka has the ambition to improve its rank, it will need to get up to speed on reforms. We are supporting the government in this area through several operations. We need all Sri Lankans to participate in Sri Lankas development. While the World Bank and other development partners have provided financing and the government has implemented many reforms and activities, it is ultimately critical that the key beneficiaries, the people of Sri Lanka, come together and support the implementation. We have planned a series of online and offline engagements to get regular feedback on our operations and also to get to know the great work already under implementation to realize our collaborative efforts of ending poverty in Sri Lanka. Former deputy minister Sarath Kumara Gunaratne, who was arrested by the CID on charges of misappropriating Rs.12 million belonging the Negombo Fisheries Harbour Corporation, was further remanded till January 13 by Colombo Chief Magistrate Lal Bandara today. He was arrested on January 02. Video by Courts Prasanna REUTERS: Sri Lankan police used tear gas and water cannons on Saturday to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing demonstrators protesting against a planned investment zone supported by China. Hospital authorities said at least 21 people were injured in the protests. According to police, 52 demonstrators were arrested. Protesters say that the government of President Maithripala Sirisena is trying to evict thousands of families to provide 15,000 acres (6,070 hectares) of land in the projected industrial zone for Chinese investors. The zone is in Hambantota in the Southern Province, where China has already built a US$1.5 billion port and airport, part of President Sirisenas ambitious $50 billion development project to revive the economy. The government has denied the protesters claim and says opposition is driven by former president Mahinda Rajapaksas political ambitions. Rajapaksa, who is trying to make a political comeback, has publicly criticized the plan, saying it will deprive people of agricultural land. At Saturdays opening of the investment zone, Chinese ambassador Yi Xianlang struck an upbeat note. This is the moment for China to help other countries who need investments, the Chinese envoy to Sri Lanka told the launching ceremony. No force can stop the cooperation from China to Sri Lanka. He also said the investment zone would be the most important economic project of this government and if everything goes well, China would invest US $5 billion during the next three to five years and create 100,000 jobs. Sirisenas government is already in the final phase of discussion with China Merchants Port Holdings Company Ltd to develop the China-built port, granting them 80 percent stake on a 99-year lease for US $1.12 billion. Chinas interest in the port may reflect its ambition to build a maritime silk route to the oil-rich Middle East and onwards to Europe. That makes some countries, including India and the United States, nervous with Sri Lankas proximity to shipping lanes through which much of the worlds trade passes en route to China and Japan. The port was built with Chinese loans and contractors in 2010 under Rajapaksa, as part of efforts to develop the countrys infrastructure after ending a 26-year war in 2009. The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) General Secretary MP Udaya Gammanpila, who took part in the protest which turned violent at Hambantota on Saturday, charged that government MPs had brought thugs from elsewhere to the location of their protest to make it violent. The MP said United National Party (UNP) MPs Chandima Gamage and Nalin Bandara Jayamaha were behind this. These MPs brought thugs to Hambantota. Residents regardless of their political differences, united to chase the outsiders away. That is what happened, MP Gammanpila told a news conference. He said their protest was peaceful and the water attack was launched while Ven. Omare Kassapa Thera was chanting Karaniya Metta Sutta. The Government wanted to prevent the monks from issuing a Sangha Order, he said. (Lahiru Pothmulla) LJ Frezza takes a loving look back at how Robocop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers are wry commentaries on mass media's normalizing effect on sexism, militarism, climate change, corporatism, and state-sponsored terrorism. Last year, just in time for a Trump presidency, producers announced a non-satiric Starship Troopers remake was in the works, hewing closer to the fascistic ideology of Heinlein's book. Verhoeven went off at a special screening: Our philosophy was really different [from Heinlein's book],we wanted to do a double story, a really wonderful adventure story about these young boys and girls fighting, but we also wanted to show that these people are really, in their heart, without knowing it, are on their way to fascism. [] We are living in a very interesting, or you can call it scary times, and of course you would like to do something about it, too. But I think if you go to directly into the now you have no distance you need to have a certain distance as an artist to the project and not be in the middle of it. So [with] all [that] started to happen lately, I started to read about Hitler and studying 1933 and 1934 in Germany, [which] could be a metaphor that you could use to talk about now. Paul Verhoeven's Mass Media (Vimeo / Fandor) Paul Verhoeven Slams 'Starship Troopers' Remake, Says It'll Be a Fascist Update Perfect for a Trump Presidency (IndieWire) What does Patali know about politics that Harini doesnt know? Sri Lanka is going through great pains to get its economy in order after the President-elect Donald Trump condemned Russia critics on Saturday, calling those who oppose better relations with Moscow stupid people and fools in his latest Twitter tirade. His attack comes a day after the Republican president-elect met the countrys leading intelligence agency chiefs -- including the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, and CIA chief John Brennan -- who told him that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a vast cyberattack and leaking campaign aimed at helping install Trump in the White House. Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, he tweeted on Saturday. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad! When I am President, he added, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! But the formal announcement of former Indiana Senator Dan Coats as Trumps pick for US director of national intelligence, also on Saturday, may go at least a little toward reassuring those critical of Trumps praise for Putin and desire to improve relations with Moscow. A mild-mannered former ambassador to Germany who also served on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Coats, 73, has been a vocal critic of Russias annexation of Crimea. WASHINGTON AFP Jan7, 2017 S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Biden Warns America on China: "They're Going to Eat Our Lunch" (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Biden Warns America on China: "They're Going to Eat Our Lunch" (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Biden Warns America on China: "They're Going to Eat Our Lunch" (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years "White Gold" is the New Oil (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim The Tories, aided by much of the media, are trying to pull a con trick. They want to present spending cuts as a technocratic necessity when they are in fac... 4 hours ago Blog Archive November (8) October (53) September (37) August (51) July (53) June (58) May (45) April (49) March (43) February (50) January (54) December (49) November (42) October (48) September (53) August (55) July (64) June (60) May (68) April (66) March (56) February (61) January (51) December (61) November (67) October (87) September (79) August (84) July (82) June (84) May (73) April (74) March (74) February (50) January (66) December (56) November (53) October (70) September (73) August (60) July (86) June (73) May (91) April (64) March (53) February (49) January (79) December (50) November (55) October (46) September (48) August (57) July (46) June (55) May (48) April (49) March (54) February (50) January (52) December (45) November (55) October (56) September (57) August (65) July (47) June (67) May (54) April (64) March (72) February (49) January (58) December (52) November (72) October (60) September (82) August (59) July (64) June (61) May (67) April (65) March (78) February (66) January (72) December (90) November (58) October (71) September (58) August (67) July (68) June (67) May (69) April (58) March (58) February (39) January (49) December (45) November (36) October (48) September (64) August (59) July (58) June (62) May (70) April (72) March (67) February (52) January (68) December (45) November (68) October (68) September (59) August (67) July (53) June (68) May (66) April (63) March (71) February (49) January (60) December (43) November (39) October (74) September (62) August (69) July (86) June (60) May (84) April (71) March (96) February (70) January (82) December (62) November (62) October (66) September (81) August (71) July (61) June (55) May (67) April (46) March (53) February (43) January (54) December (46) November (38) October (46) September (57) August (71) July (73) June (75) May (48) April (44) March (59) February (46) January (36) December (45) November (45) October (41) September (46) August (36) July (40) June (48) May (38) April (35) March (30) February (26) January (30) December (22) November (26) October (34) September (26) August (16) July (17) June (19) May (19) April (12) March (14) February (13) January (26) December (21) November (16) October (14) September (15) August (15) July (17) June (16) May (15) April (11) March (13) February (12) January (11) December (16) November (30) October (28) September (23) August (7) July (6) June (7) May (2) April (1) March (2) February (2) January (2) December (2) November (2) October (1) September (1) August (2) July (3) June (4) May (1) April (1) February (2) Greenhill & Co., Inc., an independent investment bank, provides financial and strategic advisory services to corporations, partnerships, institutional investors, and governments worldwide. The company offers advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, private capital raising, and other similar transactions. It also advises clients on strategic matters, including activist shareholder defense, special committee projects, licensing deals, and joint ventures; and valuation, negotiation tactics, industry dynamics, structuring alternatives, and timing and pricing of transactions, as well as financing alternatives. In addition, the company provides restructuring advisory services to debtors, creditors, governments, and other stakeholders, and acquirers of distressed companies and assets; and advice on restructuring alternatives, capital structures, and sales or recapitalizations. Further, it assists clients in identifying and capitalizing on incremental sources of value; and on court-assisted reorganizations by developing and seeking approval for plans of reorganization, as well as the implementation of such plans. Additionally, the company advises on private placements of debt and structured equity, refinancing of existing debt facilities, negotiating the modification, and amendment of covenants, as well as acts as an independent advisor. It also offers financial advisory services to pension funds, endowments, and other institutional investors on transactions involving alternative assets; and advice to alternative asset fund sponsors for private capital raising, financing, restructuring, liquidity options, valuation, and related services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York. News / Local by Alice Dube Acting president Emmerson Mnangagwa has been described as an unsophisticated politician who is overrated and naive of political developments.This comes in the wake of Mnangagwa pictured holding a mug inscribed "I am the boss"."His recent moves seem to betray, somewhat, a lack of grasp of how the Zanu PF patronage and factional system works. He seems to have exposed himself, his surrogates and political running dogs" political commentator Maxwell Saungweme is quoted saying."If one looks at his liberation history and his tenure in government in senior roles, the guy has never portrayed political shrewdness. He is mostly famed for being consistent in carrying out missions in the liberation struggle or for being brutal in government."He is not known for being an orator, a diplomatic politician or a shrewd tactician." His latest actions betray the real person in him, an unsophisticated politician. To me, this is the real Ngwena for you and his actions are definitely suicidal given the factionalism and patronage system in Zanu PF," Saungweme said.Mnangagwa hosted scores of Zanu PF renegades and suspended party officials at a Christmas party at his homestead in Mapanzure, Zvishavane.According to media reports, the following attended the party, Matabeleland South youth chairman Washington Nkomo, Edmore Samambwa (Midlands), Tawanda Mukodza (Manicaland) and Vengayi Musengi (Mashonaland West), suspended former Zanu PF chairman for Masvingo Ezra Chadzamira and Ziyambi Ziyambi.Zanu PF chief whip Lovemore Matuke, Larry Mavima, Machando, Albert Nyakuedzwa, Primary and Secondary education deputy minister Paul Mavima and former Zanu PF provincial chairman for Manicaland Mike Madiro S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim S&P 500 3,719.89 DOW 32,001.25 QQQ 260.49 Harnessing Neuroplasticity Allows You to Actually Change the Way You Think. Here's How. Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Energy Transfer Raises Guidance, But Stock Lower On Revenue Miss eBay or Etsy: Which Is The Better Buy? Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Papa Johns Falls Flat On Earnings, Shares Set To Rise Bank of England makes biggest interest rate hike in 30 years Mr. Wonderful's DeFi Comeback (Ad) Nikola Shares Fall Even As EV Maker Beats Q3 Expectations UN agency: No evidence seen for Moscow's 'dirty bomb' claim News / National by Staff reporter They received poor rains last year, and hunger followed as they did not harvest anything.The villagers had to rely on the benevolence of non-governmental organisations, and government food aid.They prayed for the rains this year, and indeed the rain came; but still, despair and hunger lurks.An eight-hour storm pounded Gwanda South last Thursday, washing away three dams and crops in its wake.Mud huts were destroyed and livestock was swept away following the storm that left a trail of destruction in the impoverished constituency.It all began shortly after 4pm, said Phuthego Nare from Gungwe's Ward 10 area in Gwanda South."I have stayed in this area for years but I have never experienced or seen such ferocious rains," he said."At some point, I thought my house would give in and be swept away together with my family."We just sat there in the room, praying for the rains to stop or maybe to spare our lives."Luckily, none of Nare's huts gave in to the heavy rains that destroyed three dams; Gungwe, Matulungundu and Makokwe.But still, Nare was left counting losses after six of his goats were swept away and disappeared without a trace.In the fields, the story is the same. His crops were all washed away.Esau Mashila, also from Gungwe, was equally left counting his losses."I lost goats and donkeys. I cannot even talk of the extent of the damage at the fields. We just have to re-plant, but sadly, we do not have money to buy more maize seed," he said."We appeal for assistance in the form of maize seed, so that at least we can be able to feed our families with the little we might get."Gwanda South has always been drought-prone, receiving poor rains year after year.However, the recent rains that were seen as a blessing to the generally dry region have left many in despair after losing their crops and livestock in last Thursday's storm.Livestock is considered a status symbol, a source of pride in rural areas such that one's standing and respect in society is measured by how big their kraal is.The worst affected villages are Makokwe, Ntswangu, Mawaza Gungwe, Malitou, Simbuka and Mselele.To make the desperate situation a lot worse, they have been left without nearby water sources after Gungwe, Matulungundu and Makokwe dams were washed away. They must now walk long distances to water what's left of their livestock.Some boreholes were also destroyed.In Ntalale, a bridge was swept away while the causeway bridge on Tuli River is no longer passable after the damage by the rain."I am still searching for my sheep, but I would also like to believe that livestock rustlers took advantage of the situation to steal our livestock,"said former MDC Gwanda South MP, Ekem Moyo."Holticultural plants on fields located in river banks were destroyed"Water was flowing to nearby villages where many animals drowned."Gwanda south is always drought-stricken and most villagers depend on boreholes for water, but after the heavy storms, the situation has become desperate."Villagers have appealed to the government for resources to help rehabilitate the destroyed dams."The government should make sure that something is done in the affected areas before the situation goes out of hand in terms of water-borne diseases, which can easily take advantage," Moyo said."Food assistance should also be speeded up to alleviate the current drought situation."Gwanda Rural District Council chairperson, Johnson Mangwangwa weighed in, saying the storms were a setback to villagers who were looking forward to a better harvest this year."A lot of people relied on Gungwe dam for agricultural purposes and for watering their livestock but after it burst, there is only despair."Villagers also have to walk long distances to water their livestock."We appeal to the government and NGOs to assist in the re-construction of these dams as they were the only source of livelihood for many," Mangwangwa said.Gwanda, like most parts of the country, has been receiving incessant rains since mid-last month.About 200 families were evacuated in Hwange, Matabeleland North after the coal mining town was hit by severe flooding.At a Makomo Resources coal mine, a number of miners were also trapped underground following the heavy rains.There were also reports that six people were swept away as they pushed a vehicle that was stuck in a flooded river in Chiredzi.Last month the Meteorological Services Department issued a floods alert, saying most parts of the country would receive above normal rainfall in the next season.Zimbabwe is emerging from one of the worst droughts associated with the El Nino weather phenomenon, which saw a number of water sources drying up soon after the 2015/16 rainy season. News / National by Staff reporter The Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (Zimra) has announced that it will auction vehicles that were abandoned at Plumtree Border Post within 30 days, if the owners do not claim them.Some of the cars have been at the border post - separating Zimbabwe and Botswana - since 2012.Zimra is responsible for assessing, collecting and accounting for revenue on behalf of the State through the Finance ministry as well as facilitating trade and travel by ensuring smooth movement of goods and people through border ports.The Authority said it has no details of the importers or vehicle owners, according to the Government Gazette general notice 2 of 2017 published on January 6."It is hereby notified, in terms, of section 39(2) of the Customs and Excise Act (Chapter 23:02), that the following vehicles will be dealt with in terms of section 39(3) and (4) of the Customs and Excise Act (Chapter23:02) if not claimed within 30 days of the publication of this notice in the Gazette. All the vehicles were abandoned at Plumtree Border Post and will be disposed of by auction," read a notice by acting commissioner general Happias Kuzvinzwa.The abandoned vehicles include an ERF-E58 Crane truck, 2006 Kia Seddona, 1999 Landrover Freelander, 1996 Toyota Hiace, 2002 Lexus IS200, 2000 LDV 400 Series and a 2004 Lexus GS300, among others.This comes as government has launched a clampdown on foreign-registered vehicles temporarily imported into Zimbabwe by visitors and residents living abroad by drastically cutting their duration of stay in the country following abuse of the facility by local car dealers.Finance minister Patrick Chinamasa said government reduced the maximum period under which Zimra could permit such vehicles to stay in the country to three months from 12 months with effect from January 1, this year.Foreign-registered private vehicles imported into the country by visitors are issued with a temporary import permit by Zimra upon entry."...beneficiaries of temporary import permits should abide by set conditions, which include, an undertaking to remove the vehicle at the expiry of the temporary import permit and non-disposal of the vehicle within the country, among others, this, however, has not been adhered to," Chinamasa said in the 2017 national budget."Consequently, a significant number of motor vehicles under temporary import permits have not been acquitted, and some end up being disposed onto the local market, resulting in loss of revenue to the fiscus," the Treasury chief said.He also highlighted that Zimra was to develop a system that links motor vehicles issued with temporary import permits to the Central Vehicle Registry and the Zimbabwe National Roads Administration Agency in order to deter registration of such motor vehicles. CHRISTIANSBURG Cyron Stokes, accused of Friday's murder in a Christiansburg hearing aid clinic, said Monday that he hoped to receive the death penalty, wanted no attorney, and was "tired of America." "I don't want to see another human being," Stokes said during a short arraignment hearing in Montgomery County General District Court. Stokes, 25, of Christiansburg is charged with first-degree murder and malicious wounding. He is accused of stabbing to death Amy Byrd Shrader, 58, of Narrows and wounding Rhonda Shelton. The attacks occurred at Anderson Audiology, a business in the Oak Tree Park building in Christiansburg where Shrader had been the patient care coordinator since 2014. Stokes has a hearing impairment and Judge Gino Williams' questions to him were relayed in sign language by an interpreter. When the judge asked if he understood the charges against him and the possible penalties, Stokes answered that he wanted the death penalty. Williams told him that the maximum penalty for first-degree murder is life in prison. Stokes had filled out a form waiving his right to counsel. "I don't want no g-- d--- lawyer," he told the judge. Williams said that he was appointing Matt Roberts of Blacksburg as standby counsel, and that Roberts would be available if Stokes had questions as his case moves through the courts. Roberts introduced himself to Stokes, speaking through the interpreter, and Stokes shrugged before being led out of the courtroom. A downtown business group that formed last fall is planning to advocate for improvements on and around Charlottesvilles Downtown Mall, including a focus on parking issues. At a recent meeting of the Downtown Mall Alliance, its fourth since forming, participants discussed recruiting new members, marketing and advertising, fundraising and lobbying at City Hall to have local officials attend to the groups concerns. Although the group, which has about 20 members at present, has not yet established specific lobbying priorities, some members are pushing to emphasize parking and public safety. DMA founder Cynthia Schroeder, for example, said shes worried that a city plan to install parking meters could ruin the mall. People perceive theres no place to park. Theres no free parking, she said, arguing that charging people to park their car to patronize the mall is antithetical to creating an inviting destination for shoppers and workers. Its perceived as a money maker, she said about the on-street parking meters, which the City Council approved last year. Councilor Bob Fenwick, who was in attendance at the meeting, said the city is about two or three months away from sending out requests for bids on that project, but that he would try to delay the process. When the matter came before the council last April, Fenwick was the only councilor to vote against it. The other councilors approved the idea based on recommendations from studies in 2008 and 2015 that said parking meters would encourage commuters to use off-street garages and open up the on-street spaces to transient shoppers and other patrons. Were in a situation where the parking meters appear to be on the horizon. Were still talking about whether its good in particular. Weve already answered that question. We took [parking meters] out before and encouraged people to come downtown. And it helped, Fenwick said. I just dont follow the reasoning that implementing parking meters will be beneficial for the downtown community, he said. Erin Hill, a property manager for real estate magnate Ludwig Kuttners Hampshire Investments, said the company has had trouble leasing parking spaces near the Ix Art Park. She said a number of potential customers declined to lease one of those spaces because of the dim lighting along Second Street. People are worried about parking more than a few blocks away, she said. If people dont feel safe, how can we bring them to the mall? Schroeder, owner of Spring Street Boutique, said she plans to address the City Council about the issues and lobby for solutions. Additionally, she said she might ask for public funding to assist the alliance in promoting positive programs to address downtown problems. While the group is still in its infancy, Schroeder said one of its chief goals is to overcome bad perceptions of the downtown area. The downtown area is great for tourists, she said, but there are reasons why some local residents dont want to come downtown. She said some locals avoid the downtown commercial center due to concerns about parking and safety. So much is about perception right now with the mall, Schroeder said. Perceptions of malfeasance and ineffectiveness of the Downtown Business Association of Charlottesville have drawn some to the new group. The downtown community needs an energetic advocate, Fenwick said. And because of what DBAC has gone through recently, they were not getting that. DBAC was being used by another party not to improve the Downtown Mall, but to improve someones position, he said, alleging that officials tied to Charlottesville Parking Center owner Mark Brown tried to manipulate the group. Last year, Brown sued the city over a rate-setting dispute at the Water Street Parking Garage, which the city and CPC co-own spaces in. When rumors of the city selling its shares to Brown began circulating, business owners entered the fray and called on the city to keep its stake so that it could prevent Brown from raising the rates. At the time, George Benford, then-chairman of DBACs board of directors, was hesitant to have the group get involved in the matter. A few DBAC directors, including Schroeder, alleged that Brown tried to have Benford and other directors some associated with businesses Brown owns block any measures critical of his case against the city. According to Joan Fenton, current chairwoman of the DBAC board, Benford recently resigned from the organization because he plans to move to North Carolina. While that controversy has made for strained relationships among some downtown merchants, Schroeder said she is still a member of DBAC and hopes her new organization and DBAC can co-exist and potentially work together. She added that she hopes the Downtown Mall Alliance, which will invite mall-area residents to be members, can give a voice to those working and living around the mall. Its always important to express your concerns. If the city doesnt know how you feel, then they wont have any information to work with. A section of Tardy Mountain Road just north of Altavista and Lynch Station will remain closed until at least Monday due to bridge railing damage caused by a Virginia Department of Transportation dump truck, an official with the road agency said. Paula Jones, a spokeswoman for VDOTs Lynchburg district, said the vehicle was clearing Tardy Mountain Road on Sunday afternoon when it began to slide and struck a bridge railing near the roadways intersection with Goodman Crossing Road in Campbell County. Traffic crashes were widespread as snow and well-below freezing temperatures swept the state and region this past weekend. Virginia State Police announced the agency responded to 772 crashes and aided 1,234 disabled vehicles statewide between midnight Saturday and 6 p.m. Sunday. State police also received a total of 3,928 calls for service. They warned that sub-freezing temperatures will refreeze any thawing that took place during daylight hours and will cause treacherous road conditions overnight until mid-week at least. The agency has so far confirmed one traffic fatality, which occurred in Greene County. A car lost control on a downhill curve and struck another disabled vehicle, then ran off the road and overturned into a creek about noon Saturday. The driver was taken to a Charlottesville hospital, where he died. A total of 58 traffic crashes occurred in state polices Wytheville division as of early Sunday night. Eighty-five disabled vehicles were reported in that division, which covers Dublin. In the Salem division, which covers the Roanoke and Blacksburg areas, there were a total of 132 crashes and 119 disabled vehicles. Scientists at the giant multinational energy company then known as Exxon were aware as early as the 1970s that burning products made from oil would contribute to global warming and, eventually, raise sea levels and alter climates. Investigative reports published in 2015 by The Times and Inside Climate News found that the company made internal calculations about how such changes would affect its business recognizing, for instance, that the polar ice caps were shrinking and that the company's operations in the Arctic could change dramatically as a result. But even as it privately schemed about how to handle the risks and benefits of climate change, the oil giant publicly argued that the science it knew to be right was actually murky. For years, Exxon financed projects aimed at undermining the growing scientific consensus about global warming, and continued to sell stock to investors without acknowledging either the dangers to the world of burning fossil fuels or the threats that rising and more volatile seas posed to the company's own offshore drilling operations and coastal installations, among other climate change-related business risks. The gap between what Exxon officials knew to be true and what they said publicly suggests both hypocrisy and a lack of concern about the fate of the planet. But whether the company violated securities law in the process is another question. That is the subject of investigations by several state attorneys general, led by those in New York and Massachusetts, who have subpoenaed hundreds of thousands of pages of documents. Exxon Mobil has responded to the state subpoenas, but it also is trying to persuade a federal judge in Texas to close down the Massachusetts investigation, accusing the state of trampling its First Amendment rights. Whether a federal judge in Texas would have authority to interfere in an ongoing state investigation in Massachusetts is the subject of yet more legal wrangling. At the same time, Rep. Lamar Smith, R-Texas, the oil-friendly chair of the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, has demanded documents from the ongoing state investigations, including from Harris' office a troubling attempt by Congress to interfere in state-level criminal investigations. Smith's committee also has sought documents from independent environmental groups that, using the campaign against the tobacco industry as a blueprint, are acting in concert to try to hold the oil industry responsible for climate change damages it knew its products were causing. Exxon Mobil's calculated manipulations cost the world an opportunity to attack global warming earlier than it did. If Exxon Mobil and other oil companies had acted more in the common interest rather than focusing on profit, the world might not be struggling today to ratchet back emissions and avoid catastrophic changes. With President-elect Donald J. Trump's nomination of Exxon Mobil Chief Executive Rex Tillerson as secretary of State, the company's climate change-denying disinformation campaign demands as full and fast a public accounting as is possible. Excerpted from The Los Angeles Times. WAYNESBORO If you want to find out more about the governments recently announced $50 million settlement with DuPont or question officials on how that money will be spent you might want to head to Tuesday night's meeting at the Waynesboro Public Library. Thats where state and federal trustees those responsible for implementing the settlement will summarize the agreement and answer questions from the public. The meeting starts at 6 p.m. and is scheduled to run until 8:30 p.m. The $50 million pact, which was announced last month in Richmond, is easily the largest natural resource damage settlement in Virginias history. It stems from DuPonts release of mercury from its Waynesboro plant into the South River. Mercury, which the company used as a catalyst in the manufacturing process of synthetic material, was released into the river for more than 20 years starting in 1929, the year the plant opened. Mercury is a neurotoxin that can cause significant neurological and developmental disorders in both humans and animals. Its release into the South River resulted in long-term contamination of more than 100 miles of river and surrounding floodplain, and damage to fish and other wildlife populations in and around the South River. DuPont has spent millions of dollars to mitigate the contamination and its effects on wildlife, and recently started a project in Waynesboro in which the company is containing mercury still imbedded in the banks along the South River. That project, and others like it, are separate from the recently announced settlement. The agreement calls for DuPont to pay $42.3 million in cash and to fund the design and implantation of a fish hatchery in Front Royal. Other projects include land restoration and protection initiatives, improvements to fish habitat and other wildlife and recreational enhancements. But under terms of the settlement, no definitive amount of money or projects are earmarked for Waynesboro. Two projects outlined in the agreement include potential benefits to the city, but there are no guarantees those projects will come to fruition, or, if they do, that they will benefit Waynesboro specifically. That does not sit well with local civic activists and leaders, who say Waynesboro, which is essentially ground zero in the mercury contamination, should have been given much more consideration in the settlement. We understand from a legal and administrative standpoint, we dont have a stake, City Manager Mike Hamp said last year, before the settlement was released but after certain details of the plan had been divulged. We would hope the settlement would acknowledge the most substantial impact borne by the community of Waynesboro. Urbie Nash, an environmental engineer, conservation activist and co-chair of the Center for Coldwaters Restoration, was more blunt. Its so inequitable, Nash, of Waynesboro, said of the city not being guaranteed any specific funding or project from the settlement. Its a tragic loss for the community. A proponent of a trout hatchery in Waynesboro, Nash asks why, for instance, is Front Royal 100 miles to the north of the mercury release site getting a multi-million dollar fish hatchery, while the city that has had its banks and waterway contaminated at the source gets no guaranteed payment? That and other questions are likely to come up at Tuesday nights meeting. The trustees say the settlement was developed carefully with consideration given to all of the affected communities, habitats and proposed projects. While some communities affected by the contamination wont receive any specific compensation, all will broadly benefit from the improvements to habitat, water quality and recreational opportunities outlined in the settlement agreement. To view the settlement, log on to www.fws.gov/northeast/contaminants/pdf/DraftSouthRiverDA.pdf CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: Declaration of All Southern Cameroon Students Association (ASCSA) on the need for school resumption on Monday, January 9 We the students of Southern Cameroon, Mindful of the strike action called by our teachers and lecturers in the South West and North West regions since November 21st 2016; Mindful of the fact that we have lost some of our fellow students during this strike action; Mindful of our brothers who were arrested and are being detent up to this moment by the government; Mindful of the need to have quality Anglo Saxon education with all its deserved values and dignity: Mindful of grievances of our teachers and lecturers tabled to the authorities of Cameroon; Mindful of the head of states end of year speech which showed no concern for the raped, brutalized, killed, arrested and detent Southern Cameroon students of the University of Buea and Bamenda, Hereby make the following declarations: 1. We give our teachers and lecturers our fervent support for the struggle. 2. We shall not go back to school without our brothers who are still under Cameroun government detention for they are our school mates, bench mates and friends. 3. We call on the authority that be to urgently dialogue with our teachers and lecturers so that they can call us back to school for we are anxious to get back to school 3. In so much as we must go to school, government should know that only the teachers who asked us not to come to school shall call us back to school. No traditional authority, civil authority, even our parents can ask us to go to school without the accord of our teachers and lecturers. 4. We are not happy with our president for the following counts: a. Fake promises: 500000 laptops to all registered students of higher institutions of learning have died a natural dead b). Students are raped, brutalized and some killed by forces of law and order yet he calls us *Extremists* We promise to remain loyal and law abiding students of our beloved country, ready to uphold the moral, educational and cultural heritage and values of the Anglo Saxon education we are currently pursuing. Addressing the Southern Cameroons a.k.a Ambazonia by Fon Fongum Gorji-Dinka I had no intention to speak out at this time but I decided to do so in response to phone and emails calling on me to speak out as the Father of Ambazonia. I want to first of all say I am not the father of Ambazonia; the father of Ambazonia is the Lord God who thousands of years ago, created the Ambas Bay, the zone of which geography identifies as Ambazonia. I am only the little creature the lord God used to put Ambazonia into writing through the pamphlets I wrote in 1985 on the Ambazonian Revolt. It is the Lord God himself who kick started the Ambazonian Revolt by making President Paul Biya enact Restoration law 84/01 on 2 January 1984 dissolving the illegal union of our two countries and restoring them back as mutually sovereign and independent of each other again, as they were before the illegal union which was first called Federal Republic and later United Republic of Cameroun. President Biya only realized it when I called on him to withdraw from Ambazonia in compliance with his restoration law. This is proof positive that the restoration of Ambazonias independence is an act of God. President Biya arrested me and I was tortured till I suffered a stroke which paralyzed my left side. He then charged me before the Cameroun military Tribunal with high treason punishable with death by a firing squad. The Lord God made the tribunal dismiss the case, but President Biya rearrested me and put me under indefinite house arrest; from there I made my escape into exile in 1988. In 1990 I went to the United Nations with our case and after studying they advised (i) that a Proclamation should be made formalizing the restoration of our country's independence with its geographical identity as Ambazonia; (ii) that a formal request be made for a seat at the United Nations including a request for the UN to put Cameroun out of Ambazonia. This we did. And the UN said Ambazonia's seat at the UN would only be available when our elected representatives stop attending Cameroun Parliament. Meanwhile in 1992 we made President Biya acknowledge Ambazonia as an independent nation, through the Bamenda High Court case HCB/28/92. The proceedings appear verbatim in the English edition of the Cameroun News Paper LE MESSAGER of 10 February 1993. With that News Paper I approached Nigeria's Head of State General Sani Abacha to use his Good Offices to get President Biya withdraw from Ambazonia in compliance with the Cameroun restoration law 84/01 and Cameroun High Court judgement HCB/28/92. When president Biya rejected Nigeria's Good offices General Abacha sent Nigerian troops to occupy Ambazonia's oil rich Bakassi Peninsula. General Abacha offered to withdraw from the Peninsula when President Biya withdraws to the east of the Mungo River. Cameroun sued Nigeria at the International Court of Justice; and the Court ordered both Cameroun and Nigeria to withdraw to their boundaries as obtained at independence. Then in January 2005 the United Nations got both Nigeria and Cameroun to sign a treaty to comply with the judgement of the International Court of Justice. And Cameroun's President Biya signed it saying I President Paul Biya of the Republic of Cameroon, in a bid to provide lasting peace to the Bakassi conflict, do hereby commit myself and my government to respect the territorial boundaries of my country as obtained at its independence." And Cameroun's independence was on 1 January 1960 when Ambazonia was still part of the Nigerian Federation. In 2009 the Lord God made the United Nations surveyors go and build huge pillars along the international boundary line which separates Cameroun from Ambazonia. When President Biya says Cameroun is one and indivisible we say yes but Ambazonia is not part of Cameroun. Cameroun constitution says the National Assembly President becomes interim Head of State till a new president is elected within 90 days, but when Ahidjo resigned Paul Biya was illegally made Head of State in order to prevent then National Assembly President S T Muna becoming interim Cameroon Head of State because he being an Ambazonian was not a Cameroonian. So President Biya has been illegal President from day one to this day. Le me reaffirm that with effect from 2 January 1984, Ambazonias independence became no longer a matter for debate. And Ambazonia would take its seat at the United Nations once our elected representatives resign from Cameroun Parliament. We therefore salute and hail our Hon. MP Wirba for leading the way in standing tall to be counted in support of our people's demand which is summarized in these 12 words: Cameroun Public Servants Go Home, Ambazonian Senators and MPs Come back Home. We are therefore thankful to our lawyers, the teachers and the masses who have made the strike a national one enabling us to have the Civil Society Consortium as our home front leadership. We call on the Consortium to stand firm with the strike till illegal President Biya withdraws from Ambazonia and till our Members resign from Cameroun Parliament; so that Ambazonia can take its seat at the United Nations. This will provide legal cover for the foreign assistance we need to reconstruct our governing organs in accordance with Ambazonia's constitution, and that is our 1960 constitution modified to replace the Queen of England with a native Ambazonian as Ambazonia's Head of State. In this connection we issued one ordinance creating Ambazonian Civil Defense Force to absorb our boys from Cameroun security forces, and another ordinance creating an interim Ambazonian government consisting of the 12 most important ministries. We will appoint persons to head the ministries only after consultations with the Civil Society Consortium which is leading the Home Front Activities. Fellow Ambazonians together let us pray to our most merciful and everlasting Father almighty, to glorify Himself early by giving us victory sooner than later. This we pray in the name and through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; Now and for evermore Amen. Thank you Father. BIYA CONFUSE, SENDS GARGA HARMAN AS YANG, FAME NDONGO AND CO FAIL By Eugene N Garga Haman Adji, a northern politician who once resigned his job as a minister in frustration because he felt President Paul Biya opposed his stance against corruption, would be heading to Anglophone Regions in coming days to try to strike a deal with striking teachers and lawyers there. Adji said Biya had asked him to undertake the mission in Yaounde on Friday during a ceremony to present New Year wishes to the head of state and he had said yes. It came as the reopening of schools remained in doubt, after the major disruption of last year and a string of failed government efforts, including direct talks, private meetings, threats and allegations of bribes. The former minister, who is now the leader of a tiny political party called Alliance for Democracy and Development, brings his reputation as Mr Clean, which he earned during his anti-corruption campaigns as Minister of Territorial Administration and State Audit from 1990 to 1992, to the assignment. He may also supply the good faith that all parties say has been so lacking in earlier talks and would be perceived as a neutral interlocutor and not as an interested party. But it remains to see how well he would do, being a Francophone. The task ahead for Adji is, to say the least, daunting. So far, the government has failed to convince teachers to return to schools and lawyers to pick up their robes. The striking professionals have upheld their industrial actions in the New Year, going a step further to call for ghost towns in Anglophone regions on Monday. They have not budged from a four-week standoff, in spite of the promise by Biya to set up an entity to go an extra mile and propose solutions. Earlier this week, the prime ministers held more meetings with different social groups in the North West, as Anglophone elite combed their constituencies, mainly to save the school year. Divisional Officer held a series of what looked like well-coordinated meeting with chiefs and parents representatives. It did not appear the outreach changed much. Instead, more groups have emerged over the last months, throwing their weight behind lawyers and teachers. It now looks like the crippling protests will expand to other parts of public life in the Anglophone regions. Already, there have been calls to boycott the Youth and National days in February and May, the two most important events on the calendar of national public holidays. In December, Wilfred Tassang, the executive secretary of the Cameroon Teachers Trade Union told us there will be some major boycotts this year. The ghost towns declared for Monday, if it works, appears to be the beginning of more trouble. Biya has undertaken parallel moves to those of the prime minister to try to resolve the problem, including sending private envoys to talk directly with lawyers and teachers. But the decision to put Adji on the task came as a surprise. Just a week ago, the president appeared to endorse ad hoc committees already at work, albeit, with difficulty to continue to broker peace. All the voices that spoke have been heard, the president said. They have, in many cases, raised substantive issues that cannot be overlooked. Adjis task is unclear and how far he can go is even more doubtful. The lawyers have for some time added federalism to their demands, posing a constitutional and political problem that Adji may be unqualified to negotiate. Biya himself did not seem ready to deal with federalism when he addressed the problem for the first time on 31 December, in the speech that inspired hope but promised no immediate action. We should remain open to constructive ideas, to the exclusion, however, of those that would affect the form of our State, he said. A Republican state lawmaker from Spotsylvania County is proposing legislation to require proof of citizenship when registering to votea proposal some critics say is another attempt at voter suppression. Del. Mark Cole recently filed a bill that would require anyone registering to vote after Jan. 1, 2018, to furnish photocopies of a document confirming his or her U.S. citizenship. Acceptable documents would include a U.S. passport, birth certificate, naturalization papers, or a Bureau of Indian Affairs Card, according to the proposed legislation. People who failed to meet the proof-of-citizenship requirement could not vote in state or local elections, though they could still participate in federal elections. Cole said dumb federal court rulings prevent the state from applying the proposed law in national elections. People registering in Virginia must swear that they are U.S. citizens, but do not have to show documentary evidence. Cole said his bill would not apply to residents who are already registered to vote in Virginia. Similar proposals have failed in previous sessions. Basically, registering to vote is on the honor system, Cole said ahead of the General Assembly session that begins Wednesday. He cited highly disputed information that many non-citizens have registered to vote. Claire Guthrie Gastanaga, executive director of the Virginia ACLU, called Coles proposal an effort to further suppress the vote in Virginia and nothing more. The different voting requirements between federal elections and those at the state and local level would also be a nightmare to administer, cost the taxpayers untold amounts of money to implement, and create confusion and long lines at election time, she said. Delegate Cole obviously knows that, legally, the Commonwealth cannot impose this requirement in federal elections, Gastanaga wrote in an email. Hence, he is proposing to burden the Commonwealths voters and the registrars who have to implement the system. Volunteer poll workers would have to sort out who can vote in which election, she said. And the law would require two different ballots in even-numbered years, when federal elections take place. This is an ill-considered proposal that seeks to put further barriers in the entrance to the voting booth without any reason, basis in fact or thought about the administrative and human costs, Gastanaga said. Cole emphasized that state and federal elections typically occur in different years, adding: I dont think that would be a huge problem or require a lot of work. Virginia lawmakers faced accusations of voter suppression after approving a new voter ID law last year. A federal appeals court last month upheld the law, which requires a photo ID to vote. Cole said he hopes both sides of the aisle will finally take election integrity seriously. Before Novembers presidential election, he said, Democrats claimed voter fraud was a myth. But now, theyre trying to say, well, [President-elect Donald] Trumps election was due to outside activities, hacking. Maybe election integrity will become a bipartisan issue. RICHMOND The General Assembly convenes Wednesday for the final session of Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffes term, and the world looks a bit different from what the Democrat expected just a few weeks ago. With Hillary Clinton roaming the woods of Upstate New York and Donald Trump headed to the White House, theres no more speculation about McAuliffes potential role in a presidential administration. What remains is the routine work of negotiating with a Republican-controlled legislature and to put the last touches on his legacy. At the same time, McAuliffe will have at least one eye on the race this year to succeed him. Even that is different: Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam was supposed to have a smooth path to the Democratic nomination so the party could focus on the general election, but this past week former congressman Tom Perriello launched a defiant bid to lead the partys ticket. So McAuliffes agenda for the session is somewhat restrained. Its a little surprising, for an ebullient governor who came into office with a reputation for being more of a party man in every sense of the word than a sober technocrat. But McAuliffe says his priorities reflect his joy in governing and desire to get things done. As governor, literally, you can change peoples lives, he said in a recent interview. He was reflective, eager to run through what he saw as accomplishments from previous years transportation projects, building a leadership team, the controversial executive action to restore felon voting rights. But above all, his drive to woo business and jobs to Virginia. Along with workforce training, he said, Ive got everybody in this building focused on that. Late this past week, McAuliffe huddled with his staff for a day-long retreat in Charlottesville, where they mapped out their plans for the coming 46-day session. Finishing strong, that was the overall sentiment, spokesman Brian Coy said. McAuliffe has set out an agenda that builds on long-standing efforts in economic development, workforce development, education and public safety, while plowing new ground on criminal justice and mental health. The governor says he is optimistic about working with Republicans on those matters, without backing down on the social issues that sharply divide them. Just in the past week, a Republican state delegate proposed a bill to restrict bathroom use by transgender people. Two days later, McAuliffe issued an executive order prohibiting state contractors from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation or identity. McAuliffe plans to support legislation to repeal the states requirement that women undergo an abdominal ultrasound before having an abortion. He also favors legislation to remove a ban on same-sex marriage made defunct by a 2015 U.S. Supreme Court ruling from the state Constitution. Hes going to continue to make the case that we cant allow Virginia to become defined by the same types of divisive social-issue battles that are raging in places like North Carolina, Coy said. Those policies are job killers. Hes committed to protecting the civil rights of gay Virginians and women because its the right thing to do. But he also believes those polices would put us in a position where businesses dont want to come here. Republicans see a more pragmatic McAuliffe coming into the session. Despite the fact that he helped deliver Virginia for Clinton the only Southern state she won Republicans see him as weakened by her national defeat and chastened by his own losing battles with the legislature. While Republicans have worked cooperatively with McAuliffe on some fronts, most notably the budget, they have thwarted the governor on a high-profile state Supreme Court nomination and his marquee campaign promise: expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. I think that he did not spend his early years looking for common ground, said Sen. Richard H. Black, R-Loudoun. He engaged in clashes with the General Assembly. And I think at this point, of course, the national election has taken the air out of the balloon for liberal Democrats. . . . Hillary Clinton was the big ticket, and he was someone who was viewed as the ultimate insider with Hillary. Senate Majority Whip William M. Stanley Jr., R-Franklin, said he thinks that could make for a more productive session. Governor McAuliffes had three years of fighting the General Assembly rather than working with the General Assembly, Stanley said. Let us hope that he learned from his last three years of defeat enough to create one year of victory. Issues that McAuliffe is pushing as big themes of the coming session will include criminal justice reform, the budget, mental illness and addiction, economic development and Medicaid expansion. LONDON - England - University students demand philosophers such as Plato and Kant are removed from syllabus because they are white. Plato and Kant are said to be the founding fathers of Western philosophy, whose ideas underpin civilised society. But politically correct snowflake students at the University of London are demanding that figures such as Plato, Descartes and Immanuel Kant should be largely dropped from the curriculum because they are white. School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)s student union is insisting that when studying philosophy the majority of philosophers on our courses should be from Africa and Asia, if the geezers had dreadlocks and smoked reefer it would be aight, innit! said one of the students. Another student opined: The fact that while the likes of Plato were discussing highly evolved ideas about civilisation 2,500 years ago, illiterate Africans were still living in mud huts. Ancient Athens was a highly developed society, with remarkable architecture, utilising highly advanced concepts of philosophy and mathematics. Two thousand and five hundred years later, Africa is much the same, people still live in mud huts although now some own a mobile phone, no doubt dropped in by whitey. Unfortunately for the SOAS students, there were no African philosophers 2,500 years ago, and they have been searching for some evidence. If it werent for that idiot who burned down the great library of Alexandria, which was actually created by Ptolemy, a Macedonian, there may be more answers, however much to the attrition of the students, they have come up stumped to find any black philosophers of the age. Blacks like to cite ancient Egypt as the cornerstone of African technology and civilisation, however it has been proven by many archaeologists and scientists that ancient Egyptians were Mediterranean Caucasoid and not sub-Saharan negroids. Going far east, there is some light, where the students can find Confucius, whose lifetime nearly coincides with the ancient Greek philosophers, but finding anything in Sub-Saharan Africa will be a real task for the students. This page may be updated if the event is repeated Past Event - Friday, January 20, 2017 This page may be updated if the event is repeated Free Event Bring your personal telescope to the Boonshoft Museum and receive assistance operating it from members of the Miami Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS). Bring your personal telescope to the Boonshoft Museum and receive assistance operating it from members of the Miami Valley Astronomical Society (MVAS). Free astronomy observing materials will be available, and visitors will also have the chance to ask questions of experienced amateur astronomers about using and/or purchasing binoculars, telescopes, and other accessories. Admission to Evening of Astronomy programs is FREE. Live night sky viewing will be available throughout the evening, weather permitting. *Note that MVAS members are not vendors and will not have items for sale. Citic and Citic Capital will have a controlling stake of 52 per cent, Carlyle will have 28 per cent, and McDonald's will hold 20 per cent of the new company. Beijing: US fast-food giant McDonald's will sell its mainland China and Hong Kong franchise business to a consortium of Citic Group and the Carlyle Group for up to USD 2.08 billion, the companies said today. Citic Limited, Citic Capital Holdings, Carlyle Group and McDonald's will form a company that will act as the franchisee responsible for the chain's business in mainland China and Hong Kong for 20 years, Citic Limited said in a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange. Citic and Citic Capital will have a controlling stake of 52 per cent, Carlyle will have 28 per cent, and McDonald's will hold 20 per cent of the new company. New Delhi: Dismissing concerns of slowdown due to demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said both direct and indirect tax collections have shown robust increase during the April-December period, indicating uptick in economic activity including manufacturing. He said direct tax collection was up 12.01 per cent at Rs 5.53 lakh crore in April-December 2016 as compared to revenue in the year-ago period, while indirect tax receipts soared 25 per cent to Rs 6.30 lakh crore. Giving the break-up, he said excise collection was up 43 per cent at Rs 2.79 lakh crore, while service tax rose 23.9 per cent to Rs 1.83 lakh crore in the first nine months of the current fiscal. Customs duty receipts were up 4.1 per cent at Rs 1.67 lakh crore. Indirect tax collection in December was up 14.2 per cent year-on-year, he said. During the month, which witnessed the demonetization process, the excise collection was up 31.6 per cent, Jaitley said, adding that this category is directly linked to manufacturing. Service tax receipts in December were also up 12.4 per cent. Customs revenue dipped 6.3 per cent as gold imports came down. "Tax collection data is real and not an estimation," Jaitley said, while dismissing apprehensions of slowdown in following currency squeeze post demonetisation. When compared with tax collections in November, indirect tax receipts in December 2016 were up 12.8 per cent, he said. "Since there has been a considerable debate in the public space as to the impact of currency squeeze in the months of November and December, the data of these two months becomes relevant," Jaitley said. VAT collections in most states too have shown an increase and they also received taxes in the old currency in November. "In my opinion, all well administered states have seen rise in VAT collection even in November," he said. New Delhi: Union finance minister Arun Jaitley on Monday flaunted double digit growth in indirect tax collection in December to claim that Narendra Modis move to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes had little impact on economic activity. However, former PM Manmohan Singh debunked government claim and said that demonetisation will have a very significant adverse effect on the countrys GDP and will be an issue in the upcoming assembly elections in five states. Mr Jaitley, in a press conference said indirect tax receipts grew by an annual 14.2 per cent in December, helped by a surge in excise, reflecting an uptick in manufacturing. In December which saw cash crunch and long lines outside banks and ATMs, following note ban saw Central excise collections grow at 31.6 per cent (a reflection on manufacturing activity), while service tax was up by 12.4 per cent. Customs mop up, however, witnessed 6.3 per cent decline, which Mr Jaitley said was mainly on account of dip in gold imports. After note ban many experts had warned of job losses and slowdown in economic activity. Finance minister dismissed these concerns as unfounded. All the stories about job losses or businesses suffering losses are anecdotal. The growth figure does not depend on anecdotal basis. Statistics and taxation figures are real. This is the money which has come in, he said. This data is real. Mr Jaitley said that when compared with tax collections in November, indirect tax receipts in December were up 12.8 per cent. Since there has been a considerable debate in the public space as to the impact of currency squeeze in the months of November and December, the data of these two months becomes relevant, the finance minister said. Tax collection in December 2016 has also moved up compared to December 2015 and November 2016. Meanwhile Dr Manmohan Singh, after releasing the Congress manifesto for Punjab polls said that note ban will have a very significant adverse effect on the country's GDP. Workers prepare LED beacon lights to fit over more than 200 SUV cars ready for convoy of VVIP and VIPs for Vibrant Gujarat 2017 at police headquarters in Ahmedabad. (Photo:PTI) Ahmedabad: The 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be inaugurated on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be held on a mega scale this time with many head of states, top global and Indian CEOs and several business houses expected to participate in it. This time the state government expects to receive investment proposals of more than Rs 25 lakh crore from the at Summit, which was the brain child of Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. In the seventh addition of the summit held in January 2015, Rs 25 lakh crore investment proposals were received by the state government. Around 20 heads of state and ministers representing different governments across the world would attend the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Nisha Desai Biswal, an Indian-American serving as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State will remain present along with large US business delegation. Other prominent dignitaries are - President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, PM of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, Deputy PM of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin, first Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Poland, Poitr Glinski. PM Modi will interect with some of the top state heads ahead of the formal inauguration of the Summit tomorrow. This time, 12 nations have agreed to become partner countries for the event. They are - USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and UAE. Representatives of these countries will come with large business delegations. After the inauguration ceremony, Modi will attend CEO's conference in which top global and Indian industry leaders will participate. Out of these top 50 industry leaders, 25 will be from India while the remaining will be from other countries, such as USA, Japan, France, UK, Netherlands and Taiwan among others, said Additional Chief Secretary (industries and mines) P K Taneja. They include Chairman of technology giant Cisco, John Chambers, who also leads a US business delegation, President of Boeing International Bertrand-Marc Allen and CEO of French electricity giant EDF, Jean-Bernard Levy. Apart from more than 1500 national and international delegates, heads of state and industry leaders from across the world, as many as 12 central ministers including Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitely will attend the event. Seminars on key topics including GST, in which Jaitley and RBI Governor Urjit Patel will participate, have also been planned on the sidelines of the event. New Delhi: Dismissing doubts on quality of Chinese solar equipment, Power Minister Piyush Goyal today said that India is looking at affordable power and not at the country of its origin, especially when it is imported by private players who ensure quality beforehand. India imported solar and photovoltaic cells worth about USD 826 million from China in the first six months of the current fiscal, which is over 87 per cent of the countrys total such imports. "We are looking at ensuring that power cost remains affordable in India and within that, as long as quality is maintained in a globally integrated world, we dont see where the equipment comes from," Goyal told reporters when asked about large solar cells orders going to China. The Minister, while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the 7th India-Japan Energy Forum, further said, "At the same time, we are looking at encouraging Indian manufacturers to expand their scale of operations and bring in the best of technologies." Asked about the shorter life cycle or durability of Chinese equipment, the Minister replied, "I think the (mobile) phones you are using, may also have been made in China...just bashing a country is not good approach of a good policy maker." Elaborating further he said, "It is the private sector which is buying equipment largerly...private sector knows best and can bring efficiency and best of technologies to play. Private sector, which has bought this equipment, has ensured its life cycle and quality." India has set an ambitious target of adding 100 GW of solar power generation capacity by 2022. Earlier, Goyal presided over a bilateral meeting with the Japanese delegation led by Economy, Trade and Industry Minister of Japan, Hiroshige Seko. Speaking on the scope of India-Japan cooperation, Goyal said that the forum is a platform to engage with the island nation for mutual benefit in energy sector by working towards bringing Japanese expertise in cutting edge engineering and technology to India. This would help India in enhancing Grid stability, bringing Electric Mobility at affordable prices to the country etc., which the government is vigorously pursuing, he added. The Minister also informed that during the bilateral meet with his Japanese counterpart, it was put across that India?s power demand is going to expand four-fold in the next 15 years. Goyal also said that India and Japan should cooperate on long-term contracts for LNG with a defined cost of energy which would provide a stabilising factor for the Renewable Energy thrust that India is currently putting. Mumbai: After a substantial period of differences, Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are back to being the thick of friends, so much so, that they have been promoting each others films recently. So it is obvious that when Salman Khans reality show Bigg Boss is currently on air, Shah Rukh would make an appearance on it to promote his upcoming film Raees. We had earlier reported that Shah Rukh will be shooting for the show on January 20 for the weekend episodes airing on January 21 and 22. And he has now shot for a special teaser to the episode along with his close buddy Salman. In the video, Salman attempts to recite Shah Rukhs popular dialogue from 'Raees' but fumbles at the start by getting confused about how to address his mother. Shah Rukh is seen pulling his leg about not knowing the dialogue despite it getting so popular already. Salman then gets into his Sultan mode to announce Shah Rukhs arrival on the show. Watch the video here: Get ready for an entertaining episode when two superstars would be seen bonding together. The pressure is on me as I perform without my band for the first time, says Behram Performing in Europe has always been a dream and checking out the Northern Lights has always been on my bucket list. But I would have not once imagined that the first ever time I ever played in Europe would actually be under the Northern Lights! Not really loving the cold, I never thought that I would be this excited to perform in freezing temperatures of -23 degrees and below but Im sure I wont even realise how cold it is, in the heat of the moment. Ive had a chance to meet the team that will be travelling with me from January 12 to 18 and I was overwhelmed by their excitement to travel with me. We will arrive at Tromso and go hunting for the Northern Lights, head out to a husky dog camp, learn how to ride a dog sled, check out its bustling night life and explore Oslo, another city. All this, not without the special concert weve put together! The team and I have planned a very intimate show which will take place inside traditional Nordic tents called Luvvus. The pressure is on me as I perform without my band for the first time. This performance will include stripped down, acoustic versions of Best Kept Secrets recent song, Cant Let You Go amongst other originals. This show will also include my renditions of songs by artistes such as Justin Timberlake, Bruno Mars, John Mayer and a few others. Being an English band in a country like India, which is so heavily dominated by Bollywood and regional music, this isnt an easy feat. We have been playing together for four years now and we have struggled to put our music out there. And in this endeavour, its great that radio stations like Indigo 91.9 offer this kind of support to an emerging English band from India. The writer is the lead vocalist and bass guitarist of Bengaluru electro-pop band, Best Kept Secret and will perform as part of a curated experience by TheIndigoXp.com With filmmakers here constantly introducing new faces, actresses like Karishma Kotak, Anuradha Mehta, Siya Goutham, Bhanushree Mehra and Isha Sahani have been fortunate to have mega debuts in Tollywood. And although theyve been paired opposite a top star, in a big-budget film, none of them could build a successful career. Some became one film wonders, others acted in a couple of more films. Not surprisingly, most of the actresses are imported from Mumbai, Delhi and other metros. Some have even managed to reach the top and rule the Telugu cinema while others struggled to find a decent project. When we sign on an actress, we look into several aspects. At the end of the day, talent matters, says director Gunasekhar, who delivered blockbusters like Sogasu Chooda Tharama, Choodalani Vundi, Manoharam, Okkadu and the recent Rudhramadevi. He introduced Bhanu Sri Mehra with the film Varudu (2010) opposite Allu Arjun. After her debut, she couldnt find a single good project. Bhanus face was not used in the pre-publicity of the film. The makers wanted to create a buzz about the leading lady, so they didnt show her face in any publicity poster, says the source. That backfired for Bhanu Sri. Since the film didnt do well and she didnt get another chance to prove. Anu Mehta too made her debut opposite Allu Arjun in a blockbuster film Arya, did another film Nuvvante Naakishtam with director EVV Satyanarayana and left the industry. Rumours were rife that she was fed up with the peoples attitude in the industry. Shiju S. Basheer hesitates. Someone wants to know the story behind a picture he took. There, in it is an old man resting peacefully on the street below a wall full of pictures of gods and goddesses. That photo, clicked in Kathmandu, speaks for itself, doesnt it, Shiju asks. If you still have questions, there is a coffee table book called Unscripted Lives that Shiju has authored. He has kept a few copies of it at the Ballard Bungalow, Fort Kochi, where he is also holding an exhibition of some of the photographs he has clicked from around the world. Its got a theme oldness can be loneliness, Shiju says. On the walls he has pinned carefully chosen pictures of the old, some as profiles, some in action. Seeing these, many visitors became emotional and my hope is that at least some will refrain from abandoning their old parents. Shiju interacts with the people he takes photos of. A 90-year-old woman in Jodhpur who saw him with his camera asked Shiju if he was going to click her picture. He said no and she said no-one has taken her picture in 90 years. Go ahead, take my picture, she told him. And Shiju clicked a face, a story in every wrinkle and line. He found lonely figures in his homeland too. In an old tharavadu in rural Kerala where the sole inhabitant is an old man, standing in Shijus photo at a spot that had once bustled with relatives. In Nepal he had found another old woman called Mrs Wangdu who was forced to leave her property by her son but who had persistently fought. I wouldnt go anywhere else. This is my home, she yelled to deaf ears. But Shiju ends his notes with hope. A saviour can be here, anytime. His exhibition ends on January 15. Berlin: Sex has for long been an important part of life as human beings across the globe through the ages have worked on having better and more frequent sex, which is also seen as a sign of a healthy and happy lifestyle. While experts in the field and smart phone apps have been making sure that dating and sex is within everyones reach, now a political party in Germany is rooting for the idea of authorities covering expenses of sex services for disabled people. You got that right; spokesperson for Germanys Green Party, Elisabeth Scharfenberg suggested that local authorities should cover the cost of sex for disabled people in the country. After prostitution was legalised in 2002, there has been a rise in number of sex workers offering sexual assistance to people suffering from severe health conditions like dementia or physical disabilities, as services can include anything from affectionate touching or intercourse. A sexual advisor for a care home told a local newspaper Welt that services by prostitutes are a blessing for some patients, this it seems is a basis for including sexual services as a part of medical expenses. The Netherlands have already made it possible for people to claim money spent on sex as medical costs from the authorities. The procedure for the idea pitched by the party would require the patients to obtain a certificate to show that they cannot achieve sexual satisfaction by other means and that they are not able to pay for it. Meanwhile another expert in the field of researching medical care, Professor Wilhelm Frieling-Sonnenberg disagreed with the proposal and described the idea as contemptuous towards human dignity. I immediately rushed to the person and Tunnu started flapping its wings as soon as it noticed me, said Mr Samar. Bhopal: Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh, Madan Mohan Samar was reunited with an his inseparable member of his family, his pet parrot Tunnu, thanks to Facebook. A home guard had given the bird to Mr Samar 11 years ago soon after it was born. The bird had gone missing on January 4. Mr Samar had been searching for Tunnu since then. He had sent messages all the MPs pleading them to inform him if they sighted the bird. He had also issued advertisements in local newspapers. He also made an appeal on Facebook, uploading the pictures of the bird. The post was shared 88 times and got response from 750 people. A local pan shop owner saw the post on facebook. He called Mr Samar on Friday to inform him that he had spotted Tunnu. I immediately rushed to the person and Tunnu started flapping its wings as soon as it noticed me, said Mr Samar. New Delhi: A 50-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly killing a man on the New Year's Eve following a quarrel over a paltry sum of Rs 100 in northwest Delhi's Kanjhawala area, police said on Sunday. Shambhu was arrested along with his associate Mobin for killing Malkhan after they had a fight while consuming liquor on the evening of December 31, they said. Police said that during interrogation, Shambhu disclosed that he and Mobin were known to Malkhan and the three were having liquor near a canal that day. "During consumption of alcohol, a quarrel took place between Mobin and Malkhan on a matter involving just Rs 50-100. Being friend of Mobin, he (Shambhu) also supported Mobin. They both thrashed Malkhan with the intention to kill him," Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Ravindra Yadav said. He said both Shambhu, who is an illiterate, and Mobin are working as masons. Yadav said a complaint was made by the deceased's father that on December 31 his son had gone to their neighbour's house but did not return and on the next morning, his dead body with injury marks was found near a canal, adjacent to their colony. A case was lodged in the matter at Kanjhawala police station here. Hyderabad: A 15-year-old girl died suspiciously at Patancheru on Sunday. Dindi Laxmis family held her last rites without informing anyone. Police booked a suspicious death case and launched a probe. The State Commission for Protection of Child Rights (SCPCR) also issued a notice to the Sangareddy SP to file a report by January 25. Laxmis parents Mahesh and Sakkubai, were working in a brick kiln. On Saturday Laxmi attended school and wrote an exam also, police said. Principal Prakash said she was healthy. Villagers said her parents had said she died due to ill health. They said the parents used to force her to work at the kiln and beat her. Her death is suspicious as her parents cremated her instead of burying as is done in the case of unmarried people. The case has been prioritised by the police and a senior police officer visited the patient today, the MLA said. (Photo: Representational Image) Itanagar: A youth from Arunachal Pradesh was admitted in a Bengaluru hospital "in a racial attack case" and his condition was serious, an Arunachal MLA has alleged following his talks with authorities in the southern city. Khuadun Khangham, who was working in a restaurant in Bengaluru, was assaulted by miscreants and then thrown out of a moving vehicle on January 7, the MLA from Kanubari said. The 25-year-old man hailing from Ozakho village under Kanubari sub division of Longding district was admitted at the hospital in a critical condition, said MLA Gabriel Denwang Wangsu. Initially it was presumed to be a hit and run case. But after investigation, it is emerging that Khangham wasthrown out of a running vehicle, Wangsu said quoting thepolice from Bengaluru. He said it was not any accident but a "murderous attack, racial attack". Wangsu said he informed the matter to Delhi Police IGP Robin Hibu, who is from the NE region, requesting him to talk to police authorities in Karnataka, and he did. Wangsu said that according to Karnataka police, it was a case of assault and CCTV footages were being scanned. "The case has been prioritised by the police and a senior police officer visited the patient today," he added. We have requested the state Chief Minister Pema Khandu to speak to his Karnataka counterpart on the issue, Wangsu said, adding that North East students in Bengaluru would meet the police authorities there. State DGP Sandeep Goel also informed the matter to the Commissioner of Police in Bengaluru and an ACP level officer was asked to look into the assault case on Khangham, he said. Wangsu also appealed to the people in the state to extend financial assistance for the treatment of Khangham who belongs to a poor family. Chennai: As Sri Lankan Navy allegedly took 10 Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu into their custody, Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Sunday asked the Union Government to secure their release immediately. In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister also asked him to sanction Rs 1,650 crore for deep sea fishing and augmentation of infrastructure for fishermen to improve the socio economic status of our fishermen in the Palk Bay. Including the 10 fishermen who set out from Jegathapattinam fishing base of Pudukottai District and were arrested on Sunday morning, 20 Indian fishermen are currently in the custody of the Sri Lankan Government. I also request you to kindly direct the Ministry of External Affairs to expedite steps to secure the release of 20 fishermen and 118 fishing boats including the 10 fishermen and their two mechanised fishing boats apprehended on January 8 without any delay, Mr OPS said in the letter. Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said the latest arrest by the Sri Lankan Navy just after 51 fishermen were released shows its harsh and unjust tactic of apprehending Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu who peacefully pursue their avocation in the traditional fishing waters of the Palk Bay As you are aware, in 2016 itself 290 Tamil Nadu fishermen along with their 53 fishing boats were apprehended in 39 incidents. Subsequently all 290 fishermen were released due to the unstinted efforts of our revered leader the late Honble Chief Minister Puratchi Thalaivi Amma, he said. New Delhi: Amid piling garbage on east Delhi roads due to the ongoing sanitation workers' strike, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused the MCD councillors of pocketing funds meant to pay salaries to the workers. "BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their councillors siphoned (off) funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi roads," Kejriwal tweeted. The chief minister's outburst came a day after the government announced an advanced payment of Rs 119 crore to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC). However, the unions of the agitating workers have described as "too little" the assistance offered by the government. The BJP-ruled MCDs, on the other hand, have been demanding the implementation of the Fourth Finance Commission's recommendations that propose a greater share of revenue to the civic bodies. The indefinite strike by sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which entered its fourth day today, has left the trans-Yamuna region reeling under a garbage crisis. East Delhi generates a large quantity of garbage, with the Ghazipur landfill site receiving 2,500 tonnes of waste on an average daily. BJP claimed while SP has got embroiled in family war and another rival BSP has fallen on caste and minority appeasement politics. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: With the Samajwadi Party infighting going unabated, BJP on Monday said 'cycle' has gone "off-track" and people of Uttar Pradesh are feeling cheated as the Akhilesh Yadav government has "failed" on all fronts. "The removal of Samajwadi Party government is a certainty. It looted the state all these years and proved to be a failure on all fronts. It does not matter to people whether its leaders are going to the Election Commission or anywhere else. They are feeling cheated. People want development and have made up their mind to vote for BJP, which is fighting on developmental agenda and will restore the law and order in the state by dealing with criminals sternly," BJP national secretary Shrikant Sharma told reporters. Another party national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh claimed while SP has got embroiled in family war and another rival BSP has fallen on caste and minority appeasement politics it is BJP that remains committed to developmental agenda. "This ping pong politics of sacking and induction continues in SP. The cycle has gone off-track. Akhilesh' failures have been exposed. BJP is moving ahead on its developmental track. People will certainly reward it," he said. Criticising the government for "poor" law and order, Sharma claimed there are over 1100 incidents of criminals attacking police during the SP rule. Bengaluru: French Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Jean-Marc Ayrault has agreed to support Indias bid for a permanent membership in the Nuclear Supplier Group (NSG), said External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup, while giving details of Prime Minister Narendra Modis bilateral meetings with foreign leaders at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, here on Sunday. Mr Swarup said that Mr Modi had three bilateral meetings. During the meeting with Mr Ayrault, Mr Modi sought to bolster the Indo-French strategic relationship and discussed the potential for partnership in the fields of space and solar power. The two leaders also discussed issues related to international terrorism, climate change, water, waste water management, transport and other issues, Mr Swarup said. Our Prime Minister had elaborate discussion with Suriname Vice-President Micheal Ashwin Adin on agriculture, palm oil, animal husbandry and food processing. Mr Adin requested Mr Modi to create an ecosystem of Ayurveda in Suriname. Mr Modi advised Mr Adin to get more Surinamis to get enrolled for courses on Ayurveda and then scale up to make Suriname the Ayurveda capital of Latin America, Mr Swarup said. In the meeting with leaders from Malaysia, including Mr Swamy Velu, Mr Modi got updates on the bilateral meetings Mr Modi had with Malaysian officials during his visit in 2015. He discussed hydro-electric projects and invited Malaysia Prime Minister Najeeb Raxa to visit India, he said. The Indian Development Foundation which was started in 2008 has not received any big funds in the seven years of its inception. But from last year, it has received over Rs 3 crore. Philanthropic desire of Indian overseas community is channelled in the right direction through IDF, said Mr Dnyaneshwara Mulay, secretary, Ministry of External Affairs. The outcome oriented format of the PBD has been welcomed, he said. Patna: JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday sought to scotch speculation over his delay in reviewing the outcome of demonetisation, saying the party would scrutinise scrapping of notes on January 23 and come out with comments after January 24. Kumar did not make direct comment on the speculation of him becoming closer to BJP in the wake of the show of bonhomie between him and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who praised him for the commendable arrangement for 350th Prakash Parva and also on liquor ban. "It (the 'bonhomie') is your way of seeing things," he told reporters. "It was a social event and we did not talk politics there," he said on his interaction with Modi on the dais as well both praising each other at the function in Gandhi Maidan on January 5. On demonetisation, the Chief Minister said, there is no point speculating over the delay of the review. Kumar said he had earlier announced that his priority was organisation of Prakash Parva, then Kalchakra puja of Buddhists and the human chain on January 21 to express people's resolve towards prohibition. "After completion of these events, a meeting of the three parties of the Grand Alliance government would be held on the fourth Monday (January 23) where the entire Cabinet would be present," he said. "In the evening (of January 23), the core committee of JD(U) would sit to review the outcome of the scrapping of Rs 1000 and old Rs 500 notes," he said adding the birth anniversary of veteran socialist leader Karpoori Thakur would be observed on January 24. "After these events, I will interact with media persons and answer all queries," the Chief Minister said. On the Prime Minister praising liquor ban in Bihar, Kumar counted virtues of prohibition and said over 2 crore people would take part in the January 21 human chain across the state in support of prohibition. All parties are invited to join it without flags or banners, he said. Bengaluru: In a major twist to the K.G. Halli molestation case, investigations revealed that the complainant woman and the accused, who is married to her sister for the last six years, were in love with each other and planned the incident to force her parents to give consent to their marriage, thinking that no other man would ask for her hand after the incident. Interestingly, they were inspired after seeing the visuals of the Kammanahalli molestation incident and planned the incident. The K.G. Halli police, who had registered a case, have arrested Khan, 34, the brother-in-law of the 24-year-old complainant. Khan is a resident of Govindapura in K.G. Halli and works as a sales executive with a private firm. Additional Commissioner of Police (East) Hemant Nimbalkar told the media on Sunday it was the gait of the accused that gave them the clue. When we analysed the CCTV footage, we saw that the accused was limping and dragging his left leg. As Khan had accompanied the victim to the station and interacted with the police during the investigation, we found that his walking style was similar to that of the accused. We kept a close watch on him and also videorecorded him while walking without his knowledge. Both the videos were analysed and it was confirmed that it was, in fact, Khan who had allegedly molested the complainant. He said, Moreover, the call details report of both the complainant and the accused revealed that they were in constant touch over phone, despite living in the same house and their conversations were lengthy and even crossed hours in some instances. Based on suspicion, Khan was picked up for interrogation and he revealed that he was in love with his sister-in-law for the last three years. As per his voluntary statement, both wanted to get married but were worried about their family members response if they discussed it. Also, her parents were searching for a groom for her. Meanwhile, the recent Kammanahalli molestation case was telecast on all TV channels. They both came up with the plan that if she is molested, no other man would come forward to marry her and Khan could easily convince his wife and marry the complainant, he added. As per the plan, Khan did a recce of the houses and shops that had CCTV cameras in the locality and finalised one. Early on Friday morning, as per his statement, they acted according to the plan. A few hours after that, Khan approached the owner of the house where the CCTV camera was installed and got the footage. Instead of approaching the police, he gave the footage to TV channels. He also gave interviews to TV channels alleging that law and order was not maintained in the locality. Following his confession, he was arrested on Sunday afternoon, he said. Mr Nimbalkar, however, maintained that the police arrested him based on his statement but were not sure whether the complainant was involved in the case. We are yet to question the complainant. If even she admits to it, then we will initiate action against her for filing a false complaint, he said. Complainant lived with sister, bro-in-law for 2 yrs Irshad Khan, who hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, had met the complainants sister several years ago in the city. They fell in love and got married six years ago. The couple have a daughter. His wife works in an MNC bank, while his sister-in-law and the complainant works with an online food and grocery store. The complainant was living with the couple for the last two years. Sources said that the complainant had inflicted minor injuries on her hands and legs to make the police believe that the entire incident was real. New Delhi: Government has decided to file a mercy petition on behalf of family members of two men from Tamil Nadu who were awarded death penalty by Qatar's Supreme Court for allegedly murdering a woman four years ago. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had sought a report about the case from Indian envoy in Qatar two days ago, today said the Embassy has requested Tamil Nadu government to help in filing mercy plea for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal. "I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu. "We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard," Swaraj tweeted. The court recently had rejected a plea by the Indian Embassy to overturn the death penalty awarded to the duo, both in their 40s, but commuted the life term awarded to the third accused, Sivakumar Arasan to 15 years' jail term. While Subramaniam hails from Villupuram, Perumal is a resident of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu who had gone to the Gulf country for greener pastures. Congress MLA from Tamil Nadu's Nanguneri constituency, H Vasanthakumar, had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj, seeking their urgent intervention in saving Subramaniam and Perumal. The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the Ruler of Qatar. "If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai," he had said in the letter. The then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa last year had sanctioned Rs 9.5 lakh to take care of the expenses for filing the appeal in the Supreme Court. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday will meet the Election Commission (EC) to stake a claim on party's poll symbol 'cycle', and will also urge them to check the authenticity and legality of papers submitted by Ramgopal Yadav on the same. The Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav camp represented by Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday submitted an affidavit mentioning the Samajwadi Party leaders supporting the former's faction in a bid to buttress its claim over the Samajwadi Party's 'cycle' symbol ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Ramgopal said that the relevant documents, brought in "seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages", were submitted to the poll panel to assert Akhilesh's right over the party name and symbol. He said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh. The Election Commission had given both sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support. However, if the Election Commission cannot reach any decision before January 17, then the party symbol might also be frozen and two different symbols would be provide to the parties for contesting the assembly elections. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases between 11 February and 8 March. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav met Election Commission (EC) officials on Monday to stake claim to the party's poll symbol 'cycle', and also urge them to check the authenticity and legality of papers submitted by Ramgopal Yadav on the same. Amar Singh and Shivpal Yadav also visited the EC office along with Mulayam. The Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav camp represented by Ram Gopal Yadav on Saturday submitted an affidavit mentioning the Samajwadi Party leaders supporting the former's faction in a bid to buttress its claim over the Samajwadi Party's 'cycle' symbol ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls. Ramgopal said that the relevant documents, brought in "seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages", were submitted to the poll panel to assert Akhilesh's right over the party name and symbol. He said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh. The Election Commission had given both sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support. However, if the Election Commission cannot reach any decision before January 17, then the party symbol might also be frozen and two different symbols would be provide to the parties for contesting the assembly elections. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases between 11 February and 8 March. On Sunday, Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted that he was still the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, while Akhilesh Yadav would remain the UP Chief Minister. He also questioned the legality of the convention called by son Akhilesh Yadav camp which declared the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister the new party chief. "I am the national president of Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is (only) the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Shivpal Yadav is still the president of Samajwadi Party's Uttar Pradesh unit," Mulayam, who is locked in a bitter feud with Akhilesh-Ramgopal camp for control over the party, told reporters. He added that since Ramgopal was expelled from the party on December 30, the convention held by him was illegal. Also on Sunday, scores of Samajwadi Party workers performed a yagna at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, praying for an end to the tug of war between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal with barely weeks left for the crucial Assembly Polls in Uttar Pradesh. The yagna was performed to "cool down" the heated infighting and to make Akhilesh Chief Mminister again, the workers said. The party men also prayed for the "long life" of Mulayam Singh Yadav. Prayers were offered for keeping away "conspirators" and rival parties and "to foil their conspiracy" of breaking the party. Between the period August 2014 to May 2016, the Prime Minister had made five foreign visits by 'IAF BBJ Aircraft' Chartered flights. (Photo: Representational Image) New Delhi: The Prime Minister is entitled free travel on Indian Air Force planes for which no bills are raised, IAF has said in an RTI response. Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought to know from the Prime Minister's Office the information on the laid down procedure for clearing bills of IAF BBJ aircraft chartered flights for the Prime Minister's foreign visits. His application was transferred to the Defence Ministry which sent it to the Indian Air Force. The air force in its response said," Prime Minister is entitled for free airlift in VVIP aircrafts (sic) of the IAF. No bill has been raised for such airlifts." Giving background of the application, Batra said under the RTI link on the 'PM India' website on "details of expenses incurred on air travel in respect of foreign visits" of the Prime Minister there was no mention of the expenses incurred by IAF on such visits. "It is observed that under the column 'Expenses incurred on Chartered Flight'; between the period August 2014 to May 2016, the Prime Minister had made five foreign visits by 'IAF BBJ Aircraft' Chartered flights. However, there is no mention of 'expenses incurred' on foreign visits by the Prime Minister by chartered IAF BBJ aircraft flights," he said. Jalalabad: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Monday said there was no reason for Punjabis to believe anything in the Congress' manifesto for the Punjab Assembly polls as the party had "never honoured any of its previous commitments". Addressing public gatherings here, he said, "The Congress has come to represent a party of thugs who get together only before elections to befool and loot Punjabis. Whatever has been announced today will be consigned to the dust bin tomorrow." The Deputy Chief Minister reminded the people that the Congress, and particularly its Punjab unit chief Amarinder Singh, had "never kept their word earlier and nor were they expected to keep it now". He claimed that Amarinder had promised to retain the freepower facility for farmers in his 2002 poll manifesto, but discontinued it immediately after coming to power in Punjab. Similarly, all other social welfare schemes were also stopped by the state Congress chief, Sukhbir alleged. "He (Amarinder) is promising to provide lakhs of jobs to the youth, but it was him who had banned recruitment upon becoming chief minister," he added. The SAD chief also took on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate and MP Bhagwant Mann and castigated him for his "cheap and vulgar" comments aimed at "spoiling the atmosphere in the constituency". He urged the people to judge for themselves as to how a "joker" could provide irrigation water or roads and streets to them. "He (Mann) is a comedian who works for money. Earlier, during my Parliamentary polls campaign in Faridkot, he had taken Rs 4 lakh from me to sing my praise before I reached the venue," Sukhbir claimed, adding that such "comedians" would "lose their security deposit" in Jalalabad. AAP has fielded Mann against Sukhbir from Jalalabad for the upcoming Punjab polls while the Congress is yet to declare its candidate from the seat. Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday blamed Pakistan, and the separatists for derailing the dialogue process by shutting doors on the All Party Delegation, saying the preparations for the Valley unrest were done beforehand. The preparations for the five-month long unrest in Kashmir were made in advance and when the triggers like separate Kashmiri Pandit Colony and Sainik Colony did not work, the killing of Burhan Wani triggered the unrest, she said. "The Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Lahore and it was followed by Pathankot terrorist attack and today in Jurian. Entire nation had their eyes on those (separatists) doors and the nation was breathless to see the outcome and several senior leaders went to meet them. They could have opened the doors," Mehbooba said while replying to the discussion on the Kashmir unrest in the state Assembly. She said that had the separatists opened their doors, it could have led to the start of a dialogue. "A message would have gone and they (separatists) would have told the All Party Delegation what they have done in the past and what steps have they taken to resolve the issue," she said. Referring to the unrest in Kashmir, which left several people dead and many injured, the chief minister said that the unrest took place under a "well-planned conspiracy". "Earlier they used the issue of separate Kashmiri Pandit Colony and then Sainik Colony to trigger the unrest but when they failed, this (Burhan Wani's killing) provided them the trigger they wanted to instigate unrest," Mehbooba said. "Preparations (for the unrest) were made in advance as from the very next day slogans were being raised in the mosques and large number of CDs was distributed," she said. "Some elements" used small kids as shield and pushed them inside security force camps and police stations, she added. It is easy to say that security forces could have exercised restrain but when a mob attacks a police station with petrol bombs, stones and axes, it becomes difficult to exercise restraint, Mehbooba said. Claiming that said that the injured were not allowed to go to hospitals, she said that pregnant ladies were asked to show their baby bumps to prove their pregnancy to got the hospitals. "Many school children did not go to the school in uniform as they feared they would be attacked. Several students who went to give examinations were accompanied by their mothers who were carrying doctor's prescriptions to show them (protesters) that they were going to see the doctors. They were so much scared," she added. The Chief Minister said that she wants the walls of hate to fall down and let hearts meet. "Despite several provocations, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh went to Pakistan but was it the way they should have treated him like this," Mehbooba said. 370 people were arrested under the Public Safety Act (PSA) and the government will review their cases but the process had to be shelved due to the unrest and will begin soon. There were 138 others who were lodged in jails, she said. Appealing to the Opposition to help her "heal" the wounds of the people, she said, "I strongly feel that the situation was not sudden and going on for several years. My request is that be it 2010 or 2016 it should not have happened, either on your time or ours. Help us to heal the wounds of the people and to bring them out of this," she said. On the allegations that preparations were not made to handle the situation post the Burhan Wani encounter, Mehbooba said that the encounter happened all of sudden and immediately curfew was declared but it could not be fully imposed as large number of security forces were deployed for the Amarnath yatra. "Even the Army avoids an encounter if they feel that collateral damage will be high," she added. Mehbooba asserted that her government is committed to bring the youth of Kashmir, who have taken guns, to the mainstream. "I am committed that those who want to return and are not indulged in any terrorist activity want to come back, we would help them come back in mainstream," she said. In the six encounters that took place in the past two months, six boys surrendered after their families appeal to them. "One of them did not even know how to fire a bullet," the chief minister said. New Delhi: Credit and debit cards will continue to be accepted at petrol pumps even after January 13 without customers having to pay transaction charges, the government said on Monday. Banks and oil companies are in discussions as to who should bear these charges, it said a day after averting a crisis that would have hit millions of people as oil pump owners threatened to stop taking card payments. "Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charges will be levied as per RBI guidelines but who will take the hit? Banks, oil marketing companies are discussing," Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on the issue. "We had assured yesterday also that since retail outlets, petrol pump owners work as commission agents, we will not pass on the cost to them," he said. Petrol pump operators had yesterday threatened to stop accepting card payments after banks said the transaction charges of up to 1 per cent will have to be borne by them. The crisis was averted after banks agreed not to insist on transaction charges for five more days, leading to pumps owners deferring their plans till January 13. Pradhan said the government stands by its decision that customers using non-cash digital modes of payments will not have to pay any transaction charge. Also, the 0.75 per cent discount on fuel rate for using digital payments will continue. "Banks and oil marketing companies (OMCs) are discussing the issue. In the coming days a mechanism will be worked out under which customers or petrol pump owners will not bear the cost," he said. Pradhan said the government had in February last year issued a circular saying customers will not have to bear the MDR charges on digital transactions so as to help the country move towards digital transaction and less cash economy. "Government will ensure implementation of that decision," he said. "In the coming days whatever digital transactions happens especially in petrol pumps, the burden will not be passed on to customers." When a card payment is made using a POS machine, service charges are levied. All stakeholders are discussing who will bear these, he said. Pradhan said the Reserve Bank of India has come out with a circular on the amount of MDR to be charged for transactions below Rs 1,000, those between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,000 and those above Rs 2,000. Asked if petrol pumps will continue to accept card payments after January 13, he said, "They will accept cards. I want to assure the people of the country who want to do digital transactions in petrol pumps, they will continue to do so." With OMCs already facing Rs 5,000 crore hit from having to bear 0.75 per cent discount on fuel sold using digital modes, Pradhan said the numbers are "fictional". "It (Levying MDR charges on card transactions) is a business model between banks and OMCs. They will decide who will take how much cost," he said. "Government will not bear the cost." Card payments involve 2/3 players -- payment gateways, POS machine provider and banks/merchandise outlet. "All these have their own share in the MDR charges. After negotiations, it will be decided to what extent the MDR charges can be brought down that we are discussing," he said. Pradhan said people can use cards for fuel purchases even after January 13. "0.75 per cent cash back incentive that we have given to customers will also continue." "It will be resolved before January 13. Bargaining and negotiations are going on. An amicable solution will be worked out," he said. Later, an official statement quoted Pradhan as saying that "neither the customers nor petrol pump dealers will bear additional charges on digital transactions at petrol stations". The government, he said, had issued guidelines in February 2016 stating that the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) charge will not be passed on to the consumers and the stakeholders will take appropriate steps to absorb the MDR charges. The statement added: "The government has stepped in after the issue on levy on digital transaction at petrol stations was raised by association of petrol pump dealers. "Pradhan said that there will be no additional levy on digital transaction at petrol stations even after January 13, 2017. He also said that the petrol pump transaction fee is a business model between the banks and oil marketing companies which they will resolve." Gandhinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said his government is focused on development of railways shedding earlier practices wherein the ministry was used as a "bargaining tool" by the main ruling party to "distribute trophies to its allies". "The railway was left to its fate in earlier regimes. The allies of main political party used to demand the railway ministry to join the government. The party which came to power at Centre also used the railway ministry as a bargaining tool to distribute trophies to its allies. This is a bitter truth," he said. "Leaders from political parties who got the control of the railways were not interested in (development of) railways and I need not say what they were interested in," Modi said. The Prime Minister today laid the foundation stone for redevelopment of Gandhinagar railway station, which will get a face-lift at a cost of Rs 250 crore and will have a 300-room five star hotel built atop. "My government has given priority to railways... it should expand, it should be developed, get modernised and it should bring a qualitative change in the lives of common people. "We have tried to do this in the last two years and five months. We have increased the budget of railways to double of what it was," he said. Modi listed various works done by his government to develop railways and said the pace of doubling of railway tracks has increased, besides speeding up of gauge conversion and electrification of lines. He said free WiFi has been provided at railway stations. The Central government is working to increase speed of trains and also striving to bring in global technology to make railways safer, as "safety is of greatest concern", Modi said. "In developed countries, 70 per cent goods transportation is carried out by railways while rest by roads. However in India, 15 to 20 per cent is through railways while 70 to 80 per cent is by roads. Goods tend to get costlier when transported by roads. We are stressing on development of freight corridors," he said. The Prime Minister also said that railway stations located in cities can be developed by constructing high-rise buildings atop them. Gandhiangar railway station will be redeveloped through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) formed between the Gujarat government and the Indian Railway Stations Development Corporation Ltd (IRSDC). The proposed name of the SPV is Gandhinagar Railway & Development Corporation Ltd. The project includes redevelopment of the railway station as well as the construction of a 300-room five star hotel atop the station. The hotel, with three towers, will be around 65 metres tall. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said his ministry is planning to replicate such redevelopment at 23 railway stations across the country. Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, on Monday blamed separatists and Pakistan for derailing the dialogue process in the restive State and said that the preparations for the civil unrest witnessed in the Valley following the killing of militant commander Burhan Wani were done beforehand. She alleged that the separatists tried to start off turbulence by raising the issues like separate colonies for displaced Kashmiri Pandits and then Sainik Colony but when this did not work they seized Wanis killing. Winding up the discussion on adjournment motion in the State Assembly on the unrest, the Chief Minister said, Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, went to Pakistan and it was followed by Pathankot terrorist attack and today in Battal (Akhnoor). She said that the separatists, on the other hand, shut their doors on the members of visiting All Parties Delegation (APD) in September last year. Entire nation had their eyes on those (separatists) doors and the nation was breathless to see the outcome and several senior leaders went to meet them. They could have opened the doors," she said. She added that had the separatists opened their doors, it could have led to the start of a dialogue. A message would have gone and they (separatists) would have told the All Party Delegation what they have done in the past and what steps have they taken to resolve the issue," she asserted. She reiterated that the post-Wani killing unrest took place under a "well-planned conspiracy". She claimed that the preparations were made in advance as from the very next day slogans were being raised in the mosques and large number of CDs was distributed. She reiterated the charge that small kids were used by some elements as shield and pushed them inside security force camps and police stations. She said that it is easy to say that security forces could have exercised restrain but when a mob attacks a police station with petrol bombs, stones and axes, it becomes difficult to exercise restraint. She, however, also said that earnest effort would be made by her government to create a congenial atmosphere in the State for dialogue and resolution of issues and sought cooperation from all shades of opinion for it. She appealed all shades of opinion in the State to help the government to ensure that the unfortunate cycles of violence are not repeated and people do not suffer any longer. She also announced setting up of Special Investigating Teams (SITs) to probe the killings during the unrest besides announcing ex-gratia relief and several other rehabilitation measures for those killed, injured or affected during the turmoil. She announced the setting up of a Special Investigating Team to probe the killing of a college lecturer at Khrew, an ATM guard in Srinagar and other such killings. She also said that a SIT in each district will investigate the killings and injuries there and to ascertain if excessive force was used to deal with the situations. She said that these SITs would be asked to submit their reports in a time bound manner. Once the reports are received if anything more requires to be done would be done to deliver justice to the affected, the Chief Minister assured the House. The Chief Minister also announced an ex gratia relief of Rs. Five lakhs in favour of the next of kin of those killed during the unrest. She said possibilities of providing jobs would also be explored in cases of extreme compassion. Also, she said, job opportunities would be made available to the persons who lost their eyesight during the crises. She said arrangements for education at Delhi and other places would be made for the students whose eyesight got affected during the said turmoil. She said she has already spoken to the Prime Minister and union Finance Minister in this regard. She also announced rehabilitation package in favour of the people who were injured during the turmoil with varying disability. The Chief Minister said at present only 138 persons are in judicial and police custody who were arrested in cases related to unrest. All others who were arrested in the cases have been released on bail, she said and added that out of 463 persons detained under PSA, 145 have been released. She said the cases of the persons presently under detention are being reviewed and those least involved will be released. She said immediately after taking over, she had ordered a review of the cases of youth since 2008 so that they could start their life afresh. But, she regretted, the whole process got slowed down due to the disturbed situation in the Kashmir Valley during the last five months or so. Ms. Mufti said she has categorically directed the security agencies during the last Unified Headquarters meeting to ensure the return back of local youth involved in militancy to family fold and take all measures required for that. She said, so far, six youth have been rescued back during encounters with the help of their families. Chennai: Scores of 'jallikattu' supporters on Sunday organised a rally here seeking permission to hold the bull-taming sport coinciding with the Tamil harvest festival of Pongal, a week away. Separately, young volunteers, mostly college students, observed a day-long fast seeking urgent measures to address the farmers' problems in the state following drought in many districts. At the Marina beach, hundreds of Jallikattu suppporters turned up seeking permission for holding it, against which the Supreme Court upheld a ban last year. The volunteers held banners and posters demanding that the sport be held this year. Most of them insisted that they did not owe allegiance to any outfit or political party but wanted the 'traditional Tamil sport' to be conducted this Pongal, i.e the coming week. Folk percussion instruments and a decorated bull added to the scene at Marina. The Supreme Court in November last had dismissed the plea of the state government seeking review of its 2014 judgement banning use of bulls for jallikattu events in the state. Political parties including DMK have been pressing the Centre and state government to take steps to hold the sport coinciding with Pongal this year. At Chepauk, a group of volunteers sat on a day-long fast seeking measures to address the agrarian distress in the state following drought. In both cases, the volunteers, mainly comprising the young and educated, said they were drawn by online messages spread through Facebook and Whatsapp. Chennai: Amidst growing chorus for holding the bull taming sport of Jallikattu this year, Tamil Nadu government on Monday urged the Centre to consider promulgating an ordinance for "removing the legal impediments" to enable the conduct of the sport next week in the state. Chief Minister O Panneerselvam wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying "considering the groundswell of sentiment and support for the conduct of Jallikattu all over Tamil Nadu, this is an issue on which the government of India must act with maximum despatch." "Given that Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of Jallikattu during Pongal, 2017," he said in the letter. Panneerselvam recalled that both he and his predecessor, the late J Jayalalithaa, had put forth a demand to Modi that the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests "should clearly denotify" bulls as performing animals from a 2011 notification by the Ministry. The other demand was to "suitably amend Section 11(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 by introducing a new clause 'f' in sub-section (3) of Section 11 specifically exempting Jallikattu in addition to other exemptions already provided in the Act," he said. However, there has been "no action yet from government of India" on the aforesaid suggestions, the Chief Minister said. The Supreme Court in November last had dismissed the plea of the state government, seeking review of its 2014 judgement banning use of bulls for jallikattu events in the state. Political parties, including DMK, have been pressing the Centre and state government to take steps to hold the sport coinciding with Pongal, the Tamil harvest festival, this year. Protests have also been held across the state, including here, by Jallikattu supporters, demanding that the sport be held this year coinciding with Pongal. New Delhi: The Tamil Nadu government has sought compensation amounting to Rs 2,480 crore from Karnataka for refusing to release water to the state. The Supreme Court on Monday ordered both the state governments to file a list of witnesses within a week, and submit the details of witnesses affidavit within 4 weeks for it to take an informed decision on the water sharing dispute. The top court last week had directed Karnataka to continue releasing 2,000 cusecs of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu daily till it rules on the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal (CWDT) order. The bench had said that it will conduct day-to-day hearing on the appeals filed by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala against the 2007 award of the tribunal on sharing of water. Faced with water shortage, Tamil Nadu had also approached Andhra Pradesh for Krishna water. Chief Minister O Panneerselvam wrote a letter last week to Chandrababu Naidu, urging him to ensure the immediate release of Krishna water, to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai. Panneerselvam in the letter highlighted the deficient North-East monsoon and storage in city reservoirs, and sought Naidus personal intervention for the immediate release of Krishna water from Kandaleru reservoir. Chennai: MDMK founder Vaiko on Sunday appealed to Chief Minister O Panneerselvam to release seven life convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and all other convicts who completed 10 years of their prison terms on the occasion of the birth centenary of former Chief Minister, late MG Ramachandran. He cited precedents in the past to support the action. In a letter to the Chief Minister, Vaiko recalled past precedents where prisoners had been released on occasions including Indias independence, the birth centenary of Mahatma Gandhi in 1969 and efforts by MG Ramachandran himself as Chief Minister. Vaiko also referred to the role played by the former matinee idol MGR in the Tamil film Pallandu Vazhga where he sets out to reform some tough prisoners. In this background, I request that on the occasion of the birth centenary of MGR (as he is addressed), who was an epitome of humanity, the seven persons in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case who have spent 25 years in jail should be released, he said. Such a decision should be taken on humanitarian grounds, he said in the letter which was released by MDMK headquarters. The Tamil Nadu government should use the authority provided to the state government under Article 161 of the Constitution of India for this purpose, Vaiko added. Article 161 deals with the Power of Governor to grant pardons etc and to suspend, remit or commute sentences in certain cases. Vaiko, who noted that the death penalty has been abolished in 137 countries, added that many of them have accepted that prisons are not meant to punish but reform. Therefore, to rehabilitate those who have undergone ten years of prison term, such persons should also be freed on the occasion, he said. Mumbai: Attacking Union Minister Arun Jaitley for his remark on Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi on Monday said that the former should first concentrate on the 'third-class' MP's like Sakshi Maharaj in their party who are spreading communal discord through their statements. "At one side the people belonging from BJP are making communal comments. Can't Jaitley see what kind of third class people are there in BJP? Instead of training guns at Muslims for producing more children, why doesn't they (Sakshi Maharaj) focus their attention of the many slums across the nation which are burgeoning with children," Azmi told ANI. Azmi further asked the Centre to increase the standard of the living of the poor rather than just making comments and also sought an answer from the BJP-led NDA government as to why MPs like Sakshi Maharaj, who are applauding and approving what happened with Babri Masjid, are not being berated by the party leadership. "If BJP government and Narendra Modi will be there for a long time, then it will be dangerous for the constitution of the country," he said. Earlier on Sunday, Jaitley attacked Rahul, saying that he is only interested in disrupting the proceedings of the parliament while Prime Minister was being "futuristic", "modern" and "technology driven". Jaitley, on a Facebook post, titled "Demonetisation -- a look back at the last two months", wrote, "the Prime Minister was thinking of the next generation while Rahul Gandhi was only looking at how to disrupt the next Session of Parliament". Earlier, Sakshi Maharaj on Friday stirred a fresh controversy by holding Muslims responsible for population boom. "This population rise in not because of the Hindus. Population has risen due to those who support the concept of four wives and 40 children," he said. Meanwhile, an FIR was filed against controversial Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday for his recent shocker blaming Muslims for population boom in the nation. Bengaluru: Setting an example for philanthropic initiatives by overseas Indians in India, the founder chairman of the US-India Chamber of Commerce, Dallas, Ashok Mago, handed over a cheque of $25,000 to the Indian Development Foundation to be used for the welfare of widows of the Indian Army. He wants these women to learn distance education courses and stand on their own feet after losing their sole breadwinners in the line of duty. He handed over the cheque to Gen. (Retd) V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, on the third day of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here on Monday. Deccan Chronicle caught up with him, and here are excerpts from an interview with Mr Mago. What made you donate money to Indian Development Foundation? I left India in 1974 and headed to the US to take up a career in the banking sector. I grew by setting up my own real estate and consultation business. I wanted to do something for my mother country. The idea is to set an example for other Indians living abroad to contribute their mite for the development of the nation from which they hailed. You specifically wanted the money to be used for the welfare of widows of Indian soldiers. Yes. I trace my roots to Ambala, Haryana. My father was a railway employee and in Ambala, we had many Army families. I spent most of my childhood with those families. At times when the sole breadwinner of the family loses his life in a war, the future of the family becomes a question mark. The most affected is either the mother or the wife, who are left alone. Their continuous source of income is affected. How do you feel the contribution will be utilised to make affected members stand on their own feet? I will visit the Haryana Pravasi function after the PBD here. I will interact with officials there and make arrangements to provide laptops to the affected members. What will they do with the laptops? We will help them take up distance education courses from the Dallas County Community College at Dallas. They can choose from a list of courses offered by the college and begin their course and be certified. Have any arrangements been made so that once they complete their courses, they can start earning? Yes, the main objective is to make them stand on their own feet. Such earning arrangements will be made and it is too early to comment as they are still in the pipeline. Do you feel your donation to IDF will be used effectively and transparently? Yes, I have full faith in IDF and the External Affairs Ministry. I am convinced with their transparent operation. Bengaluru: Expressing his dissatisfaction over the functioning of NRI community organisations, Gen. (retd) V.K. Singh, Minister of State for External Affairs, pleaded with these organistations to work on a single path. Chairing a session on Diaspora Organisations: Bridging Distances, Unlocking Opportunities on the third and final day of Pravasi Bharatiya Divas on Monday, he said, All these organisations have been set up for the welfare of the Indian diaspora. But I feel that some organisations are not working effectively, and are trying to solve issues by raising them with local governments on their own. All community organisations should combine their efforts. Pointing out that there are over 5,000 organisations abroad, he said, They should work towards solving the problems of the Indian diaspora and ensure better relations with their mother country. Replying to a question by a delegate on bringing all organisations under one umbrella, he said the government is working towards that. Quoting the case of natural death of an Indian worker abroad, he said, The worker had died of natural causes, but some hundred workers protested against the employer. As the laws in that particular country were very strict, all those who protested were jailed. If the workers are not sensitised on the political behaviour of the countries they head to, they may get stuck in such situations. Victims families asked us to interfere, but we could not. This is where we need the help of community organisations who can work in tandem with the government for the welfare of the Indian diaspora. Diaspora for changes in NRI policy The Indian diaspora from Qatar, represented by Mr H.K. Madhu, Karnataka Sangha Qatar, submitted a memorandum to the Karnataka government, seeking some changes in the NRI policy for Kannadigas which the state government released last week. In the latest NRI policy released by the Karnataka government, we feel the interests of those who head out as housemaids and labouters are left out. They should also be provided an opportunity to raise their concerns and get them resolved, said Mr Madhu. Flights operated from Qatar to Bengaluru are very expensive, and we sought the government to look into running flights under Air India, he said. The Indian diaspora from Qatar invited Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and Large and Medium Scale Industries Minister R.V. Deshpande to Qatar and brief six lakh Indians living there, on the investment opportunities and policies offered by Karnataka, he said. Mysuru: University of Mysuru Vice Chancellor Mr K.S. Rangappa who is demitting office on Tuesday after his three-year term, claimed that "Interference by politicians and the bureaucracy is reducing the quality of universities. Merit should be restored aand sanctity of universities must be preserved. With 75 percent of the vacancies among granted posts, the University of Mysuru may lose its recognition, if the vacancies are not filled in a year or two, he said. Speaking to mediapersons on Monday, he said, 80 percent of students are from rural areas, who cannot afford to get education in private institutions. The government should ensure accountability and the government and bureaucracy must play an adhoc role but should not interfere in the functioning of the varsity, he said. The VC said the University of Mysuru had witnessed several landmark events during its centenary celebrations. They had the President of India for the inauguration of the centenary celebrations, the Vice President for the valedictory and the Prime Minister for the inauguration of the 103rd Indian Science Congress with more than 10 Nobel laureates visiting the University during the centenary year. The UoM has academic collaborations with over 50 countries ranging from Afghanistan to Zambia with 1600 students studying here. But among 660 permanent posts granted in 1970 for 24 departments, currently only 128 posts are filled in 54 departments. Atleast 1000 permanent faculties are needed with a teacher to student ratio of 1:40. Despite efforts for two years, the government has prevented me from filling the posts, Mr Rangappa said. New Delhi: The Congress approached the Election Commission of India on Monday regarding photographs of the Prime Minister at petrol pumps and other public places. It demanded that, in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, such photographs of the Prime Minister should be removed. In a letter written to the EC, AICC secretary and head of its legal and human rights department, K.C. Mittal, raised strong objections to the photographs in posters of oil companies put up to popularise the cooking gas distribution initiative. The hoardings, posters and banners of the Central government with the photographs of the Prime Minister at any place within the election-bound states cannot continue, since it is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and will interfere with free and fair elections, Mr Mittal said. The Congress said that the commission had removed such posters carrying the photographs of chief ministers of the states going to polls. The same should be done in the case of Prime Ministers photo, the party demanded. The model code of conduct is in place as elections to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur commence on February 4. The letter written by Mr Mittal also requested that the EC may please order removal of all such hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the petrol pumps and any other place in these states along with other posters and banners of the Central government or Central bodies in the form of any advertisement by them. The only option left with the state is to return to the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and seek its share in Krishna waters, along with AP. Hyderabad: In a severe setback to the Telangana state government, the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed its special leave petition (SLP) seeking quashing of the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal verdict that limited fresh allotment of Krishna waters to TS and Andhra Pradesh without extending it to other two riparian states of Maharashtra and Karnataka. Justice Madan B. Lokur and Justice Prafulla C. Pant observed that since the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 (KWDT-2) had dealt with all issues, there was no point in directing reopening of the case. The verdict means that TS and AP will have to share the 1,004 tmc ft of water that was allotted to undivided AP in 2013. The only option left with the state is to return to the Justice Brijesh Kumar Tribunal and seek its share in Krishna waters, along with AP. The bench heard senior counsels representing TS, Maharashtra and Karnataka before dismissing the petition. Karnataka and Maharashtra, which were against a fresh review of the KWDT-2 Award had filed caveats before the Supreme Court, in December 2016. Senior TS government counsel C.S. Vaidyanathan said that it was the only authority that could do justice to the state, which was deprived of its share in the Krishna waters and subjected to discrimination by the erstwhile AP government. It was that bone of contention that led to formation of a separate state, he said. Tribunal erred on preliminary issues: Telangana In its SLP, the TS government argued that the tribunal had failed to appreciate the fact that Parliament under Articles 3 and 4 of the Constitution had made a direct reference to the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal-2 under Section-89 of Act 6 of 2014. Such a reference cannot be treated as one referable to Sections 12 and 5(3) of the Inter-State River Water Disp-utes Act, 1956, it said. It said the tribunal had erred in answering preliminary issues 3, 4 and 5 by interpreting Section 89 of Act 6 of 2014 as not encompassing the four riparian states and confining it only to the two successor states, AP and TS. It stated that the tribunal had failed to appreciate the fact that the language in the references did not restrict their scope and ambit to the two states. On the contrary, viewed in the context of the basin as a single hydrological unit in view of the nature and scope of references, it is necessary to have uniform basis of allocation by involving all the four riparian states, the SLP said. The government said that the tribunal had misconstrued its submission that if project-wise specific allocation is confined to the lower riparian states, the advantage of en bloc allocation to the upper riparian states would give them scope to construct new projects - projects which were considered not worthy by the KWDT-I giving scope for utilisation of more waters and thereby denying the lower riparian states their legitimate and equitable share. It said that the tribunal had failed to take note that an operational protocol for project-wise release in the event of deficit flows could be meaningfully achieved when viewed in the context of the basin as a single hydrological unit. The flow pattern in the basin where lower riparian states are totally dependent on the flows from upstream made it necessary to involve upper riparian states, the TS government had contended. Hyderabad: Officials have told the TS government that it was not possible to acquire land for ongoing irrigation projects till the new Land Acquisition Bill that was passed recently by the Assembly becomes an Act. Major irrigation minister T. Harish Rao held a meeting with top officials of the Irrigation department late on Sunday. The meeting was also attended by advocate-general K. Ramakrishna Reddy, law secretary A. Santosh Reddy and special chief secretary (Revenue) M.G. Gopal. In the wake of the High Courts recent order on the land acquisition GO, Mr Harish Rao held discussions with officials to identify alternative methods to acquire land for irrigation projects. Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan has sent the Land Acquisition Bill to the President for approval. Officials believe that if necessary, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will visit New Delhi to meet President Pranab Mukherjee to explain about the Bill. However, the Chief Ministers Office said as of now, that there was no such proposal. The state government is hopeful of getting the Presidents approval at the earliest. Officials said that according to High Court orders, except for irrigation projects, the government can acquire land for projects like widening of National and state highways. Land acquisition for irrigation projects has become a major problem for the TS government. Officials say that for construction of barrages at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla under the Kaleswaram project, nearly 2,500 acres are required and the contractors are in possession of only 550 acres. For the PalamurRanga Reddy project, about 30,000 acres is required and the government has acquired 14,000 acres. Officials said until the new Act comes into force, the government may be unable to go ahead with the projects. Kolkata: The BJP in West Bengal has lodged a police complaint against a Imam of Kolkata for issuing a 'fatwa' against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded his immediate arrest. Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Masjid, on Saturday issued a 'fatwa' against the Prime Minister, accusing him of 'bluffing' people through demonetisation, evoking a sharp reaction from the BJP, which demanded his arrest. "We want him to be arrested and put behind bars. This is not only insult to the Prime Minister but also to the people of this country. We will go for legal action against him," BJP state president Dilip Ghosh said. BJP state secretary Ritesh Tiwari, had lodged a police complaint in Jorasakho police station and demanded action against him. "I have lodged a police complaint and urged the police authorities to treat it as an FIR. You can't just say anything you want against the Prime Minister of our country," Tiwari said. Barkati yesterday said during a joint conference by the All India Majlis-e-Sura and All India Minority Forum here said, "Everyday people are harassed and facing problem due to demonetisation. Modi is bluffing the society and the innocent people of the country through demonetisation and nobody wants him to continue as the Prime Minister." BJP national secretary Sidharth Nath Singh, who is in-charge of party's West Bengal affairs, said in Delhi, "We demand that Mamata Banerjee immediately order his arrest. The fatwa against our Prime Minister is highly condemnable. TMC MP Idris Ali was sitting next to him when he issued the fatwa." Last year Barkati had issued a 'fatwa' against BJP state president Dilip Ghosh for his comments against Banerjee. The total number of suicides on the tracks was reported to be 41 in 2016 which was a steep fall from the 148 in 2015 in the Chennai division, which comprises Egmore, Central and Coimbatore sub-divisions. Chennai: There has been a significant decline in deaths on tracks due to trespassing and suicides in 2016 compared to 2015 in Chennai division. The number of deaths on tracks declined from 1,410 in 2015 to 1,297 in 2016 an 8.7 percent decline. But an increase in the number of natural deaths on trains and railway platforms was recorded, according to statistics from the Government Railway Police (GRP), Chennai Division. The total number of suicides on the tracks was reported to be 41 in 2016 which was a steep fall from the 148 in 2015 in the Chennai division, which comprises Egmore, Central and Coimbatore sub-divisions. The suburban line on the Beach- Tambaram - Chengalpet line comes under the Egmore sub-division. Deaths due to fall from trains declined from 118 in 2015 to 62 last year but the number of natural deaths (while on trains/ platforms) was found to be higher in 2016. Stations like Tiruppur, Salem, Jolarpet, Pothanur witnessed an increased number of suicides in 2015 and the numbers came down last year by an increased margin. According to senior GRP officials, the deployment of personnel to create awareness among people, educative programmes, distribution of pamphlets, and the imposition of fines on trespassing. Policemen sensitise the public and we are also working with Sneha suicide prevention to prevent suicide deaths, said a top GRP official. He added the there is squad patrolling for the security of female passengers and special teams to keep an eye on property offenders. Railway Protection Force (RPF) also has special teams on vigil on platforms and to escort trains. New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj won the world with her Twitter diplomacy and was even given an award for it, but she has made it known that she will not entertain random requests from Twitterati over issues that do not concern her department. A man claiming to work with an IT company in Pune tweeted to Sushma saying that his wife was working with the railways in Jhansi and he wanted Sushma's help in getting them to stay together in the same city. He added that they had been staying apart from almost a year. SushmaSwaraj Can u plz help us in ending our banwas in India? My wife is in Jhansi Rly employee and I work in Pune in IT. Been a year, Smit Raj tweeted. If you or your wife were from my Ministry and such a request for transfer was made on Twitter, I would have sent a suspension order by now, Suhma swiftly responded in a terse tweet. The man tweeted just two days after a US resident had tweeted to Sushma with a similar issue, saying his wife was stuck in India due to passport issues. Sushma, on that occasion, asked the relevant authority to look into the case. Even in this case, despite her initial harsh tweet, she brought the Pune mans case to Railway Minister Suresh Prabhus notice. However, the Pune man met with no luck again as Prabhu tweeted saying that he did not look into transfers. Thanks @SushmaSwaraj ji for bringing it to my notice. As per policy laid by me,I don't look into transfers.Railway Board empowered for same, Prabhu tweeted. Both Sushma and Prabhu are known to take prompt action whenever somebody in distress reaches out to them, provided that the issue falls under their jurisdiction. The commission is trying to stop child marriage. (Representational Image) Hyderabad: The Telangana State Commission for Women on Monday sought effective implementation of the Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act to prevent child marriages in the state. The Act was made in undivided Andhra Pradesh in 2002 and the Telangana government adopted it in December, 2014, the Commission's Chairperson Tripurana Venkataratnam told reporters here. Noting that marriage registration officers are in place at different levels in the districts, she said they would register all marriages along with the age of the bride. "Child marriages are still taking place in districts like Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and Karimnagar. We can put an end to child marriages by registering every marriage (in the concerned area)," she said. The registration of marriages would also help in preventing any irregularities in the implementation of state government's 'Kalyana Lakshmi' and 'Shadi Mubarak' schemes (under which brides are offered financial assistance), she said. The registration of marriage would also help women if they face any distress in their married life, she said. The Commission has written to the government on the issue, she said. Favouring making the registration of marriages an issue for discussion in 'Gram Sabhas', she said such a move would raise awareness among village residents on the need for registration of marriages. The Commission suggested forming a special team of police in cases of rape so that investigation and the due process of law can be completed expeditiously, she said. Hailing Telangana governments move to provide financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to single women, Venkataratnam thanked Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for the decision. Hyderabad: A local court on Monday punished a man by making him stand with a SHE team poster at Gunpark traffic signal opposite the Assembly for harassing a married woman by repeatedly calling her on the phone. The court asked M.A. Raheem, 39, a resident of Moulali, to pay a small fine and work for the whole day on a campaign against harassing women. Raheem was earlier arrested by the SHE team for harassing the woman. He used to call the woman continuously. She changed her mobile phone number several times because of his harassment. But he would find her new number and call her again. When she stopped using her phone, Raheem started calling her husband asking him to hand the phone to her, said a senior official from the SHE team. Because of his calls, the marital relationship between the victim and her husband was affected, police said. When they went to a counsellor, they were asked to approach the SHE team. That is how the woman lodged a complaint with us, added the official. The SHE team arrested Raheem and produced him before the court. The Fourth Special Metropolitan Magistrate, Nampally, convicted Raheem and asked him to campaign against harassment by standing with SHE team posters at the Gunpark traffic junction for an entire day. PD act on man for harassing A 24-year-old year man who was arrested by the Rachakonda police for harassing an employee of an international bank was detained under the Preventive Detention Act. The orders were issued by the police on Monday against Jeevan Aharwar Sharma. Police said the victim and Sharma were natives of Ramagundam in Peddapalli district; they had become friends when she was doing her post-graduation in the town. After completing her studies, she got a job in the international bank and shifted to Hyderabad. Jeevan who was running a small company in Ramagundam began harassing her for marriage and sent her a series of messages on her mobile. She approached the police in April 2016 but the harassment only increased. After she lodged a complaint in September, the police arrested Sharma and opened a suspect sheet against him. He came out on bail and continued to harass the victim over phone, police said. He also posted personal information about the victim on Facebook. Going by a fresh complaint, the police registered a case under the IT Act and arrested Sharma from his house in Ramagundam. He was sent to remand to remand on Friday. On Tuesday Rachakonda commissioner Mahesh Bhagawat invoked the PD Act against Sharma and the orders were served to him in prison. Thiruvananthapuram: CPM central committee on Sunday spared veteran leader V S Achuthanandan of strict disciplinary action and issued a public warning to him to abide by party norms and organisational discipline. The warning was issued after the central committee accepted the report submitted by six-member Politburo Commission which had looked into the internal issues in Kerala unit of the party and the allegations on Achuthanandans anti party and anti-organisational activities. The central committee, however, declined to accept Achuthandans demand for induction into the state secretariat following stiff opposition from the state leadership. Earlier in the day Achuthanandan met CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury and sought to know about the committee in which he should function. At the moment the veteran leader is special invitee to the central committee. The central committee decided to include him as special invitee in state committee. Achuthanandan will be able to raise issues in this forum but would not have voting rights. He asked us what is my party forum? We told it is the state committee. The state committee is the place where you should say and not outside. It was discussed with him and then announced, Yechury told a press conference after the CC meeting. On VS not being granted voting right, Yechury quipped, dont worry, CPM state committee in Kerala will not come to such a pass that would require just one vote. We have relaxed the age bar for veterans who are founders of the party. What has been VSs ideological and political contribution. In each criteria VS contribution is high. These comrades have devoted their entire life to build the party. Now Achuthanandan has been made an invitee to the state committee. If he has anything to say, he has to say in state committee and not outside, he said. To a question regarding action against E P Jayarajan and P K Sreemathy, the CPM general secretary said: The matter was taken up in the central committee and it was told clearly that trends like nepotism or favouritism are alien to the communist party. He said the since the FIR having been filed and a court case being imminent now, in that background whatever we do will prejudice the judicial process. We have asked the state committee to inquire into the matter and give us a report for consideration at the next central committee, he said. On M M Mani issue, the CPM general secretary said that there was a court case. Action taken by the party at this stage can be prejudicial to the outcome of the case. He said criminal charges against political workers may be for genuine reasons or mostly for not-so- genuine reasons. I had a case of dacoity against me, he said in a lighter vein. Meanwhile, reacting to the CC decision V.S. Achuthanandan said that it was only a routine procedure. The veteran said he was satisfied by the party decision. New Delhi: With an eye on the crucial electoral battle of 2019, BJP president Amit Shah is likely to embark on a nation-wide tour for a reality check of organisational strength and resolve issues that have been troubling the saffron party. Mr Shahs tour, sources said, will take place after the results of forthcoming Assembly elections are declared. It could be recalled that Mr Shah had deputed partys national general secretaries last year to get feedback on partys actual strength in each and every state, even from the BJP-ruled states. Complaints had been pouring in from even BJP-ruled states of senior leaders not being accessible, bureaucrats calling the shots, factionalism, nepotism and leaders of certain camp within the party getting promoted. Partys general secretaries, sources said, also gave these feedback to Mr Shah. Four national general secretaries, including general secretary (organisation) Ramlal, have been asked to coordinate with the state units and prepare Mr Shahs tour plan. The BJP president is expected to spend an entire day, if required more, with the state leadership. In BJP-ruled states, Mr Shah, sources said, could hold one-to-one meeting with leaders as lot of complaints have been coming on growing factionalism and only certain leaders getting promoted. Expanding the party base along with strengthening the organisation are one of the focus areas of Mr Shah. However, fixing problems and taking corrective measures ahead of the 2019 general elections and prepare ground for Assembly elections in individual state, is also the aim of this exercise. In Pakistan, Twitter was slow to catch on at first, and still remains a tool of the somewhat elite and educated, the first people to gain access to the Internet. (Representational image) Karachi: The Internet revolution that came to Pakistan in 1996 has, 20 years on, had massive impact on all walks of life academic, cultural, social, and economic. The rising popularity of the micro-blogging site Twitter has irrevocably changed the traditional ways in which politicians and government representatives communicate with their constituents. But is all this tweeting to the benefit or the detriment of our nation and its governance? It has become the place for much political movement, first grassroots actions like communication and organisation, as well as information dissemination. The Atlantic states: Twitter has grown into a force that has bolstered grassroots conversations, disrupted the top-down nature of political leadership and thought, and has given voice to groups long hidden on the political periphery. In the US, President Barack Obama seized on the opportunity to use Twitter. For the first time, an American President was speaking directly to other Twitter users to send out messages about his vision, and his reactions to domestic and international events. Meanwhile, political parties and movements large and small began to harness the power of Twitter and its ability to amplify messages, as well as its challenge to mainstream media by giving everyone a voice and access to the public. World leaders and governments took some time to catch up to the American initiative, but today we see every nations leader has a Twitter account, including Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai, Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Queen Rania of Jordan, etc as well as the young members of the British royal family. In Pakistan, Twitter was slow to catch on at first, and still remains a tool of the somewhat elite and educated, the first people to gain access to the Internet. But with the boom in cheap smartphones and the advent of 3G in the country, 17.2m Facebook accounts and 280m connections to Twitter a day, Pakistani officials and political parties knew they had to join the trend or risk irrelevance. As the site ProPakistani writes, the last three or so years has seen a proliferation of government officials and agencies take to Twitter and Facebook in order to announce their activities, solicit public feedback, and deliver pro-social messages to the Pakistani public. The Pakistan Armys ISPR uses Twitter to make announcements about security situations and progress in national emergencies. Diplomats and bureaucrats are not up to speed yet with Twitter or Facebook, and while most Pakistani embassies around the world have official Twitter accounts, they arent very active. On the other hand, Pakistani politicians have taken to Twitter like gasoline on a fire. Some of the most popular Twitter accounts belong to leaders like Imran Khan, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Maryam Nawaz Sharif, who spend much of their time tweeting allegations at each other. Mavericks like Sheikh Rasheed and stalwarts like Dr Arif Alvi lend their personalities to their Twitter accounts, using Urdu and English to raise chuckles and deliver sober accountability respectively. Its a lively arena with ordinary Pakistanis forming breathless fan clubs and fighting with each other in the hopes that their favourite politician-cum-celebrity will favour them with a retweet or a like. But our politicians and government representatives must bear in mind the weight of their office and their responsibility to the people when composing a tweet. Take the example of defence minister Khawaja Asif, who on December 23, 2016, reminded Israel of Pakistans nuclear ability in a tweet. He reacted to fake news that suggested Pakistan would send ground troops to Syria, with Israel purportedly threatening to retaliate with nuclear weapons if this happened. This tweet made it to the pages of international newspapers and turned Pakistan into a laughing stock. The inventor of Twitter probably didnt envision a nuclear incident resulting from an ill-thought-out tweet, but if anyone could make such a Stanley Kubrick-esque scenario a reality, it would be a Pakistani politician. With great Twitter power comes great Twitter responsibility; Pakistani leaders need to restrain themselves from abusing it to the detriment of the people they claim to serve. By arrangement with Dawn The government has done well to quell, temporarily at least, the protest by petrol pump owners against the move by the banks to levy a transaction charge on credit/debit cards and other plastic money while buying fuel. On Monday it was decided that banks and oil companies will share the costs of such transactions and consumers and pump owners would not be charged. One doesnt know how long this will last. The banks were doing the Reserve Banks bidding, and it was just another thoughtless diktat, like so many others announced after the November 8 demonetisation of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes that had to be rolled back. It is inexplicable why all those affected and all stakeholders arent consulted when far-reaching decisions are taken. In this case, the pumps were being made scapegoats. At first, they were allowed to take old notes till December 31, but when some protested they were being used as dumping grounds for demonetised currency and had no change to return, this was withdrawn. Now, when the pump owners threatened to stop accepting credit/debit cards, the charges were withdrawn. The petrol pumps get just two and a half per cent commission and there are now 60-70 per cent customers paying in plastic money at petrol pumps. So the one per cent levy some private sector banks decided to demand Saturday night turned out to be a nightmare. The basic point is that so many decisions are being taken without consideration of the consequences. Why did the RBI and banks not discuss the pros and cons before issuing diktats. People are no longer docile. They have gone through immense hardships after the demonetisation. The ATMs of even Indias largest bank, State Bank of India, are still dry at several places across the country, as they dont get enough cash from the RBI. The Rs 2,000 note (which many people find little use for) is being dispensed liberally as Rs 500 notes are still in short supply and Rs 1,000 notes arent back. Union finance minister Arun Jaitley seems quite happy that his tax collections have risen in November-December despite the demonetisation. But at what cost? Thousands of daily wage earners have lost jobs across the country as their employers had no cash to pay them. Rural India has been hit the hardest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had sought 50 days, till December 31, for things to stabilise after the demonetisation. This deadline has passed, and he is silent on the persisting chaos, with people still not able to freely access their own money. Terror attacks continue and bribery goes on merrily. Black money is generated afresh every day, and theres no word on how this can be stopped as the politicians themselves appear involved. In one of the earliest depictions of women as sub-human creatures, Semonides of Amorgos, a 7th century Greek iambic and elegiac poet, created 10 types of women based on different models from the natural world. A dirty woman from a pig, a cunning woman from a weasel or skunk, a virtuous woman from the bee and so on. The poem is one of the earliest texts attesting to the prevailing societal misogyny. An attempt to assert the patriarchal power structures which depended on and constantly reinforced by abuse of women. Nothing much has changed in the past few centuries. Women, the world over, have become victims of this systematic abuse. Even today, when a girl is violated against her will, our instant response is: Dude, look at what she is wearing! Why was she out so late in the night? A victim, instead of being offered support, is reduced to a putative enemy. The length of her skirt becomes a grave threat to our convenient moralistic standards. Victim-blaming is nothing but mass insanity instigated by deranged values. Bengalurus mass molestation case presents two kinds of people the perpetrator and the mute spectator. They stood on opposite sides of an act of violence. And yet their attitudes were uncannily alike. Each portrays the other as someone who sees women as instruments of sexual pleasure, rather than as humans. A dehumanising objectification. Sexual assault is a scourge, and has been so for many centuries. History is full of such bizarre aberrations, where women are the worst affected. Be it in a political aggression like war or in a conflict-torn region, women are the primary victims. A situation of armed conflict increases a womans risk of becoming a victim of sexual violence. They are used as the worst tools of vengeance. When the tide of World War II finally turned, a torrent of Russian forces poured into Germany from the east, and their inexorable advance became an orgy of rape and murder of hapless women. East Prussia was the first German region visited by the Red Army. In the course of a single night, it killed 72 women and one man. Most of the women were raped, of whom the oldest was 84. A victim, who made it alive, recollected the gripping scene of an eight-year-old girl raped by an entire tank squadron from eight in the evening to nine in the morning. Honda Katsuichi, in his book The Nanjing Massacre: A Japanese Journalist Confronts Japans National Shame, writes of soldiers disemboweling pregnant women and stuffing hand grenades up womens vaginas and then detonating them. A sergeant confessed in the same book that, because a crying infant disturbed him while he was raping the childs mother, he took the days-old baby and threw it into boiling water. There have been numerous instances of wartime sexual violence, particularly during the series of conflicts from 1991 to 1999 in Bosnia, Kosovo and parts of Yugoslavia. There were even reports of rape camps during Bosnian war (1992-95). It has been estimated that during the Bosnian war between 20,000 and 50,000 women were raped. Even now, not a day passes by without hearing gripping tales of Yazidi women used as sex slaves by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria and women in Aleppo choosing suicide over rape. Bodies sold and used liked battlefields. Closer to home, the December 16, 2012 gangrape in New Delhi is still fresh in our memories. We have failed many Delhis daughters since then. While violence of such grave nature attracts huge public sympathy, the daily low-level harassment in public places is simply accepted as a way of life. Suggestive comments, wandering hands on public transport, being stalked and eve-teased are largely seen as harmless by a majority of Indians. In India, eve-teasing is more of a euphemism than a crime. Seen as trivial in nature, utterly disregarding its terrible impact on the female psyche. This owes much to our popular cultural beliefs well-founded on tales of gods teasing gopis and our age-defying heroes pursuing fair-skinned heroines onscreen. With or without consent. The mass media is quite instrumental in propagating gender stereotypes, giving legitimacy to the bullying, groping and raping. Whenever there is a public outcry over an incident of violence against a woman, the response is always on predictable lines. The victim is blamed for leading men on and held responsible for their misfortune. Social psychologist Melvin Lerner argued that the victim-blaming tendencies of society are rooted in the belief that in a just world where actions have predictable consequences, people can control what happens to them. The vile slurs on attire and conduct raise a question of deep and fundamental importance. What is it that enables one group of men to treat women as mere objects of sexual pleasure? The answer is not hard to come by. The cultural ethos, drawn heavily from patriarchic structures, set the agenda for actions and thinking of women as less than human paves way for the perpetration. Another pertinent issue is of the mute spectators to such acts of violence. It is horrifying to see that, while the mass molestation was happening on that petrifying Bengaluru night, every single soul there chose to merely watch rather than react. David Hume, a Scottish philosopher, in his 1751 An Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals, argued that our moral judgments flow from a psychological faculty he called sympathy. Our resonance with others evokes feelings of approval or disapproval in us; these feelings are the basis of our moral judgments. Suppose you were to witness a man molesting a woman, and feel a sense of moral outrage welling up. This feeling of moral disapproval is produced by the hurt evoked in you by witnessing the scene. Sadly, we as a nation, have conveniently conditioned ourselves to be silent spectators. Good samaritan is a word alien to us, particularly when a woman is violated right in front of our eyes. Our sympathies are skewed and unevenly distributed. The odds are that a loved one being victimised evokes vastly more sympathetic concern in us than the fact that hundreds of thousands of women face this right in front of our eyes. National Crime Records Bureau statistics show that post-Independence rape case reporting has gone up by 900 per cent. Every other day, we hear of gruesome assaults. Some receive more attention depending on the prevailing political climate. What follow is few days of social media activism and cop-bashing, and then the issue is long-forgotten. Contrary to popular belief, violators are not always monsters of the moment. Violence against women starts before birth. The threat of an intimate abuser looms larger than a chance offender. Tougher laws will certainly do justice, with improved enforcement, but in the absence of social responsibility towards womens safety, legal enforcement alone cant protect our women. We need to be a nation of action, not words. Spare us the moral outrage in the virtual world. Instead, stop being indifferent in the face of injustice in the real world. Its high time we addressed this cultural crisis. As David Livingstone Smith writes in Less than Human, let us not rid ourselves of the human ness in us. Let us remind ourselves yet again that, the vision of India as Bharat Mata has profound implications for the country. Spiritual essence alone cannot ensure safety on streets. Rise from your couch of denials. Teach your sons to see a woman as a responsibility and not as an opportunity. Give them a gentle nudge in the ribs and ask them to be mindful of the obligation they have towards the safety of a woman, and not the length of her skirt. Despite its 7,830 nautical mile coastline, China, unlike Japan, was never a naval power, attempted commercial maritime voyages (sans serious military mission) by a few Chinese in the past notwithstanding. The reason for this non-naval tradition of China is due to land-fixative mindset of its rulers as they had to deal with innumerable foreign infantry and cavalry invasions through the northwest frontier, thereof, specially the well-known Gansu/Kansu corridor. Thus when China attained its modern statehood in 1949, it continued to carry a historical baggage that was hard to shed. It was again the post-1949 Chinese Army that was repeatedly called upon to fight first in the northeast, with Americans in Korea (1950s), attack India in the remote Himalayas in the extreme southwest (1960s) and assault Vietnam in the southern plains (1970s). These made China continuously fight land wars with foreigners. Thus, in the first half of the 20th century, when internal turmoil and political turbulence led to a long struggle (for supremacy) between the Communists and the Kuomintang a civil war based on land. Understandably, therefore, the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) got the place of pride and precedence in the new China of post-October 1, 1949. PLA commanders and comrades were all over the new China; from political commissars to district administrators to chairman, all running the government from highest level. Mao Zedong to Zhou Enlai, Lin Piao to Deng Xiaoping, all were part of the Chinese PLA. No Air Force or Navy could ever break the monopoly of the old boy tie camaraderie of serving and ex-comrades of PLA. However, the winds of change started blowing only after Chinas forays into rapid industrialisation enterprise began late 20th century. Beijing had to go for an expansion, and expanded role, of its Navy in dealing with its rising status, economics and commerce based on the import of material, export of manufactured products and safety, security thereof. It, therefore, did not take long for a Coast Guard-type force to expand fast and get a status commensurate with its enhanced role in overall scheme of national strategy and overseas outreach. Understandably, therefore, a paradigm shift in Chinese actions and attitudes took place in September 2004 when the strict subordination of the Navy to the Army-dominated Central Military Commission (CMC) was significantly altered. Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) commander Admiral Zhang Dingfa was elevated to the commission the first time that a naval chief had received such a promotion. Soon, China was on overdrive to achieve its mission in the ocean. As can be seen from the inventory of the Chinese Navy, a phenomenal growth curve was noticed in indigenous manufacture of various types of surface fighting ships and sub-surface boats. At least 30 submarines of four types (Jin, Shang, Yuan, Song) were produced by Bohai Shipyard, Huludao and Wuhan Shipyard between 2004 and 2015, and eight Kilo-class submarines were imported from Russias Nizhny Novgorod; Admiralty Yard, St Petersburg and Severodvinsk Shipyard between 2004 and 2005. Although China has completely redone its imported aircraft-carrier to commission it in 2012 as Liaoning, the Dalian Shipyard confirmed on December 31, 2015 that it had begun construction of first indigenous aircraft-carrier which is likely to be commissioned in 2020. Speed of construction and ship numbers are Chinas top priority. Speed is visible in surface ship construction too. Jiangnan Shipyard Shanghai, all by itself, commissioned 11 destroyers of three types (Luan I; Luan II; Luan III) between 2004 and 2015, each of which is a 7,000 ton-plus vessel, with 4,000-plus nautical mile range. And the Dalian Shipyard commissioned two Luzhou-type destroyers between 2006 and 2007. It is, however, the 22 Jiangkai II class, 3,963 full load tonne frigates manufactured by Huangpu Shipyard Guangzhou and Hudong-Zhonghua Shipyard Shanghai, between 2005 and February 24, 2016, which take pride of place in the speedy manufacture of indigenous fighting ships, delays caused by the collapse of a crane in 2008 during construction of hull six at Hudong Shipyard Shanghai notwithstanding. Since China professes and pretends to be assertive when it comes to Taiwan, its preparations for an assault could well be in the realm of theoretical possibility. Little wonder that four Yuzhao-type 19,855 (standard) displacement tonne amphibious assault ships have been constructed by Hudong Shipyard Shanghai between 2007 and February 1, 2016. To support a possible conflict to decide the future of Taiwan, China has started assigning the best and latest ships to the East and the South Sea fleet. Also, preparations are in full swing to focus on deterring American support to Taiwan through anti-access and area denial (AA & AD) capabilities. The short point of the long story is to succeed in sea denial to the American fleet, in and around, what China considers to be its own aqua backyard. China also appears to have taken the lessons of naval history seriously. Hence the attempt to supply ships to friends to be used as outsourced soldiers to counter or intimidate Beijings potential enemy (like in South Asia) at a distance; develop combat ship bases on foreign soil (like Gwadar, Hambantota, Chittagong and Myanmar); create and construct bases far from the mainland (like Hainan and in South China Sea); and acquire port facilities for its naval personnel (like around Indian Ocean littoral states). In the midst of this aggressive stance of the Chinese Navy, where does India stand, and how does New Delhi deal with Beijing juggernaut through the sea? In one word, New Delhi needs bases; far away from mainland India. Where? Ideally and immediately, in the neighbourhood. But that does not seem feasible at this point. What then is the alternative? The alternative for India is India itself. The two flanks of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea-located Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands are Indias assets. India needs to go all out to fully navalise these two fronts/flanks assets as never before and the sooner the better. Second, it is time to speed up conception to commission of all fighting ship projects. Third, joint command is the urgent need of the hour. Fourth, it is time to give equal emphasis to both sea control and sea denial. All the more as China is definitely going to operate jointly with its Sino-Pak axis and pose a threat to India with its nuclear submarines in the vicinity of the Indian shoreline. We just saw credible on the surfacing of two Chinese nuclear subs off Karachi harbour. In the sea, one has to perform, or perish. Union Food Processing Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal recently laid the foundation stone of Punjab's first second-generation bio-ethanol plant at Talwandi Sabo in Bathinda district. Punjab's Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas DharmendraPradhan were also present on the occasion. Built on 49 acres of land, the Rs.500 crore plant offers a practical solution to the problem of stubble burning by converting crop residue into ethanol. The state-of-the-art bio-ethanol plant offers a long-term solution to farmer's challenge of disposing off crop residue. Using an efficient technology, agriculture waste is converted into fuel grade ethanol, offering a permanent solution to the age-old practice of crop residue burning. Talking about the long-term benefits of the plant, Harsimrat Kaur Badal said, "The ethanol plant besides addressing environment issues; would also provide an additional income source to farmers. Around 3 lakh farmers will be benefitted with extra income of more than Rs 19.20 crore per annum (at an average biomass rate of Rs 1500 per ton)." Sharing details of the ethanol plant, Harsimrast Badal said, "It would use 400 tons of agriculture residue per day or 1.28 lakh ton of biomass as fuel and shall have a production capacity of around 100 KL per ethanol per day and around 3.20 crores liters of ethanol annually. This would be enough to meet 26 percent of the ethanol requirement of the state." The project shall also yield 32000 MTPA of bio-fertilisers, which shall in turn be incorporated into soil for improving soil fertility raising overall farm productivity in the state. Apart from this the plant will also yield Bio-CNG, which can be used as clean cooking fuel and fuel in vehicles. The plant will be yielding 115.20 lacs kg of Bio CNG per annum. The Bathinda MP said, "Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) was bringing this capital intensive project to the State. The second-generation ethanol bio refinery shall operate on DBT-ICT, an indigenous technology funded by the Department of Biotechnology." Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. HTC Vive-branded smartphone teased in a video posted by leakster Evan Blass on his Twitter handle. Taiwan-based HTC is rumoured to bring a Vive-branded smartphones in the market focusing to create more VR experience for its customers. HTC had teased to launch U smartphone at an event on January 12. Rumours suggest that HTC is likely to launch three new handsets, namely HTC U Ultra, U Play and One X10. However, recent leak suggest that HTC may finally unveil the Vive-branded smartphone to bank on the popularity of its virtual reality headset. A video about the Vive-branded HTC smartphone has been around since June 2016, but left unnoticed until now. On January 8, Leakster Evan Blass, posted the year-old video. The video was once posted by an HTC videographer on Vimeo. HTC already has a mobile app store for VR, Viveport M. However, the company doesnt have hardware of its own to run the app. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. Washington: In rare praise for Donald Trump, US President Barack Obama has said the while the President-elect is "very engaging and gregarious" and does not lack confidence, he acknowledged that they were "opposites in some ways," on Monday. Obama said, "He is somebody who I think is very engaging and gregarious. I have enjoyed the conversations that we have had. He is someone who I think is not lacking in confidence." The President, who is the last two weeks of his term, also opined that Trump might not have spent enough time fleshing the details of policies that can be a boon or a bane. "You have to have enough craziness to think that you can do the job. I think that he has not spent a lot of time sweating the details of, all the policies that I think that can be a strength as well as weakness. I think it depends on how he approaches it, he said. Commenting that Trumps lack of experience in political positions could be valuable if it gives him fresh eyes, Obama said But it also requires you knowing what you do not know and putting in place people who do have the kinds of experience and background and knowledge that can inform good decision- making. I think it is fair to say that he and I are sort of opposites in some ways." After the November 8 general elections, Obama and Trump have had several talks over phone after their first meeting at the Oval Office days after the elections. "The conversations have been cordial. He has been open to suggestions. The main thing that I have tried to transmit is that there is a difference between governing and campaigning, so that what he has to appreciate is, as soon as you walk into this office after you have been sworn in, you are now in charge of the largest organisation on earth," Obama told ABC News. Obama also advised Trump about management and emphasised on the need for a strong team. "You cannot manage it the way you would manage a family business. You cannot manage it the way you would manage a Senate office as I was a senator before I became president and so you have to have a strong team around you. You have to have respect for institutions and the process to make good decisions because you are inherently reliant on other folks, he said. Also talking about US intelligence agencies, Obama said that the conversation touched upon handling raw information. "So when I talked to him about our intelligence agencies, what I have said to him is that there are going to be times where you have got raw intelligence that comes in and, in my experience over eight years the intelligence community is pretty good about saying. Look, we cannot say for certain what this means," the US President said. He said that "there are going to be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working and the people that you put in charge are giving you their very best assessments". Not lacking in confidence, Obama said, is probably a prerequisite for the job. Constables escort Sara Packer out of the courtroom of District Judge Michael Petrucci in Newtown, Bucks County on Sunday. (Photo: AP) Pennyslvania: A teen girl was raped and killed by her mother's boyfriend, while the mother watched the incident for carnal pleasure in Pennyslvania, according to police officials. According to a report in Mirror, 14-year-old Grace Packer was allegedly killed by her mother, Sara Packer and her boyfriend jacob Sullivan. Bucks County District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub was quoted as saying that the duo had plotted to beat, rape, poison and strangle the teen. Weintraub was also reported to have said that the accused preserved the victim's corpse in cat litter for weeks before dismembering and discarding it in north central Pennsylvania. The teen's remains were discovered by two hunters on October 31 in a wooded area close to a resevoir. However, the girl was reportedly missing since last July. Grace was adopted by the accused, Sara, who was also her foster parent before adoption. Sullivan (44) was taken in on Saturday after he declared that he was responsible for killing Grace to numerous workers at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health. During inquiry, Sullivan narrated how the girl was assaulted for over 18 hours and then murdered. The couple had planned the murder from late 2015, when they returned from a stay with their extended family. Sullivan was reported to have said that the couple drove Grace on the morning of July 8 to a new house in Richland Township. Sullivan hit Grace numerous times in her face, splitting her lip, after they entered the house. The couple then took the teen to the third floor of the house where Sara watched Sullivan raping Grace. Grace overdosed on painkillers after the duo told her that it would help reduce the pain. They left in an attic bound and gagged. Finding that she wasn't dead even several hours later, Sullivan then strangled her to death. To disguise the odour, the duo packed the corpse in cat litter and left it in the attic for three months. Sara filed a missing person report with Abington Township Police three days later. She also allegedly withheld crucial information, misleading the police. This resulted in her arrest in November. Also according to the report two weeks before Grace's mutilated body was found Sara was captured on film buying a saw and two extra blades. Officials also discovered that the wound marks on her body resembled the bone saw. Sullivan was tried on Monday before a magistrate judge on long list of charges. He was also denied bail and was ordered to be held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility until the preliminary hearing on January 20. The mother, Sara, was arrested about three hours later and will be tried at noon on Monday. Notably, Sullivan had been hospitalised since December 30, when he was found unconscious from a drug overdose at his house in Horsham. Sara was also found in a similar state on the same day, a consequence of a suicide pact they had made together. Washington: What was US President Barack Obama's hardest decision during his two terms in office? A massive troop surge in Afghanistan, he said in an interview on Sunday. "Toughest decision was early in my presidency when I ordered 30,000 more troops into Afghanistan," said Obama, who leaves office in less than two weeks, told ABC's "This Week." After a protracted debate inside the administration that pitted US military commanders against White House advisers, Obama announced the 30,000-troop "surge" in December 2009. The decision would bring the US contingent in Afghanistan to nearly 100,000 troops along with almost 50,000 allied troops. "I think it was the right decision because the Taliban at that point had gotten a lot of momentum before I'd gotten into office, partly because we hadn't been paying attention as much as we needed to Afghanistan," Obama said in the taped interview. The President had hoped to withdraw most US military forces from Afghanistan by now, leaving behind just a small force. But the country still has some 8,400 military personnel in the country, and announced Friday it is sending some 300 Marines to Helmand province in the coming months. Meanwhile in Iraq, more than 5,000 US soldiers are still on the ground providing critical support to the country's army, which is unable to man a war alone against the ISIS fighters. Asked whether he found it disappointing that so many troops remain in both countries, Obama said the United States is "not going to get the kind of decisive, permanent victories in this fight against terrorism that we would get from fighting another country." "But we don't have this huge footprint, we are less likely to be targeted as, you know, occupiers," he added about the reduced number of troops. Even after decimating Al-Qaeda in Pakistan's tribal areas and killing the terror group's leader Osama bin Laden, groups in the region still "have both the interest and the capacity if we don't maintain vigilance to strike against the United States," he said. Tehran: Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died on Sunday at the age of 82, state media reported, a big blow to moderates and reformists deprived now of their most influential supporter in the Islamic establishment. "Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was taken to hospital after a heart attack and more than an hour long efforts by doctors to revive him were not successful," the deputy minister of health was quoted by Fars news agency as saying. Residents said a crowd gathered outside the hospital in northern Tehran where Rafsanjani was taken. In a sign of mourning, state television channels carried a black banner on a corner of screen. Mehdi, the imprisoned son of Hashemi who is in jail on corruption charges, attended the hospital to say goodbye to the body of his father. He was escorted out by police. Rafsanjani was an influential figure in Iran, and headed the Expediency Council, a body which is intended to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council. He was also a member of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that selects the supreme leader, Iran's most powerful figure. Rafsanjani has been described as "a pillar of the Islamic revolution." His pragmatic policies economic liberalization, better relations with the West and empowering Iran's elected bodies - appealed to many Iranians but was despised by hardliners. His death is a big blow to moderate president Hassan Rouhani five months before a presidential election. Since 2009 he and his family have faced criticism over their support for the opposition movement which lost that year's disputed election to former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. His funeral will be held in Tehran on Tuesday, his relative and aide Hossein Marashi was quoted as saying by Fars news agency. London: Britain's Special Air Service (SAS) alongside US Special Forces are on a "kill not capture" mission for Islamic State (ISIS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, a media report has claimed. Britain's spy chiefs at MI6 and GCHQ are putting all their resources behind tracking down and killing al-Baghdadi, 'Daily Star' reported. The mission will be led by top SAS snipers, while covert squads monitor hideouts in Iraq and Syria. "The head of IS is now a priority target. That means the SAS will be using all of their experience and skill to track him down. He is a dead man walking, it's just a matter of time. He is going to be killed by ground troops or taken out in an air strike or drone strike," an unnamed defence source told the newspaper. The SAS will work closely with US counterparts, Delta Force, alongside the CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA). It was a team of SAS and Delta Force soldiers who had hunted down Al Qaeda boss Al Zarqawi in Iraq in 2006. There have been some reports of Al Baghdadi's death but he was reportedly spotted last month. The US government has also raised the price on his head from USD 10 million to USD 25 million. The attack in el-Masaeed district of Al-Arish city was carried out by members of Ansar Beit el-Maqdes, a Sinai-based militant group which pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. (Photo: AP/Representational) Cairo: At least nine policemen were killed and14 others injured on Monday when ISIS-linked suicide bombers rammed a garbage truck packed with explosives into an Egyptian security checkpoint, the latest attack in the restive North Sinai governorate. The attack in el-Masaeed district of Al-Arish city was carried out by members of Ansar Beit el-Maqdes, a Sinai-based militant group which pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2014. The attackers also opened fire on the security post after ramming the truck packed with explosives into the checkpoint. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The terrorists used a garbage truck, which was stolen earlier from the municipality of el-Arish. The 14 persons injured include four civilians, police said. Reports said other civilians who live near the explosion site may have been killed, but there was no confirmed numbers. Egypt's North Sinai has been the stage for many terrorist attacks since the January 2011 revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak. The attacks, mainly targeting police and military officials, increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule. Hundreds of security personnel have been killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. Oli said that the incumbent government was acting as if it did not understand court language. Kathmandu: Nepal's Opposition leader and former prime minister KP Sharma Oli on Monday refused to let the the Constitution amendment bill, aimed at addressing the demands of agitating Madhesi parties, pass in the Parliament. Talking to journalists at Biratnagar Airport in eastern Nepal, CPN-UML Chairman Oli accused the government that by tabling the Constitution amendment bill in Parliament it had ignored the Supreme Court order which had noted that state boundaries cannot be reviewed without an approval from the Provincial Assemblies. Oli said that the incumbent government was acting as if it did not understand court language. He accused the Madhesi party leaders of speaking illegal and unconstitutional words and criticised them for making statements like they would not participate in the elections if the Constitution amendment bill is not passed. Oli exuded confidence that the country would find a solution to the problem in coming few days in line with the parliamentary procedures. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" has claimed that the Constitution amendment bill was tabled in the Parliament with the consent of the main opposition CPN (UML). The bill, which aims to accommodate the demands of the agitating Madhesi and ethnic groups that include citizenship and boundary demarcation issues among others, was tabled in the Parliament yesterday. Talking to reporters in central Nepal's Chitawan district, Prachanda said that the bill was forwarded after forging a consensus with UML chairman Oli. He claimed that the Opposition was ready to forward the bill in an 'agree to disagree' modality, adding that it was an internationally practised modality and dismissed the notion that the bill was tabled forcibly. The Prime Minister stressed on consensus among the political parties and said that serious discussions were held with Oli regarding this. Re-demarcation of the provincial boundary and citizenship issue are the two major demands put forth by the Madhesis. Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin, launched a six-month-long agitation during Oli's premiership, from September 2015 to February last year, in which more than 50 people were killed. The agitation had also crippled the landlocked country's economy as supplies from India were blocked. The meeting also reiterated Pakistans clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as supplement its foreign policy initiatives. Islamabad: Pakistan government is planning to revive controversial military courts set up for the speedy trial of hardcore terrorists as they played an extremely important role to combat extremism, two days after they were wound up. The government said today that it was consulting political parties for bringing back military courts. The decision to revive military courts was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The military courts were set up in January 2015 after a Taliban attack on an army school killed 150 people, mostly children. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, DG ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials attended the meeting. Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting emphasised that the military courts played an extremely important role at a very crucial juncture of one action against extremism and terrorism and translated the actions under operation Zarb-e-Azb to meaningful and tangible national gains. "The Federal Government has already initiated consultations for constitutional amendment to continue the military courts for a period which is agreed by all political parties represented in the Parliament," it further reported. The participants agreed that Pakistan would continue its efforts for attaining internal peace and play its due role for a peaceful region. The meeting also reiterated Pakistans clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as supplement its foreign policy initiatives. The meeting reviewed internal and regional security situation in detail with a view to further strengthen gains made through counter-terrorism operations. It resolved for continued efforts at all levels to achieve national policy objectives. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Out of power in Punjab for ten years, Congress today promised a host of freebies like farm loan waiver and free power, smart phones, textbooks and doles to unemployed youth in the election manifesto for the state released today. Releasing the manifesto, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh charged the Akali-BJP government with "misusing" governance in the last ten years and said Capt Amarinder Singh's leadership is "badly needed" in the state to explot the state's tremendous potential. "The challenge before Punjab is to rise above all this din and recognise that the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow. This election manifesto is a forward looking visionary document, which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the State government in the last ten years," he said. Hailing Amarinder, Manmohan said he is a leader of great vision who has a wealth of experience and commitment to the cause of development in Punjab. He said Punjab's fiscal situation has been bad under the Akalis as the state has inflicted great damage on the economy and polity of Punjab being a victim of terrorism. "Amarinder's government will undo all this damage and set a new pathway for a better tomorrow which will see that people will have. A higher per-capita Income, better distribution of Income, better employment prospects and better infrastructure," Manmohan Singh said. The manifesto promises loan waiver and free power to farmers, wiping out of drug trade within a month, stipend of Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth, free smart mobile phones to youth and free textbooks to all children. Amarinder Singh announced that the state would generate as many as 25 lakh jobs within the next five years so as to provide employment to all youth in the state. He also promised to crackdown on drugs and corruption, and bring a new industrial policy within 90 days, besides promising an end to VIP culture, bring sweeping economic reforms and total transparency in governance. He also promised free houses to homeless dalits/SCs/OBCs and one job in every family. He lamented that the growth rate of Punjab was down at 5.6 per cent, against the national average of 7.3 per cent, and that the state has slided from number one position to number 19 under Akalis. "We are in a very bad shape," he said. On the contentious SYL Canal issue, he insisted there was no additional water in Punjab and that when the Assembly will be convened a law will be passed for not sharing any of the state's waters. "We are not for not giving. But, we don't have it (to share)," he said when asked about it. Asked specifically if Amarinder was the chief ministerial candidate, AICC Secretary in-charge Asha Kumari said, "He is officially president, who is leading the party in the polls". Manmohan said Amarinder Singh's commitment to the cause of development of Punjab is "unrivalled". "I believe that Punjab is in for better times under the leadership of Amarinder. This better tomorrow will see development of State both in economy and management of polity. The fiscal situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented," he said. The manifesto promises to redeem Punjab's lost honour and to restore its rightful place and announced to free the state and its people from the shackles of Badal government on the states resources, which it alleged has been marked by widespread corruption, lawlessness, mafia rule and nepotism. The manifesto also vowed to bring in total transparency in governance as well as all financial and political systems through innovative initiatives and out-of-the-box measures. The manifesto is being launched in Chandigarh and five other cities in Punjab as well. Amarinder said the manifesto has taken six months and the team led by former deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited places across the state and met people of all walks of life and got inputs from former Prime Minister Singh. "We will be taking over a deficit state. Government is operating by selling land and mortgaging buildings, including old age homes. Some funds like Mandi Board have been mortgaged for seven years. Nevertheless, we have made a comprehensive manifesto. We have covered every facet of Punjab. "Rural debt in Punjab is Rs 67,000 crore. We are planning to take over debt of every farmer and negotiate with banks. We will negotiate how we will service the debt and how we will repay the loan. This ordinarily should be the job of the government of India. We are committed with doing away with farm debt. We will manage this situation by thinking innovatively," he said. Noting that this is his last election, Amarinder said, "For 47 years, I have been in politics and this is my last election. I am not going to fight again. People know that what I say, I fulfil." Amarinder said the party has included a Re 1 cess per bottle of alcohol, "which directly serviced our requirement to provide for social commitments". Talking about the programme of providing jobs in every family, he said, "We will monitor what jobs are needed. This will be overseen from Chief Minister's Office. Till jobs are available we will give Rs 2500 stipend to every youngster Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in four weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab." Announcing other measures, he said, "We will provide affordable electricity. If we want industry to come to Punjab then we have to give a level playing field. We will reduce power tariff to industry from Rs 7.60 down to Rs 5.00. We will pool land, purchased at market rates, which we will give to industries which guarantee jobs." Amarinder dismissed suggestions that his promise to provide jobs to all unemployed in the state was like the Rs 15-lakh in all accounts promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "People know what I promise, I do fulfil them," he said. A crackdown on drugs and a series of wide-ranging new legislations to control important administrative and legal functions, time-bound steps to bolster employment and revive agriculture and industry, ending of VVIP culture, bringing the marginalized and minorities back into the societal mainstream, are the key highlights of the 120-page manifesto The manifesto also addressed in detail, issues concerning government employees, education institutions and teachers, healthcare system and the media. The manifesto includes a 10page chargesheet against the Badal regime, exposing the alleged "Loot, Boot & Shoot" policy of the SAD-BJP government that also lists out the multiple failures of the Akali "misrule" of past 10 years. The chargesheet is led by a section on 'Family First the family comes first while the state goes to dumps' and underlines 'Why it's imperative for the people of Punjab to rid themselves of a decade of SAD-BJP misrule'. Government has decided to file a mercy petition on behalf of family members of two men from Tamil Nadu who were awarded death penalty by Qatar's Supreme Court for allegedly murdering a woman four years ago. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had sought a a report about the case from Indian envoy in Qatar two days ago, today said the Embassy has requested Tamil Nadu government to help in filing mercy plea for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal. "I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu. "We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard," Swaraj tweeted. The court recently had rejected a plea by the Indian Embassy to overturn the death penalty awarded to the duo, both in their 40s, but commuted the life term awarded to the third accused, Sivakumar Arasan to 15 years' jail term. While Subramaniam hails from Villupuram, Perumal is a resident of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu who had gone to the Gulf country for greener pastures. Congress MLA from Tamil Nadu's Nanguneri constituency, H Vasanthakumar, had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj, seeking their urgent intervention in saving Subramaniam and Perumal. The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the Ruler of Qatar. "If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai," he had said in the letter. The then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa last year had sanctioned Rs 9.5 lakh to take care of the expenses for filing the appeal in the Supreme Court. In December 2016, China announced that it was banning all commerce in ivory by the end of 2017, a move that would shut down the worlds largest ivory market and could deal a critical blow to the practice of elephant poaching in Africa. The decision by China follows years of growing international and domestic pressure and gives wildlife protection advocates hope that the threatened extinction of certain elephant populations in Africa can be averted. Chinas announcement is a game changer for elephant conservation, Carter Roberts, president and chief executive of the World Wildlife Fund, said in a written statement. According to some estimates, more than 1,00,000 elephants have been wiped out in Africa over the past 10 years in a ruthless scramble for ivory driven by Chinese demand. Elly Pepper, a wildlife advocate with the Natural Resources Defense Council, New York, USA, wrote that Chinas announcement may be the biggest sign of hope for elephants since the current poaching crisis began. Wildlife advocates have said for years that the most important step in putting poachers out of business would be shutting down the ivory industry in China. But the success of the new policy depends on how strictly it is enforced. Shutting down in phases Wildlife researchers estimate that 50 to 70% of all smuggled elephant ivory ends up in China, where there are countless ivory workshops and showrooms. In the announcement, the State Council, Chinas Cabinet, said the shutdown of the market, which includes all processing and sales, would occur in phases throughout 2017. In the first step, a designated group of legal ivory processing factories and businesses will be forced to close by March 31, 2017. Under the new rules, people who own ivory products can keep them or give them as gifts, and owners can sell them at supervised auctions after getting official approval. But conservationists believe that the Chinese government is sincere in not allowing any significant domestic ivory market. Chinas move is at least partly a result of negotiations at senior levels between Washington and Beijing. In 2015, when President Xi Jinping of China made a state visit to Washington, USA, he and President Barack Obama agreed that the two nations would impose nearly complete bans on ivory import and export and take significant and timely steps to halt the domestic commercial trade of ivory. Those goals were reiterated in Beijing in June 2016 during a summit meeting between the United States and China that addressed economic and strategic issues. Even with the import ban, smuggling continues as long as a domestic market exists. Demand for elephant ivory has skyrocketed in recent years, spurring poaching levels that are driving elephants towards extinction, Elly wrote. And ending the legal ivory trade in China the worlds largest consumer of elephant ivory is critical to saving the species. Illegal ivory ends up on the legal market after being smuggled into the country, chiefly by criminal syndicates. Hong Kong has been a main transit point. Steady decrease Corruption and chaos in many parts of Central Africa, where the last great elephant herds roam, are fuelling the trafficking. Poachers and rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, Chad and South Sudan have exploited conflicts and a breakdown to massacre thousands of elephants, often using the proceeds from ivory to buy more weapons. Like blood diamonds in West Africa in the late 1990s, ivory has become Africas new conflict resource. Scientists say that for the first time in years, more elephants are being killed than born, with the population steadily decreasing. Tusks are often sold to African middlemen who pay off corrupt government officials either to look the other way or to take part in the smuggling. Elly of the Natural Resources Defense Council urged other nations, including Britain, to follow Chinas lead, and said the United States, which has made significant progress on the issue, could do more to bolster enforcement. A book compiling select speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on foreign policy during 2014 and 2015 was released today by President Pranab Mukherjee, who said the speeches have done well to lay out India's economic strategy and foreign policy with style and substance. The President, who has written foreword of the book, formally released it on the concluding day of the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention here, the Centre's outreach programme for overseas Indians. The Ministry of External Affairs compiled the select speeches of Modi which outline the strength of India's bilateral relationships with individual countries such as the US, Russia, Australia, UK but also India's broader approaches to a new and invigorated foreign policy. From Prime Minister's very first speech abroad, his addresses to the Parliament of Bhutan at Thimphu, to the UN General Assembly, at Nazarbayev University, Astana, the Digital India Event at San Francisco, and the address to the India-Africa Forum Summit, the speeches signify both the strength and durability of India's foreign partnerships, the MEA said. In his foreword, Mukherjee says, "The speeches are a window to the Government's vision and strategy for India's engagement with the world... they have done well to lay out India's economic strategy and foreign policy- with style and substance." In his address at the event, Mukherjee said,"his (Modi's) speeches tell the story of the emerging India, an India which is moving ahead, leaving behind the baggage of history and looking at the world with optimism." The first thing that caught 26-year-old Ronny Orrs attention when he landed in India was the sight of temples, mosques and churches, located beside each other. You would never find such a thing back home in Israel. I like the way people from different religious backgrounds move around together in harmony, here in India, says Ronny. A native of Israel, Ronny was a part of the student contingent from Israel at the 14th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD). The group is on a familiarisation of India programme and Ronny, who traces his ancestral roots to Pune, says that he couldnt wait to visit India. My mother is originally a Jew from Pune and my father is from Russia. My family moved to Jerusalem and later to Israel more than five decades ago. I dont know what happened before that, he says. But I was excited at the thought of coming to India because of the many stories that Ive been told about this country and its culture, he adds. Ronny has friends and relatives living in Mumbai and Pune. That also gave him the chance to visit these cities before coming to Bengaluru for the PBD. What I got to see at PBD was a melting pot of cultures. I got an understanding of the language, food habits and way of life after interacting with the different student groups at the event. The educational tour would not have been complete without visiting PBD, he says. He finds Indians, especially the younger lot, to be very tolerant and peace-loving. This place is peaceful when compared to the tension-ridden parts of Israel, especially Syria. I have friends and relatives in Syria but we arent able to meet or connect with anybody there because people there are so scared to step out of their homes, he says. Ronny is a part of several student activist groups in his country who help refugees in Sudan and Syria. We connect with the similar student groups in these two places to lend support to the poor who have lost their homes and belongings. Ive connected with youth groups here in India doing similar work, says Ronny. This young man has also managed to grab some time to do a bit of sightseeing. I visited the Jewish Synagogue in Mattancherry and spent some time in the age-old structure. I am glad that these places are preserved and maintained so well. I experienced a deep sense of peace when I was there, he says. Ronny also relished the local food of Kerala and got a peek into the life of the fishing community. The people in different parts of India whom Ive seen and interacted with are poor but seem to be very happy and content with whatever little they have. Theres a lot for those from other countries to learn and emulate from the people in India, he says. With plastic bags banned in many cities for their harmful impact on the environment, cloth and canvas bags soon took their place. Though some thought it was a good move by the government, others felt that these bags were eventually turning out to be heavy on the pocket. In a situation where people were still contemplating about whether or not to use plastic bags and pay as much as Rs 15 for a cloth bag, Ashwath Hegde was dedicatedly working towards solving this issue with an alternative to plastic. With the help of his friends, after four-and-a-half-years of research and development, he finally came up with EnviGreen a venture which produces bags that are organic, biodegradable and even edible for animals like cows. My main aim was to come up with something that is reasonable in terms of cost and is an alternative to plastic. We first launched the product in Qatar in February last year, as a part of our pilot project Go Green Qatar, in association with the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, Qatar. Then we finally launched it in India in August, says Ashwath. Though he says that there are many organisations which work with palm leaves to make paper and plates, he has not yet come across anyone who has worked on an alternative to plastic. So how did he come up with a concept like EnviGreen? When the ban on plastic was implemented by the Mangalore City Corporation some years back, there were no planned alternatives that were thought of. Though there was an availability of paper and cloth bags in the market, not everyone could afford to have an expensive bag for a few things that they buy. Thats when the idea of working on an alternative came to my mind. Though the product looks like a plastic bag, it is made of 100% natural resources, says Ashwath. Materials like natural starch, tapioca, potato, vegetable waste, banana peel and vegetable oil are used to produce these bags. On how they are environment friendly, Ashwath explains, Every rainy season, we see manmade floods across the city, which is primarily a result of plastic waste clogging the drains. This is when EnviGreen bags offer a solution; as soon as these bags come in contact with water, they dissolve within a few days, whereas when they come in contact with hot water, they dissolve within seconds. Moreover, when these bags are burnt, they dont burn like plastic and emit gases that are harmful for the environment; rather, they burn like paper and also take a few days to biodegrade naturally once discarded. These bags can be used in supermarkets, restaurants, at medical stores and other places instead of the regular plastic bags. Though Ashwath says that these bags cost a bit more than the normal plastic bags, the cost is way lesser than that of cloth bags. In fact, EnviGreen bags are already being used in some of the departmental stores. We are planning to collaborate with a few plastic manufacturers around the city to start with, and help them adopt the technology we have used. This way we will do our bit to make the environment plastic-free and also provide people a source of income, says Ashwath. As for the challenges, he says that educating people and breaking their misconception about the alternatives is a difficult task. To make them understand that these bags are more of compostable plastic and there is no use of chemicals is difficult, he says, adding that they are planning to expand the venture across India and the world in a years time. A deep emotional connect with their motherland is what most NRIs, who turned up to take part in the 14th edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), felt. Some of them were coming to India for the first time, while some others said they hadnt had the opportunity to visit the country as often as they had wished to. There were also those who said they frequented the country at least thrice a year. Most NRIs were amazed at the development that they saw around them and said they wanted their children to come to India more often to experience the change and feel one with the country. Michellel Moodley, a lawyer, was born in South Africa and has been raised there. This is Michellels first visit to India. She said that she was stunned by what she saw. I felt like Ive come home; I experienced an instant emotional connect with India. I am amazed with the way the country has grown and find the people here very well-informed, said Michellel. She wants her children to come to India. After this visit, I am keen on sending my children here to understand and experience the culture. This is the only way to ensure that they remain in touch with their roots, added Michellel. Like Michellel, Priti Kotecha, director-overseas operations, BWT India Aid, too has lived in the United Kingdom all her life and occasionally visits India. The image of India being a poverty-stricken nation changes after one comes here. We have many of our India-aided projects doing well here. However, the social service sector in the country needs to be strengthened and we are working towards that in a small way, expressed Priya. Several NRIs present at PBD like Jagadeswara Rao Maddhukuri, a resident of Poland and native of Hyderabad, have set up businesses in India and abroad. Presently, the president of Poland India Business Council, Jagadeswara, has been living in Poland for the last 30 years. I make it a point to visit Hyderabad at least twice a year, just to ensure that the many collaborations my company has forged with India dont lose focus, said Rao. He thinks events like PBD give the NRI community an opportunity to meet and connect on a more productive level. Jayant Kantelal, another businessman and managing director of Reymon from Portugal, has been enjoying his visit to India. Theres a lot that the two countries can do in terms of employment exchange programmes. I am also looking forward to working with the government towards ensuring more transparency in the government-related projects that we are working on, shared Jayant. There were also heads of educational institutions among the crowd. Dr Shafi Ahmed Sattar, Syed Mohammd Shankat Perwez, Asma Ali Shah and Meera Rahiman are faculty at the International Indian School in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This group observed that the country now has more educational opportunities than ever before. Weve come here hoping to work out some educational collaborations and exchange programmes, said Dr Shafi Ahmed Sattar. While education-related issues remain this groups primary focus, Asma Ali Shah pauses to reflect on the Bengaluru of the early 90s. The city has grown and transformed so much. The weather was colder back then, its very hot now. But the warm culture and openness among the people remain intact, said Asma. Young women like Bharadia Deepa Vikrant, who has been living in the UAE for the last four years, say that they yearn to return home. I feel India is more secure now than ever before. I find there are a lot of measures being taken by the government to protect women and make them feel safe, she said. She also found that the work culture has tremendously improved. It was also a proud moment for several NRIs who were awarded for their outstanding contributions in various fields and their commitment towards strengthening the economy of India. Winston Chandarbhan Dookeran is a Trinidad and Tobago based politician and economist. One among the awardees, Winston said it is an honour for him to be nominated for the award. He had brought his wife Shirley, son Navin Dookeran and grandchildren Sonia and Dhruv because he wanted them to be a part of this proud moment. I am excited to be here and feel humble to receive the honour from the Indian government. My grandchildren were eager to travel to India. We visited Delhi before coming to Bengaluru and we will travel and explore a bit more before heading back home, said Winston. Prime Minister Theresa May, who has for many weeks evaded debate over how Britain will exit from the European Union (EU) with the phrase Brexit means Brexit, promises more clarity in a speech this month. She is expected to speak two months before she intends to invoke Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, formally beginning a two-year negotiation with Brussels on leaving the EU, and just after the Supreme Court rules on whether Parliament must approve that invocation. The Supreme Court, the United Kingdoms highest court of appeal in civil cases, is expected to rule against the government and require that Parliament have a say. A short bill has been prepared, however, and no one expects lawmakers of either house to oppose the result of the June Brexit referendum at this stage. So May will speak. But what will she say, especially when she insists that she does not want to give away her bargaining position with Brussels too early? And how will she calm down the fervid, angry and partisan atmosphere around the whole topic both in the country at large and, more important, in her own Conservative government? The most recent indication of Brexit madness surrounded the sudden resignation of Ivan Rogers, Britains ambassador to the EU, who charged in an email to his staff that the government had muddled thinking about Brexit and had not understood what the 27 other nations in the bloc would accept in an exit negotiation. Rogers, who had been intimately involved in former Prime Minister David Camerons vain effort to secure a winning new arrangement for Britain from Brussels, was being challenged or ignored by those in the government who, unlike May herself, favoured Brexit from the start. Nor did he get on with her two closest political advisers, Fiona Hill and Nick Timothy. They reportedly resented Rogers views, which somehow made it into the press, that the government was unprepared for the negotiations, overly optimistic about getting a special deal and utopian about how long it would take to negotiate a separate trade agreement with the EU. The press wrote happily about a revolt of the mandarins the permanent civil service over Mays leadership, with those opposed to Brexit judging the loss of Rogers and his expertise a body blow to the countrys future. Brexiters largely considered his decision to quit both welcome and inevitable. Brexit advocates, like Iain Duncan Smith and John Redwood, dismissed Rogers email as pompous and whiny and pressed for a known Brexiter to replace him in Brussels. David Davis, the Brexiter who heads the new Cabinet office called the Department for Exiting the EU (Dexeu), allowed his top civil servant, Olly Robbins, to try to downgrade the ambassadors job so the entire Brussels Embassy would report to him, and not to the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office successfully fended off Davis and demanded to keep the Brussels job. That went to Tim Barrow, a former ambassador to Moscow and the current political director of the Foreign Office. Barrow, a security expert, is considered a sensible, intelligent and safe pair of hands. Herself a quiet opponent of Brexit, May promised to carry out the wishes of the British people as expressed in the June referendum that caused Cameron to resign only a year after he won a surprising majority for the Conservatives. But it was the long-standing anti-European minority in the party, enhanced by defections to the pro-Brexit UK Independence Party, that forced the referendum on a country with other priorities, like jobs, crime, security and the failings of the National Health Service. While for most Brexit Conservatives, the main issue was British sovereignty and freedom from EU rules, regulations, court decisions and fees, the main concern of the 52% of Britons who favoured Brexit was immigration, Arron Banks, the prime funder of UKIP and one of the Brexit campaigns, said in an interview. He paid for a private poll of 50,000 voters himself. Behind concerns about security, jobs and the health service, Banks said, was a widely felt judgment that immigration numbers were too large and out of control, and that such control could only be restored by leaving the EU. Therein lies Mays dilemma. Diplomats and officials who have had some discussions with her advisers and would not be named because of the confidential nature of those talks say she has two priorities that will limit her negotiating options. First, vital to Conservatives who consider sovereignty as most important, is getting Britain out from under the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice. Second, control over immigration is important to most Brexit voters. The logic of these two priorities would mean that Britain could no longer be a part of the EUs single market for trade in goods and services and freedom of travel and labour. Nor could it be a part of the customs union for goods alone, because that also would mean both paying Brussels and having no ability to strike separate trade deals with China, say, or Washington. Transitional trade agreement So the only logical future relationship would seem to be a new trade deal in goods and services that Britain would have to negotiate with the rest of the EU a negotiation Rogers suggested, to Mays unhappiness, could take a decade. In the meantime, he had suggested, Britain should negotiate a transitional agreement that would preserve free trade and would probably look a lot like Britains current membership with the obligations, but without the right to participate in decision-making. Without such a transition, Britain risks a hard Brexit, with considerable damage to its trade and especially to its dominant financial services sector. But those conclusions are politically unpopular as well, especially with Brexiters like Davis who believe the EU needs Britain more than Britain needs the EU, and like Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who likes to say Britain can have its cake and eat it, too, and that Britain can both control immigration and still remain in the single market. The loss of access to the single market could also have serious implications for Britains integrity, since Scotlands nationalist leaders threaten a new independence referendum if it can no longer trade freely with the EU. But logic and politics do not always fit together nicely. So May holds her fire, remains silent about her priorities and their costs and simply promises that she will somehow produce a British exit that satisfies everyone. In the meantime, having chided US Secretary of State John Kerry for his speech criticising the Israeli government and settlement expansion in what appeared to be an effort to align Britain with President-elect Donald Trump, Downing Street is suggesting that it has finally secured a White House meeting for May with Trump sometime in February. Trump confirmed the meeting in a Twitter post Saturday, saying: I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime US ally, is very special! Indeed, a Britain out of the EU is going to need the special relationship with the United States more than ever. Photos: No Pants Subway Ride Shows The CTA Its Best Cubs-Themed Underwear By Rachel Cromidas in Arts & Entertainment on Jan 9, 2017 4:49PM The annual No Pants Subway Ride returned to Chicago Sunday afternoon to give Chicagoans an excuse to get some sun (and, presumably, CTA grime) on their cheeks in the dead of winter. The event, which started out as an Improv Everywhere experiment and takes place in several cities, kicked off Sunday afternoon in Rogers Park, where participants rode the length of the Red Line sans pants. Participants were encouraged to keep their coats, boots, scarves, etc. on because, oh yes, it's January. Have a look at our photo gallery from the event, plus some very current Cubs-themed briefs. The Mahila Congress members staged a protest against demonetisation in Madikeri on Monday. The workers wore garlands of vegetables during the protest. A procession was carried out from General Thimmaiah Circle to the deputy commissioners office on the occasion, with the protesters shouted slogans against the Union government. The Mahila Congress members said that after the scrapping of high denomination currency, a crisis has been created in the country. Change is not available for the common man to transact. They said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is acting as a dictator and not listening to the woes of farmers and daily wage labourers. Poor being loot AICC member Usha Naidu said that in the name of demonetisation, the BJP-led government is looting the poor and middle class. The government was not able to curb black money through its demonetisation move. She urged the Central government to withdraw all the restrictions on cash withdrawals from banks and ATMs. Stating that Modi had sought 50 days time to fight graft and eliminate black money, she said even after 50 days, the monetary situation in the country has not changed. All the deposits in the banks should be given interest of 18% from the day of the scrapping of currency. All the charges on digital transaction should be waived off. The AICC member said the government should also pay compensation to at least one woman in a BPL family, with Rs 20,000. The wages for the labourers under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme should be hiked. MLC Veena Acchaiah, DCC president T P Ramesh and others were part of the protest. University of Mysore (UoM) Vice Chancellor K S Rangappa, who is demitting the office on Tuesday, said the varsity will become one of the top universities in the country if the academic and research activities are strengthened. Addressing reporters here on Monday, Rangappa said, With good research practices and quality education, the varsity can become number one in the country. There is a need to strengthen the research activities in basic science, social science, economic and management studies. The outgoing vice chancellor said that there is a need to fix accountability in the functioning of the varsity and appointment of faculty members. He pointed out that there are only 128 permanent teachers for 74 departments and a majority of the faculty members are on the verge of retirement. It is necessary to fill the posts within a year. Rangappa also sought reservation in the appointment process as every community has qualified people. Many foreign professors are keen to work with the varsity. More than a dozen qualified professors have already approached me seeking an opportunity, he added. Highlighting the importance of the state universities, Rangappa said, 80% of the nobel laureates were the products of these universities and they need encouragement to function in a more effective manner. UoM is the only university in the country which roped in more than 10 Nobel laureates to deliver lecture and it is a matter of pride, he said. Undue interference To a specific query, Rangappa said, Undue political and bureaucratic interference will hamper the growth of universities and UoM is no exception. The varsity authorities are not able to take legal action against those involved in irregularities as politicians and bureaucrats come to their rescue, he said. On allegations of irregularities against him, Rangappa said, he has used his influence for the development of the university and worked as per the government and University Grants Commission (UGC) norms. I have built the varsity from the funds obtained from the governments and the UGC and I am satisfied with my work, he said, adding, a section of people targeted him to damage his reputation. The VC said, he has changed the policies of pursuing PhD as per the UGC norms to eradicate plagiarism and to produce quality works. School of Architecture and Planning, a top notch institution in the country, was developed with the funds mobilised from philanthropists and donors, he said. Answering to a query on whether he is inclined towrds joining politics, the VC said that a few people believe that he would join politics as he is a relative of H D Deve Gowda. I am not interested in politics and not thought about it, Rangappa clarified. Chief scientific advisor to Chinese firm Rangappa has been appointed as Chief Scientific Advisor for China-based Sinotar Pharmaceutical (Shenzhen) Company. Rangappa will serve the company from January 15, 2017 to February 14, 2020. A note from the company said, Rangappas extensive experience of more than three decades in the area of research in chemical biology will be utilised for the development of the companys global research. He will be monitoring the drug discovery process with other leaders of the company. Rangappa has also been made Lifelong Distinguished Professor by UGC. Rangappa said, he had offers from Bundelkhand University, Jhansi, in Uttar Pradesh and from a private institution to serve as vice chancellor but he declined the offers. The Congress legislators, elected representatives of local bodies, party workers and the office-bearers of DCC staged a massive rally in the city on Monday, protesting against the grave hardships caused to the people due to the haphazard and unplanned implementation of note ban by the Union government. The party workers and leaders took out a procession from the railway station, which passed through JLB Road, Dasappa Circle, Dhanvantri Road, Narayana Shastri Road, Devaraj Urs Road, Metropole Circle, Hunsur Road, and culminated at deputy commissioners office. The protesters raised slogans against the Central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agitating Congress workers alleged that demonetisation of high denomination notes has put the people, farmers and daily wagers in particular, to grave hardships. They said that President Pranab Mukherjee should intervene in the interest of common man, and bail out the people from the current confusions post-demonetisation. Congress leader and former MP A H Vishwanath said, Narendra Modi does not believe in Indian economy, coins, notes and religion. By scrapping the high denomination notes, he has left people in the lurch. Financial experts claim that demonetisation is another way of looting. Those who question or condemn the move are being termed as traitors. It was the Congress party which strived for the freedom of the country and not the BJP. What you have done now is nothing short of treason, he alleged. The former MP, known for straight-talk, continuing his tirade against BJP, said, By spreading false information, BJP is misusing the social media. Those who condemn the anti-people policies of the Centre are being projected in a bad light. The party is trying to divert the people to conceal its errors and faults. There is a possibility of 1% decline in the GDP of the country, he added. He also targeted Modi for failing to bring back the black money stashed in the Swiss banks. Instead, he has struck an agreement with the Swiss government seeking details of those who deposit money in Swiss banks from Sept 2018 to Sept 2019. Narendra Modi should clarify the issue, he demanded. Minister Tanveer Sait said, the demonetisation move is to benefit a few industrialists of the country. The BJP-led NDA government at the Centre has waived loans extended to corporates to the tune of a few lakh crores, he alleged. The new notes that are in circulation has many discrepencies. The voters will teach a befitting lesson to the BJP in the next elections, he added. MLAs M K Somashekar, Vasu, MLC Narayanaswamy, AICC observer Jetti Kusum Kumar, MLC Dharmasena, former MLA M Satyanarayana, Zoo Authority of Karnataka (ZAK) Chairperson Mallige Veeresh, MyLac Chairman H A Venkatesh, Karnataka Exhibition Authority Chairman B Siddaraju, DCC president B J Vijay Kumar, city unit president T S Ravishankar and others were present. Women Congress workers staged a demonstration against demonetisation by carrying a spoon and plate in Mangaluru on Monday. Addressing the protesters, district Women Congress president Shalet Pinto said women are the maximum sufferers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is still ignorant about it. The move of the Union government to scrap high denomination currency notes has snatched the money of common people. All the sections of society have been affected by it, she claimed. Through this protest, efforts are being made to wake up the BJP government at the Centre from deep slumber about the problems being faced by women and common man due to demonetisation. The move has benefited only a few rich people. It has not helped in curbing black money, she said. She said even after 50 days, the situation has not been improved. After realising the mistake, the government is now propagating cashless transaction. The labour class has been affected without daily wages, she charged. The district Women Congress workers staged a protest against demonetisation in Udupi by displaying utensils and vegetables and demanded a white paper on the purpose of demonetisation. District Women Congress president Veronica Cornelio said the Modi-led Union government should immediately release a white paper on the reason of the demonetisation. Even after 50 days, the problems have not been solved, she charged. She challenged the prime minister to declare the amount of black money collected after demonetisation was announced. She questioned why compensation is not being provided to the families of the people who died following demonetisation. The prime minister has taken a disastrous decision without consulting any economist or RBI. It will a have detrimental effect on Indian economy, she predicted. Congress leader Jyothi Hebbar said demonetisation has led to confusions and it has only helped the corporate sector. Quoting the examples of former USSR and North Korea, Hebbar said the country is also on the threshold of a similar disaster. Religious heads and scholars, irrespective of faith, on Monday gave a clarion call for peace and unity with human values and nationalism being the only binding force. Speaking at the inter-religion intellectual meet on peace, harmony and national integration organised by Rights Awareness and Knowledge Society (RANKS) here, Khazi Shaikuna Twaka Ahmed Musliyar of Mangaluru termed the patronage enjoyed by Islam community during the reign of erstwhile Hindu kingdoms in the undivided Canara then as the best example of religious tolerance. It is also recorded by Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta who was in awe of thousands of muslims living in peace during the rule of a Hindu king, he said. Musliyar said several Hindu kings were benevolent and granted land for mosques. One of the oldest mosques that dates back to over 1,000 years and was rechristened Zeenat Baksh by erstwhile ruler of Mysuru Tipu Sultan exists still in Mangaluru, he added. Musliyar gave a call for the muslims to take the onus of spreading peace in the society. Unselfishness Udupi Putthige Mutt seer Sri Sugunendra Theertha Swamiji said true to its name, Mangaluru is auspicious. It is the abode of all religions, spreading the message of peace and unselfishness, he added. Peace propagates unselfishness and war stems from selfishness. When compared to other countries, India always vouches for truce without war. But it is only when the other countries indulge in war (against India), the country replies in a fitting manner, he said. Indians all Chief Imam from Delhi Imam Umer Ahmed Ilyasi said, The significance of India as a land of multi-culture and languages should be maintained in the right spirit. Any differences should be restricted to four walls of the house. Outside, everybody is an Indian. What Mother said... Parish priest Valerian DSouza, who spoke on behalf of Bishop Aloysius Paul DSouza (who could not make it to the programme due to some unavoidable circumstances of Mangaluru diocese), reminded the gathering of the first impression of Mangaluru in the mind of none other than Mother Teresa during her visit to the city. Nobody should feel that there is none to care and love for, these were the words uttered by Mother on being witness to the fabric of culture in the coast, he said. Govt blamed Ullal Dargah Committee president Abdul Rasheed blamed disturbances in the society to some of the decisions of the government without taking people into consideration. While a majority of people prefer to live in peace and harmony, it is only due to a few people, untoward incidents are reported in the society, he said. Being human Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader Indresh Kumar, who is also associated with Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM), said, Human values and nationalism should be the only binding force. Referring to various identities adopted by people either by caste, language, culture or tradition, Kumar said, Being human should be the universal identity. DGP (retd), Kerala, M N Krishnamurthy also the president of RANKS explained the cause of the plenum, that assumes significance given the eerie environment in coastal city. Drawing an analogy between Kasargod and Mangaluru, he said, the former is an extension of the latter. Widows of victims of border disputes or wars involving India now have a helping hand. The US-India State Chamber of Commerce has donated funds for supporting such women. On Monday, the Chamber donated $25,000 towards the India Development Fund under the Ministry of External Affairs to support widows of those who lost lives in border disputes. Ashok Mago, a Padmashri and founder of the chamber, told DH that several other members of their chamber pooled in for the common cause to help women. When the MEA told them that they could contribute money towards a cause of their choice, Mago chose this. Having seen the widows in financial and emotional crisis, his heart went out to them. In 1965, when Pakistan and India were fighting the war, I lived in an army camp and have seen bombs being dropped on many homes. They are left with almost nothing and have children to feed. It is important to lend them a helping hand, he added. Through the funds, they hope women would be provided skill development programmes and are educated to use the digital platform through distance education with co-ordination from colleges like Dallas Country Community Colleges. The funds are intended to help women become financially stable. The amount has been collected from several NRIs living in the USA. If the others who have made it to PBD can also donate, much can be done in India, he added. Bringing out the contrast between India and other countries, he said that the spirit of giving was missing here. In other countries, we see residents engage in acts like selling lemonade to help poor people in other parts of the world. This proactive spirit is missing among Indians. Many others who live abroad can easily donate substantially to the countrys progress, he said. Indian Ladies Sangeet is considered a pastime in its land of birth but Bhojpuri-speaking communities in Mauritius have taken it to another level. They have popularised it so much that Unesco has added it to the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Geet-Gawai, or Bhojpuri folk songs in Mauritius, made it to the list on December 1, 2016. The folk songs first reached Mauritius 90 years ago with the arrival of Bhojpuri-speaking women. They passed the oral legacy on to younger generations. Some of the songs have even been documented for posterity, Sairta Boodhoo, chairperson of the Bhojpuri Speaking Union, Mauritius, told DH at the ongoing Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru. In the last 90 years, Mauritius has recognised around 4.5 lakh people who arrived from India; 40% of them were women. The women are now teaching these songs of invoking Gods, of traditional Indian weddings, of folk tales, Ghoomar, Dram Geet, Mandar Puja, Dharti Bandhal, Suhaag Geet, Chumawan Geet, railleries and more to their children in Mauritius as well as to females in India. Over the last few years, Boodhoo said, she had been visiting India, especially Uttar Pradesh and the surrounding regions, to share the folk songs. In Mauritius, youth and children are encouraged to take part in cultural Bhojpuri programmes. Technology has only made the job easier, she added. Most importantly, we are trying to protect the culture that we have inherited and pass it on to the future generation. Besides the songs, we also teach the Bhojpuri language in schools. The Mauritian government has appreciated our efforts, Boodhoo said. The Ministry of External Affairs is helping Indians abroad, especially from Girmitiya countries, trace their roots. Requests have been pouring in over the last few years, said Ashok Das, Joint Secretary, Latin America and the Caribbean. Das told DH on the sidelines of the discussion on Connecting Contemporary India to Diaspora in Girmitiya countries: Link to Past for a Shared Future, the maximum demand is from Mauritius, Suriname and Fiji. We are working together on this and the ministry has also created a special section and library to trace and compile records. Mauritius has taken the lead is this, he said. Prithvirajsin Roopun, Minister for Culture and Arts and Social Integration and Economic Empowerment, Mauritius, said that there was also a need for all Girmitiya countries to collaborate and not to look for support from India alone. In Mauritius, we have found and digitally preserved records of the first Indian labourers who were brought to the country. The same records should be maintained In Delhi too, he said. He also added that there was a need to preserve Indian sites and Indian literature in other countries. He requested Indians do donate books to libraries in Mauritius and to the Ministry of External Affairs so that more information can be disseminated. Minister of State for External Affairs Gen V K Singh said the ministry had received many requests from Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where Indians living there wanted to trace their roots. According to the ministrys research programme, we are finding records and whatever is a part of the database is also being shared with them, he said. Members of Girmitiya countries pointed out that they were keen on teaching the younger generation more Indian languages and not just Sanskrit and Hindi. The first pravasis Roopun explained that among the many pravasis, the first ones were those in Girmitiya countries. Around 130 to 140 years ago, 38 Indians from Chota Nagpur were shipped to Mauritius from Calcutta to work in sugar fields, by the British. Later, as a part of the exchange slave trade, from Mauritius, they were sent to other countries including South Africa, Fiji and Vietnam. The place where the first batch of Indians landed at Aapravasi Ghat, today is recognised as a World Heritage site. A Chinese movie star recently sparked controversy when he implied that aircraft carriers constitute the prerequisite for selling movies overseas. Jiang Wen rarely sticks to the script when making public appearances.[Photo/Xinhua] Jiang Wen, when promoting Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, told an interviewer: "The top priority (for China) is to develop aircraft carriers. When China has twice as many such carriers as the United States, everything will be easy. "Perhaps the US makes awful movies, but the whole world is willing to accept them because they have aircraft carriers as their support. It's useless to have intellectual property alone." Jiang was answering questions from a reporter with Beijing Youth Daily about the possibility of Chinese films possessing the global appeal of Hollywood spectacles such as the Star Wars franchise. Various interpretations and comments have surfaced in response to Jiang's remark. Some said he has placed importance on the overall power of a country rather than using the tunnel vision of the film industry alone. Others argued that he was attempting to attribute the low quality of Chinese films and their lack of competitiveness on the international market to the country's military might compared with that of the US. Jiang, also a formidable film director, is known for his maverick ways in making films and dealing with the media. Unlike his peers, he rarely sticks to the script when making public appearances. During the same interview, he refused to say he likes the Star Wars movies. Instead, he said he was prone to turn down the role of Baze Malbus in Rogue One, but his son changed his mind. In a previous interview with China Daily, Jiang said his political views were often misunderstood and he valued the aesthetics of a piece of art more than its political content. His reference to aircraft carriers as backup for the film industry has since resonated with the online public, with many expressing approval and praising him for his plain-spoken integrity. China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was in the South China Sea for military drills around the New Year holiday. A second carrier is under construction and, according to reports, will be completely Chinese designed. A 23-year-old analyst at a multinational company has alleged that she was molested by a man in Channapatna, 60 km west of Bengaluru, on Saturday. But police say there is more to it than meets the eyes. The woman, a native of Channapatna, approached Home Minister G Parameshwara on Monday, saying the Kengeri police had refused to register her complaint. The ministers office directed the additional commissioner of police (west) to look into the matter. She was subsequently referred to the office of DCP (west) where a formal written complaint was taken from her. She was taken to Channapatna for a spot inspection on Monday evening. The complaint was forwarded to the Channapatna Town police station, DCP (West) M N Anucheth told DH. The woman lives as a paying guest in Kengeri. Her father is a Group D employee at the Karnataka State Police Training School , Channapatna. She said she was in Channapatna on Saturday to visit her parents. In the evening, she and her mother went to a restaurant. Around 7 pm, Chethan, a man known to her, accosted her, pulling at her hands and clothes. The woman claimed that he tried to kill her mother when she intervened. A preliminary enquiry has found contradictions in her complaint. She didnt approach the Kengeri police station to make a complaint. Chethans father, Shankar, was a first-division assistant (FDA) clerk at the KSPTS. Both the families know each other but have serious disagreements. Shankar was transferred to the Armed Police Training School, Yelahanka, following an enquiry that was initiated on the basis of a complaint by the womans father, a police source said. Health Minister Ramesh Kumar announced on Monday that criminal cases would be registered against illegal ultrasound scanning centres, in view of the rise in the number of cases of female foeticide. The deadline given for taking action is two weeks. The minister said government health officers had been directed to identify unauthorised scanning centres before January 24. Those officers who fail to take action would be suspended on January 25, he warned. We have taken a firm decision to close down those scanning centres which have not been registered with the Health department and are thus, illegally operating, he said. Kumar said as per the law, doctors have to specify in the prescribed form-F the reasons for which the scanning has to be done. The radiologist who conducts the test should also fill the form. But this rule is not followed in many centres, he said. The law also permits criminal action against gynaecologists and radiologists who violate the Act. The district health officers have been directed to take action against doctors and radiologists also, he said. The officers have been directed to make a list of scanning centres in every district and the number of pregnant women scanned. In addition, they have to find whether sex determination tests have been conducted. The details have to be submitted to the Health department every month. When the ministers attention was drawn to charges against Congress leader C M Ibrahim, that he got his daughters foetus aborted forcibly, the minister said, It is a personal case. The government is concerned about the poor families and not the rich. Close relatives and supporters of the BJP MLA from Kagwad, Bharamgouda alias Raju Kage, are accused of assaulting a Congress worker for his social media post critical of the saffron party. Vivek Shetty, a Congress worker, said Kages family members and associates barged into his house at Ugar Khurd in Athani taluk around 8.45 pm on January 8. Armed with sickles, rods and other weapons, they came straight to his bedroom, beat him up and dragged him to the stairs. They then abducted him to a godown where Kage and others abused him and brutally beat him up, he told DH over phone from Sangli, Maharashtra, where he is being treated. Shetty claimed that the attackers among them Kages daughter Trupti, wife Shobha and brother Shivagouda didnt spare his mother, Ujwala, when she tried to rescue him. Shettys wife Padmashri also pleaded with them but they remained unmoved, he claimed. Shetty said he had suffered serious injuries on his limbs. Footage from surveillance cameras installed at Shettys house shows the attackers barging into Shettys house and dragging him out. It is learnt that Kage was offended by a post Shetty had uploaded on social media on January 1, criticising the BJP. The MLAs brother, Shivagouda Kage, reportedly threatened Shetty and asked him to stay away from local politics. Shetty, however, denied posting anything objectionable about Kage and said his post was general in nature. I was president of the BJPs Chikkodi district youth wing and was assaulted a few times. I quit the BJP because of Kage and his family. Kage had said he would frame me in a theft case, Shetty said. The Congress worker further claimed that his family decided to get him treated in Miraj fearing that no doctor in Athani would attend to him. The Kagwad police visited him at the hospital on Monday and recorded his statement, but its unclear if they have opened a case. When contacted, Kage told this newspaper that he was neither aware of the incident nor has he seen the footage. He claimed that it was a conspiracy to malign him. He said he would comment once he arrived at Ugar Khurd from Mumbai. Former judge of the Karnataka High Court justice P Vishwanath Shetty has finally emerged as a unanimous candidate for the post of Karnataka Lokayukta. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who chaired a high-level meeting, told reporters that he will soon recommend Justice Shettys name to Governor Vajubhai Vala to appoint him as the Lokayukta. The post has been vacant since December 2015 when justice Y Bhaskar Rao resigned over charges of corruption and extortion in his office. Chief Justice of Karnataka High Court Justice S K Mukherjee, presiding officers of both Houses of the legislature, K B Koliwad and D H Shankarmurthy, and Opposition leaders Jagadish Shettar and K S Eshwarappa, are members of the consultative committee. All the members supported Justice Shetty for the post. Justice Shetty is 71 years old. Though it is the discretion of the chief minister to recommend any name, the governor will have the final say in the appointment. The chief minister will also have to send the proceedings of the meeting to the governor. Vala had refused to appoint Justice S R Nayak as the Lokayukta despite the chief minister recommending his name twice. One of the reasons why his name was rejected was that Justice Nayak faced charges of obtaining a residential plot in Judicial Layout in Bengaluru by submitting a false affidavit. The Opposition leaders, too, had opposed Justice Nayak for the post. Interestingly, Justice Shetty also faces similar charges: he had reportedly obtained a prime plot in the Judicial Layout by submitting a false affidavit. He had reportedly declared that neither he nor any of his family members owned any plot in Bengaluru. But he is said to have owned a plot in RT Nagar. Sources in the government said Shettar mentioned about the false affidavit at the meeting. But Siddaramaiah dismissed it as trivial and said a majority of the judges in Karnataka have obtained plots in the Judicial Layout. It will be difficult to find the right candidate if such charges are taken seriously, the chief minister is learnt to have said. Shettar is learnt to have first proposed three names Justice Shetty, Justice N K Patil and Justice Anand Byrareddy. Justice Mukherjee said he was okay with any of the three. Koliwad also proposed Justice Shettys name. Then Siddaramaiah said his choice was Justice Shetty after which both the Opposition leaders supported him. Indian-origin Portugal Prime Minister Antonio da Costa and Indian-born US diplomat Nisha Desai Biswal were among the 30 who were honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award-2017 by President Pranab Mukherjee here on Monday. The award is the highest honour conferred on overseas Indians. It is awarded to Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) or organisations run by NRIs and PIOs, in recognition of their service to India, socially or economically. The 54-year-old Costa traces his roots to Goa where his father spent most of his youth, then under the Portuguese rule. The 48-year-old Nisha from Gujarat emigrated to the United States of America from India with her parents. She was nominated as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State by the US President Barack Obama in July 2013. Of the awardees, six are from the US, two each from Britain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and one each from 27 other countries the world over. Two organisations Antwerp Indian Association in Belgium and Singapore Indian Association in Singapore have been honoured with the award for community service. Two from Karnataka, Dr Gorur Krishna Harinath from Gorur in Hassan district and Dr Sampatkumar Sidaramappa Shivangi, from Athani in Belagavi were awarded for community service. It feels wonderful that the Indian government connects with the Indian diaspora. India and the USA have the shared values on various aspects and are strengthening their ties. Measures like Pravasi Bharatiya Divas and giving away Pravasi Bharatiya Samman strengthen the bond between India and its citizens living abroad, Nisha said after receiving the award. Winston Chandarbhan Dookeran (72) has been awarded for his contribution to the field of public service. Born in Jaipur, he moved to Trinidad and Tobago long ago. He was earlier the finance minister of Trinidad and Tobago. He played an important role in promoting and advocating relationships between India and Trinidad and Tobago. Bharat Haridas Barai who went for medical internship to the US, now leads a cancer centre there. He was awarded for community service. I started as an intern. Today my signature is there on the doctors certificates. I serve as the medical licensing board secretary, he said. A tweet by an Information Technology professional based at Pune in Maharashtra on Monday irked External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who has been actively using the social media platform to help people who need the help of her ministry. Sushma generally responds promptly to anyone tweeting to her seeking help from her or the Ministry of External Affairs. She, however, lost her cool on Monday, when IT professional Smit Raj tweeted to her seeking her help to get his wife, an employee of the Indian Railways, transferred from Jhansi Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh to Pune, where he lives. If you or your wife were from my ministry and such a request for transfer was made on Twitter, I would have sent a suspension order by now, tweeted the External Affairs Minister. Her terse reply came after the IT professional, who goes by the Twitter handle @smitraj07, posted on Twitter: @SushmaSwaraj Can u plz help us in ending our banwas in India? My wife is in Jhansi Rly employee and I work in Pune in IT. Been a year+. Smit tweet was apparently inspired by what the External Affairs Minister herself posted in Twitter in response to a tweet from one Sanjay Pandita. Hello Madam please help my wife get passport cleared. I am forced to live without her in US. Passport issues, tweeted Pandita. Ohh ! This banwas should end soon, Swaraj responded to Panditas tweet wittily, tagging the consular division of the MEA, which has to intervene to help Pandita get his wife to the US. But Swaraj was not ready to help Smit. She also tagged Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in his response to the email from Smit. Thanks @SushmaSwaraj ji for bringing it to my notice. As per policy laid by me, I dont look into transfers. The Railway Board empowered for same, the Railway Minister, who is also known for his quick response to people's problems and grievances through social media, posted on Twitter in response. Indians abroad must tweet problems External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that Indian citizens experiencing problems abroad should tweet to the respective Embassy or High Commission of India, DHNS reports. Sushma also advised that she be tagged in such tweets. The minister also added that she would be personally monitoring the responses of the respective embassies and high commissions of India. Please tweet your problem to the concerned Indian Embassy/authority and endorse the same to @sushmaswaraj, Sushma posted on Twitter. Three labourers working with the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) were killed when heavily armed militants attacked their camp in Akhnoor sector of Jammu in the early hours of Monday. Sources said militants launched an assault on the GREF camp at around 2 am in Battal area near the International Border in Akhnoor, 55 km from Jammu city. Terrorists first lobbed hand grenades at the camp followed by firing. Three labourers working for GREF were killed in the attack, they said. The militants, whose exact number could not be ascertained, managed to escape after the attack, they added. The GREF is the parent cadre force of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that builds and maintains border roads in the country. Defence PRO Manish Mehta confirmed the killing of three GREF labourers and said the area has been cordoned off and search operations are underway to nab the assailants. However, sources said, the militants who had most likely infiltrated from across the border, might have gone back after carrying out the deadly attack. "The border is just two kilometres from the spot of the attack and the militants might have taken advantage of the darkness to escape back to Pakistani side," they added. A high alert was sounded across Jammu immediately after this year's first attack in the region, reports said. On November 30 last year seven soldiers, including two majors, were killed when fidayeen (suicide) militants dressed as policemen stormed an army camp in Nagrota area on the outskirts of Jammu city. Two days after a student ended his life in the hostel of an engineering college in Thrissur, clashes broke out between students and the police on Monday over the alleged harassment by college authorities that led to the fatal incident. Jishnu Pranoy (18), a first-year Computer Science student at the Nehru College of Engineering and Research Centre in Pampady, Thrissur district, was found hanging in the bathroom of his college hostel on Friday. His friends said the suicide followed harassment by an invigilator at a semester examination on Friday, during which Jishnu was reportedly caught copying. They said though Jishnu was not at fault, he was forced to strike out his answer sheet. He later died. College authorities have clarified that Jishnu had admitted to copying. On Monday, students staged protests with two of them led by the Congress-affiliated Kerala Students Union and the CPM-affiliated Students Federation of India turning violent. You are here: Home Performers at the parade of floats at the Shanghai Disney Resort hail visitors. [Photo provided to China Daily] The Shanghai Disney Resort, which runs Walt Disney Co's latest theme park, is expanding its talent pool by partnering with local educational institutions. The House of the Mouse will enter into agreements with 10 universities, colleges and vocational schools in 2017 by launching the "Shanghai Disney Resort Talent Class", the company said on Friday. The move reflects Disney's larger goal of hiring over 98 percent of its staff locally, according to Philippe Gas, general manager of Shanghai Disney Resort. "The essential element in guest satisfaction is the interaction that our 10,000 staff members have with visitors," Gas said in a news conference in Shanghai. The theme park will set up joint classes with partner schools by teaching Disney's best practices in service excellence. Internship opportunities are up for grabs, where students take on different roles including animation designers, makeup artists, accountants and mechanical technicians. A typical class will host 30 to 50 people. Outstanding participants can apply to intern at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida in the United States, training alongside American peers. Shanghai Polytechnic University, Shanghai Sanda University, and the Tourism College of Zhejiang are among the first batch of schools to ink the deal. This year the Shanghai resort plans to recruit 2,000 full-time and part-time employees, with vacancies tailored to the disabled population, said Lara Tiam, vice-president of human resources at the resort. Long before its grand opening in June 2016, Disney devoted every effort to attract and retain skilled people in China, from job fairs and campus roadshows. Overseas internship opportunities have been offered to 1,200 Chinese students since 2014. It also targets young Chinese studying in the US in the talent pipeline, training them overseas and bringing them back to a Disneyland closer to home. But, Disney should be prepared for a high turnover rate, especially in the service and hospitality sector in China. According to the country's major recruiting website 51job.com, average turnover in that sector stood at around 20 percent in 2015. More than a month after J Jayalalithaas death, Apollo Hospitals on Monday informed the Madras High Court that it is ready to provide details of the treatment provided to the former chief minister. Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice S Sundar were hearing a petition, filed by one Joseph, seeking investigation into the treatment administered to Jayalalithaa. Counsel for Apollo Hospitals said all the details with regard to the medical aid will be handed over to the court in a sealed cover. The petitioners advocate also sought to know why and when the body was embalmed. After hearing the arguments of both sides, the court issued notices to the Tamil Nadu government and sought a reply in four weeks, and posted the case to February 23. Expressing doubts over the mystery shrouding the sudden demise of Jayalalithaa, the court had on Thursday questioned why the body could not be exhumed. Justices S Vaidyanathan and Parthiban had ordered notices to the Central and state governments and the prime ministers office for not disclosing any information with regard to Jayalalithaas death. There were speculations and rumours about Jayalalithaas condition since she was admitted to hospital on September 22 following fever and dehydration. Following her death on December 5 due to a severe cardiac arrest, people expressed doubts as hospital authorities had consistently maintained that they were ready to discharge her. Meanwhile, the Union home ministry has forwarded a letter submitted by expelled AIADMK MP Sasikala Pushpa, seeking a probe into the circumstances leading to the death of the former chief minister, to the Department of Personnel and Training, which is the administrative authority of the CBI. President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday called upon the Indian diaspora to explore avenues of joint research and development with their motherland. Delivering the valedictory address at the end of the three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2017, Mukherjee said the diaspora can collaborate in the areas of science and technology and biotechnology with institutions and entrepreneurs in India. Make in India, Startup India, Digital India will provide ample opportunities for you to participate, contribute and benefit, the President said. He also called for contribution by the local community organisations of the Indian diaspora overseas to ensure protection and safety of their counterparts when they reach their newly adopted country for employment or by marriage. Mukherjee expressed concern about Indians who migrated for employment in low-skilled and semi-skilled jobs but are yet to enjoy the privileges of citizenship in the host country. They toil hard every day and night and send remittances to maintain their families back home, he said. The remittances by the Indian diaspora at $69 billion a year is the largest in the world accounting for 12% of the total global remittances, he pointed out. Mukherjee presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman to 30 persons and organisations. Portugal Prime Minister Antonia Luiss Santos Da Costa and Nisha Desai Biswal, a top ranking Indian-American official in the outgoing Obama administration, were among those conferred the award. The President released a compilation of the speeches made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on foreign affairs and delivered during his travels abroad between 2014 and 2015. Mukherjee himself has written the foreword to the book. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah called upon the Indian diaspora to guide their colleagues to invest in India, especially in Karnataka, and create awareness about the business opportunities here. As many as 13 plenary sessions were held on the various themes redefining engagement with the Indian diaspora during the past three days at PBD-2017. It also turned out to be the biggest ever PBD with a record 7,200 participants, 1,800 of whom were from overseas. Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday night extended an olive branch to son Akhilesh Yadav, saying he would be the next chief minister of Uttar Pradesh if the party retains power. Akhilesh will be the next chief minister. Our party is completely united. There is no question of the party breaking up, Mulayam said. The surprise statement came on a day when the factional war in the Samajwadi Party escalated with the Akhilesh camp seeking an early decision on the disputed party symbol, while the embattled SP patriarch asserted that he is still the party chief. Before the factional dispute reached the Election Commission with the two sides claiming majority support of delegates and elected representatives, Mulayam had refused to anoint Akhilesh as the partys chief ministerial candidate, saying the new MLAs would choose their leader. We will very soon tour the entire state to send out a message of unity. All the confusion that was there is ending, he said. Earlier during the day, Mulayam told the Election Commission he remained the Samajwadi Party president, and termed the convention called by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadavs camp unconstitutional. He asserted that the partys cycle symbol should remain with his camp. Mulayam has also written to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha, intimating him about the expulsion of Ram Gopal Yadav, leader of the Samajwadi Party in the Upper House. Ram Gopal is Mulayams brother. Minutes after Mulayam left the Election Commission, Ram Gopal arrived there to submit signatures of office-bearers to bolster the factions claim of being the original SP. Amid all the action, the party patriarch maintained he had no rift with his son, and purportedly held Ram Gopal responsible for the trouble. There is some problem in the party. One person is creating trouble. I am sure that matters will be resolved, he said. In his submission before the poll panel, according to sources, Mulayam said the convention to elect Akhilesh as the national president of the party had been called by Ram Gopal. Mulayam maintained Ram Gopal had been expelled from the party for six years on December 30, 2016, two days before the convention. He also disputed the authenticity of documents submitted on behalf of the Akhilesh camp to claim the support of a majority of MLAs, MLCs and MPs. Motorcycle alternative? The Akhilesh Yadav camp of the Samajwadi Party has proposed an alternative symbol just ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. According to sources, Ram Gopal Yadav on Monday told the Election Commission his faction would be happy with the motorcycle symbol if it were to lose the cycle. Akhilesh supporters have been talking of the motorcycle for over a month, the sources said. Consumers dont have to pay a transaction fee on credit and debit card payments at petrol pumps, the government said on Monday. The Centre and the oil companies are working on an arrangement to share the fee banks collect on such transactions, Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Monday. Dealers are also exempted from paying a fee for now. The MDR (merchant discount rate) charge is levied on dealers under RBI guidelines, he explained. But who will take the hit? Banks and oil marketing companies are discussing this, Pradhan told reporters after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to address the question. But I assure you there will be no levy on digital transactions at petrol stations even after January 13, he said. Dealers had threatened to stop selling fuel against cards on that date. The fee is a matter between banks and oil marketing companies, and they will find a way out, Pradhan said. He rubbished the claim that oil marketing companies stand to lose Rs 5,000 crore on account of the 0.75% discount on card payments announced by the government. The All-India Petroleum Dealers Association had said on Sunday three private banks had started levying the extra charge, and threatened a boycott of their cards. The banks charge between 0.25% and 1% on credit and debit card transactions. Separately, Jaitley said he had asked the secretary of the department of financial services to discuss the problem with the banks. Crisis averted On Sunday night, dealers had threatened not to sell fuel against card payments, in response to some private banks saying they would reintroduce the 1% transaction fee. The government had announced a 50-day waiver of the MDR (merchant discount rate) on digital transactions after the November 8 note ban. The banks are keen to reintroduce the charge, now that the holiday is over. The crisis triggered by the dealers announcement on Sunday was averted with the intervention of the petroleum minister, who spoke to representatives of banks, dealers and oil companies. A scoping meeting for Hacienda Del Mar, the proposed senior facility on Via de la Valle, will be held on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 6 p.m. at Torrey Pines High Schools lecture hall. At the meeting, members of the public are invited to provide input on what the environmental impact report (EIR) for the project should study. The proposed project is located next to the polo fields on some of the last acres of open space in the San Dieguito River Valley. As the project has moved through the planning phases, neighbors have expressed concerns about density, community character and water as the lot sits in a floodplain. Developer Milan Capitals plan is for Hacienda Del Mar to have less than 10-percent lot coverage, with the remainder of the 23.87-acre site used for dedicated open space. The plan includes four one-story buildings of independent and assisted living and memory care units clustered below the hillside at the eastern portion of the property. The remaining 11 acres on the western side of the property, closest to El Camino Real, will be restored as natural habitat. As the project is located on Prop A agriculturally-zoned land, the Carmel Valley Community Planning Board and the city of San Diego will have to make a policy decision on whether the project is urban or non-urban in scale and character. Prop A, which passed in 1985, states that any development and agriculturally-zoned land is to be very low-density housing, open space of agricultural use. Any more intense development must go to a city-wide vote. Milan Capital has stated that its intent is for the project to be a non-urban, rural clustered development designed and sited in the most environmentally-sensitive manner. Once a draft EIR is prepared, it will be released for comments later this year. China could be about to scrap its mandatory quarantine period for "low risk" pets entering the country, a top government agency has revealed. A traveler from the United States watches as a quarantine inspection officer examines her cat at Beijing Capital International Airport late last month.[Ding Shan/China Daily] Cats and dogs arriving from overseas have to spend at least seven days at an inspection facility to undergo extensive tests for rabies and other conditions that could cause an epidemic. However, animals deemed "low risk" could in future be released after passing a simple test at the port of entry, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has told China Daily. It means instead of waiting a week, owners could be reunited with their pets within an hour of arrival. The authority said the move could be included in revised quarantine regulations and is in line with recommendations from the World Organisation for Animal Health, an intergovernmental organization, on methods for preventing the spread of rabies. The proposed change comes at a time when China is seeing a growing number of pets arriving from overseas. According to the administration, about 8,000 pets - only cats and dogs are allowed to be carried into China as pets - were brought in between January and November. Half arrived at airports in Beijing and Shanghai, while the major source countries included the United States, Canada, Italy, Russia, Japan and South Korea. Under the current regulations, passengers can bring one dog or cat per entry, with each animal required to be quarantined for seven to 30 days. The only exemptions are for certified working dogs, such as guide dogs. At inspection facilities, veterinarians check the animals for conditions such as rabies, leishmaniasis (an infectious disease caused by parasites that can be fatal), distemper and canine hepatitis. In August, officers with the Beijing Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau found more than 200 ticks on a bichon frise, a small breed of dog, traveling with a British tourist from Thailand. Zhang Ao, who works at the quarantine inspection office at Beijing Capital International Airport, said the number of pets arriving at the airport has been increasing for several years. "During peak seasons, such as summer holidays, we can receive seven or eight dogs or cats a day," he said. Most of the people bringing in pets are Chinese students returning from studying abroad, foreign diplomats and foreigners who are permanent residents in China, Zhang said. The airport quarantine inspection officers check all pets on arrival and send them to a nearby holding facility. For those found to have serious conditions, Zhang said the city bureau will usually advise they be returned to the country of origin. Most passengers comply willingly with the quarantine regulations, but some find it difficult to part with their pets, he said. "Some burst into tears and beg us not to send their pets away. We have to just try our best to persuade them." He advised passengers traveling to China to look up the country's quarantine laws and regulations before bringing pets. "We've received different types of animals, such as birds, tortoises and lizards, which are forbidden to be carried into the country," he said. "All of them are sent back." Connecting the unconnected continues to be a fashionable industry term, with Facebook and Google in particular grabbing media headlines last year and no doubt throughout 2017 - for their efforts. However, I have three predictions for the rural market in Africa which dont involve either company! 1. It will be the work of a small start-up in Tanzania that will have a greater impact on the industry. Im not alone in my admiration for the team at AMOTEL, Tanzanias first licensed MVNO. The company has really captured the industrys attention, picking up gongs in 2016 at both the prestigious Capacity Africa and AfricaCom awards for its inaugural rural network. And with good reason - take one small grant from USF funds; an AMOTEL team determined to find a model which is commercially sustainable; and an extensive search for a vendor which was willing and able to incorporate AMOTELs ideas and needs into its existing rural product portfolio, and the result is a network which incorporates best practices which other operators trying to reach the unconnected should embrace. AMOTEL has been generous in sharing its experiences and learnings, acknowledging that its challenges in building and maintaining rural networks are the same as for operators across Africa: low ARPUs, remote communities, lack of trained engineers, equipment developed for rich western markets, long ROIs etc. In particular, Dr Frateline Kashaga at AMOTEL identified numerous factors that it considers essential for the successful deployment of rural networks by MVNOs, ISPs and other organisations: Ensure that technology partners can advise on all aspects of the project, commercial as well as technical Ensure that any agreements with MNOs are both transparent and comprehensive Propose a model for MNOs which is winwin from day one Keep a focus on OPEX and TCO in addition to initial CAPEX. Having addressed and solved these challenges, and with a firm focus on ROI and sustainability, AMOTEL is currently raising funds to deploy more networks across Tanzania. 2. As well as additional networks both from AMOTEL and copycat operators, I also predict that in 2017 we will see wholesale carriers start to build in rural areas. I know first-hand that wholesale carriers are now actively looking for ways to extend their services into un- and underserved areas. They know that there is a market for rural wholesale networks; operators are being pressured by regulators to extend their networks into poorer areas but are understandably reluctant to expand into areas where profits will always be small. In addition, infrastructure sharing is now acceptable and widespread across the telecoms ecosystem. In fact, some regulators in Africa are now insisting that networks are open in rural areas as they want to encourage competition so that villagers can choose their network with pricing and customer service being the key differentiators. 3. We will start to see LTE displacing WiMAX and other wireless technologies and becoming the main way of delivering data services in rural areas. This is a natural progression as LTE networks continue to expand across the African continent. My final prediction is that, even though the industry has been discussing Connecting the Unconnected for years with hundreds of individual networks across the world built by operators of all sizes, 2017 will be the year when we really see progress. Leigh Smith is the MD of World Telecom Labs. Ericsson and Cisco will provide Telefonica Guatemala with a new Internet Protocol (IP) network backbone, based on Cisco's aggregation services routers and Ericsson's integration services. Telefonica's LTE subscribers will benefit from the network modernisation with increased mobile broadband speeds and better application coverage throughout the country. Daniel Delisante, Regional CTO, Telefonica Central America, says: As the demand for high-speed broadband and application coverage is continually increasing, we are happy to offer our subscribers a modern, IP-based network throughout Guatemala." The solution, which includes Ericsson's implementation and integration services, as well as Cisco routers (ASR 9010 and ASR 1001), will expand Telefonica Guatemala's current network backbone. It will support new capacity and features, including Ethernet services, VPNs, and IPv6. The network modernisation also paves the way for future network requirements based on Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) and cloud implementations, providing future-proof technology to end users. Clayton Cruz, Vice President, Ericsson Latin America and Caribbean, said, "The combination of Ericsson's and Cisco's leading integration services and IP routers will enable Telefonica's network modernisation. It allows Telefonica to address the high demand of new subscribers while enhancing the mobile experience for existing 3G and LTE customers." Guatemala was the first country in Central America to launch 3G services in 2008, and has continued with robust growth since then, with the country currently having approximately 3.2 million 3G subscribers. Telefonica entered the 3G market in 2005, and the operator today has approximately 7 million subscribers in Guatemala. A group of scholars met in Beijing on Jan. 7 to explore the possibilities and ways to build China's international discourse system and boost China's voice in the international community. The 2016 Annual Meeting on the Construction of China's International Discourse System is held in Beijing on Jan. 7, 2017. [Photo by Guo Yiming/China.org.cn] The 2016 Annual Meeting on the Construction of China's International Discourse System, organized by the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE), brought together experts from universities, think tanks and NGOs to share their opinions on the subject amid a worldwide call for creating a new global governance system. While exploring the theoretical and practical significance of the discourse system, Deng Chundong, president of the Institute of Marxism of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), said scholars, especially in the philosophical and social science fields, should clarify and develop a system that could introduce the real China and enhance the country's voice and involvement in world affairs. "When a friend speaks to a friend, and when a country speaks to another country, every word matters," argued Robert Kapp, former president of the U.S.-China Business Council and senior advisor of the China Program at the Carter Center. He also stressed the need to speak in a way to which others could relate while being true to oneself. "When China speaks to the world, it has many advantages that could also be seen as challenges at the same time," said Kapp, who illustrated this remark by pointing to the sheer size and the rich history of the country that could be obstacles for China in establishing a fair discourse system. Liu Yawei, director of the China Program at Carter Center, listed China's efforts to boost its voice in the world, such as establishing the Asian Infrastructure Development Bank (AIIB), developing the Belt and Road Initiative, holding various international forums like the Hangzhou G20 Summit, as well as updating Chinese news, policies and stories through unprecedented media outreach. China's various initiatives among other buzzwords in its policy arsenal needed to be transformed into tangible deeds and actions contributing to economic development, social progress and dispute settlement, said Liu, as he specified ways to establish a discourse system acceptable to the international community. UIBE also inaugurated the Research Center for Constructing China's International Discourse System during the event. Insulin resistance is linked with smaller cortical bone size in young men without diabetes, new research suggests. Belgium scientists believe that insulin resistance, which can cause type 2 diabetes, could affect cortical bone size and partially explain why people with type 2 diabetes have an elevated fracture risk. Cortical bone is the hard, outer part of the bone. This new study from Ghent University Hospital revealed that insulin resistance has an inverse and independent association with bone size: people who were more insulin resistant had less of the hard bone casing. Bone size was reduced in individuals with insulin resistance, even after accounting for body composition and muscle size, with bone fragility thought to be an early indicator of the pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes. Lead study author Charlotte Verroke, MD, told Medscape Medical News: The relationship between insulin resistance and bone geometry most likely results from a combination of factors, including direct effects of insulin resistance on bone as well as nondirect factors such as fat mass and physical activity. In the analysis, Verrokens team examined 996 men aged between 25-45 years, all of whom had completed questionnaires on their lifestyle and medication history. None of the participants had diabetes at the beginning of the analysis. Participants with insulin resistance had much smaller bones than those without insulin resistance, and due to the number of possible explanations Verrokens team stressed the importance of identifying and monitoring insulin resistance earlier in patients. Verroken added a benefit of this study is that it investigated the relationship between insulin resistance and bone geometry in young, healthy albeit all male individuals, avoiding any potentially confounding effects of chronic diseases. When investigating this relationship in a diabetic population, for example, it would be difficult to ascertain whether any observed association represents an effect of insulin resistance itself or rather an effect of diabetes-associated comorbidities or complications, she said. Furthermore, the presence of an association between insulin resistance and bone geometry in this non-diabetic population confirms our hypothesis that diabetes-associated bone fragility might develop early as a consequence of insulin resistance, rather than being a late complication of type 2 diabetes. The findings appear online in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism. The Netflix app on Windows 10 will support 4K streaming on Intel Kaby Lake-powered PCs. Netflix now supports 4K playback on Intel-powered PCs. The company announced at CES 2017, that Intels new 7th Gen CPUs will support Ultra HD and 4K content now. That doesnt necessarily mean that you will be able to watch Netflix in 4K, though. To watch 4K content, your laptop or PC will need 4K displays, which arent very widespread right now. Laptops, like Acers Predator series do have 4K displays, but such laptops are neither accessible, nor widespread. However, it does mean that your laptop can be hooked onto a television to play 4K content on Netflix. According to Netflixs announcement, support for new and more efficient codecs necessary to stream 4K are supported on Intels processors now. Further, Microsoft has apparently also added HTML5 video support thatll work on Intels Kaby Lake processors. The Universal Windows Platform allows Netflixs Windows 10 app to support the same 4K streaming modes as its new Edge browser. Further, Netflix claims it has over 600 hours of content on its platform right now. Shows like Stranger Things, The Crown, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and Marvels Luke Cage are examples of content available in 4K. Netflix also has content shot in 4K HDR, including shows like Daredevil and other Marvel series. Such content required HDR capable televisions or displays. The company cites devices like the Nvidia Shield, that can stream 4K HDR content. Apple will reportedly ask the government for tax exemptions as well as other incentives during the meeting for iPhone manufacturing in India A team from Apple will be meeting senior government officials on January 25 to discuss the possibility of setting up an iPhone manufacturing unit in the country. According to a report by PTI, officials from the departments of commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, electronics and information technology (DeITY) will be a part of the discussions. Apple has reportedly asked the government for several tax exemptions as well as other incentives such as long-term duty exemptions. However, government sources have said that the technology major should set up its manufacturing unit in India without seeking any additional support. The report notes that other smartphones manufacturers, which are making phones in India have not approached the government for any additional incentives. Apple has been in talks with the Indian government for almost the whole of 2016, and Apple CEO, Tim Cook also paid the country multiple visits last year. Late last month, it was reported that Apple is already setting up a manufacturing facility in Peenya, Bengaluru and may start assembling iPhones from this year. Besides setting up a manufacturing facility in India, Apple also aims to bring its retail stores to the country. FDI norms demand foreign investors to source components locally in order to set up their store. However, FDI norms were relaxed last year and now offer a three year exemption from the local sourcing rules for foreign players in single-brand retail. Weve all pictured it. Arto Nummela comes on stage, puts up a slide of all Nokia phones of yore, and then puts an A in front of them, signifying that theyre all now on Android. Why not, right? The phones that made Nokia the legend could very well be the ones that bring it back into the market. Right? Right? Wroong. The first Android phone sold under the Nokia brand is going to be the Nokia 6. We all know that now. The metal clad smartphone that runs on a Snapdragon 430 has received mixed reactions from the public, why? Lets discuss. Our opinion Amidst all the specifications, you may have missed a crucial bit of information about the Nokia 6. According to HMD Global, the phone has dual-amplifiers that produce dB louder sound than regular amps. That, in our opinion, is a very Nokia thing to do. Such an enhancement can indeed be useful to the user. It may be apparent only when tested side-by-side, but it may also be one of those features that you cant let go of once you use it. That said, there really is nothing more about the announcement that seems exciting. In our experience, the Snapdragon 430 is neither the fastest, nor the most optimizable SoC your phone can have today. Nokia may be handicapped by the industrys own saturation here. The perils of expectations Nokias legendary status may end up being an issue in its revival. The company is known for innovation, it is known for making products that others didnt think of. When people think Nokia, especially one that isnt aligned with Microsoft, they cant help but expect something that no one else is giving them. Looking at how saturated the industry is today, that may be a major issue. Thats quite evident from the mixed reactions weve seen on our social media forums. What you thought Nokia 6 images from Weibo via GSMArena. The company, which through its stake in African Tantalum has an interest in Namibias Tantalite Valley mine, selected Johnson, who has more than 25 years experience in the tantalum industry, after Perter Hibberd stepped down after two years in order to pursue other business interest. Johnson was recently director of mining and global tantalum supply chain at Kemet Electronics Corp and has several years experience in the development of conflict-free global supply chains, which will be benefit African Tantalum. He will be based in Windhoek, Namibia, where he will seek further investment opportunities and manage the company's interest in African Tantalum. Chairman Giles Clarke, said: "Larry's global experience in handling supply chains of conflict-free tantalum will provide the company, and its investee African Tantalum, with significant experience as African Tantalum seeks access to invaluable routes to revenue and Kennedy Ventures seeks further investments in the tantalite space. This will be of material benefit to African Tantalum following the TVM plant expansion, as ramp up concludes and it sees an increase in production of high grade tantalite Johnson added: "The recent investment we made in African Tantalum has allowed it to expand and update the plant at the TVM, as well as open the orebody, providing for increased throughput and output. I look forward to seeking additional investment opportunities to drive the company and its investees forward in its next phase." Shares in Kennedy Ventures were up 1.25% to 8.10p at 1304 GMT. The Pakistani government has told Oracle Coalfields , a developer of lignite mineral resource, that its position in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor has been elevated to the priority list, which should position the companys power plant project on a fast-track for approval of debt funding by the Chinese government. The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is a series of infrastructure projects that aims to enable trade along the route connecting Kashgar, a city in Xinjiang, and Gwadar, a port city on the coast of Balochistan, as well as deepen economic ties between the two countries. The sixth meeting of the joint co-operation committee of the corridor confirmed that Oracle's block six coal project, in the Thar desert in the south-east of Sindh Province, had been elevated to the priority list. Through the economic corridor, Chinas banks are aiming aim to finance Chinese companies investing in projects under the deal as commercial ventures and help to operate the projects as profit making entities. AIM-listed Oracle said that the total financing made available to companies under the corridor increased to around $50bn, while the debt component of Oracle's Thar project is anticipated to be around $1bn. Shahrukh Khan, chief executive of Oracle, said: "Our elevation in the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor affirms the support that the governments of China and Pakistan are giving to our integrated coal mine and power plant project. We are delighted by this development, which should fast-track the funding of our project. Shares in Oracle Coalfields were up 4.54% to 2.88p at 1035 GMT. Could it be that more and more people are becoming lazy? This is particularly true on China's university campuses. For those who are too lazy to run their own errands, there are now others who are willing to do it on their behalf for a small price. There are two types of customers for this service: those who claim they are BUSY, and those who admit they are LAZY. But all are happy to have someone run errands for them, such as collecting a YTO/DHL parcel or a delivery of Kung Pao chicken with rice. The mobile errand-running services offer college students a chance to make extra cash. One student from Beijing's Minzu University of China told me that one of her classmates had earned 600 yuan, or roughly 100 US dollars, in less than two weeks. Considering their under-privileged family backgrounds, this money can be a life-saver, enabling them to achieve higher living standards. But can such mobile errand-running services turn out to be a successful business just like the almighty-powerful online marketplace TaskRabbit in the U.S. that can help you with all sorts of errands and chores? My answer is a resounding NO. Cut to the chase, the gulf between the two societies is decades deep in terms of trustworthiness and the maturity of the credit system. In China, people are not typically trusting of those they don't know. Get a stranger to pick up your parcel, that's maybe fine. But most of us would not dare hire any old Tom, Dick or Harry to come over to assemble your furniture or teach you how to bake if they are amateurs and are not associated with a professional service company. What if they were to steal my possessions? And what if I am sexually harassed? On the flipside, despite the fact it matches freelance taskers with clients in need of a certain service, the money is not attractive, leaving an extremely tight profit margin in the online marketplace. Take the campus-based errand-running app Xiaoneida for instance, most jobs only bring in around 5 yuan, or about 70 US cents. That's the total revenue from an order stripping out operating costs and expenses. According to Xiaoneida's co-founder Zhang Guoqiang, the company is still seeking a viable business model in order to break even. Another case is exemplary. A similar campus-based app named 'Gaffey Pie' -- sometimes known as 'Garfield Dispatch', although it has nothing to do with the cat Garfield -- has morphed into an e-commerce platform, rather than it's previously declared its aim of 'providing errand-running businesses based on campus and aimed at expanding the service to Central Business Districts (CBD's) and other communities.' 'Linqu' is a similar app designed for city-dwellers, especially those who work and live in and around CBDs. You can 'dispatch' someone to get your Starbucks coffee; line up for you to get outpatient admissions; or buy some medicine after the midnight. But the platform is facing mounting criticism with respect to its slow response time and ludicrously high delivery fees! And it only operates, sadly, in a handful of first-tier cities in China. Even on campus, the only established territory of China's mobile errand-running business, the service is struggling with other problems on top of the profitability issue. Content wise, Zhang Guoqiang said that more than 80% percent of jobs on offer are for users to pick up parcels or deliver food. But some tasks can be a little more creative, and others may well have crossed the line. The following requests gathered from Xiaoneida's online community are my particular favorites. ''Sigh, I want a girlfriend so bad!" ''I want someone to write an experiment report from the life sciences course. Those who are interested, message me.'' ''Click farming wanted. Do an online course. 30 yuan will be paid.'' "I need a shower card to the men's bathroom. I'll be quick. Less than 3 yuan.'' Dr. Zhu Di, a sociologist with Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has suggested the online platform should enforce real-name registration with their university ID numbers. And services like taking exams or writing papers should be forbidden. Well said, but it's a mission impossible. The company doesn't have much incentive and those misconducts are still within the law. They are JUST a bit unethical! Even if the there were clear rules and reglations, who will police all those reckless activities? Apart from fraudulent activities, Dr. Zhu argued that apps like this could have an unintended negative affect on users' social values and physiological health, saying that people just avoid their responsibilities by paying a certain amount of money. The business logic will invade people's beautiful hearts -- the willingness to help each other might ebb and the word 'reciprocity' could possibly only be found in a dictionary in the future, rather than in real-life context. Rich kids can let others run errands for them, making previously not-so-obvious family background differences among students more obvious. This has always been the way of the world the rich with inherited advantages in wealth would hire the poor to help them with daily chores. Even so, the emphatic contrast in their social status is faced earlier than expected with such services gaining popularity on campus. Some unscrupulous young adults will even exploit those who want to make quick cash, sidestepping moral values. I agree with angel investor Liu Chengmin who told me that people are getting lazier by nature, that's why we have a more extensive division of labor. He contends that if a product is in line with human nature, it's easier for them to achieve success. That's probably why we have seen a ballooning sharing economy businesses in China in recent years. One advantage is that Uber or China's Didi Chuxing and Airbnb or China's Xiaozhu, or booming online food takeaway services, can charge users 'dynamic' fees based on real-time supply and demand. And service providers have something to share, a car and a driver, an apartment and professional food delivery services, etc. The Errand-running business is not the same. Taskers don't have much to offer -- the only underused assets from them are time and physical strength, coupled with a sense of direction -- and they can never grind out decent profits. Service seekers, on the other hand, would rather resort to specialized platforms if they face complex household chores or need things done quickly. On mobile errand-running apps, the matching process might be quick -- it only took me 5 minutes to get my two bananas and an apple after I sent my request by using an app -- but the service itself is positioned at the lower-end of the service chain without adding much value. And unfortunately, services can easily move from online to offline, where companies might find it long and painstaking to reach an ideal economic scale. Finally, let's dive deeper into the investment philosophy across the tech industry. Maybe the most compelling discrepancy between the two markets is that in the US, companies really spare no effort in researching disruptive technologies, conducting exhaustive tests and making headway in user experience on their products. In one word, to make their investors and customers HAPPY. However, many Chinese entrepreneurs with a flippant attitude do not really want to do a business earnestly. What they want from the bottom of their heart is to swindle investors out of millions by telling captivating stories and engaging themselves in endless cash-burning races. They believe that the gigantic Chinese market can never fail to lure enough customers, even with products of low quality. It seems that mobile errand-running apps are unlikely to bask in public adoration and the business prospects are far from promising. Well, it won't die, but will face waning demand for services that rely solely on the low-end workforce. Without a better understanding of the market and continuous innovation, most of the errand-running apps are doomed to fail. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said it plans to invest more than $1bn in the modernisation of two plants in the US Midwest, creating 2,000 jobs in the process. Fiat Chrysler's move represents the latest response from the auto industry to president-elect Donald Trump's repeated attacks on manufacturers who shift production out of the US to the likes of Mexico. Trump has said that companies which do so will be hit with heavy taxes on imported vehicles. FCA said in a statement that the production plants in Michigan and Ohio will focus on ramping up production of its Jeep range, with the modernisation expected to be finished by 2020. "The expansion of our Jeep lineup has been and continues to be the key pillar of our strategy," said chief executive officer Sergio Marchionne. "Our commitment to internationalize the Jeep brand is unwavering, and with these last moves, we will finally have the capacity to successfully penetrate markets other than the U.S. which have historically been denied product due to capacity constraints." According to Fortune, the company had not spoken with Trump ahead of the announcement and that plans to extend the plants in the Midwest had already been agreed before the Republican's election. Just last week rival automaker Ford scrapped plans to build a new $1.6bn plant in Mexico, in favour of investing $700m in an existing plant in Michigan The last of the Detroit Big Three, General Motors, has said that it has no plans to change its investment strategy after the president-elect threatened to force it to pay a "big border tax" on its Mexican-made Chevy Cruze models. Trump took to Twitter to respond to the news from FCA on Monday, expressing his gratitude that another car firm had invested in the US. "It's finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs. This after Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C!" Fast food giant McDonald's has struck a deal to franchise 80% of its restaurants in China, with state-owned investment firm Citic and US private equity firm Carlyle Group taking control of the stores. In a deal worth up to $2.1bn, McDonald's 2,000 restaurants in China will come under the control of Citic, with both the Illinois giant and Carlyle retaining a stake in the operations. Citic will have a 52% stake in the new operations, with Carlyle owning 28% and McDonald's the lowest share of 20%. The move comes part of a global restructuring from the Golden Arches company which was announced in March of last year, with the aim of streamlining many of its major markets. Major competitor Yum Brands, whose main brands include KFC and Pizza Hut, is also initiating plans to streamline its Chinese restaurants as Western companies face competition from smaller local rivals. According to the Wall Street Journal, around one-third of the McDonald's restaurants in China are already franchised, and under the terms of the deal the remainder will also be franchised. Citing people familiar with the matter, the WSJ reported that the US company's share of total sales will be 6%, with royalty fees increasing throughout the 20-year length of the agreement. McDonald's share price finished 0.89% higher on Friday, while Carlyle Group was 2.15% higher at the close. Two executives from South Korean electronics giant Samsung are being quizzed in relation to an investigation focused on uncovering political corruption in the country. South Korean president Park Geun-hye was impeached by the country's lawmakers after claims of corruption were made against her based on her relationship with Choi Soon-sil, the central figure in the scandal. Now Samsung has been accused by authorities in the country of giving large donations to non-profit foundations operated by Choi. She has been charged with coercion, bribery and attempted fraud. Samsung vice chairman Choi Gee-sung and president Chang Choong-ki were being spoken to by prosecutors on Monday concerning the case, according to the Yonhap news agency in South Korea. Specifically, the case involving the executives surrounds a controversial merger between Samsung C&T, its construction arm, and affiliate company Cheil Industries. The deal was agreed despite widespread opposition from shareholders. The summons comes after December's questioning of Jay Y. Lee, current de-facto head of Samsung Group, and a co-vice chair of Samsung Electronics, the world's largest maker of smartphone and tablet devices. Lee admitted that Samsung had given money to help the equestrian career of Choi's daughter, including the purchase of a horse valued at around $850,000. Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has made an unexpected trip to New York to meet with members of US president-elect Donald Trump 's transition team, according to the Foreign Office. Johnson met with Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner and chief strategist Steve Bannon on Sunday, just hours after prime minister Theresa May described the incoming president's comments about groping women "unacceptable". On Monday Johnson is scheduled to meet senior figures from the US House of Representatives and Senate, including influential speaker Paul Ryan. "Following the successful meeting last month between the Prime Minister's chiefs of staff and President-elect Donald Trump's team, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers to the president-elect and senior Congressional leaders," said a Foreign Office spokesperson. "The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters." Johnson was one of the key players in the campaign for Britain to leave the European Union, and has since taken over the Foreign secretary role in May's government. Trump has repeatedly referred to the "special" relationship between the United States and Britain, and reaffirmed that viewpoint via Twitter on Sunday, in which he confirmed that he would meet with May later this year. I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2017 The Republican's campaign faced a plethora of criticism in the weeks leading up to the election after an audio recording emerged in which Trump bragged to TV presenter Billy Bush about grabbing women. In one of her first public appearances of the New Year, PM May told Sky News that as a woman the president-elect's comments were unacceptable to her. "I think that's unacceptable, but in fact Donald Trump himself has said that and has apologised for it," Ms May said. "But the relationship that the UK has with the United States is about something much bigger than just the relationship between the two individuals as president and prime minister," she added. The FTSE 100 closed at an eighth consecutive record high on Monday as the pound plunged in response to fresh Brexit fears sparked by remarks from Prime Minister Theresa May. The London index rose 0.38% to 7,237.77 points, matching the longest record-setting run in 33 years. Sterling was 0.96% lower versus the US dollar at $1.2171 and dropped 1.25% against the euro to 1.1518 after Mays comments over the weekend were seen to suggest that Britain will lose its access to the single market. In an interview with Sky News, May said Britain could not hang on to "bits of EU membership" but said the government was working to get the best possible deal. Jasper Lawler, senior market analyst at CMC Markets, said: Theresa May merely confirmed the strong suspicion in markets that the UK is set for a hard exit from the EU, quite possibly without any form of transition period. The UK PM reiterated on Monday that the government was targeting an ambitious, good and best possible deal with the rest of the EU. Ultimately no new information has been revealed on the UKs negotiating stance but thats precisely the problem. On the economic data front, Halifax revealed UK house prices rose a monthly 1.7% in December, beating forecasts of 0.3% and following the previous months 0.2% increase. In the three months to December prices jumped 6.5% year-on-year, compared to estimates for 5.8% growth and the previous months 6% gain. In the Eurozone, German industrial production rose at an annualised 2.2% clip in November after a 1.6% increase in October. Economists had pencilled in a 1.9% rise. Germanys trade surplus rose to 22.6bn in November from 19.4bn, exceeding expectations of 20.3bn, boosted by 3.9% jump in exports. Eurozone investor confidence rose more than anticipated in January. The Sentix investor confidence index edged up to 18.2 from 10.0 last month, ahead of forecasts for a reading of 12.8. Among corporate stocks, Glencore was the standout gainer as Barclays reinstated its coverage on the stock at overweight and said it was its top-pick in the European mining sector. On the downside, support services group Babcock International slipped after Deutsche Bank downgraded the stock to hold from buy and cut the price target to 1,020p from 1,100p. Banks were under pressure including Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group. Barclays was on the back foot despite an upgraded to buy from hold by DB, which said the bank is well placed for 2017. Lloyds Banking Group edged down as the UK government announced that its stake in the bank has fallen below 6% after it sold 700m shares late on Friday. Ashmore tumbled following a downbeat note by Barclays. FTSE 250 oil and gas facility builder Petrofac pushed higher after it won a contract worth about $600m with Salalah LPG SFZCO, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oman Oil Facilities Development Company, to undertake the engineering, procurement and construction of its Salalah LPG extraction project in the southern part of Oman. Market Movers FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,237.77 0.38% FTSE 250 (MCX) 18,379.63 0.21% techMARK (TASX) 3,441.69 0.50% FTSE 100 - Risers Glencore (GLEN) 298.80p 3.55% Randgold Resources Ltd. (RRS) 6,660.00p 2.23% British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,675.00p 2.21% Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,616.50p 2.20% Sage Group (SGE) 671.00p 2.05% Burberry Group (BRBY) 1,501.00p 1.90% BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,340.50p 1.78% Smurfit Kappa Group (SKG) 2,025.00p 1.76% Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) 6,803.00p 1.73% Anglo American (AAL) 1,154.50p 1.72% FTSE 100 - Fallers Capita (CPI) 500.50p -2.91% Land Securities Group (LAND) 1,034.00p -2.18% Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 227.40p -2.15% Whitbread (WTB) 3,865.00p -1.93% British Land Company (BLND) 626.00p -1.65% Vodafone Group (VOD) 207.95p -1.61% Intu Properties (INTU) 277.20p -1.56% Next (NXT) 4,037.00p -1.51% Convatec Group (CTEC) 239.30p -1.40% Babcock International Group (BAB) 926.50p -1.38% FTSE 250 - Risers JD Sports Fashion (JD.) 328.70p 4.18% Polymetal International (POLY) 917.50p 3.32% Kaz Minerals (KAZ) 386.60p 3.18% Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 927.50p 3.17% Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT) 864.50p 2.85% Tullow Oil (TLW) 333.60p 2.74% Fidessa Group (FDSA) 2,239.00p 2.32% Indivior (INDV) 304.60p 2.28% Inmarsat (ISAT) 792.50p 2.26% Electrocomponents (ECM) 485.70p 2.23% FTSE 250 - Fallers Ashmore Group (ASHM) 285.50p -4.61% Safestore Holdings (SAFE) 348.10p -4.10% Evraz (EVR) 206.80p -3.68% Grafton Group Units (GFTU) 544.00p -3.03% Capital & Counties Properties (CAPC) 287.70p -2.94% Workspace Group (WKP) 780.50p -2.76% OneSavings Bank (OSB) 335.70p -2.55% Hastings Group Holdings (HSTG) 236.00p -2.54% Derwent London (DLN) 2,690.00p -2.54% Virgin Money Holdings (UK) (VM.) 323.00p -2.27% More manufacturers expect 2017 to be a year of increased risks and declining economic conditions, according to a survey of the industry. Almost half of industrial bosses, 46% of the total surveyed by the EEF manufacturer's body, said their company faces more risks than opportunities in 2017, while 47% expect UK economic conditions to decline, a substantial increase from the 28% that had the same view a year ago. Taking a more optimistic view were just 23% who said opportunities outstrip risks. Despite this, most firms remained fairly confident about most conditions in their industry, with permanent employees, UK sales, exports and productivity all predicted to head in the right direction. Indeed, more than half, 56%, expect to increase their productivity while half expect to boost UK sales. Four in ten firms also expect to see improvements in export volumes, majority of which is expected from non-EU countries at 43%. Manufacturers continue to be ambitious with their business plans with the biggest challenge for the new year being diversifying into new export markets. Many acknowledge the amplified risks posed by Brexit but over six in ten still view the UK as a competitive location for their activities, up from 56% last year. "Global political upheaval means that 2017 looks set to be another bumpy ride, with manufacturers forced to navigate uncertainty, unpredictable economic conditions and a number of risks that have been amplified by Brexit," said EEF chief executive Terry Scuoler. "Against this backdrop a smooth journey is far from guaranteed, but firms are strongly attuned to the challenges and remain fully focused and determined to deliver on their long-term plans for growth. With a new digitally-driven industrial era on the horizon and everything to play for, this long-term vision and focus is vital - despite the peaks and troughs manufacturers cannot afford to be diverted away from where they need to be. FTSE 250 housebuilder Bovis Homes said on Monday that its chief executive, David Ritchie, will step down from the company with immediate effect but will stay on until February to help with the transition process. Bovis, which posted three profit warnings under Ritchie's watch, has appointed the groups finance director, Earl Sibley, as interim chief executive with immediate effect and will immediately initiate a process to appoint a permanent successor, which is expected to take several months. Ritchie said: "It has been a privilege to serve Bovis Homes as its chief executive over the last eight years as the group has doubled in size and delivered record profits. I believe now is the right time for someone new to lead the group into its next phase of development. I have spent over 18 years working for this great company and I wish Bovis Homes every success in the future." Chairman Ian Tyler said: "On behalf of the company, I would like to thank David for his major contribution to Bovis Homes over his 14 years on the board initially as group finance director, then group managing director and as chief Executive since 2008. "During his time as chief executive, the group successfully navigated the housing market recession and has grown rapidly since 2009. David was instrumental in preparing the group for growth and then implementing the new strategy. We wish David the very best for the future and every success in his next venture." Analyst Robin Hardy at Shore Capital said that Ritchie's exit "comes as no great surprise" given three profit warnings "driven by poor execution in a period when other house builders were reporting unerringly positive trading". "We have long been concerned that there was something structurally wrong at Bovis and that for reasons that were not wholly clear from the outside, Bovis was struggling to keep hold of key resources necessary to execute its growth plans. It has long been suspected that there were cultural issues that ran right to the top of the organisation and that the business was less able to function freely and take best advantage of market conditions because of too much control." Hardy said he felt the "deep set" problems at Bovis are unlikely to improve significantly and highlighted Redrow or Crest Nicholson as "better prospects" in the midcap housebuilding space. Spread betting provider IG Group does not believe restrictions enforced by the French stock market regulator will have a material negative impact in its business in the country. The company said restrictions adopted by the Autorite des marches financiers (AMF) following the passing of the Sapin Two law at the end of 2016, which puts certain restrictions on electronic marketing of contract for difference (CFDs) to retail clients in France, will have not have material negative impact to its business in France in the short term. It also believes that the new law could could ultimately enhance the companys future competitive position in the country. CFDs are tax-free derivatives products that allow investors to trade on live market price movements without owning the underlying instrument on which the contract is based, while binary bets are another form of betting whether prices will go up or down. In December, shares in IG and rival CMC Markets were sent reeling by news that the UK financial regulator was planning to clamp down on the sale of these products and binary bet products to less experienced traders, a move that came hot on the heels of a similar crackdown on leveraged trading by Cypriot regulator CySEC, which oversees a large number of spread betting operators who use the passporting rights conveyed by this license to trade in the EU. In what is seen as a rising wave of regulation in the industry, Belgium has also banned CFD trading, the Netherlands is said to be exploring whether it will follow France in banning the advertising of CFDs, although Germany has proposed a regime that is seen as much less draconian. IG said on Monday that the new French marketing restrictions do not impact the accounts that it now offers to new clients in France, because its accounts provide a limited loss-by-position guarantee as required, and therefore also a guarantee of no negative balance. The AMF will also ban all electronic marketing involving foreign exchange and binaries, and the company maintains that the restrictions have no impact on the current client base IG believes the AMF's restrictions will provide substantial protection for consumers and greatly improve standards in the sector and the company supports robust and proportionate regulatory oversight of the CFD sector in all the markets in which it operates. Save my User ID and Password Some subscribers prefer to save their log-in information so they do not have to enter their User ID and Password each time they visit the site. To activate this function, check the 'Save my User ID and Password' box in the log-in section. This will save the password on the computer you're using to access the site. Note: If you choose to use the log-out feature, you will lose your saved information. This means you will be required to log-in the next time you visit our site. Flash Visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday met with Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina to discuss relations and cooperation between their two countries under the initiative on the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (the Belt and Road Initiative). Madagascar's President Hery Rajaonarimampianina (R) meets with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Antananarivo, Madagascar, Jan. 7, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua] The Malagasy president said that friendship between Madagascar and China has a long history and that the two peoples are as dear to each other as members of one family. China has offered a lot of selfless assistance to Madagascar for a long time, and many Chinese enterprises have contributed to Madagascar's development, the president said. Madagascar, as a gateway into Africa, welcomes and supports China's Belt and Road Initiative, and hopes that this initiative will enter Africa through Madagascar, Rajaonarimampianina said, adding that the country is ready to actively take part in the Belt and Road construction and deepen cooperation with China in agriculture, fishery, tourism and other areas under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative, proposed by China in 2013, aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient Silk Road trade routes. It has won support from over 100 countries and international organizations. Madagascar will resolutely continue pursuing the one-China policy, and maintain mutual support with China on issues concerning each other's core interests, the president noted, saying China is a most reliable cooperation partner to Madagascar and that Madagascar is fully confident in the prospects of bilateral relations, said the president. For his part, Wang conveyed Chinese President Xi Jinping's congratulation to Rajaonarimampianina on Madagascar's achievements yielded over recent years in national reconciliation, political stability and striding on a new path of development. On the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, it is hoped that the two sides will avail themselves of this opportunity to discuss and define the direction of development of bilateral relations and the framework of bilateral cooperation in future, Wang said. China proposes that both countries seize the two major opportunities for international cooperation respectively brought about by the implementation of the outcome of the 2015 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Johannesburg and the promotion of international cooperation under Belt and Road Initiative, give full play to their advantages in mutual complementation, and launch mutually beneficial cooperation in agriculture, fishery, the processing and manufacturing industries, tourism and regional aviation, Wang said. Meanwhile, to promote such cooperation, the two sides are expected to strengthen infrastructure construction, human resources development and trade and investment facilitation, he said. China will practically help Madagascar create jobs, improve the people's livelihood, eliminate poverty and realistically transform the nation's unique advantages in geographical location and natural resources into achievements in development, and help Madagascar accelerate industrialization and agricultural modernization and finally realize independent sustainable development, said Wang, totally approved by Rajaonarimampianina. Asustek G11 gaming desktop Asustek Computer has announced that its G11 gaming desktop is now available with the latest seventh generation Intel Core processors. G11 can be specified with up to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. In addition, G11 features the Asustek Aegis III gaming utility for access to system features and XSplit Gamecaster gameplay recording and sharing. Asustek Aegis III is a system-performance monitoring app that allows users to track CPU and memory use, as well as download and upload status. It lets users control fan speeds and lighting effects, and automatically sends out a warning if the system exceeds temperature or voltage thresholds. XSplit Gamecaster enables gameplay recording and editing, which can then be shared on social media. Boost Launcher automatically frees up CPU and memory resources. Oller: Ranking some of the top games by members of the OSU defense MADISON In a scene from Guys on Ice, the comedic musical about two Wisconsin ice fishermen, the main characters muse about what heaven might offer should they abruptly be pulled up like a hooked fish. Lloyd and Marvin imagine heaven as the icy opposite of hell, stocked with 50-pound perch minus the bag limits and a place where the highway toll booths in Illinois pay them. The scene offers insight into how many people in Wisconsin view toll roads. Theyre simultaneously miffed theres no free pass south into the Land of Lincoln and jealous that other states have ways to make visitors pay for highway maintenance. That conflict in public opinion may surface now that a consultants report to the state Department of Transportation has revived the idea that Wisconsin could toll on its interstate highways and raise hundreds of millions of dollars per year. The report, which covered other issues related to Wisconsins transportation funding crunch, is the latest addition to a debate that may define the upcoming state budget debate. Gov. Scott Walker has vowed not to raise taxes without a corresponding tax cut, and Assembly Republicans have warned that deteriorating roads and bridges will hamper the state economy unless theyre repaired or rebuilt. Toll roads may be a part of the answer. Tolls could help pay for so-called hot lanes planned for I-39/90 from Beloit to Madison, and eventually to the Wisconsin Dells. Advantages include avoiding higher state fuel taxes, not tapping the states general fund for transportation needs, reducing the need to borrow and cutting dependence on federal aid. Tolls would allow construction projects to be planned and built faster and to avoid federal aid penalties if work is not done on time. Theyre also a form of congestion pricing, encouraging users to make more efficient route choices. Tolls also export a fair share of road maintenance costs to users from other states, Illinois included, a fact that carries some political appeal. The I-90, I-94, 1-39 and 1-43 corridors connecting Chicago, Milwaukee, Madison and the Twin Cities area in Minnesota are busy commercial alleys for traffic originating far outside Wisconsin. Tolls assess user fees by vehicle, not by fuel source. As cars and trucks become more efficient, its a way to supplement traditional gasoline and diesel taxes. Then again, tolls have drawbacks: Theres the actual cost of collection, which would require an RFID electronic transponder system similar to I-Pass in Illinois, some cash only booths and an enforcement system. That investment alone would be hundreds of millions of dollars, although the DOT report indicated it should be recouped quickly. Tolls might distort traffic patterns, especially if motorists go out of their way to bypass them. There may come a day, however, when autonomous vehicles make shunpiking less of a problem. Of course, tolls are not especially popular, as Lloyd and Marvin might testify from their ice-fishing shack. People dont like to stop to pay tolls, and it would likely take a while for Wisconsin drivers to embrace an I-Pass system, even though its compatible with systems in about 15 other states. Theres also the matter of federal law that prohibits tolling on most interstates due to deals cut when the system was built in the 1950s and 60s. That moral bargain was fulfilled long ago, however, and a federal pilot program could allow establishing tolls if the money collected is used in the same interstate corridor. Toll roads have existed since ancient times and in America since the 1790s, a history that suggests travelers are conditioned to view them as user fees versus a tax. As the debate over how to pay for Wisconsins transportation needs intensifies, that perception may prove to be a distinction that matters to policymakers. People dont like to stop to pay tolls, and it would likely take a while for Wisconsin drivers to embrace an I-Pass system, even though its compatible with systems in about 15 other states. Subscriber content preview By STAN CHOE AP Business Writer NEW YORK Last year was a fantastic one for fund investors, at least for those resilient enough to hold on through the stomach-churning turns the market took. Most mutual funds, 87 percent of those tracked by Morningstar, made money in 2016, even though many investors were bracing for the opposite early in the year. And the gains were widespread. Whether they focused on stocks of big U.S. companies, bonds from emerging markets or gold bars stored in a London vault, funds delivered positive returns to investors who stuck with them through the roller-coaster year. . . . Subscriber content preview SNOHOMISH Drivers who travel through Clearview on state Route 9 in Snohomish County are invited to an open house Wednesday about low-cost ways to relieve congestion in the corridor. The Washington State Department of Transportation said in a press release that since 2000 it has spent nearly $300 million to widening sections and make the Snohomish River Bridge four lanes. But a three-mile section between 176th Street Southeast and SR 96 in Clearview has not been widened and traffic often forms a bottleneck. . . . Aurobindo Pharma acquires Portuguese firm for Rs970 crore Hyderabad-based Aurobindo pharma has acquired Portuguese pharma company Generis Farmaceutica SA from Magnum Capital Partners in a Euro 135 million (Rs969.3 crore approximately) deal. The deal includes the acquisition of Generis's manufacturing facility in Amadora, Portugal, that has a capacity to manufacture 1.2 billion tablets/capsules sachets annually . The deal comes more than two months after Aurobindo lost a bid for Teva's UK and Ireland assets to Ahmedabad-based Intas Pharmaceuticals, which bagged the deal for $764 million (Rs5,085 crore approx). Aurobindo had, in 2014, acquired NYSE-listed Actavis Plc's commercial operations in seven western European countries. "The company has signed a binding agreement through its wholly owned step-down subsidiary, Agile Pharma BV Netherlands, to acquire Generis Farmaceutica SA from Magnum Capital Partners," the company stated in a stock exchange filing. The transaction is conditional on obtaining necessary approvals from the Portuguese authorities,'' Aurobindo Pharma said, adding that the transaction is expected to close by February 2017. Generis has a wide portfolio of products in therapeutic areas such as cardiovascular, anti-infective and genito-urinary system medicines, among others, with estimated annual sales of approximately Euro 72 million in 2017 compared to Euro 64.8 million in 2016. Aurobindo hopes the deal will help it consolidate its footprint in Portugal. Aurobindo Pharma senior vice-president (European operations) V Muralidharan said the combined entity will benefit from a robust pipeline covering all major molecules going off-patent in the next five years. "Generis will benefit immensely from Aurobindo's vertical integration and strong product pipeline. Our large portfolio along with our unmatched commercial presence in Portugal will allow Aurobindo to consolidate its market position," Generis CEO Paulo Lilaia said. Campos Ferreira, Sa Carneiro & Associates, Portugal acted as legal advisers and Grant Thornton India LLP acted as the financial due diligence advisor to Aurobindo Pharma in the deal, Jefferies International acted as the financial advisor and Garrigues acted as the legal advisor to Magnum Capital Partners. Meanwhile, Aurobindo Pharma on Saturday informed the bourses that it has received the United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) nod to manufacture and market Levetiracetam in Sodium Chloride injection. One of Donegal's best known and critically acclaimed restaurants has closed but the premises is set to reopen as a boutique guesthouse. Castle Murray House at St John's Point is a 10-bedroom boutique hotel which has won numerous awards for its superb French cuisine as well as its bar and accommodation. Owner Marguerite Howley announced on Thursday that the "difficult and emotional decision" had been made to close the bar and restaurant, as the business "is no longer viable". She indicated at the time, however that the premises "will be reopening as a different concept during 2017 and we are very optimistic for the future". Just days later, Mrs Howley confirmed that the premises will reopen next month "as a boutique guesthouse". Cllr. Niamh Kennedy welcomed the news. "Castle Murray House has always been a fabulous asset to tourism and a great employer over the years. "It's good news that it will reopen for accommodation. With the increase in tourism along the Wild Atlantic Way , it is essential that we have top class accommodation like this," Cllr. Kennedy stated. Donegal's first whiskey distillery has been given the go ahead by An Bord Pleanala. The planning board has upheld Donegal County Council's decision to grant full planning permission for Sliabh Liag Distillery in Carrick. In its decision, signed off on January 4th, the board said it was satisfied that the planned development addressed concerns about the scale of the project, road safety and site drainage, and that the concerns raised "did not warrant refusal" of planning permission. The board also revised some of the conditions relating to the planning permission. Plans for the distillery and visitors centre, which will also be a major tourist attraction for south west Donegal, were commissioned by Drioglann Shliabh Liag CGA (Sliabh Liag Distillery DAC) and put forward by local architectural firm Corner Stone Architecture, led by partners Gavin Shovelin and Michael Hannigan. Sliabh Liag Distillery launched The Silkie, a blended Irish whiskey, in 2016 and commissioned its An Dulaman gin operation at the turn of the year. The completed distillery will produce whiskey, gin and poitin at the Bull Field, Clogher, Carrick. This is a momentous day for the area and brings the goal of reclaiming the distilling heritage of Donegal another step closer," said James Doherty, Managing Director. "The distillery will be a real boost for employment and tourism in the area. "We will continue the development of The Silkie and launch An Dulaman, Irish Maritime Gin in the coming months while we further develop the distillery plans," he added. Gavin Shovelin of Corner Stone Architecture said of the development, This has been an interesting, challenging and unique project for our firm to be involved with, and significant research was required to proceed with the design stage. "We have a great relationship with our clients, whose passion and commitment for this project was clear from the outset. "It was important to us, and to our clients, that the design was sympathetic to the rural architecture of Donegal; retaining and enhancing the existing stone structures on site;taking full advantage of the spectacular views and integrating the new building into the landscape of the site." Michael Hannigan of Corner Stone Architecture commented, Following the appeal of the original grant of permission we prepared a comprehensive submission for An Bord Pleanala in conjunction with specialist consultants in which the merits of the proposal were highlighted and issues of concern addressed, which has led to this successful outcome. A real team effort." We are really grateful to the local communities who have been vocal and committed in their support, as well as to the friends, professionals, TDs, local businesses and the parish councils who have stuck with us and offered their support and advice," Mr Doherty concluded. Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fein TD for Donegal and party finance spokesperson, said his partys view is there needs to be an election in the North, in the wake of Martin McGuinnesss resignation as the Norths deputy first minister. Mr. McGuinnesss resignation this afternoon follows the refusal of First Minister Arlene Foster of the DUP to step aside for an investigation into the Renewable Heat Incentive Scheme, also known as the cash for ash scheme. Sinn Fein has said the party will not nominate anyone to the deputy first minister position, which leads the way to an election. Deputy Doherty said he believed Mr. McGuinnesss decision was the correct one. Our view very clearly is there now needs to be an election, he said. He said Sinn Fein had called on Arlene Foster to step aside, without prejudice, for the investigation to take place. Deputy Doherty said in the face of the arrogance of the DUP and Ms. Fosters refusal to step aside for an investigation into the scheme - estimated at an overspend of up to 500,000 - that he believed Mr. McGuinness was left with no option, but to allow the people of the North to express their views in an election. In his letter of resignation, Mr. McGuinness said, It is my firm view that the DUPs handling of this issue has been completely out of step with a public mood which is rightly outraged at the squandering of public money and the allegations of misconduct and corruption. The public are demanding robust action and accountability but the DUP, in particular its leader Arlene Foster, have refused to accept this. Deputy Doherty also said Sinn Fein also believes there needs to be a change in attitude on the part of the DUP toward basic issues of equality and respect for traditions. Last month there were also concerns expressed when the Department for Communities (DfC) in the north withdrew funding for the Liofa Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme, which allowed about 100 people a year to attend summer Irish classes in the Donegal Gaeltacht. In his letter of resignation, Mr. McGuinness said, Over ten difficult and testing years, in the role of deputy first Minister, I have sought with all my energy and determination to serve all the people of the north and the island of Ireland by making the power-sharing government work. Throughout that time, I have worked with successive DUP First Ministers and, while our parties are diametrically opposed ideologically and politically, I have always sought to exercise my responsibilities in good faith and to seek resolutions rather than recrimination. I have worked tirelessly to defend our peace process to advance the reconciliation of our community and to build a better future for our young people. At times I have stretched and challenged republicans and nationalists in my determination to reach out to our unionist neighbours. It is a source of deep personal frustration that those efforts have not always been reciprocated by unionist leaders. At times they have been met with outright rejection, Mr. McGuinness said. "The equality, mutual respect and all-Ireland approaches enshrined in the Good Friday Agreement have never been fully embraced by the DUP," he said. The 115th Congress has been in session less than a week, but the Representatives and Senators are wasting no time in introducing legislation. The 115th Congress convened on Jan. 3. During their first short week of work, Representatives and Senators have introduced eight tax measures. (Photo by Ottojula via Wikimedia Commons) Since the Jan. 3 swearing in (and my Congess.gov search this afternoon), 490 bills have been introduced, 428 in the House and 62 in the Senate. And even though there's greater hope that we'll finally get some sort of comprehensive tax reform, that's not stopping individual lawmakers from putting their tax ideas out there now. So far eight tax bills have been dropped in their respective chamber's hopper. They are, in the order they were introduced: H.R. 25 was introduced by Rep. Rob Woodall (R-Georgia) on Jan. 3. It would "promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States." It has 34 cosponsors and is pending in the House Ways and Means Committee. H.R. 29 was introduced by Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-Virginia) on Jan. 3. The so-called Tax Code Termination Act calls for the would "terminate the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 after December 31, 2021, except for self-employment taxes, Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) taxes, and railroad retirement taxes. A two-thirds majority vote in Congress is required to change such termination date." Any replacement tax code must be "a simple and fair system that: (1) applies a low rate to all Americans, (2) provides tax relief for working Americans, (3) protects the rights of taxpayers and reduces tax collection abuses, (4) eliminates the bias against savings and investment, (5) promotes economic growth and job creation, and (6) does not penalize marriage or families. The new federal tax system must be approved by Congress in its final form by July 4, 2021." H.R. 29 has 38 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Rules Committee. H.R. 30 was introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-North Carolina) on Jan. 3. This measure, dubbed the Farmers Against Crippling Taxes Act, would repeal the federal estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. It doesn't have any cosponsors yet and is awaiting Ways and Means consideration. H.R. 32 also was introduced by Hudson on Jan. 3. He dubbed it the ROSIE Act. The acronym stands for Realizing Opportunity for Spouses in Employment. It would exempt the spouses of active duty members of the Armed Forces from being counted as employees to determine if an employer is an applicable large employer under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare. It has no cosponsors and is pending in the Ways and Means Committee. S. 13 was introduced by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Rhode Island) on Jan. 3. The so-called No Windfalls for Government Service Act would "establish a $1 million lifetime limitation on the nonrecognition of a taxpayer's gains from the sale of property pursuant to a certificate of divesture to comply with conflict-of-interest requirements for certain federal government positions." Under current tax law, executive branch and judicial appointees can defer paying taxes on profits from assets they sell to comply with ethics rules. Whitehouse says the bill is needed to keep President-Elect Donald Trump's "enormously wealthy cabinet nominees, and possibly Trump himself, from ducking millions of dollars in taxes." S. 13 has three cosponsors, including frequent Trump critic Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), and is pending in the Senate Finance Committee. S. 18 was introduced by Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kansas) on Jan. 3. The bill, dubbed the Fair Tax Act of 2017, calls for the repeal of all federal personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, capital gains taxes and gift and estate taxes. They would be replaced with a revenue-neutral, personal consumption tax (essentially a national sales tax) on all new goods and services. Under the proposal, the sales tax rate would be 23 percent in 2019 and would be adjusted in subsequent years. Moran has introduced similar legislation in prior Congressional sessions. This latest bill has two cosponsors and is pending in the Finance Committee. S. 20 was introduced by Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland) on Jan. 3. The so-called CEO-Employee Paycheck Fairness Act of 2017 is designed to address income inequality, an issue raised during the recent presidential campaign. The bill would "deny a publicly held corporation a tax deduction for the payment of performance-based remuneration in excess of $1 million to any of its current or former officers or directors if such corporation does not meet the pay fairness requirement established by this bill." Basically, Van Hollen wants to keep corporations from getting tax breaks for CEO bonuses unless they also give their employees a raise. He has introduced such legislation previously. The current version has no cosponsors yet and is pending in the Finance Committee. H. J. Res 21 was introduced by Rep. Steven Palazzo (R-Mississippi) on Jan. 6. The measure calls for an amendment to the U.S. Constitution to limit Congress' power to impose a tax on a failure to purchase goods or services. Palazzo's resolution would effectively reverse the health care mandate that "forces Americans to choose between the purchase of goods and services or tax penalties." When he introduced the same resolution in in a prior Congress, Palazzo said he did so because "the government has no business taking your hard-earned money just because you dont spend it the way Washington wants." The resolution has two cosponsors and was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. Tax making process: Five of the 115th Congress' tax bills come from the House. That's not surprising, since constitutionally, tax measures must originate in the House. But as you can see from this session's early tax action, that doesn't stop Senators from introducing bills. And there are ways to maneuver around what is known as the origination clause. The most common tax techniques include introducing an identical measure in the House or gutting an already introduced House bill and dropping the Senate tax language into it. There's likely to be a lot of cobbling together of tax ideas as both chambers work toward what they -- and we taxpayers -- hope will be sensible tax code overhaul. There also are likely to be many more tax bills introduced during the tax reform process, many to make political points rather than materially contribute to tax reform. But for the first week of 2017, the eight measures already drafted earn the New Year's first By the Numbers honor. You also might find these items of interest: Kia plans to fill the void left by the departure of the Australian-made Commodore later this year with its biggest, most powerful car ever. The South Korean car maker took the covers off its stylish new Stinger at a preview event in Detroit ahead of its official debut at the 2017 North American International Auto Show, promising the big rear-drive sedan-cum-hatch will offer the kind of performance, style and driving engagement of a muscle car like the Commodore SS. Coincidentally, Kia's new flagship is due to arrive in Australian showrooms around September, roughly the same time as production of the V8-powered Commodore ceases before the nameplate switches to the European-designed and fully-imported model in early 2018. It will also come with a similar sticker price, starting somewhere in the $40,000 bracket for an entry-level model with a 2.0-litre turbo charged four cylinder and topping out around $50,000 for the flagship GT variant with its twin-turbo V6. "We certainly see an opportunity there and genuinely believe this car will appeal to similar buyers," Kia Australia spokesman, Kevin Hepworth, told Drive at the Stinger's reveal in Detroit. "It ticks all the boxes in terms of its performance, the way it drives and what you get for the money. It's an exciting car for us, but it's also an exciting car in general." The Stinger not only matches the Commodore in concept - a large, rear-wheel drive sedan - but also in size. Measuring 4831mm in overall length, 1869mm in width and riding on a wheelbase of 2906mm, the Stinger is fractionally smaller in its key dimensions and will likely offer similarly generous levels of interior space with enough room for five adults. It shares its basic underpinnings with Hyundai's Genesis luxury sedan, including a chassis that is comprised mostly of high-strength steel for increased rigidity that allows for improved dynamic qualities as well contributing to low levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) for a quieter experience from within the cabin. While it will be offered with a diesel engine and all-wheel drive in other markets, the Stinger will come to Australia in two mechanical configurations distinguished only by the engines. The entry-level model will be powered by an upgraded version of the 2.0-litre turbo charged four cylinder already offered in the Optima GT, but turned north-south in the engine bay and driving the rear wheels via a limited slip differential and an eight speed automatic transmission with Kia's first use of a centrifugal pendulum absorber for smoother gearchanges. The flagship Stinger GT has the same transmission set-up but is driven by a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 that will make it the fastest and most powerful model in its history with the ability to shoot from 0-100km/h in 5.1 seconds and on to a top speed of 269km/h. While Kia says both engines are still under final development, it expects the four cylinder to produce 190kW at 6200rpm (up from 180kW in the Optima) and 353Nm between 1400-4000rpm while the V6 will generate 272kW at 6000rpm and 510Nm between 1300-4500rpm. On the handling front, the Stinger features a MacPherson front strut suspension set-up and a multi-link rear-end with - a first for Kia - electronically-controlled dampers that, along with changes to the electric power steering, are adjusted according to five pre-set driving modes; Personal, Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart. As is the case for all Kia models introduced to Australia, the Stinger's suspension will be tuned and calibrated specifically for our local conditions and tastes with Kia's contracted engineering team working through a test program with two vehicles in Australia at the moment. The 2.0-litre Stinger will ride on 18-inch alloys with 225/45 R18 rubber while the GT gets a staggered set-up with larger 19-inch wheels and 225/40 R19 front and wider 255/35 R19 tyres. It also has more powerful Brembo ventilated disc brakes with four-piston front callipers. A comprehensive suite of safety systems will also be available across the Stinger range, including adaptive cruise control with automated emergency braking, lane keeping assistance, forward collision warning and rear cross traffic alerts as well as what Kia dubs its Driver Attention Alert system which measures driving inputs and will sound a warning and suggest the driver takes a break when it senses a reduction in attentiveness. The Stinger's exterior design was penned by its European team at its Frankfurt studio, which also created the GT Concept car that acted as a preview when it was revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2011. The car features a sleek profile that is accentuated with a few muscular highlights, such as the vented bonnet, air extractors on the trailing edge of the front wheel arch, strong rear haunches, the integrated spoiler in its bootlid and four tailpipes. It, naturally, carries some of Kia's signature design cues too, such as its tiger nose grille. Kia Europe's chief designer, Gregory Guillame, says the Stinger has been created as a comfortable long-distance cruiser but also a car that can be enjoyed by driving enthusiasts. "A true gran turismo, a car for spirited long-distance driving, is not about outright power, hard-edged dynamics and brutal styling, all at the expense of luxury, comfort and grace," he said. "The Stinger has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination ? this car is all about the journey. It's about passion." At Jeep all that was old will be made new again. The American car maker has confirmed that it is bringing back its Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer nameplates by 2020 while reaffirming its plans for pick-up truck expected to be based on the next-generation Wrangler. The Jeep Grand Wagoneer is set to be a premium seven-seat SUV that would sit above the current Jeep Grand Cherokee and go head-to-head with the likes of the Land Rover Discovery. Though no details have been given, it is expected the Wagoneer will be a luxury-focussed five-seater and the Grand Wagoneer will have a seven-seat configuration. Jeep is currently in the process of increasing production of its models in the SUV and pick-up segments which have experienced a big increase in demand and has committed a further $1 billion into its US factories to this end. Jeep also hopes that the increased production capacity will help it expand into other global markets. "The expansion of our Jeep lineup has been and continues to be the key pillar of our strategy. Our commitment to internationalise the Jeep brand is unwavering, and with these last moves, we will finally have the capacity to successfully penetrate markets other than the US," said Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Fiat Chrysler. While no details on when the cars will launch or whether they will be offered locally have been revealed, FCA's local arm has already confirmed interest. "While it's early days we are in the process of creating a business case to expand the Jeep lineup in Australia to bring these great new products to Australian consumers," said a Fiat Chrysler Australia spokesperson. By 2020, one in three successful cyber-attacks on organisations will be via shadow IT (Gartner) in other words, the apps and software employees use without their employers approval or authorisation. According to Vaughan Klein, Regional Manager of Collaboration at Cisco Australia and New Zealand, the billions of dollars Australian businesses invest in security annually could be for nought if they dont steps to prevent sensitive information from being accessed and shared on Shadow IT. Klein noted that part of the problem is that many employees are turning to unauthorised social networking apps and other collaboration resources because theyre impatient with employers that lack the flexibility or agility to adapt their communication methods quickly. Dynamic Business spoke with Klein and Cisco ANZs general manager of security, Anthony Stitt about the business risk posed by shadow IT. Dynamic Business: What is the scope of the risk posed by shadow IT? Klein: Theres an increase in prevalence of consumer-based collaboration resources emerging within enterprises, which should be of deep concern, given that by 2020 one third of successful cyber attacks experienced by companies will be on their shadow IT, which analyst firm Gartner have referenced. The natural ingress point of shadow IT is usually a collaboration tool, of some level or type, that allows them to go beyond their own organisational boundaries. What needs to happen to block this increasing threat in an enterprise organisation is both security and compliance. Compliance means the enterprise needs to have access to all the communication data between its employees, for example: if two brokers at a bank are communicating, that information needs to be recorded for possible auditing purposes or in the event of an enquiry. What happens right now with consumer-based tools is that you can either have total encryption end-to-end, which means that nobody can see it, allowing potential for brokers to participate in insider trading for example that is totally unauditable, or you have no security, which means youre prone to attacks and cyber espionage. The answer is to allow IT to have encryption compliance and auditing capabilities that, at the same time, are securing it from external attacks. Its what we call the Goldilocks policy of security its not too tight, its not too loose, it actually represents what an enterprise collaboration tool needs to have in order to be compliant and secure. Stitt: If we define shadow IT as unknown or unsanctioned cloud IT, then the normal rules of security still apply: confidentiality, integrity and availability. If employees are using IT outside the normal corporate boundaries, how can an organisation enforce policy, especially if the use of these resources is unknown? Even basic policies like passwords cant be enforced, which means any data in shadow IT is potentially at a heightened risk of breach. As services become more popular, the risk of an attack increases because they become more lucrative targets. Just about every online gambling service has been extorted and businesses solely reliant on online IT as a service are always at risk of attack. Dynamic Business: What happens when businesses dont address shadow IT? Klein: If youre using consumer-based technology for free, anything you are accessing means youre not the customer; youre the product being sold. Consumer apps want to trade on information and, within the Ts and Cs that you sign up to, you actually agree to them being able to utilise private information in exchange for access to that tool. Its fine for individuals controlling their own data protection, but its a very different set of circumstances and repercussions for employees and organisations, potentially sharing sensitive information, who are subjected to legislation. Weve seen examples of organisations that havent invested in security and compliance, which in the worst cases are forced to go out of business or be subjected to legal proceedings. The list of things that can go badly as a result of the leakage or stealing of private information is vast. Whether that is records being stolen or someone snooping the network for a competitive advantage; dramatic things can happen if we dont have security and compliance at the core of our collaboration. Dynamic Business: What must businesses do to address this risk? Klein: First we had mail, then it was email and now the new medium for communicating is messaging. Messaging needs to have a mobile first, cloud-connected capability in order for it to be persistent and pervasive. The paperless office has not become a full reality, however what we have now is 5% of what we used to have, and I believe the same trend will occur with email; 5% of our communication will take place on email, and 95% will take place on messaging. Gartner believes that by 2018, 50% of organisations will be using team-based, messaging-centric collaboration tools. So were going to see a very rapid take up in the coming weeks and I dont think companies will have a choice. Companies need to bring this to the forefront of their collaboration strategy to circumvent the threat of Shadow IT. Stitt: The first step is understanding how big of a problem Shadow IT really is. Just about every Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) will audit current use of a wide variety of cloud IT so that a business or organisation can understand how much shadow IT they have. The second step can be harder; creating and enforcing policies so that shadow IT becomes normal IT. Like all security, it is a mix of people, processes and technology. The business needs a policy about what forms of IT are OK for employees to use and how they are managed. Employees will need education about which cloud IT they are sanctioned to use and how to use it; and company administrators need to know how to manage those services that the business has sanctioned in the cloud. Finally, technology can play a role in ongoing audit and policy enforcement so that use of cloud IT stays within prescribed guidelines. Dynamic Business: Are employers catching on to this risk and responding accordingly? Stitt: Yes, there is much higher awareness and enforcement of policy for cloud IT. However, there are many cloud IT services easily available as platforms, infrastructure and/or software, and more appearing every day, so the ability of organisations to keep across all these online providers can be difficult. Signing up for these services is also cheap and easy so corporate procurement is never involvedand weve seen examples of service charges escalating to hundreds of thousands of dollars before the organisation realised what was going on. Bombay Tobak has produced some excellent blends, but by far this one is the companys masterpiece. Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut desflorado, Variety Hybrid Mejorado 2004 Binder: Ecuador HVA Seca Mejorada Filler: -Seco: Peru Hybrid Habano -Viso: Ecuador criollo 98, Paraguay Hybrid Habano 2000, Dominican Criollo 98. -Ligero: Dominican HVA Mejorado Country of Origin: Costa Rica Box Pressed Toro: 6 x 54 Price: $15.50 Review: Gaaja Toro by Bombay Tobak Brand Appearances on Countdown: 2 (2015, 2016) Coming in at #5 is the Gaaja Toro by Bombay Tobak. Just prior to the 2016 IPCPR, Bombay Tobak owner Mel Shah launched a new brand called Gaaja. The Gaaja is Bombay Tobaks first box-pressed cigar. However, the more interesting thing about this cigar is that it incorporates tobacco from Paraguay in the filler something that really hasnt been done in many premium handmade cigars. This is the second cigar by Bombay Tobak on the 2016 Cigar Coop Countdown joining the MBombay Vintage Reserve Lancero 1973. It is also Bombay Tobaks second top ten cigar this year. Gaaja is the first cigar on the Cigar contain Paraguayan tobacco to land on the Countdown.Finally, this is the third cigar out of Costa Rica and the Tabacos de Costa Rica to land on the Countdown. The name Gaaja (pronounced : Gaa-ya) traces back on the Sanskrit name Gaja (pronounced guj) which means elephant. Its a project Shah has had under development for three years. Gaaja is a blend that features filer tobaccos from Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, Peru, and Paraguay. The cigar utilizes a Ecuador HVA binder and is finished with an Ecuadorian Connecticut Desflorado hybrid wrapper. The hybrid wrapper is a combination of a Connecticut Seed crossed with Cameroon grown in Ecuador using the Desflorado technique. This technique involves removing the tobacco flower resulting in nutrients being passing to the leaves; which in turn results in more flavor, This cigar delivered notes of sweet natural tobacco, cedar, mineral, and herbal notes. There is an underlying creamy texture to this cigar that keeps things smooth. The retro-hale delivered several notes including black pepper as well as an additional layer of herbal and cedar notes. I found the retro-hale to be a key component when smoking this cigar as it will bring out quite a bit more of the complexity. Both the strength and body of this cigar are medium. As unique as this cigars blend is, so is the flavor profile this cigar produces. Bombay Tobak delivers a worthy top five cigar and one certainly worthy of fighting Chuck Norris for. For details of the 2016 Cigar of the Year Countdown, see our 2016 criteria. Photo Credit: Cigar Coop, except where noted The E.P. Carrillo Dusk is a new line by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo that made its debut at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show. Dusk was one component of what was a deeper strategy by the E.P. Carrillo namely a full overhaul of the products in the E.P. Carrillo portfolio. This consisted of a combination of re-blends, re-packaging, and new blends. The overhaul was significant and was a story on the Cigar Coop Top 12 news stories for 2016. Today we take a look at the E.P. Carrillo Dusk, which is a new addition. I recently had the opportunity to smoke the Dusk in the Solidos (6 x 60) size. Overall, I found this to be an impressive maduro offering from E.P. Carrillo. As a part of the portfolio overhaul, most of the portfolio has been aligned into one of five different groupings. The Dusk is in a grouping known as the E.P. Carrillo Classics Series. For all practical purposes, this is a grouping of what could be considered E.P. Carrillos foundation (i.e. everyday) smokes. The company describes this as follows: The Classics are the type of cigars we all know well. Those cigars that are traditional in make and style. They are akin to a favorite sweater or pair of comfortable shoes, a smoke that we crave anytime of day. Ernesto Perez- Carrillo reinvented tradition with the Classics Series by adding his personal touch to a traditional approach. The Classics Series includes the following offerings: The Dusk is a dark maduro offering. With the Classics Series, it is worth noting that there are three maduro offerings in the line Cardinal Impact Maduro, Core Plus Maduro, and the Dusk. Without further ado, lets take a closer look at the E.P. Carrillo Dusk and see what this cigar brigs to the table. Blend Profile As for the blend of the E.P. Carrillo Dusk, the company is keeping much of the details high-level. As with all E.P. Carrillo cigars, the Dusk is made at Perez-Carrillos Tabacalera La Alianza factory. Wrapper: United States Binder: Ecuadorian Filler: Nicaraguan Country of Origin: Dominican Republic (Tabacalera La Alianza) Vitolas Available The E.P. Carrillo Dusk is available in four sizes. Each of the four sizes are available in 20 count boxes. Robusto: 5 x 50 Stout Toro: 6 x 52 Obscure: 7 x 54 Solidos: 6 x 60 Appearance The E.P. Carrillo Dusk Solidos has a dark espresso colored wrapper. Upon closer examination, some subtle darker marbling can be seen on the surface. The wrapper has a light coating of oil on it. There are some visible wrapper seams and a few visible veins. The surface of this wrapper is bumpy and overall I would classify the Dusk Solidos as having a rugged look. The design of the Dusk band is consistent with the rebranding and re-packaging seen across the E.P. Carrillo portfolio, but with features still unique to the Dusk. The band itself has a midnight blue background with gold trim. The center of the band features the gold EP scripted logo on a rounded red square with gold trim. To the left and right of the logo are gold medallions and gold adornments. The lower part of the band has a pseudo secondary band effect. It also is midnight blue with gold trim. There are images that appear to show a nighttime view of the Dominican Republic. On the middle of this lower section of band is the text DUSK in gold font. Toward the bottom of the band is the text Flor Fina (in cursive) and text THE CLASSICS both in gold font arranged in a ticker tape style. Preparation for the Cigar Experience Prior to lighting up the E.P. Carrillo Dusk Solidos, I used a large ring gauge cutter to clip the cap. Once the cap was removed, I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided notes of earth, coffee, and cedar. Overall I considered this to be an excellent pre-light draw. At this point I was ready to light up the Dusk Solidos and see what the smoking experience would have in store. Flavor Profile The Dusk Solidos started out notes of coffee and cedar. There was also a sweet raisin note I detected. Normally, I find raisin flavors to be a sign that a cigar is young, but not in this case as it was very pleasant. The raisin notes quickly moved into the forefront. Meanwhile the coffee notes transitioned into a mocha (combination of coffee and chocolate) which became a close secondary note. Further in the background were cedar notes and a slight nut flavor. On the retro-hale, I picked up a combination of raisin and cedar. During the second third, I found the raisin note came a notch down with the sweetness. At the same time the mocha notes popped nto the forefront from time to time. Meanwhile the nut and cedar remained in the background. When the Dusk Solidos reached the last third, the cedar notes came to the forefront and I found there was some white pepper mixed in. The raisin and mocha notes were now secondary and the nut flavors were gone. This is the way the Dusk Solidos came to a close. The resulting nub was cool in temperature and slightly soft to the touch. Burn and Draw The burn of the E.P. Carrillo Dusk Solidos performed quite well. The cigar maintained a relatively straight burn path as well as a straight burn line. This cigar needed some occasional touch-ups along the way, but overall I was quite pleased with how this scored for a 60 ring gauge cigar. The resulting ash had a salt and pepper color and was on the firm side. Meanwhile the burn rate and burn temperature were both ideal. As for the draw, the Dusk Solidos had the right amount of resistance i.e. not too loose, nor too tight. This cigar produced a lot of smoke and was an low maintenance cigar to derive flavor from. Strength and Body From a strength and body perspective, I found both attributes of the Dusk Solidos to be in the medium range. The cigar stayed in this range from start to finish. This was not my first go-around with smoking the Dusk blend. I had smoked some the smaller sizes with less age and did find them to have some more intensity. Whether its the size and / or aging factoring into things, I dont know. The strength and body of the Dusk Solidos balanced each other nicely with neither attribute overshadowing the other. Final Thoughts There are a lot of maduros in the E.P. Carrillo portfolio. One thing I have liked about them is how each of them deliver a different story. Normally I shy away from a a cigar that delivers too much sweetness, but there are cases where I find things click. The Dusk Solidos is one of those cigars where it works. On top of that, this is an excellent 60 ring gauge cigar. Lets remember that Perez-Carrillo was one of the earlier pioneers in delivering the big ring cigar to market. Overall this is an excellent cigar that I could give to a novice or experienced cigar enthusiast. As for myself, this is a cigar that I would smoke again and its worthy of a box split. Summary Key Flavors: Raisin, Mocha, Cedar Burn: Excellent Draw: Excellent Complexity: Medium Strength: Medium Body: Medium Finish: Very Good Rating Assessment: 3.5-Box Split Rating: 90 References News: E.P. Carrillo Dusk Makes Debut at 2016 IPCPR Trade Show Price: $9.10 Source: Purchased, E.P. Carrillo Brand Reference E.P. Carrillo Anti-police activists and the mainstream media are incensed at the suggestion that the Black Lives Matter movement could have influenced the behavior of the four individuals in Chicago who tortured a disabled white man for hours last week while yelling Fuck white people and Fuck Donald Trump. In one sense, the activists and media are right: The influences were broader than that. They include the reign of racial victimology, inner-city gang culture, and black anti-white animus. We live in Ta-Nehesi Coatess America, characterized by the assumption that blacks are the eternal targets of lethal white oppression. Coatess central thesis in Between the World and Me, his acclaimed phantasmagoria of racial victimology, is that America continuously aspires to the shackling and destruction of black bodies. Chicagos four torturers certainly have not read Between the World and Me. But the books worldview echoes throughout our society, including in the inner city. Michelle Alexanders equally publicized book, The New Jim Crow, argues that the U.S. seeks to reimpose de facto segregation on blacks via the criminal justice system. Alexander has been a staple on black media, among many other outlets. President Obama has insisted, even up to his last days in office, that blacks are the victims of a racist criminal-justice system. The press routinely disseminates phony statistics that purport to demonstrate a police war on blacks. These ideas matter. Black Lives Matter ideology is just a more in-your-face manifestation of the Coatesian conceit that blacks are living in a system determined to destroy them. The Chicago Black Lives Matter chapter embraces the motto Stop killing us, aimed at the Chicago Police Department. It chants: CPD, KKK: How many children did you kill today? (The answer is: Virtually none. Last year, over 3,400 people in Chicago were shot, overwhelmingly black. Victims included 24 children 12 years of age or younger. The Chicago cops shot 25 people, virtually all armed and dangerous, or .6 percent of the total.) The Chicago Black Lives Matter chapter disseminates inflammatory lies about the Chicago police, such as that BLM activist JaMal Green was beaten for 30 hours following an arrest for battery against an officer and trying to disarm an officer. Increasing the size of the Chicago Police department, per the Chicago BLM, will simply result in more killings by police, more police torture and violence. These anti-law enforcement claims reinforce existing anti-white animus in the inner city. The notion that the dominant or exclusive racism in America today is white anti-black racism is absurd. Though many urban residents harbor no racial animosity, the recurrent Fuck Whitey and Kill the cops themes in rap music are not accidental. (Sample: Kill the White people; we gonna make them hurt; kill the White people; but buy my record first, by Apache, adopting without obvious irony lines from an Eddie Murphy parody; The White man is the devil Drive-by shooting on this White genetic mutant, by Menace Clan.) I have been warned by residents of one East Harlem housing project not to go to a neighboring project because they really hate whites there. Even if there werent already a strain of racial hostility in inner-city culture, the constant establishment refrain that whites oppress blacks at every opportunity would create it. Every highly publicized cop assassination in the last two years has triggered gloating on social media. JaMal Green told the New York Times that the assassination of five Dallas police officers was not a setback at all for Black Lives Matter. The Dallas gunman had said he wanted to kill white people and white cops. Though Green insisted that he was not encouraging violence, he said that the assassination showed the people of this country that black people are getting to a boiling point. We are tired of watching police kill our brothers and sisters. We are tired of being tired. At some point, there comes a time when black people will snap, he said. While one is grateful for Greens avowal not to be encouraging violence, such sentiments come close to rationalizing it. The establishment typically looks the other way at manifestations of black anti-white animus. Racism in rap music is usually ignored. The Associated Press excluded any reference to the race of the victim and assailants in its initial report on the Chicago torture episode, as John Hinderaker observed at Powerline, and merely noted that police were investigating a beating captured on social media. The APs follow-up report acknowledged that someone in the video appeared to use profanities about white people and that the victim appeared to be white, while others shown in the video appeared to be black. Radley Balko rushed to tweet out that the Chicago kidnapping is not a trend because since 2001, 8085 percent of white murder victims were killed by whites. True, but the percentage of blacks killed by blacks is higher. From 1980 to 2008, 93 percent of black victims were killed by blacks. White-on-black homicides are much rarer than black-on-white homicides. The vast bulk of interracial violence is committed by blacks. In 2012, blacks committed 560,600 acts of violence against whites, and whites committed 99,403 acts of violence against blacks, according to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey provided to the author: Distribution of violent victimizations, by race/Hispanic origin of victim and perceived race/Hispanic origin of offender, 20122013 Blacks, in other words, committed 85% of the interracial crimes between blacks and whites, even though they are 13 percent of the population. This data accords with the last published report on interracial crime from the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the Bureau stopped publishing its table on interracial crime after 2008, the first year of the Obama presidency. Some portion of those black-on-white crimes may be driven by the same racial hostility that gives rise to urban flash mobs and the knockout game. As Dead Prez rapped: We gonna order take out and when we see the driver/We gonna stick the 25 up in his face . . . White boy in the wrong place at the right time. Even if the higher rate of black-on-white violence is simply a product of blacks higher rate of violence generally, that violent crime rate is another fact suppressed by the mainstream media whenever possible. In response to the Chicago torture video, Callum Borchers of the Washington Post sneered at conservatives supposed delusions, such as that Chicago is a war zone. This idea struck Borchers as so preposterous that he repeated it later in his column: Oh, and by the way, Chicago (the part inhabited mostly by black people, anyway) is a super-dangerous place, just like Trump said. One wonders how quickly Collum would move his family out of the allegedly pacific South and West Sides of Chicago if he actually had to live there. The following is a partial sampling of crime headlines from Chicago papers over the last few weeks, in reverse chronological order: family singalong ends as bullets fly through car window on pulaski road shootings kill 4 people, wound 24 since saturday, police say [referring to the 24-hour period from December 31, 2016 to January 1, 2017] two boys, 16, killed in shooting that also wounded 65-year-old woman a violent christmas in a violent year for chicago: 11 killed, 50 wounded brothers killed, 5 other people wounded in christmas shooting 3 killed, 17 wounded in city shootings 4 dead in fernwood attack, 15 others wounded in shootings 3 wounded in party bus shooting near lake shore drive woman raped by armed men after robbery in humboldt park man who attacked, robbed 94-year-old garfield ridge woman sought by police 47 shootings so far on expressways in chicago, 10 above all of last year boy, 16, shot on his way to school but went to class anyway inbound eisenhower shut down after shootout between cars men charged with robbing women walking alone in lakeview, police say shootings kill 9, wound 66 over thanksgiving holiday, police say Or maybe Borchers is only interested in the white areas of Chicago, which are not yet a war zone. Black Lives Matter activist Shaun King, responding to the Chicago torture, rejected the idea of speaking out on crimes committed by black folk because nobody in this country is held more responsible for the crimes they commit, and even the crimes they dont commit, than black folk in America. . . . American prisons are full of black folk who are being held responsible for every mistake theyve ever made. Try telling that to Chicago Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Johnson regularly bemoans the fact that convicted gun felons in Chicago have little to fear from the criminal-justice system, because they are so quickly back on the streets following a shooting. The Illinois Black Caucus has blocked stiffer penalties for gun crime. The victims of a November 2016 robbery spree in Chicago may also disagree with King that the criminal-justice system is vindictive against black criminals. Isaiah Scaife had already been convicted of theft, attempted theft, criminal trespass, and possession of a stolen motor vehicle before he turned 18, according to DNAInfo. He continued to commit gun crimes as a young adult. At age 19, after a conviction for aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, Scaife was already out on parole. Thats when he began his five-day crime spree on November 18, robbing a Subway stores customers after sticking his gun in a babys face and trying to manhandle his way behind the restaurants counter. A few minutes later, he robbed a man leaving a Citgo gas station, beating the victim unconscious with his gun before shooting him in the face. The next day, Scaife returned to the same Subway, where he robbed and choked a man while a juvenile accomplice pointed a gun at the victim. A few days later, Scaife pulled a gun on a man at another gas station and stole his possessions and car. At his arraignment, he yelled at the court deputies: Im going to spit on your ass. Scaife is hardly unique. A huge percentage of violent crime is committed by people with serious criminal histories who are free to continue terrorizing the innocent. And, pace King, if you commit a drug crime, youll get more leniency in a large urban jurisdiction than in a rural county, where sentences for white drug dealers dwarf those of inner-city traffickers, according to the New York Times. At least one of the Facebook torture assailants belonged to the gang culture that produces Chicagos violent crime. Tesfaye Cooper posted a video on his YouTube channel in October in which he points a rifle at the camera and says: Ill put a bullet in your ass, reports DNAInfo Chicago. Coopers Facebook page glorifies him posing with guns and paying homage to local murderers. His raps threaten to kill people who disrespect him and his crew. The violence in the Chicago torture video does not arise in a vacuum. Most residents of inner-city areas are hardworking bourgeois citizens longing to live in safety and in racial harmony. But the video opens a window into a culture that America would prefer to turn its eyes away fromand which it has helped create. 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(Im interested in the thinking behind the Russian intervention.) The closest I came was a session on the persistent effects of culture and institutions. It had been organized by James Robinson, Director of the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts at the Harris School of Public Policy of the University of Chicago (not dean of the school, as asserted earlier) and author, with Daron Acemoglu, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, of Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty (Crown, 2012). That produced an especially interesting paper, A Theory of Minimal Democracy, by Francesco Trebbi, of the University of British Columbia, Chris Bidner, of Simon Fraser University, and Patrick Francois, also of UBC. Trebbi distinguished between relatively robust democracies, extending all or most of the familiar complement of rights to non-elites to vote; to form and join associations; to be protected by the rule of law, and by a free press and those states long known as minimalist democracies These hold regular elections, which may be hotly contested, but otherwise offer ordinary citizens relatively little else. They are widely distributed around the world but little understood: competitive autocracies, non-redistributive democractizations, captives of the resource curse. Clearly Russia is one. The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Indonesia, Nepal, Moldova, and Mongolia are others. A major question is how they change. Does deep culture dominate? Or might institutions elections, for example become self-enforcing? Questions like this one are at the heart of the contretemps with Russia: Vladimir Putin apparently believes that Hillary Clinton, as US Secretary of State, sought to foment dissent in Russia in 2011, when he ran for a third term as president. Maybe she did. A new sub-discipline of political economy, revivified by Acemoglu and Robinson, Torsten Persson and Guido Tabellini, and many others, has much to say about the issue, but has only just begun to train a new generation of area experts. The territory of economics has exploded in the last fifty years, the American Economic Review, which once decorously appeared but five times a year, now arrives with a pound or two of new material every month. The Journal of Economic Literature, established to keep non-specialists abreast of the steadily broadening stream of publications, is approaching fifty; the Journal of Economic Perspectives, designed to communicate developments to an interested lay audience, is celebrating thirty years; four new field journals publish new work in microeconomics, macroeconomics, applied economics, and economic policy. And those are just the organs of the American Economic Association. Universities publish distinguished journals, too, as do other associations, societies, and commercial publishers. A new entrant, The Annual Review of Economics, has begun to impinge on this established universe slightly since it first appeared, eight years ago. The first Annual Review of Biochemistry appeared in 1932. The enterprise proved so successful that the independent publishers who started it prepare today 41 collections of critical surveys of tightly focussed disciplines including the Annual Review of Financial Economics and the Annual Review of Resource Economics. Established by Kenneth Arrow and Timothy Bresnahan, both of Stanford University, editing of ARE this year passed to Philippe Aghion, of the College de France, and Helene Rey, of London Business School.. By providing more and somewhat higher-level surveys of new important findings and new tools, the ARE has forced, or freed, JEL editor Steven Durlauf, of the University of Wisconsin, to cast his net more widely. The JEP, where Enrico Moretti, of the University of California at Berkeley, has replaced David Autor, of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now seems more newsy than ever. As for the AER, I zero-in to see whats new when the mammoth Papers and Proceedings record of the annual meeting arrives in May. Because it offers rapid publication of lightly-vetted articles deemed important, it regularly contains the first reports of inquiries that lead in due course to fault lines and fractures in received wisdom hence to further spreading of the disciplinary tent. The meetings themselves still fufill the basic functions. The incoming president and his program committee organize the sessions that are to be published in the Proceedings; he or she invites the Ely lecturer, too. President this year was Nobel laureate Alvin Roth, of Stanford University, an exponent of market design; he chose Esther Duflo, of MIT, who spoke about The Economist as Plumber: Large-Scale Experiment to Inform the Details of Policy-Making. Next year Olivier Blanchard will preside, having stepped down from eight years as chief economist of the International Monetary Fund. A luncheon honored Nobel laureate Angus Deaton, of Princeton University. The John Bates Clark Medal was presented, to Yuliy Sannikov, of Stanford University. Four Distinguished Fellows of the Association were recognized: Richard Freeman, of Harvard University; Glenn Loury, of Brown University; Julio Rotemberg, of Harvard Business School; and Isabel Sawtell, of the Brookings Institution. The exhibit hall bustled a little less than usual, perhaps at the news that Peter Dougherty, a famous economics editor, would soon retire as director of the Princeton University Press. Robert Shiller, of Yale University, gave the presidential lecture, Narrative Economics. He told the audience, Narratives matter for human thinking, and they ought to matter for economics. I think so too. There are too few of them. But theres no time for narrative at the ASSA. ZURICH Swiss textiles standard Oeko-Tex has announced a raft of changes to its Made in Green, MySTeP, STeP and Standard 100 certifications. The company announced the changes in the year it celebrates its 25th anniversary. By Matthew McKinzie New Yorks Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today that the two reactors at Indian Point Energy Center would close in the coming years, in large part due to safety concerns and the risk of a nuclear accident. The original 40-year operating licenses for the Indian Point Unit 2 and Unit 3 reactors both expired in the past three years, and todays announcement means they are now scheduled to close in 2020 and 2021, respectively, which will reduce the risk of a nuclear accident at the facility 24 miles north of New York City. This is especially good news for the safety of the nearly 20 million people who live within 50 miles of the two aging reactors. Thanks to Governor Cuomo for his tireless and tenacious efforts to close Indian Point, Riverkeeper Vice Chairman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. told EcoWatch. The agreement marks a milestone in Americas historic transition from a dirty, dangerous energy system to clean, safe, wholesome, local and patriotic power supply. It is a victory for the Hudson fishery, for public safety and for the New York economy. Located in such a densely-populated area, a severe nuclear accident at Indian Point would be a high consequence event. And over the years, numerous operational problems (tritium leaks, transformer fire and damaged reactor vessel bolts) and external threats (9/11, Hurricane Sandy, an underlying earthquake fault, and the construction of the nearby Algonquin natural gas pipeline) have called into question the safety of operating Indian Point. Indian Point Energy Center Location Map NRDC Todays announcement also means the electricity generation from the two reactors will be replaced with safe, renewable and truly clean energy resources like wind, solar and energy efficiency that dont pollute the air and harm our health. Following the Fukushima accident in Japan, the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) issued a report on the potential consequences of a severe nuclear accident at Indian Point. Our analysis considered two potential accident scenarios: radiation release from Indian Point on the scale of the 2011 Fukushima accident, and radiation release from Indian Point on the scale of the 1986 Chernobyl accident. NRDCs findings for these two scenarios are summarized as follows: An accident at Indian Point Unit 3 on the scale of Fukushima Daiichi could require the sheltering or evacuation of as many as 5.6 million people due to a fallout plume blown south to the New York City metropolitan area. People in the path of the plume would be at risk for receiving a whole-body radiation dose greater than 1 rem, which for an average individual results in a 0.3 percent increase in risk of premature death from cancer. An accident of this scale would require the administration of stable iodine to more than six million people (where people would be at risk for receiving a thyroid radiation dose greater than 10 rad). An accident at Indian Point Unit 3 approaching the scale of Chernobyl involving a full reactor core melt could put people in New York City at risk for receiving a whole-body radiation dose greater than 25 rem, resulting in a 7 percent increase in risk of premature death from cancer for an average individual. An accident of this scale would require the administration of stable iodine throughout the New York City metropolitan area, and put thousands at risk for radiation sickness in and near the Hudson Valley. If conditions sent the plume toward Manhattan, the island would be inhabitable due to radioactivity. https://twitter.com/EcoWatch/status/800813757802934272 However, disconnecting Indian Point from the electric grid is only the beginning of the process of reactor decommissioning, which also includes the long-shuttered Unit 1, which was closed in 1974 due to defects in the stainless steel piping used to help keep the reactor cool. To reach the important goal of restoring the environment in this piece of the Hudson Valley, the state must also develop a plan to safely manage the plants spent nuclear fuelrods that have been stored onsite since the plants first unit went online in the 1960s while the United States continues to wait for the siting of its deep geologic repository. That step must come next. Given Indian Points troubled history and external threats, the decision to close the plant in the near term is the right one and will help safeguard millions of New Yorkers in the years to come. My colleagues Kit Kennedy and Jackson Morris will be posting another blog shortly with an overview of the Indian Point closure agreement including clean energy replacement power options for New York State. Reposted with permission from Natural Resources Defense Council. When the U.S. Supreme Court made its first substantive interpretation in 1982 of the main federal special education law, it was careful to say that courts should not impose their own view of education adequacy upon states and districts for children covered by the law. In that case, Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley, the court created a definition of a free, appropriate public education in the special education arena that has stood for decades. Under the definition, special education must confer some educational benefit. But in a case set to be argued Jan. 11, the court is weighing in on what some should mean. The question at hand: What level of educational benefit must school districts provide to students with disabilities in order for them to receive that free, appropriate public education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act? At the center of the latest case, Endrew F. v. Douglas County School Board, (Case No. 15-827), is a 17-year-old Colorado student with autism, called Drew in court briefs. His parents contend that the individualized education program created for him by the Douglas County district did not offer him an educational benefit. The 66,000-student school district arguedand several courts agreedthat the districts educational program was appropriate. But the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit, in Denver, added another element to the debate when it rendered its verdict in August 2015. The appeals court said that the school district was responsible only for offering some educational benefit, using the terminology from Rowley, and went on to define that as merely more than de minimis, or trivial. It just seemed so preposterous. How could having a child achieve so little be sufficient? It just doesnt make sense, said Drews mother, Jennifer, in an email interview in advance of the Jan. 11 argument. The parents in this case have asked to remain anonymous to protect their privacy. The Obama administration agrees with Drews parents. The IDEA should be understood to offer special education students a chance at significant educational progress, it said in a friend-of-the-court brief. Thats an ambitious goal, but a realistic one, the Justice Department argues. More than Trivial Benefit The school district and organizations that filed friend-of-the-court briefs on its side said that the parents and federal government are advocating for a new and unworkable standard. Neither petitioner nor the government says what, under their standards, [Drews] 5th-grade IEP ought to have said. And if they cannot say, it is hard to imagine how a court could, the district said in its brief. Different Circuits, Different Terms The Obama administration urged the U.S. Supreme Court to take up the case Endrew F. v. Douglas County School Board because of what it says are different standards set by different federal appeals courts for the level of benefit that special education is supposed to provide. However, attorneys for the Douglas County, Colo., school district say that the differences reflect semantics, not different standards. Here are the terms that have been used in different rulings: U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit, Philadelphia Just as Congress did not write a blank check, neither did it anticipate that states would engage in the idle gesture of providing special education designed to confer only trivial benefit. ... [W]e hold that Congress intended to afford children with special needs an education that would confer meaningful benefit. Polk v. Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16, 1988. U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit, St. Louis It is true that experts for both [the plaintiff, K.E.] and the District testified at the administrative hearing that the assessment and [behavioral intervention plan] were deficient in some respects; but given that K.E. enjoyed more than what we would consider slight or de minimis academic progress, we cannot conclude that those deficiencies denied K.E. the benefit of her educational programming. K.E. v. Independent School District No. 15, 2011. U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Cincinnati [Board of Education of the Hendrick Hudson Central School District v. Rowley] is the only Supreme Court decision to have addressed the level of educational benefit that must be provided pursuant to an [individualized education program]. Nothing in Rowley precludes the setting of a higher standard than the provision of some or any educational benefit. Deal v. Hamilton County Board of Education, 2004. U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit, Richmond, Va. In this circuit, the standard remains the same as it has been for decades: a school provides a [free, appropriate public education] so long as a child receives some educational benefit, meaning a benefit that is more than minimal or trivial, from special instruction and services. O.S. v. Fairfax County School Board, 2015. And, the school district argues, if Congress had wanted to add language in the law to define the level of benefit that should be conferred by special education, lawmakers have had ample opportunity to do so in the 35 years since Rowley was decided. The case is one of the most significant special education cases ever to be heard before the Supreme Court, said Antonis Katsiyannis, a professor of special education at Clemson University and a former president of the Council for Exceptional Children. This is going to set the stage, I hope, for the next however many years, because the Rowley standard stood for 30 years or more, said Katsiyannis. About 6.5 million children ages 3-21 are covered under the IDEA. The case began when Drew was still in elementary school. He started to exhibit serious behavior problems and went through periods of self-harming behavior, including head-banging and running away from school. By the end of 4th grade, Drews behavior had deteriorated to the point where he had made minimal progress on his educational goals. His parents argue that the individualized education program that the district developed for 5th grade was just offering more of the same. They withdrew him from public school, enrolled him in a Denver private school called Firefly Autism House, and argued that the district should be responsible for his tuition. We always knew it would be an uphill battle, that parents dont usually prevail when going against their school district, Drews mother said. But no, I never thought it would go this far. I remember before we even started, I was advised not to start down this road unless I was prepared to go to the Supreme Court. I absolutely did NOT want to go that far, but I didnt see any other way to get Drew what he needed. Drawing on Rowley, the 10th Circuit said that Drew appears to be thriving at his private school, but it is not the districts burden to pay for his placement there when Drew was making some progress under its tutelage. That is all that is required. Split in the Circuits The 10th Circuit itself drew attention to the fact that other circuits have used different terms to refer to the educational benefit that special education should confer. Some circuits have chosen to use the term meaningful educational benefit"though the difference between some and meaningful is not clear, the 10th Circuit ruling noted. But that difference in terminology was apparently enough for the Supreme Court to decide to hear the case. And even though Drews parents had lost at several steps along the way, they gained a powerful supporter in the Obama administration. In its brief, the administration argues that the term meaningful is most sensibly understood to obligate states to offer each eligible child an opportunity to make significant educational progress, in light of his particular needs and capabilities. For students who are fully included in regular classrooms, that should be taken to mean an opportunity to master grade-level content. Other students with more severe disabilities should be given an opportunity to make progress that is appropriate in light of their own particular needs and capabilities. Attorneys for the parents say schools must afford children with disabilities substantially equal opportunities to achieve academic success and self-sufficiency. The parents and the Justice Department are trying to stretch IDEA beyond what the law really requires, the school district and its supporters argue. From the school districts brief: All the government can say for sure is that schools should enable eligible children to make progress that is appropriate in light of their own particular needs and capabilities. But telling courts that an appropriate education means a significant one, which in turn means an appropriate one, hardly helps them draw a principled line. The school district and its attorney declined to be interviewed on the record. Meaningful Difference? Perry A. Zirkel, a professor of education and law at Lehigh University, said the court could determine that the IDEA should provide a meaningful benefit to students with disabilities, instead of the some terminology that was favored by the 10th Circuit in its ruling. To me, that would be largely a symbolic victory, Zirkel said. When we look at the way courts apply both alternatives, it doesnt seem to be a consistent significant difference. If the court were to determine that special education should provide what he called a substantial or significant benefit, however, thats a difference that could shift the balance in some educational disputes, Zirkel said. Drew, still in private school, has made strong academic progress, his mother said. To think about him as a 4th grader when this all started, well, hes just so different now. Socially, he has not made as many huge leaps. I really dont have any regrets about his private school experience, but I do wish he had been able to stay in school with his local peers and build those friendships, she said. The school district and its allies say that the parents are fighting an issue that doesnt exist. School districts routinely create strong academic programs for students with disabilities, and no school sets out to offer an educational program that only clears the trivial bar. They say that the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, along with the procedural safeguards written into the IDEA and a general push towards high standards, ensures the protections that the parents in this case are asking for without introducing additional oversight by non-educators. You have the Rowley standard. Why fix it if its not broken, especially if the fix is going to cause some problems of its own? said Ruthanne Deutsch, the author of a brief written on behalf of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, the Council of Administrators of Special Education, and other educational organizations. Drews mother said that may be true, but that her fight is on behalf of the parents who dont believe their children are getting the education that they are entitled to under the IDEA. It may very well be true that most school districts are providing a more than trivial, beneficial, free and appropriate public education already to their special education students. I hope thats the case, she said. What I do hope will change is the outcome for those parents that are having difficulties with the services their school is providing. Id hope the school would actively work with them to find the best solution for the child. Down but ready to turn upwards: Will Chilean salmon travel the Norwegian road? The world's most promising salmon production region has been repeatedly hindered by disease outbreaks and their impact on production costs After two years when low prices and high production costs devastated producers, prices are forecast to stay 40% from their 2015-16 lows amid falling unit costs With new vaccin ... To build the largest and most complete Amateur Radio community site on the Internet - a "portal" that hams think of as the first place to go for information, to exchange ideas, and be part of whats happening with ham radio on the Internet. eHam.net provides recognition and enjoyment to the people who use, contribute, and build the site. This project involves a management team of volunteers who each take a topic of interest and manage it with passion. The site will stand above all other ham radio sites by employing the latest technology and professional design/programming standards, developed by a team of community programmers who contribute their skills to the effort. The site will be something of which everyone involved can be proud to say they were a part. We welcome your comments. The eHam.net Team, Revision 07/2020. In October 2021, the EIB Board of Directors approved a new framework for the EIBs cohesion action for the period 2021-2027. The new Cohesion Orientation lays the foundation for increasing climate action and environmental lending in poorer regions, fostering innovation and financing for the private sector and ensuring that EIB financing complements EU cohesion policy funds in the new seven-year EU budget. 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Sure confirmed Eddie Saints, who was also in charge of its operations in the Channel Islands, passed away suddenly at the weekend. Mr Saints was appointed as CEO of Sure in Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man in 2008. The company says he made a huge contribution in his role and will be sorely missed. Prince William might miss Kate Middleton's birthday because of his busy schedule for the week ahead. With this report, it looks like the royal couple is changing plans for this year as they fopcus more on their royal responsibilities. Kate will celebrate her birthday on January 9 and she will already turn 35 but it looks like William might not be there to celebrate with her wife on her special day as per Celeb Dirty Laundry. Exactly on that day, the Duke of Cambridge has a scheduled visit at Centrepoint which has a mission of offering shelter and other valuable resources to homeless youth in the UK. As reported on Vogue, William will really miss Kate's birthday but people wonder if they already have separate plans for the Duchess' special day. Besides, some reports are claiming that the royal couple has already changed plans for this year and this might include giving more priority to royal engagements and works that personal activities and affairs. Then on January 11, Kate Middleton and Prince William are scheduled to visit the Child Bereavement UK Centre, an organization where Prince William has been a patron since 2009. After that, the second heir to the throne and his wife will also take part in one of the activities of the Family Support Group wherein they shall engage in discussions of feelings and memories regarding grief. For Kate, she is also schedules to visit Early Years Parenting Unit of which she is the patron. This charitable organization offers intervention programs for families with children of five years of age and even younger to cater for their mental health. This is not only the first time that Prince William did not make so much concern about Kate Middleton's birthday since the year 2006. Reports have escalated before that Kate's family celebrated her birthday in 2006, 2007 and 2008 and William was not even there. But last 2009, William's car has been spotted in the Middleton's so people have thought that he spent that day celebrating the birthday of his future wife. However, in 2010, Prince William was nowhere to be seen again for Kate Middleton's special day. Even before their wedding last 2011, William and Kate have been reported to have spent the day quietly. And when they became a royal couple that was the first time Kate finally celebrated her birthday the royal style. And since Prince William and Kate Middleton will be focusing more on their royal duties than personal activities starting this year, people would rarely see the royal couple spending their special days. During an investor affair at Nevada's Gigafactory just recently, Elon Musk has tackled the undertakings involving the production of battery packs at the said site. Although the South African-born engineer has provided clues about his plans, he declined to answer inquiries about the Model 3. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas has pressed the CEO but got a general reply in return. Instead, Musk has said that it is vital to put the soon-to-be released car on powder dry status. The statement has apparently signified that there is a need to prepare for immediate eventualities. Within this context, it is likely that the Tesla founder is referring to another event that is slated during the first quarter of 2017 for the Model 3. Tesla has taken the time to reveal what it has been up to in relation to the development of its newest brand. In March last year, the prototypes of the Model 3 have been shared. By September 2016, the tech manufacturing organization is still busy dealing with the beta phase. Around this time of the year, observers are already anticipating the final design of the vehicle which is yet to be finished. With regards to the launching date of the Model 3, Musk has simply emphasized that its production is going smoothly at the Gigafactory. Aside from the battery pack, the electric motor, the drivetrain and the power electronics are also being manufactured at the plant. Although Musk's answer to Jonas's questions needs a lot to be desired, the tech-driven businessman has underscored the manufacturing of vulnerable elements such as the stamping dies for the body panels and seats. As expectations continue to mount, potential buyers are keen in getting a glimpse about the Model 3's mechanical specifications considering the safety issues that come with tech-powered cars. In addition, observers are also out to acquire more data about the vehicle's efficiency judging from the fact that it is the most affordable Tesla unit to date. The lamest duck of all By Dr. Robert Owens Long ago and far away, back in an America before Hope and Change changed our hope to dread, we used to have peaceful and dignified transfers of power when one party replaced the other in the Oval Office. When Bill Clinton and Ross Perot defeated George the First he left Bubba the following note: Dear Bill, When I walked into this office just now I felt the same sense of wonder and respect that I felt four years ago. I know you will feel that, too. I wish you great happiness here. I never felt the loneliness some Presidents have described. There will be very tough times, made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. Im not a very good one to give advice; but just dont let the critics discourage you or push you off course. You will be our President when you read this note. I wish you well. I wish your family well. Your success is now our countrys success. I am rooting for you. Good luck, George That was a class act and a hard one to follow especially for people who allow partisanship and acrimony to eclipse good taste and good manners. Even the Clinton loving New York Times reported that the transition from the Clinton Inter-lewd to George the Second was anything but dignified. It was instead sophomoric. According to the Times: The General Accounting Office, an investigative arm of Congress, said today that damage, theft, vandalism and pranks did occur in the White House complex in the presidential transition from Bill Clinton to George W. Bush. The agency put the cost at $13,000 to $14,000, including $4,850 to replace computer keyboards, many with damaged or missing W keys. Some of the damage, it said, was clearly intentional. Glue was smeared on desk drawers. Messages disparaging President Bush were left on signs and in telephone voice mail. A few of the messages used profane or obscene language. A Secret Service report documented the theft of a presidential seal that was 12 inches in diameter from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building,' next to the White House, on Jan. 19, 2001, the accounting office said. Six White House employees told investigators that they had seen graffiti derogatory to Mr. Bush on the wall of a stall in a men's room. Other White House employees saw a sticker in a filing cabinet that said, Jail to the thief, implying that Mr. Bush had stolen the 2000 election. Following in the tradition of the now discredited and finally discarded Clintons the classless exit is being delivered not by nameless faceless staffers but instead by POTUS himself on the world stage. Unfortunately the last days of our first anti-colonialist president and his anti-American regime is marked by the only bi-partisan approach of his divisive reign. RINOs in Congress are helping him in his efforts to torpedo the incoming Trump Revolution from accomplishing the work we have sent them to the swamp-on-the-Potomac to accomplish. From the president who sent his own campaign team to Israel to defeat Benjamin Netanyahu in his election we get hyperbolic outrage at accusations of Russian hacking and leaks during the 2016 presidential campaign. He says he knew about the hacks months ago. Yet he didnt think they were worth mentioning until his hand-picked successor and his policies were rejected at the ballot box. Now he fires a salvo of impotent sanction at the Russians. Putin laughs them off as the ineffective flailing of a lame duck. Rep. Trent Franks of Arizona told MSNBC, President-elect Donald Trump was the real target of the sanctions, which booted 35 Russian intelligence operatives out of the U.S. and shut down Russian intelligence complexes in New York and Maryland. "This administration somehow has the notion that this would change the election. They're really trying to delegitimize the election itself. That's the main motivation here," said Franks, a member of the House Committee on Armed Services. "And I think it's just unfortunate that this president forgets that most of these e-mails came from WikiLeaks, who claimed they got them from disgruntled DNC staffers." In addition to being misdirected they were ineffective and merely showed the impotence and ineffectiveness of the Obama Administration. According to former UN Ambassador John Bolton Putin showed utter contempt for Obama in his measured response to his President Obamas better never than late response to the accusations of Russian hacking. Kellyanne Conway, who will serve as Trump's counselor to the president, told CNN Thursday, "I will tell you that even those who are sympathetic to President Obama on most issues are saying that part of the reason he did this today was to quote 'box in' President-elect Trump." Personally I would like to echo an astute observation by Fred Fleitz, a former CIA analyst The perception that an outgoing U.S. president is trying to box in and sabotage the foreign policy of his successor hurts the global reputation of Americas democratic system. We also have BHOs stunning reversal of American policy allowing the condemnation of Israel to go forward. After protecting Israel with our veto power since 1949 in the waning days of his soon to be repudiated and reversed Progressive regime BHO ordered his team at the UN to abstain from a key vote. Thus the anti-Jewish UN was finally able to condemn Israel and add fuel to the flames of hatred. Not only did the Obama administration refuse to block the move they are accused by Israel of helping to write the resolution and for pushing others to vote for it. The blizzard of economically strangling regulations continued to pour out of the Obama White House even as it slowly sinks beneath the political horizon. President Obama poured on thousands more new regulations in 2016 at a rate of 18 for every new law passed, according to an analysis of his team's expansion of federal authority. While Congress passed just 211 laws, Obama's team issued an accompanying 3,852 new federal regulations, some costing billions of dollars. The 2016 total was the highest annual number of regulations under Obama. The proof that it was an overwhelming year for rules and regulations is in the Federal Register, which ended the year Friday by printing a record-setting 97,110 pages, according to the analysis from the Competitive Enterprise Institute. We only have one president at a time. We all get that. And until January 20th 2017 that is still BHO. Unless he does an abrupt U-turn, ends his attempts to undermine his successor, thwart the will of the people, and show a little class to his everlasting shame he may well be remembered as the lamest duck of all. Dr. Robert Owens teaches History, Political Science, and Religion. He is the Historian of the Future @ http://drrobertowens.com 2017 Contact Dr. Owens drrobertowens@hotmail.com Follow Dr. Robert Owens on Facebook or Twitter @ Drrobertowens / Edited by Dr. Rosalie Owens Home The past, present, and future of Quebec (Part Two) By Mark Wegierski In the 1980s, one issue very rarely discussed was the situation of the approximately 20% (combined Anglophone -- persons whose first language is English -- and "Allophone" -- persons whose first language is neither English nor French) minorities in Quebec. Quebec Anglophones were practically the only minority group in Canada that were not encouraged to assert themselves vis-a-vis the majority community. Indeed, it could be argued that they were made to feel rather uncomfortable in a Quebec dominated by regnant Quebecois nationalism. This minority was at that time larger in absolute numbers than any comparable Francophone minority in English-speaking Canada, and percentage-wise, was second only to the Acadian French minority in fully and officially bilingual New Brunswick (35%). Ontario is only about 5% Francophone, but its administration moved to de facto bilingualism (with a wide range of government services and publications available in both official languages) as early as the 1970s, and became officially bilingual in the 1990s. Yet, in Quebec, it is illegal to put up a sign in English only, and the Protestant/English education system had for a long time been under pressure. The Quebec civil service in the 1980s employed virtually no Anglophones (a total of 1.6%), and even in the Quebec federal civil service, a similarly low ratio had existed. In Ontario, on the other hand, fully 5% of the provincial civil service was Francophone by the 1980s. (Figures cited by Peter Brimelow on p. 208 of The Patriot Game.) One might well ask if this does not create some kind of disjunction in what claims to be a free and pluralistic society? Can one ever imagine equivalent measures being introduced by an English-Canadian Premier -- a legal, formal ban on public signs in languages other than English? It could be argued that Canada today is thus characterized by extensive coast-to-coast official bilingualism -- and official French unilingualism in Quebec itself. Furthermore, it could be argued that the huge preponderance of Liberal seats in Quebec (apart from rare instances), has allowed for a skewing of the democratic process against the legitimate interests and desires of English-speaking Canada. Until the definite movement in Quebec federal voting patterns that began in 1993, it was difficult, if not impossible, for English-speaking Canada to elect a government in accord with the beliefs and interests of the majority of its inhabitants. As Brimelow has pointed out, English-speaking Canada, taken as a whole, has voted again and again for the Conservatives, only to find that the Liberal preponderance in Quebec gave the over-all federal victory to the Liberals. In the case of a long-serving Liberal Prime Minister like Mackenzie King, and a Liberal Party that could be called centre-traditionalist or traditionalist-centrist the consequences of Liberal government were more-or-less salubrious for most Canadians, and did not imply the revolutionary transformations of regime-change. However, from 1963 forward, the federal Liberal Party came under the spell of revolutionary-transformative ideas. Indeed, some have argued that Trudeau largely hijacked a centre-traditionalist Liberal Party as a vehicle for his agenda of radical, total transformation. In the years 1968 to 1980, it was indeed supremely important whether Trudeaus party continued to win elections. Unlike some governments that come to power with modest goals, Trudeaus every year in office was driven by a wide-ranging, thoroughgoing program of radical, total, social and cultural transformation. To the extent that Trudeau was able to so drastically alter the social and cultural environment, a situation was reached where the deep radicalism of the changes became mostly imperceptible to most persons, because something like the very nature of the perceived social, political, and cultural reality had shifted. Indeed, almost everyone in Canada now exists within Trudeaus social, cultural, political, and juridical matrix which some critics have termed the Trudeaupia. Quebec continued to overwhelmingly vote for Trudeau over the five most critical federal elections of 1968, 1972, 1974, 1979, and 1980. To be continued. Mark Wegierski is a Canadian writer and historical researcher. Home The UKs ambassador to the European Union, Ivan Rogers, has resigned amidst his frustration with the Brexit process. His decision is a major blow to Prime Minister Theresa Mays efforts as she is preparing to trigger Article 50 and officially start the divorce from the EU. Mrs. May promised to submit the EU a formal notice of the UKs withdrawal before the end of March, thus launching two years of negotiations. Mr. Rogers had been expected to play a key role in the talks as an experienced negotiator and his resignation complicates things for the British cabinet. Instead, Mr. Rogers wrote an email to the personnel at the British mission in Brussels, saying that the UKs negotiating experience is in short supply in the government and even said that the servants did not know the governments goals. He expressed hope that his colleagues would continue to challenge ill-founded arguments and muddled thinking and that you will never be afraid to speak the truth to those in power. The email also said that she (hopes) that you will support each other in those difficult moments where you have to deliver messages that are disagreeable to those who need to hear them. It has been reported that Mr. Rogers warned UK ministers about a fortnight ago that a Brexit agreement with the EU could even take ten years to finalize and it could be rejected by other EU parliaments. The UKs government has not commented on Mr. Rogers email or decision but Arron Banks, chairman of pro-Brexit pressure group Leave, said that Mr. Rogers resignation actually paved the way for the appointment of an ambassador who is optimistic about the future that lies ahead for Brexit Britain. The European Union is determined to help Colombia promote unconventional renewable energy projects. The decision came after Brussels had reviewed a study of the Development Bank of Central America (CAF), which assessed the use of energy sources to mitigate the side effects of environmental changes. The EU will provide 4 million in investment very soon to support this objective. The Colombian government said that alternative energy sources, which release fewer greenhouse gases, have a big potential to reduce the impact of the electricity sector on climate change. We are working on promoting the development and use of non-conventional sources of energy, specifically renewable ones, as a necessary means to move toward sustainable economic development, reducing greenhouse gases and ensuring security of energy supply, Colombian Energy Minister German Arce commented. CAFs environment and climate change director, Ligia Castro, said that the EUs funding would help implement a climate financing mechanism in the Colombian energy sector and thus pass on benefits to other firms that generate renewable energy. Colombia is a key partner for the European Union in Latin America and the mutual relations are based on political dialogue, trade cooperation and joint efforts to achieve sustainable development and support to peace building. The EU has been previously mostly engaged in the peace negotiations between the Colombian authorities and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). In recognition of the importance of Colombias efforts to pursue peace, the EU even appointed, in November 2015, former Irish Foreign Minister Eamon Gilmore as her Special Envoy for the peace process in Colombia. The EU has also reconfirmed its support to peace building through the overall support package of almost 600 million. The European Union said last week that the number of asylum seekers reaching the European Union by two main sea routes went down by two-thirds to 364,000 in 2016. Moreover, last year saw a significant drop in arrivals on the Greek islands but arrivals in Italy from North Africa peaked at 181,000 the highest number ever recorded and 20 percent more than in 2015. Most refugees making their way across the sea mainly came from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan while the largest group arriving in Italy came from Nigeria, Guinea and Eritrea. The overall drop is mostly attributed to the migrant deal between the EU and Turkey as well as tighter border controls in the Balkans. As a result, the number of migrants across the Western Balkans in 2016 fell sharply to 123 000 from 764 000 in 2015. The controversial deal between the EU and Turkey ensures that refugees stay on the Turkish territory, as Ankara pledged to stop people smugglers from moving them across the Aegean Sea to Greece. In exchange, Turkey received billions of euros and was promised visa-free travel for its citizens as well as accelerated membership talks, which have been put on hold due to recent political developments in the country, most notably the failed military coup last July. In total, in 2016, there were an estimated 503 700 detections of illegal border crossings along the EUs external borders and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) had said previously that 2016 was the deadliest year for migration in the Mediterranean with about 4,600 deaths. IOM released preliminary figures on all migrant and refugee deaths worldwide in 2016, estimating that 7,495 men, women and children are dead or missing across five continents. That total compares to 5,267 in 2014 and 5,740 last year. Much of the increase is due to the more advanced research methods used by IOMs Missing Migrants Project, although many IOM officials believe that migrant routes also grew more deadly in 2016, particularly along the Central Mediterranean route between North Africa and Europe. Page Not Found The requested URL was not found on this server. GBP NZD Exchange Rate Trends Lower on Disappointing UK Trade Data Risk appetite strengthened once again, buoyed by Chinas better-than-expected producer price index data, helping to push the Kiwi higher across the board. Confidence in the Pound, meanwhile, remained limited thanks to speculation that the UK could be heading for a hard Brexit and an unexpectedly wide visible trade deficit for November. After the latest Chinese ecostats dented risk-sentiment, Pound Sterling (GBP) advanced from its multi-month lows. Comments from Chinas top economic planner, Xu Shaoshi, weakened demand for risky currencies on Tuesday afternoon as he indicated that China would be cutting back on steel and coal production despite the high dependency on this production from trade-heavy nations. Sterling, on the other hand, improved slightly as markets expected the UKs opposition party, Labour, would announce consistent advocacy for EU single market access and freedom of movement. Despite reassurance from the UK government that they would be aiming for the best possible post-Brexit UK-EU trade deal, the GBP NZD exchange rate remained on a downtrend. Sterling was sold off throughout the day after UK Prime Minister Theresa May indicated over the weekend that the UK would not be able to keep bits of EU membership, like single market access. While the government attempted to clarify her stance to calm markets, investors continued to show concern for the future of the UK economy by selling off Sterling and pushing GBP/NZD down to multi-month lows. 2017 isn't getting off to the best start for GBP exchange rates The PMs recent comments triggered a GBP NZD exchange rate crash on single market access fears. The Pound New Zealand Dollar exchange rate has opened today in an extremely poor position, with Sterling dropping by around -1.2% in the pairing. This slump follows remarks made over the weekend by Prime Minister Theresa May, who was giving an interview to Sky News. Although many of Mays remarks were ambiguous, the key statement latched onto by investor has been that the UK will be unable to keep bits of EU membership. Though nonspecific in the extreme, this single word has been taken to mean no single market access as well as a statement of support for Hard Brexit, which has troubled investors greatly. Last week, the Pound New Zealand Dollar exchange rate progressively worsened from a starting high of 1.77 to a closing low on Friday of 1.76. NZD GBP Exchange Rate Update: Kiwi Rally Comes despite Calls for a Reform of NZ Job Support After a fairly sparse week of NZ data limited 'Kiwi' movement over the previous 7 days, the New Zealand Dollar has advanced strongly against the Pound today. Last weeks big news concerned Global Dairy Trade price index shifts, which saw a damaging lurch downwards on January 3rd of -3.9%. More recent NZ news has concerned the jobs market and support for the vulnerable in New Zealand, which some say is becoming a growing issue in the country. Commenting of the lack of progress in the jobs sector, former Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) official Michael Reddell said that; There is no sign of our incomes reconverging back to those of the richer countries in the OECD. That's been a goal of the last 30 years. Last week saw a steady appreciation for the New Zealand Dollar against the Pound, though throughout the week the pairing failed to breach the 0.56 rate boundary. GBP NZD Forecast: UK Trade Balance Figures in Focus on Data-Deficient Week for NZ For better or for worse, the Pound is likely to be the more dominant side of the GBP NZD pairing this week, given that the next New Zealand news isnt expected out until the coming Sunday. Wednesday morning will bring the UKs November trade balance figures, as well as industrial and manufacturing results for the same month. In the latter case, Pound-supporting rises out of negative ranges are expected across the board for the UK production figures, on both the month and the year. Sharks as a species have survived everything for about 400 million years; ice ages, volcanic eruptions, plate tectonics, meteor strikes, asteroid showers and dinosaur sized ocean alligators and other frightening creatures. After all that they are now being hunted and slaughtered by the tens of millions for only one thing, their fins! Could it be that sharks will possibly disappear so that people can have Shark Fin Soup? The answer is a sad and troubling Yes! Amidst progress, such as 11 states in the U.S. banning the sale of shark fins, we have the European Union failing to place limits on shark finning at their December 2016 meeting of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission. The Global High Seas Marine Preserve views developments such as Air China Cargo banning the shark fins from their aircraft as hypocritical, this because thousands of Chinese fishing vessels are out raping oceans worldwide all the time. Shark Fin Soup is a delicacy in China and the Communist state, with major economic, cultural and environmental problems, is not about to reign in illegal fishing any more than they will stop trying to take over the South China Sea militarily. With upwards of 100-million sharks being slaughtered annually, they will soon join tuna on the list of top predator marine species being wiped out. "The reason we founded the Global High Seas Marine Preserve is that the situation is dire, industrial fishing and the attitudes of catch everything that moves on the high seas is killing the oceans. Progress has been made, but not enough, the world needs to ban industrial fishing on the high seas and enforce it with military force. Studying and talking are pretty much done, the end game is upon us and dead oceans will be the result of doing nothing," says Danny Quintana, founder of the Global High Seas Marine Preserve and author of Space & Ocean Exploration: The Alternative to the Military-Industrial Complex. For more info go to www.SavingOceans.org. GHSMP is currently running a campaign to educate the public on demanding sustainable seafood products from local merchants and encouraging municipal authorities to outlaw the marketing of seafood obtained by industrial fishing. For media interviews contact E.B. GO Vision Media at c@ebgoinc.com. Shark Fin Soup is a recent trend and it is a rather strange one as explained on a Sea Shephard website: Shark Fin Soup - for what? The fins are dried, stacked, and sold, mostly illegally. The buyers extract the collagen fibers, clean them, and process them into "shark fin soup" This soup has no flavor and absolutely no nutritional value. It is a dish served only for prestige purposes, selling for anywhere from US$50.00 to US$400.00 per bowl. The demand for shark fin soup has developed since 1985 and coincides with the rapid growth of the Chinese economy. The demand from China is for staggering amounts of shark fins. As a result, the oceans are literally being scoured clean of sharks. Poachers are invading national marine parks like the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador and Cocos Island in Costa Rica to catch sharks. Forget the fictional fear spawned by Steven Spielberg's ridiculous film Jaws. The oceans are no longer safe for sharks. And the horror is that we don't just kill them, we hack off their limbs and toss their mutilated bodies back into the sea to die an agonizing and horrific death. Sea Shepherd Singapore has been educating the public for the last several years about the devastating effect that the Asian culture's use of shark fin soup is having on shark populations. Grant Pereira, Sea Shepherd Singapore representative and SSCS Advisory Board member, has overseen the production of a series of striking postcards and is marketing them widely with the objective of stopping this useless, wasteful, and cruel so-called "tradition" GHSMP Mission Statement: To Governments and Global Leaders Whereas since 1970 half of the wildlife in the oceans has been slaughtered, and the world's major fisheries are collapsing, and are either in decline or being over fished and Whereas over 70 million sharks are being killed annually by Asian nations for shark fin soup, and sharks are an important predator at the top of the food chain and necessary for the health of the fisheries, and Whereas 90 percent of the predators in the oceans have been killed. These predators include but are not limited to blue fin tuna, sword fish, sail fish, marlin, sharks, and Whereas the industrial commercial fishing fleets of ten nations who subsidize their fishing industries are responsible for 70 percent of the industrial commercial fishing. These industrial commercial fishing fleets constitute less than one percent of all fisherman and Whereas over one billion people depend on the fish protein from the oceans for their daily food and certain cultures have been dependent on fishing as their economic livelihood for thousands of years, and Whereas industrial commercial fishing on the high seas is destroying the oceans' sea life including sensitive coral reefs that take thousands of years to develop, and, Whereas the High Seas is the area on the planet known as international waters out past 200 miles that are governed by the Law of the Seas Treaty,NOW THEREFORE, We the citizens of the planet hereby Petition our governments and global leaders to amend the Law of the Seas Treaty as follows: -Create a Global High Seas Marine Preserve under International Law permanently closing off international waters, the area of the planet commonly known as the "high seas", to industrial commercial fishing, -All shark finning is permanently banned, -All long lining is permanently banned, -All drift nets are permanently banned, -All nations shall work to clean their beaches and rivers from all plastic and other garbage to prevent it from entering the oceans, -All nations shall assist in enforcing this ban on commercial fishing and work to improve the fisheries, Monday, January 9, 2017 You know youve arrived and departed when your life is chronicled in a news obituary in The New York Times. The New York Times Book of the Dead, which pulls together 320 print and 10,000 digital obituaries of extraordinary people, also illustrates how the news obituary has changed since the newspapers first such article in 1851. The New York Times Book of the Dead and its online counterpart offer a valuable resource for researchers, historians, obituary writers, and those who appreciate a you are there approach to the life stories of extraordinary people. It can inspire funeral directors and families to take their obituary writing to a higher level. News vs. Paid Obituaries Funeral directors know, but sometimes the general public doesnt, the difference between a news obituary and a paid newspaper death notice. The funeral home facilitates placing a paid death notice/obituary for grieving families when they make funeral arrangements. A news obituary is a story or article a newspaper reporter writes about a notable person. The family doesnt pay for a news obituary, but they also have no say regarding what gets written about the deceased. The factors that make a persons death newsworthy can vary widely. The categories in The New York Times Book of the Dead include World, American and Business Leaders, Groundbreakers, Thinkers, Athletes, Warriors and The Media. It features notable luminaries from the literary world, stage and screen, popular music, classical music, dance, and the visual arts. The first recognized news obituary published in The New York Times was of Thomas H. Gallaudet, who died September 10, 1851. Gallaudet was the pioneer of Deaf-Mute Instruction in the United States. The Online Obituary Website For production reasons, no death after June 3, 2016, was recorded in the print book. The two inch-thick hardback only holds 320 stories. But modern technology and the Internet offer many more New York Times life stories in digital form. Within the print book cover is a USB port key. When inserted in a computer, it opens up access to http://nytbookofthedead.com/. Once the user registers, one can spend many hours reviewing more than 10,000 life stories of remarkable people going back in time more than 150 years. The Home page features rotating obituaries of deaths on this day in prior years. You can browse by 44 categories, 26 of which have sub-groupings; by year going back to 1860; by name; or choose Random for a surprise me obituary. You can save specific obituaries to a personal online vault for easy retrieval. The site also offers popular obit suggestions and tracks your recently-viewed stories. Stylistic Changes Over Time William McDonald, the editor of this collection, states in the Introduction, Obituaries by definition evoke the past, and when written decades or centuries ago, they echo those lost worlds in their diction, their vocabulary, their styles of punctuation and capitalization, and their tone, be it eloquent, turgid, blunt or florid. The rays of the morning sun fell across the cottage porch upon a family waiting only for death, The Times reported in its melodramatic account of the death of Ulysses S. Grant in 1885 President Grants death was reported as if an insider was actually there in the bedroom of his home in Mount McGregor, New York. It included a story about the general writing a note on June 24 listing three possible burial places West Point, Illinois, or New York City. His son said he didnt like his father talking of such things, that there was no need to do so. The general tore the list into tiny bits, threw the pieces into a waste basket, and returned to his sick room without speaking. He died of throat cancer a month later on July 23. Even in 1885, families avoided discussing funeral planning, despite a loved ones grave illness. The book notes that accompanying this news article was a biographical portrait of more than 40,000 words. Grants Tomb, which includes his beloved wife Julia Dent Grant, was completed and dedicated in Manhattan in 1897. The New York Times Book of the Dead is also available as an eBook and in audio form from Hachette Audio. The print book retails for $45.00, published by Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers. Gail Rubin author, speaker, journalist and death educator connects with baby boomers using humor, funny films and a light touch on serious subjects. A Certified Thanatologist, her seminars on clearing clutter and organizing for end-of-life issues always get high marks! Download a free 50-point Executors Checklist from her website, www.AGoodGoodbye.com. Monday, January 9, 2017 (NewsUSA) - Becoming entrapped in a grain-bin remains a real safety hazard for farmers and other grain handlers. Firefighters who are trained in grain-bin rescue techniques can make a lifesaving difference in an emergency situation. To emphasize the importance of grain-bin safety, Nationwide, the No. 1 farm insurer in the United States, is partnering with agricultural professionals and other industry leaders to host the fourth annual Nominate Your Fire Department Contest in conjunction with Grain-Bin Safety Week. All the winners of the contest each receive a grain rescue tube and hands-on rescue training. Since its debut in 2014, the contest has attracted over 1,000 fire department nominations and awarded grain-bin rescue tubes and training to 32 fire departments across 15 states. One of those winners, the Westphalia Fire Department in Kansas, used their new skills in 2015 to rescue a man entrapped in a grain-bin. "Deploying a grain rescue tube is the only way to safely remove someone trapped in grain," says Brad Liggett, president of Nationwide Agribusiness. "Until we can convince all farmers and other grain handlers to develop a zero-entry mentality, we will continue to make tubes available." The safety contest runs from Jan. 1 through May 31, 2017. To enter, submit your nomination online at grainbinsafety.com, via email, or regular mail. Describe how the favorite fire department or emergency rescue team and rural community would benefit from receiving grain entrapment training and a rescue tube. Nominators must provide their name, occupation, phone number, mailing address, and email address, as well as the name, address, and phone number of the fire department or emergency rescue team being nominated. Grain-Bin Safety Week 2017 is made possible by Nationwide, CHS, West Side Salvage, Specialty Risk Insurance, ABIS, KC Supply Co., The Scoular Company, Aurthur J Gallagher & Co., NOHR Wortmann Engineering, National Farm Medicine Center and the National Education Center for Agricultural Safety. For more information about the contest or the nomination process, visit grainbinsafetyweek.com. Article Resources Link to this article: Copy and paste the following code Embed this article: Editors, click here for story elements. Let's block ads! (Why?) SEATTLE - Retired Gen. James Mattis, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for secretary of defense, has condemned expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank, repeatedly said the U.S. must find a way for a two-state solution in the region and praised Secretary of State John Kerry's efforts to broker an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal as "valiant." That's a position sharply at odds with the incoming administration's and with Trump's choice for ambassador to Israel, who has called a two-state solution "an illusion" that "needs to end." During a 2011 speech in his hometown of Richland, Wash., Mattis also spoke favorably of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's work in the region. "Israel and Palestine, the current situation between those two peoples is unsustainable," Mattis said. "We're going to have to find a way for a two-state solution. If we do not, then we will continue to see warfare as it keeps the kettle boiling out there." "That is why you see so much of Secretary Clinton's efforts go into trying to keep this peace effort at least alive," Mattis said. At the time, Mattis was leading U.S. Central Command, in charge of military operations throughout the Middle East. He repeated his position on Israel in July 2013, after leaving the military. Kerry last month gave a speech rebuking Israel after the U.S. abstained from a United Nations resolution condemning the settlements. But Mattis, in his 2013 speech, used harsher language than Kerry, saying continued settlements could lead to apartheid. "The settlements, and where they're at, are going to make it impossible to maintain the two-state option," he said, because they make any potential border impractical. "Either it ceases to be a Jewish state, or you say the Arabs don't get to vote-apartheid," Mattis said. "I paid a military price every day as commander of CENTCOM, because the Americans were seen as biased in support of Israel." Mattis' stated views could hardly be more at odds with the position of David Friedman, Trump's choice to be ambassador to Israel. In an August op-ed article, Friedman wrote that a two-state solution has "never been a solution, only a narrative. But even the narrative itself now needs to end." Trump had called on the Obama administration to veto the U.N. resolution and had harsh criticism after it passed. "We cannot continue to let Israel be treated with such total disdain and disrespect," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Stay strong Israel, January 20th is fast approaching!" Many Bexar County school districts received low letter grades from the Texas Education Agency in a report released Friday that showed what a new A-F grading system for schools and districts could look like when it takes effect next school year. Schools and districts received grades in four of the five subcategories the state plans to use when A-F grades officially come out in summer 2018. They did not receive overall grades because the fifth subcategory, which allows schools and districts to rate themselves, hasnt been completed. Legislators created the new grading scale two years ago. Northside and Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City independent school districts received Bs and Cs. Alamo Heights ISD and the three military school districts received As in at least one category, but Alamo Heights received a D in closing performance gaps and Fort Sam Houston and Lackland received Fs in college readiness. On the low end of the scale, Southside ISD received two Ds and two Fs. Mike Morath, state commissioner of education, stressed Friday that the pass-fail accountability ratings issued last August and this coming August are the official scores for schools and districts. All the traditional public school districts in Bexar County passed last year, as did 94 percent of those in the state. The ratings in this report are for informational purposes to meet a legislative requirement and represent work-in-progress models that are likely to change before A-F ratings become effective in August 2018, Morath said in a statement. No inferences about official district or campus performance in the 2015-16 school year should be drawn from these ratings, and these ratings should not be considered predictors of future district or campus performance ratings. Educators all over the state have voiced opposition to the letter grades, saying they will stigmatize schools and districts that have a high concentration of low-income students, who tend to score lower on standardized tests. Suddenly, heres a system in which schools all over the state will soon be getting Cs, Ds, and Fs, said Gary Godsey, executive director of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. Its all happening just before we head into a legislative session in which voucher backers are going to try and tell us our schools are failing. Theyre using convoluted metrics to determine rankings, which undermines the hard work of teachers and administrators and gives students and parents the raw end of the deal. The model calculates grades based on student test scores, growth in those scores, progress closing performance gaps, college or career readiness, and school district self-assessments. Traditional districts Mark Eads, superintendent of Southside ISD, said he was asking lawmakers to change or abandon the A-F rating system and urged parents last month to do the same. Eads took over in May, becoming the districts sixth superintendent in three years as test scores plummeted. Since then, the district has implemented intensive professional development for teachers and administrators, spokeswoman Sylvia Rincon said. We are positive and optimistic that Southside is in a better place right now, Rincon said. The district is appealing Moraths decision last month to dissolve Southsides board of trustees and replace it with a board of managers. Calling the letter grades misleading, North East ISD Superintendent Brian Gottardy said the district would not be doing anything differently after viewing the results. The TEA gave NEISD two Bs, a C and, in the post-secondary readiness category, a D. Were going to take these letter ratings assigned by the state with a grain of salt like they deserve, Gottardy said Friday. NEISD has been particularly vocal in its opposition to the new grading system. The board sent a resolution detailing its grievances with the grading system to state legislators. I have said from the beginning: We believe and embrace meaningful accountability. We believe we need to be held accountable for our students academic success. But this is just not a good policy, he said. The school board at Northside ISD could follow suit and issue its own resolution against the grading system, said Brian Woods, NISDs superintendent. He said he wouldnt be surprised if boards across the city began taking a stance on the issue this month. To parents, Woods said: You know your school probably better than anybody. You might look at those grades and agree, you might look at those grades and disagree, but you know whats happening in that school. Schertz-Cibolo-Universal City ISD also ranked among the highest in Bexar County, with two Bs and two Cs, but Superintendent Greg Gibson said the letter grades were not an accurate reflection of the district. It is quite ironic that we are being labeled from a state (Texas) that receives a failing grade in school funding nationwide, Gibson said in a blog post. Alamo Heights Superintendent Kevin Brown summed up his issue with the rating system with one turn of phrase: Simple is good unless its wrong. He said the emphasis of State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness, which is used in calculating both student achievement and student progress factors, is detrimental to students. Brown said good or bad, he didnt ascribe meaning to any of the grade letters for his district. San Antonio ISD failed the overall student achievement and postsecondary readiness categories. The overall student achievement category equally weights the percentage of students who passed the STAAR exam with the percentage who scored college-ready or advanced. If you have a high-poverty district where youre just trying to get the kids to grade level, thats one-third of that domain, Superintendent Pedro Martinez said. The district failed the postsecondary readiness category in part because students with many excused absences are counted in the chronic absenteeism rate and because SAISD has not been tracking middle school students who leave the district, leading the state to count them as middle school dropouts, Martinez said. However, Martinez was one of a small number of superintendents who expressed support for the new system. Its much more thoughtful than what Ive ever seen, he said. I think theyre open to feedback of what to adjust so that it doesnt become unfair. Charter schools Alone among all public school districts in Bexar County, BASIS Texas which consists of two San Antonio campuses received straight As. They were not rated on postsecondary readiness because their schools have not yet grown to 12th grade. Only 7 percent of BASIS students in San Antonio had low enough incomes to qualify as economically disadvantaged, but Peter Bezanson, CEO of the schools for-profit management company, said it was hard to compare schools of choice to those in zoned districts. We know that we have exceptional schools and our kids are doing really well and we have great teachers, so its really rewarding to have that validated by the state, Bezanson said. And we also know that were doing really well with our subgroups. Carpe Diem, a charter district that currently has a single campus on the West Side, was the only Bexar County district to receive straight Fs. Based in Arizona, the Carpe Diem network was recruited to San Antonio by Choose to Succeed, an organization that spent tens of millions importing some of the highest-performing charter networks in the nation, including BASIS. The principal of Carpe Diems local campus did not return a message Friday. A third Choose to Succeed charter district, KIPP San Antonio, received two Fs, a D and a C. In an emailed statement, CEO Mark Larson noted the grades are based on the same data used to determine the accountability ratings released last August. Over the past several months, we have actively responded to our data by strengthening leadership, deepening content knowledge and aligning curriculum to more rigorous learning expectations, Larson said. WASHINGTON Out of a thicket of politicians, TV cameras and reporters strode Rex Tillerson with security guards at his side and a photographer running to keep up into the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Tillerson, however, had to wait, milling in the reception area in full view of whoever in the public happened to pass by the senators office. Dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, Tillerson killed time chatting with staffers before walking to a window that looked out at the National Mall, its monuments and the White House off in the distance. It was a long way from the CEOs office at Exxon Mobil headquarters outside Dallas, where no one kept Tillerson waiting and coyotes roamed among the trees and scrub outside. As he readies for hearings this week on his nomination as secretary of state, Tillerson will need to convince senators that he can adjust his mindset from that of the profit-seeking CEO of one of the worlds largest oil companies and separate himself from the corporation where he worked for more than 40 years. Anyone that works for his entire career for one company or one organization tends to adopt its worldview, said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Delaware, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will hold the confirmation hearings. Its not something that can be resolved overnight. Tillerson led Exxon for more than a decade. On the surface, his work at Exxon would appear similar to that of a diplomats, jetting around the world to meet with heads of state and engage in contentious and tense negotiations. But at Exxon, international affairs whether it be armed conflict in Western Africa or a new government in Japan is viewed through the lens of oil, how events affect demand for petroleum and the companys ability to produce it. At the University of Texas at Austin last year, Tillerson made clear the contrast when he discussed his dealings with world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin a contentious point on Tillersons resume for senators from both sides of the aisle. I have a very close relationship with (Putin). I dont agree with everything hes doing, but he understands Im a businessman and our company has invested a lot of money in Russia, Tillerson said in February. One of the things I learned early on when I began to work overseas on foreign assignments was to make sure host governments, whether its Russia or Yemen or wherever, understand Im not the U.S. government. Im not here to defend it, nor am I here to criticize it. Im a businessman, and youd be surprised how many times Ive had to have that conversation with heads of state. Tillersons efforts to transition to the State Department were in full display last week as he hopped around Capitol Hill to meet with friends and foes alike. With President-elect Donald Trump questioning U.S. intelligence that concludes that the Russian government was behind hacks into Democratic National Committee computers, there was plenty to talk about. Tillerson seemed to soothe some nerves. Coons said after their meeting that he was somewhat encouraged by Tillersons comment that part of the secretary of states role is to help shape foreign policy, not simply carry out the presidents vision. Among those who know Tillerson well, there was a constant refrain that he is at heart a pragmatist, not an ideologue. He falls squarely in the classic American real politic model of foreign policy, said John Hamre, president of the Washington think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, where Tillerson is a board member. What are our interests and what are the interests of the other guy? What does a constructed diplomacy look like? Foreign policy is not fancy speech-giving or tricky negotiating. Its about having a clear understanding of your goals. The shadow of Exxon, however, is unlikely to fade quickly, even after the company said last week that Tillerson would cash out about $240 million worth of Exxon shares and place the proceeds in a blind trust to comply with federal conflict of interest rules. At times under Tillersons reign, Exxons actions made for tense relations with the Obama administration. Five years ago, Tillerson cut a deal for oil rights with the Kurdish regional government in Iraq, angering the central government in Baghdad and defying State Department officials trying to maintain peace between ethnic and religious groups in the country. Tillerson would later explain the decision to the State Department as in the best interests of his shareholders, according to journalist Steve Colls book Private Empire: Exxon Mobil and American Power. As secretary of state, Tillerson would be forced to consider far broader goals than profit in advancing the economic and security interests of the U.S. and its allies, said Jim Krane, a senior fellow at Rice Universitys Baker Institute for Public Policy. Being a diplomat is a much more nuanced job, Krane said. You want to persuade leaders of other countries to see things your way. You cant command them to do your bidding and view them in the way an American views it. Whether Tillerson can separate the interests of Exxon and the oil industry from those of the U.S. might be put to the test sooner rather than later. When the U.S. imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea, a former province of Ukraine, it put on hold a joint venture between Exxon and the Russian oil and gas giant Rosneft to drill in the Russian Arctic. At a shareholders meeting in Dallas that spring, Tillerson was blunt. We do not support sanctions, generally, because we dont find them to be effective unless they are very well-implemented, he said. Whether he still holds that view will likely be at the front of many senators minds during confirmation hearings. Already, some in Russia wonder whether the new administration will mean a change in direction and the chance to resume drilling. In an interview last week, Igor Yusufov, a former Russian energy minister and Rosneft chairman, expressed those hopes. Tillerson, he said, has got a great quality, which can allow him to normalize the relationships between the U.S. and Russia. James.osborne@chron.com Twitter.com/osborenja WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama insisted in an interview that aired Sunday he did not underestimate Russian President Vladimir Putin when he dismissed Mitt Romneys 2012 campaign assessment that the country was the top U.S. geopolitical foe. But Obama acknowledged he may have misjudged Russias ability to tamper in the American electoral process. "I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation, for cyberhacking and so forth, to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating," he said on ABCs "This Week." The comments in the taped interview came as debate over a joint intelligence report on Russias effort to help President-elect Donald Trump in the 2016 election continued to rage. Trump and his aides have tried to downplay the reports findings and would not commit on Sunday to punishing Russia further for the activities than Obama has. "That is something that the president-elect, when he is sworn in in less than two weeks, Chuck, will have to decide along with his security and intelligence team," Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trumps campaign manager, told Chuck Todd on NBCs "Meet the Press." "I do think some people are scratching their heads as to why President Obama took action and punished Russia and Russian operatives before the report was completed, before others had the information." Obama announced a raft of punishments in late December, including sanctions and orders for a few dozen Russian intelligence operatives to leave the U.S., well after U.S. investigators had concluded that Russia intended to meddle in 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. Obama was given a report Thursday from the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency saying that Putin ordered agents to interfere in the election and ultimately sought to aid Trumps rise. The president-elect was shown the same report Friday, before a declassified version was made public. In another interview on CNN, Conway referred to "alleged attacks" from Russia, contradicting the conclusions from the U.S. intelligence community that the evidence of such attacks was clear. The report did not weigh in on whether those attacks succeeded, something that is difficult to gauge given the multitude of issues and controversies that arose during the election, the closeness of the election results and Clintons failure to connect with white working-class voters who swung the outcome. Trump and his aides have pounced on the lack of definitive findings on whether the attacks affected the election outcome, even though Trump spoke frequently during the campaign about email leaks to WikiLeaks that have been linked to the Russians. "We didnt need WikiLeaks to convince the American people that they didnt like her, didnt trust her, didnt find her to be honest," Conway said. As Obama leaves office, the dispute is not likely to go away. Many in Trumps own party have called for continued investigation and retaliation against Russia. Obamas Defense secretary, Ashton Carter, said on Sunday that he agreed more was needed. "The steps that have been taken so far probably represent a beginning and not the end - a floor, not the ceiling," Carter said on "Meet the Press." "Obviously, being up to the next administration and the next Congress to take those steps. But I suppose, I believe, there will be more, there probably should be more." Still, Carter did not call for a complete chill in relations with Russia. He noted that even in the Cold War, the two countries found common ground on some issues. "We do have to have what Ill call a strong but also a balanced approach to Russia," he said. - 2017 Tribune Co. Visit Tribune Co. at www.latimes.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. DreamWeek was born just five years ago as an adjunct to the citys well-established MLK March, an event like no other in the country in celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.s life and legacy. The project had lofty goals from the get-go, ironically never fitting into just one week. It has grown exponentially, featuring more than 165 events that end Jan. 21. Its noble mission is to advance tolerance, equality and diversity, big dreams given the state of the union. But its not a pipe dream. The national divide makes it more essential than ever. Tolerance, however, is just a starting point toward equality and inclusion. DreamWeeks approach is simple, really. It invites disparate people under one roof for talks, films, poetry, music and other events. Some begin and end with the breaking of bread, an ancient tradition that remains critical to understanding. Thats the essence of DreamWeek, said founder Sho Nakpodia, whose firm The Mighty Group guides DreamWeek. Photographer and artist Sarah Brooke Lyons, who has been involved in many of its events, points out that DreamWeek is different than Fiesta, the citys other massive event. She defines it as its intentionally. While Fiesta reinforces the citys history and traditions, DreamWeek attempts to expand it with information to be gathered and gained. Its an introduction to more difficult things happening in our culture, she says. Even those of you whove attended a DreamWeek event might not know the man who dreamt the concept to life. Head dreamer Nakpodia is a Nigerian-born entrepreneur and communications executive who was born in a village, was educated in London and landed in New York. Thankfully, he and his wife came to San Antonio to build a family, a business and a life. He has a knack for bringing people together. In college, it was actually a side business. Today its serious, joyful business, growing audiences for DreamWeeks established events while adding new ones every year. He sees DreamWeek as bringing people together who might have been shouting at one another from across a river. On opposite banks, theyve thrown rocks at one another. A tolerant community has to know what the arguments are on the other side of the river, he says. Planting yourself on one side isnt working. The only way forward is respect, listening to others, and if we are honest enough the truth always prevails, always, he says. The stark, dark perspectives revealed during the 2016 presidential election have always been there, he says, but were glossed over. DreamWeek will attempt to expose the good and the underbelly and press ourselves to deal with it. Every year this celebration is not about the alt-right or the far left, Nakpodia says. Its about the people in the middle, people who want to be fair. What does he mean by fair? Why, he asks for example, did people in the United States seem not to mourn the Turkish nightclub shootings as much as similar incidents in the West? Why did we mourn the loss of 12 journalists in a Parisian magazine but have yet to demonstrate sympathy for similar ongoing loss in Mexico, one of the most dangerous places on Earth for journalists? What is it that makes a Mexican life less valued than others? he says. Tell me, Why a wall (with Mexico)? Why not a wall with Canada?The way we settle such questions is what DreamWeek is about. Nakpodia has seen the impact a DreamWeek event can have. When a group of at-risk children and their parents were invited to the Plaza Club for an event, he said, it changed the way some of them saw themselves. They felt valued, he says. They had never seen the city from that vantage point. Last year, another DreamWeek event had a similar impact when the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the DoSeum partnered to host a naturalization ceremony in which immigrant children became U.S. citizens. Fifty children will take their oaths on Saturday. Genius exists in that group, he says, his voice filled with anticipation. As is always the case with Nakpodia, hes dreaming to 2018, the citys 300th anniversary, when he hopes DreamWeek will celebrate with at least 300 events. Hes also envisioning a DreamWeek that serves as a U.S. destination, drawing people nationally and internationally to San Antonio to attend DreamWeek and celebrate King. He hopes to draw renowned speakers and thinkers from Mexico City, Geneva and Prague, the United Nations and the American Red Cross one every evening of DreamWeek, he says without sounding one bit like hes just dreaming. eayala@express-news.net Twitter: @ElaineAyala AUSTIN Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick was intense, and by all appearances, exasperated. I dont know why the media continues to write this, Patrick said when I asked him about a story citing speculation that he might challenge fellow Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. Why would the media continue to write a story that I have constantly said is not true? Its fake news. Speculation by whom? he asked. Joe down the street? Bob the bartender? Speculation by a bunch of political insiders in Austin who think sometimes, what I think, it is people just like to stir the pot. Were a one-party state. So they like to try, I think the media likes to try to stir the pot. Pot-stirrers are in no short supply at the Texas Capitol, but forgive us for not being able to resist. Patricks political ascent has been relatively quick since he made it through a sometimes rocky 2007 freshman year as a state senator who riled colleagues with stunts like bringing $1 million to a Capitol news conference to illustrate his call for budgetary restraint. He soon began working within the process, was named chairman of the Senate Education Committee by then-Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in 2012, then challenged and beat Dewhurst in a 2014 GOP fight that included two other statewide officeholders. Since taking office as lieutenant governor in 2015, Patrick has fully used his authority in the post setting legislative priorities early, presiding over a rule change that curbed the power of already-outnumbered Democrats and championing conservative issues through the Senate. He is consistent to the principle he touted back in 2009, when he said a move to the middle would be political suicide for the GOP and pointed to a liberal icon to make his point. Ted Kennedy. I didnt agree with anything he stood for, but I respected the fact that he never wavered from his liberal principles to his dying day, Patrick said then. We need more Republicans who do not waver from their conservative principles to their dying day. In our sit-down last week, he said primary voters who elected him, Abbott and other Republicans were voting for conservative issues, and that his legislative priorities reflect that. If they didnt want the border secured and lower taxes, and school choice and pro-life legislation and pro-Second Amendment legislation, than we wouldnt have won overwhelmingly. So its pretty clear, Patrick said. And once again, Patrick said he wont challenge Abbott for the governorship. Ive been very clear, Ive never even considered for a moment running against Greg Abbott, and Im not running against Greg Abbott, Patrick said. Hes a friend, hes a conservative ally, and we make a great team. And most importantly, I like what Im doing. Politically, his pronouncement makes sense. Patrick has a great job. Abbott is better known and has a bigger campaign bankroll than he does. And, as Republican consultant Brendan Steinhauser pointed out, major GOP donors are unlikely to look kindly on the idea of a primary battle. I said this publicly, and I believe it, and say it, privately, Steinhauser said. I dont foresee a Patrick-Abbott clash for governor in 2018. Each officeholder already is in a good spot to do what they want to do, he said. Patrick wants to achieve legislative outcomes. He wants to make a difference, and he can do that as lieutenant governor. Its obviously a very powerful position, he said. I believe Abbott wants the same, can do the same and yeah, I think Abbott may have some higher ambition, and we may see him running for national office some day. And if he does that, Patrick would be very well-positioned to run for governor of Texas. The long view, Steinhauser said, makes more sense than an intra-party battle. People may call me crazy, he said, but thats a far more likely scenario to me eight years down the road, 12 years down the road than Patrick and Abbott clashing in 2018. 1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war. 2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war. 3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength. 4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war. 5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites. 6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination. 7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N. 8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N. 9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress. 10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N. 11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.) 12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party. 13. Do away with all loyalty oaths. 14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office. 15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States. 16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights. 17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks. 18. Gain control of all student newspapers. 19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack. 20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions. 21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures. 22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms." 23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art." 24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press. 25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV. 26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy." 27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch." 28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state." 29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis. 30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man." 31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over. 32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc. 33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus. 34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities. 35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI. 36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions. 37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business. 38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand. 39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals. 40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce. 41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents. 42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems. 43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government. 44. Internationalize the Panama Canal. 45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike. PHOENIX American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall is calling on Congress to reform regulations that burden the lives of farmers. The election should send a message loud and clear to our politicians: Ignore rural America at your own risk! Duvall said. During his annual address Jan. 8 at the AFBF annual meeting in Phoenix, Duvall reminded the 5,000 farmers and ranchers in attendance that a reliable and profitable supply of labor is central to economic sustainability, and called on Congress to pass legislation to assure farm laborers can work without fear of deportation. Without a legal supply of labor, too many farmers face lost crops, and they cant compete on the world market, Duvall said. Mr. Trump says he wants to keep American jobs from going overseas. One way he can do that is by keeping Americas food production in America. Top awards During the annual meeting, the American Farm Bureau Federation presented its highest honors, the Distinguished Service Award to Bob Stallman and the Farm Bureau Founders Award to James Quinn, posthumously. AFBF established the Distinguished Service Award in 1928 to honor individuals who have devoted their careers to serving the national interest of American agriculture. The Farm Bureau Founders Award is a new award to recognize exemplary leadership, service or contributions to Farm Bureau by officers or employees of AFBF and state Farm Bureau organizations. Stallman served as AFBF president for 16 years, stepping down in 2016. A rice and cattle producer from Columbus, Texas, Stallman became president of the Texas Farm Bureau in 1993, and AFBF president in 2000. Under Stallmans leadership, the AFBF brand became stronger, and the organization was retooled for the 21st century. He moved AFBF headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C., to strengthen Farm Bureaus voice and policy influence for its members. Stallman served as the first chair of the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, and was appointed by both the George W. Bush and Obama administrations to serve on the advisory committee for the U.S. Trade Representative, and worked with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to address the issues facing rural America. The secretary called Stallmans leadership critically important in the passage of the farm bill and in helping advance trade opportunities for American agriculture. Quinn More than a century ago, James Quinn was elected as the first president of the first Farm Bureau in the country, Broome County, New York, in 1911. A prominent local dairy farmer, Quinn set an important precedent for the Farm Bureau being directed by farmers and for farmers. He got it started, and we have so much pride that it happened right here in Broome County, said Broome County Farm Bureau President Dave Johnson. I think he must have been a really trusting, respected person from the community because he was willing to accept new ways of farming. He worked closely with one of the first county Extension agents in the country, John Barron, who taught Quinn and his neighbors best farming practices for their challenging soil. Quinn led by example, holding the first farm experiments on his land. Farmers and co-operatives in the EU are facing drops in income with increasingly volatile markets, high input costs and red tape, according to a new survey. A survey by EU agri-cooperative Copa & Cogeca and statistical office Eurostat estimated that there was another 2% drop in EU farm incomes compared to 2015, which was also a 'difficult year.' Speaking in Brussels, Copa & Cogeca secretary general Pekka Pesonen said the survey confirms that although confidence has picked up slightly among farmers towards the end of 2016, the situation remains 'unfavourable,' with 2017 set to continue the trend. Increasing challenges He confirmed the difficult situation facing EU farmers and their cooperatives, hit hard by 'increasingly volatile markets, high input costs and red tape.' Mr Pesonen said: "Farmers face increasing challenges ranging from volatile markets, high input costs, increasing consumer demands and a continuation of the Russian ban on agricultural exports. "They are also stifled by increasing levels of red tape under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). "The situation is also very difficult in the EU arable crops sector and farmers' mood in this sector is declining." 'Stable CAP' The drop of 2% in average farm incomes across the EU masks big differences between member states with declines as much as 25.5% seen in Estonia and 25% in Denmark compared to 2015. In France, they fell by -15,8%, Belgium (-12,4%), Latvia (-12,3%), Slovenia (-10,7%), Italy (-7,7%), Germany (-4,7%), United Kingdom (-4,0%), Luxembourg (-1,6%), Greece (-1,2%), Sweden (-0,1%). "This demonstrates the need for a stable, simplified and market orientated CAP in the future," said Mr Pesonen. The survey on farmers confidence was carried out twice a year in Belgium (Flanders), Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden and United Kingdom (England and Wales) and over 8000 farmers were interviewed. Leaders from the four devolved nations of young farmers associations joined forces last week at the 2017 Oxford Farming Conference to discuss the impact of Brexit. Representatives from the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs, The Scottish Association of Young Farmers Clubs, The Young Farmers Clubs of Ulster, and Cymru Wales Young Farmers Clubs will produce a policy document outlining the shared priorities for rural young people across the United Kingdom. The future policy needs of each organisations members will be collected and collated, with a final report due to be published on the first anniversary of the Brexit vote. Commenting on the groups formation, Chairman of the new group Edward Ford said: Now more than ever, the United Kingdoms rural youth must pull together to have their voices heard loud and clear. We want to send a strong message to our elected officials that the next generation are clear in what they need to have strong and competitive businesses as we move further into Brexit. 'Lack of financial backing' A lack of financial backing for young farmers is a major inhibitor for young people wanting to get into farming in the next five years, post-Brexit. An online consultation by the National Federation of Young Farmers Clubs (NFYFC) found the results in a survey titled Considerations for a Future British Agricultural Policy. It gathered views from young people involved in farming following the decision this summer for Britain to leave the European Union. Topics covered included future farm business culture; employment skills and training; farming regulations; building farm businesses; and farming subsidies. A Sleaford farmer who left a number of dead sheep stuck in heavy mud on land has been penalised with fines and surcharges amounting 18,550. Courton Green, of Lodge Farm, Laughton, Sleaford, was tending for more than 1,000 sheep at fields in Surfleet Marsh in February 2014 when bad weather conditions caused the fields to become trecherous. During a hearing in July, RSPCA Inspector Sarah Chambers explained to the magistrates that she had expected to see sheep with their feet stuck in mud when she first arrived at the scene. However, Inspector Chambers then described how she saw a sheeps head sticking out of the mud and also a number of dead sheep in the same field. Magistrates also heard evidence from Dee Stockley, lead investigating officer for Lincolnshire Trading Standards, who said that several of the sheep were extremely weakened from trying to get out of the thick mud. Miss Stockley added: The conditions these sheep were kept in fell well below acceptable welfare standards. One of the sheep was found to be dying on its side and unable to get up, even though its legs were moving. Mr Green was found guilty at a hearing in July 2015 and was sentenced on 10 September at Lincoln Magistrates Court. Warrenton, VA (20186) Today Cloudy early, becoming mostly sunny this afternoon. Expect mist and reduced visibilities at times. High 73F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Partly cloudy skies early will give way to cloudy skies late. Low 57F. Winds light and variable. Pitts: Before voting, take a look at your sample ballot in Cumberland County and NC opinion The head of Deutsche Bank AGs financial-crime-fighting unit and chief AML reporting officer left his his job after just six months. Peter Hazlewood stepped down because of an internal dispute over the size of his groups budget and workforce, the Wall Street Journal reported. He was replaced Thursday by Philippe Vollot. Vollot previously served as Deutsche Banks Chief Operating Officer for regulation, compliance, and anti-financial crime. Hes been with the bank for more than 13 years. Hazlewood wanted to hire more than 600 people in 2017 for compliance and anti-money laundering functions, the Wall Street Journal said. Management approved about 400 additional employees. That would bring staffing of Deutsche Banks global anti-financial crime unit to about 1,160 people, the WSJ said. Hazlewood and other compliance managers complained that without the 200 more people requested, Deutsche Bank would lag behind competitors and struggle to complete projects and adequately beef up its anti-crime teams and technology, the Wall Street Journal said. Deutsche Bank is the biggest Germany-based bank. It has more than 100,000 employees in about 70 countries. Revenues were about $33 billion in the latest reporting year. Germanys Manager Magazin first reported Hazlewoods departure last week. Deutsche Bank doesnt disclose the size or budget of its anti-financial crime and AML unit. But a spokesperson told the Wall Street Journal the bank has committed to increasing its 2016 anti-crime unit headcount by 50 percent by the end of 2017. Hazlewood joined Deutsche Bank in July with 29 years of experience. He previously worked at JPMorgan Chase, Standard Chartered, and HSBC Holdings. Last month Deutsche Bank announced a tentative $7.2 billion deal to resolve a U.S. investigation into its sale of toxic mortgage securities. The DOJ hasnt signed off on the deal yet, the bank said. The U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a civil complaint in federal court against Deutsche Bank AG in August. The complaint alleged a software update went wrong and crashed part of the banks reporting system for five days. Deutsche Bank had agreed with the CFTC to appoint an independent reporting compliance monitor. But the agency alleged the bank still wasnt in full compliance with reporting requirements. FINRA the biggest independent regulator of securities firms doing business in the United States fined Deutsche Banks securities unit three times in 2016. In December, FINRA fined Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. $3.25 million for failing to provide the same information to all users of its off-exchange trading system. In August, the securities unit paid a $12.5 million fine for sending out internal alerts hoots and squawks that might contain confidential information traders and their customers could use. FINRA said Deutsche Bank ignored multiple red flags about potential confidential information leaking to salespeople and their customers. In July, the regulator fined Deutsche Bank Securities $6 million for failing to provide complete and accurate trade data to FINRA and the SEC. It was the biggest fine FINRA had imposed for so-called blue sheet violations. Deutsche Bank AG could still be fined in connection with a pending U.S. government investigation of Russian stock trades, the Wall Street Journal said. ____ Richard L. Cassin is the publisher and editor of the FCPA Blog If Lucy hadn't known Rothermere as one of the richest people in Britain, she wouldve suspected him of receiving some kind of incentive from the new German government. But a man so well-known on the French Riviera and in the casinos of Monte-Carlo certainly required none of that. No, Rothermeres enthusiasm was genuine. He wrote with an unapologetic passion. He painted magnificent pictures with broad strokes. He wrote about the future alliance of two great empires; he reminded them of their common blood and common past; he warned about enemies, that can tear these cousin-nations apart. He envisaged a glorious future, where their two countries stood side by side like beacons of light, the mighty guardians of the peace in Europe. The Pearl and the Carnelian Peace in Europe. But wouldn't peace in Europe hold in any case? Lucy thought uneasily. After all, the wound of calamities of the Great War was still fresh, and even their government wouldn't be stupid enough to enmesh the country in another conflict. And the League of Nations would surely do its job in the end of the day, wouldn't it? The Great War. Lucy was too small to remember anything herself, of course. However, she couldnt escape the others reminiscences of the dreadful Zeppelin nights, of the nightmare of Somme. Their own house had been temporarily converted into a hospital; her mother, only a young wife back then, took much of the work on herself. She was always so anxious to get everything right, her mother. So anxious for everything and everyone to be right. The bells of peace tolled almost two decades ago, but the city still bore the marks - some of them more visible, than the others. The celebrated mediums, who promised to converse with your dead son or brother for a little fee, were as popular as ever. Thousands of seance circles have sprung all over the capital, new ones forming every year. Even the most innocent pastimes now glared with bloody paw prints; Michelin, for instance, published a guidebook, dedicated to the battlefields of France. The majestic sphinx on the Embankment also bore the memory - its paws and pedestal remained forever scarred by the German bomb. Lucy remembered looking at these marks, nondescript and pale. She thought at that moment, a sudden fear dimming the sunlight: if that bomb could shatter stone, which survived the fall of ancient civilizations, then what would it do to a human flesh?... Never before did she feel so conscious of her own body, her own fragility. A thin layer of skin over fine bones. It could be ripped open so easily, destroyed and twisted in the calamity of red. And so can many, many others. She spent that afternoon gripping Hester's hand. And what was the result? What was the point of these millions of deaths? An ample demonstration, that Britannia no longer ruled the waves - and even if it did, the new war was waged in the sky. The feather-bedding of businesses, who made so well from governmental orders. The new wealth for food speculators, who later bought themselves titles under the government of Lloyd-George. That's for the winning side. That's for the glorious victors. And on the other coast? An empire brought to its knees, a nation degraded by the disastrous reparations and a scandalous treaty. Another empire broken up, fresh states now rife with discontent. The balance of Europe upset so far, that they might all come tumbling down now. And, of course, a new enemy growing in the East, a red inflammation on the map. No one won at war. No one ever does. The summer sunlight was now engulfing her whole, illuminating her, bathing her in warmth. However, despite that, Lucy found herself shivering. Was it true? Was the threat of another conflict looming on the horizon, and they all just failed to see it? Her fingers were now drumming on the windowsill, the rhythm of an unknown march. If Sir Mosley comes to power, if Sir Mosley becomes the Prime Minister, then the future will be secure. He would surely be able to lead the country to the advantageous alliance with Germany. He would be able to solve the crisis, which seemed to be growing direr year after year (a Hunger March in Edinburgh, protesters camping out by the gentlemen's clubs of Princes Street...). He would be able the bring the country back from the edge of collapse". The Pearl and the Carnelian by Annabel Fielding is out now, priced 12.30 in paperback and 4.61 as an eBook. Visit www.historygeekintown.com/the-pearl-and-the-carnelian/ Duchess Catherine is to celebrate her 35th birthday (09.01.17) with her family at Anmer Hall in Norfolk, East Anglia. Prince William and Duchess Catherine The brunette beauty will be joined by her husband Prince William, 34, and their two children - three-year-old Prince George and 17-month-old Princess Charlotte - as she enjoys a quiet affair at their country mansion. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, they will be joined by Catherine's parents and Charlotte's godmother, Sophie Carter. The Duchess of Cambridge is expected back to work on Wednesday (11.01.17) when she is to visit Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families' Early Years Parenting Unit. The brunette beauty - who is a patron of the organisation - will "find out" and learn more about their work with children under five years old at the special unit. Kensington Palace's made the announcement on their Twitter account on Thursday (05.01.17), writing: "The Duchess of Cambridge, @AFNCCF Patron, will visit the Centre's Early Years Parenting Unit on 11 January (sic)." And the palace has since retweeted a message from the charity about Catherine's pending trip. The post read: "Our Patron, HRH Duchess of Cambridge will visit @AFNCCF to find out about our work with under 5s @KensingtonRoyal (sic)." Catherine's visit is also set to "draw attention" to mental health issues among young children and how to intervene. Another tweet from Kensington Palace said: "The @AFNCCF visit marks The Duchess' continued desire to draw attention to child mental health issues & the importance of early intervention (sic)." Meanwhile, the brunette beauty has become a the patron of the Royal Photographic Society, and received the lifetime honorary membership for the educational charity, which promotes and supports those interested in the art form, after the official portrait pictures she took of her 20-month-old daughter Princess Charlotte were released. As well as taking images of her three-year-old son Prince George cradling her youngest child as a tiny tot, Catherine - who is a graduate in the history of art - has previously released images of her family from important milestones over the years, which include Charlotte's first birthday, George's first day at nursery, and a series of pictures from their travels in South East Asia. Sarah Ferguson is dating businessman Manuel Fernandez - again. Sarah Ferguson The Duchess of York, 57, is said to be "smitten" with the hunky 49-year-old internet tycoon after they secretly spent time together in Verbier, Switzerland at her ex-husband Prince Andrew's ski apartment - despite being dumped by Manuel in March last year. A source told The Sun newspaper: "She is smitten with him, and while they have kept they reunion quiet, she has been doing everything she can to support him recently. "She has promoted his business - an online lifestyle platform - to all of her contacts, and even asked her staff to help accommodate his relatives." But Sarah's close pals are said to be worried that the relationship is more important to her than to Manuel, and is to blame for her spending the festive period alone and "miserable". The insider continued: "However, some of her friends are concerned that their relationship might be a bit one-sided." "Just before Christmas Manuel stopped answering Sarah's calls and messages - leaving her to spend a miserable few days worrying about him. "He eventually got back in touch, but the episode is a source of concern, as he must have known that going off radar like that would upset her." Sarah - who split from Andrew in 1996 - started dating Manuel in 2014 and the pair were spotted in public on several occasions until March, when he called time on their romance. And while Sarah is besotted with Manuel, she is said to feel "insecure" at times because she doesn't know if he'll decide to up and leave like he did last time. The insider added: "The last year has been a difficult one for Sarah. "Her relationship with Manuel has never been a particularly easy one. "They have mended the bridges burnt in March, and are very close again. "But there have been bumps in the road, like the December incident. "She loves spending time with him, but her fear is that he will cut her off out of the blue again, and that has made her feel very insecure at times. "Those close to her just want her to be happy, so they are keeping a watchful eye on this situation." A spokesman has confirmed to the publication that while they share an intimate relationship it is not sexual, and that the Duke of York is staying at the property in Verbier. We were a group of 4 in college. Without giving out their real names, I will call them Jaya, Meeya, Sana and yours truly. We were a thick bunch of friends and used to often hang out together. One of the most popular boys of our class was a very good dancer (Arjun) and so was Jaya. During our annual event practice, I saw them both playing to their strengths- Jaya was into classical dance and Arjun was into western dance. They planned a fusion dance performance and started spending hours together at length choreographing the act. It wasnt long before I actually sensed that they both were nursing romantic feelings for each other. I started teasing them and by the time the annual event happened, they were a couple. Everyone in the college knew that they both were dating. Jaya was the coy one and Arjun being the popular one, enjoyed a great deal of popularity in college, with lots of women drooling over him. However, it never made Jaya jealous. One day Sana told me that she suspects Meeya has a thing for Arjun. I shut her up saying that it cant be. After all Meeya knew that Arjun was romantically involved with our friend Jaya. After the annual event, Jaya started leaving college early because of her fathers ill health and most days Meeya and Arjun left together on his bike. I barely saw them interact in front of Jaya and I was surprised to see the turn of events. I never even confronted Meeya, trusting her to not breach on Jayas trust. I just assumed that possibly they live nearby and so this setting suits her. A month later, a college trip was planned. We all were very excited and boarded the bus. Arjun sat away with his friends, while Jaya sat with us. We reached the hotel after a long journey and checked into the hotel. Suddenly we realized that Meeya was nowhere to be seen. We tried her mobile number and it was switched off. Jaya got restless and suggested that we should talk to the teacher. Sana came back rushing to the room and asked me to come out with her. I asked her whats the matter and I was told that Meeya was with Arjun in his hotel room. I was shocked. I didnt know how to react. Just as we were talking, Jaya came out of the room and insisted we check around the rooms for Meeya. We tried to dissuade her but she didnt budge. It felt like she knew something was going on. I took the elevator and reached Arjuns room ahead of Sana and Jaya to warn him that Jaya was on her way. Meeya ran out of the room without looking at me in the eyes. Jaya witnessed the entire happening from one end of the alley. After that moment, the college trip turned into a nightmare for us. Jaya got her room changed and it was only Sana, Meeya and me in the room. She didnt speak to us during the trip and I didnt talk to Meeya. The bus ride was the last moments we four enjoyed together. After that, I tried talking to Jaya to present my side of the story but she made new friends and distanced herself from all of us. It pained but there was nothing I could do. Today Meeya and Arjun are happily married and I dont even know where Jaya is. Even now when the topic ever comes up casually, I am told that I was the one who tried to string them together. Well, maybe, maybe not. I want to use this platform to tell Jaya that I miss her. And I want to tell her that I would have guarded her to the best of my ability, only if it was in my hands. I still feel the pain why I was at the receiving end. I just convince myself with the belief that just like first love, one never forgets the first heart break. (By Anonymous) The 12th edition of Apparel Sourcing Paris which begins February 6, 2017, has received registrations from almost 300 exhibitors, a massive jump of 30 per cent compared with the 2016 edition. The trade show will be offering a huge variety of solutions for clothing and accessories production offering shorter lead times, a key demand of buyers.China, which is always represented by large numbers of exhibitors, is expanding the made-to-measure ranges, Bangladesh and Pakistan will be attending with their denim ranges, while the number of exhibitors from India has increased significantly. The 12th edition of Apparel Sourcing Paris which begins February 6, 2017, has received registrations from almost 300 exhibitors, a massive jump of 30 per cent compared with the 2016 edition. The trade show will be offering a huge variety of solutions for clothing and accessories production offering shorter lead times, a key demand of buyers.# There will be returning exhibitors from Myanmar and Guatemala and an exhibitor from Morocco is offering products with short lead times.Apparel Sourcing Paris offers visitors the most relevant products and services, whether this means sourcing with short lead times or sourcing from suppliers who are farther away, but who offer rare and original expertise, Michael Scherpe, president of Messe Frankfurt France said. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India S&P 500 global diversified company Stanley Black & Decker has acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Stanley Black will have the rights to develop, manufacture and sell Craftsman branded products in non Sears Holdings retail channels, while Sears Holdings will continue to sell them in its stores.Sears Holdings will be able to sell Craftsman-branded products, royalty-free for the first 15 years and royalty-bearing thereafter. S&P 500 global diversified company Stanley Black & Decker has acquired the Craftsman brand from Sears Holdings Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Stanley Black will have the rights to develop, manufacture and sell Craftsman branded products in non Sears Holdings retail channels, while Sears Holdings will continue to sell them in its stores.# According to Stanley Black, as of date, just around 10 per cent of Craftsman products are sold outside of Sears Holdings channels, which will enable Stanley Black & Decker to significantly increase Craftsman sales outside of Sears Holdings.Stanley Black & Decker will pay Sears Holdings $525 million at closing, $250 million at end of year three, and annual payments on new Stanley Black & Decker Craftsman sales through year 15, with the net present value of all these cash payments being around $900 million. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India A freight train carrying garments, fabric, bags, suitcases and other household items from China to London has been launched. The train was flagged off from Yiwu West Railway station in Chinas eastern Zhejiang province on the first day of 2017. The train will pass through seven countries and cover more than 12,000 kilometres before reaching London. The train is expected to reach London in third week of this month after passing through Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Poland, Germany, Belgium and France. London is the 15th city in Europe that has been added to China-Europe freight train services. This will improve China-Britain trade ties, and strengthen connectivity with western Europe. A freight train carrying garments, fabric, bags, suitcases and other household items from China to London has been launched. The train was flagged off from Yiwu West Railway station in China's eastern Zhejiang province on the first day of 2017. The train will pass through seven countries and cover more than 12,000 kilometres before reaching London.# It will also better serving Chinas Belt and Road Initiative, an infrastructure and trade network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along ancient trade routes, the China Railway Construction Corporation said. In January 2016, China had sent its first cargo train to Iran, which travelled a distance of 10,399 kilometres in about 18 days. (RKS) Fibre2Fashion News Desk China Chinese textile technologies trade show ShanghaiTex 2017 which runs November 27-30, 2017 in Shanghai, will focus on innovative textile technologies and high-growth application sectors. Technologies on show include knitting technology; and printing, dyeing and finishing machinery, while applications include automotive and industrial textiles.In knitting, the trade show will explore cutting-edge technologies and applications from the view of different lifestyles, stimulating innovation and inspiration among textile manufacturers. Chinese textile technologies trade show ShanghaiTex 2017 which runs November 27-30, 2017 in Shanghai, will focus on innovative textile technologies and high-growth application sectors. Technologies on show include knitting technology; and printing, dyeing and finishing machinery, while applications include automotive and industrial textiles.# While the Printing, Dyeing and Finishing Machinery Zone will focus on the characteristics of short production cycles, low volumes and on-demand production in digital printing.ShanghaiTex 2017 will feature the Technology for Automotive Textile theme zone, which will showcase spinning, weaving, knitting, fibre, glass fibre and filtering material technologies.This zone will mainly focus on production solutions to assist companies into production of industrial fabrics, automobile interiors, automobile parts, carpets, construction, etc. (AR) Fibre2Fashion News Desk India Everyone in the country, including our B-Town celebs are super angry and disappointed with the recent happening in Bangalore. In a recent chat with Filmfare, Disha Patani expressed how she felt about the incident. The actress said, "Im saddened and hurt by the mass molestation incident that took place in Bengaluru. As a girl who stays away from her family and constantly traveling on work, it frightens me to think of how unsafe it is to stay out late or wear outfits that might be deemed inappropriate, by not only lawbreakers but lawmakers too. These episodes just re-instill my belief that we need to be our own heroes - We have a long way to go on educating our social system but at this point I strongly feel that self defense is an absolute must for every woman out there. As someone with a background in gymnastics and martial arts, I know how empowered , safe and secure knowing a few basic self-defense techniques can make a woman/girl feel. Let's get moving." Donald Trump is the President-elect of the United States of America and he fought Hillary Clinton very hard to win the election. Trump was mocked every single day by the media, celebrities, elites and other global establishments by calling him as a "candidate who will never win." Despite everything being against him, Trump pulled it off and won the election with ease and his fans had the last laugh. The people of the USA did not care what the elites think and wanted progress, hence voted for Trump. Celebrities opinions are irrelevant for the people, when it comes to elections! The hatred against Donald Trump has not settled yet and Meryl Streep, who won an Award at the Golden Globes 2017 spewed venom against him without even mentioning his name. Meryl dissed Trump by saying how she found it prudent to insult a disabled journalist in a public platform and yet he was chosen to the highest power of the country. Now the question is, can Bollywood stars do a Meryl Streep at any award show? Film-maker Anurag Kashyap tweeted, "We in our film industry don't even need to give a speech like Meryl Streep if we just start standing up with those who actually speak up." What Anurag Kashyap meant was, if Bollywood stands united 'as one' on any given issue without the fear of being alienated or mocked, the film industry will reach the heights of Hollywood in terms of speaking out against prejudices. But that is indeed a distant case! We cannot blame the film stars for it, as it takes a lot to stand up against a political leader in India. An actor's career might come to a halt! Even the Baadshah of Bollywood, Shahrukh Khan was left to fend by himself when his film Raees was nearing its release as it has Pakistani actress Mahira Khan in the lead role. SRK had to visit Raj Thackeray's house and plead with him not to harm the movie in any way. In 2015, his film Dilwale was stalled in Mangalore by fringe groups as he commented that 'India was growing intolerant.' Karan Johar had to pay 5 Crores to the army fund when Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was nearing its release. Also, Hollywood actors are brave and free because Donald Trump fans will never sit for a 'dharna' in front of Meryl Steep's house and will not stall and disrupt her movies and neither will they have to pay a fine, but that's not the case for Bollywood actors. Any slight provocation can lead to 'dharnas' and cause financial losses to the actors and film-makers. Hence B-town stars are cautious to call out on a political leader in a public platform as the backlash is quite severe. The only option left is to either fight them (which is impossible) or to maintain amicable relations with the leaders for their own good. Bollywood stars chose the latter, which is totally understandable. Anushka Sharma Clarifies What It Means To Be A Feminist! Oo La La! Priyanka, who presented an award at the ceremony which took place in California on Sunday night, added oomph to her garment with a maroon lipstick. Styled by Cristina Ehrlich, Priyanka posed for the shutterbugs confidently on the red carpet. In Picture: Priyanka With Sofia Vergara Many designers and celebrities back home complain that most Indian celebrities opt for international labels during their red carpet appearances. Does Priyanka feel such comments are justified? 'Wear What You Feel Like Wearing' "I think the people wear the clothes that work for an event. I have worn Indian designers internationally, and vice versa. There is no harm in it as clothes are clothes. People should wear what they feel like wearing," Priyanka told IANS. Don't You Agree With PeeCee? "I am not someone who believes that there should be rigidity in anything. I am really of the belief that you have to be and let be and make the most of opportunities." She Further Added.. "I have worn beautiful Indian designer's creations in Toronto, Morocco and many other places," added the actress, who also impressed fans and design experts with the Zuhair Murad white gown she wore to the Oscars last year. We Heart You, Priyanka Chopra! We totally loved Priyanka's confidence on the red carpet of the 74th Golden Globe Awards ceremony and we can't stop drooling over her pictures! Bollywood Superstar Shah Rukh Khan has urged parents to teach their sons how to respect women. Asked about the recent Bengaluru mass molestation, Shah Rukh said: "It is completely wrong. I feel mothers and fathers should teach their sons how to respect women." SRK spoke to media on Saturday at the Archana Kochhar Show, where he walked as a showstopper. The charity event was held to raise funds for free heart surgeries for 100 children at the Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital & Medical Research Institute. "All women as daughters or mothers are close to my heart. It's high time we realise and make sure that they are the most respected people on the planet. They are god's creations. Irrespective of their field, they should be respected," he said. Bollywood celebrities like Salim Khan, Shekhar Kapur, Akshay Kumar and Farhan Akhtar had earlier strongly condemned the incident that took place during the New Year celebration in Bengaluru. ROME (dpa-AFX) - FCA US said Sunday that it will invest $1 billion in plants in Michigan and Ohio, and add 2,000 new American jobs. In total, FCA US has committed investments of more than $9.6 billion in its U.S. manufacturing facilities and created 25,000 new jobs to date since 2009. Today's announcement is the second phase of an industrialization plan announced in January 2016. The plan called for the realignment of the Company's U.S. manufacturing operations to fully utilize available capacity to respond to a shift in market demand for trucks and SUVs, and to further expand the Jeep and Ram brands. With the $1 billion investment, FCA US will retool and modernize the Warren Truck Assembly Plant (Mich.) to produce the all-new Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, and the south plant of the Toledo Assembly Complex (Ohio) to build an all-new Jeep pickup truck. These actions are planned to be completed by 2020. More than 2,000 jobs also will be added to support production of these models. The added benefit of the investment in Warren is that it will enable the plant to produce the Ram heavy duty truck, which is currently produced in Mexico. In July 2016, the Company made two announcements involving production shifts at three plants to gain additional capacity for the Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Cherokee and Ram Light Duty Truck. The first announcement confirmed a more than $1 billion investment and the addition of 1,000 jobs at its Illinois and Ohio plants. The Company will invest $350 million in the Belvidere Assembly Plant (Ill.) to produce the Jeep Cherokee, which will move from its current production location in Toledo, Ohio, in 2017. Approximately 300 new jobs would be created. Following the move of Cherokee to Belvidere, the Company will invest $700 million in the Toledo Assembly Complex (Ohio) to retool the North plant to produce the next generation Jeep Wrangler. Approximately 700 new jobs will be added. In the second announcement, FCA US announced that it will invest nearly $1.5 billion in its Sterling Heights Assembly Plant (Mich.) to retool it to build the next generation Ram 1500. In September, the Company committed to adding 700 new jobs to support production. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de EDINBURGH, Scotland, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CALCIVIS, a medical devices company focused on revolutionising the management of tooth decay and enabling preventive dentistry, announces that it has begun recruitment into a clinical study of approximately 100 patients assessing the performance of a commercial version of its CE marked CALCIVIS imaging system across four general dental practices in Scotland. The study is the next step required to support the planned US Premarket Approval (PMA) submission later this year. The FDA has been consulted on the study design and statistical approach as part of the regulatory pre-submission process. The study's primary endpoints are to assess the safety and performance of the commercial CALCIVIS imaging system as measured by the correlation between the luminescent images and clinical assessment of caries lesion activity. The secondary endpoint is to assess the usefulness of CALCIVIS images as a communication tool between patient and dentist. The active phase of the study should be complete by mid-2017. This post approval study follows the successful completion of a UK pilot clinical study of the prototype device in 42 patients in 2015. A controlled launch in the UK is on track for the second half of 2017. Adam Christie, CEO of CALCIVIS, said: "The start of this study is a key corporate milestone for CALCIVIS as the data we will generate will be a major component of our PMA filing to the FDA later this year. Gaining approval for our CALCIVIS imaging system in the US is critical for us to maximise the commercial potential of this novel technology which we believe can transform the management of dental caries." The CALCIVIS imaging system is a sophisticated medical device and consumable combination designed to transform the assessment and management of dental caries and other dental conditions. It involves a unique, proprietary bioluminescence approach combined with a specialised imaging device which allows accurate detection and visualisation of demineralisation. The resulting images provide a focus for discussion with patients about their caries management programme and allow the development of a tailored, rational, evidence-based treatment in line with dental best practice. Ends- Contacts: Adam Christie, CEOTel: +44 (0)7795 600571 E-mail: info@calcivis.com David Dible, Katja Stout, Citigate Dewe Rogerson Tel: +44 (0) 207 638 9571 E-mail: calcivis@citigatedr.co.uk About CALCIVIS CALCIVIS is an innovative medical devices company focused on revolutionising the management of dental caries or 'tooth decay'. CALCIVIS brings together novel biotechnology approaches and world-class device development expertise and is at the forefront of applying biotechnology to dentistry. The CALCIVIS imaging system will, for the first time, allow the real-time detection and visualisation of calcium ions released by demineralising caries lesions in routine dental practice. CALCIVIS operations began in 2012. The Company is based in Edinburgh, Scotland and has been funded by Archangel Investors Limited and the Scottish Investment Bank, the investment arm of Scottish Enterprise.http://www.calcivis.com WINDSOR, England, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Macrophage Pharma Limited, a newly formed immune-oncology company, today announced that it has successfully raised 9 million in a Series A equity financing round. The Company has also acquired global rights to a novel technology platform, Esterase Sensitive Motif (ESM), from Chroma Therapeutics Limited (Oxford, UK) together with discovery stage therapeutic assets. Macrophage Pharma was founded by the CRT Pioneer Fund ('CPF') to discover and develop novel therapies designed to enhance anti-tumour immune responses. The Series A investment round was led by CPF and joined by two specialist investors; Novo Seeds, part of Novo A/S, and Aglaia Biomedical Ventures. The proceeds of the financing round will enable the Company to complete the preclinical development of its lead development candidate, a p38MAP kinase inhibitor, and advance two additional discovery candidates into pre-clinical development. The newly acquired ESM technology platform delivers small molecule drugs to tumour associated macrophages in a highly selective manner, thus activating the body's natural immune system to fight cancer. The platform has the ability to provide next-generation immunotherapies for a number of different cancers. The Company's lead p38MAPi programme is focused on a novel macrophage-targeting p38 MAPK inhibitor.Clinical trials are scheduled to start in 2018. The Company is also developing discovery stage programmes centred on a number of proprietary, candidate compounds. Commenting on the completion of the financing round, Ian Miscampbell of Sixth Element Capital and Interim Chair of Macrophage Pharma, said: "We are very excited with the initial data generated over the last 18 months and this financing is an important milestone in the development of Macrophage Pharma. We are delighted to be joined by Novo and Aglaia and look forward to benefitting from their expertise in oncology and early stage development as we continue to develop the Company. We have assembled an experienced leadership team to further advance the immune-oncology programmes towards the clinic." Dr. Stephan Christgau, Partner at Novo Seeds, added: "Macrophage Pharma represents a very compelling and differentiated approach within immune oncology. We are excited to be part of building this unique opportunity and to be working with an experienced team as well as two specialist investors with a strong track record in oncology." Dr. Mark Krul of Aglaia commented: "Despite the fact that good progress is being made with respect to immunotherapy for cancer, one of the key hurdles remains the hostile tumour microenvironment. We believe Macrophage's ESM technology offers a unique possibility to transform "bad" macrophages into "good" macrophages and hence make tumours far more susceptible to many immunotherapeutic approaches." Notes to Editors: About Macrophage Pharma Limited Macrophage Pharma is an immuno-oncology company focused on the discovery and development of novel therapies designed to enhance anti-tumour immune responses. The Company's technology platform is designed to deliver small molecule drugs to tumour associated macrophages in a highly selective manner to activate the body's natural immune system to fight cancer. About Aglaia Biomedical Ventures and Aglaia Oncology Fund II The Dutch venture capital firm Aglaia - through its Oncology Funds I and II - invests in ground-breaking technologies that have the potential to translate into solutions for the prevention and treatment of cancer.Aglaia is actively involved in the companies that it invests in and works closely with scientists and management teams in the early stages of technological development. By translating high-potential research into commercially and clinically successful products, Aglaia gives meaning to the concept of impact investing by combining financial and social returns. For further information visit www.aglaia-biomedical.com About Novo A/S and Novo Seeds Novo Seeds is the early stage investment arm of Novo A/S. Novo Seeds invests in European life science companies with transformative potential and takes an active role as investor, with a proven track record to create and build new companies. Novo A/S is a private limited liability company wholly owned by the Novo Nordisk Foundation. The company is the holding company in the Novo Group and is responsible for managing the assets of the Foundation. Besides being the major shareholder in the Novo Group companies, including Novo Nordisk A/S and Novozymes A/S, Novo A/S provides seed and venture capital to development-stage companies, takes significant ownership positions in well-established companies within the life sciences and manages a broad portfolio of financial assets. It has offices in Copenhagen, San Francisco, Boston and London with a team of scientific and commercial experts actively supporting a portfolio of projects and companies. For further information visit www.novo.dk. About CRT Pioneer Fund LP CRT Pioneer Fund is a specialist oncology investment fund established in 2012 by Sixth Element Capital LLP (6EC), CRT, BACIT and the European Investment Fund and is managed by 6EC. The CRT Pioneer Fund is dedicated to investment in oncology development programmes in Europe. The focus for investment is pre-lead optimization through to early clinical trials in man. The Fund is dedicated to asset financing projects emanating from Europe and expects to commit two-thirds of its investment to projects derived from Cancer Research UK's oncology drug discovery portfolio with the remainder being invested in projects from outside Cancer Research UK. About Sixth Element Capital LLP Sixth Element Capital LLP (6EC) is a finance partnership based in London. 6EC's experienced partners focus on creative and collaborative novel financing solutions designed to fund and manage innovative science in order to bring new therapeutic products and technologies to market, creating long term value and benefit to stakeholders. In drug development, the challenge of translating academic opportunities into commercial products has become more acute in recent years. A real funding gap has emerged at the interface between academia and industry as the number of venture investors active in the space has diminished. Working in partnership with the funders of fundamental research as well as providers of finance who remain active in the space, Sixth Element Capital intends to bridge the funding gap through new partnerships that will accelerate the flow of projects from the research bench to patients and eventual commercial exploitation. The Cancer Research Technology (CRT) Pioneer Fund is an example of these efforts.The Pioneer Fund now has a portfolio of 9 investments. For more information please visit www.sixthelementcapital.com For further information please contact: Macrophage Pharma Limited Steven Powell Tel: +44 (0) 7770 815110 Hume Brophy Tel: +44 207 862 6381 Conor Griffin, Alexia Faure, Alex Protsenko Email: 6EC@humebrophy.com Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - January 9, 2017) - BCGold Corp. (TSXV: BCG) ("BCGold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the discovery of a new gold-silver-arsenic-antimony MMI soil anomaly at its Engineer Mine property, situated 32 kilometres southwest of Atlin, B.C. The new anomaly (the "BC" anomaly) as currently defined, is 500 metres east of the historic mine workings in an area that has only seen limited modern exploration. The BC anomaly is 300 m long by 250 m wide and near the projected intersection of Shears 'A' and 'B', large second-order fault structures known to host significant gold mineralization in hydrothermal breccias within the mine workings area. The BC anomaly is elevated in gold and silver with an outer halo of elevated arsenic, antimony and molybdenum. All are elements associated with Engineer-style gold mineralization within the historic mine. (view map) "The BC anomaly represents the largest near-mine gold-silver soil geochemical anomaly defined to date at Engineer Mine", stated Brian Fowler, President and CEO. "The dimensions, chemistry and intensity of this anomaly, along with its association with known mineralized shear zones, creates a compelling drill-ready exploration target. The Company is planning to further define the limits of the BC anomaly through additional soil geochemical sampling in Q2 2017, utilizing flow-through funds from its current private placement." Private Placement As previously reported, the Company has arranged a non-brokered private placement of up to $500,000 through the issuance of units and flow-through shares at a price of five cents per unit and flow-through share. Each unit will be composed of one common share and one share purchase warrant. Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one common share of the company at a price of 10 cents per share for a period of one year from the date of closing. Proceeds will be used to conduct an I.P and ground magnetic geophysical survey at the Company's 100% owned Pucacorral property in Central Peru, a soil geochemical survey at the Company's 100% owned Engineer Mine property in northwestern B.C., and to provide for general working capital. Engineer Mine Technical Paper Published BCGold is also pleased to report that it has received a technical paper titled "The Engineer Mine, British Columbia: An example of epithermal Au-Ag mineralization with mixed alkaline and subalkaline characteristics" by Dr. Leo Millonig et.al. This paper has just been published in Ore Geology Reviews and is available free of charge until February 25, 2017 (https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1UL2K_3s85-4Go). This is Dr. Millonig's second Engineer Mine technical paper, the first of which can be viewed on BCGold's website at www.bcgoldcorp.com. Quality Control The 2016 Engineer Mine MMI soil sampling field program was conducted by Decoors Mining Corp. of Atlin, B.C., British Columbia. A total of 148 soil samples were submitted to SGS Minerals Services in Burnaby, British Columbia, an ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratory, where they were prepped and analyzed using proprietary MMI-M methodology (method code GE_MMI_ME). The work program was designed and supervised by Fionnuala Devine, M.Sc., P.Geo. of Merlin Geoscience Inc.; a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 and has reviewed and approved the technical contents of this news release. About BCGold BCGold is a Vancouver-based junior resource company that has been listed on the TSX Venture Exchange for 10 years, with a focus on copper and gold exploration in British Columbia, Yukon and more recently, Peru. The Company acquires prospective gold and copper-gold exploration properties considered to have significant mineral potential by staking, option or purchase agreements. The Company currently has a portfolio of 2 - 100% owned gold-copper-silver properties in Peru, 10 - 100% owned and 2 partially owned gold and copper-gold properties in B.C. and Yukon. On behalf of the Board of Directors, Brian P. Fowler, P. Geo. President & CEO For further information, please contact: Brian P. Fowler President & CEO 604-681-2626 www.bcgir@bcgoldcorp.com Gary A. Anderson Executive Chairman 604-857-2556 gwaa123@gmail.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Some statements in this news release contain forward-looking information or forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to future expenditures and exploration, development and production activities. These statements address future events and conditions and, as such, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the statements. Such factors include, among others, the timing and completion of contemplated financings, the actual use of proceeds, receipt of regulatory approvals and the timing and success of future exploration, development and production activities. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. PHOENIX, AZ -- (Marketwired) -- 01/09/17 -- YiLoLife, Inc., a company providing management services and other support to the legal medical marijuana (MMJ) market, today announces its plans to raise $16.4 million through a Regulation A+ public offering. YiLo has planned three investment rounds: 1. First round is now approved by Security Exchange Commission with limited 5 million YiLo Shares for first public offering with a share value of $3.28 2. Second round with an approximate share value of about $8 - $10 3. Third round with an approximate share value of about $15 YiLoLife describes a family of companies designed to meet substantially all the specialized operational, business and infrastructure needs of both for-profit and non-profit organizations licensed by the state to consult, manage, possess, grow, sell and otherwise distribute marijuana. To date, Natural Relief Clinic, Inc. ("NRC"), an Arizona non-profit controlled by YiLoLife's controlling shareholders, is the company's sole client, licensee, lessee and customer. NRC offers YiLo-branded products to qualified medical marijuana patients in Arizona in conformity with non-profit medical marijuana dispensary licenses issued by the Arizona Department of Health Services. Fundraising on YiLoLife's crowdfunding platform will commence January 09, 2017, enabling unaccredited investors to buy shares and invest in the company's growing position in the MMJ market, which is expected by industry analysts to surpass $40 billion over the next five to 10 years. Link to crowdfunding platform: http://www.yilo.com/stocks2833 In addition to its focus on Arizona, YiLoLife is working to establish a substantially vertically integrated presence in additional markets with varying degrees of permissible medical and/or adult use marijuana. Beginning with the State of California, the company plans to natively replicate its model by contracting with newly organized non-profit MMJ organization(s) on an exclusive basis. The company intends to use the proceeds of today's announced offering to acquire and develop cultivation, food processing and distribution facilities suitable to produce YiLo-branded products on appropriate scale to serve the existing medicinal market, as well as the expected adult-use market expected to manifest in the near term. In addition, the company expects to use a portion of the offering proceeds for working capital. "We are excited to take advantage of the capital-raising and ancillary benefits offered through the Regulation A+ platform," says Carsten Loelke, founder of YiLoLife. "At the same time, this method of fundraising gives the general public a chance to invest in our growth cycle and be a part of the broader MMJ market. There is a rampant increase in demand for YiLo-branded products and we look forward to meeting and even exceeding expectations." Under updated and expanded rules of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act, Regulation A+ allows smaller companies to offer and sell up to $50 million of securities within 12 months while bypassing registration requirements, per the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The new rules are designed to encourage and help facilitate smaller companies access to capital while providing unaccredited investors more investment opportunities. For more information visit https://www.sec.gov/news/pressrelease/2015-49.html. About YiLoLife, Inc. YiLoLife, Inc., a Delaware corporation, is comprised of a family of companies designed to meet substantially all the specialized operational, business, and infrastructure needs of for - profit and those not-for-profit organizations licensed by the state to consult, manage, possess, grow, sell, and otherwise distribute marijuana. To date, Natural Relief Clinic, Inc., an Arizona non-profit corporation controlled by YiLoLife's controlling shareholders and operating in Arizona ("NRC") has been and continues to be the company's sole client, licensee, lessee, and customer. NRC offers a variety of YiLo branded 100% high-grade medical marijuana edibles sized according to the amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in each product. Using German quality standards, NRC provides lab-tested products with consistent THC levels based on a traffic light system to assure the customer is getting the correct dosage: Green 60mg THC, Yellow 120mg THC and Red 180mg THC. Responding to increasing demand, NRC has also developed purple 240mg THC and a new product line with a Light Blue 60mg CBD and Dark Blue 180mg CBD. NRC's YiLo branded award-winning line of over 600 products includes various flavors and dosages of cannabis-infused juices and teas, snacks, brownies and cookies, candies and chocolates. In addition to MMJ edibles, NRC offers vape kits, caps and shirts, topicals and creams, concentrates and wax, and buds and flowers. NRC markets YiLo branded products to dispensaries throughout Arizona, as well as in NRC's YiLo Superstore located in Phoenix. For more information visit www.yilo.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Technical complications, which may arise, could prevent the prompt implementation of any strategically significant plan(s) outlined above. The Company undertakes no duty to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release. Contact: DreamTeamNetwork (DTN) Austin, TX www.DreamTeamNetwork.com 512.758.8877 Direct Email Contact VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - January 09, 2017) - Apivio Systems Inc. ("Apivio" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: APV), a leading provider of VoIP solutions, today provided an update on the early adoption and testing feedback for its Liberty L2 Wi-Fi phone. The Company is pleased to announce that the handset is gaining early traction and positive feedback with a pilot group of resellers and customers. "We are proud to highlight customer and reseller testimonials from early adopters of our next generation L2 device," said Rob Bakshi, President and CEO of Apivio Systems Inc. "Achieving interoperability and stability in diverse Wi-Fi environments can be challenging, and our goal from the start has been to ensure the L2's performance and quality fully exceeds the needs and requirements of users across a variety of industries before we target a full market release." Apivio Liberty L2 Milestones Apivio is pleased to announce that its L2 phones are performing well at a school in California where, after careful consideration, the IT department decided to use the L2 as its primary phone for staff communication. "When we started looking for a wireless classroom voice solution for our Preschool site, we had two main directives. It had to work under a variety of conditions, and it had to be cost effective. The Liberty L2 fit both of those perfectly. The hardware is easy to work with, and the connection to our network stays rock solid," stated Chris Tanimura, IT Manager at the Milpitas Christian School in San Jose, CA. "In an education environment with children, communication to facilitate quick responses is a necessity, especially when it comes to safety. The Liberty L2 allows us to equip all our Preschool classrooms with mobile communication integrated to our school-wide phone system. Each teacher can be reached whether they are in the classroom or on the playground. It allows our staff to communicate faster than before, and gives peace of mind to parents." In addition, Apivio is pleased to announce the Company has signed two resellers in Canada that, after extensive testing, have begun to market the L2 to their enterprise customers. Converbit Inc., Apivio's first dealer based in Quebec, has successfully installed L2s in a hospital for staff communication. "As an early adopter of Liberty L2, we are very pleased with the performance of the handset both in our internal testing and with customers," stated Richard Marquis, president and CEO of Converbit Inc. "The ease of use, mobility, voice quality and roaming capabilities of the L2 make it a great product for our small to medium-sized business customers, who range from warehouses and retailers with large footprints to schools, hospitals, assisted living and day care centers." ICF Frimor of Montreal, Quebec, is Apivio's second approved reseller and has successfully completed its internal testing of the L2 handset. Apivio will continue to expand the release of the Liberty L2 Wi-Fi Phone across geographic and industry verticals while providing on-going updates on its status. "We are excited about the potential of the L2 technology as a main part of our overall diversified business strategy and look forward to continued user adoption in the marketplace," added Bakshi. "Our first of its kind cloud-based device management system ("CLive") is currently undergoing extensive testing and I look forward to reporting on its market acceptance in the near future." About Apivio Systems Apivio Systems Inc. is a Canadian technology company principally engaged in the design, development, marketing, and sale of communications equipment and software. It has a wholly-owned Korean subsidiary with an established track record of supplying VoIP telephone equipment and other products to major Korean and international telecommunications carriers. For more information regarding the Company, please visit www.apivio.com. This press release has been prepared by Apivio Systems Inc. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information, please contact Rob Bakshi President and Chief Executive Officer Apivio Systems Inc. 604-343-4200 rbakshi@apivio.com Babak Pedram Investor Relations Virtus Advisory Group Inc. 416-644-5081 bpedram@virtusadvisory.com HELSINKI, Finland, Jan 09, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tieto Corporation STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 9 January 2017, 11.00 am EET. Tieto will publish its fourth-quarter and full-year results for 1 January-31 December 2016 on Thursday 2 February 2017 at 8.00 am EET (7.00 am CET, 6.00 am UK time). Press conference for analysts and media will be held at Tieto's premises in Espoo, address: Keilalahdentie 2-4, at 11.00 am EET (10.00 am CET, 9.00 am UK time). The results will be presented in English by Kimmo Alkio, President and CEO, and Lasse Heinonen, CFO. The conference will be webcasted and can be viewed live on Tieto's website. To join the conference, attendees need Adobe Flash plugin version 10.1.0or newer. The meeting participants can also join a telephone conference that will be held at the same time. The telephone conference details can be found below. Telephone conference numbers Finland: +358 (0)9 7479 0361 Sweden: +46 (0)8 5033 6574 UK: +44 (0)330336 9105 US: +1719457 1036 Conference code: 4404154 To ensure that you are connected to the conference call, please dial in a few minutes before the start of the press and analyst conference. An on-demand video will be available after the conference. Tieto publishes financial information in English and Finnish. CONTACT: For further information, please contact Tanja Lounevirta, Head of Investor Relations, Tel. +358-50-321-7510, E-mail: tanja.lounevirta (at) tieto.com TIETO CORPORATION DISTRIBUTION NASDAQ Helsinki NASDAQ Stockholm Principal Media This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/tieto/r/tieto-s-fourth-quarter-results-on-2-february---conference-for-analysts-and-media-in-espoo,c2153693 Release no. 1/2017Today, Columbus A/S has concluded an agreement about acquisition of Tridea Partners, an IT services company in the US.The acquisition of Tridea Partners strengthens Columbus' position in the US market, and is in line with Columbus' goal of being recognized as a strategic business partner that helps customers increase the value of their ERP investment and leads them in the digital transformation of their business.Tridea Partners holds a leading positon within ERP and CRM in the growing food and beverage industry in the US. The acquisition thereby strengthens Columbus' market reach and industry specialization in the US."We are very pleased to announce the acquisition of Tridea Partners. With Tridea Partners' leading market position and deep industry knowledge within the food and beverage industry in the US, we accelerate our growth ambitions in the US while strengthening our ability to serve our customers even better", says CEO and President in Columbus Thomas Honore.Tridea Partners, which was founded in 2004, has 29 employees at their office in San Diego. In 2015, Tridera Partners had a revenue of DKK 40m and an EBITDA of DKK 6.5m.The agreed acquisition price is DKK 61.8m Enterprise Value +/- regulation of normalized working capital.The amount to be paid at closing of the agreement on 9 January 2017 is DKK 47.6m. The remaining amount of DKK 14.2m is dependent on the agreed earnings targets, and is expected to be paid over the next two years.The acquisition is financed by Columbus' own available funds.Columbus expects to take over net assets of DKK 3.6m adjusted to fair value at the acquisition. Hereafter DKK 58.2m is expected to be capitalized as intangible assets.The acquisition is expected to contribute with a revenue in the level of DKK 53.6m and EBITDA* in the level of DKK 9.3 in the period from closing to 31 December 2017.Expectations to revenue and EBITDA for the Group in 2017 will be announced when the Annual Report is published on 16 March 2017.* EBITDA before share-based paymentIb Kune Thomas Honore Chairman CEO & President Columbus A/S Columbus A/S For further information, please contact Koncernchef Thomas Honore, T: +45 70 20 50 00.Translation: In the event of any inconsistency between this document and the Danish language version, the Danish language version shall be the governing version.Attachment:https://cns.omxgroup.com/cds/DisclosureAttachmentServlet?messageAttachmentId=610720 Biggest German insurer covers echotherapy procedure Two commercial agreements in Frankfurt; first city with two Echopulse systems available for thyroid nodules Regulatory News: Theraclion (Paris:ALTHE) (Alternext, FR0010120402 ALTHE), a company specialized in leading-edge medical equipment for echotherapy, today announced the continued strengthening of its market position in Germany with coverage of its echotherapy by more public insurance companies as well as two commercial agreements for Echopulse installations in Frankfurt for the treatment of benign thyroid nodules. Insurance coverage for echotherapy for thyroid nodules now includes "Die Techniker (TK)", the largest German insurance company, covering approximately 9.7 million members. "Coverage by big insurers such as members of the AOK group or the TK shows that payors acknowledge the payor benefit and patient benefit echotherapy can bring," said Anja Kleber, VP Marketing and Market Access of Theraclion Theraclion also signed agreements with two hospitals in Frankfurt, the first German city with two Echopulse systems available to treat thyroid nodules. The first commercial agreement concerns the Burgerhospital that has decided to purchase the system that it was renting from Theraclion from one year. The Burgerhospital of Frankfurt is a hospital featuring an endocrine surgery center of excellence with approximately 1,400 thyroid surgeries performed annually. It is one of a few centers of reference for endocrine surgery certified by the German Society for General and Visceral Surgery (DGAV). Within this context, Burgerhospital is responsible for continued education of other German endocrine surgical centers and is on the forefront of clinical development and deployment of innovation. "When we started to use the Echopulse system one year ago, our aim was to evaluate the system's performance while collecting clinical data," commented Dr. Christian Vorlander, head of the Endocrine Surgery Department of Burgerhospital. "Our experience with the Echopulse system confirmed our view that a non-invasive treatment approach can safely and effectively benefit our patients and provide a new direction to the treatment of thyroid nodules in Germany." Secondly, the University hospital of Frankfurt has signed a commercial agreement with Theraclion following initial clinical investigations on echotherapy treatments that resulted in several scientific publications. The German Thermoablation Center (DTZA) of the University Hospital will provide echotherapy in a routine clinical setting to their patients with thyroid nodules. The DTZA is the first institution in Germany to offer a complete portfolio of several thermoablative techniques, such as echotherapy, radiofrequency and microwave procedures to their patients. This marks the tenth echotherapy system installed in Germany, the most in any country worldwide "It is important for us to be able to offer a range of choices for our patients to best fit their needs," explained Prof. Grunwald, President of the DZTA at the University Hospital Frankfurt. "Echotherapy has the advantage of being the only completely non-invasive procedure." David Caumartin, CEO of Theraclion concluded, "Germany is our initial target market and it is very gratifying that Echopulse continues to gain traction there through expanded insurance coverage and the two commercial agreements. Today's news, along with recent announcements of derogation reimbursement in France and the upcoming initiation of our U.S. clinical trial of Echopulse for breast fibroadenoma demonstrate our accelerating business momentum." About Theraclion Theraclion is a French company specializing in high-tech medical equipment using therapeutic ultrasound. Drawing on leading-edge technologies, Theraclion has designed and manufactured an innovative solution for echotherapy, the Echopulse, allowing non-invasive tumor treatment through ultrasound-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound. Theraclion is ISO 13485 certified and has received the CE mark for non-invasive ablation of breast fibroadenomas and thyroid nodules. Based in Malakoff, near Paris, France Theraclion has brought together a team of 34 people, 50% of whom are dedicated to R&D and clinical trials. For more information, please visit Theraclion's website: www.theraclion.com. Theraclion is listed on Alternext Paris PEA-PME eligible Mnemonic: ALTHE ISIN Code: FR0010120402 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006090/en/ Contacts: Theraclion David Caumartin Chief Executive Officer Tel.: +33 (0)1 55 48 90 70 david.caumartin@theraclion.com or NewCap Financial Communication and Investor Relations Emmanuel Huynh Valentine Brouchot Tel.: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94 theraclion@newcap.eu or Kalima Press Relations Estelle Reine-Adelaide Florence Calba Tel.: 33 (0)1 44 90 82 54 era@kalima-rp.fr or The Ruth Group (U.S.) Investor Relations Public Relations Robert Flamm Kirsten Thomas +1 646-536-7017 +1 508-280-6592 rflamm@theruthgroup.com / kthomas@theruthgroup.com PUNE, India, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market research report "Prescriptive Analytics Market by Component (Software and Service), Data Type (Unstructured, Semi-Structured, and Structured), Application, Business Function, Deployment Model, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market is estimated to grow from USD 1.16 Billion in 2016 to USD 4.58 Billion by 2021, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 31.7%. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 ) Browse 79 market data Tables and 45 Figures spread through 148 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Prescriptive Analytics Market" http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/prescriptive-analytics-market-237458480.html Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report. Emergence of advanced technologies such as big data & IoT and rising popularity of real-time accessibility of data for efficient business applications are the key driving forces of the Prescriptive Analytics Market. Supply chain management application is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The supply-chain management solutions are deployed by various businesses operating under verticals such as wholesale, retail, telecom & IT, and manufacturing among others. Supply-chain management solutions help to manage the requirements generated by these businesses. Massive amount of data is generated across the industry from procurement of raw material till its sourcing to manufacturing. Organizations are facing challenges in managing these complexities and thus, are using prescriptive analytics to address the projected demands of its clients and end-users. The on-demand deployment model to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period The market by deployment model has been segmented into on-premises and on-demand model. The on-demand deployment model is expected to witness the highest CAGR during the forecast period. It will gain traction in the coming years owing to the cost-effectiveness, agility, and affordability it offers to the end customer. Request for Report Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=237458480 North America is expected to dominate the Prescriptive Analytics Market during the forecast period The Prescriptive Analytics Market segments the global market on the basis of regions, which include North America, Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe, Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Latin America. North America is expected to hold the largest share of the Prescriptive Analytics Market in 2016 due to the presence of large enterprises, technical experts, and growing demands for prescriptive analytics solutions in this region. The market in APAC is expected to grow at the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021. The region would be looking to increase the adoption of advance analytical technology owing to flexible government policies, regulations and control, competing with the international markets in terms of quality and pricing. Inquiry Before Buying: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=237458480 The report also encompasses different strategies, such as acquisitions, partnerships & collaborations, and product developments, adopted by major players to increase their share in the market. Some of the major technology vendors include IBM Corporation (U.S.), FICO (U.S.), River Logic, Inc. (U.S.), Ayata (U.S.), Angoss Software (U.S.), Profitect (U.S.), Frontline (U.S.), Panoratio (Germany), TIBCO Software (U.S.), and NGData (Belgium). Browse Related Report Big Data Market by Component (Software and Services), Type (Structured, Semi-Structured and Unstructured), Deployment Model, Vertical, and Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America & Middle East and Africa) - Global Forecast to 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/big-data-market-1068.html Predictive Analytics Market by Business Function, Applications (Risk Management, Operations Management, Sales Management, Supply Chain Management, Workforce Management), Organization Size, Deployment Model, Vertical, & by Region - Global Forecast to 2020 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/predictive-analytics-market-1181.html About MarketsandMarkets MarketsandMarkets is the largest market research firm worldwide in terms of annually published premium market research reports. Serving 1700 global fortune enterprises with more than 1200 premium studies in a year, M&M is catering to a multitude of clients across 8 different industrial verticals. We specialize in consulting assignments and business research across high growth markets, cutting edge technologies and newer applications. Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. M&M's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets. The new included chapters on Methodology and Benchmarking presented with high quality analytical infographics in our reports gives complete visibility of how the numbers have been arrived and defend the accuracy of the numbers. We at MarketsandMarkets are inspired to help our clients grow by providing apt business insight with our huge market intelligence repository. Contact: Mr.Rohan MarketsandMarkets 701 Pike Street Suite 2175, Seattle, WA 98101, United States Tel: 1-888-600-6441 Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com Visit MarketsandMarkets Blog @ http://www.marketsandmarketsblog.com/market-reports/telecom-it Connect us on LinkedIn @ http://www.linkedin.com/company/marketsandmarkets LONDON, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For Fall'17, Men's and Womenswear are unified in Belstaff's military heritage theme: the "Jolly Roger" naval inspired collection is tribute and testament to the clothing worn by the British Royal Navy throughout WWII. It had to endure the harshest conditions at sea, protecting sailors, boatswains and submariners, and it was upon the ocean that the four-pocket waxed cotton motorcycle jacket was born. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455397/Belstaff_AW17_Group_Model_Shot.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455401/Belstaff_AW17_Models.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455398/Belstaff_AW17_Model_Shot_1.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455399/Belstaff_AW17_Model_Shot_2.jpg ) (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455400/Belstaff_AW17_Model_Shot_3.jpg ) The collection interprets the harsh realities of life at sea through colour, fabric diversity and an array of special vintage wax treatments for a worn-in look. Classic maritime silhouettes such as the pea coat and duffle coat have been faithfully reproduced, while waterproof hand-waxed cotton and leather reinforce the stylish functionality of naval outerwear. The parka plays an integral role, emphasised by a technical foul-weather version based on a Belstaff archive piece created for the military in 1960. Collection Creative Director Delphine Ninous says "The formal naval-inspired pieces are contrasted with a more rugged and free-spirited look appropriate to downtime on the docks. This sense of temporary escapism is reflected in edgier elements such as naval tattoo designs and the Jolly Roger flag, giving a sense of rebellion and individuality." Sharing the same colour palette across men's and womenswear, this season focuses on industrial tones of red, brown, blue and military green. Charcoal grey, black and true navy form a base from which emerge brighter hues such as spruce teal, sanderling, cardinal red and burnished gold. In leather and waxed cotton, colours have been given an aged effect for a unique patina. Much brighter and more vibrant colours are found in the naval tattoo motifs which add a personalised touch. To recreate the mood of life on the ship or in the docks, models are positioned at varying heights in front of large metallic cylinders around the presentation space. At the entrance to the space, illustrious biker guys and girls hang out with their bikes. Gavin Haig, Belstaff CEO said: "Belstaff has a history in dressing the British Navy and we wanted to tap into this inspiration, especially considering our progression in the field of innovation in materials, silhouettes, functionality and protection with this collection. We are proud to be finally presenting an evenly shared presentation between men's and women's and be one of the first brands to do so in the London schedule." #JollyRoger @Belstaff About BELSTAFF: Belstaff is a modern British heritage brand steeped in the spirit of adventure, protecting independent spirits to venture free. In Belstaff, the fearless explorer and the stylish alike will discover clothing for a contemporary lifestyle influenced by Belstaff's rich 92 year history, yet firmly rooted in the present and forever forward-looking. Belstaff is headquartered in London and showrooms reside there and in New York, Milan and Munich. Belstaff is currently sold through its flagship on New Bond Street, and twelve stores in Europe, the United States and Asia, through select wholesale distribution worldwide and on http://www.belstaff.com Technavio market research analysts forecast the global precipitated silica marketto grow at a CAGR of over 6% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006101/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global precipitated silica market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) The market study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global precipitated silica marketfor 2017-2021. The report also lists end-user industries such as an automobile, cosmetics, electronics, and agriculture to arrive at the size of the market. According to Chandrakumar Badala Jaganathan, a lead analyst at Technavio forspecialty chemicals research, "The growing application of precipitated silica in the cosmetics, and food and beverage industries is supporting the growth of the market, which will be further strengthened by the growing economies of Brazil and APAC." Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55597 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Technavio chemicals and materials analysts highlight the following three market drivers that are contributing to the growth of the global precipitated silica market: Increasing demand for energy-efficient tires in the automotive industry Food and feed products driving precipitated silica market Increasing applications in adhesives and sealants Increasing demand for energy-efficient tires in the automotive industry The flourishing automotive industry is the largest end-user industry for the precipitated silica market. In the automotive industry, precipitated silica is predominantly used in various applications such as automotive tire production, coating and paint applications, adhesive and sealant applications. Precipitated silica-made tires are generally called green tiresdue to their high fuel efficiency. Shifting customer preferences has led to the growth of automobiles with a significant focus on environment and safety concerns. The automotive industry has introduced several such automobile models, which include fuel-efficient, lightweight, and low-emission vehicles. Food and feed products driving precipitated silica market Precipitated silica is predominantly used in food and feed products as a carrier and free flowing agent. Precipitated silica is used to maintain the free flow of powders and prevent clumping. Precipitated silica absorbs the excess moisture from food and feed products and helps them appear fresh. "Increase in the global population and growth of the economy has led to an increase in the production and consumption of food and feed products, which, in turn, has improved the sales of precipitated silica products in the market," says Chandrakumar Increasing applications in adhesives and sealants Adhesives and sealants are one of the major application segments of the precipitated silica market. Precipitated silica products are used as a thickening, stabilizing, and reinforcing agent in adhesive and sealant applications. The evenly distributed silica particles in liquid adhesives increase the hardening speed and enhance the bond strength between solid surfaces. Precipitated silica-based adhesives and sealants are used in the chemical and pesticide industry and are used in the conversion of liquid chemicals to powder form. The growth of the global adhesives and sealants market in recent years is driving the growth of the global precipitated silica market. Browse Related Reports: Global Specialty Silica Market 2017-2021 Global Silica Minerals Mining Market 2016-2020 Global Aroma Chemicals Market 2017-2021 Become a Technavio Insights memberand access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like paints, coatings, and pigmentspersonal protective equipmentand plastics, polymers, and elastomers This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technaviois a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at media@technavio.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006101/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 630 333 9501 UK: +44 208 123 1770 www.technavio.com Ascentage Pharma, a Hong Kong-based global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on apoptosis-targeted oncology drug discovery and development, completed RMB 500m (approximately $72m) Series B financing. The round was led by Future Industry Investment Fund, a private equity fund managed by the State Development & Investment Corporation Fund Management Corporation Limited, joined by new investors including Shiyu Capital, Hidragon Capital and Founder KIP Capital, and existing investors Yuanming Capital, Oriza Venture Fund and Efung Capital. The company intends to use the funds to further accelerate its pipeline of novel small molecules that target apoptosis pathways in clinical development. Led by Dajun Yang, MD, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ascentage is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, dedicated to discovery and development of small-molecule targeted therapeutics for addressing unmet medical needs in cancers, hepatitis B and age-related diseases. The company, which has proprietary Protein-Protein Interaction drug discovery technologies, holds over 80 international patents and currently has six small molecule drugs in phase I-II trials in US, Australia and China and additional programs in preclinical stages. The established R&D pipeline includes the inhibitors to a number of key proteins, including IAP, Bcl-2/Bcl-xL and MDM2-p53, that regulate a tumor cells programmed cell death program; 2nd and/or 3rd generation of kinase inhibitors that overcome mutant resistance in cancer therapy; and inhibitors of epigenetics. On December 22, 2016, the company obtained U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Investigational New Drug (IND) approval to APG-1252, a novel Bcl-2/Bcl-xL inhibitor for the treatment of cancers including Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). APG-1252 is a small molecule drug that helps restore programmed cell death process (apoptosis) through selective inhibition of Bcl-2 family members Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. FinSMEs 09/01/2017 HousingAnywhere.com, a Rotterdam, the Netherlands-based international student housing platform, raised 5m in funding. Backers included Real Web, the owner of Italian real estate site Immobiliare.it, and Dutch VC firm henQ. The company intends to use the funds to expand into university cities in Western Europe and the US. Led by founder Niels Van Deuren, HousingAnywhere.com is an online student housing platform, for exchange, internship, volunteer, or working students. It allows international students looking for accommodation to book a room and outgoing exchange students, verified local landlords, social and commercial housing operators to advertise a room on offer. The platform currently has 100,000 listed vacant properties. FinSMEs 09/01/2017 Invest Europe, the association representing Europes private equity, venture capital and infrastructure fund sectors, as well as their long term investors, has appointed Marc Nahum as Director of Membership. The hire for the new role, created to deepen engagement with the associations 650 members and connect with fund managers and investors across Europe, represents Invest Europes first major hire since Michael Collins took over as CEO in October. Marc Nahum brings over 15 years of experience in private equity fundraising and investor relations, having previously worked for Actis, DB Private Equity, The Carlyle Group and Credit Suisse. He holds a Masters degree in Management from the ESSEC in France and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth. A non-profit organisation with 25 employees in Brussels, Belgium, Invest Europe contributes to policy affecting private capital investment in Europe providing information to the public on the members role in the economy, and data on trends and developments in the industry. FinSMEs 09/01/2017 On 5 January 2017, Akshay Kumar posted a video message condemning the molestation of women in Bengaluru on New Years Eve. In the message he compared the attackers to beasts. The video wild-fired its way across Twitter and Facebook. The reactions on my timelines though, ranged from Akshay Kumar should not comment on gender issues to actors only take a stand on social issues for publicity. Read Bengaluru molestation: Akshay Kumar condemns incident; advises girls to learn self-defense On the morning of 9 January 2017, Meryl Streep made a blistering anti-Trump speech at the 74th Golden Globes without mentioning the President-elect. During her acceptance speech for the Cecil B DeMille Awards, she called out Trump for mocking a disabled person and warned that the press would need to be defended. As expected, the same people who laughed at Akshay for using a public platform to address a societal issue lauded Meryl. Bollywood actors are always criticised for not taking a stand on issues that are relevant and volatile. Its just that when they do address an issue, their opinions are ridiculed and their motives questioned. And, dont forget what happened to Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan when they spoke up. Celebrities in our country dont have basic freedom of expression. They are both expected to have and not have any opinions. If they do express an opinion, they shouldnt have ever done or said anything contrary to that opinion. Also, they shouldnt have a film releasing around the time of the said opinion being shared. A friend pointed out that Akshay has Jolly LLB 2 releasing next month so obviously this video was a PR exercise. She added, When he does films like Rowdy Rathore and Housefull where women are objectified, how can he expect his audience to respect women? Last year, Katrina Kaif spoke about gender equality and violence against women during a conference in Delhi. The first reaction I heard was "How can Katrina talk about gender empowerment when she dances suggestively in skimpy clothes to 'Chikni Chameli' and 'Sheila ki Jawani'?". Apparently, actors like Akshay or Katrina have no right to speak about gender issues. Every job is a job does not apply to Bollywoods actors. The argument is that actors have a large sphere of influence. Hence, we expect our actors to be actor-activists. And, that brings us right back to the backlash they face every single time. Ever so often the repercussions go beyond abuses online or being topics of discussion on primetime news. If Bollywood is too scared to speak up, its because their statements could (and have, in the past) harmed the industry financially. This is not a fear that Hollywood lives with. During the Actress Roundtable of 2015, Kalki Koechlin was spot on while explaining an actors social responsibility. People always say that actors have a responsibility an actor has the responsibility to deliver in their job as an actor, just as much as a banker in theirs. For every actor to be an activist on every topic is ridiculous, she said. Every time we look to our celebrities to use their influence to impact large scale societal change, it is important to remember that they are only human. Like us, they are bad, and at times lazy activists. When a celebrity speaks out, its out of sheer frustration and anger at what is happening in the country. Again, that reaction is no different from how anyone of us would react. Most of us dont have the bandwidth to comment about everything. What an actor chooses to take a stand on comes from a personal space. It has nothing to do with his/her movies. In his video message Akshay said, I am ashamed to be a human being today. I was returning from my New Year's vacation with my four-year-old daughter in my arms when I learnt about the molestation incident in Bangalore (sic). I don't know how did you all feel about it, but my blood started boiling. I am a daughter's father but even if I was not one, I feel if a society cannot respect its women, it doesn't deserve to be called a humane society. What's most disgusting is that people have the guts to justify such shameful acts by criticising women for their choice of clothes. Everything Bollywood does is not for publicity. Among the many causes he supports, Akshay, along with Youth Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray, has been involved in the Womens Self Defense Centre (WSDC) in Mumbai where women are given free self-defense training. Launched in 2014, WSDC offers a course that lasts for a month after which women have the option of enrolling for free advance classes. There are plans to open 100 more WSDCs across the country in the next five years. Akshay Kumar doesnt need a video message or a WSDC to generate publicity for his next release or for himself. Nor does Katrina Kaif need to speak at a womens empowerment conference to generate work. Like you and me, Bollywood celebrities are not obligated to be activists. They do it because they are concerned citizens. The only people we need to question about social responsibility are our elected representatives. They are the only ones who directly benefit from airing their views. So, leave Bollywood alone. He's acknowledged as one of the acting greats in the Indian film industry. And for Om Puri who passed away on Friday, 6 January 2017 his big break came with filmmaker-cinematographer-screenwriter Govind Nihalani's Aakrosh(1980) followed by Ardh Satya(1983), Aaghat(1985), Tamas (tele-serial, 1987) and many more thought-provoking and socially relevant films when the parallel cinema movement was at its peak. In an exclusive chat with Firstpost, Nihalani spoke about Puri an unlikely hero and versatile actor whose filmography ranged from art cinema to commercial movies and includes even British and American productions. Excerpts: It was you who spotted the talent in Om Puri and harnessed it in film after film since Aakrosh. Can we safely say that you mentored Om Puri and that he was your muse? I dont know if I can lay claim to that kind of position. Yes, I came to know about him (Om) while he was still in the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune) when Girish Karnad was the director of the institute. Girish would speak very fondly about Om and Naseeruddin Shah and told me that they were very good actors and that one should work with them. I was shooting a documentary which was being made by Ram Mohan, who is regarded as the father of animation films, and I recommended Om and Naseers names on the basis of what Girish had told me. Both of them acted in that documentary, this was sometime in the late sixties or early seventies. We shared good vibes during the making of the documentary, they were also doing little bit of work in theatre those days and I saw some of their plays as well. Then, when I started making movies, I cast Om, Naseer, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri in my directorial debut, Aakrosh. Naseeuddin Shah just mentioned that you must have been affected the most by Puri's demise. Since you knew Om so well, how would you describe him as a person and as an actor? He was a very fine human being, warm, empathetic and a very instinctive actor. He could sense the character he had to portray very instinctively without doing too much of analysis and as a result, it was very easy working with him. He came from a theatre background which means creating a character, learning lines, changing body language according to the character was part of his training and that became the integration process. So there was no need to sit and explain it to him. He worked best when he was given a clear picture of the character and freedom to interpret it in his own way. He wouldnt follow the instructions word-by-word as he would create a picture in his own mind. He would come up with the body language and speech of the character. Once he knew the character, he just owned it. He would go deep into the inner life and the state of mind of the character whether it was the main role or a supporting one. He was an absolute honest actor. Can you recall some memorable scenes from when you were directing him? The way in which Om modulated his voice was great. In Ardh Satya, there is a scene where he speaks to Smita Patil on the phone supposedly in a drunken state. We dont see Om at all in the sequence. But we know exactly what his character is going through. Later, many people, including Naseer, asked Om if he had downed some pegs before doing the scene. He hadnt. Then, I remember his scream from Aakrosh (Puri played a peasant), after the chilling silence throughout. Both, Vijay Tendulkar (who scripted it) and I, felt that this was the only way to end a story of human rights violation perpetrated against a victim not educated or empowered to challenge the culprit. This was the oppressed peasant Lahanya Bhiku's way of raising his voice against grave injustice. An expression of repressed rage and helplessness, it rents the air after he axes his sister to save her from the foreman's lust and a fate that drove his wife to suicide. Then, there is a scene in Ardh Satya in which he confronts a fellow passenger for touching Smita Patil. His strength was, once he got the emotional hook of the scene, the expression and the emotional quotient that he brought to it was amazing. The degree of anger, the degree of violence he expressed by beating up the perpetrator of the crime in that scene, was entirely his contribution. The suppressed violence in his character was proportionate to the reason that could trigger that kind of emotion in that last scene in Aakrosh. He had understood that the scream had nothing to do with pain, but it was the inner turmoil, the helplessness, utter rage. He would understand the emotional quotient of character in that particular moment without ever intellectualising or analysing. He also gave a great and effortless performance in Tamas. Do you recall the very first day when you started shooting with Om Puri? It is now more than 30 years ago. I dont remember the first shot but I can only recollect that we were filming Aakrosh at Alibaug with Om and Amrish Puri. I remember the camaraderie that existed between all the members of the team. Parallel cinema was taking off and all the filmmakers who believed and engaged in that kind of cinema had this collective feeling of bringing a change in the industry. Playwright Vijay Tendulkar, who had written the script of Aakrosh and many more films, was at his peak. A lot of things were happening for the first time. I remember all of that except the first shot. But yes, Om was a happy-go-lucky kind of a person, and while everybody was too serious with the kind of subject the film dealt with, there was also a parallel story, a parallel film, a comedy version happening alongside which was helping us ease our tension. In the film industry they look for that perfect face and body...how did Om Puri win against all odds? During his days of struggle, he once told a very senior critic that if he goes out and meets filmmakers like Yash Chopra or Manmohan Desai, theyll take one look at his face and tell him to go for a walk. Did he ever discuss this with you? With his kind of looks, and face full of pockmarks, many filmmakers didnt want to touch him. But talent was far more important than looks for a certain kind of filmmakers. There came a time in the '70s when the industry was no longer obsessed about good looks as the audiences' tastes were changing. Om was that actor who entered the industry at the right time when cinema was looking at artistes in a different way where good looks, fair and smooth skin, bulging biceps were not just the criteria for casting. There were filmmakers who were ready to work with non-glamorous people. His ability to project a range of characters came at the right time. He was a very honest actor and went for the essence of the character. Look at the work he has done in the West with huge actors and legends like Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg. He was also very ethical and never tried to steal the scene from his co-stars, he never played dirty tricks. He did whatever the character demanded and never suggested any change in his dialogues, or the scene, or lighting, or that he wanted a particular profile while facing the camera. He was a fearless actor. He was gifted and one of those few actors who had tremendous sense of instinct to imbibe any character. But he never wallowed in self- pity. When he decided to work, he gradually forgot that he had marks on his face, he wasnt self-conscious. And the accolades that he got for his work gave him tremendous confidence. He remained consistent in his nature very warm, genuine and accessible. He also dressed like a common man. While Om Puri played varied roles when he was part of parallel cinema, do you think he got stereotyped in mainstream and commercial cinema? Because eventually he got bracketed into the kind of loud, boisterous character he played in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron... I think mainstream cinema simplifies everything which is its strength [laughs]. When he played the character in Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron, he was not just a comedian. There the whole motivation was to play to the genre of black comedy... dark satire, which was later simplified by mainstream cinema (in his later characters) and he was made to do comedy in many films. Om never said that he wanted to follow a certain genre, he would never differentiate between a small or a big role. He would have even played a ghost with elan. His range was immense. Did he nurse any unfulfilled ambition that he shared with you? Was there any role that he yearned to play? And did you have any script in mind for him? Not really. Except that he was forever hungry for a good role. We have been discussing something for the last six to seven years but I cant speak about it. It wasnt for any film though, it was something personal. I had just finished my Marathi film and had some time on my hand and we were supposed to meet soon. Which of his commercial films did you like the most? I liked Oms work in the comedy genre. I enjoyed watching Chachi 420 and Priyadarshans films like Hera Pheri, Maalamaal Weekly and few others. Some of them were really very delightful and Om too enjoyed working in those films. He was excellent in comedy even on stage. He was extremely versatile. There were some personal problems and probably that affected Om Puri mentally as well as physically, he was suffering for the last few years. At times he was in news for all the wrong reasons... I wouldnt like to comment on this. Do you think, as an actor and as a creative person, he got what he deserved? At times he ended up doing bad films maybe for financial reasons... I dont want to get into comparative questions. Whatever Om did has put him in a very good position in the history of cinema in India, and more than that he will forever remain in the hearts of the people. Besides financial reasons, Om and Naseer would work in films for many other reasons, like for the love of the subject, for friends, for certain directors...For instance, Naseer made a very small, brief appearance in my film Party, in the end. That was the spirit. For whatever reasons they did, they have enriched the history of Indian cinema. You must have been shocked on hearing about his demise since youd just spoken to him. Yes. We last met a few months ago and two days before he passed away, we chatted. I had called him when he was returning to Mumbai from Khandala and we agreed to meet on the same day (that) he breathed his last. He was to come over, before lunch. Instead, I get the news from actor Ashish Vidyarthi though he wasnt too sure and I didnt know whom to contact. But eventually I got calls from a few of my journalist friends who told me that he's gone and then it started sinking in. His driver told me that he was found lying in the kitchen. Om and I still shared a great relationship and stayed in touch. I will remain forever grateful to the kind of role he played in my life. New Delhi: Ahead of the Union Budget 2017-18, the Steel Ministry has sought reduction in import duty on both coking coal and nickel -- vital components of steel making -- a move that may revive the sector, a top official said. In an interview to PTI, Steel Secretary Aruna Sharma said the dependence on imports is particularly heavy on nickel, coking coal and gas. "What we are discussing is whether there is need to take a re-look at their custom and import duties. This is still under discussions. Let's see how it moves out during the budget," the Secretary said. The Steel Ministry, in its recommendations to the Finance Ministry, has sought bringing down the import duty on coking, coal, nickel and gas, Sharma said. While the import duty on nickel is five percent, in the case of coking coal, it is 2.5 percent now. Sharma also said that in the future, the requirement of gas will increase in the manufacturing of pellets and added, "Like what the Prime Minister has said, tomorrow's economy is going to be gas-based." Pellets are small balls of iron ore used in steel making. To bring down the imports of coking coal, Sharma said that her Ministry was is discussions with the Coal Ministry to invest in washeries. "There are two ways of tackling imports. One is to replace the imports with a better alternative fuel. So, we are in discussions with Coal Ministry to invest in washeries and the Coal Ministry has agreed to invest in them so the coking coal imports will come down by nearly 30 percent which is a very good sign for the coming years," she said. India has to heavily depend on import of coking coal, as the domestic quality has higher ash content which is unsuitable for the steel industry with present technology. Asserting the need to go for electric-based or gas-based steel production, she said that "pellet making can easily shift to the gas-based thing if it is guaranteed at affordable prices." "Now, with the Paris Convention, it is mandatory that we must bring down the carbon footprints. So, that is another alternative we are working on," she said. Indian Steel Association (ISA), the industry body representing primary steel producers, has also urged the government to reduce import duty to zero on all the raw materials used for steel making. Sanak Mishra, Secretary General of ISA said, they have also requested the government to reduce railway freight for the steel industry. SAIL, India's largest steel maker, had recently said there is a need to develop indigenous sources of coking coal to meet requirements as the recent rise in the price of metallurgical coal was putting pressure on its operations. For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here. (With elections being announced, many believe that the budget to be announced on 1 February, will contain sops for key sectors. There are two reasons for such sops. First, to counter the unfortunate effects of demonetisation on some sectors. And the second to win over key electoral groups. In this three part series, we explain why the three biggest segments that might benefit could be agriculture, milk cooperatives and milk processing units, and weaver units.) Election dates have been announced. And all eyes are focused on Uttar Pradesh (UP) which is akin to a mini nation considering its size and population. And the pain points are many. For one, the state has not done very well even under Akhilesh Yadav (see chart). GDP growth rates under Mayawati and Mulayam Singh were better than under Akhilesh. Yes, Akhilesh has charm. He has advertised his achievements more aggressively. But in terms of the impact, his measures have had on the UP economy, he hasnt achieved much. And do bear in mind that these are figures that go up to 2015. The effects of demonetisation on the state could have hurt people a lot more. Voter sentiment will, therefore, depend on how the budget affects the fortunes of the disaffected. The largest numbers of disaffected people are those working with weaving units, leather units and cattle rearing. In fact, the last two are closely interlinked because the leather units and the milk producers share many common interests. But more on that later. What is equally significant to note is that in spite of being such a large state, and with some of the most fertile alluvial plains in the country, the contribution of agriculture to the states GDP has kept on falling. In fact, most of the farmers from UP and neighbouring Bihar can often been found working in the fields of Punjab, Haryana and Chattisgarh. Look around Mumbai and other metropolises as well. Most of the drivers, most of the MTNL/BSNL line staff are from UP. Talk to them and you will find that most of them have a farm back in their state. But declining agricultural fortunes have driven them to the city. Talk to agricultural economists, and you will be told that unless rates of return in agriculture are upped, this migration is bound to continue, even increase. The state needs to find ways to woo its people back. For that it has to make its economy grow. Unfortunately, Akhilesh hasnt been able to do this. Somehow, the states policies for agriculture have not been the most beneficial for farmers. Their output is not allowed to have significant value-add through the setting up of food processing plants. Some of the best food processing plants which take the crop from UP can be found in neighbouring Haryana. What this means is that Haryana has been more industry-friendly than UP has been. Add to this the exploitation of sugarcane growers and the story of UP becomes one of rapacious exploitation. Sadly, even organisations like Mother Dairy which was originally set up as a division of NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) and later converted into a wholly-owned corporate subsidiary preferred to source milk through middlemen than through milk cooperatives. It is only recently that NDDB issued orders that Mother Dairy had to increase the share of its collection from milk cooperatives and not through middlemen. Hence the past has been one where UPs milk producers often owners of 2-10 cattle had to sell to middlemen who refused to pay them a decent price. That could be changing. But more on that later. The declining share of agriculture coupled with the states inability to woo industry in a big way have combined to leave UP poor. Its people feel exploited. And history often shows that exploited people often prefer to find security in group identities often based on religion or caste. If the budget and the state government can address these woes, it could alter the destiny of the people of this large state significantly. For full coverage of Union Budget 2017 click here. Its been two months since prime minister Narendra Modi made a surgical strike on black money forcing the country to take a leap of faith towards cashless economy. While many applauded the intent, a section also questioned the execution. Empty ATMs, long lines at banks and helplessness of the aam aadmi was reported in the media across the country. Some said the surgical strike was a strike for sure, but it was a surgery without anesthesia, especially for the poor and social-economically backward class. Yet everyday we meet people from disadvantaged sections of society who are willing to go beyond their comfort-zone and prevail in every condition, where demonetisation and digitisation is not an obstacle, but an opportunity. Meet Ravindra Jadhav, a taxi driver from a Mumbai slums, who turned these obstacles into opportunities. He used to work in a garment factory earning a salary of Rs 12,000 a month. Feeding a family of six was getting increasingly difficult. But, that only boosted his ambition to do better for himself. His family began venturing into a small business of its own. Four years ago he decided to apply for a government scheme to get a loan for a vehicle so as to become a taxi owner driver. But, nothing happened for two years even after making several rounds of several banks. Jadhav had almost given up on his dream. That is when he heard that the new government had launched a new scheme called Start Up India. This rekindled his hope and he applied for a loan under the scheme and got it thus getting the necessary capital to launch his own taxi service within a week. He is now a Uber driver. Now I earn Rs 15,000 a week. I launched my business just before demonetisation and I am glad that since I am not a kaali peeli taxi driver, my business wasnt impacted in a negative way even after the cash crunch," says Jadhav. He has not only taught himself how to use technology to his advantage but also taught his wife and other family members to use the smartphone. He says, People from lower levels in society are not dumb, they are have the bandwidth to understand technology, I have no doubt that India will one day become digital India. Watch the video to hear Jadhavs story and how he used a government scheme to not only launch his business but also build a house. Make no mistake, the truce between banks and pump owners, deferring the move to 13 January from today, is only temporary. The Narendra Modi government will have to think of some out-of-the-box solutions to have a lasting solution to the ongoing deadlock at petrol pumps, where dealers have threatened to stop accepting card payments from 13 January after card companies started levying an up to 1 percent charge on petrol pump dealers to compensate their losses. If the government fails to find some short-term solutions until the time cash circulation returns to normal, it is running the risk of losing a critical phase of the cashless drive launched post the 8 November demonetisation. There are few reasons why there isnt an easy solution to this current problem popping up at roadside petrol pumps. To begin with, petrol pumps are very low margin businesses. The margins can vary from less than a percent to 2 percent. One person whose family owns a petrol pump told this writer that petrol pumps mostly make money with some adjustments such as tinkering with their fuel meters or by introducing certain incentives to lure customers and thus make big volumes. While other retailers, can pass on the surcharges on card payments to the end-consumer, pump dealers cannot. This is because fuel prices and margins are fixed. If banks charge 1 percent surcharge per transactions, the petrol dealer is left with almost nothing. This wasnt a major problem before demonetisation since card transactions contributed only a small portion of the total sales. But, the situation changed during November-December on account of severe cash shortage post demonetisation and the governments aggressive digital push asking banks/ card companies/ general public to promote cashless transactions. Post this, card transactions (where you swipe a card at a PoS terminal) almost doubled. Still, this didnt pinch the dealer much since the government had waived transaction charges for 50 days. But, when this bonus period got over, the pain was being felt on card issuers (mainly banks) since there is a cost attached to each card transaction. A substantial surge in card transactions at petrol pumps meant their losses mounting and hence they were forced to impose a 1 percent charge on merchants. Even at other retailers, banks charge 2-2.5 percent per transaction but there it is possible to pass on the added burden to customer, here it is not. What will happen now? Somebody has to compensate banks and pump owners either the government, the end-consumer or the supply chain beginning with oil companies. Most likely, the buck will have to be passed to the consumer, otherwise the burden will be on the government exchequer, adding to its subsidy burden. That is if the waiver on card transactions will have to be continued in some manner if the idea is to promote cashless transactions. Else, it is a major roadblock in the Modi governments cashless drive. But, what is equally needed is transparency on charges. At present, some petrol dealers charge 2-2.5 percent on card payments from customer, give a part of that to the bank and take the rest. The consumer ends up paying to two parties on one card payment. Are charges on card payments the only problem at petrol pumps? It is not. They also get the cash with a delay compared with cash transactions. Typically, money from sales done through PoS terminals are credited to the merchants bank overnight, but as Prashant K Reddy, member of TPPDA, says (read here), now it takes three days, forcing the dealers to borrow money to restock the petrol pumps, leading to tax issues. Banks typically charge 2-2.5 percent on card transactions, while mobile wallets such as PayTM charge even higheranywhere between 1-4 per cent. There we have a bigger problem. Facing pressure on its cashless drive, the government has assured neither the customer not the pump owner will be charged. Let me make it clear that customers will not be levied with any surcharge. Petrol Pumps were worried that the surcharge will be upon their heads, but let me assure them that it will not befall on them as well. Oil Marketing companies and banks are in talks and the former has given an incentive to increase digital transactions, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan was quoted as saying. But, this is unlikely to be a sustainable solution since neither of these two parties can endlessly compensate the losses of card transactions. Somebody needs to foot the bill. Banks and payment providers are unlikely to give up easily since they make money on charging a fee on such transactions. A significant jump in volume of cad payments is an opportunity for them if allowed to charge and pain if forced to give free of cost. In the case of banks, even the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) had cautioned about the governments move to do away with merchant discount rate (MDR), which is the rate a card service provider (in this case, bank) charges to the merchant (read here). RBI had cautioned that this would make business unsustainable for banks. With a sharp surge in card payments, either the government will have to bear the burden or let those consumers who would want to use cards for transactions pay the extra charge. The current crisis situation has arisen because there isnt enough cash to go around post the ban of Rs 500, Rs 1,000 notes. Right now, there isnt much choice to a significant majority of consumers but to pay by card. This is a short-term problem. Yet again, the challenge is to make enough lower denomination notes available in the system. But, once the cash crunch eases, it is best to leave the decision whether to go cashless or not to the customer if he wants to pay cash or use card. Make him pay the extra charge as is the case now inmost retail outlets, should he chooses to use the convenience of a card payment at petrol pumps. Banks, oil companies and petrol pumps are doing business for margins, not charity. This is the only sustainable solution to this problem. But, until the time the artificial cash crunch eases, the government will have to find a solution. The current mess involving petrol pumps and banks on card payments is a lesson to the government that it isnt wise to impose a cashless life on the consumer and it is better leave the choice to him. New Delhi: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament can call Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation if it is not satisfied with the answers given by top finance ministry officials and the RBI Governor Urjit Patel, to whom a detailed questionnaire has been sent. A PAC meeting on this issue has been called on 20 January, in which the RBI Governor Urjit Patel, Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa and Economic Affairs Secretary Shaktikanta Das will be present. "We have not yet received answers for the questions we have sent to them. They will reply few days before the 20 January meeting. Their replies will be discussed in detail," PAC chairman and senior Congress leader K V Thomas told PTI. Asked if the PAC would call the Prime Minister if replies were not satisfactory, he said: "The committee has all right to call anybody involved in the matter. But that will depend on the outcome of the 20 January meeting. We can call prime minister on demonetisation issue if members unanimously decide." In a meeting with the prime minister after demonetisation announcement made on 8 November, Thomas said, "I had met him and he said that the situation will be normal after 50 days by December-end. But it does not looks like." So, PAC decided to call the top officials involved in the decision making process this month, he said, adding that the demonetisation has impacted the country's economy. "The prime minister is misleading the country to satisfy his ego. He is trying to justify his wrong decisions. He has done in a callous manner by introducing Rs 2,000 notes," he said. "In a country where there is a call drop problem and telecom facilities are not smooth, how can prime minister expect e-transactions would take place on mobiles. Do we have sufficient infrastructure?" he questioned. Asked what kind of questionnaire been sent to the RBI chief and top finance ministry officials, Thomas said that the PAC has raised questions on all aspects of demonetisation. Among key questions sought are, who were involved in the decision-making?, how much money has come back into banks after demonetisation?, is there a law that can restrict people's access their money?, how much money has been pumped back into the system?, if black money issue has been addressed and the impact on the economy and poor?. The PAC, which scrutinises the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), takes suo motu note of the important matters. Sitting high court judge, CS Karnan has written to the Supreme Court and will appear next month to argue against the collegium's mandate to transfer him. According to The Indian Express, the judge was asked by the high court to vacate is official bungalow in Chennai in order to accommodate a newly appointed judge and that Karnan should return 12 files that are in his possession. In February 2016, Karnan did not accept the collegium's proposal to transfer him out of the Madras High Court. According to the report, he "suo motu 'stayed' his transfer order, issued by then Chief Justice of India TS Thakur on 12 February. Judicial and administrative work from Karnan was withdrawn but the Supreme Court allowed him to contest the transfer petition. This is the first time that a sitting judge is contesting such orders. According to an editorial published in The Hindu, The curious case of Justice Karnan, 21 judges in the High Court signed a petition of complaint against Karnan because of his offensive interaction with the judges. The Supreme Court condemned Justice Karnan's conduct as "uncharitable and ungenerous, and indecorous," according to the editiorial which questions as to why such a long rope has been given to Karnan. According to The Economic Times, Karnan shortly after writing the letter to the then CJI, claimed in another letter, he was mentally unstable because of alleged caste bias against him in the High Court. The report elaborates on Karnan's claims about two disturbing incidents one that involved him being kicked by another judge and the other incident was how a judge "silently ridiculed" him. In that letter, Karnan said: "Hereinafter I will continue to foster a harmonious attitude to one and all and will appreciate your (CJIs) kind reciprocation," as quoted in a Deccan Chronicle report which added that he sent copies of the letter to the Prime Minister, President of India, Union Law Minister and Congress leader Sonia Gandhi. Who is CS Karnan? Justice Chinnaswamy Swaminathan Karnan hails from Cuddalore district. He has served as a Judge at the Madras High Court for the last 8 years and gaining steadily in the field of Judicial assignments and reform. He was transferred to Calcutta High Court in March 2016. In a fresh flip flop, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav made an attempt to reach out to his "rebelious son" and said that Akhilesh Yadav will be the chief minister if Samajwadi Party returns to power. In fact, going a step further, he even claimed that there are no factions within the party, which will contest the polls, which are less than a month away, as one single unit, according to CNN-News18. However, the development came in small strategic steps taken by the party patriarch to give another shot to reach a truce within the cleaving party. Following this, Akhilesh is expected to meet his father once again in Lucknow on Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Mulayam on Monday insisted he had no differences with his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav but admitted to fissures within the party. The public admission came even as the Election Commission said it will shortly take a call on the claims on the party's election symbol 'cycle' by both factions of Mulayam Singh and Akhilesh Yadav. Before this fresh move, Mulayam had asked his supporters to prepare for the elections, appealing to them to choose the candidates wisely, with less than 12 days remaining in the deadline to file nominations. Interestingly, Mulayam had asked his supporters to send the nomination forms to him for approval, which needs signature of the elected president of a political unit, thereby reiterating that he remained the national in-charge of his faction. Softening towards his son Akhilesh, Mulayam blamed cousin and Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav for the feud within the party, after he met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to assert his claim over 'cycle', for the second time in a week. "There are some who have influenced my son (Akhilesh). I had a talk with him last night and also in the morning over the issue. There is no dispute between my son and me. There are some differences within the party, not much. Only one person is responsible for this. That will be resolved soon when I reach Lucknow," he said. Mulayam, who has expelled Ram Gopal Yadav from the party, also wrote to Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari apprising him about the action. Ansari's office confirmed it had received the letter. "It will be duly examined." While Mulayam remained tight-lipped about his talks with Zaidi, informed sources said he insisted that the 1 January convention in which Akhilesh ousted him as the president was "illegal". Accompanied by loyalist Amar Singh and brother Shivpal Yadav, Mulayam spent nearly 40 minutes with Zaidi. The Akhilesh faction too called on the poll panel and urged it to expedite its decision on the party symbol. "We (urged) them to take a decision on the symbol as soon as possible because nominations (for Assembly polls) will start soon (17 January)," Ram Gopal Yadav later said. He refused a comment on Mulayam's remarks. Amid the tug of war over 'cycle', the EC will soon take a call "in a day or two", a source told IANS. Earlier, Devendra Upadhyay, a lawyer representing Akhilesh, said Mulayam had yet again refused to accept a copy of the reply filed by Ram Gopal vis-a-vis the election symbol. "The Election Commission had directed that before filing the reply with them we should provide a copy to Mulayam. I tried to give him a copy but he refused," Upadhyay told the media. With inputs from agencies Panaji: AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal assured rehabilitation fund of Rs 400 crore for the "victims" of iron ore mining ban in place till 2014 in Goa. "Those who became the victims of the mining ban, for them we would create Rs 400 crore separate funds for rehabilitation," Kejriwal told a public meeting at Sakhalim constituency located in the ore rich mining belt. Goa is going to polls on February 4. During his speech, he accused both the Congress and the BJP of causing miseries to people living in mining belt. "Between 2007-2012, Congress did so much corruption in the mining sector that Centre had to bring in (Justice M B) Shah Commission. The commission said there is Rs 36,000 crore scam in the mining sector," the CM said. Kejriwal said, "during 2012 election, (Manohar) Parrikar went door to door telling people that he will punish those involved in illegal mining," he said, adding after coming to power the BJP threw the Shah Commission report in dust bin. "No one was sent to jail. On the contrary what he (Parrikar as then CM) did was to shut down mining, leaving lakhs of people dependent on the business jobless," Kejriwal alleged. He said AAP will work for full fledged resumption of mining if voted to power. "Mining should be done with honesty," he said, adding the country cannot run without mining industry. In its order in 2014, the Supreme Court had allowed an annual cap of 20 million tonnes of iron ore to be extracted in Goa which was banned by it for nearly one-and-a-half years. The transportation and export of iron ore in Goa was stopped in October 2013 following a report of irregularities by the Justice Shah Commission. By Brenda Goh and J.R. Wu | SHANGHAI/TAIPEI SHANGHAI/TAIPEI State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that China would "take revenge" if he reneged on the one-China policy, only hours after Taiwan's president made a controversial stopover in Houston.Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met senior U.S. Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston on Sunday en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Tsai will stop in San Francisco on Jan. 13, her way back to Taiwan.China had asked the United States not to allow Tsai to enter or have formal government meetings under the one China policy.Beijing considers self-governing Taiwan a renegade province ineligible for state-to-state relations. The subject is a sensitive one for China.A photograph tweeted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott shows him meeting Tsai, with a small table between them adorned with the U.S., Texas and Taiwanese flags. Tsai's office said on Monday she also spoke by telephone with U.S. senator John McCain, head of the powerful Senate Committee on Armed Services. Tsai also met Texas Senator Ted Cruz."Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon U.S. presidents, but an obligation of U.S. presidents to maintain China-U.S. relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific," said the Global Times editorial on Sunday. The influential tabloid is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily.Trump triggered protests from Beijing last month by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai and questioning the U.S. commitment to China's position that Taiwan is part of one China. "If Trump reneges on the one-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining," said the Global Times.Cruz said some members of Congress had received a letter from the Chinese consulate asking them not to meet Tsai during her stopovers."The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," Cruz said in a statement. "This is not about the PRC. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend."Cruz said he and Tsai discussed upgrading bilateral relations and furthering economic cooperation between their countries, including increased access to Taiwan markets that would benefit Texas ranchers, farmers and small businesses. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang on Monday urged "relevant U.S. officials" to handle the Taiwan issue appropriately to avoid harming China-U.S. ties."We firmly oppose leaders of the Taiwan region, on the so-called basis of a transit visit, having any form of contact with U.S. officials and engaging in activities that interfere with and damage China-U.S. relations," Lu said.In a dinner speech Saturday to hundreds of overseas Taiwanese, Tsai said the United States holds a "special place in the hearts of the people of Taiwan" and that the island via bilateral exchanges has provided more than 320,000 jobs directly and indirectly to the American people, her office said on Monday. Tsai said Taiwan looked to create more U.S. jobs through deeper investment, trade and procurement. Tsai's office said James Moriarty, chairman of the American Institute in Taiwan, which handles U.S.-Taiwan affairs in the absence of formal ties, told the Taiwan president in Houston that the United States was continuing efforts to persuade China to resume dialogue with Taiwan.China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of the island.The Global Times, whose stance does not equate with government policy, also targeted Tsai in the editorial, saying that the mainland would likely impose further diplomatic, economic and military pressure on Taiwan, warning that "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes"."It should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force, so as to effectively affect the approval rating of the Tsai administration." (Reporting by Brenda Goh in Shanghai, J.R. Wu in Taipei, and Michael Martina in Beijing; Editing by Michael Perry, Robert Birsel) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused BJP Councillors of siphoning off funds meant for municipal employees in the capital. "BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their Councillors siphoned funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi's roads," the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted. Kejriwal's allegation came amid a strike by employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) which has led to pile up of garbage all across the area. The Kejriwal-led Delhi government on the weekend transferred Rs 119 crore into the bank account of EDMC. All the three wings of the Delhi municipal corporation are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Delhi government also released a statement stating it had released Rs 609 crore in fiscal 2016-17 for municipal employees and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16. In contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not control Delhi, the amount allotted was much less, it said: Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13. Panaji: Congress in Goa on Monday demanded apology from Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal for "insulting" the voters of the state by asking them to accept money offered by all political party, but vote for AAP. While addressing an election rally in Benaulim constituency on Saturday, Kejriwal had told voters, "If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate." Congress spokesman in Goa, Trajano D'Mello, while addressing a press conference on Monday, said, "Kejriwal's appeal to the people to take money from all political parties and vote for AAP is a clear case of inducing people to be corrupt. This is an insult to sensitive voters from Goa. Therefore, he should apologise to the people from the state." "I appeal to the Election Commission to take suo moto action, failing which I will study the legal implications and would not hesitate to file a formal complaint," he added. D'Mello said the Delhi Chief Minister has expressed his contempt for Goa, its people and its culture by stating that he would bring a Delhi model of governance in the coastal state. "Is it going to be a dengue-infected state, where while people are dying, the health minister does not feel it necessary to rush back to his territory to take control of the situation? Is it going to be a government, wherein the tax-payers' money will be diverted for advertisement in other states, just as crores of rupees of Delhi's tax-payers' money were spent on ads in other states, where the CAG has come down heavily," the Congress leader said. "The AAP claiming to provide 50,000 jobs and arrest corrupt Congress leaders only confirms and proves that it is the B team of the BJP. The strategy is being followed for the simple reason that these two issues were promised by the BJP in 2012 and had lured the Goan voters," D'Mello alleged. New Delhi: A Yashwant Sinha-led civil society panel has suggested "improving" the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and initiating talks with all stakeholders including separatist groups like Hurriyat Conference. The Concerned Citizen Group (CCG) had made another set of recommendations after their second visit to the Kashmir Valley last month -- that included urgent psychological counselling for minor detainees. The panel had first visited the Valley in October after which it had recommended an immediate ban on use of pellet guns by security forces. The Centre has distanced itself from the panel, led by the BJP leader, which also comprises former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and Programme Director of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobbha Barve. In the fresh set of recommendations compiled after their visit to the Kashmir Valley last month, the panel said there is a need for improving "the human rights situation in Kashmir and encourage more humane attitude by the security forces with the public". The panel went to Budgam, Shopian, Anantnag and Baramulla towns and met representatives of the minority Shia and Sikh communities and political leaders like former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Independent MLA Abdul Rashid alias 'Rashid Engineer' and Congress leader Saifuddin Soz. "Urgent psychological counselling to be provided to minors being released from detentions. We suggest that a plan for counselling is put in place for this; based on the experience of similar efforts in 2010," the panel recommended. While keeping talks between India and Pakistan out of its purview because it was "contingent upon several other issues", the panel reminded the BJP-PDP coalition government of its commitment for holding talks with all the stakeholders including the Hurriyat. "We recommend that such a multi-dimensional dialogue is initiated at the earliest. As for an India-Pakistan dialogue, it is contingent upon several other issues," it said. On the economic front, it recommended that government agencies designed to promote tourism, industry and agriculture production should look for disinvestment and private investments, through design of suitable projects and finance, should be promoted. The panel also recommended allowing of assemblies and meetings of people for holding discussions on subjects that are of concern to the common Kashmiris and for free expression or ideas and views. Highlighting that "all the Commissioners of the J&K State Information Commission have retired and are not yet replaced", the panel suggested such issues should be addressed as it advocated "resuscitating democratic linkages between the government and the citizenry". Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday blamed Pakistan and the separatist leaders for inciting violence and planning conspiracies in the Kashmir Valley. While replying to a debate in the state Assembly on last year's unrest in the valley, Mehbooba said: "When issues like Kashmiri Pandit Colony and Sainik Colony did not work, the killing of Burhan Wani was used to trigger unrest." Mehbooba said: "Pakistan and the separatists derailed the dialogue process by shutting doors on the all-party delegation because they had made preparations for the valley unrest in advance." Defending the security forces' handling of the situation, the chief minister said: "When a mob attacks a police station with petrol bombs, stones and axes, it becomes difficult to exercise restraint." She also announced compensation of Rs 5 lakh to every family that lost a member to firing by security forces and a government job for those blinded by pellets during the unrest which lasted nearly five months. The chief minister also promised punishment to those guilty of using excessive force. The five-month-long unrest, which sparked off after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on 8 July, 2016, left more than 100 persons dead. She said the death of a college lecturer and an ATM guard during the unrest would be probed. The security forces were blamed for the killing of the ATM guard in Srinagar and the lecturer in Pulwama district. After the announcement of the election schedule for five states Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur the election code of conduct for the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be announced in the next 24 hours. Though the election will be held in 11 municipal corporations, the focus will be on the country's richest civic body the BMC. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who is busy with the code of conduct, is personally supervising all the meetings related to the infrastructural projects under these municipal bodies and has moved the weekly Cabinet meeting to Monday instead of Tuesday. The current term of the Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi-Nijampur, Ulhasnagar, Pune, Pimpri-Chinchwad, Nashik, Akola, Solapur, Amravati, Nagpur civic bodies will end by March 2017, therefore, the State Election Commission (SEC) is planning to hold the election before 15 March. Moreover, the HSC examinations will be held between 28 February and 25 March and SSC exams between 7 March and 29 March. There is a possibility that the municipal polls will be scheduled for the last week of February. In 2012, the BMC election were held on 16 February and the new House of the BMC was formed on 8 March. The electoral roll for the BMC and other municipal corporations as on 1 January has been updated on the EC website. State Election Commissioner (SEC) JS Saharia told Firstpost that due to the SSC and HSC exams, the SEC is planning to hold the civic body elections in February. Discussions regarding the election have been held with the collector and commissioner and the dates will be announced anytime now, he said. He added that the entire election process will be completed before 8 March. Last Thursday, the BJP-led government decided to relax the terms for redevelopment of old buildings on Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) layouts. Cluster development in the city and suburbs was also announced by Fadnavis. Apart from monitoring work on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project and Mumbai-Nagpur corridor, bhumi pujan ceremony was performed of the first phase of the Pune metro project and Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave major push to a host of infrastructural projects including the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link project (MTHL). The ruling party in the BMC, Shiv Sena and BJP, have not announced an alliance yet for the BMC polls. Both the parties have prepared a list of probable candidates in 227 wards. Shiv Sena secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Desai told Firstpost that Shiv Sena wants alliance in every corporation, not a selected few. "If they (BJP) agree, then we will form an alliance, or else we are ready to go solo. Our preparations have already started," he said. BJP, on the other hand, also prepared a list of of 227 candidates and submitted to Fadnavis. The Maharashtra chief minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray share a cordial relationship. In the last one month, they have shared the public dais four times. Both the leaders are willing to tie up for the BMC polls, but the final decision has not been made, said sources from the BJP. Mumbai BJP president and MLA Ashish Shelar and MP Kirit Somaiya are opposing the alliance. Shelar, who has strong support in the BMC and the Maharashtra Assembly, has been taking a dig at the Shiv Sena's style of functioning at the BMC. The Mumbai BJP unit believes that the party's support has grown and they should go for more than 100 seats in the BMC. In 2012, Shiv Sena contested 158 seats and won 75, whereas BJP contested 69 seats and won 32. Mumbai: Maharashtra BJP president Raosaheb Danve on Monday thanked people for "historic victory" of the party in the civic polls, and said it was an endorsement of the decision of demonetisation. BJP on Monday bagged 100 seats in the last phase of municipal council polls in Maharashtra and also secured seven posts of Municipal Council president. Overall, it won 1190 councillor's posts, retaining top position. "After the end of counting for the fourth and last phase of polls, it is clear that BJP has won the maximum number of councillor's seats. It has also won the maximum number of civic chief's posts," Danve said. "This is a mandate for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation decision," he claimed. "People have shown that they like the performance of Modi and (Chief Minister Devendra) Fadnavis-led governments....BJP has won 72 municipal chief's posts on the party symbol, while five posts have been bagged by our associate parties," he said. "The confidence of our workers has gone up. We are now ready to win the coming municipal corporation and zilla parishad polls as well," Danve said. By Waqar Mustafa LAHORE, Pakistan (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Pakistan will count transgender people in its national census for the first time when it surveys its population in March this year following a top court ruling on Monday.The Lahore High Court issued the order to the government, National Database and Registration Authority, and the interior ministry with a government official assuring the court that the transgender community will be part of the 2017 census.This stemmed from a petition filed by transgender Waqar Ali last November that argued Pakistan's transgender community had been marginalised and their fundamental rights should be recognised by including them in the sixth national census.Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah passed the order, issuing directives to enforce the transgender community's basic rights.The move was welcomed by Pakistan's transgender community."We are glad that we will be counted as will be other people," transgender rights worker Almas Bobby told the Thomson Reuters Foundation. "Hope we get equal citizenship and equal status."There are no official figures on the number of transgender people living in Pakistan but advocacy group Trans Action estimates there are at least 500,000 in the country with a population of 190 million.In 2012, Pakistan's Supreme Court declared equal rights for transgender citizens, including the right to inherit property and assets, preceded a year earlier by the right to vote. But shunned by mainstream society, transgender individuals in Pakistan are still often forced into begging, prostitution or dancing to earn a living.However transgender people are also sometimes venerated in the South Asian tradition of according spiritual powers to eunuchs and others who fall outside traditional gender divisions.Nepal's 2011 census was hailed as the first national census globally to allow people to register as a gender other than male or female while India also counted transgender people in its national census for the first time in 2011. In 2013 Germany became the first European country to allow parents of babies born with no clearly-defined gender characteristics to leave the 'male/female' field on birth certificates blank, creating a 'third sex' category.Citizens of Australia, New Zealand and Bangladesh can choose from three genders for their passports.Pakistan, estimated to be the sixth largest country by population, will conduct its national census in March following a gap of nearly 19 years.The last census was carried out in 1998 when the population was calculated at 132 million people. (Editing by Belinda Goldsmith; Please credit the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the charitable arm of Thomson Reuters, that covers humanitarian news, women's rights, trafficking, property rights and climate change. Visit news.trust.org) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, along with Congress leaders Amarinder Singh and Randeep Surjewala, released the party manifesto in New Delhi on Monday for the Punjab Assembly election 2017. Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh releases Punjab Congress Manifesto for upcoming polls pic.twitter.com/tFcU70d9fH ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 "Punjab is a state with tremendous unexploited potential. This potential has not been exploited because of mismanagement by the current government," said Manmohan, adding, "Earlier also, Punjab was a victim of terrorism. And it has inflicted great deal of damage on the economy and polity of Punjab. The challenge before Punjab is to rise above all this din and recognise that the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow." "This election manifesto is a forward looking visionary document, which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the state government in the past 10 years," said the former prime minister. "It points to the tremendous potential of the state in terms of agriculture, manufacturing, services, infrastructure and social services. In all these areas, the present set up has not been able to make adequate use of the potential that exists in Punjab," he said. The fiscal situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP Govt has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented: Dr Singh #PunjabINCManifesto pic.twitter.com/PCkCHwOWME INC India (@INCIndia) January 9, 2017 "Captain Amarinder Singh's leadership is badly needed at this time because in him, we have a leader of great vision. In him, we have a leader who has a wealth of experience. His commitment to the cause of development of Punjab is unrivalled," he added. "The fiscal situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented," Manmohan said, adding, "Amarinder's government will undo all this damage and set a new pathway for a better tomorrow which will see that people will have a higher per-capita Income, better distribution of Income, better employment prospects and better infrastructure," he said. Amarinder then addressed reporters and went through the key points of the manifesto, stating that the manifesto focused on nine main issues in Punjab, some of which were water supply, fighting the supply and consumption of drugs in the state, employment generation, waiver of agricultural debts and welfare measures for farmers, trade, business and industry and affordable electricity. The manifesto also vowed to bring in total transparency in governance as well as all financial and political systems through innovative initiatives and out-of-the-box measures. The manifesto includes a 10page chargesheet against the Badal regime, exposing the alleged "Loot, Boot & Shoot" policy of the SAD-BJP government that also lists out the multiple failures of the Akali "misrule" of past 10 years. The chargesheet is led by a section on 'Family First the family comes first while the state goes to dumps' and underlines 'Why it's imperative for the people of Punjab to rid themselves of a decade of SAD-BJP misrule'. "The manifesto is being launched in Chandigarh and five other cities in Punjab as well," he said. "We are taking over a deficit state. The government is operating by selling land and mortgaging buildings, including old age homes," he added. "Nevertheless, we have made a comprehensive manifesto. We have covered every facet of Punjab," Amarinder said. "Rural debt in Punjab is Rs 67,000 crore. We are planning to take over debt of every farmer and negotiate with banks," he said. He also addressed the problem of consumption of drugs in the state and said, "Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in four weeks, we will end this drug menace in Punjab." Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in 4 weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab: Capt Amarinder Singh, Cong pic.twitter.com/i3eG26J2aM ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 He added that it was because of unemployment that the youth in Punjab were turning to drugs. "We will catch these drug fellows and we will hang them upside down," he said dramatically. Amarinder also said that the Congress plans to launch a programme called 'Har Ghar Mein Naukri' which plans to provide employment to 55 lakh households in Punjab. "In each district, there will be a new set-up which will monitor what type of jobs are required." Amarinder Singh announced that the state would generate as many as 25 lakh jobs within the next five years. "Till jobs are available, we will give a stipend of Rs 2,500 to every youngster," he said. Amarinder dismissed suggestions that his promise to provide jobs to all unemployed in the state was like the Rs 15-lakh in all accounts promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "People know what I promise, I do fulfil them," he said. Perhaps the most hilarious part of the press conference was when Amarinder announced that Congress plans to launch a programme called 'Guardians of Governance'. "We are starting a programme called Guardians of Governance. This will be a group of ex-servicemen from panchayats to blocks to districts, right up to the chief minister. This department will be under the chief minister. They will report about the implementation of schemes. We will utitlise a discipline force. This is going to hopefully eradicate the misuse of funds," said Amarinder. The Congress leader also talked about providing electricity to Punjab. "We will provide affordable electricity. If we want industry to come to Punjab then we have to give a level playing field," he said. "We will reduce power tariff to industry from Rs 7.60 down to Rs 5," he added. He also promised to bring a new industrial policy within 90 days, besides promising an end to VIP culture, bring sweeping economic reforms and total transparency in governance. He also promised free houses to homeless dalits/SCs/OBCs and one job in every family. He lamented that the growth rate of Punjab was down at 5.6 percent, against the national average of 7.3 percent, and that the state has slided from number one position to number 19 under Akalis. "We are in a very bad shape," he said. On the contentious SYL Canal issue, he insisted there was no additional water in Punjab and that when the Assembly will be convened a law will be passed for not sharing any of the state's waters. "We are not for not giving. But, we don't have it (to share)," he said when asked about it. Amarinder Singh also spoke about giving smartphones to children "to use them as education tools. An idle mind is the devil's workshop. We want to get them out of this mode of drug business." Noting that this is his last election, Amarinder said, "For 47 years, I have been in politics and this is my last election. I am not going to fight again. People know that what I say, I fulfil." Manmohan Singh also spoke on demonetisation and said that it will affect the election results in Punjab as well. "Demonetisation is an important issue which will figure in Punjab as well," he said. "It has been proven now that the country's GDP will be affected by demonetisation. National income unit of the CSO (Central Statistical Organisation) has come out with a statement that GDP growth will be 7.1 percent as against the target of 7.6 percent, but this does not take into account the effect of demonetisation," said the former prime minister. We are giving smartphones to children to use them as education tools. Idle mind is devil's workshop. We want to get them out of this mode of drug business. The Congress party didn't wait for the return of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to release its Punjab poll manifesto. The Congress vice-president has been travelling for over 10 days now, however, details about his travels have not been made public. Everyone, starting from election strategists, in all five poll-bound states Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur are probably waiting for Rahul to finish with his travels and be back to start strategising. It is not the first time that the Congress scion has gone aboard around this time of the year and last time too, it was at a time when state Assembly elections were round the corner. It would be interesting to see how he shapes public narrative after his return. Rahul had informed about his plans on his Twitter profile: I will be traveling for the next few days.Happy New Year to everyone,wishing you and your loved ones success & happiness in this coming year Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 31, 2016 Punjab Congress unit under leadership of Captain Amarinder Singh, however, proved to be different. The way the election manifesto was released, showed that maybe the Captain did not need a Rahul to boost his campaign or for that matter the party's poll prospects. Amarinder did not wait for Rahul to be back to release party's poll manifesto and seemed to have succeeded in convincing the party leadership that this event could be done in absence of the party vice president. It would be naive to think that Amarinder could do it without the approval from party president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi but the fact that he managed to do it speaks volume of the Captain's capabilities and Rahul's inclination or lack of it to be a full time politician, especially a politician who takes ownership of key decisions of the party. This is a rare occasion when a state Congress satrap takes primacy over Nehru-Gandhi scion. Taking a cue from Nitish Kumar's "7 Nishchay" (resolve), Congress in Punjab has "Captain de 9 Nuskhe" (Captain's nine-fold formula). Captain has so far kept Rahul broadly away from campaigning in Punjab. Though the Congress could argue that Rahul has kept himself away purposefully. Rahul's absence came in as a gain for former prime minister Manmohan Singh. It was as if Congress was re-exploring the virtues of the former prime minister and re-explore his credentials as a Sikh leader. Manmohan had the honour of releasing party's Punjab poll manifesto and place Congress's faith in Amarinder's leadership, so far as regaining party's lost glory in Punjab was concerned. This also comes at a time when a report published in The New Indian Express said that Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of National Advisory Council (NAC) practically acted as head of Government and Manmohan Singh was as Prime Minister happy playing proxy to her. The report has the potential of generating a political controversy for the file communication between the NAC and PMO or with other ministries or cabinet secretary, Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh officially confirm what was always talked of Manmohan Singh was in office but not in power and Sonia Gandhi exercised absolute power for 10 years between 2004-14 without any responsibility. To embarrassment of Congress party, Modi government has decided to make 710 files of the NAC public. Under the circumstances, Congress leadership idea to find virtues in Mamohan Singh's political acumen to release manifesto in Punjab, is interesting. Singh praised Amarinder's leadership abilities to hilt. "Captain (Amarinder) saab's leadership is needed. We sincerely believe that Punjab is in need of better time, prosperity of better tomorrow." Singh said Punjab was a state with tremendous unexploited potential. Congress's return to power will undo the damage of last 10 years of Akali Dal-BJP rule. On his part, Amarinder spoke of Mamohan's forgotten credentials. They of course, did not reflect on Rahul's absence. Ranchi: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the infighting in Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party was "a cause for concern" as it affected the state. BJP did not feel happy in any quarrel in any family or any party and did not weigh any political benefit, he said. "Yes, it is definitely a cause for concern if the family is in the ruling dispensation," Singh said, adding quarrels in such times affect the state and that the lapses would be fulfilled after BJP forms the next government. He also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's feat in the last two-and-a-half years as "unparalleled". "Narendra Modi is the most popular Prime Minister and his achievements in the last two-and-a-half years are unparalleled," Singh told reporters in reply to a query on a statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. To another question on the reported attacks on BJP party offices in West Bengal, Singh said in a healthy democracy, there should not be any violence. "I am not talking about one government, I am talking about all governments," he added. On demonetisation, the Union Minister said irrespective of any party in power, some decisions were taken in the interest of the state and the nation and that one should not see it through the prism of profit and loss. "The decision is taken in the interest of the people and in the interest of the nation," he said, adding it should not be made an election issue. The Union Home Minister praised Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, saying he was doing "extremely well". Can Akhilesh Yadav win the Uttar Pradesh election on his own? Can he survive without the cycle or the blessings of his father? In every opinion poll conducted in Uttar Pradesh, in spite of the varying projections of seats for different parties, one finding has been consistent: Akhilesh Yadav is invariably the top choice for chief minister's job. Since the advent of Narendra Modi in Indian politics, elections in India have become more and more personality-centric, almost presidential in style and nature. Having favourable popularity ratings helps a leader cut through the pack, start off as the front runner. This was evident in at least three recent elections. First in Delhi, where Arvind Kejriwal's superior rating, first compared with Harshvardhan and later with Kiran Bedi, helped the AAP sweep the Assembly polls in 2014 even when opinion polls were mixed. Similar trends were visible in Bihar and Assam, where the popularity of Nitish Kumar (JD(U) and Sarbananda Sonowal/Himanta Biswa Sarma (BJP) helped their parties decimate the rivals even when their parties appeared caught in tough battles. The reason is simple: If a leader's popularity levels are high, they help him cut through the traditional caste-community-class divides and rise above party affiliations. In a personality-centred election, the face becomes the message and the ideology, not the party. With elections just a month away, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister has the advantage of being bigger than his own party, and perhaps larger than contenders from other parties. But, can he pull off a Modi/Kejriwal/Nitish Kumar/Sarma/Sonowal in the assembly polls? Can he turn his own popularity ratings into the talking point for voters, the leitmotif of the election? It is apparent from Akhilesh Yadav's moves so far that he had plotted a coup within the Samajwadi Party several months ago. He was ready for a situation where either the SP becomes his, or he becomes the face of a new party. Around six months ago, he had started an image-building campaign in UP by putting his own face on hoardings, banners and TV commercials, pushing the party, its symbol and his own father and benefactor in the background. So far, Yadav has succeeded in achieving some of the things he had set out to do. With a massive campaign focussed on his personality, he has towered over other stalwarts in UP politics, including Mayawati and his father. Since the BJP has so far not named anyone as its presumptive CM candidate, voters have not had the option to make a choice. But, the talk within UP and this may worry the BJP because it is almost identical to the chatter in Delhi two years ago is that ''Modi ji in Delhi, Bhaiyya ji in Lucknow.'' Also, by waging a public war against Shivpal and hoodlums who got tickets from Mulayam Singh, the chief minister has cleverly shrugged off a bit of anti-incumbency against himself. Like Indira Gandhi in the 60s, he has positioned himself as a crusader against the SP establishment, including his own parivar. In normal circumstances, the combination of high popularity ratings, absence of, or low, anti-incumbency should have worked for any chief minister facing an election. He should have been optimistic also because of the confusion around demonetisation and its impact on the lives of farmers, daily wage earners, labourers who have returned to villages because of slow-down in economy and traders. Contrary to popular perception, the biggest problem for Akhilesh would not be his inability to contest under the SP banner, on the cycle symbol. His strategists are confident that if they are allotted a new symbol, they would be able to take it to the hinterland without too many problems. The decision to fight for the 'cycle' symbol, in fact, has two objectives: One, obviously, to contest next polls on it. Two, deprive Shivpal faction the option of using it. This, the chief minister's strategists believe, would not only ensure votes meant for Akhilesh are not mistakenly cast on the traditional symbol but also the demise of the rival SP faction, which, in the absence of established leaders and dedicated workers, would struggle to establish a new identity. Yet, Akhilesh has too many problems to contend with and too little time to sort them out. The first phase of elections is just a week away from being notified. While most of the parties are in campaign mode, giving final touches to their strategy and candidate lists, the chief minister is stuck in Lucknow, fighting on the domestic front. Since the rapprochement or break up with Mulayam is still not final, there is confusion also about the status of his allies. Nobody knows if he would finally contest alone or with the Congress and the RLD. And since there is still confusion around the future of the speculated alliance, the list of candidates is also in abeyance. The longer the uncertainty lasts, the more difficult it would be for Akhilesh to hit the campaign trail with all his ammo and allies. Finding his campaign in disarray, not sure of his chances, some of his voters may defect to the BSP and the BJP. Akhilesh is not just fighting against the three Ms--Mayawati, Modi and Mulayam--in UP. He is also battling time, an enemy that is invincible. "I am the national president of Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh," embattled patriarch of the ruling party Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted on Sunday. Mai Samajwadi Party ka rashtriya adhyaksh hoon aur Akhilesh Yadav Uttar Pradesh ke mukhyamantri hain: Mulayam Singh Yadav #SPFeud pic.twitter.com/bNZr6AUmqN ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 8, 2017 I am Samajwadi party chief and Akhilesh Yadav is the Chief Minister UP, Shivpal Yadav is the state President: Mulayam Singh Yadav pic.twitter.com/prceqFQraC ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 8, 2017 Ramgopal Yadav expelled for six years, can't call party convention says Mulayam Singh Yadav pic.twitter.com/IJWrWglPWN ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 8, 2017 Mulayam, along with his brother and most-trusted lieutenant, Shivpal Yadav, and Amar Singh met with the Election Commission in Delhi to stake claim to the "cycle," the symbol of the Samajwadi Party that he founded 25 years ago. Akhilesh has already challenged Mulayam for the symbol and the post of the party chief. Akhilesh, backed by his uncle and Mulayam's cousin Ram Gopal Yadav told the EC (before the dates for the elections were announced) that the they had the support of over 200 of 229 Samajwadi Party lawmakers in the state. The chief minister is in Delhi as well to meet with the Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi. Interestingly, this is the first time that Akhilesh is personally visiting the EC over the symbol war. Meanwhile, Mulayam sought Vice-President Hamid Ansari's interference in the ongoing party war. Mulayam has asked Ansari, who is also the deputy chairman of Rajya Sabha, to expel Ram Gopal from the Upper House. Ram Gopal is the party's Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha. ANI reported that that the letter was received and Mulayam's request will be duly examined. Attacking the former general secretary of the party, Mulayam reiterated that he had no problems with the chief minister. The statement came even as the two leaders are warring over the party symbol. But Mulayam is expected to challenge the rival camp's claim and request the poll panel to check the "authenticity and legality" of the documents. His long-time friend and party's Rajya Sabha MP, Amar Singh, said the signatures of support were "forged and their authenticity is doubtful". Not taking any names, Mulayam said that there was only one person behind all the problems in the party he meant Ram Gopal. The expelled leader said that he won't comment on anything that "Netaji says." There is no problem between me and my son (Akhilesh Yadav): Mulayam Singh Yadav #SPfeud ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud; sure that issues will be resolved: Mulayam Singh Yadav #SPfeud pic.twitter.com/YI216uhxgh ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 Humare chin (symbol) hai vivadith, ab Election Commission tay karega ki chin kisse milega: Mulayam Singh Yadav #SPfeud pic.twitter.com/uH5yRVNKZy ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 Emboldened after the meeting with EC on Monday, Mulayam even said that he "will fix everything". The war of words escalated on Sunday as questions over the "real SP" were raised. As questions were raised over the authenticity of proofs submitted to the EC by the Akhilesh camp, Ram Gopal told ANI that the "real SP had submitted proofs along with the affidavits to EC" and that "the proofs were also sent to Netaji but he didn't receive them". We want them also to give all their proofs to EC soon, so that they can make a decision as soon as possible: Ramgopal Yadav #SPfeud pic.twitter.com/aUad1IsTOK ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) January 8, 2017 Mulayam had reiterated the fact that former general secretary Ram Gopal had been expelled from the party for six years on 30 December and had lost his prerogative to call the 1 January national convention, which saw Mulayam dislodged as the party president. Despite the apparent clarifications issued by Mulayam, the many twists and turns of the SP feud are far from culminating any time soon. The Sunday's press conference and the preceding developments from the day also saw another interesting development in the form of the return of "outsider" (Amar Singh) to the fore, who had so far maintained a distance from the ongoing rift stating it was an "internal matter of the family." Singh was formally appointed party general secretary of the cleaving party only two days ago. The Yadav Pari-'war' saga seems to have reached a climax with both factions pitted against each other to claim stake at the electoral symbol of the party, and with that over an undisputed claim on the party's throne. Even as the party patriarch claimed that there was "no dispute" in his party, he conceded amid party workers that Akhilesh has indeed rebelled against him. According to quotes accessed by CNN-News18, Mulayam in a heart-felt speech said, "He has turned a rebel, but he is my son... What can I do if he is stubborn?" An emotional Mulayam also reportedly said that he will "let Akhilesh do whatever he wants", as he tried to reassure the SP cadres that "things will get better in the party," as quoted by Times Now. With less than a month to go for the crucial Assembly elections, it is safe to say that the fate of the ruling party hangs by a bicycle. The feud may help Akhilesh cover the failures of his government on the growth, employment and law and order fronts by claiming that he was not allowed to work by those elements from whom he has now distanced himself. And Mulayam, by proclaiming that he is the party president and Akhilesh is the chief minister, may have apparently tried to strengthen this perception by appearing to reassure the SP supporters especially Yadavs and Muslims that he was behind his son. However, the public sees everything and this double-speak and in some cases just blatant infighting can cost Mulayam's beloved Samajwadi Party a lot. Yangon: At least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar a third of them over the past week since the army launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, the UN said on Monday. The figure marks a sharp escalation in the numbers fleeing a military campaign which rights groups say has been marred by abuses so severe they could amount to crimes against humanity. They also come the same day the UN's human rights envoy for Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, began a 12-day visit to probe violence in the country's borderlands that will take her to the army-controlled area. "Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state," the UN's relief agency said in its weekly report. "As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Cox's Bazaar" in southern Bangladesh, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The exodus of Rohingya from northern Rakhine began after Myanmar's army launched clearance operations while searching for insurgents behind deadly raids on police border posts three months ago. Escapees from the persecuted Muslim minority in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of security forces committing mass rape, murder and arson. The stories have cast a pall over the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, with mainly Muslim Malaysia being especially critical. Myanmar's government has said the claims of abuse are fabricated and launched a special commission to investigate the allegations. Last week it presented its interim report denying accusations of "genocide and religious persecution" and saying there was insufficient evidence that troops had been committing rape. That judgement came days after a video emerged showing police beating Rohingya civilians, something the government said was an isolated incident after the officers were arrested. Today the UN's Lee began her own probe with a visit to Kachin state, where thousands have been displaced by fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. Lee, who has faced threats and demonstrations on previous visits over her comments on Myanmar's treatment of the Rohingya, is due to visit Rakhine before leaving on 20 January. Hardline Buddhist monk Wirathu caused outrage when he called her a "whore in our country" for criticising controversial legislation considered discriminatory to women and minorities. A small white drone hummed into sight and Thaker, a member of Iraq's special forces, grabbed his machine gun and started lighting up the blue sky above eastern Mosul. His bullets whizzed all around the hovering unmanned aircraft but failed to take it down. "I shot one down, this morning," Thaker said. The Counter-Terrorism Service Thaker serves in has been battling the Islamic State group in the streets of Mosul for weeks, dodging sniper and mortar fire, booby traps and suicide car bombs. A relatively new threat in the war on the jihadists since they took over large parts of Iraq in 2014 comes from above, with the systematic use of cheap commercial drones by Islamic State for reconnaissance purposes. The jihadists use them much for the same reasons as Iraqi forces: To study the terrain, inform their snipers and assess their enemy's deployment. But Islamic State also uses the drones "to pick itineraries for their car bombs", Thaker said just as a huge blast ripped through the air of Al-Rifaq. This neighbourhood of eastern Mosul was retaken by Iraqi forces last week and lies near the ancient ruins of Nineveh, a vast archaeological site in the heart of the city. The blast was most likely caused by one of a constant string of pot shots taken by the jihadists' mortar units at areas they lost. The latest round crashed into the ground near a mosque, two streets down. It was not clear whether it caused any casualties. Terrified residents pushed their front gates ajar to hear the latest from the front lines of a war that is unfolding literally on their doorstep. Tens of thousands of them have fled the city since Iraqi forces on 17 October last year launched an offensive, the country's largest military operation in years, to retake the IS bastion. Nineveh ruins But hundreds of thousands of civilians remain in Iraq's second largest city, many cowering without electricity or water in their shuttered homes. Yusef, a father of six with a slat-and-pepper beard, peered from behind his gate and praised the Iraqi forces he said liberated him from two and a half years of jihadist rule. "With them, there was no justice and no cigarettes," he said. Standing beside him was his nephew Mohammed, whose nose and right ear oozed blood under a hastily-applied bandage. "It's only a light wound... A car bomb exploded around 50 yards from where I was standing," he explained, as he heaped thanks and praise on the special forces, whose black Humvees had parked in front of his house. CTS forces, the best-trained and most seasoned combat units in Iraq, reached the Tigris for the first time on Sunday, a landmark on the rocky road to a full reconquest of Mosul. With a fresh coordination effort and increased support from the US-led coalition, Iraqi forces have over the past 10 days found new momentum and seized several neighbourhoods in eastern Mosul. Last week, they carried out their first night-time operation inside the city, crossing the Khosar river that feeds into the Tigris to retake the neighbourhood of Al Muthanna. The Tigris splits the city in two and commanders are now confident they can finish retaking the eastern half soon but the west bank of the river remains under the full control of the jihadists. One of the next targets for elite forces sweeping east Mosul will be the ruins of Nineveh, where IS jihadists destroyed priceless Assyrian heritage in 2014 in videos that shocked the world. The once-protected site is now a battleground from which IS launched some of its latest attacks on Thaker and his unit. DUBAI An Iranian official confirmed on Monday that Saudi Arabia had invited Tehran to discuss arrangements for the annual Muslim haj, which Iran boycotted last year after hundreds died in a crush at the 2015 pilgrimage.Most were Iranians, and the incident infuriated Tehran. Soon after, ties between the two regional rivals worsened further when Saudi Arabia executed a Shi'ite cleric, angry Iranians stormed the Saudi embassy in Tehran, and Riyadh severed diplomatic relations.Last year, Iran did not send any of its citizens to the haj, accusing Saudi Arabia of failing to guarantee safety. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has called on Muslim countries to end Saudi control of the pilgrimage, while Riyadh has accused Iran of politicising the 2015 disaster.On Monday, Ali Ghaziaskar, Khamenei's representative in haj affairs, said Iran had "officially received Saudi Arabia's invitation to meet and hold bilateral talks on the haj". The state news agency IRNA quoted him as saying the talks would be about accommodation, transportation, safety, medical care, visas and banking, and that Iran would respond in the coming days.The Iranian Foreign Ministry last week denied reports in two Arabic newspapers that Iran had received an invitation from Saudi Arabia to next year's haj. (Reporting by Bozorgmehr Sharafedinl Editing by Kevin Liffey) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. By Stephen Kalin and Isabel Coles | MOSUL, Iraq MOSUL, Iraq Iraqi special forces made further advances against Islamic State in Mosul on Monday, pushing militants from another eastern district and edging closer to army units nearby, officers in the city said. The Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) said it was working to seize areas overlooking Mosul University in the city's northeast, after taking over a nearby district.The ground troops and a U.S.-led coalition backing them launched rockets and air strikes against the militants, who responded with mortars and sniper fire. Residents trickled out of the conflict zone but many also returned to their homes in areas retaken from Islamic State in recent days.The latest advances brought more of eastern Mosul under Iraqi forces' control a day after elite units reached the Tigris river, as the U.S.-backed offensive to drive Islamic State from its last major stronghold in the country pressed ahead with renewed vigour.Reaching the river, which runs through the centre of the northern city where up to 1.5 million people are still thought to be living, will allow Iraqi forces to begin assaults on western districts still under Islamic State's full control.The jihadists have fought back fiercely with suicide car bombs and snipers. Using a network of tunnels and operating close to Mosul's civilian population, they slowed Iraqi advances in November and December.They have also killed dozens of Iraqis in attacks in Baghdad and other cities as it comes under increased pressure."The Baladiyat neighbourhood is done (recaptured) and Sukkar should be done before nightfall," Major-General Sami al-Aradi of the CTS told a Reuters reporter in Mosul. "This area is very important because it overlooks the university (which) is a central district ... If it falls we will control the forests, the presidential palaces and the eastern bank of the Tigris," he said.Askari said Islamic State has used the university's laboratories to make biological weapons and store chemicals.The United Nations has said insurgents seized nuclear materials used for scientific research at the facility when they overran a third of Iraq in 2014. Though the materials were not thought to be weapons grade, Islamic State has repeatedly launched rockets containing mustard agents at Iraqi and Kurdish forces. JOINING FLANKS The CTS were also close to linking up nearby with the army, which has slowly encroached from the city's northern outskirts, a commander in a regular army unit said."They will soon liberate other areas and hopefully finish the eastern side ... God willing, we will soon announce the liberation of the entire eastern side from Daesh (Islamic State)," Major-General Najm al-Jubbouri told another Reuters reporter in the al-Hadba apartments complex on the city's northern edge. Soldiers posed for photos with black Islamic State flags, and the corpses of several Islamic State fighters could be seen.There were signs that fierce fighting still raged in parts of the complex, however. Islamic State fighters had carried out four to five suicide car bomb attacks in the area since Friday, several officers said.Monday's advances also consolidated Iraqi forces' control of several districts close to the ruins of the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh, east of the river.CTS forces reached the east bank of the Tigris in an area further south on Sunday, an advance which will eventually enable them to begin assaults on the city's west.The offensive against the group, which began in October, stalled last month but has regained momentum in the last week.Recapturing Mosul after more than two years of Islamic State rule would probably spell the end of the Iraqi wing of the group's self-declared caliphate, which spans areas of Iraq and Syria. (Additional reporting by Ahmed Rasheed.; Writing by John Davison; Editing by Tom Heneghan) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Istanbul: On Monday, Turkey's parliament begins debating a controversial new draft constitution aimed at expanding the powers of the presidency under Recep Tayyip Erdogan that is expected to be put to a referendum by the spring. The new constitution, which would replace the basic law drawn up after Turkey's 1980 military coup, seeks to set up for the first time a presidential system for ruling the modern republic created from the ashes of the Ottoman Empire. Critics have claimed that the move is part of a power grab by Erdogan, premier from 2003-2014 and then president, for one-man rule in the wake of the failed putsch in July. But Erdogan and the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) say the system would bring Turkey into line with countries such as France and the United States and is needed for efficient government. The debates on the 18-article new constitution will begin in the parliament chamber after the draft was agreed by a parliamentary commission ahead of the New Year. The two readings are expected to last 13-15 days. The AKP needs more than 330 votes a three fifths majority for the bill to be submitted to a referendum for public approval. However, the November 2015 election left the AKP short of a super majority in parliament and it is relying on the support of the opposition right-wing Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), the fourth largest party. Once approved by parliament, a referendum should take place within 60 days, indicating a date in late March or early April. Pro-government newspapers have predicted a thumping victory for the ruling party although other commentators have been more cautious. The new constitution is opposed by the biggest opposition party the Republican People's Party (CHP) whose deputy chairman Bulent Tezcan said it would restore powers "to the palace" taken away from the Ottoman Sultan a century ago. "It will be the dissolution of all that our republic has achieved," he said, criticising the draft as paving the way for "one man dictatorship". But AKP lawmaker Halil Firat, who helped draw up the proposed new constitution, said it would make clear the roles of government and president. "Stability will be achieved. Decision-making will be quick." Under the new constitution, the president would not have to sever links with a political party, as is the case now even though Erdogan co-founded the AKP. It is also expected to lead to the creation of the posts of vice presidents and the abolition of the office of prime minister. There will no longer be a formal cabinet but there will be ministers. The president will have the power to appoint and fire ministers. The draft law says the president would be elected for a five-year term and serve for a maximum of two mandates. It was reported last month that Apple is expected to start assembling iPhones in India by April 2017. Now according to a latest PTI report Apple team will meet a group of senior officials from IT and finance ministries on January 25 to discuss its demands for setting up a manufacturing unit in the country. The iPhone maker is said to also seek some incentives. Officials from departments of commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, electronics and information technology (DeITY) will take part in the deliberations. Apple has asked for several tax and other incentives, including long-term duty exemptions, to enter the manufacturing sector in India. A WSJ report last month said Apple wants to emulate its China model in India and wants financial incentives from the government. As per earlier report, the company has partnered with Taiwanese smartphone manufacturer Wistron to assemble iPhones in Bangalore. Apple is close to getting DIPP approval for opening single brand retail stores in India and recently the DIPP panel has recommended to exempt Apple from 30% sourcing condition for retail stores. Apples products are manufactured in six countries, including Korea, Japan and the US. Source UIMI Technologies, a Delhi-based brand popular for its power banks has launched U8 15600mAh Power Bank. It comes with innovative FitCharge technology, which allows users to simply connect their device to the power bank without the need and effort to switch on the power button. It has a stainless steel metallic finish and offers protection against overheating, short circuit and overcharging; by automatically disconnecting the device on full charge. It also comes with LED torch light, battery level indicator and a single input port for charging the power bank and dual output ports for charging other devices. UIMI U8 specifications 15600 mAh battery capacity Input: 5V /2A Output: Port A 5V/2A; Port B- 5V/2A Conversion rate of up to 80% Safety Protection: Reset Mechanism, Protection from Short Circuit, Over Voltage Over Current, Over Discharge 180 rotating torch light Customized with blue blinking power indicator Dimensions: 67x21x149 mm; Weight: 250g Charging time: up to 14 hours The UIMI U8 Golden and Black Colors and is priced at Rs. 2,299 (MRP), but UIMI says that it will be available for Rs. 999 (MOP). However you cant find it on online retail sites like Amazon.in, Flipkart and other online retail sites for less than Rs. 1,110. Commenting on the launch, Abhinaya Pratap Singh, Marketing Manager, Bingo Technologies Pvt Ltd, said: After the overwhelming response to our maiden power bank, we are delighted to introduce another innovative product from the house of UIMI Technologies the U8. With a powerful 15600 mAh li-on battery and sleek metallic finish, the new U8 comes with FitCharge technology that does away with the need to switch on the power bank button for charging a device, making it super easy for our customers. With a host of other useful features and an affordable price, we are confident of setting new benchmark of success. The 2017 tax season is about to begin, and already, taxpayers are looking for breaks they can use to reduce the amount they have to pay the IRS -- or to boost the size of their refund. Yet one of the most beneficial provisions of the tax laws is also one of the most overlooked. Moreover, because this provision is a credit rather than just a deduction, it can reduce your tax bill on a dollar-for-dollar basis if you qualify. Let's look more closely at the Earned Income Tax Credit and whether you could use it to reap thousands of dollars in tax savings. What is the Earned Income Tax Credit? The Earned Income Tax Credit is the most popular tax credit available to taxpayers. The purpose of the credit is to offer tax savings to workers with modest incomes, although the income limits on eligibility extend well into what most would consider middle-class incomes as well. The specific limitations depend on the number of qualifying children you have and your filing status, with the credit increasing for each child up to three children. For those claiming the credit on their 2016 returns, the it, and it also affects the maximum credit you can get. For those with three or more qualifying children, maximum credits of more than $6,250 are available to taxpayers. A large number of taxpayers qualify to take the Earned Income Tax Credit. More than 28.5 million returns included claims for the Earned Income Tax Credit, according to the most recently available data from the IRS, and credits totaling more than $68 billion were paid to taxpayers as a result. That's the biggest payback of any credit the federal government offers, and it amounts to an average credit of $2,395 per return. Moreover, because it's a credit, taxpayers claiming that average credit get to save the entire $2,395 amount, rather than simply deducting that amount from their taxable income. Almost 20% of all taxpayers saved money by using the Earned Income Tax Credit. The biggest benefit of the Earned Income Tax Credit At first glance, you might think that the Earned Income Tax Credit wouldn't do most low-income taxpayers much good, because the total amount of the credit would often exceed a low-income family's total tax liability. However, the Earned Income Tax Credit is refundable. As a result, even if your tax owed is less than the credit, you can get the unused Earned Income Tax Credit amount as a check back from the IRS. The real problem is that, surprisingly, many taxpayers who are eligible never claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. As in previous years, the IRS will have its EITC Awareness Day in late January, with the 2017 event happening on Friday, Jan. 27. The stated purpose of the event is to increase awareness of key tax credits, and in addition to the Earned Income Tax Credit, the IRS will also aim at informing people about the Child Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, and the American Opportunity Tax Credit for educational expenses. Unfortunately, even those efforts aren't 100% effective. One in five eligible taxpayers don't claim the Earned Income Tax Credit. Given how important the EITC and other credits are in lifting people out of poverty, many find it unacceptable that those who are eligible don't always get the tax break they've earned through their work. Don't miss out! To make things easier, the IRS has many resources to help people figure out their credit eligibility. You always have the option of having the IRS calculate the credit for you, or using the appropriate worksheets, which are available at this IRS EITC website. The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the most important tax breaks that are available to working taxpayers. If you qualify, make sure you claim the credit to get every penny you're entitled to receive. According to the Social Security snapshot from November, nearly 61 million people were receiving monthly benefit checks. Of these recipients, more than 41 million were retired workers. For many of these retired workers, Social Security is a critical financial lifeline that ensures they can afford to put a roof over their head and food in their mouths during their golden years. Data from the Social Security Administration (SSA) shows that 61% of total elderly beneficiaries and 71% of unmarried elderly individuals count on Social Security to provide at least half of their income each month. Needless to say, when the Social Security Administration announces changes to the program each October, tens of millions of seniors pay very close attention. Big Social Security changes take center stage In mid-October, there were a number of headline changes. Chief among those was the 0.3% cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that was incorporated into benefits as of Jan. 1, 2017. Social Security's COLA hasn't budged in three of the past eight years, and the 0.3% "raise" seniors are getting in 2017 marks the lowest increase on record. Nonetheless, a 0.3% raise is better than receiving nothing at all. Equally notable was the announcement that the payroll tax earnings cap was increasing by more than 7% to $127,200 in 2017 from $118,500 in 2016. Working Americans paid a 12.4% payroll tax into the Social Security program on wages earned between $1 and $118,500 in 2016. Any wages beyond $118,500 were free and clear of the payroll tax. Most employees have the responsibility of this tax split down the middle, 6.2% each, between them and their employer. In 2017, wealthier Americans are going to have to hand over just a little bit more of their income if they earn up to $127,200. Even adjustments to the retirement earnings test exemption grabbed attention. For individuals who claim Social Security prior to reaching their full retirement age (the age at which you're deemed to be eligible for 100% of your benefit), the SSA can withhold part, or all, of your benefits if you cross certain income thresholds. These thresholds increased by $100 a month if you won't reach your full retirement age in 2017, and $250 a month if you will. You can get an all-encompassing look at the wide gamut of Social Security changes here. The biggest Social Security change in 2017 is flying under the radar However, one major change that began on Jan. 1 and hasn't been widely advertised, but could very well be the most important Social Security change of 2017, is the increase in the full retirement age for brand-new retirees. In each of the past 12 years, the full retirement age has held steady at 66 years. Anyone born between 1943 and 1954 could retire at age 66 and collect 100% of the benefits they were due based on their earnings history. They also had the option of claiming as early as age 62 and receiving 75% of what their full retirement age benefit would be, or waiting all the way until age 70 (the point at which benefits stop accruing) and netting a 32% raise on top of their full retirement age benefit. Beginning in 2017, brand-new retirees who can enroll for Social Security benefits, but were born in 1955, won't reach their full retirement age until age 66 years and 2 months. Starting this year and in each successive year thereafter through 2022, the full retirement age will increase by two months to account for lengthening life expectancies, as outlined by the Social Security Amendments of 1983. This will culminate in a full retirement age of 67 years for those born in 1960 or after. Increasing the retirement age is designed to encourage healthier older Americans to work longer, as well as save more of their hard-earned money. Working longer has a doubly positive effect in that it generates more payroll tax revenue for the program and reduces the length of time seniors are drawing payments from the Trust. Wait longer or receive less However, raising the retirement age also has an adverse impact on payouts. Future retirees either have to wait longer to receive their full retirement age benefits, or they have to be willing to accept a bigger reduction in their benefit from enrolling before reaching their full retirement age. For anyone born between 1943 and 1954, the least they can receive is 75% of their full retirement age benefits if they claim as early as possible. For seniors born in 1955 who plan to claim Social Security as soon as possible, they'll only be netting 74.2% of their full retirement age benefit. Similarly, waiting until age 70 to file for benefits no longer nets a person born in 1955 a 32% raise over their full retirement age benefit; instead, the benefit of waiting as long as possible is a 30.7% raise. By the time the full retirement age hits 67 years for those born in 1960 or later, claiming as early as possible would result in a payout of just 70% of your full retirement benefit, and waiting until age 70 would boost your top-end payout by 24%. A rising full retirement age could be yet another wakeup call for America's workers to have other channels of income at the ready when they retire. Social Security is only designed to replace about 40% of the working wages of the average retiree, so with the full retirement age rising, and the program facing a budgetary shortfall by 2034 (as predicted by the Social Security Board of Trustees), it's time for America's workforce to get serious about reducing its expected reliance on Social Security income during retirement. Only 17 months after Dieffenbacher unveiled the new continuous CPS+ press at Ligna 2015, the first plant with a CPS+ press has been successfully put into operation. After a seven-month assembly period, the first board was produced according to plan on October 1, 2016 at Kronospan's new particleboard plant in Bjelovar, Croatia. "The process of commissioning the first CPS+ was absolutely seamless," said Bernd Bielfeldt, Dieffenbacher Head of the Wood Business Unit. Only two weeks after first board production, Koronospan increased production to three shifts, citing the reliability of its CPS+ press. Kronospan has also said it is extremely satisfied with the project, adding that the joint approach to project processing has proven to be reliable. It was not apparent either in the planning phase or installation phase that this was the first project involving a CPS+. The CPS+ has all the advantages of the original CPS model, proven over decades of service. These advantages include the variable double joint press infeed, thermal expansion of the frameswhich allow product changeover on the fly without interruptionsand the Parallel Press Gap System (PPS), which stops the mat "breathing out" between the cylinder banks. Two CPS+ project commissions in Thailand will take place in the first half of 2017. Dieffenbacher has sold eleven plants featuring the new CPS+ press. Toyota North America CEO Jim Lentz said the automotive industry would suffer if automakers were taxed for building plants outside of the U.S. Lentz made the comments in a FOX Business Network Exclusive in response to last weeks tweet by President-elect Donald Trump threatening to impose a large border tax on Toyota if the company built a plant in Mexico. Toyota Motor said will build a new plant in Baja, Mexico, to build Corolla cars for U.S. NO WAY! Build plant in U.S. or pay big border tax. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 5, 2017 Its not good for the industry, Lentz told FOX Business Networks Jeff Flock. There are some industries that benefit. The automotive industry definitely does not. Lentz did say that the U.S. corporate tax rate needed to be lower. But he was concerned over how the federal government would react to the shortfall if the tax rate is reduced. Todays 35 percent whether its 15, 20 or 25 needs to come down, he said. The challenge is theres a trillion dollars that someone has to find to pay for that. But thats not his only concern. He said that while the industry accepted the new EPA fuel economy standards, the midterm reviews of that standard that were promised have fallen short. I think we need to have a truly honest look at what we all agreed to. The reality is the industry agreed to these new standards, he said. But we also agreed to a mid-term review. An honest midterm review. Im not sure if weve had that. Lentz then speculated on the outlook for oil prices, saying, I think were going to see the price of oil in a trading range of probably between $40-60 for the foreseeable future. Searching for a brokerage account? You've probably discovered there are many options, with varying commission schedules, investment availability, and account minimums. Today, though, we'll simplify the search and help you compare two popular discount brokers, Robinhood and TradeKing, to see if either choice is a good fit for your portfolio. Trading costs and commissions Robinhood is an anomaly in the brokerage industry because it doesn't charge commissions, whereas every other broker (including TradeKing) does. But price isn't everything, and you'll see that discount brokerages of all types make investing much more affordable today than it used to be. Broker Stocks/Options ETFs Mutual Funds Robinhood Stocks: Free Options: Not available Free Not available TradeKing $4.95 per trade + $0.65 per options contract $4.95 per trade $9.95 per purchase Data sources: Company websites. Though the differences may appear stark, they're really quite small in simple terms of dollars and cents. Furthermore, a broker's published commission schedule is usually the highest cost you can expect to pay. Many brokers offer commission-free trades on select investments. In addition, we'd encourage you to explore special offers for brokerage accounts as well as offers for IRA accounts, which can actually result in a situation where your broker effectively pays you to open an account. These offers are always changing, but it's common to find special offers that can give you hundreds of free trades in addition to cash bonuses of $2,000 or more. Commission-free ETFs and NTF funds Brokerages are increasingly using commission-free ETFs and no-transaction-fee (NTF) mutual funds as an incentive to sign up with their service. The value of these perks is not insignificant -- if you like funds, shopping for commission-free and NTF funds could save you thousands of dollars over time. Here's how Robinhood and TradeKing stack up on fee-free investments. Broker Commission-Free ETFs NTF Mutual Funds Robinhood All ETFs Not available TradeKing None None Data sources: Company websites. All trades (stocks and ETFs) are free on Robinhood. TradeKing doesn't currently offer any commission-free ETFs or NTF mutual funds, though it does have a comparatively low commission ($9.95) for mutual fund transactions compared to other brokerages. Depending how important funds are to your portfolio, you could make the case for either brokerage. Account minimums Robinhood and TradeKing are no-minimum brokerages, meaning they allow investors to open an account without making a certain minimum deposit. That said, try to start with more than just the bare minimum -- you'll need to deposit enough cash to afford to buy stock, ETFs, or mutual funds to actually make your first investment. Trading platform Ever since the dawn of the discount brokerage industry, traders have been arguing about which brokerage has the best trading platform. As long-term investors, we at The Motley Fool prefer annual reports and conference calls to candlestick charts and Bollinger bands, so we tend not to worry too much over trading platforms. We just don't think platforms are that important for long-term investing. From our perspective, the biggest difference between platforms is that Robinhood is a mobile-only service, whereas TradeKing offers mobile and desktop trading platforms. If a trading platform is of particular importance to you, then it's worth exploring each platform for yourself to see how it works for your needs. If you'd like to invest internationally, the differences between Robinhood and TradeKing may be of particular importance. Image source: Getty Images. International stocks and ADRs The majority of online brokers allow you to invest in foreign companies, subject to some limitations. Robinhood and TradeKing both fall in line with the rest of the industry here. Investments Robinhood TradeKing American depositary receipts (ADRs) Some Yes International stock markets No No ETFs/Mutual funds of foreign stocks ETFs ETFs and mutual funds Data sources: Company websites. Let's start first with funds. Both brokerages offer the ability to trade American ETFs that hold foreign stocks, but only TradeKing offers the ability to invest in mutual funds made up of foreign stocks. As for individual companies, there are some important differences. Robinhood offers its clients the opportunity to trade some ADRs. Its website states that its clients can invest in "companies domiciled in Canada and Israel that trade above $5." TradeKing offers more support for trading in ADRs. However, neither brokerage currently enables their clients to trade directly on foreign exchanges. In fairness, only a few brokerages offer that capability. Research quality and tools We tend to think that self-directed investors can benefit from being able to get insights and analysis and consider a wide range of investment opinions. TradeKing provides some fundamental screening tools, in addition to Breakfast Bell market reports and S&P stock reports. Robinhood doesn't currently offer research access for having a brokerage account, which is a trade-off that investors should balance with the fact that it doesn't charge commissions. Mobile app If you have access to the internet on a phone or tablet, you can make a trade with Robinhood or TradeKing. Here's how each broker's users and clients rated their iOS and Android apps (as of Dec. 19, 2016). Broker Apple App Store Google Play Robinhood 4.5 stars 4.5 stars TradeStation 1.0 star 4.0 stars data sources: Relevant app stores. The best broker for your needs: Robinhood vs. TradeKing? Depending on your particular portfolio, you could find either brokerage to be a good fit. Robinhood offers commission-free stock and ETF trades, but doesn't offer the ability to trade options or invest in mutual funds. TradeKing charges commissions, but offers a wider range of investment choices, in addition to free research capabilities just for having an account. Ultimately, there isn't a single brokerage that is the best broker for every type of investor. What really matters is how any broker fits with the needs of your investment style. To be clear: The Motley Fool does not endorse any particular broker, but we do have some resources that might help you in your hunt. Fool.com's Broker Centermakes it easy to compare current special offers and features offered by several leading discount brokerages all on one page. The Fool.com IRA Center is tailored to retirement investors. 10 stocks we like better thanWal-MartWhen investing geniuses David and TomGardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter theyhave run for over a decade, the Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.* David and Tomjust revealed what they believe are theten best stocksfor investors to buy right now... and Wal-Mart wasn't one of them! That's right -- theythink these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click hereto learn about these picks! *StockAdvisor returns as of December 12, 2016The author(s) may have a position in any stocks mentioned. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has arrested a Volkswagen executive on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, the New York Times reported on Monday. Oliver Schmidt, who headed the company's regulatory compliance office in the U.S. from 2014 to March 2015, was arrested on Saturday by federal investigators in Florida, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the matter. VW admitted in September 2015 to installing secret software known as "defeat devices" in 475,000 U.S. 2.0-liter diesel cars to cheat exhaust emissions tests and make them appear cleaner in testing. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels. Volkswagen declined to comment on the reported arrest. "Volkswagen continues to cooperate with the Department of Justice as we work to resolve remaining matters in the United States. It would not be appropriate to comment on any ongoing investigations or to discuss personnel matters," it said. The FBI was not immediately available for comment. Schmidt is expected to be brought before court in Detroit on Monday, the NYT said. Senior VW officials are not attending this year's Detroit auto show, which is taking place this week. The news comes as Volkswagen was nearing a deal to resolve criminal and civil allegations over its diesel cheating, crucial steps toward moving past the scandal, which has cost it billions of dollars and its reputation. Volkswagen shares were up 2 percent at 141.75 euros by 0816 GMT (3.16 a.m. ET), at the top of a 0.2 percent-weaker German blue-chip DAX, on the expected deal. (Reporting by Gaurika Juneja in Bengaluru and Edward Taylor in Frankfurt; Editing by Sunil Nair and Louise Heavens) The most important person at the Detroit Auto Show may be someone who is not even showing up at the premier industry event: President-elect Donald Trump, whose criticism of production in Mexico has forced automakers to rethink the way they build cars. The North American International Auto Show kicked into high gear on Monday but the most influential auto show of the year was quickly overshadowed by a Trump tweet praising Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE:FCAU) and Ford (NYSE:F) for their investments in U.S. manufacturing. In addition to publicizing their new models, automotive executives were forced to field questions about Trumps tweets. And instead of wondering what the must-sees at the Detroit event are, the buzz has focused on what auto company Trump will target next. There have been a lot of questions for executives [at the auto show], Rebecca Lindland, Kelley Blue Books senior director of commercial insights, told FOXBusiness.com. A day before the auto show kicked off, Fiat Chrysler announced a plan to invest $1 billion in two U.S. factories, making it possible for Fiat Chrysler to build Ram heavy-duty pickup trucks in America. The trucks are currently made at a Mexican facility. The investment will create 2,000 new jobs in Michigan and Ohio, no matter what happens with the heavy-duty trucks. Fiat Chryslers plant in Warren, Mich., will expand to make room for the Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer SUVs. A plant in Toledo, Ohio, will build a new Jeep pickup truck. The company expects to complete the factory makeovers by 2020. If tomorrow morning President-elect Trump decides to impose border tariffs on anything that comes up from Mexico, then well have to adjust. - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne Fiat Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne told reporters in Detroit that the investments in Michigan and Ohio were not directly tied to Trumps criticism of vehicles that are shipped from Mexico to the U.S. Youre going to hate me for saying this, but the decision has been in the works for a long period of time, said Marchionne, who hasnt spoken to any of Trumps advisors. It was coincidental with all these tweets coming out. He added, [The announcement] was owed to this country given what we lived through. It wasnt sort of a preemptive strike against a tweet. Still, Marchionne noted that Fiat Chrysler hasnt made an official commitment to move the Ram heavy-duty pickup to a U.S. plant, and Trumps policies could be a factor in the final decision. He expects Fiat Chrysler and other automakers to alter their strategies if the Trump administration changes the rules affecting the industry. If tomorrow morning President-elect Trump decides to impose border tariffs on anything that comes up from Mexico, then well have to adjust, Marchionne said. Last week, Ford made a surprise announcement that it cancelled plans to build a $1.6 billion factory in Mexico to build small cars. The facility, which was already under construction, was no longer needed as demand for cars like the Focus declines, according to CEO Mark Fields. Mexico, the top auto exporter to the U.S., has become a hotbed of automotive manufacturing in recent years. Automakers have sought to capitalize on the countrys low labor costs to build inexpensive cars that generate smaller profits than trucks and SUVs. Trump has proposed imposing a tariff on vehicles imported by the U.S. to Mexico in hopes of encouraging automakers to build more cars domestically. Manufacturers currently bring vehicles from Mexico and Canada to the U.S. market tax-free. General Motors (NYSE:GM) CEO Mary Barra, a member of Trumps Strategic and Policy Forum, said GM doesnt foresee changes to its production strategy in Mexico. Trump has called out GM for building the Chevrolet Cruze in Mexico, reiterating his threat to import tariffs. According to Barra, 70% of the parts used in GM vehicles come from the U.S., more than any other automaker. Our primary strategy is to build where we sell. I think theres some room to make some changes that are going to improve it and make it more equitable across the globe, Barra said in an interview with the FOX Business Networks Jeff Flock on Mornings With Maria. Ahead of President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration, some liberal stars were determined to use the 74th annual Golden Globes to have the last word 12 days before Trump is sworn into office. During a night that saw "Moonlight," "La La Land," "The Crown" and "Atlanta" win big it was the next president of the United States that got the most attention. Just minutes into the show, host Jimmy Fallon used his time on stage to take digs at Trump after he was forced to improvise for the first few minutes of the show due to a broken teleprompter. Once his script was up and running, Fallon called the Golden Globes "one of the few places left where America still honors the popular vote." That, though, isn't quite true. The Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a collection of 85 members, has its own methods of selecting winners. TECHNICAL GLITCH MARS JIMMY FALLON'S GOLDEN GLOBES MONOLOGUE Fallon often used the President-elect as a punchline, even comparing him to belligerent and cruel "Games of Thrones" King Joffrey, but Meryl Streep changed the tone of the evening when she launched into a somber speech about Trump. Streep said Trump's behavior "sank its hooks in my heart" and she slammed what she called Trump's "instinct to humiliate." She asked for "the principled press to hold power to account, to call him (Trump) on the carpet for every outrage." Her comments were met with applause, tears and support by her fellow actors in the audience. Actor Chris Pine called her speech the "best message of tonight."to call him on the carpet for every outrage. But Trump blasted Streep on Twitter Monday morning, calling her "one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood" and a "Hillary flunky who lost big." Hugh Laurie, accepting his award for best supporting actor in a limited series or TV film for "The Night Manager," speculated that this would perhaps be the last Golden Globes ceremony. LIST OF WINNERS OF THE 74TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES "I don't mean to be gloomy, but it has the words 'Hollywood,' 'foreign' and 'press' in the title," Laurie said, explaining his pessimism about the awards surviving the Trump era. He added that some Republicans don't even like the word "association." He accepted his award "on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere." The night's top winner was Damien Chazelle's lauded Los Angeles musical "La La Land," which took home seven awards. Ryan Gosling won for best actor in a musical or comedy, and "La La Land" composer Justin Hurwitz won best score and its lyricists, Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, won for best original song, "City of Stars." Meanwhile, "Moonlight" won the award for the best motion picture drama. Casey Affleck won best actor in a motion picture drama for "Manchester by the Sea," and Isabelle Huppert won best actress in a motion picture drama for "Elle." Viola Davis won best supporting actress for "Fences," and British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson took best supporting actor for his performance in Tom Ford's "Nocturnal Animals." 2017 GOLDEN GLOBES: SO HOT OR SO NOT? On the TV side, "The People v. O.J. Simpson" took home the best miniseries award, as well as an award for Sarah Paulson. Donald Glover looked visibly surprised when his FX series "Atlanta" won best comedy series over heavyweights like "Veep" and "Transparent." Other winners were Tracee Ellis Ross ("Black-ish") and Billy Bob Thornton ("Goliath"). The Associated Press contributed to this report. ET caught up with the cast of "Moonlight" just moments after the film won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture - Drama on Sunday, but it was another movie that was on their minds. "Hidden Figures" was mispronounced twice at the awards show -- once by NBC News correspondent Jenna Bush Hager on the red carpet and again by presenter Michael Keaton on the Golden Globes stage, who both mistakenly called the movie "Hidden Fences." WATCH: Michael Keaton Says 'Hidden Fences' at Golden Globes After Same Mistake Was Made Earlier in the Day "We don't all look alike," Mahershala Ali joked with ET's Kevin Frazier, insinuating that people may have been confusing "Hidden Figures" with "Fences." "Shout-out to just these movies being made," said Janelle Monae, who stars in both "Moonlight" and "Hidden Figures." "I think "Fences" was an incredible film. "Hidden Figures" is an incredible film. It's a story about true American heroes. These women are African-American mathematicians, and got our first American astronauts into space, and they will be hidden no more, so I'm happy for inclusion in Hollywood." 'Hidden Figures' and 'Fences' confused during Golden Globes It didn't take long for #HiddenFences to become a trending topic on Twitter, with fans and celebrities alike contributing to the hashtag. "You know who stars in #HiddenFences ... Garcelle Ashanti Brandy Sanaa Bring It On Union," Gabrielle Union quipped, expressing her disappointment. You know who stars in #HiddenFences... Garcelle Ashanti Brandy Sanaa Bring It On Union Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) January 9, 2017 On Monday morning, Hager fought back tears on "Today" as she apologized for her snafu, which occurred during an interview with Pharrell Williams, one of the producers on "Hidden Figures." "I've interviewed casts from both of the movies, and if I offended people, I am deeply sorry," she said. "It was a mistake, because y'all know I am not perfect. I am authentic, but a human. And what I didn't want to do is make anybody feel lesser than who they are." PICS: Golden Globes: Red Carpet Arrivals Backstage on Sunday, Monae quickly shook off the flubs. "Moonlight" marked her big screen debut, and she dished to ET about how comfortable the cast made her on set. "It felt like family," she said. "I was nervous as hell. It was my first film. I studied acting and I was a theatre kid, but coming and filming I was a little nervous. I just remember [Ali] pulling me to the side and just being like, 'Listen, there's no such thing as a mistake. As long as you're leading with honesty, truthfulness, you are on the right path and every decision is the right path.' So that helped. It helped us have that confidence and just excitement to come in every day." Writer and director Barry Jenkins admitted he's just happy people came to see his work. PICS: Golden Globes 2017: All the Parties! "It was just affirmation of 'You know what? I can do this,'" Jenkins said. "And when I do it in a way that's very truthful and authentic and these folks come on board and do it with me, we can do whatever is in our hearts, and somebody is going to receive it." Abbott Laboratories said on Monday it is releasing cyber security updates for its St. Jude heart devices following a U.S. government investigation into claims the products are vulnerable to potentially life-threatening hacks. "The improvements include security updates that complement the company's existing security measures and further reduce the already extremely low cybersecurity risks," the company said in an email to physicians that was reviewed by Reuters. A man whose wart-covered skin earned him the striking nickname Tree Man has turned over a new leaf after undergoing 16 surgeries in a year to remove the debilitating growths. Barcroft Media reported 27-year-old Abul Bajandars hands and feet were consumed by 11 pounds of bark-like warts due to epidermodysplasia verruciformis (EV), an extremely rare condition involving widespread infection by human papillomavirus (HPV). A spring 2010 article in The Canadian Journal of Plastic Surgery describes the condition as an early and unusual presentation that leaves individuals with a propensity for developing malignant skin tumors. Often surfacing in childhood, these growths are associated with an increased risk of nonmelanotic skin cancer on sun-exposed areas. After living with the condition for about 10 years, Bajandar, of Bangladesh, began undergoing surgery the first last February and now, his hands and feet are almost fine Samanta Lal Sen, plastic surgery coordinator at Dhaka Medical College Hospital, told AFP. Whats left are a few small surgeries on his hands, but Bajandar is slated for discharge sometime within the next few weeks. "I feel so much better, Bajandar told AFP. I can hold my daughter in my lap and play with her. If the surgeries succeed in warding off the growths, AFP reported Bajandar would be the first known person to be cured of EV. "I hope the curse won't return again, he told the website. Britain's health service is engulfed in a "humanitarian crisis" that requires the support of the Red Cross to use Land Rovers to transport patients, the charity said on Saturday. Founded in 1948, the National Health Service (NHS) is a source of huge pride for many Britons who are able to access care for free from the cradle to the grave. But tight budgets, an ageing population and increasingly complex medical needs have combined in recent years to leave many hospitals struggling during the winter season, sparking headlines about patients being left to wait on trolleys for hours or even days. In a statement on its website next to appeals for help in Yemen and Syria, the British Red Cross said it was now "on the front line, responding to the humanitarian crisis in our hospital and ambulance services across the country". "This means deploying our team of emergency volunteers and even calling on our partner Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients and get the system moving," said Mike Adamson, chief executive of the British Red Cross. The NHS has always been an emotive issue in Britain - one of the richest countries in the world - and was once described by a former finance minister as the "closest thing the English have to a religion". In recent years charities and opposition politicians have warned that government cuts to social care have resulted in more elderly and vulnerable patients being treated in hospital rather than at home, putting a huge burden on the service. The Red Cross said it was working alongside the health service to support people in their homes to free up beds. "We've seen people sent home without clothes, some suffer falls and are not found for days, while others are not washed because there is no carer there to help them," Adamson said. A spokeswoman for NHS England said plans were in place to cope with increased pressure during the winter and that beds were not as full as this time last year. A doctor at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic sparked an online uproar when he published an article Friday filled with anti-vaccine rhetoric, including the widely debunked claim that vaccines are linked to autism. Physicians took to Twitter to call the article vile and Post-truth medicine and demand whether the clinic endorsed its doctors views. Dr. Daniel Neides, a family doctor and the director and chief operating officer of the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute, wrote on a blog on the news site cleveland.com that preservatives and other ingredients in vaccines are dangerous and are likely behind the increase in diagnosed cases of neurological diseases such as autism a claim that has long been discredited by researchers. Does the vaccine burden as has been debated for years cause autism? I dont know and will not debate that here. What I will stand up and scream is that newborns without intact immune systems and detoxification systems are being over-burdened with PRESERVATIVES AND ADJUVANTS IN THE VACCINES, he wrote. Adjuvants are added to vaccines to prompt a stronger immune response. Some of the vaccines have helped reduce the incidence of childhood communicable diseases, like meningitis and pneumonia, he continued. That is great news. But not at the expense of neurologic diseases like autism and ADHD increasing at alarming rates. Neidess wellness institute provides world-class medical care and quality wellness programs to change unhealthy behaviors and to make healthy life choices, according to its website. But to the wider medical community, the claims that Neides espoused did not promote healthy life choices. Instead, they said these statements were downright dangerous. Dr. Vinay Prasad, a hematologist-oncologist at the Oregon Health and Sciences University, expressed disbelief on Twitter: Wow, this quack is the head of an institute of an actual medical center? Entire article empty rhetoric & harmful jenny Mccarthy myths https://t.co/1UNcOQjiNe Vinay Prasad (@VinayPrasad82) January 7, 2017 In an email to STAT, Prasad added, That article contains many of the tired, unsupported, irrational concerns about pediatric vaccines, as well as generally unsupported thoughts on toxin exposure. Frankly, it is a little surprising it is written by a doctor, and not someone on the fringe, who lacks basic science and medical training. Dr. Jeffrey Matthews, chair of the University of Chicagos Department of Surgery, tweeted: .@ClevelandClinic has now gone anti-vaxx. Welcome to the new world order I guess...https://t.co/WHErTyNGnC Jeff Matthews MD (@JBMatthews) January 7, 2017 Scientists and doctors were horrified about the misinformation contained in the article, especially given that the source is affiliated with a such a prestigious medical institution. A spokesperson for Cleveland Clinic told STAT on Saturday that Neides will not be doing an interview. He wrote this opinion piece on his own and it does not reflect the position of the Cleveland Clinic whatsoever, and we strongly support vaccinations and the protection of patients and employees, said Eileen Sheil, executive director of corporate communications for the medical center. Many doctors saw the post as an embarrassment for the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Benjamin Mazer, a resident physician in pathology at Yale New Haven Hospital who tweeted that the article was one of the most vile, false things I have ever read by a doctor, said in an interview that it wasnt an isolated event. This is really part of a larger movement that distrusts mainstream medicine, distrusts mainstream public health, and really trades in conspiracy theories, he told STAT. This article is a really prime example of that. Its just a shame that its a physician spreading these conspiracy theories because people naturally trust physicians. He was especially appalled at the misinformation that Neides was spreading about hepatitis B vaccines, which, Mazer said, have prevented thousands of deaths. Non-clinicians were just as worried. When I see opinion pieces that stoke fears about the truly minuscule amounts of formaldehyde (a naturally occurring metabolite in every one of us) in vaccines or suggest that there is still some debate as to whether or not vaccines and autism are linked, it sets off alarm bells and huge red flags in my head, Michael Wosnick, the former scientific director of the Canadian Cancer Society Research Institute, told STAT by email. German kidney dialysis provider Fresenius Medical Care (FMC) said it is challenging a U.S. move to end assistance to patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) that it said could have a "material adverse affect" on its business. FMC said it and other providers and patient advocates had filed a lawsuit challenging the rulemaking process and seeking to stop the new regulation, which it said is due to take effect on Jan. 13. It said in a statement that the new regulation could put an end to assistance programmes that help fund health insurance premiums for patients with ESRD, with between 700 and 2,000 FMC patients potentially affected. FMD said it could suffer a "material adverse effect on our business" if the regulation does become effective, along with efforts by insurers to reject premium assistance for ESRD patients. FMD said it received a subpoena on Jan. 3 from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts seeking information related to the premium assistance programme, adding it was cooperating with the investigation. A mother has pleaded with youngsters to avoid taking Ecstasy after posting pictures of her teenage daughter in a coma after she popped a pill. Devastated Kerry Robinson took to Facebook to reveal the shocking dangers of taking the drug. She added to her warning by showing her 16-year-old daughter Leah in a hospital coma after taking Ecstasy over Christmas. Kerry, of Wigan, a town in Greater Manchester, England, explained how her familys own scare with Ecstasy came after Leah took what was believed to be the drug at a local party. Click for more from The Sun. As they crossed the airport in Singapore that day in 2003, heading for the plane that would take them to Seoul -- and a new life of freedom -- North Korean defector Kim Kwang Jin and his wife and son all feared for their lives. "My wife was very frightened," recalled Kim, a high-ranking banker for the North Korean regime who was stationed in Singapore at the time. "She told me afterwards that...every step through the airport was like walk[ing] to [her] slaughtering....It was not easy to make such a decision." Now a visiting fellow with the Washington, D.C.-based Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, Kim is described by veteran analysts as the first English-proficient defector ever to escape the Hermit Kingdom. Trim and sharply dressed, his bushy head of hair dyed jet black, the 42-year-old Kim, once an English professor at a computer college in Pyongyang, speaks polite and fluent English, albeit in a halting style and with a heavy accent. An interview with FOX News in late June marked Kim's first with an American TV news channel. Kim recounted his extraordinary experiences working for the Northeast Asia Bank and Korea National Insurance Corporation, where he handled accounts worth hundreds of million of dollars. He described two economies in North Korea: one administered by the North Korean Cabinet and nominally oriented toward serving the needs of the people; and a "Royal Court economy," financed by illicit enterprises worldwide and providing the stream of hard currency that keeps Kim Jong Il, and his cronies, ensconced in power and luxury. "Kim [Jong Il] himself enjoys a lavish lifestyle," said Kim Kwang Jin. "He is giving gifts to his associates: the Mercedes-Benz[es] and whiskeys, first-class room and [air]fare from Japan. Everything's provided to his aides....Kim Jong Il himself is now ruling the country with [the] dollar, hard currency....Without hard currency they cannot rule the country." Kim Kwang Jin described a society in which bankers demand bribes from clients, doctors from patients, professors and teachers from students. "Everybody tries to make use of their position, their authority...to survive," Kim said. The former banker said the regime's largest source of hard currency comes from the clandestine manufacture and sale of weapons of mass destruction. After that comes the regime's multibillion-dollar insurance fraud business, in which the authorities stage arson and bogus accidents to collect multimillion-dollar payouts from international banks and insurers. "The state -- Kim Jong Il himself -- controls all these funds," said Kim Kwang Jin. "It is funneled to him. And then he's using all these revenues according to his regime's priorities, which are now the missile program and nuclear weapons development." Kim Kwang Jin believes the North Korean government has never negotiated in good faith with the United States and its allies at the Six-Party nuclear disarmament talks. "The North Koreans are coming to the table not for negotiation; they are there for winning, for implementing their strategy," he said. To grant meaningful concessions at such negotiations, or to enact meaningful internal reforms toward democratization, would, Kim says, be tantamount to "suicide to the regime." Yet Kim also believes financial sanctions can compel better behavior from Pyongyang, and cites as an example the Treasury Department's targeting from 2005 to 2008 of Banco Delta Asia: a bank in Macau, also known as "BDA," through which the North Korean regime once transferred large sums. It was during this period, when Banco Delta Asia faced international restrictions, that the North made its most far-reaching concessions in the Six-Party Talks, only to renege on them once the sanctions were lifted. "The BDA case was a frightening thing to the regime," Kim said. "It was a blow to [Kim Jong Il's] personal funding, to the economic sector which is now supporting the regime. And even the national economy, the people's economy run by [the] Cabinet, is influenced by this BDA case. "So it was a heavy blow to the regime....We have good leverage....The next regime will be weak, very weak; so I think they will need help and influence from the international community. So if we are prepared to exert that influence, I think we can have [a] better regime there, better policy, and better human rights there." Questioned specifically about the plans for succession in North Korea, which have come to focus on Kim Jong Il's third and youngest son, Kim Jong Un, the defector voiced deep skepticism. "He's too young, and he's not prepared for the leadership," Kim Kwang Jin told FOX News. "Kim Jong Il himself now is ruling the country in his father's name. And [in] the third generation, the power itself will be very weak. The policy there has failed. And a lot of people are constantly facing the threat of starvation. So [Kim Jong Un] will not enjoy the support from the people." Kim also alleges that Kim Jong Il, who is widely believed to have suffered a stroke and undergone brain surgery last year, copes with diabetes -- a claim that, like so many others involving North Korea, cannot be verified. The defector never met Kim Jong Il, but did meet his father, Kim Il Sung, revered throughout the country as its modern founder. The Committee for Human Rights in North Korea was founded in 2001 and is advised by a group of foreign policy heavyweights that includes former Rep. Stephen J. Solarz, D-N.Y. and Richard V. Allen, a former aide to Richard Nixon and national security adviser in the Reagan White House. The group publicizes abuses of the regime and underwrites studies aimed at influencing American policymakers. In 2003, the committee arranged for Yong Kim, the only known escapee from Kwan-li-so, the infamous North Korean gulag, to come to the United States and be interviewed by FOX News. Kim Kwang Jin expressed sadness for the plight of ordinary citizens in his homeland, whom he described as oppressed, famished, and almost entirely cut off from the outside world of the twenty-first century. Yet he also portrayed his people as independent-minded and hungry for freedom. "The power grip of the regime itself is loosening. And the days of Kim Jong Il himself [are] numbered, I think," he said. "So the people are becoming more open and brave to speak openly against the regime." Kim said universities, research institutions and libraries, and a handful of large corporations all make use of shared computer networks, or intranets -- but very few people, all of them members of the elite ruling class, enjoy access to the Internet. "They have no access to outside information," Kim said of ordinary citizens. "And information is very much controlled there. But there are a lot of defectors in China and there are still people who are working abroad; so from them they get information. And we have several private radio broadcasting stations in South Korea. And in America we have RFA and VOA. So I think those who have the transmitters can have access to some information." When asked if he believes his former comrades in North Korea actually want democracy, Kim was unequivocal: "Sure they want democracy." How could he be so sure? "Oh, I was one of them, you know...And a lot of North Korean people are thinking that they are so miserable and unfortunate to be born there, which means they want free rule and they want democracy there." next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 As voters in Arizona and Michigan were voting in their states GOP primaries Tuesday, Democrats fired another round of criticism about front-runner Mitt Romney and what they say is his hostility to Latinos. A week after President Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee focused their GOP-targeted criticism on the former Massachusetts governor and his hard line on immigration, other Democratic leaders are keeping alive the message to Latinos that a Romney presidency would be detrimental to Latinos. Polls in the last week have showed Romney virtually tied with rival Rick Santorum in Michigan, where Romney was born. But in Arizona, where they also were in a dead heat last week according to some polls, Romney had achieved a comfortable lead over Santorum, a former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania. His Arizona lead is attributed in part to his tough stand on illegal immigration. He picked up the endorsement of Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer on Sunday, and did well in the state's GOP presidential primary in 2008. Barring of Latina Candidate in Arizona Stirs Criticism of English Proficiency Law At stake Tuesday are 29 delegates in Arizona and 30 in Michigan. The close race in Michigan overshadowed the primary in Arizona, but the dynamics of the campaign in Arizona has made it more watched by Latinos nationwide. Mitt Romney may feel good about his looming primary win amongst extremist Arizona Republicans, but that win is going to come at huge costs, said Rebecca Acuna, spokeswoman for the Texas Democratic Party, in a statement. Mitt Romneys perfected the art of alienating Latino voters. The fact that he was endorsed by former [California] Governor Pete Wilson foreshadows the inevitable doom of his campaign. As the GOP primary has emphasized conservatism, and candidates seeking to be their partys nominee have been in fierce competition to claim the label most conservative, immigration emerged as a key issue in their debates and the campaign trail. Romney has stood out as the most hard line on immigration, not necessarily because his positions are dramatically different from those of Santorum, former Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, but because he has been more vocal and bold in expressing his views. Romney also has established and his campaign has publicized links with some of the countrys most high-profile hard-liners on immigration. They include Wilson, who pushed for strict measures against undocumented immigrants during his tenure as governor, and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the author of some the most strict and controversial state-level immigration measures, including those that have become law in Arizona and Alabama. Latinos are well aware that Romney would be the most extreme presidential nominee of our time on immigration, Acuna said. Romneys constantly on the wrong side of issues that matter to Latinos, and hes embraced some of the biggest foes of our community. Hes threatened to veto the DREAM Act, which is supported by 85 percent of Latinos and promised to model a national immigration law based on Arizonas discriminatory and inhumane policy. Latinos should be terrified of a Romney presidency. What is the LEAST Latino State of the Union? On Monday, the Democratic National Committee held a media conference call to discuss Romney's immigration positions, and how harmful they would be for Latinos. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who took part in the call, said Republicans had exhibited harshness, bitterness, meanness in their discussions of immigration in an effort to pander to the Tea Party. The Democrats assailed Romney for embracing the endorsements of proponents of strict immigration enforcement, and for saying that Arizona's tough immigration law could be a model for the nation. I cant imagine Gov. Romney saying these things he has and these people running for president of the United States being proud of the Arizona law, Reid said. Neither of the other two GOP contenders, Gingrich or Paul, has made much of an effort in either Arizona or Michigan. Romney, and his supporters, repeatedly have said the candidate is neither anti-Latino nor anti-immigrant. They categorically dismiss characterizations of him as unappealing to Latinos. These groups keep moving the goal post, said Jose Fuentes, former attorney general of Puerto Rico -- who is co-chairman of Mr. Romneys Hispanic steering committee according to the Washington Times. Gov. Romney won Hispanics with more than 50 percent of the vote in Florida, where 15 percent of all voters were Hispanic. Not only that, but his message motivated a turnout 4 percent higher than expected or even the last presidential primary. His message is resonating. Democrats are overreaching here. A Republican presidential nominee would need to win at least 40 percent of the Latino vote in November, according to political experts. This story contains material from The Associated Press. When GOP Presidential nominee hopeful Rick Santorum called President Barack Obama a snob for saying he wants every American to go to college, I felt the former Senator from Pennsylvania had not only committed social and economic treason, but also sacrilege. Watch Santorums snob remarks. I belong to probably one of the most minority of minorities. I earned a Ph.D. from Yale University. The National Science Foundation reports that of the 48,069 doctorates awarded in 2010, Latinos earned 1,850. While most of us prize being labeled exceptional, not me. I want nothing more than to have department admissions overrun with applications from Hispanics. I pray for the day these qualified candidates are accepted and, most important, finish their degrees in record numbers. Thats not happening and not just at the doctoral level. The number of Latinos with a bachelors degree or higher increased by 80% between 2001 and 2011 from 2.1 to 3.8 million as reported by Fox News Latino. Yet a closer look reveals that the number of Hispanics reporting in 2010 at minimum some college lags significantly in comparison to other groups. Among college graduates, about Latinos 3,589,000 finished, in comparison to 43,924,000 Whites, 4,967,000 Asian-Americans, and 4,134,000 African-Americans, according to the Pew Hispanic Research Centers tabulation of the Census Bureaus 2010 American Community Survey. The Rise of the Latino Super Pac You dont need a Ph.D. to get that this continuing educational underachievement hurts our families and communities. Every degree someone earns represents a rung up the ladder of success and prepares her for the industries of the future which require more skills. Simply put, the more education you have, the higher the chances youll earn more, be less likely to be unemployed, thus building wealth and creating economic and social opportunities. Whats rarer, on average, than a Latina Ph.D. ? An uber successful college dropout such as Larry Ellison, co-founder of Oracle, and Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft. But the Great Latino Education Underachievement is not just alarming to our community. It represents an American crisis given that Hispanics continuing population growth at a time when that of other groups is slowing impacts our countrys global competitiveness. Latinos are not only the labor force of the future. Our social safety net, for example, Medicare and Social Security for our seniors, will largely be sustained by this growing tax base. Which leads me back to Santorum who upon closer examination appears to be crossing into Flipflop-ville, to not say hypocrite territory. This son of an Italian immigrant and grandson of a coal miner calls colleges indoctrination mills but himself --like me-- survived, along with our Catholic faith, three universities, earning a BA, an MBA, and JD! And in 2006 when running for Senate, he supported access to higher education for all Pennsylvanians, according to the website Talking Points Memo. Where Rick Santorum Stands on Latino Issues The tension between faith and reason has existed since the beginning of time. But that they can and do co-exist--that this relationship deepens belief--should not only have been resolved with St. Thomas Aquinas. It is affirmed because of the rigorous debate, artistic expression, and intellectual challenge on religious and secular college campuses, perhaps more than at monasteries. Real world tests deepen faith. Earning degrees and belief arent mutually exclusive. What is exclusive--as in articulating a political position that could exclude a whole group of people from achieving the American dream--shows little reason; it just makes no economic or social sense. It displays little faith in the transformational power of that aspiration. Its a view thats clubby. Make that snobby. Viviana Hurtados blog The Wise Latina Club has won "Best Politics Blogger" awards by LATISM and Blogs by Latinas. She is a regular columnist for Fox News Latino. You can follow her on twitter at: @vivianahurtado Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino From a strictly rational point of view, a person decides to get involved in corruption for personal advantage, usually financial profit. The less likely it is that the corrupt act will be discovered and sanctioned -- and the greater the potential profit -- the more likely it is that corruption flourishes. This economic perspective perceives corruption as a cost-benefit analysis. It partially helps us understand why, for example, bribing police officers is much more common in Mexico, where impunity is high and institutional controls are weak, than in Norway. With that in mind, taking the moral route and refusing to resort to corrupt acts might be seen as irrational behavior. Why should I play by the rules if everyone else is cheating? But there are financial incentives for honesty and fighting corruption. 'Narco Tank' and Armored Vehicles Added to Cartel Arsenal You dont need to be an activist, an investigative journalist or a prosecutor to fight corruption. A citizen, a professional, a housewife, or an entrepreneur, should oppose corruption in their daily lives out of principle (for the greater common good, as we love to say). But also, if smart, considerable financial profit can be made out of it. One of my closest friends joined a small insurance adjusters firm in Mexico after finishing his university studies. The insurance industry is generally seen in Mexico as opaque and prone to fraud. Adjusters play a key role by investigating insurance claims to determine the extent of an insurance company's liability. Many deals take place behind closed doors, leading to irregular agreements between parties. These are particularly tempting situations for corruption to occur because they involve large amounts of money, for example when hotels get damaged by hurricanes or trains full of merchandise derail. My friend learned the insurance business from the senior partners at the company. When they retired he bought their shares and decided to dedicate his professional life to the company. Of course, at first he was scared and had more questions than answers on how to make the company grow in an increasingly competitive business environment. Yet, after the initial uncertainty, my friend realized that in order to compete with larger well-established companies with greater financial resources and experienced staff, he needed to find a competitive advantage. He soon recognized his biggest asset was his ethics and an incorruptible approach. He paid his staff an above average salary in exchange for their adherence to a strict code of ethics. Before long his company became known in the Mexican insurance world for resisting fraud. Cuba's Shadow Economy In just a few years time his company grew from a tiny business to one with a team of more than 15 professional adjusters. The formula was easy - he simply positioned himself as the clean one, the incorruptible one in the market. When transnational insurance companies with large scale claims discovered the payments they had to make were often reduced in the millions when working with his company, the demand for his services grew. My friend had hit the jackpot and secured some of the biggest clients in the world. Now, at forty, he lives a comfortable life and can retire and dedicate himself to his passions, like reading and singing with his band. I dont know if he will retire or if he will continue, but whatever his decision, he can look back and feel proud that he has brought, even if at a small scale, honesty and a fresh approach to the way the insurance business is conducted in Mexico. In doing so, he has trained and motivated a new generation of insurance adjusters who can follow his steps. Moreover, other young entrepreneurs can also learn from this example how to pursue alternative ways of doing business in an honest way. My friend is not an activist and is not a prosecutor or a lawmaker, he is a businessman. He found an area where he could fulfill his professional aspirations and make a good living while at the same time giving something back to his community and his country. Alejandro Salas is the Regional Director for the Americas at Transparency International, the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption, active in more than 100 countries around the world. Twitter @ASalasTI The views expressed in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Transparency International. Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino Despite growing disappointment in his handling of immigration issues, Latino voters favor President Barack Obama by six-to-one over any of the Republican presidential hopefuls, showed a Fox News Latino poll conducted under the direction of Latin Insights and released Monday. The national poll of likely Latino voters indicated that 73 percent of them approved of Obamas performance in office, with over half those questioned looking favorably upon his handling of the healthcare debate and the economy, at 66 percent and 58 percent respectively. Released on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries in the race for the GOP nomination, the Fox News Latino poll shows former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney with 35 percent of Latino voter support, to Texas Rep. Ron Paul's 13 percent, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich's 12 percent, and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum's 9 percent. But the poll shows that the overwhelming choice among likely Latino voters is President Obama. In head-to-head match-ups none of the GOP candidates would garner more than 14 percent of the Latino vote come November, the poll said. "This is what we're seeing across the country," said Gabriela Domenzain, Obama campaign spokesperson. "The more Latinos learn about the candidates, the more they reject them." Caught-up in the throes of a bitterly contested primary season, the GOP hopefuls seem to be losing traction among Latino voters. For Latinos, Immigration is More Personal Than Political, Fox News Latino Poll Says While the poll indicates that four of five Latinos who voted for Obama in 2008 would vote for him later this year, Latinos who voted for Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain four years ago are now divided between voting for Obama and the Republican candidates. Forty percent said that they favored Obama while 38 percent said they would vote for Romney. Obama also leads Santorum 38 percent to 34, and Gingrich 40 percent to 38. McCain grabbed 31 percent of the overall Hispanic vote. "The 2012 election will be a pocketbook election, and Barack Obama has failed Latinos on the economy," said Alexandra Franceschi, a spokesperson for the Republican National Committee. "From higher unemployment to record debt to skyrocketing gas prices, Latinos are worse off than they were four years ago because of Obamas record of broken promises and failed policies." The shift in Latino voter leanings may reflect a growing divergence with the GOP over issues -- in particular, over immigration. Although immigration came in fourth among issues cited as important by likely Latino voters --to jobs and the economy, education, and health care-- voter responses on immigration show a wide discrepancy with the positions of GOP hopefuls. The Fox News Latino poll show likely Latino voters across the country overwhelmingly support the DREAM Act (90 percent), favor a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants (85 percent), and believe undocumented workers help to grow the U.S. economy (82 percent). During the February Arizona debate, both Romney and Santorum backed controversial Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, and all the candidates said they favored a stricter immigration policy. Romney said he looked to Arizonas controversial approach to immigration as a model and added that if he was president he would stop all federal lawsuits against state laws such as Arizonas SB 1070. He also reaffirmed his support for building a wall on the U.S.-Mexican border and mandating the use of E-Verify to deter undocumented immigrants from finding employment. Gingrich proposed during the debate the construction of a double fence along the U.S.-Mexico border and the deployment of thousands more Homeland Security Department employees to border areas. Santorum also said that he would beef up efforts to stop undocumented immigrants from entering the country. Latino Voters Overwhelmingly Support Dream Act, Path to Citizenship, Poll Shows "I think what you're going to see when the results come in is that we're going to see a good amount of Latino support," said Sylvia Garcia, the Gingrich campaign's National Hispanic Inclusion director. "We're finding a high amount of support among the Latino Evangelical community." Paradoxically, immigration is also the issue in which President Obama receives his lowest approval rating among Latino voters --some 41 percent disapprove of the job he is doing regarding immigration, with the number climbing higher to 56 percent among Latinos between the age of 35 and 44. One area where Republicans could gain back ground among Latino voters is by the choice of Vice President. Almost one-third of Latino voters say that they would consider voting Republican if there were a Latino on the ticket. Both Florida junior Sen. Marco Rubio and New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez have been mentioned as possible names for the eventual GOP presidential ticket. Almost one-quarter of Latinos said they would be more willing to vote for a Republican if Rubio was on the ticket, with this number rising to almost four-in-ten in Florida, a potential swing state. About one-fifth of likely Latino voters would be more willing to vote for a Republican if Martinez got the VP nod. The Fox News Latino/Latin Insights poll was conducted by Latin Insights, a New York based independent research company, and compiled through a telephone survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,200 likely Latino voters. The respondents were given the option of completing the survey in English and Spanish. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7 percent with 95 percent confidence. For the full results of the national Fox News Latino poll of likely Latino voters click here. Follow Andrew O'Reilly on Twitter: @aoreilly84 Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino Its not a dinner table topic for many of them, or the sole issue that will influence whom they support for president in November. But Latinos still listen closely to what candidates say about immigration. A new Fox News Latino poll conducted of 1,200 likely Latino voters nationwide, under the direction of Latin Insights, shows that they care most about the economy when it comes to the presidential race. Nearly 50 percent said jobs and the economy were the top issues for them a markedly smaller group, 12 percent, consider immigration a top issue when choosing the President. But immigration and the tenor of discussions on the campaign trail about immigrants clearly matters a lot to Latinos on a personal level. Indeed, for many Latinos, immigration is personal. Nearly half of these U.S. citizens take offense at the term illegal immigrant, some seven percent are neutral on the phrase. More than half of the respondents say they feel U.S. immigration policy is too strict. And an overwhelming majority 85 percent would like to see undocumented immigrants have a chance to legalize their status. A huge percentage, 82 percent, believe undocumented immigrants do work that Americans will not do. They feel the undocumented workers help expand the economy. An overwhelming majority --nine out of ten-- also supports the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented immigrants brought as children to gain legal U.S. residency if they attend college or join the military. GOP Hopefuls Losing Ground among Latinos, Fox News Latino Poll Says As President, Obama has not delivered on immigration reform, to the chagrin of many Latinos who have complained that he did not push the matter with the same drive and zeal that he did, say, healthcare reform. Nonetheless, a majority of voters said in the poll that, if they were to vote now, theyd choose Obama over any of the Republican candidates, who all have taken hard-line stances on immigration and English as the official language. GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney, a former Massachusetts governor, has pushed the idea of making life so difficult for undocumented immigrants with tougher enforcement in the United States that they will self-deport. Other GOP candidates have expressed support for tough, controversial immigration laws in such places as Arizona and Alabama those laws, which criminalize illegal immigration, are being challenged in court. The question for most Latinos is not whether they want more immigration or less immigration, said Allert Brown-Gort, associate director of the Institute for Latino Studies at the University of Notre Dame. It has to do not so much with the [candidate's] stance on immigration, but the attitude that Latinos perceive that Republicans have of Latinos when they talk about immigration. The 2010 Census showed that there are 50 million Hispanics in the United States. About 21 million are registered to vote. It is speculated that some 12 million will cast ballots this year. Political experts say the Republican presidential nominee would need to get at least 40 percent of the Hispanic vote to win. In the poll, many Latinos showed support for enforcement of immigration laws 56 percent say that having open borders would be detrimental to the United States, hurting the economy. Slightly more than 30 percent differ, believing open borders would help the economy. Latinos Overwhelmingly Support the Dream Act, Path to Citizenship, Poll Finds More than half of Latinos in the Northeast and West say that U.S. immigration policy is too strict, while others in the Northwest and South believe it is, though by lower percentages 47 percent and 44 percent, respectively. Some 57 percent of Democrats, 51 percent of Independents, but less than a third of Republicans, believe immigration policy is too strict. About a quarter of Latino voters said they feel U.S. immigration policy is effective. Some 17 percent want the United States to approach immigration more strictly. Like most Americans, Latinos want a balanced immigration policy one that combines smart enforcement with a path to citizenship, said Frank Sharry, executive director of America's Voice, a Washington D.C.-based organization that favors more lenient immigration policies. What they dont like is when opportunistic politicians try to bully immigrants out of the country and demonize people who are working hard to build a better life for their families. On immigration, 41 percent disapprove of Obamas job regarding immigration, with the number climbing higher to 56 percent among Latinos between the age of 35 and 44. Nonetheless, Latino voters said they trusted Democrats more than Republicans to address immigration policies (64 percent vs. 11 percent). Obama campaigned on a promise to reform the U.S. immigration system in his first year. He has blamed Republicans for not going along with proposals to reform immigration. President Obama talks a good game, but he hasnt delivered, said Jennifer Korn, executive director of the Hispanic Leadership Network, a conservative group. Its such an easy thing to do blame Republicans, said Korn, referring to Obamas explanation for why immigration reform has not happened during his tenure. He had a Democrat, veto-proof Congress for his first two years, and he didnt seize upon that to fix the immigration system. The commitment wasnt really there, and the leadership wasnt really there, she said. Hispanics are taken for granted by Democrats. The Republican Party has a negative image among Hispanic voters, with two in three saying they have an unfavorable view of the party, and 25 percent saying they have a favorable view. Seventy percent said they feel Obama cares more about Latinos than any of the presidential candidates. Romney was chosen by 18 percent, Gingrich by 18 percent and Santorum by 18 percent. The Rise of the Latino Super PAC Ruy Teixeira, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress Action Fund, said the GOP primary has held forth Republicans as the white peoples party, its underscored by how the primary process has played out. The very nature of the primary process forces them to be more hard-line, he said. The people more likely to show up to vote in the primaries are the people more likely not to want to hear anything about Hispanics. No one is even really making a gesture as far as Latino voters are concerned, said Teixeira, co-author of "The Emerging Democratic Majority" and the editor of "America's New Swing Region: Changing Politics and Demographics in the Mountain West." Hispanics themselves are not even really part of the [GOP] primary. The Republican National Committee did not address the poll responses on immigration, or the unfavorable view many surveyed expressed of the Republican Party with regard to its treatment of Latinos. In its comment to Fox News Latino, the RNC stressed its message in Latino-targeted advertisements that depicts Obama as detrimental to the economic well-being of Latinos and other Americans. Once again, Latino voters reaffirm their belief that the most important issues are the economy and jobs, said RNC spokesperson Alexandra Franceschi. President Obamas broken promises and failed policies have only brought record debt, out-of-control spending, and higher unemployment to the United States, all of which have disproportionately hurt Latinos struggling to make ends meet in this difficult economy. While President Obama continues to support the same policies, Republicans support a pro-growth economic plan that will bring the change of direction we need in Washington. Many Republicans have voiced concern about the take-no-prisoners approach to discussing illegal immigration in the GOP primaries. They have said they fear that the candidates are alienating Latinos, and passing up the chance to win over a population where many hold conservative values. The Republican Party has not engaged well with Latinos in recent years, allowing Democrats to frame Republicans as anti-immigrant and even anti-Latino, said Bob Quasius, Sr., president of Cafe Con Leche Republicans, a Latino Republican group, even as Obama has deported record numbers of immigrants and failed to even introduce immigration reform as he had repeatedly promised during his campaign. What is the LEAST Latino State of the Union? Extreme immigration rhetoric and harsh proposals for enforcement on steroids from a small minority of Republican politicians have fostered a perception among many Latinos that the Republican party is anti-immigrant and anti-Latino, Quasius said. Unfortunately many moderates have avoided the immigration issue, so the Republican voices most Latinos hear are shrill on immigration and not representative of Republicans in general. Latinos hardly march in lockstep. Though they tend to vote Democrat, theyre not blindly loyal to the party. In 2004, George W. Bush a former border-state governor who enjoyed a good relationship with then-Mexico President Vicente Fox -- actively courted Latinos. He had pushed for a guest-worker program that stalled in 2001 with the terrorist attacks. He promised Latinos that he would push for comprehensive immigration reform. And by 2004, Bush had persuaded enough Latinos that he had, indeed, tried to expand opportunities for undocumented immigrants to live or work here. It paid off. Latino voters gave Bush 44 percent of their support. Latino conservatives say they will keep pressing Republicans to be more sensitive to the nations fastest-growing voting bloc, and accentuate the common interests between the party and Latinos. The RNC recently began a dramatic expansion in Hispanic outreach, a move we fully support, Quasius said. Cafe Con Leche Republicans has endorsed a number of Republican candidates who support immigration reform and/or are running against extremists in Republican primaries. The Fox News Latino/Latin Insights poll was conducted by Latin Insights, a New York based independent research company, and compiled through a telephone survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of 1,200 likely Latino voters. The respondents were given the option of completing the survey in English and Spanish. The margin of error for the poll is +/- 2.7 percent with 95 percent confidence. For the full results of the national Fox News Latino poll of likely Latino voters click here. Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino President Barack Obama acknowledged Tuesday that his administration was unable to pass comprehensive immigration reform, a promise he made during his 2008 campaign, but said that was because immigration had become a partisan issue. "When I came into office I said 'Im going to push to get this done.' We didnt get it done," Obama said during a press conference at the White House. "The reason we havent got it done is because what used to be a bipartisan issue, agreement that we should fix this, ended up becoming a partisan issue." Obama was responding to a question about recent polls showing the president holding a favorable lead among Latinos against the GOP candidates in the run-up to Novembers elections, despite growing disappointment among the community about the failure of any immigration reform. A Fox News Latino/Latin Insights poll released Monday of likely Latino voters indicated that 73 percent of them approved of Obamas performance in office, with over half those questioned looking favorably upon his handling of the healthcare debate and the economy, at 66 percent and 58 percent respectively. More than half of the polls respondents, however, said they felt U.S. immigration policy was too strict and an overwhelming majority 85 percent would like to see undocumented immigrants have a chance to legalize their status. A huge percentage, 82 percent, believe undocumented immigrants do work that Americans will not do. They feel the undocumented workers help expand the economy. "My hope is that after this election the Latino community will have sent a strong message that they want a bipartisan effort to pass comprehensive immigration reform that involves making sure that we got tough border security, and this administration has done more for border security than just about anybody," Obama said, adding that immigration reform also needed to include making sure companies don't take advantage of undocumented workers and that there was a clear path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Overwhelming Support for DREAM Act, Path to Citizenship among Latino Voters, Poll Says An overwhelming majority of those polled --nine out of ten-- support the DREAM Act, which would allow undocumented immigrants brought as children to gain legal U.S. residency if they attend college or join the military. Obama praised former President George W. Bush and his advisors for saying that immigration reform should not be something that just the Democrats support. "That was good advice then, it's good advice now," Obama said. The president continued on to say that Congress needs to unify under this matter if any progress is going to be made toward passing immigration reform. "Ultimately I cant vote for Republicans. Theyre going to have to come to the conclusion that this is good for the country and that this is something that they themselves think is important," Obama said. "Depending on how Congress turns out, well see how many Republican votes well need to get it done." Where Mitt Romney Stands on Issues of Import to Latino Voters Where Newt Gingrich Stands on Issues of Import to Latino Voters Where Rick Santorum Stands on Issues Important to Latino Voters Where Ron Paul Stands on Issues of Import to Latino Voters Follow Andrew O'Reilly on Twitter: @aoreilly84 Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino On Tuesday, Mississippi lawmakers hurried to meet their first major deadline of the 2012 session, weeding through the list of bills and constitutional amendments they'll consider during the next two months. Among the proposals that died was the satirical bill to rename Mississippi's portion of the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." The bills sponsor, Democratic Rep. Steve Holland, said he filed it to spoof immigration-enforcement proposals, although the humor was lost on people who called him a bigot. "It's deader than a corpse I'm burying in my funeral home," Holland, a funeral director, said on Tuesday. Several major proposals are still living though, including a bill to allow local law enforcement officers to check people's immigration status. For Latinos, Immigration More Personal than Political, Poll Says Holland introduced HB 150 to mock anti-immigrant legislation that he finds mean-spirited and insignificant. Newly elected Gov. Phil Bryant supports legislation to allow the state to crack down on immigration. The bill began drawing attention in early February on various Internet sites. One group that did not find the bill funny was Cafe Con Leche, a Minnesota-based group that promotes a pro-immigrant and pro-Hispanic stance within the Republican Party. The group sent Holland a letter demanding that he withdraw the bill, saying that HB 150 was anti-Mexican. Latinos Overwhelmingly Support DREAM Act & Path to Citizenship, Poll Shows If this bill passes the legislature and is signed into law, perhaps it is time to rename the Mississippi River, wrote Bob Quasius, Cafe Con Leches president. After all, sharing a name with a state that wants to rewrite maps out of disdain for Mexicans would be a disgrace to the rest of the nation. The Lincoln River would be a suitable substitute name, in honor of a great man, dont you think? the letter continued. We call on you to withdraw your bill and spare us all further embarrassment. A New Orleans website quipped: Riding upon a chariot of Hummers driven by bald eagles, Mississippi Rep. Steve Holland filed a guns blazing cowboy steak of a bill, proudly waving our nations red, white and God-fearing blue to protect our American coastal waters. The Gulf is bordered by the United States to the north (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas), five Mexican states to the west (Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatan), and the island of Cuba to the southeast. With reporting by the Associated Press. Follow Elizabeth Llorente on Twitter: @Liz_Llorente Elizabeth Llorente can be reached elizabeth.llorente@foxnewslatino.com Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino From the same machine that brought you Sandra Fluke and the contraception controversy, comes the next manufactured injustice involving the Department of Justice, Texas voter ID laws and vulnerable Hispanic voters. On Monday, the Justice Department announced that it was blocking Texas new voter identification measure claiming that the law was discriminatory under Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act. Yes, Attorney General Eric Holder and the ideologues at the DOJ think its wrong for states like Texas to ask you to prove your identity to vote but dont object to the fact that you need a photo ID to get in to the actual Department of Justice building. Best Pix of the Week As the Heritage Foundations Hans von Spakovsky observes: "[T]o exercise your First Amendment right to petition the Government for redress of grievances by talking to anyone at the Justice Department, you have to present a government-issued photo ID if you want to get into their headquarters in Washington. How discriminatory!" Holder claims that the Texas law goes against the "arc of history," but he has yet to build a convincing case that state voter ID laws actually disenfranchise Hispanic voters. When the Supreme Court voted to uphold Indianas voter ID statute, it was the liberal Justice John Paul Stevens who wrote the majority opinion. Stevens cited a excerpt of the lower courts decision, penned by Judge Terence T. Evans, which stated, The motivation for the suit is simply that the law may require the Democratic Partyto work harder to get every last one of their supporters to the polls. Stevens concluded, "[I]f a nondiscriminatory law is supported by valid neutral justifications, those justifications should not be disregarded simply because of partisan interests." And lets not overlook the Carter-Baker Report, a bipartisan study co-chaired by former President Jimmy Carter, which recommended identification as a way to make sure the person arriving at the polling site is the same one named on the registration list. Not only do those on the left see validity in voter identification laws, but public opinion also favors them. Sixty-nine percent of Americans say photo ID laws "make sense," and according to a Resurgent Republic poll, a majority of Hispanic voters in the swing states of Florida, Colorado and New Mexico support the law. And numerous studies have shown that voter ID does not depress voter turnout as Democrats claim. A study conducted by the University of Delaware and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln said that concerns over voter ID laws and turnout are "much ado about nothing." Pointy Boots Sweep Mexico Town Despite this, the Obama administration is hell-bent on making voter ID a major controversy leading into the 2012 election. After seeing his numbers soften among Hispanics who are dissatisfied with his leadership and the direction of the country, President Obama and Eric Holder are doing what the Left does best: manufacturing controversy and using a complicit media to make this an issue about race to demagogue Republicans and scare Hispanic voters. For our Machiavellian President, Hispanics have only becomes a means to an end. And that is a true injustice. Alexis Garcia is a political producer and correspondent for PJTV.com. She also worked as a communications aide for the Giuliani and McCain-Palin 2008 presidential campaigns. Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino The collapse of the Yemeni government, coupled with the death early Friday of Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, have in an instant thrown the future of Americas fight against Islamist extremists in the volatile region into question -- while potentially giving Iran more sway. The Obama administration is still assessing the political earthquakes in the Arabian Peninsula, and for the near-term says the top priority in Yemen is the security of U.S. personnel. The State Department said it has reduced the number of personnel at the U.S. Embassy in the capital city of Sanaa. But when the sands settle, a new government or no government at all in Yemen could complicate one of the administrations most active counterterror drone programs in the world. And the new leadership in Saudi Arabia raises questions about the countrys future involvement in fighting the Islamic State and other pressing issues. Further, a former U.S. diplomat close to the Saudi royal family told Fox News the two developments, which occurred within hours of each other, represent a worst-case scenario for the U.S. in terms of Irans ability to extend its influence. With the collapse of Yemens government, the former diplomat said Tehrans influence is now seen in at least four Middle Eastern capitals Sanaa in Yemen, Baghdad in Iraq, Damascus in Syria, and to a lesser extent Beirut in Lebanon. Saudi Arabia has long been a key U.S. ally, and a bulwark against Irans reach. Given the line of succession the kings half-brother Salman bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud has replaced him the former diplomat did not expect major policy changes in the short-term. But the source added the Saudi policy on Yemen has not been clear since 2009, and the diplomat even anticipated a softer stance from the Kingdom on Syria, where the late king committed Saudi airpower to fighting the Islamic State. King Abdullah's death may also open up a bigger power vacuum in Riyadh than first believed. The Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. officials do not consider the 79-year-old Salman to be a strong or healthy ruler in his own right, which raises the possibility that others in the royal family could come to the forefront. Most immediately, the Obama administration faces a critical challenge in Yemen, where President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, a U.S. ally, resigned Thursday after being held captive by Houthi rebels. Yemen has allowed the United States to wage one of its most robust counterterror drone strike operations in the world, largely targeting Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula operatives the same group that claimed credit for the Paris terror attacks. Last September, when he spoke about his strategy to fight the Islamic State, President Obama cited counterterror programs in Yemen and Somalia as success stories. In his State of the Union address on Tuesday, he said, Were partnering with nations from South Asia to North Africa to deny safe haven to terrorists who threaten America. But the Yemen partnership is now in question. A former Pentagon official said the unraveling of security conditions in Yemen was well-understood within the intelligence community and there were strong indicators as early as September that the country was on an accelerated downward spiral. The official indicated there are no guarantees a Yemen government under new control would honor the agreements made with the U.S. government which allow for the CIA and military to launch drone strikes. Asked Friday about the chaos in Yemen, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration is "committed" to the counterterrorism strategy against AQAP, which he said is probably the most dangerous Al Qaeda affiliate. He also claimed it's not clear that Iran is "exerting any kind of command and control" over the rebels in Yemen, despite their ties. As for Saudi Arabia, Earnest said Obama hopes to speak with the new king in the coming days and expects a "strong relationship ... will endure under the leadership of the new king." Meanwhile, former U.S. diplomat Dennis Ross told The Wall Street Journal that with the death of King Abdullah, decision-making in Riyadh is likely to be more cautious on issues like Iran and Syria. Abdullah, a Sunni Arab, made one of the main priorities of his rule countering mainly Shiite Iran whenever it tried to make advances in the region. He also backed Sunni factions against Tehran's allies in several countries, but in Lebanon, for example, the policy failed to stop Iranian-backed Hezbollah from gaining the upper hand. Citing Saudi officials, the paper reports that King Abdullah became less fond of the U.S. in the final years of his reign. The king repeatedly pushed Obama to lend stronger backing to the rebels against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, against whom he bore a personal animus, and was reportedly furious when airstrikes threatened against Damascus by Obama in the summer of 2013 did not come to pass. The officials also said that the late king took a dim view of ongoing talks between the U.S. and Iran over the latter nation's nascent nuclear program, seeing it as a sign that Washington was more than willing to work behind its ally's back. Among the other decisions facing Salman is whether he will continue the country's ongoing strategy of increased levels of oil production. The country produced 9.6 million barrels a day in January, according to Platts, the energy information division of McGraw Hill. That's enough to satisfy 11 percent of global demand, despite a global price drop of nearly 60 percent since June. The price of U.S. crude was up 88 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $47.19 a barrel in after-hours trading Thursday. Fox News' Catherine Herridge and The Associated Press contributed to this report. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange fired back Monday at the U.S. intelligence community for its report stating the anti-secrecy website was used by the Russian government to distribute hacked information from Democratic figures during the run-up to the presidential election. Assange, speaking during an audio-only Periscope Q&A session, said the source of his information was not a member of any government or state parties and did not come from the Russian government. The WikiLeaks editor-in-chief blasted Fridays declassified intelligence report on Assessing Russian Activities and Intentions in Recent US Elections as being inadequate and misleading. It was not an intelligence report, Assange said. It does not have the structure of an intelligence report. It does not have the structure of a Presidential Daily Brief. It was frankly quite embarrassing. He added: It was clearly designed for political effect. WIKILEAKS OFFERS REWARD FOR ALLEGED OBAMA MISDEEDS Asked Monday whether it's possible that WikiLeaks' source was a go-between affiliated with the Russian government, Assange said he didn't want to "play twenty questions with our sources." The intelligence report, prepared at the direction of President Obama, laid the blame for the breach of top Democratic officials emails directly at the feet of the Russians, whom the report said launched cyber operations as part of a Vladimir Putin-ordered influence campaign. We assess with high confidence that Russian military intelligence relayed material to WikiLeaks, the report said, adding this included material from the DNC and senior Democratic officials. WikiLeaks famously published emails from top DNC officials before the 2016 Democratic convention, and later published thousands of emails from Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta -- but Assange has steadfastly insisted, including in a recent interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity, that Moscow was not the source. Asked Monday if he believed the intelligence communitys finding had been fabricated, Assange stopped just short, saying: Most of this so-called intelligence report is not even fabricated. That is, it does not even make assertions for the most part to rise to the level of fabrications it uses speculative terms and admits its own speculation. The report itself, perhaps in anticipation of such challenges, noted that the declassified version does not include the full supporting information on key elements of the influence campaign. But Assange later indicated he didnt think it mattered who supplied the information to his group. Even if you believed that hackers of some kind illicitly obtained the Podesta emails and the DNC emails we published what are we talking about in terms of impact? Assange said. ...What was discussed are the words of Hillary Clinton, John Podesta and her team revealing unethical practices, corruption, hypocrisy, etcetera. He asked: Should the American people have been denied that true information? During the chat, which took place inside the Ecuadorian embassy in London where Assange has been holed up to avoid deportation on a rape accusation he denies since June 2012, the WikiLeaks boss leveled a new accusation at the Obama administration. Past administrations of both Republican and Democrat flavors have engaged in mass destruction of records as theyve left office. We are told that destruction of records is occurring now in different parts of the Obama administration, Assange said. He urged anyone within those agencies to get hold of that history and protect it; because thats something that belongs to humanity and does not belong to a political party. Assanges assertion of mass document destruction may be the reason for a Tuesday tweet from WikiLeaks offering $20,000 as a reward for information leading to the arrest or exposure of any Obama admin agent destroying significant records. He also challenged the claim that WikiLeaks was in league with President-elect Donald Trump and wanted him to win the election. We knew we were creating substantial conflict between us and the person we expected to be the next president, said Assange, noting he believed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton would be the likely victor based on pre-election polling. So we understood that we were putting ourselves in a more persecuted condition by relentlessly exposing this material, increasing the risk for us. Not decreasing at all. Trump, meanwhile, has not outright challenged the findings in Friday's report despite having voiced skepticism before about Russia's involvement. Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming chief of staff, told "Fox News Sunday" he thinks the president-elect accepts the findings and is not denying entities in Russia are behind these particular hackings. Democratic lawmakers plan to rehang a controversial painting on Capitol Hill that angered law enforcement groups with its depiction of police officers as pigs, after Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter personally took down the picture last week. A Monday press release from the Congressional Black Caucus and Rep. Lacy Clay, D-Mo., whose office for months had sponsored the display of the student artwork, announced that Clay and CBC members will rehang the piece Tuesday morning in the Cannon Tunnel. The rehanging of this painting for public view represents more than just protecting the rights of a student artist, it is a proud statement in defense of the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which guarantees freedom of expression to every American, the statement said, noting it had been removed without permission or proper authority by Hunter. Hunter, R-Calif., personally unscrewed and removed the painting last Friday, saying he was angered by its depiction of law enforcement officers. He then delivered the painting to Clays office. Lacy can put it back up, I guess, if he wants to, Hunter told FoxNews.com at the time, but Im allowed to take it down. The painting, hanging since June, was done by high school student David Pulphus, who had won Clays annual Congressional Art competition. The acrylic painting depicts a police officer as a pig in uniform aiming a gun at African-American protesters. Above the scene, two birds -- one black, one white -- fight, and beside them, an African-American protester holding a scale of justice is crucified. Law enforcement groups had strongly objected to the paintings display on the Capitol complex grounds, with one group calling it reprehensible, repugnant and repulsive. After the piece was removed Friday, Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, said in a statement they were very pleased. He said: At a time of our country facing rising crime and a shortage of those willing to work the streets as police officers and deputy sheriffs, we need to make it clear that depictions of law enforcement officers as pigs in our Nation's Capital is not acceptable. The Independent Journal Review first reported on the art. Donald Trumps team has a message for Senate Democrats threatening to slow-walk their nominees: Give the president-elects Cabinet picks the same treatment extended to President Obamas. Top transition officials, along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., are citing a potential double standard as some Democratic lawmakers seek a delay in advance of a packed schedule of confirmation hearings. Eight years ago, the Senate confirmed seven Cabinet-level nominees the day of Obamas inauguration, including top picks like Janet Napolitano for Homeland Security secretary. Hillary Clinton was confirmed as secretary of state the following day. Trump allies are optimistic he will get a comparable number confirmed from the outset -- Trump himself predicted Monday, "I think they'll all pass" -- but are warning Democrats theyll suffer politically if they throw the brakes on the process. I think the Democrats will overplay their hand here, senior adviser Kellyanne Conway told Fox & Friends on Monday. If key Trump nominees are held up, she said, [Democrats] will be blamed, we wont be blamed. TRUMP CABINET NOMINEES GET THEIR DAY Conway cited the brisk confirmation pace for Obamas nominees back in 2009, echoing McConnell from a day earlier. We confirmed seven Cabinet appointments the day President Obama was sworn in. We didn't like most of them either. But he won the election, McConnell told CBS Face the Nation on Sunday. So all of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration in having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate. McConnell said, We need to sort of grow up here and get past that. We need to have the president's national security team in place on Day One. Democrats indicate the reason theyre scrutinizing Trumps nominees so closely is because theyre still awaiting important paperwork that could clarify any potential conflicts of interest the nominees -- in some cases millionaires and billionaires with complex personal finances -- might encounter on the job. The director of the Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, recently suggested Republicans were the ones breaking with precedent, noting the office had not even received initial draft disclosure reports for some nominees appearing before Congress this week -- when the Senate plans to hold at least nine confirmation hearings, beginning Tuesday. "I am not aware of any occasion in the four decades since OGE was established when the Senate held a confirmation hearing before the nominee had completed the ethics review process," wrote Shaub. But incoming Trump press secretary Sean Spicer said Monday that every nominee with a hearing scheduled this week now has their paperwork in to the Office of Government Ethics. Senate committee aides also said hearings were held for former Education Secretary Roderick Paige and former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao before they received the same forms in 2001, and that they received the documents days after each of those hearings. Both were confirmed to serve in President George W. Bush's Cabinet. Conway said Trumps nominees, further, have answered more than 2,600 questions and met with dozens of senators, including Democrats. But Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., accused Republicans of trying to rush through Trumps nominees. He said Monday theyre actually holding Trumps picks to same standard McConnell set for Obamas eight years ago. Schumer has joined with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the Democratic National Committee and others in seeking a pause. Warren tweeted: Cabinet officials must put our country's interests before their own. No conf hearings should be held until were certain thats the case. In the end, Democrats can slow down the process but dont have power to use the filibuster to block nominations, since they changed the threshold on such votes from 60 to 51 votes. If Republicans hold together, Trumps nominees are virtually assured confirmation. The hearings begin Tuesday with Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions nomination for attorney general before the Senate Judiciary Committee, the same panel that in 1986 denied him a federal judgeship, following allegations he had made racist remarks and called the NAACP "un-American." Civil rights groups are urging a thorough vetting of Sessions, but others are coming to his defense, with supporters going on air with pro-Sessions testimonials from those who have worked with him. Another closely watched hearing will be ExxonMobil boss Rex Tillersons appearance before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday, for his nomination to be secretary of State. Democrats and even some Republicans could press Tillerson not only on his financial interests but his ties to Russia. While Republicans hope past will be prologue and the Senate swiftly confirms many nominees, they also have to contend with Democrats seeking payback for their treatment of Obamas Supreme Court pick. While the Senate quickly confirmed Obamas Cabinet picks in 2009, the chamber under Republican control steadfastly refused to consider Merrick Garland for the Supreme Court vacancy last year. Even if the Senate moves to confirm Trumps Cabinet nominees, his Supreme Court pick is likely to face a contentious confirmation fight. In anticipation, the Judicial Crisis Network the same conservative group that has been lobbying for Sessions confirmation announced Monday it will spend at least $10 million on a campaign to confirm Trumps eventual Supreme Court nominee. Carrie Severino, JCN chief counsel, called it the most robust campaign for a Supreme Court nominee in history, vowing to pressure vulnerable Democratic senators on the vote. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Gun-rights groups have high hopes for a new bill looking to grant national reciprocity for Americans with concealed firearm permits, introduced just as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. The bill, put forward in the new Congress last week by Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., would allow gun owners with a state-issued concealed-carry license to have that license recognized in any other state that allows concealed carry. This also would apply to states that recognize so-called constitutional carry where a license is not required for a concealed handgun. The goal, Hudson says, is to prevent gun owners from getting caught in a patchwork of state-by-state laws. Your drivers license works in every state, so why doesnt your concealed-carry permit? Hudsons office said in an accompanying fact sheet. The perils that concealed-carry permit holders can face recently were brought to national attention in 2014 when Shaneen Allen, a Philadelphia mother of two, was arrested and faced three years in prison after mistakenly entering New Jersey in possession of a loaded handgun. When Allen was stopped by an officer for a traffic violation, she told the officer she had the gun and a permit for Pennsylvania, but was unaware her permit was not transferable. She was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon and hollow-point bullets. Allen was pardoned in 2015 by Gov. Chris Christie. The bill has picked up the approval of a number of gun-rights groups. Law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise their fundamental right to self-defense while traveling across state lines, said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRAs Institute for Legislative Action. This is an extremely important issue to our members and we thank Congressman Hudson for leading the fight to protect our rights. While the bill likely would sail through the Republican-dominated House, it may struggle to attract 60 votes in the Senate, which would require some Democratic support. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., told The Wall Street Journal in December that any version of a national reciprocity bill would be dead on arrival in the chamber. However, the Journal also reported that other Democrats believe some form of national reciprocity is likely to become law in this Congress. Erich Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, told FoxNews.com that his group is confident it can pass the Senate. "We think the chances of passing concealed carry reciprocity are very good. The Senate has already voted on similar legislation twice in the past -- and both times the bill garnered a large majority," he said, pointing to amendments in 2009 and 2013 that gained 58 and 57 Senate votes, despite Democratic control of the chamber. An aide to Hudson told FoxNews.com that the bill now has 69 co-sponsors in the House, including two Democrats. This may indicate a degree of bipartisan support which could transfer to the Senate. Hudson introduced a similar bill in 2015, but the bill was never put up for a vote and instead referred to committee. A similar bill was introduced in the Senate by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and met a similar fate. However, the election of Trump has given impetus for a Republican push on gun rights. In December, a group of GOP House lawmakers led by Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., formed the Congressional Second Amendment Caucus with the intent of pushing a pro-Second Amendment agenda in the 115th Congress. The recent election results present us with a new opportunity to advance pro-gun legislation and reverse the erosion of the Second Amendment that's occurred over the last few decades. I look forward to working with the new president and this determined group of conservatives to promote a pro-gun agenda, Massie said at the time. Hudson echoed the sentiment in introducing his bill this week. As a member of President-elect Trumps Second Amendment Coalition, I look forward to working with my colleagues and the administration to get this legislation across the finish line, he said. Former Senate minority leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., used campaign funds to pay a former staffer $7,000 to paint a portrait that is displayed in the U.S. Capitol. The portrait was unveiled last month during a farewell ceremony for the long-time Democratic leader. Failed Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Vice President Joe Biden, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., all attended the ceremony. Gavin Glakas, a former staffer for Reid, painted the portrait that will remain in the Capitol. On April 19, 2016, a $7,000 check for a portrait was cut to Glakas from Friends for Harry Reid, the campaign committee for the former senator. The Washington Free Beacon first noticed the disbursement last August and reached out to Glakas and Reids office seeking an explanation of the disbursement. Neither returned a request for comment at the time. Glakas had previously painted a portrait of Sen. Reids wife, Landra, which was displayed in his office. The farewell ceremony was also attended by Glakas, who has since added the painting to his gallery of work on his website. Click for more from The Washington Free Beacon. A new survey shows that a majority of U.S. service members has an "unfavorable" view of President Obama and his eight years in the White House. The survey released Sunday by the Military Times and Syracuse Universitys Institute for Veterans and Military Families found 51.5 percent of service members have an unfavorable view of the Democratic president -- 29.1 percent with a very unfavorable view and 22.4 percent with a somewhat unfavorable opinion. Roughly 36 percent of the members from all four military branches had a favorable view, while 12 percent were neutral. Responses were based on a voluntary, confidential online survey of 1,664 active-duty troops that are a part of Military Times subscriber base, from Dec. 16 to 21. The margin of error for questions on Obamas popularity is 2 percent. Other questions have slightly higher margins of error. Obamas supporters perceive him as a Nobel Peace Prize winner who hunted and killed 9-11 terrorist Osama bin Laden and a president who improved military strategy amid an uncooperative Congress and unprecedented budget restrictions, according to the Gannet-owned Military Times. Among the concerns of critics was troop levels under Obama being cut to historically low levels and the presidents decision to withdraw combat troops from Iraq, essentially making America less safe. In addition, more than 60 percent of the respondents thought Obamas use of drones and Special Forces teams for precision strikes -- instead of large-scale military operations -- has helped U.S. national security, according to MilitaryTimes.com. Obama disagrees with the argument that tighter budgets have ruined the services, according to the Military Times. Our Army, tested by years of combat, is the best-trained and best-equipped land force on the planet, the publication quoted him last week as saying. Our Navy is the largest and most lethal in the world. Our Coast Guard is the finest in the world. James Jay Carafano, an international studies expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation, told the publication: Theres no question this era will go down as the third hollow army, and its the presidents fault. ... For all his promises, the operations tempo hasnt gone down as much as he hoped, and he has invested little in the military. Military officers had a higher opinion of Obama, compared to enlisted personnel, 44-to-35 percent. And the Marine Corp collectively had the least favorable opinion, at 60 percent, compared to the Navys 46 percent, which was the highest among the four military branches, according to the survey. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott says he expects the Legislature to pass an anti-sanctuary city bill this year, opening a new front in the battle over local control. Weighing in on the intensifying national immigration debate, the Republican governor pledged to sign Senate Bill 4, which would require municipalities to enforce migrant detainers at local jails and withhold state grants if they dont comply. I will work with the Legislature to compel government bodies and employees to live up to their oath of office, Abbott declared. Cities, counties or universities that violate the law will face a multitude of consequence, ranging from financial penalties to removal from office, the former state attorney general said. Abbott, who has clashed with Sheriff Lupe Valdez over sanctuary policies in Dallas County, took aim at newly elected Travis County Sheriff Sally Hernandez, who vowed to remove Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from the Austin jail. Click for more from Watchdog.org Donald Trump claimed some measure of political revenge against Ohio Gov. John Kasich for shunning his presidential campaign, after helping oust a key Kasich loyalist from atop the state Republican party. Trump threw his support behind Jane Timken, who on Friday narrowly defeated Ohio GOP Chairman Matt Borges. The president-elect even got personally involved, calling members of the 66-person Central Committee to lobby on Timken's behalf. "At first I thought it was a fake phone call," Cincinnati-area committee member Greg Simpson told Cleveland.com. "Then all of the sudden, he's talking to me." Simpson said Trump touted Timken, a party activist and donor, without bashing Borges, who last year offered only lukewarm support for Trumps campaign. Borges appeared largely caught in the political crossfire, considering Kasich, a failed 2016 GOP presidential candidate, refused to endorse Trump after he won the party primary, despite signing a pledge to support the eventual nominee. Kasich then refused to officially attend the Republican convention this past summer in Cleveland, despite being governor of the host state. By the numbers, Borges logged a strong track record since becoming chairman in 2013. He led Ohio Republicans in going undefeated in statewide races in 2014 and 2016, helped thwart Democrats attempt this year to unseat incumbent GOP Sen. Rob Portman, delivered votes in battleground Ohio for Trump and brought a major party convention to the state for the first time in 80 years. This run as chairman of the party has been really the most exceptional experience, professional, of my entire life, said Borges, who also suggested that he was pleased the outcome of the chairmanship vote could bring Kasich and Trump closer. Still, Borges was at least partially responsible for drawing Trump's ire. He said last summer on Twitter that then-Trump Campaign Manager Paul Manafort still has a lot to learn about Ohio politics and that Manafort doesn't know what he's talking about. The campaign later suggested Borges was hopping on the Trump bandwagon late in the race to further his career, with an eye on becoming the next Republican National Committee chairman. "It's no great secret that Chairman Borges was never fully on board, but his actions over the past week demonstrate that his loyalties to Governor John Kasich's failed presidential campaign eclipse his responsibility as chairman of the Ohio Republican Party," Trumps Ohio campaign manager, Rob Paduchik, said in an October letter to the state central committee. Paduchik, who is Trumps pick for RNC co-chairman, also reportedly appealed to committee members to vote for Timken, which has resulted in a complaint that such meddling is in violation of RNC rules. Tensions over President-elect Donald Trumps favorable Russian views and the upcoming Senate confirmation hearing for prospective secretary of state Rex Tillerson are expected to boil over in the days ahead. Top Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain told NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday that they plan to continue with new sanctions on Russia despite the potential to possibly alienate Trump and his ideas for warming ties between the U.S. and Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal, Trump and his top aides have planned to downplay Russias alleged role in the 2016 presidential election which was pointed out in a U.S. intelligence report released Friday. The Russian divide in Congress would certainly get Trumps presidency off to a rocky start. Concerns over Russia are expected to come into the light during Tillersons confirmation hearing. Graham and McCain both agreed that they still had questions about Tillerson even after so-called positive meetings with the Exxon-Mobil executive. Tillersons Russian ties are expected to be scrutinized heavily. Mr. Tillerson has got to convince me and I think other members of the body, that he sees Russia as a disruptive force, that he sees Putin as undermining democracy all over the world, not just in our backyard, Graham added. He has to realize that the Russians did it when it came to the hacking and that new sanctions are justified. Trump has yet to accept the intelligence briefing that pointed at Moscow for interfering with the presidential election. He said in a series of tweets Sunday that it wasnt bad to have a relationship with Russia. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We have enough problems around the world without yet another one, he added. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD! Should Tillersons confirmation be rejected, it wouldnt be unprecedented. The Journal noted that only three potential cabinet picks have been rejected in the 20th century. The last rejection came in 1989 during George H.W. Bushs presidency when his secretary of defense pick was rejected by a Democratic Senate. Tillerson has received some support outside Congress. Hes received the backing up former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates and former Secretaries of State James Baker and Condoleezza Rice. A Republican-held Senate would need three total dissenters to possibly vote down Tillerson as the pick, if Democrats hold united. Graham and McCain would have to lure another senator onto their side. With a showdown looming in the Senate, a fight over Russian ties isnt going away. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Meet the Press that Russia didnt help U.S.-allied forces in Syria one bit in the fight against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. Carter said that Russia had promised to help fight extremists and help end the Syrian civil war. Instead, he said, Russia doubled down on the Syrian civil war. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Click for more from The Wall Street Journal. President-elect Donald Trumps nominees to lead the departments of Justice and Homeland Security will appear before Senate commitees Tuesday to kick off what is likely to be a contentious confirmation process. Late Monday, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., announced that he would testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee against the nomination of Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions to be attorney general. Booker will be joined by Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Rep. Cedric Richmond, D-La. the head of the Congressional Black Caucus as part of an effort by Democrats to portray Sessions as out of the mainstream on civil rights legislation. Booker is believed to be the first sitting Senator to testify in a confirmation hearing against another sitting senator nominated for a Cabinet position. "I do not take lightly the decision to testify against a Senate colleague," Booker said in a statement. "But the immense powers of the Attorney General combined with the deeply troubling views of this nominee is a call to conscience. "The Attorney General is responsible for ensuring the fair administration of justice, and based on his record, I lack confidence that Senator Sessions can honor this duty," the senator added. Democrats don't have the power to block the nomination of either Sessions or retired Marine Gen. John Kelly to head DHS, since Republicans control the Senate and only need a simple majority to confirm both men. However, Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee are expected to try and paint Sessions as being out of the mainstream on issues critical to the party's core voters Hispanics, African Americans and women ahead of the 2018 election cycle. Sessions has been a leading advocate not only for cracking down on illegal immigration, but also for slowing all legal immigration, increasing mass deportations and giving more scrutiny to those entering the United States. He vehemently opposed the bipartisan immigration bill that the Senate passed in 2013 that included a pathway to citizenship for the estimated 11 million immigrants living in the U.S. illegally. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer, who worked with Republicans to craft the immigration legislation, indicated last week that he would have a hard time supporting Sessions, saying "he has been more anti-immigration than just about any other single member of Congress." In 1986, Sessions was nominated to the federal bench by then-President Ronald Reagan, but was rejected by the Senate Judiciary Committee over allegations that he had called a black attorney "boy" which he denied and described the NAACP and ACLU as "un-American." Last week, the NAACP staged a sit-in at one of Sessions' Alabama offices, and its legal defense fund said it was "inconceivable that he should be entrusted with the oversight of our civil rights laws." Hank Sanders, a Democratic state senator in Alabama, points to cases Sessions pursued as a prosecutor against civil rights activists in the 1980s. "They called them voter fraud cases," said Sanders, who won acquittals for the defendants. "I called them voter persecution cases." However, Albert Turner Jr., the son of two of those defendants recently said he believed Sessions "is not a racist" and "was simply doing his job" when he prosecuted the cases. Supporters describe Sessions as a man of integrity who fought for desegregation during his career as a local GOP leader, prosecutor and elected official. As U.S. attorney, Sessions' office investigated and helped secure convictions in the 1981 Ku Klux Klan lynching of Michael Donald, a black teenager found hanging from a tree. Greg Griffin, a black Alabama judge who worked as a state attorney when Sessions was Alabama attorney general, told the Associated Press over the weekend that Sessions "always treated me with respect" and called him "one of the best bosses I ever had." While in the Senate, Sessions voted to confirm Obama's first attorney general, Eric Holder, the first black man to lead the Justice Department. He also worked with Democratic colleagues on efforts to combat prison rape and to reduce federal sentencing disparities between crack cocaine and powder cocaine offenses, saying the gap unfairly targeted the "African-American community simply because that is where crack is most often used." Kelly, who is expected to be easily confirmed by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and the full Senate, would be the first non-civilian to head DHS since the department was created in 2002. He is expected to be questioned closely about his views on border security. Trump famously vowed to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico when he announced his run for president, and stuck to that vow throughout the campaign. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Confirmation hearings begin this week on Capitol Hill for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions as U.S. attorney general and other Cabinet picks from President-elect Donald Trump -- amid increasing partisan threats about derailing nominees and calls to keep politics out of the process. The most recent exchange began Saturday when Democrats called for a delay in the hearings -- including at least seven this week -- because several of Trumps nominees have purportedly failed to complete ethics reviews to avoid conflicts of interest. Democrats called for the delay based on a letter this weekend from the Office of Government Ethics to Senate leaders stating that some of the nominees scheduled for hearings have yet to complete their ethics review process. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Sunday the complaints are merely procedural and are being raised by Democrats frustrated about him and fellow Republicans now controlling the House, Senate and White House. "I understand that. But we need to sort of grow up here and get past that, the Kentucky senator told CBS Face the Nation. We confirmed seven Cabinet appointments the day President Obama was sworn in. We didn't like most of them either. But he won the election. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the ethics review is to ensuring wealthy Cabinet members work for the American people instead of "their own bottom line and that they plan to fully comply with the law." Republicans are intent on getting as many Trump nominees through the arduous confirmation process before the incoming Republican president takes the oath of office on Jan. 20. Several of Trumps picks are wealth Americans with far-reaching business connections -- Republican mega-donor Betsy DeVos, for education secretary; ExxonMobile CEO Rex Tillerson, for secretary of state; Billionaire private-equity investor Wilbur Ross, for commerce secretary and former Goldman Sachs executive Steve Mnuchin for treasury secretary. Despite all of the wrangling ahead of the Senate confirmation hearings, Trumps nominees will almost certainly get enough votes in the chamber's GOP-led committees. However, they could run into delays when both parties cast final votes on the Senate floor, despite needing only 51 yeahs. Democrats could use procedural moves to extend the debate on each of the nominees. But they dont have the power to use the filibuster to block the nominations, because in the last Congress they changed the threshold on such filibusters from 60 to 51 votes. The hearings begin Tuesday with Sessions in the Senate Judiciary Committee, the same panel that in 1986 denied him a federal judgeship, following allegations that he had made racist remarks and called the NAACP "un-American." Still, Session, an immigration hawk and the first U.S. Senator to endorse Trump, a fellow Republican, is expected to be confirmed without much delay or fight. Still, civil rights groups are urging a thorough vetting of Sessions. Last week, NAACP President Cornell William Brooks and other group members were arrested after a sit-in protest in Sessions' Mobile, Alabama, office, and could do something similar on Capitol Hill. The two-day hearing includes a day for Sessions to address the committee, and a day for rebuttal witnesses from those opposing his nomination. Session will be followed Tuesday by retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, the nominee for the post of Homeland Security secretary. Tillersons hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to run the State Department, arguable the most important and high-profile Cabinet post, could be the most contentious. His job leading oil giant ExxonMobile, which included deals with Russia and connections to Russian President Vladimir Putin, is raising concerns, especially after a recent U.S. intelligence report stated both meddled in this years presidential election. However, the expected showdown with Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain -- who last week suggested hed vote for Tillerson when pigs fly -- appears less likely. McCain said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press that still has questions but that a meeting last week with Tillerson eased concerns. Every president should have the benefit of the doubt as to their nominees, he said. So there has to be a compelling reason not to vote for him. Democrats and others argue that Ross, who founded the private equity firm WL Ross & Co., is the type of Wall Street tycoon that Trump has vowed to keep out of Washington. But Ross' record has so far shown no potentially damaging conflicts of interest. Schumer and other Democrats have purportedly targeted DeVos, Sessions and Tillerson as well as Mnuchin and South Carolina Rep. Mick Mulvaney, for the Office of Management -- whose hearings have yet to be scheduled. If Republicans think they can quickly jam through a whole slate of nominees without a fair hearing process, theyre sorely mistaken, Schumer said last week. One of the committees that hasn't yet received the ethics review forms is the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which will hold the DeVos hearings. The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee said it had also not received the forms for Ross, though a spokeswoman said they expect them soon. Committee aides said they have received ethics forms for Sessions, Tillerson, Treasury Secretary nominee and retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis and Elaine Chao, for transportation secretary. The Government Ethics office did not list which of Trump's Cabinet choices hadn't turned in their disclosures. Other confirmation hearings next week include Rep. Mike Pompeo, R-Kansas, for director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and Ben Carson for housing secretary. The Associated Press contributed to his report. Archaeologists have recreated an ancient burial site in virtual reality, to help them study hard-to-access locations at the so-called Plain of Jars site in Laos and the millennia-old relics it contains. The researchers will also use virtual reality to study other archaeological sites at the Plain of Jars, many of them located where undetonated American bombs left over from the Vietnam War make it too dangerous to dig. The virtual-reality project combines aerial video captured by a drone with geophysical data and records of archaeological excavations at "Site 1" on the Plain of Jars, near the town of Phonsavan in central Laos. It aims to create a virtual record of the unique landscape and its hundreds of carved stone jars, some of which measure up to 11 feet tall and weigh many tons, say the researchers. [In Photos: Exploring the Mysterious Plain of Jars Site] The images and data have been integrated into a 3D video and data simulation at a room-sized, 360-degree virtual-reality facility at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. Named Cave2, the facility is being developed for advanced "immersive visualization" applications in medicine, science and engineering. Project co-leader Louise Shewan, an archaeologist at Monash University, said the main purpose of the virtual landscape is to preserve a step-by-step visual and scientific record of a major five-year archaeological investigation by Laos and Australian scientists at the Plain of Jars, which began with excavations at Site 1 in February 2016. Shewan said the virtual landscape will also be used to explore other jar sites in rugged and forested territory, and in areas where many of the estimated 270 million cluster bombs dropped on Laos by American warplanes during the Vietnam War make traditional archaeology too dangerous. To date, only seven of more than 85 known jar sites in Laos have been cleared, and an estimated 80 million undetonated bombs are scattered across the country, according to the Laos government agency that oversees the clearance efforts. "We certainly can't just go and put shovels into the ground," Shewan told Live Science. "[But] we can fly the drones through those sites, and put all that information and imagery into the Cave2 and make comparisons such as, is there a consistent placement between the jars, or between different types of burial markers?" Giant jars The excavations at Site 1 in 2016, led by Shewan and Dougald O'Reilly, an archaeologist at the Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra, established for the first time that the giant stone jars were linked to an ancient burial practice . They discovered the remains of dozens of people buried in communal and individual graves around some of the largest jars. The researchers think the carved stone jars at Site 1 are around 2,500 years old, and that they were used by an Iron Age civilization to expose their dead relatives to the elements for a period of time before the bones were cleaned and buried. [The 25 Most Mysterious Archaeological Finds on Earth] Shewan said the virtual landscape at the Cave2 facility will be updated with new data and the results of further excavations at the Plain of Jars site, so the researchers can revisit and review their archaeological fieldwork from more than 4,800 miles away in Melbourne. "Long after we leave the field, we can continue researching, and we can actually be there with all our team members and go through the excavation again, and pick up on things that we've missed," she said. "It's also great for teaching, to be able to recreate the excavation It really is virtual-reality archeology , because we've got the time sequence of the excavation, and you can speed that up and see the trench go down in 10-centimeter [4 inches] steps." Mystery makers The images and archaeological data recorded in the Cave2 simulation will also serve as a digital record of scholarship about the Plain of Jars in support of its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site , which is an ongoing process, Shewan said. (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization or UNESCO designates sites as World Heritage Sites if they meet certain criteria for representing natural, historical or cultural significance.) The Laos government hopes the region's World Heritage status will stimulate tourism and spur further scientific research into the Plain of Jars and other archaeological sites. For now, the virtual Plain of Jars can be viewed only at the Cave2 facility in Melbourne, but Shewan hopes that 360-degree aerial footage of the site will be made available to the public or be integrated into a museum exhibition. She said the ongoing laboratory research on the samples from the latest excavations includes efforts by ANU geochemist Richard Armstrong to determine the geographic origin and accurate age of some of the jars at Site 1, by analyzing the radioactive decay of uranium into lead in traces of the mineral zircon in the rocks from which they were quarried. Shewan's own skeletal-chemistry research will focus next on strontium isotopes in human teeth from the graves at Site 1, which could provide clues about the identity of the mysterious jar makers, of whom almost nothing is known except their unusual burial practices. "We'll be able to work out where these people were living and what areas they were accessing their food from, based on the geological signature and that will be a really useful piece of information, because at the moment, we don't have any habitation sites, and so we know nothing about these people at all," Shewan said. Original article on Live Science . Starting in the spring of 1939, the Nazi regime systematically killed at least 200,000 mentally and physically disabled people that it deemed as life unworthy of life at secretive euthanasia camps spread across the Reich. In a precursor to the horrors carried out at their concentration camps during the Holocaust, Nazi authorities would lure patients taken from mental hospitals into a shower room at the euthanasia centers and kill them by carbon monoxide poisoning. The patients bodies would then be either cremated or dissected to be studied by the Reichs scientists, while their families were given bogus death certificates listing a fictitious cause and date of death. Over 75 years later, researchers at Germanys Max Planck Society are scouring archives and tissue sample collections in an effort to find out more about who these people executed in Nazi gas chambers were and to take some moral responsibility for the unethical research conducted by the organizations predecessor, the Kaiser Wilhelm Society. HOLOCAUST ESCAPE TUNNEL FOUND: PRISONERS DUG WITH SPOONS TO ESCAPE NAZIS We want to find out who the victims were, uncover their biographies and their fates, and as such give them part of their human dignity back and find an appropriate way of remembrance, Heinz Wassle, an emeritus director of the neuroanatomy department at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany, told Science Magazine. Despite condemnation by the Catholic Church during the early 1940s and ghastly revelations laid out by doctors during the Nuremberg trials following World War II, the full extent of the Nazi extermination program is still not completely known. What is known is that the program began in the spring of 1939 with the killing of disabled children but soon broadened to include adult disabled patients living in institutional settings. Adolf Hitler signed a secret authorization as war broke out across Europe in order to protect those participating in the killing and Fuhrer Chancellery director Phillip Bouhler and Hitlers physician Karl Brandt ran the so-called T-4 program. RADAR TECHNOLOGY HELPS REDISCOVER THE GREAT SYNAGOGUE OF VILNIUS, 70 YEARS AFTER ITS DESTRUCTION T-4 administrators distributed questionnaires to all public health officials, public and private hospitals, mental institutions, and nursing homes under the guise that they were gathering statistical data and seeing who could work as laborers in the war effort. Unbeknownst to many staff members at these hospitals, those patients deemed incapable of work were taken to one of six euthanasia camps and systematically killed in the gas chambers. The directors of many of these mental hospitals would exaggerate the incapacity for work on their patients because they wanted to spare them from labor groups, Michael Bryant, a professor of history and legal studies at Bryant University, told FoxNews.com. But in fact they were consigning these patients to death. Interest in the brain tissue samples of Nazi victims first came up in the 1980s when a German journalist linked slides collected by Julius Hallervorden - the director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Societys neuropathology department during World War II who accepted hundreds of brains of euthanasia victims - to a group of 38 children killed during one day in October 1940. This led the Max Plank Society to destroy about 100,000 slides dating to the Nazi era and in 1990 another neuropathology center, the Max Plank Institute for Psychiatry, ceremonially buried their own slides from World War II. RUSSIAN SCIENTISTS UNEARTH REMAINS OF SECRET NAZI ARCTIC BASE In 2015, however, researchers came across a cardboard box containing 100 brain sections and further investigation at the institute turned up even more slides. The investigations into the brain sections belonging to the estate of the doctor and brain researcher Julius Hallervorden, rediscovered in the spring of 2015, have prompted the President of the Max Planck Society to launch a total review of all those Max Planck Institutes that still own collections of human specimens, the society said in a press release. Initial investigations at the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry had shown that the Institute still possesses brain sections which actually should have been interred in Munich's Waldfriedhof in 1990. A three-year investigation is now underway to uncover any remaining specimens and help track down who these people were as well as gain a better understanding of the horrific science procedures carried out in Nazi Germany and their role in atrocities like the Holocaust. NAZI-ERA TIME CAPSULE UNEARTHED IN POLAND Its rightfully so that we focus on the horrors perpetrated against the Jews, the Poles and the Soviets by the Nazis during the war, Bryant said. But we frequently lose sight of the first victims of the Nazis' systematic murders. It is 10 years to the day since Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone, an iconic device that has completely transformed the consumer technology landscape. Jobs first revealed the smartphone on stage at the Macworld conference on Jan. 9, 2007. The then-Apple CEO described the iPhone as three things a widescreen iPod with touch controls, a revolutionary mobile phone and a breakthrough Internet communications device. These are not three separate devices these are one device and we are calling it iPhone, Jobs added. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone. APPLE UNVEILS NEW IPHONES: THE IPHONE 7 AND 7 PLUS Apple has sold more than a billion iPhones since Jobs took to the stage at Macworld in San Francisco. In a blog post Sunday the tech giant noted that the iPhone has inspired other products such as the iPad and Apple Watch, as well as millions of apps. The iPhone has had a massive impact on many aspects of consumer technology, according to Jackdaw Research analyst Jan Dawson. Smartphones are easily the most ubiquitous consumer technology item out there, and the iPhone really pioneered the modern conception of the smartphone, he explained, via email. But smartphones are also at the core of all kinds of other things, from wearables to apps to services like Uber and AirBnb. So much of what we use in our daily lives today has smartphones at the center, and it was the iPhone that kicked off the mainstreaming of the smartphone. Apple unveiled its latest iPhones the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, in September, and speculation is mounting about the eagerly-anticipated iPhone 8, which is expected to launch later this year. APPLE'S COMING ATTRACTIONS IN 2017: RADICAL NEW IPHONE, RESIZED IPAD? Rumored iPhone 8 features include an Organic Light-Emitting Diode (OLED) display that could offer greater power efficiency and image quality than Apples current Liquid Crystal Display LCD technology. The iPhone 8 may also have an edge-to-edge display and an embedded virtual home button, according to media reports. iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live, said Apple CEO Tim Cook, in the companys blog post. iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come. Apple, however, saw iPhone sales decline in its 2016 fiscal year, the first such fall since the device was introduced in 2007. MACBOOK PRO SAVES MAN'S LIFE IN FT. LAUDERDALE SHOOTING The Cupertino, Calif.-based firm faces stiff competition in the smartphone space. While arch-rival Samsung suffered a setback with its Galaxy Note7 snafu, great things are expected from the South Korean firms Galaxy S8, which is expected to make its debut in mid-April. Dawson told FoxNews.com that a major challenge facing the iPhone is that smartphones have reached a saturation point in major mature markets and among wealthier customers in emerging markets. There are still some people left who will buy a premium smartphone like the iPhone, but in order to grow the iPhone business, it has to win share from Android unless something changes dramatically in the pricing and positioning of the phone, he explained, via email. The other challenge is that the iPhone is now so mature as a product that you no longer have the same drive to replace it every two years a two, three or even four year old iPhone can still function just fine, and so the push to buy a new one every year or two isnt as strong as in the past. With so many iPhones already in use around the world and the device reaching an important milestone, Apple clearly needs to make a big splash with iPhone 8. WORST PRODUCT LAUNCHES IN PICTURES Apple needs to continue innovating and releasing new technologies and features that are unique to new iPhones in order to convince people to upgrade the phones they have, wrote Dawson. Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers The Chilean navy has admitted it cant explain a video filmed by its pilots showing a UFO in the countrys airspace. A military helicopter captured the incredible footage in November 2014 during a routine coastal patrol. The craft spotted in broad daylight was filmed using the choppers infra-red camera. It can be seen hovering in the clouds before appearing to give off some sort of gas as it moves along. HUGE MYSTERIOUS UFO DISC-SHAPED OBJECT CAPTURED CROSSING MOON'S SURFACE WAS ALIEN SPACESHIP, SAY ET HUNTERS The pilots tracked the craft from around 40 miles away and tried several times to communicate with it. After receiving no response, they reported it to a pair of nearby radar stations. But shockingly, neither of them were able to see it on their screens despite being able to detect the navy choppers. Read the full story at The Sun. The three islands comprising the U.S. Virgin IslandsSt. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croixare celebrating an important event in 2017, and it's travelers who are going to benefit. March 31 is the 100th anniversary celebration of "Transfer Day," when Denmark sold the islands to the United States for $25 million, and the three islands normally mark the holiday with parades. But since 2017 is the centennial year, the USVI have decided to do something more special: Give $300 to anyone who spends more than three consecutive nights visiting at least one of the islands during the calendar year. Considering that you can sometimes find flight deals from the east coast down to the USVI for as low as $300, you could essentially find yourself getting reimbursed for your transit. However, the government isn't just handing you cash when you arrive at the airportinstead, you'll get a voucher of $300 toward your "Historical/Cultural Tours and Activities" that can be redeemed at your hotel. To take advantage of the rebate, check out the USVI's tourism website, then book your trip through the page. There are a few restrictions. For one, you need to book your trip before October 1, 2017, and must travel sometime during the 2017 calendar year. Additionally, you'll need to stay for a minimum of three nights. The latter shouldn't be hard, especially if you plan to bounce between the islands, which is relatively easy: St. Thomas and St. Croix both have airports, and you can get to St. John via ferry. (And it won't take long to get through airport security upon your arrival, since you don't need a passport to visit.) You'll also have to book a room at one of the hotels participating in the program, which include some longtime Conde Nast Traveler favorites like The Buccaneer in St. Croix and Caneel Bay in St. John. Besides lazing on sunny beaches and swimming in the ocean, what should you do while in the Virgin Islands? If you want to hang out in town and check out cultural sites like museums, head to Charlotte Amalie, capital of the USVI territory, which is on St. Thomas. Nature lovers should make a point to visit the stunning bioluminescent bays on St. Croix at the Salt River Bay National Historical Park. Just be sure to wear bug spray: The islands have mosquitos infected with the Zika virus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Five Islands Have Now Disappeared into the Pacific Ocean. A former Ivy League professor convicted in the bludgeoning death of his wife at their suburban Philadelphia home has been released from prison. Pennsylvania Department of Corrections spokeswoman Susan McNaughton says the former University of Pennsylvania economics professor Rafael Robb was released Sunday morning. Robb, of Upper Merion, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2006 death of his wife Ellen. Robb served the maximum 10 years of the five- to 10-year term for voluntary manslaughter, after his wife's family fought his bid to be paroled after five years. Robb, who taught game theory at Penn, told police that he had come home to find the house burglarized. He later admitted that he killed his wife during an argument as she wrapped presents days before Christmas. Salem fatality on highway 60 Updated twice with additional details: Last 12:17pm There was a fatal automobile crash west of Salem on US 60 late last night, according to ... Emmanuel Baptist hosts SHINE event Monday Click Image to Enlarge SHINE - Shine His Incredible News Everywhere - is an event at Emmanuel Baptist Church this Halloween season. The chur... Get ready for streets of treats Today 3:30 to 5pm Downtown Marion Young seeks Crittenden Sheriff's post Click Image to Enlarge Don Young asks for your vote as Crittenden County Sheriff. Young has been a constable and worked with the sheriff'... Amid tight security, the man accused of murdering five people and wounding six others at a crowded Florida airport appeared before a judge on Monday to hear the charges he's facing. Esteban Santiago, 26, told U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle he worked for a security firm in Anchorage, Alaska and had between $5 and $10 in the bank. Valle told Santiago, who was clad in a red jumpsuit and shackled at his wrists, stomach and legs, that the death penalty could apply to his case. A detention hearing is set for Jan. 17 with an arraignment hearing scheduled for Jan. 23. WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEO The FBI has said Santiago flew on a one-way ticket from Alaska to Florida with a handgun in his checked bag on Friday. Agents say he retrieved the gun and emerged from an airport bathroom firing at people near the luggage claim portion of the airport. "Santiago started shooting, aiming at his victims heads until he was out of ammunition," the criminal complaint stated. "...Moments later, Santiago was confronted by a [deputy.] He dropped his handgun on the ground and was arrested by [deputies.]" The Associated Press contributed to this report. Two men, one Cuban and one Iraqi, were arrested Monday as they were attempting to land illegally on the northwest coast of Puerto Rico, El Nuevo Dia is reporting. Police said they were detained around 7 a.m. after the vessel they were traveling on capsized near the coast of Isabela. The two men were handed over the US Border Patrol and appeared to be in good health. Under the so-called federal "wet foot, dry foot policy," Cubans who reach U.S. soil are generally allowed to stay, while those intercepted at sea are usually repatriated to Cuba. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, fears about that policy potentially ending have caused a surge in the numbers of Cuban migrants. The Coast Guard says 1,178 Cubans have been intercepted at sea since Oct. 1. With reporting by the Associated Press. Bomb threats targeted Jewish community centers in at least six states Monday, and some were made with prerecorded telephone calls, according to an official with the Jewish Federations of North America. It's not clear why up to 20 Jewish community centers across the South and Northeast were targeted, said Richard Sandler, chair of the JFNA board of trustees. "Some of the threats were robo-calls," said Sandler, adding that the number of threats was unusually high. No additional details about the calls were immediately available. Some community centers were evacuated but no explosives were found, Sandler said. Bomb threats also targeted Jewish community centers and schools in central Florida and Tampa last week, but Sandler said there was no apparent link between those threats and the calls received Monday. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives spokeswoman Amanda Hils said in an email that the agency was aware of the threats and its field divisions were ready to assist state and local law enforcement. Most of the centers have resumed normal operations, said David Posner, director of strategic performance at JCC Association of North America. The Maitland Jewish Community Campus was evacuated Monday for the second time in a week because of a bomb threat. The complex includes a school, community center, a Holocaust museum and the offices of the Jewish Federation of Greater Orlando. Bomb threats also were received at the Miami Beach Jewish Community Center and the Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville. A Miami-Dade Police bomb squad was dispatched to the Alper Jewish Community Center, where staff evacuated hundreds of children "as an abundance of caution," said Miami-Dade Police Detective Alvaro Zabaleta. In Nashville, Tennessee, 225 people were evacuated from the Gordon Jewish Community Center and an adjacent school after a security guard received a bomb threat over the phone. Buildings were evacuated and authorities investigated similar threats in Atlanta; Tenafly, New Jersey; Columbia, South Carolina; and Wilmington, Delaware. In Maryland, threats also were called into Jewish community centers in Baltimore and Rockville. A federal judge says San Francisco cannot be held liable for the death of a woman who authorities say was shot and killed by a man who was in the country illegally. U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero dismissed wrongful death claims filed by the family of 32-year-old Kathryn Steinle against the city and Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi. The man charged with murder in Steinle's July 2015 slaying, Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez, had been released by sheriff's officials months earlier despite a request by immigration officials to keep him behind bars. Lopez-Sanchez has pleaded not guilty. Spero said in his ruling on Friday that the sheriff did not violate state or federal law by prohibiting his deputies from telling immigration officials when an inmate is released. An email to an attorney for Steinle's family was not immediately returned. Police say a man accused of breaching security at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport faces felony charges. Chicago police said Monday that 21-year-old Malik Steffon Neal is charged with three aggravated battery felonies, among other counts. He is due in bond court Monday. Police say Neal was arrested Sunday after he entered a restricted area without a valid ticket and ignored police commands to stop. Police accuse Neal of striking several officers as they tried to arrest him. Authorities say Neal was taken to Resurrection Medical Center for a mental health evaluation after he was arrested. Neal, of Joliet, Illinois, doesn't have a listed phone number to pursue comment. Chicago airports were already under heavy police security following after a deadly shooting Friday at the airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. An Indiana man has pleaded guilty to the murder of a Gary police officer under a deal that spares him the death penalty. Monday's plea agreement calls for 28-year-old Carl Blount of Gary to be sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for the July 2014 shooting death of 47-year-old Patrolman Jeffrey Westerfield. Prosecutors agreed to drop other charges against Blount, including theft and battery, and won't prosecute him in connection with a double slaying about 10 days before Westerfield's death. The plea agreement has no details about those slayings. Court documents say Westerfield was investigating a reported domestic disturbance between Blount and his girlfriend when he was shot in his squad car. Westerfield's family had no comment after Monday's court hearing. Blount will be sentenced Feb. 8. Gary is about 30 miles southeast of Chicago. A man who went on a carjacking and killing spree through Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 2001 has been sentenced to death in a Massachusetts federal court. PROSECUTION RESTS IN SENTENCING PHASE OF DYLANN ROOF TRIAL In 2001, Gary Sampson murdered three people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. He was eventually sentenced to the death penalty in federal court because capital punishment is abolished in Massachusetts. Sampson's death sentence was vacated years later because one of the original jurors lied on a questionnaire. A new trial was granted to settle one question: life or death. REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK: EXPLOSIVE TESTIMONY AWAITS IN ROBERT DURST TRIAL Monday, a jury unanimously agreed to sentence Sampson to death for the murder of college student Jonathan Rizzo. The jury deliberated for five hours on Thursday and returned Friday to continue. On Thursday, the jury had a question about mitigating factor 47. There are 115 mitigating factors total, and the jury must discuss each one. Friday morning, the judge sent 12 copes of the verdict slip, which is 29 pages long, into the deliberation room at the jury's request. The vote to condemn Sampson to death had to be unanimous. Click for more from Fox 25. Has the Department of Transportation crossed the blue line? It was this past October when many towns in New Jersey decided to paint a single blue line down the middle of their bustling Main Street as a show of support for police officers but the DOT is saying they should find another way to show their respect, according to NJ.com. The agencys reasoning is that it makes the roadways unsafe. VIDEO: CHICAGO GUN MEASURES FAIL AS MURDER RATE SKYROCKETS "There are many appropriate and fitting ways to recognize service to the public that do not involve the modification of a traffic control device, which can put the road user at risk due to misinterpretation of its meaning," reads a Dec. 8 letter from the Departments Federal Highway Administration [FHA] to the Somerset County Engineering Division. "The use of blue lines as part of centerline markings does not comply with the provisions of the MUTCD [Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways]." The FHA claims that the space in between the double yellow lines should always remain empty and the MUTCD even contains a specific classification for the use of blue paint on roadways. Blue is not an approved pavement color and is not to be used as such, an official ruling from 2013 entitled Application of Colored Pavement read. Blue as it applies to a pavement marking is exclusively reserved for the background color in the international symbol of accessibility parking symbol and for the supplemental pavement marking lines that define legal parking spaces reserved for use only by persons with disabilities. DRAMATIC GUNFIGHT IN ARIZONA WALMART CAUGHT ON VIDEO The FHA letter also makes a point in saying that it does not condemn the support. "We appreciate the impact of expressing support for law enforcement officers and value their contributions to society," reads a line from the letter. The FHA letter was a response to an inquiry by Somerset County chief engineer Matthew D. Loper, who had requested clarification on federal guidelines. Some municipalities in NJ have already asked to ditch the blue lines. In Union County, Department of Engineering Director Joseph Graziano sent an email to police chiefs requesting they have the blue lines removed, local radio station New Jersey 101.5 reported. Andrew Kudrik, Police Chief for Howell Township told NJ.com that while he disagrees, he would remove the line if it was requested by the county. Although absurd, we would paint over the approximately 200-foot line if required," he said. "I'll just paint the entire parking lot blue at the police department." Click here for more from NJ.com. The Troup County, Ga., Sheriffs Office is on the scene of an active shooter situation that has left one deputy hospitalized. This is Troup Co Deputy Michael Hockett who was shot earlier today. Less than 1yr on patrol. Expected to be ok. Live report 5p @FOX5Atlanta pic.twitter.com/AscdXZthu9 Nathalie Pozo (@NathalieFOX5) January 9, 2017 A SWAT team has set up a perimeter near the intersection of Samples Road and Jackson Street Monday afternoon. MANHUNT GRIPS ORLANDO AS POLICE SEARCH FOR SUSPECT IN OFFICER'S SHOOTING DEATH Authorities say a deputy responded to a residence on Jackson Street for a welfare check on an individual. Upon arrival, the deputy exited his vehicle and, as he approached the home, he heard a "banging sound." He then noticed a white male firing a gun at him, authorities said. As the deputy fled, the suspect reportedly got into a truck and drove after him. The suspect then exited his vehicle and continued firing shots at the deputy. The deputy returned fire, striking the suspect who, officials say, got inside his truck and drove back to his house. The deputy has been transported to the West Georgia Medical Center with minor injuries, authorities said. Click for more from Fox 5. An editorial in The New York Times: The Hidden Gun Epidemic: Suicides. Excerpt: Ralph Demicco, a gun shop owner in Hooksett, N.H., was shocked in 2009 when three of his customers bought handguns and committed suicide over five days in separate shootings. He encountered firsthand the stark, barely noticed fact that more than 60 percent of the nations 30,000-plus gun deaths each year are acts of suicide, not accidents or homicidal attacks. In New Hampshire, where the suicide rate is 31 percent higher than the national average, over 85 percent of firearm deaths are suicides. The dealer reviewed the shops surveillance tapes. There were no giveaway signs of the troubles driving these customers to shoot themselves. Its just an ugly, ugly thing, Mr. Demicco later told researchers for Harvard Universitys School of Public Health. I decided I must become involved. And he did, joining a pioneering effort that avoided the typical gun-control debate between two entrenched factions. Instead, he focused strictly on the suicide problem in collaboration with public health and mental health professionals, other firearm dealers and gun rights advocates. They worked on a program to educate gun owners about research that shows they face a higher risk of suicide than other people not because they are more suicidally inclined, but because guns are so lethally efficient when used, and are often too easily at hand. The family of an American journalist executed by the Islamic State said the U.S. government failed them by not backing a policy allowing for ransom payments in hostage situations. NEW CUBS OF THE CALIPHATE: ISIS VIDEO SHOWS KIDS KILLING PRISONERS IN AMUSEMENT PARK The parents of Steven Sotloff -- who was murdered by ISIS in September 2014 -- told CBS' "60 Minutes" that they believed their son could have lived had the U.S. agreed to pay ransom. "How do you let an American go like that?" Shirley Sotloff told CBS in an interview that aired Sunday night. "Just let them be killed and murdered? Every human is valuable. Everybody has a family, and they want them to come home," she said. OPINION: OUR CURRENT WAVE OF TERROR ATTACKS WAS PREDICTED BY 9/11 MASTERMIND KHALID SHEIKH MOHAMMED YEARS AGO Sotloff was a freelance journalist who was kidnapped in Aleppo, Syria, in August 2013 and held captive by ISIS militants. On September 2, 2014, the terror network released a grizzly video showing one its members beheading Sotloff. Sotloff's father, Arthur, told CBS that he and his wife tried to raise money to pay for their sons release but were told they were not permitted to do so. He said he and other families of hostages met with officials on the National Security Council for answers. All of us were saying, Well, why cant we try to save our kids? he told CBS. And they said because its against the law. We do not negotiate with terrorists. They said you could be prosecuted, and also your donors could be prosecuted." Lisa Monaco, President Obamas assistant who was also interviewed by "60 Minutes," defended U.S. policy disallowing ransom but acknowledged the government failed the families. We have Americans who were brutally killed, Monaco told CBS' Lesley Stahl. On the one hand, if you dont pay a ransom, you are putting an innocent life at risk. On the other hand, if you do, youre fueling the very activity thats put them at risk in the first place." Click for more from CBS News. The man being pushed in a wheelchair into Los Angeles Superior Court, Department 181 is 73 years old. He's in poor health. He's being held in jail. He's also worth an estimated $100 million. And he's a killer who could kill again, according to prosecutors. Los Angeles Assistant DA John Lewin put it succinctly in court Friday, pointing at the elderly man, pausing for effect, and saying, "This man kills people. That's what he does. When he's pushed into a corner, he murders people." The man is Robert Durst, the New York real estate heir. An "old, frail" man according to his lawyers; a cold, calculating killer in the eyes of prosecutors and, "an ever-present danger." GRIEF, ANGUISH AS LOVED ONES RECALL VICTIMS OF DYLANN ROOF AT SENTENCING They say Durst murdered his wife, his friend, and his neighbor... and now he may be planning to orchestrate the murder of those planning to testify against him in his upcoming court trial. That, in a nutshell, is the argument being made by prosecutors in Los Angeles who on Friday asked a judge to let them get videotaped testimony from two secret witnesses before the full trial starts because they, "may be killed and evidence lost forever." TRIAL SET TO BEGIN OVER DEADLY OKLAHOMA STATE HOMECOMING CRASH Durst is charged in Los Angeles with the murder of one of his closest friends, Susan Berman, in 2000. Prosecutors say he shot her in the back of the head at her home because he feared she was about to talk to police about the still unsolved disappearance of Durst's wife, Kathie, in 1982. After killing Berman, prosecutors claim, Durst fled to Galveston, Texas, living and hiding there, dressing as a woman and pretending to be mute. Then, when his neighbor Morris Black discovered his true identity, prosecutors say, Durst shot Black and dismembered his body. Durst beat the murder charge in that case, claiming he killed Black in self-defense. As for decapitating Black, Dursts lawyers successfully argued that he was drunk when he did it. Given his history of violence, prosecutors argued in court Friday, they need to protect witnesses and testimony. The judge agreed, saying, "We have to accept at lesser the possibility of danger." And so two witnesses, one of them still kept secret by prosecutors, will testify in court at what promises to be an extraordinary hearing on Feb. 14. After the ruling, Durst leaned heavily on the table in front of him, lifting his frail frame out of the wheelchair, then slowly turning to look at the three rows of assembled reporters and civilians behind him. His eyes seemingly locked for a second on each of us. Sizing us up? Committing our faces to memory? Seeking a sympathetic eye? Were we looking into the eyes of a killer, or simply a sick old man? A jury will decide in the next few months in what promises to be one of the most extraordinary trials of 2017. Authorities say a Norfolk police officer suffered significant injuries when a man threw a caustic substance into the officer's face. Police say a man approached the police sergeant shortly before 10 a.m. Monday and threw an unknown substance at the officer's face. Police say the officer received what appear to be significant burn injuries. Police say it appears the attack was unprovoked. The officer, who was transported to the hospital, has not been identified. Police say the man was taken into custody near the scene of the attack. Police say they will not identify the man until charges against him are formalized. The Brazilian Army decided Monday to send 35,000 troops to the border city of Capixaba after some Brazilian small farmers were chased over the border by Bolivian troops and had their land seized in the city of Porvenir, sparking an international incident. The governor of the state of Acre, Tiao Viana, claimed Bolivian Army soldiers technically invaded Brazil when they entered Capixaba carrying pistols without telling Brazilian authorities last week. According to the Brazilian government, there are over 500 Brazilians on the Bolivian side of that border region at least 50 of them are small farmers. Since 2009, when the law passed, there has been animosity between the government of Evo Morales and the Brazilian homesteaders. One of the residents chased from the area last week, Jose Carlos Caldas, who had lived on a farm purchased 40 years ago, claimed that Bolivian soldiers have destroyed his crops and used the livestock to feed themselves. What is really serious here is that the Bolivian government seems not to be making an effort to maintain good diplomatic relations, said Nilson Mourao, the secretary of Justice and Human Rights of the state of Acre. Any military action on the border of the two countries should be communicated, but the Brazilian Army, the Itamaraty (Foreign Relations Office of Brazil), and the government of Acre didn't know about the operation. So far the Bolivian government has remained quiet about the issue and has not made any public statements. In order to defuse tensions, Mourao is also offering the distribution of energy to the Bolivian side of the region as a sign of cooperation. The town of Villabela, in Bolivia, has 60 houses without energy. We can offer the distribution of energy as a sign of good will. There must be an understanding here. Luis Henrique Vieira is a freelance journalist in Brazil. Follow us on twitter.com/foxnewslatino Like us at facebook.com/foxnewslatino next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 As Ukraine appears to have all but conceded Crimea to Moscow, Ukranians in Kherson, the province just north of the peninsula, are believed to be pushing a secession vote of their own in what a local leader angrily denounced as "treason." The province has a huge Russian speaking population, and a vote - particularly with politicking from Russia - could go against Kiev as did last Sundays referendum in Crimea. In addition to a major push from ethnic Russian politicians, the proposal in Kherson could be boosted by the presence of Russian soldiers, pro-Moscow protesters and the kind of propaganda Ukraine accused Moscow of engaging in before the Crimea vote. We will not allow the country to be broken up further, Mykola Mikolayenko, mayor of the provinces similarly named capital city, told a packed city council meeting Friday, where a referendum had been expected to be introduced. If [pro-Russia] city council members want Kherson to join Russia, they better think again. It won't be tolerated. This is treason. [pullquote] A day earlier, Mikolayenko had told reporters of a mysterious phone caller who said members of ousted President Viktor Yanukovychs party were planning to pass a motion during to hold a Crimea-style referendum. Although no such motion was introduced, Mikolayenko and other Ukrainian officials in the province as well as Kiev believe the effort is a maneuver coordinated by Russia to make it appear as though a groundswell of support for secession exists. Agents from Kherson's Ukraine's Security Service confirmed to FoxNews.com that they had spoken to Mikolayenko about the phone conversation, from a woman who claimed to represent the Putin administration A spokeswoman for the provinces capital city of Kherson, Olesya Mikheeva, insisted separatist movements and sentiments are increasingly less popular now, pro-Moscow lawmakers and activists have been actively urging city and town councils to hold local referendums on joining Russia. Yuri Odarchenko, the province of Kherson's new governor, issued a stern warning Friday about provocations planned by pro-Moscow groups and sought to assure Kherson citizens as Ukraine prepares to evacuate around 25,000 servicemen from Crimean bases that have been taken over by Russian troops and pro-Moscow militias. Odarchenkos warning came as Putin signed legislation in Moscow making Crimea part of Russia, completing the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Mikolayenko, a member of Yulia Tymoshenko's Fatherland Party, vowed to prevent a replay of the Crimean scenario. Council members from the pro-Russian Party of Regions boycotted the hour-long meeting, where several city residents criticized the Russian invasion of Crimea and spoke out against separatism. But even as the meeting continued, an estimated 70 suspected Russian cossacks arrived in Strelkovoe on the Arabat spit in Kherson's eastern Henichesky region. The group urged locals there to hold a referendum similar to the one in Crimea last Sunday, which passed overwhelmingly despite being called illegitimate by Kiev and western nations. The vast majority of residents of Kherson province are Russian speakers, with Ukrainian Surzhik (a mix of Russian and Ukrainian) spoken in rural areas. Almost three quarters of the population of 1.2 million identify themselves as Ukrainians and 20 percent consider themselves Russian, according to official statistics. Still, with the ethnic division widening and Russias willingness to get involved, it is not clear how a vote might go. Kherson is key in the unfolding conflict is because it links Crimea to the mainland by rail and road and provides the contested peninsula with most of its food, fresh water and electricity. Emergency workers this week set up a large tent camp along the Kharkiv-Simferopol highway to assist people fleeing Crimea. The number of refugees leaving Crimea is expected to increase exponentially over the next several days. Air traffic in and out of Crimea has been suspended, as well as regular train service. As Ukraine appears to have all but conceded Crimea to Moscow, ethnic Russians in Kherson, the province just north of the peninsula, are believed to be pushing a secession vote of their own in what a local leader angrily denounced as "treason." The province has a huge ethnic Russian population, and a vote - particularly with politicking from Russia - could go against Kiev as did last Sundays referendum in Crimea. In addition to a major push from ethnic Russian politicians, the proposal in Kherson could be boosted by the presence of Russian soldiers, pro-Moscow protesters and the kind of propaganda Ukraine accused Moscow of engaging in before the Crimea vote. We will not allow the country to be broken up further, Mykola Mikolayenko, mayor of the provinces similarly named capital city, told a packed city council meeting Friday, where a referendum had been expected to be introduced. If [pro-Russia] city council members want Kherson to join Russia, they better think again. It won't be tolerated. This is treason. A day earlier, Mikolayenko had told reporters of a mysterious phone caller who said members of ousted President Viktor Yanukovychs party were planning to pass a motion during to hold a Crimea-style referendum. Although no such motion was introduced, Mikolayenko and other Ukrainian officials in the province as well as Kiev believe the effort is a maneuver coordinated by Russia to make it appear as though a groundswell of support for secession exists. Agents from Kherson's Ukraine's Security Service confirmed to FoxNews.com that they had spoken to Mikolayenko about the phone conversation, from a woman who claimed to represent the Putin administration A spokeswoman for the provinces capital city of Kherson, Olesya Mikheeva, insisted separatist movements and sentiments are increasingly less popular now, pro-Moscow lawmakers and activists have been actively urging city and town councils to hold local referendums on joining Russia. Yuri Odarchenko, the province of Kherson's new governor, issued a stern warning Friday about provocations planned by pro-Moscow groups and sought to assure Kherson citizens as Ukraine prepares to evacuate around 25,000 servicemen from Crimean bases that have been taken over by Russian troops and pro-Moscow militias. Odarchenkos warning came as Putin signed legislation in Moscow making Crimea part of Russia, completing the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine. Mikolayenko, a member of Yulia Tymoshenko's Fatherland Party, vowed to prevent a replay of the Crimean scenario. Council members from the pro-Russian Party of Regions boycotted the hour-long meeting, where several city residents criticized the Russian invasion of Crimea and spoke out against separatism. But even as the meeting continued, an estimated 70 suspected Russian cossacks arrived in Strelkovoe on the Arabat spit in Kherson's eastern Henichesky region. The group urged locals there to hold a referendum similar to the one in Crimea last Sunday, which passed overwhelmingly despite being called illegitimate by Kiev and western nations. The vast majority of residents of Kherson province are Russian speakers, with Ukrainian Surzhik (a mix of Russian and Ukrainian) spoken in rural areas. Almost three quarters of the population of 1.2 million identify themselves as Ukrainians and 20 percent consider themselves Russian, according to official statistics. Still, with the ethnic division widening and Russias willingness to get involved, it is not clear how a vote might go. Kherson is key in the unfolding conflict is because it links Crimea to the mainland by rail and road and provides the contested peninsula with most of its food, fresh water and electricity. Emergency workers this week set up a large tent camp along the Kharkiv-Simferopol highway to assist people fleeing Crimea. The number of refugees leaving Crimea is expected to increase exponentially over the next several days. Air traffic in and out of Crimea has been suspended, as well as regular train service. Authorities in Haiti say 23 people died and 32 were injured in a bus accident west of the capital of Port-au-Prince. Nadia Lochard with the Civil Protection Agency says the bus went down a ravine after the driver apparently lost control late Tuesday in the coastal town of Petit-Goave. She said the bus was headed to the western coastal city of Jeremie. The injured were taken to a hospital by ambulance and helicopter. Fatal traffic accidents are common in Haiti, where vehicles are often grossly overloaded and police rarely enforce traffic laws. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, the world's only sitting leader wanted on genocide charges, is expected to win a landslide victory in elections this week, extending a 25-year reign in which the country has endured multiple insurgencies and the secession of the oil-rich south. Despite Sudan's seemingly perpetual unrest, al-Bashir survived the 2011 Arab Spring. His ruling party dominates the parliament and local councils, and the massive security apparatus has left the once-vibrant opposition a husk of its former self. Al-Bashir has ruled the country since taking power in a 1989 coup, but billboards across Khartoum showing him in traditional robes or military fatigues proclaim: "We lead reform, we continue the renaissance." The unrest sweeping the region may have convinced many Sudanese that al-Bashir's continued rule is preferable to the even greater chaos that could follow his departure. "The states' collapse and the fall of the army in several Arab countries in the aftermath of the Arab uprisings made people think twice before moving against al-Bashir and calling for his immediate departure," said rights lawyer Nabil Adeeb. "For many, Sudan could turn into a new Somalia." Nearly 13 million people are registered to vote for president and the 450-member legislative council starting Monday. Some 11,000 polling centers will be open through Wednesday, and results are expected on April 27. The vote is being greeted with widespread apathy, in part because the 15 candidates allowed to compete with al-Bashir are virtually unknown to the public. The government is nevertheless hoping for a wide turnout, and many expect a repeat of the vote-rigging that took place during the first multi-candidate election in 2010, when al-Bashir won with 68 percent. "There is one candidate and the rest are extras," said Ahmed Mazamel, sitting with friends in a downtown Khartoum coffee shop. "Dictatorships need fake elections to stay in power longer." "I have nothing to do with these elections. There is no use," Azzam Salah, from Port Sudan state, said. "I can recognize only one face among the 16 running -- the current president." And yet the vote is not entirely meaningless, at least for al-Bashir himself, and religious authorities have instructed Muslim clerics to encourage people to vote. As long as he remains in office, al-Bashir will not be sent to the International Criminal Court on charges of orchestrating genocide during the Darfur conflict, which left 300,000 people dead and 2 million displaced. The president also hopes to preserve a veneer of legitimacy as he tries to improve relations with countries that can help bail Sudan out economically. Sudan recently joined the Saudi-led coalition bombing the Houthi rebels in Yemen, perhaps hoping for aid from the petroleum-rich Gulf. The 2011 secession of South Sudan, which ended Africa's longest-running civil war, deprived Khartoum of a third of its territory and population, and nearly 80 percent of its oil revenues. Smaller armed conflicts are currently raging in the country's east, west and south. The economic losses forced al-Bashir to embark on austerity measures in 2013 that sparked the largest anti-government demonstrations of his rule. As protests erupted in several cities, including affluent parts of Khartoum, the security forces clamped down, killing some 200 people and arresting hundreds more. Opposition candidates might have hoped to translate that frustration into electoral gains and even challenge al-Bashir, but a raft of new laws and a heavy-handed crackdown have made that virtually impossible. In January, al-Bashir's National Congress Party which holds 90 percent of parliamentary seats, passed 18 constitutional amendments that expanded his presidential powers, including the appointment of governors and judges. It also granted sweeping powers to an intelligence agency, placing it on par with the army and police. The opposition organized a boycott campaign in response, but has struggled to get the message out. Two leading opposition figures were jailed in January on terror-related charges for orchestrating the campaign, and were only released last week. Amnesty International said last month that 15 newspapers have had editions confiscated since January, and that security agencies have detained and interrogated journalists while threatening to shutter non-governmental organizations. One female chief editor faces charges punishable by death. This week, the European Union said it doubted the vote would produce credible results. Abdullah al-Aqib, a candidate from a party close to the government who is running for parliament in Khartoum, said the opposition's failure to compete was its own fault. The opposition parties are "far away from the masses," he said, adding that participation in the election was the only way to bring about change. But activist Ihsan Fouqairi said the election will be met with "a deep state of desperation." "Al-Bashir will remain in power no matter what, and for the people, elections are useless," she said. An American missionary who had been working in Haiti for many years was fatally shot by gunmen in the impoverished country's capital as she sat behind the wheel of her car on a residential street, colleagues and police said Monday. Haitian National Police spokesman Frantz Lerebours said the attackers also kidnapped a 4-year-old child from missionary Roberta Edwards' car after shooting her at close range. It was not immediately clear if the child was one of the roughly 20 youngsters who received foster care at the children's home that she ran in Port-au-Prince. "Investigators are working to find the killers and the kidnapped child," said Lerebours, adding the incident occurred Saturday evening in the Croix-des-Bouquets district. The Estes Church of Christ, based in Henderson, Tennessee, said the missionary's car was intentionally blocked Saturday evening by another motorist. Armed men got out of the car, fired into Edwards' vehicle and killed her. The slain American ran the Sonlight Children's Home since 2002, according to the Tennessee church that oversaw her work in Haiti. She also directed a nutrition center that provided two meals a day, five days a week, to 160 poor youngsters, who also received funding for school fees. Elders from the Estes Church said Edwards was a "light" to many and dedicated her life to bringing hope to the hopeless. "It is our intention to honor her memory by continuing the battle against Satan in Haiti and pressing on in the work of God's kingdom," the group said in a statement posted on their website. Friends say she was originally from North Carolina, but she had a home in Henderson and regularly returned to the United States from her Haiti base. Burt Nowers, president of the Healing Hands International religious group in Nashville, said in a phone interview that Edwards was well aware of the challenges of working in Haiti's capital and owned a handgun for protection. "She knew it was a dangerous place and she took precautions. It just didn't work out for her this time," Nowers said, adding that Edwards first moved to Haiti roughly two decades ago with her Haitian husband, but the marriage didn't last. Nowers, whose organization worked with Edwards on projects over the years, said he was told that two older boys who received care at the children's home were in the car with the missionary when she was attacked but they escaped harm. In May 2014, another U.S. missionary was stabbed to death in Haiti's capital. George Knoop, a 77-year-old elder with the Quisqueya Chapel in Haiti, was attacked inside his rental home and a computer was apparently stolen during the attack. The killing of the retired teacher from Chicago remains unsolved. For decades, missionaries from across the globe have run hospitals, orphanages, schools and food-distribution sites in Haiti, the hemisphere's poorest country. Saudi Arabia says the man who planned a suicide bombing in July outside of the mosque where the Prophet Muhammad is buried is one of the two extremists killed in a shootout with police in Riyadh. Interior Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said Taie bin Salem bin Yaslam al-Saya'ari was killed Saturday by police in the capital's northern Yasmeen neighborhood. The July 4 bombing outside of the Medina mosque killed four Saudi security force members and wounded five. Millions of Muslims from around the world visit the mosque every year as part of their pilgrimage to Mecca. The same day, separate suicide bomb attacks targeted a Shiite mosque in eastern Saudi Arabia and the U.S. Consulate in Jiddah. The state-run Saudi Press Agency reported al-Turki's comments early Sunday. next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Bosnian Serbs are celebrating a controversial holiday in defiance of the country's other ethnic groups, its constitutional court and the international community. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating four-year war. Bosnian Serb police officers, firefighters and folklore groups paraded through the streets of Banja Luka, the de-facto capital of the Serb-run part of the country. Although Serb leaders insisted that Monday's celebrations Banjawould be a secular holiday, they participated in religious ceremonies in the city's main church. That was broadcast live on the local television, which also included interviews with Bosnian Serb war-time military and political leaders who had been sentenced for crimes against humanity by a U.N war crimes court. A German federal court has rejected an appeal by a far-right extremist sentenced to 14 years in prison for the attempted murder of a politician who is now Cologne's mayor. The defendant, identified only as Frank S. in line with German privacy rules, was convicted by a Duesseldorf court in July. Henriette Reker, who was in charge of housing refugees in Cologne at the time, was stabbed in the neck Oct. 17, 2015 as she campaigned. Reker was elected mayor the following day while in an induced coma and took office about a month later. Judges in Duesseldorf found that the assailant, a German in his mid-40s, wanted to "send a signal against the government's refugee policy." The Federal Court of Justice said Monday that it has rejected his appeal. Mourners at a funeral procession in Brazil sobbed even harder when they saw the touching reaction of the deceaseds horse, Sereno. The horse walked to the carriage, laid his head on the coffin and appeared to whine the tragic and sudden loss of his loving owner. Wagner Figuereido de Lima died last week in a traffic accident at age 34. He had been caring for Sereno for the last eight years. "This horse was everything to him, it was as if the horse knew what was happening and wanted to say goodbye, Wando de Lima, Wagner's brother, told Globo.com. All the way to the cemetery he would whimper and stomp," he said. The funeral took place last Tuesday in the city of Cajazeiras, Sertao da Paraiba. Wando came up with the idea of taking the horse to his brother's funeral and organized the homage, Globo reported. Wagner was a semi-professional cowboy, worked in rodeos for almost a decade alongside Sereno. Sereno will now live with Wando and his family. A close friend of the family said he could hardly believe his eyes. It was an unbelievable thing to see the way the horse behaved, Francielio Limiera told the Daily News. If I hadn't been there I wouldn't have believed it myself. Iran is set to receive a massive shipment of natural uranium from Russia -- enough, potentially, for several bombs, diplomats said Monday, highlighting a move that could give the Islamic Republic major leverage if the U.S. tries dismantling the controversial nuclear deal. NAVY DESTROYER FIRES WARNING SHOTS AT IRANIAN VESSELS IN STRAIT OF HORMUZ The transfer -- which the U.S. and five other world powers that negotiated the nuclear deal approved -- foresees delivery of nearly 130 tons of natural uranium in exchange for giving up tons of reactor coolant, two senior diplomats told The Associated Press. Any natural uranium sent to Iran would still be subject to strict surveillance under the nuclear deal, a senior U.S. official told Fox News. The transfer needs U.N. Security Council approval but just as a formality, considering five of those powers are permanent Security Council members, the diplomats said. FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT AND POWER BROKER AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI DEAD Uranium can be enriched to levels ranging from medical and research purposes to the core of an atomic bomb. Iran claims it has no interest in such weapons and its activities are being closely monitored under the nuclear pact to make sure they remain peaceful. The natural uranium agreement comes at a sensitive time. With the incoming U.S. administration and many U.S. lawmakers already skeptical of how effective the nuclear deal is in keeping Iran's nuclear program peaceful over the long term, they might view it as further evidence that Tehran is being given too many concessions. Tehran already got a similar amount of natural uranium in 2015 as part of negotiations leading up to the nuclear deal, in a swap for enriched uranium it sent to Russia. But the new shipment will be the first such consignment since the deal came into force a year ago. The diplomats, whose main focus is Iran's nuclear program, demanded anonymity Monday because they are not allowed to discuss the program's confidential details. They spoke ahead of a meeting this week in Vienna of representatives of Iran, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany to review Iranian complaints that the U.S. was reneging on sanctions relief pledges included in the nuclear deal. The diplomats said any natural uranium transferred to Iran after the deal came into effect would be under strict surveillance by the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency for 25 years after implementation of the deal. They said Tehran has not said what it would do with the uranium but could choose to store it or turn it into low-enriched uranium and then export it for use as reactor fuel. Despite present restrictions on its enrichment program, the amount of natural uranium is significant should Iran decide to keep it in storage, considering its potential uses once some limits on Tehran's nuclear activities start to expire in less than a decade. David Albright, whose Institute of Science and International Security often briefs U.S. lawmakers on Iran's nuclear program, says the shipment could be enriched to enough weapons-grade uranium for more than 10 simple nuclear bombs, "depending on the efficiency of the enrichment process and the design of the nuclear weapon." The swap is in compensation for the approximately 44 tons of heavy water exported by Iran to Russia since the nuclear agreement went into effect, said an official from one of the six powers, who also demanded anonymity citing confidentiality issues. Another 30 metric tons have gone to the U.S. and Oman. Heavy water is used to cool a type of reactor that produces more plutonium than reactors cooled by light water. Like enriched uranium, plutonium can be turned into the fissile core of a nuclear weapon. Fox News Jennifer Griffin, Jonathan Wachtel and The Associated Press contributed to this report. Israeli police stepped up security measures in Arab neighborhoods in east Jerusalem on Monday, searching trucks and arresting relatives of the Palestinian truck driver who rammed his vehicle into a crowd of Israeli soldiers at a Jerusalem tourist spot the previous day, killing four soldiers and injuring 17 others. ISRAEL SAYS PALESTINIANS SMUGGLED CAMERAS TO GAZA FOR HAMAS Nine people were arrested, five of them relatives of 28-year-old Fadi Qunbar, the attacker. All arrested were from the Jabel Mukaber neighborhood of east Jerusalem where Qunbar lived, police said. Police forces checked drivers and searched parked cars and trucks throughout east Jerusalem in an effort to prevent copycat attacks, police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said. IRAN PLANNED TERROR ATTACKS AGAINST ISRAEL ADVOCATES IN GERMANY An investigation is underway as to how Qunbar managed to make his way on Sunday to the Jerusalem promenade where the soldiers gathered; who owned the truck he drove and whether he planned his attack ahead of time, Rosenfeld said. Police used concrete slabs to block some entrances of Jabel Mukaber, and a police officer checked cars leaving it. Israeli special forces dismantled a mourning tent erected to receive visitors paying respects for Qunbar, who was fatally shot at the scene of the attack. Overnight, police say, Palestinians shot fireworks at Israeli forces at a police post near the neighborhood. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said authorities would increase the number of concrete barricades along Jerusalem roads where pedestrians gather, to protect them from similar attacks by vehicles, and that Israeli security agencies are working on ways to detect attackers ahead of time. "We are under a new kind of attack, the lone attacker that gets inspiration and decides in a moment to act," Netanyahu said. Mohammed Qunbar, the attacker's cousin, said Fadi lived a normal life but carried out the attack as a result of Palestinian anger over what is seen as Israeli encroachment at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site. Jews revere it as the Temple Mount, and Muslims call it the Noble Sanctuary and the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. It has been a frequent scene of violence in the past, as Palestinians have accused Israel of secretly plotting to take over the site, which Israel denies. "What happened is a normal thing," Qunbar said of his cousin. "After all, this is a response to what is happening at Al-Aqsa. He was very connected to Al-Aqsa." The attack was one of the deadliest in more than a year of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Since September 2015, Palestinian attackers have killed 40 Israelis and two visiting Americans in knife attacks, shootings and assaults using cars to ram into people. During that time, 230 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire. The toll from Sunday's attack matched that of the deadliest previous assault -- the Tel Aviv shooting last June that was carried out by a pair of gunmen at a popular tourist spot. Israel says most of the Palestinians killed over the past 16 months were attackers. The Palestinians and rights groups say Israel has at times used excessive force. Israel says the violence is driven by Palestinian incitement, while Palestinians say it's the result of nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation and dwindling hopes for an independent state. The violence has slowed in recent months. The attack came as tensions have been rising in the combustible city following a series of statements by people close to President-elect Donald Trump that he is determined to move the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem. The United States, like other countries, keeps its embassy in Tel Aviv, saying the fate of Jerusalem must be decided in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. Israel claims the entire city as its capital. The Palestinians seek east Jerusalem, captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war, as the capital of a future state. Israel has annexed the eastern sector, home to the Old City and sensitive holy sites, and says it will never allow the city to be divided. Meanwhile, the mood in Israel has been charged following last week's manslaughter conviction in a military court of a soldier who killed a badly wounded Palestinian assailant last March as he lay on the ground. The soldier's sentencing is due next week. Italy is reopening its embassy in the Libyan capital after two years of unrest in what the Rome foreign ministry says is a show of support for Libya's stabilization process. Italy's new ambassador, Giuseppe Perrone, will present his credentials to Tripoli authorities on Tuesday. In a statement Monday, the Italian foreign ministry said the reopening of the embassy was a sign of friendship with the former Italian colony and a demonstration of faith in its stabilization efforts. Libya fell into chaos following the overthrow and killing of longtime strongman Moammar Gadhafi in 2011 and remains torn between rival governments in east and west. The Libyan military answers to the east-based parliament, which has refused to acknowledge the U.N.-backed National Unity Government based in Tripoli. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 German Chancellor Angela Merkel is renewing a pledge to make a "national effort" to ensure that failed asylum-seekers return home, while stressing the need to show their home countries "respect." Speeding up deportations and voluntary returns of people whose asylum claims are rejected has gained new urgency following the Dec. 19 truck attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. Investigators say the truck was driven by a rejected Tunisian asylum-seeker whom Germany hadn't managed to deport because Tunisia initially refused to recognize him as its citizen. Merkel told a conference of civil servants on Monday that "we will work on a national effort to return" people to their homelands. She added: "This will only succeed if we negotiate with respect with the countries to which they have to be returned." Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Videgaray said Monday that Mexico would negotiate with the United States with "dignity and intelligence," focusing on protecting national sovereignty and the millions of Mexicans living north of the border. Mexico "will act with dignity and intelligence, opening the doors to dialogue and negotiations to defend the interests of Mexico and Mexicans," Videgaray said in his opening address to the 28th Annual Meeting of Ambassadors and Consuls. The address was his first as foreign relations secretary, a post he took over last week. The former finance and public credit secretary said Mexico would not be a "submissive" nation, nor would it seek "conflict or to insult," negotiating with "common sense" instead. Donald Trump's arrival in the White House has raised questions around the world, especially in Mexico, because "the lives of millions of our countrymen" depend on the bilateral relationship, Videgaray said. The foreign relations secretary told the members of Congress and the diplomatic corps present that Mexico would defend Mexicans living in the United States, adding that these emigrants were "not criminals," as Trump alleged at the start of his campaign, but "productive people" who represent "the best of Mexico." The 48-year-old Videgaray, who organized the controversial meeting between Trump and Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto in August, said the Mexican-US relationship was "dynamic" and marked by "complex co-existence." "There is almost no aspect of our national life that is not related in some way or other to the United States, the migrants, trade, industry, agriculture," the foreign relations secretary said. Videgaray also addressed the issue of trade and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a deal that Trump has blamed for huge losses of manufacturing jobs in the United States. "Our economies are indissolubly linked," Videgaray said. In the latest incident of high-seas tension between the U.S. and Iran, a Navy guided-missile destroyer fired a series of warning shots at four Iranian vessels after the Islamic Republic's boats closed in at a high rate of speed in the Strait of Hormuz, Fox News confirmed on Monday. The USS Mahan tried to order the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard boats to stop via bridge-to-bridge radio communication, but the vessels didnt respond to the request, prompting the destroyer to fire three warning shots with a .50 caliber machine gun Sunday morning, a U.S. defense official said. After the shots were fired, the Iranian boats stopped the approach, Cmdr. Bill Urban, spokesman for U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, told Fox News. IRANIAN CONFRONTATIONS WITH US NAVY INCREASE IN 2016 The Iranian vessels sailed within 890 yards of the Mahan, which had been escorting two U.S. Navy warships. Those two ships were the USS Makin Island, a large deck amphibious assault ship with 1,000 U.S. Marines, dozens of helicopters and Marine Harrier jets aboard, and a U.S. Navy oiler. In addition to the machine gun warning shots, a Navy helicopter dropped a smoke float. The only communication between the Iranian vessels and the U.S. warships was one Iranian boat asking for the "hull number" of the U.S. Navy vessels. FORMER IRANIAN PRESIDENT AND POWER BROKER AKBAR HASHEMI RAFSANJANI DEAD In recent days Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has conducted an annual exercise in the strait simulating maneuvers necessary to shut down the entrance to the Persian Gulf via "swarm" tactics -- deploying a large number of small armed vessels. The simulations are "ongoing," a U.S. defense official tells Fox News. Sunday's incident was only the most recent Iranian provocation of U.S. ships or aircraft in the region. Among the notable incidents: - In late November, an Iranian small boat in the Strait of Hormuz trained a machine gun on a U.S. Navy helicopter. - U.S. warships have been targeted by rebels in Yemen who are being supplied and supported by Iran. - In September, Iran threatened to shoot down Navy aircraft it said was encroaching on its airspace. - In early September, seven Iranian boats harassed a U.S. Navy ship in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. military noted Iran harassed U.S. Navy warships through "unprofessional" interactions at least 35 times in 2016, a jump of more than 50 percent from the previous year, a U.S. official told Fox News. Second time since August that a U.S. vessel has fired warning shots at #Iranian ships for aggressive action in Strait of Hormuz/Persian Gulf https://t.co/4qViK6SmnF Fox News Research (@FoxNewsResearch) January 9, 2017 In September, Present-elect Donald Trump said any Iranian vessels that harassed U.S. Navy warships would be "shot out of the water." Fox News recently flew out to the USS George H. W. Bush to see her final work ups in the Atlantic before deploying. The commanding officer of the ship said Iran's behavior in the past year amounted to "school yard antics." There are currently no U.S. aircraft carriers deployed in the Middle East after the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower returned to Norfolk and the USS George H. W. Bush had its deployment delayed. There is, however, a U.S. Navy amphibious assault ship with helicopters, jets and more than 1,000 marines in the region. Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report. A North Korean official said Sunday that Pyongyang could launch an ICBM anytime and reserves the right to conduct a test wherever it sees fit. North Koreas state news agency quoted an anonymous foreign ministry spokesman in a report, adding that the timetable would be determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK. DPRK stands for the North's official name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. OPINION: THANKS TO OUR MISTAKES WITH IRAN, THE NORTH KOREAN THREAT IS AT RECORD LEVELS U.S. officials countered the officials bluster saying that if Pyongyang launched anything that threatens the territory of the U.S. or its allies, it will be shot down. The possibility of a successful ICBM launch has been in the back of the minds of the U.S. The launch would be seen as a serious concern to Washington and its allies. Kim Jong Un announced in his annual New Year's address that the country had reached the "final stages" of ICBM development. JUST ANOTHER SUNDAY? NORTH KOREA LOW KEY ON KIM'S BIRTHDAY President-elect Trump himself responded with a tweet two days later, saying the possibility of the North developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching the U.S. "won't happen!" Defense Secretary Ash Carter told NBCs Meet the Press that the Norths missile and nuclear weapons development was a serious threat. He said the U.S. military would shoot down any missiles launched by the North that appeared to be headed toward American territory or the territory of any U.S. allies. Beyond the rhetoric, however, the KCNA report suggested Pyongyang is hoping Trump will take a new approach toward relations. Throughout his tenure, President Barack Obama followed a policy of "strategic patience," which essentially focused on punitive sanctions while ruling out any significant talks or contacts until North Korea made the first move toward denuclearization. The KCNA report slammed U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Anthony Blinken for saying last week that sanctions must be maintained to keep the pressure on Pyongyang. "Anyone who wants to deal with the DPRK would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking after having a clear understanding of it," KCNA quoted the foreign ministry official as saying. The Associated Press contributed to this report. next Image 1 of 2 prev Image 2 of 2 Poland's ambassador to Britain has personally thanked a British trucker who raised almost 200,000 pounds ($243,000) for the family of a Polish trucker killed in the Berlin Christmas market attack. Driver Lukasz Urban was shot and stabbed by an attacker who hijacked his truck and drove it into a holiday-season crowd Dec. 19, killing 12 people. David Duncan used a crowd-funding website to raise 190,000 pounds for Urban's widow and son. During a ceremony Monday at London's Polish Embassy, Ambassador Arkady Rzegocki said the fundraising was "not only a gesture of solidarity with fellow drivers but also with the Polish nation shocked by the terrorist attack." Duncan says he expected to raise a few hundred pounds, and "was amazed. It was incredible the amount of people that responded to it." We offer our readership a summary update on the Iraqi Military Coalitions (IMC) nearly 11-week offensive operation to reclaim the city of Mosul, Iraq, from the Islamic States radical fighters. The IMCs assault on ISIS into the eastern side of Mosul began on October 17, 2016. As reported by several media sources, it was restarted on December 29 after a month-long IMC operational pause. EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: PESHMERGA SOLDIERS IN BRUTAL FIREFIGHT VS. ISIS As previously reported, the IMC has approximately 80,000 troops encircling Mosul that are fighting against approximately 8,000 entrenched ISIS radical Islamic terrorists. By various media accounts, 500,000+ Mosul civilians (largely of the Sunni Muslim sect) are trapped inside Mosul as slave labor and human shields for the ISIS terrorists. The US military contribution to the IMC numbers about 6,000 troops. The US contingent, with an advise and assist mission, is called Operation Inherent Resolve (OIR). Lt. General Stephen Townsend commands OIR. An additional 550 US Special Operations Forces are operating in ISIS-held territory in the neighboring country of Syria. DEVASTATED BY MILITANTS, 3,000-YEAR-OLD CITY LEFT TO LOOTERS Currently, the US forces operating in Iraq and Syria have suffered just three KIAs (killed in action). The IMC doesnt publicly report its casualties; however, independent on-the-ground United Nations officials calculate that the IMC has suffered just over 2,000 KIA. During this IMC operational pause, Iraqi Prime Minister Abadi and US Defense Secretary Ash Carter traveled to the front lines of the fight for Mosul to meet with the IMC generals. Apparently, the discussion involved options for the IMC to markedly increase their slow progress in gaining control of Mosul from ISIS. Other key considerations are to reduce significant IMC casualties and to drastically reduce the effectiveness of ISIS deadly asymmetric tactics. It appears, from multiple media reports and the West Point Counter-Terrorism Center, that the IMC is now employing a much more aggressive approach with pre-assault artillery bombardments prior to IMCs tactical attacks. This aggressive fire support is a calculated risk for the IMC considering the heavy presence of Mosul civilians in and near the combat areas. This article will focus on the macro-view of strategic and operational levels of the psychological dimensions of the Mosul fight. OpsLens will provide more details and a deeper tactical analysison both the ISIS and IMC sidesin the coming days. IMCs dilemma in balancing its assaulting forces casualties versus the civilians casualties is a tough decision. ISIS will probably continue its use of Mosul civilians as human shields. As IMC employs much more fire support to its leading units entering Mosul, this will likely result in higher ISIS and civilian casualties. Higher civilian casualties will yield much more intensified scrutiny from international observers and the media. Although the decision may appear to be uncaring toward the Mosul civilians, it is understandable from a strategic mission perspective. When analyzing this IMC decision from the macro-view, several positive factors and trade-offs are evident: the overall positive impact of recapturing Mosul vis-a-vis the mission to defeat the brutal ISIS organization, degrading the prestige and recruiting successes of ISIS by defeating ISIS in Mosul, freeing the Mosul residents from oppression and slavery, and stopping the massive genocide of Christians, Yazidis, and other minority religions and their respective religious artifacts, among others. The IMC, now fully engaged in the Mosul fight against ISIS, has no option except winning. Recapturing Mosul would be a major strategic defeat for ISIS. If the IMC loses this Mosul battle (or it ends in a stalemate), that would be an even bigger psychological defeat for the IMC. A defeat for the IMC has enormous negative consequences for the overarching anti-ISIS global coalition-building, and flowing from that, the ultimate defeat of ISIS. The major task for the IMC is to be bolder and more aggressive in attacking ISIS in Mosul while keeping civilian casualties relatively low. This balancing aspect of the aggressive fight is pivotal to overall success. And ISIS will complicate this IMC balancing act with hostile and false propaganda to undermine the IMCs credibility and will to fight. Mike Furlong is a Senior OpsLens Contributor, career Army Infantry Officer, Battalion Task Force Commander, Combat Veteran, and Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, Retired. Click for more from OpsLens.com next Image 1 of 3 prev next Image 2 of 3 prev Image 3 of 3 Turkey's parliament is set to consider draft constitutional amendments that would hand Recep Tayyip Erdogan's largely ceremonial presidency sweeping executive powers. The assembly is kicking off debate on the proposed reforms on Monday. The proposals must clear two rounds of balloting in Parliament. If passed, the government will submit the package to a referendum for a final approval possibly in the spring. The ruling party, founded by Erdogan, is 14 votes short of the 330 votes required to pass the proposals but has the backing of the country's nationalist party. Erdogan has been pushing for the proposal, insisting a strong leadership would lead to greater prosperity. Critics fear that the changes would allow Erdogan, who is accused of authoritarian behavior, to rule unchecked. Once the Wests safe, stable and fiercely secular portal into the Middle East, Turkeys bloody 2016 showed the perils of its position between two worlds. A dramatic coup attempt, 100 terror attacks that killed more than 500 people, the brazen assassination of a Russian diplomat and a shocking nightclub attack that left 39 dead in Istanbul on the final day of the year underscored the precarious status of the key Muslim nation and NATO member. Turkeys descent into violence was driven by jihadists and refugees passing each other on their way to and from the killing fields of Syria and Iraq, an increasingly Islamist and authoritarian President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and terrorists domestic and foreign. Experts say there is little reason to expect things to improve, and some fear the military and economic powerhouse could continue to unravel amid sectarian violence, political infighting and terrorism. under Erdogans personal rule, Turkeys destabilization is likely to continue, Svante Cornell wrote in a July blogpost for the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies. Thus, European leaders now need to see what has been obvious for some time: rather than an ally with which to handle regional problems, Turkey will itself increasingly be the problem. The nightclub attack, for which ISIS claimed credit, came less than a month after two separate car bomb attacks by Kurdish militants killed around 60 Turkish security forces within the same week. While mass killings by ISIS and Kurdish militant groups gained strong momentum in Turkey in 2016, a July 15 coup attempt allegedly by followers of Pennsylvania-based cleric Fethullah Gulen was the most dramatic challenge to stability. The threat from ISIS represents an ominous turn of events. Erdogan was long criticized for his soft stance against the terror group, going as far as providing militants medical care in Turkish hospitals. Russia also accused Turkey of facilitating the lucrative black market oil trade that brought billions of dollars to ISIS during its rapid ascent. Now, the black-clad jihadist army appears to be exporting more than oil into Turkey. "There is a suicide bombing craze in the region, said Metin Gurcan, a security analyst and columnist at T24, citing reports of more than 1,000 suicide attacks in Syria and Iraq in the last 13 months. There are tens of thousands of ISIS militants squeezed between Iraq and Syria with nowhere to go, and they are fleeing to Turkey and carrying their operational skills as well." It is not clear how many of the 100 terror attacks inside Turkey were perpetrated by ISIS. Some were of small scale like mine explosions, while others brought heavy casualties. One of the most prominent was the assassination of a Russian ambassador in December by a member of the Turkish police who shouted Allahu Akbar and Dont forget Aleppo as he fired 9 bullets into the ambassador at an art gallery, sending shockwaves around the world. While Turkey blamed the Gulenists for the assassination, it appeared that the radicalized police shouted a chant affiliated with a jihadist militant group in Syria, known as Al Nusra and affiliated with Al Qaeda. Several months before this incident, in June 2016, three ISIS suicide bombers stormed Istanbuls Ataturk Airport with automatic assault guns killing at least 45 people and injuring 236 before blowing themselves up. The July coup attempt resulted in clashes between armed forces and civilians that left around 250 people dead and more than 2,000 injured in a single night, while the Turkish government dismissed hundreds of thousands of people from their jobs in a purge in the aftermath. As Turkey finds itself increasingly threatened by deadly attacks from a variety of foreign and domestic enemies, Erdogan has responded by consolidating power and implementing an increasingly more Islamicized agenda. "We are facing a Turkey that is feeding the arguments of the old times into a new argument, but is putting the Ottoman to the core of that new argument, said Serhat Guvenc, professor of international relations at Kadir Has University and a security analyst. What is new is that the extent of religion, of Islam, in this amalgamation is at the forefront much more." However, Erdogans growing dominance has not brought calm, say critics. On the contrary, they say, his absolute control over almost all of the state institutions has only further polarized the population with secularists against Islamists, Turks against Kurds, and Erdogan supporters against the main opposition groups. A group visiting the site of a car bomb attack in Istanbuls central district of Besiktas in early December that killed 37 people attacked a propaganda car belonging to the secularist opposition party. In addition, ultra nationalist groups staged small theatrical acts in different cities playing Ottoman marches and putting a gun against the head of a man dressed as Santa Claus, condemning Christmas and New Year celebrations. A big banner also was hung in Istanbul depicting a man in Islamic dress punching Santa in the face, telling him Christmas and New Year celebrations were un-Islamic. A poll conducted by PEW Research in late 2015 showed that 8 percent of the participants in Turkey expressed sympathy with ISIS, putting the country in the fifth place just after Pakistan in terms of support for the radical Islamists. While 73 percent of the participants said they had no sympathy, 19 percent said they did not have enough information to form an idea. Once a stronghold of secularism, following the footsteps of founder Mustafa Kemal Ataturk in a region devastated by sectarian violence and dictatorial ambitions, Turkey is increasingly finding itself in the midst of an engulfing chaos. Its status as a bulwark against terror and sectarian violence will continue to be tested in 2017, experts agree. The Vatican's doctrine chief has said there is no need to correct Pope Francis over his outreach to divorced and civilly remarried Catholics because "there is no danger to the faith" in what he has said. Cardinal Gerhard Mueller responded to a public request from four conservative cardinals for the pope to clarify his position in the controversial document "The Joy of Love." Conservatives have expressed concern that Francis' opening to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion has sown confusion about church teaching on the indissolubility of marriage. In an interview Sunday with Mediaset's TGCom24, Mueller said church doctrine and the pope's document are clear. He said the cardinals were free to write the pope, but that it was "damaging" for them to have made their complaints public. Scooters Coffee Strengthens Colorado Presence National Franchise Signs Agreement for Fort Collins and Loveland January 09, 2017 // Franchising.com // Omaha, NE - Scooters Coffee, LLC, the Midwest-based drive-thru coffee franchise that is on track for another record-breaking year of growth, announced it will continue to expand its presence in the state of Colorado with a Multi-Store Development Agreement for seven units in Fort Collins and Loveland. With a prestigious university, a beautiful landscape and a reputation for being a great place to live, Fort Collins is the perfect fit for Scooters Coffee, said Rob Streett, President and Chief Operating Officer of Scooters Coffee. This community has an appreciation for quality products, and we know that they will taste the difference. Scooters Coffee signed the agreement with Triton, LLC, a group of individuals who reside in Yuma, Colorado. In a statement released by Triton, LLC, the new owners said: We discovered Scooter's while traveling back to Omaha on several different occasions, and it was love at first sip. We were impressed with the fast, friendly service and the overall business model. After research and learning more about the company and their partnership with the Arbor Day Foundation (sourcing only 100% shade-grown coffee), we knew we wanted to be a part of this organization. We are so excited to introduce northern Colorado to Scooter's Coffee, we know they will fall in love with it just like we did! Scooters Coffee is quickly approaching 200 locations in 15 states. It opened 33 new locations in 2016 and plans similar expansion in 2017. The company is in the midst of a robust grand opening pipeline. It recently opened its first location in Phoenix, Arizona, added a second location to the Atlanta, Georgia, metro area and also opened its second of many locations in the state of Florida. Other expanding markets include Iowa, Kansas, Texas and Missouri. Scooters Coffee, which is based in Omaha, Nebraska, handcrafts its pastries and roasts its own shade-grown coffee, sourced through the Arbor Day Foundation. In 2016, the company also added depth to its product profile, releasing a new line of Organic Hot and Iced Teas. In addition to its nearly-100% gluten-free beverage menu, Scooter's Coffee recently added gluten-free brownies to its extensive menu. About Scooters Coffee Founded in 1998 by Don and Linda Eckles in Bellevue, Nebraska, Scooters Coffee roasts only the finest coffee beans in the world at its headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. Scooter's success over 18 years of history is simple: stay committed to the original business principles and company core values. The Scooter's mantra, often recited to franchisees, customers and employees is: "Amazing People, Amazing Drinks...Amazingly Fast! It represents the company's business origins from 1998 and reflects a steady commitment to providing an unforgettable experience to loyal customers. For more information, visit scooterscoffee.com,facebook.com/scooterscoffee, or ownascooters.com. SOURCE Scooters Coffee ### Comments: Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus When Ginni Matern Mastin graduated From Ferrum College in 2004, she faced a question her mother and grandmother faced before her: What do I want to do with my life? She didnt have job experience and was having a hard time finding employment. So Mastin went to work for her mother at At Once Staffing, and while she went on to work as a respiratory therapist and a pharmaceutical representative, she recently found her way back to the agency, helping locals with job placement. Mastin took over ownership of the family business on Jan. 1, buying her siblings out, and changed its name to Matern Staffing to honor her familys legacy there. Were all passionate about helping people, she said. Like Mastin, her grandmother and motherwho founded and led the business, respectivelystarted in health care careers but opted to leave for the staffing industry. The company now has 150 employees from Manassas to Caroline County working for 30 clients. That number has grown 20 percent in the last year, she said, as the economy picked up. The entire industry is expanding. According to the American Staffing Associations annual report for 2016, the post-Great-Recessionstaffing sector has experienced a period of expansion 40 percent longer than the average of growth periods since World War II. And in Virginia in 2015, the most recent year data was available, staffing agencies employed 284,961 workers. Mastin expects Matern Staffing to grow in 2017 thanks to a concerted sales and marketing push. We provide everything from light industrial to clerical jobs, she said, and Mastin wants to add medical staffing for its clients. Thats not the only update shes making. Mastin renovated the company offices recently, painting her motto Work Hard. Be Kind. Be Humble. in the lobby. She is also implementing online systems that would give people another option to filling out paper applications by hand. The company was founded in Richmond, where Mastins grandmother, Ann Duffer, worked as a nurse and in pharmaceutical sales before entering the personnel business in 1962. In 1967, she opened Ann Duffer Personnel in downtown Richmond. She expanded to Fredericksburg in 1993, when Stat Temps, a subsidiary of her business, opened in the Westwood Office Park. Her daughter, Cindy Matern, was vice president of the subsidiary, which was also known as Stat Employment. Matern then founded At Once Staffing in 2006. She passed away in 2015, leaving the company to her children. Mastin said that with the new phase of the business, she will build on the foundation her mother and grandmother built. Staff member Michelle Jones has worked there for eight years. Im exciting about Ginnis vision, Jones said. Teresa West, who has worked at Matern for 15 years, said the industry outlook is bright. She moved here from Atlanta for the job. I call themthe Maternsmy Virginia family, she said. I saw [Ginni] grow up. Its been remarkable having her back in the business. A Spotsylvania County man who received jail time last week for a police chase had his sentence extended Monday thanks to additional charges related to the incident. Brian Christopher Richardson on Thursday was ordered to serve two years and 10 months by the Stafford County Circuit Court for the Oct. 23, 2015, high-speed chase that started after a southbound driver on Interstate 95 in Stafford reported that a gun had been pointed at him. On Monday in Fredericksburg Circuit Court, the 25-year-old Richardson was ordered to serve one year for assault and battery of a law-enforcement officer. He received a total of six years on that charge and for brandishing a firearm, with all but five years suspended. Richardson had faced a charge of attempted capital murder of an officer after being accused of pointing a firearm at a Virginia State Police trooper during the chase, but that was lowered to the assault and battery charge. A driving on a revoked license charge was dropped. According to the prosecution, the trooper had been notified of the early afternoon chase and waited on the interstate just south of U.S. 17 for the suspect vehicle to approach. When it did, the trooper joined the pursuit, during which the trooper reported seeing the driver point a gun at a female passenger and then the trooper himself. The chase continued into Spotsylvania County, where police eventually forced Richardsons vehicle off of River Road. The car spun around and hit a tree, but kept going. The car then hit another tree and Richardson was arrested. He and his female passenger were treated at a hospital, but did not suffer serious injuries. The woman was not charged. Police searched the car and found a pellet gun and a Colt .45-caliber revolver, which had been stolen from Prince William County. Investigators determined that the pellet gun was pointed at the person who reported the incident. Mondays court transactions did not address which weapon was pointed at the trooper. THE first political scandal of 2017 is already upon us, and its a modern classic. It combines the oldest of allegations (sex) with the modern most of twists (email). However, it also involves something else we dont see very often in politics: An unexpected counterpunch that might help clean up politics a little. First, though, the background: There are three candidates seeking the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, all state legislators: Glenn Davis of Virginia Beach, Bryce Reeves of Spotsylvania County and Jill Vogel of Fauquier County. In September, some of Reeves supporters received a curious email. It came from Martha McDaniel at the email address staffordforfreedom@gmail.com. It accused Reeves of carrying on an open and obvious adulterous relationship. At that point, Reeves did two things. First, he denied the allegation. But then he did something you dont see many politicians do. He went to court. You see, there is no Martha McDaniel in Stafford County or apparently anywhere else in Virginia Republican politics. So Reeves filed a defamation suit against heror should we say her. He subpoenaed Google, and two internet service providersand determined that the bogus account was set up with a phone number belonging to . . . Vogels husband. Furthermore, it was accessed by two different internet addresses, one associated with Vogels address and another with her neighborsneighbors who share an internet account with the Vogels, neighbors who deny any involvement, neighbors who say they were out of town at the time anyway. Feel free to draw your own conclusions on all this. They seem pretty obviousalthough, to be fair, the Vogels do deny any involvement, point out that their wi-fi is not password-protected and suggest they were somehow hacked. Maybe so. Maybe not. We do know this, though: We see dirty tricks all too often in politics, and the perpetrators are almost never held to any account. Here, at least, they might be, whomever they may be. Reeves says he might press on with his defamation suitor file a bar complaint against the Vogels, both of whom are attorneys. Its an ugly mess, but perhaps a useful one: Maybe Reeves aggressive legal inquiry into just who sent this anonymous email will serve as a deterrent to future dirty tricksters. We can only hope. The Roanoke Times Free Freightnet Membership List your company in the Freightnet directory. It's Free, it's Easy and your company can be displayed in front of potential freight buyers within 24 hours. Summit Health Monday announced it will have an academic collaboration with Penn State College of Medicine to address the growing demand for care in Franklin County. The collaboration will provide new training opportunities for Penn State students in health professions. Representatives from both organizations held a signing ceremony at Chambersburg Hospital Monday. The agreement expands on a partnership that already involves Penn State College of Medicine physician assistant students, who have been doing clinical rotations at Chambersburg Hospital since May 2016. Other planned programs that are part of the agreement include: A one-week primary care rotation for first year medical students to apply basic interview and physical examination skills in clinical practice; Elective clinical specialty rotations for third- and fourth-year medical students; Yearlong learning experiences that allow third-year medical students to participate in patient care while forming long-term relationships with supervising doctors and patients. Development of primary care residencies designed to attract doctors to practice in Franklin County and similar underserved locations. The academic collaboration between Summit Health and Penn State College of Medicine is designed to help improve access to patient-centered, cost-effective health care for local residents by creating an educational environment for training, according to Summit Health. The ultimate goal of this program is to make sure we have a steady stream of providers coming into the area to meet the needs of our patients, explained Niki Showe, senior vice president of physician services at Summit Health. We want to make sure the health and well-being of our community members arent compromised by a lack of providers. The inaugural group of physician assistant students will finish their clinical rotations at Summit Health in April. Additional physician assistants will then begin their rotations and continually move through the program each year. We are enthusiastic to bring together a community-engaged health system and an innovative college of medicine in a way that creates unique opportunities for our students while also energizing our efforts to provide superior health care to residents of central Pennsylvania, said Dr. Craig Hillemeier, dean of Penn State College of Medicine, CEO of Penn State Health, and Penn States senior vice president for health affairs. Showe said that as the program grows, it will include options for medical students to focus on specialty practices as Summit Health becomes a regional academic setting. Children whose moms took high doses of fish oil during their last three months of pregnancy were less likely to develop chronic wheezing problems or asthma by age 5, finds a study that suggests a possible way to help prevent this growing problem. Asthma cases have been rising in developed countries, while consumption of omega-3 fatty acids like those found in fish has decreased. Some earlier studies suggested that omega-3 deficiency during pregnancy may affect asthma risk in babies, but they were too small to be definitive. Its not known why this may be one theory is that fish oil lowers inflammation, which can tighten airways. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark did a rigorous test, assigning about 700 women to take 2.4 grams a day of a supplement containing two types of fish oil, or look-alike pills of olive oil, in their third trimester of pregnancy, when babies lungs are maturing. Neither the moms nor the researchers knew who was getting what until after three years, and then only the researchers knew until the children reached age 5. Moms recorded how many episodes a child had of lung problems lasting for at least three days. This was called persistent wheezing until a child turned 3 and asthma after that. Results: 17 percent of kids whose moms took fish oil developed a breathing problem by age 5 versus 24 percent of the comparison group a reduction in risk of about one-third. There also were fewer cases of bronchitis, pneumonia and other such infections in the fish oil group. However, almost all of the reduced risk occurred in children whose moms had the lowest blood levels of omega-3 at the start of the study. Fifteen women would need to take fish oil pills to prevent one case of wheezing or asthma if the whole group was taken into consideration, but only about five women would have to if just this lowest-level group was treated. That suggests a possible way to tell who might benefit most if supplements are to be considered at all. The results are highly promising but merit caution, Dr. Christopher Ramsden of the U.S. National Institutes of Health writes in an editorial in the New England Journal of Medicine, which published the study on Wednesday. The fish oil dose in the study was 15 to 20 times as high as the average amount Americans get from food, and before it can be recommended, more study is needed to ensure that doesnt harm behavior, thinking abilities or other aspects of health, he writes. Doctors who wrote another article in the journal suggest that supplements are reasonable for women with a family history of asthma, especially since they are cheap and no major side effects were seen. The study was paid for by the Lundbeck Foundation of Denmark and the Danish Ministry of Health and other groups. Some study leaders have a pending patent related to preventing asthma through gene and blood testing of moms. Coolpad unleashed a new smartphone for US market at CES 2017, named the Conjr. This handset will be available in Gold and Grey color variants and is expected to be priced below USD $200. Coolpad Conjr incorporates a 5 inch HD IPS 2.5D Curved glass display and is powered by 64 bit 1.0 GHz quad core MediaTek MT6735CP processor, assisted by Mali T720 GPU and 3GB of RAM. There is 16GB of flash storage and an expandable memory with microSD card. Coolpad Conjr packs a 13MP auto focus rear camera with LED flash light, f/2.2 aperture and OIS. It also bears an 8MP front facing camera which also comes with LED flash light and f/2.2 aperture which allows you to capture good selfies even in low light situation. This dual SIM handset runs on Cool UI 8.0 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and comes integrated with fingerprint scanner on its rear. Conjr is handled by built-in 2500mAh battery. Connectivity options include 4G LTE, 3G / HSPA+, EDGE / GPRS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Micro USB port and 3.5mm audio jack. Key Specifications of Coolpad Conjr: Story Highlights Americans split on whether healthcare situation improved or worsened Race relations perceived as faltering More say economy gained rather than lost ground WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Asked about the state of the nation over the past eight years, Americans say the U.S. gained ground in four of 19 policy domains, and they say it lost ground on 14 and held steady on one. More Americans see progress than decline on the situation for gays and lesbians, energy, climate change and the economy. They see the biggest setbacks on the federal debt, crime, the gap between the rich and the poor, and race relations. They are divided on whether the nation has made progress or lost ground on healthcare. Did the U.S. Gain or Lose Ground Under President Barack Obama? I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last eight years, since Barack Obama became president. How about in terms of -- [category]? Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % (pct. pts.) Situation for gays and lesbians 68 11 16 52 Energy 46 26 23 23 Climate change 33 38 23 10 Economy 42 20 36 6 Healthcare 43 13 43 0 Trade relations 32 28 36 -4 Situation for blacks 30 27 37 -7 Education 31 28 39 -8 National defense and military 30 28 39 -9 Taxes 23 40 34 -11 Situation in Afghanistan 26 26 38 -12 Immigration 27 27 45 -18 U.S. position in the world 30 19 49 -19 Terrorism 28 20 49 -21 Situation in Iraq 25 23 47 -22 Race relations 25 20 52 -27 Gap between rich and poor 14 34 48 -34 Crime 21 21 56 -35 Federal debt 21 18 57 -36 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground." Gallup, Jan. 2-3, 2017 These results are based on a Jan. 2-3 Gallup poll in which U.S. adults were asked if the nation made progress, stood still or lost ground over the eight years since Barack Obama became president. Gallup asked the same question about George W. Bush's presidency in January 2009 as his second four-year term was coming to a close. The following analysis highlights key findings about some of the issues most central to Obama's presidency. Situation for LGBT Americans Is a Clear Bright Spot Americans saw more progress on the situation for LGBT Americans than any other issue. Sixty-eight percent believe the situation for gays and lesbians improved under Obama, compared with 16% who say it lost ground. This likely reflects the shift toward majority approval of same-sex marriage during Obama's terms in office and the 2015 Supreme Court ruling that made same-sex marriage legal nationwide. Perceived Progress on Energy and Climate Change Twice as many Americans say that the nation made progress over the past eight years on energy as say it lost ground. Americans were also more positive than negative about the nation's progress on climate change, though to a lesser degree. The positive view of the energy situation may reflect gas prices, which rose to almost $4.00 a gallon in 2012, perhaps making today's prices seem cheap by comparison. Shifts toward renewable energy and abundant natural gas may also be driving Americans' views. Obama also championed and helped put into effect the Paris Agreement, designed to combat climate change, although President-elect Donald Trump has challenged the nation's participation in this agreement. More Say Economy Made Progress Rather Than Lost Ground Obama took office as the U.S. was in the midst of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Since then, the unemployment rate has been cut in half, consumer spending has steadily climbed back to pre-recession levels and Americans' confidence in the economy has shown sizable gains. Americans appear to recognize these and other economic improvements when asked about progress in the economy over the past eight years, but only to a modest degree. Forty-two percent of Americans say the economy improved, while 36% said it lost ground. Twenty percent said there was no change. Possible explanations for the public's tepid assessment of economic progress are that Americans clearly perceive that the federal debt (a -36-percentage-point difference) and the gap between the rich and the poor (a -34-point difference) have gotten worse rather than better. Americans are also more negative than positive about taxes (-11 points) and trade (-4 points). Americans Split on Whether Healthcare Situation Improved or Lost Ground Americans are divided in their views of the nation's healthcare situation now compared with when Obama took office -- 43% say the U.S. made progress on the issue and 43% say it lost ground. These views could be interpreted as a referendum on the Affordable Care Act (ACA), President Obama's signature legislative achievement. The ACA became law in 2010 and led to a seven-point drop in the adult uninsured rate. Americans' divided views on whether the healthcare situation has improved over the past eight years underscore the general split in views of the law itself since its inception. The law's fate is uncertain as President-elect Trump and congressional Republicans have prioritized repealing it and replacing it with a new law. While Obama no doubt hopes that the law will become a positive part of his historical legacy, the public at this point clearly has a wait-and-see attitude. Americans Say Race Relations and Situation for Blacks Worsened Although President Obama made history as the first black president, Americans perceive that race relations suffered during his two terms. Fifty-two percent say the U.S. lost ground on race relations over the past eight years, while 25% said the country made progress. The ratings likely reflect the racial strife surrounding the high-profile deaths of black people at the hands of police during Obama's second term, as well as fatal shootings of white police officers by black men. A separate item included in the list of 19 shows that 37% of Americans say the situation for blacks got worse under Obama, while 30% say the U.S. made progress. Twenty-seven percent say there has been no change. Americans Negative on Foreign Relations Progress Under Obama, most U.S. combat troops were removed from Iraq and U.S. special forces found and killed Osama bin Laden. At the same time, the Islamic State group has come to power, Syria remains in turmoil, the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan remains unsettled, and relations with Russia and China continue to be significant concerns. Overall, 49% of Americans say that the U.S. lost ground in its position in the world over the past eight years, compared with 30% who said it made progress. Americans perceive that the U.S. lost ground in its fight against terrorism (-21 points) and the situations in Iraq (-22 points) and Afghanistan (-12 points). Americans See Progress on More Issues Under Obama Than Bush Americans are more positive about the nation's progress under Obama than they were about U.S. progress under Bush on eight of the 12 policy domains Gallup tracked for both presidents. This perhaps underscores the relatively stronger state of the economy now compared with eight years ago. On the economy, Obama's net score of +6 is far better than Bush's -82. In addition to the economy, Americans were more likely to perceive progress under Obama than Bush on healthcare, energy, education, climate change, immigration and the U.S.'s position in the world. In contrast, Americans were more positive about situations regarding terrorism, race relations, crime and national defense/military under Bush than Obama. Americans' Views of the Presidential Terms of Obama (Measured in January 2017) and George W. Bush (Measured in January 2009) I'm going to mention some issues facing the country and ask whether you believe the United States has made progress, stood still or lost ground in each during the last eight years, since Barack Obama/George W. Bush became president. How about in terms of -- [category]? Made progress Stood still Lost ground Net* % % % (pct. pts.) Energy Obama 46 23 23 23 Bush 21 27 49 -28 Environment/Climate change Obama 33 28 23 10 Bush 28 28 42 -14 Economy Obama 42 20 36 6 Bush 5 7 87 -82 Healthcare Obama 43 13 43 0 Bush 13 33 52 -39 Education Obama 31 28 39 -8 Bush 28 38 42 -14 National defense and military Obama 30 28 39 -9 Bush 39 21 36 3 Taxes Obama 23 40 34 -11 Bush 16 35 45 -29 Immigration Obama 27 27 45 -18 Bush 14 28 51 -37 U.S. position in the world Obama 30 19 49 -19 Bush 12 17 69 -57 Terrorism Obama 28 20 49 -21 Bush 40 20 37 -3 Race relations Obama 25 20 52 -27 Bush 40 31 25 15 Crime Obama 21 21 56 -35 Bush 25 33 39 -14 *The percentage saying "made progress" minus the percentage saying "lost ground." Gallup, Jan. 2-3, 2017, and Jan. 2-4, 2009 Bottom Line While it will take many years to fully assess President Obama's legacy, these results provide an initial indication of how the American public sees his eight years in office. At the moment, Americans are more negative than positive on the progress made on the majority of issues tested. Historical data are available in Gallup Analytics. Survey Methods Results are based on telephone interviews with a random sample of 1,021 national adults, aged 18+, living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, conducted Jan. 2-3, 2017. For results based on the total sample of national adults, the margin of error is 4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. The economy item was asked of the full sample. All other items were asked of a randomly selected half-sample of between 482 to 539 national adults and have a margin of error of 5 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. Interviews are conducted with respondents on landline telephones and cellular phones, with interviews conducted in Spanish for respondents who are primarily Spanish-speaking. Each sample of national adults includes a minimum quota of 70% cellphone respondents and 30% landline respondents, with additional minimum quotas by time zone within region. Landline and cellphone numbers are selected using random digit dial methods. View complete question responses and trends. Learn more about how the Gallup U.S. Daily works. They could have been grim witnesses to a funeral service, but were instead the guardians of a spiritual revival taking flight in Mount Holly Springs. Three vultures a mother and two young once kept a close vigil over the volunteers working to save what remained of the Mount Tabor Church on Cedar Street. Lindsay Varner recalled how the birds sat perched on the branch of a tree that had grown into the log and panel walls of this one-room cradle of faith for a once-thriving black neighborhood. Harriett Gumby said they were protecting the church, said Varner, director of the greater Carlisle Heart and Soul Project. They watched us the whole time. A lot of progress had been made since Varner first sat in on the interview Pam Still conducted in May of Gumby whose grandfather, Elias Parker, had built the old AME Zion church around 1870. Saving the artifacts There were tense moments on Oct. 14 when employees of Ahold, the parent company of Giant Food Stores, donated their time to help the church during the United Way Day of Caring. Over the years, water had poured down a large hole in the roof causing part of the floor to fall through. There is a crack in the foundation. Vines and trees, over the span of four decades, had weakened the walls making the dilapidated structure unsafe for a congregation. We were a little worried the flue for the old stove was the only thing holding up the ceiling, Varner said. Yet everything had to be removed from the building if its memories had any hope of salvation. The fear was another heavy snow like last winter could cause the roof to collapse and severely damage what artifacts remained inside the church from when it closed around 1970. Because the church is in such bad condition, we wanted to get all the artifacts out of it, Varner said. It essentially looked as though they had shut the door and left everything there. The pulpit, the pews, the chairs, the hymnals lying open. It was all still there. There were even hand fans from the last worship service. Certain rules had to be followed for the safety of volunteers who braved the dust and dirt without complaint, Varner said. We were always cautious about the number of people that were in the building. We made sure there were no more than four or five. Working together, the volunteers removed all the furniture and objects from the sanctuary, vestibule and attic. These artifacts included boxes of paperback workbooks that had been distributed to children attending Sunday school. There was also the lesson planner once kept by Harrietts sister Ethel who used to be a Sunday school teacher. The workbooks were probably standard issue for AME congregations, said Varner, adding that many are in a fragile state due to exposure to the elements and to mice eating the paper. The workbooks include the names of many of the students who were enrolled in the Sunday school a valuable source of information for researchers trying to create a congregation list for the lost church. Because it is the only part of the building with electrical wiring, it appears that the vestibule had been added onto the church after the sanctuary had been built, Varner said. We knew the oil lamps had been stolen off the walls, but there were enough pieces in the attic to make a whole lamp. Beneath two layers of replacement carpet, volunteers found remnants of the original 19th century carpeting that once covered the floor. As each artifact was removed, it was recorded in an inventory and loaded onto a truck trailer for safekeeping. Family ties Use of the trailer was donated by James Ward of Milton, Northumberland County, who owns a trucking company. Ward has a great-grandfather buried in the black cemetery associated with the Mount Tabor Church. His father always told him stories about moving from Mount Holly Springs to Milton back in the 1930s, Michelle Ward said of her husband James. Her niece was doing research on ancestry.com when she came across a reference to the relative being buried in the cemetery. This prompted the Ward family to visit Mount Holly Springs where they discovered another family tie to the church. One of the artifacts salvaged from the building was a hymnbook signed by Walter, the grandfather of James. Aside from the trailer, the Ward family has offered to take ownership of the church. We will do whatever we can do to preserve and restore it, Michelle Ward said. Right now, ownership is the big issue facing the Mount Tabor Church and cemetery, Varner said. Though tax records list the building as being owned by the AME Church, the denomination has no official record of ownership, according to her. As for the cemetery, it was once under the care of Shank & Miller, a Mount Holly Springs business that no longer exists. For years the Gumby family has been paying someone to mow the cemetery grounds because they have relatives buried there. Its status as a defunct property means the church can go to whoever maintains the building or wants to take ownership, Varner said. She said that while the Gumby family would qualify for ownership, they would have to pay taxes which would be a hardship for three elderly sisters on fixed incomes. We have a family that is willing to take over ownership, Varner said of the Wards. We are working on finding a lawyer who is willing to do pro bono work. We cant do anything with the property until ownership is established. The rights of ownership extend to the items removed from the church, she added. We can only put the objects in a safe place. We cant start conserving the items. The artifacts can be cataloged and examined. The same volunteers who removed items from the church planted shrubs marking the boundaries of the cemetery. We dont know how many people are buried there, Varner said. The current estimate is about 50 including modern burials of the Gumby family along with several veterans of the US Colored Troops from the Civil War. The Calloway family has a rectangular buried plot covered in stones. Most likely the rest of the burial spots were marked with wooden crosses that have since deteriorated. In July, a crew from Mount Holly Springs Specialty Paper used a 3-D laser scanner to record the interior layout of the building, including the placement of all its furniture and artifacts. Steven Burg, a history professor at Shippensburg University, has taken photographs of the church exterior. If anything does happen to the church, we have a scan and can make a model of it, Varner said referring to possible inclement weather this winter. She said that, with the church being in such dire condition, any effort to save it must happen soon. Preservation options If saving the whole building proves to be impractical or too expensive, there are other options available to preserve the memory of the site and its significance to local history. One option is to remove the church roof, shore up the floor and bring the walls down to a level stable enough to install picnic tables and interpretative signage, Varner said. This would allow the public to walk inside the church footprint without fear of a structural collapse. This option could incorporate the construction materials and methods used to build the church, which stands out architecturally as a good example of an early log cabin AME church from the post-Civil War period. Varner said the church could be included in a scenic bike trail featuring sites associated with the Underground Railroad and the Civil War. Another option would involve having a museum come in to dismantle the church piece-by-piece and then recreate it inside an exhibit area, Varner said. This would allow the public to examine the building in a safe environment. Yet another option is to demolish the building and then use the 3-D scan and photographs to create an historic marker and other interpretative features that do not require the presence of the church. May 7, 1923 Jan. 6, 2017 Marjorie Hunderup passed away on Jan. 6 at the age of 93. Born to Dena and Harry Alexander in Eugene, she lived in Chehalis, Washington until she attended Linfield College where she met her future husband. After graduating with a degree in Home Economics, she and Jack Hunderup were married on June 8, 1945. After a brief time in Chicago, they moved to Corvallis to raise their family. In 1958 they moved to Eugene, and in 1999 retired to Hillside Retirement Community in McMinnville. Marjorie was a devoted wife for 71 years, and a loving and talented mother of two daughters. She was always active in her church, including teaching Sunday school. She volunteered for 4-H, Camp Fire, and served for many years as a dedicated volunteer at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eugene. She was a special friend to many, and was known for being a wonderful hostess, cook, and seamstress. She enjoyed spending time at the coast at her vacation home in Yachats, and traveling to many places around the world. Marjorie is survived by her husband Jack Hunderup of McMinnville; daughters Barbara Moon (Richard) of Corvallis and Carol Hankins (Gary) of Newberg; along with granddaughters Emily Moon of Issaquah, Washington, Michelle Akins of Newberg, grandson David Moon of Albany, and four great-granddaughters. She was a member of First Presbyterian Church in McMinnville and Chapter FG, PEO. A memorial service in celebration of her life will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 14 at the First Presbyterian Church in McMinnville. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the PEO Sisterhood for scholarships, to the Hunderup Scholarship at Linfield College or to Childfund.org. Macy and Son McMinnville is handling arrangements. To leave condolences, please visit www.macyandson.com. Oregon State Universitys new provost says hell look for opportunities to expand OSUs public engagement around the state. Lets push what we learn in the university out and diffuse it, said Edward Feser, who was announced on Monday as Oregon States top academic officer. Feser, currently the interim vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost at the University of Illinois, will assume his new duties on Feb. 28. He will succeed Ron Adams, who has served as interim provost since July 1. As provost and executive vice president, Feser will be charged with leading the implementation of the universitys strategic plan and student success initiative, bringing in additional research funding, helping faculty members and graduate students succeed, and supporting OSUs diversity, enrollment management, outreach and engagement activities. His salary will be $400,000 per year. Part of OSUs mission as a land grant institution is the diffusion of practical knowledge through a statewide network of extension agents, and the university already partners with various government agencies and other outside entities on research projects. What Feser wants to do is broaden those partnerships still further, creating real-world educational experiences for students to benefit the people of Oregon and raise the universitys profile within the state. That kind of positive exposure, he added, could translate into greater financial support from the Legislature in a time of perennially tight budgets. Its in a land grant institutions interest to have strong public engagement, Feser said. In a news release announcing Fesers hiring on Monday, OSU President Ed Ray said the new provost will be a valuable addition to the university. Ed fully understands Oregon States land grant mission as Oregons statewide university and OSUs role as an internationally recognized public research university, Ray said. As the provost of the University of Illinois, a nationally top-ranked land grant university, he has successfully helped provide transformative learning experiences for students in and out of the classroom and steward a global research portfolio. Feser said he appreciates OSUs strategic decision to build on its traditional academic strengths in areas such as engineering, forestry and earth sciences. Its not tried to do all things. Its tried to focus on some very specific areas, and I think thats a good approach, Feser said. It is a university that I think is on the rise, and this presents an opportunity to contribute to that growth and that transformation. Prior to becoming the interim provost at Illinois in September 2015, Feser served as dean of the universitys College of Fine and Applied Arts. His resume also includes stints as chair of entrepreneurship and head of the Division of Innovation, Management and Policy at the Manchester Business School at the University of Manchester in England, associate professor and associate department head at the University of North Carolina and assistant secretary of the North Carolina Department of Commerce. Since 2009, he has served as a senior research fellow with the Center for Regional Economic Competitiveness in Arlington, Virginia. He holds a bachelors degree in government from the University of San Francisco, as well as masters and doctoral degrees in regional planning from the University of North Carolina. The OSU job will be a homecoming of sorts for Feser, who grew up in Montana, Washington and Northern California where his father, a park ranger, worked at Glacier, Olympic and Lassen national parks. I have been looking for opportunities to get back to the Pacific Northwest, Feser said. Bonn University Shakespeare Company : 'Buscival' on stage at the Brotfabrik Beuel The Bonn University Shakespeare Company showed their stage skills on the occasion of their 25th birthday. Teilen Teilen Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Tweeten Tweeten Weiterleiten Weiterleiten Drucken The Bonn University Shakespeare Company (BUSC) celebrated 25 years of English language theatre with an open evening in the Brotfabrik in Beuel on Saturday evening. The show covered the history of the group and offered the chance to see a wide variety of theatre genres. Today we will show two musical pieces as well as two short plays, one of which is 'Much Ado about Nothing' and the other 'Antonio', said the group's chairman Peter Schild. Antonio addresses the question of what would happen if all the Antonios from Shakespeare's plays were in fact one and the same person. The search for sense and love is presented to the audience through different plays and escapades, all in English. Buscival showed 13 different pieces in total, including sonnets and monologues, ranging from the serious to the hilarious, from entertaining to thought-provoking. This event kicks off our anniversary year and we will probably find a few Shakespeare plays to put on during this time which we haven't done yet, reveals Schild. The BUSC have shown more than half of Shakespeare's plays in over 50 productions, but some have not been done yet, such as the three plays from the War of the Roses. Audiences can look forward to seeing 'King Lear' and 'Coriolanus', as Schild explains one of these will definitely be shown and we may even decide to put on a double performance in the summer. The BUSC are planning to hold another Buscival in December to celebrate the end of their anniversary year. Of course we will be taking part in the 'Theaternacht' again, and we are considering putting on an open air play but that has not yet been decided, says Schild. This is because it is the BUSC members themselves who decide which play they will put on and with which concept. One thing is for certain this year Bonn's leading student theatre group will bring many exciting and entertaining productions to the stage. With less than two weeks to go before Barack Obama vacates the White House, an apparently racially motivated crime has once again ignited debate about how race relations have changed under Americas first African-American president. In Chicago, four African-Americans have been charged with kidnapping, beating and tormenting a mentally disabled young white man whom they bound and gagged. They live-streamed the victims shockingly cruel ordeal on Facebook. At one point during the attack, one of the perpetrators cursed white people and President-elect Donald Trump. Based on this and/or perhaps his disability or some other evidence, authorities have charged the suspects with hate crimes. When asked by a Chicago reporter to comment on the incident, Obama called it a hate crime and despicable. Yet, in the measured tones that he has always brought to the sensitive issue, he disagreed with the contention that race relations have become worse in his adopted hometown. As anyone can attest who was around in Chicago in 1985, when Obama first came to Chicago, theres no question that they have improved. Harold Washington, Chicagos first black mayor and a progressive reformer, was besieged by hostile white aldermen in an atmosphere of frank racial animosity. A notorious Chicago Police commander was torturing black suspects to extract false confessions in a series of murder cases. Thanks to gerrymandering, blacks and Latinos were underrepresented in the city council. Whatever its problems today, race relations in Chicago have come a long way since then which was Obamas point to the reporter. Another change is that mobile phone cameras and social media have made the visuals of various crimes and violent incidents widely available to the public for the better and, perhaps in some cases, for the worse. Violent crime rates have broadly declined in America since three decades ago even in Chicago! yet this is not apparent to many, thanks partly to viral blood-and-guts news. A similarly equivocal assessment of progress applies to Barack Obamas legacy as the nations first African-American president. Most Americans greeted his election as a watershed for American society. And yet the achievement came with unrealistic expectations for what he could do for America under that label. It was unfair to expect that Obamas election signaled a massive turning point to Americas past racial divides as if the event was a stopping point, a culmination, rather than a milestone on a long historical journey. This is the fantasy of America as a post-racial society. And people of all races, arguably goaded by media, bought into it. We liked the sound of hope and change. And an optimistic America is good thing, as long as its honest. It was also unrealistic to believe that a black man waking up every day in the White House and going about the presidential duties was going to sudden lift all minority-led households. Many black people, especially those at the bottom economic rungs, became fed up with the lack of change under his watch. Theyd bought into the idea sweeping change might come to their lives under Obama. But the problems at the root of the angst poverty, the state of many urban school districts, gang and drug violence, fragmented and dysfunctional families started long before he took office and cannot be solved with a stroke of the presidents pen. There is a second, equally delusional notion that Obama somehow caused race relations to fester and boil. As if his very presence is the reason that Americans are sensing higher racial tensions. For many, especially white conservatives, any time Obama weighed in on the mistreatment of black people by police, he was playing the race card. It was during Obamas time in office that these events resonated in the news: the killing of Trayvon Martin; the riots in Ferguson, Mo., and endless other cases of police shootings followed by unrest; the Black Lives Matter movement; and the horrific assassination attacks on police. Its naive to believe Obama flipped some switch for these events to occur. As if the problems between police and urban black communities arent far more complicated, more long-standing and entrenched. Its offensive to both police and those communities to see it any other way. Obama never should have been expected to heal all racial grievances in America. And if that is what you expected, well, sorry, but the last eight years obviously havent sufficed. Obamas real and lasting impact on race relations in America will be seen in less sensational policy decisions: who he brought to the federal benches, his efforts to protect the Voting Rights Act, measures to expand access to health care and quality schools. None of this can be easily measured at this point. So well muddle and march forward. And if we admit Obamas limitations, well also have to see that the work of creating a more perfect union is really ahead. The goal is to take it on eyes and ears wide open. Article Protecting the worlds oceans an important goal of Germanys climate diplomacy The worlds oceans are vital to our survival. They regulate the global climate and are a source of food and income for billions of people. Only a very small part of the seas enjoys legal protection, however. Our diplomats are working in New York right now to change this state of affairs. The content you are looking for has either been removed or requires you to login to view Please login below or register for an account With Naijapals.com clarajancita at 9-01-2017 11:25 AM (5 years ago) (f) In what will come across as a really shocking development, dead bodies have been found out to have disappeared from their graves. Residents of a South African community have been left in total shock after finding out that no one is safe from thugs anymore, not even the dead. This comes after the bodies of two people who died decades apart were stolen from their graves. In what will come across as a really shocking development, dead bodies have been found out to have disappeared from their graves. Residents of a South African community have been left in total shock after finding out that no one is safe from thugs anymore, not even the dead. This comes after the bodies of two people who died decades apart were stolen from their graves. One of the graves from which human remains were stolen in Nelspruit. According reporters, the shocking incident happened at the old Nelspruit Qabrastan cemetery in South Africa. Nelspruit Muslim Burial Services have now said they will be hiring a security guard following the incident, which was discovered on Saturday morning. It is understood that a group who had visited the area found two graves that had been dug open, with the burial garb (kaffan) in the grave being left still intact. According to the cemeterys management, the bodies were buried in the 1960s and 2013 respectively. Imam of the local masjid in Nelspruit, Moulana Yusuf Cajee, said police were investigating the incident. According reporters, the shocking incident happened at the old Nelspruit Qabrastan cemetery in South Africa. Nelspruit Muslim Burial Services have now said they will be hiring a security guard following the incident, which was discovered on Saturday morning. It is understood that a group who had visited the area found two graves that had been dug open, with the burial garb (kaffan) in the grave being left still intact.According to the cemeterys management, the bodies were buried in the 1960s and 2013 respectively.Imam of the local masjid in Nelspruit, Moulana Yusuf Cajee, said police were investigating the incident. Quote Police were called. They condemned this kind of behaviour by thugs. Police have also stopped people from going to the qabrastan because it is now a crime scene. The moulana said it was not the first time that thugs had hit the qabrastan. The moulana said it was not the first time that thugs had hit the qabrastan. Quote Two weeks ago the plants and flowers were also stolen. There has also been other stuff stolen from gravesites. We will now place a security guard at the gate of the qabrastan, he said. Local residents in the area expressed their anger following the latest incident and said such criminals should be locked up. Patricia Ngubane (54) said this was disrespect for the dead in its worst form. he said.Local residents in the area expressed their anger following the latest incident and said such criminals should be locked up. Patricia Ngubane (54) said this was disrespect for the dead in its worst form. Quote I cannot believe that someone will go and dig up and steal the remains of the dead. We urge the police to get to the bottom of the case and arrest the culprits, she said. she said. Post Reply I am a metro reporter on Gistmania, I have been publishing news materials for over 5 years Posted: at 9-01-2017 11:25 AM (5 years ago) | Hero Confirmed: Qwerty Keyboard is Back Going ahead, it should be noted that BlackBerry has officially washed off its hands manufacturing department, and only takes care of the security software and service suit, wherein TCL Communications will be responsible for the design and hardware. Okay, so now talking about the upcoming codename BlackBerry Mercury, the smartphone like the Steve Cistulli, the President and GM of TCL tweeted a teaser of the smartphone, which shows that a qwerty keyboard. So, it is confirmed that BlackBerry Mercury will surely sport old, classic 'QWERTY' keyboard yet again. To Come With Snapdragon 625 Several flying rumors suggests that the upcoming BlackBerry Mercury or BlackBerry DTEK70 will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor, like most of the present day smartphones. This clearly indicates that the BlackBerry is all geared up to give a tough fight to the existing smartphones of the similar feature. Android 7.0 Nougat Expected Well, another piling rumor suggests that BlackBerry Mercury handset will be running on Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, similar to most high-end devices available today. Hence, the smartphone will come all the updated features of the Android OS. Well, will the smartphone receive the updated version - Android 7.1.1 Nougat or not remains a question answered as of yet. SEE ALSO: 5 Features to Expect From BlackBerry Mercury, the Company's Last Phone Packed with a 3,400 mAh Battery The rumored BlackBerry Mercury Android phone will come packed with a range of advanced features, which is said to be backed by a 3,400 mAh battery. Well, if the phone really comes with such a decent battery set-up, then it is confirmed that BlackBerry Mercury will deliver a pretty decent performance, and the battery will last for a good amount of time. Display: Fingerprint Scanner, 4.5 Display, and More As far as the rumored display of BlackBerry Mercury is concerned, the upcoming smartphone will sport a fingerprint sensor underneath the space bar and may sport a 4.5-inch display screen, below which will be the old, classy QWERTY keyboard. Along with that, the handset is expected to bear the volume and lock screen buttons at the right side of the device, and the USB Type-C port lies at the bottom of the phone, along with two speaker grilles. Storage Capacity? The smartphone is said to come with 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of inbuilt storage. As far as the storage is concerned, we might have to wait for the official launch of the smartphone for a more detailed insight. Camera Set-up In terms of the camera set-up, the BlackBerry smartphone is expected to sport a 18MP rear camera with a LED flash, and 8MP front-facing camera that might make the BlackBerry handset a good option for clicking decent photos. SEE ALSO: Blackberry Mercury to Launch With Snapdragon 625 & Android 7.0 Nougat at CES 2017, Reveal Fresh Leak Announcement Expected in February The most-talked about BlackBerry Mercury or DTEK 70 is expected to be released in February 2017, reveal rumors. However, other rumors circulation on the web mentions that BlackBerry-TCL might unveil the smartphone at MWC 2017. Well, the BlackBerry-TCL tie up didn't provide any official announcement of the smartphone as of yet. Price of BlackBerry Mercury Rumors and leaks suggest that smartphone by BlackBerry and TCL joint venture might be made available at around $500, which is roughly around Rs. 340886 in India. Well, several reports also say that BlackBerry might not unveil the BlackBerry Mercury in India, however, there's no such statement revealed by the company as of yet. LG to Integrate Machine Learning Technology into their After Sales Service News oi -Chakri Kudikala The company will adapt this technology later this year. South Korean smartphone vendor, LG Electronics confirmed that they would use machine learning mechanisms along with several other artificial intelligence technologies to provide after sales service to the customers. For the first time, we are seeing this sort of technology to be used in providing support to customers. It is also said that LG will be using several big data analytics as well to implement this technology. Also Read: LG V20 Review: The Most Underrated Smartphone of 2016! The question here is: How this machine learning technology will benefit to the company? The technology will work in the background and detects the errors, which helps in providing better and faster support. The company also claims that 80 percent of the people who visit the service center are enquiring about the software updates and other minor issues. This artificial intelligence will be embedded into the company's 'LG Doctor' app, and the application will run in the background, and it will also come with 36 diagnosis features to monitor. This new after sales procedure will be rolled out by the end of Q1 2017. What do you think of this new method of providing service to customers from LG? Let us know in the comments space below. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Nokia Wants to Take on Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant with Viki News oi -Rohit The first Nokia Android Smartphone is now official and soon we will see Nokia announcing the companys Personal Assistant- Viki to fight Siri, Cortana and Google Assistant It seems Nokia will play the cards in the smartphone market in the year 2017. After launching the first Android smartphone in China- the Nokia 6, the company is now supposed to announce a voice-activated personal assistant to take on Apple's Siri, Window's Cortana and the Google Assistant. The virtual assistant could power the company's upcoming smartphones. As per a Dutch blog- Gsminfo, the Finnish tech giant has filed for an application in the European Union for protection of the trademark 'Viki'. The blog mentions about a description, which states, "software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web assistants working with digital knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface." We believe it' a chance for Nokia to finally make a comeback in the war it lost to Google's Android in the year 2009. The company can differentiate its rumored Android handsets from the lot by integrating a virtual assistant, which have slowly become a key feature of modern smartphones. As noted, Apple's Siri is quite popular among the consumers and is often put to fight with Google Assistant and Window's Cortana. With the launch of Nokia Viki, the world will get a new competitor in the virtual assistant space. SEE ALSO: Nougat Update Starts Hitting Moto Z Handsets in China Besides, there are rumors that the Korean tech giant Samsung is also working on a voice-activated personal assistant Bixby, which might see the day of light during the launch of Samsung's 2017 flagship smartphone- Galaxy S8. Best Mobiles in India Facebook, To stay updated with latest technology news & gadget reviews, follow GizBot on Twitter YouTube and also subscribe to our notification. Allow Notifications Gionee Welcomes Virat Kohli as the New Member of the Company News oi -Sneha Gionee welcomes Virat Kohli as the new captain of the company. Gionee has a big surprise for you here. No, the Chinese smartphone vendor is not unveiling a new smartphone this time. Gionee has a new member added to its family, and to notify you that's none other than India's new captain - Virat Kohli. From today morning onwards, Gionee has been tweeting on their twitter handle that a new member will be joining the company and says it to be one of the biggest 2017 announcement by the company. This indeed created a lot of curiosity among the customers. The tweet stated - "Let's welcome the new captain, @imVkohli to the Gionee team with a big cheer & a bigger smile." Our CEO, @ArvindRVohra unveils the secret! Let's welcome the new captain, @imVkohli to the Gionee team with a big cheer & a bigger smile. pic.twitter.com/nttbCO9iPB Gionee India (@GioneeIndia) January 9, 2017 At an official Gionee event today held at 6 PM, the company CEO, Arvind Vohra announced Virat Kohli to become the new Gionee member. Well, this makes is quite evident that Kohli is the new face for Gionee. This is probably the smartphone vendors new strategy to attract customers, considering the crazy Kohli fan club out there. As Gionee has been tweeting from morning onwards, that the new announcement would "make more smiles", well, to be honest, it surely did. Best Mobiles in India 'British spies gave vital tipoff to US about alleged Russia hacking' Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 8:5AM British intelligence services reportedly provided a major tip-off to the United States in 2015 about cyber operations to interfere in the November presidential election. The UK's involvement came to light after the US intelligence community published an unclassified version of a report that accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of ordering a multi-pronged operation to influence the election. In their report released on Friday, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA) concluded that the Russian government "sought to help" Republican Donald Trump by hacking various Democratic Party organizations and operatives as well as running a smear campaign against his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Citing "two people familiar with the conclusions" of the assessment, The New York Times reported that British intelligence was "among the first" to alert their American counterparts that Russian hackers had infiltrated the computer servers of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The breach of email exchanges among senior Democrats was spotted from voice intercepts, computer traffic and agents outside the US as emails and other data from the DNC flowed toward Moscow. British officials were as concerned as their US counterparts over the extent of contacts between Trump aides and Moscow and by the president-elect's pro-Russia stance. However, those officials are now finding themselves in an awkward position as the government of Prime Minister Theresa May is trying to solidify ties with the incoming Trump administration, in part to compensate for the UK's divorce from the European Union, according to The Guardian. Trump downplayed Russia's role in the election after he was briefed on the issue by senior intelligence officials on Friday afternoon, saying any attempt to hack Democratic groups had "absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election." The president-elect also tweeted Saturday that Democrats were making a lot of "noise" about Russia's alleged campaign because they were "embarrassed" by the election results. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Truck-ramming attack kills 4 Israeli soldiers, injures 18 in East Jerusalem al-Quds Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 12:45PM At least four Israeli soldiers have been killed and more than a dozen others injured when a truck rammed into Israel's military forces in the occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds. Israeli police spokeswoman, Luba Simari, said the incident took place in the Armon HaNetziv (also known as East Talpiot) promenade in southern part of East Jerusalem al-Quds on Sunday afternoon as a large truck veered off road and plowed through a group of Israeli soldiers who had just gotten off a bus, Arabic-language Palestine al-Yawm news agency reported. She added that four Israeli soldiers lost their lives and 18 others sustained injuries in the attack. Three of the wounded troopers are said to be in critical condition. Israeli media outlets later reported that the driver of the truck had been shot dead, without providing any details about the identity of the driver. Palestinian sources, however, identified the man as Fadi Qanbar a former prisoner and resident of the Old City of Jerusalem al-Quds. Inspector General of Israel Police Rooney al-Sheikh has described the situation as "very serious," calling for large reinforcements to be dispatched to the area of the attack. Meanwhile, in a related development, the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine termed the incident as a natural response from Palestinians to the ongoing Israeli aggression and its violent treatment of Palestinian people. Later reports indicated that Israeli forces had stormed Jabal al-Mokaber region in occupied East Jerusalem al-Quds, breaking into the house of the Palestinian allegedly behind the truck ramming attack. The truck-ramming attack came on the same day that Israeli military released statistics showing that 41 soldiers had lost their lives last year. The report noted that four Israeli soldiers were killed during operations carried out by Palestinian resistance fighters, two were killed in air accidents, seven in road crashes, five in different incidents, six died of grave illness and 15 others committed suicide. A total of 43 Israeli soldiers were seriously injured during 2016 as well. The occupied Palestinian territories have witnessed tensions ever since Israel imposed restrictions on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East Jerusalem al-Quds in August 2015. More than 270 Palestinians have lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces in the tensions since the beginning of October that year. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address CET : ; West African leaders 'won't deploy forces to Gambia for now' Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 6:5AM West African leaders will continue mediation to ensure the peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia and have no plans to deploy armed forces to the country "for now," says Liberia's president. "We are committed to a peaceful mediation and a peaceful transfer of power in The Gambia... we will continue to pursue that for now," Liberia's President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said after a meeting of regional leaders in Ghana's capital, Accra, on Saturday. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has decided not to deploy its standby military force to The Gambia, said Sirleaf, who chairs the 15-member bloc. The Gambia's President Yahya Jammeh, a former coup leader who has ruled the country for 22 years, has refused to step down despite losing the presidential election to Adama Barrow, an opposition leader, in December last year. That has triggered a political crisis and fears of violence in the country. Jammeh initially accepted losing to Barrow, triggering nationwide celebrations on the streets. A week later, however, he changed his mind, saying the electoral commission had been biased in favor of his rival. He then filed a complaint with the Supreme Court against the electoral commission and vowed to remain in office despite regional and international pressure to concede defeat. Sirleaf stressed that ECOWAS is closely monitoring proceedings in The Gambia's Supreme Court, where Jammeh is challenging election results. Last month, ECOWAS leaders said they would do anything necessary to uphold the result of The Gambia election. ECOWAS then placed its military forces on standby to intervene in case Jammeh attempted to stay in power after his mandate ends on January 19. According to Nigerian Foreign Minister Geoffrey Onyeama, ECOWAS is scheduled to discuss the future steps at a meeting in the Nigerian capital Abuja, on Monday. Observers have expressed concern that the political deadlock in The Gambia could escalate into violence. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Counter-ISIL Strikes Hit Terrorists in Syria, Iraq From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release SOUTHWEST ASIA, Jan. 9, 2017 U.S. and coalition military forces continued to attack Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists in Syria and Iraq yesterday, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve officials reported today. Officials reported details of the latest strikes, noting that assessments of results are based on initial reports. Strikes in Syria Attack, bomber, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft conducted 23 strikes in Syria: -- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed a repeater station. -- Near Dayr Az Zawr, five strikes destroyed eight oil pumpjacks, six oil refinement stills, three excavators and two cranes. -- Near Palmyra, a strike destroyed an ISIL-held tank. -- Near Raqqa, 15 strikes engaged five ISIL tactical units; destroyed six oil refinement stills, three supply caches, two bridges, two artillery systems, a vehicle bomb, a bulldozer, an unmanned aerial vehicle, a roadside bomb, a dump truck, a pontoon bridge, a tank and an armored vehicle; and damaged a supply route. -- Near Shadaddi, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed a fighting position. Strikes in Iraq Attack, fighter and remotely piloted aircraft as well as rocket artillery conducted 11 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of Iraq's government: -- Near Beiji, a strike engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL-held building, a vehicle bomb and a front-end loader. -- Near Huwayjah, a strike destroyed a vehicle bomb storage facility. -- Near Mosul, five strikes engaged four ISIL tactical units; destroyed three ISIL-held buildings, two vehicles, two mortar systems, a rocket-propelled-grenade launcher, a vehicle bomb staging facility and a vehicle bomb; damaged 29 supply routes; and suppressed an ISIL tactical unit and a mortar team. -- Near Rawah, two strikes engaged an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed two ISIL-held buildings and a vehicle bomb. -- Near Sinjar, two strikes destroyed three tunnel entrances and two ISIL fighting positions. Task force officials define a strike as one or more kinetic events that occur in roughly the same geographic location to produce a single, sometimes cumulative, effect. Therefore, officials explained, a single aircraft delivering a single weapon against a lone ISIL vehicle is one strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target. Ground-based artillery fired in counterfire or in fire support to maneuver roles is not classified as a strike. Part of Operation Inherent Resolve The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include the United States, Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 13 Egyptian security forces killed in militant attack in Sinai: Reports Iran Press TV Mon Jan 9, 2017 9:9AM At least 13 Egyptian security forces have been killed in a multipronged militant attack on a checkpoint in the city of el-Arish, the provincial capital and the largest city of Egypt's troubled North Sinai. According to reports, officers were among those killed in the attack, which also left more than a dozen people injured. Some reports quoted security and tribal sources as saying that a car bomb was carried out at the checkpoint, causing the casualties. According to those reports, the bombing was followed by a shooting attack by gunmen. A report by Alarabiya said the militants began the attack by firing rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). It said the militants then attacked the checkpoint using the car bomb and later engaged in a gunfight with security forces. A number of civilians were injured in the attack, according to the report. The army and police have reportedly sent reinforcements to the site of the attack as clashes are still ongoing. Apache helicopters are reportedly flying over the area. Meanwhile, the Mekameleen satellite TV, which is said to be affiliated to Egypt's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood movement, said a number of security forces have been taken hostage by the assailants. The Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, following a deadly terrorist attack that left 33 Egyptian soldiers dead. Over the past years, militants have been carrying out anti-government activities and fatal attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil caused in Egypt after the democratically-elected president Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013. Velayat Sinai terrorists have claimed responsibility for most of the assaults, mainly targeting the army and police. In November 2014, the group pledged allegiance to Daesh, which is mainly operating in Iraq and Syria. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Cyprus Reunification Talks Start in Geneva Sputnik News 04:34 09.01.2017(updated 04:36 09.01.2017) The Cyprus reunification talks with the participation of Turkish Cypriot Leader Mustafa Akinci and President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades will start in Geneva on Monday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) On January 9-11, inter-communal talks under the auspices of Espen Barth Eide, the special adviser of the UN secretary-general on Cyprus would be held, while on January 12 an international conference with the participation of Greece, Turkey and the United Kingdom, which are countries-guarantors of the deal, is set to be held. The EU delegation headed by European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker would also take part in the negotiations. On Saturday, UN Spokesman Stephane Dujarriche said that Cyprus peace negotiations were at a critical stage as the parties began focusing on issues related to security and guarantees. Cyprus has been partitioned since 1974, when Turkey occupied the island's north, later proclaiming the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). Turkey maintains military presence in TRNC, which is only recognized by Ankara as an independent state. On December 1, Akinci and Anastasiades met in a UN-protected buffer zone with participation of Eide and exchanged opinions on further steps to resolve the border dispute after the latest round of UN-backed talks on the reunification of Cyprus failed in late November. On December 30, Eide said that the country had a "historic opportunity" for reunification in 2017. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turbulence in South China Sea: India Offers Missile to Vietnam Sputnik News 20:00 09.01.2017 India is an old friend of Vietnam and both don't subscribe to China's claim in the South China Sea. That is the reason for raised eyebrows over India's offer to supply missiles to Vietnam. New Delhi (Sputnik) India has offered to supply indigenously developed Akash missile to Vietnam at a time when both countries are talking of China's growing assertiveness in the Asia-Pacific region. In fact, India has been helping Vietnam's defence modernization when it is trying in confrontation with China on the South China Sea issue. It recently underwrote the costs of four patrol boats that it will build especially for Vietnam. Akash is a medium range air-to-air missile system developed by India's Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO). Akash has the capacity to destroy targets up to 30 km away. Initially, India will supply the missiles off-the-shelf to Vietnam and could later into a joint production arrangement. Vietnam has been a close Indian ally in South East Asia and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Vietnam last year saw both countries elevating their strategic partnership to a comprehensive strategic partnership. India-Vietnam defense ties are an important aspect of their strategic partnership. Earlier, India had offered to supply naval vessels to Vietnam as well as the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile. India also trains Vietnamese fighter pilots as both countries mainly operate Russian fighter jets. "It's a part of India-Vietnam defense cooperation. Supplying of Akash missiles by India to Vietnam is very small in caparison to what China had supplied to Pakistan. But it's a beginning," Srikant Kondapalli, Professor of Chinese Studies in Jawahar Lal University in New Delhi told Sputnik. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address US Commander Visits Pakistan Region Deemed 'Epicenter' of Global Terrorism By Ayaz Gul January 09, 2017 The U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan undertook a rare trip to neighboring Pakistan's North Waziristan border district that until recently was condemned as the "epicenter" of global terrorism. The Pakistan military said Monday its local commanders briefed General John Nicholson of NATO's Resolute Support mission (RSM) on counterterrorism operations and post-conflict social development underway in the area near the Afghan border. "Visitors were taken to Miranshah bazaar where they saw the development work being undertaken by the Pakistan army. General John Nicholson appreciated successful operations conducted by Pakistan army," according the official statement. Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, accompanied the visiting American general. The tribal territory, which borders Afghanistan, used to be a hub of local and international terrorists linked to groups, including al-Qaida, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, and a staging ground for cross-border insurgent attacks. Until recently, the area was the scene of frequent U.S. drone strikes against suspected militant hideouts, killing scores of them. But the Pakistan military says the Waziristan district has been mostly cleared of insurgents since it undertook a massive ground and air offensive in June 2014, destroying terrorist communication and bomb-making infrastructure there, and killing more than 3,500 militants. The crackdown has led to a significant reduction in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. But Afghan officials allege the operations have spared militants active on their side of the border, charges Islamabad denies as politically motivated. Genera Nicholson also discussed border security matters with Bajwa before traveling to the Waziristan district, the army statement said. Bajwa emphasized the need for putting in place a "bilateral border security mechanism" between Pakistan and Afghanistan and called for the NATO mission to play its "important role" in making it possible, it added. "The visiting dignitary acknowledged the requirement of bilateral border security coordination," it added. Pakistan shares a 2,600-kilometer largely pours border with Afghanistan and has lately stepped up measures to boost security on a frontier Kabul has long refused to acknowledge as an international boundary. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Philippines, Cool to US, Explores Military Relationship With Russia By Ralph Jennings January 09, 2017 Russia and the Philippines are considering joint naval exercises, a link that would advance Manila's move toward a multi-country foreign policy and bulk up its military while giving both sides a chance to stand up to the United States. Moscow sent a destroyer and a naval oil tanker to a port in Manila last week for a five-day goodwill visit, and the two sides are looking to expand defense cooperation, media outlets in the Philippines say. Some observers expect Russia to offer military sales, good for commerce as well as the Philippine goal of improving defense. "As far as Duterte is concerned, he's a big fan of Putin and he wants to build relations with Putin," said Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapore's public policy school. "He wants to buy arms from Russia. The Philippines needs to build up its military and it doesn't want to be too dependent on the United States." Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said since taking office in June that he wants to be less dependent on former colonizer the United States and have deeper relations with China, Japan and Russia. Duterte visited China and Japan in October, winning nods from both to help the relatively poor Southeast Asian country with aid and investment. The arrival of two ships from Russia, which operates the world's second most powerful military, in Manila follows Duterte's upbeat meeting in November with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a regional summit in Peru. He told Putin then about his effort to distance his country from the United States. Duterte has used coarse language to allege that U.S. influence extends too far into his country. Manila and Washington have observed a mutual defense treaty since 1951, worked together on resisting Muslim rebels in the Philippine south and jointly patrolled Manila's contested claims to the South China Sea. But Washington irritated Duterte last year with criticism of his government's suspected extrajudicial killings in the campaign to control illegal drugs. The Soviet Union was the chief U.S. Cold War foe, and today's Russia often opposes U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The Philippines had little contact with Russia before Duterte's time because of its historic U.S. alliance. Last month the U.S. government ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the United States and closed two Russian compounds over what it described as "malicious" internet activities to influence the November 8 American elections. "Russia's helping the Philippines is a shot across America's bow, as Moscow's letting us know it can operate in what has long been considered U.S.-friendly territory," said Sean King, senior vice president with the New York political consultancy Park Strategies. "It's hard to say how far the cooperation can, or will, go but its symbolism cannot be overstated." Duterte's spokesman said Thursday he saw the Russian ship visit as a chance to strengthen naval relations, Philippine media reported. The eventual signing of a Philippine-Russian memorandum of understanding could allow for military exchanges, joint exercises and student visits, the spokesman was quoted saying. Any sales of Russian weaponry would probably lack human rights conditions, Araral said, whereas the United States may require that arms from American defense contractors not be used in the anti-drug campaign. Stronger ties with the Philippines would help Russia sell weapons to the Asian country, Araral said. Russia has the world's second strongest military after the United States, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com, while the Philippines ranks 51st. The country of about 7,100 islands has no destroyers or submarines, the database says. Russia operates 15 destroyers and 60 subs. Russia is also seen as wanting more influence elsewhere in Asia, though not enough to cause friction with regional military heavyweights such as China, Vietnam or Indonesia. "Russia is trying to create a Eurasian arc stretching from Byelorussia to Southeast Asia," said Fabrizio Bozzato, an associate researcher specialized in international affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan. "So establishing a partnership with the Philippines would be conducive or instrumental to its own Asia Pacific grand plan," he said. "Secondly, by creating a military cooperation with the Philippines, Moscow will further decouple the Philippines from the U.S." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Hojjatoleslam Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Iranian state television announced the death of former president and leading reformer Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani, 82 and suffering from heart ailments, died 08 January 2017 at a hospital north of Tehran. "Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was taken to hospital after heart attack and more than an hour long efforts by doctors to revive him were not successful," the deputy minister of health was quoted by Fars news agency as saying. State television interrupted programming to announce the death, saying it came "after a life full of restless efforts in the path of Islam and revolution." Rafsanjani was an influential figure in Iran, and headed the Expediency Council, a body which is intended to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council. He was also a member of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that selects the supreme leader, Iran's most powerful figure. Rafsanjani, who served as president from 1989 to 1997, was earlier seen as a top adviser to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Analysts said he also played a key role in choosing Khomeini's successor, after the founder's death in 1989. Rafsanjani's presidency saw the country seeking to rebuild its economy from the ruinous 1980-1988 war with neighboring Iraq. It was also marked by a series of cautious reforms which saw wider freedoms emerge, particularly in the country's tightly controlled media. Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was responsible for Khameneis ascension to the position of Supreme Leader in 1989. Rafsanjani was perceived as enormously wealthy and corrupt. There have been many stories about Rafsanjani being a man of great wealth, but he had always denied them. Hashemi Rafsanjani was born in 1934 to a family of pistachio farmers. He studied theology at a seminary in the city of Qom. Hashemi Rafsanjani's involvement with politics dates to the early 1960s, when he began his association with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. After the 1979 Revolution, this relationship and Hashemi Rafsanjani's political skills led to him becoming one of the country's most powerful figures. He served as speaker of parliament from 1980-89. Hojjatoleslam Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani served two terms as Iran's president from 1989 to 1997. Rafsanjani's terms as president saw some socioeconomic liberalization and appointments of technocrats. His two-term presidency brought some modest social and economic reforms. He was also credited with spurring Iran's reconstruction following the 1980-88 war with Iraq. The reforms were not enough to attract extensive foreign investment. Rafsanjani also failed to capitalize on feelers from Washington exploring the possibility of talks to reduce Iran-US tensions. Rafsanjani allowed his Ministry of Intelligence free rein for crackdowns on domestic political activists. By the time Rafsanjani left office, EU states had withdrawn all their ambassadors from Iran due to evidence Tehran ordered the assassination of Iranian opposition figures in Germany. In his time as Majlis speaker in the 1980s, Rafsanjani had been one of many to call for the reinstatement of members of the Shah's hated intelligence service SAVAK into the successor organization SAVAMA, to help the regime eliminate domestic opposition. The former President went on to head Iran's top political arbitration body, the Expediency Council. The Expediency Council was tasked with adjudicating in legislative disputes between the parliament and the Guardians Council, and also advised the Supreme Leader. The council was also involved with constitutional revisions. As chairman of the Council, Hashemi Rafsanjani was one of the country's most powerful individuals. He was also deputy chairman of the Assembly of Experts, the body that elects Iran's Supreme Leader. Rafsanjani also became a member of the Supreme National Security Council, and continued through 2008 to be one of Iran's most ubiquitous figures. Rafsanjani was considered possibly only second to the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in influence in Iran. Hashemi Rafsanjani was seen as a veteran politician with lots of influence on Iran's political scene. He was very influential informally, too, through the patron-client relationships and personal networks that resulted from his lengthy involvement in politics, through his extended family, and through his clerical ties. This personal standing and connections have allowed Rafsanjani to also have an international role, including his work in attempting to repair differences between Muqtada Sadr and the Iranian-supported Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI). Rafsanjani, though initially a major conservative politician, became increasingly more pragmatic and moderate as he continued his involvement in Iran's political structure. During the presidency of Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani (1989-97), reformists controlled a majority of seats in parliament until 1992 and supported Rafsanjani's policies for economic reform and the normalization of relations with neighboring countries. The conservatives won a majority of seats in both the 1992 and 1996 parliamentary elections and subsequently used their position in the legislature to weaken or stop outright many reforms proposed by the Rafsanjani government. In the 2005 Iranian presidental election he branded himself as the only one of the eight candidates with the stature to deliver on his campaign promises. He said he wanted to integrate Iran into the global economy. He was also probably the person in best position to deliver some kind of deal on the nuclear program. With the failure of his 2005 campaign and accusations of campaign fraud and harassment, Rafsanjani entered into an alliance with reformist politicians and other moderates. This policial block scored a major victory in the 2006 municipal elections against the ultra-conversative supporters of the winner of the 2005 election, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. European governments had backed Mostafa Moin, an ally of outgoing President Mohammad Khatami, and pinned their hope on "pragmatic" Rafsanjani in the second round of voting. The hardliner domination of politics in Tehran threw the European Union policy of "constructive engagement" with Iran into disarray. Engaging Iran in the hope of promoting moderates came to naught. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was a figure whom both certain Reformists and Conservatives wanted to join the 2013 presidential race. He was the most well-known politician in Iran after the late founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and his successor Ayatollah Khamenei. Rafsanjani served as Majlis Speaker for two consecutive terms before becoming a two-term president. Chairing the Expediency Council, Rafsanjani was an outspoken critic of Ahmadinejads policies. His proponents believe that the 77-year-old veteran politician is the only one capable of leading the country out of the present circumstances. His critics say he is not physically capable for presidency and his return would mean political reactionism. Rafsanjanis behavior in the past had shown that he is completely unpredictable and he may decide to run for president in the last minute. Moreover, he was not afraid of defeat. He ran in 2005 and lost to Ahmadinejad. Rafsanjani conceded defeat at the time although some analysts believe that without his candidacy, Ahmadinejad would not have managed to polarize the election and win over slum dwellers and villagers to reach victory. In 1989, Rafsanjani underscored the need to obtain an atomic arsenal, stressing that "Iran cannot overlook the reality of nuclear strength in the modern world." Nuclear arms, in the Tehran mullahs view, are "the most important strategic guarantee" of their survival. In 1991, Ayatollah Mohajerani, one of Rafsanjanis deputies, clarified the need to obtain nuclear weapons. "Since the enemy has nuclear facilities," he said, "Islamic countries must be armed with the same capacity." Few would be as well equipped to draw a succinct portrait of the politically chameleonic qualities of Hashemi The Shark as Prof. Syed Mohammad Marandi, dean of the Faculty of World Studies at Tehran University. Marandi notes, "He was an extraordinary smart person, who was also a political genius. His alliances easily shifted, since he saw himself as a centrist. In the late 1980s and 1990s the leftists (later reformists) hated him and claimed that he was pro-American and a liberal capitalist who crushed the poor. At that time he was close to the conservatives (later principalists), but the leftists (later reformists) couldn't hurt him especially in the 1980s when he was very popular." Confused? Well, that's Iran's complex/convoluted politics in a nutshell; nothing can be understood if one does not apprehend the nuances between principalists (those faithful to the radical precepts of the revolution) and reformists (some now within the current Rouhani administration, some silenced for good). Even after his own presidency, Rafsanjani remained in the spotlight. He vigorously supported suave reformist cleric Mohammad Khatami in the 1997 presidential elections. Khatami won hands down and proposed a "dialogue of civilizations" to include the US but that was predictably spurned by Washington. Marandi on the late 1990s: "When Khatami came to power (and suddenly jumped from a form of Islamic Revolutionary Socialism to Liberal Capitalism), Khatami's people led a smear campaign claiming that Rafsanjani was the root of all evil.. As a result Rafsanjani was crushed in the sixth parliamentary elections along with his conservative (later principalist) allies." By 2002, Rafsanjani's political fortunes had plummeted, as conservatives mounted and sustained criticism of his reformist outreach efforts toward the West. He lost a post-presidential bid that year for a seat in parliament, and in 2005 was soundly defeated in a bid for a second presidential term by conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Four years later, at the height of a massive government crackdown on demonstrators protesting presidential election results, he delivered a speech calling for greater personal freedoms. Analysts and pundits say that 2009 address further alienated him from conservatives and military commanders. Rafsanjani was denied a third attempt at the presidency in 2013 when Iran's all-powerful Guardian Council barred him from the ballot, a disqualification widely seen as an official rebuke of his reformist efforts. However, his political protege, Hassan Rouhani, won the presidency and assigned Rafsanjani to oversee planning for direct nuclear talks with the United States. He also headed Iran's Expediency Discernment Council, an administrative body that advises Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Then came the Ahmadinejad earthquake in 2005. Rafsanjani, once again running, led the first round; but lost the second round to the hardcore populism of Ahmadinejad. The world remembers, with trepidation, that during the second part of the 2000s Washington, under Bush 2, was always a click away from "nuking Iran". Marandi explains how Ahmadinejad won" "When Ahmadinejad came along calling for social justice, the former left and Rafsanjani and his people were all crushed, while the principalists largely supported him. Ahmadinejad again crushed Mousavi (Rafsanjani's man) in the next elections, but principalists gradually moved away from him (because of his provocative and divisive language, impulsive decisions). And when the sanctions hit, he was politically isolated." Still Hashemi The Shark was far from politically dead" "Principalists were divided, so Rafsanjani brilliantly created a coalition of his people, reformists, and a faction within the principalists and brought Rouhani to power." So in a nutshell, since the late 2000s Rafsanjani had been the de facto top articulator in and around the reformists, as well as other factions marginalized in the political area. He was the certified bete noire of the principalists. And that could not but pit him, occasionally, against Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei himself. Then came the election of Hassan Rouhani once again a Rafsanjani protege in 2013; the road map was finally clear for some sort of detente with Washington, crystallized in the complex nuclear negotiations that led to the UN-approved Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Marandi notes how "after the JCPOA Rafsanjani was at the height of his popularity once again. In recent months with the economy stagnating and the US not abiding by its side of the bargain, he and Rouhani have begun losing their popularity, as some believe they were naive in trusting the US at the negotiating table (also corruption allegations regarding his son didn't help)." Crucial presidential elections take place in Iran in 2017. It would be a Sisyphean task and thats an understatement for the reformist Team Rouhani to accumulate political support. The principalists would fall over them like a ton of bricks. No Rafsanjani in the background does not necessarily imply the next president will be a principalist. Still, no one knows who will entertain the hard task of convincing notorious principalists such as Ali Akbar Velayati or the Speaker of Parliament, Ali Larijani to support a second Rouhani administration. With Rafsanjani out, it's safe to assume hardliners such as Ahmadinejad, the former head of the judiciary Mohammad Yazdi, and the ultra-hardcore Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi, a.k.a "The Crocodile", will be back with a vengeance. And there's an even more earth-shattering problem. Crucially, last year Rafsanjani got the most votes in the election of the 88-member Assembly of Experts, the all-powerful clerical club that approves Ayatollah Khamenei's successor. It was virtually a done deal that Rafsanjani would have got his candidate to win the Big Prize. Not anymore. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Donald Trump Accepts Russia's Role in DNC Hacking - Aide Sputnik News 03:50 09.01.2017 President-elect Donald Trump acknowledges that Russia was to blame for hacking the Democratic National Committee and Clinton Campaign Chairman John Podesta, incoming Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said on Sunday. According to Priebus, "no one is disputing" that Russia is responsible for the leaking of internal emails from the DNC and Clinton campaign officials. "[Trump] accepts the fact that this particular case was entities in Russia," he said during an appearance on "Fox News Sunday," adding that it is possible that Trump will consider sanctions against Russia after taking into account the US intelligence community's recommendations as to what should be done. However, Priebus also criticized the DNC for having "nearly no defenses on their system" and constantly ignoring the FBI's warnings about possible intrusions. Trump had remained skeptical about allegations Russia was behind the hack, saying that the intrusions could have been directed by China or any bored hacker from the comfort of his home. Priebus's remarks came after key Republican lawmakers increased pressure on Trump to accept the intelligence community's conclusion on Russia and take action. In a statement issued after a Friday briefing with US intelligence, Trump mentioned Russia among other countries, outside groups and people "constantly trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of [US] governmental institutions," without saying anything specifically about any Kremlin role in the outcome of last year's election. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer told Reuters the president-elect's conclusions have never changed and that Priebus' comments were in line with Friday's statement. As for Trump's famous pledges to have a friendlier relationship with Moscow, Priebus restate that there's nothing wrong "with trying to have a good relationship with Russia and other countries around the world." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Genuinely Domestic Design: Introducing China's HJ-8 Anti-Tank Missile Sputnik News 17:37 08.01.2017 China's HJ-8 anti-tank missile is an original Chinese military design that has been exported to a number of countries over the recent years. Sputnik takes a deeper look at China's ultimate battle weapon. Back in the 1960's China produced its first domestically produced antitank missile the HJ-73, which was more or less a copy of the Russian AT-3 Sagger, according to online military publication The National Interest. However, due to the deteriorating relations between China and the Soviet Union in the 1960's Beijing decided to create its own domestic design and that's how the anti-tank guided missile Hongjian (Red Arrow) 8 finally entered service in the mid-1980s. In functionally it had a resemblance to the long-range American TOW antitank guided missile, joined with the discarding launch tube of the French Milan missile system. "Unlike the short-range rocket-propelled grenades and other light antitank weapons, which basically serve as close defense weapons for regular infantry squads, ATGMs are heavier systems intended to destroy enemy tanks from kilometers away," the National Interest wrote. Hence, China mastered its own anti-tank missile system. Early Red Arrow missiles had a range of three kilometers and their 120-millimeter shaped charges had infiltration equal to eight hundred millimeters of Rolled Homogenous Armor (RHA). Over the years, the HJ-8 has seen many upgrades in its functionality and design. The HJ-8C and D versions introduced a tandem charge designed to reverse the Explosive Reactive Armor common on Soviet and Russian tanks, a feature retained in later models. The latest modern variant today is the HJ-8E. The missile has a thermal imaging system, a range of four kilometers and reported penetration of one-thousand-millimeter RHA. "The new HJ-8L launch unit has miniaturized circuitry to reduce its weight to fifty pounds, so it can serve as a truly man-portable weapon. Finally, there is also a longer-range HJ-8H that can strike targets up to six kilometers distant, including helicopters," the publication noted. Today, the Red Arrow is the most common antitank system used in the People's Liberation Army. As an infantry weapon, it is fired from a heavy tripod. China has widely exported the missiles to nearly twenty countries in Asia, Africa and South America. Egypt, Sudan and Pakistan also produce the weapon under license. Although the HJ-8 is a reliable system, it is no longer at the cutting edge of antitank technology. It could probably be shot down by the Active Protection Systems on tank such as Israeli Merkava or the Russian T-14. "The Red Arrow 8 might also struggle to penetrate the frontal composite armor of top Western main battle tanks like the M1 Abrams," the National Interest reported. Despite a few drawbacks, the HJ-8 has no doubt proven quite effective at destroying older tanks and armored fighting vehicles which remain in extensive use across the globe. However, the technology in China is ever evolving and the People's Liberation Army has recently introduced the harder-hitting laser-guided HJ-9 missile and the top-attacking HJ-12, which is the Chinese equivalent to the lethal Javelin missile. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address POTOSI Chasen Tyler Luksza, of Potosi, went to be with the Angels in Heaven on Tuesday, January 3, 2017, at the age of three. Visitation will be held Tuesday, January 10, 2017, from 12 p.m. until the time of service at 1 p.m. held at the DeClue Funeral Home. Interment and final prayers will be held at the Bethel Baptist Church Cemetery, Lonedell, Missouri. Ministry of National Defense confirms submarine stopover in Malaysia People's Daily Online By Sun Wenyu (People's Daily Online) 14:41, January 09, 2017 The information office of China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed on Jan. 7 a stopover in Malaysia by a Chinese submarine. It was the first time that a Chinese submarine had visited Malaysia, which, according to analysts, is a sign of alleviated tension in the South China Sea. The submarine, together with a navy support ship, arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Jan. 3, prepared to stay for four days, a Malaysian naval official told the Wall Street Journal. Kota Kinabalu houses a naval base facing the South China Sea. The information office of MOD confirmed this announcement, saying that the submarine and support ship arrived at the port for rest and recreation after completing an escort mission to the Gulf of Aden and Somalia. It was the second confirmed port visit by a Chinese submarine, following a visit to Sri Lanka in 2014. A specialist told the Global Times on Jan. 7 that the stopover reflects China's goal of improving its military operations outside the context of war. This puts greater pressure on the performance of China's submarines. "China serves as a major force for protecting global marine safety. Therefore, it's normal for the country's navy to appear in every corner of the world," the specialist said. The Wall Street Journal argued that the stopover is a display of China's expanding underseas force, and a further sign of power realignment in Southeast Asia. However, the specialist refuted the idea that submarine stopovers are a universal practice of all navies, and stated that the Chinese navy's global presence will be a new normal in the coming years. The docking of a Chinese submarine - a sensitive underwater craft - at the port indicates a friendly relationship between China and Malaysia. The specialist believes that China's relationships with ASEAN nations, especially Malaysia, have significantly improved, which will benefit regional peace and stability. Overinterpretation and other mischief are unnecessary, the specialist added. Another professional remarked that guesses and comments about the Chinese navy by other countries are reasonable, due to the freedom of speech. However, these public statements won't impact China's resolution to protect its overseas interests and safeguard world peace. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon Chief Carter on North Korean Ballistic Missile: We Would Shoot It Down Sputnik News 23:04 08.01.2017 The Pentagon chief has pledged to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile in case it is launched at the United States or its allies. MOSCOW (Sputnik) The United States is ready to shoot down a North Korean ballistic missile in case it is coming in the direction of the country's territory or the territory of its allies, US Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday. "We're ready to defend the Korean peninsula and defend our friends and interests there If it was threatening to us or one of our friends or allies, yes, we would shoot it down," he said during an NBC channel's show, answering a question whether the United States were prepared to intercept a North Korean missile launch or test. He added that North Korea's nuclear weapons and ballistic missile defense programs are a "serious threat" to the United States. "We try to stay ahead of that and we are staying ahead of that with our missile defenses to make sure we've upgraded their number, their type, so that we're sure we can defend ourselves," Carter said. In his New Year's message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that his country had almost finished developing a long-range nuclear missile. North Korea's nuclear tests have been the source of concern for its close neighbors, Japan and South Korea, and have been criticized by different other states and organizations around the world. In 2016, the UN Security Council held nine emergency consultations in response to Pyongyang's nuclear test and ballistic missile launches. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Defector: North Korean Army Chief Was Executed After Wiretap Sputnik News 21:51 08.01.2017(updated 06:28 09.01.2017) A high-profile North Korean defector has offered support for theories that a former North Korean military chief, missing since 2012, was executed, likely after being wiretapped. Vice Marshal Ri Yong-ho was chief of the general staff of the North Korean army from 2009 to July 2012, when he was suddenly stripped of his North Korean Worker's Party duties, ostensibly due to an unspecified "illness." South Korean and Western media later reported that Ri was likely under house arrest; then that he had been executed. Now, Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat, has told the Yonhap news agency that in North Korea it is common knowledge that Ri was executed in 2012 though there has been no official announcement. "North Korean officials are careful about their remarks because of the risk of being tapped," Thae told Yonhap. "Ri was known to have been executed because of likely wiretapping." The former army chief was caught on tape complaining about North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, in particular criticizing Kim's promises to reform and liberalize the country. Kim's father, Kim Jong-il, also knew reforms would help the country, but wasn't able to implement them; the younger Kim was foolish to think he could, Ri is thought to have said, Thae reported. There appears to be a pattern of executing army chiefs under Kim Jong-un. Though none have been confirmed, the past three army chiefs have been sacked and killed: Ri in 2012; his successor, Hyon Yong-chol, in 2015; and Hyon's successor, Ri Yong-gil, in February 2016. None of the executions have been confirmed by the North, however. It is unclear how many people have been executed under Kim Jong-un's reign, with reports ranging from 70 to a stunning 340. The North gives few details about its executions, though it did announce the 2013 execution of Kim's uncle, Jang Song-thaek. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea Aims to Complete New Ballistic Missile Development by 2018 Sputnik News 06:24 08.01.2017 Amid political transitions in the United States and South Korea, the DPRK has set an ambitious goal of completing the development of ballistic missile capable of reaching America by year end. MOSCOW (Sputnik) North Korea seeks to complete the development of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) by the end of 2017 or in early 2018, a former North Korean official said Sunday. "North Korea has set the goal of developing miniaturized nuclear weapons that can fit atop a missile capable of reaching the U.S. by the end of 2017 or early 2018 as it takes into account political transitions in South Korea and the U.S.," former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London Thae Yong-ho said in an interview with Yonhap News Agency. He added that the success of ICBM tests would depend on South Korean and US response to the issue. In his New Year's message, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said that his country had almost finished developing a long-range nuclear missile. On Friday, media reported that thousands of North Koreans gathered for a rally in Pyongyang to show their support for Kim and his nuclear program. On September 5, 2016, Pyongyang launched three ballistic missiles in the direction of the Sea of Japan. Several days later it said it had conducted a successful test of a nuclear warhead, which is believed to be the fifth and largest blast since Pyongyang began pursuing nuclear and ballistic missile programs. North Korea's nuclear tests have been the source of concern for its close neighbors, Japan and South Korea, and have been criticized by different other states and organizations around the world. In 2016, the UN Security Council held 9 emergency consultations in response to Pyongyang's nuclear test and ballistic missile launches. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address North Korea Missile Threat Seen as Test of Incoming Trump Team By Brian Padden January 09, 2017 South Korean officials say they believe Pyongyang's latest threat to test an intercontinental missile is intended to set the stage for future relations with the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump. "By maintaining its position to continue firing (missiles) and provocations, (North Korea) intends to bring a change of attitude in the U.S.," said South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee, speaking a day after North Korea declared it could test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location. The claim was reported Sunday by North Korea's official KCNA news agency, quoting an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman. Jeong suggested that Pyongyang issued the threat in hopes of forcing the Trump administration to engage North Korea on its own terms. He said the goal was to "shift responsibility (to the U.S.) when North Korea fires (a missile) in future." North Korea first threatened last week to test an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the United States, prompting Trump to tweet, "It will not happen." The incoming president left open what he might do to stop it, prompting speculation about a possible U.S. military strike against a North Korean launch site. Chung Sung-yoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said an early test of the Trump team's resolve could backfire on North Korea. If Korea fires an ICBM before the Trump administration has developed a security strategy for Northeast Asia, it could lead to a much tougher U.S. policy, he said. The South Korean Defense Ministry called the North's talk of an ICBM test "regrettable" and said there would be consequences in terms of international sanctions. "If North Korea ignores our warning and launches an ICBM, it will face more strong and thorough sanctions and pressure from South Korea as well as from the international community," said spokesman Moon Sang-kyun. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday that the United States would be willing and able to shoot down the missile if it crossed over the territory of the U.S. or its allies. "If it were coming-if it were threatening to us, yes. That is, if it's predicted impact or one of our friends or allies, yes, we would shoot it down," Carter said on the NBC television program Meet The Press. Development A long range ICBM test would not be an unprecedented technological feat for North Korea. It has already conducted four satellite launches using its Taepodong-2 missiles as rockets. The North's space program has been widely denounced as a hostile pretense to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile technologies that are banned by United Nations resolutions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made clear in the last year his government's ambition to achieve a credible nuclear deterrence. Increasing international sanctions imposed have failed to deter the North from intensifying its development efforts with two nuclear tests and 24 missile launches in the last year. Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary Of State Antony Blinken said of the North's nuclear program that "with every passing day, the threat does get more acute." North Korea is believed to have the ability to strike nearby South Korea and Japan with a nuclear weapon. But there remain questions over the North's ability to reach the U.S. mainland. Although Pyongyang claims it has successfully miniaturized a nuclear device to fit on the head of a long-range missile, it has not demonstrated that capability. Nor has it yet tested the missile's re-entry capability needed to reach a specific target while withstanding extremes of temperature and vibration. An ICBM test would be the next step in the development process. China Neither Beijing nor Tokyo offered any strong official reaction on Monday to the ICBM warnings coming out of Pyongyang and Washington. Last week Trump criticized China in a tweet for not doing more to rein in the North Korea nuclear threat. Although North Korea is dependent on China for 90 percent of its trade, Beijing has been reluctant to apply strong economic pressure on its ally for fear it would lead to increased instability on its border and a stronger U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula. China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang last week defended his country's efforts to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue and urged the incoming Trump administration to "avoid remarks and actions to escalate the situation." Japan Tokyo this week seems more focused on a flare-up in tensions with Seoul over a "comfort woman" statue that was placed in front of the Japanese consulate in the South Korean city of Busan. On Monday, the Japanese ambassador and consul general to South Korea were called home in protest. The two countries reached a bilateral agreement in December of 2015 to resolve the contentious issue over the Korean women, who were forced to work as prostitutes in Japanese military brothels during World War II. In the settlement, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an agreed-upon apology and Japan donated $8 million to support the surviving comfort women. South Korea also agreed to try to facilitate Japan's request to remove a "comfort woman" statue erected across from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Seoul contends the statues fall outside the agreement as they belong to private organizations and not to the state, but Tokyo sees them as violations of the spirit of the agreement. Youmi Kim and Han Sang-mi in Seoul contributed to this report. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Late Ayatollah Rafsanjani in brief IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Jan 8, IRNA -- Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani an influential politician and close ally to the Father of the Islamic Revolution the late Imam Khomeini in both pre and post-Islamic Revolution days and also Supreme Leader Ayatollah ASeyyed Ali Khamenei died on Sunday due to cardiac arrest in a Tehran hospital at the age of 82. Born in Rafsanjan, Kerman Province, central Iran, on August 25, 1934, the late ayatollah played a key role in the pre-Islamic Revolution era in a campaign leading to the fall of the monarchy of Mohammad-Reza Pahlavi. The late Ayatollah Rafsanjani served in different key positions in the post-revolution era, including membership in the Revolutionary Council, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces during the eight years of Iraq's imposed war against Iran (1980-88), speaker of the Iranian Majlis (Parliament) for three terms, and serving as the country's president from 1989-1997. He was also the head of the Assembly of Experts from 2007 until 2011. Serving as the chairman of the Expediency Council was the last position of the veteran cleric. 1420**1394 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leader condoles with Iranian nation on demise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Jan 8, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on Sunday extended condolences to the Iranian nation on the demise of the late Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. Rafsanjani, 82, died of a cardiac arrest caused by heart attack. He died in a state-run hospital in the Iranian capital on Sunday. The Supreme Leader expressed regret in his message over the 'sad and sudden demise' of 'Sheikh Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani,' to whom the Leader referred to as an 'old friend, a companion in the course of the campaign during the Islamic movement days and a close colleague.' Ayatollah Khamenei also pointed to the long record of the late Ayatollah's campaigns and cooperation in the past 59 years. The Supreme Leader said the loss is 'so hard and heart rending' for him. 'His high intelligence and unprecedented sincerity for the (59) years was a safe backing for all his colleague, me in particular,' the message said. Rafsanjani, a veteran Iranian cleric and politician served in different posts in the post-1979 Islamic Revolution era. He was Iran's president between 1989 and 1997. 9341**1420 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leader stresses need to identify enemies of Iran IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Tehran, Jan 8, IRNA -- Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Sunday the important duty of the Iranian authorities and nation in the present juncture is to identify enemies of the country and their goals in order to confront them. The Leader made the remarks addressing thousands of people in the holy city of Qom in a ceremony to mark the anniversary of the bloody uprising of the religious people of the city to the oppressing rule of the former Iranian dictator Mohammadreza Shah Pahlavi. 'The only way to destroy enemies' hostility is to disappoint them,' said the Leader, urging the Iranian officials to strengthen national power. 'When we talk about enemy it is not just a slogan,' Ayatollah Khamenei said referring to major enemies of the 'independent and progressive' Islamic Iran as the 'US, UK, international capitalists and the Zionists.' The Leader said that London is planning to impose new restrictions and sanctions on Iran in the post-JCPOA era. It is also seeking to train and arm its agents in the region, including in Iran, to assault the Iranian nation and its Islamic system, added the Leader. Noting that the UK-affiliated circles are pursuing their goals in the region, mostly disintegration of regional states including Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Libya, the Leader said, 'They say the time is over for a united Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, but they never mention Iran as they are afraid of the Iranian public opinion.' Ayatollah Khamenei referred to the British government as the 'old worn-out colonialist' that has once again came to the Persian Gulf region to regain its interests with the help of its regional allies. 'It (London) claims that Iran is a threat while it is the real threat itself,' said the Leader. On December 7, British Prime Minister Theresa May attended the summit of the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council held in Bahrain where she, made some anti-Iran remarks saying that London and its allies must work together to counter what she claimed to be "Iran's aggressive regional actions." 9341**9191**1394 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Leader expresses condolences over Rafsanjani's passing away Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 6:40PM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has offered his condolences over the demise of Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani. In his message on Sunday, Ayatollah Khamenei expressed grief over the sudden demise of an old friend, comrade and ally during the struggles for the 1979 Islamic Revolution and close colleague during the post-Islamic Revolution period. The Leader said Rafsanjani's loss was overwhelming and very hard to bear, adding that their cooperation and friendship had lasted for 59 years. Ayatollah Khamenei added that he and Rafsanjani had gone through many hardships and difficulties in these years. The Leader said Rafsanjani's high intellect and unique intimacy in their years of friendship had been a reliable support for all those working with him. Ayatollah Khamenei further stated that some differences in opinion between the two, which occurred at times during this long period, could never sever the friendship ties between him and Ayatollah Rafsanjani. The Leader also condoled with Rafsanjani's wife, children, brothers and the rest of his family, wishing God's mercy and forgiveness for the deceased cleric. Ayatollah Rafsanjani passed away at a hospital in northern Tehran on Sunday at the age of 82 due to a heart condition. He was among the main aides to the late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. He played an influential role both during the anti-Shah struggles before the victory of the Islamic Revolution and afterwards through various stages of the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rafsanjani was also a key figure during the eight years of Iraq's imposed war on Iran (1980-88), serving as substitute to commander-in-chief of the armed forces. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Chairman of Expediency Council Ayatollah Rafsanjani passes away Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 4:26PM Chairman of the Expediency Council Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has passed away at the age of 82 due to heart condition. Ayatollah Rafsanjani was admitted to a hospital in northern Tehran on Sunday after having an acute heart attack. Born on August 25, 1934, the influential Iranian politician and writer was the fourth president of the Islamic Republic, serving from 1989 to 1997. Rafsanjani was the head of the Assembly of Experts from 2007 to 2011. The influential cleric was elected chairman of the Iranian parliament in 1980 and served until 1989. He assumed office as the Chairman of the Expediency Council in 1989. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani attended the hospital where Ayatollah Rafsanjani was hospitalized, undergoing treatment. Head of Tehran's Shohada Hospital has declared heart arrest as the cause of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's passing away. Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was among the main aides to late founder of the Islamic Republic, Imam Khomeini. He played an influential role both during anti-Shah struggles before the victory of the Islamic Revolution and afterwards through various stages of the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Rafsanjani was also a key figure during the eight years of Iraq's imposed war on Iran (1980-88), serving as substitute to commander-in-chief of the armed forces. According to IRNA news agency, the funeral for Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani will be held in Tehran on Tuesday. In a statement, the Iranian administration announced a three-day mourning period across the country and declared Tuesday as a national holiday. Condolence messages pour in from Iran state officials, bodies Iran's President Hassan Rouhani issued a condolence message on his Twitter account soon after Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's demise in which he said, "The soul of the great man of the revolution and politics has soared to the sky." Ayatollah Seyyed Mahmoud Hashemi Shahroudi also released a message, expressing his grief over passing away of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani. In his message, Shahroudi described Rafsanjani as a true follower of late Imam Khomeini, who spared nothing on the path of the Islamic Revolution and was among confidantes of Imam Khomeini who shouldered heavy responsibilities following the Islamic Revolution. Many Iranian officials and state organs have offered their condolences over the demise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani. Chairman of the Assembly of Experts Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said the influential figure diligently shouldered important responsibilities after the victory of the Islamic Revolution in 1979. Ayatollah Jannati also condoled with Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the demise of Ayatollah Rafsanjani. Meanwhile, the Guardian Council expressed grief over Ayatollah Rafsanjani's demise and said he provided great services to the Islamic Republic in different areas. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, for his part, expressed his condolences to the Leader of the Islamic Revolution and Iranian nation, particularly Ayatollah Rafsanjani's family. He said the late cleric always made great efforts in carrying out his sensitive and crucial responsibilities and played a prominent and influential role in managing the country's economic and social affairs as well as the complicated and difficult foreign policy of the Islamic Republic. Foreign officials, dignitaries express condolences over Rafsanjani's demise Khalid bin Ahmed Al Khalifah, the foreign minister of Bahrain, posted a message on his Twitter account expressing his condolences on passing away of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani. Meanwhile, the Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, and Palestine's Islamic Jihad Organization expressed their sorrow over the passing away of Iran's former president. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has also issued a message of condolence on the occasion of Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani's demise. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Monday Desloge Library Board The Desloge Library Board meets in regular session at 7 p.m. at the public library located at 209 N. Desloge Drive. The meeting is open to the public. Desloge Board of Aldermen The Desloge Board of Aldermen meets in regular session at 7 p.m. in city hall, located at 300 N. Lincoln St. The meeting is open to the public. Bonne Terre Council The Bonne Terre City Council will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. at city hall located on 118 N. Allen St. The meeting is open to the public. Tuesday Desloge Chamber of Commerce The Desloge Chamber of Commerce holds its noon luncheon at VFW Post 2426, located at 399 W. Oak St. in Desloge. Park Hills City Council The Park Hills City Council meets at 6 p.m. for a regular session in the municipal court chambers at city hall, located at 9 Bennett St. The meeting is open to the public. Wednesday SFC 911 Board The St. Francois County 911 Board meets in regular session at 10 a.m. in Desloge City Hall, located at 300 N. Lincoln St. The meeting is open to the public. Thursday MAC Board of Trustees The Mineral Area College Board of Trustees meets in regular session at 2 p.m. in the boardroom on the school's Park Hills campus. The meeting is open to the public. Bismarck Board of Aldermen The Bismarck Board of Aldermen meets in regular session at 7 p.m. at the city's old train depot located on East Main Street. The meeting is open to the public. Farmington City Council The Farmington City Council meets in regular session at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers, located at 110 W. Columbia St. The meeting is open to the public. Friday Bonne Terre Council The Bonne Terre City Council will meet in special session at 4 p.m. at city hall located on 118 N. Allen St. The meeting is open to the public. Leader: Enemy after destroying Iran's national authority Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 9:31AM Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei says the enemy is seeking to destroy Iran's "national power," adding that authorities must work to strengthen the government's executive and judicial branches in the face of such plots. Ayatollah Khamenei made the remarks on Saturday in a meeting with thousands of people from the holy city of Qom, on the eve of the Uprising of January 9, 1978, against the despotism of the ruling monarchical authorities of the time. The enemy "attacks the apparatuses that typify the country's national authority," the Leader said. "What would frustrate the enemy in its goals is for us to have a powerful judicial branch and a courageous and strategist government. These [qualities] should be reinforced." Elsewhere in his comments, Ayatollah Khamenei warned against schemes at work in British circles against the Islamic Republic and the entire region and said partitioning regional countries are among such plots. "They say the era of a unified Iraq, a unified Syria, a unified Libya and a unified Yemen is over, but do not proceed to name Iran because they are afraid of Iran's public opinion." By introducing bans, the enemy seeks to afflict people with economic woes, and thus separate the nation from the Islamic establishment, the Leader said, adding that even when the enemies lift the sanctions on paper, they make sure their afflictions will stay. Ayatollah Khamenei further described "a powerful and resistant" economy as "the antidote" to the economic pressure against the country. After consulting with the Expediency Council, Ayatollah Khamenei announced in February 2014 the general policies of the economic approach. 'Resistant Economy' is a long-term policy aimed at localizing development theories, shaping ones that are predicated on the Islamic economic model, and thus differ from those of the world's predominant economic theories, namely liberalism and socialism. Among elements of national power, the Leader said, were "faith and religious knowledge," "scientific command" and "the preservation of national esteem." Ayatollah Khamenei described the 1979 Islamic Revolution as "the long leap" taken by the Iranian people towards liberation from dependence and backwardness. "The overbearing bullies, who had once usurped the country and were driven out of it, and whose interests lie in the country's dependence and remaining underdeveloped are now the Iranian nation's implacable, blood enemies." Iran's "archenemies," the Leader named as "the US, Britain, international capitalists, Zionists and their followers." The Leader also warned against attempts by the United Kingdom to secure its goals in the region through its allies among the Persian Gulf kingdoms, adding that Britain is also seeking restrictions and sanctions for the post-JCPOA era. The JCPOA is an acronym for the 2015 nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, between Iran and the P5+1 state the US, the UK, Russia, China, France and Germany. "Is this not the enemy? Can one find an enemy more nefarious than this? Therefore, one should get to know the enemy and its ways." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Special Forces get to Tigris River in militant-held Mosul Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 4:18PM Members of the Iraqi Counter Terrorism Service (CTS) have reached the eastern bank of the Tigris River in Mosul as they along with allied fighters and Kurdish Peshmerga forces try to expel Daesh terrorists from their last urban stronghold in the country. CTS spokesman Sabah al-Numan told Reuters on Sunday that Iraqi troops fought their way to the fourth bridge over the river, which has been damaged in fighting between government forces and Daesh militants. The Iraqi Defense Ministry also announced in a statement that a CH-4 Rainbow drone of the country's Air Force carried out a precision strike against a Daesh fuel depot in the al-Andalus neighborhood of western Mosul, setting the site ablaze and killing a Daesh extremist. Moreover, Iraqi security forces established over the mosque, where purported Daesh ringleader Ibrahim al-Samarrai aka Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi gave his famous speech on the formation of the terror group. Iraqi counter terrorism forces also regained control of a health center in Mosul's eastern neighborhood of Sukr. US-led warplanes kill 27 civilians in Iraq's Mosul Meanwhile, an Iraqi medical official says 27 civilians were killed on Saturday when the US-led coalition purportedly fighting Daesh in Iraq carried out two separate airstrikes in Mosul. Dr. Ahmed Raid al-Hamadani, an official with Mosul operations' mobile hospitals unit, told Turkey's official Anadolu news agency that at least 15 people lost their lives as US-led military aircraft struck a civilian convoy of 10 vehicles in the eastern part of Mosul. Coalition planes also hit Ibn al-Haysum neighborhood in southeastern Mosul, killing 12 civilians, including women and children. Iraqi army soldiers, supported by fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units commonly known by their Arabic name Hashd al-Sha'abi and Kurdish Peshmerga forces, launched a joint operation on October 17 to retake Mosul from Daesh terrorists. A total of 129,642 civilians have been displaced from Mosul and neighboring areas ever since the start of the operations, according to figures released by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) on January 3. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey's prime minister meets with Iraq's Kurdistan leader Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 1:53PM Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has met with Masoud Barzani, the president of Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), in Erbil to discuss a range of regional issues. Local media reports said on Sunday that Yildirim and Barzani were expected to discuss trade and investment as well as the fight against the Daesh Takfiri terrorists. Relations between the KRG and the central Iraqi government in Baghdad have been tense over long-standing territorial, oil and payment disputes. Baghdad accuses the Turkish government of meddling in the internal affairs of Iraq. Yildirim arrived in Baghdad on Saturday for a two-day visit, the first since relations between the two neighboring countries began to sour over a dispute on Turkey's military presence in the Iraqi town of Bashiqa. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi earlier said his administration had reached an agreement with Turkey over Baghdad's demand for the withdrawal of Turkish military forces from a camp in Bashiqa. Iraqi sources have not provided further details about the agreement. Turkey deployed about 500 troops to the facility last year, saying it was wary of potential attacks by Daesh. Iraq has repeatedly called on Turkey to withdraw its forces or risk a potential confrontation with the Iraqi military, which is currently battling Daesh in the northern city of Mosul. Baghdad has also rejected Ankara's call for a contribution to the Mosul liberation operation. Sources in Ankara had speculated that Yildirim's discussions in Iraq would include the Bashiqa dispute, the fight against Daesh, and the issue of the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Iraqi Forces Punch to Tigris, as IS Mounts Attacks Elsewhere in Iraq By Jamie Dettmer January 09, 2017 Iraqi leaders say they doubt their forces will oust Islamic State fighters from Mosul the terror group's last major urban stronghold in Iraq before Easter, despite a spurt of progress in recent days that saw the troops reach the Tigris River for the first time in the battle for the city. The jihadists have not only mounted stubborn resistance, but expanded attacks elsewhere in the country from a wave of suicide bombings in the suburbs of Baghdad and southern Iraq to launching disconcerting raids in Anbar and Salahuddin, provinces that fell to government forces weeks ago. On January 2, IS fighters overran a police station in Samarra, holding it for several hours. They also have been threatening the Mosul-to-Baghdad highway. The attacks are clearly aimed at distracting Iraqi security forces. That so far hasn't happened, and Iraqi forces' advances in the city marked a significant moment in the 12-week fight to recapture Mosul. Gen. Abdal-Amir al-Lami, Iraqi deputy chief of staff for operations, announced Sunday that security forces seized the eastern end of one of the Tigris River bridges linking the two sides of the city. He says Iraqi soldiers are consolidating their hold on the riverside Beladiyat district. North of Beladiyat, Iraqi forces made another breakthrough toward the Tigris in the Muthana neighborhood close to the ancient Assyrian ruins of Nineveh. Iraqi army spokesmen say IS harassed Iraqi troops as the forces punched their way to the Tigris, with drones dropping grenades on them. IS resistance is "showing signs of collapse" in east Mosul, Brett McGurk, the senior U.S. official in the counter-IS coalition, said in a tweet Sunday. The recalibration of Iraqi units undertaken during a two-week lull in fighting that ended on December 29 partly explains the progress made in recent days, say analysts. "One causal factor was clearly the concentration of all available ISF forces [Iraqi security forces] in east Mosul, achieved by closing down ancillary assaults north and southwest of the city," said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a research institution. Iraqi forces are now more concentrated for what he describes in an analysis for the institute as a "reinvigorated push." Iraqi forces are benefiting also from the battlefield presence of coalition special forces. They have been advising and helping to coordinate more accurate artillery and air support. "The Coalition and ISF introduced new accelerants that revived the push, including advisers embedded at a lower level and increased ISF deployments, allowing the ISF to make significant gains in eastern Mosul from December 29 to January 3, 2017," according to Emily Anagnostos of the Institute for the Study of War, another Washington-based research group. She does, however, warn that the number of civilian casualties could grow if the Iraqis rely more on increased coalition airstrikes to counter IS, "rather than door-to-door operations." "This raises the risk of civilian casualties but can stave off further attrition," Anagnostos says. Iraqi units are now present in 35 of 47 neighborhoods in the eastern half of Mosul. Even so, that leaves the 29 heavily populated districts of west Mosul so far untouched by ground battles. Knights predicts east Mosul may be cleared of IS fighters late this month, at the earliest, but that the battle for west Mosul will go well into the second quarter of the year. If the fight drags on, there are likely to to be growing calls for the Iran-trained Shi'ite militias to be called in to help, say analysts. Shi'ite politicians led by Iraq's former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose sectarian policies are blamed by some for the rise of the Islamic State group, are arguing that the militias, known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, or popular mobilization forces (PMF), should be used in the battle to oust the jihadists from Mosul. The Shi'ite militias are mainly west of the city and Iraq's prime minister, Haider al-Abadi pledged, before the campaign to retake Mosul was launched, that they would not be used in the fighting inside the mainly Sunni Arab city. In late November, al-Abadi's supporters in Iraq's parliament voted to put the PMF on the government payroll and incorporate the militias in the national armed forces, ostensibly subordinated to the Iraqi military hierarchy. Rights groups have accused the PMF of atrocities, torture and forced displacements of Sunnis. On Saturday, Iraqi military officials confirmed that one of the Shi'ite militias, Harakat al-Nujaba, stopped a group of U.S. military trainers from entering base in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. They said the group blocked the trainers because of the "lack of prior coordination." Hashim al-Musawi, a spokesman for Harakat al-Nujaba, told a local news agency the Americans "are not welcome, not wanted at all." He added, "The American forces always put red lines. They prevent anyone, any party or any force of Hashd al-Shaabi from entering fronts that they hold We will deal with them in kind." After the November law passed officially incorporating the PMF into the national army, U.S. and Western military advisers started to train some Shi'ite fighters from militias considered not to be taking orders from Iran. Last month, Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands coalition forces in Iraq, described Hashd al-Shaabi as "remarkably disciplined" and said the United States was "going to try to shape" the law that legalized the Shi'ite force. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Japan Scrambles Jet Fighters Amid Flight of Chinese Aircraft Over Korean Strait Sputnik News 17:04 09.01.2017(updated 17:14 09.01.2017) Japanese Air Self-Defense Forces were scrambled in response to Chinese Air Force aircraft flying over the Korean Strait near the islands of Tsushima and Kyushu, local media reported on Monday. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Six Xian H-6 jet bombers flew across the strait from the East China Sea in the direction of the Sea of Japan, then made a U-turn and flew in the opposite direction. Shaanxi Y-8 and Shaanxi Y-9 transport aircraft were also registered in the region, NHK TV channel reported, citing the Japanese Defense Ministry. Representatives of the ministry said that the Chinese planes did not violate Japanese airspace. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing are intensifying after China announced the establishment of an air defense zone over the East China Sea in November 2013, which spreads to the disputed Senkaku islands. Earlier in the month, Japanese aircraft were scrambled, when six Chinese planes were flying over the Miyako Strait near Okinawa. The two countries exchanged accusations and criticism over the incident. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address At least 65,000 Rohingya Muslims flee from Myanmar to Bangladesh: UN Iran Press TV Mon Jan 9, 2017 2:0PM At least 65,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled persecution and violence in Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh since the army launched a crackdown in the northwestern Rakhine State early October, the United Nations says. The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in its weekly report on Monday that 22,000 Rohingya had fled Myanmar to neighboring Bangladesh over the past week. "Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state," the UN relief agency said, adding, "As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities" in Cox's Bazar in southern Bangladesh. The latest figure marks a sharp escalation in the numbers fleeing a military campaign. Thousands of Rohingya Muslims are living in Bangladesh, with the vast majority of them having taken refuge in makeshift settlements, official refugee camps and villages in Bangladesh's resort district of Cox's Bazar. Many of those interviewed by journalists have told horrific stories of gang-rape, torture and murder at the hands of Myanmar's government forces. Meanwhile, a United Nations (UN) special envoy has arrived in Myanmar to begin an investigation into the brutal and deadly military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims in the country. Yanghee Lee, the UN's special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, arrived in the country late on Sunday and will visit Rakhine State, where the Rohingya have been subjected to executions, rape, and arson attacks since October. The developments come as Myanmar's military launched a fresh wave of crackdown on Muslims after a deadly attack on the country's border guards on October 9 left nine policemen dead. The government blamed the Rohingya for the assault. There have been numerous accounts by eyewitnesses of summary executions, rapes and arson attacks against Muslims since the crackdown began. The military has blocked access to Rakhine and banned journalists and aid workers from entering the zone. The United Nations has warned that ongoing human rights violations against the Rohingya in Rakhine could be tantamount to "crimes against humanity." Rakhine has been the scene of communal violence at the hands of Buddhist extremists since 2012. Hundreds of people have been killed and tens of thousands have been forced from their homes to live in squalid camps in dire conditions in Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The government denies full citizenship to the 1.1 million-strong Rohingya population, branding them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. This as the Rohingya are believed to be a community of ancient lineage in Myanmar. According to the UN, the Rohingya are one of the most persecuted minorities in the world. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Pentagon chief calls for broader US response to Russia Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 7:7PM US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter has called for a broader response to Russia's alleged intervention in the recent US presidential election. Speaking to NBC on Sunday, the outgoing Pentagon chief said Washington should not "limit" its response to what he called Moscow's cyber attacks to influence the outcome of the presidential election. "I think we should not limit ourselves when cyber is the means used in aggression against us," Carter said. A report released by US intelligence agencies on Friday claimed that "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election." Put together by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National Security Agency (NSA) , the report charged that Russia "sought to help" President-elect Donald Trump by running a smear campaign against Hillary Clinton, his Democratic rival. Last week, outgoing President Barack Obama ordered a series of economic sanctions against Russia, as well as expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over the hacking allegations. Carter said Sunday that the Washington can use more options to pressure Russia without the need to use military force. "I don't think it should be a military, or purely military response," he said. The run-up to the November vote saw the two candidates attacking each other over a series of confidential emails that belonged to the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and Clinton's top aide John Podesta. Trump said that the emails showed Clinton's corruption, proving that she was unfit to lead the country. Clinton, however, blamed the leaks on Moscow and accused Trump of getting help from the Kremlin. The Obama administration has been blaming the hacks on Russia, but the Kremlin has categorically denied the claim. Carter said the hacking attacks were an "aggressive act against our very democracy" and the American public needed to take the matter "very seriously." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Trump calls for closer ties between US and Russia Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 3:58PM US President-elect Donald Trump has called for a closer relationship between the United States and Russia despite allegation of Moscow's meddling in the US presidential election, adding that only "stupid" people or "fools" would think close ties were unwise. Trump made the comments in a series of tweets on Saturday, a day after the release of a damning US intelligence report on Russia's wide-ranging cyber attacks to influence the 2016 US presidential race. The US has "enough problems around the world without yet another one," Trump wrote on Twitter. He vowed that Moscow would "respect us far more than they do now" after he enters the White House, and said that the two nations could perhaps work together on the international stage. A report released by US intelligence agencies on Friday said that "Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the US presidential election." Trump has consistently dismissed the intelligence agencies' conclusions as politically motivated, but he appeared to accept Russian involvement in the election after receiving an intelligence briefing on Friday. On Sunday, Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham called for greater sanctions against Russia for meddling in the US election and said Trump is in danger of being in conflict with Republican lawmakers in Congress if he doesn't get tougher on Putin. In a joint interview on NBC's Meet the Press, they also said the US intelligence community's evidence of Moscow's interference during the American presidential campaign is overwhelming, and that Trump should accept those findings. Last week, outgoing President Barack Obama ordered a series of economic sanctions against Russia, as well as expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats over the hacking allegations. Washington and its allies had already levied broad economic sanctions against Russia and blacklisted dozens of its citizens after Moscow's alleged intrusion in Ukraine and reunification with Crimea in 2014. Graham said he and McCain will introduce bipartisan legislation to introduce additional sanctions against Russia that go beyond what Obama has done and "hit them in the financial sector and the energy sector where they're the weakest." Even before the hacking allegations, relations between Washington and Moscow were already tense over the Ukraine crisis. Ties between the US and Russia further deteriorated when Moscow last year launched an air offensive against Daesh terrorists in Syria, many of whom were initially trained by the CIA to fight against the Syrian government. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Russia Mulls Sending Uran-9 Combat Robots to Syria Sputnik News 16:53 09.01.2017(updated 16:54 09.01.2017) Russia could use its Uran-9 multipurpose robotic combat system in Syria, Viktor Murakhovsky, Editor-in-Chief of Arsenal of the Fatherland journal and defense expert told RIA Novosti. Murakhovsly was commenting on British media reports citing a high-placed source in the Western intelligence community that a number of Uran-9 combat robots could soon be sent to Syria for use in urban warfare. "There is no secret in that Russia is using its combat robots in Syria, not only the Uran-6 mine-disposal ones, but also the Soratnik and Nerechta systems. As for the Uran-9s, I'm not ruling out that that they could pop up in Syria, along with other systems," Murakhovsky said. He mentioned earlier statements by Russian "political and military leaders" about Moscow currently testing new types of weapons in Syria even before they actually enter service with the armed forces at home. "Some of these systems needed adjustment after they had been used in the Syrian campaign. Some of them were taken off the assembly line for trouble-shooting," Murakhovsky said. Fake news Viktor Murakhovsky said that he doubted the veracity of the British media reports, adding that mainstream media often present information taken from Arabic-language social networks as one coming from their sources within the intelligence community. Igor Korotchenko, Editor-in-Chief of National Defense journal, agreed that the reports could have been organized by the British defense ministry to blame Russia for the use of disproportionate military force in Syria. "The British Defense Ministry uses newspapers to produce all kinds of 'leaks' and materials as part of its 'special operations,' against Russia," Korotchenko said. Saving lives Mentioning the expediency of using unmanned armored vehicles in Syria, Viktor Murakhovsky said that, apart from revealing technical shortfalls in combat situations, they help reduce casualties among Russian servicemen deployed there. "The use of robotic platforms is meant to make up for the current downsizing of our military presence in Syria and save the lives of our servicemen. We can already see a dramatic drop in our casualty figures compared with what we had during previous conflicts," he emphasized. The latest in a long line of military robots made in Russia, the Uran-9 unmanned ground combat vehicle is loaded with a machine gun, 30mm cannon that fires 350 to 400 rounds per minute, a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a battery of supersonic guided missiles. Fully loaded, the Uran-9 weighs around 10 tons and looks like a small tank. It also boasts a cutting-edge laser warning system, target detection, high-tech identification and tracking equipment. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syria ready to negotiate with opposition groups: President Assad Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 2:28PM Syrian President Bashar al-Assad says he is "optimistic" about upcoming peace negotiations due to be held in Kazakhstan between representatives of Damascus and dozens of foreign-backed opposition groups. The Syrian president made the remark in a meeting with a visiting delegation of French parliamentarians and intellectuals in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday. Damascus is "ready to negotiate" with some 91 armed opposition groups, President Assad was quoted by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) as saying. Assad also said he was "counting a lot" on the upcoming talks, which are scheduled to be held in the Kazakh capital, Astana, later this month. The Syrian president also blamed France for its current policy, saying it is disconnected from the reality of the war in Syria. He added that the adopted policy by Paris has deteriorated the situation through the support it has provided for terrorist groups in the country. The negotiations, which exclude the Takfiri terrorist groups Daesh and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, will be mediated by Russia, Turkey, and Iran. The three countries successfully implemented a similar accord in December following the defeat of militants in Syria's northwestern city of Aleppo. The Syria president also stated that he was prepared "for a reconciliation with them (the militant groups) providing that they lay down their weapons." Elsewhere in his remarks, Assad criticized Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and blamed him for jailing "more political prisoners than all the Arab countries combined." The Syrian president rejected accusations of war crimes committed by Syria's government forces, saying no war was clean. He, however, added, "There were probably mistakes on the government side, which I regret them and condemn them." The French delegation, for its part, said they had seen substantial improvement of the situation, which in turn revealed the ability of the Syrian people and government to restore security and stability and continue to stand their ground firmly in the face of terrorism. They added that the Western public opinion, particularly in France, had become aware that the image they were receiving about the status quo in the region and Syria was not realistic and included plenty of false information. The French delegation, led by lawmaker Thierry Mariani, arrived in Syria on January 5 and visited the ancient city of Aleppo the next day. The meeting was held in the wake of a countrywide ceasefire in Syria, which came into effect on December 30, 2016, on the back of negotiations between Russia and Turkey. During the talks, Russia was representing the Syrian government. Turkey was negotiating on behalf of the militants. The ceasefire was later ratified in a UN Security Council resolution. Last December, the Syrian army established full control over Aleppo, which had long been divided between government forces in the west and the militants in the east. The city's recapture is widely seen as a crushing blow to the militants and their foreign supporters, who have been actively working to topple the Damascus government since March 2011. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address DEAR ABBY: My wife and I and our 13-year-old son live in a nice home we have been remodeling for the last eight years. The problem is, my wife has a hard time getting rid of anything, and she constantly brings home "new projects" that take up space but never get done. At one point, we hired a professional organizer because we had reached the point of having "goat trails" as the only means of navigating our way around the house. We also have a barn that is chockablock full. I have heard that the root cause may be due to an anomaly on a chromosome. How should I approach my wife about getting some genetic testing done? Her mom is also a professional pack rat. The clutter is taking its toll on our relationship -- we are in marriage counseling -- and on our family. We have so much stuff I can't breathe. -- SUFFOCATING IN MONTANA DEAR SUFFOCATING: It is interesting that your wife's mother also has this problem. Hoarding is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, which can run in families, and has been known to be associated with depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder. It couldn't hurt if your wife had genetic testing done, but the suggestion might be better coming from the marriage counselor rather than from you, because if she hears it from you, she might become defensive or resistant. DEAR ABBY: I have worked at the same small company for 25 years. All but one of the employees have been with this company for more than 20 years. "Grace" has been here only three years. She is pleasant, funny, trustworthy and easy to be around. However, she never brings her own lunch. If something is in the refrigerator, she feels it is fair game to eat it. If I bring something she wants, she will come up to me, take the bag and ask, "What's for lunch this week?" I keep snacks in my desk, and she knows which drawer I keep them in. When I reach for something to hold me over, sometimes the drawer will be empty and the bag will be on her desk or in her trash. It infuriates me. I have made subtle comments on how this upsets me. I have progressed to no longer bringing my lunch. I know she can afford her own lunch. She earns more than I do and doesn't have children or a mortgage. How do I tell this woman to keep her hands off my lunch and snacks? -- HUNGRY IN HOUSTON DEAR HUNGRY: How "trustworthy" can Grace be if she steals your food? When her outrageous behavior and petty thievery started, you shouldn't have hinted -- you should have TOLD the woman to keep her hands off your lunch and out of your desk drawers. If she didn't respect your wishes, you should have reported it to your supervisor or your boss. It's still not too late to do that, and I suggest that if there isn't a policy in your company handbook pertaining to this kind of pilfering that one be included. DEAR ABBY: My daughter was recently married. A close family member -- a cousin -- gave her and our son-in-law a check at the reception. The check bounced. It's been more than a month since the check was returned to them, and I'm sure their bank charged them for the overdraft. I was waiting, hoping they would reach out to my daughter or me and send a replacement check. Should I call my cousin directly? I feel deep down that he must not know this happened because he would have done something about it. -- BOUNCED CHECK IN NEW JERSEY DEAR B.C.: If you "know" deep down that this may have escaped your cousin's notice, call him, let him know what happened and let him explain. DEAR ABBY: I often read and enjoy the Pennies From Heaven stories that your readers send and decided to share mine. Although it doesn't involve a penny, it's very special to me. My grandmother and I had a special bond, and part of it was sand dollars. She taught me their meaning and would mail me postcards with pictures of dollars on them. When she passed away, I inherited the gold sand dollar necklace she had often worn. I moved into a new home several years ago, and during the home inspection, I found a sand dollar in the pantry! Everything had been emptied out of the house except for that lone sand dollar propped upright on a shelf. When I saw it, I knew immediately who it was from, and I felt so blessed. It's comforting to know we are being watched over by our loved ones. -- SAND DOLLAR BLESSING DEAR BLESSING: Your letter made me smile. I wish you had mentioned what your late grandmother explained to you about the meaning of sand dollars, because from what I have read, some people associate them with Christian beliefs, while others insist they are "coins" scattered by mermaids. Whichever meaning your grandmother ascribed to them, it's clear from what you have written that she was dearly loved. Thank you for sharing. DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a wonderful girl for about seven months. We're sophomores in college. She's sweet, kind, extraordinarily talented, and we treat each other wonderfully. Everything has been great, with the occasional disagreement. The problem is that I'm starting to notice that she seems to be homophobic. I was raised in a liberal, open-minded home, whereas hers was much more conservative. She never met a homosexual until college. She has talked about feeling uncomfortable with two men kissing or talking about being intimate. At first, I thought she'd be equally uncomfortable with straight couples doing the same thing, but she wasn't. When I tell her that I support marriage equality and the LGBTQ community, she gets very quiet and uneasy. I care for her, but I don't know if I can be with someone who's this uncomfortable about homosexuality. What do you think I should do? This is a very important issue to me, and I would love your insight. -- TORN COLLEGE SOPHOMORE DEAR TORN: She may be a wonderful girl, but whether you are wonderful for each other is open to question. Try to project ahead. If the two of you were to marry and she was unable to overcome her aversion to gay people, to what extent would it limit your ability to interact with them? Or their ability to have a relationship with you? Let this play out a little longer to see if she's able to evolve with more exposure. If she's not, then she may not be the one for you. DEAR ABBY: My son's girlfriend of five years and her 8-year-old daughter have been living with my son for the last four years. She has recently started introducing my husband and me as her daughter's "grandparents." Tonight she asked for details about my father so her daughter could include them in a paper she is writing about her "family." The daughter's father and his current wife had twins recently, and I understand from her mother that she is somewhat jealous. I feel uncomfortable with this new description of our relationship, although I don't want to hurt the girl. Should I say something to my son's girlfriend or my son? -- FAMILY DETAILS IN CALIFORNIA DEAR FAMILY DETAILS: The word from here is: Keep your lips zipped! If you object, it will cause only hard feelings. You say your son and his girlfriend have been living together for four years. If they should have a child together, do you plan to treat that child differently? Face it, you ARE in the role of a grandparent. My advice is to accept it graciously and act accordingly. DEAR ABBY: I'm an 18-year-old girl and on my way to Navy boot camp. I'm excited about my enlistment, but I have a few troubling distractions. The first is my mother, "Dana." I moved in with my dad a year and a half ago, and it has been an amazing, positive change. But any contact I have with Dana or my grandmother screws me up majorly. I become mopey, have a bad attitude, and I'm just an all-around bad person to be around. This upsets my dad and my stepmom, "Ashley," whom I consider to be my true mom, because it affects them and my three sisters. They say I need to forgive and let go, since obviously I won't get an apology from Dana for how she raised and treated me. What I need is advice on how to forgive and remove her from my life without hurting her feelings or making it worse at home. -- ON MY WAY TO BOOT CAMP DEAR ON YOUR WAY: It isn't necessary to forgive a toxic parent. What you need to do is distance yourself from her, which will happen soon as you depart for boot camp. If being around Dana depresses you, see her as little as possible and don't feel guilty about it. Do not demand or expect an apology from her and don't offer one, because separating oneself from someone who mistreated you is healthy. DEAR ABBY: I'm 57 and have been married for 25 years. My husband has retired and is ready for me to do the same. I enjoy my work, and I am delaying my retirement because he wants to move to another state. Abby, all I can think about is how I will be forced to start all over with a new church, new doctors, new friends, etc. That's incredibly stressful for me, and I don't want to do it. It takes me a while to warm up to people, and I don't do it easily. To me, it would not be an exciting adventure. I have told him I don't want to do this and why. He responds that if I want to visit my friends I can always "hop on a plane." He said he's tired of the cold and wants to move. All I can think about is having to sell our home, buy another one, learn a new area, make friends, find a new church. I have all of that here. Maybe he should be a snowbird? -- DON'T WANT TO START ANEW DEAR DON'T WANT: If you and your husband can afford two places, perhaps you should both be snowbirds. It couldn't hurt to rent a place for a few months to see what life would be like in a new community. That's what I recommend to readers who contemplate making a drastic change -- such as relocation -- in their lives. If you do that, you might find that the "natives" are friendly and the community is congenial. However, if that's not the case, it could help you to avoid making a costly mistake. DEAR ABBY: My daughter has been divorced less than a year and is dating again. (She's the one who left the marriage.) However, she keeps many pictures of her ex-husband on her Facebook page. She says he was a big part of her life, and she refuses to take them down. She thinks if a guy can't accept it, then he isn't the right guy. Do you agree that she's sending the wrong message? -- TAKE THE PHOTOS DOWN DEAR TAKE: Personally, I do. A picture is worth a thousand words, and what it shows those who see hers is that she hasn't emotionally let go of her ex-husband. However, if men date her after looking at her Facebook page and seeing his pictures posted there, it's working for her, and I can't offer a criticism. Because you can't stop her, I suggest you accept it. DEAR ABBY: It's that time of year when you print your gift ideas for seniors column. When my dad was alive, he, like many others, was on a fixed income. Among his pleasures was watching ballgames and keeping up with current events. So I contacted his cable company and arranged to pay his cable bill for a period of time as a gift. This can be arranged for any increment of time to match the gifter's budget -- from one month to a year. It allowed Dad to enjoy his TV and have some extra spending money that would otherwise have gone to paying the cable bill. -- ROSEMARY IN PENNSYLVANIA DEAR ROSEMARY: You are a good daughter. Thanks for sharing your idea. It's a thoughtful one, and I'm sure my readers will thank you for the suggestion. DEAR ABBY: You missed the mark in your answer to "Mother Doesn't Know Best" (July 7), whose 8-year-old stepson arrives for visits in old, ill-fitting clothing, even though the father purchases new clothes for him on every visit. I live in Ohio, and the state considers housing, food, electricity, gas and running water as part of the makeup of child support. I know this firsthand. You also need to know if the mother is working and if she contributes to her son's support. What about other expenses (toys, haircuts, uniforms, etc.)? Part of the problem may be that Stepmom and Dad live across the country and aren't there to see what exactly goes on day to day. Yes, the little boy shouldn't be showing up at their home in clothes that are too small, but even Stepmom said he was putting on weight. -- MITZI IN DAYTON, OHIO DEAR MITZI: Your points are well taken. However, the majority of the feedback I received about that letter pointed out that children arriving in old clothes for visits with their dads is a popular ploy that some custodial mothers use in order to get new clothes, and some even return the clothes for cash. Read on: DEAR ABBY: I had a divorced girlfriend I had confided in about this same problem. She said, "Don't you know? We always send the kids to their dad's in their worst clothing. That way, they'll have to buy them new stuff during the visit." You can't assume that because a child arrives in worn or ill-fitting clothes that the custodial parent is unfit or that the child doesn't have lots of better clothing at home. -- MRS. D. IN VIRGINIA DEAR ABBY: Please suggest that when Stepmom and Dad buy clothes for his son, they mark the labels with the boy's initials. The mom may be returning the items for cash and buying something she wanted for herself. -- MOM WHO KNOWS DEAR ABBY: I am writing this as I sit in a hospital at my daughter's bedside. When staff comes into her room, she asks them to wash their hands in front of her before putting on their gloves. Several doctors took offense at this. We even posted a note on the door, asking the staff to wash up inside the room. Were we wrong? She doesn't want to increase her risk of infection. I would think that a patient worried about proper hygiene would not be sneered at by the people trying to get her healthy. -- TRYING TO STAY HEALTHY DEAR TRYING TO STAY HEALTHY: Bravo to you for speaking up! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hospital-acquired infections have cost the hospital industry $30 billion and resulted in 100,000 patient deaths. A 2013 New York Times article reported that unless pushed to do so, hospital workers wash their hands only as little as 30 percent of the time they interact with patients. The problem is so widespread that some hospitals must monitor workers via video cameras or have them wear electronic badges to "encourage" compliance, while others have resorted to "bribing" workers to do the right thing. You were not wrong to ask staffers at your daughter's hospital to wash their hands. Nobody should feel reluctant to ask for something that is standard procedure. Because many patients in hospitals and care facilities feel vulnerable and dependent, they fear that staff will "dislike" them if they ask for too much. For patients to request handwashing is not only in their best interest, but also the hospital's. Too often, change doesn't happen in the medical profession until patients speak up and advocate for their own well-being. You would not have been "sneered at" if your request hadn't made those individuals feel defensive. Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069 Iran warns of efforts made to torpedo Syria truce Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 2:26PM A senior Iranian official says various parties are playing a role in the increasingly complicated political and security situation in Syria, warning of excuses to sabotage a nationwide truce across the Arab state. In a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus on Sunday, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said the Islamic Republic is determined to help the implementation of political approaches in order to end war and bloodshed in Syria. "Political negotiations must be held among Syrians and directed by themselves and the United Nations and influential countries in this regard must exclusively play a facilitating role," he said. He stressed the importance of making collective efforts to hold the talks in Damascus as the capital of the united and undivided Syria. Shamkhani, who acts as Iran's senior political, security and defense coordinator with Russia and Syria, further added that the anti-terrorism front currently enjoys the political initiative acquired as a result of close cooperation among Tehran, Damascus, Moscow and the resistance front and their successes on the battleground. The SNSC secretary hailed President Assad's prominent role in leading the Syrian government and popular forces in the fight against Takfiri terrorism which has led to great achievements. He emphasized that international capacities must be developed to send humanitarian relief to the Syrian people and reconstruct infrastructures in the war-stricken country. "Reducing the sufferings and plights of the oppressed Syrian people needs an all-out effort and international will," Shamkhani said. A truce, brokered by Russia and Turkey, is largely holding across Syria since late December. Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, formerly known as the al-Nusra Front, and Daesh terrorist groups are excluded from the ongoing truce. Damascus and Russian officials, however, have reported numerous ceasefire violations on the part of Takfiri militants in recent days. On December 31, the United Nations Security Council approved a resolution endorsing the truce agreement. The resolution also aims to pave the way for new talks in the Kazakh capital city of Astana next month, ahead of the resumption of UN-brokered peace talks in the Swiss city of Geneva in February. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Syrian government approves plan to restore services to Aleppo Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 6:40AM The Syrian government has adopted a plan of action meant to restore public services and security to the northwestern city of Aleppo, whose eastern side was recently liberated from the Takfiri militants. The initiative, which is aimed at helping Aleppo residents return to their normal lives, was approved during a special cabinet session chaired by Prime Minister Imad Khamis in Damascus on Saturday. The plan includes a range of measures such as the opening of Aleppo roads, providing water, electricity and fuel to citizens as well as assessing conditions for repair and reconstruction activities there. A mobile unit will be tasked with restoring electricity to the war-ridden city and refill cooking gas cylinders as well as two fuel stations. Under the measure, the Interior Ministry should also work to increase security patrols and repair damaged police stations. The initiative further stipulates the rehabilitation of two hospitals and five health centers as well as the renovation of Aleppo's International Airport, a train track and Suleiman al-Halabi water-pumping station. During Saturday's session, the government further passed an emergency plan by the Education Ministry to repair 50 schools in Aleppo's eastern sector over six months. The ministry seeks to renovate 100 schools in the entire city by the start of the next academic year. Last December, the Syrian army established full control over Aleppo, which had long been divided between government forces in the west and the militants in the east. The Aleppo liberation came after the last remaining Takfiri elements were evacuated from the city along with civilians under a ceasefire deal between the government and foreign-backed militant groups. The city's recapture is widely seen as a crushing blow to the militants and their foreign supporters, who have been actively working to topple the Damascus government since March 2011. The gain also set the stage for a nationwide halt to fighting in Syria that took effect on December 30, 2016 following an agreement between the warring parties. French delegation in Aleppo In another development on Saturday, a French parliamentary and media delegation toured Aleppo. MP Thierry Mariani, the head of the delegation, said in a statement that what they saw was very different from what was being promoted by Western media. He further noted that the major concern at this stage was how to help Syria in the reconstruction process, calling for the cooperation of international institutions to that effect. He further hailed the Russian military campaign, which has played a significant part in the Syrian's army battle against Takfiri terror groups. The French delegation later held a meeting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey 'Stuck in Quagmire' After Launching Al-Bab Offensive PYD Co-Chairman Sputnik News 17:41 09.01.2017 Turkish forces andtheir rebel allies have been engaged in a weeks-long operation to push Daesh out of al-Bab, but the town located in northern Syria remains under the militants' control. Salih Muslim, co-chairman of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), told Sputnik that Ankara has become bogged down in a "quagmire." "Turkey has found itself in a 'quagmire' by launching the operation in al-Bab. It will be very hard for Ankara to get out of it. Chances that the operation will be successful appear to be slim. We cannot be sure about anything at the moment," he said. Ankara launched Operation Euphrates Shield on 24 August to push Daesh out of cities and settlements located on Syria's border with Turkey. The military intervention has also been aimed at preventing Kurdish forces from moving further west and taking the border region under control. In recent weeks the Turkish military and its local allies have focused their efforts on pushing Daesh out of al-Bab. On Friday, Turkey's Defense Minister Fikri Isik said that the Syrian rebels entered the city and were engaged in street fighting. The operation has slowed down as Ankara is trying to minimize civilian casualties, he added. In late December, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that the battle for al-Bab was close to an end. Muslim also commented on Ankara's discontent with Washington's assistance to the Syrian Kurds, particularly the People's Protection Units (YPG). "The YPG is fighting against Daesh. Turkey doesn't want Daesh fighters to suffer a defeat since it is keeping in touch with the group. This is why Ankara does not want the United States to provide weapons to the YPG. The YPG and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) are the most efficient land-based fighting force against jihadists. The SDF has delivered crashing blows to Daesh," he noted. Muslim further said that the PYD has warm relations with Russia and the United States. "A representative office of the Syrian Kurds has been opened in Russia. Claims that the PYD's mission in Moscow was closed are not true. The office is open and operational," he said. "Our ties with the United States are developing in a positive way. According to information we received from the SDF leadership, the United States has provided military assistance to the SDF." Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Tsai transiting in Houston en route to Central America ROC Central News Agency 2017/01/08 13:42:07 Houston, Jan.7 (CNA) President Tsai Ing-wen arrived in Houston Saturday for a brief transit stop on her way to Central America, a routine stopover that has been closely watched by Beijing after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump spoke with her by phone recently. Tsai touched down in Houston after setting out from Taiwan earlier Saturday on her way to Honduras, the first leg of the nine-day trip, which will also bring her to Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador in that order. Tsai received high-level treatment after her arrival in Houston, with Texas Rep. Blake Farenthold, American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) Chairman James Moriarty and Taiwan's Representative to the United States Stanley Kao () greeting her at the airport. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Diplomatic Security has also adopted high-level security measures as Tsai landed in the United States. For instance, when Tsai visited the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston later that day, traffic control was imposed, police officers were deployed to escort her, while the museum was cleared for three hours. Tsai also visited Taiwanese-invested Formosa Plastics Corp. at Point Comfort Nan Ya Plastics Corp. at Wharton. She was accompanied by Farenthold. Tsai is scheduled to stay in Houston for a night after attending a dinner in her honor which was also attended by several U.S. officials, including Farenthold, Rep. Al Green and Moriarty and about 600 overseas Taiwanese. Moriarty was quoted by DPP legislator as saying that he will continue to promote good relations between Taiwan and the U. S. as the two countries share common values. The stop in Houston has taken on new significance since her December phone call with Trump set a precedent in decades of U.S. policy toward China. It was the first ever reported phone call between a Taiwanese president and a U.S. president or president-elect. However, Jessica Ditto, a spokeswoman for Trump's transition team said in an email Saturday that neither Trump nor members of his transition team would be meeting with Tsai when she makes transit stops in the U.S. during her trip to the Americas. Tsai will make a stopover in San Francisco on Jan. 13, after leaving El Salvador on her way back to Taiwan. It is Tsai's second overseas trip since taking office on May 20, 2016. Tsai visited Panama in June last year. (By Tony Liao, Rita Cheng and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/cs NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Texas Gov. Abbott, Ted Cruz Meet With Taiwan President Despite Beijing's Outcry Sputnik News 03:42 09.01.2017 US officials have met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen in Texas to discuss energy, trade relations and commercial ties as well as arms trade, despite China's protests. MOSCOW (Sputnik) Texas governor Greg Abbott and senator Ted Cruz met with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, while she was passing through Texas on her way to Central America, Abbott's and Cruz's Offices said in statements. "Governor Greg Abbott today met with Her Excellency, Tsai Ing-wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Houston to discuss energy, trade relations and commercial ties between Taiwan and the State of Texas. Governor Abbott and President Tsai discussed ways to increase trade relations with Taiwan, particularly in the exchange of natural gas and agricultural products, of which Taiwan is a major consumer," the Abbott's Office statement published on Sunday said. As regards Cruz, he discussed with Tsai such issues as arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic ties. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves. This is not about the PRC. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit," Cruz said in a statement, adding that US-Taiwan relations were not on the negotiating table. The US-Chinese relations worsened in December 2016 after US President-elect Donald Trump had a phone call with Tsai. Trump became the first US president or president-elect to speak with a Taiwanese leader in an official capacity since the United States severed ties with the island nation in 1979 in favor of pursuing a one China policy with the government in Beijing. On December 11, Trump said he would not be bound by the "One China" policy regarding relations with Taiwan. Later in the month, Trump said that he did not exclude the possibility of a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who will pay a working visit to the Latin American countries in January with a stop in the United States. Beijing sharply reacted to the issue, called on the United States to block Tsai from stopover. After Chinese Nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's Communists, the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949. Since then, Beijing has viewed the self-ruled, democratic island as a breakaway province. The United States, along with many other countries, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and sticks officially to the "One China" position, but has kept informal relations with the island after severing diplomatic ties with it in 1979. The three joint communiques issued between 1972 and 1982 outline the framework for the diplomatic relations between China and the United States and reaffirm the latter's commitment to the united China. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address China Condemns Meeting Between Taiwan's President, US Officials Sputnik News 11:55 09.01.2017(updated 13:55 09.01.2017) China strongly condemns Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen meeting with Texas Governor Greg Abbott and US Senator Ted Cruz, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday. BEIJING (Sputnik) Lu urged the United States to stick to the "One China" principle and the three communiques on the US-China relations. "I want to highlight that we strongly condemn Taiwan's president participation in the meeting with US officials under the pretext of a transit stop and her bids to undermine US-China relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said at a briefing. The US-Chinese relations worsened in December 2016 after US President-elect Donald Trump had a phone call with Tsai. Trump became the first US president or president-elect to speak with a Taiwanese leader in an official capacity since the United States severed ties with the island nation in 1979 in favor of pursuing a one China policy with the government in Beijing. On December 11, Trump said he would not be bound by the "One China" policy regarding relations with Taiwan. Later in the month, Trump said that he did not exclude the possibility of a meeting with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen, who was going to pay a working visit to the Latin American countries in January with a stop in the United States. After Chinese Nationalist forces were defeated by Mao Zedong's Communists, the Nationalist government moved to Taiwan in 1949. Since then, Beijing has viewed the self-ruled, democratic island as a breakaway province. The United States, along with many other countries, does not recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation and sticks officially to the "One China" position, but has kept informal relations with the island after severing diplomatic ties with it in 1979. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Turkey police identify Istanbul attacker, reports say Iran Press TV Sun Jan 8, 2017 4:7PM Turkish intelligence services and anti-terror police in Istanbul have identified the assailant who shot dead about 40 people at a nightclub in the port city during the early hours of the New Year's Day. The man was identified by police on Sunday as a 34-year-old Uzbek who is part of a Central Asian Daesh Takfiri terrorist cell, the Hurriyet daily and other Turkish newspapers reported. The attacker, who remains on the run, has the code name of Ebu Muhammed Horasani. There has been no official confirmation of the reports. Initial reports had said the attacker was a Kyrgyz national. Later reports said he was an Uighur from China. Last week, Turkish police released images of the alleged attacker, including a chilling silent video he purportedly took in central Istanbul with a selfie stick. The pro-government Yeni Safak daily, citing security sources, recently reported that the attacker was believed to be hiding in a house in Istanbul. Armed with a long-barreled weapon, the assailant first killed a policeman and a civilian outside the club before entering and shooting at some of the nearly 600 people inside. The gunman is suspected to have known in advance that the guards at the club were not allowed to carry weapons. Turkey has been hit by numerous acts of terror over the past year. Daesh has claimed most of the assaults. The country has long been viewed as a safe transit route for Takfiri militants, including Daesh terrorists, into Syria. Ankara stands widely accused of providing support to the militant groups operating against the government in Damascus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address 'Turkey Sends US a Message' by Questioning Washington's Access to Incirlik Base Sputnik News 20:45 09.01.2017(updated 22:23 09.01.2017) Access to the Turkish Incirlik airbase is a strategic matter in ties between Ankara and Washington. Turkey's threats to reconsider the use of the base by the US military indicate Ankara's concerns over Washington's stance on the Kurdish problem and the Turkish military operation in northern Syria. Last week, the Turkish government made a series of statements on the future of Incirlik airbase which has been used by the United States military. Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu mentioned Incirlik, saying that the Turks wondered why the United States and its allies were using the base if they did not provide air cover for Operation Euphrates Shield, a major Turkish-led offensive in northern Syria. A day later, presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin reiterated that Turkey had the right to close the base, but added that this issue was not on the agenda. Moreover, Turkish Defense Minister Fikri Isik underscored that the "fact that the international coalition is not providing support for the Turkish military in the Al-Bab offensive puts in questions the current format of use of the base." In an interview with Sputnik Turkiye, Serhat Erkmen, a Turkish political analyst and director of the Center for Middle Eastern studies at the 21st Century Turkey Institute, commented on a crisis of confidence between Ankara and Washington and its possible outcome. "Turkey has repeatedly warned the US about its discontent over Washington's ties with Syrian Kurds from the Democratic Union Party (PYD). After Ankara did not receive support in the Al-Bab offensive, the Turkish government took a more hardline position towards the US," Erkmen noted. Commenting on the situation around the Incirlik base, the analyst pointed out that the airbase has long been an issue for debate, especially acute in periods of tensions in Washington-Ankara ties. "When a crisis arises between the US and Turkey the issue of the Incirlik base, which is strategic for the US, comes to mind first. The recent example is not the first and not the last," he said. Speaking about the reasons behind Turkey voicing concerns over the US, Erkmen said: "There are different reasons for a raise in concerns. The main reason is that Turkey failed to win Washington's support on the Kurdish problem. Recently, the situation in Al-Bab added to the tensions," the analyst explained. Erkmen reminded that on the day when the Turkish military launched the Euphrates Shield military operation in northern Syria US Vice President Joe Biden was on an official visit to Turkey. "When Biden came to Turkey Washington made a number of statements saying that Ankara is an ally and would receive support. If in the beginning of the operation there were some examples of cooperation, now there are none. As a result, tensions have arisen since Turkey received no support. This is why, the Incirlik base is again in the spotlight," he said. Erkmen suggested that Ankara made those statements to send a signal to the entire US presidential administration, not only to next President Donald Trump. "Turkey sent a message to the White House. It should be translated: 'We are very concerned because Incirlik is a base important for US military activities in the Middle East and also an important component of our bilateral relations. If tensions further increase it may deal a heavy blow to our military cooperation. Don't go too far.' We can say that by sending such a message Turkey put on the agenda its discontent over Washington's policy towards Kurds," the analyst concluded. Sputnik NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MARTINSVILLE There are more than 900 open positions within a 10-mile circle of Martinsville. The problem is many applicants dont have the needed skills or the money to pay for training. Patrick Henry Community College wants to help with that. The schools New Economy Workforce Credential Grant helps students enroll in any of eight certification programs and covers two-thirds of the cost. That includes qualifying for a commercial drivers license, training as a certified nurses aide, a certified production assistant, a clinical medical assistant, a medication aide, certified billing and coding specialist, electrical groundsman or training to become a phlebotomy technician. These are the programs that Patrick Henry offers that our employers have said are in high demand, or where there are job openings in our area, said Rhonda Hodges, PHCCs Vice President of Workforce, Economic and Community Development. It is a pay for performance program. For approved programs, the student only pays for the first third. If the student completes the program, the state will pay the college the second third. And then if the student earns the industry credential, the state will pay the college the final third. Hodges said the programs typically last no longer than a semester. Some of them only take six to 12 weeks to finish. Money for the grant comes from Gov. Terry McAuliffes New Economy initiative, which was approved during last years session of the General Assembly. In years past, Hodges said, there has been state and federal aid for academic credit programs, but little aid for job certification programs. The Workforce Credential Grant changed that. The grant specifically applies to programs that have been approved by the Virginia Community College System State Board and the Virginia Workforce Development Board, Hodges said, and are in high-demand sectors. On top of that, Hodges said, there is also additional financial aid available for eligible students. We have some funding from our Virginia Community College System, financial aid for non-credit training leading to an industry credential, Hodges said. Our Patrick Henry Community College Foundation, I feel, has really taken a lead. They provided scholarship funding for non-credit programs at Patrick Henry a couple of years ago. Thats really very forward-thinking, even before this legislation, so we still had some funding there. We do have students, based on eligibility, who are paying just 10 percent of the cost of some of these programs. Additionally, Hodges said, PHCC is willing to work with people to eliminate any other potential barriers to enrollment. The grants come at a time when there are multiple full-time job openings in the area. A city engineer position in Martinsville pays $58,544 a year. An inventory taker position for a company in the city can pay up to $13 an hour, while a registered nurse makes $42,000. Someone with their commercial drivers license can make between $52,000 to $85,000 working out of Martinsville for the Salem Corporation. But each of those programs require certification and training, which PHCCs programs can help with. We have the programs, were tied to employers, and theres funding assistance, Hodges said. Were trying to take care of any barriers that might be there. Whether its transportation, child care, or whatever, we try to do whatever we can to get around that so they can earn these credentials. Anyone interested in registering or just receiving more information can visit patrickhenry.edu/workforce or call (276)-656-0260. ROUYN NORANDA, Jan. 9, 2017 - Gold Bullion Development Corp. (TSX-V: GBB) (OTCPINK: GBBFF) (Frankfurt B6D) (the "Company" or "Gold Bullion") announces that it plans to change its name to Granada Gold Mine Inc. to align the Company's name with its main project, the Granada Gold property near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec.Subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval the name change will be effected on January 16, 2017 and will trade under the new symbol "GGM".The change of name from Gold Bullion Development Corp. to Granada Gold Mine Inc. has been approved by the Company's board of directors. The Company is not subdividing, consolidating or otherwise altering its share capital in association with the name change.Investors are invited to meet management for an update on the Company at exhibit booth 831 at the Vancouver Resource Investment Conference January 2223, 2017 at the Vancouver Convention Centre West and to a presentation on January 23, 2017 at 2:40 pm in Workshop 3.The Company also plans to launch a new corporate website in the near future. Gold Bullion Development Corp. is developing the Granada Gold Property near Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec. The property includes the former Granada gold mine which produced more than 50,000 ounces of gold in the 1930s before a fire destroyed the surface buildings. The highly prolific Cadillac Trend cuts through the north part of the property. The Cadillac Trend has been the source of more than 50 million ounces of gold produced in the past century on a line running from Val-d'Or to Rouyn-Noranda.The Company has obtained all necessary permits for the initial mining phase known as the "Rolling Start" for which stripping has already begun. Additional information is available at www.goldbulliondevelopmentcorp.com."Frank J. Basa"Frank J. Basa P. Eng., President and Chief Executive OfficerNeither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may contain forward?looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, potential mineral recovery processes, etc. Forward?looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.Frank J. Basa, P. Eng., President and CEO at 1-819-797-4144Renmark Financial Communications Inc.Steve Hosein: shosein@renmarkfinancial.comTel.: (416) 644-2020 or (514) 939-3989www.renmarkfinancial.com THUNDER BAY, ON, Jan. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Wolfden Resources Corp. (WLF-TSX-V) ("Wolfden" or the "Company") today announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement (the "Offering") of up to 3,500,000 flow-through units (the "Flow-Through Units") at a price of $0.135 per Flow-Through Unit for gross proceeds of up to $472,500. Each Flow-Through Unit will consist of one common share of the Company that is a "flow-through share" within the meaning in the Income Tax Act (Canada) and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole warrant a "Warrant"). Each such Warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one common share of the Company at a price of $0.15 per common share for a period of 24 months from the closing date of the Offering. The securities to be issued under this Offering will be offered by way of private placement in the provinces of British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario and such other provinces or territories of Canada as may be determined by the Company, in each case, pursuant to applicable exemptions from the prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws. Securities issued under the Offering will be subject to a four-month hold period which will expire four months and one day from the date of closing of the Offering. Closing of the Offering is anticipated to occur on or about January 17, 2017. The Offering is subject to acceptance by the TSX Venture Exchange and other customary conditions for a transaction of this nature. The proceeds for the offering will be used for exploration on the Company's projects in Canada. ABOUT WOLFDEN RESOURCES: Wolfden is a mineral exploration company exploring the Rice Island and Nickel Island properties in Manitoba. Manitoba is ranked #6 in Canada and #19 in the world as the most favorable jurisdiction to conduct mining and exploration (Fraser Institute (2015-2016).The Company also holds a dominant, 24,000 hectare land position in the heart of the Bathurst Mining Camp in New Brunswick. This press release contains forward-looking information (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation) that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events. Such forward-looking information includes the anticipated completion of the Offering, statements based on current expectations involving a number of risks and uncertainties and such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance of the Company, and include, without limitation, statements relating to the anticipated closing date of the Offering and use of proceeds and statements relating to plans and results of exploration and the magnitude and quality of the property. There are numerous risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and the Company's plans and objectives to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information in this news release, including without limitation, the following risks and uncertainties; (i) risks inherent in the mining industry; (ii) regulatory and environmental risks; (iii) results of exploration activities and development of mineral properties; (iv) risks relating to the estimation of mineral resources; (v) stock market volatility and capital market fluctuations; and (vi) general market and industry conditions. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. This forward-looking information is based on estimates and opinions of management on the date hereof and is expressly qualified by this notice. Risks and uncertainties about the Company's business are more fully discussed in the Company's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada at www.sedar.com. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward looking information or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such information unless required by applicable law. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. SOURCE Wolfden Resources Corp. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan. 9, 2017) - NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO UNITED STATES NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES Angel Gold Corp.. (TSX VENTURE:ANG) ("Angel" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has received from the environmental authority of Antioquia "Corantioquia" three new water concessions one for each of the mining titles of the El Porvenir project. This is a significant milestone in addition to the successfully completed transfer of water usage rights from the previous holder, Mineros S.A. announced in May 2nd, 2016. The new water concessions are granted for a five-year term beginning January 2017. "We are pleased to have obtained these important environmental permits, which give Angel the water usage rights that are critical to our planned 2017 drilling program and for future drilling campaigns at the El Porvenir project, " said President and CEO, Blanca Stella Frias. The Company has successfully finished its 2016 exploration program, which included trenching and detailed mapping and sampling to define priority drill targets of areas where rock samples returned high-grade gold and/or silver assay results. A 1.3km section of northwest-trending flexure within the Nus Fault has been identified as being highly prospective. The Company continues working on the financing of the announced 2000 meters drilling program for 2017. For more information about the upcoming exploration program and the financing please visit our website www.angelgoldcorp.com. About Angel Gold Corp.: Angel is a Canada-based gold and silver exploration company focused on responsible development of mineral resources in Colombia, host to some of the world's largest gold deposits. Angel's flagship project the El Porvenir is located at less than 2 km from Gran Colombia project, the El Pino West Project is adjacent to Gramalote project, B2Gold and Anglo Gold Ashanti JV, 2.5M oz. discovery and its Heliconia project is located north of the Titiribi district along the Cauca fault system. Angel has been focused on acquiring and validating strategic mineral exploration opportunities in Colombia's best mining districts with the highest potential for new discoveries. On Behalf of the Board of Directors of Angel Gold Corp. Blanca Stella Frias, Director, President and Chief Executive Officer Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed the content of this News Release and therefore does not accept responsibility or liability for the adequacy or accuracy of the contents of this News Release. This news release contains certain "forward- looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Except for statements of historical fact relating to the Company, certain information contained herein constitutes forward- looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based upon opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward looking statements. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The transaction described in this News Release is subject to a variety of conditions and risks which include but are not limited to: regulatory approval, shareholder approval, market conditions, legal due diligence for claim validity, financing, political risk, security risks at the property locations and other risks. As such, the reader is cautioned that there can be no guarantee that this transaction will complete as described in this News Release. We seek safe harbour. Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me. As gloomy government budget news stacks up in Austin, a state appeals court ruling issued Friday appears to erase a huge worry about the states business franchise tax.The parent company of AMC movie theaters sued the state over what it is allowed to include in non-taxable cost of goods sold. An initial ruling in the companys favor in May 2015 contained what the state thought was an overly broad definition of costs one that Comptroller Glenn Hegar feared could require $6 billion in tax refunds to various businesses and a $1.5 billion annual reduction in state franchise taxes.Fridays ruling from the 3rd Court of Appeals leaves the companys victory in place, but uses a narrower definition of costs of goods that apparently wont apply to most other taxpayers.The difference could be worth billions to the state, allowing it to continue to collect franchise taxes much the way it does now.The case turns on a legal definition in the state's tax code? of tangible personal property that includes personal property that can be seen, weighed, measured, felt or touched, or that is perceptible to the senses in any other manner.AMC takes perceptible to the senses to include movies and contends all of its costs for space should be included in its cost of goods sold. The comptroller argued that AMC is selling intangible property or a service and that it shouldnt be considered tangible personal property.To compute its franchise taxes, the movie chain (like other businesses) subtracts its cost of goods sold from its total revenue and pays taxes based on the difference. Increasing the costs lowers the amount being taxed. The court ruled that AMC can include costs of exhibiting films in that calculation a decision that means the theater chain will get $1.1 million in refunds for taxes it already paid.The new ruling relies on a less encompassing definition that includes films, sound recordings, videotapes, live and prerecorded television and radio programs, books, and other similar property embodying words, ideas, concepts, images, or sound, without regard to the means or methods of distribution or the medium in which the property is embodied...The state still lost the case, but according to Lauren Willis, a spokeswoman for the comptroller, this ruling doesnt present the kind of threat to other franchise revenue that the earlier ruling did.The state will have to refund $1.2 million, plus interest and penalties, to AMC. But other taxpayers looking for the same treatment will have to fit within the narrower definition of tangible personal property to get refunds.AMCs case is one of two lawsuits that threatened to knock big holes in the states pocketbook. The other big tax case with potentially large implications involving Midland-based Southwest Royalties went to the Texas Supreme Court, with Hegar worrying publicly that an adverse ruling would cost the state as much as $4.4 billion. The state won that one in June.On Monday, a day before the legislative session begins, Hegar will unveil his official revenue estimate which will tell lawmakers how much money will be available for them to write the next two-year budget. Money is expected to be tight, but it wont be because the state lost in court. Excluding education, women make up nearly half of the roughly 9 million workers in state and local government -- but they remain underrepresented in management and leadership roles. In general, the higher you look on a government's organizational chart, the more likely a position is to be filled by a man.Not so in Phoenix.In that city, nearly half of the 36 department heads and other executive positions are held by women, a share that far exceeds the national average. Women head notoriously male-dominated agencies like transportation, water infrastructure and even public safety. In fact, the city of 1.5 million is the largest municipality in the country to have both a female police and fire chief. Women also lead the city's homeland security and emergency management departments, as well as the prosecutor's office.Nationally, slightly more than 14 percent of city managers and about 30 percent of city and county department heads are women, according to a 2013 survey conducted by the International City/County Management Association.In public safety, where many people talk about a brass ceiling for female employees, the numbers are far lower. Women represent nearly 12 percent of police officers in the U.S., according to FBI data from 2013. Several estimates peg the portion of female police chiefs at less than 2 percent. Firefighting is even more male-dominated -- just 3.5 percent of career firefighters are women. There was no readily available statistics on female chiefs.So what makes Phoenix different?For one thing, while women across the country report mental and physical barriers -- such as pregnancy -- that make it difficult to last in public safety, Fire Chief Kara Kalkbrenner and Police Chief Jeri Williams said that wasnt their experience coming up through the ranks in Phoenix.That perception of women not being able to do things? That was never something I encountered, said Williams.She and Kalkbrenner have nearly 30 years of experience in their fields and are the citys first female fire and police chiefs. Williams also previously served as the first female police chief for the city of Oxnard, Calif.Williams had to navigate pregnancy and the strains of early motherhood during her career, and Kalkbrenner has two step children. While their schedules and hours made things difficult, both say their departments never made them feel like being a parent meant they were a problem to be managed.The city accepts that childbearing doesnt mean youre incapacitated, said Williams. It just means youre pregnant.In fact, Kalkbrenner's long shifts and hours away from home were made bearable by working out alternating schedules with other female colleagues so they could watch each others kids.Its really interesting to watch the creation of ingenuity within the service, she said.Their experience in Phoenix stands in contrast to tales elsewhere.In one extreme example , an internal investigation into one of San Franciscos busiest fire stations last year found that male firefighters embarked on a systematic harassment campaign intended to drive their new female colleague out of the firehouse. The harassment included urinating in her bed and leaving feces on the floor of the womens bathroom at the station.But gender inequalities in law enforcement tend to be more indirect than that. Aurora, Ill., Police Chief Kristen Ziman, a former president of the National Association of Women Law Enforcement Executives, has said that as a police academy cadet in the mid-1990s, she felt that she and the other women in her position often needed to prove themselves. Women in the academy were automatically considered inferior and only seemed to be able to change this perception by showing the men otherwise, she reported.Zimans experience is an example of the cultural challenges women in public safety and military organizations tend to face, said Heather Hurlburt, director of the New Models of Policy Change initiative at New America, a public policy think tank.For all the time that people encounter out-and-out prejudice, a lot of the barriers are much more subtle, she said. And they persist in ways that people dont perceive as sexist, and thus its hard to fight.Another reason for the lack of women in public safety leadership positions has more to do with the talent pipeline: While more women have entered the field in recent years, it can be harder to find women with the kind of 20-plus years of experience that most police and fire chiefs have.There's some evidence, though, that that may be changing. Over the past year, more than a dozen cities and townships named their first female police or fire chief, including Oakland, Calif.; Lexington, Ky.; and Miami. (Williams was also sworn in as Phoenixs chief this past fall.)In Phoenix, many of the other executive-level changes have been recent as well. Most of the female department heads have been hired by City Manager Ed Zuercher in the past two years. And many of them are homegrown talents. Mayor Greg Stanton attributes the trend not to an outright effort to hire women but to Phoenix simply being a place where labels matter less.We dont have a long history as a big city, which means we don't have a lot of the institutions that older established cities have, he said. People don't care what neighborhood you're from or who your family is. Those old institutions can be a stifling thing. Gov. Terry McAuliffe on Thursday signed an executive order requiring future contractors that do business with the Executive Branch to adhere to a non-discrimination policy that includes bias based on sexual orientation or gender identity.Starting today, the commonwealth of Virginia will not do business with entities that discriminate based on sexual orientation or gender identity, McAuliffe said in Charlottesville, where he announced the order.Virginia is home to the best state workforce in the country and this policy will ensure there is no question that all Virginians are to receive the full benefits of their citizenship, without regard to their sexual orientation or gender identity.The order took effect upon McAuliffes signature and will remain in force until it is amended or rescinded by a further executive order.The governors move comes as a Virginia lawmaker, Del. Robert G. Marshall, R-Prince William, has filed a bill that would force transgender people to use the bathroom corresponding to the sex on their birth certificate.Marshalls proposal, which faces long odds in the General Assembly session that begins Wednesday, mirrors North Carolinas House Bill 2. That measure has led to business boycotts and outcry from LGBT groups.McAuliffe has pledged to veto any bill that restricts the rights of Virginians based on sexual orientation or gender identity. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met Sunday in Houston with Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, adding to tensions with China after President-elect Donald Trump broke diplomatic protocol by talking to her on the phone.Cruz, one of Trump's strongest challengers for last year's Republican presidential nomination, said in a statement that he and Tsai "discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations in a wide-ranging discussion that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges, and economic relations." Abbott, also a Republican, posted a photo of his meeting on Twitter, and said saying the meeting was to "discuss expanding trade and economic opportunities."Texas has the second-largest U.S. economy behind California. Tsai's office earlier announced that she would stay for one night in Houston on her way to visitto several nations in Central America. She will also stop in San Francisco Jan. 13 on the way back to Taiwan. China had urged the U.S. to bar her from the country; Cruz said the Chinese consulate asked members of Congress to refuse to meet with Tsai and to uphold the long-standing policy "One China" policy.Trump's call with Tsai after his November election victory angered China and threatened to disrupt the U.S.'s decades-long recognition of the island as a part of China. Neither Trump nor members of his transition team are meeting with Tsai during her U.S. visit, news media reported Saturday."We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit," Cruz said.Since Trump's call, which was the highest-level interaction between leaders of the two governments in decades, China's government in Beijing has increased pressure on Taiwan, setting up diplomatic relations with one of Taiwan's former allies and sailing an aircraft carrier around the island. Trump later linked the U.S.'s policy on Taiwan to getting a better trade deal with China.Cruz also said that "furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority." Description GIS - 09 January, 2017: Mauritius is seeking expertise from China regarding the setting up of a National Cultural Troupe so as to reinforce both artistic and cultural links between Mauritius and China. A request to this effect has already been forwarded to the Chinese Government through the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius. Mauritius is seeking expertise from China regarding the setting up of a National Cultural Troupe so as to reinforce both artistic and cultural links between Mauritius and China. A request to this effect has already been forwarded to the Chinese Government through the Chinese Embassy in Mauritius. This was announced by the Prime Minister, Sir Anerood Jugnauth, at the inauguration of the DU Benjis Harmonious World Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition organised on 6 January 2017 at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Bell Village in the context of the celebrations marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Mauritius diplomatic relations. Sir Anerood Jugnauth recalled the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mauritius and China which dates as far back in 1972 and the signing of an agreement for cultural cooperation in 1980. He added that since the mid-18th century the China-Mauritius relationship has been nurtured ever since the Chinese immigrants first landed in Mauritius. He further highlighted that cooperation between the two countries has been constantly strengthened while stressing on the very close and more than privileged cultural and economic ties that Mauritius shares with China. On this score, he expressed interest for a reinforced cooperation with China as well as the need for resource persons from China to conduct workshops in specific areas and to train cultural officers in fields such as dramatic arts, music, dance, martial arts, Chinese cuisine and other performing arts. Another avenue of possible collaboration raised by the Prime Minister pertains to the common vision shared by both Mauritius and China regarding the film industry whereby he enumerated the various measures and incentives enunciated in the last budget to give a boost to the industry and encourage big budget movies to be shot in Mauritius. To this effect, the Prime Minister announced that Mauritius will soon be endowed with its first full-fledged film studio which will be located in the south of the island and will include post production facilities, as well as a film academy. For his part, the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China in Mauritius, Mr Li Li, spoke of the friendly and longstanding relationship between China and Mauritius which he said should be further nurtured. The existing cultural bond of kinship between the two countries can serve as an example to the world, he added. According to him, year 2017 will be a flourishing one as both China and Mauritius which will embark on new avenues of cooperation so as to consolidate the Sino-Mauritian relationship. The world renowned Chinese painter and calligrapher, Mr DU Benji, who was also present, handed over to Sir Anerood Jugnauth a painting depicting Mauritius in calligraphy used by the Mauritian delegation at the 2008 Olympic Games held in Beijing. Mauritius-China Bilateral and Cultural Relationship Mauritius and China established bilateral ties in 1972 and in 1980 both countries signed an agreement for cultural cooperation. Since then several visits of cultural and artistic performance troupes have taken place between the two countries. The DU Benjis Harmonious World Painting and Calligraphy Exhibition which portrays the journey of contemporary Chinese culture through the masterpieces of DU Benji held at the Chinese Cultural Centre bears testimony to the cordial cultural relationship between China and Mauritius. The exhibition has been displayed in major cities across the world, ranging from Los Angeles to London. (TNS) -- A train stuck for more than an hour Friday morning at the West Oakland BART station caused major systemwide delays for thousands of frustrated riders who were forced to find another way to get to their destinations, officials said.The San Francisco-bound train at the West Oakland station stalled about 7:30 a.m. and BART workers said it locked up for some unknown reason.All trains in the East Bay came to a standstill because of the problem, stranding riders on packed trains and station platforms, as BART workers scrambled to get the stalled train moved.The morning commute meltdown capped off a week of service failures and long wait times for the transportation system.Commuters were forced to find alternate means of transportation. BART employees told hundreds of angry riders to either take a cab or bus to get to wherever they were going.But free bus passes or extra AC Transit were not offered to the scores of people who were stuck due to the systemwide problems.One man holding a rolling suitcase desperately tried to flag down taxis and shuttles at the Downtown Berkeley station.Is anyone going to the airport? he said, his face covered in a sheen of sweat.As commuters filed out of stations to try to find other means of transportation, BART crews slowly worked to remove the stalled train from the West Oakland. Just before 9 a.m., BART workers were able to move the disabled train.That train is headed to the Daly City maintenance yard and will be checked out to find out what was wrong with that, said BART spokesman Jim Allison, adding that it was unclear what caused the train to stop functioning.As of 9:30 a.m., there were 20-minute delays on BART in all directions.Maria Smith, 23, was heading to work in the city and was stuck at the 12th Street Oakland station for nearly an hour.Every day it's a delay, but this is terrible, Smith said. BART has to get it together, as much money as we give them. We dont even know whats going on. Everyone is confused. Something needs to happen, more trains, lower fares. This cant be happening.And despite efforts to single-track trains around the problem, trains were jam-packed with people. Only a few commuters at a time were able to squeeze onto full trains that stopped briefly at the West Oakland station platform, and the scene was met with both laughter and anger.Ashwin Rodrigues, 26, had left his Emeryville home a half-hour early to make a 9 a.m. work meeting near the Montgomery station in San Francisco.The first San Francisco-bound train that pulled into West Oakland was already so filled with people, he said. I dont know if anyone got on. I definitely did not. I am still waiting. I laughed with the guy next to me when the sardine car pulled up.He eventually gave up and camped out at a nearby coffee shop to wait out the crowds. Rodrigues wasnt alone when he opted out of dealing with the large crowds of people pushing to get onto trains.Jess Brown, who was going from Fremont to San Francisco, hopped off at Oakland City Center to get himself a cup of coffee.Delays happen and BART's pretty good at letting us know what's going on, Brown said.In November, voters passed a $3.5 billion bond measure to improve BARTs aging infrastructure.Im glad the measure got passed for BART to improve its infrastructure. They're between a rock and a hard place working with a 40-year-old system, Brown said.Since many of his co-workers were also delayed getting to the office, they rescheduled a 9 a.m. meeting to the afternoon, he added, giving him enough time to enjoy that cup of coffee before heading back into the transit mess.The East Bay BART stops werent the only trains that were loaded with people. Trains heading to San Francisco and Pleasanton from Daly City were also crammed with bodies as passengers waited up to 20 minutes for an empty train. Nearly 100 passengers were able to finally board after a train arrived around 9:05 a.m.Carlos Cea, a 35-year-old software engineer who works in the East Bay, had been waiting at the station for several minutes and had not seen any updates on train times.Its kind of disheartening, you dont know whats going to happen. You dont know when youre going to get there, he said as a BART delay announcement rang overhead.About five minutes later, a train arrived in the direction he hoped for but it stayed at the station for another five minutes.Trains headed toward San Francisco and Bay Point were stalled at the station for several minutes before starting up again to depart to the next stop.It started as a five-minute delay, and it became a major delay in a span of five minutes, said Divya Ravi, 30, who caught an Uber to San Francisco instead of waiting around for BART.Uber surged its prices as strangers rallied together to arrange rideshare carpools from the East Bay into city. Prices for Uber were over $30 into the city from the West Oakland BART station.But the roads werent much better.Traffic on westbound Highway 24 in Oakland was clogged due to a three-vehicle crash around 8:35 a.m. east of the Broadway off-ramp near Highway 13.Debris littered the roadway and blocked at least one of the lanes, said Officer Sean Wilkenfeld, a spokesman for the California Highway Patrol.Highway 24 remained backed up near the Caldecott Tunnel, he added.Despite the slow steady pace of cars in the morning, the traffic did not dramatically increase enough to show a clear connection to the BART delay, officials said.In the past when BART has had issues, we have seen a huge increase in traffic levels, Wilkenfeld said. Traffics normally heavy at this time of day anyway.Traffic levels were no where near those of the BART shut down of 2013, when workers went on a four-day strike, Wilkenfeld said.After this week, I think both BART and Muni owe us an apology, hug, and ice cream to make amends with transit riders, said 36-year-old Shaun Osburn, a San Francisco resident. Privacy Overview This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. (TNS) -- ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. New Mexicos burgeoning biotechnology industry could blossom into a major force for economic development if the states public and private sectors work together to build it.That was the central message at a University of New Mexico forum Thursday organized by founders of the states new GrowBio initiative, which launched in December to unite government officials, research organizations and business leaders around policies and incentives to accelerate industry growth. About 150 people attended the forum, where Dr. Richard Larson, executive chancellor at the UNM Health Sciences Center, laid out some critical steps needed to move forward.First and foremost is creation of an umbrella entity, or industry cluster, that can spearhead pro-industry initiatives and programs, Larson told forum participants.We need a central, statewide bioscience authority, or center, with public and private participation to oversee all activity, Larson said. All states that have succeeded in building their biotechnology industries have done that.The entity would provide networking opportunities among industry players, support services, information, resources and possibly co-location centers for public and private organizations. It would also coordinate efforts to create incentives and policies needed to build the industry.The new entity is a central recommendation in a comprehensive report GrowBio released in December analyzing the current state of New Mexicos life sciences industry and ways to grow it. Other recommendations include efforts to increase access to capital for biotechnology startups, workforce development initiatives, targeted tax incentives, government policies to streamline permitting and regulation, and efforts to strengthen technology transfer programs.We need targeted tax incentives, co-investment and seed funding, Larson said.A bottom-up review of government regulations is also critical to better inform investors about requirements for doing business in the state, he said. But most important is closer collaboration by state and local governments with New Mexicos research institutions, private businesses and organizations.It takes a public-private partnership to make this work, Larson said.Others stressed the need for businesspeople to take a leading role.This is all about economic development, and we need people from the private sector to lead it, said Stuart Rose, an industry veteran and founder of the Bioscience Center in Uptown Albuquerque who spoke on a panel following Larsons presentation. We havent really had the private sector step up to lead things. If it does, we have the potential to make a dramatic change in our state economy.New Mexico State University Vice President and Provost Daniel Howard, another panelist, said new investments and incentives will reinforce the industry foundations already in place in New Mexico.Weve already invested a lot, Howard said. Significant research is being done here. We need to build on our fundamental strengths. A Millennial CTO in New Jersey Bringing a Sense of Urgency from Health Care Similarities and Differences to Higher Education A Career in State Government In 2011, Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley asked Joanne Hale, a professor of management information systems at the University of Alabama, to serve on a commission focused on improving state government IT resource utilization. Among other things, the commission recommended that the CIO position be made part of the governors cabinet. Previously IT was buried several levels down in the state government, which meant that despite all the best efforts and intentions, IT-related issues were rarely discussed around the cabinet table, Hale recalled.Little did Hale realize that in 2016 she would be asked to become the states secretary of information technology. Without recognizing it at the time, I helped create the office that I now hold, never dreaming I would be asked to serve, she said. And, she added, if the position hadnt been elevated to cabinet level, she wouldnt have been interested in taking it. It wouldnt have fit my background and skill set. It would have required somebody more focused on execution instead of proactive in making sure technology best serves the state.When filling their top technology positions, governors are increasingly interested in turning to executives such as Hale who come from other sectors and can bring a fresh perspective and new ideas to public-sector organizations from their experience in Fortune 500 companies, higher education and health care.Bringing CIOs into state government from other sectors is becoming more commonplace, said Todd Sander, executive director of the Center for Digital Government (a sister organization to).One reason is that the CIO position is more political and visible than it used to be, he said. Previously, administration officials would come in and pick between the top technology people they found. It wasnt a position that transition teams really thought about. It wasnt seen as a critical part of the governors policy team. I think Mississippi had a CIO who served for 23 years. I just dont see that happening today, said Sander, who previously served as CIO and assistant city manager of Tucson, Ariz., and deputy CIO for the state of Washington.asked four state CIOs who came to their positions after careers in other fields and one longtime state IT executive to reflect on how their experiences informed their priorities, decision-making and relationship building.In Hales case, one thing she has learned is that government is more like academia than she would have thought. Academics are entrepreneurs off doing their own thing, she noted. They collaborate under a university umbrella, but they see themselves as individual contributors and researchers. State government is similar in that state agencies focus on delivering quality services, but they are not glued together by a single bottom line profit as they would be in a corporation. As a result, you have got to be an influencer rather than a control agent, said Hale. As in academia, you have to make decisions through consensus, recognizing a diverse and sometimes competing set of priorities. That helped me make the transition.She also realized there were gaps in her experience that she needed help with from others in the state IT leadership. My focus for 20 years has been on solutions development on the application side and project governance work, but not on infrastructure or security. So I have had to learn a lot about infrastructure and cybersecurity. It is also about putting a capable team around you to fill those gaps, and having the confidence that you dont have to know it all.Not surprisingly, she has found that the biggest obstacles to overcome are about politics, competing priorities and getting the business to change the way it works. I had an idea that would be my focus, she said, but I didnt realize quite the extent that my role was going to be about relationship management and getting people to collaborate when they were used to working in silos.Hale is convinced she has been able to bring a different perspective than somebody whose whole career was in state government, but she relies on her team to navigate the political minefields. It is valuable for me to come in with a fresh perspective, but that doesnt take away the value of having people who understand why things have been done a certain way or why change has been difficult.In June 2016, Gov. Chris Christie appointed 28-year-old Dave Weinstein as New Jerseys chief technology officer. The choice of Weinstein may have foreshadowed two future trends in IT leadership: picking millennial-generation execs and those with cybersecurity backgrounds.Weinstein came to the CTO position from the states Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, where he served as its chief information security officer and chief cybersecurity director. Previously he served in the Defense Departments U.S. Cyber Command center.Sander explained why cybersecurity executives are being considered for CIO and CTO posts. Governors are realizing that they are vulnerable in the area of cybersecurity, he said. Although efficient technology is important to them, the thing that is going to get them in the headlines faster than anything else is some type of data breach.In a recent interview, Weinstein reflected on how his experience in cybersecurity shapes his views. I spent a few years at Cyber Command, which is co-located at the NSA [National Security Agency], so I developed an intimate understanding of the techniques and tools used by relatively sophisticated adversaries in cyberspace, he said. The most important lesson I learned is that everything is hackable. As we increasingly embrace the Internet of Things and integrate technologies with IP addresses into our daily lives, we are exponentially increasing the attack surfaces for cyberadversaries. It informs my thinking about technology in general. We cannot let our fears about this omnipresent cyberthreat landscape impede our embrace of technological innovation, because it is always going to be there. Instead we need to think about it in terms of broader risk management.Weinstein wasnt surprised to be appointed CTO, because he said Christie has always taken security and risk management very seriously. He realized that we can no longer think of technology as its own discipline separate from security.Weinstein also was not surprised that Christie was willing to give the states top technology job to a 28-year-old. Given the dynamism in the technology landscape, chief executives who appoint CIOs or CTOs are willing to explore different perspectives and skill sets for this job, he said. I think about tech a little differently just by virtue of my generation. I cant remember a world without the Internet. And I think that characteristic, combined with my experience in cybersecurity, allows me to bring a different perspective to this role.Suma Nallapati, secretary of technology and CIO for Colorado, sees her shift from a career in health-care IT to state government as a natural transition.With a masters degree in nuclear physics, she originally wanted to go into nuclear medicine, using her knowledge of radiation physics and isotope technology, but she was not able to pursue that ambition. When I got an opportunity to work in health-care IT at Catholic Health Initiatives, it was my way of achieving a little bit of what I had hoped to do by using technology to help patients, she said. I was in charge of a lot of hospital technology and electronic health record implementations. I was very happy doing that kind of work, where the technology was impacting patients and improving outcomes.She was always interested in government, but didnt actively pursue it because she was so busy in her career. I was asked to apply for a public-sector job once and they had my resume, she recalled. When the CTO position for the state of Colorado opened up, they gave me a call and that was when I decided to take it seriously.One of the things she brought from the private sector was a sense of urgency. When you are in health care, it is 24/7. There is no downtime, Nallapati said. You cant just say, I will get back to you. I felt that in state government that sense of urgency was missing before. When I ask people to do something, now they know that they cant take their own time. Everybody works with a sense of purpose or urgency.Before working in health care, Nallapati also owned an IT consulting firm, and she said that entrepreneurial experience has been important as well. For me, that experience was the most valuable of my whole career having my own company. I was responsible for the bottom line. When you own your own company, you are the janitor and the CEO. You do everything. It helped me think like an owner. I take accountability for all my actions. The buck stops with you. That is the attitude I bring to my current job, she said. It has been very helpful to think like an owner. My team at OIT sees me working very hard, and I have to lead by example. You can talk about it all day long, but when they see you working at 10 oclock at night when there is an outage, or when they see that I take accountability for issues, and dont find someone to blame, they automatically follow my lead. That culture is very important to me.Since she started working in state government, Nallapati has lost some of the skepticism she had before about why government is so slow. Now I understand the constraints and challenges you have to work with. It is not just about the technology. Working with a limited budget, you have to balance the needs of everything from programs for homeless people to roads and bridges to technology. It has given me a unique perspective and I am grateful every single day.Like Alabamas Hale, Shannon Rahming had worked for years in higher education before being asked in 2015 to serve first as interim CIO, then full-time CIO of Nevada.Rahming, who spent 11 years with the Nevada System of Higher Education, first with the University of Nevada, Reno, and then as a business analyst for Truckee Meadows Community College, said she enjoyed working in higher education and was intrigued by the possibilities of working for state government. I am a native Nevadan, and I do love my state. Besides higher education, I had worked in IT in health care, gaming and manufacturing. I like the idea of helping people and giving back to the state.Rahming, who reports to the director of the Department of Administration, found some similarities to higher education. The state government and university system work on the same biennial budget cycle and have a lot of the same bylaws and regulations for personnel. But the constituents have different expectations, she said. Students, faculty and staff are a demanding group of high-tech folks. Students expect everything to work all the time. They cant imagine not having all the data and information they need at their fingertips. That is not how it is in state government. I had to deploy a lot of mobile apps in college. When I got here, they had no mobile-based anything.She is trying to bring a spirit of collaboration from her previous career stops to government. I am talking to both state agencies and municipalities to see if we can bring our resources together to get quantity discounts and a bigger voice with vendors on things like disaster recovery.Doug Robinson, NASCIOs executive director, pushed back a little against the notion that hiring private-sector CIOs is a recent trend. He sees an ebb and flow between hiring outsiders and deputy CIOs. One big deciding factor, he said, is whether the hire is at the beginning of an administration or mid-term. With two years of a governors term left, it is very difficult to do a national search and get a private-sector CIO to come in, he said. And if a private-sector CIO does come in with half a term left, they usually find that the pillars of power have already been established, so they are always behind.Robinson added that some private-sector CIOs are surprised by how different the procurement and reporting requirements are in state government. I had one CIO say to me, If they had told me I would have to defend my budget and testify before the legislature, I would never have taken the job.Tom Baden, CIO of Minnesota, epitomizes the type of CIO who comes up through the ranks. He has spent 35 years as a business analyst, coder, systems engineer, project manager and enterprise architect.He described the enterprise architect position as dealing with a combo plate of the states technical, policy and political issues. That was a good foundation to see the lay of the land across all of state government. He also served as CIO of the state Department of Human Services. One benefit, Baden said, is that although he doesnt know all of the states approximately 2,100 IT employees, he knows a lot of them.Baden said he had some clear ideas about what he wanted to accomplish as state CIO when he took the job in 2015. I came into it with an altruistic idea of creating a fully integrated intelligent innovation platform for government, including integrating government across jurisdictions, he said. We want to use big data and analytics to become more effective in the services we provide as a state government. But I was kind of caught by surprise. We were not quite ready to dive into that yet. First, he said, the state had to improve its cybersecurity posture and further consolidate its data centers.Although he is a longtime state employee, Baden sought out a few top staffers from the private sector. For instance, Jesse Oman, the deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, previously worked as a turnaround manager for Deutsche Asset Management. Baden said that because the state was four years into a consolidation process that he likened to a merger, he thought he needed those turnaround skills in the agency.Baden said executives from the private sector help push the pace of change. It takes those folks a little while to know when and where we can push the pace. The wheels of government grind slow, but sometimes they grind really fine and well too. We needed to find that balance of what we can accomplish and do it within the rules and above board.The Center for Digital Governments Sander said some governors continue to believe that businesspeople get technology better than longtime state employees. We saw that philosophy at the federal level when the health insurance website problem played out, he said. The president got frustrated after a traditional government team struggled with it. Once he had to pay attention to it, he reached out to people in Silicon Valley with the idea that people outside the government had a better understanding of the issues. (TNS) -- "Is e-mail a public document that needs to be preserved?"That question appears in an April 1994 edition of the. A generation and zillions of government e-mails later, Minnesota and many other states still haven't answered the question.Attorneys for Hennepin County are currently fighting a Minneapolis man's request for copies of the sheriff's e-mails all the way to the appellate courts, arguing that it shouldn't have to search through them using keywords.Meanwhile, Hennepin Sheriff Rich Stanek enacted a new policy to delete all his office's e-mails after 30 days. The rest of the county will trash e-mails after six months. Similar mass deletions of e-mails already happen in the governor's office, the city of St. Paul and other agencies.In response to this, some Minnesota legislators -- whose own e-mail is exempt from the public records law -- have suggested forcing government agencies to hold onto their e-mails for longer, so the public has a better chance to read them."I understand it's expensive to store all this data. I get that," said Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover, who chairs the House Civil Law and Data Practices Committee. "The fact of the matter is, it's created by government and the Minnesota Data Practices Act says you've got to keep it. ... There could be a lot of shenanigans that take place if you're destroying data after 30 days."Through all this wrangling, it is good to know that it's happening just about everywhere else in America. We should also take solace that Democratic and Republican politicians alike are fighting pitched battles to avoid letting you read their e-mail.In Chicago, Democratic Mayor Rahm Emanuel released 2,700 e-mails from a personal account last month to settle a lawsuit by a nonprofit watchdog group, the Better Government Association.With the settlement, Emanuel agreed to forward all e-mails dealing with city business to his public account, the association reported. No bombshells have emerged so far. Emanuel has until Jan. 27 to produce an index of e-mails and text messages in a separate lawsuit by the Chicago Tribune.The Indiana Court of Appeals is expected to rule soon on Republican governor and Vice President-elect Mike Pence's efforts to withhold e-mails from a labor lawyer.The e-mails concern Indiana's decision to sue the Obama administration over its immigration policies. Pence's attorneys have argued that the court would violate the separation of powers if it forced the governor's office to release records, according to the Associated Press.Perhaps the most dramatic turnaround comes from the Sunshine State. Florida Gov. Rick Scott, a Republican, announced in 2012 that he would share his entire in-box on a website titled "Project Sunburst."Then people noticed the website featured only positive messages from supporters. Scott's office said it was protecting the privacy of some who e-mailed the governor.Things got uglier as media organizations and others filed lawsuits against Scott, accusing him of violating the open meetings law while ousting a commissioner, and of using private e-mail accounts to hide the messages.Scott agreed in 2015 to settle the open meetings law case for $55,000, and later that year, he and Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi agreed to pay $700,000 to settle the lawsuit over e-mails.Project Sunburst still exists, but you're not likely to find any of Scott's e-mails on that website. In 2015, Scott's office told the Orlando Sentinel he wasn't going to send e-mails any more, except to keep in touch with his family. After Naidu, Modi Out To Please Pawan Kalyan! It is not known whether anybody has taken power star and Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan seriously or not with regard to his so-called fight against the BJP government at the centre and the Telugu Desam Party government in Andhra Pradesh, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and chief minster N Chandrababu Naidu seem to have definitely taken him seriously. Following Pawan Kalyans recent visit to Uddanam area in Srikakulam district to highlight the mysterious kidney diseases in the area and setting a 48-hour deadline to the state government to come to the rescue of nephropathy patients, the chief minister reacted immediately and announced a serious of sops and also measures to address the issue. Naidu declared that the kidney patients would be treated as physically challenged and provided all the benefits. And the Centre, too, reacted promptly. The prime minister has asked Union health minister J P Nadda to look into the issue and take up remedial measures immediately. Nadda said the Centre was very keen on rescuing the kidney patients by finding out the root cause of the problem. He announced that an expert team of nephrologists had been constituted under the aegis of National Council of Medical Research and the team would soon visit Uddanam area to study the problem and come out with remedial measures. Good show, Pawan! WINSTON-SALEM Lidl, the European grocery chain that is building stores in the Triad, is hosting its first public hiring event here on Tuesday and Wednesday. The company is looking for managers and supervisors. The manager positions pay up to $60,000 a year plus benefits, and the supervisor positions pay up to $17.50 per hour, plus benefits, according to the company. Hours for the job fair are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday. It will be held at the WinstonSalem Marriott, 425 N. Cherry St. Lidl is building a regional distribution center in Alamance County and plans to open its first stores in the United States in 2018. And we reported last year that the chain may be considering building a store at West Gate City Boulevard and Mackay Road in Greensboro. Will Harwood, a spokesman for Lidl, said in an email Monday that the company has not set a specific number of stores it plans to build in the Triad, or a number of positions it is looking to fill. "However, I can tell you that we are preparing a number of sites in the area, and our hiring will support stores throughout the region once they're operational," Harwood said in the email. "We expect a typical Lidl US store to be about 36,000 square feet and to employ between 30 and 35 team members." Lidl operates more than 10,000 stores in 27 European countriess. Since announcing its United States expansion in 2015, Lidl has established a headquarters in Arlington County, Virginia, and announced regional headquarters and distribution centers in Alamance County; Spotsylvania County, Virginia; and Cecil County, Maryland. GREENSBORO Consumers during the holidays were met with a barrage of deals from their favorite stores, enticing them with prices too good to pass up. Now, they are being bombarded with a different message from some of those same retailers: Were closing. Macys, The Limited, and Sears (which includes Kmart) have all announced in recent days that they are closing stores. The Limited is shuttering all its stores, including one at the Friendly Center, and Macys which also closed a number of stores last year plans to cut more than 10,000 jobs as it closes more than 60 stores across the country. However, neither the Macys nor Sears at the Friendly Center is closing, but Rockingham Countys last Kmart, in Madison, is. Its the natural cycle of retail. Stores open and stores close. But its not business as usual for so many retailers to close so many stores at once, according to Roger Beahm, executive director of the Center for Retail Innovation at Wake Forest University. There are cycles to these things, certainly, he said. But its also not normal to be shutting down stores if you are a traditional brick-and-mortar retailer. You dont plan on shutting down stores because that is taking you in the wrong direction relative to your growth plan. Some retailers, such as Macys, are choosing to funnel more of their money into their online business. The Cincinnati-based department store said last week that its latest round of closures will help generate annual expense savings of $550 million, allowing it to invest $250 million in its digital business and other growth strategies. Its a worthy investment, based on the latest holiday online figures. The 2016 holiday season brought in nearly $92 billion in online sales, an 11 percent increase over last year, according to Adobe Digital Insights, which tracks the online transactions of retailers across the country. And the industry and market research firm IBISWorld points to the rapid growth of e-commerce coupled with plummeting mall foot traffic as to why big-box retailers are closing more stores this year. For most operators in the $164.8 billion department stores industry, many store locations have become more valuable as real estate holdings than functional retail outlets, said IBISWorld analyst Madeline Hurley in a statement. She added that, as store sales continue to decline, online sales are expected to increase 12.2 percent this year, meaning many companies will shift their focus to their online segment in order to stay afloat. Beahm said shoppers today are becoming upwardly mobile, using their handheld devices much more frequently for shopping. As a result, he said retailers are learning to be more effective at reaching their customers through their digital platforms, and brick-and-mortar stores will decline in number. Beahm said online does not carry the same overhead costs as brick-and-mortar, thus retailers can offer better values to customers via online marketing. Struggle for relevance But online apparently isnt enough to save every retailer. The Limited, an Ohio-based womens store that had been a staple in malls across the country, closed all its locations this past weekend amid reports of an impending bankruptcy filing. The store sold career and casual clothing geared toward young women. For such stores, relevancy could be the real problem, Beahm said. He said the key is for retailers to stand for something relevant in the minds of consumers. If they lose that relevance, they lose business, he said. Beahm said a lot of retailers that were sharply positioned in their early days have lost that positioning. Closings not all bad Store closings inconvenience consumers because they may have to travel farther to shop at their favorite stores. But its not all bad news for them or the malls that are losing stores, Beahm said. Vacancies in malls and shopping centers create opportunities for other stores to move into those spaces, and Beahm said property owners will be aggressive at pursuing them. But the key is to rent those spaces to businesses that will complement the other retail tenants. Its not just to rent the space, Beahm said. Its to rent it to the right retailer that will create a win-win. Updated at 3:13 p.m. DANVILLE, Va. Police have released updated vehicle formation on a van possibly being operated by Amanda Lynn Willhite, whose whereabouts are still unknown. According to a police news release, the van is described as a white Dodge van, with Virginia registration of VMT-8752. Police are looking for Willhite as part of a double-homicide investigation. At about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, police responded to a home in the 300 block of Wrenn Drive to find two unresponsive women. Willhite is a resident where the victims were found, according to a release. The victims have been identified as Kelly Fears Wrenn, 49, and Ashley Lauren Joy Jones, 28. Police did not disclose the cause of the deaths. If the vehicle is seen, notify Danville police immediately with its location and direction of travel if moving. Anyone with information about Willhite's whereabouts or this incident is encouraged to contact Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 799-6508 or via our crime tips line at crimetips@danvilleva.gov. Information given will remain confidential. Danville police are investigating a double homicide Sunday and searching for a missing 33-year-old woman. At about 12:30 p.m., police responded to a home in the 300 block of Wrenn Drive to find two unresponsive women, according to a news release. The victims have been identified as Kelly Fears Wrenn, 49, and Ashley Lauren Joy Jones, 28. The bodies will be transported to the medical examiner's office in Roanoke for an autopsy. Police did not disclose the cause of the deaths. A resident of the home is missing. Police are searching for Amanda Lynn Willhite, 33. She was last seen driving a white colored Chrysler mini-van with a possible Virginia tag number of XNM-7171. The investigation is active and ongoing, police said. Anyone with information about Willhite's whereabouts or this incident is encouraged to contact Danville Crime Stoppers at (434) 793-0000, the Danville Police Department at (434) 799-6508 or crimetips@danvilleva.gov. Information given will remain confidential. WINSTON-SALEM North Carolina residents who lost their drivers licenses because of problems at the N.C. Department of Motor Vehicles have gotten them back, court and DMV officials said. Forsyth County Clerk of Court Susan Frye said in May that thousands of North Carolina drivers had lost their licenses because DMV officials hadnt updated records. Frye said the problem was that N.C. DMV didnt update driver records to show when people had complied with everything taken care of their ticket and re-scheduled a court date to get a failure to appear taken off their record to keep their drivers license from getting revoked. Its unclear how many people lost their drivers licenses because of DMV issues. DMV Commissioner Kelly Thomas said in a statement in May that DMV had a backlog of court actions that needed to be added to DMV driver records. And DMV officials also learned that error reports had not been processed accurately. John Brockwell, a spokesman with N.C. DMV, said error reports resulted when court records didnt match DMV records. He said court actions on these error reports are less than 1 percent of all the court records that DMV receives and processes into its electronic system. In March, DMV employees told their managers that some error reports werent being accurately processed. DMV did an audit of two years worth of error reports to ensure that all driver records reflect the appropriate court action. Brockwell said the audit was completed this summer and all affected driver records were properly updated. DMV also sent out a news release with a number for people to call if they believe there was a problem with their driver records. Frye also said that a disgruntled DMV employee shredded some of the error reports. Brockwell wouldnt confirm that account. However, he said after an investigation, a DMV employee was found to have failed to update driver records in a timely manner and was terminated for unsatisfactory work performance. Melissa Forsyth, an administrative officer, was dismissed Oct. 5, 2016, for unacceptable personal conduct after an investigation, Brockwell said in an email Wednesday. The Winston-Salem Journal had requested the name of the employee through a public records request. Thomas said in May that N.C. Department of Transportations Office of Inspector General had launched an investigation into the error reports. That investigation is still ongoing, Brockwell said. In April, Brockwell said DMV did several updates to its electronic system to make sure error reports are accurately processed. DMV also restructured its Processing Services section to make sure all conviction information that DMV receives is handled efficiently. The N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts and DMV also started a joint working group in April to develop best practices and methods to make sure DMVs information is accurate. Frye said at one point, her office was receiving 75 calls a day over the issue. That number has dropped down to essentially zero, she said. They have done a great job in correcting what was wrong with the process, she said. Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President-elect Donald Trump, will be named a senior adviser to the president, according to a person familiar with the matter. It's not clear whether Kushner would be paid for his government duties. A 1967 federal anti-nepotism law bans public officials from appointing "to a civilian position in the agency in which he is serving or over which he exercises jurisdiction or control any individual who is a relative of the public official." But some legal specialists question whether the law applies to the White House, and it's also unclear whether a family member could take an unpaid position. Kushner's appointment was described by a person who asked not to be identified because the details haven't been made public. He has been working on a plan to step down as chief executive officer of Kushner Cos., his family's real estate company, to comply with government ethics standards, according to an emailed statement Saturday from Jamie Gorelick, a lawyer with WilmerHale who represents Kushner. Kushner, 35, will divest "substantial assets" and "recuse from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests'' Gorelick said. Gorelick didn't immediately respond to a telephone call seeking comment Monday. It's not unheard of for presidents to rely on family members for informal counsel, even on top-line issues: President John Kennedy, before the act, hired his brother Robert as attorney general, while President Bill Clinton put Hillary Clinton largely in charge of a doomed health care reform push. Some ethics specialists have questioned such arrangements, however. One government-watchdog group Monday called on Kushner to sell his real-estate-related interests and place his assets in a blind trust. "Kushner's real estate empire would be affected by changes to federal tax and regulatory law much like Trump's would -- and sometimes exactly the same way, as his wife has interests in the Trump companies," said Jordan Libowitz, communications director for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. Until last month, Democratic activist David Brock was part of the group's leadership team, and he has said he still plans to raise funds for the group and advise it. "Anything that's good for Trump's businesses is good for" Kushner, Libowitz said. "Would he push Trump away from conflicts of interest when those very conflicts would benefit his bottom line?" White House spokesman Josh Earnest declined to comment directly on Kushner's appointment when asked by reporters at a briefing on Monday, saying that Trump as president has a free hand to select his advisers. But he said Obama believes that it is "worth the time to make sure the kind of ethical arrangements are in place to prevent ethical conflicts from cropping up." Kushner is also owner of the New York Observer, one of two major newspapers to endorse Trump's candidacy. The other, the Las Vegas Review-Journal, is owned by Trump supporter Sheldon Adelson, a billionaire. Kushner and his wife Ivanka Trump, currently residents of New York City, have bought a home in Washington. Like Trump, Kushner took his father's empire of middle-class apartments and parlayed it into investments in Manhattan, before becoming a key player in his father-in-law's presidential campaign. The New York Times reported Saturday that Kushner is closing in on a deal to redevelop the Kushner Companies' flagship office building, at 666 Fifth Avenue in New York, in a joint venture with Anbang Insurance Group Co., a Chinese insurance company with close ties to that country's government that has been buying up marquee U.S. commercial properties. --- Bloomberg's Ben Brody and Justin Sink contributed. kushner-bg Washington Post News Service (DC) 1/9/2017 2:05:38 PM Central Standard Time GREENWICH Add mindful parenting to your New Years Resolutions list, said Christine DAlessandro, head of Sacred Heart Greenwichs Lower School. Its about development, meeting transitional needs and most importantly which I think is on the forefront of parents minds is discipline, said DAlessandro in an appearance on Greenwich radio WGCH-AM 1490 on Monday. Mindful discipline takes a lot work because the first step is really be more mindful as you as a parent. A mother herself, DAlessandro is the administrator for the Barat Center for Early Childhood Education (boys and girls ages three to five) and the Lower School (girls kindergarten to fourth grade). She will elaborate on her mindful parenting ideas in a lecture called The Young Learner: What Parents Need to Know on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. The lecture, free and open to the public, will take place at the Rye Free Reading Room in Rye, N.Y. Parenting has changed greatly to become this grand analytical process, DAlessandro said. Young children need basic things, that weve always known about children: consistency, structure, routine. DAlessandro joined Sacred Heart in 2014 from The Keystone School in San Antonio, Texas, where she was Lower School head for seven years. In 2000, she helped to found the Maple Street School in Manchester Center, Vt., where she taught in the elementary grades and served as assistant head of school from 2004 to 2007. emunson@hearstmediact.com;@emiliemunson One of Nestles dozens of products with cocoa. Photo: Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images By now, its no secret that making chocolate can be a dirty business in, like, the human-rights-violations sense. For years, advocates have complained that Nestle, Mars, and Hershey do precious little to ensure their candy isnt produced via child slavery, which remains a disturbingly common practice in Africa. Consumers have filed lawsuits against the companies (plus others, like Chiquita and Coca-Cola, accused of turning a blind eye to child workers on fruit and sugar-cane farms, respectively), but none of them have ever faced trials. Now theres a possibility that could change if a federal judge recognizes the standing of six men now in their 20s and 30s who used to be enslaved on cocoa farms in Ivory Coast. Their case has actually been winding its way through the justice system for 12 years, but won a surprise victory last January when the Supreme Court refused to dismiss it. The six men, all abducted from Mali, say they worked 14-hour days under armed guard without pay, slept on the floor, and for punishment were forced to drink urine or had salt and pepper poured on open wounds; their suit accuses Nestle of deciding to take advantage of cheap labor by buying cocoa from their plantations knowing full well the abuses it entailed. For their case to move forward, the Supreme Court now says the allegations of slavery must touch and concern America in some way (otherwise, as a pure legal matter, it belongs in another countrys judicial system). Bloomberg writes that a ruling in the plaintiffs favor would reverse years of precedents won by global companies like Nestle and Coke, and open the door to a flood of new cases, as one of the attorneys who lost in the lower courts puts it. Nestles attorneys counter that the threshold set by the Supreme Court, derived from a 228-year-old law called the Alien Tort Statute, isnt met because the company had no role in the Ivory Coast farms day-to-day operations. Just because Nestle is actively trying to rid its supply chain of child labor, their argument goes, doesnt make the company guilty of perpetrating it. The federal judge is supposed to issue his ruling Friday. Sony realized that USB-C is actually a good idea and implemented the idea in their latest charging dock. The sleek-looking device is named Sony DK60 and is already available for purchase at 39.99 or $49. The device was actually revealed back in September along with the Xperia X Compact and Xperia XZ models. Now it will ease owners of these phones and they will finally charge devices without the need of cables. Since this product is official from Sony, it comes with adapters for a multitude of Xperia handsets. The color of DK60 is black only, weights 27 grams and its dimensions are 39 x 21.5 x 71 mm. Source | Via Chinese company ZTE is slashing jobs. Reports say around 3,000 jobs will be cut, or around 5% of the firm's total workforce. The company's handset business will see around 600 people let go, or 10% of the total number working in the domain. The job cuts are primarily in China, where the company has been losing its market share. "Cuts in the handset business in China will be beyond 20%" said a senior executive with knowledge on the decision. According to a local manager at one of ZTE's overseas branches, employees that had tried to apply for jobs at rival companies are also being fired. "I was also given names that must go because they had tried to apply for jobs at (rival) Huawei [HWT.UL] and are therefore branded as 'unstable factors'," they said. The company's chairman Zhao Xianming recently said that ZTE has "encountered its biggest crisis in its 31 year history." He also added that "In 2017 ... businesses that don't fit our strategic direction or with low output performance will be shut, suspended, merged or reconfigured, improving the companys core competitiveness." Source Haiti - FLASH : New air links with the Bahamas and Cuba From Saturday, January 14, 2017, Bahamas Air launches on Haiti of weekly flights Bahamas - Haiti (Port-au-Prince), every Wednesday and Saturday. Departure from Nassau at 6:00 a.m. arrived in Port-au-Prince at 8:00 a.m. Departure from Port-au-Prince at 9:00 am a.m. arrived in Nassau 11:00 a.m. You can book your ticket now on : www.bahamasair.com/ In addition, the Haitian company, Sunrise Airways informs that it will inaugurate on February 5, 2017, its new air link to Cuba (Havana) https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-18355-haiti-economy-sunrise-airways-spreads-its-wings-on-jamaica.html . For information call (509) 2811-2222 in Haiti or (305) 433-2707. HL/ HaitiLibre Haiti - News : Zapping politics... CARICOM congratulates Jovenel Moise Ambassador Irwin LaRocque, Secretary General of CARICOM, congratulated the elected President of Haiti, Jovenel Moise, who was declared the winner of the presidential elections of 20 November 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-19698-haiti-presidential-2016-final-results-jovenel-moise-58th-president.html "The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) wishes to congratulate President-elect Jovenel Moise who was declared the outright winner following the publication on 3 January 2017 by the Haitian Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) of the final results of the first round of the presidential elections of 20 November 2016. The Community looks forward to the inauguration of the President-elect on 7 February 2017 which would signal the return to constitutional governance and the continuation of the strengthening of Haitian democracy. The Community has also taken note of the results of the partial legislative elections. It is hoped that the electoral cycle will be completed in a free, peaceful and timely manner thereby making whole the executive and legislative branches of government." School fees law The publication of the law on school fees published in the official journal Le Moniteur https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-19727-icihaiti-politics-publication-of-3-presidential-orders.html aims to relieve parents of the significant costs of tuition. According to this law, 50% of these expenses will have to be paid at the beginning of the school year, 25% at the beginning of the second quarter and the remainder at the beginning of the third quarter. These costs can only be increased every 4 years and the increase can not exceed 10%, according to article 4 of this law. Rafael Correa at the investiture of Jovenel Moise On Saturday, President Rafael Correa announced his international agenda until the end of his government, among his traveling, the President of Ecuador on 7 February plans to attend the change of government in Haiti. Youth Assembly at the United Nations Joseph Max Veve, the Young Ambassador of the Youth Government of Haiti (GJH), will represent Haiti at the Youth Assembly at the United Nations in New York from 1 to 3 February 2017. He will be accompanied by four young Haitian professionals and Haitian students of the structure "Haiti Leve" to address issues related to the 2030 sustainable development goals. Gifts for Haitian children in DR On Sunday, was held the Graduation Ceremony for the first graduating class of the Annex of the school of law and economics of Les Cayes in Petit-Goave. After 4 years of study in the legal sciences, 16 graduating students were able to obtain their certificate. The head of academic affairs, Me Marthel Jean Claude exhorted them to be examples, to change the world of the basoche and to flee corruption, concluding that "science without consciousness is only the ruin of the soul, honor is the most beautiful inheritance that can be left to posterity" IH/ iciHaiti / Guyto Mathieu (Correspondant Petit-Goave) HL/ HaitiLibre Graduation in legal sciences to Petit-Goave Published on 2017/01/08 | Source "The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop" Lee Dong-gun discovered the Jo Yoon-hee who left him for his sake but she pushed him out. Advertisement On the fortieth episode of the KBS 2TV drama "The Gentlemen of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop", Lee Dong-jin (Lee Dong-gun) headed for the strawberry farm where Na Yeon-sil (Jo Yoon-hee) was located. Lee Man-sul (Shin Goo) told Lee Dong-jin that he met Yeon-sil in the afternoon. Lee Dong-jin wanted to know if Yeon-sil was well. Man-sul hinted where she was and Lee Dong-jin headed there right away. Yeon-sil and Dong-jin reunited on the strawberry farm. She said, "Why did you come here? Do you know how hard it was to leave? If I take care of my emotions, no one will get hurt. We've only known each other for a few months. I am tired now". Login or sign up to follow actresses, movies & dramas and get specific updates and news Login Sign Up New Ad-free Subscriber Login Email Password Password Username Your E-mail will only be used to retrieve a lost password. Stay logged in Help Harlow is a former New Town in Essex with a population of 86,000. Located in the upper Stort Valley, it was built in the decades after the Second World War to ease overcrowding and London and provide homes for people bombed out during the Blitz. It includes Britain's first pedestrian precinct and first modern residential tower block, The Lawn. Old Harlow, the historic part of the town, was mentioned in the Domesday Book. David and Victoria Beckham's former home, Rowneybury House, nicknamed 'Beckingham Palace', is nearby. 12:22, 4 NOV 2022 Hawaii Patient Choice at End of Life Act of 2017 Analysis From Patients Rights Council, January, 2017 This bill represents the next stage in assisted-suicide advocates plan to normalize doctor-prescribed suicide within the practice of medicine.[1] It is the evolution of assisted suicide that is intended to make it subject only to medical best practices. Actions of those who carry it out are only to be judged in accordance with the standard of care criteria.[2] The bill eliminates safeguards from current doctor-prescribed suicide laws and proposals. Provision of life-ending drugs (called Medical Aid in Dying) would become a medical treatment. This would give insurance programs the opportunity to cut costs by denying payment of more expensive treatments while approving payment for the less costly prescription for a lethal drug overdose. If the bill is approved, will health insurance programs do the right thing or the cheap thing? Hawaii could easily become a national suicide destination. Nothing in the proposed law requires that an individual be a resident of Hawaii to qualify for doctor-prescribed suicide in the state. There is no waiting period between the time that the patient is diagnosed and the time that the prescription is written. A physician can give a patient the terminal diagnosis, deem the patient eligible for doctor-prescribed suicide, inform the patient of the availability of assisted suicide and write the prescription for the lethal dose of drugs on the same day without the patient ever recovering from the initial shock of being terminally ill. There are no requirements for a second opinion by a consulting physician to confirm the diagnosis. All actions to diagnose the patient, inform the patient about the availability of Medical Aid in Dying, assess the patients capacity, and prescribe the lethal drugs are carried out by an attending physician. An attending physician could prescribe a deadly overdose of drugs to an adult patient who is mentally ill or depressed. The doctor can prescribe the drugs as long as a patient understands what such a prescription would entail and is able to communicate an informed healthcare decision to request the drugs. One request for doctor-prescribed suicide is all that is needed prior to receiving a prescription for Medical Aid in Dying. Provision of a prescription for the lethal drugs would be considered a standard of care.[3] In legal terms, standard of care means the level at which the average, prudent provider in a given community would practice. It is how similarly qualified practitioners would have managed the patients care under the same or similar circumstances. The request could be similar to that of a patients asking a doctor for a prescription for allergy medication. Terminally ill is very broadly defined, making it possible for a doctor to prescribe the deadly drugs even though the patient could live for years. A person who is in the undefined final state of an incurable or irreversible condition would be considered terminally ill if the condition would, within reasonable medical judgment, result in death within six months.[4] But there is no requirement that the condition be uncontrollable. There are many conditions (diabetes, certain types of leukemia and, even, alcoholism) that could meet this definition of terminal illness contained in the bill. For example, diabetes can be both incurable and irreversible but it is controllable. An insulin-dependent diabetic patient who stops taking insulin will, within reasonable medical judgment, die within six months. Thus, under the bill, diabetics would be eligible for doctor-prescribed suicide even though they could live virtually normal lives with insulin. There is documentation that this has occurred under Oregons assisted-suicide law. In an official report from Oregon, diabetes is noted as the underlying terminal condition that made the patient eligible for doctor-prescribed suicide.[5] Patients lives could be ended by lethal injection. The proposal merely states that the patients death must occur as a result of a qualified individuals affirmative, conscious, and physical act of administering the aid in dying drug to bring about his or her own death.[6] The act of self-administration could be by injecting or by taking the drugs by mouth. Since there are no requirements for witnesses to the death, someone else could administer the lethal injection and no one would ever know. The proposal requires that death certificates be falsified. Although the manner of death resulting from an intentional overdose of drugs would be considered suicide, and the cause of death would be the lethal drugs, the proposal states that the cause of death listed on death certificates be the individuals underlying terminal illness.[7] The rationale for the proposal is based on inaccurate information. The proposal states that data from Oregon also demonstrate that there have been no abuses of the law.[8] However, the sheer amount of unknown data in Oregons official reports render such a claim implausible. The 2015 official Oregon report[9] shows that, when the patient ingested the lethal drugs, it was unknown if anyone else was present in 74% of all reported prescribed-suicide deaths. This means that the Oregon Public Health Division (OHPD) has no clue if the patient took the deadly dose voluntarily or if it was disguised in food and unwittingly consumed by the patient, or if the patient was forced to take the drugs. In the 2015 statistics for lethal drug complications after ingestion, the OHPD reported that, for 80% of cases, it is unknown whether complications occurred or not. It should also be noted that 40% to 89% of data is missing from report categories that are directly related to patient safety and abuse. How can the claim that Oregons assisted-suicide experience is problem-free and abuse-free be credible when so much of what is actually occurring is officially unknown? ---30--- FOOTNOTES: [1] See, for example, Kathryn L. Tucker, End of Life Liberty in DC, Jurist, December 15, 2016. Available at: LINK. (Last accessed December 28, 2016) Tucker was the legal director of Compassion and Choices (formerly the Hemlock Society) and now serves as Executive Director of the End of Life Liberty Project (ELLP) of which she was the founder. [2] In legal terms, standard of care is the level at which the average, prudent provider in a given community would practice. It is how similarly qualified practitioners would have managed the patients care under the same or similar circumstances. [3] 3 Standard of Care. [4] 1 Definition of Terminally Ill. [5] Official report for 2015 deaths under Oregons Death with Dignity Act, Oregon Public Health Division, Oregons Death with Dignity Act 2015, pg. 7, fn. 2. Available at: LINK. [6] 1 Definition of Self-administration and 2 Medical Aid in Dying Specifically Authorized. [7] 4 (c) and (e). This contradicts the generally accepted standard used to determine the cause and manner of death. Determining a suicide: There is evidence that death was self-inflicted. Pathological (autopsy), toxicological, investigatory, and psychological evidence, and statements of the decedent or witnesses, may be used for this determination. There is evidence (explicit and/or implicit) that at the time of injury the decedent intended to kill self or wished to die and that the decedent understood the probable consequences of his or her actions. Explicit verbal or nonverbal expression of intent to kill self. Implicit or indirect evidence of intent to die. Source: CDC, Medical Examiners and Coroners Handbook on Death Registration, 2003, pp. 21 & 22. Definition of suicide: Merriam-Webster: The act or an instance of taking ones own life voluntarily and intentionally especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind. Oxford Dictionary: The action of killing oneself intentionally. Dictionary.com: The intentional taking of ones own life. [8] Section 2 Legislative acknowledgements. [9] Official report for 2015 deaths under Oregons Death with Dignity Act, Oregon Public Health Division, Oregons Death with Dignity Act 2015. Available at: LINK. Two hikers lost in the Shining Rock Wilderness area in Haywood County were rescued Saturday evening thanks to the efforts of helicopter crews and nearly 100 ground based rescuers from over two dozen local, state, and federal agencies. Haywood County first responders began searching for the two hikers Friday after they called 911 for help. Early Saturday morning, the hikers called 911 again and said they were able to start a small fire and they had found a makeshift shelter. The two men reported being very cold and completely out of food and water. In addition to local rescue crews, five specially trained and equipped NC Emergency Management sponsored mountain rescue teams from across western North Carolina were called in to help due to the steep terrain, below freezing temperatures, snow and ice. With sub-zero temperatures expected, and chances of surviving another night very low, air resources were requested to help locate the men as the severe weather cleared the area. A State Highway Patrol helicopter crew using thermal imaging found the pair shortly before 5 p.m. and relayed their coordinates to a NC Emergency Management Helo Aquatic Rescue Team (NC HART) that was refueling in Asheville. The NC HART crew, consisting of a NC National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter and rescue technicians from the Charlotte Fire Department, departed Asheville to pick up the hikers. Low on fuel, the Highway Patrol helicopter had to leave the scene. Reaching the coordinates after nightfall, the NC HART crew was unable to visually relocate the hikers using night vision goggles and called in a third National Guard helicopter that was training in the area and was equipped with thermal imaging. The hikers were relocated, picked up by the NC HART crew and flown to Asheville, where they were transferred to local EMS crews at about 7 p.m. for transport to the hospital. With below-zero temperatures expected tonight, time was running out, said NC Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry. We are fortunate that all these resources were trained and available, and worked together to execute this extremely complicated rescue. The key to the success of this response was teamwork from all the responders cooperating for the best possible outcome. The condition of the two men was not immediately known. Also assisting in the search was the Air Force Rescue Coordination Center, State Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Efforts were hindered by the poor cell phone reception in the search area and the hikers phone died before it could be triangulated. Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket Daytime Classes Canceled Monday, Jan. 9 at CCC&TI in Watauga Due to weather conditions, day and evening classes on Monday, Jan. 9 for the Caldwell Campus in Hudson have been canceled. Day classes for the Watauga Campus in Boone also have been canceled. A decision on evening classes will be made by 4 p.m. Beyond Voting: A Community Roundtable at Watauga Library Thursday, Jan. 12 Join us to talk about how to use your voice to make sure that lawmakers help your community thrive in 2017! The North Carolina Justice Center is hosting a local roundtable to hear from Ashe and Watauga County residents about how policies have played out in your community, and where you see the most pressing needs and opportunities. Well share some information about policies that boost local economies, and discuss opportunities to plug in during the upcoming legislative session. Come share your perspective and ideas for how we can make the biggest difference for North Carolinians in 2017! What: Beyond Voting: A Community Roundtable When: Thursday, January 12th from 6 8:00 pm Where: Watauga County Library, 140 Queen St. Boone (map) To RSVP: The event will include food. Please RSVP to help us ensure enough food for everyone! You can RSVP on our website here. Questions? Please contact Ana Pardo at (919) 856-2575. We look forward to seeing you next Thursday! Winterfest Cork and Canvas at BRAHM Jan. 27-28 Friday, Jan 27, 4:00pm to 6:00pm or Saturday, Jan 28, 4:00pm to 6:00pm Drink wine and create art based on Vase With Twelve Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh in a relaxed atmosphere facilitated by a trained instructor. Each participant goes home with a finished work of art. All materials, including canvasses, paint, brushes, and aprons, are provided. Beverages and snacks will be included in admission. There will be two sessions of this event, one Friday and one Saturday. Choose the date that works for you, and bring a friend! Reservation and payment is required by January 21st. Limited seating available. A full refund will be issued if participant cancels 72 hours prior to the event. For cancellations made less than 72 hours prior to the event, BRAHM will issue a refund IF the museum is able to fill the vacated spot. Participants must be over 21 years of age, with valid ID. Lifelong Learners Movie: Frida on Jan. 9 Audience: Adults (18+) Location: Watauga County Public Library Meeting Room High Country Lifelong Learners in association with the Watauga County Public Library invite you to join us for a movie viewing of Frida on January 9th from 2:00 pm 5:30 pm. Director Julie Taymors 2002 film, Frida, chronicles the life Frida Kahlo shared with Diego Rivera, as the couple took the art world by storm. From her complex relationship with her mentor and husband to her affair with Leon Trotsky, to her provocative entanglements with women, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary. Stars: Salma Hayek, Alfred Molina, Geoffrey Rush This film has an MPAA rating of R and an approximate run-time of 123 minutes. For more information please email: [email protected] com , Attention: Deb Gooch. Meet Your Representatives at Lost Province Brewing Co. Jan. 10 Share this: Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Reddit Pocket Costco isn't a company known for unnecessarily raising prices on anything. In fact, it famously stopped selling Coca-Cola products back in 2009 when the two companies couldn't agree on a price that was low enough. So members are no doubt alarmed to hear that back in September, the warehouse club increased its membership fees for the U.K., Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and Mexico. Naturally, analysts now expect it to do the same for the U.S. and Canada. An Increase is Coming... Soon Generally, Costco raises its membership prices every five to six years, so warehouses in the U.S. and Canada are due for one. According to Richard Galanti, the CFO of the warehouse club, this month marks the 5-year anniversary of the last increase. Even so, he can't confirm or deny that an increase is happening this year, or when it will come. Gold Star membership, which is the basic tier, could increase from $55 to $60. Executive Gold Star Membership could jump from $110 to $120. The last time membership fees increased was in 2011, and that was about 10%. Analysts are expecting about the same this time. That would mean that the Gold Star membership, which is the basic tier, could increase about $5, from $55 to $60. The Executive Gold Star membership, which offers an annual membership reward and more services, could jump $10, from $110 to $120. Costco is Already More Expensive Costco competitors Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club already have cheaper memberships. Sam's Club charges $100 for its rewards-based membership, and $45 for its basic tier. BJ's is about the same, with $100 for its rewards program, and a basic that's $50. If this increase at Costco goes through in the next couple months, then it'll only be widening that margin even more. SEE ALSO: You Don't Even Need a Membership to Save Money at Costco Don't forget that there's even a few ways to take advantage of its services without being a member. If the increase is just too much for you, it's entirely possible to use the pharmacy, and even access the food court at certain clubs without joining. Or you can just tag along with your friend who happens to have a membership. Readers, does the anticipated increase make you think twice about a Costco membership? Or are the benefits too good to give up? Sound off in the comments below! We're a family of seven living in Georgia where Andrew's working as a professor at GSU. You can read more about us here Prabagaran Srivijayan The argument put forward by activist groups in Singapore, led by lawyer M Ravi, is that core elements involving prevention and protection of right of life were ignored. Hindraf has come out in support of the call to have a Malaysian on death row in Singapore be given a reprieve. Hindraf chairman P Waytha Moorthy also urged Putrajaya to intervene and "ensure that a Malaysian life is not short-lived or falls prey to antics of Singapore without having an opportunity to preserve their life". "Singapore with its statutory presumption has failed to do what is necessary and in line with customary international law, where a notion of prevention is an important part of protection of the right to life. "They have an obligation to provide and facilitate this right including the duties to take reasonable measures to prevent such capital punishment rather than relying on a slapstick statutory presumption," he said in a statement released today. Waytha was referring to the case of Prabagaran Srivijayan, 29, who is on death row in the island republic and is set to be executed in a few weeks. He was convicted in 2012 after drugs were found in the car he was driving to enter Singapore. According to Waytha, Prabagaran had during the trial claimed that he did not know of the existence of the drugs in the car, which he said he had borrowed from a man called Nathan. "During investigations, he had also positively identified Nathan and another man Balu from photographs shown to him by the Singapore police but for unknown reasons the Singapore authorities failed to seek their Malaysian counterpart's assistance to secure the arrest of Nathan and Balu," Waytha said. He added that the Singapore Court of Appeal had rejected Prabagaran's appeal based on circumstantial evidence and after having failed to note that material witnesses were not produced in court by the prosecution in the original trial. Meanwhile, it was reported yesterday that a prominent Singaporean lawyer and 2 of his Malaysian counterparts are racing against the clock to save Prabagaran's life. Both Latheefa and Surendran are members of PKR. Surendran is also the Padang Serai MP. Singapore lawyer M Ravi According to Singapore website The Independent, the Malaysian lawyers may file for a judicial review in the Kuala Lumpur High Court for an order to compel Putrajaya to file an immediate complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to Singapore website The Independent, the Malaysian lawyers may file for a judicial review in the Kuala Lumpur High Court for an order to compel Putrajaya to file an immediate complaint at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). "The argument put forward by activist groups in Singapore, led by lawyer Ravi, is that the core elements involving prevention and protection of right of life are ignored. In contrast, statutory presumptions are prioritised without affording a prompt, thorough and effective investigation and securing all relevant evidence concerning the event to prevent a violation of the right of life for Prabagaran," Waytha, who is a former deputy minister in the prime minister's department, said. Waytha added that Malaysia, like Singapore, are signatories to bilateral and multilateral agreements such as the International Drug Control Conventions of 1961, 1971 & 1988 which allows the infringed party to raise the grievances for their own citizens. "These treaties envisage reference of disputes to the ICJ that opens a door for the Malaysian government to bring forth a case against Singapore when it involves the Malaysian citizen as it is reflected in Article 36 in the statute of ICJ," he said. Meanwhile, Waytha noted that almost 70% of the prisoners on death row in Singapore are Malaysians. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: The Independent, January 9, 2017 The Citizens Assembly appears to be leaning towards a change in Ireland's abortion laws. The chair of the Assembly said a "heavy burden" had been placed on the 99 volunteers as they discuss the matter. Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said the group would sit for an extra weekend due to the complexity of the issue. The Assembly's work is now expected to be completed in mid-April. It will then feed back into the Oireachtas for further direction. It was envisaged the highly divisive issue would be explored over four weekend sessions of the Assembly. But at the close of the January meeting in Malahide Ms Justice Laffoy said it had agreed to timetable an extra weekend. Mental The Assembly, which is hearing evidence in public sessions from a wide range of experts and interest groups, has been deluged with more than 13,500 submissions on the matter. During this weekend's meeting, it appeared the Citizens Assembly is leaning towards change in the abortion laws. One member said her table felt Ireland's abortion legislation "was not fit for purpose".Another spoke of mental health issues, feeling the Eighth Amendment was "too restrictive, degrading, prohibitive and inhumane". Another said the amendment should be repealed. The 99 Assembly members were chosen at random from across Ireland and their views on abortion were not known in advance. One said the constitution "should continue to represent the rights of the unborn" while others said "clarity was needed" to direct GPs and so that their personal beliefs did not take precedence. Others wanted to know more about the consequences of repealing the Eighth Amendment. Those opposing abortion in Ireland said they were concerned about the prevalence in Iceland of the termination of foetuses with Down syndrome. The Assembly heard no baby had been born with Down syndrome in Iceland for the past four years since DNA tests had been widely introduced for pregnant women. But the overall tone of the viewpoints expressed will concern the Pro Life Campaign, which said the Assembly was "given an impossible task by the Government from the outset". Nonsense "It is nonsensical to expect us to consider 13,000 submissions over a weekend or two, then report back to the Oireachtas with well argued and carefully considered recommendations. It won't happen," said Assembly spokesperson Cora Sherlock. Ms Justice Laffoy later announced that Assembly meetings would be extended. She spoke after a private discussion was held with members. "We imposed a heavy burden on the members to get their heads round what we were putting before them... all we could do is a preliminary view of what the members responded to the questions." Among the questions put to the group were whether Ireland now needed to regulate abortion, whether rules and standards would have to be adopted, and how would regulation be effected. Ms Justice Laffoy said, although the assembly meetings would be extended, "it was important to note this does not affect my previous commitment to complete the work in respect of the Eighth Amendment within the first half of 2017". "I am determined to deal swiftly and comprehensively with this matter," she said. In Ireland, a pregnancy can be terminated under the Protection Of Life During Pregnancy Act if there is a risk to a woman's life, including suicide. The procedure can involve a medical or surgical termination or an early delivery by induction or Caesarean-section. Figures from the Health Service Executive showed 26 terminations were carried out under the legislation in 2014 and the same number again in 2015. In both years, 14 arose from a risk to the life of the mother from physical illness, three in relation to suicide and nine following emergencies arising from physical illness. Quinn lost control of his car and crashed into a lamppost An unlicensed and uninsured driver led gardai on an "extremely dangerous" chase for 20km on a motorway after he panicked on seeing a patrol car. Gary Quinn (23) failed to stop and forced other traffic to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Quinn was arrested after he eventually left the motorway and crashed into a lamppost. The accused, of Reuben Street, Rialto, admitted eight counts of dangerous driving, as well as failing to stop for gardai, and having no licence or insurance. Judge John Lindsay ordered a probation report and adjourned the case for finalisation on a later date. Garda David Costigan told Dublin District Court he was called to Walkinstown Road on April 25 last year. The accused drove at speed through traffic lights and past the patrol car. The gardai turned and followed the car, which drove through a pedestrian crossing at the junction with Long Mile Road. It took an illegal left turn and sped through a red light at the junction with Walkinstown Avenue, continuing through another red light at the Robinhood Road junction. Evasive Quinn weaved in and out of traffic on the Naas Road, forcing vehicles to take evasive action to avoid a collision. He sped onto the M50 northbound, forcing traffic out of the way, then on to the M3 in the direction of Blanchardstown. He narrowly avoided colliding with another car attempting to exit the motorway. The accused continued on the M3 into Co Meath, before he exited at the Dunboyne slip road, where he lost control of the car and drove across oncoming traffic before colliding with a lamppost. The incident took place after 7pm on a Sunday, but the roads were busy. "It's an appalling vista of driving," defence barrister Shaun Smyth said. "He is thankful that no injuries occurred, or any damage other than to his own vehicle." When Quinn came to the attention of the gardai, his heart rate was up, he panicked and drove off. "He couldn't resile from his actions and he led the gardai on a lengthy and extremely dangerous chase," Mr Smyth said. Quinn had problems with cocaine, Zimovane and benzodiazepines, which he was now dealing with. Myuran Sukumaran (left) and Ben Quilty in Kerobokan's painting workshop How many times will I have to watch as a privileged, white politician pronounces, We are not a racist country? How many times will I have to watch as a privileged, white politician pronounces, We are not a racist country? Im keenly aware that we are a remarkably tolerant and multicultural society. But we have a deep scar of racism that runs thick through our suburbs. And we all know it. Ask an Indigenous person how their day goes. Think of their ancestors being driven off their own land. Think of the hundreds of recorded Indigenous massacre sites across this country, how only a shameful handful are publicly acknowledged. Raji Sukumaran abandoned her own troubled homeland when her eldest son was a year old. She fled war with her ill husband, from Sri Lanka to London, following a trail of Sri Lankans, all seeking a safer future. London in the 80s was brutal for the Sukumaran family and within two years Raji was planning to resettle again in Australia. In the last year of her eldest sons life, I asked him if hed faced racism as a kid at school in the western suburbs of Sydney. He laughed. Not one day had passed where Myuran Sukumaran did not face racial abuse and physical violence. That realisation was the closest I came to getting a clear insight into the path that led that little boy to his profoundly selfish crime and the final, breathtaking punishment. Never did Myu allow me to talk publicly about his childhood and the barrage of racial abuse that he had become accustomed to as a little boy. Like so many of my friends whove faced similar racism as children, they wear it in silence. Its a part of their history they reconciled themselves to about a decade before they were old enough to vote. As a child, some primordial urge to be happy must allow little people to walk on, head down, through the assault. But the possibility of broken parts of a psyche after such a brutal childhood are, personally, impossible for me to reconcile. And now that my dear friend Myu is dead executed by the Indonesian state, along with Andrew Chan and six others it is important for me to air that. He quietly impressed upon me that the decisions he made were his own. He owned them and wanted no excuses offered for his making them. When I began to tweet #boycottbali he phoned me, irritated and anxious, and again asked for me to back off. It was not the Balinese who had made his mistakes. He made his mistakes, he told me. Simple. He blamed no one else for his crimes. Against unimaginable odds, Myu had become a good man. When faced with the online cruelty of herds of faceless Australian trolls writing about Myus fate it was impossible for me not to assume that there was a racial bent to their hatred. At first they seemed so grossly misdirected, until I took into account that thick, ever-present scab of racism. Myu was a brilliantly reformed prisoner. He was honest and loyal, intellectually rigorous, humble and calm. The guards new it; his lawyers knew it; everyone who met Myu knew it. Many questioned why I stood up for him. I was one of many, although through necessity I became one of the public faces of a community who had relentlessly fought for Myu and Andrew for almost 10 years, including lawyers, teachers, artists, philosophers, journalists and politicians. Why would we stand up for men who had broken the law in another country? Myuran Sukumaran stands in front of his prize-winning self-portrait. I am part of a community who is quite ready to stand up for our beliefs. We are ready to calmly call on other countries to seek compassion, strive for forgiveness and fight for human rights. We should call out bullying and racism in our schools and we should also use our most diplomatic voices to call out injustices in every community, on every continent. My beliefs lie in atheism. The beliefs that bound us in our fight for Myu and Andrew are not solely Christian values. They are fundamental to Buddhist and Islamic beliefs, Hindu, Sikh and Judaist. We werent declaring war on Indonesia for our beliefs, but we were standing up, using our voices, clearly and calmly and if that affects our relationship with Indonesia, then so be it. As the world, from my studio, appears to be sliding sideways right now, loud clear voices are a fundamental part of the way out of this bloody mess. Voices are never violent and never threatening if those voices are calling for compassion. I am part of a community who is quite ready to stand up for our beliefs. We are ready to calmly call on other countries to seek compassion, strive for forgiveness and fight for human rights. We should call out bullying and racism in our schools and we should also use our most diplomatic voices to call out injustices in every community, on every continent. My beliefs lie in atheism. The beliefs that bound us in our fight for Myu and Andrew are not solely Christian values. They are fundamental to Buddhist and Islamic beliefs, Hindu, Sikh and Judaist. We werent declaring war on Indonesia for our beliefs, but we were standing up, using our voices, clearly and calmly and if that affects our relationship with Indonesia, then so be it. As the world, from my studio, appears to be sliding sideways right now, loud clear voices are a fundamental part of the way out of this bloody mess. Voices are never violent and never threatening if those voices are calling for compassion. Another Day in Paradise opens at the Campbelltown Arts Centre in Sydney. The arts centre is a short drive from Myus primary school and from the high school he attended with Andrew Chan. In prison, Myu was by far the most dedicated student Ive taught. He was reformed before I met him. Like many of my old mates, Myu was trying to find his place in the world, only he was searching for his calling from inside Kerobokan prison, Denpasar. Next year it will be 50 years since Australia has committed execution. Ronald Ryan was hanged in Pentridge prison on February 3, 1967. Back then opponents of the abolition screamed that without the vicious deterrent of gallows our society would slide backwards into violent anarchy. In 2016, Iran, America, China, Indonesia and North Korea all carried out executions. Id suggest that we, 50 years later, are more peaceful than all of them. 2017 is a year for all Australians to stand up against brutality, against violence, against racism and against the death penalty. It is for the most compassionate Australians to sway popular opinion in our region. It is an obligation and it is a responsibility. Internationally, in 2017, we will have the moral high ground, the soapbox, and it should be used. Execution is not a deterrent to young wayward men. No punishment is. But reform is real. Myuran Sukumaran proved it. The exhibition of his brilliant paintings is testament to Myus world and to the power of a voice that he worked so hard to create. On January 13, 2017, Myus exhibitionopens at the Campbelltown Arts Centre in Sydney. The arts centre is a short drive from Myus primary school and from the high school he attended with Andrew Chan. In prison, Myu was by far the most dedicated student Ive taught. He was reformed before I met him. Like many of my old mates, Myu was trying to find his place in the world, only he was searching for his calling from inside Kerobokan prison, Denpasar.Next year it will be 50 years since Australia has committed execution. Ronald Ryan was hanged in Pentridge prison on February 3, 1967. Back then opponents of the abolition screamed that without the vicious deterrent of gallows our society would slide backwards into violent anarchy. In 2016, Iran, America, China, Indonesia and North Korea all carried out executions. Id suggest that we, 50 years later, are more peaceful than all of them. 2017 is a year for all Australians to stand up against brutality, against violence, against racism and against the death penalty. It is for the most compassionate Australians to sway popular opinion in our region. It is an obligation and it is a responsibility. Internationally, in 2017, we will have the moral high ground, the soapbox, and it should be used. Execution is not a deterrent to young wayward men. No punishment is. But reform is real. Myuran Sukumaran proved it. The exhibition of his brilliant paintings is testament to Myus world and to the power of a voice that he worked so hard to create. | 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 Opposed to Capital Punishment? Help us keep this blog up and running! DONATE! Source: The Saturday Paper, Ben Quilty, December 24, 2016 NASHVILLE, Tenn. Bobby Goode recently retired from his position as USDA Rural Development State Director effective Jan. 6. It is my belief that a strong and independent America starts with a healthy, rural economy, Goode said. I am proud to work for an agency that employs folks who live and work in the communities we serve. We are your friends, neighbors and family and we strive to use our programs to strengthen the rural economy for the benefit of every Tennessean from Memphis to Mountain City and from Copper Hill to Tiptonville. An employee with the agency for nearly 38 years, Goode was honored in 2009 when he was appointed to the position of Tennessee State Director for Rural Development by President Barack Obama. Under Goodes leadership the agency has assisted more than 1.5 million Tennessee families and businesses in 233 communities in all 95 counties of Tennessee, investing more than $7.6 billion through affordable loans, loan guarantees, and grants. In the time before President-Elect Donald Trump appoints a successor, Harriet Cannon will serve as acting state director. USDA Rural Development is moving investments to rural America with housing, business and infrastructure loans and grants to create jobs and strengthen rural economies with an emphasis to assist areas of persistent poverty. For more information on USDA Rural Development programs available in Tennessee contact the Nashville State Office at 615-783-1300. Visit online at www.rd.usda.gov/TN. DES MOINES, Iowa Agriculture Deputy Under Secretary Lanon Baccam announced that beginning Jan. 9, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will offer an early termination opportunity for certain Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts, making it easier to transfer property to the next generation of farmers and ranchers, including family members. The land that is eligible for the early termination is among the least environmentally sensitive land enrolled in CRP. This change to the CRP program is just one of many that USDA has implemented based on recommendations from the Land Tenure Advisory Subcommittee formed by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in 2015. The subcommittee was asked to identify ways the department could use or modify its programs, regulations and practices to address the challenges of beginning farmers and ranchers in their access to land, capital and technical assistance. The average age of principal farm operators is 58, said Baccam. So, land tenure, succession and estate planning, and access to land is an increasingly important issue for the future of agriculture and a priority for USDA. Access to land remains the biggest barrier for beginning farmers and ranchers. This announcement is part of our efforts to address some of the challenges with transitioning land to beginning farmers. Baccam made the announcement while touring the Joe Dunn farm in Warren County, located in central Iowa near Carlisle. Dunn is the father-in-law to Iowa native and former Marine Aaron White, who with his wife, are prospective candidates for the early termination program. Baccam was joined by Farm Service Agency Iowa State Executive Director John Whitaker when meeting with Dunn and White. The chance to give young farmers a better opportunity to succeed when starting a farming career makes perfect sense, said Baccam. There are Conservation Reserve Program acres that are rested and ready to be productive, an original goal of CRP. The technical teams at USDA will tell us which ones can terminate from the program with little impact on the overall conservation efforts. When they do, well be ready to help beginning farmers like military veteran Aaron White. Normally if a landowner terminates a CRP contract early, they are required to repay all previous payments plus interest. The new policy waives this repayment if the land is transferred to a beginning farmer or rancher through a sale or lease with an option to buy. With CRP enrollment close to the Congressionally-mandated cap of 24 million acres, the early termination will also allow USDA to enroll other land with higher conservation value elsewhere. Starting the next generation of farmers and ranchers out with conservation and stewardship in mind is another important part of this announcement, Baccam said. The land coming out of CRP will have priority enrollment opportunities with USDAs working lands conservation programs through cooperation between the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Acres terminated early from CRP under these land tenure provisions will be eligible for priority enrollment consideration into the CRP Grasslands, if eligible; or the Conservation Stewardship Program or Environmental Quality Incentives Program, as determined by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. According to the Tenure, Ownership and Transition of Agricultural Land survey, conducted by USDA in 2014, U.S. farmland owners expect to transfer 93 million acres to new ownership during 2015-2019. This represents 10 percent of all farmland across the nation. Details on the early termination opportunity will be available starting on Jan. 9, at local USDA service centers. For more information about CRP and to find out if your acreage is eligible for early contract termination, contact your local Farm Service Agency (FSA) office or go online at www.fsa.usda.gov/crp. To locate your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov/. CIVIC GROUPS ABINGDON CIVITAN: Abingdon, Va., Harbor House, first and third Monday, 6 p.m. New members welcome. Roger Edwards, 276-698-1349. ABINGDON LIONS CLUB: Abingdon, Va., Shoneys, 480 Cummings Street, meets first and third Thursdays. Bob Trent, 276-628-6195. ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL: Abingdon, Va., first Monday, 7:30 p.m., Municipal Building on Main Street. Visit www.abingdon.com. ABINGDON KIWANIS: Abingdon, Va., 200 Clubhouse Drive, Glenrochie Country Club, First three Tuesdays on each month, noon to 1 p.m. Visitors welcome. Lee Saunders III, 276-356-8201. ABINGDON ROTARY: Abingdon, Va., 200 Clubhouse Drive, Glenrochie Country Club, Fridays, 12:00 p.m. Janice Rice Reeves, President, 276-676-0210. COMMUNITY CENTER OF ABINGDON: Abingdon, Va. 300 Senior Drive, every Monday afternoon 2 p. m.: Movie, every Monday night 6 p. m.: Music jam, every Wednesday night: Ballroom dance class 7:15 p. m.: every Friday afternoon 1 4 p. m.: Game day, 276-628-3911. AMERICAN LEGION HACKLER-WOOD POST 145: Bristol, Tenn., 515 Marion Ave., Veterans from all branches of service, come place your membership with Post 145; youll make new friends and get reacquainted with your fellow veterans, 11 a.m to 11 p.m. daily. Questions, 423-968-9973. AMERICAN LEGION POST 145 RIDERS: Bristol, Tenn., 515 Marion Ave., Interested in growth and membership, 423-368-9973. BRISTOL EVENING LIONS: Bristol Va. Exit 7, Golden Corral, second and fourth Thursday, 6 p.m. Membership open to men and women, Charles Coulthard, 276-466-5357. Joe Wall, 423-764-8545. BRISTOL GOODSON LIONS CLUB: Bristol, Va., Bordwine Road, 1st and 3rd Mondays, 6 p.m. visitors welcome. 423-534-9313. BRISTOL HOST LIONS: Bristol, Va., Exit 5, Euclid Avenue Food City, Fridays, noon. New members welcome. David Hoelscher, president. 423-646-2923. BRISTOL MORNING ROTARY: Bristol, Va., Euclid Ave., Food City, every Tuesday, 7:30 a.m., Club President: Glenn Myers, 423-968-5351. BRISTOL SHRINE CLUB: Bristol, Tenn., King Lodge, 35 5th St., third Friday, 7 p.m.; Ron Schoenhardt, president; 423-968-4531. BUFFALO RURITAN: Bluff City, Tenn., Beaver Creek Road and Buffalo Road, Ruritan building, fourth Monday, dinner at 6:30 p.m., meeting follows. Visitors welcome. 423-967-1651. GLADE SPRING CIVIC CLUB: Glade Spring, Va., old Glade School on the hill, second Thursday, 6:45 p.m. social, 7 p.m. meeting. JERICHO SHRINE TEMPLE: Kingsport, Tenn., 1100 Jericho Dr.; second Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.; Elbert (Smiley) Bridwell, potentate, 423-323-1982. KING MASONIC LODGE NO. 461: Bristol, Tenn., 35 5th St., 2nd Monday, 7:30 p.m. WM Bill Caffey, 423-360-0543, www.kinglodge.org. KIWANIS CLUB OF BRISTOL, TN/VA: Bristol Public Library (Kegley room upstairs), Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. Treasurer, Richard Ball, rpball@BVU.net. Visitors welcome. Memberships open to men and women, call Richard Ball 276-466-4009. KIWANIS CLUB OF ELIZABETHTON: Downtown Elizabethton, Dinos, every Tuesday, noon. President: Jared Tetrick (jaredtetrick@yahoo.com) KIWANIS CLUB OF MARION: Marion, Va., 861 Goolsby St., VFW Post Home 4667, every Tuesday, 6:30 p.m. Kiwanis Office, 276-783-2316. MEADOWVIEW CIVIC CLUB: Meadowview, Va., Exit 24, I-81, Community Center on the Square. 2nd Thursday, 6:30 p.m. Pot luck meal before meeting. OPTIMIST CLUB OF BRISTOL: Bristol, Va., Euclid Ave., Food City, Thursdays, noon. Ron McCready, 423-968-7181. ROTARY CLUB OF BRISTOL VA./TN.: Bristol, Va., Bristol Train Station. Tuesdays, noon. Secretary/treasurer, Joyce Crockett. www.rotary7570.org/BRSTLVATN. ROTARY CLUB OF TRI-CITIES AREA TN/VA: Bristol, Tenn., Northeast State Community College, Pierce Building, noon. Mike Parker, 423-575-5534. ROTARY CLUB OF WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA.: Abingdon, Va., Cummins St., Shoneys, Wednesdays, 7:30 a.m. Visitors welcome. George Whitley. SHELBY LODGE NO. 162: Bristol, Va., 251 Old Airport Road meets first Monday, 6:30 p.m., food and fellowship; 7:30 p.m. dispatch of business. Robert A. Bruce, WM., 276-466-8591. SOUTH HOLSTON RURITAN: Bristol, Tenn., Meadow Creek Road near South Holston Dam, Club House, fourth Thursday. SONS OF CONFEDERATE VETERANS: Bristol, Va., 1601 Euclid Ave., Bristol Life Saving Crew, monthly meeting will be the third Monday of each month. New members welcome. renegade24201@yahoo.com, 276-591-6732. TWIN CITY CIVITAN: Bristol, Tenn., 3332 Seventh St., Weaver Family Care Center, second and fourth Tuesday, 6 p.m. Stanley Mann, 423-968-2579. Visitors welcome. VALLEY LODGE #93: Bristol, Va., 7707 Rich Valley Road. Meets every third Thursday, 423-742-0786. WASHINGTON COUNTY, VA. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: Abingdon, Va., Senior Drive, Virginia Ball-room, third Thursday, doors open at 7 a.m., breakfast at 7:15 a.m. Networking and business breakfast. Free to chamber members. 276-628-8141. WYTHEVILLE RURITAN CLUB: Wytheville, Va., Hedgefield meeting room, first Monday 6 p.m. YORK MASONIC LODGE NO. 12: Abingdon, Va., 14411 Black Hollow Road, every 4th Monday, 7:30 p.m.; Work and instruction each Tuesday, 7 p.m., WM Fred Bowers, 276-466-4466. MEETINGS ABINGDON TOWN COUNCIL: Abingdon, Va., first Monday, 7:30 p.m., Municipal Building on Main Street; visit www.abingdon.com. BRISTOL GOODSON LIONS: Bristol Va., Lions Clubhouse on Bordwine Rd., First and third Mondays, 6 p.m. at Visitors welcome. 423-534-9313; 276-791-9650 BRISTOL TN TREE CITY USA BOARD: Bristol, Tenn., 325 McDowell St, Slater Center, third Monday, 5 p.m. Public welcome. 423-654-4023. BRISTOL REPUBLICAN WOMENS CLUB: Bristol, Va. Food City, Euclid Avenue. Noon: Last Monday of every month. 423-361-1774. MARION DOWNTOWN REVITALIZATION ASSOCIATION BOARD: Marion, Va., Municipal Building second Thursday, 5:30 p.m. visitors welcome. To be added to agenda, 276-783-4190. SULLIVAN COUNTY EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS DISTRICT 911 BOARD: Blountville, Tenn., 1570 Hwy. 394, SCECD 911 building, second Monday, every other month at 10 a.m. Due to conflict in schedules meetings can change at any time, public welcome. 423-279-7606. SULLIVAN COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Blountville, Tenn., 3411 Highway 126, Suite 206. Jan. 9, 6:30 p.m.: Board of Education Board Education Building. Jan. 16: Offices Closed, Jan. 17, 9 a.m.: Sullivan County Commission, 423-323-6417. SULLIVAN COUNTY ANTI-DRUG COALITION: Blountville, Tenn. 154 Blountville Bypass, Regional Health Department, second Thursday, odd number month 10 a. m. noon. Speakers on various prevention topics, snacks will be provided, for more information call 423-742-2991 or visit www.scadcoalition.org. HOW TO SUBMIT INFO Submission deadline is Monday noon for the items scheduled during the upcoming week. Email fea-tures@bristolnews.com or fax 276-669-3696. Put Monday Calendar in the email subject line. For information, call Dorothy Hurt, 276-645-2556 or email dhurt@bristolnews.com House Republicans caused an understandable furor this week when they proposed to gut the House ethics office and then reconsidered. That two-day debacle diverted attention from another baleful reform that did succeed. Members of Congress awarded themselves the power to slash the annual pay of any federal employee to as low as $1, thereby essentially telling government workers to forget about civil-service protection: Their jobs now may rise or fall on political whim. The Republican-led House voted to reinstate a procedural rule devised in 1876 that allows Congress to retrench agency spending by singling out a government employee through amendments to appropriations bills. Prior to adoption of the Holman Rule, named for the Indiana congressman who devised it as a hedge against the political patronage that then dominated government programs, an agencys budget could be broadly cut but specific employees or programs couldnt be targeted. Now it can be open season. Republican leaders defend the restoration of this arcane power as a way to increase accountability. Fears of abuse are overblown, they assure us. Any acts of retaliation would have to be approved by a majority of the House and Senate, but it is telling that even Rep. H. Morgan Griffith, R-Va., who engineered the move, couldnt rule out the possibility of indiscriminate use. And why resurrect the rule if there is no thought of using it? We note that Rep. Barbara Comstock, recently reelected on a promise that as the only Republican member from Northern Virginia she would protect the interests of federal workers, considers the measure misguided and ill informed - but loyally voted with the majority to implement it. The move follows efforts by President-elect Donald Trumps transition team to identify employees in the Energy Department who work on climate change and jobs in the State Department devoted to gay and womens rights. The combination of events underscores the inherent danger. Competence and performance - not adherence to ideology - should be the basis for federal employment. That is why the civil service replaced the system of political spoils. If members of Congress dont like particular programs - Griffith is apparently peeved by a federal program that pays for the care of wild horses on federal land in the West - they can choose not to appropriate funds to implement them. If they want to change civil-service rules to target poor performance or reward good work, they have that power too. If they are incapable of properly exercising these constitutional authorities, maybe it is their salaries that should be slashed to $1. BROWNSVILLE Firefighters from Brownsville, Halsey-Shedd, Lebanon and Sweet Home responded shortly after midnight on Monday to a fire that destroyed a one-story home at 527 Kirk Ave. According to Brownsville Fire Chief Kevin Rogers, a passerby noticed the fire shortly after midnight and went to the door of the home and notified the owners, Kevin and Suzanne Archer, who were sleeping. According to the Linn County Assessors office, the 1,163 square foot home was built in 1910 and was valued at about $127,000. Rogers said the home was a total loss. There were no injuries. The fire is believed to have started in the attic above a wood-burning stove. It's been 125 years since Dracula was published. And it's still scary. 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Palestine is the cause the world forgot. Which is why it is curious that New Delhi has expanded its engagement on this issue in the past few months. In November, India held its first joint commission meeting with the Palestinian Authority and this week will send a representative to a Paris meeting on reviving the West Asia peace process. None of this is path-breaking and still a far cry from the pre-1990 days when India was a vociferous supporter of the Palestinian cause. But there are reasons India is considering tentative, if largely symbolic, steps in this direction. Read | Will boycotting Israel solve the Palestinian conflict? One, the transformation of relations between India and the United Arab Emirates, with Saudi Arabia and Qatar a few steps behind, has meant the Narendra Modi government is beginning to shape what its officials call a greater West Asia policy. While largely concentrated on the Persian Gulf, the policy accepts that India should take diplomatic soundings across the Arab world. Hence the recent peripatetic habits of the minister of state for external affairs, MJ Akbar, who has been to Syria, Iraq, Palestine and elsewhere to show the Indian flag and listen. Besides some standard diplomatic and economic interests, India probably sees an opportunity to reduce Pakistans standing in a part of the world from which it has long received blind support. For example, even Morocco, the farthest outpost of the Arab world from India, is cooperating with Indian intelligence about Lashkar-e-Toiba operatives use of that country as a transit point. Read | I fell in love with this word: Israeli president Rivlin on jugaad In all this, to show New Delhi remains empathetic to the Palestinian cause is still useful when dealing with the Arab world. Especially when India has nothing to contribute to the crisis in Syria or Iraq. Two, Modi is personally a source of suspicion across much of the Arab and Muslim world thanks to the shadow of the 2002 Gujarat riots. While this matters little in the realm of government-to-government relations, it is a barrier with a regime that has said it plans to arrange a ministerial-level visit with every country in the world. Part of New Delhis problem is that it is increasingly hard to find Arab interlocutors it is comfortable with. There are few functional examples of the secular, if largely undemocratic, Arab political parties or movements that India has traditionally preferred. The Palestinian Authority, however beleaguered, is one of the few remaining remnants of the secular Arab nationalist movements of the past and, among these, one of the few that is democratic. At a time when India must deal largely with theocratic monarchies or cleric-driven polities like Iran, the Palestininan Authority comes almost as a relief to an older generation of Indian policy-makers. Read | When it comes to hard tackling NGOs, India and Israel are on the same page Three, India is likely to further expand its relationship with Israel. Already the larger importer of Israeli arms in the world, India now has a security relationship that extends to the most sensitive defence areas like nuclear weapons technology and doctrine. Modis additional interest in the relationship is water. Israel is the acknowledged world leader in this area and the prime minister wants this to be a new pillar in the relationship. Though half the Arab world, consumed by even stronger hatreds, is wooing Israel these days, New Delhi knows that as it becomes closer to Tel Aviv there is an inevitable blowback in the Arab world, with Tehran and with the Indian Muslim intellectual class. Showing renewed interest in Palestine is a useful means to help counter this. New Delhi, in any case, has used support for Palestinian nationalism as a foil to counter criticism of its shift to Tel Aviv for decades. Interestingly, in the joint commission meeting the Palestinians said they were pleased to talk to India because of its presumed influence on the Israelis. Read | An India-Iran-Israel alliance could be Modis legacy Ultimately, New Delhi has no interest in getting directly involved in the West Asian peace process. It has neither the means and interest nor the diplomatic heft to do so. And arguably there could be no worse time to do so than now when polls show that support for a two-nation solution is at its lowest point among both Israelis and Palestinians. That the cause is being suddenly picked up by the lamest of lame duck governments the outgoing Barack Obama and Francois Hollande governments is a sign what the international community actually thinks about its prospects. India has other problems. One of them is its refusal to deal with Hamas, the Palestinian arm of the Muslim Brotherhood, because of its dislike for non-secular Islamic groups. While an idealistic position to take, it will fundamentally limit Indias influence in the Arab world as conservative as opposed to radical Islamic polities come to dominate the region. But to talk Palestine without Hamas is like speaking a language without vowels. Read | Hindi-Hebrew great combo for global start-up ecosystem: Israeli Ambassador None of this will matter for now. New Delhis interest in Palestine is about issues other than Palestine itself. As is true for much of the world. Indias proposal to build an infotech park in Gaza may be the most important and tangible contribution it can make to the Palestinians. pchaudhuri@hindustantimes.com An oustee is a displaced person irrespective of the project which affected her. This is what the Supreme Court has sought to establish in its ire towards the Madhya Pradesh government last week for giving Rs 11,000 as interim help to families displaced by construction of minor dams as against Rs 50,000 given to those who lost their homes to major dam projects. In a stinging rebuke, the bench of Justices Khehar, NV Ramana and DY Chandrachud said: You are treating them like animals. You have to give proper compensation to them, ordering the immediate payment of Rs 50,000 to each family. The issue of compensation and rehabilitation of persons displaced by dams has been a long and contentious one in India. It is no ones case that development projects to meet water and electricity need to be held up on this issue, but successive state and central governments have gone about this in a mindless and often cruel manner. In the first place, people who are affected are rarely taken into confidence; rather the sites are decided and then they are informed about the fact that they will have to leave their lands. The argument in favour of such displacement is that people are offered land in exchange elsewhere and monetary compensation. But that is to look at it clinically. In the Narmada dam case, fought valiantly by civil society groups on behalf of the oustees, many people did not want to leave their ancestral homes and their places of worship. The land in exchange is often arid land that offers them no livelihood. The compensation packages are either inadequate or do not even reach the oustees. Many oustees have lived out a generation in displacement as they shuttle from legal pillar to post in order to get even the small compensation once offered. The courts have repeated intervened in the disputes surrounding the Hirakud dam, the Narmada dam and the Pong dam to name a few but such are the delays in the judicial system that little moves even once a decade. The fact that those affected, in the MP case, are mostly tribals, means that their access to affordable legal help is limited. This has not always worked out well for the State either with legal tussles leading to cost increases and huge delays in project implementation. The issue of displacement, which was once for huge development projects, has spread to other forms of construction from ports to airports to shopping malls leading to people having to leave their lands. There have been few cases in which the oustees have got a fair deal despite the best efforts of civil society agencies and the law. In fact, the World Bank, which was the chief donor agency in the Sardar Sarovar project, was so overwhelmed by the transgressions and lapses in the project that it withdrew. The number of displaced keeps going up. The Madhya Pradesh incident shows how strongly the judiciary has weighed in on the side of the displaced yet justice eludes many of them, some for up to over half a century. @LalitaPanicker SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With the state gearing up for assembly polls, government orders for granting last-minute sanctions and additional funds are being issued every 15 minutes. The UP government has fast-tracked whats usually a slow moving procedure to ensure that ongoing projects meet deadlines. In what appeared to be a race against time, the state government issued a GO almost every 15 minutes, releasing over 523 such orders in just five working days from January 2 to 6. Out of these, 503 GOs were issued from January 2 to January 4 the day when the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the poll programme for UP assembly elections and the model of code of conduct came into force. Besides providing additional funds for schemes related to Dalits, backward classes and minority welfare, orders were issued to upgrade or add facilities at medical institutes and hospitals, and release jail inmates on the basis of mercy petitions. GOs were also issued to upgrade, widen, strengthen and construct roads an issue that is often raised at the local level during assembly elections. In the weeks before the poll schedule was announced, CM Akhilesh Yadav went on a foundation stone-laying and project inauguration spree, to beat the ECs code of conduct. In December 2016, the CM had sought ?1,683 crore in the state assembly, as second supplementary demand to get additional funds for his ambitious projects. A sum of Rs 1,000 crore for the completion of the Samajwadi Purvanchal Expressway, and a supplementary amount of Rs 450 crore for constructing roads and bridges was also demanded. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Samajwadi Party and the Congress may use the 2012 results to work out a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming assembly elections. The prospects of an alliance are bright in view of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadavs flip- flop on the issue. While the Yadav senior (Mulayam Singh ), rooted in traditional politics, has been averse to the idea of a pre-poll electoral alliance to remain politically relevant in the entire state, the younger Yadav (Akhilesh), adopting a more pragmatic attitude, has been rooting for an alliance with the Congress. The minorities favour an alliance between the younger leadership of the two parties Akhilesh and Rahulas they feel the two can together win Uttar Pradesh in 2017 and thus build a foundation for the 2019 general elections. Read | Samajwadi Party stares at split as warring factions refuse to blink The gains primarily are two-fold they will not only ride the youth wave, but also damage a resurgent Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP). According to a senior BJP leader, who has done an in-depth study of all the 403 seats, SP can emerge the single-largest party only in two scenarios either father and son patch up and fight the electoral battle together or SP-Congress arrive at some alliance. Or else it will be advantage BSP. He claims that BJP will remain number two in both the scenarios. Congress may not have any objection to the 2012-basis as the alliance formula as it was the partys best performance after the 1996 elections. The party won 28 seats in last polls and was runner-up in another 25 seats. Now the seat-sharing formula based on the seats the two parties had won and were runners-up: SP had won 224 seats and was runner-up on another 77 seats in 2012. Another five were won in the by-polls. This totals 306 seats, thereby leaving less than 100 for the Congress and RLD, in case Choudhury Ajit Singh also joins the alliance. As a goodwill gesture, Akhilesh may forfeit his partys right on some of the seats it had won in Amethi and Rae Bareli, the Lok Sabha constituencies of Rahul and Sonia Gandhi. Of the 10 seats here, SP had won seven. Read | Tie-up with Samajwadi Party may be Congresss only route back to power in UP Similarly, besides 28 seats won by Congress, the party was runner-up on another 31 seats. RLD had won nine and were runner-up on another 9. The contentious seats could be the ones which were won or lost by a narrow margin and the ego clashes of senior leaders on some of them.. For instance, SP had won 41 seats with a margin of 200 to 5,000 votes. On some of these seats Congress was runner-up, like Gauriganj (503 votes) Behat (514), Koli (599), Jaunpur (1,239), Lucknow North (2,219 on which Akhileshs right-hand Abhishek Mishra was the winner), Sevata (2447), Mahera (2801 from where Akhilesh loyalist Yasar Shah was winner). However, political experts believe though the Congress may try to exploit the current situation in SP to its advantage, the goodwill factor may eventually help in sealing the alliance. After all, alliance is a compulsion for Congress and compulsory for SP to win the upcoming assembly elections. Read | 2017 Uttar Pradesh elections: All you need to know about Indias political heartland Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation (MPSTDC) has come up with pocket-size folders about places of interest in the states four prominent cities, to generate interest among the tourists. MPSTDC has compiled a pocket-size folder titled Bhopal in 48 hours featuring the places to visit in the picturesque state capital. Similar folders are also prepared for Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior cities of the state, a public relations department officer informed on Monday. He said several places in Bhopal can be visited in just 48 hours. The Upper lake, Van Vihar, Tribal Museum, Bharat Bhavan, State Museum, Manav Sangrahalaya, Taj-ul- Masajid, Golghar, Sair Sapata, Shourya Smarak and places of historical importance can be visited to explore the beauty and heritage culture of Bhopal, he said. Information regarding famous food outlets has also been incorporated in the folder, he said. Similar folders have also been prepared with regard to the industrial city of Indore, cultural rich city Jabalpur and historical city Gwalior. The information about historical Rajwada, Kaanch Mahal, Lal Bagh, Krishnapura Chhatri have been included in Indores folder, the official said, adding that it also contains information of some of the famous 56 shops at old Palasia and street food of Sarafa Bazaar near Rajwada. In a similar folder for Jabalpur, information has been included about the famous marble rocks at Dhuan Dhar (flow of water), Rani Durgawati Museum, Tilwara Ghat, Beohar Palace, Ghughua Fossil Park and other places of tourist interest. The folder related to Gwalior has information on famous forts, besides Sarod Ghar Museum, Jai Vilas Palace, old city in addition to depiction of Tansen Samaroh organised every year, the official said. A special mention has also been made about the delicious gajak (dry sweet made of sesame seeds and groundnut) of Gwalior, which is relished during the winters, he added. Police cane-charged some inmates of the Bhopal Central Jail on Monday who were protesting against the alleged special treatment given to a few prisoners, sources said. The inmates were upset over the new rules and restrictions imposed after the October 30 jailbreak by SIMI operatives. Earlier, relatives could send food to the inmates but the administration has now banned the outside food. However, three inmates, allegedly with high connections, were allowed to have food from outside. This irked the other inmates who sat on a dharna on Sunday night. Jail authorities, however, dismissed the allegations. Jail superintendent Dinesh Nagare denied that any inmate was getting special treatment in the jail. The inmates have been demanding food items from outside for the past two months. On Sunday evening, they raised the issue once again but no force was used against them. Inmates had demanded relaxation in the ban. On December 23, jail authorities assured them that they would talk to higher authorities to look into their demand. The authorities would take the decision soon, said Nagare. A day after Air India was listed as the third worst performing airline in the world in a recent survey by flight data firm FlightStats, the national carrier has responded with indignation. We totaly disagree with the report published by FlightStats about AI. Initially it seems that the report is fabricated so AI managment will investigate the report till the end, statement by Dhananjay Kumar, Spokesperson, AI. Apart from Air India, the 10 worst carriers list included Air China, Hong Kong Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Qantas, Delta Air Lines, Qatar Airways, among others. The Portland-headquartered firms survey highlighted issues over cabins, service quality, and flight delays. According to a Bloomberg report, taking a wrong carrier can delay travel by 55%, and the right one can reduce travel time by 11% -- a good reason to choose one airline over the other. Air India has been struggling to get back to profitability. It is already chasing an unattainable operating profit target of Rs 1,086 crore by March 2017, which means that the company will have to make Rs 11 crore of daily operating profits. The good thing is that the situation is better than before. The airlines operating loss was Rs 161 crore in the first three quarters of 2016-17 -- reducing the daily loss from Rs 4 crore every day to Rs 58 lakh. The company also has a target to make its first net profit by 2022. Ashwani Lohani, chairman and managing director of Air India had also given a full presentation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a turnaround plan. However, the new rating of FlightStats can be a dampener if fewer flyers start preferring the carrier over quality issues. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pushed against the wall, petrol pump owners showed their first resistance towards a cashless economy on Sunday by announcing they will not accept payments through credit and debit cards from Monday. Though banks were able to broker a temporary truce on card acceptance which makes for 30% to 40% of transactions at pumps the development can have a lingering impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modis cashless and Digital India campaigns. In a shock announcement on November 8, PM Modi demonetised old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000, which made up for 86% of the countrys total currency, setting in the biggest cash crunch ever. As cashless transactions surged, Banks wanted to capitalise by levying transaction fees in the range of 0.25% to 1% on card payments. Pump owners retaliated against it. Ajay Bansal, president of All India Petroleum Dealers Association told a leading financial daily that even though the association supports PM Modis cashless campaign, but pump owners are being forced by the banks and the Reserve Bank of India to take an action as there will be no margins left after paying the levy. On the other hand, not taking transaction fees is a loss for the banks the higher the number of cashless transactions, higher is the loss. Banks earn by levying transaction fees on merchants. In case of retail outlets, the transaction fees are even higher, up to 2.5%. Read | Rail tickets, petrol, insurance to cost less in big digital push When demonetisation started, automakers tried to convince banks to waive off transaction fees at all dealerships. Companies such as Hero MotoCorp and Honda requested banks not to take transaction fees of 2% on card payments at dealerships on bookings of vehicles. Mobile wallet companies, such as Paytm and MobiKwik have also waived off transaction fees in order to grab new customers, but their losses continue to grow. Once the dust settles down, banks and mobile wallet companies might start levying the transaction fees, which might turn the tables as merchants might not be willing to promote cashless payments for an extra cost killing the purpose of demonetisation. The change against a cashless India might happen even faster than expected as some reports suggest that already over 90% of notes, which were sucked out, have been replaced by new ones. The petrol pumps, for now, have deferred the decision of not accepting cards until Friday, and have urged the Modi-government to intervene into the matter. Read | Cheap petrol to discount on rail tickets: Highlights of steps for cashless India SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Negotiations are underway between banks and oil companies over the surcharge levied on fuel purchases made by credit or debit card, the government said on Monday, while assuring that surcharge will not be imposed on both customers and petrol pump owners. Let me make it clear that customers will not be levied with any surcharge. Petrol pumps were worried that they surcharge will be upon their heads, but let me assure them that it will not befall on them as well. Oil marketing companies and banks are in talks and the former has given an incentive to increase digital transactions, Dharmendra Pradhan, Union minister of state for petroleum and natural gas, told ANI. Further informing that the Centre has advised both the banks and the oil marketing companies that they need to come together and find out a solution, Pradhan asserted that all efforts are being made so that neither the customers nor the petrol pump owners are levied with any surcharge. However, the Delhi Petrol Dealers Association (DPDA) has firmly denied charges that one percent surcharge was levied before demonetisation, asserting that the surcharge was imposed only at normal establishments and never at any petrol pumps. Let me clarify once again, as many news channels are saying that this one percent was levied before the demonetisation move but this was never done at any petrol pump across the country. This one percent surcharge was levied at normal establishments but not at petrol pumps, DPDA president Anurag Narayan told ANI here. Earlier, petrol dealers had announced that starting Sunday midnight, they would not accept the debit and credit cards of banks that would levy the extra charge. The government intervened immediately into the alarming development, as petroleum dealers association had written to Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, informing him about the sudden decision by the banks to levy the transaction charge and their resolution to refuse card payments. In an attempt to promote cashless transactions post demonetisation, the government had waived the MDR on fuel purchase for consumers, but following the expiry of the 50-day window, the banks decided to levy MDR on petrol pump owners. In their letter to Jaitley, the All India Petroleum Dealers Association stated that as had been no mention of passing the charge to consumers, the dealers would sustain a loss. A few years ago, youd have to be a) very rich and b) very ecologically minded to consider a hybrid car. Yes, fuel-saving micro hybrid technology has made it to many affordable cars the SHVS-equipped Maruti Ciaz and Ertiga diesels, for instance, but proper hybrids were prohibitively expensive. And with frugal diesel-powered options available for much less money, the case for going hybrid was weakened further. However, hybrid technology has trickled down to lower segments, so its possible to do your bit for the environment without having to break the bank. Plus, the uncertainty over future regulations on diesel cars has also got buyers thinking of alternatives. In the premium executive sedan segment, there are no greener and more efficient alternatives than the Toyota Camry Hybrid and the new Honda Accord Hybrid. The Hybrid marks the return of the Accord to India and also serves as a technological showcase for Honda. Built in Japan, the fully imported Accord Hybrid is unfortunately subject to the full spectrum of Indian taxes and duties, and as a result, costs a hefty Rs 37 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Toyota, on the other hand, assembles the Camry Hybrid in India, which qualifies the sedan for incentives under the governments Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles in India or FAME India scheme. Hence, it costs a far more reasonable Rs 30.9 lakh. On price alone, the Camry has the Accord beat. But does the Accord Hybrid have some surprises in store? Both the Accord and the Camry hybrids have efficient petrol engines and electric motors that combine to form single-drive systems. However, both systems are quite different. The Camry uses a 160hp 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and 143hp electric motor. It can run in full electric mode at low speeds and switches to a combination of electric and engine power (for a total output of 205hp) when you go faster, both sources driving the front wheels via a CVT gearbox. The battery pack recharges via regeneration that is when the car is slowing down or cruising. The Accord, on the other hand, uses a 145hp 2.0-litre petrol but has a peppier 184hp electric motor. The real talking points, however, are the cars three drive modes. In the first, EV mode, the Accord runs solely on battery power. As the battery depletes and/or speeds increase, the system switches to Hybrid mode. Here, the engine steps in, not to drive the front wheels but to power the electric motor. The third is Engine mode where the petrol engine directly drives the front wheels at speeds of 80kph and over. The electric motor steps in when you require more performance. This way you get a total of 215hp. Specifications Honda Accord Hybrid Toyota Camry Hybrid L/W/H 4933/1849/ 1464mm 4850/1825/ 1480mm Wheelbase 2776mm 2775mm Kerb weight 1620kg 1635kg Engine 4 cyls, 1993cc, petrol 4 cyls, 2494cc, petrol Fuel tank 60 litres 65 litres Total max power 215hp 205hp 0-100 8.32sec 9.20sec Fuel economy (City/highway) 17.4/19.6kpl 14.1/15.7kpl Prices (ex-showroom, Delhi) Rs 37 lakh Rs 30.9 lakh Time to find out how they drive. Expectantly, both cars run silently on electric power but the Honda clearly replenishes its batteries faster during city driving conditions. As a result, its also the car that goes longer in full EV mode. Just that you have to be very gentle with the throttle to keep the Accord running as an electric vehicle; it quickly switches to Hybrid mode when you even lightly up the pace. Also, when the engine kicks in, its the noisier one here. While the Accord rarely gets into Engine mode in city conditions, its remarkable how seamless the transition is from Hybrid to Engine mode. The Camry may not have the Accords electric range but its EV mode does allow you to be a bit more liberal with the throttle before the engine kicks in. The engine itself is mostly smooth but get the Camry excited and theres no escaping that theres a CVT in the picture revs rise faster than a corresponding rise in speed. Both cars offer adequate performance in town but the Accord always feels a bit livelier; it also has a Sport mode that quickens up responses. The Honda is quicker from 0-100kph with a time of 8.32sec to the Camrys time of 9.2sec. However, acceleration figures dont help sell hybrid cars. Fuel economy figures do. And its here that the Accord really shines. Its 17.4kpl city fuel efficiency significantly betters the Camrys respectable 14.1kpl figure. Both cars are extremely frugal on highways too, but once again the Accord is the one that will take you further on a litre of petrol. Efficient, green and powerful as these cars are, they wont excite the keen driver when changing directions. There isnt all that much between the duo in ride comfort either. The Accord has the marginally nicer low-speed ride and also feels a touch more planted at higher speeds. Whats nice is that both these cars offer comfort and space in abundance. However, the Honda has a nicer back seat, and in true Accord fashion, offers sofa-like comfort. Its seating position and overall ambience are better than the Camrys too. The Camry seats rear occupants lower resulting in a slightly knees-up seating position. However, its got more headroom, a more usable middle seat and also the option to electrically recline the outer seats backrests. Both the Camry and the Accord allow you to adjust the front passenger seat from the back to free up more legroom. Both cars also offer comfortable and generous front seats. Still, the Accords cabin is far better finished and the multi-layer dash, replete with dual screens, looks more modern. Theres also a feeling of solidity in the manner its doors shut. The Camry is well built too, but the cabin just doesnt feel special enough for the price. The touchscreen on the dash looks like an aftermarket add-on and theres way too much shiny faux wood and too many plain buttons in what should be a premium cabin. What Toyota has done is equipped the Camry Hybrid rather well. It comes with a three-zone climate control, audio controls in the rear armrest, electric rear sun shade, ventilated front seats and powered steering adjust. The Accord has some highlights of its own too. Its drivers seat gets a memory function; theres a sunroof; satellite navigation is standard; and the infotainment system comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Both cars get seven airbags and a whole host of electronic safety aids. The Accord additionally features what Honda calls LaneWatch. Here, the centre screen relays images from the left side mirror thus giving a visual of any blind spots. An important point to bring in is that the Camry gets a full-size spare tyre while the Accord only comes with a puncture repair kit. Even so, the Accord has a marginally smaller boot with the battery pack eating into luggage space. A word here on the way these cars look. The Camry is smart but some may find the cuts and creases up front unnecessary. The Accord, on the other hand, looks sleek and relatively sportier. Truth is, the Accord Hybrid is the more desirable car. It feels newer; got the nicer interior and is more high-tech under its attractive skin. And for what its worth, its also the more fuel-efficient car. But good as the Accord Hybrid is, its not good enough to justify the Rs 7 lakh premium over the Camry. The Camry Hybrid may be down on appeal but it works well as a hybrid and theres just no arguing the financial case it makes. It really is the more sensible buy of this duo. Stocks of information technology (IT) companies such as Infosys, TCS and Wipro continue to remain in focus over rising concerns of a clampdown by the US Congress over H1-B visas. Infosys stock prices were marginally down by less than a percent on Monday morning and TCS stock prices were stable. The Indian IT sector which has over the time become a reason for debate for misusing work visas fears job losses. H-1B visas admit 65,000 workers and another 20,000 graduate student workers each year and are assigned through a lottery once a year by Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services. For years, skilled engineers, especially in the field of technology and software, have filled high-profile jobs in the US, a move that Americas new president-elect Donald Trump has often talked about and opposed during his election campaign. Read | Indian IT stocks slump on concerns over change in H1-B visa programme I will direct the department of labor to investigate all abuses of visa programmes that undercut the American worker, Trump had said in one of his speeches. Last Wednesday, two lawmakers re-introduced a bill in the US Congress backing changes in the H1-B programme claiming that it will help cracking down on visa abuse. The Protect and Grow American Jobs Act makes important changes to the eligibility requirements for H1-B visa exemptions was re-introduced on Wednesday by Republicans Darrell Issa and Scott Peters; both from California. One of the changes that the bill proposed is increasing the minimum salary of a person on H-1B visa to $100,000 per annum from the current $60,000, and eliminate masters degree exemption. In the recent past, a number of companies, including Disney and SoCal Edison have been under the scanner for abusing the H1B visa programme to replace American workers with foreign workers. Raising the salary will bring the payout in-line with the average American salary, removing any profit incentives. Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka recently warned company employees over challenges coming from big political changes. Brexit, the American presidential election, demonetisation, cyber security, the refugee and terrorism situation were the events that seriously changed the way we viewed the world We will not survive if we remain in the constricted space of doing as we are told, depending solely on cost-arbitrage, and working as reactive problem-solvers, he said. Once known to hire a large number of people, the IT sector is expected to create fewer jobs. Nasscom, the IT industrys lobby body, predicted earlier that 30,000 fewer jobs will be created in 2016. The trend might continue. The fear of a tighter immigration policy under Trump was expected, and the move will have an adverse impact on the $110 billion IT industry, as the US continues to its biggest market. Read | Tech workers with H1-B visas may face uncertain future under Trump, Sessions SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The potential (in small cities) is huge and we are trying to find out ways to penetrate deeper into these geographies, said Pranay Jivrajka, chief operating officer of Ola. Cab aggregators such as Ola and its American rival Uber are fighting a marketshare battle, burning millions of dollars, to shift the taxi business into their fold. However, the numbers show that a lot is yet to be done. RedSeer Consulting, which tracks the consumer internet business, pegged cab aggregators penetration at 30% in large cities. In small cities, its in single digits. Ola has presence in 102 cities, many of which are tier-II towns. Uber on the other hand is present in only 26 cities. But Jivrajka is not worried. In fact, large cities continue to drain out Olas money -- driver incentives and discounts are cash guzzlers. Throwing in a lot of money is the only option, he said. In smaller cities the situation, especially the economic one, is different. Drivers, Jivrajka said, are happy with Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000 of income every month. Thats a fourth of what drivers in large cities want. Also, the realisation rate, which Jivrajka doesnt disclose is higher, making it easier to break even. 80% of the cities are profitable because there is no uneconomical competition, he said. But, there are problems, too. The utilisation of the fleet is less. For example, in Ranchi, where Ola has signed up more than 500 cars, only 25% to 30% of the cars are used every day. Jivrajka said there is mathematics behind it based on demand and supply. Small cities also have other problems -- fewer smartphone users, low data spending and lack of internet connection -- all of which are drivers for Ola growth. Over 80% of Olas business comes from large cities, especially the metros. However, Jivrajka feels that the shift will happen soon. Once that happens, sources said that Ola will expand to more cities. The source added that expansion is in the pipeline as the company doesnt want to miss an opportunity to grab marketshare. According to data from Truecaller, 85 million calls were made between Ola Cabs and its users. Ubers totalled up to 29 million calls. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Last week, Google launched a program which seeks to train small and medium-sized business owners how to bring their companies online. Yet Googles ambitious plan to bring Indias millions of small business into the digital world, which the company calls Digital Unlocked, is likely to face a range of challenges. Launching the program in New Delhi on January 4, Google CEO Sundar Pichai called the Internet a powerful equalizer. Yet Indias many language barriers may make it difficult for the company provide equal access to its new service. Digital Unlockeds online training, which explains how to set up a website for free and shares digital marketing tips, is composed of tutorials in English; the offline training will be offered both in Hindi and English. Most of Indias registered small to mid-size businesses (SMBs), however, are located in non-Hindi, non-English speaking places. Tamil Nadu alone is home to 40 percent of registered SMBs in India. While a company spokesperson said Google plans to introduce more languages to the program, some small business owners are sceptical of the benefits of having a website in the first place. Running a website on your own is very time and money consuming, said Harvinder Singh Moti, owner at Moti Art House, an art gallery in Delhis Connaught Place. The kind of budget that a small business has, we dont have the kind of money to pump in for SEO [search engine optimization] so that the website is seen when you search on web. Moti feels having an online presence helps if you register as a seller with e-commerce platforms like Amazon. Khorrum Omer, partner at the newly opened Cafe De Art nearby, is also unsure of the benefits of a having a website. A website may help provide people with information about his business, Omer said, but social media is more responsive in engaging with customers. Others feel they dont need a website at all. People have been coming here since second and third generation, said Sandeep Seth, assistant manager at Wengers, a popular chain of bakeries which has operated in Delhi since 1926. Yet some small business owners see having a website as a necessity. Social media is not a place where people transact, unfortunately, said Raka Chakrawarti of Mumbai-based Gourmet Delight, an organic food supply e-tailer. Thats where they become aware. Our website is the place where people transact and find out about our other products. Digital Unlocked is part of Googles larger effort to increase its presence in one of the worlds largest e-commerce markets. As of 2015, almost 70 percent of Indias 51 million SMBs had no online presence, according to a Google-KPMG report. That year, Google said it wanted to bring twenty million of those online by 2017. By late September 2016, the silent Maratha protests had reached a crescendo in the state with nearly 20 districts more than one third of Maharashtra covered by agitators demanding reservation in jobs and education for the community. The protests by the dominant community that makes up 32% of Maharashtras population had rattled the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, even as rumours about his ouster started making rounds in political circles. Just four months later, the Maratha protests, seem to have lost its steam with Fadnavis-led government having the last laugh. On Sunday, in an indication that the protest organisers are confused, the plan to conduct a mega march in Mumbai on January 31 was put on hold, fearing a tepid response. The organisers fear that the ensuing code of conduct for the local elections including the crucial Mumbai civic polls will hamper their supporters engaged in campaigning for their respective parties from putting up a strong show of strength. And, therein lies the irony of the apolitical protests of the community and also perhaps its Achilles Heel. The faceless protest marches that claim to be non-partisan and leaderless have nevertheless been organised and oiled by workers across all major political parties. Initiated by hardline Maratha groups that have had an allegiance with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), the protests were soon hijacked by all parties, with local Maratha leaders contributing to the effort with resources or numbers. To make matters even more complicated, a section of the organisers from the Sambhaji Brigade, enthused by the ground swell of support of the community, is now making a foray in active politics. Sambhaji Brigade plans to contest a majority of the upcoming municipal corporations as well as Zilla Parishad polls. It is very difficult for the discontent of the Maratha community to be consolidated as a vote bank in favour of one or the other party. While NCP is seen as a party of Marathas, all political parties including BJP have presence of Maratha leaders. The votes will then be spilled locally on party lines especially in local polls, said a senior Congress leader and former minister. He added, ``This also brings down their capacity to impact or affect state politics in a big way unless there is a clear leadership or ownership of the unrest with one party. The state government has also been successful in stemming the protests by offering sops like the fee waiver for all Economically Backward Students up to an income limit of Rs6 lakh per annum that will extend to the Maratha community (at the cost of Rs 700 crore to the exchequer). Besides, the government recently laid the foundation stone for the Shivaji memorial (long standing demand of the community) and set up the state backward class commission to look into the demands for the reservation by the community. For the time being these efforts and local polls has diluted the protests. But, the issue is far from over and is likely to heat up once again before 2019 polls. There are two reasons for this. One is that the central demand of the community for reservation is jobs and education is unlikely to get implemented in two years. Secondly, the BJP government is seen as targeting the established Maratha leadership that controls rural economy through its network of sugar co-operatives and co-operative banks. Political analysts feel that the upcoming elections in district councils or zilla parishads (ZPs) that are responsible for rural administration will give an indication of how the Maratha protests issue can impact politics in the state. The Marathas issue has a stronger resonance in rural areas and hence will be important in ZP polls. The polls results will tell us whether the community is likely to do any strategic voting. Secondly, there has been a buzz in certain areas that Other Backward Class (OBC) may consolidate their vote bank by rejecting Maratha candidates and this could affect certain parties, said Surendra Jondhale, political analyst. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON By March, Delhi is going to get 225 new buses under the cluster (orange) network. The move will not only boost public transport, but will also help take at least 5,000-6,000 cars off the city roads. The Delhi government and the Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS) which runs the cluster bus service are in the final leg of procuring standard floor non-AC buses. These buses will be inducted by February end. We can safely say that by March all 225 new buses will ply on the given routes, said a government official. The buses will be able to seat 42 people more than that of DTCs 35-seater low floor buses. The buses will be GPS-enabled and fares will be charged through electronic ticketing machines (ETMs). All 1,693 operational buses under the cluster fleet have these features too, the official added. ROUTE RATIONALISATION The move is aimed as a step towards rationalising bus routes in Delhi and decreasing the headway or waiting time for buses. The addition to the fleet is significant as DTC repeatedly failed to procure new buses over the past few years. The government now plans to introduce different bus sizes to cater to different routes. As a part of the project, routes of RTVs or mini buses plying on the city roads will be rationalised. The State Transport Authority (STA) has asked DIMTS to ensure that RTVs or mini buses cover all the areas that lack good bus connectivity. The study will also focus on whether RTVs or mini buses should be allowed in areas where the presence of e-rickshaws is not sufficient, a member of the STA said. Cluster buses are non air conditioned with standard floor. (SUSHIL KUMAR/HT FILE) There are about 800 RTVs or mini buses that have been allowed to run on city roads by the transport department under stage carriage permits. In September, the government inducted 100 buses under the cluster fleet. In the next phase, it promised to add 800 buses, of which 431 buses will be air conditioned. The addition of the 225 buses leaves 144 buses, about which there has been no information. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused BJP councillors of siphoning off funds meant for municipal employees in the capital. BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their Councillors siphoned funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhis roads, the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted. Kejriwals allegation came amid a strike by employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) which has led to pile up of garbage all across the area. Garbage littered on the Vikas Marg as the East Delhi MCD workers are on strike, January 8, 2017. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO) The Kejriwal-led Delhi government on the weekend transferred Rs 119 crore into the bank account of EDMC. All the three wings of the Delhi municipal corporation are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Delhi government also released a statement stating it had released Rs 609 crore in fiscal 2016-17 for municipal employees and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16. In contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not control Delhi, the amount allotted was much less, it said: Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13. As the protest by the EDMC sanitation workers entered its fifth day on Monday, a group of workers took out a mock funeral procession of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from Shakarpur Chowk to Laxmi Nagar traffic signal, which resulted in a traffic jam at the Vikas Marg stretch. Blocking Vikas Marg, which connects east Delhi to ITO and central Delhi, caused inconvenience to hundreds of commuters. I have been stuck in jam for one hour and it took me 25 minutes just to cross Nirman Vihar traffic signal. Why should we people suffer for the corporations fault? said Akriti Saluja, a resident of Anand Vihar. About 17,000 East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) employees went on an indefinite strike on Thursday over non-payment of salaries for three months, arrears (from the date of regularisation of employees) and their cashless medical insurance. Read: Arvind Kejriwal attacks BJP over garbage mess in Delhi The government should have made appropriate arrangements well in advance to deal with this situation, said SN Gupta, resident of Laxmi Nagar. Although the Delhi government approved advance disbursal of Rs119 crore to the EDMC and urged the BJP-ruled civic agency to disburse the salary of its striking staff at the earliest, the workers are adamant to continue with strike until all their demands are met. We are not happy by troubling commuters and we feel bad for them. But the government is not listening to us and we have no other way to grab their attention. We dont have money to run our house expenses, pay childrens school fees and state government is mocking us by transferring Rs119 crores to the EDMC. The funds will help in paying only one month salary and after that situation will become the same again, said Veer Singh Dhigaan, general secretary, Rastriya Safai Mazdoor Congress. On Tuesday, the workers will protest outside the residences of Mahesh Giri, Member of Parliament from east Delhi, and Ram Niwas Goel, Delhi Vidhan Sabha Speaker. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Hearing the plea of a terror accused that more than R 2 lakh that NIA had recovered from his possession should be remonetised, a Delhi court allowed the conversion but in the form of a fixed deposit. District and Sessions Judge at Patiala House Court Amar Nath allowed the old notes to be converted with a condition that the chief investigation officer should keep the amount in the form of a fixed deposit receipt (FDR) in the name of the court. The court said the fixed deposit will be for the period of one year, which shall be extended automatically on attaining maturity till further order. The National Investigation Agency had arrested Syed Mujahid, 34, on January 22 last year after suspecting him of planning to carry out bomb blasts across the country. The NIA had carried out a search operation at his home in Tumkur in Karnataka. During the raid, the NIA had seized R 2,83,000 in the denomination of Rs 1000 and Rs 500. In the application, the counsel for the accused said the amount was are legitimate as it was earned through business and was the savings and pension amount of the accuseds parents. The NIA did not oppose the conversion. But it said photocopy or scanned copies of the old currency notes be kept on record before depositing it in the treasury account maintained by NIA with the SBI branch in Connaught Place. The NIA stated the accused be directed not to raise any objection with regard to admissibility of the seizure memo prepared after recovery. According to reports, Syed Mujahid is a wholesale fruit merchant and the only son of Syed Hussain, a retired assistant tehsildar and a retired school teacher of Poor House colony in Tumakuru city. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Centre has approached the Supreme Court, challenging the Delhi High Court ruling that empowered the AAP government in Delhi to enhance circle rates with the concurrence of the Lieutenant Governor. In an appeal filed before the top court, the Ministry of Home Affairs contended the August 2016 verdict that rules L-G was the administrative head of Delhi had given an erroneous finding on the issue of circle rates. Though the HC had quashed the AAP governments notification enhancing the rates, it recorded a finding that the elected government and not the Centre could fix the price meant for alienation or transfer of land in Delhi. Read: Circle rate hikes fail to add to Delhi coffers This finding, Centre said, was contrary to law that specifically exempts the Delhi Assembly to frame laws. Circle rate is meant for land that is under Centres control and falls within the exclusive domain of the Parliament. A bench headed by Justice AK Sikri took note of the appeal and issue notice to the Arvind Kejriwal government for a response. It said the matter will come up for hearing on January 18 when all the other petitions related to the power-tussle between Centre and Delhi come up. However, in a to the Kejriwal administration the bench had in the last hearing observed orally that government elected by the people should have certain rights and powers. The remarks were made when counsel for AAP government said the Centre had made it impossible for the elected representatives to perform their role. Read: Delhi rents may be linked to circle rates; hike soon? In its appeal before the Supreme Court, the AAP government has challenged the HC verdict holding the L-G was not required to act on the advice of the Delhi cabinet and had the power to refer issues of dissent between him/her and the elected government to the president of India. In the petition, the AAP government said that the rationale of the HC court judgment was deeply flawed. It said the HCs interpretation was completely contrary to the democratic spirit and the basic structure of the constitution. It is also contrary to the plain and conscious legislative scheme. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Delhi high court on Monday refused to give an urgent hearing on a plea seeking a direction to the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) employees to end their indefinite strike, which began from January 5 due to non-payment of salary. Why today? The matter can be taken up later also. List it for hearing tomorrow (Tuesday) before the appropriate bench, a bench of Justice BD Ahmed and Justice Ashutosh Kumar said. A petitioner, who claims to be a social worker, has moved the high court for urgent listing of the matter on the ground that if garbage is not removed, there will be apprehension of break out of an epidemic. Advocate Sugriva Dubey, appearing for petitioner Salek Chand Jain, submitted that the EDMC has committed a contempt of court by disobeying the Delhi high court order that salaries to all its employees, including sanitation workers, should be paid by the 7th of every month. Read: Arvind Kejriwal attacks BJP over garbage mess in Delhi The counsel told the court that the Delhi government and the corporation should immediately be directed to release salaries to sanitation workers who went on strike, threatening to turn east Delhi into an eyesore of garbage-lined streets and overflowing dhalaos, much like June last year. The petitioner also said that the authorities concerned be asked to impose Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) against nearly 25,000 municipal employees of the EDMC, who went on a strike on January 5 over non-payment of the salary for last two months, bringing the services to a standstill. This is the third consecutive year when the municipal workers have gone on a strike due to non-payment of salary. In a city infamous for its record of crimes against women, more than 33% of molestation cases remained unsolved in the Capital last year (till December 11). Out of the 4,886 cases related to molestation, flashing, sexual harassment, voyeurism and stalking registered across the city in 2016, only 3,212 cases (65%) have been solved. Out of the 4,005 molestation cases registered under Indian Penal Code sections 354 A (sexual harassment), 354 B (molestation, intent to disrobe) and 354 C (voyeurism), 354 D (stalking) of the Indian penal code police solved 2,705 cases. On cases related to use of words, gesture or act, which insults a womans modesty registered under 509 IPC, police solved 507 out of 881 cases. Last month, Delhi police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma and other senior officers of the force had made a presentation on annual crime data to then Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung. A surprised Jung, in turn, is learnt to have asked the police how over one third cases remained unsolved. Last week, the present L-G Anil Baijal also reportedly told Verma during their first meeting that apart from just focusing on numbers, the incidents of crimes against women needs to be stopped and all accused men arrested. Police, last year, fared well in investigation of rape cases, solving 87.43% cases out of the 2,029 registered till December 11. Only 255 cases could not be worked out. Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal who succeeded Jung as L-G and took oath of office on December 31 said safety of women and Delhis pollution would be his focus areas. MORE THAN 50% ACCIDENTAL DEATHS UNSOLVED In 2016, there were 1,428 deaths caused by accidents reported from across the city. Police, however, managed to solve only 644 cases. Police havent identified the killer vehicle or the driver in 784 (54.90%) cases. Police say most of the unsolved fatal road accidents are hit and run cases which happened at night. According to National Crime Records Bureau data, Delhi tops the list in number of robbery cases. In 2015, Delhi had witnessed 7,141 robbery cases, while Mumbai had recorded 1,708 cases. In 2016, there were 4,538 robbery cases, reported in Delhi out of which 2,788 cases (61.44%) were solved. Police believe the reduction in robbery cases is also because of Prime Minister Narendra Modis demonetisation initiative because of which people are carrying less money. Last year, police had managed to solve 46.82% (3,343 cases) out of the 7,141 cases. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The National Green Tribunal on Monday sent a notice to the Delhi government regarding granting of no objection certificates to old diesel vehicles to run outside the city. The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by a city resident Anoop Bagai, who wanted directions to Delhis transport department to get NOC for his vehicles registration outside the Capital. In his plea, the petitioner said he owns a Mercedes car, which is over 10 years old. Due to the prohibitory order passed by NGT, he sold his vehicle to a person in Gujarat. When he applied for NOC, the transport department denied permission on the ground that no decision has been taken by the government on the issue due to lack of clarity of orders passed by the NGT, the plea said. The tribunal, which took note of his petition, directed the Delhi government to reply to this plea. The green court had last year ordered the Delhi government to cancel the registration of all diesel-powered vehicles over 10 years old and barred them from plying. Read: Burari plant may be used to dispose of old diesel vehicles in Delhi However, the authorities will issue NOC for such vehicles to be registered outside the Delhi-NCR. We further clarify that in terms of the orders of the Tribunal, every state has to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is least and put them on the respective websites, it had said, adding that RTO, Delhi, will issue NOC for transfer of these vehicles only for such areas which are identified by the states. The bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on Monday also asked all states to expeditiously earmark areas where pollution and vehicle density is less so that deregistered vehicles can be driven at such places. The Supreme Court has not interfered in our order. Our order continues to be in force. The states were directed to identify areas where the dispersion of the air is higher and vehicular density is least. Why have they not done so, the bench asked, while asking them to submit their replies by January 30, the next date of hearing. The School of Open Learnings (SoL) centre at Miranda House has banned clicking selfies, combing hair and modelling in the corridors for women studying here on weekends through distance mode. In a notice, the authorities have said those indulging in these activities will be suspended and even asked to leave the university premises. The notice in Hindi reads, Some students have been found clicking selfies, combing hair and modelling along the corridors. This is wastage of time. The university does not give permission for all this. If any student is found wasting their time, they will either be suspended from the class or will be asked to leave the university premises. The college principal, Pratibha Jolly, said that the notice was put up out of safety concern. These students perch dangerously on parapet, pillars while clicking seflies in groups. It is solely out of safety concerns that we put up this notice, said Jolly. Read: PM Modis degree row: CIC allows inspection of DU records of 1978 However, students studying at the centre say that they are not even allowed to sit in the canteen and lawn. Why are making different rules for students of SoL? The college will not do this to their regular students, so why us? asked a first year BA programme student. Another second year student, said, We anyway dont have proper facilities. And now such rules being imposed on us. This is discrimination as many of us come from lower middle class families, said another student. Jolly said regular students of Miranda House take the warnings more seriously. If we warn them, they say sorry and follow the rules, she said. The student association at the SoL, the Krantikari Yuva Sangathan (KYS), said they will take the matter to the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW). The centre has been virtually turned into a prison. The administration has neglected the problems of students, but is quick to frame such rules, said Harish of KYS. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The nursery admission process at the 298 schools built on government land will begin from Tuesday, the Directorate of Education (DOE) announced. The government has also extended the deadline for application submission. These schools can accept applications till January 31. For the other 1,400 schools, the application process ends on January 23. The new policy was approved by Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and announced by the government on Saturday. According to the policy, these schools, which are built on Delhi Development Authority (DDA) land, can admit students only using the neighbourhood/distance criteria, and siblings will be given priority. Read: Distance, siblings rules get priority in Delhi nursery admissions As the new rule comes into place, schools have lost on the 20% management quota. So according to a source, the representatives of the private schools will be meeting on Tuesday and they are likely to move court. How can there be two different rules for schools in one city. The government cant undermine the Delhi School Education Rules 1973. We do not understand why the hurry, said SK Bhattacharya, chairman of the action committee, an umbrella organisation of private schools. As there was no clarity on when the application process would start, on Monday, parents thronged these schools in the morning, but were told to return and check the respective schools website. I saw it in the papers that the policy for the school built on government land has been announced. I visited at least 10 schools. Some said they havent started the process, others said that we should keep tab on their website, said Naina Gupta, an advocate from Rohini. Another parent, Samir Jain, who lives in Mayur Vihar, said the situation was similar in his area. As most big schools in my area were on government land I couldnt apply anywhere, said Jain. Fifty eight-year-old Manohar Sinha, a street vendor who used to sell export-quality clothes at Connaught Places Palika Bazar, has been sitting at home for over two months. Since the New Delhi Municipal Councils (NDMC) eviction drive snatched his livelihood, he hasnt been able to set shop elsewhere. The plan to pedestrianise the inner and the middle circles of the market has, however, sparked new hope for him and hundreds of street vendors who were evicted in the year-long drive. There have been talks that to make CP a vehicle-free zone they will make changes to the landscape of the market, and vendors like me could get a chance to set shop again, Sinha said. Read more:Pedestrian-only: Connaught Place to go vehicle-free from February Since December 2015, the council removed over 250 street vendors operating without licences from CP, Sarojini Nagar and Gole Market in phases under the smart-city initiative. The licences of those who operated beyond the space assigned to them and those who rented out their spaces were also cancelled. Ram Singh Tripathy, a tea stall owner at Barakhamba Road, alleged that he paid officials Rs 20,000 to get a licence after he was evicted from his spot in May 2016. However, he still awaits a formal certificate. There was a meeting conducted on Saturday after the new proposal was announced. The president of our association has guaranteed that they are talking to the NDMC officials to allot designated space to the vendors who were evicted. If there is any formality that needs to be fulfilled we are ready to complete it, said Tripathy. Read | Vehicle-free Connaught Place: A much-needed angiography for Delhi He said though the news brought hope to vendors, they had not heard a formal announcement. Manish Pandey, president of traders body Palika Vikreta Sangathan, said at least 150 vendors can be accommodated, according to the new plan submitted to the Union urban development ministry (MoUD). We were told we will be relocated but nothing has been finalised. What will poor people like us do? At least till a proper arrangement is made, we should be given space to operate our businesses, Pandey said. NDMC officials said the inner and the middle circles will be revamped with facilities for shoppers. It is possible that a few vendors will be given space to operate but it depends on the final plan, said the official. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Central Information Commission has directed Delhi University to allow inspection of records related to all the students who had passed BA degree in 1978, the year in which, according to the university, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also cleared the examination. The commission rejected the contention of the Central Public Information officer of the university that it was a third party personal information, saying it finds neither merit nor legality in it. It directed the university to facilitate inspection of relevant register where complete information about result of all students who passed in Bachelor of Arts, in year 1978 along with roll number, names of the students, fathers name and marks obtained as available with the university and provide certified copy of the extract of relevant pages from the register, free of cost.... RTI applicant Neeraj had sought to know from the university the total number of students who appeared in Bachelor of Arts, Year 1978, besides result of all students who appeared in the examination along with their roll number, name of the students with fathers name, marks and result pass or failed. Denying the information, the Central Public Information officer of the university had responded that the information requested is treated as personal information of the students concerned, the disclosure of which has no relationship to any public activity or interest. Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu, however, said, With regard to question whether disclosure of such identification related information causes invasion of privacy, or is that unwarranted invasion of privacy, the PIO has not put forward any evidence or explained possibility to show that disclosure of degree related information infringes the privacy or causes unwarranted invasion of privacy. During the hearing before the Commission, CPIO Meenakshi Sahay said there are 2,00,000 students in this years BA programme, and unless the subject of BA programme is specified, it will be difficult to give the information sought such as the number of students appeared, failed, passed, etc in the year 1978. She also said 1978 results were not in digitised form. Neeraj said it is the past practice of Delhi University to publish such results on the notice board and at times in newspapers also, which means the information sought was available with the public authority and was published or put in public domain without any limitations mentioned by the CPIO. The issue of 1978 DU degree records cropped up after Aam Aadmi Party raised questions about the degree of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, triggering a controversy. We have checked our records and it has been authenticated that Prime Minister Narendra Modis degree is authentic. He cleared the examination in 1978 and was awarded the degree in 1979, Delhi University Registrar Tarun Das had said last year after the row erupted. With heaps of garbage piling up along Vikas Marg in east Delhi on Monday morning, the garbage crisis has hit the day to day life of residents in the Capital. People complain that on one hand the corporations sanitation staff has not been clearing out waste while on the other private sweepers engaged for door-to-door collection of garbage have also not turned up for last three days. I waited for three days for the private collector to pick up the waste, after that I had to go on my own to dump it at the neighbouring dhalao, said Gurvinder Kaur, a resident of Krishna Nagar. Sanitation staff of East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) had called for a strike last week to protest against non-payment of salaries since November 2016. Though the Delhi government has released 119 crore to the civic body, workers say it is not enough for even one month. BJP playing dirty politics wid Delhi. Their councillors siphoned funds meant 4 salaries of MCD employees n then throw garbage on Del roads https://t.co/4uVuXLjyMa Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 9, 2017 Though the corporation assured last Saturday that private workers will be pressed into action, the situation hasnt improved. Kaur claimed that the EDMC staff were preventing private collectors from lifting garbage. The dhalaos are already filled with garbage and there is no additional space to dump the waste. We dont know what to do with the waste, she said. The east Delhi areas that have been hit the most are: Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Krishna Nagar, New Ashok Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Khichripur and other adjoining areas. For the last three days, we have not seen anyone from MCD sweeping the roads and garbage is scattered all over. It is difficult for the residents to cross the road. I went to the bus stop to pick up my children and the place was full of mess, said RK Mittal, a resident of Pandav Nagar. According to Harpreet Singh, a resident of Krishna Nagar, the EDMC commissioner had announced the decision to engage 43 private trucks to clean dhalaos as soon as possible, however, it has been of no help. I got to know through the newspapers that 20 trucks have been pushed into service from Monday and each of them is lifting 20 tonnes of garbage. But that would only make for 400 tonnes per day. In fact, EDMC generates 2,300MT of garbage daily, so how will they deal with the situation and clear the backlog with just 20 trucks?, he said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON With heaps of trash piling up along East Delhis arterial Vikas Marg on Monday morning, the garbage crisis started to affect residents. Though a section of the East Delhi Municipal Corporations sanitation workers late on Monday night announced they will return to work, an immediate end to the misery seemed far from over. The Congress-backed Rashtriya Safai Mazdoor Congress decided to withdraw the strike after senior corporation officials met them. Union president DP Chandel said the EDMC officials agreed to their demands of regular salary payment, payment of arrears and regularisation of daily wagers hired since 2013. But the MCD Swachhta Karamchari Union, which is affiliated to Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh, said it will continue the strike. We will not call off the strike till we get a written assurance from the senior officials, said the union president, Sanjay Gehlot. The sanitation wing of EDMC had called the strike last week to protest against non-payment of salaries since November 2016. Though the Delhi government has released Rs 119 crore to the civic body, workers say it is not enough for even one month. Read: Arvind Kejriwal attacks BJP over garbage mess in Delhi In the last two years, the EDMCs cleaning staff has gone on strike seven times, each time to protest delay and non-payment of salaries and arrears. This time, the strike come a couple of months ahead of municipal elections, in which the Aam Aadmi Party will make its full-fledged debut after bagging five out of 13 seats in bypolls last year. The areas that have been hit the worst are: Laxmi Nagar, Preet Vihar, Krishna Nagar, New Ashok Nagar, Vinod Nagar, Khichripur and other adjoining areas. Heaps of garbage piled up on Monday morning at various places on Vikas Marg. A group of workers took out a mock funeral procession of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from Shakarpur Chowk to Laxmi Nagar traffic signal, triggering a traffic jam on Vikas Marg. We are not happy by troubling commuters and we feel bad for them. But the government is not listening to us and we have no other way to grab their attention, said Veer Singh Dhigaan, general secretary, Rastriya Safai Mazdoor Congress. On Tuesday, the workers will protest outside the residences of East Delhi MP Maheish Girri and Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON When 35 Trinamool Congress MPs sat on a dharna on Monday in a service lane in front of their own office, the Delhi Police barricaded a vital road, leading to massive traffic jams in Lutyens Delhi. The police didnt want to take any chances as TMC MPs had earlier taken them by surprise and gathered in front of the Prime Ministers office and residence. They were scared that we might rush to the Rashtrapati Bhavan, a stones throw from the protest site, said a Trinamool MP. With the South Avenue entirely off limit for cars, many MPs were also not allowed to take their cars to their residence. We are pretesting at nine locations in West Bengal, Delhi, Punjab, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar. We condemn atrocities in the name of notebandi and the conspiracy in the name of investigation, said TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek OBrien. Sources said that cops at the Tughlaq Road police station also asked some journalists if they have any inside information about the possible movement of these MPs. Blocking the traffic was aimed at stopping MPs going out in their vehicles. Protesting against Trinamools Lok Sabha leader Sudip Bandoipahyays arrest, last week, these MPs came in cars and gathered in front of the PMO and started shouting slogans. Earlier, they surprised the cops and protested in front of the PMs residence at Lok Kalyan Marg. Besides a heavy presence of personnel at both ends of the South Avenue, officials were also seen near the protest site to keep a watch on the MPs. The TMC will continue its dharna for another two days. To avoid any inconvenience to the commuters the stretch was closed for an hour. Roads around the Parliament street were also closed in phases, a traffic official said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A two-year-old girl and her mother were found murdered at their rented home at West Vinod Nagar house near Mandawali in east Delhi on Monday evening. Police said there were multiple stab wounds and other injury marks on the bodies of the mother-daughter duo. Geetanjali, 25, and her daughter Ananya were found in a pool of blood in the flat that was locked from inside. Ananya was stabbed in her stomach while her mother had multiple stab wounds. Police suspect Geetanjali was also smothered. The police recovered a handwritten note that said the woman first killed her daughter and committed suicide due to family reasons. But they said the note was not written by the woman. Police suspect the killer murdered the woman and her daughter and left the note to make it look like a case of suicide. A senior police officer said that at 6.15 pm, Geetanjalis husband Mithlesh Anand, a loco pilot in Indian Railways, returned home and found the third floor flat locked from inside. Read: 35-year-old stabs father to death, triggers cylinder blast in east Delhi, held When Geetanjali did not respond after Anand repeatedly pressed the bell, he alerted neighbours. Omvir Singh, DCP East, said Anand asked the landlords son to enter his flat from the balcony and open it. On entering the flat, the boy found the two dead on the floor. He opened the main door and screamed for help. The mother-daughter duo was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors pronounced them dead on admission. The couple originally belonged to Bihar. They had moved to the flat only three months ago and were married three years ago. Anand had left for his duty in the morning, said the officer. Initial probe, the officer said, suggested somebody made a friendly entry into the flat, killed the mother-daughter duo and left a handwritten note before locking the flat from inside and fleeing from the balcony. We are questioning Anand. A murder case has been registered. Nobody has been given a clean cit yet, the officer added. The prime minister, ever the skilled orator, threw in a hookline to the thousands at a Pravasi Bharatiya Divas event in Bangalore saying, To me, FDI means First Develop India through Foreign Direct Investment, the norms of which have been fully liberalised for non-resident Indian and persons of Indian origin. His aim was to enthuse the diaspora to engage in the governments flagship programmes like Digital India, Make in India, Start-up India, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and Namami Gange which, of course, could push all round development. But the NRI is also canny about where he puts his money. Despite all our best efforts, the ease of doing business in India is still daunting. Anyone investing here would want basics like safety for employees, a good quality of life and certainly less red tape. The other aspect of the pravasi story is that of the huge remittances which flow in from the diaspora. And it is here that the government has consistently failed to highlight the pravasis who have unfailingly sent money home, keeping parts of the economy afloat over the years. Read | India, France seek to bolster ties, French finance minister meets Modi While it is laudable that the government tries to attract big ticket investment from NRIs, it should also recognise the contribution of the small pravasi, mainly from the Gulf who engage in myriad, often menial, jobs and send home a whopping $35.9 billion dollars in remittances, the figure having slid slightly thanks to the drop in oil prices. Though we now have a very proactive external affairs minister in Sushma Swaraj, many Indians working in West Asia do so in conditions of extreme hardship, often with no access to their travel documents that are in the custody of their employers. Many have no job security and can be dismissed with little notice. Yet, in places like Kerala, often described as a remittance economy, their flow of money keeps many households going. Thanks to the global slowdown and dip in oil prices, many of them have had to return home with no safety net. The pravasi divas could also be an opportunity for the government to look into their problems and concerns and consider perhaps re-skilling those who have lost their jobs abroad. Read | PM Modi on a two-day visit for Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit The idea of creating a national data repository is a positive one as it will enable prospective employers to bypass middleman and reach out to people whose skills they are seeking. Remittances make up 3.7% of GDP. The government must act as a facilitator for those wishing to seek jobs elsewhere as well as provide a conducive atmosphere to those who wish to return. Maybe next time around, the government could spare a little more thought for the small pravasi also. Registrations for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and other leading B-schools shot up to a seven-year high with 2,32,434 candidates applying for the entrance test. There were 2,18,664 registrations last year. The last date for applying originally was September 22, which was extended by five days . From the period CAT 2010 to CAT 2016, this is the highest number of applicants. While we still have a majority of male candidates (67%), the percentage of female candidates has marginally increased by 1% compared to last year, which is a good sign but not good enough, Rajendra K Bandi, convenor of CAT 2016, said. Bandi added that among the total increase in the applications compared to last year, which is nearly 14,000, almost half of them include female candidates. This is a positive sign. That means the increase of female candidates is more than the increase of male candidates, he said. The number of applicants with a physical disability also increased from 901 last year to 938 this year. While the number of male candidates is more in this category as well, the percentage of females has increased from 14.76% to 17.48%, Bandi said. In this category, the percentage of male candidates is very high (more than 80%), which is something to think about. Our social systems need to encourage female PWD (persons with disability) students, Bandi added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON As she stepped out in an intricately-detailed Ralph Lauren number on the red carpet, actor Priyanka Chopra put the gold in Golden Globes. At the 74th edition of the award show held in Los Angeles, US, the Quantico star, who presented the Best TV Actor Award Drama, to Billy Bob Thornton, was seen in a floor-length dress, adorned with 1600-hours worth of hand-embroidered sequins. A dainty rock around the neck by, wispy straight hair and a bold berry lip completed her look, which was styled by Cristina Ehrlich. Priyanka Chopra arrives at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards, January 8, 2017, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. (AFP) Many international publications hailed PeeCees choice of outfit, which lent itself to one of the biggest red carpet trends of the night sequins and bling. However, a few others disagreed. E! News called Priyanka one of the worst dressed at the event. Experts back home are also divided about her look. Designer Anand Bhushan thinks Priyanka shone. Indias golden girl in a gold dress at the Golden Globes was exquisite, he says. However, for designer Ritu Beri, the colour choice could have been better. Priyanka Chopra chose a floor-length Ralph Lauren number for the event. (AFP) I like her better in vibrant, bright colours. It would also be nice to see her represent Indian design talent, she says. For designer Suneet Varma, the look failed to make an impact. It is a bit overwhelming. She looks okay, not great. Priyanka wasnt the only Bollywood lady at the awards. Actor Deepika Padukone was a surprise attendee at a Golden Globes after-party, and a sneak peek of her look by makeup artist Hung Vanngo on Instagram revealed that she chose a yellow dress, again by Ralph Lauren, for the evening. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Quantico star Priyanka Chopra and Modern Family actress Sofia Vergara couldnt keep their hands off each other at the InStyle Golden Globes after party. The two screen stars appeared to help each other adjust their plunging gold gowns as they headed into the party in a cheeky 10-second video. #GoldenGlobes @sofiavergara A video posted by Priyanka Chopra (@priyankachopra) on Jan 9, 2017 at 1:14am PST Giggling as they posed for pictures at the party, the Golden girls commanded attention. Displaying their naturally striking features and enviably figures, the two dazzled in matching glittering numbers and statement jewellery. The pair appeared in jovial spirits on the navy carpet as Priyanka couldnt contain her laughter alongside the Colombian star. Were sure the two pals had a ball at the party. But they were joined at the festivities by two equally stunning Indian actresses: Deepika Padukone and Freida Pinto. Watch Deepika work that sunshine dress and Freida down a glass of champagne as they head to the party. Scroll down for the videos. Work. That. Dress. @DeepikaPadukone : @marklphoto #InStyleGlobes #InStyleOffCamera #GoldenGlobes A video posted by instylemagazine (@instylemagazine) on Jan 8, 2017 at 11:56pm PST raising a glass to @FreidaPinto's glam #GoldenGlobes look #InStyleGlobes #InStyleOffCamera @marklphoto #GoldenGlobes A video posted by instylemagazine (@instylemagazine) on Jan 8, 2017 at 7:27pm PST Watch other A-listers at their playful best in these videos. Its rare to see a big name celebrity take to the stage at a movie awards show and talk about controversial issues such as attacks on the press and the divisive nature of a Donald Trump presidency. But then Meryl Streep isnt like most of her contemporaries. Meryl, who emerged at a time when socially and politically conscious filmmaking was the norm rather than blockbuster superhero franchises, struck a powerful blow for the independence of the media in the age of Trump in her emotional nearly six-minute speech at the 74th Annual Golden Globes. We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage, she said after making a reference to the mocking of a differently-abled journalist by Trump, whom she did not name even once in her speech. Meryl asked the famously well-heeled Hollywood foreign press and other actors to join her in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) because we're going to need them going forward and they'll need us to safeguard the truth. While her message was largely aimed at the American public ahead of Trumps inauguration on January 20, the way it was shared on social media reflected its resonance with people around the world. The emergence of strongmen such as Trump and President Rodrigo Duterte, who have shown they care little for the niceties of diplomacy and traditional freedoms such as the freedom of the press makes Meryls message a universal message, a global call for action. The actor asked fellow actors to support Committee to Protect Journalists. (AP) The work done by organisations such as CPJ is sometimes dismissed even by journalists a common refrain is what difference will these reports make but they play a key role in highlighting problems faced by journalists and acting as pressure groups that can force governments and authorities to take action. In the case of CPJ itself, one of its recent reports listed 40 Indian journalists, including Rajdev Ranjan of the Hindustan, who were killed for their work. The CPJ also highlighted how there have been no convictions in the cases of at least 27 Indian journalists, many from small towns, who were murdered for their work in exposing corruption. At a time when so many of Meryl Streeps counterparts in India have been trolled into not speaking their minds, the CPJ, which bills itself as an independent, nonprofit organisation that promotes press freedom worldwide, needs the support of people like her if it is to continue doing the kind of work it does without fear. (The views expressed by the writer are personal. He tweets as @rezhasan) SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Nearly 140 Indian soldiers, who are part of UN peace-keeping force in Haiti, will be administered cholera vaccine after the UN reportedly ordered a probe on how they had landed in the Caribbean country without the mandatory vaccination. Haiti has been grappling with a cholera outbreak and the UN has been part of massive effort to contain the disease. The Indian soldiers had landed in Haiti in August last year and reportedly India had certified that they were administered the cholera vaccine. The India soldiers will be administered the cholera vaccine tomorrow, a government source said, adding there was some communication on the issue from the UN. The source said the cost of vaccination will be deducted from the fund allocated by the UN for Indian peacekeepers. Previous UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon last month had apologised to the people of Haiti for the role played by the UN peacekeepers in sparking the cholera epidemic in the country. According to several experts, cholera was introduced to Haiti by infected Nepalese UN peacekeepers sent to the Caribbean country after the massive 2010 earthquake. Haiti has been dealing with a cholera outbreak since October 2010, some nine months after it suffered a devastating earthquake. The outbreak has affected an estimated 788,000 people and claimed the lives of more than 9,000. Concerted national and international efforts, backed by the UN, have resulted in a 90 per cent reduction in the number of suspected cases. Eliminating cholera from Haiti, and living up to our moral responsibility to those who have been most directly affected, will require the full commitment of the international community, Ban had said. Khanderi, the second Kalvari class submarine, will be launched at the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) here on January 12. Union minister of state for defence Subhash Bhamre will preside over the function to initiate the launch of Khanderi (Yard 11876). The launch will start a trail of events, which will lead to the separation of the submarine from the pontoon on which it is being assembled and its final setting afloat, an official release said. India is among few countries in the world which produces conventional submarines. Six submarines are being built at MDL in collaboration with M/s DCNS of France, as a part of Project 75 of Indian Navy. The first submarine of the class (Kalvari) is completing its sea trials and will be commissioned shortly into the Indian Navy, the release said. Indian Navys Submarine arm will complete 50 years on December 8 this year. Submarine Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the birth of the submarine arm with induction of the first submarine, erstwhile INS Kalvari, into the Indian Navy on December 8, 1967, it said. India joined the exclusive group of submarine constructing nations on February 7, 1992, with the commissioning of the first Indian-built submarine, INS Shalki. MDL built this submarine and went on to commission another submarine, INS Shankul on May 28, 1994. These submarines are still in service today. Khanderi is named after the Island fort of Maratha forces, which played a vital role in ensuring their supremacy at sea in the late 17th century, the release said. The state-of-the-art features of this Scorpene class submarine includes superior stealth and the ability to launch a crippling attack on the enemy using precision guided weapons. The attack can be launched with torpedoes, as well as tube-launched anti-ship missiles, whilst underwater or on surface. The Stealth features will give it an invulnerability, unmatched by many submarines. The submarine is designed to operate in all theatres, including the tropics. All means and communications are provided to ensure interoperability with other components of a Naval Task Force. It can undertake multifarious types of missions typically undertaken by any modern submarine i.e anti-surface warfare, anti-submarine warfare, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance etc. It is built according to the principle of Modular Construction, which involves dividing the submarine into a number of sections and outfitting them concurrently. Public sector bank employees who have not only worked extra hours but also on weekends and holidays to meet the surge in customer demand owing to demonetisation have expressed their unwillingness to be deputed as polling or presiding officers for the upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur. While the Bank Employees Federation of India (Punjab) has already written to the Election Commission (EC) seeking exemption from the election duty, other bank unions are also likely to follow suit. Unions said they should be roped in only in case of extreme staff crunch. We will seek exemption from the election duty... our employees have been under pressure for the past two months. They should be deputed only if it is absolutely necessary, CH Venkatachalam, general secretary, All India Banks Employees Association told HT. We have written to the EC that to engage the employees for the election duty now would be unfair, said Avnish Khosla, member, BEFI. After Prime minister Narendra Modis sudden decision to withdraw all high currency denomination notes of Rs 500 and 1,000 on November 8, bankers have worked tirelessly to keep up with the demand of the customers. As the move led to acute shortage of cash, bank employees were even attacked by agitated customers at several places. The employees and unions also sought police protection especially in the remote areas. Many banks are yet to clear the overtime dues of their employees, sources said. While bank officials worked overtime, many indulged in money laundering. After working overtime, the entire banking community was branded dishonest, which is demotivating, Venkatachalam said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Eight persons were on Sunday arrested and 65 litres of illicit liquor was seized during different raids conducted at various places across the city, police said. Police conducted raids in Nagwa area in Lanka police station area and arrested one person identified as Ashok Kumar with nearly 20 litres of illegal liquor here, said police. In another incident, a police raid was conducted near Bakhani crossing in Rohaniya police station area in which Raju (21) was arrested and nearly 20 litres of illegal liquor was seized from his possession, they said. Police also conducted a raid in Adampur police station area and arrested one person identified as Rajesh near the Kashi Railway Station here. Nearly 10 litres of illegal liquor was seized form his possession, they said Police also arrested two persons in Lohata police station area and seized illegal liquor from them. The arrested men have been identified as Sanjay Kumar and Shivam, both resident of Varanasi, they said. A raid was conducted in Phoolpur police station area, where police arrested three persons with 15 litres of illegal liquor. The arrested men have been identified as Om Prakash and Gulal native of Varanasi and Jitendra, native of Ghazipur, they said. According to a press release from SSP office, police seized nearly 65 litres of illegal liquor in its raid at various places in the city. Also it conducted a vehicle checking drive and removed black films from nearly 15 vehicles. Mumbai-born strategic expert Ashley J Tellis, who served at the United States embassy in New Delhi and the White House, could be President-elect Donald Trump transition teams pick for ambassador to India, a media report said on Monday. Trump is close to selecting Tellis to be the next envoy to India, transition sources were quoted as saying by The Washington Post. The report described the move as part of behind the scenes efforts by the Trump transition team for its own pivot to Asia. The pivot towards Asia was a concept framed by the Obama administration. As the team that will implement that policy takes shape, whats emerging is an approach that harkens back to past Republican administrations but also seeks to actualise the Obama administrations ambition of enhancing the US presence in the region, the report said. Tellis, currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace specialising in international security and Asian strategic issues, was closely involved in negotiating the landmark civil nuclear agreement between the US and India. Ashley J Tellis: The new US ambassador to India? Was involved in negotiating the civil nuclear agreement between the US and India. Was the senior adviser to US ambassador in New Delhi from 2001-2003. Served on the US national security council staff as special assistant to former US president George W Bush and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia. Has authored books on Indias nuclear programme and Asias security issues. After being commissioned into the US foreign service, he served as senior adviser to the US ambassador in New Delhi during 2001-2003. He also served on the US national security council staff as special assistant to president George W Bush and senior director for strategic planning and Southwest Asia. He has authored books on Indias nuclear programme and Asian security issues such as Indias Emerging Nuclear Posture (2001) and Interpreting Chinas Grand Strategy: Past, Present, and Future (2000). The report about Tellis being Trumps pick for the ambassadorial position in India came as the incumbent, Rich Verma, tweeted after a meeting with actor Amitabh Bachchan that he would depart on January 20, the inauguration day for the next US president. Tonight I told@SrBachchan I will depart as US Ambassador to India on January 20; it has been a great honour to serve India, he tweeted late Sunday night. Under a blanket order, the Trump transition team asked all politically appointed ambassadors installed by President Barack Obama to step down by January 20. Verma, 48, took charge as the US ambassador to India on January 2015. He is the 25th US envoy to India. He had earlier served as an assistant secretary of state for legal affairs. The deportation of 17 Bangladeshis from Assam, scheduled on Monday morning, has been postponed because district authorities in southern Assam did not get clearance from the union home ministry, police said. The exercise is likely to be carried out on Thursday. The 17 were then taken back to a detention camp in Slichar, headquarters of the neighbouring Cachar district, more than 300 km away from Guwahati. Three of the 17 deportees are Hindus, believed to have been hounded out of Bangladesh. The delay in deporting these people who illegally entered Assam over the past few years is because of reasons beyond our control. We hope to complete the formality on Thursday, Pradip Ranjan Kar, superintendent of police of Karimganj district, told Hindustan Times on Monday. The 17 were among 54 people from Bangladesh and Myanmar who were caught after illegally entering India during the past few years. They had been languishing in a detention camp in Silchar Central Jail mainly due to the lack of communication with officials of these two neighbouring countries until 2015. Their deportation followed two rounds of talks between officials of border districts of Assam and Bangladesh. We had handed them over to the Karimganj police at 5 am for deportation via the Border Security Force (BSF), Cachar district police chief Rakesh Roushan said. The 17 people will be deported from Steamerghat at Karimganj town (bordering Bangladesh). Personnel of the Border Guards Bangladesh will be receiving them at Zakiganj (Bangladesh part of the border check post), said A Asthana, deputy inspector general (DIG), BSF, looking after the Karimganj sector. Among those to be deported to 11 districts of Bangladesh are Bhagabati Goala, 50, from Madhabpur district, Rahul Das, 23, from Habiganj district and Mou Das, 18, from Sunamganj district. Last year, on October 13, southern Assam officials had deported 10 Bangladeshis. This followed bilateral meetings between the two governments in 2015 first in January at Silchar and then in October at Srimangal in Bangladeshs Maulvibazar district. The deportation comes amid a raging controversy in Assam over the BJPs decision to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. Assam is particularly wary of becoming a haven for Hindu Bangladeshis if the BJP succeeds in amending the Citizenship Act. The BJP says it will drive out illegal Bangladeshi immigrants. Then, it contradicts its position through its move to grant citizenship to Bangladeshi Hindus by amending the Citizenship Act, three-time former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi of the Congress wondered. The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the BJPs ruling partner in Assam, is angry too. Assam shouldnt be made a dumping ground by being forced to accept non-Muslim immigrants, senior AGP leader and former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta said. A few weeks ago, Mahanta petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee against the Centres move. While other parties define non-Muslims from Banadesh as illegal immigrants, BJP says they are refugees and victims of partition, who fled to India in the face of torture and religious persecution. As per the Assam Accord of 1985, the immigrants, irrespective of faith, who entered Assam after March 24, 1971, will be deported. The Accord was signed in August 1985 by the Rajiv Gandhi government with the All Assam Students Union (AASU) that spearheaded an often violent six-year agitation for ejecting foreigners from Assam. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The sixth and final suspect accused in the molestation case of a woman in the Kammanahalli area of Bengaluru on New Years Eve was arrested on Monday. Deputy commmissioner of police (east division) Ajay Hilori said: We arrested 22-year-old George from Anekal, near Bengaluru. Hilori said George had fled to Anekal and was picked up on the basis of a tip-off. Read: Bengaluru molesters caught on CCTV stalked woman for 3-4 days; 4 arrested The case had caused a national outrage after footage of the victim being molested by two men riding a two-wheeler had surfaced on January 3. The police said George and three others had blocked the roads around the alley where the woman was molested by two of his associates. BSP will not have an election manifesto for Uttar Pradesh polls, its president Mayawati said on Sunday as the party announced a list of 101 candidates for eastern UP, giving a bulk of tickets to upper castes and backwards, in a move take on ruling SP and BJP in the state. Uttar Pradesh goes to polls from February 11 in seven phases that will end on March 8. The results would be announced on March 11. Addressing BSP leaders and office-bearers at its state unit office here, Mayawati said other parties make populist announcements in election manifestoes, but these remained limited to elections. After forming government, they forgot these promises and implemented anti-people policies. BSP will not release election manifesto as people know our party keeps its promises. BSP fulfilled all the promises made to the people after forming the government in 2007, she said, adding that voters have faith in her. The former UP CM highlighted how Narendra Modi had made several promises, including ache din (good days) ahead of 2014 general elections, but these have remained a distant dream for the people two-and-a-half years after he became Prime Minister. She also hit out at Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, whose SP had released election manifesto ahead of the 2012 assembly election. Instead of good governance, the SP rule will be known for lawlessness. The common people are harassed due to SPs casteist policy, she said. The BSP leader said her party would contest assembly election on the formula of sarvjan hitay, sarvjan sukhay (welfare of all communities). Read: Mayawatis UP election strategy: Focus on note ban, SP family feud However, the partys casteist calculations were evident in its list of candidates for eastern UP, which had 36 upper caste and 30 backward caste leaders, and 20 seats have been reserved for Scheduled Caste candidates. While only 10 Muslims have been fielded in the region, which has a number of weavers, leaders of the community have been given the lions share of tickets in western and central UP. Mayawati has fielded Muslim candidates on those seats on which they have a sizable population and can influence the outcome of the poll, a senior party leader said on condition of anonymity. In eastern UP, Brahmins and Thakurs are influential and dominate a large number of seats in Gorakhpur, Basti, Ballia, Ghazipur Varanasi, Jaunpur and Sultanpur, he said. BSP had suffered a major blow in the region in the 2012 polls, winning just 13 seats. Prominent leaders who have been given tickets include Ram Prasad Chaudhary (Kaptanganj), Ganesh Shankar Pandey (Paniyara), Deo Narayan Singh (Sahjanwa), Jai Prakash Nishad (Chauri Chaura), Vinay Shankar Tiwari (Chillupar), Shah Alam alias Guddu Jamali (Mubarakpur), Sukhdeo Rajbhar (Didarganj), Uma Shankar Singh (Rasra), T Ram (Ajgara), Rakesh Tripathi (Varanasi-South) and Rang Nath Mishra (Bhadohi). Also Read: In Mayawatis home turf, BSP fields a Brahmin first-timer for Noida To motivate cadre, Mayawati has denied tickets to 73 candidates who contested 2012 polls. The party has also changed candidates on five seats that it won in the last electionChillupar, Mughalsarai, Bansgaon, Padrauna, and Shivpurias sitting MLAs defected to rival parties. BSP has so far declared candidates for 401 seats and is yet to announce names for Obra and Duddhi in Sonbhadra district. Mayawati, who is likely to start campaigning in west UP next week, also directed candidates to follow the Election Commissions model code of conduct. The leaders were asked to inform the EC if any officer was found working in a biased manner or violating ECs guidelines. The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and seven states on a plea seeking return of unused land, acquired for setting up Special Economic Zones (SEZs), to farmers. A bench comprising chief justice JS Khehar and justices DY Chandrachud and LN Rao sought responses within four weeks from the Centre and states including Telangana and Andhra Pradesh on the PIL. The PIL filed by SEZ farmers protection, welfare associations -- an NGO -- has also sought a CBI probe in the matter. It has been alleged that land has been acquired for setting up of SEZs by the states and mostly the land is lying unused and some corporates have rather taken loan on these plots. The focus is now shifting towards New Delhi for the Congress likely alliance with the Samajwadi Party for the 2017 assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh with the grand old partys Pradesh Election Committee (PEC) giving a final shape to probable candidates for all the 403 seats. The SP is in the middle of an intense power struggle with Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav on one side and his son Akhilesh Yadav and cousin Ram Gopal Yadav on the other. Both factions have been staking claim to the party name and the symbol, asserting majority support. The Election Commission has given both the sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support. As nominations for the first phase of polling will begin on January 17, the unfolding developments in the coming week will be crucial to both the parties. The seven-phase staggered elections in Uttar Pradesh will begin on February 11. The Congresss central leadership hopes that an alliance with Akhilesh could be formalised soon and a tie-up would help both parties. Read | Congress delays UP candidate list as hope of alliance with Akhilesh grows No possibility can be ruled out. But we need to do our work. If there is any truth in this, we all will come to know about it in the next few days, Sheila Dikshit, Congress chief ministerial candidate, said over the phone from New Delhi. Dikshit was referring to the state poll committees meeting being held in Lucknow to make recommendations about probable candidates on all the assembly seats. She too attended the first two days of the PEC meeting last week. A senior party leader said the party was concerned about the feud in the ruling partys first family and it would not like to be the cause of widening differences between the two factions. Senior party leaders may discuss the seat-sharing issue with chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in the next few days, the leader said. Akhilesh has already shown his inclination towards an alliance by saying the alliance with the Congress will win more than 300 seats. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has also met the party MLAs. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi have taken feedback from the party leaders about the alliance and an appropriate decision will be taken once the leaders of both the parties meet in the coming days, the leader added. Read | Tie-up with Samajwadi Party may be Congresss only route back to power in UP Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar is presiding over the PEC meeting in Lucknow. Babbar said he had instructions from the party leadership about the PEC to shortlist candidates for all the 403 seats. We are doing our work and making preparation for all the 403 seats. We will see if anything else is decided keeping in view the partys strategy, Babbar said. Mulayam Singh Yadav had walked out of the JD(U)-RJD-Congress grand alliance before the 2015 Bihar elections following differences over the number of seats given to his party to contest. The anti-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition won the polls. The national party has been relegated to the states political margins after being voted out of power in 1989. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Complaints were lodged with the police against a private school, on charges of violation of model code of conduct for making students watch an interactive video conference session addressed by Union Minister Smriti Irani without the permission from the Returning Officer(RO). Magistrate R K Singh on Monday said that BJP leader Suraj Pal Sharma had arranged telecast of Udan, an event addressed by Irani, at Kranti Kapoor Kanya Inter College. It amounted to violation of the model code since there was no permission taken from the RO for which a non-cognisable report was lodged with the police at Bhojipura police station, he said here. Taking note of the matter, District Magistrate Pankaj Yadav has sought a report from the RO concerned as well as the district inspector of schools. The model code bars schools from being used for holding political programmes without permission from authorities. Counterfeit high-end phones including iPhones and watches like Tissot and Omega brands worth Rs 15 crore were seized by the customs department from Inland Container Depot (ICD) in Dadri near New Delhi. The cargo examination revealed a spectrum of varieties of high-end mobile phones of internationally acclaimed brands like iPhone and Samsung with all top international brands of watches which include Omega Speedmaster, Swiss Rolex, Oyester, UlysseNardin and Tissot Sapphire,. These items were not declared by the importers concerned in their import documents. The seized goods were also found to be counterfeit and piratical, a press release issued today by Noida Customs Commissionerate said. The CRPF has refused to divulge any details regarding the use of pellet guns in controlling mobs in Kashmir during the unrest last summer, even as people blinded by the controversial weapon grapple with darkness. The use of the controversial pellet guns as a non-lethal weapon has been much criticised as its use during the 2016 unrest led to the death of at least 10 people and blinded scores. Despite calls by opposition parties and rights groups to ban the use of pellet guns, the government has refused to do so. In a Right to Information (RTI) query to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), activist Venkatesh Nayak had asked for the Standard Operating Procedures (SoPs) required to be used by the paramilitary force to disperse stone-pelting mobs and large number of people other than mobs. A reply late last month, from the office of the directorate general of the CRPF, said, Security forces, including CRPF, are exempted to provide information except for information related to allegation of corruption/violation of human rights under Section 24(1) of RTI Act, 2005. In the instant matter, there appears to be no violations of human rights as well as facts of the case do not attract the allegations of corruption. Moreover, your application does not make any reference to such allegations. Hence this department is not liable to provide any information in this regard to you under RTI Act 2005. Nayak, a programme coordinator with New Delhi-based Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, also asked the names and addresses of vendors from whom the pellet guns and ammunition were procured. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON At first glance, Gurkanwal Bharti appears like any other teenager -- a college student who talks animatedly about her singing idols and her dreams of making it big in Bollywood. But the 17-year-old is possibly the biggest celebrity in a city known for its iconic Haveli Dhaba. Bharti --- known to millions of her fans as Ginni Mahi -- is the face of a wave of Dalit assertion sweeping Punjab that may change the course of assembly elections next year. Im inspired by Babasaheb and Ravidas ji and sing shabads to explore their revolutionary thoughts of equality and justice, she says. Dalits form a third of Punjab the highest of any Indian state but have had little political representation. We have culture, literature and political consciousness but parties have used us. There has never been a Dalit CM, says writer SL Virdi, surrounded by a galaxy of Dalit writers, leaders and historians in the dhaba. Haveli Dhaba is a destination by itself in the city a sprawling property supposed to reflect an old Punjabi village courtyard with open-air seating and an army of staffers to tend to hundreds of customers, many of whom have driven for kilometers. Inside, the facade of an ubiquitous Tata truck welcomes the visitor as the smell of sarson wafts by. Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player Read | Dhaba bites: Drug menace debate at Punjab eatery is serious food for thought Punjab has had a long history of anti-caste drives, starting from the 1920s, when Mangoo Ram Mugowalia organised Dalits, who started calling themselves ad-dharmis. Our faith is not Hindu but ad-dharm. We are not a part of Hinduism, and Hindus are not a part of us, is what they told the British. An egalitarian Sikh philosophy based on communal langar and sangat further helped many in the community make rapid strides. A worker treats an animal hide at a tannery unit. (Sikander Singh/HT Photo) Today, the chamars (traditional leather workers) have formed their own defiant Ravidassia sect that has separate gurdwaras and doesnt hesitate in flexing its economic and political muscle. But despite the sporadic prosperity and literacy levels doubling in the last decade experts say Dalit lawmakers have been largely ineffective. All parties have marginalised Dalit leaders and cut them down to size, says Ram Lal Jassi, a community leader, pointing at representatives of the Akali Dal, Congress, BJP and Aam Aadmi Party across the table trays of tea and pakoras separating them. The Dalits are divided primarily into the chamars, valmikis and other small sub-castes, who all backed the Congress in the decades that followed Punjabs formation in 1966. But the tide began to turn in the militancy-hit 1980s and despite the Congress boasting of a long list of past Dalit leaders, it has performed poorly in Doaba region in 2007 and 2012. Read | Dalit icons of Punjab: The all-powerful Chaudharys of Doaba The Akali Dal has gained but suffers from an anti-Dalit image stuck on its coalition partner, the BJP. Besides, the Akali swear by the anti-caste Guru Granth Sahib but gives Dalits less power, says Virdi. The Aam Aadmi Party has surged to fill this gap its four Lok Sabha seats won on the back of large Dalit support. Last month, party chief Arvind Kejriwal announced the deputy chief minister will be Dalit if AAP won. This has angered other parties. This is an electoral show. Why didnt Kejriwal ensure a Dalit CM in Delhi? asks former Congress minister Joginder Mann. Sitting opposite, AAPs Chandan Grewal starts laughing. We are just two years old, why are you scared of us? President of the safai workers union, Grewal is one of many ground-level leaders the AAP has tapped. Im here today because of Babasaheb. The BJPs Som Prakash blames the Congress and others for not doing enough to help the community and says the government has made strides for the community. But Bahujan Samaj Partys Balwinder Kumar says all used Dalits without working for their education or jobs. Look at the boycott of Dalits in Sangrur for demanding land. There is widespread disenchantment with the two main parties, who are seen to be interested in maintaining status quo. And status quo isnt good for the community. Caste discrimination is least in Punjab so even small incidents make big news, says an Akali MLA. (Sikander Singh/Hindustan Times) Despite cultural and economic progress, Dalits own just 3% land and any attempt to expand influence is brutally suppressed. Last month, upper-caste Sikhs thrashed Dalits and vandalised homes in Jhuloor, killing one, after demands of possession of land. A Dalit man was chopped up a month before to settle local scores. Experts say dominant communities are angry because Dalit incomes are rising at a time the rest of the state is in a slump. The money has transformed local hierarchies, Dalits are buying properties, moving into upper-caste neighbourhoods and moving abroad. Scheduled castes have begun to assert for equal rights and a share from the resources in the exclusive control of dominant caste groups, says sociologist Surinder Jodhka. Read | Punjab polls: Lefts Dalit voice Bant Singh Jhabbar joins AAP The Akalis are quick to deflect blame for the backlash. Caste discrimination is least in Punjab so even small incidents make big news. The government always raises Dalit issues, says Akali MLA Pawan Tinu. But not everyone is convinced. There is a blood feud for land as many small industries have been ravaged by globalization and Dalit bastis cannot compete with big firms, says writer Des Raj Kali. The once-bustling Boota mandi has shrunk to nearly a tenth of its size as successive governments have refused patronage to local traders with few tannery units surviving the onslaught of foreign synthetic leather. Our incomes fell because of no government support and hostility from cow protection groups and RSS. We will vote as Babasaheb told us, says Mukha Danav from Firozpur as he wheels in a big cart of animal hide for the daily auction. This is second of the five-part series Dhaba Bites ahead of the assembly elections. Police are yet to frame charges against the parents of 13-year-old Jain girl Aradhana Samdariya who died in October last year, less than three days after ending a 68-day fast under the tapasya ritual practised by her community. The Hyderabad teen was declared brought dead at a hospital in the early hours of October 3, and doctors said she had died of cardiac arrest, caused probably by an imbalance in salts. Following a complaint from the Andhra Pradesh State Child Rights Protection Committee, police registered an FIR against Aradhanas parents, Lakshmichand and Manisha, on October 9 under section 304 (2) of the Indian Penal Code (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), and under the Juvenile Justice Act. The child rights body alleged that Aradhana was forced to fast under pressure from her parents, who wanted to overcome losses in their jewellery business. Read | Focus on Jain ritual tapasya after 13-year-old Hyderabad girl dies fasting Child rights activist P Achyuta Rao alleged on Monday that police had deliberately delayed the framing of charges. The mandatory period of filing a charge sheet (in court) against accused persons within 90 days of registering an FIR ended on in the first week of January. It shows the police have given a chance to the parents to go scot-free. He said since the charge sheet had not been filed, the Jain community would argue in court that police had failed to gather any evidence against Aradhanas parents. Even before they do so, we will move the high court again after Sankranti vacations to get an order for expediting the case, he added. Police, however, said they were still conducting investigations. The hospital authorities gave us a report on the cause of Aradhanas death, but we wanted some more clarifications from the doctors. We are awaiting the latest report, Hyderabad (north zone) deputy commissioner of police B Sumathi told HT. Read | Dont interfere: Jain leaders tell activists as girl dies fasting for 68 days She said it was not easy to frame charges in the very complicated case involving the faith of a religious community. First, there is no evidence to prove the girl died of fasting, as she had not complained of any health complications till the completion of the ritual. There is also no proof that the parents had forced her to do it. All the people we questioned said she had taken up tapasya voluntarily. Secondly, not a single person gave a statement to us that she wanted to end her fast much earlier. Thirdly, there is no possibility of doing any post-mortem, as the body was cremated before the complaint was lodged with the police. Aradhanas death had put the spotlight on the Jain ritual of tapasya. Amid debates, many Jain leaders came out in support of her parents, saying they were being targeted and the community was being maligned. According to Jain elders, the tapasya that Aradhana undertook is voluntary and the first of nine steps (nav-pad) aimed at attaining salvation, and is not the same as the ritual of santhara under which the elderly or the sick abstain from food until they die. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Defence experts reacted to Mondays militant attack on a General Engineering Reserve Force (GREF) camp in Akhnoor sector of Jammu, and said the world must take serious steps to end terrorism as there is no doubt Pakistan is responsible for training, funding and helping the militants to infiltrate India. Defence expert Qamar Agha told ANI the attack was a sad news and should be condemned by all international community. This not the first time that such incident has taken place. A number of attacks have taken place this year. It should be condemned by all international community. I believe Pakistan is directly responsible for all these because these militants are being trained, funded and being helped to infiltrate India by the Pakistani military establishment. So the Pakistanis are directly responsible for all these killings of innocent military forces. It is a sad day, he said. Another defence expert, Major General (retired) SR Sinho told ANI that the intensity of attacks have increased in India after the surgical strikes, conducted by the Indian Army on militant targets across the Line of Control in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Pakistani has only been targeting the security forces, camps for the last four to five months and also in the view of the surgical strikes carried out by India, the intensity of these attacks has been increased by these terrorists. The reason being is that the terrorists are the civilians paid by the Pakistanis financially and are trained by them and they know that they will get killed, he told ANI. Akhnoor has been put on high alert following the three labourers death in Mondays attack. The GREF is the parent cadre force of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that builds and maintains border roads in the country. The attack on the GREF camp comes 40 days after militants attacked an army camp at Nagrota on November 30 last year. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament can call Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the issue of demonetisation if it is not satisfied with the answers given by top finance ministry officials and the RBI governor Urjit Patel. The committee had sent a detailed questionnaire to Patel regarding demonetisation. A PAC meeting on this issue has been called on January 20th, in which Patel, finance secretary Ashok Lavasa and economic affairs secretary Shaktikanta Das will be present. We have not yet received answers for the questions we have sent to them. They will reply few days before the January 20th meeting. Their replies will be discussed in detail, PAC chairman and senior Congress leader KV Thomas told PTI. Read | Arun Jaitley says tax figures show note ban had little impact on economy Asked if the PAC would call the Prime Minister if the response was not satisfactory, he said: The committee has all right to call anybody involved in the matter. But that will depend on the outcome of the January 20th meeting. We can call PM on demonetisation issue if members unanimously decide. In a meeting with the PM after demonetisation announcement made on November 8, Thomas said, I had met him and he said that the situation will be normal after 50 days by December-end. But it does not looks like it. PAC then decided to call the top officials involved in the decision-making process this month, he said, adding that the demonetisation has impacted the countrys economy. Read | Congress demands judicial probe into demonetisation The PM is misleading the country to satisfy his ego. He is trying to justify his wrong decisions. He has done in a callous manner by introducing Rs 2,000 notes, he said. In a country where there is a call drop problem and telecom facilities are not smooth, how can PM expect e-transactions would take place on mobiles. Do we have sufficient infrastructure? he questioned. Asked what kind of questionnaire been sent to the RBI chief and top finance ministry officials, Thomas said that the PAC has raised questions on all aspects of demonetisation. Among key questions sought are -- who were involved in the decision-making, how much money has come back into banks after demonetisation, is there a law that can restrict peoples access their money, how much money has been pumped back into the system, if black money issue has been addressed and the impact on the economy and poor. The PAC, which scrutinises the reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), takes suo motu note of the important matters. Read Demonetisation impact to last longer than expected, says economist Jean Dreze Demonetisation: Will Modis attempt to craft corrupt rich vs poor narrative work in polls? The most remarkable thing about the Sethi Dhaba in Zirakpur, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, is its sense of humour: the walls run over with jokes. Let your tears flow, otherwise the standing water will attract dengue-causing mosquitoes, reads a graffiti while a poster on an adjacent wall has the face of the owner next to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the first holding a plate full of cash. But despite the backdrop, the conversation raging at the dhaba is serious. Sitting in a corner, a mix of politicians, experts, college students and locals are discussing Punjabs drug problem a key electoral issue. Its too late, says Ankit Chawla, an undergraduate student at Chandigarhs DAV college. The epidemic has swallowed Amritsar, his home district, the young man adds in a fit of frustration. Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player In 2009, the Punjab government admitted to the high court that twothirds of the rural households had at least one drug addict. On this afternoon, however, Daljit Singh Cheema, Punjabs education minister, reiterated the governments defence. Dont give Punjab a bad name, dont give its youth a bad name. He reminded the others at the table that opium has been a part of Punjabs culture for ages. Farmers have used its pure form to relax after a hard days work in the fields; college students to fortify their nerves before a tough exam. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi has been claiming since 2012 that 70%of the youth in Punjab are addicted. The claim is contested but has added fuel to the raging debate over drug menace in the state in the run up to the assembly elections. Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has promised to root out drugs in a month if his Aam Aadmi Party is voted to power in Punjab. The leaders of the Akali Dal which governs the state currently in alliance with the BJP have mostly responded with denial. Drugs are a problem all over the world, Cheema argued. It rains all over the worldshall we talk about the place thats facing a flood? asks Gurpreet Singh Waraich, a stand-up comedian turned convener of AAP in Punjab. AAP, he claims, is the only one with the guts to break the politician-police-peddler nexus. One of the things the ruling coalition often brings up in its defence is the increased seizure of heroin - a four-fold jump over its two terms that is believed to be routed into Punjab through the golden crescent of Iran, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. The government has also begun to blame the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh for running heroin cottage industries- the states allow the licensed cultivation of opium -to feed off the demand in Punjab. Waraich dismisses Cheemas attempts to channel them (One state is producing narcotics, other state is blamed for consumption) with a firm shake of his head. Lets not talk about seizure or recovery, lets talk about consumption. Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player You want to find the evidence of drug use in Punjab? asks Sukhjinder Randhawa, Congress MLA from Baba Batala, a border constituency. Climb atop an abandoned water tanker or walk through a cemetery - you will find syringes everywhere, he points out. Another generation of Punjabs youth is turning to waste. Drugs are turning the youth of Punjab impotent. This is whats leading to the divorce rates. His solution: Make the politicians accountable to the supreme saint. Every politician should enter the gurudwara after being elected and take an oath over the holy booknot to sell drugs, not to overlook its circulation, not to use it for votes. If the government can pull off demonetisation and surgical strike, why cant it deal with drugs? asks Sonu Sethi, the jaunty owner of the dhaba. Virtual Reality Advertising & 360 Video VR Player I am scared for my sons and I am scared for my students, says Kanwalpreet Baidwan, who is in charge of two teenage boys at home and hundreds of young men at a college where she teaches. We had high hopes in the Akalis. Its the party of gurus. Its a party of Sikhs, who consider intoxicants as a very bad thing. I feel disappointed. Looking squarely at the three politicians at the table, the professor asks them to get their act together. Make my state a safe place for my sons to grow, for my students to grow. The upcoming elections will decide who the people of Punjab trusts the most in keeping them safe. This is first of the five-part series Dhaba Bites ahead of the Punjab elections. Government has decided to file a mercy petition on behalf of family members of two men from Tamil Nadu who were awarded death penalty by Qatars Supreme Court for allegedly murdering a woman four years ago. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, who had sought a report about the case from Indian envoy in Qatar two days ago, on Monday said the embassy has requested Tamil Nadu governments help in filing mercy plea for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal. I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu. I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu @IndEmbDoha /1 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard.@IndEmbDoha /2 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 The court had recently rejected a plea by the Indian Embassy to overturn the death penalty awarded to the duo, both in their 40s, but commuted the life term awarded to the third accused, Sivakumar Arasan to 15 years jail term. While Subramaniam hails from Villupuram, Perumal is a resident of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu who had gone to the Gulf country for better job opportunities. Congress MLA from Tamil Nadus Nanguneri constituency, H Vasanthakumar, had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj, seeking their urgent intervention in saving Subramaniam and Perumal. The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the ruler of Qatar. If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai, he had said in the letter. The then chief minister J Jayalalithaa last year had sanctioned Rs 9.5 lakh to take care of the expenses for filing the appeal in the Supreme Court. Greenpeace activist Priya Pillai will face a criminal defamation case filed by a company, with the Supreme Court on Monday disposing of her plea seeking clarification whether a private firm can file a criminal defamation case citing a recent judgement. Pillai, against whom Mahan Coal Ltd has filed a criminal defamation case for allegedly carrying out negative publicity and protests over purported irregularities in mining activities, said the company can have a civil remedy but not a criminal recourse. A bench of justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and UU Lalit said nothing remained in the matter as the judgement had already been delivered in the case. Nothing remains in the matter. We are disposing of the matter in the wake of the judgement already being delivered on the issue. You have the liberty to persue the remedies as per law, the bench said. The court also granted liberty to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who sought intervention in Pillais plea to file a fresh petition. Pillai, in her petition, had said a corporate entity cannot be imprisoned for criminal defamation and can only be fined. As such in the interest of Article 14 and equality before the law, it should be able to seek damages, not imprisonment. She had said she was the victim of an abuse of justice and process, by which the respondent through Mahan Coal has used the criminal defamation provision in a strategy against public participation, association, discussion and advocacy. The activist in her plea said lodging of a criminal defamation case was not limited to this instance alone, but was part of a pattern of strategic lawsuits against public participation whereby the corporations are using criminal defamation provisions to persecute and limit the discussions and advocacy, and association around issues concerning issues of public interest and participation. On September 5, 2016, the apex court had sought response from Centre saying it is an important issue. We cant just let it go. The issue needs to be examined. The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the Centre to expeditiously decide on the application for a mining lease in Jharkhand by Lakshmi Mittals Luxembourg-based steel manufacturing company ArcelorMittal which intends to set up a 12 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) steel plant in the state. Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva asked the government to take a decision before January 11, 2017 -- the last date for executing a mining lease with the state government and listed the companys plea for hearing on January 12. The court also issued a notice to the Centre on the companys plea claiming it was entitled for grant of mining lease under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) (MMDR) Act as it satisfies all the requirements provided under the statute. According to the company, once the Centre communicates the previous approval as required under the Act for grant of a mining lease, or if a letter of intent is issued by the government to grant a mining lease before the Act was amended in 2015, the lease will be granted subject to fulfilment of the conditions of the previous approval or of the letter of intent within a period of two years from the date of commencement of the Act. ArcelorMittal has claimed that the two-year period ends on January 11, 2017. Womens groups are planning nationwide rallies on January 21 to protest the alleged mass molestation in Bengaluru on New Years eve, and subsequent comments by politicians blaming the women for the crime. The protests, publicised under the hashtag #IWillGoOut on social media, are meant to coincide with the Million Women March in Washington on January 21, the day after Donald Trumps inauguration as president of the United States. Several women said they were groped and assaulted by a mob on a crowded central street of the technology hub Bengaluru on December 31, despite the presence of a large number of policemen. The Karnataka home minister later said such incidents do happen, while another politician blamed women for following western culture, dressing inappropriately and staying out late. That something like this could happen in a city like Bengaluru, in a crowded public space, is shocking. It could have happened to any of us, said ElsaMarie DSilva, founder of Safe City, an online project that collects reports of harassment and maps areas unsafe for women. To see these reactions from authorities who are meant to protect us is even more distressing. The attacks, reminiscent of those blamed on migrants in Germany last year, have shocked women across India, since Bengaluru -- home to young technology professionals -- was regarded to be safe for women. The politicians comments echo those made after previous incidents of violence against women, including the fatal gangrape of a young woman on a bus in New Delhi in December 2012. That incident sparked nationwide protests and led to stricter rape legislation. It also led to a campaign by womens groups called Why Loiter? that encouraged women to walk the streets of their cities at night, to defy men who said women should not be out at night following the Delhi rape. More than 34,000 rapes were reported in India in 2015, according to the National Crime Record Bureau. More assaults go unreported because women fear being stigmatised. The Million Women March in Washington is in response to Trumps attitude toward women, and fears that his presidency could set back or destroy many womens rights. Similarly, activists hope the marches in at least a dozen cities in India will draw attention to womens rights and the patriarchal mindset that blames women and questions their right to be out, said DSilva, who is organising the event in Mumbai. We dont talk enough about violence against women in this country, nor are we doing enough to prevent it, she said. We must keep up the pressure on our institutions to ensure our safety, and keep pushing for a change in attitudes and behaviour towards women. A court in Jodhpur on Monday fixed January 18 for pronouncing the verdict in the Arms Act case against Salman Khan and asked the actor to be present on that date. The court of chief judicial magistrate fixed the date after final arguments from both the sides completed. Final arguments of the case had started on December 9, 2016. A case against Khan was registered under the Arms Act by the police in October, 1998 for alleged use and possession of arms with expired license during alleged poaching of two black bucks in Kankani village. The case was filed by the forest department. If convicted, Khan could face imprisonment for seven years. Special Investigation Teams (SITs) will be set up for time-bound probe into deaths that took place during the unrest in Kashmir Valley last summer, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti said on Monday. The state government will also resume the process of reviewing the cases of those held under the Public Safety Act (PSA), she told the legislative assembly here. I want to tell you, we will constitute special investigation teams at the district-level which will have to give time-bound reports. And if there is a need for anything further, we will go ahead, Mehbooba said while responding to oppositions demand for a judicial probe into the deaths during mob control by security personnel during the five-month unrest. Read: Pakistan and separatists derailed peace process, Kashmir unrest planned, says CM She was replying to a discussion on the Kashmir situation under an adjournment motion moved by the opposition members. The state government had earlier told the assembly that 76 civilians, besides two policemen, were killed during the unrest that erupted after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year. About 2,690 cases had been registered in connection with stone pelting incidents, 16 cases in weapon looting and snatching in Kashmir and 463 people had been detained under the PSA, the government had said. The chief minister said six people had lost vision in their both eyes whereas 20 others were left with a damaged eye during the unrest. Over 100 people had an eye injury. Over 4,500 personnel of police and security forces were also injured while safeguarding the life and property of the people, Mehbooba said. With regard to demand for rehabilitation of families of those who lost their lives, she said, They are our own children and we have to ensure their rehabilitation. We have kept an amount of Rs five lakh ex-gratia as compensation for the next of the kins in case of deaths. In any such extreme case, the government is committed to provide jobs to the next of the kins to these families and the children who have lost their eye sights, our government is ready to provide jobs to their family members. Also read: Kashmir: 66 weapons looted, 59 joined militancy since Burhan Wanis killing Those with permanent disability will get Rs 75,000. Mehbooba said, I was told in New Delhi that the government will ensure free education to them (who lost support system) in top schools on the pattern of Doon school so that they can stand on their feet and need not depend on anybody. She appealed to the opposition to help her heal the wounds of the people. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee urged President Pranab Mukherjee on Monday to save the people of the country from the hardship caused by demonetisation and the resultant cash crisis, while claiming that the CBI was being used to victimise her party. I urge the President, who is the constitutional head of the country, that if some government through its arbitrary decisions takes the country to the brink of disaster, as the protector of the Constitution give protection to the people and save the people, the Trinamool Congress chief said. Famine has started. Indications of the beginning of the famine are coming. So save the people. If people dont survive then nothing will happen, she said while inaugurating the Mati Utsav (Soil Festival) here. Asking the common people to rise in protest, Banerjee said, there will be some hardship, but someone has to bell the cat. Trinamool Congress will do that. We will take care of all the hardship that may befall us owing to our protests, she said. Earlier in a series of tweets, she demanded lifting of the restrictions imposed from time to time by the Centre. Restrictions should be removed. Hardships being faced by millions due to #DeMonetisation, she said. Trinamool Congress is organising nationwide protest against Modi babus shameless flop-show #NoteBandi, she wrote in another tweet. Banerjee claimed that her party and its leaders were being victimised for protesting against the demonetisation of high value notes and its fallout. They (BJP-led Centre) have turned the CBI into a Conspiracy Bureau of India, she said referring to the agencys arrest of TMC MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam. We dont care about that. If he can, Modi babu may put all of us in jail, but we will not stop talking for the people, she added. Even if they take us from Bengal to Odisha, Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, it does not matter, every place is our country, Banerjee said. But when people react then where will Modibabu go? she said. She said some small leaders are now talking big. These people will flee to America, London or Switzerland, but they will remain here. Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav downplayed differences with his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday, blaming one person for a crisis that has engulfed Uttar Pradeshs ruling party ahead of state polls. My son and I will settle the issue, ANI quoted him as saying in Delhi. He was in the Capital to meet the election commission to stake claim to the partys popular election symbol, the bicycle. Uttar Pradesh goes to the polls in seven phases beginning February 11. There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud; sure that issues will be resolved, Yadav said. The election commission will decide on the symbol. Read | I am Samajwadi Party president, Akhilesh is Uttar Pradesh CM, says Mulayam There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud; Im sure that issues will be resolved. The SP has been consumed by a factional fight between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal Yadav, who is seen to have Mulayams backing. Several rounds of negotiations have proved inconclusive with both groups approaching the EC. The Rajya Sabha chairman reported receiving letters from Mulayam informing Parliament of the expulsion of Ramgopal Yadav. Ramgopal, a cousin of Mulayam, is a key Akhilesh aide and organised an emergency national convention earlier this month that replaced Mulayam with the CM as party chief. Minutes after Mulayam left the EC, Ramgopal arrived at the poll panels office to submit signatures of party office bearers to bolster the factions claim of being the original SP. We had come to the election commission to urge them to expedite the decision (on party symbol) as nominations will start soon, he told ANI, adding that he didnt want to comment on Mulayams comments. We had come to the election commission to urge them to expedite the decision (on party symbol) as nominations will start soon. On Saturday, Ramgopal had furnished documents running into 150,000 pages to the EC to prove the legislative majority of the faction led by them. Ramgopal claims Akhilesh has the support of over 90% of the legislators. The EC now has to decide who will get to use the name and the cycle during the polls. In case the poll panel is unable to verify the legislative majority of either group, it has the option of freezing the symbol and the name and asking both factions to pick a new name and symbol in the interim. Read | Samajwadi Party feud: The 4 issues Akhilesh Yadav camp is worried about The Prime Minister is entitled free travel on Indian Air Force planes for which no bills are raised, IAF said in a RTI response. Commodore (Retd) Lokesh Batra had sought information from the Prime Ministers Office on the laid down procedure for clearing bills of IAF BBJ aircraft chartered flights for the Prime Ministers foreign visits. His application was transferred to the defence ministry which sent it to the Indian Air Force. The air force in its response said,...Prime Minister is entitled for free airlift in VVIP aircrafts (sic) of the IAF. No bill has been raised for such airlifts. Giving background of the application, Batra said under the RTI link on the PM India website on details of expenses incurred on air travel in respect of foreign visits of the Prime Minister there was no mention of the expenses incurred by IAF on such visits. It is observed that under the column Expenses incurred on Chartered Flight; between the period August 2014 to May 2016...the Prime Minister had made five foreign visits by IAF BBJ Aircraft Chartered flights. However, there is no mention of expenses incurred on foreign visits by the Prime Minister by chartered IAF BBJ aircraft flights, he said. The union ministry of law and justice has decided not to increase the sanctioned strength of judges in high courts, despite an ongoing tussle between the judiciary and the executive over vacant judges positions in high courts and a demand from the judiciary for creating new posts. There will be no new positions of judges created in 2017. It has been decided that the focus should be on filling existing vacancies, a senior official in the ministry said. The ministrys decision to keep the number of judges positions at the current 1,079 across 24 high courts could lead to more friction between the executive and the judiciary. The previous chief justice of India TS Thakur, who was at loggerheads with the Narendra Modi government throughout his tenure over vacancies in the judiciary, said last December that more judges posts must be created. Read | HT Exclusive: SC should make judges appointments transparent, says MoS for law Speaking at a judicial officers conference in Bengaluru on December 19, Justice Thakur said the delay in sanction of new judges posts and filling vacancies of judges in High Courts has rendered the judiciary inadequate in delivering the constitutional mandate. He retired on January 3 with Justice JS Khehar taking over as the new CJI. The government is of the view that the high courts have enough positions of judges and filling up the positions would take care of the problem of cases piling up. There have always been vacancies to the tune of 30% in the judiciary, a ministry official said. The ministry now wants the Supreme Court collegium a body of five top judges of the country that selects judges for the SC and HCs to finalise the new memorandum of procedure (MoP) pending with it since August. The government had carried out amendments in the MoP after a bench headed by Justice Khehar called for measures to improve the collegium system and make it more transparent. The Centre believes the appointment of CJI Khehar puts a moral obligation on the collegium to recommend names under the amended MOP which has been pending for approval of the collegium for five months now. Read | Not just judicial vacancies, headless tribunals also add to backlog of cases SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has earned praise worldwide for the effective use of social media for helping Indians abroad. On Sunday, though, the external affairs minister was irked by a Twitter users request. A Pune-based software developer, who goes by the handle @smitraj07, tweeted to Swaraj requesting a transfer for his wife who apparently works in the Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh) railway division. @SushmaSwaraj Can u plz help us in ending our banwas in India? My wife is in Jhansi Rly employee and I work in Pune in IT. Been a year+. https://t.co/WFL7KTaNiz Smit Raj. (@smitraj07) 8 January 2017 Swaraj, in a curt reply, tweeted to Smit Raj If you or your wife were from my Ministry and such a request for transfer was made on twitter, I would have sent a suspension order by now. Swaraj also tagged railway minister Suresh Prabhu to look into the IT professionals request. However, Prabhu tweeted saying he was not responsible for transfers and forwarded the request to the railway board. If you or your wife were from my Ministry and such a request for transfer was made on twitter, I would have sent a suspension order by now. https://t.co/LImngQwFh6 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 8 January 2017 1/Thanks @SushmaSwaraj ji for bringing it to my notice.As per policy laid by me,I don't look into transfers.Railway Board empowered for same https://t.co/WSqxinGx1u Suresh Prabhu (@sureshpprabhu) 8 January 2017 Raj tweeted saying he has filed three RTIs but has not got a response. He chose to describe his situation as banwas or exile, the same word Swaraj had used to respond to a man from the US trying to get his wifes passport cleared. Ohh ! This banwas should end soon. @CPVIndia https://t.co/w4cqRYTMis Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) 8 January 2017 The external affairs ministry has recently launched a Twitter Seva to enable timely, transparent and large-scale response to citizens tweets in real time. The Twitter Seva service will be supported by 198 Twitter accounts of Indian missions abroad and 29 regional passport offices. Swaraj was named in the Global Thinkers of 2016 list compiled by the Foreign Policy magazine. The magazine recalled how, when around 10,000 Indian workers in Saudi Arabia faced a food crisis earlier this year due to job losses, Swaraj tweeted about the issue to six million followers on the social media website. Chairman of the Parliaments audit watchdog Public Accounts Committee (PAC) which is reviewing demonetisation on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi can be called before the panel if all members agree. While KV Thomas clarified there was no immediate plan to seek Modis personal explanation which would be an unprecedented step he also underlined the panel has the authority to summon any person, even the PM. We have powers to summon anyone... Even the Prime Minister and the ministers... that question will come later only. Not now. It, however, is highly unlikely as pro-NDA members have a majority in the panel. This is not a joke, said a pro-NDA MP. Another MP said, If the panel requires any comment from the PMO, it can, at best, send written questions. Talking to reporters in Kochi, Thomas said, We have powers to summon anyone... Even the Prime Minister and the ministers... that question will come later only. Not now. Thomas remarks raised the memories of UPA rule when BJPs Murali Manohar Joshi-led PAC wanted to summon the then PM Manmohan Singh. The plan led to an ugly face off between BJP and the UPA lawmakers. Joshi was finally unable to submit the report. Thomas, however, said the PAC is waiting for the RBI and the finance ministry to submit their reports. He said the panel has asked RBI Governor Urjit Patel and senior bureaucrats of the finance ministry to appear before the panel on January 20 for scrutiny of the note ban. When asked if the panel will summon PM for finance minister, he said, It is the panel which takes decision on such matters. Decisions will be taken only after the PACs January 20 meeting . The PAC generally takes up issues for scrutiny on the basis of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)s report. But in the case of demonetisation, it has taken suo motu cognizance of the matter.\ Read| RBI says will release numbers on demonetised notes at earliest SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday blamed Pakistan as well as separatists for derailing the dialogue process by shutting doors on the All Party Delegation. She also said the preparations for the five-month long unrest in Kashmir were made in advance and when the triggers like separate Kashmiri Pandit Colony and Sainik Colony did not work, the killing of Burhan Wani triggered the unrest. The three-month unrest, which started after the killing of militant Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, left more than 100 people dead. Prime Minister Narendra Modi went to Lahore and it was followed by the Pathankot terrorist attack and today in Jurian. The entire nation had their eyes on those (separatists) doors and the nation was breathless to see the outcome and several senior leaders went to meet them. They could have opened the doors, Mehbooba said while replying to a discussion on the Kashmir unrest in the state assembly. Read: Akhnoor attack: 3 civilians killed after militants raid GREF camp in Jammu A message would have gone and they (separatists) would have told the All Party Delegation what they have done in the past and what steps have they taken to resolve the issue, she added. Referring to the unrest in Kashmir, which left several people dead and many injured, the chief minister said the unrest took place under a well-planned conspiracy. Earlier they used the issue of separate Kashmiri Pandit Colony and then Sainik Colony to trigger the unrest but when they failed, this (Burhan Wanis killing) provided them the trigger they wanted, Mehbooba said. Preparations were made in advance as from the very next day, slogans were being raised in mosques and a number of CDs were distributed. Read: J-K CM should resign for casual approach during Kashmir unrest: Omar Abdullah Some elements used small kids as shields and pushed them inside the security force camps and police stations, she added. It is easy to say that the security forces could have exercised restrain but when a mob attacks a police station with petrol bombs, stones and axes, it becomes difficult to exercise restraint, Mehbooba said. Many school children did not go to the school in uniform as they feared they would be attacked. Several students who went to give examinations were accompanied by their mothers who were carrying doctors prescriptions to show them (protesters) that they were going to see the doctors. They were so scared, she added. The chief minister said she wanted the walls of hate to fall down and let hearts meet. Despite several provocations, Union home minister Rajnath Singh went to Pakistan but was it the way they should have treated him? Mehbooba said. Also read: Kashmir: 66 weapons looted, 59 joined militancy since Burhan Wanis killing Asking the Opposition to help her heal the wounds of the people, she said, I strongly feel that the situation was not sudden and going on for several years. My request is that be it 2010 or 2016 it should not have happened, either on your time or ours.Help us heal the wounds of the people and bring them out of this, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive here on Monday afternoon on a two-day visit to inaugurate the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit (VGGS) and chair a roundtable with 60 CEOs of Fortune 500 companies in Gandhinagar on Tuesday. On Monday, he will preside over pre-summit events in Gandhinagar and Ahmedabad. Touted as the biggest of the biennial business summits, which was conceived and launched by Modi when he was Gujarat chief minister in 2003, the eighth edition will see more than 6,000 delegates participating in eight seminars and business-to-business and business-to-government meetings. State guests to be present at the inaugural ceremony on Tuesday include Presidents of Kenya (Uhuru Kenyatta) and Rwanda (Paul Kagame); Prime Ministers of Portugal (Antonio Costa) and Serbia (Aleksandar Vucic), and Deputy PMs of Russia (Igor Ivanovich Shuvalov) and Poland (Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki). Memorandum of Understanding worth Rs 30 lakh crore are expected to be signed during the summit. After the inauguration, Modi will chair the CEO Roundtable on Transforming India. John Chambers, chairman of global technology giant Cisco; Bertrand-Marc Allen, president of Boeing International; and CEO of French electricity giant EDF, Jean-Bernard Levy are among the international CEOs to be in attendance. From India, Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and other leading industry captains will be part of the CEOs Roundtable as well as the inauguration ceremony. The Centre is also putting its weight behind the summit. Besides the Prime Minister, 11 union ministers including Arun Jaitley, Manohar Parrikar, M Venkaiah Naidu, Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari are expected to attend the event. On Monday, Modi will inaugurate Nobel Prize exhibition Ideas Changing the World at Science City in the evening where he will meet nine Nobel laureates from across the globe. At the five-week long exhibition, which is being seen as one of the high points of the summit, the Nobel laureates will interact with students, scientists, industry leaders and policy makers. Among the scientists is Indian-origin Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, who shared the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2009 with Thomas A Steitz and Ada Yonath. Other laureates who will take part in the summit are Richard J Roberts (1993, Medicine), Harold Varmus (1989, Medicine), David Gross (2004, Physics), Serge Haroche (2012, Physics), Randy Schekman (2013, Medicine), W E Moerner (2014, Chemistry), H C Harmut Michel (1988, Chemistry) and Ada Yonath. In another engagement Monday evening, Modi will inaugurate the Global Trade Show at Helipad Exhibition Ground in Gandhinagar. The exhibition covering more than 25 sectors is spread over 14 halls across 1,25,000 sq mts, which is said to be the countrys largest exhibition area. PM Modi will also inaugurate work for a revamped Gandhinagar railway station which will also house a hi-tech 300-room five-star hotel. The project cost is pegged at Rs 250 crore. Though Gandhinagar is not among the busiest stations of Gujarat due to its proximity to Ahmedabad where most trains terminate, the hotel is being constructed keeping in view the large number of delegates coming to the capital for the biennial Vibrant Gujarat summits. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Portuguese Prime Minister should apologise for the atrocities committed on its former Goa colony and the consulate should be shifted out of the state, a former minister said on Monday. He should first apologise to Goans first, for all the hardships and atrocities Portugal has committed in Goa while they were ruling, MGPs Chief Ministerial candidate and former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar told reporters in Panaji. The amount of destruction they also did while leaving Goa in 1961 by blowing up bridges and the mayhem they orchestrated is unforgivable, Dhavalikar said. His comments come a day before Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is of Goan origin, is scheduled to visit the state. Dhavalikar however said, that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would not protest against Costas visit because he is a son of the soil visiting his home state. The minister also said that the reason why Goans were seeking a Portuguese passport was because of the presence of the consulate in the state and demanded that it be shifted. They are trying to lure our youth with the help of the consulate. It should be shifted out of Goa immediately, he said. Goa was one of Portugals oldest colonies and was liberated by the Indian Army from colonial in 1961. After the liberation, all Goan natives were granted Indian citizenship by the union home ministry via a common notification. The growing bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar seems to have upset the Congress calculations in poll-bound Punjab. At the just concluded 350th Parkash Utsav here, Sikh devotees from Punjab and other states were all praise for Kumar for his excellent arrangement. However, Nitishs silence on Congress chief ministerial candidate Captain Amarinder Singhs invite to him to campaign in poll-bound Punjab continues to baffle local leaders. Capt, who attended the birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh at Patna Sahib, had praised Nitish for the success of the grand function and invited him to campaign for the party in Punjab, where elections are slated next month. The party could definitely benefit from the Bihar CMs visit to Punjab in view of the states role in Parkash Utsav. However, it should not be taken as if the credit for the successful celebration went to Nitish only. He is leader of the Grand Alliance (GA), which also comprises the RJD and Congress, said Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) chief and education minister Ashok Choudhary. Party insiders felt that it would not be surprising if Nitish Kumar declines to visit Punjab in view of his changing attitude towards Modi. Recently he lauded the Centres decision on demonetisation and later on its ordinance making possession of scrapped currency notes an offence, they added. The JD(U)s inordinate delay in revisiting the demonetisation issue as promised by Kumar is another reason that has kept the Congress leaders guessing. Kumar had promised to review the partys stand on demonetisation after the PMs 50-day deadline expired on December 30. However, the JD(U) is still to review it. Prompt support to the Centre on GST and surgical strikes by Kumar too did not go down well with the Congress. Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Akhilesh Singh said the party would not have needed Kumars support had it made a concerted effort to cash in on the Parkash Utsav. The party has failed to utilise the opportunity offered by Parkash Utsav to woo visitors from Punjab,said Singh. Singhs assertion hinted at the absence of any senior party leader during the PMs visit to Tent City, the makeshift gurdwara for Prakash Utsav. While senior GA leaders like Lalu Prasad and deputy CM Tejashwi Prasad Yadav attended the function, Congress leaders were conspicuous by their absence. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Even as the Akhilesh Yadav camp of the Samajwadi Party (SP) is encouraged by both the organisational and public support to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, there are four concerns that have them worried. The ruling SP is in the middle of an intense power struggle with party patriach Mulayam Singh Yadav and his brother Shivpal Yadav on one side and Mulayams son, Akhilesh, and cousin Ramgopal Yadav on the other. Both the factions have staked claim to the party name and the symbol, asserting majority support. The first of seven-phase assembly elections begins on February 11. The first is the battle over the party symbol, currently being fought in the Election Commission. Both factions are vying for the bicycle for its recall value among old voters and its association with the party. Read: Yadav family feud: Mulayam to meet poll panel today with his list of legislators But a close aide of CM Akhilesh told Hindustan Times, Even if we dont get the ticket, we think we will manage. This is the age of WhatsApp and Facebook. Within minutes, the party symbol will get communicated to every village in the state; the CMs poster with the symbol will be everywhere within days. Others are not as hopeful and believe that old voters may still cast their ballot for the bicycle out of habit and building a brand in such quick time is not easy. The second challenge, which the Akhilesh camp admits has kept the CM worried too, is the absence of campaign activity. We had major plans to be out on the field right now. But because of this fight, the CM is stuck in Lucknow mobilising support to defeat the designs of rivals. So we have not been able to increase our contact with the people, the aide said. Indeed, in travels in Purvanchal, it was clear that the only party which had campaigned at all was the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The SPs campaign was almost invisible. Read: How family feud ended anti-incumbency for UP CM Akhilesh Yadav The third challenge is ticket distribution, and the uncertainty over it. Unless we have greater clarity about the alliance with the Congress, we cannot decide on all candidates. The second problem is that in the process of mustering support in the internal feud, we have taken the support of many existing MLAs who now expect us to reciprocate by giving them tickets - but they may not be the best candidates, a legislator close to the CM told HT. Mayawatis Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) has already declared its candidates; the BJP is expected to do so by January 15. Akhilesh has got many independent surveys conducted to judge the popularity of candidates, but the delay has upset calculations. And the fourth worry for the CM remains his father. Attempts at truce have failed - and it is learnt that even when the two met in the past week, substantive conversation was very limited, with Mulayam Singh Yadav just reiterating that he remained the party chief and would make decisions. Read: Samajwadi Party strongholds Etawah, Mainpuri root for Mulayam-Akhilesh patch-up This is no longer acceptable to Akhilesh, who is well aware that any compromise now would dent his image. But what concerns them is what Netaji may do next. We genuinely believe he is being controlled by the wrong set of people. He may make an appeal; something may happen to him; he is in a very unpredictable state of mind, the CMs aide said. To take advantage of the enthusiasm for the CM, his team is hoping for a favourable outcome on these four fronts - getting the symbol, kickstarting campaign, getting clarity on alliance and candidates, and getting Netaji to politically retreat, and remain quiet for the next month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Monday he and his son Akhilesh would settle their differences, blaming cousin Ramgopal, who has backed the young CM in the family feud, for the crisis. With barely a month to go for the polls to open in Uttar Pradesh, the 77-year-old reached out to his son in the evening again, telling news agency ANI that Akhilesh would be the chief ministerial candidate of the SP. For the benefit of the entire state, our party stands united. There is no question of any division whatsoever we will begin campaigning soon. Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, there is no doubt about that, he said. The remarks, however, are unlikely to cut ice with Akhilesh as they fail to address his demand for Amar Singhs ouster and a greater say in the allotment of party tickets. But the biggest sticking point is Ramgopal Mulayam wants him out but Akhilesh is unlikely to desert him. Earlier in the day, the two factions made competing claims in front of the elections commission for the party symbol a bicycle. Before heading to the EC headquarters, Mulayam sent a letter to Rajya Sabha chairperson Hamid Ansari, informing him about Ramgopals expulsion from the party and as the leader of the parliamentary party. Akhilesh is expected to meet Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi later this week to take the SP-Congress alliance talks forward. Mulayam, said SP sources, was not keen on the tie-up. The SP has been battling a damaging power struggle between Akhilesh and his uncle Shivpal, the younger brother of Mulayam, for months. Matters came to a head on the New Years Day when Akhilesh ousted Mulayam to take over as the SP chief at an emergency party meeting called by Ramgopal. On Monday, Ramgopal asked the poll panel to expedite the verification of the affidavits of support submitted by their camp so that a decision on the party symbol could be taken at the earliest. In his letter, Mulayam told EC he was the party president, asking the poll panel to verify the authenticity of the affidavits submitted by Ramgopal. The EC passed on Mulayams letter to the Akhilesh camp, seeking a response. Even as he petitioned the EC, Mulayam downplayed differences with Akhilesh. My son and I will settle the issue, he said. There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud; sure that issues will be resolved, Mulayam said. Minutes after he left, Ramgopal arrived at the poll panels office to submit signatures of party office-bearers in support of the partys claim of being the original SP. We had come to the election commission to urge them to expedite the decision (on party symbol)?as nominations will start soon, he said. The EC will have to verify the claims of both sides. In case it doesnt have the time to cross-check the claims, it can freeze the symbol as well as the name. The two factions will then have to pick new names and symbols. Read| Samajwadi Party feud: The 4 issues Akhilesh Yadav camp is worried about Countrys largest lender SBI has waived Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on debit card transactions for all small merchants with annual turnover of up to Rs 20 lakh for one year. This, SBI said, has been done with a view to helping small merchants overcome apprehensions towards joining the journey by installation of PoS terminals in their shops. State Bank of India has decided to waive completely, the MDR charges on debit card transactions for all small merchants having annual turnover of up to Rs 20 lakh, for a period of one year -- up to December 31, 2017, it said in a statement. SBI further said the move is targeted primarily towards a segment of population and small merchants, who have not yet experienced the convenience of card payments. And, by actively canvassing the smaller merchants, the Bank is trying to live up to its motto of being a Banker to every Indian, the state-owned bank said, while affirming its commitment to promoting the governments digital initiative. To build-up the PoS acceptance infrastructure across the country, especially in areas which hitherto had low digital penetration, SBI has been deploying terminals in smaller towns, semi urban and rural areas since beginning. Close to 70 per cent of its PoS terminals are deployed in non-metro centres, and these can be found in more than 4,400 centres, SBI said. Going digital brings a lot of benefits not only to the countrys economy, but also to merchants, in particular, by way of increased customer engagement and analytics, MIS, ease in account-keeping, auditing, and handling of cash, it said. Small merchants, however, sometimes are not able to realise/perceive the benefits, and consider MDR charges a drain on their profitability, it added. Read| Banks-petrol pumps battle over transaction fees may hit Modis cashless India dream The Supreme Court on Monday will hear the appeal of the convicts in the December 16 gang rape case. The four convicts - Akshay, Pawan, Vijay and Mukesh - have challenged the Delhi high court order which had sentenced the four convicts to the gallows after keeping in view the fact that it was a rarest of the rare case. The arguments in the case were being heard by an apex court bench headed by justice Dipak Misra. Earlier, the SC had declined the request by two amici curiae - senior counsel Raju Ramachandran and Sanjay R Hegde - to withdraw from assisting the court in the hearing of the appeals by the convicts in the gang rape case. Asking both to continue assisting the court in hearing of the appeals by the four accused convicted and sentenced to death, the three judge bench comprising of justices Dipak Misra, R Banumathi and Ashok Bhushan said: We can appreciate the anguish expressed by the learned amici curiae. Six people gangraped a 23-year-old physiotherapy intern in a moving bus and thrashed her and her male friend. They then violently raped and attacked her, and threw both of them from the moving bus on Dec 16. The woman succumbed to her injuries in a Singapore hospital on December 29, 2012. The incident led to large scale protests across the country, forcing the government of the day to make strict and punitive laws related to harassment of women. One of the accused, Ram Singh hanged himself in prison, while another man, who was a juvenile at the time of the crime, was convicted in August and will serve the maximum sentence of three years in a reform home. Meanwhile, on December 3, amicus curiae Sanjay Hegde questioned the evidence produced by the prosecution in the gang-rape case, and came out with certain points putting a question on the merit of evidence. According to Hegde, one of the convicts, Mukesh, was not with the prime culprit Ram Singh when the offence was committed, since their mobile locations were found to be different on that night. The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a petition filed by a Mumbai-based woman seeking a higher compensation from the doctor who while treating her during pregnancy had allegedly transfused HIV-infected blood that led to the death of her five-month-old child twenty years ago. Appealing against the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission (NCDRC), the woman said the panel had erroneously given her Rs 5 lakh compensation and directed the doctor to pay Rs 12,000 every month till her lifetime. She has also demanded a compensation of Rs 19.78 lakh and a declaration from the top court that both the doctor and the blood bank were responsible for giving her contaminated blood after she was operated upon on January 21, 1997. A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur issued notices to the doctor and the owner of the blood bank seeking their responses. The doctor has already challenged the commissions order that indicted them for not obtaining consent from the woman or her husband. In her petition, prepared by Lawyers Collective, the woman complained that the commissions view was against the medical evidence she had produced. She was HIV negative during her pregnancy and the factum of HIV was established in her and the child within four months of the delivery. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A bank officer on Monday claimed in a Delhi court that he was threatened by officials of Enforcement Directorate (ED) and his statement was recorded under pressure in a case of alleged irregularities relating to the conversion of old currency and supply of new notes post demonetisation. 33-year-old Shobit Sinha, now a suspended manager (operations) in Axis Banks Kashmere Gate branch here, claimed before Additional Sessions Judge Dinesh Bhatt that he wanted to retract his statement taken by the investigating agency as it was taken under duress. Sinha alleged that ED officials had threatened him and his family. Special Public Prosecutor Vikas Garg, appearing for ED, opposed Sinhas claim saying it was an after-thought and the retraction statement was being made by the accused following legal advice and it cannot be accepted. He further said several recoveries have been made from Sinha and the bank official did not state any such thing while he was in EDs custody. The court also extended till January 23 the judicial custody of Sinha, 32-year-old Vineet Gupta, now suspended branch manager in the banks Kashmere Gate branch, and Rajeev Kumar Kushwaha, suspected to be the mastermind behind floating of shell companies. During the hearing, Garg said the judicial custody of the accused should be extended as investigation in the case was at a crucial stage. The court also fixed January 13 for hearing arguments on bail plea of Gupta in which he has said that he had no role in currency conversion and no recovery of articles have been made by ED from him. He has also filed an application before another court seeking to surrender in a related case lodged by Delhi Police. ED had lodged a criminal complaint against the two bankers and others based on a Delhi Police FIR after three persons were intercepted with Rs 3.7 crore cash in old currency a few days ago in front of the bank. ED had claimed that their probe had revealed that Rs 39 crore in cash was in question and several companies were involved in the case. It had said a gold brick worth Rs 39 lakh had been recovered from Sinha and another was yet to be found, which were alleged to be taken as commission. It had claimed that Kushwaha used the identity documents of various persons to form shell companies through which cash deposits of Rs 39 crore were made between November 10 and November 22 in close connivance with the two bank managers. More than 10 days after the Madras high court asked for clarification over the death of J Jayalalithaa who died in harness as chief minister, the Tamil Nadu government said in a statement it will file its response in a sealed cover. The HC had asked for a clarification in response to a PIL filed by PA Joseph, a member of the AIADMK. The HC has postponed the case to February 23 in response to the state seeking time to gather the necessary information. Apollo Hospital, where Jayalalithaa spent the last 75 days of her life, said it will pass on her medical records only to the deceaseds blood relatives, a point raised by the bench when they questioned the petitioners locus standi on the matter. Joseph had replied that although he was not a blood relative, he was a member of the ruling party and a citizen of Tamil Nadu, and therefore entitled to know what exactly had happened to the former chief minister. On December 29, a bench comprising Justice Vaidyanathan and Parthiban observed that We have personal suspicions about Jayalalithaas death. Justice Vaidyananthan had also said There were reports of her eating, talking, attending meetings, and signing documents. How did she die all of a sudden then? At least now after her death, the truth should be revealed, in reference to the numerous press releases Apollo Hospital had provided as well as statements from party spokespeople during Jayalalithaas convalescence. The bench also went on to say that the court could order the exhumation and post-mortem of Jayalalithaas body. Even after death, you have not given medical records. Why cant we order exhumation of the body? the HC said. The bench went on to issue notices to the Prime Minister, state and central governments. Jayalalithaa was declared dead on December 5 after suffering a cardiac arrest a day earlier. She had been hospitalised at Apollo Hospital in Chennai since September 22, and was initially admitted for high fever and dehydration. Initial medical bulletins from the private hospital stated that the former actress was stable and under treatment. Three brothers chopped off hand of a youth who allegedly harassed their sister over the phone even after she got married. The three men chopped off his hand with a sword and took it with them. The incident took place in Gorakhpurs Sinduli Binduli village on Monday. The victim Rajman was admitted to BRD Medical College in a critical condition. He had been jailed earlier for abducting the girl. The accused -- Umesh, Kamlesh and Mithilesh -- are on the run and cops have launched a manhunt to arrest them. As per reports, the incident occurred when Ramjan had gone to a nearby riverbed to relieve himself. The three brothers arrived on a bike and attacked Rajman with sword. Two of them caught hold of him while one chopped off his hand. They fled from the scene of the crime, leaving behind the injured victim. The brothers were looking for an opportune moment to avenge their sisters continuous harassment by Rajman. Earlier, the two sides clashed with each other when Rajman was released from jail, circle officer Abhay Mishra told reporters. He said police will file an FIR against the accused on the basis of a complaint filed by Rajmans family. Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav will meet the election commission on Monday with affidavits of support from legislators and party functionaries, indicating that rumblings caused by a family feud are far from over. Having asserted himself as the party president and therefore, the rightful candidate for the SP party name and symbol, the bicycle, Singh appears unruffled by the counter claims of support for his chief minister son Akhilesh Yadav. An embittered struggle for control over the party has pitted Mulayam Singh against Akhilesh just a month before assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. On Saturday, his cousin and Akhilesh loyalist Ramgopal Yadav had submitted documents running into 150,000 pages to the EC to prove the legislative majority of the faction led by them. Ramgopal claimed Akhilesh has the support of over 90% of the legislators. Ninety per cent of the legislators and delegates are with Akhilesh Yadav, therefore, it is crystal clear that we are the real SP and should be given the cycle symbol and considered the real SP, he told reporters after handing over documents. The senior Yadav, however dismissed the claims at a media interaction in the Capital on Sunday, reminding Ramgopal that he stands expelled from the party. With his party colleague and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh by his side, Mulayam also maintained that his brother Shivpal Yadav continues to be the president of the Uttar Pradesh unit of the SP. The war of words among the Yadav clan comes amid efforts by party leaders such as Azam Khan to broker an agreement between the two factions before the first of seven-phase polls begins on February 11. As both sides are laying claim to the party name and symbol, the EC now has the task of deciding who will get to use the name and the cycle during the polls. In case the poll panel is unable to verify the legislative majority of either group, it has the option of freezing the symbol and the name and asking both factions to pick a new name and symbol in the interim. . SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Jaipur divisional commissioner, Rajeshwar Singh, took charge as vice chancellor of the University of Rajasthan on Monday, after incumbent JP Singhal resigned the day before. Governor Kalyan Singh, who is chancellor of the university, accepted Singhals resignation and appointed the divisional commissioner as vice chancellor. The state government selected Singh, a 1989-batch IAS officer, for the post. Singhal resigned after the Rajasthan high court questioned his eligibility for the post while hearing a petition on January 2. He courted controversy soon after his appointment in August 2015 with the Congress alleging that he did not fulfil the UGC-prescribed eligibility criteria for the post but was made vice chancellor because of his purported proximity to the RSS, the ideological fountain of the states ruling BJP. Singhal apparently didnt have a PhD, which the opposition Congress contended is necessary for a person holding the universitys top post. His successor, Singh, is a postgraduate in history. He was principal secretary in the animal husbandry, transport and tourism departments as well as Jaipur collector for two years from 2005. On his first day in the university, he visited the administrative and finance blocks and the central library. He also visited the universitys health centre and Hindi, history and political science departments. Today was basically an introductory day. I am trying to understand the system first and will then do whatever needs to be done for improvement, Singh said. He called a meeting of deans of faculties, department heads, college principals, and directors of centres under the university on Tuesday. The stage is set for the annual show for booklovers. The Jaipur Literature Festival, to be held between January 19 and 23, is expected to be a veritable feast this year with over 250 acclaimed authors, including Anne Waldman, Swanand Kirkire, Vikram Chandra and Tahmima Anam, to attend the event at the Jaipurs Diggi Palace Hotel. Having hosted 1,300 speakers and nearly 1.2 million book lovers over the last decade, the event has grown into the countrys biggest literature festival. Organisers of the festival, in a press communique, said over 250 authors, thinkers, politicians, journalists and popular culture icons were expected to attend the event this year. American poet, Anne Waldman, who has penned over 40 poetry books, will make her maiden visit to the literature festival this year. Waldman is the author of Manatee/Humanity, an investigative hybrid-poem that explores the nuances of inter-species communication and compassion, and feminist epic The Iovis Trilogy: Colors in the Mechanism of Concealment, which won her the 2012 PEN Center USA Award. Her latest works include, Gossamurmur and Voices Daughter of a Heart Yet to be Born. Hindi author Narendra Kohli and Indian-American author Vikram Chandra are likely to return to the literature festival this year. Indian-American writer Vikram Chandra to attend Jaipur Literature Festival. (File Photo) Kohlis Abhyudaya, written in four parts, is the first novel in any language to deal with the entire Ramayana, while Chandras critically acclaimed novel Sacred Games was recently turned into an original series by Netflix. Two-time national award winner, lyricist and theatre actor Swanand Kirkire is also like to attend the event this year. British-Bangladeshi writer, novelist and columnist Tahmima Anam will attend the event for the third time. She won the Best First Book Commonwealth Writers Prize in 2008 for her book A Golden Age that is set on the backdrop of the 1971 war of independence for Bangladesh. Her latest novel, The Bones of Grace concludes this trilogy. American journalist Dexter Filkins, who was a part of the winning team for the Pulitzer Prize in 2009 for their dispatches from Pakistan and Afghanistan, will also be seen at the festival. Filkins is at present writing for The New Yorker magazine. His book, The Forever War, was a New York Times best-seller. British poet Ruth Padel, writer-journalist Simon Winchester, Italian writer and publisher Roberto Calasso and Scottish art historian Neil MacGregor will also attend the festival. A tweet by union external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj has brought back hope for a Ghana couple who was struggling to get proper treatment for their four-year-old daughter Abena, suffering from cerebral palsy, in Allahabad. The couple had received a tourist visa due to which it was not possible for them to stay back in Allahabad for five months needed for treatment. As the news reached Sushma Swaraj, she tweeted that Ghana couples visa will be increased on the advice of their doctor so that the child could get treatment. After the assurance tweeted by Swaraj, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Jitendra Jain, who is providing treatment to Abena, and her father Richmand have speed up process for the extension of visa. Abenas parents Richmand and Fustina had sent an email to the ministry of external affairs for extending visa from February 2, 2017 till June. On receiving the assurance, Abenas father Richman left for Ghana to take care of his other daughter. Abenas mother Fustina, who was very happy, said at one point they lost all hope of staying back in India. Now, I can feel that Abena will recover from the problem and will be able to walk and lead a normal life. We are eagerly looking forward to that day, she added. Dr Jitendra Jain, who specialises in treatment of cerebral palsy, said the process had started for getting medical visa. The treatment will involve surgery, exercise and physiotherapy. The parents will also be trained for providing different therapies to Abena, he said. 7-year-old boy found dead inside Mumbai ration shop A day after the body of a 12-year-old boy was found stuffed inside a suitcase near Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), a seven-year-old boy was found dead inside a ration shop on Monday morning in Kurla (West). According to officers from Vinoba Bhave Nagar police station, the boy lives nearby the ration shop and was missing since Sunday night. Read Are Maratha protests in Maharashtra losing steam? By late September 2016, the silent Maratha protests had reached a crescendo in the state with nearly 20 districts more than one third of Maharashtra covered by agitators demanding reservation in jobs and education for the community. Read 9.5 million fliers travelled across India in Dec, the highest for 2016 According to a travel portals traffic analysis report, Indias domestic carriers ferried 9.5 million fliers the highest recorded in a month last year. The report by Ixigo.com also stated that traffic between October and December accounted for one-third the total fliers volumes in the year. Read In last 3 years, card fraud cases witness 13-fold rise in Mumbai Mumbai of all the cybercrimes cases registered in Mumbai, those pertaining credit/debit cards have seen a spike in the recent years with a significant rise from 320 cases in 2015 to 409 cases in 2016 (till December 25). This rise has been registered despite the number of arrests made in such cases increasing every year. Read Big B flags off Road Safety Week in Mumbai Bollywood star Amitabh Bachchan joined hands with Mumbai police and Highway police to flag off the Road Safety Week in Mumbai on Monday. Bachchan said he was greatly influenced by the work of traffic police and downloaded the traffics MTP application even before the panel discussion ended. Read A body of an unidentified boy was found in a suitcase near the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) on Sunday night. The boy is aged between 12 and 15, the police said. According to the police, the suitcase was found near a secluded spot close to LTTs parcel department, adjacent to Shivkripa chawl at Tilak Nagar in the eastern suburbs. The police are checking profiles of missing minors to check if the boy matches any of them. Police stations in the city will be alerted with the description of the minor. Police are checking if the suitcase was parcelled from the nearby terminus or transported via the rail route. the police suspect that it may have been brought from somewhere else to be dumped at the secluded location. The body is not decomposed and was found with the clothes intact, said Shahji Umap, deputy commissioner of police, Zone 6. Few local residents spotted the opened red suitcase. They were shocked to see the minors body after which the police control room was informed around 8pm. The body has been wrapped in a saree. The police will check CCTV footage to of the nearby areas for clues. The police are also questioning people in the vicinity. The police will register a murder case. The crime branch will also conduct a parallel probe. Also read: Newborn girls body dumped at Mumbais Juhu beach SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A month-and-a-half after the state mangrove cell identified 66 bungalow owners, including comedian Kapil Sharma, with illegal extensions to their homes at Versova, the district collector will issue notices to 53 bungalow owners for mangrove destruction and illegal extensions. The home owners along the 1-km stretch near Janki Devi Public School, Andheri (West), starting from Sharmas bungalow, will be given two weeks to respond, after which the collector will initiate action, including demolition if responses are unsatisfactory. Mumbai suburban collector Deependra Singh Kushwa confirmed that 53 bungalows violated the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and destroyed mangroves through debris dumping, which is also a violation of Bombay high court rules. We are already in the process of issuing notices to individual home owners starting Monday and the process will be completed very soon, said Kushwa. Our circle, revenue and sub-divisional officers have been directed to follow up with bungalow owners for a timely response. Mangroves protect the city from coastal inundation and harbour a variety of flora and fauna. The violation in this area first came to light in September when the mangrove cell had submitted a report to the Mumbai suburban collectors office, regarding destruction of mangroves by Sharma. On September 18, the Versova police registered a first information report (FIR) against Sharma under the violation of Environment Protection Act, 1986. Noting a PIL filed by Bombay Environment Action Group an NGO in Mumbai in 2005, the Bombay high court banned the destruction of statewide mangroves and construction within 50m of them. After Vanashakti filed another PIL, the HC banned all reclamation and construction on wetlands in 2014. HT had first reported in November that the mangrove cell submitted a report highlighting 66 of 73 bungalows having illegal extensions less than 50m away from thick mangrove cover. Taking cognisance of the report, Kushwa instructed the mangrove cell to carry out another investigation at the site and simultaneously directed his own officials to do the same. On November 24, his office issued notices to the civic body and Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (Mhada). The BMC has shared only half the information regarding illegal extensions. They need to inform us about the number of bungalows that violated HC orders before 2005, said Kushwa. Another reminder has been sent to Mhada. If there is a violation from their end action will be taken. Environmentalists welcomed the move. Proactive steps are being taken by all authorities to safeguard the environment unlike the previous government. Illegal extensions need to be removed and mangroves restored, said Godfrey Pimenta, trustee, NGO Watchdog Foundation. It is good that the state machinery has woken up, but whether these steps will translate into concrete deterrence on ground still has to be seen, said Stalin Dayanand, project director, NGO Vanashakti. Also read: Kapil Sharma booked for destroying mangroves near his home SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Mumbai of all the cybercrimes cases registered in Mumbai, those pertaining credit/debit cards have seen a spike in the recent years with a significant rise from 320 cases in 2015 to 409 cases in 2016 (till December 25). This rise has been registered despite the number of arrests made in such cases increasing every year. Sources, however, claimed the number of card fraud cases is much higher than what the records show. As per the statistics made available by the Mumbai Police, about 32 cases of card fraud were registered in 2013 in which 20 persons were arrested. Significantly, 183 cases were registered in 2014, wherein 22 persons were arrested. this number further rose to 320 cases and 32 arrests in 2015 and 400 cases with 54 arrests (till December 25) in 2016. A police officer said the number of people getting cheated in credit/debit card fraud cases is much higher that what the records show. The number victims is at least twice the number cases registered. Many a time, victims do not register cases or approach us because the amount is small for example Rs5,000 or Rs10,000. There is also an unknown number of burking incidents, wherein police refuse to register complaints. A phishing victims, who fell for a debit card fraud, said, A fraudster duped me by posing as an official from my bank. He told me that my card will be blocked due to the demonetisation. I gave him all details and the One Time Password (OTP) I received on my mobile phone. Later, I received an SMS alert stating that money has been withdrawn from my account. Thats when I realised that i had been scammed. Instead of registering my complaint, the cops taunted me for falling such a scam despite being well-educated. The silver lining, however, is fact that many people are now aware that banks never calls their customers asking to furnish bank account or ATM card details, OTP or PINs . The Mumbai police twitter handle receives such complaints from people regularly and the phone numbers are forwarded to the Cyber police station. An officer from Cyber police station said that many fraudsters, who pose as bank officials on phone, are based in a north Indian states infested by Naxals, making it difficult to arrest them. Dos and Donts to avoid getting scammed 1. Dont provide photocopies of both the sides of the credit card to anyone. The three-digit card verification value (CVV), which is required for online transactions, is printed on the backside of the card. Anyone can use the card to make online purchases with the help of your CVV. 2. Dont click links in e-mails seeking your bank account or card details, these could be phishing e-mails from fraudsters. Most reputed companies will ask you to visit their website directly. 3. While using a credit card for making online payments, check if the website is secure. 4. Dont give any information to persons seeking credit/debit card information over phone. 5. Notify your bank/credit card issuer if you do not receive monthly statement on time. If a credit/debit card is misplaced or lost, get it cancelled immediately. Also read: Well-read, financially sound are favourite targets in banking frauds, bogus schemes Thane anti narcotics cell seized 140kg of Alprazolam worth Rs19 crore, after raiding a factory in Ambernath on Saturday. Four people were arrested. Police said 754kg drugs were seized in total, samples of which have been sent to the forensic laboratory as cops are unsure about their nature. The company had a licence to produce 27 kinds of drug but produced other controlled substances too. Cops laid a trap and arrested Amit Godbole, 32, and Lovkush Gupta,26, on Friday from the Talao Pali area with 6kg of Alprazolam worth Rs15 lakh, that they planned to sell. They spilled out the information on the factory and a raid was carried out. The other accused, Anil Rajbhar,25, and Baswaraj Bhandari, 27, were arrested on Sunday. The factory, Centaur Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, at Moriwali village in Ambernath has 250 employees. It has branches in Goa and Pune and the police probing international link ups too as the company is based in America. Six teams raided the factory. Police sub inspector, Amol Walzade from Thane anti narcotics cell, said, We found out about the factory from the initial arrests and rushed to the spot. During our search operation, we found a cavity near the steam pipe in a corner of the factory, dug it up and found 65 drums of Alprazolam in it. The FDA and other agencies are also investigating the case. Walzade further added, Amit owns a pharma agency in Ambernath while Lovkush is cylinder supplier. The other two are factory employees. Deputy commissioner of police, Thane, Parag Manere, said, Alprazolam treats anxiety disorder. We are in the process of arresting more half a dozen people as it seems to be a big racket. We have detained a few. The factory have been seized. Thane police commissioner Param Bir Singh said, We have also found that the company was involved in producing more than 55 types drugs, of which they had permission for 27. We are investigating everything. READ MORE 3 Nigerians arrested with drugs worth Rs12 lakh SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON After nearly two months, the local crime branch in Thane finally solved the murder of a Bandra boy, who was stoned to death by three friends. The accused spiked the victims drink and murdered him at Ghodbunder, in Kashimira in November. Hindustan Times had reported the story on November 2. The victim, Shivshankar, also known as Nikunj Shivprasad Chaurasia , 23, was a resident of Girgaum and had gone missing from his paan stall in Bandra. His father registered a missing complaint on November 27. The three accused Kamlesh Sahni, Rupesh Sah and Mantu Patel were friends with Nikunj. Nikunj was flamboyant and would display his wealth to impress his friends, who got jealous as they were jobless, said Praful Wagh, assistant police inspector at the crime branch. The trio hatched a plan to rob and then murder him. On the night of November 22, the accused took Nikunj to a bar in Bandra. After a few drinks, they purchased a few bottles of rum from a wine shop. The four went to Bandra bandstand where the victim was offered the drink that the accused had spiked. Rupesh spiked the drink with sedatives that he had got from his native village in Bihar, said Wagh. After Nikunj went unconscious, the trio hired a cab and took him to a desolate spot in Kashimira, where they first robbed him and then smashed him with a boulder. The accused have confessed that they hit Nikunj with the boulder at least eight times until his face was disfigured. They removed his clothes and fled from the spot, said Wagh. After the missing complaint was filed, we looked for Nikunj and found his body in Kashimira. We started a probe and luckily got CCTV footage from the paan shop, where the accused could be seen accompanying Nikunj. We detained Kamlesh from his Nalasopara home first and he told us about the other accused, said Wagh. Rupesh worked part-time as a security guard in a nearby building and would come to the paan shop after duty to chat with Nikunj. That is how they became friends, said the officer. After the murder, Rupesh and Mantu escaped to Bihar and we picked them up from there. The victim was cremated on November 26, which also happens to be his birthday. The accused were produced in court and remanded in police custody, said Wagh. READ MORE Aarey murder: Mumbai cops use victims dog to recreate crime scene 13 years after Canadian doctors murder in Mumbai, trial to start With a season full of civic and rural elections, including polls to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), close at hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Maharashtra government cleared the decks for a third memorial in a row this one for Dr BR Ambedkar. The state government published a draft notification to reserve 2.03 hectares falling under the ecologically-sensitive Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) for the grand memorial. Earlier this month, the state government issued an ordinance for the sea-facing mayors bungalow near Shivaji Park to be formally set aside for a memorial for former Shiv Sena chief the late Bal Thackeray, looking to earn the goodwill of thousands of Shiv Sainiks across Mumbai. Prior to that, last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi set the foundation stone for a Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea to soothe an irate Maratha community after a wave of state-wide protests last year. The Ambedkar memorial, estimated to cost Rs425 crore, will come up on Mumbais sea-front at Indu Mills in Dadar, a stones throw from Chaityabhoomi where his ashes were interred. It will be built over an area of 4.84 hectare. Of the 4.84 hectare, the state government has already reserved 2.81 hectare that does not fall under CRZ for the memorial. The Union environment ministry recently issued a notification with amendments to the CRZ notification regarding construction of the Ambedkar memorial. With the environment ministrys go-ahead, we have decided to set aside the remaining area falling under CRZ for the memorial too, an official from the state urban development department said. The decision will, however, first be subject to suggestions and objections from the public before the state issues a final notification. Also, despite the entire area now being reserved for the memorial, the state government will not be able to proceed with any work until the physical hand over of the plot, which housed a mill that is now defunct, from the Union textiles ministry to the Maharashtra government. Although the Union cabinet approved the transfer in August last year in exchange of Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), the National Textile Corporation is yet to actually give possession. A state government official said, The handover is stuck in the modalities of differences between two Acts. As per the Sick Textiles Undertakings (Nationalisation) Amendment Act, the Centre wants to receive the compensation before releasing the plot, whereas the states TDR policy mandates transfer of land first before generating TDR on it. The technicalities will be sorted out soon. Also read: Ambedkar memorial in Mumbai gets Class A status SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Maharashtra education department is set to accelerate efforts to implement its initiative to improve education quality in Maharashtra over the next two months. The programme is being hurried after the department failed to meet its Key Result Area targets for the year. Renaming the programme as Jalad Pragat Shaikshanik Maharashtra (Fast-paced Progressive Education Programme), the department will take swift efforts to turn all the classrooms digital give tabs to every child, interactive board inside each class, equip them with projectors and others. This would also help to discourage students from dropping out of school and to ensure that children out of school are absorbed into the formal schooling system. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had given us targets to bring down the drop-out rate in secondary section. Despite our efforts we were unable to meet them, said Nand Kumar, principal secretary of the department, in a government resolution issued recently. Under this programme, the main focus will be to make digital classrooms in all government schools. This means that each child must have at least one tab; interactive boards set up inside each class, equip them with android sticks, projectors and other devices that will help in engaging their attention. Going digital doesnt mean teaching only through projectors or interactive boards in class. It means changing the teaching learning experience in schools so that they can prepare students to become 21st century learners, said Kumar. The department has already turned 25,000 schools in Maharashtra digital in the last year. Teachers would be trained to become tech-savvy and develop online educational content which would be more appealing to the students, claimed sources. WhatsApp groups will be formed to promote exchange of ideas among teachers. Training on effective leadership and management will be imparted to teachers to transform them into better planners and visionaries, added Kumar. He also said that to curb drop-outs, rapid learning programmes would be implemented in schools, which would focus on improving the learning levels of academically weak students and prevent them from failing and dropping out of school. The schools will also give education guarantee cards to students, which will help them when they migrate to other cities or states. Also read: Maharashtra schools to go smart, teachers to mark attendance on online application SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The city has become the first Indian city to have WiFi connectivity in public places. The state activated 500 hotspots on Monday just before the BMC polls. The service will be free until the end of this month. It will then be free up to 100MB, after which users will be charged at comparative rates that are yet to be finalised. The project will cost the state exchequer Rs194 crore for the first five years. Government officials said it remains to be seen if this will work at a later stage. Concerns are also being expressed over its misuse by hackers. Officials insisted they have used the best technology to make its safe for people. The CM took to Twitter to announce the news. Happy to dedicate Phase 1 of #MumbaiWiFi. From this instance, 500 WiFi Hotspots go live across various locations. #MumbaiWifi is Indias largest Public WiFi service & one of the largest globally too, he tweeted. It means at these 500 locations, which includes tourist spots, railway stations, important junctions and educational institutions, people can use WiFi services that will be free until January 31 as part of the first phase of the project. In the second phase, 1,200 WiFi hotspots will be activated by May 1, 2017, Fadnavis said. The list of the 500 locations is being uploaded on government portal Aaple Sarkar. The hotspot coverage area will reflect in users WiFi list as Aaple_Sarkar_Mum-Wifi. It will ask users mobile number to complete the log-in process and once it is entered, the user will receive an OTP (One-Time Password). After entering the OTP, the user will be connected to the internet. Hacking into the service is, however, a concern for experts. Parents could also be worried their children may use the free WiFi to watch porn. Vijay Mukhi, cyber expert said there is no WiFi service that cannot be hacked into. The problem is that the user is not very proficient with technology. A hacker standing next to him can steal his username, OTP and password. These are common pitfalls for public WiFi all over the world, Mukhi said. My advice for people is to avoid banking transactions using public WiFi, he said. VK Gautam, principal secretary of states information technology department, said the concern is a valid one. We have enabled many security levels to ensure it is safe and secure. First, it is linked with your mobile number and users can log in through an OTP. This will enable us to track users activity. We also have very strong firewall system at the data centre, he said. Gautam added: We have also taken a lot of efforts to ensure people cant access porn sites. Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL), the government-owned telecommunications service provider, is providing bandwidth with a speed of 20Mbps. The state government has also created a Twitter handle @AS_Mum_WiFi asking people to give feedback and issues they are facing while using the WiFi services. The project is being completed by Larsen and Toubro that had implemented the CCTV surveillance project in Mumbai. Read more: Two new Metro lines, 194-cr WiFi project for Mumbai SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Taking one more step towards making Mumbai cleaner, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) launched Mumbai Toilet Locator application to help people find public toilets, on Monday. The application, currently available for Android users, will provide information and location of 800 public toilets across the city. BMC will later sync all the public toilets in the city. With the mobile application, user will get information and location of the nearest public toilet, direction to it and the distance from your location. The application will help commuters, especially those on highways, where the only option is to go to nearby restaurants, said a civic official from the soild waste management department. BMC recently constructed 13 toilets on Western and Eastern Express Highways. After securing 10th position in Swachh Bharat survey last year, BMC is making efforts to improve the rank. The surveyors are again in the city for 2017 survey, for three days from January 7 to 9. In 2105, the citys ranking was abysmally low at 147th. After two years of identifying 118 locations in the city where open defecation takes place, the BMC has managed to eliminate 44 from that list. At the remaining 74 locations, 611 mobile toilet seats have been placed. In the past two years, the civic body also constructed 200 toilet seats. The survey criteria includes one toilet in every 500 metres. Two years back, the civic body had planned over 2,300 toilet seats but has managed to construct only 1,641. Further, in a hurry to declare the city open-defecation free, the civic body routed to installing 800 mobile toilet seats at about 95 locations and spending around Rs3 crore, in the last two months alone. Also read Salman donates five mobile toilets, urges people to keep Mumbai clean Lack of toilets restrict access to public spaces for differently abled women 48 mobile toilets to make Bandra, Carter Road open defecation free SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON You will have to wait a little longer for a single-ticketing system for the various modes of transport in the city. The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has turned down Transport for Londons (TfL) offer to prepare a detailed plan for an Integrated Ticketing System (ITS). Reason: The MMRDA said it was too expensive. TfL is a wing of the Greater London Authority, which is credited with the launch of the Oyster card, a single-ticketing system in London. TfL was to submit a report in three months, following which the MMRDA was to invite tenders for the execution of the system. The MMRDA has floated bids for the appointment of a consultant after the decision. Their offer was expensive, so we have floated the bids for consultancy in December, said UPS Madan, metropolitan commissioner, MMRDA. A senior MMRDA official said, They [TfL] had quoted around Rs3 crore as fees. Apart from that, we had to pay for their teams accommodation during the three-month period. This would have made the entire project very costly, said the official, who did not wish to be named. The official said MMRDA is now expecting a bid offer of around Rs1 crore for the consultancy. Interestingly, the MMRDA recently spent over Rs1.5 crore for a three-hour foundation laying ceremony of mega projects in the city. Transport experts slammed the decision and said the authorities should give priority to simple solutions that benefit the common man. I dont think cost is an issue as Rs3 crore is not a huge sum for MMRDA. With competitive bidding, which is the standard practice, they might find some agency with cheaper fees, but may not be as effective, said Sulakshana Mahajan, urban planner and transport expert. Until now, all plans for an integrated ticketing system, which has been under discussion for more than half a decade, have hit some or the other road block with different public transport utilities failing to come to a consensus. READ Maharashtra CM: Single ticketing system for Mumbai in six months SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Noida entrepreneurs association (NEA) has urged the Noida authority to strengthen banking services in the industrial sector, which is under pressure after demonetisation. Banks fall under the commercial category, and, without a change in policy, the Noida authority cannot allow setting up bank branches on industrial plots. The industrial unit owners want a change in the policy so that banks can be allowed to provide services to those working in the industrial sector. The Central government had, on November 8, 2016, announced the demonetised of 500 and 1,000 currency notes with an aim to promote digital transactions and discourage the use of cash. However, around four lakh workers employed in 8,000 industrial units in Noida are yet to open bank accounts to get their salary through cheques or RTGS (real time gross settlement) fund transfer. As the Centre has made it mandatory that employers should pay salaries though either bank transfer or cheques, industrial unit owners have been facing a tough time paying to those who do not have bank accounts. There are 367 bank branches in Gautam Budh Nagar district; however, due to the crowds at banks after the demonetisation announcement, many workers were not able to open bank accounts easily. There should be around 100 more bank branches in Noida. We have requested Gautam Budh Nagar district magistrate for allowing more bank branches in the industrial area. We now plan to meet Noida authoritys chief executive officer, said Vipin Malhan, president of NEA. According to NEA, private banks have refused to open accounts of workers at zero balance. As a result, labourers are rushing to government banks to open zero balance accounts in order to get their salary. The government banks alone cannot handle the pressure as the staff is overburdened, said AK Singh lead bank manager of Gautam Budh Nagar. Many workers are also facing problems in opening bank accounts as they do not have proper identity and address proofs of Noida. Many officers are being run on industrial plots, which is a non-industrial activity. Then, why cant the authority allow banks in the areas. The authority should either allot new plots for banks in industrial areas or allow banks on industrial plots as per needs in a particular area, said Malhan. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A house on the third storey Shakti Khand-1 of Indirapuram caught fire on Monday when an eight-year-old girl was trapped inside. She was rescued by her neighbours, who broke a windowpane of the house for entry. It took the police and the fire department one hour to douse the fire. The incident took place around 12 noon when the girl, Vaishnavi, was alone at her home in Shakti Khand-1. Her parents had gone to work. Her father, Santosh Kumar, is a physiotherapist at a private hospital in Indirapuram and her mother, Anju Kumar, works with a private firm in Noida. The parents had locked their daughter inside the house and went to work as her school was shut due to the cold weather. Around 12 noon, neighbours heard Vaishnavi shouting and saw smoke coming from the house. Some of the neighbours and locals broke the windowpane in the balcony of the house, Anil Kumar Yadav, circle officer, Indirapuram, said. Neighbours then called the police and the fire department, who took around one hour to douse the fire. Vaishnavi said that the fire started in the washroom. Around 12 noon I went to the washroom and I switched on the light. It seems that I also switched on the immersion rod, which was hanging from the plug, accidentally. I then went to watch TV. After some time, I smelt smoke and saw that the washroom was full of smoke. I started shouting and ran towards the balcony. The balcony door was also locked, Vaishnavi, a class 3 student of Modern Academy, Indirapuram, said. The girl did not sustain any injury, however, she was taken to the hospital as she complained of congestion in her chest. The neighbours also informed her family who rushed back home. The fire department officials confirmed that the fire started in the washroom, as a washing machine caught fire on coming into contact with the immersion rod. The immersion rod was switched on and came in contact with the washing machine, due to which it caught fire. There were a lot of dry clothes inside the machine that also caught fire immediately. The fire engulfed the washroom area and some other parts of the house, Ajay Sharma, fire safety officer, Vaishali fire station, Ghaziabad, said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Congress believes it lost the 2012 Punjab elections to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dals populism. So this time round, the party manifesto for the February 4 elections promises the moon to voters, leaving no section untouched from cows to chowkidars (watchmen). The manifesto was released on Monday by former prime minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi along with state party chief Captain Amarinder Singh and simultaneously in Chandigarh by manifesto committee convener Manpreet Badal, who said the bonanza will cost the state exchequer Rs 10,000 crore annually. While the Congress gave fiscal prudence the go-by, it promised probity in the government. The party said it would loosen its purse strings for the needy but check government expenses. The manifesto also promises to bring the chief minister under the ambit of the lokpal. The fight against corruption would include vetting of all government contracts/tenders above Rs 50 crore by an ethics committee. It said the party will end the politician-police nexus promoted by the system of halqa in-charges of SAD and set up fast-track courts for drug cases and confiscation of property of drug dealers. The 120-page document with pictures of Manmohan, Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Amarinder and the Congress symbol hand, has left no section untouched. Cows may not be voters but they can make a vote bank. The Congress manifesto tries to steal the BJPs thunder and vote bank by promising to open one gaushala (cow shelter) in every block and provide help in running them to NGOs at the rate of `30 per cow, per day. For chowkidars, it has declared an increase in remuneration to Rs 2,000 a month. SUBSIDISED TAXIS, TRACTORS After rolling out schemes to register youth for 50 lakh smart phones with one year free data and one job, per family, the manifesto promises to give 1 lakh taxis and commercial vehicles to youth every year at subsidised rates under the Apni Gaadi, Apna Rozgar scheme. After registering farmers for debt waiver under Karza-Khurki Khatam scheme, the party manifesto also offers them 25,000 tractors and other agricultural implements at subsidised rates. The state government will stand guarantee for the loans, which they will have to repay in 5 years. The poll doles dont end here. The party promises to bear expenses of 200 meritorious poor and Scheduled Caste students every year at universities abroad under a scheme named after late chief minister Partap Singh Kairon who, Manpreet said, had studied at Michigan university and was the architect of modern Punjab. For the less meritorious students from all sections, it has promised free textbooks. Taking inspiration from late Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaas Amma canteens, the Congress promises a decent meal for Rs 5 in state canteens. From the Aam Aadmi Party, it has borrowed the idea of setting up mohalla clinics and from West Bengal, the Community Medical Srevice comprising trained health volunteers. To outwit neighbouring Haryana, it has announced a jump of Rs 2 crore in prize money for Olympic gold and silver medalists from the state. QUOTA POLITICS The manifesto promises 33% quota to women in government jobs and educational institutions and increase in quota for other backward classes (OBCs) from 12 to 15 percent in jobs and 5 to 10 percent in educational institutes. It has come up with another 3% reservation in government jobs and 5% in educational institutions for those living within 30 km of the international border. For SCs, there are free homes or 5 marla plots, 30% quota in government residential and commercial plots and free education up to graduation, including free board and lodging in professional colleges. To woo industry, the party promises to freeze power tariffs at Rs 5 per unit for five years and a no jail clause under a new industrial policy. The document, which starts with the partys vision for Punjab, also includes a 10-page chargesheet on the ruling SADBJP government titled, Its a SAD Bad Show here. Forced to be part of long queues at ATMs and banks since November 8, when the Prime Minister invalidated 86% of the countrys cash in circulation, the past two months have tested the patience of the city residents as they grappled with the economics of less or no cash. Yet, most people have braved the inconveniences for the larger good that has been promised to them through demonetisation. The situation in Chandigarh has settled down. As HT team visited a couple of banks on Sunday, most ATMs had cash and hardly any residents were seen complaining or queuing up outside the ATMs. At the bank square in Sector 17, the Bank of Baroda ATM witnessed maximum rush. People shared that they faced no difficulty while withdrawing money. The Union Bank of Indias ATM in the same queue, however, was not operational. Puneet Nagpal, a resident of Zirakpur, who was seen withdrawing money from the Oriental Bank of Commerce, said, Thankfully, things have settled down. I havent faced any issue in withdrawing money. However, for few others the limit of withdrawing Rs 4,500 is also a hinderance. Dev, originally from Nepal, who has been staying in the city for the past 16 years, told HT, What can one do with Rs 2,000, Rs 4000. But, he said that withdrawing money from the ATMs was no longer a headache. At the Punjab National Bank ATM at the bank square as well as that of UCO ATM, cash was available. At the HDFC Bank at Sector 22, two college students shared that they were relieved now that they were able to withdraw money. Radhika, a hostel student, said, It had become so stressful earlier since I wasnt able to withdraw cash my parents had deposited for me. I had to borrow money from my warden. Im happy that in the last one week, Im able to withdraw money from whichever ATM I have gone to. Similarly, most banks in the southern sectors were also operating, except for the ICIC Bank ATM at Sector 35. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON December 2016 had been the worst in terms of monthly sales for sewing machine manufacturer Ravi Arora in his 62 years stint in the industry. From Rs 15 lakh in December 2015, Aroras medium-scale unit at Lakkar Bazaar in Ludhiana saw a substantial drop in sales to Rs 4 lakh in December 2016. After laying off half a dozen workers temporarily, Arora is now managing with just three workers in his assembling section. The sales figure for the sewing machine industry in Ludhiana has plummeted by 50% owing to minimal cash flow. It has forced the manufacturers to lay off around 20% of their workforce permanently (besides around 25% migrant workers heading to their native places temporarily) and curtailed the production volume up to 50%. Exports have also nosedived up to 50% for the Ludhiana industry that supplies machines both domestic and industrial to Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Dubai, Kenya and other African and Middle East countries. The sales of Daichi Internationals, a major exporter of sewing machines located at Focal Point, has dropped up to 30%. Deepak Sachdeva, one of the owners, says: We had to make 40% cut in our production as there are no fresh orders and exports have been dwindling. We suffered around Rs 1-crore loss in one month. There are many workers who have not been paid for over two months now. Virender Rakheja, who owns a unit in Sundarnagar, could sell only 30,000 sewing machines in December 2016 as compared to 80,000 in the corresponding month in 2015. Rakheja, who has been in this ancestral trade for the past 35 years, says: Owing to fluctuating metal prices (raw material) and labour shortage, sales used to drop once in a blue moon, but nothing served us such a perilous blow as cash crunch following demonetisation. As only a small proportion of the total workforce possesses bank accounts, payment of salaries through cheques was not a viable option. So owners of almost all sewing machine units gave holidays (temporary layoff) to around 50% of their workers while rest received salaries in instalments. Around three dozen sewing machine manufacturers (26 assemblers and 12 manufacturers) in Jalandhar have also been hit hard. Inderpal Singh of Mahindra Sales in Jalandhar, says: Sewing machine is a poor mans luxury, often gifted to daughters on wedding. An average machine costs around Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500. With minimal cash flow, the buyer is not turning up at the market, prioritising his other household expenses. As compared to the small industry in Jalandhar, Ludhiana has around 2,400 units (400 assembling and 2,000 manufacturing), which employ more than 20,000 workers and manufacture around 3 lakh machines a month. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The Punjab Police have conveniently missed the name of liquor baron Shiv Lal Doda, who is behind the bars on murder charges, in the FIR registered with regard to a durbar he held with a group of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) workers inside the Fazilka sub-jail last week. The case was registered against 25 people who had met Doda in the room of a jail official on Wednesday and the illegality came to the fore during a raid conducted on the orders of Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) VK Singh. The raid at the jail was conducted by Fazilka deputy commissioner Isha Kalia. The incident, and now the absence of Doda's name in the FIR, has irked the mother of Bhim Sain Tank, 27, who had been brutally killed at Doda's farmhouse last year. The Congress too has demanded adding Dodas name as the main accused in this connection. The raiding team on January 5 had found various violations, including seven private vehicles and 24 people inside the jail. The people were inside the jail without even an entry in the visitors register, which is done between 9am and 2pm, said the complaint from the deputy commissioner (DC) to the senior superintendent of police (SSP). A sum of 3.48 lakh was also recovered from the jail. The outsiders included Dodas aide and SAD circle president Ashok Ahuja . The accused have been booked under Sections 117 (abetting commission of offence by the public or by more than ten persons), 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC. Among the accused is also the Jashandeep Singh, assistant jail superintendent, Fazilka sub jail. All the accused, however, secured bail a day after the incident. Tanks mother Kaushalya Devi, in a written complaint to Fazilka deputy commissioner, has demanded to include Shiv Lal Doda and his nephew Amit Dodas name in the FIR. Its a mockery of the law that the name of the kingpin of the entire controversy Shiv Lal Doda is missing. He should be immediately booked, stated Abohar MLA and Congress leader Sunil Jakhar. He also demanded getting the call details of Fazilka DC Isha Kalia and Jashandeep Singh checked to know the truth. Its an open secret that Doda enjoyed full patronage of the Akali rule even inside the jail. He enjoys all the luxuries and runs his liquor business from jail, said Jakhar. When contacted, Isha Kalia denied the charge of favouring Doda in any manner. As per the statement of Jashandeep Singh that outsiders had come to meet Shiv Lal Doda, we have asked the police to seek legal opinion into the matter and initiate action as per law. No one will go scot free, she said. Taking a dig at the Congress over its Punjab manifesto, Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal on Monday asked if the party had ever kept its promises in other Congress-ruled states. Kejriwals remarks came after the Congress released its Punjab manifesto here in the presence of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh. Has (the) Congress implemented any promise, made in Punjab manifesto, in any other Congress ruled-state? Farm loan waiver, unemployment allowance etc, Kejriwal asked in a tweet. Has Cong implemented, any promise made in punjab manifesto, in any other cong ruled state? Farm loan waiver, unemployment allowance etc(1/2) Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 9, 2017 All false promises? Captain said in TV interviews recently that false promises are made in manifestos before elections, Kejriwal said. All false promises? Captain said in TV interviews recently that false promises are made in manifestos before elections(2/2) Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 9, 2017 He also took a jibe at the Congress for preparing the manifesto for Punjab in Delhi. Congress High Command made Punjab manifesto. Why doesnt (the) Congress get these promises implemented in other Congress-ruled states, Kejriwal asked in another tweet. The Congress manifesto for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls promises to end drugs menace in the state in four weeks along with other promises like waiver of agricultural debts, jobs in every household, SYL canal issue, cess on liquor and free education for girls. Punjab will elect a new 117-seat assembly on February 4. The UT vigilance department ordered a probe into the allotment of 137 public toilets to a Gurgaon-based firm in July last year. The firm was allegedly ineligible according to the notice inviting tenders. The vigilance department has asked the municipal corporation officers to hand over all records pertaining to the allotment and functioning of the tender. Vigilance inspector Sri Parkash, the complainant in the case, said, We pointed out some major irregularities in the allotment of the tender. The documents have to be handed over immediately. Once we get the documents, we will investigate before registering a case. Hindustan Times had highlighted the issue in June 2015. Draftman Narinder Sharma posted at the public health office in Division 4 forwarded the case for allotment despite the contractor being ineligible according to the detailed notice inviting tender (DNIT). Though the then superintending engineer NP Sharma rejected the bid, MC officials later tweaked the terms and conditions to make the bidder eligible. Back then, Congress councillors cried foul over the allotment saying the agenda was neither approved by the finance and contract committee nor the House. Surprisingly, in September, workers also lodged a complaint with the MC commissioner B Purushartha alleging that there were gross malpractices by the contractor. The workers alleged that the contractor offered to pay them Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 as monthly salary in cash, whereas he was allotted the work at a quotation of Rs 14,600 per toilet. The workers said their salaries should be according to the district collector rate prevalent in Chandigarh, which is around Rs11,135 (including EPF and ESIC) per month. It was also alleged that workers were being forced to work beyond the daily fixed eight hours from 9am to 9pm, contrary to the labour law in Chandigarh. But Purushartha did not take any action against the contractor. The MC commissioner could not be contacted despite repeated attempts. COST ALREADY UP BY 50% The DNIT (detailed notice inviting tender) stated that the reserve price offered by the MC for each toilet was fixed at Rs 14,600 per month. Since the MC will bear water and power costs, the civic body will have to pay around Rs 19,600 every month. This expenditure was over 50% of the earlier cost (Rs 12,800) of a similar project. FLAW IN TENDER According to terms and conditions, one male attendant each will be provided two sets of toilet blocks (ladies and gents), now only one male attendant is manning both toilets in city. CONTRACTOR CAUGHT FLEECING In August 2015, attendants at public toilets in Sectors 19, 22, 28, 34, 37, 40 and 41 were charging users Rs 5 each time they used the facility. Clause 67 of the agreement states that the service was free. However, at a toilet in Sector 22, the charges for using the toilet (Rs 5) were painted on the wall. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Spoilers follow. Theres a thing about tears, they make vision blurry. Everything seems secondary to that feeling of loss that you were just consumed by. If something had the power to move you to tears, it surely must have been really good. But not always. An example could be Sherlocks season fours first episode, The Six Thatchers. After making fans wait for three years, the makers thought the best way to reward the fans patience would be to mercilessly murder one of the best characters on the show, Mary. Whats the problem with that? You see, unlike Sia, I dont love cheap thrills. More on that later because while it may be my biggest problem with Sherlocks return, it is far from the only one. So, we begin at the beginning because frankly, we shouldve seen the disappointment coming from here itself. Ignoring the Christmas special completely, the last time we saw Sherlock, he had shot that evil Charles Augustus Magnussen in the face. Watson, Sherlock and Magnussen in the last episode of season 3. (BBC) The cliffhanger was brutal. How could he actually kill? Isnt that kind of an unwritten rule or something? We looked forward to the explanation for three years and the effect killing someone had on Sherlock and were rewarded at last, with an answer that almost seemed disrespectful. Sherlock is sitting there, nonchalantly texting away, almost unperturbed by the fact that he just took a life while Mycroft sells a shoddy lie to the officials. I had hoped some time would be given to show the consequences of his action on Sherlocks way of life but no such luck. So what did they do with the time that they managed to save? Make Mary travel across continents in a long montage only to later reveal it was all for nothing? Take a weird, extremely off-character digression for Watson and having him cheat on his wife? Or have a long 007-style fight scene between Sherlock and a burglar? Anything and everything as long as it doesnt involve actual detective work. The only case that Sherlock takes up in the episode, he solves it in just a few minutes. Subtelty was thrown to the wind. We were forcefully directed towards the reference to Napoleons (Thatchers) in and of the town by the banks of Yamuna (A.G.R.A.). Did they lose confidence in the viewers ability to get the deep cuts? (BBC) Coming back to what I call my biggest problem with the episode, creating and retaining good female characters had never been Sherlocks strong suit but we thought things were finally changing with Mary. She was given a depth, a personality like nothing we had ever seen in any of the several adaptations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyles work. She was the perfect third addition to the team of Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson, a worthy member of a potentially great trio but was killed for God knows what reason. Did the actors refuse to work together following their recent real-life break up? Or was it the same old Sherlock-style disregard for anything female and good? This long rant does make it seem like I actually did not appreciate anything at all in the episode but I remember wiping a tear off my face, the one I talked about at the beginning of this rant. What was that? If I genuinely hated it, how did it manage to wring such emotion out of me? I believe that my grief over Marys death could not be credited to this episode. Over time, my appreciation for her as a character swelled into affection and it hurt to watch her go. It was the good work of earlier episodes that her departure hurt the way it did. All this episode did was rob her of a fitting death. Died from a misdirected bullet from an elderly secretarys gun? You deserved better Mary. We deserve better. Follow @soumya1405 for more SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON French police arrested at least 16 people on Monday in connection with the October theft of more than $10 million worth of jewellery from Kim Kardashian West, finding weapons and a large amount of cash during multiple raids. Paris police officials said the arrests took place starting around 6 am in different locations in the Paris region and the south of France. The suspects aged from 23 to 72 were already known for prior robberies and other crimes said, according to one of the officials. Multiple firearms, including an automatic pistol, and 140,000 euros ($147,500) in cash were found during the raids, the officials said. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not allowed to speak publicly about the continuing investigation. The suspects can be held for up to 96 hours before police must either charge them or let them go. Map of central Paris locating the luxury residence where US reality TV celebrity Kim Kardashian was tied up and robbed at gunpoint in the early hours of Monday, October 3, 2016. (AFP) Jean Veil, the French lawyer for Kardashian West, said the news of arrests is a great satisfaction. These arrests are a nice surprise because we might be able to find the jewels, he told the French magazine LExpress Monday. Veil said his client could be interviewed again by investigators and might have to face the suspects. On October 3, robbers forced their way into the private Paris residence where Kardashian West was staying, tied her up, held her at gunpoint and then locked her in a bathroom before making off with her jewellery. The reality TV star was in Paris attending fashion week shows. Media reports said police tracked down the suspects through DNA evidence found at the residence. One official, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said many were already known for robbery and other crimes. Earlier this month, the starlet broke her silence on the robbery in a teaser for the familys reality show, telling two of her sisters her thoughts at the time: Theyre going to shoot me in the back. Theres no way out. This file photo taken at the Rue Tronchet, near Madeleine, central Paris, on October 3, 2016 shows police officers standing guard at the entrance of the hotel residence, where US reality television star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint by assailants disguised as police who made off with millions, mainly in jewellery. (AFP Photo) Police said the thieves stole a jewelry box containing valuables worth 6 million euros ($6.7 million) as well as a ring worth 4 million euros ($4.5 million). Paris police and prosecutors office previously said five people directly took part in the robbery, including two who forced their way into the apartment. Police analysed footage from surveillance cameras to try to identify the assailants, who wore fake police emblems on their jackets. At the time, a spokeswoman for Kardashian West said she was badly shaken but physically unharmed. The robbery raised new concerns about security in the French capital after a string of deadly extremist attacks. Kardashian West has the habit of showing her jewels and whereabouts in her social media, including days before the robbery when she posted pictures of herself attending fashion week shows. Paris has been a special place for Kardashian West and her husband, who spent the weekend there before marrying in Florence in May 2014. At least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmar -- a third of them over the past week -- since the army launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, the UN said on Monday. The figure marks a sharp escalation in the numbers fleeing a military campaign which rights groups say has been marred by abuses so severe they could amount to crimes against humanity. They also come the same day the UNs human rights envoy for Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, began a 12-day visit to probe violence in the countrys borderlands that will take her to the army-controlled area. Read: UN rights envoy to probe Myanmar Rohingya violence Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state, the UNs relief agency said in its weekly report. As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Coxs Bazaar in southern Bangladesh, said the office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs. Rohingya from Myanmar make their way to an unregistered refugee camp in Teknaf, Bangladesh. (AP file photo) The exodus of Rohingya from northern Rakhine began after Myanmars army launched clearance operations while searching for insurgents behind deadly raids on police border posts three months ago. Escapees from the persecuted Muslim minority in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of security forces committing mass rape, murder and arson. The stories have cast a pall over the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, with mainly Muslim Malaysia being critical. Myanmars government has said the claims of abuse are fabricated and launched a special commission to investigate the allegations. Last week it presented its interim report denying accusations of genocide and religious persecution and saying there was insufficient evidence that troops had been committing rape. Read: Myanmar probe panel denies abuses against Rohingya That judgement came days after a video emerged showing police beating Rohingya civilians, something the government said was an isolated incident after the officers were arrested. The UNs Lee began her own probe with a visit to Kachin state, where thousands have been displaced by fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. Lee, who has faced threats and demonstrations on previous visits over her comments on Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya, is due to visit Rakhine before leaving on January 20. Hardline Buddhist monk Wirathu caused outrage when he called her a whore in our country for criticising controversial legislation considered discriminatory to women and minorities. A suicide bomber driving a garbage truck packed with explosives rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on Monday, killing at least nine people and wounding 10, officials said. According to security and medical officials, the attack in the city of el-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula was followed by smaller explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at the troops around the checkpoint. Three floors of the police building were blown out, the officials said, adding that so far nine bodies have been retrieved from the rubble but that they feared the death toll could rise further. Ten wounded were taken to hospital. At the checkpoint, two officers survived unharmed, the officials said. There were unconfirmed reports that a number of security personnel were seized and abducted by the gunmen. The garbage truck had been stolen days earlier from the municipality of el-Arish, the officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk to reporters. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which bore all the hallmarks of Egypts Islamic State affiliate. The militant group has carried out scores of attacks against security forces in the volatile northern Sinai and elsewhere in the country. The Egyptian army has struggled over the past few years to contain the insurgency. Angolan health officials said Monday they had recorded the countrys first two cases of the Zika virus, a French tourist and a resident in the capital Luanda. The World Health Organization in November announced that the Zika virus no longer posed a global public health emergency after an outbreak centred on Brazil erupted in 2015. The French tourist left Angola after being diagnosed with Zika two months ago, said Eusebio Manuel, head of the department of hygiene, without further details. The second case concerns an Angolan patient who lives in Luanda and was diagnosed last week, he said, adding that the patient was still hospitalised. Zika causes only mild symptoms in most people, but pregnant women with the virus risk giving birth to babies with microcephaly -- a deformation that leads to abnormally small brains and heads. In the outbreak that began in mid-2015, more than 1.5 million people have been infected with Zika, mainly in Brazil, and more than 1,600 babies have been born with microcephaly, according to the WHO. Read| The Zika virus could be Indias next big public health crisis Bangladesh authorities seized a luxury Rolls-Royce Ghost car illegally brought into the country for a former North Korean diplomat expelled for smuggling. Customs intelligence chief Moinul Khan said Han Son Ik intended to bring in the car without paying duty due to his diplomatic status and sell it on to a local buyer. Officials said the luxury car would have been liable for import duties of more than 800% had it been brought in legally. Han was first secretary of the North Korean embassy in Dhaka until he was expelled in August after being accused of smuggling more than a million cigarettes as well as electronics worth half a million dollars. We had intelligence that Han made a deal with a local buyer to bring the person a Rolls-Royce with Hans diplomatic immunity, therefore he attempted to evade customs tax, Khan said. Han has been marked as a frequent offender. AFP was unable to contact the North Korean embassy for comment. In March, 2015, a North Korean diplomat was forced to apologise after he was caught at Dhaka airport trying to smuggle nearly 27 kg of gold worth $1.7 million into the country. A North Korean restaurant in Dhaka was shut down the same year after officials found it was selling wine and drugs such as Viagra without permission. In 2012 customs authorities imposed a 2.5-million taka fine after seizing illegal wines from another North Korean envoy. Prime Minister Theresa May dismissed the idea of a hard Brexit and highlighted her plans for a new relationship with the European Union (EU) as Britain prepares to leave the 28-member bloc. At the end of a major speech at the UKs Charity Commission on Monday where she laid out her governments measures to tackle the stigma around mental health, she was asked if the stock markets were reacting to a flawed interpretation of Brexit. The value of the pound has fallen to a two-month low against major currencies after media reports suggested May signalled the UK would pursue a hard Brexit from the EU. Sterling fell about 1% across the board, the BBC reported. May said, Well, Im tempted to say the people who are getting it wrong are those who print things saying Im talking about a hard Brexit, its absolutely inevitable its a hard Brexit. I dont accept the terms hard or soft Brexit. What we are doing is going to get an ambitious, good, the best possible deal for the United Kingdom in terms of trading with, and operating within, the single European market. But it will be a new relationship because we wont be members of the EU any longer. We will be outside the European Union, and therefore we will be negotiating a new relationship, across not just trading but other areas, with the European Union, she added. Mays speech came as she had outlined her plans to use the state to create a shared society yesterday. She announced plans to speed up the provision of digital mental health services, to improve services for schools and to stop GPs charging patients up to 300 pounds for a form certifying their mental illness. Under new measures, every secondary school in Britain will be offered mental health first aid training and employers and organisations will be given additional training in supporting staff who need to take time off. We have a once in a generation chance to step back and ask ourselves, what sort of country do we want to be, she said. May said that mental health had been dangerously disregarded as secondary to physical health and changing that will go right to the heart of our humanity. She confirmed a new green paper would be published later in 2017 on children and young peoples mental health to transform services in education and within families. The British PM also announced that mental health campaigner Dennis Stevenson will lead a review alongside Paul Farmer, the chief executive of the mental health charity Mind to look at how people with mental health problems can be better supported in the workplace. A plane crash in southern Chile killed four people Sunday, according to local officials. The accident occurred near the Laquecahue airfield in the Bio Bio region at approximately 1700 GMT. Four passengers -- a woman and three men -- died after the plane had a troubled landing, said Humberto Toro, the governor of Arauco, noting the regions high winds. It was not clear if the pilot was killed. The aircraft, which was owned by a private company, was flying the Mocha Island-Tirua route about 720 kilometers (445 miles) south of Santiago, the official told a Chilean television network. Investigations into the incidents cause are underway. A Chinese factory is hatching giant inflatable chickens resembling Donald Trump to usher in the Year of the Rooster. The five-metre (16-foot) fowls sport the distinctive golden mane of the US president-elect and mimic his signature hand gestures with their tiny wings. Cartoon figures of animals from the Chinese zodiac are ubiquitous around Chinese New Year at the end of this month. The balloon factory is selling its presidential birds for as much as 14,400 yuan ($2,080) on Chinese shopping site Taobao for a 10-metre version. I saw his image on the news and he has a lot of personality, and since Year of the Rooster is coming up I mixed these two elements together to make a Chinese chicken, factory owner Wei Qing told AFP. It is so funny, so we designed it and tried to sell it and it turned out to be popular. The cartoon balloon appeared to be based on a sculpture designed by US artist Casey Latiolais, which was unveiled at a shopping mall last month in Taiyuan, capital of the northern province of Shanxi. Wei said he was not aware the American designer had created the original, but added that there are some differences in the facial expression. And that one is glass. Ours is inflatable. Trump has captured the Chinese imagination and riled its authorities, threatening to get tough on trade practices he says are unfair after taking office on January 20. He also angered China by taking a phone call from Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, breaking with decades of US diplomatic practice. China on Monday successfully sent three satellites into space in its first commercial mission using an updated version of the low-cost Kuaizhou-1A rocket, amidst the Communist giants determined bid to expand its ambitious space programme. The rocket, carrying the satellite JL-1 and two CubeSats XY-S1 and Caton-1, blasted off from northwestern Chinas Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu provicne at around 12:11 pm Beijing Time, according to a statement from the center. The KZ-1A rocket was developed from the Kuaizhou-1 rocket with improvements in adaptability. It is a low-cost solid- fuelled carrier rocket with high reliability and short preparation period and was designed to launch low-orbit satellites weighing under 300 kg, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The JL-1 is a multifunctional remote-sensing satellite providing high-definition video images which is expected to be used for land resource and forestry surveying, environmental protection, transport and disaster prevention and relief purposes, it said. The XY-S1 and Caton-1 are experimental satellites to test technologies of low-orbit narrow-band communication and VHF Data Exchange System (VDES) respectively. A rocket technology company under the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation was responsible for the launch mission. The success of the mission marks the companys capability of providing flexible, convenient, quick and economical launch services for domestic and overseas clients, said the statement. China plans to conduct a record number of 30 space launch missions this year as part of its efforts to expand its ambitious space programme, authorities said last week. The record-breaking space launches will be launched by Long March-5 and Long March-7 rockets, China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation had said. Long March-5 is Chinas largest carrier rocket. China recently released an official white paper on its space missions stating that it will launch a lunar probe in 2018 to achieve worlds first soft landing on the far side of the moon and a mission to Mars in the same year. China conducted 22 launch missions in 2016 and 19 in 2015. The country successfully tested its Long March-7 rocket in June last year and has gradually shifted to new generation rockets that reduce the use of toxic rocket fuels. In the next five years, China plans to provide space and aviation-related services to countries involved in its One Belt and One Road initiative, such as satellite communications, navigation and weather forecasting analysis. At least four inmates were killed on Sunday in a facility in Manaus, the capital of Amazonas state, sending the number of violent prison fatalities over 100 in just one week. Much of the violence, which includes several massacres with decapitations and disemboweling, has been among rival drug gangs in vastly overcrowded facilities. On Sunday four inmates were killed in as yet unclear circumstances in a Manaus prison, state public safety officials there said. Deadly prison riots have intensified in Brazil since a truce broke down in July between the countrys two largest drug gangs, the First Capital Command (PCC) and the Red Command (CV). The country was hit Friday by a grisly prison massacre at the Monte Cristo Farm Penitentiary (PAMC) in Roraima state that left 31 dead. That unrest came days after jailed gang members killed 56 rivals in a 17-hour bloodbath at a prison in Manaus. PAMC, the largest prison in the state, was also hit by deadly violence in October, when fighting between rival gangs killed 10 inmates. Police officers stand guard at the entrance of the Desembargador Raimundo Vidal Pessoa public jail in Manaus. (AFP Photo) At the time, the prison held 1,400 inmates -- double its capacity. The states of northern Brazil, which border top cocaine producers Bolivia, Colombia and Peru, are battle zones in the drug trade. Prisons there -- and throughout Brazil -- are often under the de facto control of drug gangs, whose turf wars on the outside are also fought out among inmates. Overcrowding exacerbates the problem, activists say. Brazils inmate population has been swollen by efforts to crack down on a violent and lucrative drug trade. The countrys jails hold 622,000 inmates -- mostly young black men -- according to a 2014 justice ministry report, which found that 50% more capacity was needed. At least four Pakistani rights activists with leftist views, including a university professor who was critical of the Taliban and enforced disappearances in Balochistan, have been reported missing since last week. Salman Haider, a professor at Fatima Jinnah Women University in Rawalpindi who critiqued socio-political issues through his poetry, disappeared on Friday, his brother Faraz Haider said. Faraz said Salmans wife got a text message on her phone to go and collect his car from a roadside on Islamabads outskirts. A formal police complaint about his kidnapping was registered by another brother, Zeeshan Haider. Haider had also been critical of the Taliban and the governments efforts against militants. Two other activists Waqas Goraya and Asim Saeed disappeared on January 4, according to cybersecurity NGO Bytes for All. Activist Ahmed Raza Naseer, who suffers from polio, was taken from his familys shop in Punjab province on Saturday, his brother said. The interior ministry ordered police on Monday to step up efforts to find Haider. No militant group has claimed that it abducted the activists and no government department or intelligence agency has said it detained them. All the activists ran popular social media accounts known for liberal and leftist views. They had also highlighted what they described as Pakistans dual policy of fighting some militants while supporting others. The social media accounts of some of the missing activists are no longer accessible. Haider had also joined rallies and protests against the disappearances of nationalists and separatists from the troubled southwestern Balochistan province. The fate of many of these missing persons, who are usually detained by intelligence and security agencies on charges of anti-state activities, remains unknown. The main opposition Pakistans Peoples Party on Monday submitted a request in Parliament seeking an answer from the government on the disappearance of Haider and the other activists, saying there was a pattern that suggests it is a planned and coordinated action, undertaken to silence voices which are critical of prevalent social-political issues. The interior ministry has said it will investigate the disappearance of Haider, but made no reference to the others. The state has controlled TV and now theyre focusing on digital spaces, said Raza Rumi, an analyst who left Pakistan in 2014 after he was attacked by gunmen who shot dead his driver. Celebrated Hollywood actor Meryl Streep may have left her fans in awe after a rousing speech at the Golden Globe on Sunday, but her criticism of Donald Trump elicited strong reaction from the US president-elect. Meryl Streep, one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood, doesnt know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big,Trump posted on Twitter, slamming the 67-year-old who bagged the lifetime achievement award this year. Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him....... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 Streep in her speech had said that it broke her heart when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, in apparent reference to Donald Trumps mocking of a journalist at an election rally in South Carolina last November. This instinct to humiliate when its modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybodys life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing, Streep said. Following his churlish tweet, Streeps supporters jumped in to Twitter slamming Trump for his snobbish remarks. If he says the wonderful Meryl Streep is an overrated actress, that makes Donald Trump the most underrated idiot ever. #realDonaldTrump Michael Byrne (@tidalwinter) January 9, 2017 'For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that)' - Donald Trump, 09/01/17 pic.twitter.com/5t5Kg7PXsV pooka (@madeofwasps) January 9, 2017 I have no idea how anybody with an OUNCE of sense could support Donald Trump. Adonis (@trillac_) January 9, 2017 Donald Trump called Meryl Streep, one of the greatest actresses in the whole of humanity, "overrated" If you need further proof he's a liar Blackity Black (@FeministaJones) January 9, 2017 Unprecedented. In any country. Donald Trump, PE of the US, viciously reacting to any criticism that's thrown at him. And that too on Twitter Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) January 9, 2017 As La La Land triumphs at Golden Globes, producers admit they never thought a musical about Donald Trumps administration would be a hit. HaveIGotNewsForYou (@haveigotnews) January 9, 2017 Breaking: Meryl Streep, still awesome; Donald Trump, still terrible. OhNoSheTwitnt (@OhNoSheTwitnt) January 9, 2017 Meryl Streep has been nominated for Academy Awards 19 times and have won 3. Donald Trump thinks she's "over-rated". Tilly (@TillyWoden) January 9, 2017 Maybe Donald Trump should focus on how to make our country a better place instead of always running to Twitter like a 13 year old girl caffeine queen (@KaylaSpeaksNow) January 9, 2017 For the love of god someone please take away Donald Trump's twitter Jessica Baskerville (@jessbask) January 9, 2017 And some neighbourhood advice: In rare praise for Donald Trump, US President Barack Obama has said the President-elect is very engaging and gregarious and not lacking in confidence but acknowledged that they were opposites in some ways. He is somebody who I think is very engaging and gregarious. I have enjoyed the conversations that we have had. He is somebody who I think is not lacking in confidence, Obama said. You have to have enough craziness to think that you can do the job. I think that he has not spent a lot of time sweating the details of, all the policies that I think that can be both a strength and a weakness. I think it depends on how he approaches it. If it gives him fresh eyes, then that can be valuable. But it also requires you knowing what you do not know and putting in place people who do have the kinds of experience and background and knowledge that can inform good decision-making. I think it is fair to say that he and I are sort of opposites in some ways, Obama said. After the November 8 general elections, Obama and Trump have had several talks over phone after their first meeting at the Oval Office days after the elections. The conversations have been cordial. He has been open to suggestions. The main thing that I have tried to transmit is that there is a difference between governing and campaigning, so that what he has to appreciate is, as soon as you walk into this office after you have been sworn in, you are now in charge of the largest organisation on earth, Obama told ABC News. You cannot manage it the way you would manage a family business. You cannot manage it the way you would manage a Senate office as I was a senator before I became president and so you have to have a strong team around you. You have to have respect for institutions and the process to make good decisions because you are inherently reliant on other folks. So when I talked to him about our intelligence agencies, what I have said to him is that there are going to be times where you have got raw intelligence that comes in and, in my experience over eight years the intelligence community is pretty good about saying. Look, we cannot say for certain what this means, the US President said. He said that there are going to be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working and the people that you put in charge are giving you their very best assessments. Not lacking in confidence, Obama said, is probably a prerequisite for the job. At least 21 people were killed in a widespread flooding in southern Thailand, hitting rubber production in the region and shutting down infrastructure, officials said on Monday. Thailands wet season usually ends in late November and heavy rain and flooding are rare in January. Unseasonably heavy rain has hit 12 out of 67 provinces, officials said. We have sent soldiers, police and the ministry of the interior to ease the situation, deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan told reporters. The military government has also increased aid to the flood-affected areas. The death toll from the floods stood at 21 on Monday with more than 330,000 households affected, according to the department disaster prevention and mitigation. The department said that the main airport in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat would remain shut for the foreseeable future. A rail route from the Thai capital Bangkok to Nakhon Si Thammarat has also been suspended. Southern Thailand is a major rubber-producing area and the floods have come at a particularly bad time for farmers, said Uthai Sonlucksub, president of the Natural Rubber Council of Thailand. This the worst impact we have had in the area in 10 years. The floods are very heavy. The problem is this year weve seen both drought and flooding so it has been disastrous for rubber farmers, Uthai told Reuters. Uthai said that rubber prices would increase this year because demand is set to exceed supply. Ive had orders from China but we arent even sure if we can meet these orders because of the havoc the floods have caused, he said. If they buy, itll be at higher-than-expected prices. Widespread floods in 2011 killed more than 900 people and caused major disruption to industry, cutting economic growth that year to just 0.1%. Hillary Clinton will not run for any elected office again after losing to Donald Trump in the US Presidential polls, her Indian-American aide Neera Tanden has said amid reports that the former secretary of state could run for the post of New York Mayor. I think shes going to figure out ways to help kids and families. Thats been what shes been focused on her whole life, and a lot of issues that are affecting them, over the next couple of years, Tanden told CNN. But I dont expect her to ever run for any elected office again, she said. Tanden, a close ally of 69-year-old former secretary of state and the head of the liberal think tank Center for American Progress, was responding to an article in New York Times that Clinton could run against incumbent New York mayor Bill de Blasio. I dont expect her to run for this and I dont expect her to run for other office, Tanden said yesterday. I think her job is to -- what shes thinking about right now is how to help those kids and families as she has her whole life, she said. If Clinton were to run -- and win -- it would put her on another collision course with President-Elect Donald Trump, who has been shaping his government from Fifth Avenues Trump Tower, the report said. Clinton has largely remained out of the public eye since losing a bitterly fought campaign against the former reality star and businessman in the November vote. She has given few clues to what her next role will be, leaving a void in which speculation has run rife. A New York challenge would see her take on fellow Democrat de Blasio, whose popularity has plummeted since he took over from Michael Bloomberg in 2014. The next mayoral election is in November. Clinton was most recently seen on Sunday at the final performance of the The Color Purple, on Broadway with her husband, Bill, and daughter, Chelsea. A small white drone hummed into sight and Thaker, a member of Iraqs special forces, grabbed his machinegun and started lighting up the blue sky above eastern Mosul. His bullets whizzed all around the hovering unmanned aircraft but failed to take it down. I shot one down, this morning, Thaker said. The Counter-Terrorism Service Thaker serves in has been battling the Islamic State group in the streets of Mosul for weeks, dodging sniper and mortar fire, booby traps and suicide car bombs. A relatively new threat in the war on the jihadists since they took over large parts of Iraq in 2014 comes from above, with the systematic use of cheap commercial drones by IS for reconnaissance purposes. The jihadists use them much for the same reasons as Iraqi forces: to study the terrain, inform their snipers and assess their enemys deployment. But IS also uses the drones to pick itineraries for their car bombs, Thaker said just as a huge blast ripped through the air of Al-Rifaq. This neighbourhood of eastern Mosul was retaken by Iraqi forces last week and lies near the ancient ruins of Nineveh, a vast archaeological site in the heart of the city. The blast was most likely caused by one of a constant string of pot shots taken by the jihadists mortar units at areas they lost. The latest round crashed into the ground near a mosque, two streets down. It was not clear whether it caused any casualties. Terrified residents pushed their front gates ajar to hear the latest from the front lines of a war that is unfolding literally on their doorstep. Tens of thousands of them have fled the city since Iraqi forces on October 17 last year launched an offensive, the countrys largest military operation in years, to retake the IS bastion. Nineveh ruins But hundreds of thousands of civilians remain in Iraqs second largest city, many cowering without electricity or water in their shuttered homes. Yusef, a father of six with a slat-and-pepper beard, peered from behind his gate and praised the Iraqi forces he said liberated him from two and a half years of jihadist rule. With them, there was no justice and no cigarettes, he said. Standing beside him was his nephew Mohammed, whose nose and right ear oozed blood under a hastily-applied bandage. Its only a light wound... A car bomb exploded around 50 yards from where I was standing, he explained, as he heaped thanks and praise on the special forces, whose black Humvees had parked in front of his house. CTS forces, the best-trained and most seasoned combat units in Iraq, reached the Tigris for the first time on Sunday, a landmark on the rocky road to a full reconquest of Mosul. With a fresh coordination effort and increased support from the US-led coalition, Iraqi forces have over the past 10 days found new momentum and seized several neighbourhoods in eastern Mosul. Last week, they carried out their first night-time operation inside the city, crossing the Khosar river that feeds into the Tigris to retake the neighbourhood of Al Muthanna. The Tigris splits the city in two and commanders are now confident they can finish retaking the eastern half soon but the west bank of the river remains under the full control of the jihadists. One of the next targets for elite forces sweeping east Mosul will be the ruins of Nineveh, where IS jihadists destroyed priceless Assyrian heritage in 2014 in videos that shocked the world. The once-protected site is now a battleground from which IS launched some of its latest attacks on Thaker and his unit. Less than seven years after Interpol set up its international child sexual exploitation database, the global crime buster has identified and rescued the 10,000th child victim, it said on Monday. Using the worldwide database, investigators analyse millions of images found on suspects computers or spotted on the internet. The systems sophisticated software compares photos and videos, allowing investigators to identify abusers and locations. The scale of this crime is shocking, made worse by the fact that these images can be shared online globally at the touch of a button and can exist forever, said Interpol chief Juergen Stock. Each time an image or video clip is shared or viewed, the child is being re-victimised. Analysis of the digital, visual and audio content of files is another way of finding clues, determining when cases overlap and pooling efforts to locate victims. Police services in 49 of Interpols 190 member states are connected 24/7 to the ICSE database. In June, 2015, a man in his 40s was arrested in the southwestern French town of Ariege after he posted pornographic pictures of his 10-year-old niece on the internet. His detention was triggered on the other side of the world where New Zealand police had just entered the photos into the Interpol database after infiltrating a discussion forum. That step allowed their French colleagues to determine the same day that the images came from Ariege, by spotting in the background a French shampoo logo and the uniform of the local firefighting service. In another case, British police were able to rescue a child and arrest his suspected abuser only 10 hours after Australian police uploaded images to the ICSE database. But Stock warned: Whilst we are pleased to have assisted law enforcement around the world... this is just the tip of the iceberg. Saying more can still be done, he urged the private sector and the public to play a greater role in tracking down abusers. The trafficking of child pornography, which existed long before the internet, grew exponentially in the 1990s as the internet expanded, an official of the ICSE told AFP. No country is spared from the scourge, said the official, a French woman who requested anonymity. In more than 95% of cases, the abuser is part of the victims entourage, she said. Sometimes you see children growing up in the pictures, without being able to find them. But sometimes you can find them in less than 24 hours. Germany has closed an investigation into the crash of a Germanwings plane in the French Alps almost two years ago after concluding co-pilot Andreas Lubitz alone was involved in the intentional downing of the flight. Duesseldorf prosecutor Christoph Kumpa said on Monday the investigation had been closed and there were no indications that anybody else other than Lubitz had been involved. Read | Germanwings crash victims families plan US lawsuit On March 24, 2015, Lubitz locked Germanwings Flight 9525s captain out of the cockpit and deliberately set the plane on a collision course with a mountainside. All 150 people aboard, including Lubitz, were killed. Lubitz had been suffering from depression and fear of losing his vision in the months ahead of the crash, but hid that from his employer. French authorities have been conducting a separate investigation of the crash. Read | Andreas Lubitz sped up Germanwings jet before crash: French agency Indian information technology companies operating in the US are scrambling to put together a plan to appease President-elect Donald Trump before he assumes office on January 20, or tweets a nasty post on H-1B visas that could include a promise to hire more Americans. Elements of the plan, which is still evolving, include giving him the number of jobs created in the US, hiring locally, and more importantly, how many they plan to recruit every year, and aggressively flag philanthropic and corporate social responsibility activities. One company, which did not want to be identified, plans to double its intake of Americans in the next 18 months. Others spoke about ramping up their numbers also, but were not ready to share them till they had been firmed up. Trump likes tweeting numbers so lets give him one or more, said one of them, who, like all others interviewed for this article, spoke only on condition of anonymity out of fear of setting off a Twitterstorm from a trigger-happy president-elect. These companies, which include TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL and scores of others, do not publicly discuss employee numbers, specially the breakdown of American and non-American hires. Nasscom, the industry body, said they directly supported 158,000 US jobs in 2015. Every day without a tweet mention is a blessing, said an executive who handles government affairs for an Indian IT firm, as he and others have watched Trump drive down stocks of Toyota with a tweet over its plans to make cars in Mexico. They have also seen him force Ford to abandon plans to ship some operations abroad, and know how he zeroed in on Carrier, the air-conditioning giant, as his first target and made it cut back on plans to shift some of its manufacturing to Mexico. There is a sense of impending doom, with Trump letting it be known in November that in his first 100 days in office, he will direct the Department of Labor to investigate all abuses of visa programs that undercut the American worker. He was talking about the H-1B visa programme, under which US-based companies hire highly skilled foreign workers, up to a maximum of 85,000 a year 65,000 hired abroad and 20,000 from among foreign nationals studying in the US. India is the largest single country source for these hires, by both Indian firms operating in the US and American companies such as Cognizant, IBM and others. But its the Indian companies, and their American partners, that get hit the hardest. Critics of the H-1B programme have argued it was being abused by companies to hire cheaper workers from abroad, replacing local hands, either directly or through contractors by outsourcing to them those functions and jobs. Though Trump has said he has used the programme himself for his businesses, his priority now was to protect American jobs, and his administration is packed with outspoken critics of H-1Bs, including Jeff Sessions, his nominee for attorney general. Trump will move against H-1Bs but in the estimation of the Indian tech companies, the start, as he has said, will be investigations and audits by the labour department that most companies expect to survive, with some discomfort. It will mean a lot of paperwork and administrative burden, said an executive of one of the biggest Indian tech companies, adding, But thats the cost of doing business and we will bear it without suffering a blow to our business model. But things could get hairy, should Trump decide to persist, which he might if the H-1B-haters of his administration persist as well, and move to bigger and more decisive actions, starting with some executive decisions and then go on to legislative action. In their estimation, the Trump administration could slow down the H-1B visa process, or change definitions of qualifying criteria for other visa types for high-skilled labour such as L-1 and L-2, for intra-company transfer to the US. But to cut the annual intake from the current 85,000, as Sessions proposed in a legislation he had moved in 2015 as a Republican senator, will require a larger effort through Congress, which is likely to be contentious and time-consuming. Either which way Trump decides to go, the countdown will start when he assumes office on January 20, and Indian IT firms, which were found slow to rise to challenges in the past despite the US being their main market, are being prodded by outsiders as well. Including the government of India that has indicated to them they need to deal with this threat expressly, and largely on their own as only they can, ramping up their communications and messaging through lobbying and whatever it takes. Read| Tech workers with H1-B visas may face uncertain future under Trump, Sessions President Barack Obama cast the adoption of clean energy in the US as irreversible, putting pressure Monday on President-elect Donald Trump not to back away from a core strategy to fight climate change. Obama, penning an opinion article in the journal Science, sought to frame the argument in a way that might appeal to the president-elect: in economic terms. He said the fact that the cost and polluting power of energy have dropped at the same time proves that fighting climate change and spurring economic growth arent mutually exclusive. Despite the policy uncertainty that we face, I remain convinced that no country is better suited to confront the climate challenge and reap the economic benefits of a low-carbon future than the United States, Obama wrote. He peppered his article with subtle references to Trump, noting that the debate about future climate policy was very much on display during the current presidential transition. As he prepares to transfer power to Trump, Obama has turned to an unusual format to make his case to Trump to preserve his policies: academic journals. In the last week, Obama also published articles under his name in the Harvard Law Review about his efforts on criminal justice reform and in the New England Journal of Medicine defending his health care law, which Republicans are poised to repeal. The articles reflect an effort by Obama to pre-empt the arguments Trump or Republicans are likely to employ as they work to roll back Obamas key accomplishments in the coming years. Yet its unclear whether Trump or the GOP could be swayed by scholarly arguments in relatively obscure publications. Secretary of state John Kerry, one of Obamas top allies on climate change, echoed the president in a speech Monday at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Kerry said the answers to climate change are relatively straightforward and depend on the US relying on cleaner sources like solar, wind, biomass and nuclear energy, but added that he didnt know what policies Trump and the next secretary of state would pursue. In the time Ive spent in public life, one of the things Ive learned is that some issues look a lot different when youre actually in office compared to when youre on the campaign trail, Kerry said. The truth is that climate change shouldnt be a partisan issue. Its an issue that all of us should care about, regardless of political affiliation. During the campaign, Trump vowed to reinvigorate the US coal industry and dismantle Obama regulations targeting coal-fired power plants. More recently, hes suggested hes keeping an open mind about climate change and about whether hell pull the US out of the global emissions-cutting deal struck in Paris in 2015 that Obama helped broker. In Science, Obama argued that as the cost of clean energy sources drop, businesses are independently coming to the conclusion that it makes financial sense to wean themselves off of coal and other dirtier fuels. He also said that if Trump pulls out of the Paris agreement, the US would lose its seat at the table on global climate policy. Obama said a key advantage of the US political system is that each president determines his or her own policies. President-elect Donald Trump will have the opportunity to do so, Obama wrote. The latest science and economics provide a helpful guide for what the future may bring. Read: Obama bans oil and gas drilling in Arctic, Atlantic: Roadblock for Trump An obscure Palestinian group claimed responsibility on Monday for a truck ramming in Jerusalem that killed four Israeli soldiers, an attack that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said earlier was likely inspired by Islamic State. A female army officer and three officer cadets who were killed in Sundays incident were buried on Monday. Seventeen other people were injured when the truck barrelled into a group of Israeli soldiers. The Palestinian driver was shot dead in the attack. We know the identity of the attacker. According to all the signs he is a supporter of Islamic State, Netanyahu said. The attack, however, was claimed by the Groups of Martyr Baha Eleyan in a post on Arabic social media. The organisation said it was formed by Palestinians who have no links outside Palestine. It said it had acted previously, giving no details, and threatened more attacks. Map showing Jerusalem where a Palestinian rammed a truck into a group of Israeli soldiers Sunday, killing four people and injuring 17 others. (AFP) This is not the first operation executed by our groups and it will be followed by a flood of distinctive operations in defence of our Jerusalem and in revenge of our martyrs and prisoners, its statement said. The group has not been heard of previously and Reuters was unable to authenticate the validity of the claim. Iraq and Syria are the strongholds of Islamic State (IS) militants although the jihadist group has taken responsibility for deadly attacks in many countries around the world. However, actions inspired by Islamic State in Israel, the Israeli-occupied West Bank and in Jerusalem have been rare and only a few dozen Arab Israelis and Palestinians are known to have declared their sympathy with IS. Netanyahu visited some of the injured in hospital on Monday and said Israel needed to prepare to face a different threat. I think the most important thing we need to understand is that we are under a new kind of attack. An attack by a lone assailant who is inspired, and on the spur of the moment decides to act, in this case, a ramming attack, he told reporters. He said extra security steps were being taken, such as adding physical barriers in public places, intensifying intelligence efforts to help identify and track potential assailants, and raising the vigilance of security forces. A wave of Palestinian street attacks on Israelis, including vehicle rammings, has largely slowed but not stopped completely since it began in October 2015. Thirty-seven Israelis and two visiting Americans have been killed in those assaults. During the same period, at least 231 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israel says that at least 157 of them were assailants while others died during clashes and protests, blaming the violence on incitement by the Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian Authority, which exercises limited self-rule in the West Bank, denies that allegation; it says assailants have acted out of frustration over Israeli occupation of land that Palestinians seek for an independent state. Peace talks between the two sides have been stalled since 2014. (Additional reporting by Nidal al-Mughrabi; writing by Ori Lewis; editing by Mark Heinrich) Osama bin Ladens son Hamza, dubbed as the crown prince of terror and recently designated as a global terrorist by the US, was taught to hate America but enjoyed Coca-Cola and other banned American items in his compound in Afghanistan as a kid, according to a media report. Osama bin Ladens favourite son may have been taught to hate the US, but that didnt stop him from obsessing over Coca-Cola, which he regularly smuggled into the family compound as a boy, the New York Post reported, citing Hamzas childhood playmate. Hamza was always trying to sneak stuff in that we werent allowed to have, Abdurahman Khadr, who spent three years growing up alongside Osamas children in their strict religious compound near Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan before 9/11, told the daily. He (Hamza) was about 9 at the time, and he brought us Coca-Cola and sometimes even tobacco, he said. The crown prince of terror also had a fondness for Tabasco sauce, Khadr said. Khadr, 34, lived in the rural compound when he was a teenager with his entire family. His father, Ahmed Said Khadr, was one of al Qaedas most trusted lieutenants, and his brother Omar would later become the youngest prisoner to be held at Guantanamo for a decade until his 2012 release. Osama promised his sons a horse if they were successful in committing the religious texts to memory, said Khadr. The terrorist leader eventually bought an Arabian stallion for Hamza and his brothers, who were obsessed with taking care of it, he said. Hamza frequently snuck out of the compound with the servants on market days, carting back what were considered forbidden treasures from the outside world, Khadr said. American products were forbidden in Afghanistan under the ultra-religious Taliban rulers. Even so, Hamza could get anything, said Khadr. No one would ever search him when he came back into the compound because he was bin Ladens kid, he said. Osama lived with his wives and his nearly two dozen children. Although he married five women, his favourite wife was reportedly Hamzas mother. Khairiah Saber was seven years older than bin Laden. A child psychologist by profession, she had a PhD in Islamic studies. Saber was by Osamas side when he was killed by Navy SEALs in Pakistan in 2011. Hamza is her only child. Hamza was not there and reportedly under house arrest in Iran when US Special Forces raided Osamas final hiding place, the report said. Hamza was last week designated as a global terrorist by the US. Hamza, who is in his mid-twenties, has become active as an al-Qaeda propagandist since his fathers death. Pakistan on Monday conducted the first test of the submarine-launched nuclear-capable Babur-3 cruise missile with a range of 450 km, with the military saying the weapon system would give the country a credible second strike capability. The test, which the Pakistani military described as successful in a statement, was carried out from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean. It added, The missile was fired from an underwater, mobile platform and hit its target with precise accuracy. Babur-3in land-attack mode is capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a credible second strike capability, augmenting deterrence, the statement said. While the pursuit and now the successful attainment of a second strike capability by Pakistan represents a major scientific milestone, it is manifestation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategies and postures being adopted in Pakistans neighbourhood, it added. Footage posted on Twitter by military spokesman Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor showed the missile emerging from the water and cruising over land before hitting a target on land. Though the military did not give details, reports have suggested that the Pakistan Navys Agosta 90B class submarines have been configured to launch cruise missiles. #Pakistan successfully test fired first Submarine launched Cruise Missile Babur-3. Rg 450 Km. #COAS congrats Nation and the team involved. pic.twitter.com/YRNei5oF65 Maj Gen Asif Ghafoor (@OfficialDGISPR) January 9, 2017 The military described the Babur-3 as a sea-based variant of the ground launched cruise missile Babur-2, which was successfully tested in December. The Babur-3 incorporates advanced technologies, including underwater controlled propulsion, advanced guidance and navigation features, that are augmented by global navigation, terrain and scene matching systems. The missile is capable of hugging terrain and sea skimming to evade radar and air defenses and certain stealth technologies, the statement said without giving details. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, Gen Zubair Mahmood Hayat, who witnessed the test, was quoted as saying that it was a step towards reinforcing policy of credible minimum deterrence. Pakistan government is planning to revive controversial military courts set up for the speedy trial of hardcore terrorists as they played an extremely important role to combat extremism, two days after they expired. The government said on Monday that it was consulting political parties for bringing back military courts. The decision to revive military courts was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The military courts were set up in January 2015 after a Taliban attack on an army school killed 150 people, mostly children. Finance minister Ishaq Dar, interior minister Nisar Ali Khan, chief of army staff general Qamar Javed Bajwa, DG ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, advisor to prime minister on foreign affairs Sartaj Aziz, national security advisor Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials attended the meeting. Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting emphasised that the military courts played an extremely important role at a very crucial juncture of one action against extremism and terrorism and translated the actions under operation Zarb-e-Azb to meaningful and tangible national gains. The Federal Government has already initiated consultations for constitutional amendment to continue the military courts for a period which is agreed by all political parties represented in the Parliament, it further reported. The participants agreed that Pakistan would continue its efforts for attaining internal peace and play its due role for a peaceful region. The meeting also reiterated Pakistans clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as supplement its foreign policy initiatives. The meeting reviewed internal and regional security situation in detail with a view to further strengthen gains made through counter-terrorism operations. It resolved for continued efforts at all levels to achieve national policy objectives. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Pakistan plans to introduce uniform prayer timings for all sects of Islam across the country, a significant move in a society divided along sectarian lines. Religious Affairs Minister Sardar Muhammad Yousaf said he will get in touch with chief ministers of all four provinces to introduce Nizam-e-Salat, The Express Tribune reported. Elaborating the plan, he said the provincial governments will notify a local timetable, at least at the district level in their respective provinces, for the prayer timings. These timetables will be formulated according to the local time-zones across Pakistan, the paper said. Pakistans early years were largely peaceful, except for occasional sectarian flare-ups. In 1980s, military ruler Gen Zia-ul Haqs policies promoted discord among different sects. The Pakistani society is now divided along sectarian lines. In May 2015, the federal government introduced the system for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT). However, the decision has hardly been implemented in spirit. The minister said that the government had consulted the met office and religious leaders of Ahle Hadith, Sunni Hanafi (both Deobandi and Barelvi) and Shia sects before notifying uniform prayer timings for the ICT. The same pattern will be adopted for a countrywide plan in order to promote uniformity and unity, he said. Yousaf said that implementing Nizam-e-Salat will be the responsibility of the provincial authorities and his ministry has so far been receiving a positive response from them. In response to a query, he said that 80 per cent of the mosques in the ICT were observing the Nizam-e-Salat and he wants that the same model in implemented in all major cities and districts of the country, the paper said. However, sources in the religious ministry said that the federal government has so far been unsuccessful to implement uniform prayer timings in ICT despite its claims. There are around 700 mosques in the capital territory and the managements of a fewer mosques are implementing the calendar of uniform prayer timings. Yousaf did not set a deadline to implement uniform prayer timings but said this is the priority of the government. He added that a decision to adopt uniform sermons for Fridays prayers would also be taken sometime later. Pope Francis on Monday described jihadist attacks around the world as homicidal madness and urged religious leaders to reassert that one can never kill in Gods name. The leader of the worlds 1.2 billion Roman Catholics also called on government leaders to combat the poverty that, he said, could allow fundamentalism to flourish. In a hard-hitting and wide-ranging speech to the Vatican diplomatic corps, the 80-year-old pontiff voiced sorrow that, at the start of 2017, religion was still being used as a pretext for rejection, marginalisation and violence. He cited the fundamentalist-inspired terrorism which in 2016 claimed victims in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belgium, Burkina Faso, Egypt, France, Germany, Iraq, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey and the United States. These are vile acts that use children to kill, as in Nigeria, or target people at prayer, as in the Coptic Cathedral of Cairo, or travellers or workers, as in Brussels, or passers-by in the streets of cities like Nice and Berlin, or simply people celebrating the arrival of the new year, as in Istanbul, Francis said. We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses Gods name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power. Hence I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in Gods name. Poverty fertile terrain Francis went on to suggest a link between poverty and acts of terror. Fundamentalist terrorism is the fruit of a profound spiritual poverty, and often is linked to significant social poverty. It can only be fully defeated with the joint contribution of religious and political leaders. While religious leaders had to ensure that believers do not separate fear of God from love of neighbour politicians had to deliver religious freedom and societies capable of incorporating it within their model of citizenship, he argued. Members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See with Pope Francis (C) in the Sistine Chapel at the end of an audience for the traditional exchange of New Year greetings on Monday. (AFP photo) Government leaders are also responsible for ensuring that conditions do not exist that can serve as fertile terrain for the spread of forms of fundamentalism. This calls for suitable social policies aimed at combating poverty... The Argentinian pontiffs comments will have come as no surprise given his determination to make poverty the defining theme of his papacy. But they are likely to be disputed by those who argue that emphasising the potential role of disadvantage and discrimination in fostering jihadism risks absolving the perpetrators of atrocities of responsibility for their actions. Francis also touched on several other themes dear to his heart, including the plight of migrants seeking better lives in wealthier countries. Korea nuclear warning While reiterating past calls for a common commitment to offering a dignified welcome to allow migrants, displaced persons and refugees, his New Year message was tempered by a rarer recognition of the difficulties involved. Integration had to be done in a way that ensured host societies did not sense their security, cultural identity and political-social stability were not threatened, he said. Immigrants too had to remember their duty to respect the laws, culture and traditions of their new homes. What the Pope said on other issues -Particularly disturbing developments on the Korean peninsula risk sparking a new nuclear arms race -Urged Israel and the Palestinians to resume dialogue, telling them: No conflict can become a habit impossible to break. -Called for intensified efforts to foster peace in Libya, South Sudan/Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo -Urged efforts to promote peaceful co-existence in Myanmar and international efforts to aid those in grave and pressing need - an apparent reference to the countrys persecuted Rohingya Muslims. -Described Europe as being at a decisive moment in its history, one requiring an update of the idea of Europe based on a new humanism. It was regular practice in the medieval university for faculty and students to engage in the art of disputation. This blog presupposes the corporate nature of the theological enterprise, supposing that theology, particularly Lutheran theology, can once again clarify its truth claims and provide rational justification for its positions. Allegations that Russia tried to influence US elections in favour of Donald Trump amount to a witch-hunt, the Kremlin said on Monday, in its first reaction to the release of a US intelligence report on the alleged Russian operation. The report, a redacted version of which was released publicly last week, alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a cyber campaign aimed at helping Trump beat his rival Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House. Read: US intel report: Trump team continues to blame Democrats for email hacking Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no new evidence had been produced to show that Russian officials were involved. We are observing a serious fatigue with these accusations, Peskov said. It truly is reminiscent of a witch-hunt. His words echoed a phrase used by Trump himself, who was quoted as saying in an interview with the New York Times newspaper on Friday that the storm over Russian hacking was a political witch hunt. Peskov, commenting on the US intelligence report, said: You know, that version of the report that was made public added no substance whatsoever that we can comment on. Groundless accusations which are not supported by anything are being rehearsed in an amateurish, unprofessional way. We dont know what information they are actually relying on. Read: How US intel report on elections will affect Trump, Putin and the world Asked if Putin himself had read a translation of the report, Peskov said there was nothing in the document thats worth reading in detail. But Peskov said the Kremlins position, as in the past, was that it categorically ruled out that any Russian official could have been involved in hacking related to the 2016 US presidential election. Both Trump and Putin have said they want to restore US-Russian relations, and the Kremlin spokesman indicated that Moscow was looking beyond the hacking row and ahead to the new administration. Peskov said there had been witch-hunts in the past in US history, but those periods came to an end when what he described as more sober leaders took charge. Peskov said once Trump was inaugurated on January 20, work will begin on finding a date for a first meeting between the Russian and US leaders. Also read: US intel report ties Putin to hidden campaign in favour of Trump If some kind of contacts will be planned, then they will be planned extremely painstakingly, carefully, especially since we are talking about contacts following a very tense period in our relations, he said, referring to disputes between the Kremlin and the Obama administration. A suicide bomber driving a garbage truck packed with explosives rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on Monday, killing at least nine people and wounding 10, officials said. According to security and medical officials, the attack in the city of el-Arish in the Sinai Peninsula was followed by smaller explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at the troops around the checkpoint. Three floors of the police building were blown out, the officials said, adding that so far nine bodies had been retrieved from the rubble but they feared the death toll could rise further. Ten wounded were taken to a hospital. At the checkpoint, two officers survived unharmed, the officials said. There were unconfirmed reports that a number of security personnel were seized and abducted by the gunmen. The garbage truck had been stolen days earlier from the municipality of el-Arish, the officials said. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which bore all the hallmarks of Egypts Islamic State affiliate. Air strikes escalated on Sunday in a rebel-held valley near Damascus containing the Syrian capitals main water supply, a day after insurgents and the government failed to agree a plan to repair the springs knocked out of service two weeks ago. Several rebel groups warned that the escalation effectively meant the collapse of shaky ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey to pave the way for peace talks they hope to convene in Kazakhstan. The government and allied fighters from the Lebanese group Hezbollah launched an offensive two weeks ago to take back Wadi Barada, a valley overlooked by pro-government military positions where springs provided water to 4 million people in the capital. The government says it wants to enter the valley to secure the water supply to the capital. Rebels and local activists say pro-government forces are using the water issue to score a political victory weeks after the fall of Aleppo city, using siege and bombardment to force fighters into agreeing to leave. Through a series of so-called settlement agreements, sieges and army offensives, the Syrian government, backed by Russian air power and Iran-backed militias, has been steadily suppressing armed opposition around the capital. There is no longer any point in a ceasefire that is adhered to by one side. I think in the next few hours there will be an important development and a (decision) to freeze (enforcing) the ceasefire, said Mamoun Haj Musa, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army-affiliated Suqur al Sham rebel group, which is signatory to the ceasefire deal. Syrian rebel groups said last week they had decided to freeze any talks about their possible participation in the negotiations unless the Syrian government and its Iran-backed allies ended what they said were violations of the ceasefire. They say Moscow was not putting pressure on the militias or the Syrian army to abide by the ceasefire. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 24 air strikes had hit the valley since Sunday morning, after a lull since Saturday morning during which a new round of negotiations over repairs took place. Deteriorating conditions A military media unit run by the Hezbollah said on Sunday it was suspending a ceasefire in the Wadi Barada area because rebels were disrupting negotiations and had opened fire on repair teams. Later they said army tanks had hit Islamist militants near the town of Kafr Zayt in the valley. The Wadi Barada media office, run by local activists connected to the negotiating team, said it was untrue that any repair team had entered the valley, saying engineers had waited at the areas border while negotiations went on. The Hezbollah-affiliated media unit also said it was the Syrian Islamist militia formerly called the Nusra Front that fired on the teams. The Syrian government has said Nusra Front, now called Jabhat Fateh al-Sham, and Islamic State were excluded from a nationwide ceasefire which came into force 10 days ago. The Wadi Barada media office denied the Nusra fighters were present in the valley. Rebels in Wadi Barada have allowed government engineers to maintain and operate the valleys pumping station, which supplies 70 percent of Damascus and its surroundings, since they took control of the area in 2012. Fighters have, however, cut water supplies several times in the past to put pressure on the army not to overrun the area. The United Nations said the spring was damaged two weeks ago because infrastructure was deliberately targeted, without saying who was responsible, and warned shortages in the capital could lead to waterborne disease outbreaks. Rebels and activists say the spring was damaged by pro-government force bombardment. The government said rebels polluted the spring with diesel, forcing the state to cut supplies. Ali Haidar, who as national reconciliation minister has been responsible for negotiating local truce deals which see rebels given safe passage out of areas which the government then moves into, told Sham radio station on Saturday the spring would remain under state control after repairs, to prevent water again being cut to the capital. A UN spokesman said this week sabotaging civilian water supplies constituted a war crime. Activists in the valley warned on Saturday of deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the mountainous valley, which they say has a population of 50,000 of local people and 30,000 internally displaced Syrians. The United Nations estimates 45,000 people live in the Wadi Barada area, and thinks at least 7,000 people have been displaced form the area in recent fighting. Texas senator Ted Cruz and governor Greg Abbott met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Houston to discuss ties and furthering economic cooperation between the two nations, infuriating Beijing which warned against undermining China-US relations by such actions. Cruz and Abbott, both senior leaders from US President-elect Donald Trumps republican party, met Tsai -- despite prior warning by China against any US leaders or officials meeting the Taiwanese leader, who was passing through Houston on her way to Central America. Read: Beijing will take revenge if Trump ends one-China policy: Chinese media Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold, by force if necessary. China is opposed to any official contact between foreign governments with the leaders of the self-governing island. Cruz said during his meeting with Tsai, they discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations in a talk that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations. Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike, Cruz, who had lost to Trump in the republican primary elections, said in a statement. The US-Taiwan relationship is not on the negotiating table. It is bound in statute and founded on common interests. I look forward to working with President Tsai to strengthen our partnership, he added. A separate statement from Abbott said he and Tsai discussed energy, trade relations and commercial ties between Taiwan and Texas. He said they talked about how our two economies can expand upon our already prosperous trade partnership. Senator Cruz said shortly before his meeting with Tsai, the Houston congressional delegation had received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of the Congress not to meet with Tsai and to uphold the One China policy. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. (Reuters photo) The Peoples Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves, the republican senator said. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit. This is the second time republicans are angering China within a month. Chinese officials had voiced their strong objection to Trump speaking to Tsai in early December, which Beijing said breached diplomatic protocol. Trump had rattled China when he questioned a US policy that since 1979 has recognised Beijing as Chinas government and maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan. China on Monday reaffirmed its opposition to any contacts between US officials and Taiwans government. Such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said and asked Washington to abide by the One China policy and prudently handle Taiwan-related issues. Chinese police shot dead three rioters in the restive Xinjiang region after they resisted arrest, state media reported on Monday, in the second such incident in less than a fortnight. The shooting happened on Sunday following a manhunt for three suspected members of a violent terror group linked to a 2015 attack in Pishan county, according to the regional governments official Tianshan website. No details were given about the attack two years ago. The killing came less than two weeks after three rioters were shot dead for allegedly attacking a Communist Party office in Xinjiang. China tends to reserve the terror or terrorist label for attacks involving the mostly Muslim Uighur ethnic minority. The far-western region is the homeland of the Uighurs -- many of whom complain of discrimination and controls on their culture and religion -- and is often hit by deadly unrest. Read: China: Attackers drive into govt building, set off explosive device; 5 killed Beijing regularly accuses what it says are exiled Uighur separatist groups such as the East Turkestan Islamic Movement of being behind attacks in the resource-rich region. But overseas experts doubt the strength of the groups and their links to global terrorism, with some saying China exaggerates the threat to justify tough security measures. In November, 2015, police killed 28 members of a terrorist group over the course of a 56-day manhunt following an attack on a colliery in Xinjiangs Aksu region two months earlier that left 16 people dead. In March, 2014, 31 people were knifed to death at a train station in Kunming, in southwestern China, with four attackers killed, with Xinjiang separatists blamed and state media dubbing it Chinas 9/11. Two months later 39 people were killed in a bloody market attack in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. President-elect Donald Trump praised Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Monday for announcing new investments in the United States after he made US auto production a key part of his campaign. Last week, Ford announced it will abandon plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and will invest $700 million in a Michigan plant over four years, while Fiat Chrysler said Sunday it will invest $1 billion and add 2,000 jobs at plants in Ohio and Michigan to build new SUVs and pickup trucks. Both companies have said they made the decision for business reasons and not because of pressure from Trump, but praised the president-elect for seeking to improve the climate for businesses to operate in the United States. Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne said at the Detroit auto show on Monday that the decision had been in the works for a long time and was coincidental to Trumps tweet last week criticizing the company. We didnt twist ourselves into a pretzel (to make this decision)... It wasnt a preemptive strike against a tweet, Marchionne said during a roundtable discussion. Marchionne was asked about tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on vehicles imported to the United States from Mexico and elsewhere and he said that Fiat Chrysler will live with any new rules. However, he added that it was quite possible that heavy tariffs on Mexican imports could force the company to close Mexican plants. Trump, a real estate developer who takes office on Jan. 20, has repeatedly singled out companies in the auto sector and other industries for not doing more to keep jobs in the United States. Trump, a republican, also criticized Toyota Motor Corp last week for shifting production of its Corolla from Canada to Mexico. The company has said there is no impact on U.S. employment as a result of the change. Its finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2,000 jobs, Trump said in a tweet on Monday. In a follow up tweet, he added: Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C(hrysler). Ford on Monday announced it will build the Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup at its Wayne assembly plant but will shift production of its Ford Focus car. Because of low demand, it will shift the Focus to an existing Mexican factory, rather than to a new factory as was announced in April. Turkey on Monday urged the European Union to revive stalled negotiations on Ankara joining the bloc, saying without it Europe was incomplete. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, speaking at the opening of an ambassadors meeting, said he wanted more chapters in the accession talks to be opened by lifting artificial obstacles to our EU membership. A chapter is a specific area of negotiation, ranging on issues from human rights to economic cooperation. Cavusoglu did not specify which chapters he meant. He also said Turkey expects visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens to be provided immediately, a reference to EU commitments on visa-free travel for nearly 80 million Turkish citizens made in March under an EU-Ankara deal to curb migrants entering Europe. Progress on visa-free travel has been held up by EU demands -- rejected outright -- that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan amend Turkeys draconian anti-terror laws to ensure they do not breach human rights. Erdogan threatened in December to cancel the migrant deal, which has dramatically reduced the numbers crossing into Europe via Greece. The accession talks stalled after a failed coup in July by a rogue Turkish military faction was followed with a crackdown that saw mass arrests of not only officers but also journalists, activists, academics and others. Weve played an important role in Europes past and will do so in the future, Cavusoglu said, adding: A Europe without Turkey is incomplete. Relations between the EU and the NATO member state have soured in the past year over human rights and freedom of speech issues. US-Turkey relations were also strained in the aftermath of the failed coup attempt, with Ankara accusing the Pennsylvania- based Islamic preacher Fethullah Gulen of being the mastermind behind the putsch. But Cavusoglu said he thought relations would improve under incoming US president Donald Trump. We believe the US will not continue to make the same mistakes it has previously made, he said. He repeated a demand for the United States to extradite Gulen and his top followers to Turkey -- request that has been made repeatedly since the thwarted July 15 coup. He also called on the US to halt support for the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG), which Turkey see as linked to the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Washington considers the YPG as an ally in the fight against the so-called Islamic State (IS) jihadist group in Syria. Turkey and the US have the potential to create positive effects in a wide geographical region, Cavusoglu said. A US Navy destroyer fired three warning shots at four Iranian fast-attack vessels after they closed in at a high rate of speed near the Strait of Hormuz, two US defense officials told Reuters on Monday. The incident, which occurred Sunday comes as US President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office on Jan. 20. In September, Trump vowed that any Iranian vessels that harass the US Navy in the Gulf would be shot out of the water. The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the USS Mahan established radio communication with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps boats but they did not respond to requests to slow down and continued asking the Mahan questions. The Navy destroyer fired warning flares and a US Navy helicopter also dropped a smoke float before the warning shots were fired. The Iranian vessels came within 900 yards (800 meters) of the Mahan, which was escorting two other U.S. military ships, they said. The IRGC and Trump transition team were not immediately available for comment. Years of mutual animosity eased when Washington lifted sanctions on Tehran last year after a deal to curb Irans nuclear ambitions. But serious differences still remain over Irans ballistic missile program as well as conflicts in Syria and Iraq. One official said similar incidents occur occasionally. Most recently in August, another US Navy ship fired warning shots towards an Iranian fast-attack craft that approached two US ships. In January 2016, Iran freed 10 US sailors after briefly detaining them in the Gulf. The official added that the warning shots fired on Sunday were just one of seven interactions the Mahan had with Iranian vessels over the weekend, but the others were judged to be safe. Read| US acknowledges China has returned underwater drone seized in South China Sea Two women in the UK who were dressed in pyjamas and dressing gowns while shopping at a multinational grocery store have said they faced racist and sexist taunts online. The women were snapped wearing pyjamas and dressing gowns at the Tesco store in Salford, prompting one customer to call for them to be banned and their clothing attracted widespread criticism and sparked a debate on dress codes in supermarkets. The pair caused a stir after a fellow customer complained about their attire to Tesco branding it bloody disgusting. The irritated customer snapped the women on his phone and sent it to Tesco asking them to ban people from doing their shop in their nightwear, saying its becoming a regular occurance, The Manchester Evening News reported. Dear Tesco, please can you put a rule in place that people like this will not be served in your stores. Its bloody disgusting. This was at pm last night at your Tesco Salford store and I have seen other people dressed similar on a regular basis, he said. I feel so embarrassed about it, that my picture is everywhere of me in my pyjamas. We were visiting family in Manchester and we just wanted to quickly get a few things. Im disgusted that a man has taken our picture and put it online asking for Tesco to ban people wearing their pyjamas. We are travellers and we feel like it is sexist and racist. Its an attack on our culture and way of life, one of the women said, who are reportedly members of the traveller community. Tesco said there was no official dress code for entering their shops, the report said. Many of our customers have told us that they feel uncomfortable when they see other shoppers wearing unsuitable clothing in our stores and we do try to find a balance that everyone is happy with. Although we dont have a formal dress code in our stores, we rely on our Management Team to use their discretion and common sense. Reactions from around the world to the death of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who suffered a heart attack Sunday at the age of 82. Bahrain The foreign minister of the tiny island nation, which long has accused Iran of meddling in its internal affairs, simply said God bless Rafsanjani in a post on Twitter. A separate condolence from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Iran said he was praying to almighty God for his soul to rest in peace and inspire Irans president, its people and his family. Iranian Exiled Opposition Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the political arm of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, said in a statement that she hoped the Islamic Republic would fall apart with Rafsanjanis passing. With the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the two pillars and key to the equilibrium of the religious fascism ruling Iran has collapsed and the regime in its entirety is approaching overthrow, she said. The group, known by the acronym MEK, was listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department for years over its killing of Americans. It says it renounced violence in 2001. Saudi Arabia Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, which is Shiite power Irans greatest regional rival, noticeably did not immediately send condolences over Rafsanjanis death. One of its state-run television channels aired an interview with an MEK official that linked Rafsanjani to the mass execution of thousands of prisoners at the end of the countrys bloody war with Iraq in 1988. Kuwait Kuwaits ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, sent condolences over Rafsanjani, saying he prayed to Allah the almighty to bestow blessings on the deceased. Lebanon The secretary-general of the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, Hassan Nasrallah, called Rafsanjani a great man and a protector and supporter of modern political Shiism in the Middle East. He lamented Rafsanjanis passing as a loss to the Muslim world. Hezbollah, which is also a leading political party in Lebanon, was formed in the model of the political ideology that shaped the Iranian Islamic Revolution and has enjoyed Irans financial and military support since its inception in the early 1980s. Qatar Tiny Qatar, which shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Iran, sent condolences from ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani over Rafsanjanis death. UAE The seven-sheikhdom federation home to Dubai, which has a large ethnic Persian population, sent condolences from its leaders to Iran over Rafsanjanis death. Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, who is among the most-vocal Gulf officials in criticizing Iran, said on Twitter that Rafsanjani was one of the voices of political realism and moderation in Iran. North Korea declared that it could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "at any time," even as the communist country appeared to offer Donald Trump an avenue for future negotiations. An official from North Korea's foreign minister declared that United States is responsible for the development of this program. Tensions on the Korean peninsula have increased considerably since leader Kim Jong Un said stated that the country was close to testing an ICBM capable of delivering a nuclear weapon to the US mainland. China and South Korea on denounced the missile threat from the communist country, and warned that a test could lead to more sanctions. North Korea could be able to reach United States International sanctions have failed to prevent North Korea from developing its nuclear weapons program. When completely developed, a North Korean ICBM could reach the continental United States, which is around 9,000 km from the North. ICBMs have a minimum range of at least 5,500 km, but some are designed to travel 10,000 km or more. North Korea has been developing rockets but many analysts believe that its technology is still backward although it could improve in the future. Reaction of Donald Trump Trump is firm against north Korea, he tweeted the following message: "North Korea just declared that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the United States. It won't happen!" Analysts believe that Donald Trump has just a few options. Since the negotiations in 2009, North Korea has declared to have conducted four successful nuclear tests, thus, improving its hand in any future negotiations. United States has been working with South Korea in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) in that country, but once that Trump takes power it could be different. @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. ELEUTHERA, Bahamas French Leave Resort, situated on the Bahamian Out Island of Eleuthera, joins Autograph Collection Hotels, Marriott International's distinctive portfolio of independent, one-of-a-kind hotels. Owned and managed by Shaner Hotels, French Leave Resort is the newest addition to the Autograph Collection Hotels in the Caribbean, and one of only three Autograph Collection Hotels in the region. Exactly like nothing else, the vision behind Autograph Collection Hotels is to celebrate individuality and independence by creating an evolving ensemble of strikingly independent four and five star hotels. Each hotel is hand selected for its memorable guest experience, bold originality, rich character and uncommon details. "Having worked with Marriott on several projects, we are thrilled to partner with Autograph Collection Hotels once again," said Lance Shaner, President of Shaner Hotels. "It's an ideal venture for us as it enables French Leave to retain its authenticity and unique persona, while providing guests with enhanced value and access to Marriott's network and offerings." "French Leave," coined from the British expression meaning to escape without notice, perfectly captures the resort's tranquil essence and individuality. The resort represents the first construction of true seafront cottages on Governor's Harbour since the late 1940s, as the resort's 270-acre site had been unavailable for private ownership for more than seven decades. Overlooking one of the most picturesque harbors in the world, Cupid's Cay, French Leave Resort currently features 12 expansive seafront cottages, each elegantly decorated with British colonial interiors. The property offers a variety of amenities, including a freshwater pool, fitness center, a special events lawn and pavilion, two mega yacht slips, and one of the island's best restaurants, 1648 An Island Restaurant. Additionally, each villa boasts spacious living areas and covered verandas, unobstructed views of the marina, local in-room refreshments, LCD TV screens, and an in-room iPad to request everything from room service to pre-ordered lunches. Select villas also include fully equipped kitchens, an in-room washer and dryer, and a Bose stereo system. Coinciding with the Autograph Collection Hotels conversion, French Leave Resort will offer a myriad of new amenities and programs, including local artist exhibits, cooking classes, and morning yoga, as well as local "treats" throughout the day for guests, including house-made popsicles and the Bahamian lemonade, "Switcha." For more information and reservations, visit www.frenchleaveresort.com, www.marriott.com, or www.autographhotels.com. ABOUT FRENCH LEAVE RESORT Situated on the tranquil island of Eleuthera, French Leave Resort is the ideal getaway for travelers seeking a luxurious escape away from life's daily hustle and bustle. Overlooking one of the most beautiful pink sand beaches and picturesque harbors in the world, Cupid's Cay, the property currently features 12 expansive seafront cottages, each elegantly decorated with British colonial interiors. Additional amenities include a freshwater pool, fitness center, special events lawn and pavilion, two mega yacht slips, as well as one of the island's best restaurants, 1648 An Island Restaurant. The project represents the first construction of true seafront cottages on Governor's Harbour since the late 1940s, as the 270-acre site had been unavailable for private ownership for more than seven decades. For more information, visit www.frenchleaveresort.com. ABOUT SHANER HOTELS Shaner Hotel Group is one of the foremost owner-operator companies in the hospitality industry with more than 50 hotel properties owned and managed across the U.S., Italy and the Bahamas. New properties are constantly evaluated as the Shaner Hotel Group continues a conservative, yet opportunistic approach to growth. Shaner is an approved management company and franchisee of Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Hotels Corporation, Intercontinental Hotels Group and Choice Hotels. For more information about the company and its divisions visit www.shanercorp.com. About Marriott International Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR) is based in Bethesda, Maryland, USA, and encompasses a portfolio of more than 8,100 properties under 30 leading brands spanning 139 countries and territories. Marriott operates and franchises hotels and licenses vacation ownership resorts all around the world. The company offers Marriott Bonvoy, its highly awarded travel program. For more information, please visit our website, and for the latest company news, visit Marriott News Center. In addition, connect with us on Facebook and @MarriottIntl on Twitter and Instagram. Alyson Marks Diamond Public Relations 305-854-3544 Marriott It looks like you've reached a page that doesnt exist (anymore). Please use the navigation or search above to find content on Hospitality Net. Go back to home A total of 17 suspects have been arrested on suspicion of their involvement in the October robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris, during which she was bound, gagged, held at gunpoint, and robbed of at least $9 million worth of jewelry. The arrests were made on Monday morning in Paris, the surrounding region, and in southern France, reports The New York Times. DNA evidence left at the crime scene as well as surveillance footage of the robbers led police to identify some of the suspects, said Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, a spokeswoman for the Paris prosecutors office. Five men were thought to be present for the robbery, which took place in a private residence where Kardashian was staying for Paris Fashion Week, during the early hours of Oct. 3. The ensuing investigation has led police to discover a wider criminal network. It didnt take a lot of time, said Luc Poignant, a spokesman for a police union, of the investigation. It took three months, and three months in this kind of investigation is quite short. Poignant implied that there were many different types of specialists involved in the theft, explaining, You have the robbers, and then the one who is going to sell off the goods, the one who puts people in touch, the stone cutter, etc. The names of those arrested have not been disclosed, and it is unclear if the assailants who entered Kardashians residence are among them. Ms. Thibault-Lecuivre said that some of the suspects are in their 40s, 50s, and 60s, and that the oldest person arrested is 72. The ages of the suspects suggest that they are part of an experienced group of criminals. French police are able to hold the suspects for questioning for up to four days, whereupon they must be either charged or released. Kim Kardashian Off Audio Pushs My Turn 3, their fresh new mixtape of remixes, Way Back is an ingenious update to Travis Scotts 2016 banger. From the opening, Price switches things up by name dropping Kobe instead of James Harden. Just like Travs, the song is still about fake people needing to stay the hell back from the Inland Empire duo though. The independent rappers put their own spin to it by insulting industry pencil pushers. The duo is shitting on their signed artists while reaping all the profits. Just like on the Fade remix, they also take a swipe at President-elect Trump saying the only Trump we supporting is Teanna. Audio Push shine when they are at their most irreverent. Take a listen below. Quotable Lyrics I keep the grass cut low so I can see the snakes Only want my baby Bad and Boujee like the Migos say Looking at my son and my wife like Imma make sure we okay Looking at my city man like Imma make sure we okay My daddy in the pen, Im praying I dont see those gates We dont never ever pay no homage to your honor And the only Trump we supporting is Teanna Price Whether its on tracks or in an interview, Russ does not hold back. The self-made Atlanta artist recently sat down with VladTV, and reiterated some of the serious hes been spouting around town about industry politics. From Russs experience out here, it appears that nothing is really as it appears. Rappers dont have the money, fans, or success that many of us think they do. And honestly the dude might be right. Check out said clip of Russ below, and let us know what you think in the comments. Did Russ just put you on to new knowledge about the industry, or did you kind of already know about this? Russ According to thejournal.ie, the visit was confirmed by an Oireachtas spokesman last night who said the politicians were invited by the Egyptian speaker of their house of representatives. A spokesman told The Journal: The purpose of the visit is to discuss parliamentary relations and foster bilateral cooperation in the areas of foreign relations, communications, agriculture, trade, transport and tourism, and to raise the case of Ibrahim Halawa, who has been in jail awaiting trial since August 2013. The TDs will meet with members of the Egyptian government, including meeting the Egyptian president, Abdel Fattah El Sissi, the speaker of the Egyptian parliament, and their trade minister, among others. It was a night of political messages, passionate speeches - and of course, some whining by Trump, reports Roe McDermott With the inauguration of Donald Trump looming this month, politics and the future of America is on everyone's minds - and that includes the glamorous stars who took to the red carpet at the Golden Globes last night. In one of the most politically-minded awards in history, not only did the awards themselves demonstrate a renewed commitment to and celebration of diversity, but many of the winners used their speeches to renounce the bigotry and hatred embodied by the incoming President. Meryl Streep epitomised this sentiment when she took to the stage to accept her Cecil B. De Mille Lifetime achievement award. Criticising Trump's cruel mockery of a reporter with disabilities, the multi-Oscar winning actress said "the instinct to humiliate, when it's modelled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everyone's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing." "Disrespect invites disrespect," the actress continued. "Violence invites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose." Streep also called on the press to remain vigilant, to prevent normalising bigoted behaviour and to hold the powerful to account. In a sadly predictable move, Trump lashed out at Streep, dismissing her as a "Hillary lover" and saying he was "not surprised" that he had come under attack from "liberal movie people." Viola Davis, who walked away with the gong for Best Supporting Actress in Fences, used her post-award interview in the press room to reflect on what Trump indicates about America. "I think that America in and of itself has been an affirmation," said Davis, "but I think that we've fallen short a lot because there is no way that we can have anyone in office that is not an extension of our own belief system. So what does that say about us?" Advertisement Tracee Ellis Ross won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy for her brilliant performance in Blackish, becoming the first Black woman to win the award since Debbie Allen won for Fame in 1983. Blackish regularly addresses social issues such as race and police brutality, and recognition of Ellis Ross' performance was long overdue. Elated, she too used her speech to send a message to audiences, particularly women of colour. "This is for all the women," said Ellis Ross, "women of colour, and colourful people whose stories, ideas, thoughts are not always considered worthy and valid an important. But I want you to know that I see you. We see you." Suitable for a night where celebrating the work of actors of colour was a prevalent theme, the beautiful coming-of-age story Moonlight won Best Film (Drama.) The film was received international acclaim for its sensitive storytelling and diverse cast, though it's actors failed to secure a gong on the night. The main comedy acting awards were scooped by Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling for their whimsical jazz comedy La La Land, which was the main winner of the night, winning Best Film (Comedy/Musical), as well as Best Screenplay and Best Director for Damien Chazelle. Isabelle Huppert won Best Actress (Drama) for her performance in Elle, despite not even being shortlisted for the Oscars. The one upset of the night came when Casey Affleck won Best Actor (Drama) for his performance in the emotive drama Manchester By the Sea. There had been calls to boycott the film due to allegations that Affleck had sexually harassed female actresses and film crew on past productions. Writers like Roxane Gay and Soraya N.McDonald were quick to protest the decision on Twitter, with McDonald tweeting the full list of allegations made against the actor. WASHINGTON - Out of a thicket of politicians, TV cameras and reporters strode Rex Tillerson - with security guards at his side and a photographer running to keep up - into the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Tillerson, however, had to wait, milling in the reception area in full view of whatever member of the public happened to pass by the senator's office. Dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, Tillerson killed time chatting with staffers before walking to a window that looked out at the National Mall, its monuments and the White House off in the distance. It was a long way from the chief executive's office at Exxon Mobil headquarters outside Dallas, where no one kept Tillerson waiting and the closest thing to reporters wandering the hallways were coyotes roaming among the trees and scrub outside. As he readies for hearings this week on his nomination as secretary of state, Tillerson will need to convince senators that he can adjust his mindset from that of the profit-seeking CEO of one of the world's largest oil companies and truly separate himself from the corporation where he worked for more than 40 years. "Anyone that works for his entire career for one company or one organization tends to adopt its worldview," said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which will hold the confirmation hearings. "It's not something that can be resolved overnight." Tillerson led Exxon Mobil for more than a decade. On the surface, his work there would appear similar to that of a diplomat's, jetting around the world to meet with heads of state and engage in contentious and tense negotiations. Only at Exxon, international affairs - whether it be armed conflict in West Africa or a new government in Japan - is viewed through the lens of oil, how events affect demand for petroleum and the company's ability to produce it. At the University of Texas in Austin last year, Tillerson made clear the contrast when he discussed dealings with world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin - a contentious point on his resume for senators from both sides of the aisle. "I have a very close relationship with (Putin). I don't agree with everything he's doing, but he understands I'm a businessman and our company has invested a lot of money in Russia," Tillerson said in February. "One of the things I learned early on when I began to work overseas on foreign assignments was to make sure host governments, whether it's Russia or Yemen or wherever, understand I'm not the U.S. government. "I'm not here to defend it, nor am I here to criticize it. I'm a businessman, and you'd be surprised how many times I've had to have that conversation with heads of state." Tillerson's efforts to transition to the State Department were on full display last week, as he hopped around Capitol Hill to meet with friends and foes alike. With President-elect Donald Trump questioning U.S. intelligence that concludes the Russian government was behind hacks into Democratic National Committee computers, there was plenty to talk about. Tillerson seemed to soothe some nerves. Coons said after their meeting that he was "somewhat encouraged" by Tillerson's comment that part of the secretary of state's role is to help shape foreign policy, not to simply carry out the president's vision. Among those who know Tillerson well, there was a constant refrain that he is at heart a pragmatist, not an ideologue. "He falls squarely in the classic American real politic model of foreign policy," said John Hamre, president of the Washington think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies, where Tillerson is a board member. "What are our interests and what are the interests of the other guy? What does a constructed diplomacy look like? Foreign policy is not fancy speech-giving or tricky negotiating. It's about having a clear understanding of your goals." A Tillerson spokesman did not respond to requests for comment. The shadow of Exxon, however, is unlikely to fade quickly, even after the company said last week that Tillerson would cash out about $240 million worth of Exxon shares and place the proceeds in a blind trust to comply with federal conflict of interest rules. At times under Tillerson's reign, Exxon's actions made for tense relations with the Obama administration. Five years ago, Tillerson cut a deal for oil rights with the Kurdish regional government in Iraq, angering the central government in Baghdad and defying State Department officials trying to maintain peace between ethnic and religious groups in the country. Tillerson would later explain the decision to the State Department as in the best interests of his shareholders, according to journalist Steve Coll's book "Private Empire: Exxon Mobil and American Power." As secretary of state, Tillerson would be forced to consider far broader goals than profit in advancing the economic and security interests of the United States and its allies, said Jim Krane, a senior fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. "Being a diplomat is a much more nuanced job," Krane said. "You want to persuade leaders of other countries to see things your way. You can't command them to do your bidding and view them in the way an American views it." Whether Tillerson can separate the interests of Exxon and the oil industry from those of the United States might be put to the test sooner rather than later. When the United States imposed sanctions against Russia in 2014 over its annexation of Crimea, a former province of Ukraine, it put on hold a joint venture between Exxon and the Russian oil and gas giant Rosneft to drill in the Russian Arctic. At a shareholders' meeting in Dallas that spring, Tillerson was blunt. "We do not support sanctions, generally, because we don't find them to be effective unless they are very well implemented," he said. Whether he still holds that view likely will be at the front of many senators' minds during confirmation hearings. Already, some in Russia wonder whether the new administration will mean a change in direction and the chance to resume drilling. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle last week, Igor Yusufov, a former Russian energy minister and Rosneft chairman, expressed those hopes. Tillerson, he said, "has got a great quality, which can allow him to normalize the relationships between the U.S. and Russia." When times were good and crude was selling at a $100 a barrel just three years ago, lawyers and bankers scored record profits advising companies on mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures and securities offerings. For the past 2 years, however, the energy industry has been in crisis. Oil slipped below $30 a barrel. Thousands lost jobs. Scores of oil and gas companies and the businesses servicing them declared bankruptcy. But the law firms and financial counselors working for those distressed energy operations continue to pocket hundreds of millions of dollars, thanks to the complex federal bankruptcy system. The U.S. energy companies that declared bankruptcy during the past 30 months - a majority of them in Texas and most of those based in Houston - have paid their legal and financial advisers more than $1.4 billion in fees and expenses since the bust got underway in 2014, according to a Texas Lawbook examination of court records. Those same lawyers and consultants have requested another $260 million in payments, pending the approval of federal bankruptcy judges in Texas, Delaware, New York and Oklahoma. In addition, there are more than 60 active bankruptcy cases in which the legal and financial advisers have not yet filed their fee requests - fees that legal specialists conservatively estimate will add another $80 million to the tab. Since July 2014, three law firms - Kirkland & Ellis, Weil, Gotshal & Manges and Skadden Arps - have collected a combined $354 million for their representation of distressed energy companies, not including pending requests for payment. All three national law firms have outposts in Houston. "The business of corporate bankruptcy has become very lucrative for a small group of professionals," Gary Kennedy, the former American Airlines general counsel who guided the Fort Worth company through Chapter 11 two years ago, said at a seminar at SMU Dedman School of Law last year. "It has gotten so expensive that some companies can no longer afford to go bankrupt." The law firms, however, say bankruptcy is a complex legal proceeding that requires lots of time, money and know-how to reorganize companies, restructure debt and satisfy creditors, bankruptcy trustees and judges. Ultimately, they add, the companies benefit when they emerge from bankruptcy as going concerns with greatly reduced debt. "Most of these bankruptcies are extraordinarily complicated restructurings that require the law firms have expertise in so many areas of law - from tax law and capital markets to antitrust and securities and M&A," Andrew Calder, a Kirkland partner, said in an interview. Before the oil bust, bankruptcy law practice had struggled because many larger businesses avoided bankruptcy court by raising cash through the shadow banking system of private equity firms and hedge funds. All that changed in the second half of 2014 when the price of crude began its slide. More than 1,280 Texas businesses of all kinds have filed for bankruptcy in courts in Texas and other states, during the past two years, with many of them connected to the oil and gas industry, according to data provided by Androvett Legal Media, a public relations and marketing company for law firms. "Most bankruptcy law practices were pretty slow, but now most bankruptcy lawyers are either busy or crazy busy," says Bill Wallander, who leads the bankruptcy practice at Houston-based Vinson & Elkins. The Androvett data shows that 752 businesses filed for bankruptcy restructuring in Texas federal courts in 2016 - up 42 percent from 2015 and up 80 percent from 2014. More than 150 oil and gas companies filed for bankruptcy in 2016 - 71 of them were exploration and production operations with a cumulative debt of $56.8 billion, according to Haynes and Boone's Oil and Gas Bankruptcy Monitor. The Haynes and Boone data shows that 70 oil and gas services companies also filed for Chapter 11 protection last year. Chapter 11 protects companies from creditors while the firms reorganize, work with lenders to figure out how - and how much - creditors will be paid back, develop plans to remain viable businesses. The longer a company stays in bankruptcy, however, the more expensive it gets. Law firm partners working on these energy company bankruptcies charge hourly rates ranging from $950 to $1,450, according to the Texas Lawbook's review of court records. There's no better example than the oil services firm CHC Group, which filed for bankruptcy in Dallas last May. The company expanded quickly when petroleum prices were high, buying hundreds of helicopters to ferry workers and cargo to energy production sites around the globe. When oil fell to $30 early last year, CHC idled nearly 100 of its choppers, laid off scores of employees and filed for Chapter 11, citing $1.5 billion in debt. CHC is still several weeks away from getting U.S. Bankruptcy Chief Judge Barbara Houser's final stamp of approval, but the company has already paid its legal and financial advisers - including Weil, Gotshal & Manges, Ernst & Young, Debevoise & Plimpton, Gardere, DLA Piper and Price-waterhouseCoopers - more than $26 million in combined fees and expenses, according to court records. That figure does not include any fees for work those firms have done for the past three months. Those bills have not yet been submitted to Houser for approval. Fort Worth-based QuickSilver Resources paid $36.7 million in fees and expenses for only a year in federal bankruptcy court. Another Fort Worth company, Energy & Exploration Partners, paid $15 million in professional fees and expenses. Houston-based Sabine Oil & Gas has paid its advisers more than $78 million for 14 months in bankruptcy court. But none of these compare to Dallas-based Energy Future Holdings, which filed for protection in April 2014. To date, the company has paid its lawyers and financial advisers more than $449 million, a tab that analysts predict will hit $600 million before the bankruptcy is concluded this spring. Kirkland is the biggest beneficiary. In April 2014, the Chicago-based law firm opened its first Texas office in Houston by luring Andrew Calder away from a competing law firm. That same month, EFH hired Kirkland to be the lead counselor for the debtor. In the months since, EFH has paid the firm more than $160 million in fees and expenses. "Kirkland was willing to spend the resources, and now they are reaping the benefits," says bankruptcy litigation specialist Nick Foley, who joined McKool Smith as a partner in December. For a longer version of this article, please visit TexasLawbook.net. Third Palm Capital Houston Technology Center has opened a satellite office at Republic Square, a redevelopment of the former ExxonMobil Chemical campus in the Energy Corridor. Owner Third Palm Capital has been adding resources for small businesses on the 35 acre campus at 13501 Katy Freeway. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Houston Technology Center has tapped a longtime Houstonian with more than 25 years of banking experience and an impressive list of contacts to lead the nonprofit's next era of growth. Lori Vetters will become president and CEO of the business incubator and accelerator on Feb. 1, replacing current chief executive Walter Ulrich, who is retiring after 10 years at the helm. Vetters, 55, most recently expanded HSBC Bank's commercial business in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. She is a current board member for nonprofits including HISD Foundation and Teach for America-Houston, and she spent more than 10 years on the Greater Houston Partnership's board. "I wanted to do something that I thought would be impactful to the city," Vetters said last week, ahead of Monday's formal announcement. "And for me, this was a combination of giving back to the city but also leveraging my business background of 30 years of helping companies grow and build and find capital." Finding capital will be one of her top priorities at the Houston Technology Center. Vetters said access to venture capital and seed funding is one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs. It's a major hurdle in Houston's efforts to become a technology hub, she said. More Information High tech Houston Technology Center, by the numbers: 1999Year opened 70Current clients $2.8 billion Funds attracted 5,000&Jobs created See More Collapse Vetters plans to spend the first 30 days listening to entrepreneurs, staff and sponsors and learning about their needs, and she already is talking with a new funding source to bring more capital to Houston entrepreneurs. Ultimately, she wants to work with her network of banking and community leaders to lure even more capital to Houston. "Lori's banking and finance background opens an opportunity for not just HTC but for the entire community to have much more capital available to help our entrepreneurs accelerate their success," Ulrich said. Ulrich, 70, said the technology center considered more than 100 candidates for the job. He praised Vetters' work in building businesses through the banking world, her nonprofit experience through board positions, and her commitment to Houston. Vetters received unanimous approval from the executive committee and board members. "This is one of the best jobs in the world, but it's also a very complex job, so all the elements are required," Ulrich said. "And with Lori, we were able to check all the boxes." Vetters was born and raised in Midland. She received an undergraduate degree in geology from Tulane University and a master of business administration from Southern Methodist University. Vetters moved to Houston in 1985 and, except for a three-year stint as regional president for a Chase bank in San Antonio, has lived here ever since. She currently lives in West University Place with her 11-year-old son, Trey, and their golden retriever, Lucy. Derrick Ragland, Vetters' boss at HSBC and currently the president of commercial banking at Woodforest National Bank, said Vetters has a strong work ethic and is driven to get results. This new position will build upon her community contacts and her experience as a commercial banker, he said. Commercial bankers also want to help businesses succeed. "Her experience will be used very wisely in this position," Ragland said. Ulrich added that educating students in science, technology, engineering and math is essential to getting new workers into Houston's energy, life science, space and other sectors. "Lori has been working to create those people who are then going to become the clients of the Houston Technology Center, who are then going to change the world," Ulrich said. Like Ulrich has in the past, Vetters pledged to continue collaborating with Houston's various entrepreneurial groups. The Houston Technology Center has tapped a longtime Houstonian with more than 25 years of banking experience and an impressive list of contacts to lead the nonprofit's next era of growth. Lori Vetters will become president and CEO of the business incubator and accelerator on Feb. 1, replacing current chief executive Walter Ulrich, who is retiring after 10 years at the helm. Vetters, 55, most recently expanded HSBC Bank's commercial business in Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. She is a current board member for nonprofits including HISD Foundation and Teach for America-Houston, and she spent more than 10 years on the Greater Houston Partnership's board. "I wanted to do something that I thought would be impactful to the city," Vetters said last week, ahead of Monday's formal announcement. "And for me, this was a combination of giving back to the city but also leveraging my business background of 30 years of helping companies grow and build and find capital." Finding capital will be one of her top priorities at the Houston Technology Center. Vetters said access to venture capital and seed funding is one of the biggest challenges for entrepreneurs. It's a major hurdle in Houston's efforts to become a technology hub, she said. Vetters plans to spend the first 30 days listening to entrepreneurs, staff and sponsors and learning about their needs, and she already is talking with a new funding source to bring new capital to Houston entrepreneurs. Ultimately, she wants to work with her network of banking and community leaders to lure more capital to Houston. "Lori's banking and finance background opens an opportunity for not just HTC but for the entire community to have much more capital available to help our entrepreneurs accelerate their success," Ulrich said. Ulrich, 70, said the technology center considered more than 100 candidates for the job. He praised Vetters' work in building businesses through the banking world, her nonprofit experience through board positions, and her commitment to Houston. Vetters received unanimous approval from the executive committee and board members. "This is one of the best jobs in the world, but it's also a very complex job so all the elements are required," Ulrich said. "And with Lori, we were able to check all the boxes." Vetters was born and raised in Midland. She received an undergraduate degree in geology from Tulane University and a master of business administration degree from Southern Methodist University. Vetters moved to Houston in 1985 and, except for a three-year stint as regional president for a Chase bank in San Antonio, has lived here ever since. She currently lives in West University Place with her 11-year-old son, Trey, and their golden retriever, Lucy. Derrick Ragland, Vetters' boss at HSBC and currently the president of commercial banking at Woodforest National Bank, said Vetters has a strong work ethic and is driven to receive results. This new position will build upon her community contacts and her experience as a commercial banker, he said. Commercial bankers also want to help businesses succeed. "Her experience will be used very wisely in this position," Ragland said. Ulrich added that educating students in science, technology, engineering and math is essential to getting new workers into Houston's energy, life science, space and other sectors. "Lori has been working to create those people who are then going to become the clients of the Houston Technology Center who are then going to change the world," Ulrich said. Like Ulrich has in the past, Vetters pledged to continue collaborating with Houston's various entrepreneurial groups. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate While much of the country was recovering from a winter storm, the 74th Golden Globe Awards - the first major red-carpet statement of 2017 - revealed a sunny outlook Sunday night. In fact, yellow was the stand-out hue with a pregnant Natalie Portman leading the trend. Portman, who stars in the movie, "Jackie," channeled the late style icon wearing a rich yellow Prada A-line gown with jewels by Tiffany & Co. The gown was understated, elegant and oh-so Jackie O. Also in yellow was Viola Davis, who stars in the "Fences," based on the August Wilson play. She wore a simple one-shoulder Michael Kors gown, but the bold color looked stunning on Davis. On the red carpet, she spoke of the significance of Wilson's work: "He did justice to the American black man." The evening's fashion parade had an angelic quality. Ethereal white and silver dresses floated down the red carpet. With so many celebrity deaths in 2016, perhaps it was a statement about new beginnings. Sarah Jessica Parker, who is always known for taking fashion risks, appeared in a dreamy all-white Vera Wang cold-shoulder look from the designer's fall 2017 bridal collection. Some critics noted the "Divorce" star's look was a tribute to Princess Leia in "Star Wars," played by the late Carrie Fisher. Parker's braided up-do did conjure images of the Leia's hair buns, yet Wang told Vogue the dress was "a modern, minimal and more architectural interpretation of the gowns in Franco Zeffirelli's film 'Romeo and Juliet.' " Newcomer Issa Rae, who was nominated for her lead role in HBO's comedy series "Insecure," looked regal in an all-white, long-sleeve Christian Siriano gown. More for you Golden Globes show the love to 'La La Land' The men showed style, too. Ryan Gosling looked like a winner in a Gucci white tux jacket. Pharrell, who was nominated for the "Hidden Figures" soundtrack, wore a white, pearl-encrusted Chanel suit from the 2012-13 Bombay Collection. All that was missing was one of his over-the-top hats. Host Jimmy Fallon debuted Stella McCartney's new menswear line, wearing a classic tux look. Donald Glover, who won for his show "Atlanta," wore a Gucci DIY Made to Order tobacco velvet notch-lapel New Signoria suit. John Legend looked classic in Gucci. Although green was recently named the color of 2017, there was little of the shade at the Golden Globes. What was more apparent were the pastel hues of pink and purple. Zoe Saldana wore a Gucci pale pink and red gown with an asymmetrical tiered ruffled skirt, while Hailee Steinfeld, who was nominated for "The Edge of Seventeen," appeared in a romantic periwinkle Vera Wang ballgown. Gold had a presence. Kerry Washington - who had just arrived from the White House after one last visit with Obamas - wore Dolce & Gabbana. Houston's Olympic gymnast Simone Biles donned a gold gown, too. This year's red carpet was conservative - as the Golden Globes typically is. Yet, there were a few fashion fails: Anna Kendrick in an ill-fitting. one-shoulder gray Vionnet gown. Also, Nicole Kidman in an Alexander McQueen number that had too much going on. Ryan Seacrest, wearing a brown tuxedo, started the red-carpet show by announcing that fashion was no longer the focus. " 'Who are you wearing?' That's so done," he said. Although he did give his own clothing line, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, a shout-out. We've got news for him. On the red carpet, fashion is everything. 1. Extreme poverty is a big problem in Houston and its getting worse. In her report published this fall, Heather OConnell of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research reported something troubling: 39 percent of the census tracts in Harris County are classified as high-poverty. The figure is concerning for two reasons. First, its almost double the national rate of high-poverty tracts. Second, the figure has grown locally at a staggering rate, more than quadrupling since 1980. In Houston, poverty isnt simply rising. Its spreading, moving from the core of the city and across the region, transforming places that were once middle-class. Overall, the study finds, economic segregation is tightening its grip on Harris County. The result is a region with a smaller middle-class, a starker division between haves and have nots, and few indications that the trend is poised to reverse any time soon. Read the full report. 2. Houston's pension expenses are exploding. Remarkably, in a span of just 15 years, Houstons unfunded pension liability went from $0 to $4 billion. In one of the most high-profile reports it produced in 2016, the Kinder Institute explored how this liability grew so large, so fast. There are a lot of reasons, but there are a couple of big ones. The city has long failed to make sufficient annual payments to those funds. And the funds have made inaccurate projections of their investment returns. The Kinder Institutes report, The Houston Pension Question, offers options for reforms, several of which were adopted in Mayor Sylvester Turners announced deal. Read the full report. Kinder Institute for Urban Research 3. Houston is still growing like crazy. Census numbers released earlier this year show that Texas is home to the countrys fastest-growing cities. New York City took the top spot for year-over-year population growth, based on its increase of 55,211 residents from 2014 to 2015. Houston came in just behind New York, ranking number two on the list by adding 40,032 residents in the same period. Its total population now stands at 2,296,224, according to the Census. Among the 15 U.S. cities that added the most residents during that time frame, five are located in Texas (Houston, along with San Antonio, Fort Worth, Dallas and Austin). The big question which we might find out next year is whether the downturn in the local economy that continued through 2016 will slow Houstons longstanding and rapid population growth. 4. Despite the national political climate, Houston welcomes immigrants. The U.S. just elected a president whose campaign was largely defined by anti-immigrant rhetoric, including a promise to deploy a deportation force and erect a wall around the nation. But Houstonians are far less hostile towards immigrants, including undocumented workers, the Kinder Houston Area Survey found this year. For example, locally, more people than ever 63 percent believe immigrants contribute more to the U.S. economy than they take. Thats up from 45 percent in 2010. Weve had 30 years of Houston being a city of immigrants, said Kinder Institute founding director Stephen Klineberg said, and residents are increasingly aware of how much immigrants have contributed to the vitality of the region. Theres also a rising number of people in Houston who seem unconcerned with undocumented immigration. Today, 79 percent of Houston area residents say undocumented immigrants living in the area are not a very serious problem. Thats up from 50 percent just six years ago. Read the full report. Kinder Institute for Urban Research 5. Many Houstonians want more a more urban style of living but they arent getting it. The longstanding Kinder Houston Area Survey asks residents annually whether theyd prefer a single-family home with a big yard, or a smaller home in a more urbanized area. In recent years, Houstonians have been almost evenly split on this issue. But this year, the Urban Edge blog took a deeper dive into the numbers. It turns out, there are a lot of Houstonians who want to live in a more urban area, but for whatever reason, arent currently doing so. Roughly 1 in 5 Harris County residents want to live in an urban area but arent doing so. About the same rate of urban-seekers lack an urban home in Montgomery County, north of Houston. And in Fort Bend County, southwest of Houston, more than 1 in 4 residents want the urban lifestyle but arent living it. The survey findings cant, of course, explain exactly why this is happening. But there are plenty of reasons people might not be able to live in an urban environment, even if they might prefer one, whether its the location of their jobs, their perceptions about urban schools, or skyrocketing home prices inside Houstons urban core. Read the full analysis. Ryan Holeywell (@RyanHoleywell) is senior editor at Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and a former business reporter for the Houston Chronicle. This article was written for the Kinder Institute blog, "The Urban Edge." Any opinions expressed here are Holeywell's own. Bookmark Gray Matters. Seventy-nine percent of Houston area residents say it's not a "very serious" problem. A man was shot to death Sunday night in front of his wife and children during a gun battle with a would-be robber as the family returned home from a grocery store in southwest Houston, police. The would-be robber also died of wounds suffered in the exchange of gunfire. The incident happened about 8:30 p.m. in the 7000 block of Ashcroft near Bellaire, according to the Houston Police Department. Rony Escobar set four medication bottles and a syringe on the table where he was preparing to testify Saturday about the proposed repeal of the Affordable Care Act. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee rose from her chair and walked closer to take a look. "These are daily?" she asked, picking up two of the drugs. "Yes," the 23-year-old Houstonian with diabetes and other health conditions said. "I have to take seven pills every day and I have to inject myself four times." Escobar was among several greater Houston residents who shared their personal experiences with health care access, as well as their opinions on the promised repeal of the health reform law by Republican lawmakers who now have majorities in both houses of Congress. Jackson Lee, a Houston Democrat, hosted a listening session at the Mickey Leland Federal Building in downtown Houston as part of the national push-back by ACA supporters. 'It's not political' Enacted in 2010, the Affordable Care Act was approved by a Congress with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. The health reform plan known as "Obamacare" became the signature legislation and namesake law of President Barack Obama and is considered a core piece of his legacy. The ACA provided a way for uninsured Americans to access individual private health coverage without rejection for pre-existing conditions. The law also requires certain routine medical exams to be covered without co-payments. Jackson Lee said striking down the law would unravel the insurance market and put people's lives at risk by potentially causing those with pre-existing conditions to be ineligible for coverage, eliminating access to care for millions and denying reimbursements to hospitals for uncompensated care. "This is a personal matter for me," she said. " I am a cancer survivor. And for anyone that has had catastrophic illness, it is no joke and it's not political." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, more than one million Texans have gained coverage through the ACA individual insurance marketplace since 2010 and the state's uninsured rate has fallen 28 percent to unprecedented lows. Survey: Many favor repeal GOP leaders have vowed to undo the law, but have not revealed a replacement plan. According to a new survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 49 percent of those polled said that Congress should repeal the law and 20 percent of respondents supported striking down the ACA before lawmakers devise an alternative. After Escobar signed up for coverage in the insurance marketplace, he said his monthly out-of-pocket costs fell from more than $800 to less than $200. "It literally saved my life," he said. The congresswoman advised those who want the Affordable Care Act to remain in force to make their voices heard with vigorous action that meets or exceeds the efforts of those who tried to stop the law's approval by Congress and subsequent implementation. "As vitriolic as the opposition was, we need to be high-spirited," she said. "But our highness should be in energy - it should be in marches, protests, emails, texts, calls." Fears Medicare cuts Aurora Harris, 28, told the congresswoman that the ACA broke down health barriers for her as a lesbian and has protected access to care for her mother. "The Affordable Care Act was really a way for us to start narrowing those health disparities," the Houston resident said. Cecelia Fontenot of Houston has diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension. She said the ACA saved her life after she was laid off from her job and lost her health coverage. "I have to take medication that is very expensive," she said. "I made a little bit too much money to go to Harris Health (public hospital system) and not enough to purchase insurance on my own." The marketplace, with its subsidies, offered her an affordable option to purchase a health plan. She now is covered by Medicare, but "fears" cuts to that program if the ACA disappears. Several physicians also testified against an ACA repeal. Others who praised the law during the hearing included representatives of Planned Parenthood Gulf Coast and the Texas Organizing Project as well as leaders in local chapters of the Service Employees International Union and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees known as AFSCME. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez has tapped a diverse wave of law enforcement veterans to fill his top command staff, sharply increasing the number of minority leaders and naming the first female assistant chief ever in the sheriff's office. In his first week as sheriff, Gonzalez named three Latinos, three African-Americans and an Asian to leadership positions, and promoted Debra Schmidt to assistant chief. Another woman, who is African-American, is also among the new leadership. Ten of those selected for the 15 top command posts are longtime members of the sheriff's office, a sharp break with the actions of the two previous administrations. One major's position is not yet filled. "There are a lot of wonderful, highly skilled, quality individuals within the sheriff's office," Gonzalez said. "Part of being a leader is doing that - identifying bright people that can really help, that are smart and capable." Before Gonzalez took office Jan. 1, four of the top command staff retired and nine were asked to leave, according to Ryan Sullivan, a sheriff's office spokesman. Two officers have been retained. The appointments are the first indication of how Gonzalez will approach the county's top law enforcement job. His decision to pick department insiders with knowledge about the operations drew immediate praise for boosting morale. "By selecting a diverse staff internally he has shown he recognizes the experience and cultural knowledge of those deputies within his own office while also understanding the expectations of the diverse community the department serves," said Lawrence Karson, assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown. David Cuevas, president of the Harris County Deputies Organization, likewise praised the decision to promote from within. "Morale has instantly skyrocketed," Cuevas said. "The consensus around the department is we finally have upward mobility and institutional knowledge in place to move the sheriff's office forward and into the future. The rank-and-file see that if they are on a promotional list and take their time, their hard work and leadership is not going to be stifled because people outside are brought into command positions." Personnel moves Cuevas said he is particularly pleased with Gonzalez's decision to tap Timothy Navarre, a well-respected captain who will advance to major over the Criminal Investigations Division. Gonzalez also chose three veterans from the Houston Police Department, including Patrick Dougherty, who oversaw operations at the city's jails and would be a boon to the department as it undertakes the construction and running of a joint processing center. Gonzalez also recruited HPD's Mike Lee, who helped oversee the implementation of the department's critical intervention team and homeless outreach team, and Tony Huynh, an HPD lieutenant who was up for promotion. Schmidt, the new assistant chief who has advocated for LGBT issues, had been promoted to major under former Sheriff Adrian Garcia but was demoted to captain under outgoing Sheriff Ron Hickman. Daryl Coleman, will advance from major to chief deputy over corrections and will retain oversight of the jail, which has been plagued with overcrowding and overtime problems. John Martin will move from captain to major over detentions. Greg Summerland will move from captain to major to oversee justice support services. Edison Toquica, who had left the sheriff's office to work in the district attorney's office, is returning to take the post of chief deputy over law enforcement. Armando Tello, a former chief sheriff's deputy who left to serve in Precinct 6, is returning as assistant chief deputy over law enforcement. Bryan Pair, who will move from captain to major, is expected to oversee internal affairs. Rounding out the list are Marcus Kinnard-Bing, the sheriff's patrol major, who was among those retained by Gonzalez, and Eleanor Jones, who is being promoted from lieutenant to major. Their new positions were not immediately available. Heliodoro Martinez, who lost his bid for re-election as the Precinct 6 constable, will take over as director of community relations, a civilian position. Community leaders pleased Gonzalez's decision to pick a diverse staff pleased community advocates, who had criticized Hickman for selecting a mostly white, male command staff. "Overall, I think that's a good start and much-needed," said Johnny Mata, president of the Greater Houston Coalition for Justice, which advocates for better relationships between law enforcement and minorities. "Adrian (Garcia) started doing it, and it got wiped out by the last administration." Harris County Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack, a Republican, said the moves should help Gonzalez get up to speed quickly on operations at the state's largest sheriff's office. "He is certainly showing he has figured out a way to make up for the fact he hasn't worked in the sheriff's office," he said. "It's very intelligent of him to take advantage of the vast amount of experience within the department that he doesn't have yet." Gonzalez was a longtime Houston homicide detective who rose to the rank of sergeant. He then served six years on Houston City Council, where he chaired the public safety and homeland security committee and served as mayor pro tem. In the Nov. 8 election, he defeated incumbent Hickman in a Democratic sweep of Harris County's top criminal justice posts, including the district attorney's office and all the judicial positions. Gonzalez said he hopes the new command staff will improve management in the sheriff's office and help him learn the new job more quickly. "I'm proud of the team coming together," he said. AUSTIN - Lawmakers who coasted into town two years ago with $7 billion-plus in unspent balance at their disposal are now facing a tight budget because of the state's dampened economy and previous fiscal commitments. The squeeze is forcing a hard look at services funded in the budget, which include education, health services, parks and roads. "Next session is substantially tighter - more challenging than it has been in the past few sessions - in part because the economy is growing much slower than it has in the past," said Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, who will issue revenue estimates Monday, the day before the legislative session convenes. Hegar will also calculate how much unspent money will be left after the current two-year budget closes Aug. 31. That budget topped $209 billion in state and federal funds, including about $106 billion of that state general-revenue money. The coming budget challenges are expected to be in the billions because of oil-and-gas industry struggles that have prompted lower-than-expected revenue collections, whittling away at the state's cushion of unspent money and driving questions about the funds that will come in over the next fiscal period. While there are positive signs in the state's rig count, oil prices, job growth and personal income growth, those haven't yet been reflected in the state's revenue stream. Besides feeling the effects of the uncertain economy, lawmakers and leaders had an impact on state revenues with their tax-cut and spending decisions. They slashed the franchise tax by $2.6 billion over two years. They provided more than $1 billion in local school property tax relief through a bigger homestead exemption that the state must offset. They directed that gasoline tax revenue that once helped pay for the Texas Department of Public Safety be reserved for roads. They got voters' OK on a constitutional amendment to direct up to $5 billion in sales tax money to transportation instead of leaving it available for general spending over the next two years. "That makes next session substantially tighter because the normal growth is already pre-dedicated," Hegar said. At the same time, lawmakers and leaders have spending priorities and pressures, including needing to put more resources into the troubled system meant to protect abused and neglected children. "My primary goal this session is to pass a responsible budget that protects vulnerable children and maintains our commitment to education, transportation and other important priorities," said Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson, R-Flower Mound. Improving the public school funding system, bolstering mental health services and restoring money cut from services for children with disabilities are cited by House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio. Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, among their goals, have talked about moving toward more tax relief, although there's no expectation of big state money for that effort. 'Tough decisions' Along with what they want, lawmakers have pressures they can't avoid. Texas must allocate more money for its share of the Medicaid program and faces expensive problems in programs such as the health care system for retired teachers that could affect Texas' credit rating if not addressed. Lawmakers are expected to pass a supplemental spending measure of as much as $2 billion this year, mostly for Medicaid, and have already agreed to an emergency funding increase of $140 million for Child Protective Services. They also face costs such as $50 million for repairing damage caused by weather and natural disasters at state parks. "They are going to have to make some very tough decisions that are going to have impacts on the public," said Dale Craymer, president of the business-based Texas Taxpayers and Research Association. "It may be parks have fewer hours than they might otherwise have had. The lines may be longer to get certain state services. Classrooms may be a little fuller than what they would be otherwise." Higher education is vulnerable, he said. It hasn't faced the sort of court action that public education has, and it doesn't carry the weight of federal mandates in the way Medicaid does. Lean budget Any cuts will be felt in a budget that's already lean, said Eva De Luna Castro, state budget analyst for the Center for Public Policy Priorities, which advocates for programs that help lower-and moderate-income Texans. "You can't cut what's not there," she said. "In 2013, Texas ranked 46th in state spending per capita. ... When you are 46th, what exactly do you stop doing?" Just providing the current level of services to a growing population could take about $111 billion in state revenue over the next two years, said De Luna Craymer said it could take that much or perhaps $1 billion less. The state is unlikely to have that much at its disposal. Nelson said lawmakers must look for ways to control health care costs, and she noted that leaders asked agencies to recommend 4 percent in savings. If that 4 percent was fully realized - a difficult prospect - it would yield $1.5 billion, Craymer said. Sharing the burden Lawmakers also have other places to find money. Close to $2 billion could be freed for state general spending thanks to the way school finance formulas work. Higher property values mean local taxes pick up a bigger share of the bill. There are accounting tricks that lawmakers could use as they did in a 2011 budget crunch. Leaders are waiting to see if President-elect Donald Trump may put more federal money into border security, easing the need for Texas spending. Forced into overtime In addition, lawmakers can turn to the $10 billion-plus savings account known as the Rainy Day Fund, but it takes a supermajority vote to spend it, and it's a politically difficult move. It's seen as a mark of conservatism to not dip into savings, and even some who want more spending don't want to use the account on recurring expenses. A key to resolving budget challenges will be the relationship among the lawyerly Abbott, the high-profile Patrick and the focus-on-the-basics Straus, who have differing priorities. If the three aren't on the same page, lawmakers' work could be forced into overtime this summer. Only the governor can call a special session, but Abbott would have little choice if the budget is hanging. "It's not necessarily history that dictates whether a special session is likely," Craymer said. "It's how well the leadership comes together, and how quickly they come together." This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Lately, 9-year-old Maira Junaid has been asking a lot of questions: Will she be able to get out of bed and walk again? Will she be able to play and go outside like other children? Will she ever be free of the machines keeping her alive? And now this: When she finally gets her new lungs, will she be allowed to pick the color? "One blue, one pink," she told her doctor at Texas Children's Hospital this week. "How about two pink," said her father, Junaid Iqbal. He's been asking questions, too: Can he raise enough money in time? Will he be able to save his little girl? "I don't know the answer," Iqbal said, his voice trailing. It's been more than a year since he and his wife left their home in Pakistan and came to Houston seeking a double lung transplant for Maira, who was born with cystic fibrosis. Without the operation, which couldn't have been done in Pakistan, she'll die. But to get her added to the transplant waiting list in the U.S., Iqbal and his wife first must raise $650,000. That's on top of the $100,000 they needed just to begin treatment at the hospital. It's an added burden imposed on those who come from another country for a transplant. Patients are required to pay a deposit covering the cost of the procedure and at least a few years' worth of follow-up treatments. The cost estimate for Maira's care is less than half the original $1.8 million price tag, thanks in part to help from Texas Children's. More Information Transplant list Maira Junaid's parents must raise another $250,000 before she can be added to the waiting list for a lung transplant. To donate, visit patients.transplants.org/mairajunaid. To follow her progress, go to www.facebook.com/breathehope4maira. See More Collapse Still, Iqbal, a software engineer in Pakistan, doesn't have that kind of money. In Houston, he's turned to the community for help. He's met with leaders of mosques. Local charities. TV news reporters. He's been teaching Maira names of Houston celebrities, hoping she'll mention J.J. Watt or Beyonce on camera and win their kindness. Last week, a 6-year-old girl came to the hospital and donated the contents of her piggy bank. "We are grateful for any amount," Iqbal said. He and his wife have a small apartment near the Texas Medical Center but sleep most nights at the hospital, where Maira has spent months connected to a ventilator. They take turns sleeping while the other sits awake, watching monitors, making sure oxygen keeps pumping into their daughter's failing lungs. During the day, it's all about fundraising, Iqbal said. After a surge of contributions over the holidays, they've nearly reached $400,000. But it took months to raise that much; Iqbal doesn't know if he has months to raise the rest. Maira's lungs are functioning at just 20 percent and getting worse. She seems oblivious to her parents' fears. Sometimes the coughing fits bring blood to her mouth and tears to her eyes. But mostly, she's just a happy girl, her father said. On Wednesday, he climbed into bed with her and gave her a kiss. She giggled and pulled his hair. For a moment, his worried face softened into a smile. Her doctors say they need to begin the process of adding her to the transplant list as soon as possible. And if they don't? "We must," Iqbal said. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate LA JOYA - Two immigrants had been killed on his watch, yet the 14-year-old smuggler assured his grandmother he wasnt responsible for their deaths. It was October 2012, and earlier that day Carlos Daniel Gracia had raced down a country road as a throng of law enforcement officers gave chase. A sharpshooter perched in a state police helicopter opened fire, killing two Guatemalans concealed in the bed of the boys red pickup. Hours later, the teen stood outside his grandmothers trailer near the tiny Rio Grande Valley border town of La Joya. A state trooper at his side warned Gracia that he would soon need to appear in the 449th state District Court. Until then, the unruly teenager would be left in his grandmothers charge. Gracia never appeared in court. It wasnt the first time he would slip through the cracks, and it wouldnt be the last. Moving drugs and people across the border is not unlike a high-stakes shell game. Smuggling organizations use a variety of diversionary tactics to trick law enforcement into looking in the opposite direction. Perhaps none of these is more ruthlessly employed, or more effective, than the use of minors. Smuggling organizations exploit underage conscripts for their vulnerability as much as for the way their youth confounds a federal system that lacks a mechanism to prosecute them. Even when underage smugglers are caught, precious few end up in state custody, which is equipped to deal with juveniles. Far more are repatriated to Mexico, where the criminal enterprise using them will likely put them back to work. And so it was for Gracia. Over three years, he was caught in a cycle of smuggling and deportation, right up to the moment he was shot dead on a dusty country road. But back on that October day four years ago, when he was left in his grandmothers care, Gracia had no intention of waiting around for gringo justice to be doled out. He packed his things and left for Diaz Ordaz, his grandmother Irma Bermudez said recently, referring to a dangerous town on the Mexican side of the border, a few miles up river from La Joya. The boss Gracia was born in the outskirts of Monterrey, Mexico, the product of a teenage mother and an abusive father. Believing her daughter was ill-prepared to care for the child, Bermudez raised him as her own. When he turned 13, she moved them to La Joya to be near her two daughters, who had immigrated to the Rio Grande Valley. It was here that Santos Cortez Hernandez plucked Gracia from the impoverished borderlands to become part of his criminal enterprise. Their introduction was made possible by a cousin of Gracias, who was dating Cortez, a reputed Gulf Cartel member with roots in Diaz Ordaz. The crime boss dug his heels into the lucrative smuggling corridor of western Hidalgo County. These days, this sparsely populated area crawls with Border Patrol and the omnipresent black and white Department of Public Safety vehicles. Four years ago, though, it was a smugglers paradise. There was a ready supply of recruits in the colonias. Smugglers lured them in with drugs, prostitutes and money. Impressionable teens dropped out of school and moved into one of a handful of safe houses that Cortez kept for his budding criminal team. These kids have never seen $200 together in their lives, said Raul Gonzalez, the police chief of the La Joya school district. Others dont know anything else but this. Their parents smuggled, their grandparents smuggled, their cousin smuggles. Sitting at his desk, Gonzalez emphasized that most in the school district are good kids. But over the years hes witnessed some of those good kids fall victim to the false promise of a trade that has infused untold millions into communities that offer few alternatives. Another teen smuggler Months before Gracia was recruited, another smuggling organization looking to expand its enterprise culled Junior Benjamin Rodriguez from the La Joya school district. Then a skinny 15-year-old, Rodriguez was ordered to haul a van filled with human cargo from the border to the immigration checkpoint in Falfurrias, about 80 miles away. Law enforcement agencies patrolling the region werent supposed to notice him but the van buckled under the weight of 18 desperate immigrants crammed inside. Within minutes of leaving the stash house, border agents surrounded Rodriguez, and in a futile attempt to outrun them he flipped the van, leaving twisted metal and a trail of bodies scattered across the road. Nine people died. Unlike Gracia, Rodriguez was prosecuted and sentenced to 20 years in state prison. They will suck these kids in on what is a minor errand, and then gradually escalate it, said Thomas Wayland, a McAllen-based attorney who represents troubled youth. When the child finally says this is getting to be too much, as in Juniors case, they tell you theyll execute your whole family. In South Texas, the Cortez organization identified vulnerable families in certain areas. In Mexico, it owned entire colonias. Young recruits started off slow, maybe as a lookout at a stash house, and in return the kids were given a bit of spending money. It wasnt long before they were stealing vehicles for smuggling runs. Cortez reported to the cartel in Mexico, officials say, but in Hidalgo County he was in charge. He oversaw several lieutenants, each assigned a handful of younger crew members. Business was good. Cortez and his lieutenants drove new trucks and stretched out in spacious homes. But he kept the boys and their money at arms length. He said he was keeping the money safe for when they needed it, Bermudez said, but Carlos never saw any of it. Juvenile referral program Seeking to break the link between minors and smugglers, immigration officials launched two programs aimed at steering juveniles from organized crime. In South Texas, those efforts were envisioned as a scared straight presentation in area schools, dubbed Operation Detour. Its little-known counterpart for Mexican youth caught in the United States was simply called the juvenile referral process. The programs were conceived as a way to curb the exploitation of kids while disrupting the smuggling operation. We recognized once the cartels had figured out a loophole, they were dangling this in front of kids saying Hey, if you do this, chances are youre just going to get slapped on the wrist and theyre going to let you go because youre a minor, said Raul L. Ortiz, deputy chief patrol agent in the immigration agencys Valley sector. Before I always thought my target audience was 15, 16, 17 year olds, now its as young as 13. Under the referral process, which occurred from May 2014 to August 2015, Border Patrol sought information from the young Mexican nationals they detained and tried to keep them from their smuggling organizations, usually by transferring them to the U.S. Health and Human Services refugee office. Despite assurances that Border Patrol was shielding kids from exploitation, advocates for immigrant youths feared the agency was putting the minors, and their families, in danger. These kids often are forced into working with cartel groups, they get swept up in this program and there is no way to protect their families, said Jessica Jones, Child and Youth Policy Associate, Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service provider for the office of refugee resettlement. Some kids talked about threats to their mothers; another talked about chopping up the cartel kids and selling their organs. During this same period, Tamara Segura, an anthropologist with the Colegio de la Frontera Norte research center in Matamoros, spent the summer of 2014 interviewing repatriated youths on the border. While not the focus of her research, their stories left an impression. There was the boy who claimed to have made 75 smuggling runs, another who was 9 years old when he was arrested for the first time. There were also ambitious promises of reforming lives gone askew. One [kid] said he was finished smuggling, and that he was going back to school, Segura said. But he also talked about his life as a coyotito, and how he had his own car and girls. He realized that without the money he would lose it all. Besides, leaving a criminal organization isnt easy. As the juvenile referral process evolved, the agency found that many of the minors were punished for getting caught or losing drug loads. Agents realized they needed to improve their screening methods, and under the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, Mexican youths shared the same protection afforded other unaccompanied immigrant children. During the short-lived program, the border agency referred around 750 kids. About 480 were repatriated to Mexico, and about 15 percent of those were later arrested again for smuggling. The rest stayed in the United States for pending immigration hearings or in the custody of a relative. The problem persists. Last month, a 15-year-old Mexican boy was detained after he tried to run from Border Patrol when agents pulled over the truck he was driving near Harlingen. Agents found more than a half-ton of marijuana. Judge Jesse After the October 2012 high-speed debacle, Gracia was caught at least eight more times on smuggling allegations, and each time he was deported. When square-jawed Jesse Contreras, then the 449th state district judge, learned of the boys repeated transgressions, he issued a directive to apprehend the teenager. Next time, Gracia wouldnt slip away so easily, the judge thought. Eventually, McAllen police nabbed Gracia on auto theft and delivered him to Contreras. Bermudez hired Calixtro Villarreal, an attorney from Rio Grande City who likes to prescribe a steady diet of church and school for his clients. As Villarreal sees it, there is no great mystery to the prevalence of teen smuggling. You get a kid being raised by a single mom, he lacks a father figure, Villarreal explained. You ask Carlos why he did it, to help mom, poverty. In juvenile detention, Gracia struggled to adapt. He was disciplined several times for violent behavior and ignoring staff instructions. A psychological evaluation at the time found that while not inherently dangerous, Gracia was easily manipulated. He was described as having mild retardation, unaware of the difference between stealing $100 and a box of candy. It concluded that Gracia was at risk of becoming a habitual criminal and should be placed in a facility for mentally challenged people. But if 25 years defending the accused had taught Villarreal anything, it was not to put too much stock in evaluations of the criminal mind. He might not be able to spell, he might not be able to read, but when it comes to getting involved in this type of thing, Villarreal said, he was top of the line. After months in juvenile detention, Gracia pleaded guilty to violating his probation and was ordered to a state detention facility east of Waco. Because his underage record is legally protected, what followed isnt entirely clear. Whats certain, though, is that shortly after arriving at the juvenile facility, Gracia was returned to the Valley and repatriated once again to Mexico. He should have been there until he turned 19, Contreras said of Gracias incarceration. If anybody failed this kid it was our juvenile system. Cortez wasted little time putting his pupil back to work. One September afternoon in late 2014, Bermudez saw her grandson at a barbecue in La Joya. She pleaded with him to come home. He just smiled and he kissed me, Bermudez recalled. He told me not to worry. The next day, a Cortez associate called Bermudez and said Gracia had been shot in a leg. In fact, her grandson had sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the head. He was found in a wrecked F-150 pickup on a country road north of Mission. A nearby home surveillance camera captured the crash and showed one person tumbling out of the truck before disappearing into an adjacent grove of citrus trees. Miriam Ruiz, the homeowner and middle-aged proprietor of a drive-through beverage barn, called an ambulance while her mother pressed towels to Gracias head. She remembers beer bottles rolling around his feet, and thinking the ambulance was taking too long. The fallout A few months after Gracias death, the Hidalgo County Sheriffs Office announced it had charged a 15-year-old Mexican with his killing. The teenager, whose name hasnt been released for his safety, was allegedly another Cortez recruit. Sheriffs investigators found his fingerprints in the wrecked pickup. They also claimed that he was the person seen in the home video. Authorities, meanwhile, were catching up to Cortez, who had been linked to drug trafficking, immigrant smuggling, auto theft, burglary rings, attempted murder, as well as a string of foiled robberies. A multi-agency plan to capture Cortez, dubbed Operation Lockdown, was set in motion. Yet every time they got close, the cartel operative managed to escape. Then, on April 20, 2015, a tip led sheriffs sergeants to a home near Mission, where they found a green four-door Mazda that fit the description of a car Cortez drove. As two sergeants attempted to arrest the 25-year-old, authorities said he lunged for a semi-automatic handgun. Cortez was shot several times and died at the scene. As for Gracias death, the states case against his alleged killer hinged on the grainy home surveillance video. There was just enough difference between the size of the defendant and the youth seen running away in the video that the district attorneys office said there was little choice but to drop the murder charge. Theories abound about the killing: An accident, or retribution, maybe. Bermudez and her daughters have their own ideas, and think perhaps Gracia confronted Cortez and sought payment after years of smuggling. The case remains open. anelsen@express-news.net SAN FRANCISCO - More than 1,000 homes were evacuated in northern Nevada, and stranded motorists were pulled from cars stuck on flooded northern California roads as thunderstorms arrived Sunday as part of a massive winter storm that could be the biggest to slam the region in more than a decade. Crews in California cleared trees and debris following mudslides caused by steady rain accompanying the system that could dump 15 inches in the foothills of the Sierras and heavy snow on the mountain tops before it's expected to move east on Monday. In Nevada, emergency officials voluntarily evacuated a total of 1,300 homes in a south Reno neighborhood Sunday afternoon as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow south of U.S. Interstate 80. No injuries had been reported, but high waters forced the closure of numerous area roads, a series of bridges in downtown Reno and a pair of Interstate 80 off-ramps in neighboring Sparks, where the worst flooding is expected to send several feet of water early Monday into an industrial area where 25,000 people work. Bob Elsen of Sparks said he saw plenty of wet weather in his former hometown of Bremerton, Wash., but he didn't expect it in Nevada's high desert where only 8 inches of precipitation falls annually on average. "I don't think I've seen this much rain since I moved here six years ago," Elsen said as he watched the Truckee River's waters rise Sunday in Sparks. "It's why I moved out of Washington to get away from this stuff." An avalanche also closed a portion of the Mount Rose Highway connecting Reno to Lake Tahoe for the second time in three days after more than 6 feet of snow fell atop the Sierra last week. Meanwhile on the other side of the country, a winter storm that spread ice and snow from Mississippi to Maine is leaving behind cold so bitter that businesses and schools are closing in the South because the region still hasn't thawed. Four deaths have been blamed on the storm, which dropped more than a foot of snow in southern New England and could bring the first below-zero weather to parts of North Carolina in more than 20 years. In Mississippi, former Gov. William Winter fell on his icy driveway in Jackson. Winter, 93, is in intensive care with a concussion. Lingering problems were expected in North Carolina, where up to 10 inches of snow and sleet fell in places Saturday. A deep freeze followed. Forecasters predict temperatures won't get above freezing before Tuesday, a big problem in a state where officials depend on usually mild weather to melt away the ice and snow on less-traveled roads. AUSTIN - While the run-up to the biennial political carnival called the 85th Texas Legislature has been relatively civil, the opening bell at noon on Tuesday could change all that. In recent weeks, as Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus made public their priorities for the 140-day show, only a few were the same: Education, foster-care reform and a balanced budget that doesn't cut too much, despite an expected multibillion-dollar shortfall. Controversial bills on restrooms, abortion, school choice, among other issues - all priorities of Patrick - are not among the top priorities for many House members. Even Abbott has said he will have to see the final versions of some of the measures before he decides whether to sign them into law. While most political insiders agree what gets accomplished during the session could depend on how well the top three state leaders get along, two years after Abbott and Patrick were new to their jobs, the bets are on over how long the current civility will last. By most measures, Patrick, an ultra-conservative Republican and former Houston radio talk-show host, is even more firmly in control of the Upper Chamber than he was two years ago, after riding a tea party victory into office with big ambitions and a willingness to notch up the partisanship if necessary to get his agenda passed. Most senators agree those ambitions continue, and will likely spark tension with the House again. Though Patrick has insisted his ambition does not include running for governor as long as Abbott wants the office, talk has persisted that he is positioning himself for a future race. On Monday, Patrick has said he will announce his future plans - and senators close to him on Sunday said he has indicated he will stay put, though his news conference will increase his political visibility for the session. Straus, whose conservative low-key political style contrasts Patrick's spirited ultra-conservatism, has said he plans to focus the House on solving key state issues, not necessarily other hot-button problems. In the past, that has sparked tension with Patrick - sometimes at the weekly breakfast meeting of the top three leaders, a tradition to begin again next week. Abbott, a former Texas Supreme Court justice who is more measured in his approach to politics than Patrick, has hinted strongly that he will take the same approach in 2017 as he did two years ago: Outline his priorities in his State of the State speech later this month, and mostly stay out of the legislature's work unless asked. Then, after lawmakers go home in June, he will personally read ever bill that was passed and sign into law the ones he thinks are good. Aisle-crossing coalition? More Information Issues to watch Budget: With a revenue shortfall predicted to top $4 billion, the new state budget will have to go on a diet, even as Abbott and legislative leaders hope that President-elect Donald Trump's promises to bolster federal border-security initiatives and curb skyrocketing health care costs could save the state billions. Less money will affect passage of proposals with big price tags, including franchise tax reductions and tuition reforms, they agree. Sanctuary cities: Though no one seems to be able to clearly define exactly what a sanctuary city is, or how many there are in Texas, Senate leaders are intent on banning them, bolstered by Trump's tough stance on illegal immigration. Despite lukewarm support in the House, Abbott has listed this issue as a priority. Voter ID: The issue of requiring photo IDs to vote in Texas has been in the courts almost since it first was OK'd by lawmakers in 2011, and an attempt to bolster the existing controversial law again will face heated opposition from advocates who say it intentionally suppresses Latino and African-American voting. With the GOP in control of both legislative chambers, the chances of passage look good. Bathroom bill: The "Texas Privacy Act" would bar Texans from going in public-building restrooms that don't match the gender on their birth certificate. While conservative Republican supporters insist it's not akin to North Carolina's highly controversial law, opponents - including business groups that say it would cost the state $8.5 billion in lost business - are not buying it. Look for a fight in the Senate and a likely roadblock in the House. Abortion: As has been common in recent years, Republican lawmakers have offered several abortion-related bills, most aimed at limiting the procedure. Among this year's bills are those to increase criminal penalties for buying and selling fetal tissue and to ban partial-birth abortions, as well as one to prohibit insurance coverage for abortions. Child protection: After more than two decades of reforms designed to curb chronic, systemic problems, state officials have designated this issue a top priority, perhaps even an emergency that would allow expedited legislative action. Whatever the fix, it will be costly, a tab that will affect the strained budget. Some lawmakers have suggested the state use some of its Rainy Day Fund to pay for a permanent fix. Ethics reform: After a messy attempt at ethics reform two years ago, even though Abbott had made the issue a priority, the Legislature this year will get another shot at plugging loopholes in current campaign-finance and ethics laws that are big enough to drive a truck through. Asking the Legislature to impose new limits on its ethical behavior has historically proven akin to trying to thread an elephant through a needle. Expect a lot of talk, but most likely little significant reform short of some scandal. School choice: This issue will be just as contentious between conservatives who say it will let parents get around failing schools and the public-school lobby, which insists it is just a ruse to kill public education. Call it school choice or vouchers, the pitch to pass this legislation will focus on giving parents the option to put their children in the school they believe is best for them. Property tax cuts: Texans pay the sixth-highest property taxes in the nation, so who could hate legislation that would cut those taxes? Start with counties and cities and school districts and local taxing entities that are forced to up their rates to keep up with growing populations and needs. The result, according to legislative leaders, is likely to be a cut in taxes that is unlikely to provide real relief to taxpayers in a year when the state budget will be tight. Transparency: Two Texas Supreme Court decisions in 2015 carved huge exceptions in Texas' sunshine law that restrict the ability of taxpayers to find out how local and state governments are spending their money. And while open-government advocates say the solution should be an easy legislative fix, with support from city and county trade associations, economic-development associations across Texas say the exceptions should be preserved.Players to watch Gov. Greg Abbott: In his second legislative session as governor, the genial former Texas Supreme Court justice widely is expected to play much the same role as two years ago: lawyerly and low-key, quietly working behind the scenes to get what he wants and to block legislation he does not. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: As the most flamboyant and outspoken of Texas' top leaders, the former Houston sportscaster and radio talk-show host clearly wants to lead passage of a conservative agenda featuring bills that promise to pass the Senate, after some arm-twisting, but likely hit a wall in the House. House Speaker Joe Straus: Straus' reasoned and low-key approach to leadership in the House has served him well. Watch for him to let House leaders take care of their business, with some gentle guidance, always remembering that he needs to protect his members' interests. Senate Finance Committee Chair Jane Nelson: As the highest ranking Republican in the GOP-controlled Senate and the first woman to head the budget-writing committee, watch for the Flower Mound Republican to be a penurious nitpicker on spending issues, asking a lot of questions and demanding accountability from state agencies. Rep. Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton: Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee that deals with tax issues. A tough negotiator with the Senate in the previous session, expect him to be involved in talks on a number of key bills.Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston: A political confidante of Patrick, the former Harris County tax assessor is expected to be at the forefront of the contentious Senate proposal to curb rising property taxes. Sen. Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso: Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus and an outspoken critic of Patrick, this former prosecutor can be expected to not be silent in challenging many GOP policies and proposals. Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham: Now in just her second session as a senator after more than a decade in the House, she is author of the controversial "bathroom bill" and will make headlines trying to get it passed. Sen. Van Taylor, R-Plano: Author of a failed ethics-reform measure two years ago, this Plano businessman will give it another shot this spring as he hopes to fend off those who like the status quo. Rep. Byron Cook, R-Corsicana: The veteran chair of the House State Affairs, as well as a staunch Straus ally, he can be expected to help closely scrutinize controversial issues from the Senate that the House will face. Rep. Charlie Geren, R-Fort Worth: A no-nonsense longtimer who is no fan of the ultra right, Geren is a confidant of Straus who will work to protect House members from Senate pressure to pass controversial measures. Key issues Key issues confronting the 85th Texas Legislature, which convenes on Tuesday: Balancing the budget: Lawmakers may struggle to close a funding gap expected to top $4 billion. Child protection system: Top-to-bottom overhaul needed to correct chronic problems. Border security: Beefing it up could cost $1 billion. Bathroom bill: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's pet project is not a priority for House Speaker Joe Straus and likely will continue to be contentious. See More Collapse In the weeks leading up to Tuesday's opening, House and Senate members insist the dialogue between the two chambers has been more active than usual - probably owing to the state's budget shortfall that will mean there is less money to spend on programs than will be needed. "I'm not trying to make this sound like 'The Love Boat,' but there's been a lot more informal communication going on between the leadership and the members of both houses than there was two years ago. And everybody knows the budget is going to be the most difficult issue," said state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, a Houston Republican and confidant of Patrick who chairs the Senate GOP caucus. "We had a shakedown cruise two years ago, with a lot of new members and new leadership in the state, and this year everyone knows each other much better." Meanwhile, Democrats insist that while they are in a minority - 55 members in the 150-member House, 11 of 31 senators - they do not expect any love fest. As in several previous sessions, they expect to partner with more moderate Republicans, mostly in the House, to kill some controversial bills supported by the state's more conservative Republican leadership. "I think we'll see that governing coalition - Democrats and some members on the other side the aisle that are reasonable - come up again this year in votes," said Manny Garcia, deputy executive director of the Texas Democratic Party. "The time that Democrats spend on the floor of the House or Senate defending against crazy stuff the Republicans will try to pass is all for the better. Most Texas agree that it's crazy stuff, when the state has many needs." Whatever confidence Democrats feel will be tested by Republicans newly emboldened by the November election and the ascension of Donald Trump to the White House later this month. Lawmakers of both parties say they expect the result will be a push for bills that appeal to the hardcore GOP base, including tax cuts and Patrick's transgender bill, even as lawmakers struggle to close a funding gap expected to top $4 billion, left by a state economy slowed by the downtown in the energy industry. "The lieutenant governor has a Senate who will follow his lead on conservative issues, and Joe Straus has a larger (legislative) body that is much more diverse, and that affects how the House and Senate see issues differently," said Bill Miller, an Austin lobbyist who has been close with top state leaders for more than three decades. But if the top leaders are seen as working together, the expected fireworks could fizzle. "If the top three (leaders) have a good working relationship, it makes things easier for the members in the Senate and the House. And that's been true for years," said Pete Laney, a West Texas Democrat who served as speaker for 10 years starting in 1993. "Sessions where there's a budget shortfall tend to focus on that and social issues less, that's true, because the budget is a money issue to the people back home, the members' constituents, and it affects other issues." At odds on issues Underlying that sentiment is the fact that a balanced state budget is the only bill that, by law, must be passed by the Legislature. Even though there is consensus at the top on some issues, on others there is not. Abbott, Patrick and Straus support a ban on sanctuary cities, but the issue stalled in the House four years ago and opponents said they will target it there again. Patrick wants to pass a so-called bathroom bill requiring Texans to use public restrooms that corresponds with the sex listed on their birth certificates, while Straus has said it is not a priority of his, and Abbott has said he wants to see a final bill, if one is passed, before he makes up his mind. House leaders appear cool to the idea of school choice - opponents read that as private school vouchers - an issue that Patrick and Abbott want to pass. On property tax cuts and reducing of the franchise business tax, Senate and House leaders say while they support tax cuts, the question remains as to how much it will cost. 'Much more partisan' On bolstering Texas' controversial voter ID law, which already has been rejected by a federal appeals court, House leaders say it is much less a priority, generally, than in the Senate. "The Legislature is much more partisan than it used to be, and that has affected how we do business, and not in a good way," said Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Jose Rodriguez, D-El Paso, echoing the sentiments of several other lawmakers of both parties. "I don't think most Texans see a lot of these issues as priorities, when the state has so many needs and a large shortfall in the budget." The buck stops here! Harry Truman's famous sign, at all of 20 characters, may have been ahead of its time when it comes to tweeting politicians. But the sentiment is as old as government - leaders should take ultimate responsibility. As Donald Trump prepares to enter Truman's former office, voters have reason to worry that they'll see the sentiment flipped upside-down - excuses start here! A new report from the Wall Street Journal revealed that 150 different financial institutions across the globe hold debt in businesses that Trump owns or is a major stakeholder. That international web of debt almost guarantees to trip up the future president in a conflict of interest. The scariest thing is that the American people simply don't know how wide that web reaches. Breaking from decades of common practice, Trump has failed to make public his tax returns. But Trump is not the only one with something to hide. Rex Tillerson, who has been nominated as the next secretary of state, has also failed to provide his full tax returns for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Tillerson has taken some motions toward transparency by submitting a lengthy financial disclosure, according to the Washington Post. The former Exxon CEO has also announced plans to place his $180 million corporate payout into a blind trust - a routine ethical step that Trump has refused to take with his own business interests. Whether Trump or Tillerson, these conflicts leave our government vulnerable to bribery and self-enrichment at the expense of the American people, and also raise questions about the administration's ability to put America first. The intelligence report released Friday by the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence found that Vladimir Putin had positive experiences working with Western political leaders whose business interests made them more disposed to deal with Russia. Voters have reason to worry whether Tillerson's Exxon deals and Trump's real estate ties will guide their thinking, consciously or unconsciously, on foreign policy. Truman famously refused to sit on any corporate board after leaving office because he believed that it would diminish the presidency. It nearly landed him in poverty. Now we face that problem flipped upside-down. Faced with politicians who insist on maintaining or hiding their corporate ties, Congress has a duty to create new ethical disclosure requirements. The buck stops with them. Shift priorities Regarding "Lawmaker seeks to limit divorces" (Page A3, Jan. 2), if conservative Republican Rep. Matt Krause, R-Fort Worth, was really interested in strengthening families, he would focus on those issues that create so much stress in so many marriages instead in focusing on making it more difficult and more expensive to obtain a divorce. Perhaps a focus on such things as payday loans, expanded Medicaid and health care for the poor, better education including adequate special education opportunities, more unemployment benefits, better job training, a tax system that actually provides enough revenues for roads, schools and hospitals, fair voting principles by eliminating political gerrymandering and a criminal justice system that is fair for all would be a better use of his time. Instead he and other members of his party seem to be focused on bathrooms, eliminating health care for pregnant women, eliminating health care for children, reducing educational opportunities for poor kids to attend college and wasting money "fixing" problems that don't exist such as voter ID laws. Bill Turney, Houston The new year We all survived the New Year and that first day back to work. Getting back to work is the hard part, especially when you are loaded down with those resolutions. Time to slow down on the eating. Time to exercise, and time to give up some of those things that aren't good for us. On the other hand, it is also time to add those good things to our lives, that we never thought about before. To smell the roses, to check out what is really the truth and to be honest with ourselves. Many years we have just rushed through all, without giving it a second thought. Now is the time to pay attention. If you haven't made your New Year resolution yet, it is not too late. Many of us have already broken ours. It's nothing new. It has always been that way, and I assume it will always be that way. There is always room to start over. Mary Elizabeth Rumsey, Porter Taken aback Regarding " 'Bathroom bill' battle is launched," (Page A1, Friday), "shameless" is the only word that can describe our Texas GOP and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's fixation over bathroom labels. This bathroom focus parallels the empty, GOP-imagined offense of voting fraud. The lieutenant governor and his followers' shame is multiplied immeasurably because this same Patrick and this state GOP are working on this non-crime while they underfund on purpose the public schools attended by Texas youth. How dare they waste this time ensuring that being transgender is labeled "a sin" while themselves doing so much real and direct harm to so many children! Bart Busker, Houston U.S. interference Regarding "Report cites Russia's 'preference' for Trump" (Chron.com, Friday), I'm no fan of President-elect Donald Trump, but let's not pretend that we don't meddle in the affairs of other countries to make sure our "favorites" get elected. Joe Khalaf, posted via Facebook A Salem native who graduated with the 103rd recruiting class of the Missouri State Highway Patrol has been assigned to Texas County. Tpr. Jason L. Sentman will report for duty Jan. 17 in Zone 8 of Troop G. His zone supervisor and field training officer will be Sgt. Dale Pounds. Sentman is a graduate of Salem High School and attended college at Missouri State University-West Plains. He was previously employed by the Missouri Department of Corrections in Licking. The 103rd recruiting class began training July 5, 2016, and graduated Dec. 30. As an existing print subscriber it is easy to get FREE access to all our online content. When you click get started below it will walk you through creating an online account to attach your print subscription number to. After your account is created it will ask you to either add a subscription for online access or click on the print subscriber button. Click the print subscriber button header and it will open a dropdown, now click on get started. The page will reload and you will be prompted to enter an account number and a zip code. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO USE THE NUMBER OFF OF THE MOST RECENT ISSUE OR ANYTHING AFTER JANUARY 28, 2019 TO GAIN ACCESS! OLD ACCOUNT NUMBERS WILL NOT WORK The account number and zip code are easily available on your most recent issue of the High Plains Journal or Midwest Ag Journal in the address fields as is shown here. Sometimes the account number has extra zero's in front of it, just ignore those. Subscribing to our services is a three step process. First you have to create an account and then you have to pick if you want to subscribe to digital and or print. Some people only want to be a digital subscriber to get access online and others want to also receive the print edition. If you are already a print subscriber and want online access, it is free, you simply have to create an online account and then attach your print subscription account number to the online account you create. There are plenty of guides and advice on keeping full-time employees motivated and engaged, but what about contingent workers? As the contingent workforce trends larger and larger across the world, this becomes an increasingly significant question to answer. According to SAP / Oxford Economics' Workforce 2020 insights, over 80 percent of executives are increasing their use of contingent workers. That's a dramatic shift from even 10 years ago, when contingent work was less prevalent. But perhaps more important than the increase in the number of contingent workers being hired, is the type of work they're being hired for. This type of working relationship is no longer the realm of retail organizations and seasonal business. In his Workforce Magazine article "Contingent Workers: Why Companies Must Make Them Feel Valued," Ed Frauenheim explains, "Increasing amounts of work are going to higher-skilled contingent workersto professionals such as engineers, graphic artists and nurseswhose talents can be pivotal for organizations." If trends continue in the direction they're headed, contingent work will only become more common, and organizations across the world are going to need to develop a modern strategy for keeping contingent workers engaged and motivated if they want to stay ahead. But what does it take to keep a contingent worker engaged... Employee Engagement Managers want to fulfill their employees needs so that they are content with their pay, hours, and level of flexibility. These factors influence employee satisfaction. But does satisfaction influence employee engagement is the problem. An employee can be satisfied with a job without being engaged in the job. Employee engagement is much more than being content with pay and other perks. Contentedness is merely job satisfaction and though satisfaction is generally enough to retain employees, its not enough to ensure productivity. On the other hand, employee engagement does promote increased productivity. An engaged employee is an employee who is deeply involved and invested in their work. The factors that drive employee engagement, however, are different than those that drive satisfaction. Engagement factors include Meaning, Autonomy, Growth, Impact and Connection. Employee satisfaction is the foundation upon which employee engagement can grow and thrive. Organizations with genuinely engaged employees have higher retention, productivity, customer satisfaction, innovation, and quality. They also require less training time, experience less illness, and have fewer accidents. Employee satisfaction is the minimum that employers should do to ensure employee needs are met in order for an employee to be fully engaged. Employee Engagement through Motivation The most commonly held motivation theories ... As a CEO with a background that includes a decade spent on Wall Street as an equity research analyst and six years of CFO roles in software companies, Im a finance guy by inclination and education. I live in a world of strategic business plans powered by complex financial models communicated to investors who are also financial professionals. However, in people-centric industries like technology, finance, retail, and business/consumer services,we need to move beyond the income statement and balance sheet in order to identify and empower the key individuals who make our business work. To do my job well, I need real-time insights on the people powering our business as much, or even more, than I need a financial dashboard that shows me the flow of transactions. A view on just the people in my direct line of sight is not good enough; I need to understand our people and our potential leaders at all levels. In my recent transition into the CEO role at Saba, I had the unique opportunity to be able to easily familiarize myself with the people behind our fast-growing business by using our cloud-based Talent Management Suite. This made a huge difference to me as I was able to conduct both financial and people due diligence in advance of taking on my new role. I anticipate being able to use this suite as part of an ongoing executive toolkit to pulse the potential and risks for the company. Outsiders Team Insight? LinkedIn, of Course... Recently,26-year old Mashable writer David Infante coined a new term for a subset of the endlessly talked about millennial generation. He has dubbed them Yuccies, or Young Urban Creatives. Yuccies have abandoned traditional 9-5 office jobs to work out of coffee shops and co-working spaces as consultants, social media experts, web designers, and entrepreneurs. Who are they?:Yuccies are 20 and early 30-somethings who have become disillusioned with corporate America, where they were expected to have five years of experience for an entry-level job fresh out of college. They are also likely to be carrying a mountain of student loan debt that makes an entry-level salary hard to swallow. They started working during the Great Recession, when they were dealing with stagnant wages, stunted career growth, and likely even unemployment. Their struggles through this time have shown them the importance of things like saving money and having good health insurance, although they are unwilling to work in unfulfilling jobs to achieve these goals. Unlike the much-maligned hipster, Yuccies do embrace financial success and material things. Why are Yuccies good for your company? As a CEO, I know I absolutely want creative, entrepreneurial people working for my organization. These are the people that come up with big ideas, become passionate about them, and have the drive to manage them from start to finish. How can you make sure Yuccies stick arou... Very soon, management consultancy firm Accenture will join the expanding list of companies like Google and Microsoft, which have bid adieu to conducting annual performance appraisals. The shift is aimed at having a new performance achievement approach that embraces real-time, forward-looking conversations about setting priorities, growing strengths and creating great career opportunities for employees. However, there are many other organizations that still see appraisals as an integral part of a performance management system designed to guarantee that employees are aligned with developments of the business. So the debate of annual performance reviews continue, but the question here is, what is the role of HR in the enterprise performance management (EPM) process? Do they have a significant role for HR? Or even better yet what is their role? Debbie McGrath, CEO of HR.com talks with Nick Holley, Director of Henley Business Schools HR Centre of Excellence about the future of the performance management lifecycle. Nick feels, what is wrong with performance management is that it is an HR driven process. Many of the HR directors he spoke with are pretty unclear on why they were doing it. They linked it to different HR outcomes using EPM to drive salary, drive development, drive talent, drive succession planning etc. and as a result they are trying just about everything, like a Swiss army knife. This results in the process becoming ve... Tags : supervision evaluation communication The District Supervisor entered your office after her evaluation of your manifest and the files of your latest sales. It has been almost a week since she conducted her formal evaluation and audit and the process has been on your mind all weekend! You have no idea what to expect from this meeting! The employee evaluation process should not be a stressful, summative and conclusive exercise.It should not be a mystery or a subjective process involving only perception and or observation. The evaluation process should be an exercise that will encourage collaboration and participation. It should be scientific, formative and based on specific criteria familiar to both the supervisor and the employee. Effective and reliable supervision requires theability to provide effective formative and summative feedback (Falender et al., 2004, p. 778)The evaluation of an employee should result in an ongoing formative process that will improve performance on the job and encourage the employees to seek and participate in professional development. Current Strategies Much of the supervisory evaluation that takes place in the corporate and industrial arena is summative and specifically related to terminal evaluations.The evaluations are often the final interaction between the employee and their supervisors prior to the end fiscal year. They are often poorly organized by both the supervisor and the employee. An opportunity for collaboration between the supervisor and the employ... Baby Boomers are retiring in droves. In fact, the Pew Research Center revealed that 10,000 Baby Boomers will reach age 65 every day during the next two decades. As these individuals exit the workforce and head to Florida, theyre taking more than their belongings; theyre also taking years of invaluable knowledge, skills and experience that companies are dependent on. In response, these businesses are hiring young employeeswho were raised in an information age ripe with social networksfrom Facebook to Instagram to Twitter and text messaging. These millennials have always had different expectations about how to access information, ask questions and gather answers. Rather than spending hours digging through clunky documents, repositories, intranets and messaging systems, theyre accustomed to having information at their fingertips -- immediately. With such disparity in the way these two groups work, is it possible to bridge the gap and ensure that the invaluable institutional knowledge baby boomers have worked so hard to accumulate doesnt walk out the door with them? This challenge was a hot topic at a recentChief Learning Officer (CLO) Exchange event,with attendees from organizations including 7-11, Ann Inc., Hertz, H&R Block and KPMG. For a major insurance and benefits provider I spoke with, knowledge transfer has become a key aspect of the companys onboarding and succession planning. The organization has been very pr... Transcription 1 Micologia Aplicada International ISSN: Colegio de Postgraduados Mexico Kurtzman, Jr., R. H. Mushrooms in developing countries Micologia Aplicada International, vol. 21, num. 1, enero, 2009, pp Colegio de Postgraduados Puebla, Mexico Available in: How to cite Complete issue More information about this article Journal's homepage in redalyc.org Scientific Information System Network of Scientific Journals from Latin America, the Caribbean, Spain and Portugal Non-profit academic project, developed under the open access initiative 2 Mi c o l o g i a Ap l i c a d a In t e r n at i o n a l, 21(1), 2009, pp , Be r k e l e y, CA, U.S.A. Mushrooms in developing countries 2008 Mushrooms in Developing Countries R. H. Kurtzman, Jr. Micologia Aplicada International, 445 Vassar Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94708, U.S.A. A year ago, I wrote about my work during 2007 in Ukraine, Tajikistan and Egypt for USAID 1. In 2008, I returned to Ukraine and to Tajikistan, but this time I went to Kenya and not to Egypt. Many of the people in Ukraine were friends from my first visit, many were also new friends and my assignment was quite different. In 2007, I worked with oyster mushroom growers, but the 2008 work was to help with Agaricus compost production. In western Ukraine most compost comes from Poland and is very expensive for the Ukraine growers. UKRAINE Compost production is just now starting in western Ukraine. Western Ukraine is the poorest part of the country, so it is difficult for them to obtain the necessary equipment. They also have to work through the Mi learning c o l. Ap process. l. In t., With 21(1), experience 2009, pp. in grow- ing, but none in compost production and limited resources, the quality of compost has not yet reached modern standards. However, they are learning and the lower cost will keep them going. At the operation we visited near Lviv, they were composting in the open and using only a simple fork clam on their wharf. We went to a very interesting nearby restaurant for lunch. It was decorated with many interesting things from the local culture. The menu was also fun. Of course, Lviv is very near Transylvania and they made the most of it. I felt bound to join into the fun, so I ordered a vampire dinner, blood sausage. Incidentally, there never have been any vampire bats anywhere in Europe, much less in Transylvania. Last year when I visited Tajikistan I found that they were trying to grow oyster mushrooms in a room that had windows, but even the tops of the windows were below the surrounding ground surface. There was no blower to bring in fresh air. While I 3 38 R. H. Ku rt z m a n, Jr. A B C Fig. 1. Agaricus cultivation in Ukraine. A: Bunkers with compost, heavy tarps were used to hold some of the heat in the cold weather and slatted concrete to bring air into bunkers. B: Compost block machine, the compost enters on conveyer (foreground) and the spawn is added from bins (far left). C: Examining shelves from picking trolley, the insert shows view with more mushrooms on top tray, becoming less on lower trays. told them that they would never do well under those conditions, I did not think much of it, because they have many limitations. Electric power is intermittent, they are just learning and had had limited outside help. However, this February, when I returned to Ukraine to help with Agaricus compost, I did look at growing rooms as well. Seeing the growing rooms tells a great amount about the compost. Most growing rooms were ordinary, and used compost blocks, but some shelves were more modern than others. Towards the end of my stay, I went to a modern bunker compost, block making plant in eastern Ukraine (Fig. 1). They had modern growing rooms only slightly above ground level. However, just outside the gate, there were two other growing facilities that used the same compost. Both were using the below ground rooms of Soviet era factories. All had modern Dutch equipment, with forced ventilation. I noticed that the air entered the room at the top in the ordinary manner, and the air left the room near the top. I immediately expected to see more mushrooms on the upper than lower shelves. I hate to say things with no real proof, so I crawled up on a picking trolley and looked. Just as I suspected, I saw fewer mushrooms on the lower shelves. I said that I was sure that if they kept the records by shelve, they would see that there were fewer mushrooms on the lower ones. They said they had the records and I was correct. When I told them that they must change the ventilation so that the entire room was ventilated, they were surprised and seem to doubt me. They did not say who installed the system, but I was left with the impression that they thought I must be wrong because it was done by experts. I am not certain what mysterious force they thought was causing them to lose yield on the lower shelves. Of course, the carbon dioxide was accumulating near the floor and the mushrooms on the lower shelves were surviving even with large amounts of carbon dioxide. 4 Mushrooms in developing countries Like other eastern European people, the Ukrainians have a long history of picking and enjoying wild mushrooms. As the Ukraine becomes more industrial, fewer people will have time to hunt mushrooms and more will have money to buy them. It seems very likely that in time they will equal or even overshadow Polish mushroom production. A Tajikistan I returned to Tajikistan in April. Things are moving slowly there, but they are moving. There are several explanations to the slow movement. One is that the people that I worked with, who were most interested, were university students and the Dean of the Agrotechnology Faculty (Fig. 2). Of course, they have all been busy with other things, but the dean built growing rooms in the yard of his home and two students did their diploma work on growing mushrooms. The growing rooms were being finished while I was there and we initiated their first crop. The students defended their diplomas while I was there, so although only a few mushrooms were being produced, there was a great amount of activity. In addition the Dean was teaching a class and the students in the class were growing a few mushrooms. There were other problems, until the Dean s new rooms were completed, they had no good place to grow mushrooms. They have electric power, but it comes from hydroelectric plants. During the winter, the water freezes and often the plants can produce little power, worse still, was a very dry and cold winter. The weather resulted in many days with no power, cold buildings and a need to conserve water for irrigation. The need to conserve water results in a greater B C Fig. 2. The course on mushroom cultivation in Tajikistan. A: Faculty of Agro-Technology, Khujand Branch Technical University of Tajikistan. B: Spawing in the Dean s home facility. C: University class spawning, the insert shows some oyster mushrooms from previous class spawning. 5 40 R. H. Ku rt z m a n, Jr. problem for the hydroelectric plants. Such unreliable power means that while blowers and fluorescent lights can be used, they are not reliable. It is necessary to depend on gravity and wind for all ventilation and on windows for natural light. The agricultural problems of Tajikistan are very complex. Unfortunately, they not only make Tajikistan the poorest country in central Asia, they contribute to the problems of their neighbors. Only 6.52% of the land is arable and 50% of the land is 3300 meters or more above sea level. Summers are dry so irrigation is required. To add to water problems, during Soviet times they were forced to grow cotton and they have not been able to break that economy. They have many other problems as well, they are land-locked, they had a terrible civil war in the 1990s, there is almost no manufacturing, and a very poor infrastructure. For some years there has been one small Agaricus farm in Tajikistan. Many people pick wild mushrooms and I have seen imported pickled mushrooms for sale in an open air market. The culture of Tajikistan is closely related to the culture of Iran, Iran has been increasing their mushroom production in recent years. It seems likely that mushroom production in Tajikistan will also grow to an important crop. Since they are the poorest country in central Asia, new sources of food are of real interest. In addition to cotton, they grow rice, wheat, and other grains, so field wastes are widely available. Tree fruits and nuts are important food crops. They are on the ancient Silk Road and produce silk. The mulberry branches from silk production and the prunings from fruit and nut trees are possible substrate for Pleurotus, but possibly more useful as fuel for pasteurization. Another thing that makes mushroom growing of special interest is their limited water supply. Kenya According to statistics, Tajikistan is poorer than Kenya. Such statistics are averages and Kenya is a country of contrasts. The estates of wealthy colonials still dominate large areas of Nairobi, while in the countryside people live in mud huts and may have only an unprotected hole in the ground for a well. Kenya is on the equator so many foods grow there, however, most of the country is plateau, so temperatures can get quite low there. Kenya is still a country of tribes. A year ago the inter-tribal problems erupted as election riots in several cities. However, the more important tribal effect, for me, is that members of some tribes consider all mushrooms to be poison and other tribes have a history of collecting mushrooms for food. While it encourages groups to ask for help, unlike some international development programs, the USAID Farmer to Farmer program helps only groups that ask for help, so the people I worked with were from tribes that did eat mushrooms. The result was many people who had begun to grow mushrooms and were enthusiastic to learn more and better methods. Fuel is a major problem. Almost the only fuel used for heating is wood and with the growing population, more trees are cut down. Fewer trees mean less fuel, more carbon dioxide and eventually desertification. That problem lead Wangari Maathai, of Kenya, to establish the Green Belt Movement in 1977 and to receive the Nobel Peace Prize in For all of her effort, and accomplishments, the population continues to grow and the need for fuel grows with it. My students had been boiling straw, they were thrilled when I told them that 60 C was the temperature for pasteurization and that only 30 to 60 6 Mushrooms in developing countries minutes are required. Higher temperature and longer times are not only unnecessary, but are a source of trouble. Of course, the lower temperature and shorter time saves large amounts of fuel. Another problem in Kenya is that there is almost no electricity in the countryside. Even many of the most modern farms have no electricity. With no electricity there is no possibility of forced ventilation or electric lights. I had been preaching for years that because the sun heats and windows allow heat loss at night and when it is cloudy, that natural light required more heating or cooling, so that fluorescent lights saved money and were easier to use. Suddenly I found myself in a place where my suggestion made no sense. It was necessary to help them provide natural light with a minimum of diurnal heating and cooling. Mud-wattle buildings with thatched roofs are a tradition. Mud, like other masonry holds heat by thermal inertia and thatch is a good insulator. So they are good for inexpensive buildings. Mud and particularly thatch are not clean, but when the inside is lined with polyethylene film, they become excellent buildings (Fig. 3). One grower ended the mud about 30 cm below the eaves and covered that area with woven polypropylene bags, so that her building let sunlight enter with almost no heat, but in the evening it cooled rapidly. Most had an opening for fresh air to enter, but few had an opening near the floor for the carbon dioxide to leave. During my final week in Kenya, we had a three-day meeting of growers in Nakuru. I lectured and gave participant-demonstrations those days with breaks for tea and lunch. The enthusiasm was overwhelming and each day lasted about 11 hours. On the third day, my Kenyan colleagues lectured on and reviewed the entire meeting. It was A B C Fig. 3. Mushrooms in Kenya. A: Mud wattle mushroom house with woven polypropylene bags for light and ventilation, the insert shows inside rear left corner. B: Balm Mushroom Place Cafe, the insert shows Cafe sign in hallway. C: Students and leaders at the end of the training conference. 7 42 R. H. Ku rt z m a n, Jr. planned to end with lunch, but it continued until about 15:00. Kenya began growing Agaricus mushrooms in the 1970s. The first farm no longer produces mushroom, however, there are several small farms near Nairobi. I visited one of those farms. They were successful, but like many farms throughout the world there was great room for improvement. Like most capital cities, Nairobi has a sizable international community, so mushrooms will sell well there. Because of tribal traditions and relatively few foreign people in other communities, we must expect large differences in the local market from place to place in Kenya. The Kenya Ministry of Agriculture, USAID, many other organization: foreign, international and Kenyan, both non-profit and commercial, have worked together to support and promote increased maize production in Kenya. It is hoped that large amounts of maize wastes will be used to grow mushrooms. The people who asked the USAID to have me come to Kenya have established The Balm Mushroom Place a holein-the-wall cafe in Nakuru, that serves mushroom dishes. It is operated by Eunice, who is an excellent cook and seems to do a good business considering the size of her tiny shop. When I left, I promised to write a book on growing oyster mushrooms under the conditions in Kenya. That book is in progress, and almost written. Literature cited 1. Kurtzman, R. H Mushrooms in developing countries. Micologia Aplicada International 19: A new study demonstrates just how much performance reviews are failing employees. Even so, those who use performance reviews defend the value they provide to their organizations. Of the more than 1,900 U.S.-based employees BambooHR polled to learn how effective performance reviews are, only 58 percent of respondents participate in formal performance reviews today. And yet, 89 percent of respondents who are still involved in performance reviews feel the process is valuable to their organizations. Traced back at least as far as fourth century Chinaand first commonly used in the U.S. during the Industrial Revolutionemployers used performance reviews to measure employee production against corporate goals and expectations. Traditionally, they have given little attention to vital goals like employee development. Because of this, the workforce experienced a massive migration away from the practice of performance reviews in 2012, led by Adobe and other employee-minded companies. Although there may be a need to keep performance reviews so companies can measure performance, the process needs to change to accommodate employee growth and development. KEY RESULTS Only 58 percent of the current workforce are involved in performance reviews. Three out of four respondents who are involved in performance reviews feel that they get good feedback that helps them grow. However, when it comes to actually implementing the feedback, many respondents feel the... As a new generation of millennial workers enters the workplace, businesses are beginning to see a demand for change in the traditional workplace culture and environment. Todays generation of workers were raised on mobility and flexibility, expecting to be able to connect instantly to anything and everything, no matter where they are. The same goes for what they expect at the workplace. The simple solution to stay ahead of the business curve is adopting a social intranet. Businesses that do so can achieve remote working benefits while maintaining effective communication and collaboration regardless of location. Ensure your remote employees are fit for success with these top tips for delivering results, no matter where your team is located. 1. Instant Access Its 2015, and the likelihood of work bringing you to the office every single Monday through Friday is slim. For many different reasons, work schedules might require employees to go from office to office, work after hours or simply be in another location. Because of this, its important to always have access to documents and information, at the click of a button. Implementing a social intranet makes this, and more, possible by bringing all of your workwhether its a blog post, company files, or client codesinto one consolidated location. A cloud-based platform encourages the flexibility of work from anywhere, without sacrificing results or company efficiency. ... Todays business climate is mired with employees who struggle with self-motivation and company engagement, leading to an increasingly common issue of low employee retention. Benefits packages have been the traditional remedy to this problem, incentivizing workers for longevity and engagement. However, this issue is complicated by generational differences. As confirmed by a 2015 Metlife study, employers are balancing baby boomers, Gen-Xers, and millennials and soon Gen Z all of whom have varying wants and needs. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how to keep your top performers. Because of this gap, managers and their HR departments have to think differently about how they inspire loyalty. One of the best ways to do this is to take advantage of face-to-face, human interaction, as well as personalized communication using the advanced HR technology available today. Once you better understand what motivates them, that knowledge will be invaluable to helping you help them. Here are three easy ideas that managers can implement as early as tomorrow to further understand the people who work for them, and therefore tailor their benefits strategies accordingly. 1. Break the ice, get them talking Looking to put their best foot forward in front of their boss, some employees tend to behave differently in the office than they would in a more casual environment. With that wall of professionalism up, they may be less ... In their report submitted to the Ministry of Finance ahead of the Budget hearing on 20 February, professional services firm Deloitte Singapore said that more government support is needed in innovation, digitisation, and healthcare benefits. Its recommendations urge more support for innovation to complement existing research and development (R&D) incentives, said the report by The Straits Times. The firm noted that this is especially important as the Productivity and Innovation Credit (PIC) which offers cash and tax deductions for SMEs to cover worker training, automation, and research to encourage investments is set to expire at the end of the year. Innovation does not necessarily involve the creation of something new from scratch," said Low Hwee Chua, regional managing partner for tax at Deloitte Singapore and Southeast Asia. Taxpayers who undertake innovative activities which in certain instances may just be a whisker away from being regarded as R&D as per the definition under the Singapore Income Tax Act may be frustrated by the lack of broad-based support. In addition to this, they also proposed that the government consider introducing tax deductions for companies looking to digitise their operations and to increase the cap on tax deductions for medical expenses to encourage employers to provide more healthcare benefits for employees. To encourage individuals to take responsibility for healthcare needs, the government should consider granting personal relief for premiums paid for medical insurance," said Jill Lim, tax partner and leader of Global Employer Services at Deloitte Singapore. She also said that incentives should be provided for companies to hire older workers that could include allowing a double deduction on Medisave contributions to CPF. A 16-year-old Alberta teen has used her own chronic illness as inspiration for a business that brings support and community to others.. Taylor Nadraszky was diagnosed with a rare kidney disorder when she was 11-years-old. Last year, she received a kidney transplant from her father that left her stuck indoors for six weeks so she decided to fill her time with something productive. Advertisement It always made me happy to have surprises come in the mail I thought that there should be a subscription box specifically for people with chronic illness to brighten our days and have something fun come directly to us when we are too sick or tired to go out," Nadraszky told The Mighty. Nadraszky talks about her "Bad Days Box." Story continues below. The Be Brave Boxes are sent out monthly. They contain new surprises every month past boxes have come with items like anti-nausea wristbands, face masks, colouring books and embroidery kits. Nadraszky's transplant has left her immune system weak, and often she's too sick to attend school. She hopes the boxes can create the feeling of community for others in similar positions. Advertisement I wanted to connect with other people with illnesses, Nadraszky told the Airdrie Echo. Each box contains five surprise items and ships to both the U.S. and Canada. "I want Be Brave Box to be another good part of life because we just need more good in our lives," Nadraszky wrote on her website. Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Also on HuffPost The obituaries for Shanna Desmond and Aaliyah Desmond describe the mother and daughter as kind and loving people who shared the same big smile. Aaliyah, 10, and Shanna, 31, were found shot dead in a murder-suicide in Nova Scotia last week. It is believed Aaliyah's father, Lionel Desmond, killed his daughter and wife, as well as his mother, Brenda Desmond, before turning the gun on himself. Advertisement All four were found last Tuesday evening in a home in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S. Aaliyah's obituary describes the young girl as an animal lover who dreamed of one day becoming a veterinarian. "Aaliyah had the most beautiful smile and would light up any room as soon as she entered it." Shanna, a recent nursing graduate, had a passion for travel and music and her obituary says she was a "completely loving, caring and honest person." According to CBC News, Lionel was released from the military in 2015 and had traveled to Montreal last year to receive treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) something family and friends said he had struggled with since returning from a tour in Afghanistan in 2007. Advertisement Lionel's obituary said the 33-year-old "succumbed to the tortures of PTSD," but was "known for his friendly demeanour and contagious smile." "His can-do attitude was evident while serving his unit and community." His mother's obituary described Brenda, 52, as an "avid bingo player" who was well known for her smile and laughter. Over the weekend, the federal government confirmed it will pay for the funerals of all four people. Funeral services for Lionel and his mother will be held Wednesday, while a service for his wife and daughter will happen Thursday. Nova Scotia Premier Stephen McNeil said last Thursday that an investigation had be launched into how the province treated Lionel, and whether he received the appropriate care. Advertisement He said while it's clear Lionel had received some treatment for his PTSD, it's unclear if the province provided any of those services. With files from the Canadian Press. Follow The Huffington Post Canada on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. A Conservative leadership hopeful has asked the ethics watchdog to investigate Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus vacation to the private Bahamian island of a religious leader whose non-profit organization has received millions of Canadian tax dollars. In a letter to Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson Sunday, Andrew Scheer called on her to probe if Trudeau violated the Conflict of Interest Act by accepting the private gift from the Aga Khan, hereditary leader of the worlds 15 million Ismaili Muslims. Advertisement The Aga Khan, a philanthropist and long-time friend of the prime minister, hosted Trudeaus family on his private Bell Island over the holiday season. Neither a Member nor any member of a Member's family shall accept, directly or indirectly, any gift or other benefit, except compensation authorized by law, that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the Member in the exercise of a duty or function of his or her office. The Ottawa-based Aga Khan Foundation, which supports development projects in Africa and Asia, has received tens of millions of dollars from the federal government. It is a registered lobbyist. Advertisement Scheers letter notes the government also provided $30 million for the groups headquarters in Ottawa. On his campaign website, Scheer asked supporters to sign a petition if they agreed Trudeau should face questions over accepting a free vacation on a private island from someone whose foundation gets millions from the government. 'This is just mind-numbing': Raitt Scheer is not the only Tory leadership contender to raise red flags. When the details of Trudeaus visit broke Friday in a National Post story, Lisa Raitt called the news mind-numbing. There are clear rules on lobbying and ethics. Is the PM so arrogant that he thinks he is above them? Raitt asked on Twitter. This is just mind-numbing. There are clear rules on lobbying and ethics. Is the PM so arrogant that he thinks he's "above" them? https://t.co/KB7ZGBE5EZ Lisa Raitt (@lraitt) January 6, 2017 Advertisement Kellie Leitch also called for an ethics investigation, charging that Trudeau clearly tried to hide his whereabouts. Canadians deserve a prompt investigation into apparent breach of the Conflict of Interest Act. He clearly tried to hide his whereabouts. https://t.co/p30Bihp0E9 Kellie Leitch (@KellieLeitch) January 7, 2017 The Prime Ministers Office says Trudeau will reimburse taxpayers the cost of the airfare for himself and his family to and from Nassau. For security reasons, Trudeau is not allowed to fly commercial and must use the governments Challenger jet. Khan was bestowed honorary Canadian citizenship in 2009 by then-prime minister Stephen Harper. He also addressed Parliament in 2014, calling Canada a leader in the community of nations. Advertisement With files from The Canadian Press Also on HuffPost: Canadian beavers are wreaking havoc in an unexpected location: a swath of forest in South America. Some 200,000 dam-building creatures are creating harmful floods that threaten Patagonian forests and nearby lakes that cover parts of Chile and Argentina. In 1946, 25 pairs of beavers were brought to the Chilean and Argentinian archipelago of Tierra del Fuego, in an attempt to bring the fur industry to the area. Advertisement But since beavers have no natural predators like wolves, lynx, or coyotes in the area, the population swelled over the last 70 years. Their dams have caused damage to thousands of old-growth trees and peat bogs. A 2015 documentary about the beavers' introduction to the area referred to the wood-chomping critters as "invaders of the end of the world." The damaged area is about double the size of the city of Buenos Aires, according to BBC News. In November, the Chilean and Argentinian governments began a 10-year mission to exterminate 100,000 beavers with traps, training hunters to eventually eradicate the species. Advertisement And this month, the Chilean government will begin a $7.8-million population control project, which also involves placing traps, according to the Los Angeles Times. Authorities have offered rewards for trapping and killing beavers in the past, but few people in the area actually know how to do that, according to NPR. A nearby tourist town also tried serving beaver meat as a delicacy, but that didn't work out too well either. Animal rights activists have criticized plans to cull the animals, suggesting they should be sent back to Canada. Advertisement But Chilean biologists consider that move to be both expensive and impractical, according to the L.A. Times. Chilean biologist Giorgia Graells told the Times that Patagonian ecosystems are not prepared for the kinds of changes that beavers bring. "When an area is flooded, the seeds get covered by mud and water and die, and the forest won't recover, she said. Also on HuffPost A pet cat and dog are recovering after they were rescued from a freezing-cold Calgary storage unit, discovered in kennels buried under piles of boxes last Friday. A detective told Global News that black tape had been used around the cat's head to tape its mouth shut. Police said they were called to the storage facility unit in the city's southeast after staff said they could hear sounds coming from the unit. Advertisement "It was very clear to them, it was the sounds of a dog and a cat," Det. Andy Nguyen told CBC News. Nguyen said police cut the lock and had to dig past boxes and other items before finding the animals, who were both in travel cages. The animals were taken to the Calgary Humane Society, who confirmed to the Calgary Sun that both pets are now "in stable condition." Nguyen confirmed to the Calgary Sun that the person renting the storage unit has an outstanding animal bylaw warrant on an unrelated matter. He said investigators are determining whether charges will be laid. Advertisement "It was very clear to them, it was the sounds of a dog and a cat." This case is reminiscent of the 2014 deaths of a cat and dog that were found emaciated and with their mouths taped shut a few days apart in the same alley in southeast Calgary. A man in that case was charged, however, police have not confirmed any connections between last week's finding and any previous reports of animal abuse in Calgary. A downturn in the Alberta economy, largely driven by a drop in the price of oil, has meant an uptick in the surrender of animals, as people are forced to part with their pets. Sage Pullen McIntosh poses with one of the adoptees at the Calgary Humane Society in this September 2016 photo. (Photo: Bill Graveland/CP) Advertisement "It's the last thing they want to do. Typically they will go without a lot of things ... without food ... maybe they'll skip rent for a month if they have to," Sage Pullen McIntosh, spokeswoman with the Calgary Humane Society, said in an interview last September. She also said some people are letting their animals go as strays, because the "they feel embarrassed ... they feel ashamed," about not being able to provide for their furry friends. Also on HuffPost: Transcription 1 The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law CUA Law Scholarship Repository Scholarly Articles and Other Contributions 2016 Independent Agencies in the United States: The Responsibilities of Public Lawyers Marshall J. Breger The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law Gary Edles Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Administrative Law Commons, and the Constitutional Law Commons Recommended Citation Marshall J. Breger & Gary J. Edles, Independent Agencies in the United States: The Responsibilities of Public Lawyers, PUB. LAW., Winter 2016, at 14. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by CUA Law Scholarship Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Scholarly Articles and Other Contributions by an authorized administrator of CUA Law Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact 2 Independent Agencies in the United States: The Responsibility of Public Lawyers By Marshall J. Breger and Gary J. Edles Independent federal agencies occupy a special constitutional position in the governmental structure. Their stock-in-trade is the expert, apolitical resolution of regulatory issues. They are supposedly independent of the political will of the executive branch. Because most are multi-member organizations, they are also perceived as accommodating diverse views and able to prevent extreme outcomes through the compromise inherent in the process of collegial decision-making. But such a view is not universally held. A wellknown examination of such agencies in the 1930s described them uncharitably as a headless fourth branch of government, a haphazard deposit of irresponsible agencies and uncoordinated powers. 1 Most modern independent agencies, in fact, are not simply impartial government referees. Nonetheless, as Justice Breyer has suggested, they possess comparative freedom from ballot box control 2 and enjoy an independence expressly designed to insulate them, to a degree, from the exercise of political oversight... that affects cabinet or cabinetlike executive agencies. 3 So, precisely what is the place of independent agencies today, and what does their role in the governmental structure mean for public lawyers? 14 WINTER 2016 All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or THE PUBLIC LAWYER 3 The Advent of Federal Independent Agencies and Railroad Regulation in Britain The modern independent agency at the federal level emerged in 1887 when Congress established the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC). But the ICC had its forebearers. Britain examined railroad regulation as early as the 1830s, in response to shipper complaints about monopoly practices. The British Railway Regulation Bill of 1840 attempted to delegate power over railways to a government department, the Board of Trade, but it was an ineffectual statute. It required railways to give the Board of Trade notice before opening a new line, but the board lacked power to prevent operation. The board could also entertain complaints but, signiicantly, lacked power to pursue them. For the next 32 years, Parliament tried unsuccessfully to regulate the railroad industry. In 1872, yet another parliamentary committee reviewed over 30 years of British rail regulation. It once again concluded that marketplace competition was unsuccessful. As to how to remedy this situation, the committee reviewed several options. It believed that judicial enforcement of competition statutes was too expensive and that the courts, in any event, lacked expertise in railway matters. Direct oversight by parliamentary committees was likewise seen as ineffective. Finally, the committee believed that oversight by a cabinet department, i.e., the Board of Trade, lacked the procedural protections of the judicial model. So, to some extent as a default position, the committee recommended creation of a tribunal to supervise the railways, with authority to hear complaints from customers and provide remedies, and otherwise enforce laws relating to the railways. Composed of at least three members, the new commission would include an eminent lawyer and another acquainted with railway management. 4 Parliament created the new commission on a temporary basis in 1872 and made it permanent in 1888 nearly a halfcentury after regulatory efforts began. U.S. Railroad Regulation Railroad regulation emerged in the United States shortly after British regulation. The impetus for government oversight was the brainchild of Charles Francis Adams Jr. Between 1866 and 1878, he wrote several inluential articles about the economics of railroad operation, including Chapters of Erie, and Other Essays, a muckraking book coauthored with his brother Henry. They argued that the railroads, if unsupervised, would become natural monopolies but that government operation of railroads or regulation would stile eficiency and innovation. Their remedy was creation of a so-called sunshine commission, i.e., an impartial body of experts that would investigate, examine and report on railroad activities, but not have enforcement power. 5 Some states adopted this format, including Massachusetts, where Adams served as one of its irst three commissioners. Other states set up commissions with signiicant powers. The irst was the Illinois Railroad and Warehouse Commission, established in By 1886, a year before the creation of the ICC, 30 of the 38 states then in existence had some form of railroad regulation, and 25 used the commission form. Congress was well aware of the experience of both the British and the individual states. The statute creating the ICC 6 intended to create a commission with a degree of expertise and independence. Commissioners were appointed by the president with the advice and consent of the Senate, and they served staggered terms that were longer than that of the president. Commissioners were somewhat insulated from direct presidential supervision by the act s removal provision for ineficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in ofice, a core element of numerous independent agency statutes today. One scholar points out that initial appointments to the ICC came mostly from the public sector rather than the railroad industry, in an effort to limit industry control. 7 Another scholar argues that, nonetheless, those appointed were plainly sympathetic to the railroads. 8 With little discretionary power at the outset, the ICC was weak and ineffectual until Congress passed the Hepburn Act in 1906, 9 which gave the ICC rate-making authority. The passage of the Hepburn Act was part of the Progressive Movement. In the view of Progressives, it was essential for expert administrators with technical competence in the various areas of regulation to staff independent regulatory commissions. Appointments: Industry Representatives Versus Neutrals Since the Progressive Era, a range of factors other than expertise has inluenced appointments to independent agencies. The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is an illustration. The Wagner Act created the NLRB as a statutory agency in The board had three members. 11 President Roosevelt appointed as its irst three members the following: J. Warren Madden, chair, a Professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law; John M. Carmody, a federal government oficial; and Edwin S. Smith, a former commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Labor and Industries. Some members of Congress wanted a board independent of political control, while others preferred Marshall Breger is a professor of law at the Columbus School of Law of the Catholic University of America. Before that, he had a career as a government lawyer, including service as solicitor of the Department of Labor, the chief lawyer of the Department of Labor, and chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States. Gary Edles has served as an adjunct professor at American University Washington College of Law and visiting professor at the University of Hull Law School in England. Prior to that, he had a career as a government lawyer, including service at three independent, multi-member agencies and as general counsel of the Administrative Conference of the United States. This article is excerpted and adapted from Breger & Edles, Independent Agencies in the United States: Law, Structure, and Politics (2015), by permission of Oxford University Press. THE PUBLIC LAWYER All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or WINTER 4 a board composed of representatives of industry and labor. Congress eventually created a board that remained essentially neutral for 18 years, with members coming largely from academia or government. In 1952, however, President Eisenhower the irst Republican elected since passage of the Wagner Act appointed management-oriented members to the board. Starting with President Nixon in 1970, members have been chosen largely for their management or union backgrounds. By the 1960s, the theoretical underpinnings of administrative expertise had been largely undermined. 12 The administrative process was increasingly seen less as a forum for ascertaining the public interest and more as a forum for interest representation. As Harvard law professor Mark Tushnet explained, [i]nterest-group bargaining a form of politics was relocated into administrative agencies, and the Progressive claim that administrative agencies pursued science rather than politics became dificult to sustain. 13 The Inluence of the President and Congress Independent agencies today undertake signiicant regulatory and administrative roles within a broader tug and tussle of interbranch tension. The president s constitutional appointment and removal powers have been limited by Congress, with approval from the Supreme Court. 14 Nonetheless, the president retains considerable power over agency membership and, hence, inluence over agency policy direction under highly discretionary statutes through his appointment (and re-appointment) power, especially the selection of agency chairs, who are almost always the agency s most signiicant members. And, bolstered largely by custom, the president even retains inluence in prodding unwanted independent agency members from ofice. Congress likewise holds signiicant powers. As a bipartisan group of senators and congressmen reminded President Carter in 1977, Congress, and not the executive, controls the guidelines for independent regulatory agencies. Congress created these agencies. Congress provided for their organization. Congress adopted their statutory mandates. Congress controls their budgets and oversees their performance. Congress speciies agency procedures. 15 Indeed, some today think that Congress, perhaps more than the president, is now the primary inluence on most independent agencies. Agency Independence and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau A wide variety of hypotheses about agency independence exists. But practical rather than theoretical considerations motivated the creation of the irst independent agency, the ICC, and practical considerations continue to dominate the structure and functioning of independent agencies. Creation of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 is a recent illustration. 16 Harvard law professor Elizabeth Warren introduced in a 2007 article the idea of an agency that would regulate consumer inancial products. 17 She argued that a model based on the multi-member Consumer Product Safety Commission, which had protected consumers from purchasing defective or dangerous goods through uniform safety standards and regulation, would be just as useful in the inancial products market. In 2009, Chairman Barney Frank of the House Financial Services Committee introduced legislation that would set up a typical ive-member independent regulatory commission. 18 Later that year, he tried again with legislation that retained the independent commission concept but provided, signiicantly, that the new agency would be funded through the Federal Reserve Board. He proposed that 10 percent of the federal government s budget go automatically to the new agency every year, thus depriving both Congress and the administration of their usual appropriations oversight powers. 19 In the Senate, Chairman Christopher Dodd of the Senate Banking Committee introduced in 2010 his version of inancial protection legislation, which differed in certain respects from the House version. Dodd proposed an agency headed by a single director appointed to a ive-year term with the usual statutory removal protection. But the agency would be a bureau of the Federal Reserve Board funded through the Federal Reserve System. To ensure the new bureau s independence, the Federal Reserve was statutorily prohibited from exercising any control over it. 20 The bureau s only connection to the federal government is the funding mechanism. President Obama signed the Dodd- Frank bill into law in Republicans were concerned that they would lose important political inluence over the new agency if it had only a single individual at its head and a genuinely autonomous revenue stream. A key conceptual objection to the new agency was its lack of democratic accountability. The legislation creating it was described as an effort to hyperdepoliticize the agency. 22 Although it seems that the text of Dodd-Frank sought to insulate the new bureau from politics, this does not mean that the president or Congress lacks ways of inluencing the bureau s regulatory and enforcement activity. The president s inluence comes from his ability to nominate a single director to a ive-year term. However, this inluence can be thwarted by Congress. As an extreme response, a hostile Congress, especially if supported by a new administration, can revise the agency s statutory mandate or even abolish the agency entirely. 23 More likely, the Senate, through its conirmation authority, can delay, if not defeat, a president s choice of director. Indeed, that happened with Senate approval of the bureau s irst director. President Obama nominated former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray in July 2011, but Republican efforts to alter the agency s structure by replacing the director with a multi-member board initially 16 WINTER 2016 All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or THE PUBLIC LAWYER 5 stiled Cordray s approval. President Obama skirted Republican objection by giving Cordray a recess appointment. NLRB v. Noel Canning declared such recess appointments illegal (President Obama also made three to the National Labor Relations Board). 24 It took two years before Cordray was conirmed as part of a package deal in which Republicans agreed to vote on Cordray s nomination, and that of two NLRB members, in exchange for President Obama s agreement to withdraw two additional recess appointments to the NLRB. 25 Conlicting Constitutional Theories of Independent Agencies The constitutionality of the independent agency was not an issue of considerable debate until many decades after establishment of the ICC. Now, two conlicting constitutional theories compete for dominance. Some observers believe that independent agencies must be considered as part of a unitary executive supervised at the top by the president. The president, after all, must constitutionally take care that the Laws be faithfully executed. 26 The argument suggests that this duty can be discharged only if agencies performing executive functions are understood to be agents of the president and responsible to him. Any other structure would undermine accountability. Others argue for permeability among the branches. They claim that Congress may, by statute, adjust or alter a strict tripartite division of federal power as long as it does not undermine a core function of another branch or alter the balance of authority among the branches. 27 Supreme Court decisions have not consistently applied a particular approach or theory. Rather, they apply a literal or functional approach depending on circumstances. Professor Colin Diver suggests that the history of the administrative state is an unending contest between Congress and the President for control of the bureaucracy. 28 Public lawyers must operate in this environment that melds the conlicting goals of political accountability and independent expertise. Government lawyers must continue the historic tradition of acquiring and retaining expertise based on long service and experience and bring that expertise to bear unencumbered by partisan or personal bias. At the same time, absent unusual circumstances, public lawyers must remain faithful to the elected or appointed policy makers who, by virtue of their election or appointment, are accountable to the public and thus possess legitimacy in our constitutional system. Maintaining that balance can be dificult in a regulatory regime governed by statutory texts that are often ambiguous and that can be read literally or in historical context. Upholding that balance is the responsibility of the public lawyer. n Endnotes 1. See President s Comm. on Admin. Mgmt., Report of the Committee with Studies of Administrative Management in the Federal Government 40 (1937) (Brownlow Committee Report). 2. FCC v. Fox Television Stations, Inc., 556 U.S. 523, 547 (2009) (Breyer, J., dissenting). 3. Id. at 547 (citing Justice Scalia s concurring opinion in Freytag v. Comm r, 501 U.S. 868, 916 (1991)). 4. C.D. Forster, Privatization, Public Ownership and the Regulation of Natural Monopoly 46 (1992). 5. Thomas K. McCraw, Prophets of Regulation 15 (1984). 6. An Act to Regulate Commerce, 24 Stat. 379 (1887). 7. Mark F. Kightlinger, Nihilism with a Happy Ending! The Interstate Commerce Commission and the Emergence of the Postenlightenment Paradigm, 113 Penn. St. L. Rev. 113, 135 (2008) 8. Gabriel Kolko, Railroads and Regulation , at (1965) Stat. 584 (1906). 10. Wagner Act of 1935, 49 Stat. 449, 451 (1935). 11. The board s membership was extended to ive by the Labor Management Relations Act of 1947 (Taft-Hartley Act), 61 Stat. 136, 139 (1947). 12. Daniel J. Gifford, The New Deal Regulatory Model: A History of Criticisms and Reinements, 68 Minn. L. Rev. 299, 316 (1983). 13. Mark Tushnet, Administrative Law in the 1930s: The Supreme Court s Accommodation of Progressive Legal Theory, 60 Duke L.J. 1565, 1567 (2011). 14. See Humphrey s Ex r v. United States, 295 U.S. 602 (1935) (concluding that the president s removal power can be conditioned by Congress in certain circumstances); NLRB v. Noel Canning, 134 S. Ct (2014) (concluding that the Senate could frustrate the president s recess appointment power by holding pro forma sessions and that for purposes of the recess appointments clause, the Senate is in session when it says it is, provided that, under its own rules, it retains the capacity to transact Senate business. (Id. at 2574). 15. See Letter from Senator Abe Ribicoff to President Carter, Dec , reprinted in 124 Cong. Rec. S (1978). 16. Pub. L , 124 Stat. 1376, 1964 (2010). 17. Elizabeth Warren, Unsafe at Any Rate, Democracy J. Ideas (Summer 2007), available at org/5pdf/5/6528.php?page=allwarren. pdf. 18. H.R. 3126, 111th Cong. (2009). 19. H.R. 4173, 111th Cong. (2009). 20. S. 3217, 111th Cong. (2010). 21. See supra note Edward Rubin, Hyperdepoliticization, 47 Wake Forest L.J. 631, 677 (2012). 23. See generally Susan Block-Lieb, Accountability and the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, 7 Brook. J. Corp. Fin. & Com. L. 25, 55 (2011) (suggesting these two possibilities) S. Ct (2014). 25. See generally Danielle Douglas, Senate Conirms Cordray to Head Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Wash. Post, July 16, U.S. Const. art. II, 1, cl Bowsher v. Synar, 478 U.S. 714, 776 (1986) (White, J., dissenting). 28. Colin S. Diver, Presidential Powers, 36 Am. U. L. Rev. 519, 519 (1987). THE PUBLIC LAWYER All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or WINTER A man in Illinois has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for stealing a TV remote. Eric Bramwell, 35, was sentenced on Wednesday for taking the remote from an apartment complexs common area back in 2015, according to the DuPage County State's Attorneys Office. This wasnt his first burglary. Prosecutors said that starting in 2014, Bramwell had stolen items, including televisions, from several other area apartment complexes. Advertisement He was eligible for up to 30 years in prison because of his past offences. "Mr. Bramwells illegal activity and his history have finally caught up with him," Attorney Robert B. Berlin said in a press release. "Regardless of what was stolen, Mr. Bramwell repeatedly thumbed his nose at the law. He took what he wanted time and time again and expected to avoid the consequences," he said. "Thats not how it works, as Mr. Bramwell has now found out." Also on HuffPost Dumb Criminals See Gallery A Conservative leadership candidate is publicly pledging not to personally attack his rivals, even while conceding the strategy could cost him headlines. Erin OToole made the commitment in a release Monday that called for Tories to stay united in what he hopes will be a contest of ideas. Advertisement This is an opportunity to assess the character of the candidates. We cannot allow ourselves to attack fellow Conservatives who advance those ideas and policies, he said. Its tempting to succumb to personal attacks in an environment where the loudest and most outrageous statements win the most attention. But when Tories attack each other, he said, the only winners are Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley, and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. Advertisement In a subtle boast, OToole said the 21 current and former members of caucus backing him expect a vigorous discussion about smaller government, security, and fiscal policy." "Its tempting to succumb to personal attacks in an environment where the loudest and most outrageous statements win the most attention." You can expect me to continue to respectfully and vigorously disagree with policy proposals that could weaken our national defence, restrict trade, diminish our support for veterans, or harm the economy through higher taxes, he said. But I will not engage in personal attacks on fellow Conservatives. The release is reminiscent of former U.S. president Ronald Reagans 11th Commandment that Republicans shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican. OToole, a former military officer and veterans affairs minister, sparked some buzz last month by calling out likely leadership candidate Kevin OLeary for saying there was nothing proud about being a warrior. Advertisement Raitt drops gloves That quote now appears on a website launched by rival Lisa Raitt last week StopKevinOLeary.com. At a press conference in Ottawa, Raitt slammed both OLeary and MP Kellie Leitch as disastrous options for the Tory leadership. Though Raitt accused Leitch of pinning Canadas problems on immigrants, her guns were mostly trained on OLeary who isnt even in the race yet. Kevin OLeary and Kellie Leitch are both taking lessons from what we saw in the U.S. election and embracing a style of negative, irresponsible populism, she said. Unfortunately for them, we are not Americans and neither of them are president-elect Donald Trump. Raitts gambit led fellow candidate Maxime Bernier to tweet that he was not afraid of OLeary joining the contest. Tory MP Michelle Rempel also took to Twitter at the time to say Liberals and Trudeau love it when we snipe at each other. Liberals and Trudeau love it when we snipe at each other. With thousands out of work in my riding, we can't afford to do that. https://t.co/4m8VG1hiyd Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 4, 2017 Advertisement In fact, I feel like confetti cannons are being released in the PMO right now. https://t.co/L4qIJY4PV0 Michelle Rempel, MP (@MichelleRempel) January 4, 2017 Michael Chong has also publicly accused Leitch of race-baiting and criticized Chris Alexander for standing by as protesters called for the Alberta premier to be locked up. With 13 candidates in the race to replace Stephen Harper, the more aggressive candidates have often generated the most buzz. Leitch is, perhaps, the prime example. Her share of media coverage began climbing after she said she wanted to screen immigrants and visitors for so-called anti-Canadian values, and she frequently bashes her opponents as out-of-touch elites in incendiary press releases. Advertisement What a plan to screen immigrants says about the countryand the leadership hopeful who suggested it https://t.co/Dy5RV8TyuRpic.twitter.com/msg1CmizlJ Maclean's Magazine (@MacleansMag) September 25, 2016 In a speech at the summer caucus meeting in September, interim leader Rona Ambrose urged Conservatives not to become divided because of the leadership race. "We know that drama drives ratings, that those outside of our party will do everything they can to separate us into separate camps, Ambrose said at the time. Friends, our party has been there before, a long, long time ago, and we have no intention of going back there." Also on HuffPost The 2017 Golden Globes gave us a lot of hilarious, touching and fist-bumping moments, but it also unexpectedly made us a bit teary-eyed. In the middle of the broadcast, the award ceremony paid tribute to the late Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds, both of whom passed away less than 24 hours from each other on Dec. 27 and 28, respectively. Advertisement Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds pose in the press room at the 21st Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at The Shrine Auditorium on January 25, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage) "This past year we lost so many legends and icons," Globes host Jimmy Fallon said, "but a few weeks ago, we lost a mother and a daughter within just a couple of days, and it was a terrible loss that we all felt." Fallon then introduced a video montage of the stars' most memorable moments in their respective films including Fisher's iconic role as Princess Leia in "Star Wars" and Reynolds as Kathy Selden in "Singin' in the Rain." The montage also showed footage of HBO's new documentary about the mother and daughter, "Bright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds." Advertisement Watch the tribute below: The doc, which was originally supposed to be released in March, premiered on the specialty network on Saturday, and has received near unanimous rave reviews for its heartwarming portrayal of the mother and daughter. Fisher was 60 years old when she died after reportedly suffering a heart attack while aboard a flight from London to Los Angeles. Reynolds, 84, passed away after reportedly suffering a stroke while making arrangements for Fisher's funeral. "She said, 'I want to be with Carrie,'" Reynolds' son, Todd Fisher, said of his mother. "And then she was gone." Advertisement Meryl Streep accepts Cecil B. DeMille Award during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) Fisher's good friend, Meryl Streep, got tearful near the end of her speech while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award as she paid tribute to the actress. "As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me, 'Take your broken heart and turn it into art.'" Also on HuffPost Canadas oil industry is apparently ensnared in a Catch-22. If oil prices stay low, the oilsands will continue to put in a weak performance. But if oil prices rise, the oilsands risk losing their biggest customer the U.S. Thats according to projections in the 2017 outlook from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), which looked at several possible scenarios for oil, natural gas and other energy sources over the next 25 years. Advertisement Under a high oil price scenario, the U.S.s expensive shale oil fields would boom and the country would become a net exporter of oil, the IEA said. Thus, the U.S. would become a competitor for Canadian oil, rather than a customer. That moment could come as soon as nine years from now (2026), the report said. The same would happen if oil technology developed faster than expected, the IEA said. But the likeliest outcome sees the U.S. remaining an oil importer all the way through 2040, the report said. Yet even in this case, U.S. oil imports will fall by more than half over the next 13 years, the IEA report predicted. So whats the best case for oilsands exports to the U.S.? Sadly for the industry, its the case where oil prices stay low. That would keep many U.S. oil rigs offline, helping Canadian oil retain its market share. Advertisement Continuing low oil prices, or slower-than-expected oil tech advances, are the only two scenarios where U.S. imports would rise from their current levels, the IEA said. The report predicted that demand for oil in the U.S. will never return to its peak level, reached in 2005. Canadian natural gas exports in trouble The outlook is even grimmer for Canadian natural gas, according to the IEAs projections. U.S. imports of natural gas from Canada, primarily from the West where most of Canadas natural gas is produced, continue to decline, the IEA said. But U.S. exports to Canada primarily to the East continue to increase because of Eastern Canadas proximity to abundant natural gas resources [in the northeast U.S.], the IEA said. It expects U.S. imports of natural gas to fall by at least half in the coming years. Advertisement Looking to Asia Canadian policymakers appear to be increasingly aware of the possibility that the U.S. might be a fading market for Canadian oil. Although the election of Donald Trump makes the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada to the U.S. more likely, the federal Liberals dont appear to be counting on it. The Keystone XL isnt crucial because it doesn't get oil to export markets in Asia," Natural Resources Minister Jim Carr said last November. Days later, the government approved the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline, a controversial project that will bring Alberta oil to a terminal in Greater Vancouver for export to Asia. Advertisement A few months before that, B.C. Premier Christy Clark gave the go-ahead for an $11.7-billion liquified natural gas project. Although natural gas prices are low, they are set to go up because there is a really strong appetite for alternatives to coal in China and Japan, Clark said. Also on HuffPost Quebec City Tourism For generations, tourists have loved Quebec City and now a group of thought leaders and cultural innovators have formally acknowledged its charm. In September 2016, the annual Leading Culture Destinations Awards named Quebecs provincial capital Culture City of the Year, beating out Los Angeles and Lyon, France. Winners are determined by a jury of international experts in art and travel. Designed to be the Oscars for museums, the Leading Culture Destinations Awards have expanded to celebrate outstanding art hotels, museum shops and museum restaurants, among other categories. Here are nine reasons Quebec City is deserving of the accolade, presented in partnership with Quebec Tourism. 1. History Want to walk the path Benedict Arnold did when he led troops on an invasion during the American Revolution? How about standing on the spot where the battle that defined Canadian history was fought? Or humming O, Canada in the place the anthem was first sung? You can do all these fascinating things and much more inside Quebec City, a UNESCO world heritage site with more than 400 year of vibrant history. This fortified city is bursting with historic and cultural activities for visitors to enjoy this winter season. Take a walk down the Old Port with its incredible views of an icy St. Lawrence River or skate in Place DYouville, one of the most historic and beautiful squares in the city. Monastere des Augustines is a particularly unique site. Its the first hospital in Canada and United States turned holistic health centre where visitors are able to learn about the Augustinian Sisters heritage while relaxing in a holistic health overnight retreat. Some overnight packages include meals enjoyed in silence, yoga and meditation. Advertisement 2. Romance Quebec City exudes European charm, passion and love. It teems with beauty and commands your heart to lose itself in the moment. Whether youre enjoying a divine meal or strolling together through the streets, the opportunities for romance abound here. Uncover the citys hidden gems while on a horse drawn carriage tour with Caleches du Vieux Quebec. Its an enriching experience thats made for couples. 3. Cuisine LInitiale, Legende par La Taniere and Laurie Raphael are just some of the best restaurants in Quebec City. At these fine-dining establishments, diners can expect to taste distinct flavours that showcase Quebecs agricultural riches. Enjoy a serving of foie gras and never pass up on duck confit. It would be a mistake to not mention Quebec Citys maple syrup treats. A trip to a sugar shack to learn how maple syrup is made or an afternoon at Le Relais des Pins to try tire d'erable (maple taffy made by pouring hot maple syrup on clean snow) is always a good idea. Advertisement 4. Winter The annual Quebec Winter Carnival is one of the worlds best examples of how cold weather can be fantastically joyous. Games, rides, fireworks, dancing, and all around merriment hits the city each year. Some of the fun includes canoe races on the frozen St. Lawrence River and snow sculpture contests. And dont forget to take a picture with the iconic Bonhomme! 5. Architecture And European Charm When in Quebec City, one must visit the Breakneck Stairs -- 59 steps that wind down from Cote de la Montagne to Rue Petit-Champlain. Built between 1685 and 1689, the staircase is just one of Quebec Citys unique and enduring architectural wonders. The citys European charm can also be seen at Place-Royale, one of the oldest French settlements in North America. Feel as if youve been transported to 1600s New France during a visit to Musee de la Place Royale and Notre-Dame-des-Victoires Church, one of the oldest stone churches in North America. 6. Art Filled with art, Quebec City will make you stop and gaze multiple times during your visit. The fine arts museum (Musee national des beaux-arts du Quebec) displays Quebec art from all periods. The newest marvel worth checking out is the Pierre Lassonde Pavilion. Opened in June 2016, the Pavilion was designed by the architectural consortium OMA (Office for Metropolitan Architecture) of New York and Provencher Roy from Montreal. The building has numerous exhibition spaces: six exhibition galleries for a post-1960s collection, two temporary exhibition galleries and three permanent exhibition galleries housing contemporary art, Inuit art and decorative arts and design. 7. Stunning Accommodations Called the most photographed hotel in the world, Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac is the towering landmark that defines Quebec Citys landscape. The hotel dates to 1893, but its not the oldest in town. Hotel Clarendon, built in 1858, is the longest operating hotel in the city. If you prefer boutique stays, Auberge Saint-Antoine is luxurious and inviting. And if you like to take things to an extreme, you can try to spend a night in Quebecs Hotel de Glace the famed ice hotel situated in Valcartier Vacation Village, the largest winter playground in North America. Advertisement 8. Shopping Both the old and new cities have splendid shopping finds that you wont encounter anywhere else. Historic Quartier Petit Champlain features several local artisan shops, romantic bistros and fashion from renowned designers. Meanwhile, the Saint-Roch district is an exciting neighbourhood with new stores and fashion for you to discover. 9. People You cant have great culture without great people. Folks in Quebec City are welcoming, friendly, and passionate about art and gastronomy . Theyre proud of their town and the Leading Culture Destinations Awards gives them one more reason to be. When it comes to award shows most of the excitement takes place at the afterparty, but this year it's a high-profile kiss that took place during the 2017 Golden Globes that has everyone talking. While London, Ont.-born Ryan Gosling was walking to the stage to collect his Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy, nominee and fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds was consoled with a passionate kiss from his tablemate Andrew Garfield. Advertisement In case you missed it! Ryan Reynolds & Andrew Garfield kissed! #GoldenGlobespic.twitter.com/Xs5u8bOfPM NowThis (@nowthisnews) January 9, 2017 As the duo grabbed each other by the necks for a quick smooch, Reynolds' wife, Blake Lively, burst into a fit of giggles while cheering them on. Following the ceremony, ET's Kevin Frazier caught up with Emma Stone, Garfield's former flame and Gosling's co-star in "La La Land," to reflect on her win for Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy and her ex's blink-or-youll-miss-it kiss. "What?! They did not kiss each other!" she exclaimed. As Frazier showed her footage of the kiss she responded "They did?! That's hilarious." Advertisement Gosling didn't mind sharing the spotlight with his fellow nominee either, telling Frazier: "I mean, I'm happy for them, honestly, you know? Good for them." Stone and Garfield have remained friendly exes since splitting in 2015. Garfield even gave Stone a standing ovation for her win on Sunday night. Andrew Garfield gave Emma Stone a standing ovation so i'm holding on to some hope pic.twitter.com/wo014wAUu2 lauren yap (@itslaurenyap) January 9, 2017 Also on HuffPost Sebastien Toutant isn't about to let a few rules stand in the way of his snowboard. The Montreal pro snowboarder more commonly known as Seb Toots is the star of a new video (watch above) where he can be seen riding and shredding down Montreal's Mount Royal, before taking to the streets of downtown. Advertisement The video, shot by director Mathieu Cowan for Sunset Films, begins with Toots dropping down the mountain's trails before spilling out into the cemetery and then taking over the sidewalks toward Sherbrooke Street. "We're one of the only cities in the world with a mountain in the middle... and we wanted to put Montreal on the snowboarding map," Toots told Radio-Canada about the video, which was shot last year. A video posted by Sunset Films (@sunsetfilms) on Dec 22, 2016 at 4:28am PST And despite not having permits to ride the hill, Toutant said he and his team had the utmost respect for the places where filming took place. Advertisement "It's not like touching the graves or anything, we did not break anything. If there were people who were present on the site, we respected that, but I think it was important to have pictures in the descent." It's the second video of its kind starring Toutant. Four years ago, he shared a similar video that captured him doing a top to bottom run of Montreal's namesake mountain. Also on HuffPost: Knowing how to manage your money is important but a large number of Canadians dont have the knowledge they need to succeed financially. A recent study by Statistics Canada reveals there is a widening gap in financial knowledge between men and women, particularly among older and more educated Canadians. The study noted that 57 per cent of individuals were preparing for retirement and knew how much to save. However, 33 per cent didnt know how much to save and about 10 per cent werent preparing at all. In these challenging economic times, financial literacy is more complex than understanding the basics of saving and spending. Advertisement With that in mind, there is increased pressure for Canadians to know more about money so that they can make better choices in managing debt, navigating tax issues and saving for life goals. This is where a financial advisor can help make sound investments and offer a robust financial plan that meets your needs. But what does a financial advisor do anyway? With the help of Sun Life Financial, here are five things a professional can do to help you attain your money goals. Assesses your current financial situation Simply put, a financial advisor is someone who can provide sound financial advice to clients. This person is well-trained, carefully regulated, highly motivated and can help you assess your finances and chart out options for growth. Sets achievable financial goals A good financial advisor helps you look at your financial situation from a holistic perspective they can help you consider assets and liabilities to help develop financial goals that are strategically positioned for future advancement. Advertisement Develops a realistic plan to meet those goals It is important to accurately assess the financial situation to establish a plan that not only helps to maximize retirement savings but is able to adapt to everyday life events. Working with a financial advisor can help achieve this. Monitors your financial plan on a regular basis An advisor can help establish a flexible plan that can grow along with you and can be adjusted as required. Priorities change, the amount of money you have fluctuates and life happens. A professional can help navigate through these life changes. Empowers you to grow A good financial advisor listens to you and understands your financial needs. They recommend innovative products and services that can help grow and protect your investments but ultimately empower you to make your own decisions about your financial future. They are all about putting you in a position to succeed. Sam Edwards via Getty Images Co-authored with Emily Nicholas, a patient advisor with health care organizations across Canada and director of health engagement and communication at Reframe Health Lab. In one of the final episodes of Netflix's Master of None, Aziz Ansari, the lovable protagonist, ends up taking hours simply choosing the right taco spot. His time, of course, was spent "researching" a dizzying array of Yelp pages and food blogs, with the sole purpose of finding the perfect Sunday afternoon snack with a friend. Advertisement Now, contrast this to how you or a loved one ended up with the orthopedic surgeon whom operated on you, say, that very same Sunday. You probably didn't do a lot of research. And even if you tried, there probably wasn't a whole lot to base your decision on. You might have entrusted your family doctor with the same person she has referred others to for years. Or maybe there was a surgeon at a hospital in your hometown, sparing you the drive into the city. In some ways, this is our Canadian health care paradox. The virtue of a single-payer system affords us some of the richest health data in the world, but the way we actually use data to help with health care decisions or drive our own performance is wanting. As a patient, it is incredibly trying at times to listen to the tune of "patient-centred care," only to hear that such health care data would be over our heads in the same breath. Or better yet, "they wouldn't want to use it any way." Most of the evidence, actually, indicates that patients do want access to such information. Unfortunately, most of the information out there has been crafted and delivered without the end-user in mind: the patient. There are exceptions, however. Advertisement We know the complexity of our health care system can't be boiled down to a taco truck. Take for example, the U.K.'s NHS Choices initiative. The website has been around for close to a decade, with the mission of "empowering patients through access to clear information on health and social care services." Browsing through the site offers an A-Z index of common health conditions, a GPS tracker for local services, and the ability to read reviews and post comments on care. You can even see if the staff working at a given hospital would recommend it to others. While it has the esthetic of an official agency-run site (not a whole lot of flash), an independent evaluation showed the site was successful in reducing unnecessary demand for GP consultations among young, healthy users. So, not only has it become a staple of patient and public engagement in the U.K., there may also be a cost-savings angle, as well. A more contentious example, maybe unsurprisingly, comes from the United States. After folks at Pro Publica found differing complication and mortality rates among surgeons, even at outstanding hospitals, they decided to launch a nationwide database, Surgeon Scorecard, to help patients pick the right surgeon. How you adjust for the complexity of patients and a myriad of other measurement issues set off heated debate among surgeons. But instead of backing away, or digging its head in the sand, Pro Publica has only invited such empirical discussion to improve the tool. Individual physicians could also stand to gain from more feedback. The mechanism? Peer comparison. A recent study in The Journal of the American Medical Association found that when it came to curbing antibiotic prescribing, physicians who were emailed their standing compared to top performers reduced inappropriate prescribing to the greatest effect. In fact, Health Quality Ontario has already begun rolling out voluntary practice reports for physicians to get a better handle on how and where they stack up. The initial feedback sounds promising. We know the complexity of our health care system can't be boiled down to a taco truck. But our take-away is that for transparency to truly matter, the medium and metrics have to be meaningful. This means patients shaping more of the measures that our system pays attention to. And it most definitely means not having to dig through PDFs or excel sheets when it comes to making informed health care decisions. Advertisement If we're really serious about patient centred care, and liberating data, that probably also means letting us get access to our own electronic health records. And from a more individual level, more feedback as to how we perform as providers -- whether it be antibiotic prescribing or diabetes management -- would largely be welcome if not punitive, but supportive and iterative in nature. We simply cannot ask patients to choose wisely, or providers to perform better, if we are all kept in the dark. This article was previously published in the Toronto Star. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook I am a retired newspaperman. I am 69 and live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 45 years, Lou Ann. We grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather. More on who I am is here. Report all errors to DonSurber@GMail.com Last week cemented Canada's status as an international darling. Our country topped the New York Times' list of the "52 Places to Go in 2017" and was lauded in the Guardian for being one of the only nations that touts diversity over nativism. In 2016, the media fawned over Justin Trudeau. The Economist ran a cover story titled: "Liberty Moves North: Canada's Example to the World" and our immigration website became so popular it crashed on the night of the U.S. election. Advertisement For a country that's historically been known as a wallflower, the attention is long overdue. But we shouldn't become "braggadocious" and let our national ego inflate. In short: We shouldn't become American. Canada has become so popular internationally precisely because of its humility. As a country, it means we strive to improve instead of thumping our chests about past accomplishments. For the past year and a half, I've been living in New York City. It's an exciting and beautiful place, but so many of the people I meet are obsessed with status. At parties I've had Americans tell me their Ivy League credentials before asking my name. While it's impossible to make generalizations about an entire country, we've all witnessed the entitled American who cuts in line at an airport or loudly sends their food back at a restaurant. The U.S. is a place with clearly defined values -- individualism, capitalism, success -- which has helped make it the world's most powerful country. But those values have also made America a place with unaffordable health care, one of the highest levels of income inequality on Earth and Donald Trump. Advertisement By contrast, one of the greatest Canadian qualities is self-deprecation. Mocking ourselves makes us more accessible and our self-doubt is a sign of intelligence. The brightest people know they have big knowledge gaps and that there will always be someone smarter than them. As a country, it means we strive to improve instead of thumping our chests about past accomplishments. "Canadian exceptionalism" simply isn't a term we use. It's only in the past few years some politicians have dared to call Canada "the best" country, according to the National Post. In a University of Chicago study of national pride, we ranked sixth while the U.S. tied for first. As an angsty, insecure Canadian teen, I hated our country's muted personality. While my Italian relatives spoke with wild gesticulations and ate a distinct cuisine, I came from a place known for apologizing and beavertails, a food eaten only by tourists and children. But our country's fluid identity and trademark humility have positively shaped Canadian policy. Canada is a country that accepts a large number of immigrants and generally doesn't force a value system down their throats. It's a place that welcomes diversity instead of pretending there's only one right way to live. Of course, Canada is not perfect. The government grossly mistreats Indigenous people, politicians in Quebec tried to ban Muslim headscarves for public employees, and Kellie Leitch, who is running for the Conservative Party leadership, wants to screen immigrants for "Canadian values." Advertisement But Canada's openness is regularly on display. Last year, it welcomed an estimated 300,000 newcomers and almost 39,000 Syrian refugees. (The U.S., by contrast, admitted 10,000.) The Greater Toronto Area is the "most diverse city on the planet," according to the Guardian, "with half its residents born outside the country." Canadians elected a leader who shows up to greet refugees at the airport, not one who boasts about building a wall to keep out illegal immigrants. To think of Canada as the best nation on Earth is deeply unCanadian. And our collective lack of arrogance has led us to pursue progressive policies that benefit the entire population. Canada has universal health care, a higher minimum wage than in the U.S., no laws restricting abortion and a gender-equal cabinet. We aim to be more inclusive because we don't consider ourselves exceptional. Advertisement Canada has become a great country because it's the kind of place that doesn't boast about being great. Let's hope all the recent attention doesn't go to our heads. This column previously appeared in the Ottawa Citizen. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: I have persistent depressive disorder (otherwise known as dysthymic disorder). This means that I experience a state of chronic depression that I have had for most of my life. My earliest memories exist in a continuity of darkness and sadness. I feel physical and emotional pain when I shouldn't. I feel sad out of the blue, like my soul has been wounded in a way, but often the source of the sadness is unknown. I surrender to unexpected crying as a catharsis even though I often fail to know why I'm doing it. There are days when hopelessness is an abundant force, and then the darkness lifts just enough to glimpse at the hope on a balanced emotional horizon. Advertisement I am also an empath, often confused by the threshold of external and internal emotions. Spectres of my deep sensitivity follow me -- and we eventually become friends. I find that my depression and empathy are synergistic. My awareness of energy heightens the emotionality of my experience. The combined effects of depression and empathy can be beautiful as well as frightening at times. I am a non-binary trans person, too. To be clear, my trans identity is not a part of my mental illness -- but it complicates it. I am faced with exclusionary-based oppression and transphobia as an assigned-male-at-birth non-binary trans person, sometimes even internalizing the ignorance and fear directed at me. I haven't had to walk this path alone. As an artist living with mental illness, notable people have inspired me. In particular, Carrie Fisher's legacy inspires me to do better, to live an honest and fierce life, and to embrace my mental illness. Fisher's challenging experiences with mental health while achieving a prolific level of success as an artist set an example that many mentally ill artists feel is near impossible. Advertisement Fisher was an outspoken feminist advocate on many fronts. We recently learned that her daughter, Billie Lourd, was "raised without gender." Fisher's role as Princess/General Leia Organa in Star Wars imprinted on my childhood when these films seemed to be on repeat every week in my family household. Seeing a brave woman at the centre of a patriarchal film trilogy and industry was exciting and impactful. Fisher's recent death, shortly after my grandmother's own death (another significant source of inspiration for me), reminded me of the importance of living an honest life. Of living your truth openly to create connections, facilitate healing and bestow hope. Fisher demonstrated an ability to share so openly about the struggles of mental illness by bravely breaking silence and facing the stigma head-on. Fisher's life is a beacon of light for those of us struggling with mental illness in a world where we are heavily stigmatized, oppressed and misunderstood. We must do important advocacy work to put an end to stigmatizing mental illness. We need to stop demonizing people living with mental illness. We need to stop using language to demean and strip human beings of their subjectivity and their humanity because they are or might be living with mental illness. Advertisement In her "Advice from the Dark Side" column for the Guardian a little less than a month before her death, Carrie Fisher responded to someone asking for advice to cope with bipolar disorder: "We have been given a challenging illness, and there is no other option than to meet those challenges. Think of it as an opportunity to be heroic -- not 'I survived living in Mosul during an attack' heroic, but an emotional survival. An opportunity to be a good example to others who might share our disorder. That's why it's important to find a community -- however small -- of other bipolar people to share experiences and find comfort in the similarities." I haven't found the courage until now to share my struggles with mental health outside the circle of my close friends and family members. I was scared that people might think less of me, that I am emotionally unstable or somehow less of a human being. I grew up with mental illness in my family. My mom has bipolar disorder and her illness has met its match in her strength, but there were dark and challenging times. I was in my late teens when I found out about her bipolar disorder. I thought less of her, when I was young and undiagnosed myself, because of the stigma of mental illness. Advertisement But now my mom's bipolar disorder has enriched my understanding of her as a human being in so many positive ways. She survived the disorder while raising my family without a diagnosis, medication and other supportive mechanisms for much of her life (she was only diagnosed in her 40s). She was alone in her suffering for too long. We have to think of our mentally ill loved ones with respect and appreciation. We all know someone who has to cope with mental illness: family members, friends, colleagues and partners. The love we have for others can help us break through the stigma so that people can acquire the diagnosis and support they need. I know that a part of my experiences with depression and empathy have been heightened by surviving many experiences of emotional and physical abuse and an incident of sexual abuse. It started in my late childhood and adolescence, mostly due to my visible difference in relation to gender. I am constantly pressured by the constraints of the gender binary in all social spaces -- education, bathrooms, clothing stores, identity documents, my family, popular culture and language. My depression's effects are concatenated by my situational experiences of abuse and marginalization. The experience of battling stigma while dealing with depression is similar to what many trans people face -- but this should not be the reality of our lives. Advertisement You can transform these experiences of pain and sadness that come as a result of mental illness or abuse into something powerful. Find the flashes of energy, of hope and positivity, and harness this precious time towards work that you can funnel into your dreams. Manipulate the negative emotional energy to suit your purpose. Some members of my family love and support me by understanding my emotional challenges because of depression. They accept my darkest days and they support me during these times. Unfortunately, some of my family members do not understand and/or accept the complexities of my mental illness. They see faults that I cannot so easily control. They don't understand the importance of showing compassion and kindness. It is important, especially to other non-binary trans people who may also struggle with mental illness and may not have supportive friends and family, to know that you are not alone so you can build community. We need to talk about mental illness to share light and hope. I do not always reach out to my supportive family members and friends when I do need help. One of the facets of my illness is a tendency to become introverted. I try to overcome the darkness and sadness alone in a vulnerable state when my depression is sometimes an embarrassment. I need to fight through these times to realize that the medicine we sometimes need is each other. We need each other. We need these connections to survive and we need to talk about mental illness to share light and hope. We need to stop stigmatizing mental illness. We need to survive mental illness. You need to survive it. You have to keep moving. Keep fighting. Keep dreaming. Advertisement Fisher said that "living with mental illness is tough, and that's why it's important to find a community to share experiences and find comfort in the similarities." It is an emotional survival and we can find comfort in our similarities and our differences. Please reach out to the resources below if you need help. I have had to reach out at different points in my life. Fisher so beautifully demonstrated a Force in her life, amidst challenges she faced with bipolar disorder, fearlessly sparkling with strength and wisdom. "May this Force be with you." You are never alone! CANADA: Kid's Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 Trans LifeLine: 1-877-330-6366 Province Suicide Help Lines: http://suicideprevention.ca/need-help/ UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Trevor Helpline: 1-866-488-7386 or Text "Trevor" to 1-202-304-1200 Trans LifeLine: 1-877-565-8860 National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 If you or someone you know is at risk please contact your nearest Crisis Centre or call Kids Help Phone at 1-800-668-6868 to speak to a counsellor. Frame Of Mind is a new series inspired by The Maddie Project, that will focus on teens and mental health. The series will aim to raise awareness and spark a conversation by speaking directly to teens who are going through a tough time, as well as their families, teachers and community leaders. We want to ensure that teens who are struggling with mental illness get the help, support and compassion they need. If you would like to contribute a blog to this series, please email cablogteam@huffingtonpost.com. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: GEOFF ROBINS via Getty Images Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks during a press conference following the conclusion of the Fifth Replenishment Conference of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria in Montreal, Quebec, September 17, 2016. / AFP / Geoff Robins (Photo credit should read GEOFF ROBINS/AFP/Getty Images) It has been more than a year since Canadians voted in a federal election to grant Justin Trudeau a majority government, after one of the longest federal election cycles in modern Canadian history. Trudeau's overwhelming support came from a message that revolved around "change." His campaign made a plethora of campaign promises, offering a fresh face, new ideas and the promise of transparency for the Liberal platform. Advertisement Trudeau's actions in government have not lived up to expectations, and Canadians are taking notice. A recent poll has shown the Liberal government's approval rating dropping a staggering nine points to 42 per cent, from a November poll which had Liberal support at 51 per cent. Trudeau, once elected, released a document titled Open and Accountable Government, which detailed the ways in which the Liberal government would operate and maintain transparency. Trudeau is quoted in a news release as saying "We will uphold the highest standards of integrity and impartiality both in our public and private affairs." Trudeau's actions in government have not lived up to expectations, and Canadians are taking notice. Trudeau disregards his promises on ethics and transparency Justin Trudeau and the Liberal party have been under scrutiny regarding their multiple "cash-for-access" fundraisers. Cash for access can be described as providing money directly to a foundation or individual for meetings with high-ranking government officials, which could lead to a number of conflicts of interest. The Liberals held a $1,500 cash-for-access fundraiser at a wealthy Chinese-Canadian business executive's mansion in May. In attendance was Chinese businessman Zhang Bin, who along with a partner donated $1 million to the Trudeau foundation and the University of Montreal Faculty of Law not long after the event. Bin is an adviser to the Chinese government and a state network which promotes Chinese interests around the world. Advertisement At this high-profile event were a number of Chinese billionaires, including insurance tycoon Shenglin Xian, who founded Wealth One Bank of Canada. This fundraiser had been at an opportune moment, as Xian had been waiting for approval from federal bank regulators for his Schedule 1 bank to start operations in Canada. Since Schedule 1 banks are domestic, they may receive deposits within Canada. As of July, the Liberal government has approved this bank, which opened branches in multiple cities across Canada. Such cash-for-access events go against the ethical guidelines and standards of conduct outlined by Trudeau when elected. A section of Trudeau's guidelines states that "There should be no preferential access to government, or appearance of preferential access, accorded to individuals or organizations because they have made financial contributions to politicians and political parties." The Liberals voted down a motion from the Conservatives, supported by the NDP, to transfer the Liberals ethics rules on lobbying and fundraising to the ethics commissioner Mary Dawson. The intent of this motion was to prevent potential conflicts of interest in government and stop cash-for-access events in Canadian politics while upholding Trudeau's own promise for a transparency in government. Advertisement This scandal has shown a complete disregard for Canadian campaign finance laws, while the wealthy and lobbyists continue to erode democracy. Broken promises will impact the economy The Canadian economy has seen sluggish growth since the election, which has not been helped by terrible fiscal policy by the Liberal government. Trudeau had promised, once elected, to run consecutive deficits for three years. This campaign promise explicitly stated that these "small" yearly deficits would not exceed $10 billion a year. The Liberals' plan to run yearly deficits was made in tandem with an election promise to balance the budget by 2019-2020. The Liberals first tabled budget deficit is estimated to accumulate to a staggering $30 billion, a significant increase for the Canadian economy, especially with the loonie struggling and low oil prices. How can such a fiscally irresponsible government grow the Canadian economy at such levels to meet these targets? They cannot, with recent budget forecasts for 2019 predicting an $18-billion deficit, and a $14-billion deficit in 2020. Advertisement Trudeau also promised middle-class tax cuts to be paid for by tax hikes for higher incomes. Such tax changes were promised to be revenue neutral, meaning they would not cost the Canadian public additional tax dollars. Bill Morneau and the Liberal government again showed their inability to keep their word, as it is now being reported that these tax changes are actually going to leave the government short $1.2 billion. Such short-sighted policies will lead to either large tax increases or large government cuts in the near future. The current lack of budget control and accountability will leave Canadians with an unmanageable level of debt. With large deficits being predicted past the next election -- and growth not likely to reach the Liberal government's predictions -- it is likely such short-sighted policies will lead to either large tax increases or large government cuts in the near future. In 1972, when Pierre Trudeau started running similar deficits without proper consideration for their long-term effects, it took a quarter century to get out of deficit spending through the largest downsizing in Canadian history under the Chretien and Martin Liberal governments. Advertisement The Conservatives warned that the Liberals' deficit spending would turn into massive and permanent debt. The chief economist at Scotiabank, Jean-Francois Perrault, has been quoted as saying the Liberals have been far too overconfident in their projections of how their budget will impact growth. What is even more alarming is how Canada will compete with its neighbours and draw investment with the election of Donald Trump south of the border. Trump has pledged to remove regulation in most sectors in the U.S. economy -- how can Canada compete when the Liberal government is not allowing Canada to be competitive with policies like an increased carbon tax? Such a carbon tax will "shift emissions and jobs to the U.S., helping neither our economy nor the environment." Additional broken campaign promises Trudeau and the Liberals constantly made campaign promises on electoral reform, assuring Canadians that the 2015 election would be the last under the ineffective first past the post system. The All Party Committee on Electoral Reform submitted their report suggesting the vast majority of Canadians and experts supported a proportional representation system. Yet the Liberal government has insisted on backing away from initial promises for reform in the press and interviews. The Liberal party has a history of fiscal irresponsibility and running large deficits, but this Liberal government has started a trend of breaking major campaign promises. As the polls suggest in the first year under a Trudeau Liberal majority, scandals and irresponsible policy decisions are not what the Canadian people signed up for. Advertisement Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Paul Hackett / Reuters Carrie Fisher poses for cameras as she arrives at the European Premiere of Star Wars, The Force Awakens in Leicester Square, London, December 16, 2015. REUTERS/Paul Hackett When someone dies unexpectedly from something like sudden cardiac arrest as appears to be the case with Carrie Fisher, it is a tragedy. And it is more of a tragedy when the person is young like Ms Fisher was at age 60. But what is an unconscionable travesty, are the blogs being written about her by the anti-psychiatry people who are using her death to promote their beliefs. Like many people, Ms Fisher suffered with bipolar disorder and like many with that condition, she self medicated with alcohol and drugs. But she was also a spokesperson for the increased understanding of mental illness and the use of properly prescribed medications. Her ashes are in a giant sized replica of a prozac capsule. Advertisement In polite society, it is not appropriate, most of our mothers told us, to speak ill of the dead. Maybe it is OK for people like Hitler and his ilk, but of Carrie Fisher? No, but so far I've seen four blogs attacking her and her death in order for someone to make a political point. The first one was the nastiest posted to the Boston Globe Facebook page set up for their excellent series on mental illness in Massachusetts. It is titled "Carrie Fisher: Victim of Psychiatry" written by someone called John C Hancock but you have to search to find his name. There is no indication who he is or what his qualifications might be. Mr Hancock attributes her death to "the roller coaster of psychotropic drugging and psychiatric incarceration that would eventually cause her premature death at age 60". More mainstream critiques can be found on Robert Whitaker's webpage Mad In America where there are three blogs suggesting that Ms Fisher was killed by psychiatry. Those who follow me on Huffington Post are aware that I've critiqued Whitaker a number of times. The first blog appeared on December 31 written by Corrina West whose business it is to provide support for those with emotional distress. Many of the anti-psychiatrists consider mental illness not to be an illness but emotional stress or trauma but more of that shortly. Her blog focuses on how psych meds can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and death with the implication that Ms Fisher is a victim of psychiatric medication. Advertisement Honoree Carrie Fisher poses at the Oscar Wilde Awards at director J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot production company in Santa Monica, California February 19, 2015. (REUTERS/Kevork Djansezian) I can't argue with the studies she presents but we have no idea what caused Ms Fisher's heart problem and the results of the autopsy are not yet available. Her sudden cardiac event could just as likely have been caused by her drug and alcohol abuse over many years. The Mayo Clinic states that the usual cause of a sudden cardiac arrest is a heart abnormality. Among the risk factors are smoking, alcohol use and drug use so it is a bit premature to blame her death on psychiatric medication. She also arrested 15 minutes before he flight from London to LA landed so it is also possible she developed a thrombosis (blood clot) from sitting for so long and it broke off and went to her heart. Many of the pain meds (the non steroidal anti-inflammatory group) that we buy over the counter for headaches, sore muscles, and other conditions can also increase our risk of heart problems. Why pick on her psych meds as a cause when you don't even know what she took or for how long? Advertisement Next came Phillip Hickley, a retired psychologist who did his own blog on January 2 and who talks about how psychiatry is not medicine and suggests as well that Carrie was a victim of that evil discipline. He goes on to describe what he calls psychiatry's modus operandi: First they sell you the "illness" that they've invented. Then they sell you the drugs to "treat" the "illness." Then they sell you more drugs to counteract the adverse effects. Then they sell you electric shocks to the brain. Then you die prematurely. Then they wring their hands in mock anguish, and say what a terrible illness this is, and that without their "safe and effective treatments", you would have died a lot sooner. Then, later that same day, Noel Hunter posted her blog on Mad in America entitled "Carrie Fisher, Bipolar Disorder, and the Spread of False Information" She uses Fisher's death to point out to her readers that bipolar is not real and that it is related to trauma and stress. Again with the stress and emotion. According to the National Institute for Mental Health in the US, "there is no single cause for bipolar disorder. "Instead, it is likely that many factors contribute to the illness or increase risk." They then list three - The first is brain structure and functioning whereby some studies have shown differences between those with bipolar and healthy controls. Genetics is another potential cause along with family history. "Those who are susceptible to bipolar disorder or other psychotic illnesses are impacted by two types of stress, sleep and sensory deprivation. They don't cause bipolar, they exacerbate it." I'm presently reading How Can I Help: A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist by Dr David Goldbloom and Dr Pier Bryden. Goldbloom points out on P 78 that the first reported case of bipolar was described by Aretaeus of Cappadocia (CE 150-200) so it has been around for a long time. I imagine that stress and trauma have been for some time too. Psychiatrist, Dr David Laing Dawson, writes that humans are not designed for stress free environments. We all need a little stress although some thrive on it and others don't. But, regardless of our preference for stress, "We experience and research tell us that most of us cope quite well with flood, fire, disaster, famine, and pestilence. The stress seekers and the stress averse alike. These are singular calls to action that focus the brain and our survival instincts. And that includes those of us vulnerable to psychotic illness." Those who are susceptible to bipolar disorder or other psychotic illnesses are impacted by two types of stress, sleep and sensory deprivation. They don't cause bipolar, they exacerbate it. Of course, you can ignore the research of the NIMH and all the other scientists and organizations that have studied this condition if you wish. But, why use the unfortunate passing of a well known celebrity (or even an unknown) to promulgate your views? It is disgusting. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Maxime Bernier is seen at the Conservative leadership candidates' bilingual debate in Moncton, N.B. on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016. Conservatives vote for a new party leader on May 27, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan Immigration has become a very contentious issue in politics. We've seen in recent years the rise of anti-immigration parties in Europe. It featured prominently in the U.S. presidential election. And it has become part of the debate in the Conservative Party of Canada leadership race. Advertisement Canada has always been a country largely open to immigration, because of its vastness and its relative youth. I believe that by and large, our immigration policy has been very successful. But we are not immune to the conflicts and social tensions happening elsewhere. We can avoid these tensions if we stay away from ideological extremes and go back to a fundamental principle: The overarching objective of Canada's immigration policy should be to fulfill the economic needs of our country. In particular, it should answer the needs of sectors where there is a scarcity of manpower with specialized skills; and in more general terms contribute to increasing the number of younger workers in a society that is fast aging. Too little immigration means we will not get as much of these economic benefits as we could. But too much immigration also has its dangers. Advertisement Our immigration policy should not aim to forcibly change the cultural character and social fabric of Canada, as radical proponents of multiculturalism want. The vast majority of Canadians rightly expect immigrants to learn about our history and culture, master one of our official languages, and adopt widely shared Canadian values such as equality of men and woman, tolerance for diversity and respect for Canadian law. At too high a level, immigration ceases to be a tool to economically benefit Canadians, and it turns instead into a burden. Immigrants are expected to integrate in our society, not to live in isolation and try to replicate the way of life of their country of origin in Canada. Of course, Canadian society is also transformed by immigration, as it has for centuries. But this has to be done organically and gradually. When it happens too fast, it creates social tensions and conflicts, and provokes a political backlash, as we can see today in several countries. This is why I am opposed to increasing the annual intake of immigrants from 250,000 to 300,000, as the Liberal government has announced. Advertisement I am even more opposed to the proposal made by the government's advisory council a few months ago to increase it to 450,000, which Liberal Immigration Minister John McCallum said could be adopted at some point in the future. Canada's Immigration Minister John McCallum speaks during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 25, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie At too high a level, immigration ceases to be a tool to economically benefit Canadians, and it turns instead into a burden. It becomes essentially a policy of social engineering for ideological purposes. On the basis of these principles, here are the general policies I intend to pursue if I become leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and then prime minister. Advertisement Given that the main objective of immigration is to fulfill the economic needs of Canada, I would bring back the number from 300,000 to 250,000 as it was on average under the Harper government. I would streamline the process for hiring specialized workers abroad. I would also put slightly more emphasis on economic immigration and slightly reduce the categories of family reunification and refugees. I am opposed to big government policies in all spheres of life. It is important for new Canadians to be able to reunite with their families. This is already a large part of our immigration policy and will continue to be so. As well, Canada has to play its part in welcoming refugees from troubled areas of the world. But these two categories of immigrants bring less economic benefits to Canada than the category of economic immigrants. Welcoming refugees is actually very expensive. To ensure our security, I would increase resources for CSIS, the RCMP and Canadian Immigration and Citizenship to do background checks on all classes of immigrants, including more face-to-face interviews if deemed necessary. And finally, I would stop our reliance on the United Nations for refugee selection. Civil society groups that work on the ground have a much better grasp of who could successfully integrate into Canada than a big international bureaucracy. We should rely instead on private sponsorship, including by faith-based organizations. The Liberals are strangling this to make room for poorly delivered state sponsorship. Advertisement My campaign is based on free markets and small government principles. I am opposed to big government policies in all spheres of life. Preventing our businesses from hiring the immigrant manpower they need with red tape is a big government policy. At the other extreme, mass immigration that would create social tensions and is not in the interest of Canadians is also a big government policy. A government under my leadership would find an appropriate middle ground so as to unleash Canada's economic potential. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: In the quintessential Canadian story, "Jim" Remmelt Andela immigrated to Ontario in 1952 from Holland. He worked as a farmhand, learned to read, married and had five kids. Jim became my patient as he turned 88, just a few days shy of Christmas. Shaking his large-boned, calloused hands, he told me during that first housecall: "I'm doing fine." Advertisement Only hours earlier, his daughter found him lying on the bathroom floor, crying: "What's wrong with me? Why won't it go away?" After decades of stable health, Jim spent 2016 on a merry-go-round of visits to nearby emergency departments and admissions to inpatient wards and rehab wards. A massive heart attack, a leaky valve and finally, end-stage heart failure left Jim seesawing between fluid overload and dehydration. Worse, a series of small strokes deep in Jim's brain robbed him of necessary skill, function and memory. He had enough insight to know that something was desperately wrong Jim started 2016 independent, mobile and generally well. He ended the year, frail, dependent on a four-wheel walker and unable to recall key memories. However, he had enough insight to know that something was desperately wrong. He lived with Lori, his youngest daughter, a single mom of two. Lori knew when Jim was discharged from hospital on December 19 that taking him home was a bad idea. She knew her dad needed 24-hour care. So did Jim's doctors, nurses and care coordinators. But Lori took him home because getting a nursing home bed is faster from the community than from a hospital. Ridiculous as it is, that's the rule in Ontario. Advertisement Mississauga-Halton LHIN guarantees a crisis placement at a nursing home within 90 days -- as long as the patient lives in the community. The same application for the same patient who is instead in hospital can take anywhere from 180 days to over a year. In fact, many patients die in hospital waiting for a nursing home bed. With such scarce resources, 80 per cent of home care is provided by family, but without enough home care support, caregiver burnout is escalating. 24-hour care means someone has to be with Jim 168 hours a week. Home care (CCAC) offered five hours of support. The family pitched in for the rest: Lori, her brother Barry, her sister Bev, her daughters, Ashley (23 and pregnant) and even 13-year-old Maddison. It worked -- for a few days. Jim has vascular dementia which is characterized by a step-wise drop into worsening disability -- and it is completely unpredictable. One day, Jim slept calmly at night. The next, he was up every hour, hallucinating and frightened. Between multiple daily housecalls, phone calls and texts, Lori and I tried to ease Jim's agitation with medications. Lori and her family took turns calming Jim, guiding him off the cold floor and back to bed, cleaning up the laundry hamper when he urinated in it, picking up when he threw things around the house. Within four days, Lori was staying awake all night just to keep watch over her dad: "He's family." We begged CCAC to move Jim up the waitlist. Then one night, Jim opened the front door and nearly wandered into the winter cold. The timeline binding his memories snapped. Terrified, he believed himself back in the Indonesian War. He wanted to start a fire. He even took a swing at Lori. Desperate for help, she called 9-1-1. Advertisement In the emergency department, Jim reached for Lori's hand and started to weep: "I'm sorry." He worked hard, paid his taxes. Just when Jim needed the health-care system the most, it failed him. Less than two weeks later, Jim was re-admitted to hospital on December 30, supervised and safer. And though the nurses are kind and the doctors compassionate, a noisy ward in a hospital where people are in and out with pneumonia, heart attacks and broken bones is not home. It doesn't smell like home. It doesn't sound like home. The family visits for hours every day, but the hours between visits stretch into an eternity of maddening loneliness. "These patients, they all get depressed," the nurses tell me. "They know they've done something bad and can't stay at home. That's why they're here. So they get depressed, they give up and then they die." Jim deserves better. He deserves to be at home where his daughter has enough CCAC support to care for him without burning out. Jim's is not that uncommon a story: he worked hard, paid his taxes. Just when Jim needed the health-care system the most, it failed him. The last decade has shown less and less funding going to frontline patient services. I see Health Minister Eric Hoskins obsessed with a costly health-care transformation in which even he can't guarantee more patient services. He cannot name a single health-care organization that supports the Patients First Act. He ignored every single field expert who spoke up against the Patients First Act -- doctors, nurses, public service unions, patient advocates, caregivers and health system design experts. I see a Ministry of Health obsessed with perpetuating and funding bureaucracy at the expense of home care, ORs, nursing homes, hospital beds and physician services. Advertisement Each day I work, I see the reality people face: patients and family caregivers breaking under the pressure of waitlists. Ontario's "world-class" health-care system is failing the very people who paid a lifetime of taxes to prop it up. This is now the quintessential Ontario story. And it is not OK. That is why I'm turning my back on Bill 41, the Patients First Act. I cannot in good conscience support something I know in my bones is the absolute worst way to fix health care. So I'm done cleaning up this government's mess. But my voice alone is not enough. Every single Ontarian must speak up: stop accepting waitlists and suffering as the new normal. Speak up so that this government cannot ignore reality. This government does not care one whit about one doctor -- but if 13 million Ontarians roared, even the Liberals would listen. *Details included with patient and family permission. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Steve Debenport via Getty Images Cheerful Hispanic food bank manager helps a senior Caucasian woman. The older woman is carrying a bag full of groceries. With the new year upon us, everyone is busy making resolutions to change their lives for the better. While committing to exercise more, eat better, and quit smoking are all laudable goals, why not also set a goal to improve the lives of people in your community? Here are seven simple actions you can take in 2017 to help create a hunger-free Ontario. 1. Join the Conversation Around the Basic Income Pilot Our current social assistance programs are dated and insufficient. Over 65 per cent of food bank clients cite social assistance as their primary source of income, illustrating how inadequate these programs are in meeting recipients most basic needs. This has been the case for decades. Advertisement There are countless amazing projects and programs happening in food banks across the province. It is far past time for a change. The Ontario Association of Food Banks believes that basic income is a solution worth investigating, which is why we support the Ontario Government's Basic Income Pilot Project, set to launch this summer. Preliminary reports are promising, with recommended rates much higher than current levels, and a design that does not place an undue burden on the recipients. However, in order for the pilot to be a success, it needs both your input and support. You can: Attend a local consultation meeting (locations here) in January, complete the online survey here before January 31, send an email to basicincome@ontario.ca with your ideas, contact your MPP to show your support, and read up on facts on basic income. You can also support Bill 6, which aims to set social assistance rates based on the evidence, not politics. 2. Support Innovative Food Security Projects Food banks have grown substantially from their beginnings as small, grassroots organizations. In all corners of the province, food banks have evolved into essential resource hubs in the fight against poverty. They come in many different shapes and sizes, including large-scale distribution centres to small school-based breakfast clubs -- each sharing a commitment to innovation, change, and serving their community. Advertisement There are countless amazing projects and programs happening in food banks across the province. Some of the highlights of 2016 include, but are not at all limited to: The Mississauga Food Bank's new aquaponics farm, the RFDA in Thunder Bay's partnerships with remote First Nations communities in Northern Ontario to deliver fresh food, The Sharing Place in Orillia's "Fresh Fares" Farmers' Market voucher program, and Windsor-Essex's Unemployed Help Center's food bank shuttle service. You can: Contact your local food bank to see what they're up to and how you can help! Increasing access to affordable housing is a top priority for food banks. 3. Volunteer Your Time -- And Skills! Everyone is familiar with a food sort, the bread-and-butter of food bank volunteerism where anyone in the community can join. While this help is certainly needed and incredibly appreciated, many food banks are also in need of more specialized help. What each food bank needs is different, depending on their own goals and the community's needs, but why not consider also contributing your own unique skills and talents? Speaking a second language could help with clients that are new to Canada; a way with words could help with writing strong grant applications for funding and support; the ability to drive a truck or operate a forklift could support warehouse operations; a knack with kids would make you a great candidate to volunteer with child-care programs; knowledge of web design could mean a new website; and a background in strategic planning or law would be a great help to a board of directors. You can: Take an inventory of your skills, and contact your local food bank to see if they have any programs you can support. 4. Fight for Affordable Housing Increasing access to affordable housing is a top priority for food banks. The average food bank client spends 70 per cent of their income on rent, leaving them at high risk of homelessness, and forcing them to make difficult choices between rent and food. To make matters worse, the waiting list for affordable housing is years long. Advertisement The federal government is developing a national housing strategy, and the provincial government passed legislation to give municipalities the option for inclusionary zoning that would require affordable housing units to be included in residential developments. These are positive steps, but we still need more action. In the short term, an Ontario Housing Benefit would help close the gap for low-income tenants and people on social assistance. In the long term, municipalities, who are ultimately responsible for affordable housing, need to increase budgets for affordable housing and implement inclusionary zoning. You can: Ensure your representatives at every level of government know that you support affordable housing. Make sure it is an election issue, and vote for candidates who pledge to increase access to housing for everyone. 5. Support Businesses That Provide Good Jobs The most famous example from 2016 was the huge wave of support for French's, who announced plans to grow their ketchup operations and establish a plant in Leamington, Ontario -- a small town that had been devastated by Heinz closing the local ketchup factory, affecting not only their employees but the farms who depended on the business. When a Orillia man's post about French's went viral, stores sold out of French's ketchup. Advertisement Consumers have the power to vote with their dollars, making it important to support businesses that provide good, stable jobs in their communities. Improved job opportunities lead to more financial security and stability for Ontario's families and the province. You can: Be a conscious consumer, just like Brian Fernandez, the man who wrote the viral French's Facebook post. Research how the companies you support treats their employees, community, and environment. Consider buying local, whenever possible. 6. Educate Yourself -- And Others! -- About Hunger There are many widespread myths about what causes hunger and the people who use food banks. But if you don't understand a problem, you won't be able to help solve it. You can: Read up on hunger! Our annual Hunger Report, Food Banks Canada's HungerCount, and your local food bank reporting on hunger are great places to start. Advertisement 7. Donate to the OAFB and Get More Fresh Food in Food Banks Since our founding in 1992, the Ontario Association of Food Banks has been committed to providing support to food banks who, in turn, serve families and their community. The OAFB provides a number of fresh food programs to the provincial food bank network to help ensure that their clients have access to nutritious, wholesome food and support, including milk, eggs, chicken, beef, pork, and turkey. This support would not be possible without our generous partners in the agricultural and food transport industry and the support of caring individuals. Since 2014 over half of the food we distribute has been either fresh or frozen. But we can't do this alone. You can:donate to the OAFB -- for every $1 you donate, we can provide the equivalent of three meals to someone in need. These are just a few of the many ways you can help create a hunger-free Ontario, and make 2017 a better year for people in need. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: Advertisement Chris Wattie / Reuters Girls walk on a street in the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario, Canada, April 14, 2016. REUTERS/Chris Wattie This blog originally appeared on Indian Country Today Media Network. In the midst of the debate over Joseph Boyden's ethnic ambiguity, Konrad Yakabuski wrote a misguided Globe and Mail article in the author's defence originally titled "Joseph Boyden's lynching should set off alarm bells." I wasn't sure what was more surprising, Yakabuski's nearsightedness or that he seems willfully ignorant that First Nations' right to sovereign definitions on identity are an essential part to reconciliation. I'd like to address Yakabuski, and all the Yakabuskis out there, who should consider First Nations people, women especially, before they speak. Advertisement I'd like to take Yakabuski out of his quaint, frolicking, necktie-wearing lifestyle, where he seems to pontificate over the aesthetics of downtown Toronto more than he ever contemplates missing and murdered Indigenous women, and ask him to step into the life of one of us. Did you know, Yakabuski, that my cousins were called "chugs" in high school? Never mind their parents' sobrieties or lifestyles; native kids were simply identified, without their consent, as "chugs." It's in reference to alcoholism and its assumed prevalence in our communities, as if white communities don't have a problem with substance abuse -- but never mind that. Did you know, Yakabuski, that I've been heckled and my First Nations friends have been sexually harassed when they take public transit in Vancouver? Men have asked me, "How much?" and it didn't matter if I was wearing a zipped-up hoodie, and it didn't matter when I was 12 years old, either. My Salish features are a detriment after a certain hour, on certain streets, in certain cities. Advertisement I'm not telling you the worst. I will tell you about the taxi driver who sexually assaulted a friend going home. And that her inability to come forward with her story was directly related to her identity. RCMP have approached young native women assuming they're prostitutes, and those women are sometimes accused of solicitation when they're simply waiting for their rides. When I was assaulted, I reported the crime against me, and the police did not make eye contact; the police questioned me as if I were the culprit of my own victimization. This is widespread across North America. This conversation might be new to you, but it's always been relevant and ongoing. Ah, Yakabuski, I'd also like to mention on my first day at junior high in Agassiz, B.C., I sat in the front row as my new teacher explained to his class that they should "tolerate" First Nations students. He said it with a smile, as if he was doing us a service. Teachers put some of my smartest friends in special education courses because of their rez vernaculars. I dropped out, mostly because I was maltreated and highly intelligent. There's more, but I'm resisting the urge to frame this as a melodrama. First Nations women's lives can be brutal, heartbreaking, and short-lived, and I am just trying to give you a glimpse. I'm sure you're familiar with the statistics, but I'm trying to give you something more. The reason why I'm glossing over a few experiences First Nations women have been subjected to is to lead into the very reasonable idea that our criticism of Boyden is based in the knowledge that it's insensitive of a man to assume an identity we can't escape -- an identity we carry on our backs, in our blood and hearts, an identity we die for -- an identity I am so proud to carry. Advertisement It should shame you, and anyone like you, to think our criticisms aren't based in our sovereignty, a thing that is necessary for true reconciliation. It's not based in any new liberal rhetoric. This conversation might be new to you, but it's always been relevant and ongoing, and it's often a reaction of something your people have caused. It's often complicated by outsider intrusion and historical erasure. You wrote a piece on First Nations identity with a preface that stated your kind typically takes, "... pride in shunning all labels, attachments, causes and collectivisms." You know most Indigenous cultures are built on collectivism, right? Journalists know this kind of thing, right? Your implicit bias makes your contribution to this conversation a large zilch. I shudder to think Globe and Mail thought your insights were a contribution. No, not all First Nations women experience the very horrendous things I named, but collectively we care that it's happening to us. You should take a seat, and listen before you speak on us again. Collectively, we need to defend ourselves from people like you, who degrade our identities, politics, theories and criticisms. Advertisement Collectively, we have engaged in a meaningful discourse on Boyden, which is not a "lynching" but mostly a proposition for Boyden to come in and publicly engage in a dialogue that could positively benefit people who are searching to reclaim a history erased by our own government. Collectively, there are too many beautiful things to name about the generosity our communities have given to Boyden and several other authors who are inspired by native history. You should take a seat and listen before you speak on us again. Follow HuffPost Canada Blogs on Facebook Also on HuffPost: The five things you need to know on Monday, January 9 1) MINDS, THE GAP The New Year is the perfect time for a PM to try to frame their premiership and No10 will be quite pleased at their handiwork of the last few days. As she battles to prove theres political life beyond Brexit, Theresa May has shrewdly chosen mental health as a key plank of her new credo of a shared society. Advertisement The contrast with her last major foray into domestic policy could not be greater. The grammar schools kite-flying last autumn was instantly divisive, both within and without her party, and the proposals felt rushed and unformed. Mental health provision generates much more consensus, tapping into a wider sense that as a society we are finally recognising that anxiety, depression and other conditions have been neglected for too long. HuffPost has long campaigned for better childrens mental health services, as our YoungMindsMatter series last year highlighted. In an exclusive blog for us today, the PM praises the work of the media and charities, but makes clear its time for government to deliver on its promise to end the gap between physical and mental healthcare. Showing a passion (and compassion) that her aides have long wanted her to display, May writes that no parent should feel helpless when watching their child sufferno child should ever be left to feel like their life is not worth living. Of course, the task of government is to match the poetry of rhetoric with the prose of policy. Campaigners have welcomed the new pledge to give all secondary schools specialist training and a fresh impetus to ending the scandal of children travelling hundreds of miles for care. A review of workplace discrimination (jointly run by Peter Mandelsons old friend Lord Stevenson) and an end to the cost of GP forms proving your condition are welcome. But as Labours Luciana Berger points out, cuts to school nurses, pastoral care staff, youth workers and childrens centre staff have made things worse in recent years. And the big issue is still funding. And although extra money was pledged by David Cameron only a year ago for mental health, former minister Norman Lamb tells us of the criminal raid on funding by local commissioning groups set up by Andrew Lansley. Will the PM ensure that money is ring-fenced from now on, rather than used for other priorities? With May herself pointing out that mental illness costs the country 102bn, thats surely a smart investment. Jeremy Hunt admitted on Today that funding had been patchy. Advertisement 2) CRISIS, WHAT CRISIS? As common as New Years political resolutions at this time of year are stories about the NHS winter health crisis. And with social care now at breaking point many people, medics included, are warning that 2017 could be one of the worst. The PM all but uttered the words crisis, what crisis? on Sophy Ridges new SkyNews programme yesterday, ducking the question of whether an emergency injection of funds is needed. May appeared to turn down Jeremy Corbyns request for an emergency statement on the NHS, but maybe there could be an Urgent Question from Labours Jonathan Ashworth? The Red Crosss arresting line about a humanitarian crisis certainly ensured that No.10 didnt get their own way this weekend. The Sun today splashes on Kill By Mouth, a report that two people a day are dying of thirst or starvation in hospitals or care homes. Hunt was on the Today programme if we make it just about money, we miss a trick, when standards of care were just as important. But he also did a big thank you to NHS staff, pointing out Tuesday was the busiest day in the services history. And there are some in Labour who know that worries about the NHS werent the panacea to its own problems in the 2015 general election. The party is hammering it home in Copeland, where a hospital is under threat, but MPs know that in the Sleaford by-election (where Labour came fourth), the NHS had no impact. Caroline Flint told Radio 4s Westminster Hour last night: Its always about crisis... the NHS is on its knees. The truth is, that is not winning an election for Labour. Weve got to be a bit more grown up about this. 3) THE HAIR APPARENT One of the most extraordinary moments of Sophy Ridge On Sunday came right near the end when she put Donald Trumps grab them by the pussy remarks to the PM. Hearing the words aloud brought home just how Teflon-coated Trumps campaign was in the end, and May stresed the special relationship was bigger than the relationship between two individuals. Advertisement Overnight, we discovered that Boris Johnson is in Washington on a hastily arranged trip to meet Trumps team, including Breitbart man Steve Bannon and the President-Elects son-in-law. Talks on policy were frank were told, which is code for Boris got serious folks. Note that the PM gave a strong hint on Sky that Trump told her he would stand by Natos Article 5 to defend fellow members: "from the conversations I've had, the US remains committed to Nato. Today, Bojo meets Congressional leaders with foreign policy expertise. Im told that he will be pushing hard on fears among Republicans on Capitol Hill about Russias links to Iran. On Syria, the UKs demands for a post-Assad settlement will feature too. May will go to the White House in the spring, but it may be some time before Boris meets the other most famous hairdo in Western politics (that infamous grafitto from the EU referendum didnt stop either of them). The Guardian has great fun disinterring some of Boriss previous quotes about Trump after his Islam ban idea (clearly out of his mind.stupefying ignorance unfit for office), to contrast with his recent defence of Trump against the whinge-o-rama by his critics. Hes a big man and hes out of shape, but Boris would surely win the Olympic gold in verbal and political gymnastics. Nearly a year ago, the Commons was debating if Trump should be banned from the UK (BBC Parliament re-transmitted the debate this weekend). But the President-Elect still faces some backflips of his own, as former Mexican president Vicente Fox tweeted: TRUMP, when will you understand that I am not paying for that fucken wall. Be clear with US tax payers. They will pay for it. And that was not from a parody account. BECAUSE YOUVE READ THIS FAR Watch Meryl Streep at the Golden Globes awards as she highlights one performance of the year - Trumps imitation of a disabled reporter. Advertisement 4) BREX APPEAL Its apt that theres a renewed focus on Russia right now, but the real Kremlinology comes in trying to work out just exactly what Theresa May wants Brexit to look like. On SkyNews she reformulated previous statements to nudge just a little further towards what sounded like full Brexit (copyright Eurosceptics) aka Hard Brexit (copyright Remainers). In yet another hint that she wants to quit the single market and the customs union, May said it was all about getting the right relationship, not about keeping bits of membership. We will be able to have control of our borders, control of our laws, but we still want the best possible deal for U.K. companies to be able to trade in and within the EU. Its slowly dawning on many that May is serious about putting border control ahead of single market membership, appearing to take the DD line that the UK has to call Europes bluff on trade and tariffs. The real issue is still whether the PM can persuade the EU27 to agree a transitional deal to take the cliff-edge off our hard/clean Brexit. Within hours of the EU referendum result, May got the reality of Brexit quicker than any other fellow reluctant Remainer. And she got it that the UKs loveless marriage to the EU now had to end in divorce. May is like the divorcee who is ready to give her ex the big house, most of the CD collection and the car, and is willing to pay some alimony for access to the kids. Shes just relieved to be out of there - and shell never be forced to host his relatives ever again. And as with many divorces, Eurosceptics think its worth living in a bedsit for a bit until they get a bigger place of their own again. Just how long or how difficult life in that bedsit will be, we have yet to see. Today, Michael Gove writes for BrexitCentral that we are trapped inside the single market and customs union: We need to deliver a full Brexit, not settle for fake Brexit. Think tank Civitas claimed that even if Britain failed to get a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU and had to operate under World Trade Organisation rules, it would not lose out. Advertisement As for Labour, its confusion over Brexit and freedom of movement continues. Keir Starmer told the World This Weekend that the economy comes first (which sounded like soft Brexit) but that immigration was a priority (which sounds kinda harder). Tom Watson on Sky said Labour would lose the election if it failed to connect on immigration. Yet neither managed to square the circle of trade and migration any more successfully than the PM. And the East Anglian Daily Press reports how popular May is proving in the grassroots. Tory membership in North-West and South-West Norfolk associations had increased by between 25pc and 30pc since last June, and included new joiners as well as people returning. And the party says it has increased members in more mariginal Norwich too. 5) LIGHTNING STRIKES Given that most of the Metropolitan Elite work in central London, you can expect a high profile for the Zone1 London Underground strike today. As with the Southern Rail dispute, the unions say its all about safety, with more passengers and fewer staff. Southern commuters face more misery with three days of industrial action planned this week over the role of conductors with franchise owners Govia Thameslink Rail. BA cabin crew will strike on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the boss of Northern Rail warned that industrial action on the rail network is inevitable. A government source tells the Daily Telegraph: "This action is clearly co-ordinated to inflict maximum pain on hard working commuters. Sadiq Khan, who vowed not to have Londoners suffer a single day of strikes, finally got on the Today prog (was the radio car or his car stuck in traffic?). Advertisement He condemned the strike as completely unnecessary - but added he accepts the unions argument the stations need more staff. There is a legitimate concern about the lack of staff at stations. Transport for London made a new offer to the TSSA union yesterday but it wasnt enough. Maybe we will get questions about this in Parliament today - as well as Labour's leadership position. It is traditional for Labour leaders to address the PLP at the start of a New Year term - but latest word is Jeremy Corbyn may not be present, which may not help MPs' mood (he's going next week apparently). As the PLP meets tonight, I suspect they will be less sanguine than Shami Chakrabarti is about the dire polling position of the party. Friday's YouGov survey showed that just 14% believe Corbyn would make the best UK leader (his lowest ever), compared to 47% for Theresa May. But PoliticsHome has got hold of a new video of an Oxford Union Q&A reveals the Shadow Attorney General saying: "People that base their values on polls are mistaken, and people that base their predictions on polls it would seem are also mistaken...in the end, its values, not polls for me." She's right that polls have proved spectacularly inadequate guides in 2016. Yet as even some around Jezza now accept, no poll has overestimated progressive support in the UK in recent history. If youre reading this on the web, sign-up HERE to get the WaughZone delivered to your inbox. For many people, 2016 was seen as a terrible year. Their worst political nightmares came to be: Brexit, and Trump winning the US presidential elections being seen as the strongest cases in point. Yet for many others - including, most obviously, Nigel Farage, those same events were seen as their political dreams coming true. 2016 was a year to treasure! Twelve months ago, very few pundits would have wagered on those results. So what does 2017 hold for the UK and beyond? Here we have the hostage to fortune as key issues are raised. Within the UK, there are two key political events that will mould the political world. The first is the invoking of Article 50 to start the formal process of Britain leaving the EU, supposedly at the end of March. At this point in time, nobody seems to know what type of relationship the government would like to have with the EU. There have been vacuous sound bites: "Brexit means Brexit" and "a red, white and blue Brexit". Neither of these tell us anything about the possible future relationship between Britain and the EU. They have been little more than stalling tactics as Theresa May maps out the potential Brexit strategies available to the UK. The cynical may argue she plans these negotiations to be so bad for Britain that we will not leave the EU. To prevent any such strategy, no matter how farfetched it may seem, the response is 'hard Brexit'; leave now and negotiate new trade deals later. In doing so, Britain can negotiate with any other country in the world, including our new best friend, Donald Trump. Advertisement The second UK political event is the council elections in May, most notably the county councils. Labour need a successful election otherwise there will be further speculation against the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. The problem here is simple: what is deemed to be successful? Four years ago, when these councils were last contested, Labour made some gains (Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire), and there were Conservative losses (including Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire and the Isle of Wight), but overall it was still a successful night for the Conservatives. This time around, as well as holding on to those gains from four years ago, Labour need to take control of councils such as Cumbria, Lancashire and Warwickshire, as well as removing Conservative control of Staffordshire and even Leicestershire. Four years ago, the Conservatives won more than twice as many council seats as Labour. Thus the bar for success may be artificially low here, but the demands on the Labour Party to succeed will be excessively high. Failure here will see a Labour civil war re-ignited. Interestingly, both UKIP and the Liberal Democrats will play a key role in Labour's future. Moving overseas, there are two sets of elections which will have a profound impact upon the UK. The first is the French Presidential elections in April and May; the second is the German elections, which will be held in the autumn. Advertisement At this moment in time, the French Presidential election appears to be a straight race between Marine Le Pen of the Front National and Francois Fillon of the Les Republicains. Both are fighting from the political right. In 2002, when Jacques Chirac won the presidency, he did so because the 'left' voted for him in the second ballot to defeat Jean-Marie Le Pen, the then-leader of the Front National. That support from the French left was given most reluctantly. This time around, such support from the left is less likely as Fillon, who is an admirer of Margaret Thatcher, wants to reduce the public sector and increase the pension age. The polls have Le Pen and Fillon neck-and-neck. Should Le Pen win, the issue of Brexit will be replaced by Frexit and the potential collapse of the EU. The German elections may look to be more straight forward. Angela Merkel is expected to win and remain Chancellor. The issues will be over the margin of victory and the extent to which far right parties have success, most notably the Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD). At the turn of the year, support for the two major parties - the CDU and SPD - was on the decline, although they were still far ahead of the third placed AfD. It is the issue of immigration which seems to have mobilised some support for the AfD, along with the terror attacks which occurred in 2016. The issue in Germany is likely to be about which party will form a coalition with the CDU. This will distract from the Brexit negotiations, which may well be put on hold during the German election campaign. On top of these elections, there are many other issues which could become prominent in the forthcoming year. The Trump presidency is the great unknown. Linked to this will be the relationship between the USA and Russia. It may be that Putin and Trump develop a relationship similar to that between Reagan and Gorbachev in the 1980s. From this relationship there will be a follow through on a number of other issues: dealing with the situation in Syria and Iraq, and the fight against so-called Islamic State being one of the more obvious, but also in dealing with issues related to climate change. It is highly likely there will be further efforts to drill for oil in the Arctic regions. ...The result over the next two decades was the Shah enriched himself at the expense of his fellow countrymen using the brutal Savak to maintain control. Of course he remained a loyal ally of the US and corporate America such as Standard Oil of New Jersey got pricing breaks... The reader can now see the pattern, first the legally elected leader purposes reforms or maybe leaning to the left in a move that threatens corporate America. He is then dispelled and replaced with a hard right leader favorable to US [corporate] interests. The new leader enriches himself at the expense of his fellow countrymen and becomes an ally of the US. He maintains power through brutality and outright murder with a police force trained by the US. This then is the model that the US has followed since WWII, often times in the 1950s ex Nazis were employed as agents. The US press should be considered a co-conspirator in that they cover up the bloodshed by ignoring the killing as they did in Nicaragua. It is a model that has been repeated time after time in all corners of the globe from the end of WWII to the present time. Noam Chomsky terms the resulting state as subfascist. The resulting brutality and looting of the country by a group of elitists proceeds as it did in Germany under the Nazis. Kermit Roosevelt, grandson of Teddy Roosevelt was the CIA's agent in Iran that installed the Shah and overthrew Mossadegh. The plans issued by Mossadegh for nationalizing the oil fields precipitated his removal. The reader should understand that Mossadegh had been elected to office. Once the Shah was in power he was persuaded to name Fazlollah Zaledi as Prime Minister. During WWII Zaledi was imprisoned for collaborating with the Nazis. Once firmly in control Iran completed a contract with an international consortium of oil companies. One member of that consortium was Standard Oil of New Jersey, a client of Sullivan and Cromwell. Jack Anderson reported that the Rockefeller family had helped arranged the coup that brought the Shah to power. Anderson had listed a number of ways the Shah demonstrated his appreciation. The CIA also provided training for the dreaded Savak or secret police of Iran. One of the excuses many of the Trump-Putin useful idiots give for dismissing Putins hacking of the U.S. elections is that governments do it all the time especially the U.S. Well, they are certainly right about governments doing it all the time, but that doesnt make Putins coup against America any more palatable than, say, the U.S.-British coup against Iran in 1953. Glen Yeadon's book, Nazi Hydra In America includes a chapter about how the CIA recruited a whole lot of Nazis after the World War II to work for it in various capacities, including that of helping overthrow governments that were deemed unfriendly to American corporate power. The CIA was busy all over Europe, of course (as were the Russians) but both countries spy agencies were super-involved in Iran as well. The U.S. has interfered in the domestic politics of every country in Latin America, catastrophically in most, such as Brazil, Chile , Cuba, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala , Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Bolivia, Uruguay, El Salvador, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras And the U.S. has a long sordid history interfering in the domestic politics of counties like Greece, Italy, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Hungary, Ukraine, Congo , Indonesia, Australia, Angola, Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq Did you know U.S., British, French, Japanese, Canadian, Czech and Greek troops invaded Russia in 1918? American troops occupied Vladivostok and Arkhangelsk. In fact, Russians arent completely paranoid to think the West has been interfering in their politics for over a century. This past summer I visited Russia for the first time and one of my favorite lesser-known attractions was the Museum of Political History in St. Petersburg great way to go through Russias rich history. I spent tike in a room devoted to Rasputin and just this week, the Londonran a piece which seems pretty definitive about who one of their agents assassinated the monk and why. On January 7 Ben Macintyre wrote Todaypublishes a world exclusive exactly a century late. On January 2, 1917, Robert Wilton,correspondent in Petrograd, sent an urgent telegraph to head office with the news that Grigori Rasputin, the infamous mad monk who had enraged members of the royal court by his intimacy with the tsarina, had been murdered four days earlier, and his bullet-riddled corpse thrown into the icy Neva River. Wiltons detailed report did not appear in the newspaper.decided to hold it back for reasons of diplomacy and good taste and perhaps because the Foreign Office hinted that it should do so. Rasputin was shot in a room in the basement of the palace of Prince Yusupov, wrote Wilton, whose words appear in newsprint here for the first time. Prince Yusupov did the shooting. Conjointly with other young Princes of the Blood . . . they had decided some time ago to remove Rasputin because they regarded him as the cause of a dangerous scandal affecting the interests of the dynasty. But what Wilton did not report (and may not have known) was whether MI6 was involved in the death of Rasputin. Was Prince Felix Yusupov, an Oxford-educated aristocrat married to the tsars niece, aided in the assassination by British intelligence in order to keep Russia fighting in the First World War? Was the fatal bullet fired by an MI6 officer? These questions will never be answered, and the mystery of Rasputins death will never be completely solved, until and unless MI6 opens up its files. A Siberian mystic, Rasputin insinuated himself into the Russian royal family, exercising particular influence over Tsarina Alexandra, to the fury of other family members notably the hot-headed, flamboyant, cross-dressing and fabulously wealthy Prince Yusupov, the only member of Oxfords Bullingdon Club to admit murder. Alexandra was German by birth, and it was rumoured that she and Rasputin led a faction intent on making peace with Germany and pulling Russia out of the war. Britain, desperate to keep its Russian ally fighting, had the motive to want Rasputin dead. The authorised history of MI6 is silent on the subject of British involvement in the killing, but there is no doubt that Samuel Hoare, the MI6 station chief in Russia, believed that Rasputin was sabotaging the war effort. Hoare told the MI6 chief Mansfield Smith-Cumming, the original C, that if Rasputin were to be liquidated the country would be freed from the sinister influence that was . . . endangering the success of its armies. A key suspect in the murder is Lieutenant Oswald Rayner, a 28-year-old MI6 officer and close friend of Prince Yusupov from their time at Oxford. Tsar Nicholas II told the British ambassador that he suspected a young Englishman who had been a college friend of Prince Felix Yusupov, of having been concerned in Rasputins murder. Rayners chauffeur later confirmed that the two men had met several times at the Yusupov palace in the weeks leading up to the murder on December 30. The post-mortem examination carried out by the professor Dmitrii Kosorotov indicated that Rasputin had been shot three times, with different weapons. The forensic evidence suggests that the final shot to Rasputins head could only have come from a revolver firing a lead, non-jacketed bullet at close range, most likely a British .455 Webley the gun favoured by Rayner. A letter from a second MI6 officer, Stephen Alley, also points to direct British participation in the murder plot: Although matters have not gone entirely to plan, our objective has clearly been achieved. Reaction to the demise of Dark Forces [an obvious allusion to Rasputin] has been well received by all, although a few awkward questions have already been asked about wider involvement. Rayner is attending to loose ends . . . Back in England, Rayner reportedly confided to family members that he had been present at the murder, and retained a bullet he said he had acquired at the scene. After the war, he helped Yusupov to write a graphic, self-serving and largely fictional account of the assassination, named his son after the prince, and died in 1961 after burning all his papers. Lies, half-truths and uncertainties have long lingered around the murder of Rasputin, as reluctant to die as the monk himself, who allegedly survived both poisoning and shooting, and may even have been half-alive when he was dumped in the frozen river. But the mystery surrounding Britains role in his death is the most enduring, and the most important factor, since it underpins a century of Russian mistrust of Britain. If Rayner was involved, he may have been acting in a personal capacity, or as a British agent, or both. He may not have been involved at all, with the allegations against him just being the result of Russian propaganda and anti-British feeling. This January marks the second anniversary of my return to work after over a decade at home raising children. Somewhat predictably, I had found myself feeling a little lost when Patrick, our youngest, started reception. I dreaded being asked "what do you do?" at social events and felt somewhat redundant. While I had always hoped to return to work, I struggled to see how I could resume my career as a City PR given our move to rural Sussex ruled out a long daily commute. To a certain extent, I was lucky that my old PR skills, although rusty, enabled me to set up as a freelancer. But the old adage, " you make your own luck," also rings true. Like many mothers, I'd lost confidence and although I was terrified, sheer guts and determination got me through the early stages. Advertisement While it hasn't always been easy, I have learnt an enormous amount during the last two years and I hope the following tips will help inspire other mothers who may be considering a return to work in 2017. Brush up on skills - as far as possible, make sure your skills are up to date. In my case, this involved a crash self-taught course on social media. (Linkedin was only in its infancy when I left work in 2004 and Twitter didn't even exist). Network - networking with old colleagues and contacts made me realise that a new career as a consultant/freelancer could enable me to combine working with family life. Networking, via Linkedin, also led to my first piece of freelance work. Find a mentor - the advice and support of my two mentors, one a former colleague, the other a successful university friend, has been invaluable. Without them, I'm not sure I would have found the courage to make my first cold call. Hopefully, they also find their roles rewarding! Advertisement Be flexible - while it may not be possible or desirable to return to your old career, be flexible and keep an open mind to all possibilities. Advances in technology work in our favour by making remote working a real possibility for all kinds of roles. There are also recruitment sites aimed specifically at mothers. For example, http://www.2to3days.com. Believe in yourself - after a long time at home, a lack of self-esteem is perhaps the biggest stumbling block for many mothers. Remember that skills learnt at home such as multi-tasking as well as maturity will be valued by employers. If you aren't ready to look for a job, try volunteering as a way to build confidence. Have fun - perhaps the biggest surprise of my return to work, is how much I've enjoyed it. Although very little has changed, it has been fascinating re-joining the corporate world after such a long break and working alongside people, such as millennials, a group I never really came across as a stay-at-home mother. PA Wire Like everyone else who has lived in Britain and is old enough, I vividly remember the Ealing Vicarage Rape case, it was a shocking crime, which fed into many women's fears. Four men broke into the vicarage in Ealing, in 1986 attacking Jill's father and her then boyfriend. Jill was taken upstairs, told to undress and raped repeatedly, by two of the men. It was always clear to all women that this was a horrific ordeal for any woman to survive. Jill was only 21 years old at the time and the courage she then showed, when she decided to waive her right to lifelong anonymity (granted to all complainants in sexual offences cases) and become a campaigner, was and is stunning. She stuck with it too; she carried on working for change for those who are victimised right up to her untimely death, at the age of 51, last week. Advertisement In the interim period, I became a support worker at rape crisis, a campaigner and (eventually) an academic, working on rape and other issues around sexual violence. Jill continued to be someone I admired and, a few years ago, she also became someone I had the privilege to get to know. Jill was brave, steadfast, a warrior for rape survivors and a heroine to many. She was also warm, kind, loving and really good fun. Reading this, you will know by now that I am one of the many who is missing her badly. Her stroke and then her death were shocking and painful to many. She leaves behind a loving family, who are struggling to come to terms with what has happened. She also leaves a small army of friends, who are determined to keep her name and her work alive. I don't know what the next scandal about rape is going to be, but I know there will be one. Over the years, Jill, myself and many other women have struggled against ridiculous comments by judges (such as that Jill herself has suffered No great trauma); defendants wanting to cross-examine the women they raped, in person; definitions of sexual offences and lenient sentences. Jill and her close friend Alison Boydell founded JURIES (Jurors understanding rape is [an] essential standard) to work towards the elimination of rape myths and stereotypes. The fundamental idea being that no jury can make the best decisions on sexual offences cases, if their heads are filled with false ideas about rape. The work of JURIES will continue, and many women are coming forward to get involved. Alessandro Garofalo / Reuters When news broke that Janet Jackson and husband Wissam Al Mana had welcomed a healthy baby boy, I was delighted for them. Yet, despite the world's good wishes towards Janet, who reportedly "had a stress-free, healthy delivery", it was sad that most people seemed more concerned about her age. There was barely a headline that didn't mention it, and some went even further. "Janet Jackson welcomes son at 50, but is that normal?" asked the ibtimes, as if she was some kind of freak. The Manchester Evening News explained "Why Janet Jackson is selfish to have a child at 50". Advertisement On Good Morning Britain, Piers Morgan implied Janet was too old to be a mother at 50, before admitting to co-host Susannah Reid he fathered his own daughter at 46 - but that was different because "I'm a man". Incredulous at his misogynistic hypocrisy, Reid asked "What, sorry? And that's different how?" A giggling Piers explained, "In a funny way, seeing an old man at the school gates no-one seems to mind. When women are 70, they're like why has granny come?" When giving birth myself for the first time at 39, doctors already considered me an "elderly primigravida" (translation: old woman having first pregnancy). Yet despite the scare stories about fertility statistics for older women frequently bandied about by the Daily Mail, I was fortunate enough to conceive naturally and immediately. In fact, my second pregnancy and labour at 41 was even easier than my first. Sometimes, it's not about how old you are, it's how old you feel. Dr. Jacques Moritz, an affiliate associate professor OB-GYN at Weill Cornell, agrees that - fertility aside - older mothers are more than capable of carrying babies, telling New York Magazine "physically, there is nothing wrong, and women even into their 50s and 60s can do it, as long as they are healthy." Advertisement Photo: Janet Jackson/Twitter There are still those who say Janet Jackson is selfish, that at best she will live to see her son turn 30, and might not live to see her own grandchildren. Yet neither did my own father, aged just 21 when I was born, and who died at 38 from cancer caused by a rare autoimmune disorder. Even young parents cannot guarantee to outlive their children. None of us should be arrogant enough to assume we will live to the global average age of 71. And what of 73 year old great-grandfather Mick Jagger, whose 29 year old partner Melanie Hamrick recently gave birth to his eighth child? Jagger is in incredible physical shape, performing for hours on stage with his relentless touring schedule. I'd wager he is much fitter than many new dads half his age. Granted, there has been criticism of the Rolling Stone too, but as a man he is also congratulated on his virility: "Mick Jagger (73) has had his 8th child with a woman 17 years younger than his 1st child. That's the most rock n roll thing I've ever heard" tweeted one fan. Mick Jagger (73) has had his 8th child with a woman 17 years younger than his 1st child. That's the most rock n roll thing I've ever heard Andrew (@scotlandrew1) 8 December 2016 Interestingly, the female equivalent term for virility is almost unheard of. It is, in fact, muliebrity, and in Janet's case, it has been assumed she used IVF to conceive. The chances of a woman falling pregnant naturally at 50 are extremely slim. But for those who disapprove of a woman her age her trying to bypass nature, what then shall we tell young men with defective sperm? That they should be denied IVF because they could never have conceived naturally? How about women left infertile after cancer treatment? Should they be refused IVF because their cancer might one day return? Perhaps Janet's critics should look at the circumstances in which they conceived their own children. How many of those people fell pregnant by accident, or were in a relationship which broke down after - or even before - the birth? How many were in dire straits financially, or lived in unsuitable housing? How many led unhealthy lifestyles? There is no 'perfect' set of circumstances in which to have a child. Advertisement Yet even if Janet Jackson had become pregnant in any or all of those circumstances, I would still defend her right to have a child at 50. Luckily, she is in a stable relationship, in seemingly good health and is financially secure. Her baby son Eissa is both wanted and loved. Clemens Bilan via Getty Images COMING CLEAN: A TRUTHFUL CORRECTION This magazine, in common with other publications like the Daily Mail, The Sun, The Sunday Times, the Telegraph, the Express and the Daily Star and many local newspapers (mostly owned by multi-million pound parent companies, who lobby alongside us) knowingly misreported the law known as 'Section 40' currently subject to a new consultation by our good friends the Tory government. To be specific, we mendaciously referred to it as a "threat to press freedom", "dangerous lunacy", and "a plot to stop you reading the truth", and used several other utterly ridiculous and absurd descriptions of Section 40. Advertisement Worse, we carefully failed to mention that this provision is in reality a way of guaranteeing access to justice for victims whom we might have libelled or harassed or whose privacy we have breached, but who at present CANNOT AFFORD to take us to court. So we also carefully hid the fact that Section 40 is intended to provide an incentive for publishers to agree to inexpensive and fair arbitration for such victims. Thereby publishers are offered a financial incentive to join an independent and fair regulator (i.e. not one set up, organised, controlled and financed by ourselves, like Ipso). We regret that we failed to mention all this information about Section 40, especially as Section 40 is supported by the majority of our readers. So naturally we gave a biased and distorted description of how the provision works. For example, we correctly stated that if someone took us to court we would be forced to pay their legal costs, win or lose... BUT... we then deceitfully failed to point out that this would happen ONLY IF we refused to provide the claimant with quick low-cost independent arbitration in the first place. By refusing this, we can force victims into the courts, which the vast majority of them cannot afford. Wrong morally, but bloody clever. Advertisement We also happily plead guilty to cherry-picking and 'distorting' evidence. For example, we reported the Sunday Times' claim that it would never have published the Lance Armstrong investigation under Section 40, but failed to make the obvious point, that if the Sunday Times had signed up to an independent regulator, it would have been protected against excessive legal costs from the outset. We also inaccurately reported that the Leveson inquiry cost 50million. This was untrue. It cost 10% of that. We took this 50million number from the thoroughly biased consultation document which our friends the Tory government put out. Of course, we publishers have always claimed that our main role as the press is to scrutinise the statements of those in power, but naturally this ethical principle does not apply if we are the ones with the power. As, of course, are our good friends the Tory government who want to help us in our opposition to Section 40, as they need our support at election time. We have also been completely silent about the justification for Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry, which is poised to investigate the new evidence of the scale of press phone hacking, how it has so far been covered up and other matters concerning corporate press corruption, and of course police corruption. Finally, we want to apologise for any distress caused by ignoring thousands of victims of phone hacking, libel, intrusion and harassment, the families of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster, the family of the murdered Daniel Morgan, Parliament and public, and the few brave whistle-blowers from within the press industry itself. Advertisement To sum up, we now accept that we should have made it clear that most journalists, and most of our readers, support the commencement of Part 2 of the Leveson Inquiry without delay, even if we proprietors would greatly prefer to sweep police corruption and our own corporate misfeasance under the carpet - all in the name of "THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS to do whatever we sodding well like." We are happy to make this correction in small print on an inside page (and, if we can get away with it, upside down and in Finnish) but we make no apology (because our press-controlled regulator, Ipso, has no power to make us do so) for the fact that we continue and will always continue to put our corporate financial interests ahead of those of the public. Newspapers are a business after all. (Note to subs: Just seen this petition in favour of Leveson here. We don't readers going there and calling for fair regulation, so we'd best print this true stuff backwards in Vietnamese - Ed.) JACK TAYLOR via Getty Images It is a tragic fact that one in ten children in this country has a diagnosable mental health condition. The long-term effects can be crippling: children with behavioural disorders are four times more likely to be dependent on drugs, six times more likely to die before the age of 30, and 20 times more likely to end up in prison. Advertisement While this government legislated for "parity of esteem" in healthcare - so that whatever your illness, physical or mental, you are treated the same - very often the treatment for those with mental illnesses is inadequate. For years it has fallen to civil society, charities, and the media to take on the problem - and I applaud all the work that the Huffington Post has done to raise awareness through its Young Minds Matter series. But it is time for government to do more - to join HuffPost and other campaigners in the fight against something that blights so many young lives. The need is urgent: the number of girls saying they've self-harmed has more than trebled in recent years, as just one example. Advertisement That's why I raised mental health during my speech when I arrived at Downing Street for the first time as Prime Minister. And it's why today I'm announcing a step-change in the way that we deal with these issues. I want to see mental health addressed not just in our hospitals, but in our classrooms and communities. I want to see the stigma stripped away so that no-one in this country feels unable to talk about what they're going through or seek help. I want to see a focus on prevention as well as treatment, especially since so many adult mental health problems - which one in four of us will suffer from at any one time - begin in childhood. This is part of a wider approach to tackle the burning injustices we face in society, and to build a stronger, fairer Britain that works for everyone. Advertisement For no parent should feel helpless when watching their child suffer. No teacher should feel ill-equipped to deal with a troubled pupil. No teenager should have to leave their local area to seek treatment. No child should ever be left to feel like their life is not worth living. Mental health problems are everyone's problem. As a society we must face up to that fact. And the announcements I am making today will ensure we do just that. This is the first of three Huffington Posts on how to pass the teacher certification exam known as edTPA. This article provides background information on edTPA and sample middle school activity-based lesson plans with a video link on the Hofstra University web page and on YouTube. The second article, which also contains links, provides activity sheets for the lessons. The third article offers tips for successfully completing edTPA. New York State requires that teacher certification candidates complete four exams either created or administered by Pearson. Three written exams have a combination of multiple-choice and essay questions. The fourth is a complex sixty-page portfolio submission known as edTPA. edTPA was created at Stanford University by a sub-division called SCALE and is administered and graded by Pearson. Essentially SCALE, Pearson, and New York State decided to replace student teacher evaluations by university field supervisors and cooperating teachers with an electronic portfolio, supposedly to ensure higher standards. As of September 1, 2017 edTPA will also be required in New Jersey. Advertisement The SCALE/Pearson edTPA electronic portfolio includes lesson planning, a discussion of student teaching placement sites, videos of candidates interacting with K-12 students, their personal assessment of the lesson, and documentation of student learning. While each piece by itself makes sense, the package, which focuses on just three lessons, takes so much time to complete that it detracts from the ability of student teachers to learn what they are supposed to learn, which is how to be effective beginning teachers who connect with students and help students achieve. The official SCALE edTPA guide called Making Good Choices is available online. An April 2016 Kappan article written by SCALE officials claims that "since it became operational in 2014, over 54,000 students have taken edTPA. Among the nearly 800 campuses using edTPA in 40 states, some use the assessment in the absence of policy, others are using it for local evaluation or state/national accreditation, and many others are implementing edTPA under high-stakes conditions as the result of regulatory requirements." Although it is being used to evaluate student teachers for certification, the TPA in edTPA stands for Teacher Performance Assessment and it was originally designed to evaluate experienced teachers. Student teachers in my seminar suggested a better title would is "Torturous Preposterous Abomination," although "Toxic Pearson Affliction" was a close runner-up in the voting. To help prepare teacher education students for edTPA, students in my social studies methods class at Hofstra University and I created a sample two-day middle school edTPA activity-based lesson plan then videoed the lesson with edTPA instructions in our university classroom. Activity sheets follow with my next post. Click here for the lesson's PowerPoint and view the video on the Hofstra University webpage or on Youtube. As activity-based lessons, these lessons are organized so that based on material provided students can answer the aim question at the end of the lesson. We hope pre-service teachers preparing to complete edTPA or something similar find them useful. Advertisement As part of the edTPA process student teachers video three full-period lessons and then select and submit two ten-minute unedited segments that demonstrate effective teaching. I recommend selecting video segments that show transitions from individual work to full-class instruction to group instruction, but not necessarily in that order. A really strong segment and portfolio shows a student teacher assisting individual students and student groups while making informal assessments and student-to-student interaction during discussion. Always aim for the "Rule of Three." (1) Ask an initial question (2) followed by asking for an explanation and (3) then asking for evidence "from the text" to support the conclusion. Another "Rule of Three" helps generate student-to-student interaction. Ask the same or a similar question to two students and after they answer ask a third student which of the two positions he or she agrees with and why. The edTPA portfolio also includes commentary on who your students are (context for learning), instructional strategies (with lesson plans), commentary on the strengths and weaknesses in the video, and informal and formal assessment of student work. As you watch the linked video, consider which two ten-minute segments you might select to submit for evaluation. I tend to be animated while I teach, but edTPA is not about doing an entertaining show. The premium is on teacher-student and student-student interaction. Remember, your students are the show. Dean Bacigalupo, a middle school teacher who works with student teachers at Hofstra University, raised a couple of "criticisms" of the lesson that are worth considering as you prepare your own edTPA portfolio. In his school district an administrator evaluating this lesson would want to see anchor charts developed and displayed throughout the lesson to support student learning. These could be used to reinforce the underlying process for analyzing a political cartoon or to remind students of the procedures for effective group participation. Administrators would also want some type of advanced organizer used on the SmartBoard and handed to students when categorizing the different types of primary sources. For more on planning lessons see Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach. For social studies specific lessons see Social Studies for Secondary Schools, both published by Routledge. Advertisement UNIT: 7th Grade U.S. History - SECTIONALISM AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NORTHERN STATES LESSON TOPIC: Irish Immigration to the United States AIM QUESTION: What were conditions like for Irish immigrants to North America in the era before the Civil War? SCAFFOLDING: The previous lesson focused on the push and pull of immigration into the Northern states in the pre-Civil War era using cartoons and data tables. Between 1815 and 1920, five and a half million Irish emigrated to America. Many described themselves in the Irish language as "deorai" or exiles. According to historian Ronald Takaki the Irish generally viewed themselves as a people "driven from their beloved homeland by 'English tyranny'." In the pre-Civil War era, most Irish immigrants to the United States were poor, unskilled, young and overwhelmingly Roman Catholic. In the nineteenth century, Irish laborers built waterways, including the Erie Canal in New York and thousands of miles of rail lines. Often they were exploited, paid low wages and exposed to dangerous conditions. They lived in "clumsy, rough and wretched hovels" and in overcrowded and unhealthy urban slums. Anti-Irish stereotypes presented them as "apelike," drunkards, irresponsible, and as "a race of savages." In previous units students learned about earlier migrations to territory that became the United States, including Native peoples, unfree Africans, indentured servants, and economic, religious, and political refugees from Europe. This unit builds on their understanding of difficulties faced by earlier arrivals. It also follows lessons on the start of industrialization in the Northern states. In this lesson students continue to develop their analytical skills using primary source texts and images. The lesson drawing on discussion of their own family histories as students compare the experiences of different immigrant groups at different points in United States history, with a particular focus on similarities and differences in the experiences of contemporary immigrants and Irish immigrants from the mid-nineteenth century. A. What are the central focus and the main ideas that students need to know (maximum of 3)? 1. In the mid-nineteenth century, Roman Catholic Irish immigrants to North America faced nativist hostility and stereotyping. 2. Competition for jobs was often a source of conflict with native-born workers. 3. Irish immigrants were forced to work for low pay under unsafe conditions while their families lived in dangerous and unhealthy circumstances. B. What COMMON CORE skills will be introduced or reinforced during this lesson (make these lesson specific)? R1: Cite textual evidence from cartoon, a song, and other primary sources to support conclusions about immigration to the United States in the pre-Civil War era, especially the Irish experience. R2: Determine central ideas in cartoons and primary source documents and provide an accurate summary of the information. R3: Analyze events and ideas and causality about the Irish immigrant experience. SL1: Collaborative discussions, work civilly/democratically, set goals, respond to and evaluate ideas and diverse perspectives, and use additional research when necessary to understand the Irish immigrant experience. SL2: Integrate multiple sources in diverse formats and media; evaluate credibility, especially cartoons, letters, and popular music. W1: Write arguments to support claims about the validity of sources in an analysis of substantive topics or texts using valid or relevant and sufficient evidence about the Irish immigrant experience. Advertisement C. Which content area STATE FRAMEWORKS are addressed in this lesson? 1. A NATION DIVIDED: Westward expansion, the industrialization of the North, and the increase of slavery in the South contributed to the growth of sectionalism. 2. CHANGING SOCIETY: Industrialization and immigration contributed to the urbanization of the United States. Technological developments changed the modes of production, and access to natural resources facilitated increased industrialization. The demand for labor resulted in increased migration from rural areas and a rapid increase in immigration ? 3. State Content Standards 1. United States History, 3. Geography, 4. Economics, 5. Civics. Themes: Individual Development and Cultural Identity; Development, Movement, and Interaction; Civic Ideals and Practices; Economic Systems; Global Connections and Exchange. D. What academic and content specific VOCABULARY is introduced or reinforced in this lesson? Analyze: Examine, question, and explain information in a document. Valid/Validity: Establish that a document is a reliable (truthful) source of evidence. Nativist: Someone with anti-immigrant beliefs and biases. Historical Sources: Primary source document that historians use to reconstruct the past. E. What materials (e.g., ACTIVITY SHEET, MAP, SONG) will I present to students? Powerpoint, immigration cartoon, Paddy on the Railway, Differentiated document, packet Advertisement F. What activity, if any, will I use to settle students and establish a context (DO NOW)? For both lessons, students will describe and analyze political cartoons showing how earlier generations of immigrants treated new arrivals. G. How will I open the lesson (MOTIVATION) and engage student interest? Day 1: Is anyone in this class an immigrant? How about members of your family? Where are they from? When did they arrive? How are immigrants treated in your community? Are you concerned about the national debate over undocumented immigrants? Why? Do you think it was more difficult to be an immigrant in the past or present? Explain. Day 2: Last night you asked family members if they thought immigrant to the United States was more difficult in the past or present. Today we will discuss what you uncovered in your research. H. What additional INDIVIDUAL/TEAM/FULL CLASS ACTIVITIES will I use to help students discover what they need to learn? If these are group activities, how will student groups be organized? Day 1. Students will examine a political cartoon from the era to discover attitudes toward recently arriving immigrants. Students compare problems faced by immigrants to the United States in the past and present. Students will evaluate a popular song, Paddy on the Railway, to determine whether it is a valid historical document. Heterogeneous student teams and the full class will identify, list, discuss, and evaluate possible historical sources historians can use to reconstruct the Irish immigrant experience. Student teams will report back to the full class. Day 2. Students will examine a political cartoon about Irish immigrants in the era to discover attitudes toward Irish immigrants. Student pairs will examine differentiated sources that explore the experience of Irish immigrants in New York State and North America in the mid-nineteenth century. Working as historians and examining differentiated sources, students will understand how historians reconstruct the experiences of ordinary people. Answering questions that guide their analysis of differentiated sources, students will prepare to answer document-based essay questions. Working in groups, students will enhance cooperative learning skills as they prepare presentations for the class. Reporting on group findings to the class, students will enhance oral communication skills. I. How will I DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION with MULTIPLE ENTRY POINTS to support diverse learners? These lessons use political cartoons, song lyrics, music, and primary source text to introduce students to documentary evidence about Irish immigrants. The text is written on different levels of complexity. In Day two students work in heterogeneous pairs assisting each other evaluating text but they are assigned material based on academic performance level. Irish Immigrants in New Orleans, Louisiana is for the strongest readers. Irish Immigrants Arrive in New Brunswick, Canada is designed for students who are struggling readers. Advertisement J. What compelling (higher order) questions will I ask to engage students in analysis and discussion? How do historians decide on the validity of historical evidence? Which form of documentary evidence do you believe will provide the best evidence about the Irish experience in the United States? Explain. Based on the documentary evidence, how were Irish immigrants treated in the era before the civil war? Do you believe it was harder for immigrants to the United States in the era before the Civil War or today? Explain. K. How will I informally and formally ASSESS student mastery of the skills, content, and concepts taught in this lesson? Student learning will be assessed based on responses to questions on the individual activity sheets, participation in class and group discussions, and the quality of the written homework assignment. While students work individually and in groups I will circulate around the room assisting them and taking notes on their progress. In evaluating the homework assignment, teachers can examine the thoughtfulness of a student's position, their ability to use supporting evidence to support their position, and the clarity of written expression. Exit tickets will be used for more formal assessment of student understanding. L. How will I bring the lesson to CLOSURE (SUMMARY QUESTION)? Day 1: Students will complete an exit ticket and then engage in full class discussion. Which form of documentary evidence do you believe will provide the best evidence about the Irish experience in the United States? Explain. Day 2: Students will complete an exit ticket and then engage in full class discussion. Do you believe it was harder for immigrants to the United States in the era before the Civil War or today? Explain. M. How will I reinforce and extend student learning? 1. CLASSROOM APPLICATIONS: Local current events. 2. ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES: In class or at home, online locate a current events article on problems faced by immigrants to the United States today. Identify and list three key points made in the article and summarize findings in a well-structured paragraph. 3. HOMEWORK: Day 1. Interview at least one family member but ideally as many as three to learn whether they think immigration to the United States was more difficult in the past or present. Write a report on their responses of at least 250-words. Day 2. Read approximately three pages from the text and answer 3 or 4 questions. N. What topics come next? 1. YESTERDAY: Previous lesson was on immigration to the Northern states during the pre-Civil War Era focusing on push/pull from different locations. 2. TOMORROW: Evaluating documents about the Irish immigrant experience 3. DAY AFTER: Expansion of Northern industries. Advertisement O. How do I evaluate this lesson? 1. STRENGTHS: 2. WEAKNESSES: 3. AREAS TO WORK ON: 4. THINGS TO CHANGE: P: How will ASSESSMENT of student work and REFLECTIONS on this lesson shape future instructional practices and lesson objectives? By 'Dapo Oyewole As we step into a new year and a new world order unfolds, Africa must learn urgent lessons from the UK and US who, last year, both experienced the most paradigm-shifting political earthquakes witnessed in recent political history. The United Kingdom's vote to leave the European Union and Donald Trump's unexpected victory in the recent U.S. presidential elections have shown, in the starkest terms, how political and economic exclusion can stoke social divisions and spark tensions that can lead to major political upheavals. As both countries writhe from the political whiplash of the 'blue-collar revolution' and struggle to come to terms with its implications, the political ripples are already spreading across the world. The geo-political power balance has shifted and global politics, as we knew it, has been turned on its head. The future of global governance is now on a precarious path. Advertisement The political fallout will not be limited to domestic policy changes in London and Washington. It will also affect their continued global leadership roles, partnerships and alliances, the weight of their influence on the international stage and their moral authority, for example, in advocating for the adoption of western liberal democracy globally. Already, some governments are beginning to lean towards being less liberal, more authoritarian and less tolerant of diversity, while others are questioning more vocally the efficacy and legitimacy of Western liberal democracy as the only internationally acceptable model of political governance. Now, if resentment built from decades of political and economic exclusion of the largely rural working class in the UK and the US led to some of their polarised voter choices, then nowhere can we hear the warning bells of the potential impact of the same issues ringing louder than in a 'rising Africa'. Africa is a continent where, after decades of colonisation and kleptocratic authoritarian self-rule, democracy has begun to flourish and economic growth is advancing. However, according to the World Bank's 'Poverty in a Rising Africa Report', the gap between rich and poor remains alarmingly wide with close to half of the continent still living in poverty, while the political and economic elite - less than five percent of the population- live in astounding opulence. Also, according to the UN, about 70 per cent of Africa's population is under the age of 25 and 60 per cent of the continent's population is comprised of women. However, it is no secret that the majority of the political and economic decision-makers are men over the age of 60. Minorities are often oppressed or disenfranchised; gender equality and tolerance of non-heterosexual orientation are deemed antithetical to cultural norms in many regions and people with disabilities live largely on the margins of mainstream society. Needless to say, inequality and inequity still abound on the continent and remain a highly inflammable powder keg. Advertisement Therefore, an urgent lesson that Africa's current leadership must learn from the British and American experience is that the 'marginalised' in society will not always stay pliant, complacent or silent. It is only a matter of time before 'Africa's excluded' push back and demand to be seen, heard and included in shaping their own destinies and in sharing in the wealth of their nations. With the current restlessness and frustration of large numbers of poor, unemployed and disempowered African youth, nothing tells us that an 'African Spiral' will not follow the 'Arab Spring.' Hopefully, this will be expressed through peaceful and democratic means. But if it is fuelled by the political toxicity we have just observed in Britain and the United States, it could well inflame social tensions and political violence that will be hard to contain. Although the continent has made remarkable progress in developing and deploying internal political conflict resolution mechanisms such as the African Standby Force and other means of back channel diplomacy, we must not forget the hard lessons from apartheid in South Africa and the genocide in Rwanda. Therefore, in the shadow of 'Brexit', the rise of Trump and based on lessons from its own history, Africa has a chance to avert the dangers that come with economic and political exclusion. It can do so by opening up more political space to marginalised groups and spreading the dividends of economic growth more evenly across the different genders, sectors and sections of its hugely diverse societies. Africa's leaders must urgently increase political will to design and implement effective regional and national policies, while strengthening institutional capacities to create a more enabling policy environment for political participation and economic inclusion across society. Government policies and programmes must actively ensure that they cater not only to the interests of the rich and powerful, but also to those of the poor and disempowered. In 2017, African governments that aim to increase economic growth, maintain stable policies, sustain peaceful societies and offer a dignified life for their citizens, will have to take inclusive governance and shared prosperity as a priority. Yes, 'Africa is rising' and that is a great thing. But as it does so, it must learn vital lessons about the dangers of political and economic exclusion from Britain and the United States. Africa's leaders must learn that for Africa's rise to be sustainable, peaceful and progressive, it cannot be a rise for some. It must be a rise for all. Advertisement Bruce Fein's Remarks The Committee for the Republic Metropolitan Club January 5, 2017 Fix your eyes on Richmond, Virginia 242 years ago. The liberty of a continent then and there hung in the balance. On March 23, 1775, Patrick Henry was speaking at St. John's Church. The British Crown was tyrannizing American colonists with, among other things, Writs of Assistance, precursor to our NSA's dragnet surveillance. The Declaratory Act had decreed that British powers over the colonists were limitless. With words that thundered like a hammer striking an anvil, Mr. Henry awakened the audience to its duty. "Is life so dear," he asked, "or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" The crisis confronted by our Republic today again comes from government, but now the tyranny is exercised inside rather than outside America. We have met the enemy, and we are they. The Committee for the Republic recognizes that our undertaking to end presidential wars and to repudiate global domination for its own sake is unprecedented. Never before has opposition been seriously mounted inside an empire to tame the beast of power. For 3,000 years, empires craving domination have self-destructed. Advertisement For three generations, the Democratic and Republican parties have relentlessly compromised the Constitution's separation of powers--a structural bill of rights against tyranny--in favor of one-branch government. The White House exercises more power over American citizens than King George III did over American colonists. They include not only waging multi-trillion dollar wars on the President's say-so alone--turning children into orphans and wives into widows. But also playing prosecutor, judge, jury, and executioner to kill any American citizen the President decrees is an imminent national security threat based on secret, unsubstantiated information. The American colonists revolted against a lesser tyranny. We have acquiesced in a greater. The remedy for the decay is simple: honor rather than vandalize the Constitution-- "the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man." It entrusts the war power to the branch of government with no predisposition to abuse it: the legislative branch--a talking shop. The Constitution's authors knew what all of human history verifies--that the executive personality is eager for gratuitous warfare to aggrandize power, to evade accountability, and to be memorialized with monuments and obelisks. I believe our No Presidential Wars Project is not an option but a duty. I was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My childhood was filled with Paul Revere's Ride, Concord Hymn, Lexington Green, Old North Bridge and Bunker Hill. I can still remember, "By the rude bridge that arched the flood their flag to April's breeze unfurled. Here once the embattled farmer's stood and fired the shot heard round the world." I grew up grateful to those who risked and the many who gave their lives or fortunes to create a liberty-centered universe unalterably opposed to limitless power in all its imperious moods and tenses. At the Department of Justice, I had a bird's eye seat for 18 months in the forced resignation of Richard Nixon in the face of certain impeachment and conviction. The nation repudiated Nixon's assertion that when the President does it, it's legal. Impeachment proved our institutions are stronger and more important than their occupants. Nixon's removal from office marked the Constitution's finest hour and the high water mark of self-government. It set a standard to which we should repair. Advertisement At present, we are engaged in nine known unconstitutional presidential wars: Libya, Somalia, Syria, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and against Al Qaeda and ISIS. The CIA may be fighting other secret wars. A version of this article originally appeared on Forbes. Sign up for my newsletter to get my articles straight to your inbox. "There's nothing I'd like more than a job that was so meaningful to me that I brought it home," one 9-5 employee told historian Studs Terkel in Working. She mirrors most of us: though the majority of us say we haven't found our calling, we want one. Instead, we click at our keyboards like a ticking clock. Advertisement As part of her groundbreaking research on grit, University of Pennsylvania psychologist Angela Duckworth asked 16,000 American adults about their vocations. She found, surprisingly, that calling has little to do with occupation. Garbage collectors, wine critics, secretaries and others are all equally likely to say their job is a calling. It's not that some occupations are just jobs while others are callings, says Duckworth. Rather, "how you see your work is more important than the job title." We can all make our jobs into callings--sometimes without even changing occupations. How? Julia Child's first bite of French cuisine changed her life forever. But not in the way you think. We fantasize that callings fall from the sky. In truth, we fall into our callings over time. Duckworth notes that Child didn't even consider a cooking career initially; she just loved French food. Child's persistent interest clued her toward her calling. hus, to develop a calling, people need to "play an active role in developing and deepening their interests," writes Duckworth. Finding your calling is like following a trail of breadcrumbs without knowing exactly where they'll take you. Advertisement But millennials may get hung up here, because going in one direction necessarily precludes others. My boyfriend describes careers as a network of Utah canyons. As you start down one, backtracking and choosing another becomes a mounting effort. You can't just skip over to the next option; you're committed. Fortunately, our values--the foundations of our interests--typically don't change over time. A 2016 Deloitte survey found that millennials' values tend not to change as they advance professionally. In fact, our existing values often become stronger as we move into management positions. Even so, we have many values. How do we pick which one to follow? Priorities. One way to prioritize is by zooming out and considering the potential outcomes of our interests. We can't always see where the breadcrumbs lead, but we can study where other people's interests have taken them. We can predict where specific interests might wind up. Zooming out protects us from prioritizing things that aren't ultimately important to us. Then it frees up time and energy to pursue what is. We can also compare what we care about side-by-side. As we weed out things that interest us and matter to us less than others, our priorities become simpler and our path becomes more defined. Once we choose, we need to follow our calling canyon until the end, or until it becomes an obvious impasse. Yale management professor Amy Resneski has observed that many of us give each job only a couple years before deciding it's not a calling. The average 29 year old has already changed jobs more than seven times--and a third of them have lasted less than six months. But Duckworth's research on grit and psychologist Anders Ericsson's research on expertise suggests that it often takes a decade or more to reap the rewards of commitment. Advertisement Finally, jobs become callings when they transcend "me." We evolved to find meaning in serving the pack: People who cooperate are more likely to survive than loners because society keeps us fed and shelters us from the enemies and elements. Joe Leader interned with New York City Transit after college to pay back student loans. After decades, Leader eventually became the Senior Vice President, a job he considered his calling. When he realized his part in facilitating 1.7 billion trips per year and building stations that would last 30 years, "That's when I knew I had a vocation." A calling is feeling that the work "has to be done." It connects us to something greater than ourselves. Duckworth explains, "The long days and evenings of toil ... the sacrifice, all this is worth it because [our] efforts pay dividends to other people." We can continually ask how what we do connects to other people and the bigger picture. How can it be an expression of our deepest values? This dynamic perspective produces calling. Writes Duckworth, "A brick layer who one day says, 'I am laying bricks' might at some point become the brick layer who recognizes, 'I am building the house of God.'" Having a waiting list of new clients for your products or services is a good problem. Who doesn't want to have it? But while anyone can jabber about how good it is, few businesses have had the fortune of seeing it happen to them and even fewer have the transparency to share what's worked for them with everyone else. Well, I found an inspiring entrepreneur who's done it consistently and who's willing to share what works with my readers - how awesome! Advertisement Enter Sabri Suby, Head of Growth at online marketing agency, King Kong. Sabri Suby has gone from starting the business in his bedroom with $0 and and aiming to turnover more than $7 million in 2017. I interview him and we had a lively, enriching chat about his business and some good secrets of his success. Enjoy! Tell us about your background and how you started your business. I grew up in a small beach town, Byron Bay. My first serious job and exposure to sales was a cold-calling gig, where we would call businesses to buy their empty ink cartridges....and then we'd go on the sell them back once refilled. I struggled at first, however after 3 weeks I was the top salesperson and was making a great income at the ripe old age of seventeen. Advertisement I lived in London and the US for some time before returning back to Australia. I enrolled in a Business Degree Majoring in Marketing. It was at uni where I started my first business over the summer break, it took off and I dropped out to manage the business growth. Since dropping out of university I've started, run and sold several multi-million dollar businesses. All of which, were centered around the digital space. I took a look at what other agencies were doing and all they seemed to talk about were impressions, click-through-rates and social reach. They all failed to talk in actual dollars and ROI. Many times I had gotten quotes for these types of digital marketing services and they all came back in the ridiculous $10,000's of thousands of dollar range for simple things like banner ads. I saw a real gap in the market for an agency that would actually multiply a client's marketing spend into ROI. No wishy washy branding campaigns but actual real revenue generation and customer acquisition. What problem does King Kong solve and why is it important? We solve the biggest problem that exists for businesses "how do I get new customers". It's something we're immersed in every minute of every day. The number one reason businesses fail is "lack of capital" which in other words is lack of sales and revenue. Sales and marketing is 80% of the battle in business and we solve this problem. Advertisement How did you come across this idea and what motivated you to start King Kong? Having started several businesses all centered around the digital space, Customer acquisition has always been my responsibility. Many times in my businesses I had gotten quotes for these types of digital marketing services and they all came back with ridiculous strategies with no focus on ROI. I saw a real gap in the market for an agency that would actually multiply a client's marketing spend into ROI. No 'wishy washy branding campaigns' but actual real revenue generation and customer acquisition. I think having this focus in our business is why we've grown so fast and have had to literally turn down clients and put them on a wait list in order to not compromise the quality of our work. How did you acquire your first customer and how long did that take? Cold calling. One day. How many hours a week do you work and could you tell us your schedule from start to finish? Work starts from the moment I open my eyes, until I close them at night. As entrepreneur I look at everything I do as work, as it all plays a vital role to who I am as a person, my energy levels and the outcomes and goals I'm striving for in my business. Most weeks I would work 100+ hours. I wake up at 5am and go the gym, where I do a mixture of cardio and weight training, followed an intense sauna session. This really gets me into a peak state to start my day. Advertisement I arrive at the office by 7am and start my day with my important tasks first, this is definitely when I'm my most productive. 8:30am I'll stop for breakfast or a bulletproof coffee. At 9am I have a morning sales meeting. Followed by meetings with my team members of the different departments; Paid Social, Paid Search, Organic Search and client management. By 10:30am I'm looking at 'Top Of The Pyramid' activities that are the most impactful for my time: Customer acquisition, sales funnel optimisation, coming up with new offers, setting up and refining procedures and systems to manage the growth of the business. 12pm I'll stop for a quick 15-minute lunch before I get back into it. 2pm-4pm most days is spent recruiting for the next A-player to join our team. 4-5:30pm I'm usually assisting my sales team with anything they need help with. 5:30-7pm is spent replying to emails and assigning tasks to the team. 7-8:30pm is spent communicating with our team members in the northern hemisphere. I try to get into bed by 9:30pm so I get my 8 hours sleep before starting again at 5am. Advertisement What are some hardships you had to overcome in the beginning and how did you overcome them? Managing growth and finding top talent to help service the wait list of new clients. List a few of your favorite books that you recommend others in your industry to read. The Ultimate Sales Machine by Chet Holmes, Purple Cow Seth Godin and The Go-Giver by Bob Burg. What are some mistakes you made and how did you fix them? With the passage of right-to-work legislation by Kentuckys Senate and General Assembly, the Bluegrass State will be become the 27th right-to-work state when Governor Matt Bevan signs House Bill 1 into law this week. Kentuckians will no longer have to join a union as a condition of working. With 27 right-to-work states, the remaining states will need to join the growing club to stay competitive. Illinois, a Kentucky neighbor, is under pressure to become right-to-work because it borders on Wisconsin, Indiana, Michigan, and Iowa, now all right-to-work states. It is relatively easy for businesses to migrate to right-to-work states. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, Right-to-Work is a smart way to get America on the path to real recovery, and its critical to empowering workers and giving them more freedom to keep more of their hard-earned dollars to spend as they choose. This is why I have continually supported legislation at the federal level to enact right-to-work nationwide. President-elect Trump has repeatedly voiced support for right-to-work, and he will be able to sign such right-to-work bills into law if Congress sends them to his desk. Before Republicans won control of Kentuckys General Assembly on Election Day, leading to the legislations passage, right-to-work proceeded on a county basis. Over a dozen counties passed right-to-work legislation. This county-by-county approach was upheld in a decision by the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on November 18. Burgeoning right-to-work measures are a reaction to an increasingly bold National Labor Relations Board, which during the Obama administration overturned decades of precedent to make it easier for unions to organize workers. The NLRB, supposedly an impartial arbitrator between unions and employers, has reduced the time workers are given to consider whether they want to vote for union representation. It has allowed unions to organize small units of workers within firms. It has defined McDonalds USA as joint employer of McDonalds franchises, a move that if upheld by the courts could upend the franchise business in America. When states pass right-to-work laws they protect their residents from being forced to pay 2% to 4% of their paychecks in union dues, initiation fees of about $50, and contributions to failing pension plans. Dues and initiation fees are often used to pay for political contributions. Some pension plans may be underfunded or simply may not exist when the new employees are ready to retire. In addition, right-to-work laws make it easier for states to attract business, because many companies prefer to locate in right-to-work states. Warren County, Kentucky, got inquiries totaling $9 million in investment after it passed a local right-to-work ordinance in 2014, according to Ron Bunch, president and CEO of the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. Similarly, when Wisconsin passed right-to-work legislation in 2015, it began to siphon off business from Illinois. Toolmation Services, a manufacturing company, relocated from Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Expect to see more business relocating to Kentucky. The NLRB passed new union election rules, also known as quickie-election or ambush-election rules, in April 2015. The time between a petition to join a union and an election for union representation has shrunk from about 37 days to 17 days. This gives little time for workers to consider whether they want to join the union. Such rules will motivate more states and counties to move to right-to-work, to give workers a choice to opt out of unions. Only after the speedy election would there be an NLRB hearing to decide the appropriate bargaining unit, defined as the group of workers who would be represented by the union. This is puzzling because the choice of bargaining unit could determine the outcome of the election. Republican NLRB members Philip Miscimarra and Harry Johnson III, in a dissent from the rule, wrote, To state the obvious, when people participate in an election, it is significant whether they actually have a right to vote, whether their vote will be counted, and whether the elections outcome will even affect them. At the same time as the ambush election rules, the National Labor Relations Board has reduced the size of potential bargaining units. It used to be that unions would have to gain a majority of employees engaged in the same task at the same companysay mechanics working for Boeing, or retail clerks working for a department store. Yet in a decision involving Macys in 2014, the Board allowed unions to organize any subset of employees, as long as they had a community of interest. Cosmetic workers at Macys, or shoe salesmen at Bergdorf Goodmans, could vote to be represented by a union without the rest of the store going along. Unless employers can prove that a larger group of workers has a community of interest, unions can carve up workplaces into micro-units, depending on which employees are interested in signing up. An employer could have to negotiate with different unions at the same store, and employees have a greater chance of being swept into unions against their wills. Under the NLRB rules, employers have to turn over not only company email addresses to the union, in order to allow the union to use company email to communicate with workers, but also personal email addresses. Even if employees do not want the union to have their personal email addresses, they have no right to privacy. The future for right-to-work initiatives is bright. President-elect Trump may have the opportunity to sign legislation making right-to-work the law of the land. In addition, he has the opportunity to fill two seats at the NLRB, giving it a Republican majority and a new direction. Diana Furchtgott-Roth is a senior fellow and director of Economics21 at the Manhattan Institute. Follow her on Twitter here. Interested in real economic insights? Want to stay ahead of the competition? Each weekday morning, E21 delivers a short email that includes E21 exclusive commentaries and the latest market news and updates from Washington. Sign up for the E21 Morning Ebrief. If you're looking for a place to travel to learn to ski, either in North America or Europe, consider an area that is less fashionable but may offer longer lessons for the same price. On a traveling fellowship decades ago, I went to the Austrian village of Ischgl, before it became chic, to learn to ski. Then the place had only a rope tow, but ski school ran twice as long per day as over the nearby border in Switzerland and the kachelofen (ceramic stove built into a corner) was delightfully radiant as we napped after our snowy exertions. My roommate, a TV guy from London, was companionable. When we climbed a steep street at dusk and looked down on the tiny village he said, parodying some show I hadn't seen, "someday, son, all this will be yours." He and I engaged a local man with a horse-drawn sleigh to go up the valley to an evening dance. As we set off on the narrow road, with walls of ice on each side, a blanket on our laps, we could barely see the mountains but we did see a pair of headlights heading our way at Autobahn speed. Advertisement Knowing the sleigh had no running lights, the driver yelled in the local dialect for the flashlight, which we gathered was somewhere under the blanket. We found it just in time for the car driver to see us as he came around a curve that hid us from his headlights. He slid by on the ice wall, his rear view mirror snatching the blanket off our laps. Then all was silent again. I think the car was a Mercedes. After our attempts to flirt with young valley women, and an uneventful return, I awoke first he next morning and went down to breakfast. As I was leaving for a solitary walk, my roommate descended and asked me to sit with him for a cup of coffee. Afterwards I struck off down the road. The sky was blue; the snow on the mountains, sleek as seal skin. I was happy to be here in the Alps, when I noticed a small cloud near the top of a slope. As it grew and began to descend, I realized it was the start of an avalanche or, as we had heard German-speakers say, a lawine (the "w" is pronounced as if it were a "v"). The slope was such that I didn't know where the avalanche would fall, so I didn't know in which direction to run. Snow began coming down, as in a storm. As I raised the jacket over my head, I thought this innocent-looking village, between the sleigh ride and the avalanche, was among the most dangerous place I'd ever been. Tons of snow might fall, but after less than a minute it got lighter, exposing the blue sky again. I was safe. The avalanche had fallen further down the road, about as far to walk as it takes to drink a quick cup of coffee. Advertisement A friend with experience of risky moments sets aside the category of things that almost happened. "Well, they didn't," he says. But when my wife and I joined another couple in working through Steven Levine's book, A Year to Live, these episodes in Ischgl bubbled up. A year? How about ten or twenty seconds? Shared as I discovered with a surprising number of people, the brief danger was a gift that I'd never have chosen but was glad to have experienced. I take the liberty of writing this open letter in the wake of the latest Palestinian terror attack, which killed four young Israelis and wounded many others in an assault eerily similar to the one in Nice in July, and days ahead of the "Middle East peace conference" in Paris you will be hosting. I do so with respect, coming from a Francophone home and with deep roots in France and French culture. I do so representing an organization, AJC, that has engaged with France at the highest levels for decades, and that, even when we have disagreed vigorously, has rejected those in the Jewish community who have called for boycotts and spread "fake news" about the situation in your country. Advertisement And I do so, if I may say, no less eager than you to find a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, ideally based on a two-state agreement. For me, the issue is not another geopolitical quagmire in need of resolution. As a Jew, there is also a metaphysical link to an ancestral land in an age-old search for peace, not to mention the contemporary home of many of my closest relatives and friends. Mr. Minister, please understand the reasons why we have voiced the hope that the Paris gathering would be canceled. As the one-and-only La Rochefoucauld said, "It is easier to be wise for others than for ourselves." With everything happening in Europe today, is this the one issue that deserves such an investment of effort and energy? Advertisement The European Union, soon to mark 60 years since the ground-breaking Treaty of Rome, is at risk, especially after the Brexit vote in June. Terrorists are exposing the weakness of the Schengen agreement. Disaffected parallel societies have emerged in the cities and suburbs of France, Belgium, and elsewhere. Populist parties opposed to the EU and the Eurozone, and promoting xenophobia and anti-Semitism, are threatening the established order. Ukraine, on the EU's eastern border, remains a partially occupied land, as does Cyprus, an EU member state. Turkey, so key to the European migration challenge, is hurtling towards authoritarianism. Greece and Spain, among other EU countries, have alarmingly high youth unemployment rates. But instead of focusing on any or all of these issues, the Quai d'Orsay is organizing yet another international effort to address a conflict that everyone knows, a priori, can only be resolved by the parties themselves, no matter how many nations travel to Paris for the conference you are hosting. I'd add that, if France nonetheless has decided on the need for an international conference of some sort at this time, how about one on Syria, the greatest human tragedy of this century and a country that France has claimed, since the 1916 Sykes-Picot agreement carved up the Middle East, to know better than others? Or how about on Libya, where a French decision in 2011 to help topple Muammar Gaddafi achieved its immediate goal, but left the country in tatters, a breeding ground for jihadism, and a grave danger to European interests? Or how about on the Kurds, a people in the Middle East with all the elements of nationhood - and among our most reliable allies - but denied any chance for sovereignty because of superseding geopolitical interests among the great powers? Advertisement Or how about a summit on Russian meddling in the European Union, including financial support for extremist, anti-EU political parties, creation of faux environmental groups to oppose any energy projects without Russian involvement, and malicious manipulation of the media? No, the conference to begin on January 15th in Paris is about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, even though one of the two main parties, Israel, has opposed the idea; even though the United States, key to any progress on this front, will have a change of administrations (and policies) exactly five days later; and even though France, it must be said, cannot be viewed as an honest broker. Why? Well, despite strong bilateral ties between Paris and Jerusalem in some spheres, when it comes to the international arena, France is too often on the other side. This occurred in the recent vote at the UN Security Council on Resolution 2334, just as it did at the World Health Organization General Assembly in May, when France voted in favor of a measure that bizarrely singled out Israel by name as the only country in the world accused of undermining "mental, physical and environmental health," and when France could do no more than abstain at UNESCO in April on a resolution that denied any Jewish (and Christian) link to the holy sites in Jerusalem. If the aim is to advance a two-state accord, then it's high time to face facts. Fact #1: From the Peel Commission report of 1937 until today, the Palestinians and their supporters have, in the end, rejected every compromise put on the table to find a viable solution. Fact #2: Every effort that circumvents the face-to-face negotiating table only emboldens the Palestinians to believe they can get all they want without the need for direct talks with Israel, and the inevitable compromises that would result from any agreement. Advertisement Fact #3: Palestinian incitement is not just a minor issue, to be thrown into UN resolutions and diplomatic speeches as an afterthought or footnote, but the heart of the problem. As long as Palestinians glorify suicide bombings and "martyrdom," and deny the Jewish people's legitimacy in Israel, there will be no solution. Fact #4: The role of nations of good will should be to send a clear message to the Palestinians that their every whim, no matter how counter-productive to the cause of peace, will no longer be indulged. Israel has certainly gotten its share of clear messages from the international community, but, alas, not the other side. Talleyrand, the legendary French foreign minister who once occupied your post, said: "The art of statesmanship is to foresee the inevitable and to expedite its occurrence." Who among us ever dreamed we would pine for the days when we had an American president who saw himself as both figuratively and literally "above" the rest of us--a president who was so isolated in the rarefied world of international politics and command decisions that he was oblivious to the detritus of pop culture, celebrity gossip, and the assorted background noise that so delights the "masses"? Instead, we got a guy in the White House who's the exact opposite. From all the evidence so far, Donald Trump is about as thin-skinned and vulnerable as a high school girl wringing her hands over who's going to invite her to the Junior Prom. Considering the history of the American presidency, what we're witnessing is close to unbelievable. It's stunning. It's shocking. Advertisement Has any occupant of the White House ever been this demonstrably insecure and skittish? Indeed, Trump's "insult antenna" must be 10 miles long and must have its sensitivity dial set on "maximum strength," because even something as harmless as graffiti sprayed on a freeway overpass appears to be enough to provoke this man to send out self-defensive Tweets. In 1972, arch-conservative and Vietnam War supporter Al Capp (creator of the "Lil' Abner" comic strip), went on TV and harshly criticized George McGovern, the Democrats' "peace" nominee for president, calling him, among things, a communist sympathizer, a liar, a coward, and a traitor to his country. Days later, when McGovern was asked by a reporter if he would care to comment on Al Capp's incendiary remarks, he responded like a perfect gentleman. Appearing genuinely curious and unaware, McGovern said with a straight face, "Who's Al Capp?" So when an indignant and self-absorbed Meryl Streep, at last night's Golden Globes gala, decided that a splashy, ego-choked awards show--where Hollywood celebrities gather together to congratulate themselves--was the appropriate forum to criticize Trump for his earlier treatment of a disabled journalist, Trump, like the petulant man-child he is, took the bait. He had his "McGovern moment" handed to him on a silver platter, and he blew it. Advertisement Instead of capitalizing on a made-to-order opportunity to appear "presidential" and above the fray, by saying something like, "I've always admired Meryl Streep and consider one of our finest actresses, Trump took the low road. He chose to reveal himself as the petty and vindictive con man we all knew him to be. He couldn't help himself. He lashed out at Streep, referring to her as an "overrated actress" and a "Hillary lover." The U.S. Department of Education this hour has released the first round of measures under its new gainful employment rule, which tests which career college programs, though a combination of high prices and low quality, leave too many of their graduates with overwhelming student loan debt. The requirements of the final gainful employment rule are fairly weak, punishing only some of the most egregious abusers. Operators of some of the biggest for-profit colleges, especially those with better records of performance, have ensured investors that they can keep or bring their programs into compliance with the rule. But in Washington, lobbyists for the industry have engaged in a sustained freakout over the rule since the Obama Administration started pursuing it in 2009, because the industry's lobbying agenda has always emphasized shielding the worst of the worst behavior. And, indeed, the new data from the Department shows that, although the rule covers 29,000 programs at all kinds of career colleges -- public and non-profit, as well as for-profit -- and for-profit colleges accounted for 66 percent of the programs, they accounted for 98 percent of the 800 programs that failed the gainful employment test. Those failing programs collectively produced some 116,000 graduates in the years measured, 2010-12; many of these former students, therefore, are now in financial peril. The programs could lose eligibility for federal student grants and loans if they maintain such bad performance levels for two out of three consecutive years. (Another 1200 programs fell in the "zone" just outside the failure measure; those programs could lose eligibility if they remain in the zone for four consecutive years.) Advertisement The new data shows there were one or more failing programs at many of the biggest for-profit college companies: the University of Phoenix, the Graham family's Kaplan chain, Education Management Corp.'s Art Institutes, Career Education Corp.'s Sanford-Brown College, DeVry University, Laureate's Walden University, the Mitt Romney-affiliated Full Sail University and Vatterott College, the demised ITT Tech and Corinthian's Everest College, and many others. "Zero community colleges failed," Under Secretary of Education Ted Mitchell emphasized on a call with reporters this afternoon. The Department of Education, after decades of tolerating egregious fraud and abuse by many for-profit colleges, has finally removed the gloves in recent years, standing up to predatory schools and their lobbyists and rapidly improving protections for students and taxpayers. Today, the Department, in a press release, did not hesitate to say that for-profit colleges are often a bad option for students: "The data released today provide further evidence that community colleges offer a better deal than comparable programs at for-profit colleges with higher price tags. As these new data depict, when student debt is taken into account, community colleges--where students borrow at lower rates and lower dollar amounts--perform particularly well when matched up against comparable for-profit programs." Advertisement In November the Department released data showing (1) that mean earnings of graduates of public undergraduate career training certificate programs are nearly $9,000 higher than mean earnings of graduates of for-profit undergraduate certificate programs; and (2) that nearly a third of for-profit certificate students graduated from programs where the typical graduate earned less than what a full-time minimum wage worker earns in a year--compared with only 14 percent in the public sector. The Department had previously reported that 72 percent of the for-profit college programs it analyzed produced graduates who, on average, earned less than high school dropouts. A May 2016 study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research concluded that for-profit college students, graduates and dropouts combined, earned less after leaving school than they did before they enrolled. "It's clear that poor performance is concentrated in the for-profit college sector," Mitchell concluded on today's press call. Seems that way. Not to mention that many for-profit colleges have been under law enforcement investigation for deceptive recruiting and other misconduct. Advertisement The Department's release also uses refreshingly candid language to describe the efforts by wealthy Wall Street barons and their lobbyists to derail the gainful employment rule, despite all the evidence of abuses: "The Department faced unprecedented opposition from the for-profit industry throughout the process. The U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia and the Southern District of New York and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia affirmed the Department's regulations, rejecting the industry's attempts to fight basic accountability measures - a clear sign that the courts continue to recognize both the Department's legal authority and its reasonable approach in establishing these important consumer protections." Big for-profit schools whose programs flunked the initial trial run of the gainful employment rule in 2012 included Education Management Corporation, Career Education Corporation, Kaplan, Full Sail, and Corinthian. The industry fought not only against the measures and penalties in the rule, but even against being required to disclose to students truthful information about the costs and benefits of their programs. Today the Department unveiled a new disclosure template, to be implemented later this month, that it will require schools to use to give information to prospective students. There is still much work to be done, including to provided loan forgiveness to ripped-off students, and to stop the flow of federal money to some of the awful for-profit colleges that continue to enroll students. But that work is now endangered. The for-profit college industry and its paid GOP pals on Capitol Hill are salivating over the fact that the next President of the United States was previously the president of Trump University. They hope he will dump the gainful employment rule and other accountability measures implemented in recent years. Advertisement Although Trump appears bent on breaking many of his promises -- to drain the DC swamp, to reduce the influence of Goldman Sachs, to help working people, to root out government waste, fraud, and abuse, etc. -- we can at least hope that his team is not dumb enough to revert to a time when fraudulent college operators were raiding the Treasury at will. Trump's nominee for Education Secretary, Betsy DeVos, will surely be asked about all this at her hearing, scheduled for Wednesday. UPDATE 01-09-17 5:40 pm: CECU, the troubled trade association for career colleges, confronted today with more evidence that many for-profit schools are a bad deal for students, has tried to invent a procedural objection, claiming that the Department's release of the data "is disappointing and disrespectful" because "the Department should provide every school with the 14 days to file a notice of appeal, the 60 days to file the appeal, and the appropriate time for the Department to review such evidence and rule on the appeal before any public disclosure is made." CECU claims that the Department's action to publish the data now "makes clear this is all about political motivations and harming institutions... We had hoped this Department would comply with the timelines and procedures it had established. Unfortunately we should not have expected even this minimum level of decency from them." CECU's whining is uncalled for. In fact, the Department has observed the timelines and procedures required under the regulation. The Department sent colleges their draft data in October, and the schools were able to file challenges, which the Department was required to review before publishing today's data. None of that was made public. Under the rule, schools now have fourteen days to indicate if they plan to appeal. This process is consistent with the procedures for evaluations of college default rates, another measure that determines eligibility for federal aid: The draft rates are shared only with schools, schools can privately challenge them, the final rates are publicly disclosed, and then schools can submit appeals. Advertisement This process makes sense. The school gets an opportunity to engage with the Department initially in private, but at some point -- at least when a school is contesting a determination by Department officials -- the public is entitled to know what is going on. Cold December Snow at the White House You may recall Kryptonite from your days of enjoying Superman stories. It was the fictional material rendering Superman powerless, one of the only things that could endanger our hero. Today we have an anti-hero, alas not a fictional character, but a real man. A real man who has somehow lied, tricked, cajoled, rally cried, and altogether shocked the world as he ascended to the presidency. He took on a slate of 16 other more qualified, more credible people and vanquished them all. He then took on perhaps the most qualified person to ever seek the office of POTUS and vanquished her too. Is he invincible? Or does he have a Kryptonite? I contend there is an Achilles Heel in this man. Intelligence is Trump's Kryptonite. Double entendre is fully intended in that sentence. There are two kinds of intelligence needed to bring this man down, or to at least stand up to his relentless agenda of taking this country backward in civil rights, women's rights, public education, world respect, etc. Advertisement First is our intelligence agencies, the FBI, CIA, NSA and others. Recent revelations confirm what some of us feared. Yes, the Russians interfered in our election with a campaign designed to elevate Trump. These agencies can help us understand what happened and can serve as our watchdog for the future. Trump knows this and as a result, these intelligence agencies that can bring down Trump by bringing up questions about the legitimacy of our election are his Kryptonite. While no intelligence to date is enough to force an overthrow of the election result (and in fact we have no precedent for doing such a thing and therefore no protocol to do so), Trump despises any revelations that make him look like less of a winner. We know this because Trump has a very obvious "tell," as they say in poker, an action that gives clue's to a player's assessment of their hand. Trump's "tell" is his Twitter storm. It tells us exactly what bothers him most. After the intelligence agencies exposed the Russian intervention, Trump's reaction was to belittle and demean the agencies by casting doubt on their conclusions. Credible news sources are a big part of his Kryptonite. He tweets that CNN and NBC "don't have a clue" about Russian hacking but that "Fox News totally gets it." Truth worries him, truth is not his friend. What might our intelligence agencies find out about Trump in the future? Is he a Russian spy? Does he owe so much money to Russia he has to be POTUS in order to dig himself out of his debt by enacting policies to aid Russian government plans? We don't know, but we do know he's worried about what intelligence about him might come out. That's why he must discredit the agencies looking into him. Advertisement So, yes, intelligence agencies are his Kryptonite. The second aspect of intelligence that can disrupt his agenda, and the most important one, is the intelligence of Americans. Those who stay informed and act on that information are his worst nightmare. Take for example the secret night move by the GOP to change how the office of Congressional Ethics investigates members of Congress. There was so much blowback to this move from intelligent and informed Americans, they were forced to drop the plan. While Trump was not part of this move and in fact, objected to its timing, he had to witness the power of Americans who know what's going on to derail things they don't like. His tweets are his tell. Sen. Shumer warns that the GOP repeal of Obamacare will "make America sick again," and Trump, fearing too many people will embrace that truth, tweets out that Shumer is a clown. With the election long over but truth coming out that Clinton won the popular vote, Trump shows his weakness again by tweeting two months after the election that pundits said he'd lose, but he won. Truth, information and intelligence about him is what worries him most. He's said he loves the poorly educated. Of course he does; he's one of them, despite his Wharton "degree." (Yes, I'm air quoting degree.) He knows the majority of voters with college educations didn't support him as they were too smart to do so. He's intimidated by them because he isn't one of them. He doesn't read and isn't a cogent writer. It's why he loves Twitter and even there he makes many spelling and grammatical errors. He even has to make up words because of his lack of intellectual abilities. Truth is, Trump's not that bright. This job of POTUS is likely to prove too much for a man of his skill level, particularly if we watch and react to everything he does with a storm of calls, letters, tweets, and emails to those in power. So, what to do to enhance Trump's Kryptonite? Keep reading, keep writing, and keep passing along any information you find credible about this guy. Advertisement No, I am not going to strum some more on why male celebs, elderly business tycoons, doting bankers, former politicians, are sought after by starlets, would-be models and the like, because you know the answer to that: the spotlight and, yes, money and security. And I am not against it as a business deal: one party offers youth and beauty and the other party puts security and money on the scale. What's wrong with that? Bear with me. The XIX century, 1800 to 1899, is the period that gave birth to more outstanding people everywhere than any other I can think of. Without those outstanding people our XXI century would have not achieved so much in science, art, literature and especially technology... so far. There is more to come. Of late I have focused my interest in one XIX century Spaniard: don Juan Valera. And I know that if I step out and stroll the avenues and parks of Madrid, in Spain, and ask people whether they know who Juan Valera was, I will get an "I don't know" for an answer. I am not living in my Ivory Tower, in the belief that Juan Valera is a household name in his own native land. As we know, a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and in his own house, as Matthew tells us in no uncertain terms. If not, ask me. Advertisement I know also that if I go around Washington D.C. and ask passers-by who Mr. Thomas Francis Bayard was, people will shrug their shoulders. Yet Mr. Bayard. 1828-1898, a United States Senator who made three unsuccessful bids for the nomination to the Presidency of the country, was appointed Secretary of State. This is crucial to our narrative as, because of this appointment, he met Juan Valera in the Capital of the United Sates. Valera was a product of the XIX century. His full name was long, true to the Hispanic tradition: Juan Valera y Alcala Galiano, born in, Cabra, Cordoba in 1824. He died in Madrid in 1905. Let us note that Bayard was 4 years his junior. This bears with our story. Valera was an intellectual, linguist, translator, writer, critic, novelist and diplomat. He wrote a famous novel, Pepita Jimenez, among many other writings that prove he was well-educated, travelled, and even a social lion of sorts. He cut a good figure and was a ladies man, popular and sought after. He had affairs in Naples, Vienna, Moscow, Lisbon and Washington, where he was the Spanish Ambassador from 1884-1886. He understood women and portrays them in his novels better than he does male characters. In 1867, at age 42, he married Dolores Delavat, a woman 22 years younger, who did not think much of him and ignored Valera, probably even dispised him. Advertisement Let's get to the point: the Secretary of State I mention above, Mr. Bayard, had a daughter, Catherine Lee Bayard, 1857-1886, who met Mr. Valera, the Spanish Ambassador, and became involved with this man who was 62 at the time, and married, to boot. She was an intellectual and a linguist who spoke French and Spanish well. He was flattered, of course, and mentions the young woman in his correspondence: "Por esta mujer me hubiera quedado aqui, y aun hubiera renegado de la patria y me hubiera hecho yankee". That is saying a lot for an Ambassador. They were in love. In one of her letters she writes to him: "Adieu, Me Ramava Tule. Ich liebe dich, je t'aime, te amo, I love you. This is a declaration. Kathleen." She was head-over-heels in love with the older man, whom she calls "my child" several times. The extent and existence of the affair has been hushed, of course, but the fact remains that when Miss Bayard discovered that Valera was being transferred to Brussels she commited suicide. She was 29, from a good and well-to-do family, and Juan Valera was 62, I repeat. Being 62 in 1886 was not the same as being 62 in 2014. Mystery surrounds Catherine's sudden death, or suicide, but even though she had several suitors, and was once betrothed to a young man, her love, her true love was a Spanish older man, who represented Spain in Washington. In their correspondence the question of "age" is never brought up. New York, NY USA - July 16, 2016: Donald Trump speaks during introduction Governor Mike Pence as running for vice president at Hilton hotel Midtown Manhattan Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus has apparently undergone a rather dramatic change in terms of how she views President-elect Donald Trump -- specifically, whether she thinks it's okay for journalists to label him a liar when he constantly lies. Stressing the "huge challenge" that looms for the press to cover Trump "fairly" in coming years, Marcus joined forces with Wall Street Journal editor Gerard Baker, who last week insisted it's out of bounds for his reporters to call a Trump a liar. (They run the risk of not looking "objective," Baker fretted.) Advertisement Weighing in with her Sunday Post column, Marcus agreed that it's just not fair to label Trump a liar. "The media shouldn't hesitate to label an assertion false, but it should be cautious about imputing motive," wrote Marcus, who doesn't like the "inflammatory baggage" that comes with dubbing the president-elect a liar. This is rather remarkable, given the fact that last year Marcus herself wrote a column that explicitly, and repeatedly, called Trump a liar. Because he is one. "The past few weeks have offered Americans a chilling glimpse of three faces of Donald Trump: the stonewaller, the shape-shifter and the liar," Marcus wrote on May 18. She conceded that it was a "strong charge," but insisted it was "warranted." How does a media transformation like that take place, considering the avalanche of lies Trump told over the course of the campaign and since his election win? How do you go from stating unequivocally that Trump's a liar, to advocating that calling him that same thing today is somehow out of bounds and means you're not treating him "fairly"? Advertisement Is it because Trump will soon be president and some journalists are nervous about offending him -- nervous about appearing to be too tough on him and not wanting to be the targets of further bullying? Perhaps journalists are simply intimidated by Trump, whose political fortunes this year can be partially attributed to his gleefully mean-spirited attacks on the media. Over and over we're seeing this discouraging and potentially dangerous pattern unfold: At a time when Trump and his team are ratcheting up their attempts to discredit the media, and as they stand poised to choke off all meaningful access for journalists, too many news organizations are responding with timidity and accommodation. They seem to have learned nothing from the campaign, when Trump banned certain news outlets at will while his staff herded reporters into restricted press pens at rallies. "Winter is coming," is how New York University journalism professor Jay Rosen has framed the looming press threats under Trump: "For a free press as a check on power this is the darkest time in American history since World War I, when there was massive censorship and suppression of dissent." As is the case with so much of the press's relationship with Trump, there continues to be a runaway normalization effort at play. Rather than Trump's relentless assault on the press sparking a collective resistance, more and more it seems to have sparked a weird, collective acceptance. Just look at the media event that took place last Friday: Trump met in private with editors from Vanity Fair, The New Yorker, and Vogue. He met them at the headquarters of the magazines' parent company, Conde Nast. Trump's confab was off the record, which is exactly what journalists should not be doing right now -- cutting side deals with Trump for sit-downs in exchange for secrecy. Instead, media outlets should be taking collective action to push back against Trump's naked refusal to be held accountable, as well as Trump's 19-month war on the press, not ushering him in for closed-door meetings. Advertisement A president-elect who has refused for nearly 170 days to hold a press conference and who has essentially closed off all meaningful access to political reporters -- while constantly publicly denigrating journalists -- doesn't deserve to be rewarded with off-the-record bull sessions. For instance, at their meeting the Conde Nast editors reportedly asked Trump about his plans for "health care, climate change, relations with Russia, women's issues and abortion rights," which are exactly the types of topics he should be asked about on the record. Because right now it's virtually impossible to understand his specific policy positions since Trump refuses to articulate them in detail. Besides, remember what happened the last time the president-elect had an off-the-record meeting with news executives? For more than twenty minutes, Trump railed about "outrageous" and "dishonest" coverage. When he was asked about the sort of "fake news" that now clogs social media, Trump replied that it was the networks that were guilty of spreading fake news. The "worst," he said, were CNN ("liars!") and NBC. Another participant at the meeting said that Trump's behavior was "totally inappropriate" and "fucking outrageous." Advertisement A CALL TO ACTION My Fellow Americans and Citizens of the World, An intelligence report, jointly released by the CIA, FBI, and NSA of the U.S. Government and delivered by the Director of National Intelligence, has stated in incontrovertible detail that under Vladimir Putin's direct supervision Russian hackers accessed Hilary Clinton's data bases and delivered the information to Wikileaks, among other actions in the media and electoral process, in a concerted attempt to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election on behalf of Donald Trump. All this was implemented in collaboration with Trump. During the campaign, Trump publicly asked the Russians to crack Hilary's files. This is what sedition is, when a private citizen conspires with a foreign power to negatively impact the legal processes of the United States. This is why it is designated under "high crimes and misdemeanors" in the U.S. Constitution and why it is an impeachable offense. Essentially, the intelligence community of the United States has set forth the necessary evidence to charge the president elect with high crimes and misdemeanors. Based on this evidence, we must all join with all those refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of Donald Trump as President of the United States. Advertisement This radically repositions the inauguration. More than just women need to be standing like rocks in Washington. All of us should be there and people all over the world should be urged to join in. Wherever we are, whoever we are, we all need to take a stand for our future. As strongly and as compassionately as we can, we must declare that we will not acknowledge Donald Trump as president. We must call upon President Obama to take all necessary actions prior to the inauguration to do what is practically and legally possible as the Commander in Chief under oath to protect the Constitution and the people of the United States to abrogate the Presidential election results of 2016 and ensure a process for rectification. We just had our first incontrovertibly fraudulent election. The president of the U.S. should declare this. He must take all the actions implied by his most fundamental obligation to defend the Republic. If he would take such action, and truly be presidential in our extraordinary moment of crisis, Obama would distinguish his presidency and potentially save the Republic. The danger Trump presents is not only to the United States. The planet cannot bear a presidency dominated by fossil fuels and the related nefarious interests that Trump is assembling to govern with him. If we do not take action, the country we love so deeply becomes another banana republic and the entire planetary system, upon which all life depends, will spin further out of control. Trump will damage the American republic. Trump will decimate the earth. This must not be allowed to happen. The people of United States and this planet must stand together and demand that Trump be immediately removed. Advertisement We are in a revolutionary moment. Our actions will shape our future. The time to stand is NOW. With the Super Bowl being played in Houston's NRG Stadium this year, visiting fans may well want a break from wings and tailgate fare. Here are some top places to consider. ARCODORO I believe Houston's Arcodoro is the only true Sardinian restaurant in America. And, if it's not, I know it's the best, for not only is owner-chef Efisio Farris proudly Sardinian, but he works very hard and happily to educate his clientele as to the diversity of and difference from what too often passes for Italian food in Houston. With his wife, Lori, Farris has managed to keep Arcodoro in the top ranks of all the city's restaurants for more than twenty years now, and he has built a unique network of Sardinian food and wine suppliers. Since Sardinia is considered one of the world's "blue zones" for healthful eating, he has a menu of typical Sardinian dishes that manifest that idea. The beautiful dining room reflects the Farrises' intent to make it feel like you're dining at an affluent home on the Costa Smeralda, with warm colored tiles and stencilings, arched ceilings, and tables draped in thick cloths. There is a wonderful slew of pizzas--try the one with porchetta, mozzarella, Gorgonzola, wild mushrooms and mustard dressing ($18); Begin with an array of antipasti like house-cured meats and Sardinian cheeses ($19). There is a special hand-braided pasta called lorighittas with baby octopus and sweet potato or with roasted goat ($36), and linguini with fresh clams, tomatoes and bottarga ($28). Anzelotos are stuffed with cheese and mint ($26). Duck breast is pan-roasted with myrtle and fennel, served with mosto d'uva (grape must), caramelized baby onions, and butternut squash ravioli ($32). For dessert try the sampling of five for $14.50. Arcodoro's wine menu has a wide range of wines, with a long list of hard-to-find Italian regional wines. Advertisement ARCODORO 5000 Westheimer Road 713-621-6888 Open daily for lunch and dinner. LIBERTY KITCHEN AT THE TREEHOUSE You can sum up what American food is in 2017 by perusing the expansive menu at the cavernous and gregarious Liberty Kitchen at The Treehouse Memorial City, where most of the food comes off a 13-foot-long wood-fired that imparts enormous flavor to the food, some of it cooked in cast iron Dutch ovens. The dining room has tall glass walls, reclaimed wood, Yee Haw" wallpaper. and a soaring ceiling hung with chandelier globes. Even at lunch, the room can get brutally loud. There are a lot of sharing plates, which make sense, including hush puppies with chopped bratwurst meat, cherry peppers, cheese, bacon, jam, scallions and hot sauce ($8.95), a dozen "specialties," including five kinds of hamburger, and a dozen sides ($4.50 to $10). It's all way too much to digest in even ten visits, but I have to commend the company's chefs for the food's overall integrity. I barely made a dent in the menu, but I thoroughly enjoyed dishes like the heritage Angus rib eye (MP) and a red snapper (MP) that came off that wood grill nice and juicy. A hearty rendering of chicken and andouille with red beans and gold rice ($22) took on a good dose of hot sauce, with scallions and hush puppies on the side. Also good was Creole whole crab, shrimp and andouille gumbo (left) with potato salad, fried oyster, okra, and scallion ($8.50-$12). I recommend a platter of a la carte meats ($4-$5 each), that include excellent chorizo, pork belly with Taipei-style duck sauce, sweet Italian sausage with cherry peppers, morcilla with aji pique, and brats with beer and ballpark mustard. The only dessert I tried was a decent if not exceptional chocolate cake. LIBERTY KITCHEN AT THE TREEHOUSE 936 Bunker Hill Road 713-468-3745 Open for lunch and dinner. SALTAIR SEAFOOD KITCHEN I suspect many people don't realize that the vast, ever-expanding Houston metro area reaches into the Gulf of Mexico, So Saltair's Director of Culinary Operations Brandi Key can command the best that comes into the market. Start off with some raw bar items that include a very good scallop ceviche With coconut, lime, ginger, basil and shrimp chips ($14), none of which overpowers the delicate flavor of the scallops. Similar is the seafood campechana of shrimp and crab with a spicy tomato sauce and avocado, with tortilla chips for scooping it all up ($13). The goat's cheese ravioli with crushed tomato sauce, basil pesto, and crispy garlic ($19) is a fine contemporary take, as is saffron fettuccine with crabmeat and bottarga ($21), and garlicky spaghetti with sauteed shrimp, lemon, chili and basil ($20). Order a simply cooked whole fish like the "branzini" [sic], which shows how good this sea bass is when it comes from Mediterranean waters rather than a fish farm, here roasted simply with olive oil, salt and pepper and lemon butter, then sauced with chimichurri and nuoc cham it doesn't need (MP). There's also a grilled fish sandwich on brioche bun with a tasty remoulade and French fries. ($16). Enhance the richness of a dish by ordering Joel Robuchon-inspired potatoes with equal amounts butter to starch ($7). For dessert don't say no to the brownie with vanilla ice cream ($9) or the butterscotch pot de creme with dulce de leche ($8). SaltAir is a very large restaurant, with the cast of a dockside restaurant, complete with blue canvas chairs and sunny bright walls, as well as the main dining room of varnished wood and very warm lighting. Tables are bare, the bar very popular, the decibel level high. The place lends itself to all kinds of conviviality, but without that pristine seafood it might be not be the big draw it clearly is. Advertisement SALTAIR SEAFOOD KITCHEN 3209 Kirby 713-521-3333 Donald Trump speaks to the Veterans of Foreign Wars conference at a campaign event in Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. July 26, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri As I'm writing this, Donald Trump has still not named a nominee to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. Maybe he will have, shortly after this is published. But, even if he does, the struggle he has had to find anyone qualified willing to take the job, thus far, is demonstrative of a bigger issue: He can't find someone well-qualified who wants to execute his plan to turn VA Care into voucher-care. The Cleveland Clinic's Toby Cosgrove (Trump's rumored favorite for the job) told Trump "thanks, but no thanks." Another top pick, Luis Quinonez turned down the job, after meeting with Trump. Thus far, Donald Trump doesn't seem to have found anyone qualified for the job. Maybe it's because of what Trump has told his potential nominees what he wants to do to the VA. Donald Trump and his advisors could not have been more clear during the campaign. He was going to move veterans' health care to voucher-care. The Wall Street Journal detailed Trump's thinking way back during the summer: Advertisement Donald Trump Adviser Signals Plan to Change Veterans' Health Care GOP front-runner would likely push VA toward privatization, shift to an insurance model Simply put, this is a horrible idea that's opposed by the major Veterans Service Organizations, from the VFW to American Legion. While the scandal that rocked the agency, regarding wait times, brought new attention to the agency's fixable shortcomings, the VA still enjoys tremendous favorability among veterans who use its services, according to independent surveys. Not only that, but the VA consistently delivers a higher level of care than private hospitals, according to the RAND Corporation. A bi-partisan poll found that a majority of veterans strongly opposes the privatization of the VA. In short, the VA provides high-level care that veterans, overall, very much like. And there's a relatively simple way to address the issues that the VA does have. We should provide it with the funds it needs to hire more doctors and staff, retain good doctors by offering competitive pay, and building more VA centers to deal with the influx of veterans who have entered the system as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And while that is happening, programs like Veterans Choice should remain in place, which temporarily allow veterans who have waited the longest to get full reimbursement for private care. Advertisement But Trump has another idea. He's aligned himself with the Koch Brothers, and Concerned Veterans of America, which they fund, in seeking to slowly strangle guaranteed care for veterans, by privatizing the system. That plan would do a few things. First, much like school vouchers, VA insurance or care vouchers would be useful for those who could supplement them to get the kind of care they need. For those who couldn't, they'd be left behind in a dreadfully underfunded VA. Second, it would put veterans in a system with a profit motive, not a care motive. For all the issues facing the VA, the one thing that cannot be said about it is that it looks to cut costs by denying care -- something that can be said about the private care system. Third, it would bleed the system dry, forcing mass closures of VA hospitals and care centers. Those centers are specially qualified to handle the needs of veterans that many hospitals and doctors are not qualified to handle -- from prosthetics to traumatic brain injuries to exposure to Agent Orange and burning oil fields. Not every neighborhood hospital is able to handle those unique needs. And so, veterans would be left with a voucher and a message of "good luck finding someone who can care for your brain injury," from Donald Trump. It's fairly likely that people like Mr. Cosgrove and Mr. Quinones realize that, and Trump's privatization plan was a factor in them turning down the job. And, it's likely the reason that, thus far, the only people who seem eager to be the veterans hatchet person are Koch-affiliated CVA Founder Pete Hegseth, failed former Senator Scott Brown, and half-term Governor Sarah Palin. Advertisement Maybe by the time this is published, Donald Trump will have reversed course, and given up VA privatization, so he can bring on someone qualified to lead the agency. One can only hope. As the December sky darkens way too early for my taste, I look through my kitchen bay window at the zig zag of orange falling off the edge of the mountain tops behind my house. My bones feel a weariness in the fading light. The ache in my shoulders tell me how much we in this country have had a tense and fractious year, bombarded by polarized politics, cultural collisions, and social schisms that sometimes seem like chasms too broad to see convergence and too deep to imagine a bottom resolution. As the twilight fades, I notice my deep longing for peace. A wish for calm. Even a small smile of safety. Shush to the chatter among us. We can yakety yak at one another like sibling rivalrous monkeys clamoring for attention in the tree tops. I'm fine with celebrating diversity, intrigued by our differences. But as I look into the day disappearing into night blackness..... it all looks the same. The same darkness descends over my house and my neighbor's house. My mind wanders to the December holidays. They look so different. At least on the surface. I open my computer and start to research the purpose and history of three popular Western holidays - Hanukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa. I am surprised to find that the details about each reveal more similarities than differences. So I share with you what I've learned. 3 WESTERN HOLIDAYS: DIFFERENT HISTORIES Advertisement HANUKAH celebrates two aspects of Jewish history: a religious and political fight for freedom and a "miracle." First, it celebrates how the Maccabee family, Mattathias the Hasmonean, a rural Jewish priest, and his 5 sons, led a successful revolt 167-160 BCE to overthrow the Seleucid Empire and regain control of Jerusalem. THE MIRACLE. When the victorious Jews reclaimed and purified the Holy [Second] Temple, there was only enough sacred oil for the wicks of the menorah to burn for one day's lighting. Miraculously, the story goes, the wicks burned for 8 days. Hence, the name "Hanukah"means in Hebrew "to dedicate." It's become known as the Feast of Dedication, or the Festival of Lights. CHRISTMAS' evolution is deeply embedded in political social cultural history, mostly in Europe. So the darkest coldest days of mid-winter was a typical time to celebrate light and birth: especially after the winter solstice [December in the Northern Hemisphere]. The worship of the Sun (Sol) [necessary for growing crops] was indigenous to the Romans, since the 8th century BC. The upper Roman classes celebrated the birthday of MIRTHA, the god of the "unconquerable sun" [Sol Invictus]. In Scandinavia, the Norse celebrated YULE, where sparks from their huge log fires heralded soon-to-be-born pigs and calves. The Germans honored the pagan god ODEN, who flew through the night sky to observe his people and decide who would live well and who would die. The SATURNALIA festival in Rome, honoring Saturn, the god of agriculture marked the end of the planting season in December. Advertisement THE MIRACLE: Both Matthew 1:18 and Luke 1:26 and 2:40 describe how Jesus was born to the Virgin Mary, assisted by her husband Joseph, but no date is mentioned. The "Chronography of 354AD," an illustrated manuscript/calendar is the first literary reference to connect the pagan feast of Sol Invictus to Jesus' birth on December 25 feast day. Its Part 6 notes: "Birthday of the unconquered, games ordered, thirty races"..."Birth of Christ in Bethlehem, Judea." The December 25th date may have been chosen to correspond to the day nine months after early Christians believe Jesus was miraculously conceived. Or possibly some sources say, Pope Julius I in the 4thc. chose December 25th to integrate Christian observances with the traditional pagan Saturnalia Festival. By the middle ages, Christianity basically replaced such pagan religious practices. KWANZAA. Jump ahead several centuries, and to the USA. Maulana Karenga in 1965 created a specifically African-American holiday , Kwanzaa, Swahili for "matunda ya kwanza," meaning "first fruits of the harvest." At first, he suggested Kwanzaa as a "oppositional alternative" to Christmas. But, by 1977, he integrated its celebration with Christmas. The goal is to celebrate "Kawaida", Swahili for tradition and reason, of the "best of African thought and practice" expressed through 7 principles [Nguzu Saba]. Celebrated on each of 7 days, they highlight self-determination in maintaining unity in the family, community, nation, and race; "To believe with all our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders, and the righteousness and victory of our struggle." 3 WESTERN HOLIDAYS: 3 SIMILARITIES FIRST SIMILARITY. It's striking that all three celebrations emerged from a basic human need: to survive, physically and spiritually, even in the face of struggle and hardship. The sun, planting, and harvesting are central for human life and development. An important reminder of this is celebrated in December, during the dark cold days of Northern Hemisphere winters. SECOND SIMILARITY. Another important theme is light, shedding light, literally and figuratively, as learning, knowing one's history and passing it on to our children. Struggle, and resistance to oppression, is mentioned or inferred in descriptions of all three holidays. A great man stepped forward to lead at a crucial point in time. There is also the "miracle" of the Temple's sacred oil lasting for 8 nights, and the "miracle" of Jesus' conception. A fundamental teaching is that all people are created in God's image [however you believe in God] and deserve to be treated with respect and dignity. THIRD SIMILARITY. And finally, values and principles either motivated, or are the offspring, of celebrating in a way that highlights family and community. We depend upon one another and are crucial in one another's lives, in spite of our differences. PEACE? The mountains behind my house have disappeared into the inky black sameness of night. In contrast, my kitchen table holds a new light. My viewpoint is enlightened by how celebrations emerged throughout history to be thankful for survival and to strengthen relationships in our communities. I've been reminded in writing this blog that the similarities in our holidays are greater than our differences. The same holds true in our relationships with people. The similarities indeed may be stronger than our differences. If we just looked for them. So, we can choose to celebrate both differences and similarities. We can play in our samenesses. And connect to those we love. We can celebrate Holidays with different names and histories, but similar values. Go forth friends known and unknown, and celebrate how alike we really are! The once Never Trump Utah senator quickly came around, even comparing the former president to a Mormon hero, and is now in danger of losing his seat. "If you think Rubens is crap, then don't bother with him." Karin Mamma Andersson, one of Sweden's most important contemporary painters, advises younger colleagues to learn your art history: "Focus on what you find interesting, but immerse yourself in it." "There's no reason to reinvent the wheel, art has always been like a game of Chinese whispers in which we give and take," says the acclaimed artist, who also advises not to follow contemporary artistic trends. She underlines that the most important source of inspiration at art school does not come from the teachers, but from the other art students, your friends and peers. Advertisement Karin Mamma Andersson (b. 1962) is one of Sweden's most internationally acknowledged artists. She studied at the Royal University College of Fine Arts in Stockholm, at which time her nickname 'Mamma' was added to differentiate herself from another student with the same name. Her dreamlike, expressive compositions are often inspired by filmic imagery, theatre sets and private interiors. She is represented by Gallery Magnus Karlsson in Stockholm, gallerimagnuskarlsson.com/ and by David Zwirner Gallery in New York. Karin Mamma Andersson resides in Stockholm. Learn more at: davidzwirner.com/artists/mamma-andersson/biography/ Karin Mamma Andersson was interviewed by Christian Lund in her studio in Stockholm, Sweden, February 2015. Camera: Kasper Kiertzner Edited by: Klaus Elmer Produce by: Christian Lund Copyright: Louisiana Channel, Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, 2016 Start your week off right... 1. Twitter has suspended Martin Shkreli's account after he harassed journalist Lauren Duca after she refused a date with him. Typical chowderhead behaviour from Shkreli. More here. 2. North Korea has threatened that it can test a long range missile anytime. This probably isn't the time to play with Korea, Donald Trump. More here. Advertisement 3. Meryl Streep took down Trump at the Golden Globes and set him off on a Twitter rant. Always good to see the President-elect keep his cool about criticism. More here. 4. A Manitoba teen is under house arrest for wanting to join ISIS. Not all dreams and worth chasing, folks. More here. I recently met Meg Daly, the visionary behind The Underline: a 10-mile long, nature-inspired cycle and pedestrian track that will run through the heart of Miami alongside US Route 1. Inspired by similar projects in New York City, Seoul and Austin, The Underline's 100 feet by 10 mile design, with 120 total acres of open space, will also incorporate green infrastructure systems to manage storm water; improve urban air and mitigate heat; promote biodiversity; and provide recreation space for millions for people. As I travel back to Miami this week for a meeting of The Nature Conservancy leaders, I'm excited to share this story: Pascal Mittermaier: Can you tell me about your background and what inspired you to start this project? Meg Daly: Well, I'm not an ecologist or urban planner. In my career, I was a marketer--I did promotions for TV stations. But I've always had a passion for parks, especially inner city parks. In my travels to cities I was always drawn to urban green spaces. Four years ago, I had a personal epiphany--I had a bike accident, broke both my arms, couldn't drive, and had to get around my home town using public transport and walking. Between doctors' appointments and trips to the pharmacy, I literally discovered Miami on foot! It was a moment of (self)-discovery. I noticed things differently and developed a much closer, more personal relationship with my city and its neighborhoods. I would walk below the metro rail and asked myself why I was the only person here? I started thinking of all the potential and whether this could be Miami's highline. This would never have happened if I was driving. Walking forced me to see the world through a new lens. Both of my kids live in New York City, where walking is much more prevalent. I noticed how different Miami is--often people drive to a store less than a quarter mile away. I was thinking how we can help change this car-dependent culture and realized that a key element needed to be provided by a dramatic change in infrastructure. PM: Once you had this insight, what happened next? Who were your partners? MD: I met a few really inspiring people who supported this idea right away. Jack Kardys, the former head of planning for Miami Dade Parks and Recreation, encouraged me to develop the vision, pushed me to be a citizen champion. Miami Dade County owns the land--but the county is overworked and overwhelmed and welcomed this fresh, new citizen-led approach. The City of Miami has contributed funds. Other early allies came from the Miami School of Architecture, where faculty were equally supportive and offered to include The Underline as a visioning exercise. Over the first months, I was able to build a network of believers and we now had a story for the community. Additional support then came from the Knight Foundation, who gave us seed funding to explore other cities' best practices. I visited Copenhagen and Chicago to see how they did similar projects. The next steps included going to local public meetings and commissions, all of whom gave strong endorsement. In summary, it was the right mix of government, academic and foundation support that helped get this project started. PM: What's the problem you're trying to solve? MD: We're hoping to redefine city living. There is a huge demand for the urban experience in Miami, especially for people under 40. And a constant hurdle to this is cars and traffic. It's both incredibly inefficient and expensive. It's in the news all the time and biking and sustainability are increasingly accepted as desirable examples of alternative transportation and living. Also, people here are increasingly aware that there are many other inspiring examples that lead the way--the Atlanta Beltway, Chicago 606, the Queensway NY. We did an economic impact study focused particularly on alternative forms of transport. A major concern for us in Miami is safety for cyclists and pedestrians. We are the most dangerous place to bike in Florida and one of the most dangerous in the entire country. The Underline could be a first robust demonstration on how to create a safe place for cyclists and pedestrians. The project is also focused on solving ecological issues. We plan to plant 5,000 trees to improve air quality, canopy, shade and reduce CO2. We want to undo the "paved paradise." A special focus is on native species so the restoration of the urban forest can be accomplished largely without irrigation. We will plant Pines Rockland and Hardwood Hammock--both much better at resisting hurricane storms as well--plus more shrubs and locally driven landscape! Finally, we will also plant 10 miles of habitat to support butterflies, including the dwindling monarch. Advertisement PM: Can you tell me a bit about your approach to community engagement? MD: We just started a health impact assessment to get the baseline for usage. We want to measure outcomes on adoption and health impacts. For example, fewer than 50 percent of Miami residents get 20 minutes exercise a day! Hundreds of thousands of people live within a third of a mile of The Underline--imagine the health and recreation options from which they could benefit! We've held hundreds of public meetings and insisted on intense collaborations with the local community. They provided us with many new ideas, such as yoga programs, dog parks, street art, etc. I'm particularly proud of our focus on disabilities. For example, we will make the cross walks truly accessible for wheelchairs (less than 2 percent grades will make them safer). We also worked with gerontology groups to explore how The Underline can serve and include our older residents. PM: You've met with our Florida-based Nature Conservancy staff. How do you see the Conservancy working with you on The Underline project? MD: I know The Nature Conservancy can help us with science and planning for reforestation of the urban core in order to alleviate heat. You can help us study storm water options and the bigger picture of The Underline and its connections to the Miami River. Along with ecology work and biodiversity mapping, the Conservancy can help us with citizen science. We already have over 800 volunteers. The community wants to help, but often doesn't know how. For example, people are already sending pictures of milkweed and caterpillars. The Conservancy's citizen and youth programs could be a terrific synergy with this project. We need advocacy support on federal, state and municipal levels, and we're excited to collaborate on fundraising. The Nature Conservancy has a great track record here and can help make a big difference! Advertisement Check out Friends of the Underline's vision for the project. Pascal Mittermaier is the Managing Director of The Nature Conservancy's Global Cities program, where he works to build resilient, livable, flourishing cities around the world. He tweets at @pascalmitter and his writing is archived at https://global.nature.org/experts/pascal-mittermaier. Russia appears as a mighty pioneering power today as it alone brokers the future of Syria, with new partnerships forged on new foundations, dictating its terms. But appearances can be deceiving. In reality, President Putin has put himself in a corner and his schemes might find strong opposition, not just by European and Arab players in Syria, but by his own strategic ally Iran, albeit for different reasons. The guarantors of the solution in Syria, Russia and Turkey, exclude Iran. The latter refused to be part if the condition is the withdrawal of its forces and proxies from Syria, which include Hezbollah and various militias. Another problem for the so called guarantors is that the convergence between Russia and Turkey is no honest alliance but is a temporary marriage of convenience between two parties, one of which - Turkey - is fundamentally in a precarious position: following the failed coup attempt in Turkey, President Erdogan led an all encompassing security crackdown, and made about faces on relations with NATO and Gulf allies as well as Syrian Rebels. The second party, Russia, is not as brittle but it is taking big risks and acting with excessive confidence over its own abilities as well as with regard to the relations with the coming Trump administration. Russia also faces a challenge at the United Nations, where many in the international community do not want to stand idly by as the carnage in Syria continues. In short, Russia's handling of the Syrian issue faces key obstacles. For the Western and Gulf states, Russia is seen as circumventing the principles agreed by the international community for a political solution in Syria, instead working to keep Bashar al-Assad in power away from any transitional process. And for Iran, Russia's military and strategic partner in Syria, Russia's request for full withdrawal of foreign forces including Hezbollah is anathema. This complicates their alliance but does not necessarily put them at risk of divorce. Meanwhile, the Russian presidency is wagering on Donald Trump to influence all stakeholders, including Iran, given the latter's need for Russia vis-a-vis the United States in the sanctions and nuclear issue. Yet Russia is increasingly clashing with Iranian determination to safeguard gains in Syria, even if the price is parting ways with Russia. But vital interests along the Mediterranean for both Iran and Russia will have to be protected most likely by means of mutual compromises, as the two countries' shared interests on the ground remain indispensable for both sides. Yet the issue of the Syrian deployment of Hezbollah and Iraqi and Afghan militias operated by the Revolutionary Guards under the command of Qassem Soleimani is a crucial one, and not at all secondary. Logically speaking, the continued presence of foreign forces in Syria disrupts the political solution sought by Russia and Turkey as the guarantors of the current ceasefire and the final solution of the conflict in the country. Ali Akbar Vilayati, advisor to supreme leader Kahemeni, denied that agreements reached over a ceasefire included the withdrawal of these forces, dismissing reports on Hezbollah's demobilization from Syria as 'enemy propaganda'. Vilayati insisted that these forces had entered Syria at the request of the government there, stressing that Iran had fixed positions namely the support of the resistance axis, of which Syria is part, and which extends from Iran to Lebanon and Palestine via Iraq. Others call this axis the Persian or Shiite Crescent, linking Iran to Israel in a trucial rather than resistance configuration. Advertisement Either way, Israel does not seem to be too concerned by the remarks made by the Iranian official. Some believe Israel's non objection is because of its fear of the axis built by Iran. Others believe the tacit truce between the two sides is the main reason, especially as the idea is American conceived and dates back to the era of George W. bush and his neocons. Others still cite the strong Russian-Israeli ties and argue Israel is wagering on Russia to neutralize any threats to it from Syria. So is Iran now part of the solution or part of the problem in Syria? The UN under Ban Ki-moon had insisted on bringing in Tehran as a key party and element of the solution, casting aside all reservations and ignoring the clear Iranian agenda in Syria. The US and European powers followed suit, agreeing to giving Iran a fundamental seat at the table at the insistence of Russia. The Obama administration even strategically consented to Iranian military intervention, giving it legal cover by abolishing UN Security Council resolutions that prevented Iranian military foreign incursions for the sake of the nuclear deal with Iran. In truth, this made Obama an implicit partner in the Syrian arena in favor of Bashar al-Assad. Why did the US, Europe, Russia, and China decide to turn a blind eye to Tehran's ambitions, even as the Iranian leadership was publicly boasting of them? The answer goes beyond the requirements of the nuclear deal. All sides were aware of the geography of Iran's agenda, yet remained complacent, for this reason the political confrontation over withdrawing Iranian forces from Syria is noteworthy: either these are tactical differences, or Iran will be designated as part of the problem, despite having once been invited by the UN and these powers as part of the solution. At the military level, one question is: who has the upper hand in Syria, Russia or Iran? A military confrontation between the two is an impossibility. But in the event winning this battle requires it, can Iran disrupt Russia's plans by sabotaging the ceasefire without accountability? Will Russia's have to back down before Iran's insistence not to withdraw its militias and Hezbollah from Syria? What would a compromise look like in this context!? Advertisement The overlap between Russian-Iranian and Russian-Turkish relations is significant. Putin needs both countries, but may want them both to be in a weaker position. Putin knows well that Erdogan's weakness, however, is a double edged sword. While Putin relishes Erdogan's need for him in his weak state, it is important for him that ISIS and similar groups do not have the upper hand over Erdogan. By the same token, Erdogan cannot be forced to play a high price for his deal with Putin in Aleppo, and must appear able to deal with the Kurdish challenge in Syria. Indeed, Putin needs Erdogan as a Sunni cover for his alliance with Shiite Iran, but Putin is also seeking Sunni cover from Sisi's Egypt as backup to Turkey. Sisi has so far obliged, and Egypt today is nearly the only Arab country that has backed the Russian formula for a solution in Syria, where Russia is unilaterally sponsoring talks in the Kazakh capital, in complete divergence from Gulf positions opposed to the Russia's formula. The religious and sectarian chords Putin is playing are dangerous. At the same time, he is exploiting Turkish-Egyptian differences over the Muslim Brotherhood once backed by Erdogan in Egypt and Syria. He is also taking advantage of Turkish-Iranian differences that have a sectarian flavor too. The Russian president believes the time is right to turn his military achievements in Aleppo into political ammunition on the eve of the inauguration of his friend Donald Trump. He wants to settle the battle against ISIS and Nusra Front in Syria by concluding political solutions and he is aware that the continued presence of Iran's militias in Syria prevents him from declaring victory and closing the book on military operations . Even the talks in Astana are on hold pending a decision from the supreme leader in Tehran and Qassem Soleimani in Syria. Bashar al-Assad is anxiously monitoring how Russia and Iran will agree or disagree on Syria. He is confident that he remains vital and indispensable for both sides at least for the time being. However, he may be more confident about Iranian support for him as the cornerstone of its regional project, and less confident about Russia despite it being one of his top international backers, but if Assad fails Russia, Russia will fail him. Indeed, Russia controls international cards that Iran doesn't have, with regard to plans being drafted by the European powers in the Security Council for war crimes and chemical weapons use in Syria, Advertisement Everyone is gearing up for what seems to be a coming grand bargain between Russia and the US. If Putin's wager on himself and Trump pans out, the Russian president will consider himself a mighty pioneer with or without the US as a partner; until then, however, it will be difficult for Russia to tackle regional and international opposition to its unilateral sidestepping of agreements, and its meddling with sectarian and ideologically fault lines will not be a picnic. Iliana Montauk served as the director of Gaza Sky Geeks (GSG) in 2014-2015. She currently helps lead their fundraising efforts. She graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University with a BA degree in History and Literature of France and the Middle East, and completed a Fulbright in Jordan focused on start-ups in the region. She has worked at Google, Monitor Group (now part of Deloitte Consulting), and Wamda (the TechCrunch of the Arab world). Gaza Sky Geeks was founded in 2011 by Mercy Corps, a global humanitarian organization,with seed funding from Google's non-profit arm. A San Francisco Bay Area native and former Google employee herself, Montauk has experience that spans the tech sector and social-innovations fields. Below is an excerpt from the book The Internet of Women: Accelerating Culture Change where Iliana contributed a chapter on her work with Gaza Sky Geeks: Advertisement Imagine a place 25 miles long by five miles wide with a beautiful coast and great Internet infrastructure. Add to it a highly educated, urban population, known for its leadership, work ethic, optimism, and willingness to take risks. These people have a deep love of technology and food, and a desire to be global leaders in innovation, business, and social impact. Sounds like Silicon Valley, doesn't it? This is Gaza. A Language Nerd Joins the Tech Sector I arrived in Gaza in November 2013. Gaza Sky Geeks, an innovative program within the global organization Mercy Corps, had asked me to come manage the launch of its start-up accelerator--the first in Gaza. If you had told me when I started studying Arabic in high school in 2000, that I would eventually be running a start-up accelerator in Gaza, I would have laughed with disbelief, for two reasons: First, I was a language and literature nerd, not a person aiming to work in the tech sector. Back then, I thought that going into tech or start-ups was only for hardcore computer geeks such as my brother--the type that wore Costco jeans and shoes and kept their long hair in an unkempt ponytail. I was more likely to become a journalist, academic, or doctor--or so I thought. Advertisement Second, even though I was so eager to learn about the Arab world that I was taking Arabic classes before September 11 (when Arabic-language programs barely existed in the United States), I had a negative conception of Palestine. I assumed Palestinians were violent people who threw rocks. I planned to travel all over the Arab world except Palestine. Both perceptions changed with time. I joined Google after college in 2006. By then, the tech sector seemed like a welcoming place that attracted top talent and solved world problems. In 2013, when Mercy Corps recruited me, I was working at the equivalent of TechCrunch in the Arab world, seeking a way to harness the tech sector, create a positive social impact, and make use of my languages. By then I had also met many Palestinians, and of course, there is no better way to let go of negative stereotypes than to meet the people they are about. I learned quickly that Palestinians are a hardworking, educated, and enterprising people--in fact, Palestinians are known throughout the Arab world for being leading businesspeople, the ones who built the oil sector in the Gulf. I called home my first week in Gaza and told my parents, "This place is more like Silicon Valley and Harvard than any other place I've been in my life." Google Visits Gaza--and Sees Its Potential Gaza Sky Geeks had been launched by Mercy Corps in 2011 with seed funding from Google.org, precisely because others from Silicon Valley had had a similar experience. Gisel Kordestani, Mary Grove, and other "Googlers" had been making their way around the world to conduct developer outreach. After several attempts in 2008 and 2009, they were able to enter Gaza (whose borders are almost entirely closed) thanks to Mercy Corps, which had access to Gaza through its humanitarian mandate. They were blown away. Later, they would still say that Palestinians had struck them as some of the most entrepreneurial, enthusiastic, resilient and adaptable yet isolated people in the world. Thus, Google.org donated nearly $1M to launch what was then called the Arab Developer Network Initiative. Its agenda was to stimulate tech and entrepreneurship in Gaza. By late 2013, when I joined, some of the start-ups that had been through our competitions were receiving seed investment offers from regional funds. Advertisement An Isolated Start-up Community It's December 2015. In two days, our start-ups will pitch at a competition in Jordan. This event is one of our top priorities for the year: run by a well-known Silicon Valley accelerator and one of our strongest partners, 500 Startups, it will draw both regional and international visibility. In addition, this is the first time this batch of start-ups will travel abroad. Back in November 2013, my team arranged for Gazans to travel to Jordan so our start-ups could meet with their potential investors. We had never previously taken our start-ups out of Gaza. I was called into an emergency meeting with the Israeli Defense Forces because all of the "Gaza exit permits" we had applied for had been turned down. I learned then that Gazans are not allowed to leave Gaza via the border with Israel, since Gaza and Israel are at an official state of war, unless they meet one of a select list of exceptions: they work for a humanitarian organization, they are ill and have permission to receive treatment in Israel, and so on. Since the border with Egypt is almost always closed and the border with Israel is open only to a select few, most of our start-up founders have never left Gaza before. This is their biggest challenge as founders: not power outages, not ongoing conflict, but rather, extreme isolation. My team and I asked the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) in 2013 to add Gaza Sky Geeks to their list of exceptions. After an internal review, they did, and our start-up Geeks started traveling to Jordan via Israel regularly, and from Jordan onwards to other parts of the Middle East, Europe, and so on. That border crossing became their lifeline. At the 500 Startups competition, one of our start-up Geeks received the second-place prize. His radiant face appears all over Twitter with pictures of a $5,000 check, Dave McClure, and a regional representative for Microsoft, the sponsor of the event. The winner was the same start-up founder who was pulled aside for a 12-hour IDF security interview a week earlier. "A start-up pitch must be easy in comparison to that security interview!", I think, smiling as I see his overjoyed expression. Advertisement During that same trip, our start-up founders went to a movie theater. For most of them, it was the first time in their lives. Founders also expressed surprise at the fact that Jordan has 24/7 electricity--a basic piece of knowledge they should all have, since Jordan constitutes a target or test market for most of them. Even Gazans who follow start-up trends online are clearly affected by the physical isolation. When I sent my Gazan start-up accelerator manager to Europe for the first time, in 2015, he came back telling me "big data is a new trend that is all the rage now!". This was the top start-up leader in Gaza, a man who regularly reads TechCrunch and other publications, and he was hearing about big data several years after it had been a buzzword in the United States. Gaza reminds me of my mother growing up in Poland, behind the Iron Curtain. She could not travel to the West because of her country's politics, not her own. When she received an orange or a banana, she would treasure it. When she would meet foreigners, she would soak in the experience, learning everything she could about what was happening elsewhere. Similarly, when I brought the first copy of The Lean Start-up to Gaza, my team members tenderly held the books as if they were precious. And the best way to accelerate their companies, I've learned, is to keep them as closely connected as possible to the outside world. Although access to the Internet in Gaza is quite open (unlike some parts of the world, such as China), knowledge simply does not transfer online as fluidly as we assume. Even in tech, the human-to-human connection is key. How to Give Birth to a Tech Sector in a Frontier Market The strategy of Gaza Sky Geeks has pivoted several times since our launch in mid-2011. For the first two years, we ran ad hoc tech training and activities to inspire potential entrepreneurs in a part of the world where the concept of launching a start-up was not widespread or encouraged. In 2014, we added a co-working space and a start-up acceleration program that included brokering seed investments for our start-ups with a set of investment partners. In 2015, we expanded our investor network, ran our first ever incubation program (a prerequisite for entering our acceleration program), and began exploring a second line of business, thus creating immediate employment opportunities for tech talent in Gaza via distance working, outsourcing, or freelancing (our pilot was with Microsoft). The key lesson during this evolution is that, while the quality of our local talent is high by regional standards, there is nevertheless a large gap between what students learn in college and what they will need to run a start-up successfully. Gaza's unemployment rate has skyrocketed since its borders closed. In 1999, it was 20%. In 2015, it was around 40% for the general population, and as high as 60% for the youth.3 This means that most potential start-up founders have never had any work experience. When I arrived in Gaza to launch our start-up accelerator in 2013, there were four start-up incubators already present, but as far as I could tell, nobody in Gaza had heard of lean start-up, minimum viable product, product management, or user acquisition. Advertisement Thus, we put our start-up teams through an intense period of knowledge transfer and experience before presenting them to our investment partners. During our "incubation," start-up teams went from idea stage to launching a minimum viable product (MVP). This development in our strategy is exemplified by our cornerstone annual event. Start-up Weekend is a three-day competition during which teams give birth to a start-up idea, and ideally, launch it. In the first year, we expected the winning team to depart with a viable start-up and thus awarded them $20,000. That is the size of a seed investment in the region, with the equivalent purchasing power of approximately $500,000 in Silicon Valley. At present, we view Startup Weekend as our outreach event. It is an opportunity to draw talent into our pipeline and influence others in Gaza to be working on start-ups. We give the winning team approximately $500 because we recognize that teams at that stage need a large investment of knowledge capital before they can make good use of financial capital. The challenge is that, in order to invest knowledge capital effectively, you need to have the right staff and strategy. The key word here is effectively. There are lots of humanitarian organizations and local universities offering training in places like Gaza. But to invest knowledge capital in a start-up team that has the potential to become a successful business, you need a staff that understands investments and the private sector. Only such staff can make effective decisions about whom to select for the knowledge-capital investment (i.e., the incubation program) and how to transfer that knowledge capital (i.e., what to teach and how). While we are still developing our own program, our traction so far has demonstrated that, with the right talent and strategy, the knowledge gap can be bridged sufficiently in a relatively short amount of time (six to 24 months). When I arrived at Gaza Sky Geeks, my manager tasked me with developing a business model for this work. Eventually I concluded what one of my best mentors would later confirm: building a start-up pipeline in an emerging market is not a for-profit business. We have developed several revenue streams and aim to recoup 20% of our costs. For instance, our investment partners are for-profit entities that invest in start-up teams directly and then pay us for our services in accelerating those start-ups. Nevertheless, the cost of inspiring and preparing potential start-up founders in Gaza will outweigh the revenue we are able to generate. As for equity, it is a numbers game that also takes time: we would need hundreds of start-up investments annually and a decade in order to reliably make a profit. Finally, a key component in our model of impact is influence, which does not necessarily generate revenue. For example, one sign we are doing our work well is that other incubators in Gaza have adopted our curriculum. Thus, planting the seeds of a tech sector in a new environment requires patient (philanthropic) capital. This is the education business, and just like Silicon Valley started with government grants decades before it created exponential job growth, entities such as Gaza Sky Geeks will need to exist for a decade or more before Gaza becomes the Silicon Strip. If we do not begin now, we will lose a whole generation of talent in environments such as Gaza. This will be a loss not only for their communities, but for ours as well--Silicon Valley needs their talent just as much as the Middle East does. Though our business model depends on philanthropic funding, it is still important to select our donors carefully--and here, the global tech, entrepreneurship, and private sectors are important partners. Our current funders include Google for Entrepreneurs, Microsoft, Techstars Foundation, Skoll Foundation, PalTel Group, Bank of Palestine, and Bayt.com. These private sector sources provide "smart money": they measure our success according to metrics that meaningfully guide our work, share curated and targeted networks of fantastic potential partners, and advise us by sharing insider tips or observations they have gathered through their deep experience. Their engagement expedites the success of tech entrepreneurship in frontier markets. In addition to those private-sector partners, our model relies heavily on partnerships with for-profit investors. We broker investments between them and our start-ups. Any investor can choose to make an offer to any start-up. I have learned that the potential for financial investment has to be there in order not only to motivate entrepreneurship, but also to ensure that our activities are rigorous and that they produce commercially viable start-ups. We shaped our incubation program at Gaza Sky Geeks after our first year of running an accelerator, because we then understood what our investors would be seeking. Without that experience, it is too easy for a "start-up incubator" in an emerging market to be launching glorified university-graduation projects. Advertisement How We Nurtured Women Start-up Founders Mariam Abulteiwi was a fourth-year computer-engineering student at a top university in Gaza, and she had never heard of start-ups. She attended our Startup Weekend in 2011 because she had heard Google was going to be there. When she returned to our next competition in 2012, she came prepared to pitch an idea. It was essentially an Uber before Uber was well-known. She kept working on the idea until she became the first female CEO in Gaza to close an investment for a start-up. Mariam had never planned to become the CEO of a business. Neither had Abeer al-Shaer. Abeer was studying computer engineering and English literature in 2015. Because she was ambitious, she was completing two sep- arate bachelor's degrees simultaneously, and planned to become a university lecturer or a teacher--the professions in which she had seen women. After completing the Gaza Sky Geeks incubation program, she said, "I now realize I was meant to be a CEO, or at least a manager. I love building things. If my start-up does not succeed, I'll get an MBA. By launching a company, I feel like I'm shaping society, not just observing it." When I arrived at Gaza Sky Geeks, approximately 25% of our participants--predominantly in our outreach activities--were women. This is high for the tech sector globally, but Google for Entrepreneurs challenged us to increase that even further. Through focus groups, we learned that women had no stigma with regards to science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) fields. Many women told me, "In the United States you think men are better in math and science? That's ridiculous. Most of the top students in those fields were girls when I was graduating from high school." We realized we had an advantage over some parts of the world and wanted to harness this opportunity to create one of the most inclusive tech sectors. We also felt a responsibility to do so since our tech sector was just being born, a blank slate. If we could successfully build it inclusively from the very beginning, we would not have the harder work of undoing bias later on. Advertisement Women were facing some barriers, however. They said they did not have the knowledge they needed to launch a start-up, which we interpreted as a lack of confidence since we saw that men with the exact same level of knowledge did not hesitate. This we have been addressing through regularly scheduled activities specifically targeting women. For example, when we ran an introduction to an Internet of Things (IoT) event for the general community, only a couple women attended amongst dozens of men. But when we ran an IoT event just for women, 40 attended eagerly and asked very intelligent questions. In addition to growing their knowledge, these events build a strong, supportive community of women who boost each other's confidence later in co-ed settings. Teaching English abroad actually changed my whole life. Honestly, I look at the things I like about my life today and can attribute almost all of them to my decision to each ESL abroad. I learned incredibly marketable skills, built a career path out of pretty much nothing and got to travel more within one year than I ever dreamed. So, in an effort to empower more people to take this leap and change their lives, I have decided to profile some pretty amazing programs that help people teach abroad. Taking the first step towards even understanding what TEFL (teaching English as a foreign language) is all about can be intimidating, let alone actually figuring out the step by step process. Maximo Nivel, a program specializing in training and placing ESL teachers, works to guide prospective teachers through the process. Not only do they provide a detailed guide of why teaching TEFL is beneficial, but they also lay out the answers to questions that have probably been on your mind. TEFL Certification Getting certified is typically the first step and can often be looked at like a hurdle or a deterrent. While there are plenty of TEFL certification options, Maximo Nivel actually offers one of their own. Through the program, students will learn: Teaching theories Advertisement ESL techniques Understanding the English language structure Understanding language skills and systems Classroom management skills Creating effective lesson plans Engaging and motivating ESL learners ESL teaching methodologies How to asses ESL learners' English levels Introduction to resources, tools and materials Introduction to international English exams like IELTS Career assistance and a job finding workshop In addition to all of these skills, students will receive a recognized accreditation, observation by experienced teachers, the chance to teach real ESL classes and constructive assessments. The entire experience goes well beyond learning as students will get to meet each other, live in close quarters and socialize in their time off. It's a great way to make connections in the industry. Finding a Job For those who have successfully completed the course and obtained the certification, there is usually a big feeling of relief and accomplishment. It's then that the next step sets in, one that often times can intimidate new teachers as well. Maximo Nivel stands by all of their students and actually works to place them in schools around the globe, taking out the worry and guess work for students. You may have heard horror stories of shabby living situations and schools that overwork their teachers, but by being placed through the program, you can be assured that you are getting quality schools. They offer a lifetime guarantee of help for their students which includes: Resume and CV preparation A list of language schools in the destination of your choosing Job boards and internet sites specializing in ESL positions Introduction to ESL recruiter partners Job offers and contract advice A reference letter Just their website alone holds enough information to ease your mind and get you started on your journey. Teaching English in Asia taught me a whole lot about myself and what I wanted and didn't want out of a career. I met friends from all over the world who I still visit with and talk to today. While I got my experience in China, I was able to use it to easily find teaching positions in Vietnam and Thailand too. My travels opened up and so did my career choices! Fashion can lead us to a cultural revolution where what we wear can be sustainable, with a story, representing our values and dreams. Simonetta Lein There are some people that you immediately feel are changing something. You sense their energy, you go trough their story and you know you are witnessing something as big as a dream. There is nothing more fascinating than seeing someone who dares to follow a wish and make it reality. Especially when a woman gives me that feeling, I feel particularly proud: her name is Ilaria Venturini Fendi. When you were a child, did you wish for the career and for the life that you have manifested today? Even when I was a child, I always thought I would live doing something related to nature. I liked to spend most of my time outdoors and I was happy when I could go with my father -a business man with a great love for the countryside- for long walks immersed in nature. Horse-back riding has always been my favorite sport and I had a horse that died at 30 years old, he was really important in my life. As far as I remember when I was little, I had never thought about being a designer or having a career in fashion. After my father died when I was ten years old, I started to spend more and more time with my mother in her atelier. All types of creative people were coming and going all day long and I started to become fascinated about her job. It seemed almost natural that at a certain point I will join her world. I studied design and then went to Paris for a internship at Chanel with Karl Lagerfeld. I then joined my family firm, Fendi, struggling and working hard, becoming first a Creative Director of Fendissime Accessories (at that time it was Fendi's young line) and later a Shoe Designer for Fendi. I was able to learn from the best and I am aware that it is the know-how I acquired thanks to the tradition of my family that enables me to do what I do today. Advertisement My career was full of exciting moments and great rewards. From my point of view it was also a sort of "golden age" of fashion, with great inspiration, incredibly clever creative people, and new challenges that made it exciting and innovative. However, I had two babies and started feeling the need for more time for myself, while the fashion system was beginning to change as well with me. Globalization was taking over and everything was becoming too accelerated and demanding. In fashion, more dates were introduced to the calendars, more shows, collections became outdated the very moment they were presented...It was frustrating to think that what you thought up, designed and created with such effort was doomed to be old news in six months. I have always loved my line of work, because there is nothing better than a creative job, but I was feeling that it no longer made sense if it had to be that way. I wanted to dedicate more time to my family and go horse-back riding over the weekends, enjoy nature, going for walks, breathing fresh air. For a long time I have been looking for a small, relaxing place near Rome that I could buy to keep my horse and make the old dream of owning my little piece of land come true. However I could never find what could fit in my dreams. Until I came across I Casali del Pino: the farm I decided was going to be mine the moment I first laid my eyes on it. It was the turning point of my life, the love at first sight with this piece of land just outside of Rome, forgotten and neglected for many years but preserved from urbanization because of its location in a green archaeological protected area. It gave me the enthusiasm and also the courage to leave my family company - that in the meantime had been sold to the French group LVMH - and start a new life. Advertisement I studied to become a farmer, and I immediately decided I wanted to do all organic agriculture, which took more than three years. I bought my own milking sheep - now there are more than a thousand of them - and I started to think of the renovation of rural buildings, that I wanted to be carried out with sustainable architectural solutions. Fashion seemed to be a beautiful but distant memory. During the long winters when the soil was regenerating and there wasn't much to do in the farm, I started to miss my old job, the thrill of creation, the excitement of making ideas become something real. When a friend of mine - president of an Italian NGO - engaged me in some projects for women's rights, he showed me a few bags created for their mission: a campaign against female genital mutilation. At that point I had the idea that those bags could be customized by adding different materials I had easily accessible. Some people are used to having their clothes custom made. Through the years I kept up the habit of having my bags made by some of the artisans I used to know. So I brought the bags to them and by adding scraps of fur, leather, pvc and other fabrics each bag became a one-of a kind masterpiece. I went to see another friend, Massimo Degli Effetti, he owns one of the best stores in Rome, and I asked him if he was interested in having some of these bags in his store. He took ten and they sold out right away. It was exactly like ten years ago, right before Christmas! I was also able to give the NGO a contribution made from the profits of the bags, this way we were all happy. I was the happiest because I understood that this could be my own way of not giving up fashion, of still being involved in a creative job that allows me to uphold my principles, expressing the person that in the meantime I had become. I merged my beliefs for a more sustainable world, in which the protection of the environment would join the idea of greater social justice in society. For my brand I chose a name that so many people found a bit strange and uncommon, but that I would never change because it expresses so much of myself: Carmina Campus, sounds Latin and it's a bit like "chants of the fields"... This is how I became equally passionate for creativity and nature, they both contributed in shaping my character, taste, education and attitude towards life. **I couldn't take my eyes off the page reading Ilaria's story, imagining dad and mom Fendi teaching her all that she knows, and realizing how much courage she had in exploring and reinventing herself, launching a brand that is a statement as a fashion invention and as a human message. Name a wish that you had for your life or for humanity that finally came true. Advertisement On a personal level, my dream has always been to have my own piece of land, and I feel lucky because it became a reality. But for humanity I am very worried because there's not much time left before the damage of climate change becomes irreversible. This would be a disaster for every individual and from all points of view, environmental, economic and social. For the future of humanity my wish has not come true...I do hope that since we are on the verge of a new era, in a moment of transitory but crucial change, people including my children, will be able to live in a better world, where the mistakes we have been making will be very quickly mended. If you were granted one wish for humanity or for our planet, what would it be? There are so many problems to solve and it's difficult to name just one: hunger, wars, depletion of resources, global warming, climate change... They are critical issues for the future of humanity, all related to each other, global and interconnected. They can no longer be dealt with separately, because it's not just a matter of keeping the world clean. You cannot think of creating development in poor countries if progress means making the same mistakes we have already made in developed countries, causing pollution, consuming resources, creating injustice. New models of development are needed. I wish I could finally see governments and people all united and focused on the real problems ** Ilaria had an important project in Africa, a part of her view about new models of sustainable development - that should also include the fashion industry. It all started because the first Carmina Campus bag was desined to promote a human rights campaign for women. This imprinting effected the whole concept, making the engagement in projects based on social utility a fundamental feature of the brand. A few months after the first Carmina Campus styles were designed, I took a trip to Cameroon, invited by a Cameroonian doctor and a team of researchers from the Tor Vergata University in Rome, with whom the doctor was collaborating on a project regarding honey and bees. To help improve their beekeeping techniques, Tor Vergata University asked me to collaborate, hosting some training sessions at my farm. I was later invited to Cameroon to see the results of this collaboration. When I was there I also met a community of women artisans and I thought I could start a working project for Carmina Campus with them. But in spite of the great enthusiasm and the good results in terms of creativity that I was having with semi-finished items (machine embroidery and other one-of-kind textile decors) used to enrich my special "made in Africa" line, the project was very hard to manage. Every time I left I was never sure of what I would find upon my return. I was emotionally involved but also felt frustrated in my attempts to create a long term, self sustaining working project, capable of becoming a successful trading enterprise. I realized I lacked the support of a reliable organization on site. The lesson I learnt is that in Africa you can't just improvise, problems can get worse instead of improving if you don't know the proper way to approach situations. It was very sad, but after three years of great effort I had to give up. I then accepted the invitation by the ITC, to continue my work in Africa moving to a hub located in Nairobi, Kenya. There, under the responsibility of Simone Cipriani, a community mostly made of disadvantaged women, was already manufacturing textile items. With the ITC I shared the same philosophy which can be summed up by the motto "Not charity, just work" (so often printed on my bags), that very well expresses the project's objective focused on the creation of job opportunities for future independent micro-entrepreneurs. I must stress the fact that this kind of initiative has nothing to do with de-localizing production in poor countries to make higher profits. I invested a lot in training, personally going back and forth several times during the year with my collaborators, creating video tutorials and providing all the possible support to increase the workers' know-how. They were guaranteed by the ITC fair labor working conditions and a social agenda (including free education and health care) available to all the workers' family members, thus multiplying the benefits of the program. According to the agency' reports on the project's impact, the women in the program have been actually able to significantly change their living conditions. My greatest satisfaction was to see how, thanks to this program, the workers were able to manufacture a Carmina Campus line entirely Made in Africa with materials that were locally sourced, even if not reused (because there is nothing to reclaim and reuse in Africa). I am also proud of the fact that my contribution to the project was not only my expertise, but also helped the African artisans to re-discover their innate skills and crafts, (too often lost as collateral side effects of "progress"). For instance, I encouraged them to express their creativity freely designing the machine embroidery that I used so often in some of my bags. **I am just mesmerized simply by reading about your adventures dear Ilaria, all the good you have done, the fact that you stayed true to yourself and contributed making a concrete impact on planet Earth. As a woman and a human being: THANK YOU. If you could go back in time and ask one question from anyone from history, who would you want to meet and what question would you ask? As it is often happens to women, I am fascinated by men of outstanding intelligence and Albert Einstein has always been an iconic reference for his incredible scientific contribution to knowledge. Love is the answer, is a sentence often attributed to him. If I could be so lucky to meet him today. I would like to ask him if he might eventually find an equation, a scientific approach, that could make this assertion become a mathematical result, that could solve all of humanity's problems. Advertisement Please tell me what influences your unique sense of style? My sense of style in my personal look is the fusion of my two worlds. I like to buy clothes of underground designers because I admire their cleverness, but my preferred outfit is jeans and boots. Regarding my designing style, I was born in a family that made me get accustomed to high quality manufacturing. My concept is to match this fundamental approach with my personal choice of materials - often poor and not specifically employed in the fashion industry - that are the special feature of Carmina Campus. Who is your favorite fashion designer or brand right now and why? I have always liked Japanese designers and I still do. In the rest of the fashion world right now there's such confusion that I can't say a I have a favorite brand or designer. Generally speaking I still see little awareness towards social and environmental problems, while fashion could do so much to be the vector of a cultural revolution and promote the idea of ethical fashion becoming the rule, not the exception. I have hopes and expectations for new, emerging designers. What is your fashion mantra? Save waste from waste. What I try to do with Carmina Campus is to show that wasted materials can possibly be turned into objects of design. Creating without destroying is something we need to learn. What is your final message for our readers? It's time to attribute different values to consumption goods if we still want to consume. Things should be beautiful but also good, we should be able to aspire to the same degree of aesthetics and ethics. To reach this objective, we must realize the power we have. We think that as individuals there's not much we can do to change this world because things are too big for us. Instead, acting from the bottom up, we gain a power that can really make the difference. Demand has the power to change things. Let's decide for our future. Thank you Ilaria for all that you have done, being an inspiration to women entrepreneurs, showing how fashion can make a difference. From the heart of fashion, thank you. Advertisement As always, make your wishes come true. From Philadelphia, Simonetta Lein The Celebrity Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh in The Present Photo: Joan Marcus There are explosives mixed in with the evening's fireworks, Cate Blanchett tells us midway through the first half of Andrew Upton's The Present at the Barrymore. Said fireworks indeed explode with a bang, but they are less explosive than the astounding Ms. Blanchett in her Broadway debut. This free adaptation of an early and not-quite-finished student play by Chekhov is a homegrown effort from the Sydney Theatre Company, an indication of the sort of fiery work Upton and Blanchett (who have been married since 1997) did during their recently-ended term as co-artistic directors. Three of Upton's other STC adaptations--Hedda Gabler, Uncle Vanya and Genet's The Maids--have made brief New York visits, thanks to Blanchett's star-power. Her presence in The Present makes it an instant event on Broadway; but the play and production are more than worthy, thank you very much. What's more, the excellence of the entire acting company of thirteen makes it abundantly clear why the U.S. producers went to the expense of importing them from Australia. Mikhail Platonov (Richard Roxburgh) is a somewhat worn and tattered woman-magnet; they are all after him over the course of Anna Petrovna's (Blanchett) fortieth birthday fete. During the evening, he cuckolds his two loyalest friends, and not entirely to anyone's surprise. Mikhail can't help it; even as he tries to drink himself into a stupor, all the vodka he swills can't stop the wives he is seducing from seducing him. Advertisement Richard Roxburgh (far left), Cate Blanchett (far right) and company in The Present Photo: Joan Marcus Chekhov (1860-04) never saw his first play produced, and it was lost until mysteriously appearing in 1923. (The Soviets apparently "rescued" it from the locked safe deposit box of Chekhov's surviving sister.) The material has been adapted into numerous versions in numerous languages, including two successful English adaptations. Platonov, adapted by Dmitri Makaroff, was presented at the Royal Court in 1960 starring the post-My Fair Lady Rex Harrison and his own fair lady at the time, Rachel Roberts. And in 1984, the accomplished Michael Frayn (of Noises Off) worked the material into Wild Honey, which starred Ian McKellan as Platonov. The latter was highly successful at the National Theatre in London, but very much a fizzle on Broadway in 1986 at what is now the August Wilson Theatre. David Hare also did an adaptation in 2001, which was revived last year at the National. Memories of the U.S. production of Wild Honey provide an instant observation. McKellen was supreme in the Frayn play, with the four women slipping in and out of the central spotlight. In Upton's hands, though, Anna shares (or perhaps even commands) full attention. While Platonov is the prize, Anna seems to be directing the amours; in her hands, these are liaisons far more dangereuses than the ones in the recent revival of the Christopher Hampton play at the Booth. Advertisement This works capitally well in Upton's adaptation, which he has transplanted to the era of the oligarchs in the mid '90s. Blanchett's Anna takes the honors of the evening, with Roxburgh a close second. (In Wild Honey--at least, in the U.S. production--Anna was so secondary that I can't even tell you who played the role, although the Internet reveals it was Kathryn Walker. The only performance I recall, other than that of the star, was Kate Burton as McKellen's wife Sasha.) Let us say, straight out, that Blanchett--with her two Oscars--makes it instantly clear that she is a creature of the stage. She is in full control, even when she is seemingly sitting silently. Her face, when she smiles, lights up like a beacon; when merely thinking or observing the others, she can be lethal. (There is a scene--just before she springs into action--during which she quietly and unobtrusively removes her bra. As unobtrusively as you can, with 1,100 sets of eyes glued to your every breath.) Richard Roxburgh in The Present Photo: Joan Marcus Australian film and stage star Roxburgh is perfectly marvelous as the Lothario gone to seed. The others are all fine, especially Jacqueline McKenzie (as one of Mikhail's former lovers) and Anna Bamford (as a new one). Toby Schmitz and Chris Ryan add to the fun as the ineffective young husbands. Director John Crowley (who visited Broadway with The Pillowman and A Behanding in Spokane) keeps the play moving rapidly through its almost three-hour running time. Your attention is unlikely to lag, not with Blanchett, Roxburgh and this group. The United Nations Security Council votes on a resolution on monitoring evacuations from besieged parts of Aleppo. Andrew Kelly/Reuters The year 2017 opens on a world laid to waste. Some areas are littered with mass graves. For future historians, 2016 will be seen as a turning point in human history, one of those times when the world teeters on a precipice. Despite the cataclysmic risks of the Cold War, times have not been as dangerous as these since 1945. Freedom and the rule of law are under threat. Now, more than ever, we need principled leaders with an understanding of history. Advertisement Donald Trump will take office on January 20. His election tips us into the unknown and ushers in a new political era. It comes at a time when the ultimate aim of Vladimir Putin's Russia -- our biggest, multifaceted threat -- is to upend the world order. Trump's election also accelerates the downward spiral of democracies, crumbling under the weight of their own demons. Meanwhile, on the international stage, a new reality is taking shape: war is called peace, a bloody victory is a step towards reconciliation, and a terrorist regime is a legitimate power. In this context, the basic principles of democratic life in both Europe and the U.S. -- truth, fact-based reality, justice and the rule of law -- are being gradually eroded with the help of a foreign power. While it may seem necessary to extrapolate the trends observed over the course of 2016 (and this doesn't take long), the most important thing is to understand what might steer us towards a more secure world order, where respect for the rule of law and for international bodies are granted their proper place. Advertisement We could go for a sombre scenario but there are reasons for hope as well. 1. A new equilibrium As 2017 begins, Russia is dominating the world order. Throughout 2016, Moscow appeared to set the international relations agenda. First of all in Syria, by imposing a ceasefire designed to lead to a peace agreement(after it had ravaged the country indirectly, then directly). In Turkey, Moscow managed to bring about the reversal of an alliance. In the United States, it contributed to the election of its preferred president. And, at the United Nations, it has consistently hindered the Security Council. But this trend can be reversed in 2017. Upcoming elections in Europe -- particularly in France, maybe Germany and, outside the EU, Serbia -- could see the defeat of candidates who are soft on Russia. Russian cyber-attacks and pervasive propaganda could have the unintended effect of turning international opinion against Moscow. New cyberattacks in the United States that would affect the lives of US citizens could also render Trump's pro-Russian position untenable. Kena Betancur/AFP 2. China as a moderating influence In the South China Sea, Beijing -- which tends to behave rationally and seek long-term consensus -- may decide that the best response to a more aggressive America is moderation. Trump's intention to bury the Trans-Pacific Partnership could compel China to bolster its agreements with countries in the region and attempt to appease them in order to dissuade them from turning to the United States or seek closer cooperation with Moscow. Advertisement While it has been hesitant to take up a fully active role on the international stage, the Chinese government may attempt to assert itself within international organizations, especially the UN, where it has largely let other countries take the lead. Concern in the region regarding this new era in American politics, along with rising doubts about the US's role as a peacekeeper, provide Beijing with an excellent opportunity. In addition, China still has commercial and financial means (although more limited) to put pressure on the United States, and a Trump administration may well come to realise that it is not in America's best interest to create lasting conflict with China. All things considered, China is in a unique position to act. 3. Europe resists European powers may choose to find strength in their union. Brought together by the need to combat those who threaten fundamental European values, Paris, Berlin, Rome and the Benelux countries could launch new initiatives to bring about real European cooperation. Beyond a French-German initiative to reinforce European security, the EU could come together to fight Russian disinformation aiming to undermine their values. Implementing measures that would go beyond the strictly technical and be backed up by increased resources, leaders would feel the need to better communicate with the general public on the relationship between principles, policies and the current geopolitical threat. Advertisement In this scenario, Europe would adopt a firmer stance towards countries such as Hungary and Poland, which are currently set on an illiberal course. In this context, Europe would also maintain, and regularly renew, sanctions against Russia. The European council would appoint a leading candidate to preside over its affairs. Over the course of 2017, several concrete steps would at last be taken towards reinforcing European security, in direct cooperation with NATO, setting aside questions about the future of the organisation. 4. Respite in the Middle East In the Middle East, increased tensions between Turkey and Iran regarding Syria, pressure from Europe for the removal of Bashar al-Assad, and renewed concern about Tehran's regional influence the US would lead European countries and the coalition of states fighting the Islamic State in Iraq to regain some measure of control and bring about a political transition in Damascus. This of course would rely on removing Assad from power and installing a transitional government. In the meantime, the US and Europe, witnessing the lack of serious anti-terror action on the part of Russia, would agree to step up the fight against Islamic State, by taking back Raqqa, the so-called capital of Islamic terrorism. This would be a strong symbolic victory. At the same time, the liberation of Mosul and increased pressure from the United States and Europe for a more stable government in Iraq could provide the region with relative stability. Finally, angered by Russian indulgence towards Iran, Ankara could reaffirm its commitment to NATO and water down its repressive internal politics. Advertisement As for Iran, under pressure from both Europe and the US to withdraw forces from Syria and Iraq, abandoned by Hamas in Palestine and seeking the preservation of its nuclear agreement, it would finally agree to the removal of Assad in exchange for guarantees concerning the representation and protection of the Alawite minority. From resilience to resistance These four scenarios are not leaps of faith, nor are they baseless utopias. Their aim is to outline a path to action. For now, the world's democracies have held strong and firm in the face of terrorist attacks - this is resilience. But some are now preparing for resistance and even dissidence. If we want any of these scenarios to become a reality, even in part, we must understand the four points below: Don Emmert/AFP First of all, internal and external issues are more linked than ever. The fight for the rule of law, human rights, democracy, truth, justice and freedom within nation states is tied to that same combat internationally. This must now be understood, which explains why the way we intend to deal with Russia is so fundamentally important. Next, we need to be guided by historical precedent, while keeping in mind what is unique to each era. It is clear that dark times are once again upon us, and we can see some common patterns emerging, at least from our own subjective perspectives, with what Stefan Zweig described as "The World of Yesterday". Hannah Arendt also wrote about the way in which totalitarian regimes use lies and subvert the concepts of true and false, of good and evil. Total destruction was used as a military tactic in Aleppo and, on this front, it has rightly been compared to Grozny. However, current modes of information and disinformation are different; the threat to free thought and freedom may be greater than anticipated. The disconnect between the flagrant abominations being committed practically live-to-air and the lack of response also has devastating consequences for our democracies, their credibility and for common sense. This situation must be examined carefully. Advertisement We must neither underestimate nor overestimate France's role in world affairs, and we must understand the consequences of a possible change in our country's position. Recently, in New York, the chief economist of a large ratings agency confirmed my fears: he and some of his colleagues believe that France is the main risk factor in Europe in 2017, greater than Brexit and the uncertain situation in Italy. Should France turns toward Russia, two potential dangers may manifest: Europe could withdraw from any intervention in the Ukraine -- despite the fact that the Maidan revolution was fought in the name of European values -- since Germany may no longer be able to defend its stance alone. For the same reason, Europe would also step back from Middle Eastern affairs. This would mean a lasting weakening of Europe's position, because Paris would no longer be willing to support the European project alongside Berlin. This would of course lead to an undermining of the power of the UN Security Council. Finally, the United States -- and all other Western countries -- must face up to the issue of institutional resilience. My recent conversations in Washington revealed this to be the major unknown, and theories varied widely. The role of Congress in moderating the Trump presidency will be the first test of American institutional strength. Both in Europe (especially in the United Kingdom, following the Brexit vote) and across the Atlantic, this question should not be left to parliaments, but to political parties, civil society and the intellectual sphere. Should these institutions find themselves unable to take a stand and act according to global interests and basic values, there is no reason why 2017 should not continue in the same vein as 2016, and the consequences may be irreversible. By Peter Kozodoy Sad as it is to admit, Wells Fargo's accounts scandal came at a fortuitous time, just as a Republican takeover bolstered stock prices across the entire financial sector. On Sept. 8, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, L.A. City Attorney and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency fined the bank $185 million for opening millions of customer accounts without their consent or knowledge, marking the beginning of a PR nightmare. On that beginning date, Wells Fargo's stock (WFC) closed at $49.90. To Wells Fargo's credit, it acted swiftly and decisively by being honest about its transgressions. However, unfortunately for former-CEO John G. Stumpf, none of those actions were enough to save his job. I argue that the reason Stumpf had to step down is because of a framework I call the "inverse triangle." Imagine a segmented triangle. At the top you have executives, then managers, then employees -- and at the bottom, customers. Before the internet and information transparency, executives at the top possessed all of the relevant organizational knowledge. They pushed their vision down through the ranks of the organizational structure and out into the world through its customers. Now, however, executives no longer have a proprietary hold on information. With the internet, everyone has access to this information. In this new scenario, the triangle is reversed -- customers are on top, and executives at the bottom. With this new reality, executives have a new role: to listen, learn and relay the information they receive to ensure that the organization continues to move forward in alignment with its core values. Advertisement This kind of transparency is what we all expect out of businesses in the 21st century; therefore, whether Stumpf knew or didn't know about the scandal, there was no way for him to win. To that end, here are two essential takeaways from Wells Fargo's accounts scandal that all executives should consider: 1. In a world with information transparency, no one can hide behind the excuse of not knowing -- especially the CEO. All C-suite executives must make it their sole job function to both absorb information from every layer of the corporation and ensure that communication is flowing freely throughout the organization. Then, and only then, can executives make sure that their organizations reflect the right values -- values that will prevent a scandal from happening in the first place. Advertisement 2. In a more educated and transparent world, it's better to ask for permission than forgiveness. In the past, executives had a fighting chance at getting away with asking for forgiveness for unethical business practices. Today, Stumpf is the first of many executives who will prove that unscrupulous practices of any kind will be a career-killer. Consumers are now simply too intelligent, too savvy and too distrusting of institutions to have the proverbial wool pulled over their eyes. When corporations misstep, the public's reaction will only continue to be brutal, particularly in the wake of the still-recent financial meltdown. Ultimately, the twin core values of honesty and transparency are here to stay, and successful executives must strictly adhere to those pillars if they want to survive. By A. E. Colas, ZEALnyc Contributing Writer, January 9, 2017 New Year's resolutions are a great idea. You say to yourself, "It's going to be different this year -- I'm ready for a change!" We're now a week into the new year and you're finding yourself falling back into old patterns and nothing new is happening. Well ZEALnyc understands your dilemma and we're offering some very simple ideas that can still get your 2017 off to a terrific start. Resolution 1: In 2017, I'd like to dress better. Head on over to The Museum at FIT (the downtown fashion institute) and see Black Fashion Designers, an exhibit that will give you just the inspiration you need. This exhibition, which is curated by Ariele Elia and Elizabeth Way, may also keep you from making some mistakes in judgement before hitting the post holiday sales. The exhibition runs through May 16th. For more information click here. Resolution 2: This year, I should really learn something more about New York City. Through February 26, you can learn about the city's role in creating a place for the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender communities during the 20th century. The Museum of the City of New York's exhibit Gay Gotham explains how much of the work in the arts of the United States we accept as classic examples today were created by these visionaries who also just happened to be non-heterosexual. For more information click here. Advertisement Resolution 3: I want learn how artists make work that is relevant to the world around them. In the 1970's many artists chose to focus exclusively on social issues of the day. The Studio Museum in Harlem has a powerful exhibit called Circa 1970 displaying these pieces in various media. Consider how this past year has looked in terms of artistic achievement and compare it to that earlier time. The exhibition runs through March 5, and if you haven't been before, it affords a great opportunity to take in this museum, founded in 1968 "...for the dynamic exchange of ideas about art and society." The Studio Museum in Harlem is on 125th Street, just east of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard. For more information click here. Resolution 4: I should waste less and recycle more. Through April 16, see how designers and business owners handle the issues of waste and reuse at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. Scraps: Fashion, Textiles, and Creative Reuse shows that through innovative thinking and practice, waste at all levels of production can be reduced to near zero. It will definitely help you remember to take your own worn out textiles to the recycle locations at farmers' markets around the city. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum is on Fifth Avenue at 91st Street. For more information click here. Resolution 5: I want to appreciate the finer things in life. Visit the Frick Collection's exhibit of Pierre Gouthiere: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court through February 19 and marvel at the skills used to create objects that decorated the court residences of the kings of France. Then go home and look at your chipped Ikea furniture. For more information click here. Resolution 6: I need to do more to support conservation issues. Anybody can go scuba diving and see coral reefs in all their glory. But it takes a creative mind to actually make a coral reef replica (in crochet, no less) and get it displayed in a museum. Visit the Museum of Arts and Design at 2 Columbus Circle to see Crochet Coral Reef: TOXIC SEAS and admire the craftsmanship. This exhibition, a product of sisters Margaret and Christine Wertheim and their Institute for Figuring, runs through January 22. For more information click here. Then text a few bucks to a reputable conservation charity. Advertisement Resolution 7: I should travel. Then start your journey at The Rubin Museum of Art and their exhibit Masterworks of Himalayan Art. Among other things, you can go on a virtual pilgrimage to Mount Wutai, a sacred site in Buddhist teaching, located in Northern China. Start a bank account for travel with automatic deposits from your paycheck. The Rubin Museum of Art is off Seventh Avenue at 17th Street. This exhibition runs through February 6. For more information click here. Resolution 8: I want to learn from the best. Take a trip out to Queens to see the exhibit Martin Scorsese at the Museum of the Moving Image. The memorabilia from childhood to his work on such classic films as Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and Gangs of New York, to name just a few, is impressive and gives insight into the creative process of this giant of American cinema. After you're done, go see his new film Silence. The museum is at 36-01 35 Avenue in Astoria, and is easily accessible by the R/M and N/W subway lines. The exhibition runs through April 23. For more information click here. _______________________________ A. E. Colas, a Contributing Writer for ZEALnyc, writes about art and museum exhibits, as well as lifestyle features. For more features from ZEALnyc read: Hutchinson contracts with a collection agency for unpaid utility bills Contract with Topeka-based collector could double collections on unpaid city bills, but it will significantly increase cost for debtors Albania's Constitutional Court upheld a law to vet judges and prosecutors for possible corruption, rejecting an appeal from opposition parties. The ruling handed down on December 22nd enforces legislation to reform Albanias judicial system. Albanias Prime Minister Edi Rama said it is now time to see the law go into action. In particular, the vetting law, provides investigative bodies to scrutinize judges and prosecutors for conflicts of interest and possible corruption. The European Union praised Albanias high court ruling and called upon Albanian authorities to swiftly implement the new law. This is essential for the advancement of Albania's EU-accession process and long-awaited by the Albanian citizens, the delegation of the European Union to Albania said in a statement on December 23rd. In a statement, the U.S. Embassy in Tirana welcomed the Constitutional Courts ruling on the vetting law.For its part, the United States calls on all political parties to respect the decision of the Court.The U.S. also urges Albanias leaders to work swiftly to implement all of the historic reforms of Albanias justice system. A meaningful reform that rids the judicial system of corrupt judges and prosecutors enjoys widespread public support and is a top priority for the United States in Albania. Alibaba Eyes Billboard, Hollywood Reporter Aquistion As Another Key Editor Exits Just weeks ago, the Hollywood Reporter and Billboard Media Group acquired SpinMedias music assets Spin, Vibe and Stereogum. Now comes word that it may itself be acquired by Chinese based conglomerate Alibaba. _____________________________________ Last summer rumors circulated that Eldridge Industries, the owner of music industry trade Billboard Magazine, TV production company Dick Clark Productions and The Hollywood Reporter had hired investment bankers Moelis & Co and Goldman Sachs Group to carry out a review of its media holdings in advance of a possible sale. In the Fall, Chinese conglomerate Alibaba acquired Dick Clark Productions. Now Alibaba is rumored to be eyeing Billboard and the Hollywood Reporter, insiders tell Hits. Alibaba has said that it will invest $7.2 billion in media acquisitions over the next few years. Owning key trades publications for both music and film would offer highly visible cornerstones. Meanwhile, another key staffer has exited Billboard. Editor Andrew Flanigan tweeted on Friday that he was exited for a position at NPR. Last month, Ray Waddell left Billboard after 30 years for a post running a touring trade at Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff's recently launched Oak View Group. Top Billboard analyst Glen Peoples left the magazine earlier in the year to become a data journalist for Pandora. Personal news: Today's my last as an editor for @billboard, and I am very sad to say goodbye to all my friends there Andrew Flanagan (@philouza) January 6, 2017 MORE: Billboard Magazine, Hollywood Reporter 'Hemorrhaging Cash' As Owners Explore Sale Share on: Two Lloyds underwriters have partnered in a reciprocal capacity arrangement, in which they delegate authority to underwrite property schedules on behalf of each other.In a company statement, ICAT Syndicate 4242 said that it has entered into an expanded partnership with Neon. Both agencies are Lloyds underwriters.ICAT is a leading property underwriter with catastrophe exposure, while Neon is focused on specialist products.Under the arrangement, Neon can offer up to $40 million per account on properties underwritten from its Bermuda office. In addition, ICAT grants authority to Neon to underwrite larger property schedules.The agreement is an expansion of an existing partnership in which Neon delegates authority to ICAT through an arrangement where Neon is one of a panel of insurers that provides up to $150 million per risk capacity to the latter.According to the statement, ICAT views the partnership as a step in diversifying its portfolio towards externally underwritten short-tail businesses. The company reports that it is on track to write $172 million general weighted premiums for 2016.For its part, Neon said that the company is focused on writing direct and facultative property insurance for the global market and has plans to launch new product lines to expand its Bermuda presence. A New Jersey administrative law judge promulgated a decision that could set the precedent for insurance coverage for medical marijuana in the state.Judge Ingrid L. French ruled in favor of Egg Harbor Township resident Andrew Watson who sought reimbursement for marijuana he purchased from a dispensary for three months in an Atlantic County Township.According to local media outlet philly.com, the ruling was based on testimony from Watson and a Cherry Hill neuro-psychiatrist who argued that marijuana treatment was appropriate for the patient since it would reduce his use of opiate prescription and reduce the risk of serious side effects.Watson suffers from neuropathic pain as a result of an accident while he was using a power saw in an 84 Lumber outlet in 2008.Judge French said in her opinion, the evidence presented in these proceedings show that the petitioners trial use of medicinal marijuana has been successful. While the court is sensitive to the controversy surrounding the medicinal use of marijuana, whether or not it should be prescribed for a patient in a state where it is legal to prescribe it is a medical decision that is within the boundaries of the laws in the state. The clampdown on insurance fraud has reached state level with a taskforce in Indianapolis helping to convict eight people.The Indiana Department of Workforce Development commented that its taskforce examined claims from those who appeared to have underreported information or provided false information relating to claim benefits.As a result of its investigations, state officials found eight people guilty of insurance fraud.A report in the Daily Progress revealed that one of the people convicted was a woman from Richmond who was given two years of jail time along with six years of probation and ordered to repay more than $32,000 for the benefits authorities allege she collected fraudulently.Meanwhile, in another example, a man from Bedford was sentenced to three years of probation and also ordered to repay close to $16,000 for benefits he is reported to have collected fraudulently. Clarksburg School Building Committee to See Plans CLARKSBURG, Mass. Design proposals for the school renovation project will be unveiled this week. Superintendent Jonathan Lev told the School Committee this past Thursday that he and Principal Tara Barnes were to meet with the project manager Friday and get a first look at some possible plans for the project. "We should be getting our first looks at some possible schemes they came up with," Lev said. "Things are continuing to move and it will be exciting to see what some of their ideas are for our project." The school district is working with designer Jones Whitsett Architects on a feasibility study approved last year by town meeting. The design firm, which had done initial work about a decade ago, was reviewing options for renovation, additions or a new school based on the district's needs and resources. School Building Committee will get to see the proposals at its Jan. 12 meeting to provide the architect and Brian Laroche of Potomac Capital Advisors, the owner's project manager, with feedback. Lev said the education plan for the building is also nearing completion. In other business, the committee agreed to reimburse the school music teacher $500 for a professional licensing course he is taking. Each week the music teacher spends two days in Clarksburg, two days in Florida and one day in Rowe. Each school district has agreed to reimburse the music teacher for the $2,500 yearlong course. Lev said normally teachers would be reimbursed up to $450 for a single course three times a year. He said they can also apply for additional funding for more courses. MCLA students volunteer in the community in 2012. MCLA Recognized for Community Service NORTH ADAMS, Mass. In recognition of its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts recently was named to the 2016 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll by the Corporation for National and Community Service. MCLA President James F. Birge said the college is pleased to be recognized for the community service that students, faculty and staff engage in throughout the year. "MCLA has a long history of volunteer service," Birge said. "Whether it's volunteer work, civic engagement or service-learning in the community, or even beyond the Berkshires, these efforts prepare our students to be future leaders as they continue to live lives of responsible citizenship." According to Spencer Moser, director of MCLA's Center for Service and Citizenship, the college's inclusion on the 2016 President's Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll is a reflection of the thoughtful and strong partnerships that the campus has with organizations throughout the community. "MCLA's civic engagement program addresses pressing local needs that range across the socio-economic spectrum," Moser said. "This acknowledgment by the Corporation for National and Community Service recognizes the powerful and passionate abilities of MCLA students to leverage their academic experience toward a larger, positive social good. It's also an external validation of the important and strong civic engagement accomplishments of MCLA. We are very proud of that." Page Content Montreal, 9 January 2017 The leaders of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) have expressed their strong condemnation of the shootings at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, USA, and their deep condolences for the families of the victims of the tragic assault. The civil aviation community works diligently with States to keep our global network and its billions of passengers safe, during all phases of their journeys, and we are deeply saddened by the loss of life in Fort Lauderdale in the aftermath of this tragic assault, remarked ICAO Council President Dr. Olumuyiwa Benard Aliu. Our thoughts and sympathies today are with the victims and their families, added ICAO Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu. ICAO is continuing to seek practical and effective solutions for reinforcing landside security measures at airports. ICAO maintains international security provisions for both airside and landside airport terminal areas. Resources for Editors ICAO Security and Facilitation Website About ICAO A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States. Contacts Anthony Philbin Chief, Communications aphilbin@icao.int +1 514-954-8220 +1 438-402-8886 (mobile) Twitter: @ICAO William Raillant-Clark Communications Officer wraillantclark@icao.int +1 514-954-6705 +1 514-409-0705 (mobile) Twitter: @wraillantclark The United States Agency for International Development, or USAID, will provide $227.3 million in additional developmental assistance to support the five-year $2.3 billion agreement signed with the Nigerian Government in 2015. The aid package brings the total provided under the agreement to $702 million. The new funding will continue to help Nigeria reduce extreme poverty by stimulating economic growth, promoting a healthier, more-educated population, and strengthening good governance. We are pleased to announce new funding under the agreement signed with the Nigerian Government in 2015 to provide better access to education and health services and promote democracy and economic growth said U.S. Ambassador Stuart Symington.With the Nigerian Governments leadership, we know this funding will significantly improve the wellbeing of Nigerians, he added. In addition to development assistance funding, the United States is providing humanitarian aid to people affected by the ongoing conflict and severe food insecurity in northeastern Nigeria and throughout the Lake Chad Basin.The United States has provided more than $291 million in humanitarian assistance since fiscal year 2016 and continues to be the single largest bilateral humanitarian donor to the region. USAID partners to end extreme poverty and promote resilient, democratic societies while advancing American security and prosperity. In its partnership with Nigeria, the United States strengthens social stability through social services, supports transparent and accountable governance, promotes a more market led economy, and enhances Nigerias capacity as a responsible regional and trade partner. The United States is proud to work with Nigeria to promote the prosperity of the people of Nigeria and the African region. The Tropical Forest Conservation Act Kalimantan, or TFCA Kalimantan, a partnership program among the United States Government, the Government of Indonesia, The Nature Conservancy and the Yayasan World Wide Fund for Nature -Indonesia has recently approved 14 new grants worth $3.3 million to local Indonesian non-governmental organizations. These NGOs will work with forest-dependent communities to conserve tropical forests, protect natural resources and wildlife, and improve livelihoods. This is the third cycle of the $28.5 million planned investment in forest conservation efforts in Kalimantan under the TFCA. This debt-for-nature swap agreement, signed in 2011, promotes sustainable forest resource management, biodiversity conservation, and community development. The cooperating Indonesian NGOs will implement 14 projects in East, West, and Central Kalimantan. The newly approved projects will provide incentives for forest-dependent communities to conserve tropical forests by improving local livelihoods, focusing in areas such as community development, conflict resolution in forest management, and ecotourism. Some of the projects will also support conservation efforts of near-extinct animals in Kalimantan, including rhinoceros, Irrawaddy dolphins, and orangutans. Since 2009, the United States Government has worked with the Government of Indonesia to support its forest conservation efforts. Under three TFCA agreements, Indonesias debt payments are reduced in exchange for activities that conserve tropical forests in Sumatra and Kalimantan. These activities build strong foundations for local involvement in biodiversity protection, sustainable use, and conservation policy-making. The TFCA Kalimantan agreement is administered by the Kehati Foundation. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Mark Clark said, The United States is proud to work with Indonesia and our partners to conserve some of the worlds most diverse tropical rain forest through a debt-for-nature swap. Protecting the forest helps conserve the worlds rich biodiversity, and preserves the ability of forests to sustain livelihoods for local residents. Struggling with an Addiction? Whether you're struggling with an addiction, becoming sober, or further along your recovery journey, learning the facts about addiction can be an valuable step in the process. Get started here. The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers. To unlock this article: Jan. 6 Christopher P. Estella, 31, of Elko was arrested at West Sage and Elm streets for operating an unregistered vehicle, trailer, or semi; not having proof of insurance; possession of a controlled substance; possession to sell a controlled substance; owning or possessing a gun by a prohibited person; use or possession of drug paraphernalia; and trafficking a controlled substance. Bail: $56,575. _____ Saxon R. Atkins, 30, of Elko was arrested at 1710 Sagebrush St. on a tribal arrest. Bail: $1,000 _____ Rufus C. Gray, 39, of Kansas City, Missouri, was arrested at 821 Water St. for disturbing the peace. Bail: $355 _____ Lisa K. King, 44, of Elko was arrested at Northeastern Nevada Regional Hospital for disturbing the peace. Bail: $355 _____ Hugo A. Rincon-Caracoza, 21, of Elko was arrested on Lamoille Highway at mile marker 1 for driving with a revoked drivers license for driving under the influence. Bail: $1,140 _____ KC J. Valdez, 44, of West Wendover was arrested at 680 Wendover Blvd. on a warrant for two counts of failure to appear after bail on a misdemeanor crime. Bail: $2,260 _____ Hailee R. Wedlund, 20, of Elko was arrested on Idaho Street and East Jennings Way on a warrant for two counts of failure to appear on after bail on a misdemeanor crime; possession of a hypodermic device; being a minor purchasing or consuming an alcoholic beverage. Bail: $8,682 Imperial Valley News Center Suspect Arrested in Guadalajara Washington, DC - Secretary of State John Kerry: "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I want to thank the Government of Mexico for their swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our Foreign Service Officer colleague in Guadalajara, Mexico. "The safety and security of U.S. citizens and our diplomatic staff overseas are among our highest priorities. My thoughts and prayers remain with this officer and his family during this difficult time. I wish him a speedy recovery." This Isnt Our Last Love Letter Dear Don Don, Way back in 92 I walked into the room and knew Never felt this way before I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes And the feeling grew As I took a seat I knew A love that would have my heart Forever I knew Way back in 92 They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true We were the exception to that rule Our love had no where to hide A spark set fire As if this is how the universe started I never doubted our love or what we could do Together we grew Forming a bond everlasting That became our glue My euphoria was YOU Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared For how fortunate we were : to have and to hold through sickness and in health Til death do us part Until we are together again This isnt our last love letter I love you with all my heart and soul Yours forever, Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow) Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus. A True American Hero I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus. I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years. I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years. But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us. In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about. Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle. I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life. I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life. No one will ever do what he did. I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO David Jurist IMUS IN THE MORNING FIRST DAY BACK! 'You Are a Saint, Brother': US Paraglider Rescues Woman Stuck on Top of Submerged Car Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A massive artwork is being unveiled in the centre of Hull - the latest spectacular contribution to the city's UK City of Culture programme. A 250ft-long (75m) wind turbine blade is being erected in Queen Victoria Square, between the Ferens Art Gallery, City Hall and the Maritime Museum. Blade has been commissioned from multimedia artist Nayan Kulkarni and created by workers at the Siemens factory in Hull. Organisers say the B75 rotor blades are the world's largest handmade fibreglass components to be cast as a single object and the one being placed into the centre of Hull is one of the first to be made by workers at the German tech giant's new plant on Alexandra Dock. Blade will bisect the square and rise to more than 16ft (5m) at its tip. This will allow the city's double-decker buses to pass underneath it. A complex logistical plan has been put in place to move the 28-tonne Blade into place in the heart of the busy city in the early hours of Sunday morning. More than 50 items of street furniture, including traffic lights and lamp posts, have had to removed to facilitate its journey into the city centre. Nayan Kulkarni said: "This ready made artwork, 75 metres long, will divide the square forming a temporary impediment to a free flow. "Carefully positioned it will force us to drift around its arabesque edges, our sight taking the place of the breeze. The twisting wing although inert and at rest in the street, speaks of movement, but not of freedom." The work drives home the links between cultural events planned for Hull 2017 and the economic transformation of the city. Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Show all 7 1 /7 Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A visitor explores 'A Showroom for Granby Workshop' by Assemble during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A visitor looks at a part of the work entitled 'DOUG' by artist Janice Kerbel during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A picture shows tiles and panels displayed in looks through 'A Showroom for Granby Workshop' by Assemble during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A visitor looks at a part of the work entitled 'DOUG' by artist Janice Kerbel during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A picture shows an 'untitled chair' part of an installation by artist Nicole Wermers during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 Artists Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel, Nicole Wermers and (L-R top row) Lewis Jones, Amica Dall and Fran Edgerley of Assemble, a multi-disciplinary collective working across architecture, design and art, pose during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow, Scotland Getty Images Turner Prize exhibition 2015 Turner Prize show 2015 A woman looks at a video installation which makes up part of the work 'Patterns' by artist Bonnie Camplin during a photo call for the 2015 Turner Prize short list nominations announcement at The Tramway art space in Glasgow Getty Images Organisers and civic leaders have consistently used the 300 million investment by Siemens in its state-of-the-art offshore wind manufacturing plant as a symbol for the city's economic resurgence. Siemens UK Chief Executive Juergen Maier said: "This collaboration reflects our desire to make a positive impact as a Hull UK City of Culture 2017 Major Partner. "Blade brings to life the engineering and manufacturing excellence of which we are so proud and makes it tangible for the people of Hull and visitors to the city. Mr Maier added: "When people see our blades close up they often comment on how beautifully crafted they are. This installation will enable many thousands of people to appreciate that beauty and scale, in the very heart of the city." Thousands of people turned out on New Year's Day to celebrate the start of Hull's year-long tenure as UK City of Culture 2017. More than 25,000 people packed on to the city's marina and lined the bank of the Humber for a spectacular fireworks display and crowds flocked to the city centre to visit Made In Hull - a city-wide, week-long, free installation by artists, telling the story of Hull and its people over the last 70 years. Made In Hull, which was curated by the award-winning documentary maker Sean McAllister, has now been seen by thousands of people and been widely praised as successful start to the year-long programme. Hull is the second city to be given UK City of Culture status, following Derry-Londonderry in 2013. The city was selected in 2013 from a shortlist which included Dundee, Leicester and Swansea Bay. Blade is the first work to be installed in Hull as part of Look Up, a year-long programme of artists' works made specifically for the city's public places and spaces. Martin Green, chief executive and director of Hull 2017, said: "It's a structure we would normally expect out at sea and in a way it might remind you of a giant sea creature, which seems appropriate with Hull's maritime history. "It's a magnificent start to our Look Up programme, which will see artists creating site specific work throughout 2017 for locations around the city." Blade will remain in Queen Victoria Square until March 18. Get our free weekly email for all the latest cinematic news from our film critic Clarisse Loughrey Get our The Life Cinematic email for free Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the The Life Cinematic email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Before the Golden Globes began, it was widely expected that liberal Hollywood would speak out against Donald Trump. Thankfully, they did not disappoint, the likes of Meryl Streep, Hugh Laurie, and even host Jimmy Fallon commenting on the future President. While some took the opportunity to make snarky comments, others wanted to be constructive and highlight the brilliance of cinema in bringing people together. Since Streeps speech, Trump has been irked enough to respond, dismissing the acclaimed actress as a Hilary lover. Great comeback. Here are five people who spoke out against Trump at the Golden Globes, both on stage and back. Meryl Streep Meryl Streep gives passionate anti-Trump pseech as she's honoured at Golden Globes Speaking on stage, Streep made an impassioned speech about the negativity of Trump, pointing out how the Republican mocked a disabled reporter. There was one performance this year that stunned me, she said. It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good; there was nothing good about it. But it was effective and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh, and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still cant get it out of my head, because it wasnt in a movie. It was real life. Read the entire speech here. Hugh Laurie Hugh Laurie gives hilarious anti-Trump speech at Golden Globes The Night Manager star decided to poke fun at Trumps critical stance on immigration, the press, and Hollywood, saying: "I won at the last ever Golden Globes. I don't mean to be gloomy, it's just that it has the words Hollywood, Foreign, and Press in the title; I just don't know what. I think to some Republicans even the word association is slightly sketchy." Jimmy Fallon Jimmy Fallon's Golden Globes opening monologue had Trump jibes galore Throughout his tenure hosting, Fallon made various jokes at Trumps expense, particularly in his opening monologue, when he said: This is the Golden Globes, one of the few places left where America still honours the popular vote. He also compared the current political situation to Game of Thrones, saying: The show has so many plot twists and shocking moments. A lot of people have wondered what it would have been like if King Joffrey had lived. In 12 days well find out Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Isabelle Huppert Films to get excited about in 2017 Show all 13 1 /13 Films to get excited about in 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Star Wars: The Last Jedi Director: Rian Johnson Rian Johnson Cast: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Lupita Nyong'o Plot: No details yet, but it will continue directly on from Rey coming face-to-face with Luke at the end of The Force Awakens. Release Date: 15 December 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Thor: Ragnarok Director: Taika Waititi Taika Waititi Cast: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Tessa Thompson, Jeff Goldblum, Karl Urban, and Mark Ruffalo Plot: Story details are minimal as of now, but Thor's third return to screen has already been teased to feature a loose adaptation of the famous 'Planet Hulk' storyline. Release Date: 27 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 You Were Never Really Here Director: Lynne Ramsay Lynne Ramsay Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Alessandro Nivola Plot: A war veteran's attempt to save a young girl from a sex trafficking ring goes horribly wrong. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Annihilation Director: Alex Garland Alex Garland Cast: Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A biologist's husband disappears. She thus puts her name forward for an expedition into an environmental disaster zone, but does not quite find what she's expecting. The expedition team is made up of the biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Wonderstruck (image from Far From Heaven) Director: Todd Haynes Cast: Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams, and Amy Hargreaves Plot: The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Mother (image of Darren Aronofsky) Director: Darren Aronofsky Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Michelle Pfeiffer, Domhnall Gleeson, and Ed Harris Plot: A couple's relationship is tested when uninvited guests arrive at their home, disrupting their tranquil existence. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Killing of a Sacred Deer (image from The Lobster) Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Colin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, and Alicia Silverstone Plot: A surgeon forms a familial bond with a sinister teenage boy, with disastrous results. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 Blade Runner 2049 Director: Denis Villeneuve Denis Villeneuve Cast: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Robin Wright, and Jared Leto Plot: Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest to find Rick Deckard, a former LAPD blade runner who has been missing for 30 years. Release Date: 6 October 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Lady Bird (image of director Greta Gerwig) Director: Greta Gerwig Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, and Lucas Hedges Plot: The adventures of a young woman living in Northern California for a year. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara (image of director Steven Spielberg and star Mark Rylance) Director: Steven Spielberg Cast: Mark Rylance, Oscar Isaac Plot: The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara recounts the story of a young Jewish boy in Bologna, Italy in 1858 who, having been secretly baptized, is forcibly taken from his family to be raised as a Christian. His parents' struggle to free their son becomes part of a larger political battle that pits the Papacy against forces of democracy and Italian unification. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 How to Talk to Girls at Parties Director: John Cameron Mitchell John Cameron Mitchell Cast: Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson, and Nicole Kidman Plot: An alien touring the galaxy breaks away from her group and meets two young inhabitants of the most dangerous place in the universe: the London suburb of Croydon. Release Date: Unknown Films to get excited about in 2017 The Dark Tower Director: Nikolaj Arcel Nikolaj Arcel Cast: Idris Elba, Matthew McConaughey, and Tom Taylor Plot: Gunslinger Roland Deschain roams an Old West-like landscape in search of the dark tower, in the hopes that reaching it will preserve his dying world. Release Date: 28 July 2017 Films to get excited about in 2017 Suburbicon Director: George Clooney George Clooney Cast: Matt Damon, Julianne Moore, Josh Brolin, and Oscar Isaac Plot: A crime mystery set in the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, where the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and betrayal. Release Date: 24 November While Natalie Portman was widely expected to win Best Actress in a Drama for Jackie, Isabelle Huppert managed to shock everyone, claiming the award for her performance in Elle. Speaking on the podium, she addressed Trump and the audience, saying: Do not expect cinema to set up walls and borders. Backstage, Elle director Paul Verhoeven warned Trumps presidency could be very bad, saying he had very bad thoughts about Trump, adding he was scary because of the attitude he displays, and the people he put in [his Cabinet.]. He also cited a German expression for impending danger, saying it can easily go into directions that ultimately will end up with war and destruction. Viola Davis Having won Best Supporting Actress for her role in Fences, Viola Davis commented on Trump backstage, saying: "I will, believe it or not, remove Trump from the equation, because I feel that it's bigger than him. I believe that it is our responsibility to uphold what it is to be an American and what America is about and the true meaning of what it means to pursue the American dream. "America, in and of itself, has been an affirmation. But I think that we've fallen short a lot, because there is no way that we can have anyone in office that is not an extension of our own belief system. "So then what does that say about us? And I think that, if you answer that question, that says it all," she said. "And I know that it is very ambiguous." Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter for all the latest entertainment news and reviews Sign up to our free IndyArts newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the IndyArts email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} If youre still suffering withdrawal symptoms from the end of Planet Earth II and lets face it, which of us isnt? BBC1 may well have produced the perfect programme to overcome your cold turkey. Its called Spy in the Wild and, like its acclaimed predecessor, it is likely to take your breath away. Among many moments which will surely stop you in your tracks are: unique footage from the inside the mouth of an adult female Nile crocodile carefully as she scoops up her babies from the riverbank in her terrifying jaws and delicately deposits them in the water; never-before-witnessed footage of an adult chimp caring for a baby from another species, in this case a genet kitten; and a highly evolved orangutan picking up a saw and using it to cut up a piece of wood. Such sequences are only possible thanks to the revolutionary techniques employed in Spy in the Wild, which begins at 8pm on BBC1 on Thursday. The executive producer John Downer and his team have created 34 spy creatures, beautifully manufactured bespoke robots. The fake animal robots used in BBC's 'Spy in the Wild' (John Downer Productions/Steve Downer ) (John Downer Productions/Steve Downer) These astonishing animatronic creations, which are so accurate they can fool adult animals into caring for them, are able to mimic such behaviour as a crocodile swimming or a wild dog play-bowing. They contain one vital element in their make-up: a tiny camera concealed in their eye, which, thanks to its proximity to wild or timid creatures, is capable of filming animal behaviours never before witnessed by human beings. The animatronic creatures, which include Spy Pufferfish, Spy Wolfcub, Spy Warthog, Spy Hippo, Spy Caterpillar, Spy Cobra, and Spy Meerkat, are so lifelike that in one memorable sequence, a male tortoise is moved to attempt to mate with a female, who is in fact a robot. Epic fail. Downer will not reveal the cost of the spy creatures, which can take up to nine months to build in various workshops across Europe. All he will say is that they are pretty expensive. In perhaps the standout sequence of the four-part series, a spy creature plays a key role in capturing stunning footage that no one has ever seen before. Matthew Gordon, a producer on the series, has strategically placed a superbly designed robotic creation in the midst of a troop of 120 langur monkeys in Rajasthan, India. The monkeys, which are extremely playful, are keen to babysit their new companion. However, when one overenthusiastic adolescent carries the spy creature up high, he drops it onto the stone floor below. Crocodile with young in her mouth in Uganda in BBC's 'Spy in the Wild' (John Downer productions/Richard Jones) Gathering around their dead companion, the previously noisy and vivacious troop fall into a contemplative, respectful silence. They even console each other with hugs. It may well be the closest approximation of human grief that has ever been filmed in the animal kingdom. If that scene doesnt make your jaw drop, nothing will. Access unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows with Amazon Prime Video Sign up now for a 30-day free trial Sign up Gordon recollects his excitement at witnessing such unprecedented sequences: It was one of those moments where something totally unexpected just happens in front of you and you can scarcely believe your eyes. The langur monkeys had all been making a lot of noise, and then suddenly they just went completely silent. As they hugged each other, all of a sudden a gust of wind blew past me and ruffled the fur of the langurs. That was the moment I was looking through the viewfinder and thinking, Were capturing something truly remarkable here. And when the scientist comes over and he is just as excited as you are, you know youre onto something special. The producer expands on his emotions at that moment. You feel euphoric and cant wait to go and phone the office to tell them what youve got. You also hope you have switched the camera on. Gordon explains: The langur monkeys were paying their respects and hugging each other. In those moments where they lose someone, a lot of emotions break out, so they hug each other and try to calm the situation down. A sequence like that gives us insight into why we do that we all want to feel connected to other people. Over four episodes covering the subjects of love, intelligence, friendship and mischief, the series examines the once-dismissed idea of anthropomorphism and demonstrates why we are even closer to the animal kingdom than we previously thought. Downe has specialised in spy creatures since producing in 2000 the ground-breaking Lions Spy in the Den, which featured a remote roving rock known as a Bouldercam that could safely transport a camera into the pride to take unprecedented footage of the creatures. He observes that in this series: We look at various aspects of animals lives which resonate with our own and hint at the origins of our own feelings and our own ways of living. The executive producer, who has over the years developed such pioneering devices as the dung-cam and the iceberg-cam, proceeds to outline why anthropomorphism is no longer frowned upon. Theres been a great breakthrough in the last 10 years. Animal behaviourists always knew it, but they didnt dare say it. Sea otter floating on its back, taken from spy sea otter in Alaska in BBC's 'Spy in the Wild' (John Downer Productions/Huw Williams ) (John Downer Productions/Huw Williams) However, Downer explains: You cant spend any time with animals without realising that so much of what they do is so like us. Thats inevitable. Were animals, so why suddenly make this big distinction between us and them? The more we look at how animals behave, the more we are taken deeper into our own lives and the more we can reflect on them because we see our own behaviour mirrored in the natural world. The executive producer, who has also made such acclaimed series as Dolphins Spy in the Pod, Penguins Spy in the Huddle, Polar Bears Spy on the Ice, Tiger Spy in the Jungle, Bears Spy in the Woods, and Elephants Spy in the Herd, adds: "Scientists are now interpreting animal behaviour through the way we express ourselves. That comes directly from observation. To deny it is a fly in the face of what youre seeing. To describe behaviours such as the chimp nurturing the genet kitten as empathetic is no longer fanciful. Downer reveals that in Spy in the Wild: We see warthogs that become friends with mongoose. Yes, The Lion King is true. The successful use of the spy creatures in Spy in the Wild means that many renowned scientists are now using them as an integral part of their research. For all that, the producers found the initial deployment of the robots the most anxiety-inducing part of the whole process. One producer, Philip Dalton, recalls his pre-shooting worries about filming wild dogs in Africa with a Spy Wild Dog Pup. The wild dog is a pack animal with a ferocious reputation. When I proposed to a local scientist the idea of introducing a Spy Puppy, he laughed. He reckoned it would last between a minute and two minutes before being ripped apart. Langur monkeys looking at spy langur in India in BBC's 'Spy in the Wild' (John Downer Productions/Mathew Gordon) But I was very keen to make it work. We worked out that if we could make the spy creature animated in such a way as to show its submissive side, with a wagging tail, ear movement and a play bow, it might have a fighting chance. So, Dalton carries on: Rather reluctantly, because theyre very expensive and take a great deal of time and research to make, we deployed a Spy Puppy when the hunting dogs were out. When they returned, the adults clocked the spy creature from a distance of 30 metres. Their ears went forward and down in an aggressive posture, and we thought, Oh no, here we go. It looked like they were going to tear it apart. They came in with that intent. From our hide, we were furiously working the switches, wagging the spy creatures tail, putting its ears back and making it play-bow. Then in an instant, it was like a light came on in the wild dogs eyes. Their ears went back and they started wagging their tails. They came in and interacted. So we had this communication going on between the spy creature and real animals. That was a huge relief for us. And no doubt saved them a great deal of time and money. The raw stats behind the production of Spy in the Wild are enough to make your eyes water. The crew covered 330,000 miles travelling to 31 locations in 21 countries, stretching from the Arctic to the Antarctic and all places in between. Spy in the Wild took three years to shoot, over 800 filming days. The crew captured more than 8000 hours of material, and every hour-long programme is distilled from 1250 hours of footage. Despite all the hard work, though, the producers of Spy in the Wild clearly had a whale of a time making the series, even when their activities were deadly dangerous. Spy prairie dog in Colorado, USA in BBC's 'Spy in the Wild' (John Downer productions/Steve Downer ) (John Downer productions/ Steve Downer) Rob Pilley, the series producer, remembers his most hairy moment, tip-toeing in to place a Spy Hatchling (a robotic baby crocodile cradled in a buoyant fake eggshell) in the nest of a massive and highly aggressive Nile crocodile in Uganda. Deploying any spy creature is a nerve wracking experience. You dont literally jump into it feet first. You have to think about what you are doing the terms of your own safety, but also ethically, you dont want to upset the animals. You have to be contemplative and wait for your moment. With the crocodiles, we had to wait for the female move off her nest, which you would do around midday, when it was too hot to stay on the bank. Id go in with a local carrying an oar as my armour. Then you have to get in as swiftly as you can and deploy your devices, making sure that nothing is disturbed. After that, you just hope and pray that everything happens as planned. With deployments, youre stepping into an unknown world its like making first contact. Was it worth the risks? Absolutely. When we did ultimately get footage from inside the mouth of the female crocodile as she carried the Spy Hatchling to the river, it was all worthwhile. Seeing that was a brave new world. And, Pilley is glad to disclose: Ive still got all my fingers and toes. Spy in the Wild'begins at 8pm on BBC1 on 12 January Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In the fashion world, as superficial as it may be, you are where you sit. And, while the catwalk may be perfectly choreographed, the seating arrangement of guests is just as, if not more, thought out. Considered a statement of ranking, the dynamics of show seating has shifted over the years, but one thing you can guarantee is that the more important you are, the closer you are to the action. Recommended These are the most influential people in fashion The unique reality of a fashion show format that sets it apart from the way other industries launch new product is that it lines the whole industry up, staring at each other in a clear hierarchy from front row back, say co-founders Ash and Ella of Ella Dror PR the powerhouse PR firm responsible for ground-breaking designers like Nasir Mazhar, Bobby Abley, Liam Hodges and Ashley Williams. Its this element that makes it a delicate process and why seating someone in the wrong row causes such offence when it goes wrong everyone can see it and it can be embarrassing for all involved. Its a sartorial game of chess that requires an astute knowledge of the hierarchies of the fashion industry, and one that publicists know all too well. But, theres often a lot more happening on the front row than there might appear. Its not just editors, buyers and celebrities but also sponsors, collaborators, agents, industry organisations, consultants, friends and family of the brand and much more besides. Alexa Chung, Pixie Geldof and Laura Bailey are FROW fixtures for Ashley Williams Ultimately a seat on the front row comes down to a mixture of professional respect, decision making influence and relevance to any given brand. Nonetheless, at a fashion show, the golden ticket is the front row; a spot usually reserved for the stylish elite. Before now, it has been earmarked for the most important fashion editors think British Vogues Alexandra Shulman, GQs Dylan Jones and critic Suzy Menkes plus a gaggle of A-list celebs. Sitting here is crucial to these attendees but, in spite of its posturing, who claims these spots is also critical for the designers. Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Show all 7 1 /7 Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kim Kardashian in the front row Givenchy show, Spring Summer 2017, Paris Fashion Week, France - 02 Oct 2016 Rex Features Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner attend the Givenchy show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2017 on October 2, 2016 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images) Getty Images Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kim Kardashian in the front row Balenciaga show, Spring Summer 2017, Paris Fashion Week, France - 02 Oct 2016 Rex Features Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kendall Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Riccardo Tisci and Kim Kardashian backstage Givenchy show, Spring Summer 2017, Paris Fashion Week, France - 02 Oct 2016 Rex Features Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Kourtney Kardashian, Kris Jenner Off-White show, Front Row, Spring Summer 2017, Paris Fashion Week, France - 29 Sep 2016 Rex Features Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week (From L) Kanye West and Kim Kardashian attend the Off-white 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show, on September 29, 2016 in Paris. / AFP / ALAIN JOCARD (Photo credit should read ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Kim Kardashian at Paris Fashion Week (From L) Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian attend the Off-white 2017 Spring/Summer ready-to-wear collection fashion show, on September 29, 2016 in Paris. / AFP / ALAIN JOCARD (Photo credit should read ALAIN JOCARD/AFP/Getty Images) AFP/Getty Images Its important to have a balance across all the various industry areas at a show, theres no point filling a front row with editors if there are no buyers there to buy it, and likewise, no point filling a show with buyers if theres no media there to communicate it to the customer. Ultimately the designers have the final say. Critiqued just as harshly on their garb as who sits in these prised seats, the creme de la creme of the fashion world sit front row, and front row only. That being said, the fashion show seating plan has in recent years been infiltrated by a whole new democratic voice. In contrast to the traditional order, the front row has begun to shift its allegiances towards a younger and more social media-savvy crowd. "The fashion show lines the whole industry up, staring at each other in a clear hierarchy from front row back (Getty Images) Vogue may have damned style bloggers as desperate and accused them of heralding the end of style, but the appeal to fashion labels is clear. Online influencers exist almost exclusively for endorsement and an F-row full of social media-savvy celebs is guaranteed to create instant publicity. For Ella Dror PR though, it takes more than just starting a blog to get a seat at one of their clients shows. For us theres only a handful of bloggers that we invite to our shows, and in most cases they are professionally active in the industry outside of their blog and a personality in their own right. Anyone can start a blog, that in itself doesnt mean you need to attend a fashion show. Influencers are increasingly important and everyone wants the right mix of them at their show. Its about generating enough social media activity on the right mix of accounts so that as soon as the show starts the target customers Instagram feed is flooded with content. The ground beneath the establishments feet has certainly shifted but, as a new order stakes its place, the assumed seats of fashion professionals could be under threat. Something were sure could inspire a churlish tete-a-tete, but Ella Dror PR insist theres no point taking these things personally. Its important to remember that everyone is just trying to do a job. Sometimes you genuinely dont have the seat to offer despite wanting to (if I could magic seats out of thin air I would have been a magician). Theres always going to be someone whos unhappy with their seat at a show for some reason or another but one out of 500+ isnt bad. Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has pledged new initiatives to end "stigma" around mental health and encourage schools and employers to provide mental health support. Ms May placed a focus on the mental health crisis among young people, saying: "Mental illness too often starts in childhood and, when left untreated, can blight lives and become entrenched". But in the absence of genuine funding commitments, the Prime Minister faces charges of hypocrisy from disability rights campaigners. Rates of depression and anxiety among teenagers have increased by 70 per cent in the last 25 years. Almost 19,000 teenagers were admitted to hospital for self-harm in 2015/16, an increase of 14 per cent since 2013/4 and 68 per cent across the last decade. According to an NSPCC survey of professionals in 2015, longer waiting lists, reductions in spending and higher thresholds for therapy have made it harder for affected children to access vital therapeutic services. The number of young people arriving in A&E with psychiatric problems has doubled since 2009, and the number admitted to hospital with eating disorders has risen by almost the same amount in the past three years. In a 2016 survey, 93 per cent of teachers reported seeing increased rates of mental illness among children and teenagers and 90 per cent thought the issues were getting more severe. A green paper will be published later this year addressing young people's mental health, but Ms May is not putting up any additional funding to combat this explosion. The same trends are repeated across wider society. In 2016, 19.7 per cent of British people reported experiencing symptoms depression or anxiety, up from 18.3 per cent the previous year. Directly comparable statistics from longer ago aren't available, but in 2007 prevalence within a given week was at 9 per cent. And Theresa May has been accused of hypocrisy by mental health campaigners for not doing enough to address the root causes of problems faced by disabled and mentally ill people. "The Tories have done incredible work in changing social attitudes around mental health," Andy Greene of Disabled People Against Cuts told the Independent. "They're instrumental in the rising hate crime disabled people are facing, by driving the divide between deserving and undeserving, between scroungers and shirkers." Theresa May dodges question on 'theft' of child mental health funding "It's easy to talk the talk, but the reality is things are only becoming more desperate. Disabled people's lived experience is shrinking lives, isolation and a lack of support." Between 2010 and 2015, mental health trusts suffered real terms cuts of 8.25%, losing the equivalent of 598 million from their budgets each year. David Cameron's much-trumpeted 1billion injection into mental health services is insufficient to plug this gap, while Ms May's new package offers only 15million in additional funding for crisis cafes and community clinics. Meanwhile, despite government assurances mental health services would receive equal treatment to physical health, 40% of NHS trusts saw cuts to mental health services across 2015-2016. Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Show all 10 1 /10 Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 30 per cent of people deal with anxiety by talking to a friend or relative, or by going for a walk. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report Almost one in five people feel anxious all or a lot of the time. PA Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 22 per cent of women feel anxious a lot or all of the time, compared to 15 per cent of men. Roman Levin/Flickr Creative Commons Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 45 per cent of people who feel anxious in everyday life cite financial issues as their biggest cause of worry. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report And 26 per cent of people who feel anxious say fearing for the welfare of their children and loved ones leaves them burdened with worry. And 26 per cent of people say fearing for the welfare of their children and loved ones leaves them burdened with anxiety. Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report 27 per cent of people who suffer from anxiety say work issues, such as long hours, are the source of the problem. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report But 16 per cent use alcohol to cope, while 10 per cent turn to cigarettes in the face of anxiety. Unemployed people are more likely to resort to these harmful strategies: 27 per cent use alcohol and 23 per cent use cigarettes. AFP/Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report Only seven per cent of people who say they suffer from anxiety seek help from their GP. Getty Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report People are thought to be more anxious than they were five years ago. Alessandra/Flickr Creative Commons Mental Health Awareness: Facts and figures Mental Health Foundation: Living With Anxiety report The stresses of modern life are thought to have created "The Age of Anxiety". Getty It has also been revealed that the number of qualified nurses working in psychiatry dropped by 10.8% from 41,320 in 2010 to 36,870 in 2015, following a parliamentary question. At one point in 2014, there were no mental health beds available for adults in the whole of England, while an NSPCC survey published in October 2015 found that more than a fifth of children referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in England were refused treatment. A spokesperson for Psychologists Against Austerity said: "Addressing mental health is not just about ensuring more 'treatment' is available and stigma is reduced, although they are important. It is fundamentally also about the evidence that ideological economic policies, like the continued austerity programme, have hit the most vulnerable the hardest and have been toxic for mental health." Iain Duncan Smiths tougher fit-to-work tests for sick and disabled people coincided with 590 additional suicides, 279,000 cases of mental illness and 725,000 more prescriptions for antidepressants and one mental health charity found that 21 per cent of their patients had experienced suicidal thoughts due to the stress of the Work Capability Assessments. "100 people a day with a mental health diagnosis are sanctioned by the DWP," added Mr Greene of DPAC. "These people are going without food, without heat, without energy in their homes. [Ms May's speech] is words upon air. It means nothing." Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Stay ahead of the trend in fashion and beyond with our free weekly Lifestyle Edit newsletter Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Lifestyle Edit email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A type of depression may affect people who are genetically at risk of schizophrenia, a new study has suggested. The University of Edinburgh research team said its findings could help to shed light on the causes of depression, which affects about one in five people. It could also pave the way for better diagnosis and treatments for people suffering from the condition, experts believe. There is currently no test for diagnosing depression, which has symptoms such as persistent low mood, losing interest in life and thoughts of self-harming. Experts have suggested the condition may be a number of different illnesses with varying causes and effects. Edinburgh researchers used samples provided by Generation Scotland, a bank of human tissue from volunteers, to look for genetic causes of depression. They examined whether people known to have genes putting them at risk of schizophrenia shared a genetic make-up with those who had depression. The research indicates there may be a distinct group of people with depression who have increased genetic risk for schizophrenia, the team concluded. Schizophrenia is known to share some factors with depression, such as low mood and neuroticism. The results suggest some people with depression have genetic factors associated with schizophrenia, researchers said. Heather Whalley, senior research fellow in the University of Edinburgh's division of psychiatry, said: "Depression is a serious and disabling condition yet we know very little about what causes it. "There appears to be a distinct form of depression based on the risk of schizophrenia. "The more we know about the causes of different forms of depression, the more likely it is that we can develop better ways of diagnosing and treating what is a major cause of disability and trauma for so many people." The research, part of an initiative called STRADL - stratifying resilience and depression longitudinally - is funded by the Wellcome Trust. The findings are published in the journal Translational Psychiatry. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Build them in the USA or face big border tax, President-elect Donald Trump told carmakers on, what else, Twitter. Ford and Fiat Chrysler both seemed to take the hint, with announcements of big investments. BMWs response was somewhat different. The company told the BBC it is absolutely committed to a new plant in Mexico. Does this amount to the German multinational saying sure buddy, how much dyou want us to pay? to Mr Trump and his team? Perhaps. The truth is that there is more spin in the story of Mr Trump, carmakers, and their investment decisions, than there is in the record the late, great Pete Burns sang about in his biggest hit. Fords decision to shelve a $1.6bn (1.3bn) investment in Mexico, while investing an extra $700m in Detroit, has been seen as concrete evidence that Mr Trumps economic nationalism is succeeding before he has even got into office. Ford, however, said its decision to shift its focus from petrol cars in Mexico to electric vehicles in Detroit was made for its own business reasons. And the Ford Focus will still be made in Mexico. So do you believe Ford? Or do you believe the media commentators crediting Trump with the decision? Or is the reality something in between. Electric is the auto industrys future, so Ford has good reason to prioritise it. On the other hand, its also true that even if Mr Trumps bellicose statements didnt play any role in Fords announcement this time around, they will do in future. All businesses of all descriptions take the domestic political environment into consideration when considering investment decisions (which is something Brexiteers need to learn). Does this mean those based in the USA are more likely to stay home in future? Quite possibly. Does this mean Fiat Chrysler announced a $1bn plan to produce three Jeep models in the American mid-west on Sunday as a direct response to Mr Trump? Quite probably not. The plan was, in all likelihood, on the boardroom table before his election victory. The companys timing of the announcement was very sharp, however. Look, see, were the good guys. That timing allows Mr Trump to claim a huge win for his America First stance. But it will also, crucially, help both companies' lobbyists, with getting heard by the new administration. 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 BMW, by contrast, has made a rod for its own back. Mr Trump is an avid consumer of media. The BBCs headline BMW absolutely committed to a new Mexican plant will certainly be seen across the Atlantic. Given what his quote has given rise to, sales and marketing director Ian Robertson is probably feeling less than comfortable at this moment. He might have been better to have tired to avoid answering the question by saying something like our investment plans depend on the business outlook but were committed to investing heavily in both the US and Mexico. Better still not to say anything at all in such a febrile environment. Id imagine he's having some difficult conversations with his bosses right now. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} BMW, one of the worlds largest luxury carmakers, has reaffirmed its commitment to open a new plant in Mexico, despite the threat of big border tax on companies by US President-elect Donald Trump. Last week, Mr Trump criticised General Motors for buildings cars for the US market in Mexico. He told GM to make the cars in the US or pay big border tax!. However, Ian Robertson, BMW sales and marketing director, told the BBC that the firm was "absolutely committed" to its new plant in San Luis Potosi, which will make its 3-series cars for sale across the US, bucking a trend by other manufacturers of increasing their domestic investments or moving factories back to the US. "I don't think there's any discussion that BMW is not at home in the United States. Yes, we are building a plant in Mexico. Yes, we built a plant in Brazil last year. Yes, we are building plants in other parts of the world as our capacity increases. But that's part of a normal strategic manufacturing direction," Mr Robertson said. Five actors who used the Golden Globes to take down Donald Trump Mr Robertson added that the company, which also owns Mini and Rolls-Royce, would also bolster investment in its plant in South Carolina by $1bn, pointing out that BMW was the biggest exporter of vehicles from the US in terms of value. 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 Mr Trump has taken aim at car manufacturers who have moved manufacturing jobs abroad, including General Motors and Toyota. Last week he tweeted: "General Motors is sending Mexican made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers-tax free across border. Make in USA.or pay big border tax!" Following Mr Trumps tweet, Ford announced it would not open a planned facility for assembling Ford Focuses, which would have brought $1.6bn and 2,800 jobs to the state of San Luis Potosi. Instead the company will add 700 jobs at a cost of $700m to a US plant in Michigan. Mark Fields, Ford chief executive, said the decision was partly due to falling sales but also a vote of confidence in the pro-growth policies Mr Trump has vowed to pursue. On Sunday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, said it will invest $1bn to modernise two plants in Ohio and Michigan and produce three Jeep models on US soil, creating a projected 2,000 jobs. The company also said it would also potentially bring production of a Ram heavy-duty pickup truck back to the US from Mexico. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Japans richest man, Tadashi Yanai, lost $1.4bn (1.15bn) in a single day on Friday after his company Fast Retailing, which owns Uniqlo, saw its shares crash by 6.7 per cent. The Chairman and founder of the company suffered the biggest wealth decline among the worlds 500 richest people according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Uniqlo Japan announced a December slump on Friday, blaming unusually warm weather which it said had hit sales of winter clothing. Overall receipts were down five per cent. Yanais net worth currently stands at $17.7bn, with Fridays losses causing him to slip six places down the global rich list to 44th. Sixty-seven year-old Yanai opened the first Uniqlo store in Hiroshima in 1984, and has since steered the firm to rapid growth. Yanai has predicted the retailer will eclipse rivals H&M and Inditex, which owns Zara, to become the biggest clothing retailer in the world by 2020. He has also pledged to uphold the ethical values for which his company is known. (Bloomberg (Bloomberg) Uniqlos disappointing numbers added to Japanese corporate woes as Donald Trump threatened to slap punitive taxes on Toyotas cars if it imported them from Mexico. Boeing shares slide after Donald Trump says costs are 'ridiculous' Toyota saw its shares fall three per cent on the news, while other car manufacturers also suffered, helping to drag Japans Nikkei stock market down 0.4 per cent overall. Japanese markets were closed on Monday for a national holiday. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Why are we asking this now? A consultation on enacting reforms that would force the press to pay the costs in court cases even if they win closes on Tuesday What is the Government consulting on? After the Leveson Inquiry into press ethics, a cross-party agreement led to changes in the law including provisions that would mean newspapers paying their opponents' legal costs in libel and privacy cases, even if they win, unless they sign up to a recognised regulator. It is also assessing whether the second part of the Leveson probe - which would focus on alleged wrongdoing between the press and police - should go ahead. If the costs reforms are already in law, why is there a consultation? The provisions are covered by Section 40 of the Crime and Courts Act 2013 but no date was set for them to come into force. If newspapers can avoid paying costs in cases they win by signing up to a recognised regulator, why are the measures so controversial? Section 40 is being widely opposed by news organisations, including the Press Association, the national news agency of the UK and Ireland. The agency's editor-in-chief Pete Clifton said it would have a "seriously chilling effect on freedom of expression of the national, regional and local media". Under the reforms introduced after the Leveson Report, press regulators can be granted recognised status by the Press Recognition Panel (PRP), which was set up under a Royal Charter. Newspapers warn that this amounts to "state-sponsored" regulation and flies in the face of a free press. Many - but not all - publications have joined the rival Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso), which has made clear from the outset that it would not seek recognition by the PRP. The only officially-recognised UK press regulator is Impress, which is indirectly funded by high profile figures who have campaigned for press reform. How is Impress funded? The Independent Press Regulation Trust agreed to a 3.8 million four-year funding deal for the organisation. It says the cash has been guaranteed by the Alexander Mosley Charitable Trust, which was set up by Max Mosley. The former motor racing boss was a victim of a newspaper sting involving images of him at a sex party. Impress has also received a "generous" donation from writer JK Rowling, who has called for press reforms. What impact would enacting Section 40 have? Newspapers warn the measure would particularly harm investigative journalism. Critics say the measure is "draconian" and would leave struggling papers, particularly in the regional press, fearing financial ruin. The Sunday Times warned its expose on drugs cheat cyclist Lance Armstrong would not have been published if Section 40 had been in place. But Hacked Off say the measure protects ordinary people who would not be able to afford to take on newspapers in court. The press reform campaign says newspapers can avoid paying costs by joining Impress, which will provide a low-cost arbitration scheme to settle disputes. Why is the consultation looking at whether the second part of the Leveson Inquiry should go ahead? The Government says that as the last relevant criminal cases linked to the inquiry are in the final stages it is the right time to "consider whether the police and press have adequately reformed to ensure phone hacking and other illegal and improper activity could not happen again today". Former culture secretary John Whittingdale says Sir Brian Leveson does not want to chair the second phase but the chairman has not publicly responded. Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Independent Climate email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The thing about this guy, is that he has been in cahoots with the fossil industry, and now hes been nominated to be secretary of state. Id like to ask him why he thinks he should be secretary of state. So spoke Kiran Oommen, one of 21 youngsters who are set to question under oath Rex Tillerson, Donald Trumps nominee to be Americas top diplomat. Lawyers for the young people, who are suing the US federal government to try and force it to take action against climate change, want Mr Tillerson to reveal just what he and, the industry he worked for, knew about climate change and the impact of fossil fuels in warming the planet. The lawsuit also targets energy industry groups the American Petroleum Institute (API), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), and American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM) who the youngsters claim worked to stop the government from taking action. Lawyers for the young people have sought to get the testimony from Mr Tillerson on 19 January, the day before be is due to become US Secretary of State. They hope to prove that energy trade associations have known about the dangers of climate change since the 1960s and worked to cover them up. The young people are being supported in their action by the Our Childrens Trust, an Oregon-based organisation that is trying to use the legal system to protect the earths atmosphere for future generations. Rex Tillerson is one of the most knowledgeable executives in the fossil fuel world on the role of his industry alongside our federal government in causing climate change and endangering my youth plaintiffs and all future generations, said Julia Olson, one of the lawyers, and the executive director of the trust. Climate change: It's "game over" for planet earth We intend to use his deposition to uncover his and others culpability, on behalf of these defendants. Mr Oonerman, 19, from Eugene, told The Independent, he was driven to act by what he called the disconnect between the way the federal government behaved, and the way it was supposed to act. They were put in place to protect the people, he said. The legal action claims the federal government has violated the young peoples constitutional right to life, liberty, and property, and their rights to vital public-trust resources, by promoting a fossil fuel-based energy system for decades, despite being aware of the dangers it posed. The trust said that Mr Tillerson, who was an executive member of the American Petroleum Institute, would be asked about his company and industry contributing to global environmental damage. It said that one of Exxons senior scientists had written in 1977 that the most likely manner in which mankind is influencing the global climate is through carbon dioxide release from the burning of fossil fuels. Another of the young plaintiffs, Alex Loznak, 19, a student at Columbia University, said: I was shocked when students at Columbia Journalism School uncovered ExxonMobils deep knowledge of climate change as early as the 1970s. Whats even more disturbing is that the federal government firmly knew about climate change in the 1950s. Mr Tillerson has not personally commented on the lawsuit. However, the three trade groups have denied the allegations levelled by the young people and joined with the federal government to oppose the action. Sidley Austin, the law firm representing the three trade groups, did not immediately respond to questions on Monday. Mr Tillerson was chairman and chief executive officer of ExxonMobil from 2006 to 2016 (AP) Speaking from Oregon, Ms Olson said the group believed there was persuasive evidence that not only had the fossil fuel industry been aware of the link to climate change, but had lobbied the US government against taking action. She said that as of 20 January, Mr Trump would automatically become a defendant in the case, because of his position as president. Asked as to whether she believed the next president would support a move away from fossil fuel, she said: Mr Trump is unpredictable because of everything he has said. She added: My message to Trump is that we are committed to this case and determined to hold the government accountable. Last November, the youngsters and their lawyers received a major boost when a federal judge blocked attempts by the federal government and the trade groups to dismiss the lawsuit. US District Court Judge Ann Aiken, wrote: Federal courts too often have been cautious and overly deferential in the arena of environmental law, and the world has suffered for it. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A judge who swore at a defendant when he insulted her during sentencing has been cleared of judicial misconduct, despite a number of complaints from the public. Judge Patricia Lynch QC had a heated exchange with repeat offender John Hennigan at Chelmsford Crown Court in August, as she sentenced him for insulting a black Caribbean mother. Youre a c*** and Im not, Hennigan shouted, interrupting the sentencing. Well, youre a bit of a c*** yourself. Being offensive to me doesnt make things better at all, Ms Lynch retorted. The Judicial Conduct Investigations Office (JCIO) received multiple complaints from the public about the comment, and launched a misconduct investigation shortly after. In a written explanation of the incident, Ms Lynch said she deeply regretted her remarks and admitted she had a momentary lapse in judgement. She apologised and made assurances to the JCIO that it would not happen again, after the incident was referred to Lord Chancellor Liz Truss. Although the Lord Chancellor and the Lord Chief Justice considered HHJ Lynchs remarks to be inappropriate, they did not find that they amounted to misconduct or warranted any disciplinary sanction, the JCIO said in a statement. [They] were of the view that the matter should be dealt with by informal advice. Ms Lynch, a senior judge on the South Eastern Circuit, has meanwhile been told to ensure that she responded appropriately to parties in court at all times. The weirdest and most shocking news stories Show all 30 1 /30 The weirdest and most shocking news stories The weirdest and most shocking news stories What do horse semen, an elephant and a yurt have in common Leading removals company AnyVan.com operates on the premise that they can move anything anywhere, an undertaking which has certainly given them more than they bargained for over the years. In addition to the more common requests to move homes, furniture and pianos, listings have included a horse semen, live elephant, a cabinet engraved with the Kamasutra, a phallic statue, a dungeon gynaecological bondage chair, a yurt and an ice cream van The weirdest and most shocking news stories Couple find dead lizard inside the can of tomatoes A couple in Birmingham were making lunch when they found the surprise addition of a dead lizard in a can of tomatoes. Muhammad Hussain and his wife Sanam discovered the critter had managed to get into the can that Mrs Hussain had been using to cook a curry. Mr Hussain was alerted to the presence of the lizard when he heard his wife screaming as she made lunch BBC The weirdest and most shocking news stories Greggs (a bakery) has actually stopped selling loaves of bread You'd have thought a bakery would be the one place you'd be guaranteed to buy a loaf of bread. Well, not at Greggs. According to the companys website, customers are able to buy white or malted sliced loaves which are freshly baked every day. So when one customer went into his local Greggs in Burton-upon-Trent, he was surprised to be told they didn't stock them any more. According to the company, they will now focus on the food to go market, which means most of the bread that the company sells is in sandwiches AFP The weirdest and most shocking news stories Man trolls plane passengers by painting sign on his roof welcoming them to the wrong city One US homeowner has taken trolling to another level by painting a message on his roof top to deliberately trick aeroplane passengers into thinking theyve boarded the wrong flight. Mark Gubin painted the sign Welcome to Cleveland on his home which is next to Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee. Milwaukee is a city in Wisconsin, some four hundred miles away from Cleveland, in the state of Ohio, prompting passengers to fear theyve accidentally boarded the wrong flight as they spy the trick lettering from the aeroplane window Google Maps The weirdest and most shocking news stories Missing cat found after spending 64 days trapped inside a mattress A family who thought theyd lost their cat as they prepared to move 3,000 miles across the US, were relieved when they found their pet inside a mattress some 64 days later. Moosie, a 2-year-old tabby cat, disappeared when Kymberly Chelf and her husband Jesse Chelf boxed up their belongings in preparation for their move from El Paso, Texas, to Anchorage, Alaska. In early June, the familys belongings arrived at their new home along with a big part of their old life. When the Chelfs heard a meow coming from inside the box, Mrs Chelf said: "it just sounded like he [Moosie] was giving it everything he had just to let us know he was there." The cat had been trapped for over two months without light, food or water. Moosie emerged from the ordeal suffering from severe dehydration and with a damaged liver, but vets have said he is in a good condition, CNN reported AP Photo/Fairbanks Daily News-Miner, Eric Engman The weirdest and most shocking news stories There's a lottery in which the prize is a 20-year supply of bacon Indiana's Hoosier Lottery is switching from cold, hard cash to hot, crispy bacon for its prize, offering players the chance to win 20 years-worth of the stuff. $5,000 of bacon will be dished out in 20 annual instalments to winners, according to the rules, presumably because no-one has the freezer space for 20 years of bacon. It's an ingenious ploy, given that anyone who tried to eat 20 years of bacon would probably struggle to live 20 years The weirdest and most shocking news stories Demonic CIA Osama Bin Laden doll goes up for sale at auction for $5,000 One of the strangest propaganda weapons of the War on Terror has gone up for sale at auction, and it could be yours for only $5,000. The item in question is a doll of Osama Bin Laden, designed to terrify the children of the Middle East so much that they would be permanently put off from joining Islamist groups. The doll is a fairly faithful recreation of the late terrorist leader, complete with white robes, combat boots, and a scraggly black beard. The propaganda value in the bizarre toy comes from the heat-sensitive paint used on the doll's face. When children played with the doll, the heat from their hands would activate the paint, and change Osama into a terrifying green-eyed, red-faced demon, with black markings all over his face Nate D. Sanders The weirdest and most shocking news stories The mystery of the 25-year-old Australian cat which turned up in Northern Ireland An Australian cat has been mysteriously found in Northern Ireland, sparking speculation as to how he made the 12,000 mile journey. The ginger cat was picked up by Cat Protection helpers in County Armagh last week. When animal welfare officers took him to the vet for a health check, it was discovered that he had been micro-chipped in Australia. The plot thickened as the chip revealed he has also been found as a stray across the Irish Sea in London Photo: Cat Protection The weirdest and most shocking news stories Replacement found after 'over-enthusiastic' bull breaks his own penis A prize bull has had to be taken off his farmers breeding programme after he suffered a broken penis. The injury, which the Simmentall bull sustained at the beginning of the breeding season, was probably due to being over-enthusiastic, according to his owner, Tommy Moyles. According to the Irish Mirror, Mr Moyles was then forced to bring another bull, which was previously destined for the slaughterhouse, out to provide his services Ian Forsyth/ Getty The weirdest and most shocking news stories Thieves steal four pints of bull semen from Minnesota farm A group of thieves have stolen about four pints of bull semen from a farm in southern Minnesota in the US - and could sell it on for an extraordinary amount of money. Police in the town of Leroy said they are investigating the theft of a $500 storage container with around 90 filled vials. On the open market, that amount of semen would be worth around $70,000 (47,000) Screengrab via CBS News The weirdest and most shocking news stories Charcoal has become the hot new flavouring If you want to be in on the latest trend in Britain's restaurants and bars, you're going to have to feel - and indeed taste - the burn. Some words of comfort next time you overfry, overbake, overboil or otherwise burn your dinner to a crisp: charcoal, in all its dark and mysterious forms, is being embraced by some of the best in the food and drinks business. It's not just about cooking on a grill (although that's also a booming market), but charcoal as an actual ingredient bringing flavour, colour, texture and a touch of playfulness to plates of food and bottles of juice. This news comes on the heels of Burger King Japan's Kuro Pearl offering, a burger with a jet-black bamboo charcoal bun, which met with a mix of hysteria and confusion upon its launch last year. It turns out that the fast food giant was bang on: charcoal is the new, well, black Victor De Jesus The weirdest and most shocking news stories Woman claims ski accident has given her extraordinary mental powers An anonymous woman in America has told an incredible story of how she was left with extraordinary mental abilities after hitting her head in a skiing accident. The ex-student revealed that she now has a condition known as acquired savant syndrome following the heavy fall on the slopes during a family holiday. The syndrome now lends her incredible powers of memory and the writer explains how she can draw diagrams of thousands of places, with thousands of rooms, branches and doorways right down to the smallest detail in a piece for xojane.com. An individual with savant syndrome will display remarkable and sometimes spectacular talents, according Jonathan Hiles, Principal Lecturer of Health and Life Sciences at De Montford University, in an online article regarding the condition Getty The weirdest and most shocking news stories This octopus learned to use a camera faster than some humans A brainy octopus at a New Zealand aquarium has learned how to take photos - using a waterproof camera specially designed to be operated with tentacles. Rambo the octopus, a popular attraction at Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium in Auckland, New Zealand, stunned her trainers with how quickly she got to grips with the camera. Speaking to Cult of Mac, Mark Vette, Rambo's trainer, said: "When we first tried to get her to take a photo, it only took three attempts for her to understand the process. That's faster than a dog." He added: "Actually, it's faster than a human in some instances" ULI DECK/AFP/Getty Images The weirdest and most shocking news stories 4-year-old leaves home at 3am to buy a 'Slushie' drink Its commonplace to see strange sights on the night bus. But passengers were completely baffled to witness a little girl boarding the vehicle alone at 3am just to satisfy her sweet-tooth. Four-year old Annabelle Ridgeway climbed onto a bus, having been drenched in the rain and without her parents knowledge, to find a place to buy a crushed-ice beverage. Bus driver Harlan Jenifer, 52, quickly called for assistance and Annabelle was taken to a local hospital to wait for her mother YouTube The weirdest and most shocking news stories Little girl goes off on surprising tangent after being told she's going to be a big sister It starts like one of those classic, schmaltzy parent-and-child YouTube videos. 3-year-old Kathryn's dad informs her in no uncertain terms that she's going to get a little sister. Kathryn pauses for a second, apparently stunned by the news. But no! There's no tearful excited, she just whispers "I farted" The weirdest and most shocking news stories Shia LaBeouf's heartbeat is now available for livestreaming Walking Hollywood masterpiece Shia LaBeouf is offering the internet the chance to get closer to him than ever before. But dont let that utterly terrify you the actors latest offer has nothing to do with paper bags, paraphrasing footballers or running around museums in Amsterdam 144 times sporting lycra and a single dreadlock. Instead, the 28-year-old will be livestreaming his heartbeat for the next week as part of a new metamodern performance art piece with his previous #IAMSORRY collaborators Nastja Sade Ronkko and Luke Turner. The project, called Follow My Heart, was announced at the SXSW festival The weirdest and most shocking news stories What color is this dress? The internet has been divided into two warring tribes by a picture of a dress functioning as an accidental colour perception experiment. #TheDress, as it has become known, was spotted by a blogger who turned to Tumblr for help when the garment started an argument among her friends. The question of whether it is blue and black or gold and white has divided friends, families and the celebrity world. This dress has sparked an internet frenzy the likes of which has not been seen since Left Shark took the Super Bowl by storm Caitlin McNeill/Wired The weirdest and most shocking news stories Llamas on the run The world didn't know how to contain itself when it saw two llamas running around a city but for motorists in Arizonas Sun City, it was no doubt an a-lama-ing sight. Two of the animals, one black and one white, decided to dash through the centre of the city, doing their best to evade local residents trying to catch them. After a number of near things, the animals were captured by means of a lasso. The owner of the llamas told local media there had actually been three llamas that got spooked and ran away near the centre of the town. He said the animals were part of a mobile petting zoo at a Sun City care centre The weirdest and most shocking news stories Madonna falls off stage at Brit Awards This years Brit awards ceremony looked set to fade from memory like so many others in recent history until Madonna fell down the stairs after a serious wardrobe malfunction. The queen of pop, 56, was making her first performance at the Brits in two decades, when just seconds into Living for Love she was pulled backwards down a flight of stairs by her backing dancers. She fell heavily on to her back, the long cape and hood she had been wearing failing to separate from her other clothes. She fell heavily on to her back, the long cape and hood she had been wearing failing to separate from her other clothes The weirdest and most shocking news stories 'Left Shark' steals Super Bowl 2015 as Katy Perry is upstaged by her out-of-time support dancer While Katy Perry strutted her stuff during the half-time show which involved multiple costume changes, an entrance on a large metallic lion and duets with Lenny Kravitz and Missy Elliott social media users were left star-struck by the figure now known as Left Shark. Within minutes, Left Shark had its own Twitter account which has since expanded to no fewer than six different accounts but it was not the sharks killer moves and deadly accuracy on stage that gained so much attention, but rather the fact that it had no idea what it was doing. Perhaps even drunk, Left Shark was out of time with Right Shark, who was a picture of perfection as he moved with the beat and in time with Perry who by this time was already onto her third costume change and bursting into a rendition of Teenage Dream Getty Images The weirdest and most shocking news stories Kim Kardashian breaks the internet Kim Kardashian West has recreated the iconic "champagne incident" image by Jean-Paul Goude for the December issue of Paper magazine. Kardashian West is pictured on the cover of the magazine popping open a bottle of champagne which lands in a glass perched on her bottom. In another image released by the American publication, Kardashian-West is pictured naked from behind provocatively dropping her dress. Two further images were released by the magazine last night which show the reality TV star baring all; in one full-frontal shot and another topless image The weirdest and most shocking news stories Zombie cat A US cat owner has been left baffled after he claimed his dead pet turned up outside his front door five days after being buried. Ellis Hutson told vets in Tampa Bay, Florida, that he had found his black and white cat Bart lying in a pool of blood after he was hit by a car. According to Fox 13, Hutson told the Human Society of Tampa Bay that he had taken Bart away and buried him, and could not explain how the cat came to be spotted by neighbours a full five days later YouTube The weirdest and most shocking news stories 'F*ck it, I quit': KTVA reporter Charlo Greene quits live on air in spectacular fashion KTVA reporter Charlo Greene quit her job on live TV last night, outing herself as the owner of an Alaskan cannabis club and declaring "f*ck it." Having grown weary of reporting the news, Greene told viewers she would instead be putting all her energy into the fight to legalise marijuana in the state, having previously reported on the Alaska Cannabis Club without mentioning her connection to it KTVA The weirdest and most shocking news stories Nation in shock as Cadbury's changes the Creme Egg recipe In a bilateral attack on the glory of Easter, Cadbury's has stunned consumers by changing the recipe of its Creme Eggs and reducing their number in boxes from six to five. Reports that the latest batch of Creme Eggs tasted different were followed up by The Sun, wih Cadbury's confirming to the tabloid that it has switched out Dairy Milk for a "standard cocoa mix chocolate" in the shell Cadbury's The weirdest and most shocking news stories Chocolate Digestives revelation could change the face of biscuit eating forever Shut the biscuit tin, defenestrate your cup of tea, this is serious snack news: you have been eating chocolate biscuits upside down. Biscuits in fact have the chocolate on the bottom of the biscuit, not the top, McVitie's have confirmed, meaning Digestives, Hobnobs and more have a history of being eaten the wrong way up. The news sent shockwaves across the UK's subreddit, after a user posted an email from United Biscuits explaining their composition. "For your information," a spokesperson wrote, "the biscuits go through a reservoir of chocolate which enrobes them so the chocolate is actually on the bottom of the biscuits and not on the top" The weirdest and most shocking news stories Dollar store toy wand has hidden picture of demonic child cutting herself with a kitchen knife A mother in Dayton, Ohio was shocked when she purchased a toy wand for her child at a dollar store only to find it ran not on unicorn hair but a picture of a child slicing her arm open. In fairness to the dollar store (literally called '$.100 store') the product was named 'EVIL STICK', though the pink lettering, fairies, swirls and snowflakes on the packaging ensured it would catch the eye of toddlers. The fact that the wand emits a cackling laugh when activated is probably permissible, the horrific hidden image less so WHIO The weirdest and most shocking news stories Hello Kitty is not a cat - she's a British girl The revelation comes from Sanrio, the creators of the international toy, who contacted University of Hawaii anthropologist Christine R. Yano who was putting together a 40th anniversary retrospective of Hello Kitty in Los Angeles. Professor Yano, speaking to the LA Times, said: That's one correction Sanrio made for my script for the show. Hello Kitty is not a cat. She's a cartoon character. She is a little girl. She is a friend Getty The weirdest and most shocking news stories Cannabis-eating sheep munch through 4,000 in plants dumped in bag near farm Cannabis is known to leave its smokers feeling woolly-headed, but it seemed to have little effect on a flock of sheep who chomped their way through thousands of pounds worth of the drug. The hungry hash-eaters came across seven black bags containing the class B banned substance that had been dumped at the edge of their farm in Merstham, Surrey, and started scoffing Getty The weirdest and most shocking news stories Tesco cash machine offers 'free erection' because of mistake translating sign into Welsh Aberystwyth councillor Ceredig Davies took this picture after the new cash machine became the talk of the town, explaining that 'codiad am ddim' translates colloquially as 'free erection' Ceredig Davies The weirdest and most shocking news stories Parrot returns to British owner speaking Spanish - four years after disappearing Nigel, a grey African parrot, flew away from his home in California in 2010 but was returned to his British owner, Darren Chick, after he was discovered in Torrance, California. Although the Spanish-speaking bird bit Mr Chick when he first saw him, the happy owner said: "He's doing perfect. Mr Chick says his birds British accent is gone, replaced by fluent Spanish and someone called "Larry". Even though he has no idea where the bird has been for the last four years, he claimed: "It's really weird, I knew it was him from the minute I saw him" Getty Since becoming a barrister in 1979, the 64-year-old has helped put rapists, gangsters and Britains youngest female double murderer behind bars, an investigation by The Independent found last year. Ms Lynch has previously told a weeping defendant to man up and once said to a flasher she was sentencing: No-one wants to see your penis. I suppose, to a degree she was the toughest, a source who knew her as a barrister said. She certainly had a reputation. If you were being prosecuted by her, there was only one place you were going." Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Key London Underground stations and lines will re-close tonight and effectively give commuters seven more hours of travel chaos in the wake of the union strikes. Transport for London workers staged a 24-hour walkout between 6pm on Sunday and 6pm today in a dispute over job cuts and office closures. It closed almost all Zone 1 stations, the entire Victoria line and forced most lines into a reduced service. But commuters hoping for a return to normality this evening will be severely disappointed, for the number of closures will actually increase tonight, effectively extending the chaos to 31 hours until services end shortly before 1am. A TfL spokesman told The Independent that because staff are being taken off duty tonight, to cover their colleagues who are on strike in the day time, the workforce after 7pm will be even more depleted. The Victoria line and Zone 1 stations will most likely remain closed until the first trains from around 5am tomorrow. Tube Strike causes chaos for London commuters The Waterloo & City line, which was closed in the morning rush hour but was open this afternoon, will most likely re-close after 7pm. Its likely the service will be decreased, said the spokesman, who added that people working inside Zone 1 should complete their journeys home by 6pm. We have enough Tube drivers to run the line up and down but not enough to keep the offices open safely. It is likely that everything in Zone 1 will be closed after 6pm then will return to a normal service at the start of the day tomorrow. The spokesman said 10 of the 11 lines are currently open but that it will not be this good once we hit 7pm. We are unsure of what services will run on each line because it depends on who signs on for shifts, she added. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Londoners have been warned they face sleet and snow as temperatures are set to plummet in the second half of the week. The Met Office announced milder temperatures at the start of the week will give way to bitter cold as wintry showers spread across the UK and through the English Channel. A spokesman for the weather service told the London Evening Standard: There is a risk of some snow and sleety weather on Thursday and possibly also Friday mainly in the form of showers. Recommended Drivers warned of icy roads as freezing winter temperatures take hold It is difficult to gauge how much snow but it looks like a slight covering and it will feel very very cold. Temperatures will stay around four or five degrees but a wind chill will make it feel colder. As we head into the weekend the chances of snow will recede, giving way to clear blue skies on Friday but an Arctic cold wind will mean commuters still need to wrap up warm. This will be a further blow to the capitals commuters who are already facing major disruption following a 24-hour strike by members of the RMT union of jobs cuts on the Tube. The majority of Zone 1 stations are expected to be closed with the unaffected lines, such as Tfl rail, Overground and DLR, likely to be far busier than normal as people try to find alternative routes to work. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA The cold snap in London mirrors much of Europe as the icy winds bring snow as far south as Turkey and Greece. In Poland, the mercury has dropped to below -20C and it has got so cold a layer of ice has formed over the Adriatic Sea between Italy and the Balkans. On Saturday eight deaths in Italy and two in Poland were blamed on the cold. The Polish death toll has now reached 55 since the beginning of November. Washington, DC United States Senator Dean Heller, R-Nevada, issued the following statement after recently introducing the Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act, S. 42. This legislation is the Senate companion to a bill United States Congresswoman Barbara Comstock, R-Virginia, introduced in the United States House of Representatives, H.R. 321, to address women pursuing careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields. The future of tomorrow lies in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Opportunities to pursue a STEM career in Nevada are rapidly growing and will continue to do so for generations to come. With Nevada experiencing a recent boom in long-term commitments to our state from technology-based companies, it is imperative we encourage our daughters and granddaughters to pursue careers in STEM fields. They will be the ones to push and lead new advancements in technology for the world of tomorrow. Im proud to partner with Congresswoman Comstock on this important legislation and am thankful for her leadership on this issue, said U.S. Senator Dean Heller I thank Senator Dean Heller for taking the lead in the United States Senate and introducing the INSPIRE Women Act. In the House, we introduced this bipartisan bill with forty-three original cosponsors. The INSPIRE Women Act calls on the NASA Administrator to use programs within NASA to put young women and girls on a course toward STEM careers that will further help the space program and American businesses. For the American economy to be successful in the 21st Century, we need to have a skilled labor force that understands innovation and emerging technologies. The INSPIRE Women Act will help generate a climate for young girls and women to be successful in STEM and competitive on the world stage, and leaders in growing the 21st Century economy, said U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Comstock. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Migrants in parts of the UK are waiting up to three years for Government-funded English classes, despite Parliament saying new arrivals should learn the language upon entering the country. The all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on social integration published a report recommending that migrants be enrolled in compulsory Esol [English Speakers of Other Languages] classes on arrival in England. But staff at centres in areas of the country with particularly high migrant populations told The Independent that waiting lists for classes were often between two and three years, with many saying Government cuts to spending on the lessons had left the system in disarray. The parliamentary integration report concluded that speaking English was the key to full participation in our society and economy and a prerequisite for meaningful engagement with most British people. The APPG recommends that the Government markedly increase Esol funding, but does not specify any further details. The Government fully funds classes for students who are in receipt of benefits, but Esol can otherwise cost up to 700 per course. Research from Refugee Action shows that the Governments Skills Funding Agency has slashed ESOL funding from 212m in 2008 to 95m in 2015, a reduction of more than 50 per cent. Members of staff at two different colleges in South London, an area with high numbers of new arrivals in the country, spoke to The Independent on condition of anonymity. Both said their waiting lists for Esol classes were often in excess of two years, and sometimes as long as three years. Another college in East London reported waiting lists of around a year. We literally have queues round the block at enrolment, a member of staff said. This college had a cut of 450,000 in Esol for Jobcentre Plus students in 2015. That equated to [the loss of] 36 courses over 500 places for students. Dermott Bryers, founder of Esol charity English for Action, said these figures showed migrants who are desperate to learn English are often denied the opportunity to do so. My charity reaches out to people who are excluded from Esol classes, and more and more people have been excluded in recent years. Mr Bryers told The Independent. In inner London, Ive often heard of waiting lists in excess of a year. Another Esol worker at an East London college, said budget cuts had hit women the hardest. There are many women who dont receive Jobseekers Allowance, because their husbands are working, but often not earning enough to pay for classes, she said. Child care is another key barrier to access: in the past, we used to have a lot more capacity for creches, but with funding cuts in recent years, we cant do so much any more. Women can really get stuck at home. Weve also seen increase in costs to low-waged migrant workers, who work cleaning or construction jobs. If youre working, you dont qualify for free classes, so they get stuck in these low-paid jobs, where you dont really need any English. Barnet & Southgate College in North London has said that, previously, applicants would have had to wait around a year for Esol classes. More recently, the college has begun taking enrolments on a monthly basis, but still has hundreds of students on its waiting lists. Esol funding nationally has been drastically reduced and this has resulted in reduced access to Esol provision nationally often hitting specific vulnerable sectors the most, said Lorraine Jackson, deputy director of lifelong learning at the college. A Government spokesman has previously said: Our country has long been home to lots of different cultures and communities, but all of us have to be part of one society British society. That is why we are rolling out a 20m fund for English language provision and have also made 140m available through the Controlling Migration Fund to local authorities to manage impacts on communities caused by issues such as poor English language skills. Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Morning Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} London tube strikes have closed its major underground stations, frozen entire lines and prompted gridlock at the city's busiest central road junctions. The industrial walkout, in a dispute between the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union and the Transport Salaried Staff's Association (TSSA) over job cuts and station closures, is scheduled to end at 6pm. But those hoping for a return to normality during the evening rush hour will be sorely disappointed. Tube Strike causes chaos for London commuters Transport for London is urging commuters to complete their journeys, or at least those travelling out of central London, by 6pm. For someone looking at a potential one-hour commute to one of the home counties for example, such as Essex or Surrey, they may need to get out before 5pm. This is because when the shifts turn over at 7pm, there will be considerably less staff on duty, forcing busy Zone 1 stations to re-shut. "They should complete their journey by 6pm," a TfL spokesman told The Independent. "It's likely the service will decrease once we get to 7pm." Charlie Parker, transport sector lead at "people movement consultancy" Movement Strategies, added: Commuters looking to travel home tonight face a tough journey. "The peak hour is likely to extend from the usual 4.30pm - 7pm to 3pm - 8pm as travellers attempt to beat the rush. Given this, the best option for commuters today would be to leave work as quickly as possible, and leave plenty of time for travelling. "Its unlikely that a good service will be operating on lines this evening which have been suspended or affected by the strike scheduled today. Only travel if absolutely necessary. "Unsurprisingly if youre looking to get home at a sensible time, the earlier you leave the office the better. Gaining permission to travel home by 4.15pm is likely to cut disruption, however expect delays and congestion wherever you travel in London today. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Angela Merkel has made clear the UK will not fully access the single market without free movement, after Theresa May said she wants a Brexit deal with both border controls and "maximum freedom" for British firms in Europe. The German Chancellor is demanding the UK not be able to "cherry pick" the best parts of the EU without accepting the basic terms of membership. But her most recent comments followed reports this morning that Ms May is planning for a hard Brexit, which the Prime Minister later claimed had misrepresented her view. Speaking in Cologne, Ms Merkel said there could not be negotiations based on "cherry picking", adding that it is important that "we also make clear on the other hand that access to the single market can only be possible on the condition of respecting the four basic freedoms. "Otherwise one has to talk about limits [of access]." Ms May fuelled speculation that Britain was heading for a "hard Brexit" outside the single market in an interview on Sunday in which she said she was not aiming to preserve "bits" of the UK's EU membership. But asked at a press conference in London on Monday whether she was ruling out single market membership, the PM said: "What I said yesterday was what I have been saying for the past few months in relation to Brexit, notably that the vote on June 23 was very clear. Theresa May avoids directly answering four questions in a row on Brexit "People wanted us to take control of immigration and people coming to the UK from the EU, but we also want the best possible deal in trade with and operating within the single European market for British businesses and likewise for European businesses operating in and trading with the United Kingdom." She later claimed that reports she was preparing for a hard Brexit in which the UK was to quit the single market, and which precipitated a slump in the pound, had got it "wrong". Responding to Ms Merkel's comments, the Prime Minister's official spokeswoman said: "We are about to enter a negotiation with 27 other countries and as we prepare for those negotiations, countries will be talking about their positions and how they are going to approach them. "The Prime Minister has been clear that the British people made clear it is important we take control of immigration but this shouldn't be a zero-sum game and we should be approaching this on how we can get the maximum freedom for UK businesses to operate in and trade with the single market. "There are many countries around the world that have free trade arrangements with the European Union." Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Michael Gove has urged Theresa May to leave the single market and customs union, describing the approach as a full Brexit. In an article published on Monday the Eeurosceptic former Education Secretary described alternative approaches to leaving the EU as a fake Brexit despite the fact that some other countries outside the EU being members of the single market. Theresa May has rejected any suggestions that she will retain parts of EU membership, saying on Sunday that the question is what is the right relationship for the UK to have with the European Union when were outside. The push by Mr Gove represents a push to change the political framing of an approach that has thus far been referred to as a hard Brexit by most observers. Prominent Eurosceptics have rejected that description, with Brexit Secretary David Davis saying late last year that he didnt know what hard Brexit mean, despite readily available literature explaining the concept. It comes as the think-tank Civitas releases research which suggests failing to strike a post-Brexit deal would cost the Treasury 9bn in support to stop businesses faltering. Writing for the BrexitCentral website, Mr Gove said: We need to deliver a full Brexit, not settle for fake Brexit. Once Article 50 is triggered, we should be very clear about our simple, straightforward, generous approach to leaving. We dont want or need to be in the single market outside we can control our own borders, laws and taxes. Inside were trapped. We dont want to be bound by being members of the customs union. Outside we can negotiate new trade deals with emerging economies. Inside were trapped. And we dont need to waste months talking about new tariffs. We dont have any at the moment with Europe, we dont want to impose any and attempts to over-complicate the issue are a trap. The separate Civitas report suggests that billions could be spent on subsidies and aid within World Trade Organisation rules to help firms as they adapt new tariffs caused by leaving the bloc. The package could include 2.9bn to support research and development and a 3.8bn programme of regional aid along with a scheme to offer small, discretionary grants to any firm affected by Brexit. What experts have said about Brexit Show all 11 1 /11 What experts have said about Brexit What experts have said about Brexit Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond The Chancellor claims London can still be a world financial hub despite Brexit One of Britains great strengths is the ability to offer and aggregate all of the services the global financial services industry needs This has not changed as a result of the EU referendum and I will do everything I can to ensure the City of London retains its position as the worlds leading international financial centre. Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Yanis Varoufakis Greece's former finance minister compared the UK relations with the EU bloc with a well-known song by the Eagles: You can check out any time you like, as the Hotel California song says, but you can't really leave. The proof is Theresa May has not even dared to trigger Article 50. It's like Harrison Ford going into Indiana Jones' castle and the path behind him fragmenting. You can get in, but getting out is not at all clear Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Michael OLeary Ryanair boss says UK will be screwed by EU in Brexit trade deals: I have no faith in the politicians in London going on about how the world will want to trade with us. The world will want to screw you that's what happens in trade talks, he said. They have no interest in giving the UK a deal on trade Getty What experts have said about Brexit Tim Martin JD Wetherspoon's chairman has said claims that the UK would see serious economic consequences from a Brexit vote were "lurid" and wrong: We were told it would be Armageddon from the OECD, from the IMF, David Cameron, the chancellor and President Obama who were predicting locusts in the fields and tidal waves in the North Sea" PA What experts have said about Brexit Mark Carney Governor of Bank of England is 'serene' about Bank of England's Brexit stance: I am absolutely serene about the judgments made both by the MPC and the FPC Reuters What experts have said about Brexit Christine Lagarde IMF chief urges quick Brexit to reduce economic uncertainty: We want to see clarity sooner rather than later because we think that a lack of clarity feeds uncertainty, which itself undermines investment appetites and decision making Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Inga Beale Lloyds chief executive says Brexit is a major issue: "Clearly the UK's referendum on its EU membership is a major issue for us to deal with and we are now focusing our attention on having in place the plans that will ensure Lloyd's continues trading across Europe EPA What experts have said about Brexit Colm Kelleher President of US bank Morgan Stanley says City of London will suffer as result of the EU referendum: I do believe, and I said prior to the referendum, that the City of London will suffer as result of Brexit. The issue is how much What experts have said about Brexit Richard Branson Virgin founder believes we've lost a THIRD of our value because of Brexit and cancelled a deal worth 3,000 jobs: We're not any worse than anybody else, but I suspect we've lost a third of our value which is dreadful for people in the workplace.' He continued: "We were about to do a very big deal, we cancelled that deal, that would have involved 3,000 jobs, and thats happening all over the country" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Barack Obama US President believes Britain was wrong to vote to leave the EU: "It is absolutely true that I believed pre-Brexit vote and continue to believe post-Brexit vote that the world benefited enormously from the United Kingdom's participation in the EU. We are fully supportive of a process that is as little disruptive as possible so that people around the world can continue to benefit from economic growth" Getty Images What experts have said about Brexit Kristin Forbes American economist and an external member of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England argues that the economy had been less stormy than many expected following the shock referendum result: For nowthe economy is experiencing some chop, but no tsunami. The adverse winds could quickly pick up and merit a stronger policy response. But recently they have shifted to a more favourable direction Getty The total cost to the Treasury, including leakage to non-affected industries and households, would be 8.8bn which the report claimed would be easily covered by the 12.9bn collected in tariffs on EU imports into the UK. Once Britain triggers Article 50 in the coming months the Government will have two years to complete the negotiation process for what the UKs relationship with the EU will look like. If no deal is reached by the end of that period then Britain will crash out of the bloc and revert to WTO rules, potentially facing tariffs and quotas against its exports, unless an extension is unanimously agreed by all EU member states. Additional reporting by PA Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trumps team have reassured Boris Johnson that the US will seek a trade deal with the UK as fast as possible following Brexit. The President-elects key aides told the Foreign Secretary in America that Britain would be "front of the line" when it became possible to negotiate. Recommended Theresa May needs to bring Boris Johnson under control Mr Johnson travelled to the States to build relations with Mr Trumps team ahead of the Prime Ministers trip due later after this month. Speaking after his meetings, Mr Johnson said: "Clearly, the Trump administration-to-be has a very exciting agenda of change. One thing that won't change though is the closeness of the relationship between the US and the UK. "We are the number two contributor to defence in Nato. We are America's principal partner in working for global security and, of course, we are great campaigners for free trade. "We hear that we are first in line to do a great free trade deal with the United States. So, it's going to be a very exciting year for both our countries." Mr Johnson first met Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, set for a top job in Washington, and Steve Bannon, the US president-elect's strategist and controversial far-right media boss. It was the first formal face-to-face meeting between members of the incoming US administration and a UK minister. Officials have said US foreign policy towards Syria, China and Russia were also discussed. Then yesterday Mr Johnson was in Washington to meet key congressional politicians Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, Ben Cardin and Mitch McConnell. Barack Obama had angered Brexiteers by saying during the EU referendum campaign that the UK would be "back of the queue" for a trade deal if it quit the European Union. Mr Johnson's trip comes after the Government was embarrassed when Nigel Farage became the first UK politician to meet Mr Trump last year. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Jeremy Hunt has been accused of watering down the flagship target to treat all A&E patients within four hours, amid growing fears of an NHS crisis. The Health Secretary told MPs the promise introduced by Tony Blairs government in 2000 should only be for those who actually need it. Amid jeers in the Commons, Mr Hunt said only four other countries pledged to treat all patients within a similar timeframe and all had less stringent rules. He announced a fresh drive to divert non-urgent cases away from swamped casualty departments in order to protect services for the most vulnerable. And he told MPs: If we are going to protect our four-hour standard, we need to be clear its a promise to sort out all urgent health problems within four hours but not all health problems, however minor. There are nine million more visits to A&E since the four-hour standard was set, Mr Hunt said and an estimated 30 per cent of visits are not emergencies. The Department of Health insisted later that there had been no change in position over the four-hour A&E waiting time targets in England. But the statement was strongly criticised by Labour, which demanded to know if the standard was being jettisoned. Jon Ashworth, shadow Health Secretary, said: Is [Mr Hunt] now really telling patients that, rather than trying to hit the four-hour target, the Government is now, in fact, rewriting and downgrading it? If so, does NHS England support this move and what guidance has he taken from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that this is an appropriate change? And Norman Lamb, for the Liberal Democrats, said: Ditching the four-hour target is a slippery slope towards the downgrading of standards of care across the NHS. If the Health Secretary thinks it is acceptable for patients to be left waiting indefinitely in A&Es, or that this is a solution to the severe pressures facing the NHS, then he is sorely mistaken. Last summer, only 86 per cent of patients were being seen within four hours, way short of the 95 per cent required even before winter pressures. Mr Hunt ducked Labours questions, but also announced new freedoms for NHS hospitals to cancel outpatient appointments, as problems intensify. The move would be part of a series of further measures which may be taken in particularly distressed systems on a temporary basis, he said. In a statement, Mr Hunt told MPs: These may include temporarily releasing time for GPs to support urgent care work, clinically triaging non-urgent calls to the ambulance service for residents of nursing and residential homes before they're taken to hospital, continuing to suspend elective care, including, where appropriate, suspension of non-urgent appointments. The statement came after the Red Cross which is shoring up services in 20 A&E departments claimed there was a humanitarian crisis in the health service. More than a dozen hospitals have 100 per cent of their beds in use whereas, over the past five years, there has never been a three-month period where more than one hospital was at full capacity. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Doctors have said Jeremy Hunts proposals to alleviate pressures on the NHS by shifting some of the emergency care burden on to GPs are pie in the sky. The Health Secretary urged patients to visit their GP instead of heading to A&E for minor illnesses and outlined plans to temporarily release time for family doctors to support urgent care work. He said around 40 per cent of A&E patients were in hospital unnecessarily and called for a honest discussion with the public about the purpose of A&E departments. But doctors struggling amid a GP recruitment crisis said Mr Hunts plans were unrealistic and demanded the Government commit to investing in all areas of the overstretched health service. Quite unbelievable. Hunt says he will release GPs for A&E work like were twiddling our thumbs and have our feet up. Get a grip! wrote one doctor on Twitter. Chaand Nagpaul, chair of the British Medical Association (BMA)s GP committee, told The Independent family doctors were already working flat out but often struggling to keep up with the rocketing number of patients coming through the surgery doors. GP services are already overstretched and at full capacity with one in three practices reporting doctor vacancies left unfilled as this, coupled with contracting budgets and rising patient demand, has left many GP practices struggling to provide the necessary care to their patients, he said. Jeremy Hunt says only 'one or two hospitals' are in trouble despite claims of a humanitarian crisis If the government wishes to prevent the number of patients visiting A&E, they must commit to investing in all areas of health care, particularly areas such as social and community care, as chronic underfunding is largely to blame for the current crisis on our A&E wards. The head of the British Red Cross said he stood by his description of a humanitarian crisis gripping the NHS, after Theresa May rejected the suggestion. Mr Hunt told Radio 4s Today programme the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called very serious problems at some hospitals by suggesting pressures were increasing in part because people are going to A&Es when they should not. Recommended Chart highlights severity of NHS hospital bed shortage crisis He also said the NHS will soon be able to deliver seven-day access to a GP from 8am to 8pm. The overall number of GP consultations have increased by 15 per cent over the past five years three times the rate of increase in the number of GPs, according to The Kings Fund. And a BMA survey of 3,500 GPs in England found around a third of practices had vacancies for doctors they had been unable to fill for at least a year. GPs under huge pressure ... I imagine they wont welcome time released to support urgent care rather than improve primary care, tweeted journalist Rebecca Thomas. GP trainee Alex Gates told The Independent he had worked with 20 different GP surgeries in Swindon and had seen first-hand the pressures facing practices. Numerous practices which are all having significant problems with recruitment, he said. Theyre facing closure and having difficulty seeing patients in a timely manner. I was surprised by Jeremy Hunts claim patients would be able to see their GP from 8am to 8pm, which is certainly not something any of us are able to imagine at any time in the future. GPs are waiting up to a month sometimes for an appointment. Thats pie in the sky at the moment. Helen Stokes-Lampard, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, also called on Mr Hunt to urgently invest in general practice so community doctors can alleviate pressures across the NHS. She told The Independent while the focus of public concern had been on pressures in hospital, GPs were also under intense pressure during the winter period, and this can also have severe consequences for patients. Two patients died on trolleys in A&E and 42 emergency departments were forced to divert ambulances to other hospitals last week, twice the frequency of the same period last year. Beccy Baird, who leads the Kings Funds research into community-based health care, said the ageing population and cuts to social care were placing more pressure on hospitals than patients attending A&E with less serious illnesses. Patients going to A&E for minor problems where they could or should see a GP are a cause of pressure in A&E, but arent the main cause of pressure, she told The Independent. Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year Show all 4 1 /4 Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year 284491.bin IMMO KLINK Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year 284492.bin IMMO KLINK Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year 284493.bin IMMO KLINK Screaming blue murder: We join a London Ambulance crew for the busiest nightshift of the year 284494.bin IMMO KLINK Clearly, there are people coming through the door, but they can be processed quite quickly, as opposed to the people who have to see a clinician. In his statement to the Commons, Mr Hunt said hospitals were on the whole coping better than this time last year but that, with further cold weather on the way, some distressed NHS trusts would be able to take action to relieve pressure. This may include ensuring people in care homes and residential homes really need taking to hospital, and trying to open more care beds so elderly people who are medically fit can be discharged. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt has sparked anger by claiming there are only problems at "one or two hospitals" despite claims of unbearable pressure on NHS services. He made the comments after reports of a "humanitarian crisis" in the health service, as it emerged that the Red Cross is shoring up services in 20 accident and emergency departments. Mr Hunt instead sought to explain wider pressure by saying the public should realise when it is not appropriate to go to A and E for a problem more appropriate for a visit to a GP. In interviews he gave shortly before the Prime Minister prepared to give a speech setting out her plan to transform mental health services, Mr Hunt also argued the NHS is not suffering a lack of funding. The head of the British Red Cross Mike Adamson today stood by his description of a "humanitarian crisis" gripping the NHS, after the Prime Minister rejected the suggestion. Defending the Government's record, Mr Hunt told ITVs Good Morning Britain: "Lets look at independent people, people who do not support the Government often on other occasions are saying that was the wrong description. "What is fair and what we have to deal with is the fact that we have some very serious problems in one or two hospitals and I wouldnt minimise those at all." Later on Radio 4s Today programme, Mr Hunt was confronted with news that there are now more than a dozen hospitals that have 100 per cent of their beds in use, whereas over the last five years there has never been a three month period where more than one hospital was at full capacity. Hundreds of London's doctors took to the streets in 2016 in protest against Mr Hunt's handling of the NHS (Getty) He argued that the NHS now had more doctors, nurses and funding than ever, but explained what he called "very serious problems at some hospitals" by suggesting pressures were increasing, in part because people are going to A and Es when they should not. He said: "We need help from the public to understand that A and E departments are for accident and emergencies. They are not for things that could be sorted out by a GP." Mr Hunt went on: "Around 40 per cent of the people in A and E departments dont actually need the care of an A and E, we need to find other ways to look after their needs." Denying that the Government is underfunding the NHS, Mr Hunt argued the UK spends more than the average for rich countries on the health services, despite admitting that it had 150 avoidable deaths in hospitals every week. He said: "What I would say is that if we make the debate, whether its mental health or everything else in the NHS, just about money, we miss a trick because as we weve learnt in the debate weve had over education 20 years ago, its not just about funding, important thought that is. "Its also about standards and the quality of care." Shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth said planned funding should be brought forward to help and NHS that "is in an absolutely dire situation on its knees." He added: "The controversy has to be about the systematic underfunding of the NHS under Theresa May." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) group has hit back at suggestions it was influenced by an official from the Israeli Embassy and said he was exaggerating his role. The official, Shai Masot, was recorded talking to an undercover reporter about a new youth wing the LFI was aiming to establish. Mr Masot suggested the journalist could take a leading role in the organisation and encourage him to think about what he could do in it. He also discussed working with political groups in the UK which were supposedly independent, but said he couldnt share who they were. It came after a former minister in David Camerons government said both the LFI and Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) worked with the Israeli government in London to promote Israeli policy and thwart UK Government policy and the actions of Ministers who try to defend Palestinian rights. While numerous MPs are members of both the LFI and CFI, they are not official parliamentary bodies. However, the LFI have now distanced themselves from Mr Masot. A spokesperson for the group told The Independent: "It is clear from these recordings that Mr Masot was exaggerating his role and pretending to have influence he absolutely did not have. He was told clearly by LFI that any young LFI grouping would be organised by us, not by the Embassy. Although Mr Masot mentioned the idea of financially supporting a launch event this was turned down by LFI. 'Robin Harrow was never the chair of Young LFI. There is no such post and Mr Masot was told clearly not to refer to him as such. Israeli ambassador apologises after plot to 'take down' minister However, the LFI said it did work with the Israeli embassy: As part of our advocacy of a two-state solution, we work alongside many organisations, both Israeli and Palestinian. Among those we work with is the Embassy of the State of Israel, and indeed, Ambassador Mark Regev spoke at our Annual Reception at Labour party conference and our Annual Lunch in November. Mr Masot also spoke with civil servant Maria Strizzolo, a recently-resigned aide to Education Minister Robert Halfon, about taking down Deputy Foreign Secretary Alan Duncan, who has criticised the Israeli governments settlement policy. The position of Mr Masot, a former naval officer, was reported as being a political officer in the Israeli embassy in London and he portrayed himself as close to Ambassador Mark Regev. However, the embassy has since downplayed Mr Masots position to that of a "junior employee". Israel diplomat calls Boris Johnson an 'idiot' His actions led a former government Minister to call for a full inquiry into the Israeli embassys influence and the funding, access and connections of pro-Israeli British political groups. Writing anonymously in the Mail on Sunday for fear of being subjected to a relentless barrage of abuse and character assassination, the politician said: British foreign policy is in hock to Israeli influence at the heart of our politics, and those in authority have ignored what is going on. He took aim at the conservative lobby, saying: The CFI is not affiliated to the Conservative Party. It is incorporated in a way that means it is not transparent about donors. Yet it arranges for the support of MPs and funds regular visits to Israel which distort the truth. The occupation of Palestinian land by Israeli settlements is a particular issue of contention for the former minister, who wrote that it is ignored by ministers because of funding concerns. [David] Cameron turned a blind eye to Israeli misconduct if he ever cared about it because he was persuaded any criticism would reduce Party donations. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty The former minister continued: It now seems clear people in the Conservative and Labour Parties have been working with the Israeli embassy which has used them to demonise and trash MPs who criticise Israel; an army of Israels useful idiots in Parliament. This is politically corrupt, and diplomatically indefensible. The conduct of certain MPs needs to be exposed as the poisonous and deceitful infiltration of our politics by the unwitting agents of another country. The minister called for a full inquiry into the workings of these groups and the Israeli embassy and said the opaque funding and underhand conduct is a national disgrace and humiliation and must be stamped out. The Labour party have also demanded an inquiry. However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has said it considers the matter "closed". Ambassador Regev has apologised and said it was not the view of the Israeli embassy or government that Sir Alan was causing "a lot of problems". A statement released by the Israeli embassy said: "The Embassy of Israel rejects the remarks concerning Minister Duncan, which are completely unacceptable; the comments were made by a junior embassy employee who is not an Israeli diplomat, and whose employment with the embassy has terminated." The CFI have not responded to a request for comment by The Independent. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has resigned. Under power-sharing procedures, First Minister Arlene Foster can no long continue in her role without Mr McGuinness. The move therefore means power-sharing has effectively collapsed and will trigger an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly. His resignation comes in protest at Ms Foster following allegations she mishandled a government scheme which cost the taxpayer more than 400m. Known as the 'cash for ash' scandal, it has been alleged that the scheme, which was set up in 2012 to encourage Northern Irish businesses to use renewable energy sources, had serious flaws which meant they were given a financial incentive to pointlessly burn fuel. Ms Foster's DUP colleague Jonathan Bell broke party ranks to speak out against her, telling local media that she told officials to alter documents related to the scheme to minimise her appearance of responsibility. She strongly denies the allegations and says she has been unfairly represented in the media. She has refused to resign. The scandal has dominated Northern Irish politics since the allegations emerged in November. Smaller parties at Stormont tabled a motion of no confidence against her, however the petition failed. This weekend, Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams signalled the party could withdraw Mr McGuinness in order to make Ms Foster's position untenable. In a resignation letter sent to Stormont speaker Robin Newton, Mr McGuinness states: The First Minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation. That position is not credible or tenable. Therefore it is with deep regret and reluctance that I am tendering my resignation as Deputy First Minister with effect from 5pm on Monday, 9 January 2017. I have urged Arlene Foster to stand aside without prejudice to ensure confidence in the necessary investigation and in the wider public interest. These institutions only have value if they enjoy the confidence and support of the people they were established to serve. They only have meaning if are delivering fairly for all our people based on the principles of equality and mutual respect on which they were founded. Over the last 10 years I have worked with DUP leaders and reached out to unionists on the basis of equality, respect and reconciliation. Over this period the actions of the British government and the DUP have undermined the institutions and eroded public confidence Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of Arlene Foster and the DUP. Sinn Fein wants equality and respect for all. That is what this process must be about. Today I tendered my resignation.Today is the right time to call a halt to the DUPs arrogance. There will be no return to the status quo. In response, Ms Foster issued a statement, she said: "I am disappointed that Martin McGuinness has chosen to take the position he has today. He actions have meant that, at precisely the time we need our government to be active, we will have no government and no way to resolve the RHI [Renewable Heat Initiative] problems. "It is clear that Sinn Fein's actions are not principled, they are political. "Let me make it clear the DUP will always defend unionism and stand up for what is best for Northern Ireland and it appears from the Deputy First Minister's resignation letter that is what annoys Sinn Fein the most." In a statement, Republic of Ireland Foreign Minister Charlie Flanagan responded to Mr McGuinness' resignation, saying: "The substance of the RHI controversy is very much a matter for the devolved Executive and Assembly. However, the Government is very mindful of the need to protect the integrity of the principles and institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. In this regard, both the effective functioning of those institutions and respecting the principles of partnership and equality are of critical importance. If, as appears likely, new elections to the Assembly will now be required, it behoves all parties to act responsibly in word and deed, so that the political institutions of the Agreement will not be damaged in the longer term. I have spoken this afternoon to the Deputy First Minister and to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government will continue to work with the British Government and the political parties to advance political stability, reconciliation and economic prosperity in Northern Ireland. Following Mr McGuinness' announcement, Mr Adams tweeted his support for his decision. He wrote: Ten years of valient [sic] service in Office of First & Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness signs resignation letter. He added: GRMA chara, meaning thank you, friend in Irish. An election is expected to occur in late February or early March. Alfonso Dastis, Spains new foreign minister, seems to be of the opinion that a poor deal is better than no deal at all. He never raises his voice as he chooses the least-controversial words for his answers, picking his way around conflicts with a smile. This 61-year-old career diplomat with a background in law is familiar with the ins and outs of the European project, having served as Permanent Representative to the European Union under the first administration of Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy. Alfonso Dastis during the interview in his office at the Spanish foreign ministry. Samuel Sanchez (EL PAIS) Dastis says he never thought he would one day be tapped for the post of minister. The day before his appointment, he received a telephone call in Brussels: it was Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria. Two months later, he spoke with EL PAIS in what is his first interview with a print media outlet. Question. How are you different from your predecessor, Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo? Answer. I have the greatest respect and admiration for him, but I am more of a professional than a politician. The emphasis may change, but deep down there will not be any great differences. Q. Margallo was dubbed the Minister of Foreign and Catalan Affairs. Is the separatist challenge in Catalonia still a priority? Spain has the obligation to take a step forward, and that is what we are doing A. This ministry has a task to do, and that is to project and execute foreign policy. To the extent that the Catalan separatist challenge affects that goal, we will have to deal with it, in order to explain to our partners the reality of the situation and the legal order in Spain. But I wouldnt say that its a priority for the ministry. It is an important problem for Spain, and one that the entire government is going to be involved in. Q. Will 2017 mark the beginning of the end of the European project? A. Not at all. Q. If Marine Le Pen wins the French elections and lives up to her promises, the EU will be mortally wounded. A. I trust that this will not happen. If it does, then we will have to deal with it. But I hope that France will realize that its really cold outside the EU. It could be a difficult year, but certainly not the beginning of the end of the EU. Q. The first challenge is the Brexit negotiation. Is it possible to separate the four freedoms of the EU: free movement of goods, people, capital and services? Gibraltar has always been a controversial issue in Spain-UK relations. Ricardo Gutierrez A. I dont think so. This is a principle that all 27 member states have made clear. The UK does not want to submit to the jurisdiction of the Court of Justice, and it wants freedom to legislate. But both options are incompatible with the EU common market. Other formulas will have to be found to give it access to the EU market, but all four freedoms must be guaranteed. Q. What are the chances of Spain hosting the European Medicines Agency or the European Banking Authority, now headquartered in London? A. We legitimately aspire to seeing any one of them come to Spain, although it is true that the European Council has said the new agencies should go to countries that have joined the Union late. Q. The Brexit negotiation is hampered by the Gibraltar issue. Is Spain still offering Britain co-sovereignty over The Rock? A. It is. But I think we need to be realistic. If the UK does not want to negotiate, it will be hard to move forward with this, and one of the elements that London is considering, before deciding whether to negotiate, is the opinion of Gibraltarians. We deeply believe that this would be a beneficial choice for them. If Gibraltarians remain skeptical and do not wish to explore that avenue, I would say, well thats their business. They have a right to get left out of the EU, if thats what they want. But if Gibraltar wants a relationship with the EU, it will have to go through us. And that will require a bilateral agreement between Spain and the UK. 2017 may be a difficult year, but certainly not the beginning of the end of the EU Q. Spain has lately been absent from the EUs core leadership. After the Brexit referendum, Germanys Angela Merkel, Frances Francois Hollande and Italys Matteo Renzi held two summits that Spanish PM Rajoy was not invited to. Will Spain return to the front lines of EU leadership? A. Yes. As a matter of fact, were already back. That was a transitory situation derived from the fact that we were under a caretaker government with a very limited capacity for action. But that is no longer the case, and we are not just back: we are actually taking a step forward because weve been asked to. It is obvious that the bigger countries have a special responsibility; weve always defended that we need to work alongside European institutions, and both the Council and the Commission have asked Spain, which is now in a situation of stability and less uncertainty, to act as a driving force to pull the project forward. Q. Britain is leaving and two of the EUs engines, France and Italy, are feeling a bit under the weather... A. Yes. And the September elections in Germany are also introducing a dose of uncertainty. In such a situation, Spain has the obligation to take a step forward, and that is what we are doing... Q. What can we expect of a Trump presidency? A. We hope to maintain and strengthen a relationship that has grown closer in the last few years. I believe Mr Trump must be given a chance. He is a leader who has been elected in a perfectly democratic manner and who has to be judged for his actions when he is in the White House. I hope the US relationship with Spain and Europe will be maintained with the same level of cooperation as has been the case until now. English version by Susana Urra. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An accident and emergency doctor has taken to Reddit to explain what really goes on in a busy UK hospital. The user, under the name Joan Dark, describes herself as a senior registrar in a "busy urban tertiary trauma centre" and admitted that emergency medicine "is a machine and you get sucked in and spat out". She added she does not "really have any anger towards" Jeremy Hunt and said that although it "is a bit strong" to describe the NHS as in the grip of a humanitarian crisis, "maybe it is a term that needs to be used to reinvigorate some debate". She said: "I don't have an overarching plan to cure the NHS, if I did I would expect significantly better pay and a nice government office, but I do have a wish list of things I'd like to see that would best help the emergency department. "Massively target social care services to prevent elderly patients being trapped in ward beds causing exit block and to prevent their need to come to a hospital in the first place. "Aim to have patients above a certain age make clear, legal, documentation of the kind of care and limits of care they wish to receive. "Care for the NHS workforce. Don't just consider us cannon fodder. We're people, we need an incentive to want to work in the system rather than just being told it's our duty as doctors to work no matter how bad it gets." The Red Cross announced last week its volunteers had been called in to help in a number of hospitals after two people died in the same A&E department in one week in Worcestershire. Its chief executive, Mike Adamson, claimed the NHS was suffering a "humanitarian crisis". Joan_Dark said she had worked in Australia during her career and experienced "significantly better working conditions and remuneration for staff" there. She added: "I spent time in Australia in departments where the entire place was often run by purely UK and Irish doctors. It was always a decision made on the grounds of improved work life balance and better professional support." Young doctors choosing to emigrate is "a result of poor care of trainees" and "entirely a result of failure of the NHS", she said. User Burnsy2023 asked about long hours and fatigue. Joan_Dark said: "I'd rather work long hours to reduce the number of days I work. If I step foot in work the day is 'ruined' no matter how short the shift is. "ED is a machine and you get sucked in and spat out. I rarely realise I'm exhausted until the rush wears off in the car on the way home. I think I manage OK on 12-hour shifts but I'm probably not very objective." She criticised Government cuts as "an ignorant application of ideology to the system" but said she did not believe there's "a conspiracy against the NHS going on". Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The former care minister has blasted GPs for the "theft" of hundreds of millions of pounds earmarked for children's mental health care to spend on plugging gaps left by cuts. Liberal Democrat MP Norman Lamb, who served as care minister in last coalition government, said he would grill the Government in Parliament over what he called a roadblock to the improvement of mental health services. This morning Prime Minister Theresa May is pledging new initiatives for schools and employers to provide mental health support, as well as plans for new alternatives to hospital treatment, though with just 15m extra funding. The country's top psychiatrist has urged her also to build the workforce needed to deliver on her promises. Mr Lamb said: "This is a puny response to a burning injustice and an attempt to cover up for this Government's failure to deliver on promised investment for children's mental health. "I welcome the fact the Prime Minister is addressing the issue of mental health and the focus on schools and employment is right. "But measures to improve mental health care in schools were already agreed during coalition, and the current government has failed to ensure the investment needed to implement them has got through. "Much of the additional 1.4 billion of funding secured for child mental health care is being diverted to prop up other services. This amounts to theft of money intended to improve the lives of vulnerable young people. "Sadly, mental health is often the first area which loses out when budgets are tight. Unless the government addresses the funding crisis facing the NHS and ensures extra investment gets through to where it's needed, we will not see the improvements in mental health care that are so badly needed." Research by the Young Minds charity found that nearly two-thirds of CCGsthe GP-led bodies that buy in health services across the countryused some or all of the extra cash promised by then-Chancellor George Osborne to "backfill cuts or to spend on other priorities" in 2015-16. Mr Osborne had pledged an extra 1.4bn over five years to transform child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). The coalition government promised to institute "parity of esteem" for mental illness, meaning it should be taken as seriously by Government and doctors as physical health problems. Labour MP Luciana Berger, who heads the party's mental health campaign, said on Twitter that if Ms May "wants to make a difference to young people's #mentalhealth, she should start by bringing back all these staff that have been cut," naming school nurses, pastoral care teams, counsellors, youth workers and children's centre workers. Speaking yesterday ahead of her speech, Ms May told Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday programme that it is always wrong for people to assume that the only answer to these issues is about funding. In lieu of significant extra money the PM will instead pledge that every secondary school in the country will be offered mental health first aid training and new trials to strengthen the link between NHS staff and the educational institutions. Professor Sir Simon Wessely, the president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, praised Ms May's approach, while also urging her to "build up an enthusiastic workforce" to cope with a rise in demand for mental health treatment that has been spurred by the campaign to raise awareness. He told The Independent this morning: "She's right, it's not just about putting money in. I do see good signs in her speech that she is intending to take this seriously over the long term. "She's insisting on trials of new approaches to young people's mental health. I think that's absolutely great because it shows she's being serious. "I see that as a very reasonable, sensible thing to say and indicates also that she's not looking for quick fixes. "I do believe in throwing money at problemswhen you know what the problem is, and that what you're spending on makes a difference. "Anyone with any common sense will welcome this. He added: "The Prime Minister needs to take a broad view. She needs to focus on how do we build up an enthusiastic workforce. You need to be continually renewing." "You can make all the promises you want, but you must also have the workforce to deliver them. "We don't have sufficient people trained in psychiatry, psychology et cetera to deliver a big expansion in CAMHS and specialist services. "We have a problem in recruitment across the board." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Russian Embassy in London has been accused of adopting a white supremacist symbol after it tweeted criticism of Theresa May alongside an image of the cartoon Pepe the Frog. The embassy has amassed more than 40,000 followers on the social media platform with a combination of provocative statements and comments on controversial issues, as well as engagement with a series of popular memes. It tweeted on Monday to question Britains trust in the US after Boris Johnson made a hastily-arranged trip to New York and Washington to meet with officials from the Trump transition team. The post read: In todays papers: pundits call on @Theresa_May to disrupt possible Russia-US thaw. No trust in Britain's best friend and ally? Recommended Boris Johnson arrives in New York for talks with Trump team The embassy received hundreds of replies in a matter of hours, but most focussed more on the image accompanying the tweet than the words themselves. Thats because the smirking green cartoon frog has largely been co-opted by white supremacist and alt-right movements in the US, more so since Donald Trump became the Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election. The Daily Beast has previously quoted two anonymous white nationalist activists as stating Pepe the Frog was deliberately mixed with Nazi propaganda through an actual campaign organised online. And while it stresses the cartoon emerged from innocent beginnings in 2005 and is not inherently a racist meme in its own right, the US Anti-Defamation League has categorised it as a hate symbol. During the US election campaign, an article produced by Hillary Clintons team described Pepe as almost entirely co-opted by the white supremacists who call themselves the alt-right, and said the Trump connection to the meme was horrifying. The papers referenced in the Russian Embassys tweet appear to include The Times, which ran an editorial on Monday suggesting the West should worry that Mr Trump and Mr Putin could draw up a grand bargain stretching well beyond the Middle East. One reply advised the embassy: This is a white supremacist symbol..You just told all minorities who Russia stands with.. Another Twitter user responded: This is grossly offensive. Pepe is a recognised symbol of Neo Nazis. U people are in the gutter with them obviously. And others seemed to doubt such a message could be sent by a genuine embassy account. American user Jess asked: Are you a real embassy? This continues to seem... unprofessional. A handful of embassy staff are reported to be responsible for contributing to the verified embassy Twitter account, among them the ambassador Alexander Yakovenko. And it is not the first time the profile has been used to wade into international politics, often controversially. When the US expelled 35 Russian diplomats at the end of last year, the embassy mocked Barack Obama as a lame duck. It again used a picture to make its point in this case a duckling next to the word LAME, and a caption that read hapless. Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Show all 14 1 /14 Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A lesbian couple kisses in front of mural depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a barbecue bar 'Keule Ruke' on May 19, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Barcroft Media/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural VILNIUS, LITHUANIA - NOVEMBER 23: A woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A woman walks past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A child walks past a graffiti depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, on the walls of a bar in the old town in Vilnius, Lithuania, Saturday, May 14, 2016. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural People walk past a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A man photographs a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural AP Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A young woman walks past a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin with the slogan "make everything great again," in reference to Trump's campaign slogan of "Make America Great Again," on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A morning commuter stops to look at a mural on a restaurant wall depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Restaurant owner Dominykas Ceckauskas pose next to a mural on the wall of his establishment depicting US Presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin greeting each other with a kiss in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius on May 13, 2016. Kestutis Girnius, associate professor of the Institute of International Relations and Political Science in Vilnius university, told AFP -This graffiti expresses the fear of some Lithuanians that Donald Trump is likely to kowtow to Vladimir Putin and be indifferent to Lithuanias security concerns. Trump has notoriously stated that Putin is a strong leader, and that NATO is obsolete and expensive. / AFP / Petras Malukas (Photo credit should read PETRAS MALUKAS/AFP/Getty Images) Petras Malukas/AFP/Getty Images Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural A passerby photographs a mural showing U.S. President-elect Donald Trump (R) blowing marijuana smoke into the mouth of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the wall of a bar-b-que restaurant on November 23, 2016 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Many people in the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are concerned that Russia, because Trump has expressed both admiration for Putin and doubt over defending NATO member states, will be emboldened to intervene militarily in the Baltics. Sean Gallup/Getty Trump and Putin passionately kiss in street mural Getty Last week, Oxford University digital diplomacy expert Ilan Manor told The Times that the embassys profile was a textbook example of how Russian officials are using the medium to undermine Western principles. It is a conscious attempt to frame issues and win debates and public opinion, he said. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has dodged a key question on whether she would protect extra money earmarked for children's mental health at the same time as she pledged to transform support for young people. The Prime Minister is facing renewed calls to prevent health commissioners from spending hundreds of millions of pounds on other priorities instead of child and adolescent mental health services, on the same day she announced trials of new services in schools and workplaces. However, when asked at a press conference whether she would "forcibly" ring-fence an extra 1.25bn of funding announced by George Osborne in 2015, she swerved the question and moved on to a more general commitment on NHS funding. "We asked the NHS to produce their own five-year plan, which they did. They said it would require 8bn of extra spending, we've actually put 10bn of extra spending in. So I recognise the pressures that exist in the NHS," she said. Research by the Young Minds charity found that nearly two-thirds of clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) the GP-led bodies that buy in health services across the country used some or all of the extra cash promised by Mr Osborne to "backfill cuts or to spend on other priorities" in 2015-16. Norman Lamb, the former Liberal Democrat care minister, said it amounted to "theft" and called for the money to be protected. He told Sky News: "There has to be a mechanism to ensure that when the Chancellor of this country stands up and makes a budget speech, and makes a commitment to extra investment in children's mental health, that the money is spent where it's intended." The Department of Health said it did not ring-fence budgets as a matter of policy, and held NHS England to account over whether money was spent in accordance with its own five-year forward plan. Dr Phil Moore, a GP and chairman of the Mental Health Commissioners Network, told The Independent: "It seems that some CCGs have felt they have been unable to invest that [money] in children's and young people's services because of the pressures on their funding. "We would like to strengthen the commissioners' arms by ring-fencing that money." The Department of Health "did not feel that they could do that", he said, while commissioners had to tackle the dilemma of "this money has come, it's not ring-fenced, so what are the biggest needs of our local population?". He added: "The funding is in dire straits, period. The providers and commissioners are all having to deal with that. "I think children and young people is a huge priority." Ms May's announcement was welcomed this morning by Professor Sir Simon Wessely, the chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, who said he saw "good signs in her speech that she is intending to take this seriously over the long term". He added: "The Prime Minister needs to take a broad view. She needs to focus on how do we build up an enthusiastic workforce. You need to be continually renewing." "You can make all the promises you want, but you must also have the workforce to deliver them." Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Theresa May has confirmed the UK would come to the assistance of a Nato ally such as Estonia or Lithuania in the event it was invaded by Russia. The Prime Minister said British troops would also take part in military exercises in Estonia designed to highlight the seriousness with which Nato considers its responsibilities. She told Sky News: Article 5 of Nato says that we do go to the support of any Nato country that has military action against it. Recommended David Cameron could become next Nato Secretary General Sometimes people think there is going to be a change in the American approach to Nato. From the conversations Ive had, I think America remains fully committed to Nato, as we do. Were already taking some steps to show the seriousness with which Nato considers its responsibilities. There will be UK troops on exercise in Estonia this year. Mutual defence is the central pledge of Nato but has been called into question following the election of Donald Trump. The US President-elect has repeatedly criticised the organisation and suggested that under his leadership the US may not come to the support of a Nato ally. Asked during the presidential campaign what he would do if Russia invaded Estonia, the Republican said: "Estonia is in the suburbs of St Petersburg. 40% of Estonia is Russian I'm not sure I would risk nuclear war over some place that is the suburb of St Petersburg." He also argued Nato was costing [the US] too much money, said we have to pay a lot less towards the Nato and suggested he might make US contributions to the organisation dependent on other states paying more. The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Show all 20 1 /20 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Digital Economy Bill Give every household the legal right to fast broadband but if they live in some remote areas, theyll have to pay part of the cost themselves Phone and broadband companies to be forced to release details of customer complaints and average broadband speeds New powers to allow public bodies like councils and government department to share swathes of data including unpaid bills Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Transport Bill New laws to govern the development of driverless cars, drones and space planes which the Government hopes will encourage investment in the new technologies to take place in the UK Making it legal for customers to buy insurance for driverless vehicles Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 4/5 This content is subject to copyright. The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Planning Bill Giving legal powers to villages and towns to set their own priorities for new housing. They wont be able to turn down new homes, but they will have a say in where they can be built Create a new National Infrastructure Commission to push through big projects such as nuclear power stations and new rail and road links cutting the amount of time it takes to develop them Controversy Rating: 3/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Jobs Bill Give powers to local authorities to reduce the level of business rates they charge. City Mayors would also be able to increase rates in some areas to pay for specific infrastructure projects to that would boost local growth Controversy Rating: 2/5 Change Britain Rating: 2/5 This content is subject to copyright. The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Markets Bill Making it easier for consumers to switch electricity and gas suppliers Cutting down the time it takes for the Competition and Markets Authority to launch investigations into uncompetitive practices Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Bus Services Bill Give local authorities and mayors powers to set standards for local buses including frequency of services and fairs Force all bus companies to provide real time information on services to app developers so everyone across the country will have the same ability as Londoners to know when the next bus is coming on their smart phone Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 2007 Getty Images The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 NHS Overseas Charging Bill Increasing the number of services for which the NHS charges foreign patients Reduces the number of people from the European Economic Area who are eligible for free services Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 1/5 2016 Getty Images The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Pensions Bill Capping early exit fees on company pension schemes Create a new pensions guidance body to help consumers know their pension rights and make best use of previous Government reforms allowing pensioners the right to take the money they have saved in a lump sum on retirement to invest how they like Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Children and Social Work Bill New obligation on councils to be a corporate parent to children in care and look after them even after they have grown up Giving all children leaving care a personal advisor to help them find jobs, secure a home and deal with any problems Create a new regulator for social work along the lines of Ofsted to drive up standards in the profession Controversy Rating: 2/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Education Bill Force failing local authorities to convert all the schools in their area to academies Reform school funding to address long standing disparities across the country that has disadvantaged schools in some rural areas Controversy Rating: 3/5 Change Britain Rating: 2/5 2015 Getty Images The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Higher Education Bill Making it simpler and easier for companies and other providers to set up new universities around the country. Ministers want to encourage institutions like Harvard and companies like Google to consider setting up campuses in the UK Allowing universities who have been rated "excellent" for teaching to charge more than those who are not Law to force universities to publish information about their application processes broken down by ethnicity, gender and socio economic background Controversy Rating: 2/5 Change Britain Rating: 4/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Prisons and Courts Bill New law to create reform prisons giving governors powers to set their own regimes and budgets Obligation to publish re-offending rates by prison Controversy Rating: 2/5 Change Britain Rating: 4/5 2016 Getty Images The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 National Citizen Service Bill New law to force schools to promote NCS to all 16 year olds and putting the scheme for the first time on a statutory footing Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Lifetime Savings Bill Putting into law a Government plans to give people on working tax credits who save 50 a month a Government "bonus" of 50 up to a maximum of 300 a year Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 2/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Soft Drinks Industry Levy Bill Introduce a sugar tax on soft drinks to fund school sports Controversy Rating: 3/5 Change Britain Rating: 5/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Bill of Rights A new bill of rights to replace the Human Rights Act that will be based on the European Convention of Human Rights but will also take account of English common law Controversy Rating: 5/5 Change Britain Rating: 4/5 This content is subject to copyright. The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Counter-Extremism Bill New civil powers to allow authorities to ban so-called "extremist preachers" New powers to intervene in Madrassas and other unregulated environments where children are present New undisclosed powers to come out of Louise Caseys review of Muslim integration Controversy Rating: 5/5 Change Britain Rating: 4/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Criminal Finances Bill Make it an offence for companies not to stop their staff facilitating tax evasion New undisclosed powers for courts to recover criminal assets Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 1/5 2016 Getty Images The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Cultural Property Bill (Armed Forces) Making it illegal for UK troops to damage cultural property in conflicts at home or abroad Controversy Rating: 1/5 Change Britain Rating: 1/5 The governments legislative programme for 2016-17 Wales Bill Bill to put plans for further Welsh devolution on a statutory footing following the new powers recently given to the Scottish Parliament Controversy Rating: 2/5 Change Britain Rating: 3/5 In contrast, UK government ministers have said they want to increase the UKs role in Nato to make up for Britain leaving the EU. Michael Fallon, the Defence Secretary, said last year: Its a disappointment were leaving the European Union because in my view it does add to what Nato gives us. But Nato is the cornerstone of our defence and what we'll be telling other leaders is we'll be doing more in Nato to compensate for our withdrawal from the EU. A number of Baltic states that are Nato members fear a Russian invasion if president Vladimir Putin decided it was in his countrys interests. Mr Putin has said he would not hesitate to act to defend Russians wherever they live and has claimed Russias border doesnt end anywhere. He shocked the international community in 2014 by annexing the Crimean peninsula, which had previously been part of Ukraine. Sign up to the Inside Politics email for your free daily briefing on the biggest stories in UK politics Get our free Inside Politics email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Inside Politics email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} At least two patients die of hunger or thirst every day in UK hospitals and care homes, according to data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Malnutrition or dehydration were mentioned on the death certificates of 726 patients who died in hospital in 2015 and of 130 more who passed away in care homes. In hospitals, 297 patients died of starvation and 429 of dehydration, while in care homes, 54 died of hunger and 76 of thirst, reported The Sun. Theresa May has rejected a warning from British Red Cross that hospitals are facing a humanitarian crisis after the organisation stepped in to support the overstretched health service. The Prime Minister acknowledged the NHS was under pressure but told Sky News the Government was addressing the issue of an ageing population, adding that health funding was at record levels. According to the ONS, fewer people are dying of hunger and thirst in hospitals and care homes than in 2005, when more than 1,000 such deaths were recorded but charities have called the current figures horrifying. Its horrifying to think that older people are dying because they havent had enough to eat or drink in care homes and hospitals, said an Age UK spokesperson. Jeremy Hunt on NHS mortality rates Mark Porter, council chair of the British Medical Association, said spiralling patient numbers and the lack of additional funding provided for health and social care meant the service was still struggling in real terms. We have seen no signs from the PM since taking office that she understands the gravity of the situation the NHS is facing, he said. As lack of beds and inadequate social care funding has prompted the Red Cross to declare a humanitarian crisis in our hospitals, Theresa May cannot continue to bury her head in the sand as the situation in our NHS and social care sector deteriorates. Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt also sparked anger by claiming there are only problems at one or two hospitals despite claims of unbearable pressure on NHS services. He made the comments after it emerged that the Red Cross is stepping in to support services in 20 accident and emergency departments. Mr Hunt instead sought to explain wider pressure by saying the public should realise when it is not appropriate to go to A and E for a problem more appropriate for a visit to a GP. NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital Show all 3 1 /3 NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital staffs-deaths.jpg Christopher Furlong/Getty Images NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital stafford-hospital.jpg PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images NHS's darkest day: Five more hospitals under investigation for neglect as report blames 'failings at every level' for 1,200 deaths at Stafford Hospital pg-4-whistleblower-getty.jpg Getty Images Jeremy Hunt on [Radio 4] saying vast majority of hospitals coping better this year. Which hospitals has he been visiting? Not North London, tweeted Labour MP David Lammy following the Health Secretarys comments to the BBC. Mr Hunt was confronted with news that there are now more than a dozen hospitals that have 100 per cent of their beds in use, whereas over the last five years there has never been a three month period where more than one hospital was at full capacity. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A suicide bomber rammed his vehicle into an Egyptian security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai on Monday morning killing at least 10 people and wounding 22, officials have said. The attacker drove a white rubbish truck packed with explosives into the checkpoint before security forces shot dead the driver and safely detonated the bomb. Footage released by the Egyptian Interior Ministry showed the driver slumped over the trucks steering wheel after being shot. The vehicle was stolen days earlier and had been modified with built in metal plates to enforce the truck. The attack, on the Mediterranean coastal city of el-Arish, was followed by several small explosions as militants wearing black masks fired rocket-propelled grenades at troops guarding the checkpoint. Nine of the dead are policemen and three floors of the police station were destroyed in the attack. Their bodies have been pulled from the rubble and the wounded including a number of civilians have been taken to hospital. Recommended 12 dead in Isis attack on security checkpoint in central Sinai The identity of the tenth victim is not known. Separate reports said as many as 13 people had been killed and medical and security officials said the death toll was likely to rise. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack, but the finger of blame will undoubtedly be pointed at Isis, which is known to be an active terrorist group in the area. Isis has used reinforced trucks as weapons in Syria and Iraq. Sinai is a volatile region in the east of Egypt that has suffered an increasing number of attacks by militant groups. Egyptian army troops and Apache helicopters have been deployed to the area, reports said. A similar attack on a security checkpoint in northern Sinai last November claimed the lives of eight soldiers. Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Show all 20 1 /20 Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Egyptian soldiers collect personal belongings of plane crash victims at the crash site of a passenger plane bound for St. Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Egyptian soldiers collect personal belongings of plane crash victims at the crash site of a passenger plane bound for St. Petersburg in Russia that crashed in Hassana, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt In this Russian Emergency Situations Ministry photo, made available on Monday, Nov. 2, 2015, showing Metrojet Airbus A321-200 flight 7K9268 flight recorder on display at an undisclosed location in Egypt Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Mourners lay flowers at Pulkovo International Airport outside St. Petersburg. Russia on 1 November mourned its biggest ever air disaster after a passenger jet full of Russian tourists crashed in Egypt's Sinai, killing all 224 people on board. Flags were at half mast on the parliament building, in the Kremlin, and on other official buildings in honour of the victims, most of whom were from Russia's second-largest city of Saint Petersburg Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt People pay their respects at the entrance of Pulkovo airport outside St. Petersburg, during a day of national mourning for the plane crash victims Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Debris from the plane crash in Egypt Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt A piece of an engine of Russian MetroJet Airbus A321 at the site of the crash in Sinai, Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt The crash site debris Flight 7K9268 crashed in the Sinai peninsula, in all probability killing every one of the 224 people on board AFP/Getty Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt The crash site debris Debris lies strewn across the sand at the crash site EPA Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Relatives in St Petersburg Relatives react after a Russian airliner with 217 passengers and seven crew aboard crashed, as people gather at the Kogalymaviais information desk at Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg on 31 October AP Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Relatives in St Petersburg A relative of a passenger of MetroJet Airbus A321 at Pulkovo II international airport in St Petersburg, Russia, 31 October 2015. EPA Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt The plane's journey The plane's last recorded radar position above the northern Sinai peninsula Flightradar24 Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Where it crashed A satellite view from Google Maps of the rough area where the plane crashed, in the mountainous Hassana region of the Sinai peninsula. Google Maps Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt The plane The Metrojet's Airbus A-321 with registration number EI-ETJ that crashed in Egypt's Sinai peninsula REUTERS/Kim Philipp Piskol Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt The plane The crashed Airbus A321 at Domodedovo international airport, outside Moscow,, on 20 October Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Relatives at in St Petersburg A relative of a passenger on MetroJet Airbus A321 at Pulkovo II international airport in St Petersburg EPA Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Relatives at in St Petersburg Relatives of passengers of MetroJet Airbus A321 at the Crown Plaza hotel in St Petersburg EPA Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Bodies being repatriated An Egyptian soldier prays as emergency workers prepare to unload bodies of victims from a police helicopter to ambulances at Kabrit military airport on 31 October. AP Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Bodies being repatriated Ambulances line up as emergency workers unload bodies at Kabrit military airport, 20 miles north of Suez, on Saturday AP Russian passenger plane crashes in Egypt Bodies being repatriated Egyptian paramedics load the corpses of victims into a military plane at Kabrit military air base by the Suez Canal on October 31, 2015 AFP/Getty Images Isis is also believed to have brought down a plane that took off from the southern Sinai resort of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2015 after planting a bomb on board. All 224 passengers and crew died when Metrojet flight 9268 crashed shortly after take-off. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Ghanas new leader has been accused of plagiarising speeches by former US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush in his inauguration address. President Nana Akufo-Addo assumed office on 7 January following a comfortable election victory, and addressed a crowd of hundreds at Accras Independence Square during his swearing-in ceremony. But it wasn't long before commentators spotted similarities between the Presidents words and inauguration speeches made by Mr Clinton and Mr Bush in 1993 and 2001 respectively. Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us, began Mr Akufo-Addo, echoing the start of Mr Clintons speech almost word for word, only with "Ghanaians" swapped in for "Americans". I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation, he continued, a line which was apparently taken from Mr Bushs address. Eugene Arhin, the presidents communications director, took to Facebook after the ceremony to apologise for the content of the speech. I unreservedly apologise for the non-acknowledgement of this quote to the original author. It was a complete oversight, and never deliberate. World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty Mr Akufo-Addo's New Patriotic Party (NPP) has meanwhile outlined policies aimed at creating jobs, fighting poverty and promoting local businesses across Ghana. The president, a 72-year-old former human rights lawyer, defeated incumbent John Dramani Mahama in elections last month by a significant margin. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A Ugandan newspaper has published what is has called the countrys 200 top homosexuals, outing some citizens who had never publicly disclosed their sexuality. The list comes a day after President Yoweri Museveni signed a bill enacting harsher laws on homosexuals. The tabloid Red Pepper published the names, and some photographs, of people they claim are homosexuals, alongside the front page headline: EXPOSED! Those who appear on the list include prominent Ugandan gay activists such as Pepe Julian Onziema, who condemned the anti-gay bill on Monday, and has repeatedly warned the law could spark violence against people thought to be homosexual. The climate surrounding homosexuality in Uganda means few people are publicly out. Red Peppers list echoed a similar article published in 2011 in a now-defunct tabloid that called for gay people to be executed. Jacqueline Kasha, a well-known Ugandan lesbian activist who is among those listed in the Red Pepper story, tweeted:The media witch hunt is back, in reference to the 2011 list. David Kato, a prominent Ugandan gay activist, was killed after that list came out, and activists said at the time that they believed he was targeted because of his work promoting gay rights in Uganda. Under Uganda's new-anti-gay law, gay sex is punishable by life imprisonment. Recommended The law which came just over a month after Nigeria passed a similar measure against homosexuals has been internationally condemned, although it is widely popular among Ugandans. US Secretary of State John Kerry said the signing of the bill marked a tragic day for Uganda and for all who care about the cause of human rights and warned that Washington could cut aid to the government of the East African nation. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay warned that the law would institutionalise discrimination, and could encourage harassment and violence against people thought to be homosexual. But President Museveni has defended the measure, and has rejected international criticism of the law as Western interference in Uganda's internal affairs. He has accused arrogant and careless Western groups of trying to recruit Ugandan children into homosexuality, but he did not name these purported groups. Ugandan police spokesman Patrick Onyango said on Tuesday that no homosexuals have been arrested since President Museveni signed the bill, but that at least two people had been taken into custody since lawmakers passed the bill last December. Onziema, an LGBT rights activist, said he had counted up to six arrests and said that more than a dozen Ugandan homosexuals had fled the country since December over safety concerns. Some Ugandan lawyers and activists have said they will challenge the law in court as unconstitutional and impossible to implement. The decomposed and partially eaten remains of a brown bear were found on Saturday in Cangas del Narcea, at the western edge of the Picos de Europa mountain range in Asturias, said Spains Fund for the Protection for Wild Animals (Fapas). The remains of the animal found on Saturday. FAPAS The conservationist organization says it received a telephone call on January 7 from two hikers near the village of Moal, in Asturias. Fapas said the animal had been partially devoured by other animals, but that its head and feet were well preserved, showing that it was a fully grown adult with powerful teeth. The cause of death has not yet been established. The body was found around 10 meters from a trail used by hikers, close to where another dead bear was discovered in September. That one had been shot. Fapas said the discovery of the second bear highlights the true situation facing bear conservation in Asturias after several decades of protecting the species and a successful fight against illegal hunting. Fapas says wild boar hunts that began last year in the nearby Somiedo Natural Park in Asturias are a critical risk for efforts to protect the brown bear. The Cantabrian brown bear is classified as an endangered species. English version by Nick Lyne. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In a political environment where every action generates an equal and opposite reaction, restaurants that want to signal their discomfort with the policies of the incoming Trump administration have to orchestrate their moves carefully during inauguration weekend. Anything labeled, or just perceived, as a protest could meet with significant backlash. So this week, as Nandos Peri-Peri begins to hand out #everyoneiswelcome posters at six Washington restaurants, the South African-Portuguese chicken chain is pitching the campaign as a statement of corporate values, not a slap at President-elect Donald Trump and his supporters. Those who voted for Trump, of course, may take a different view of the poster, whose language on the back reads: Nandos Peri-Peri is an Immigrant EMPLOYING Gay LOVING Muslim RESPECTING Racism OPPOSING Equal PAYING MultiCULTURAL chicken restaurant where #everyoneiswelcome. Its a bold and brave statement, but its true and honest and it represents who we are as a brand, says Burton Heiss, chief executive of Nandos USA, a Washington-based company. Nandos origins in 20th-century South Africa, where the majority-black population was disenfranchised and destitute, has informed how the company views the world in the 21st century, Heiss notes. Over the years, the company saw firsthand the devastating impact of apartheid and a system that devalued diversity and made it a point to speak out against such beliefs, he says. The company has long been an activist organization in terms of its speaking out against such regimes. But during an interview, Heiss repeatedly emphasizes that the Nandos campaign is designed to be inclusive, not divisive, an invitation for thousands of inauguration visitors to learn more about a growing chain that operates dozens of restaurants in the D.C., Baltimore and Chicago markets. On Wednesday, the company plans to tuck 60,000 posters inside the Express, The Washington Posts free daily commuter paper, in the hopes readers will display the pages. The posters will also be available for download at everyoneiswelcome.us. The front of the sheet will have no obvious branding, other than the red heart thats part of Nandos poultry-based logo, as well as the hashtag #everyoneiswelcome. All we can do is be honest that #everyoneiswelcome means everyone is welcome, Heiss says. Regardless of what we have said, there are differences of opinions. But that doesnt mean we cant break bread together and maybe even have a discussion about those differences. Nandos careful messaging aimed at expressing its progressive beliefs without alienating Trump supporters or, worse, generating their ire looks like the same kind of balancing act practiced by other restaurants that want to take a stand, or whatever they call it, during the inauguration. To date, more than 30 establishments have joined the All In Service DC campaign started by Amanda Carpenter and Alaina Dyne, a pair of front-of-the-house veterans who are asking D.C. bars and restaurants to support a charity of their choosing during inauguration weekend. The charities selected so far have a certain, well, stick-it-to-the-man quality. They include Planned Parenthood (which Republicans have threatened to defund) and Ayuda, which provides legal and social services to low-income immigrants. Contributing to an immigrant advocacy group makes sense for a restaurant, notes Ian Hilton, co-owner of Chez Billy Sud in Georgetown, one of the participating restaurants. Many commercial kitchens and dining rooms couldnt function without immigrants, some of whom are feeling uneasy about the incoming president and his deportation plans. We see the anxiety in our employees, for the obvious reason, says Hilton. At the same time, Hilton says he has no stomach for political statements that degrade the highest office in the land. He wants his participation in All in Service DC to be apolitical. You might not always be happy with how an election turns out, but you have to turn a page and kind of hope for the best and think positively, he says. Whether I personally felt bad on the Wednesday after Election Day, what do you do? You move on. Emphasizing the apolitical nature of their inauguration activities could be a survival instinct for restaurants. There has been plenty of evidence that customers are quick to punish businesses that take a position, pro or con, on a candidate. Once-faithful Yuengling bars and drinkers vowed to dump the brand after the owner of the historic Pennsylvania brewery endorsed Trump. Grubhub, the food delivery service, suffered a similar fate when its chief executive sent an email to employees after the election, suggesting that anyone who shared Trumps attitudes toward minorities, women and the disabled should resign. The companys stock fell by 5 percent in response. Ben & Jerrys, the socially conscious ice cream chain owned by Unilever, released an open letter to the president-elect two days after Trump won. The Vermont-based company had actually written two letters, one for each voting outcome, but had put more time and energy into the other letter for Hillary Clinton, says Chris Miller, activism manager for Ben & Jerrys. So when Trump won, Miller and his content team shifted into overdrive to complete a draft letter and send it through the company ranks for approval. The final letter was mostly magnanimous, but at the end, Ben & Jerrys reiterated its values, including its support for women, people of color, Muslims, migrants, refugees, the LGBTQ community, the poor. The company indicated it would support Trump if he were committed to building a more just, equitable, and sustainable world. For the month of November, this was far and away the most trafficked page on the Ben & Jerrys site, Miller says. The public response, he adds, was overwhelmingly positive, but it also generated some pointed Facebook commentary. This is ridiculous, one poster wrote. You guys sell ice cream. Dont you have a different page for politics? Im out of here! But Ben & Jerrys doesnt shy away from controversy, Miller says, as in October when the company issued a statement on the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement that immediately struck a nerve with police supporters. The group Blue Lives Matter quickly called for a nationwide boycott of Ben & Jerrys products. Miller says such responses are the price Ben & Jerrys pays for its activism. We firmly believe that its better to be intensively loved by some than inoffensive to everyone, Miller says. Such a position, he adds, is not always easy on those who answer the phones at headquarters. Recommended Five actors who used the Golden Globes to take down Donald Trump Not everyone shares Ben & Jerrys taste for politics, not even in the District, where politics is the only game that matters. Even liberal-minded restaurants dont always feel comfortable raising their blue flag in the city where more than 90 percent of the voters cast a ballot for Hillary Clinton. Their reticence is tied not just to inauguration weekend, which will bring together Trump supporters and protesters, two sides that historically have not mixed well. Its also tied to the recent #pizzagate madness, in which hacked emails, fake news stories and false rumors about a pedophilia ring run by Clinton eventually led to a gunman appearing at Comet Ping Pong pizzeria on Connecticut Avenue NW. The #pizzagate episode has been so horrific that Comet owner James Alefantis will still not speak publicly about it. Trying to stay out of the fray, he texts. Comets woes have had an effect. Restaurateurs are willing to stick their necks out only so far, but theyre also not inclined to remain silent. We all know what recently happened with Comet Ping Pong, says Sarah Massey, spokeswoman for All In Service DC. Thats not going to deter our community from doing the right thing. And now Nandos has willingly stepped into this fray, not with a fundraising campaign for charity but with posters that promote diversity, equal pay and multiculturalism, subjects that can be flashpoints for Trump supporters. The chicken chain is not naive about the political landscape. It has been preparing its staff on how to handle tough and/or rude questions. 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 Theres always potential for people to disagree and to voice that displeasure, says the chief executive, Heiss. We will continue to monitor what the response is, and if we have to change preparation or if we [think] at any point that there is any risk to our team, we would take whatever steps we need to do to secure their safety and well-being. Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The big, overarching reason that President-elect Donald Trump doesn't want to accept the conclusions of the intelligence community about Russia's alleged hacking is pretty simple: It would call into question whether he would have won the 2016 election without it. Trump is a winner, and it would hurt his brand. And he's making that very clear right now in a deceptive way. In a statement Friday afternoon and a tweet Saturday morning, Trump claimed that a. Russia had no actual influence on the election results and that b. the intelligence report says so. The first claim is unproveable; the second is just bogus. While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organisations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines, Trump said in his Friday statement after receiving an intelligence briefing. And here's the tweet: Trump is using a clever bit of misdirection to argue that the report says something it doesn't. The report does say voting machines weren't hacked; it does not say there's no evidence that hacking affected the election results. In fact, on the latter count, it says pretty clearly that it isn't making any such determination. Here's what the report does say about voting machines, etc.: Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple US state or local electoral boards. DHS assesses that the types of systems Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying. This does say pretty clearly that the intelligence community's conclusion is that Russia did not physically hack the vote-counting process. But while a poll showed many Democrats may believe this to be the case, no high-ranking Democrats are actually making this argument. It's a red herring. What the report clearly does not say is whether the influence of the hacking might have changed people's minds before Election Day, which is the goal of a propaganda campaign, after all. That's how Russia is really alleged to have swayed the outcome. In fact, the report says clearly that it isn't weighing in on that question. Here's the operable part: We did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. The US Intelligence Community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyse US political processes or US public opinion. So while Trump says the intelligence report stated very strongly there was absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results, the intelligence report itself says it did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. No assessment does not mean no evidence. It means they're not attempting to answer that question. 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 Trump is trying to conflate the hacking of voting machines with election results, but they aren't the same thing, and the hacking of voting machines isn't really the issue here. Whether Russia's hacking and the information disseminated from it actually changed the results of the election is a very hard question to answer for anyone. It involves getting into the minds of people two months ago, before Election Day, and figuring out whether specific information changed their minds in ways even the people themselves might not have been aware of. The intelligence community shouldn't be expected to make such conclusions, and it clearly stated that it hasn't. Which, it turns out, is pretty inconvenient for Trump. Copyright: The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Campaigners are appealing for clemency for an Alabama father who shot and killed the man who sexually abused his daughter when she was just a child. Last November, Jay Maynor, 43, pleaded guilty to shooting and killing 59-year-old Raymond Earl Brooks in June 2014. He took the decision partly in order to stop his daughter having to relive her abuse experience before the court. Maynor, from the city of Cullman, was sentenced to 40 years in prison. Raymond Earl Brooks was shot and killed in June 2014 (YouTube) Now, a campaign has been started by his friends and family, urging President Barack Obama and Alabama Governor Robert Bentley to intervene. Jay Maynor has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for killing his daughter's rapist, says a petition posted on Change.org, which has been signed by around 8,000 people. Jay is not a threat to society. He is a good man. We would like to see him set free or at minimum a lesser sentence. Maynors daughter, Julia, who is now aged 24, was repeatedly sexually assaulted by Brooks when she was a child. Brooks was her adoptive grandfather. Brooks pleaded guilty to abuse charges in 2002 and served 27 months of a five-year sentence. Basically he took it so that I didnt have to relive the molestation and also be on the stand in front of a bunch of people talking about and bringing back memories of the molestation, Maynors daughter told AL.com when her father was sentenced. My father was protecting me, like a father should do. He is an amazing father - actually the best. He loves us so much. Reports said that the 2014 shooting was prompted by a conversation Maynor had with his daughter about the abuse. It was just something I said out of anger to my father, she said. His daughter said that she suffered daily from memories of the abuse. Im going through hell, she said. She waived her right to anonymity as a victim of sex crimes following her fathers sentencing. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Fiat Chrysler has said thousands of news jobs it announced in the US is not related to Donald Trump - despite a series of tweets in which the President-elect appears to take credit - and that the firm's chief executive had not even spoken to him. The car manufacturer announced its plan on Sunday to spend $1 billion to expand plants in Ohio and Michigan and create 2,000 more jobs in the country. A news release issued by the company stated the move was part of a plan that had been first conceived in 2015. Shortly after the announcement, the President-elect tweeted his thanks to the company. It's finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs, he wrote on Twitter. This after Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C! He did not directly take credit for the move, but his implication that his "America First" policy might be related to the move was mistaken, according to company spokeswoman Jodi Tinson. "All of the plans were conceived in 2015 and articulated in 2016 and now we have come full circle [to implementing them]," she told The Independent. When asked if the company chief executive, Sergio Marchionne, had even had any direct conversations with Mr Trump, she said: "No". When asked if Mr Trump and his politics had any effect on the company decisions, she also said they had not. The company first announced its plan in an investor presentation in 2015, describing what it saw as a consumer trend from cars to SUVs and trucks, and a resulting demand for larger vehicles in the US. The company no longer builds small cars at all. The news comes after Ford CEO Mark Fields said his companys decision to ditch plans to build a new factory in Mexico and instead invest $700 million into a Michigan plant, creating 700 jobs, was not related to Mr Trump. Donald Trump's top five Twitter feuds The President-elect, however, tweeted that the news about Ford was "just the beginning". Mr Trump has taken credit for other company moves, including Sprints decision to create 5,000 jobs in the US - a decision made before he won the election - and claiming that he would save jobs at air conditioning company Carrier from moving to Mexico. Carrier decided to save fewer than half its jobs at the plant in Indiana, and the union leader Chuck Jones claimed Mr Trump was lying his a** off. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump might not have attended the Golden Globes and have claimed not to have watched Hollywood's first award show of the year but his presence could certainly be felt in the room. This was most notable during Meryl Streeps emotionally charged acceptance speech for a lifetime achievement award. While the actress did not name him once, she rebuked the President-elect for imitating a disabled reporter. Streep declared that it was the one performance this year which shocked her and argued it gives permission for others to do the same. This is a reference to when Mr Trump mocked the New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski. There was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart, Streep said in front of a visibly shocked audience. Not because it was good, there was nothing good about it, but it was effective and it did its job." 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 It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it and I still cant get it out of my head because it wasnt in a movie, it was real life. The Republican billionaire hit back by dismissing Streep as a Hillary lover in an interview with the New York Times. He also denied mocking Mr Kovaleski. I was never mocking anyone. I was calling into question a reporter who had gotten nervous because he had changed his story, he said. People keep saying I intended to mock the reporters disability, as if Meryl Streep and others could read my mind, and I did no such thing. Back in November 2015, Mr Trump was widely condemned for mocking a reporters disability during a campaign speech. The Republican imitated The New York Times culture and investigative reporter during a rally for supporters in South Carolina. Mr Kovaleski suffers from arthrogryposis, a congenital condition affecting how his joints move. Mr Trump made several offensive gestures while defending a claim he made a few days earlier in which he said he had witnessed thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating on the day of the 9/11 attacks. This claim has reportedly since been discredited by government and law officials who were in New Jersey in the days following the terrorist attack. A 2001 article written by Mr Kovaleski for the Washington Post had claimed that authorities detained and questioned a number of people who were allegedly seen celebrating the attacks and holding tailgate-style parties on rooftops while they watched the devastation on the other side of the river in Jersey city, within hours of the planes crashing into the World Trade Centre. But Mr Kovaleski told CNN this week: We did a lot of shoe leather reporting in and around Jersey City and talked to a lot of residents and officials for the broader story. Much of that has, indeed, faded from memory. But I do not recall anyone saying there were thousands, or even hundreds, of people celebrating. That was not the case, as best as I can remember it. Mr Trump was referencing these comments during his speech when he imitated Mr Kovaleski. He said: The poor guy. Youve got to see this guy. Ah, I dont remember what I said! I dont remember!, while jerking his arms and hands in a manner mocking Mr Kovaleskis condition. The presidential candidates campaign spokeswoman declined to comment on the incident, but another campaign official said the entrepreneur was not aware of any condition and was not mocking his physical appearance in any way, according to the Washington Post. The official added that Mr Trump was merely emphasising the uncertainty of the verbal/written statement provided by the reporter in regards to his article. It is understood that Mr Trump is familiar with Mr Kovaleski as the latter covered him while a reporter for the New York Daily News in the late 1980s to early 1990s. The New York Times has said it was outrageous for Mr Trump to have ridiculed Mr Kovaleskis appearance. We think its outrageous that he would ridicule the appearance of one of our reporters, a spokeswoman for the newspaper said at the time. Following the incident, Mr Kovaleski said: The sad part about it is, it didnt in the slightest bit jar or surprise me that Donald Trump would do something this low-rent, given his track record, reports the Washington Post. Mr Trump was much criticised on social media for the stunt, with a petition even being started on the change.org website to make Trump apologise to Serge Kovaleski. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Hillary Clinton is not going to run to be mayor of New York and will never stand for elected office again, a close friend of the former Democratic presidential candidate has said - despite a number of rumours suggesting otherwise. Speculation has grown in recent days that Ms Clinton is being urged to run for the citys top job by Democrats unhappy with the current mayor, Bill De Blasio. Mr De Blasio faces a Democratic primary later this year as the first step in his re-election bid, and New York state resident Ms Clinton has emerged as a potential heavyweight rival. Commentators have suggested she would win the race if she entered. However, a friend of the former Secretary of State said she does not expect her to run for mayor or any other elected position. Jill Tanden, a close Clinton ally and head of the liberal think-tank Center for American Progress, told CNN: "I think she's going to figure out ways to help kids and families. That's been what she's been focused on her whole life, and a lot of issues that are affecting them, over the next couple of years. "But I don't expect her to ever run for any elected office again. "I don't expect her to run for this and I don't expect her to run for other office. I think her job is to what she's thinking about right now is how to help those kids and families as she had her whole life." Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Show all 10 1 /10 Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Clinton as a Wellesley College senior Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill Clinton and Hillary Rodham in at Wellesley College Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Rodham Working with the House Committee on Nixon's Impeachment Case Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures US Presidential candidate Bill Clinton with wife Hillary and daughter Chelsea at the Democratic National Convention Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton at the Inaugural Ball Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Bill and Hillary Clinton with Barbara Bush Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, President William Jefferson Clinton their daughter Chelsea, at the first state dinner of the Clintons administration Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Hillary Clinton meets with 12 chidren in response to their letter to the President concerning their health problems Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Nelson Mandela jokes with First Lady Hillary Clinton Getty Hillary Clinton's life in pictures Senator Hillary Rodham comforts Maren Sarkarat the conclusion of the Family Memorial Service held at Ground Zero of the WTC Getty Another long-time friend of the Clintons had earlier suggested a mayoral bid could be on the cards. Alan Patricof told the New York Times: Its a logical point after you ask, What is Hillary going to do next? He suggested the possibilities included a university presidency, the head of some womens and childrens group, something international, or even mayor of New York. Mr De Blasio was elected on a left-wing platform having pledged to cap private rents, tackle inequality and end the controversial stop and frisk tactic used by city police. He has endured a difficult first term, including state and federal corruption investigations that are said to have scrutinised his fundraising tactics. The mayor also faced protests from city police officers angry at what they saw as his failure to defend them in the face of criticism. Mrs Clinton has not yet announced her next move after losing last Novembers presidential election to Donald Trump. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Two Long Island police officers could face disciplinary actions after they were seen on video taking a selfie together in front of a burning house. The officers were called to the New York suburb of Uniondale because of a house fire Thursday, according to the Nassau County Police Department. A video first published by NBC New York shows the two unnamed officers taking a picture while a fire engulfed the home behind them. Police department officials did not take the video lightly. The contents of this video are very concerning to the department and are currently under investigation. If these officers are found to be in violation of any department rules and regulations, they will be appropriately disciplined, Acting Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said in a statement. James Carver, president of the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association, a union representing police officers, told NBC New York that the union will not comment on an ongoing internal investigation. Carver did not return a call Saturday from The Washington Post. The content of the video was met with criticism from Nassau County legislator Kevan Abrahams (D), who told NBC New York that it shows the lowest level of professionalism. At least one neighbour, however, believes otherwise. Neighbour Emma Zaccarini told NBC New York that she does not believe the officers should be punished, because they helped her get out of her home. The 86-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair lives next door to the house that caught fire. The fire in the single-family home on Dale Place in Uniondale was reported just after 3 p.m. Thursday, according to the police department. No one was injured in the fire, the cause of which remains unclear. A call to the fire chief of the Uniondale Fire Department was not returned. The names of the officers have not been released. Copyright: The Washington Post Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Donald Trump is inches away from cementing the team that will surround him and shape his policies for the next four, if not eight, years, as the week of senate confirmation hearings begins. During a frenzy of confirmation hearings - the last step before the nominees enter the White House - Democrats and lawmakers have pushed to delay the hearings, citing concerns with improper vetting of candidates and a lack of paperwork for the Office of Government Ethics. His cabinet has been reported as the least educated and the richest in US political history, their combined wealth standing at more than a third of US households. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell told the Democrats to "grow up". "All of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustration that having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate. I understand that. But we need to sort of, grow up here and get past that," he told CBS. Jeff Sessions, attorney general One of the most controversial senate picks is Mr Sessions, the Alabama politician who was once deemed too racist to be a federal judge. He has made jokes about the Ku Klux Klan, called a black lawyer boy and suggested that civil rights groups were un-American. He will now rule over the countrys justice system. Rex Tillerson, secretary of state Rex Tillerson, chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil, has been named the new US Secretary of State (Rex Features) The ExxonMobil CEO has worked in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and he has a rather close relationship with Russian president Vladimir Putin, having received Russias Order of Friendship. Mr Tillerson is a vocal opponent of sanctions against Russia. He was recently discovered to be a director of the Russian subsidiary of ExxonMobil, registered in the Bahamas. His shares in his company, worth at least $180 million, will provide him a golden parachute before he steps into the White House. John Kelly, secretary of homeland security Mr Kelly was the head of US Southern Command, which involved overseeing Guantanamo Bay prison, and will soon be the heavyweight in the arena of border security, the Mexican wall and reforming the way the US deals with terrorism. The prison base in Cuba was accused over the years of abusing human rights and carrying out torture methods like force-feeding and waterboarding, which Mr Trump approves of. The 66-year-old ex-marine is the third retired general to be appointed to the cabinet. Ben Carson, housing and development secretary Ben Carson becomes aggravated in Katty Kay interview Weeks after Mr Carson and his spokesman both said he would feel like a "fish out of water" if he ran a federal agency, the retired neurosurgeon accepted a government position. The Christian doctor and former presidential candidate was seemingly rewarded for his loyalty - a very strong qualification in Mr Trumps eyes - ever since he dropped out of the race last March. Scott Pruitt, Environmental Protection Agency (Picture: screengrab (Picture: screengrab) The pro-life Oklahoma attorney general once tried to sue the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of his energy company clients; now he will be running the EPA. Mr Pruitt, a climate change denier, has also ardently pushed back against Mr Obamas climate change policies. His position is dangerous, say critics, as he could help push Mr Trump more firmly in the same direction as him. Mr Trump once said climate change was a hoax invented by the Chinese. The appointment has been widely slammed by scientists. Betsy DeVos, education secretary Ms DeVos met with Mr Trump over the weekend (AP) Ms DeVos has been criticised for never working in a classroom. She is a billionaire education reformer, strongly in favour of school choice, which critics say would divert funds from free schools. She has also funded pro-life groups. Senator Bernie Sanders and other Democrats urged her to pay the $5.3 million worth of election fines accrued by her former school choice political action committee. Mike Flynn, national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn (Ret) says islam is a political ideology and not a religion Mr Flynn has been accused of spreading fake news 16 times in the last few months, including conspiracy theories about Mr Obama and Hillary Clinton being involved in child sex trafficking. He has compared Islam to a cancer and said fear of Muslims was rational. His deputy will be KT McFarland, a Fox News host, once recommended Mr Putin receive the Nobel Peace Prize. She has made a litany of controversial comments, including that being politically correct about Muslims is getting us killed. She held national security posts under Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan administrations. Mike Pompeo, CIA Donald Trump's controversial cabinet Mr Pompeos hearing is likely to be dominated by questions about Russia. The Kansas GOP representative will likely be asked about Mr Trumps relationship with intelligence agencies after the president-elect largely dismissed their findings that Russia exerted an influence campaign over the US election. He is a hard line Republican in favour of waterboarding and is notorious for pursuing Hillary Clinton for her alleged wrongdoing in Benghazi. He was elected to Congress in 2010 during the Tea Party wave, and he once suggested Muslim leaders were complicit in terrorist attacks if they did not denounce radical jihads. Elaine Chao, transportation secretary Chao oversaw a Department of Labor which was opposed to LGBT anti-discrimination protections. (Getty) Ms Chao served as secretary of labour under president George W Bush. In that position, she oversaw a labour department which was opposed to anti-LGBT discrimination protections. She was also deputy secretary of transportation under George H W Bushs government. She is married to senate majority leader Mitch McConnell. James Mattis, defense secretary General James Mattis (Getty) Mad Dog Mattis is known for telling a veteran conference that it was a lot of fun to shoot some people. He led the Battle of Fallujah in Iraq. In 2015 at another conference, he also joked about his colleague having grown a beard, and reminded him that they used to shoot people who looked like that, prompting loud laughs. Wilbur Ross, commerce secretary Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross arrives in the lobby of Trump Tower in Manhattan, New York. The US President-elect Donald Trump is holding meetings at Trump Tower as he continues to fill in key positions in his new administration (EPA) The New York-based billionaire businessman is in line to have a massive impact on US trade policy and negotiating existing trade deals, a central issue of Mr Trumps campaign. Mr Ross has expressed support for the Trans Pacific Partnership, but said the first thing he would do in office is rip up NAFTA. Sign up to our Evening Headlines email for your daily guide to the latest news Sign up to our free US Evening Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Evening Headlines email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A man who stole a television remote has been sentenced to more than two decades behind bars. Eric Bramwell was found guilty in November and sentenced in January to 22 years imprisonment. The 35-year-old took the remote in August 2015 from the common area of an apartment complex in Wheaton, Illinois, dropping a glove on his way out. Video shows woman steal wedding ring from dead grandmother in coffin A DNA sample from the glove matched with Bramwells DNA on the states database of convicted felons, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Prosecutors said that due to his criminal history, he was eligible for 30 years in prison. He allegedly committed similar thefts of other remote and television sets from other nearby apartment complexes. "Mr Bramwells illegal activity and his history have finally caught up with him," state attorney Robert Berlin said. "Regardless of what was stolen, Mr Bramwell repeatedly thumbed his nose at the law. "He took what he wanted, time and time again, and expected to avoid the consequences. "Thats not how it works, as Mr Bramwell has now found out." Judge Robert Miller sentenced Bramwell in November to six months in jail for contempt for using profane language in court. The US locks up more people per capita than any other country. There are around 2.3 million people behind bars, in state, local, federal and youth prisons, according to 2016 data from Prison Policy. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A transgender model will appear on the catwalk of a fashion show in India in February, in a sign that attitudes may be changing in what has historically been one of the most homophobic countries in the world. Anjali Lama will appear at the Lakma fashion week one of Indias most high-profile fashion events modelling clothes by several leading designers. The Nepalese model says she suffered rejection and discrimination in the past but is now securing work with top labels. Her rise is remarkable as homophobia remains a persistent problem in India, despite the introduction of some laws aimed at tackling it. Born Nabin Waiba Tamang, Lama said she took the name Anjali - a common name in India and Nepal - after a transgender friend suggested it. She joined a modelling academy in Nepals capital, Kathmandu, but kept her new identity a secret from her family. When someone from her village found out Lama was living as a transgender woman and told her family, they cut ties with her. She said: My mother, to some extent, was more accepting but there really wasn't much awareness then. It wasn't easy for me in the early days when there was so much rejection and discrimination. "Now I am getting an overwhelming response from the fashion industry after being selected, and other transgender people tell me they are proud of me." The organiser of the event says Lakma is committed to breaking stereotypes in gender, size and beauty. But Indian society remains largely conservative. A poll conducted five years ago by the CNN-IBN television news channel found almost three-quarters of the public believed homosexuality should be illegal and 83 per cent said homosexuality was not part of Indian culture. In 2015, India backed a Russian motion at the United Nations that would have denied staff benefits to gay couples working for the institution. Section 377 of Indias penal code says sex against the order of nature can be punished with up to 10 years in prison. Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Show all 4 1 /4 Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Jodie-Foster-Golden-Globe-Globe-GETTY.jpg Getty Images Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Rock-Hudson-GETTY.jpg Getty Images Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Ramon-Novarro-GETTY.jpg Getty Images Homophobia in Hollywood: Why gay movie stars still can't come out of the closet Tallulah-Bankhead-GETTY.jpg Getty Images The law, which dates back to Britains colonial rule, is widely interpreted as a ban on gay sex. However, transgender people in India are eligible for quotas in jobs and educational institutions. They also got a boost from Bollywood last year when a pop band of transgender women featured on the soundtrack of a Hindi film. Neighbouring Nepal, Lamas home country, has granted protections to LGBT people in its new Constitution and began issuing passports with a third gender category in 2015, one of only a handful of countries to do so. Still, discrimination and abuse persist in both countries, and jobs are hard to come by. Additional reporting by Reuters In an ongoing dispute over cost overruns , the Spanish-led consortium that built the Panama Canal expansion has increased its claim to a maximum of $5.67 billion (5.39 billion), according to the Canal Authority (ACP) , the public body charged with operation and management of the waterway. The Cocoli lock at Panama City. More information Sacyr reclamara hasta 5.386 millones por sobrecostes del canal de Panama The Grupo Unidos por el Canal (GUPC) consortium, headed up by Spanish company Sacyr, was awarded the $3.2-billion project to expand the century-old canal in 2009 but works were hit by major delays, and costs were far higher than originally anticipated a fact which threatens to make a serious dent in the profits of consortium members. GUPC which also includes Belgian, Italian and Panamanian companies handed over the completed project involving some 11,000 workers on May 31, 2016 and operations began later that month. GUPC says Panama provided it with inaccurate geological studies But the contractors are now locked in a long-running legal dispute over cost overruns. The new GUPC figure of $5.67 billion appears in an ACP annual report published in December and represents the maximum amount the contractors will claim, although the consortium has not yet stated how large its final claim will be. According to the ACP on December 8, the GUPC group made two new requests for arbitrage with the International Court of Arbitration in Miami. As a result of these requests, the amount claimed by GUPC had risen from $3.28 billion to an upper limit of $5.67 billion, the ACP report states. Sources at Sacyr said the new maximum figure was provided because original contract conditions set a fixed time frame for making such claims after the start of canal operations. The company had made the demand so as not to lose the right to do so in future. Excess expenditure on the canal project was caused by the quality of the basalt, unexpected problems with the terrain, strikes and regulatory changes. GUPC has also claimed that the Panamanian authorities provided it with inaccurate geological studies that downplayed the real building difficulties. Before operations kicked off at the new canal, the ACP estimated that traffic would increase from 350 million tons a year to 600 million. Nearly 14,000 ships currently cross the canal annually, in a journey that takes between 18 and 20 hours. English version by George Mills. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} An Indian police unit has been accused of involvement in the gang rape of more than a dozen women during an operation to suppress rebel uprisings. An investigation by the countrys National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) revealed that at least 16 women reported they were raped or sexual assaulted at the hands of police officers in the Bijapur district of Chhattisgarh state. The assaults allegedly took place alongside a series of looting incidents during a local government operation to quash unrest among communist rebels in October 2015. The report by NHRC investigators claims that a pregnant woman and 14-year-old girl were among those who accused police officers of rape, and the NHRC confirmed it was in the process of interviewing a further 20 alleged victims. The National Human Rights Commission has found 16 women who were victims of rape, sexual and physical assault by state police personnel in Chhattisgarh, the commission said in a statement. It was also reported that belongings of many villagers were destroyed, stolen or scattered by the forces passing through the villages. Human rights of the victims have been grossly violated by the security personnel of the government of Chhattisgarh, for which the state government is vicariously liable. 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 Indian government forces have been engaged with conflict with Maoist rebel groups for 50 years, with much of the fighting focusing on the countrys so-called Red Corridor districts in the east. Residents within these areas are known to suffer from extreme poverty and overpopulation, and homes are frequently raided by local police units. Meanwhile police in the city of Bangalore confirmed they had arrested five people in connection with the alleged sexual assaults of scores of women during New Years eve celebrations. Local commissioner Praveen Sood said officers were using CCTV footage to identify the alleged offenders. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} United Nations human rights envoy Yanghee Lee has arrived in Burma on a 12-day visit amid growing concern about reports of abuse of members of the Rohingya Muslim minority in a government security crackdown. Attackers killed nine police officers on 9 October in a coordinated assault on posts near Burmas border with Bangladesh. Authorities say members of the Rohingya minority carried out the attacks and launched a security sweep. Since then, at least 86 people have been killed and the UN says about 34,000 civilians have fled across the border to Bangladesh. Residents and refugees accuse the military of killing, raping and arbitrarily detaining civilians while burning villages in northwestern Rakhine State. The government, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, denies the accusations and insists a lawful counter-insurgency operation is underway. Lee would visit the north of Rakhine State, where the military operation is taking place, the commercial hub Yangon, the capital Naypyidaw and Kachin State in the north, where government forces are battling autonomy-seeking ethnic Kachin guerrillas, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said in a statement. The events of the last few months have shown that the international community must remain vigilant in monitoring the human rights situation [in Burma], Lee, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Burma, said in the statement. Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner and champion of democracy in then military-ruled Burma, came to power in April after a landslide election win, installing her confidant, Htin Kyaw, as president. However, increasing violence in border regions has raised questions about Suu Kyi's commitment to human rights and ability to rein in the military, which retains a major political role. The government has restricted aid to northern Rakhine State, where most people are Rohingya Muslims denied citizenship in Burma, and prevented independent journalists from visiting. Muslim-majority Malaysia and Indonesia, which has the worlds biggest Muslim population, have both raised concern over the Rakhine crisis, which security officials believe is attracting the attention of international militant groups. Lee will also investigate the impact on civilians of intensified fighting between the army and rebels in Kachin and Shan states, which she said is causing some disquiet regarding the direction that the new government is taking in its first year of administration. Aye Win, UN spokesman in Burma, said Lee had arrived in Burma late on Sunday and was due to fly to the Kachin State capital of Myitkyina on Monday. 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 Presidential spokesman Zaw Htay said the government would provide Lee with security to visit conflict areas. Zaw Htay also said a Burmese government delegation would visit Bangladesh on 11-13 January to discuss the situation on the border. The neighbours relations have been tested by the stream of new refugees entering Bangladesh and by reports that Burmas navy has shot at Bangladeshi fishermen. Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities and ballistic missile defence programmes constitute a "serious threat" to the United States, Defense Secretary Ash Carter has said. The US was prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile launch or test "if it were coming towards our territory or the territory of our friends and allies," Mr Carter said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." It comes as the US reported the secretive dictatorship had demonstrated a "qualitative" improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities following an unprecedented increase in the number of tests it performs. Experts have said Pyongyang has been testing rocket engines and heat-shields for their intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and developing the technology to guide it towards a target as it re-enters the atmosphere after take-off. On New Year's Day, the country claimed it could test launch an intercontinental missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong-un, saying a hostile US policy is to blame for its arms development. An unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman told the state news agency, KCNA news: "The US is wholly to blame for pushing the DPRK to have developed ICBM as it has desperately resorted to anachronistic policy hostile toward the DPRK for decades to encroach upon its sovereignty and vital rights. "Anyone who wants to deal with the DPRK would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking after having clear understanding of it". While Pyongyang is close to a sixth test, it is likely to take some years to perfect the weapon, according to the experts. North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone Show all 13 1 /13 North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP North Korea trading despite nuclear sanctions - Inside the country's special economic zone AP Once fully developed, a North Korean ICBM could threaten the continental US, which is around 9,000 km (5,500 miles) away. ICBMs have a minimum range of about 5,500 km (3,400 miles), but some are designed to travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) or further. North Korea has been subject to UN economic sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The sanctions were tightened in the last year after the country carried out its fifth and largest test in September. But many believe the country will only back down from its current programme of nuclear development if its ally China intervenes. Beijing is believed to be reluctant to rein in its smaller neighbour, which it props up with millions in aid every year, as it fears an influx of Korean refugees on its southern border if the Kims were to be toppled. Additional reporting by Reuters For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Thai authorities are considering introducing the death penalty in some corruption cases, in a move that critics say will allow the ruling junta to consolidate power. Officials convicted of corruption involving sums of money above one billion baht (23 million) would face death by lethal injection under plans approved by the military-appointed National Reform Steering Committee. Cases concerning smaller amounts of money would attract a punishment of up to five years in prison. The measure must go before Cabinet, parliament and then Thailand's constitution committee before it is adopted. Thailand introduces new anti-corruption court Thailands junta took power in a 2014 coup and analysts believe the group may be using tougher penalties for corruption to control its opponents. Previous legislation permitted capital punishment for officials convicted of bribery, although no official has ever been executed for the crime. Amnesty International has in the past condemned the move in Thailand towards expanding the death penalty, saying in 2015 when the law was last changed that it was a huge step in the wrong direction. In pictures: Thailand bombings Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: Thailand bombings In pictures: Thailand bombings An injured person is helped after a bomb blast in the southern resort city of Hua Hin on 11 August AP In pictures: Thailand bombings An injured person lying on the ground after a bomb blast in Hua Hin, Thailand, 11 August 2016. EPA In pictures: Thailand bombings An injured man being helped after twin bombs exploded in the resort of Hua Hin, Thailand, on 11 August AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Thailand bombings Thai rescue workers rush an injured bomb victim to a hospital following a bomb attack at the city clock tower in the center of Hua Hin, Thailand, 12 August 2016. A EPA In pictures: Thailand bombings Injured people receive first aid after a bomb exploded on August 11, 2016 in Trang, Thailand. Reuters In pictures: Thailand bombings A damaged street food vendor stall is seen where a small bomb exploded in Hua Hin on August 12, 2016. AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Thailand bombings An injured man receives first aid after two bombs exploded in the Thai seaside resort of Hua Hin on 12 August Reuters Thailand last carried out a death sentence in 2009 when two men were executed for drug-trafficking offences. Those executions followed a six year pause when no convicted criminals faced the death penalty. Crimes already punishable by death in Thailand include murder, rape, arson and treason. There are thought to be hundreds of prisoners sentenced to death housed in some of Thailands most overcrowded and notorious prisons. More than a dozen foreigners are currently languishing on Thailands death row, but that number is not thought to include any Europeans. Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Brexit and beyond email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} New Zealand should be looking to build agricultural trade links with post-Brexit Britain rather than starting planned negotiations with the European Union, an influential lawmaker has said. On Tuesday, New Zealand Prime Minister Bill English and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will meet to discuss bilateral trade negotiations, which could start in the coming months. But Fletcher Tabuteau, a trade spokesperson from the anti-immigration New Zealand First party, says his country's premier should be talking to London to avoid "deep trouble" with the competitive European agricultural lobby and EU bureaucracy. New Zealand's PM John Key announces shock resignation He said: "Any deal with New Zealand would not only have to negotiate the current triple-lock of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission and European Parliament, but negotiations will also have to include 27 national parliaments, and at least five regional and linguistic parliaments in Belgium and at least five upper chambers. Given the all-powerful European farmer lobby likes New Zealand like a hole in the back of the head, our deal with EU isnt going to go very far, very fast. New Zealand has already started the conversation with the United Kingdom over trade deals, and New Zealand First believes this should be a priority. Once the UK exits the European Union, a trade deal between New Zealand and the UK should be ready to go immediately." Mr Tabateu was referring to a recent non-binding opinion issued by the European Court of Justice following a deal between the EU and Singapore. The ECJ suggested future trade deals between the EU and external parties might need to be ratified by a range of 38 national and regional parliaments. 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 Alongside the upcoming talks in Brussels, New Zealand has agreed to commence regular talks with Britain as they prepare to negotiate trrade New Zealand First currently holds 10 of the 121 seats in the the Kiwi parliament. With a strong Maori base, it has historically been an important power-broker in coalition governments. The populist, laissez-faire conservatives are currently in opposition to a coalition built around Mr English's centre-right National party. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders of Cyprus are entering into a week of intensive talks in an effort to reach a peace deal and end 43 years of division on the island. Greek Cypriot leader Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will meet at the United Nations in Geneva on Monday with the hope of thrashing out the final terms of reunification, following 19 months of talks. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has described the conference as an historic opportunity for a breakthrough for reunification of the island, which has been attempted more than once in previous decades. Recommended Cyprus celebrates its early exit from EU bailout programme Mr Akinci warned that he was expecting a difficult week. We must be cautious. We are not pessimistic, but I see no need for exaggerated expectations that everything will just happen. We are expecting a difficult week ahead, he said. Cyprus became independent from British rule in 1960, and was divided in 1974 after Turkey invaded the island, following a Greek-backed coup that had intended to unite it with the rest of Greece. The conflict led to a boarder separating two sides of the island, with Turkish Cypriots controlling 36.5 per cent of the islands land mass backed by more than 35,000 Turkish troops deployed in the north. Around 165,000 Greek Cypriots are estimated to have fled the north following the division, with around 45,000 Turkish Cypriots escaping the south. A Turkish Cypriot declaration of independence is recognised only by Turkey. Greek Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, right, waits for the start of a new round of Cyprus peace talks (AP) Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci attends waits for the start of a new round of Cyprus peace talks (AP) Mr Guterres is expected to attend the conference on Thursday, along with Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras and Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Britains foreign secretary Boris Johnson will lead the UKs delegation at the conference, though Prime Minister Theresa May could join the talks on the day. Cyprus reunification hopes edge toward reality Ensuring security for both Greek and Turkish Cypriots once an aimed-for federation is established is a key issue. Many Turkish Cypriots feat they may be overwhelmed by the majority Greek Cypriots in the future, and have insisted that the 30,000 Turkish troops stationed in the islands north remain. This has been opposed by the Greek side, who say the troops should be pulled out, stating that as Turkey is not part of the EU it should not have a military presence on Cyprus, which is an EU member state. Other issues leaders hope to resolve include how much territory the Greek and Turkish federal zones would control and the reclamation of property and land of those displaced by the conflict. Any agreement from this weeks conference will then need to be put to separate referendums within the Greek and Turkish communities on the island. The last time Cyprus voted on reunification in 2004, the majority of the Turkish north voted in favour of the peace deal, though the Greek south rejected it. Additional reporting by agencies For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A couple of months ago, Czech President Milos Zeman made an unusual request: He urged citizens to arm themselves against a possible "super-Holocaust" carried out by Muslim terrorists. Never mind that there are fewer than 4,000 Muslims in this country of 10 million people gun purchases spiked. One shop owner in East Bohemia, a region in the northern center of the Czech Republic, told a local paper that people were scared of a "wave of Islamists." Now the country's interior ministry is pushing a constitutional change that would let citizens use guns against terrorists. Proponents say this could save lives if an attack occurs and police are delayed or unable to make their way to the scene. To become law, Parliament must approve the proposal; they'll vote in the coming months. The Czech Republic already has some of the most lenient gun policies in Europe. It's home to about 800,000 registered firearms and 300,000 people with gun licenses. Obtaining a weapon is relatively easy: Residents must be 21, pass a gun knowledge check and have no criminal record. By law, Czechs can use their weapons to protect their property or when in danger, although they need to prove they faced a real threat. This puts the country at odds with much of Europe, which has long supported much more stringent gun-control measures. In the wake of the 2015 terror attacks in Paris, France pushed the European Union to enact even tougher policies. The European Commission's initial proposal called for a complete ban on the sale of weapons like Kalashnikovs or AR-15s that are intended primarily for military use. Ammunition magazines would be limited to 20 rounds or less. UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Show all 14 1 /14 UK terror plots that were foiled by security services UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Oxford Street terror plot Lewis Ludlow was jailed for life in March 2019 for planning a 'spectacular multi-victim attack' on Oxford Street in London. He pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey last year to plotting an attack in the UK and funding Isis abroad EPA UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Rosie Cooper MP plot Jack Renshaw admitted plotting to kill his local Labour MP with a machete in June 2018. Renshaw bought a 19in machete intending to use it to kill Rosie Cooper, MP for West Lancashire. His plan was foiled by whistleblower Robbie Mullen, who heard of the plot in a meeting of alleged and convicted National Action members in the Friar Penketh pub in Warrington Hope Not Hate UK terror plots that were foiled by security services 'Poppy terror plot' Nadir Ali Sayed, his cousin Yousaf Shah Syed, and Haseeb Hamayoon, were charged with terrorism offences over an alleged plot to behead a member of public. The trio were arrested in London and High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire on 6 November - three days before Remembrance Sunday in 2014 PA UK terror plots that were foiled by security services National Action arrests Following the arrest of six men in 2018 on suspicion that they were members of the banned far-right terror group National Action, two were jailed. Christopher Lythgoe was found to be leader of the banned group and jailed for eight years, while Matthew Hankinson was jailed for six years. While it was found that Lythgoe did not encourage Jack Renshaw's plot to kill a Labour MP, the judge noted that he "did nothing to stop or discourage" the attack PA UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Shane Fletcher A self-described 'loner', Fletcher planned to kill members of the public at a football match in his home town of Workington. He had been referred to the government's Prevent programme nine moths prior to his arrest after stating that he dreamed about "shooting up a mosque" PA UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Heathrow airport arrests A 19-year-old from Coventry man was arrested at London's Heathrow airport on suspicion of preparing for acts of terrorism in November 2014 UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Extradition of Abu Hamza Radical muslim cleric Abu Hamza was extradited to the US in 2014 after having been jailed in the UK for 7 years for 11 offences under the Terrorism Act Getty UK terror plots that were foiled by security services South East Counter Terrorism Unit arrests Six people were arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences after a series of dawn raids in the south of England in October 2014. Three men and three women were detained separately in two properties in Portsmouth, one in Farnborough and one in Greenwich following an operation by the South East Counter Terrorism Unit. Counter-terror officers said they had disrupted what was believed to be the early stages of what could have turned into a significant plot PA UK terror plots that were foiled by security services October 2014 arrests Three men were arrested in central London on 13 October as part of an investigation into Islamist-related terrorism. The arrests come nearly a week after five men were arrested in dawn raids that Whitehall officials said may have foiled the early stages of a plan to attack the UK Peter Macdiarmid/Getty UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Anjem Choudary arrest Anjem Choudary, the radical activist and co-founder of the banned al-Muhajiroun group, was arrested in September 2014 as efforts intensify to disrupt the ideological backers of young British Muslims travelling to fight in foreign conflicts. Mr Choudary was among nine men held on suspicion of supporting a banned terrorist group and encouraging terrorism. The arrests came shortly after Mr Choudary fired off a series of angry tweets after David Cameron called on MPs to back air strikes against Islamic State militants in Syria Oli Scarff/Getty UK terror plots that were foiled by security services North West Counter Terrorism Unit funds seizing Police seize 250,000 of cash intended to fund Isis at Manchester Airport and north-west ports. Using powers under the Terrorism Act, the money was confiscated by officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit in Ocotber 2014 Getty UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Tarik Hassane arrest A medical student who was offered a place at a London university has been named among four men who are being questioned by counter-terror police after a series of raids across the capital. Tarik Hassane, 21, is believed to have been Tasered when he was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a "significant" Islamist terror plot on 7 October 2015 UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Abu Qatada removed from UK Radical preacher Abu Qatada will not be returning to the UK after being cleared of terror charges in Jordan in 2013 Reuters UK terror plots that were foiled by security services Haider Ahmed knife plot Teenage Isis supporter Haider Ahmed purchased a 15ins hunting knife and threatened to launch a stabbing attack on the Tube. Prosecutors said he may alternatively have been planning to rob someone with the weapon to fund his travel to fight for Isis in Syria He was jailed for preparing an act of terrorism in June 2019 Counter Terrorism Policing South East The Czech Republic came out hard against the directive. Officials warned somewhat ominously that the measure would limit the country's ability to build "an internal security system" and make it nearly impossible to train army reservists. And a total ban on military-style rifles that can fire large numbers of rounds would make illegal thousands of weapons already owned by Czech citizens, potentially creating a black market for terrorists to exploit. Finland and Germany offered their own reservations; Europe's pro-gun groups also mobilised against the bill with the support of politicians on the extreme right. After months of contentious negotiations, the EU passed a compromise last month; the Council of Ministers will confirm the measure this spring. All member states will have 15 months to comply with the new gun restrictions. The final measure bans the sale of most military-style rifles and requires all potential buyers to go through a psychological check before they can buy a weapon. If someone fails a check in one E.U. state, that information will be shared in an international database so that the person can't procure a gun somewhere else. Online sales are also severely curtailed. The Czech Republic was the only country to oppose the directive for being too strict. Luxembourg also voted against the measure, but on the grounds that it was too weak. That means that regardless of how the Czech parliament votes on the terrorist-hunting measure, gun laws in the Czech Republic are going to get stricter. All gun purchasers will be required to pass the psychological checks, though it's not yet clear if gun owners will have to turn in newly illegal weapons. That ambiguity has led one Czech newspaper to suggest that the Interior Ministry's latest move is much more about political safety than safety from terrorism. Copyright: The Washington Post For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said relations between Ankara and Washington are likely to improve once Donald Trump is inaugurated later this month. In a swipe at Barack Obama during his final days in office, President Erdogan said he hoped a consensus would be reached with the President-elect that would allow both sides to solve regional issues. While not elaborating on what they may be, it is thought he could be referring to the war in Syria and US support for a Kurdish militia group fighting Isis. Diplomacy between the US and Turkey has suffered as a result of the six-year conflict and Americas support for the Kurdish People's Protection Units or YPG which Turkey sees as an extension of the militant group PKK. "I believe we will accelerate dialogue when Mr Trump takes office," the Turkish leader told a conference of Turkish ambassadors. "I believe we will reach a consensus with Mr Trump, particularly on regional issues." Seven year old Bana Alabed who tweeted the horrors of Aleppo meets with President Recep Erdogan Russia and the US have courted Turkeys friendship in recent years, not least because it has the second largest army in Nato and acts as a key power broker in the Middle East. Shifting alliances in the Trump era could have wide-ranging implications for US and Russian foreign policy in the Middle East. Mr Erdogans comments come as a senior member of his government, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, also welcomed the incoming US president. Mr Cavusoglu said the property tycoon was likely to extradite Fethullah Gulen, an Islamic cleric accused of organising a failed coup in Turkey last summer. Mr Gulen has lived in self-imposed exile in Pennsylvania since 1999 and denies any involvement in the plot to oust Mr Erdogan in July. Elaborating on Mr Trump, the Turkish foreign minister said he believed the President-elect would not make the same mistakes as the outgoing US administration in relations with Turkey. Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Show all 8 1 /8 Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Just a week before he was elected President, he called Erdogan Amberin Zaman, the Turkey correspondent for 'The Economist', a "shameless militant woman disguised under the name of a journalist" after she had asked an opposition leader whether "Muslim society is able to question" the authorities. "Know your place," Erdogan said. "They gave you a pen and you are writing a column in a newspaper. "And then they invite you to a TV channel owned by Dogan media group and you insult at a society of 99 per cent Muslims," he said he said according to Today's Zaman newspaper. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Turkish people are pictured chanting slogans during an anti-government protest on Taksim square in Istanbul, on 29 June, 2013. The protests were sparked by brutal police action against a local conservation battle to save Istanbul's Gezi Park, and soon turned into nationwide demonstrations against the government. Amid the protests - the worst in Turkey for years - Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements. We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. GURCAN OZTURK/AFP/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes During last years protests, activists used social media to organise and disseminate information. Several dozen tweeters were arrested following the protests, according to local media reports. Erdogan responded by calling the technology a "menace". "There is now a menace which is called Twitter," Erdogan said. "The best examples of lies can be found there. To me, social media is the worst menace to society," BBC New reported. Vladimir Astapkovich/RIA Novosti via Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Not helping to allay accusations of authoritarianism, after Turkish police detained 49 people, including well-known business people and those close to the ruling party, Erdeogan ominously told reporter that Turkey "is not a banana republic" that can be affected by unnamed "operations", according to Today's Zaman newspaper. People who are backed by the media and certain funders cannot change this country," he said. "People backed by certain dark gangs both inside and outside Turkey cannot mess with the country's path. They cannot change conditions in Turkey. Turkey is not a country that anyone can launch an operation into. The [Turkish] nation will not allow that. The AK Party, which is governing this nation, will not allow this." Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Friends and relatives of the miners who died in an explosion at the Soma mine are pictured praying following the burial in Soma cemetery of the last body to be recovered from the mine in May 2014. At the time, the then-Prime Minister badly misjudged the Soma mining disaster, in which 301 workers died. He told the relatives of dead and dying miners that "these types of incidents are ordinary things", following allegations that the government had ignored safety concerns about the privately owned mine, the Guardian reported. In his defence, Erdogan recounted in a separate speech a list of mining disasters which occurred abroad, including a British disaster in 1862, and one in America "which has every kind of technology". Oli Scarff/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Palestinians pictured attending Friday noon prayers in a destroyed mosque that was hit by Israeli strikes, in Gaza City. As Prime Minister, Erdogan has condemned Israel, accusing it of deliberately killing Palestinian mothers and warned that the it would "drown in the blood it sheds." Speaking to thousands of supporters during a rally in Istanbul ahead of the 10 August election, Reuters reported him as saying: "Just like Hitler, who sought to establish a race free of all faults, Israel is chasing after the same target." "They kill women so that they will not give birth to Palestinians; they kill babies so that they won't grow up; they kill men so they can't defend their country ... They will drown in the blood they shed," he said. AP Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes Amid the worst protests in Turkey for years which had spread across dozens of cities last June, Erdogan accused demonstrators of being "arm-in-arm with terrorism," according to Reuters. A demonstration to halt construction in a park in an Istanbul square grew into mass protests against a heavy-handed police crackdown and what opponents called Erdogan's authoritarian policies. "This is a protest organized by extremist elements," Erdogan said before departing on a trip to North Africa. "We will not give away anything to those who live arm-in-arm with terrorism," he said. Sascha Schuermann/Getty Images Recep Tayyip Erdogan's most controversial quotes The Turkish President's craziest quotes In March 2014, Erdogan accused a 15-year-old boy who died from injuries sustained in last year's anti-government protests of being linked to terrorism. Berkin Elvan, who became a symbol of anti-government protests, had gone to pick up bread when he was hit with a teargas canister - sending him into a nine-month coma before he passed away. In a speech broadcast on state TV, Erdogan said of Berkin: "This kid with steel marbles in his pockets, with a slingshot in his hand, his face covered with a scarf, who had been taken up into terror organisations, was unfortunately subjected to pepper gas. How could the police determine how old that person was who had a scarf on his face and was hurling steel marbles with a slingshot in his hand? ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images Turkey expects Washington to extradite Gulen and to end its cooperation with the YPG, he said. However, US officials say Gulen's extradition is a matter for the courts and that that process could take years. Mr Trump's policy on the Kurdish militia remains unclear. The West would lose a major ally in the war against Isis if Mr Trump were to cut support for the YPG, who have been instrumental in defeating the jihadi group in Syria. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Humanitarian agencies have warned that without adequate housing refugees in Greece may die as the country continues to be gripped by freezing winter weather. Parts of the country have seen more than a metre (three feet) of snow and temperatures as low as minus-18 degrees Celsius over the weekend, and communication lines and roads are out of action on several islands. In Moria, a large camp on the island of Lesbos, around 4,500 people are still living in overcrowded conditions in thin summer tents. At least one Afghan man died in the cold conditions last week, Greek media reported, as the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) rushed to distribute thermal blankets and heating fuel and instal electric heaters and insulation. Some 2,100 places have been found to accommodate those most at risk from the weather in apartments with host families, with another 700 places found for unaccompanied children, but rights groups are calling on the Greek government to act quickly to reduce overcrowding by moving the most vulnerable people on Greeces islands to the mainland. The authorities have also been criticised for not preparing properly for the life-threatening winter weather. Europe should stop making the lives of migrants and refugees more miserable, a statement from Medicins Sans Frontieres read. Women try to light a fire at the Moria refugee camp on the island of Lesbos following heavy snow on 7 January (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images) We are worried, Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for UNHCR said in Geneva. Slowness in registration or identifying vulnerable individuals and, previously, a shortage of suitable spaces on the mainland have been factors delaying moves. Among other things this has contributed to serious overcrowding of facilities built for far fewer people, and increased protection risks, he added. Justin Trudeau moved to tears when reunited with refugee family he welcomed last year In December, the EU, aid groups and the Greek authorities were accused of bungling the handling of 90 million worth of jointly-managed funding which was supposed to be set aside for winterising camps before the first snows fell last month. The European Commission said in a statement on Monday that the Greek refugee situation is first and foremost the responsibility of the Greek authorities. A total of 182,500 refugees and migrants reached Greece in 2016, the UN says, down one third on 2015, largely thanks to the EU policy implemented early last year of detaining people on the Greek islands and deporting them to Turkey. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} A senior diplomat at Russia's embassy in Athens has been found dead in his apartment, Greek police say, adding that at "first sight" he appears to have died from natural causes. Andrey Malanin, 54, was found dead on his bathroom floor by another member of embassy staff, a police official said. According to the embassy's website, Mr Malanin was the head of the consular section. Police have launched an investigation and the authorities were awaiting a report from the coroner, but there was apparently no evidence of a break in. "At first sight, we are talking about natural causes," the police official said. Police told the Associated Press that there were no signs of harm on Mr Malanin's body, but that a murder investigations unit had been called in because of his diplomatic status. The death comes three weeks after Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was assassinated by a riot police officer while speaking at a photo exhibit in Ankara. Additional reporting by agencies The Spanish banking sector looks set to have another problem on its hands: Facebook has obtained a license to manage money transfers between individuals in Spain. The social media giant has secured the authorization in Ireland, opening the door to the rest of the European market, according to a company release. Facebook is poised to challenge the Spanish banking sector. DADO RUVIC (REUTERS) After informing the Bank of Spain, Facebook is now on the financial institutions registry of electronic money agencies. The Palo Alto firm joins a market that the traditional banking sector is trying to defend from competitors including Paypal and Apple. Facebook is the worlds largest social media network: it counts on 1.6 billion users, of whom 21 million are in Spain. And it is ready to keep growing not just in users but also in the number of services and products made available to them. Facebook is one of bankings greatest threats because of its potential for incursion in the bank transfer business at the global level The payment-processing service has been operational in the US for a year, allowing users to add a debit card to their Facebook Messenger account the worlds second top instant-messaging service after WhatsApp (which is also owned by Mark Zuckerbergs company). Facebook has yet to explain how it plans to roll out the service in Spain and the rest of the euro zone. Records at the Bank of Spain show that Facebook Internacional Limited was added to the registry on October 25, and is now authorized to develop seven activities in connection with electronic money transactions. The move represents a new challenge for banking, which is trying to retain control of digital operations. In mid-2016, a study by the business school Instituto de Estudios Bursatil (IEB) warned that Facebook is one of bankings greatest threats because of its potential for incursion in the bank transfer business at the global level, the news agency Europa Press reported. This would considerably reduce the fees charged by lenders for this type of transaction, notes Rodrigo Garcia de la Cruz, who wrote the report. Other digital players considered a threat to traditional banks include Apple, Amazon, Google and Paypal. English version by Susana Urra. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} US troops have begun arriving in Poland under a planned Nato operation to reassure the alliances Eastern European allies in the face of mounting Russian aggression. American soldiers landed in Wrocaw, home to a key Nato and Polish air base in south-west Poland. The troops will be followed by around 2,800 tanks and other pieces of military equipment which are being transported by land from Germany. Natos latest deployment along Russias western border falls under Operation Atlantic Resolve, a mission designed to demonstrate to Moscow Washingtons commitment to defend allies in Europe. Atlantic Resolve was launched in the immediate aftermath of Russias annexation of Crimea, which sparked fears in the Baltic nations that Vladimir Putin was planning a similar land-grab there. Under that banner, the US Army in Europe has been conducting training operations since May 2014. The Polish embassy in Washington said the troops in Wroclaw were the first to arrive in Poland as part of Atlantic Resolve. It has been described as one of the largest movements of US troops to Europe since the Cold War. Prime Minister Theresa May confirms British troops to be deployed in Poland Lt Gen Tim Ray, deputy commander of US European Command, said: Let me be very clear, this is one part of our efforts to deter Russian aggression, ensure territorial integrity of our allies and maintain a Europe that is whole, free, prosperous and at peace. The US troops are expected to be stationed at two training sites in western Poland in the short term before they are sent to sites at six other countries across the region. Maj Gen Timothy McGuire, deputy commanding general of the US Army Europe, added: This is a tangible sign of the United States' commitment to maintaining peace on this continent. "It is a sign of the US commitment to this alliance and to peace and prosperity in Europe." The US Army said the process of deploying to Europe was part of the training and tested how American forces would be sent at short notice to counter Russia in the event of an outbreak of war. Troops will be on rotation in Poland and beyond for between four and six months and will work alongside local units. The arrival of the 3rd Armoured Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, will see the start of a continuous presence and back-to-back rotations of US troops and equipment in the region. Among the deployments to Romania and Bulgaria will be the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment dubbed the Iron Knights and the oldest armoured unit in the US Army. The US is also increasing its presence in the Black Sea and in Western Europe at bases in the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany. Tensions between Russia and the West have been heightened since the annexation of Crimea and the war in Syria, which put Washington and Moscow on opposing sides. Russia blames the West for worsening relations and says the build-up of Nato troops in the Baltics is a provocation. Around 4,000 Nato troops are set be posted to Poland, Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia in the coming months. Britain will send an 800-strong battalion to Estonia, supported by French and Danish troops, beginning in May. The deployment was criticised as truly aggressive by Moscow. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} The death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani comes at a potentially difficult time for Irans relations with the international community, with Donald Trump and his team threatening to tear up the landmark deal over Tehrans nuclear programme. It also means that the reformist president, Hassan Rouhani, has lost a highly important ally in a crucial stage of his struggle against powerful conservative clerics. The two issues are not unrelated. Just as the American right, egged on by Israel and Saudi Arabia, has virulently opposed the agreement, so had the hardliners in Iran railed against President Rouhani and his government for what they saw as a surrender of the countrys sovereign rights on defence and security. Ayatollah Rafsanjani was a towering figure in Irans recent history. One of the leaders of the 1979 revolution which overthrew the Shah, he was an aide to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, effectively the commander-in-chief during the long war with Iraq and then President for eight years. As one of the small number of journalists allowed into Iran to cover the elections last year, I witnessed how much the ageing Ayatollah had become a source of support for the liberals, and the level of antipathy he attracted among the conservatives in places like Qom, the countrys Shia "Vatican". His opponents had long turned against him for his calls for greater civil rights, trying to find an accommodation with the West and, not least, for his backing the nuclear agreement. Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail to pull the US out of the nuclear deal once he was in power. He told an Israeli lobbying group that it was the worst deal ever negotiated and that it was his number one priority to dismantle it. The agreement has been denounced by Lieutenant General Michael Flynn, who will be the President-Elects National Security Advisor and Mike Pompeo, who is taking over as director of the CIA, tweeted that he looks forward to rolling back this disastrous deal. The Trump administration is being encouraged to take a hard line by Israel, which continues to see Iran as "an existential threat", and Saudi Arabia, the leader of the Sunni Gulf States, locked in a sectarian confrontation with Shia Iran. The President-elect has received a series of appeals, ranging from prominent Iranian-Americans including those who are opposed to the Tehran government, and 37 senior scientists, including Nobel laureates, not to scrap the agreement. General James Mattis, the new Defence Secretary, and Senator Bob Corker, chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, have also cautioned against hasty action. But the unpredictability over what Mr Trump may actually do continues. Even if there is no immediate action over the nuclear deal, he has talked repeatedly of imposing new sanctions on Iran over its missile programme and support for groups like Hezbollah abroad. The hardliners in Iran are taking advantage of this uncertainty. They have launched another campaign against the nuclear agreement claiming that President Rouhani was tricked into the deal by treacherous America. Javad Karimi Ghoddousi, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Iranian parliament, recently circulated notes of alleged conversations between foreign minister Mohammad Zarif, one of the architects of the agreement, and his aides, in which he supposedly admits that he was naive to trust US Secretary of State John Kerry. But even if the notes are forged, the suspicion they have generated in a febrile climate that fresh American sanctions after Mr Trump moves into the White House may result in Mr Rouhani losing in election due in a few months time, according to Dr Farhad Rezaei, a writer on Tehrans foreign policy and nuclear programme. Others warn that Irans President is now deprived of a vital backing when he needs it most. Rasfanjanis death will weaken Rouhanis government and it will also negatively affect the countrys reformist movement, said Sadeq Zibakalam, a professor at Tehran University. Navid Aref, a student who campaigned for the reformists at the last elections summed up the mood of foreboding: We in Iran will be going through a very tough time, Ayatollah Rasfanjani dead and Mr Trump as President of America. You cannot help but worry that all that has been achieved will be sabotaged. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Israeli police have raided an east Jerusalem neighbourhood and arrested several members of the family of Fadi Ahmad Hamdan al-Qunbar, the Palestinian who drove a truck into a group of soldiers, killing four people. Sundays attack at the busy Armon Hanatziv promenade in Talpiyyot killed four young Israel Defence Force (IDF) cadets and injured a further 13, one of who remains in critical condition. Al-Qunbar was shot and killed at the scene. Overnight, nine people were arrested in Jabal al-Mukabbir neighbourhood, including at least five members of the dead attackers family, and on Monday concrete slabs were erected to block entrances and check vehicles driving in and out of the area. Police said the operation was hindered by rocks and fireworks being thrown at officers. Palestinian outlet Maan News reported that the familys homes were ransacked during the police investigation and at least five relatives arrested. Pictures showed the contents of drawers and cupboards overturned. The assailants sister criticised the raids, saying that 12 female members of the family were detained and interrogated for hours, and will be summoned for further questioning. His wife, parents and two brothers were arrested, Ma'an said. One of Al-Qunbars sisters-in-law was detained because her husband - Al-Qunbars brother - was not at home, the woman identified as Shadia said. The family found out about the attack after seeing footage of it on television news, she added. In an interview with Palestinian Quds News, Shadia said she was thankful for her brother's "most beautiful martyrdom. CCTV footage of Jerusalem attack shows truck hit soldiers She denied that her brother had links to Isis, after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed to reporters there may be a link to recent similar attacks using vehicles in Nice and Berlin. While Gaza-based militant organisation Hamas praised the attack, they stopped short of claiming responsibility. The attacker's relatives were not allowed to erect the traditional mourning tent in which to receiver visitors, Haaretz reported. Al-Qunbars home, as well as that of his brother and parents were searched, Israeli police confirmed. Funerals of the victims of Sundays attack took place on Monday. The army had to deny reports that some 300 cadets fled following the incident fearing repercussions for their actions because of last weeks controversial manslaughter ruling handed down against a soldier who killed a wounded Palestinian last year. The IDF said that the recruits were following orders after the assailant had already been shot. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said he is prepared to negotiate on "everything" in proposed peace talks with rebels later this month, despite the shakiness of the current ceasefire. Talks brokered by Syrian ally Russia and rebel supporting Turkey are supposed to take place in Kazakhstan before the end of January, but last week opposition groups said they had frozen the process in light of continued government strikes across the country. In comments made to French media published on Monday, Mr Assad said that the nationwide truce had been violated by rebels several times. He also defended the army's push to recapture Wadi Barada, a rebel-held valley near Damascus where the main water supply to the capital has been turned off. There has been disagreement between the government and the rebels of the umbrella group known as the Free Syrian Army over whether certain factions in Wadi Barada - some with al-Qaeda or other extremist links - are part of the truce. Asked if he would be willing to step down as president - a demand the rebels have insisted on throughout the conflict - Mr Assad said "yes, but my position is linked to the constitution." "If [the opposition] want to discuss this point they must discuss the constitution," he said. Any constitutional matters must be put to a referendum and the people would elect any president, he added. Mr Assad's position in the war has been significantly bolstered following the recapture of the northern city of Aleppo last month, which was the last rebel urban stronghold in the country. Shocking images show Aleppo before and after the conflict The UN said the relentless Russian-backed bombardment of besieged rebel controlled neighbourhoods, which appeared to target civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and bakeries, could amount to war crimes. If talks go ahead, it is not yet clear who will represent Syria's opposition groups. No hard date has been set for the negotiations, which are supposed to take place in Astana. Several rounds of talks brokered by the UN have so far failed to bring peace to the almost six-year-long conflict. The complex civil war has left more than 400,000 people dead and displaced half the Syrian population from their homes. For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Breaking News email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Starvation and poverty provoked by the civil war in Yemen is so desperate that the countrys poorest are turning to rubbish for food. A 45-year-old father trying to feed his family of 10 and a 12-year-old beggar trying to feed his four siblings have each told al-Jazeera this week how they are sifting through dumps to survive. The United Nations estimates 370,000 children are at risk of starvation and two million are out of school due to the war. The fighting since 2015, predominantly between the Houthi rebels and loyalists of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, has killed more than 10,000 people including approximately 4,000 civilians. Mr Abdulla, from Sanaas Bait Bos neighbourhood, roams the city daily checking through rubbish piles for his family of 10. For several months, I have been out of work. I have not earned one single rial, said Mahdi Abdulla. This has forced me to provide for my family by any means, including searching for food in the rubbish dumps or asking people for aid. Recommended Yemeni families torn apart by war forced to choose which child to save It is my daily attempt to stave off the death of my family by hunger. I have become a frequent visitor of the rubbish dump. There, I also see my likes. I want to live in peace and I want to see my children safe from hunger, and not dependent on aid or dumps. The World Food Programme estimates that around 14 million Yemenis are food insecure and half of them are classified as severely food insecure. Bashar, the 12-year-old victim of Yemens food crisis, who begs and hunts through rubbish for food to feed his family, told Al Jazeera: I go out to the street every day, asking people for aid. Some give money and some do not. I have four siblings. My father died many months back. Yemeni economist Ahmed Shamakh said: Development has ceased in the country. Businesses have also shut down. This has largely contributed to augmenting the deterioration of the food situation in Yemen Additionally, the conflict has cost a lot of Yemenis their daily jobs. In pictures: Yemen water crisis Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Yemen water crisis In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni girl sits on plastic jerry cans as she waits get water at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa. In the mountains around Sanaa, farmers are drilling so many unlicensed boreholes to irrigate the thirsty crop for the stimulant plant qat, craved by the capital's residents, that the water table is falling by as much as six metres (20 feet) a year In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni young boy pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with plastic jerry cans before filling them at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni child fills a bottle with water as families from the northern city of Amran, 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of Sanaa, take refugee in the capital after fleeing their home as battles between the Yemeni army and Shiite Muslim rebels intensifies In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen Yemenis gather by a water point to fill their jerry cans in Sanaa as the city suffers a water shortage In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni woman carries on her head a jerry can after filling it at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni young boy drinks water at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa. Yemen, ravaged by years of factional strife and widespread poverty, is one of the world's most water-stressed countries with the lack of access to clean water having devastating implications for children In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni refugee girl fills a container with water in a makeshift kitchen in the grounds of a public school in the port city of Aden, now being used as the living quarters for internally displaced families who had to flee their homes when Al-Qaeda militants swept into southern Abyan province In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni young boy pushes a wheelbarrow loaded with plastic jerry cans as he arrives to fill them at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen Yemeni young boys carry plastic jerry cans as they arrive to fill them at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa In pictures: Yemen water crisis Yemen A Yemeni young boy carries a can as he arrives to fill it at a public tap at a slum in the capital Sanaa Today, some civilians in Yemen do eat from the rubbish and take the leftovers they find at restaurants. This helps them survive. Before the war, the Middle Eastern gulf state was importing 90 per cent of its food products, which has now stalled. If the status quo goes on unchanged, the food insecurity issue will be more worrying, added Mr Shamakh. This will lead to further security imbalances and robbery of public and private properties. Boris Johnson caught on video accusing ally Saudi Arabia of playing proxy wars Hand in Hand boss Abdulfatah al-Hamadi said: Several Yemeni families are living in difficult times when it comes to food. Many families are struggling to get even enough bread to subsist. A Yemeni woman who campaigned for female literacy was shot dead in an assassination attempt last month amid the war. The Saudi Arabian government, which buys weapons from Britain, has faced an onslaught of criticism for fighting a proxy war against the rebels in Yemen. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} In the busy market town of Wossen, an entourage of a hundred curious children followed us past small roadside shacks selling everything from garish blankets to vegetables and jelly sandals. Jostling to be at the front of the throng, some wanted to stroke my arms, puzzled by my freckles. One little boy burst into tears when he saw me. I think you might be the first blonde woman theyve seen, my guide explained. There were plenty of firsts on this new trek in northern Ethiopias Simien Mountains. Aptly described by Homer as chess pieces of the gods, the Simiens are majestic: a vast cauldron of deep ravines and gorges, towering pinnacles and rock spires, and fascinating wildlife found nowhere else on Earth. Driving through the National Park, we passed gelada monkeys sitting calmly by the roadside, with golden manes like lions billowing in the breeze. Walia Ibex, giant mountain goats with impressive, arching horns, rushed away as we approached. So did the worlds rarest canid, a shy Ethiopian wolf only around 400 survive in the countrys highlands. Gelada monkeys are a common sight in the Simien Mountains (Will Whitford) But the Simiens are struggling. Granted World Heritage Site status in 1978, by 1996 the Simien National Park had joined the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger. Poor infrastructure, human encroachment and habitat destruction are increasing the fragility of this magical landscape. Over 24,000 tourists visit every year, but their options for trekking are limited to a few overused routes. We saw plenty of them walking between campsites that are often crowded and in dire need of TLC. This is where the African Wildlife Foundation comes in. The AWF, along with the Ethiopian Wildlife Conservation Authority, is creating fresh trails and supporting two new tourist ventures that opened last year: a community-based trek outside the Park and a luxury eco-lodge within it. AWFs Kathleen Fitzgerald, their vice president for conservation strategy, explained that diversifying tourism in the Simiens, dispersing tourists over a wider area, will benefit both communities and the landscape. Writer Sue in northern Ethiopia's mountainous landscape (Will Whitford) We were among the first guests on a six-day trek with Village Ways, a company that links remote communities and sustainable tourism. With Suliman and Salaama, our assistant guide and cook, and two donkeys carrying our bags, we trekked between three villages Tage Mariam, Kalid Abo and Timbala all new to tourism. We walked along meadows, steep valleys and dizzying cliffs against a beautiful backdrop of mountains and to a soundtrack of bleating goats, braying donkeys and boisterous children this land, though remote, is rarely silent. We passed farmers ploughing, almost singing instructions to their oxen, and met countless locals welcoming us with a Salaam and a smile. But we saw no other tourists at all. Meeting a goat herder in Ethiopia's less-visited areas (Will Whitford) Salaama fed us on hearty meals of injera (a sort of sour, spongy pancake), pasta and shiro (chickpea sauce) along with some very palatable Ethiopian Rift Valley Syrah. We slept in simple, traditional tukuls, round rooms of stone with thatch roofs purpose-built for the villages new guests, all above 3,000m and amid panoramas that were as magnificent as any youd find inside the Park. Trekkers stay in traditional 'tukuls' adapted for tourists (Will Whitford) In Timbala, as we stood on the edge of a precipice, Suliman pointed to Ethiopias highest mountain. From its base on a distant valley floor to its ominous 4,533m summit jutting into dark foreboding skies, we could see the entire profile of Ras Dashen in all its imposing glory. "You're the first tourist to have ever seen this view," he beamed at me proudly. A sudden deluge led us to seek refuge in a nearby home made of eucalyptus poles and mud. With rain rattling on the tin roof, more people arrived along with cows, donkeys, a horse and several chickens. For two hours, around 40 of us sat on goatskins surrounding the fire pit, communicating via mime, while the lady of the house performed the traditional coffee ceremony roasting, grinding then boiling the coffee three times over. A traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony in a village near the Simiens (Will Whitford) Outside, a massive thunderclap made us all jump then laugh as the rain bucketed down. Inside, it was dark and smoky, warm and crowded, flooded with the aroma of roasting coffee beans. We left when the rain abated, grateful for a genuine kindness of strangers moment meeting local people in a natural, special way. Thats what Village Ways is all about. Perfect for post-trek R&R, Limalimo also has local communities at its heart. Located 2,960m high on the edge of the Simiens escarpment, the eco-lodges ambience is contemporary Ethiopia, with eucalyptus wood ceilings, swathes of cool calico fabrics, walls of rammed earth and living roofs. Breakfast with a view at Limalimo eco-lodge (Limalimo Lodge) From here, you can trek, visit Limalimo village, do yoga or enjoy traditional Ethiopian massage. Or you can simply chill as we did, sipping the local Ras Dashen beer on the huge terrace outside the bar and restaurant, with views spanning the canyon that seem to go on forever. The following day, we walked around Adisge School just outside the Park, consisting of six crumbling, partly roofless classrooms for some 700 children. Behind it was a construction site frenetic with activity that would soon be their new premises, with 30 rooms being built courtesy of AWF donations. Sunset, as seen from the Limalimo Lodge (Will Whitford) AWF receives a conservation fee of US$10 per guest from Limalimo Lodge. Those fees will go towards maintenance, furniture, teacher training and materials, AWFs landscape manager, Zeleke Abuhay, told me. The community is working with us on conservation. Theyre benefiting directly from ecotourism and this school is their reward. Profits from a luxury eco-lodge are helping to build a school (Will Whitford) Later, we strolled to a small promontory near the lodge, where lammergeiers a spectacular bearded vulture swirled so close, we could hear their wings swooshing. A tawny eagle chick squawked in its nest and baboons and gelada monkeys played and preened nearby. Back on Limalimos terrace, G&Ts in hand, we watched the sun go down between layer after misty layer of mountains. No doubt this is a land that needs conserving. Travel essentials Getting there Village Ways (01223 750049; villageways.com) offers an eight-night Simply Simien village-to-village walking trip from US$1,501 per person in a party of two or three people (reduced price of from $1,086pp in a party of four to six), including one nights B&B in Addis Ababa, one nights B&B in Gondar, five nights full board in the villages, and one nights half board in Limalimo Lodge, private walking guide in the Simien Mountains and all travel starting and finishing in Gondar. The holiday is available 5 January to 31 May, and 29 Sep to 30 Nov 2017. Village Ways can add on an exploration of the core area of Simien National Park with extra nights at Limalimo Lodge from US$125 per person, based on two sharing. International and internal flights cost extra. They are best value when booked together on a multi-city booking. Ethiopian Airlines (0800 016 3559; ethiopianairlines.com) flies daily from Heathrow to Gondar via Addis Ababa. Return fares start at 690 economy and 2,065 business class. Staying there Limalimo Lodge (limalimolodge.com) costs from US$250 for a double room per night, including all meals and most drinks. More information simienmountainsnationalpark.org Click here to view African Tours and Holidays, with Independent Holidays. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Rail passengers from Aberdeen to Penzance are set to benefit from the abolition of fees for amending Advance tickets. CrossCountry, which serves England, Wales and Scotland from its hub in Birmingham, has abandoned the 10 administration charge that is common across the rail industry for such changes. Passengers who book online direct with the train operator and who later alter the time or date of travel will pay only any increase in fare compared with their original train. If the replacement service is cheaper they will get a refund of the difference. The deal does not apply to tickets bought in person from stations nor online through third-party operators such as Trainline. In addition, tickets printed by the passenger, and m-tickets obtained through the CrossCountry app, cannot be changed. Passengers who need to amend their trips must buy a new ticket at least 24 hours before departure of the original train. It should cover exactly the same journey. The traveller will subsequently claim back the full cost of the original. If the passenger decides not to travel, no refund is available. CrossCountrys commercial director, David Watkin, said: We always encourage our customers to book as far ahead as possible to get the best deals. However, we recognise that sometimes plans can change and a customer may not be able to travel when they originally wanted. This will open the door to more flexibility and choice something we know is important to our customers. Anthony Smith, chief executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: At a time when fares are increasing, this flexibility is welcomed. Mark Smith, the rail guru who created the Seat61.com website, said Abolishing the 10 charge has got to be a good thing. But it would be far more useful if you didnt have to give 24 hours notice, as its often on the day that things happen and you want to change your reservation. Even so, this could be the way forward for all operators though we need to preserve the concept of flexible walk-up travel too. On a number of Continental rail networks, only passengers with reserved seats are allowed on board long-distance trains. Last-minute travellers in France and Spain are sometimes prevented from boarding heavily booked services. The new deal is part of a trend by train operators to incentivise travellers to book online and direct by offering exclusive passenger benefits. Virgin Trains offers automatic refunds for delays for customers who buy through its website, while Virgins East Coast operation offers free wi-fi to Standard-class passengers who book direct. In a separate move, Eurostar has finally joined with other European train operators in providing cheap flat fares for Interrail travellers. Railpass holders are now able to buy one-way tickets from London, Ebbsfleet or Ashford to Paris, Calais, Lille or Brussels for 23 in Standard class or 29 in Standard Premier, which includes a bigger seat plus complimentary food and drink. These fares are about 70 per cent lower than the previous prices. Sign up to Simon Calders free travel email for weekly expert advice and money-saving discounts Get Simon Calders Travel email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the Simon Calders Travel email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Somewhere between 18-hour delays and contorting your limbs into a seat you know is too small for you, all travellers, even the most die-hard backpackers, have wondered what it would be like to travel by private jet. And because theres no harm in living vicariously, we asked Tom Engelhard, private air travel specialist JetSmarter in Zurich, exactly what its like for those who fly on their very own plane. From families with 400 pieces of luggage to demanding non-stop Liberace tunes, it seems there really is no request too bizarre. You can take a private jet from London to, er, London We had a JetSmarter member jump on one of our free empty-legs from London Biggin Hill to London Luton to spend time with his son. Its a 20-minute journey. For on-demand JetCharters we fulfil the clients wishes, no matter how short or long the trip is. Rather than brave the traffic on the M25, you could take a private jet from south-east London to Luton (JetSmarter) If your familys really big, you can order a transcontinental-size plane to yourselves We had a family from the Middle East who were stranded in New York. There were 23 family members with 400 pieces of luggage. They paid $550,000 (600,000) for a Boeing 767 VIP airliner to Geneva. From McDonalds to Michelin stars, pretty much anything goes when ordering food Almost anything goes if the client has specific wishes. You could ask for lobster or oysters, or macaroons from a specific patisserie in Paris. We wouldnt draw the line at anything, as long as it is possible in the lead time we get. Its not unusual to receive orders for food from specific restaurants. Our own catering is not the kind of food you get on a commercial flight its first-class, even if its a snack on a short flight. On the menu for one of our recent Moscow-to-London JetShuttle flights, we had Grana Padano cheese and walnut canapes, and mozzarella caprese salads and those were just the appetisers. Guests can order their favourite restaurant meals to be served on board (JetSmarter) As long as it's legal, you can get whatever you want in-flight One client insists on only listening to music by Liberace for the whole flight, while another demands specific blankets and pillows made of 100 per cent cashmere. We have also packed an entire plane with white Casablanca lilies, simply because a passenger requested it. Restrictions have less to do with the wish, but with laws and regulations. Yes, you could have a live violinist on board as long as she or he also has a seat on board. Can you take your pet python, penguin or tarantula on the plane? Unusual pets are no problem as long as it is legal to own them and there are no restrictions in the country of origin or arrival. If youve missed your plane, JetSmarter could save your bacon if youre loaded, anyway It depends a lot from which airport and at what time of day the request comes in but we have managed to have clients with go-now requests up in the air in under one hour from their first call. When one client was already at the airport in Geneva and his commercial flight to London was cancelled, he had a meeting which he said would cost him a multi-million dollar deal if he was late. We got him a private jet in under an hour to take him to London City Airport. One businessman needed a jet fast so he could save millions... yknow (JetSmarter) Click here for the latest travel offers from Independent Holidays Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} Were used to him, but what on earth will the Americans make of the Right Honourable Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson MP, Her Britannic Majesty's Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office? Hard to say. Boris Johnson is an exotic figure, his political and personal lives bathed in colour, veering constantly between buffoonery and statesmanship. Will he attempt to entertain them? It is often said that Johnson is a very clever man pretending to be an idiot but that is not always obvious, and less so in an environment like the US, which is still coming to grips with the concept of deep, multilayered British irony. Those unused to him may simply conclude that this chubby, tousle-haired bundle of contradictions is, in fact, simply an idiot, or at least not serious. As Benjamin Franklin said, time is money, and they may not have the time to spare to work out who the real Boris is. Even the lad himself may not have sorted that one out yet. That is because, for all their good manners and ritual obeisance to the special relationship, Britain doesn't matter as much to America as America does to Britain. It's true that Nigel Farage has more of a special relationship with the new regime than the UK does, but this is because of this vague ideological affiliation with the two wings of transatlantic populism, not great power politics. And don't forget how Boris and Michael Gove cut Farage and Ukip out of the official Leave campaign. Israel diplomat calls Boris Johnson an 'idiot' Theresa May has also repeated her view about how unacceptable Donald Trump's locker room banter was. May has even less in common with Trump than Boris, whose attitude to women would justify an article in itself. The Foreign Secretary has his work cut out. At first glance, Boris doesn't have a huge amount in common with the two key Trumpites he has met and, with luck, charmed. Jared Kushner, husband to Ivanka Trump and campaign manager for Donald Trump, is a real-estate businessman, and his principal interests lie outside the usual Bozza orbit of political self-advancement and mischief-making (often, as we saw in the summer, closely allied hobbies). Steve Bannon, chief strategist and Senior Counsellor to the President-elect, is more of a political animal. Like Johnson, Bannon has a journalistic background of sorts, as one of the founders of the radical right-inclined Breitbart News. Johnson used to write columns for The Daily Telegraph and edited The Spectator, which, for all their Thatcherite instincts, were not as iconoclastically hostile to the political order as the American radical right. Nor as successful, one might add. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA Bannon has the same talent for the outspoken quip as Johnson, as when he whimsically allied himself to Darth Vader and Satan, though even Boris might have thought twice about that one. Neither of these big figures of the Trump circle are given to freely speaking in Latin and drawing casually on allusions to the Battle of Thermopylae. One can only hope Boris doesn't patronise them and fall into the classic British trap of playing the civilised Greek to their mighty but unsophisticated Romans a very silly analogy. Johnson will no doubt see more eye to eye with the conventional Republicans in Washington than the Trump clique in NYC, but that isn't really what is mission is about. So, in more ways than one, Boris and the Americans speak different languages. Boris is, in many ways, a liberal. He showed that as Mayor of London, he showed it when he made those frank statements about the Iranians and Saudis running proxy wars, and he did so when he condemned Russian war crimes in Syria. Warm personal relations are better than the alternative, of course. Yet, in the end, those sort of things shared interests and shared judgements will drive the US-UK relationship, as it always had. Tony Blair was famously close to George W Bush, but the Americans were always going to invade Iraq and take out Saddam whether Britain, or the UN, liked it or not. Even in the Second World War, President Franklin D Roosevelt was happy to ignore Winston Churchills warnings and hand eastern Europe over to Stalin. Britain relies on the US for its nuclear deterrent, for economic support (especially post-Brexit) and for its wider security. The Americans don't need Britain. No one, not even Boris at his best, can persuade them otherwise. In December 2015, Spains Supreme Court ruled that mortgage clauses introduced by Banco Popular and BBVA that forced borrowers to pay for all fees associated with taking out the home loans were abusive. Instead, the court ruled that the banks should pay for all or at least part of these set-up expenses, because it is the lenders who have an interest in making a formal record of the mortgage deed. A BBVA ad campaign for home loans. Kike Para Ever since then, various trial courts and appellate courts have handed down decisions both in favor and against borrowers. The consumer associations Adicae and OCU which took the case all the way to the Supreme Court have launched a campaign to claim these expenses back from the banks. Floor clauses The fee claims represent an additional headache for Spanish banks, who were recently told by the courts that their widespread practice of setting floors on mortgages i.e. levels below which monthly repayments cannot fall, regardless of the interest rate are abusive, and that they may have to return millions of euros to clients who were systematically forced to overpay. These groups are recommending that customers first try approaching their banks ombudsman or claims department, before taking the matter to court. In the last six months, at least six banks Santander, BBVA, CaixaBank, Bankia, Sabadell and Ibercaja have changed their clauses and now cover around 30% of these associated fees, in a bid to prevent further lawsuits. If you are a homeowner in Spain who paid the full amount of the fees that come with taking out a home loan, the following tips may help you determine whether you are entitled to a refund on some of them. Who is eligible? The Supreme Courts ruling of December 23, 2015 affects everyone who is currently paying a mortgage or who paid it off up to four years ago. Claimants should try their banks ombudsman or claims department first, and later turn to the courts if necessary. The deadline for filing a claim is four years after the Supreme Court ruling, meaning December 24, 2019. For borrowers who have already paid off their mortgage, they may claim a refund if the full payment was made four years prior to the ruling that is to say, on or after December 23, 2011. The ruling applies to individuals, not corporate borrowers, and to primary residences and second homes alike. What fees can be claimed? People who have already filed claims are asking for a refund on the fees they paid for the notary, the mortgage land registry and the gestoria, the company that ensures the property and the mortgage are correctly registered in the land registry (but only if the gestoria was imposed by the bank). Claimants have also asked for a refund on the stamp duty (Documented Legal Acts tax or AJD to give it its Spanish acronym). While there is no hard-and-fast rule that applies to all cases, these mortgage set-up fees typically represent between 2.5% and 3% of the home loan. How much can I ask for? That depends on the amount of the loan. According to OCUs calculations, if every fee is returned, including the AJD stamp duty, it could be in the range of 3,000 for a 150,000 mortgage. Is only a portion recoverable? Yes. Some judges are ordering a refund on notary, mortgage land registry and gestoria fees, but not the AJD duty, which in fact represents 75% of the associated expenses when taking out a mortgage. Based on rulings by the Supreme Court and the Provincial Appellate Court of Zaragoza, lawyers consulted by EL PAIS said it is the banks who should put up with the cost of processing the stamp duty. On the other hand, the provincial appelate courts of Oviedo and Pontevedra have ruled that this fee should be paid by the client. In any case, there is no refund for the Property Conveyance Tax, which always falls to the home buyer. What documents are required to file a claim? The mortgage deed, the notarys invoice, the land registrars invoice, and the tax form documenting payment of the AJD duty (form 600). Which banks have changed their fee clauses? At least the following six: BBVA, Santander, Bankia, CaixaBank, Sabadell and Ibercaja. The changes seek to prevent future claims on new mortgages. But this does not prevent clients from claiming refunds for loans signed in the past. Do I have a clear case in court? One should never think that it is easy to win, much less against banks with enough resources to appeal any unfavorable decision. But the fact that they have changed their own clauses following the Supreme Court decision (which called them abusive) means that lenders are aware these fees were not properly established. There have been rulings for and against individual plaintiffs, and it is too early to know whether borrowers are going to be winning any major victories in court. English version by Susana Urra. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} While much of the UK medias attention has been turned on Brexit, Trump and Corbyn-coups, Northern Irish politics has been tiptoeing to the edge of a cliff. Quietly and without much fanfare, the region is now facing one of the biggest political instabilities since the St Andrews Agreement in 2006. Blink and you could have missed it. Anyone familiar with Northern Irish politics will know that the political terrain there could be euphemistically described as colourful. Turmoil and tantrums are frequent features of the political cut and thrust there, as the scars of the Troubles continue to affect political discourse and relationships. However, this current crisis has little to do with violence, religion or the constitutional question. Instead, it has crept upon Northern Ireland subtly and with little commotion. The usual calling cards of a Northern Irish political crisis have not been there to warn us: no religious rallies, pulpit thumping or shows of strengths on the strength on the streets. Instead, we face a crisis which is much more mundane: a straightforward, almost dull financial scandal. Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster is facing calls from all sides to stand down. She is accused of mishandling a major government scheme while she was an executive minister. Dubbed the cash for ash scandal locally, the scheme was designed to encourage businesses to use renewable energy, but a loophole apparently gave them a financial incentive to burn fuel pointlessly. Some 490m is thought to have been misspent due to the flawed scheme, a huge amount of money for a country the size of Northern Ireland, which has just shy of 2 million inhabitants. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA One of her own Democratic Unionist Party colleagues, Jonathan Bell, has added further fuel to the fire by claiming Foster told civil servants at Stormont to alter documents to cover up her role in the scandal. She strongly denies this and says she has been unfairly represented and attacked in the media. She insists she is going nowhere and refuses to resign. Meanwhile, public support for the First Minister is plummeting; dropping from 49 per cent approval rating to just 29 per cent according to one Belfast Telegraph poll. This weekend, her arch enemies in Sinn Fein have escalated pressure to oust her. Party leader Gerry Adams has signalled that Martin McGuinness, who is Deputy First Minister, could resign in order to pull down the power-sharing structures. As the peace process requires both the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to jointly power-share as leader of the largest Unionist and Nationalist parties, Sinn Feins withdrawal could bring the whole institutions down and trigger an election, which would almost certainly see the Northern Irish public oust Foster instead. For almost a decade, Northern Ireland has never looked quite so close to seeing its own government structures crumble. Yet, what is most striking about this current crisis is how calmly and quietly it has reared its head. Northern Ireland: Walkout in Stormont over Arlene Foster statement on energy scheme After so many threats to collapse Stormont that have lasted several years but seldom been acted on, it is surprising to see the most credible threat of that suddenly come. Yet, in many ways the current crisis is bittersweet. It is perhaps one of the most positive signs so far that Northern Ireland is entering normalised politics through the form of a good old-fashioned financial scandal, a far cry from the tense and extraordinary events of the Troubles. That is not to say, however, that we should be blase about the current crisis facing Northern Ireland. It offers both a reflection of how much positive change politics in the region has undergone since the peace process, but also offers a stark reminder that peace time politics bring complexities and crises of their own. Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the View from Westminster email {{ #verifyErrors }}{{ message }}{{ /verifyErrors }}{{ ^verifyErrors }}Something went wrong. Please try again later{{ /verifyErrors }} There's an outpouring of messages on social media expressing sadness at the news of the death of Tilikum, the orca who was the subject of Blackfish, but sadness is not what I feel. I can't be sad that after more than three decades, Tilly is finally out of his misery. No, what I'm feeling is anger anger that death was the only way he could escape his hellish existence swimming in endless circles in a tiny, barren tank at SeaWorld. Weighing a colossal 12,500 pounds and measuring nearly seven metres long, he was a giant among giants. According to SeaWorld, he had suffered from a persistent and complicated bacterial lung infection. And while a necropsy is still required to determine the official cause of death, we all know that captivity is what killed him. When he was no more than a two-year-old baby, Tilikum was ripped from his ocean home off the coast of Iceland in November 1983. He would never see his family, feel the sea water on his skin or experience freedom again. Instead, he was sold to the highest bidder as though a mere commodity first to the now-defunct Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia and then to SeaWorld Orlando in Florida, where he would remain for the next 24 years. The confinement drove him mad and made him lash out in frustration and unsurprisingly, he was implicated in three human deaths, most notably that of experienced SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau, whom he scalped and dismembered in 2010 before drowning her in his enclosure. Speaking of the incident, Blackfish producer Tim Zimmermann summed it up best, saying, He killed three human beings. And yet when you learn about his life story, he does become the victim and you do sympathise with him. Indeed you do. UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 14 September 2022 The first members of the public pay their respects as the vigil begins around the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Hall, London, where it will lie in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA UK news in pictures 13 September 2022 Crowds cheer as King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort arrive for a visit to Hillsborough Castle Getty Tilikum was deprived for more than three decades of all that was enjoyable and natural to him. Day in and day out, this social, emotional and intelligent animal was prevented from satisfying his basic drives and from engaging in any type of natural behaviour, such as swimming over large distances. He was frequently cut, rammed and raked by other orcas, with whom he had no ancestral, cultural or communication similarities. (In the wild, each family unit, or pod, has its own culture as well as a unique group dialect.) Forced to live in grotesquely small enclosures, he could do nothing but swim in endless circles and perform tricks in exchange for dead fish. And to add insult to injury, he was repeatedly masturbated to produce sperm to artificially inseminate other orcas in order to provide a constant supply of baby orcas for SeaWorld to use or sell. Seaworld penguin gets wetsuit because she's losing her feathers His grim existence has changed public opinion about keeping orcas in tanks, and the backlash prompted SeaWorld to stop breeding orcas (even if the news came too late for Tilikum, who was bred 21 times 11 of his offspring died before he did). While his death in a concrete cell marks the end of his diminished existence as a source of profit for SeaWorld, it is our hope that it also marks the beginning of a new future for animals incarcerated at the abusement park. Tilikum may be gone, but there's still time for Katina, Kasatka, Ulises and Corky the other orcas at SeaWorld to be transferred to sea sanctuaries which can provide them with some semblance of the life that they've been robbed of for so long. If we are to honour Tilikums memory, we must stop at nothing to ensure that his death is the last one inside SeaWorlds walls. That can be his legacy. Mimi Bekhachi is the director of international programmes at Peta Fifty aircraft were refused access to Irish airspace and airports last year over concerns they were carrying military hardware, ShannonWatch reports Fifty aircraft were refused access to Irish airspace and airports last year over concerns they were carrying indiscriminate military hardware, it has been revealed. The planes, classed as civilian and believed to be mostly US, sought permission to fly over the country, stop or refuel at Shannon but were denied on advice from government officials. The Department of Transport said a total of 889 planes carrying guns and weapons applied to use Irish airports or airspace. Some 808 permits were granted with the vast majority landing in Shannon while another 31 applications were cancelled. No information has been revealed about the reasons why the 50 military contracted planes were denied access to Ireland or what exact type of munitions were believed to have been on board. In 2015 the Department of Transport granted 584 exemptions for aircraft to land at Shannon with guns on board compared to 1,495 in 2007. There were 19 refusals. The figures were released after anti-war group ShannonWatch said it had counted a t least 730 US military flights coming through Shannon Airport last year - more than two planes every day owned by or operated on behalf of the US Air Force, Marines or Navy. The figure is the highest number recorded by the group since it began daily monitoring in 2008. Ed Horgan, spokesman for the campaign and a former Irish Army officer and United Nations elections' inspector, said: "These are the numbers recorded by ShannonWatch but they may not reflect the total numbers coming through. "And the numbers surprised me." More than 400 of the flights recorded by ShannonWatch were operated directly by the US Air Force, Navy or Marines. The rest were contracted troop carriers on civilian planes, some of which would be among the 889 planes granted exemptions to carry arms such as rifles without ammunition. Among the planes recorded last year were 100 C-130s, also known as Hercules transporters, 15 four engine C17 Globemaster or C5 Galaxy transporters and 71 executive jets. Mr Horgan said Ireland's approach to the use of airspace and airports as a neutral country should be compared with the attitude of Switzerland and Austria, two countries which routinely refuse US military access. ShannonWatch last week called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to explain the presence of a plane operated on behalf of the US military that had stopped in Shannon for less than two hours before flying on to a Nato airbase in Turkey. The Department of Foreign Affairs defended granting access to Irish air space and airports to the US military. It insisted that the troops on board and the planes must be unarmed, with no cargo of arms, ammunition or explosives, not engage in intelligence gathering and not form part of military exercises or operations. "Ireland remains strictly neutral and objective in applying the same strict conditions to the use of our airport by military aircraft belonging to all UN member states," a spokesman said. Housing Minister Simon Coveney agreed to find new accommodation for those living in Nama-controlled Apollo House A deal has been struck to end the occupation of the Apollo House office block in Dublin by homeless people and campaigners. With a potential eviction deadline looming on Wednesday, Housing Minister Simon Coveney and the Home Sweet Home collective agreed to find new accommodation for those living in the Nama-controlled building. As part of the deal 4 million euro will be spent on two new facilities for the homeless in the capital. Home Sweet Home said residents who secure places in the new accommodation will be given their own keys for 24-hour access and will be offered private single or double rooms for a "place to call home". They will also have access to support services. "Dublin City Council advised us that this positive development only came about as a direct result of the Home Sweet Home campaign," the group said. The campaigners said they would not take anyone else into Apollo House after helping to have 83 people assessed by homelessness services since the occupation began in mid-December and securing accommodation for 54. They will begin moving residents of the old civil service offices into new accommodation as beds become available in the next two days, the campaign said. Mr Coveney and his officials have been in talks with Home Sweet Home since Friday. In a statement he said homelessness remains a top priority for the Government and that enough beds are available in Dublin to ensure people do not have to sleep rough. "Additional capacity however, through the advancement of two new facilities, will be put in place in the coming months following consultation with a broad range of stakeholders to meet potential future demand," the minister's office said. "These facilities will include units suitable for single persons and couples and will promote independent living skills. It was also agreed that Dublin City Council would improve community-based homeless services and facilities through their local authority office network." Homeless people and service providers are being asked for advice on how the facilities should be developed, Mr Coveney said. Home Sweet Home, which secured more than 160,000 euro in donations and help from 2,500 volunteers following the occupation, vowed to continue its work and said it will open a permanent support, advice and activist centre in Dublin to assist people with housing information needs. It also said it will have regular monthly meetings with Dublin City Council and other local authorities if necessary. "The intervention of Home Sweet Home has created a greater awareness of the housing and homelessness emergency that has blighted our country for too long," the group said. "This coalition of artists, trade unionists and activists/volunteers including the Irish Housing Network is committed to not only ensuring the full delivery of the above, but also the ultimate elimination of homelessness in Ireland." Japanese financial services firms have expressed "a lot of interest" in Ireland in the wake of the Brexit vote, the head of the IDA has said. The agency tasked with attracting foreign investment to Ireland is engaging directly with Japanese investors in both London and Tokyo to encourage them to locate operations here. Japan has warned Britain that its European Union exit could prompt Japanese financial institutions to relocate operations from London, and has already listed a raft of concerns from Japanese companies about the transition away from the European Union. IDA CEO Martin Shanahan told the Irish Independent that a number of Japanese financial firms with operations in London were looking at Ireland with interest. "We've had a lot of interest from Japanese financial services companies," he said. "In all cases, they would have a base in the UK." The 'Financial Times' reported last month that Japanese financial institutions had told the British government that they would begin moving some of their functions away from London within six months, unless they got clarity on the United Kingdom's future relationship with the EU. Executives at investment banks Nomura and Daiwa Capital Markets reportedly laid out their positions. It is understood that Nomura, which employs former Department of Finance boss John Moran as a consultant, is in the process of assessing how it will use its existing EU operations. However, it does not currently have a base of operations in Ireland and declined to say whether it was looking at Dublin as a potential location. Japanese firms already have a presence in Ireland, including Dublin-based aircraft lessor SMBC Aviation Capital, which is owned by a consortium of Japan's Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation, Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, and Sumitomo Corporation. A spokesman for the IDA said that the agency was "actively looking at opportunities for additional Japanese banks to locate here". "IDA Ireland is engaging directly with Japanese investors in both London and Tokyo," he said. "We value Japanese investment hugely and would consider Ireland an excellent fit for many of the Japanese institutions looking to locate or relocate their businesses in Europe. "We are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations with Japan this year, and we look forward to continuing to sell the many benefits of doing business here in Ireland." Last week, the IDA reiterated that it had experienced a "significant volume of specific queries" to IDA offices from across the world - the US, Europe and Asia - as a result of the Brexit vote, which was held on June 23. Mr Shanahan said the queries were not exclusively from financial services, but also from technology and pharmaceutical companies. He said a lot of the queries were progressing to site visits with decisions by companies expected by June. The Irish Independent could not establish if they included the Japanese firms. Irish hopes of avoiding a "hard border" with the North after Brexit centre on the EU conceding a special case for treating the entire island as a single unit, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has said. And he signalled that the future of the peace process is central to Ireland's case in Brexit negotiations which are due to start in late March. Mr Hogan is scathingly critical of Britain's conduct on Brexit since the outcome of the referendum on June 23. "Clearly, Brexit is a mess and getting messier," he said. But Mr Hogan said he hoped the EU may be able to persuade the London government on a common position for the entire island of Ireland. This would ensure the freedom of goods and people on the island and avoid a border for customs or immigration. He said the EU has "invested heavily" in the peace process, with a total of 3.5bn in cross-border and special "peace grants" since the first IRA ceasefire in 1994 - therefore Brussels will want to safeguard it. "The European Commission has a vested interest in protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the success it has been in bringing peace to the island of Ireland since 1998," he said. However, there are concerns among EU diplomats that Ireland has not done enough to win over the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. And there are fears the Taoiseach's repeated references to "democratically elected EU governments" making all key decisions have caused alarm. But Mr Hogan insisted that his former colleagues in Government have done all they can so far to push Ireland's case and are hamstrung by London's failure to spell out its concerns ahead of full Brexit negotiations. "It is very difficult for Ireland to act until they know the UK position, which must be revealed as soon as possible," he said. Mr Hogan said the abrupt departure of Britain's EU ambassador, Ivan Rogers, showed the British disarray. "What they need handling negotiations is not people who believe in Brexit, but people who know the lie of the land in Brussels, and who appreciate the risks involved," he insisted. He warned that if the UK leaves the EU Single Market then "a hard border" with the North, involving potential identity controls and customs tariffs, looked inevitable. Recent comments by Brexit Minister David Davis, that London may consider payments to the EU Single Market, were encouraging but these had been contradicted by his colleagues Liam Fox and Boris Johnson. "That is a further example of serious disarray in London on the entire issue," he said. Mr Hogan said that for Britain to maintain EU trade advantages, there must be "some give" on the issue of migration controls. He said that the UK has, via the EU, a presence in 53 separate markets, and doing new trade deals for these would be complex and time-consuming. "India, for example, has already cited greater access to Britain for its citizens as a condition in any new trade deal. "British voters were sold a pig in a poke on Brexit - nothing is as simple as it looks," the commissioner said. Mr Hogan also said the timing of the opening of Brexit talks in March, soon after Dutch elections, in the teeth of French presidential elections, and a building federal election campaign in Germany, is not helpful. "It will make things harder for Britain to negotiate at a time when other member state governments will conclude it is not in their interests to concede membership benefits without the obligations," he said. Mr Hogan has been out of Irish politics since autumn 2014 and insists he is loath to comment on domestic issues. On water charges, which he introduced as Environment Minister, he just pointed to the comments of the EU Environment Commissioner, Karmenu Vella, who insists the charges are required by EU law. On the instability of the current minority coalition, Mr Hogan noted that voters were warned about those dangers. "But we must respect the people's choice and I hope that in the longer term it will lead to a new kind of politics and a more mature polity," he said. Once upon a time, forests covered pretty much the whole island of Ireland. About 5,000 years ago, this forest cover started to decline mainly because of human activities combined with increased rainfall. Ireland is now the least wooded country in Europe with a forest cover of about 11pc. Less than two per cent is made up of semi-natural or native woodlands. Urgent action is required to safeguard their future and reap the numerous benefits they provide. Native woodlands are made up of trees and associated plants that have grown naturally in Ireland since the end of the last Ice Age. These include trees such as oak, ash, birch, rowan, hazel, alder, holly and hawthorn. Native woodlands are a unique and valuable part of Ireland's natural capital and cultural heritage. They deliver key ecosystem services in relation to biodiversity, climate change mitigation, flood control, habitat linkage, water and soil protection, and landscape enhancement. Many of our native woodlands also provide for outdoor recreation and are an ideal place for young and old to learn about nature and the environment. With careful 'close-to nature' management, native woodlands can provide valuable timber and non-timber products and services. A recent study carried out for Woodlands of Ireland found that our current native forests contribute up to 140 million each year to the economy through ecosystem services, recreation activities, the production of quality native timber products, eco-tourism and climate mitigation functions. Native woodlands strategy Earlier this year, Woodlands of Ireland launched a national Native Woodland Strategy.. Restoring and expanding native woodlands will deliver benefits including woodland biodiversity enhancement, the protection of wildlife, water quality and flood control measures. Other significant benefits include climate change mitigation, improving landscape aesthetics, an increase in eco-tourism and the provision of woodland recreation facilities. Quality home-grown native timber can also replace tropical imports used in making high value furniture and craft-related products. "The implementation of this strategy will not only help to secure the future of our native woodlands but will also create sustainable, indigenous jobs, mostly in the woodland management, eco-tourism, wood processing and craft sectors," said Dr Declan Little, Project Manager with Woodlands of Ireland. He added: "It will also increase the value of our natural capital assets and assist in government policy and in meeting Ireland's obligations to national, European and International legislation". The Woodlands of Ireland (WoI) project, comprising interested native woodland stakeholders, is an initiative established in 1998 to address the sustainable management and expansion of native woodland. By working closely in partnership with other professional organisations, statutory agencies and individuals, the organisation has been to the forefront in the initiation and development of numerous native woodland initiatives and projects since its inception, including the People's Millennium Forests Project and the Forest Service (DAFM) Native Woodland Scheme. Woodlands of Ireland is a Private Limited Company with Charitable Status operating with co-funding from the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; the National Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. For more information, visit www.woodlandsofireland.com Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol Armenia and Azerbaijan to do so without delay An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan". UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT Google Ad The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022 Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments Delegation by Nancy Pelosi Accompanied by Alen Simonyan Visits Tsitsernakaberd Memorial Complex Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi Arrives in Yerevan Armenian Revytech, global technology leader SAP and financial services software specialist SAP Fioneer sign a cooperation agreement With 120 million drams donated by Mikael Vardanyan, the defenders of the homeland will be treated in a new building OSCE Chairman-in-Office and OSCE Secretary General call for immediate cessation of hostilities along Armenia-Azerbaijan border Statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Artsakh Lamb prices in Northern Ireland are currently running in the region of 10 ahead of last year, according to latest figures from the LMC in Northern Ireland (NI). It says quotes from the major processors this week for R3 grade hoggets were in the region of 375p/kg (430c/kg)with plants paying up to 22kg. This is a notable increase from the corresponding week in 2016 when the quotes from the plants were in the region of 340p/kg (390c/kg) up to 22kg. Meanwhile, the price reported R3 grade lamb price in the week ending January 1, 2017 was 373.1p/kg (430c/kg), up from 334.1p/kg paid during the corresponding week in 2015/2016. This increase by 39p/kg accounts for a 8.58 (10) head increase in the value of a 22kg lamb year on year. According to the LMC, much of this increase in deadweight lamb prices can be attributed to a weakening in the value of sterling against the euro. It says in the week ending 01 January 2017 the R3 lamb price was the equivalent of 4.37/kg while in the week ending 02 January 2016 the R3 lamb price was the equivalent of 4.53/kg. Therefore in euro terms NI lambs were actually worth 16c/kg less in the week ending 01 January 2017 than they were in the corresponding week last year. The euro/sterling exchange rate affects the NI deadweight lamb trade in two ways, the LMC has said. Firstly a weaker sterling makes NI origin lambs more attractive to processors in ROI and thereby increases demand for NI origin lambs for export to the Republic plants for direct slaughter. This increase in competition for lambs usually results in an improvement in the deadweight trade due to shifts in the supply and demand balance. In addition to this the LMC says a weaker sterling also benefits the local sheep sector by making it easier for NI processors to secure markets for NI origin lambs on the valuable EU market. It says a weaker sterling makes NI lamb more cost competitive and therefore easier to market than lamb from other EU regions, in particular ROI origin lamb. However, the LMC has warned that with ROI acting as such a valuable outletfor the NI sheep sector in the form of lambs for direct slaughter and the EU as a whole being such a valuable market for NI lamb products it is important that every effort is made to maintain these valuable market outlets following the decision of the UK to leave the EU. One of the horses being transported on a Boeing 747 cargo plane from Shannon Airport to Beijing. Photo: PA Seventy six thoroughbred horses have been flown to Beijing in the largest ever single export of Irish racing bloodstock to China. The animals transported in the 3m airlift have all been purchased by Chinese businessman Zhang Yuesheng. The transaction has been hailed as a major leap into the lucrative Chinese market. To date, more than 90pc of thoroughbreds imported into China have been sourced from Australia and New Zealand. The horses were bought from Irish breeders on behalf of Mr Yuesheng by Kildare-based bloodstock agency BBA Ireland. They were flown in a Boeing 747 cargo plane from Shannon airport with a team of professional flying grooms and a vet. On arrival, the horses were transported to stables where they will go into training before debuting in Chinese races. BBA Ireland worked in conjunction with Irish Thoroughbred Marketing, the not-for-profit, Government-backed company that promotes Ireland as a leading source of quality thoroughbreds worldwide. "This is really good business for the Irish equine industry, not least for small breeders from whom most of these horses were purchased," Declan Murray, managing director at BBA Ireland, said. Ireland will not be isolated by EU efforts to change the company tax rules, EU Commissioner Phil Hogan said. The commissioner, who has publicly supported the Brussels decision last August to demand 12bn in back taxes from the multinational Apple, said the fallout from that decision led to many misunderstandings about EU tax plans. "There is no risk whatever to Ireland's 12.5pc rate of company tax. Any change in EU rules on taxation requires unanimity and Ireland could veto any such change," Mr Hogan said. But the commissioner said that in practice many other member states, including the Czech Republic, Luxembourg and others, would oppose any such change so Ireland would not be left politically isolated on the issue. Mr Hogan insisted that the Apple verdict turned around whether "aggressive tax planning" was used to such an extent that it constituted state aid. "These matters are currently sub judice and the subject of an EU court appeal which will play out in the coming year or two," he said. Mr Hogan also said he believed that US-based multinational companies would still be attracted to Ireland for its access to an EU market of 500 million people, a skilled English-speaking workforce and a similar legal system. "But tax incentives will remain an important facet of Ireland's and many other member states' economic policies," he said. Dublin MEP Brian Hayes yesterday also revealed that seven national parliaments in the EU have objected to the European Commission's proposals for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB). The plan is a relaunch of efforts to have common EU rules to calculate company's taxable profits. These seven objections do not trigger the formal "yellow card" procedure which would have stopped the process at this early stage because one third of the 28 member states are required for this. Mr Hayes said the seven national parliaments, including the Houses of the Oireachtas, sent formal objections to the European Commission stating that the CCCTB proposal does not meet the principles of subsidiarity. The proposal was objected to by the Irish, Swedish, Danish, Maltese, Luxembourgish and Dutch parliaments. The UK's House of Commons, one of the biggest advocates of the yellow card procedure, published a critical report but did not formally object. He said the commission must listen closely to these parliaments' objections from national parliaments and the Irish Government must still engage with other member states. Seven countries in the EU have opposed the European Commissions proposals for a common tax base across the continent, according to Irish MEP Brian Hayes. The Commission announced details of a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (CCCTB) in October of last year. The CCCTB seeks to apply a universal tax code for all multinationals operating inside the EU earning in excess of 750m. Mr Hayes confirmed that the Irish parliament and six other EU legislatures had launched formal objections to the proposals. These seven national parliaments, including the Houses of the Oireachtas, have issued formal objections to the European Commission clearly stating that the CCCTB proposal does not meet the principles of subsidiarity, Mr Hayes said. While this is a significant number of objections, it is not enough to trigger the formal yellow card procedure for EU legislation. For this to happen, at least 33pc of national parliaments must object to a proposal, he added. The proposal was objected to by Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, the UK, Malta and Luxembourg. Mr Hayes added that the CCCTB proposals would effectively remove Irelands sovereign ability to determine taxation rates. Consolidation of the tax base, however, effectively represents wide-scale tax harmonisation through the back door. It cuts across how Member States set their tax corporate rates and policy and is a cumbersome way of addressing cross-border tax losses, Mr Hayes stated. Commission spokesperson for taxation Vanessa Mock said that "have received seven reasoned opinions from the parliaments of Member States, representing 12 votes from a possible 56". "This is normal for any legislation that the Commission puts forward. The reception of reasoned opinions does not mean that there will be difficulty agreeing legislation in the Council. These are the views of national parliaments and their committees. Not those of Member States themselves." "The CCCTB is fully in line with the principle of subsidiarity. The legal base is Art. 115 TFEU improving the functioning of the Single Market," she told independent.ie. "The CCCTB is all about removing obstacles to the Single Market for businesses, which is not something that can be done at purely national level. It is also about tackling the complex cross-border problem of tax avoidance, which Member States cannot combat alone. "The Commission responded in detail to all Member States that raised this issue in relation to the 2011 proposal. No Member State objected to our response." Housing Minister Simon Coveney is under pressure to allow landlords to offset the local property tax against tax on rental income. The measure is among a number of changes being sought by Fianna Fail as part of incentives to increase the number of properties available for rent - and ultimately help ease the ongoing upward spiral in rents. The party's finance spokesman, Michael McGrath, argued that the measure should be implemented without delay and that the Government must also speed up a return to a 100pc offset of mortgage relief for landlords. The Government is already committed to a phased return of the 100pc mortgage tax relief for landlords. "But this must be accelerated if we are to have any hope of increasing supply of homes for rent, which is now urgently required," Mr McGrath told the Irish Independent. Mr McGrath also said there was a "cast-iron case" for allowing the local property tax to be offset against income tax. "This is a legitimate expense and I just don't understand why it is not treated as such. Already, independent observers have recommended that it be treated as fully deductible for taxation purposes," he said. One source has put the cost of the incentive package at 24m in a full year. Already, the Government allows 80pc of mortgage costs to be offset against tax. Read more: Market regulations - and the reversal of them - could alter the course of people's lives There are plans to phase this up to 100pc in 5pc instalments each year. It is understood that an immediate switch to 100pc would cost the Exchequer up to 150m - but the Fianna Fail demand may be difficult to resist if they push it to the maximum. Separately, the party's housing spokesman, Barry Cowen, spoke yesterday about the prospect of extending the 5pc tax incentive "help-to-buy" scheme to cover second-hand homes in rural areas. Mr Cowen said that this would help end the backlog of unsold second-hand homes in smaller towns around the country. He said this backlog was depressing the housing market in areas away from the big population centres. The prospect of this happening, however, remains unclear. Already, Fianna Fail has successfully demanded an independent assessment of the scheme, which offers a 5pc tax rebate to first-time buyers of new homes to a maximum of 20,000, to ensure that it does not inflate prices. This review is to be completed by September to allow any changes happen in the Budget next October. First-time buyers will drive Ireland's property market in 2017 with the highest city price increases of 10pc predicted for Galway and Limerick. Agents expect a 6pc rise nationally, driven largely by new demand from first timers who are expected to be most active where new homes are available. That is thanks to the easing of the Central Bank's restrictions on mortgage deposit lending and the Help to Buy scheme. A survey carried out for the Irish Independent by the Real Estate Alliance Group (REA) has found that agents throughout the country expect prices in the capital to outstrip the national average, with a 7pc rise expected in Dublin. Surging rents, a lack of suitable supply and the punitive mortgage deposit rules for first and second-time buyers had combined to put the Dublin property market into reverse through the start of 2016. However, an increase in mortgage-approved buyers and the recent easing of the Central Bank's deposit restrictions has seen first-time buyers return to viewings. This, combined with a shortage of suitable supply, has caused prices to rise again, and REA agents in the capital are predicting that the outlook is bright for the new year, at least in the lower end of the market. However, there is less appreciation anticipated in the upper ends of the family home scale - as serious issues around the income multiplier and the deposit rates put the brakes on many second-time buyers trading up. Agents in the three main cities outside Dublin are optimistic about 2017, with rises of 10pc predicted in Limerick and Galway. Cork is looking at a 5pc increase. Read more: 'The price went up 45k in a matter of hours' - First-time buyer trying to 'do the best thing' for his young family The outlook for the commuter areas surrounding the capital is quite cautious, with counties around Dublin predicting a rise of 3.8pc on average and many agents fearing that the market there has hit its height under the current financial regime. Agents in Meath are predicting just a 1.8pc change, with some areas such as Navan and Kells forecasting that there will be no movement due to a lack of new development. There was minimal growth in the final quarter of 2016 in Wicklow. However, agents are confident that the market will react positively to a series of significant upcoming new developments adjacent to the N11 including Kilcoole, Rathnew, Arklow and Wicklow Town. Supply Prices in Kildare were stagnant in the REA's Q4 Average House Price Survey. But agents are predicting that the Government's Help to Buy scheme and the easing of the Central Bank restrictions will combine to produce a 3.5pc increase in the coming year. "The easing of the Central Bank restrictions has given the market great short-term hope, but the real problem in the property lies in supply," REA chairman Eamonn Spratt said. "We are bringing people into the market, but we have no long-term plan to provide the suitable housing that they need around the country. "The fact remains that builders will not create developments unless those properties can be sold for more than 200,000. "Until that point, unless there is state intervention on supply financing, we will not see sustainable building in areas where the average is below that point." He said that Longford prices had risen an incredible 41pc during 2016 and prices were predicted to rise by a further 15pc this year. "However, the price of the average house in Longford town is just 78,000 and will reach 90,000 by the end of 2017 simply because the oversupply on the market has now sold and there are no new developments on the horizon," he said. Double digit rises of 10pc are also being predicted for the same reason in Roscommon, Monaghan, Cavan, Galway County and Kilkenny. But the lack of building opportunity could hurt future economic development in lower-priced counties, as the example of Carrick-Shannon in Leitrim shows. Local agents report that employment is growing in the town and that there will be a shortage of suitable properties until 2018 at the earliest. The first Nokia-branded Android smartphone, announced yesterday, will be available only in China. HMD Global, the Finnish company which owns the rights to use Nokia's brand on mobile phones, announced its first smartphone, targeted for Chinese users with a price of 1,699 yuan (233). The launch marks the first new smartphone carrying the iconic handset name since 2014 when Nokia chose to sell its entire handset unit to Microsoft. The new device, Nokia 6, runs on Google's Android platform and is manufactured by Foxconn. It will be sold exclusively in China through online retailer JD.com, HMD said. "The decision by HMD to launch its first Android smartphone into China is a reflection of the desire to meet the real-world needs of consumers in different markets around the world . . . it is a strategically important market," HMD said in a statement. Nokia was once the world's dominant mobile maker but missed the shift to smartphones, and then chose Microsoft's Windows operating system for its Lumia range. After the 2014 deal, Microsoft continued selling cheaper basic phones under Nokia's name and Lumia smartphones under its own name, but last year, it largely abandoned both businesses. In December, HMD took over the Nokia feature phones business and struck a licensing deal which gave it sole use of the Nokia brand on all phones and tablets for the next decade. It will pay Nokia royalties for the brand and patents, but Nokia has no direct investment in HMD. Nokia Oyj is currently focused on telecom network equipment business and technology patents. (Reuters) Some of the world's biggest banks announce earnings this week, including JPMorgan Chase. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo Some of the world's biggest banks announce earnings this week, including JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and Bank of America. There'll also be focus on the US economy and how it fared during the busy Christmas shopping period. Sales at US retailers probably accelerated in December, highlighting robust holiday spending as 2016 drew to a close, a government report is projected to show. Car manufacturers and suppliers gather in Detroit for the annual North American International Auto Show as the incoming Trump administration weighs policy changes that may reshape the car market. Closer to home, German Chancellor Angela Merkel gives a speech today on Europe's future in her first policy comments of 2017, an election year in Germany. Later in the week, Ms Merkel and Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel will hold talks expected to focus on Brexit and the EU's agenda for 2017. A number of airlines will also today give updated traffic statistics for December, including Air France-KLM and IAG. Tesco will also provide an update on its activities on Wednesday. 'While Wolseley is a UK-quoted company the bulk of its business and profits come from the US... This will give it a shield from any Brexit problems' (stock photo) Who said this? "If I were a young man again and had to decide how to make my living, I would not try to become a scientist or a scholar, I would rather choose to be a plumber." What brilliant mind reckoned that plumbing afforded most independence in the modern world? I won't ask (this time) for replies written on the back of a 20 note. I'll tell you. It was the redoubtable physicist and Nobel prize-winner, Albert Einstein, and if he did not know a 'good earner', who would? If it was possible to ask the great German thinker, what's as good as being a plumber, he'd surely say, owning a specialist plumbing supply company like the one we are analysing today, the British company, Wolseley. Einstein, wise man that he was, however would not be worrying about how Wolseley is going to handle the Brexit challenge. The company distributes bathroom products, heating and plumbing supplies, valves, waste water systems and fittings to customers in the UK, Europe and USA. It also distributes building material and timber products and operates tool-hire centres. At the moment it has a market capitalisation of 12.6bn. Wolseley has a chequered past, once being a sheep-shearing machinery producer in Australia and once being part of the mighty Vickers corporation. However, it found its niche in the 1960s when it discovered the charms of heating and plumbing. Today, the company is one of the world's largest heating and plumbing concerns, with 2,700 locations and 39,000 employees in 25 countries. The company has four major markets - the US, UK, Northern Europe and Canada. The largest by far is the US with 9.5bn (11bn) revenues; the UK has 2bn and the Nordic countries not far behind with 1.9bn. Its Ferguson brand is the market leader for distribution of heating and plumbing products which accounted for 72pc of its US business, mainly to the trade. It has 1,400 branches across 50 states, 12 distribution centres and an e-commerce brand Build.com. Last year, the US residential and commercial market held up, but the industrial market wobbled, due mainly to the weakness in the oil and gas sector. US profits last year were up 6pc to 775m with a trading margin of 8.2pc. The UK market is flat for heating and plumbing products, with sales last year of 2bn, down 1pc, as were trading margins at 3.7pc. Interestingly, the group generates most of its profits from the repairs, maintenance and improvements market, with the plumbing and heating business accounting for almost three quarters of its revenues. In the Nordic countries Wolseley's key markets are building materials, timber and tool hire. Finland and Sweden both have a quarter each of the Nordic revenues of 1.9bn, but margins declined and trading profits dropped 12m to 60m. Following the challenging market conditions and poor performance the company is reviewing its strategy for this reason. Canada and central European business (a strange mix) includes Switzerland and the Netherlands. The Canadian revenues account for two thirds of the business with trading profits of 53m. Group revenue last year was 14.4bn - an 8pc increase. Trading profits were 917m - a record. Prior to the Brexit result its share traded at 32, but since then investors have warmed to the shares thanks to its dollar earnings. Recently the shares traded at 50, a significant rise from 15 five years ago. The company is repositioning its UK operation. It plans cutting its head count and closing 80 of its outlets to help improve profits in the face of tough competition and sluggish demand. While Wolseley is a UK quoted company the bulk of its business and profits come from the US and margins are more than double that of UK and other markets. This will give it a shield from any Brexit problems. Nothing in this section should be taken as a recommendation, either explicit or implicit to buy any of the shares mentioned. Holidays- Great Lent, Easter Feast Feast of Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ Each year, on January 13, the Armenian Apostolic Church celebrates the Feast of Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ. As Evangelist St. Luke writes in his Gospel, according to the Jewish tradition On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived. (Lk 2:21). Jesus is a Hebrew word meaning Savior. According to the Gospel according to Luke when the angel Gabriel came to Mary to give her the good tidings of the birth of the Son of the Most High, he said that Mary would name the baby Jesus. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. (Lk 1:31). Parallel to the name Jesus the name Christ is given to the Savior, which is a Greek word meaning Consecrated and corresponding to the Hebrew word Messiah. On the Feast of Naming of Our Lord Jesus Christ a Divine Liturgy is celebrated in all Armenian Churches. On the eve of the feast, following the evening service a special service is conducted. Feast of the Birth of St. John the Forerunner (Baptist) The birth of St. John the Baptist is described in details in the Gospel according to Like (Lk 1:5-25). One day Zechariah, father of St John the Baptist, was doing his work as a priest in the Temple and was burning incense on the altar. An angel of the Lord appeared to him and said that God had heard his prayer and his wife would bear him a son. Zechariah had to name him John. Zechariah didnt believe the angel as he was an old man, and his wife was old, too. And because he hadnt believed the angel he became unable to speak and remained silent until the birth of John. St. John the Baptist, who should baptize the Savior, had been aware and rejoiced for the birth of Jesus even before his birth. According to the Evangelist, when St. Mary, Holy Mother of God, visited Elizabeth, mother of St John the Baptist, the latter, being filled with the Holy Spirit cried out, Why should this great thing happen to me, that my Lords mother comes to visit me? For as soon as I heard your greeting, the baby within me jumped with gladness (Lk 1:43-44). Continuation of the words of Elizabeth are the message of this feast addressed to all Christians throughout the world, How happy you are to believe that the Lords message to you will come true! (Lk 1:45). This year Great Lent will start on February 27. The Feast of the Glorious Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ or the Easter Feast is on April 16. More- here As 2016 changed the world in ways few could have predicted, it could be argued that books are needed now, more than ever - to inform and entertain, to provoke and to provide escapism. Publishing trends come and go, but the crop of new literary fiction for 2017 seems particularly strong - with plenty of Irish authors continuing to make waves. Irish writers making their debuts include Rory Gleeson with Rockadoon Shore (John Murray, January), about "the realities of growing up and growing old in modern-day Ireland". The Fractured Life of Jimmy Dice, by Ronan Ryan (Tinder Press, Jan), chronicles "the changing streets of Ireland, from the days of the Troubles to the boom and bust years and Dublin today", while Ithaca, by Alan McMonagle (Picador, March) is set in the summer of 2009, and told from the point of view of 11-year-old Jason Lowry. Irish Book Award-winning short story writer Billy O'Callaghan is debuting with The Dead House (O'Brien Press, May), while 25-year-old Sally Rooney's first novel Conversations with Friends (Faber, June) "addresses serious matters - politics, feminism, sex, love - with a lightness of touch," according to her publisher. Ethel Rohan's The Weight of Him (Atlantic, June) is an issues-led novel about obesity and suicide and already comes weighted with praise by John Banville, who calls it "a brave and moving book". New offerings from familiar Irish writers include Once We Sang Like Other Men, by John McKenna (New Island, January), set in the aftermath of the dissolution of a radical US cult. Multiple award-winning author Sara Baume has a new novel, A Line Made by Walking (Tramp Press, February) and Paula McGrath, whose debut Generation was published last year, has A Difficult History (John Murray, May). Lisa McInerney's The Blood Miracles (John Murray, April) has a tough act to follow after her Baileys Prize-winning debut The Glorious Heresies and critically-acclaimed Michele Forbes also has a new second novel with Edith & Oliver (W&N, March). Big names in the literary firmament with novels on the way in the first half of 2017 include Michael Chabon with Moonglow (Fourth Estate, January); Paul Auster with 4321 (Faber, February); Neil Jordan with Carnivalesque (Bloomsbury, February); John McGregor with Reservoir 13 (Fourth Estate, March); George Saunders with Lincoln in the Bardo (Bloomsbury, March) and William Wall with Grace's Day (New Island, April) . Short story lovers can look forward to June Caldwell's "genre-bending" debut collection (New Island, May), while Sean O'Reilly has the "stylistically playful" Levitation (Stinging Fly Press, April), a linked novella and series of short stories set between Dublin and Derry, through the Troubles and up to the present day, his first book since Watermark in 2005. The 'Grip Lit' craze for psychological suspense shows no signs of abating in the New Year - and titles like Tattletale, by Sarah J Naughton (Trapeze, January) has already made waves, as has Erin Kelly's new novel, He Said, She Said (Hodder & Stoughton, April) - while Behind Her Eyes, by Sarah Pinborough (HarperCollins, January) promises such a hefty twist, there's even a hashtag on social media - #WTFthatending. The Irish ladies taking names on the crime fiction scene with new books out in the New Year include Jane Casey with Let the Dead Speak (HarperCollins, March); Claire McGowan with Blood Tide (Headline, March) - the latest in the series featuring forensic psychologist Paula Maguire; Sam Blake with In Deep Water (Twenty7, April), and Sinead Crowley with One Bad Turn (Quercus, June). John Connolly's detective Charlie Parker is back in A Game of Ghosts (Hodder & Stoughton, April), while novels inspired by true crime seem to be having a moment. Little Deaths, by Emma Flint (Picador, January), was inspired by a murder trial in 1960s New York when two children go missing, are later found dead and their mother is charged with killing them, and the case of Lizzie Borden gets a whole new telling by Sarah Schmidt in See What I Have Done (Tinder Press, May). Feel-good fiction is what we all need right now, and 2017 has lots of that in store. Inspirational Irish author Emma Hannigan has a new novel coming, called The Wedding Promise (Hachette Books Ireland, February), while actress-turned-author Claudia Carroll releases Our Little Secret (Avon, March). Women's fiction favourite Patricia Scanlan has Orange Blossom Days (Simon & Schuster, March), which is set around a Spanish holiday apartment complex and the queen of the 'Aga Saga' Joanna Trollope publishes her twentieth novel, City of Friends (Mantle, February). Video of the Day TV personality Dawn O'Porter, wife of Irish actor Chris O'Dowd, publishes her first novel for adults, the "fearlessly frank and funny" The Cows (HarperCollins, April) and arts journalist Eithne Shortall debuts with romantic comedy Love in Row 27 (Corvus, June). Best-selling author Cecelia Ahern has branched out into Young Adult fiction, and young and old fans alike can keep an eye out for Perfect (Harper Collins Children's, April), the second in the Flawed series. The first half of the year looks strong for YA titles, with new books from Claire Hennessy, Like Other Girls (Hot Key Books, May) and Juno Dawson, Margot & Me (Hot Key Books, January). Irish debut author Sarah Carroll's novel The Girl in Between (Simon & Schuster Children's, June) is "a ghost story with a difference," and it explores "themes of loneliness and grief with an effortless warmth, and an unforgettable voice". Fantasy fans should keep their eyes peeled for another book in the Darkmouth series by Shane Hegarty - Darkmouth: Rising (HarperCollins Children's, April), as well as The House of Mount Fathom, by Nigel McDowell (Hot Key Books, March) and Aurabel, by Laura Dockrill (Hot Key Books, April). For younger readers, there's Cass and the Bubble Street Gang: The Clubhouse Mystery, by Erika McGann (O'Brien Press, February) and Rugby Runner, by Gerard Siggins (O'Brien Press, February). Best-selling children's author Judi Curtin is publishing Fast Forward (O'Brien Press, March), a short story, which features best friends Molly and Beth who appeared in the hugely popular Time after Time, which came out last September. Host Jimmy Fallon presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017 in this handout provided by NBC. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS Actor Tracee Ellis Ross holds the award for Best Performance by an Actress In a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for "Black-ish" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS Brad Pitt presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS Actor Tracee Ellis Ross holds the award for Best Performance by an Actress In a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for "Black-ish" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS A disappointing night for the Irish but there were still some reasons worth tuning into the Golden Globes for. 1. No luck of the Irish Expand Close Ruth Negga arrives at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California. REUTERS/Mike Blake / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ruth Negga arrives at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills, California. REUTERS/Mike Blake Sing Street, Colin Farrell, Ruth Negga and Catriona Balfe all missed out on on awards on the night. Ruth Negga was up for Best Drama Actress for her role in Loving (she lost out to Isabelle Huppert in Elle) while Colin Farrell was nominated for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy for The Lobster (he lost out to Gosling for La La Land). Caitriona Balfe was nominated for Best Actress in a Drama Series for Outlander (she was beaten by Claire Foy for The Crown) and John Csrney's musical Sing Street missed out to La La Land for the award for Best Comedy or Musical. 2. Ryan Reynolds' and Andrew Garfield's kiss Well if we can't get Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone back together at least we have Andrew making out with Ryan Reynolds. #GoldenGlobes pic.twitter.com/I3Ic8YIV6K Courtney Enlow (@courtenlow) January 9, 2017 While Ryan Gosling walked to the stage to accept his award for Best Actor in a Comedy or Musical, fellow Canadian Ryan Reynolds was locking lips with Andrew Garfield. 3. Meryl Streep on Donald Trump: 'Disrespect invites disrespect' Expand Close Meryl Streep accepts Cecil B. DeMille Award during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Meryl Streep accepts Cecil B. DeMille Award during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Paul Drinkwater/NBCUniversal via Getty Images) Meryl Streep gave an impassioned speech when she was presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. As she accepted the lifetime achievement award, she used her time on stage to plea for more diversity in Hollywood, and America in general, and laid into Donald Trump. Streep said a performance from the past year that stunned her came from the campaign trail, noting the incident where "the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country" imitated a disabled reporter. She said: "It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still can't get it out of my head, because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life." She added that "when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose". Video of the Day 4. Denzel Washington having a moment Just this. 5. Barb is alive! The stars of Netflix hit Stranger Things performed in the awards' ceremony opening number and viewers got a treat as fan-favourite Barb, who met her untimely death in the show's season, came back to life. The young actors of the show announced her short comeback. Ive got a little secret, dont repeat or tweet it. Barb is still alive, they rapped before a montage showed Barb emerging from the pool she died in on the show. 6. Team Brad Expand Close Brad Pitt presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Brad Pitt presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS Brad came out on stage to introduce Moonlight (his company, Plan B, produced it) and the crowd went insane. They applauded as if he'd just invented a cure for a terminal illness. No really, the applause was rapturous. For seemingly no reason at all. Hmm... So I guess we know where Hollywood stands when it comes to his ongoing divorce and custody battle with Angelina Jolie. 7. Keith Stanfield's mesmerising dance moves The Atlanta star took to the stage to celebrate the FX series winning Best Comedy. And he used his time on stage to show off his dance moves. They're mesmerising. Once you start watching, it's hard to look away. 8. Tracee Ellis Ross' speech for 'women of colour and all colourful people' Expand Close Actor Tracee Ellis Ross holds the award for Best Performance by an Actress In a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for "Black-ish" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Actor Tracee Ellis Ross holds the award for Best Performance by an Actress In a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for "Black-ish" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS The Black-ish star is the first black woman to win the Best Actress in a Comedy award since Debbie Allen in 1983. She gave a gorgeous speech on stage that recognised women of colour. "This is for all the women, women of colour, and colourful people whose stories, ideas, thoughts are not always considered worthy and valid and important. But I want you to know that I see you. We see you." 9. Trump jokes Expand Close Host Jimmy Fallon presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017 in this handout provided by NBC. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Host Jimmy Fallon presents during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards show in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., January 8, 2017 in this handout provided by NBC. Paul Drinkwater/Courtesy of NBC/Handout via REUTERS There were plenty of jibes aimed at Donald Trump throughout the night but our favourite came from host Jimmy Fallon. The late-night chat show star introduced the Globes as "one of the few places left in America that still honours the popular vote," a dig at the presidential election results. Next, he used a Game of Thrones comparison to wonder what it would be like if the evil King Joffrey had lived. "Well, in 12 days we're going to find out." 10. Touching tribute to Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds Expand Close Carrie Fisher with her mother Debbie Reynolds. Photo: AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Carrie Fisher with her mother Debbie Reynolds. Photo: AP The awards' ceremony doesn't have an In Memoriam segment but it still managed to pay tribute to the late Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds. Jimmy Fallon introduced a movie montage of films featuring the two powerhouses, who died one day apart in December. "This past year we lost so many legends and icons," he said, "but a few weeks ago, we lost a mother and a daughter within just a couple of days and it was a terrible loss that we all felt." There wasn't a dry eye in the room. Bonus: Ryan Gosling Expand Close Ryan Gosling gave an endearing speech thanking his wife Eva Mendes at the Golden Globes. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Ryan Gosling gave an endearing speech thanking his wife Eva Mendes at the Golden Globes. After winning the best actor Golden Globe for his performance in La La Land, Gosling got uncharacteristically personal and opened up about his partner Eva Mendes without ever actually mentioning her name. "I would just like to try and thank one person properly and say that while I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I've ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer," Ryan said on stage. "If she hadn't of taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today so sweetheart, thank you. To my daughters Amada and Esmeralda, I love you. And if I may, I'd like to dedicate this to the memory of her brother Juan Carlos Mendes." Tears... so many tears. U2 are expected to confirm massive Croke Park dates this summer as part of the Joshua Tree 30th Anniversary tour. In 1987 U2 catapulted into super-stardom with the seminal album which went on to sell 25 million copies. Thirty years later it's still considered by many to be the band's finest offering and U2 have already confirmed they will tour it in full during 2017. The Dublin four-piece also recently revealed plans to release their new album, Songs of Experience, in the new year. It is understood that The Joshua Tree tour will start in Canada in May, before heading through America and into Europe. The dates for the full tour are expected to be confirmed today - and there is mounting speculation that it will include two dates in GAA headquarters, likely in July. It is also reported that Noel Gallagher will be the support act for the European leg. 'The Joshua Tree' produced hit singles 'With or Without You', 'I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For', and 'Where the Streets Have No Name', the first two of which became the group's only number one singles in the US. It will be the first time that the band have played a retrospective tour and the timing and venue couldn't be more fitting, marking 30 years since the band's Joshua Tree concert in Croke Park - one of the stadium's most iconic gigs. The band last rocked Dublin in late 2015, appearing at the 3 Arena. They played a series of dates at Croke Park in 2009 as part of their global 360 tour. We all know the feeling... you've had a late night and the following morning you nod off on public transport. Most of us wake up before our stop. But this morning Aoife Kelly was enjoying her snooze on the Luas so much that she slept through her stop, and a number of other stops, from the look of things. The 31-year-old billing analyst from Stillorgan explained: "Sure, I'd had a bit of a late night last night and was so exhausted on my way to work this morning. "I was only on the Luas a few minutes when I nodded off... The next thing I knew there was a banging on the window and I saw a Luas maintenance guy waving at me. "I looked around and realised I was the only person left on the Luas and we were about to go through the Luas wash in the depot. "Thankfully the driver was still on board and was able to let me out about 15 minutes later." Ms Kelly explained that she got into work a bit late but luckily her boss was understanding. "Great start to my week!" she joked. Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, Taoiseach Enda Kenny, First Minister Arlene Foster and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Charlie Flanagan at the NSMC meeting (Press Eye/PA) Martin McGuinness announcing his resignation at his office in Stormont Castle, in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme. Photo: Sinn Fein/PA Wire Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness leaves his Stormont Castle office in Belfast after he announced his resignation as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Once an IRA leader, Martin McGuinness left his past behind to become one of the major players in Northern Ireland's peace process. His unlikely journey took him from being second-in-command of the Provisionals in Derry on Bloody Sunday to Deputy First Minister (DFM) at Stormont. During his time as DFM he forged such a good working relationship with former Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Ian Paisley that they were dubbed "the Chuckle Brothers". But it was his more strained relationships with Mr Paisley's successors, Peter Robinson and Arlene Foster, that led to continual difficulties in recent years at the top of the power-sharing executive. In recent months he has been plagued by ill health, recently being forced to withdraw from a business trip to China with First Minister Ms Foster on medical advice. Announcing his resignation at Stormont in Belfast, Mr McGuinness appeared tired and gaunt. He became Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland on May 8 2007, with DUP leader Ian Paisley becoming First Minister, following the St Andrews Agreement and the Assembly election. In June 2008 he was reappointed as Deputy First Minister to serve alongside Peter Robinson, who succeeded Mr Paisley as First Minister. Mr McGuinness has always acknowledged his IRA past. In 1972, at the age of 21, he was second-in-command of the IRA in Derry, a position he held at the time of Bloody Sunday, when 14 civil rights protesters were killed in the city by soldiers with the 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment The following year he was convicted by the Republic of Ireland's Special Criminal Court after being arrested near a car containing explosives and ammunition. Read More After his release, and another conviction in the Republic for IRA membership, he became increasingly prominent in Sinn Fein, eventually becoming its best known face after Gerry Adams. He was in indirect contact with British intelligence during the hunger strikes in the early 1980s, and again in the early 1990s. In 1982 he was elected to the Northern Ireland Assembly at Stormont representing his home city of Derry. He was the second candidate elected after John Hume. But as with all elected members of Sinn Fein and the SDLP, he did not take his seat. Mr McGuinness became Sinn Fein's chief negotiator in the negotiations that led to the Good Friday Agreement. He was elected to the Northern Ireland Forum in 1996 representing Foyle. Having contested Foyle unsuccessfully at the 1983, 1987 and 1992 Westminster elections, he became MP for Mid Ulster in 1997. After the Good Friday Agreement was concluded, he was returned as a member of the Assembly for the same constituency, and nominated by his party for a ministerial position in the power-sharing executive, where he became minister of education. During his time as minister he scrapped the 11-plus exam, which he had failed as a schoolboy. The Good Friday Agreement proved difficult to implement and was amended by the St Andrew's Agreement in 2006. By now the DUP and Sinn Fein, once staunch enemies, were the two largest parties in Northern Ireland. Mr McGuinness and Mr Paisley emerged as Northern Ireland's new political leaders. In December 2007, while visiting US president George W Bush at the White House with Mr Paisley, Mr McGuinness said to the press: "Up until the 26th of March this year, Ian Paisley and I never had a conversation about anything - not even about the weather - and now we have worked very closely together over the last seven months and there's been no angry words between us. This shows we are set for a new course." However, after Mr Paisley's retirement, relations soured between the two main parties of the power-sharing executive, finally leading to the crisis of the RHI scandal and Mr McGuinness's resignation. EU Commissioner Phil Hogan has warned that "Brexit is a mess and getting messier" as the threat of Britain leaving the Single Market intensified. And he signalled that the future of the peace process was central to Ireland's case in Brexit negotiations, which are due to start in late March. Mr Hogan was scathingly critical of Britain's conduct of the Brexit process since the outcome of the referendum on June 23. "Clearly, Brexit is a mess and getting messier," he said in an interview with the Irish Independent. But Mr Hogan said that to protect freedom of movement on the island, the British government would have to make an exception in the interests of the peace process. "Hopefully, the European Union will be able to persuade the British government in this situation that the island of Ireland and the peace process is a project worth protecting. "Various British ministers have indicated otherwise in the context of leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union. This would inevitably lead to a 'hard border,'" he said. Mr Hogan's comments came as British prime minister Theresa May hinted the UK would leave the Single Market and pledged to lay out her strategy for Brexit in the coming weeks. A MAN who refused to co-operate with gardai over an assault on a man which left the victim with a 13,000 dental repair bill pleaded guilty after he admitted the offence in Facebook messages with the victim. Letterkenny District Court heard that Daniel McCormack, (22), from Glendowan, Churchill, Co Donegal, went into a jealous rage when Paul Heraghty, (21), from Tullyconnell, Fanad, was talking to his girlfriend Niamh Dunleavy at the Pulse Nightclub in Letterkenny on March 20 last year. Insp Michael Harrison told Judge Paul Kelly that McCormack went up to Mr Heraghty asking: What are you talking to her about? He said CCTV footage then showed McCormack punching Mr Heraghty in the face. The victim, said the inspector, had lost his two front teeth in the incident. He later told gardai that he and Miss Dunleavy had been talking about someone they both knew when McCormack came up to him and punched him in the face. Insp Harrison said that when he was later arrested and questioned by gardai McCormack had repeatedly answered no comment. However it later emerged that McCormack had apologised for the attack in Facebook messages to Mr Heraghty. In one exchange the victim wrote: So can you tell me why the f*** you hit me tonight? You broke my two front teeth for absolutely no reason. Ten weeks later McCormack responded: Yes lad, didnt see this message requestam sorry about the hole (sic) handling, didnt mean any of it, was all drink like, to my nature at allIll pay for all your teeth and everything if you dont wanna bring it to court. Be far handier lad. Mr Heraghty responded that he faced 20 years of dental work as a result of his injuries, including 8,000 in implants and two steel posts up into my teeth and gums, steel supports on the back and fake crowns and whatever else Ive got to get done too. Its horrible. I;ve only one set of teeth. Lidl employee McCormack offered to pay for the costs of all the dental work adding: It would be far quicker that going threw (sic) court cause the case would be going on for 2 years. The court heard the victim had spent 1,300 so far on dental work with more than 14,000 expected by the end of his treatment. Defence solicitor Donough Cleary told the court that his client, who pleaded guilty to a Section 3 assault, was normally a shy, demure individual who had drank too much on the night of the attack. He cant undo what he did and if he could, he would. This was totally out of character, said the solicitor. Mr Cleary said his client was now facing a civil action as a result of the incident. Judge Paul Kelly adjourned the case to March 6 to allow for a probation and welfare report. David Byrne, who was shot dead in the Regency hotel A hospitalised Co Tyrone man fighting extradition over his alleged role in a gangland murder at a Dublin hotel is being advised on end of life care, a court heard today. Kevin Murray's motor neuron disease is irreversible and deteriorating at such a rapid rate that he is unlikely to ever stand trial on charges linked to the killing of David Byrne, his lawyers argued. Barrister Desmond Fahy said: "The active matter under consideration now is whether he be marked not suitable for resuscitation." Murray, 46, was detained at his home in Townsend Street, Strabane last September under a European Arrest Warrant issued by authorities in the Irish Republic. He is wanted in connection with the fatal gun attack at Dublin's Regency Hotel on February 5, 2016. Byrne, a 34-year-old father of two from the Crumlin area, was shot dead when masked men dressed as Garda officers opened fire with automatic guns. His killing ignited a deadly feud between members of the rival Kinahan and Hutch gangs. Murray is being sought over alleged offences of murder, possession of a firearm with intent, and possession of a firearm in suspicious circumstances. It was previously claimed in court that he had stayed overnight at the hotel in preparation for his alleged role in the shooting. Gardai investigating the killing allege Murray can be clearly identified on CCTV footage and photographic evidence. Another man, 24-year-old Patrick Hutch of Champions Avenue in Dublin, has already been charged with the murder. He is alleged to have acted with the Co Tyrone man as part of the same gang. Murray remains in hospital after being diagnosed as suffering from motor neuron disease - a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system. A judge at Belfast Recorders' Court is assessing his fitness to stand trial, along with his physical and mental health, before any decision on whether to order his extradition. Counsel for the Irish state contended that the question should be dealt with by the courts in Dublin. But Mr Fahy claimed any trial will not take place before 2018. The barrister revealed that his client now depends on a tube for feeding and cannot be discharged back to prison custody. "My most recent instructions are that he has received a consultation from his doctor dealing with end of life care," he told the court. Her Honour Judge Patricia Smyth heard Murray is due to give a response within days to the question of whether he should be resuscitated. "The court will have to make a determination on whether there can ever be a situation where this man is placed on trial for these offences," Mr Fahy said. "His condition is permanent and irreversible, it's the considered view of Mr Murray's treating physician there will be no recovery from the motor neuron disease." It was contended that any extradition may not just be unjust and oppressive, but also potentially inhumane and degrading. "This is a man confined to bed, unable to move any upper limbs, unable to feed himself," his lawyer continued. "His family want to spend as much time with him as possible at the hospital in Belfast before matters reach what appears an inevitable conclusion." Proceedings were adjourned to give Irish authorities time to decide if they want to instruct medical experts to carry out assessments. Judge Smyth said: "If the requesting state chooses not to take that opportunity I ill require to hear oral evidence so I'm not second guessing the material in the reports." Dolores with her son Elliot (20) who passed away from cancer A grieving mum who lost her young son to cancer has criticised the new Irish Cancer Society's 'get cancer' ad, calling for it to be removed from TV. Dolores Grace, from Co Meath lost her 20-year-old son Elliot to cancer, five months after he received the shocking diagnosis. In an open letter Dolores said she's writing to the Irish Cancer Society "to urge you to rethink your current advertising campaign". "You say it's shock tactics are to raise awareness. Let me tell you in a nation as small as Ireland there is not a house, a street, a village a town that has not 'got' cancer. "Lights have gone out all over our country because people have got cancer. My children at 7, 9 and 10 have just watched their brother who 'got' cancer die." Read More Dolores said she understands the "subliminal message" but that her kids don't understand it and it has caused them distress. "My 7-year-old said 'why would anyone say they want to get cancer it's awful'. They do not get subliminal messages and your timing of this ad is shocking in that regard." The Irish Cancer Society said their "controversial I want to get cancer awareness campaign has produced a 100pc increase in calls to its helpline. The tagline of the campaign was a play on words designed to refer the need to understand or get cancer, or to stamp it out. The charity's head of communications, Grainne ORourke, added that the campaign is having the desired effect due to a high level of public engagement. We know our campaign has been provocative, she said. Read More But, thanks to it, conversations about cancer are taking place in homes across the country. People are picking up the phone or going online because they want to get cancer by getting informed. We know that one in four cancers can be prevented. If, as a result of I want to get cancer, even one more person gets cancer by attending their cancer screening appointment, or making a lifestyle change that reduced their risk of contracting the disease, then it would have been all worth it. After the ad aired there was a 280pc increase in visits to the Reduce Your Risk page on the charity's website. More than 150 people a day are diagnosed with cancer in Ireland or one person every three minutes. The Irish Cancer Society said it wants everyone to get cancer by understanding the disease and fighting it head-on. For more information on the campaign, visit getcancer.ie. Presenter Eoghan McDermott has said he is fighting fit as he returned to his 2fm show for the first since he was assaulted over Christmas. However, Eoghan who suffered a serious concussion in the attack and underwent brain scans, revealed that his sense of smell and taste may never come back as a result. The Dublin host was on his way home from a pub in Clondalkin and talking to his girlfriend on the phone when he was subjected to the vicious assault. I was taken to a hospital for a couple of brain scans, I lost my sight properly for awhile, my hearing, I was vomiting but the brain scans came back clear, he said upon his return to his radio show. I still have lost my sense of smell and sense of taste completely its 50/50 on whether they will come back or if they will come back at all some people have different outcomes. However, Eoghan added that the loss was only a minor downside compared to side effects that some people suffer after sustaining serious head injuries. Read More Apart from that I am fighting fit and happy to be back and I want to say thank you to all the people who sent me messages of support, he added. The Eoghan McDermott Show host also said he did not want to play the martyr card but he wanted to use his public platform to highlight the issues of unprovoked assaults. It shocked me the amount of people who have reached out and said they know someone who was in an unprovoked attack and that is horrible, he said. Fifty aircraft were refused access to Irish airspace and airports last year over concerns they were carrying military hardware, ShannonWatch reports Fifty aircraft were refused access to Irish airspace and airports last year over concerns they were carrying indiscriminate military hardware, it has been revealed. The planes, classed as civilian and believed to be mostly US, sought permission to fly over the country, stop or refuel at Shannon but were denied on advice from government officials. The Department of Transport said a total of 889 planes carrying guns and weapons applied to use Irish airports or airspace. Some 808 permits were granted with the vast majority landing in Shannon while another 31 applications were cancelled. No information has been revealed about the reasons why the 50 military contracted planes were denied access to Ireland or what exact type of munitions were believed to have been on board. In 2015 the Department of Transport granted 584 exemptions for aircraft to land at Shannon with guns on board compared to 1,495 in 2007. There were 19 refusals. The figures were released after anti-war group ShannonWatch said it had counted at least 730 US military flights coming through Shannon Airport last year - more than two planes every day owned by or operated on behalf of the US Air Force, Marines or Navy. The figure is the highest number recorded by the group since it began daily monitoring in 2008. Ed Horgan, spokesman for the campaign and a former Irish Army officer and United Nations elections' inspector, said: "These are the numbers recorded by ShannonWatch but they may not reflect the total numbers coming through. "And the numbers surprised me." More than 400 of the flights recorded by ShannonWatch were operated directly by the US Air Force, Navy or Marines. The rest were contracted troop carriers on civilian planes, some of which would be among the 889 planes granted exemptions to carry arms such as rifles without ammunition. Among the planes recorded last year were 100 C-130s, also known as Hercules transporters, 15 four engine C17 Globemaster or C5 Galaxy transporters and 71 executive jets. Mr Horgan said Ireland's approach to the use of airspace and airports as a neutral country should be compared with the attitude of Switzerland and Austria, two countries which routinely refuse US military access. ShannonWatch last week called on Transport Minister Shane Ross to explain the presence of a plane operated on behalf of the US military that had stopped in Shannon for less than two hours before flying on to a Nato airbase in Turkey. The Department of Foreign Affairs defended granting access to Irish air space and airports to the US military. It insisted that the troops on board and the planes must be unarmed, with no cargo of arms, ammunition or explosives, not engage in intelligence gathering and not form part of military exercises or operations. "Ireland remains strictly neutral and objective in applying the same strict conditions to the use of our airport by military aircraft belonging to all UN member states," a spokesman said. The Citizens' Assembly is leaning towards a change of Ireland's abortion laws, given the views expressed at the end of a weekend discussion on the Eighth Amendment. A sample of their views included references to protecting victims of rape, incest, and those mothers pregnant with embryos at risk of serious illness or death. The chair of the Citizens' Assembly told how a "heavy burden" had been placed on the heads of the 99 volunteers as they discussed whether the law on abortion should be changed. Assembly chair Ms Justice Mary Laffoy said the group would sit for an extra weekend due to the complexity of the issue. The Assembly's work is now expected to be completed by mid-April, and will then be fed back to the Oireachtas for direction. The viewpoints from the citizens were shared with guaranteed anonymity. One female facilitator said her table felt Ireland's abortion legislation "was not fit for purpose". Another said her group was concerned about mental health issues, feeling the Eighth Amendment was "too restrictive, degrading, prohibitive and inhumane". And one facilitator simply said members from his table felt the amendment "should be repealed". The 99 members of the assembly were chosen at random from around Ireland and their views on abortion were not known in advance. There were conflicting views as one said the constitution "should continue to represent the rights of the unborn", while others stated "clarity was needed" to direct GPs and other medical practitioners so their own personal beliefs did not take precedence. Others wanted to know more about the "consequences" if the Eighth Amendment was repealed. And some said they didn't want to see the amendment repealed in any way. Those opposing abortion being available in Ireland stated they were concerned about the prevalence in Iceland of the termination of foetus' with down syndrome. The Assembly heard that no baby had been born with the condition in Iceland for the past four years since DNA tests had been widely introduced for pregnant women which see blood samples taken from the foetus. But the overall tone of the viewpoints expressed will concern the Pro Life Campaign which said that the assembly members "were given an impossible task by the Government from the outset". Its spokesperson Cora Sherlock said: "It is nonsensical to expect the Assembly to consider all 13,000 submissions over a weekend or two and then report back to the Oireachtas with well argued and carefully considered recommendations. It simply won't happen." Ms Justice Laffoy later announced that assembly meetings would be extended. She spoke after a private discussion was held with members. "We imposed a heavy burden on the members to get their heads round what we were putting before them... all we could do is a preliminary view of what the members responded to the questions," she said. Among the questions put to the group were whether Ireland needed to regulate abortion, whether rules and standards would have to be adopted, and how would regulation be affected. Ms Justice Laffoy said although the assembly meetings would be extended, "it was important to note this does not affect my previous commitment to complete the work in respect of the Eighth Amendment within the first half of 2017". "I am determined to deal swiftly and comprehensively with this matter," she said. Martin McGuinness announcing his resignation at his office in Stormont Castle, in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme. Photo: Sinn Fein/PA Wire Martin McGuinness has said his health has had "absolutely nothing" to do with his decision to resign as deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland. Mr McGuinness officially stepped down today as Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Executive in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's (DUP) handling of a botched renewable energy scheme, Sinn Fein said. Speaking to RTE news this evening he said: "We in Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of Arlene Foster and the DUP." He continued: "I believe today is the right time to call a halt to the DUP's arrogance." Expand Expand Previous Next Close Resignation letter of Martin McGuinness Resignation letter of Martin McGuinness / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Resignation letter of Martin McGuinness Asked if the decision was to do with his reported ill-health Mr McGuinness said: "My health is absolutely nothing to do with this whatsoever." In a statement issued shortly before 6pm, DUP leader Arlene Foster said she was disappointed that Mr McGuinness had chosen to take this position. Ms Foster said: "It is clear that Sinn Fein's actions are not principled they are political." Mr McGuinness's decision effectively triggers an election in Northern Ireland. Sinn Fein has seven days to nominate someone else to replace Mr McGuinness - which is not expected to do - or the secretary of state must call an election. In his resignation letter, which was sent to Speaker Robin Newton of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Mr McGuinness called for an election. "We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgment on these issues democratically at the ballot box," he wrote. The First Minister has refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report from an investigation. That position is not credible or tenable," he said in his resignation letter. Read More "The DUP's handling of this issues has been completely out of step with the public mood which is rightly outraged at the squandering of public money and the allegations of misconduct and corruption," he added. Ten years of valient service in Office Of First&DeputyFirst Minister Martin McGuinness signs resignation letter. GRMA chara 4 all Ur work. pic.twitter.com/1i4ezDTF5h Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) January 9, 2017 "The public are demanding robust action and accountability but the DUP, in particular Arlene Foster, have refused to accept this..... "The minister responsible for the RHI scheme should not have an Executive role in overseeing how this will be rectified." He continued: "I have urged Arlene Foster to stand aside without prejudice to ensure confidence in the necessary investigation and in the wider public interest. "These institutions only have value if they enjoy the confidence and support of the people they were established to serve. "They only have meaning if are delivering fairly for all our people based on the principles of equality and mutual respect on which they were founded. "I have sought to maximise the potential of the institutions for forward progress in a society emerging from bitter conflict." However Ms Foster hit back in a short statement released shortly before 6pm. I am disappointed that Martin McGuinness has chosen to take the position he has today. "His actions have meant that, at precisely the time we need our Government to be active, we will have no government and no way to resolve the RHI problems. "It is clear that Sinn Feins actions are not principled they are political. "Let me make it clear the DUP will always defend unionism and stand up for what is best for Northern Ireland and it appears from the Deputy First Ministers resignation letter that is what annoys Sinn Fein the most. Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams has called Mr McGuinness's decision "decisive action" however. He Tweeted a picture of Mr McGuinness signing his resignation letter. Mr Adams wrote: "Ten years of valient (sic) service in Office Of First & Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness signs resignation letter. GRMA [go raibh maith agat] chara 4 all Ur work." Speaking afterwards he said Mr McGuinness had "led from the front" in the Northern Ireland executive for ten years "defending the integrity of the political institutions and realising the potential of the Good Friday Agreement." He argued that Mr McGuinness has always put the people and the political process first "In spite of the provocation, disrespect and arrogance from the DUP, and the failures of the British government to fulfil its responsibilities over that time". "This is in contrast to the DUP who have been acting to undermine equality and partnership," Mr Adams said. He attacked Ms Foster, who before becoming first minister, was the minister that overssaw the introduction of the RHI project. "No minister responsible for such bad governance in any other administration would be still in office," Mr Adams claimed. "Today, once again Martin McGuinness has taken decisive action to bring the RHI scandal, and the DUP's attitude to the political process, to a head," Mr Adams added. Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan (below) said he regrets the circumstances that led to Mr McGuinness's resignation. Expand Close Foreign Affairs minister Charlie Flanagan. Photo: Tom Burke / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Foreign Affairs minister Charlie Flanagan. Photo: Tom Burke He urged all parties in the North to protect the Good Friday Agreement in the likely event of a looming election in the North. Mr Flanagan said: The substance of the RHI controversy is very much a matter for the devolved Executive and Assembly. "However, the Government is very mindful of the need to protect the integrity of the principles and institutions of the Good Friday Agreement. "In this regard, both the effective functioning of those institutions and respecting the principles of partnership and equality are of critical importance. If, as appears likely, new elections to the Assembly will now be required, it behoves all parties to act responsibly in word and deed, so that the political institutions of the Agreement will not be damaged in the longer term." Mr Flanagan added: I have spoken this afternoon to the Deputy First Minister and to the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government will continue to work with the British Government and the political parties to advance political stability, reconciliation and economic prosperity in Northern Ireland. Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire MP said the UK Government has a primary role in providing political stability in Northern Ireland. He added that they "will do all that we can to help the parties find a resolution in the coming days". There is a clear process set out regarding what happens next. Unless Sinn Fein nominates a replacement to the position of deputy First Minister within the next seven days, it is incumbent upon me to call an Assembly election within a reasonable period. I would urge Northern Irelands political leaders to take the necessary steps to work together to find a way forward and I will work with all parties and the Irish government to this end. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin responded to the news of Mr McGuinness's resignation hitting out at both Sinn Fein and the DUP. Expand Close Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin. Photo: Arthur Carron / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fianna Fail's Micheal Martin. Photo: Arthur Carron He said he has watched the controversy over the RHI issue "with growing dismay" in recent weeks as "outrageous details" emerged about the scheme. He said he had hoped an agreement could be reached to facilitate an inquiry into the matter and that Northern politicians could work together to introduce a law capping the exposure to the taxpayer from the RHI project. The decision of Mr McGuinness to resign his position and Sinn Feins demand for new elections means that neither of those things will now happen", Mr Martin said. "Instead, the stage is now being set for a bitter election campaign that will not address any of the issues that led us to this point, and the future of the institutions is thrown into serious doubt." Meanwhile he branded the behaviour of the DUP and Ms Foster as "infuriating" since the BBC Spotlight programmed highlighted the cale and impact of the RHI issue. "Rather than acknowledge the genuine concern of the general public, an attempt was made to reheat the discredited language of the conflict and assume the worst of motives on behalf of anyone who sought accountability," Mr Martin claimed. However, Sinn Feins decision to respond by pulling the plug and demanding fresh elections would appear to do very little to address any of the underlying problems and does nothing to deal with the challenge of limiting taxpayer exposure. Indeed, it is likely to have significantly delayed any movement in that regard," he added. He said the situation is a "serious concern" ahead of the expected beginning of the Brexit process in March. Mr Martin added: "We in Fianna Fail have been warning for some time about the growing dysfunction within the Northern political establishment and we have been very critical of the failure of the Irish and British Governments to fully engage with Northern Ireland and the fact that they have taken stability and progress in the North for granted. The effect of that disengagement is now clear to see. Read More Sinn Fein had earlier repeated its call for Ms Foster to step aside to allow for the investigation into the controversial scheme. Speaking to Rodney Edwards of the Impartial Reporter newspaper in Fermanagh, the DUP leader said at that point that Martin McGuinness "may well resign" over the deepening crisis. She said: "If he is playing a game of chicken, if Sinn Fein are playing a game of chicken and expecting me to blink in terms of stepping aside they they are wrong. "If there is an election, there is an election and we will be ready for that election as the DUP always are." The Renewable Heating Incentive (RHI) project was designed to encourage businesses to switch from burning fossil fuels to wood biomass heating. The Renewable Heating Incentive was supposed to help businesses mitigate the costs of running eco-friendly boilers actually ended up paying out more than the cost of the fuel - so the more people burned, the more public money they earned. Some applicants were found to heat buildings on an industrial scale just to make money. Unlike a similar scheme in Britain, no cap was initially put on the payments. It was revealed that after civil servants urged for the closure of the scheme in June 2015 until a tiered system was introduced in November, there was a spike in applications. It has left taxpayers in Northern Ireland with a bill critics claim could reach 500m (575m). Sinn Fein's Martin McGuinness leaves his Stormont Castle office in Belfast after he announced his resignation as Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland in protest at the Democratic Unionist Party's handling of a botched renewable energy scheme. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire Martin McGuinness has stood down as Deputy First Minister and this decision will trigger a new Assembly election. It follows a row between Sinn Fein and the DUP over a green energy scheme that has landed the taxpayer with an estimated bill of 490 million (563m) over the next 20 years. Mr McGuinness made repeated calls for First Minister Arlene Foster to stand aside while an independent probe is held into a scheme initiated under her watch. Now he has forced her from the joint office. What happens now? The First Minister and Deputy First Minister have ceased to hold office but may still exercise their functions for a week. If Sinn Fein fail to nominate a replacement for Mr McGuinness within seven days new elections will be called by Northern Ireland Secretary James Brokenshire. Some sort of talks process is likely after Mr Brokenshire said the Stormont parties should work together to find a way forward. Read More Why did Mr McGuinness resign? He had warned of "grave consequences" if Mrs Foster did not temporarily step aside to allow a fully independent inquiry into the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. The RHI is a Government-subsidy scheme established in 2012 by then economy minister Mrs Foster to encourage businesses to switch from burning fossil fuels to greener sources like wood pellets. Why did it run into difficulties? It was supposed to pay a proportion of fuel costs, but tariffs were set too high, meaning that for every 1 participants spent on fuel, they received 1.60 in subsidy payments. This created a "burn to earn" incentive - with applicants able to access free heat and make a sizeable profit while doing so. Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around 1 million in the next 20 years for heating an empty shed. Cost controls to prevent such an overspend were incorporated into a similar RHI scheme in Great Britain, but were absent in Northern Ireland. The total cost is projected to be more than 1 billion over the next 20 years. While the Treasury will pick up the bill for most of it, an expected overspend of around 490 million will not be covered and will come out of the block grant for public services in Northern Ireland. What happened when efforts to control costs were announced? A move to introduce a tiered payment scheme in 2015 was met by a flurry of applicants trying to get on to the old system before the date set for the changes. Almost 1,000 applied in three months - around the same number from over the previous three years. The deluge of new applications is a key factor in the massive overspend, and opposition politicians have demanded answers around the spike. When the cost controls were introduced the scheme limped on for a further three months but, after the Treasury made clear it would not pick up the overspend bill, it was closed for good in February. What was Mrs Foster's role in the RHI? As economy minister, she was in charge of the department that developed the RHI from its inception in 2012 to 2015. Much of the scrutiny on Mrs Foster has focused on how she responded to concerns raised by a whistleblower during that time. There was a flurry of claims about whether the individual raised concerns directly to Mrs Foster, or if she only outlined them after the DUP stalwart passed her on to meet officials. The DUP published an email sent from the whistleblower to Mrs Foster that made no mention of her RHI concerns - the party cited it to demand an apology from those who said she should have done more. However, another email has since emerged, sent directly to Mrs Foster in 2013, that raised specific concerns about the scheme. Why has Mrs Foster's successor in the department been making headlines? After she left the economy portfolio, DUP MLA Jonathan Bell took on oversight of the scheme and ultimately closed it. He broke party ranks to level a series of allegations against Mrs Foster and party advisers in an explosive TV interview. He claimed he tried to pull the shutters down sooner but was dissuaded by Mrs Foster and other DUP advisers. Mrs Foster disputed his account and said she acted to close it sooner. She has accused her opponents of misogyny and said the party was working on steps to recoup the money. Who will replace McGuinness There has been speculation already on who might be the most likely successor, with the prospect of a potential Sinn Fein First Minister also likely to become a key component of an election campaign. Conor Murphy is in pole position, according to some sources, but but other names, including national chairperson Declan Kearney and Finance Minister Mairtin OMuilleoir are also being mentioned. Baby Summer Quinlan is aptly named. She has a bright smile, and a gentle, unhurried nature. Yet, the fact that she is here at all is something of a miracle, as, at birth, she didn't weigh even as much as a bag of sugar. Having her mother to watch over her is another wonder; for she, too, nearly lost her life due to illness. It's fair to say that this past year has been fraught with the most unbelievable drama for the Quinlan family from Kilcullen, Co Kildare. It began shortly after Christmas 2015, when Annmarie (30) realised she hadn't felt the baby she was expecting move for some time. So, she went to the Coombe Women and Infants' University Hospital in Dublin to get checked, while her supportive mother, Irene Fogarty, looked after her other children, Harvey (7) and Millie (4). At the hospital, an alarming scenario began to unfold. Nurses discovered Annmarie's blood pressure had rocketed since a medical examination just a few days previously. The protein levels in her urine had increased profoundly, while her hands and face were swollen. She was clearly in the grip of pre-eclampsia. This can occur when there is a problem with the placenta (the organ that links the baby's blood supply to the mother's). It can cause the mother to have excessive protein in the urine, water retention (oedema), and high blood pressure. It can also slow the foetus's development. "Mild pre-eclampsia can be monitored, and it usually disappears soon after the birth," states the HSE website. "However, in some cases, further complications can develop, such as eclampsia. This is a type of seizure that the mother can have. It's rare, but can be life-threatening, for her and the baby." So, Annmarie was told that, even though she was only 27 weeks pregnant, her baby had to be delivered by C-section that night. "I phoned Darren, my husband, full of dread; all I could say was, 'Oh my God, what's going to happen here?'" she says. "Then, when they told me the baby hadn't been thriving, I thought she was definitely a goner." Annmarie was admitted to the high-dependency unit, where every effort was made to get her blood pressure under control. Around midnight, Summer (so named by her dad) was born, weighing just 1lb 10ozs. When her mum came around from the anaesthetic, she couldn't believe her little angel had survived being born so very prematurely. But there was more drama to come. As Annmarie continued to be plagued by medical problems, she was forced to remain bedridden, while her baby was being meticulously monitored in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) downstairs. Meanwhile, Darren showed her a picture of their precious little girl on his phone, and she was comforted to see that, though she was tiny, the infant had fingernails and hair, and looked quite "normal". However, later that day, she was stunned when she saw the baby up close for the first time. "I was absolutely shocked," Annmarie recalls, with a tremor in her voice. "She was like a little mouse. She was on a ventilator in an incubator, and was hooked up to all sorts of machines, for fluids and antibiotics, and to monitor her heart and breathing. I was told that even though she was stable, she was also critical, and could go at any time." Naturally, Annmarie and Darren feared the very worst. They waited and they watched - helplessly - while their tiny infant lay silent, always sleeping, curled up in the foetal position, as if she were still in the womb. Then, when she was just two weeks old, she got an infection, and now they were certain this was the end. "I had her dead and buried," Annmarie admits. "I just didn't believe a frail little thing like that could fight a dangerous infection. But fight it she did." Around this time, another near tragedy occurred: Annmarie had a serious stroke - pre-eclampsia doubles women's risk of a stroke - and ended up in St James's Hospital in Dublin. Fortunately, she knew she was having a stroke, and managed to call for the help she needed, thus averting further tragedy. But she did end up partly paralysed, and required a good deal of help in getting her blood pressure, and the seizures, which she still experiences, under control. She also needed a good deal of physiotherapy to get the affected side of her body moving again. Unfortunately, the stroke meant she had to stop expressing milk, which had been fed to Summer through a tube. Thereafter, the baby received nutrient-rich breast milk from a donor. Once Annmarie was more stable, she was able to return to the Coombe to spend time with Summer. Finally, when the baby was four weeks old, she got to hold her precious little girl for the first time. "I bawled when I took her in my arms," she remembers. "Poor Darren only got to hold her at seven weeks." Annmarie says Summer was painfully slow when it came to putting on weight. But once she began taking her nourishment from a bottle instead of the feeding tube, things improved dramatically. Around this time, Summer was deemed well enough to move into the high-dependency unit, and remained there for the next three weeks. Then she graduated to the special-care baby unit. And just 10 weeks after her nightmare entry into this world, this spirited baby went home to her adoring big brother and sister. Annmarie says she has nothing but praise for the medical staff at the Coombe who nursed her little girl. "The care there was second to none," she says. "The nurses love those babies so much; they're like hospital mammies. In the early days, they even took a picture of Summer without her oxygen mask because we'd never actually seen her without one." Annmarie says once Summer got home, their lives were finally complete. She was a happy, contented baby who ate really well and slept soundly. Today, she is everything that you'd hope for in a one-year-old. She's alert, active, trying out different sounds, attempting to walk and laughing a lot. Annmarie is now fully behind an initiative called Better Together, which will help support families who experience premature births. "I still have a few problems," she says. "But I have so very much to be truly grateful for." The Irish Neonatal Health Alliance (INHA) recently launched a leaflet titled 'Better Together', which offers excellent and comprehensive advice to families who have an infant in NICU. For more information on family-centred care, and to download the Better Together guide, see inha.ie The plan to house 80 Syrian refugees in Roscommon has been branded "a shambles" after it emerged agencies expected to provide vital services had not been consulted before the go-ahead was given. Tanaiste Frances Fitzgerald was last night warned the Syrian refugee programme faces being thrown into chaos if host Irish communities are deliberately kept in the dark. Roscommon TD Michael Fitzmaurice launched a scathing attack on the Government's handling of the Ballaghaderreen refugee plan and described it as "a farce" and "a shambles". He revealed that even local politicians who support the Government were not briefed on the plan to place 80 refugees in the town's disused Abbeyfield Hotel. The Independent TD warned that the entire plan was handled "deplorably", with Roscommon County Council being told at 4pm on Thursday about a briefing at 11am the following day. The Irish Independent has also learned that no prior consultation has taken place with local agencies. Read more: 'Refugees will be welcome in Roscommon - but why are we only just being told about this?' Read more: 'We can't provide best care for our refugees' - Roscommon GP warns "The local schools, GPs and county childcare committee were also left in the dark with many finding out the news in Friday morning's papers and on Facebook - this is a farce," Mr Fitzmaurice said. "The fact that the first anyone in an official capacity in Roscommon either in the local authority or any of the other agency heard about the establishment of this centre was on Thursday evening at 4pm, less than a month before the relocating of refugees to the rural town is nothing short of a joke." Mr Fitzmaurice also said Irish communities that accept refugees were entitled to have additional resources for social housing purposes. "There is need for a quid-pro-quo here to in some way compensate the people of the Ballaghaderreen area for the deplorable manner in which the department handled this matter," he said. "The locality must be supported with housing initiatives for local people in need of social housing - it is very hard to look a local family in desperate need of social housing in the eye and say 'you'll just have to wait'. This has been done in a very heavy-handed manner." The 80 refugees, more than half of whom are children aged under 14, will begin arriving from Greece by the end of the month. Government officials have moved to ease security concerns by revealing all will be screened by gardai, finger-printed and cross-checked by Europol. Ballaghaderreen was chosen from a number of Emergency Reception and Orientation Centres (EROCs) established around Ireland by the Department of Justice in the wake of the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Abbeyfield Hotel was identified as an ideal refugee centre because of its excellent facilities. Roscommon Council will receive financial support for the refugee programme. After a few Christmas booze-ups for the political parties, the Dail will return next week to decide what to do with the Public Health Bill on Alcohol. With Mr Trump planning to move millions of jobs back to America and our closest neighbours in Britain about to pull their drawbridge up, Ireland's long and turbulent relationship with alcohol might struggle to get top-table consideration. A round-robin email campaign to get doctors to contact their TDs about the perils of drink is under way. I think they know full well. Some of the wildest and worst alcoholics in Irish history plied their trade on Kildare Street. It's well known that booze in Oireachtas bars is sold well under the price of nearby hotels and hostelries. And to keep resident punters imbibing, your taxes have also been paying for a separate subscription to a specialist racing channel on the television. Getting this well-lobbied lot to enact stricter liquor laws is something of a high-stakes gamble. * So what's the big deal about this new alcohol bill? Well, I'll summarise it for you. The promoters want dearer drink; less places selling drink; drink to be segregated and hidden away in shops; doctors to screen their patients for drink; and labels on drink, listing dangers like liver disease, cancer and hidden calories. There will be very strict limits on alcohol promotions and sponsorship. Those who flout the law can face criminal sanctions, and a team of HSE personnel will be on hand to go around inspecting compliance. There are very welcome measures within this bill, particularly those that protect children, but I also detect something of the temperance movement about it. Some public comments from supporters of the bill would have you believe they would like all the State's alcohol under lock and key. The Royal College of Physicians has been at the heart of campaigning for the bill in recent months. So many warnings have emanated about the dire consequences of alcohol, it's amazing that they still serve and promote the stuff at so many of the events within the College walls. It's a bit peculiar to see one heavy-drinking profession lecture another heavy-drinking profession about what anti-drink laws they need to bring in. A late professor of mine, Petr Skrabanek, liked to draw attention to the fact the death rate from cirrhosis of the liver among British doctors used to be over three times that of their patients. He reminded us of the view of George Bernard Shaw that doctors seem to die of the very same diseases they profess to prevent or cure. I have a feeling this bill, good in parts as it is, might not pass. Another sobering citizens' assembly could be on the way. * Perhaps it's not the best time to bring it up. But the only folk who responded positively for my call for hospices to make alcohol available on their premises were a few patients and families of those who felt it might have benefited them. It's over two years now since a lady consultant introduced a wine bar for patients of her palliative-care unit and their families. The unit is part of the Clermont-Ferrard University Hospital in the heart of France, and the idea was that a glass of wine in the evening or with meals might cheer up the difficult day-to-day existence for some patients. The move also helped families to relax in a difficult environment. There have been no drunks, patients or relatives, that needed security to evict them. In fact, it has been so successful that the instigator, Dr Virginie Guastella, is now organising wine-tasting evenings for her patients. Friendly donors contribute bottles towards the cause. Perhaps one small measure of humanity is left in medicine. * I was clearing out a stock of old photographs the other day, when I came across a snap I had taken of a short poem. It had no name on it, and I cannot remember from whence it came. It sounds like Spike Milligan, but something tells me it may have been written by a doctor. It sums up perfectly my attitude to the mad milks of modern supermarkets. It is simply called Moo! Supermilk Fresh Low Fat Plus Calcium Enriched with Vitamins A and D. If I was a cow That would be much too complicated for me. * Ireland pretty well ignores its medical leaders. But across in Britain they celebrate new 'top doctors' on the scene and send journalists off to see what makes them tick. In recent weeks, the Royal College of GPs elected an attractive lady doctor from Staffordshire called Helen Stokes-Lampard as its new chair, and the media went to off to check her bonnet for bees. Voted top of the list of most powerful GPs by Pulse magazine, Dr Helen works one day a week in practice, and has academic duties, too. I always feel that medics who don't practice every day find the bigger picture easier to see. Dr Helen has some cool views on public health. She says that low-income families simply don't have the money for five-a-day fruit-and-vegetable consumption for the whole family. Dr Helen believes that getting smokers to cut down their habit might have a better outcome for doctor-patient relationships than insisting on cutting the weed out completely. And she has expressed doubts about this month's new stricter alcohol guidelines, which suggest that men should only drink the same 14 units per week that women do. "Hard task to achieve," she says. A very wise top woman indeed. Dr Maurice Gueret is editor of the 'Irish Medical Directory' drmauricegueret.com Long exposure of the Baltimore Skyline and Inner Harbor Promenade, Baltimore, Maryland Washington, DC at the Tidal Basin and Jefferson Memorial during spring Somethings cooking in DC, says Pol O Conghaile. Think of Americas great food cities, and New York, Chicago and LA spring to mind. Heck, maybe even Charleston or Las Vegas. But Washington DC? Absolutely. This winter, the Zagat guide named the US capital as its No.1 food city, citing a string of new restaurant openings including Bad Saint, The Shaw Bijou and RPM Italian by US reality TV stars Giuliana and Bill Rancic among the reasons it topped the poll. Most longtime residents would agree that DC was stuck in a dining rut for decades, Zagat raved. Its almost as if someone has hit the fast-forward button. Sturgeon w/matsutake and white beet. Another great dish by @scottmuns. And another great shot by @snacketysnack. A photo posted by Pineapple and Pearls (@sevenfifteeneighth) on Nov 1, 2016 at 9:10pm PDT Last October, DC became only the fourth US city to get its own edition of the Michelin Guide. Stars were dished out to 12 restaurants, with 19 more awarded bib gourmands for exceptional food at moderate prices. Minibar, Pineapple & Pearls and The Inn at Little Washington in Virginia got two stars, joining just 20 other US restaurants with the accolade. But its not just the fancy stuff. President Obama is famously a fan of Bens Chili Bowl on U Street North West (try the iconic Chili Half-smokes hot-dogs slathered in thick chilli sauce with fries), and foodie website Eater (dc.eater.com) has a mouthwatering list of 50 iconic foods to devour in the city, including Nepolitan pizza at 2 Amys and creme brulee doughnuts at Astro. Yum. Fancy a taste? Washington.org has a lip-smacking list of food tours, and Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and United (united.com) fly direct from Dublin. 2017, anyone? D.C.'s Hottest Ticket Expand Close DC's National Museum of African American History & Culture / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp DC's National Museum of African American History & Culture DCs National Museum of African American History & Culture (nmaahc.si.edu; free) opened in September, but its already the hottest ticket in town. Going to press, timed passes were booked out until April of 2017 (book in advance, or arrive early for one of a limited number of same-day passes issued from 9.15am only). Food is integral here, too. The museums Sweet Home Cafe showcases the food traditions of African American people, with dishes ranging from pan-fried Louisiana catfish poboys to Smoking Hot Caribbean-style Pepper Pot. Beyond D.C... Expand Close Long exposure of the Baltimore Skyline and Inner Harbor Promenade, Baltimore, Maryland / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Long exposure of the Baltimore Skyline and Inner Harbor Promenade, Baltimore, Maryland Most Irish visits to Washington DC dont go beyond the city limits, but there are oodles of reasons to rent a car and explore Maryland (above) and Virginia. Did you know Virginia is home to over 260 wineries and an oyster trail (virginiaoystertrail.com) or that it is the official birthplace of country music, thanks to the 1927 Bristol Sessions? In Maryland, a new state park honouring abolitionist Harriet Tubman is set to open this spring. Spring and autumn are ideal times to visit both, with natural displays rivalling New Englands. See capitalregion.com for more. Read more: As I get older I've become a great advocate of holidays with a purpose. The purpose on this occasion being wine tasting - something I can take on with due diligence. And what better place than the Alentejo region of south-central Portugal. Alentejo occupies nearly one third of Portugal and is roughly the size of the Netherlands. Once home to vast grain farms, it is now renowned for its abundance of wineries, many of which have sprung up in the last 20 years or so. It seems a tad debauched and hedonistic to start tasting wine in the morning, but that's what we did. After all, people were handing it to me and exhorting me to proffer my opinion, and I like to oblige. Our first port of call was Herdade da Malhadinha, a family run winery where traditional methods of producing are mixed with technology, and it's an oasis of tranquillity. The owner's children have designed the motifs on the wine bottles. Laughing cows, colourful fish, peacocks, sheep and much more. After a wonderful lunch, on the terrace, of tapas, huge chunks of pork fillet and "pyjamas" (various small desserts) and copious glasses of gorgeous wine, we were more than sated. Expand Close Eleanor outside the castle in Beja / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Eleanor outside the castle in Beja There's a vast choice of estates or herdades and hotels in the area and we spent our first night at the Vila Gale Clube de Campo, a family oriented hotel, where we again indulged in great food and wine. There's a picture starting to emerge. Food and wine. Wine and food. Crispy traditional sausage with muesli and caramelised orange, followed by sauteed wild boar with stuffed potatoes and wild berry sauce proved a favourite meal. (I'm seriously relieved to be the proud owner of copious amounts of stretchy jeans that expand with my stomach.) Herdade dos Grous was the first stop off the next day, where again people were enthusiastically exhorting me to imbibe. More wonderful wines and lunch of tapas and cod served with onions in a divine sauce and again the pyjamas. A staple on the pyjamas medley is a mixture of sugar and egg yolks which was invented by nuns who used to starch their headgear with egg whites and ended up with more egg yolks than they knew what to do with. Herdade dos Grous, like many of the estates, is home to many animals. We spoke at length to cows, black pigs and horses. Joao, who was in the stables, was straight out of a Jilly Cooper novel - minus the whip but with the same skinny jodhpurs. He was more than happy for us to feed his charges. We were more than happy to gaze at his lovely tanned countenance. There's plenty to do in the area besides eating, drinking and gazing at handsome horsemen. Expand Close Caldo verde (green soup) is a simple but tasty Alentejo dish / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Caldo verde (green soup) is a simple but tasty Alentejo dish Beja is a pretty city with cobbled streets in the old town. The Convento de Nossa Senhora da Conceicao, which is now a museum, was once home to a lovelorn nun whose story had us all enthralled. Back in the 17th century, Mariana Alcoforado, looked out from her window in the convent and fell in love with a French knight, the Compte de Saint Legere. We'll ignore the vow of chastity bit here, but they became lovers before he returned to France. Mariana wrote him five letters which were unanswered by the heartless cad, but they later turned up in print. They are known as the Portuguese Letters, and the window, known as Mariana's Window, has been preserved. The Castle in Beja and also the Archaeological Museum are well worth a visit, and the wonderfully traditional chocolate shop Mestre Cacau is a must. Monsaraz is a tiny medieval walled town with no less than three churches, two of which are still functioning. A walk through the cobbled streets with their sweet whitewashed houses and a stroll up to the castle was a great way to walk off some of the hedonistic fare. Herdade de Sobroso was next on the agenda. This country house, owned by the charming Sofia and Filipe Machado, is rightly described as a hidden treasure. And that's most certainly true. We tasted wines with Filipe (another candidate for a part in a Jilly Cooper novel), and enjoyed a wonderful dinner of clams with pork. Fit for nothing else but bed after another day of amazing food and wine, I retired to my suite and its four poster bed, and thought how wonderful it would be to retire to Alentejo. I could get used to these herdades very easily. The people here are so laid back they are nearly horizontal. Evora is another walled town, boasting some 20 churches, one of which is the grisly Church of Sao Francisco and its 16th century Chapel of Bones. Here, the skulls and bones of 5,000 monks decorate the interior walls. A gruesome inscription at the door translates as "our bones are here, we await yours". Charming. We had lunch in the family dining room of Herdade de San Miguel. Caldo Verde (green soup), followed by neck of pork and eggs and sugar from the nuns, surrounded by family photos of more show-jumping handsome devils out of the same Jilly Cooper novel. In fact they were practicing - "riding out" I think is the phrase - right outside the window. Our final winery was the picturesque Monte da Ravasqueira, where the owner proudly showed us their amazing collection of vintage carriages. After a lunch of lamb with onions and small potatoes and the most sublime dessert of layers of pastry with red fruits and melon, it was time to reluctantly take our leave of this wonderful area of Portugal. Our trip had proved a wonderful way to see a country. A few days in one estate, move on to another and submit to stunning rural vistas, wine and luxury. It's the way to go. They've been called the "Unlikely Radicals", but this month, the members of the ASTI are at a crossroads. Will they vote to rejoin their trade union colleagues in fighting for a successor to the Lansdowne Road Agreement (LRA) or return to the wilderness they languished in during the noughties, when they vainly pursued a 30pc pay claim? The reality is that they will find themselves in the political and union cold again if they reject the Government's 'final' package that they are balloting on this month. A 'no' vote will mean both new and current ASTI members will continue to earn less than their counterparts in the INTO and TUI, some of whom work side by side in the same schools. The irony of being the least well-paid of the three teacher unions is not lost on those with long memories. They well remember the days when ASTI members were paid more than primary and vocational school teachers and the other unions had to fight long and hard for a common basic scale for all. As one commented, "Jackie Brosnahan (the legendary INTO general secretary) must be turning in his grave - and laughing". The ASTI central executive is recommending rejection of the package, which has been accepted by the other unions. It has also agreed to spell out clearly the consequences of accepting or rejecting what is on offer. In monetary terms, the offer is considerable - certainly not everything teachers want, but it goes a long way. Annual increments for all ASTI members will be paid as normal if the deal is accepted, but frozen until July 2018 if it's rejected. If the deal goes down, they won't get the supervision and substitution allowance back; they won't be able to take part in the review of the Croke Park hours; they won't have access to new promotion posts and the traditional protection against compulsory redundancy won't be available in cases of school closures or teacher surplus. In addition, fixed-term or part-time teachers will have to wait four years for a Contract of Indefinite Duration instead of two, and they won't have the same access to new arrangements for increasing part-time hours that the TUI enjoys. Long-serving teachers will lose up to 2,600 between September 2016 and January 2018. For new teachers whose pay was slashed during the financial emergency, the deal means up to 6,700 between September 2016 and January 2018. The ASTI action, in part, was in support of the demand of equal pay for equal work, but for part-timers, an available increase in hand is worth more than one in the distant bush. But will the majority of members see it like that? It's sometimes said the ASTI can't celebrate its victories. And it certainly had one on the Junior Cert, yet another casus belli for the past few years. For those confused by the twists and turns in this saga, it's worth reading the new Statement of Assurances document, for which a link is available on the ASTI website. The Department of Education and Skills has given a strong written guarantee that there is no intention to phase out externally assessed, state-certified examinations for junior cycle and there is no requirement for teachers to assess their own students for state certification purposes. There are still issues of dispute between the department and the union, which will have a hard time explaining what is so unacceptable in the latest watered-down version of junior cycle reforms being implemented in schools where TUI members are co-operating with the changes. What's not clear is where the ASTI can go in the event of rejection. Events, of course, can change everything, but the mood music about public sector pay is changing, with indications that pensions for life will be part of the reckoning in any successor to the LRA. The ASTI got some public sympathy for its campaign for equal pay for equal work, but further strikes would inflame public opinion, as would a resumption on the ban on supervision and substitution, which would again close schools. At present, the members are refusing to work the Croke Park hours, but they will face financial penalties if that action continues. The background could, of course, change again in the event of health sector unions striking and forcing pay hikes, but that's a big risk for teachers. In his book 'Unlikely Radicals', NUIG education lecturer John Cunningham tried to be even-handed in describing the consequences of the last big and bitter ASTI pay dispute in the early noughties. Many, he wrote, believed benchmarking and supervision awards were pushed up for all teachers by the combativeness of ASTI members. "For others, the years of the pay campaign were years in the wilderness, during which injury was inflicted on relationships within the association and on relationships between the association and those on whom it depends," he said. He could have added that it wasn't just ASTI members who became the butt of public and increasing media criticism - all teachers did. For some in the ASTI, there are principles still to be fought for, even if they are not always clear - for many others, accepting what's on offer is a no-brainer. John Walshe was a special adviser to former education minister Ruairi Quinn and is an education consultant Unlike the British government, at least our Government has a plan and a desired outcome from the Brexit negotiations. Theresa May yet again failed to inspire confidence with her assessment of where her administration is at with its preparations for the start of the talks on the EU exit. The British Prime Minister says her country cannot expect to hold on to "bits" of its membership after leaving the EU. Her critics have demanded more detail of her aims from the talks, and she has promised to provide this in "the coming weeks". She denied her approach was "muddled", following criticism by Britain's former EU ambassador Ivan Rogers. And she indicated she will prioritise control of the UK's borders over access to the single market. European Commissioner Phil Hogan goes even further than Rogers saying: "Brexit is a mess and getting messier." While the British are still trying to figure out what to do, Ireland's priority is abundantly clear: maintaining the open border between north and south, which will now become the frontier between the EU and its only departed member. What we do need to do repeatedly is push for an all-island approach to Ireland in the Brexit negotiations. The peace process is a card we have to play. The EU was a silent partner in bringing about peace in Northern Ireland and never really got the credit it deserves for its role. A successful peace agreement is a vital commodity on the international stage and can serve as an example in other areas where the expanding EU diplomatic corps is seeking to assist in developing peace deals. The more we can mention the importance of the peace process - the better. Teachers find out the price of their point of principle Are members of the Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) really going to give up 30,000 worth of pay over the lifetime of their careers just on a point of principle? That's the loss secondary teachers face if they fail to accept the latest proposals to settle their long-running rows over pay and junior cycle reform. Secondary teacher pay packets have already been docked a total of 5m-6m, arising from three days' industrial action in October and November. If they vote 'no' in their upcoming ballot, individual teachers will be at the long-term loss of annual increment worth an average of 1,200 a year. About 10,000 ASTI members are due an increment in any one year, and the impact of a threatened increment freeze would depend on where they are on the 25-year scale - but for a new entrant the loss would amount to 30,000. As the new term gets under way today, a cloud of uncertainty hangs over about 500 second-level schools - and 250,000 pupils - where teachers are members of the ASTI. The union will ballot its members this month on proposals that emerged in discussions in November. The union leadership is recommending that its 17,000 members reject the package. If the deal is not accepted, 500 schools face the threat of ongoing disruption, while ASTI members face big losses around pay and promotion. The rest of the trade union movement is looking ahead to the next pay deal. The ASTI is still digging in on the last. A Scottish wildcat which was photographed on a farm near Leith Hall in Aberdeenshire (The National Trust for Scotland/PA) Scottish wildcats have been captured on camera. One of the animals was filmed exploring the ancient woodlands at Drum Castle while another was photographed on a farm near Leith Hall, both in Aberdeenshire. Often dubbed the Tiger of the Highlands, wildcats are among the country's most endangered mammals and are on the verge of extinction. The Leith Hall feline was tested and found to have a strong genetic score of 75% wildcat, meaning she has some domestic cat ancestry like most remaining wildcats. The cat spotted at Drum Castle was described as a "good hybrid". Scottish Wildcat Action project manager Roo Campbell first spotted the Leith Hall cat several years ago when he was working in the Huntly area and was pleased to see her again. He said: "I detected this cat on camera when I was doing an earlier project putting GPS collars on cats in 2013-2014. "She was using Leith Hall and a local farm, and was a regular visitor to the trail cameras I had placed there. I managed to get a collar on her and was able to look closely at how she used the area. "I always hoped to see her again when we began the Scottish Wildcat Action project in the same area. "We were sent some recent trail camera images from the farm and I realised it was the same cat. "This caused me to double-check some of the other images collected by Emma Rawling, our project officer in the area, over the winter and, true enough, it was the very same cat." The sightings in Aberdeenshire last year were on National Trust for Scotland properties. Richard Luxmoore, s enior nature conservation adviser for the National Trust for Scotland, said: " We tend to associate this elusive beast with the wilder parts of the Highlands but some of our best evidence comes from the more populated agricultural land in the north-east." It is not known how many wildcats are left because when one breeds with a domestic or feral cat they produce hybrid offspring. A total of 20 organisations are involved in Scottish Wildcat Action, a national conservation plan with "a vision to restore viable populations of Scottish wildcats north of the Highland fault line". A teenage girls ears have allegedly been severed while she was gang raped, it has been reported. The brutal attack is alleged to have occurred on January 4 when four men attacked a girl in the Baghpat district of India. She says the men entered her home and kidnapped her, before forcibly taking her to a nearby house where they attempted to rape her. The alleged victims mother told The Hindu newspaper: When she resisted, they cut her ears off with a sharp-edged knife and she screamed out of pain. When I reached the nearby house after hearing my daughter scream, the attackers beat me badly and ran away. She claims the men returned the following day to threatened further harm to her and her daughter. Local police say they are now investigating the incident. The girl and her mother have been sent for medical examinations in relation to their injuries. Police spokesperson Ajay Kumar Sharma told the newspaper: We have registered a case on the basis of the victims complaint. No arrest has been made as yet but we are investigating the matter and will soon arrest the culprits. An Irishman whose daughter was brutally murdered in Australia 20 years ago is reliving the familys heartbreak following the recent arrest of a suspect. Denis Glennon, originally from Westport, Co Mayo said it was a bittersweet moment now that a man had been charged for the murder of his daughter Ciara Glennon, almost two decades later. This is a very raw and bittersweet time, Mr Glennon told Perth Now. We are being updated by the Western Australian Police, and hence it is best that I do not comment on the recent developments. Ciara Glennon (27) disappeared on March 14 1997 after a night out celebrating St Patricks Day in Perth suburb, Claremont. Her body was discovered in bushland 50 kilometres north of Perth and had to be identified by her Irish parents. Two other women also disappeared over the same period and their deaths were dubbed the Claremont serial killings. It has been described as Australias longest-running and most expensive police investigation. Bradley Robert Edwards has been charged with the murders of Ciara Glennon and Jane Rimmer (23), who disappeared after leaving a hotel with friends. Rimmer was found in Perth bushland two months after she disappeared. She had been strangled to death. The body of a third woman, Sarah Spiers, has never been found and her disappearance is currently an open investigation. Edwards has been remanded in custody and is due to reappear in court on January 11. He has also been charged in relation to attacks on other women, including two counts of deprivation of liberty, two counts of aggravated sexual penetration without consent, one count of breaking and entering and one count of indecent assault. Perth Now reported that Western Australian police are forensically testing a 21-year-old station wagon suspected to be the car the accused may have driven at the time of the murders. Despite a two-decade long investigation, Edwards was on police radar only weeks before he was arrested. Relatives of Ciara have previously described her as a lovely, fun-loving girl. She was full of life, loved the outdoor life and was very into sports, her uncle Gerry Murphy said. Ciara worked as a solicitor and two years before her brutal murder, had taken a career break to travel the world. China has reiterated its opposition to any contact between US officials and Taiwan's government following a meeting between top politicians and the self-governing island's president, Tsai Ing-wen. Texas Sen Ted Cruz and Gov Greg Abbott met with Ms Tsai on Sunday while she was passing through Houston on her way to visit Taiwan's Central American allies. At a news briefing in Beijing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to any contact between Taiwan's leader and "anyone from the US government". He said such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been ratcheting up diplomatic pressure on the independence-leaning Ms Tsai since her election last year. Mr Cruz said in a statement that he and Ms Tsai "discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations" in their meeting, which addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic ties. An official with Republican President elect-Donald Trump's transition team said neither Mr Trump nor transition officials would meet with Ms Tsai. Her stop in the US was scrutinised by Beijing for any signs that Mr Trump's team would risk its anger by further engaging with Taiwan. President-elect Trump breached diplomatic protocol last month by speaking on the phone with the Taiwanese leader. Mr Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a US policy that since 1979 has recognised Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. US politicians often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they travel through the United States, most recently in June when Ms Tsai met in Miami with Republican Sen Marco Rubio of Florida. The tabloid Global Times, published by China's Communist Party, said in an editorial on Sunday that Beijing would take a hard line toward any contacts between Taiwan's government and the incoming Trump administration. China "should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force", it said. China has "seized the initiative. The US and Taiwan now should restrain, or be forced to restrain, themselves", the newspaper said. "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes," it said. AP The US Fish and Wildlife Service has released its plan for the recovery of threatened polar bears. But officials acknowledged that the proposal will take no direct action for addressing the primary threat - greenhouse gases that contribute to the decline of sea ice habitat. Polar bears, the first species to be declared threatened or endangered because of climate change, rely on sea ice for hunting seals and raising their young. Climate models project that continued rising temperatures will continue to diminish sea ice throughout the century. The plan calls for reduced greenhouse gas emissions, but focuses actions to be taken by the agency only on other conservation strategies - such as preventing contamination from spills, protecting dens or reducing conflicts with humans. Shaye Wolf, climate science director for the Centre for Biological Diversity - which filed the petition to list polar bears in 2005, called the recovery plan "toothless". The plan, she said, acknowledges polar bears will not survive without cuts in large-scale greenhouse gas pollution. Science in the plan shows the need to keep global temperature rise well below 2 degrees Celsius for polar bears to have any reasonable chance of survival, she said. The agency's job, she said, was to call out the steps needed to be taken for polar bears to survive. "It acknowledges the problem, but fails to put the solution in the core strategy for the bear," she said. The agency in its plan said addressing increased atmospheric levels of greenhouse gases that result in Arctic warming will require global action. Until that happens, the focus of recovery will be on US wildlife management actions that will contribute to polar bear survival in the interim "so that they are in a position to recover once Arctic warming has been abated," the plan said. Dirk Kempthorne, who was secretary of the interior under President George W Bush, announced in 2008 that polar bears would be listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. But he added immediately that endangered species law would not be used to set climate policy or limit greenhouse gas emissions. AP Jared Kushner has been named senior adviser to Donald Trump, his father-in-law (Carolyn Kaster/AP) President-elect Donald Trump's influential son-in-law Jared Kushner will join him in the White House as a senior adviser, transition officials said on Monday. The appointment puts the young real estate executive in position to exert broad sway over both domestic and foreign policy, particularly Middle East issues and trade negotiations. Mr Trump has come to rely heavily on Mr Kushner, who is married to the president-elect's daughter Ivanka. Since the election, Mr Kushner has been one of the transition team's main liaisons to foreign governments, communicating with Israeli officials and meeting last week with Britain's foreign minister Boris Johnson. He has also met with congressional leaders and helped interview Cabinet candidates. However his eligibility could still be challenged though Mr Kushner's lawyer Jamie Gorelick argued that a 1967 law meant to bar government officials from hiring relatives does not apply to the West Wing. She cited a later congressional measure to allow the president "unfettered" and "sweeping" authority in hiring staff. Mr Kushner, who will not be taking a salary, will resign as CEO of his family's real estate company and as publisher of the New York Observer, as well as divest "substantial assets," Ms Gorelick said. She said Mr Kushner will recuse himself "from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests". Ivanka Trump, who also played a significant role advising her father during the presidential campaign, will not be taking a formal White House position, transition officials said. She is the mother of three young children, and her immediate plans are focusing on her family's move from New York to Washington, though officials said her role could change in the future. Officials also said Ivanka would be leaving her executive roles at the Trump Organisation - her father's real estate company - and her own fashion brands. The anti-nepotism law has appeared to be the main obstacle to both Mr Kushner and Ivanka joining the White House. In arguing that the measure did not apply to the West Wing, Ms Gorelick cited an opinion from two federal court judges in a 1993 case involving Hillary Clinton's work on her husband's health care law. Norman Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's government ethics lawyer, said there is a "murky legal landscape" regarding the anti-nepotism law. But he said Mr Kushner appeared to be taking the proper steps regarding the ethics and disclosure requirements for federal employees. Mr Kushner, who turns 36 on Tuesday, emerged as one of Mr Trump's most powerful campaign advisers during his father-in-law's presidential bid. Soft-spoken and press shy, he was deeply involved in the campaign's digital efforts and was usually at Mr Trump's side during the election's closing weeks. He has continued to be a commanding presence during the transition, working alongside incoming White House chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said he expects all of his choices for Cabinet positions to be approved by the Senate. He made the prediction as he briefly addressed reporters in Trump Tower in New York City, appearing alongside Chinese billionaire Jack Ma. Senate confirmation hearings begin on Tuesday, starting with Mr Trump's choice for attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Mr Trump described Mr Sessions on Monday as "a high-quality man", adding: "He's going to do great." He said all of his nominees are "at the highest level, and added: "I think they'll all pass." AP Nigel Farage has warned it would be "completely illogical" for the Italian Five Star Movement to quit the European Parliament group he jointly leads. The former Ukip leader suggested the populist party founded by former Italian comic Beppe Grillo should stay in the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy group. Mr Grillo has asked members to vote on whether to leave EFDD to join the liberal group ALDE. Read More Mr Farage, the co-president of EFDD, said: "I have been in contact with Beppe Grillo this morning and congratulated him on his increasingly tough stance on the euro and immigration issues. "In political terms it would be completely illogical for Five Star to join the most Euro-fanatic group in the European Parliament. "The ALDE group doesn't support referenda or the basic principle of direct democracy. ALDE are also the loudest voice for a EU army. "I suspect if Five Star joins ALDE it's support will not last long." A Ukip spokesman said: "Both Ukip and Five Star are free to choose to stay or quit a political relationship. Read More "While it's interesting that some Five Star MEPs adamantly wish to stay in the EFDD group, as adults we wish them all the best whatever they do." A still image from the video shows Israeli diplomat Shai Masot Picture: AP/Al Jazeera A British minister's adviser has quit after being caught on camera discussing with an Israeli diplomat how to "take down" a senior government minister. Maria Strizzolo, a civil servant and adviser to education minister Robert Halfon, has quit her post at the Skills Funding Agency after being filmed talking about Alan Duncan, Boris Johnson's deputy at the Foreign Office. Footage taken by Al Jazeera at a London restaurant showed Shai Masot, an intelligence expert, telling an aide to education minister Robert Halfon that Mr Duncan, who has been critical of Israel, was in his sights. He said Mr Duncan was causing a "lot of problems", and he also dismissed Mr Johnson as an "idiot". In the footage, Mr Masot set out the alleged extent of Israel's participation in British politics. He told Joan Ryan, a senior Labour MP, that he had obtained more than 1m to pay for sympathetic party colleagues to visit Israel as he mocked Jeremy Corbyn and his "weirdo" supporters. The Israeli embassy said that Mr Masot's comments were "completely unacceptable" and added that his employment will end "shortly". Mark Regev, the Israeli ambassador, apologised to Mr Duncan directly on Friday. The targeting of Mr Duncan took place at the Aubaine restaurant, directly opposite the Israeli Embassy in Kensington, West London. Mr Duncan incensed Israel in 2014 when he described Israeli settlements on the West Bank as a "wicked cocktail of occupation and illegality, a system akin to apartheid which brought shame on the Israeli government." There was also a legacy of ill feeling between Mr Duncan and Mr Halfon, the ex-director of Conservative Friends of Israel. ( Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] France is to beef up cyber security amid growing fears Russian hackers could try to influence its upcoming presidential election following claims that Moscow orchestrated US computer attacks to help Donald Trump. Jean-Yves Le Drian, the defence minister, said French intelligence agencies were trying "to learn lessons for the future" from the allegations by their US counterparts. Mr Trump has dismissed the accusations and renewed calls for close ties with Russia. Mr Le Drian said that if the Russians had meddled in the US election, it amounted to an attack on western democracy. France and its political parties are "no less vulnerable," he said. He said the risk became apparent when hackers took the French television channel TV5 Monde off air in 2015. French investigators suggested that the Kremlin was behind the cyber attack. Relations between Paris and Moscow soured over Russia's 2014 annexation of the Crimea, still legally part of Ukraine, and its role in the Syrian conflict. Francois Hollande, the outgoing Socialist president, cancelled the sale of warships to Russia and played a key role in imposing sanctions on Moscow. Russia has a clear stake in the French election, to be held in a two-round vote in April and May. The favourite, centre-right candidate Francois Fillon, wants to build a new relationship with Moscow and an alliance over Syria. Marine Le Pen, the far-right candidate, also wants closer ties with Russia. France faces a surge in cyber attacks and its telecommunications, power, water, transport and media networks are at risk, Mr Le Drian said. In response, the French army is doubling its force of trained 'cyber warriors', to number 2,600 by 2019, supported by an additional 600 computer experts. "We should not be naive," Mr Drian said in the 'Journal du Dimanche' newspaper. "The cyber threat has become serious, including against our own military systems." ( Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] The Iraq war veteran accused of shooting five people dead inside Fort Lauderdale's airport has appeared in court and was told he could face the death penalty. Esteban Santiago, 26, faced US Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle in a federal court in the Florida city, shackled and wearing a red jumpsuit. He spoke in a clear voice as he told the judge he understands the charges he faces, which include committing violence against people at an international airport resulting in death, and two firearms offences. The judge ordered him to be detained until a further hearing later this month, and told him the death penalty could apply if he is found guilty. "We are telling you the maximum penalty allowed by law so that you understand the seriousness of the charges," the judge said. He said he had been in the Army but had worked for security company Signal 88 in Anchorage, Alaska, until November. Ms Valle set a detention hearing for January 17, followed by a plea hearing on January 23. There was tight security in and around the court, with several armed officers stationed outside alongside mounted police and dog units. Santiago has been in custody since Friday's shooting in the baggage reclaim area of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The FBI said Santiago had flown in on a one-way ticket from Anchorage. He had checked in one piece of luggage - a gun box for his Walther 9mm semi-automatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents allege he retrieved the box in baggage reclaim and loaded his weapon in a toilet before opening fire. In November, Santiago walked into an FBI field office in Alaska with a handgun and his infant child, saying the US government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said. Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him for a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child. On December 8, the gun was returned to Santiago. Authorities would not say if it was the same gun used in the airport attack. AP A body is removed from the scene of the attack in Jerusalem Photos: Reuters/AP The Palestinian man who killed four Israeli soldiers in a truck attack in Jerusalem appears to have been a supporter of Isil, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday. The 28-year-old Palestinian ploughed his lorry into a group of soldiers and then reversed over the injured troops, crushing them a second time, before he was shot dead. Three female soldiers and one male soldier, all in their twenties, were killed and 13 others were injured. "We know the identity of the attacker, according to all the signs he is a supporter of Islamic State," Mr Netanyahu said as he visited the scene of the attack. He compared it to similar deadly attacks with lorries in Berlin and Nice but gave no evidence to support his claim that the attacker was an Isil supporter. Isil has not claimed credit for the killing. Palestinian media identified the attacker as Fadi al-Qanbar, from the nearby Jabel Mukabar neighbourhood in east Jerusalem. There were reports that he had served time in an Israeli prison. Expand Close An Israeli soldier escorts another at the scene Photos: Reuters/AP / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp An Israeli soldier escorts another at the scene Photos: Reuters/AP While Isil occasionally makes threats against Israel, actual attacks by Isil supporters against Israelis are extremely rare. Most of the young Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israeli troops or civilians in the past year have been 'lone wolf' assailants who are not part of any organised faction. The only known instance of an Isil-inspired attack was in January 2016, when a Palestinian man killed four Israelis in a pub in Tel Aviv. Israel's security services said the gunman was a follower of Isil but also appeared to have mental health issues. The latest attack was praised by Hamas, the Islamist militant group that rules the Gaza strip, and by factions in Fatah, the party of Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas. It was the most serious attack in Jerusalem since a suicide bomber blew up a bus in April last year and it sparked fears of a fresh surge in violence. Since September 2015, Palestinian attackers have killed 40 Israelis and two visiting Americans. Israeli forces have killed 229 Palestinians during the same period. Israel says most of the Palestinians were killed while trying to attack Israeli soldiers or civilians. Expand Close Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre, and defence minister Avigdor Lieberman visit the scene of the attack in Jerusalem yesterday. Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, centre, and defence minister Avigdor Lieberman visit the scene of the attack in Jerusalem yesterday. Photo: Reuters/Ronen Zvulun Yesterday's soldier victims were taking part in a cultural programme that the Israeli military puts on for its conscript troops and were visiting the Armon HaNatziv promenade, which looks out over Jerusalem's Old City. Security footage shows the truck ploughing into the group of soldiers. The driver tried to turn the truck around but when he was unable to, he reversed back over the injured. He was shot dead by soldiers and armed civilians. "There was no sense in that reverse," Leah Schreiber, a witness, told reporters. "He drove backward to crush more people. That was really clear." The attack matched the deadliest in a more than year-long wave of Palestinian shooting, stabbing and vehicular attacks against Israelis that had slowed of late. Israel said the violence was driven by a Palestinian campaign of incitement, while Palestinians said it was the result of nearly 50 years of Israeli occupation and dwindling hopes for an independent state. Hamas spokesman Abdul-Latif Qanou called it a "heroic" act and encouraged other Palestinians to do the same and "escalate the resistance". He said the attack proved the wave of Palestinian violence had not ended, despite a recent lull. "It may be quiet, it may linger, but it will never end," he said. ( Daily Telegraph London) Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022] While investigators try to figure out the motive of an Iraq war veteran accused of killing five travellers and wounding six others at a busy international airport in Florida, the suspected gunman was charged and could face the death penalty if convicted. Esteban Santiago (26) was charged with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death - which carries a maximum punishment of execution - and weapons charges. Santiago told investigators that he planned the attack, buying a one-way ticket to the Fort Lauderdale airport, a federal complaint said. Authorities don't know why he chose his target and have not ruled out terrorism. "Today's charges represent the gravity of the situation and reflect the commitment of federal, state and local law enforcement personnel to continually protect the community and prosecute those who target our residents and visitors," US Attorney Wifredo Ferrer said. Authorities said during a news conference that they had interviewed roughly 175 people, including a lengthy interrogation with a co-operative Santiago, who is a former National Guard soldier from Alaska. Flights had resumed at the Fort Lauderdale airport after the bloodshed, though the terminal where the shooting happened remained closed. FBI Agent George Piro said Santiago spoke to investigators for several hours after he opened fire with a 9mm semi-automatic handgun that he appears to have legally checked on a flight from Alaska. "Indications are he came here to carry out this horrific attack," Piro said. "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Investigators are combing through social media and other information to determine Santiago's motive, and it's too early to say whether terrorism played a role, Piro said. In November, Santiago had walked into an FBI field office in Alaska saying the US government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Isil videos, authorities said. "He was a walk-in complaint. This is something that happens at FBI offices around the country every day," FBI agent Marlin Ritzman said. Santiago had a loaded magazine on him, but had left a gun in his vehicle, along with his newborn child, authorities said. Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him to get a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child. On December 8, the gun was returned to Santiago. Authorities wouldn't say if it was the same gun used in the airport attack. US Attorney Karen Loeffler said Santiago would have been able to legally possess a gun because he had not been judged mentally ill, which is a higher standard than having an evaluation. Santiago had not been placed on the US no-fly list and appears to have acted alone, authorities said. The attack sent panicked witnesses running out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find. Bramwell was eligible for up to 30 years due to his past criminal convictions, said prosecutors DuPage County state's attorney A man who stole a television remote has been sentenced to more than two decades behind bars. Eric Bramwell was found guilty in November and sentenced in January to 22 years imprisonment. The 35-year-old took the remote in August 2015 from the common area of an apartment complex in Wheaton, Illinois, dropping a glove on his way out. A DNA sample from the glove matched with Bramwells DNA on the states database of convicted felons, as reported by the Chicago Tribune. Prosecutors said that due to his criminal history, he was eligible for 30 years in prison. He allegedly committed similar thefts of other remote and television sets from other nearby apartment complexes. "Mr Bramwells illegal activity and his history have finally caught up with him," state attorney Robert Berlin said. "Regardless of what was stolen, Mr Bramwell repeatedly thumbed his nose at the law. "He took what he wanted, time and time again, and expected to avoid the consequences. "Thats not how it works, as Mr Bramwell has now found out." Judge Robert Miller sentenced Bramwell in November to six months in jail for contempt for using profane language in court. The US locks up more people per capita than any other country. There are around 2.3 million people behind bars, in state, local, federal and youth prisons, according to 2016 data from Prison Policy. Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Travelers and airport workers are evacuated out of the terminal after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Travelers are evacuated out of the terminal and onto the tarmac after airport shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida, U.S., January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Zachary Fagenson A shooting victim arrives at Broward Health Trauma Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. Authorities say a lone shooter opened fire at the Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, international airport Friday, killing "multiple" people before he was taken into custody. The airport suspended operations as law enforcement authorities rushed to the scene. (Taimy Alvarez/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP) Police officers help people seeking cover at Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida yesterday after a gunman opened fire in the baggage area. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images People exit the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S. January 6, 2017. REUTERS/Andrew Innerarity Law enforcement officers move in to verify the identity of people in this field just outside the airport perimeter following a shooting incident at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Fort Lauderdale (Photo: Reuters) Pictured: Terry Andrews (left) and Kari Oehme, two of the victims in the Florida airport shooting A volunteer firefighter in his sixties and a retiree en route to a cruise ship vacation with her husband were among the five travelers fatally gunned down during Friday's airport attack in Florida, according to relatives and friends. Authorities have not named any of the victims of the rampage in a crowded baggage claim area at Fort Lauderdale's airport, which also left six others shot and dozens more with injuries suffered in the chaos as people fled. But a picture of some of those killed began to emerge on Saturday from local media reports and in testimonials by family and friends. Terry Andres, a volunteer fireman from Virginia Beach, Virginia, was at the airport to go on vacation with his wife, his daughter told local broadcaster WAVY-TV. Expand Close Terry Andres, a volunteer fireman from Virginia Beach, Virginia / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Terry Andres, a volunteer fireman from Virginia Beach, Virginia She said he would have been celebrating his 63rd birthday later this month. He was shot multiple times, WAVY-TV reported, but his wife of 40 years was not hurt. Andres had served since 2004 with the Oceana Volunteer Fire Department, where he was remembered fondly. Expand Close Olda Woltering / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Olda Woltering "He was well liked and respected for both his dedication to being a volunteer as well as his professional approach to his job as a support tech," the department said in a statement on Saturday. "We mourn his passing as we do all the victims of the senseless attack in Ft. Lauderdale." Another of those killed was Olda Woltering, a retiree from Marietta, Georgia who was on vacation with her husband Ralph, according to people who recalled her as a prominent figure at the city's Transfiguration Catholic Church. Expand Close Kari Oehme / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Kari Oehme Read More "She was a wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend," said Chip Oudt, a fellow churchgoer who said they had been close. "She will be missed." Woltering joined the church with her husband in 1978. Others who worshipped there described her as always happy. Expand Close Michael Oehme / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Michael Oehme "Olga was so charming, calling everybody 'Lovey' or 'Love' in her unmistakable British accent," church officials said in a statement. "Her life revolved around her kids, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and hundreds of extended family at Transfiguration." A third fatality was Michael Oehme of Council Bluffs, Iowa. He had also been on his way to take a cruise ship vacation with his wife when he was shot. His wife, Kari Oehme, was shot in the shoulder and will survive, according to Omaha television station WOWT. Mark Lea, a witness who told the station he saw the couple at the scene, recalled running to help the victims. Read More "Did not know her any way, shape or form," Lea said of Kari Oehme. "I saw that she was down and injured in a pool of blood, which was hers and just stopped to help and console her and kind of minimize her from going further into shock." Authorities say three of the six victims taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds are in intensive care, while the others are in good condition. They have not given more details. The family together in June (from left) Eric, Lara Yunaska Trump, Donald, Barron, Melania, Vanessa Haydon Trump, Kai Madison Trump, Donald Jr, Donald John Trump III, Jared Kushner, Ivanka and Tiffany Trump. Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner is expected to be named senior adviser to the president. Mr Kushner, who has been one of Mr Trump's top counsellors, will continue in that role in the White House, according to insiders. But the husband of Mr Trump's daughter Ivanka must clear a series of hurdles before he takes any post in Washington. He will need to argue that a federal anti-nepotism law that bars officials from appointing relatives to government positions does not apply to him. He will also need to eliminate potential conflicts of interest between his family's multibillion-pound property empire and his government duties. The announcement of his appointment is expected later this week. Meanwhile, Mr Trump has said he expects all of his choices for Cabinet positions to be approved by the Senate. He made the prediction as he briefly addressed reporters in Trump Tower in New York City, appearing alongside Chinese billionaire Jack Ma. Senate confirmation hearings begin on Tuesday, starting with Mr Trump's choice for attorney general, Jeff Sessions. Mr Trump described Mr Sessions on Monday as "a high-quality man", adding: "He's going to do great." He said all of his nominees are "at the highest level, and added: "I think they'll all pass." President Barack Obama says the adoption of clean energy in the US is "irreversible", putting pressure on Donald Trump not to back away from a core strategy to fight climate change. President Obama, writing an opinion article in the journal Science, sought to frame the argument in a way that might appeal to the president-elect: in economic terms. He said the fact that the cost and polluting power of energy have dropped at the same time proves that fighting climate change and spurring economic growth are not mutually exclusive. "Despite the policy uncertainty that we face, I remain convinced that no country is better suited to confront the climate challenge and reap the economic benefits of a low-carbon future than the United States," Mr Obama wrote. He peppered his article with apparent references to President-elect Trump, noting that the debate about future climate policy was "very much on display during the current presidential transition". As he prepares to transfer power to Mr Trump, President Obama has turned to an unusual format to make his case to the president-elect to preserve his policies: academic journals. In the last week, Mr Obama also published articles under his name in the Harvard Law Review about his efforts on criminal justice reform and in the New England Journal of Medicine defending his health care law, which Republicans are poised to repeal. The articles reflect an effort by President Obama to pre-empt the arguments Mr Trump or Republicans are likely to employ as they work to roll back his key accomplishments in the coming years. Yet it is unclear whether Mr Trump or the GOP could be swayed by arguments in relatively obscure publications. In Science, President Obama argued that as the cost of clean energy sources like solar and wind drop, businesses are independently coming to the conclusion that it makes financial sense to wean themselves off of coal and other dirtier fuels. He also said that if President-elect Trump pulls out of the global emissions-cutting deal struck in Paris that Mr Obama helped broker, the US would "lose its seat at the table" on global climate policy. President Obama said a key advantage of the US political system is that each president determines his or her own policies. "President-elect Donald Trump will have the opportunity to do so," Mr Obama wrote. "The latest science and economics provide a helpful guide for what the future may bring." AP Pope Francis has urged Europe to rediscover its identity as it copes with refugee waves Pope Francis has urged Europe to rediscover its identity as it copes with waves of refugees, Britain's exit from the EU and the "homicidal madness" of religious-inspired violence. Francis devoted his annual foreign policy speech to promoting peace at a time of mass migrations, economic stagnation and extremist terror across the globe. He praised several European nations for welcoming refugees and insisted that others give them a "dignified welcome" while also fighting poverty and other social ills that can fuel religious fundamentalism. Speaking to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Francis urged Europe to rediscover its ideals as it marks the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome - one of the founding agreements of the European Union. He said: "This requires recovering its roots in order to shape its future." He called for the creation of a new European humanism to update the very concept of Europe as a unified community of shared common values that was born from the ashes of World War II. "In response to currents of divisiveness, it is all the more urgent to update 'the idea of Europe' so as to give birth to a new humanism based on the capacity to integrate, dialogue and generate that which made the Old Continent great," he said. Overall, he once again denounced violence committed in God's name as "homicidal madness" and the fruit of a "spiritual poverty" often borne of material poverty. He urged religious leaders to preach God's message of love and peace, and political leaders to ensure economic opportunities for young people. Governments, he said, must not only protect their own citizens but "ensure that conditions do not exist that can serve as fertile terrain for the spread of forms of fundamentalism." AP Police in Athens are investigating the death of a Russian diplomat The head of the consular section at the Russian Embassy in Athens has been found dead in his apartment in the Greek capital, police have said. The body of 54-year-old Andrey Malanin was found on Monday by a consular employee. Police said a coroner will examine the body, while the homicide officers will also investigate the death due to Mr Malanin's diplomatic status. However officers said there are no immediate indications of foul play and the body had no visible injuries. Russia's ambassador to Turkey, Andrei Karlov, was assassinated by a riot police officer while speaking at a photo exhibition in Ankara last month. MOUNT PLEASANT- As a child Crystal Hall dreamed of pursuing a career in teaching, but the influence of others steered her away from that path. Fortunately, a volunteer opportunity at Mount Pleasant Elementary School got her into the classroom and nine years later she was named Cabarrus County Schools Teacher Assistant of the Year. Her journey in the classroom began in 2007 when she started volunteering at the elementary school. She has been at Mount Pleasant Elementary almost every day since. As I child I wanted to pursue the career, but I let people influence me not to. I did what I thought was going to be better for me at the time, she said. I was lucky that I had time I could volunteer. I enjoyed it and it gave me adult time out. My son started preschool and thats why I started coming. As a volunteer Hall said she began to realize how much is expected from teachers. She helped teachers put their materials together, plan activities and complete all sorts of day-to-day tasks. I learned how limited teachers are with their time. They dont have as much time to prepare materials, she said. Unless you come, most parents dont understand what is expected from a teacher. Spending almost every day at the school, Hall got to know all of the parents and teachers, who began to tell her she should take steps toward getting a job at the school. So in 2010 she became a substitute teacher. And a short two years later she met all of the requirements to become a teacher assistant, fulfilling her childhood dream. If its your passion and you go into education, things will fall in place for you, Hall said. Things have fallen into place for Hall in a big way. First she was nominated teachers and staff as the Teacher Assistant of the Year at Mount Pleasant Elementary and then she was selected as the winner for Cabarrus County. Superintendent Dr. Chris Lowder surprised Hall at the school with the announcement in December 2016. I was in total shock. I had no clue. A message about a called meeting was sent out and we were told we needed to make arrangements to be there, Hall said. All day long teachers were asking what the meeting was about. When Dr. Lowder walked in, we knew something major was going down. As Lowder spoke, Hall said she still didnt realize the meeting was about her until he announced that she was the county winner. Even then, she was still shocked. I never win anything. I do what I feel like needs to be done, she said. I never expected to get this far. Hall was honored for her selection during a Cabarrus County Schools Board of Education meeting in December. She received a plaque from the school system. The Teacher Assistant of the Year competition is held through the North Carolina Association of Teacher Assistants. Each year, the organization designates one teacher assistant as the Teacher Assistant of the Year. Since Hall won for the county, she will go on to the district competition. She is required to go through an interview process and create a portfolio documenting her work and education philosophy. There are eight districts in North Carolina, and the winner from each district will go on to compete to be the state Teacher Assistant of the Year. Hall believes one of the reasons she was chosen is her willingness to try new things. Last year I taught computers. I wanted to try something different and they needed someone, Hal said. If somebody else wont do it, Ill do it. I take things very seriously. If you ask me to do something, Im going to go full throttle. But while she likes to challenge herself and learn more about a variety of positions, she said the best thing about working in education is the little victories for her students. Seeing the joy children get whenever they have struggles with something and the brightness in their eyes when they get it, she said. Just giving them that extra bit of encouragement. It gives you a sense of accomplishment when you see that child do something they couldnt do before. She hopes to continue to support Mount Pleasant teachers and students, and promote a love of education. I will put my best foot forward no matter what, to represent the county and my school and other teacher assistants, Hall said. Thats how I was raised. JMC Projects India secures new orders of Rs2,277 crore; Stock gains 2.6% JMC Projects (India) Limited (JMC), a leading Civil Engineering and EPC Company has secured new orders of Rs2,277 crores. The details are as follows: Water Projects in India of... November 04, 2022 | 2:08 pm Lupin receives USFDA tentative approval for Drospirenone Tablets Global pharma major Lupin Limited (Lupin) has announced that it has received tentative approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its Abbreviated New Drug ... November 04, 2022 | 1:26 pm Bloomberg Report: Pegatron Corp starts production of iPhone 14 in India Pegatron Corp., a Taiwanese contract manufacturer for Apple Inc., has begun producing the most recent iPhone 14 model in India. Pegatron is now the second Apple supplier to manufacture th... November 04, 2022 | 12:48 pm JMC Projects India allots NCDs for Rs100 crore; Stock rallies over 3.5% The Management Committee of the Board of Directors of JMC Projects (India) Limited at its meeting held on November 04, 2022 has allotted 1000 Repo Rate, Unsecured, Rated, Listed, Rede... November 04, 2022 | 12:34 pm Nykaa receives shareholders' approval for bonus issue and ESOP; Stock down 1% The Board of the lifestyle retailer FSN E-Commerce Ventures Limited (Nykaa), on October 3, 2022, approved Bonus Issue of Equity Shares in the proportion of 5 (Five) fully paid-up Equity Sh... November 04, 2022 | 12:03 pm A re-enactment of the hanging of Native man in 1785 has come under fire. The Westmoreland County Historical Society in Pennsylvania has since removed the video from YouTube and the group has posted a statement on Facebook defending its actions. Image Source: Indian Country Today Media Network Good intentions may not be enough to support the Westmoreland County Historical Societys decision to reenact the 1785 public hanging of a Native man at Hannas Town, Pennsylvania. A few miles southeast of Pittsburg, Hannas Town, founded in 1773, was the first Seat of Westmoreland County, and hosted the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains. For approximately 10 years, the Westmoreland County Historical Society and local volunteers have created annual reenactments of historical court cases during their annual Frontier Court Reenactment Days celebration in June. For the first time in the Societys history, the celebration coordinators chose to reenact a public hanging, this time of Mamachtaga, a Delaware man convicted of murder in 1785. According to Lisa Hays, Westmoreland County Historical Society Executive Director, the June 25 and 26 Frontier Court reenactments went well and, in the interest of historical accuracy, included the moment when the first attempt to hang Mamachtaga failed because the rope broke and had to be repeated with a new rope. A video of the public hanging was posted on Youtube on June 26, where it languished with little comment until Friday when several Native Americans began sharing the link on Facebook Why does a historical group in Pennsylvania re-enact the hanging of Mamachtaga, a Lenape man who was convicted of murder in 1785? Independent journalist Mary Annette Pember has more on the drama, which includes a man painted in red-face: Read More on the Story: Mary Annette Pember: Public Hanging Reenactment of Native Man Sparks Outrage (Indian Country Today 1/7) Join the Conversation A person who is an explorer at heart will definitely agree when we say that a city is at its magical best either during the early hours of the morning or post-sundown when the skyline of the city is at its vibrant best. Since most of us dont really fall into the 'early-to-rise' category, and because most places dont even open at 6 am, the best time to explore the city is post 6 pm. This is the time when the city lights light up and the energy of the people in the city is at its peak. So, when our blogger friends decided to explore Delhi & Mumbai, two of the most happening cities in the country, they were in for many pleasant surprises. They explored the vibrant nooks and corners of these cities and went about clicking a lot of selfies during their midnight trails. Looking at their pictures, you will definitely want to embark of an adventure of your own in these cities. Travelling here is just so easy. OPPO A midnight trail is super convenient in both Delhi and Mumbai. While Delhi Metro serves as the best mode to commute in Delhi, cabs and local trains are a cheap and easy way to commute from one end of the city to another in Mumbai. The two cities have great commuting options and that can definitely help in exploring the quaint nooks and corners extensively. Those mouth-watering food joints that satisfy your hunger pangs even late at night. OPPO Hog vada pao by Marine Drive or enjoy the grand sight of the India Gate at night while having some delicious golgappas. These two cities are definitely the best places to treat your taste buds post midnight. From street-food to posh restaurants and pubs, Delhi and Mumbai have it all. The food and drinks trail are never ending. OPPO These guys really had a gala time trying out all the hot spots in these cities. We are hungry already! Admiring the citys marvels while they are swathed in the beautiful moonlight. OPPO Watching these age-old structures standing tall gracefully is a wonderful sight. The essence of a city lies in these monuments that are seeping with tales of the yonder. Be it the Qutab Minar or the Sea Links, capturing a selfie with these monuments in the backdrop should definitely be on your bucketlist. The tales of these cities make you experience life. OPPO It doesnt matter if you are traveling solo or if you have company, a walk through the streets in these cities will give you a thrill that is purely exhilarating. Mumbais liveliness and Delhis spontaneity will definitely be the best part of your best travel experience. By the time you get home, you will get many pictures and moments to add to your travel diaries. Thanks to OPPO F1s, our bloggers were actually able to capture some amazing shots of their midnight escapade. Its 16 MP front camera comes handy for clicking great pictures even in low-light conditions. Cool, right? So get set to plan your Delhi-Mumbai escapade and post in your selfies! Explore more stories on #SelfieExpert If you were trying to access certain porn websites unsuccessfully over the past couple of days, please stop blaming your Airtel connection and direct all of your frustration and pent-up anxiety towards Iran. Yes, in an extreme effort to block porn websites from the country, Iran ended up turning certain fundamental Internet knobs that it should have left unturned, because it ended up blocking Internet traffic from countries like India, Russia and even Hong Kong and Indonesia. Hows this possible? How can one country end up curtailing the Internet in another country altogether? Well, its an age-old trick that governments exploit in a fundamental frailty of the Internet, exposing its dangers in the process. It all starts from confusing the Border Gateway Protocol or BGP, a method used by different ISPs (Internet Service Providers) to exchange routing information for website requests. When you type www.google.com in your Web browser, your website request actually bounces through different servers, known as Domain Name Servers that maintain the directory of website names and their unique IP addresses -- Google.coms address, for instance, is 216.58.196.110. What BGP does is acts as a traffic policeman directing ISPs requests, translating addresses and fulfilling website queries. But BGP is also insecure and a telco can introduce false routes to confuse ISPs and misdirect website queries, which is exactly what Iran Telecom did a few days ago, in order to prohibit hundreds of porn websites from being accessed through the country. This step by Iran -- of altering BGP -- ended up affecting several ISPs. According to The Verge, Internet traffic from Bharti Airtel in India, Russias RETN, Indonesias Telekomunikasi and Hong Kongs Hutchison, which was passing through Iran Telecom, ended up being misdirected unintentionally, resulting on these websites being blocked not only in Iran but also in India, Russia, Hong Kong and Indonesia -- for people who tried accessing them through the affected ISPs in these regions. This is a stark reminder of the unintended consequences of Internet blocks, as nothing truly can be blocked on the Internet for long. BGPs vulnerable and ageing framework is also a cause for concern, and hopefully its being replaced with a newer, more secure protocol soon. Indian peacekeepers in Haiti are facing a probe by the United Nations for arriving in the Caribbean country without the mandatory cholera vaccination. More than 100 men of Assam Rifles, India's oldest paramilitary force, landed in Haiti last year in July-August after they were certified by the home ministry as having taken the vaccine. The UN has officially sought a clarification from the Indian government as to why it confirmed that these troops had been vaccinated. BCCL The UN has been particularly dismayed as it has been accused of having caused the cholera outbreak in Haiti in 2010. In a rare gesture by the UN last month, then secretary general Ban ki-Moon apologised for the outbreak to Haiti in an address to the general assembly. Haiti blames UN for cholera outbreak There was no trace of cholera in Haiti until 2010 when, as widely believed, UN peacekeeping forces from Nepal arrived in the country. These troops were accused of causing the outbreak of cholera by performing their daily ablutions in a river next to the base they were stationed at. BCCL Haiti officially holds UN responsible for this introduction of the cholera strain which has caused over 10,000 deaths in the country in the past 6 years. For years before Ban finally apologised the UN had denied its role in the cholera outbreak in Haiti leading its own special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights to describe the UN's conduct as a disgrace. Facing intense criticism over its role in the cholera outbreak, UN in 2015 made anti-cholera vaccines mandatory for all peacekeeping forces arriving in Haiti. Exactly a year after a contingent of Assam Rifles comprising over 100 men arrived claiming they had been vaccinated. These men are now being locally administered the anti-cholera vaccine. Reuters An Assam Rifles spokesperson told TOI that troops force were part of a UN Formed Police Unit which does guard duty in Haiti but did not respond to a query on why these soldiers falsely claimed that they had taken the vaccine as part of their pre departure formalities. India's plans to sell the government's stake in several poorly performing companies have prompted trade union threats of a nationwide strike, laying out a test for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the lead up to crucial state elections. BCCL With thousands of jobs potentially at risk, the government's decision to offload a number of companies to the private sector has drawn criticism from opposition parties and warnings from economists over the potential fallout. While gross domestic product grew at one of the fastest paces in the world over the last two years, employment creation was the slowest on record in 2015, with just 135,000 new jobs in the formal sector of the economy against an estimated 12 million new entrants to the workforce, government data show. The slow employment growth puts further pressure on Modi, who in 2014 won the biggest government mandate in three decades on the promise of improving the ease of doing business and faster job creation. Among those targeted for sale is Scooters India Ltd, Bharat Pumps & Compressors Ltd. and Project & Development India Ltd. -- all based in Uttar Pradesh, which will go to the polls from Feb. 11 in what is viewed as Modi's most significant electoral test this year. Other companies include Ferro Scrap Nigam Ltd. in Chhattisgarh, Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. and Hindustan Prefabs in Delhi, Bridge and Roof Co. Ltd., India Ltd. located in Gujarat, Maharashta and West Bengal. The government's disinvestment programme is mainly about revenue, said Sasha Riser-Kositsky, an Asia analyst with political risk firm Eurasia Group. "While selling off small, effectively bankrupt state firms is unlikely to raise much money, the move should still reduce the governments payments to, and liability for, these firms and their obligations," he said, noting much of the value "will be in the form of prime urban and industrial land holdings that some currently hold." Narrowing Deficit The plans are part of the government's quest to narrow Asias widest budget deficit without cutting public spending -- seen as key to sustaining India's growth rate of about 7 per cent. It has budgeted to make 565 billion rupees ($8.3 billion) from disinvestment including 205 billion rupees from strategic sales through March 2017 and the union cabinet has given in-principle approval for divestment of several companies. BCCL India's factory output contracted for five out of 10 months in 2016, according to the latest government figures. And with the manufacturing sector continuing to perform poorly and not enough employment generated by the public or private sector, the impact of job losses on economy could be grave, says Madan Sabnavis, chief economist, CARE ratings. "Looking at the flux post-demonetization, in my view, the government may not aggressively pursue strategic sales," he said. "So disinvestment looks difficult in the current scenario." Labor Bureau data shows new jobs in key eight labor-intensive sectors -- textiles, leather, metal, automobiles, gems and jewelery, transport, information technology and hand loom -- fell to a six-year low of 135,000 in 2015 as against 421,000 jobs in 2014. Add to that, growth in eight infrastructure sectors including construction -- the biggest job creator -- slowed to 4.9 percent in November from 6.6 percent the previous month. Devendra Kumar Pant, chief economist, India Ratings & Research said, "In the current scenario where jobs are not growing, if a few people from this pool do lose their jobs, it does become a cause of serious concern for the government". Strike Threat Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh, trade union wing of RSS which claims to have 11 million members-- the ideological parent of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party -- is opposed to the sale and disinvestment of public sector companies and has threatened an all-India strike if the government goes ahead with its plans. BCCL The government must address the issue of job losses before it implements the proposal, Brijesh Upadhyay, the unions general secretary, said in an interview. "We want the government to update the technology and diversify the sick units into other businesses so that they are revived." His fellow union leader, D.L. Sachdeva, the national secretary of the All India Trade Union Congress which represents 3.6 million members from sectors including textiles, coal, steel and transport, said: "If our suggestions are not taken on board, we will announce our strategy for strike." Political Unrest "The potential for job losses and union protests suggests that the government will proceed with its divestment plans very cautiously rather than quickly selling off companies wholesale," said Riser-Kositsky. BCCL He added upcoming elections in Uttar Pradesh may complicate Modis divestment plans. "Ahead of the UP election, the BJP can ill afford further opposition allegations that it is 'anti-people.'" The sale of the governments stake in companies would be made on a case-by-case basis, finance ministry spokesman DS Malik said. "The government has not taken a final call yet and only in-principle approval has been given." 'Adverse Impact' Jose K Mani, a Kerala Congress party member of parliament from Kottayam, has been campaigning against the sale of one of the companies on the hit list: Hindustan Newsprint Ltd. It would not only affect the company's estimated 2,200 employees, but around 4,000 families settled around Newsprint Nagar, Mani said. Its the source of employment for about 40 villages, and the trade that's grown around it provides jobs to another 20,000 people. "If it is sold to private sector, it will have an adverse impact of huge magnitude on the people and local economy." So, a Pakistani news channel has outdone all the conspiracy theories regarding the death of veteran actor Om Puri. Pakistani journalist Aamir Liaquat on his programme "Aisay Nahin Chalega" on Bol TV has claimed that the actor was murdered! In his show, the anchor was citing the 'autopsy findings', although no final report has come out as yet. Liaquat while blasting other Pakistani media of not "highlighting the murder" claimed that sources say that Puri was murdered. And unsurprisingly two of Pakistan's favourite men - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval were the culprits! He also dragged RSS and Shiv Sena into the conspiracy to kill Puri. According to Liaquat Puri had last week met Doval in Delhi where he was threatened by the NSA. He was abused, striped and kept in a safehouse for a day. His bizarre claims did not end there, the anchor goes on to say that Puri was strangled using a pillow and that alcohol was poured into his mouth forcibly. Liaquat's reason for Modi and Doval killing Puri? Because he had criticised the Indian Army, his support to Pakistani actors, his "fondness" for Pakistan, and his "interest" in Islam. If that wasn't enough Liaquat has identified the next targets of Modi-Doval, Fawad Khan and Salman Khan. Liaquat has remained a controversial news anchor in Pakistan. The Indian Railways has kept 2016 one of the most electrifying years for its progress and by the look out, we're thinking that 2017 will be even better. Aiming at hiking revenues, facilitating better opportunities, ensuring excellent experiences and just bringing a good game to the field, the railways has decided to brand all its trains and stations. Read more here 1. IIT Alumnus Wins 'Tech Oscar' For Animation Tech Used In 'Watchmen' And 'Spider-Man' youtube An IIT Kharagpur alumnus has won the prestigious Technical Achievement Award (the Scientific & Technical Awards prize), popularly called the 'Technical Oscar', awarded by the Academy of Motion Pictures and Sciences. Parag Havaldar, who graduated from IIT-Kharagpur in 1991 with a degree in computer science and engineering, has been awarded for "the development of expression-based facial performance-capture technology at Sony Pictures Imageworks". 2. Pakistani Journalist Aamir Liaquat Goes Nuts, Says PM Modi, Ajit Doval Are Behind Om Puri's Death! So, a Pakistani news channel has outdone all the conspiracy theories regarding the death of veteran actor Om Puri. Pakistani journalist Aamir Liaquat on his programme "Aisay Nahin Chalega" on Bol TV has claimed that the actor was murdered! Read more here 3. India Loves Sunny Leone, But Avoids Her During Diwali And Ramadan, Says 2016 Pornhub Report According to a global Year-in-Review report by Pornhub, the world's largest porn website, India is now the 4th biggest consumer of porn worldwide. And true to program, we love everything Make in India - including our porn. Category-wise, Indians searched for 'teen porn' the most, but it was 'Indian' porn that they demanded across the board. No surprise that it was Sunny Leone, and slightly Indian-looking Mia Khalifa who led the adult stars category. Surprisingly, India's time-on-site went down to 8 minutes and 20 seconds, a drop by 70 seconds from 2015. And there was a year-on-year 2 per cent surge in women watching porn - 30 per cent of porn audiences on the site were female. Read more here 4. Air India Loses On The World Ranking, Is Now The Third Worst Airline Across The Globe! AP If you have already started planning your travels for this year, you better take a look at these airlines. Because choosing the wrong airline carrier can ruin your holiday before it even begins. While considering an airline, it's as important to consider its flight delays as it is to check its service quality. Chances are that if you fly the wrong carrier, your odds of being delayed are as high as 55 percent, as opposed to just 11 percent if you choose the right airline, reports Bloomberg. Read more here 5. Salman Khan Used 2 Unlicensed Guns For Blackbuck Shooting, Court To Decide His Fate On Jan 18 BCCL After getting acquitted for his Hit-and-Run, Salman Khan's fate will again be put to test on January 17, as the Jodhpur District Sessions Court will finally be announcing its verdict on the case under the Arms Act on illegal possession of arms and ammunition. #Correction Jodhpur District Sessions Court to announce decision on Salman Khan's Arms Act Case on January 18 ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 The prosecution has stated that Khan was in possession of the arms with expired license in Jodhpur and used them in poaching of two blackbucks in Kankani village in 1998. Read more here Just days after the New Year's eve Bengaluru molestation horror, another CCTV video had emerged, showing a girl being allegedly molested. The video showed the 23-year-old victim being stalked and later assaulted by an unidentified man on Friday. But it turns out, the entire episode was fake, staged by the victim and the attacker! Bengaluru Police have confirmed that the alleged attacker identified as 34-year-old Irshad Khan, the brother-in-law of the woman. According to police, the duo planned the molestation so that her family would allow them to get married. Police said the Khan who had married the victim's sister three years ago was in a relationship with her. But her family tried to marry her off when they came to know about the relationship, rejecting Khan's offer to marry the girl who worked as a sales executive in a private firm. After the Kammanahalli molestation case, in which a woman was recorded on CCTV being molested by two men on a scooter grabbed headlines, the duo hatched a plan to stage the molestation so that her family won't be able to find a match for the girl following the incident. Police became suspicious after the CCTV visuals of the incident showed the molester had a limp, just like how Khan walked. Upon questioning Khan he admitted of staging the entire episode. We identified the accused since he had a peculiar way of walking as we could spot in the CCTV footage. It is easily noticeable and he later confessed after we took him in for questioning, said Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner, Bengaluru city police (East). Incidentally it was Khan who got the CCTV visuals from a nearby shop and handed it over to police and media as evidence, but only after editing it. The unedited footage showed the duo walking together and having conversation before he 'molested' her. Is a man a less of a man if he is a in wheelchair? Does he not want to get laid every once in a while? With social security, people can afford food, healthcare, and essential amenities, but someone's handicap may prevent him/her from finding a sexual partner. Germany's Green Party has addressed this awkward, but frankly important situation by suggesting that local authorities should cover the expenses disabled people incur in purchasing sex services. Germany legalised prostitution in 2002, and the nation has seen the rise of sex workers offering 'sexual assistance' to people who have health conditions like dementia or physical disabilities. These services include "affectionate touching", and also intercourse. A sexual advisor at a care home for the specially abled told a local newspaper that prostitutes are a "blessing". The Netherlands already allows people to claim sexual services as a reimbursable cost. However, not just anyone can have their paid sex services billed by the government. The party said that patients must obtain a certificate to show that they cannot achieve sexual satisfaction by other means.. If you have already started planning your travels for this year, you better take a look at these airlines. Because choosing the wrong airline carrier can ruin your holiday before it even begins. While considering an airline, it's as important to consider its flight delays as it is to check its service quality. Chances are that if you fly the wrong carrier, your odds of being delayed are as high as 55 percent, as opposed to just 11 percent if you choose the right airline, reports Bloomberg. The Best Of Zambia To help you sort through this headache is FlightStats, an aviation insights company, has curated the best and the worst lists of airlines based on their performance records of 2016. India lost out on the world rankings as one of its leading airline, Air India, landed itself on the third worst spot. AP Here are the lists to help you make the right decision this year. World's best airlines of 2016 1. KLM 11.47 percent 2. Iberia 11.82 perce 3. JAL 12.2 percentnt 4. Qatar Airways 13.66 percent 5. Austrian 14.26 percent 6. ANA 14.46 percent 7. Singapore Airlines 14.55 percent 8. Delta Air Lines 14.83 percent 9. TAM Linhas Aereas 14.93 percent 10. Qantas 15.7 percent World's worst airlines of 2016 1. El Al 56 percent 2. Icelandair 41.05 percent 3. Air India 38.71 percent 4. Philippine Airlines 38.33 percent 5. Asiana Airlines 37.46 percent 6. China Eastern Airlines 35.8 percent 7. Hong Kong Airlines 33.42 percent 8. Air China 32.73 percent 9. Korean Air 31.74 percent 10. Hainan Airlines 30.3 percent Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has declared that his government is ready to negotiate "on everything" during upcoming talks in Astana, Kazakhstan. Speaking to French media ahead of the proposed talks brokered by Russia and Turkey Assad said the ceasefire has been violated in many places by the Syrian rebels, who are also party to the negotiations. AFP Assad, referring to the rebels, however raised questions over whom they are going to talk to. "Whos going to be there from the other side? We dont know yet. Is it going to be the real Syrian opposition and when I say real it means it has grassroots in Syria, not Saudi ones or French ones or British ones it should be Syrian opposition to discuss Syrian issues." Asked if he would be willing to step down as president - a demand the rebels have insisted on throughout the conflict - Mr Assad said "yes, but my position is linked to the constitution." "If (the opposition) want to discuss this point they must discuss the constitution," he said. Any constitutional matters must be put to a referendum and the people would elect any president, he added. The Syrian government's willingness to hold talks with the Free Syrian Army comes at a time when the government has retaken control of Aleppo, the country's second largest city from the rebels. Reuters After taking control of the city, the government troops have shifted their focus on to Idlib, another rebel stronghold. The operation has however been slow, thanks to ceasefire deal between the two sides. Last week, Russia who has played the most significant role in Assad's dramatic turn of fortunes had announced the scaling down of its troops from the country. AFP Even though almost all the factions involved in the conflict has now agreed to hold negotiations, the chances of anything solid outcome that could end the six year long conflict which has killed more than 3,10,000 people is really bleak, given the complexities involved in the civil war. Theof eight Turkish servicemen that requested political asylum in Greece after landing with a military helicopter at a northeast airport a day after an abortive coup in the neighboring country last July is generating international and domestic scrutiny. Former Special Assistant to ex-President Goodluck Jonathan on New Media, Reno Omokri, has reacted to the General Overseer, GO of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adeboyes retirement. Recall that Adeboye, on Saturday announced he was stepping down as the overseer of the church in Nigeria, but will continue to head the ministry worldwide. Omokri said the policy by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria, FRCN forcing the pastors to resign was not in the best interest of the country. On his Facebook page, the outspoken personality joined the league of persons who have shown mixed reactions following the clerics retirement. He added to the reaction, posing some questions and wondering if the Sultan of Sokoto, being the president of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Saad Abubakar, III, would also be forced to resign. He wrote: Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria should not extend its tentacles to churches. Why should Pastor Adeboye have to retire because of the FRCN? This foolish law has already destroyed our banks by pushing out experienced CEOs and bringing in inexperienced leaders. Where does it end? If Adeboye has to go as GO of RCCG, does it mean the Sultan of Sokoto also has to go as president of the Nigerian Supreme Council of Islamic Affairs? Where does it end? He would also go then. When a handshake has passed the elbow it is no longer a handshake. This is not a law that was enacted by the National Assembly. It is a policy that was put forward by the FRCN. Please know the difference and dont blame innocent persons, Omokri stated, arguing that the same policy had destroyed the banking industry as it had forced many experienced chief executive officers to resign. Source: Dailypost Americas President-elect, Donald Trump has lashed out at Hollywood actress, Meryl Streep after she criticized him on Sunday night. The actress delivered an emotional speech while receiving a special recognition award at the Golden Globe award on Sunday night, condemning Trumps campaign ridicule of a disabled reporter. Although she did not mention Trump by name, her comments were clear enough for it to make its mark. Donald Trump has now responded to her comments, calling the actress overrated and going on to deny that he ridiculed the reporter. Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesnt know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, Zamfara State Command, has confirmed 15 persons dead in a ghastly accident which occurred along Gusau-Tsafe road in the early hours of Sunday. According to the sector commander, Amos Thilizer, the accident was caused by a Dangote cement trailer driver, who lost control and ran into a Toyota hiace, killing all the passengers. The sector commander further said that three other persons who were in the trailer sustained various degree of injuries and had being taken to General hospital Tsafe for medical care. He said 15 corpses were later deposited at the Tsafe general hospital mortuary while efforts were being made to contact their relatives. He said the bus was coming to Gusau from Kano, while the trailer was on its way to Zaria. He advised motorists to avoid over-speeding which he said was largely responsible for road crashes. He reminded road users of the need to avoid night journey especially during harmattan and raining season. The sector commander also said the law on the use of speed limiting device had taking effect and that road users should comply. The High Court in Bangladesh has ordered doctors to write easy-to-read prescriptions in block letters or on computer and print them out. The High Court has asked the government to issue a circular in this regard within 30 days. The health secretary and Bangladesh Medical and Dental Councils registrar will have to carry out the order. They will also have to inform the court about their progress within six weeks. The High Court also issued a ruling asking as to why the doctors should not be directed to mention generic names of medicines in prescriptions. The ruling has been issued to seven, including the health secretary and the director general of health service. The recipients are required to provide an answer within four weeks. A bench comprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice Abu Taher Md Saifur Rahman issued the order yesterday after holding a primary hearing over a writ petition. The Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) moved the court with the writ petition on January 2, highlighting the difficulties faced by patients due to illegible prescriptions. A news article published in a Bangla daily in December 2015 was attached to the petition. HRPB counsel Manzill Murshid said: Sometimes even employees at drug stores fail to read prescriptions and give wrong medicines to the patients. The cited news article said some doctors specify medicines produced by particular companies. They write the brand names instead of the generic names, knowingly favouring certain companies. The news article also said there is a tacit understanding between these doctors and the pharmaceutical companies. The practice leads to patients buying expensive medicines where cheaper alternatives are available, or buy less potent medicines instead of more effective drugs. Murshid also said in neighbouring countries, doctors mention the generic names of medicines in block letters. However, doctors in Bangladesh merely scribble brand names. The Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Mr Babatunde Fashola, on Monday warned the distribution companies in the country to step up their service delivery or quit. Fashola gave the warning at the opening ceremony of the 11th Monthly Stakeholders meeting in Lagos. According to him, we all know the issues around metering and billing system; we must build the trust and confidence that customers complains will be addressed. We need to do whatever is possible in our various distribution areas to improve the quality of service and continue to train our personnel to recognise that customer is king. If we cannot provide or solve their problems, we own it a duty to explain what we are doing. We own it a duty to fish out a few members of staff, not all, because we have some dedicated staff. I am conscious of the challenges the operators are facing. We are working as hard as we can to make the environment more responsive to you and as I have said and will repeat that as pioneers, you will carry some burdens. You will have to sacrifice, perhaps more than what you have done, he said. Fashola said that without the customers and the consumers, there would be no business. I think that all of us in the public and private sector must understand that. If you dont have the skill and the patient to serve, leave. But I am optimistic that things will get better, I am optimistic that we can win together and we can win for the Nigeria people, the minister said. On the liquidity issues, Fashola said that government was working with other development partners. Local and international partners would have shown commitment and inspiring appetite to play in this market. We are trying to see what we can do together in order to bring the liquidity issues under some control and from there eventually solve it. Our partners in government are also inspiring and show understanding of what the challenges are. So, it is quick decision making now. Collaboration and decisions will be fair, but firm, and we expect that people will respect the decisions and also processes to be re-engaged as they come, the minister said. In his remarks, the Managing Director, Ikeja Electric, Mr Anthony Youdeiwoe, said that 2016 was a challenging year for stakeholders. According to him, though, the challenges still remain, they are better discussed whenever we meet like this. He said that efforts were also ongoing to address the challenges and proffer solutions. A former Iranian President, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has died at the age of 82 on Sunday night after suffering a heart attack. Rafsanjani is seen as one of the most instrumental figures in the 1979 revolution and he served as President of the country from 1989 to 1997. The Iranian government has declared three days of national mourning and has named Tuesday a public holiday in honor of his funeral. Hashemi Rafsanjani served as a mentor to the current Iranian President. President Hassan Rouhani said on Twitter, The soul of the great man of the revolution, symbol of patience and resistance, has gone to Heaven. Thousands of people have thronged the houses of two Christians in Ogun State where the inscription of an Arabic word appeared on two trees. The inscription is believed to be the name of Allah. T he Moringa trees were located at 6 and 9, Unity Street, Ireakari Estate, Iloye, Abule Iroko, AdoOdo Ota, Ogun state. The inscriptions on the first tree was discovered on Dec 24, 2016 while that of the second tree was discovered on Jan. 2, 2017, Mr Michael Ibironke, the occupant of one of the houses where the trees are located, said what happened remained a mystery to him. 0 Ibironke, who said he has been living in the house for more than 17 years, said the Moringa trees were planted in 2014. He told our correspondent that since the discovery, thousands of people of different faith have visited to see the trees, offer prayers and appreciate the work of God. On December 26, 2016, we celebrated Christmas party in my compound and did not discover anything. But on the Jan. 2, while I was doing my morning exercise with my wife, she called my attention to it. My wife was the one that discovered it. We are not a Muslim, so we called a Muslim brother (Mr Ajibade) to explain the strange thing. We also invited an Imam, who also confirmed it. Over 10,000 people of different faith have visited my house since Jan. 2. On Thursday at about 12 noon, my son counted over 3,000 people. We are not complaining about the disturbance, because it will mean we do not value the work of God. We are happy about it, people are greeting and praying for us. What happened has not affected our faith as Christian. People are celebrating and praising God. It is a mystery to everyone. We have been receiving people from different places Mushin, Ifo, OwodeYewa and even from OmuAran in Kwara. My house has become a tourist centre. What God revealed to us is that He is the greatest, no man is equal to Him and He can reveal Himself in anyway, he said. A pastor, Olumide Olagbegi, also said that God was revealing to the people that He is an Elvon God (He is only one). He said it could mean so many things to a layman but believed God can come in so many ways. A Muslim cleric, Imam Hamzat Oyeyemi, told our correspondent that the sign was of God, adding it was a sign of goodness to the family and the people. It is a miracle. This Arabic word appeared in a Christian house, is a sign of goodness; it is a mystery to mankind and people should be good. God has 99 names. The first is Allah, the name is from God, no one can share a name with God. 0 Mr Michael Dada, the owner of the second house where the Arabic word appeared said the tree was planted since 2010, but shows no sign of any misery until December 2016. There was a bush around the house, so I called some boys to help me clear it, it was in the process that the boys saw it. We first discovered it on the Dec. 24, but paid no attention to it because we are Christians. We cant count the number of the people that had visited this tree since the beginning of 2017. We invited some Muslims, they told us the name of Allah was written on it, we are Christians so we do not know the meaning. I dont want to turn it to anything, anybody can come and pray as they believe, it is a mystery. We are not Muslim so we dont know what to do, he said. A Cleric, Alhaji Muhammed said it was a natural thing which was said in the word of God that during the end time, He will show the people signs. It is in the Quran that if people refuse to worship the lord to His satisfaction, He will command stones to start serving Him which is part of what happened and people should change their ways. Meanwhile, photographers and petty traders, especially those who sell sachet water and snacks, are making brisk business. Source: NAN Nigerian newspaper headlines January 9, 2017. Punch The Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, said on Sunday that people who killed others in the name of religion in the country were insane. Vanguard The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, blamed oil marketers in the country for the excruciating scarcity of kerosene and Liquefied Petroleum Gas, LPG, also known as cooking gas and the high price of the commodities across the country. Guardian The Nigerian Army has refuted the allegation by the Campaign for Democracy (CD) that no fewer than 2000 Igbo youths were killed under the guise of rules of engagement between August 2015 and August 2016. Thisday As the kidnapped Chibok Secondary School girls spend 1000 days in captivity, President Muhammadu Buhari has given further assurance that the federal government will spare no efforts to recover those still in captivity. Leadership Millions of Christians across the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State yesterday observed a national mourning over persistent killings in Southern part of the State. Premium Times As Nigerians await full resumption of Nigerian courts on January 9, a number of cases top the wish list. The Sun President Muhammadu Buhari and other West African leaders will, today, meet in Abuja in furtherance of mandate to mediate in The Gambia political impasse after the December Presidential election in order to avoid violence and preserve democracy in that country. The Nation Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) detectives have questioned two former Group Managing Directors (GMDs) and three former Executive Directors (EDs) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) over their roles in the transfer of $153m to some banks. A pastor, Mr Timothy Adigun, of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Bwari Area Council, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja have been apprehended by the Police for his alleged involvement in the burial of a murdered boy. Adigun, according to the Police assisted a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Olaoye, to bury one Ayomide Samuel who died in their house. Confirming the arrest, Spokesperson of Police in Abuja, Manzah Anjuguri, on Sunday told reporters that the couple had reportedly fled with the body of the primary four pupil, who died at their residence in the Zone B area of the community on Christmas Day. The primary four pupil gave up the ghost after he was believed to have been hit on the head with an object by the wife on Christmas Day, the Police PRO said. It was gathered that the couple had earlier taken the corpse of the boy to a clinic, but the workers at the clinic refused to admit the body when they saw blood all over the vehicle. They reportedly asked them to bring a police report before they would admit the body. The police, following a tip-off, embarked on a manhunt for the couple for fleeing with Samuels corpse after officials had directed them to report the incident at the Bwari Divisional Police Station. Adigun was arrested for assisting the wanted couple to bury the deceased in an unmarked grave in Shere Koro at night. According to the report, Olaoye then approached the Chief of Shere Koro community to purchase a piece of land for the burial of the boy, but the chief refused, so he contacted Pastor Adigun, one Kayode and two police officers who are members of the church to assist with the burial. But following rigorous investigation by the police, Anjuguri added, All the people that participated in the internment of the deceased were identified, leading to the arrest and detention of the cleric for allegedly leading the burial team. Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the Olaoyes, who are the prime suspects in the homicide case. We have a suspect in custody in respect of the case; he assisted the couple to bury the deceased. The police are on the trail of the prime suspects, we are working hard to get them, he stated. Rising from the ranks of script kiddie to CTO requires more than excelling at coding. A passion for technology is a requirement, but being a CTO requires blending technical skills with business acumen. Besides an organizations software developers, most likely no one at a company cares how elegant your algorithm is. Potential customers probably arent asking sales representatives about your products code. But what your sales prospects and co-workers do care about is how that algorithm impacts your business. Being a CTO means you understand how to use technology to help your company build a product. CTOs use technology to help the business improve its products Being a CTO means you no longer create a product simply because its cool or the technology it uses is trendy. As a CTO, youre responsible for building software that your customer needs and for developing a product and technology with the mindset of its role of t in the companys overall business. Getting into this mindset can be challenging for developers. After all, developers are not typically taught to think of how their work helps the bottom line or leads to products that win over customers. CTOs cant work in a silo surrounded by other technical people. Theyre part of a team. An essential part of the CTO role is seeing how different parts of a company interact and work together to ultimately create a product that you can sell. As a developer, you may have helped create an amazing software. But as a CTO, youre charged with thinking about overall product lifecycle. How do you sell and market your product? How do customers use your product? How does your product meet their needs? Is there a way to incorporate their feedback into your product? Answering these questions means a CTO must understand the functions of different departments and how their people contribute to the companys overall success. Without the right people in non-technical roles, even products with the stellar technical specifications can fail. Having a product flop for reasons that are in no way related to its technology is a very humbling experience for a CTO. The lesson here for aspiring CTOs is that amazing software needs people behind it to help your buyers know how incredible it is. Non-technical people are a CTOs friends As CTO, you need to help others in your company understand what sets your product apart from the competition. Instead of looking at departments that dont deal with technology as nuisance, ask how these departments solve the problems that the company faces. CTOs need to learn the roles of marketing, product marketing, customer success and product development, among other departments, in helping a product succeed. Learn what kind of messaging a product marketing manager is crafting to describe your product. Ask your customer service manager what customers are saying about your technology. Find out what technical questions prospective customers frequently ask your sales team. Learning this information can lead to a better product and increased sales. As for technical skills, excelling at one technology isnt enough to earn the CTO spot. Developers looking to advance to the CTO role need a more mature and robust view of technology and understand how all a companys technology works together. For example, as a CTO you should know how a backend development project could impact your customers experience with your product. But if you only focus on your domain and the projects in them, you lose sight of whats most important for the business. Always stay curious about technology Being a CTO doesnt mean giving up your interest in technology. Stay curious in the latest trends, but always from the perspective of how they fit with your business goals and improve your product. The best CTOs are the ones who leverage technology to help a company achieve its mission and develop an outstanding product. My own career followed this path from developer to CTO. I was a developer in the Israel Defense Force for four years and, after leaving the army, spent four years working as a lead programmer at different tech companies. I then became CTO of an information security company where one of my main duties was managing its research and development. Currently, Im the CTO of Cybereason, a Boston-based information security company with products that include an endpoint detection platform. In addition to providing aspiring CTOs with a roadmap, addressing this topic in my first post will hopefully give you a sense of my approach to technology and software development. My future columns will cover all aspects of enterprise software development, particularly from a technical perspective. News from the Windows RT trenches isnt good. Customers who bought the Surface RT and Surface 2 both of which run the not-really-Windows version of Windows called Windows RT 8.1 have tales of neglect and problems that arent being addressed. This isnt ancient history. Microsoft discontinued the Surface 2 in January 2015. Or more accurately, two years ago Microsoft declared it wouldnt be making any more Surface 2 tablets. However, retailers, including Best Buy, continued to sell new Surface 2 tablets for months. If the devices were ever officially discontinued, I cant find a record of it. On Sept 15, 2015 16 months ago Microsoft released Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 (KB 3033055) which brought a wannabe Start menu to Surface RT and Surface 2 tablets. Per the feature description: Windows 8.1 RT Update 3 includes improvements to the Windows desktop experience for Surface RT and Surface 2. With the addition of a familiar and easy-to-use Start menu, youll have quick access to your desktop and all your apps, files, and PC settings in one convenient place. The update is free and available through Windows Update for Surface RT or Surface 2 devices that are running Windows RT 8.1 Update. Some Surface RT and Surface 2 customers, though, complain that Update 3 isnt available any more. On Nov. 14, 2016, poster Calvin Teoh on the Microsoft Answers Forum complained: I reset my Surface RT recently. After resetting, I could not get Windows RT 8.1 Update 3 back like before. My Windows Update now checking for update forever. I left it open for 24 hours, the process is in infinite loop. 1) I tried the method reset the Windows Update components (Stop services, delete Windows\SoftwareDistribution). It doesnt work. 2) I check my installed update, I cant find KB2919442. 3) I cant download or update any apps from Windows Store too. (wsreset.exe tried) Teoh got the runaround, which you can see on the Answers Forum all 18 pages of it - and has yet to receive an answer. There are similar complaints here and here. I dont know of any way to install Update 3 after resetting a Surface RT or Surface 2. If you do, please hit me on AskWoody. Strong Cotton Market Continues into Friday Barchart - 51 minutes ago After the rally through the week, the weeks final trade day enters the last trading session with overnight gains of as much as 355 points. Front month cotton futures ended with another triple digit... CTZ22 : 85.91 (+3.51%) CTH23 : 84.21 (+2.48%) CTK23 : 83.62 (+1.98%) Cattle Gather Cash Trade Insights after Thursday Barchart - 51 minutes ago Cattle futures ended the session mixed with a 55 cent gain in Dec and a 5 cent gain in the August 23 contract. The other nearby futures fell by 2 to 20 cents. Thursdays cash market was confirmed... LEZ22 : 151.950s (+0.36%) LEG23 : 154.875s (-0.02%) LEJ23 : 158.300s (-0.13%) GFX22 : 178.000s (-0.52%) GFF23 : 179.425s (-0.32%) Last Trade Day for Lean Hogs Barchart - 51 minutes ago Hog market faces the Friday session before heading into the weekend. Lean hog futures held onto minimal gains in the December contract on Thursday, while the other nearby contracts dropped by 2 to 20 cents.... HEZ22 : 83.375s (+0.09%) HEJ23 : 92.550s (-0.11%) KMZ22 : 94.000s (+0.16%) 4 Cent Gains for Morning Corn Barchart - 51 minutes ago Morning prices are up by 2 to 4 1/2 cents mostly led by Dec and Mar on their march tpwards the $7 mark. Dec futures are up by 4 1/4, trading near the highs into Friday, but the bottom 3rd of the weeks... ZCZ22 : 682-6 (+0.52%) ZCPAUS.CM : 6.7904 (+0.52%) ZCH23 : 688-0 (+0.47%) ZCK23 : 688-0 (+0.47%) Morning Soy Futures Strong into Friday Barchart - 51 minutes ago Overnight action in the soybean market left futures in the black for the weeks last trade day. Beans are 11 to 16 1/2 cents higher, meal prices are $5.10 to $5.90 in the black, and BO prices are up... ZSX22 : 1441-2 (+1.02%) ZSPAUS.CM : 14.1463 (+1.14%) ZSF23 : 1453-2 (+1.13%) ZSH23 : 1460-2 (+1.13%) Pacific Investment Management Co.s lineup of 16 smart-beta funds, co-branded with Rob Arnotts Research Affiliates, is bleeding assets, even as the category as a whole remains one of the fastest-growing segments of the asset management industry. From January through the end of November 2016, the PIMCO RAE Funds posted net outflows of $3.5 billion, according to data gathered by Morningstar. In 2015, the fund lineup suffered $8.1 billion in net outflows. The PIMCO smart beta funds brought in a net $1.6 billion in assets in 2014. Outflows had already started, however, with the funds losing $2.4 billion in assets in December of that year. The funds managed $14.2 billion in assets as of January 6, compared with $30 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2014. PIMCO could not provide additional information before publication. The PIMCO/Research Affiliates venture got a big boost in January 2015. At the time, PIMCO CEO Douglas Hodge touted the expansion of its then 10-year-old relationship with Arnott as a way to satisfy investors appetite for passive strategies, without the inefficiencies of traditional index funds. The firm, which has made attempts to get into the equities business since 2009, was also betting that smart beta could be a unique strategy to diversify away from bond funds. PIMCO launched seven equity funds that focused on investments in small and large companies in the U.S. and international markets. PIMCO also added the Research Affiliates brand RAE to the fund lineup, hoping to leverage Arnotts high-profile reputation and pioneering role in smart beta when he developed fundamental indices. Arnotts idea was to determine the relative proportion of companies within an index using fundamental factors. The innovation was a big departure from the methods behind market capitalization-weighted indexes, benchmarks used by the Vanguard Group, the worlds largest passive manager. Smart-beta funds, which are often called factor-based or strategic-beta funds, are generally based on a set of rules that give investors exposure to specific stock and bond characteristics, such as value or momentum. Performance is often the biggest factor driving investor flows into and out of funds. The largest fund in PIMCOs smart-beta family, the $1.8 billion PIMCO RAE Fundamental PLUS Fund (PXTIX), performed poorly in 2015, losing 6.59 percent and ranking in the 93rd percentile of its large-value peers. In 2014, the fund which peaked at $4.3 billion in assets at the end of August that year, according to Bloomberg outperformed peers by 1.98 percent, but ranked in the 42nd percentile. That was in stark contrast to the funds earlier years. In 2009, 2010 and 2012, it ranked in the 1st percentile, and it ranked in the 5th percentile in 2011. The fund rebounded sharply in 2016, returning 19.48 percent and outperforming peers by 4.67 percent. Even so, the fund had net outflows every month last year. In November, however, the funds net outflows seemed to be stabilizing. That month, they dropped to $9 million, compared with $136 million in January and $151 million in February 2015. Other PIMCO RAE funds have produced mixed results. The PIMCO RAE Fundamental Advantage PLUS Fund, a market-neutral, strategic-beta strategy, ranks in the 28th percentile in its category for the five-year period ending January 6, outperforming peers by 1.15 percent, according to Morningstar. For the one-year period ending on the same date, the fund lands in the 13th percentile, and in the 68th percentile over three years. The fund had net outflows last year through November of $543 million, after losing $1.4 billion in 2015. The fund, which now has $453 million, peaked at $5.9 billion in assets in May 2011. Other PIMCO RAE funds have good track records over longer periods, but have been hit hard in certain years. The PIMCO RAE Fundamental PLUS EMG Fund, which focuses on the emerging markets, is one example. Over five years, the $1.3 billion fund is in the 19th percentile of its category, in the 5th percentile over three years, and in the first percentile over one year. But in 2013, it fell into the 89th percentile, losing 6.38 percent more than its category average. Performance improved significantly the following year, but in 2015, it landed in the bottom one percent of its peers. In 2014, the fund suffered $5 billion in net outflows; $778 million followed in 2015 and $953 million through the end of November 2016. Flows out of PIMCOs smart-beta funds are also tied to two other funds managed by Research Affiliates, the $18.4 billion PIMCO All Asset Fund and the $7.8 billion PIMCO All Asset All Authority Fund. In November, Christopher Brightman, CIO of Research Affiliates, began managing the funds along with Arnott. Funds in PIMCOs smart-beta lineup are among the underlying funds used by Arnott and Brightman to express their investment views within All Asset and All Asset All Authority, both of which are tactical allocation funds. Investors have been pulling money from those funds, in turn forcing PIMCO to sell some of the underlying smart-beta portfolios. Though performance has improved substantially in 2016, both tactical allocation funds suffered downturns in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The All Asset Fund hit a high of $35 billion in 2013, while All Asset All Authority hit a high of $36 billion that year. According to Bloomberg, All Asset and All Authority are the biggest institutional holders of some of the smart beta funds. This content is from: Video Inflation remains the primary concern for the worlds central banks, which have engaged in the broadest and fastest tightening regime in history, according to Alejandra Grindal, chief economist at Ned Davis Research. The Western Australian governments no-fault third-party insurance scheme has been collecting more money than needed based on figures for the first six months.On July 01 last year, the Barnett Government expanded the existing Compulsory Third Party Insurance to include cover for people catastrophically injured in accidents where no party is deemed to be at fault, for an additional cost of $99 per vehicle in the first year.Since then, the scheme has received 28 claims, half of which the Insurance Commission of WA said would have missed out on cover had they sustained their injuries last year, a report in Perth Now said.The $99 increase was calculated from an average of 92 people who suffer catastrophic injuries on WA roads each year, of which 44 werent covered because no fault could be assigned, the state government said prior to the schemes launch.Mike Nahan, WA treasurer, stood by the calculation, despite receiving a lower-than-anticipated number of claims coinciding with the worst toll on WA roads in six years.Insurance principles are being followed to ensure revenue is sufficient to meet the cost of lifetime care for every West Australian who suffers catastrophic injuries in a car accident, he said in the report. It is expected the number of people impacted will vary from year to year but the annual average is estimated at 44 people (where no fault is apportioned) each year.Stephen Moir, Motor Trade Association WA chief executive, is concerned surplus funds might be diverted in the years ahead.As the figures from the Commission show, demand for compensation falls well short of the available funds and we will see over the coming years a very large surplus of funds developing which will be irresistible to politicians wanting to close the (budget) deficit, he explained.Nahan denied the funds can be diverted to other purposes, saying: Premium revenue retained in the catastrophic fund is not directed into consolidated revenue and cannot be used for any other purpose, Perth Now reported. EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property, casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, has hired Melissa Delaney as a senior vice president in its Private Client Solutions Specialty Group. Delaney will be based in the firms New York City office and report to Craig de Gruchy, managing principal of EPIC. She will be responsible for client relations, management and production for EPICs Northeast Region Private Client Solutions team. Delaney joins EPIC from HUB International, where she served as team leader in its Private Client Services division and was responsible for developing and maintaining risk management and personal insurance solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to this, Delaney was an assistant vice president responsible for business development and sales at Gallagher Bollinger Insurance. Delaney began her insurance career as a customer service representative for Chubb & Son. Source: EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants Topics Agencies New York Global insurance brokerage Hub International Limited (Hub), headquartered in Chicago, Ill., has acquired the assets of Hubbard-Bert Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. Based in Erie, Penn., Hubbard-Bert specializes in employee benefits. Hubbard-Berts leadership team of David Ciacchini, Joe Kelly and Mark Salvia will join Hubs wholly-owned affiliate, The HDH Group Inc. (Hub HDH), and report to Tony Kocis, president of Hub HDH, following the acquisition. Additionally, Hubbard-Berts BAI and Wealth Management and Pension Services lines of business were included as part of the acquisition. BAI offers full-service third-party administrator services, specializing in COBRA administration, spending accounts, dental, vision and ACA reporting. Wealth Management and Pension Services offers retirement and financial planning services. The well-rounded approach Hubbard-Bert provides makes them an invaluable partner to their clients, said Kocis in a press release issued by Hub International Limited. Hubbard-Bert joins Hub HDH and strengthens our presence in Western Pennsylvania and furthers our goal to be the premier employee benefits brokerage in the region. Going forward, Hub International Limited is committed to growing organically and through acquisitions to expand its geographic footprint and strengthen industry and product expertise. Source: Hub International Limited Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Pennsylvania A Rhode Island lawmaker has introduced legislation that would put seat belts in school buses. Coventry Republican Rep. Robert Nardolillo introduced the bill Friday to require a three-point seat belt for every passenger starting in 2019. This is the third year hes sought to require seat belts on newly acquired school buses. A Nov. 21 school bus crash that killed five children in Tennessee has revived a debate about bus safety. Nardolillos bipartisan bill has four Democratic co-sponsors. Only six states mandate seat belts on large buses. Others have considered but dropped legislation in recent years out of concerns including cost estimated at around $7,000 to $10,000 per bus. The head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration last month re-emphasized the agencys call for school bus seat belts. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation Education Compre, the London-based legacy specialist, announced it has agreed to acquire all of the insurance and reinsurance business in run-off of the UK branch of AG Insurance SA for an undisclosed sum. The transaction is structured as a loss portfolio transfer, to be followed by an insurance business transfer subject to relevant approvals in Belgium, Finland and the UK. This will provide AG Insurance with complete finality regarding its UK branch business. The acquisition represents Compres 22nd portfolio deal and to date Compre has acquired 10 companies in run-off. I am extremely pleased to announce our first acquisition of the year and our first involving a Belgian counterparty, said Nick Steer, CEO of Compre. This further enhances our reputation as a provider of legacy solutions across the European market and I look forward to further deal flow during the next year. Source: Compre Topics Mergers & Acquisitions Reinsurance While Chinas fintech boom continues unabated, another fast-growing phenomenon has gone almost unnoticed so-called insurtech, the latest industry to be spawned by the intersection of online finance and the worlds biggest army of internet shoppers. Even as Chinese regulators scrutinize sales of high-risk, high-return universal life products and frown on offbeat contracts that protect against Beijing smog or even overtime work, they have allowed small-scale exotic insurance policies linked to online shopping to flourish. These ecosystem-oriented innovative products, as the Oliver Wyman consultancy calls them, include flight-delay insurance for e-tickets (policies typically will fund the cost of a meal); personal and property protection for customers ordering services at home such as an on-demand manicure; or return shipping cover for products bought online. Return shipping is the top product for Zhongan Online P&C Insurance Co. perhaps unsurprisingly, as the company is backed by an affiliate of Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. and Tencent Holdings Ltd., the countrys two biggest internet companies. Zhongan is considering listing in mainland China after scrapping plans for an overseas IPO last month amid lukewarm investor interest. Chinas e-commerce market is nearing $900 billion. Unlike Amazon.com Inc. customers, whose shipping is covered when they return a purchase, buyers on Alibabas platforms must foot the bill themselves, or use insurance. Thats worthwhile in a country where clothing makes up the largest part of the e-commerce market, which was on track to reach almost $900 billion in 2016, according to eMarketer. The average cost of shipping in China is about 12 yuan ($1.70), or one-fifth of the 60-yuan average transaction value of an item of clothing on Alibabas Taobao marketplace. To insure against the expense of returns costs less than half a yuan. The challenge for Zhongan and its smaller online-only peers, such as answern.com, that are making names for themselves in these products will be building scale and increasing premiums. That means expanding in areas like health and auto insurance, as Zhongan is now doing, where regulation is much tighter but premiums are a lot bigger. While exotic products can be offered after registration with the China Insurance Regulatory Commission, auto insurance, for example, requires provincial approval. Some of Chinas hottest insurers may find that life in the regulatory spotlight imperils their growth rates. This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Topics Legislation InsurTech Tech China A British law firm has launched legal action against Volkswagen, seeking thousands of pounds of compensation each for UK drivers affected by the carmakers emissions scandal. The German company is involved in lawsuits in several countries and is racing to resolve criminal and civil allegations with the United States Department of Justice after admitting it cheated diesel emissions tests. Separately on Monday, the New York Times reported the Federal Bureau of Investigation had arrested a Volkswagen executive on charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States, underscoring how the company is still struggling to move on from the scandal 16 months after it erupted. In Britain, Europes second-biggest autos market, 1.2 million cars are affected and Harcus Sinclair UK, which is being supported by Slater and Gordon, said around 10,000 drivers had already signed up to the legal action before Mondays launch. The firm will pursue a group action, the nearest British equivalent of a U.S. class action, at the High Court and is asking other drivers affected to come forward and join the case. We will argue that you received a vehicle that should never have been licensed for sale because it did not meet the required emissions standards, the firm said on its website. We believe that the Court will assess the difference between what you paid for your vehicle and the inherent value of what you actually received. A spokesman for Volkswagen said the company would robustly defend itself in the case and reiterated it did not believe customers would lose out due to the scandal. We expect no decline in the residual values of the affected vehicles as a result of this issue, he said. Last year, a Spanish court ruled in favor of a buyer of a Volkswagen car with altered emissions software, ordering two of the German firms local units to pay a 5,000 euro (4,330 pound) fine to the cars owner. But the British authorities have been accused by some consumers and lawmakers of being too slow to act for not pursuing compensation or criminal proceedings. In December, the European Union began legal action against Britain, Germany and five other member states for failing to police emissions test cheating by carmakers. Volkswagen has been hit hard in Britain since the scandal erupted in 2015, with sales of its VW brand cars down 7.5 percent in 2016 despite the overall market rising by over 2 percent to hit a record high. The first hearing in the group action case is due to take place on Jan. 30, a spokeswoman for Harcus Sinclair UK said. (1 British pound = 1.1543 euros) (Reporting by Costas Pitas; editing by Estelle Shirbon and Mark Potter) Related: Topics USA Fraser Shipyards in Superior, Wis., says its reached an agreement with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to improve worker safety and reduce a proposed fine. Last summer, OSHA proposed a fine of nearly $1.4 million because Fraser employees had been exposed to lead from paint and other sources while refurbishing the Great Lakes freighter Herbert C. Jackson. Fraser said in a statement that it does not admit to fault or liability in the case, but will implement a new safety plan at the 126-year-old company and pay a $700,000 fine. Fraser Shipyards is the last major, independent shipyard on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Wisconsin Conflicting insurance and business regulations passed by the South Dakota Legislature last year mean Sioux Falls wont get Uber, Lyft or other ride-hailing services anytime soon, according to a state lawmaker. Rep. Greg Jamison told fellow lawmakers and Sioux Falls Chamber of Commerce members this week that it will be a while before either company enters the citys market. Thats because of city and state insurance regulations that require companies to collect and submit sales taxes, which he called a potential deal breaker, according to the Argus Leader. The city of Sioux Falls isnt going to look the other way, said Jamison, a Republican and former Sioux Falls City councilmember. Until thats figured out, dont look out for Uber any time soon. Neither company responded to an Associated Press email requesting comment. While South Dakotas Legislature approved a law last year that set down insurance regulations and other requirements for transportation companies like Uber and Lyft, lawmakers also passed a law requiring online businesses without an in-state presence to collect and submit sales taxes. That law is meant to put online retailers on par with brick-and-mortar stores. South Dakota sued a set of online retailers outside of the state that have kept up their business without sending in sales tax collections. Gov. Dennis Daugaard has said he hopes to take the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Legislation The city of Hot Springs, Ark., has settled a 2015 civil rights/whistleblower lawsuit alleging the deputy city manager fired a city employee for corroborating a female coworkers sexual harassment claim against him. The $87,500 settlement led a federal judge on Nov. 28 to dismiss Bill Boyles lawsuit against deputy city manager Bill Burrough and the city. The city released the settlement terms following a request from The Sentinel-Record under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act. City Attorney Brian Albright said Burrough and the city werent required to admit any wrongdoing as part of the agreement. Albright said the settlement avoided the uncertainty of a federal jury trial that was scheduled to begin Dec. 5. We were confident there was no wrongdoing, but you never know whats going to happen in a trial, he said. In the lawsuit filed in August 2015, Boyles alleged Burrough fired him from his managerial position in the citys solid waste department after Boyles helped a female colleague lodge a sexual harassment complaint against Burrough in 2014. The colleague, Margaret Hillistad, had filed a discrimination lawsuit in September 2015 against the city and multiple officials, including Burrough. The lawsuit alleged Hillistad, who was acting solid waste director at the time, was passed over for the director position as result of the sexual harassment complaint. It also alleged that the defendants violated the Family Medical Leave Act by firing Hillistad without notifying her that she has used up her leave time. While a settlement conference was held in November, Albright said Hillistad and the city of Hot Springs have not yet agreed to terms. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Lawsuits Arkansas Jim Justices businesses have responded to a lawsuit claiming the West Virginia governor-elects companies have not paid for $771,268 worth of flood cleanup work after the Greenbrier resort was hit by severe flooding last year. Lawyers representing Justices companies have asked a federal judge to dismiss the lawsuit filed by a Texas-based company, BMS CAT, The Charleston Gazette-Mail reported. Justice, a billionaire businessman, is the owner of the Greenbrier resort. The Greenbriers attorneys admit the flood remediation work was done on the resorts chapel, ballroom, PGA tournament office and other buildings. But they say the Greenbrier and other Justice companies never entered into an enforceable valid contract with the company. The ongoing lawsuit comes several months after BMS CAT filed a mechanics lien against the Justices companies in October for the unpaid bills, while the businessman was running for West Virginias highest office. The flood remediation company filed the federal lawsuit against the Greenbrier in early December in order to enforce that lien. In their complaint, BMS CATs attorneys allege the company performed the cleanup work, got the finished work approved by one of Justices employees, provided Justices companies with an invoice and repeatedly contacted them for payment. The Greenbriers attorneys either deny those allegations or say BMS CATs complaint mischaracterizes and misconstrues the invoices that are referenced. Justices press secretary, Grant Herring, did not immediately respond to questions regarding the response by Justices lawyers. When the unpaid bills were first reported to the public, Herring, who was then Justices campaign spokesperson, provided a statement from the CEO of the resorts insurance company that said the unpaid bill were the result of a misunderstanding. The invoices would be covered under the insurance plan in the near future. When the lawsuit was filed in December, Herring provided a statement from Elmer Coppoolse, the Greenbriers chief operating officer, who said the resort hadnt received compensation from the insurance carrier. No such insurance plan or insurance payment is mentioned in the response to the lawsuit, the newspaper reported. ___ Topics Lawsuits Flood Virginia A potential solution to a troublesome sand shortage off Southeast Florida is tucked away in a massive water resources funding bill President Barack Obama signed into law last month. The 2016 Water Resources Development Act authorizes the Army Corps of Engineers to study the potential of using foreign sand, such as from the Bahamas, to widen shorelines and protect coasts from hurricanes like the ones that lashed the Big Bend and northeastern Florida last summer. In its Shrinking Shores investigation last year, the Naples Daily News reported Miami-Dade and Broward counties have exhausted their deposits of available offshore sand, leaving only sand that is too far offshore to retrieve or is nestled among protected reefs or other underwater marine features. A federal search found enough sand to last 50 years, but beach project managers told the Daily News the sand is too dark and risks triggering sand wars with other coastal counties. Project managers said Bahamian sand is the regions best chance to end expensive and inefficient sand hauls from inland mines. But a ban, backed by the U.S dredging industry, on spending federal money on beach projects that use foreign sand stands in the way. Coastal communities can ill afford to forgo federal money for their beaches, the Daily News found. Florida members of Congress tried again last year, unsuccessfully, to lift the ban. The study provision in WRDA 2016 represents a compromise, said U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Boca Raton, who co-sponsored legislation to end the ban. I think were moving in a good direction, Frankel said. She said she would be in touch with the Corps of Engineers about whether the agency has money to conduct the study or money needs to be put in a budget. The WRDA provision put no timeline on the study, but she said she hopes it will be done by the next time Congress reauthorizes WRDA, scheduled for 2018. The Secretary (of the Army) is authorized to undertake a study of the economic and noneconomic costs, benefits and impacts of acquiring by purchase, exchange or otherwise sediment from domestic and nondomestic sources for shoreline protection, the provision states. Upon completion of the study, the Secretary shall report to Congress on the availability, benefits and impacts of using domestic and nondomestic sources of sediment for shoreline protection, it reads. An end to the ban on foreign sand is only part of any solution that would allow use of Bahamian sand. U.S. law, also backed by U.S. dredgers, prevents foreign-flagged vessels from bringing sand from the Bahamas to eroded Florida coastlines. To get around the law, sand would have to be transferred to a U.S.-flagged vessel, an expensive extra step. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics USA Florida Ryan Specialty Group LLC has named Charlie Rosson senior vice president. Rosson is based in San Francisco, Calif. He will work to develop RSG penetration with brokers on a national basis. He has 23 years of experience in the insurance industry. He was most recently the CEO of Woodruff-Sawyer & Co. The firm announced in September that Rosson was stepping down. RSG is an international specialty insurance organization, which includes a wholesale brokerage firm, underwriting companies and specialty services. E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei. Sky: Rafforzata leadership Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018. Sfida Serie A Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia. Top News - Investor Idea A Boat-full of Potential - Renewed Interest in the Cruise Industry Bolsters Luxury Markets (OTC: MASN) (NYSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) (NYSE: RCL) (NYSE: NCLH) Vancouver, Kelowna, Delta, BC - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Investorideas.com, a leading investor news resource covering luxury goods and cruise ship stocks releases a special report featuring Maison Luxe, Inc. (OTC: MASN), a company that offers luxury retail consumer items. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: GBT's (OTCPK: GTCH) AI Driven Financial Technology Patent Application Received a Notice of Publication San Diego, CA - November 3, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) GBT Technologies Inc. (OTC PINK: GTCH) received a notice of publication for its financial software patent application. Top AI Stock News - Investor Idea Breaking AI Stock News: Intellagents, a FatBrain AI (OTCQB: LZGI) Company, Announces Hiring of Insurtech Industry Veteran as Chief Revenue Officer NEW YORK, NY - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) FatBrain AI (LZG International, Inc.) (OTCQB: LZGI), the leader in powerful and easy-to-use artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for star enterprises of tomorrow, announces the hiring of Euan King, an experienced and respected Insurtech industry leader as Chief Revenue Officer for insurance technology-focused subsidiary Intellagents. Top Health and Wellness News - Investor Idea Health and Wellness Stock News - Endexx (OTCBB: EDXC) Secures $3.8M Order for Non-Nicotine Vape Product HYLA from Italy CAVE CREEK, Az. - November 2, 2022 (Investorideas.com Newswire) Endexx Corporation (OTCBB:EDXC), a provider of innovative, plant-based, and sustainable health and skincare products, today announces it has secured a new $3.8 million USD order for its newly acquired, non-nicotine based vape product, HYLA from customers in Italy. Check out our Podcasts for great investor ideas: Get new posts by email: Subscribe Powered by Investorideas.com Newswire: Subscribe to Investor Ideas Newswire Daniel McConnell Political Editor Political leaders in the South expressed their grave fears for the future of the Northern Assembly following the decision by Sinn Feins Martin McGuinness to resign as Deputy First Minister. The Government in Dublin has appealed for calm in Stormont in the wake of Martin McGuinness resignation. Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan (pictured)said he regretted the circumstances which have led to Mr McGuinness decision to resign his office. The Government is very mindful of the need to protect the integrity of the principles and institutions of the Good Friday Agreement, he said. If, as appears likely, new elections to the Assembly will now be required, it behoves all parties to act responsibly in word and deed, so that the political institutions of the Agreement will not be damaged in the longer term." Mr Flanagan spoke to Mr McGuinness and also to the British Secretary of State to Northern Ireland James Brokenshire. As a co-guarantor of the Good Friday Agreement, the Irish Government will continue to work with the British Government and the political parties to advance political stability, reconciliation and economic prosperity in Northern Ireland, Mr Flanagan added. Fianna Fail Leader Micheal Martin (pictured below) said it is with a sense of dismay that he has watched the so-called Cash for Ash scandal unfold. Deputy Martin said: It was my hope that an agreement could be reached to facilitate a robust inquiry into this scandal. However, the decision of Mr McGuinness to resign his position and Sinn Feins demand for new elections means that will not now happen. Instead, the stage is now being set for a bitter election campaign that will not address any of the issues that led us to this point, and the future of the institutions is thrown into serious doubt." Mr Martin said Sinn Feins decision to respond by pulling the plug and demanding fresh elections would appear to do very little to address any of the underlying problems and does nothing to deal with the challenge of limiting taxpayer exposure. SDLP Leader Colum Eastwood said the public understand that there is one reason for this potential election - Arlene Fosters arrogance. "The SDLP is ready to fight an election. Last May the Executive offered a fresh start and have now failed - we will offer the public the chance of change," he said. The public also knows that those behind cash for ash scandal can now enjoy a two-month break from any effective public inquiry or police investigation. The Sinn Fein statement references the attacks by the DUP on Irish identity and culture and on the equality agenda. All of those statements and sentiments are true and I agree with them all. The DUP have governed disgracefully and it has extended well beyond the leadership of Arlene Foster." Ulster Unionist Party Leader, Mike Nesbitt MLA said Mr McGuinness resignation was not the way to resolve the scandal. Sinn Fein should have stayed, to hold the First Minister to account, to force a public inquiry and to vote on the much-needed cost controls on the scheme, he said. Instead, they have prioritised self-interest, as always. This is Sinn Fein letting the DUP off the hook. The public mood clearly indicates they want the facts of the RHI debacle exposed, he added. He was replying to Clare Independent TD Dr Michael Harty, who asked when Irish beef might be allowed into China. Minister Creed said the process of access for Irish beef to third country markets requires work at technical, diplomatic and political levels. Ultimately, the pace of progress is determined by the receiving country. In relation to China, I am satisfied that we are making steady progress. The formal lifting of the BSE ban by the Chinese authorities in respect of Ireland in early 2015 was followed by the submission of a detailed questionnaire to the Chinese authorities, he said. Mr Creed explained that in January 2016 his Department hosted a 10-day inspection visit by a Chinese team from the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine (AQSIQ). We received a copy of their report relatively recently and have replied to their findings. Assuming our response to these findings is positive the next steps are to agree a protocol and a veterinary health certificate. It will also be necessary for Irish meat establishments to be individually approved by the Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) before they are able to export to China. Although timelines are very difficult to predict in this process, I hope that such inspections will take place in 2017, he said. Minister Creed said that he is acutely aware of the need to develop new and alternative markets, given the changing global demographics and emerging economies in Asia and elsewhere. Indeed this is a crucial component of the Food Wise 2025 Strategy and has been given an added impetus by the outcome of the UK referendum on Brexit, he said. The Minister added that his Department is also pursuing beef access to a number of other Third Countries including Korea, Vietnam, Thailand and Ukraine. Heritage Minister Heather Humphreys also informed Kerry Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris in a written reply to a pre-Christmas question in the Dail that she understood this allegation has also been reported to An Garda Siochana. To date, my Department has found no evidence or concrete information in relation to this allegation. If, however, the Deputy wishes to forward any specific information he may have, I will be glad to have the matter given further consideration, she said. Deputy Ferris had asked the Minister to outline the circumstances under which red deer stags were shot and killed by a trophy hunter in Killarney National Park. The issue was also raised in the Upper House by Senator Paul Coglan, Fine Gael, who said a detailed report of at least one alleged instance where a red deer stag was shot by a hunter tourist who paid thousands of euro to a commercial company for the experience had been made to the Department. The stag was shot out of season under a permit issued to a landowner under strict conditions, which was allegedly obtained by a commercial company. That is a serious matter, if it is true. If any culling is to be done, it should only be of the non-indigenous sika species and not red deer, he said. Senator Ned OSullivan (Fianna Fail) said he was very concerned about reports which seem to suggest the hunting of the Killarney red deer has now become a purchasable pleasure. He said the Killarney red is a subset of the red deer and is an internationally protected species. It appears one can now get a licence to shoot them for the sum of 5,000. It is an offence to hunt, stalk and shoot these deer. It is reprehensible that wealthy Americans in this case can come over and shoot these deer to stuff them or, even worse, to cut their heads off and mount them on the walls of their dens, drawing rooms or clubhouses, he said. Minister Humphreys told the Dail there is an annual open season during which deer can be legally shot under licence. It generally operates from September 1 to February 28 depending on the species and gender of deer. Hunters need to have permission from the landowner and/or the sporting rights holder where they hunt. The hunting of both male and female red deer in county Kerry is prohibited under the Open Seasons Order. However, there is a facility under the Wildlife Acts whereby landowners may apply to her Department for a special permission to cull deer where this is necessary outside the annual open seasons. Deputy John Brady, Sinn Fein, asked the Minister if her attention has been drawn to the fact that permits that have been granted to a person to shoot an animal have been sold on. She replied that some 4,600 deer hunting licences have been issued by her Department in 2016 to date. Licences are granted to a particular individual and are non-transferable and may not be sold. Investigations by my Department have not, to date, uncovered evidence regarding the reselling of any licence, she said. The Cork 2.0 Declaration From Reflection to Action will be the title of the Town Hall style meeting. Agriculture and Rural Development Commissioner Phil Hogan said representatives from the five EU institutions have been invited to attend. The aim is to have an open exchange of views about what policymakers can do to turn the aspirations of the Cork Declaration into reality on the ground. Mr Hogan told a pre-Christmas conference in Brussels he is convinced the declaration produced by the extraordinary gathering in Cork will form the foundation stone for future work together. When the idea to revisit Cork first emerged, some people were not quite convinced about the need for a new declaration of this kind. After all, the 1996 declaration still has many valid points. "But it was also clear that the original declaration was a product of its time when for instance climate change and connectivity did not feature prominently, he said. Mr Hogan said the original Cork Declaration served its purpose in helping establish Rural Development as an EU policy in its own right. This was a major achievement but discussions have moved on since then and it was time to take a fresh look at our policies, especially in the view of multiple challenges facing agriculture and rural communities, he said. Mr Hogan said broadly speaking, the goal must be to empower rural areas to meet the wide range of challenges and opportunities that face them in the 21st century: economic, social and environmental. Many of the points included in the original Declaration have successfully been translated into the EU legislative framework through several programming periods. However, it should not be forgotten that rural areas have significantly changed since 1996 13 new member states have joined the EU, giving a new dynamic to discussions on rural areas. Therefore, we invited some 340 CAP stakeholders to Cork in September with the objective of rebooting our mandate and renewing our vision through a new declaration. It was also an opportunity for the rural stakeholder community to find common ground and develop a stronger voice. With its participatory design the conference created a space for ideas to float freely between different people and different interests. We had two days of intense debates where everyone gave a piece of his or her mind in a spirit of participation, commitment, and co-operation, he said. Under the header A Better Life in Rural Areas, the Cork 2.0 declaration gives agriculture a prominent place. However, it also emphasises the role of other rural businesses in delivering prosperity for hundreds of millions of rural citizens. It states boldly and clearly that more and broader action is needed, including better links to other policies. Mr Hogan said the declaration gives clear recommendations to policy makers and it charts a course for a better performing suite of rural and agricultural policies which are both accountable and fit for purpose. It also calls for rural proofing which means that other policies should be monitored to assess their impact on the wellbeing of rural areas. One of the things I appreciate most about the declaration is the positive and forward-looking tone it espouses, whereby rural areas insist that they are part of the solution, not the problem, he said. Pledging to champion the Cork 2 Declaration at the highest levels, Mr Hogan said it is imperative that it forms one of the cornerstones of the commissions plan for modernising and simplifying the Common Agricultural Policy. The 10-point plan likewise provides an important orientation for the upcoming debates on the future of rural and agricultural policies post-2020. One of the strong points made in the Cork Declaration is the value of bottom-up and locally-led approaches such as LEADER and the agricultural European Innovation Partnership (EIP-AGRI). The declaration contains strong language on the need for effective risk management tools, fair and transparent contractual relations in the supply chain and investments that foster a competitive and diversified agriculture. It has a strong call to step up efforts on knowledge and innovation. If we want to tackle the issue of farm resilience in the long run, farmers have to become part of the knowledge economy. And they have to have access to state of the art connectivity, information and communications technology) tools, discussion groups, and networks. The declaration contains three points related to green agriculture. It calls for policies to incentivise the delivery of environmental public goods. Farmers should get paid for preserving EU natural and cultural heritage, he said. Mr Hogan said climate action is one of the new elements compared to the 1996 declaration. It calls for support for effective climate mitigation and adaptation strategies that go beyond carbon-based solutions. Climate change is not only seen as a challenge in the declaration, it also emphasises the business opportunities it creates in rural areas. The potential offered by digitisation and connectivity is given particular attention. However, only 25% of rural areas currently have access to ultra-fast broadband. The declaration calls for policies to ensure that to this digital divide is overcome and to help rural areas reap the benefits of the digital economy. It gives particularly strong recommendations on the kind of policies needed to meet 21st century challenges and opportunities. And it calls for a result-oriented CAP where expenditure is targeted towards well- defined economic, social and environmental policies. At the end of the Cork conference, I called for a rural coalition of the willing to come together, make its voice heard, and ensure this declaration results in real action, he said. The long life of Tyrus Wong is, to say the least, instructive. He arrived in the US as a nine-year-old illegal immigrant in 1910, alongside his father. The two were soon separated. The young boy found himself on his own for several months living on Angel Island, a cross between an island town and a detention centre, where Chinese migrants were sifted out. Over 30% of its residents were deported. The Wongs concocted a story about their origins as part of their effort to convince the authorities to allow them to remain. The boy was questioned closely by an immigration panel. He stuck faithfully to the script. Someone may have taken pity on him. Tyrus secured his foothold in America. He was reunited with his father, but he never saw his mother again. In 1942, he would play a critical role in the success of Bambi, a Walt Disney-backed cartoon film about a baby deer, helping to transform the fortunes of the Disney organisation in the process. Before the young Chinese illustrator came on the scene, Walt Disney was struggling with the film. The animal characters were being overshadowed by the background scenery of the forest that was central to the plot. Wong was employed as an ordinary animator, producing drawings that linked the key frames. As a calligrapher in the Chinese tradition, he was able to produce the light brush strokes required. Walt Disney was quick to spot his potential and Wong ended up as the films top designer. His name ended up far down the list of credits and he was dismissed following an animators strike soon after. His key role in the production was only unearthed in recent years. He was literally written out of the script. Racial discrimination in the US was a pretty universal phenomenon at the time and Chinese migrants received particular attention from a majority that had little time for non-whites, particularly those who were willing to work for well below the minimum wage. In 1882, the legislators passed what became known as the Chinese Exclusion Act, targeting thousands of unskilled coolies who sought access to Americas west coast labour market. The Act is remembered as one of the most significant clampdowns on immigration in US history. It was the product of agitation led by, among others, the labour union leader, Denis Kearney and Californian governor, John Bigler. Kearney helped establish an organisation called the Supreme Order of Caucasians. His real concern was that wage levels were being depressed due to the arrival of unskilled workers from Asia. It all has a familiar ring. Today, similar concerns have been raised over the flow of migrants into Europe from Turkey and north Africa, not to mention the flows across the Mexican border. Donald Trump has vowed to build a wall between the US and Mexico. Most of the Chinese migrants were young males like Wong and his father. They came in search of a successful life. To them, America was the fabled Golden Mountain. Important elements in the American establishment came to their aid. Between 1882 and 1905, 10,000 Chinese appealed against decisions of the immigration authorities. In most cases, the courts ruled in favour of the petitioners. An extension of the 1882 Act triggered a boycott of US goods in China in the early part of the 20th century. However, further restrictions were imposed in the 1924 US Immigration Act, while neighbouring Canada introduced a head tax aimed at all Chinese apart from business people, clergy, educators, students and certain other categories. This has modern echoes in the focus of UK Brexiteers on the attraction of skilled migrants to the UK through a points system. Such cherrypicking of overseas talent is now favoured by many recipient countries such as Australia and Canada. Everyone is looking for skilled people while few if any welcome the trudging young men with high hopes and little education, now emerging out of deserts and mountain passes from Afghanistan to El Paso. Up until 1940, Angel Island continued to accommodate unwanted migrants near San Francisco. The attack on Pearl Harbour in December 1941 led to the singling out of Japanese-Americans, most of whom were consigned to camps in remote locations for the duration of the war. In a strange reverse twist on what was then occurring in Nazi-occupied Europe, Wong and other Chinese-Americans wore a badge proclaiming their ancestry so as to ensure that they were not beaten up in the street. At the time, a Japanese-American boy, Jimmy Murakami was locked up in a camp near Sacramento. He would later become a major force in the Irish film industry through his animation company, Murakami Wolf. Eventually, in 1943, the Exclusion Act was scrapped on political grounds as the US and China were now war allies. However, a miserable quota for Chinese arrivals was put in its place. Wong himself worked on for many years at Warner Brothers working on story boards and set design, raising two daughters. He spent 15 years caring for his wife who suffered from dementia. He remained active in his 90s, speaking at an exhibition of his paintings and etchings. He ended his days flying kites designed by himself at the beach, something of a tourist attraction. Wong ascended the Golden Mountain with the help of Chinese business associates of his father who helped him fund his way through art college in Los Angeles. He also secured work as a busboy. It was a mix of family support, community solidarity and personal endeavour. One thing is sure. We will no more be able to halt the march of the migrants than King Canute was successful in halting the tides. We should instead devote more time to assisting the arrivals to successfully adapt to new surroundings while constantly challenging ourselves to recall the experiences of our own ancestors both recent and far off. For every troublemaker among the crowd, there are surely a considerable number of new citizens who would wish to follow a similar trail to that trodden by the intrepid Tyrus Wong. Mr Ryan also said he wants his party to return to Government with six TDs. The Dublin Bay South TD said: I think we have an obligation in this Parliament, all of us, to have an election sometime between the Autumn of 2018 and the summer of 2019. I think if we let it fall before then we are doing a disservice to the Irish people. Thousands took to the streets last September to demand a 24/7 service for the regional hospital. We should not be forced to again take to the streets to beg for a service that every other regional hospital has, said Hilary ONeill, a founder member of SEPAG. Waterford hospital is a category 4 acute facility, the same as larger hospitals in Dublin, Cork and Galway. In Cork, there are six cath-labs available round-the-clock servicing a population of 600,000, she said. In Waterford, theres a temporary cath lab opened eight hours a day from Monday to Friday serving 500,000 people in the south-east. This is a very political issue and many lives in the south-east are very much at risk. The public has demanded a 24/7 service in the Waterford regional. This is a matter of life and death for the 500,000 people living in the south-east region that this government seems to have forgotten about. This is not a parish pump issue as some in Dublin have described it, she said. All we have heard since September is mere lip service and no delivery of the 24/7 cardiac services. When several thousand people took to the streets in September, it was a horrible day, cold with bucketing rain. We expect thousands more this Saturday in Ballybricken at 2pm. We want the health minister and the Government to realise we have not gone away. Our lives matter and our voices will be heard. She added: Just look at the facts. One in three of us will need cardiac services at some point in our lives. In 2015, 139 emergency cardio patients presented at UHW. 65 patients had their procedures carried out but the remaining 77 who presented at the cath lab, outside operating hours of 9am-5pm Monday to Friday, were sent to Cork or Dublin. "These numbers are well above the 100-patient requirement under guidelines to qualify for a 24/7 cardiac care service at our hospital. The Sinn Fein president warned the Democratic Unionist leader that she is not a prime minister and her position in one of the two leading roles in the powersharing administration depended on his partys agreement. Addressing party faithful in west Belfast, Mr Adams left little doubt that Sinn Fein will pull the plug on the institutions if Mrs Foster does not temporarily step down over the so-called cash for ash scandal. That would likely prompt a snap election. Mrs Foster, who presided over the Renewable Heat Incentive when she was economy minister, has steadfastly refused to leave the stage to facilitate a probe into a scandal that has left Stormont facing a 490m (570m) bill. Mr Adams said: If the first minister does not take the actions that society desires and deserves and which a sustainable process of change requires, then Sinn Fein will bring this ongoing and totally unacceptable state of affairs to an end. The fate of the current administration now hangs on whether or not Mrs Foster will stand down. On Friday, she voiced support for a judge-led probe into the renewable heat scheme outlined by her Sinn Fein partners in government, but again emphatically rejected Sinn Feins prerequisite that she step aside to facilitate it. It is clear there are many in the political class who do not believe in due process or natural justice, said the DUP leader. They just want me to go regardless of the fact that there is not a scintilla of evidence of wrongdoing against me. I dont roll over to my political opponents. The state-funded Renewable Heat Incentive was supposed to offer a proportion of the cost that businesses had to pay to run eco-friendly boilers, but the subsidy tariffs were set too high and, without a cap, it ended up paying out significantly more than the price of fuel. This enabled applicants to burn to earn getting free heat and making a profit as they did it. Claims of widespread abuse include a farmer allegedly set to pocket around 1m in the next two decades for heating an empty shed. The total spend for the scheme in Northern Ireland is estimated at 1.15bn (1.34bn) over the next 20 years. The lack of consensus over the form of an investigation comes amid similar disagreement on DUP proposals to reduce the overspend. The DUP has claimed its proposals could wipe out the bill, but Sinn Fein has rubbished them. In his speech on Saturday, Mr Adams said: The DUP leader has thus far refused to stand aside, without prejudice, pending a preliminary report by an independent investigation into the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal. She repeated that refusal on Friday. That is not good enough. Arlene Foster has been first minister for almost a year. Arlene Foster is not a prime minister. She is a co-equal partner in the Office of First and Deputy First Minister. She can continue in that office but only for as long as Sinn Fein allows it. In a strongly worded speech, Mr Adams also called DUP Communities Minister Paul Givan an ignoramus for cutting funding for an Irish language initiative. US sand artist Mario Perez has drawn up a design measuring 100m by 50m which he proposes to delineate along the blue flag Ladies Beach as a salute to the new President who enters office on January 20. Mario, a 53-year-old retired government worker who moved to the Kerry resort three years ago from California, has used Ladies Beach as a canvas for his widely acclaimed work which recently included a tribute to Muster rugby legend Anthony Axel Foley. Mario said: I propose to do a design on January 20 which will be cool and it will be as big as possible, as Donald Trump does big and likes things done in a grand style. It will have a gold effect as it will have a rising sun theme with rays as a central theme and his message of making America great again. I have looked at the tides for the day and will start early and reckon my work will take about four or five hours to complete given it will measure the size of a football field. I have been in contact with friends all across the US and they are eagerly looking forward to seeing my tribute on the internet. I hope the While House get to see it and maybe President Trump will get to see it and drop in some day to Ballybunion when hes over in Doonbeg. "My tribute will be striking and I have no doubt it will attract huge attention in the US. Although Mexican by birth, he has no problems with the new president-elect. I know he has said things about Mexicans, but there are Mexicans who have caused problems. I know for me, my pension has already gone up. I worked with the government in California and during Obamas time, my pension dropped. For this project I want to do something special. I have looked through countless logos and designs to come up with a special work on a very special beach. It has to be big, given the man, he said. Mario also did a tribute to Det Garda Jerry McCabe on the 20th anniversary of his violent death in Adare. Some people asked me to do a design to commemorate the anniversary. He was brought up in Ballybunion and spent may days on the Ladies Beach. I got a Garda badge and incorporated that in the design. The survey was compiled from the views of 7,400 companies and 40,000 employees across multiple industry sectors, and found that one fifth of employees said their salary was not covering their rent. It also indicated that workers not based in Dublin are reluctant to move to the capital without a significant pay hike, while those in Dublin are not keen on moving out for a job elsewhere with less money. In more positive news, a large percentage of employers said they expected to pay bonuses to staff this year, while 70% of employees said they expected their salary to increase in 2017. The marginal tax rate and the cost of rental accommodation are seen as hindering employment possibilities, while almost one third of employers said they expected to lose staff because of increasing rents. The number of Irish returning from overseas is still low, but the overall outlook is still positive, with 72% of employers planning to pay bonuses in 2017. Almost half of employees living outside Dublin said they would need a salary increase of over 20% to move there, while a similar percentage of employees said they would only be prepared to drop their salary by less than 3% to work outside the capital. Some workers are already financially squeezed, with one fifth of those questioned claiming their salary could not accommodate the rental increases they experienced in the past year, while 44% of employees surveyed said they had no private pension, with over half of those saying they had no plans to put one in place in 2017. About 41% of employers said the shortage of rental accommodation was affecting their ability to recruit staff, while almost one third of employees said up to a quarter of their take-home pay is spent on rent. The survey also showed that 80% of employees would like to work a six-hour day, as recently introduced by Sweden. Regarding Brexit, both employers and employees said it would have some impact on their salary prospects or their firms profitability in the medium term, but they were more concerned about employment mobility prospects between Ireland, the UK, and Europe. The Abrivia Recruitment Salary Survey and Employment Trends was carried out with Trinity Business School at TCD. A new planning application for a solar farm typically 30 acres of solar panels is being lodged every two-and-a-half days but the Government has not put in place guidance to oversee their development. Now public representatives and developers are warning of a backlash by communities against the projects which could be vital in helping Ireland avoid massive fines if we fail to meet our 2020 targets for electricity production from clean energy sources. Almost 150 planning applications were lodged in the 12 months to last October, mainly in the south and east, with the highest concentrations in Cork and Wexford, and Bord Pleanala has more than a dozen appeals to be decided in the first few months of the new year. However, the number of applications by energy companies to connect to the national electricity grid if and when they install panels suggests at least 600 sites around the country are earmarked for solar farms. Energy Minister Denis Naughten warned at an industry seminar recently against imposing plans on communities. We need to start bringing people with us, he said. We could continue the old approach of bulldozing ahead and telling people we are going to do this, that or the other. This will not happen on my watch/ However, Planning Minister Simon Coveney says regular planning laws are good enough for assessing solar projects despite the fact that they pre-date any solar proposals. Kevin Murphy, a member of Cork County Council where 22 solar planning applications were lodged in the 12 months to October, said communities were already feeling bulldozed. There is no restriction on how near you can go to houses, no guidance on how to prevent them interfering with flood plains, no standard measurement of glare and glint and no way of assessing the impact in terms of devaluation of neighbouring properties, said Mr Murphy. Cork councillors voted unanimously last month to demand that the Government suspend consideration of all solar applications until guidelines are in place. These are major proposals coming in from all directions and its crazy not to have guidelines for them, said Mr Murphy. I am pro- solar energy but if you cant point to a document and say this is best practice, we will lose the trust of the people locally. David Maguire, chair of the Irish Solar Energy Association, which will publish its own planning guidelines within weeks, said he sympathised with public concerns. What were seeking to do as an industry in the absence of any national guidelines is to produce our own recommendations for best practice in planning based on the very good practices in other countries, he said. Government advisory body, the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, recently funded consultants, Future Analytics, to draw up planning recommendations. Consultant Stephen Walsh said it might not be necessary to draw up a full set of statutory guidelines, as departmental circulars might suffice. Issues like screening and having agreed technical standards could be cleared up by way of circular, he said. Having something in place that would address and allay concerns would be a positive thing. Mr Coveney said, however: I have no proposals to bring forward such guidelines at the present time. He said the matter would be kept under review in consultation with Mr Naughten. Editorial: 10 The channels Ireland Live news programme went out last Friday ahead of a major rebrand of the station as be3, which launches today. The channel forms part of TV3s new three-channel line-up after UTV Irelands 10m purchase by TV3 owner Virgin Media. The rebranding marks the end of UTV Ireland after two years on Irish screens. Based in Dublins docklands, the channel produced award- winning news output but struggled financially due to escalating launch costs and failure to build local scheduling around its exclusive rights to Coronation Street. The channel made a net loss of 19.5m in 2015 its first year of operation. The directors report accounts filed to the companies office cited, among other issues, the absence of consistently popular programming in weekend slots as contributing to lower than projected audience and advertising levels. High-profile signings Pat Kenny and news co-anchor Chris Donoghue had both left the station before the end of its first year on air. Job losses were described as unavoidable following the buyout and TV3 advertised 40 jobs in the wake of the deal, stating that it hoped many of these could be filled by UTV Ireland staff. The station employed 61 . One of the stations main presenters, Alison Comyn, took to Facebook on Thursday to pay tribute to colleagues at the station. It was my privilege to anchor the very first Ireland Live news on UTV Ireland two years ago today, and I will present the very last one tomorrow. Its been an amazing experience, and Ive loved every minute. Thank you to the incredible team. Ive worked with and I wish you all the best of luck for the future, she wrote. Last month, TV3 announced its new look three-channel lineup which featured be3. The new channel will be more female-focused and will screen popular programmes such as Midsomer Murders, Loose Women, and Benidorm. Last year was an eventful one for Europe as Britain voted itself out of the union. But despite the predictions of Nigel Farage, Ireland is still very much tied with its Continental counterparts, at least for the foreseeable future. However while we have plenty in common with our European cousins on both a cultural and social level, the one area in which we differ greatly is our command of foreign languages. All over Europe, children learn several different languages from a very young age, while for the most part our youngsters dont even touch on foreign words until they reach secondary school which, according to some, is far too late. Sabine Maher who runs French for Children for ages three upwards says across Europe, young children learn at least one extra language. In most European countries, a minimum of one foreign language is mandatory and taught at primary school from the age of seven and in some places, two or more are being taught, she says. But while the Irish Department of Education had a pilot scheme introducing foreign languages to 5th and 6th class pupils, this was terminated in 2012. Dr David Carey, director of Psychology at City Colleges and Dean of the College of Progressive Education, says introducing children to new languages before they even start primary school is a great idea. All children can learn another language at an early age and its a wonderful gift to give to them, he says. The young brain, before the age of 5, is able to learn to speak another language without developing an accent to speak it like a native. And when a foreign language it taught in a fun and engaging style, without an obsessive focus on grammar, it opens the world to them. While learning any skill builds confidence and self-esteem, language learning is intrinsically rewarding to children. The experienced psychologist says incorporating a new language into your childs everyday life in an engaging fashion is the best way to create interest. The best time to learn a foreign language is in the early years, but having said that it is important to realise that language learning can happen at any age so long as the method of instruction is fun, playful and focuses on communication as opposed to rote learning. I would encourage parents who have a second language to talk to their children in both, so they will gain essential information about the wider world make language learning fun and engaging you and your children will never regret it. Bilingualist Amy Heriquez Adams, aged 9. Elena Heriquez has done just that. Living in Dublin with her husband James Adams and their daughter Amy, the stay-at-home mum is originally from the Canary Islands and therefore a fluent Spanish speaker. Her nine-year-old daughter, on the other hand, has lived her whole life in Ireland where very few people have more than a few words of the language. But since she was born, Amy has heard both English and Spanish and in order for her to become proficient in the latter; her parents have been sending her to classes since she was four. As a Spanish person living in Ireland it was very important that my daughter can speak to her grandparents in Spanish, says Elena. I introduced Amy to it from birth as when children are young, their brains absorb everything quicker. I spoke and read to her in Spanish, played Spanish music and watched Spanish cartoons with her, so by four Amy spoke two languages in the same way. But in order to be truly fluent, the little girl would also need to be able to write proficiently, so began taking weekly classes the result being that now at aged nine she is as fluent in Spanish as she is in English. I wanted Amy to learn to read and write Spanish but especially to understand the grammar to the same level of Spanish children her age, says Elena. She has been attending weekly classes as well as camps since she was four (in order for her to practice with other children) and now reads and writes like a Spanish child so is completely bilingual. Its easy for children to learn more than two or three languages when they are young in comparison to when I came here first and it took me ages to learn English for my daughter it has come naturally. Cristina Gonzalez is the founder of Ole School of Languages which teaches children as young as three, and their recently started parent and toddler group allows younger tots to be exposed to new and different languages through the medium of songs, rhymes, stories, role-play and activities. Gonzalez, who has been teaching for over a decade, agrees with Dr Carey and says children learn better when they are younger, particularly if classes are fun. Kids are like sponges and can remember words, phrases and songs they hear in a fun environment, she says. Also the speech muscles are not completely developed yet and are more versatile so can adapt to producing new sounds (such as language). Thats why when a child says a word in a foreign language their pronunciation is more pure than the adult who struggles to produce the same information with a native accent. I would recommend parents to expose children to a foreign language before they are three, but if this isnt possible, start when they are four or five but dont leave it longer as the acquisition of a new language becomes harder as they get older. The One Voice for Languages group is promoting the importance and benefits of language learning for Ireland and their second language fair (open to representatives from all levels of the education system) takes place on March 11 in Dublin. Do you know what age your child must be to set up an Instagram account? In Ireland, the digital age of consent is 13, although many parents are not aware of this. And even for those who are aware, it can be difficult to say no in the face of peer pressure and pester power not only are their friends on social media, but celebrity children who are younger than 13 are openly online too. Cruz Beckham is just 11 and has over 300,000 followers on Instagram, while Katie Price and Peter Andre have publicly talked about their differing views on their childrens social media accounts Junior is 11 and Princess is just nine. All of this is up for discussion because the EU has proposed a change to legislation meaning that each EU country must set the age of digital consent somewhere between 13 and 16 years of age. For parents worried about social media, a knee-jerk wish to see the age go to 16 would be understandable, but does it make sense? Appropriate age Avril Ronan is an online safety educator with global security firm Trend Micro based in Cork, and she doesnt think rushing to change the age of consent is a good idea. For me, education is the answer its not just about age. If were going to move from 13 to something else, there should be recommendations based on research that show a particular age is appropriate. She makes the point that arbitrary numbers wont stop teens from going online. When I meet with teenagers at workshops, they say they feel younger kids need more protection online, but for their own age-group, its just a number theyre smart and clever theyre gong to find a way to be online. So rather than trying to stop them going online until theyre 16, we need to assume theyre going to do it anyway, and teach them how to use the internet safely? Avril with Judith Ehiguese of St Josephs College, Lucan. Exactly. So for example, they should have an understanding about advertising and cookies, and they should be savvy about risks. Our role as parents as the people who put devices in their hands is to take responsibility for keeping them safe and for educating them on the risks. Ronan, who has two children herself, points out that its not just about the dangers grooming, sexting and sextortion its also important to teach our children how to behave online themselves. If they were rude to somebody face-to-face, youd talk to them about it. Its really important to teach them social skills and manners online too, especially because theres no body language or tone. Teach them that being a troll isnt the right way to do it. Its also not just about social media. Young people use the internet for support, including mental health support, and this could be impacted by a change to the age of consent. Derek Chambers is director of programmes and policy for ReachOut.com, a website providing mental health services for young people. I asked him if ReachOut currently has users in the 13 to 16 bracket. We do. We adopt the youth mental health model of service provision, which means 12 to 25. This is based on a couple things, including the age of onset of mental health difficulties, 50% of which occur by the age of 14. But also on help-seeking behaviours we know from research that 49% of people aged between 12 and 25 go online for mental health information and support. "Its become a first instinct and a natural way of seeking help, says Chambers. Younger people have grown up with the internet and dont know a world without it, whereas were probably the last generation of adults who do. So treating young people as key stakeholders, and to some extent experts in the debate is going to be important. Slow build-up Whether the age of consent is 13 or 16, an outright internet ban until then may not be the best approach either. Ronan advocates a gradual build-up of knowledge and responsibility. You dont want to just turn it on at 13; there needs to be a slow build-up. They need to earn the responsibility. Its like anything else; driving, boyfriends, discos. And while were teaching our children online etiquette and warning them not to post photos without permission, governments are starting to take a critical look at our online habits. According to French privacy laws, parents posting images of their kids could face fines of up to 45,000 for breaching their childrens privacy, and indeed last year, an Austrian woman made headlines when she sued her parents for sharing embarrassing Facebook photos. Coderdojo founder James Whelton, Avril Ronan of Trend Micro, and Sophie Halligan of Scoil Mhuire GNS Lucan. Avril Ronan doesnt share photos of her children online. Im not going to dictate for other parents but the French law is thought-provoking. The government has sent out a strong message that parents are putting their childrens safety at risk. "And similarly I welcome this discussion about the digital age of consent because its raising awareness. Children under 13 are already online. If the age moves to 16, it means there are no rights or protection for all those children under 16 who will inevitably be online anyway. This has to come back to education. It was on January 9, 2007, that late Apple founder and chief executive Steve Jobs went on stage at the companys Macworld event to announce the tech giant was to reveal an iPod, a phone and an internet communicator, but rather than three separate products being revealed, one of the first truly smart phones was unveiled. Since then, Apple has sold more than 1bn iPhones and has become one of the wealthiest companies ever. However, increasing pressure from competitors and the smartphone market beginning to reach saturation point has created new pressures; 2016 has seen sales of the iPhone drop for the first time in the devices history. Pressure from the likes of Samsung, Google, HTC, and Huawei has squeezed the popularity of the iPhone, as has the increase in higher-quality budget and mid-range devices that undercut the iPhone and others on price. Since the initial announcement in 2007, Apple has introduced 11 new generations of iPhone, drastically redesigning the device on several occasions, as well as altering the screen size and introducing an overall larger version of the phone with the iPhone 6 Plus in 2014, the first iPhone to feature a screen over 5in. The iPhone also sparked the creation of the App Store, which launched in 2008 and has since been at the heart of the creation of a large number of hugely successful mobile app businesses, including the likes of Angry Birds, Uber and Deliveroo. Such has been the success of the iPhone that, as an individual business, the revenue generated by the device alone has exceeded that of some of its rivals, including Microsoft and Google. Analysts have referred to the iPhone as a cultural icon and most modern smartphones have been inspired by the iPhone in some form. The next version of the iPhone, which is expected to be unveiled in September, has already been rumoured to feature a larger screen that covers the majority of the front of the device. How the iPhone has dramatically impacted everyday life A new way of using a computer: The screen keyboard meant people had to learn to swipe their telephones instead of hitting a physical keyboard. Predictive-text, spell-check plus cutting and pasting were introduced. It helped trigger a new trend for touchscreen products. The App Store: This simple way to buy and download an array of applications was introduced in 2008 and meant people could tailor the iPhone to their own needs. It created a new focus for software developers, who looked to create for mobile devices rather than programmes for Windows desktop and laptop computers. Siri: Apple describes Siri as the intelligent personal assistant that helps you get things done. Sending messages, placing calls and checking the calendar are among the tasks Siri can do once the voice-recognition technology is mastered. Users learned to speak commands and questions instead of of tapping them in on the screen. The 64-bit A7 processor: Apple was the first company to get a powerful 64-bit processor into a smartphone. Rivals branded it a gimmick, while Apple claimed the processor was of desktop-grade. Apple had put its developers at the forefront of the long-term challenge to boost performance, even though having smartphones with 4GB of RAM was still a distant reality when this processor was introduced. Touch ID: A fingerprint can be used to unlock Apples iPhone and iPad. The iPhone 5 was the first device to feature the fingerprint scanner. 3D Touch: This pressure-sensitive technology, unveiled in 2015, was aimed at allowing users to call up different functions by pressing screens firmly. Apple said it transformed the experience of using the telephone, making it easier to use and switch between apps. It could be pressed into action to preview an email or photograph, swap weapons in a video game, and switch into selfie photograph mode. Reviving an industry: The past decade has seen new developments in mobile operating systems, the production of touchscreen smartphones and tablets. Technology analyst Ian Fogg said: 10 years ago when people brought out consumer computing devices or home appliances, if they connected to any device at all it had to be connected to a PC... but now everyone is connected to an iPhone. The telephone is essential to everything now. Boosting other industries: The iPhone opened up doors for other types of businesses, such as Uber and Rovio, which makes the Angry Birds game. The supply-chain comes under the spotlight: With the iPhone helping to drive Apples power in the world of technology, there came greater scrutiny and high-profile activism over how electronics are made. Campaigners criticised the Foxconn plants in China that produce Apples iPhones, iPads, and other products over poor working conditions, long hours, and low wages. Apple has banned the use of bonded labour in its factories. This saw new workers charged a fee sometimes equivalent to a months salary or more for being introduced to a factory. It meant many employees began work in debt, according to a BBC report. Not all developments since the age of the smartphone and 24-hour internet have been welcomed, according to a new survey by technology company Pitney Bowes. The worst types of technology-related rudeness is being disturbed by someone talking on a phone in public or seeing someone check texts during a business lunch. This frustrated 71% and 63%, respectively, of those questioned. Driving along the N25 towards the Rosslare ferry in Co Wexford, we pass a slightly homemade looking billboard. 250,000 lives saved by the 8th, it says. Daughter asks what this means. The 8th of what, she wonders. I explain. Back when I was your age, I tell her, there was a referendum She knows what this means, having witnessed Britain hit itself over the head with Brexit which wrote into the Irish constitution the right to life of embryos. She looks a bit blank. She has not grown up in Ireland. So what it is, I explain, is that Irish law says that when a sperm and an egg fuse inside a womans body, it immediately has the same legal rights as the woman whose body its inside. It has the same legal status as you or I. She bursts out laughing, because she thinks Im joking. So you and me, she says, you and me sitting here in this car, we are legally the same as a zygote. (Shes doing GCSE biology and has all the lingo). I nod. Thats mental, she says. Thats properly mental. So what about the 250,000 lives, she asks. I tell her Im guessing its probably a hypothetical figure, based on calculations were Ireland to have the same reproductive autonomy laws as the UK since the referendum. She looks startled. You mean Ireland doesnt? So what do Irish women do if they get pregnant and dont want to be? They get a Ryanair flight to England, I tell her. Or the boat. She still doesnt get it. Why cant they just have it done in Ireland? I tell her its because its illegal. Since they made embryos the same as women? No, I reply. Before then. But that was so long ago, she says, making me feel old. Havent things changed? For gay people yes, I say, but not for women. She shakes her head. How can that be right? Why should anyone tell a woman what to do with her own body? And here I let out a sigh that lifts the car off the road. Oh love, I say to her. You have no idea. But shes fired up now. So who says women must stay pregnant even if they dont want to? The church, and about a fifth of the population, I say. And governments are all too nervous to do anything, even though two thirds of Ireland want the law changed. So youre telling me, she says, eyes blazing a bit, that people think its better to let an unwanted pregnancy develop into an unwanted human? Yes, I say. Exactly. And that people who have never met you, people who are not even women, can make those decisions for you, because you are legally just a thing that babies grow in? Yes, I say again. Youve got it. Wow, she says. Thats medieval. And she plugs in her headphones, and stares out the window. Asia US Human Rights Official Finds Disturbing Pattern in Arakan Security Operations US Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor Tom Malinowski (left) in July 2016. / Reuters WASHINGTON, United State Abuses appear normal and allowed in Burmas response to armed attacks in Arakan State, a senior US official has said in an interview following the release last week of an interim report on alleged abuses by a government-appointed commission. The Arakan State Investigation Commission said there was insufficient evidence so far to support allegations of rape and killings by security forces that have been made by self-identifying Rohingya villagers fleeing security operations in northern Arakan State, also known as Rakhine State. Tom Malinowski, the US State Departments human rights chief, questioned the credibility of that investigation in an interview with the Associated Press. Malinowski said a video of police kicking and beating villagersfilmed by the police and recently surfaced on social mediasuggests a disturbing pattern in the security response in Arakan State. People dont film themselves committing a human rights abuse unless they think that doing so is normal and allowed, Malinowski said. What that video suggests to me is that this kind of behavior, at least with respect to whatever unit or elements of the security forces was involved, has become normalized, much as the photographs at Abu Ghraib taught us the same lesson about things that were going on in our military in Iraq at the time, he said. The government has verified the video and detained the police officers involved, including the officer who shot the footage. But it insists that the incident is an isolated case. As early as two years ago, Malinowski said, the US expressed fears to Burmas government that the grievances of Muslims needed to be addressed. Otherwise, he said, outside forces would eventually exploit those grievances to promote a violent reaction. It does seem that something like that, at least on a small scale, has happened, Malinowski said. The US would be prepared to share credible information of threats with Burma to help the civilian leadership respond effectively to attacks, he said. He would not say if any actionable intelligence has been shared to date. We do want to support the government of Burma in protecting its people and its borders. We want to help them do it the right way. That means not falling into the trap of an indiscriminate response that fuels recruitment for groups that may be using violence, Malinowski said. Burma ABSDF Criticizes Burma Armys Arrest of Leader U Myo Win, vice chair of the ABSDF at its public consultation for peace in Rangoon in January 2017. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy RANGOON The governments decision to detain a leader of armed group the All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) undermines the current peace building process, said ABSDF vice chairman U Myo Win at a public consultation in Rangoon last weekend. Burma Army troops arrested ABSDF central committee member U Min Htay at the Sein Lone checkpoint on the Bhamo-Lwegel road in Moemauk Townshipa Kachin Independence Army (KIA)-controlled area of Kachin Stateon Dec. 28 last year. U Min Htay is charged under the Unlawful Associations Act with Burma Army Capt. Thet Swe Lwin as plaintiff and is being held at Bhamo Prison. His first court date is set for Jan. 13 and the maximum sentence for a guilty verdict is two years. U Myo Win said that he was negotiating with the government for his comrades release but that there were questions over the reason behind the arrest and that the incident had affected the peace process. It undermines trust. We want all the responsible persons to consider the benefits and the disadvantages regarding this, added U Myo Win. The Tatmadaws move to arrest a leader of a Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement (NCA) signatory would dissuade non-signatories from signing the agreement, he said. The ABSDF is unique as it does not have its own territory; the 800-member group operates in the territories of ethnic armed groups, only some of whom have signed the NCA. It was formed in 1988 following the nationwide uprising against the late-General Ne Win. Also known as the student army, it has been based in Mon, Karen, Chin, Shan, and Kachin states for the last 28 years. It signed a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the government in August 2013 and signed the NCA in October 2015. At a public consultation at the Inya Lake hotel in Rangoon last weekend the ABSDF collected opinions and recommendations on its political position and on polices drafted by ethnic armed groups. The group intends to share the opinions with armed ethnic group leaders ahead of the next session of 21st Century Panglong Peace Conference scheduled for February. Patron of the ruling party National League for Democracy U Tin Oo said at the conference that Burmas publicand especially women and childrenwere suffering because of renewed conflict between the Burma Army and ethnic armed groups. We want that suffering to end, he said. He praised the public consultation and said we must all listen to the peoples desires through this people-centered approach. Another ABSDF leader Salai Yaw Aung said that no ethnic armed groups or civil society organizations should be left out of the peace process and criticized the Burma government for dealing with the 21 non-state armed groups in different ways. The government signed bilateral ceasefire agreements with many groups but not those currently operating in northern Shan State, including the Taang National Liberation Army, Kokangs Myanmar Nationalities Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army. Burma ALD Members Re-Establish Party Under Same Name Protesters chant near the location of the ALD conference inTaungup Township, Arakan State on Sunday. / Zaw Worn / Facebook RANGOON Around 100 participants from throughout Arakan State voted to re-establish the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD) during a weekend conference in Taungup Township, former ALD member U Myo Kyaw told The Irrawaddy on Monday. Meeting attendees selected Arakan States Kyauktaw Township as partys head quarters and agreed to open branches in Rangoon as well in Taungup. U Myo Kyaw said that Kyauktaw is perceived as the ALDs stronghold, and is also home to an auspicious Buddha image dating back to the Arakanese kingdom of Mrauk-U. In order to become an official party, U Myo Kyaw said the registration process with the Union Election Commission would begin in February. However, it is unclear whether current deputy speaker of the Upper House U Aye Thar Aung or lawmaker Ma Htoot Mayboth former ALD memberswould join the party. They currently belong to the Arakan National Party (ANP), which was formed in 2014 by merging the ALD and the Rakhine National Development Party (RNDP) to avoid vote splitting in the 2015 election. On the first day of the Taungup conference, around 40 locals staged a protest and chanted that the meeting attendees were unwanted separatists, for attempting to compete against the ANP. Demonstrators also called the ALD members unwelcome Bamar followers, in a reference to the ALDs past working relationship with the Burman-majority National League for Democracy (NLD), which now heads the government. In response to the accusations from the demonstrators, meeting attendee Ko Zaw Win insisted that the ALD supporters were not secessionists. A challenge which awaits is how the split will affect civil society support, which is seen as crucial to success in the Arakanese political arena. Coordinator of the farmers rights group Kyaukphyu Rural Development Association U Tun Kyi told The Irrawaddy that he is not opposed to the presence of multiple Arakanese parties and believes people will support different political entities, depending on their views and goals. We will cooperate with the party which prioritizes public interests, he said. One criticism facing the ALD is the partys close ties to Rangoon, the countrys commercial capital, which lies outside of Arakan State. No matter whether we are working from Rangoon or Rakhine [Arakan State], we have worked similarly in the past, said former ALD member U Myo Kyaw, who added that party leaders in Rangoon could easily contact representatives in Arakan State chapters, and that the proximity to larger government departments could be an advantage. U Myo Kyaw also pointed out how much of Burmas ethnic Arakanese population is believed to be spread across the country, rather than concentrated in Arakan State. The ALD first contested Burmas 1990 election and won 11 parliamentary seats. However, the military government did not transfer power to the elected parties, and instead arrested members of groups like the ALD and NLD. Twenty-five years later, in the 2015 election, the ANP secured 45 out of 77 seats which it contested,effectively defeating its biggest nation wide competitor, the NLD, in Arakan State. The ANP publically demanded that the NLD, as the countrys leading party, nominate an ANP figure to serve as chief minister of Arakan state, but the NLD instead selected U Nyi Pu, one of its own members, for the role. Since the ANPs formation, tension between former ALD and RNDP members has been visible, coming to a head over the position of chief minister of the Arakan State. Six former ALD members were expelled from the ANP in early 2016 after opposing the partys demand that one of its own members be appointed to the position. Burma Buddhist Nationalists Disrupt Muslim Ceremony in Downtown Rangoon The Muslim religious ceremony takes place at the YMCA in Rangoon / Aung Naing Win RANGOON Dozens of intruders, including nationalist Buddhist monks, halted a Muslim religious ceremony in downtown Rangoon on Sunday afternoon. Around 100 people attended the ceremony at the YMCA on 45th Street, organized by the Ulama Islam organization to mark the Prophet Muhammads birthday. It was intended to last five hours, but was called off after just 30 minutes. [The group] arrived early, before the ceremony started, and told us they wouldnt let it go ahead, even though we already had permission from the authorities, said U Aung Naing Win, an interfaith leader who joined the gathering. Police, township authorities, and lawmakers were present at the scene to negotiate between the two sides and reconcile the situation. Ko Ko Oo, a police officer from Botahtaung Township, told reporters that he would not take action against the nationalist group as they were not violent. They did not swear, beat, or act violent toward the people there. They just came to check on the ceremony, he said. Dozens of the intruders said they were from the Patriotic Monks Union, a group known for its anti-Muslim stance. According to U Aung Naing Win, one monk named U Thu Sei Tha shouted at those gathering for the ceremony that it would be the last such event. U Aung Naing Win said that Muslim community leaders are discussing how to take legal action against the nationalist group. Hasan Ka, the vice president of the ceremonys organizing committee, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that they had held the event annually for the last seven years without incident. He said those causing a disturbance were only a group of people who are trying to destroy democracy. The same group reportedly caused a disturbance at a Muslim ceremony in Thakatha Township on Jan. 7. U Aung Naing Win said that nationalist monks tried to find out about every ceremony. Even if we hold them secretly, they still find out. Despite Burmas political reforms, anti-Muslim incidents continue to occur in the country. Violence against Burmas religious minorities spread during the rule of President U Thein Sein with ultranationalist groups like the Ma Ba Tha being accused of inciting hatred. The Daw Aung San Suu Kyi-led National League for Democracy government, elected in 2015, promised to take action against groups like the Ma Ba Tha, who have since become less vocal. Burma Labor Rights Negotiations Fail with Mandalay Textile Factory Labor rights protesters march to Naypyidaw. / The Irrawaddy MANDALAY Negotiations on labor rights between employees and textile factory management in Mandalay Divisions Paleik Township were canceled before demands were met, according to the workers. Although most of the worker demands were agreed to, the company refused to reappoint four workers who had been fired for protesting, which is why the negotiations were canceled. We were about to sign an agreement but the company refused to reappoint four protest leaders, which the UMFCCI [Union of Myanmar Federation of Chambers of Commerce and Industry] and a labor rights judge instructed them to do, said Zarchi Win, a representative of the protesters. During the final minutes of negotiations, the company also said it would need to reconsider new rules and regulations regarding salary, working hours and accommodation, according to the workers. Everything was agreed upon but the company refused to sign at the last minute. The negotiation team showed their disappointment, she added. The regional governments negotiation team said the case goes against the decision of the team and it will not handle future negotiations. Weve done our best for both parties but the agreements were not met. We will not negotiate further, which we will report to the regional government and Naypyidaw, said U Zarni Aung, Mandalay regional minister of construction and electrical power, who took part as a negotiator. The textile factory, operated by the Ministry of Industry, was handed over in 2013 to Pandaa private textile company, which prompted protests after laborers said their rights were abused during the transition of ownership. More than 600 workers took part in the protests and four of them were fired. Two workers died due to bad health while at the sit-in protest camp in front of the factory in early 2015. At the end of 2015, the Mandalay regional government formed a negotiation team and negotiated between Panda and the laborers for around two months. Burma Malaysias Food Flotilla Plans to go Ahead Despite Burma Govt Plea Muslim children walk on in front of closed shops in the town center of Maungdaw, Arakan State in October 2017. / Hein Htet / The Irrawaddy RANGOON A Malaysian organization plans to proceed with its controversial Arakan State food flotilla later this month despite a plea from Burmas Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the Malaysian Embassy to block the shipment, organizers confirmed on Monday. There is no question about cancelation, no issue at all, Malaysia Consultative Council of Islamic Organizations (MAPIM) spokesperson Wan Nordin told The Irrawaddy, adding that the group had communicated with the Malaysian authorities but was waiting a reply. The food flotilla is scheduled to leave Malaysia on Jan. 31. Burmas foreign ministry confirmed on Saturday that it had contacted the Malaysian Embassy on Jan. 5 to request that they prevent the shipment, according to a release from the State Counselors Office Information Committee. The statement said that the Burma government had requested Malaysia take necessary measures to prevent the reported attempt by certain NGOs to send aid flotilla which cannot be allowed to enter without prior approval from the Government of Myanmar. The MAPIM shipment to provide food and medicine for Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships has ruffled government feathers after it reportedly received no communication from either the Malaysian Embassy or the aid organization. A statement last week from the foreign ministry said that aid proposals should be sent through proper diplomatic channels and the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement. The Government of Arakan State would be responsible for distributing aid to the region, the statement said. The ministry outlined that cash or in-kind assistance are to be meant for both communities without any distinction, referring to Buddhist Arakanese and Muslim Rohingya. Wan Nordin said that giving to both communities was common practice for the Malaysian organization and that in 2015 it had distributed aid to Buddhist communities in Sittwe and Rangoon. He said that in previous instances the group had cooperated with local NGOs, and authorities, to deliver aid to camps and poor communities. Presidents Office spokesperson U Zaw Htay told The Irrawaddy last month that the Burmese navy would warn the ship to return to Malaysia, or it would turn it back by force. Burma More Than Twenty DKBA Splinter Group Soldiers Surrender Members of a Democratic Karen Benevolent Army splinter group that surrendered to the Burma Army. / Office of the Commander in Chief / Facebook More than 20 soldiers from a Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA) splinter group surrendered to the Burma Army on Saturday, a week after their leader joined an ethnic armed group coalition operating in northern Shan State known as the Northern Alliance, said state-run media. According to a Myanmar News Agency report on Sunday, 23 members of the DKBA splinter groupalso known as the Klo Htoo Baw Karen Organization (KKO)disagreed with KKO leader Col. San Aung and wanted to live peacefully. The group was led by a soldier named Soe Soe, who contacted a local Burma Army unit for their surrender. 23 members of the KKO of Saw Hsan Aung [Col. San Aung] returned to the legal fold bringing along with them arms and ammunition to Hlaingbwe Township, Kayin [Karen] State, yesterday [Saturday], read the report. The defected DKBA splinter members brought eight assorted weapons, 149 rounds of bullets, eight magazines, three bombs, and seven mines. Col. San Aung recently told The Irrawaddy that seven members of his troop surrendered to the Burma Army earlier this month. He joined the Northern Alliance in northern Shan State after losing bases in Karen State in battles with Burma Army and the Border Guard Force in October and November last year. The Northern Alliance is comprised of four ethnic armed organizationsthe Kachin Independence Army, the Taang National Liberation Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, and the Arakan Armyand is still engaged in fighting with the Burma Army. The DKBA splinter group led by Col. San Aung has been fighting the Burma Army in Myaing Gyi Nyu and Mae Tha Waw regions of Pa-an District in southern Karen State and on the Asia Highway road in Myawaddy Township in October and November last year in which about 5000 villagers were displaced. Burma New Bus Service for Rangoon Commuters to Launch Next Week Bus Owners at the office of Yangon Region Transport Authority in South Okkalapa Township while observing the new bus routes. / Chanson / The Irrawaddy RANGOON All bus lines registered with the Rangoon Division Motor Vehicles Supervisory Committeebetter known by its Burmese acronym Ma Hta Thawill stop running next week and will be replaced with nearly 60 bus lines under a new public bus system, the Yangon Region Transport Authority (YRTA) announced at a press conference on Friday. A total of eight companies will operate buses under the management of the YRTA with the new system launching on Jan. 16 called the Yangon Bus Service (YBS). The existing bus networks are notorious for poor maintenance standards, misconduct of bus staff, and a failure to respect traffic rules. Rangoon chief minister and patron of the YRTA U Phyo Min Thein told media that Jan. 15 will be the last day of operation for the citys existing 300 bus lines. He said the new system will feature 59 bus lines serving the citys 5.2 million residents starting next week. New vehicles and a digital payment system will follow. Our first step is to reform the system, he said. After reforming the system, we will improve the condition of the vehicles, then the security of the buses and the passengers, and the payment system. The regional government will finish the whole reform process by the end of 2017, allotting each area three months, he added. According to Daw Nilar KyawRangoons minister for electricity, industry, and transportation, who also chairs the YRTAvehicles manufactured before 1995 will not be allowed under the new public bus system. Buses currently individually owned and functioning under Ma Hta Tha should register with the YRTA to be able to continue in the new system next week, Daw Nilar Kyaw said. Owners of the buses will be allowed to choose which route of the given 59 lines they want to serve. Karen Ethnic Affairs Minister for Rangoon Division Naw Pann Thinzar Myo explained that 80 percent of the new bus lines follow existing routes and the other 20 percent are new routes. There will be no overlapping bus lines in a move to avoid competition among bus conductors, she explained. Only three lines will serve downtown to reduce traffic, she said. A new website for the bus routes was launched on Monday and there will also be a mobile application for commuters. U Hla Aung, chairman of Ma Hta Tha and a member of the YRTA, told The Irrawaddy last month that the majority of his Ma Hta Tha staff would likely apply to the YRTA after Ma Hta Tha was abolished. In the new system, there will be equal opportunity and equal salaries for both men and women to work as bus conductors and drivers, according to the chief minister. The chief minister said it is hoped that about 3,000 buses will serve the city when the new system is launched. The bus fares will be 100-300 kyats depending on distance. Whenever we start a new system, there will be challenges and difficulties, the chief minister said. We must face such situations during every transition period. The eight public-private partnership firms are yet to be announced by the regional government but will reportedly include Bandoola Transportation Co. Ltd.run by the military-owned Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd.as well as other existing private bus line operators. Among the eight selected companies, the Yangon Bus Public Co., Ltdthe citys first bus rapid transit (BRT) systemis a pioneering public company launched in February this year. Its buses currently traverse three routes in the city and provide an electronic ticketing service. According to the Japan International Cooperation Agencys 2014 survey on public transportation in Rangoon, 61 percent of the citys population relies on public transportation and 49 percent of all commuters use the bus. Burma NLD to Discipline Karenni State Party Heads for Late Candidate Registration A polling station officer counts votes in Rangoon during the 2015 election. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy RANGOON The National League for Democracy (NLD) party heads of Karenni State and Hpruso Township will be punished for failing to field a candidate in time, causing the party to lose the chance to compete for a regional seat in upcoming by-elections. Eighteen candidates from the ruling party have registered with the Union Election Commission (UEC) to contest in the by-elections scheduled for April 1. Meanwhile, main opposition and once-ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) will field 19 candidates. The NLDs nominee to run for the regional seat in Karenni States Hpruso Township failed to register his candidacy with the district election sub-commission between Nov. 28 and Dec. 7 of 2016. NLD secretary U Nyan Win told The Irrawaddy on Monday that after a Saturday meeting, the partys central executive committee (CEC) had decided to reprimand the partys chairpersons in Karenni State and Hpruso Township over the incident. He added, however, that the CEC had not yet decided on what disciplinary measures would be taken. As the partys heads of the region, they have the responsibility for all the partys affairs there. They have a duty not to register candidates late. They gave the reason that the commission didnt inform them that they had to register. But who would have informed them? The commissions duty is just to announce [the elections], U Nyan Win said. NLD Karenni State chairperson Dr.Khin Sithu, who is also a Lower House lawmaker, said the partys CEC had not yet spoken to her about the issue. As she was serving in Parliament at the time that registration was due, she said she forwarded the documents for the candidate in question to the Hpruso Township head. Everyone has responsibilities. But when I contested in the election, no one applied for us [on our behalf]. We ourselves had to register the candidacy. If the CEC takes action, I cant do anything, as it is their party [decision], whether it is fair or not, Dr.Khin Sithu said. With the absence of an NLD candidate,Hpruso voters will choose between candidates from the USDP, the National Progressive Party and the All Nationals Democracy Party (Kayah State). The by-elections will be held in Rangoon, Sagaing and Pegu divisions, as well as in Shan, Karenni, Mon, Chin and Arakan states, in order to fill the 19 vacant seats. The election campaign period will take place from Jan. 30 to March 30. Burma Six Adults, One Child Killed by Elephant in Shan State A house destroyed by an elephant in Mongmit Township, Shan State, on Sunday. / MOI / Facebook RANGOON Seven people were stomped to death by an elephant in northern Shan States Mongmit Township on Sunday night, according a Lower House lawmaker from the township. Parliamentarian U Toe Thaung told The Irrawaddy on Monday that the elephant destroyed a house in Sint Kin village while the people inside were sleeping. The family woke up, got scared, and ran. The elephant followed, attacking them and stomping on them, he said. He added that the elephants owner had also been killed by the animal as he followed it to the village and tried to subdue it. The elephant had been used it for logging in the area, but was in musth, a period of time when male elephants experience a rise in reproductive hormones such as testosterone. Normally when a domestic elephant is in musth, its owner must take extra precautions to keep it restrained, as the animal may become violent. No rope was used to tie up the elephant when it came to kill the family, said U Toe Thaung. Six people were killed at once, including a 7-year-old boy, and another wounded person died on the way to the hospital, he explained, adding that the victims included four men, two women, and the boy. After the encounter, locals killed the elephant. How to Assess Your Critical Cloud Service Providers Public cloud is a good thing only when an appropriate strategy is applied to leverage it to the benefit of the business. While is can be less expensive for some workloads, it can be more expensive for others without a thoughtful, strategic approach, it can destroy value rather than create it. In other words, Public cloud doesnt fix stupid. Thats the conclusion drawn by Jason Anderson, chief architect at Datalink, a cloud services provider in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, based on the findings of a recent IT optimization survey of U.S. IT executives that was commissioned by Datalink. In a recent interview, Anderson discussed the survey, and what Datalink gleaned from it, at some length. I asked him if the survey results prompted Datalink to change anything it had been doing in order to better serve its customers. He said the company has, in fact, changed its focus: What we had been talking to customers about for quite a while was that they need to get a handle on their cloud strategy, and make sure that if youre an IT executive, you want to be at the center of the cloud conversation, and be a broker of IT services. That had been our message. Its not that we think that that is wrong, or was wrong. But what we learned from the survey was that a lot of IT executives get that message already, so we really dont have to pound on that. Instead, we need to get them better armed with the how to do that. So we shifted our focus to really saying, OK, the how is to focus on your workloads, and embrace the fact that youre going to have multiple platforms. What was clarified for us in the survey was that we really need to take a very workload-focused view of the world. Know going into it that, except for some very small organizations, or ones that are so specialized they only have a handful of applications, theyre going to have multiple platforms, and that both on-prem[ises] and public cloud are going to be a part of the mix. Anderson went on to address what I found to be a particularly interesting survey finding that 40 percent of the respondents had pulled at least one workload back from the public cloud: In follow-up conversations with our customers, they told us theyre not taking everything out. But theyre realizing that you cant just move applications to a public cloud and expect to have a successful deployment. You need to re-platform. Architecture still matters, and strategy is critical when youre putting a workload into public cloud you have to do it with purpose. A number of workloads have ended up on public cloud without architecture, without strategy. Those are the ones that have had to be pulled back, and a lot of it has come down to cost as one major concern, the other being risk things like regulatory security. Its those types of concerns where somebody realized, Holy crap, weve got a really critical workload that has extremely valuable company data running on public cloud. We didnt do that on purpose we need to take a timeout with this, pull it back, and then figure out what our strategy should be. So we dont see those customers abandoning public cloud theyre realizing that mistakes have been made in workloads that theyve put out there that they then need to pull back. That pull-back can be painful, Anderson said, but necessary: Thats a non-trivial decision to make that choice, and its also a non-trivial cost. Its a lot more expensive to pull it out then it was to put it there in the first place. The businesses and their IT organizations have realized that public cloud is not a panacea. It is not right for every workload, and many of them have discovered that the hard way. Maybe at some point in the future those workloads will end up back in public cloud, once theyve been appropriately re-platformed to take advantage of public cloud by maintaining the appropriate services, availability and security that the applications require. I also found it interesting that the top reason respondents gave for abandoning public cloud deployments was security. I mentioned to Anderson that I could see see where security concerns would be a top reason for not deploying to the public cloud in the first place. But abandoning the public cloud due to security concerns infers that actual security issues arose, as opposed to it just being a perception thing. I asked Anderson for his thoughts on that, and he said that what they found in talking to some of their customers who responded to the survey was that it wasnt necessarily the case that they encountered security issues while they were in the public cloud: It was more a matter of applications having ended up in public cloud without a strategy, without it being a conscious decision by the entire organization. It may have been through shadow IT, through lines of business that dont have the level of experience and expertise that IT has around security and regulatory concerns. So applications have been discovered in public cloud that probably never should have been there in the first place from a security perspective. The other primary issue on the security side has been with customers who realized that they have not properly architected the environment. According to Anderson, it all boils down to recognizing that theres nothing automatic about security: You need to understand how you provide an integrated security architecture as part of your public cloud, whether thats [Amazon Web Services] or Google or [Microsoft] Azure. Those platforms provide excellent tools to assist you with creating secure environments, but it doesnt happen automatically. You dont automatically get secure authentication to access your resources without setting up the appropriate access controls. You dont automatically get border security, you dont automatically get intrusion detection and prevention capabilities. All of that requires an appropriate architecture, whether it is on-premises or in public cloud. So we continue to work with our customers on the fact that architecture matters. A contributing writer on IT management and career topics with IT Business Edge since 2009, Don Tennant began his technology journalism career in 1990 in Hong Kong, where he served as editor of the Hong Kong edition of Computerworld. After returning to the U.S. in 2000, he became Editor in Chief of the U.S. edition of Computerworld, and later assumed the editorial directorship of Computerworld and InfoWorld. Don was presented with the 2007 Timothy White Award for Editorial Integrity by American Business Media, and he is a recipient of the Jesse H. Neal National Business Journalism Award for editorial excellence in news coverage. Follow him on Twitter @dontennant. Aliens on the moon communicate with radio signals! This is what alien hunters concluded with a new photo of the Earth's moon which shows an alleged alien-made structure with antenna which they called "radio telescope" in the surface of the moon. The structure was spotted on a snapshot of the moon released by NASA on Dec. 30, 2016. Previously a UFO Hunter from Finland also spotted an antenna-like spike on the photo of the moon from the Lunar Orbiter, which he claimed was an alien antenna located on the roof of an alien base. After zooming the photo, alien hunters saw a clear plateau under the antenna which was claimed to be the alien base. He added that the reason that NASA hasn't sent manned missions to the Earth's moon since the Apollo mission was because of the presence of aliens. This time, the alien antenna has some similar to the regular radio telescope. It has a circular shape with an antenna in the middle. According to UFO Sightings Daily, it might be an alien antenna array used for sending and receiving messages through deep space by aliens on the moon. On the other hand, UFO hunters previously also spotted a black disc-shaped object on a live stream video of the Earth's from an observatory in the United States. Alien enthusiasts noted that the disc does not look like it was man made which sparked speculation of alien bases on moon. "Looks like a biomechanically grown UFO," Scott C. Waring said according to Mirror Online. He added that the disk is not completely round and has rough edges. Other alien enthusiasts agreed that it is not an object but a creature as it is not maintaining its form. Some people are connecting the sighting of the the alleged alien on the moon to the alien radio telescope. Facebook CEO and founder Mark Zuckerberg is apparently taking the cuts exposed by the 2016 US election personally. In a post on his social networking site, Zuckerberg laid out how his personal challenge for the year was to visit and meet with people in all over the 30 states. Now the question is, will Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg to enter US politics? Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg To Enter US Politics "My personal challenge for 2017 is to have visited and met people in every state in the US by the end of the year. I've spent significant time in many states already, so I'll need to travel to about 30 states this year to complete this challenge," CEO Mark Zuckerberg post in Facebook last January 3. Another step on a long quest of Zuckerberg, which is to meet more Americans, would be quietly but forcefully arranging his both personal and business affairs toward a run for his office, according to the Guardian. Last December, unsealed court filings from a lawsuit revealed that Zuckerberg was talking with the board members on how he might pursue a political career while still keeping control of the company. Perhaps following in mind the questions Donald Trump has faced about dispossessing from his businesses while in the White House. The rumors and speculation have also drawn on Zuckerberg's Christmas Day message on Facebook, in which he renounced his earlier atheist beliefs. He told a Facebook user who commented on a specific post he wrote on, Dec. 25 that he was no longer an atheist. Though Zuckerberg declined to reveal what religion he was practicing right now, saying, "I was raised Jewish and then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important." First Step Of Mark Zuckerberg Onto Politics Zuckerberg took his first significant step onto the political stage in 2013 when he launched Fwd.us, a political advocacy group to shape public policy on immigration. According to Attn, Zuckerberg helped to launch a lobbying group devoted to immigration reform and expanding the H1B visa program, a very critical part of Silicon Valley's talent recruitment. Also, Zuckerberg made a $100 million donation to reform the public schools in some area such as in Newark, New Jersey. This process may be beset by mismanagement and bad visibility. With that, the question "Will Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg To Enter US Politics?" will be soon answered. Let us hope that the legendary CEO will have the guts to say a "yes" or a "no" to answer the rumors and speculations. Microsoft has been working hard to provide a new user experience for the digital notebook, OneNote for the past months. OneNote's new UI is designed to be more accessible and consistent among platforms with the OneNote team looking at ways to further improve the app's aesthetics. The digital note-taking app for desktop has been under development around 13 years since 2003. It has evolved around the needs of its users. However, while users find the Win32 version powerful, many users, especially new ones, have found it difficult to use. This is according to a Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) session with the team from Microsoft OneNote. OneNote's current goal is to bring in the "most valuable features from the classic OneNote app while delivering a more simple and pleasant user experience for users overall" to the OneNote UWP app. Microsoft is ready to provide updates for users according to a Twitter post by OneNote Product Manager Lead, William Devereux. He posts: "We've got a ton of great features headed your way in the next update for OneNote on Windows 10!" He also tweeted that many of the new features are actually the top requests from the community. Plus points to Microsoft for engagement! From what we can see in the app, the new features include a refreshed user interface. Users can now hide page previews in the Notebook view. This means that only the content from the active page will be on the screen. OneNote will now also let you hide those embarrassing red spelling error lines. Tablet users might be delighted with its improved usability. You can easily hide the navigation sidebar and get a view of the notes and inking section at full screen. You can also enable full-screen drawings thru a toggle trigger that is much easier to locate. It is one of the most popular illusory doomsday state of affairs, featured in films like Armageddon and Deep Impact, but the threat of an asteroid destroying life on our planet is a certainty. For years' scientists, have been trying to work out how to deal with the danger of an asteroid, which could hit us with no warning. Now the White House has delivered an official document unfolding the plan if a meteor or asteroid was to head our way, and it displays we are under-prepared. The White House published its 'National Near-Earth Object Preparedness Strategy'. The document suggests to improve our nation's readiness to address the hazard of Near-Earth Object (NEO) impacts by improving the integration of existing national and international properties and adding important competences that are currently lacking.' NEOs Are Asteroids Or Comets That Have An Orbit That Brings Them Near Or Into Earth's Orbit If one of these was to skyrocket towards Earth in the future, it would not be Earth's first time. A 56-foot (17-metre) meteor that crash into Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, injured more than 1,000 people came with no warning. Therefore, one of the strategies outlined in the document is to expand on Nasa's methods of detecting NEOs early it is too late. In seven main goals defined in the document, the White House also focuses on refining modelling and predicting where NEOs will travel. The state also plans to improve it alternative alert systems and invest in hi-tech space robots that could crush threats. The US is unsure on whether to invest and prepare costly space technology to cut off those that will not affect its own country. The document shows; however, it suggests the country is looking to join forces with other nations in the future. 'NEO bearings are a global hazard and could have major ecological, economic, and geopolitical costs detrimental to the United States, even if the impact is beyond US territory,' it says. 'Although presently a global leader in detecting and tracking NEOs, the United States will depend (in part) on international collaboration and coordination to help develop skills for classification and future capabilities related to the development and implementation of refraction and disruption aptitudes for NEOs.' Nvidia is well known in the gaming world as a manufacturer of graphics processor technologies. So it's a little bit shocking yet exciting that it shook hands with also well-known automobile manufacturer Mercedes-Benz. The anticipated product of the team up is apparently an artificially intelligent car. During this year's CES, Nvidia and Mercedes-Benz revealed their plan to build a smart car with Nvidia-powered AI by the end of 2017. Jen-Hsun Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, together with Sajjad Khan Sajjad Khan, the vice president of Mercedes-Benz Digital Vehicle and Mobility publicized the initial stages which was revealed to have started three years ago. "When our teams came together there was instant chemistry," said Jen-Hsun. "We share a common vision about how AI can change your driving experience and make it more enjoyable." "Mercedes-Benz and NVIDIA share a common vision of the AI car," says Jen-Hsun. "At this point, it is clear AI will revolutionize the future of automobiles." He also says that there was instant chemistry when the two teams came together, with similar views on AI changing the driving experience and making it more enjoyable. Nvidia summed up the numerous works it has done in AI including one big feature named Co-Pilot. Data is gathered from sensors inside the car and also outside of it with the use of cameras and microphones. Facial and voice recognition are also embedded. It will then alert its driver of any existing threat. An example shown during CES would be a biker in a nearby lane. When a driver doesn't really pay attention, a short alert should help them guarantee they are not going turn in front of the biker that is not visible to them. The system is also able to analyze the facial expressions of the driver to check if the driver recognized a potential risk. After the U.S. intelligence agencies confirmed that Russian hackers aligned with Vladimir Putins regime stole classified documents from the Democratic party in order to help Donald Trump get elected, the pro-transparency organization was immediately in the spotlight, given the fact that the group not only will get its image seriously harmed because of this but also claimed on several occasions that its sources for the leaks were not Russian hackers. However, far from changing the tone and the arguments, WikiLeaks have keep pushing on its position and even got to the point of holding a press conference tomorrow in order to deny the assertions made against them of working with the Russian government and to respond the U.S. intelligence agencies. Naturally, controversy is expected, and the tension between WikiLeaks and the intelligence agencies is likely to increase by large. Given tomorrows event, who should we believe? The U.S. Intelligence Agencies Blame Putins Regime The cornerstone of this party is a 25-page declassified report released by the Office of the Director of the NSA, in which its explained almost everything about what happened which the hacks and leaks, revealing that the Russian Military Intelligence (GRU) stole classified material from the DNC and senior Democratic officials as Hillary Clintons campaign chairman John Podesta, and decided to relate it to WikiLeaks. Apparently, Moscow already had the plan of getting Donald Trump elected, and the best way of destroying Clintons image in the most harmful way would be if the documents were released by an organization with a great reputation and authenticity as Julian Assanges group. The key of getting Donald Trump elected is because his presidency would set a turning point in U.S.-Russia relationship, to the point in which both nations could now be partners in major geopolitical decisions. Of course, the report also explained that this move from the Kremlin was made to undermine the public faith in the U.S. democratic process, and harm the image of a candidate that represented the continuation of U.S.-Russia strained relationship in the last years. What remains uncertain about this position on the issue, is why there was no kind of actions at the moment it was known that a foreign government was interfering with the political event. WikiLeaks And Julian Assange Havent Proved Its Position On a recent interview made by Fox News host Sean Hannity, WikiLeaks leader Julian Assange explained that there wasn't any kind of involvement between his organization and Russian hackers, since these were not the sources for the eventual publications In fact, Assange has repeatedly told that the intelligence agencies and president Barack Obama were lying, since blaming the Kremlin was only political move to delegitimize Donald Trump, considering that even a 14-year-old boy could have hacked John Podesta email account and DNC servers, since the security measures were extremely weak. Of course, the Russian regime has also denied the accusations, claiming that there were not interested in the U.S. presidential election and that the American government was trying to divert attention just as it did with Saddam Husseins alleged weapon of mass destruction. Also, even the president-elected Donald Trump dismissed the allegations and told that the fault was from the DNC because of its negligence in not having the proper security measures in order to avoid a hack. Although it seems like WikiLeaks will keep on its tune, the whistleblower organization will have to prove its position with evidence that shows that its sources were not the Russian hackers. Nevertheless, shielded under the argument of defending the sources integrity, Wikileaks will not reveal who was the real person or group who provide the stolen documents. Theresa May states that contrary to the British Red Cross claim, Britain's hospitals are not facing humanitarian crisis. Although the prime minister acknowledged that the health service was under a lot of pressure, she vehemently denied claims that there is a crisis facing NHS hospitals throughout the country. In December, NHS trusts have issued alerts that they are struggling to cope with demand. The British Red Cross helped with support of the health service with patient transport. According to the organization, the government should take immediate steps to stabilize the heath service due to lack of resources and overcrowding. According to Prime Minister May, there are pressures seen in the NHS. These pressures comes amid an ageing population and is particularly seen between health service and social care. According to her, the problem has been ducked by government over a number of years and her administration has taken immediate steps to ensure best practice in the NHS according to a report by the Independent. British Red Cross chief executive Mike Adamson has branded the situation a humanitarian crisis. He said that the Red Cross was called on to help get people home and free up much needed hospital beds. Emergency volunteers were deployed and they even had to call on their partner, Land Rover to lend vehicles to transport patients. Adamson went on further to say that he calls on the government to allocate immediate funding to stabilize the situation and plan to create a sustainable funding in the future. Theresa May however disagrees with the British Red Cross assessment of the situation. Professor Keith Willett, NHS England's director for acute care however stated that the situation is not on an international scale of humanitarian crisis. He further stated that demand is at the highest level ever and the planning is more comprehensive than it has ever been as reported by the Mirror. Tesla, being one of the most vertically-integrated car companies in the world, have an existing vehicle lineup that includes 2 of the most American-made vehicles. However, its upcoming all-electric compact sedan, named as the Tesla Model 3, is expected to top the said list. The 2017 Tesla Model 3 is said to have 95% of auto parts that are all made in the US. And mainly it is called "American-ness" car because of the new 2170 battery cell being produced at the Gigafactory in Sparks, Nevada. 2017 Tesla Model 3 Will Come With 95% Of The Parts Made In The U.S. The Kogod School of Business at American University in Washington, D.C. calculated the possible percentage of what makes a car made in America with basis on how many parts were made in the US, on how much labor was done in the US and on how much research and development were done only in America. According to their conducted study, the most traditional American cars are the Buick Enclave, the Chevrolet Traverse and the GMC Acadia, at 90% American made. But when Teslas new 2170 battery cell will be added to its vehicles, the 2017 Tesla Model 3, the said vehicle will become 95% made in the US plus it potentially becomes the most American cars in production. More On The 2017 Tesla Model 3 Teslas new vehicle with 2170 battery cell is the most important product Tesla can bring to the market this year, according to the report of Electrek. Tesla Model 3's batteries can be perceived as a boring product and its definitely not as exciting as Teslas consumer products, but in terms of the cost, energy density and other differentiating features and factors are the basis for those consumer products. Therefore, the production of the most anticipated car Tesla Model 3, is highly critical to the companys short-term success. Although Tesla is not asking Panasonic, its battery partner, to move its battery cell production to the US, it is expected to be expanding its own production capacity in the US along with the Japanese company through the Gigafactory. Tesla CEO Elon Musk expects raw material for the 2170 cells to be sourced in the US to save some logistics costs in making the 2017 Tesla Model 3. Whales in general are still endangered, though with measure in place many whale populations have stabilized. Still, threats to their survival remain. Humpback whales habitats have been discovered near Madagascar, which are threatened by human activity. The habitats of humpback whales have been discovered as exploration for more energy in the region has also increased. The habitats of the humpback whales there have been found when some of the satellite tagged whales have been found to be travelling in parts much farther into the Indian Ocean. Twenty three of those humpback whales have been tagged for the study. Dr. Salvatore Cerchio from the New England Aquarium has led the study while working with the Wildlife Conservation Society based in New York. The study has also been done in collaboration with the University of Paris Sud, the NGO Cetamada from Madagascar and the NOAA National Marine Mammal Lab in Seattle. The humpback whales travel to the Indian Ocean to breed and calf during the winter months. The study has found interesting observations of humpback whales. It has found that male humpback whales have movement patterns different from female humpback whales. Females have long distance movements while males have been seen having a more localized movement pattern. There are two areas that have been identified to be significant for humpback whales in the area. Whales from the northeast go to the central east coast of Madagascar, while those who are tagged from the southwest spend more time in the southern coast. The movement areas have previously not been known, according to Phys Org. During the study, a historic event occurred wherein a lone male humpback has been seen coming from east Africa all the way to southern Somalia. During the trip the whale has been seen crossing the equator. This has been the first humpback whale to have crossed the equator in the Indian Ocean. Another one spotted are a mother and a calf coming from Madagascar going to Kenya, as Science Daily reports. The study has much relevance since it shows that humpback whale populations can mix in the southwest Indian Ocean. Much of the information is important to the International Whaling Commission, which is making conservation efforts for whales in general. The significance of the study is much, as humpback whales habitats have been discovered near Madagascar. Bacteria has forced to close some of the beaches in Australia. News have already spread a few months ago that the Lumia series is already headed towards extinction. However, just recently, this rumor has been proven wrong. Apparently, a number of Lumia smartphones have been restocked in the US. Lumia Handsets Back In The Market According to an ONMSFT post, all Lumia smartphones except the 950 from AT&T were thought to have already sold out from the Microsoft Store last week, and it was assumed that these phones will no longer be restocked. However, just recently, it appears that more Lumia devices have come back to the US market and this includes the relatively older model that's the Lumia 640 XL. Lumia Smartphones Available In The US The Lumia 640 XL in white and unlocked variant is given a $50 discount, making it carry a price tag of $149. The AT&T Lumia 950, on the other hand, is also sold in white variant and is priced at around $300. If you want the unlocked Lumia 950 in a black housing, it is available for $399. Additionally, if you want the black Lumia 950 XL in the unlocked version, it is currently being sold for $499. Other Lumia phones are sold by external retailers and this includes the Lumia 550 and the Lumia 650 that are both found on Amazon and priced less than $110. So far, these are the availability status of some of Lumia's smartphones in the US. For the UK market, it's worth noting that the Lumia brand is still out of stock in the country's Microsoft Store. However, Tesco is said to still be selling some models of the said Windows Phones. Needless to say, this gets to prove that the Lumia cancellation rumor is still not as implemented as some people thought it would be. Lumia Smartphones In The UK It was said that the Lumia 650, 950 XL and 550 are all still available from Tesco, with the Lumia 650 being the only model that is sold by Tesco directly. The other models are from the retailer's approved partners. The Lumia 650 is priced at 90 which is 25 less than the regular price while the Lumia 550 is priced at around 96. The flagship phone Lumia 950 XL is priced 405 for the black variant and 410 for the white variant. It's still worth noting though that this list and prices may change as stocks of the said Lumia handsets are reduced. North Korea's International Ballistic Missile is declared to be tested at any time and anywhere their leader Kim Jong UN sets. On Jan. 1 Kim said that his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK. An unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the country's name. North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the capabilities of North Korea's weapons are a serious threat and that the U.S. is ready to shoot down any North Korea missile launch or test. Crater added that they will only shoot them down if the missile is aimed on the U.S. territory or the neighboring country and allies. On January 5, the United States said that North Korea International Ballistic Missile showed qualitative improvement after its groundbreaking launch last year. Experts also said that North Korea has been testing rocket engines and heat-shields for an ICBM while developing the technology to guide a missile after resume into the atmosphere following a liftoff. However, while Pyongyang is close to a test, it is likely to take some years to perfect the weapon. North Korea's International Ballistic Missile could threaten the continental United States, which is around 9,000 km (5,500 miles) from the North. North Korea's International Ballistic Missile have a minimum range of 5,000 km,but some are designed to travel 10,000 km or further. According to the Reuters, South Korea defense ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun called North Korea's statement an infuriating announcement. He added that Pyongyang would face stronger sanctions if it were to launch an ICBM. Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee said, there were no signs of any launch preparations. Meanwhile, U.S. elected President Donald Trump declared that North Korea's International Ballistic Missile launch test won't happen. According to the ABC News, North Korea has been under United Nations punishment since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The sanctions were tightened after Pyongyang conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test on September 9. North Korea's International Ballistic Missile is a threat to every country near it, considering the conceited actions and verbal ways of their leader. The head of the British Red Cross criticizes the British healthcare as part of the "humanitarian crisis". Recently, British Prime Minister Theresa May officially stated that she doesn't acknowledge the description. Mike Adamson, the Red Cross chief executive in Britain, said the comment was justified as it is obvious that there is a "threat" posed to the nation's health and wellbeing due to the pressures on the National Health Service (NHS). He explains that there is a "significant change" in demand for the Red Cross's assistance recently by the NHS. The charity is now working in 20 A&Es. Adamson further says that he blames underfunding of social care and a series of systemic failures for bringing about a crisis, the RTE reports. Red Cross criticizes that a lot of patients who are released from the hospital go to dirty homes where they don't get enough resources or assistance to clean themselves. He also stresses that the environment where patients are supposed to recover are similarly unhygienic and does not support rehabilitation. He elaborates that it is this kind of situation that made him accuse the NHS as causing a "humanitarian crisis." He also referred to recent deaths at Worcestershire Royal Hospital as drastic examples. However he generalized that patients were suffering "prolonged physical and mental distress on a broad scale". The Red Cross was criticized for describing the situation facing the NHS as a "humanitarian crisis" after it was revealed last week that hospital departments rejected patients more than 140 times in December. Just like in Canada, health services are suffering low performance as funding is deemed inadequate. According to the Telegraph, Adamson, called on the government to take care of its citizens by providing health services that are properly funded. Red Cross criticizes the Prime Minister for denying about the funding problems and calls for the government to rethink its funding plans in the longer term. This Week in Review A weekly review of the best and most popular stories published in the Imperial Valley Press. Also, featured upcoming events, new movies at local theaters, the week in photos and much more. The Tesla Gigafactory in Nevada came online on Wednesday, beginning its production of lithium-ion cell batteries, as well as contributing jobs in the area. In a blog post made by the company, the Tesla Gigafactoryalready produced 2,170 cells for qualification in December 2016, and it began the production of cells that will be employed in the Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy products last Wednesday. The 2,170 cells are a joint production by both Tesla and Panasonic. According to Huffington Post, the merger of Tesla and SolarCity would also see the birth of a "one stop shop" for electric cars, solar systems, and batteries. This would pave the way for more sustainable energy to be generated and used. Thousands of American jobs will also be created this year, writes Tesla. At maximum production, there will be about 20,000 to 30,000 indirect jobs created in the nearby regions in addition to the 6,500 people that will be directly employed by the auto company. Even its factory in Fremont, California, is involved in job growth. Its expansion plans are predicted to bring in 3,100 new jobs, reports Jobs & Hire. All of this is happening despite the fact that only 30% of the Tesla Gigafactory is completed. At present, it has a reported footprint of 1.9 million square feet, which houses 4.9 million square feet of operational space. The blog post also added that that the construction is being done in phases. Manufacturing can be done in finished sections whilst the rest are being expanded and worked on. The Tesla Gigafactory will play a vital role in contributing to the said vehicle's production when it starts Model 3 cell production in Q2. Recently, it was hinted that Tesla may have to double or triple is production rate in order to meet the 400,000 pre-order reservations for the Model 3. By 2018, the factory is stated to produce 35 GWh/year of lithium-ion battery cells. This will not only make batteries more widely available but it will also decrease its cost. WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 20: U.S. first lady Michelle Obama takes questions from children for Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day in the East Room of the White House April 20, 2016 in Washington, DC. The children of Executive Office employees and young people from Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, SchoolTalk and the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency asked Obama questions about her pets, her favorite food (pizza), what she plans to do after leaving the White House and why she chose Barack Obama as her husband. The official observance of the day is April 28. (Photo : Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images) The Obamas stayed in the White House for eight years, winning the hearts of the people left and right. Michelle took on first lady duties with Barack running the country. While the spotlight will always go first to the president of the U.S.A., being a first lady is not an easy task similar to being the wife of an entrepreneur who is managing a business. Some wives find it hard to cope with the duties of having a successful husband, and some may even resent it over time. Michelle has shown that you can be your own person and not just a mere shadow of your husband. Find your niche. Waiting for your husband to come home from his meetings will drive you crazy. Put your talents and capabilities to use, and do not let them rot. You can even run your own business if that is what you feel like doing. You do not have to surrender to just being "the wife of a (insert title here)." Aside from representing her country in political meetings, Michelle focused her energy on children's nutrition and other charitable deeds. Ask your husband how you can help. Your husband may be president of an entire country or CEO of the biggest or smallest business in the world, but the two of you are a tandem at the end of the day. There will always be something that you can do to make his job a bit easier. Ask. Just because he has a handful of assistants at his beck and call does not mean that you do not have to help him. As the first lady, Michelle assisted Barack in responding to calamities. Express honest opinions. People most of the time are afraid of saying what they really think when they are facing someone who has a higher position. Step in. Make sure that your husband hears the other side of the story. Jobs & Hire previously reported that Michelle finds the latest presidential election "painful," after Republicans took control of U.S. government with Donald Trump's victory. People in the online advertising industry, especially those who are working in online marketing, have been uneasily preparing for the apocalypse caused by ad blockers. Some industry experts posited that ad blockers have the power to kill the online advertising industry if done right. Citing some studies, Mashable reported that it appears that online advertising is far from being extinguished by ad blockers. Over a span of years, more and more users are installing ad blockers so ad industry executives have been preparing for the worst: the end of online ads. However, 2016 saw a different trend. The use of ad blockers has dwindled during the past year. The other issue that has ad industry executives worried is the rise of mobile ad blocker, Ad Exchange reported. If mobile ad blocker developers find a way to create an app that will block ads from getting shown across all mobile applications and browsers, it would herald the end for those that are capitalizing on it. It appears that mobile ad blocker is also not currently an issue. Reports show that mobile ad blockers continue to be insignificant. Pending the creation of a blocker that will work for all mobile types and all application, the status quo is expected to be maintained. Ad blockers have reportedly been most widely used in Germany, but even in the country, usage is dropping. A report from Adobe and ad-blocking company PageFair has found that only 18% of Americans are expected to use ad blockers, compared with 27% of Germans. Even in Canada, the use of ad blockers appears to be slowing down. The growth of ad block usage has been stagnant as users who do not have blockers yet choose not to install one. Despite the reports, the advertising industry still needs to be vigilant. When the right technology comes, developers may be able to create pervasive technology that can work in all platforms. When that happens, the online ad apocalypse may indeed come. Jobs & Hire previously reported that business owners who want to get their products to get noticed can place ads. Photo: VGP During a visit to the mountain border district, the Prime Minister spent time talking to local government officials and ethnic minority inhabitants. He stressed that the key task of the locality was to ease the high rate of poverty in the area. Sharing a 26km terrestrial border with China, Tra Linh has a poverty rate of 36 per cent. Poor households account for more than 18 per cent of the households. Phuc agreed with a proposal put forth by local authorities for an urban development plan at Tra Linh National Border Gate. He instructed them to take into account the development planning in line with environmental protection and respect for peoples living conditions. According to the Prime Minister, developing services is the right direction for Cao Bang Province, in general, and Tra Linh District, in particular, which is consistent with the localitys advantage of a long contiguous border with China. Building the Tra Linh Border Gate into an international border gate is an important direction but needs to be conducted synchronously with strong commodity exports to attract trade, Phuc said. The total value of goods imported through the Tra Linh Border Gate in 2011 reached USD65 million, but increased to USD500 million last year. The Prime Minister also noted that government at all levels in the province and the district should pay more attention to the prevention and combating smuggling and commercial fraud. He also underscored authorities responsibility for vigilance against hostile forces taking advantage, inciting or inducing people to destroy the regions peaceful life. He presented 100 gifts to poor households in the district. Border gate visit Also yesterday, PM Phuc visited and talked to officers and soldiers at Tra Linh Border Gate Station, the unit in charge of protecting the border between Vietnam and China. Listening to the difficulties and hardships of officers and soldiers at the station, Phuc urged the unit to overcome obstacles and carry out the task of protecting the national border. The PM also requested the unit to actively engage in preventing smuggling, trade fraud and drug trafficking, especially during the upcoming Tet. Meeting in Ly Bon Phuc also paid a visit to the Ly Bon Commune in Cao Bangs Bao Lam District. Bao Lam District has a poverty rate of above 60 per cent, while Ly Bon Communes poverty rate is above 34 per cent. The population of 59,000 are mainly ethnic Hmong, Tay, Nung, Dao, San Chi and Kinh. The PM noted that Bao Lam District was the poorest, most remote, most isolated and most populated by ethnic minorities. He asked authorities to focus on helping farmers reduce poverty. Besides the support of the State, including the capital loans from the Bank of Vietnam for Social Policies, each household should strive to escape from poverty, he said. In addition, the district should maintain and promote ethnic solidarity, preserve order and security, preserve and promote the traditional culture of ethnic minorities, he said. The Prime Minister also agreed to support the construction of the Ly Bon Communes office station, as this is the last commune of the district without an office. He also agreed to mobilise ambulances for the Bao Lam District. Regarding 803 households in Ly Bon Commune which dont have access to electricity, the PM assigned Electricity of Vietnam to handle the problem. On this occasion, the Prime Minister presented 100 gifts from the Vietnam Red Cross to poor households in the commune. PM Phuc also attended the inauguration of hydropower plant Bao Lam 1 in Ly Bon Commune. The plant has a capacity of 30MW and power output of about 124 million kWh per year./. Photo: VNA Accordingly, each family was assisted with VND40-50 million. This was the first phase of assistance in the social welfare and flood mitigation program carried out in the province by the delegation of the provinces National Assembly deputies. The program has received VND7.5 billion from large groups and corporations, including the National Oil and Gas Group (VND1 billion), the Electricity of Vietnam (VND2 billion), the Vietnam Steel Corporation (VND600 million), and the Vietnam National Coal Mineral Industries Corporation (VND500 million). At first, the Quang Ngai provincial Fatherland Front and the provinces delegation of NA deputies earmarked VND1 billion for 2,000 presents to flood-affected people in 14 localities. The rest will be distributed to help affected people during the lunar New Year festival./. Two Democratic-leaning organizations said Friday that U.S. Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., should recuse himself from voting on Betsy DeVos as President-elect Donald Trumps nominee for education secretary because she and relatives contributed money to his campaign. DeVos and relatives contributed a combined $43,200 during the 2016 election cycle, according to a review by the Winston-Salem Journal of reports filed by the Burr campaign with the Federal Election Commission. If Sen. Burr does not recuse himself after benefiting from DeVos donations, well have the appearance of a high-ranking government position that can be bought by and sold to the highest bidder, said David Donnelly, the president and chief executive of Every Voice. Tiffany Muller, the executive director of End Citizens United, said DeVos represents the rigged system on which Washington operates. This is outrageous pay-to-play politics. Our members are calling on Senator Burr to acknowledge his conflict of interest and recuse himself from the vote on her nomination, Muller said. Burr aides declined to comment. Democratic politicians are not immune to situations in which they appear to have similar conflicts of interest. In 2013, for example, several Democratic U.S. senators declined to recuse themselves from voting on the nomination of Penny Pritzker, President Barack Obamas pick for commerce secretary, though they had received donations from her. Pritzker, a Chicago businesswoman, comes from a family connected with the Hyatt hotel chain. Before her nomination, she had been a standout fundraiser for Obama. Among the beneficiaries of a campaign donation by Pritzker was U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., a member of the Senate education committee. Last month, Politico reported, Murphy said he does not put that much weight in DeVos political contributions while he disagrees with her views on education. DeVos will try to strengthen private charter schools at the detriment of public schools, critics say. It wouldnt be the first time that a nominee has made political donations, Murphy said, according to Politico. Penny Pritzker was a fantastic secretary of commerce, and she probably made a few donations to Democrats over the years. I dont worry about those donations. Asked whether Murphy should have recused himself from Pritzkers nomination, Adam Bozzi, spokesman for End Citizens United, said that the organization advocates for getting money out of politics and a better campaign-finance system but did not refer directly to Murphy. Continuing, Bozzi said: We find this (DeVos nomination) particularly egregious because she has said shes looking for something in return. According to End Citizens United and Every Voice, DeVos and relatives also gave more than$20 million to Republican campaigns, their super-PACs and allies. DeVos, a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party, has made it clear that she expects a return on investment when she donates money. In 1997, in the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, DeVos said that she had decided to stop taking offense at the suggestion that we are buying influence. Now, I simply concede the point. We expect to foster a conservative governing philosophy consisting of limited government and respect for traditional American virtues. We expect a return on our investment; we expect a good and honest government. Furthermore, we expect the Republican party to use the money to promote these policies, and yes, to win elections, DeVos said. Forsyth Tech is moving forward with the priority bond projects of the aviation center at Smith Reynolds Airport and renovating buildings on campus. The community college has asked commissioners to certify the county will take on about $800,000 for maintenance and operation costs of the aviation center and the soon-to-be renovated Oak Grove Center once the facilities are opened. Commissioners will vote on the agenda item at their meeting today. If commissioners approve that the county can cover those costs, then Forsyth Tech president Gary Green will go to the North Carolina Community College System for approval. Green expects bidding on the design and architecture to start once the state system approves the project. Construction could begin in early 2018, he said. In June 2016, Forsyth Tech proposed its $16.6 million aviation campus at Smith Reynolds to provide training that people need for jobs at companies around the airport. We looked at the number of Forsyth County residents working in aviation and we decided to move this project up in priority, Green said. We really looked at the need and we think its clear that we can create some economic opportunity. Forsyth Tech will spend $600,216 each year for five years starting in 2020 in additional maintenance, janitorial and operating costs to support the aviation center. The aviation center, which is funded by the $65 million community college bond that passed in November, will train technicians and mechanics for companies such as North State Aviation, B/E Aerospace Inc., Aero 8 Inc. and Signature Flight Support, airport officials said. The planned aviation center would be part of Forsyth Techs Mazie S. Woodruff Center on Lansing Drive, although a site has not been confirmed. The college also is estimating $179,727 each year for five years of maintenance and operating costs for the renovated Oak Grove Center on its campus on Silas Creek Parkway. Forsyth Tech has planned $21 million for construction of about 83,000 square feet of instructional space. The college also will demolish the Piedmont, Parkway, Winston, Salem and Carolina Annex buildings and develop those sites as well as make parking lot improvements and build a maintenance storage facility. Both projects should be completed by 2019. WASHINGTON Watching Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, a gruff, 50-year veteran of the spy world, answer congressional questions Thursday, you couldnt help wondering if perhaps this time Donald Trump has met his match. To recall a quip made years ago by a prominent Washington lawyer, Clapper is not a potted plant. He has served Republicans and Democrats alike with the same grumpy dislike of political criticism. The showdown between Clapper and Trump over allegations of Russian hacking will shape public perceptions of the next president in the two weeks before his inauguration. Well learn more about what Russian hackers did during the 2016 campaign. Well also learn more about Trump and whether he will bring his Russophilia into the White House. After last weeks briefings of Trump and President Obama, the real circus will come this week, when members of Congress receive their own classified reports. Democrats would be wise if they kept their mouths shut and let GOP Sens. John McCain and Lindsey Graham do the talking. Trumps post-election line on Russian hacking has been to blame U.S. intelligence agencies and the news media. Bashing the elitist media has been a standard GOP tactic since Richard Nixons day. But Trump at times has actually seemed to be siding with Russia and other anti-American critics and against U.S. intelligence agencies. The standard response of a president-elect to any allegation of foreign meddling in the U.S. election, youd think, would be to call for an investigation. Instead, Trump called the allegations of Russian hacking ridiculous, claimed it was the Democratic National Committees own fault if its cybersecurity was poor, needled the CIA for its Iraq WMD mistakes, and otherwise sought to belittle the intelligence agencies. Weirdest of all was Trumps embrace last week of Julian Assange, the head of WikiLeaks and a person many U.S. officials, Republican and Democrat, see as having damaged U.S. national security by leaking classified documents about nearly every area of foreign policy. When Assange sought to pooh-pooh Moscows role with a careful denial that his source hadnt been the Russian government or a state party, he got three Pinocchios from The Washington Posts Fact Checker. But Trump treated him like a new friend. He approvingly tweeted Assanges claim that U.S. media coverage was very dishonest and added: More dishonest than anyone knows. Then, in one of those who, me? reversals that are a Trump specialty, he tweeted Thursday: The dishonest media likes saying that I am in Agreement with Julian Assange wrong. I simply state what he states, ... The media lies to make it look like I am against Intelligence when in fact I am a big fan! Well soon see how supportive of U.S. intelligence Trump really is. But in recent months, his approach to the hacking story has been worryingly similar to Russias own response: Its all lies, circulated by a dishonest media. Nobody can believe anything. This sort of information fog is precisely what Moscow seeks to spawn in its own propaganda campaigns. The Russian goal is to corrode democratic norms and institutions by discrediting the electoral process and to tarnish the reputations of democratic governments in order to establish a kind of moral equivalence between Russia and the West, wrote Thorsten Benner and Mirko Hohmann last month in Foreign Affairs. Anyone who thinks that the Russian hacking charges are simply an attempt to belittle or discredit Trump should study Russias current covert-action campaign in Europe. Benner and Hohmann quote Bruno Kahl, the chief of Germanys intelligence service, who told a newspaper there that cyberattacks are taking place that have no purpose other than to elicit uncertainty. The head of French information security similarly warned last month that Western countries face the development of a digital threat for political ends and for destabilization. This Russian political assault has been hiding in plain sight. Andrei Soldatov, a Russian investigative journalist, wrote last July when news surfaced that the DNC had been hacked that Hillary Clinton was seen by Moscow as a tough and uncompromising adversary, that the U.S. elections were the most sensitive problem facing the Kremlin, and that only President Vladimir Putin could decide what to do. And what did Trump say back then about Russian hackers? Russia, if youre listening, I hope youre able to find the 30,000 emails that are missing from Clintons private server. He egged on a foreign intelligence service to help his campaign, then claimed they didnt do it, then blamed U.S. intelligence for faulty reporting. And the question is: Why? JAMES DANIELS, Winston-Salem Answering prayers I want to comment on the Jan 4 letter The power of prayer in which the writer questions why prayers for world peace have not been answered. In younger years, I remember thinking religion was a crutch for the weak, common thinking for the independent and adventuresome. Now at 68, I recognize how reckless we are and vulnerable at any time to reversals in health and security. Ive come to appreciate the witness of God in the wonders of creation and marvelous life processes (Romans 1:20). The Bible now offers me an accurate worldview and answers. The Bible builds our faith in answered prayer (e.g., II Kings 19:14-37), and life experiences give support. As to why God has not answered prayers for world peace, lets take a closer look. First, wars are instigated by mankind and perpetuated by greed and power. Second, there is a rift between God and man because of mans negligence and desire for self-importance, and our world situation reflects that broken relationship. We are said to be alienated and enemies (of God) in attitude and actions (Colossians 1:21). According to Jewish history and the Bible, the only way to establish a relationship with God is to have an atonement for sins, and so Jesus made restitution for us. We tend to think were OK and want God to come along and make things better, but we can only expect results on his terms: repentance toward God and faith toward Jesus. ****** MEGAN M. GREGORY, Winston-Salem New Cabinet members As the 115th Congress convenes, our senators have a duty to ensure that new Cabinet members are scientifically literate and committed to protecting our climate. This means opposing Scott Pruitt for EPA administrator, Rex Tillerson for secretary of State, Rick Perry for secretary of Energy and Ryan Zinke for secretary of the Interior, as all four have denied climate change. The stakes are high. According to the IPCC, fossil fuel use must begin dropping rapidly by 2020 to limit global warming to less than 2 degrees Celsius. This is essential, because vulnerable people around the world are already living with the consequences of a warming planet. In North Carolina, Hurricane Matthew made stronger by a warmer ocean devastated farms in the eastern part of our state, while drought and forest fires threatened life in western NC. Clearly, limiting global warming is essential to the well-being of all North Carolinians. Yet Sens. Burr and Tillis have not yet commented on the worrisome nominations for Cabinet positions tasked with environmental decision-making. I urge them to do so soon, and to oppose Pruitt, Tillerson, Perry and Zinke. I also urge our senators to co-sponsor a collective letter insisting that President-elect Trump nominate individuals who understand climate science and will pursue policies to move the nation toward 100 percent renewable energy by 2050 and create jobs in energy efficiency and renewable energy. Will you, my fellow North Carolinians, join me in calling on our senators to help ensure that this happens? ****** BRUCE BEDINGER, Winston-Salem A relative matter In a recent letter about the Israeli/Palestinian controversy, the writer addressed the issue of moral relativism (Forgotten speech, Jan. 5). The widespread rejection of absolutes in American culture was the basic premise of Allen Blooms best-selling book, The Closing of the American Mind, published in 1988. Bloom said that college professors could be assured that if their freshman students had learned anything in school, it was this: everything is relative. As Fredrick Moore Vincent, former Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court observed, Nothing is more certain in modern society than the principle that there are no absolutes. When asked where the idea of relativism comes from, most people will mention Albert Einstein and his theory of relativity. However, his theory, E=mc2, had to do with the relationship between energy and the mass of an object. As Einstein said, Relativity applies to physics, not ethics. When You Write The Journal encourages readers comments. To participate in The Readers Forum, please submit letters online to Letters@wsjournal.com. Please write The Readers Forum in the subject line and include your full name, address and a daytime telephone number. Or you may mail letters to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Letters are subject to editing and may be published on journalnow.com. Letters are limited to 250 words. Letter writers are allowed one letter every 30 days. If you would like a photo of yourself included with your letter, send it to us as a .jpg file. For more guidelines and advice on writing letters, go to journalnow.com/opinion/submit_a_letter. The Journal welcomes original submissions for guest columns on local, regional and statewide topics. Essay length should not exceed 750 words. The writer should have some authority for writing about his or her subject. Our email address is: Letters@wsjournal.com. Essays may also be mailed to: The Readers Forum, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102. Please include your name and address and a daytime telephone number. Dear Readers, Our carriers continue to give their best efforts in delivering your newspaper, but dangerous ice and snow are making secondary roads difficult to navigate. Some areas may not be accessible for delivery until later today or Tuesday. All missed papers will be delivered when carriers are able to reach the subscriber's address. The e-edition is available for free for online. Click here for a link to the e-edition. Call volumes remain extremely high and there may be a wait if you are attempting to reach Subscriber Services at 336-727-7462. Thank you for your patience. Regards Circulation Consumer Marketing remaining of Thank you for reading! On your next view you will be asked to log in to your subscriber account or create an account and subscribepurchase a subscription to continue reading. With decades of teaching experience in several capacities in Texas and over the past three years with The Flowertown Blossoms in Summerville, Anicia D. Brown is dead set on handing youngsters the tools to master stage acting and production, while also imparting impactful life lessons along t Read moreFlowertown Blossoms preaching the value of teamwork Reddit Email 0 Shares TeleSur | The Israeli right-wing leader tried to negotiate with the owner of a critical and highly circulated newspaper to get positive coverage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under police investigation for suspected corruption, was caught on tape negotiating mutual benefits with an arch enemy, the owner of one of Israels largest-selling newspapers, Israeli media reported Sunday. Thx LunaPic Channel Two television said the right-wing leader had offered to limit the circulation of Israel Hayom, a free, pro-Netanyahu daily owned and published by U.S. billionaire and Republican party donor Sheldon Adelson, if the Yedioth Ahronoth daily owner Noni Mozes gave the prime minister more favorable coverage. Steps to cut Israel Hayoms market-leading circulation could have financial benefits for Mozes, whose newspapers advertising revenues have been hit by its free competitor. The left-leaning Israeli newspaper Haaretz said the conversation took place a few months ago. The revelation that Netanyahu and Mozes would have a dialogue was received with shock in Israel because Netanyahu has openly accused Mozes and his newspaper of trying to overthrow his leadership through skewed coverage, an allegation he denies. Last week Netanyahu was questioned twice by police in two different corruption cases. The first involved receiving gifts including expensive cigars and champagne from businessmen the police and justice ministry said. Netanyahus lawyer said such presents from friends were not illegal. While police did not comment on the second case regarding the newspaper reported by Channel Two, Israeli media outlets described it as an earthquake that could have implications for Netanyahus political future. Just hours before the report, Netanyahu again said the media in the country was attacking him personally. This is wrong, incessant pressure from the media on law enforcement. They release balloons and the hot air comes out of them time after time. That will be the case here too, Netanyahu told Likud ministers earlier Sunday. In the past few weeks, Netanyahu has lashed out at journalists who have published critical reports about his administration and his alleged ties with wealthy businesspeople. As for the other case, Israeli media have reported that police questioned the conservative leader about receiving gifts from Israeli Hollywood producer Arnon Milchan over the past few years. Netanyahu, who is leading the most right-wing government in the countrys history, will become Israels longest-serving leader if he stays in office until the end of 2018. He and his spouse Sara have faced several scandals over the years, including investigations into the misuse of state funds. They have denied any wrongdoing. While most corruption cases against previous Israeli leaders did not yield indictments, Ehud Olmert, who held office from 2006 to 2009, is currently serving 18 months in prison after being convicted of breach of trust and bribery in 2014. Via TeleSur The Burundi government arrested six people on Saturday in connection with the murder of the countrys water, environment and planning minister, Emmanuel Niyonkuru, who was shot [BBC News report] in the head shortly after midnight on New Years Eve. While the motive for the killing remains undetermined, police are currently calling the killing [AFP report] an assassination. Many senior figures have been targeted since President Pierre Nkurunziza [BBC profile] announced his bid to run for a third term in 2015. General Adolphe Nshimirimana, a close aide to Nkurunziza, was killed in August 2015. Almost a year later former government minister and spokeswoman Hafsa Mossi was killed by gunmen in her car. There have also been other failed attacks, and Burundi has accused Rwanda for all of the attacks. Prosecutor General Sylvestre Nyandwi stated that the Niyonkuru murder investigation is still ongoing and refused to reveal the identities of the accused or their alleged motives. Violence in Burundi began in the wake of Nkurunzizas announcement that he would seek a third term of office, to which he was elected [JURIST report] in July 2015. Burundi has been the object of much international scrutiny over potential human rights abuses ever since. In November the former UN Human Rights Council President Choi Kyonglim [official profile], announced [JURIST report] that the UN commission investigating human rights violations in Burundi is to be staffed by Fatsah Ouguergouz of Algeria, Reina Alapini Gansu of Benin and Francoise Hampson [official profiles] of the UK. Earlier the same month, the International Federation of Human Rights urged the UN [JURIST report] and African Union to intervene and stop an impending genocide in Burundi. In October, Burundi withdrew [JURIST report] from the International Criminal Court amid an investigation into human rights abuses. In September, the UN Independent Investigation in Burundi expressed their grave concern [JURIST report] about the current human rights situation in Burundi. The University System of Georgia Board of Regents [official website] on Friday appealed [notice of appeal] a ruling [opinion, PDF] that gives in-state tuition to undocumented individuals who received protections under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) [official website]. The board of regents also filed a motion [text, PDF] to stay the judges ruling until the appeal is decided. DACA gives undocumented individuals, sometimes called dreamers, legal status to remain inside the US without fear of deportation by issuing visas and work permits. At issue in the case is whether DACA gives dreamers legally present status that is mandated by law. The plaintiffs lawyer has filed responses [press release] opposing the motions and requesting that the board immediately begin allowing the students to pay in-state tuition. The DACA program and other immigration concerns continue to create domestic legal issues. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel delivered a letter [JURIST report] to US President-elect Donald Trump in December signed by many US mayors warning of the potential economic losses Trump could cause if he repeals DACA. Several conservation groups in October filed a lawsuit [JURIST report] against the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) accusing the agency of violating environmental law by neglecting the effects of unregulated immigration. [JURIST] Indian police are accused of raping at least 16 women in Chhattisgarh in Bijapur district in October 2015, stated [press release] National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) [advocacy website] Saturday. NHRC said that the human rights of the victims have been grossly violated by the security personnel of the Government of Chhattisgarh for which the State Government is vicariously liable. Media reports [Dawn report] revealed that police had sexually assaulted at least 40 women in five villages during the anti-Maoist operation. The reports stated that among the victims were a 14-year-old girl and a pregnant woman. Kishore Narayan, lawyer for the victims, said that the victims gave the names of the policemen involved in the barbarity but nothing has happened. They carried a sham investigation and are trying to obfuscate the case. Narayan has filed a petition in the High Court demanding a special investigation by an external police team. There has been a flurry of incidents involving gang-rapes of women in India the past few years, prompting the government to reform the criminal legal code regarding sexual violence. In December 2012 a 23-year-old medical student was gang-raped and murdered in a moving bus in New Delhi. The rape was especially violent causing the victim to die from severe injuries sustained during the incident. The youngest participant in the gang-rape was freed [BBC report] from jail in December after serving a three-year sentence. The rape sparked national outrage, and created immense pressure on the government to reform its colonial-era laws [JURIST op-ed]. Prominent human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch [advocacy websites] have criticized [JURIST report] various aspects of the new laws stating that India has only reformed the most archaic of its laws and has failed to meet international standards for womens rights. [JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday vacated [opinion, PDF] a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit [official website] that denied immunity to a New Mexico police officer who gave no warning before using deadly force. In October 2011 Officer Ray White joined fellow officers at the residence of Samuel and Daniel Pauly, two brothers involved in road-rage incident earlier the same day. White approached the residence from the rear as his fellow officers approached from the front, ordering the Pauly brothers to exit the residence or be prepared for the officers to enter. Daniel Pauly then stepped out of the house, fired two rounds from his shotgun while Samuel pointed a handgun toward White. According to the opinion, White shot and killed Samuel seconds later. The Supreme Court ruled that the facts did not indicate a violation of any established law relating to the use of deadly force even though White fired at Samuel without first warning him to drop his weapon. Although the opinion states White is entitled to immunity, it is silent on whether his fellow officers are as well for questions remain as to whether or not the officers properly identified themselves as law enforcement officials before approaching the residence. The courts opinion comes in the midst of public outcry about police accountability. A Minnesota police officer was charged in October in the shooting death of Philando Castile, the same day the city of Cleveland submitted [JURIST reports] a revised use-of-force policy to the US District Court for the Northern District of Ohio, which is overseeing an agreement by the city to reform their police department. Cincinnati trial judge Megan Shanahan declared [JURIST report] a mistrial on November 12 after the jury declared it was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on murder and manslaughter charges in a case involving the shooting of an unarmed black man, Samuel DuBose, by Officer Raymond Tensing in July. In September the DOJ announced [JURIST report] it would investigate the shooting of Terence Crutcher, a unarmed black man killed by a police officer in Tulsa. [JURIST] Thailands National Reform Steering Committee, which is appointed by the military, proposed a new law on Monday stating that Thai officials convicted of corruption involving more than 1 billion baht (USD $28 million) would be eligible for the death penalty. Officials convicted of corruption charges of less than 1 billion baht could face up to five years in prison [Reuters report]. 155 of the 162 committee members voted in favor of the proposal. Critics say [IBT report] that the proposal is another way for Thailands military junta to control allies of the former prime minister, whom they overthrew. Before becoming law, the proposal must be presented to the cabinet, parliament, and constitutional committee for debate. Human rights groups worldwide have expressed growing concern over violations in Thailand since the military junta came to power in May 2014. In December Thailands parliament passed [JURIST report] a controversial cyber-crimes bill that gave the government the right to obtain user data without court approval. 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. 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, drafted by a military-appointed counsel and 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 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. [JURIST] A group of 10,000 British motorists have filed a class action lawsuit [press release] seeking compensation following Volkswagens (VW) diesel emissions scandal. Damon Parker, the head litigator at Harcus Sinclair [firm website], the law firm handling the suit, claims that the affected vehicles release far more NOx emissions than VW has admitted to. Parkers argument is centered on the belief that the motorists deserve compensation because they paid a premium for what they believed to be clean diesel vehicles. Although VW has paid damages to 535,000 US-based consumers, they have refused to do so in European countries. They cite differences in regulations as the basis for this decision and have only offered technical remedies to European consumers. This filing comes less than a week after a German firm filed a lawsuit seeking compensation [JURIST report] for damages related to the emissions scandal. VW is facing legal difficulty around the world over the emissions scandal. South Korea announced in December that it plans to fine [JURIST report] VW over false advertising. In October a Spanish court ordered [JURIST report] Volkswagen to pay damages to a VW vehicle owner who purchased his car in 2011. A US judge approved [JURIST report] a $14.7 billion settlement in October between VW and the US Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, the state of California and car owners who filed a class action lawsuit over the companys emissions scandal. In September a German court said VW faces over USD $8.2 billion [JURIST report] in damage claims from investors. That same month, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission sued [JURIST report] VW and its local subsidiary for misleading customers. In August a district court in Germany ruled [JURIST report] that a collective complaint against VW may move forward. Like US-style class-action lawsuits, the collective complaint was launched on behalf of multiple investors who lost money following the diesel emissions cheating scandal. Last March the US FTC filed suit [JURIST report] against VW for false advertising. Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council Jan Egeland [official website] on Thursday stated [transcript] that the interruption of water that has left millions of Syrians without clean access to water constitutes a war crime. The secretary, who acts as chair for the UN/ISSG Task Force on Humanitarian Access in Syria, made the statement during a press conference where the adviser said that more than 5.5 million people are experiencing water shortages where around 30 percent of water functions have been restored. The adviser stated that Syria is still very much a battleground, and the UN is trying to do investigate the situation more. To sabotage and deny water is of course a war crime because it is civilians who drink it, and civilians who will be affected by waterborne and other diseases, if it is not restored. I am disappointed that so far the cessation of hostilities that is holding in so many places is not increasing our access. Why isnt there access? Well, there is a whole web of obstacles really; not only do we need approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Damascus, we need it from the Governos office, from the Security Committee of the region, from the security forces involved, and from the armed groups inside. All of them have to allow us access, and it only takes one of them to deny us access. We are routinely still denied access, and we hope that the cessation of hostilities and the guarantors can change that. It has not so far. The war in Syria [JURIST backgrounder] continues to have a devastating impact, particularly for the war torn region of Aleppo. Last month the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution to establish an independent panel to investigate possible war crimes [JURIST report] in Syria. Earlier in December UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al Hussein accused Syrian pro-government forces of going door to door and systematically killing civilians [JURIST report] in at least four Aleppo neighborhoods. The Russian/Syrian coalition committed war crimes in Aleppo during September and October, Human Rights Watch said [JURIST report] in early December. In November a group of German lawyers announced [JURIST report] the filing of charges against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, alleging that he committed war crimes in Aleppo. A UN human rights expert expressed concern [press release] Monday for nine human rights activists imprisoned in Iran. Among those activists, eight are believed to be on life threatening hunger strikes, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights situation in Iran, Asma Jahangir [profile, PDF]. A ninth activist, Arash Saghedi, ended his hunger strike after his wife was released from prison on bail, although there is concern that he is in critical condition and being denied medical attention. Jahangir urged Iranian officials to release the activists, claiming they were arrested for peacefully exercising their rights to freedom of expression. The statement comes just a few weeks after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani [website] unveiled the Citizens Rights Charter [text in Arabic], which he says will promote and strengthen citizens rights, including the freedom of speech and freedom of expression. The Iranian Parliament passed a law [JURIST report] last January to define what constitutes a political crime, as part of Rouhanis promise of reform. A Tehran Revolutionary Court [official website, in Persian] in April of 2010 sentenced [JURIST report] three prominent progressive activists to six years in prison in connection with protests. The men were high-ranking officials of the Islamic Iran Participation Front [party website, in Farsi], a pro-democracy reformist political party that supported opposition leader Mousavi in the disputed election. Iranian authorities jailed prominent Iranian journalist Mohammad Nourizad [JURIST report] on charges in April of 2010. Also in March 2010 an Iranian appeals court upheld [JURIST report] the death sentence of 20-year-old student Mohammad Amin Valian, wok part in anti-government protests in December. NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Drinks Daily News The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Drinks Weekly News A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Drinks Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter Turkeys Kervan Gida, which produces candies including the Bebeto jelly brand, has acquired UK-based Dexters Confectionery for an undisclosed sum. Paul Simpson, the commercial director of Kervan Gidas UK subsidiary, told just-food today (9 January) the deal with Dexters, which owns a number of confectionery brands and has an agreement to distribute The Jelly Bean Factory candy brand in the UK, was completed towards the end of last month. Simpson said Kervan acquired responsibility for Dexters confectionery at the start of January and will be selling the UK firms confectionery products in addition to its own. Simpson said Kervan Gida is already looking at expanding the reach of Dexters candy, including Paint Brush Lollies and Dexters Necklaces, from beyond its largely UK wholesale confectionery presence into major retail outlets across the country and potentially overseas markets. Simpson said Dexters produces none of its own confectionery, with manufacturing instead handled by various other suppliers. He said that arrangement would continue on a business-as-usual basis for the time being. Certainly, Kervan in Turkey has the capability to produce some of the Dexters products itself but, in the short- to medium-term nothing. will change, Simpson said. In the future, if we think we can improve on that, we would be foolish not to think about it, but we are not looking to do that now. Kervan Gida is a 20-year-old business. The companys Bebeto brand went on sale in the UK in 2015 and has established a focused core customer base within the independent and convenience retail sectors. Kervan Gida UK operations began in 2016. The company has a global turnover of around GBP80m (US$84m), of which the firms UK arm represents around GBP8m, Simpson said. He added: Dexters has made good business across the UK market over the past 25 years and we now look to expand on that, Simpson said. The acquisition demonstrates that were serious about delivering growth for both the Bebeto and Dexters brands in the UK and this activity is a key part of our strategic plan. The owner and manufacturer of The Jelly Bean Factory, Irish confectioner Aran Candy, was acquired by European confectionery group Cloetta in 2014. BRF, the Brazil-based meat giant, has teamed up with the state of Qatar to buy a majority stake in Turkey-based processor Banvit Bandirma Vitaminli Yem Sanayii. Under the terms of the deal, announced today (9 January), BRF will acquire a 79.5% stake in Banvit, which it described as the largest poultry producer in Turkey. The shares will be acquired by a joint venture BRF has agreed to set up with the Qatar Investment Authority, the Gulf states sovereign investment fund. BRFs halal division, OneFoods Holding, will hold 60% of the venture. The QIA will hold the rest. Once the acquisition of the majority stake is completed, the venture will launch a mandatory offer for the remaining shares in Banvit. Based on the terms of the transaction and subject to the financial performance of Banvit in 2016, the enterprise value for 100% of the Turkish company is approximately US$470m, BRF said. Upon completion, the Transaction will allow OneFoods to enter into the Turkish market, which has the largest poultry halal consumption in the world, what is aligned with its continuous commitment to the Muslim markets, BRF said. News of the deal comes a week after BRF formally launched OneFoods, a division that it claims is the worlds biggest halal meat company. BRF has declined to comment on a report it could look to float 20% of OneFoods by April. NEWSLETTER Sign up Tick the boxes of the newsletters you would like to receive. Just Style Daily Update The top stories of the day delivered to you every weekday. Just Style Weekly Update A weekly roundup of the latest news and analysis, sent every Monday. Just Style Magazine The industry's most comprehensive news and information delivered every quarter. The Donbas militants launched 51 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in the past 24 hours, the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) staff said on Monday. In the Mariupol sector, the militants fired grenade launchers and small arms on Pavlopil, Krasnohorivka, Hnutove and Shyrokyne, and 120mm and 82mm mortars were used against Maryinka, Hnutove, Shyrokyne, Vodiane and Talakivka, the staff said. According to it, Shyrokyne came under attack of 122mm tube artillery, while an infantry combat vehicle engaged in Maryinka and a tank in Talakivka. In the Luhansk sector, grenade launchers and small arms were fired on Novozvanivka, Lopaskyne and Stanytsia Luhanska, and mortars shelled Troyitske, the staff said. In the Donetsk sector, the militants fired 122mm artillery and infantry combat vehicle weapons on Luhanske, 82mm mortars on Avdiyivka, Mayorsk and Luhanske, and small arms and grenade launchers on Luhanske, Zaitseve and Avdiyivka, the staff said. Three Ukrainian servicemen suffered injuries during the attacks. The ravaged battleground that replaced the once cosmopolitan city of Aleppo is at the centre of a major war of information and disinformation. Biased journalism: A look at the media coverage of Aleppo Over the past weeks Aleppo has been worldwide news after the Syrian Army regained control of the city, home to thousands of besieged civilians. The media coverage of this case has been quite diverse, so it deserves particular attention, avoiding excessive reliance on the mainstream Western media. A quick anthology of Western reporting from Aleppo: The Guardian reported atrocities perpetrated by Assad forces within moments of retaking the city. CNN reported that the regime and Russia its most powerful ally decimated neighbourhoods with airstrikes, leaving scorched earth where a bustling metropolis once stood. The American news channel further stated that those who remain in the city fear reprisals from Assad forces. While the Wests big hitters seem to be flooding the news with atrocities committed in Aleppo, the media outlet RT, formerly called Russia Today , has been sharing videos and images of Syrians celebrating on the streets after reporting that the Syrian army had retaken Eastern Aleppo. Admittedly, I have not found any international news channel outside Russia reporting that civilians were returning to their normal lives in liberated and ruined Eastern Aleppo. It is, of course, unsurprising that RT should broadcast expressions of support by the Syrian people for Bashar al-Assad; the question here is why the Western mainstream media, which claim to provide objective reporting, chose to sweep out such politically significant social behaviour, even if it characterises only part of the Syrian population. How can the two sides of the international media broadcast such different images from one reality on the ground? Through enemy eyes Ilya Yabolok authored the academic article Conspiracy Theories as a Russian Public Diplomacy Tool: The Case of Russia Today (RT) where he defends the claim that RTs news agenda is aimed at counterbalancing the information monopoly of Western media. He explains that the main goal of its journalists is to find the news that would be ignored by the so-called mainstream media and bring it to viewers attention. Yabolok further claims that the Russian channel challenges an elitist aspect of American politics through populist ideas, vocalised by experts and show hosts; real people with real ideas that are often overlooked in the search for a balanced analysis of certain subjects. Founded in 2013 by Jason Bassler and Matt Agorist, the Free Thought Project, a hub for conversations about the promotion of liberty and the daunting task of government accountability, delivered a compilation of reportedly fake news about the liberation of Aleppo. Patrick Henningsen and Shawn Helton characterised the Western medias reporting of the Syrian government retake of Eastern Aleppo as inverted coverage. Examining the terrain where journalism faces its biggest challenges will be crucial to determining the veracity of the reporting. Vanessa Beeley, a British independent journalist based in Syria, who has been actively contesting the mainstream media, is reporting from the ground in the war-torn city of Aleppo. She denounced the lies of the Western media, particularly with regard to the White Helmets. This volunteer rescue NGO supposedly acts neutrally, impartially and for all Syrians. It was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize and was awarded the Right Livelihood Award, also known as the Alternative Nobel Prize. Beeley has accused the NGO of being no more than a support network for Al Nusra Front and associated extremist terrorist groups [] carrying out criminal acts alongside the recognised US coalition armed and funded terrorist factions. Further research on this topic has revealed that the White Helmets have been funded to the tune of over $100 million [by] the UK and the US alone and that these resources are channelled through a Dutch NGO registered as Mayday Rescue. The 21st Century Wire media outlet news for the waking generation has claimed that the White Helmets have rescued the same girl three times in three months and that none of [the White Helmet] claims can be independently verified. Eva Bartlett, a Canadian independent journalist, delivered an interesting and rather marginalised speech during a press conference at the United Nations in December 2016. Having visited Syria several times during the war herself, she condemned the non-existence of Western broadcast news reporting from the ground in Aleppo and found it astonishing that the mainstream media in the West had created a deceptive image of the liberation of Eastern Aleppo. International conflicts, in addition to being gun battles, are also battles of different perceptions. Diplomatic accusations and geopolitics in Syria Speaking at the United Nations Security Council on 14 December 2016, the US Ambassador Samantha Power accused the Assad government of conquest and carnage in Aleppo, rhetorically asking the Syrian government whether they were ashamed of their actions. Her Russian counterpart Vitaly Churkin retorted by reproaching the power of cynicism, indirectly alluding to the wars waged by the US. The speech by the US representative is particularly strange to me; she gave her speech as if she was Mother Teresa herself. Please, remember the track record of your country, Churkin said. Since Russias decision to intervene militarily in Syria in support of Assads forces, the US has vehemently condemned its presence in the country and the blame-game of who bombed who has become routine. Yet, it seems difficult for the American government to accept the fact that Russia and Iran are effectively combating the rebels in Syria, many of whom belong to terrorist organisations that the West too wants to bring to heel. Mainstream media: Weapon of disinformation? In his book The True Story of the Bilderberg Group, Daniel Estulin points out that the world media are part of the global elite . Estulin further states, A free press is a myth because it is property of the powerful. Only when ownership is shared by many private citizens will a truly free press come about, based on our right to know. According to Estulin, the media act as a powerful tool to shape public opinion, while representing primarily the interests of the rich and influential. Here too, the problem is the concentration of ownership in a few powerful hands. The mainstream media in the US are very dishonest, said Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, in a recent interview to Fox News. The documentary film The War You Dont See by the Australian journalist John Pilger denounces the ghastly circumstances in which the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan and even Vietnam were carried out by the US and British governments and largely ignored by the Western media. The film is based on documented statements, which reveal the indisputable relationship between the media and the political sphere, particularly in periods marked by war. In yet another documentary, entitled Orwell Rolls in his Grave, the American Robert Kane Pappas presents additional evidence that portrays the media as an antidemocratic force in the United States. Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, the classic by Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, provides a strong theoretical basis to the idea that the media, by their very nature, serve the ruling power. Applying the Propaganda Model, which is essentially a conceptual theoretical model explaining how propaganda and systemic biases function in mass media, the authors claim that the North American media are at the service of large corporations and the state. In times of war there is a wide range of contradictions and they all have the same goal: to become part of the reality of the media by entering peoples houses and hence becoming part of their realities, shaping their opinions. The interests of the warring factions, the moral value of the reporters and the different strategies of media companies play a very important role in establishing different versions of the truth. The media do not only report on military conflicts, they play a crucial and increasingly active role in them. The media do not only report on military conflicts, they play a crucial and increasingly active role in them. The reporting on the military conflict in Syria reveals both the magnitude of the task for journalism in wartime and its structural weaknesses, if not its complete inability top get to grips with events in a fair and balanced manner. KEARNEY The suspect in an early Sunday morning stabbing at Rodeway Inn in south Kearney said he was defending himself. Larry Lorenzo Aguilar, 40, of Peoria, Ariz., is charged in Buffalo County Court with felony first-degree assault and using a deadly weapon, a knife, to commit a felony in the incident. Kearney Police Department officers were called to the hotel after the victim, 46-year-old Michael Autry of Kearney, was stabbed several times in his neck and arm. Court records outline the case against Aguilar: Police were called to the hotel at 411 Second Ave. East at 2 a.m. Sunday and found the victim bleeding severely in the hotel lobby. The man told police his roommate, Aguilar, stabbed him. Police found Aguilar, shirtless and with blood on his hands and jeans, in the room he and the victim shared. Aguilar said the victim had called him threatening to hurt him after the victim had been left at a bar and had to find a ride back to the hotel. Aguilar said he was outside near a hotel entrance when the victim arrived and he felt threatened by the victim because the victim works out every day and is in good shape. Aguilar said he defended himself. Police recovered a lock-blade-style knife from a bucket outside the hotel entrance. Aguilar was arrested and taken to the Buffalo County Jail, where he remained today on 10 percent of a $200,000 bond. He must post $20,000 to be freed. The victim was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney where he is recovering from his injuries. Aguilar is scheduled to appear in court in November. email to: This Jan. 4, 2017, image provided by the U.S. Energy Department and its contractor Nuclear Waste Partnership shows workers moving waste underground at the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant near Carlsbad, N.M. The repository, the federal government's only underground spot for disposing of low-level nuclear waste, had been shuttered for nearly three years since a 2014 radiation release. (Sam Christensen/Nuclear Waste Partnership via U.S. Energy Department) Kyiv's Pechersky district court at the start of the New Year authorized the arrest of disgraced ex-President Viktor Yanukovych and former ex-Interior Minister Vitaliy Zakharchenko in the so-called "church case," according to a report published by the Kyiv-based Ukrayinska Pravda Internet publication. "The court on January 3, based on a notice provided by the Prosecutor General's Office, gave permission to arrest Yanukovych and handed down a similar ruling for Zakharchenko, as well as authorized the arrest of Valeriy Koriak, former head of the Kyiv militia," the article says, which was published on Saturday evening. "The suspects are hiding from investigators and the court. In order to avoid destruction of evidence and influence on the aggrieved parties and experts, the [PGO] investigator believes that the suspects should be arrested and brought to court to determine pretrial confinement," the PGO investigator is quoted as saying. Former Ukrainian politicians Zakharchenko, Yanukovych and Koriak are suspected of illegally detaining Oleksandr Drabynko, the assistant of the late head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate) Volodymyr. Investigators believe Yanukovych and his coterie pressured the late Volodymyr to resign from his position. Verkhovna Rada deputy Vadym Novinsky is also a suspect in the case, as well as the commander and deputy of the Interior Ministry's "Grifon" police unit in Kyiv. There is no information about permission to detain the figures in the case, according to Ukrayinska Pravda's website. There are no Ukrainians among the dead and injured in the terrorist attacks that occurred in Baghdad on Sunday, the consular service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine has reported. "The Embassy of Ukraine [in Iraq] informs about the absence of Ukrainians among those killed and injured in the terrorist attack in Baghdad on January 8, 2017," the agency reported on Twitter. It was reported that at least seven people were killed and over ten injured as a result of the second terrorist attack per day in Baghdad, the Western media reported on Sunday. According to them, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a market in the Shiite district of the Baladiyat area. Earlier on Sunday, it was reported that 12 people were killed and 50 injured in an explosion in eastern Baghdad at a vegetable market in the area, predominantly populated by Shiites. Then the extremist group "Islamic State" took the responsibility for the terrorist attack. Ukrainian border guards at the International Airport in Kharkiv identified and detained a citizen of Israel, who is on the international wanted list for committing a criminal offense in Poland. "The Interpol database reacted to a 58-year-old man. It turned out that he was wanted for fraud in commerce, banking and financial fraud," the press service of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine said. Border guards detained the man and informed the representatives of the National Police of Ukraine. Receipt of applications for a consultative contest for the post of the head of the National Police of Ukraine has been completed, Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine Arsen Avakov has said. "Receipt of applications for a consultative competition for the head of the National Police of Ukraine has been terminated. Some 64 applications were submitted, with which the competition commission starts working," Avakov wrote on his Twitter page on Monday. As reported, the head of the Interior Ministry on December 15 announced a competition for the advisory post of the head of the National Police of Ukraine. The contest is open to all those who wish, both for the acting police officers, and other persons who meet the specified conditions. The contest is held by the advisory selection committee. The basic requirements for applicants are: compliance with the general conditions of work in the police, full legal education, not less than seven years of experience in the field of law, at least five years of managerial experience. The basic personal and professional features: honesty and excellent reputation, motivation, political non-affiliation and others. A curriculum vitae and a cover letter are required for a primary participation in the competition. Documents were accepted until January 8, 2017. Avakov hopes that a new head of Ukraine's National Police will be elected and appointed by mid-February. On November 14 Khatia Dekanoidze announced her resignation from the post of the head of the National Police. The Interior minister accepted her resignation. Acting head of Ukraine's National Police is first deputy head of Ukraine's National Police Vadym Troyan. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has condemned the recent terrorist attacks in Egypt, Israel, Iraq and Turkey and noted the need to consolidate the international community's efforts to combat terrorism. "Ukraine's Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the terrorist acts that occurred in recent days, in particular in Egypt, Israel, Iraq and Turkey, which killed dozens of people and about a hundred was injured. We express our sincere condolences to the families and friends of those killed, and wish a quick and full recovery to the injured," a statement reads published on the website of the Foreign Ministry of Ukraine on Monday. The statement notes that the surge of terrorist acts, which is observed in recent years, once again emphasizes the need to consolidate the international community's efforts to combat this phenomenon, which is "a threat to the entire civilized world." "Such acts of violence, during which innocent people are killed, are criminal offenses and have no justification, under whatever slogans they occur," the Foreign Ministry said. 566 Shares Share An excerpt from Malpractice: A Neurosurgeon Reveals How Our Health-Care System Puts Patients at Risk. It is not possible to live life in a way that every choice and decision awaits a definitive, doubleblind study with a statistically significant population of subjects to determine the best way to proceed. As a matter of fact, very few of our problems are resolved that way. We often reach conclusions emotionally and then invoke logic and reasoning to justify them. Instead of approaching problems by stating a hypothesis and then testing it against evidence, we often unconsciously begin with a conclusion or belief and then seek evidence to confirm it. In medicine, as elsewhere, this is known as confirmation bias. This is a dangerous intellectual trap for a physician to fall into. Headaches are one of the most prevalent symptoms presented in clinical practice. The migraine headache is common, and is often the doctors first consideration before she analyzes other potential causes of the headache. This is called pattern recognition. The doctor has seen this symptom countless times and is quick to recognize it. If this diagnosis is correct, it saves time, eliminates a lot of unnecessary testing and additional patient anxiety, and measures can be quickly taken to safely alleviate the pain. What if its not a migraine? What else could it be? A middleaged woman well call Patty who lives in a small town came to the emergency room of the hospital complaining of a headache. She was well known, and allegedly was quite a drinker. The medical providers made the assumption that she was simply hung over, but they didnt bother to check the alcohol level in her blood. She did not present with any of the usual medical stigmata of an alcoholic, such as liver or blood disease. They didnt do computed tomography, otherwise know as a CT scan, to look for other possibilities. They used the heuristic called attribution error: they labeled the patient socially and then used that as a substitute for a scientific diagnosis. Therefore, there was no need to doubt themselves or perhaps ask, What else could this be? It is possible the doctor also used the availability heuristic: he went with the first diagnosis that came to mind. If he has treated a number of patients recently that were under the influence of alcohol, this is the first thing that would come to his mind. In this case, they sent the woman home. She came back the next day with the same complaint of headache, but more intense. Finally, they gave her a CT scan and discovered that she had a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. A competent woman in her early sixties who we will call Wendy, gainfully employed as a manager at an airport, presented at a small suburban hospital with a severe headache and flu symptoms. She mentioned that during the previous fortyeight hours she had experienced diarrhea and stomach ache, both of which she attributed to a restaurant where she had eaten. Significantly, her blood pressure was 220/130, which meant she was a walking time bomb. She told the attending physician that she had had high blood pressure for a long time, but that fifteen years previously, she had decided to stop taking medication for it. The only doctor she had been seeing was an allergist, and she had told him about her high blood pressure, but he had not referred her to another physician (as he should have). Despite her extremely elevated blood pressure and headache, two symptoms often related to each other, Wendy did not have symptoms of a brain hemorrhage such as a stiff neck or sensitivity to light. What could this be other than a case of high blood pressure? Incredibly, the attending physician gave her two milligrams of morphine for her pain and a brief lecture about the dangers of her high blood pressure, and sent her home. Did the doctor commit the heuristic of anchoring, which means he made an initial judgment that this was an extreme but uncomplicated case of high blood pressure? If so, then he achieved his immediate goal of getting the patient rotated out of his emergency room and referred to a primary care physician who would doubtless try to persuade Wendy to get back on hypertension medication. He went with the obvious, and stuck with his gut reaction, which he threw down like an anchor. He obviously did not ask, What is the worst thing this could possibly be? Wendy dutifully made an appointment with her primary care physician. The first opening he had was more than a week later. In the meantime, over the next five days, Wendy got sicker and sicker and started becoming mentally confused. She went back to the emergency room where they did a CT scan, which revealed a brain hemorrhage from a ruptured aneurysm. A week after her first visit to the emergency room, a condition known as vasospasm, meaning a spasm of a blood vessel in her brain, had set in, leading to oxygen deprivation in that part of her brain. Her aneurysm, which a week before could have been surgically clipped, thereby removing the threatening health issue, was now impossible because the vasospasm was so severe that the aneurysm was untreatable. Today, Wendy lies on her back at home in a vegetative state, unable to walk, talk, or otherwise communicate, with a feeding tube in her stomach. She cant follow directions, and she suffers occasional seizures. She requires constant care. The medical practitioners in Wendys case forgot Rule Number 1 of emergency room diagnostics: rule out worstcase scenarios. Dont send a patient home with a condition that may kill them before they get there. For every major symptom that a patient may present with, most doctors can think of about half a dozen of the most dangerous, possibly lifethreatening causes. Their first task is to eliminate them or treat them, but never to miss them. If someone comes in the door with chest pain, make sure theyre not experiencing a heart attack right in front of your eyes. If they present with a headache, make sure theyre not experiencing a cerebral hemorrhage or a stroke, and so on. Lawrence Schlachter is a neurosurgeon and author of Malpractice: A Neurosurgeon Reveals How Our Health-Care System Puts Patients at Risk. Image credit: Shutterstock.com 691 Shares Share Do women make better doctors than men? A recent study in JAMA Internal Medicine claims that they do. According to the authors, there is a 4 percent risk reduction in mortality for elderly patients treated by women. There is also a small but clinically significant reduction in readmission rates. By their analysis, this difference could translate to approximately 32,000 lives saved if male physicians could achieve the same outcomes as female physicians every year. In their discussion of their data, they suggest that female doctors may outperform men due to better communication, attention to detail, or simply because they are smarter (as measured by standardized test performance). These conclusions have received extensive and uncritical media attention. Outlets from the Atlantic to Fox News have restated the authors claims with headlines like, Evidence of the Superiority of Female Doctors and Elderly patients live longer when they have female doctors. Their conclusions may very well be true. But before we fire every male doctor and kick all men out of medical school, one important finding from this study must be addressed: Female doctors saw on average 37 percent fewer patients than male doctors (131.9 vs. 180.6). This is not a fluke, as this data corresponds with other studies showing that female physicians work fewer hours than male physicians. For example, a 2000 study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that 22 percent of women worked part-time, versus 9 percent for men. More recent data supports the veracity of these findings. According to Medscapes 2016 compensation survey, only 26 percent of female physicians report spending more than forty hours a week with patients, compared to 40 percent of male doctors. Both common sense and a wealth of data about the impact of work hours on performance suggest that physicians working fewer hours, and seeing fewer patients, will provide better care for their patients. I strongly suspect that if they were to re-analyze their data for number of patients seen, their reported difference between male and female doctors would vanish. Instead, they would likely see a proportional improvement with patient outcomes as number of patients seen (and hours worked) decreased for both sexes. Even if my hunch is incorrect, this is an essential variable that needs to be analyzed before drawing any conclusions from the data. However, this notion was not obvious to the authors of this study, who made no effort to control for number of patients seen or hours worked. They also failed to discuss what, if any, effect they think number of patients seen might have had on physician performance. I am not sure why they chose to ignore such a vital piece of data in their conclusions. Perhaps they knew that, given the dire shortage of physicians, suggesting that doctors work fewer hours would be pointless. My more cynical side wonders if they knew that claiming, Women are better than men would get more headlines than Doctors need more time off. James Block is a medical student. Image credit: Shutterstock.com Three soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine did not return to the location of their military unit in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) zone on Sunday, January 8, the press service of the ATO staff said. "On January 8, 2017 three soldiers of one of the military units, performing the tasks near the disengagement line, did not return to the place of their military unit. Currently, there is no touch with them. The circumstances of the accident are being investigated," said a statement posted on the official Facebook page of ATO headquarters. A local man is under arrest for allegedly using a knife and hurting four people inside a North Laredo home. The call was made about a fight taking place at the home, located within the 8700 block of Calvary Court. Police say they found four people with apparent stab wounds. One of the victims had a laceration to the forehead and another in the arm. Witnesses say Julio Cesar Hernandez Palos allegedly grabbed a knife and starting swinging, striking the victims. The victims were taken to Doctors Hospital, and Palos was placed under arrest and charged with Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has signed a decree scrapping visa requirements for foreign citizens traveling to and from the country, the head of state's press office said. "The document establishes visa-free regulations for entering Belarus for no more than five days, on entry through a checkpoint across the national border, the National Airport of Minsk, for citizens of 80 states. The decree applies to 39 countries in Europe, including all of the European Union, as well as Brazil, Indonesia, the U.S., Japan and other states," the press office said. Windstorms cause enormous damage, here in the Black Forest near Baiersbronn (Photo: Markus Breig, KIT) The windstorm Niklas caused some 750 million damage in March 2015, making it the most expensive loss event for natural hazards in that year in Germany. Overall, storm damage in 2015 in Germany amounted to 1.2 billion (source: Gesamtverband der Deutschen Versicherungswirtschaft GDV (German Insurance Association). Risks of extreme weather events are in the research focus of meteorologist Joaquim Pinto at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). On December 1, he started his new professorship for regional climate and weather hazards, which is supported by the AXA Research Fund with EUR 1.8 million for a term of 13 years. They have names such as Lothar, Vivian, Wiebke, Kyrill or, as in 2015, Niklas: Winter storms originate from low-pressure systems over the Atlantic Ocean and often move across North-West and Central Europe. As the temperature difference between polar and subtropical latitudes is particularly high in winter, they can develop into dangerous storms. With wind speeds of up to 150 km/h in lowlands and a large spatial extent, winter storms can cause large impacts. The main goal of Professor Joaquim Pintos research at KITs Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research is a better understanding of the relationship between environmental hazards and extreme weather events in Europe, including floods, cold spells and heat waves. "We are investigating both the physical processes leading to the occurrence of extreme weather events as well as the natural variations in their frequency and intensity," says Pinto. Professor Joaquim Pinto (Photo: private) As an AXA Chair holder, he and his team want to develop methods that enable the quantification of possible changes in frequency and intensity on the regional level. Another central topic will be the risk assessment of extreme weather events under current and future climatic conditions. "The AXA Chair for Regional Climate and Weather Hazards will strengthen cooperation between research and insurance industry and in particular the transfer of knowledge in both directions in order to gain a better understanding of hazards associated with weather risks," says Luc de Lignieres, Chief Risk Officer for P&C at the AXA Group and sponsor of this AXA Chair. The AXA Chair strengthens KIT's broad competence and highly successful research in the area of natural risks, which is conducted by e.g. the Center for Disaster Management and Risk Reduction Technology (CEDIM) and the Collaborative Research Center "Waves to Weather. It makes use of these synergies to promote the exploration of environmental risks and contributes to enhancing KIT's strength in this area. In raising the funding for this new professorship the IMK was supported by the KIT-Stiftung. The foundations goal is to sustainably promote research, teaching, innovation and academic life at KIT. For further information on the KIT-Stiftung please see: https://www.stiftung.kit.edu Currently, the AXA Research Funds financial commitment to German research institutions amounts to EUR 6.5 million. In addition to the KIT professorship, this contribution is used to support 24 other life sciences, socio-economic and environmental projects. About Joaquim Pinto Joaquim Pinto last worked at the University of Reading and the University of Cologne. His research mainly covers mid-latitude meteorology and climatology, with a special focus on extreme events, regional climate variability in Europe, development of dynamic and statistical approaches to determining regional responses to climate change, diagnosis and modeling of storms in Europe, and assessment of the associated risks. Pinto also conducts research relating to decadal climate projections under the MiKlip project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, involing several other KIT scientists. About the AXA Research Fund The AXA Research Fund was created in 2007 to boost scientific progress and discoveries that contribute to understanding and better preparing for environmental, life and socio-economic risks. With a commitment of EUR 200 million until 2018, the Fund supports 492 projects led by researchers of 51 nationalities, working in 269 universities in 33 countriesThe AXA Research Fund also helps scientists share their knowledge with a wider audience, in order to inform decision-making and actively promote public knowledge about the risks that threaten our societies. www.axa-research.org, www.gallery.axa-research.org, @AXAResearchFund AXA Germany With written premiums of EUR 10.6 billion (2015) and 9,418 employees, AXA Konzern is one of the leading insurance companies and financial services providers in Germany. The company provides comprehensive solutions in the fields of private and company financial protection, health insurance, Property and Casualty insurance and asset management. The mindset and actions of the company are based on the customer and his needs. AXA Germany is part of the AXA Group, one of the worldwide leading insurance and asset management companies operating predominantly in Europe, North America and in the Asia-Pacific region. In the business year 2015, the AXA Group recorded a turnover of EUR 98.5 bn and underlying earnings of EUR 5.6 bn. At the end of 2015, the volume of assets under management of the AXA Group was EUR 1.36 bn. www.axa.de More about the KIT Climate and Environment Center: http://www.klima-umwelt.kit.edu Being The Research University in the Helmholtz Association, KIT creates and imparts knowledge for the society and the environment. It is the objective to make significant contributions to the global challenges in the fields of energy, mobility, and information. For this, about 9,800 employees cooperate in a broad range of disciplines in natural sciences, engineering sciences, economics, and the humanities and social sciences. KIT prepares its 22,300 students for responsible tasks in society, industry, and science by offering research-based study programs. Innovation efforts at KIT build a bridge between important scientific findings and their application for the benefit of society, economic prosperity, and the preservation of our natural basis of life. KIT is one of the German universities of excellence. HANOI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official market and indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi at 0111 GMT. Jan 9 Jan 6 USD/VND mid-point 22,168 22,154 USD/VND interbank 22,560/22,565 22,570/22,575 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.34/36.66 36.34/36.66 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank quotes are indicative bid/ask prices. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co, the gold manufacturer. Interbank offered rates are indicative, quoted from market sources. For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) HANOI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Here's a snapshot of Vietnamese dong exchange rates in the official and unofficial markets, indicative SJC gold prices in Hanoi and interbank offered rates at 0403 GMT. Jan 9 Jan 6 USD/VND mid-point 22,168 22,154 USD/VND interbank 22,520/22,540 22,570/22,575 USD/VND unofficial 22,920/22,940 22,930/23,000 SJC gold (mln dong/tael) 36.29/36.61 36.34/36.66 Interbank offered rates Overnight 4.5-5.3 3.0-5.0 1 week 4.7-5.3 4.5-5.0 1 month 5.0-5.4 5.0-5.3 3 months 5.1-5.4 5.2-5.3 NOTES: As of Jan. 4, 2016 the State Bank of Vietnam has begun setting the mid-point rate on daily basis, allowing dollar/dong transactions to move in a band of +/- 3 percent around the mid point. The dong's exchange rate against other currencies is not restricted by a band. Interbank offered rates are the latest indicative bid/ask prices, quoted from market sources. One tael is equivalent to 37.5 grams or 1.21 troy ounces. SJC gold prices are quoted by state-owned Saigon Jewelry Co. For more interbank rate fixings released at 0400 GMT, click on . For Vietnam market overview click on: Vietnam's bonds market auctions: Bonds auction results: (Compiled by Hanoi Newsroom) BAKU, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Azerbaijan's state oil company SOCAR plans to increase its shipments via Russia to 1.5 million tonnes in 2017 from 1.21 million tonnes last year, a source at SOCAR said on Monday. "SOCAR has signed a contract with Russian company Transneft on shipments of 1.5 million tonnes of oil via the Baku-Novorossiisk pipeline in 2017, 325,000 tonnes of which will be shipped in the first three months of this year," the source, who did not want to be identified, told Reuters. SOCAR shipped 1.21 million tonnes of oil via Russia last year, down 4.8 percent from the 1.27 million tonnes shipped in 2015. The decline was due to SOCAR being unable to export via the Baku-Novorossiisk pipeline for the first two months of the year. It resumed exports via the pipeline on March 1 after signing an agreement in late February with Russian pipeline monopoly AK Transneft which ended a three-month gap while they negotiated a new deal. Azerbaijan ships only a very small proportion of its oil exports via Russia, using routes through Georgia and Turkey for the bulk of its crude shipments. SOCAR's crude has a lower sulphur content than Russia's Urals blend. (Reporting by Nailia Bagirova; writing by Margarita Antidze; editing by Adrian Croft) * Bitcoin price fell sharply last week after PBOC comments * China central bank urged caution in trading bitcoin * BTCC CEO says no direct pressure, yet, from regulators * Says few Chinese use bitcoin to skirt forex quotas By John Ruwitch SHANGHAI, Jan 9 (Reuters) - The head of a major bitcoin exchange in China says few people there use the cryptocurrency to get around rules on how much money they can take out of the country, and despite a publicized meeting with the central bank last week the exchange, BTCC, hasn't been told explicitly to check capital outflows. Bitcoin's price took a steep dive on Friday after China's central bank cautioned investors to take a rational and careful approach to investing in the digital currency. The price had surged to record highs. The central bank's comments come as Beijing escalates a campaign to check capital outflows and slow the depreciation of the yuan currency , which lost nearly 7 percent of its value against the U.S. dollar last year. With bitcoin's soaring price and the relative anonymity it affords, some believe the digital currency was becoming an attractive option for tech-savvy Chinese to hedge against the yuan and circumvent rules that limit individuals to $50,000 of foreign exchange each year. The Shanghai office of the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said on Friday it had met with BTCC to understand the platform's operations, highlight the risks, remind the exchange to abide by the law, and "urge the platform to carry out self-examination and corresponding clean-up and rectification" according to law. Asked if BTCC had received direct pressure on outflows, CEO Bobby Lee, who founded BTCC in 2011, said: "No. Not as of yet... Nothing verbal or written to us." In Beijing, the PBOC told two of China's other big bitcoin exchanges, Huobi and OKCoin, not to mention the depreciating yuan when advertising their platforms, the influential news outlet Caixin said, citing people familiar with the meeting. Star Xu, CEO and founder of OKCoin, confirmed there had been a meeting of the PBOC and leading bitcoin exchanges on Friday to discuss the operation of trading platforms. "The industry can benefit from balanced, risk-based regulation and/or oversight, and we look forward to further constructive discussions with the regulators and industry participants," Xu told Reuters in an emailed comment. While it's possible to buy bitcoin with yuan and then sell it abroad for a foreign currency, BTCC's Lee said "to be honest, not many" people were doing it because of the cost. The renminbi price of bitcoin carries a premium to the price in other currencies, he noted. In addition, buy or sell orders in the 100,000 yuan ($14,423) to 1 million yuan ($144,233) range, and up, would influence the bitcoin spot price and affect the transaction. "For that range, you're not going to be able to do it at a good rate. You're going to lose 10 percent of your money," Lee said. "Maybe the individual household might buy 20,000 more dollars worth of bitcoin than their $50,000 (forex) quota, but that's a drop in the bucket." Still, Lee said various indicators, like active trading accounts, new users, actual deposits and withdrawals, were "very active" in China, and some key BTCC metrics were at "all-time highs", though he declined to be more specific. NOT LEGAL TENDER Bitcoin is not regulated in China, but the PBOC has declared it is not legal tender, and is instead a "virtual good", Lee said. That puts it in the same category as other goods. "If I pack a suitcase and take a plane to the United States, do the clothes, does the computer in my suitcase, does the watch I wear count towards capital flight?" he said. "Where do you draw the line?" He said no new or planned rules regarding bitcoin were discussed in the latest meeting with the PBOC, and he estimates it will be two to three years before China regulates bitcoin. In a statement on its website, BTCC, which calls itself the world's longest running bitcoin exchange, said it regularly meets with the PBOC and "work(s) closely with them to ensure that we are operating in accordance with the laws and regulations of China." Exchanges in China say they account for more than 90 percent of global bitcoin trading, which would help explain why a shift in Chinese demand would sharply affect the price. But many bitcoin experts say Chinese exchanges overstate their volumes in the digital currency, and attribute sharp moves to speculation by, for example, U.S.-based hedge funds. ($1 = 6.9332 Chinese yuan renminbi) <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Graphic on bitcoin price Graphic on bitcoin economy BREAKINGVIEWS-China can ignore ill-advised flight to bitcoin ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^> (Reporting by John Ruwitch; Editing by Ian Geoghegan) Police have detained Dutch journalist Michel Spekkers at Schipol airport in Amsterdam for attempting to smuggle pieces of the MH17 passenger plane [shot down over eastern Ukraine] into the Netherlands. Law-enforcement officials said parts of bodies from dead passengers aboard the plane could possibly be among them. According to the Internet portal European Pravda, citing Nltimes.nl, the journalist was returning from Ukraine, where he visited the site of the crash, which occurred on July 17, 2014. All 298 passengers on board were killed. The reporter visited Donetsk, where he filmed a documentary film about life in the war-torn region. He decided to visit the MH17 crash site after he learned pieces from the downed aircraft were still there. Dutch prosecutors were quoted as saying "bags with metal details and objects, along with what could be body parts," would be examined. An international investigation group on September 28, 2016 in the Netherlands presented results of their criminal investigation into the cause of the MH17 crash. The group concluded that MH17 was shot down by a 9M38 BUK-TELAR missile launched from a field in near a village controlled by Russia-backed militants. Their report said the missile system was brought into Ukraine from Russia and returned to Russia after the downing of the plane. Russian leaders and military authorities deny any involvement. By Davide Scigliuzzo and Mike Gambale NEW YORK, Jan 9 (IFR) - Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras has received orders of more than US$20bn for a two-part bond to refinance debt, three sources close to matter told IFR on Monday. The company set price guidance at 6.25% area on a new five-year bond and 7.5% area on a new 10-year, with area defined as plus or minus 12.5bp. The deal is set to price later on Monday. Bradesco, Citigroup, HSBC, Itau and Morgan Stanley are the lead managers. (Reporting by Davide Scigliuzzo and Mike Gambale; Editing by Marc Carnegie) (Kitco News) - Circulating reports suggest India, one of the worlds top consuming gold-nations, saw one of its bleakest years on record in 2016, with shipments into the country reportedly dropping by 46% last month -- totaling just 56.9 tonnes, as compared to the 106 tonnes Indian buyers brought in during December 2015. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, gold imports totaled 570.8 tonnes in 2016, down 44% from 2015. [T]he situation in India continues to be problematic, said market watcher and publisher of The Gartman letter, Dennis Gartman. [T]he liquidity that the Modi government had promised following its currency conversion scheme has not yet appeared. Eventually the new currency denominations promised by the government will be fully available, but until then Indias citizens are living in a relatively cashless environment when cash has always been the preferred method of doing day-to-day business, he explained in his Monday edition of the newsletter. As a result gold buying on the part of India, the most important gold buying nation in the world, has remained subdued at best, he said. That said, Gartman noted that the yellow metal is still performing relatively well. In that light, gold has held on quite well and we are left to wonder how strong it shall be when India returns in full regalia? he questioned. In December, it was reported that India, the worlds second-biggest consumer of gold, was considering cutting the import tax to 6% from 10% on gold in order to curb smuggling. Helping gold Monday, was a return of Brexit jitters. Gold bounced overnight likely on British Prime Minister Theresa Mays somewhat aggressive remarks in relation to Britains ties with the EU. May made it clear that a partial withdrawal would not be on the table, which raised concerns that the Brexit negotiations may be more turbulent than first thought, Kitco Metals global trading director, Peter Hug said in his morning commentary. Also moving gold positively, has been news of upbeat demand coming out of the worlds top gold nation, China. According to reports gold purchases are on the rise ahead of the Chinese Lunar New Year celebrations, which this year starts at the end of the month. Kitco gold currency charts show broad-based gains for the precious metal in currency markets. Gold is up more than 1.75% against the British pound. The yellow metal is up 0.53% against the euro. In North America gold is up 0.81% against the U.S. dollar and 0.61% against the Canadian dollar. By Daniela Cambone of Kitco News; dcambone@kitco.com Follow @DanielaCambone (Kitco News) -Jan 9. Gold ticked higher in overnight action in London despite modest gains in the U.S. dollar index. Investors are turning back to gold as a safe-haven as uncertainty ramps up ahead of the Inauguration of Donald Trump on January 20. Gold exchange traded funds reported fresh inflows last week in the wake of the hefty price slide seen since the November 8 presidential election. Investors, policymakers and central bankers remain unsure on how the political, fiscal, and economic landscape will actually shift once he takes office. In the short-term: a "V" bottom has formed on the daily Comex February gold futures chart, marking out a minor low at $1,124.30 per ounce. The near-term picture for gold has improved slightly as the metal trades above its 20-day moving average and just scaled its 40-day moving average. Can Momentum Break Out To The Upside? Gold has paused and is correcting following the swift post-election sell-off. The jury is still out on whether this is a short-term correction phase or the start of a larger and stronger bottom. Traders looking for clues on whether the gold rally can continue can monitor the 14-day relative strength index (RSI) seen at the bottom of Figure 1. A useful way to gauge fresh insight into momentum is to utilize trendlines on the RSI, just as on a price chart. A declining trendline is drawn on the 14-day RSI from the momentum peak, which coincided with gold's summer high at $1,387.10 per ounce. A strong and sustained push above the declining momentum trendline on the RSI currently about 58% would be a bullish signal if that were to occur. Bigger picture: the Feb gold contract took out its 61.8% Fibonacci retracement of the December 2015-July 2016 rally at $1,182.00 which is a negative signal and ultimately leaves gold vulnerable to a 100% retracement of that rally. That means a potential retest of the $1,055.20 low hit in December 2015. Scenario A: If momentum breaks out above its trendline and gold sustains gains above the $1,200 per ounce zone look for a run toward the $1,236 level at a minimum. Scenario B: If gold retreats below $1,124 there is risk for a retest of the $1,055 per ounce low. Scenario C: In the short-term, consolidation emerges between resistance at $1,200 and support at $1,124 per ounce. Markets are shifting into a "wait-and-see" mode with the U.S. presidential inauguration only days away. Read more >> Will The Trump Stock Rally Continue In 2017? By Kira Brecht, Kitco.com Follow @KitcoNewsNOW By Senor John Stringer formerly coNZervative (and perhaps again). Really nice today. Argentina is hot but not muggy like Australia or Asia (Its a dry heat) so we set forth across Buenos Aries to see as much as we could including Eva (Evita) Perons grave. Below: Typical street in Buenos Aries (immediately outside our hotel). The chairs and tables disappear completely after closing and youd never know theyd been there. I also like their pavements; we should do this in Christchurch and salvage/recycle some of the broken limestone and brick of the damaged city into our sidewalks. Buenos Aries was founded in the 1500s; but at the turn of the nineteenth century the local aristocracy really loved Europe and after Independence in the 1860s wanted to make their capital like Paris; so they demolished many of the Spanish Colonial buildings as part of the past such as this historic one above on famous May Square one of the few left standing (which housed the Police and Army and Government) and rebuilt European architectural buildings in French and Italian style (as seen ringing Central Park in New York) with cupolas and lots of limestone sculptural elements (very attractive). You can view this odd fusion in the building immediately above with the Corinthian columns and Athenian Classical pediment. This is actually a Roman Catholic Basilica but looks nothing like a church it is simply an aping of Greek architecture transferred via European neo-classicism (like the White House and American monumental architecture is neo-classical; originally the Greek temples and columns were gaudy and brightly-painted. This is ironic as the traditionally poor Argentinian indigenous architecture is also gaudy (lots of reds and yellows and pinks etc) more like the original Classical buildings of 450BC. But the paint bleached white over the eons and was mimicked by Western culture during the Renaissance and Classical Revival periods in Europe and later America as an aesthetic of respectability and power and culture including the broken arms of sculptural pieces as on the Venus De Milo. Above: typical poor Argentinian indigenous architecture of the Porta area made of materials from the port which explains the different colours (whatever they could get hold of). The images of power are relative. This gaudiness was power in ancient Greece and Persia; the bleached white ruins and broken sculptures of that lost era became their own aesthetic and imagery of power today as seen on any bank or governmental building in the West. But its a myth. Below is the famous Buenos Aries opera house one of the great opera houses of the world. It drips external ornamental sculpture in the round. And below is the only building on the historic 9 de Julio Ave (9th July Avenue) their Independence Day that transects Buenos Aries. The Avenue was built like the Champs Elysees to ape Paris and this building is the only address on the Avenue because it is flanked by several streets so there are literally no buildings or addresses on this historic central boulevard itself (once touted as the widest avenue in the world). This building is our equivalent of the Ministry of Social Welfare or Winz so I note the fencing outside to perhaps prevent shootings (such as we had at the Winz office in Ashburton)? Ministerios De Salud Desarroli Social. As you can see Spanish is easy to follow and work out when youre wandering about. Speaking of the White House below the Desarroli Social is the Argentinian equivalent of the White House -the office of the Argentinian President The Pink House. Its named in the same way as the American Presidents house just literally. The fact it is pink is interesting. When it was first built the Argentinians wanted to make it waterproof and protect it from the ravages of the BA climate. So the stone was white-washed with a mixture of white paint, limestone and cows blood which is what gives it its pinkish hue (a common practice in the late nineteenth century when these buildings were made). Argentina is a huge exporter of beef so there was lots of blood about. Later the colour was retained as paint and it has remained the Pink House as in the White House in Washington DC ever since. More of those Spanish Inquistional bollards. The poor of Argentina (or are they contractors?) can be seen processing rubbish like this into recyclable constituent parts. We observed these men ripping the paper from spiral binders and other office rubbish that I guess they collate and get paid for. This was something we saw in South Korea too except mainly older people did that. Our NZ system of wheelie bins and homeowners doing this suits the more egalitarian cultural myths of New Zealand (ie we would never tolerate a class of people doing that for us). Tomorrow: the famous bookshop I mentioned and Buenos Aries top tourist destination and Eva Perons grave. ~ J. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr The Herald reports: Better relations with Maori mean protests at Waitangi are no longer nationally relevant and many New Zealanders have cringed at recent events, Prime Minister Bill English says. English today announced he would not attend Waitangi events at Te Tii Marae saying it isnt acceptable to him that he can attend but not speak. Fair enough. Its insulting to expect the head of government to attend an event but not have full speaking rights. Little committed to attending Waitangi commemorations if elected prime minister, regardless of whether he was granted speaking rights. Enjoy that, if you get the chance. Ngapuhi leader Kingi Taurua also said Englishs no show was disappointing, and said if the Prime Minister didnt attend he had no right to talk about the Treaty of Waitangi. Whatever the Prime Minister thinks, I dont give a damn. All I am there for is to commemorate the signatoriesif Bill English has no commitment to that, then dont talk about the Treaty of Waitangi ever again. Youre the plonker who demanded restrictions on speaking rights so dont complain when you get the consequences. English said that after the issues surrounding Keys attendance last year, his office sought clarification from marae kaumatua that he would be welcomed, with speaking rights. My office was advised I could attend the powhiri but not speak conditions which are not acceptable to me. While I thank the marae committee for their invitation I will take the opportunity to attend commemorative events to celebrate this important day elsewhere. English said he had accepted an invitation from the 60 iwi who comprise the Iwi Chairs Forum to lead a delegation of ministers to Waitangi on February 3. So he will be at Waitangi in advance of Waitangi Day, and meeting and negotiating with Iwi leaders. But not there for the shouting part. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Shenandoah, IA (51601) Today Showers and thundershowers this morning, then cloudy with rain likely during the afternoon. High 44F. Winds N at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of rain 100%.. Tonight Evening rain followed by a mix of rain and snow overnight. Low 31F. Winds NNW at 10 to 20 mph. Chance of precip 100%. Snow accumulations less than one inch. Five Ukrainian soldiers have been injured in the Anti-Terrorist operation (ATO) zone in the east of the country over the past day, Ukrainian Defense Ministry spokesman Oleksandr Motuzianyk has said. "Over the past day no Ukrainian soldier was killed, but five were injured," he said at a briefing in Kyiv on Monday. Motuzianyk said that in the Luhansk sector a number of cases of ceasefire violations has decreased twice - to ten cases. Of which, two shelling at Troyitske took place with the usage of mortars. In the Popasna area, near the village of Novozvanivka, illegal armed formations fired ATO positions using propelled grenades of different systems and small arms, mostly at nighttime. The enemy carried out an armed provocation in the Stanytsia Luhanska and Lopaskyne. In the Donetsk sector the militants fired Svitlodarsk bulge, northern outskirts of Horlivka and Avdiyivska industrial zone. Heavy weaponry was used by militants in all three areas. A total of 11 enemy attacks were recorded in the Donetsk sector over the past day, including five attacks using heavy weapons. In the Mariupol sector the most tense situation remains in the area of the Pavlopil Shyrokyne front. "The enemy has begun provoking our military since midnight, opening fire in the direction of Ukrainian positions using rifles and heavy machine guns. Closer to the lunch time the enemy attacked Ukrainian defense lines by mortars in Hnutove, Vodiane and Shyrokyne. At dusk the militants struck an artillery strike on ATO forces in Shyrokyne and double-fired our stronghold in Talakivka from a tank," Motuzianyk said. In the front line of Maryinka - Krasnohorivka, according to the speaker of Defense Ministry, four cases of ceasefire violation were recorded on Sunday, all of them were unaimed and with the usage of firearms. A total of 30 enemy attacks took place in the Mariupol sector over the past day, including eight attacks fired from heavy weapons. Cumberland Piano Trio performs in Oak Ridge Cumberland Piano Trio OAK RIDGE, TN The Cumberland Piano Trio will be performing in Oak Ridge on Saturday, January 21. Presented by the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association the group will be at the Oak Ridge Unitarian Universalist Church at 7:00 p.m. Established in 2013 as an outgrowth of the Associations Isotone series, the Cumberland Piano Trio has become well-known for championing the works of 21st century composers. The Trio made their New York recital debut at Symphony Space with Isotone in May 2016. The trio includes violinist Susan Eddlemon, cellist Dan Allcott, and pianist Emi Kagawa. A graduate of The Juilliard School in New York City, Susan Eddlemon was the first female violinist to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Juilliard. Eddlemon has performed and taught violin in Knoxville and Oak Ridge for over twenty years, and she is a member of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra. Dan Allcott attended the prestigious Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, where he was the first student to be accepted simultaneously to the doctoral program in both cello and conducting. He is well-known to East Tennessee audiences as the Music Director for the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra. A soloist and chamber musician who has performed throughout the United States, Canada, Italy, and Japan, Emi Kagawa has won numerous national and international competitions, including the Gina Bachauer International Piano Competition at Juilliard and the Nancy Clark International Piano Competition. The concert will feature Gabriel Faures Piano Trio in D minor and Johannes Brahms Piano Trio No. 1 in B major. The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is a participant in the Penny4Arts program and offers free admission for students 18 & under to all Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, and Chamber Series performances. Tickets for the concert are $25 for adults and $10 for young adults (19-29 years old). Seating is general admission. The Oak Ridge Civic Music Association presents professional performances in the Oak Ridge community with its symphony, chorus, and chamber music series. Subscription and individual tickets may be purchased online at www.ORCMA.org or by calling (865) 483-5569. This performance is sponsored by the Cyrus Feldman Memorial Trust. Cy Feldman was a chemist at ORNL and a passionate and committed supporter of music for Oak Ridge. After his death in 1990, his wife Rose and their five children established a fund in his memory to support the ORCMA Chamber Series. Support for the Oak Ridge Civic Music Association is also provided by the Tennessee Arts Commission and WUOT FM 91.9. Published January 8, 2017 NASA assigns upcoming space station crew members JANUARY 9, 2017 at 12:13 p.m. Andrew Feustel and Jeanette Epps have been assigned as crew members aboard the International Space Station in 2018. Image courtesy of NASA. HOUSTON NASA is assigning veteran astronaut Andrew Feustel and first-flight astronaut Jeanette Epps to missions aboard the International Space Station in 2018. Feustel will launch in March 2018 for his first long-duration mission, serving as a flight engineer on Expedition 55, and later as commander of Expedition 56. Epps will become the first African American space station crew member when she launches on her first spaceflight in May 2018. Shell join Feustel as a flight engineer on Expedition 56, and remain on board for Expedition 57. Each space station crew brings something different to the table, and Drew and Jeanette both have a lot to offer, said Chris Cassidy, chief of the Astronaut Office at NASAs Johnson Space Center in Houston. The space station will benefit from having them on board. A native of Lake Orion, Michigan, Feustel was selected as part of the 2000 astronaut class and, in 2009, flew on the space shuttle Atlantis for the final servicing mission of NASAs Hubble Space Telescope. He made his first trip to the space station in 2011 as a member of the STS-134 crew on space shuttle Endeavours final mission. Feustel has a bachelors degree in solid Earth sciences and a masters degree in geophysics from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. In 1995, he completed his doctorate in geological sciences, with a specialization in seismology, from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Epps earned a bachelors degree in physics in 1992 at LeMoyne College in her hometown of Syracuse, New York. She went on to complete a masters of science in 1994 and a doctorate in 2000 in aerospace engineering from the University of Maryland. While earning her doctorate, Epps was a NASA Graduate Student Researchers Project fellow, authoring several journal and conference articles on her research. After completing graduate school, she went on to work in a research laboratory for more than two years, co-authoring several patents, before being recruited by the Central Intelligence Agency. She spent seven years as a CIA technical intelligence officer before being selected as a member of the 2009 astronaut class. Feustel and Epps will join a long and distinguished line of astronauts who have crewed the International Space Station since November 2000. With the help of the more than 200 astronauts who have visited, the space station enables us to demonstrate new technologies and make research breakthroughs not possible on Earth. Its convergence of science, technology and human innovation provide a springboard to NASA's next giant leap in exploration, including the Journey to Mars. You can follow Jeanette Epps on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Astro_Jeanette. Andrew Feustel will post updates on social media at twitter.com/space_station. Published January 9, 2017 Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon To Be Released This February; Cheap Yet Powerful Gaming Laptop Expected To Come Out Soon "Lenovo" is releasing the new ThinkPad X1 Carbon early this year. The upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon was presented at the recent CES 2017, featuring the lightest laptop ever made. The "Lenovo" ThinkPad X1 Carbon was made of light yet durable equipments. The first lightweight laptop from Lenovo is also equipped with a larger screen, a pretty big screen for a lightweight computer. The EnGadget reported that the ThinkPad X1 Carbon will be released as part of the 25th Anniversary of the company. Aside from having a lighter weight, the "Lenovo" ThinkPad X1 Carbon also boast a lot of features such as faster performance with a smooth graphics rendering ability. Advertisement The upcoming ThinkPad X1 Carbon was even compared to the Dell XPS 13 due to its thinness. It has a powerful battery that can run up to 15 hours for an average usage. The Verge confirmed the peripherals installed on the "Lenovo" ThinkPad X1 Carbon. It has a boasting 1TB SSD and is packed with 16GB DD3 of RAM and it features a massive Intel i7 Quad Core processor. The X1 Carbon may not support 4K, but it has a maximum screen scale of 2560 x 1140, full HD. It has been confirmed that the "Lenovo" ThinkPad X1 Carbon will launch this February with the latest ThinkPad X1 Yoga. These laptops will hit the market with a price of $1,499 and 1,349 respectively. On the other hand, the company will also release their gaming laptop called the "Lenovo" Legion Series. The Lenovo Legion Y720 is set to release this April that features an Intel Core i7 along with the NVIDIA GTX 1060. Advertisement Advertisement Like us and Follow us Follow @Koreaportal and 2022 Korea Portal, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Xinhua) 15:58, January 08, 2017 WASHINGTON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- A shooting incident that claimed five lives at the Fort Lauderdale airport in the U.S. state of Florida has prompted the suspect's relatives and lawmakers on Saturday to question the government's role in the latest tragedy of the gun-violence-rampant country. BEING FAILED Esteban Santiago, a 26-year-old Iraq war veteran, flew into the airport at noon time on Friday. Upon disembarking, he went to the baggage claim, picked up his checked luggage, entered a bathroom, took out a pistol from his bag and loaded bullets. He then went out towards a baggage carousel and shot randomly, sending the crowded terminal into chaos. After firing 15 rounds, he dropped the handgun, lay aground with the face down and spread eagle to await arrest with no resistance, several witnessed said. Bryan Santiago, the suspect brother, told the Associated Press (AP) that Esteban had trouble controlling his anger after serving in Iraq and Esteban also felt he was being chased and controlled by the CIA. The veteran could also "hear voices". When Esteban Santiago told agents at an FBI field office his paranoid thoughts in November, he was evaluated for four days, and was then released without any follow-up medication or therapy. "The FBI failed there," Bryan Santiago said, noting that his brother had requested psychological help but barely received any. "The federal government already knew about this for months, they had been evaluating him for a while, but they didn't do anything." Signs of trouble also showed when Esteban Santiago was charged in a domestic violence case in Jan. 2016, in which he damaged a door when forcing his way into a bathroom at his girlfriend's Anchorage home and attacking the female. Anchorage city Police Chief Chris Tolley detailed other complaints of physical disturbances last year involving Esteban Santiago but said officers either found no probable cause for arrest or were told by the city prosecutor not to arrest him. Esteban Santiago was charged with federal murder crimes on Saturday and could face life sentence or death penalty if convicted, though his motive remains unclear. AIRPORT SECURITY &GUN CONTROL Moreover, Esteban Santiago had not been placed on the U.S. no-fly list, authorities said. Aviation passengers in the United States, if declared, are allowed to transport unloaded guns and ammunition in their checked baggage, according to the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA). However, the firearms must be kept in a security container and declared to airline representatives at ticket counters. The shooting, since occurring at a usually-thought unlikely place, renewed anxieties about U.S. aviation security, which has already been greatly tightened since 9/11 attacks in 2001. Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents the Florida district that includes the airport, said the rules need to be reexamined. She told the CNN that the incident should prompt close review of "whether or not you should be allowed to check a firearm at all" -- and how passengers should be able to retrieve checked weapons after landing. Janet King, a Twitter user, wrote, "No guns in airport at all. Ship to destination to be picked up at police station or location away from airport." Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut, blamed the government for not taking legislative action to tighten gun laws. "Political cowardice is the accomplice of every mass shooter," he wrote on Twitter, "The utter silence of Congress in the face of this carnage has become consent." KDB to hold bidding for controlling stake on Jan. 12 By Lee Hyo-sik Park Sam-koo, Kumho Asiana Group Chairman The competition to acquire Kumho Tire is heating up with four Chinese and one Indian bidders mulling how much they would bid for a 42.1 percent stake in Korea's second-largest tire maker. But whoever turns out to be the highest bidder, to finalize the sales deal it will have to wait until whether Kumho Asiana Group Chairman Park Sam-koo exercises his right to buy back the stake at the highest bid price. According to the Korea Development Bank (KDB) and other creditors Monday, sales manager Credit Suisse will hold a final round of bids for the controlling stake in Kumho Tire on Jan. 12. Last November, the investment bank organized a preliminary bid and announced a shortlist of five preferred bidders: India's Apollo Tyres and China's Shanghai Aerospace Industry Corp. (SAIC), Jiangsu GPRO Group, Linglong Tire and Double Star Tyres. Among them, SAIC reportedly submitted the highest initial bid, emerging as the strongest contender. The five are all expected to take part in the final bid. Given Kumho Tire's market capitalization of 1.4 trillion won ($1.2 billion), the 42.1 percent stake is valued at about 590 billion won. Including management premiums, creditors expect the stake sale could reach as high as 1 trillion won. "Kumho Tire generates a stable cash flow and operates highly efficient manufacturing facilities abroad," a KDB official said. "The bidders have been conducting due diligence on the company over the past two months so they know the tire maker is in good shape." Outside Korea, Kumho Tire operates four plants in China, and one each in Vietnam and the United States. In 2015, the company earned 3.04 trillion won in sales, while posting a 39.1 billion won operating profit. But it remains to be seen whether the highest bidder will be able to acquire Kumho Tire because creditors are obliged to first ask Kumho Chairman Park whether he is willing to pay the highest bid price for the stake. "Concerning the sale of Kumho Tire, our stance has always been that Chairman Park will take concrete action to buy back the tire unit when the creditors sell their stake," a Kumho Asiana Group official said. "But nothing has been decided yet as to how he would reacquire the stake." The banks acquired the stake in a debt-to-equity swap in 2010 when the company suffered a severe liquidity shortage. At the time, they signed an agreement that they would first negotiate with the Kumho chairman when unloading their Kumho Tire stake. Park appears to be using all possible means he can to buy back Kumho Tire but is facing an obstacle, as he won't be able to acquire the stake through a third party. The creditors decided not to permit Park or his son Se-chang to transfer a prior stock purchase right to a third party. In December 2015, Park successfully bought Kumho Industrial back, the group's holding firm, via a special purpose company that he had set up after attracting investments from corporations and financial investors. But the chairman won't be able to use the same tactic, meaning he has to use his personal wealth to take back Kumho Tire. An industry analyst, who declined to be named, said it is still unclear how much the four Chinese tire firms would actually be willing to pay for their Kumho Tire, given the Chinese government's recent moves to restrict business cooperation with Korea, as part of its retaliation against the latter's decision to deploy the U.S. Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system. "Many say things have deteriorated between Korea and China in recent months, raising speculation that Chinese tire makers may withdraw their bids for Kumho Tire," the analyst said. "In that case, the creditors' efforts to dispose of their Kumho Tire stakes will likely fail, which in turn would be a good thing for the Kumho chairman because he can buy the firm back at a lower price." Seen above is an exterior view of Dongwha MPARK Hub in western Incheon, west of Seoul. / Courtesy of Dongwha MPARK By Park Jae-hyuk The used car market has long been regarded as an example of the uncertain quality problem, with George Akerlof publishing "The Market for Lemons: Quality Uncertainty and the Market Mechanism" in 1970. However, the U.S. economist may revise his Nobel Prize winning paper, if he visits Dongwha MPARK, Korea's largest used car complex in western Incheon, west of Seoul. Since the establishment of its first building MPARK Land in 2011, the company has aimed to foster an atmosphere for trust-based transactions, running a team which handles customer complaints and an automated checking center for used vehicles. Last November, Dongwha MPARK opened its third building MPARK Hub, reflecting the company's accumulated knowhow of operating the two other buildings MPARK Land and MPARK Tower. The first floor of MPARK Hub is equipped with an auto repair shop Dongwha MPARK Service and a studio to photograph automobiles sold at the used car distribution center. With their smartphones, customers can check the pictures and information about cars, as well as those of dealers, through NFC-based kiosks installed in the building. At showrooms on the third to ninth floors, customers can browse cars. Also, customers have direct access to the third floor of MPARK Tower from the third floor of MPARK Hub, as the two are connected by a corridor. "MPARK Hub offers more convenient shopping and optimized purchases in terms of the quality of dealers," said an MPARK official. "Customers will recognize our credibility and transparency, right after they visit MPARK Hub." Dongwha MPARK has also been running an automobile specialized website Mocle (mocle.co.kr) since last November to provide more information to customers, using its knowhow of running the biggest used car complex. The company seeks for Mocle a compound word of motor and class to change the paradigm of automobile specialized websites. Mocle allows users to search for used car market prices, information of goods, vehicle auctions and news articles on vehicles written by automotive reporters. The search engine for used car market prices, which is the most distinctive feature of the website, provides the prices in a list from lowest to highest. Customers can gauge the price range of the model, as well as price differences between used models and new ones. Mocle also enables customers to judge the reliability of advertisements on other used car websites, as the website has data of 60,000 used car transactions analyzed by Dongwha MPARK. "Mocle will provide repair services, automotive goods and financial information, as well as various automotive content and market price information that are currently available," the MPARK official said. "We seek to be an online portal offering integrated car life services." Last December, Dongwha MPARK established a finance company Dongwha Capital to promote customer convenience during transactions of used cars. Dongwha Capital plans to deal with three financial instruments, specializing in installment financing for used car buyers, an inventory financing for tenants in MPARK and a mortgage on lease deposit for dealers. "Korea's used car market that has steadily grown so far still has lots of opportunities to grow quantitatively and qualitatively," said Dongwha MPARK CEO Chung Dae-won. "We will lead the transactional environment for used cars, creating developed hardware and software at MPARK Hub." Dongwha MPARK, a subsidiary of Dongwha Group, features a used car complex combined with a department store like distribution center and a theme park. The 247,704 square-meter used car complex can showcase about 11,000 vehicles, accommodating about 170 dealer shops. For more information, visit m-park.co.kr or call 1544-4967. By Yoon Ja-young Following remarks by some of the potential presidential candidates that a basic income should be introduced, controversy is arising about its feasibility. Though the idea doesn't seem to have major support yet, economists say that the government should be prepared as demand for a basic income is likely to increase. The idea of a basic income is to provide a monthly sum to any citizen, regardless of their assets or whether they are working. It contrasts with selective welfare which is provided only for the poor. Most actively supporting the idea of a basic income among potential candidates is Seongnam City Mayor Lee Jae-myung. The city has adopted a kind of basic income for young people. Seoul City Mayor Park Won-soon also said recently that the country should adopt a basic income according to lifecycle, such as young people seeking jobs and senior citizens. Lee says the program can be funded through a tax hike on conglomerates and high wage earners. Park is calling for restructuring spending taxes and reforming the welfare system. The idea, however, doesn't seem to have major support yet. A survey by Hyundai Research Institute last year showed that 75.3 percent of Koreans are against the adoption of the basic income, while only 20.6 percent support the idea. "People seem to be concerned that the basic income provided equally to anyone will result in a reduction of the national pension or an increase in the tax rate," said Kim Dong-yeol, a senior researcher at the institute. Males, singles, those in their 20s, and those without jobs are relatively more likely to support the idea. By profession, government officials were most supportive of the idea. Those in their 50s, those with over 80 million won annual income or over 1 billion won in assets, professionals and married people were relatively unsupportive. While the huge cost and the blunting of the motivation to work are cited as side effects, some experts say it also has positive aspects to consider. On top of lessening inequality, they say a basic income can cut administrative costs incurred in selective welfare. Jung Wo-ho, a senior researcher at Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education and Training, said a basic income has a positive effect on the labor market. "Some people may criticize the idea, saying, Who would work if they are provided basic income unconditionally?' However, a basic income increases the motivation of low-earners more than the current welfare system does." He pointed out that beneficiaries are tempted not to work under the current welfare system as their benefit is slashed once their income reaches a certain level. "Since a basic income is unconditional, they are motivated to work further," he said. "A basic income redistributes income to the low and medium income brackets, who have a higher propensity to consume than high earners. It increases production by stimulating consumption, thus increasing labor demand," he said, adding that it will encourage startups since it lessens risk. Prof. Kang Nam-hoon of Hanshin University says that around 180 trillion won is needed to provide a 300,000 won basic income per person. Despite a tax increase, he says 82 percent of the nation's households will be getting more benefits than they pay in taxes. However, experts also stress that the basic income is regarded as a means of decreasing excessive welfare in countries with good social welfare systems. "With only a small portion of people supporting basic income as of yet, it would not seem an immediate issue in Korea. However, with increasing inequality and the continuous economic slowdown, coupled with slow job creation and development of artificial intelligence, more people will be interested in the basic income. The country should be prepared for this," Kim said. South Korea is considering setting up small tree nurseries in areas bordering North Korea in a bid to support the North's forestation, a government official said Monday. Seoul's possible move is aimed at promoting inter-Korean cooperation in forestation as North Korea has recklessly cut down trees to increase its farmland. Such a move has made the country susceptible to natural disasters such as floods. "We are considering establishing tree nurseries in border areas to boost forestation cooperation over the long haul," said an official at South Korea's unification ministry. The move is needed as it would take one to three years for the North to produce tree seedlings necessary for forestation, he added. The project is part of the ministry's 2017 policy plans to build common grounds for inter-Korean unification including making an online dictionary for the Korean language and building a digital archive for a joint project to excavate an ancient palace site. The ministry handling inter-Korean affairs said it also plans to seek to hold an international conference in May on a possible volcanic eruption at Mount Baeku, the highest peak on the Korean Peninsula. The mountain has been dormant since its last eruption in 1903, but some experts warned that it is close enough to the North's nuclear test site in Punggye-ri to have been affected by the manmade seismic activity associated the underground explosions. "Concerns over volcanic eruptions at Mount Baeku are growing after North Korea's nuclear tests and the latest quakes in South Korea's southern city of Gyeongju," said a government official. The government also said that it will cooperate with the United Nations Population Fund to help the agency conduct a survey on census in North Korea next year. The U.N. agency is set to carry out the census on the North, the first time it has done so since 2008. (Yonhap) By Park Si-soo Culture Minister Cho Yoon-sun has for the first time admitted the existence of a state-compiled "blacklist" of artists. She made the admission during a parliamentary probe of the huge corruption and influence-peddling scandal that led to President Park Geun-hye's impeachment on Monday. But she denied being involved in compiling the list. "As far as I know there was a list of artists who were banned from receiving state support for their political beliefs," Cho said. Cho is considered one of the closest aides to the impeached President, and the blacklist is believed to have been made when Cho was a senior presidential secretary. The acknowledgement came when as the special prosecution team widens its investigation into a supposed blacklist of about 9,000 artists who were deemed unfriendly to Park's administration and allegedly denied government support. Park's alleged backlist reportedly included some of South Korea's most famous cultural figures, including "Old Boy" film director Park Chan-wook and poet Ko Un, whose name frequently surfaces in discussions for the Nobel literature prize. They were listed for putting their names on statements criticizing the government over the 2014 ferry disaster and supporting opposition candidates during presidential and mayoral elections. Artists' groups say the allegedly blacklisted individuals -- including actors, painters, and musicians -- have inexplicably been denied financial support available under government programs and prevented from using state venues. Former culture minister Yoo Jin-ryong, who stepped down in July 2014, amid a fallout with Park, said in a recent radio interview that the blacklist, which was updated several times before he left, was passed to the ministry through presidential secretaries. By Jun Ji-hye Ban Ki-moon Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, a potential leading presidential candidate, has been put in an awkward position over his past remarks supporting the Korea-Japan "comfort women" agreement reached in December 2015. His praise for the deal, which was controversial, is giving his rivals ammunition amid the deepening diplomatic row between the two countries over a second statue of a small girl symbolizing Korean victims of Japan's wartime sex slavery. The statue was set up at the end of last month by civic groups outside the Japanese consulate in Busan. Ban is expected to continue to come under attack for his past remarks in the lead-up to the presidential election this year, as controversy over the appropriateness of the deal is heating up. Experts say he could hardly renew his past support for the deal in this situation as public sentiment toward the nation's former colonial ruler has worsened 59 percent of the public responded that they wanted the cancellation of the December 2015 agreement in a Realmeter survey, released Dec. 28. "There will be no candidate who can easily say he or she will keep the deal, considering the strong public outcry," said Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong Global University. Ban expressed his support for the agreement during a phone call with President Park Geun-hye on New Years' Day 2016, calling it "Park's courageous decision" that led to the end of the feud between the two nations over the issue of Japan's sexual enslavement of Korean women before and during World War II. He also said history would "highly value Park's vision" although criticism abounded against the Park administration for its failure to consult the surviving victims beforehand. At the time, opposition lawmakers claimed that Ban made improper political comments as the U.N. chief in an apparent bid to be backed by President Park and her loyalists as a ruling Saenuri party candidate in the presidential election. The lawmakers are now calling on Ban to clearly communicate his position, mindful that he has been seen as distancing himself from Park after she was impeached by the National Assembly, Dec. 9, for the high-profile corruption and influence-peddling scandal. "Ban needs to explain his past comments when he returns home, Jan. 12," said Rep. Woo Sang-ho, the floor leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Monday. "Ban praised the Park government's humiliating compromise with Japan. We cannot understand how the nation's career diplomat made such comments taking sides with Japan." The statue in Busan is a copy of one that sits across the road from the Japanese embassy in Seoul. The Japanese government has strongly criticized Korean civic groups for erecting the comfort women statues in major cities, saying that Seoul has unilaterally broken the "final and irreversible" agreement between the two nations. But Seoul has maintained that while it can suggest that the civic groups remove the statue, the government has no authority to take unilateral action. As part of its retaliatory steps, Japan ordered its ambassador to Korea to as well as its consul-general in Busan, to come home Friday. The neighboring country also announced a halt to the ongoing negotiations to resume a Japan-Korea currency swap deal and the postponement of bilateral high-level economic discussions. On Sunday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also demanded that Seoul remove the comfort woman statue in Seoul, along with the statue in Busan, claiming that his government has lived up to its end of the 2015 deal by providing 1 billion yen ($8.6 million) that was meant to care for the Korean victims. Following the comment, the ruling and opposition parties spoke in rare unison, accusing Abe of trying to use the thorny issue for his own political gain as he seeks reelection. Opposition parties renewed their demand to nullify the deal, saying that it was a verbal agreement between the two countries' foreign ministers, not a treaty. By Lee Han-soo Military police have arrested a South Korean senior navy officer for allegedly kidnapping and assaulting his former Thai former girlfriend. The officer's wife was also booked for assault. Police said the collective violence took place because the Thai woman failed to pay back 2 million won ($1,657) she borrowed when the two were dating. According to police, the couple forced the woman into a car and assaulted her during a 25-kilometer drive in Gwangju, on Saturday. By Kang Seung-woo Rep. Suh Chung-won, the de facto leader of Park Geun-hye loyalists in the ruling Saenuri Party, filed a lawsuit against interim leader In Myung-jin, Monday, for a breach of the law on political parties and defamation of members. In addition, the eight-term lawmaker filed an injunction to suspend In's leadership. The move is expected to deepen the internal feud regarding reforming the troubled party as tension between pro-Park lawmakers and the interim leader is already running high as the former continue to fight back against the latter's reform drive to clean them out in the aftermath of the corruption and influence-peddling scandal that brought about Park's impeachment, Dec. 9. On Dec. 30 one day after officially taking office In, a former Christian activist, urged Park loyalists, including former Finance Minister Choi Kyung-hwan, former Saenuri Chairman Lee Jung-hyun and Suh, to leave the party by Jan. 6, with only Lee quitting. In response, the pro-Park faction called for him to step down for "messing up" the party. "Ignoring the party constitution and rules, In forced lawmakers to leave the party and this is against the Political Party Law. Also, his move hindered the exercise of rights by lawmakers, which is an offense under criminal law," Suh said in a statement. "In addition, he seriously defamed the lawmakers' reputation by making the purge list public." Along with the legal action, Suh took measures to suspend the interim leader from his duties. "In violated the freedom to assemble, join and leave parties, which can also be considered a violations of human rights," Suh said, adding that In also sought to obstruct the normal operation of the party by abusing his authority. "In that respect, I have applied for an injunction for a suspension of him from his duties." Suh also attacked In's political ideology, denouncing him as a "left-leaning" pastor. "I regret appointing him as an interim leader despite his past criticism on the THAAD decision and the ROK-U.S. military exercises something common among left-leaning figures," he said. Suh's move is the latest protest against In's plan to purge him and other Park followers, holding them accountable for the political crisis facing Park and the party. On Friday, In planned to convene a national standing committee to form an emergency committee, but the meeting was cancelled because of the lack of a quorum. A senior party official raised the suspicion that Park allies boycotted the meeting to protest In's recent aggressive drive for party reform. A successful appointment of the members of an emergency committee will allow the party to nominate a new ethics chief, who can punish Park loyalists even if they stay in the Saenuri Party. However, In vowed, Sunday, to continue his efforts to form the committee to finish his reform plan. Amid the intensifying internal strife, 31 first-term lawmakers openly expressed their support for In's reform drive. "We are very supportive of the direction that his plan is moving in and should it fall through, we plan to take aggressive action to reform the troubled party," they said in a statement, released hours after Suh's legal action. In addition, 68 Saenuri lawmakers out of 99 have handed In full authority to lead the party reform, predicting that his reform drive could work through the protests. A Korean monk was pronounced dead, Monday, two days after he set himself on fire during a mass rally in central Seoul against the country's impeached president, hospital officials said. The monk identified by his surname Seo had been in serious condition since he poured inflammables on his body and burned himself at around 10:30 p.m. Saturday during the weekly candlelight vigil joined by tens of thousands of people, according to the officials. He, who sustained serious burns all over his body, was pronounced dead at around 7:40 p.m. Multiple organ dysfunction was cited as the main cause of death. The police suspect the 64-year-old monk tried to commit suicide since he left what is seen as a suicide note in which he called for President Park Geun-hye to immediately step down. Last month, the country's parliament voted to impeach the president over an influence-peddling scandal involving her and her longtime friend. She was suspended from her presidential powers while the Constitutional Court reviews the validity of the impeachment. (Yonhap) By Kim Se-jeong The government will assist foreign students with certified manufacturing skills to settle in the country and find work, a move to deal with a workforce shortage in the labor-intensive manufacturing sector. Foreign students who have the skills and want to land jobs in the sector here will enjoy eased rules in having their D-2 student visa changed to the E-7 professional foreign personnel visa, starting this month, according to the Korea National Ppuri Industry Center (KPIC) under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and the Ministry of Justice, Monday "This is to attract skilled workers to the manufacturing industry," Chai Chang-ok from KPIC told The Korea Times. "Ppuri" means "root" in the Korean language, and the sector includes businesses that require welding, casting, molding, metal forming, surface treatment and heat treatment skills. An applicant should be a student of one of eight higher education institutes designated to teach such skills Keimyung College University in Daegu, Chosun University in Gwangju, Chosun College of Science and Technology in Gwangju, Koje College on Geoje Island, Kunjang University College in Gunsan, North Jeolla Province, Jeonju Technical College in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, Ajou Motor College in Boryeong, South Chungcheong Province and Inha Technical College in Incheon. A total of 123 foreign students are currently studying at the schools, and 25 who will graduate next month will be the first to benefit. The KPIC will receive applications by Friday and evaluate the applicants' skills by the end of this month, along with an interview in the Korean language. Those who are accepted can apply to the Ministry of Justice for the visa change. The usual requirements to obtain an E-7 visa are strict, and among 1.16 million foreign residents as of November, only 1.8 percent were holding the visa. But the government is easing the rules as the number of Koreans wanting to work in the sector is decreasing. While the country suffers a high unemployment rate, especially among those under 30, the manufacturing industry has been suffering a chronic shortage of workers. The Employment Permit System, launched in 2003, was one of the government's measures to address the problem. Almost 300,000 workers from Vietnam, Mongolia, the Philippines and other countries have come to Korea through the system, working in manufacturing. Most return home when their visas expire. "We hope to relieve the shortage of workers in manufacturing by helping foster skilled foreign workers and having companies hire such workers," said an anonymous justice ministry official said. (Xinhua) 08:25, January 09, 2017 Afghan Minister of Public Works Mahmuod Baligh (R, front) shakes hands with Vice Chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) Lu Shan (L, front) during a contract signing ceremony witnessed by Afghan President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani (C) in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, on Jan. 8, 2017. Chinese construction firm China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) signed a contract on Sunday to build a key road in central Afghanistan. Afghan Minister of Public Works Mahmuod Baligh and Vice Chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) Lu Shan signed the 205-million-U.S. dollar deal during the ceremony here on Sunday. (Xinhua/Dai He) A Chinese construction firm signed a contract on Sunday to build a key road in central Afghanistan. Afghan Minister of Public Works Mahmuod Baligh and Vice Chairman of China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) Lu Shan signed the 205-million-U.S. dollar deal during a ceremony held in Afghan Presidential Palace which was witnessed by President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani and other high-ranking officials. "Launching of Dare-e-Sof and Yakawlang Road project by the Chinese firm will definitely increased Afghan economic growth and it is a significant step for connecting Afghan provinces," Baligh told the ceremony. The road which goes through more than 37 villages will connect Dare-e-Sof district in northern Samangan province to Yakawlang district of the neighboring central Bamyan province, he said. The 178-km-road project was the second part of a National North-South Corridor and the first phase of the corridor which connects northern Marzar-i-Sharif city to Yakawlang has already been completed, and the ministry is currently in the process of planning and surveying of the third phase of the corridor, a 550-km road, which connects Bamyan to southern Kandahar province, the minister noted. "The project will definitely improve the connectivity in the country and the region at large," Baligh said, adding that the project will further bring facilities for local farmers and it will also help the government to exploit a coal mine which is locating along the project. The project will take some three and half years to complete in the mountainous region. The project comprises of building of a seven-meter-road, eight big bridges as well as constructing of 194 small bridges, according to Baligh. Lu told the ceremony that Afghanistan is a friendly neighbor of China and that China had an important role in reconstruction process of Afghanistan. The project will be financed by the Asian Development Bank. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump Chinese President Xi Jinping Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe By Kang Seung-woo South Korea's diplomacy is facing uncertain prospects in 2017 amid a rapidly growing geopolitical rivalry in Northeast Asia. Since late last year, China has launched retaliatory options against Seoul in response to the decision to allow the deployment of a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system on the Korean Peninsula, while South Korea and Japan are back at loggerheads over a new "comfort women" statue. In addition, Donald Trump, an utter stranger to South Korea, will lead its biggest ally, the United States, which is another diplomatic challenge to the nation suffering a leadership crisis since President Park Geun-hye was impeached, Dec. 9. Diplomatic analysts say that a possible upholding of Park's impeachment and an ensuing early presidential election may fuel uncertainties in the nation's diplomacy. China is ramping up its retaliatory actions against the THAAD decision that Beijing believes can be used to spy on its military installations deep inside the country despite repeated assurance from the United States and South Korea that the anti-missile shield will only be used against North Korea's ballistic missiles. Chen Hai, deputy director general in the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Asia affairs department, paid an uninvited visit to Korea late last year to oppose the planned deployment during a meeting with opposition lawmakers and representatives of companies working in China. Since his visit, the Chinese government has banned South Korean airlines' chartered flights to China ahead of the busy Lunar New Year holiday season. In addition, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi admitted to a boycott of all K-Pop and other Korean entertainers in retaliation to the THAAD deployment in his meeting with seven Korean opposition lawmakers Wednesday. "The bilateral relations between China and South Korea may get worse (due to the THAAD issue). We need a careful decision making on China policies," said Kim Heung-kyu, director of the China Policy Institute at Ajou University, in a media interview. The improving bilateral ties between Seoul and Tokyo are about to backpedal after Japan's protest against another comfort woman statue, erected in front of the Japanese consulate in Busan last month. The statue, the second of its kind here after the first installed in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, symbolizes victims of Japan's wartime sexual slavery. In December 2015, the two nations verbally agreed to end their dispute over the decades-long thorny issue with Japan offering a 1 billion yen payment to the victims, and in response, the South Korean government said at the time that it will try to resolve the issue by removing the statue in Seoul "in an appropriate manner." To protest the statue in Busan, Japan recalled Yasumasa Nagamine, its ambassador to South Korea, Friday, while announcing a halt to ongoing negotiations on a currency swap agreement between the two countries, and the postponement of a high-level economic cooperation meeting, throwing cold water on their ties that have shown signs of a thaw since the comfort women agreement, including a signing of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in November. "The erection of a statue in Busan will be a new thorn in the Japanese-South Korean relationship," a Japanese government official told Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun. Jin Chang-soo, president of the Sejong Institute, also told a media interview, "The relations between South Korea and Japan may not see reconciliation soon. In addition, the envisaged trilateral summit between Seoul, Tokyo and Beijing, under discussions now, may not take place." The South Korean government is also required to brace for the incoming Donald Trump administration that is anticipated to demand more money for the upkeep of the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) as he frequently hinted at on the campaign trail. On Jan. 20, Trump is scheduled to take the oath of office as the 45th president of the United States. Seoul has paid half the stationing cost for the American troops 944.1 billion won ($782 million) in 2016 and 932 billion won in 2015, but the new U.S. president may want full payment, criticizing South Korea's "free-riding" on the U.S. defense budget. In addition, his possible call for revising or renegotiating a U.S. free trade agreement with South Korea will be another tough nut to crack as he often blasted the trade pact as a "job-killing" deal. Amid growing concerns, Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se told the Washington Times, Wednesday, that South Korea will cooperate with the new U.S. administration to maintain the ROK-U.S. alliance and their capability to curb North Korea's provocations, hoping that he will hold talks with Secretary of State-designate Rex Tillerson as soon as possible to discuss key security issues including the North Korean nuclear matter. The unpredictable North Korea is another variable to watch. In his New Year's message, its leader Kim Jong-un said that his reclusive state is in the final stages of preparing to test-fire an intercontinental ballistic missile and if he carries out the provocative action, tension surrounding the peninsula may seriously escalate, given that the new U.S. government may opt for a surgical strike against North Korea's nuclear facilities. "This year, the government needs to strengthen its efforts to effectively brace for more diplomatic uncertainties than ever before," the foreign minister said in a year-end press meeting, Dec. 29. By Frank Furedi The meaning of a "safe space" has shifted dramatically on college campuses. Until about two years ago, a safe space referred to a room where people often gay and transgender students could discuss problems they shared in a forum where they were sheltered from epithets and other attacks. Then temporary meeting spaces morphed into permanent ones. More recently, some advocates have turned their attention to student housing, which they want to turn into safe spaces by segregating student living quarters. Who would have imagined that the original safe space motive to explore issues in an inclusive environment would so quickly give way to the impulse to quarantine oneself and create de facto cultural segregation? Safe space activism stems primarily from the separatist impulses associated with the politics of identity, already rampant on campus. For some individuals, the attraction of a safe space is that it insulates them from not just hostility, but the views of people who are not like them. Students' frequent demand for protection from uncomfortable ideas on campus such as so-called trigger warnings is now paralleled by calls to be physically separated too. Groups contend that their well-being depends on living with their own kind. In 2015 and 2016, students of color at many colleges called for segregated safe spaces. For example, among the 14-page list of demands made by a group of Oberlin students was that "spaces throughout the Oberlin College campus be designated as a safe space for Africana identifying students." Oberlin's president refused, noting the whole list "explicitly rejects the notion of collaborative engagement." But other administrators appear to be falling over themselves to satisfy such demands. After the UC Irvine Black Student Union demanded the creation of a Black Scholars' Hall ("a safe space where Black history, culture, and intellectual thought is celebrated," according to the petition) in 2015, the initiative was approved within the year. Under the guise of establishing so-called living-learning communities, similar accommodation is provided at UC Santa Barbara and UC Berkeley. The Social Justice Living Learning Community offered by the University of North Dakota indicates that the balkanization of accommodation extends beyond ethnicity to students' political convictions, too. It seems the cultivation of identity has encouraged such a psychic and emotional distance between people that some prefer to stay in their bubble everywhere they go. In this vein, Northwestern President Morton Schapiro wrote in the Washington Post last year that it is understandable that black students eating in the cafeteria would not want white undergraduates to join them. "We all deserve safe spaces," he wrote, and "black students had every right to enjoy their lunches in peace." Schapiro's premise is that everyone should have a place apparently even a place in the dining hall where they are sheltered from dissimilar people. He enthusiastically cited a Jewish Northwestern graduate's endorsement of her own safe space, Hillel House. "She knew that when she was there," he commented, "she could relax and not worry about being interrogated by non-Jews about Israeli politics or other concerns." Encouraging students to engage with the unfamiliar and account for their ideas used to be one of attributes of a vibrant academic institution. Today's university managers, however, are more likely to be complicit in relieving students of the uncomfortable burden of "being interrogated." There are worrying signs that future undergraduates will be even more disposed to embrace such self-segregation than their predecessors. The campaign for establishing a Queer Housing Program at Haverford College expresses the spirit of the times. The president of Brown University Students for Israel, Ben Gladstone, has argued that Hillel House "should serve as a safe space for Zionists on campus." A leader of UCLA's Bruin Republicans describes her group as "a space for conservative students to share their opinion without facing criticism or attacks from faculty and students who disagree with them." These divisive trends came to a head in November during a UC Students of Color Conference that had as its objective the creation of a space to discuss, dissect and create relevant solutions to issues for this diverse group. According to one account the conference turned into "a kind of 'oppression Olympics,' where students argued over which minority group was oppressed the most rather than finding solidarity and understanding amongst each other." When everyone retreats to their separate corners, that subverts the foundation on which a tolerant and liberal university is or ought to be constituted. Whereas historically the university freed its members from their cultural baggage to create a community of intellectual individuals, students in the contemporary era are regarded not as individuals in their own right but as the personification of a cultural group. The popularity of identity politics among insecure millennials threatens to fracture campus life to the point that undergraduates are inhabiting separate spaces and leading parallel lives. Frank Furedi is emeritus professor of sociology at the University of Kent, Canterbury, England. He is the author of "What's Happened to the University? A Sociological Exploration of Its Infantilisation." This editorial appeared on the Los Angeles Times and was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. Beijing is opposed to South Korea's plans to deploy an American built anti-missile system, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence. South Korean president's likely successor, Moon Jae-in, has signalled a willingness to rethink' deployment of THAAD, the US missile shield that has angered China. But is this just political manoeuvring? By Minnie Chan The impeachment of South Korea's President Park Geun-hye may have dragged the country into political chaos, but it may also help to heal a diplomatic rift with Beijing over the planned deployment of a US missile shield. Analysts say recent overtures from Korean opposition parties' over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system which could delay, if not prevent, its deployment are being viewed positively by Beijing. South Korean opposition lawmakers to visit China over THAAD Eight lawmakers from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) landed in China this week to meet China's foreign minister, Wang Yi, and other top officials to convey their belief that the decision to deploy THAAD should be left to the next president. Their visit, which came even as the South Korean defence minister, Han Min-koo, reiterated Seoul's commitment to THAAD, has fuelled speculation that the deployment of the system is not yet a done deal. The DPK's Moon Jae-in, who is the favorite in this year's presidential election, has already suggested rethinking the deployment. China is concerned that even thought a THAAD system on South Korean soil would not be able to intercept Chinese missiles, its X-band radar surveillance system would be able to monitor missile tests on its northern and eastern coasts. The US claims that in South Korea the system's radars would have a detection range of 600km far enough to monitor launches from North Korea, but not from China. However, the radars can be configured to have a detection range of 2,000km, putting Chinese launches well within its surveillance arc. Zhang Tuosheng, director of the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at the China Foundation for International and Strategic Studies, said Beijing feared Washington's agreement with Seoul was part of a US plan for a regional missile defence network that would grow to encircle China by including Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam and even Taiwan. South Korean President Park Geun-hye is facing impeachment. Seoul insists it needs THAAD not to target Beijing, but to protect its 50 million population who face a daily nuclear threat from the North. "The North Korea nuclear threat is like liver cancer to the South. Seoul needs to take drugs because of the cancer, and THAAD is the medicine," a retired senior diplomat told This Week in Asia. Under current plans, the system would be deployed in May. Yet the vote by South Korea's parliament to impeach Park over a scandal involving the political influence of her long-term friend Choi Soon-sil may have changed the equation. On December 22, the Constitutional Court of Korea began a six-month-long hearing to decide whether to accept or reject Park's impeachment. A presidential election, previously scheduled for the end of 2017, could be brought forward if the court upholds the impeachment vote. Even disregarding that vote, Park's prospects look dimmer by the day already she has been abandoned by 29 of the lawmakers in her ruling Saenuri party, which had previously held 128 of the 300 seats in parliament. Any successor to Park would be "very likely" to delay the deployment of THAAD, said Zhang. The DPK's Moon, who lost the last presidential election to Park by 3 percentage points, has already added uncertainty to the THAAD debate by saying the next administration should reconsider the deployment. How much of that is political maneuvering by Moon is unclear. A diplomat who has spent more than a decade working on the Chinese mainland said even if Moon came to power he would be incapable of stopping the deployment altogether. "It would be impossible for [Park's successor] to make a complete U-turn on deploying THAAD, but maybe they could slow the process or try to adjust some details to make China happy. The system is [too big a part of] the complicated South Korea-United States security alliance," he said. That alliance is the legacy of the armistice agreement signed by the US, North Korea and China in 1953 that brought an end to the Korean War and led to the establishment of the 250km long, 4km wide Korean Demilitarised zone that separates the two Koreas. Moon Jae-In is the favourite to succeed Park. The South has remained suspicious of Pyongyang's intentions ever since and has often accused Pyongyang of breaking the agreement. In one of the most serious incidents, North Korean forces in 2010 fired about 170 artillery shells at Yeonpyeong Island, killing two civilians and two marines and injuring more than a dozen. Seoul also believes Pyongyang to be behind the sinking earlier that year of its navy corvette, the ROKS Cheonan. It claims a torpedo fired by a North Korean midget submarine caused the sinking, which resulted in the loss of nearly half the ship's 104 crew. It also believes the North has dug up to 20 tunnels beneath the heavily fortified border to serve as invasion routes into the South. Four such tunnels were discovered in the 1970s following the defection of an engineer from the North, while a retired South Korean general in 2014 claimed there may be up to 80. Given such aggression not to mention the North's relatively frequent nuclear threats diplomats in Seoul are exasperated by Beijing's apparent inability to comprehend their fear of the North. They question China's constant lobbying that the two sides should keep up dialogue, even in the aftermath of Pyongyang's two nuclear tests this year. "We are very disappointed because we thought that China, which shares a common cultural background with us, would understand our problem. On the contrary, the US seems more like it understands our difficulties," said one Sino-Korean scholar in Seoul. Michael Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general designated to serve as Trump's national security adviser, said on December 22 the same day the Constitutional Court opened its hearing into Park's impeachment that the deployment of US troops and the planned deployment of THAAD in South Korea were "appropriate" and symbolic of the firm ties between Washington and Seoul. The Demilitarised Zone that separates South and North Korea near Mount Dora. Hopes that Seoul's relationship with Beijing might improve under Park had initially been bright. When Park visited Beijing three months after her inauguration in 2013, China's President Xi Jinping described her as "an old friend". And in September 2015 Park, a Chinese culture enthusiast and Putonghua speaker, had the honor of sitting alongside Xi on the podium at Tiananmen Square to review a parade marking the end of the World War II. She was the only head of state of a US ally to be granted the honor. More recently though, relations had faltered. Beijing was infuriated by the timing of Park's administration in announcing its decision to deploy THAAD. That announcement came on July 13, 2016, just one day after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague had ruled against China's territorial claims in the South China Sea, a decision Beijing has refused to acknowledge. "China realizes the importance of the South Korean-American security alliance to Seoul, and sees it as unrealistic to push Seoul to split ties with Washington given the nuclear threat [from the North], but the timing of the THAAD announcement poured oil on the flames of Beijing's anger following its setback over the South China Sea ruling," Zhang said. Cui Zhiying, a professor of Korean affairs at Tongji University in Shanghai, said both Beijing and Washington hoped the 1953 armistice could be replaced by a new peace mechanism. "China has always supported restarting talks with North Korea, whether through the Six Party Talks or otherwise, as long as doing so can pave a way to the establishment of a peace mechanism," Cui said. The Six Party Talks involving China, the US, Russia, Japan and the two Koreas resulted from Pyongyang's withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003. They stalled in December 2008. Cui said a stable security environment in Northeast Asia would be possible only when Pyongyang and Washington improved their bilateral ties. South Korean President Park Geun Hye (in yellow) watches a military parade at Tiananmen Square, Beijing, with Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2015. "Now Beijing can only place its hopes on (President-elect) Trump, because his mindset is so different from (incumbent) US President Barack Obama," he said. The Obama administration had implemented sanctions based on a plan of "strategic patience", but this had not brought a resolution of the nuclear crisis any closer, said Cui. On the contrary, Pyongyang had tested nuclear weapons and missiles at an ever-increasing rate. Its nuclear tests in January and September this year drew condemnation from the international community. Even Beijing expressed "strong opposition" and suspended coal imports from North Korea for three weeks in December following a new set of UN Security Council sanctions against Pyongyang. "[The Obama administration's] strategic patience policy has clearly failed, but a harder line policy is not likely to work either," said Ted Galen Carpenter, a senior fellow for defence and foreign policy studies at the Cato Institute. "Trump is not known for his patience. He will expect, if not demand, greater cooperation from China and Russia to pressure Pyongyang." Most experts expect Washington will press Seoul to stick to its schedule for deploying THAAD. On December 21, South Korea's acting president, Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn, called on parliament to support the ruling party in deploying the system as soon as possible to underscore its opposition to the "unprecedented" amount of nuclear and missile tests that took place in 2016. However, Carpenter said that given the political chaos in South Korea, the Pentagon's wish to keep THAAD on schedule seemed "less and less realistic". Chung Byung-won, the director-general of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau of South Korea, said Seoul would take Beijing's concerns seriously. "Seoul will not let China suffer any strategic loss because we don't want our relationship to be wrecked (by THAAD)," he said. "Regarding the anxiousness from China over the X-band radar of THAAD, we suggested setting up a technical meeting and letting experts from the US, China and South Korea sit down and discuss how to reduce our divergence, but we were disappointed as the suggestion was turned down by Beijing." Both Zhang and Cui felt the issue was a temporary blip as far as bilateral ties between China and South Korea were concerned, saying Beijing would take stock of the new administration and seek a stable political counterpart to negotiate with. Zhang said Beijing would not want to isolate South Korea as they shared a common goal denuclearization of the Korean peninsula. "So far the most practical measure to ease tension between Beijing and Seoul would be to postpone the deployment of THAAD as long as possible," said Cui. "Time heals all wounds." By Kim Seo-yeon There are approximately 29,000 North Korean defectors in South Korea and the number is growing. Although defectors took a dangerous journey to South Korea dreaming of happier lives, the reality is harsher. When defectors arrive in Seoul, they are interviewed and checked for a month at the North Korean Defector Resident Protection Services Center. Then, they go to Hanawon for three months. Hanawon is the South Korean government's support center educating North Korean refugees about life in South Korea before they start living by themselves. Hanawon devotes 300 hours to giving North Koreans career guidance about working life expectations and job hunting. They spend another 100 hours dealing with emotional stability and health maintenance. Even though defectors learn mostly about how to get a job and live in South Korea, the unemployment rate of defectors was 4.8 percent in 2015, compared to South Koreans' 3.6 percent. Nevertheless, Hanawon hardly deals with the problems such as unemployment, cultural differences and discrimination that North Korean refugees will actually confront in South Korea. Therefore, Hanawon needs to change its curriculum to help North Korean defectors learn about their future lives more accurately. Hanawon mostly deals with how refugees can nget a job. However, the barriers refugees actually confront in society are commonly caused by cultural differences and discrimination. Defectors spent their whole lives in North Korea, which is a socialist state where everybody gets an equal amount. However, as soon as they get to Seoul, they have to understand the concept of capitalism, under which they can get as much as they achieve. This concept of capitalism can appear difficult for North Koreans who have been living with passive working attitudes. Also, they dream that life will be easy and they can get everything they want. But in capitalism, such dreams are achieved through hard work and trying. Hanawon invites North Koreans who have built successful lives in South Korea, which is uncommon, to give presentations to newly arrived defectors. This makes defectors who do not know much about South Korean society think that they can also be successful. Another incorrect expectation is that South Koreans will be welcoming, but in reality, the refugees often suffer severe discrimination. In fact, 20.5 percent of 1,785 defectors answered that they thought about committing suicide, and 79 percent of them were depressed. Hanawon is not giving a realistic education to North Korean defectors. In consequence, defectors find it even harder to adjust to South Korean society because of the unexpected reality. Therefore, Hanawon needs to tell refugees the reality they will face, so that they are better prepared for life in South Korea. Kim Seo-yeon is a student at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, majoring in English, international economics and law. Write to preetygirl05@naver.com. Nepes Chairman Lee Byung-koo speaks during an interview at the firm's office in Seoul. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk By Kim Tae-gyu Nepes employees start the day with around half an hour of singing together at a company auditorium. They participate in a weekly book club and are also strongly recommended to write seven gratitude notes, mostly to colleagues, all during work hours. Accustomed to typical workplaces, which attempt to do more with less in terms of workers, observers might point out that the Korean powerhouse at system-in-packaging solutions would lack work ethics. The opposite is the reality, however, as the North Chungcheong Province-based company is regarded as one of the most prominent in Korea on the back of its technological edge and rising sales. And beneath such a unique management style lurks the firmly rooted principles of Nepes founding Chairman Lee Byung-koo, who established the company in 1990. "In management, one of the most important things is the mindsets of our staff members. Filled with tension and stress, how they can work properly?" Nepes CEO Lee asked. "The music sessions during office hours could look like losses for a company. But they create and spread positive energy among our employees, which has led to great effects in our management." In other words, Lee does not pull out all the stops to fatten the company's short-term bottom lines. Instead, the chief executive seeks to make a top-class outfit via a family-like soft atmosphere and in-house collaboration. Nepes and associated corporations have chalked up annual sales somewhere between 300 million won and 400 million won with healthy profits. In particular, the outfit is also spearheading a futuristic technology called fan-out wafer level packaging (FOWLP), the core application to produce super-slim digital devices. "CEOs are those who should feel responsibility for their employees. Actually, that role is their significant duty. CEOs are not supposed to fire their employees due to temporary slumps in business," Lee said. Lee's remarks might sound like textbook answers for inquiries of journalists with regard to perspectives on labor but he really meant it as amply demonstrated by his track record. Over the global financial crisis and the resultant credit crunch in the late 2000s, Nepes also faced great pressure to cut payrolls when the plant operation ratio fell to about 30 percent. Even plant workers expected massive dismissals in the face of what could be a life-or-death crisis for Nepes. But Lee did not resort to the conventional solution of drastic cuts. In fact, he did not fire a single worker and opted to train the "idle workforce" so they would be able to learn new technologies. Such approaches worked in a handsome fashion. As the economy soon turned around, the plants needed to churn out products around the clock and Nepes did not struggle to hire qualified workers unlike its competitors, which failed to find good workers after carrying out massive job cuts. "Back then, the orders plummeted. Were our employees accountable for that? If not, I could not let them go," Lee recollected. White Fox who is said to be the first Korean Marvel character who made her debut appearance in one of the company's signature series will now be playing a significant role in the story from now. A very well-known character from Korean webtoon 'Avengers: Electric Rain', Ami Han who was identified by her superhero identity White Fox. In October 2014, ICv2 reported that a superhero introduced in Korean webtoon will be featured in the Marvel Universe. As reported in cbr, The Korea Herald translated transcript from an interview with Marvel's C.B. Cebulski where it the revealed that the original superhero White Fox the transition from a webtoon created for Korean web portal Daum into the main Marvel Comics continuity. "The character has proven to be so popular that we've decided to take it from Korea," said Cebulski in the translated article. "She'll be joining the Avengers characters in the U.S. comic series. My hope is to bring ['Avengers Electric Rain'] from the Korean language into English and use it as the launch of a webtoon model in the U.S." In just about 2 years the character found herself in limelight and she was in the chapter of Marvel's Civil War II - Choosing sides, which is one of the flagship's series. The character is based on the myth of 9-tailed fox or Kumiho, a creature which has an ability to shape-shift, and she is known more for her thoughts on animal issues, as reported in koreaboo. White Fox was the very first attempt for targeting the Korean audience. By the time looking at her popularity in the country, comics giant started feeling that this character belongs alongside the characters like 'Iron Man' and 'Captain America'. She appeared in chapter 6 for the first time where the action moved to Seoul, Korea and is the main location for the issue. Looking forward she might be making more appearances in the series and in the Avengers universe too. (Global Times) 10:16, January 09, 2017 A worker checks chips at a company in Binzhou, East China's Shandong Province in March 2016. China's semiconductor industry, which still lags behind its foreign counterparts in technological breakthroughs, should not be seen as a threat to US national security, Chinese industry representatives told the Global Times on Sunday. Although the domestic semiconductor industry has been developing rapidly in recent years, China has a smaller market share than the top five foreign suppliers combined, including US-based Qualcomm and Intel, said Chen Feng, vice president of Chinese fabless semiconductor maker Rockchip. Chen is currently in Las Vegas at the CES 2017, where Samsung unveiled its latest Chromebook, reportedly powered by a Rockchip chipsets. "US semiconductor companies still have an advantageous position, so claiming that Chinese firms pose a threat to US national security is nonsense," he told the Global Times on Sunday. On Friday (US time), the US government released a report on ensuring long-term leadership in semiconductors from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST). According to the report, the US semiconductor sector faces challenges in innovation, competitiveness and integrity. The report also noted "that Chinese policies are distorting markets in ways that undermine innovation, subtract from US market share, and put US national security at risk." The US government has concerns over the development of Chinese semiconductors, which may reshape the industry's outlook and affect profits at US firms, Xu Xiaohai, senior analyst in the semiconductor industry research division at CCID Consulting, told the Global Times Sunday. US authorities intervened in the potential merger and acquisition (M&A) of Chinese semiconductor Fujian Grand Chip Investment Fund and German firm Aixtron by telling German authorities that the purchase would be used for military purposes, Reuters reported in October 2016, citing the Handelsblatt newspaper. The potential $732 million-deal has been put on ice since then. In its report, PCAST argued that Chinese subsidies for strengthening domestic production encourage foreign firms to relocate to the country. Further, higher market concentration in China, "can increase national-security risks for the US and other countries." "The development of the domestic semiconductor industry comes from upgrading China's overall electronic information industry. The downstream industry, China's end-terminal device [computers or smartphones] assembly industry is mature, but its technical content and profit level is low. Yet the upstream integrated circuit industry has more technology and much higher profit level," Xu said. Foreign companies still hold a large share of the global semiconductor market, according to IC Insights. The five top chip suppliers - Intel, Samsung, Qualcomm, Broadcom and SK Hynix - held 41 percent of the market in 2016, according to a research bulletin published on December 6, 2016. While China's electronics market grows, the demand for finished semiconductors is also increasing rapidly, said a report presented by the Semiconductor Industry Association to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission in April 2016. China accounts for 20 percent of global personal computer consumption, 29 percent of global smartphone consumption and 17 percent of tablet computer consumption, while the country's demand for semiconductors totals nearly 27 percent of the global demand, according to the report. The PCAST report suggests that the US government could enforce trade and investment rules as one response to challenges posed by Chinese semiconductors. "In the Internet era, there are more and more open platforms for developers, such as Google's open developer platform, and companies need more communication to push the whole industry ahead," Chen said, noting that blocking access to the market is not a smart option. Facing challenges China's semiconductor companies should continue to improve the competitiveness of their core technology, not only by attracting and training high-level talent, but more importantly, through innovations to merge into the global technology and industry development. There is still a big technology gap between the top Chinese semiconductor company and the leading international firms, according to Xu. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp which has the most advanced manufacturing technology in the Chinese mainland, released their 28-nanometer technology for mass production in 2016, while Intel, Samsung and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co have already release 14/16 nm technology, a two-generation gap. In addition, when it comes to M&As, Chinese companies should pay more attention to international practices and rules, instead of just offering a higher price, which may spark concerns about "hostile takeovers," Xu noted. "Stepping up efforts to respect others intellectual property rights (IPRs) and protect their own IPRs is equally important," he said. China Night was held in Las Vegas on Jan. 6, 2017. (Peoples Daily Online/Han Shasha) Las Vegas, Jan. 6 ---- 2017 China Night in Las Vegas, an event jointly hosted by the Consulate General of the Peoples Republic of China in San Francisco, the Governors Office of Economic Development of Nevada, and the city of Las Vegas, was unveiled in Las Vegas on Friday. Luo Linquan, consul general to San Francisco, delivered his keynote speech at the events opening ceremony. Luo said, CES is the worlds top show on consumer electronics, with 50 years history. But as far as I know, 2017 China Night is the first China event taking place during CES in the past 50 years. Luo noted the close cooperation between China and the U.S. during CES. In recent years, the number of Chinese exhibitors has been increasing, accounting for one-third of the total last year. Consumer electronics is the fastest-growing industry in todays world, and Chinese and American enterprises have been working closely on aspects ranging from design to manufacturing, sales to posts-sales services. China is not only one of the major manufacturers of consumer electronics, but also one of the largest consumers. China also offers huge potential growth, meaning that development between the two countries in the consumer electronics industry is virtually unlimited. Carolyn Goodman, mayor of Las Vegas, introduced basic information about the city. She also welcomed all the Chinese companies to Las Vegas. William Arent, director of Economic and Urban Development, highlighted some of the investment incentives offered by the city. China Night is a high-end platform set up by the Consulate General of PRC in San Francisco. The event aims to help Chinese enterprises especially small and medium companies to further integrate industrial resources, and increase the speed of globalization through international exhibitions. Yang Yihang, economic and commercial counselor, told a reporter that the event has received positive feedback and support from local governmental organs and business associations, including the government of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Global Economic Alliance (LVGEA). Shawn DuBravac, chief economist at the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), analyzed frontier trends of the international consumer electronics industry. Alibaba, ZTE, LeEco, BYD, Haier, Chuangwei, Changhong, Segway and Yahoo also discussed the potential of global cooperation. In addition to China Night, the San Francisco Consulate General will also provide legal consultation services to Chinese enterprises to help them operate in accordance with U.S. law. Company representatives from China and the U.S. talk about opportunities and cooperation potential at the event. (Peoples Daily Online/Han Shasha) Emergency responders work at the scene of a truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem, on Jan. 8, 2017. At least four people were killed and more than 15 others wounded on Sunday as a Palestinian rammed his truck at a group of soldiers in Jerusalem. [Photo: Xinhua] A deliberate truck-ramming attack has killed four police officers and injured 15 others on a popular promenade in Jerusalem. Micky Rosenfeld is the Israeli police spokesperson. "A short while ago here in Jerusalem a terrorist drove a truck into a group of people that just got off a bus. They were getting organized and were standing on the sidewalk. It was obviously a clear and direct attack that took place. We know that more than 10 people were taken to hospital in moderate condition and we have confirmed the number of people that unfortunately have been killed at the scene." To ramp up security, more police forces have been sent to the east Jerusalem neighborhood Jabel Mukaber where the attacker was reportedly from. Security camera footage showed the truck barreling at high speed off the road and into the crowd of people in the Armon Hanat-ziv neighborhood. The truck then started to back up quickly before the driver was shot dead. No group has claimed responsibility as of yet. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has confirmed that the Palestinian attacker in the Jerusalem truck-ramming was connected to the Islamic State extremist group. "We are here after a brutal and tragic terror attack where four soldiers were murdered, three female soldiers and a male soldier. We know the identity of the attacker, according to all the signs he was a supporter of the Islamic State. " The attack comes weeks after 12 people were killed in a similar attack in Berlin. The Israeli authorities suggested the attack might be inspired by similar assaults in Europe. Islamic Hamas movement, which rules the Gaza Strip, and the Islamic Jihad praised the truck ramming attack in Jerusalem in an official leaflet, though it didn't claim responsibility for the attack. Figures show more than 37 Israelis have been killed in Palestinian street assaults over the past 15-months. At least 231 Palestinians have been killed in violence in Israel, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip during that period. The Springfield School Board likely will vote on Tuesday on whether to ask voters to let it borrow up to $189 million to improve school facilities. If the board votes for the resolution thats on its agenda, voters would face the issue on April 4. The $189 million bond issue would fund the first half of a that the board approved on Dec. 13. The estimated total cost of that plan is $370 million. If voters approve the necessary borrowing, nearly all the districts buildings would be improved, expanded, or replaced over the next 12 years. The $189 million bond issue would require an increase in the districts debt service property tax levy of 12 cents per each $100 of assessed valuation in 2017 and another 12 cents in 2018. The total debt service tax levy would go from 55 cents now to 79 cents in 2018. Four-sevenths, or a little more than 57 percent, of school district voters would have to approve the bond issue. It would be on the same ballot with municipal issues, such as those for city council members and mayors. The school district covers the city and areas outside the city, but some people in Springfield live in other school districts, such as Willard. If voters approve the bond issue, district leaders plan for it to pay for these projects, which are listed as Phase 1 of the -- Pershing Middle/Pershing Elementary: a new elementary and middle school building; $34.5 million -- Pipkin/Boyd: a new combined elementary and middle school building; $31.1 million (Pipkin Middle and Boyd Elementary currently are separate, and about four blocks apart) -- Reed/Robberson: a new combined elementary and middle school building; $31.1 million (Reed Middle and Robberson Elementary currently are separate and about 1.5 miles apart) -- Jarrett/Portland: a new combined elementary and middle school building; $27.6 million (Jarrett Middle and Portland Elementary currently are separate and about 1.5 miles apart) -- Hillcrest High School, phase 1 of improvements; $15 million -- Glendale High School, phase 1 of improvements; $9 million -- Kickapoo High School, new gymnasium; $8.7 million -- Sunshine Elementary, additions and renovations; $7.7 million -- Pleasant View Middle/Elementary, phase 1 of improvements, $4.8 million -- Jeffries Elementary, renovation; $3.2 million -- Pittman Elementary, renovation; $2.9 million -- Wilder Elementary, renovation; $2.8 million -- Field Elementary, renovation; $2.7 million -- Disney Elementary, renovation; $2.6 million -- Holland Elementary, renovation; $1.3 million -- Early Childhood, additional classes; $4 million The board meeting starts at 5:30 Tuesday at district headquarters on St. Louis Street at Fremont Avenue. Heres the text of the resolution on the school boards agenda: A RESOLUTION CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION ON A GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND PROPOSITION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SPRINGFIELD R-XII, SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF SPRINGFIELD R-XII, SPRINGFIELD, MISSOURI, AS FOLLOWS: Section 1 The Board of Education finds it necessary and hereby declares its intent to borrow $189,000,000 for the purpose of (1) constructing new buildings, purchasing land and demolishing existing buildings, (2) improving, repairing, renovating and acquiring buildings, including technology improvements, and (3) furnishing and equipping school buildings (the Project ) and to evidence such borrowing by the issuance of general obligation bonds (the Bonds ) of The School District of Springfield R-XII (the District) in the amount of $189,000,000. Section 2 A special election is hereby ordered to be held in the District, concurrently with the general municipal election on Tuesday, April 4, 2017, on the following proposition: PROPOSITION Shall The School District of Springfield R-XII issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $189,000,000 for the purpose of (1) constructing new buildings, purchasing land and demolishing existing buildings, (2) improving, repairing, renovating and acquiring buildings, including technology improvements, and (3) furnishing and equipping school buildings? If this proposition is approved, the Districts adjusted debt service levy is estimated to increase by $0.12 to $0.67 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in tax year 2017 and by an additional $0.12 to $0.79 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation in tax year 2018. The authorization of the Bonds will authorize the levy and collection of an annual tax in addition to the other taxes provided for by law on all taxable tangible property in the District sufficient to pay the interest and principal of the Bonds as they fall due. Section 3 The form of Notice of Special Election showing said proposition, a copy of which is attached hereto as Exhibit A and made a part hereof , is hereby approved. Section 4 The Secretary of the Board of Education is hereby authorized and directed to notify the County Clerk of Greene County, Missouri, of the adoption of this Resolution no later than 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, January 24, 2017, and to include in said notification all of the terms and provisions required by Chapter 115, RSMo, as amended. Section 5 The District expects to make expenditures on and after the date of adoption of this Resolution in connection with the Project, and the District intends to reimburse itself for such expenditures with the proceeds of the Bonds. The maximum principal amount of Bonds expected to be issued for the Project is $189,000,000. Section 6 The District hereby selects the firm of George K. Baum & Company, Kansas City, Missouri, as underwriter for the Bonds and the firm of Gilmore & Bell, P.C., Kansas City, Missouri, as bond counsel, and authorizes the execution of engagement letters with such firms. Section 7 This Resolution shall be in full force and effect from and after its adoption. A British mother who was thrown into prison in Bahrain for alleged adultery is free to return to the UK. Hannah James, 26, was detained last month in the ultra-conservative Muslim state where Sharia law is enforced after her husband Jassim Alhaddar, 30, reported her to police. Miss James family claimed that her allegedly abusive husband burned her passport when she tried to leave him and told authorities she was having an affair. But last night the Daily Mail located Miss James passport in an apartment she had been renting with another man in Manama, Bahrains capital. A concierge at the 75-a-night serviced apartment block said Miss James, a veterinary receptionist, had arrived with a Saudi Arabian man on December 6 before her husband found her and called police. The worker also said that Miss James told him she had lost her passport shortly after checking in. The employee, who did not want to be named, said: This woman caused some trouble. She arrived on the 6th of December with a Saudi man and stayed for two or three nights. But then her husband came here and phoned the police, he was very upset. The police came and arrested her but the Saudi man ran away. On the first day this woman had told me she had lost her passport. But on Friday I found it behind the microwave in her room. I rang her telephone number but its not working, I dont know how to get it back to her. I think this woman has been jailed because of what happened. Miss James was freed on Thursday night after a month in custody but her family claimed she was unable to leave the country because her husband had destroyed her passport. It is unclear why Miss James or her family made the claim about Mr Alhaddar, a cashier at a pharmacy, burning her passport. The family also accused Mr Alhaddar of violence and released pictures showing bruises on Miss James arm and face. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates A mother watched her boyfriend rape her adopted teenage daughter for her sexual pleasure before killing her, according to police. Grace Packer, 14, died at the hands of Sara Packer and Jacob Sullivan, who conspired to beat, rape, poison and ultimately strangle the teen, Bucks County District Attorney Matthew D. Weintraub said today. The accused then preserved the girls corpse for weeks in cat litter before dismembering and dumping it in a remote area of north central Pennsylvania, USA, Weintraub said at a news conference.The teen had been reported missing last July and her remains were found by two hunters October 31 in a wooded area near a reservoir. Unfortunately, Grace Packer was a disposable child to these people, Weintraub said of the girl who was taken in as a foster child at age three and later adopted by the woman now charged with killing her. Who will now speak for Grace Packer? We will, Weintraub said, casting the alleged crimes as a potential death penalty case. Sullivan, 44, was arrested Saturday after stating to several workers at Abington Hospital-Jefferson Health that he was responsible for killing Grace. Under subsequent questioning by Bucks County detectives, he revealed in detail how the girl was assaulted and killed over the course of about 18 hours, according to an affidavit. Sullivan was arraigned at 12.30am today before Magisterial District Judge Michael W. Petrucci of Newtown on charges of homicide, rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, unlawful restraint, kidnapping, possessing instruments of crime, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of corpse, simple assault, tampering with physical evidence, and corresponding conspiracy charges. Im sorry for what I did, he told reporters as he was led into the courthouse. Petrucci denied bail for Sullivan and ordered him held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility pending a preliminary hearing January 20. About three hours later, Packer was arrested on charges of homicide, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, possessing instruments of crime, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of corpse, simple assault, tampering with physical evidence, and conspiracy to commit rape and each of the above crimes. Packer was scheduled to be arraigned at noon today. Sullivan had been hospitalized since December 30, when he was found unresponsive from a prescription drug overdose at his home in Horsham in an apparent suicide attempt. Packer, 41, also was also found unresponsive the same day from a drug overdose, the result of a self-described suicide pact she had made with Sullivan, the affidavit said. In an interview with investigators on Saturday, Sullivan described the girls slaying as something he and Packer had been plotting since Grace returned from a stay with extended family in North Carolina in late 2015. On the morning of July 8, 2016, Sullivan told detectives, he and Sara Packer drove Grace, still sleepy and in pajamas, from their residence in Abington to a new home in Richland Township, Bucks County. After they entered the house, Sullivan said, he struck Grace several times in her face, splitting her lip. The two adults then took the teen to the third floor of the residence, where Packer watched as Sullivan raped her daughter. Packer then left to buy Tylenol PM and other drugs for sedating Grace. Telling her the drugs would help minimize her pain from the assaults, the adults gave her an overdose of pills, then bound and gagged her and left her to die in the hot attic, Sullivan said. Packer and Sullivan left the house for the rest of the day. Upon returning at 3am on July 9 and finding Grace still alive, Sullivan said, he strangled and suffocated her until she died. Packer and Sullivan then packed Graces body in cat litter to mask the odor and left it in the attic for three months. Weintraub, saying that Grace suffered terribly before dying, called her killing a rape-murder fantasy that was shared by Jacob Sullivan and Sara Packer, and they acted it out. Three days after the killing, police said, Packer had filed a missing person report with Abington Township Police, saying her daughter had disappeared and likely had run away. Packer then allegedly withheld critical information and gave misleading statements to investigators working to find Grace, resulting in Packers arrest in November on charges of endangering the welfare of a child and obstructing the administration of law. She is awaiting trial on those charges in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court. Two weeks before Graces body was found with its arms and legs removed, Packer was captured on video buying a bow saw and two extra blades at a tractor supply store in Richland Township, the probable cause affidavit says. A forensic anthropologist who examined the saw and Grace Packers body determined that the scarring and tool marks on her bones were made by an alternating tooth saw blade similar to that of the bow saw. Todays charges came less than 20 days after a public appeal for information leading to the arrest of her killer. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates The information office of China's Ministry of National Defense (MND) confirmed on Jan. 7 a stopover in Malaysia by a Chinese submarine. It was the first time that a Chinese submarine had visited Malaysia, which, according to analysts, is a sign of alleviated tension in the South China Sea. The submarine, together with a navy support ship, arrived in Kota Kinabalu on Jan. 3, prepared to stay for four days, a Malaysian naval official told the Wall Street Journal. Kota Kinabalu houses a naval base facing the South China Sea. The information office of MOD confirmed this announcement, saying that the submarine and support ship arrived at the port for rest and recreation after completing an escort mission to the Gulf of Aden and Somalia. It was the second confirmed port visit by a Chinese submarine, following a visit to Sri Lanka in 2014. A specialist told the Global Times on Jan. 7 that the stopover reflects China's goal of improving its military operations outside the context of war. This puts greater pressure on the performance of China's submarines. "China serves as a major force for protecting global marine safety. Therefore, it's normal for the country's navy to appear in every corner of the world," the specialist said. The Wall Street Journal argued that the stopover is a display of Chinas expanding underseas force, and a further sign of power realignment in Southeast Asia. However, the specialist refuted the idea that submarine stopovers are a universal practice of all navies, and stated that the Chinese navy's global presence will be a new normal in the coming years. The docking of a Chinese submarine - a sensitive underwater craft - at the port indicates a friendly relationship between China and Malaysia. The specialist believes that China's relationships with ASEAN nations, especially Malaysia, have significantly improved, which will benefit regional peace and stability. Overinterpretation and other mischief are unnecessary, the specialist added. Another professional remarked that guesses and comments about the Chinese navy by other countries are reasonable, due to the freedom of speech. However, these public statements won't impact China's resolution to protect its overseas interests and safeguard world peace. (Photo/Courtesy of the report "The Fundamental Dimensions of National Governance: China Perspective 2016 National Governance Index") China ranked 28th on the latest international governance index ranking, making itself a unique presence among the developed countries on the index, according to a report issued in Shanghai on Jan. 8. The report surveyed 192 countries across the globe, placing Denmark in the top position, followed by Finland and France. The U.K. and Germany came 12th and 7th respectively. China, meanwhile, came in 28th, close on the heels of the U.S. (26) and Canada (27). At a press conference on Jan. 8, You Tengfei, a researcher with the team that assembled the index, pointed out that the top 30 countries mainly fall into two categories: developed and modern Western nations, such as the U.K. and the U.S., and countries with exceptional natural endowments or relatively small governance scales, such as Denmark and Singapore. China is an exception...It is the only developing country within the top 30 on the ranking that has a per capita GDP of less than $10,000, when the rest have per capita GDP of over $20,000. It is a remarkable and hard-won achievement for China, as a developing country with a vast territory and complex governance, said You. The report was published by the Political Science Institute of East China University of Political Science and Law (ECUPL) in Shanghai. The indicator system includes three primary indicators: fundamental, normative and sustainability. Together, these indicators evaluate countries on infrastructure and services, justice, innovation, environmental protection and more. China ranked 60th according to the fundamental indicator, 37th by the normative indicator and 7th by the sustainability indicator, with an excellent performance in innovation. For a country with 1.4 billion people and 9.63 million square kilometers of territory, Chinas inclusion in the top 30 must be contributed to its major infrastructure thrust proposed after the reform and opening up, You noted. Any countrys governance process is like climbing a ladder: one must step firmly on each rung, especially developing countries like many in Africa. Some over-emphasize normative indicators such as justice and fairness when performance on more basic indicators like infrastructure and public service is still poor, said Gao Qiqi, dean of the Political Science Institute of ECUPL and also project manager for the index. It is this excessive focus on normative indicators by some Western countries that causes problems on the sustainability indicator, Gao noted. The report proposes solving developing countries governance challenges from a Chinese perspective. The first priority is to set up a global infrastructure alliance and innovate on infrastructure investment and financing models; the second is to cooperate with international organizations and carry out construction with their support and material aid; the last is to coordinate financial input and design long-term programs. A countrys governance does not involve material progress, but progress on ideology. It should be noted that this governance index carries a distinctive Chinese flavor, but it will also resonate with other countries. The reason we propose our governance index is not to talk about ourselves, but to communicate with others, said Ying Peili, Party chief of the ECUPL. Jan. 7, 2017 (EIRNS)Tweets today from President Donald Trump in response to the anti-Russian hysteria from Obama and his lying intelligence chiefs: "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only stupid people, or fools, would think that it is bad! We have enough problems around the world without yet another one. When I am President, Russia will respect us far more than they do now and both countries will, perhaps, work together to solve some of the many great and pressing problems and issues of the WORLD!" Recently, a photo of a little boy sitting in front of a big fish caught peoples attention online, which led to a campaign among netizens to generate funny versions of the photo. The original photo came about when a kindergarten teacher asked students to bring a fish to school, which the young boy interpreted as a large fish to eat rather than a small aquarium fish. Many netizens with similar experiences of comic misunderstanding shared their own stories online. PRESS RELEASE Abe To Go to RussiaTo Achieve Peace Treaty Through Cooperation Jan. 8, 2017 (EIRNS)Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit Russia in early 2017, TASS reported today. Speaking in his home province of Yamaguchi, where on Dec. 15 he met with President Vladimir Putin, Abe said: "Having the firm intention to settle [the problem of belonging of the southern Kuril Islands and of signing a peace treaty] within this generation, we hope [to apply] every effort for negotiations," according to Kyodo. "For that, early this year I want to visit Russia." On NHK TV today, Abe said that the joint economic activities in the southern Kuril Islands may be "a big advantage on the way towards a peace treaty," and that without relations of mutual trust settling the problem would not be possible. Poet Sara Holbrook, who often writes humorous verse for kids, had some harsh words for the Texas Education Agency after she discovered she couldnt answer questions about poems on the its standardized tests poems she herself wrote. In an essay for the Huffington Post, Holbrook wrote that she felt like such a dunce after she didnt know the answers to questions posed on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) tests about her poems A Real Case and Midnight meant for seventh- and eighth-grade students. RELATED: Michele Filgate celebrates imperfect moms in What My Mother and I Dont Talk About Advertisement These test questions were just made up, and tragically, incomprehensibly, kids futures and the evaluations of their teachers will be based on their ability to guess the so-called correct answer to made up questions, Holbrook wrote. Holbrook highlighted a number of questions from the tests, including one that asked students why she rendered one line in a poem in all capital letters. Students are asked to choose between four lettered options. Could be A. All caps is a way to highlight a fact, right? Holbrook wrote. I guess I wanted to stress the fact that the feeling belongs to TODAY, but maybe the answer is B. Lets see, today is not tomorrow, could be that. But climbing into the test makers mind, Im guessing they want the answer C. ... Not sure. Move on, lots to cover. Holbrook argues that asking students to dissect poems isnt an effective way to teach them about the joys of literature. Teachers are also trying to survive as they are tasked with teaching kids how to take these tests, which they do by digging through past tests, posted online, she wrote. Forget joy of language and the fun of discovery in poetry, this is line-by-line dissection, painful and delivered without anesthetic. RELATED: Bill McKibben on how humans disconnection from nature is harming the environment Texas STAAR tests are administered in part by Pearson Assessments, a testing company that Holbrook called a sadistic behemoth. Holbrook wrote that asking students to guess an authors intent in writing a piece of literature is doomed to be a pointless exercise. My final reflection is this: any test that questions the motivations of the author without asking the author is a big baloney sandwich, she wrote. Mostly test makers do this to dead people who cant protest. But Im not dead. I protest. ALSO Bad news for the Strand? Amazon is opening a brick-and-mortar bookstore in Manhattan Faces to watch: Remember these authors and their books John Scalzis 10-point plan for getting creative work done in the time of Trump For Julie Ross, the looming repeal of the Affordable Care Act isnt an abstract political issue. Its a life-or-death matter for her 4 1/2-year-old daughter, who was born with Down syndrome and a congenital heart condition and spent her first month in the neonatal intensive care unit. In the pre-Affordable Care Act era, when insurers could impose lifetime limits on benefits, hers was $500,000. She would have reached that in her first two weeks, Ross says. For Colleen Mondor, whose 15-year-old son was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 3 and controls it today with four visits a year to a pediatric endocrinologist, repeal would mean shutting down the aircraft leasing company that she and her husband started and finding a job with employer-paid insurance. So instead of building our own company, well be taking jobs away from people who need them. Advertisement Senators say, without health insurance you can just go to the ER for care. For my daughter, that would be too late. Shell die without these protections. Julie Ross of Dallas Pre-Obamacare, every insurer she applied to for coverage asked about her familys medical histories. When she told them about her sons diabetes, as she tweeted earlier this month: That was the end of the conversation, every. single. time. Steve Waxman, 59, an independent filmmaker in Miami, had a heart attack before Obamacare was enacted, but he had insurance. If the Affordable Care Act is repealed and protections for those with preexisting conditions are eroded, hed be red-tagged as a potentially costly repeat patient. Life is a preexisting medical condition, he observes. Only in America can you go bankrupt because of it. David Zasloff, 55, of North Hollywood is still recovering from a stroke he suffered in 2015. Without the Affordable Care Act, treatment would have cost everything I had, including my nieces college fund, he says. Now he has a Blue Shield silver plan via Covered California, the states Obamacare exchange, and pays $144 a month to cover most of his treatment and medication. Ross, Mondor, Waxman and Zasloff, and countless more like them, live in abject fear that Republicans will follow through on their determination to repeal the Affordable Care Act, without passing a replacement that will maintain the crucial protections the law has given them. Obamacares critics have painted a picture of the law that is wholly negative: that its a disaster, that its in a death spiral, that its caused a struggle for families that use it. To people not directly affected by the Affordable Care Act the 85% of Americans who get their coverage from their employers or public programs such as Medicare these assertions seem plausible enough, especially since theyve been repeated incessantly for more than six years. Repeat a big lie often and loudly enough, and you dont need evidence. House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) often repeats a mantra that Obamacare has failed the American people. But a Ways and Means Committee fact sheet he cites as evidence doesnt include a single quote from an Obamacare enrollee. Not one. The people who know the truth those whose medical histories would make them uninsurable in a non-Obamacare marketplace, who would face bankruptcy if they faced a major medical need, whose condition would go unmanaged, or who would be forced to give up their dream of creating their own business and working for themselves their voices are seldom heard. So were going to present a few. Some are insurance customers who struggled with coverage not from Obamacare, but in a pre-Affordable Care Act market in which carriers looked for any reason to reject applicants, limit their benefits or impose costly surcharges. They struggled with high deductibles, with high-risk pools such as those that Ryan says could easily accommodate Americans with chronic conditions. They know hes wrong. Some took advantage of the freedom the Affordable Care Act brought them to start their own businesses, because now they could give up their employer-paid insurance without fear of going without coverage. And they know the frustration that comes from going unheard on Capitol Hill. Julie Ross, 41, runs a home business in the Dallas area with her husband Mark, a commercial artist. She home-schools her daughters, 4 1/2-year-old Niko and her 7-year-old sister. Julie suffers from asthma, a condition that relegated her to a high-risk pool before the Affordable Care Act. Before Niko was born, she told me, she and her husband kept separate health plans, so that her own condition wouldnt affect the cost of his coverage. Nikos conditions require constant pro-active management. I hear senators say, without health insurance you can just go to the ER and get care, she says. For my daughter, that would be too late. Shell die without these protections. Ross has reached out to Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn, both Republicans, and her congressman, Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Dallas). The offices of Sessions and Cruz wont return her calls. Cornyns staff met with her, but parroted his idea of giving families such as hers a tax credit to buy insurance, but it wouldnt be enough. When I talk to Republicans, I tell them were everything you want us to be, she says. Were self-employed, were pro-life. But if she lost the access to coverage she gets from the Affordable Care Act, to replace it for her daughter, I would have to get a divorce from my husband and move into Section 8 housing and go onto Medicaid and welfare. We are living in total fear. Colleen Mondor, a pilot and writer, is 48 and runs an aircraft leasing firm in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Ward Rosadiuk, 53. The familys healthcare nightmare started 12 years ago when their toddler came down with a cold and didnt get better. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. That changed everything, Mondor recalls. The family got shunted into a high-risk pool, where the deductible was $10,000 per person and the coverage was sharply constrained. The high-risk pool is a party no one wants to attend, she says. It was absolute misery. We had no control over which doctors we could see, and the deductible was ridiculous. Frustrated about a debate about Obamacare that seemed utterly irrelevant to her situation, a few days after New Years, Mondor posted a tweet about the difficulties facing small business owners post-repeal. What followed was a torrent of retweets and replies. I thought I was alone, but I discovered it was not just me, she says. Mondors teenage son has received first-rate care for his incurable disease thanks to the familys Affordable Care Act-protected health plan. But pondering the GOP proposals to repeal the law has become a dominating distraction. Im not thinking about how to grow my business or get new clients, she told me, but about what [Vice President-elect] Mike Pence or Paul Ryan are up to. Affordable Care Act plans arent perfect. Theyre often more expensive and less generous than the health plans offered by big employers. But for people without access to such plans, theyre a lifeline. People such as Donald Goudie of Irvine, 68, who was forced into retirement ahead of schedule when his department at IBM was downsized in 2014. IBM gave him six more months of company insurance, but after that, his wife, Sandra, needed coverage for her chronic rheumatoid arthritis. The Goudies knew from having tested the pre-Obamacare individual market a few years ago that Sandra, now 63, would be uninsurable without the laws protection for preexisting conditions. So would Donald, who has a cardiac condition. Because of the combination of a premium increase and a reduction of their eligibility for Affordable Care Act subsides, Sandras premium will rise to more than $500 a month this year from about $150 last year. Thats a big jump, but still affordable, he says. But thats only if Congressional Republicans dont tamper with Social Security and Medicare, on which the couple depends and which also are in the GOPs crosshairs. Weve gone from our retirement with enough money saved and supplemented with Social Security, he says, to wondering if we have enough money to pay for the basics. Do the Republicans who talk so blithely about how Obamacare has failed the American people and how they will provide relief despite not having any relief plan in place despite six years of promising one have any idea what their plans mean to millions of Americans facing the challenge of health coverage in their daily lives? The evidence is that they dont, because they dont talk to the targets of their plans. Those whose lives hang in the balance of the debate over the Affordable Care Act are beginning to speak up. Theyre independent business owners. Parents with desperately ill children. Adults with chronic diseases. Workers who have been laid off. Families for whom an uninsured injury or diagnosis would mean bankruptcy. The Affordable Care Act helps them, and could help even more if Republicans in Congress cared enough about them to make it better. But to know that, theyd have to listen. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. In a ruling upholding the latest tangential attack on the Affordable Care Act by religious activists, a federal district judge in Texas blocked regulations prohibiting insurers, doctors, or hospitals from discriminating against transgender patients or women with an abortion in their medical history. The judge, Reed OConnor of Fort Worth, has been making a name for himself as a bulwark against LGBT rights, especially transgender rights. On Aug. 21, he issued an injunction blocking the Obama administrations rules forbidding schools to discriminate based on gender identity, including transgender status. His rationale was the familiar retrograde argument about bathroom privacy. (This is the same argument justifying discrimination that got North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory bounced from his job in the last election.) [Plaintiffs] sincerely believe such procedures would ... force their employees to engage in material cooperation with evil. U.S. Judge Reed OConnor, referring to Obamacare rules regarding gender transition medical procedures Advertisement Forty-eight hours after OConnor issued that injunction, the attorneys general of Texas, several other conservative states and a passel of Christian and Catholic healthcare entities were in OConnors court filing the latest lawsuit. OConnor obliged them on Dec. 31, ruling that the healthcare institutions were likely to be able to show in court that the governments rule would force doctors and hospitals to violate their own religious beliefs by making them perform abortions and transgender operations. (H/T to Mark Joseph Stern of Slate, among others, for catching the ruling soon after it was filed.) Those plaintiffs sincerely believe, he wrote, that such procedures would harm their patients and force their employees to engage in material cooperation with evil. As for Texas, Wisconsin, Nebraska, Kentucky, Mississippi and Kansas, OConnor bought their argument that the government rule would force them to rescind their refusals to provide insurance coverage for abortions and gender transition procedures. Texas complained that it was already under investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services for refusing to comply with the law, at the risk of losing $42 billion in federal healthcare funding overlooking the fact that the easiest way Texas could forestall such a loss would be to, you know, comply with the law. OConnors ruling represents yet another expansion of the Supreme Courts 2014 Hobby Lobby decision that opened wide the door to allowing even inchoate religious objections to overrule laws of broad applications. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted memorably in her dissent that by selectively approving some religious claims in that case, religious objections to providing health insurance coverage for contraceptives the court has ventured into a minefield. The mines continue to detonate. OConnor, indeed, cited the Hobby Lobby decision as justification for allowing religious tenets to trump government regulations. The deeper flaw in OConnors argument is that nothing in the HHS rule requires anyone to perform an abortion or a transition operation. As government lawyers told the judge, the Affordable Care Act brims with language protecting state laws on abortion and medical judgment and religious and conscience-based objections to any given treatment or procedure. The rule was designed to ensure that doctors, hospitals, and insurers didnt refuse to treat certain patients purely because of discriminatory intent. As healthcare expert Timothy S. Jost observes in Health Affairs, OConnor is simply wrong to believe that the rule requires anyone to pay for or perform abortions. Nor does it specifically require practitioners or health care facilities to provide gender transition services. It does, however, require insurers to cover such services if theyre deemed necessary by a doctor. That cuts the ground out from some of the more fatuous arguments made against the rule, including those by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which represented some of the plaintiffs. The rule would require doctors to perform gender transition procedures on children, even if the doctor believes the treatment could harm the child, the fund said. Jost responds: This is simply not true. In fact, he notes, HHS rejected a proposal that it declare rules forbidding gender transition surgery for children under 18 to be per se discriminatory. What the rule does, however, is protect transgender patients or others with gender identity issues, and women who have had abortions in the past, from discrimination. A doctor or hospital cant refuse treatment to a woman because she had an earlier abortion or to a patient who has had gender reassignment surgery. Among the examples cited by the rule itself, a hospital or doctor would not be permitted to deny, based on an individuals identification as a transgender male, treatment for ovarian cancer where the treatment is medically indicated. Conversely, the rule wouldnt require that a professional provide a traditional prostate exam to an individual who does not have a prostate, regardless of that individuals gender identity. The rule honors, rather than erodes, professional judgment and religious sensitivity. With OConnors ruling, the anti-discrimination rule is hanging by a thread. Appealing the injunction will fall to a new administration, which hasnt yet demonstrated the same commitment to equal rights of patients as the outgoing crowd. What seems clear is that the plaintiffs in this case arent really concerned with protecting the rights of doctors and hospital personnel so much as undermining those of certain types of patients. Thats whats known as discrimination. Keep up to date with Michael Hiltzik. Follow @hiltzikm on Twitter, see his Facebook page, or email michael.hiltzik@latimes.com. Return to Michael Hiltziks blog. One surefire way to get an audience with Donald Trump appears to be the promise of American jobs, even if youre one of Chinas leading pariahs in the eyes of U.S. trade officials. Jack Ma, founder of Alibaba Group, met with the president-elect Monday at Trump Tower to pitch plans on how to create 1 million American jobs by helping small businesses sell to China. A great, great entrepreneur; one of the best in the world and he loves this country and he loves China, Trump told reporters after the meeting. Jack and I are going to do some great things. Advertisement The meeting comes less than three weeks after the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative returned Alibaba to the list of Notorious Markets that engage in rampant copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting a major slap in the face for a company that still holds the record for largest IPO when it listed in New York in 2014. The agency said Alibabas leading e-commerce platform, Taobao, has made strides cracking down on fakes, but that levels of the goods remain unacceptably high and pose a risk to consumers. Still, a pledge to create American jobs would help counter one of Trumps chief concerns about the U.S. relationship with China namely that the yawning trade gap was stifling employment at home. In recent years, Chinas strengthening middle class has increased demand for U.S. products such as fresh fruit, cosmetics and baby supplies, Alibaba says. The company even invested in a warehouse in Southern California to more efficiently ship American goods to China. Providing Chinese consumers with access to goods made outside of China has long been a key strategy for Alibaba, the company said in a statement Monday. Trump has been nothing short of confrontational about China, both as a presidential candidate and president-elect. The celebrity businessman has blamed China for fabricating climate change and eating Americas lunch when it comes to trade. Thats created a cloud of uncertainty about how the countries will proceed, particularly in business, once Trump takes office. Given the mood, Alibaba initially suggested Washington was politically motivated in its decision to place the company on the Notorious Markets list last month. Our results speak for themselves, Alibaba Group President Michael Evans said in a statement at the time, which highlighted how the company had more than doubled the number of counterfeit listings it booted off its platform in the last year. Unfortunately, the USTRs decision leads us to question whether the USTR acted based on the actual facts or was influenced by the current political climate. Alibaba shares were up about 1% by mid-afternoon. david.pierson@latimes.com Follow me @dhpierson on Twitter ALSO For some workers, pay raise comes with loss of cheap child care Downtown Los Angeles hasnt seen this much construction since the 1920s This company will help with a down payment, but it wants a stake in your new home Some artists are calling for an inauguration day strike. But the art market seems OK with the advent of Trump. Plus: Preserving Middle Eastern photographic history, the Hollyweed artist, and the little red panda that is filled with rage. A group of artists and critics including Cindy Sherman, Joan Jonas and Richard Serra has called for a culture strike on inauguration day. New York Times A drop in tourism in Egypt has resulted in a drop in revenues for arts organizations managing excavation, preservation and exhibitions. Artnet Advertisement An interview with JesusHands, the artist who turned the Hollywood sign into Hollyweed on New Years Day with a sum total of $35 in supplies. This isnt the first time the sign has been altered in the name of a pot joke, incidentally. That was in 1976. Buzzfeed, Cannabist A 1976 image shows the time the Hollywood sign was altered by then-Cal State Northridge student Daniel Finegood as his project for an art class assignment on working with scale. (He earned an A.) (File Photo / Los Angeles Times ) What can we expect from the new Marciano Art Museum? William Poundstone parses. Los Angeles County Museum on Fire Smithsonian museums received more than 30 million visitors last year, a 7% increase. Washington Post Ed Ruschas made a major donation to the Fred Jones Jr. Museum of Art at the University of Oklahoma. Hyperallergic How the arts may be affected by Donald Trumps incoming administration: The market may be OK, but if tax benefits are reduced for charitable giving, that could affect art donations to museums. New York Times Petzel Gallery in New York has issued an open call for post-election videos. You have until Jan. 31. ARTnews Inspiration: civil rights mugshots. American Suburb X Plus, John Scalzis 10-point plan for getting creative work done in the age of Trump. Los Angeles Times How the Arab Image Foundation has preserved historic photography from the Middle East. Affidavit Hal Foster has a good year-ender about L.A. painter Jim Shaws 2015-16 show at the New Museum noting that Shaws interest in colloquial religious drawings highlights images that reprocess the Bible through the idioms of comic books, blockbuster movies and album covers. Artforum What Charlie Hebdo taught writer Jacob Hamburger about freedom of speech. Los Angeles Review of Books A Navajo Nation library is trying to preserve thousands of hours of oral histories on reel-to-reel tape. Smithsonian Magazine How the queen emerged as the all-important piece in chess in medieval Europe with some very sculptural examples. The Met Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg wants to tour the country to get to know the U.S. better. Urbanism writer Kriston Capps says he might want to start with San Francisco. Citylab Pop cultures metaphysical moment or the reality of inhabiting many realities at once. The Atlantic Work of art: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writing about The Bachelor. Hollywood Reporter Sanrios new character is a little red panda filled with rage. I think I just found my alter-ego. io9 And last but not least, your moment of conceptual sweaters. Sam Barsky is now officially my muse. Mashable Sign up for our weekly Essential Arts & Culture newsletter carolina.miranda@latimes.com @cmonstah AEG Lives ties to anti-LGBT groups nothing more than fake news, says Philip Anschutz Coachella in 2016. (Katie Falkenberg / Los Angeles Times) Following news this week that the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival had booked Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar and Beyonce to lead its 2017 lineup, the owner of the company that oversees the festivals organizers has come under fire for his political interests. According to a widely picked-up report in Uproxx, Philip F. Anschutz, the owner of AEG, whose AEG Live division is the worlds second largest presenter of live music, sports and entertainment after Live Nation, has donated to a number of anti-LGBTQ groups such as Alliance Defending Freedom, National Christian Foundation and Family Research Council. A number of these organizations have been listed as extremist groups by the Southern Poverty Law Center. Because AEG Live oversees Coachella promoter Goldenvoice, people have taken to social media to question if anyone should drop hundreds of dollars for the destination festival out of fear that their money would fund anti-gay groups. General admission passes to Coachella sold out in an hour on Wednesday. In a statement to The Times on Thursday, Anschutz said he was unaware of the anti-LGBTQ work done by any of the organizations he had supported and that he had ceased all contributions after learning. Recent claims published in the media that I am anti-LGBTQ are nothing more than fake news it is all garbage. I unequivocally support the rights of all people without regard to sexual orientation, the statement read. We are fortunate to employ a wealth of diverse individuals throughout our family of companies, all of whom are important to us the only criteria on which they are judged is the quality of their job performance; we do not tolerate discrimination in any form. Anschutz is one of the richest people in America, amassing fortunes in oil, railroads, telecom and real estate on top of his entertainment endeavors (he came in at No. 42 on Forbes U.S. billionaires list last year) and the conservative dealings of his foundation were reported by the Washington Post over the summer in a piece that labeled him as one of the enemies of equality. His foundation was said to have donated $110,000 to Alliance Defending Freedom, a group that advocates for your right to freely live out your faith; $50,000 to National Christian Foundation, an organization that funds groups that have worked to fight LGBT rights; and $30,000 to Family Research Council, which is labeled as an extremist group by the SPLC. The contributions were made between 2010 and 2013. Anschutz said he and his foundation contribute to numerous organizations that pursue a wide range of causes. Neither I nor the Foundation fund any organization with the purpose or expectation that it would finance anti-LGBTQ initiatives, the statement continued, and when it has come to my attention or the attention of The Anschutz Foundation that certain organizations either the Foundation or I have funded have been supporting such causes, we have immediately ceased all contributions to such groups. Watch (and read) all of Meryl Streeps provocative Golden Globes acceptance speech At tonight's #GoldenGlobes we honor Hollywood legend Meryl Streep with the prestigious Cecil B. Demille Award. pic.twitter.com/dxpeCDNXY6 Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) January 9, 2017 The following is a transcript of Meryl Streeps speech at the 74th Golden Globes as she accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement. I love you all. You have to forgive me, I have lost my voice in screaming and lamentation this weekend and I have lost my mind sometime earlier this year so I have to read. Thank you, Hollywood Foreign Press. Just to pick up on what Hugh Laurie said, you and all of us in this room really belong to the most vilified segments of American society right now. Think about it: Hollywood, foreigners and the press. But who are we and, you know, what is Hollywood, anyway? Its just a bunch of people from other places. I was born and raised and educated in the public schools of New Jersey, Viola was born in a sharecroppers cabin in South Carolina, came up in Central Falls, R.I. Sarah Paulson was born in Florida, raised by a single mom in Brooklyn. Sarah Jessica Parker was one of seven or eight kids from Ohio, Amy Adams was born in Vicenza, Veneto, Italy and Natalie Portman was born in Jerusalem. Where are their birth certificates? And the beautiful Ruth Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, raised in Lon -- no, in Ireland, I do believe, and shes here nominated for playing a small-town girl from Virginia. Ryan Gosling, like all the nicest people, is Canadian. And Dev Patel was born in Kenya, raised in London and is here playing an Indian raised in Tasmania. So Hollywood is crawling with outsiders and foreigners and if we kick them all out, youll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts, which are not the arts. They gave me three seconds to say this, so. An actors only job is to enter the lives of people who are different from us and let you feel what that feels like. And there were many, many, many powerful performances this year that did exactly that, breathtaking, compassionate work. But there was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart, not because it was good, it was -- theres nothing good about it. But it was effective and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege and power and the capacity to fight back. It, it kind of broke my heart when I saw it and I still cant get it out my head because it wasnt in a movie. It was real life. And this instinct to humiliate when its modeled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybodys life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose. OK, go on with that thing. OK, this brings me to the press. We need the principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage. Thats why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our constitution. So I only ask the famously well-heeled Hollywood foreign press and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists, cause were going to need them going forward and theyll need us to safeguard the truth. One more thing. Once when I was standing around the set one day, whining about something, we were going to work through supper or the long hours or whatever, Tommy Lee Jones said to me: Isnt it such a privilege, Meryl, just to be an actor? Yeah, it is. And we have to remind each other of the privilege and the responsibility of the act of empathy. We should be very proud of the work Hollywood honors here tonight, As my, as my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia, said to me once: Take your broken heart, make it into art. Thank you, Foreign Press. MORE: Has Hollywood lost touch with America? Wed like to hear what you think Among the biggest surprises of the night at the Golden Globes was Isabelle Hupperts win in the category of actress in a motion picture, drama for her role in the provocative thriller Elle. The French actress beat out competition from Amy Adams, Jessica Chastain, Ruth Negga and Natalie Portman. With a career that now stretches back more than 40 years, Huppert is widely recognized as one of the most formidable screen presences in the world, able to convey steely conviction, sensual ambiguity and a broken fragility in equal measure. Yet she had never before been nominated for a Golden Globe. She made her reputation as a go-to actress for high-profile European filmmakers such as Bertrand Blier, Jean-Luc Godard, Claude Chabrol and Michael Haneke. Arguably her best-known role up to now was in Hanekes 2001 film The Piano Teacher, for which she won best actress at the Cannes Film Festival. She made her English-language debut in Michael Ciminos ill-fated 1980 epic Heavens Gate and has since worked with a handful of American directors such as Hal Hartley and David O. Russell. Huppert has also been seen in the recent French drama Things to Come, as a woman finding herself in late middle age. Advertisement Full coverage: Golden Globes 2017 And though she has been nominated more times than any other actress for Frances Cesar awards, the countrys equivalent of the Oscars, she has never been nominated for an Academy Award. With the momentum behind her performance in Elle Huppert has also been nominated for a Spirit Award and has received numerous critics group prizes that may soon change. Yet there may be a few hurdles even to seeing Huppert receive an Oscar nomination. Elle is directed by Paul Verhoeven, the controversy-courting filmmaker of Basic Instinct and Showgirls. In the film, Huppert plays a woman who after being raped in her home becomes engaged in a tricky, shifting dynamic of power and head games as she uncovers the identity of her attacker. Though Times critic Justin Chang called it a brilliantly booby-trapped thriller, the movie is purposefully ambiguous, leaving viewers uncertain of what to think of Hupperts character or her actions. The film also won the Globe for foreign language film Sunday night, and though it was Frances official submission for the foreign language Oscar, it was recently left off the shortlist of nine titles still competing for the five nomination slots. So at least some contingent of Oscar voters have already expressed their lack of support for the film. In accepting the foreign language Globe on Sunday night, Verhoeven noted, I am a bit amazed, because the movie does not really invite you to sympathize with the character; the character goes in directions that you might not take. After thanking other collaborators in the film, Verhoeven added, and in the center of it all, Isabelle Huppert I thank you, Isabelle, for everything you have given to this movie, for your talent, for your audacity, for your authenticity of performance. Huppert has been supporting the film on the festival circuit since its premiere in May at the Cannes Film festival, on through appearances in Toronto, New York and Los Angeles, where she received a career tribute at the AFI Fest. In person, she has often been warmer and funnier than her often stony screen persona might imply, which perhaps made it less of a surprise that she was so breathlessly emotional after winning the Globe, at one point noting while speaking in English, Oh, my God, Im losing my words. 1 / 3 Director Barry Jenkins and the cast and crew of Moonlight accept the award for Motion Picture - Drama for Moonlight onstage. (Handout / Getty Images) 2 / 3 Meryl Streep accepts the Cecil B. DeMille Award as presenter Viola Davis, right, looks on. (Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press) 3 / 3 Damien Chazelle accepts the Golden Globe for film director for La La Land. (Paul Drinkwater / Associated Press) In thanking the Hollywood Foreign Press Assn, noting its philanthropic work, she added, thank you for making me win in a French film directed by a Dutch director, here in America There are people from all over the world here in this room, from China to the Arabic world, from America to Europe. Do not expect cinema to set up walls and borders. In a backstage press room after her win, Huppert was asked if anything scared her and she responded, In movies, not anything scares me. The most scary things are, ultimately, the most rewarding -- it all depends on with whom you do it. And doing it with Verhoeven, didnt scare me. Truth never scares me, never. SIGN UP for the free Indie Focus movies newsletter Mark.Olsen@latimes.com Follow on Twitter: @IndieFocus ALSO: Golden Globes 2017: Complete list of winners Its a La La landslide at the 74th Golden Globes as the Emma Stone-Ryan Gosling musical sweeps Lionsgate scores with La La Land at the Golden Globes; FX shines in television categories Meryl Streeps complete Golden Globes speech Mere moments after the Golden Globes telecast ended, guests began pouring into party venues in and around the Beverly Hilton Hotel to celebrate with the nights winners, nominees and other VIPs from the film and television industries. Here are a few dispatches from the glamorous trenches of what we saw and heard at two of those parties: 8:31 p.m.: Co-Chairman of the Weinstein Co. Harvey Weinstein and fashion designer Georgina Chapman were early arrivals to the the Weinstein Co./Netflix post-show tented party space just outside the Beverly Hills Hotel, quickly joining their guests at reserved banquettes at one end of the room. Advertisement 8:35 p.m.: Winona Ryder, a Golden Globes nominee for Stranger Things, looked especially glamorous in her Viktor & Rolf Couture gown. Stepping up to one of the corner seating areas, she soon relaxed into a banquette and took a sip of Fiji water before turning to talk with her companions. From left, Stranger Things cast members Caleb McLaughlin, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Bobby Brown and Noah Schnapp were among the guest who turned out to the Weinstein Co./Netflix party. (Tommaso Boddi / Getty Images ) No one needed to go far at this affair to satisfy a thirst or hunger as the tables at all the conversation clusters had been set with Fiji water, Moet & Chandon champagne, assorted cheeses, cold cuts, chocolates, popcorn, sushi and other treats. And lest anyone feel a lack of elegance, representatives from Moroccan Oil set up shop just outside the main party area, where they touched up hairstyles and, in one case, a gents beard. 8:38 p.m.: A cheerful Ted Sarandos steps into the party tent. The chief content officer for Netflix, Sarandos said he felt phenomenal not surprising considering that his companys The Crown had just won top honors in the television series, drama category. Its our first series win. So this is one we will never forget, he said. Its so great when something of this quality, made with this much passion and by so many good people, gets rewarded. He added: I love the show because as much as its historic, and about a historic figure, its really about a family. 8:46 p.m.: Starring in the series as Winston Churchill to Golden Globes winner Claire Foys Queen Elizabeth II, John Lithgow also seemed pleased. Were all ecstatic, he said. This is the first major award that Netflix has won and its for The Crown, which is our pride and joy. So I did not win tonight, but I am amazed at how Im not sulking. 9:02 p.m. Perched on the edge of a sofa reserved for those associated with Lion, supporting actor nominee Dev Patel said, Its just an honor to be included among such incredible films. We consider ourselves winners right now to be here, the whole [Lion] family celebrating together. At left, Golden Globe winner Tracee Ellis Ross (in Zuhair Murad) keeps hydrated early in the evening. By the time she arrived at the InStyle/Warner Bros. after-party (at right, with Laverne Cox), shed switched into a Paule Ka gown. I love a costume change, she said. (Charley Gallay [left] and John Sciulli [right] / Getty Images ) From there it was a quick dash to the InStyle/Warner Bros. party back inside the Beverly Hilton Hotel. 9:18 p.m.: Stars streamed into the affair and within just a few moments they included stylist Brad Goreski of Fashion Police with Jenna Dewan Tatum of Step Up in sequined Julien Macdonald with Lorraine Schwartz jewels. 9:22 p.m.: Tracee Ellis Ross of black-ish arrives at the InStyle/Warner Bros. party cradling her freshly won Golden Globe Award in her arms. Happy? Im very happy, she said of her win for actress in a TV series, musical or comedy. Ive been walking around, nursing [the award] like its a child. It has stayed very close all evening, like a small lapdog. For what is arguably the liveliest of the Golden Globes after-parties, Ellis Ross had swapped out her sparkling Zuhair Murad number for a graceful Paule Ka gown. I love a costume change, she said. 9:24 p.m.: Just before entering the ballroom, Kat Graham of The Vampire Diaries (in an Erdem print gown) spots Sarah Hyland and gives the Modern Family actress a hug. 9:26 p.m.: Dewan Tatum stopped for photos and a quick chat. To be honest, I havent seen the [Golden Globe Awards] yet, she said, adding that after having been with her daughter, she had to get ready for the party but planned to see the show when she got home. 9:35 p.m.: Inside, servers passed hamburgers, falafel, crab cakes, shrimp and other goodies, while more than a few guests gathered on an impromptu dance floor, among them an easy-to-spot statuesque Sophie Turner of Game of Thrones, rocking out to Stayin Alive. Well-heeled attendees at the InStyle/Warner Bros. party included, from left, Kat Graham (in Erdem), Sophie Turner (in Louis Vuitton) and Jenna Dean Tatum (in Julien Macdonald). (L to R: Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press, Ellen Olivier / Society News, Frazer Harrison / Getty Images ) 9:40 p.m.: A dapper Jon Voight, white silk scarf draped over his tuxedo, held court in a somewhat quieter spot, as admirers came by to converse with the 2014 Golden Globe winner for his supporting role in Ray Donovan. 9:43 p.m.: Asked for his take on the awards show, Riz Ahmed said, I loved Meryl Streeps speech, referring to her remarks on accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement in which she criticized the president-elect. I think its really important in these times that artists fulfill their role as agitators and that people speak truth to power, continued The Night of Golden Globe nominee. To me it was a very moving speech and its typical of an actress who always makes it about other people. Its never about her. Tracee Ellis Ross of black-ish talks about her favorite line in the shows Good Times tribute. Ellen Olivier is the founder of SocietyNewsLA.com image@latimes.com ALSO: Golden Globes 2017: Complete list of winners Photo Gallery: Best- and worst-dressed of the 2017 Golden Globes Golden Globes 2017 red carpet: necklines plunge and metallics shine Chinese netizens have expressed discomfort with photos depicting Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors targeting the Chinese national flag. Eight such photos have appeared in Yonhap News Agency reports within half a year. The first picture was published on Aug. 10 to accompany an article titled "U.S. missile defense chief to visit Seoul for talks over THAAD." The report stated that James Syring, who is in charge of the Missile Defense Agency's worldwide mission, would come to South Korea to discuss follow-up measures for the planned deployment of THAAD. Those pictures are just backgrounds, and were not intended to target China, said Chen Bingtai, director of the Beijing branch of the Yonhap News Agency. Chen promised to inform the South Korean head office of the incident to make sure they are more cautious when selecting photos in the future. Another employee of Yonhap News Agency chalked the whole situation up to a misunderstanding when asked about the purpose of the photos. Meanwhile, a South Korean diplomat explained on Jan. 8 that he had no idea about the existence of the pictures, but noted that "THADD could hardly threaten China because it has a range of only 200 kilometers." Those explanations haven't persuaded Chinese netizens, however. Some net users commented under the article that they would never travel to South Korea, while others said South Korea is suicidal and China should do something to stop the craziness. The Yonhap News Agency has not removed the photo from its website as of press time. Name: Sup Noodle Bar. Its a small restaurant in a Buena Park shopping center that specializes in Vietnamese food. Sup in Vietnamese means broth. Concept: Bowls of pho, fried rice, bao and fries from the restaurants CEO and chef Viet Nguyen. Nguyen was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and moved to the United States as a foreign exchange student when she was 16. She graduated from Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena. After working at more than a couple Los Angeles restaurants, including the Fat Cow, Red Medicine and Hot Stuff Cafe (all three now closed), Nguyen opened Sup Noodle Bar in a shopping center in Buena Park in 2014. Why you drove an hour for a plate of French fries: Picture a mountain of French fries on a white plate the thin, crispy kind you can safely call perfect, each one crunchy, not a single soggy one in the bunch. And on top of those fries: thick shreds of sharp cheddar cheese just starting to melt, gooey sweet caramelized onion, paper-thin slices of sweet, garlicky short rib and a generous squeeze of bright pink, spicy tartar sauce. These are what Nguyen calls her shaken hours fries. Just think of them as a way-better version of In-N-Out Animal-Style fries. Advertisement It was actually a staff meal I made randomly because our staff was sick of eating pho every day, said Nguyen. They were looking to buy In-N-Out Animal-Style fries. So Nguyen made her own version, which you can now find on almost every table at the restaurant, at all hours of the day and night. The golden bao at Sup Noodle Bar are like crispy doughnut meatballs. (Jenn Harris / Los Angeles Times ) Those bao are fried! Listed as the first item on the menu are the golden bao. Theyre a cross between a dumpling, an empanada and a meatball, inspired by Nguyens aunts recipe for Vietnamese pork dumplings. So what exactly are these? A thick fried dough ball encases a filling of ground pork shoulder, caramelized onions, mushrooms, hard-boiled eggs and Chinese sausage. Its the ultimate savory meatball doughnut. (Apparently meatball doughnuts are now a thing; if you spot one elsewhere, please let us know.) You should probably order this too: Its easy to get distracted by the golden bao, the mountains of fries, the sticky garlic chicken wings and the bowls of short rib fried rice (order this too), but Sup Noodle Bar is a noodle bar, and there are plenty of bowls of steaming pho. The broth is rich and fragrant, served with the usual accouterments (lime, herbs, bean sprouts). Why this shopping center: The restaurant is in the same shopping center as a Honeymee, the soft serve ice cream joint that will give you an actual honeycomb and a drizzle of honey with your ice cream. A couple doors down is a large H Mart, the Asian grocery store that has, in addition to an impressive snack selection, an area where you can pick up kimchi, everything youll need to make your own bibimbap that night, and various prepared banchan. On the opposite end of the center is a location of Baekjeong Ho Dong, the excellent Korean barbecue restaurant. Theres also a location of 85 C Bakery Cafe, the Taiwanese bakery with terrificPortuguese egg tarts. Info: 5141 Beach Blvd., Unit B, Buena Park, (714) 521-2444, supnoodlebar.com. Jenn.Harris@latimes.com @Jenn_Harris_ ALSO: Daube, the classic Provencal stew, is old-school comfort food This Mad Max'-themed truck serves pambazos (salsa-dipped sandwiches) with 12 hot sauces Republiques new wine director is now one of the most influential Latina sommeliers in the country Rep. Jeff Denham has been at odds with his own partys leadership on immigration reform before, but hes trying again with this Congress, hoping a single comment from the president-elect is a sign his idea might have a chance. The Turlock Republican wants Congress to allow people who were brought to the country illegally as children to have the option to become citizens through military service. President-elect Donald Trump made deporting millions of people in the country illegally a central part of his campaign, but during NBCs Commander in Chief Forum in September, Trump indicated that immigrants who serve in the U.S. military could possibly be allowed to become legal residents. Advertisement I could see myself working that out, absolutely, Trump said after an audience member asked about the idea. Military is a very special thing. Denham was inspired by some of his Desert Storm Air Force comrades who earned their U.S. citizenship through military service, and stories Denhams grandfather told him about serving with immigrants in World War I. For generations, the U.S. has bestowed citizenship on people in the country legally who are willing to put their lives at risk to serve in the military. So Denham wondered, why not give the same option to people brought to the country illegally as children? Theres no greater act of patriotism than being willing to put your life on the line for a country that you love. It will show a great act of patriotism by those kids, Denham said. Many of our immigrants are really excited to show that patriotism, to show the support of a country that has given them so much. Trump hasnt spoken about the topic since, and Denham said he hasnt talked with the president-elect or members of his upcoming administration about his citizenship idea, which is a step further than the legal residency Trump discussed. But Trumps tacit interest in military service as a path to legal status was enough to generate interest among some new House members, Denham said. He filed a fresh bill last week, and as of Wednesday, the bills 29 co-sponsors were divided fairly evenly between the parties, with 15 Republicans and 14 Democrats joining Denham. A similar number of co-sponsors have joined Denham in his previous two attempts to pass the bill. Co-sponsor Rep. Jerry McNerney (D-Stockton) has signed onto the bill before, and the former Army captain said its an easy bill for him to support. If someone wants to serve in our military then they certainly deserve citizenship if they do good, honorable service, McNerney said. It opens an option for some of them, a lot of them actually. These are going to be some of the most highly motivated people in our society. Give them a chance. Whether the bill will move is unclear. In 2015, House Speaker Paul Ryan pledged to hold off on immigration legislation unless a majority of his party supports it, and theres been little indication of an appetite in the new Congress for tackling the nuances of reforming immigration policy. For the moment, Denham is focused on building support for his bill, hoping that a forceful showing in the House could propel the bill to the incoming presidents desk and be an incentive for him to sign it. Denhams also hoping the bill can start a bipartisan conversation about what to do with the hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children, a group commonly called Dreamers. Hopefully well continue to see this move forward as a bipartisan issue, that we dont allow either party to play games and hold up the Dreamers that want to serve, Denham said. Denhams bill would only apply to people brought to the U.S. as children before 2012. They would have to meet all recruitment standards for the branch of the military in which they want to serve, including being proficient in English, having a high school diploma and passing a background check, and would be eligible for citizenship only if they complete the full term of their enlistment contract. They are going to our schools, they are learning English, they are graduating from our schools and the question now should be, now what? Denham said. Should they be able to get a job? Should they be able to go to college and should they be able to serve the country that they know, the only country they know as home? More than 109,000 service members and their families who were already lawful U.S. residents became naturalized U.S. citizens through military service from about 2002 to 2015, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The timing is right to push it forward. This is our best opportunity to actually move forward with a president that has said encouraging things. sarah.wire@latimes.com Follow @sarahdwire on Twitter Read more about the 55 members of Californias delegation at latimes.com/politics ALSO: As Inauguration Day nears, Muslims wonder whether Trumps tough talk will turn into action Trumps deportation vow spurs California farmers into action Updates on California politics Storm waves destroy famed cement ship in Northern California Storm-fueled waves in the Monterey Bay this weekend smashed the remains of the Palo Alto, a famed World War I-era vessel dubbed the Cement Ship, which is moored in the town of Aptos, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. According to the National Weather Service, monster surf on Saturday set a new wave height record for Monterey Bay: 34.12 feet. The previous record was 32.8 feet, set in 2008. The Palo Alto, whose stern was connected to a pier at Seacliff State Beach, was no match for the oceans might. The waves snapped the stern section of the ship and flipped it over. Last February, El Nino waves severely fractured the ship, which has been crumbling for years and was already split into several pieces before the massive waves this weekend accelerated its demise. Weve seen very large surf, with very little break in between, and its that repeated beating down by the ocean that seems to be having the biggest effect on the ship this year, Bill Wolcott, a California State Parks public safety superintendent, told ABC 7 News. The Palo Alto was built in 1919 for use as a tanker in World War I, but was not completed in time, according to the Aptos History Museum. It was stripped, then rebuilt to include a ballroom that hosted musicians including Benny Goodman, Paul Whiteman and Tommy Dorsey. The ship has been moored at Seacliff Beach since 1930 and has remained a popular tourist attraction for the town. Everybody is running down to check it out, because its a significant change in the way the ship looks after this weekends storm, Aptos History Museum curator John Hibble told ABC 7. When officers arrived at Angela Diazs condo last June in response to her 911 call, police say, they found her in tears, with a ripped shirt and red marks on her neck. A man had just tried to rape her in her garage, she said. Anaheim police believed this was the gruesome result of a recent Craigslist ad, in which someone had posed as Diaz and invited men to visit her condo to participate in her rape fantasy encounters, even if she screamed and fought back. Detectives became convinced the electronic trail led to her husbands ex-fiancee, Michelle Hadley, who soon faced 10 felony charges and the possibility of life in prison. Advertisement It was a bizarre enough case, but on Monday it took an even stranger turn: Authorities say they were fooled. Michelle Hadley, center, gets a hug as she emerges from a Fullerton court where she was exonerated. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times ) Ms. Hadley is an innocent victim of a diabolical scheme. Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas Hadley was exonerated, and the 31-year-old Diaz accused of posing as a victim to frame Hadley is behind bars. Ms. Hadley is an innocent victim of a diabolical scheme, Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said. Diaz, who is married to a U.S. marshal, faces charges that include kidnapping, false imprisonment and falsely reporting crimes. She was arrested last week in Phoenix, where she now lives, and is awaiting extradition to Orange County. Rackauckas said he was not certain of Diazs motive, but speculated that it involved a love triangle, and that the attempted frame-up may have been meant to put the dagger into the older relationship. Prosecutors officially dropped the charges against Hadley Monday afternoon at a brief hearing at the courthouse in Fullerton. You are free to go, Superior Court Judge Beatriz Gordon told her. Hadley wept, smiled and embraced family members. This has been a huge nightmare for me probably the most traumatic experience of my life, Hadley, 30, told reporters on the courthouse steps. She said she had been close to earning her MBA at Chapman University, and this put a little wrinkle in the plan, though she still hoped to graduate soon. Nothing has ever stopped me before, she said. Prosecutors say Diaz sent emails to herself using specialized software to make it appear that Hadley had sent them, and Diaz made false claims that Hadley had threatened her life and that of her unborn child. Along with attempting to frame Hadley, Diaz is accused of faking a pregnancy and cervical cancer, forging a check, posing as an attorney and as two of her husbands ex-girlfriends, and forging doctors notes. Read the Framed series: She was the PTA mom everyone knew. Who would want to harm her? Hadley was first arrested in June 2016 on the day Diaz reported the attempted rape. She posted bail, but was rearrested three weeks later after a 17-year-old boy appeared in Diazs courtyard in response to the Craigslist ad. If they didnt act fast, police said, they feared it was a matter of time before Diaz was raped or killed. Hadley was held on $1-million bail, on charges that included attempted rape. Hadley spent 88 days in jail before she was released on her own recognizance last October, as evidence accumulated of her innocence. Though prosecutors believe that the attack Diaz reported in June 2016 was fake, they say that two males did respond to the rape fantasy solicitation. Hadleys attorney, Michael Guisti, described his client as a wide-eyed, very bubbly young woman with a lust for life whose family had to borrow money for her defense. Michelle Hadley tears up while addressing reporters with her attorney Michael Guisti on Monday. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times ) To have her so thoroughly exonerated by the district attorney is a huge relief to her, Guisti said. He would not comment on whether his client intended to pursue a civil claim for being arrested. Guisti said he knew from the start that his client was innocent. As she waited in jail, she was expecting someone to say, OK, youre innocent and we believe you. Deputy Dist. Atty. Richard Zimmer said there was no evidence that Diazs husband was involved in the case. Zimmer said Angela Diaz used software to make it seem as if her emails were coming from Hadleys email accounts. Everything we had pointed to Ms. Hadley, Zimmer said. He said that while Diaz gave the appearance of being an upper-middle-class professional, the investigation revealed her to be a serial con artist. Im not afraid to say she duped me, Zimmer said. She duped us. It was very sophisticated, well thought-out. The problem was we couldnt get to the [Internet Protocol] addresses. Zimmer said the breakthrough in the case came around September, when investigators were able to uncover the real IP addresses behind the Craigslist ads and the harassing emails Diaz was receiving. He said some had originated at Diazs condo and her fathers home. That was the real aha moment, he said. Zimmer said he was sickened by the knowledge that an innocent woman had been arrested: Ive had more sleepless nights these last six months than Ive had in 40 years. The last thing our office wants to do is charge an innocent person. Times staff writer Anh Do contributed to this report. christopher.goffard@latimes.com Twitter: @LATchrisgoffard ALSO Huntington Beach police officer shoots and kills dog while trying to arrest owner Oxnard fugitive arrested after trying to carjack farmworker, police say Classes canceled at Notre Dame High School after anonymous email threat UPDATES: 6:05 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the case. 3:35 p.m.: This article was updated with a comment from Hadley after the judge freed her. 2:05 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Michelle Hadleys lawyer. This article was originally published at 12:10 p.m. An anonymous email threatening a shooting at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks forced campus officials to cancel classes on Monday. Campus officials received the email about 5 a.m. and notified police, according to Ingrid Zelinger, an administrative assistant on campus. Los Angeles Police Department investigated the threat and determined it was not credible, Officer Irma Mota said. Advertisement The departments bomb squad searched the school after an unattended and suspicious package was found, she said. Police determined the item did not pose a threat, Mota said. Classes will resume Tuesday morning on campus at 13645 Riverside Drive. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. MORE LOCAL NEWS Storm brings widespread flooding across Northern California; more rain on the way USC taps diversity expert to run new research center on race and equity Police arrest party bus riders after 7-Eleven robbery Protesters temporarily close Mexican border crossing at San Ysidro over gas prices UPDATES: 1:35 p.m.: This article was updated with details about the threat and police response. This article was originally published at 9 a.m. A Pomona artist was arrested Monday on suspicion of trespassing in connection with altering the Hollywood sign to read HOLLYWeeD on New Years Day, police said. Accompanied by an attorney, Zachary Cole Fernandez, 30, surrendered at 12:10 p.m. to Los Angeles Police Department detectives in Hollywood, according to Capt. Cory Palka. He was booked on the misdemeanor offense and released on a $1,000 bond two hours later. Fernandez is scheduled to appear on Feb. 15 in Los Angeles Superior Court in downtown L.A., according to the Hollywood Division captain. Advertisement I never expected it to get as big as it did, Fernandez told The Times. The Hollywood sign was not damaged in Fernandezs prank, but the letters were briefly changed, police said. Police said surveillance footage showed a man dressed in black, tactical-style gear scaling the signs ladders and hanging tarps over the Os to change them to Es at 3 a.m. Jan. 1. One of the tarps was decorated with a peace sign and another with a heart. The Hollywood Sign has seen many alteration attempts over the years for people seeking notoriety or commercial gain, Los Angeles City Councilman David Ryu said in a statement. Pranks of this nature deplete the resources of our valuable public safety personnel, in both responding to the prank and in responding to the increased crowds and copycat attempts that these incidents generate. Last week, an LAPD spokeswoman had said investigators were talking to a person in connection with New Years Day prank. Officer Liliana Preciado said detectives would not arrest the prankster on suspicion of trespassing, but instead would present their findings to prosecutors. Days after the sign alteration, Fernandez, who calls himself Jesus Hands, told Vice that he and his creative partner/former wife, Sarah Fern, were responsible for the prank. Fern and Fernandez said they were aware they could face consequences for revealing their identities. But Fern told Vice, Were OK with that. Fern told Vice that she and Fernandez mapped it out together and double-checked measurements and everything. Fernandez told the online magazine he used a rope to swing around the letters and used clamps to clip sheets of fabric and photographs to them. The entire act took about two hours, he told the magazine. The prank, they said, was an homage to Daniel Finegood, a Cal State Northridge student who pulled off the same act on New Years Day in 1976. Finegood scaled Mt. Lee with $50 worth of curtains and changed the sign to coincide with the first day that California classified possession of up to 1 ounce of marijuana as a misdemeanor, rather than a felony. He first conceptualized the prank in October, and asked his friends on Facebook whether anyone was interested in participating. At the time, he didnt know about Finegoods prank. The couple said they also drew inspiration from the divisive election, saying they hoped the piece brought conversation and positivity. After altering the sign, Fernandez told The Times that he went home and fell asleep. Fern woke him up later that morning and told him that the prank had gone viral. In my opinion, it brought joy and happiness, Fernandez said. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO L.A. needs to borrow millions to cover legal payouts, city report says Wife of a U.S. marshal accused of framing his ex-girlfriend in Craigslist rape fantasy plot Storm brings widespread flooding across Northern California; more rain on the way UPDATES: 9:20 a.m. Jan. 10: This article was updated with comments from Fernandez. 3:30 p.m. Jan. 9: This article was updated with details about Fernandez being released from custody two hours later. This article was originally published at 3:15 p.m. Jan. 9. Rescuing skiers and backcountry trekkers is a lifes work for men like ski patrolman Cliff Klock and U.S. Forest Service emergency response expert Jeffrey Karl. On Mammoth Mountain, a Sierra peak synonymous with snow, they also have a time-tested approach for dealing with avalanche hazards: They shoot at them with a 105-millimeter howitzer leased from the U.S. Army. If Klock and Karl take you along on gun duty, be prepared to follow a bumpy route through whiteout conditions to a squat concrete and steel bunker perched halfway up the mountain that attracts about 1.3 million skier visits a year. Advertisement On Sunday, their mission was to blast slopes over snowy overhangs that had developed overnight and could fall, triggering avalanches. As a lightning storm pummeled the surrounding countryside before dawn, they took the wraps off the World War II-era weapon, then set to work methodically checking its sights, barrel and mounts. They even kicked its tires. Hinges groaned as Karl opened a heavy steel door to reveal a basement room known as the wine rack. Thats because unarmed projectiles are stored horizontally in its walls like wine bottles. Together, they assembled the shells and screwed in the detonators. Drawing on decades of records and years of experience with the forces that transform pile powder into dangerous unstable mounds, Klock planned to launch 15 rounds into the mountain about 300 miles north of Los Angeles, just off Highway 395. 1 / 67 Surfer and Huntington Beach lifeguard Jachin Hamborg watches the dramatic sky and waves after surfing following his lifeguarding shift at dusk at the Huntington Beach pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 67 A man is silhouetted against a dramatic sky at sunset while walking on the Huntington Beach pier. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 67 A pedestrian takes to flight crossing 4th Street in Santa Ana after heavy rain flooded the area. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 67 Snowplows clear Highway 18 during a storm on Jan. 12, 2017, in Running Springs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 67 Jessica Pompa and Albert Arroyo make a snowman at Firehouse Park in Running Springs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 67 Michelle Graves keeps an eye on the sky as she waits to cross Spring Street in downtown Los Angeles. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 67 Laurel Canyon Boulevard remained closed in both directions Thursday morning in the Hollywood Hills after part of a homes concrete foundation tumbled down a hillside after a round of rainfall. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 8 / 67 News crews gather on Laurel Canyon Blvd, which remained closed in both directions Thursday morning in the Hollywood Hills when part of a homes concrete foundation tumbled down a hillside after a round of rainfall. (Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 67 A pedestrian wades through a flooded 4th Street in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 10 / 67 Traffic moved slowly on a snowy Highway 18 in the Running Springs area. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) 11 / 67 Members of a film crew shelter under umbrellas as the rain comes down in front of L.A. City Hall. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 67 A pedestrian wades through a flooded 4th Street in Santa Ana carrying her daughter. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 67 A man crossing the street gets caught in a heavy burst of rain on 4th Street in Santa Ana. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 67 A Guernville resident walks down steps toward the foodwater surrounding his home. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 15 / 67 A portable toilet is submerged in floodwaters at a vineyard in Forestville. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) 16 / 67 A woman walks through water from a king tide that flooded onto the Embarcadero in San Francisco on Wednesday. (Jeff Chiu / Associated Press) 17 / 67 Caltrans worker Brad Larson is whipped by high winds on Tuesday as he mans a checkpoint closing all northbound traffic at U.S. 395 and State Route 203 near Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 18 / 67 Caltrans worker Mark Reistetter tells a Reno-bound truck driver his options at a checkpoint closing all northbound traffic at U.S. 395 and State Route 203 near Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 19 / 67 More than 100 trucks line Main Street in Lone Pine on Tuesday, stranded as U.S. 395 closed to high-profile vehicles in both directions because of high winds. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 67 A Mammoth Mountain employee directing traffic is dwarfed by a snow removal vehicle on Minaret Road leading to the Mammoth Mountain ski area in Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 21 / 67 A tow truck driver pulls a pickup truck out of a snowbank in the median of U.S. 395 near Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 22 / 67 Clouds drift over the Owens Valley in a view from above Round Valley near Bishop. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 67 Emma Soriano jumps in a puddle on the Manhattan Beach Pier after posing for pictures for her dad. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 67 With the Manhattan Beach Pier in the distance, surfers scan the waves of Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 67 Morgan Harris of Hermosa Beach rides home along The Strand after a couple of hours of surfing south of Hermosa Beach. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 67 A biker at Hermosa Beach, where people were dealing with a lingering rainstorm. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 67 A break in a series of storms moving across California highlights the snow-covered White Mountains looming over U.S. Highway 395 in Crowley Lake. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 67 Traffic moves slowly at the Donner Pass Road exit on snowy Interstate 80 in Soda Springs. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 67 The Green Church, a beloved landmark along U.S. 395, is partly obscured by snow during a break in a series of storms in the Eastern Sierra Nevada near Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 67 Snow falls along Interstate 80 at Exit 184 in Truckee. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 67 A break in a series of storms in the Eastern Sierra Nevada highlights the snow-covered White Mountains near Convict Lake. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 67 A plow removes freshly fallen snow along Donner Pass Road in Soda Springs, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 67 On a snowy day, a sign makes it clear that chains are required on this stretch of Interstate 80 in Truckee. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 67 Snow-covered mountains provide a dramatic backdrop for Crowley Lake. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 67 Jack Ryan and his family came out to see firsthand water cresting the south bank of the American River, flooding American River Parkway in Sacramentos Discovery Park. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 67 Folsom Lake continues to rise as the Folsom reservoir releases water into the American River. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 67 Caltrans worker Wendy Payne clears debris after heavy rains caused flooding along Highway 89 near Truckee. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 67 Traffic is backed up while CalTrans removes falling rocks and mud which closed one westbound lane along Interstate 80 east of Truckee, near Floriston, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 67 Wendy Payne of CalTrans clears debris along Highway 89 near Truckee. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 40 / 67 Christian Ochoa of CalTrans removes debris to allow water to flow into the Truckee River. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times ) 41 / 67 Park Ranger Cullen Tucker walks across a bridge during a rain storm on the Merced River in Yosemite National Park. (Gary Kazanjian / Associated Press) 42 / 67 Resident June Barnard checks the level of the Truckee River at Bridge 11 along Highway 89. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 67 Mammoth Mountain ski patrolman Cliff Klock, left, and Forest Service member Jeff Karl fire a 105-millimeter howitzer on Sunday to mitigate avalanche paths at the top of the ski area in Mammoth Lakes, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 67 Mammoth Mountain ski patrolman Cliff Klock prepares to load a 105-millimeter shell into the breach of a 1943 howitzer. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 67 Heavy rains and ice dams cause flooding along Donner Pass Road in high Sierra Nevada, Soda Springs, CA, Jan. 8, 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 46 / 67 A CHP officer proclaims aw man! as he is photographed after becoming stuck in heavy snow in the median of US 395 near Crowley Lake as snow falls on the Eastern Sierra Nevada. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 67 Monique Long hauls sandbags from her SUV to make a barrier to divert the rain and melting snow from flooding her garage, while her friend Jenna Shropshire, right, helps shovel snow, in Truckee, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 67 Mitch Brown operates a skid steer removing snow so water can flow freely preventing flooding in Soda Springs, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 67 Skiers coming off the mountain endured rainy conditions all day at the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, in Norden, Calif. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 67 The train passes under an avalanche tunnel near the Sugar Bowl Ski Resort, in Norden, Calif., on Jan. 7, 2017. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 67 Caltrans snowplows clear heavy snow from the northbound lanes oh highway 395 as snow falls on the Eastern Sierra near Sherwin Summit, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 67 A sign at Wawona and Glacier Point roads alerts visitors that roads into Yosemite Valley in Yosemite National Park are closed. (Silvia Flores / Associated Press) 53 / 67 Actor Max Baer Jr., left, talks with emergency responders after flipping over his SUV in white-out conditions while traveling northbound on U.S. 395 near Crowley Lake as heavy snow falls on the Eastern Sierra Nevada, Calif. The star of The Beverly Hillbillies said his was not injured. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 54 / 67 A snowcat moves snow in near whiteout conditions on the slopes at Mammoth Mountain. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 67 A CHP officer maintains a checkpoint to ensure vehicles are compliant with R2 chain restrictions on the northbound 395 just north of Bishop as snow falls on the Eastern Sierra Nevada. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 67 Caltrans crews have a road-flooded sign in case of heavy rain and snow near the Eastern Sierra Nevada town of June Lake, Calif. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 67 Caltrans avalanche crew members Sky Greytak, right, and Pat Brannen, left, prepare to set off explosive charges remotely from a laptop during avalanche control operations near the Eastern Sierra Nevada town. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 67 Caltrans snowplow operator Mike Morgan prepares to turn his plow around after making loops on the 395 between Bishop and Toms Place, a route he drives 12 hours a day clearing heavy snow in the Eastern Sierra. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 67 Mammoth Mountain employees clear paths as snow falls lightly Saturday morning. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 67 A car spun out and off the road just outside Bishop in sloppy road conditions as the snowfall level fell below 5000. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 61 / 67 California Highway Patrol has established a chain checkpoint near Bishop. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 62 / 67 Supermarket shoppers stock up before the big storm. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 67 Snow covers vehicles in a parking lot in Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 67 Snow covers vehicles in a parking lot in Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 65 / 67 Jorge Gaydam digs out his truck in a parking lot. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 67 Snow blankets the Sierra Nevada crest north of Bishop along U.S. Highway 395 in Round Valley. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 67 A plow removes snow from state Highway 203 in Mammoth Lakes. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Around 5:30 a.m., Klock said, All right, lets start shooting. Wind and snow blew into the cramped room when the men opened a garage-style door. Then they wheeled the howitzer around on its wheels, pointing the barrel toward the howling darkness beyond. This gun is so precise its like shooting at point blank range, Klock said. I could hit a rock at 1,000 yards. But at that moment he was relying on carefully calibrated coordinates to fire on the first target on his list: a popular ski run that is also a potential avalanche path. Klock yelled, Fire! and the fearsome gun roared, lifting off the ground. A few seconds later, the whump of the impacting shell drifted back. Ear muffs over ear plugs minimized the blast effects of all 15 rounds fired at target areas that were off-limits to the public. The howitzer is only used when conditions warrant, which differ year to year, Mammoth Mountain officials said. It was rarely needed, for example, during the drought-parched years of 2011 through 2014. A howitzer once again became a vital component of the Mammoth Mountain operation in the snowy winter of 2015, officials said. Decades ago, the military provided Mammoth and other ski areas with old-style recoilless rifles for controlling avalanches. But ammunition became hard to get, and in 2003 the Army decided to swap them for two-wheeled, truck-towed M-119 A-1 howitzers, officials said. A year later, however, the U.S. military reclaimed the howitzers it had leased for avalanche control, including the one at Mammoth Mountain, so that the weapons could be used by troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan. The howitzer recalled from Mammoth Mountain in 2004 never came back. Instead, the Army replaced it later with the vintage weapon that saw action Sunday. The Forest Service and Mammoth Mountain, which has received 10 feet of fresh snow over the last week, has one of the worlds most respected programs for avalanche prevention and warning. But the staff had their hands full Sunday because of unpredictable weather associated with this weekends atmospheric river event a brew of warm torrential rains and heavy snow and the surging popularity of winter recreation at the ski area. Mammoth Mountain officials decided at 11 a.m. Sunday to shut down the ski area because lightning strikes made it impossible to continue operating. As a result, Klock and Karl would never get to ski the fruits of their bombardment. As great as that gun is, Klock said. It cant do anything about lightning. louis.sahagun@latimes.com MORE ON THE STORMS: How much rain did we get? Ask the iRain app, created at UC Irvine Skiers and snowboarders are inundating resorts, paying higher lift prices With snow piling up in the Sierra, what will it take to end Californias drought? An Oxnard man suspected of killing his wife in front of their six children was arrested Friday after he tried to carjack a farmworker, authorities say. Alfredo Ortiz, 33, was taken into custody about 2:15 p.m. in the vicinity of Somis, where authorities believed he was hiding, according to the Oxnard Police Department. A farmworker had summoned authorities to the area after Ortiz had tried to carjack him and his work vehicle, police said. Advertisement Ventura County Sheriffs Departments deputies were already in the area searching for Ortiz, so they set a up perimeter, which led to the arrest, officials said. Ortiz is scheduled to appear Tuesday in Ventura County Superior Court. Police said witnesses saw Ortiz drag his wife, Teresa Ortiz, into their home about 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The witnesses told police they then heard multiple gunshots. Authorities said that officers arrived at the home in 100 block of North Juanita Avenue, they saw a woman and several children running out of the home. Teresa Ortiz, 37, suffered a gunshot wound to her abdomen, police said. She died at the scene. After the shooting, Alfredo Ortiz flagged down his sister and forced her to drive him about 13 miles east to Somis in Ventura County, police said. After dropping him off, police said, she called authorities to report the incident. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO Storm brings widespread flooding across Northern California; more rain on the way Central Coast storm leads to flooding, a water rescue and a wet commute in L.A. Classes canceled at Notre Dame High School after anonymous email threat USC has hired a leading expert on campus diversity and racial equity to launch a new research center on campus. Shaun R. Harper will join the USC Rossier School of Education in July as a professor and founder of the USC Race and Equity Center, the university announced Monday. Six years ago, Harper founded the University of Pennsylvanias Center for the Study of Race and Equity in Education, which became a go-to resource for university leaders nationwide as diversity and inclusion became increasingly hot topics on campuses. Advertisement The new USC center will expand upon Harpers projects at Penn. Weve been working really hard on issues around diversity and inclusion, and this is sort of that milestone moment where we bring a big center in that has a national presence, USC Provost Michael Quick said. Having Shaun and his team come here sends a certain signal about the universitys commitment, and its also going to really help us as we continue to think through how were going to move forward. USC has been committed for years to increasing higher education opportunities for low-income and first-generation students and others who are underrepresented on campus, Quick said. Numerous professors and students in fields including health, law, criminal justice, education, science and economics already are studying race equity in their disciplines. Having a physical center on campus that brings everyone together to collaborate is the natural next step, Harper said. The opportunity for us here is to coordinate on that expertise. He said hes excited to broaden the work hes done at Penn to deeply explore racism in all sectors of society, and hopes to work not just with education leaders but also with city officials and community groups. We want USC to be the go-to place for Los Angeles, the place that the city knows it can turn to for analysis and deep thinking as well as strategic partnerships and solutions for diversity and inclusion, Harper said. At least two of Harpers colleagues at Penn will come with him to USC, and the center will open its doors with nine full-time staff members, Harper said. They expect to work with about 40 faculty members and dozens of doctoral students across the campus. This will be big, Harper said. Were talking about a center that engages somewhere between 80 to 100 people at USC. With his team at USC, Harper plans to launch the National Assessment of Collegiate Campus Climates, which will survey students at hundreds of colleges and universities across the U.S. each year on their racial experiences and sense of belonging on campuses. Such data, Harper said, is desperately needed right now, especially given the uptick that weve seen in overt racism, during and immediately after the presidential election. The USC center will continue projects that Harper began at Penn, such as RISE for Boys and Men of Color, which aims to advance research that will improve educational experiences and outcomes for Asian Americans, blacks, Latinos and Native Americans in education, health, criminal justice and workforce development. His team conducted a large study across New York public schools and could do similar work in L.A., Harper said. That L.A. already has some of the nations leading researchers on these issues such as Tyrone Howard, who runs UCLAs Black Male Institute made coming to the city especially exciting, Harper said. Interested in the stories shaping California? Sign up for the free Essential California newsletter Harper began his academic career at USC in 2003 as an assistant professor of clinical education. He has been at Penn since 2007. He has written 12 books and currently serves as the president of the Assn. for the Study of Higher Education. rosanna.xia@latimes.com Follow @RosannaXia for more education news MORE LOCAL NEWS This California Republican is hoping hell have more luck with his immigration reform idea under Trump Protesters temporarily close Mexican border crossing at San Ysidro over gas prices Powerful storm causes widespread flooding in Northern California, evacuations in Sonoma County and neighboring Nevada The Iraq war veteran held in the fatal shooting of five people inside Fort Lauderdales airport answered questions in a clear voice Monday as he was appointed public defenders and told he could face the death penalty. Esteban Santiago, 26, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Alicia Valle, who ordered him held until his next hearings. Shackled and wearing a red jumpsuit in the heavily guarded federal courtroom, Santiago answered mostly yes or no to questions, and told the judge he understands the charges against him, which include committing violence against people at an international airport resulting in death, and two firearms offenses. Advertisement She told him the death penalty could apply in his case. We are telling you the maximum penalty allowed by law so that you understand the seriousness of the charges, the judge said. Santiago said he had been in the Army, where he made about $15,000 a year. He mentioned expenses including $560 in monthly rent, plus phone and other utility bills. He said he owns no property and doesnt have a vehicle. He said he had worked for a security company, Signal 88 in Anchorage, until November, making $2,100 a month, but currently had $5 to $10 in the bank. Valle set a detention hearing for Jan. 17, followed by an arraignment for entering a plea for Jan. 23. More than a dozen officers, carrying rifles and wearing bulletproof vests, kept watch outside the courthouse. There were also mounted police and K-9 units. Santiago has been in custody since Fridays shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The FBI said Santiago flew on a one-way ticket aboard a Delta Air Lines flight from Anchorage to Fort Lauderdale. The 11 1/2 -hour flight has a 2 1/2 -hour layover in Minneapolis, one of the longest itineraries within the U.S. He checked a single piece of luggage: a gun box for his Walther 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol and two magazines of ammunition, according to an FBI affidavit. Agents say he retrieved the box in baggage claim and loaded his weapon in a bathroom stall before opening fire. In November, Santiago walked into an FBI field office in Alaska with a handgun and his infant child, saying the U.S. government was controlling his mind and forcing him to watch Islamic State group videos, authorities said. Officers seized the weapon and local officers took him to get a mental health evaluation. His girlfriend picked up the child. On Dec. 8, the gun was returned to Santiago. Authorities wouldnt say if it was the same gun used in the airport attack. ALSO Oxnard fugitive arrested after trying to carjack farmworker, police say Classes canceled at Notre Dame High School after anonymous email threat Orlando police officer fatally shot; deputy dies in crash during manhunt for suspect Luo Yanzong, a farmer in the city of Qinzhou, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, has screened films free of charge for the past 10 years. But recently, local authorities informed Luo that his qualification to show films had been revoked, which triggered hot debate online. In 2007, Luo, a film lover, bought a second-hand film projector for 500 RMB. In order to allow his fellow farmers to enjoy movies, he has travelled around villages surrounding the city to show free films ever since. In one decade, he showed about 2,000 films. His cinematic offerings were warmly received by local farmers, and they also won recognition from local authorities. On Dec. 26, 2016, officials with the Administration of Culture, Sports, Broadcasting and Television of Qinbei district told Luo that his qualification had been revoked. They said if he continued to show films, he would be held accountable. According to the administration, Chinas Regulations on the Administration of Films requires public projectionists like Luo to apply for a permit to show films. Screening venues must also be up to code. "Many people believe doing good deeds should be encouraged. But showing films is an act of public cultural dissemination. If one wants to do it for a long time, the qualification is a prerequisite," explained Song Weicai, an associate professor at Beijing Normal University. On Jan. 6, the administration told Beijing News that they have communicated with Luo, and will provide assistance to him during the application process for the permit. Luo confirmed that he will apply for the permit and undergo training. Fighting back against the Republican majority in Kentuckys Legislature, abortion rights supporters filed a federal lawsuit Monday aimed at blocking a new state law that requires women to get an ultrasound and have the fetal images described to them before having an abortion. The American Civil Liberties Union went to court soon after Republican Gov. Matt Bevin signed the ultrasound bill into law one of two abortion measures put on a fast track to passage last week from the GOP-led House and Senate in the first week of the 2017 session. The ACLU said the ultrasound law violates privacy and 1st Amendment rights by requiring abortion providers to show and describe the ultrasound images to pregnant women, even if the women avert their eyes, which is permissible. The procedure also would seek to detect the fetal heartbeat, but women could ask that the volume of the heartbeat be reduced or turned off, if audible. Advertisement The law compels women to listen to this government-mandated speech while lying captive on the examination table, according to the lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in Louisville. Bevin called it sound legislation and predicted it would hold up in court. This was crafted in a way to comply with existing law and to still exercise the sovereignty that this state has and this legislative body has to do certain things, Bevin said after an event at the state Capitol in Frankfort. The ultrasound legislation was one of two abortion bills sent to Bevin during a rare Saturday legislative session that capped an action-packed week as Republicans acted decisively to start putting their imprint on Kentucky. Lawmakers also voted to ban abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy unless the life of the mother is in danger. Bevin signed that legislation into law too. The ACLU said it is reviewing the 20-week ban law. That measures sponsors, anticipating a potential challenge, included a provision allowing contributions to a trust fund that would pay for any possible legal defense of the law. Both measures had emergency clauses, meaning they took effect immediately. The laws do not include exceptions for rape or incest. Republicans already in charge of the Senate took complete control of the Kentucky General Assembly in the November election, when they seized the House for the first time in nearly a century. The GOP now has sizable majorities in both chambers. Democrats routinely stopped abortion bills when they ran the House, but some Democrats voted for the abortion measures last week. The ACLU said it filed the lawsuit on behalf of an outpatient abortion facility, its three physicians and their patients. The law is an example of political interference operating in its most perverse form, said Alexa Kolbi-Molinas, senior staff attorney of the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project. This law puts politicians in the exam room squarely between a woman and her doctor. The ultrasound law provides no exception for circumstances when a doctor believes the procedure would have a traumatic effect on patients, including women who became pregnant as a result of rape or incest, the ACLU said. Any doctors or medical imaging technicians violating the law would be fined up to $100,000 for a first offense and up to $250,000 for subsequent offenses. Any physician violation would be reported to the states medical license board for possible disciplinary action. Kentuckys ultrasound law is nearly identical to a North Carolina law struck down by a federal appeals court, the ACLU said. Bevin predicted it wouldnt be the last time the ACLU took Kentucky to court to challenge its laws. They sue often, he said. Its not just this state, thats what they do. They are a bunch of liberal lawyers. They try to find resolution for everything they dont like in the courts. ALSO Manhunt underway for suspect in killing of Orlando officer White Texas police officer suspended for 10 days after wrestling black woman and daughter to the ground Florida airport shooting suspect makes initial court appearance Neil Gorsuch could fall somewhere between his hero, Justice Scalia, and former boss, centrist Justice Kennedy By David Savage Judge Neil M. Gorsuch was resting midway down a Colorado ski slope last year when his cellphone rang with the news that Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia had died. I immediately lost what breath I had left, Gorsuch recalled in an April speech, and I am not embarrassed to admit that I couldnt see the rest of the way down the mountain for the tears. Now, as President Trumps pick to replace Scalia on the high court, Gorsuch is seen by many on the right as a fitting replacement for the iconic jurist that Gorsuch considered a lion of the law. Like Scalia, Gorsuch, 49, who serves on the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, is a well-respected conservative who believes judges should decide cases based on the law as it was understood when passed, not on how they think it should be. Hes a clear, impassioned writer, albeit without Scalias flare for biting sarcasm. But Gorsuch also evokes the qualities of Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, for whom Gorsuch worked as a law clerk. (If confirmed, Gorsuch would join three justices who previously clerked on the high court, but he would be the first ever to serve alongside the justice he or she worked for.) Like Kennedy, 80, Gorsuch is a Westerner with a polite, congenial manner who at times has won praise from liberals. He may be more conservative than Kennedy when it comes to expanding individual rights, but he seems to lack Scalias fervor for overturning liberal precedents from decades past. Which way Gorsuch skews could be pivotal for the future of the court. Conservatives clearly hope hell be more like Scalia than Kennedy, a centrist swing vote who has often joined liberals on issues such as gay marriage and abortion. Some conservatives have even expressed hope that Gorsuchs personal history with Kennedy might enable him to draw the Reagan-appointee back toward the right. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump chooses Neil Gorsuch, a conservative seen as likely to be confirmed, for Supreme Court By Michael A. Memoli President Trump nominated federal Judge Neil M. Gorsuch on Tuesday to the Supreme Court to fill the seat of the late Antonin Scalia, choosing from his short list an appeals court judge from Denver seen as most likely to win Senate confirmation. Because Scalia was a stalwart conservative, Trumps choice is not likely to change the balance of the court. But it does set the stage for a bruising partisan fight over a man who could help determine law on gun rights, immigration, police use of force and transgender rights. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump administration is radicalizing Democratic voters, creating a challenge for the party, Rep. Adam Schiff says By Sarah D. Wire (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) As protests spread over policy announcements from the Trump administration, Democrats must work to encourage participation in politics, but face a danger of the party becoming too radicalized, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) said Tuesday. The radical nature of this government is radicalizing Democrats, and thats going to pose a real challenge to the Democratic Party, which is to draw on the energy and the activism and the passion that is out there, but not let it turn us into what we despised about the tea party, Schiff said. During a meeting with reporters and editors in the Los Angeles Times Washington bureau, Schiff also discussed his role as the highest-ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee under a Trump administration and how Democrats will manage in the minority. Ever since the election, party leaders have been debating: Did we lose because we were too far to the left and we had too small a tent, or did we lose because we are too mainstream and didnt energize the base? Schiff asked. We are obviously having that debate, but theres a whole new element, which is the reaction to the Trump administration that makes this different in kind, certainly different in intensity, than I think weve ever seen after an election, he said. The more radical the administration is, the more radicalized our base becomes, which just feeds the Breitbart crowd, and who knows where that ends. Democratic leaders have to channel public reaction to Trumps actions into progress, rather than deadlock, Schiff said. Reaction to Democrats seen as working with the Trump administration has been strong. Monday night, for example, protesters marched on Sen. Dianne Feinsteins home and office voicing fears she would back Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general. The senator from California announced Tuesday that she would oppose Sessions. Several groups calling themselves indivisible have popped up in cities across the country as focal points for efforts to organize. We have two of the most capable strategists as the head of our House and Senate Democrats, Schiff added, referring to House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco and Senate Democratic leader Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York. If anybody can grapple with this, they can, but its going to be a challenging and moving target day to day. I just hope that we can channel that energy in a way where we can provide a check on this administration because Ive never been more worried about the countrys future than I am right now, he said. Schiff said part of his role as the ranking Democrat on the House Select Intelligence Committee will be pushing back when the Trump administration puts out inaccurate information about the intelligence community and its findings. Trump has repeatedly dismissed or sought to minimize the intelligence communitys findings that Russia sought to intervene in the 2016 election to benefit him. Schiff said hes concerned about what else the administration might be willing to dismiss. I think that will be kind of a new frontier, he said. How do we contradict a president making representations about what the intelligence community has to say when the information is classified? Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump administration signals that some temporary bans on entry into the U.S. could become permanent By Brian Bennett Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting those convicted of crimes and those in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated The Trump administration doubled down Tuesday on its commitment to transforming the nations border law enforcement, signaling that some of the temporary bans on travelers from seven predominantly Muslim countries are likely to be made permanent and elevating a deportations official to run the top immigration enforcement agency. Administration officials, led by newly sworn-in Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, moved to allay the havoc that marked the roll-out of the ban and another on refugees. They briefed reporters and planned to head to Capitol Hill later today in an apparent effort to smooth relations after reports that lawmakers and other stakeholders were left out of the crafting of the executive order on toughened vetting at border entry points. In a news conference, Kelly and other top Homeland Security officials conceded some problems, including poor communication. But they insisted that all court orders were followed over the weekend, rebutted reports that some legal residents were denied access to attorneys at airports and said they everyone detained by border agents was treated with dignity and respect. The vast majority of the 1.7 billion Muslims that live on this planet, the vast majority of them have, all other things being equal, have access to the United States, Kelly told reporters. And a relatively small number right now are being held up for a period of time until we can take a look at what their procedures are, he said, seeming to acknowledge that mostly Muslims have been affected by the ban. The moves signaled that the White House remained committed to remaking border law enforcement even in the face of widespread confusion and condemnation of President Trumps order. Kelly said for the first time that the some of the restrictions that caused confusion and sparked protests over the weekend could be extended well into the future. Some of those countries that are currently on the list may not be taken off the list anytime soon, he said. Trump also named a longtime deportation officer, Thomas D. Homan, as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homan, who will oversee the execution of Trumps immigration enforcement order, was most recently in charge of the agencys 5,000 deportation officers, a force Trump said he would triple to 15,000. Trumps orders put a greater emphasis on deporting not only those convicted of crimes, but also people in the country illegally who were charged with crimes not yet adjudicated, those who receive an improper welfare benefit and even those who have not been charged but are believed to have committed acts that constitute a chargeable criminal offense. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House tries to ban the word ban, hours after president uses it himself By Noah Bierman This is not a ban, spokesman Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. (Alex Wong / Getty Images) President Trump used the word ban in a tweet as recently as Monday to describe his new executive order suspending travel from seven Muslim-majority countries and halting the refugee program for several months. But facing backlash from many directions, the White House adamantly insisted Tuesday that the word is verboten. This is not a ban, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters in a fiery news briefing. When we use words like travel ban, he said later, that misrepresents what it is. Its seven countries previously identified by the Obama administration, where, frankly, we dont get the information that we need for people coming into this country. In fact, people from the seven banned countries Iraq, Iran, Syria, Yemen, Sudan, Somalia, Libya cannot enter the United States under the order. Spicer appeared to be making a renewed effort to distinguish the order from the all-out ban on Muslims entering the country that Trump proposed during the campaign. Many around the world see the newest policy as an outgrowth of that proposal. Trump himself conceded a religious connection when he said in an interview on Friday that he wanted to make it easier for Syrian Christians to enter the country. And former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani told Fox News that the order sprang from a group he formed at Trumps request to create a legal framework that would accomplish the campaign goal of a Muslim ban. But amid confusion and worldwide criticism in recent days, the Trump administration has tried to temper some of the more incendiary rhetoric around the proposal. Even the words extreme vetting, a favorite Trump slogan, were called into question by Spicer on Tuesday. Calling for tougher vetting [of] individual travelers from seven nations is not extreme, he said. It is reasonable and necessary to protect our country. But changing the ban branding around the program at this point will be difficult. Heres Trumps tweet from Monday: If the ban were announced with a one week notice, the "bad" would rush into our country during that week. A lot of bad "dudes" out there! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 And Spicer himself used the term ban as recently as Sunday: Sean Spiceer today: This is not a Muslim ban. It is not a travel ban. Sean Spicer in White House press release, Jan. 29: pic.twitter.com/axTM1m66nM Dominic Holden (@dominicholden) January 31, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Senate confirms Elaine Chao as secretary of Transportation By Associated Press Elaine Chao testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington at her confirmation hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Jan. 11, 2017. (Zach Gibson / AP) The Senate has confirmed Elaine Chao to serve as Transportation secretary in the Trump administration. The vote was 93 to 6 on Tuesday. Chao is an experienced Washington hand. She was Labor secretary under President George W. Bush and is the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Chao would be a lead actor in pursuing Trumps promise to invest $1 trillion to improve highways, rail service and other infrastructure projects. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Speaker Paul Ryan defends Trumps immigrant and refugee ban, as Congress grumbles about being left out By Lisa Mascaro "What is happening is something we support... we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff," Paul Ryan says of travel ban pic.twitter.com/iX6YkOLkLl CBS News (@CBSNews) January 31, 2017 House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Tuesday stood by President Trumps temporary ban on refugees and citizens from seven Muslim-majority nations and indicated that he was confident the administration could fix the confusing rollout without action from Congress. What is happening is something we support, said Ryan, whose office was the target of a sit-in by protesters opposed to Trumps order. We need to pause and we need to make sure that the vetting standards are up to snuff so we can guarantee the safety and security of our country. Congress was blindsided by Trumps executive action -- Ryan learned about it as the public did when the White House announced it Friday afternoon. Many GOP lawmakers have raised concerns. During a private meeting in the Capitol basement Tuesday, Republican lawmakers were counseled on how to handle protesters and office sit-ins happening across the country. Its regrettable that there was some confusion on the rollout of this, Ryan said. No one wanted to see people with green cards or special immigrant visas, like translators, get caught up in all of this. Ryan also said he was concerned the ban could be used as propaganda by terrorist groups. The rhetoric surrounding this could be used as a recruiting tool, and I think thats dangerous, he said. Still, Republicans leaders as well as rank-and-file GOP lawmakers largely agreed with the presidents move to halt refugee admissions for 120 days, and to temporarily ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, unless they are Christians or other religious minorities. The president was well within his right to issue an executive order, said Rep. Pete Sessions (R-Texas), chairman of the House Rules Committee. Do I feel let out? I feel like everybody was left out, he said. I wish they communicated it. I wish they had gotten more information to people. I wish they had measured three times and sawed once. Lawmakers have shown little appetite for Congress to get involved, and suggested the chaos that erupted at airports over the weekend was just part of a learning curve at the White House. I support the thrust of the executive order, said Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), who nevertheless said the administration should have been better prepared and will need to get your act together. Last year, Ryan had strongly condemned Trumps campaign-trail call for a Muslim ban. In recent days, Ryan, like other congressional leaders, was forced to dial up the administration with his questions and concerns about the order, conferring Monday with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly. I am very pleased and confident that he is, on a going-forward basis, going to make sure that things are done correctly, Ryan said. Pressed on whether Congress would have a role, Ryan did not indicate any immediate legislative action. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrats boycott Senate committee votes on Price, Mnuchin By Jim Puzzanghera Senate Democrats speak with reporters after boycotting Finance Committee confirmation votes. (JIM WATSON / AFP/Getty Images) Senate Democrats on Tuesday boycotted a committee vote on two of President Trumps top Cabinet nominees -- Tom Price to lead Health and Human Services and Steve Mnuchin to be Treasury secretary. Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) blasted the Democratic move as he sat in a hearing room with only Republicans on the dais. They ought to be embarrassed. Its the most pathetic treatment Ive seen in my 40 years in the United States Senate, Hatch said. I think they should stop posturing and acting like idiots, he said. At least one Democrat needs to be present for the committee to vote on the nominations, Hatch said. He recessed the hearing until further notice, saying he hoped a vote could take place later Tuesday. But asked mid-afternoon if he thought the committee would be able to meet Tuesday, Hatch said it doesnt look like it. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), the committees top Democrat, said Price and Mnuchin have misled the public and held back important information about their backgrounds. Until questions are answered, Democrats believe the committee should not move forward with either nomination, Wyden said. This is about getting answers to questions, plain and simple, he said. Ethics laws are not optional, and nominees do not have a right to treat disclosure like a shell game. Today @SenateFinance Democrats refused to move forward with nominations of Mnuchin & Price. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 The litany of ethics revelations regarding @RepTomPrice are strong evidence that he cannot be allowed to have control of #Medicare. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Mr. Mnuchin continued to fail to come clean on shady foreclosure practices that hurt Americans. Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) January 31, 2017 Liberal groups cheered the boycott while Senate Republican leaders decried it as Democratic obstructionism. They are manufacturing issues on a daily basis to drag this process out, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kent.) said of the confirmations of Trumps nominees. I dont see how they can explain to the American people how it is appropriate to prevent the administration from getting up and getting started, he said. Democrats have said Mnuchin, a wealthy Wall Street executive, misled the committee in his response to a written question about foreclosures at Pasadenas OneWest Bank while he ran it from 2009-15. Democrats pointed to a report Sunday by the Columbus Dispatch that Mnuchin denied that OneWest engaged in so-called robo-signing of mortgage documents. The paper said its analysis of nearly four dozen foreclosure cases in Ohios Franklin County in 2010 showed that the bank frequently used robo-signers. The Columbus Dispatch cited a foreclosure involving a mortgage signed by Erica Johnson-Seck, a OneWest vice president who said in a deposition in a 2009 Florida case that she signed an average of 750 documents a week. Barney Keller, a spokesman for Mnuchin, said Monday that several courts had dismissed cases involving allegations of robo-signing by Johnson-Seck. The media is picking on a hardworking bank employee whose reputation has been maligned but whose work has been upheld by numerous courts all around the country in the face of scurrilous and false allegations, Keller said. Democrats also have problems with Price, a six-term congressman and former orthopedic surgeon who has distinguished himself in conservative circles for his staunch opposition to the Affordable Care Act and his plans to slash federal healthcare spending. His nomination has become among Trumps most controversial, in part because of his hostility to government safety net programs, including Medicaid and Medicare. Democrats have also been increasingly critical of Prices extensive trading in healthcare stocks while he has been in Congress, and in some cases while he has pushed legislation that would benefit his portfolio. Price has denied any wrongdoing. Also drawing criticism is Prices purchase of discounted shares in an Australian biotech firm, Innate Immunotherapeutics, which he was offered through a private deal not available to general shareholders. Price also denied that this was improper, and Senate Republicans have rallied to his side, saying he did not violate any ethics rules. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said he and the other Democrats on the committee want Mnuchin and Price to explain their lies either in person before the committee or in new written answers. I want them to disclose this information that they seem not to want to disclose, Brown said. 12:10 p.m.: This post was updated with additional comments from Hatch as well as from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Sherrod Brown. 8:00 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information and background. 8:07 a.m.: This post has been updated with additional information. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House aides who wrote Trumps travel ban see it as just the start By Brian Bennett (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Even as confusion, internal dissent and widespread condemnation greeted President Trumps travel ban and crackdown on refugees this weekend, senior White House aides say they are only getting started. Trump and his aides justified Fridays executive order, which blocked travel from seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days and halted refugees from around the world for 120, on security grounds an issue that they say they take seriously. But their ultimate goal is far broader. Trumps top advisors on immigration, including chief strategist Steve Bannon and senior advisor Stephen Miller, see themselves as launching a radical experiment to fundamentally transform how the U.S. decides who is allowed into the country and to block a generation of people who, in their view, wont assimilate into American society. That project may live or die in the next three months, as the Trump administration reviews whether and how to expand the visa ban and alter vetting procedures. White House aides are considering new, onerous security checks that could effectively limit travel into the U.S. by people from majority-Muslim countries to a trickle. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Why corporations cant risk keeping silent about Trumps immigration ban By David Pierson Starbucks Chief Executive Howard Schultz said the Seattle coffee company is developing plans to hire 10,000 refugees over the next five years. (Richard Drew / Associated Press) Corporate America generally prefers to stay quiet about partisan politics. Pick one side of a hot-button issue, the thinking goes, and youll risk losing customers on the other side. But like so many norms before it, President Trump has turned this one on its head. A growing number of companies are deciding its a bigger risk to their investors and bottom line to stay quiet than it is to protest Trumps ban on refugees and travel from seven Muslim-majority nations, betting vocal opposition to the executive order scores them a moral and fiscal victory. While it was possible for companies to take a wait-and-see approach leading up to Trumps inauguration, many firms can no longer ignore the White Houses policy given the effect the order is already having on employees either stranded or fearful of traveling. Only a week ago it seemed foolish to speak out against a president who has admonished individual companies on social media such as Carrier, Boeing and General Motors. Now the pendulum has swung the other way. Companies, mostly in technology but increasingly in other sectors, have decided that its not enough just to speak out against the immigration order. They believe that they must also take headline-grabbing action. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Op-Ed: Trump is taking the Bannon Way, and it will end in disaster By Jonah Goldberg Bannon has said hes a Leninist' but hes really more of a Trotskyist because he fancies himself the leader of an international populist-nationalist right wing movement, exporting anti-'globalist' revolution. In that role, his status as an enabler of Trumps instinct to shoot or tweet from the hip seems especially ominous. The Bannon way might work on the campaign trail, but it doesnt translate into good governance. Its possible and one must hope that Trump can learn this fact on the job. But what if he doesnt? He could put the country in serious peril. Jonah Goldberg Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump will leave LGBTQ protections in place By Associated Press (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) The White House says President Trump will leave intact a 2014 executive order that protects federal workers from anti-LGBTQ discrimination. In a statement released early Tuesday, the White House said Trump is determined to protect the rights of all Americans, including the LGBTQ community and that he continues to be respectful and supportive of LGBTQ rights, just as he was throughout the election. The Trump administration has vowed to roll back much of President Obamas work from the last eight years and had been scrutinizing the 2014 order. The directive protects people from LGBTQ discrimination while working for federal contractors. The recent statement says the protections will remain intact at the direction of Trump. Here is the text of Obamas executive order, signed on July 21, 2014: By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including 40 U.S.C. 121, and in order to provide for a uniform policy for the Federal Government to prohibit discrimination and take further steps to promote economy and efficiency in Federal Government procurement by prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. Amending Executive Order 11478 . The first sentence of section 1 of Executive Order 11478 of August 8, 1969, as amended, is revised by substituting sexual orientation, gender identity for sexual orientation. Sec. 2. Amending Executive Order 11246 . Executive Order 11246 of September 24, 1965, as amended, is hereby further amended as follows: (a) The first sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex, or national origin. (b) The second sentence of numbered paragraph (1) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (c) Numbered paragraph (2) of section 202 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. (d) Paragraph (d) of section 203 is revised by substituting sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin for sex or national origin. Sec. 3. Regulations . Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Labor shall prepare regulations to implement the requirements of section 2 of this order. Sec. 4. General Provisions . (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect: (i) the authority granted by law to an agency or the head thereof; or (ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals. (b) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. Sec. 5. Effective Date . This order shall become effective immediately, and section 2 of this order shall apply to contracts entered into on or after the effective date of the rules promulgated by the Department of Labor under section 3 of this order. Update 6:45 a.m.: This article was updated with the text of the 2014 executive order. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump fires Justice Departments top official after she refuses to defend his refugee ban By David Lauter Sally Yates. (J. David Ake / Associated Press) President Trump fired acting Atty. Gen. Sally Yates on Monday, just hours after she announced that the department would not defend his controversial executive order banning refugees and travelers from certain countries. Yates has betrayed the Department of Justice by refusing to enforce a legal order designed to protect the citizens of the United States, the White House said in a statement. It is time to get serious about protecting our country. The move came after Yates sent a letter to Justice Department lawyers saying that she questioned the lawfulness of Trumps executive order. My responsibility is to ensure that the position of the Department of Justice is not only legally defensible, but is informed by our best view of what the law is after consideration of all the facts, Yates wrote. At present, I am not convinced that the defense of the executive order is consistent with these responsibilities, nor am I convinced that the executive order is lawful, she wrote. Consequently, for as long as I am the acting attorney general, the Department of Justice will not present arguments in defense of the executive order unless and until I become convinced that it is appropriate to do so. Yates was a holdover from the Obama administration. But because Trumps nominee for attorney general, Sen. Jeff Sessions, has not been confirmed and no other senior Justice Department officials have been appointed, firing her was expected to cause significant problems within the department. Among other issues, Yates is the only person in the department currently authorized to sign warrants for wiretapping in foreign espionage cases involving the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. Trump replaced Yates with Dana J. Boente, a three-decade veteran of the Justice Department who was appointed in 2015 by former President Obama as U.S. attorney for the eastern district of Virginia. 6:37 p.m.: The story was updated with Trumps decision to fire Yates. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. service member killed in Yemen identified as Navy SEAL from Illinois By Jeanette Steele The Pentagon on Sunday confirmed the death of a U.S. servicemember in a raid in Yemen targeting al-Qaeda, marking the first American combat death under the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump. A Navy SEAL from the Virginia-based elite unit known as SEAL Team 6 was killed Sunday during an unusual nighttime raid that put U.S. troops on the ground against Al Qaeda leaders in the middle of war-torn Yemen. The fallen sailor was identified Monday as Chief Special Warfare Operator William Ryan Owens, 36, of Peoria, Ill.. Three other Americans were wounded in the raid and an MV-22 Osprey had to be destroyed after the aircraft suffered a hard landing and couldnt fly. Another U.S. service member was injured in that crash. The raid marked the first known counter-terrorism operation and first confirmed combat fatality under President Trump. Steele writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Protests against Trumps ban on certain immigrants continue across the country By Ann M. Simmons Protesters rally at Los Angeles International Airport on Jan. 29, demonstrating against the immigration ban imposed by President Trump. (Justin Sullivan / Getty Images) After a weekend of turmoil at many of the nations airports following President Trumps executive order to suspend the U.S. refugee program and temporarily prohibit entry to citizens of seven predominantly Muslim nations, federal officials said all people being detained on arrival to the U.S. had been released. But that hasnt put a stop to demands to lift the travel ban. Protests continued to be held and organized throughout the country incluidng in New York, New Orleans, Colorado and Connecticut. According to Ground Game, an online platform for organizing, at least a dozen demonstrations were planned for this week in what the group described as a fight against Islamophobia and Fascism. Calls to rally, demonstrate and protest swept social media platforms, including Twitter and Facebook. In Louisville, Ky., a rally was planned for Monday evening at the Muhammad Ali Center, in what organizers said would be a gathering for American values and to voice support for our nation and our city, which was founded and is strengthened by immigrants. In Hattiesburg, Miss., there was call to join a peaceful vigil in solidarity with refugees, immigrants, and Muslims on the University of Southern Mississippi campus on Monday evening. Declaring that Jersey City stands with our Muslim and immigrant community, organizers in that New Jersey city called on people to come to a pedestrian mall on Monday to stand in solidarity and peace as we show our strength in diversity as one of the most diverse cities in the nation. Other demonstrations were planned for later in the week in cities nationwide, including Tuesday in Tuscon, where organizers encouraged people to stand in solidarity with Senator (John) McCains strong public statement opposing the executive order banning refugees and Legal Permanent Residents from Muslim countries! Similar actions were planned on Tuesday at the South Carolina State House in Columbia and at the Worchester City Hall and Common in Massachusetts, while organizers in San Francisco, under the banner #NoBanNoWallSF, urged residents to join the resistance against Donald Trumps racist and exclusionary Executive Orders on Saturday. We will not allow our country to be divided by hate and religious persecution, read a statement from #NoBanNoWallSF posted on Facebook. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Obama carefully weighs in on refugee ban, says he is heartened by public response By Michael A. Memoli (Jim Watson / AFP/Getty Images) Former President Obama has offered his first public comment on the conduct of his successor, saying through a spokesman that he is heartened by public demonstrations against the Trump administrations controversial move to temporarily ban refugees and block all admissions from seven countries. President Obama is heartened by the level of engagement taking place in communities around the country, Kevin Lewis, a spokesperson for the former president, said in a statement emailed to reporters Monday. In his final official speech as President, he spoke about the important role of citizen and how all Americans have a responsibility to be the guardians of our democracy--not just during an election but every day. Citizens exercising their constitutional right to assemble, organize and have their voices heard by their elected officials is exactly what we expect to see when American values are at stake. Lewis also said in the statement that Obama fundamentally disagrees with the notion of discriminating against individuals because of their faith or religion. Trump aides deny that his executive order, released Friday, involves religious discrimination. The order temporarily blocked travel to the U.S. by residents of seven predominantly Muslim nations, but left many of the Islamic worlds largest population centers unaffected, they note. The order also included an exception for believers of minority religions in those countries, a provision that Trump explicitly said would help Christians. Obamas statement is notable less for its content than for the fact that it was issued at all. It reflected the delicate balance he feels he must strike between showing a degree of deference to the new president and speaking out on issues he sees as critically important. The statement tiptoed around the content of the order, focusing more on the former presidents interest in citizen engagement. Obama said before leaving office that he expected to choose carefully when to comment on the actions of his successor and would focus less on normal functioning of politics and more on certain issues or certain moments where I think our core values may be at stake, as he put it in his final news conference. Mondays statement did point, though, to comments Obama made at a news conference in November 2015, when he called the idea of a religious test for immigration policy shameful and not American. We dont have religious tests to our compassion, he said at the time. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP-led Congress worries about its role in the Trump era By Lisa Mascaro Its what congressional Republicans had long dreamed about: a majority in both chambers to advance conservative policies and a president from the same party to sign them into law. But the Trump White House isnt turning out exactly the way they envisioned. The GOP establishment is experiencing whiplash after a week of President Trump bulldozing through the norms of policy and protocol dashing off executive orders without warning, escalating a diplomatic crisis with the countrys closest southern neighbor, triggering global confusion with a new refugee policy and generally hijacking party leaders agenda and replacing it with his own. Rather than the hoped-for collaborative new relationship between the White House and Congress, GOP officials complain that Trump is brushing aside their advice, failing to fully engage on drafting tough legislative packages like tax reform and Obamacare, and bypassing Congress by relying on executive actions, something they frequently complained about under President Obama. At the same time, Trumps unilateral moves continue to blindside Republicans and direct the national focus toward topics many in the party would rather avoid, whether thats how to pay for building the border wall with Mexico, warming ties with Russia, investigating false claims about voter fraud or, most recently, implementing sweeping new policies on refugees and visas. In the name of party unity, many Republicans so far have refrained from publicly attacking the new president. But for some, the new refugee policy crossed the line, signaling the first major rift in their already fraught partnership. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Washington state sues Trump over immigration order By Mark Z. Barabak President Trump signed an executive order Friday that suspends all immigration for citizens of seven Muslim-majority countries for 90 days. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) Opening a new legal front, lawyers for the state of Washington filed suit Monday seeking to block President Trumps executive order temporarily banning foreign refugees from entering the United States. No one is above the law, not even the president, Atty. Gen. Bob Ferguson said in announcing the federal lawsuit. And in the courtroom, it is not the loudest voice that prevails. Its the Constitution. Over the weekend, a federal judge in Brooklyn issued an order curtailing portions of Trumps executive order, issued Friday, which temporary halts migration from seven predominantly Muslim countries for at least 90 days and also closed the nation to refugees for at least the next four months. Other challenges are pending. The lawsuit filed in federal court in Seattle was the first taken by a state attorney general, and its provenance was no surprise. Washington state and others along the West Coast voted overwhelmingly for Democrat Hillary Clinton in November and have emerged as a hotbed of anti-Trump sentiment. We will not yield, said Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who joined Ferguson at a Seattle news conference. We will not be leveraged. We will not be threatened. We will not be intimidated. We will not be bullied by this. Trumps order, which has sparked demonstrations across the country, brought an outpouring of objection from Insleys Democratic colleagues around the country. President Trumps recent executive orders that divide and discriminate do not reflect the values enshrined in the U.S. Constitution or the principles we stand for as Oregonians, said Gov. Kate Brown. A single executive order does not define who we are as a country, said Connecticut Gov. Daniel P. Malloy. We are a nation of immigrants and must continue to fight for the tired, the poor, and the huddled masses yearning to breath free. In Massachusetts, another state that voted overwhelmingly for Clinton, Republican Gov. Charlie Baker joined the chorus of Democratic criticism, saying the travel ban would undermine the international relations forged by the states business, academic and healthcare communities. The confusion for families is real. The unexpected disruption for law-abiding people is real, Baker said. Thankfully, the federal courts will have an opportunity to straighten this out and it is my hope they do so, and do so quickly. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print How a top conservative radio host took on Trump, lost his audience and faith, but gained a new perspective By Mark Z. Barabak Charlie Sykes, right, interviews Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) before Wisconsins 2016 primary (Morry Gash/Associated Press) For nearly 25 years, Charlie Sykes was one of the most powerful and influential voices in Wisconsin. He cheer-led policies that turned this historically progressive state into a model of conservative governance. He made and destroyed political careers, using his perch on Milwaukee talk radio to help vault figures such as House Speaker Paul Ryan and Gov. Scott Walker to national prominence. But for the moment Sykes was speechless. He sank into the brown leather banquette of a suburban steakhouse. He stammered. He sighed. When youve devoted your whole life to certain beliefs and you think now they have been undermined and that you might have been deluded about things, he began. So. So. Um... In 2016 Sykes emerged as one of Donald Trumps most prominent critics, a stance that outraged listeners, strained longstanding friendships and left him questioning much of what he once held true. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Pentagon compiling a list of Iraqis who aided the U.S. military and wants them shielded from Trumps travel ban By W.J. Hennigan The Pentagon is compiling a list of Iraqi citizens who have worked with the U.S. military and is recommending that they be exempt from President Trumps temporary ban on entry to the U.S. by people from Iraq and six other predominantly Muslim countries, according to the U.S. military. The move could potentially shield tens of thousands of Iraqi interpreters, advisors, and others who have assisted the American military from the presidents controversial executive action that blocked visitors from Iraq, Iran, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen. Capt. Jeff Davis, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters Monday that the list will include names of individuals who have demonstrated their commitment to helping the United States. Even people that are doing seemingly benign things in support of us whether as a linguist, a driver, anything else they often do that at great personal risk, he said. So people who take these risks are really making a tangible signal of support to the United States, and thats something that will, and should be, recognized. The list would not require any changes to the presidents order, but rather serve as guidance to the Department of Homeland Security and the White House in implementing the new policy. White House spokesman Sean Spicer later pushed back against blanket exemptions. We recognize that people have served this country, we should make sure that in those cases theyre helped out, he said. But that doesnt mean that we just give them a pass. Trump, who signed the order at the Pentagon on Friday, did not consult Defense Secretary James N. Mattis or Gen. Joseph F. Dunford Jr., the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on the temporary suspensions of entry to visitors from the seven nations, according to U.S. officials. The executive action put the U.S. military in a difficult position because it works closely with the Iraqi government on a range of issues, including the fight against Islamic State, which necessitates travel between the two countries. For instance, Iraqi military pilots train to fly F-16 fighter jets at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. Its not clear those pilots, who are active in the fight against Islamic State, could arrive in the U.S. for the training. 1:10 p.m.: This post was updated with White House response. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Trump signs order on rulemaking: For every regulation added, agencies have to cut 2 others By Noah Bierman (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump signed an executive order Monday designed to fulfill his campaign pledge reduce red tape for businesses. The two-page order requires that when a federal agency proposes new regulations, it shall identify at least two existing regulations to be repealed. We want to make the life easier for small businesses and big business, Trump said Monday from the Roosevelt Room of the White House, where he met with nine representatives of the small-business sector. Trump said he hoped to see up to 75% of federal regulations eliminated during his presidency. Regulation has been horrible for big business, but its been worse for small business, Trump said. He also reiterated his promise to gut the Dodd-Frank Act, the financial regulatory overhaul that was passed after the financial crisis. Dodd-Frank is a disaster, he said. Were going to be doing a big number on Dodd-Frank. Consumer advocates who backed the law say that eliminating it would help Wall Street and other players in the financial sector at the expense of consumers. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print U.S. diplomats to protest Trumps travel ban order By Tracy Wilkinson Protesters of President Trumps immigration order block traffic at LAX. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) A number of U.S. diplomats are condemning President Trumps ban on some Muslim immigrants and visitors, saying the abrupt order does not make the U.S. safer and will only stoke anti-American fervor overseas. The complaint, being made through the State Departments so-called dissent channel, echoes criticism coming from human rights attorneys, legal experts and lawmakers from both political parties, as well as world leaders. It is significant because it represents the viewpoint of the men and women who must carry out Trumps unconventional and often provocative foreign policy. A policy which closes our doors to over 200-million legitimate travelers in the hopes of preventing a small number of travelers who intend to harm Americans ... will not achieve its aim of making our country safer, said a draft version of the memo that was circulating Monday and was reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. It was first reported by ABC News. Moreover, such a policy runs counter to core American values of non-discrimination, fair play and extending a warm welcome to foreign visitors and immigrants. The White House was quickly dismissive of the dissent and seemed to suggest the diplomats should quit if they disagree with a policy. Trump spokesman Sean Spicer said the diplomats raising of opposition does call into question whether or not they should continue to work in the State Department. It was not clear how many officials would sign the memo. Dissent channel memos are in theory not made public. The mechanism is designed to allow diplomats to offer an alternative policy without fear of retaliation. Acting State Department spokesman Mark Toner confirmed the existence of the memo but declined to comment on its contents. The dissent channel is a longstanding official vehicle for State Department employees to convey alternative views and perspectives on policy issues, he said. "... It allows State employees to express divergent policy views candidly and privately to senior leadership. The agency is still waiting for a boss. Trumps pick for secretary of State, former Exxon Mobil CEO Rex Tillerson, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate this week. The last time a dissent-channel memo was reported publicly was last year, when about 50 diplomats protested Obama administration policy in Syria, which they described as inaction. 12:20 p.m.: This story was updated with White House comment. 8:40 a.m.: This story was updated with comment from a State Department spokesman. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Trump to announce his Supreme Court choice Tuesday -- in prime time By Michael A. Memoli (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump will announce his first Supreme Court nomination in prime time on Tuesday, he tweeted this morning. I have made my decision on who I will nominate for The United States Supreme Court. It will be announced live on Tuesday at 8:00 P.M. (W.H.) Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 30, 2017 The announcement was moved up two days amid the continued fallout from the executive action Trump signed temporarily banning refugee admissions from some countries. Trump had tweeted last week that he would announce his high-court decision Thursday. In an interview with the Christian Broadcasting Network on Friday, Trump said his administration was doing some final vetting of his choice to replace the late Antonin Scalia, and that the pick would be from among the list of 20 names he issued during the election campaign. I think the person I pick will be big, big, he said. I think people are going to love it. I think evangelicals, Christians will love my pick. And will be represented very fairly. Times Supreme Court reporter David Savage profiled each of the leading contenders: Judge Thomas Hardiman of the U.S. 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Neil M. Gorsuch of the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, and Judge William H. Pryor Jr. from the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals. The move could prompt a major clash with Senate Democrats, who have warned the president against a choice outside what they consider the mainstream. Some are threatening to block any choice in retaliation for Senate Republicans refusal to even hold hearings on President Obamas choice to replace Scalia, Merrick Garland. Democrats 2013 change to Senate rules that allowed most nominations to advance with a simple majority vote exempted Supreme Court nominations, meaning that Democrats could potentially filibuster the choice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) appeared to rule out any further rule change in an interview last week, though Trump urged him to consider doing so. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print As Hollywood gathered at the SAG Awards, some entertainers joined LAX protest Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Advertisement This New York doctor went to visit family in Sudan, and now hes stuck By Molly Hennessy-Fiske Dr. Kamal Fadlalla (Dr. Kamal Fadlalla / For The Times) Dr. Kamal Fadlalla, a hospital resident who has been working in New York for the last 20 months, was stuck in Sudan on Sunday, having gone there to see his family earlier this month. He had left Jan. 13, was due to return Feb. 4 but tried to return on Friday after hearing about President Trumps executive order on immigration, which suspended entry for people from seven countries, including Sudan. He made it past passport control, all the way to the gate at the airport in Khartoum, the Sudanese capital. One hour before departure they called my name, he said, and summoned him to the ticket counter, along with other New York-bound Sudanese passengers. When I got to the counter, they said there was a notice from Customs and Border Protection that ... they had to offload us from the flight. I was shocked. Fadlalla, 33, hoped for a reprieve as other passengers gathered, all stuck. One family, they came back from Dubai, she was a mother of three or four kids. She was waiting overnight at the Dubai airport. There were also two passengers turned back from New York, he said. It was a very tough night on me, He stayed for several hours, then returned to his mothers home in Madani, two hours south. Fadlalla is a second-year resident in internal medicine at Interfaith Medical Center in Brooklyn. He is hoping to specialize in hematology and oncology. The Committee for Interns and Residents found an attorney to represent him, he said, but he had not received any news about how a New York federal judges ruling late Saturday, which halted the deportations of people who had arrived in the U.S. with valid visas, could affect him. I dont know what Im going to do. My vacation is going to end and I have to join the hospital next week. Its going to be tough on me, Fadlalla said. I dont know for how long Im going to stay here. I dont know what Im going to do. My visa is valid for three months. Im really stuck. I have my house there, my utilities, my work, my patients, my colleagues. It was my life for the past 20 months. And Im stuck here. Fadlalla is from northern Sudan, and describes himself as a moderate Muslim. He said the executive order wont make the U.S. safer by barring valid visa holders like him because, Ive been through the whole process of visa interviews. He had planned to take board exams next year, and if he misses them, his schooling will be delayed. He had wanted to stay and work in New York, too. All my life is there. Now Im stuck here. I dont know what to do, he said. Its going to really affect my life, my patients, my colleagues and their work schedule. He said the executive order has shocked others in Sudan, too. Theyre talking about human rights. Everybody knows the United States is about freedom, he said. Everybody knows America is a free country, a country of chances for everybody. Still, people have hope in those protesting at airports all over the United States and attorneys who have volunteered to help immigrants and refugees, he said. He said the order is especially worrying for aspiring Sudanese medical residents who have been preparing to match with a hospital in March to study in the United States. A lot of my colleagues who are preparing for exams are really, really worried about this, Fadlalla said. Im really worried about the future of these young people. They study a lot and spend a lot of money, a lot of effort to enter the United States. Im concerned about my future and my colleagues future. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Californias congressional Republicans hold their fire on Trumps refugee order By Sarah D. Wire Only a few of the states 14 Republican representatives have publicly commented on an executive order signed by President Trump on Friday that barred refugees and green card holders from seven countries from entering the country. Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Tulare) released a statement Sunday night saying that some tweaks are needed, but that his background as chairman of the House Select Intelligence Committee leads him to support the executive order. In light of attempts by jihadist groups to infiltrate fighters into refugee flows to the West, along with Europes tragic experience coping with this problem, the Trump administrations executive order on refugees is a common-sense security measure to prevent terror attacks on the homeland, Nunes said. While accommodations should be made for green card holders and those whove assisted the U.S. armed forces, this is a useful temporary measure on seven nations of concern until we can verify who is entering the United States. Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) told the Washington Post that the executive order is the right call to keep America safe, but he hopes the cases of people traveling on visas who were prevented from reentering the country are resolved quickly. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) said Sunday on Twitter that the rollout has created confusion, and that executive orders arent the way to fix the countrys long-term problems. View Twitter post View Twitter post Several of Californias 38 Democratic congressional representatives and the states two senators were out in force over the weekend demanding the release of refugees and green card holders as well as an end to the executive order. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced she would file two pieces of legislation in response. One would immediately rescind the presidents order. The second would limit executive authority under the Immigration and Nationality Act to prevent a president from unilaterally banning groups of immigrants. Its clear that the president gave little consideration to the chaos and heartbreak that would result from this order, she said in a statement. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) joined protesters outside the White House on Sunday afternoon. We will fight against racism. We will fight against anti-Muslim rhetoric. We will fight against those who will marginalize who we are. pic.twitter.com/R54f3MDhvo Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) January 29, 2017 In Los Angeles, Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) and Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) joined protesters at Los Angeles International Airport. On Saturday, Reps. Judy Chu (D-Monterey Park), Nanette Barragan (D-San Pedro) and Lou Correa (D-Santa Ana) joined the initial protests at the airport, and worked to get some of those being held released. Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Dublin) accompanied protesters at San Francisco International Airport on Sunday. Congresswoman @MaxineWaters is here at LAX protest leading the crowd in the chant "no ban, no wall, you build it up we'll tear it down" pic.twitter.com/iNEmkVVkmW Javier Panzar (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Legal moves come too late for Iranian man who arrived at LAX after Trumps order By Matt Hamilton Ali Vayeghan arrived at 7:15 p.m. Friday from Tehran. He was going to stay with relatives, then go to Indiana, to join his wife, who arrived in the U.S. four months ahead of him, and his son. But he never emerged from customs. His niece said he was put on a plane to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, at 3:15 p.m. Saturday. The ACLU was trying to prevent his deportation but arrived with paperwork 45 minutes too late. The family spoke to him by phone after he landed in Dubai, where he was waiting to be put on a flight to Tehran. Hes literally crying in the airport in Dubai, Ali Vayeghans niece, Marjan Vayghan, said. On Sunday afternoon, a federal judge in Los Angeles ordered authorities to transport Vayeghan back to the U.S. and admit him under the terms of his visa, which is set to expire Feb. 14. U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee said in her order that Vayeghan had demonstrated a strong likelihood of success in establishing that removal violates the Establishment Clause, the Immigration and Nationality Act, and his rights to Equal Protection guaranteed by the United States Constitution. But by the time the order came down, Vayeghan was on a plane bound for Tehran. Federal judge in LA has issued order allowing Iranian man deported from LAX yesterday to be admitted to US pic.twitter.com/yPth0xEQpv Matt Hamilton (@MattHjourno) January 29, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print The political climate is a hot topic at the Screen Actors Guild awards The Actor statue watches over the red carpet at the Shrine Auditorium. (Matt Sayles / Invision / Associated Press) Stars on the red carpet and at the winners podium tonight in Los Angeles are not keeping their mouths shut on current affairs. The 23rd Screen Actors Guild awards are being held at the Shrine Auditorium. Heres what they have had to say so far: I want you all to know that I am the daughter of an immigrant. My father fled religious persecution in Nazi-occupied France, and Im an American patriot, and I love this country, and because I love this country, I am horrified by its blemishes and this immigrant ban is a blemish and it is un-American. Julia Louis-Dreyfus, accepting her award for her role in Veep We need to vote. Had we all voted, we wouldnt be here. You dont like it, you dont have nothing to say if you didnt vote. Get a clipboard, get organized and get in it. Dont sit back on the sidelines. Get in it. This is a fight for the country right now. Its worth fighting for. Courtney B. Vance, nominated for his performance in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story For the first time ever in my lifetime, Ive been concerned about where its going to go. It doesnt seem to be that its going to go in a very positive direction. Claire Foy, nominated for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the Netflix series The Crown Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Green card holders will not be blocked by Trumps order, Homeland Security says By David Lauter (Francine Orr/Los Angeles Times) The Trump administration backed away from one of the most controversial parts of its new executive order on immigration Sunday evening, saying that permanent U.S. residents in most cases will not be affected by the new rules. Since the president issued the order Friday, confusion has been rampant over the effects on permanent residents, noncitizens who hold so-called green cards that allow them to live and work legally in the U.S. Many were stopped and detained at airports for many hours on Friday and Saturday and, in some cases, reported that they had been threatened with being returned to their home countries. An undetermined number of other green card holders were stopped from boarding U.S.-bound planes. Late Sunday, however, the secretary of Homeland Security, retired Gen. John Kelly, issued a statement changing the policy. Statement By Secretary John Kelly On The Entry Of Lawful Permanent Residents Into The United States https://t.co/Es1qivoR3J pic.twitter.com/hffMK2MOQC Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 29, 2017 I hereby deem the entry of lawful permanent residents to be in the national interest, Kelly wrote. Green card holders from one of the seven countries covered by the 90-day ban will still need to request a waiver to gain reentry to the U.S. if they have traveled abroad. But unless officials have significant derogatory information about a green card holder that indicates a serious threat to public safety and welfare, lawful permanent resident status will be a dispositive factor in deciding the case, Kellys statement said. A White House official, briefing reporters about the change in policy, said that about 170 people have applied for a waiver to the ban so far, and all 170 have received a waiver and have been allowed to enter the U.S. The seven countries affected by the ban are Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Uber fights immigration order -- and #DeleteUber hashtag -- with $3-million legal fund for drivers By Tracey Lien Hours after Lyfts co-founders announced a $1-million donation to the American Civil Liberties Union to defend the Constitution, Uber Chief Executive Travis Kalanick pulled out his pocket book as well. Kalanick promised in a Facebook post that the company would create a $3-million legal defense fund to help drivers affected by the Trump administrations move to restrict immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority countries. The fund will help drivers with immigration and translation services. Kalanick also said the San Francisco ride-hailing company will provide 24/7 legal support to drivers stuck outside the country and compensate them for lost earnings. Drivers eligible for assistance were directed to contact the company via an online form. Although the announcement was greeted with some support on Facebook and Twitter, many saw it as too little too late. The company had come under fire a day earlier for advertising on Twitter that it was operating at New Yorks Kennedy International Airport during a taxi strike protesting the executive order. That gaffe, coupled with Kalanicks involvement in a panel advising President Trump on economic issues, helped spawn the Twitter hashtag #DeleteUber, which encouraged customers to delete the app from their phones in protest. You are 20 hours too late, one person wrote in response to Kalanicks Facebook post. Still deleted my account today, wrote another. Though Kalanick issued a statement on Saturday opposing the executive order, it didnt stop thousands of Twitter users from adopting the trending the #DeleteUber hashtag to decry Ubers actions. They accused the company of attempting to profit from the strike and prioritizing business interests over a moral imperative. Celebrities also jumped on the bandwagon, with actor and activist George Takei on Sunday tweeting to his 2.9 million followers: Lyft donates $1mil to ACLU while Uber doubles down on its support for Trump. #DeleteUber. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 75-year-old grandmother from Iran tells the story of her detention at LAX By Alene Tchekmedyian Siavosh Naji-Talakar of Phoenix hugs his grandmother Marzieh Moosavizadeh after she was released from detention at LAX early Sunday morning. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Marzieh Moosavizadeh and her grandson follow a routine when she visits almost every year from Iran. The 75-year-old, who travels in a wheelchair and speaks little English, struggles to find direct flights to Phoenix, where he and his family live. So they meet in Los Angeles and he escorts her on the last leg of her trip. This time was different. Moosavizadeh landed at Los Angeles International Airport a day after President Trump signed an executive order banning citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement GOP senators call executive order a self-inflicted wound. Trump calls them wrong and weak By Matt Ballinger McCain and Graham in 2013. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) U.S. Sens. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and John McCain of Arizona released a statement Sunday saying that confusion at U.S. airports shows that President Trumps executive order on immigration was not properly vetted. Such a hasty process risks harmful results, the Republicans statement read. We should not stop green-card holders from returning to the country they call home. We should not stop those who have served as interpreters for our military and diplomats from seeking refuge in the country they risked their lives to help. And we should not turn our backs on those refugees who have been shown through extensive vetting to pose no demonstrable threat to our nation. It went on: Ultimately, we fear this executive order will become a self-inflicted wound in the fight against terrorism. The president responded on Twitter: The joint statement of former presidential candidates John McCain & Lindsey Graham is wrong - they are sadly weak on immigration. The two... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 ...Senators should focus their energies on ISIS, illegal immigration and border security instead of always looking to start World War III. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 29, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print At least 600 people wait to greet Syrians arriving in Phoenix By Nigel Duara Elijah Chavez and Brandi Hernandez protest in Phoenix (Nigel Duara/Los Angeles Times) A Phoenix-bound British Airways flight was scheduled to arrive from London at Sunday evening carrying several Syrians. A protest of about 600 people was waiting at a Phoenix international airport terminal for the flight to arrive. The outcome when these people arrive is uncertain at best, said Tanveer Shah, an Arizona attorney in private practice who volunteers with the ACLU. Shah said Syrians on board the flight would, in the best case, walk off the plane without a problem. But given the outcomes in other cities on Saturday and Sunday, Shah said it was incumbent on civil liberties attorneys to be there when the plane arrives. We have staff attorneys here ... who are prepared to file emergency pleadings, Shah said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print When Muslims got blocked at American airports, U.S. veterans rushed to help By Matt Pearce (G. Morty Ortega / Getty Images) Jeffrey Buchalter was reflooring his foyer in Chesapeake Beach, Md., and listening to MSNBC over the weekend when he heard the news: An Iraqi who had worked with American forces as an interpreter had been stopped from entering the U.S. under a new executive order on immigration from President Trump. The story stopped him cold. Buchalter, an Army veteran who works as a law-enforcement instructor at the Department of Homeland Security, had served multiple tours of duty as a military policeman in Iraq, service that cost him dearly. He was decorated for injuries sustained from gunfire and improvised explosive devices. Exams revealed hed suffered herniated discs, traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, and he spent 2 years at Walter Reed Army Medical Center trying to get right. But he was still alive, and now the married father of two children. And he believes thats thanks in part to the work of Iraqi interpreters who acted as guides during his work in their country. So he told his younger daughter and son they were going to take a trip: a two-hour drive to Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., where, for the first time in his life, Buchalter would join a protest. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Demonstrators against Trumps immigration limits and a few who like them surge through LAX By Javier Panzar The crowd at LAX is getting bigger and bigger. pic.twitter.com/dJ281TETXj Javier Panzar (@jpanzar) January 29, 2017 Thousands of people filled the international terminal at Los Angeles International Airport on Sunday afternoon to call for the release of an unknown number of people being detained by immigration authorities. Filling the arrivals section of the terminal and spilling into the street outside, the throng chanted, Let them in, and Love, not hate, makes America great. Jacob Kemper, a 35-year-old Army veteran who fought two tours in Iraq, said he was infuriated to think soldiers he fought alongside might be denied entry to the country. I really dont care about religion, but I really hate oppression, he said, holding a sign that read, I Fought Next To Muslims. Shay Soltani, a network engineer, fled the Iranian revolution 40 years ago and still has family members in Iran. She doesnt know if she will be able to see them again. As she and hundreds of others marched through the airport, she said she was horrified by Trumps order. I am so hurt by this, she said. He is against freedom of speech and the constitution and everything I believe in as an American. Meanwhile, about a dozen counter-protesters popped up on the other side of the street, holding signs that said X-treme vetting and Keep Refugees Out. They said they were tired of immigrants entering the U.S. illegally, which they said jeopardizes the safety of American citizens. Chanell Temple, 63, of Los Angeles said she was sick of watching immigrants here illegally steal benefits and services from American citizens, specifically veterans and homeless people who need aid. I worked out here for 40 years and they are coming here and taking everything away, said Temple, a former bookkeeper who said she lost her job and healthcare after she was fired for an inability to speak Spanish. Raul Rodriguez Jr., coordinator of a group called America First Latinos, said he was concerned about what he considers a surge in crimes committed against Americans by those who are in the country illegally. They are lawbreakers. They have violated federal law and they need to be deported, he said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Silicon Valley execs speak out against immigration ban By Tracey Lien Technology executives are speaking out against President Trumps executive order on immigration, highlighting how the ban hurts their businesses. Leaders of companies that include Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, Uber, Lyft, Airbnb, Dropbox and Twitter denounced it over the weekend. Apple would not exist without immigration, let alone thrive and innovate the way we do, said Apple chief executive Tim Cook in a memo to employees. In my conversations with officials here in Washington this week, Ive made it clear that Apple believes deeply in the importance of immigration both to our company and to our nations future. General Electric Co. chief executive Jeff Immelt said Sunday that businesses with global operations must balance working with the new administration while also supporting their workers and partners. We have many employees from the named countries and we do business all over the region, Immelt said in a statement. These employees and customers are critical to our success and they are our friends and partners. We stand with them and will work with the U.S. administration to strive to find the balance between the need for security and the movement of law abiding people. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print LAX protest grows as families wait Meg Heatherly, 27, of Los Angeles holds a Shame sign during a protest at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement L.A. city attorney barred from seeing detainees at LAX By James Queally Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer said he was repeatedly denied access to federal detainees or an attorney who could discuss the situation with him at Los Angeles International Airport on Saturday night and Sunday morning. Federal officials have declined to discuss the LAX detentions or respond to Feuers criticisms. While he was at the airport, Feuer said he was approached by a woman who claimed her father, suffering from Parkinsons disease, was among the detainees. It is those kind of real stories that are at stake because of this outrageous action by the feds. It is time not only for officials in my position, but all Americans, should find this a breathtaking violation of rights. Mike Feuer Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democratic attorneys general from 15 states condemn Trump immigration order By Ann M. Simmons California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) More than a dozen Democratic attorneys general from states across the country have condemned the Trump administrations executive order suspending acceptance of refugees and have vowed to oppose it to ensure that as few people as possible suffer from the chaotic situation that it has created. In a communique Sunday, the group said: As the chief legal officers for over 130 million Americans and foreign residents of our states, we condemn President Trumps unconstitutional, un-American and unlawful Executive Order and will work together to ensure the federal government obeys the Constitution, respects our history as a nation of immigrants, and does not unlawfully target anyone because of their national origin or faith. The executive order places an indefinite ban on refugees from Syria and prohibits citizens from Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen from entering as refugees for four months. It also places a suspension on admissions of other citizens of those countries. The legal officials represent 15 states. They include California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra and his contemporaries in Washington, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, as well as the District of Columbia. Religious liberty has been, and always will be, a bedrock principle of our country, and no president can change that truth, the attorneys general said in the statement. They praised the decision of multiple federal courts to order a stay on some aspects of the order. We are confident that the Executive Order will ultimately be struck down by the courts, the statement said. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print 13 people who had been detained at LAX have been released, source says By James Queally Protesters at LAX on Sunday. (Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times) Thirteen people who were detained Saturday night at Los Angeles International Airports Terminal 2 were eventually released, a law enforcement source told The Times. Each of them held green cards, which grant permanent residency in the U.S. The source, who requested anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the situation at the airport, could not provide detention figures for the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which has been the center of protest activity. Thats where protesters were gathering Sunday. Nurse Jamie Shoemaker, 51, of Los Angeles held an American flag in one hand and carried a sign that read, Muslims are welcome here, racists and fascists are not. She called Trumps order un-American. This is not the country I want, she said. This is not the country I grew up in. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Democrats in Congress drafting legislation to repeal Trumps refugee ban, pressuring GOP for support By Lisa Mascaro Sen. Chuck Schumer becomes emotional speaking against Pres. Trump's immigration order, calling it "mean-spirited and un-American." pic.twitter.com/NkhUdpaNyV ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) January 29, 2017 Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and Democrats will introduce legislation as soon as Monday to stop President Trumps actions temporarily banning refugees and arrivals from certain Muslim countries. House Democrats are taking similar legislative action, and lawmakers from both chambers will rally Monday evening at the Supreme Court to protest Trumps orders. This executive order was mean-spirited and un-American, said Schumer, the New York Democrat, choking up as he stood with immigrants and refugees at a press conference Sunday. It must be reversed immediately. Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said House Democrats are exploring legal options, including an amicus brief in support of the ACLU lawsuit against the actions. The chances of passing a bill through the Republican-controlled Congress are slim, as most GOP leaders and lawmakers have not objected to Trumps ban. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Sunday that while he was personally opposed to a religious test on admissions, it was best left to the courts to resolve the issue. Its hopefully going to be decided in the courts as to whether or not this has gone too far, McConnell said on ABCs This Week. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) expressed his support Friday for Trumps action. A handful of Republicans, though, are uneasy with Trumps orders, and have spoken against them. Schumer noted that just few more Republicans would be needed to reach the 60-vote threshold for advancing Senate legislation. Maybe we can pass something in Congress, Schumer said. Its up to Republicans. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Emotional reunion at JFK airport after release of elderly Sudanese man from immigration detention By Barbara Demick Tears and hugs at JFK's international arrivals as a detainee is released, reuniting father with son. More families wait, cheering. pic.twitter.com/WrVpoocWjY Jack Smith IV (@JackSmithIV) January 29, 2017 For those immigrants temporarily detained under a new Trump administration executive order at New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport, attorneys have put a priority on getting some of the older detainees released to their families. One small victory for the lawyers was the case of Yassin Abdelrhman, a 76-year-old green card holder from Sudan who had been detained after a trip home to visit family. He was released about noon on Sunday after being detained for 30 hours. Soon, he was reunited with his sons. He is a strong individual, but he has some health challenges, said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who had been working on their case. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Iranian director Asghar Farhadi will not attend Oscars Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi after winning an Oscar in 2012. ((Allen J. Schaben/ Los Angeles Times) ) In a statement to the New York Times today, Oscar-winning Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi said he no longer planned to attend this years ceremony. Farhadis film The Salesman is nominated in the foreign language film category. Farhadi had initially hoped to attend despite the prohibition on visitors from Iran. But he said he had decided the possibility of this presence is being accompanied by ifs and buts which are in no way acceptable to me even if exceptions were to be made for my trip. Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print How an Iranian Fulbright scholar got into the U.S.: We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer By Barbara Demick Iranian students in front of a makeshift law office in JFKs Terminal 4. (Barbara Demick / Los Angeles Times) Perhaps nothing encapsulates the chaos emanating from President Trumps executive order better than what happened with Ukrainian Airlines Flight 232. The regularly scheduled flight to Kiev had to turn around on the tarmac at John F. Kennedy Airport early Sunday after a federal judge issued a stay of a deportation order of dozens of foreigners, including a 32-year-old Iranian linguist who is a doctoral candidate and former Fulbright scholar. With just minutes to spare, Vahideh Rasekhi -- helped by volunteer lawyers and her smart phone managed to prevent the flight from taking off. She had arrived Saturday afternoon, but was blocked from entering the United States by the executive order barring arrivals of citizens of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia and Libya. Around midnight, she was put on the Ukrainian Air flight to return to Tehran, via Kiev. We found a lawyer who found a lawyer who found a lawyer, said Mehdi Namazi, 29, a friend who has been waiting for her at the airport. The lawyers were showing officials a copy of the order issued a few hours earlier by U.S. District Court Judge Ann Donnelly in Brooklyn. It was all very confusing. They were arguing as the plane was taxiing, Namazi said. According to one lawyer, Melissa Trent, Rasekhi herself was walking up and down the aisles arguing for the plane not to take off. She knew that if the plane left she would never get back to the United States again, Trent said. Rasekhi spent most of Sunday in detention with other Iranians, but was released into the United States at around 3 p.m.. A dozen Iranian friends had been waiting inside the airports Terminal 4 amid a clutter of discarded coffee cups and half-eaten donuts in front of a diner that had been turned into a makeshift law office. Another Iranian student was waiting for her parents, who were taken into detention after arriving on another flight I havent seen them in 3-1/2 years. They dont speak English. But Im hopeful, said the student, who gave her name as Sahar. The students were both furious at the way their country had been targeted by Trumps order and touched by the outpouring of support from the volunteer lawyers. We see two different Americas here. There is this order banning us, and than there are all these people here who came to the airport. If it werent for these volunteers, she would have been deported, said Namazi. Im very depressed. We feel betrayed by this country that we invested so much energy and hope into. We are all graduate students, professors, PhDs, engineers. To say this is for national security, it doesnt add up, said Tahmineh Tabrizian, 33, another friend of Rasekhis. She said her own parents had planned to come to the United States and had spent $14,000 on tickets and visas and would now have to cancel their trip. Rasekhi, who has lived in the United States for a decade, was a Fulbright scholar at UC Santa Barbara and received a masters degree at Fresno State University, according to a resume supplied by one of her friends. She had been studying for a PhD at Stony Brook University on Long Island. She had gone to Tehran over the Christmas break to visit her parents and was on her way back to resume her studies when she was detained. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Protests begin again at LAX on Sunday morning By Genaro Molina Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Protesters in Tel Aviv compare Trump immigration order to Israeli refugee policies By Joshua Mitnick Demonstrators in Tel Aviv protest U.S. President Trumps new immigration order. (Joshua Mitnick / Los Angeles Times) Holding signs reading Refugees Welcome and chanting No Ban, No Wall, Sanctuary for All, several dozen demonstrators gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv on Sunday to join protests in the U.S. against President Trumps new immigration policy. Mia Zur Szpiro, a 36-year-old filmmaker, said she felt compelled to demonstrate because her parents survived the Holocaust. We are a country of immigrants, and to me it was astounding that this [order] was passed on Holocaust Memorial Day, she said. Its wrong to stereotype, and its wrong to send people who are in need back into the face of danger and the risk of death. Elliot Vaisbrub Glassenberg, a protest organizer and migrant rights activist, compared the new U.S. policy to Israeli policies toward tens of thousands of Eritrean and Sudanese migrants who crossed into the country illegally from Egypts Sinai desert. The policies that Trump has enacted are no worse than the policies that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu has enacted for years here such as not allowing any non-Jews to be given refugee status in Israel, except for a select few. Togod Omar, a native of Sudan who was at the protest, said he applied for political asylum in Israel three years ago, and is still waiting. He said Sudanese friends hoping to be resettled in the U.S. were upset by the new executive order. Trump doesnt understand whats going on in Sudan, Omar said. You cant punish the Sudanese people for what the Islamic government is doing. You cant banish someone because of their religion. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print President Trump hits majority disapproval in record time, Gallup finds By David Lauter Days until achieving MAJORITY disapproval from @Gallup Reagan: 727 Bush I: 1336 Clinton: 573 Bush II: 1205 Obama: 936 Trump: 8. days. pic.twitter.com/kv2fy0Qsbp Will Jordan (@williamjordann) January 29, 2017 President Trumps actions during his first week in office have appeared to be aimed at the voters who already supported him, not at reaching out to the rest, and thats taken a rapid toll on his support, which was already historically low. Gallup, which has measured job approval for presidents for decades, shows Trumps approval so far at 45%, with 48% disapproving. Thats an average of several days polling. The daily trend lines are not kind to the new administration. As of Saturday, 51% of Americans disapproved of Trumps performance. Thats a record for the speed of getting to majority disapproval. By comparison, President George W. Bush hit majority disapproval six months into his second term, in June 2005, and remained in negative territory for the rest of his tenure. President Obama did not hit 51% disapproval until August of 2011, during the crisis over the federal debt ceiling that summer. His approval rebounded later that year, but he had a second period of majority disapproval during late 2013 and much of 2014. He ended his term with widespread approval and 37% of Americans disapproving. Trump Job Approval: Approve 45% (-1); Disapprove 48% (+3). Get the full trend https://t.co/BjTUhf0NAM. GallupNews (@GallupNews) January 27, 2017 Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Hundreds of travelers were caught in limbo over rushed visa ban By Brian Bennett (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) Hundreds of travelers were blocked from entering the U.S. or prevented from boarding flights in the hours after President Trump signed his order banning arrivals from seven predominantly Muslim countries, according to the Department of Homeland Security. In the order, Trump temporarily suspended refugee admissions and banned travelers from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Scores of people from those countries were aboard airplanes flying toward the U.S. when Trump signed his executive order on Friday afternoon, setting off waves of confusion among border officials and the traveling public. Upon landing at U.S. airports, 109 people from the listed countries were detained by immigration officials and prevented from entering the U.S., officials said. The department had approved 81 waivers to the new travel ban by Saturday afternoon, the official said, but at least some of the people detained on arrival were sent back to their countries of origin. Court orders issued Saturday evening required U.S. border officials to stop returning people who had already arrived with valid visas. It is unclear how many people were deported before the orders were issued. It is also unclear if the Trump administration has fully complied with those orders. In addition to the people who arrived in the U.S. and were detained, as of 3 p.m. on Saturday, an additional 173 travelers from the listed countries had been stopped from boarding flights to the U.S., a Homeland Security official said in a statement. The department did not make an official available to describe the actions and the agencys response. As many as 3,250 travelers may have been inconvenienced by the new visa restrictions, officials for the department said in a statement Sunday. Yesterday, less than 1% of the more than 325,000 international air travelers who arrive every day were inconvenienced while enhanced security measures were implemented, the statement read. The department will comply with court orders, the statement said. But no evidence was given to confirm this. Lawyers seeking to meet with detainees at Dulles International Airport outside of Washington and at San Francisco have said that they were blocked by officials on Sunday. The Department of Homeland Security will comply with judicial orders, faithfully enforce our immigration laws, and implement President Trumps executive orders to ensure that those entering the United States do not pose a threat to our country or the American people, according to the departments statement. All of the visa holders and travelers from the listed countries blocked from entering the U.S. since Friday already had gone through multiple steps of security screening that checked their biographical information and travel history against U.S. terrorism databases. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print White House seems to back down on part of new vetting policy By Christi Parsons The White House on Sunday appeared to back down on a key part of President Trumps tough new immigration order, signaling that travelers trying to enter the country from seven banned countries will be allowed in if they hold green cards. White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus said that these legal permanent residents are exempt from the travel ban moving forward, even though over the weekend other administration officials said the rule did apply to them. The apparent reversal came amid a national controversy over the new Trump order that temporarily halts the entry of all refugees to the U.S. and any traveler from seven majority Muslim countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Federal judges across the country have blocked parts of the presidents executive actions since they came down on Friday, mostly preventing the deportation of some travelers who ran into the first wave of implementation over the weekend. The back-and-forth over the green-card holders reflected a generalized confusion about the new order, which also bars Syrian refugees from entering the United States indefinitely. Lawyers for some of the affected immigrants said border agents seemed uncertain about the new rules and were disagreeing with one another about which travelers were affected and which were not. Further complicating the picture was a statement from the Department of Homeland Security asserting that its agents would enforce all of Trumps orders while also complying with judicial orders. As some of the orders block deportation, that left individual officers to try to figure out which priorities to honor. Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Advertisement Op-Ed: Trumps cruel, illegal refugee executive order By Erwin Chemerinsky Protesters demonstrate at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City on Saturday. (Stephanie Keith / Getty Images) Barring individuals fleeing persecution from entering the United States is simply inhumane. Adding irony to injury, Trumps executive order was issued on Holocaust Remembrance Day, which should have been an occasion to atone for turning away refugees during the 1930ssome of whom then died in concentration camps. For example, in 1939, the United States turned away the St. Louis, a boat filled with refugees, many of them German Jews. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 254 passengers from the St. Louis died in the Holocaust. Erwin Chemerinsky Read More Facebook Twitter Show more sharing options Share Close extra sharing options Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Copy Link URL Copied! Print Lyft pledges to donate $1 million to ACLU following Trumps immigration order By Tracey Lien (Richard Vogel / Associated Press) Tech executives had been mostly quiet for the first week of Donald Trumps presidency but that changed after his controversial executive order restricting refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries. Executive after executive spent Saturday tweeting and posting messages to Facebook decrying the administrations actions. Lyft co-founders John Zimmer and Logan Green went a step further: On Sunday, they announced they would donate $1 million to the American Civil Liberties Union over the next four years. Banning people of a particular faith or creed, race or identity, sexuality or ethnicity, from entering the U.S. is antithetical to both Lyft and our nations core values, the co-founders wrote in an email to Lyft customers. We stand firmly against the actions, and will no Good morning. Its Monday, Jan. 9, and heres whats going on around California: TOP STORIES Boomtown Advertisement Downtown Los Angeles is undergoing its largest construction boom in modern times an explosion juiced by foreign investment thats adding thousands of residences, construction jobs and a multitude of shops and restaurants. But unlike past booms, this one is about residential and retail, not corporate offices. Since 2010, 42 developments of at least 50,000 square feet have been built. An additional 37 large projects are under construction. Los Angeles Times Goodwill prevails Latinos have surpassed whites as the largest group in California. But Siskiyou County, like other sparsely populated and mostly rural parts of the state, is mostly white, with a strong conservative streak. Trump won about 55% of the vote in Siskiyou County, yet many Latinos who live in far northern California dont feel much alienation and find the political divides are not such a big deal. Los Angeles Times Storm watch The worst of a series of powerful storms moved through California on Sunday, dumping a lot of rain and snow and causing flooding along many Northern California rivers. Were not done yet. More rain is coming to Northern and Southern California in the days ahead. Los Angeles Times Plus: How do they try to prevent deadly avalanches in Mammoth? By using a vintage howitzer, of course. Los Angeles Times And the winner was... The Golden Globes helped clarify the Oscar race, or at least thats what the pundits think. Heres our complete coverage. Los Angeles Times L.A. STORIES Fight back: Can you really evict 90-somethings including some Holocaust survivors from their old-age home in Westwood? Steve Lopez joins the Old Lives Matter movement. Los Angeles Times Op-ed: How L.A. became the bad jobs capital of the United States and how it might be able to do better. Los Angeles Times First person: She got swept up in the California gay marriage boom. Now this Los Angeles woman regrets it. New York Times Most expensive? By this measure, Santa Monica had higher average rents for a one-bedroom apartment than San Francisco or New York in November. LAist POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT Red-blooded: It might seem like a tall order in blue California, but GOP activists are trying to turn the energy that propelled Donald Trump to the White House into gains for Republicans here. If we can get Donald J. Trump to be president of the United States, certainly we can get Californians registered to be Republicans. Los Angeles Times Capital crimes: California voters in November legalized marijuana, approved a plan to reduce the prison population and enacted gun controls. But on one key issue the death penalty the liberal tide shifted. Voters rejected a measure to ban capital punishment and instead approved an initiative intended to hasten executions. Los Angeles Times Border closed: Continuing unrest over gasoline price increases in Mexico flared up at the Tijuana border crossing Saturday night as a large protest prompted U.S. authorities to block access into Mexico from San Ysidro for nearly four hours. Los Angeles Times CRIME AND COURTS Mall fights: A series of fights staged by dozens of teenagers outside the Westfield Culver City mall Saturday evening sparked panic among patrons at the shopping center and prompted a social media frenzy. Los Angeles Times Partys over: This party bus ended up getting involved in a robbery, and police detained 80 onboard. Orange County Register Drive-by shooting at vigil: Police are trying to figure out whats behind a violent weekend in Pasadena. San Gabriel Valley Tribune CALIFORNIA CULTURE Culture clash: Has Hollywood lost touch with America? An extensive examination by Times critics and arts writers about culture in the Trump era. Los Angeles Times Uncalled for? The great debate over a scathing New York Times review of Roy Chois Locol restaurants, meant to bring quality food to low-income neighborhoods, raises a larger question: Are some eateries unreviewable? Los Angeles Times Unintended consequences: Across California, companies reliant on Chinese factories and suppliers are mulling over what it means if the incoming Trump administration makes good on threats to slap new tariffs on Chinese goods. The president-elect and his surrogates have floated the idea of import taxes as high as 45% and as low as 5% to punish China for undervaluing its currency, a charge many economists say is outdated. Los Angeles Times Playbook: Looking at the numbers as the Chargers must decide soon whether to come to L.A. or stay in San Diego. San Diego Union-Tribune CALIFORNIA ALAMANC Los Angeles area: Scattered showers with highs in the mid-60s. San Diego: Rain with highs in the low 60s. San Francisco area: Showers with highs in the mid-50s. Sacramento: Scattered showers with highs in the mid- to low 50s. AND FINALLY Todays California memory comes from Wayne Warner: My first visit to California came when I crossed the border the California-Oregon border. And it came courtesy of taxpayers during the Korean War. At Fort Ord we soon learned that we were in a deadly war, and we trained hard, double-timed and marched all over the base. Every day we looked at newspapers as nations discussed a truce while men and women continued to die. Fortunately for us, but not for many others, warring nations signed the truce a week before we finished basic. I enjoyed my four months in California everything, that is, outside Fort Ords imposing gates. If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.) Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Shelby Grad. Over the past three years, the Obama administration has struggled to change a culture of violence and impunity within the U.S. Border Patrol a culture that has tolerated excessive force against suspected border crossers, including unnecessary lethal shootings. To its credit, the government has forced some improvements in both transparency and accountability, as well as reductions in the use of force, under Customs and Border Protection Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowske, though the agency continues to face dogged problems with bribery and other underhanded actions by some of the agents. Whether the Border Patrol will continue to improve under the Trump administration is an open question. Kerlikowske is retiring and President-elect Donald J. Trump has not yet nominated a successor. Mark Morgan took over as chief of the Border Patrol, answering to Kerlikowske, in October, the first outsider to be put in charge of the agency. A former assistant director of the FBI and military veteran (and one-time Los Angeles police officer), Morgan was brought in to the Border Patrol two years ago to revamp its troubled internal affairs department. His appointment as chief signals the seriousness with which the Obama administration is trying to force changes by challenging the institutional culture. But Morgan will now be working for Trump, whose harsh anti-immigrant rhetoric during the campaign is well known and who has vowed to take dramatic steps (such as building an enormous wall along the Mexican border) to keep immigrants from entering the country without authorization. Despite getting little support from organized labor generally, Trump received a rare early endorsement in the primaries from the union representing border patrol agents, which has been critical of the Obama administrations reform efforts and has accused it of seeking to demoralize Border Patrol agents and to dismantle immigration enforcement. In accepting the unions endorsement, Trump didnt emphasize the reforms that need to be made, but merely vowed to provide the agency with the resources, tools and support they need to protect the United States and stop the influx of drugs, gangs and cartel violence. Given that, there is reason to fear backsliding. Advertisement Civil liberties advocates who monitor some of the agencys highway checkpoints say racial profiling and other abuses are regular occurrences. The Border Patrol has more than 21,000 employees, making it one of the largest police agencies in the country. Its part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, which is one of seven sister agencies under the Department of Homeland Security. Trumps nominee to run Homeland Security, retired Gen. John Kelly, will have ultimate authority over immigration enforcement (Immigration and Customs Enforcement, whose agents union also endorsed Trump, is part of Homeland Security, too). Kellys entire career has been in the military, and his public comments about border security reveal a hard-line attitude framed more by fear of terrorist infiltration than illegal immigration. Though Kelly doesnt necessarily share Trumps anti-Muslim sentiments Kelly once said that U.S. troops respect and even fight for the right of your neighbor to venerate any God he or she damn well pleases he has dismissed complaints about the savage treatment of Guantanamo detainees. Members of the Senate need to plumb those attitudes during Kellys confirmation hearing. They should also ask themselves whether a career military officer is the right fit to run a sprawling agency with a history of civil liberties abuses. When most people think of border enforcement, they think of, well, the border, and forget that the Border Patrol often ranges as far as 100 miles from the border to enforce immigration laws. Civil liberties advocates who monitor some of the agencys highway checkpoints say racial profiling and other abuses are regular occurrences. But the government has so far failed to collect and analyze data on stops, so the extent of the problem is unknown. And it has not carried through with promises to outfit agents with body cameras. When municipal police departments exhibit patterns of abuse, or bureaucratic cultures indifferent or hostile to basic civil liberties, the federal Department of Justice often gets involved, and sometimes as in the case of the Los Angeles Police Department after the Rampart scandal forces reforms. But there is no such backstop for the Border Patrol. Despite scathing administrative reviews and independent reports, changes have been slow and insufficient. So heres another challenge for the Trump administration: securing borders and enforcing immigration and customs laws without adopting a militarized outlook or violating basic civil rights and civil liberties. We hope Trump, Kelly and whoever replaces Kerlikowske will rise to that important task. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook Republicans opposed the Department of Education from its beginning and regularly threaten to abolish it now, arguing that educational policy should be reserved to the states. Two respected Democrats also objected to the departments creation almost 40 years ago. New York Sen. Daniel Moynihan warned that it would become a partisan sword. New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm worried about divorcing education from other policy areas vital to student success, such as making sure they had decent housing and enough to eat. History has proved the critics right. Its time for the department to be dismantled. It has done some good, especially in pointing out education inequity. But more often it has served political, not educational, interests. In fact, the Department of Education was created by President Carter in part as a gift to the National Education Assn., for the unions early support of his candidacy. Politics was the departments original sin, and that reality has gotten only worse. Advertisement Although President Reagan opposed the departments existence, he recognized its political utility. His secretary of Education, William J. Bennett, used the influence of the office as a weapon in the culture wars by promoting traditional curriculums. Betsy DeVos, President-elect Trumps choice for secretary, is likely to continue its politicization. She has a track record of advancing school vouchers and charter schools. It seems probable that she will advocate for a privatization agenda, no matter the views of local communities. School boards in towns and cities are less ideological and more pragmatic than politicians in Washington. This politicization of education is most clearly evident in the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act and the departments enforcement of its provisions. This measure a signature part of President George W. Bushs legacy, with an assist from Sen. Edward Kennedy required the restructuring and potentially the closing of an entire school if all its students in specific subgroups (for example, minority, economically disadvantaged, or special ed students) did not achieve proficiency on reading and math tests. It rejected the idea that poverty, students home lives or other factors outside the schoolhouse might contribute to low achievement. Such suggestions were just excuses for bad teaching. Of course, effective teachers, good reading and math skills, and periodic student assessments are important. But the No Child Left Behind Act had obvious failings. Universal proficiency was simply an impossible, utopian mandate. And it was a fiction that students life circumstances had no effect on their learning. Rather than admit the impossibility of proficiency for all students, the Education Department took a hard line. Secretary Rod Paige declared that his oath of office required him to enforce the law. A few months after No Child Left Behind passed, he named 8,600 schools that failed to meet the laws requirements. Unless they improved, the department would sanction them. In the face of these threats, districts slashed budgets in nontested subjects, like art and music, and students sat for exam after exam in math and reading. The departments approach changed only marginally under President Obama. Initially, Obamas secretary, Arne Duncan, continued the departments relentless enforcement of the laws punitive provisions. But as local educators complaints intensified and student achievement stalled, Duncan finally admitted in 2011 10 years after its passage that No Child Left Behind was a slow motion train-wreck and granted waivers to states to avoid the laws full force. However, policies such as the incentive grants in the Race to the Top program still emphasized education outcomes measured by tests, the pillar of NCLB. When Congress reauthorized No Child Left Behind in 2015, the law was renamed but the focus remained on testing. To be fair, the Department of Education didnt initiate or write the legislation. But it did bring the full weight of the federal government against states and local school boards. No Child Left Behind erroneously presumed that Congress and the department not local education agencies understood how best to address schooling for high-needs learners. Its the locals, however, who have real advantages in helping such students. School boards in towns and cities are less ideological and more pragmatic than politicians in Washington. They see students in personal and concrete terms. They have to work with classroom teachers, local administrators and community leaders as partners. Because they are less wedded to a political dogma, they respond more quickly when a policy isnt working for kids. Washington has a role to play in education. The federal government alone is positioned to prevent local control from becoming a pretext for discrimination. It also must maintain funding to schools and colleges. But a separate executive branch department isnt necessary to those functions. The essential tasks can be shifted to Health and Human Services and the Justice Department. After 40 years of top-down, politically tinged intrusion, its possible to imagine a more collaborative, less rigid relationship between our schools and the national government. Abolishing the Education Department is a good place to start. Bruce Meredith is former general counsel to the NEA-affiliated Wisconsin Education Assn. Council. Mark Paige, an assistant professor of public policy at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in law and education. Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: President-elect Donald Trump has already managed to seriously undermine our national security. Before availing himself of full security briefings, he not only questioned the conclusions of our intelligence agencies on Russian meddling in the presidential campaign, he also publicly mocked the agencies. This undermines their credibility and effectiveness, eroding the safety of all Americans. (Trump hurts himself and the nation by trashing the intelligence community, editorial, Jan. 5) Why would Trump do this? It seems clear that there are only two possible reasons: One is that he doesnt want to jeopardize his business relationships in Russia (and since he has been so secretive regarding his tax returns and business relationships, this possibility cannot be discounted). The second (and more disturbing) reason could simply relate to Trumps personal insecurity. Its reasonable to believe that Trumps attacks on our intelligence establishment are simply a result of the suggestion being made that Russian hacking may have influenced the results of the 2016 election in his favor. A president whose personal business dealings or fragile ego jeopardize the safety of Americans is not fit to hold office. Advertisement Matthew Singerman, Newbury Park .. To the editor: It appears not only that Trump tried to ignore our intelligence agencies, but according to recent reports, he also plans to make cuts to many of them as well. Those of us who have worked for the federal government know what an action like that will mean. The most knowledgeable and experienced long-term employees will retire, leaving an employee base that is dedicated but less able to interpret the threats to our country and the world. It is extremely frightening to those of us who have lived through world wars and terrorism to know that the next president wants to slim down the federal agencies that work to keep us safe. These agencies allow the government to know what dangerous activities are going on. How on Earth can Trump even consider such a thing? Our nation is not made safer when leaders close their eyes to the reality of terrorism and other threats. The sad thing is that if a terror attack happens again in our nation, Trump (after cutting back) will probably blame these agencies for not seeing in advance that something like that might happen. Carol Smith, Cerritos .. To the editor: Trumps comments regarding the assessment of Russias involvement in computer hacking offer an opportunity for journalists to provide context to Trumps reference to faulty intelligence that lead to the U.S. invasion of Iraq and his attempt to use that as an excuse to disregard recent reports on Russias actions. In fact, it has been shown that the Bush administration especially Vice President Dick Che- ney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Secretary of State Colin Powell cherry-picked intelligence to make the case for invading Iraq. Sadly, Trump has chosen to side with Russian President Vladimir Putins and WikiLeaks founder Julian Assanges versions of the truth and suggested that the intelligence community is against him. We should pray that career employees in the security agencies, though mocked and ridiculed by Trump, will continue to do their work as professionals. We must have a strong free press (this appears to really annoy the president-elect) to provide critical information when Trump attempts to dumb down complex issues. Dane Tovey, San Diego Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook To the editor: When the California Supreme Court struck down the death penalty in 1972 on constitutional grounds, it committed the colossal and to this day unexplained blunder of commuting all death sentences to life with possibility of parole. (Why members of the Manson family still dont deserve parole after murdering my sister, Opinion, Jan. 4) The unanimous juries that sentenced the Manson family members to death for the murders at the Tate and LaBianca households intended that none of these defendants ever leave prison alive. The court should have respected this due process of law in its ruling by commuting all existing death sentences to life in prison without parole. The fact that a majority of the justices failed to do so has led to a long-running travesty of justice which has subjected the victims families to the ongoing pain and distress caused whenever one of these vicious killers is once again considered for release from prison. If the Board of Parole Hearings is incapable of acting correctly on any Manson family member, lets hope that Gov. Jerry Brown will continue to judiciously overrule it. Advertisement Marcia Goodman, Long Beach .. To the editor: So another former follower of Charles Manson seeks parole. Again. And again the rest of us need to pay lots of money to keep attorneys in business and make sure she is not released into the public. I am not a fan of the death penalty, but if thats what it would take to get this whole Manson thing off my agenda, sign me up as a supporter. I am one California taxpayer who is sick and tired of this whole Parole the Manson Family Member du Jour thing. If I am ever talked into butchering another person and mutilating him or her with a fork, as Patricia Krenwinkel did in 1969, please subject me to the death penalty and spare the rest of humanity having to deal with my parole requests. Mass murderers dont deserve the publicity, let alone the sympathy. Bob Warnock, Eagle Rock Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook When federal prosecutors came to San Diego for conferences in the 1980s, the U.S. attorney there, Peter Nunez, would invite them to the border to survey the chaotic conditions. No fences, few lights, no cameras. Thousands of illegal aliens coming across the border, he recalled last week. One person who went along, he said, was Jeff Sessions, then U.S. attorney for the southern district of Alabama. The two men bonded over a shared belief that too many people were immigrating to America whether they jumped the border or entered legally. Advertisement Eventually, Nunez became board chairman of the Center for Immigration Studies, a think tank that pushes for strict curbs on immigration. Sessions went on to be elected senator from Alabama and will sit Tuesday for the start of his two-day Senate confirmation hearing as President-elect Donald Trumps choice to be attorney general. Already well known as the Senates fiercest opponent of immigration, Sessions holds views shaped in part as he forged close ties over several decades to the Center for Immigration Studies and two other groups with similar agendas, NumbersUSA and the Federation for American Immigration Reform. With Sessions poised to be an influential voice on immigration policy in the Trump administration, these formerly fringe groups have their best chance yet to see Washington policy turn decisively in their direction. Hes going to do great, Trump said Monday of Sessions, dismissing any possible concerns over his confirmation. High-quality man. Roy Beck, president of NumbersUSA, which organizes grass-roots opposition to pro-immigration measures, said he recognized a kindred spirit in Sessions when he first visited him in his Senate office in the 1990s. Youre always looking for the people who understand that legal immigration has to be kept down, Beck said, adding that Sessions immediately agreed with Numbers argument that more immigrants hurt American workers. Hes kept that flame alive. We now have the chief cheerleader for [that viewpoint] as attorney general. The organizations have pushed for uncompromising enforcement, and oppose attempts to provide legal status for people in the U.S. illegally. Their ultimate goal, though, is not just to lock down the border, but to dramatically reduce the numbers of immigrants coming to the U.S. Sessions plunged into his crucial role in the movement when he helped lead the opposition to the 2007 immigration reform bill supported by former President George W. Bush, which ultimately failed in the Senate. No one played a more important and public role in defeating it, the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which presented Sessions with an award for his work against the legislation, wrote in its newsletter. Like a grand master chess player, Sessions devised strategy after strategy to block, thwart, delay and ultimately defeat the bill. Since then, Sessions has visited the federations annual Hold Their Feet to the Fire meeting that rallies conservative activists to oppose immigration. In 2013, Sessions worked again to derail another bill to reform the immigration system. A lawyer for the Center for Immigration Studies went to work for him on the Senate Judiciary Committee, where Sessions ran the immigration subcommittee, on rallying opposition to the measure; it passed the Senate but never came up for a vote in the House. We were the spearhead of work during that legislation, said the attorney, Janice Kephart, adding that Sessions was extremely demanding in insisting that staff analyze the entire 1,700-page bill. The thing for him on lower immigration really has to do with keeping jobs in America. He did stand out in ways that ticked off his fellow Republicans at times. In fighting against the two bills, many Republicans talked about the rule of law and securing borders. But few went as far as Sessions, who adopted the populist arguments of the restrictionist groups, saying that pro-immigration business interests were selling out unskilled American workers. He also sided with the groups after Republican leaders wrote a report examining the GOPs 2012 presidential election loss and argued that the party was doomed unless it embraced immigration reform and increased the partys standing with Latinos. Sessions spoke out on behalf of people who opposed immigration as a threat to their way of living, a precursor to Trumps campaign. This election was lost because millions of dutiful Americans didnt think we cared enough about people like them, Sessions said in a 2013 speech to a far-right group, the David Horowitz Freedom Center. Is it going to help their children find a job if we legalize 10 million people? I dont think so. The Chamber of Commerce isnt very concerned about that. Little economic evidence exists showing that more immigration pushes down wages or cost Americans jobs, according advocates for a path to citizenship for people in the U.S. illegally. They say those views are often a smokescreen to conceal a racially driven anti-immigrant agenda. All three groups trace their heritage in part to John Tanton, a Michigan ophthalmologist and population control advocate who sought to create a network of policy organizations to push the cause of immigration restriction. Tanton, who is still listed on the Federation for American Immigration Reforms board of advisors, also wrote about the threat immigrants posed to the European American majority values. Group representatives say the charge of racism is a canard to distract from a debate about proper immigration levels. The Center for Immigration Studies no longer has anything to do with Tanton or white supremacists, said Mark Krikorian, its executive director. He had a tin ear and no real familiarity with how this issue rankles some people, Krikorian said of Tanton. Hes their hate figure and has given them some ammunition for it. Beck has said NumbersUSA has not had ties to Tanton since 2002. The Senate should hold Sessions accountable for his long alliance with the anti-immigration groups, Lynn Tramonte of Americas Voice, a group that advocates for a path to citizenship for immigrants here illegally, said in an email. Americans deserve to have a a full and public airing of Sessions relationship with extremist organizations as part of this process. As attorney general, Sessions would have a great deal of influence over immigration issues. Immigration courts would be under his control, and he could instruct prosecutors to file more charges against border crossers and press so-called sanctuary cities to end policies of refusing to cooperate with federal immigration law enforcement. Sessions allies in the immigration control groups are hoping that he goes further, including measures that are likely to make more pro-business Republicans squirm. Beck said he would like to see Sessions ramp up prosecutions of company owners who hire immigrants in the U.S. illegally. He knows that if these businesses were not hiring an illegal labor force, we would not have hardly any illegal immigration, Beck said. Sessions, as well as Trump, has joined the groups in arguing against birthright citizenship and what they call chain migration, in which one family member sponsors others to come to the U.S. Questioning of birthright citizenship, which was granted by the 14th Amendment, alarms civil rights lawyers. His legal views on civil rights and immigration law are reactionary, said Joanne Lin, senior legal counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union, adding that the attorney generals job is to interpret and enforce the Constitution. It would seek to overturn 150 years of constitutional history and move the country back to the time of the Civil War. For immigrant advocates, the larger question is how much influence Sessions will wield in the new Trump administration. Sessions endorsed Trump early and helped shape Trumps own anti-free trade, build-a-wall message that helped him win over working-class voters in states that have suffered from lost manufacturing jobs. Stephen Miller, a longtime Sessions aide who worked on the senators immigration initiatives, joined the Trump campaign early last year and will be a senior advisor to Trump. The restrictionists were also cheered when Andrew Puzder, Trumps pro-immigration nominee for Labor secretary, said he would support Trumps agenda. But Trump has proved willing to ignore even his closest advisors when it suits him, and Sessions support might not be enough to cement anti-immigration groups views into policy. It will be interesting to see just what the administration does to accommodate these people, said Liz Mair, a Republican consultant who has worked on immigration reform. I just dont know that Trump sees the world the same way they do. joseph.tanfani@latimes.com Twitter: @jtanfani ALSO: The tweet speaks for itself could become a Trump administration motto U.S. intelligence report doesnt say whether Russian hacking helped elect Donald Trump 7 things you need to know about the future of Obamacare UPDATES: 2:45 p.m.: This story was updated with comment from Trump and from an immigration advocate. This story was originally published at 1:05 p.m. A UCLA law professor urged the Supreme Court on Monday to rule that the Constitution requires the government to refund fines and fees paid by people whose criminal convictions are reversed. People who are freed are entitled to get their money back, Professor Stuart Banner told the court. It is, he said, a matter of common sense and long legal tradition. In his legal brief, he called it a proposition almost too obvious to need stating. But it has not always been a winner in state courts. Trumps victory assures a conservative majority on the Supreme Court. Advertisement Banner and UCLAs Supreme Court Clinic appealed on behalf of Shannon Nelson, a Colorado woman who paid $702 in fees and restitution after she was convicted of abusing her children. But when her conviction was reversed and she was acquitted in a retrial, Colorado officials refused to refund the money. The UCLA clinic raised the issue in an appeal last year and said Colorado was the only state to enforce such a rigid rule. The justices voted to hear the case of Nelson vs. Colorado and to rule on the Constitutions requirement for due process of law and fair treatment of people whose convictions are reversed. During Mondays argument, most of the justices voiced skepticism over Colorados claim that the state may keep money taken from criminal defendants who have been exonerated. Whose money is it?, Justice Elena Kagan asked Colorado Solicitor General Frederick Yarger. For the 4th time, the Electoral College picks the loser of the popular vote. This is the states money, he said. It is property obtained pursuant to a conviction. But that conviction was overturned, she said. So why is this states money? The other justices sounded surprised at the state lawyers unyielding claim. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wondered if the state could impose a $10,000 fine on every person who was convicted of a crime and keep the money if the convictions were later reversed. Yes, Yarger said. Justice Stephen G. Breyer, smiling in disbelief, said you have a tough side of this argument. It doesnt seem very fair. It would mean a corporation that was fined several million dollars for an offense would not be able to get its money back even if it won an appeal reversing the conviction. Now theres something wrong with that, Breyer said. The Colorado state judges said exonerated defendants could sue the state to obtain a refund of the fines and fees, but they would have to prove their innocence. None of the justices showed interest in that option. While the eight justices have often sounded evenly split in recent months, they sounded in agreement on Monday. The court will hand down an opinion in the case in a month or two. The case highlights the growing trend of law schools and their student clinics of finding and appealing issues to the high court that involve large legal principles but small amounts of money. Last year, the UCLA clinic won a 1st Amendment ruling on a behalf of a New Jersey police detective who was demoted after he was seen a carrying a campaign sign for a political rival of the police chief. Stanfords Supreme Court clinic, which has led the way, has worked on more than two dozen criminal cases before the high court in the past decade. It has also won several landmark victories, including a 2014 ruling in Riley vs. California in which the justices ruled the police may not seize and examine the contents of smartphones without obtaining a search warrant. In these cases, law students do the legal research and help with drafting the briefs. On Wednesday, Stanford law professor Jeff Fisher will argue a major special education case on behalf of a Colorado couple and their autistic child. They say the federal civil rights law for children with disabilities requires schools to offer more than a minimally adequate education program. david.savage@latimes.com On Twitter: DavidGSavage ALSO: Supreme Court grants emergency order to block transgender male student in Virginia from using boys restroom Can Trump put another Justice Scalia on the Supreme Court? UPDATES: 12:30 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details of the arguments in the case. 8:55 a.m.: This article was updated with the end of oral arguments. This article was originally published at 7:25 a.m. (Xinhua) 20:08, January 09, 2017 Top political advisor Yu Zhengshengon Monday urged Taiwan's social organizations to oppose Taiwan independence and help integrate the two sides across Taiwan Strait. Yu, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), made the remarks when meeting with delegates to a forum attended by social organizations of Taiwan compatriots. Yu said cross-Strait ties are facing a serious challenge as the Taiwan authority refuses to recognize the 1992 Consensus. He urged social organizations of Taiwan compatriots to safeguard the 1992 Consensus, the political foundation for peaceful cross-Strait development, and resolutely oppose Taiwan independence in any form. The top political advisor also called for promoting the economic and social integration of the two sides. Yu welcomed more Taiwan youngsters to the Chinese mainland for exchanges to deepen their understanding of the mainland. On an afternoon in mid-December, Rob Pyers notices something amiss. Its months after the grueling 2016 election, a quiet time when consultants and candidates are taking long-deferred vacations. But that matters little to Pyers, who sees that hundreds of rows of federal campaign contributions hes carefully culled and coded have gone missing from the website of the California Target Book, the subscriber-based election guide he helps run. After 10 minutes of furious typing, Pyers is visibly relieved hes fixed the database. Three years ago, Pyers was as far away from politics as one could imagine: a listless college dropout whod been laid off from his job, eating cheap and binge-watching Netflix to pass the time. Advertisement Today, from his one-bedroom apartment in West Hollywood, Pyers, 41, anchors the Target Book, one of the most trusted compendiums on state politics. For years, the publication has helped several hundred subscribers mostly political consultants and party insiders who can afford its $2,700 price tag for a two-year subscription identify the hottest legislative and congressional races to focus on. The guide uses publicly available information to provide an at-a-glance analysis of each districts demographics, a rundown of the candidates competing in political races and data on voter registration and past election results. Despite Pyers distaste for many aspects of the Sacramento political orbit, his work on the book has quickly made him the ultimate insider in the often-opaque world of campaign finance. His passion for organizing massive amounts of data has transformed the publication and made his Twitter feed a go-to resource for some of Sacramentos top operatives. Its a transformation even he can hardly believe. If you would have put everything Ive done in the past 18 months in front of me back then, he says, I would have thought you were on crack or something. SIGN UP for our free Essential Politics newsletter >> Pyers got to Hollywood the same way so many have before him: in a car stuffed full of his belongings and the hopes of making it big. In early 2003 harboring dreams of becoming a screenwriter he drove as far as Interstate 10 would take him, from Jacksonville, Fla., to Santa Monica. By 2011, constant rejection had withered those dreams, and Pyers was stuck at the same job at Walgreens hed taken eight years earlier to pay the bills. It wouldnt be long before he was laid off. It was around then that he met Allan Hoffenblum, the longtime publisher of the Target Book and a fixture in West Hollywood social circles through which Pyers had made most of his friends. Hoffenblum was one of the few conservatives he knew in the community, something he and Pyers bonded over. It was just very easy to get along with him, even if you completely disagreed with him on something, Pyers said of Hoffenblum. When Pyers was living off a dwindling severance two years ago, Hoffenblum asked him for help redesigning his personal website. It had been decades since his last computer programming class, but after weeks of frustration and toil, Pyers finished the job. A couple of months later, Hoffenblum asked Pyers to help with proofreading and research for the Target Book. When Hoffenblum complained about how time-consuming it was to track down campaign finance data, Pyers looked for ways to automate the process with computer code. He watched hours of online tutorials, took a couple of basic seminars and found himself in an obsessive trial-and-error loop for weeks. I think one of my great talents is being able to Google error messages, Pyers said. During the height of campaign season, Rob Pyers toiled 19-hour days, fueled by Coca-Cola and Red Bull. Many Sacramento political insiders have taken notice of his work. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times ) By June, hed published his first data project on the books website. By September, he was getting an automated alert every time someone filed a new candidate committee or when a major campaign contribution came in. Hoffenblum chimed in with tips on how to make the new features more user-friendly and taught Pyers how to use Twitter. But the next month, Pyers showed up to his mentors condo for a meeting and found that hed died in his sleep. Hoffenblum, who had effectively run the Target Book virtually as a one-man show for 23 years, willed it to Darry Sragow, a friend and co-editor who had promised to carry it on. But the question remained: Would subscribers remain loyal to a Target Book without Hoffenblum at the helm? Even if they did, Sragow wondered, who would do the work? Well, there was Rob Pyers, standing right there, said Sragow, who first met Pyers at his friends memorial. It really was providence. With the election fast approaching and subscribers counting on the book to handicap legislative and congressional races statewide, Pyers got to work. He wrote candidate profiles and updated voter registration data for each of the 120 legislative districts and 53 congressional districts in California, while Sragow and co-editor Tony Quinn edited his work. He also continued to add to the list of online campaign finance data tools tracking the flow of state campaign money. It was like trying to fix an engine on an airplane while youre mid-flight, Pyers said. He was terrified, he recalled, but also engrossed. It gave me something to drive toward, to make better, to channel all my energy into, he said. In a year, hes added charts to track top spending by outside groups and state parties, and features that show top donors in the intricate web of political action committees, information that would usually take hours of work to find. On Twitter, where Pyers describes himself as 95 lbs. of concentrated tech geek, hes often the first to break news on new candidate filings or large sums of money dropped into a race by outside groups. Data has become an increasingly key part of running any political campaign, and that struck me as a way to remain relevant, Pyers said of his digital approach to the Target Book, which has traditionally published its print edition three times a year. During the height of campaign season, Pyers worked 19-hour days, fueled by Coca-Cola and four-packs of Red Bull. A wet bar in the corner of his living room gathered dust, and more than a year passed without him attending a party or concert with friends. Data has become an increasingly key part of running any political campaign, and that struck me as a way to remain relevant. Rob Pyers, research director for the California Target Book But many in the Sacramento political establishment began to take notice. I started seeing his stuff on Twitter over and over again, with information that was relevant and timely. I thought to myself, How does this guy know that? said Matt Rexroad, a Republican political consultant who relied heavily on Pyers updates during the election season. Pyers has also become a source for political reporters, answering inquiries on the most expensive campaigns and the millions of dollars poured into local soda taxes. His analyses and constant flow of updates on Twitter helped the Capitol press corps assess the ever-shifting landscape of political spending in a record-breaking year. Thats a game-changer, said Laurel Rosenhall, a reporter for the nonprofit news outlet CalMatters, who often called Pyers for a birds-eye perspective on money in the election. Rosenhall, who for years tracked money and influence in state politics for the Sacramento Bee, used to keep her own spreadsheets for races she was following, updating contribution totals manually as reports rolled in. Thats fine if youre responsible for covering a couple legislative races, she said. But if youre sitting in Sacramento trying to assess the landscape of 100 legislative races going on, thats just not feasible. Though Pyers says that having a virtual monopoly on this information is good for business, he thinks the states campaign finance disclosure systems could be greatly improved. A system designed by a guy working out of his apartment shouldnt be able to compete with that, he said. A self-described Libertarian with conservative leanings, Pyers believes in lifting all limits on campaign contributions and requiring immediate disclosure. Philosophical questions aside, the current system is keeping him busy and employed. He has grand designs for the Target Book: adding more robust coverage of ballot measure campaigns, redesigning the aging website and eventually covering congressional campaigns in other states. He says he cant see himself leaving the work any time soon. Pyers, who calls himself an introvert, is still getting used to the often-clubby world of Sacramento operatives and politicians. The Sacramento cocktail circuit strikes me as one of my own personal versions of hell, he said. But after the election, he met up with Rexroad in Hollywood, gleefully trading campaign post-mortems over coffee. Slowly coming into this and meeting people and getting new data and perspectives, Pyers said, its a learning experience and one that Ive enjoyed. christine.maiduc@latimes.com For more on California politics, follow @cmaiduc. ALSO Orange Countys new homegrown congressman plans to bring an immigrants perspective to Washington Whos in and whos out in the race to replace Rep. Xavier Becerra in Congress After 24 years working together, Feinstein and Boxer say goodbye to their Thelma and Louise partnership Updates on California politics UPDATES: 7:25 p.m.: This article was updated to provide additional details about the California Target Books services. This article was originally posted at 12:05 a.m. Before they were machines based on silicon, computers were actually women though their colleagues would often refer to them as girls. The film Hidden Figures, which opened to wide release Friday and picked up two Golden Globe nominations, tells the story of three black computers who dealt with segregation in the Jim Crow South even as they helped NASA hold its own in the Cold War-fueled space race. Inspired by a book on the lives of these women, the movie centers around Katherine G. Johnson, a NASA mathematician from the racially segregated West Computing group at NASAs Langley Research Center in Virginia. Johnson (portrayed by Taraji P. Henson) played key roles in the flights of astronauts Alan Shepard, the first American in space, and John Glenn, the first American to orbit the Earth. Advertisement Johnson, now 98, received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2015. She answered questions from The Times on her life, the film and her love of numbers. What was it like to work alongside white colleagues while still living in a segregated community in Virginia? We always did what we had to do. When you first started as a computer, did you ever think you would help get the first American, John Glenn, into orbit? No, I was just excited to have challenging work to do and smart people to work with. At the time, did you think about the fact that you, Dorothy Vaughan and the other West Computing women were pushing the boundaries of what it meant to be a mathematician, a scientist or an engineer? We did what we were asked to do to the best of our ability. What was it that drew you to mathematics? Numbers. What were your favorite challenges to work on? Solving the most difficult problems. What was it like to work with NASA engineers, particularly in these high-pressure situations? Exciting. I liked working with smart people. Did you ever have to go toe-to-toe with them over the numbers? After a while, they learned to respect my answers because they were always correct. What did you think about the movie? It was well-done. The three leading ladies did an excellent job portraying us. In the movie, your character is forced to run back and forth to West Computing to use the bathroom. But according to the book, you actually ignored the prohibitions and used the white womens bathroom anyway and it sounds like no one stopped you. Is there a lesson to be learned in the way you dealt with that particular barrier? What were we supposed to do? We learned to pick our battles for the greater good. You did more than calculations in the film, you created new math to go from an elliptical to a parabolic orbit. Did you think of it as cutting-edge math at the time? It was pure math. It was the solution to the problem. That was what we did. Thats why they needed mathematicians. Theres this lovely part in the movie in which your character turns to old math Eulers method to figure out how to get John Glenn back down from orbit. Did that really happen? It seemed logical to me. I could see in my mind what I needed and sort of worked backwards. Did you ever have to fight to have authorship or co-authorship of a report? The movie and book were pretty accurate. Women (girls, aka mathematicians) did not have their names included as authors on technical paper in the early days. Did you meet John Glenn and the other Mercury Seven astronauts? Was Glenn as charming as he seemed in the movie? We did not see them much. I understand they were very friendly and approachable in their communities in Hampton (grocery stores, church, ballgames and the like). At the time, did you know that John Glenn asked for the girl (which would be you) to check the numbers before he took his landmark flight into space? Did it heighten the stakes for you? I knew they asked me to check the numbers. That was what I did. They knew my record for accuracy. I knew and had confidence in my math, so I did it. I always did my best. In the book, you heap loads of praise on Dorothy Vaughan and your fellow colleagues. Are there any other unsung heroes of the space race who you feel could be featured in their own movie? Dr. Christine M. Darden is the first person that comes to mind. We all provided valuable input to the process. There were many remarkable women there. Why do you think that relatively few people knew about the remarkable work that you, Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson and others did for the space program until recently? The work was secret and the public knew only that which was reported from NASA. Do you have any thoughts on how to get more women and people of color into math, science and engineering? Go see Hidden Figures, and take a young person! It will give a more positive outlook on what is possible if you work hard, do your best and are prepared. Do you have any advice for young women and people of color today who want to pursue a STEM career? Just do it. Take all the courses in your curriculum. Do the research. Ask questions. Find someone doing what you are interested in! Be curious! This interview was edited for length and clarity. amina.khan@latimes.com Follow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook. MORE IN SCIENCE Hidden Figures may feature NASAs history, but it resonates in the present How much rain did we get? Ask the iRain app, created at UC Irvine Science explains why humans may never see the world through a hummingbirds eyes Police pulled 80 people off a party bus cruising down Pacific Coast Highway in Huntington Beach on Saturday night and arrested two men who they suspect were involved in a robbery at 7-Eleven. Huntington Beach police received a call shortly after 11 p.m. about a large group of people who went into a 7-Eleven at 706 Pacific Coast Hwy. and allegedly stole items from the store and assaulted the clerk, authorities said. The group then got into a party bus and headed north on the highway, the caller told police. Soon after getting the call, police pulled over a party bus on the highway near the 7-Eleven. Investigators questioned all 80 people aboard and found seven loaded handguns on the bus, authorities said. Officers arrested Isiah Bryant, 21, a Los Angeles resident, and Wynzel Worthan, 18, a Compton resident, on suspicion of robbery. Everyone else on the bus was released. Soumya Karlamangla writes for the Los Angeles Times. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN A great deal of time and energy have been expended analyzing all the events and forces in education in 2016. But now its time to look ahead. So in keeping with my annual tradition, I will summarize some of the education issues that promise to figure most prominently in 2017. Some of these are trends that have been with us for a while and will continue to push the discussion on education. Others are emerging trends that will foster heated debate over how to address them going forward. All are playing out against a shifting national landscape and philosophical disagreements regarding the true purpose of education and how best to realize our visions. On the agenda this year: Common Core versus competition President-elect Donald Trump has called the Common Core standards a disaster. Look for a shift in priorities at the federal level, led by his pick for Education secretary, Betsy DeVos. The former Michigan Republican Party chairwoman is a staunch advocate of school vouchers and choice, which allow families to use public funds for private schools. She also supports the spread of charter schools. Even so, the changes in education that DeVos is expected to champion dont necessarily mean that Common Core is doomed. In large measure, thats because there is no federal Common Core law. True, the Obama administration encouraged the adoption of the education standards by allocating Race to the Top funds to states that signed on. But the decision about whether or not to opt in to Common Core was made on a state-by-state basis, and those states including California that bought in are now well invested in making the standards work. Despite a rocky rollout of some of the new Common Core-aligned curriculum, many states are likely to remain committed to the basic philosophy set forth in the standards, which emphasize critical thinking over rote memorization. Testing and accountability Of all the knotty issues in education, these are among the knottiest. In 2017, we will keep agonizing about standardized testing how to test, how often and how to view the results. Well also continue arguing over how to hold schools and teachers accountable for educational outcomes. At the risk of grossly oversimplifying, the overriding argument comes down to the question of whether we need repeated high-stakes testing to hold schools accountable, or if such testing actually impedes educators from being effective. Well also continue to hear from education reformers who contrast our system with other, high-achieving countries like Finland that do very little standardized testing, hold their teachers in high regard, and give those teachers great freedom to manage their classrooms as they see fit. But dont expect to see much progress, at least not yet. Thats because even though criticism of standardized testing is rampant, we have no clearly articulated and broadly supported plan for a better way to evaluate how schools, teachers and students are faring. Unfortunately, an overly complicated new system for judging public schools from the State Board of Education doesnt appear likely to help clarify matters. And efforts to hold underperforming schools accountable will probably continue to focus more narrowly on how to make it easier to fire bad teachers. College entrance fairness and affordability The fairness issue will continue to be hot topic this year. The conversation nationwide is being driven by groups such as the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success, which are working to open more college doors for students from disadvantaged backgrounds who, their research shows, arent fully participating in college admissions and completion. And in California, in particular, affordability will be a top priority. A new statewide survey released last month by the Public Policy Institute of California found that a large majority of state residents consider college affordability the top problem in higher education. As public universities in the state face mounting budget pressures, however, arguments will persist over how well pay for funding gaps, with scant support for either tuition hikes or new taxes. Rock, meet hard place. Free speech and intolerance Expect the heated arguments over trigger warnings, safe spaces, microaggressions, diversity, equality and the rights of various interest groups to promote their ideas on campus to keep rising in temperature. We will see more clashes like the one that took place at UC Irvine last summer over the appearance of a controversial conservative celebrity, which drew protesters and supporters out in force. As one student at the scene aptly observed, We are a divided campus now. This year, positions will harden and friendships will be tested. Also, look for the protests taking place across college campuses to filter down to high schools. And more ... Many other issues in education will loom large in 2017. Among them will be how to improve and expand early childhood education; the continued push to seamlessly integrate technology, Internet-based learning programs and social media into class studies; increasing calls to emphasize more skills-based learning; and escalating financial problems involving pensions and strained school budgets. We will also hear more worried entreaties for state authorities to take action to deal with the growing teacher shortage in California, which could reach crisis levels this year. More on this, and other topics, in future columns. Happy new year. PATRICE APODACA is a former Newport-Mesa public school parent and former Los Angeles Times staff writer. She lives in Newport Beach. A dog was shot and killed by Huntington Beach police Sunday night after the animal bit an officer while its owner was being taken into custody on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon. Huntington Beach police received several calls around 11:20 p.m. reporting a man hitting cars and throwing things in the 16000 block of 14th Street in Sunset Beach. When officers arrived they found evidence of vandalism and determined the man had assaulted someone, police said. Join the conversation on Facebook >> Advertisement The man was uncooperative with police, and his dog bit one of the officers as they were attempting to arrest him, police said. One officer tried to shock the dog with a Taser but was unsuccessful, and the dog continued to attack and was shot and killed by another officer, police said. Kenneth McFadden, 53, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, said Huntington Beach Police Officer Jennifer Marlatt. McFadden is being held in lieu of $50,000 bail, according to jail records. The officer bit by the dog was treated for minor injuries at a hospital and released. Martin writes for KTLA. hannah.fry@latimes.com Twitter: @HannahFryTCN Yosemite Valley, the tourist hub of the national park, will reopen Tuesday for day use only. Lodges and hotels in the valley are expected to reopen to guests on Wednesday, according to a park release. Campgrounds in the valley are scheduled to reopen Tuesday evening. It wasnt the mega-flooding park officials had feared, but the Merced River crested above flood level 12.7 feet early Monday. The park is still assessing damage to roads and water and sewer systems. Advertisement The popular Yosemite Valley closed to visitors 5 p.m. Friday when severe weather that could produce flash floods were predicted. At the time, guests were asked to leave the Majestic Yosemite Hotel (formerly the Ahwahnee), Yosemite Valley Lodge and other accommodations. Storm-related rock falls will kept of the parks main arteries to Yosemite Valley El Portal Road, or California 140 and Hetch Hetchy Road temporarily shut. El Portal Road reopened to traffic Tuesday, though was scheduled to temporarily close again because of weather and rockfall concerns. Visitors are warned to be aware of road and weather conditions while driving through the park. For up-to-date information, check the parks website, Facebook page and Twitter feed. ALSO Monday in Mammoth: Snow, snow and more snow, but the weekend should be sunny A dreamy Death Valley landmark, Artists Palette, to close temporarily Theres a new route to see spewing lava in Hawaii. But its long, filled with sharp lava and challenging. travel@latimes.com @latimestravel UPDATES: 2:45 p.m. Tuesday: This article was updated with additonal details. In the latest sign of tensions between Taiwan and mainland China, a young pro-democracy activist and three legislators from Hong Kong received protection in Taiwan when their visit prompted demonstrations by pro-Beijing groups. Two of the Hong Kong activists, Joshua Wong and Nathan Law, were reportedly roughed up on their return home when they encountered more protesters who want Hong Kong and Taiwan to stand with China rather than pursue independence. Police in Taipei had kept angry protesters away from Wong, the 20-year-old secretary-general of Hong Kongs minor party Demosisto, and three party lawmakers, while they visited over the weekend for a pair of forums. Taiwans 2-year-old New Power Party held the events to discuss advancing democracy. Advertisement The incidents raised questions in Taiwan about who organized the protests. A pro-China advocacy group in Taipei, the Taiwanese capital, said it protested the events peacefully. Local media pointed to possible involvement by a mafia-style gang with China connections. Others wonder if disgruntled Communist Party officials in China were behind the opposition to Wongs visit. Protesters display anti-Hong Kong and anti-Taiwan independence banners outside a political forum hosted by Taiwans New Power Party in Taipei on Saturday. (Sam Yeh / AFP/Getty Images ) China claims sovereignty over Taiwan despite the islands self-rule since the 1940s. Officials in Beijing have grown nervous over the last year because Taiwans new president, Tsai Ing-wen, and a majority in parliament advocate stronger autonomy rather than Chinas goal of eventual unification. At least 70% of Taiwanese oppose unification with China, according to polls on the island. The Patriot Assn., the protesting pro-China group in Taipei, is very extreme compared with mainstream public opinion, said Lin Chong-pin, a retired strategic studies professor at Tamkang University in Taiwan. In Hong Kong, Wong helped rally hundreds of thousands to protest in 2014 against Beijings influence in the financial centers local government a protest known as the Umbrella Movement. After Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, Beijing pledged to allow it a high degree of autonomy for 50 years, but pro-democracy groups believe Beijing has kept the territory on too short a tether. Hong Kongs anti-Beijing faction has looked to Taiwan for inspiration and practical cues since the Umbrella Movement. We are hoping that whether in Hong Kong or Taiwan we can remain democratic, so to hold this kind of exchange is a natural thing, New Power Party media liaison Chen Nai-chia said, describing the weekend forums. Its not that we were trying for some specific goal. The Patriot Assn., a citizen group that advocates Taiwans unification with China, organized the protest outside the forum where Wong was speaking, group executive Chang Hsiu-yeh said Monday. The Taipei Times newspaper reported that Lin Fei-fan, a noted local antigovernment protest leader, said he has information that points to involvement by the Four Seas Gang, an international syndicate, or triad, made up largely of people with mainland China connections. But the Patriot Assn. said the gang was not involved. How could we even get in to hit people? Chang said. There was yellow tape on the right and yellow tape on the left. We were just shouting, and thats all. Who are the gangsters? Its the police. Historical records show that Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China, Chang said. As Wongs delegation arrived Saturday, it ran into about 200 opponents at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Chen said. Some were wearing masks. She said the protesters wanted the visitors out of Taiwan. For his protection, police escorted Wong to a vehicle that took him into Taipei, where the forums were scheduled, Chen said. Some of the 300 protesters outside the forum venue engaged in shoving on Saturday afternoon, city police said in a statement. Officers ordered the protesters to leave and cleared the site in about an hour. About 20 activists gathered Sunday morning to protest again, the statement said. They were questioned and their case turned over to prosecutors. Members of Taiwans minor China Unification Promotion Party were also protesting, according to the police statement. Party head Chang An-le, often nicknamed White Wolf, is a former gangster. Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je was quoted as saying Saturday that he wanted police to protect our guests. Hong Kong pro-democracy legislator Nathan Law, shown in Hong Kong on Monday, holds a photo of injuries he says he sustained afetr being attacked at Hong Kong International Airport on his return from a recent trip to Taiwan. (Isaac Lawrence / AFP/Getty Images ) After Wongs group flew back to Hong Kong on Sunday night, it was assailed by another group of people supporting China, an aide to Law said. The incident left Laws clothes ripped, and Wong went to the hospital for a checkup, the aide said. He would not say who the party believes rallied the protests. To my surprise, they started pushing towards me even though there were a few airport security staff surrounding me, Law said in a statement Monday. Their actions quickly escalated when they tried to pull me out of the crowd, where my shirt was torn apart and my glasses fell off as a result. Some of them even poured some unknown stinking liquid and threw plastic bottles at me. I was immediately escorted by the airport security to the taxi station, but unfortunately I was attacked again at the staircase, he said. Wong is no stranger to clashes. He was convicted last year of unlawful assembly in Hong Kong and egged on his way to an earlier court hearing. In October, he was detained on arrival in Thailand, where he was invited to speak at a university-sponsored event marking the anniversary of an attack by the Southeast Asian countrys forces against student protesters. Jennings is a special correspondent. ALSO As an angry China watches, Taiwan president takes a risky trip to the Americas Eat, pray, love the Communist Party: a road trip through Tibetan lands, guided by China Nazi imagery from Taiwan stems from ignorance, not hate, analysts say UPDATES: 2:55 p.m.: This article was updated to include the name of a protest leader who said he has information about possible gang involvement in the protest outside the forum. It was first published at 12:39 p.m. It was a road trip through one of Chinas most tightly controlled regions. We drove uphill and deeper into the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, an area of southwestern Chinas Sichuan province, adjacent to Tibet, where more than half the residents are Tibetan. There were five of us foreign journalists, packed into two minibuses along with camera crews, interpreters and scores of Chinese journalists, all seated shoulder to shoulder with the people in control: party officials from Sichuan and Shanghai. We passed scattered villages, high-altitude grasslands and towering peaks. Countless propaganda billboards, some many stories high, lined the highway. A monk and an official at the Dazha Monastery in Ruoergai County, Aba prefecture, chat as they walk toward a prayer room. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times) (Test) Religious Belief Must Be in Accordance With Socialism, said one. Love the Country, Love the Party, Love Religion, said another. Construct an Excellent Political Environment, said a third. In 2016, the Chinese government embarked on a Tibet publicity blitz, hosting several delegations of foreign journalists to previously closed areas. Tibetan advocacy groups often cast Chinas sovereignty over Tibet and surrounding areas like Aba as a brutal, exploitative occupation by a foreign power. The Communist Party is trying to take back the narrative to show that China has improved life for Tibetans by giving them roads, electricity, healthcare, education and other portals to modern affluence. Aba has a long history of unrest, and though it falls outside the highly restricted Tibet Autonomous Region, swaths of the prefecture have also been off limits to foreigners and little is known to the outside world about daily life there. In 2008, anti-Chinese riots rocked Chinas Tibetan regions. Authorities responded with mass detentions, shows of force, and patriotic reeducation campaigns, demanding that monks hang portraits of Chinese leaders in their monasteries. Since 2009, more than 140 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest. About a third of them lived in Aba. We would be on the road for eight days, traveling 1,000 miles through the prefecture and meeting some of its 920,000 people. Every day stretched out over 12 jam-packed hours or longer; we were forbidden to eat any meals on our own or conduct unchaperoned interviews. But the trip offered a rare chance to report on Aba without risk of government retaliation. We toured a solar power facility, a Tibetan medicine factory and a yak milk powder processing plant. Each boasted of high productivity figures, but all we saw were long sterile corridors without workers, and pristine metal machines. We visited a home for Tibetan elders, a school for Tibetan children, and several tourism encampments, where Han Chinese urbanites come to ride horses and sleep in tents, paying top dollar for a taste of nomadic life. We most looked forward to the interview with a living Buddha our opportunity to ask about the religious repression that Tibetans in China often face. Living Buddhas are highly respected, government-sanctioned practitioners of Buddhism in China. Officials on the trip repeatedly emphasized that Tibetans are free to worship as they please and the interview, planned for our fourth day, was their chance to prove it. A 49-year-old Tibetan monk at the Dazha Monastery blew into the monastery meeting room on a cloud of effortless charm, wearing a burgundy robe and spectacles. He was so affable that even the Chinese Communist Party officials, ill-humored and imperious, seemed to bow a bit in his presence. He gave his name in Chinese as Zhada. A Tibetan woman spins prayer wheels at a roadside tourist attraction in Aba prefecture. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times) (Test) He approached the journalists and officials and shook our hands. Im a fan of German soccer, he told a German reporter and feigned a kick with his right foot. The reporter laughed. Then the monk sat at the front of the room, and we picked up our notebooks. He began the interview on script. He praised the government for donating books to the monastery library. He said the areas new highways and cellphone towers have improved monks lives by enabling them to share Tibetan culture with the world. What do you think of the Dalai Lama? a Singaporean reporter asked. The question was extraordinarily charged. Many Tibetans adore the Dalai Lama as their spiritual leader; he fled the Himalayan region in 1959 after a failed uprising, and Chinese authorities, who revile him as a separatist, wont let him return. In China, publicly praising the 81-year-old monk could result in a visit from state security or even a jail term. The living Buddha took a breath, and the room fell quiet. His response was peculiar. The Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lamaand many other Lamas are all living Buddhas, he said. We have respect for all of them. Was this Zhadas way, under extreme pressure, of expressing support for the spiritual leader? Had he crossed a line? The reporters stared quizzically. Other people we had encountered on the trip both officials and Tibetans had refused to speak about the Dalai Lama or branded him a separatist in keeping with the party line. Answers were not forthcoming. Soon afterward, the living Buddha stood, and the officials shuffled us out of the room. :: Han Chinese tourists at a religious monument in Aba prefecture. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times) (Test) At one village, our tour guide, Yan Danfeng, a Han Chinese government official, led us through immaculate rows of gorgeous stone homes, each three stories high. The interiors smelled like sawdust. She said the village was home to 202 former nomads who were displaced by a devastating earthquake in 2008. They had bought the homes themselves, she said, and turned them into bed-and-breakfasts. But out of 45 households, only seven were operational hotels; the rest were under construction. We spotted just two tourists. Villagers were reluctant to give even minor details about their lives, much less describe their feelings on resettlement. The officials led us into a meeting room, where locals most of them elderly sat in a circle to receive us. Now this is a very brief meeting with normal people, said Xiao Yonggang, a provincial official. If you have any questions, you can ask. One correspondent asked whether villagers could describe their daily routine. Our village is run as a commune, responded Yan, the tour guide. Our daily life is just what weve been seeing. Can we hear from one of the local villagers? I asked. The locals shifted uncomfortably. Tell them what your days are like, Yan said. Nobody spoke. Just say something, Xiao said. After about a minute, the officials identified a young, Mandarin-speaking villager, and he walked to the front of the room. Our life is, we get up every day, then we eat, said the 32-year-old man, who gave his name in Chinese as Baimamu. Then we go out and work, we farm. Then we eat, and in the afternoons, if its summer, we work again. Then we eat dinner. Thats what our day is like, he said. Thats all. Both the officials and local Tibetans appeared anxious that any deviation from the party line would destroy their facade of normality, revealing the discord and uncertainty roiling beneath. When asked why authorities generally prohibit foreign reporters from visiting the Tibet Autonomous Region, one trip organizer, Chen Weide a Sichuan provincial media official said that it was because the altitude is very high and that authorities fear for visitors safety. (The area remains open to foreign tourists.) Students at the Qiongxi town primary school, a boarding school for the children of Tibetan herders. Most classes are taught in Tibetan. (Jonathan Kaiman / Los Angeles Times) (Test) We were closely monitored. Each time we stopped at an attraction, two to five SUVs full of middle-aged men brooding smokers, most wearing ill-fitting polo shirts would park behind us. The men followed along as we reported. They did not introduce themselves, and they did not respond to questions. Everything was recorded. The foreign journalists recorded the tour guides, and Chinese reporters recorded the foreign ones. The shadowy men recorded us all. Late one night, another journalist and I sneaked out of the hotel and wound through the darkened side streets of Hongyuan County, a cluster of slapdash mid-rises on the edge of the grasslands. We stepped into a small shop, where a Tibetan family sold silver jewelry and Buddha statuettes. The shopkeeper, a young man, agreed to answer some questions. But as soon as we shifted the conversation to religion, he seized up, and his eyes darted anxiously. We have a bit of religious freedom, he said. He stuttered briefly and acknowledged that, yes, he revered the Dalai Lama. Its our belief, he said. He clasped his hands. We left after about two minutes, ashamed of even asking. Outside, I scanned the empty streets, vigilant for tailing cars and footsteps, and lurking threats that may or may not have been there. :: Nearing the end of our tour, we drove down from the highlands and spent the weekend hopping among scenic spots and small cities. The officials seemed to relax slightly, and Chinese media began running stories about the trip. A group of foreign reporters, who just concluded a weeklong tour of a Tibetan-inhabited area in southwest China, have said they were amazed by the experience, reported the official New China News Agency. Other reports quoted foreign journalists praising the areas development and natural beauty. The reports included no acknowledgment of restrictions, no skepticism about the authenticity of the villagers presented for interviews, and nothing at all about the living Buddha no quotes, no name, no description. Even mentioning our discussion about religion, it appeared, was off-limits. It was as if the monk did not exist. ALSO He was proud to be the father of an enormous family until he couldn't feed them Iran's newest fighters are sidewalk vendors, 'ready to struggle to our last drop of blood' American man arrested in shooting of U.S. official in Mexico Mexican authorities have arrested a man suspected of shooting a U.S. official in the western city of Guadalajara. The suspect, Zafar Zia, 31, is a U.S. citizen, according to a spokesperson for the attorney general in the state of Jalisco. For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Guadalajara as a state. It is a city. Mexican and U.S. State Department officials have not said why Zia was in the country or why he may have targeted Christopher Ashcraft, a State Department employee who worked out of the American Consulate in Guadalajara. Advertisement Surveillance video released over the weekend shows a man dressed in purple medical scrubs, sunglasses and what appears to be a wig following Ashcraft through a public parking lot. The video shows Ashcraft getting into a vehicle and beginning to exit the lot. The suspect approaches, fires a bullet through the front windshield and then runs away. Ashcraft was shot in the chest but is in stable condition, Mexican authorities have said. After the shooting, the FBI offered a $20,000 reward for information about the case and Mexican authorities launched a major manhunt. Zia was apprehended Sunday, according to the office of Mexicos attorney general, and was soon after repatriated to the U.S., where he will face trial. Secretary of State John F. Kerry thanked the Mexican government Sunday for their swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our foreign service officer colleague. Cecilia Sanchez in the Times Mexico City bureau contributed reporting. kate.linthicum@latimes.com Twitter: @katelinthicum A team of Army Delta Force commandos carried out a raid in Islamic State-held territories of eastern Syria, killing at least two militants with the extremist group, U.S. officials said Monday. The officials, who were not authorized to speak publicly about the classified operation, said a special operations team carried out the raid Sunday to kill or capture suspected Islamic State leaders in the city of Dair Alzour, about 80 miles southeast of the extremist groups de facto Syrian headquarters in Raqqah. There were no prisoners taken, the officials said. They did not identify who was killed, or say which Islamic State leaders were targeted in the raid. Advertisement Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis told reporters that an unspecified expeditionary task force carried out the mission, which he called routine and successful. It was focused on ISIL leadership, Davis said, using an acronym for Islamic State. The U.S., and entire counter-ISIL coalition, will continue to pursue ISIL leaders wherever they are to ensure the security and stability of the region and our homeland. Activist groups, including the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the operation had taken place on Sunday after 2:30 p.m., when six Apache helicopters flew deep into the desert areas of eastern Syria near the village of Kubar, about 35 miles northwest of Dair Alzour. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights is a British-based watchdog group that supports the rebels seeking to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad, although it does not support Islamic State. Firsthand accounts recorded on the WhatsApp messaging service and provided to The Times by a local activist, Abdul Rahman Hasson, said two of the helicopters had remained in the air, while troops in the remaining aircraft attacked a number of Islamic State vehicles. Observers reported that the operatives had set up roadblocks to prevent civilians from passing into the area. They went down, killed some Daesh fighters and took some others. We have no confirmation of the numbers of those killed, said Ahmad Ramadan, head of the activist-run Euphrates Post group, which is based in Istanbul, Turkey. It purports to have contacts with undercover correspondents in Dair Alzour. Daesh is the Arabic acronym for Islamic State, which holds sway over much of Dair Alzour province. The groups jihadis have mounted a grueling siege on the provincial capital of the same name, which remains in government hands. A van and a pickup with Daesh fighters as reinforcements were destroyed by the helicopters in the air, Ramadan said, adding that the commandos had at least one person who could speak Arabic with them. Other reports said they had attacked a nearby Islamic State building. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 25 Islamic State fighters were killed and others were taken captive, but that account was at odds with what U.S. officials said. Kubar, a village on the Euphrates River roughly equidistant from Dair Alzour and Raqqah, is thought to be a stronghold for Islamic State and one of Raqqahs first defensive lines. Hasson said it had a secret Islamic State prison. In the years before the Syrian civil war, it was home to a suspected nuclear reactor that was bombed by a squadron of Israeli F-16 and F-15 warplanes in 2007. Sundays operation was the U.S.-led coalitions second direct-action ground raid targeting prominent Islamic State figures in the area. In March 2015, U.S. special forces killed Abu Sayyaf, a leader who was thought to be the groups oil minister. Since they were announced in December 2015 by Defense Secretary Ashton Carter, expeditionary task force operations have killed or captured several top militants, and netted key sources of intelligence, including laptops and cellphones. Interrogations of captured militants have shed light on the shadowy group, U.S. officials said. The Pentagon did not detail what intelligence was gleaned from Sundays operation. Special correspondent Bulos reported from Amman, Jordan, and Times staff writer Hennigan from Washington. Staff writer Molly Hennessy-Fiske in Cairo contributed to this report. ALSO Death of former Iranian leader Rafsanjani could be blow to moderates To cross the front lines in the battle for Mosul, you just hail a cab After Islamic State institutionalized looting in Syria, the market for fake antiquities is booming President Pedro Pablo Kuczysnki says the company, which has admitted to paying $29m in bribes in Peru, could potentially pay an even higher amount in fines Kate Middleton's life may be cropped from a storybook of simple girls turning to princesses, but her story may not be worthy of a fairy tale as there was no magic involved and no wands to wave. As the once little girl Kate was just like any other girl, living with her simple, middle class but loving family and going to school, she went to places, not because of royal duties, but her reasons are purely for normal reasons only, which is for family and studies. But fate had brought her to meet a British royal, and just like in the storybooks, she married the prince and lived happily ever after. Looking back on Kate Middleton's birthplace, Berkshire, England would be the first of all the places the Duchess of Cambridge had been. Born in a upper-middle- class family, Kate Middleton lived in a Victorian house in Bradfield Southend then moved to a Tudor-style her family bought in Bucklebury, Berkshire. Along with her father who works in British Airways, the whole family was relocated to Amman, Jordan for 3 years only. According to POPSUGAR, the 34-year-old princess went to college in Marlborough College of Wiltshire, England and pursued her studies in Italian and art history for 3 months in Florence, Italy. From there she moved to Fife, Scotland and continued higher education at the University of St. Andrews where she finished with master's degree and a shift in destiny when she met Prince William. Kate Middleton's last stop was in London, England where she worked as an accessory buyer with British retailer Jigsaw and lived with her sister Pippa Middleton until her royal wedding in 2011. Now as a mother and wife, Kate Middleton still tries to maintain simplicity and normality to her family as they chose to reside in the quiet, country-set home in Sandringham Estate, Norfolk. But based on reports from Vogue, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge along with their children will be moving into the Kensington Palace comes 2017. The changes were decided upon by the royal couple as they are set to enroll Prince George in Wetherby School, the Notting Hill-set pre-prep institution that Prince William and Prince Harry both attended. And since, the reigning higher royals are already aging; it is but the time that the next in line will take on more official royal responsibilities. This includes charitable works and royal engagements, not to mention leading other programs that the royal couple and Prince Harry jointly advocate. Merger and acquisition (M&A) deal in Brazil may take slower than expected, thanks to tougher regulation as an effort to push transparency. Some important deals have been stuck as trade groups have been increasing pressure on industry supervisory bodies and government auditors to halt state asset sales to cut the country's debt. As a result, many big companies asked antitrust bodies to review what rival industries are doing, postponing a number of deals. One of the affected companies is Brazil's well-known oil company Petrobras ( Petroleo Brasileiro SA Petrobras). In December, the federal court decided to call off asset sale, causing the oil giant to skip two-year goal of obtaining $15.1 billion by the end of last year worth more than $1 billion, as Reuters reported. According to Thomson Reuters data, there are around 14 takeovers worth more than $8 billion that were supposed to be carried out last year but had been left for 2017, because buyers have been more wary of facing legal implications in Latin America's biggest economy. Besides Petrobras' asset sale, Odebrecht's exit from a Peru gas pipeline project is also one of the deals that got stuck in 2016. According to Flavio Valadao, head of M&A at Banco Santander Brasil SA, which ranked first in Thomson Reuters' 2016 Brazil's advisory ranking, the worst recession, and ongoing corruption scandal investigation have put M&A activities on hold. Massive corruption scandal resulted in the impeachment of Brazil's former president Dilma Rousseff on August 31, 2016. The impeachment divided the country so far, BBC stated. State-run Petrobras is not only facing the low crude oil price, but also the effect of corruption scandal investigation. The company had to spend lots of money in the lawsuit targeting its top executives charged with inflating the contract values, forcing the giant to cut its capital expenditure and halt its exploration and production (E&P) activities. Plundering must a great extent in Mexico that follows 20 percent fuel price hike as the protest is still ongoing. The protest of the said gasoline price hike turned rough after a solitary protester drove his truck into a line of police guarding a gas station terminal in Baja California. The Interior Department reported that more than 1,500 individuals have been confined for plundering or disturbances across the country since protests started. YAHOO NEWS stated that according to the government police, seven of their officers were harmed in the incident in Rosarito that is close to the border city of Tijuana. Most peaceful protests of the fuel price hike keep on continuing somewhere else in Mexico, yet, the tension remained. The authorities of one of the states were hardly hit by the plundering on Wednesday and Thursday, while other neighborhood groups have started to build patrols of residents that is armed with blades to avoid thieves. The Veracruz Governor, Miguel Angel Yunes stated that 532 of individuals had been confined in his state alone and with some of this social rumors regarding of plundering in his state and is apparently baseless. He added that in the northern part of the state, there are neighbors that decided to arm themselves just to make an impression that they were armed groups of culprits. However, the Governor said that the government was attempting to persuade the said residents to stop patrolling, as what AP reported. Meanwhile, a huge number of individuals are marched down to the main roads of the western city of Guadalajara to protest the said increase, which is the administration push to remove the imposed of fuel increase. But despite the continuous rumors that the political interest might have fuss on the plunderers to spread the gas-hike protesters. Yunas Linares said that there is no confirmation that the political parties are involved in this rumors. He added that the authorities are still investigating the whole thing if the criminal gangs had participated. There is a great variety of festivals in Latin America that tourists like to visit, the festivals range from the Carnival in Rio, Brazil, to the ancient tradition of the Day of the Dead, Mexico. They are moving, euphoric, entertaining and great cultural events. Latin America hosts inspiring cultural festivals that are among the best of the planet. You will have fun, pay homage to old traditions, take in some great music, watch free films on the beach and even freeze on a glacier in Peru. The 2017 winter transfer window has been fairly quiet with no major moves happening. However, the transfer talks are pointing to Barcelona midfielder Ivan Rakitic joining Manchester City very soon. Will it happen before the transfer window ends on January 31? Rakitic has fallen out of favor in Barcelona this season and his best move might be joining a different club. According to The Guardian, Manchester City has expressed interest in signing the Croatian midfielder. The report noted that City looks at Rakitic as the successor to Yaya Toure. Pep Guardiola's club has been linked with Monaco's Tiemoue Bakayoko but rivals Manchester United are favored to land him. That leaves them the opportunity to sign Rakitic, who joined Barcelona in 2014 but has been left on the bench by Luis Enrique this season. Enrique has favored summer signings Andre Gomes and Denis Suarez over the 28-year-old midfielder. It has led Rakitic to make his fondness with Guardiola public. He claimed last November that he wore the No. 4 jersey because of the former Barcelona player and manager, per The Sun. Local newspapers in Croatia have been hinting that Rakitic will move to Manchester City soon. And to add fuel to the transfer rumors, Enrique benched Rakitic in their game against Villarreal on Sunday because of "technical reasons." However, the Barcelona manager played down the transfer rumors about Rakitic. He told the media after the Villarreal game that only 25 percent of rumors are true. And as for benching the midfielder, he exclaimed that it's part of his job. "It's up to me to decide the squads and the teams. That's my job. 'What's been published has nothing to do with that. Only 25 percent of things are true, be it in the Croatian, Spanish, England, Italian media," Enrique said, via The Daily Mail. Besides Manchester City, Rakitic has been linked with big teams such as Juventus, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United. On the other hand, Barcelona would like to recoup the 18 million fee they used to buy Rakitic from Sevilla back in 2014. A Spanish court sentenced Carmen Marin Aguilar, the head of an animal shelter, to three years and nine months for killing hundreds of healthy dogs and cats. The court of Malaga also slapped her with a fine of 19,800 euros ($20,800) because she was found guilty of document falsification and animal cruelty. Felipe Barco Gamez, a janitor at the Parque Animal shelter in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol, was sent to prison for one year and ordered to pay a fine of 3,600 euros. It is supposed that both of them killed the animals to get profits. The court stated that Aguilar injected healthy animals of different breeds, mainly dogs and cats, without sedation, while Gamez held the animals down. They killed a big number of animals to get profits Aguilar used a small dose of euthanizing drugs, less than is advised, and injected it into muscle tissue instead of intravenously. This caused a painful and prolonged agony in the animals. Prosecutors accused the pair of having killed 2,183 animals between January 2009 and October 2010. It is believed that the pair slaughtered the animals to reduce costs and get profits. The shelter for the animals also provided paid grooming services and a private animal clinic although the director did not have a veterinary diploma. Aguilar and Gomez denied killing the animals Prosecutors said the pair disconnected security cameras when killing the animals and they would play loud music to mask the crimes. Both Aguilar and Gomez denied the abuses against the animals. Aguilar told the court that she "loves animals" and could not have killed them because she has phobia of needles. She declared that she doesn't even dare to cut the nails of the animals. Anyway, the court found her guilty of crimes against the abandoned animals. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Armenia had to immediately give the body of the killed Azerbaijani soldier according to international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Convention, but Yerevan refuses to do so despite that 10 days have passed from the Armenian provocation of Dec. 29, 2016, said Hikmat Hajiyev, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesman. Armenia does not respond to any appeals sent through international organizations, Hajiyev told Trend Jan. 9 commenting on the statement of the chief of Armenias General Staff, who says that the body of the Azerbaijani soldier is still in Armenia. A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on Dec. 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. Chingiz Gurbanov, a serviceman of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, went missing during the fight. Hajiyev added that the recent statement of the leadership of Armenian armed forces, who said they still have the soldiers body, once again proves that Armenias military and political authorities are far from the norms of civilized behavior. Giving the dead soldiers body is a major requirement of the international humanitarian law, Hajiyev said. Armenia does not return the bodies of the dead soldiers, it vents anger on them, scoffs at the bodies, and this is no exception this has become a constituent part of that countrys state policy. Such a vile behavior does not do credit to soldiers and officers and it is only characteristic of terrorists, said the spokesman. Relevant state agencies will in a coordinated manner continue their efforts to return the body of the killed soldier, according to Hajiyev. Azerbaijans diplomatic missions periodically raise this issue before international organizations, he added. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 10 Trend: The Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group (Ambassadors Igor Popov of the Russian Federation, Stephane Visconti of France, and Richard Hoagland of the United States), released the statement, OSCE website reported. Armenian Armed Forces are still holding the body of an Azerbaijan serviceman killed in the fighting, said in the statement. The Co-Chairs urge the return, without delay, of human remains, in accord with the agreements of the Astrakhan Summit of 2010, bearing in mind the exclusively humanitarian nature of this issue. "We call upon the Parties to cease mutual accusations and undertake all necessary measures to stabilize the situation on the ground. Violations of the ceasefire are unacceptable"- said in the statement. A reconnaissance group of the Armenian Armed Forces tried to violate the Azerbaijan-Armenia state border on Dec. 29, 2016. The Armenian group found itself in the ambush of the Azerbaijani army while violating the borders and suffered heavy losses. Chingiz Gurbanov, a serviceman of Azerbaijani Armed Forces, went missing during the fight. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Surrounded by cars and police officers Friday afternoon on an Allentown block, an attempted homicide suspect drove between two police vehicles and rammed two Allentown police officers, authorities said. Three officers opened fire and Joseph Valdez was shot twice in the leg, but was able to get escape, authorities said. Valdez only got about three blocks away on Front Street in his badly damaged 2006 Hyundai Sonata, when police say he drove into an alley, abandoned his car and tried to hide by a nearby SUV. Valdez was eventually arrested, and was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital for treatment. The 21-year-old Allentown man is being held in Lehigh County Jail in lieu of $750,000 bail. Authorities said three officers, all from Allentown, were injured in the incident - officer Jason Ammary and a detective on Chew Street, and a third officer was injured during the chase. Chief Keith Morris said all three officers were treated and released Friday for minor injuries. Valdez also left a wake of damaged cars on Chew and Front streets, including at least two Allentown police cruisers. Three officers opened fire on Valdez - two from the Allentown department and one from NYPD, the Lehigh County District Attorney's office said. It has not been determined which officer or officers wounded Valdez. District Attorney Jim Martin on Friday gave a preliminary opinion that the discharge of weapons by the officers was justified. A final ruling will be made when the investigation is complete. In the Manhattan case, police said Valdez is a suspect in a December attempted homicide, where the victim was shot several times. New York police said they learned on Jan. 2 that Valdez was staying in a home in the 100 block of Chew Street in Allentown. On Friday morning, Allentown and New York officers began a stakeout of the Allentown home, and eventually saw Valdez in a parked car in the block, police said. Valdez was driving, and police said they used marked and unmarked vehicles to block in his vehicle. The officers -- some in uniforms and others in street clothes -- identified themselves and began to shout commands, police said. Valdez reversed the car and drove onto a sidewalk, before putting the car in drive and hitting the cars and officers, police said. In terms of a timeline in prosecuting the two separate cases against Valdez, the Lehigh County district attorney's office said it will cooperate with New York. Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @SarahCassi. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. The man charged with a gruesome killing in an Easton hotel room will put his life on the line Monday. Jury selection begins Monday, Jan. 9, in the capital murder trial of 27-year-old Jeffrey Knoble, of Riegelsville. Easton police said Knoble fatally shot Andrew "Beep" White after White let him stay in his room at the former Quality Inn in March 2015. Knoble allegedly filmed White's bloody corpse with a cellphone, saying, "I do what I want." Prosecutors offered Knoble a life sentence in exchange for a guilty plea, but Knoble turned down the offer twice. At one scheduled plea hearing he called himself an innocent man, turned to the friends and family of White, stuck out his tongue and taunted, "Ha ha! Ha ha! Ha ha!" "We're looking forward to the family having their day in court," said Northampton County First Assistant District Attorney Terence Houck. "It's a long time coming." Knoble has acted out in court repeatedly, yelling expletives and calling himself a "sovereign citizen" above the state's criminal laws. He called his lawyers "corrupt." After a strained relationship with Chief Public Defender Robert Eyer, Knoble is now represented by Gavin Holihan and Matt Deschler. "My working relationship with Jeffrey has been fine," said Holihan, who was appointed late last year. "He's given me no problems whatsoever." Knoble has worn a stun bracelet on his leg to shock him in the event he acts out in court. Judge Emil Giordano reserves the right to have him wear it during the trial, depending on his behavior. Holihan said it's not unusual for a defendant in a homicide case to wear the stun bracelet in court. He said his client Johnesha Perry wore one. She admitted to killing her baby by throwing him into a river and is serving 20 to 40 years in prison. If the bracelet is needed, Holihan doesn't oppose it. "I'm a fan of security in the courtroom," he said. Since Knoble's is a death penalty case, jury selection could take up to a week. The lawyers will have to question each juror individually to make sure they have no moral reservations to imposing a death sentence. Testimony should take about two weeks after that, they said. If Knoble is convicted of murder, he'll have an opportunity to put on mitigating evidence to show why he doesn't deserve to die. Houck would present evidence in favor of the ultimate punishment. Holihan has prosecuted two death penalty cases and defended at least five. So what's his game plan for this trial? "No comment," he said. Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Azerbaijan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will discuss the ways of development of further cooperation. The discussions will be held during an official visit of the UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to Azerbaijan. According to the preliminary agreement, the visit is scheduled for April, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the UAE Dashgin Shikarov told Trend Jan. 9. The ambassador said that currently, work is underway in order to organize the upcoming visit. Bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and the UAE, particularly, its political component is at a high level: relations between our countries are based on a multidirectional cooperation by considering mutual interests, noted Shikarov. The UAE is one of Azerbaijans important partners in Persian Gulf and the Middle East region, he said adding that meanwhile, Azerbaijan is the most important partner of the UAE in the Caucasus. The diplomat emphasized that both countries have close positions on many international issues. Azerbaijan and the UAE actively cooperate both on the bilateral basis and within the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), United Nations (UN) and other international organizations. We praise these relations with the friendly country and are deeply satisfied with the fact that the UAE unequivocally supports Azerbaijans fair position in resolutions adopted by the OIC, UN and other international organizations in connection with the Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan and the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, added Shikarov. Touching upon the results of bilateral cooperation in the trade and economic and investments field, the ambassador said that several successful steps were taken in this sphere in 2016 that are regulated by the joint intergovernmental commission on trade and economic and investment cooperation. As part of the upcoming visit, during the negotiations with the Azerbaijani side, further steps of cooperation both in the political and economic spheres will be discussed, added the diplomat. Trade turnover between Azerbaijan and the UAE exceeded $63.66 million in January-November 2016, according to Azerbaijans State Customs Committee. Please allow ads as they help fund our trusted local news content. Kindly add us to your ad blocker whitelist. If you want further access to Ireland's best local journalism, consider contributing and/or subscribing to our free daily Newsletter . Support our mission and join our community now. The downgrade of Portlaoise hospital is not a "fait accompli" according to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris who admitted that other hospitals could not cope with the removal of A&E services if the hospital's A & E closed. Speaking after a short tour of the Midlands Regional Hospital, Portlaoise and meeting county councillors and TDs, including Minister Charlie Flanagan, Minister Harris said he was "very aware" of the concerns over the future of the hospital. "What I wanted to do today was say very clearly to staff, very clearly to patients and the public, through their public representatives, was that no decision has been made in relation to Portlaoise," he said. Speaking to reporters, Minister Harris said he had read that the future is set in stone. "There is no fait accompli here. There is no decision made. I am very impressed with the significant progress that Portlaoise has made in recent months and years," he said. He said there should be significant consultation with the public, GPs, consultants before reaching a decision. He said he has a report from the HSE's Dublin Midlands Hospital Group but he would not make his decision exclusively on what it recommends. He insisted that there is more to the process of deciding what services will be located in the hospital in the future than "just that report". A Tullamore man with over 50 convictions who tried to steal money from a hospital parking meter has avoided going to jail as he is about to start on a methadone programme for his heroin addiction. A Tullamore man with over 50 convictions who tried to steal money from a hospital parking meter has avoided going to jail as he is about to start on a methadone programme for his heroin addiction. Judge Catherine Staines noted that Joseph Coughlan, 76 OMolloy Street, Tullamore, did not have any compensation in court after causing 200 damage to the parking meter at Portlaoise General Hospital, on February 23 this year. Inspector Aidan Farrelly gave evidence that security staff at the hospital observed on CCTV footage two people, one of whom was Coughlan, interfering with the parking meter. The two individuals were sawing at the meter in an attempt to get money, and caused damage worth 200. Coughlan had 52 previous convictions, nine of which were for criminal damage. Defence for Coughlan said that the 29-year-old had a heroin addiction, but he was seeking help through the Ana Liffey Project and was hoping to begin a methadone programme in the coming weeks. Defence said that the last time Coughlan had been in court he was given the option of community service, but he chose to go to prison to deal with his drug addiction. However, this had not worked. Judge Staines remarked that the case had been adjourned five times, and the amount of legal aid Coughlan had received would have covered the compensation. She asked had Coughlan saved anything, to which defence replied he had not and it would take about a month for him to have the money. Why did he not save anything since March? asked Judge Staines. I didnt know how much it was, replied Coughlan. Did you think of asking? asked the judge. No, admitted Coughlan, going on to say that he could save 30 a week in the coming weeks. The only reason youre not going to jail is because youre starting a methadone programme in two weeks, ruled Judge Staines, imposing a six-month sentence on Coughlan, suspended for two years on his own bond of 100. Conditions of the bond are that he must have 200 compensation saved by September 1, and he must attend for treatment for his heroin addiction. A newly formed Dublin band will be taking to the stage of Kavanaghs in Portlaoise next week as one of the first big live sessions of 2017. Otherkin are Luke Reilly on vocals and guitar, Conor Wynne on lead guitar, David Anthony on bass guitar, and Rob Summons on drums. Otherkin enjoyed a manic 2016 summer of festivals in the UK, Ireland and across Europe, in support of their second EP release, entitled The New Vice. Luke, Conor and David first had the idea for the band in 2013, but Otherkin did not coalesce until they found drummer Rob later that year, drawn together by a shared love of bands like The Clash, QOTSA, Ramones and Blur. Early gigs in college dorms and house parties gave way to regular shows on Dublins vibrant live venue circuit, which in turn blossomed into a step up to the Irish festival carousel - Longitude, Electric Picnic, Hard Working Class Heroes and Other Voices. After a couple of hand-made, self-released tracks, Otherkin hit their stride with the rambunctious grunge-pop single Ay Ay, which came to the attention of leading Irish indie label Rubyworks in early 2015. The band plays Kavanaghs this Friday, January 13, at 9pm. BSc (Hons) in Pharmaceutical Science student at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT) Oyinda Adewale has been announced as the winner of the Research Project Presentation Prize winner for 2016. The prize was awarded to Oyinda and one other student for excellence in presentation and understanding of the literature review aspect of their research project. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Oyinda is a former student of Athy Community College. Explaining what this award means to her, Oyinda said, It means a lot to me, as it helps me to encourage others as to why nothing is impossible. My literature was based on organic chemistry, a particularly difficult module for me, or so I thought, but as the year went on it started making sense and I had to present my review to about 9 scientific lecturers which was extremely tough as I thought I would be completely thrown off and confused. Everything went extremely well and the reaction I got was incredible, never did I think I would win this award so its a motivation for me to never stop trying because even impossible says Im possible. The awards were sponsored by the Pharmaceutical and Molecular Biotechnology Research Centre (PMBRC) at WIT and Dr Niall OReilly Centre Manager said, We are delighted to sponsor the prizes for the best research project presentation. The 4th year project is an important opportunity for students to develop research skills and apply the knowledge learned in their studies to date. The PMBRC has supported 4th year students in their research projects over the last number of years and look forward to continuing this into the future. Kildare students interested in following in Oyindas footsteps can find out more at one of WITs upcoming open days. WIT is running two open days at its new 20m WIT Arena. The schools open day takes place on Friday, 20 January. A Newbridge mum has written a childrens book inspired by her young son. TJ and his Wheelable Chair tells the tale of a young boy who is non-verbal and in a wheelchair. The main character has close parallels with Amanda Kehoes young son Tadhg, aged 8, who has cerebral palsy and global developmental delay. While there is a better awareness of disability, I have found a lot of children dont know how to react when they see my son, and there is a huge misconception with children who are non-verbal that they do not understand what you are saying to them, said Amanda. A lot of times people tend to talk over my son rather than to him, because they dont get an answer. I felt by writing a simple story, from his point of view, it might create questions from children that need to be asked and help parents/teachers to answer their questions. Amanda, who is originally from Ballinteer, is married to Greg and mum also to Dylan and Emily. She returned to work at Nissan Ireland earlier this year after taking a long career break to care for Tadhg, who is a pupil at the CRC, Scoil Mochua, Clondalkin. Ultimately, the message I would like to convey is that children of all abilities like to play, want to have friends and love having fun. Children with disabilities can benefit so much from watching their peers play and personally, I see how stimulated my son is around children his own age. I am passionate to share any knowledge I have with children of a young age to help them understand it is okay to talk, play or be friends with children of different abilities, even though they may not respond in the regular way. TJ and his Wheelable Chair is available in Farrell & Nephew, Newbridge, and Barker & Jones, Naas. Bord na Mona have reassured staff in its Kilberry plant over concerns due to a recent UK acquisition saying it will 'underpin Irish jobs'. Concerns were raised locally when the acquisition was announced with two local TD's claiming the move could impact jobs. Kildare South TD and former Bord na Mona employee Brian Stanley said that the jobs of Bord Na Mona workers at Kilberry are at risk following the decision by the company to purchase a horticulture peat plant in the North of England. According to Deputy Stanley this decision, which required government approval, was signed off on by Minister Denis Naughton over the Christmas period and poses a direct threat to the future of Kilberry. I have discussed this in recent days with both the CEO of Bord Na Mona Mike Quinn and Minister Denis Naughton and expressed my concern about the future of the industry. While the management are saying that some of the jobs can be absorbed elsewhere in the company, the loss of any jobs in South Kildare where employment is already scarce will have a severe impact in the area. In a statement to the Leinster Leader Bord na Mona CEO Mike Quinn said this acquisition helps support the sustainability of our retail horticulture business. Vitally, it will underpin Irish jobs and continued production across the group and within the broader Horticulture business and strengthen it's position in the UK market. It also helps sustain the business into the future by delivering security of non-peat feedstock supply. Kildare South TD Fiona O'Loughlin however said assurances are still needed from Bord na Mona on the future commitment to its composting plant in Kilberry. There are 53 full time employees and 6 seasonal emplyees in Kilberry. Kilberry first opened in 1947. The exploits of Leitrim Village native Breifne Earley have been well documented in recent years as he emerged triumphant in the World Cycle Race that saw him pedal 29,000km in 16 months in 2014 and now he is embarking on his latest challenge as he retraces the steps of OSullivan Beare as he made the retreat from Glengarriff to Leitrim Village in the winter of 1602/03. Having released a book last year documenting his exploits in the saddle, Breifne is for this week the curator of the 'Ireland' twitter account where he is updating followers on his latest exploits. So this week I, and you, will be following the yellow arrows, walking man and signage on the Beara Breifne Greenway! pic.twitter.com/iTmHOVf99x Ireland / Breifne (@ireland) January 9, 2017 The walk, which began on New Year's Eve, will be a minimum of 464.2km and Breifne is hoping to return home to Leitrim on Saturday next, January 14. With views like this one from near Millstreet in Cork as I make my way from Glengarriff to Leitrim Village 414 years after that epic March. pic.twitter.com/EJXOgCHnvU Ireland / Breifne (@ireland) January 9, 2017 To keep up to date with Breifne's progress visit www.breifneearley.com or follow the updates on Twitter at Breifne's page or the Ireland page. While welcome news for the county, the confirmation that 5.9m in LEADER funding had been allocated to Leitrim as part of the Local Development Strategy was slightly disappointing. This amount is substantially less than the monies allocated under the previous programme 2007-2013 where Co Leitrim was allocated 7.9m which went on to fund 253 projects. One man's trip home from Australia to Keshcarrigan attracted thousands of views. The heartwarming video created by Anthony Tighe, documented the 17,419km trip from Melbourne to his parent's front door. It culminated in moving reunion with his parents which had us all tearing up. The issue of alleged garda malpractice in Co Leitrim hit the headlines again this month when Leitrim Sinn Fein Deputy, Martin Kenny, made a Protected Disclosure to the Minister of Justice, Frances Fitzgerald. Deputy Kenny said he was disappointed that no meaningful action or consultation with him has taken place since his speech outlining concerns about alleged garda misconduct in the Leitrim District in Dail Eireann in May this year. It was something that everyone in Co Leitrim was well aware of but this month new data emerged confirming that the county had the second slowest average broadband speed in the country. The average speed in Leitrim was recorded as 8.94Mbps, substantially slower than the minimum target of 30Mbps set out in the National Broadband Plan. It would appear driving is just as problematic as the broadband connection in some parts of Co Leitrim, at least according to one north Leitrim councillor. At the November meeting of Manorhamilton Municipal District, Cllr Felim Gurn compared driving on a road near St Osnat's Church in Glencar as something akin to driving on Mars. The north Leitrim councillor said that the Laughtaggart Road was in a deplorable condition and some parts have been neglected for over 20 years. November came to a very sad close for the staff of the Leitrim Observer with news of the passing of former owner, Greg Dunne. Greg served as editor of the Observer from 1968 following the death of his uncle, Pat Dunne. He served in the role until 1984 when he took up a managerial role and acted as caretaker for the newspaper. He was renowned for his progressive leadership of the paper and remained a well known and much loved figure in the community. He passed away at the age of 90 in the Galway Clinic. There was sad news for the Ballinamore community as well with the passing of 20-year-old Ryan Doyle. Ryan had been a rear seat passenger in a car which was involved in a serious road traffic accident near Ballinamore last September. He sustained serious injuries in the accident and was brought to Dublin for further treatment where he remained until his passing. (Details added, first version posted at 14:55) Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Seba Aghayeva Trend: Azerbaijans accession to the Islamic Military Alliance is not on the agenda of the countrys foreign policy, Hikmet Hajiyev, a spokesman for Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, told Trend Jan. 9. Formerly, different opinions were voiced on this issue within the framework of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Hajiyev said. If there is any suggestion offered, Azerbaijan will carefully look into it. Information on Azerbaijans accession to the Islamic Military Alliance was earlier spread in the media. SIPTU members working as support staff in Cavan General Hospital and Sligo University Hospital will be among staff at least 40 hospitals across the country balloting for strike action on Monday, January 23. The action arises from a dispute claiming breaches of the national public service agreements and the exclusion of SIPTU members from concessions provided to other emergency department staff. SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, said: It is deeply regrettable that our members in these hospitals feel compelled to take this action. The hospitals to be balloted have been selected due to our members belief that the issues in dispute are particularly acute in these facilities. It is expected that additional hospitals will be added to this initial list of facilities to be balloted. The failure of the HSE and Department of Health to resolve a number of issues has led to a situation where our members have been forced to contemplate strike action. These issues include a failure by management to adhere to the fully binding provisions of the Lansdowne Road Agreement and Haddington Road Agreement. The most crucial elements that have not been adhered to include the reintroduce of a job evaluation scheme, to pay interns or apply incremental credit and double time payments. The other central issue in this dispute involves the granting of concessions by the HSE and the Department of Health to nurses working in emergency departments which have not been extended to other workers. The balloting process will commence on January 23 with the result scheduled to be announced on Monday, February 13. SIPTU has directly communicated their concerns to the Minister for Health, Simon Harris. In response the Minister has called for dialogue to resolve the outstanding problems but Mr Bell said this has not led to any genuine action by either the HSE or Department of Health. In the result of strike action our members will do everything in their power to ensure that the disruption for the public is minimalised," he stressed. The flu virus is circulating in our communities and health care facilities and is causing much concern due to the seriousness of the illness. Incidences have tripled in Ireland over the past 2 weeks, where the proportion of flu related calls to GP services reached the highest level reported since 2010/11 and respiratory admissions reached the highest level ever reported. There have been several Community Hospitals and Nursing Units across Community Healthcare Organisation (CHO) Area 1 (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) who have been closed to admissions and have restricted visiting in place due to the current flu outbreak. Since September 2016 CHO Area 1 have been running a Flu Vaccine Awareness Campaign to get across the importance of getting the flu vaccine for all at risk groups. Flu can be a very serious and sometimes deadly disease, with potentially 1,000 flu related deaths in Ireland during a severe flu season. Flu is very infectious and can cause potentially serious illnesses especially for older people, those who have a chronic illness, those with weakened immune systems and pregnant women. Seasonal flu vaccine can be given at any stage of pregnancy and also protects the baby. The flu vaccine cannot give you the flu as it does not contain any live flu virus and all those at risk should get vaccinated as soon as possible. The following groups of at-risk people should be vaccinated against seasonal influenza: Everyone aged 65 years and over Anyone over six months of age with a long term illness requiring regular medical follow-up such as chronic lung disease, heart disease, diabetes or those with lower immunity due to disease or treatment Pregnant women Residents of nursing homes and other residential care services All Healthcare Workers The HSE provides the flu vaccine free of charge for all those in the at-risk groups. The vaccine is available from your GP or local Pharmacy. The vaccine and consultation are free to those within the at risk groups who have a 'Medical Card' or 'Doctor Only Card'. Family doctors and Pharmacists charge a consultation fee for seasonal flu vaccine to those who do not have a 'Medical Card' or 'Doctor Only Card'. Dr. Brenda Corcoran, Head of the HSE National Immunisation Office urged those in at risk groups, who have not yet been vaccinated, to get the vaccine. She said The flu vaccine is a lifesaver because flu can be a very serious and sometimes deadly disease, with potentially 1,000 flu related deaths in Ireland during a severe flu season. That is why those who are most vulnerable to the complications of flu need to get vaccinated. The flu vaccine is the only defence against flu, yet every year many people in the at risk groups fail to get vaccinated and put themselves at risk of serious illness or even death. The symptoms of flu usually develop over a matter of a few hours, and include a high temperature, sore muscles, dry cough, headache and sore throat. Flu is different from the common cold, which tends to come on more gradually and usually includes a runny nose and a normal temperature. Flu is spread by coughing and sneezing so people should cover their nose and mouth with a tissue, disposing of the tissue as soon as possible and washing their hands with soap and water as soon as possible to help prevent the spread of flu. Anyone who gets flu should stay at home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and use over-the-counter flu remedies to ease symptoms. People in high-risk categories should contact their GP if they develop flu symptoms, said Dr. Corcoran. In the face of Brexit and a Trump Presidency, our communities face a period of crisis and uncertainty. We therefore must continue to focus attention on supporting and improving schools here in the UK so that our young people are as well-equipped as possible to adapt to this rapidly changing world. Aside from the distracting nonsense of Grammar Schools, the Government is pursuing ambitious reforms to the national schools funding formula. The second stage of their consultation was published on 14th December and, having campaigned for such reforms for several years, there are many aspects that I welcome. However there are also concerns surrounding the potential 8% real-term cuts that are being imposed nationally by 2019-20. With all this in mind, school funding is likely to become the focus of debate in education, but, I believe, that we may end up further overlooking a far more important issue that is currently driving our education system into crisis: the understaffing of UK schools. The government has repeatedly denied reports of teacher shortages, pointing to growth in teacher recruitment, and to increases in the number of recruits with 1st class degrees. Opponents point to high drop-out rates and increases in the number of substitute teachers. I would suggest that such discussions ignore the most obvious measure: the number of pupils per qualified teacher; a metric that is difficult to find in national statistics. After recruitment and departures, a review of DoE data shows that the number of qualified teachers in state schools in England has increased by 3% since 2010. However the number of pupils has increased by 6%; raising the number of pupils per teacher by 2%. 2% does not sound like a massive deterioration. However, data from the Worldbank (focussed on Primary schools) should raise concerns, with the UKs pupils per teacher ratio of 17.4 (in 2014) comparing poorly with many countries and, in fact, the average for all OECD member countries (15.7). In education, a single metric comparison with other countries is undoubtedly limited. However it is clearly evident that increasing the number of teachers per pupil would bring significant benefits to our children. Effective education depends on high quality teachers having time to invest in their pupils both inside and outside the classroom (see Sutton Trust EEF Toolkit and sort by Impact). Living with a teacher, I know the hours of time that go into the planning and feedback required to be an excellent teacher. If we really want to improve our school system then we need to provide teachers, and pupils, with this time. The only way that will be possible is through ambitious recruitment targets that help reduce workload. Michael Gove and his successors have, disappointingly, delivered the opposite to this. Governments have repeatedly imposed targets on schools. I believe that our Party should instead set the government targets to reduce pupil/qualified teacher ratios which would improve the support that every child receives and help reduce the excessive workload which is driving teachers out of the profession every year. Once the success criteria are made clear, the financial decisions can be made and justified. * Jamie joined the Lib Dems in 2014 and was elected as City Councillor for West Chesterton in May 2018. We're sorry that the ministry you were looking for is no longer available on LightSource.com. However, below are some great ministries that offer related content. Enjoy the inspiration, encouragement, and Biblical challenge from these LightSource.com ministry partners! MARIE Grace the Limerick leader on Operation Transformation has the whole city and county behind her. Men, women and children came out in their droves at the weekend to take part in 5k walks in the city centre and at Knockane GAA club in Maries home parish of Pallasgreen/Templebraden. Marie led the way in Knockane as she aims to hit her target weight loss of 4 lbs this week. The tenth series of Operation Transformation aired on Wednesday night when the public were introduced to the five leaders. Marie touched the hearts of the nation when she opened up about losing a baby after she was born prematurely and the affect this has had on her and husband Fergal. I suppose I lost a piece of myself when I lost her, she said. The 32-year-old hairdresser said the weight really began to increase after baby Michaela died in November 2014. The couple have two young daughters Lily Mai and Daisy and Marie wants to lose some pounds for herself and her children. Five foot five inches in height, her starting point on Operation Transformation was 14 stone 1 lb. Her dream is to get back to 11 stone. I never would have been eight or nine stone. I normally would be around the 11 stone mark and that was fine. I didnt really have weight as such but now Im 14 stone 2 lbs. My ideal weight would be 11 stone, said Marie, who didnt think she had any chance of making the show. Then they rang from RTE to say they would come down to meet us. My sister Michelle said, Oh my God you could be in with a chance Marie and I said, I dont think so, surely there are other people more worthy of it than me, recalled Marie. Then she was invited to the final group of 18 get together in Santry. I came home and said there are definitely more people that deserve it than I would. I really didnt think I would get on, she said. A few weeks later Kathryn Thomas arrived on the door step of N&R Hair Studio to give Marie the good news. And on Saturday Marie was leading the way on a 5k walk in Knockane on Saturday. She decided to apply for the show after she coudnt fit into a dress she bought for Daisys christening eight months earlier. I decided at that stage I had to so something about it, said Marie. She certainly has and Marie has the whole city and county behind her. THERE may well be a new 'Queen of Limerick' as Ruth Negga the first from the Treaty City to touch Hollywood stardom since Limerick's famous thespian Richard Harris continues to reap award nominations. While Negga, 35, missed out on winning a Golden Globe award for best actress on Sunday night for her role in the critically acclaimed film Loving, further accolades are in the pipeline, with her being nominated for a Rising Star award in the upcoming BAFTAS in February, while she is also tipped to be a contender for an Oscar for best actress at the Academy Awards. Hollywood heavyweight Meryl Streep didnt overlook Negga in her politically charged speech at the Globes on Sunday night, delivered whilst accepting the prestigious Cecil B. DeMille Award. Speaking about the ethnic mix of the elite in attendance, and their diverse backgrounds, she said: "And the beautiful Ruth Negga was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and raised in Ireland, and she's here nominated for playing a small-town girl from Virginia." Wearing a long metallic zip-up dress by Louis Vuitton, fashion bible Vogue magazine hailed their January edition cover star as a runaway success on the red carpet - where her Limerick cousin Dave Malone was again by her side, having also accompanied her to the Cannes film festival last year. Hollywood super-stylist Karla Welch was drafted in in recent months to hone the experimental yet elegant look for Negga, which had her growing coterie of fans abuzz on Twitter last night. "It's a custom piece made in the very special atelier in Paris. Nicolas Ghesquiere [Vuitton's creative director] designed the dress for her," Ms Welch told the Telegraph, who described the finished creation as "a work of art". "It's a combination of rose gold, yellow gold and silver paillettes- they were all sewn by hand and it took 120 hours to make," she said. British fashion stylist Gok Wan also tweeted praise: "I just adore this dress worn by Ruth Negga at the golden globes last night! Vuitton strikes again." In addition to appearing on the cover of US Vogue, she has also graced the front cover of the New York Times magazine recently. Among her cousins in Limerick is Peter Malone, who has played rugby with Bruff, St Munchin's, Garryowen, Munster, and who is now Munster Rugby's elite player development manager. Ruths mother Nora lives in London, after moving from Limerick, but she still has a wide circle of aunts, uncles and cousins living in the Dooradoyle area, and is a frequent visitor to Limerick. Negga, an only child, was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where she lived until she was four, where her mother worked as a nurse and met Negga's father. He died in a car accident when she was just seven. She went to national school in Roxborough, and later spent part of her secondary school at Scoil Carmel on OConnell Avenue, before moving to London and completing her drama studies at Trinity College Dublin. Her breakout role was in Neil Jordans 2004 film Breakfast on Pluto, followed by Ophelia at the National Theatre, the Misfits TV series on E4, amongst others. The former Love/Hate star, who also played Shirley Bassey in an acclaimed BBC drama, stars in the big screen in Loving, which tells the true story of an illegal inter-racial marriage in 1950s Virginia and stars Joel Edgerton as Richard Loving with Negga playing his wife, Mildred. The couple battled before the Supreme Court in 1967 for their right to live together as husband and wife. A MAJOR airlift of Irish thoroughbred horses has taken place from Shannon Airport, bound for China. The airlift of 76 horses in a Boeing 747 cargo plane from Shannon took place late last week. The 3m airlift was the biggest single movement of Irish horses to China ever, more than doubling the previous high. The horses were purchased for Chinese businessman Zhang Yuesheng by Kildare based bloodstock agency BBA Ireland at sales in Goffs last autumn, all from Irish breeders. The airlift, it is hoped, will lead to further purchases by Chinese horse racing and breeding interests in Irish stock, and was the product of a number of years work by BBA Ireland, supported by Irish Thoroughbred Marketing (ITM), the semi-state which promotes Ireland as the leading source for the production and sale of quality thoroughbreds worldwide. Andrew Murphy, Chief Commercial Officer for Shannon Group, which operates Shannon Airport, said the airlift was in keeping with the airports target of growing its livestock cargo business. We are well used to firsts at Shannon but having a record airlift of Irish horses to China from here was very exciting for all concerned, he said. BBA Ireland are experts in this market and we are delighted to be working with them. We also have considerable experience and expertise over the years in handling this type of precious cargo through sizeable equine lifts for some of the Irish larger stud farms that have horses going to the United States, Middle East and onto Australia. This gives comfort to BBA Ireland and, indeed, to their clients. Declan Murray, Managing Director at BBA Ireland, said it was really good business for the Irish equine industry, not least for small breeders from whom most of these horses were purchased. Many of these horses might not have met the high standards of the Irish and European market but they are still of a higher standard than the average horse currently racing in China. So Irish breeders get a good price for horses they might not otherwise have got, the industry here further develops the emerging Chinese market and China gets a higher quality race horse. Everyone wins with this. A MAJOR public protest over the trolley crisis at University Hospital Limerick will take place this weekend. It follows one of the worst ever weeks for overcrowding, with more than 200 patients treated on trolleys at UHL - figures which were the highest in the country several days running. While the number had drastically reduced as of this Monday, there was still 33 patients on trolleys - again the highest in the country, level with South Tipperary General Hospital. Organiser Donal OBrien who has frequently witnessed the chaos in UHL's emergency department as a volunteer emergency medical technician said of Saturday's protest: It is our time to get out there and speak our minds and say that we have had enough of this. He said that the emergency department is so cramped, two trolleys can barely pass each other on the corridors, and that some trolleys have to be moved out onto the outdoor loading bay, which can get cold and wet. Though he commended the medical staff who are working through the crisis, he said that he has seen elderly people facing their dying hours unable to get an isolated space for treatment. There is no one accountable , and that is the problem. We can blame a Minister for the whole lot, and the buck stops with him, but we all have to take a share of this blame; doctors, nurses, management, and the public. Protesters will march from UHL at 12noon to Ballykeeffe Roundabout and back, with speeches to follow. Gardai have been notified about the protest and organisers also intend to liaise with the hospital and ambulance control. Hundreds of protesters could march on UHL over the crisis, following a similar public demonstration in Ennis. Around 200 protesters marched in the town centre last Saturday, lobbying for the reopening of the Ennis Hospital emergency department. The closure of A&Es in Ennis, Nenagh and St Johns Hospital has contributed to large numbers of patients presenting at UHL emergency department in recent years. Pallaskenry man Donal and Ken McCarthy, Raheen, will be leading the demonstration. Mr OBrien said: [People] have done it for Irish Water, they have done it for the homeless crisis with Apollo House, and maybe its our time to get out there and speak our minds." The UL Hospitals Group has been unable to state when the new A&E will be open, after Minister for Health Simon Harris said that it was an absolute priority that it be opened in May. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev offered condolences over the death of former Iranian president Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani to Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei. I was deeply saddened by the news of death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, outstanding statesman, public and political figure, said President Aliyev in his letter of condolences. Being the example of loyalty to his state and people through all his activities and way of life, Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was also known as a wise and far-sighted politician. Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani made a significant contribution to the formation and the expansion of relations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan, he noted. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deep condolences to you, the family and relatives of the late Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, and the whole people of Iran, added President Aliyev. May Allah rest his soul in peace! President Ilham Aliyev also offered condolences to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani. I was deeply saddened by the news of death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, former president of the Islamic Republic of Iran, outstanding statesman, public and political figure, said President Aliyev in his letter of condolences. Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, who took an active part in the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, made a great contribution to the development of ties of friendship and cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. His memory will live forever, noted the president. On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my deep condolences to you, the family and relatives of the late Ali Akbar Rafsanjani, and the whole people of Iran, added President Aliyev. May Allah rest his soul in peace! ONE of the worst kept secrets in the music industry was confirmed this Monday morning with news that U2 are to bring their Joshua Tree tour to Croke Park this summer. The seminal album marks its 30th anniversary this year and is the spur for the July 22 show, tickets for which go on sale this coming Monday. The gig will mark 30 years since U2 made a memorable return to their hometown with the original Joshua Tree Tour, playing very special sold out shows on Jones Road in June 1987. Each show on the tour will include a performance of The Joshua Tree in its entirety, with support in Dublin from special guest Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds. Bono said of the Croke Park gig: Recently I listened back to The Joshua Tree for the first time in nearly 30 years. Its quite an opera. A lot of emotions which feel strangely current, love, loss, broken dreams, seeking oblivion, polarisationall the greats. "Ive sung some of these songs a lot, but never all of them. Im up for it, if our audience is as excited as we are its gonna be a great night. Especially when we play at home. Croke Park - its where the album was born, 30 years ago." Guitarist The Edge said: "It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk. To celebrate the album as the songs seem so relevant and prescient of these times too - we decided to do these shows, it feels right for now. Were looking forward to it." Released to universal acclaim on March 9th 1987 and featuring hit singles With Or Without You,I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For and Where The Streets Have No Name, The Joshua Tree went to number one in Ireland and around the world, selling in excess of 25 million albums, and catapulting U2 to superstardom. The original was such a ground-breaking tour, the one people always ask about. Im thrilled that the band can celebrate The Joshua Tree in this way with the fans, the time is right," Arthur Fogel, Live Nation's President, Global Touring and Chairman, said. Tickets for the U2: The Joshua Tree Tour 2017 (subject to licence) go on sale Monday, January 16. There is an exclusive priority presale for U2 Subscribers at U2.com from Wednesday at 9am. Apr 29, 2021, 4 AM Carrie Chapman Catt is depicted in the center of this 3 stamp from 1948 celebrating a century of progress for American women. By Michael Baadke A 3 stamp issued by the United States Post Office Dept. on July 19, 1948, commemorates 100 Years of Progress of Women, marking the 100th anniversary of the Seneca Falls Convention, which began July 19, 1848 (Scott 959). Three women are depicted on the purple stamp: Elizabeth Cady Stanton at left and Lucretia Mott at right were the organizers of the 1848 convention. In the center is a portrait of Carrie Chapman Catt, the prominent womens suffrage leader who was born Carrie Clinton Lane in Ripon, Wis., on Jan. 9, 1859. After graduating from Iowa State Agricultural College (now Iowa State University) in 1880, Catt became a teacher and school superintendent before working as a newspaper writer in San Francisco. Her involvement in the suffrage movement and her efforts to secure voting rights for women brought her into contact with Susan B. Anthony, who chose Catt to succeed her as president of the National American Woman Suffrage Association. When her goal was reached with the passage of the 19th Amendment, Catt founded the League of Women Voters, and continued to work in the international womens suffrage movement and with groups opposing war and child labor. She died on March 9, 1947. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page. Details added (first version posted on 12:15) Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received the credentials of the newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Finland to Azerbaijan Arja Inkeri Makkonen January 9. Makkonen presented her credentials to President Aliyev, who then had a conversation with the ambassador. The president said the two countries enjoy good experience of cooperation. President Aliyev stressed the importance of his official visit to Finland, and the Finnish president`s official visit to Azerbaijan. President Aliyev recalled with pleasure his meetings with the president of Finland on the sidelines of international events, and added that cooperation within international organizations is an important part of the bilateral ties. President Aliyev said there are good opportunities for the development of relations in various areas, including in the fields of trade and transport, particularly within the North-South transport corridor. The president expressed confidence that cooperation between Azerbaijan and Finland will continue to develop successfully. President Aliyev expressed hope that Makkonen`s activity in the country will contribute to the strengthening of these ties even further. The ambassador in turn conveyed greetings of President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinisto to President Aliyev. The ambassador said there are good relations between the two countries, adding she will spare no efforts to contribute to strengthening the bilateral cooperation, expanding the commercial ties and increasing the number of reciprocal visits in the various areas. Touching upon the importance of the interparliamentary cooperation, Makkonen emphasized the significance of bilateral ties and visits between Azerbaijan and Finland in this field. President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of President Niinisto, and asked the diplomat to communicate his greetings to the Finnish president. President Aliyev also received the credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Estonia to Azerbaijan Marin Mottus. Mottus presented her credentials to President Aliyev. President Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador. The president recalled with pleasure his visit to Estonia and Estonian president's visit to Azerbaijan. Ilham Aliyev hailed the very good mutual understanding between the two countries, as well as their support for each other in the political sphere, saying trade cooperation between Azerbaijan and Estonia is not as active as in these areas. Saying that Azerbaijani Embassy in Estonia has been operating for many years, the president lauded the two countries' active cooperation within international organizations too. President Aliyev expressed hope that much more importance will be given to the expansion of economic and trade relations for the development of bilateral relations which in turn will pave the way for stimulation of export and import operations and determination of opportunities between Azerbaijan and Estonia. The president also hailed the importance of reciprocal visits at different levels in strengthening the bilateral relations, saying that cultural cooperation is of crucial importance in terms of the two peoples' better knowing each other. President Aliyev praised the successful development of bilateral relations within the European Union. The ambassador conveyed greetings of President of the Republic of Estonia Kersti Kaljulaid to President Aliyev. The ambassador Mottus thanked President Aliyev for the kind words, hailing the successful development of Estonia-Azerbaijan political relations. She noted the importance of high-level reciprocal visits in terms of strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two countries. The Estonian ambassador also underlined the two countries' active cooperation and mutual support for each other within international organizations. The sides exchanged views on opportunities for cooperation between the two countries in trade, transportation, information technologies, tourism, agricultural and cultural fields. President Aliyev thanked for the greetings of President Kaljulaid, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the Estonian president. President Aliyev also received the credentials of newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Peru to Azerbaijan Luis Manuel Santiago Marcovich Monasi. Luis Manuel Santiago Marcovich Monasi presented his credentials to President Aliyev. President Aliyev then had a conversation with the ambassador. Luis Manuel Santiago Marcovich Monasi conveyed greetings of President of the Republic of Peru Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to President Aliyev. He noted that very good opportunities were established to define cooperation areas for the strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries. The Peruvian diplomat informed the president about the work planned to be done to develop cooperation in a variety of fields between the two countries. President Aliyev underlined the importance of expanding cultural ties and the two peoples' better knowing each other despite a long distance between the two countries. Hailing the importance of relations within the political and international organizations, the president noted that expanding bilateral ties between the two countries, as well as exploring the opportunities for identifying areas of cooperation between the two countries particularly in trade and tourism sectors are of pivotal importance. He underlined the possibility of mutual export of various products manufactured by the two countries. The president thanked for the greetings of President Kuczynski, and asked the ambassador to extend his greetings to the Peruvian leader. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: The public representatives attended the Open Door days at UNEC. Besides the UNEC Rector, Professor Adalat Muradov, the Deputy Director General of Trend news agency Arzu Naghiyev, Head of the Public Association Training Center XXI Century Etibar Aliyev, Editor-in-chief of website Modern.az Elshad Eyvazli, correspondent of the newspaper 525th newspaper Sevinj Garayeva participated in the first meeting. They heard students, parents and other citizens appeals. All the appeals were investigated on the spot and structural units were tasked to take measures in a timely and urgent manner. The Open Door days will be arranged throughout the Winter Exam Session of 2016/2017 academic year at UNEC. Public representatives requiring to attend the Open Door days aimed at objective and transparent assessment of the students knowledge have to contact UNECs Department of Public Relations (012 497 58 63). The next Open Door will take place on January 14 at UNEC. Students and parents who want to attend the meeting should contact Hotline service (146-1-3). UNEC is the brand of Azerbaijan State University of Economics. The brand of UNEC has been registered and patented by the State Committee on Standardization, Metrology and Patent on January 21 2016. The winners of the next round of Student Bursary Program launched in 2008 by Azercell Telecom LLC have been announced. As a result of multi-stage selection process, 27 students have been awarded the title of Azercell Scholar. They will receive a monthly stipend of AZN 200 throughout the remaining period of their university studies. Furthermore, qualified students will have a chance to enrich their knowledge about telecommunications, participate in Azercells corporate events and social activities, receive various trainings, as well as take internship at Azercell. The students come from Baku State University, Public Administration Academy under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Khazar University, Qafqaz University, Gandja State University, Nakhchivan State University, Baku High Oil School, State Oil and Industry University, Azerbaijan Technical University, Mingachevir State University, Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction and Gandja Agrarian University. The Student Bursary Program had two-stage selection process. The first stage included the evaluation of received applications. In the meantime, HR specialists of Azercell visited universities in Baku and regions and made presentations about the program. In the second stage, the applicants took online tests to demonstrate their level of logical thinking and English proficiency. In addition, the students had face-to-face interviews with HR specialists and heads of departments at Azercell. They were evaluated based on their academic skills, world outlook and aspirations towards science and education. Azercell has conducted the Student Bursary Program annuallly since 2008. Over 120 students from various universities in Azerbaijan have benefited from the Program. The leader of the mobile communication industry of Azerbaijan and the biggest investor in the non-oil sector Azercell Telecom LLC was founded in 1996. With 48% share of Azerbaijans mobile market Azercells network covers 80% of the territory and 99,8% of population of the country. Currently, 4,5 million subscribers choose Azercell services. Azercell has pioneered an important number of innovations in Azerbaijan, including GSM technology, advance payment system, 24/7 Customer Care, online customer services, GPRS/EDGE, M2M, MobilBank, one-stop- shop service offices Azercell Express, mobile e-service ASAN signature, etc. Azercell deployed first 4G LTE services in Azerbaijan in 2012. According to the results of mobile network quality surveys of Global Wireless Solutions company and international systems specialized in wireless coverage mapping such as Opensignal and Testmy.net, Azercells network demonstrated the best results among the mobile operators of Azerbaijan. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: No criminal case has been filed against the management of the ANS Independent Broadcasting and Media Company, the license of which was revoked, Eldar Sultanov, head of the press service of Azerbaijani Prosecutor Generals Office, told Trend Jan. 9. Sultanov said that the information disseminated in this regard is not true. He noted that the materials gathered by the Prosecutor Generals Office in connection with the calls of the ANS officials aimed to promote terrorism and other facts have been attached to the criminal case against supporters of the Hizmat movement, filed by the Prosecutor Generals Office Department for Investigation of Grave Crimes. Supporters of the Hizmat movement worked for a long period at schools and other structures in Azerbaijan under the leadership of Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of being involved in the July 15 military coup attempt in Turkey, said Sultanov. These persons under the pretext of religious rites committed acts infringing the rights of citizens, as well as aimed to incite social and religious hatred and hostility, he added. Currently, relevant investigative and operational activities are underway, Sultanov noted. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Anvar Mammadov Trend: The price of OPEC basket of fourteen crudes stood at $53.5 a barrel on Jan. 6, which is $0.48 more than on Jan. 5, the cartel told Trend Jan. 9. The new OPEC Reference Basket of Crudes (ORB) is made up of the following: Saharan Blend (Algeria), Girassol (Angola), Oriente (Ecuador), Rabi Light (Gabon), Minas (Indonesia), Iran Heavy (Islamic Republic of Iran), Basra Light (Iraq), Kuwait Export (Kuwait), Es Sider (Libya), Bonny Light (Nigeria), Qatar Marine (Qatar), Arab Light (Saudi Arabia), Murban (UAE) and Merey (Venezuela). World oil prices are decreasing on Jan. 9 amid the fears that in conditions of export increase from Iran, Libya, as well as the growth in activity of shale oil producers, OPECs efforts to balance the market will have a limited effect, according to the trading data. The price of March futures for Brent crude oil decreased by 0.84 percent and stood at $56.62 per barrel as of 13:16 (GMT +4). This is while the price of February futures for West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil fell by 0.81 percent to $53.55 per barrel. A tomb in northern Iraq held a pile of skeletons, including those dating back 2,400 years and more recent burials (shown here). The white dust is from the excavation of the more recent burials. A 2,400-year-old tomb filled with the skeletons of at least six people has been discovered in northern Iraq. Among the artifacts found in the tomb is a bracelet decorated with images of two snake heads peering at each other. The tomb was constructed toward the end, or just after, the time of the Achaemenid Empire (550 to 330 B.C.), an empire in the Middle East that was conquered by Alexander the Great in a series of campaigns, according to the archaeologists, led by Michael Danti, a professor at Boston University. The excavation results were presented by Kyra Kaercher and Katie Downey, graduate students at the University of Pennsylvania and The Ohio State University, respectively, in November 2016 at the American Schools of Oriental Research's annual meeting. "The snake-headed bracelet was very popular in Achaemenid times," and helped date the tomb, the team of archaeologists told Live Science in an email. [In Photos: Ancient City Discovered in Iraq] It's difficult for archaeologists to tell exactly how many people were originally buried in the tomb, as some of the skeletons were found in a jumbled state. That disarray indicates that someone had entered, and possibly robbed, the tomb in ancient times, the researchers noted. Inside the tomb, the archaeologists also found a pair of bronze earrings and the remains of at least 48 pottery vessels, five of which were still intact. "There were five complete vessels found in the tomb: one bridge-spouted jar, three pitchers and one miniature jar. They were all found near the heads of skeletons," the archaeologists wrote. These intact jars that were found near the heads of skulls in the tomb in Iraq and date back around 2,400 years. (Image credit: Kyra Kaercher) Layers of bones Archaeologists found that sometime between 400 and 1,300 years ago, the tomb, originally the home of the six-plus skeletons found, was reused, and at least five more people (probably more) were buried there. The heads of those skeletons, which were separated from the older bones by a layer of soil, were found facing west. The archaeologists did not find any artifacts dating to the more recent burials. "Based on the lack of artifacts found with the skeletons and their locations the tomb reuse probably dates to the Early or Middle Islamic period [eighth to 17th century A.D.], but without artifacts or carbon samples, this cannot be proved," the archaeologists told Live Science. The researchers cautioned, however, that the time period for the more recent burials "does not mean these are Islamic burials," they wrote. "Historically, in this region, various religious groups have lived together, including Muslims, Christians, Yazidis, Zoroastrians and many others." Need for preservation A 2,400-year-old bronze bracelet with two snakes facing each other was also found in the Iraq tomb. (Image credit: Michael Danti) Islamic State group (also known as ISIS, ISIL or Daesh) militants destroyed, damaged and looted many heritage sites after they conquered part of northern Iraq during a military campaign in the spring and summer of 2014. This particular tomb was not in an area they took over. At present, ISIS still controls part of Mosul and a few small cities, towns and rural areas in northern Iraq. Numerous archaeologists have also told Live Science over the past few years that during the rule of Saddam Hussein, archaeologists had little access to parts of northern Iraq and that a number of sites are in desperate need of conservation. Moreover, as construction projects (such as the road widening that led to the discovery of this tomb) take place, new archaeological sites will be discovered. Original article on Live Science. Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 9 By Demir Azizov Trend: Prosecution bodies should play an important role in strengthening justice in the society, said Uzbekistans President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. He made the remarks at a meeting with employees of prosecution bodies of Uzbekistan, held on the occasion of the Day of Workers of Public Prosecution, celebrated Jan. 8, the countrys National News Agency (UzA) reported. President Mirziyoyev stressed the role of the prosecution authorities in ensuring the strict compliance with the law and formation of a democratic rule-of-law state. Mirziyoyev reminded that from this year on, heads of administrations of all levels, heads of prosecution and internal affairs bodies will report to the Uzbek population. In addition, assessment of prosecutors activities will be conducted in the regions of Uzbekistan. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The bodies of three young adults from Chambers County, just east of Baytown, were recovered Saturday alongside the trio's capsized boat after a duck hunting outing in the Matagorda Bay. Starett Burk from Wallisville, Spencer Hall from Mont Belvieu, and Chris Ruckman from Dayton all between the ages of 18 and 25 launched a 17-foot, green, flat-bottomed boat around 4 a.m. off County Road 312, on the east side of the bay that sits between Port Lavaca and Palacios. When the young men didn't return home several hours after they were expected, a girlfriend called the U.S. Coast Guard to report them missing. A search launched Friday that included an airplane, multiple helicopters and several boats provided by the Coast Guard, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Calhoun County Sheriff's Office. After more than 12 hours, crews located two bodies around noon Saturday. A short time later, they found the boat, which had capsized, and the body of one of two dogs the men had with them. The second dog had not been located Saturday night. Around 4 p.m., the third body was located under the capsized boat. Authorities do not suspect foul play, but are unsure what caused the accident. There were unusually strong winds up to 30 Knots and high sea levels, 2-3 feet high, Friday and into Saturday, according to Coast Guard Lt. Karl Alejandre, who participated in the search from the plane. Burk, who studied criminal justice at Sam Houston State University, appears to have lived and breathed hunting. His Facebook page proudly displays photos of the yields of his many hunting trips: rows of duck carcasses draped over the tailgate of a pickup truck, Burk posing with giant fish, boars and deer. Cowboy hats and hunting camo were wardrobe staples. He even had a tattoo on his chest depicting the state of Texas with a deer head, a fish and a duck in the middle. Hall, a recent graduate of Barbers Hill High School, shared that passion for hunting. His Facebook cover photo depicts him in a camouflage T-shirt with more than a dozen dead birds draped around his neck. Emily Frankum, a former classmate of Hall's, remembered him as silly and goofy. "He was just a good, caring person," Frankum said. "A fun person to be around." Ruckman, who also showed his love of hunting on social media, had announced on Twitter in November that he planned to join the U.S. Navy. He also tweeted about the recent holidays. "Honestly best New Years I've ever had," he tweeted. "I have no New Year's resolution. I'm satisfied with myself." His mother, Teresa Ruckman, expressed her grief, shock and faith on Facebook Saturday. "Today is by far the (worst) day of my life," Teresa Ruckman wrote. "I am now confronted with a crossroads of belief. I can choose to give in to sorrow, anger and bitterness or I can trust that God sees and will heal and will bring joy back to my life ... He's got a perfect plan. I don't understand it and I would like to erase this terrible accident. Nevertheless thine will be done." Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 9 By Demir Azizov Trend: The first round of the Uzbek-Afghan political consultations in 2017 will be held in Tashkent on January 9-10, the Uzbek foreign ministry said. Afghan Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai will head the delegation of the countrys foreign ministry. While speaking at the 71st session of the UN General Assembly in September 2016, Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov called on the international community to consider Afghanistan as a unique strategic opportunity which can create a fundamental and solid foundation for all-round cooperation, rather than as a source of regional problems, threats and challenges. "The Afghan conflict can be resolved only through peaceful political negotiations between the main warring sides under the auspices of the UN without any preconditions, Kamilov said. The second meeting of the Uzbek-Afghan intergovernmental commission on trade, transport and energy was held in Tashkent in December 2016. The views on the economic potential of the two countries were exchanged during that meeting. Afghan representatives stressed Uzbekistan's role in the restoration and further development of the Afghan economy through the implementation of infrastructure projects. As of 2015, the volume of mutual trade between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan exceeded $444.5 million, while $429 million for 10 months of 2016. School & Education, Local News, Arts & Culture, Press Releases By WFSD News Published: January 09 2017 45 Advanced Placement World History students at William Floyd High School traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to explore artwork from various cultures. New York, NY - January 7, 2017 - Recently, 45 Advanced Placement World History students from Erin Hansens and Pat Costells classes at William Floyd High School traveled to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met) to explore artwork from various cultures they have studied throughout the school year. Students pictured inside The Met. At The Met, museum guides led students on tours in which they discussed art, sculptures and artifacts in their collection. Throughout their visit, students made cross-cultural connections to a variety of themes that can be traced throughout the various cultures, and compared and contrasted time period, location, material used, subject, tone and historical connections while analyzing artwork from Egypt, Mesopotamia, China, Greece, Rome, the Middle East and Africa. It was a wonderful experience and students were wide-eyed with wonder and excitement, said Ms. Hansen. They were complimented by The Met staff for their inquisitive nature, astute discussions and polite manners. The first-hand experience of interacting with professional art historians was amazing! Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: January 09 2017 Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced a series of actions to modernize New Yorks voting system. Albany, NY - January 8, 2017 - Governor Andrew M. Cuomo today announced a series of actions to modernize New Yorks voting system. The Democracy Project would allow early voting, and adopt both automatic voter registration and same day voter registration. These new actions will streamline voter registration services, remove unnecessary barriers that prevent participation in elections and increase accuracy within the voting process. Voting is the cornerstone of our democracy. This past election shined a bright light on the deficiencies of New York's antiquated election laws and the artificial barriers they create that prevent and discourage voters from exercising this sacred right, Governor Cuomo said. "These proposals will modernize and open up our election system, making it easier for more voters to participate in the process and helping to make a more fair, more just and more representative New York for all." Early Voting This proposal would require every county to offer residents access to at least one early voting poll site during the 12 days leading up to Election Day. Voters will have at least eight hours on weekdays and five hours on weekends to cast early ballots. Counties must have one early voting poll site for every 50,000 residents and the bipartisan county boards of elections will determine the specific location of early voting polling places, subject to standards of accessibility and convenience. Research shows that work, school, and personal commitments are some of the main reasons voters choose not to participate in elections in the United States. Additionally, early voting leads to shorter lines on Election Day, early detection and correction of registration errors, and greater access to voting. Currently, New York is one of only thirteen states where early voting is not available and an excuse is required to request an absentee ballot. New Yorkers can vote via absentee ballot only if the voter meets certain qualifications such as being absent from his or her county on Election Day or being unable to get to the polls due to a disability. Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia already allow voters to cast ballots in person before Election Day. In 2016, the number of these voters who had cast their early ballots by the week before Election Day nearly doubled compared to the 2012 elections. Automatic Voter Registration To modernize the voter registration process, the Governor will propose adopting a system implementing automatic voter registration. The new system will streamline DMV services by automatically sending voters information used in a DMV application directly to the County Board of Elections. New Yorkers who do not wish to register to vote can simply check an "opt out" box. Citizens can already register to vote at the DMV, but often face unnecessary, onerous regulations requiring a potential voter to include additional voting information in their application for a DMV service. Paper applications can introduce errors to voter rolls, and inaccurate registrations can lead to voters encountering difficulties at the polls. Automatic voter registration can lead to improved accuracy of voter registration lists, reduced costs, and a more convenient and efficient process for voters and election officials. Same-Day Voter Registration New York does not currently allow voters to register on Election Day. This proposal would allow New Yorkers to register and vote on the same day so that onerous and counter-intuitive registration deadlines do not prevent New Yorkers from having the opportunity to participate in the electoral process. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia allow same-day registration, which has greatly increased the accessibility of the democratic process to everyday citizens. Local News, Press Releases By Long Island News & PR Published: January 09 2017 Senator John E. Brooks took a ceremonial oath of office surrounded by constituents, friends, and family, in the district at Seaford High School this afternoon. Seaford, NY - January 7, 2017 - Senator John E. Brooks took a ceremonial oath of office surrounded by constituents, friends, and family, in the district at Seaford High School this afternoon. He officially took his oath of office on January 4th, 2017 in Albany, New York. Senator Brooks, knowing that many community leaders would not be able to attend the official swearing in, he organized the ceremony to include everyone from the district and Long Island. It was held at Seaford High School to highlight the Senator's commitment to public education. Democratic Conference Leader Andrea Stewart Cousin administered the oath of office. Senator John Brooks said, My number one priority is serving the needs of my constituents and being accessible. Hosting this ceremony within the district is significant because I want them to know that their involvement is important, from day one. We have a lot of work to do, but their input is essential to making real, effective change in Albany and here at home on Long Island. I want my constituents to know that, unabashedly, my door is always open. Senate Democratic Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, said, John Brooks is a dedicated public servant and a staunch advocate for Long Island residents, and he will be a terrific Senator. John will fight for Long Island schools to receive their fair share of state aid and for Long Island communities to receive the focus and investment they deserve. The Senate Democrats will listen to John when it comes to Long Island issues and I am proud to welcome him to our conference and the State Senate. Brooks concluded, Its time to get to work by fighting to end corruption in government, standing up for quality education for all students, and working to make Long Island a more affordable place to raise a family. Senator Brooks represents the South Shore of Eastern Nassau and Western Suffolk counties of Long Island, including Freeport, Merrick, Roosevelt, Bellmore, Wantagh, Jones Beach Island, Seaford, East Massapequa, Massapequa, Amityville, East Farmingdale, Wyandanch and Lindenhurst. His district office is located at 5550 Merrick Rd, Suite 205, Massapequa, NY 11758, and can be reached at 516.882.0630. Looking to stay up to date about all of the news stories and local headlines that are important to Long Islanders? We've rounded up the top coverage for all of the important topics from multiple sources around Long Island, so you can be sure you've got the most recent update on the top stories for Long Island. Have an idea for a news story? Email us at news@longisland.com Columnists Press Releases Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Jan. 9 By Demir Azizov Trend: President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has postponed abolition of visas for tourists from 27 countries from April 1, 2017 to Jan. 1, 2021. The introduction of green corridor customs control for foreign tourists with the simplified procedure of going through passport and customs control, receiving baggage and transport services has been also postponed until January 2021. It was previously reported that in early December 2016, Mirziyoyev adopted a decree On measures to ensure the accelerated development of the tourism industry of Uzbekistan. The decree envisaged the abolition of visas starting from April 1, 2017 for tourists from 15 countries and as well as those older than 55 years coming from 12 countries, who enter Uzbekistan for a period of no more than 30 days. It was expected that visas would be abolished for tourists from Australia, Austria, the UK, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, the Republic of (South) Korea, Singapore, Finland, Switzerland and Japan, as well as for citizens of Belgium, Indonesia, China (as part of tourist groups), Malaysia, the US, France, Vietnam, Israel, Poland, Hungary, Portugal and the Czech Republic, who reached the age of 55 years and arrive in Uzbekistan for tourist purposes for a period of no more than 30 days. Qods Forces Commander Qassem Soleimani (green hat) and Popular Mobilization Forces operational commander Abu Mahdi al Muhandis (black hat). Abu Mahdi al Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Iraqs Popular Mobilization Forces (PMF), gave an in-depth interview last week with the pro-Iranian, pan-Arab satellite television channel Al Mayadeen, in which he confirmed the presence of Lebanese Hezbollah in Iraq. In the interview, Muhandis said that there was a very good relationship between his PMF and Hezbollah, carried out with the knowledge and agreement of the Iraqi government. He said that both Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Haidar al-Abadi were aware of the relationship from the outset, down to the minute details. He said that PMF benefited greatly from Hezbollahs support, who played a central and very important role in the PMFs battle-readiness. Muhandis said the brothers in Hezbollah sent advisors to Iraq from the beginning of the battles against ISIS. Along with Iran, Hezbollah helped the PMF with training and planning, and with weapons and equipment. However, he also hinted that Hezbollahs role may not have been exclusively advisory, saying that the Lebanon-based Shiite group offered martyrs on Iraqs battlefields. The relationship between the PMF and Hezbollah, Muhandis noted, was not merely one of solidarity against their common foe of ISIS, but as with the PMFs relationship with Iran. They consider the Lebanese Shiite group a friend, ally and partner in the region. He noted that with the consent of the Iraqi government, the PMF would continue its relationship and alliance with Hezbollah beyond the battle for Mosul or the immediate fight against ISIS. On a personal level, Mudandis said he was honored to have a long-standing relationship with Hezbollahs Secretary General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, whom he called master (sayyed) of the Resistance and a regional symbol. He also spoke of his long-standing personal relationship with two of Hezbollahs storied founders and former military commanders, Imad Mughniyeh and Mustafa Badreddine, whom he called the great martyrs. Describing his relationship with the two late commanders as firm and operational, he said Mughniyeh and Badreddine were the first to come to Iraq in the early 1980s to train Iraqi [Shiite] jihadi rejectionist groups, to fight Saddam Hussein. Beginning in the 1980s and for years afterwards, Muhandis born Jamal Jaafar Mohammad Ali Aal-Ibrahim worked alongside Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its Iraqi proxy Badr Organization. Along with Badreddine, Muhandis was part of the militant group Dawa 17. They were involved in the 1983 near-simultaneous bombings of the US and French embassies in Kuwait, the Kuwaiti airport, the Raytheon Corporations headquarters, a Kuwait National Petroleum Company oil-rig, and a government-owned power station. The attacks killed five people and injured 86. Along with Badreddine, Muhandis was also linked to the 1985 attempted assassination of Kuwaits emir. Muhandis recalled that after 2003, Badreddine and Mughniyeh returned to Iraq to train, aid and prepare Iraqi Shiite militias against US forces in Iraq, himself included. At that time, Muhandis served as the leader of Kataib Hezbollah, an Iranian-sponsored Shiite militia which carried out deadly attacks that killed hundreds of US troops in Iraq. He helped smuggle improvised explosive devices in from Iran and Hezbollah. Known as explosively formed penetrators (EFPs), those explosive devices were the primary killer of US troops in Iraq from 2003 to 2011. As a result, Muhandis was listed by the US government as a specially designated global terrorist in July 2009, and was described as an advisor to Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the external arm of Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Quds Force. Muhandis said the Badreddine and Mughniyeh played a very important and central role in training Iraqi Shiite mujahidin forces and organizing them as resistance cells against the Americans. This greatly benefited the PMF, as Muhandis noted that large proportion of the PMFs fighters come from the cadres of those who fought the American presence in Iraq. Muhandis also spoke of the PMFs relationship with other countries and groups. Most important among those was with Iran which, along with Hezbollah, served as the cornerstone of support for the PMF, supplying them with weapons, ammunition, [battle] planning and advisors. He said that though the PMF now purchases weapons from the Islamic Republic and Hezbollah with Iraqi government funds, in the past both Tehran and the Shiite group gave them aid freely and with great generosity. He also noted that while the Americans did not aid the PMF in the battles to defend Irbil and Baghdad, the Iranians did. He stressed that the PMF neither wanted nor needed a relationship with the United States. However, they do want peaceful relations with Turkey and have open communication with the Russians. He said Moscow had placed intelligence assets and the representative of the Russian Defense Minister in Iraq. He noted that the head of the PMF, Falih al-Fayyad, was on a trip to Moscow at the time of the interview and that talks were underway for Russia to arm the PMF. Muhandis denied the presence of PMF fighters in Yemen in an official manner, aiding the Houthis, whom he described as brothers. However, he did say that, there could be Iraqis there in one capacity or another, and confirmed the existence of political ties between the PMF and Ansarullah. Like his allies in Hezbollah, Muhandis believes in establishing a Shiite theocracy on the Iranian model, and considers himself a representative of Irans Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. His future plans for the PMF also sound similar to Hezbollahs model in Lebanon. Hezbollah which claimed it was resisting the Israeli occupation of south Lebanon refused to disarm after the IDF withdrew from Lebanon on May 25, 2000. Likewise, Muhandis now says PMF will not disarm after the battle for Mosul. And like Hezbollah, which claims its presence is still necessary because Israel still occupies Lebanese lands and either the Jewish state or Sunni Islamists could attack Lebanon in the future, Muhandis said the PMFs continued presence would still be required because Iraq still needed to be cleansed of ISIS. He hinted that the PMF would remain in existence even after that because of the fear that ISIS could return in another form, just like the Baath [Party] transformed into al-Qaeda, which itself became ISIS, and who knows what will come in the future? Muhandis also said that after the battle for Mosul and Iraq, his fighting groups would go to any area that threatens the security of Iraq. Then, with the consent of the Iraqi and Syrian governments, PMF intended to fight ISIS in Syria, noting the presence of Iraqi Shiite militias fighting on behalf of Bashar al-Assad. He also stressed the constitutional and legal right individual PMF members to pursue political careers. David Daoud is an Arabic-Language Analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. 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. There are more than 3,000 military personnel and dependents living on Luke Air Force Base, Arizona who receive ground water pumped to the base water tower from a two-well system on base. Beginning this year, the 56th Civil Engineer Squadron will now receive supplemental water from Valley Utilities. The connection the 56th CES is constructing will act as a second source during maintenance and down times, said Bob Worley, 56th CES installation management flight chief. During a typical year, we use approximately 400 to 450 million gallons of water across the base, Worley said. The first connection, behind the credit union by the base exchange, is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year. This connection is for the low water pressure side of base which is pretty much everything away from the flightline. A 220 foot pipe will connect the low pressure water supply to the Valley Utilities tanker located near the base. The second connection, once approved, will most likely be contracted out due to the amount of work involved with running pipes along and under Super Sabre Road, Worley explained. We didnt contract out the first connection work, Worley said. We did it in house with several units in the civil engineer squadron. It was a great opportunity for the young guys to learn and train on how to do this connection. This kind of training is rare for Airmen in the 56th CES and is important in preparing them for different situations. One uncommon procedure involved using a hot tap to retrieve water. As part of this project, we conducted a hot tap into the water main, said Lt. Col. Gregory Mayer, 56th CES commander. Typically, when we connect to a water main, we have to isolate a section, which shuts down the water supply to any number of facilities. A hot tap allows us to connect to a pressurized line without shutting down supply. Once the connection is complete, the 56th CES can effectively shut down a well for maintenance without disrupting water services on base. Overall, this water connection project is vital to our overall water assurance plan for Luke, Mayer said. This will provide an important source of water, in case our wells go down for maintenance or other unforeseen issues. Culture / Art Republik Jan 09, 2017 | By AFP Relaxnews Pity and Terror in Picasso the Path to Guernica will open on April 4 at Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, Spain, to celebrate the anniversary of the painting itself, as well as its arrival at the museum 25 years ago. Close to 150 masterpieces by Pablo Picasso will be on show, coming from the (museums) collection and that of more than 30 institutions from around the world, the Reina Sofia said in a statement. Works of art from the Picasso Museum and Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, Tate Modern in London, MoMA in New York or the Beyeler Foundation in Basel will be on display. Guernica is one of the most well-known works by Picasso, who was born in Spain in 1881 and died in France in 1973 aged 91. He created it as a commission for Spains struggling Republican government to represent the country at the 1937 World Fair in Paris. At the time, Spain was waist-deep in a bloody civil war pitting the Republicans against the troops of future dictator General Francisco Franco. The painting was inspired by the town of Guernica in the Basque Country of northern Spain, which was bombed on April 26, 1937, a spring market day, by German air forces supporting Franco in the war. Hundreds died in what set a precedent for a new kind of wartime strategy during World War II the aerial bombing of civilians. The painting was transferred to Madrid in 1981 from New Yorks Museum of Modern Art, where it had been deposited on a long-term loan by Picasso until democracy was restored in Spain. For fear of attack, it was initially housed behind bullet-proof glass and under armed guard at the Prado Museum in Madrid before it was eventually transferred to the nearby Reina Sofia Museum when it opened in 1992. The Reina Sofia, a vast former hospital, now displays Guernica in a purpose-built gallery on its own. Curator Unveils MGM National Harbors Permanent Art Collection Through his careful selection process, Myers compiled a resort-wide permanent exhibit that rivals many museums. The MGM National Harbor Heritage Collection encompasses 68 pieces by 33 artists.Myers, located in Annapolis, has been a staple in the Baltimore/Washington metro area art scene for more than 30 years. As a publisher and distributor of fine art, Myers has collaborated with numerous corporate and hospitality projects including the Four Seasons Hotel Baltimore, Legg Mason International Headquarters, and Corporate Office Properties Inc. Atlantic Arts has also participated in international art exhibitions including those in England, Germany and Dubai.Myers was instrumental in sourcing one of the most iconic features inside MGM National Harbor, a work of art from legendary musician and popular culture icon Bob Dylan . Through his gallery connections, Myers worked directly with Dylan and his team to create Portal, a welded metal collage sculpted into an iron archway. Made completely of found metal objects, the archway gives a nod to the resorts location on the Potomac River with a Maryland Blue Crab prominently placed as you enter the west side of the casino.With all his projects, Myers relies on these close relationships with artists and has commissioned many other exclusive works for MGM National Harbor. In meeting the client's goals, Myers' provided works inspired by the region's unique environment including the Potomac River and the D.C. Skylineseen from many of the windows of MGM National Harbor. Many pieces were inspired by natural elements, including earth, sky and water.Myers enlisted world-renowned artist Alice Aycock to create the commissioned piece Whirlpools, which lines the casino entry drive. Spanning 80 feet long and 14 feet high in some places, this undulating sculpture made from powder-coated aluminum is meant to represent the raw power and energy created from moving water. Aycock carefully designed the piece to be viewable from all sides as guests enter and exit.As visitors approach the hotel entrance, they are greeted by John Safer's work titled Unity. Featuring three 60-foot-tall stainless steel figures, this commissioned piece is impressive with its gravity-defying design. Safer, a prominent regional sculptor and former chairman of the board of D.C. National Bank is responsible for structures around the D.C. area including Ascent, located at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum.Along with these commissioned works, Myers is responsible for sourcing pieces from artists including Alma Thomas and Sam Gilliam , both of whom have been featured in Corcoran Gallery of Art and Ken Young , who has a painting in the newly renovated National Gallery of Art. Maryland based artists Chul Hyun Ahn , also handpicked by Myers, was a crowd favorite during the opening weekend with his piece, The Wells. Creating an optical illusion of endless tunnels in the floor using lights and mirrors, his work will astound MGM National Harbor visitors for years to come.For more information, visit www.atlanticarts.com Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: The reform front in Iran is wondering what will happen to their movement now that Ayatollah Akbar Rafsanjani the sturdiest reform pillar and at the same time a revolution insider is dead. Rafsanjani had served as a true companion of now Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top Islamic Republic figures during the campaigns that led to the Islamic Revolution in 1979. He rose to great esteem in the Islamic Republic by acting as a commander during the war with Iraq in the 1980s, parliament speaker, president-cum-post-war commander of reconstruction, chairman of the strategically important Assembly of Experts, and chairman of Expediency Council. Last year when he failed to become the head of the Assembly of Experts, which is the body in charge of introducing a new leader once a former leader dies, the reform front was taken by much dismay. However, they kept optimistic by feeling Rafsanjanis presence among them as one who could lay his impact anyway no matter where he formally served. The ayatollah played a key role in the most recent parliamentary elections one year ago, where his favorite list of reformist candidates took all the seats of Tehran in the Parliament. Now that he has departed, many believe the reform movement is left without a real leader with enough power in Irans political system and influence on both right and left wings. The reformists icon and former president Mohammad Khatami is secluded as he is banned from media. During the 2009 post-election disturbances the reformists also lost Mehdi Karroubi, a far-left reform-seeking cleric who had fought alongside many right-side figures of the revolution in earlier decades, but had launched the reform wing under the consensus of late Leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in the 1980s. In the wake of his uncompromising criticism after the disputed election, Karroubi was put under house arrest, which still continues. But looking back, Rafsanjani cannot be considered an entirely reform-minded politician. At least up to the 2005 presidential election when he faced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as a rival during the campaigns, he had moved quite inside the right-wing venue of the Islamic Republic. He was a true supporter of Ayatollah Khamenei right from the time when he backed him up to leadership after Ayatollah Khomeini passed away in 1989. Rafsanjanis approach to social affairs was also quite within the right-side tradition, witnessed by his approach to the Islamic hijab, Iranian music, etc. during his presidency, which makes many Iranian citizens of older age doubt his later, sometimes radical, statements as political gestures. But during the 2005 electoral campaign, people saw a new Rafsanjani who used reformist slogans. Even the fans of then president Khatami rallied behind him, with their iconic stereotypical reform-minded dresses which went straight against what the right-wing thought appropriate for the Islamic society. It was about that time that people started to hear a new Ayatollah Rafsanjani, who talked much as Khatami did during his eight-year presidency, rather than like what he himself used to do before. That year Rafsanjani failed and Ahmadinejad took office. During the 2009 electoral campaign, when Ahmadinejad was running for a second term, Rafsanjani backed Mirhossein Mousavi, the figure whom reformists look to as a savior from the harsh days they had seen under Ahmadinejad. As the ballots chose Ahmadinejad for another term, Rafsanjani grew harsher in tone, especially towards how people who had protested the election result were treated. He went on so far that he was dismissed as Tehrans interim Friday prayer leader, a post he had been carrying on since the early days after the revolution. He used the podium for his reform-seeking criticism, moving away from the tradition where the Friday prayer sermon had been used for truly right-wing promotion of the revolutions cause. Now Irans reform movement is facing an upcoming presidential election, to be held in May, and they are missing Rafsanjani so badly. The reform-minded President Hassan Rouhani is expected to run for a second term. He used to enjoy the full support of Rafsanjani, who even walked before him when Rouhani walked to his swear-in stage four years ago. That day when Rouhani was sworn in, one could read victory written on Rafsanjanis forehead. Whatever his motives were, many Iranians looked up to Rafsanjani for his political vision and carefulness. However worried the reform wing may be, Rafsanjani himself recently said he will go back home with peace of mind now that he has done his job. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @mehdisepahvand Paul Gauguin Cruises Unveils Wedding Ceremony and Renewal of Vow Packages Motu Wedding Ceremony or Renewal of Vows Bora Bora Wedding Ceremony or Renewal of Vows at Thalasso Couples sailing on The Gauguin can celebrate their love in a romantic setting amid the turquoise lagoons and exotic islands of French Polynesia. Two optional packages offer these exclusive features: Private Polynesian Blessing Ceremony on Motu Mahana Congratulatory letter from the Captain Invitation to dine with the Captain or Hotel Director In-stateroom celebratory bottle of Champagne Reception cake and box of chocolates Heis (crowns of flowers) Deluxe flower arrangement One 8"x10" photo portraitThe Motu Wedding Ceremony or Renewal of Vows package is $315. Bride's arrival at the chapel on a traditional outrigger canoe ride through the lagoonarium Tahitian blessing by a local priest, at the InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa's air-conditioned chapel with glass floors showcasing the lagoon below, and splendid views of Mount Otemanu Flower leis for the bride and groom Tapa certificate with the couple's Polynesian name 2-course lunch at the resort Love lock to attach to a palm tree in the resort's Secret Garden of Love to seal and symbolize the couple's eternal love in Polynesian style Use of the resort's facilities after the ceremony TransfersThe Bora Bora Wedding Ceremony or Renewal of Vows at Thalasso package is $950. Guests can save $50 by combining it with the Romantic Escapade shore excursion or a pre- or post-cruise stay at InterContinental Bora Bora Resort & Thalasso Spa when arranged by Paul Gauguin Cruises.Paul Gauguin Cruises also offers a gift registry for those celebrating a wedding, honeymoon, or other special occasions at www.pgcruises.celebrationwishes.com For reservations, please contact a Travel Professional, call 800-848-6172, or visit Top 21 Trips for 2017 from Robb Report For this year's edition currently on spotlight in the January edition of the magazine, Robb Report dives deeper into the year's most dynamic destinations and highlights the most sophisticated sojourns and enthralling experiences to check off your travel list, from an underwater adventure in the Seychelles to an around-the-world getaway for gourmands.Says Robb Report Editorial Director Bruce Wallin, Our ninth annual Travel Issue celebrates our readers' ever-increasing appetite for unique and exceptional experiences. We dug deeper than ever to find 21 one-of-a-kind trips that are sure to entice even the most seasoned travelers.From Cuba (No. 3) and Abu Dhabi (No. 15) to Tanzania (No. 10) and Uruguay (No. 16), Robb Report's Top 21 caters to every traveler's tastes, passions, and interests. Coming in at No. 7 and the issue's cover story, the Cayman Islandslong known primarily as a tax havenare emerging as the latest laidback luxury escape thanks to a new wave of development that, more than a decade after Hurricane Ivan, includes extraordinary and distinct resorts. Robb Report Editor in Chief Brett Anderson offers his firsthand account of the revitalized Caymans with an insider's look at the luxury hot spots turning the Caribbean tide.Robb Report's coveted list is online at the following link: Tehran, Iran, Jan. 9 By Mehdi Sepahvand Trend: The death of Ayatollah Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, leading reformist figure of Iran, former president and Expediency Council chief, will hopefully create stronger cohesion among the revolutions forces, Mehdi Rahmanian, editor-in-chief of the reformist daily newspaper Shargh told Trend January 9. We hope that as his life was the source of so much good for the country, his decease brings about good changes, Rahmanian said. He was a main pillar of the revolution, whose demise will surely lay some impact on the life of the Islamic Republic. I think that his absence will come as a reminder to those who treated him and other figures disrespectfully to behave differently, he added. Rafsanjani died on Jan. 8 at the age of 82 in a Tehran hospital due to a cardiac arrest. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Farhad Daneshvar Trend: Despite mixed reactions to news regarding death of the Islamic Republics former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, many social media users and mainstream media outlets seem to be in for a tremendous shock. Rafsanjanis unexpected death soon became a trending topic on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and other social media platforms, as many users were expressing mixed reactions including sadness, concerns over the countrys political situation, and happiness as well. The chairman of Expediency Council of the country, Hashemi Rafsanjani, considered by some as the second man in Iran, passed away, following a hospitalization due to heart complications on Jan. 8. Considered a dominant figure in the Islamic Republics politics, Rafsanjani passed away at age 82, and his passing was immediately followed by online discussions on the former president political careers ups and downs over the past three decades. Those who are concerned about the countrys political future, suggest that Rafsanjanis absence would trigger an imbalance of power in the country, weakening the position of reformists and moderates. Many users have noted the fact that the top clerics death was a blow to moderate President Hassan Rouhanis position, who is expected to run for president yet again in May. In the meantime, a number of users have hailed Rafsanjani for his role in reforming the countrys economy, drained by the consequences of the eight-year war with Iraq during the 1980s. These groups of people say that Hashemi Rafsanjani took steps towards liberalizing Irans economy and improving the countrys damaged ties with the rest of the world. However, another group of netizens, believe that Rafsanjani was a central figure of the Islamic Republic involved in human rights-related crimes. Meanwhile, the opponents of the ruling elite of the Islamic Republic, along with a group of non-Iranians, have considered his death as a loss for the countrys political system, expressing joy over the news. Mainstream media, state run TV, newspapers and news websites, including Rafsanjanis outspoken critics paid tributes to him, despite their harsh stances against Rafsanjanis political and economic views over the past several years. The late figure took office as the president of Iran from 1989 to 1997 advocating progressive economic policies, encouraging private businesses and improving infrastructure. Associated with the festival of Epiphany, which marks the end of the Christmas season, the Kings Cake (or Galette des Rois) is a popular sweet treat traditionally enjoyed by many countries including France, Belgium and Switzerland. Sold in bakeries during the month of January to welcome the new year, a typical Kings Cake can come in many forms. Here in Singapore, luxury tea brand TWG Tea has introduced their own beautifully flaky version of the cake, infused with tea for a signature touch. The dessert features a lovely outer shell of flaky puff pastry, filled with flavourful layers of frangipane, a sweet and dense almond cream which is delicately infused with TWG Teas special blend of Vanilla Bourbon Tea. Traditionally, a little trinket or figurine is concealed within the cake, and whomever finds it in their slice becomes king for a day. TWG Tea keeps this tradition by including a whole almond in the cake as a token. The cake also comes with a golden paper crown, so youll be able to crown the lucky receiver. Yet another hidden surprise? For those who enjoy even more surprises, prepare to expect the unexpected. Included in a select number of TWG Teas Tea-infused Kings Cakes is a special Golden Ticket, which customers might chance upon at the bottom of their cake. This entitles them to a complimentary TWG Tea Haute Couture Tea Tin (valued at SGD40) that can be redeemed at select TWG Tea Salons & Boutiques in Singapore. Try your luck! The Tea-infused Kings Cake retails at SGD55 (serves 6) and is available at all TWG Tea Salon and Boutiques from now until 22 January 2017, with the exception of the boutiques in Changi Airport and Takashimaya Department Store, Basement 2 Food Hall. Angela Goh Photo credits: TWG Tea Read more: Zero Caffeine: 5 Herbal teas and their secret health benefits Unusual Bites: 5 Unique spots for afternoon tea in Singapore Almost Edible: 10 Dessert-inspired beauty products youll love Will Obama's 'Good War' in Afghanistan Continue? Last week, as the mainstream media continued to obsess over the CIA's evidence-free claim that the Russians hacked the presidential election, President Obama quietly sent 300 US Marines back into Afghanistan's Helmand Province. This is the first time in three years that the US military has been sent into that conflict zone, and it represents a final failure of Obama's Afghanistan policy. The outgoing president promised that by the end of his second term, the US military would only be present in small numbers and only on embassy duty. But more than 8,000 US troops will remain in Afghanistan as he leaves office. When President Obama was first elected he swore that he would end the US presence in Iraq (the "bad" war) and increase US presence in Afghanistan (the "good" war). He ended up increasing troops to both wars, while the situation in each country continued to deteriorate. Why are the Marines needed in the Helmand Province? Because although the foolish and counterproductive 15-year US war in Afghanistan was long ago lost, Washington cannot face this fact. Last year the Taliban controlled 20 percent of the province. This year they control 85 percent of the province. So billions more must be spent and many more lives will be lost. Will these 300 Marines somehow achieve what the 2011 peak of 100,000 US soldiers was not able to achieve? Will this last push "win" the war? Hardly! The more the president orders military action in Iraq and Afghanistan, the worse it gets. In 2016, for example, President Obama dropped 1,337 bombs on Afghanistan, a 40 percent increase from 2015. According to the United Nations, in 2016 there were 2,562 conflict-related civilian deaths and 5,835 injuries. And the Taliban continues to score victories over the Afghan puppet government. The interventionists in Washington continue to run our foreign policy regardless of who is elected. They push for wars, they push for regime change, then they push for billions to reconstruct the bombed-out countries. When the "liberated" country ends up in worse shape, they claim it was because we just didn't do enough of what ruined the country in the first place. It's completely illogical, but the presidents who keep seeking the neocons' advice don't seem to notice. Obama - the "peace" candidate and president - has proven himself no different than his predecessors. What will a President Trump do about the 15 year failed nation-building experiment in Afghanistan? He has criticized the long-standing US policy of "regime-change" and "nation-building" while on the campaign trail, and I would like to think he would just bring the troops home. However, I would not be surprised if he accelerates US military action in Afghanistan to "win the war" once and for all. He will not succeed if he does so, as the war is not winnable - no one even knows what "winning" looks like! We may well see even more US troops killing and being killed in Afghanistan a year from now if that is the case. That would be a terrible tragedy. Buy Ron Paul's latest book, Swords into Plowshares, here. Dr. Ron Paul Project Freedom Congressman Ron Paul of Texas enjoys a national reputation as the premier advocate for liberty in politics today. Dr. Paul is the leading spokesman in Washington for limited constitutional government, low taxes, free markets, and a return to sound monetary policies based on commodity-backed currency. He is known among both his colleagues in Congress and his constituents for his consistent voting record in the House of Representatives: Dr. Paul never votes for legislation unless the proposed measure is expressly authorized by the Constitution. In the words of former Treasury Secretary William Simon, Dr. Paul is the "one exception to the Gang of 535" on Capitol Hill. Dr. Ron Paul Archive 2005-2019 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Elena Kosolapova Trend: The New Silk Road project will change the fate of the region and is actually the future of the world, says Malik Ayub Sumbal, Pakistani political analyst and editor-in-chief of Eurasia Media Network. This is a world leading trade project which will change the fate of the countries that are to be transit points, as the duty taxes will be paid to the Central Asian, South Asian and South Caucasus countries and add money in their exchequer, the expert told Trend Jan. 9. Ayub Sumbal stressed that the New Silk Road is actually a revival of the ancient Silk Road and in fact there are many projects which are its parts land-to-land, land-to-sea and sea-to-land projects and roads. So, there are many countries involved in this process. He noted that China has a dream to create One Belt, One Road to transform the global trade. According to the expert, the New Silk Road project is very important in the current situation in Europe when the European Union is heading towards the worst disintegration in its history. At this time Chinese products and trade could help boost the economy of European countries. After Brexit, the situation of Europe will change, there are more countries that will be on the path to leave the EU as the economy of Europe will be at crossroad. So, the Chinese support is inevitable at this level, Ayub Sumbal said. The analyst believes that the South Caucasus route will be the main one from China to Europe, because the region has an advantageous geopolitical situation. He noted that the New Silk Road will be beneficial for the South Caucasian countries and will help to promote trade and cultural links with other countries. He went on to add that there is a big scope of tourism for these countries and the New Silk Road will also contribute to development of this sphere. Speaking about Azerbaijans role in the New Silk Road, Ayub Sumbal reminded that the country historically was a hub of the global trade. He noted that in the ancient times Azerbaijan was a gateway of trade between Asia and Europe, and Azerbaijani city of Barda was the global capital of trade. Azerbaijan has a great potential of becoming an integral part of the Silk Road and a doorway to Europe, the expert said. He noted that the Chinese and Azerbaijani leadership know this potential and there is strong communication in progress to give a pragmatic approach to the New Silk Road project. Follow the author on Twitter: @E_Kosolapova MARTINSVILLEA man recently pleaded guilty in Martinsville Circuit Court to three cocaine charges, receiving a 30 year sentence. Out of that however, he'll spend nine in prison. Troy Douglas Gravely Sr. of Martinsville pleaded guilty to three counts of distribution of cocaine second or subsequent offense (amended from three counts of distribution of cocaine third or subsequent offense). Judge G. Carter Greer sentenced Gravely to a total of 30 years in prison, with nine years active and 21 years suspended on conditions including supervised probation and good behavior. According to Martinsville Assistant Commonwealths Attorney Alberto Herrero, Gravely allegedly sold nearly 2.7 grams of cocaine for $300 to a confidential informant in undercover drug operations on Jan. 21, Jan. 23 and Jan. 28, 2015. Some other recent cases in Martinsville Circuit Court follow: Jonathan Michael Easter, whose address is listed in court records as Martinsville and Ridgeway, pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, grand larceny and possession of firearm by a nonviolent felon. After hearing a summary of evidence, Judge Greer found him guilty of the charges. Martinsville Commonwealths Attorney Clay Gravely said that on Dec. 3, 2015, Easter allegedly broke into a home on Cherokee Court and allegedly stole some weapons (including an assault rifle) and other items, having a total value of more than $3,000. Easter previously had done work at the home. Easters lawyer waived a presentence report and Judge Greer set sentencing for March 16 at 2 p.m. The prosecution dropped two charges of grand larceny against Easter. In another case, Marquita D. Schoefield of Martinsville pleaded guilty to assault and battery of a law enforcement officer, a felony, and disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. Judge Greer ruled there is sufficient evidence to find Schoefield guilty of the charges but took the casesz under advisement for one year, during which time Schoefield will be on supervised probation and good behavior. Judge Greer said that if Schoefield complies with the conditions, a year from now the assault and battery charge will be reduced to a misdemeanor charge and she will be sentenced to 12 months of incarceration, all suspended. The disorderly conduct charge will be dropped at that time. However, if Schoefield does not comply with the conditions set, she will be found guilty of the original charges and sentenced accordingly, Judge Greer said. According to testimony, on April 30, 2016, Schoefield went to the scene of an altercation in which she was not involved, and subsequently allegedly assaulted a law enforcement officer by pulling a vehicle door on the officer when the officer placed Schoefield in Schoefields vehicle in an effort to try to calm things down. Tensions were high at the scene. The officer was not injured. Schoefield, who had no criminal record, later apologized to the officer. This appears to be an aberration, Judge Greer said of Schoefields alleged behavior during the incident on April 30, 2016. In another case, Linda Gail Handy of Martinsville pleaded guilty to grand larceny. Judge Greer said there was sufficient evidence to find guilt, but he took the case under advisement for a year during which time Handy will be on probation and good behavior, and must make full restitution of $940 to the victim. If Handy complies with the conditions, the charge of grand larceny, a felony, will be reduced to misdemeanor larceny, and she will be sentenced to 12 months of incarceration, all suspended, with five years of good behavior, Judge Greer said. According to testimony, a woman accidentally left her purse in a shopping cart at a local grocery store on May 5, 2016, and Handy said it was hers. The purse contained $600 cash and other items. Maria Elizabeth Greene of Patrick Springs pleaded guilty recently to felonious shoplifting (on June 27, 2016). A presentence report was ordered and sentencing was set for Feb. 16 at 2 p.m. Brenda Giggetts Taylor of Martinsville, who was charged with two counts of passing a bad check, pleaded guilty to amended charges of misdemeanor bad check larceny. She received sentences totaling 24 months, with six months active and 18 months suspended on conditions including supervised probation and payment of $700 restitution to the victim. The offenses allegedly happened in May 2016. Anthony Maurice Robertson of Martinsville pleaded guilty to feloniously possess cocaine (on June 27, 2015). He received a sentence of three years in prison, all suspended on conditions including two years of supervised probation. Garry Wayne Nester of Patrick Springs, who was charged with feloniously unlawfully obtaining Department of Motor Vehicles documents and felonious perjury in DMV matters, pleaded guilty to misdemeanor unlawful possession of DMV documents and misdemeanor fraudulent application for license. He received sentences totaling 12 months of incarceration, with 30 days of that active and 11 months suspended on conditions including supervised probation and payment of a $500 fine. The offenses allegedly happened Aug. 14, 2016. RICHMOND After more than four decades of political history and histrionics the General Assembly Building has reached its final chapter. The building a patchwork of four structures now riddled with asbestos, mold and other hazards will host its final session of the Virginia General Assembly beginning Wednesday. With the exception of a historic facade facing Capitol Square, the building will be demolished later this year to make way for a new home for the legislature, its agencies and the visiting public. I get to take the first sledgehammer to it, joked Senate Clerk Susan Schaar, who is overseeing the project with her counterpart, House Clerk Paul Nardo. The replacement of the building is part of an estimated $300 million project that also will include construction of a parking deck on the opposite corner of North Ninth and East Broad streets and the renovation of Old City Hall facing Capitol Square. The project was delayed almost a year because of political skirmishes between legislators and Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who did not want to finance it in 2014 until the assembly approved expansion of health insurance coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act. The governor eventually allowed planning of the project to begin in 2015, but the project was briefly caught up in another political showdown over a multibillion-dollar bond package last year. While the General Assembly Building still has its defenders and admirers, legislative leaders describe the structure as a health and safety hazard to the public, as well as the hundreds of state employees who work there year-round. If it was a private building, the fire department would have closed it, said state Sen. Frank Ruff, R-Mecklenburg. There was no understanding how dangerous it is. Legislators intend to preserve the historic facade of a bank constructed in 1912, the oldest of four structures built through 1965 and then combined in 1976 to house the General Assembly and legislative agencies that had been in the old Hotel Richmond on the other side of North Ninth Street. Were hopeful well be able to integrate the facade into the new building, said House Appropriations Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk. Preservationists welcomed the states plan to save the facade, as well as provide for offices, if not retail space, at the street level of the new parking deck. Its just a critical spot for the city and Capitol Square, said Trip Pollard, director of the land and community program of the Southern Environmental Law Center, one of four preservation organizations that have lobbied for the changes to the original state plan for the project to better incorporate it into its historic urban setting. The project will be the linchpin of a major overhaul of the buildings that surround the Virginia Capitol, which reopened in 2007 after restoration and a major expansion. The state already has restored the Hotel Richmond, now known as the Ninth Street Office Building and home of the Office of the Attorney General, which moved last summer from the Pocahontas Building on the south side of the square. The Virginia Lottery also moved out of the Pocahontas Building, between Bank Street and East Main Street, at the end of last year, clearing the way for crews to begin demolishing interior walls and renovating the building to accommodate the legislature and its full-time agencies, with the exception of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. JLARC, the legislatures watchdog agency, will move to leased space in the SunTrust Building on East Main Street, while the Pocahontas Building will house the Division of Legislative Automated Services, the Division of Legislative Services, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees, as well as the House and Senate clerks staffs. The news media also will have space in the temporary quarters, as well as in the new General Assembly Building. The assemblys food services operation will not be replicated at the Pocahontas Building, but legislative agencies staff 225 to 250 people will use the SunTrust cafeteria, which Schaar said will be operated by Meriwethers, the current operator of a cafe in the Capitol. When the Capitol was closed for renovations, the assembly simply moved the Senate and House chambers to the former Library of Virginia, now known as the Patrick Henry Building and home to the governors office. The Capitol was a much easier project, said Schaar, who oversaw it. It didnt involve as many people. In contrast, the General Assembly project will involve 140 legislators and their staffs, and the creation of committee meeting rooms for each chamber at the Pocahontas Building, as well as one large meeting room for the money committees. The legislature also will use meeting rooms in the underground annex of the Capitol for committee meetings. Now we have to execute the move down the hill, Nardo said. The move will not begin until after the assembly completes its session in late February and the reconvened, or veto, session in April. The goal will be to complete the move over the summer what Nardo called the hiatus between Memorial Day and Labor Day so that the Division of Legislative Services is prepared to begin drafting bills for members next fall. The details of the new building have not been decided, but the clerks say it will be designed to better accommodate the public, which visits by the thousands during legislative sessions to participate in the lawmaking process, as well as the needs of part-time legislators and full-time agency staffs. I think people are excited about a building that is actually designed for the legislative process, Schaar said. In contrast, the current building poses practical problems in addition to the health and safety concerns outlined in a consultants report that warned four years ago that the state could be forced to shut the building down suddenly especially if asbestos infiltrated the heating, ventilation and cooling system. Subcommittee meeting rooms are few and cramped. Pillars block views in committee rooms, which also are too small for the largest crowds. The cafeteria is on the sixth floor, requiring an elevator ride, if one is available on busy days, unless people want to climb a narrow staircase. One side of the building is too hot, and the other too cold. What were building is going to be a much more functional building with adequate public space, said Jones, the appropriations chairman. The schedule for the project puts demolition of the building first, followed by construction of the new building and parking garage and then the renovation of Old City Hall. All of the work is expected to be completed by 2021, so the General Assembly can move into its new home after that years legislative sessions. In addition to the return of the legislative agencies, the plan calls for Virginia Capitol Police to move into the new building from the agencys current quarters in the Washington Office Building. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Ankara believes the new US administration will not repeat the political mistakes of the outgoing administration in relations with Turkey, Turkish media reported citing the countrys Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. He made the remarks during the meeting of the 9th congress of Turkish ambassadors. Turkey hopes the US changes its policy in two issues: the first is on the extradition of Fethullah Gulen and his accomplices to Turkey, said the foreign minister. The second issue is on the termination of cooperation between the US and the People's Protection Units (YPG) terrorist group, which is part of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), according to Cavusoglu. The Istanbul Court has earlier released an order to arrest Fethullah Gulen, who is accused of organizing the July 15 coup attempt in Turkey. Ankara sent four documents to the US proving Gulens complicity in the military coup attempt and demanded his extradition. The Turkish presidential administration has earlier told Trend that Ankara will do everything possible to extradite Fethullah Gulen from the US. The US supports militants of the YPG terrorist group, who are members of the Democratic Union Party (PYD), in the fight against the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group. Turkeys President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has earlier said the supply of armament to the YPG by the US is unacceptable. Also, Turkeys Defense Minister Fikri Isik said the US, in order to fight the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, chose another terrorist group the PYD as its ally. Because of that Turkey is suffering today, and the US itself will face problems in the future. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade TODAY'S WORD is rambunctious (ram-bunk-shus). Example: As soon as the door opened, the kids went tearing outside, clearly happy to be rambunctious and play in the snow. SUNDAY'S WORD was impavid (im-pav-id). Example: It means fearless. He was impavid when it came to the challenge, stepping off the platform to bungee jump. Information session So far, the snow hasn't changed plans about Patrick Henry Community College's information session, planned for tomorrow. On Tuesday, the school will hold a session about its upcoming scholarship pageant. The PHCC Scholarship Pageant is a preliminary to the Miss Virginia competition. The information sessions will be at noon and 6 p.m., in West Hall Room 227. Each session will cover several topics, including the application process, what support and resources are available, how the pageant committee helps applicants, whats required of the pageant winner and competition requirements. Also, the sessions will include help with interview preparation and details on scholarship winnings. The pageant is open to any women currently or previously enrolled at PHCC. They have to be at least 17 years old on the day of the event and can be no older than 24 as of Dec. 31, 2017. Closings The snowy weather outside means that road conditions can change quickly. With that in mind, several of our local operations, including schools, are changing their schedules. For example, all of the local schools, from Patrick County to Henry County and Martinsville City, are out today. To keep up with those changes, go to www.martinsvillebulletin.com and you can find our closings and cancellations list, updated throughout the day. New College Foundation There will be some new faces over at the New College Foundation this year. The foundation, which is the private fundraising arm of the New College Institute, named new officers and members to its board of trustees. Joining the board are Travis Clemons, Dr. Gregory Hodges, Christina Mallard, James McClain, Patrice Newnam and Sandy Strayer. Newnam will be the new chairwoman of the board. She retired as an administrator in Henry County Public Schools, where she was Director of Testing, Fine Arts and Foreign Language. Sandy Strayer will be the vice chair, Darrell Jones is treasurer, Suzanne Lacy is the group's secretary. The foundation was put together in 2006 to help NCI improve the college attendance rate and economic conditions in Martinsville, Henry County and the surrounding region. TRIVIA QUESTION: Overnight, the temperature got a little frosty, hitting 4 degrees at one point. But what is the coldest temperature ever recorded? The answer will be in tomorrow's Stroller. TRIVIA ANSWER: We've had a bit of a dusting this weekend, when it comes to snow. But what is the largest recorded snowfall in history? For that, we have to go back almost 100 years, to the town of Silver Lake, Colorado. The snowfall in question started at 2:30 p.m. on April 14, 1921. The storm went on for 32.5 hours and left 95 inches or eight feet of snow, setting the record for one continuous snowfall. A little over a year after Brick and Feather Brewery opened their doors to the public, the Turners Falls brewery continues to grow. Brick and Feather Brewery hosted its grand opening in Oct. 2015 at 78 11th St. in Turners Fall. At the time, they were only offering tours and selling "growlers" to retail customers. They've recently added selling 5 oz pours for people to sip while in the brewery. Head brewer Lawrence George, a Vermont native and Florence resident, has been involved in the craft brewing business for about nine years. He has worked in Boston, California, and at the Berkshire Brewing Co. in South Deerfield. Since expanding his business, George said he's unable to pick his favorite beer. "I couldn't pick a favorite beer. I created them all, I love them all equally," George said with a smile. "It depends on what mood I'm in, I guess." Brick and Feather Brewery is open Thursday-Friday from 5 p.m.- 8 p.m. and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Foreigner, Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience will perform in Boston to celebrate Foreigner's 40th anniversary this summer. The tour, which will kick off in Syracuse on July 11, will bring the three bands to the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion on Monday, July 17. Foreigner is no stranger when it comes to playing in Massachusetts. The "Hot Blooded" musicians recently performed at Boston's Shubert Theatre in October and Northampton's Calvin Theater in May. Tickets for the July 17 Boston performance will go on sale January 13, 2017. For more information, visit livenation.com. Meghan McCain (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision for Participant Media/AP Images) Meghan McCain, daughter of Sen. John McCain and co-host of the Fox News program "Outnumbered," says an out-of-touch Hollywood was key to Trump's election and, if things don't change, will help enable a 2020 victory for him as well. "This Meryl Streep speech is why Trump won. And if people in Hollywood don't start recognizing why and how - you will help him get re-elected," she tweeted last night. This Meryl Streep speech is why Trump won. And if people in Hollywood don't start recognizing why and how - you will help him get re-elected Meghan McCain (@MeghanMcCain) January 9, 2017 Streep, in her Golden Globes speech, took swipes at the president-elect, including his imitation of a disabled reporter during the election. In addition to retweeting others critical of Streep's speech, McCain responded to actor Billy Eichner, who called her a "****ing moron" for blaming someone calling out Trump's behavior for his victory. McCain said Eichner's comments were "a great way for Hollywood to bridge the cultural divide. Enjoy your bubble." Eichner in turn called McCain a hypocrite for her response, saying, "Love being told I live in a bubble by the daughter of a millionaire politician who sometimes guest co-hosts Hoda and Kathie Lee." McCain, like her father, has herself been critical of Trump in the past. She told People magazine in September that she cried when he snagged the GOP nomination, calling him a "garbage candidate." More recently, she took issue with his and others' dismissals of U.S. intelligence that pointed to Russian interference in the election. williston cum laude.jpg On Jan 6, 2017, five local students were inducted into the Cum Laude Society at the Williston Northampton School in Easthampton. From left to right: Sima Gandevia of Hadley, Tomasz Paluchowski of Springfield, Anna Wilinsky of Florence, Emily Yeager of Easthampton, and Molly Zawacki of Easthampton. (Matthew Cavanaugh | Williston Northampton School) EASTHAMPTON -- Five local students have been recognized for their academic achievement with induction into the Williston Northampton School chapter of the Cum Laude Society. The students, all seniors, are Sima Gandevia of Hadley, Tomasz Paluchowski of Springfield, Anna Wilinsky of Florence, Emily Yeager of Easthampton, and Molly Zawacki of Easthampton. The five were inducted during a Jan. 6 ceremony in the Phillips Stevens Chapel. The keynote speaker was Ann Blair Laupheimer Sonnenfeld, a corporate litigator who graduated Williston in 1975. Sonnenfeld earned induction into Cum Laude her senior year. She then attended Princeton University and University of Pennsylvania Law School. Sonnenfeld has chaired the federal courts committee of the Philadelphia Bar Association, and recently served on a judicial selection committee to fill six vacancies on the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. She also chairs the board of trustees of the all-girls Agnes Irwin School. There are more than 380 chapters of the Cum Laude Society nationwide. The society, founded in 1906 and modeled after Phi Beta Kappa, honors scholastic achievement in secondary schools. The Williston Northampton School is a boarding and day school located in Easthampton. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Turkey-US relations are in the most sensitive period, Turkish media quoted President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying Jan. 9. The president was addressing the 9th congress of Turkish ambassadors. Some decisions of the Obama administration and disagreement between Washington and Ankara concerning the fight against terrorism are widely discussed in Turkeys social and political circles, according to Erdogan. Turkey wants to get reliable, strong and uncompromising support from its ally, the US, against threats posed by terrorist groups such as the Islamic State, the Fethullah Gulen movement and separatist organizations. We believe that during Donald Trumps presidency, the Turkey-US dialogue will be strengthened, the president said. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @o_quluzade Kim Kardashian FILE - In this May 16, 2016 file photo, Kim Kardashian West attends the 20th Annual Webby Awards in New York. Kardashian West returned to social media on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2017, three months after going silent in the wake of being held up and robbed of millions in jewelry at a Paris hotel. (Photo by Andy Kropa/Invision/AP, File) (Andy Kropa) French police have arrested 16 people they believe may be connected to the October theft of millions of dollars of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West, the Associated Press reported. Paris authorities said the arrests took place at 6 a.m. in multiple regions of the country. Police tracked down the suspects using DNA evidence found at the scene of the crime. Kardashian West was staying in Paris on Oct. 3 when she says robbers forced their way in into her residence, tied her up, locked her in a bathroom and held her at gunpoint. They stole a jewelry box containing more than $6 million of valuables, and a ring worth $4 million. A spokesperson for Kardashian West said she was unharmed during the robbery, however, the starlet avoided social media for almost three months after the incident. In a teaser for the newest season of the family's reality show, Kardashian West told her sisters her thoughts at the time: "They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out." Authorities told the Associated Press that the suspects are well known for robbery and other crimes. OLD LYME, Conn. What appeared to be a knife fight in the seafood section of an Old Lyme supermarket fight has left one person dead and a second critically injured. According to Connecticut State Police a fight between two people who apparently knew each other broke out in the Big Y supermarket in Old Lyme just after 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon. When it was over, one person was dead and a suspect injured. Witnesses told WFSB-TV that a store employee appeared to be struggling with a woman when a second man intervened. One of the men apparently started stabbing the other, and shoppers began throwing food at the pair to try to stop the fighting. A witness said both men were seen lying on the floor bleeding profusely. Police said one of the two injured parties was airlifted by Lifestar helicopter from the store parking lot. He was flown to Yale-New Haven Hospital. A witness said he started to perform CPR on the second victim. Police said that person later died. None of the people involved have been identified pending notification of family. The store was closed to facilitate the police investigation. po.jpg Amherst Police respond to a call because someone was snow blowing a driveway when they weren't supposed to be there. (Republican file photo) AMHERST - Police received a call Saturday night from a woman concerned that three men were snow blowing her driveway when no one was supposed to be there. When police arrived, the men were gone and the driveway was cleared. Police also received a call just before 7 p.m. Sunday from about two people trying to enter the Bank of America ATM near the Newman Center on North Pleasant Street. Police found a homeless couple with the woman pregnant trying to stay warm until the nearby Craig's Place opened its doors for the night. The couple gained entry with a Dunkin Donut's card which apparently unlocked the door, according to police. big y.JPG A Big Y store. (Dave Roback/Republican file) OLD LYME, Connecticut --The fatal stabbing Sunday afternoon at a Big Y World Class Market in Old Lyme, Connecticut resulted from a fight between two men from the sushi counter, according to both authorities and Big Y. Police have identified the man stabbed to death as Jing-Song Gao, 34, of Methuen, Mass., He was a sushi chef working at the supermarket, according to The Day of New London. Connecticut state troopers identified Tan Lin, 40, of Old Lyme, as the other man who was involved. The Day said A Life Star helicopter took Lin to Yale New Haven Hospital where he was treated for serious injuries. Monday afternoon, Springfield-based Big Y said the stabbing involved two people from one of its outside vendors which is contracted to operate the sushi counter. A statement from Big Y read: "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this tragic incident which occurred on January 8, 2017. We continue to work with law enforcement regarding all aspects of this case. The incident involved 2 people from one of our vendors that supplies our stores. Currently, we have additional support assisting all of our employees from this location. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time." The store was open as of Monday. Media reports from southern Connecticut describe a wild scene at the market just after 2 p.m. Sunday. WFSB-TV reported that witnesses said they saw Gao apparently arguing with a woman at the sushi counter when a man, Lin, intervened. The men started to fight near the frozen food section as customers shouted and threw things to try and break them up. State Troopers arrived to find the men with stab wounds. A witness said both men were seen lying on the floor bleeding profusely. Gary Lee Sampson.jpg In this June 1, 2004, file photo Gary Sampson, center, is escorted into Hillsborough County Superior Court during his trial in Nashua, N.H. Sampson was convicted of carjacking and killing two men in Massachusetts in 2001, and convicted separately of killing a third man in New Hampshire during the same crime spree. He faces a second sentencing trial in February 2015 with a new jury that will be asked to decide if he should be put to death after his first death penalty sentence was overturned by a judge in 2011. ((AP Photo/Jim Cole, File)) Confessed murderer Gary Lee Sampson has again been given the death penalty by a federal jury during his sentencing retrial for a weeklong crime spree in 2001. A jury sentenced Sampson, 57, to death for the murder of Jonathan Rizzo. He received life in prison for the murder of Philip McCloskey, according to The Boston Herald and the U.S. Attorney's Office. This was the second time a federal jury decided that Sampson should die for his crimes. BREAKING: Convicted killer Gary Lee #Sampson sentenced to death for murder of Jonathan Rizzo, life term for murder of Philip McCloskey Chris Villani (@ChrisVillani44) January 9, 2017 Sampson was convicted in 2004 of killing three people during carjackings over a week in 2001. He was given the death penalty. But, that sentence was overturned by a judge in 2011 after authorities learned that one of the jurors in the trial omitted details on her background, preventing Sampson from receiving his right to be tried by a fair and impartial jury. A new trial ordered, which began in November. Prosecutors again asked for the death penalty. Sampson is able to be sentenced to death despite Massachusetts' ban on the death penalty because his case is in federal court. Convicted killer Gary Lee #Sampson is lead in, hands cuffed, legs shackled, wearing a gray blazer, awaiting jury Chris Villani (@ChrisVillani44) January 9, 2017 Sampson lived in Abington when he committed the murders and was known as a "drifter." In his 2004 trial, Sampson pleaded guilty to carjacking and killing two men in Massachusetts. Those men were Philip McCloskey, 69, and Jonathan Rizzo, 19, both of whom he carjacked. Sampson had both drive to secluded areas where he stabbed them to death. During the same weeklong crime spree, Sampson also killed Robert "Eli" Whitney in New Hampshire. Sampson strangled Whitney, 58, to death after breaking into a Lake Winnipesaukee vacation home. He was separately convicted of that killing. Sampson's defense attorneys argued against the death penalty, saying that Sampson had a history of mental illness. It was also disclosed in recent years that Sampson has advanced cirrhosis of the liver. Sampson was the first person sentenced to death in Massachusetts under the federal death penalty statute. The state's death penalty as abolished by the Legislature in 1984. Material from the Associated Press was used in this report. Police Officer Shot Florida Orange County Sheriff's officers block the entrance to a Walmart near the scene where a police officer was shot, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Orlando, Fla. Orlando police say the officer who was shot while on duty has died; a manhunt is underway for the suspect.(AP Photo/John Raoux) (John Raoux) ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Authorities say a deputy has been killed in a motorcycle crash while searching for a suspect in the shooting death of an Orlando police officer. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings told a press conference Monday that another vehicle turned in front of the deputy, who was riding a motorcycle in pursuit of 41-year-old Markeith Loyd. Loyd is suspected in the shooting death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. A massive manhunt was underway for him. Clayton was shot and killed in the line of duty near a Wal-Mart in Orlando. Police Chief John Mina says Loyd also is wanted in the slaying of a pregnant woman. Betsy DeVos FILE - In this Dec. 9, 2016 file photo, Education Secretary-designate Betsy DeVos speaks in Grand Rapids, Mich. Edging closer to completing his Cabinet, President-elect Donald Trump announced his choice of Montana Rep. Ryan Zinke as Interior secretary Thursday, picking a man who should fit smoothly into an administration favoring more energy drilling and less regulation. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File) (Andrew Harnik) U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren admonished Donald Trump's recent education secretary pick, saying she has a paper-thing record in higher education and would gut public school funding. Warren made her feelings clear in a letter to Betsy DeVos on Monday, the Associated Press reported. Warren claims that DeVos is a charter school advocate who would jeopardize public education funding. "Your history of support for policies that would drain valuable taxpayer resources from our public schools and funnel those funds to unaccountable private and for-profit education operators may well disqualify you from such a central role in public education," Warren wrote. DeVos served for many years as the chair of the Michigan Republican Party, where she championed Detroit's first charter school program. Warren said that the next education secretary should prioritize student loan debt and higher education issues as a top priority. DeVos, Warren says, has no stated position on higher education issues. "In fact the very policies you have spent decades advocating for in elementary and secondary education -- more free taxpayer money for private and for-profit education operators with virtually no strings attached -- are the exact policies that have caused so many problems and harmed so many students in higher education," Warren wrote. President-elect Trump praised DeVos as "a brilliant and passionate education advocate," the Associated Press reported. After Trump announced his pick, DeVos tweeted: The man authorities say gunned down five people and injured others at an airport in Fort Lauderdale, Florida is expected to appear in Federal Court Monday. According to the Sun-Sentinel, 26-year-old Esteban Santiago faces charges of murder, firearms and airport violence. He also faces the death penalty, if convicted. Authorities say that Santiago arrived at the airport around 1 p.m. Friday, pulled a 9-millimeter handgun from his suitcase, and began shooting at travelers. According to The New York Times, after running out of ammunition, Santiago lay on the ground, waiting to be arrested. Details have begun to emerge on the suspected gunman since the attack Friday. Santiago was confirmed to be an Iraq War veteran. He was discharged from service last year due to unsatisfactory performance and taking absences without leave, NPR reported. When Santiago returned home to Alaska, relatives said they noticed a marked decline in his mental health. Santiago ran into issues with the authorities for domestic violence and strangulation. His family told The New York Times that Santiago developed delusions that the C.I.A. was controlling his brain. He reportedly walked into the F.B.I. office in Anchorage to report that he was under mind control and believed he was being influenced by ISIS. So far, authorities have not discovered any ties between Santiago and any terrorist groups. Monday's court proceedings will most likely involve appearing before a judge to have his allegations explained to him and have to appoint a lawyer to represent him, the Sentinel reported. Due to Santiago's apparent mental health issues, his defense may ask for a mental competency evaluation. Airport security video shows Santiago pulling out his gun and shooting at people, and allegedly confessed to the shooting, authorities told the Sentinel. He will not be able to enter a plea until formal charges are filed, which could take some time. If he is convicted, Santiago could end up serving life in prison or receive the death penalty. COLRAIN - Fast-acting firefighters saved a Purington Lane home early Sunday after a wood stove chimney fire extended into the walls. The fire at 42 Purington Lane broke out shortly before dawn and homeowner Paul Giard used fire extinguishers and then buckets of water in attempt to put out the flames, according to The Recorder. Colrain Fire Chief Nicholas Anzuoni called for a second alarm and firefighters from Heath, Shelburne Center, Shelburne Falls, Greenfield, Buckland, Leyden, Charlemont, Ashfield and from Vermont, Halifax and Whitingham, provided mutual aid. Firefighters saved the home by tearing into walls with handtools and tearing off siding around the chimney, according to The Recorder. HOLYOKE - The New Year started with a tragedy when North East Street residents were woken up to a devastating fire that killed three people, injured a number of others and displaced at least 49 residents. The fire was reported at about 8:50 a.m. on New Year's Day. When firefighters arrived flames were shooting from the upper floors of the building and a number of people were trapped. Three people were killed in the fire. Maria Cartagena died after jumping from a window on the fourth or fifth floor. Jorge Munoz, 55, and Trevor R. Wadleigh, 34, of Easthampton were later found dead in the building. Wadleigh was staying with friends who credited him with waking them up and saving their lives before he died. Holyoke Fire inspectors with the State Fire Marshal's Office announced on Wednesday they had traced the fire's origin to an electrical wall outlet in the living room of a third-floor apartment. It has not been determined how the outlet malfunctioned. Many residents escaped wearing nothing but their pajamas and nearly all lost everything they owned. Some were trapped on upper floors and some jumped or dropped children from windows to residents who were holding blankets like nets to catch them. Others were rescued by the Fire Department. For the past week the city with the help of community volunteers and the Pioneer Valley Chapter of the American Red Cross has been working to raise money to help the victims. By late Thursday new apartments had been found for all but one of the displaced families. The city is hoping to raise at least $100,000 to help the fire victims. Donations can be made in person or by mail with a check made out to Mayor's Fire Relief Fund, 536 Dwight St., Holyoke, MA 01040. There is also an associated Gofundme account set up by the city which has raised $62,095 in the past week. Here are some of the things people have been Tweeting about the fire. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 By Orkhan Quluzade Trend: Turkey supports and will always support Azerbaijans territorial integrity, said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during the 9th conference of ambassadors in Ankara, Turkish media reported Jan. 9. Cavusoglu noted that Turkey has special ties with the Caucasus region. Ankara is close to its goals of stability and development of the Caucasus region, he said. The minister added that Ankara will defend the rights of kindred peoples abroad. The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts. Hodgson Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson offered inmate laborers to build President-elect Donald Trump's desired border wall with Mexico and also wants them to pay a daily incarceration fee. (Bristol County Sheriff's Department Facebook) Prisoners would work chain-gang style on President-elect Donald Trump's desired wall along the country's southern border and pay a daily fee for the privilege, if one Massachusetts sheriff had his way. Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson last week said he wants to once again start charging prisoners a daily $5 incarceration fee -- a practice ruled illegal by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court in 2010, reports The Fall River Herald News. The 2010 court decision forced Bristol County Sheriff's Department to return more than $700,000 it had collected from prisoners between 2002 and 2004, when inmates sued Hodgson over the daily fee. Hodgson's call to renew the fees garnered little attention, coming as it did in the midst of swearing-in speech dominated by his offering up Bristol County inmates as unpaid labor to build President-elect Donald Trump's border wall with Mexico. "Today, I'm making a formal offer to President-elect Trump, if inmates from Bristol County and others from across the nation through Project N.I.C.E will help build that wall. I can think of no other project that would have such a positive impact on our inmates and our country than building this wall," Hodgson said in recorded remarks. Project N.I.C.E -- the National Inmates' Community Endeavors -- is a conceptual program Hodgson seeks to create to offer free inmate labor. Laura Rotolo, staff counsel with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, called the plan "perverse," "most likely unconstitutional" and a formula for "modern-day slave labor" in an interview with The Boston Globe. Following the swearing-in ceremony, Hodges told reporters he had yet to plan any logistics -- including how to transport thousands of inmates to the Mexican border and where to house them upon arrival. About the renewed call for daily inmate fees, according to The Herald, Hodgson told reporters he plans to pressure the state Legislature to pass a law enabling county sheriffs to levy such a fee on inmates. Democrat Alan Silvia, of Fall River, told The Herald the idea was a non-starter. "We cannot balance the raising costs of incarceration on the backs of the poor," Silvia told the paper. "National studies make it clear that fees are largely inefficient in reducing fiscal pressures on the criminal justice system." The Boston-based organization which sued and beat Hodgson's fee in the first instance, Prisoners Legal Services, agreed, telling The Herald any such bill would be "dead on arrival." Meanwhile, Seekonk Republican Steven Howitt told The Herald he would "consider supporting" such legislation. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a visit to the United States for meetings with US President-elect Donald Trump's team, Sputnik reported. Johnson has arrived in New York to meet key members of Trump's aides. "Following the successful meeting last month between the prime ministers chiefs of staff and president-elect Donald Trumps team, Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers to the president-elect and senior congressional leaders," a Foreign Office spokesman said late Sunday. Johnson is expected to meet Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his chief strategist Steve Bannon. The discussions would be focused on UK-US relations, as well as other foreign policy matters. IIMs have introduced key changes in CAT 2022 percentile calculation process along with the revised CAT exam structure with overall and sectional CAT exam pattern. MBAUniverse.com has launched an aspirant friendly, easy to use free CAT Percentile Predictor to predict your nearest CAT exam 2022 percentile that will guide you with the prospects for MBA admission in IIMs and other top B-schools. The MBAUniverse.com CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor prepared by experts is to help you judge your performance and your chances to get shortlisted by IIMs as per their cut offs. In the past more than 50,000 CAT takers have used this CAT percentile predictor to get the accurate assessment of their performance in CAT exam. The percentile predictor will be live immediately after the CAT exam is over and is available free to check your nearest CAT 2022. This year the CAT percentile score normalization process for IIM admission 2023 will be equated for three slots as the CAT 2022 is scheduled on November 27, 2022 in three shifts of Morning, Afternoon and evening sessions like last year. But before going deep to know how to calculate and check your nearest CAT percentile 2022, let us understand what is CAT percentile predictor; what are the factors impacting its calculation, what is the required CAT percentile by top IIMs. So read on and use the CAT percentile predictor tool immediately after your CAT exam slot is over So, are you ready! Fill the form below and get your CAT Score and %. Register Now for CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor Table of Contents What is CAT Percentile Predictor? CAT 2022 Percentile Calculation: Key Factors CAT 2022 Percentile Required for Admission 2023 in Top IIMs How IIMs calculate CAT Percentile? Process of Conversion MBAUniverse.com CAT Percentile Predictor with Similar Methodology CAT Score for 99 Percentile: Sample Calculation CAT Score for 95 Percentile: Sample Calculation CAT Score for 90 Percentile: Sample Calculation CAT Percentile Prediction: Help is at Hand How to check your CAT 2022 Percentile: 5 Steps Guidelines to Use CAT Percentile Predictor & Get Accurate Percentile Input Data as Required for CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor: How to Proceed? Benefits of Using CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor How does the CAT percentile predictor work? Occurrence of Changes in CAT Percentile Predictions CAT Percentile Predictor Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 1. What is CAT Percentile Predictor? This tool of CAT Percentile predictor is created by MBAUniverse.com experts as per the revised CAT exam and scoring pattern. The MBAUniverse.com CAT percentile predictor helps you to check your nearest CAT percentile online based on your performance in CAT exam. However, you need to input your CAT performance as accurately as possible to arrive at the best result by using this CAT percentile predictor developed by MBAUniverse.com. You can use this CAT percentile predictor free on your computer, laptop, mobile, tabs. Read details below how to use the CAT percentile predictor 2. CAT 2022 Percentile Calculation: Key Factors & Process The CAT 2022 percentile calculation method is released by IIMs, much before the CAT exam date. CAT percentile is arrived at after converting your raw CAT score to scaled score and then to CAT percentile score. Accordingly, the CAT percentile in your score card, is calculated as a relative score and indicates your rank among the total number of candidates who have appeared in the CAT exam. If a candidate gets 100 percentile at any raw/scaled score, it implies he has performed among the best top candidates in CAT exam and if his/her CAT percentile 95+, it shows that he/she has better performed than 95% of the total candidates who have appeared in CAT exam. CAT percentile calculation is based on the following key factors to predict your CAT percentile 2022 after taking your CAT 2022 exam: Total number of candidates who have taken the CAT exam in all the slots; Highest to Lowest scaled score; Difficulty level in each test slot 3. CAT 2022 Percentile Required for Admission 2023 in Top IIMs Before you know what CAT percentile is required by top B-schools to consider your candidature, please note that you can get higher percentile even at lower CAT score, if you do not make more mistakes. CAT Percentile calculation is a centralized process and is done by CAT exam centre instead of individual IIM. Below is shared the minimum CAT percentile prediction for admission 2023 at top IIMs and other top B-schools accepting CAT score: B-school Minimum overall CAT 2022 Percentile requirement Minimum sectional CAT 2022 Percentile Requirement IIM Ahmedabad 80 70 IIM Bangalore 85 75-80 IIM Calcutta 85 75-80 IIM Kozhikode 85 75 IIM Lucknow 90 85 SPJIMR Mumbai 85 75 Read More 4. How IIMs calculate CAT Percentile? Process of Conversion The methodology adopted by IIMs for calculation of percentile score of a candidate is as per the steps described below. They are followed to calculate the CAT 2022 overall and sectional percentile scores obtained by a candidate. While illustrating the percentile score calculation process, QA section is chosen as an example. Similar process is followed for the overall percentile score calculation and for calculation of percentile in the other two sections, i.e. DILR and VARC in CAT 2022. Step 1: Calculate the total number of candidates (N) who appeared for CAT (i.e. including morning, afternoon and evening sessions) Calculate the total number of candidates (N) who appeared for CAT (i.e. including morning, afternoon and evening sessions) Step 2: Assign a rank (r), based on the scaled scores obtained in the QA section, to all candidates who appeared for CAT. In the case of two or more candidates obtaining identical scaled scores in the QA section, assign identical ranks to all those candidates. As an illustration suppose exactly two candidates obtain the highest scaled score in the QA section, then both of those candidates are assigned a rank of 1. Moreover, the candidate(s) obtaining the second highest scaled score in the QA section are assigned a rank of 3 and so on. Assign a rank (r), based on the scaled scores obtained in the QA section, to all candidates who appeared for CAT. In the case of two or more candidates obtaining identical scaled scores in the QA section, assign identical ranks to all those candidates. As an illustration suppose exactly two candidates obtain the highest scaled score in the QA section, then both of those candidates are assigned a rank of 1. Moreover, the candidate(s) obtaining the second highest scaled score in the QA section are assigned a rank of 3 and so on. Step 3: Calculate the percentile score (P) of a candidate with rank (r) in the QA section as: p = ( ( N - r ) N ) x 100. Calculate the percentile score (P) of a candidate with rank (r) in the QA section as: p = ( ( N - r ) N ) x 100. Step 4: Round off the calculated percentile score (P) of a candidate up to two decimal points. For example, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.995 are rounded off to 100, all percentile scores greater than or equal to 99.985 but strictly less than 99.995 are rounded off to 99.99 and so on. A methodology similar to the above is used for the computation of the overall CAT percentile scores and for the percentile scores of other sections. 5. MBAUniverse.com CAT Percentile Predictor with Similar Methodology Similar Methodology is used at MBAUniverse.com to Arrive at CAT Percentile Slot-Wise. For the computation of Slot-1, Slot-2 and Slot-3 overall CAT percentile scores and sectional percentile scores a methodology very similar, as used by IIMs is applied at MBAUniverse.com. CAT 2022 exam like last year, is scheduled in three slots with reduced number of questions and reduced maximum marks. The process of CAT percentile calculation with raw score to percentile, in different percentile range is shared below: 6. CAT Score for 99 Percentile: Sample Calculation The table below displays the likely Raw score and Scaled Score, good attempts in CAT slot-1 with Accuracy level needed for 99 percentile range: Section in CAT exam Good Attempts Accuracy Level Raw Score Scaled Score CAT percentile Score Section-1: VARC 16-18 85 40-46 45-55 99 Section-2: DILR 13-15 90 35-41 40-46 99 Section-3: QA 16-18 85 40-46 45-54 99 Overall 45-51 85 115-133 131-155 99 7. CAT Score for 95 Percentile: Sample Calculation The table below displays the likely required good attempts in CAT with Accuracy level needed for 95 percentile range Section in CAT exam Good Attempts Accuracy Level Raw Score Scaled Score CAT percentile Score Section-1: VARC 13-15 85 35-41 40-46 95 Section-2: DILR 9-11 90 23-29 28-35 95 Section-3: QA 14-16 85 36-42 40-46 95 Overall 36-42 85 94-112 108-127 95 8. CAT Score for 90 Percentile: Sample Calculation The table below displays the required good attempts in CAT with Accuracy level needed for 90 percentile range: Section in CAT exam Good Attempts Accuracy Level Raw Score Scaled Score CAT Percentile Score Section-1: VARC 11-13 90 29-35 36-40 90 Section-2: DILR 7-9 90 17-22 22-28 90 Section-3: QA 10-12 85 26-32 32-48 90 Overall 28-34 85 72-89 90-116 90 9. CAT Percentile Prediction: Help is at Hand You will be anxious to know your CAT percentile and your chances to get into one of the top 3-4 IIMs IIM Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Lucknow or other top MBA colleges like FMS, SPJIMR, MDI among others. The help is at hand with the accurate CAT 2022 percentile predictor available at MBAUniverse.com. 10. How to check your CAT 2022 Percentile: 5 Steps You can check your nearest CAT 2022 Percentile by taking simple steps in 5 minutes immediately after taking your CAT exam 2022: 11. Guidelines to Use CAT Percentile Predictor & Get Accurate Percentile The guidelines to get the best and accurate CAT percentile predictions are shared below: Assess your CAT Performance: To get the accurate CAT Percentile Calculation through CAT 2022 percentile predictor, the best way is to use it immediately after your CAT exam is over before your memory begins to fade Check Your Performance Level: You are required to enter your section wise attempts as well as correct answers for both type of questions MCQs and Non-MCQs separately in VARC, DILR and Quant sections. This will result in more accurate CAT percentile prediction overall as well as section wise. Please note the more accurate you are, the nearer is the CAT percentile prediction Review Your CAT 2022 Performance: Section wise percentile prediction in CAT 2022 is more important than only overall percentile to know your chances of shortlisting by IIMs. It is not suffice to gauge only your overall performance in CAT 2022. The accurate inputs in the percentile predictor format will let you know where you stand and how much are your chances to get shortlisted by top IIMs. 12. Input Data as Required for CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor: How to Proceed? Step 1 - Register: Register for CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor by filling your Name, Email ID, Contact Number in Form below. This is completely free. Register for CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor by filling your Name, Email ID, Contact Number in Form below. This is completely free. Step 2 Input your CAT Performance: After registration, you will be taken to next page where you should submit your CAT 2022 Performance, immediately after taking your CAT exam. This is easy as after coming out of the CAT exam centre you are fresh with your memory and can input the performance with exact number of correct and incorrect answers that you marked in the exam After registration, you will be taken to next page where you should submit your CAT 2022 Performance, immediately after taking your CAT exam. This is easy as after coming out of the CAT exam centre you are fresh with your memory and can input the performance with exact number of correct and incorrect answers that you marked in the exam Step 3 Check your Score, Percentile: Once you have submitted your CAT performance, you will get your Score & likely Percentile in 10 seconds! So, Fill the form below, and get your CAT Score and %ile on the CAT exam day The format to input data in CAT 2022 percentile predictor for your CAT 2022 performance is shared below. Make sure that you enter the correct data after your exam is over. For example, if there are 34 total questions in VARC and out of them 10 are non-MCQs, without any penalty of negative marking for wrong answers, your attempts for MCQs and Non-MCQs should not exceed the number of questions for the respective type of questions: Name of Section Number of total MCQs Attempted Number of correct answers for MCQs Number of total Non-MCQs Attempted Number of Correct answers for Non-MCQs Verbal Ability & Reading Comprehension (VARC) Data Interpretation & Logical Reasoning (DILR) Quantitative Ability (QA) 13. Benefits of Using CAT 2022 Percentile Predictor CAT Percentile predictor can let you know your expected percentile score in CAT 2022 exam. The best CAT percentile predictor should give you the nearest CAT percentile calculation so that you may decide which IIM or top MBA college you could get based on your CAT 2022 predictions on your percentile score. 14. How does the CAT percentile predictor work? The process how to arrive at the accurate CAT percentile calculation involves your net score awarded in CAT 2022, the calculated scaled score and finally the conversion of CAT scaled score to the CAT 2022 percentile score sectional as well as overall. IIMs will declare the CAT 2022 result alongwith your CAT 2022 Percentile based on 4 parameters: Total number of candidates appeared in CAT 2022 exam, Your performance relative to your peers; Slot wise Difficulty level in CAT 2022 Exam Section-wise difficulty level in CAT exam 2022 Based on this principle, the CAT Percentile Predictor 2022 prepared by MBAUniverse.com, works to help you know about CAT 2022 score and percentile you are likely to get. The more accurate you are in understanding your total number of attempts and correct answers for each of the CAT sections, the nearer you are to predict your CAT 2022 percentile. Read more about the Score Normalization process of IIMs 15. Occurrence of Changes in CAT Percentile Predictions Please note that depending upon the increase/decrease in number of candidates, their relative performance in the exam, the percentile calculation result through the CAT percentile predictor 2022 may change as also happens before final CAT result is declared Apart from a high CAT 2022 Percentile, you need a balanced sectional percentile in CAT 2022 as the basic criterion to remain eligible for shortlisting by IIMs. Although, the qualifying sectional percentile scores have been lowered by top IIMs, for example IIM Ahmedabad needs only 70 sectional and 80 overall percentile; IIM Calcutta requires 80 sectional and 90 overall percentile as the qualifying scores in CAT 2022 for shortlisting, the actual CAT percentile at the top IIMs may go much higher. 16. CAT Percentile Predictor Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Q. What method IIMs use to calculate CAT percentile? Ans. The methodology adopted by IIMs to calculate CAT percentile is to first calculate the total number of candidates, then a rank based on scaled score is assigned to arrive at the right calculation of section wise percentile score. Q. Is the CAT percentile predicted in decimal points? Ans. Yes, more than 2 lakh candidates appear in CAT exam so the percentile prediction after due calculation goes upto 4-5 decimal points. However, IIMs while declaring the CAT percentile rounds it off upto two decimal points. Q. How can I predict CAT Percentile after the exam? Ans. Yes, by using a good CAT percentile predictor, you may arrive at nearest CAT percentile. Q. What are the important inputs I will need to get my CAT percentile predicted? Ans. You should be aware about the total section wise attempts, correct and incorrect answers section wise as well as for MCQs and Non-MCQs to know your nearest CAT percentile Q. When should I use the CAT percentile predictor? Ans. The best time to use the CAT percentile predictor is immediately after your CAT exam is over as at that time you can recall your performance in CAT exam. A son of former Polish President Lech Walesa found dead in his apartment in Gdansk, Sputnik reported. According to the RMF radio station, the body of 43-year-old Przemyslaw was found by his son, who immediately called an ambulance. Przemyslaw's brother, Jaroslav, confirmed the death of his sibling on his Facebook page. The investigation team preliminary concluded that the death was of natural character. The police and prosecutor are working at the scene, questioning the family members of Przemyslaw. Five Nigerian soldiers and more than 15 Boko Haram fighters were killed when the terrorist attacked an army base in the remote northeast where the group has been fighting for an Islamic state, a military source said on Sunday, Reuters reported. Boko Haram attacked an army brigade in Buni Yadi in Yobe state late on Saturday, an army spokesman said by text message, without giving a casualty figure. "Five soldiers lost their life in the attack though more than 15 Boko Haram were killed by troops," the military source said. A US soldier, who was supporting Operation Inherent Resolve, died in Jordan, the incident is under investigation, US Department of Defense (DoD) said in a statement, Sputnik reported. According to the DoD, Booker was assigned to second Battalion, fifth Special Forces Group, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. "Spc. Isiah L. Booker, of Cibolo, Texas, died Jan. 7, in Jordan, in a non-combat related incident," the statement issued on Sunday said. No more details have been available yet. by Tanya Gazdik , January 8, 2017 BMW of North America unveiled its new 5 Series via Facebook Live Sunday from the 2017 North American International Auto Show. The event showed off the vehicle ahead of its official debut at a press conference Monday morning at the show. The 17-1/2 minute broadcast, which is still available for viewing, marks the first-ever Facebook Live vehicle debut for the BMW brand, giving viewers a behind-the-scenes sneak peek at what the automaker is calling the most innovative BMW 5 Series to date. As of Sunday night, it had already garnered over 26,000 views, been shared over 300 times and received over 719 comments. BMW had been teasing the reveal on its social media during the past few days. advertisement advertisement The broadcast was hosted by Trudy Hardy, vice president of marketing, BMW of North America, with Motor Trend's editor-in-chief, Ed Loh. The pair took viewers through an unveiling of the all-new 5 Series variants, previewing updated design elements and new technological features like Intelligent Voice Control and the iDrive 6.0 user interface. The event included the social debut of multiple 5 Series variants including the 2017 BMW 540i, the first-ever BMW M550i xDrive and the BMW 530e iPerformance. The BMW 5 Series Facebook Live event was produced by the agency Laundry Service as a part of its first major activation on behalf of the BMW brand. The agency was selected by BMW of North America as social media agency of record in late 2016. Laundry Service teased the Facebook Live Broadcast with photographer and social influencer Karim Mustafa, placing him in the drivers seat of the all-new 5 Series for a road trip from BMW North Americas New Jersey headquarters to the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Mustafa is posting photos and video content from the journey on his Instagram account. The 2017 BMW 5 Series is the seventh generation of the sedan, which has sold more than 1 million units in the U.S. alone since 1975. It will be available at U.S. dealers in February. Pricing and further marketing plans will be announced closer to launch. by Chase Martin , January 8, 2017 Mattel aims to bring a fully connected and AI-driven ecosystem to parenting with new products launched at CES. The Aristotle ecosystem centers around a connected, AI-driven WiFi and Bluetooth speaker, which visually appears similar to Amazons Echo and Googles Home and a small WiFi camera. However, the software and services behind the device are specifically designed to aid in nurturing and educating children from the early stages to adolescence, according to Mattel. Raising kids can be hectic and we saw a need for an IoT system that simplifies the complex and dynamic lives of families, while providing them with peace of mind, Jim Mitchell, VP and GM of Nabi, said. Our goal with the launch of Aristotle is to provide parents with a platform that simplifies parenting, while helping them nurture, teach and protect their young ones. Parent and Child modes alter the user experience and capabilities of the device and are customizable. For example, Mattel said in Child mode, ecommerce capabilities could be disabled and engagement with the assistant could require the word "please" to complete a request. The device, which is voice-controlled, leverages cognitive services from Microsoft and Silk Labs and learns and evolves over time as the childs needs change. Mattel also plans to add Microsofts Cortana Intelligence capabilities in the future. As a result, it can autonomously address needs of the child and parents such as soothing crying, find online deals and purchase products, teach foreign languages and reinforce good manners, according to Mattel. For example, if the systems camera detects the baby moving or the microphone detects crying, it can automatically play a lullaby and turn on dimmed lights. Aristotle also supports IFTTT (If This Then That) so parents can set up similar reactive events with other connected products in the home. Connected products from Samsungs SmartThings platform, Philips Lighting, Wemo and Wink can be integrated with Aristotle and Mattel plans to launch additional products for the ecosystem, starting with a baby monitor. Security and privacy are also built into the ecosystem, and Mattel says it focused on complying with COPPA and HIPAA protocols for its use of data. The Sydney Morning Herald, Monday, January 9, 2017 4:49 AM The National Australia Bank accidentally exposed the bank account details of 60,000 customers when sending an email to an email address controlled by a domain name squatter and owner of adult websites. The data breach occurred in 2012, but was first revealed last month. The company believes that the email wrongly sent to nab.com went to David Weissenberg, who owns domain names through his company Real Assets Limited. Read the whole story at The Sydney Morning Herald by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 9, 2017 It wont erase the horror, but maybe it will help with the healing. In an outpouring of sympathy, well-wishers have raised more than $140,000 for the 18-year-old mentally ill man whose torture was live streamed on Facebook last week, far exceeding the original goal of $10,000. The crowdfunding campaign on GoFundMe was organized by a San Francisco user named Razor Sheldon, who wrote in his fundraising plea: For those of you that have seen the horrific torture and trauma recently inflicted on a young man in Chicago, it is not something you will soon forget. Lets prove to him that there is far more good in this world than the evil he recently endured. The solicitation went viral almost immediately, with 2,000 people contributing $67,000 within 24 hours. By Monday morning a total of almost 5,000 donors have pledged $141,406. As reported last week, four people are being charged with hate crimes in addition to a number of other offenses related to the incident. Jordan Hill, Tesfaye Cooper, and Brittany Covington, all 18 years old, and Tanishia Covington, 24 years old, are being charged with felonies, including aggravated kidnapping, aggravated unlawful restraint, aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, residential burglary and hate crime following the incident. advertisement advertisement The assault included kicking, punching, cutting with a knife, and making him drink out of a toilet. The attackers, who are African-American, also utter obscenities including Fuck white people. The states attorney for Cook County, Illinois, said the decision to charge them with hate crimes is based on these statements as well as references to his mental illness and disability. The victim of the Facebook Live attack, whom most news outlets have chosen not to identify by name, reportedly suffers from schizophrenia and attention deficit disorder. by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, January 9, 2017 Google's decision to organize data being used for online search advertisements, especially location and call extensions in AdWords, could have long-term benefits for people using search data in their daily lives. The latest example draws a line between Google My Business and Call Extension numbers. The greatest benefit involves the unification of organic search results in the search engine results pages with paid-search advertisers, but this will also tie into location and automation in Google Assistant. While there are pros and cons to the shift, here's the basics. When search advertisements serve up a business location on google.com, the call extension could direct the consumer through a phone number associated with that location even if it's different from the number used in the call extension. It's really about correcting and unifying the data on the Web, making it more accessible to a variety of technology that will pull from this information. advertisement advertisement Ads that feature specific business locations may drive calls to phone numbers associated with the locations, according to a letter from Google sent to AdWords advertisers. Beginning January 19, if the ad features an individual business location, the example text ad format will show with the location extension and the location-specific phone number may be used. Advertisers that use location extensions more frequently may notice more calls going to their Google My Business number rather than their Call Extension number, Mark Irvine, senior data scientist at WordStream, wrote in a blog. Irvine listed some pros and cons for Google's latest decision to unify data across the Web. Google often serves up different numbers for the same business address in the paid ad and the organic listing, but it's at no fault of the search engine, but rather the person imputing the information into different databases and advertising platforms from which the results pulls. It will likely make AdWords account management easier for a lot of local businesses, Irvine writes, because marketers won't need to create several different call extensions and different campaigns just to make sure they are directing calls to the correct location. And, "since location extensions are created at the account level, rather than the campaign level like call extensions, advertisers wont need to worry about forgetting to apply a call extension to an individual campaign," he writes. The major drawback to this change, per Irvine, is that local advertisers will lose the ability to track and report these calls from ads as conversions, which he explains is the whole point of call tracking. There's also a change to opt-out of showing location-specific phone numbers in your ads by filling out this form before January 19, 2017. Irvine lists steps that marketers can take to prepare for the change. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko signed a decree On the introduction of the visa-free entry and departure for foreign citizens on Jan. 9, BelTA news agency reported citing the presidents press service. The document introduces the visa-free entry through the border checkpoint at the Minsk National Airport and the visa-free stay in Belarus for up to 5 days for the citizens of 80 states. These are 39 countries of Europe, including the entire European Union, Brazil, Indonesia, the US, Japan, and other countries. First of all, these are favorable countries in terms of migration, Belarus' strategic partners which have introduced visa-free regimes for Belarusian citizens on a unilateral basis. New regulations also apply to the non-citizens of Latvia and stateless persons of Estonia, the press service reported. The document aims to raise the number of business trips, tourism and private visits of people with regular passports and will not apply to foreigners on official trips with diplomatic, service, special and similar passports. A valid passport or other document permitting foreign travels, money (equivalent to at least two base amounts for each day of stay in the foreign currency or Belarusian rubles), medical insurance in the amount of at least 10,000 euros operational in Belarus will be needed for the visa-free entry. The citizens of Vietnam, Haiti, Gambia, Honduras, India, China, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa should also have a valid multi-visa to the EU states or the Schengen Area with a mark confirming the entry to their territory, plane tickets with a confirmation of the departure from the Minsk National Airport within 5 days after the date of the entry. The visa-free regime does not apply to people arriving to Belarus by plane from Russia and planning to go to the airports of Russia (these are internal flights with no border control). The decree will enter into force in a month after its official publication. by Tanya Gazdik , January 9, 2017 DETROIT Along with unveiling the new F-150 pickup truck as anticipated, Ford announced plans to bring back the Ranger and Bronco nameplates. The automaker also revealed enhancements to its mobility initiatives, including the Chariot ride-sharing service. The Ford Ranger midsize pickup truck will be reintroduced to the North American market in 2019 while the Ford Bronco midsize SUV returns in 2020 as a global vehicle, the automaker announced Monday to the media at the North American International Auto Show. Weve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive, said Joe Hinrichs, Fords president of The Americas. Ranger is aimed at truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup while the Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city. advertisement advertisement Ford is also expanding its eco-friendly initiatives. Ford-owned Chariot -- the app-based, ride sharing service in San Francisco and Austin, Texas -- will expand this year to eight cities, including at least one global city. The automaker is adding 13 new electrified vehicles and investing $4.5 billion in the next five years, including hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang, two pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles, a Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, a fully electric small SUV with an estimated range of at least 300 miles and a high-volume, fully autonomous vehicle with no steering wheel, gas or brake pedal in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. The automaker showed the next-generation Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle, which it debuted at CES. Autonomous travel is coming much faster than anyone could have anticipated, Ford President and CEP Mark Fields told the media. The automaker also presented a vision for the City of Tomorrow intended to inspire innovation and assist cities in solving mobility challenges to help people move more easily today and in the future. Fords City Solutions team will work with major global cities. This is an issue that goes far beyond congestion. It is one that represents a massive challenge to mankind, one that affects our well-being and access to health care, clean drinking water, food, a safe place to live and even the ability to find work, Bill Ford, Ford executive chairman, told the press. By solving the mobility challenge, we have the chance to create a better world for future generations. Its both an exciting opportunity and a big responsibility. As part of the press conference, Bill Ford Skyped with former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, the head of Bloomberg Philanthropies, which is involved with the City Solutions work. Bloomberg told Ford that he should be happy to know he came to work in his Lincoln SUV. Ford has called mobility a basic human right. Gridlock can affect basic human needs, which makes it a human rights issue, he says. However, the automaker does not foresee a time when consumers no longer need to own their own vehicles. From our standpoint, cars and trucks are going to remain a very strong cornerstone of our society, Fields says. by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, January 9, 2017 I guess no one told him about the Internet. An upstate New York man has achieved fame for his misguided attempt to do precisely the opposite buying roughly 1,000 copies of his local newspaper in order to cover up his drunk-driving arrest. Joseph Talbot, a bank executive in Wayne County, New York, was arrested on December 29 for driving under the influence. During his arrest, he reportedly complained that his mugshot would also appear in the local paper, the Times of Wayne County, which routinely publishes details on DUI arrests, including booking photos, as part of its police blotter feature. In fact, Talbot was so concerned about this happening, he initially resisted being fingerprinted or photographed, incurring additional criminal charges before he was fingerprinted and photographed anyway. Unable to prevent the newspaper from publishing his mugshot, Talbot did the next best thing touring as many local newsstands as he could early the next morning and buying up all the available papers at a cost of $1.25 per copy. Despite some obvious flaws in his plan, Talbot was apparently quite determined, asking one seller whether the printer distributes more copies when they sell out. He obviously intended to return and buy them all as well fortunately for him this proved unnecessary. Now about those logical flaws and there are a few. First, the majority of the newspapers circulation is delivered directly to subscribers doorsteps. Mass petty theft was beyond even Talbots abilities, or perhapsm he figured another arrest would defeat the purpose. Then theres the fact that the Times of Wayne County, like virtually every other newspaper in the country and indeed the world, also publishes online, including the police blotter. The horrible, beautiful irony of all this, of course, is that by making himself into a viral news story, Talbot has managed to not only publicize his original infraction far beyond his wildest nightmares, but made himself look like a right idiot at the same time. by Joe Mandese @mp_joemandese, January 9, 2017 The Holy War between Americas Second and Fourth estates escalated Sunday evening during one of Hollywoods holiest nights. Actress Meryl Streep dissed a performance by Donald Trump, saying there was nothing good about it. Trump, in turn, tweeted that Streep is one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, proving that he really can act. But it was one of Trumps stage performances during a presidential campaign rally that was the focus of Streeps critique, and Trumps Twitter rebuttal. It stunned me, Meryl Streep said while accepting the Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement during the Golden Globes, one of 157 acting related awards she has won, including eight Golden Globes and three Oscars. advertisement advertisement The "overrated actress" was referring to Trumps performance portraying a disabled journalist on the campaign trail. While she did not explicitly critique his acting skills, Streep admonished him for ridiculing and delegitimizing a disabled journalist. Trump responded with a series of tweets ridiculing and delegitimizing Streep, as well as the dishonest media. It was one of three separate tweets in a span of 20 hours, and five in the past few days, Trump has used to delegitimize the media as being dishonest. To prove it, he also tweeted, For the 100th time, I never mocked a disabled reporter. To be honest, it sure seems like thats what hes doing in the clip (embedded) below, but watch it for yourself. Honesty aside, Streep implied the reason for her speech was that the Golden Globes are represented by Hollywood's foreign press, which currently are the most vilified segments of society right now: Think about it. Hollywood, Foreigners. And the press. We need the principled press to hold power to account, she concluded. To call them on the carpet for every outrage. Thats why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our Constitution. She then called on Hollywood to join her in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists, because were going to need them going forward. And theyll need us to safeguard the truth. If not, theres always Twitter by Steve McClellan @mp_mcclellan, January 9, 2017 Santa Monica-based RPA has been awarded media duties for the nearly $600 million American Honda account, the companies confirmed. Publicis Groupes Mediavest was the incumbent on the account. Honda spent $580 million on ads in the U.S. in 2015, in support of both its Honda and Acura nameplates, according to Kantar Media. The Honda media assignment is returning to RPA after a nearly four-year absence. In early 2013, the brand awarded media duties to MediaVest after a review. The car company quietly began a new review of the assignment in the fall of 2016. RPA remains a key creative partner with Hondaa partnership that began four decades agoalthough creative duties were not part of this review. Bill Hagelstein, President and CEO, RPA, issued this statement: advertisement advertisement This week, we celebrate our 43rd anniversary as American Honda's trusted marketing partner. As of today (Fri, 1/6), RPA has been named Honda's Corporate, Automotive and Acura media planning and buying agency of record. This move speaks to the shift toward agency rebundling, and RPA's ability as an independent, holistic agency to align strategy, creative, media and production (including digital) all under one roof. "We are pleased to have added these responsibilities in order to help all Honda automobiles achieve continued business growth in the years ahead. by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, January 9, 2017 In a victory for Backpage, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to revive a lawsuit claiming that the company facilitated sex trafficking. The court didn't give a reason for its decision. The move brings an end to a lawsuit filed two years ago on behalf of teen victims who argued that Backpage enabled sex trafficking through the design of its online classifieds site. A federal trial judge in Boston threw out the case, ruling that the Communications Decency Act immunizes Backpage from liability for users' crimes. Last year, the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling. That court said in a sweeping opinion that the Communications Decency Act protects Web publishers regardless of their business models. advertisement advertisement "Congress did not sound an uncertain trumpet when it enacted the CDA, and it chose to grant broad protections to internet publishers," the appeals judges wrote. "Showing that a website operates through a meretricious business model is not enough to strip away those protections." The ruling followed a long line of similar decisions stretching back to 1997, when the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals said AOL wasn't liable for defamatory statements posted to its message boards. Numerous tech companies -- including Craigslist, MySpace, Google and Facebook -- have since prevailed in lawsuits by people who sought to hold the sites responsible for crimes or other activity by users. As recently as last year, Twitter defeated a lawsuit brought by the families of people killed in a terrorist attack in Amman, Jordan. The families alleged in that case that Twitter enabled the growth of ISIS. Despite the pro-Twitter decision, families of three victims killed in last year's attack at the Pulse club in Orlando just sued Facebook, Twitter and Google for allegedly facilitating ISIS's growth. It's worth noting that not all rulings have favored Web sites. In 2008, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals refused to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Roommates.com of offering discriminatory housing ads. The court said in that case that Roommates may potentially be liable if it helped "develop" illegal ads. (Roommates.com ultimately prevailed in that matter.) And the Washington state Supreme Court previously refused to dismiss a lawsuit by sex trafficking victims against Backpage at a preliminary stage. The judges in that case said there were factual questions about whether Backpage "developed" prostitution ads. But the Supreme Court's pro-Backpage move today is likely to give Web publishers a boost in future disputes, according to Santa Clara University law professor Eric Goldman. "The 1st Circuit ruling was a very powerful defense win," says Goldman, who joined in a 2015 friend-of-the-court brief siding with Backpage. "Now that the 1st Circuit opinion is the final word in that case, it will grow in importance." by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, January 9, 2017 Siding with Google, a judge has handed the company a victory in a privacy battle centered on allegations that the company disclosed some app users' names and other information to developers. U.S. District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman in San Jose, California ruled that Google was entitled to summary judgment in the dispute. Freeman's ruling, issued late last month, wasn't made publicly available until Monday. The ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought in 2013 by Illinois resident Alice Svenson. She alleged in a class-action complaint that she purchased a $1.77 app that converts SMS messages to emails. Svenson, who bought the app from Google Play, said Google shared her personal information with YCDroid, the app's developer. Svenson brought the case several months after Australian developer Dan Nolan blogged that Google automatically shares app buyers' personal information with developers. His post drew headlines, but Google said at the time it intentionally designed its platform to enable app purchasers to buy them directly from developers. advertisement advertisement The privacy policy for Google Wallet said the company may disclose information that is necessary to process transactions. Google initially contended it was necessary to share users' data, because the company doesn't process the purchase. (In 2014, Google revised its practices.) Svenson alleged that Google broke its contract by sharing her personal information with a third party. Google countered that the complaint should be dismissed for several reasons, including that Svenson wasn't injured by any alleged data sharing. Svenson had attempted to argue that Google lessened the value of her personal information by sharing it with YCDroid. She asserted in her court papers that there is a robust market for that type of data, and that she -- and other app purchasers -- were deprived of the ability to sell their data themselves. But Freeman said in her ruling that Svenson hadn't offered any evidence on that point. "Consequently, Svenson has failed to show the existence of a triable issue of material fact with respect to her claim of injury in fact based on diminution in value of her personal information," Freeman wrote. Google also successfully argued that even though YCDroid had "potential access" to Svenson's data, there was no evidence that the app developer actually viewed the information. A bee vaccine developed in Australia is opening doors to new remedies for a range of other insect, plant and pollen allergies. Researchers from Adelaide in South Australia have developed a highly effective vaccine for European honeybee stings using a unique adjuvant. The trials, which were completed last year, were successful but involved only laboratory tests. In response to these results, researchers are now conducting clinical trials on humans using ant venom therapy followed by sting challenges to further test the effectiveness of the adjuvant in insect sting vaccines. Insect sting allergies affect more than five per cent of the United States population according to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology and about 50 million people are affected by nasal allergies. Lead researcher and chief pathologist at SA Pathology Professor Robert Heddle said insect allergies affected millions of people around the world. "There are more people in Australia dying from sting allergies than nut allergies but it still flies under the radar," he said. "With the help of delta-inulin (Advax) we seem to have enhanced responses without it needing to be chemically combined and it is a much cheaper option. "We think the results were very promising with the bee venom and there was no evidence that the inulin did anyone in the study any harm." The delta-inulin could potentially also be used as a nasal vaccine against allergies such as pollen or dust but the research has not yet extended into peanut or other food allergies. Professor Heddle and his team have begun trials on a vaccine for hopper ant or jack jumper ant stings, which are a major problem in South Eastern Australia. The studies are a collaboration with the Royal Hobart Hospital in Tasmania. He said the difficult task of obtaining the insect venom and high cost of manufacturing had previously made it difficult to commercialise a sufficient number of high-quality vaccines. However, he said the addition of the unique delta-inulin adjuvant would not only reduce the cost of production but it also increased the vaccine's effectiveness. The adjuvant acts as a turbocharger to help the body's immune system recognise and target venom much faster than other contemporary methods as it is injected into the body. This means that because the venom is easier to recognise, smaller doses of the scarce insect venom could potentially be used in each vaccine, helping to reduce costs of production as well. A commercialised version of the bee vaccine would protect people with allergies against reactions, however it would require them to take multiple doses over a period of three years to build up their immune system. The adjuvant that was used to enhance the vaccines was developed in Adelaide by Vaxine Pty Ltd. It is called Advax and has also been used to develop vaccines for seasonal and pandemic influenza, hepatitis, malaria, SARS and other diseases. The company recently developed a vaccine for onchocerciasis, also known as river blindness, a disease that affects about 17 million people around the world according to the World Health Organisation. Managing Director Nikolai Petrovsky said the success of the Beevax trials had paved the way for his adjuvant to crossover from a purely infectious disease vaccine turbocharger to an allergy vaccine booster as well.Petrovsky said the success of the Beevax trials had paved the way for his adjuvant to crossover from a purely infectious disease vaccine turbocharger to an allergy vaccine booster as well. "It's a dangerous manufacturing process because the researchers get stung themselves and you don't get much from just one of them so you need a lot," he said. "The adjuvant speeds things up but could also help make the vaccines more available because you could potentially reduce the dosage and still have it be effective." Professor Petrovsky said he had been in talks with the United States Government about other allergy vaccines for cockroaches, dust mites and various pollen allergies. A paper on the Beevax study is being finalised and clinical trials on the hopper ant are ongoing. We attempted to send a notification to your email address but we were unable to verify that you provided a valid email address. Please click here to update your email address if you wish to receive notifications. Otherwise, you may click here to disable notifications and hide this message. Baku, Azerbaijan, Jan. 9 Trend: Ivory Coast Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan resigned and dissolved the government on Jan. 9, Reuters reported. "I have tendered my resignation and that of the government," he said after a meeting with President Alassane Ouattara. Ouattara kept hold of his majority in the Dec. 18 parliamentary polls. But legislative elections are usually followed by a change of government as a matter of procedure. The resignations pave the way for the implementation of measures contained in a new constitution. Ouattara signed a new constitution that had been approved by referendum into law in November, casting it as the way to ensure peace is maintained in Ivory Coast. Please complete this form and we'll send you a personalised information that is requested You may use this for your own reference or forward it to your friends. Please use the information prudently. If you are not a medical doctor please remember to consult your healthcare provider as this information is not a substitute for professional advice. Advertisement The new research from the University of Oxford in the UK and the Universities of Groningen and Wageningen in the Netherlands suggests that the role of education is much smaller in delaying motherhood than previously believed.The researchers found that in the UK, a woman's family background was the major factor rather than education.Researchers wanted to see how education influenced reproductive behavior.The researchers tracked patterns of educational enrollment by using the nationally representative data from the Office of National Statistics for cohorts of women born in the UK between 1944 and 1967 and found that educational attainment for women also increased.The researchers found that for every extra year of educational enrollment after the age of 12, a woman delayed motherhood by an average of six months.The study found that the main influence on whether a woman postpones having children is largely associated with her family background.Education contributes to only 1.5 months of the total six month delay in motherhood.The other main factor that influences a woman's decision to have children is the family environment, a combination of a woman's social, economic and genetic factors.Lead author Dr Felix Tropf, from the Department of Sociology at the University of Oxford, said "Our research casts doubt on previous studies that claim a strong link between educational expansion for women and the postponement of motherhood. We find that both education and a woman's fertility choices seem to be mostly influenced by her family background, instead of education influencing fertility behaviour directly. For example, families provide social and financial support, and pass on genes affecting reproductive behaviour.""A large part of the observed association between education and age at first birth in other studies can actually be explained by the family environment. In isolation, education has a much smaller effect. We hope this important finding that a large part of the link between educational enrolment and fertility postponement is not causal but spurious may inform those forecasting future fertility trends or shaping family policy." Tropf added.The delay of motherhood from the 1960s coincided with the introduction of the contraceptive Pill, notes the research.Cohorts born after the 1960s postponed motherhood by around 2.7 years, on average, compared with women born at the end of the Second World War, but longer educational enrollment only accounts for 6% of this delay, says the research.The findings are published inSource: Medindia Advertisement The Spanish model also makes it a priority to identify donation opportunities not only in intensive care units, but also in emergency departments and hospital wards. In addition, it considers organ donation from persons over the age of 65 years. (While only seven percent of organ donors are over the age of 65 years in the United States, ten percent of organ donors in Spain are over the age of 80.) Furthermore, the model has considered donation after circulatory death, in which circulation, heartbeat, and breathing have stopped (as opposed to brain death, in which all the functions of the brain have stopped), even in the setting when death follows a sudden cardiac arrest in the street."The most important success is that the system has made organ donation be routinely considered when a patient dies, regardless of the circumstances of death," said ONT's Beatriz Dominguez-Gil, MD, PhD, co-author of the article highlighting the Spanish Model's impact. "Professionals attending to these patients in our country consider that, in caring for patients at the end of their lives, it is their duty to systematically explore their wishes with regards to donating organs upon their death."Lead author Rafael Matesanz, MD, PhD, who is the director of ONT, highlighted that "good organization in the process of deceased donation and continuous adaptations of the system to changes are always the basis of successful results in organ donation". He noted that the elements and strategies of the Spanish model might be applicable to other countries, with some adaptations depending on the way organ donation is organized, the type of healthcare system in place, and other factors.Source: Eurekalert Puberty is that stage in life when both boys and girls develop sexually and also acquire awareness of sexuality. This is the time when adult hormones kick in and prepare the body for its reproductive role. Puberty usually begins in girls around the ages 9-13 and in boys around 10-16. Each individual being will go through puberty differently and at different ages. When the body is ready for puberty, the pituitary gland in the brain releases hormones which work on different parts of the body depending on your gender. For boys, the pituitary signals the testes (in the scrotum) to start making the sex hormone testosterone and for girls, the pituitary signals the ovaries to start making estrogen. This marks the beginning of menstruation and the readiness of the body to reproduce. During puberty, the body undergoes a shift as the sex hormone production begins. Maturation during puberty is mainly controlled by complex interactions between the brain, pituitary gland, the gonads (sex glands) and the adrenal glands (glands that produce adrenaline and steroids). During this phase, rapid brain development also occurs along with physiological changes. These developments stimulate cognitive development and intelligence. Some of the physiological processes underlying puberty include: Hypothalamus in the brain releases hormones called gonadotropins that signal the pituitary gland to release two more hormones called the luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) into the bloodstream. in the brain releases hormones called that signal the to release two more hormones called the (LH) and hormone (FSH) into the bloodstream. LH and FSH stimulate the production of male and female hormones androgen in the male testes and estrogen in the female ovaries. Advertisement There is evidence that gonadal hormones, gonadotropins and adrenal hormones affect and are affected by the social environment. Which is why adolescence is a time of tumultuous behavioral changes. Females experience mood swings, restlessness, excessive sleep and in some cases pre-menstrual syndrome or PMS. Males also experience mood swings, aggressive behaviour, excessive sleep, thoughts about sex and wet dreams. Girls: The first signs of puberty in girls are acne, development of breasts, hair in the underarm and pubic region. Puberty timing varies between individuals. It can start as early as 8 years or begin as late as 13. The process of puberty from breast development to menarche can last anywhere between 2-6 years. Timing of events: Breast development 8-14 Pubic hair 9-14 Rapid body growth (height and weight) 10-15 Menarche (first period) 10-16 Underarm hair a couple of years after first onset of pubic hair Acne occurs along with underarm hair growth Breast development begins with a firm, tender lump called a breast bud in the center. This is the first evidence of the onset of puberty. Soon the area around the nipple becomes enlarged. Breast size varies with individuals. In the beginning girls may experience some tenderness which settles down with time. Hair Growth: Pubic hair growth is the second sign of puberty experienced by girls. Hair first forms on the outer areas of the private parts. The hair becomes coarse and dark and slowly spreads up to the inner thighs. Rapid body growth: During this period, the upper and lower limbs also grow along with the torso and height. A female may gain up to 3.5 inches height per year. Height gain is sometimes accompanied by weight gain as well which is normal. Menarche: Onset of menstrual cycle is the central event in female puberty as it signals the readiness of the body to reproduce. The timing of the first period has many accelerating factors including good nutrition, income levels of family and overall health. Periods may be accompanied by a number of symptoms like abdominal and back pain, breast tenderness, weight gain, excess sweating, nausea and irritability. With time some of these symptoms settle down. Girls should be educated on menstrual hygiene and monitoring for abnormal flows. It is normal to feel a little tired and drained during this period. Underarm hair growth occurs a couple of years after the onset of pubic hair. Females may experience sweating in the underarm. It is important to maintain hygiene in this area. Acne: As the underarm hair develops, the other glands (oil and sweat) are activated. Hair follicles get clogged due to oil deposits and dead skin cells. This results in a condition called acne. Acne can be prevented by washing the face regularly with a good soap or face wash. It is important to keep the facial skin oil-free to avoid acne. Boys: The first sign of puberty in boys is growth of the penis, testis and scrotum. Timing of puberty varies between individuals. It can start anywhere between the age of 9-16 and last up to the age of 18 or 19. The complete process takes 2-5 years. Timing of events: Testicles and scrotum development (growth of genitalia) 10-14 Pubic hair 10-15 Rapid body growth (height and weight) 10-17 Growth of penis 11-15 Voice change 11-15 along with the growth of the penis Facial and underarm hair around 2 years after pubic hair Acne along with appearance of facial hair Advertisement Growth of genitalia: Boys experience enlargement of the testicles and the scrotal sac. The scrotum usually darkens and continues growing. Pubic Hair: Around the same time as the testicles grow, hair starts growing at the base of the penis. Soon the pubic hair becomes curlier, dense and darker. Finally it starts growing towards the thighs and the navel. Rapid body growth: Puberty in boys leads to a sudden increase in height. The hands and legs grow lanky as the torso and shoulders keep up with this increase. Boys may gain up to 4 inches height each year. Penis Growth: The penis length increases with a small change in width. After a year of penis growth, boys experience their first ejaculation of semen. Though this feels scary and awkward, it is a normal sign. Voice change: Around the age of 11, a boys voice usually starts cracking and deepening. The voice deepens gradually and the full process may take around 1-2 years. Hair Growth: This occurs a couple of years after pubic hair. Facial hair usually starts with the corners of the lip and slowly spreads to the upper lip and upward along the cheeks. During this time, legs, arms and underarm hair also grow and boys experience excessive sweating. Finally they start getting chest hair. Acne: Along with facial and underarm hair, the oil glands beneath the facial skin start secreting excessive oil which leads to acne. To avoid excess breakouts, it is best to regularly wash the face at least 3-4 times a day. Puberty can be a tumultuous time for both girls and boys. Along with bodily changes they also experience a search for the self and identity. This is a time when girls and boys feel conscious as their bodies change in different ways. They are also experiencing sexual growth and may feel attracted to the opposite sex. This leads to new emotions and feelings. Boys and girls experience varied mood swings ranging from aggression to depression. Teenagers experience many frustrations during this stage due to raging hormones, identity crises and exploring their sexuality. Parents and carers must be patient and understanding during this period. Aditya, a little boy of 6 years, was born with a hole in his heart and this situation could have been under control for his parents, if only they could afford the treatment. His father is a driver and thus the financial position was not in their favour until his own employer became the stamp of humanity that we need in this world. Meena Sriram ended up raising Rs 25 lakhs for Adityas treatment and gave him a new lease of life. He had already undergone two surgeries and that added to a lot of debt and no desired results. "More than anything else, I didn't know what to tell my son who kept asking me when he would walk again like any other child. But my employer Meena Sriram and the doctors in Chennai made it happen at a time when I was on the verge of giving up," his father said in an interview. Twitter Meena is a financial advisor by profession and she managed to raise the fund in a short span of time. She took help from friends, reached out to many doctors in Chennai and help started pouring in for them. In fact, a person in her office who earns Rs 25,000 per month, happily gave her a cheque for Rs 5000. The surgery was a long one and risky, however it was successful. Flickr It is believed that if you cannot find the goodness in the world around you, then you should become the goodness. People like Meena are the example of hope and determination. The fact that not all humanity is lost is a solace for the world that is losing hope each day. The ultimate dream job is here. A cruise company is offering what can only be called a fantasy job cruise around the world, take pictures, post them on Instagram and earn a stipend of 3,000 (thats roughly Rs 2,50,000!) for a period of 3 weeks! Incredible, right? This is how we like our cocktails to be served ??? (? @miyvse ) #GoExtraordinary A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Dec 22, 2016 at 3:43am PST This is a 3-week summer internship and the chosen one will get to go on three different cruises during the internship. Royal Caribbean International is looking for someone who has a good understanding of social media, loves to travel, and has an eye for stories. The person will be required to at least post 3 pictures on Instagram every day. Check out the advert posted by Royal Caribbean on their Instagram page: To bag the Intern-Ship of the Seas, applicants are being invited to share their best travel pictures. Theyll be judged based on the story telling ability, originality, and visual appeal of their Instagram updates. Another stunning Mediterranean sunset onboard #HarmonyoftheSeas. ?: @mattfisher5 #GoExtraordinary A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Sep 1, 2016 at 9:55am PDT The interns will be required to take shore excursions on each cruise and will have to document the experience in pictures. Kayaking in Mallorca by @Davidparks. ??? #GoExtraordinary #HarmonyoftheSeas A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Jul 27, 2016 at 10:17am PDT Their pictures could tell different stories they could be about someone they met on a shore excursion or onboard the luxury cruise ship. It could even be about a crew member with an interesting story or an impressive role. We heard that #ibiza is cloudless today. ?? #paradise #AnthemoftheSeas Photo by Rodrigo Sa on Flickr. A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Jul 13, 2015 at 9:30am PDT Interns will also be required to invite fellow Instagrammers and ask for their recommendations on asking the experience more perfect. Central Park on #OasisoftheSeas. All these lights. ? Photo by @clintcalder. A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Aug 6, 2015 at 12:23am PDT Sadly enough, this ones open to only citizens of UK and Ireland. But we hope other companies take a cue and come up with similar internships. Social media is the end all and be all these days. If you are hot on social media, you have arrived. Business are made, reputations built, and moolah earned through social media. And one thing thats huge here is travel. You havent travelled if you havent boasted about it on Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat. And now, companies have realized the importance of social media in furthering their business and staying on top of their game. Having a go on the FlowRider is a must! A photo posted by Royal Caribbean UK (@royalcaribbeanuk) on Sep 2, 2013 at 4:05am PDT Today, travel really doesnt mean burning a hole in your pocket. The world is full of possibilities, and if you really want to see the world, there are opportunities galore. From professins that let you travel to blogging about travel, the options are many. We all remember Nokia, dont we? Well, they are back (Sort of). Remember HMD? A Finnish company that bought the rights to develop new Nokia phone? They announced on Sunday that the company will be releasing a stylish, inexpensive phone that will be powered by the Android operating system. However, there is one catch, it will exclusively launch in China for now. The phone will feature the Snapdragon 430 processor, a 16MP primary camera, 8MP front-facing camera, a 5.5-inch screen and will also sport 4GB of RAM. The body of the phone will be made out of aluminium, a move that was highly unexpected and a rarity in budget phones. The Nokia 6 will be launched in China for 1,700 Yuan which amounts to INR 16, 800. China is the worlds biggest and fastest-growing market for smartphones and HMDs move to release the Nokia reboot reaffirms the fact that they arent here to play games anymore. The Chinese smartphone market currently has over 550 million users and in order to sell Nokia 6 in a very competitive market, HMD will have to compete with the likes of Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo, Oppo and Huawei. Many smartphones enthusiasts wanted to see a premium phone by HMD/Nokia. However, with recent mishandling of the brand by Microsoft, it seems like the decision to release a mid-range device is strategic and safe in order to capture the market. Nokia uses to dominate the global phone market before the launch of Apples iPhone and Android smartphones. The company relied on Microsofts Windows platform in order to compete. However, they failed to captivate users which eventually led Nokia to get acquired by Microsoft for $7.2 billion. However, it is interesting to see as to what HMD might be able to achieve now that Nokia branded phones will feature Android as the operating system. Exactly a decade ago, Steve Jobs introduced the world to a new revolutionary idea. A device that has come to define smartphone technology ever since its inception and made Apple the biggest technology company in the world. Many critics considered the first iPhone a flop and little did they know that a bold step by Apple would change the world, as we know it. Apple is celebrating the iPhones 10th anniversary today remembering the launch of a revolutionary product, which was then described as an iPod with touch controls, an Internet communicating device and a phone that would break boundaries. Steve Jobs keynote might be a decade old but his vision of how the phone would be used today is still accurate today. But there are plenty of ways the iPhone changed the world for us and heres how it achieved the great feat. Selfies Pexels Even though I feel the selfie taking phenomenon is an abomination but it is a phenomenon nonetheless. The selfie craze was brought on when phones started equipping front-facing cameras on smartphones. Front-facing cameras have been a feature on smartphones since 2003. However, when it first appeared on the iPhone 4, the phenomenon of taking selfies increased exponentially. Even though the front-facing camera was meant for video calls but it wasnt the only purpose users utilised it for. No More Phone Calls Pexels Mobile phones (thats what we used to call them back then) was used for one purpose and one purpose only making phone calls. However, thanks to Steve Jobs vision of making the iPhone a phenomenal internet communications device, it is now easier to email, text, WhatsApp or tweet that we barely even think of calling anyone anymore. Autocorrect The world was sceptical when Apple introduced is a touchscreen phone and killed the physical keyboard. However, Apple had a way to encourage people by introducing autocorrect for their virtual keyboard. However, it also meant that we had to go through the horrors of some hilarious autocorrect moments like below: Damn You Autocorrect Autocorrect fails like above have been a part of our social lives every day. However, Apple has since reworked and improved their autocorrect feature but it still acts up from time to time. Pinch To Get A Closer Look Before we started getting phones with big screen sizes and better clarity, the first iPhone had a screen that would be too small to do anything in it. That also meant that Apple had to introduce a gesture that would enable people to zoom into pictures, texts and any other form of media. This is where Pinch to zoom came in. Apps Reuters If you asked me what the word App meant a decade ago, I would be baffled. However, today it is an industry worth tens of billions of dollars and every app developer who made millions owe to Apple. The reason why Apple is a huge success is because of the plethora of Apps available on its App store. Because of the App store, companies like Uber, Instagram and Facebook have thrived and its only going to get bigger. Currently, the app store has over 2 million apps and since the launch of the App store in 2008, people have spent about $40 billion on iOS apps alone. Death Of The iPod Reuters With the rise of the iPhone, which could also communicate with iTunes and store music on the same device, it also meant the death of another Apple product. The iPod was revolutionary for digital music and functioned as a spectacular mp3 player. But as iPhones sales increased, the demand for the iPod fell. Apple might still sell the iconic mp3 player but they will not be updating it ever again. The iPhone is still one of the most important devices today, current Apple CEO Tim Cook noted in a post today iPhone is an essential part of our customers' lives, and today more than ever it is redefining the way we communicate, entertain, work and live. iPhone set the standard for mobile computing in its first decade and we are just getting started. The best is yet to come. You can watch the original keynote delivered by Steve Jobs below to refresh your nostalgic feelings. Ankara, Turkey, Jan. 9 By Atilla Caner Trend: Turkeys parliament will discuss amendments to the Constitution, today, Jan. 9, said the parliament in a message. All political parties of Turkey will take part in the discussions. On Dec. 29, 2016, the Parliamentary Constitutional Committee of Turkey approved a number of articles in the countrys draft Constitution and proposed to discuss them at a parliamentary session. The approved articles increase the number of seats in the Turkish Parliament from 550 to 600. The draft Constitution proposes to allow Turkish citizens to run for the MP seats from the age of 18. Currently, the lowest age limit for this is 25. One of the approved articles also offers to hold parliamentary elections every 5 years. Currently, the parliamentary elections are held every 4 years. A Turkish citizen no younger than 40 and with higher education can become president of Turkey, according to the draft Constitution. The Turkish president will also have the powers to appoint ministers and replace them. The approved articles stipulate that the president-elect is not obliged to be a non-party nominee. If the draft constitution gets more than 367 votes, it can pass directly without the need for a referendum. However, the AK Party, the ruling party in Turkey, has said it will hold a referendum even if none is needed. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan emphasized that he will push for a referendum even if the draft is approved by a majority in the parliament. The changes to the constitution require a 50-percent vote in favor in a referendum. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Alexis Tsipras, the Greek prime minister, on Monday exchanged views on Cyprus peace talks in a phone conversation, according to a statement issued by the Turkish presidency, Anadolu reported. The two leaders pointed out the importance of having a constructive attitude for all sides in order to attain a positive result from the negotiations in Geneva, said the statement. Erdogan and Tsipras agreed the coming talks in Geneva could be an important opportunity for reaching a settlement. The Cyprus reunification talks started on Monday in Geneva. Turkish Cypriot President Mustafa Akinci said last week the reunification referendum could be held in mid-2017 pending an agreement in Geneva. If a deal is reached on territorial changes, negotiators are expected to announce a date for a final summit between the Turkish and Greek Cypriot leaders and three other states involved in the process as guarantor countries: Turkey, Greece, and the U.K. Reunification talks resumed in May 2015, and both sides have repeatedly expressed optimism that a solution would be found by the end of last year. Once a final agreement is reached, it would be put to both communities in a referendum. A UN-brokered peace deal was approved by Turkish Cypriots in 2004 but rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. ADS ADS The theme selected for this 8th edition was Age of Transitions. It is indeed impossible to ignore the early 21st century forces at work which raise a number of question marks about our futures. These include queries relating to technological progress, doubts regarding political issues, as well as skepticism of existing growth models The worlds evolution has possibly never been so ambivalent: on the one hand heralding great promise in terms of life sciences, yet filled with dangers notably stemming from the great divide caused by inequalities. As expressed in the brief summaries of the various talks provided below, the Forum voiced these concerns affecting the entire planet and already influencing our daily lives. The United States Jean-Eric Branaa, Author and specialist in American socio-political issues In one night, Jean-Eric Braana experienced a series of storm waves upending his forecast that Hillary Clinton would win the American presidential elections. "One can above all see Donald Trumps success as a rejection of his adversary, or even a rejection of the establishment he commented. While these arguments are a valid means of explaining his victory, they do not take account of what one might be tempted to cover up: massive adherence to the Republic candidates despite all his excesses. Adherence to a normal man rather than a political super-champion. Will he prove capable, as he has pledged, of being the president of all Americans and uniting a profoundly divided and wounded nation? One thing is for sure; we find ourselves plunged back into a 50 year-old breed of conservatism, while clinging to the hope that American institutions will lead Donald Trump to govern from the center." Europe Hubert Vedrine, Former French Minister of Foreign Affairs For Hubert Vedrine, the election of Donald Trump stems from the rise of populism, such as we are also seeing in Europe. But rather than lamenting the result, it is vital to analyze its causes. In my opinion, it is due to the fact that populations feel abandoned, misled and despised. Globalization has not delivered on its promises for the middle classes of a country with a strong social pact. The real problem is therefore people dissociating themselves. What does Europe have to offer them, apart from legislation on the size of cucumbers or shower heads? In the absence of a real political project, we are witnessing electoral insurrection such as in the United States. To remedy this, I see no solutions other than a surgical implementation of the principle of subsidiarity, organized around fundamental objectives for Europe that must include both security and sovereignty. The Middle East Gilles Kepel, Author and specialist on modern Islam and the contemporary Arab world In referring to Donald Trumps victory, Gilles Kepel spoke of a "tectonic shift" in the way the world is organized a change one can also observe in the Middle East. "Petrodollars long served to stabilize a region that was living on an apparently inexhaustible source of revenue. But with oil prices tumbling and the cards being reshuffled as far as energy is concerned, the region has lapsed into chaos since the Arab Spring. A chaos that is also affecting Europe, as we have seen with the refugee crisis, and against which a Donald Trump is seen in his country as a rampart. The result is that on this side of the Atlantic we are experiencing a third-generation iteration of jihadism that is driving the rise of the far right. This polarization is indeed what one may rightly call a crisis of civilization". Prospective 2038 Virginie Raisson, Geopolitical and foresight analyst In a rapidly accelerating world, there are in fact only two things of which we can be sure: "The first is that the future will not happen as foreseen" says Virginie Raisson, "and the second is that it will depend on the choices we are making now. So there is no point in waiting before taking action." The researcher cited several examples within the global economy relating to essential resources that are destined to become increasingly rare: water, the source of life, as well as cocoa beans, sand which is indispensable to constructions, most species of fish that are victims of intensive fishing, and even work. "We are already experiencing this transition now, which is why we must look for solutions. And one of them that is becoming increasingly clear consists of doing better with less, or in other words, participatory economics." How digital transforms business Gerd Leonhard, Futurologist "Data along with the intelligence required to use it are the new oil" says Gerd Leonhard. One need only take a look at which conglomerates post the biggest capitalization figures on the planet with names such as Apple, Google or Facebook to grasp that technology is driving the world. And technology is experiencing exponential growth which means that everything that can be digitized and automated, will be. The corollary of this evolution is that connectivity is a must. Artificial intelligence is becoming a reality that will lead to cognitive information technology. In a nutshell, machines will be able to perform all routine tasks across all sectors. This will lead to a future that will definitely not be an extension of the present, requiring that we define new relationships between man and machine, while ensuring that the former does not attempt to resemble the latter. How digital transforms business Michael Wade, Professor of innovation and strategy, IMD Between technology with its exponential development and corporate organization which struggles to keep pace, there is a gap that companies tend to try and fill by excessive digitalization of systems and procedures. Michel Wade warns that if digital is used, it should mainly target improvement of performance. And achieving that is not about merely relying on a strategy of digitalizing tasks. An organizations adaptability and responsiveness are far better assets, especially if they aim to offer goods and services closely tailored to expectations. "Offering a customer a digital experience is meaningless in itself, even if it is drastically personalized he explained. On the other hand, it is far more valuable if it demonstrates a high degree of relevance." Transitions and challenges in the watch industry Cyrille Vigneron, CEO Cartier "How to modernize classical music? Definitely not by introducing rap segments". For Cyrille Vigneron, Cartier is in a similar situation. It is a mature luxury brand sought after for models that, in some cases, date back several decades. A brand that must avoid succumbing to the temptation of the cult of youth, but which must nonetheless catch the attention of younger generations. One of the keys naturally lies in the distribution network, where physical and virtual presence play complementary roles, but in a cleverly balanced blend that is yet to be found. Olivier Audemars, Vice Chairman of the Board, Audemars Piguet How is Audemars Piguet faring well in the current economic climate? "Its because we have taken decisions in the past that are now bearing fruit" reports Olivier Audemars. "These include streamlining the sales network, limiting production capacities and moderate deployment in China. At the start of the decade, we also asked ourselves who we truly were. The answer can be summed up in just a few words: watchmakers producing complex mechanical instruments that speak to the heart before telling the time." Maximilian Busser, Owner and creative director, MB&F The MB&F model consists of creating mechanical sculptures that display time. And so as not to put a curb on a degree of creativity that stands out in the watchmaking world, the Maison has for the past few years put a ceiling on its turnover as well as the number of units it produces per year. "Its true that I cant offer my staff a career plan, nor year-on-year salary increases" explains Maximilian Busser. "But I can offer them pride in a job well done by taking part in a slightly crazy horological adventure, as well as an eminently pleasant environment." A formula that definitely attracts certain unconditional fans. Watches and Wonders Creates its own Fondation Watches and Wonders Creates... After the success of the first edition of Watches and Wonders Geneva in 2022, Rolex, Richemont and Patek Philippe have decided to create... After the success of the first edition... TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF USE Welcome to the internet Website (Web Site) edited and published by Edipresse Luxe SA (hereinafter referred to as Worldtempus). Use of this Web Site is subject to the following terms and conditions ("Terms"). Worldtempus may revise these Terms from time to time by updating this posting, with the revised Terms taking effect for all Users as of the date stated on the posting. Consequently, Users should consult the Terms regularly. Please read these Terms carefully before using the Web Site. Users expressly acknowledge that they are aware of these Terms and have had access to the same upon entering the Web Site. Consequently, by using the Web Site, Users signify their assent and agreement to these Terms. 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All disputes will be submitted to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts of the Swiss Canton of Geneva. The waiver by Worldtempus of a breach of any provision of these Terms will not operate to be interpreted as a waiver of any other or subsequent breach. A formerly overweight Houston woman is making headlines on social media for revealing she lost 103 pounds after finding out about her cheating husband and lover who both mocked her for being fat. The woman, Betsy Ayala, shared pictures of her amazing transformation on her Instagram account. The various photos showed several "before" and "after" shots of Ayala. A photo posted by Betsy Ayala 103 Lbs (@queen_b_b) on Nov 22, 2016 at 10:01am PST " id="" alt="Betsy Ayala's Before and After Picture" title="Betsy Ayala's Before and After Picture" width="591" class="imgPhoto" /> The 34-year-old marketing manager was at her heaviest at 262 pounds in 2013 after she gave birth to her daughter Isabella. She also had to battle post-partum depression thereafter. Half a year later, she discovered her husband's philandering. Even worse, she uncovered messages from him and his lover spitefully mocking her. Spurred by the unsavory revelation and after a divorce, she begun working out with her sister while dramatically cutting her intake of sweets. However, Ayala-now sporting a sleek 159-pound figure after her dramatic transformation-also admitted her path to good health was not an easy one at all in the beginning. "I was still over 200 pounds with a 6-month-old and everything that I had worked for had just vanished," she told the Daily Mail in an interview. Ayala even revealed she would often use to cry after working out, angered by her ex-husband's unfaithfulness. However, she said she ultimately stuck with the program because she wanted to ultimately make her daughter proud while teaching her a thing or two about being resilient. "I wanted her to be proud of her mum and I wanted to be an example for her", she said, adding that she has since been on much better terms with her ex-husband. In the end, the now-single mother expressed her gratefulness for encountering such a challenging trial. According to her, she was able to use the ordeal to turn herself into a better person overall and not just physically. As for other people who have fallen in the same rut as she had, Ayala shared with ABC13 some of the tips she found helpful during her weight-loss journey. They include remaining consistent with exercise, eating healthy, staying active, having a strong support system, and never losing focus on one's goal. View Ayala's amazing transformation here: Brush up on the history of World War Two, Wang reportedly said during his visit to Canberra, Australia, regarding the Chinese territories taken by Japan. (Photo : Getty Images) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry that the two countries should maintain good relations despite President Donald Trump's efforts that favor Taiwan. President Donald Trump recently called Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen that has raised speculation that the American president is not in favor of the "one China policy." Advertisement In a telephone call between Wang and Kerry, Wang said, "Both sides should take great care to jointly safeguard and ensure the proper direction of development in bilateral relations." Trump's move to favor Taiwan contradicted with the American government's recognition of the "one China policy" in 1979. The policy states that Taiwan should be under the authority of mainland China. The policy also does not recognize Taiwan as an independent country. State media also criticized President Trump and stated that Twitter "should not become a foreign policy tool." Experts weigh in the current standing of the relations between the two countries. According to Nicholas Hope, the former director of the Stanford Center for International Development, the two countries' relationship is uncertain. He said, "The future of the relationship is, in a word, unpredictable." "Certainly, a lot of pre-election rhetoric--the anti-trade rhetoric from both candidates--pointed toward the relationship with China potentially getting rockier, certainly so for Trump, who made pretty outrageous statements about trade," Hope added. Hope also said that China's intentions were good but the American president was ill-advised. The expert added: "I can't help but feel that Trump is listening to the wrong Republican advisers on this issue. His initial discussion with China's president, Xi Jinping, was seen as positive. But then he muddied the water with his conversation with Taiwan's president." Adm. Gary Roughead, a Robert and Marion Oster Distinguished Military Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, said that although most Americans don't see it, the relations between Taiwan and the U.S. are "an issue [that] has always been there, it's always been important to China." The offices of the the New York Times media empire in Midtown in New York. (Photo : Getty Images) Apple has banned the New York Times from its mobile app store in China at the request of Chinese regulators, the publication said in a report. Since late last month, the NYT's mobile app has been blocked from the App Store following demand from local authorities. According to several news outlets, the move stems from the NYT's series of articles published in 2012 discussing the massive wealth of the family of Wen Jiabao, who was the prime minister at that time. Advertisement "For some time now the New York Times app has not been permitted to display content to most users in China and we have been informed that the app is in violation of local regulations," Fred Sainz, an Apple spokesman, said in a statement. "As a result, the app must be taken down off the China App Store. When this situation changes, the App Store will once again offer the New York Times app for download in China." Since releasing the controversial report on Jiabao's massive wealth five years ago, the publication's website has been banned in the country. The app used to allow Chinese readers to access the NYT's content without having to adopt a Virtual Private Network to dodge censorship. Amnesty International said that the ban by Apple is part of the rising number of tech giants "effectively aiding China in its crackdown on free speech." "It's extremely worrying that Apple is kowtowing to China's censorship by deleting New York Times apps," Patrick Poon, an Amnesty researcher, told CNN. China's so-called The Great Firewall, its massive Internet surveillance and censorship tool, has said to affect almost 700 million users, per The Washington Post. Meanwhile, mobile apps from other foreign news sites, such as The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, are still available for download on the Chinese App Store at the time of writing. HARBOR BEACH Harbor Beach Community Hospital and Human Development Commission is offering a free Caregiver Education and Support Group. This meeting will be from 9 to 11 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 17 in the Administration Building Conference Center at the Harbor Beach Community Hospital at 147 South First Street in Harbor Beach. This is a monthly program for anyone who is a caregiver for someone with dementia, Parkinson, cancer, etc. This months topic will be Understanding Legal Issues: Long Term Care Options, Financial Questions and More. Guest speaker, Brenda Polk, attorney at law, will help you better understand the legal issues and questions you may have. Susan Arthur, LLBSW from the Human Development Commission will be the facilitator. Refreshments will be provided. This program is partially funded by Region VII Area Agency on Aging. To register, call 1-989-673-4121 or just stop in. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump is introduced to speak to supporters at the Giant Center, December 15, 2016 in Hershey, Pennsylvania. (Photo : Getty Images/Mark Wilson) As tension between the incoming Trump administration and China intensifies, China has announced that it won't be backing down should this erupt into a full-blown trade war. This came after Trump targeted China in his recent tweets and the names included in the nominees for trade officials. "There are flowers around the gate of China's Ministry of Commerce, but there are also big sticks hidden inside the door - both await Americans," said an editorial. Advertisement The article came after Trump selected Robert Lighthizer, who was a former trade official of the Ronald Raegan administration. Lighthizer has criticized China's trade practices as U.S. trade representative. Trump also named Peter Navarro, a University of California Irvine economics professor, to head a newly formed White House National Trade Council. Meanwhile, billionaire Wilbur Ross was nominated for commerce secretary. Chinese media stated that Trump's choices for trade officials will form an "iron curtain" of protectionism in his economic and trade team. If the Trump administration does instigate a trade war, China will be using its arsenal of measures to retaliate if diplomatic talks between the two don't turn out favorable. "The far more potent weapon that the Chinese have is to use either overt or covert measures to restrict the access of American companies to the Chinese market, which is still a pretty fast growing market," said Cornell University economist Eswar Prasad. Sources said that these measures include subjecting U.S. companies or ones with large Chinese operations to tax or anti-trust probes. Another possible measure is anti-dumping investigations and scaling back government purchases of American products. "This could quickly backfire on Mr. Trump and the U.S. economy," he said. While China hopes to solve this ongoing verbal war with Trump through diplomatic relations, it won't be backing down if this escalates into a full-blown trade war between two of the biggest economic powers in the world. 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LP., DB Industrial Holdings Beteiligungs GmbH & Co. KG, DB Industrial Holdings GmbH, DB Intermezzo LLC, DB International (Asia) Limited, DB International Investments Limited, DB International Trust (Singapore) Limited, DB Investment Managers Inc., DB Investment Partners Inc., DB Investment Partners Limited, DB Investment Resources (US) Corporation, DB Investment Resources Holdings Corp., DB Investment Services GmbH, DB London (Investor Services) Nominees Limited, DB Management Support GmbH, DB Nominees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB Nominees (Jersey) Limited, DB Nominees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, DB Omega BTV S.C.S., DB Omega Holdings LLC, DB Omega Ltd., DB Omega S.C.S., DB Operaciones y Servicios lnteractivos Agrupacicm de lnteres Econemico, DB Overseas Finance Delaware Inc., DB Overseas Holdings Limited, DB Print GmbH, DB Private Clients Corp., DB Private Wealth Mortgage Ltd., DB Re S.A., DB Service Centre Limited, DB Service Uruguay S.A., DB Services (Jersey) Limited, DB Services Americas. Inc., DB Servizi Amministrativi S.r.l., DB Strategic Advisors Inc., DB Structured Derivative Products LLC, DB Structured Products Inc., DB Trustee Services Limited, DB Trustees (Hong Kong) Limited, DB UK Bank Limited, DB UK Holdings Limited, DB UK PCAM Holdings Limited, DB US Financial Markets Holding Corporation, DB USA Core Corporation, DB USA Corporation, DB Valoren S.a. r.l., DB Value S.a.r.l., DB VersicherungsManager GmbH, DB Vita SA., DB lmmobilienfonds 5 Wieland KG i.L., DB lo LP, DBAH Capital. LLC, DBCIBZ1, DBFIC Inc., DBNZ Overseas Investments (No.1) Limited, DBOI Global Services (UK) Limited, DBR Investments Co. Limited, DBRE Global Real Estate Management 18 Ltd., DBRMS4, DBRMSGP1, DBUK PCAM Limited, DBUSBZ1 LLC, DBUSBZ2 S.a. r.l., DBX Advisers LLC, DEBEKO lmmobilien GmbH & Co Grundbesitz OHG, DEE Deutsche Erneuerbare Energien GmbH, DEUKONA Versicherungs-Vermittlungs-GmbH, DEUTSCHE BANK AS., DI Deutsche lmmobilien Treuhandgesellschaft mbH, DISCA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, DWS Alternatives France, DWS Alternatives Global Limited, DWS Alternatives GmbH, DWS Asset Management (Korea) Company Limited, DWS Beteiligungs GmbH, DWS CH AG, DWS Distributors Inc., DWS Far Eastern Investments Limited, DWS Group GmbH & Co. KGaA, DWS Group Services UK Limited, DWS Grundbesitz GmbH, DWS International GmbH, DWS Investment GmbH, DWS Investment Management Americas Inc., DWS Investment S.A., DWS Investments Australia Limited, DWS Investments Hong Kong Limited, DWS Investments Japan Limited, DWS Investments Shanghai Limited, DWS Investments Singapore Limited, DWS Investments UK Limited, DWS Management GmbH, DWS Real Estate GmbH, DWS Service Company, DWS Shanghai Private Equity Fund Management Limited, DWS Trust Company, DWS USA Corporation, Deposit Solutions, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Capital Holdings New Zealand, Deutsche (Aotearoa) Foreign Investments New Zealand, Deutsche (New Munster) Holdings New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Access Investments Limited, Deutsche Aeolia Power Production Societe Anonyme, Deutsche Alternative Asset Management (UK) Limited, Deutsche Asia Pacific Holdings Pte Ltd, Deutsche Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Australia Limited, Deutsche Bank (Cayman) Limited, Deutsche Bank (China) Co. Ltd., Deutsche Bank (Malaysia) Berhad, Deutsche Bank (Suisse) SA, Deutsche Bank (Uruguay) Sociedad Anenima lnstitucien Financiera Externa, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft, Deutsche Bank Americas Holding Corp., Deutsche Bank Europe GmbH, Deutsche Bank Financial Company, Deutsche Bank Holdings Inc., Deutsche Bank Insurance Agency Incorporated, Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., Deutsche Bank Mutui S.p.A., Deutsche Bank Mexico. S.A., Deutsche Bank National Trust Company, Deutsche Bank Polska Spelka Akcyjna, Deutsche Bank Representative Office Nigeria Limited, Deutsche Bank S.A, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc., Deutsche Bank Securities Limited, Deutsche Bank Societe per Azioni, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas, Deutsche Bank Trust Company Delaware, Deutsche Bank Trust Company National Association, Deutsche Bank Trust Corporation, Deutsche Bank. Sociedad Anenima Espanola, Deutsche CIB Centre Private Limited, Deutsche Capital Finance (2000) Limited, Deutsche Capital Hong Kong Limited, Deutsche Capital Markets Australia Limited, Deutsche Capital Partners China Limited, Deutsche Cayman Ltd., Deutsche Custody N.V., Deutsche Domus New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Equities India Private Limited, Deutsche Finance No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Foras New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur lmmobilien-Leasing mit beschrenkter Haftung, Deutsche Global Markets Limited, Deutsche Group Holdings (SA) Proprietary Limited, Deutsche Group Services Pty Limited, Deutsche Grundbesitz Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH i.L., Deutsche Grundbesitz-Anlagegesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Deutsche Holdings (BTI) Limited, Deutsche Holdings (Grand Duchy), Deutsche Holdings (Luxembourg) S.El r.l., Deutsche Holdings Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 2 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 3 Limited, Deutsche Holdings No. 4 Limited, Deutsche India Holdings Private Limited, Deutsche India Private Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services (Ireland) Limited, Deutsche International Corporate Services Limited, Deutsche International Custodial Services Limited, Deutsche Investments (Netherlands) N.V., Deutsche Investments India Private Limited, Deutsche Investor Services Private Limited, Deutsche Knowledge Services Pte. Ltd., Deutsche Leasing New York Corp., Deutsche Mexico Holdings S.a. r.|., Deutsche Morgan Grenfell Group Limited, Deutsche Mortgage & Asset Receiving Corporation, Deutsche Nederland N.V., Deutsche New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Nominees Limited, Deutsche Oppenheim Family Office AG, Deutsche Overseas Issuance New Zealand Limited, Deutsche Postbank, Deutsche Postbank Finance Center Objekt GmbH, Deutsche Private Asset Management Limited, Deutsche Securities (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Securities (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities (SA) (Proprietary) Limited, Deutsche Securities Asia Limited, Deutsche Securities Australia Limited, Deutsche Securities Inc., Deutsche Securities Israel Ltd., Deutsche Securities Korea Co., Deutsche Securities Mauritius Limited, Deutsche Securities SA. de C.V.. Casla de Bolsa, Deutsche Securities Saudi Arabia, Deutsche Services (Cl) Limited, Deutsche Services Polska Sp. z o.o., Deutsche StiftungsTrust GmbH, Deutsche Strategic Investment Holdings Yugen Kaisha, Deutsche Trustee Company Limited, Deutsche Trustee Services (India) Private Limited, Deutsche Trustees Malaysia Berhad, Deutsche Wealth Management S.G.I.I.C. SA., Deutsche lmmobilien Leasing GmbH, Deutsches lnstitut fur Altersvorsorge GmbH, Durian (Luxembourg) S.a. r.l., EC EUROPA IMMOBILIEN FONDS NR. 3 GmbH & CO. KG i.l., Elizabethan Holdings Limited, Elizabethan Management Limited, European Value Added I (Alternate GP.) LLP, Fiduciaria Sant Andrea S.r.l., Finanzberatungsgesellschaft mbH der Deutschen Bank, Funfte SAB Treuhand und Verwaltung GmbH & Co. Suhl "Rimbachzentrum" KG, G Finance Holding Corp., German American Capital Corporation, Grundstucksgesellschaft Frankfurt Bockenheimer LandstraBe GbR, Grundstucksgesellschaft Miesbaden LuisenstraBe/Kirchgasse GbR, Hollandsche Bank-Unie, ISTRON Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH, IVAF l Manager S.a.r.l., Immobilienfonds Buro-Center Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben I GbR, J R Nominees (Pty) Ltd, Joint Stock Company Deutsche Bank DBU, Jyogashima Godo Kaisha, KEBA Gesellschaft fur interne Services mbH, Kidson Pte Ltd, Konsul lnkasso GmbH, LA Water Holdings Limited, LAWL Pte. Ltd., Leasing Verwaltungsgesellschaft Waltersdorf mbH, Leonardo lll Initial GP Limited, MEF I Manager. S. a r.|., MIT Holdings Inc., Maher Terminals Holdings (Toronto) Limited, Morgan Grenfell & Company, MortgageIT, MortgagelT Inc., MortgagelT Securities Corp., OOO "Deutsche Bank TechCentIe", OOO "Deutsche Bank", OPB Verwaltungs- und Treuhand GmbH, OPB-Oktava GmbH, OPB-Quarta GmbH, OPPENHEIM Capital Advisory GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Manager GmbH, OPPENHEIM PRIVATE EQUITY Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, PADUS Grundstcks-VermietungsgeseIlschaft mbH, PB Factoring GmbH, PB Spezial-lnvestmentaktiengesellschatt mit Teilgesellschaftsvermogen, PCC Services GmbH der Deutschen Bank, PT Deutsche Sekuritas Indonesia, Pan Australian Nominees Pty Ltd, Plantation Bay. Inc., Postbank Akademie und Service GmbH, Postbank Beteiligungen GmbH, Postbank Direkt GmbH, Postbank Filialvertrieb AG, Postbank Finanzberatung AG, Postbank Leasing GmbH, Postbank lmmobilien GmbH, Quantiguous, R.B.M. Nominees Pty Ltd, RREEF, RREEF America LLC., RREEF China REIT Management Limited, RREEF European Value Added I (G.P.) Limited, RREEF Fund Holding Co., RREEF India Advisers Private Limited, RREEF Management LLC., RoPro U.S. Holding Inc., Route 28 Receivables. LLC, SAB Real Estate Verwaltungs GmbH, SAGITA Grundstucks-Vermielungsgesellschaft mbH, SAPIO Grundstucks-Vermietungsgesellschaft mbH, Sal. Oppenheim, Sal. Oppenheim jr. & Cie. Beteiligungs GmbH, Sharps SP l LLC, Stelvio lmmobiliare S.r.l., Suddeutsche Vermeigensvewvaitung Gesellschaft mit beschrenkter Haftung, TELO Beleiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Tempurrite Leasing Limited, Thai Asset Enforcement and Recovery Asset Management Company Limited, Treuinvest Service GmbH, Triplereason Umited, VOB-ZVD Processing GmbH, WEPLA Beteiligungsgesellschaft mbH, Wealthspur Investment Ltd., World Trading (Delaware) Inc., lmmobilienfonds BuroCenter Erfurt am Flughafen Bindersleben II GbR, lmmobilienfonds Wohn- und Gescheftshaus Koln-Blumenberg V GbR, and norisbank GmbH. Read More Delta Apparel, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, sources, and markets activewear and lifestyle apparel products in the United States and internationally. The company operates through two segments, Delta Group and Salt Life Group. It offers on-demand digitally printed apparel products under the DTG2Go brand; silhouettes and fleece products; performance shirts that keep athletes dry under the Delta Dri line brand; ringspun garments; Delta Soft apparel products; and heritage, mid- and heavier-weight tee shirts under the Delta Pro Weight and Magnum Weight brand names, as well as polos, outerwear, headwear, bags, and other accessories. The company also distributes its products to various audience, which includes sporting goods and outdoor retailers, specialty and resort shops, farm and fleet stores, department stores, and mid-tier retailers, as well as through www.soffe.com website. In addition, it offers apparel, swimwear, board shorts, sunglasses, bags, and accessories under the Salt Life brand name; and craft beer under the Salt Life Lager brand through surf shops, specialty stores, department stores, and outdoor retailers, as well as through its ecommerce site www.saltlife.com. Delta Apparel, Inc. was incorporated in 1999 and is headquartered in Duluth, Georgia. Baidu "Little Fish" Robot (Photo : Facebook) Amazon Echo and Google Home are battling to become the maker of top smart speakers in the United States. Chinese Internet giant Baidu is also now teaming up with AiNemo to build a home robot named Xiaoyu Zaijia ("Little Fish"). The robotic Internet of Things (IoT) device features a big screen, a camera, and voice assistant feature like Amazon's Alexa. Advertisement Baidu's little robot will be made for China. The tech company showed it off at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on Jan. 5, Thursday. It responds to the "xiaoyu xiaoyu" wake word and moves its head to watch a person who is talking, according to The Verge. The Baidu robot uses facial recognition tech to make sure only authorized adults can give orders. This security feature stymies kids from hacking it. Little Fish runs on Baidu's DuerOS platform. It has already been used for applications such as a phone assistant app, set-TV OS, and KFC waiter. Baidu's goal is to build DuerOS into a wide range of gadgets. The company believes the platform will become a game-changer for smart home devices and be used in many business models. The bot responds to voice commands. Users can set timers, make video calls, and show pictures like sharks on the display screen. They can also give Little Fish voice commands to order meals or groceries. The Chinese robot also has a feature of many other robots at CES 2017. Users can use their smartphones for remote access to the machine's camera and then view the area around it. Baidu chief scientist Andrew Ng gave a demo of the new robot for AFP. He shared he thinks 2017 will be the year of "conversational computing," according to China Technology News. This year's trade show features several digital assistant capabilities. They were built using Google Assistant or Amazon Alexa technology. China-based Lenovo, for example, shared it is rolling out an Alexa-powered smart home assistant. Chinese tech giant Huawei also reported at CES it is adding Amazon's Alexa to its flagship smartphone before its U.S. launch. Baidu's Little Fish robot will be available in China this spring for about $300. It is unlikely to be rolled out to the U.S. Here's a video on CES 2017: AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various specialty insurance and reinsurance products worldwide. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers property insurance products for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, and onshore energy installations; marine insurance products covering offshore energy, cargo, liability, recreational marine, fine art, specie, and hull war; and terrorism, aviation, credit and political risk, and liability insurance products. It also provides professional insurance products that cover directors' and officers' liability, errors and omissions liability, employment practices liability, fiduciary liability, crime, professional indemnity, cyber and privacy, medical malpractice, and other financial insurance related coverages for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and other professional service providers. In addition, this segment offers accidental death, travel, and specialty health products for employer and affinity groups. The Reinsurance segment offers reinsurance products to insurance companies, including catastrophe reinsurance products; property reinsurance products covering property damage and related losses resulting from natural and man-made perils; professional lines; credit and surety; and motor liability products. This segment also provides agriculture reinsurance products; coverages for various types of construction risks and risks related to erection, testing, and commissioning of machinery and plants during the construction stage; marine and aviation reinsurance products; and personal accident, specialty health, accidental death, travel, life and disability reinsurance products. The company was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in Pembroke, Bermuda. Orange S.A. provides various fixed telephony and mobile telecommunications, data transmission, and other value-added services to customers, businesses, and other telecommunications operators in France and internationally. It operates through France; Spain and Other European Countries; The Africa and Middle East; Enterprise; International Carriers & Shared Services; and Mobile Financial Services segments. The company offers mobile services, such as voice, SMS, and data; fixed broadband and narrowband services, as well as fixed network business solutions, including voice and data; and convergence packages. It also sells mobile handsets, mobile terminals, broadband equipment, connected devices, and accessories. In addition, the company provides IT and integration services comprising unified communication and collaboration services, such as LAN and telephony, consultancy, integration, and project management; hosting and infrastructure services, including cloud computing; customer relations management and other applications services; security services; and video conferencing, as well as sells related equipment. Further, it offers national and international roaming services; online advertising services; and mobile virtual network operators, network sharing, and mobile financial services, as well as sells equipment to external distributors and brokers. Orange S.A. markets its products and services under the Orange brand. The company was formerly known as France Telecom and changed its name to Orange S.A. in July 2013. Orange S.A. was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in Issy-les-Moulineaux, France. Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland. China's Didi Chuxing is investing at least $100 million in the Brazilian ride-sharing company and Uber rival, 99. (Photo : Facebook ) Chinese ride-sharing giant Didi Chuxing has agreed to buy up Uber's China business and now has plans to expand to foreign countries. It just made a big deal to support Brazil-based Uber rival, 99, for a deal worth over $100 million. The Brazilian company plans to use the funds to win Brazil and expand to other South American countries. Advertisement 99 was known in the past as 99Taxis. It is based in the fifth biggest country with a population of 200 million people. The Brazilian company was founded in 2012 and provides private car/taxi-hailing services. It now has more than 10 million mobile app downloads and 140,000 registered drivers. Didi CEO Cheng Wei explained that China and Brazil are the world's biggest emerging markets. This creates many opportunities for the ride-sharing industry. Uber, meanwhile, serves about 30 Brazilian cities. It is also doing business in 12 countries in Central and South America. Beijing-based Didi reported it will help guide and support 99. That includes technical support that the ride-sharing company already provides to partners. Other types of support include business planning, operations, and product development, according to China Technology News. Didi's investment is big enough to give it a seat on the Brazilian company's board of directors. The Chinese company has become well-known for making investment deals with other companies that are competing against Uber. This is the so-called "Anti-Uber Alliance," according to Tech Crunch. Didi has invested in Lyft in the United States. It has also supported Grab in Southeast Asia and Ola in India, so the deal with Brazil's 99 continues its stake in South America. Uber is already operating in Latin America. It plans to double its business in the region this year, but has invested much less than in other global regions. Didi has had some problems supporting Uber's rivals. It had some issues with Lyft, Ola, and Grab after it made a deal to buy Uber China. The situation could get convoluted if it expands to other countries and has to compete with its business partners. It is unknown what Didi's long-term plans are. It is clear, however, that it wants to drive into Latin America and maybe extend its trip to other regions. Here's a video on the Didi-Uber China deal: Here are five news stories and events to start your week, from the editors at Military.com: 1. Mattis Confirmation Hearing Retired Marine Gen. James Mattis will appear 9:30 a.m. Thursday before the Senate Armed Services Committee for his confirmation hearing to become secretary of defense under President-elect Donald Trump. Sen. John McCain, the panel's chairman, has praised the former head of Central Command and said he'll receive bipartisan support. However, Mattis will require a waiver from a law that prohibits a military member from holding the position for at least seven years after retirement. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, a Democrat from New York, has said she opposes granting Mattis a waiver to emphasize the importance of civilian leadership of the department (the issue is the subject of a separate hearing Tuesday). While beloved by troops and especially Marines, Mattis may face tough questions from senators for his previous statements on women in combat and post traumatic stress disorder. 2. Carter Talks PTSD After Airport Shooting Defense Secretary Ashton Carter withheld comment Sunday on the Iraq war veteran charged with the Fort Lauderdale shootings while stating that post traumatic stress was a major and ongoing problem for the military. "The mental wounds are very real" for many returning troops in the 15 years of war since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, Carter said on NBC's "Meet The Press" program. "I can't say" what may have motivated the Fort Lauderdale shooter or comment on his mental stability, the secretary said, but "the so-called invisible wounds" of combat were conditions "we do take seriously." Family members of 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, an Army National Guard veteran of Iraq, have said Santiago returned from Iraq a different person and was deeply distraught over witnessing the deaths of two friends from an improvised explosive device. 3. US Marines Returning to Afghanistan Marines are heading back to the Taliban hotbed of Helmand province, Afghanistan, the Marine Corps confirmed late last week. About 300 Marines from II Marine Expeditionary Force will deploy as advisers and trainers for the Afghan National Army and police -- marking a return to the site of the Corps' major battles within the country. The deployment comes at the request of U.S. Central Command and U.S. Forces Afghanistan as part of the ongoing NATO-led Resolute Support mission, which began after most combat forces pulled out at the end of 2014. As Military.com previously reported, this upcoming deployment has been discussed by key Marine Corps personnel for months. The as-yet unnamed battalion will come from within 6th Marine Regiment, out of the Camp Lejeune-based 2nd Marine Division. 4. Trump Advisers to Talk Foreign Policy Watch for possible fireworks 11:45 a.m. Tuesday when the Trump administration's designee for national security adviser, Michael Flynn, the retired Army lieutenant general, meets with his Obama administration counterpart, Susan Rice, at the U.S. Institute of Peace to discuss foreign policy as part of the organization's "Passing the Baton" conference. The event is part of a daylong conference featuring foreign policy heavyweights, from the current secretary of state, John Kerry, to a former one, Madeleine Albright. Also slated to speak is KT McFarland, Trump's deputy national security adviser designee, as part of a panel called "America's Role in the World," and Jack Keane, a retired Army general and chairman of the Institute for the Study of War, as part of another titled "Unpredictable Instability: Managing the New Normal." 5. Surface Navy Symposium U.S. Navy leaders and naval surface warfare enthusiasts will gather this week near Washington, D.C., for the Surface Navy Association's annual symposium. The event is scheduled to take place Tuesday through Thursday at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City in Arlington, Virginia. Speakers include service officials such as Navy Secretary Ray Mabus, Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Robert Neller and Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, as well as lawmakers such as Rep. Bradley Byrne, a Republican from Alabama whose district includes the Austal shipyard that builds the Independence-class of trimaran Littoral Combat Ships. Watch for interesting debate during the shipbuilding panel 10:15 a.m. Thursday. Trump wants to expand the fleet to 350 surface ships and subs -- yet even the Navy's more modest plan faces increasing budget scrutiny. -- Hope Hodge Seck and Richard Sisk contributed to this report. -- Brendan McGarry can be reached at brendan.mcgarry@military.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Brendan_McGarry. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter withheld comment Sunday on the Iraq war veteran charged with the Fort Lauderdale shootings while stating that post traumatic stress was a major and ongoing problem for the military. "The mental wounds are very real" for many returning troops in the 15 years of war since the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks in New York City and Washington, D.C., Carter said on NBC's "Meet The Press" program. "I can't say" what may have motivated the Fort Lauderdale shooter or comment on his mental stability, the secretary said, but "the so-called invisible wounds" of combat were conditions "we do take seriously and have to take seriously. "It matters a great deal to me that we take care of wounded warriors," Carter added. "We keep learning more about how to deal with this kind of illness, we're going to do more and we need to do more as we learn more, absolutely. We owe it to these people." Members of the family of 26-year-old Esteban Santiago, an Army National Guard veteran of Iraq, have told the Associated Press that Santiago returned from Iraq a different person and was deeply distraught over witnessing the deaths of two friends from an improvised explosive device. It was unclear Sunday whether Santiago had been given or requested legal representation, or whether mental competence might be used as a defense to federal charges that could bring the death penalty. Santiago was the sole suspect in the shootings Friday in the baggage claim area of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida that killed five and injured at least six. Santiago served with the Puerto Rico Army National Guard in Iraq from April 2010 to February 2011 as a combat engineer and was involved in route clearance, according to the Defense Department and the Army. His dates of service were from December 2007 to August 2016. He was a recipient of the Combat Action Badge, a Pentagon spokesman said. Santiago left the Puerto Rico National Guard in 2013 and later re-entered service with the Alaska National Guard, the spokesman said. Last August, Santiago received a general discharge under honorable conditions for "continuous and willful absence" from his duties with the Alaska National Guard, the spokesman said. His rank was reduced from Specialist to Private First Class upon discharge. In addition to the CAB, Santiago's awards included the Army Commendation Medal; Army Good Conduct Medal; National Defense Service Medal; Iraq Campaign Medal with campaign star; Global War on Terrorism Service Medal; Armed Forces Reserve Medal w/ "M" Device; Army Service Ribbon; Overseas Service Ribbon; and Driver and Mechanic Badge - Wheeled Vehicle, the Army said. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. 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... Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef The campaign to liberate Mosul is now in its twelfth week. It began on October 16, with the Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF), better known as the Golden Division, advancing from the east. The next day Peshmerga units from Khazer, supported by the Iraqi army's 16th division, began advancing from the north, while in the south the Iraqi army's 9th division, supported by units of the Federal Police, also began to advance. The ISOF made the most significant advance necessitating a two-week break, beginning in week eight, to allow Iraqi and Peshmerga forces in the north and south to advance sufficiently to protect the flanks of the ISOF and consolidate their positions. So far, the campaign has gone about as expected. Iraqi forces, backed by Sunni militias and Kurdish Peshmerga units, have steadily advanced into the eastern half of Mosul, while Shiite militia units have besieged the town of Tal Afar to the west and held the perimeter to the west of Mosul to cut off any potential escape routes from the city. The Mosul campaign is the final chapter in a broader campaign that began on March 24, 2016, to take control of the outlying region around Mosul and to surround and isolate the city in anticipation of its eventual liberation. The coalition has held together so far and, according to U.S. Brigadier General Rick Uribe, has even managed to improve the communication and coordination among its different elements. Uribe described the Iraqi forces at being "at their peak." Iraqi troops, especially the elite counterterrorism and Special Forces unit, have performed well. The campaign has not witnessed the disorderly withdrawals or outright abandonment of positions that characterized some of the past engagements of the Iraqi army. A tribute both to an improved professionalism within Iraqi forces as well as the stabilizing influence of embedded U.S. advisors. Islamic State (IS) militants have responded as anticipated, engaging in a protracted, street-by-street, building-by-building, scorched earth retreat while using improvised explosive devices (IEDs), both stationary and vehicle borne (VBIEDs), along with snipers and mortars, to blunt the Iraqi advance. As usual, IS has proven to be remarkably creative in weaponizing household items, in this case using inexpensive civilian drones to guide VBIEDs to their intended targets or deliver IEDs. We can now add DBIEDs, (drone borne improvised explosive devices) to the lexicon of modern urban warfare. As expected, IS has used civilians in buildings that housed sniper nests or where its jihadists were otherwise deployed as human shields to protect their militants from aerial attack. On the other hand, IS has stopped short, as had been originally feared, of using civilians as a buffer between its forces and those of the Iraqi military. The mass civilian uprising that had been hoped for by Baghdad has not occurred. The Islamic State has moved quickly with summary executions of any suspected opponents. Either event may still occur, although it is more likely to occur toward the end of the campaign. It's unlikely that IS forces in Mosul have the manpower to deal simultaneously with both a civilian uprising and the Iraqi military advance. A civilian uprising now would be met with indiscriminate violence and mass executions. Approximately 120,000 of Mosul's civilian population have fled the city. The balance of the city's inhabitants, estimated at between one million to as many as 1.5 million, have remained in their homes waiting for the battle to pass them by. Significantly, despite numerous reports that Islamic State had manufactured and stockpiled large quantities of poison gas in Mosul in anticipation of the campaign, such weapons have not yet been used. That doesn't mean that they may not be used as the fighting progresses, only that so far there is no definitive proof that any such weapons have been deployed. The Obama administration's hope that Mosul would be cleared of Islamic State forces before the January 20 inauguration will clearly not happen. That hope was part of a political agenda and was never a realistic military objective. The Mosul campaign has two distinct phases: the first to liberate eastern Mosul and the second to free the western side of the city. The Tigris River splits Mosul into two separate parts. The western part is the oldest. The "old city" portion is a mass of narrow twisting streets, many of which are too small to allow for vehicular traffic. By early January approximately 70 percent of eastern Mosul had been liberated from Islamic State forces. The most notable progress has been made in the eastern and southern neighborhoods of the city. In the north, Peshmerga forces have been focusing on clearing IS militants from the area between the city and the Saddam dam to the north. The Iraqi army's 16th division has not penetrated as far into northern Mosul. All but one bridge linking the two halves of the city have been destroyed. U.S. air forces have repeatedly targeted the one remaining bridge and it is expected that it will destroyed as well. U.S. commanders on the scene have indicated that they expect to be in complete control of the eastern half by Mosul by the end of January or shortly thereafter. Of course, "control" is subject to interpretation. IS militants embedded in the civilian population will likely continue to carry out attacks against Iraqi forces and civilians there. The second phase of the campaign, the liberation of western Mosul, will likely prove harder. The older portions of the city are a rabbit warren of narrow twisting streets. Many buildings are connected by underground passageways. Many of the older streets have buildings overhanging them, giving them a tunnel like character, and making it more difficult to attack from the air. In addition, IS militants have dug scores of new tunnels. There are approximately 200,000 buildings in Mosul. Virtually every one of them will need to be checked and verified that it has been cleared. The U.S. commander on the scene, Brigadier General Rick Uribe, has said that he expects that Iraqi forces will be in control of all of Mosul within three months. That timetable is not unrealistic, but it will ultimately depend on a number of factors -- the ability of the coalition to hold together and the impact of what will likely be increasingly desperate measures by Islamic State to hold off a final defeat as the battle nears its end. The impact of the Shiite militias may also prove to be an important variable. To date, they have held defensive positions to the west of Mosul and have not been directly engaged in the campaign to liberate east Mosul. Once the campaign shifts to western Mosul, they may look to advance from the west and get more directly involved. Such a development will like prove to be disruptive to the campaign. Although IS militants have increased their attacks on Iraqi, especially Shiite, civilian targets elsewhere in response to the Mosul campaign, one significant difference from past military operations is that IS has not been able to mount a significant drive in the Euphrates theater. Historically, Islamic State was operating along two fronts in Iraq: the Euphrates and Tigris River valleys. It is in these valleys where the bulk of Iraq's population lives and which host its largest towns and cities. Baghdad lacked sufficient military strength to go on the offensive in both theaters simultaneously. Often, military operations in one theater would leave the other theater undermanned. Iraqi advances in one theater would invariably bring an IS counterattack in the other theater. This has not been the case of late, however. On October 21, five days after the start of the latest Mosul campaign, a small contingent of IS militants infiltrated the Kurdish controlled city of Kirkuk, 110-miles southeast of Mosul. Five separate teams, each numbering three to five militants, fanned out across the city. Within 48 hours, however, all the militants had been killed. The militants had come from the Hawija pocket, a small enclave of territory south of Mosul and west of Kirkuk, still controlled by Islamic State. IS has stepped up terrorist attacks in Baghdad and has repeatedly cut Highway 1, the main road from Baghdad to Mosul, for short periods. IS, however, has been unable to mount a sustained assault in say Anbar province, as it would have been expected to in an earlier period. No doubt its manpower has now been depleted to a point where its ability to mount such diversionary attacks has been reduced to a token level. The Mosul campaign is far from over. If the coalition hangs together, it's likely that Mosul will be secured within a three to six-month period and that Raqqa and the last Islamic State enclave in Syria will fall by sometime in 2018. The fall of the Islamic State will end a bloody, brutal and genocidal chapter in the history of the Mideast, although it will not mark the end of the Islamic State organization. What the Islamic State does next, and what jihadist organization will attempt to fill its role, remains to be seen. -- If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration. Some 285 troops from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, will find themselves above the Arctic circle in a matter of days as the first six-month rotation of a brand-new Marine force arrives in Norway. In an interview with Military.com this month, Maj. Gen. Niel Nelson, commander of Marine Corps Forces Europe and Africa, said the new deployment will be known as Marine Rotational Force Europe -- and the first troops arriving as part of the rotation will be a reinforced infantry company from Lejeune's 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines. The Marine Corps first confirmed to Military.com in October that it was working with the Norwegian government to make arrangements for the force, which will train in Norway and elsewhere in Europe and serve as a measure of assurance and support for allies on the continent. Norway shares a small border with Russia in the northeast, and many have speculated that the move, which comes as an Army brigade also moves into Western Europe, will serve in part as a deterrent and show of strength in the face of Russian saber-rattling. Nelson said he views the deployment from a much more practical perspective. "We've been going to Norway for 25 years. So I don't really know what the hype is about," he said. "We're just doing our job, from a more economical standpoint. I don't put a lot of stock in people pointing back-and-forth." Having a small full-time presence in Norway will save on the costs of flying troops to the region every year for cold-weather exercises, Nelson said. It will also pave the way for much more intense cold-weather training, and for longer periods of time. This is a goal that Marine leaders have cited as the Corps seeks to diversify training that has been largely focused on desert environments for the last decade-and-a-half. "By putting Marines in Norway and above the Arctic circle for 30-60 days at a time, that's a whole different environment," Nelson said. "You not only learn to survive, you are surviving. It's a harsh environment; it takes a lot of tough lessons and we reinforce that by the length of time." Marines arriving this week for the first six-month deployment of Marine Rotational Force Europe will spend the first two weeks at the barracks prepared for them in Vaernes, Norway, where temperatures currently are fairly mild, ranging from 25 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Then they will travel above the Arctic circle to Porsangermoen, Norway, where temperatures average in the single digits in January. Soon after, the Marines will participate with British and Norwegian troops in Joint Viking, one of the largest military exercises in the region. Later in the rotation, Nelson said, the Marines will spend time in the Baltic states, participating in warmer weather exercises. The Marine Corps and the Norwegian government have agreed on a one-year trial period for the deployment strategy, including two Marine rotations, Nelson said. If the concept is approved on a long-term basis, the deployments will either begin or end with the grueling cold-weather training evolutions, depending on the time of year, he added. For joint exercises, the leathernecks will take advantage of state-of-the-art Marine Corps vehicles and equipment stored in climate-controlled caves in Trondheim, neighboring their headquarters at Vaernes air station. Part of the long-running Marine Corps Prepositioning Program, the caves house thousands of items, ranging from tanks to generators. "For every exercise that comes up, we will sign out a level of that equipment, use it for the exercise and return it to the maintainers. And the maintainers will fix it and put it back in there," Nelson said. "We're just tapping into something that's worked well for Marine expeditionary units." While the Marine Corps has developed and deployed two separate crisis response task forces focused on Europe and the Middle East since 2012, the Norway force is not inherently designed for crisis response. Unlike the two task forces, it lacks built-in aviation elements. But Nelson said the unit would be ready if called upon to respond to any emerging crisis in Europe. "I believe that if a crisis was to happen and we needed to use that unit, we would task organize that unit to do crisis, any crisis," he said. There's a lot of things that can go wrong -- natural disasters other maladies that require support -- whether it comes from the NATO nations or the U.S. to contribute. If I'm asked to contribute, I would certainly look at this unit as a capability that can go." -- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at@HopeSeck. Related Video: Depending on your PT test, the order of swimming may best be determined by where it is in the order of events of that test. The Mustang is among the most popular Ford cars in China. (Photo : Getty Images) China is fast becoming a lucrative market for Ford Motor Company, as the American automaker sold 1.27 million cars in the country. That accounts for a massive 13.6 percent increase from its 2015 sales in the world's second-largest economy. December was a particularly groundbreaking month for Ford in China last year, during which it has sold 149,856 cars in China, a full 21.3 percent higher than its Dec. 2015 sales in the country. Such impressive figures were sparked by greater demand for SUVs and mid-sized vehicles in the country. Advertisement The Edge and Explorer are two of Ford's most popular SUVs in China last year, with both having recorded drastically-increased sales figures of 123 percent and 36 percent, respectively, compared to those in 2015. The Mustang, particularly popular among Chinese consumers, increased its sales in the country this year by 45 percent. Ford's luxury arm, Lincoln Motor Company, dramatically increased its sales volume in China last year. The Detroit News reported that Lincoln sold 32,558 vehicles in 2016, a figure that's almost thrice the number of cars sold under the high-end marque in 2015 (11,630 vehicles). Fox Business remarked that Ford's outstanding sales performance in China has elevated the country's profile in the eyes of the company's global sales strategies. Making that even more impressive is the fact that the company only began making waves in the country for the past five years. Peter Fleet, vice president of Ford's marketing, sales, and service in the Asia-Pacific, said that the company built its sales momentum in China from strength to strength. Such is largely due to the positive results yielded by its comprehensive line-up expansion, particularly for its SUVs. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's impending ascent may threaten Ford's upward trajectory in China, what with the firebrand's volatile position against the country. But if things go well between Trump and China, everything should go well for Ford as it makes itself more endearing to Chinese consumers. Members of Michigan's Congressional delegation walked the floor of the auto show in Detroit as it opened Monday morning, celebrating vehicles and expressing neutrality over President-elect Donald Trump's approach to the auto industry. That tour coincided with Trump sending Tweets to thank Ford and Fiat Chrysler for their recent North American expansions. While much uncertainty over policy direction remains a week ahead of the inauguration, some of Michigan's leaders in Congress said it is clear that the state's top goal needs to be retaining its place as the nation's automotive leader. They're not worried that the auto industry may be invisible to Trump. "Donald Trump has shown that he's focused on the industry through his Tweets," said U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell. "I'm not worried about Donald Trump not thinking about this industry," she said. "I might be a little worried about the impact of some of his Tweets." U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell tours the NAIAS on Jan. 9, 2017. Trump's communication on Twitter has come up before the election, and immediately afterward. He's targeted Ford moving small-car production to Mexico, and also hit General Motors for the same thing - along with the threat of a 35 percent border tax. While some have called his Tweets "badgering," manufacturers are announcing their intent to keep production in the U.S. FCA announced a $1 billion investment in Michigan and Ohio on Jan. 8, and Ford is moving investment to its Flat Rock after scrapping plans in Mexico. Toyota, meanwhile, took to Twitter to assure the U.S. that jobs won't be lost when it opens a plant in Mexico that was announced in 2015. Dingell said that automakers are telling her they want to find a way to work within the Trump administration's approach to job creation and trade. "They want to figure out how to work with him," she said. "They don't want to have a war." UAW officials are expressing the same sentiment, she added. Dingell said Trump needs to settle into his new job after the inauguration, and she expects a fair amount of auto-related conversations between his auto show and the one in 2018. She doesn't fault Trump for not attending this year. "I'm not going to criticize him for not being here," she said, noting that the North American International Auto Show is creating business opportunity for dealers and manufacturers - and his presence could have distracted from that. But she is trying to attract cabinet-level visitors for next year's show. President Obama visited in 2016. So far, Elaine Chao, the nominee for transportation secretary, is likely, Dingell said. The focus for Michigan needs to be staying on the cutting edge of automotive research and development, Dingell said. One what that could happen soon on the federal level may happen next week, as the U.S. Department of Transportation awards automated vehicle technology proving ground sites through a pilot program announced in November. The American Center for Mobility in Ypsilanti Township, adjacent to Willow Run Airport, is in the running. Dingell said she's hopeful it will make the cut. "We put in an outstanding application, and they understand the importance of the work that's being done there," she said. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow at the NAIAS on Jan. 9, 2017. U.S. Senators Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow added that jobs created through innovation and manufacturing - both critical in Michigan - is important, too. They're looking to Trump to align the Republican party on Fair Trade and other issues that will keep in the industry strong. "He's got a lot of work to do about a lot of his proposals," Stabenow said of Trump. "Hopefully he'll be able to make some changes in his own party that will let us have bipartisan agreement on how ... we move forward and keep jobs in America." What Dingell expressed hope that Trump will be good for the auto industry, she also said she's willing to fight if it comes to that. "I'll fight him tooth and nail ... if he's going to do something to hurt the people in this state." GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- What was the Grand Rapids drinking scene missing? If you ask Meagan Freriks, it's a bar devoted to all things whiskey. Freriks plans to open One Bourbon this spring at 608 Bridge Street NW, previously home to Louie's Bar and Rocket Lounge. On its new website, the bar claims it is "bringing the bourbon/whiskey movement" to Beer City. Taking its name from the first line in the chorus of a blues song popularized by George Thorogood, "One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer," Freriks plans to offer more than 100 different types of whiskeys and bourbons as well as food, beer, wine and signature cocktails. Among the whiskeys on the menu are local favorites from West Side craft distillery Long Road Distillers, located just a mile north along Leonard Street. Frericks said she hopes to create a restaurant with "reasonable prices for us normal folks." The restaurant's menu includes regional favorites and West Michigan-inspired plates with southern flair, but made using locally-sourced ingredients. Dishes will include fried chicken, bourbon beef poutine and vegetarian shepherd's pie. The 6,251-square-foot space is planned to accommodate up to 200 people in a downstairs bar and dining area, a private dining section and an outdoor patio. The new business is anticipated to create about 15 new jobs. Expected to open in early March, One Bourbon is just latest in a string of development plans announced for the city's West Side. The restaurant will be located less than a block from Rockford Construction's planned Meijer "neighborhood grocery store" project. The company is also developing several residential buildings in the area. Meijer planning downtown Grand Rapids store Across the street is Harmony Brewing Company's German beer hall-themed Harmony Hall. A few blocks to the east is New Holland Brewing's giant Knickerbocker brewpub and distillery. Nearby, Dexter-based Jolly Pumpkin plans to expand its own presence to Grand Rapids by building on the site of the former Red Lion restaurant. Bluhouse Properties, which owns the building at 608 Bridge and four others nearby, is also expecting to develop the building next door, the former 20th Century Market, into a casual dining restaurant. Eastown real estate developer moves in on Bridge Street action There's no question that the West Side is a prime development zone and particularly, it seems, is a popular place for aspiring bar owners and restauranteurs. Colliers West Michigan Retail Adviser Mark Ansara assisted with leasing on the project. "The West Side is booming and it's exciting to see new restaurant concepts like One Bourbon plant their roots in this neighborhood," said Ansara, associate vice president of Colliers West Michigan. Freriks thanked the real estate firm for helping One Bourbon find a home where it expects to thrive. "We absolutely love the West Side community and, thanks to Colliers, we get to be part of this vibrant neighborhood and contribute to its exciting revitalization," she said. Getenet Timmermans, 21, is only a junior in college, but he has started a school for disadvantaged children in Ethiopia. Orphaned at an early age, the young man was adopted in his early teens and says that he knows "it takes many to accomplish something good." He recalls the time when his older sister was keeping the family together in a small house located near the city orphanage in Ethiopia. A visitor from the United States who had come to adopt a child, paid to help his family get a bed and a few sparse furnishings. When the same visitor returned seven years later, Gatenet spoke up. "I couldn't speak much English, but I slept in that bed and knew it was a symbol of God's faithfulness," he said. "I told him that we couldn't stay in Ethiopia. We were getting too old for the schools. I knew it was my only shot." His passionate plea did not fall on deaf ears. An informal request was sent out to friends and fellow church members and in in 2010, 15-year-old Gatenet and his 11-year-old brother Fekadu came to live with Steve and Barbra Timmermans, who were then living in Chicago and now reside in Grand Rapids Township. Getenet was drawn to helping those with disabilities before coming to the United States, but after getting to know his newly adopted brother Paul, who has Down syndrome, he was overwhelmed with the desire to do something for those with mental differences in his homeland. So "amazed" by how Paul was included in the family and by how much he was able to do, Gatenet volunteered at Elim Christian Services, which serves those with intellectual disabilities in the Chicago area. He couldn't stop thinking about the contrast to the attitudes of his homeland. "There they push them away," he said. "The sad thing is that the community and the society don't involve these people in any social activities. Parents hide their disabled children at home." Getenet Timmermans has always had a heart for persons with disabilities. He is shown here with a friend in Ethiopia. While Getenet's heart has had strong feelings about disabled children in his homeland, the actual idea to start a school came as a result of a class he took that was taught by a visiting professor. The math/physics major at Trinity Christian College had little interest in taking the "Beyond Suffering" class offered by Karen Roberts for the interim, or class between semesters. "It just was what was available and only a two-week class, so I took it," he said. The stories told about kids with intellectual disabilities and struggles faced by their families turned his thoughts to Ethiopia. "All of what she said was true. The community pushed these kids away, and I also was one of the community people who pushed them away. I felt so bad and wished I could go back and relive those years." A trip to his homeland made him realize how few resources for children with intellectual disabilities there were. The idea is to help those with intellectual disabilities in Ethiopia so they can achieve and then set a good example and, in turn, teach the community. "My brother Paul has set a good example to many others and to me," he said. "He always impresses me. The Ethiopian people will change through education too." Faith School is designed to accomplish those goals - a few children at a time. It will be run by a board of directors here in the United States and one in the country in which he was born. Already established is a local non-profit organization that is raising funds to support facility rehabilitation, purchase supplies and support a staff. This January, between semesters, Getenet traveled to Ethiopia to set up a similar charity there to oversee his project. Just having people know about his efforts is "an encouragement" to Getenet. He said that he also appreciates prayers for the project. Financial support can be done online at www.ethiofaith.org. A rare natural phenomenon was caught on camera in Michigan's Pine River this weekend: A perfectly circular spinning disk of ice. Vestaburg resident Jason Robinson was headed to work on Friday when he came upon the eerie sight. The Pine River borders his property; he said he sees this part of the river every day, but had never seen anything quite like this. "I've seen some pretty cool stuff in the woods -- things you don't expect to see," he said. Robinson caught the short video of the disk from the Schmied Road bridge over the Pine River in Vestaburg. The phenomenon of spinning ice circles in rivers mystified scientists for years, until a team of researchers replicated the wonder by using magnets and little frozen circles formed in petri dishes. In the March 2016 edition of the journal Physical Review E, the team of scientists determined that the rotation is caused by the fluid flow of melting ice -- not by the current of the river itself. Robinson told MLive.com that as of Sunday, January 8, the edges of the disk had frozen up, and the disk was no longer moving -- but that it hadn't stopped curious people, who'd heard about the spooky spinning circle, from stopping by to see it. DETROIT, MI - Detroit rapper Big Sean is bringing his 2017 tour to Detroit for one night only. The multi-platinum and Grammy-nominated artist is kicking off his "I Decided. Tour" on March 17, 2017 in Houston. He will visit more than 20 cities, including Detroit on April 1, 2017 at the Fox Theatre. The tour is in support of his upcoming new album "I Decided." MadeinTYO will be a special guest throughout the tour. Tickets ($35, $55 and $69.50) go on sale Friday, January 13 at 10am. A pre-sale will begin for Big Sean's fans on Tuesday, January 10 at 10am at Ticketmaster.com. Live Nation will also host a pre-sale on Thursday, January 12 from 10am - 10pm. Additionally, Citi card members will have access to pre-sale tickets beginning Wednesday, January 11 at 10am through Thursday, January 12 at 10pm via Citiprivatepass.com. Sean last performed in Detroit on November 6, 2015. The concert was at Joe Louis Arena and featured a number of surprise guests including Eminem and Lil Wayne. His last concert in the area was a benefit show at Ann Arbor's Hill Auditorium on Oct 22, 2016.. Sean was born in California. His family relocated to the west side of Detroit when he was 2 months old. Sean attended the Detroit Waldorf School from kindergarten to eighth grade and later attended Cass Technical High School. Big Sean's upcoming album, "I Decided," is currently set for release on February 3, 2017. The album's lead single, "Bounce Back," is currently on the Top 10 Spotify, Top 10 Urban and Rhythm radio, Top 5 Apple Music, and Top 20 Billboard Hot 100 charts. Illegal steel factories dodge China emissions laws. (Photo : Getty Images) The National Energy Administration announced that the Chinese government will be investing $361 billion in renewable energy projects and will see to it that China will be independent of coal energy by 2020. Solar energy will also be a major investment as there will be a ready fund of 1 trillion yuan from the government to boost the country's production by five times, according to the National Reform and Defense Council. Advertisement Steven Han, the renewable analyst with securities firm Shenyin Wanguo, said, "The government may exceed these targets because there are more investment opportunities in the sector as costs go down." The government's efforts are predicted to bring 13 million jobs. China's string push for innovations in green technology puts into question the U.S. intentions of backing out of the Paris climate agreement. According to Tom Murray from the Environmental Defense Fund, "because if President-elect Trump follows through on his campaign promise to withdraw from the Paris climate agreement, he won't just be turning a blind eye to the science of climate change, he'll be hurting American businesses." He added that climate progress creates jobs, innovation and investment opportunities in the clean energy economy, and protections for clean air and natural resources provide guardrails for long-term business resilience. The environmentalist noted that if the U.S. slips to second in the global ranking for clean energy initiatives, it will bring more opportunities to China as well as Europe. He said: "By shirking America's responsibilities as the world's leading innovator and second largest emitter, Trump and his cabinet would be ringing the dinner bell for China and the European Union to assume the global leadership role on climate and clean energy, with all the job growth and economic opportunities that go with it." Chinas Ivory Ban Will Bring More Harm Than Good to Elephants Anti-ivory protesters outisde the Illegal Wildlife Trade Conference (Photo : Getty Images) China recently announced that ivory trade will be considered illegal in the country. This order will lead to the closure of 34 licensed carving factories and 130 retailers before the end of March 2017. More businesses will cease operations by the end of the year. Almost all retailers of ivory in China are in the black market. Advertisement The WWF hailed China's move to protect the species of elephants. In a statement, the environmental organization said that it is a "historic announcement . . . signaling an end to the world's primary legal ivory market and a major boost to international efforts to tackle the elephant poaching crisis in Africa. "Setting such an aggressive timeline to close--once and for all--the largest domestic ivory market in the world is globally significant," said Elly Pepper, deputy director of the Natural Resources Defense Council. "It's a game-changer and could be the pivotal turning point that brings elephants back from the brink of extinction," she added. Other environmentalists such as Tom Milliken, who leads the elephant program at the wildlife trade watchdog TRAFFIC, said that although China's move is positive, it opens a bigger market for ivory traders in Africa. According to Milliken, people should stop the trade and the overall interest in ivory. He said that for the trade to stop, there should be a "recount of legal ivory stockpiles leaking into the black market, which would involve registration and regular auditing of all unsold pieces." The Environmental Investigation Agency noted on their website, "Overall, the Chinese domestic ivory ban is a major cause for celebration and optimism as we begin 2017." They added, "Although the potential loopholes need clarifying and closing, this notification sends a strong and timely signal that the global ivory market is progressively shutting up shop." NYPD Chief Bratton announces charges against synthetic marijuana manufacturers. (Photo : Getty Images) An officer of the Drug Enforcement Administration of the United States will be going on a three-day visit to China to convince the Chinese government to stop the sale of synthetic drugs to the U.S. Starting Monday, Acting Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Chuck Rosenberg will visit Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Beijing. Advertisement Chinese Ministry of Public Security and its Narcotics Control Bureau invited Rosenberg and will be holding meetings with officials on narcotics, customs, border control and justice. "The change was just immediate in what we saw in America," DEA spokeswoman Barbara Carreno said. "The stuff just disappeared, and we're hoping to see some more of that." Many websites from China are offering "free samples" of products and some are indicated as "big beautiful crystals" for a few thousand dollars. Some sites offer to resend the product if the shipment is stopped at customs. Jim Hall, a drug abuse epidemiologist at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, said, "You'll see some pretty sophisticated Web sites with everyone in white lab coats, but these are still clandestine operations." He added, "They'll say, 'Oh yeah, we got the best product on the market.' There's even blue flakka and red flakka available just so they can distinguish their brand." "If your shipment is seized, some companies will guarantee you another package," he said. In the U.S., these products arrive marked as shampoo, industrial solvents or household cleaners. Hall also noted that there is big profit in the synthetic drug trade. For example, a kilogram of alpha-PVP, the main ingredient in flakka, can be purchased for $1,500 online and sold for $50,000 in the American black market. "Traditionally synthetic drugs like ecstacy spread from Europe," said Guohua Li, a professor of epidemiology at Columbia University in New York. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's protectionist remarks risk retaliation from China. (Photo : Getty Images) U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's repeated tirades against China has made many observers anxious about a possible trade war between the two economic giants under his term. China, for one, won't take that threat sitting down, as it's reportedly considering retaliatory measures against U.S. firms. Advertisement Bloomberg reported that a slew of sources, who refused to be identified, revealed that China is planning to probe U.S. firms with Chinese operations in a bid to exact revenge on any trade sanctions. Trump earlier expressed his desire to tax goods from China through tariffs as high as 35 percent. The unnamed sources said that China can examine U.S. firms on antitrust and tax concerns in response to any measure that would imperil China-U.S. trade relations under Trump. More so, the Chinese government is also mulling over anti-dumping queries and reducing government orders on U.S. products. Trump's protectionist plans against China, made apparent by his frequent outbursts, risks a trade war that can have wide-ranging consequences on global trade. China, however, doesn't seem to be worried, as the unnamed sources claimed that the country no longer sees exports as a growth driver, per Forbes. Nonetheless, any punitive trade measure coming from China will take place only if the U.S. moves first. Chinese Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen was nondescript in his remark on the issue, as he only stressed that keeping healthy bilateral relations provide for a win-win outcome. Rabobank Group financial markets research head Michael Every said that it's the U.S. that's bound to lose in a trade war against China. The Chinese government may use its large trade deficit as a bargaining chip against the U.S., which may lose the country as a lucrative export market should a trade war commence. But considering that U.S. companies have spent as much as $228 billion on investments in China beginning in 1990, it won't be strange to see American companies lobby against moves to engage the Chinese into a trade war. The likes of Wal-Mart, Motorola, and Boeing have long been involved in doing such. Close The developments of technology nowadays make it visible for people to see how it continues to become smarter. One proof is that it allows a device to have an access to its owner's most confidential information. Probably, this is the reason why police in Bentonville, Arkansas are asking for an access into a certain Amazon Echo device. Last December 2016, the police are requesting an access to the said tech because they believe that they could gather enough information in regards to a 2015 murder. Although they have already used this device to harbor data, it appears that they are still running a thorough search and this includes having more access to its otherwise privately contained batch of information. The murder case involves a man named James Andrew Bates, the suspect, and Victor Collins, the victim. Bates was charged with a first-degree murder after police found the dead body of Collins in the suspect's hot tub. According to The Daily Beasts, the police are asking for the records of the suspect's "smart water meter" and it supposedly shows that about a hundred gallons of water were used on the day when Collins was found dead. The huge amount of water, however, may have used to wash away any of the evidence on the suspect's patio. The Bentonville Police Department noticed that the defendant's home has housed several connected devices installed such as a Honeywell alarm system and the "star" device, n Amazon Echo. (via Digital Trends) While looking for answers about the who, what, why, when, and how of the incident, the cops were also asking for any audio recordings, purchase history, text records, or any of Bates' transcribed documents and anything of his Amazon information. The company has not yet given into the cop's demands about some Amazon Echo's audio recording although it has already provided various information such as Bate's account information and prior purchases. The Bentonville Police Department stated that although they have acquired data from Amazon Echo, they're still studying about how useful audio or text in regards to being used in court. Copyright 2020 Mobile & Apps, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. News Story not available This story has been published on: 2022-11-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. This story is no longer available on our site. Mii (Photo : Twitter/e)(o global) Bromance remains the buzzword for Korean stars with the start of 2017. In 2016, several Korean actors such as Park Bo Gum and Song Joong-ki starred in commercials which used bromance as a theme, although the two were also in gay rumors. Jumping on the bromance bandwagon, MBC released photos of its upcoming drama Missing 9 which would have bromance as its theme. The TV series, which premieres on Jan. 18 at 10 p.m. replacing Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo, stars Jung Kyung Ho, Choi Tae Joon and Chanyeol of the Korean boy band EXO. Advertisement Idol Group Disbands The three portray Seo Jun Oh, Chi Tae Ho and Lee Yeol, respectively, who belong to the idol group Dreamers which would disband due to an incident. They move separate ways after the disbandment but reconnect after a plane accident that brings them together again, according to Soompi. Because of the good chemistry and growing friendship among the three actors outside taping, it has helped make their bromance scenes authentic. Missing 9 would focus on how their past bromance differs from the current times as they attempt to bring back their old friendship while the drama reveals the reason behind their disbandment. Jet Crashes The bromance dramas title is Missing 9 because it is about nine people who were stranded on a deserted island after their aircraft crashes. It is not only in Korea where bromance sells. In Taiwan, there is an ongoing romcom titled Bromance, starring actors Baron Chen, Megan Lai and Bii. However, the bromance situation stems from Pi Ya Nuo (Megan Lai) having to disguise for 25 years as s man. After she saves Du Zhi Feng (Baron Chen) and his sister, Du Zhi Feng becomes her best friend. But even outside Taiwanese and Korean TV dramas, there is also high-profile bromance such as the one between Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. At the end of 2016, Trump released the bromance letter he received from Putin who promised to improve relations between Washington and Moscow. business FY17 tea exports to be lower than last fiscal: Mcleod Russel Tea prices are expected to be higher in the new season, said Kamal Baheti, CFO of Mcleod Russel. Increased prices will benefit the overseas operations most. you are here: business See Rs 28 cr sales hit on Gagillapur unit observations: Granules Infarmed, Portuguese drug regulator, has issued 11 observations after it conducted a renewal inspection on Granules India Limited's Gagillapur facility in Telangana. business H1-B visa norm a minor blip; India still exciting: USIBC The 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be held on a mega scale with many head of states, top global and Indian CEOs and several business houses expected to participate. Meryl Streep poses in the press room during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo : Getty Images/Alberto E. Rodriguez) The 74th Annual Golden Globes Awards jumpstarted the year's award season with the musical "La La Land" taking home seven of the highest honors during the event. The Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone starrer was even recognized as the Best Motion Picture in a Comedy or Musical film category, meanwhile, Meryl Streep gave an inspiration speech during the event. Advertisement Gosling, Stone and their film "La La Land" was one of the biggest winners during the Golden Globes 2017. The annual awards event identified the two Hollywood stars as the Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical or Comedy film, respectively. The film's director, Damien Chazelle, also nabbed the Best Director honor for a Motion Picture and the Best Screenplay Award. With the many songs and impressive musical performances featured in "La La Land," the award for Best Original Score was awarded to the said film's composer Justin Hurwitz, as indicated in the Golden Globes official website. Moreover, Hurwitz's "City of Stars" composition for "La La Land" was named the Best Original Song for a Motion Picture. Other big winners included the film "Moonlight" which was named the Best Motion Picture in the Drama category, Isabelle Huppert as Best Actress in a Drama film for "Elle" and Casey Affleck who won Best Actor in a Drama film for "Manchester by the Sea." Hollywood veteran Meryl Streep was also honored during the Golden Globes 2017 with the Cecil B. DeMille Award. Known for her diverse roles in films such as "the Devil Wears Prada," "The Iron Lady," "Julie & Julia," "Mamma Mia" and more, the multi-awarded actress gave an inspirational and rousing speech that slammed U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Despite not stating Trump's name, Streep mentioned an incident where Trump previously mocked a reporter with a disability, according to CNN. She commented on how hearing about the said incident stunned her and broke her heart. Streep added, "This instinct to humiliate when it's modeled by someone in the public ... by someone powerful, it filters down into everyone's life because it kind of gives permission for other people to do the same ... When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose." The Golden Globes 2017 was held at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills on Jan. 8, Sunday. Watch Streep's acceptance speech below: Kenny Omega (Photo : YouTube/Salih Arandi) Kenny Omega is the talk of the wrestling industry at the moment after his amazing match with Kazuchika Okada at NJPW's Wrestle Kingdom 11. He is now linked with a move to the WWE after announcing that he will be stepping away from Japan to think about his future. Omega made the announcement on Twitter and he confirmed that he is looking at all of his options. NJPW has not made any official announcement but many believe that he could either sign a new deal or join WWE. Advertisement According to Dave Meltzer of The Wrestling Observer (subscription required), NJPW tends to re-sign their superstars every new year. There are reports stating the Omega is just playing the fans but he is not advertised for NJPW's Triplemania event. This might mean that "The Cleaner" is really without a contract and he is weighing all of his options. If he leaves NJPW, there is no other promotion for him to work on but WWE. And if he signs with Vince McMahon's company, will he go straight to the main roster or down in NXT? And to make everything more exciting, John Cena joined the fray when he posted an image of Omega on his Instagram account. Cena's Instagram is one of the wackiest accounts since he trolls fans most of the time. A photo posted by John Cena (@johncena) on Jan 8, 2017 at 8:58am PST However, it should be noted that Cena posted an image of A.J. Styles at this same last year. Styles ended up making his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble and having one of the best rookie years in the WWE. But nevertheless, Cena could be jus trolling the fans on the internet. Omega making his WWE debut at the Royal Rumble is a very big moment. He is one of the best wrestlers not signed in the WWE and he might have the same success as Styles. However, nothing has been confirmed at this moment so fans just have to wait for Omega's official announcement. The 33-year-old Canadian wrestler was part of the WWE roster from 2005 to 2006 at Deep South Wrestling, per Sportskeeda. He immediately requested his release from the company because of trainers like Bill DeMott, Jody Hamilton and Hardcore Holly. Omega spent his time honing his skills in many different wrestling promotions all over the world like NJPW, DDT and Pro Wrestling Guerilla. He is also a member of the Bullet Club and he was the stable's fourth leader following Finn Balor, Karl Anderson and A.J. Styles. Check out the video below to watch the highlights of Omega vs. Okada. For more WWE news, rumors and updates, just follow me on Twitter @johnnyrundown. Marilyn is ordained with the International South Carolina Pentecostal Holiness Church and ran her own ministry with her late husband in Lake City, S.C. prior to coming to Morganton. Her time with the ministry in S.C. was spent serving those who needed it most. In my ministry, we had a very busy food bank, Marilyn said. We supported like 150 families a month. We did in home ministry for shut-ins. I had a group that would go with me and we would have service at their house. Since they couldnt get out and go to church we took church to them. Marilyn met Thomas in 2012 following the death of his wife from cancer, on the website christianmingle.com. Thomas had dreamt of a woman in a blue dress. When Marilyn sent him a message on the website, he saw her photo wearing the blue dress and though he didnt even know her name, I got shot in the heart with the agape love bullet, Thomas said. Marilyn, who had grown up in an orphanage from the age of 4 and would return there to work as a house parent following two years of bible college, used the handle name Mebble Hebble on Christian Mingle, a name the children affectionately called her rather than Mother Hubbard . Eventually, the two began to share information about themselves and became Facebook friends where Thomas would message her a 3-page love letter. They were married in Nov. 2012. After moving to Morganton, He just let me jump right in and do my thing, Marilyn said of her work with New Covenant. God has allowed the ministry that I had and the ministry that Thomas had (to exist) and weve kind of blended it together for what it is now, Marilyn said. Each one of us has our heart into a different part of it. Marilyn, a Certified Nursing Assistant, and Thomas run New Covenant while working full-time jobs.. They are self supporting, Marilyn said. We wont let people pay us, she said. They can make donations to the ministry, but not to us. New Covenant is an independent private ministry that operates one-hundred percent outreach, according to Thomas. The services include donations of food, clothing, and filling other emergency needs, though they do not give money, Marilyn said. We are not widespread. Its word of mouth, Marilyn said. But, the ones that know us really appreciate what we do. Twice a year, New Covenant holds events at the old Burke County Courthouse lawn. This past August, they fed two-hundred and ninety-five people. We have open air gospel and do free hamburgers and hot dogs, Marilyn said. We have clothes and we put them out for people to come get whatever they want. Everything is free. Currently, New Covenant is offering 50lb bags of pecan wood-the number one wood for smoking meat- for sale at $10 each, from thirty-six truck loads they cut and hauled from S.C. We just got back from doing the Hurricane Mathew clean up in S.C., moving pecan trees and stuff like that out of elderlies yards, Marilyn said. Thomas brought the wood back up here after we cleaned up the mess and hes going to chop it up and sell it to put the money back in the ministry. For more Information about New Covenant Outreach Ministries call Marilyn and Thomas at 828-475-0196 or email thomaskephart56@yahoo.com. Staff writer Christy Traylor can be reached at ctraylor@morganton.com or 828-432-8939. As we entered the new year, Morningstar.co.uk held a special reporting week looking at investing ideas for the next 12 months. 2016 somewhat made a mockery of predictions and polls; but will 2017 be different? We bring you stock picks, market reactions and political forecasts from the investment professionals, to put you in the best possible position for 2017. Top 20 FTSE 350 Dividend Paying Stocks UPDATED JULY 2016: Dividend payments have been boosted 4.3 billion by Brexit. We reveal the top 20 dividend paying stocks in the FTSE 350 New Ratings JP Morgan Emerging Europe Equity Bronze Lena Tsymbaluk We are initiating coverage for the Lux-domiciled JPM Emerging Europe Equity fund with a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Bronze. This is in line with the existing rating for the strategys UK-domiciled vehicle JPM Emerging Europe Equity, which has a longer track record. The manager, Oleg Biryulyov, has spent 20 years covering emerging European stocks and has been successfully managing the UK-domiciled fund with the same approach since 2002. The portfolio is built from the bottom up using both quantitative and qualitative criteria and typically consists of 45-65 holdings. We have a high opinion of the managers experience in the region and his disciplined and proven approach, which has led towards strong long-term results. TCW Funds MetWest Total Return Bond Gold Mara Dobresu The fund benefits from an experienced team of managers and analysts, led by Tad Rivelle, Steve Kane, Laird Landmann, and Bryan Whalen. This recently-launched European-domiciled fund mirrors the strategy that has been successfully executed on the US-domiciled Metropolitan West Total Return, also rated Gold, since 1997. In addition to its experienced team and effective investment process, the funds fees are below the industry average, which also adds to its appeal. Downgrades Fidelity European High Yield Neutral Niels Faassen Despite the teams continuity under Andrei Gorodilov's lead and Ian Spreadburys continued involvement, we have concerns about their ability to add value within the fund's broad universe. The opportunity set consists of bonds issued by European companies, irrespective of their currency of issuance. This results in a broader universe compared with most of its peers, especially in Eastern Europe and Russia. We also consider the turnover at Fidelitys team of credit analysts to be on the high side relative to peers and the analyst team has a shorter collective tenure than competitors. Finally, with more than 4 billion in assets under management, the strategy is one of the biggest in the European high yield space; we think the group could do better at passing on economies of scale and that the above-median fees are disappointing. Legg Mason IF Royce US Smaller Companies Neutral Lena Tsymbaluk We believe there have been issues with the implementation of the process here, namely poor sell discipline, questionable assessment of quality and weak portfolio construction. Although we appreciate the firms heritage of investing in US small-cap equities and the support that manager Lauren Romeo gets from Royces seasoned management team, we believe she hasnt yet proved that she can execute the strategy successfully over a long period. Therefore, we believe a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Neutral is a better reflection of our conviction. Polar Capital Japan Neutral Lena Tsymbaluk Since the summer of 2016, James Salter has been sole portfolio manager on the fund; Gerard Cawley, his former co-manager, has been focusing exclusively on the Polar Capital Japan Alpha strategy. While we still have conviction in Salter, the different team set up and dynamics lead to some uncertainty. Although we acknowledge that the fund has been negatively affected by the bullish stance taken since the beginning of Abenomics, the process provides the flexibility to be more reactive to market conditions or build a more balanced portfolio and we believe this pragmatism should have led to better participation irrespective of market conditions or style headwinds. Finally, we think the presence of a performance fee on top of an already expensive ongoing charge further detract from its appeal. Ratings Reassigned from Under Review Old Mutual UK Equity Income Neutral Peter Brunt Old Mutual Global Investors appointed Ed Meier the lead manager of Old Mutual UK Equity Income on December 14 2016, following the departure of former manager Stephen Message. Meier has worked with OMGI CIO Richard Buxton and Errol Francis for several years, but has no experience running an equity income mandate. He will manage the fund along the same lines as Buxton on the UK Alpha strategy, with a greater focus on generating a high and growing dividend. Given the change in process, the inexperience of the new manager, and the highly competitive nature of the UK equity income Morningstar Category, we have decided to assign the fund a Morningstar Analyst Rating of Neutral. Nokia 6 (Photo : Facebook / Windows 10) Nokia has returned to the smartphone business by releasing Nokia 6 Android smartphone. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 is one of its major rivals. Here is a comparison between the two devices on the basis of their specifications, features and price. Nokia 6 vs. Xiaomi Redmi Note 4: Design and Display The Nokia 6 wears a metallic unibody chassis made up of series 6000 aluminum. It measures 154 x 75.8 x 7.8 mm. it is only available in black color. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 has chamfered edges on its unibody metal body. It measures 151 x 76. 8.4 mm. It comes in varied color choices like silver, gray, gold, blue and black. Advertisement Both the smartphones have 5.5-inch IPS LCD screens that deliver full HD resolution. The Nokia 6 offers a screen-to-body ratio of 70 percent. The Redmi Note 4 has a larger screen-to-body ratio 72.7 percent. The Nokia 6 and Redmi Note 4 feature 2.5D curved glass. Chipset, RAM and Storage The Nokia 6 has a Snapdragon 430 SoC that includes an octa-core processor works at 1.4 GHz and Adreno 505 graphics. The SoC is supported by 4 GB of RAM. It has a native storage of 64 GB. The external storage slot of the device supports up to 256 GB of microSD card. The Media MT6797 chipset (aka Helio X20) with its deca-core processor working at 2.1 GHz and Mali-T880 MP4 graphics powers the Redmi Note 4. The 16 GB and 64 GB models of the Redmi Note 4 features 2 GB and 3 GB of RAM, respectively. Users can add up to 256 GB of microSD on its device. Camera, Software and Other Features There is a 16-megapixel f/2.0 aperture lens that comes with features like PDAF and dual LED flash on the rear panel of Nokia 6. Its front is graced with 8-megapixel f/2.0 aperture selfie camera. It comes loaded with stock version of Android 7.0 Nougat and its Home button houses a fingerprint scanner. It has twin speakers powered with Dolby Atmos. The Redmi Note 4 has a 13-megapxiel f/2.0 aperture rear camera with features like PDAF and dual LED flash. Its 5-megapixel f/2.0 aperture front-facing camera. It is shipped with Android 6.0 Marshmallow flavored with MIUI 8. Its rear houses a rear-facing fingerprint reader. It features a usual single speaker. Both the smartphones are dual-SIM devices. Battery and Price There is a 3,000 mAh battery inside Nokia 6 whereas the Redmi Note 4 is packed with a mammoth battery of 4,100 mAh. According to the official HMD Global press release, 64 GB Nokia 6 is available for 1,699 Yuan ($245). The 64 GB Redmi Note 4 is much cheaper with a pricing of 1,199 Yuan ($173), Android Central reported. Here is an introduction video of Noka 6: USS Zumwalt docks at Naval Station San Diego. (Photo : US Navy) The Pentagon has just released a new strategy in which the U.S. Navy surface fleet will fight its future wars with the aim of wresting sea control from China and Russia in disputed waters. The return to sea control, which was the paramount strategy during the face-off against the Soviet Union during the Cold War, from the current doctrine of force projection confirms the threats posed by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the Russian Navy, either alone or in concert with one another. Advertisement And to achieve this new mission, the navy will acquire more surface combatants, emphasize electronic warfare and develop new over-the-horizon anti-ship missiles (AShMs). In early 2015, the surface fleet announced a re-emphasis on the higher-end fight, which it described using the concept of "distributed lethality." The idea was to expand the offensive capability of the surface fleet through modification of existing weapons, changes in tactics and putting more firepower on more ships. The strategy recommends four paths to attain the goals of distributed lethality: increasing the firepower of surface warships; supporting the Navy's long-range shipbuilding plan and modernization strategy; improve battle space awareness and improving learning in the surface forces. "Part of my drive is to take a look at the weapons and weapon systems that we have and see what modification we can make to those to maximize their value, and how rapidly can we do it," said Vice Admiral Tom Rowden, Commander, Naval Surface Forces. Admiral Rowden described the sea control strategy as the navy's "North Star." "All the conversations we've had over the last three, four years, and starts to focus them in a single direction that will drive resources (towards sea control)," he said. "Sea control does not mean command of all the seas, all the time. Rather, it is the capability and capacity to impose localized control of the sea when and where it is required to enable other objectives and to hold it as long as necessary to accomplish those objectives," explains the navy. "Controlling the sea isn't about surface ships and surface weapons. Controlling the sea is about utilization of all of the different types of arrows in the quiver," said Admiral Rowden. Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive. To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research. Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process. While the low greenback-loonie exchange rate is projected to attract an increased number of American property investors to destinations north of the border, recent data suggested that Canadian buyers might be just as interested in the offerings of their U.S. counterparts.The Miami Association of Realtors found that Canadians led the pack in terms of foreign inquiries on residential properties in the city as of October 2016, The Real Deal reported.Colombians were the previously dominant group of buyers in South Florida, the Association said.Other countries that made the top 10 list of Miami inquiries were (in order): India, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina, the Philippines, Spain, France, and the United Kingdom.Overall, Canadians came in at second place in the list of countries that spent the most in U.S. properties in 2016, clocking in at $8.9 billion in purchases.On the other hand, Chinese nationals paid a staggering $27.3 billion in U.S. deals last year, mirroring the mainlands ascendancy as the leading investors in North American real estate. The interior ministry said security forces were able to "fight off the terrorist attack," killing five militants and injuring three others. The death toll of two separate attacks on two North Sinai Checkpoints early Monday has risen to nine people, with 21 others injured, Egypt's state-owned MENA reported. According to security sources who spoke with MENA, eight policemen and one civilian were killed while 11 policemen and 10 civilians were injured in the attacks. The first attack took place at El-Matafe checkpoint in Al-Arish city and was executed by around 20 militants who tried to storm the checkpoint using rocket-propelled grenades (RPG), and an explosives rigged car, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Interior Monday afternoon. The ministry said security forces were able to "fight off the terrorist attack," killing five militants and injuring three others. The statement added that security forces were able to detonate an improvised explosive device planted by the militants. In a separate attack, the interior ministry said "another terrorist group" targeted El-Masaeed checkpoint on the Ring Road, killing a police conscript during an exchange of fire with security forces. The statement said the security forces were currently conducting a combing operation in the vicinity of the area to arrest the culprits. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attacks, which come only a few days after the army said it had foiled a plot by militants to attack several North Sinai checkpoints on Friday. The army spokesperson said the forces were able to kill nine militants and injure 16 others last week. The Egyptian army and police have been battling an entrenched Islamist insurgency for several years in North Sinai. Search Keywords: Short link: Sunshine state dominates for single-family homes Orlando tops the list of the hottest markets for single-family homes in the winter market report from real estate firm Ten-X. Palm Beach county, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Dallas complete the top 5 in the ranking of 50 metros based on current and forecasted housing fundamentals. While most of the cities at the top of the list share common traits like job growth, population growth and economic expansion, many of the cities showing the greatest potential were among those hardest hit during the Great Recession," said Ten-X Executive Vice President Rick Sharga. Sharga added that the Northeast and Midwest markets are still struggling while Florida, the Southwest, Coastal California and Pacific Northwest are showing great promise. "The top 20 cities in our report include many that were devastated during the foreclosure crisis especially in states like Florida and as home prices continue to recover, they still represent buying opportunities for homeowners and investors alike," Sharga concluded. Commercial, multifamily lending set to increase this year This year should be a good one for commercial mortgage lending, the Mortgage Bankers Association says. Its survey of top lenders reveals an expected increase in mortgage originations for commercial and multifamily among 63 per cent with 26 per cent expecting growth of at least 5 per cent. "Commercial mortgage bankers expect 2017 to carry-over much of the momentum from 2016," said Jamie Woodwell, MBA's Vice President for Commercial Real Estate Research. "Most of the top firms expect strong demand from both lenders and borrowers in 2017, although not quite as strong as 2016. Originators generally see borrowing and lending volumes growing slightly, with just over half expecting potential regulatory and legislative changes to be positive for the market. The survey paints expectations of a strong, steady market in 2017." The MBA survey shows that 96 per cent of lenders has a strong or very strong appetite to lend in 2016 while 77 per cent said the same for 2017. Lenders said that 80 per cent of borrowers had a strong or very strong appetite to borrow in 2016 with 69 per cent saying that for 2017. Canadian snowbirds most interested in Southern Florida Canadians continue to dominate international searches for property in Southern Florida according to data from the Miami Association of Realtors. Colombia had been the long-time top country for searching the associations online portal but Canada took the lead in October and has remained the leader. Miamis tropical weather, resort lifestyle and world-class shopping have long attracted Canadian home buyers, said Christopher Zoller, the 2017 MIAMI Chairman of the Board. With temperatures dropping up north, more Canadian home buyers are purchasing real estate in South Florida. Colombia is second for international searches for South Florida homes followed by India, Venezuela and Brazil. Among domestic searches by state, New York, Georgia, California, Texas and Illinois are the top 5. When it comes to OPEC production cuts, We tend to cheat, said former Saudi Arabia Oil Minister Ali al-Naimi after the group reached an agreement to curb output late last year. But the extent of that cheating wont be too bad this time around, reckons Goldman Sachs Group Inc.s Damien Courvalin. The analyst sees OPEC and non-OPEC nations enacting a full 84 percent of their agreed-upon cuts, citing the incentive among lower-cost producers to fast-forward the normalization in inventories. Such a move would effectively alter the shape of the oil futures curve, ensuring that competing shale producers will be less likely to lock in 2018 production as longer-dated contracts cheapen relative to near-dated ones, helping to reduce the global glut in crude. The dramatic change in the shape of the Brent futures curve over the past five weeks may be an early sign that the tactic is poised to bear fruit. While the curve was in a state of contango before the November 2016 agreement meaning near-dated oil delivery contracts were less pricey than longer-dated contracts part of the curve has now shifted into the opposing state of backwardation, meaning a contract expiring in December 2018 is now trading at lower price than contracts expiring in September 2017, for instance. This dynamic can make locking in next years production a less attractive prospect for higher-cost shale drillers, Courvalin explains, and will expedite the markets return to balance and foster a meaningful drawdown in previously built-up stockpiles of crude. There are also ancillary benefits to consider for major producers that may be planning on selling a stake in their state-run oil companies, which the analyst alludes to. The normalization of inventories is key to low-cost producers, he writes in a Jan. 4 note to clients, as it generates backwardation, which removes hedging gains from high-cost producers and helps low-cost producers grow market share, he said. It also reduces oil price volatility, which increases the valuation of the debt and equity they are issuing. Of course, the swiftness of the response of U.S. shale companies, which expanded output in October by the most since April 2014, could throw a wrench in the analysts estimates. Courvalin forecasts that Brent prices peak at $59 per barrel in 2017 amid these inventory draws, but warns that investment in new projects will pick up steam as crude stabilizes between $55 and $60 per barrel, effectively capping the upside for front-month prices. As such, he expects better returns from futures than the spot price, as the current structure of the curve provides opportunities for positive carry. The promise of production cuts from OPEC and its partners sent oil rallying in 2016. Now traders want proof they're delivering on those vows. It won't come easy. The challenge: Building a coherent picture from the morass of data that emerges at each step along the process, from the wellheads where the oil is produced, to the tankers that carry it, and the depots that store it. Unlike in the U.S., where output is published weekly, members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries can take months to disclose their production. Beyond that, their data can be at odds with independent surveys, and countries have been known to cheat on such deals. With a rising U.S. rig count offering a bearish undertone, each new hint on the accord's implementation can be expected to swing prices. "The market could be whipsawed more by data and headlines than in the past," said Michael Cohen, head of energy commodities research at Barclays in New York, in a telephone interview. "Data lags will be the primary problem in tracking cuts." Brent crude, the global benchmark, has surged 24 percent since Nov. 29, the day before the deal was sealed among OPEC's members. The grade was trading at $57.36 a barrel at 11:01 a.m. in London. Future price increases for crude will depend on a wide variety of signposts. Here's a breakdown on what to look for: -- Upstream The first indications will come at the start of next month, when media outlets such as Bloomberg, Thomson Reuters and Platts publish surveys of production. Estimates from institutions such as the International Energy Agency and U.S. Energy Information Administration arrive a week or two later. As "no one's counting barrels at Abqaiq," the Saudi oil-processing facility, these have to be modeled on computers, Barclays' Cohen says. "While we consider official production data published by OPEC governments, we come up with our own estimates," said Lejla Villar, an analyst who estimates OPEC output at the EIA, part of the U.S. Energy Department. "We look at crude oil loadings, estimated domestic consumption and refinery runs, storage, and whatever else might be relevant." OPEC won't publish production levels until the middle of next month. Even then, the waters will be muddied as the organization provides two sets of data: the one used to monitor the agreement, compiled from the surveys described above, and numbers submitted directly by member governments, which can differ significantly. Monitoring the 11 non-members collaborating in the deal could be even harder, as data for the smaller producers like South Sudan and Equatorial Guinea are very patchy. "At the moment it's hard to be sure how much announced production cuts have been followed or matched by actual changes," said Damian Kennaby, director in the oil markets team at IHS Markit Ltd, whose estimates are among the external ones used by OPEC. "There are very few data on current production numbers and balances." To provide more clarity, OPEC and its partners have established a monitoring committee, to hold its first meeting in Vienna from Jan. 21 to Jan. 22, though the panel hasn't yet said in detail how it will operate. -- Midstream While the agreement applies to production, changes in exports will be felt more acutely by the international oil market. National producers notify customers months in advance what cargoes are available, which means some details on exports are already known. Iraq's shipping schedules, for instance, show the country's sales will increase rather than decrease next month, though the country subsequently said buyers should prepare for lower volumes. Once the oil is on the water there's a range of services dedicated to following its flow, from ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg to companies such as Petro-Logistics and Oil Movements. Satellite-tracking means these shipments can be estimated almost in real-time. Still, a drop in exports might not guarantee a change in production, according to the EIA. "The question of storage is the key unknown when estimating production using export data," said the EIA's Villar. "It's difficult to know how much of the lifted crude each month comes from storage and how much from production in that particular month." Furthermore the size of the cuts, at just 4 percent of OPEC's total output, "is not necessarily enough to have an impact on the number of tankers," said Olivier Jakob, managing director at consultants Petromatrix GmbH. -- Stockpiles Clearing bloated oil inventories, rather than achieving a particular price, has always been the stated aim of OPEC's intervention. The group estimates that the world's tanks are overstuffed by more than 300 million barrels, or enough to satisfy China for almost a month. Yet if stockpiles are the most important metric, the problem is that they are perhaps the most lagging, with data from the IEA arriving about two months in arrears. The agency previously assumed inventories wouldn't drop until the end of 2017. It now estimates that OPEC's cuts could start to deplete inventories as early as the first quarter, which means data from this definitive gauge would arrive in April or May. OPEC, meanwhile, has said that while the deal will speed up the re-balancing of the global oil market, it won't result in demand exceeding supply until the second half of the year. Even if OPEC delivers the cuts promised, there's still the risk of backsliding if their competitors in the U.S. respond by ramping up drilling, said Chip Hodge, who oversees a $12 billion natural-resource bond portfolio as senior managing director at John Hancock in Boston. "If activity picks up dramatically here, it might push other producers into cheating because of what that means for prices," he said. The surge of people from Africa, Asia and the Caribbean who have been trekking in ever-greater numbers across the Americas in hopes of reaching the United States presents the new U.S. administration with a conundrum. Most of them arrive without identification or travel documents, and U.S. security officials worry that global terrorist networks could use the illicit flows as cover to smuggle operatives into the U.S. -- as the Islamic State has done in Europe. But deploying ever-larger border walls, of the kind that President-elect Donald Trump has pledged, will do little to resolve the problem: Most of these long-distance migrants surrender voluntarily to U.S. border officers, and claim protections guaranteed under U.S. and international law. The dynamic at the Southwest border has changed. And barricades, many immigration experts have begun to argue, are an investment in the last war. What is needed now, immigration experts are realizing, is the ability to quickly determine who among this much more diverse new group of migrants is fleeing war and political repression -- and who may simply be coming to the U.S. in hopes of earning a better living. The dilemma has never been more acute, as the nature of immigration at the Southwest border shifts from hundreds of thousands of Mexicans attempting to cross furtively into the U.S., to more people from faraway conflicts and centers of violent political turmoil -- migrants who have rights to asylum and assistance. The challenge at the border is very different, said Cecilia Munoz, a senior adviser to President Obama and head of the White Houses Domestic Policy Council. I dont think there is anybody in (the Department of Homeland Security) who really believes we can enforce our way out of this problem. The government has invested heavily in stemming the historic flow of undocumented migrants from Mexico, deploying new technology and increasing the size of the Border Patrol from about 10,000 agents in 2004 to 21,000 today. This has greatly increased the risks and cost of the trip. The Pew Research Center now estimates that more Mexicans are returning to Mexico than are migrating to the U.S. -- a product in part of economic growth south of the border, as well as reduced opportunities in the U.S. since the recession nine years ago. Todays unauthorized arrivals are a more diverse group, both in terms of where they are coming from and the reasons that propelled them to embark on their long, dangerous journeys. They include hundreds of thousands of people fleeing the violence and dire poverty of Central America, as well as smaller but rapidly growing numbers from Haiti, India, Ghana and beyond. Unlike generations of Mexicans before them, many of these would-be Americans present themselves to U.S. authorities and asking to be admitted on humanitarian grounds. About 7,300 people from outside Latin America were apprehended while trying to slip across the southern border in the 11 months ending in August, while an additional 48,000 showed up at official ports of entry without the necessary paperwork and were deemed inadmissible. Careful vetting of those who request asylum is one important step, officials say. Authorities in 2015 detained 100 people at the U.S.-Mexico border whom they believed might have ties to terrorism suspects in other nations, according to figures released by the office of U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif. These smuggling routes are a potential vulnerability to our homeland, retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly, former head of the U.S. Southern Command and Trumps choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, said in congressional testimony in 2015. Terrorist organizations could seek to leverage those same smuggling routes to move operatives with intent to cause grave harm to our citizens, or even bring weapons of mass destruction into the United States. But many immigration experts are skeptical that spending more money on fortifying the border will do much to stanch the flow. When you have mixed flows, in many ways you have a more complicated enforcement challenge, said Doris Meissner, a senior fellow at the Migration Policy Institute in Washington who served as immigration commissioner in the Clinton administration. You need to decide as a country to whom you are going to provide protection to stay in the United States, and then separate those people from those who are economic migrants and need to be returned. Such decisions arent handled by border agents, she noted. They are handled by asylum officers and immigration judges, parts of the immigration system that have not benefited from the kinds of budget increases awarded to border enforcement. The result is an enormous backlog. The number of cases awaiting resolution in federal immigration courts has tripled in the last decade, reaching an all-time high of 526,175 at the end of November, according to figures collected by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. Cases had been pending an average of 678 days. The diverse backgrounds of those seeking to enter the U.S. has added to delays. Immigration attorneys say there are not enough translators at border crossings and in detention centers who are proficient in Hindi, Bengali and the many other languages spoken by the new arrivals. Lawyers and activists also complain that immigration judges lack detailed knowledge about the political and social climate in countries such as Bangladesh and India, and may be too quick to send them home. Though both countries are nominally peaceful democracies, political feuds and ethnic and religious discrimination are widely cited as factors motivating some citizens to flee. Migrants chances of being granted protection are significantly higher if they have legal representation. But the government does not pay for this, and many struggle to find a lawyer they can afford or who will take their cases pro bono -- especially if they are in custody. The bigger the backlog in immigration court, the harder it is to find room for new arrivals in the detention system. That has meant releasing migrants with a notice to appear in court at a future date, a practice that critics argue only increases the incentive for others to attempt the trip. You have to stop rewarding people for coming here illegally, said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors restrictive immigration policies. You are just going to get more and more of them. He said the Obama administration has often set the bar too low for determining who is has a credible fear of persecution and is thus eligible for asylum consideration. The fact is that the reason somebody is traveling thousands of miles from sub-Saharan Africa or South Asia to the United States is because they have a relative here who has a dishwashing job for them and a couch for them to sleep on, he said. If they were actually fleeing for their lives, or fleeing imprisonment, they would have applied for asylum in the first safe country they got to, and every single one of those people has passed through multiple countries where they were not being persecuted. Other experts, however, worry that lives could be endangered if asylum officers dont cast a wide net. The consequences of denying asylum to people who need it are so dire, we should take every effort to not deny asylum to someone who needs it, said Stephen Legomsky, who served as chief council for Homeland Securitys immigration services agency from 2011 to 2013. He believes one of the best long-term strategies is to help address the conditions that are driving people to flee their homelands. The Obama administration has increased the amount of aid the U.S. provides to Central American countries, from which large numbers claim asylum out of fear of gang violence. U.S. officials are also working with the government of Costa Rica so that those Central Americans petitioning for asylum in the U.S. can have their cases considered there, rather than embark on the dangerous trek north. That kind of regional collaboration is critical, humanitarian officials say. Just how hard it is to strike a balance was underscored by a recent surge in the number of unauthorized Haitian arrivals that overwhelmed authorities on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. Most of these migrants spent years in Brazil, where they went in search of employment after an earthquake devastated their Caribbean Island nation in 2010. But Brazil is now in the midst of its worst recession in decades, leaving many Haitians out of work and looking to the north for help. Until recently, most of those who made it to the U.S. border were admitted at least temporarily on humanitarian grounds. U.S. authorities believed it was too dangerous to send them home. When officials realized that thousands more Haitians were headed their way, the administration decided in September to start detaining and removing them from the U.S. -- either back to Haiti, or if they preferred, to Brazil. Less than two weeks after the new policy for Haitian migrants was announced, Hurricane Matthew wreaked havoc on the island and deportation flights were temporarily suspended. Detention facilities quickly filled up, and Haitians were again released on humanitarian parole. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has signed contracts with additional detention facilities to handle the surge of migrants arriving from countries other than Mexico, Philip T. Miller, a senior ICE official, said during a recent call with reporters. He said detention is mandatory for most recent arrivals to the U.S. It is our responsibility to ensure we have sufficient beds. The lack of consistency in U.S. immigration policy poses a challenge to those trying to help these new migrants, many of whom exhausted what resources they had trying to reach the U.S. When ICE notifies the Catholic Charities Dioceses of San Diego about a Haitian woman and child who are about to be released on humanitarian grounds, there is federal funding available to find them a place to stay or pay for a plane ticket to where they might have friends or family, said Robert Moser, the groups executive director. The same is not true if the people released are from Nigeria. Both have the same needs. Both are coming for the same reasons, but the place of your birth determines what you are eligible for, Moser said. In the absence of more generous government policies, he said, aid groups hope local communities will step in to provide for those in need. People are going to come no matter what ... because their choices are a lot worse if they stay, Moser said. If people with good hearts act in a good way, they can be an alternative to hateful rhetoric. ---- Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The strong rain flooded some of the city's streets causing traffic jams Egypt's northern city of Alexandria witnessed strong showers and a drop in temperatures early on Monday morning, Al-Ahram Arabic news website reported. The strong rains flooded some of the city's streets causing traffic jams. A sewage company sent cars to pump out the water flooding the streets. On Saturday, the Alexandria Port Authority shut down the Alexandriai and Dakheila ports due to bad weather conditions, state news agency MENA reported. Egypt has been experiencing cold weather across the country for the past three weeks. Search Keywords: Short link: New members inducted into Institute of ... The council said that judges violating this order would be subjected to harsh disciplinary procedures that may lead to investigations in some cases Egypt's Supreme Judicial Council SJC) banned on Monday all judges within its authority from publishing any news or comments related to cases under their supervision or other judiciary affairs on social media platforms under any circumstances. The council said that judges violating this order would be subjected to harsh disciplinary procedures that may lead to investigations in some cases. In 2015, former justice minister Ahmed El-Zend formed a ministerial committee to monitor judges social media accounts, and submitted reports against dozens of them. In 2011, Egypt's Ministry of Justice put three judges under investigation for giving interviews to the media where they criticised the military judiciary without prior permit from the ministry. In the same year, the Supreme Council of the Judiciary issued a decision banning judges and prosecutors from issuing statements to the media, citing legal articles that can be interpreted as denying judges the right to express their political views in the media. Search Keywords: Short link: Activists and political parties hope to hold their protest on Saturday without the interior ministry resorting to the court of urgent matters to stop them protesting Protests scheduled for Wednesday against an Egyptian-Saudi Red Sea islands deal were postponed to Saturday, after officials eventually agreed to receive the protest notification as mandated by law, a spokesman for an Egyptian political coalition told Ahram Online on Monday. "The Sayeda Zeinab police station's sheriff called our lawyer yesterday and said he agreed to receive the protest's notification," said Khaled Dawoud, the spokesperson for Egypts Democratic Coalition, which comprises a number of leftist political parties. Dawoud explained that the protest was postponed from Wednesday to Saturday to adhere to the 72-hour prior notification mandated by the law. Earlier this week, a group of opposition parties said Cairo's Sayeda Zeinab police station refused to receive their notification for the protest. "We are against the [protest] law, but we are trying to avoid the arrest of more youths and to avoid the experience we had on 2 January when 12 youth were arrested," Dawoud stated. The protest can still be cancelled if the interior ministry appeals in front of a court for urgent matters and the judge rules in favour of the ministry. The contentious April 2016 maritime border demarcation agreement between Cairo and Riyadh would place the Egyptian-controlled Red Sea islands of Tiran and Sanafir under Saudi Arabian sovereignty. The parties calling for the protest include the Egyptian Popular Current, the Socialist Popular Alliance Party, the Egyptian Social Democratic Party, the Dostour Party, and the Karama Party. According to a controversial 2013 law, authorities have to receive notification 72-hours prior to a protest or else it would be deemed illegal and those participating in it are liable to prison terms and heavy fines. Last week, shortly after the cabinet's decision to approve the deal and refer it to parliament, 12 people were arrested for illegally protesting against the decision near the Journalists Syndicate in downtown Cairo. The maritime border demarcation deal sparked widespread public outcry and a number of protests. Dozens of protesters stood trial for demonstrating without permits. Most have been released from jail after paying hefty fines. Egypts High Administrative Court has set 16 January 2017 to rule on the governments appeal against an earlier June ruling by an administrative court halting implementation of the deal. Search Keywords: Short link: President Barrack Obama gives speech at Yosemite View Photos President Obama is preparing to deliver a farewell address and was Mondays KVML Newsmaker of the Day. Here are his words: Since the days of George Washington, presidents have delivered some form of final message while in office a farewell address to the American people. On Tuesday night, in Chicago, Ill deliver mine. I chose Chicago not only because its my hometown where I met my wife and we started a family but also because its really where my career in public service began. The running thread through my career has been the notion that when ordinary people get involved, get engaged, and come together in collective effort, things change for the better. Thats the belief at the heart of this precious American experiment in self-government. Its what gives work and purpose to each new generation. Its easy to lose sight of that truth in the day-to-day back-and-forth of Washington and our minute-to-minute news cycles. But remember that America is a story told over a longer time horizon, in fits and starts, punctuated at times by hardship, but ultimately written by generations of citizens whove somehow worked together, without fanfare, to form a more perfect union. Over the past eight years, weve added our own new chapter to that story. Together, weve turned an economy that was shrinking and losing jobs into one thats growing and creating jobs, with poverty falling, incomes rising, and wages that have jumped faster over the past few years than at any time in the past four decades. Together, weve achieved what eluded politicians of both parties for a century weve moved 20 million more Americans from uninsured to insured, ended the days of discrimination against the up to half of Americans who have a preexisting condition, and secured new rights and protections for everybody with health insurance. Together, weve brought home most of our brave troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, and took bin Laden and thousands of other terrorists off the battlefield for good. Weve opened a new chapter with the people of Cuba, shut down Irans nuclear weapons program without firing a single shot, and brought the world together around a climate agreement that could save this planet for future generations. By these measures and many more, we have made America a better, stronger place for the generations that follow ours. Weve run our leg in our long journey of progress, knowing that our work is and will always be unfinished. Thats the imperative of citizenship the idea that with hard work, people who love their country can change it. That will be the focus of my farewell to you this Tuesday and I hope youll tune in. Thanks. The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML. On Saturday, El-Baradei made his first media appearance since his resignation, hinting at a return to Egyptian politics after three years of "distancing" himself Egyptian law-maker Mostafa Bakry presented on Monday an official letter to parliament speaker Ali Abdel-Aal demanding that the nationality of Egypt's former vice president Mohamed ElBaradei be revoked for "inciting against the Egyptian nation." Bakry accused the Nobel laureate of "playing a dangerous role in inciting against Egypt and defaming its state institutions before international organisations and entities." He also demanded that Egypt's highest Order of the Nile decoration which ElBaradei received in 2006 be withdrawn. Bakry presented documents and videos with the letter, saying that the evidence contained therein would require the withdrawal of Egyptian citizenship from ElBaradei in accordance with the law. Parliamentary sources were not able to identify the nature or credibility of these documents. ElBaradei was the Director-General of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), an intergovernmental organisation that seeks to inhibit the use of nuclear energy for military purposes. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005 and Egypt' s Order of the Nile decoration in 2006. ElBaradei lived between Egypt and several European capitals before returning to the country in the months before the toppling of long-time president Hosni Mubarak. In February 2010, he co-founded the National Association for Change, a group of opposition powers demanding political and democratic reforms in Egypt. During the rule of former president Mohamed Morsi, ElBaradei co-founded the National Front for Salvation, consisting of more than 35 groups opposed to the regime of the Islamist president. Following the ousting of Morsi by a popular uprising in July 2013, ElBaradei served as interim Vice President of Egypt. He resigned after security forces forcibly dispersed protest camps set up by Morsi supporters in August 2013. On Saturday, El-Baradei made his first interview on an Arabic channel since his resignation, hinting at a return to Egyptian politics after three years of "distancing" himself. At the same time on Saturday, Television presenter on Egypt's Sada El-Balad channel Ahmed Moussa, who is known for leaking personal recordings of revolutionary activists and politicians, leaked purported recordings of two of ElBaradeis phone calls. One purported to be a call from March 2011 with Sami Anan, who was then army chief of staff. In the call, ElBaradei apparently negotiates on behalf of protesters calling for the resignation of the cabinet of prime minister Ahmed Shafiq, Mubaraks last appointed prime minister. The second leak was an alleged personal phone call between ElBaradei and his brother Ali ElBaradei, in which the two discussed how the veteran politician was dealing with the Revolutionary Youth Coalition. Moussa, known for his strong pro-government voice, did not disclose how he obtained the recordings. He presented the calls as evidence that ElBaradei, who was once seen by many young revolutionaries as one of the leaders of the 2011 revolution, looked down on many political and revolutionary figures at that time. The TV presenter called on his audience to tweet a hashtag in Arabic: "expose rude ElBaradei." The hashtag began trending in Egypt within a few hours. Since his resignation in 2013, El-Baradei has been severally accused by media outlets close to the state of desertion and treason. Search Keywords: Short link: MERIDEN Those passing by the Meriden Public Library Sunday afternoon undoubtedly did a double take as Charlie, Sergeant and Joe made their way down Miller Street. The camels, from Commerford Zoo in Goshen, were part of the citys annual Three Kings Day procession and celebration at the library. The event featured traditional Spanish music, gifts for children, refreshments and, of course, camel rides. Three Kings Day is a cultural variation of the Feast of the Epiphany, a traditional Christian celebration of the revelation that God became human in Jesus. In western Christianity, this moment is associated with the three Magi paying homage to Jesus as a baby and is called El Dia de los Reyes in the Latin American countries where it is especially popular. The holiday is customarily celebrated on Jan. 6, but was observed Sunday so it didnt conflict with school. City resident Delores Ramirez brought her children, Nayeli, Esmeralda and Ricardo, to the celebration, which she said reminded her of her childhood in Mexico. Its something that we celebrate and a tradition that we bring from Mexico, she said. Its important that we get the chance to celebrate our culture in Meriden. The celebration, which was sponsored by the Carrero family, the library, Casa Boricua de Meriden and the city of Meriden, started with the procession of the Three Kings and included music from the Cardona family, which led elected officials, including City Councilors Miguel Castro and Cathy Battista and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty, in singing Feliz Navidad. It has become a family affair, Castro said. We are keeping this tradition moving forward. City Manager Guy Scaife stopped by with members of his family. This is very special, he told the crowd. I had no idea what to expect. It certainly is great to see such a big turnout. Those who put the effort in certainly do a lot for the city. Three Kings Day has been celebrated in Meriden for decades. The Carrero family, led by Genaro and Aida, has organized the annual celebration for about 30 years, taking over when St. Rose of Lima Church ended its own festivities. Their son, Jerry, is now in charge. This is a good tradition for us, Genaro said. Its something that is inside our hearts. The library began hosting the event last year, opening the building on a Sunday just for the special celebration. We feel, as a library, that we need to serve all of the community, said Alexis Burgess, community services director for the library. There is a large Hispanic community in town. I love it. Its just wonderful to get all the people together. There is happiness and joy and a celebration of culture. Battista, who coordinated Three Kings Day celebrations for the school system and the Meriden Senior Center in the past, joined forces with the Carreros for the first time last year. She helped secure the camels. I guess you can say the camels brought us together, she said with a laugh. I think the camels help draw more people to the celebration, whether they are Hispanic or not. Thats the goal. This is a really important holiday. This is our community. Most southbound lanes of Interstate 280 were closed for about two hours near Hillsborough Sunday afternoon after a giant tree fell across half the freeway, injuring one driver, according to the California Highway Patrol. The tree fell near the Trousdale Drive exit around 2:30 p.m., and traffic was temporarily diverted just north at the interchange with Highway 380, according to the CHP. Rumors that have circulated for months about Ford bringing back its Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup truck were finally confirmed. The company announced Monday at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit that it will make the two popular vehicles at its Wayne, Mich., assembly plant. The Palestinians have urged President-elect Donald Trump not to move the U.S. Embassy in Israel to contested Jerusalem. The official Palestinian news agency WAFA says President Mahmoud Abbas warned Trump in a letter that such a move would be "devastating" for U.S.-led efforts to set up a Palestinian state alongside Israel through negotiations. WAFA said Monday that Abbas also contacted other world leaders and international organizations, asking them to "make every possible effort" to prevent an embassy move. The Palestinians seek a capital east Jerusalem, captured and annexed by Israel in 1967. Israel's current government opposes a partition of the city. Most countries, including the U.S., maintain their embassies in the Israeli coastal city of Tel Aviv. Trump has promised to move the embassy to Jerusalem. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate San Antonio anchorwoman Deborah Knapp, luminous as ever and looking much younger than her 62 years, is celebrating a milestone this month: three consecutive decades of delivering the news to local viewers. KENS-TV recently honored the 4 and 5 p.m. newscaster with an on-air tribute, which included a fun bit where friends and colleagues described Knapp in one word. Among their responses? "Giving," "extraordinary," "charitable" "classy," "institution" and "ageless." Knapp also received a plaque from Mayor Ivy Taylor commemorating her 30 years at KENS. Considering Knapp has come into your living rooms night after night for multiple decades, you might think you know everything about her. Think again. In a phone chat about her lengthy tenure, she shared facts, memories and even a secret or two that might surprise you. For instance: She's deathly afraid of escalators. Knapp said it's embarrassing when she finds herself pausing at the top on one, and "people are starting to make a line behind me. ... I just have an irrational fear of falling." When she has a choice, she much prefers the stairs or an elevator. She considers San Antonio her hometown, but she was born in Japan. Knapp's dad was in the Air Force, so her family moved numerous times before settling in the Alamo City in the '60s, when she entered Garner Middle School. Robert Redford thought she could make it in Hollywood, but Knapp had other plans. In 1975, she was cast in "The Great Waldo Pepper" as a farmer's daughter and brief love interest of Redford's dashing pilot character. "When we did the film," she said, "Robert Redford told me, 'I guess you want to go to Hollywood now and be a movie star.' I told him, 'No, I want to be a reporter.'" Knapp said that was her dream ever since she was 14 at MacArthur High. Right out of college at the University of Texas at Austin, Knapp got her start -- not on KENS, but competitor KSAT-TV. She was hired as "the weekend weather girl." Once at KENS, her first night anchoring a weekday newscast can be described as trial by fire -- literally. "There was a fire in the control room. We went to black. We had no video or commercials. The director told me to keep reading. "I always considered the camera a person. So I decided to just be honest and tell everyone what was happening. Ever since, it's been easy by comparison." Given her longevity in the business, she often finds herself in the role of mentor to the station's younger reporters and producers. However, she, too, finds herself learning quite a bit from them as well -- particularly when it comes to social media: Facebook and Twitter. "I love constantly learning and striving to improve. It's a daily quest." She prefers standing when delivering the news as she does frequently on her 4 p.m. show. It also provides an added incentive to stay in shape, she said. While many young anchors and reporters aspire to bigger TV markets and salaries, Knapp was happy to leave the top-5 market of Philadelphia in late 1986 after anchoring on the CBS station there for six years to return to San Antonio. "This is home. My family was here. I wanted to raise my kids here. I feel close to the people. It makes me feel so good when a waiter or someone else tells me, 'I've been watching you since I was little,' " When her two kids, Alicia and Austin, were small, she was offered the big 10 p.m. co-anchor job next to KENS' star anchorman at the time, Chris Marrou. She turned it down and never regrets that decision. She preferred to do the earlier evening newscasts so she could be home nights to tuck her children in bed. "You can't get those years with your kids back," she said. She has three grandchildren and loves visiting them and their mom in Hong Kong, where Alicia lives. She said turning 60 was "liberating." If she isn't enjoying something, she now finds herself saying, "I'm not going to invest time in this," she explained. "I also make a point to surround myself with people who have a positive attitude." Is she thinking about retirement? "I don't know what else I'd do. I can't imagine what my next chapter would be," she said. "I feel blessed. I love what I do and feel honored to be able to serve the community." She added that she'll keep anchoring and reporting as "long as I love it and as long as they'll have me." jjakle@express-news.net ALBANY An 26-year-old Amsterdam man is facing up to seven years of prison for strangling and sexually abusing a woman in 2015. A jury on Friday convicted Jason Howard of the attack in a home on Green Street on Dec. 26, 2015. Howard choked the victim during the assault. Albany Families in Albany and Troy will have more options for getting their children into after-school programs under a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to add 22,000 new program slots in high-need areas across the state. The governor proposed a $35 million pilot program Monday that would create the slots in 16 cities he identified last year as part of a new Empire State Poverty Reduction Initiative, which focuses on children who do not have a "safe and supportive place" to go after school. Albany and Troy were the only Capital Region cities to make the list. "This pilot program will further level the playing field for children in underserved cities across the state by expanding their access to programs and community resources that will help them get ahead in school and later on in life," Cuomo said in New York City at the first of six regional State of the State events this week. The benefit of after-school programs are many, state officials argue. Not only do they provide relief to parents who don't get out of work until 5 or 6 p.m., they offer students a healthy mix of academic, social, emotional and recreational support at the end of each school day. Participation is often associated with higher academic outcomes, lower dropout rates and a reduction in juvenile crime, research shows. High-quality after-school programs have also proven to have a $3 return on investment for every dollar spent, state officials say. New York currently spends $65 million on after-school programs, which are bolstered by an additional $88 million in federal funds. It's hard to know how many children statewide are served by after-school programs, since there are various programs, partners and funding streams, said Chris Neitzey, policy director for New York State Network for Youth Success, a nonprofit that advocates for after-school programs. Cuomo's office, however, expects the extra $35 million in funding from the state to increase enrollment by 36 percent. The funds will be awarded as part of a competitive grant process. "Twenty-two thousand new slots is a big deal," Neitzey said. "Especially when you look back at the previous almost 10 years when we saw a decrease in students served because of recession cuts. It's extremely exciting the governor has shown support." Albany is currently home to several programs: the federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Center program serves about 600 students in the city, while the state-funded Advantage After School program serves about 45 students. Troy serves 505 students through 21st Century programs and 205 students through Advantage programs. bbump@timesunion.com 518-454-5387 This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate New York Army National Guard Chief Warrant Officer 5 Robert Wold of Charlton received a Legion of Merit Medal for his nearly 41 years of outstanding services and achievements. Wold received the award during his retirement ceremony at the New York National Guard Headquarters in Latham. He also received an American flag and certificates of achievement. Wold began his military career as a helicopter mechanic in 1975 and finished his Army career as an aviator and command chief warrant officer. As a master Army aviator, he accomplished more than 6,000 hours in the air flying both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, taking his final flight on Dec. 21. Major Gen. Anthony German, state adjutant general, praised Wold as an exceptional aviator, a skilled trainer and a devoted family man. "A pilot has a great career when the number of takeoffs match the number of landings," German, an Air Force aviator, joked during the ceremony, "Bob Wold has had a great career." After completing basic training Wold served with the 347th Transportation Company, 25th Infantry Division, in Hawaii and as an OH-58 and UH-1 helicopter crew chief with the 385th Engineers, Army Reserve at Fort Snelling, Minn. In 1980, he entered Warrant Officer Candidate School at Fort Rucker, Ala., and graduated from Initial Entry Rotary Wing Training in 1981. He served on active duty with the 1st Cavalry Division, the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment and the 24th Infantry Division before he joined the New York Army National Guard in 1989. He was assigned as an AH-1F Cobra maintenance test pilot with D Troop, 1st Squadron 101st Cavalry, in Rochester. Wold's other assignments included both traditional part-time National Guard service and full-time service with Company A, 1st Battalion, 142nd Attack Helicopter Regiment, Company B and later Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 142 Assault Helicopter Regiment, and the state Aviation Logistics Manager, Joint Forces Headquarters. He performed state and federal humanitarian missions, including responses to tropical storms Irene and Lee in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. Wold deployed with Task Force Talon as part of Stabilization Force 12 in Bosnia in 2002-03, and served as the Task Force Jester aviation maintenance officer from 2008-09. The task force was formed around the New York Army National Guard's 3rd Battalion, 142nd Aviation, which provided aviation support for the 42nd Infantry Division and other units in the Iraq war. He earned a Soldier's Medal for non-combat heroism, as well as Bronze Star, Meritorious Service, two Army Commendation, an Army Good Conduct, and five Army Reserve Components Achievements medals. Soldiers promoted The following soldiers were promoted: Erik Metsger of Coxsackie to captain while serving with the New York Army National Guard's Headquarters Company, 427th Brigade Support Battalion. Eric Shupp of Troy to captain while on duty with Headquarters and Headquarters Combat Aviation Brigade, 42nd Infantry Division. Jeremy Blackie of Schenectady to sergeant first class while serving with Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 501st Ordnance Battalion (Explosive Ordnance Disposal). Kevin Brunick of Troy to sergeant first class while on duty with Joint Force Headquarters. Leah Rosen of Mechanicville to sergeant first class while assigned to Joint Force Headquarters. Others promoted include: Sergeant: Dioscielo Lucerorostocki, Averill Park, Company E (Forward Support Company Infantry), 427th Brigade Support Battalion. Specialist: Richard Amedure, Rensselaerville, Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 27th Brigade Special Troops Battalion; K.C. Gosse, Grafton, 206th Military Police Company; James King, Athens, Company E (Forward Support Company Infantry), 427th Brigade Support Battalion; Isiah Morant, Cohoes, Intelligence and Sustainment Company, 42nd Infantry Division; David Rifenburg, Hoosick Falls, Company C, 2nd Battalion, 108th Infantry; Kayla Rost, Cohoes, Headquarters, 53rd Troop Command; Liam Serviss, Loudonville, 204th Engineer Detachment; and Patrick Turriglio, Valley Falls, Headquarters and Support Company, 42nd Infantry Division. News of your troops and units may be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com. GREENWICH A Representative Town Meeting member accused of child pornography possession has resigned from his government post. Christopher Sandys, 46, was arrested Jan. 5 and charged with one count of possession of child pornography. He was in the middle of his first term on the RTM after having been appointed last March to fill a vacancy in District 1. On Monday, RTM Moderator Thomas Byrne said he was informed by the Town Clerks office Sandys submitted his resignation. There is no mechanism for removing someone from the RTM within the Town Charter or the RTMs governing rules, and Sandys could have continued to serve despite the felony charge. Sandys attorney, Lindy Urso, confirmed the resignation. He joined the RTM to help the town, Urso said. In that vein he has resigned, effective immediately. Sandys is due in court on Jan. 20. According to the Greenwich Police Department, Sandys was arrested as part of an undercover investigation by the Connecticut State Police into peer to peer child pornography image and video trading. Chris has led an exemplary life, highlighted by his graduation from the Air Force Academy and honorable discharge from the Air Force after a four-year enlistment, Urso said. These types of cases are always very difficult but its simply too soon for me to have any comment on the charges. Police said they found a desktop computer belonging to Sandys with more than 700 images of child pornography on it while executing a search warrant at his residence on LeGrande Avenue. Sandys also was a member of the Republican Town Committee. Party Chairman Stephen Walko said Monday that Sandys had resigned his position in the party as well. On this date in ... 1917: A special report from Washington said every member of the New York delegation in Congress, with one exception, aligned themselves with the wishes of the Albany and nearby chambers of commerce in opposing the proposed 600-foot pier the New York Central Road planned to erect on a bridge over the Hudson River near Castleton. 1967: The longest strike at General Electric in Schenectady officially ended when 450 members of Local 128, Plumbers and Steamfitters Union, voted overwhelmingly to accept the latest company offer. About 12,500 employees of GE's largest plant in the state would return to work immediately, most for the first time in 12 weeks. The walkouts had been for local issues involving job classification, work jurisdiction and modification of the 2-year-old Make Schenectady Competitive agreement. 1992: New signs that a gay rights bill could pass in Albany had leaders heartened that the legislation could bring not only housing and job protection, but also more public tolerance and acceptance. While acknowledging that bias was a difficult thing to change, prominent activists said growing support on the Common Council and from Mayor Thomas M. Whalen III could have an impact on the public's attitude toward the gay community. At least, said Steven Seidman, president of the Eleanor Roosevelt Democratic Club, a gay political group, passage of a new law might cause people to think about their bias. Want to read more about the Capital Region's past? Have any memories or thoughts about how our history relates to today's events? See http://blog.timesunion.com/history/ H John Voorhees III / Hearst Connecticut Media The Mark Twain Library, in Redding, is hosting two programs this week, both of which incorporate elements of history and the arts. On Wednesday, guests can attend a talk on how photography has played a role in the art world, beginning with the Hudson River School. As photography became a more available medium in the mid-1800s, artists began using it more in their process. The talk begins at 7:30 p.m. A Ridgefield man was the second person in less than two weeks to die of a heroin overdose while living in Torrington halfway houses. Torrington police officials Monday confirmed David Anderson, 29, was found dead Thursday night in a home on South Main Street. A white powder consistent with heroin was found at the scene, police said. The house where Anderson died is a sober house operated by Key Recovery, a Torrington-based company offering an environment for those struggling with substance abuse to transition from treatment programs to independent living. The company operates a home on Prospect Street in Torrington where Alycia Cimino, 29, was found Dec. 29 suffering from an overdose. She died later at Charlotte Hungerford Hospital in Torrington. According to Key Recoverys website, residents participate in group therapy, 12-step programs and undergo weekly drug and alcohol testing. They have a curfew but are otherwise free to come and go. Weve had so many success stories, but all the attention right now is on the young man who died, said a Key Recovery employee who declined to identify himself. Nobody wants to hear about all the good that weve done here. This is a high-risk population and many of these kids cant go home. The employee said he gave Anderson a dose of Narcan, a drug designed to reverse an opioid overdose, but it didnt work. He said knew Cimino as well. I know the young lady and it still bothers me, he said. The employee said he believes Anderson and Cimino purchased heroin laced with fentanyl, a powerful opioid drug, from the same dealer. The person who is selling this junk is a murderer and I cant wait for the authorities to finally close in on him, he said. Andersons father, Jim, posted on Facebook he and his wife, Eleanor, did everything they could to save their son from his addiction. This this a parents worse nightmare come true, he wrote. Please call or hold your child tonight and tell them you love them. Heroin is a powerful and horrible thing that takes you in at first dose, no turning back. Others who knew Anderson said they hope people learn from his death. Rest in Peace Davey, said Terry Hughes on Facebook. I hope in some small way that your death and experiences surrounding your life can help be a positive influence to other young people today. God bless. Lt. Bart Barown, of the Torrington Police Department, said the cases are under investigation. dperrefort@newstimes.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate RIDGEFIELD Growing up near Los Angeles, artist Kim Jones never considered serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. For three years he suffered from perthes, a disease similar to polio, spending time in a childrens hospital and then in a wheelchair and braces. During a talk Sunday at the Aldrich Museum in Ridgefield, Jones, now an artist, said during those difficult years he developed my own world of impressions that stayed with me. In 1966, after spending four years in art schools, he expected to be drafted, but to impress his father, who had served in the Navy during World War II, he opted to join the Marines. He served in Vietnam from 1967-68. For me, going to Vietnam was a way of becoming a man, he said. It was a very primitive existence, Jones said, recalling his units assignment just 11 miles from the Demilitarized Zone. The conditions were so bad that we picked up the sleeping bags to shake out the rats. In 1976, he burned three rats to death at an exhibition in Los Angeles. He was placed on probation and had to pay a fine. I sort of have a dark side of humor, Jones said. Jones is now best known for his stick and foam sculptures, some of which are covered with mud. In recent years, he has done drawings over enlarged military photos. The title of his latest exhibit, White Crow, refers to the rare occurrence when a crow is born without pigment in its plumage. As part of the exhibit, Jones turned four trees outside the museum into wrapped sculpture, turned toys and other objects into spiky wood constructions and provided war drawings done over 30 years. The show will be at the Aldrich for three more weeks. Richard Klein, the exhibition director at the Aldrich, said since World War II there have been about a dozen significant artists who have done work on inside experiences on war. Jones, who answered questions Sunday from fellow artist Steve Mumford and an audience, said, Its not that I was ever anti-war or for war. Im not trying to give people an insight, he said. Its up to them. The more you look at it, the more you get out of it. But in a museum people only spend five or 10 seconds on each painting. Marge Davidson, who attended the talk along with her husband, former Brookfield First Selectman Bill Davidson, said she was intrigued by the new exhibit. It is very interesting how he explores his inner mind and reaches back to experiences even from his early childhood, she said. Mumford, who in 2005 published Baghdad Journal, a collection of sketches from combat during the Iraq War, said he doesnt have military experience in his background, but he has been inspired by the artists of the 19th century, including those who covered the Civil War. Being there and getting close enough to draw sketches on sniper fire allowed me to absorb the emotional terror, he said. There were times when you had sniper fire and you had to quickly determine where it was coming from, Mumford said. As an artist, you knew you were a target. You had to stay protected. He said his sketches are not political and his goal was to provide insight into what the military faced in Iraq. Mumford said the space was so crowded in the hospital units, he would only get a small glimpse of a wounded soldier being treated and had to quickly capture that image. He said the military granted him enough access that he became embedded with the troops. They would transport the reporters, in most instances, to where they wanted to go, he said. That access was everything. It was exciting to be in places where something interesting was happening. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This review ran in the Houston Post on Feb. 27, 1995. The headline and words are reprinted as they ran then. With 61,041 people packing the Dome, Go Tejano Day at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo set an all-time Sunday attendance record and may have established a new standard for good fun as well. Besides the featured entertainers Emilio Navaira and Selena, the finalists of the Go Tejano Mariachi Invitational played between sets. Mariachi Festival of San Antonio won the title with Los Capoleros finishing second. Selena was her usual sultry, high-energy self. She has added a pair of nicely muscled young men - some people might have recognized Fredy Corea from the Barrio Boyz - to dance and give the women in the audience something to admire. This is a good thing. Corea and Don Shelton held their own while Selena strutted her stuff in a purple-spangled jumpsuit with swingy bellbottoms. Providing a variety of good things was conga player Art Mesa. Mesa propelled songs like "Baile Esta Cumbia" and "Techno Cumbia" with his lightning finger work. Selena began her set with a tribute of sorts to music of the disco era. She raced through "I Will Survive," "Funkytown," "Last Dance" and "On the Radio," adding enough salsa-style touches to avoid slavishly imitating the originals. It was also good for those of us whose Spanish comprehension took a nosedive when Dos Mujeres ended back in July. However, the energy and passion of Selena's performance transcended language. Songs like "Mis Despresios" and "Cobarde" relied on Selena's ability to be vulnerable as well as sensual. You still get a sense there's a girl from Lake Jackson up there having a good time even with the crack band and slinky choreography. By the way, Emilio Navaira didn't do too terribly either. Navaira's got a great voice. His brother Raul provided some moments of comic relief with his energetic dancing and roll call of local communities. Before Navaira rode off on a brown horse, he did eight songs, including a surprising version of the Eagles' "Hotel California." He closed his set with a scorching take on "En Que Brazos." "California" got a great response from the crowd, as did Navaira when he turned his back to the camera. This review ran in the Houston Chronicle on Feb. 27, 1995. The headline and words are reprinted as they ran then. By Rick Mitchell Houston Chronicle Tejano's future arrived at the Astrodome Sunday evening. Selena and Emilio, this year's Tejano Music Awards' female and male vocalists of the year, respectively, performed at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's annual Go Tejano Day concert. In a reflection of Tejano music's booming popularity as well as the rodeo's growing appeal in the Hispanic community, the show was attended by 61,041 fans; an all-time Sunday record. Selena, who also was voted entertainer of the year at the Tejano Music Awards held two weeks ago in San Antonio, is the hottest star ever to come out of Tejano music. Her 1994 hit "Amor Prohibido" went to No. 1 on the International Latin chart and is nominated for a Grammy. She's currently working on an English-language crossover album to be released later this year. A former child star, Selena has grown up along with the Tejano market. She took the stage wearing a skin-tight purple pants-suit with a bare midriff, revealing a well-conditioned figure. She opened with a medley of '70s disco hits sung in English, a reminder that Tejano is a form of American pop that draws from many sources, national and regional. While Selena can sing anything from ballads to polkas, most of her 55-minute set was devoted to extended versions of the dance hits from the "Amor Prohibido" album. "Techno-Cumbia" incorporated elements of rap, reggae and salsa, and even borrowed a few melodic riffs from the Champs' instrumental rock 'n' roll hit, "Tequila". "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is another reggae-style cumbia. Although the production is thoroughly contemporary, the music has an infectious, upbeat quality '60s pop. If Selena is Tejano's answer to Madonna, Janet Jackson and Gloria Estefan, then Emilio is Tejano's George Strait or Garth Brooks. He favors tight Wranglers, solid-colored western shirts and a black hat. But while he sang a brand new country tune in English here, most of Emilio's music is a modern extension of the norteno/conjunto accordion tradition. He engaged in some comical choreography with his heavy-set sidekick, and sang a pop-rock tune in Spanish. Emilio also covered Van Morrison's "Have I Told You Lately" and the Eagles' "Hotel California". Between the two sets, San Antonio's Mariachi Festival edged out Mariachi Los Caporales in the rodeo's annual statewide mariachi contest. The winners celebrated with a medley of "Yellow Rose of Texas", "San Antonio Rose" and "Orange Blossom Special", done mariachi-style. UPDATE The 1995 performance was Selena's third time appearing at the Houston rodeo. And it would be her last time here. In March 1995, Selena, 23, was killed by Yolanda Saldivar at a Days Inn Hotel in Corpus Christi. Selena was shot once in the back after an argument with Saldivar over business records. Saldivar was the founder and president of Selena's fan club and managed her boutique in San Antonio. Saldivar was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. She will be up for parole in 2025 and is serving her sentence in Gatesville. Selena's death was covered heavily by the national media, vigils were held throughout the country, and her funeral drew 60,000 mourners. Her album "Dreaming of You" was released in July 1995. The 13-track album included four new English-language songs. It sold 175,000 copies the first day and would top the U.S. Billboard 200 and stay atop the Latin charts for nine months. It also won Album of the Year at the 1996 Tejano Music Awards. Emilio Navaira died of heart disease last year. He was 53. - Erin Mulvaney China has reiterated its opposition to any contacts between U.S. officials and Taiwan's government following a meeting between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott and the self-governing island's President Tsai Ing-wen. Cruz and Abbot met with Tsai on Sunday while she was passing through Houston on her way to a visit to Taiwan's Central American allies. At a news briefing in Beijing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to any contact between Taiwan's leader and "anyone from the U.S. government." Such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing, Lu said. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been ratcheting up the diplomatic pressure on the independence-leaning Tsai since her election last year. Cruz said in a news release that during his meeting with Tsai, they "discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations" in a talk that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations. An official with Republican President elect-Donald Trump's transition team said neither Trump nor transition officials would meet with Tsai. Her stop in the U.S. was scrutinized by Beijing for any signs that Trump's team would risk its ire by further engaging with the self-ruled island that China considers its territory. Trump last month breached diplomatic protocol by speaking by phone with the Taiwanese leader. Trump raised further concerns in Beijing when he questioned a U.S. policy that since 1979 has recognized Beijing as China's government and maintains only unofficial relations with Taiwan. U.S. lawmakers often meet with Taiwanese presidents when they transit through the U.S. most recently in June, when Tsai met in Miami with Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. China's nationalistic tabloid Global Times said Beijing would take a hard line toward any contacts between Taiwan's government and the incoming Trump administration. China "should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force," the ruling Communist Party-published paper said in an editorial Sunday. China has "seized the initiative. The U.S. and Taiwan now should restrain, or be forced to restrain, themselves," the paper said. "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes," it said. Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Search Keywords: Short link: This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The Greater Cleveland Chamber of Commerce luncheon on Jan. 25 made a last-minute change to its speaker, which gave Chairman J. Rice a chance to discuss the economic changes sure to come with the completion of the Grand Parkway. The Grand Parkway, otherwise known as State Highway 99, is a new loop set to circle the Houston area. When completed, it will enclose Beltway 8 and the Interstate 610 Loop. Grand Parkway is also expected to cover a distance of 180 miles once it is finished. "Grand Parkway will be the largest loop around a metropolitan area in the world," said Rice. The construction project is more than halfway through its completion. A portion of the Grand Parkway opened up in March 2016 outside of Porter, Texas. Another portion currently under construction is set to run through the Plum Grove area and over toward Dayton. "Most of the Grand Parkway will be completed in the next five years," said Rice. Rice discussed the economic effects of the Grand Parkway, tying it into last month's chamber luncheon when Cleveland ISD Superintendent Dr. Darrell Myers discussed the influx of new students coming into the school district. However, the Grand Parkway has other benefits to Liberty County as Rice focused on two portions of the highway that affect the county. "The economic effects will be about $1.1 billion," he said. Rice later explained that the largest percentage of total highway construction expenditures will be spent in Liberty County. While not all of this money is going to Liberty County, Rice says most of it will affect the local communities with increases in economic activity. "All kinds of other economic activity happens," he said. "That's beneficial to us." Businesses may find a need to increase their inventory or their services once the Grand Parkway is finished, according to Rice, who later stated that these changes are already beginning, quoting a previous article in the Jan. 4 editions of the Cleveland Advocate and Dayton News regarding the economic development of the three major cities of Liberty County. "Three city leaders were quoted saying they're seeing some of these things happening," said Rice. Rice concluded by noting that while Liberty County may understand the coming of change the Grand Parkway is expected to bring a substantial change. "You have to jump in and participate and make sure that we're ready for this," he said. Participation includes citizens helping the Liberty County Commissioners Court as well as their local cities and chambers of commerce. "It's all our jobs to make sure that this is done," said Rice. Friendswood police promised to be out in force as revelers welcomed 2017, and records show an uptick in alcohol-related arrests during the New Year holiday. The city's jail saw 14 bookings for driving while intoxicated and public intoxication. While the number is higher than usual, the department considers that total relatively low and an indication that public-service announcements and enforcement efforts are paying off. The same, however, cannot be said for the use of fireworks in the city limits. Police responded to 40 calls for service related to fireworks during the holiday weekend. Criminal Mischief A young boy riding a four-wheeler Dec. 31 is believed responsible for damage at a park in the 2600 block of South Mission Circle. The child's father offered to pay for repairs, but the homeowner's association intends to pursue criminal charges and will provide an estimate for damages. A vehicle parked in an open garage was vandalized in the early morning hours of Jan. 2 at the Reserve at Autumn Creek Apartments, 3102 W. Bay Area Blvd. The owner woke to find the gas cover forced open and deep scratches along the driver's side. An unknown substance had been poured into the gas tank. No suspect was listed. Fraud More Information FRIENDSWOOD Police Department Where: 1600 Whitaker Drive, Friendswood Office Hours: 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday for records checks, copies of traffic accidents or crime reports Telephone: Records Unit: 281-996-3318 or 281-996-3319 Online: incident and accident reports may be obtained 24 hours a day from http://p2c.friendswood.com/ See More Collapse A Friendswood man reported receiving an invoice from Discount Tire Dec. 28 for services performed on a 2006 Dodge Caravan, a vehicle he does not own. He believes someone fraudulently used his information. Narcotics Friendswood police charged two men with possession of drug paraphernalia Dec. 27 after a motorist reported a gray Dodge Durango flashing its lights at other drivers. The vehicle was stopped in the 100 block of South Friendswood Drive. An officer reported smelling marijuana and conducted a vehicle search. The officer reported finding a Pepsi can converted into a bong. Both men were taken into custody. A 26-year-old Alvin man was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia after Friendswood police stopped him for expired registration Dec. 27 in the 100 block of South Friendswood Drive. During a search of the vehicle, the officer reportedly found a bag with a small amount of marijuana and a digital scale. Two women were charged with possession of controlled substances following a traffic stop for expired registration Dec. 28 in the 17400 block of Fife Lane. The driver, a 39-year-old Houston woman, was taken into custody after the officer checked her driving history and discovered she was wanted on a felony warrant out of Harris County. Before placing her in the patrol car, the officer discovered a baggie of methamphetamine in her pocket, according to police. An assisting officer interviewed the passenger, a 26-year-old Pearland woman, and discovered she had a scale with methamphetamine residue on it, police reported. She also was taken into custody. Police said a vehicle search yielded Xanax, rolling papers and baggies. At the jail, the passenger was found in possession of crystal methamphetamine, Xanax, Ecstasy and marijuana, according to police. Her bond was set at $27,000; the driver's bond was set at $7,000. After stopping a 19-year-old Friendswood man for a vehicle equipment violation Dec. 29 in the 1500 block of West Parkwood Avenue, police reportedly detected the smell of marijuana. An officer checked the man and his passenger, a 19-year-old Seabrook man, for warrants and discovered both were wanted by the League City Police Department. A vehicle search revealed a marijuana grinder; a scale; a cigarette pack containing pills and tablets; and a baggie with 26 Ecstasy, 12 Xanax, four alprazolam and one hydrocodone tablet, police reported. Officers also found a bandana that appeared to have eyeholes cut into it. At the jail, officers said they discovered 13 Ecstasy, an acetaminophen or codeine pill and an alprazolam on the passenger. The men were charged with possession of a controlled substance. Bond was set at $26,000 for the passenger and $6,500 for the driver. Police charged a 23-year-old Houston man with possession of a controlled substance after stopping him for an illegal lane change Dec. 31 in the 500 block of East Edgewood Drive. The officer discovered the driver had outstanding warrants in Harris County and asked him to exit the vehicle. When the officer retrieved the man's jacket from the car, an Ecstasy tablet fell out of the pocket, police reported. Bond was set at $2,000. Driving While Intoxicated A 31-year-old Friendswood man was charged with driving while intoxicated in the early hours of Jan. 1 after he was observed weaving outside his lane in the 1400 block of West Parkwood Avenue. The man turned onto Layfair Place and appeared to try to avoid the police car behind him. However, Layfair Place is a dead-end street. The suspect failed a field sobriety test, police said. Bond was set at $1,000. Friendswood police charged a 51-year-old Pearland man with driving while intoxicated. He was stopped early Jan. 1 in the 17000 block of Blackhawk Boulevard. Friendswood police charged a 23-year-old Houston woman with driving while intoxicated after she reportedly drove her vehicle into a ditch Jan. 1 in the 800 block of Mary Ann Drive. When the officer arrived, the woman was covered in mud. She failed a field sobriety test and a breath test. Bond was set at $1,500. A 26-year-old Friendswood man with her was charged with public intoxication. Police have charged a 43-year-old Friendswood woman with driving while intoxicated. She was stopped Jan. 1 in the 1500 block of East Winding Way. Friendswood police charged a 21-year-old Alvin man with driving while intoxicated after saying that he was observed driving erratically Dec. 30 along the 1200 block of West Parkwood Avenue. As the officer approached with emergency lights on, the vehicle almost hit another motorist, police reported. The driver exhibited signs of intoxication and failed a field sobriety test, and during an inventory of the vehicle, two baggies of synthetic marijuana were found along with drug paraphernalia, police reported. Bond was set at $1,000. Police arrested a 46-year-old Friendswood woman for driving while intoxicated with a child under 15 Dec. 30 in the 400 block of Stratmore Drive. Bond was set at $5,000. A 56-year-old Friendswood man was charged with driving while intoxicated after he was found Dec. 31 stopped at a flashing yellow light in the 1300 block of W. Parkwood Avenue. The man exhibited signs of intoxication and failed a field sobriety test and breath test, police reported. Bond was set at $1,500. Public Intoxication A 31-year-old man and 49-year-old Friendswood woman were charged with public intoxication after they were found early Jan. 1 outside a vehicle in a ditch in the 1500 block of FM 528. Both were taken into custody. Friendswood police charged a 46-year-old Pearland man with public intoxication after he was found Jan. 1 at the gas pumps outside H-E-B, 701 W. Parkwood Ave. When an officer approached, the man surrendered his car keys and said, "I'm not driving," according to police. The man was taken into custody. Friendswood police charged a 38-year-old Baytown woman with public intoxication after she was found walking in the roadway Dec. 27 in the 3700 block of FM 528. During an interview, the woman reportedly was scratching her face and told the officer bugs were biting her; however, no bugs were present. She admitted to snorting methamphetamine earlier, according to police. Friendswood police charged a 22-year-old Rosharon man with public intoxication after discovering him at a closed storage business Dec. 30 in the 3500 block of FM 528. The man was standing outside a vehicle and exhibiting signs of intoxication, police reported. He was given a ride to the police department to wait for a sober driver but reportedly began yelling at the police officer to pull over so he could throw up. The man got out and became agitated, taking an aggressive stance toward the officer, according to police. Officers also said they discovered synthetic marijuana and alcohol in the car. A 46-year-old Pasadena man was charged with public intoxication after he was found stumbling Dec. 31 in the 200 block of East Parkwood. Police were responding to a report that a man was trying to enter a closed Walgreens, 104 E. Parkwood, through the back door. He also tried to enter a vehicle that did not belong to him, police reported. Exhibiting signs of intoxication, he reportedly claimed to have taken a muscle relaxer and was taken into custody. Traffic Officers responding to a Dec. 26 accident in the 1600 block of Stoney Lake Drive found a vehicle had struck a parked car. The officers determined a 21-year-old Friendswood man had been driving over the 20-mph speed limit and flipped the car onto its hood. He was charged with reckless driving. Bond was set at $1,000. A 21-year-old Houston man also at the scene was charged with public intoxication. A beekeeper based in Danbury says he has suffered a $90,000 loss after 300 honey bee colonies were stolen from a cattle ranch in Manvel. Randy Verhoek of Integral Bees said he discovered three boxes missing on Dec. 17. The bees spend the winter on various properties around the county and are usually unattended, Verhoek said. Construction crews recently began drilling shafts at the intersection of Beltway 8 and Texas 288, prepping the site to construct a bridge that will become part of a new 15.5-mile toll road linking the Pearland and Manvel areas to Houston's Texas Medical Center. A long-time-in-the-making plan to turn Texas 288's median into a tollway finally got underway Oct. 25 with work crews starting construction at two sites along the proposed toll road. The idea is to build the four-lane toll road as two separate projects from U.S. 59 in Harris County to County Road 58 in Brazoria County. When finished sometime in mid-2019, the tollway could provide welcome relief to many Brazoria County drivers who often spend more than an hour - or two - each workday on Texas 288 commuting to Houston and back. Heading south from the Texas Medical Center, the toll road will pass through Pearland and end near Manvel. Although it won't make it all the way to Manvel, ending just outside of the city, Brazoria County Judge L.M. "Matt" Sebesta Jr. said residents living in and around those two cities as well as in the Alvin, Lake Jackson and Iowa Colony areas will benefit from the reduced traffic time the toll road will create. Woeful congestion "The whole idea for the project is to help decongest that corridor," Sebesta said. "Our citizens are wasting a lot of time every morning and every night going back and forth to work or whatever. They are spending too much time in traffic." The proximity of Pearland and Manvel to the medical center and other Houston employers is behind a population boom in those communities, which is contributing to Texas 288's traffic woes. For decades, the populations of Pearland and Manvel have been on the rise. On Jan. 1, 2014, an estimated 131,800 people lived in Pearland and its extraterritorial jurisdiction, according to city data. As of July 1 last year, an estimated 142,240 live in the city and its ETJ. According to the most recent data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, the city of Manvel's population grew 53.5 percent from April 1, 2010, to an estimated 7,950 as of July 1, 2015. The medical center is the largest of its kind and employs an estimated 106,000. The biggest chunk of that number are employees that live in a concentrated area in the Pearland-Manvel ZIP codes. Many who work in the medical center must leave home up to two hours early to arrive at work on time, Sebesta said. That's just one way. Commuters spend about the same amount of time in traffic on the way home. "At a point in time, when a corridor gets so congested, it chokes on its own success," he said. "That is what we are trying to relieve. The congestion that is there today has been there for years. If we could spin this back, I wish we could have put this project in four years ago." The idea is to use the toll road to ease congestion on the highway's main lanes. The tollway will add two lanes, coming and going, between Manvel and the medical center. The lanes will be within the existing median. "I think the most important thing that people need to understand is that existing lanes on the ground today will not be tolled," Sebesta said. "I'm not going to call them free, because tax dollars did pay for them. So, they are not free. But they are non-tolled. They will remain non-tolled. No one will be forced to take the expressway, which will be tolled." Public-private money The Harris County side of the project is a 10-mile segment being financed through a public-private partnership between the Texas Department of Transportation and a consortium of businesses known as the Blueridge Transportation Group. The Harris County portion is costing $815 million, nearly all of which is funded by Blueridge. Just $17.1 million of the project is being financed by TxDOT. According to the partnership agreement, in exchange for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the tollway, Blueridge is permitted to lease that portion of the Texas 288 tollway from the state and charge tolls for the next 52 years. The Harris side of the toll road will include a new Beltway 8 interchange, including eight connectors; the reconstruction of eight connectors at Interstate 610 reconstructed with added access to toll lanes, and the addition of two new tolled connectors to the medical center. The remaining 5.5-mile segment of the tollway in Brazoria County is being funded by $100 million by the Brazoria County Toll Road Authority. Recently, commissioners with the state's transportation department approved giving Brazoria County $10 million to design its segment of the tollway. The money comes from an upfront payment that the Blueridge made to finalize its selection as the concessionaire for the Harris County part of the tollway. The Brazoria County authority will be responsible for operating and charging tolls along its portion of the tollway. That project is supposed to move into construction six months after the Harris County side's start last October. The two projects will run simultaneously so each can be completed and open the same day, said Raynese Edwards, public information officer for Blueridge, the developer of the Harris County portion of the tollway. Blueridge formed as an equitable partnership of six companies specifically to build the Harris County section of the tollway. One of the group's partners is Almeda-Genoa Constructors, the company that is now working to make that portion of the toll road. Officials in Harris and Brazoria counties have said commuters should expect to experience some disruption while the entire project is being built, however, because most of the work is being performed within the median of the Texas 288, the impact should be minimal. From time to time, some lanes may need to be switched, and others may need to close for short periods. "We have a pretty aggressive schedule to follow to get this all done within 1,000 days," Edwards said of Blueridge's work on the Harris County segment of the toll road. The Brazoria County project will include the reconstruction of an existing overpass of Texas 288 at FM 518. Trent Epperson, the city of Pearland's assistant city manager, said the intersection project would provide additional capacity for the farm-to-market road that runs under the highway. The intersection is home to Pearland Town Center as well as grocer H-E-B and sporting goods retailer Academy. J.C. Penny anchors a large shopping arena on the northeast side of the intersection. A Target store is on the southeast side. The area has the worst traffic congestion in Pearland, Epperson said. The original estimate for the Texas 288 and FM 518 intersection work was somewhere around $20 million, Epperson said, adding that current estimates could be less than that. "Until the project bids, we are not sure (of the exact cost)," he said. "It is approximately $15 million to $20 million worth of work in addition to the toll project." The project will be built by the same construction contractor hired for the Brazoria County portion of the tollway. When the tollway eventually opens in Brazoria County, tolls will be used to pay off its construction debt. Funds also will be used to pay for maintenance, operations and improvements to the corridor as well as to eventually extend Texas 288 south to meet the Grand Parkway, a segment of the Houston area's largest beltway. The parkway is planned to eventually run from Texas 288 to Interstate 69. How long it might take for those roads to link is unknown. Road projects, Sebesta said, are often slow-moving. "I don't have a crystal ball on when the Grand Parkway comes through Texas 288, and the toll road intersects with it," he said. "I hope my kids are still letting me drive when that happens." Montgomery County Jail A Conroe man is facing up to two years in jail for allegedly burglarizing a school in The Woodlands. Detectives with the Conroe ISD Police Department say 20-year-old Stone Turks broke into The Woodlands College Park High School hours before classes started Oct. 5. Surveillance video shows Turks pushing a cart through the school, according to court records. Cairo and Washington signed an MoU last month to impose tighter restrictions on the illicit importation of Egyptian antiquities Related Stolen relief of Queen Hatshepsut recovered from London Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs repatriated on Monday five late pharaonic-era artefacts which had been smuggled to, and recently recovered in the US, General Supervisor of the Antiquities Repatriation Department Shabaan Abdel-Gawad told Ahram Online. Minister of Antiquties Khaled El-Enany expressed his full appreciation for the efforts of the ministries of foreign affairs and the interior in collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities and foreign authorities to repatriate the objects and protect Egypt's cultural and archaeological heritage. Abdel-Gawad said that the objects recovered include a wizened mummified hand, a painted child's sarcophagus, a gilded mummy mask, the lid of a wooden sarcophagus decorated with religious scenes and a painted linen burial shroud. In early December, Egypt signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the United States to impose tighter restrictions on the illicit importation of antiquities from Egypt. According to the MoU, the US government must return to Egypt any material on a designated list of antiquities which are recovered and forwarded to Washington. Abdel-Gawad said the US government will continue to provide technical assistance in cultural resource management and security to Egypt, as appropriate, under existing and new programmes. Finally, Egypt should promote best practices in cultural resource management. It should encourage coordination among heritage, tourism and religious authorities, along with development agencies to enforce laws that protect heritage sites from encroachment, unlawful appropriation, looting, and damage. Search Keywords: Short link: Mt. Joy Missionary Baptist Church in Edwardsville has announced that Troy Benton, Senior Pastor at St. Johns United Methodist Church in Edwardsville, will be this year's keynote speaker for Mt. Joy Missionary Baptist Church's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day program. The annual program celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King is free and open to the public. The celebration is slated for 10 a.m. on Jan. 16 at Mt. Joy Baptist Church located at 327 Olive Street in Edwardsville. We are pleased and honored that Pastor Benton is highlighting this years celebration, Steve Jackson, Pastor of Mt. Joy Missionary Baptist Church said in a news release. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, Pastor Benton attended the Cleveland and Shaker Heights School Systems. He continued his education at Morehouse College, in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a bachelor degree in religion in 1992. While a student at Morehouse, Pastor Benton was a member and officer in the world-renowned Morehouse College Glee Club. He was also a founding member and president of the Xi Eta Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity and volunteered with the Metropolitan Atlanta Big Brothers program. According to the release, Pastor Benton sensed his call to ordained ministry at age 13 and answered the call three years later during a Mother's Day service. In 1995, Pastor Benton graduated from Garrett-Evangelical College with a Master of Divinity degree with an emphasis on the African American Church, the release notes. While attending Garrett, Pastor Benton served as Student Associate Pastor of Sherman U.M.C., in Evanston, Indiana, and Student Assistant Pastor at St. Mark U.M.C. in Chicago, the release further states. He was also named a Crusade Scholar of the United Methodist Church and served as the first Intern Coordinator for the Council for a Parliament of the World's Religions. Ordained a deacon in 1995 and an elder in full connection in 1999, Pastor Benton then served at several levels and locations for the church, including Ohio, the metropolitan Detroit area and the metropolitan Atlanta area. In 2011, he became the Associate Pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Fairview Heights, and in July of 2015, he was appointed Senior Pastor of St. John's United Methodist Church in Edwardsville. Pastor Benton maintains a busy speaking schedule nationally, and he has begun writing articles as well as his first book. He and his wife, Emma, who is his college sweetheart, have been married 24 years. The couple have two daughters, Taylor and Autumn. The Village Maryville bid farewell to several village employees, but also welcomed new members to the staff. At the last regular meeting of the board of trustees, members accepted a resignation letter from Firefighter Daniel M. Greenemay. Greenemay will be leaving the fire department to become a police officer with the Saint Louis County Police Department. In his letter to the board, Greenemay expressed his thanks to the village and said that due to his new employment, time constraints make it impossible for him to continue with the fire department. It has truly been an honor to serve my community over the years, he said. In addition to Greenemay, Maryville Firefighter Jeff Davlan also resigned from the department. Davlan is now a full-time firefighter with the City of St. Louis Fire Department. Upon accepting his resignation letter, trustee Craig Short said Davlan will be missed and added that he is a very knowledgeable and skilled firefighter. Trustee Ed Kostyshock noted that during his time on the board he has never heard a negative resignation from anyone who serves with the Maryville Fire Department. Everyone appreciates the training our firefighters obtain, he said. I think Maryville is second to none in training. In addition to the firefighters, Lynn Neumann resigned from her position as administrative assistant at the Maryville Police Department. Neumann is moving out of the state. In a separate motion at a recent meeting, trustees approved the hiring of seven emergency medical technicians. Short said the hires are being added to the roster for shift coverage. They are already certified EMTs but will perform a ride along period, he said. The new hires are Tara Bellitto, EMT-basic, Cheryl Caribardi-Wilson, EMT-paramedic, Sarah Hoerchler, EMT-basic, Kristin Krayniak, EMT-paramedic, Adam Linnell, EMT-paramedic, Nicole Miller-Gulley, EMT-paramedic and Anthony Perez, EMT-paramedic. Trustees also recently approved the purchase and equipping of a new police interceptor utility vehicle. The department will purchase a 2017 Ford police interceptor utility vehicle at a state bid price of $27,910 from Morrow Brothers Ford in Greenfield. Short noted that the new vehicle will replace an older unit that is approaching 100,000 miles. He said delivery of the vehicle will be in early spring. The new vehicle will be paid with $15,000 from the Supervision Fund and the remainder from the General Fund. The village anticipates placing the old police unit up for auction. Related to the new police vehicle, trustees approved an expenditure of $9,590 to Datatronics to equip the new vehicle with the police electronics package. Mayor Larry Gulledge noted that using Datatronics, Godfrey, saved the village $500. Short informed the board that the fire department has used Datatronics in the past and has had success with the company. The company will give a 5-year warranty on its work. NORWALK A man suspected of stabbing someone during an altercation outside a South Norwalk bar in October 2016 has turned himself in to Norwalk police to face charges. Mykell Mitchell, 24, of Lubrano Place, was charged with first-degree assault, second-degree breach of peace, criminal violation of a protective order, first-degree failure to appear and second-degree failure to appear. Washington Although his signature law is in jeopardy, President Barack Obama's work reshaping health care in America is certain to endure in the broad public support for many of its underlying principles, along with conflicts over how to secure them. The belief that people with medical problems should be able to get health insurance is no longer challenged. The issue seems to be how to guarantee that. The idea that government should help those who can't afford their premiums has gained acceptance. The question is how much, and for what kind of coverage. "The American people have now set new standards for access to health care based on the Affordable Care Act," former Surgeon General David Satcher says. "I don't believe it will ever be acceptable again to have 50 million people without access to health care." Obama's influence will continue in other ways, less visible and hardly divisive: Medicare is shifting to paying for value, not just volume. The importance of prevention and front-line primary care is more widely recognized. Doctors and hospitals have computerized their records systems, even if connectivity remains elusive. The government has opened up massive files of health care billing data, enabling independent analysts to look for patterns of questionable spending. But conflict is part of Obama's legacy, too. He leaves the country deeply divided about the government's role in health care. Passed with no Republican votes, the 2010 health care law broke the pattern of major safety net programs like Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which had bipartisan backing. Social Security has stood for more than 80 years; Medicare and Medicaid for more than 50. "If Medicare had been repealed, stories about Lyndon Johnson would have been different," said Robert Blendon, professor of health policy at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "A legacy is whether you did something that was sustained." Johnson was the Democratic president who won approval of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965. Already, the Republican-led Congress, taking its lead from President-elect Donald Trump, has started the process of repealing and replacing the health law. "Approaches that partisan are difficult to sustain as lasting, permanent features of the health care system," said Mark McClellan, Medicare administrator under Republican President George W. Bush. Obama also failed to deliver on early promises to cut premiums. From 2009-2016, the amount employees pay in premiums for workplace coverage rose by hundreds of dollars, according to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. And the average deductible the annual amount patients pay before insurance kicks in went from $533 to $1,221, an increase of nearly 130 percent. Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader's capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, was Saddam's sole interrogator beginning in January 2004. In previous interviews, Piro has said Saddam did not know his true identity the Iraqi leader called him "Mr. George" and that he posed as a high-level envoy who answered directly to then-President George W. Bush. Now the 49-year-old Piro, a native of Beirut, Lebanon, fluent in Arabic and Assyrian, is in charge of the FBI investigation into the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that left five people dead and six wounded. Federal prosecutors have charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with airport violence and firearms offenses that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. In announcing the charges filed Saturday, Piro said his thoughts are with the victims and their families. "I want to ensure these families that law enforcement is working tirelessly in order to ensure justice is served," he said. Piro, an FBI agent since 1999, moved with his family from Lebanon to California's San Joaquin Valley as a teenager. After high school he enlisted in the Air Force, then became a police officer for a decade in Ceres, Calif., followed by a job as an investigator in the local prosecutor's office. Once he joined the FBI in Phoenix, Piro was one of only a handful of Arabic-speaking agents a group that suddenly was in great demand after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the subsequent U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2003, Piro was promoted to the FBI's Counterterrorism Division at headquarters in Washington, leading to his work as Saddam's interrogator. In later interviews, including a 2008 appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes" program, Piro said he met daily with Saddam in a windowless room and worked to gain his trust by becoming his only provider of necessities and such things as paper for Saddam to write poetry. Eventually, Piro said Saddam confirmed that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction prior to the U.S. invasion but might seek them in future to deter Iran and other threats. Saddam also denied any links to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, Piro has said. Saddam also liked to brag about how he escaped U.S. airstrikes and capture, according to Piro. "What he wanted to really illustrate is ... how he was able to outsmart us," Piro told "60 Minutes." "He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature." Saddam was later tried and executed by hanging in December 2006. Walmart has agreed to settle a disability-rights suit by installing equipment in its stores in California that will enable people in wheelchairs to read the screens at checkout display terminals and make credit card purchases on their own. The proposed settlement in federal court in San Francisco is intended to make the point-of-sale machines at Walmarts more than 200 stores in the state accessible to the more than 300,000 Californians who use wheelchairs or motorized scooters. Full details have not been disclosed, but a person involved in the case said Monday that the company had agreed to install a device that would accommodate disabled customers. Point-of-sale machines allow customers to use credit or debit cards to make purchases. The machines require customers to view the screens to check the transaction, enter their personal identification number or submit their signature, and approve the sale. The suit, filed by disability-rights groups in July 2012, said the machines at many Walmart stores were positioned so high that disabled customers had to stretch and strain to see the screens, or simply were unable to view them from their wheelchairs. I cant reach the payment device on my own, read the display screen, enter my PIN or sign the screen to complete the transaction, one plaintiff, Janet Brown of Pittsburg, said in a statement released by her lawyers when the case was filed. I have to share my private PIN with the cashier, which I hate to do. The disability groups said lower-mounted, adjustable terminals were readily available and were already being used by some Walmart stores and by many competitors. The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund in Berkeley said it complained about the situation to Walmart in 2005 and requested settlement negotiations, but the company declined. The lawsuit accused the worlds largest retailer of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. Further details of the proposed settlement, including the timetable for installing the new equipment, may be released at a hearing scheduled for Jan. 20. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @egelko This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate An attorney from The Woodlands, who has publicly questioned the ethics of Montgomery County Commissioners Court members, recently settled his part of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit in which the civil court trial jury found he committed fraud. Eric Yollick, who previously served as an elected member of the Montgomery County Hospital District board and has been a candidate for a district court judge position as recently as last spring, said he reached a confidential financial settlement in the fraud case Dec. 1. Yollick has been publicly issuing his "golden hammer" award over the past few months for various dubious distinctions to Commissioners Court members, the county attorney and even voters for their actions and non-actions involving such issues as ethics, nepotism, spending, management and conflicts of interest. "In light of Yollick's never-ending social media posts and appearances in Commissioners Court complaining of numerous ethical and criminal violations, I am shocked and disappointed that such a well-known and outspoken member of our legal community had personally been found liable of a major act of fraud in a court of law by a jury of his peers," County Attorney J D Lambright said in a statement to The Courier. The plaintiffs, who were investors in the acquisition of three hospitals, claimed they were defrauded out of ownership by Yollick, a bank represented by Yollick, as well as a separate management company formed by Yollick and the investors to act as a trustee for the investor group's company. Yollick declined to elaborate on the case but said, "The matter has been privately resolved to the satisfaction of all parties." Shortly after an interview Friday and learning that The Courier was working on a story, Yollick posted his own version regarding the case on his Facebook page. "I try to handle every detail of my life with ethical standards and integrity," Yollick stated on his page, asking followers to decide whether he has the same right as others to question the ethical practices of county leaders. The details of the case include the creation of the healthcare management company Merensky Reef, in which Yollick appointed his wife (using a different name) and another close friend to the board. That company secretly seized control of the hospitals from the investment group, according to court documents. The trial jury found that Yollick, the bank he represented and the management company he helped create were guilty of fraud and liable for damages. While the Harris County trial court judge ruled he was not financially liable, an appellate court overturned her decision, siding with the trial jury and ultimately upholding the fraud findings against him and remanding the case back to the trial court for a final judgment. The Texas Supreme Court refused to hear the case on Yollick's appeal, thus making the appeals court and jury's findings against him stand, with only a judgment against Yollick left to be determined. The trial jury's judgments against the bank and management company for fraud, breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract were not contested. Takeover and sale of hospitals The case dates back to 2009 with a deal that involved the acquisition and sale of the three financially troubled hospitals in Houston, Dallas and Groves. Yollick represented First National Bank of Edinburg when a group of six investors tried to purchase the hospitals, which had declared bankruptcy. As they prepared for the acquisition, the six investor companies formed Louisiana Texas Healthcare Management LLC as an umbrella company. LTHM purchased the hospitals after receiving bankruptcy court approval. First National Bank of Edinburg issued $39 million in loans for the purchase and working capital. That included a $2 million bridge loan for payroll granted to Merensky Reef Hospital Corporation - the entity created May 14, 2009, by Yollick and investors that operated under the bank's control. According to court documents, that same day, Yollick appointed Mara Drake (aka Tamara Yollick Yollick's wife), his friend Jim Jenkins and another person to the board. According to court records, Mrs. Yollick said her husband asked her to identify herself as Mara Drake but did not tell her why. Without the investors' knowledge, the board transferred $5.2 million in debt to LTHM that the hospitals' former owner owed First National Bank. One week later, documents show, a Merensky Reef board member signed a consent form making Merensky Reef the sole shareholder of LTHM and Mara Drake the sole beneficiary of all of Merensky's shares - without the investors' knowledge. Between August 2009 and October 2009, LTHM, under the control of Merensky Reef and the bank, sold all three hospitals for $55.4 million. The investors knew nothing about the sale and were paid nothing, according to court records. The trial jury determined Merensky Reef alone made more than $18.3 million in profits, while the bank brought in more than $23 million in profits. In addition, LTHM paid Drake and Jenkins $10,000 each for their service on Merensky Reef's board, court documents show. Fraud case The group of six investors sued First National Bank of Edinburg, Merensky Reef Hospital Corp. and Yollick claiming the two companies and attorney defrauded them out of their ownership interest in LTMH. In 2012, the trial jury handed down a 12-0 fraud verdict against Yollick, the bank and Merensky Reef, with the bank liable for 80 percent and Merensky Reef and Yollick each liable for 10 percent. That included $19 million in actual damages and $57 million in punitive damages. Yollick's liability amounted to $1.9 million in actual damages and $5.7 million in punitive damages, as did Merensky Reef's, with the bank responsible for the rest, court documents show. The jury verdict found that Yollick committed fraud against the investors; and by clear and convincing evidence, the harm to the investors resulted from malice or fraud committed by Yollick; that he converted all six investors' membership in Louisiana Texas Healthcare Management LLC; as well as causing or contributing to cause 10 percent of the actual and punitive damages. "The jury found that Yollick's actions were so egregious " Lambright stated, with "damages designed to punish or to make an example when one's conduct is so extreme. "Regardless of any settlement agreement the parties may have made over the past few days or that they may make in the coming days, the fact will forever remain that the jury unanimously found that Yollick committed fraud " The outcome The trial court judge, 281st state District Civil Court Judge Sylvia Matthews, entered the verdict against the bank and Merensky Reef but said there was not enough evidence to support the monetary damages against Yollick. But the investors appealed that decision to the 14th Court of Appeals, which overturned Matthews' decision in June 2014 and found Yollick was responsible for his share of the monetary damages. "Because there is legally sufficient evidence to support the jury's finding that Yollick committed fraud, the trial court erred in granting the (judgment notwithstanding verdict)," Justice Tracy Christopher wrote in the 14th Court of Appeals' decision. " We therefore reverse the portion of the judgment in which the trial court ordered 'that Plaintiffs shall take nothing on their claims asserted against Defendant Eric Yollick, individually,' and we remand the case to the trial court for rendition of judgment consistent with this court's opinion." Yollick asked the Texas Supreme Court for a rehearing on the grounds that an agent or employee is not liable for any wrongdoing of his employer or principal. However, the high court refused to hear the case in May 2016, sending it back down to the trial court. A settlement was reached before the trial court issued any judgment against Yollick. The settlement is confidential, according to Yollick. "Several days ago The Courier ran a story about ethics in which the County Attorney talked about how attorneys on his staff are bound by the State Bar of Texas to adhere to stringent Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and The Texas Lawyer's Creed," Lambright stated to The Courier. "But these ethical canons don't just apply to attorneys within our government. They apply to all attorneys, including solo practitioners in the private sector." Jan. 10, 1937: A complete WPA set-up is ready to begin work on 16 blocks of paving, reports Mayor Tom Shelton. The job consists of paving center parkways and will start on 11th Street. Later, Eighth and Sixth will be improved. --A business session of the Llano Estacado chapter of the American Association of Spanish Teachers was held at PHS. --A recent agricultural census shows that more people are planting crops for home consumption. Jan. 10, 1967: Jess West of Plainview received minor head and facial injuries Sunday the small plane he was piloting veered off the runway here and went into a drainage ditch. He was the only occupant. --The annual scholastic enumeration of children within PISD is being conducted this month, reports L.O. Jones, director of special services. --The Wayland Flying Queens turned the tables on Ouachita College on Saturday, avenging a Friday night defeat by downing the hosts 53-42 being the 22 points scored by Judy Taylor. Jan. 10, 1977: An 18-year-old Tulia man who, voting in his first presidential election, cast his ballot for Jimmy Carter has received an invitation to attend the inauguration. --The hiring of a new police chief for Plainview, possible reorganization of the countys tax structure and establishing a list of priorities for capital improvements at all city schools are among the top stories likely to be forthcoming during 1977. --Dwight Green of Plainview was named last week as Oddfellow of the Year for 1976 for District 6 of the Lockney IOOF Lodge. Jan. 10, 1997: The second major fire in as many weeks caused heavy damage to an eastside apartment early Saturday afternoon. The apartment is one of four in the two-story complex owned by Tullis Real Estate and located on East Fourth Street. --The Bulldogs beat Lubbock high 61-45 to take a 10-10 record into the district opener next week. The Lady Dogs are 16-6 overall and 1-1 in district and will play Estacado next week. --Harold Smith retired effective Jan. 3 after 20 years as Plainview postmaster. LUBBOCK In unrelated cases, two Lubbock men, who each pleaded guilty in September 2016 to one count of attempted enticement of a minor, were sentenced Jan. 6 to hefty federal prison sentences, announced U.S. Attorney John Parker of the Northern District of Texas. Dustin Mathew Buckaloo, 29, of Lubbock was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Sam R. Cummings to 162 months in federal prison. Patrick Wong, 36, was sentenced by Judge Cummings to 120 months in federal prison. According to documents filed in Buckaloos case, from approximately July 9 through July 23, 2016, Buckaloo used Facebook messaging to communicate with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, who was, in fact, an undercover officer. In the communications, he knowingly persuaded, induced and enticed, and attempted to entice this person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, to engage in sexual activity with him. On July 23, 2016, Buckaloo made arrangements to meet the person he believed was the minor girl, and he was arrested when he arrived at the agreed-upon location. According to documents filed in Wongs case, from approximately June 26, 2016, through Aug. 9, 2016, Wong used Facebook messaging to communicate with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, who was, in fact, an undercover officer. In these communications, Wong knowingly persuaded, induced and enticed, and attempted to entice this person he believed to be a 14-year-old girl, to engage in sexual activity with him. On Aug. 9, 2016, Wong made arrangements to meet the person he believed was the minor girl, and he was arrested when he arrived at the agreed-upon location. The cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. The Lubbock County Sheriffs Office and the FBI investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven M. Sucsy was in charge of the prosecutions. One of my favorite quotes comes from the famous martial artist and film star Bruce Lee. When asked the question What is defeat? he responds: Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better. As a school district, we have been handed our fair share of defeats lately. Nine campuses placed on improvement required status, an unsuccessful tax ratification election and most recently, a new accountability rating from the Texas Education Agency that has scored many of the campuses in Midland ISD with a low letter grade classification. So whats wrong, and can MISD make the needed changes to improve? As a community, we all are searching for the answers to these questions about our public schools. We all want good schools for our children and grandchildren, and overall, this news seems frightening. Be that as it may, the school district understands that we do not need to run away from difficulty and that we do have to change the way we do business in order to do better for our community. Our new interim superintendent, Rod Schroder, sincerely understands the issues we face. He understands that we are currently designed for the results that we are getting. Mr. Schroder has been taking this message to every campus, and actively is working to instill a sense of urgency and change in what we are doing in Midland ISD. He has stated that if we want different results, we will have to change. Part of that change is based upon his observations of what he has seen in our district. Upon his arrival, Mr. Schroder observed that our central administration staff was too large. He made the tough decision to begin cutting positions, and to date 45 positions have been eliminated. Several other positions will not be filled upon their vacancy in an attempt to restructure our school district into one that can better serve our public. Mr. Schroder wants Midland ISD to be focused on our mission, that ALL students will graduate prepared and ready for college and career. There is no pretension in this message, and he wants to help build a team that will work together to find success from our previous defeats. The approach Mr. Schroder utilizes is in three basic areas: a growth mindset, a no-excuses philosophy and a focus on the instructional process at each campus. First, Mr. Schroder wants to have a growth mindset as a district. We have to break away from the fixed mindset that sees failure as the end. This boils down to the principle that every child can learn. So as a district, we must cope with the challenges that we face and embrace the difficulties that we currently endure. The second part of his approach is the no-excuses mentality. This means that our district is not going to shift responsibility elsewhere. Every one of our students has the right to be prepared for college, and the adults in the district have the responsibility of developing a system of education that makes this preparation a reality. Third, each campus must have an instructional process and use it with fidelity in order to create an effective environment for instruction. The improvement will come through the process of making certain that we know what we want each student to learn and then assess how we know each student learned it. We will also have to respond when students have difficulties learning and work with them. We will also have to enrich learning for those who do learn so that we can take those students to a higher level. While there still may be some who think nothing will change and others that will still criticize our actions, please know that as a district we hear you. We want to show our kids and our community that just because we get a failing grade that does not mean that we are nothing. It means that we will simply have to start the next chapter in our story by finding a new pathway to something better. Mr. Schroder may be our interim superintendent, but his vision for a better MISD is one we all have begun to embrace. It is our most sincere hope that the new MISD board of trustees understands what Mr. Schroder has started and works to find a superintendent with a similar mindset. We have the power to improve as a district and together we will work to that end. Chris Hightower is director of social studies for Midland ISD. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Report cards are in - and as many superintendents feared - most local districts aren't making the honor roll. The Texas Education Agency's controversial new accountability system issued preliminary A-F grades to school districts this week. The scores, which were released to the districts on Wednesday and the public on Friday, offer the first glimpse of how districts will fare when the new system is fully implemented in August 2018. Districts were graded in four categories: student achievement, student progress, closing performance gaps and postsecondary readiness. The first three grades are determined by scores on the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) test. >> Click through the gallery above to see how Southeast Texas' 32 school districts and six charter schools fared in the preliminary rating A fifth category, community and student engagement based on self-selected measures, will be included in the final ratings next year, when districts will receive an overall grade. Of the 128 grades handed out to Region 5's 32 public school districts, six were As. Half of the districts received at least one F, and two-thirds at least one D. Beaumont ISD, the region's largest district, received a C for student growth and Ds in all other categories. Fourteen of BISD's schools received at least one F, while Curtis and Fletcher elementary schools were the only two campuses to get As in any category, both in student growth. "It's important that people understand these are preliminary grades, these don't count for anything, and the rules are not set yet," said Danny Lovett, Executive Director of the Region 5 Education Service Center. "I will be surprised if the rules do not change between now and next year." Education Commissioner Mike Morath said in a statement that the grades were shared for "informational purposes to meet a legislative requirement and represent work-in-progress models." "No inferences about official district or campus performance in the 201516 school year should be drawn from these ratings, and these ratings should not be considered predictors of future district or campus performance ratings," he said. Three area districts received Fs in all four categories; Burkeville and High Island, which are currently rated "improvement required" by the state, and Deweyville, which met state standards for the current school year. No Region 5 districts earned an A in student achievement, which was calculated with STAAR scores, and schools with more economically disadvantaged students, such as Port Arthur ISD, generally scored lower in that category. In a letter posted on Facebook Thursday, Port Arthur superintendent Mark Porterie criticized the system's reliance on STAAR scores. "Like many of my fellow superintendents, I do not believe the new accountability system will be a fair or accurate depiction of student success, as many factors outside of standardized testing contribute to the overall educational prowess of a child," he said. "Our students come from various backgrounds and cannot and should not be painted with a broad brush. Our schools are so much more than one test and our students are so much more than one score." Beaumont, Hamshire-Fannett, Nederland, Port Arthur and Port Neches-Groves ISDs released a joint statement on the ratings Friday afternoon, announcing plans to challenge the system. "We believe in being accountable to our students, their parents, and our community, but we do not agree that the new system accurately communicates the achievements, programs and effective teaching on campuses. As a result, our districts along with many others has or is in the process of submitting resolutions to the state in an attempt to ask legislators to repeal the A-F accountability system," the statement said. Statewide, more than 150 school boards have passed resolutions opposing the rating system, according to the Texas Association of School Administrators, including Bridge City, Hull-Daisetta, Orangefield, Vidor, West Orange-Cove and Woodville. A statement on Bridge City ISD's website says the district "does not embrace a rating or ranking of our schools based on a state test administered on one specific date," and says the system is "NOT an accurate reflection" of quality. Five superintendents of Orange County schools signed a letter in December written by a group of Dallas-area administrators opposing the new rating system, claiming it misrepresents schools to their communities and hurts teachers. The low grades that many districts received were no surprise, Lovett said. They were expected "to not look that good," he said, "and the whole idea behind this is to give schools an idea of what needs to be improved." LTeitz@BeaumontEnterprise.com Twitter.com/LizTeitz This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate With only days remaining in his presidency, President Barack Obama has a lot on his plate, but he still found time to fulfill the request of one San Antonio boy. Isaiah Garcia asked President Obama for an autographed photo last September via email, his grandmother Elvira Espinoza told mySA.com. The 7-year-old, a Wolf Cub Scout at John Glenn Elementary, was required to ask a famous person for an autographed photo as part of a troop activity. RELATED: Donald Trump called son of slain SAPD Det. Benjamin Marconi, family says Espinoza said her family wasn't anticipating a reply considering the amount of letters and emails the administration receives. But last Saturday, little Isaiah rushed through the front door with a large envelope addressed to him from from Obama, wishing "all the best." "He said, 'Mee-Maw, I got a letter from the White House,'" Espinoza said. "He was so excited, his facial expressions were priceless." RELATED: Drake responds to 6-year-old S.A. girl whose birthday party was an OVO fest Isaiah picked Obama because "he's awesome," his grandma said, on behalf of the little boy who was at school showing off his memento. Isaiah told Obama he will miss him once his presidency is over and thanked him in the email. RELATED: Obama calls out Eva Longoria for tattoo she had for marriage with Tony Parker Espinoza said Isaiah's special note will be framed and enshrined in the family living room. "It might not mean anything to other people, but it meant the world to Isaiah and it made his day," Espinoza added. mmendoza@mysa.com Twitter: @MaddySkye This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate This story originally published Dec. 13, 2007 Archdiocese officials say Archbishop Emeritus Patrick Flores should undergo a medical evaluation after he set out for downtown San Antonio on Tuesday but became disoriented and ended up 200 miles away. Whether he does, though, ultimately is up to him. In the predawn hours Wednesday, a Crockett County sheriff's deputy found Flores after he identified the tags from his black Ford Crown Victoria in the small West Texas town of Ozona. Deputy Andrew Sanchez had been dispatched around 3 a.m. to a 911 call for a driver going the wrong way on Interstate 10. The archbishop, who is 78 years old, was looking "very confused, very disoriented" said Deacon Pat Rodgers, director of communications for the archdiocese. Flores last had been seen in San Antonio at 2 p.m. at his residence. Flores' puzzlement was not the result of missing his medication or the onset of dementia, archdiocese officials believe. They also say that at this point, without a doctor's evaluation, they don't plan to suggest that Flores stop driving. "We can encourage (the medical examination), but we can't make it happen," Rodgers said. "The decision (whether he continues to drive) needs to come from a medical diagnosis, not something we put together." But others point to some recent erratic behavior by Flores. They also say it's obvious that Flores -- one of the best-loved Catholic bishops in the country -- is in declining health and that he should stop driving before he hurts himself or others. "I really think it's a great miracle that nothing happened to him on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Archbishop Flores has a tremendous devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe," said Randy Escamilla, spokesman for Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, who was speaking as a friend. "And we really believe that she was watching over and protecting him." Flores was unavailable for comment Wednesday and was resting at Padua Place, a nursing care facility for retired priests in Lincoln Heights. Archbishop Jose Gomez, after being up all night praying, checking with relatives and friends whom his predecessor might have gone to visit, pronounced himself "very happy" that Flores was found safe. "I was really very concerned about him last night," Gomez said. Questions Archdiocese officials said Flores' disorientation was an extraordinary departure from his usual dependable pattern of taking short afternoon trips to a dollar store, his bank or an H-E-B grocery store and returning before dark. "We want answers to the same questions everybody is asking us," Rodgers said. Besides the cause of his disorientation, those questions include: What is Flores' mental state? Does his driving endanger himself and others? Should his driver's license be revoked? "Obviously, we hope and expect that he'll meet with his doctors to figure out why this happened," Rodgers said. "Do I think it's a danger for him to drive today? Absolutely," said Escamilla, who said he regularly drives Flores to doctors' appointments. "Out of concern of driving, I would take him. I didn't want him to be involved in a wreck. He's a giant of San Antonio, and I didn't want anything to happen." Flores became the nation's first Mexican American bishop in 1970 as auxiliary bishop under Archbishop Francis Furey and overnight became the de facto leader of the nation's Hispanic Catholic community. He also led the Archdiocese of San Antonio for more than 25 years, retiring in early 2005. He co-founded the Mexican American Cultural Center and organized the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund. But Flores has had a variety of health problems in recent years. He's undergone spinal disc replacement and septuple heart bypass surgery. He also has suffered from diabetes, poor circulation in his legs and hearing loss associated with Meniere's disease, Rodgers said. He caused a stir at a Mexican American Cultural Center anniversary dinner in October when he made an impromptu presentation about MACC's beginnings. He inaccurately said the center initially was founded to help blacks and referred to them with a racial slur. In October, at a private party and premiere of "A Migrant's Masterpiece: The Life and Legacy of Patrick Flores," a documentary that aired here Tuesday, he appeared frail and, at times, overwhelmed by the adoring crowd. When an event photographer asked him to stand next to the film's producer, Flores asked the photographer, who was holding a still camera, "Do you want me to hold the microphone?" Health concerns Speaking generally, Dr. Gustavo Roman, a professor of neurology at the University of Texas Health Science Center, who has not medically evaluated Flores, said those kinds of incidents are unusual enough that they should receive medical attention. The inappropriate comment and the confusion, could be a result of a change in blood sugar, of not getting enough sleep or of side-effects from medication Flores might have been taking to combat vertigo. Dr. David Espino, a geriatrician at UTHSC, also said erratic behavior could be the result of medication or other brain disorders, such as depression. Sister Charlene Wedelich, former vicar for religious orders at the archdiocese under Flores, said Flores' health has been breaking down for some time. "He hasn't been mentally alert. He's been confused. Everybody's been noticing that his memory has been failing, particularly his short-term memory," she said. A more recurrent problem has been Flores' hearing loss, which has persisted despite a variety of treatment strategies. "It caused some tension because people were anxious to talk to him but he couldn't hear them," Rodgers said. "But this (driving to Ozona and not knowing where he was) fell out of every pattern we've ever seen." Wake up call? Flores had left Padua Place shortly after taking his regular 2 p.m. medication and had been expected to return as usual before dark, said Patrick Callihan, director of the center. "Obviously, he missed his evening medication since he wasn't here, but he hadn't missed any meds at the time he left. In fact, it was his missing the evening one that precipitated the concern. But this was not caused by a missing-meds issue." Deputy Sanchez found him pumping gasoline into his car in Ozona. A local priest was then called to take him to the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church. Rodgers said Gomez persuaded Flores not to try to drive himself back to San Antonio but to wait for two officials from the archdiocese to come and drive him. "He (Flores) wanted to drive back himself, but agreed to wait." San Antonio police had devoted a "significant" amount of resources to finding the archbishop, spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino said. However, a Silver Alert -- a public alert issued when senior citizens who suffer from Alzheimer's disease or dementia turn up missing -- wasn't issued for the archbishop, Trevino said, because Flores met all but one of the five criteria needed for the alert. According to Department of Public Safety rules, the missing person must have a "diagnosed impaired mental condition," and the senior citizen's disappearance must pose a "credible threat" to his health and safety. There has to be documentation from a medical professional to attest to this condition. "That was not available to the officers," Trevino said. Texas law doesn't restrict the elderly from driving their vehicles if they have a current driver's license. A law that took effect in September requires drivers over 79 to renew their driver's license at a DPS office, where they conduct vision testing. Once people turn 85, they are required to renew their licenses every two years. Escamilla, who said he loves Flores like a father, said the episode should be a wake-up call. "This raises the greater issue of how to take away the keys of someone you love," he said. "Is it a harsh act or really an act of love?" jparker@express-news.net Staff Writers Brian Chasnoff and Arthur Santana and Columnist Carlos Guerra contributed to this report. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Retired Archbishop Patrick Flores, who became the first Mexican-American bishop in the United States in 1970, has died, archdiocese spokesman Jordan McMorrough said Monday afternoon. McMorrough said he was notified of Flores passing shortly before 3 p.m. Monday. Flores, 87, had been moved to hospice care this weekend after a brief hospitalization for pneumonia and congestive heart failure. RELATED: Man who kidnapped archbishop Patrick Flores, secretary in 2000 serving 65 years McMorrough said Archbioshop Gustavo Garcia-Siller was with Flores during his hospital stay. Flores subsequently was returned to Padua Place, a retirement home for priests where he was living, and where he was put on hospice care. McMorrough said early Monday that Flores was facing extremely serious medical issues. Flores also had struggled with dementia and Menieres disease, a hearing disorder that causes veritgo, tinnitus and hearing loss. Longtime friend Father David Garcia said Flores condition was announced to several parishes over the weekend. He said the archdiocese asked parishioners to pray for him. Garcia said officials expected Flores to pass soon. The archbishop emeritus of San Antonio has not appeared in public for some time. Flores, who worked as a migrant farmworker as a youth, has been a beloved figure in the Archdiocese of San Antonio and beyond. He was known widely for his defense of Mexican-American civil rights, his support for farmworkers and his love of his culture and heritage. RELATED: Remembering Pope John Paul II's 1987 visit to San Antonio He's especially remembered for his love of Mexican music and for breaking into song if a mariachi was near. Flores reportedly was taken to a hospital over the weekend from his home in Padua Place. He spent "not quite 48 hours there, Garcia said. "They were told there was nothing more they could do," he said. The 87-year-old Flores had battled heart disease and underwent heart bypass surgery 20 years ago. He retired about 12 years ago and had lived in Padua Place for about a decade, Garcia said. Hes an amazing person in so many ways, said Garcia, who noted Flores place in U.S. history. Garcia remembered the date that Flores became an auxiliary bishop in San Antonio May 6, 1970 at an event in the old HemisFair Arena. RELATED: Retired archbishop Flores found safe in Ozona after going missing in 2007 It was packed to the rafters, he said. He was the first. That puts him at more than 46 years a bishop, which is extremely rare. Flores became a priest in 1956 in Galveston and served as archbishop of San Antonio until 2004. He holds the title of archbishop emeritus. eayala@express-news.net Twitter: @ElaineAyala Eight Texas-based horse patrol units will represent U.S. Border Patrol at next week's inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., the agency announced Monday morning. This is the first time the Rio Grande Valley Sector Horse Patrol will attend a presidential inauguration, according to a Customs and Border Protection news release. The U.S. Border Patrol has participated in inauguration ceremonies before, but never the horse patrol, the release said. Law enforcement officials across the state and country aided in capturing a dozen of Texas' most wanted sex offenders in 2016, online records show. Each of the offenders was male, but not everyone was found in Texas one was caught in Mexico, and another in California, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records. They were wanted on various charges including failing to comply with sex offender registration requirements, sexual assault of a child and rape. The Dairy Queen owner shouting the n-word at Deianeira Ford told her he could say whatever he wanted at his fast-food restaurant - that any accusations and complaints she uttered would fall on deaf ears. Ford was vindicated two days later, when her Facebook post about the incident provoked outrage so strong that the Dairy Queen in Zion, Ill., didn't open for business. But her victory was tempered by something even more troubling that she heard at a protest: Although she was the most vocal victim of the owner's racism, she was not the first. On Wednesday, Ford had taken her two children to visit their grandmother - and, because they were well-behaved, she stopped by the Dairy Queen on the way home. She ordered a $5 box, but part of the order was wrong, and another part was missing. So she asked the owner to fix the order, and when he balked, she asked for a refund. That's when things spiraled. The owner, James "Jim" Crichton, returned her $5, but gave her a mouthful, according to Ford and the police in Zion, 50 miles north of Chicago. "He called me and my children n----; he said I can go back to where I came from," Ford told The Washington Post. "He took out his flip phone and he said he would take a picture and put it on Facebook because he wants to show the world what kind of n---- he has to deal with. Then he shut the window and walked away." But the worst came a few moments later, from the back seat, where her two children were sitting, Ford said. "My daughter is 3. She's a little sponge; she repeats everything," said Ford, 21, who is biracial. "She asked me: 'Mommy, we n----?' " Crying and shaking, Ford dialed 911. An officer found her sitting in the parking lot in tears. She told him what happened, and he went to talk to Crichton, the DQ owner. The officer later detailed what Crichton told him in a police report. He said Crichton was angry. He was shaking and pacing the floor. But he did not deny what Ford had said: "Crichton boastfully told me he would be happy to go to jail over the issue and proudly admitted to calling Ford a n----. He added that he is 'fed up with black people,' " and described an incident in which two "of them" were in his restaurant squirting ketchup all over the floor, according to the officer's report. "During the course of my conversation with Crichton, he used the word 'n----' freely to describe black people," the officer continued. Still, there was little police could do. In a statement, Zion Police Chief Steve Dumyahn told The Post that "while this alleged activity is deplorable, it is not criminal." So Ford took to Facebook. She wrote a post describing what had happened. She described how she had asked for the owner's name after recovering from her shock so she could report him to Dairy Queen's corporate office. He replied "Bill Clinton then said better yet I'm Donald Trump," Ford posted. She included the phone number and address of the Dairy Queen. She also called Dairy Queen's corporate headquarters. A few hours after she wrote the post, it had been shared by several thousand people. Some called the restaurant. One man went by Crichton's store, sparking another call to police. At some point, the post was seen by the people at Dairy Queen's corporate office. On Thursday, the company released a statement saying Crichton's actions "are inexcusable, reprehensible and unacceptable. We do not in any way condone his behavior or language." Dairy Queen also released a statement from Crichton, which said he and his employees would undergo sensitivity training. "I would like to sincerely and humbly apologize for my recent words and actions," his statement said. "I have let my family, friends, employees, our system and this community down with what I have done." But it was too late. On Friday, Dairy Queen announced that it was closing the location in Zion, Ill., and that it was terminating Crichton's franchise rights. Crichton could not be reached for comment on Sunday. A Saturday protest organized by local activists and Black Lives Matter demonstrators turned into a celebration of sorts. Ford's attorney, Renea Amen, told The Post that revoking the franchise license was a good first step. "I didn't want my clients to walk away with just a letter of apology," she said. Dairy Queen and Crichton "received money from this community. I think those days are gone where businesses and business owners can mistreat people and just say 'I'm sorry.' " Legal action is still possible against Dairy Queen, Amen said, especially because other patrons - and even employees of the restaurant - have described racist comments and discriminatory mistreatment. She's meeting with some of them Monday, so see if there is a pattern that Dairy Queen was made aware of. Ford said she was happy about the outpouring of support from community members who showed up in the blistering cold at what used to be her favorite restaurant. But Ford said she's still struggling to explain racism to a 3-year-old who doesn't fully understand what happened. "She kind of still brings it up - that's just how she is. She said, 'Why did that mean man say that to me?'" "I [told her] some people are just mean. Some people don't have good hearts." When Egypt Robinson's son was found dead, the 3-year-old boy's body was inside a suitcase that had been left in a swamp at the back of a Florida house. Prosecutors say Robinson stabbed her son the day after Christmas in 2015, wrapped his body in a sheet and laid him on his back inside the suitcase. Last month, about a year later, investigators learned from Robinson's former cellmate why she allegedly killed her son in her home in Panama City. "She did it because he said he was the soul of Hitler," Tiffany Powell, an inmate who was once Robinson's cellmate at the jail in Bay County, told detectives. Robinson's son shared the same birthday as Adolf Hitler, and said that he would grow up to "kill all of us," so she decided to sacrifice him, Powell told investigators as she recounted conversations she said she had with Robinson. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Robinson, 28, who has been in jail for the past year awaiting trial on charges of murder and aggravated child abuse. Authorities say she killed her son on Dec. 26, 2015. That day, Robinson's roommate had left their house and returned late in the evening. When he got home, Robinson had blood all over her and the child was missing, according to an affidavit. Robinson claimed that a relative came to pick up her son, but her roommate remained suspicious. Once in a while, he told investigators, Robinson went out to the back of the house and stared toward the swamp. At some point, she also began trying to get bus tickets to leave town, the affidavit says. On Dec. 29, 2015, while Robinson was gone, her roommate went to the swamp and found a plastic bag with the boy's clothes, shoes and diapers. Then, he saw the suitcase and found the child's body inside. After confronting Robinson, he called 911, the affidavit says. Robinson, according to the affidavit, immediately confessed to the crime, telling a county sheriff's deputy to put handcuffs on her because she had killed her son. Officials say she stabbed the boy in the abdomen, causing him to bleed to death, and placed a three- to four-inch piece of concrete down her son's throat. During an interview last month, Powell, the former cellmate, told investigators about a bizarre blood ritual that Robinson had talked about. "Basically she was in the kitchen and like how you're at a church and, um, something takes over your body and you just kind of go with it or whatever," Powell said. "She said that's kind of how it happened. She just grabbed a knife. She did it to him and then, um, she couldn't control herself." While in her cell, Robinson also made drawings at the back of her court papers. Powell said she drew a Libra scale that somehow represents the blood ritual. During their conversations, Powell told detectives that Robinson never once cried about the death of her son and to this day, continues to believe that her son deserved to die. "She doesn't, she doesn't regret it," Powell said, adding later: "It's sick, it's, she's sick. She's a sick individual." Powell has been in jail since February 2015. Authorities say that she and her husband killed a woman and nearly beat to death another. The couple's young children witnessed the alleged crimes. Powell is charged with murder, attempted murder and child abuse. Robinson is scheduled to return to court in February. Prosecutors filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty in January 2016, the same month that the U.S. Supreme Court found Florida's death penalty system unconstitutional because it does not give jurors enough power in deciding whether to impose the death penalty. Florida state law required judges to make the final decision on whether a defendant is sentenced to death. Citing the high court's ruling, Robinson's defense attorney questioned the validity of the death penalty as punishment. But prosecutors argued that a new bill addresses the issues raised by the Supreme Court. House Bill 7101, signed into law by Gov. Rick Scott, R, overhauls the state's death penalty system by requiring that at least 10 of 12 jurors must recommend execution. In April, a month after HB 7101 became law, a Florida circuit court judge sided with prosecutors, denying Robinson's attorney's motion to strike the state's notice of intent to seek the death penalty. -- Kristine Guerra is a general assignment reporter for The Washington Post. Contact her at kristine.guerra@washpost.com. As a child in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, in the 1950s, Jaime Vazquez scoured the fields on the hill behind his house every Jan. 5. Youd wake up and get out there, and all the kids would be out with boxes looking for the best kind of grass which is the greenest, which is the cleanest, said Vazquez, dressed head-to-toe in the costume of a king. Those are moments I wont forget. The grass was for the trusty camels of the three magical kings, who would come like Santa Claus in the middle of the night, feed their camels with the grass left by children, and leave them presents in return. Sixty years later, Three Kings Day, also known as the day of the Epiphany, still is celebrated Jan. 6 by thousands of Catholic families across the globe. Vazquez, now a San Antonio resident, is a regular volunteer for the Puerto Rican Heritage Society of San Antonios Three Kings Day celebration, held at San Fernando Cathedrals Community Center in downtown San Antonio. As King Gaspar, Vazquez wore a bejeweled crown and long purple and turquoise robes for the event at the San Fernando Hall on Sunday. He spoke to dozens of children and took pictures with them before doling out candy packets from inside a cloth bag. The more distance you are (from Puerto Rico), the more the feeling of loss for us, he said. So we do this to remember, to relive those memories, to help that feeling of loss. Before the three kings made their appearance they were the final act about 200 people helped themselves to heaps of Puerto Rican food, made gold crowns out of paper cut-outs and admired the three kings figurines on display. At 3 p.m., kids reenacted the biblical story of the three kings arrival. In between music sets, a procession of children dressed as Jesus and Mary, angels and animals, slowly made their way to a make-shift barn display. Parents crowded around the performance, smiling at their kids as they raised their iPhones up high to snap a shot. A rooster and sacks of coffee also were carried by the children to the nativity scene to honor the popular symbols of Puerto Rico. The three kings appeared when the children from the procession and in the audience summoned them with eyes closed: Melchior, Gaspar, Balthazar: Come! We wait for you, they said in Spanish. Belicia Berdecia,11, has been a sheep in this performance for years, but she said shes hoping to be an angel next year, since her middle name is Angelie. On Sunday morning, Belicia said she found Silly Putty, flowers and chocolates shaped like makeup in the shoe box under her bed. Her mother, Naomi Berdecia, has made this event a priority for her family, reminding her husband weeks ago to take off work on Sunday for the event. She said its important for her children to know their background and be proud of their culture. It also just starts out the year really well, really positive. Christmas can become all about commercialization and marketing, so we take her here, so she knows exactly what its about, she said. Vazquez said hes noticed that Three Kings Day has gotten less popular over the years, while Christmas and the hype around it continues to swell. Back in his hometown in the 1950s, there was no Christmas, said Vazquez, unless maybe you were from a wealthy family. As more and more of Puerto Rico gets assimilated to U.S. culture, the more three kings is lost, he said. So when we do things here sometimes my friend and family in Puerto Rico see it and say Wow, you guys are celebrating things more than were doing here. And so the push to impart that cultural, religious tradition to children grows more important to him each year. You always want to bring them up in the same way you did, he said. You want to instill that in the next generation. It was very meaningful for us, we want it to be meaningful to them. Michael Cummo / Hearst Connecticut Media STAMFORD A New York woman, angry with her husbands new mistress, broke into the womans West Side home early Sunday and destroyed items inside, police said. Mara Soriano, 34, of Yonkers, N.Y., was charged with burglary, assault and criminal mischief. MANITOBA, Canada The Visa ban is over at 19 Walmart Canada stores. We have come to an agreement with Visa which allows us to continue offering Visa as a form of payment in our (Canadian) stores. Customers in Manitoba and Thunder Bay, Ontario, will be able to use their Visa credit card starting January 6, 2017, per a statement on Walmart Canadas website. On July 18, 2016, Walmart Canada stopped accepting Visa credit cards at three Thunder Bay stores and expanded the ban to 16 stores in the province of Manitoba beginning October 24. Following an evaluation of credit card transaction fees in Canada and the rest of the world, Walmart determined that the fees applied to Visa credit card purchases remain unacceptably high. To ensure we are taking care of our customers best interests and delivering on our promise of saving customers money, we constantly work to reduce our operating costs, including credit card fees. Unfortunately, Visa and Walmart have been unable to agree on an acceptable fee for Visa transactions, the retailer stated in a September press release, adding, Walmart Canada pays [more than] $100 million in fees to accept credit cards each and every year. Lowering costs such as these is necessary for us to be able to keep our prices low and continue saving our customers money. Both Walmart and Visa declined to share details about the agreement with the Wall Street Journal, although Walmart spokesman Randy Hargrove commented that the retailer continues to believe the fees charged by Visa and other credit-card companies are too high. During the card ban, most customers used other forms of payment, Hargrove added. By Lambert Strether of Corrente Politics 2016 Post Mortem What went wrong? Dem. Party contestants to face tough questions [USA Today]. As the party searches for a new chair and vice chair, the DNC has decided to hold four regional forums, moderated by journalists instead of party insiders. Its the first time Democrats have held regional forums for party elections in more than ten years. Guess who the forum chair in Phoenix is? Jon Ralson, the reporter who smeared the Sanders campaign with his fake story on chair-throwing at the Nevada caucus. Journalists instead of party insiders my sweet Aunt Fanny. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will host a goodbye party for close friends and major donors Friday, according to a person with knowledge of the marquee affair [WaPo]. Realignment and Legitimacy 2017 is already great. Be sure to read the image: This seems unhelpful pic.twitter.com/PXIOVptUte Chris Arnade (@Chris_arnade) January 8, 2017 The End of Progressive Neoliberalism [Dissent]. n its U.S. form, progressive neoliberalism is an alliance of mainstream currents of new social movements (feminism, anti-racism, multiculturalism, and LGBTQ rights), on the one side, and high-end symbolic and service-based business sectors (Wall Street, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood), on the other. In this alliance, progressive forces are effectively joined with the forces of cognitive capitalism, especially financialization. However unwittingly, the former lend their charisma to the latter. Ideals like diversity and empowerment, which could in principle serve different ends, now gloss policies that have devastated manufacturing and what were once middle-class lives. And not just manufacturing. And what a sloppy formulation middle class is, to be sure. Still, the idea of charisma is useful. The Democratic Shake-Up in Virginia [National Journal]. TThe first intraparty Democratic showdown of the new year will take place in Virginia, where former Rep. Tom Perriello abruptly announced his candidacy for governor Thursday. His decision ended Democratic hopes of uniting behind Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam before the general election and creates a split between the partys pragmatic and progressive wings. I dont know why the faction in charge of the Democrat Party is called pragmatic when theyve lost control of the legislative and executive branches of the Federal government, and most statehouses. Whats pragmatic about that? President-elect Donald Trump won an intraparty proxy battle over Ohio Gov. John Kasich Friday, ousting Ohios state GOP chairman whod been selected by the governor. [Wall Street Journal]. Stats Watch Ive accumulated too many bezzles without being able to get to them, so heres a bunch. lambert Labor Market Conditions Index, December 2016: The economy may be at full employment but its not helping the labor market conditions index which remains flat [Econoday]. Coops: At long last, Boulder approves new co-op housing ordinance [Daily Camera (DB)]. The Bezzle: In conservative India, a startup is helping unmarried couples find a room [Quartz]. Enter StayUncle. The New Delhi-based startup has tied up with hotels where unmarried couples can rent rooms for a duration as short as 8-10 hours. What could go wrong? The Bezzle: Right now the most expensive house sold in San Francisco in 2016 belongs to Kyle Vogt, a 30-year-old co-founder of Cruise, an autonomous technology startup recently acquired by GM [HuffPo]. I cant really do justice to this piece. The Bezzle: Faraday Future Has A Long Way To Go To Prove Its Not Bullshit [Jalopnik]. The Bezzle: Sleep startups [New York Times]. Im fascinated by helping people live better, said Mr. Proud, 25, a British citizen who came to the United States via the Thiel Fellowship, which gives entrepreneurs $100,000 for skipping college. And sleep is the foundation of everything. So its the best place to start.' So the device wakes you up if you dont pay your monthly fee? The Bezzle: And then theres this: thank god someone finally put the internet in a hairbrush https://t.co/2wYMqvwkh3 pic.twitter.com/1axBpGUvhY Internet of Shit (@internetofshit) January 5, 2017 The Bezzle: The Ugly Unethical Underside of Silicon Valley [Fortune]. No industry is immune to fraud, and the hotter the business, the more hucksters flock to it. But Silicon Valley has always seen itself as the virtuous outlier, a place where altruistic nerds tolerate capitalism in order to make the world a better place. Suddenly the Valley looks as crooked and greedy as the rest of the business world. And the growing roster of scandal-tainted startups share a theme. Faking it, from marketing exaggerations to outright fraud, feels more prevalent than everso much so that its time to ask whether startup culture itself is becoming a problem. Gosh, I know its unfair, but I file startup under The Bezzle automatically. The Bezzle: Under securities rules sometimes referred to Regulation A-Plus, which took effect late last year, small companies are allowed to raise up to $50 million each year through stock or debt. Much of it can come from individuals who are not qualified that is, from people making less than $200,000 per year, or having net assets below $1 million [New York Times]. To prevent swindlers from trying to shake down naive investors, the Securities and Exchange Commission bars certain bad actors from being on a companys management team. That includes those with certain criminal convictions, or those who have engaged in fraudulent activities or are subject to cease-and-desist orders. Well, thats re-assuring. I hope they know how to check for straws. The Bezzle: No One Questioned This Hedge Funds Madoff-Like Returns [Bloomberg]. That Platinum was able to avoid scrutiny for so long illustrates flaws in the post-Madoff regulatory regime. While the SEC says it now conducts risk-based examinations of funds that have suspiciously smooth returns, the agency didnt do a thorough on-site audit of Platinum until 2015, according to a person with knowledge of the matter. Judy Burns, an SEC spokeswoman, declined to comment. The Bezzle: Google Sued by U.S. for Declining to Disclose Compensation Data [Bloomberg]. Google was asked in September 2015 to submit information about its equal opportunity program, and to provide supporting documents for a compliance review, the agency said in a statement. Google is required to let the government inspect records for an audit because its a federal contractor, the department said. Todays Fear & Greed Index: 68 Greed (previous close: 68, Greed) [CNN]. One week ago: 86 (Greed). (0 is Extreme Fear; 100 is Extreme Greed). Last updated Jan 9 at 1:01pm. Still the doldrums. Health Affairs A surprise medical bill is a bill from an out-of-network provider that was not expected by the patient or that came from an out-of-network provider not chosen by the patient. In 2014, 20 percent of hospital inpatient admissions that originated in the emergency department (ED), 14 percent of outpatient visits to the ED, and 9 percent of elective inpatient admissions likely led to a surprise medical bill [Health Affairs]. Yikes. Thats a lot of balance billing! Gaia The crack in this Antarctic ice shelf just grew by 11 miles. A dramatic break could be imminent [WaPo (PT)]. An enormous rift in one of Antarcticas largest ice shelves grew dramatically over the past month, and a chunk nearly the size of Delaware could break away as soon as later this winter, British scientists reported this week. And check out the picture. Its impressive. Heres the original: Larsen C Ice Shelf poised to calve [Project Midas]. Only a final 20 km of ice now connects an iceberg one quarter the size of Wales to its parent ice shelf. Climate change may shut down a current that keeps the North Atlantic warm [The Verge]. The Atlantic Conveyer. Hoo boy. The Brits could have bigger problems than Brexit. Class Warfare Almost all the US jobs created since 2005 are temporary [Quartz]. [Survey research conducted by economists Lawrence Katz of Harvard University and Alan Krueger at Princeton University shows shows] that 94% of net job growth in the past decade was in the alternative work category, said Krueger. And over 60% was due to the [the rise] of independent contractors, freelancers and contract company workers. In other words, nearly all of the 10 million jobs created between 2005 and 2015 were not traditional nine-to-five employment. I think weve posted Katz and Kruegers study before, but these workers are really going to get screwed by a continuous coverage requirement under TrumpCare. $15 minimum wage starts in Seattle [KOMO News]. Dissecting the Falling Labor Force Participation Rate [Federal Reserve Bank of St Louis]. In Tampa, Food Not Bombs activists arrested for feeding the homelessagain [Creative Loafing]. News of the Wired The complete guide to noise-canceling in open offices and other hectic spaces [Quartz]. DeepStack: Expert-Level Artificial Intelligence in No-Limit Poker [Archiv.org]. Humans Mourn Loss After Google Is Unmasked as Chinas Go Master [WSJ]. From Tape Drives to Memory Orbs, the Data Formats of Star Wars Suck (Spoilers) [Vice]. Kodak says its bringing back Ektachrome film, and photographers everywhere are smiling [WaPo]. Like vinyl. The discovery of medieval Trellech and the plucky amateurs of archaeology [The Conversation]. It may seem surprising that an entire medieval town could become lost from the historical record for more than 500 years, but in fact this is more common than you might think. Medieval Britain was characterised by poor documentary records, particularly outside major centres of political or religious power like London, Edinburgh, York or Canterbury. * * * Readers, feel free to contact me with (a) links, and even better (b) sources I should curate regularly, and (c) to find out how to send me images of plants. Vegetables are fine! Fungi are deemed to be honorary plants! See the previous Water Cooler (with plant) here. And heres todays plant (CR): CR: Zero-degree sedum. Readers, Ive gotten more plant images, but I can always use just a few more; having enough Plantidotes is a great angst deflator. Plants with snow and/or ice are fine! Readers, Water Cooler is a standalone entity, not supported by the very successful Naked Capitalism fundraiser just past. Now, I understand you may feel tapped out, but when and if you are able, please use the dropdown to choose your contribution, and then click the hat! Your tip will be welcome today, and indeed any day. Water Cooler will not exist without your continued help. Yves here. While this account is useful, it omits two events I regard as key. One is how the US was singularly responsible for the plutocratic land grab in post-Soviet Russia (see How Harvard Lost Russia), which led to a stunning fall in male lifespans, a rise of a class of oligarchs, which in turn led to the rise of Putin, whose success resulted from reining in the oligarchs to a degree and delivering a sustained improvement in economic conditions for ordinary people. The US fondness for neoliberal projects all over the world has not done much for international stability. But that is a feature, not a bug, for members of the industrial/surveillance complex. Second is the fact that under Clinton, the US began to move NATO into former Warsaw Pact countries, contrary to a promise made by James Baker to Gorbachev. The Russians apparently regarded this as binding, while the legalistic US took the position that unless it was in writing, it didnt count. George Kennan, hardly a slouch in the Cold Warrior department, said it would prove to be the worst geopolitical mistake the US had ever made in the modern era. By Andrew J. Bacevich, professor emeritus of history and international relations at Boston University. His most recent book is Americas War for the Greater Middle East: A Military History. Originally published at TomDispatch The fall of the Berlin Wall in October 1989 abruptly ended one historical era and inaugurated another. So, too, did the outcome of last years U.S. presidential election. What are we to make of the interval between those two watershed moments? Answering that question is essential to understanding how Donald Trump became president and where his ascendency leaves us. Hardly had this period commenced before observers fell into the habit of referring to it as the post-Cold War era. Now that its over, a more descriptive name might be in order. My suggestion: Americas Age of Great Expectations. Forgive and Forget The end of the Cold War caught the United States completely by surprise. During the 1980s, even with Mikhail Gorbachev running the Kremlin, few in Washington questioned the prevailing conviction that the Soviet-American rivalry was and would remain a defining feature of international politics more or less in perpetuity. Indeed, endorsing such an assumption was among the prerequisites for gaining entree to official circles. Virtually no one in the American establishment gave serious thought to the here-today, gone-tomorrow possibility that the Soviet threat, the Soviet empire, and the Soviet Union itself might someday vanish. Washington had plans aplenty for what to do should a Third World War erupt, but none for what to do if the prospect of such a climactic conflict simply disappeared. Still, without missing a beat, when the Berlin Wall fell and two years later the Soviet Union imploded, leading members of that establishment wasted no time in explaining the implications of developments they had totally failed to anticipate. With something close to unanimity, politicians and policy-oriented intellectuals interpreted the unification of Berlin and the ensuing collapse of communism as an all-American victory of cosmic proportions. We had won, they had lost with that outcome vindicating everything the United States represented as the archetype of freedom. From within the confines of that establishment, one rising young intellectual audaciously suggested that the end of history itself might be at hand, with the sole superpower left standing now perfectly positioned to determine the future of all humankind. In Washington, various powers-that-be considered this hypothesis and concluded that it sounded just about right. The future took on the appearance of a blank slate upon which Destiny itself was inviting Americans to inscribe their intentions. American elites might, of course, have assigned a far different, less celebratory meaning to the passing of the Cold War. They might have seen the outcome as a moment that called for regret, repentance, and making amends. After all, the competition between the United States and the Soviet Union, or more broadly between what was then called the Free World and the Communist bloc, had yielded a host of baleful effects. An arms race between two superpowers had created monstrous nuclear arsenals and, on multiple occasions, brought the planet precariously close to Armageddon. Two singularly inglorious wars had claimed the lives of many tens of thousands of American soldiers and literally millions of Asians. One, on the Korean peninsula, had ended in an unsatisfactory draw; the other, in Southeast Asia, in catastrophic defeat. Proxy fights in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East killed so many more and laid waste to whole countries. Cold War obsessions led Washington to overthrow democratic governments, connive in assassination, make common cause with corrupt dictators, and turn a blind eye to genocidal violence. On the home front, hysteria compromised civil liberties and fostered a sprawling, intrusive, and unaccountable national security apparatus. Meanwhile, the military-industrial complex and its beneficiaries conspired to spend vast sums on weapons purchases that somehow never seemed adequate to the putative dangers at hand. Rather than reflecting on such somber and sordid matters, however, the American political establishment together with ambitious members of the countrys intelligentsia found it so much more expedient simply to move on. As they saw it, the annus mirabilis of 1989 wiped away the sins of former years. Eager to make a fresh start, Washington granted itself a plenary indulgence. After all, why contemplate past unpleasantness when a future so stunningly rich in promise now beckoned? Three Big Ideas and a Dubious Corollary Soon enough, that promise found concrete expression. In remarkably short order, three themes emerged to define the new American age. Informing each of them was a sense of exuberant anticipation toward an era of almost unimaginable expectations. The twentieth century was ending on a high note. For the planet as a whole but especially for the United States, great things lay ahead. Focused on the world economy, the first of those themes emphasized the transformative potential of turbocharged globalization led by U.S.-based financial institutions and transnational corporations. An open world would facilitate the movement of goods, capital, ideas, and people and thereby create wealth on an unprecedented scale. In the process, the rules governing American-style corporate capitalism would come to prevail everywhere on the planet. Everyone would benefit, but especially Americans who would continue to enjoy more than their fair share of material abundance. Focused on statecraft, the second theme spelled out the implications of an international order dominated as never before not even in the heydays of the Roman and British Empires by a single nation. With the passing of the Cold War, the United States now stood apart as both supreme power and irreplaceable global leader, its status guaranteed by its unstoppable military might. In the editorial offices of the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, the New Republic, and the Weekly Standard, such truths achieved a self-evident status. Although more muted in their public pronouncements than Washingtons reigning pundits, officials enjoying access to the Oval Office, the State Departments 7th floor, and the E-ring of the Pentagon generally agreed. The assertive exercise of (benign!) global hegemony seemingly held the key to ensuring that Americans would enjoy safety and security, both at home and abroad, now and in perpetuity. The third theme was all about rethinking the concept of personal freedom as commonly understood and pursued by most Americans. During the protracted emergency of the Cold War, reaching an accommodation between freedom and the putative imperatives of national security had not come easily. Cold War-style patriotism seemingly prioritized the interests of the state at the expense of the individual. Yet even as thrillingly expressed by John F. Kennedy Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country this was never an easy sell, especially if it meant wading through rice paddies and getting shot at. Once the Cold War ended, however, the tension between individual freedom and national security momentarily dissipated. Reigning conceptions of what freedom could or should entail underwent a radical transformation. Emphasizing the removal of restraints and inhibitions, the shift made itself felt everywhere, from patterns of consumption and modes of cultural expression to sexuality and the definition of the family. Norms that had prevailed for decades if not generations marriage as a union between a man and a woman, gender identity as fixed at birth became passe. The concept of a transcendent common good, which during the Cold War had taken a backseat to national security, now took a backseat to maximizing individual choice and autonomy. Finally, as a complement to these themes, in the realm of governance, the end of the Cold War cemented the status of the president as quasi-deity. In the Age of Great Expectations, the myth of the president as a deliverer from (or, in the eyes of critics, the ultimate perpetrator of) evil flourished. In the solar system of American politics, the man in the White House increasingly became the sun around which everything seemed to orbit. By comparison, nothing else much mattered. From one administration to the next, of course, presidential efforts to deliver Americans to the Promised Land regularly came up short. Even so, the political establishment and the establishment media collaborated in sustaining the pretense that out of the next endlessly hyped race for the White House, another Roosevelt or Kennedy or Reagan would magically emerge to save the nation. From one election cycle to the next, these campaigns became longer and more expensive, drearier and yet ever more circus-like. No matter. During the Age of Great Expectations, the reflexive tendency to see the president as the ultimate guarantor of American abundance, security, and freedom remained sacrosanct. Blindsided Meanwhile, between promise and reality, a yawning gap began to appear. During the concluding decade of the twentieth century and the first decade-and-a-half of the twenty-first, Americans endured a seemingly endless series of crises. Individually, none of these merit comparison with, say, the Civil War or World War II. Yet never in U.S. history has a sequence of events occurring in such close proximity subjected American institutions and the American people to greater stress. During the decade between 1998 and 2008, they came on with startling regularity: one president impeached and his successor chosen by the direct intervention of the Supreme Court; a massive terrorist attack on American soil that killed thousands, traumatized the nation, and left senior officials bereft of their senses; a mindless, needless, and unsuccessful war of choice launched on the basis of false claims and outright lies; a natural disaster (exacerbated by engineering folly) that all but destroyed a major American city, after which government agencies mounted a belated and half-hearted response; and finally, the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression, bringing ruin to millions of families. For the sake of completeness, we should append to this roster of seismic occurrences one additional event: Barack Obamas election as the nations first black president. He arrived at the zenith of American political life as a seemingly messianic figure called upon not only to undo the damage wrought by his predecessor, George W. Bush, but somehow to absolve the nation of its original sins of slavery and racism. Yet during the Obama presidency race relations, in fact, deteriorated. Whether prompted by cynical political calculations or a crass desire to boost ratings, race baiters came out of the woodwork one of them, of course, infamously birthered in Trump Tower in mid-Manhattan and poured their poisons into the body politic. Even so, as the end of Obamas term approached, the cult of the presidency itself remained remarkably intact. Individually, the impact of these various crises ranged from disconcerting to debilitating to horrifying. Yet to treat them separately is to overlook their collective implications, which the election of Donald Trump only now enables us to appreciate. It was not one presidents dalliance with an intern or hanging chads or 9/11 or Mission Accomplished or the inundation of the Lower Ninth Ward or the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the absurd birther movement that undermined the Age of Great Expectations. It was the way all these events together exposed those expectations as radically suspect. In effect, the various crises that punctuated the post-Cold War era called into question key themes to which a fevered American triumphalism had given rise. Globalization, militarized hegemony, and a more expansive definition of freedom, guided by enlightened presidents in tune with the times, should have provided Americans with all the blessings that were rightly theirs as a consequence of having prevailed in the Cold War. Instead, between 1989 and 2016, things kept happening that werent supposed to happen. A future marketed as all but foreordained proved elusive, if not illusory. As actually experienced, the Age of Great Expectations became an Age of Unwelcome Surprises. A Candidate for Decline True, globalization created wealth on a vast scale, just not for ordinary Americans. The already well-to-do did splendidly, in some cases unbelievably so. But middle-class incomes stagnated and good jobs became increasingly hard to find or keep. By the election of 2016, the United States looked increasingly like a society divided between haves and have-nots, the affluent and the left-behind, the 1% and everyone else. Prospective voters were noticing. Meanwhile, policies inspired by Washingtons soaring hegemonic ambitions produced remarkably few happy outcomes. With U.S. forces continuously engaged in combat operations, peace all but vanished as a policy objective (or even a word in Washingtons political lexicon). The acknowledged standing of the countrys military as the worlds best-trained, best-equipped, and best-led force coexisted uneasily with the fact that it proved unable to win. Instead, the national security establishment became conditioned to the idea of permanent war, high-ranking officials taking it for granted that ordinary citizens would simply accommodate themselves to this new reality. Yet it soon became apparent that, instead of giving ordinary Americans a sense of security, this new paradigm induced an acute sense of vulnerability, which left many susceptible to demagogic fear mongering. As for the revised definition of freedom, with autonomy emerging as the national summum bonum, it left some satisfied but others adrift. During the Age of Great Expectations, distinctions between citizen and consumer blurred. Shopping became tantamount to a civic obligation, essential to keeping the economy afloat. Yet if all the hoopla surrounding Black Friday and Cyber Monday represented a celebration of American freedom, its satisfactions were transitory at best, rarely extending beyond the due date printed on a credit card statement. Meanwhile, as digital connections displaced personal ones, relationships, like jobs, became more contingent and temporary. Loneliness emerged as an abiding affliction. Meanwhile, for all the talk of empowering the marginalized people of color, women, gays elites reaped the lions share of the benefits while ordinary people were left to make do. The atmosphere was rife with hypocrisy and even a whiff of nihilism. To these various contradictions, the establishment itself remained stubbornly oblivious, with the 2016 presidential candidacy of Hillary Clinton offering a case in point. As her long record in public life made abundantly clear, Clinton embodied the establishment in the Age of Great Expectations. She believed in globalization, in the indispensability of American leadership backed by military power, and in the post-Cold War cultural project. And she certainly believed in the presidency as the mechanism to translate aspirations into outcomes. Such commonplace convictions of the era, along with her vanguard role in pressing for the empowerment of women, imparted to her run an air of inevitability. That she deserved to win appeared self-evident. It was, after all, her turn. Largely overlooked were signs that the abiding themes of the Age of Great Expectations no longer commanded automatic allegiance. Gasping for Air Senator Bernie Sanders offered one of those signs. That a past-his-prime, self-professed socialist from Vermont with a negligible record of legislative achievement and tenuous links to the Democratic Party might mount a serious challenge to Clinton seemed, on the face of it, absurd. Yet by zeroing in on unfairness and inequality as inevitable byproducts of globalization, Sanders struck a chord. Knocked briefly off balance, Clinton responded by modifying certain of her longstanding positions. By backing away from free trade, the ne plus ultra of globalization, she managed, though not without difficulty, to defeat the Sanders insurgency. Even so, he, in effect, served as the canary in the establishment coal mine, signaling that the Age of Great Expectations might be running out of oxygen. A parallel and far stranger insurgency was simultaneously wreaking havoc in the Republican Party. That a narcissistic political neophyte stood the slightest chance of capturing the GOP seemed even more improbable than Sanders taking a nomination that appeared Clintons by right. Coarse, vulgar, unprincipled, uninformed, erratic, and with little regard for truth, Trump was sui generis among presidential candidates. Yet he possessed a singular gift: a knack for riling up those who nurse gripes and are keen to pin the blame on someone or something. In post-Cold War America, among the millions that Hillary Clinton was famously dismissing as deplorables, gripes had been ripening like cheese in a hothouse. Through whatever combination of intuition and malice aforethought, Trump demonstrated a genius for motivating those deplorables. He pushed their buttons. They responded by turning out in droves to attend his rallies. There they listened to a message that they found compelling. In Trumps pledge to make America great again his followers heard a promise to restore everything they believed had been taken from them in the Age of Great Expectations. Globalization was neither beneficial nor inevitable, the candidate insisted, and vowed, once elected, to curb its effects along with the excesses of corporate capitalism, thereby bringing back millions of lost jobs from overseas. He would, he swore, fund a massive infrastructure program, cut taxes, keep a lid on the national debt, and generally champion the cause of working stiffs. The many complications and contradictions inherent in these various prescriptions would, he assured his fans, give way to his business savvy. In considering Americas role in the post-Cold War world, Trump exhibited a similar impatience with the status quo. Rather than allowing armed conflicts to drag on forever, he promised to win them (putting to work his mastery of military affairs) or, if not, to quit and get out, pausing just long enough to claim as a sort of consolation prize whatever spoils might be lying loose on the battlefield. At the very least, he would prevent so-called allies from treating the United States like some patsy. Henceforth, nations benefitting from American protection were going to foot their share of the bill. What all of this added up to may not have been clear, but it did suggest a sharp departure from the usual post-1989 formula for exercising global leadership. No less important than Trumps semi-coherent critique of globalization and American globalism, however, was his success in channeling the discontent of all those who nursed an inchoate sense that post-Cold War freedoms might be working for some, but not for them. Not that Trump had anything to say about whether freedom confers obligations, or whether conspicuous consumption might not actually hold the key to human happiness, or any of the various controversies related to gender, sexuality, and family. He was indifferent to all such matters. He was, however, distinctly able to offer his followers a grimly persuasive explanation for how America had gone off course and how the blessings of liberties to which they were entitled had been stolen. He did that by fingering as scapegoats Muslims, Mexicans, and others not-like-me. Trumps political strategy reduced to this: as president, he would overturn the conventions that had governed right thinking since the end of the Cold War. To the amazement of an establishment grown smug and lazy, his approach worked. Even while disregarding all received wisdom when it came to organizing and conducting a presidential campaign in the Age of Great Expectations, Trump won. He did so by enchanting the disenchanted, all those who had lost faith in the promises that had sprung from the bosom of the elites that the end of the Cold War had taken by surprise. Adrift Without a Compass Within hours of Trumps election, among progressives, expressing fear and trepidation at the prospect of what he might actually do on assuming office became de rigueur. Yet those who had actually voted for Trump were also left wondering what to expect. Both camps assign him the status of a transformative historical figure. However, premonitions of incipient fascism and hopes that he will engineer a new American Golden Age are likely to prove similarly misplaced. To focus on the man himself rather than on the circumstances that produced him is to miss the significance of what has occurred. Note, for example, that his mandate is almost entirely negative. It centers on rejection: of globalization, of counterproductive military meddling, and of the post-Cold War cultural project. Yet neither Trump nor any of his surrogates has offered a coherent alternative to the triad of themes providing the through line for the last quarter-century of American history. Apart a lingering conviction that forceful in The Donalds case, blustering presidential leadership can somehow turn things around, Trumpism is a dogs breakfast. In all likelihood, his presidency will prove less transformative than transitional. As a result, concerns about what he may do, however worrisome, matter less than the larger question of where we go from here. The principles that enjoyed favor following the Cold War have been found wanting. What should replace them? Efforts to identify those principles should begin with an honest accounting of the age we are now leaving behind, the history that happened after the end of history. That accounting should, in turn, allow room for regret, repentance, and making amends the very critical appraisal that ought to have occurred at the end of the Cold War but was preempted when American elites succumbed to their bout of victory disease. Dont expect Donald Trump to undertake any such appraisal. Nor will the establishment that candidate Trump so roundly denounced, but which President-elect Trump, at least in his senior national security appointments, now shows sign of accommodating. Those expecting Trumps election to inject courage into members of the political class or imagination into inside-the-Beltway thought leaders are in for a disappointment. So the principles we need an approach to political economy providing sustainable and equitable prosperity; a foreign policy that discards militarism in favor of prudence and pragmatism; and an enriched, inclusive concept of freedom will have to come from somewhere else. Where there is no vision, the Book of Proverbs tells us, the people perish. In the present day, there is no vision to which Americans collectively adhere. For proof, we need look no further than the election of Donald Trump. The Age of Great Expectations has ended, leaving behind an ominous void. Yet Trumps own inability to explain what should fill that great void provides neither excuse for inaction nor cause for despair. Instead, Trump himself makes manifest the need to reflect on the nations recent past and to think deeply about its future. A decade before the Cold War ended, writing in democracy, a short-lived journal devoted to political renewal and radical change, the historian and social critic Christopher Lasch sketched out a set of principles that might lead us out of our current crisis. Lasch called for a politics based on the nurture of the soil against the exploitation of resources, the family against the factory, the romantic vision of the individual against the technological vision, [and] localism over democratic centralism. Nearly a half-century later, as a place to begin, his prescription remains apt. Very slow news day. The Golden Globes seem to have taken over the world! lambert Travelers react to smartphone wipes in Japanese bathroom stalls CNN Hacked Sex Robots Will Reveal Their Clients Freakiest Kinks Inverse (RH). Top Economists Grapple With Public Disdain for Initiatives They Championed WSJ Economic forecasts are hardwired to get things wrong Guardian Fed official says strong jobs data rule out fiscal boost FT. Seems odd. Isnt fiscal policy under the purview of elected officials? Why Apples Critics Are Right This Time WSJ. Well look back at the elimination of the MagSafe connector as the inflection point where the rot really became visible. Syraqistan North Korea says can test-launch ICBM at any time, state media says Japan Times Something fishy is going on with the corruption-related arrests in Malaysia Asian Correspondent Brexit New Cold War Russias revolutionary centenary Lowy Institute Our Famously Free Press AIPAC Wins One With The Help Of Most Democratic Freshmen Down with Tyranny Israeli diplomat who plotted against MPs also set up political groups Guardian. Election meddling ZOMG!!!!!!!! Trump Transition 2016 Post Mortem State Election Systems to Get More Federal Aid for Security ABC (GF). Critical infrastructure. Of course, with hand-marked paper ballots, hand-counted in public, we wouldnt even have to worry about those devilish Russkis. How White Liberals Used Civil Rights to Create More Prisons The Nation. Article more nuanced than the headline: [T]he first modern anti-carry law was passed by California Governor Ronald Reagan in 1967. Nor would they want to mention that Reagan passed the law to disarm the twentieth centurys greatest gun-rights militia: the Black Panther Party. Class Warfare Taking the long view The Economist Data Could Be the Next Tech Hot Button for Regulators NYT Policing the digital cartels FT Ask HN: Bootstrapped US founders, who do you use for health insurance? Hacker News Antidote du jour: See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. Lambert: Concrete material benefits for working people a proven vote-getter? Science fiction stuff! By Michael Arria, associate editor at AlterNet and AlterNets labor editor. Originally published at Alternet. Food stamp spending has declined for the last two years, with 13.7% of the population currently using the program compared to a high of 14.9% in 2013, but that hasnt stopped the GOP from looking to cut billions from the program. Many believe that the Democrats making a robust defense of food stamps would be politically unwise, but a new paper suggests this assumption might be incorrect. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, continues to be viewed as a third-rail issue for many political observers. Since the late 70s (in addition to advocating for cuts), Republicans have waged an ideological war against the very concept of handouts, often tapping into racial and gender stereotypes in the process. Throughout the 1980s, Ronald Reagan frequently chastised SNAP for allowing some young fellow ahead of you to buy a T-bone steak while you were waiting in line to buy hamburger. Haney-Lopez, author of Dog Whistle Politics: How Fifty Years of Coded Racial Appeals Wrecked the Middle Class, points out that this was the toned-down version of Reagans original anecdote: When he first field-tested the message in the South, that young fellow was more particularly described as a strapping young buck. The epithet buck has long been used to conjure the threatening image of a physically powerful black man often one who defies white authority and who lusts for white women. When Reagan used the term strapping young buck, his whistle shifted dangerously toward the fully audible range. Some young fellow was less overtly racist and so carried less risk of censure, and worked just as well to provoke a sense of white victimization. The historian Premilla Nadasen makes a direct link between these tropes popularized by Reagan and the arguments made by the Clinton administration when it passed welfare reform in 1996. Clintons welfare reform bill was rooted in a culture of poverty argument, writes Nadasen, evidenced by his racially coded language of dependency and people taking advantage of the system. The brutal legacy of Clintons legislation continues to be felt by the countrys poor. In 2016 over 500,000 adults lost their SNAP benefits as a direct result of the 1996 law, which dictates that unemployed individuals between the ages of 18-49 who arent disabled or raising minor children can only have access to the program for three months. Some chalk up such Democratic policies as little more than realpolitik, a way to outflank the right on galvanizing issues. Even food stamp advocates often concede that the safety net can be a tough sell, and the numbers indicate theyre right. A 2013 poll showed that two-thirds of Americans supported kicking 4 million people off of food stamps. Statistics like this might suggest that a Democratic defense of food stamps would be a political liability, but a new study reaches a much different conclusion. In his paper, Electoral Consequences of Welfare State Expansion: The Case of the Food Stamp Program, Ohio State professor Vladimir Kogan examines how food stamps programs impact the ballot box. His conclusions are striking and might surprise many: he discovered that Democrats gained voters in counties where the program had been implemented. Kogans paper shows that Democrats paid an initial electoral price when food stamp programs were first introduced, but that the negative impact quickly faded away. Kogan notes that in the decade-long rollout of the American food stamp program, Democrats gained votes as a result of new supporters. Unsurprisingly, Kogan discovered that, the boost delivered by the program was largest in counties with high poverty and [food stamp program] enrollment, rising to roughly 3.5 percent of the two-party vote in counties with poverty rates higher than the national median in 1960. Speculating on the exact reasons behind the wider bump, Kogan writes: One possibility is that the new welfare benefit changed voting behavior among existing voters, persuading some to change their vote in response to the policy change. Alternatively, the program may have worked to mobilize latent Democratic supporters who had previously not bothered to vote (see, e.g., Pop-Eleches and Pop-Eleches 2012). Although it is impossible to disentangle these effects completely in the absence of individual-level public opinion data, the results in Table 5 appear more consistent with mobilization rather than persuasion. Overall, I find that the introduction of food stamps in each county increased the number of votes won by Democratic presidential candidates by approximately five percent. Kogans findings seemingly point to yet another reason why the GOP wants to eradicate SNAP; its success negatively impacts Republicans chances of winning elections. It also drives home a direct point that flies in the face of some conventional wisdom: programs that benefit the most politically marginalized citizens can lead to real electoral victories. Kogans entire paper is available for download. By Lambert Strether of Corrente. Let me begin by summarizing (from this excellent post by Jane Timm of NBC) what we might politely call Trumps intellectual journey on health care policy: As GOP lawmakers begin the process of repealing President Obamas landmark legislation, its worth taking a look at the eight times Trump has changed his position on Obamacare since announcing his bid for president more than a year and a half ago: 1. Repeal Obamacare. Look to Canada for inspiration. 2. Repeal Obamacare. Cover everybody. 3. Repeal Obamacare, but I like the mandate 4. Repeal Obamacare. Replace it with something. 5. Repeal Obamacare. Not everyone will be covered. 6. I do want to keep parts of it, we might just amend it. 7. Begin to repeal on day one. 8. Be careful dont take the blame! Do Trumps views even matter? Some answer no, arguing that Trump will just delegate everything to Mike Pence, Tom Price, and the rest of the Republican nomenklatura. Well see, but I dont think The Donald sliced through not one but two party establishments like a hot knife through butter with the goal of handing off power to the Mikes and Toms of this world. So Trumps views matter. We just dont know what they are! Interestingly, Zeke Emmanuel met with Trump on health care policy. His reaction: I found him engaged, curious, and he asked a lot of thoughtful questions and had a lot of opinions, as you might expect. So, whatever the reasons for Trumps shifting positions, I dont see them as random. Or focus-grouped, either. So theres that). That said, Trump does seem to want TrumpCare to cover pre-existing condtions (or at least be seen to). Politically, thats sensible, since pre-existing conditions skew old, and Trumps base is older. Covering pre-existing conditions is also the right thing to do, as Trump himself seems to recognize: Trump has consistently supported requiring insurers to cover those with pre-existing conditions, a regulation called guaranteed issue. I would absolutely get rid of Obamacare, Trump said in a February 25 during the Republican primary, but I want to keep [the provision regarding] pre-existing conditions. Its the modern age, and I think we have to have it. (Guaranteed issue is the polar opposite of medical underwriting, where, in short form, heatlh insurance companies decline to sell you their product if they determine you are likely to use it[1].) So, millions can breath a sigh of relief? Well get to that, but millions there are. From a new study by the Kaiser Family Foundation: We estimate that 27% of adult Americans under the age of 65 have health conditions that would likely leave them uninsurable if they applied for individual market coverage under pre-ACA underwriting practices that existed in nearly all states . While a large share of this group has coverage through an employer or public coverage where they do not face medical underwriting, these estimates quantify how many people could be ineligible for individual market insurance under pre-ACA practices if they were to ever lose this coverage. This is a conservative estimate as these surveys do not include sufficient detail on several conditions that would have been declinable before the ACA (such as HIV/AIDS, or hepatitis C). Additionally, millions more have other conditions that could be either declinable by some insurers based on their pre-ACA underwriting guidelines or grounds for higher premiums, exclusions, or limitations under pre-ACA underwriting practices. In a separate Kaiser Family Foundation poll, most people (53%) report that they or someone in their household has a pre-existing condition. (If you think about it, life itself is a pre-existing condition. The body is frail, and gets more frail as we age. Shit happens.) So, suppose ObamaCare were repealed tomorrow. How many people with pre-existing conditions would lose their coverage? This is as much as we know: An estimated 22 million people would lose their insurance if Congress and Trump implemented the changes outlined in the most recent reconciliation bill [that is, the plan proposed by the Republican nomenklatura The 22 million thrown off the rolls would be disproportionately likely to have pre-existing conditions, simply because they self-selected for coverge in the first place. And many millions adult Americans with employer covered never be covered again if they lose their jobs and with that, coverage of their pre-existing conditions. Terrible optics, even if we leave the moral issue out of it. In any case, covering pre-existing conditions is very popular: [T[he provision is one of the most popular aspects of Obamacare; its favored by 69% of the respondents to a recent Kaiser Family Foundation tracking poll, including 65% of Republicans. * * * At this point, let me interject that the Democrat establishment is choosing to #resist on behalf of a benefit that is not universal. ObamaCare doesnt cover everybody, either in reality or in principle, and at best, what the Democrats want to do is return to a status quo ante where millions still suffer and die for back of care, because markets. Well played! * * * So, pre-existing conditions: Well keep them. Which is what the Republicans did when they passed the Restoring Americans Healthcare Freedom Reconciliation Act to repeal ObamaCare, which Obama vetoed. Vox: The bill, introduced by Georgia Rep. and Health and Human Services Secretary-designate Tom Price, left some parts of Obamacare standing, like the requirement that insurers cover young adults through age 26. (That provision is very popular, and possibly harder to tackle through the reconciliation process.) It also left the requirement to cover Americans with preexisting conditions partially intact. The wee problem is that Prices bill and Trump doesnt necessarily agree also wants to get rid of the ObamaCare mandate to buy insurance or face a tax penalty. (Granted, the mandate is riddled with exceptions, but whoever would have thought that using the IRS to enforce the purchase of a hated commercial product would have created public relations problems?) The Senate parliamentarian ruled that all the parts of Obamacare that it repealed Obamacares insurance subsidies, Medicaid expansion, the laws tax increases, and its mandate to purchase coverage could be dismantled through reconciliation. Why is eliminating the mandate a problem? Because when you require guaranteed issue but dont require everyone to buy in, you create a death spiral: Thats because healthy individuals would often choose to take their chances without coverage. If they got sick, they could buy a plan in the next enrollment season and then drop it as soon as they received treatment. The likely result: Premiums would skyrocket and only the sickest Americans would remain insured. So, you need a club to force people into the market (because markets, also freedom) thats not the mandate. The current Republican candidate which, again, doesnt mean its Trumps is called continuous coverage. Prices bill includes it: Prices Empowering Patients plan, like Obamacare, requires insurance plans to offer coverage to all patients regardless of how sick they are. But the Empowering Patients plan, unlike Obamacare, would let insurers charge sick people more if they did not maintain continuous coverage. ObamaCare Facts gives the detail on how continuous coverage would work, as proposed by Prices bill: In simple terms, the Continuous Coverage Exclusion says if you dont have continuous coverage, you dont have guaranteed issue coverage! More specifically, the Continuous Coverage Exclusion: Makes it so insurers can charge you more and exclude coverage preexisting conditions for up to 18 months upon entering a contract (an 18 month preexisting conditions exclusion period, see page 150 of Prices law for his version). but only if you have a gap in coverage of more than 63 days before entering a new contract. Meanwhile, anyone who cant get private coverage can buy into a high-cost sick-pool. So it turns out that TrumpCare creates second-class citizens, just as ObamaCare does, but using a different mechanism: CONSIDER: If you forget to pay your bill because you changed your charge card, you can be priced out of coverage for life and have to pay a higher fee for life under this plan. You could also have a lapse in coverage if your insurance application or payment was lost by the bureaucracy. A person could get sick, forget to pay their bill, get dropped, then have to wait 18 months to get treated and die waiting under this plan. The only alternative would be a high-risk pool (an insurance pool for those with pre-existing conditions) which would likely charge very high rates and be state run. Thus, sick people would be forced into high priced government-run healthcare if they wanted to survive, while the rich and healthy would get to continue their plans at lower rates. Please note that lower rates are essentially the only benefit of excluding sick people in this way. And do note that insurance companies have every incentive to game continuous coverage by losing your payment, sending correspondence to the wrong address, and so on. Given good enough IT, medical underwriting would creep right back in, just as it has under ObamaCare with narrow networks and pricing by zip. Conclusion I know it will never happen, but Id love it if Trump decided to stick it to zombie-eyed granny starver Paul Ryan and smarmy liberal goodthinkers Pelosi and Schumer by lowering the age-limit for Medicare to zero by executive order. Why not? That flight of fancy aside, its good that covering pre-existing conditions is a bipartisan consensus even if a universal benefit like simple, rugged, and proven Medicare for All is not. Well have to watch how badly the Republicans screw us, and how complicit the Democrat establishment decides to be. NOTES [1] Times-Picayune: My childhood home was destroyed by a tornado two days before Christmas in 2015. The insurance agent who brought my father a check told him that hed been a great customer. Why? Because my parents had been paying for insurance since 1979 and hadnt filed a claim until that tornado. On the other hand, when my house was destroyed by floodwaters in August 2005, I was quickly deemed a bad customer. I told my car insurance agent that I wanted to buy a renters policy from him, and he said he couldnt sell me one. You filed a claim after Katrina, he said. So, like that. I must confess to holding back from saying much about Trumps infrastructure plan since it has only been sketched out at a high level. But even so, despite infrastructure being the new darling of economists as a high octane way to stimulate growth, theres plenty not to like about the Trump version even at the 50,000 foot level: Public/private partnerships mean using middlemen with very high profit requirements, making the process more costly than if handled by government entities directly. The Federal government has repeatedly executed large scale investment programs successfully of vastly more complexity than anything the private sector has undertaken (see Felix Rohaytns Bold Endeavors for examples; consider the space race for starters). Private-sector deals will go whether the returns, which includes looting, is greatest, rather than where the need or long-term growth opportunities are best. First, Trump implicitly promised to help revitalize parts of America that lost factory jobs, and many of those are in small to medium-sized towns. But for a project to be attractive to investors, it will need to serve large or at least large-ish numbers of users. That means even if downtrodden states do get some investment dough, it will almost certainly go to their cities, and not the boonies. Second, the well-documented fact that investors demand excessively high returns make them prefer opportunities where cash flows are front-ended. That is not the profile of societally-desirable infrastructure project. As Andrew Haldane said in a 2011 speech, based on his work with Richard Davies: Our evidence suggests short-termism is both statistically and economically significant in capital markets. It appears also to be rising. In the UK and US, cash-flows 5 years ahead are discounted at rates more appropriate 8 or more years hence; 10 year ahead cash-flows are valued as if 16 or more years ahead; and cash-flows more than 30 years ahead are scarcely valued at all This is a market failure. It would tend to result in investment being too low and in long-duration projects suffering disproportionately. This might include projects with high build or sunk costs, including infrastructure and high-tech investments. These projects are often felt to yield the highest long-term (private and social) returns and hence offer the biggest boost to future growth. That makes short-termism a public policy issue. By relying on known-to-be-myopic private investors, Trumps plan would double down on a known investor bias. Infrastructure investment will provide an economic stimulus only to the degree it is truly incremental spending. If it merely moves government projects that would have been executed regardless into private hands and/or diverts private investor funding from private investments (not secondary investments, but the funding of corporate growth projects, such as financing smaller-tier private companies) it will not additive. Some types of infrastructure deals are guaranteed bankruptcy futures. Toll roads, tunnels and bridges are sure losers. From a 2014 article in Thinking Highways: Beginning with the contracting stage, the evidence suggests toll operating public private partnerships are transportation shell companies for international financiers and contractors who blueprint future bankruptcies. Because Uncle Sam generally guarantees the bonds by far the largest chunk of private money if and when the private toll road or tunnel partner goes bankrupt, taxpayers are forced to pay off the bonds while absorbing all loans the state and federal governments gave the private shell company and any accumulated depreciation. Yet the shell companys parent firms get to keep years of actual toll income, on top of millions in design-build cost overruns. Of course, no executive comes forward and says, Were planning to go bankrupt, but an analysis of the data is shocking. There do not appear to be any American private toll firms still in operation under the same management 15 years after construction closed. The original toll firms seem consistently to have gone bankrupt or zeroed their assets and walked away, leaving taxpayers a highway now needing repair and having to pay off the bonds and absorb the loans and the depreciation. The list of bankrupt firms is staggering, from Virginias Pocahontas Parkway to Presidio Parkway in San Francisco to Canadas Sea to Sky Highway to Orange Countys Riverside Freeway to Detroits Windsor Tunnel to Brisbane, Australias Airport Link to South Carolinas Connector 2000 to San Diegos South Bay Expressway to Austins Cintra SH 130 to a couple dozen other toll facilities. We cannot find any American private toll companies, furthermore, meeting their pre-construction traffic projections. Even those shell companies not in bankruptcy court usually produce half the income they projected to bondholders and federal and state officials prior to construction. John Dizard in the Financial Times, points out a huge defect with the Trump plan: its dependence on equity tax credits. I must confess to not being familiar with this market at all, and merely having dimly wondered: How will this work? Traditional infrastructure investors are pretty much the same as private equity investors: public and private pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, foundations, endowments, insurers. The overwhelming majority are tax exempt. So a plan that relies on tax goodies to make the returns work wont appeal to the big money players who typically finance these projects. Dizards assessment is deadly. He points out that tax credit investors arent all that big a market, and banks are among the big players. He suggests that there is already a lot of product, meaning a that the effort to use this route to prime the infrastructure pump is likely to lead to even more of a buyers market, with the effect that infrastructure spending would take place on an even slower timetable than critics imagined. Yours truly, assuming the normal many moving parts in traditional public-private infrastructure projects, figured that there would be no meaningful new spending before 2018; Dizard suggests that even as of then, the additional investment would be modest. Even worse for the long term, this market is teeny relative to the scale of the US economy. It may be because he could not get comprehensive data, but what appears to be the biggest segment of tax equity deals (and likely the overwhelming majority) is renewable energy projects, which totaled $13 billion last year. If any readers have figures on other segments, please pipe up in comments. And the juicy part? Returns to tax-driven investors depend on having sufficient earnings to use the tax goodies. Trumps plan to reform the tax code will make the value of those credits more uncertain and generally lower. And Dizard flags another issue: recessions mean these investments dry up entirely, which the reverse of what you want with a stimulus program. You want it to be most robust in bad times, and to tail off when the economy is strong. Key sections from Dizards account, Tricky tax equity erodes US infrastructure boom: Controlling the structure and phase composition of lanthanide-doped alumina for emerging applications (Nanowerk Spotlight) Lanthanide dopants play an important role in desirable phase transformations of aluminum oxide (alumina) in order to achieve optimized physical and chemical properties. For example, the presence of dopants such as ytterbium, gadolinium or lanthanum strengthens the grain boundaries of alumina, largely affecting its mechanical properties. While alumina usually exists in the most thermodynamically stable -phase, it can also exist in several other metastable/transitional phases. The transformation from one phase into another can be directly influenced by chemistry, crystallite morphology, and other processing parameters. Doping alumina with lanthanide generally leads to such a phase transformation. Identification of the mechanisms responsible for thermal stability increase of the alumina phases has been particularly difficult. Understanding the factors that dictate the interactions between the lanthanides (or rare earth elements) and the alumina lattice could provide the necessary insight for enhancing the intrinsic properties of alumina. Alumina is an excellent candidate for laser gain media, as it has a significantly higher thermal conductivity than typical polycrystalline ceramic gain media (such as Nd:YAG). Higher thermal conductivity is required for sufficient cooling of the material as the power is increased during lasing. However, there are two major challenges to using alumina in this application, as 1) alumina is anisotropic, which makes it challenging to fabricate as a transparent material; and 2) the large-size lanthanide dopant is difficult to incorporate into the nanoscale alumina matrix. New research, reported in the January 6, 2017 online edition of Scientific Reports ("Structural Effects of Lanthanide Dopants on Alumina"), indicates that there are significant structural changes to the lattice with addition of the dopant, and that understanding these effects will lead to future research for addressing these challenges. "In the existing literature, the concentration of lanthanide dopants is significantly high, making it difficult to distinguish the subtle effects that they have on the alumina lattice," Shenqiang Ren, an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering at Temple University, and Raymond Brennan, a Materials Engineer at Army Research Laboratory, explain to Nanowerk. "Our new work represents the first time that the influence of dilute dopants is reported on the structural evolution of alumina at high temperatures. Our findings represent a potential path for advancing the processing and performance of alumina materials." This multidisciplinary work is the result of a collaboration Ren's group and and the US Army Research Laboratory (Dr. Raymond Brennan and Dr. Victoria Blair). The thermal stability of lanthanide dopant in the alumina lattice. (Image: Ren Group, Temple University) In the paper, the team demonstrates that doping lanthanides into the alumina lattice delays phase transformation, making the materials more resilient at higher temperatures. Specifically, in this study, a very small dopant concentration of lanthanide ions, on the order of 400 ppm, was able to generate a significant shift in the phase transition temperature. "The lanthanide dopant effect on phase transformation of solution-processed alumina, as well as its high temperature behavior, has been a difficult challenge to address within the scientific community," say Ren and Brennan. "Motivation for our work stems from the significant potential impact of alumina on high temperature applications." "There are also important implications for the optical community, as rare earth dopants are required for laser gain media," he adds. "A foundational understanding of rare earth effects on alumina is required for furthering research in high thermal conductivity materials for optical applications." There are numerous applications that can benefit from the results of this study, which has demonstrated stability of alumina phases at 100-300C higher temperatures. For example, lanthanide-doped alumina is attractive for laser gain media applications, as it leads to a significant increase in thermal conductivity, enabling rapid dissipation of heat away from the laser host. Alumina-based lubricants are ideal for applications that require operation at high temperatures. As another example, -alumina is commonly used as a catalyst in many applications due to its large surface area. While the current research has been focused exclusively on the effects of lanthanide dopants in the alumina lattice, the scientists believe it is possible that the temperature effects may also be present in other oxide material systems, which warrants additional investigation. It is also of interest to explore the effects of lanthanide ions on magnetic properties, such as magnetic susceptibility. Ren and Brennan conclude that future research in this field will be motivated by gaining an understand of the transition metal dopant effect on the structure-processing-property relationship of alumina nanomaterials. A South Tipperary man has come out on top in an all-Ireland welding competition. Imokilly man, John Casey, from Midleton Macra has won this year's final of the Macra na Feirme All-Ireland Welding competition, sponsored by Griffin Welding and Engineering Supply Centre (Midleton, Co. Cork). Danny ODonoghue of Freemount Macra, Avondhu, Cork finished second while John McAuley of Ardcath Macra, Meath and Joe Dunne of Suirvale Macra, South Tipperary shared third. Sean Finan, Macra National President, said: "I would like to congratulate the winner John Casey and well done to all participants. This is another very important competition to promote the skills of welding which very important for every farmer to be able complete regular maintenance of machinery and building. Thanks to Griffin Engineering for their sponsorship and Cork ETB Training Centre in Bishopstown for hosting the competition". The event took place in the Cork Training Centre in Bishopstown on December 9, with competitors from Macra clubs all over the country battling it out for the prize of a welder generously donated by the competition's sponsors as well as a place on the Macra prize winners trip abroad next year. The competition involved a written theory test followed by practical welding tasks. South Tipperary General Hospital tops the trolley table in the country again today with thirth three patients lying on trolleys in the corridors and wards of the overcrowded hospital. On Monday morning the Clonmel hospital was top of the Irish Nurses and Midwives daily trolley watch table along with Limerick University Hospital. The Clonmel hospital , in which conditions have been described in recent weeks by Consultant Paud O Regan as dangerous and degrading. regularly tops or is near the top of the INMO trolley table. Anger has been expressed in recent weeks at the delay in putting in place forty acute hospital beds which are urgently required to address the crisis. Health Minister Simon Harris visited the hospital in October and described the overcrowding there as utterly unacceptable. Minister Harris , who promised a decision on the way forward in Clonmel by the end of the year ,has been called on to live up to his responsibilities by elected representatives. They have called on him to make a decision onthe best available option,which includes a forty bed hotel unit, a forty bed modular build and possible use of Our Ladys Hospital Cashel for step down beds, so that progress can be made. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's plan to offer a federal charter for fintech companies is facing a challenge from two top Senate Democrats. In a letter Monday to Comptroller Thomas Curry, Sens. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, and Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., opposed the creation of the charter, which would allow certain types of fintech companies to avoid state licensing requirements by obtaining a limited-purpose bank charter. The OCC's plan "could also allow predatory alternative financial services providers to spread more quickly given the blessing of the federal government and elimination of state-based protections for working class Americans," wrote Merkley and Brown, the top Democrat on the Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. "Offering a new charter to nonbank companies seems at odds with the goals of financial stability, financial inclusion, consumer protection, and separation of banking and commerce that the OCC has upheld under your tenure." In the letter, the senators cast doubt on the OCC's authority to grant the charter to nondepository institutions, which appear to be the primary candidates for the charter. "It is far from clear whether the OCC has authority to grant national bank charters to them," the letter states. "Congress has given the OCC a very narrowly defined authority to charter only three specific types of special-purpose national banks...that do not accept deposits." Those comprise bankers' banks, credit card banks and trust banks, the senators wrote. The lawmakers warned that the charter could encourage companies to sidestep certain consumer protection laws by obtaining the preemption privileges of a national charter, a tactic they called "charter shopping." "This charter allows nonbank firms to negotiate which provisions of a national banking charter they want, including preemption of state consumer protection laws, while avoiding the rules and regulations that would apply to a full-service bank," they wrote. The lawmakers also doubted the OCC's plans on a deeper level, asserting that companies with single lines of businesses should not be able to obtain the status of a bank. "An alternatively chartered firm that does not take deposits by offering transaction or savings accounts, and therefore does not encourage the fundamental banking act of building wealth by encouraging savings, should not be able to refer to itself as a 'bank,'" they wrote. "Retail customers have an idea what this term connotes base on decades of experience safety, stability and a spectrum of services regulated, and in some cases insured, by the federal government." The OCC last month announced that it would begin accepting applications from fintech companies seeking to obtain a federal bank charter. Companies eligible for the charter must participate in either one of the three core banking functions: lending money, paying checks or receiving deposits. (Natural News) Six police officers found out the hard way that hand-held radar guns, kept in their lap while not pointing them at cars, cause testicular cancer over time. A study revealed that six incident cases of testicular cancer developed between 1979 and 1991 for officers who all routinely held their radar devices in close proximity to their testesthus proving their only shared risk factor for health hazards warranting the condition. One Norfolk, Virginia traffic cop said he worked with radar for 12 years, but since he quit using the radar gun, his cancer is in remission. Irradiation of localized tissues increases risk for leukemia and brain or testicular cancer Traffic radar guns emit microwave radiation at frequencies between 10.5 GHz and 36 GHz, with enough intensity to enhance tumor growth by several different means. The radiation is capable of disrupting immune function and enhancing the absorption of carcinogenic substances into cells, so although the radar gun itself may not be directly causing cancer, the microwave radiation is indirectly modifying gene expression and increasing cell proliferation rates, according to scientific research, thus leading to increased risk of cancer. Police officers who rest their active radar guns against their chest, next to their head, or in their lap are irradiating localized tissues. Radar guns can affect the health if they are not used properly, says Johnny Mercer, a motorcycle cop who taught police radar for years, and who says that keeping the gun next to the body for long periods of time increases the risk of cancer, like smokers who get lung cancer after years of tugging back on cigarettes. Mercer also compared the radar guns radiation emissions to that of microwave ovens, which have been revealed to adversely affect human blood, heart rate, and heart rate variations when people stand within 3 feet of a running nuker. Hampton, Virginia police prefer to set their radar guns in a bracket attached to the dashboard and are no longer allowed to keep the gun across their lap due to its devastating effects on health, according to the police Chief there. The Virginia State Police troopers mount their guns outside the car, and they too have been instructed by the Norfolk and Virginia Beach police officials to limit their contact with radiation-emitting radar guns. National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health warns of radar gun dangers Officials at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health are advising police departments to have regular check ups of their radar guns for radiation leakage, and they have advised the cops to mount the units on the outside of patrol cars whenever they can. The guns have been declared unsafe by one radar manufacturing company based out of Kansas called Kustom Signals, Inc. Of course, the US government and the military downplayed the dangers of the radar guns saying that there was no problem, and academic groups said that research was incomplete but that the police should use caution. That doesnt change the fact that several police officers are being injured and some are dying who kept the guns in their laps for years. In fact, out of 340 officers, the six cases of testicular cancer all came from officers who said they kept the guns near their family jewels. For all those concerned now about microwave ovens, in comparison to radar guns, typical kitchen nukers produce an average of 2.4 GHz, less than 1/12th that of some radar guns, yet are still capable of causing immediate and drastic changes to the human heart from just three feet away, and with the door closed. According to Dr. Magda Havas of Trent University, people exposed to radiation for just three minutes at 2.4-GHz can experience severe reactions in heart rate changes and altered heart rate variations, indicating an alarm response to stress, also called electrohypersensitivity (EHS) or rapid aging syndrome. This has been studied for decades, as opposed to the police radar guns that are just beginning to sound the alarms about cancer (pardon the pun). Maybe the police need to also get their doctors to check them for heart palpitations, clumping of red blood cells and fluctuations of the parasympathetic nervous system typical symptoms of radiation exposure from microwave ovens, and not just the radar guns. Sources: NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov PhonesCauseBrainCancer.com Articles.Courant.com Articles.DailyPress.com NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov NaturalNews.com January 17 will be a big day for the Centers for Disease Control. It appears their meeting will be discussing a proposal to lower the threshold level for lead exposure. According to Reuters, the US CDC will be considering lowering its threshold for elevated childhood blood lead levels by 30-percent, a shift that could help health practitioners identify more children afflicted by the heavy metal. According to Scientific American, the CDC has been using a blood lead threshold of 5 micrograms per deciliter for age under age six since 2012. The CDC sets public health standards for exposure to lead. However, while there's no level of lead exposure is safe for children, those who test at or above that level warrants a public health response. Based on new data from a national health survey, the CDC may lower its reference level to 3.5 micrograms per deciliter in the comic months, according to six people briefed by the agency. The measure will come up for discussion at a CDC meeting in Atlanta this January 17. But the step, which has been under consideration for months, could be controversial. One concern is evident: lowering the threshold could drain sparse resources from the public health response to children who need the most help, as in those with high lead levels. The CDC did not respond for a request to comment. Exposure to lead, typically in peeling old paint, tainted water or contaminated soil, can cause cognitive impairment and other irreversible health impacts. The CDC adjusts its threshold periodically as nationwide average levels drop. The value is meant to identify children whose blood lead levels put them among the 2.5-percent of those with the heaviest exposure. Lead has no biological function in the body, and so the less there of it in the body, the better, according to Bernard M Y Cheung, from the University of Hong Kong. The federal agency is talking with state health officials, laboratory operators, and medical device makers and public housing authorities about how and when to implement a new threshold. Since lead has been banned in paint and phased out of gasoline nearly 40 years ago, average childhood blood lead levels have fallen more than 90-percent. Now the average is around 1-microgram per deciliter. Unlike other species close to our lineage, humans have no penis bones, and this could be because of the difference between our mating practices. A study published recently at the Proceedings of the Royal Society B explains how humans lost their "bacula," the penis bones that are found in chimpanzees and most of our ancestor of all primates and carnivores. According to the study, penis bones are most tightly correlated to increased "intromission duration," which is how long the penis is inside the vagina during sexual intercourse. The longer the intromission duration, the longer the bacula. However, longer intromission times often occur in species with polygamous mating practices. In present human's case, polygamy is not as extensive as what is seen in chimpanzees, which could be why bacula was lost as early humans evolved. The Conversation reported that the walrus baculum is around a sixth of its body length, whereas ring-tailed lemur's is only around a 40th of its body length. Wire reported that bacula's purpose is to act as a "supportive structure" during the prolonged penetration - protecting the urethra and preventing it from being constricted. Another discovery as mentioned by the study is that males of species facing high levels of sexual competition for females have longer bacula than those facing lower levels of sexual competition. "We think that is when the human baculum would have disappeared because the mating system changed at that point," Kit Opie who ran the study with Matilda Brindle at University College London told The Guardian. "This may have been the final nail in the coffin for the already diminished baculum, which was then lost in ancestral humans." "With the reduced competition for mates, you are less likely to need a baculum," he added. "Despite what we might want to think, we are actually one of the species that comes in below the three minute cut-off where these things come in handy." Surgeons have discovered a tumor that contains a miniature brain, bones and hairs inside a 16-year-old's ovary. A paper, recently published in Neuropathology, described the strange incident. As per the authors of the paper, the tumor measured 10 centimeters. It was identified as a mature cystic teratoma, derived from the Greek word teratos/teras, which means monster. Describing the "monster," which was accidentally discovered by the surgeons when removing the girl's appendix, New Scientist reported that the tumor has a skull covering the 1.18-inch brain, which included a tiny version of a cerebellum and a mass that resembled a brain stem. Amazingly, the brain could transmit electric impulses like a normal brain. Cancer Research UK said ovarian teratoma is a type of germ cell tumor. The mature teratoma is the most common type of ovarian germ cell tumor. However, what was found in the teenager's ovaries was rare as it already contained foreign tissues. In addition, it is puzzling how and unlikely that the tissues found in the tumor had assembled themselves to form proper brain-like structures. Angelique Riepsamen at the University of New South Wales in Australia told New Scientist, "Neural elements similar to that of the central nervous system are frequently reported in ovarian teratomas, but structures resembling the adult brain are rare." Teratomas are made from our own errant cells. They are most likely stem cells that went rogue for yet to be identified reasons. Fox News reported that neurological symptoms can occur when the immune system labels the brain cells in the ovary as foreign and attacks and this could result to foggy brain. Fortunately, this was not experienced by the patient. Doctors removed the tumor and the patient is recovering. Meanwhile, Science Alert said that this is not the first case in Japan. In 2002, a tumor with developing organs, head, body, extremities, and even the beginnings of a penis was removed from a 25-year-old Japanese woman. Scientists keeping an eye on Antarctica's Larsen C ice shelf reported an alarming observation: a sizeable portion seems poised to break away in the coming months. According to a report from Phys Org, the enormous block of ice that's set to break away is a hundred times the size of Manhattan. Adrian Luckman, Swansea University professor and leader of Britain's Project Midas, revealed to BBC that he expects the chunk to split from Larsen C soon. "If it doesn't go in the next few months, I'll be amazed," he said. "There hasn't been enough cloud-free Landsat images but we've managed to combine a pair of Esa Sentinel-1 radar images to notice this extension, and it's so close to calving that I think it's inevitable." This estimate comes after a rift in the ice sheet suddenly extended by approximately 18 kilometers (11 miles) by the end of December. Only a small fraction of the block remains connected to the main shelf. The gap also increased from being under 50 meters (160 feet) in 2011 to almost 500 meters at present. Should it separate, Luckman described the break-off as one of the ten biggest break-offs in recorded history. While the iceberg itself would not cause a significant rise in sea level, the inland glaciers that are held in place by the Larsen C ice shelf contains frozen water that could hike up ocean levels by about 10 centimeters (four inches). This is a large increase that is causing considerable concern worldwide. University of Colorado scientist Ted Scambos told Phys Org in a separate report that although the Delaware-sized iceberg is set to break away soon, he does not see the other signs that point to a collapse of the entire ice shelf. "By itself this calving is not cause for alarm," NASA glaciologist Jay Zwally agreed. He added that icebergs breaking off is a natural occurrence in the Antarctica. "But the ice shelf has been thinning as other ice shelves have been thinning in the Antarctic peninsula." After the successful launch of OSIRIS-REx, NASA is sending Lucy to two new asteroid missions in the coming years. Last January 5, the agency announced that it has chosen two missions to explore in 2021 and 2023. The missions called Lucy and Psyche were chosen by the agency to explore the earliest remnants of the solar system. The said missions were chosen from five finalists. "Lucy will visit a target-rich environment of Jupiter's mysterious Trojan asteroids, while Psyche will study a unique metal asteroid that's never been visited before," Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington said in a press release. "This is what Discovery Program missions are all about -- boldly going to places we've never been to enable groundbreaking science." Lucy Lucy is expected to launch in 2021 with the target arrival to the destination in 2025. The robotic spacecraft will dedicate the mission in exploring six Jupiter Trojan asteroids or those trapped in Jupiter's orbit. These type of asteroids are believed to contain remnants of the older solar system that formed outside Jupiter's orbit. Experts say that studying Trojan asteroids will give scientists more data about the formation of the Solar System. Lucy is equipped with RALPH and LORRI, the scientific payload that will help the spacecraft perform its mission. Psyche Meanwhile, Psyche will target an interesting metal asteroid called 16 Psyche. The asteroid is three times farther from the Sun compared to Earth. It is believed to be composed of metals like nickel and iron as opposed to the usual rocky and icy asteroids. "16 Psyche is the only known object of its kind in the solar system, and this is the only way humans will ever visit a core. We learn about inner space by visiting outer space," said Psyche Principal Investigator Lindy Elkins-Tanton of Arizona State University in Tempe in the same report If everything went well, the second asteroid mission that will launch in 2023 will reach its destination by 2030, according to a report. However, Popular Science reported that some scientists think that NASA is launching way too many asteroid mission, especially with its limited budget. But in order to understand the universe, historical facts and remnants like those found in asteroids are considered vital. NASA believes that launching the best missions to study the space rock will aid the human race in understanding how the Earth originated as well. A favorite destination for many Bay Area campers and day trippers Big Sur on the Central Coast just 90 minutes from San Jose, California was battered by weekend storms. A San Francisco Chronicle reporter shot video of the Big Sur river rushing through the Riverside cabins and campgrounds. One of the most beloved parks, Andrew Molera State Park, was under a deluge of water on Monday. And a local blogger and her helpers captured many of the dramatic images of the flooding. The Monterey County Sheriffalso issued a warning for people to "turn around before you drown." A log jam of debris also burst loose Sunday, as trees and rocks started flowing freely down the Big Sur River. Courtesy Jim Allday As a result of the weather, several state Big Sur parks were closed Monday, including Andrew Molera, Pfeiffer Big Sur and Pfeiffer Beach because of the hazardous weather outlook issued by the National Weather Service. The small town was hit with several mudslides, debris flow and flooding, including one on Monday by the cliff-side restaurant Nepenthe. Despite that, Stan Russell, executive director of the Big Sur Chamber of Commerce, said "everyone seems to be doing fine," he told NBC Bay Area. "Everyone took cover and let the storm roll over us, for the most part." Big Sur is often described as the "greatest meeting of land and water in the world," and is a rugged area where the river and the Pacific Ocean meet. Thousands of clerical and support staff throughout the University of California system will stage a one-day walkout Tuesday in sympathy with striking workers at UCLA, according to union officials. In a move decried as unlawful by UC officials, the 12,000 workers represented by Teamsters Local 2010 will walk off the job at all 10 UC campuses and five medical centers Tuesday. Additionally, the union has scheduled several picket lines at UC campuses and facilities around the state, including UC Berkeley, UC San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz and the UC Office of the President in Oakland, according to union officials. Since Friday, the workers at UCLA have been on strike and they are expected to return to work Wednesday. They include electricians, elevator mechanics, plumbers and facilities workers. "The strike is over the university's numerous violations of state law and unfair labor practices, including the failure to bargain in good faith, unlawful delays in bargaining and threatening retaliation against workers for engaging in union activities," Teamsters officials said in a statement. UC officials claim the strikes by both groups of workers are unlawful because the two sides are still in contract talks. In addition to an average pay hike of 18 percent over the next six years, UC has offered Teamsters Local 2010 clerical workers "excellent health care benefits and retirement options," including a pension plan and an additional $1,200 ratification bonus paid out over the life of the contract, UC officials said in a statement. "UC clerical employees earn an annual average salary of $47,300 -- more than the state average of roughly $39,200 for clerical workers," UC officials said in the statement. "These UC employees typically pay just $384 a year for health insurance for themselves and their children. By comparison, the average American worker typically pays over $5,200 for less generous health coverage." Separate from the talks with the clerical workers, UCLA has been negotiating with 600 Teamsters-represented skilled trades workers on a new contract since Aug. 30. The last offer to the UCLA workers includes "an immediate 12.5 percent pay increase, a 2.25 percent signing bonus and annual 3 percent salary increases in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020," according to UC officials. This would bring their average salary to about $76,000, according to UC officials. A host of weather warnings were in effect Sunday as a storm featuring heavy rain and damaging winds batters the Bay Area. A flood warning is in effect for Napa, Solano, Sonoma and Santa Clara counties while flash flood watches have been implemented in almost every Bay Area county throughout the day. High wind warnings and wind advisories are also in effect across most of the region. A flash flood warning was issued about 4:30 p.m. for South Santa Clara County in the areas of Morgan Hill, San Martin and Gilroy due to Uvas Creek overflowing. It would remain in effect until 7:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said. In the North Bay, the Napa River crested just north of St. Helena early Sunday, flooding Lodi Lane and a nearby vineyard. While many longtime residents have seen such flooding in past years, it was a first for Nancy Barnes. "We just moved here in February, so we're new to all this," said Barnes, whose home on Lodi Lane was surrounded by sandbags. On Sunday, Sonoma County officials were anticipating the Russian River would reach flood levels at noon Monday and issued an advisory evacuation notice for the low-lying areas of Monte Rio and Guerneville. Shelter is available at the Santa Rosa Veterans Building, 1351 Maple Ave, and domestic animal companions in crates are welcome, officials said. Sonoma County officials also reported school closures for Monday. The following districts' schools would not be in session due to the effects of the storm: Alexander Valley (Healdsburg), Cloverdale Unified, Geyserville Unified, Guerneville, Forestville Union, Harmony Union (Occidental) and Monte Rio Union. Folks were also paying close attention to Sonoma Creek, Carmel River and Fairfax Creek among others. The Guadalupe River in the South Bay and the San Lorenzo River in Felton also were expected to get close to or even reach flood stage. Areas in the Santa Cruz Mountains, such as Ben Lomond, were doused with more than 5 inches of rain as of noon Sunday. Downed power lines caused outages for many in the area. Portions of the North Bay around Petaluma and Napa received 3 inches of rain. San Francisco got 1.89 inches and Morgan Hill was drenched with 3.19 inches, according to NBC Bay Area chief meteorologist Jeff Ranieri. San Jose and East Bay rainfall totals measured anywhere from less than 1 inch to 2 inches. Those numbers are expected to increase as the storm continues to pound the Bay Area. In San Francisco, flood barriers have been set in the area of 17th and Folsom streets to move water away from properties as the big storm pounds the area. A number of trees have smashed into homes or landed on city streets across the Bay Area. Heavy rains have prompted authorities to close down a number of flooded roads in the North Bay, including a major shutdown of Highway 101 in Gilroy, northbound 101 in Windsor and the closure of westbound Highway 37 in Marin from Atherton Avenue to 101. Roughly 42,000 PG&E customers throughout the Bay Area were without power as of noon Sunday, as wind-blown trees have fallen on top of power lines. Later in the day, power was restored to many, but about 12,500 remained in the dark late Sunday. A couple in Petaluma on Sunday chose to make their way through flood waters before later requesting help from rescue crews, according to fire officials. People are being advised to stay clear of moving water. A total of 133 flights, which includes arrivals and departures, at San Francisco International Airport were canceled as of 12:15 p.m., along with 289 delays due to the storm. Oakland International Airport reported 14 total cancellations and 40 delays. NBC Bay Area is awaiting numbers from Mineta San Jose International Airport. Those numbers are expected to fluctuate throughout the day. Travelers are encouraged to check with their airline before leaving for the airport. The winter storm, which is blanketing the Sierra Nevada in rain as opposed to snow, is causing some ski resorts in the Sierra Nevada to partially close or close completely because of dangerous winds. Squaw Valley will only offer limited accessibility on Sunday, and Heavenly, Northstar and Alpine Meadows will all be closed completely. The heavy rains come as California enters a sixth year of drought, starting in October with more rain falling than in three decades, mostly in Northern California. Los Angeles is experiencing the wettest winter in six years, forecasters said. The Associated Press contributed to this report. For the latest updates regarding this weekend's storm, follow NBC Bay Area reporters on Twitter: NOTE: NBC Chicago will offer a live stream of the speech beginning at 8 p.m. Tuesday right here. Not able to get tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech in Chicago Tuesday? We've got you covered. Whether you're at work, on the go or at home you can watch complete coverage of the speech live on NBC 5 or on the NBC Chicago app. We will offer a live stream beginning at 8 p.m. online and on-air. The coverage will continue until the speech ends. The U.S. president's farewell address, Obama noted, is a tradition that dates back to 1796, when George Washington said goodbye to Americans before transferring power to his successor, John Adams. Obama, in a written statement released last week, explained that the American people have helped him lead during his presidency, a theme he plans to highlight in his speech. "I'm thinking about [my remarks] as a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thought on where we all go from here," he wrote. Doors open at 5 p.m. on Tuesday for the 8 p.m. speech at McCormick Place. Thousands of people lined up first thing Saturday morning to get tickets to the event- so many that officials said tickets were no longer available before distribution even began. President Barack Obama has signed off on federal grant money totaling nearly $1.1 billion that will go toward improving portions of the CTA Red Line on the North Side. The money will be used to reconstruct the Lawrence, Argyle, Berwyn and Bryn Mawr stations as well as overhaul about a mile of nearby track and support structure, Chicago Transit Authority spokesman Brian Steele confirmed Sunday. The grant will be officially announced Monday. The stations, each built in the 1920s, will also each receive something they notably lacked: an elevator. The money will also be spent to create a flyover for northbound Brown Line tracks where they intersect with Red and Purple Line tracks just north of Belmont Avenue. It will eliminate one of the biggest bottlenecks in the entire CTA system and allow us to run more trains and alleviate overcrowding not only now but in the future, Steele said. Red Line usage, which accounts for 30 percent of total ridership among the CTAs eight train lines, is on the rise. The Red Line is the backbone of the system, Steele said. Construction is tentatively slated to begin in late 2018 and will take four or five years to complete, he said. Planning and engineering will begin this year. The federal money will be matched by several sources of local funding that will include CTA bonds and a newly created TIF fund that will collect money from property owners who live within a half mile of the Red Line between North Avenue and Devon. The City Council unanimously authorized a transit tax-increment financing district in a special session Nov. 30 in hopes of nailing down the federal grants before Obama leaves office Jan. 20. Crains Chicago Business first reported the grants had been approved. Two House Democrats are planning to boycott President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration to protest insulting comments Trump made during the campaign about women, minorities and other groups. Illinois Rep. Luis Gutierrez and Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts said they are skipping the Jan. 20 ceremony at the Capitol as a matter of conscience. "I could not look at my wife, my daughters or my grandson in the eye if I sat there and attended as if everything that candidate Donald Trump had said about women, Latinos, African-Americans, Muslims ... is OK or erased from my memory," Gutierrez said in a statement Thursday. Clark said she respects the presidency and supports the peaceful transfer of power but that families in her district "are fearful that the anti-woman, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and divisive promises that drove the Trump campaign will become the policies affecting the health and safety of every American." Clark and Gutierrez both said they had hoped that Trump would use the transition period to unify the country but believe that has not happened. "After discussions with hundreds of my constituents, I do not feel that I can contribute to the normalization of the president-elect's divisive rhetoric by participating in the inauguration," Clark said. Gutierrez said he will attend the Women's March on Washington on Jan. 21 to protest Trump's election. A Joliet man has been charged for an attempted security breach at Chicagos OHare International Airport, police said. Malik Steffon Neal, 21, faces two felony counts of aggravated battery to a peace officer, one felony count of aggravated battery causing great bodily harm, as well as misdemeanor counts of criminal trespass to state land and battery. Neal, of the 200 block of South Raynor Avenue, was arrested just before 5 p.m. Sunday after police say he forced his way past Transportation Security Administration agents into a secured area of Terminal 3 at OHare. In the incident, police say the 21-year-old attempted to board a plane without a valid ticket, ignoring commands to stop from agents and Chicago police officers. Authorities were able to stop Neal from entering the gate, police said. That is when the man lashed out, according to police, hitting the officers repeatedly in the head and body. Four officers in total were involved in the confrontation, two Chicago police officers and two TSA agents, according to police. The officers sustained non-life threatening injuries and were transported to an area hospital, police said. Neal was subsequently placed into custody and charged accordingly, according to police. He is expected to appear in court Monday. Petitions circulating in a number of suburban Chicago towns look to ask voters on an April 4 ballot if they want to annex their cities into west suburban Naperville. Mayors from each of the cities, however, are opposing such an effort. The petitions -- which were filed by an unknown person or group in DuPage County Circuit Court look to put referendum questions on the ballot to gage residents reactions to annexing Lisle, Warrenville and Woodridge into Naperville. The questions that would appear on the ballots, according to the Chicago Tribune, include: Shall the village of Woodridge, IL be annexed into the City of Naperville, IL? Shall the City of Warrenville be annexed into the City of Naperville, IL? Shall the village of Lisle, IL be annexed into the City of Naperville, IL? The questions would also be included on the Naperville ballot, the publication reports. Mayors from the three suburbs and Naperville are expected to address the petitions in a joint press conference Monday, the same day formal objections to the petitions were filed, officials said. Officials were unaware that the petitions were being circulated in their communities, Lisle spokesperson Catherine Schuster said in a statement. According to the Tribune, the Lisle petition had 221 signatures, the Warrenville petition had 81 signatures and the Woodridge petition had 51. Its unclear if the questions will in fact be included on the ballot, however. Officials from each suburb said they do not support the petition, noting that each municipality involved is currently thriving on their own. "Merging our communities as proposed offers no benefits, would be very costly and complicated, with many negative impacts," Warrenville Mayor David Brummel said in a statement. "Each of these municipalities are well run and prospering, and each make a unique contribution to the culture of our region. We became a City 50 years ago this year and we want to continue to be the unique community that is Warrenville." Officials said none of the four municipalities initiated the petitions. "I am at an absolute loss as to the motivation behind such a position," Lisle Mayor Joe Broda said in a statement, calling the petitions a "thinly veiled attempt to create confusion, anger, and frustration." His statements were echoed by Woodridge Mayor Gina Cunningham, who said the petitions "do not represent the interest of our communities." Naperville Mayor Steve Chirico added the initiative "does not pass muster" and said he is "disappointed by this effort." A man was killed and eight other people have been wounded in shootings across the city since 5:30 p.m. Friday, according to Chicago Police. The fatal shooting happened Saturday morning in the University Village neighborhood. Officers responded about 9:50 a.m. and found the 30-year-old slumped over inside a running vehicle in the 1300 block of West Hastings. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head and was pronounced dead at the scene at 10:07 a.m., police and the Cook County medical examiners office said. His identity has not been released. The weekends most recent shooting happened at 9:39 p.m. Sunday in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side, when a 21-year-old man was shot in the 5400 block of South Laflin, police said. He was sitting in a parked vehicle when someone got out of a white SUV and opened fire, striking him in the back of the head. He was taken to Stroger Hospital where his condition was stabilized. About 1:40 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to a call of a person shot and found a 21-year-old man lying in an alley in the 5600 block of North Western on the North Side, police said. The man was shot in the head and taken in critical condition to Saint Francis Hospital in Evanston. Shortly after midnight, a 33-year-old man was shot in the Portage Park neighborhood on the Northwest Side. He was involved in an argument with another male in the 4900 block of West Roscoe when the suspect pulled out a gun and shot him in the buttocks, police said. The man took himself to Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, where he was listed in good condition. About 11 p.m. Saturday, a 24-year-old man was in a vehicle traveling south in the 800 block of South California in the West Side Lawndale neighborhood when another vehicle pulled alongside him and someone inside fired shots in his direction, police said. The man was shot in the left hand and was treated at Rush University Medical Center, where his condition was stabilized. Earlier Saturday night, a 17-year-old boy was shot in both hands in a South Side Hyde Park neighborhood drive-by attack. The boy was walking on the street about 9:25 p.m. in the 5300 block of South Maryland when someone fired shots from a passing vehicle, police said. He was taken to Comer Childrens Hospital, where his condition was stabilized. About 2:45 p.m., a 25-year-old man was driving in the 10300 block of South Western in the Beverly neighborhood on the Far South Side when he was shot in the arm, police said. He took himself to MetroSouth Medical Center in Blue Island, where his condition was stabilized. Late Friday night, a man was wounded in another Lawndale neighborhood shooting. The 23-year-old said he was on the sidewalk about 11:10 p.m. in the 3900 block of West Grenshaw when someone pulled up in a vehicle and offered him cash to buy drugs, police said. They started arguing about the authenticity of the money, and the person produced a gun and shot the man in the knee. He took himself to Mount Sinai Hospital where his condition was stabilized. The weekends first shooting happened Friday evening when someone shot a man in the Back of the Yards neighborhood on the South Side. The 23-year-old showed up at Mercy Hospital about 5:45 p.m. with multiple gunshot wounds, police said. Investigators think he was wounded when carrying out a robbery about 15 minutes earlier in the 4800 block of South Wolcott. He was transferred to Stroger Hospital in critical condition. A veteran Orlando police officer was fatally shot Monday morning and a sheriff's deputy was killed in a vehicle accident while searching for the suspect in the slaying, authorities said. Authorities have launched a massive manhunt for 41-year-old Markeith Loyd in connection with the shooting of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, a 17-year veteran, near a Wal-Mart store in northwest Orlando, Orlando Police Chief John Mina said. "He should be considered armed and dangerous," Mina said. "He will be brought to justice." [[41082045, C]] Loyd was a suspect in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend last December, Mina said. Authorities urged the public to be cautious and assist law enforcement officers in finding him. Seventeen area schools were placed on lock down after the shooting, and police offered a $60,000 reward for information leading to Loyd's capture. [[410116465, C]] Orange County Sheriff's Deputy Norman Lewis was killed more than two hours after the shooting when a van collided with his motorcycle as he responded to the manhunt.. Another Orlando Police officer also was involved in a crash while responding to the shooting but only had minor injuries, Sheriff Jerry L. Demings said. "This is probably one of the toughest days in my career" of 36 years, said Demings, who hired Clayton to the Orlando Police Department. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer declared a day of mourning in the city. While at the Wal-Mart Monday morning, Clayton was tipped off by someone that Loyd was in the area. When she approached him, he fired multiple shots at Clayton Clayton returned fire but officials said they don't believe Loyd was hit. [NATL] Top News Photos: Pope Visits Japan, and More Sheriff's officials said that after the report of the shooting, Loyd was spotted by a deputy fleeing in the Orlando police officer's vehicle. The suspect pulled into a nearby apartment complex and then fired at a deputy, striking the deputy's SUV twice. The deputy wasn't harmed, the sheriff's office said. Loyd then carjacked another vehicle, drove away and then abandoned the vehicle not far away, according to the sheriff's office. The manhunt was being conducted where he abandoned the vehicle. The Orlando Sentinel reports at least seven Orlando police officers and Orange County Sheriff's deputies were seen escorting an ambulance carrying the officer to the hospital shortly after the shooting, where they later died. Mina called Clayton a hero for her community, noting that she organized anti-violence rallies. "At the Orlando Police Department, we're a huge family, we really are," he said. "We are giving everything her husband needs." "She made a point, even outside her working hours, do to things for youth and do things for the community," said Deputy Chief Orlando Rolon, who added he assumed she was wearing a bulletproof vest since that is agency policy. Florida Gov. Rick Scott also appeared at the press conference, saying he was "heartbroken and angry" and offering his condolences to the families of the victims. Scott noted the irony that the shooting and officer's pursuit death took place on the first day of his proclaimed First Responder Appreciation week. "This tragic shooting serves as a sobering reminder of how important it is for each one of us to take every opportunity to thank these heroes for their service and sacrifice," Scott said. An earlier version of this story misspelleds shooting suspect's Markeith Loyd's last name. A witness expected to testify at the upcoming double murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez has been sentenced to five years in prison for his involvement in a 2014 Hartford, Connecticut bar shooting. Alexander Bradley was sentenced Monday for illegally possessing a firearm and reckless endangerment, according to officials from Hartford Superior Court. Bradley fired at the bar shortly after being shot and told a judge he was going through traumatic events and isn't the same person he was then. Bradley testified during Hernandez's first murder trial, for the 2013 killing of a man who was dating the sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Prosecutors said Bradley was a witness to the 2012 double killing. Hernandez is accused of shooting Bradley in the face in Florida in 2013 so he wouldn't talk. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty. A Willington man is accused of driving drunk and causing an accident when his vehicle crossed over the center line and struck a police cruiser, state police said. According to police, Edward Lukas, 60, was driving on Route 32 near Ademec Road in Willington Sunday afternoon when he crossed the center line and hit a police cruiser traveling the opposite directions. The occupants of the other car suffered minor injuries. Police said Lukas admitted to drinking alcohol before the accident and had a strong smell of alcohol on his breath. He failed field sobriety tests and was arrested. Lukas was charged with operating under the influence, traveling unreasonably fast for conditions, failure to drive in proper lane, and failure to carry registration/insurance identification. He was issued a $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear in court Monday. MMCT Venture has dropped East Hartford, Hartford and South Windsor from consideration for the site of a new casino in the state, leaving East Windsor and Windsor Locks as the remaining contenders, the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan Tribes announced Friday. MMCT Venture has been seeking sites for a proposed jointly run a border casino to compete with MGM Resorts International, which plans to build a casino in Springfield, Massachusetts. The venture is made up of the tribes that run Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. We sincerely appreciate East Hartford, Hartford and South Windsors interest in working with us on this critically important project. They could not have been better partners, said Mohegan Tribal Council Chairman Kevin Brown. After a detailed economic analysis, weve determined that East Windsor and Windsor Locks align best with our development models and preserve more jobs and revenue for the state. Ultimately, wherever we build this facility, we are committed to be excellent neighbors, dedicated to helping the Capitol Region succeed, said Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Council Chairman Rodney Butler in a release. Leaders of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes have said their business in Connecticut will suffer once the Springfield casino opens in 2018 and the General Assembly's fiscal office is predicting Connecticut could lose $68.3 million in revenue. A recent study commissioned by the tribe claims that more than 9,000 jobs could be lost if the state does not compete against the Springfield casino project. The tribes are working with officials in both towns to set up meetings to discuss proposals with the communities. Silver Lane Partners, LLC, the company that propsed the East Hartford casino, announced a press conference to discuss MMCT's decision. The press conference is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Radisson Hartford Hotel on Morgan Street in Hartford. Sunday service at the Ethiopian Orthodox St. Michael Church in Garland is full of gratitude. There's appreciation and amazement upon seeing a pair of twin brothers standing tall. In early December, 16-year-old Markos and Tamrat Bogale arrived in North Texas from Ethiopia battling a severe case of scoliosis. The condition was so severe, Tamrat could not stand up straight. He had a 120 degree curvature in his spine. Through a partnership with the Texas Back Institute and Medical Center of Plano, both boys underwent life-changing surgery to correct the curvature of their spines. It's a procedure that would have been impossible in their native country. It was offered free of charge by their North Texas medical team. "When Markos and Tamrat first got here, Tamrat was about 5 inches shorter than Markos, and they're twin brothers," said Cheryl Zapata with Texas Back Institute. "Not long after the surgery we put them next to each other and Tamrat's like 'hey! I'm almost as tall as my brother'." Zapata cared for the boys while they were in Texas. Markos and Tamrat speak little English but their appreciation shows in their stance and their smiles. "They're very humble and very kind and they really appreciate the generosity that's God given then but the gifts people have given them, it's just a beautiful thing to watch," said Zapata. Tamrat must undergo one more surgery in February. Their doctors hope the brothers will be able to return to Ethiopia in the spring. It's more popular than ever to sell used items through sites like Craigslist and Letgo. If you're not careful, you could end up in harm's way. Last month, 33-year-old April Vancleave was killed in Arlington while trying to sell items to raise Christmas money. Also, 42-year-old Martha Teran was murdered in Dallas after trying to sell her cellphone. These transactions can leave even the most cautious people at risk. Princesse Elessa used the Letgo app to sell her laptop. When it was time to meet her buyer, she was worried about her safety. She soon found out she should have been worried about her money, too. She didn't want to put herself in harms way, so she called up a friend to help her make a deal. It's Christmas and I needed the money, Elessa said. She was hoping to sell her Macbook Pro for $900, so she set up an account with Letgo, an app that lets you buy and sell items in the U.S. A few days later, she heard from a man named Chase. I was just like, okay; [he] seemed like a pretty decent person, she explained. They exchanged messages about the laptop and decided to meet up to make the transaction. Chase wanted to meet at his home. And I was like, ummmm, not really comfortable, Elessa said. They agreed to meet outside her leasing office. It was winter, seven o'clock, dark as heck. It wasn't the ideal setup, but Elessa was ready to make the sale happen. I was in the passenger seat, my friend was in the driver's seat. As for the buyer, she said he seemed a bit nervous. Because when he was trying to give us the cash and he would kind of just tilt a little bit. So, I'm thinking he's just trying to protect himself or he thought maybe my friend and I were trying to scam him. Her friend took the cash, counted it and handed over the Macbook. When I got the money, I wanted to deposit it right away, she said. Elessa deposited the cash in an ATM and it spit right out. I was like, 'that's awkward.' And so I decided to the local Kroger store. I get to Kroger and the lady looked at it and was like, 'um, that's all bad cash.'" The cash was all fake. I texted the person from the number and was like you just stole my laptop. He said "I don't give a [expletive],' said Elessa. That text pushed her over the edge. She turned in the money to Addison police, who said "our investigators filed subpoenas to gain account access with Letgoas the case is still open we cannot comment further on the status." In a statement, a Letgo spokesperson told NBC 5 Responds, "we had not received previous complaints about the user you mentioned. We immediately blocked that user's phone when you reached out to us. Issues like this are quite rare. The vast majority of Letgo's users are trustworthy, but we, of course, still urge users to always exercise good judgment and take proper precautions, as they should any time they buy or sell online." She's glad she wasn't hurt, but hasn't forgiven herself for letting this happen. Because my friend and I felt something was off. We just should have stuck with our instinct, she said. If you use online sites to buy or sell items, remember these tips: To keep yourself safe - try making the transaction at your local police station. Make sure your buyer pays you in cash. Never accept checks or another form of payment that can be easily manipulated. Make sure that cash is real. Bring a counterfeit pen with you. They cost about $10. It could save you a lot of trouble in the long run. St. Stephen Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth held a prayer vigil Sunday afternoon after someone vandalized the church early Sunday morning and tried to start a fire inside. The church, located near Texas Christian University's campus at 2700 McPherson Avenue, announced on Facebook that Sunday morning services were canceled because of the damage. Fort Worth police and arson investigators from the fire department spent the morning investigating. Most of the vandalism targeted the church's education center, which is full of classrooms and offices. Pastor Fritz Ritsch said furniture was broken and tossed down stairs as rooms were destroyed. Nearly every single window pane was shattered or smashed. "I was stunned, I am frankly stunned at the damage," Ritsch said. "Apparently they tried to break one of the windows in the sanctuary, but they couldnt get in. They couldn't break the stained glass windows so that wasn't an issue." Felicia Fultz is a church member whose young children were supposed to start school Monday, after the holiday break. "I dont to lie to them so I just told them some people did some naughty things to their school and their church and they were pretty upset about it," Fultz said. It's unclear when the school will reopen. "For somebody to do something so cruel and hateful and not having any answers is nerve-wracking," Fultz said. Her mother is the director of the education center and came Sunday to find her office torn apart. "My mom is a really strong person, but I could see past it and see shes pretty hurt about it," Fultz added. The full cost of the damage isn't yet known, but arson investigators say it could have been much worse. Someone also tried to start a fire in the church's kitchen. Arson investigators are now taking a lead role in the case and said it was lucky the fire was seen and stopped early on. A church elder checked the church's security system from home early Sunday morning and noticed something was wrong. When he drove to the church, he saw someone running from the building into the woods. A description of a possible suspect wasn't immediately available. The church does have surveillance cameras and are hoping the vandal or vandals are captured on video. Several bills filed by Texas lawmakers would decriminalize marijuana in the state, or at least allow it for medical reasons. The 2017 session begins Tuesday. "I believe Texas is at a tipping point where we're seeing the rest of the country having a sensible marijuana policy, said Shaun McAlister of Arlington, the leader of DFW NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Eight states have now legalized marijuana possession. Some 28 allow it to be used for medicinal purposes. But critics, like recently retired Texas Department of Public Safety narcotics agent Corky Schalchlin of Frisco, dont see any changes coming. "I just don't think it has the legs in Texas to stand, Schalchlin said. We go through this every couple years with the legislature." This year, Texas lawmakers have pre-filed several bills. One would allow voters to decide on legalizing medical marijuana. Lawmakers two years ago legalized small amounts of cannabis oil -- but only for people with severe forms of epilepsy. Another bill would decriminalize small amounts of marijuana altogether, changing it from a misdemeanor to a civil penalty, like a traffic ticket. "I believe after this session we will stop putting people in cages for possessing small amounts of this, McAlister said. I also believe doctors will be able to recommend -- not prescribe but recommend -- marijuana as a medicine to patients." Schalchlin said there's no solid evidence that marijuana is really a medicine, adding that decriminalizing it would also be a mistake. "Are you going to have a doctor show up to surgery who has been smoking or a nurse? A fireman? he asked. If you legalize it, are you going to have police officers out there carrying a gun that have been smoking? It's scary. I think it's a slippery slope." Some experts say socially conservative Texas isn't quite ready to jump on the national trend just yet. "I wouldn't hold your breath on it passing this year, said Bob Garrett, an Austin-based reporter for The Dallas Morning News. But momentum has slowly been building, I think, toward a legalization push." Just last week in Harris County, the new district attorney announced she would no longer jail people who are caught with small amounts of pot. Instead, first-time offenders will be put in a diversion program that includes fines, community service and drug education classes. The 2017 legislative session begins Tuesday, and on the table will be two new bills that take aim at domestic violence in Texas. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one and three women and one in four men in the United States experience domestic violence. State Representative Jason Villalba (R-Dallas) hopes his two bills will help combat domestic violence in Texas, and protect residents in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. "This isn't a political issue," said Rep. Villalba. "This isn't a republican issue, or a democrat issue. This is a family issue." His first bill, House Bill 524, would increase punishment and make a third domestic violence conviction a second degree felony. His second, House Bill 525, would require offenders (on their third conviction) to register in a domestic violence database for anyone to pull up online. There are some concerns regarding the registry and how it may affect domestic violence survivors. "If an individual goes on the registry, and that individual is married to someone in the community, the other person who is a victim has now been outed," said Villalba. "The question is, do we really want to out victims? That's a concern. In this situation we will prioritize life over that concern," he said. The Texas Legislature goes into session Jan. 10, and will last 140 days. A survivor of the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport attack says there are just not enough words to thank the man who saved her life Friday. "I just prayed to god that my children would have a mother," she said. Annika Dean says she'll never forget the moment she spotted 26-year-old Esteban Santiago at the Fort Lauderdale airport. "I was terrified," Dean said. "He was walking towards us." Dean was standing in the baggage claim are of Terminal three Friday afternoon when investigators say the loan shooter opened fire, killing five innocent people. "I knew immediately that it was gun fire," Dean said. "There's no way we could of evacuated." She's a teacher with Broward Public Schools teacher and has experienced two training sessions for active shooter scenarios. "I did not only what I was trained to do through Broward Public Schools but I did what I was trained to do all my life ... and that was just to pray." Another blessing, the man in this picture Tony Bartoesavitz from Rochester, New York. While she was hiding behind carts and dropping to the floor, Tony, a man she never met acted as a shield. "As I was praying a man laid on top of me shielded my body and said I will protect you." she explained. "The minute Tony shielded me, I knew I wouldn't be harmed. He brought me instant comfort." She spoke with him immediately afterwards but never got his name, and as it turns out they're closer than she first thought. "I found out that night that his nephew has been friend's with my cousin Amy since 1984," she said. This mother of two credits his selfless act with saving her life. "Like a true hero," Dean said. "And a guardian angel." The Miami Beach Jewish Community Center was evacuated after receiving a bomb threat Monday morning, shortly after another evacuation at the Alper JCC in southwest Miami-Dade. Officials with the JCC at 4221 Pine Tree Drive said they called Miami Beach Police after receiving the threat. The building was evacuated and police went through and gave the all clear after nothing was found, officials said. Police said the threat had been received by telephone. #Traffic Alert: Avoid the 4100blk of Pine Tree Drive due to a bomb threat received via telephone. pic.twitter.com/9TjS8sCkrw Miami Beach Police (@MiamiBeachPD) January 9, 2017 Minutes earlier, the Dave & Mary Alper JCC at 11155 Southwest 112th Avenue had been evacuated for another bomb threat. Footage showed dozens of students gathered in groups outside the center as police and fire officials responded. Miami-Dade Police said the Alper JCC also received the threat over the phone, and that staff evacuated the buildings out of an abundance of caution. A bomb squad was doing a security sweep, officials said. A threat was also received at the Jewish Community Alliance of Jacksonville. Other threats were received at community centers in Tennessee, South Carolina, Maryland and Delaware. Check back with NBC 6 for updates. Two people have been charged after police say a dispute between roommates led to a shooting inside a home, injuring one man. News outlets report Holly Hill police say 27-year-old James Rainville and his girlfriend 36-year-old Angela Toole were arrested Sunday after Rainville's roommate, 40-year-old Troy Keen, was shot in the leg Saturday. Before the shooting, an arrest report says an argument broke out over Keen wanting the couple to leave because Toole and another female at the home had showered together. Police say Rainville fired a shot at the other woman. However, it missed, striking Keen. Police say three children were also found inside the home. Rainville faces assault, battery and other charges. Toole was charged with accessory after the fact. It's unclear if Rainville and Toole have attorneys. Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. says President elect-Donald Trump offered him the job of education secretary, but that he turned it down for personal reasons. Falwell tells The Associated Press that Trump offered him the job last week during a meeting in New York. He says Trump wanted a four- to six-year commitment, but that he couldn't leave Liberty for more than two years. Falwell says he couldn't afford to work at a Cabinet-level job for longer than that and didn't want to move his family, especially his 16-year-old daughter. Trump announced Wednesday he had selected charter school advocate Betsy DeVos for the job. Falwell says he thinks DeVos is an "excellent choice." Trump spoke at the Christian university in Lynchburg, Virginia, in January and Falwell later endorsed him. A second gas contractor in New York is under investigation for alleged cheating on operator qualification exams, according to the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC). The PSC says it is looking into whether employees at Bond Brothers had access to portions of the written examinations. Con Edison notified the PSC about the alleged cheating. In December, a spokesman for Con Edison said the agency received an anonymous tip, along with a copy of actual test questions and the accompanying answers, reportedly used by Bond Brothers employees. Con Edison said the utility has stopped working with Bond Brothers. Bond Brothers said it is conducting an internal review and cooperating fully with Con Edison. "At all times our employees performed tasks for which they were properly trained and qualified," the company told the I-Team. News of the Bond Brothers' alleged cheating comes on the heels of a PSC investigation into test cheating involving gas contractor Network Infrastructure. Network Infrastructure has previously denied the allegations. The PSC sent a letter to utilities announcing a statewide investigation and the suspension of testing by the Northeast Gas Association, which administers and proctors exams. The state is ordering utilities to review contractors to see who had access to answer sheets and to develop a plan to assess completed work. City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez, who recently helped pass a gas safety bill, says he vows to make sure utilities properly review work that may have been compromised by the alleged cheating. Meanwhile, the Northeast Gas Association says it expects to have a new test ready by Jan. 17. The 27-year-old woman found dead in her bed with a scarf wrapped around her neck in Manhattan last week was strangled, and the medical examiner has ruled her death a homicide, officials said Monday. Brooke Garcia, mother of a 4-year-old girl, was found underneath a white blanket on her bed in the Wald Houses at 10 Avenue D in the East Village Jan. 4. She was declared dead at the scene. The medical examiner's office said Monday she died of ligature strangulation, meaning a cord-like object was used to choke her. It's not clear if the scarf was believed to be the murder weapon. No arrests have been made in the case. Garcia's next-door neighbor, Delia Cancel, said she saw the young woman in the hallway the day before she was found dead. "Now to find out she's gone, it's horrible," she said. Another neighbor, Katy Hernandez, said, "We were here, I was with the dog, and not even she heard anything. Nerve-racking to know it was right there." Oscar Ruiz, a friend of Garcia, described her as "a real quiet person. She was cool. Always to herself." Ruiz said she cared deeply about her child. "That's all we used to do, was talking about her daughter. About change, basically, that's what it was all about, is change," he said. Three people died when a car skidded off a road and crashed into an ice-cold pond on Long Island Sunday, state police said. The 2010 Honda was stolen on Friday, according to New York State Police, who said that a trooper noticed the car and followed it before it sped up at the intersection of IU Willets and Searingtown roads in Albertson. Police said the trooper didn't turn on his cruiser lights and siren or pursue the vehicle, but the driver figured out he or she was being followed and accelerated. Moments later, the car flew off the road and into the freezing pond. The vehicle accelerated into the intersection here at Searingtown Road, crashed into a fence, and I believe overturned into the Sump Pond, police Maj. David Candelaria said. Damon Multani and Alex Stephen were driving behind the Honda when it crashed. He made a right turn and there was ice there and he just slid into the water, Multani said. I was scared, I was definitely shocked when I saw him drive into the pond, Stephen said. There were no survivors, police said. One person was found in the water and two other people were pulled from the Honda after it was lifted onto land and pried open with the jaws of life. The victims' names weren't released pending notification of their families. Neighbors watched as first responders waded into the water to retrieve the wrecked and soaked vehicle Sunday night. UPDATE: New details on Sara Packer's past as a child welfare worker UPDATE: Mom, Boyfriend Remain Behind Bars in Montgomery County Teen Grace Packer's Killing Warning: The details of this story are extremely graphic and could be disturbing to some readers. A Horsham, Pennsylvania man and his girlfriend are charged in the rape, murder and dismemberment of her teenage daughter. Jacob Sullivan, 44, was arrested Saturday and accused of raping and killing Grace Packer, 14, of Abington Township. Police also said Graces adoptive mother and Sullivan's girlfriend, Sara Packer, 41, aided Sullivan in the crime; helped him dispose of the teens body; and then formed a suicide pact with him. Bucks County District Attorney's Office According to police, about three hours after Sullivans arrest, Packer was arrested in Horsham on charges of homicide, kidnapping, unlawful restraint, possessing instruments of crime, endangering the welfare of a child, abuse of a corpse, simple assault, tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy to commit rape. Packer was arraigned at noon on Sunday. "The question is how could any mother do this to a child. To their child," said Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub. "I don't have an answer. I'm bereft." Investigators say Sullivan was involved in a polyamorous relationship with Sara Packer and another woman. On Dec. 30, 2016, Sullivans other girlfriend called 911 and told the dispatcher she had found him barely conscious and unresponsive inside their home in Horsham. She also believed he had overdosed on pills. The dispatcher then asked her if she knew why Sullivan would do that. I dont know if you have watched the news lately, the woman replied, according to the affidavit. Someone we were involved with was recently...Its a big mess. Its a big mess and I dont really know how to explain it. But oh my God. Medics arrived and Sullivan was taken to Abington Hospital where he was placed in critical condition and treated for a drug overdose. Police interviewed Sullivans girlfriend and also found a handwritten suicide note at the home. The note, which police say was written by Sullivan, said the following, according to the affidavit: "Dear babies, "I love you all so much. You are the only people that I have always been able to count on. Im sorry that I am taking the cowards way out, but I dont have any strength left in me. "People want to judge and lie and break me down. They have. "I cant exist with Sara in jail and those f------ lying pigs and the whore media have made it impossible for us to live. "They dont care how many lives or laws they break. I know you will always know that we had nothing to do with this no matter what lies they tell. Im sorry to leave you. Remember all Ive taught you. Be brave, stand tall and do your best to be stronger than I was. "I love you. "Daddy" Later that night, Sullivans girlfriend called 911 a second time. She told the dispatcher that after police and medics had left, she found Sara Packer unresponsive inside the bathroom of the home. The woman told officials she then drove her to Abington Hospital. Police determined that both Sullivan and Packer had entered a suicide pact and tried to kill themselves by overdosing on drugs. [[308443961, C]] On Saturday staff members at Abington Memorial Hospital contacted investigators and told them that during the overnight hours, Sullivan admitted he was responsible for the murder of Sara Packers 14-year-old adopted daughter, Grace Packer. He also claimed that Sara Packer was his accomplice, according to the affidavit. The hospital staff also told investigators they believed Sullivan admitted he had killed Grace to his family members when they visited him in the hospital. During an interview with investigators, Sullivan then admitted he and Packer had plotted Graces murder, according to officials. Sullivan allegedly claimed they began planning the murder in the fall of 2015 after Grace returned from living with a family member in North Carolina. Bucks County District Attorney's Office During the early morning hours of July 8, 2016, Sullivan and Sara Packer drove Grace from her Abington Township home to their new home on Cherry Road in Quakertown, Bucks County, officials said. When they arrived, Sullivan and Packer walked Grace into the house, according to the affidavit. Sullivan then allegedly struck Grace in the face several times. The duo then took Grace into the attic of the home where Sullivan raped the teen girl while Packer watched, investigators said. During his interview with officials, Sullivan also allegedly admitted to sexually assaulting Grace on two occasions prior to that incident. Packer then left and obtained several pills, according to the affidavit. The duo then gave Grace the pills, telling her it would help her deal with the pain, tied her up, gagged her and then left her to die in the extremely hot attic, investigators said. Sullivan and Packer then went back to their Abington home and later returned to the Quakertown home around 3 a.m. the next day, expecting to find Grace dead, officials said. The teen was still conscious and alive however, according to the affidavit. Sullivan then allegedly wrapped his arm around Graces neck and face and strangled her to death. Sullivan and Sara Packer then packed her body in kitty litter, investigators said. The duo allegedly left the girls body concealed in the attic where she would remain for more than three months. "Poor Grace was stored in a cedar closet while covered with moth balls and kitty litter I believe so that she would not rot and stink," said Weintraub. On July 11, Sara Packer went to the Abington Township Police Department and reported Grace was missing. She allegedly lied to police and told them prior to her daughter's disappearance, she sent Grace to her room following an argument over the teen asking to visit one of her friends. Police noted that Sara Packer couldnt provide an address or name of the friend however, according to the affidavit. Packer also allegedly told police Grace took $300 in cash from the home and that she had left the house in the past. Police then made several attempts to reach Packer as they searched for Grace over the next two months. But she allegedly ignored them and was uncooperative with the investigation. Police then visited Packers Abington Township home on September 7 but discovered she had moved without notifying them, according to the affidavit. Police then learned Packer had enrolled her 12-year-old adopted son, who is also Graces biological brother, into the Quakertown School District without notifying them, according to the affidavit. Police then received a phone message from Packer apologizing to them for not notifying them of the move, investigators said. She also allegedly told them she had notified all of Graces relatives that she went missing. But investigators later determined she had not told her relatives about Grace's disappearance at that time. While the search for Grace carried on, police said Sara continued to collect a $712 a month Social Security check in the girl's name -- failing to notify the agency that she was missing. Since the girl's disappearance, the mother spent $3,616.03 of the funds, court documents state. Police then investigated the Quakertown home where Grace's body was being concealed in mid-October, according to the affidavit. Sullivan then allegedly became concerned investigators would find the girls remains. Sullivan and Packer then moved Graces body from the attic to the second floor bathroom of the house and used a saw to dismember her limbs, according to the affidavit. The duo then allegedly stored her remains in plastic totes and put them inside the trunk of Sullivans vehicle. They then drove to a wooded area near SR 2041, White Haven Road in Bear Creek Township, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania where they left Grace's remains. On October 31, around 5:30 p.m., hunters in the woods found the remains and called police. During their investigation of Graces murder, officials found the receipt of the Bucks County tractor supply store where Packer had bought the saw used to dismember her daughters body, according to the affidavit. Investigators say they obtained surveillance video from the store of Packer buying the saw. Investigators also say they obtained a copy of Packers debit card purchases which revealed she had bought the pills she used to drug Grace from a Target store in Bucks County. Following his arrest Saturday, Sullivan was charged with murder, rape, kidnapping, abuse of corpse, simple assault and other related offenses. He was arraigned at 12:30 a.m. Sunday in Newtown, Bucks County. "I'm sorry for what I did to the girl," Sullivan said as he was led to the courthouse in handcuffs early Sunday morning. Sara Packer said nothing as she walked into the same courthouse hours later. Before police determined she was involved in the plot to kill her adopted daughter, Packer had already been arrested in November and charged with child endangerment and obstruction of justice for allegedly not cooperating with the investigation. Both her and Sullivan are being held without bail and are scheduled for a preliminary hearing on January 20. "Unfortunately Grace Packer was a disposable child to these people," Weintraub said. "She actually would have been better off had she been a forgotten child. And the question becomes, who will remember Grace Packer? Who will now speak for Grace Packer? We will." A memorial service for Grace Packer is scheduled to take place on Monday, January 16 at 3:30 p.m. at the North Penn VFW on 2519 Jenkintown Road in Glenside, Pennsylvania. NBC10 is reaching out to Packer and Sullivan's lawyers for comment. SUICIDE PREVENTION HELP: The National Suicide Prevention Hotline (1-800-273-8255) is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. What to Know New video emerged showing the Fort Lauderdale Airport shooter moments before the rampage Actress Meryl Streep made headlines for her stinging rebuke of President-elect Donald Trump at the Golden Globes Police in France say 16 people have been arrested in connection with the October heist that targeted Kim Kardashian West Get the top headlines of the day in your morning briefing from NBC 4 New York, Monday through Friday. Sign up for our newsletter here. Portrait of Airport Shooter Emerges Federal law enforcement sources say authorities in Anchorage, Alaska, confiscated a gun from 26-year-old former Army reservist Esteban Santiago in November, months before last weeks shooting at the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport. The federal officials said they believe the gun that was seized was the same weapon Santiago allegedly used in the shooting, which killed five people and wounded six more. The new details came as video emerged showing the shooter removing a gun from his waistband and firing on travelers. Santiago could face the death penalty if convicted. "La La Land" Dominates at Globes "La La Land" steamrolled through a Jimmy Fallon-hosted Golden Globes that mixed the expected, Champagne-sipping Hollywood celebration with often-voiced concern over President-elect Donald Trump. Though "La La Land" dominated with seven awards, including Best Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical, the night's final award went to Barry Jenkins' tender coming-of-age drama "Moonlight." Its sole award was Best Motion Picture, Drama. See the full list of winners. Coming a year after #OscarsSoWhite protests, the night was notable for the widespread diversity of its winners, in film and TV. Check out these top five moments from the Golden Globes and the touching tribute to mother and daughter Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher. Streep Slams Trump, Who Returns Fire Meryl Streep, the Cecil B. DeMille Award honoree, supplied Sunday evening's most striking moment: a rebuke to Donald Trump that stirred the Beverly Hilton Hotel crowd. Streep, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention, called the president-elect's mocking of a disabled reporter the year's performance that most "stunned her." "There was nothing good about it, but it did its job," Streep said. Though Trump was initially quiet on Twitter, he did speak to New York Times shortly after the awards show ended. He said he didn't catch the event on TV but called Streep a "Hillary lover" and said he wasnt surprised that liberal movie people attacked him. Trump was not in attendance at the Golden Globes, but he was there in spirit or more precisely, as the target of a slew of political barbs. Trump Changes Tune on Russia Donald Trump and his aides are entering a crucial week in his presidential transition as he and his Cabinet nominees undergo public questioning about their approach to Russia and potential conflicts of interests. Most pressing during the upcoming days of confirmation hearings and Trump's first press conference in six months likely will be whether he accepts the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials that Russia meddled in the U.S. election to help him win the White House. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said Sunday that Trump indeed has accepted that Russia was responsible for the hacking. Arrests in Kardashian Jewelry Heist French police arrested 16 people Monday in connection with the October theft of more than $10 million worth of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West. Paris police officials said the arrests took place starting around 6 a.m. in different locations in the Paris region. On Oct. 3, robbers forced their way into the private Paris residence where Kardashian West was staying, tied her up, locked her in a bathroom and held her at gunpoint before making off with her jewelry. Subway Riders Go Pantsless Straphangers ditched their trousers Sunday despite wind chills in the teens for the annual No Pants Subway Ride. "We want to give New Yorkers a reason to look up from their papers, from their phones, and experience something that's a little different than their average run-of-the-mill stuff," said Jesse Good, one of the event's organizers. Pants-less subway rides were scheduled to take place this year in dozens of cities around the world. Hillary Clinton won a more welcoming reception on Broadway than Vice President-elect Mike Pence did a few weeks ago. Audience members at Sunday afternoons performance of The Color Purplethe shows final curtain at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theatretook to social media before, during and after the show to say the one-time candidate, on hand with husband Bill and daughter Chelsea, received three ovations. Theres a lot of really awesome famous and notable people here today, The New York Times quoted actress Patrice Covington saying in a farewell speech after the performance ended. Im not going to call all of them outI know you already know them. We love you Hillary, some audience members shouted, according to the Times report. Several thanked Clinton and told her, God bless you. Clinton replied, God bless you, according to The Times. And @HillaryClinton brings down the house at @BwayColorPurple before it even starts pic.twitter.com/StPppMD2cq Logan Culwell-Block (@loganculwell) January 8, 2017 A show spokesman confirmed that the Clintons attended the performance and received "an insane standing ovation" when they entered the theater. He said they also went backstage during intermission. The former presidential candidate and secretary of state has kept a low profile since losing the November election to Donald Trump, occasionally agreeing to be photographed with admirers while hiking in the woods near her Chappaqua home. The one-time candidate appeared to don a flower-print dress for the matinee. She wore a bipartisan purple satin shirt and lapels in November when she conceded the presidential election to Trump. Husband and ex-President Bill Clinton wore a matching tie. Swing states are sometimes referred to as purple states during elections, and her wardrobe selection was said to have acknowledged that. The Color Purple is an update of the musical that first appeared on Broadway in 2005, based on Alice Walkers novel about a poor black girl growing up in early 20th century Georgia. The story has a powerful message about how a strong woman cant be held back by oppressive men in her life. When Pence attended Hamilton on Nov. 18, he received a mix of applause and boos. When the show ended, cast member Brandon Victor Dixon pointedly addressed the Indiana governor as he was walking out, saying: We, sir, we are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us . . . What to Know Threats were called in to Jewish centers in five states Monday Federal authorities are joining local law enforcement in the investigation No injuries have been reported and sweeps of the evacuated buildings have not turned up any explosive devices Authorities are investigating bomb threats called in to Jewish community centers in at least five states, including New Jersey, on Monday. The JCC on Palisades in Tenafly sent out a text alert saying it received a bomb threat shortly after noon, and that it evacuated the entire building, including a preschool, senior center and adult daycare facility for people with disabilities, as a precaution. Parents of preschoolers were told to pick up their kids and all JCC programs were canceled for the day. The precise nature of the threat wasn't clear, but Chopper 4 was over the scene around 1:30 p.m. as law enforcement officers sweeped the scene. The "all clear" appeared to have been issued a short time later, as chopper footage showed people walking back into the building. Similar phoned-in threats were reported Monday at religious centers in Florida, Maryland, Tennessee and South Carolina. No injuries have been reported and sweeps of the evacuated buildings have yielded no explosive devices. JCC MetroWest in West Orange sent an email to members about its enhanced security protocol, which includes moving its guard post to a more visible location, rotating guards on patrol and installing new, brighter lighting in the garage. "We know of NO immediate threat to our JCC, we have made these adjustments as part of our ongoing effort to consistently review our security program and put in place the recommendations of well qualified security professionals," the email said. Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a wily political survivor and multimillionaire mogul who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died Sunday, state TV reported. He was 82. Iranian media reported he suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized north of Tehran, where doctors performed CPR in vain for nearly an hour and a half before declaring him dead. A female newscaster's voice quivered as she read the news. She said Rafsanjani, "after a life full of restless efforts in the path of Islam and revolution, had departed for lofty heaven." Rafsanjani's mix of sly wit and reputation for cunning moves both in politics and business earned him a host of nicknames such as Akbar Shah, or Great King, during a life that touched every major event in Iranian affairs since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His presence whether directly or through back channels was felt in many forms. He was a steady leader in the turbulent years following the overthrow of the U.S.-backed shah, a veteran warrior in the country's internal political battles and a covert go-between in intrigue such as the Iran-Contra arms deals in the 1980s. He also was handed an unexpected political resurgence in his later years. The surprise presidential election in 2013 of Rafsanjani's political soul mate, Hassan Rouhani, gave the former president an insider role in reform-minded efforts that included Rouhani's push for direct nuclear talks with Washington. World powers and Iran ultimately struck a deal to limit the country's nuclear enrichment in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions. While Rafsanjani was blocked from the 2013 ballot by Iran's election overseers presumably worried about boosting his already wide-ranging influence the former leader embraced Rouhani's success. "Now I can easily die since people are able to decide their fate by themselves," he reportedly said last March. However, Rouhani now faces a crucial presidential election in May which will serve as a referendum on the deal and thawing relations with the West. Rafsanjani was sharply critical of a move by Iran's constitutional watchdog to block moderates, including Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of the Islamic Republic's founder, from running for a top clerical body in elections last year. Rafsanjani was a close aide of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and served as president from 1989 to 1997 during a period of significant changes in Iran. At the time, the country was struggling to rebuild its economy after a devastating 1980-88 war with Iraq, while also cautiously allowing some wider freedoms, as seen in Iran's highly regarded film and media industry. He also oversaw key developments in Iran's nuclear program by negotiating deals with Russia to build an energy-producing reactor in Bushehr, which finally went into service in 2011 after long delays. Behind the scenes, he directed the secret purchase of technology and equipment from Pakistan and elsewhere. Rafsanjani managed to remain within the ruling theocracy after leaving office, but any dreams of taking on a higher-profile role collapsed with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's disputed re-election in 2009 and the intense crackdown that followed. Rafsanjani's harsh criticism of Ahmadinejad branded him as a dissenter in the eyes of many conservatives. In a sign of his waning powers, Rafsanjani's stance cost him his position as one of the Friday prayer leaders at Tehran University, a highly influential position that often is the forum for significant policy statements. But some analysts believe that Rafsanjani was kept within the ruling fold as a potential mediator with America and its allies in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. His past stature as a trusted Khomeini ally also offered him political protection. Rafsanjani was a top commander in the war with Iraq and played a key role in convincing Khomeini to accept a cease-fire after years of crippling stalemate. Nearly 25 years later, Rafsanjani tried to revive his credentials among a new generation of reformers by recounting proposals he made to Khomeini in the late 1980s to consider outreach to the United States, still seen by hard-liners as the "Great Satan." His image, however, also had darker undertones. He was named by prosecutors in Argentina among Iranian officials suspected of links to a 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. Some Iranian reformers accused him of involvement in the slaying of liberals and dissidents during his presidency charges that were never pursued by Iranian authorities. "The title of Islamic Republic is not just a formality," he said in 2009 in the chaos after Ahmadinejad's re-election. "Rest assured, if one of those two aspects is damaged we will lose our revolution. If it loses its Islamic aspect, we will go astray. If it loses its republican aspect, (the Islamic Republic) will not be realized. Based on the reasons that I have offered, without people and their vote there would be no Islamic system." Rafsanjani a portly man with only sparse and wispy chin hairs in contrast to the full beards worn by most Islamic clerics in Iran first met Khomeini in the Shiite seminaries of Qom in the 1950s and later became a key figure in the Islamic uprising that toppled the U.S.-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. His smooth-skinned visage gave him another nickname that also fit his ruthless image: The Shark. He was elected as head of Iran's parliament in 1980 and served until 1989, when he was elected for the first of two four-year terms as president. Here, Rafsanjani began to build his multilayered and sometimes contradictory political nature: A supporter of free enterprise, a relative pragmatist toward foreign affairs and an unforgiving leader who showed no mercy to any challenges to his authority. Rafsanjani took a dim view of state control of the economy even in the turbulent years after the Islamic Revolution and encouraged private businesses, development of Tehran's stock market and ways to boost Iranian exports. His priority was to rebuild the country after eight years of bloody war with Iraq that killed an estimated 1 million people. He built roads and connected villages to electrical, telephone and water networks for the first time, earning the title of Commander of Reconstruction by his supporters. There were certain self-interests at play, as well. Rafsanjani was assumed to be the head of a family-run pistachio business, which grew to become one of Iran's largest exporters and provided the financial foundation for a business empire that would eventually include construction companies, an auto assembly plant, vast real estate holdings and a private airline. In 2003, he was listed among Iran's "millionaire mullahs" by Forbes magazine. His economic policies won him praise from Iran's elite and merchant classes, but brought bitterness from struggling workers seeking greater state handouts. Rafsanjani also faced warnings from the ruling theocracy about pushing too far. None of his reforms dared to undercut the vast power of the Revolutionary Guard which Rafsanjani briefly commanded, and which controls every key defense and strategic program. Rafsanjani's complex legacy also was shaped by the times. He took over the presidency in a critical time of transition just after the death of Khomeini. He tried to make overtures for better ties with the U.S. after the American-led invasion of Kuwait in 1991 to drive out Iraqi forces, arguing that Iran paid too high a price for its diplomatic freeze with Washington. But he could not overcome opposition from Iranian hard-liners and failed to win the backing of Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for bold foreign policy moves. He also angered the West by strengthening Iran's ties to armed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah. "One of the wrong things we did, in the revolutionary atmosphere, was constantly to make enemies," he said in a 1987 interview. "We pushed those who could have been neutral into hostility." Rafsanjani was born in 1934 in the village of Bahraman in southeastern Iran's pistachio-growing region of Rafsanjan. His father, too, was a pistachio farmer with a growing business that would later be expanded into a colossal enterprise. Rafsanjani was jailed for several years under the shah. He then helped organize the network of mullahs that became Khomeini's revolutionary underground. In 1965, he is reputed to have provided the handgun for the assassination of Iran's prime minister, Hassan Ali Mansoor. Only months after the revolution, Rafsanjani was shot once in the stomach by gunmen from one of the groups vying for power amid the political turmoil. He was not seriously wounded and neither was his wife, who jumped in front to shield him from the attack. "Great men of history do not die," Khomeini said in announcing that Rafsanjani had survived. In 1980, Rafsanjani was appointed head of the new parliament, or majlis, and was often regarded as the second most powerful man in the country. Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, the republic's first president, who was forced into exile in 1981 during a power struggle, described Rafsanjani in Machiavellian terms. "He's a man with a marked taste for power," he said in a 1989 interview with The Associated Press from his exile in France. "He's a political animal." Bani-Sadr said Rafsanjani also used to play the role of court jester to amuse Khomeini. "He's a man who makes people laugh," Bani-Sadr said. "It's a great art. He makes Khomeini laugh. He uses this to gain his objectives ... He's not brilliant as an organizer and he doesn't have too many original ideas, but he's a manipulator and he's intelligent." During the 1980s, he used his links with Lebanese Shiite extremists to help secure the release of Western hostages in Lebanon and was a key middleman identified as "Raf" in Pentagon documents in the secret Iran-Contra dealings to funnel U.S. arms to Iran in exchange for money used to fund Nicaraguan rebels. Although Rafsanjani was seen by Washington as a potential ice breaker in relations, his views were far from solidly pro-Western and displayed conflicted positions. Shortly after becoming president in 1989, he urged Palestinians to kill Westerners to retaliate for Israel's attacks in the occupied territories. "It is not hard to kill Americans or Frenchmen," he said. In February 1994, Rafsanjani survived a second assassination attempt. A lone gunman fired at him as he was speaking to mark the 15th anniversary of the revolution. Unhurt and unshaken, Rafsanjani calmed a crowd of thousands and continued his speech. The Iran-Contra fallout is an often-told tale about the dangers of crossing Rafsanjani. After word was leaked to a Beirut magazine about Rafsanjani's involvement, he ordered the arrest of the source, a senior adviser to the ruling clerics named Mehdi Hashemi, for treason and other charges. Hashemi and others were executed in September 1987. After leaving the presidency, Rafsanjani's main forum was his spot as one of the Friday prayer leaders. His sermons could run for more than two hours and were delivered without notes. In 1999 amid the first major pro-reform unrest at Tehran University he praised the use of force to put down the protests. A decade later, however, he was dismayed at the brutal crackdown against opposition groups and others claiming Ahmadinejad won re-election in June 2009 through vote rigging sanctioned by the ruling theocracy. Khamenei decided to throw his backing behind Ahmadinejad, effectively snubbing Rafsanjani and his complaints. Later, Rafsanjani fell short on efforts to mobilize enough moderate clerics in the Assembly of Experts the only group with the power to dismiss the supreme leader to force possible concessions from Khamenei on the postelection clampdowns. Rafsanjani was forced out of the post in 2011, but remained as head of the Expediency Council, an advisory body that mediates disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, a watchdog group controlled by hard-line clerics. In January 2012, a court sentenced Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, to six months in prison on charges of criticizing the ruling system. In 2013, Iran's election watchdog rejected his nomination for the presidential campaign, hinting at his age. In 2015, a court sentenced his younger son, Mahdi, to a 10-year prison term over embezzlement and security charges. Rafsanjani is survived by his wife, Effat Marashi, and five children. A man is in custody after he breached a checkpoint at OHare International Airport and tried to board a plane early Sunday, according to Chicago police. Around 4:45 a.m., the 21-year-old man from suburban Joliet breached a checkpoint in Terminal 3 and unsuccessfully attempted to board an aircraft, authorities said. Two CPD officers and two TSA officers prevented him from entering the gate and the man attacked the officers, striking them repeatedly, according to police. The offender, who was unarmed, was taken into custody and taken to Presence Resurrection Medical Center for a mental evaluation, police said. A Chicago police officer suffered non-life-threatening injuries to the face and was also taken to Resurrection for treatment, authorities added. Police explained that the investigation is ongoing. The incident occurred as Chicago police continued to provide heightened security at both O'Hare and Midway airports after five people were killed in a shooting at Ft. Lauderdale Airport on Friday. While there was no link or threat from the Ft. Lauderdale shooting to the Chicago area, according to police, CPD's increased security measures include more officers stationed throughout the terminals. A driver racked up more than $94,000 in unpaid E-ZPass tolls and fines, Port Authority police said Saturday. Sean Haluska, 43, of Farmingdale, New Jersey, was charged with obstructing governmental administration, petit larceny and aggravated unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle. He was stopped Friday at the Outerbridge Crossing toll plaza in Staten Island, police say. Police say they saw him drive through the E-ZPass lane without paying. When he was arrested, Haluska's driver's license was suspended for the fourth time, police said. Authorities say he had more than 1,490 open violations and owes more than $94,600. It's not clear whether Haluska had an attorney. Warning: The details of this story are extremely graphic and could be disturbing to some readers. A woman whose teenage daughter's dismembered remains were found in the woods last fall remained behind bars Monday charged along with her boyfriend with killing the girl in a "rape-murder fantasy" the couple shared, a prosecutor said. Jacob Sullivan, 44, of Horsham, Montgomery County, was arrested Saturday and accused of raping and killing Grace Packer, 14, of Abington Township. Police also said Sara Packer, Graces mother and Sullivan's girlfriend, aided Sullivan in the crime; helped him dispose of the teens body; and then formed a suicide pact with him. "The hours and the days leading up to her murder were probably the most horrible and traumatic that any person should ever have had to experience," Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said Sunday. On the morning of July 8, Grace, who Sara Packer adopted, was taken to the attic of a Quakertown, Bucks County house the couple rented, where she was beaten and then raped by Sullivan as her mother watched, an affidavit said. She was then poisoned, bound and gagged and left for dead, Weintraub said. When the couple returned hours later, they discovered Grace was still alive, so Sullivan choked her to death, Weintraub said. The couple packed Grace's body with cat litter to mask decomposition smells and stored it in the attic, said investigators. Officials allege they dismembered the body in October after being scared by a police visit. [[410012095, C]] The girl's torso was found by two hunters in a Luzerne County park on Oct. 31, and K-9 teams found the legs and arms nearby, the criminal complaint said. A Bucks County judge arraigned both Sullivan and Sara Packer early Sunday. They didn't enter pleas and were denied bail -- taken to Bucks County Prison ahead of Jan. 20 preliminary hearings on criminal homicide, rape, kidnapping, assault, abuse of a corpse and various other charges. "I'm sorry for what I did to the girl," Sullivan said as he was led to the courthouse in handcuffs early Sunday morning. Packer said nothing as she was led into court. "The question is how could any mother do this to a child. To their child," said Weintraub. "I don't have an answer. I'm bereft." Investigators say Sullivan was involved in a polyamorous relationship with Sara Packer and another woman. On Dec. 30, 2016, Sullivans other girlfriend called 911 and told the dispatcher she had found him barely conscious and unresponsive inside their home in Horsham. She also believed he had overdosed on pills. The dispatcher then asked her if she knew why Sullivan would do that. Medics arrived and Sullivan was taken to Abington Hospital where he was placed in critical condition and treated for a drug overdose. Police interviewed Sullivans girlfriend and also found a handwritten suicide note at the home. Later that night, Sullivans girlfriend called 911 a second time. She told the dispatcher that after police and medics had left, she found Sara Packer unresponsive inside the bathroom of the home. The woman told officials she then drove her to Abington Hospital. Police determined that both Sullivan and Packer had entered a suicide pact and tried to kill themselves by overdosing on drugs. [[410019295, C]] Staff members at Abington Memorial Hospital contacted investigators and told them that during the overnight hours Friday into Saturday, Sullivan admitted he was responsible for the murder of Sara Packers 14-year-old adopted daughter, Grace Packer. He also claimed that Sara Packer was his accomplice, according to the affidavit. The hospital staff also told investigators they believed Sullivan admitted he had killed Grace to his family members when they visited him in the hospital. During an interview with investigators, Sullivan then admitted he and Packer had plotted Graces murder, said investigators. Sullivan allegedly claimed they began planning the murder in the fall of 2015 after Grace returned from living with a family member in North Carolina. On July 11, Sara Packer went to the Abington Township Police Department and reported Grace was missing. She allegedly lied to police and told them prior to her daughter's disappearance, she sent Grace to her room following an argument over the teen asking to visit one of her friends. Police noted that Sara Packer couldnt provide an address or name of the friend however, according to the affidavit. Packer also allegedly told police Grace took $300 in cash from the home and that she had left the house in the past. Police then made several attempts to reach Packer as they searched for Grace over the next two months. But she allegedly ignored them and was uncooperative with the investigation. Police then visited Packers Abington Township home on Sept. 7 but discovered she had moved without notifying them, according to the affidavit. Police then learned Packer had enrolled her 12-year-old adopted son, who is also Graces biological brother, into the Quakertown School District without notifying them, according to the affidavit. Police then received a phone message from Packer apologizing to them for not notifying them of the move, investigators said. She also allegedly told them she had notified all of Graces relatives that she went missing. But investigators later determined she had not told her relatives about Grace's disappearance at that time. While the search for Grace carried on, police said Sara continued to collect a $712 a month Social Security check in the girl's name -- failing to notify the agency that she was missing. Since the girl's disappearance, the mother spent $3,616.03 of the funds, court documents state. [[238427591, C]] The Philadelphia 76ers have added Dunkin Donuts to its rosters of corporate partners. Financial terms of the three-year agreement are being kept confidential. This was perfect timing, Jessica Weissman, Greater Philadelphia field marketing manager for Dunkin Donuts. We had been in touch with the Sixers and we respect the organization. Theres so much excitement around the team right now. Our new on-the-go platform just became available, and we thought this would be a great way to tell people about it. Chad Biggs, the Sixers senior vice president for corporate development and activation, said the partnership calls for Dunkin Donuts to be the official coffee, donut and breakfast sandwich provider of the Sixers. Fans will get their first look at the various elements of the partnership at the teams home game on Jan. 11 against the New York Knicks. I think what really makes this partnership unique is many different fan-engagement initiatives, Biggs said. To read the reasons why fans should be excited for this partnership, click here. For more business news, visit Philadelphia Business Journal. Rock legends U2 will return to South Philadelphia this summer. The Irish rockers will play Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, June 18 as part of "The Joshua Tree Tour 2017," which will pay honor to 30th anniversary of the groups landmark album in its entirety. "It seems like we have come full circle from when The Joshua Tree songs were originally written, with global upheaval, extreme right wing politics and some fundamental human rights at risk," said guitarist The Edge. "To celebrate the album as the songs seem so relevant and prescient of these times too - we decided to do these shows, it feels right for now. Were looking forward to it." Released in March 1987, The Joshua Tree went on to sell more than 25 million copies worldwide while spinning hits like "With or Without You" and "where the Streets Have No Name." The Lumineers will open for Bono, The Edge and company in Philly. Tickets for the Philly concert ranging from $35 to $280 go on sale to the general public Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 10 a.m. The presale begins at 9 a.m. Wednesday with U2.com Redhill Group and Fan Club VIP members with other presales leading up to the general public sale. U2 last played The Linc in 2011. [[238904721, C]] The director of public safety of Cabrini University is suing Uber, claiming a driver for the ride-sharing company brutally beat him and left him lying unconscious in a pool of blood after refusing to drive him from Philadelphias University City section to his Cherry Hill, New Jersey home. The lawsuit states Joseph Fusco, 30, attended a private holiday party hosted by the security company Allied Universal on December 22 at a University City restaurant. Fusco, who is the public safety director of Cabrini University, says he left the party around 11 p.m. and called Uber for a ride home. The Uber driver arrived in a Toyota Corolla and Fusco got into the front passenger seat, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges Fusco asked the driver to take him to his home in Cherry Hill but the driver refused. When Fusco asked him again, the driver allegedly got out of the vehicle, opened the passenger door and dragged him out of the front seat by his coat collar. The driver then severely beat Fusco and left him lying on the pavement in a pool of blood, according to the lawsuit. The driver also allegedly stomped and kicked Fusco in the face and head while he was already unconscious. He then fled the scene, the lawsuit states. Fusco claims that even after the brutal beating he was still charged for the 28-minute ride. His lawyer later told NBC10 he was eventually refunded however. Two bystanders found him on the sidewalk and called 911. Fusco was taken to Presbyterian Hospital and treated for serious facial injuries and broken bones, according to the lawsuit. After being released from the hospital, Fusco says he emailed Uber to tell them he was assaulted by the driver. The lawsuit states a representative for Uber told Fusco they would investigate the matter and also offered to reimburse him for the ride he was billed for. Fusco says the company hasnt contacted him since then though his lawyer confirmed that he was eventually reimbursed. The lawsuit also accuses Uber of not cooperating with University of Pennsylvania police in the investigation by not giving them the proper information on the driver, including his full name and license plate number. A spokesperson for Uber declined to give NBC10 a formal comment on the incident due to the pending litigation. The spokesperson did claim however that Uber is cooperating with the police investigation in spite of the lawsuits claims and that the driver accused of assaulting Fusco was banned from the company. The spokesperson also said that the driver alerted Uber after the incident on December 23. The University of Pennsylvania Police Department did not confirm or deny the claims from the lawsuit or Uber but instead told NBC10 they were investigating. A Coronado father of seven showed the true meaning of being a parent when one of his own became deathly ill. His daughter's kidneys were failing and she desperately needed a donor. Her father didn't think twice. David Waitley and his 21-year-old daughter, Sydney, have a special bond--he donated his kidney to save her life. Sydney was born the smallest of four natural quadruplets at just one pound, 12 ounces. All four girls were born prematurely and had many health concerns at the beginning, but Sydney's kidneys started to improve. "Ultimately doctors told us that they would start working or they wouldn't, and they did so we never had a reason to believe she had a long-term kidney illness," said Waitley. It wasn't until a couple of years ago when Sydney started college out of state that she was rushed to the hospital. Doctors diagnosed kidney failure. "They described it that she had 90-year-old kidneys," Waitley added. Sydney started the long road of waiting for a transplant and possibly dialysis to stay alive. Her father and sister were a match. But Waitley wanted to be the donor to keep his daughter's kidneys strong in case she decided to become a mother someday. Sydney says she is now forever grateful. "I felt good in knowing that he was sure about it, even though if I felt a little unsure. Since he had his mind made up, it really set me at ease," she said. Sydney got to come home from the hospital to recover on Christmas Eve, making the holidays even more special for the Waitley family. "Sydney is really fun and just makes us laugh all the time," Waitley said. Sydney is doing great, but this isn't a permanent fix. She will most likely need another kidney transplant in the future. She told NBC 7 that she had such a great experience at Sharp Memorial Hospital that shes thinking about going into healthcare as a career. A 23-year-old man died after he was found shot inside a car in Southeast D.C. Saturday afternoon. Devin Hall, of Temple Hills, Maryland, died after he was found with multiple gunshot wounds inside a car parked on the 3500 block of 6th Street SE, police said. Officers responded to the sound of gunshots about 4:15 p.m. Hall was taken to a hospital, where he died. Information on a suspect or possible motive was not released. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 202-727-9099, or send information anonymously by sending a text message to 50411. A reward of as much as $25,000 is offered. Investigators say gang members have been robbing drivers from unlicensed ride services. According to Takoma Park police, gang members have carried out several armed robberies in Takoma Park and Langley Park. Police say that in both places, drivers are robbed after being called to secluded neighborhoods. They say the criminals sometimes rob several drivers in one night. Police say the ride service drivers are particularly vulnerable because they often use cash in their transactions. The most recent robbery was reported early Sunday morning in the area of Circle and Woodland avenues. Police say the victim, a driver for Transporte El Truco, was called to pick up a fare in the 1300 block of University Boulevard just before 4:30 a.m. While on East-West Highway, the suspects told the victim they wanted to pick up a friend at Circle and Woodland avenues. When they arrived, one of the suspect's pulled out a knife, held it to the victim's neck and demanded the keys to the vehicle. The suspects stole items from the victim before running away from the scene. The victim was not seriously injured. Police are urging people in the community to not use illegal ride services out of concern for the drivers and any potential passengers. "Supporting these services creates the opportunity for crime against the drivers as well as a risk to the passengers... Please be safe," Catherine Plevy, a spokeswoman for the Takoma Park police, said in a statement. The Takoma Park Police are joining with the county police to crack down on the robberies. Hollywood honored two of its recently departed stars, mother and daughter Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, with a special segment during Sunday night's Golden Globes ceremony. Fisher died Dec. 27 after having a heart attack on a flight the week prior, and her mother Reynolds died the following day after being hospitalized. Both accomplished actresses were widely known for their most famous roles: Reynolds for starring with Gene Kelly in Singin in the Rain, and Fisher for playing Princess Leia in the original Star Wars films. [NATL] Top Red Carpet Looks: 2017 Golden Globes Arrivals Their relationship for years ranged from strained to non-existent, but late in life they became much closer, helping one another with their struggles. Reynolds lost one husband to Elizabeth Taylor, and two other husbands took her for millions. Fisher struggled from a relatively early age with addiction and mental illness. Reynolds' son Todd Fisher said his sister Carries death was "just too much" for his mother. "She said, 'I want to be with Carrie,'" Fisher told The Associated Press by phone from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where Reynolds had just died after being rushed there earlier in the day. "And then she was gone." Todd Fisher tweeted Sunday in response to the Golden Globes tribute segment. Thank you @goldenglobes for taking a moment and honoring my girls. pic.twitter.com/25TnOwzFF7 Todd Fisher (@tafish) January 9, 2017 The actresses were both laid to rest this past week. Some of Fisher's ashes were interred with her mother in the Hollywood Forever cemetery in Los Angeles. After thousands of performances, SeaWorld San Diego's "One Ocean" orca show ended Sunday, closing the chapter on a decades-old practice of including killer whales as park entertainers. Frequent SeaWorld visitor Jeff Scanlon didn't want to miss the show. "Hey, this is Shamu's grand finale, so we said, 'Let's go down,'" he told NBC 7. And fans were not disappointed. "It was amazing," Enery Smith said. "They did a good job for a last show." "It was filled with heart and soul," Teresa McGuire said. This summer, the park will unveil a new attraction in the pool. "Orca Encounter" is being billed as an educational experience that will show how killer whales eat, communicate and navigate. The park has 11 orcas. "We will conduct an interim orca educational presentation in the pool that is also used for underwater viewing... while we remove the existing theatrical moving screens and show set in the stadium and replace them with a natural backdrop that will reflect the natural world of the orca," said SeaWorld San Diego spokesperson Dave Koontz. California banned killer whale breeding in 2016, affecting the company that operates the popular marine animal theme park located just north of downtown San Diego. SeaWorld announced in March that it was no longer breeding orcas and would stop making whales do tricks at its amusement parks. Koontz said "Orca Encounter" show will open in summer 2017. The new orca displays will be added to the company's other parks in Orlando and San Antonio by 2019. SeaWorld has seen attendance fall since the documentary "Blackfish" criticized conditions of captive orcas. The film featured Tilikum, an orca that killed a trainer during an Orlando show in 2010. Tilikum, who'd been seriously ill, died Friday in Orlando. President-elect Donald J. Trump announced Monday that Jared Kushner will serve as senior advisor to the president. It is an honor to serve our country, Kushner said in a statement. I am energized by the shared passion of the President-elect and the American people and I am humbled by the opportunity to join this very talented team. Kushner, a real estate developer, is married to Ivanka Trump and has been considered a close adviser to Trump during his campaign and transition. Jared has been a tremendous asset and trusted advisor throughout the campaign and transition and I am proud to have him in a key leadership role in my administration, Trump said in a statement. He has been incredibly successful, in both business and now politics. He will be an invaluable member of my team as I set and execute an ambitious agenda, putting the American people first. In a sign that he was planning to take a position in the new administration, Kushner has been taking steps to distance himself from his sprawling New York real estate business. And on Monday, Joseph Meyer, the Chairman and CEO of Observer Media where Kushner had served as publisher for years and in which he held an ownership stake sent a memo to Observer staff to announce Kushner's exit from the company. "As you've certainly been reading," the memo begins, "our publisher Jared Kushner has taken an official role in the incoming administration. "I will be taking over as Observer publisher and Jared will no longer have an ownership stake in the Observer. He has also resigned from our editorial board and will play no role in the publication's affairs going forward," Meyer's statement reads. Beyond the Observer, Kushner must clear a series of hurdles before he takes any post in Washington. He will need to argue that a federal anti-nepotism law that bar officials from appointing relatives to government positions does not apply to him as well as eliminate potential conflicts of interest between his family's multi-billion dollar real estate empire and his government duties. Kushner, who often has the last word with the president-elect before a major decision is made, has explored stepping away from his role as CEO of the real estate business and has consulted with federal officials about resolving potential conflicts, according to his lawyer. "Mr. Kushner is committed to complying with federal ethics laws and we have been consulting with the Office of Government Ethics regarding the steps he would take," said Jamie Gorelick, a partner at the law firm of WilmerHale, in a statement. "Although plans are not finalized, Mr. Kushner would resign from his position at Kushner Companies and divest substantial assets in accordance with federal guidelines." Gorelick said that Kushner "would recuse from particular matters that would have a direct and predictable effect on his remaining financial interests. He would also abide by federal rules requiring impartiality in particular matters involving specific parties." Kushner's challenges highlight a notable pattern of the incoming administration. While some government officials will be forced to divest and rearrange their financial portfolios to comply with federal ethics laws, their boss will not be required to do the same. As president, Trump is exempt from laws aimed at ensuring federal employees' personal financial interests do not influence their decisions. The president-elect has said he intends to distance himself from his own international real estate business, but he has suggested he intends to break from precedent by retaining a stake in the company. Trump is expected to announce some plans for his business during a Wednesday news conference. The Kushner Companies is a major real estate investor in New York and elsewhere and participated in roughly $7 billion in acquisitions in the last decade. If Kushner joined the administration, he would divest some of business interests, including his stake in a major Fifth Avenue skyscraper, according to his spokeswoman Risa Heller. Kushner has spent months negotiating a redevelopment of that building with Anbang Insurance Group, a real estate giant with close ties to the Chinese government, The New York Times reported on Saturday. In addition to working through that nest of potential conflicts, Kushner has also been consulting lawyers about a federal anti-nepotism law that bars officials from appointing relatives to government positions. The 1967 law, which was seen as a response to President John Kennedy selecting his brother Robert Kennedy as attorney general, would also be a potential obstacle for Ivanka Trump, who is also expected to have a role in her father's White House. Some Trump advisers have argued that the law does not apply to the White House, only Cabinet agencies. "The anti-nepotism law apparently has an exception if you want to work in the West Wing, because the president is able to appoint his own staff," Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway said in December. "The president does have discretion to choose a staff of his liking." As precedent, some Trump backers have pointed to the woman the president-elect defeated in last year's bitter White House race: Hillary Clinton. President Bill Clinton's decision to put his wife in charge of his health care reform efforts was challenged in court, but two federal appeals judges said the anti-nepotism law did not appear to cover White House staff appointments. But if Trump finds White House roles for his daughter and son-in-law, he's walking an ethical tightrope that could set a precedent for future presidents, said Norm Eisen, who served as President Barack Obama's chief ethics counsellor. For example, if the first lady's office essentially becomes the first family's office, "it will be like institutionalizing nepotism," he said. "And I think it could be politically perilous." At the least, Eisen said, Trump should ensure the couple is categorized as regular government employees who must routinely publicly file disclosures about their business ties and investments. In the campaign's stretch, Kushner was a constant presence at his father-in-law's side. He has acted as a gatekeeper to Trump in the transition and has sat in on scores of high-level meetings, including Cabinet interviews. If he takes a government post, his presence in the West Wing would add another power centre in a White House that is shaping up to be top heavy. Incoming chief of staff Reince Priebus and senior adviser Steve Bannon were announced as "equals." Conway, who will serve as counsellor to the president, is also likely to have autonomy and direct access to Trump. Ivanka Trump has taken steps to leave her role at the Trump Organization, which the president-elect said would be run by company executives and his two adult sons, Don Jr. and Eric. In a brief interview Friday with The Associated Press, Trump said he has a "very simple solution" for addressing his business ties, but would not detail the plans. He also suggested the matter was not important to Americans. "When I won, everybody knew that I had a very big business and a very successful business," he said. "The voters knew that." A man who works for a vendor for the Big Y in Old Lyme is dead and another is in the hospital after they were stabbed at the market on Sunday afternoon, according to state police and a statement from Big Y. Police responded to the store at 90 Halls Road around 2:15 p.m. to investigate reports of an assault and began performing first aid. Jing-Song Gao, 33, of Methuen, Massachusetts, was transported to Shoreline Medical Center in Westbrook, where he was pronounced dead, accoording to police. State police said he had been working the sushi counter at Big Y. The other victim, 39-year-old Tan Lin, of Old Lyme, was flown to Yale-New Haven Hospital to be treated for serious injuries. Police have not yet interviewed him because of his condition, but said the stabbing was not a random attack and that both knew each other. One was working at the store during the time of the incident and the other one was a patron. Other than that, I dont know the extent of the relationship, said Lt. Michael Kostrzewa of Connecticut State Police. Big Y said in a statement that both men were from a vendor that supplies the stores. "Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in this tragic incident which occurred on January 8, 2017. We continue to work with law enforcement regarding all aspects of this case," a statement from Big Y said. "The incident involved 2 people from one of our vendors that supplies our stores. Currently, we have additional support assisting all of our employees from this location. We thank you for your patience and understanding at this time." Police are still trying to determine the motive was for the stabbing. Big Y reopened Monday. Maine retailer L.L. Bean is on the defensive, after an online campaign called "Grab Your Wallet" has called on consumers to boycott the company. Grab Your Wallet co-founder Shannon Coulter curates the list of businesses, based on ties to Donald Trump. Some sell Trump products, others have corporate leaders that have campaigned or donated to Trump. In the case of L.L. Bean, one of its board members, Linda Bean, donated $60,000 to a pro-Trump PAC. According to the Federal Election Commission, Bean should have only been allowed to donate $5,000. When the Associated Press obtained a copy of a letter the FEC sent to Bean about the PAC donation, it caught the attention of Coulter and her followers. "As fans of L.L. Bean products, we are all hoping the company is evaluating whether or not her contributions are worth the damage she continues to inflict on the brand and reputation," said Coulter. In a several paragraph-long statement released on the company Facebook page, L.L. Bean Executive Chairman Shawn Gorman said, "L.L. Bean does not endorse political candidates, take positions on political matters, or make political contributions." He also said the company acknowledges "some may disagree with the political views of a single member of our 10-person board of directors. Like most large families, the more than 50 family member-owners of the business hold views and embrace causes across the political spectrum." Coulter said she would take L.L. Bean off the boycott list, if the company severs ties with Linda Bean. Customers outside the flagship store in Freeport, Maine, said they were unsure if the boycott will have a big impact on the beloved retail giant. "I dont think Beans should be boycotted," said Teresa Libby. "Im here for their products, not their politics," said Paul Matulis. A Massachusetts man accused of harassing a black family was arraigned Monday on charges that he had more than 80 guns and nearly 10,000 rounds of ammunition in his Lexington, Massachusetts home. Robert Ivarson, 49, was arraigned in Concord District Court and the judge ordered the defendant held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing for January 17. Authorities searched the home where 49-year-old Robert Ivarson lives after he was accused of racially motivated vandalism, allegedly throwing banana peels in a neighbor's driveway dozens of times over the last 18 months. They say they found a cache of weapons and ammunition, as well as a helmet with a swastika. Ivarson has already been charged and arraigned on civil rights and harassment violations. A woman in that family tells NBC Boston she has been scared and finally called police last month after her tires were flattened. Police had been watching the house and saw they witnessed Ivarson throwing the fruit. The Middlesex County District Attorney's Office says the amount of firepower found after the Tarbell Avenue home was searched could have amounted to a dangerous situation. Ivarson has been convicted on gun and assault charges in the past, according to prosecutors. Police in Salem, New Hampshire, say a Massachusetts man reportedly threatened a woman with a handgun, chased her in his car and head-butted an officer during his arrest Saturday. Anthony Baez, 29, of Lowell, is facing charges including possession of drugs, criminal threatening and resisting arrest. Police say they received a call from a woman who said Baez tapped on her car window with a gun. She fled and Baez alleged chased her in his vehicle before ultimately crashing in the area of 289 South Broadway St. Baez crashed again into a pole and was stopped by officers, who found that he was highly intoxicated. Baez was arrested and brought to the Salem Police Department, where he became combative and head-butted an officer in the face. Several officers were needed to control Baez. Police did not find the reported gun during a search of the area and vehicle. The injured officer was treated for injuries to his face and knee. He was held over the weekend and will be arraigned Monday. After an hours-long standoff, a man who barricaded himself in a Massachusetts building has surrendered to police. Authorities responded to the building on Franklin Street in Haverhill. The suspect may have been armed, police said. State and Haverhill police negotiated with the suspect at the scene. State police confirmed around 6:30 p.m. that he had surrendered without incident. The man was taken to an area hospital to be evaluated. He will then be booked by Haverhill Police. The initial contact with the suspect was an attempt by Haverhill police to arrest a suspect on a warrant, with state police assistance. The suspect fled into the basement apartment of someone they know in a multi-family apartment building. State police said initial reports indicated that the suspect shot at officers at some point during the initial altercation, but they have not been able to confirm that yet. Authorities said, "that will be subject to ongoing investigation and ballistics examination of scene." There were no hostages, and as far as police know, the suspect was alone. No injuries were reported. The Eagle-Tribune reported that Franklin Street was shut down, and that some nearby homes were being evacuated. The city of Haverhill sent out a tweet saying that police have an "armed suspect cornered" in a home on Franklin Street and urged area residents to stay in their homes until further notice. Haverhill PD have armed suspect cornered in home on Franklin St. PD have situation under control. Stay in your homes until further notice. City of Haverhill (@cityofhaverhill) January 9, 2017 A shelter has been set up for evacuated residents and kids whose school buses were diverted and can't get home. Connecticut State police arrested three people after finding 170 bags of heroin during a traffic stop Friday, according to state police. Police said they pulled over a vehicle on the Tolland Turnpike (Route 74) in Willington for an equipment violation. During the course of the stop, police found 170 bags divided between the driver and two passengers in the vehicle, police said. Anthony Falzone, 24, of Norwich, and Ryan LaFountain, 27, of Danielson, were arrested and charged with possession of heroin. They were each issued a $10,000 bond and scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 24. David McKnight, 53, of Danielson, who police said had 100 bags in his possession, was charged with possession of heroin with intent to sell, possession of heroin, and a brake light violation. He was issued a $75,000 bond and is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 9. Worcester, Massachusetts police are looking for a suspect who shot a convenience store clerk during a robbery attempt. Police say a masked man wearing a black hooded jacket and gloves demanded "everything you got" from the 51-year-old clerk at Edgemere Mini Mart at about 4:30 p.m. Saturday. The clerk refused and fought the suspect. Police say the suspect then stepped back and shot the clerk once in the upper leg. The suspect fled before police arrived. The clerk was taken to a hospital and is expected to live. He hasn't been publicly identified. A suspected shoplifter who police say struck a Plainville, Massachusetts officer with his car faced a judge Monday. Plainville police say officers responded to a Target store Sunday morning for a report of shoplifting. Officer Todd Holbrook approached the suspect, identified as 38-year-old Robert Camara Jr., as he got into his car in the parking lot. That's when police say the Camara Jr. put his car in drive and struck Holbrook as he fled from the shopping plaza. Camara Jr. was arrested in Attleboro Sunday night. He was arraigned Monday, being held on $15,000 cash bail. He was ordered to stay away from Target stores and out of Plainville. He has also been ordered not to drive. Holbrook was taken to Rhode Island Hospital, where he was treated for his injuries and later released. Jury selection is set to begin in the murder trial of a Connecticut man charged with throwing his 7-month son off a 90-foot-high bridge. Jury selection in Tony Moreno's case is scheduled to start today in Middletown Superior Court. Evidence is expected to begin in early February. The 23-year-old Middletown man pleaded not guilty to murder and other charges in the July 2015 death of his son, Aaden. Police say Moreno threw his son off the Arrigoni Bridge over the Connecticut River between Middletown and Portland and then jumped off himself after arguing with the boy's mother. A New Hampshire lawmaker is proposing a state ban on Russian-made vodka as retaliation for Russia's alleged interference in our presidential election. The Democratic senator behind the proposal says the ban is an appropriate way to respond, but vodka lovers at the Hooksett Rest Area in New Hampshire say the proposal is just plain silly. "It's ridiculous," said Susan Maynard of Milford, Massachusetts. "I'll buy what I want." Republican State Rep. Al Baldasaro agrees. "I thought it was crazy. I think the senator is losing it," Baldasaro told NBC Boston Tuesday. Baldasaro calls the proposal "proof" that Democrats are sore losers. "They need to, like I said to the liberal media, get their heads out of their butts and focus on real issues facing our country," Baldasaro said. Sen. Jeff Woodburn argues this is a real issue. "There is nothing is more fundamental than the purity of our election process," Woodburn said. The Senate Minority Leader wants to create a bipartisan commission to explore appropriate retaliatory measures against Russia for its alleged interference in our presidential election. "One of the things that popped into my mind is Russian vodka," he said. And it turns out to be quite popular inside our state liquor stores. Last year, the State Liquor Commission sold $6.4 million worth of Russian liquor. Money Woodburn thinks would be better spent on local products. If passed, the bill would not automatically ban Russian-made vodka, it would simply create that committee to explore the states response to the alleged hacking. Figuring out whos behind cyberattacks is always difficult, and responsible security analysts are reluctant to point fingers without a smoking gun, which seems to be the case with recent disruptions of the power system in Turkey. News sources here and here say the Turkish Energy Ministry blames storms and sabotage of underground power lines for outages around the country. It also says coordinated cyberattacks originating in the United States have been thwarted but also been keeping security teams busy. It doesnt like the outages directly to the cyberattacks, the sources say. When the reports say the attacks are coming from the United States, they refer to the geographic area, not the government of the U.S. an assertion that could conceivably be backed up at least partly in fact. The Turks may have proof of direct links to the United States, but its notoriously difficult to trace attacks back through all the hops they take en route. There may be a different original source. Contrast this with U.S. intelligence agencies attributing the hack of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) emails to Russia. The agencies unambiguously point the finger not only at Russia, but at Russian President Vladimir Putin. Cybersecurity experts find shortcomings in the evidence the government presents in a report made public last week because it sets forth conclusions without setting down the facts on which the conclusions are based. This is frustrating, but understandable; these same intelligence agencies will want to reuse the same sources and techniques and so dont want to reveal them, which would make them useless. Release of this type of report should be carefully limited. Blaming a head of state with interfering in another countrys elections is an enormous step that needs to be decided carefully in the political arena. Politicians and intelligence-gathering agencies have different standards for drawing these conclusions than the standards of purely technical cyber forensics. Cybersecurity pros, for example, might note that tactics, techniques and procedures used to hack DNC emails are similar to those used by known Russian hackers. But they would hold off stating definitively that Putin was behind them. Gathering information needed to draw such a conclusion lies outside their realm. Where does that leave the general public, which does not closely follow the details of cyber investigations but that is trying to sort this all out? It hears intelligence agencies drawing conclusions largely without disclosing how they reached them. Thats followed by technical security experts outside government saying they see no hard evidence to back up the conclusions. The result is that releasing the report, which is intended to back up the governments assertions, comes up short. Predictably enough, this weakens the governments argument. And since this is a predictable outcome, it is one that ought to be avoided from the standpoint of trying to make a political point. Transparency around these issues is impossible no matter how desirable. A relatively few with top security clearances have been briefed on details missing from the public, declassified report. They may agree with its conclusions. But the vast majority of people following the issue dont have all the facts, and thats a problem for how credibly the report is viewed. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: In a new set of rules, the ministry of finance has asked banks and post offices to submit information on cash deposits made in the saving and current accounts from April 1,2016 to November 8, 2016 in accounts, where the cash deposits during the period November 9, 2016 to December 30, 2016 exceeds the specified limits of Rs 2.5 lakh. For current accounts, banks and post offices have to give details of cash deposits adding up to Rs 12.5 lakh or more per person in the same period. Banks and post offices have been asked to submit details of these transactions by January 15. The ministry has also directed the banks to obtain and link permanent account number (PAN) or Form No. 60 (where PAN is not available) from all its existing bank accounts by February 28, 2017, if they have not undertaken the process for its account holders. The notification states that the February 28 deadline for furnishing PAN or Form 60 is not applicable to those who have time deposits or a Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA). On Sunday, a note from Finance Minister pointed that on December 15, 2016, the Reserve Bank had mandated that no withdrawal shall be allowed from accounts having substantial credit balance/deposits if PAN or Form No.60 is not provided in respect of such accounts. The banks have also been directed that person who is required to obtain PAN or Form No.60 shall record the PAN/Form.No.60 in all the documents and quote the same in all the reports submitted to the Income-tax Department. NEW DELHI: In a new set of rules, the ministry of finance has asked banks and post offices to submit information on cash deposits made in the saving and current accounts from April 1,2016 to November 8, 2016 in accounts, where the cash deposits during the period November 9, 2016 to December 30, 2016 exceeds the specified limits of Rs 2.5 lakh. For current accounts, banks and post offices have to give details of cash deposits adding up to Rs 12.5 lakh or more per person in the same period. Banks and post offices have been asked to submit details of these transactions by January 15. The ministry has also directed the banks to obtain and link permanent account number (PAN) or Form No. 60 (where PAN is not available) from all its existing bank accounts by February 28, 2017, if they have not undertaken the process for its account holders. The notification states that the February 28 deadline for furnishing PAN or Form 60 is not applicable to those who have time deposits or a Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account (BSBDA). On Sunday, a note from Finance Minister pointed that on December 15, 2016, the Reserve Bank had mandated that no withdrawal shall be allowed from accounts having substantial credit balance/deposits if PAN or Form No.60 is not provided in respect of such accounts. The banks have also been directed that person who is required to obtain PAN or Form No.60 shall record the PAN/Form.No.60 in all the documents and quote the same in all the reports submitted to the Income-tax Department. J Deepti Nandan Reddy By Express News Service HYDERABAD: While the Central Government is providing sops in various ways through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to encourage low cost housing, home buyers and realtors urge government to provide the sops and incentives directly to the home buyer instead of routing them through state governments, for making it more efficient. Under PMAY, centre provides aid to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through states or UTs in four ways in-situ rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers with private participation, affordable housing in partnership, subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house constructions or enhancements and credit linked subsidy.Unlike credit linked subsidy where home buyers will be directly provided with subsidy amount, in all the other modes, unless states play a proactive role, low cost housing will not take off.States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa are proactive in using the benefits provided by Centre and encouraging low cost housing. But it is yet to take off in states like Telangana. Though Telangana government came up with double bedroom homes for poor, it is facing various hurdles in initiating it, said C Shekar Reddy, Immediate Past President of CREDAI. The Prime Minister has announced loans of up to Rs 9 lakh will receive interest subvention of 4 per cent and loans of up to Rs 12 lakh will receive interest subvention of 3 per cent in urban areas. Bankers, realtors and builders opine that this will decrease the cost of a home considerably for lower income groups. However, the government should focus on measures which will directly motivate buyers to own a home or encourage realtors to go for low cost housing, added Reddy. Speaking on similar lines, Anuj Puri, Chairman and Country Head, JLL India said that there has been a large deficit of affordable housing projects in India. But governments push to affordable housing sector is attracting builders towards it. Apart from developers, private equity players are showing interest in funding such projects, he pointed out. Currently, banks offering loans for low cost housing are forwarding the applications for interest subsidy to National Housing Bank (NHB). After verification from NHB, subsidy amount is directly deposited in beneficiaries account, thus effectively reducing the housing loan and Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) for the home buyer. But this scheme is applicable only in urban areas. If the familys annual income of home buyer applying for loan does not exceed Rs 6 lakh and the carpet area of houses being constructed is up to 30 square metres and 60 square metres for EWS and LIG respectively, then interest subsidy is directly deposited in home buyers account. But right now not many home buyers know this and more publicity needs to be done to ensure that more poor and LIG people become homeowners, availing this benefit, pointed out AP regions head of a public sector bank. Interest subsidy on loans for low cost housing under PMAY should be implemented effectively to achieve governments aim of housing for all by 2022, summed up ASSOCHAM President, Sunil Kanoria. (Inputs from Pramod Thomas) HYDERABAD: While the Central Government is providing sops in various ways through Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) to encourage low cost housing, home buyers and realtors urge government to provide the sops and incentives directly to the home buyer instead of routing them through state governments, for making it more efficient. Under PMAY, centre provides aid to Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and other implementing agencies through states or UTs in four ways in-situ rehabilitation of existing slum dwellers with private participation, affordable housing in partnership, subsidy for beneficiary-led individual house constructions or enhancements and credit linked subsidy.Unlike credit linked subsidy where home buyers will be directly provided with subsidy amount, in all the other modes, unless states play a proactive role, low cost housing will not take off.States like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Orissa are proactive in using the benefits provided by Centre and encouraging low cost housing. But it is yet to take off in states like Telangana. Though Telangana government came up with double bedroom homes for poor, it is facing various hurdles in initiating it, said C Shekar Reddy, Immediate Past President of CREDAI. The Prime Minister has announced loans of up to Rs 9 lakh will receive interest subvention of 4 per cent and loans of up to Rs 12 lakh will receive interest subvention of 3 per cent in urban areas. Bankers, realtors and builders opine that this will decrease the cost of a home considerably for lower income groups. However, the government should focus on measures which will directly motivate buyers to own a home or encourage realtors to go for low cost housing, added Reddy. Speaking on similar lines, Anuj Puri, Chairman and Country Head, JLL India said that there has been a large deficit of affordable housing projects in India. But governments push to affordable housing sector is attracting builders towards it. Apart from developers, private equity players are showing interest in funding such projects, he pointed out. Currently, banks offering loans for low cost housing are forwarding the applications for interest subsidy to National Housing Bank (NHB). After verification from NHB, subsidy amount is directly deposited in beneficiaries account, thus effectively reducing the housing loan and Equated Monthly Installment (EMI) for the home buyer. But this scheme is applicable only in urban areas. If the familys annual income of home buyer applying for loan does not exceed Rs 6 lakh and the carpet area of houses being constructed is up to 30 square metres and 60 square metres for EWS and LIG respectively, then interest subsidy is directly deposited in home buyers account. But right now not many home buyers know this and more publicity needs to be done to ensure that more poor and LIG people become homeowners, availing this benefit, pointed out AP regions head of a public sector bank. Interest subsidy on loans for low cost housing under PMAY should be implemented effectively to achieve governments aim of housing for all by 2022, summed up ASSOCHAM President, Sunil Kanoria. (Inputs from Pramod Thomas) By PTI NEW DELHI: Leading property consultant JLL India today announced its Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri has quit the company. The firm has appointed Ramesh Nair as its new CEO and Country Head with effect from March 1. He will report to JLL's Asia Pacific CEO Anthony Couse. "Anuj Puri, Chairman & Country Head of JLL India, today announced his decision to leave the firm, simultaneously confirming that Ramesh Nair will take over as CEO and Country Head," JLL India said in a statement. Puri will move on from 28 February 2017, and Ramesh Nair assumes his new role on 1 March 2017, it added. Anuj Puri joined JLL in 2007 when his company Trammell Crow Meghraj (TCM) merged with the Indian arm of global real estate firm JLL. This formidable partnership gave rise to the largest real estate services company on the Indian sub-continent. "It's been an incredible 10 years at JLL, but now is the time to step back and reflect before moving in a new direction," Puri said. "Ramesh Nair has, over the years, taken everything he undertook from strength to strength and has earned his laurels many times over. I've worked closely with him for many years, and am confident that he is perfectly placed to spearhead JLL and take it to several new levels," he added. "It's an absolute honour to be taking over as head of JLL's India business," Nair said. "I have had a fascinating journey with the Firm over the past 17 years, and would like to thank Anuj as well as the regional and India leadership teams for their support and confidence in me to lead JLL, in this exciting phase in India's economic growth and development," Nair said. As CEO and Country Head, Ramesh will be responsible for overall direction, strategy and growth of JLL's India business. He joined JLL in 1999, rose swiftly through the leadership ranks and has been a member of the India Leadership Council since its inception in 2008. In 2013, he was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, India and became an International Director in 2014. "Anuj Puri has been a great asset to JLL over the past 10 years, and has imparted a distinct identity to the Firm due to his large industry stature and contributions. On behalf of the regional and India team, I thank him sincerely for his immense contribution," says Anthony Couse. "I look forward to working with Ramesh closely - and to seeing him put into action exciting new growth plans for our India business, which is almost Rs 3000 crore in size," he added NEW DELHI: Leading property consultant JLL India today announced its Chairman and Country Head Anuj Puri has quit the company. The firm has appointed Ramesh Nair as its new CEO and Country Head with effect from March 1. He will report to JLL's Asia Pacific CEO Anthony Couse. "Anuj Puri, Chairman & Country Head of JLL India, today announced his decision to leave the firm, simultaneously confirming that Ramesh Nair will take over as CEO and Country Head," JLL India said in a statement. Puri will move on from 28 February 2017, and Ramesh Nair assumes his new role on 1 March 2017, it added. Anuj Puri joined JLL in 2007 when his company Trammell Crow Meghraj (TCM) merged with the Indian arm of global real estate firm JLL. This formidable partnership gave rise to the largest real estate services company on the Indian sub-continent. "It's been an incredible 10 years at JLL, but now is the time to step back and reflect before moving in a new direction," Puri said. "Ramesh Nair has, over the years, taken everything he undertook from strength to strength and has earned his laurels many times over. I've worked closely with him for many years, and am confident that he is perfectly placed to spearhead JLL and take it to several new levels," he added. "It's an absolute honour to be taking over as head of JLL's India business," Nair said. "I have had a fascinating journey with the Firm over the past 17 years, and would like to thank Anuj as well as the regional and India leadership teams for their support and confidence in me to lead JLL, in this exciting phase in India's economic growth and development," Nair said. As CEO and Country Head, Ramesh will be responsible for overall direction, strategy and growth of JLL's India business. He joined JLL in 1999, rose swiftly through the leadership ranks and has been a member of the India Leadership Council since its inception in 2008. In 2013, he was promoted to the role of Chief Operating Officer, India and became an International Director in 2014. "Anuj Puri has been a great asset to JLL over the past 10 years, and has imparted a distinct identity to the Firm due to his large industry stature and contributions. On behalf of the regional and India team, I thank him sincerely for his immense contribution," says Anthony Couse. "I look forward to working with Ramesh closely - and to seeing him put into action exciting new growth plans for our India business, which is almost Rs 3000 crore in size," he added By Express News Service BENGALURU: Eight labourers sustained injuries, including one seriously, after a portion of the centring roof of an under-construction building collapsed on them at Whitefield early Sunday morning. According to the police, the labourers were trapped under the debris for more than two hours and it was the Hoysala beat police, alerted about the incident, who called the NDRF personnel. The workers were made to work during the night, which is illegal, apart from substandard material being used in construction, police said. One of the injured at a hospital Tension prevailed for a while near the Accenture campus which is located nearby. The injured are Pradeep, Hiralal, Sushanth, Manthu, Badri, Jogesh, Baapi and Ghansham. They were rushed to a private hospital in Whitefield and the condition of Badri is said to be serious. They all are aged between 19 and 28 years and hail from Uttar Pradesh and other states. They were living in sheds nearby. The police said around 4.30 am, around 50 labourers were working in the first floor of the building on the site which belongs to Divyashree Constructions and Developers. A senior police officer said after the roof collapsed, the management did not call the police station. Santosh, an engineer who was at the spot, did not bother to call the Fire and Emergency personnel. Two of the labourers were rescued by the police and NDRF personnel. The search operation was called off after confirming that there were no more labourers on the premise. BBMP officials and senior police officers rushed to the spot and a case of negligence has been registered against the constructor and engineers with Whitefield police. The building also lacked any safety measures. After the incident, members of the Karnataka Republic Sene staged a protest demanding strict action against the builders who did not rush the injured to the hospital immediately. Soon after the incident, Venkatesh, the general manager, came to the spot and informed his seniors in Mumbai. The engineers, contractors and Venkatesh are all responsible for the mishap, the protesters said. Express tried to contact Divyashree Developers but they were not available for comment. BENGALURU: Eight labourers sustained injuries, including one seriously, after a portion of the centring roof of an under-construction building collapsed on them at Whitefield early Sunday morning. According to the police, the labourers were trapped under the debris for more than two hours and it was the Hoysala beat police, alerted about the incident, who called the NDRF personnel. The workers were made to work during the night, which is illegal, apart from substandard material being used in construction, police said. One of the injured at a hospitalTension prevailed for a while near the Accenture campus which is located nearby. The injured are Pradeep, Hiralal, Sushanth, Manthu, Badri, Jogesh, Baapi and Ghansham. They were rushed to a private hospital in Whitefield and the condition of Badri is said to be serious. They all are aged between 19 and 28 years and hail from Uttar Pradesh and other states. They were living in sheds nearby. The police said around 4.30 am, around 50 labourers were working in the first floor of the building on the site which belongs to Divyashree Constructions and Developers. A senior police officer said after the roof collapsed, the management did not call the police station. Santosh, an engineer who was at the spot, did not bother to call the Fire and Emergency personnel. Two of the labourers were rescued by the police and NDRF personnel. The search operation was called off after confirming that there were no more labourers on the premise. BBMP officials and senior police officers rushed to the spot and a case of negligence has been registered against the constructor and engineers with Whitefield police. The building also lacked any safety measures. After the incident, members of the Karnataka Republic Sene staged a protest demanding strict action against the builders who did not rush the injured to the hospital immediately. Soon after the incident, Venkatesh, the general manager, came to the spot and informed his seniors in Mumbai. The engineers, contractors and Venkatesh are all responsible for the mishap, the protesters said. Express tried to contact Divyashree Developers but they were not available for comment. By Express News Service BENGALURU: No molestation incident took place in K G Halli, according to the police. Both the accused and the complainant were in love with each other and they had stage-managed the molestation drama together to deceive their parents. K G Halli police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old private company employee over the alleged molestation case, which was reported a week back. Investigations revealed that the accused and the complainant, who is his sister-in-law, had planned the molestation incident hoping that her parents may agree to their marriage, thinking that no one would marry the complainant following the sexual assault. The accused has been identified as Irshad Khan, resident of Govindapura in K G Halli. He works as a sales executive with a private company while the complainant works with an online food and grocery store. Irshad hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and got married six years ago. His wife works in an MNC bank and the couple have a daughter. All of them were living together for the last two years. A senior officer from KG Halli police station said that Irshad and the complainant were inspired by the Kammanahalli molestation case. They repeatedly watched its coverage. As a part of the probe into the K G Halli incident, police analysed the CCTV footage. It was found that the suspect was limping and dragging his left leg. When Irshad visited the police station, his walking style was very similar to that of the suspect who had followed the woman. They also took phone call details of the accused and the woman and found that they have had several conversations before the incident. Khan was taken into custody and when he was interrogated, he confessed that he was in love with his sister-in-law for the last four years. Both of them were planning to get married. He married the complainants elder sister a few years ago and the complainants parents were searching for a suitable groom for her too. The accused had called the complainant more than 200 times. The woman had complained to cops that an unidentified man followed her when she was heading towards home. He also tried to kiss her after hugging and in a bid of escape, she bit her tongue, she said. She also claimed that her leg was injured after being pushed by the accused. The complainant is yet to be interrogated.No molestation incident took place in K G Halli, according to the police. Both the accused and the complainant were in love with each other and they had stage-managed the molestation drama together to deceive their parents. K G Halli police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old private company employee over the alleged molestation case, which was reported a week back. Investigations revealed that the accused and the complainant, who is his sister-in-law, had planned the molestation incident hoping that her parents may agree to their marriage, thinking that no one would marry the complainant following the sexual assault. The accused has been identified as Irshad Khan, resident of Govindapura in K G Halli. He works as a sales executive with a private company while the complainant works with an online food and grocery store. Irshad hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and got married six years ago. His wife works in an MNC bank and the couple have a daughter. All of them were living together for the last two years. A senior officer from KG Halli police station said that Irshad and the complainant were inspired by the Kammanahalli molestation case. They repeatedly watched its coverage. As a part of the probe into the K G Halli incident, police analysed the CCTV footage. It was found that the suspect was limping and dragging his left leg. When Irshad visited the police station, his walking style was very similar to that of the suspect who had followed the woman. They also took phone call details of the accused and the woman and found that they have had several conversations before the incident. Khan was taken into custody and when he was interrogated, he confessed that he was in love with his sister-in-law for the last four years. Both of them were planning to get married. He married the complainants elder sister a few years ago and the complainants parents were searching for a suitable groom for her too. The accused had called the complainant more than 200 times. The woman had complained to cops that an unidentified man followed her when she was heading towards home. He also tried to kiss her after hugging and in a bid of escape, she bit her tongue, she said. She also claimed that her leg was injured after being pushed by the accused. The complainant is yet to be interrogated. BENGALURU: No molestation incident took place in K G Halli, according to the police. Both the accused and the complainant were in love with each other and they had stage-managed the molestation drama together to deceive their parents. K G Halli police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old private company employee over the alleged molestation case, which was reported a week back. Investigations revealed that the accused and the complainant, who is his sister-in-law, had planned the molestation incident hoping that her parents may agree to their marriage, thinking that no one would marry the complainant following the sexual assault. The accused has been identified as Irshad Khan, resident of Govindapura in K G Halli. He works as a sales executive with a private company while the complainant works with an online food and grocery store. Irshad hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and got married six years ago. His wife works in an MNC bank and the couple have a daughter. All of them were living together for the last two years. A senior officer from KG Halli police station said that Irshad and the complainant were inspired by the Kammanahalli molestation case. They repeatedly watched its coverage. As a part of the probe into the K G Halli incident, police analysed the CCTV footage. It was found that the suspect was limping and dragging his left leg. When Irshad visited the police station, his walking style was very similar to that of the suspect who had followed the woman. They also took phone call details of the accused and the woman and found that they have had several conversations before the incident. Khan was taken into custody and when he was interrogated, he confessed that he was in love with his sister-in-law for the last four years. Both of them were planning to get married. He married the complainants elder sister a few years ago and the complainants parents were searching for a suitable groom for her too. The accused had called the complainant more than 200 times. The woman had complained to cops that an unidentified man followed her when she was heading towards home. He also tried to kiss her after hugging and in a bid of escape, she bit her tongue, she said. She also claimed that her leg was injured after being pushed by the accused. The complainant is yet to be interrogated.No molestation incident took place in K G Halli, according to the police. Both the accused and the complainant were in love with each other and they had stage-managed the molestation drama together to deceive their parents. K G Halli police on Sunday arrested a 34-year-old private company employee over the alleged molestation case, which was reported a week back. Investigations revealed that the accused and the complainant, who is his sister-in-law, had planned the molestation incident hoping that her parents may agree to their marriage, thinking that no one would marry the complainant following the sexual assault. The accused has been identified as Irshad Khan, resident of Govindapura in K G Halli. He works as a sales executive with a private company while the complainant works with an online food and grocery store. Irshad hails from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh and got married six years ago. His wife works in an MNC bank and the couple have a daughter. All of them were living together for the last two years. A senior officer from KG Halli police station said that Irshad and the complainant were inspired by the Kammanahalli molestation case. They repeatedly watched its coverage. As a part of the probe into the K G Halli incident, police analysed the CCTV footage. It was found that the suspect was limping and dragging his left leg. When Irshad visited the police station, his walking style was very similar to that of the suspect who had followed the woman. They also took phone call details of the accused and the woman and found that they have had several conversations before the incident. Khan was taken into custody and when he was interrogated, he confessed that he was in love with his sister-in-law for the last four years. Both of them were planning to get married. He married the complainants elder sister a few years ago and the complainants parents were searching for a suitable groom for her too. The accused had called the complainant more than 200 times. The woman had complained to cops that an unidentified man followed her when she was heading towards home. He also tried to kiss her after hugging and in a bid of escape, she bit her tongue, she said. She also claimed that her leg was injured after being pushed by the accused. The complainant is yet to be interrogated. By Express News Service BENGALURU: In a move that would give a permanent link to the descendants of indentured Indian labourers shipped abroad by the British and French, the government on Sunday announced an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card to help them visit the country without a visa. The labourers, known as girmitiyas, were taken away by the colonisers as early as in the 1820s and are spread across Africa, South East Asia, Pacific Islands and the Caribbean. The government, which has started the scheme from Mauritius, is expected to expand the scheme to benefit nearly 8 million descendants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa exchange a warm hug during a session at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru on Sunday | PUSHKAR V The announcement was made by the Prime Minister during his address at the Pravasi Bharaitya Divas 2017, organised in Bengaluru. "We have a special bond with the Indian Diaspora living in the Girmitiya countries, who are deeply and emotionally attached to their place of origin. We are aware of the difficulties faced by Persons of Indian Origin/ from these countries in obtaining an OCI Card if they moved abroad four or five generations ago. I am glad to announce that starting with Mauritius, we are working to put in place new procedures and documentation requirements so that the descendants of Girmitiyas from this country could become eligible for OCI Cards, Modi said. He further added that the government will be addressing similar difficulties of PIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and other Caribbean States. The OCI scheme was started by the UPA Government and was offered till the fourth generation descendants of the Indian emigrants. However, the girmityas are a special case as they migrated over two centuries ago and most of them have travelled to 25 nations and four French islands in the Indian Ocean. OCI does not give citizenship benefits to its holders but does give a visa-free entry. The change of policy for the girmityas is in sync with Modi governments foreign policy where Indian diaspora is the cornerstone. Modi has been harping on connecting the Indian diaspora with the economic and social transformation of the country. BENGALURU: In a move that would give a permanent link to the descendants of indentured Indian labourers shipped abroad by the British and French, the government on Sunday announced an Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) card to help them visit the country without a visa. The labourers, known as girmitiyas, were taken away by the colonisers as early as in the 1820s and are spread across Africa, South East Asia, Pacific Islands and the Caribbean. The government, which has started the scheme from Mauritius, is expected to expand the scheme to benefit nearly 8 million descendants. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Costa exchange a warm hug during a session at Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Bengaluru on Sunday | PUSHKAR VThe announcement was made by the Prime Minister during his address at the Pravasi Bharaitya Divas 2017, organised in Bengaluru. "We have a special bond with the Indian Diaspora living in the Girmitiya countries, who are deeply and emotionally attached to their place of origin. We are aware of the difficulties faced by Persons of Indian Origin/ from these countries in obtaining an OCI Card if they moved abroad four or five generations ago. I am glad to announce that starting with Mauritius, we are working to put in place new procedures and documentation requirements so that the descendants of Girmitiyas from this country could become eligible for OCI Cards, Modi said. He further added that the government will be addressing similar difficulties of PIOs in Fiji, Reunion Islands, Suriname, Guyana and other Caribbean States. The OCI scheme was started by the UPA Government and was offered till the fourth generation descendants of the Indian emigrants. However, the girmityas are a special case as they migrated over two centuries ago and most of them have travelled to 25 nations and four French islands in the Indian Ocean. OCI does not give citizenship benefits to its holders but does give a visa-free entry. The change of policy for the girmityas is in sync with Modi governments foreign policy where Indian diaspora is the cornerstone. Modi has been harping on connecting the Indian diaspora with the economic and social transformation of the country. By Express News Service BENGALURU: The sixth accused in the Kammanhalli molestation case has been arrested. He has been identified as George alias Puppy (23),resident of Kammanahalli. The police sources said,He was on the run. He had left the mobile phone at his residence and fled to Tamil Nadu with Rs 4000. George During questioning, he told police that he had gone to repent for his mistake at Velankani church in Nagapattanam. After he ran out of money, he came back to Bengaluru to get more money from his friends and leave the city again. The family was also deciding to file a missing complaint. However, based on a tip-off, cops arrested George when he tried to contact a friend. Earlier, police had arrested Aiyappa(19), Leno (20), James (20), Sudesh (20) and Somashekar (24). On January 1, around 2.41 am, ITI student Aiyappa who also works as a part-time delivery boy along with his friend Leno, a BCom dropout and working as helper groped and molested a woman who was heading towards her room after New Year Celebrations. BENGALURU: The sixth accused in the Kammanhalli molestation case has been arrested. He has been identified as George alias Puppy (23),resident of Kammanahalli. The police sources said,He was on the run. He had left the mobile phone at his residence and fled to Tamil Nadu with Rs 4000. GeorgeDuring questioning, he told police that he had gone to repent for his mistake at Velankani church in Nagapattanam. After he ran out of money, he came back to Bengaluru to get more money from his friends and leave the city again. The family was also deciding to file a missing complaint. However, based on a tip-off, cops arrested George when he tried to contact a friend. Earlier, police had arrested Aiyappa(19), Leno (20), James (20), Sudesh (20) and Somashekar (24). On January 1, around 2.41 am, ITI student Aiyappa who also works as a part-time delivery boy along with his friend Leno, a BCom dropout and working as helper groped and molested a woman who was heading towards her room after New Year Celebrations. By Express News Service CHENNAI: Chennai-origin man Vivek Kopparthi made it to the Forbes list of superachievers, amongst the 30 Indian origin innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are part of 2017 edition under the age of 30. The 27-year-old is the co-founder of the company Neolight, a medical device company which developed a portable phototherapy technology for jaundice treatment which can be used at home. He was born and raised in Guindy and did his schooling from DAV school and Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai. He went to Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College and in 2013 he went to Arizona State University, US. Being born in a city full of culture and where people are working hard all the time, besides becoming an entrepreneur I always dreamt of doing something creative, he said. After getting his business degree from Arizona University, he decided to pursue his dream. A lot of people forget to execute their dreams. I feel lucky that I am born in an Indian family where my parents sacrificed a lot to empower me, he said. Speaking of the device, he said that nearly 60 per cent of all newborns are born with jaundice that causes a babys skin to turn yellow. If it is left untreated, it can lead to brain damage. Treatment means extra days spent in the hospital. Therefore he along with his three other friends Chase Garrett, Sivakumar Palaniswamy and Deepak Krishnaraju from Arizona University came up with portable, low-cost, alternative. The conventional devices consume lot of power, they have a lot of moving parts and are five foot tall. One needs a truck to deliver it. Our device fits in a backpack and one can take it wherever one wants. It is also easy for unskilled labor to use,he said. The device is twice the size of an ipad, it contains six LEDs which produce a bluish color. Depending on the severity of the situation, babies lie on top of the surface for two or three days. It is more energy-efficient than a standard incubator and can run on a solar panel or battery if required, he said. Besides occupying a place in Forbes list, he was also called most influential millenial 2017 by AZ Business magazine. He also won Edson student entrepreneurship award in ASU, and was listed among top 35 entrepreneurs under 35 in Arizona republic magazine. CHENNAI: Chennai-origin man Vivek Kopparthi made it to the Forbes list of superachievers, amongst the 30 Indian origin innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders who are part of 2017 edition under the age of 30. The 27-year-old is the co-founder of the company Neolight, a medical device company which developed a portable phototherapy technology for jaundice treatment which can be used at home. He was born and raised in Guindy and did his schooling from DAV school and Vanavani Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Chennai. He went to Meenakshi Sundararajan Engineering College and in 2013 he went to Arizona State University, US. Being born in a city full of culture and where people are working hard all the time, besides becoming an entrepreneur I always dreamt of doing something creative, he said. After getting his business degree from Arizona University, he decided to pursue his dream. A lot of people forget to execute their dreams. I feel lucky that I am born in an Indian family where my parents sacrificed a lot to empower me, he said. Speaking of the device, he said that nearly 60 per cent of all newborns are born with jaundice that causes a babys skin to turn yellow. If it is left untreated, it can lead to brain damage. Treatment means extra days spent in the hospital. Therefore he along with his three other friends Chase Garrett, Sivakumar Palaniswamy and Deepak Krishnaraju from Arizona University came up with portable, low-cost, alternative. The conventional devices consume lot of power, they have a lot of moving parts and are five foot tall. One needs a truck to deliver it. Our device fits in a backpack and one can take it wherever one wants. It is also easy for unskilled labor to use,he said. The device is twice the size of an ipad, it contains six LEDs which produce a bluish color. Depending on the severity of the situation, babies lie on top of the surface for two or three days. It is more energy-efficient than a standard incubator and can run on a solar panel or battery if required, he said. Besides occupying a place in Forbes list, he was also called most influential millenial 2017 by AZ Business magazine. He also won Edson student entrepreneurship award in ASU, and was listed among top 35 entrepreneurs under 35 in Arizona republic magazine. Parvathi Ajith By Express News Service CHENNAI: Metal heads at IIT Madras were in for a treat as the five piece metal band, Katatonia, from Sweden got ready to perform for the first time in the city. City Express had a quick chat with the bands bassist Niklas Sandin and second guitarist Roger Ojersson ahead of their performance. Formed in 1991 by guitarist Anders Nystrom and lead vocalist, Jonas Renkse, as a studio-only project for the duo, Katatonia is considered to be one of the most consistent bands of all time. The band, which is in its 26th year, has gone through a lot of lineup changes over the years but that never stopped them from releasing albums and songs. So what drives them? I guess its the passion for music and the need to write better songs that keeps us together, says Roger. The current lineup of the band includes Daniel Moilanen as the drummer. The bands music has evolved over the years, It was a long time ago, almost 20 years ago when we slowly progressed from thrashing vocals of doom metal to dark and mellow rock, says Niklas. The change of direction in the bands music is said to have happened because of Renkses health condition and new influences. Katatonias music has always been about melancholy and despair, the bassist claims that the band is fascinated with dark emotions that humans feel, and dark people. Katatonia has been around for a long time while most bands split and move on. So whats their secret? These days we indulge in a little musical quiz with all the metal music in our free time. But mostly I guess its good wine and food, smiles Niklas. Over the years, the band has toured all over the world, their favourite places are South America and India, says the bassist. South America was amazing, the crowd there was similar to our own back home and then there is India. We came here in 2010 to IIT Mumbai and though people werent really familiar with our work, it was a good crowd. Roger claims that their craziest gig so far was in Mexico last year, It was my first time touring internationally with the band and I didnt know what to expect. Back home, the crowd is a bit mellow, but in Mexico, it was wild and crazy. So what are their future plans? Well be mostly promoting our latest album and maybe even release some bonus material and EP of the same this year. We havent started thinking of another album just yet, says the bassist. CHENNAI: Metal heads at IIT Madras were in for a treat as the five piece metal band, Katatonia, from Sweden got ready to perform for the first time in the city. City Express had a quick chat with the bands bassist Niklas Sandin and second guitarist Roger Ojersson ahead of their performance. Formed in 1991 by guitarist Anders Nystrom and lead vocalist, Jonas Renkse, as a studio-only project for the duo, Katatonia is considered to be one of the most consistent bands of all time. The band, which is in its 26th year, has gone through a lot of lineup changes over the years but that never stopped them from releasing albums and songs. So what drives them? I guess its the passion for music and the need to write better songs that keeps us together, says Roger. The current lineup of the band includes Daniel Moilanen as the drummer. The bands music has evolved over the years, It was a long time ago, almost 20 years ago when we slowly progressed from thrashing vocals of doom metal to dark and mellow rock, says Niklas. The change of direction in the bands music is said to have happened because of Renkses health condition and new influences. Katatonias music has always been about melancholy and despair, the bassist claims that the band is fascinated with dark emotions that humans feel, and dark people. Katatonia has been around for a long time while most bands split and move on. So whats their secret? These days we indulge in a little musical quiz with all the metal music in our free time. But mostly I guess its good wine and food, smiles Niklas. Over the years, the band has toured all over the world, their favourite places are South America and India, says the bassist. South America was amazing, the crowd there was similar to our own back home and then there is India. We came here in 2010 to IIT Mumbai and though people werent really familiar with our work, it was a good crowd. Roger claims that their craziest gig so far was in Mexico last year, It was my first time touring internationally with the band and I didnt know what to expect. Back home, the crowd is a bit mellow, but in Mexico, it was wild and crazy. So what are their future plans? Well be mostly promoting our latest album and maybe even release some bonus material and EP of the same this year. We havent started thinking of another album just yet, says the bassist. By Express News Service KOCHI: Lorry workers at the Irumpanam unit of Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) have staged a protest against chopping of trees in the compound of the plant. The workers complained that the tree felling had left them without shade and a proper place to rest. Since December 25, 2016, the IOC management has chopped around 50 trees on the premises of the plant, where we used to park lorries. The act has left us without any shade and place to take rest, they alleged. IOC officials, meanwhile, claimed they had ordered only to trim branches that obstructed the field of security cameras. On being informed, the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department intervened and stopped the chopping of trees, citing the law. Later, a report on the incident was submitted before the Ernakulam Range office of the Department. We noticed large-scale felling of trees on January 2, which would deprive us of the much-needed shade, said V S Laiju, a truck worker. The chopping spree was stopped when a preliminary inquiry showed that the IOC authorities had not obtained permission from the Tree Committee. KOCHI: Lorry workers at the Irumpanam unit of Indian Oil Corporation(IOC) have staged a protest against chopping of trees in the compound of the plant. The workers complained that the tree felling had left them without shade and a proper place to rest. Since December 25, 2016, the IOC management has chopped around 50 trees on the premises of the plant, where we used to park lorries. The act has left us without any shade and place to take rest, they alleged. IOC officials, meanwhile, claimed they had ordered only to trim branches that obstructed the field of security cameras. On being informed, the Social Forestry wing of the Forest Department intervened and stopped the chopping of trees, citing the law. Later, a report on the incident was submitted before the Ernakulam Range office of the Department. We noticed large-scale felling of trees on January 2, which would deprive us of the much-needed shade, said V S Laiju, a truck worker. The chopping spree was stopped when a preliminary inquiry showed that the IOC authorities had not obtained permission from the Tree Committee. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recruitment process for nurses and housemaids would be made meticulous, Sheela Thomas, Additional Chief Secretary, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA), has said. She said this after holding a discussion with the Protector General of Emigrants M C Luther at the eMigrate stall in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017, which has concluded in Bengaluru. Principal Secretary (Industries) Paul Antony was also present at the discussion. In India, only a few agencies, including Norka-Roots of the Kerala government, are dealing in recruitment to countries that require emigration clearance. Appointments done through Government of India portal e emigrate assure job security and salary. Sheela Thomas also said adequate steps would be taken to make use of the increasing job opportunities in health sector in countries like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. App launched The Indian Customs and Central Excise Department has come up with a handy mobile app Indian Customs Travellers Guide App. The details of the app were explained by Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, Dr Bejoy John, when he visited the Kerala pavilion. The app was developed to create awareness among NRIs on bona fide baggage, prohibited and restricted goods, duty-free allowance for bona fide baggage, free allowance for import of jewellery as baggage and conditions for import of gold. Besides English, this app is available in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. It is available on Android, iOS and Windows operating systems. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The recruitment process for nurses and housemaids would be made meticulous, Sheela Thomas, Additional Chief Secretary, Non-Resident Keralites Affairs (NORKA), has said. She said this after holding a discussion with the Protector General of Emigrants M C Luther at the eMigrate stall in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017, which has concluded in Bengaluru. Principal Secretary (Industries) Paul Antony was also present at the discussion. In India, only a few agencies, including Norka-Roots of the Kerala government, are dealing in recruitment to countries that require emigration clearance. Appointments done through Government of India portal e emigrate assure job security and salary. Sheela Thomas also said adequate steps would be taken to make use of the increasing job opportunities in health sector in countries like Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. App launched The Indian Customs and Central Excise Department has come up with a handy mobile app Indian Customs Travellers Guide App. The details of the app were explained by Deputy Commissioner, Customs and Central Excise, Dr Bejoy John, when he visited the Kerala pavilion. The app was developed to create awareness among NRIs on bona fide baggage, prohibited and restricted goods, duty-free allowance for bona fide baggage, free allowance for import of jewellery as baggage and conditions for import of gold. Besides English, this app is available in Hindi, Kannada, Tamil and Malayalam. It is available on Android, iOS and Windows operating systems. Arvind Mantry By Express News Service The Graduate Aptitude Exam in Engineering (GATE) is becoming the sole deciding factor for recruitment of Engineering Graduates into the coveted Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). GATE is a competitive examination conducted jointly by seven Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) and the Indian Institute of Science on behalf of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), once a year and is focused on testing the technical competence of a candidate. The test is taken by around 10 lakh candidates a year, making it the second most competitive exam in the country in terms of number of candidates taking the examination, with the first being the IIT-JEE entrance test. The test is not a relatively new one. The GATE has been used as a tool for admitting candidates to Post Graduate Courses in Engineering from 1984. From 2012, the examination has also been used by PSUs in their recruitment process. The number of PSUs using the GATE score has steadily increased over the years and last year GATE score was used by around 37 PSU in recruitment process. GATE 2016 score was also used for recruitment of positions in the Cabinet Secretariat in the Govt of India. GATE 2017 will be conducted in February 2017. The stark difference between the previous GATE and this years is that GATE is no longer confined to India but will also be conducted in six other countries. The recruitment notification of most of the Public Sector Companies using GATE 2017 has been released last month with some PSUs offering CTC as high as around 15 Lakhs. The Graduate Aptitude Exam in Engineering (GATE) is becoming the sole deciding factor for recruitment of Engineering Graduates into the coveted Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). GATE is a competitive examination conducted jointly by seven Indian Institutes of Technology (Bombay, Delhi, Guwahati, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Roorkee) and the Indian Institute of Science on behalf of the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD), once a year and is focused on testing the technical competence of a candidate. The test is taken by around 10 lakh candidates a year, making it the second most competitive exam in the country in terms of number of candidates taking the examination, with the first being the IIT-JEE entrance test. The test is not a relatively new one. The GATE has been used as a tool for admitting candidates to Post Graduate Courses in Engineering from 1984. From 2012, the examination has also been used by PSUs in their recruitment process. The number of PSUs using the GATE score has steadily increased over the years and last year GATE score was used by around 37 PSU in recruitment process. GATE 2016 score was also used for recruitment of positions in the Cabinet Secretariat in the Govt of India. GATE 2017 will be conducted in February 2017. The stark difference between the previous GATE and this years is that GATE is no longer confined to India but will also be conducted in six other countries. The recruitment notification of most of the Public Sector Companies using GATE 2017 has been released last month with some PSUs offering CTC as high as around 15 Lakhs. Express News Service In my last weeks column, I discussed some of the Indian English expressions and raised these questions: Is English the sole property of the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada? Which variety of English should be taught to those who learn English as a second or foreign language? Is English singular or plural? Is Englishes a recognized term? The questions have evoked responses from readers. One of them wrote: I dont believe that we have the right to set the rules of this language. It belongs to the native speakers. But we do have the right to set the rules of our languages. Another reader asked me why I changed my pedantic position. Mr Lawrence, a regular reader of the column, writes: When a particular usage is found to be convenient for speakers, it gains currency and recognition. As we compare it with that used by the native speakers we find the difference. Such changes may or may not be accepted as long as they do not create ambiguity. But, whether native or foreign, the person who speaks a language has the right to select words that are easily comprehensible for conveying ideas. Indians are not prohibited from this. Incidentally in India, or in Asia for that matter, cranny is less understood than corner. I do agree with Mr Lawrences comment. Language is for communication. Successful communicators are those who convey their thoughts effectively and make their listeners/readers understand the message easily as intended. Consider this example. The word bandh is not an English word. It is a typical Indian English term and it means general strike. When an Indian speaks to another Indian, they can use the word bandh but it is not good to use the term in a conversation with a foreigner who is not familiar with the term. Is everyone expected to speak the so-called Queens English? Even the Queen of England does not speak Queens English. The Queens English Society, which championed good English and railed against the deterioration of the English language for four decades, has conceded that it cannot survive in the era of text-speak and Twitter. The QES announced its closure in 2012. There are different varieties of English and the term Englishes are used to refer to the varieties. The term was used to refer to emerging varieties of English in different territories influenced by the UK and the US. Is it wrong to use the word prepone? This typical Indian English word is not found in many dictionaries but it is recognized as a meaningful neologism. The word postpone is a combination of the prefix post , which means after, and the word ponore, which means put or place. So, prepone is a logical antonym of postpone. Native speakers use the terms advance, reschedule and move forward as antonyms for postpone. The English language has evolved over the years. The different varieties of English add colour to the language. It is a very rich language with over a million words borrowed from different languages. Dr Albert p Rayan is an ELT Resource Person and Professor of English. He can be contacted at rayanal@yahoo.co.uk In my last weeks column, I discussed some of the Indian English expressions and raised these questions: Is English the sole property of the UK, the US, Australia, New Zealand and Canada? Which variety of English should be taught to those who learn English as a second or foreign language? Is English singular or plural? Is Englishes a recognized term? The questions have evoked responses from readers. One of them wrote: I dont believe that we have the right to set the rules of this language. It belongs to the native speakers. But we do have the right to set the rules of our languages. Another reader asked me why I changed my pedantic position. Mr Lawrence, a regular reader of the column, writes: When a particular usage is found to be convenient for speakers, it gains currency and recognition. As we compare it with that used by the native speakers we find the difference. Such changes may or may not be accepted as long as they do not create ambiguity. But, whether native or foreign, the person who speaks a language has the right to select words that are easily comprehensible for conveying ideas. Indians are not prohibited from this. Incidentally in India, or in Asia for that matter, cranny is less understood than corner. I do agree with Mr Lawrences comment. Language is for communication. Successful communicators are those who convey their thoughts effectively and make their listeners/readers understand the message easily as intended. Consider this example. The word bandh is not an English word. It is a typical Indian English term and it means general strike. When an Indian speaks to another Indian, they can use the word bandh but it is not good to use the term in a conversation with a foreigner who is not familiar with the term. Is everyone expected to speak the so-called Queens English? Even the Queen of England does not speak Queens English. The Queens English Society, which championed good English and railed against the deterioration of the English language for four decades, has conceded that it cannot survive in the era of text-speak and Twitter. The QES announced its closure in 2012. There are different varieties of English and the term Englishes are used to refer to the varieties. The term was used to refer to emerging varieties of English in different territories influenced by the UK and the US. Is it wrong to use the word prepone? This typical Indian English word is not found in many dictionaries but it is recognized as a meaningful neologism. The word postpone is a combination of the prefix post , which means after, and the word ponore, which means put or place. So, prepone is a logical antonym of postpone. Native speakers use the terms advance, reschedule and move forward as antonyms for postpone. The English language has evolved over the years. The different varieties of English add colour to the language. It is a very rich language with over a million words borrowed from different languages. Dr Albert p Rayan is an ELT Resource Person and Professor of English. He can be contacted at rayanal@yahoo.co.uk PTI By SRINAGAR/ JAMMU: An all-party delegation seeking to end turbulence in Kashmir concluded its two-day visit with no breakthrough, but Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saw some positives even as he lashed out at the separatists for their refusal to meet the MPs. Visibly unhappy at the stubborn refusal of Hurriyat leaders to meet some MPs who had literally knocked at their doors in Srinagar yesterday, Singh said that their conduct was against democracy, humanity or even 'Kashmiriyat' (Kashmiri ethos). Singh led the delegation of 26 MPs from 20 parties which stayed overnight in Srinagar before stopping over in Jammu this afternoon. After spending a few hours in Jammu, it returned to Delhi. The Home Minister disagreed with the view that the mission was a failure and said the delegation had "very good interactions" with individuals and groups. The delegation would meet in Delhi and discuss the future action plan. Before winding up the Kashmir leg of the visit, Singh sent out a clear message to separatists, asserting that the state will "always" remain an integral part of India. "There should be no doubt that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be integral part of India," he said at a press conference in Srinagar. "As far as talks are concerned, our doors are open to everyone who wants peace and normalcy. Not only doors, even our ventillators are open for talks," Singh said. He said he was aware that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had written letters to separatist leaders inviting them for talks with the delegation. "I want to clarify that some members of the delegation had gone to meet Hurriyat leaders yesterday. Neither had we said 'yes' nor 'no' (to their meetings). Whatever happened you know about it. I do not wish to go into the details. "But whatever information those friends gave us upon their return, it can be said it was not 'Kashmiriyat'. It cannot be called as Insaniyat (humanity). When someone goes for talks and they reject it, it is not 'jamhooriyat' (democracy) as well," he said. Talking about the motive behind the visit, the Home Minister said Parliament, which is the supreme "panchayat" of the country, is very serious about the situation in Kashmir and hence decided to send a delegation of its members for talks. The entire country and Parliament are pained by the situation in Kashmir and want early restoration of peace, he said. Asked whether India plans to talk to Pakistan on Kashmir, Singh shot back, "First let us talk to Indians." When asked whether the Centre is willing to go the extra mile on the demands of autonomy raised by PDP and National Conference from time to time, he said, "We are not concerned with whatever one had said in the past. We have taken everyone's view and cooperation to improve the situation in Kashmir in the delegation-level talks." To a query about possibility of 'Track-2' talks on Kashmir, Singh said he did not wish to enter into a debate about "track-one, track-two or track-three." The Minister said during his previous visit last month, concerns had been raised over the use of pellet guns and regarding this, non-lethal PAVA shells have been recommended as a replacement. "The shells will not take lives. About 1000 shells have arrived here," he said. More than 30 delegations comprising 300 members from political parties, civil society, University teachers, fruit growers, students and intellectuals have presented their view before the delegation, he said. "Everyone wants that the situation must improve. The delegation spoke to these people, the Governor and the Chief Minister of state and also officials of the state government. I am fully confident that the situation will improve which people also want," he said. He said the Centre is giving full support to the state government which is also trying to bring improvement in the situation. SRINAGAR/ JAMMU: An all-party delegation seeking to end turbulence in Kashmir concluded its two-day visit with no breakthrough, but Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh saw some positives even as he lashed out at the separatists for their refusal to meet the MPs. Visibly unhappy at the stubborn refusal of Hurriyat leaders to meet some MPs who had literally knocked at their doors in Srinagar yesterday, Singh said that their conduct was against democracy, humanity or even 'Kashmiriyat' (Kashmiri ethos). Singh led the delegation of 26 MPs from 20 parties which stayed overnight in Srinagar before stopping over in Jammu this afternoon. After spending a few hours in Jammu, it returned to Delhi. The Home Minister disagreed with the view that the mission was a failure and said the delegation had "very good interactions" with individuals and groups. The delegation would meet in Delhi and discuss the future action plan. Before winding up the Kashmir leg of the visit, Singh sent out a clear message to separatists, asserting that the state will "always" remain an integral part of India. "There should be no doubt that Jammu and Kashmir was, is and will always be integral part of India," he said at a press conference in Srinagar. "As far as talks are concerned, our doors are open to everyone who wants peace and normalcy. Not only doors, even our ventillators are open for talks," Singh said. He said he was aware that Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti had written letters to separatist leaders inviting them for talks with the delegation. "I want to clarify that some members of the delegation had gone to meet Hurriyat leaders yesterday. Neither had we said 'yes' nor 'no' (to their meetings). Whatever happened you know about it. I do not wish to go into the details. "But whatever information those friends gave us upon their return, it can be said it was not 'Kashmiriyat'. It cannot be called as Insaniyat (humanity). When someone goes for talks and they reject it, it is not 'jamhooriyat' (democracy) as well," he said. Talking about the motive behind the visit, the Home Minister said Parliament, which is the supreme "panchayat" of the country, is very serious about the situation in Kashmir and hence decided to send a delegation of its members for talks. The entire country and Parliament are pained by the situation in Kashmir and want early restoration of peace, he said. Asked whether India plans to talk to Pakistan on Kashmir, Singh shot back, "First let us talk to Indians." When asked whether the Centre is willing to go the extra mile on the demands of autonomy raised by PDP and National Conference from time to time, he said, "We are not concerned with whatever one had said in the past. We have taken everyone's view and cooperation to improve the situation in Kashmir in the delegation-level talks." To a query about possibility of 'Track-2' talks on Kashmir, Singh said he did not wish to enter into a debate about "track-one, track-two or track-three." The Minister said during his previous visit last month, concerns had been raised over the use of pellet guns and regarding this, non-lethal PAVA shells have been recommended as a replacement. "The shells will not take lives. About 1000 shells have arrived here," he said. More than 30 delegations comprising 300 members from political parties, civil society, University teachers, fruit growers, students and intellectuals have presented their view before the delegation, he said."Everyone wants that the situation must improve. The delegation spoke to these people, the Governor and the Chief Minister of state and also officials of the state government. I am fully confident that the situation will improve which people also want," he said. He said the Centre is giving full support to the state government which is also trying to bring improvement in the situation. Namita Bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: The ongoing intra-family feud in Samajwadi Party took a new turn on Sunday when patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav proclaimed that he was still the national president of the party. Terming the national convention called on January 1-- in which his son and CM Akhilesh Yadav was anointed the national chief -- illegal and unconstitutional as it was called by sacked parry general secretary ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam told reporters in Delhi that his younger brother Shivpal was still the state head of the party. "Akhilesh is the chief minister," he however added. Reading out a pre-drafted text to the media persons at his Delhi residence, Mulayam questioned Ram Gopal Yadavs right to call a national convention, as he stands expelled for six years from the party, he said. The national convention called by Ram Gopal was fake and so the decisions taken at it were illegal, Mulayam said ruling out all the possibilities of a patch up with son Akhilesh. The SP chief was flanked by party leader Amar Singh who is seen as the reason for the rift between the father and the son. Accepting that majority of MLAs were with Akhilesh, Mulayam said: I have only 10-12 MLAs. Let him do whatever he is doing". However, he added it was time to fight the polls unitedly to get the party candidates win in the state. Repeating his statements and reiterating his stand that Akhilesh is the Chief Minister and Ram Gopal out to ruin his future, Mulayam took the entire controversy back to point zero just a day ahead of ECs expected decision in party symbol issue. However, with partys future at stake and so is the symbol, Mulayam is likely to meet the EC again along with Amar Singh on Monday afternoon laying claim over the party symbol. If the two factions fail to resolve their differences, EC might freeze the party symbol allotting tow different symbols to each faction. Both the factions have been asked by the Election Commission to furnish their respective details to validate their claim on party symbol by Monday. Ram Gopal has already submitted papers with the EC claiming support of 205 MLA, 56 MLC and 15 MPs. Meanwhile, in another development, Centre has upgraded security of Amar Singh to "Z" category. This step drew immediate reaction from Akhilesh camp calling the Rajya Sabha member a BJP agent. Earlier in the day, in state capital Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a bid to reassert his authority as SP chief, reached the SP headquarters and sat in his office for some time, he also assured the party workers present there that nothing was wrong with the party and that things would become normal soon. He, accompanied by Shivpal, then left for Delhi in the afternoon. Before he left for Delhi, he was asked at the airport about the ongoing tussle within the family and party, he said, "hamari party me koi vivad nahi hai" (There is no dispute in our party). LUCKNOW: The ongoing intra-family feud in Samajwadi Party took a new turn on Sunday when patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav proclaimed that he was still the national president of the party. Terming the national convention called on January 1-- in which his son and CM Akhilesh Yadav was anointed the national chief -- illegal and unconstitutional as it was called by sacked parry general secretary ram Gopal Yadav, Mulayam told reporters in Delhi that his younger brother Shivpal was still the state head of the party. "Akhilesh is the chief minister," he however added. Reading out a pre-drafted text to the media persons at his Delhi residence, Mulayam questioned Ram Gopal Yadavs right to call a national convention, as he stands expelled for six years from the party, he said. The national convention called by Ram Gopal was fake and so the decisions taken at it were illegal, Mulayam said ruling out all the possibilities of a patch up with son Akhilesh. The SP chief was flanked by party leader Amar Singh who is seen as the reason for the rift between the father and the son. Accepting that majority of MLAs were with Akhilesh, Mulayam said: I have only 10-12 MLAs. Let him do whatever he is doing". However, he added it was time to fight the polls unitedly to get the party candidates win in the state. Repeating his statements and reiterating his stand that Akhilesh is the Chief Minister and Ram Gopal out to ruin his future, Mulayam took the entire controversy back to point zero just a day ahead of ECs expected decision in party symbol issue. However, with partys future at stake and so is the symbol, Mulayam is likely to meet the EC again along with Amar Singh on Monday afternoon laying claim over the party symbol. If the two factions fail to resolve their differences, EC might freeze the party symbol allotting tow different symbols to each faction. Both the factions have been asked by the Election Commission to furnish their respective details to validate their claim on party symbol by Monday. Ram Gopal has already submitted papers with the EC claiming support of 205 MLA, 56 MLC and 15 MPs. Meanwhile, in another development, Centre has upgraded security of Amar Singh to "Z" category. This step drew immediate reaction from Akhilesh camp calling the Rajya Sabha member a BJP agent. Earlier in the day, in state capital Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a bid to reassert his authority as SP chief, reached the SP headquarters and sat in his office for some time, he also assured the party workers present there that nothing was wrong with the party and that things would become normal soon. He, accompanied by Shivpal, then left for Delhi in the afternoon. Before he left for Delhi, he was asked at the airport about the ongoing tussle within the family and party, he said, "hamari party me koi vivad nahi hai" (There is no dispute in our party). NEW DELHI: Accusing the Akali Dal-BJP government of "unprecedented mismanagement" of Punjab, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday urged voters to return the Congress to power in the state. "Punjab has tremendous all round potential but it has not been exploited because of mismanagement by the SAD-BJP government in the last 10 years," Manmohan Singh said at the Congress headquarters here while releasing the party manifesto for the February 4 Punjab assembly polls. "The fiscal situation under Akali-BJP government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented. "This manifesto is a visionary document which promises to the people of Punjab that we will undo the damage done by the government in the last 10 years. "It points to the tremendous potential of Punjab in agriculture, manufacturing, services, infrastructure." Manmohan Singh described the Congress Chief Ministerial nominee Amarinder Singh as a visionary leader and said the satte needed a government under his leadership to develop and progress. NEW DELHI: Accusing the Akali Dal-BJP government of "unprecedented mismanagement" of Punjab, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday urged voters to return the Congress to power in the state. "Punjab has tremendous all round potential but it has not been exploited because of mismanagement by the SAD-BJP government in the last 10 years," Manmohan Singh said at the Congress headquarters here while releasing the party manifesto for the February 4 Punjab assembly polls. "The fiscal situation under Akali-BJP government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented. "This manifesto is a visionary document which promises to the people of Punjab that we will undo the damage done by the government in the last 10 years. "It points to the tremendous potential of Punjab in agriculture, manufacturing, services, infrastructure." Manmohan Singh described the Congress Chief Ministerial nominee Amarinder Singh as a visionary leader and said the satte needed a government under his leadership to develop and progress. Namita bajpai By Express News Service LUCKNOW: With the SPs future at stake, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to meet the Election Commission again along with Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh on Monday afternoon laying claim over the party symbol. If the two factions fail to resolve their differences, the EC might freeze the party symbol and allot different symbols to each faction. Both the factions have been asked by the Election Commission to furnish their respective details to validate their claim on party symbol by Monday. Ram Gopal has already submitted papers with the EC claiming support of 205 MLA, 56 MLC and 15 MPs. Earlier in the day, in State capital Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a bid to reassert his authority as SP chief, reached the SP headquarters and sat in his office for some time, he also assured the party workers present there that nothing was wrong with the party and that things would become normal soon. He, accompanied by Shivpal, then left for Delhi in the afternoon. Before he left for Delhi, he was asked at the airport about the ongoing tussle within the family and party, he said, hamari party me koi vivad nahi hai (There is no dispute in our party). Boost for BJP After winning over political aces like UP Congress chief and partys sitting MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi, former Leader of Opposition and senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, former Rajya Sabha members Brijesh Pathak and Jugul Kishore, the BJP added another feather to its cap in the state by bringing in Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader in UP Assembly Dalbir Singh Chaudhary on Sunday. Dalbir Singh, a senior RLD leader who has worked with former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, has been quite vocal against BJP in the past and seen coming out in Akhileshs support in the Assembly. However, his pro-Akhilesh stand could be attributed to the anticipation of a possible mahagathhbandhan (grand alliance) which RLD and JD(U) were quite eager for. The efforts of the two parties came a cropper when SP chief Mulayam put an end to all those possibilities by asking RLD to merge with his party. Notably, the BJP giving sleepless nights to its political rivals in the state by accepting stalwarts of rival parties, even party insiders and loyalists are also apparently worried about their fate and prospects. However, having a feel of party workers mood, BJP state unit chief Keshav Kumar Maurya, too, is seen assuring party workers of no injustice vis-a-vis ticket distribution for the ensuing state elections. LUCKNOW: With the SPs future at stake, party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav is likely to meet the Election Commission again along with Rajya Sabha member Amar Singh on Monday afternoon laying claim over the party symbol. If the two factions fail to resolve their differences, the EC might freeze the party symbol and allot different symbols to each faction. Both the factions have been asked by the Election Commission to furnish their respective details to validate their claim on party symbol by Monday. Ram Gopal has already submitted papers with the EC claiming support of 205 MLA, 56 MLC and 15 MPs. Earlier in the day, in State capital Lucknow, Mulayam Singh Yadav, in a bid to reassert his authority as SP chief, reached the SP headquarters and sat in his office for some time, he also assured the party workers present there that nothing was wrong with the party and that things would become normal soon. He, accompanied by Shivpal, then left for Delhi in the afternoon. Before he left for Delhi, he was asked at the airport about the ongoing tussle within the family and party, he said, hamari party me koi vivad nahi hai (There is no dispute in our party). Boost for BJP After winning over political aces like UP Congress chief and partys sitting MLA Rita Bahuguna Joshi, former Leader of Opposition and senior BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya, former Rajya Sabha members Brijesh Pathak and Jugul Kishore, the BJP added another feather to its cap in the state by bringing in Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) leader in UP Assembly Dalbir Singh Chaudhary on Sunday. Dalbir Singh, a senior RLD leader who has worked with former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, has been quite vocal against BJP in the past and seen coming out in Akhileshs support in the Assembly. However, his pro-Akhilesh stand could be attributed to the anticipation of a possible mahagathhbandhan (grand alliance) which RLD and JD(U) were quite eager for. The efforts of the two parties came a cropper when SP chief Mulayam put an end to all those possibilities by asking RLD to merge with his party. Notably, the BJP giving sleepless nights to its political rivals in the state by accepting stalwarts of rival parties, even party insiders and loyalists are also apparently worried about their fate and prospects. However, having a feel of party workers mood, BJP state unit chief Keshav Kumar Maurya, too, is seen assuring party workers of no injustice vis-a-vis ticket distribution for the ensuing state elections. By PTI NEW DELHI: With the government releasing 710 files related to the National Advisory Council (NAC), Congress on Monday dismissed suggestions that Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the Council was "super Prime Minister" during the UPA regime. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the files in question were from a time when Gandhi was not the chairperson of the Council. He said Gandhi had not been with the NAC from March 2006 to June 2010 when it was reconstituted. At the same time, he insisted that the NAC mechanism had helped the cause of the oppressed and the depressed and had been instrumental in bringing forward several path-breaking legislations like Right to Information (RTI), Right for Food, Right to Forest Produce and Right to Education. Surjewala said the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave the suggestions of the NAC legal shape through his "visionary thinking". The question was put to Manmohan Singh during the Punjab Congress manifesto release function, but Surjewala chose to answer it. The Central government made public 710 files related to the NAC that gave an insight of the relationship with the Council headed by Sonia Gandhi. The files made public how suggestions were given, officers were summoned and compliance reports were being sought by the NAC. The files also show that Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister carried out the recommendations given by Sonia Gandhi, whose word was accorded top priority. NEW DELHI: With the government releasing 710 files related to the National Advisory Council (NAC), Congress on Monday dismissed suggestions that Sonia Gandhi as chairperson of the Council was "super Prime Minister" during the UPA regime. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that the files in question were from a time when Gandhi was not the chairperson of the Council. He said Gandhi had not been with the NAC from March 2006 to June 2010 when it was reconstituted. At the same time, he insisted that the NAC mechanism had helped the cause of the oppressed and the depressed and had been instrumental in bringing forward several path-breaking legislations like Right to Information (RTI), Right for Food, Right to Forest Produce and Right to Education. Surjewala said the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave the suggestions of the NAC legal shape through his "visionary thinking". The question was put to Manmohan Singh during the Punjab Congress manifesto release function, but Surjewala chose to answer it. The Central government made public 710 files related to the NAC that gave an insight of the relationship with the Council headed by Sonia Gandhi. The files made public how suggestions were given, officers were summoned and compliance reports were being sought by the NAC. The files also show that Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister carried out the recommendations given by Sonia Gandhi, whose word was accorded top priority. Anand ST Das By Express News Service PATNA: A 15-year-old Mahadalit girl student of a government-run residential school for the SC community in Bihar was allegedly murdered after rape in her hostel, sparking massive protests by locals who blamed utter negligence by the authorities. Before police could reach the premises of Ambedkar Government Girls High School at Dighi Mazirabad in Vaishali district on Monday, a large crowd of angry villagers had damaged school property and several vehicles by pelting stones. Police had a hard time pacifying villagers demanding action against senior officials of the district social welfare department. The body of Dika Kumari, a student of class X, was found lying in a pool of blood close to a drain near the main gate of the school-cum-hostel campus on Sunday. Kumari, who hails from a poor Dalit family, had been studying at this residential school for the past ten years along with her two cousin sisters. She had been staying in the fourth floor of the hostel. She seems to have been brutally murdered after being raped. She had recently told me that men from outside had been entering the hostel in the nights and harassing girls, said her grieving mother, Kusuma Devi. Vaishali district magistrate Rachna Patil and SP Rakesh Kumar, who visited the school and hostel after the girls mysterious death, were shocked to find tunnels at two places under the boundary wall that were allegedly used by men from outside to enter the hostels at night. It is believed that Dika Kumari was raped and murdered by one or more men who entered the hostel on Saturday night. Since there is no facility for clean drinking water in the hostel, we girls often have to go out of the campus to get water from nearby handpumps. This is one of the reasons why a main gate of the campus remains open at all hours, said a classmate of the dead girl. Besides, the hostels drown in darkness during power outages almost every night as there are no generators here, said other girls. The district administration placed a hostel warden and a security guard under suspension for dereliction of duty. Local villagers are demanding the suspension of the school principal and the district social welfare officer. A medical board has been formed to carry out post mortem and ascertain the cause of death. Circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident are currently being probed, said Vaishali SP Rakesh Kumar. PATNA: A 15-year-old Mahadalit girl student of a government-run residential school for the SC community in Bihar was allegedly murdered after rape in her hostel, sparking massive protests by locals who blamed utter negligence by the authorities. Before police could reach the premises of Ambedkar Government Girls High School at Dighi Mazirabad in Vaishali district on Monday, a large crowd of angry villagers had damaged school property and several vehicles by pelting stones. Police had a hard time pacifying villagers demanding action against senior officials of the district social welfare department. The body of Dika Kumari, a student of class X, was found lying in a pool of blood close to a drain near the main gate of the school-cum-hostel campus on Sunday. Kumari, who hails from a poor Dalit family, had been studying at this residential school for the past ten years along with her two cousin sisters. She had been staying in the fourth floor of the hostel. She seems to have been brutally murdered after being raped. She had recently told me that men from outside had been entering the hostel in the nights and harassing girls, said her grieving mother, Kusuma Devi. Vaishali district magistrate Rachna Patil and SP Rakesh Kumar, who visited the school and hostel after the girls mysterious death, were shocked to find tunnels at two places under the boundary wall that were allegedly used by men from outside to enter the hostels at night. It is believed that Dika Kumari was raped and murdered by one or more men who entered the hostel on Saturday night. Since there is no facility for clean drinking water in the hostel, we girls often have to go out of the campus to get water from nearby handpumps. This is one of the reasons why a main gate of the campus remains open at all hours, said a classmate of the dead girl. Besides, the hostels drown in darkness during power outages almost every night as there are no generators here, said other girls. The district administration placed a hostel warden and a security guard under suspension for dereliction of duty. Local villagers are demanding the suspension of the school principal and the district social welfare officer. A medical board has been formed to carry out post mortem and ascertain the cause of death. Circumstances that led to this unfortunate incident are currently being probed, said Vaishali SP Rakesh Kumar. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: A defence ministry panel headed by retired Lt Gen DB Shekatkarappointed by the government to enhance the combat potential of the armed forces and rebalancing defence expenditure has recommended shedding the flab in the MoD but to give more combat force by redeployment and integrate manpower. Committee also suggested that the government can save upto Rs 25,000 crore from its current budget, if majority of its recommendations are implemented over the next five years. But pointing out current security scenario, the committee also recommended that the defence budget should be in the range of 2.5 and three per cent of the GDP. Committee, which was set up in May, 2016, submitted its report to the defence ministry of last week of December. Though officially, ministry was tight lipped about the outcome of the report, but sources have indicated that the committee has suggested a reorientation of training facilities so as to save defence expenditure. The defence minister is evaluating the 550 pages report to make changes in the armed forces structure. However, giving stern warning to the government that the implementation cannot be selective, the committee report observed that the redeployment of manpower from and downsizing of some of the organisations under the MoD will have to be across the board and ruthless to be effective. Sources said that the panel has taken an overall view of the emerging security environment in the South Asia region and cross-border hostilities from Pakistan in the recent past. Sources also said that one of the major recommendations of the committee is to review the definition of Capital and Revenue budget heads in the funds allocated to the three armed forces, particularly the Indian Army. The panel has suggested better coordination between the MoD and state governments to handle transfer of land to armed forces for firing ranges. Shekatkar Committee has also recommended a 4-star Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)or a Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committeebe appointed as a chief coordinator between the military and the Ministry of Defence. NEW DELHI: A defence ministry panel headed by retired Lt Gen DB Shekatkarappointed by the government to enhance the combat potential of the armed forces and rebalancing defence expenditure has recommended shedding the flab in the MoD but to give more combat force by redeployment and integrate manpower. Committee also suggested that the government can save upto Rs 25,000 crore from its current budget, if majority of its recommendations are implemented over the next five years. But pointing out current security scenario, the committee also recommended that the defence budget should be in the range of 2.5 and three per cent of the GDP. Committee, which was set up in May, 2016, submitted its report to the defence ministry of last week of December. Though officially, ministry was tight lipped about the outcome of the report, but sources have indicated that the committee has suggested a reorientation of training facilities so as to save defence expenditure. The defence minister is evaluating the 550 pages report to make changes in the armed forces structure. However, giving stern warning to the government that the implementation cannot be selective, the committee report observed that the redeployment of manpower from and downsizing of some of the organisations under the MoD will have to be across the board and ruthless to be effective. Sources said that the panel has taken an overall view of the emerging security environment in the South Asia region and cross-border hostilities from Pakistan in the recent past. Sources also said that one of the major recommendations of the committee is to review the definition of Capital and Revenue budget heads in the funds allocated to the three armed forces, particularly the Indian Army. The panel has suggested better coordination between the MoD and state governments to handle transfer of land to armed forces for firing ranges. Shekatkar Committee has also recommended a 4-star Chief of Defence Staff (CDS)or a Permanent Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committeebe appointed as a chief coordinator between the military and the Ministry of Defence. By ANI NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that India will help out its sailors stuck in merchant ships at Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abandoned by their employer in leaking ships, at least 41 Indian sailors found support from the External Affairs Minister, who stepped in to help them following a SOS. Taking to Twitter, Swaraj said, We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government. They have essential supplies of for next two weeks. We are helping in the settlement of their dues and release of the crew, she tweeted. We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government /1 pic.twitter.com/QfuzZkiaXo Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 She further said in her tweet that the government has asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies. I have asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies. /3 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 The sailors who are stuck there are from Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarkhand, Punjab, Harayana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu, Karnataka and Kerala. The tweets pleading for rescue had earlier been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sushma Swaraj and V. K. Singh. NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said that India will help out its sailors stuck in merchant ships at Ajman in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Abandoned by their employer in leaking ships, at least 41 Indian sailors found support from the External Affairs Minister, who stepped in to help them following a SOS. Taking to Twitter, Swaraj said, We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government. They have essential supplies of for next two weeks. We are helping in the settlement of their dues and release of the crew, she tweeted. We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government /1 pic.twitter.com/QfuzZkiaXo Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 She further said in her tweet that the government has asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies. I have asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies. /3 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 The sailors who are stuck there are from Delhi, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarkhand, Punjab, Harayana, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu, Karnataka and Kerala. The tweets pleading for rescue had earlier been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sushma Swaraj and V. K. Singh. By Express News Service Oil Ministry intervenes at the eleventh hour after fuel dealers threaten to decline card payments due to imposition of transaction charges by banks; decision deferred till January 13 to hold consultative meetings between all stakeholders Capping a day of intense confusion after petroleum dealers threatened to decline card payments, the government intervened and asked banks to defer the imposition of merchant transaction charges till January 13. Earlier, the banks had proposed to levy Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) on all card transactions at fuel stations starting Sunday midnight, causing panic among dealers. A final call would be taken after consultative meetings between banks, dealers and oil marketing companies. Interestingly, petroleum dealers did not have to pay MDR before demonetisation. The decision to impose MDR pushed all three oil marketing majors to write to the banks to defer the move. Considering the thrust given by the government for cashless transactions, imposition of MDR on fuel transactions will be a retrograde step, said a BPCL communique. The move, if implemented, would have resulted in dealers recording major losses on cashless transactions, said the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers and the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association. Our net profit margin is only 0.5 per cent. We just cannot absorb MDR without slipping into losses, pointed out M Narayana Prasad, general secretary, CIPD. Nearly 40-50 per cent of all transactions at petrol pumps in Tamil Nadu are done through cards, says KP Murali, president of TNPDA. The situation is likely to be the same across the country, he adds. They were asking us to take losses on card transactions. We have supported the governments policy of pushing digital transactions and were one of the first sectors to boost digital transactions. After demonetisation, we also went through immense hardships. When something like this happens now, we feel betrayed, he said. However, he added that if dealers were not satisfied with the outcome of the meetings, they would go ahead with their plan to decline plastic money. The earlier announcement had also caused panic among consumers who are yet to recover from the cash crunch. Already there is a cash crunch and we have been surviving on plastic money. Now, where do we go for cash for fuel? Being an initiative of the government, it should ensure that we dont suffer, says Nitin Krishna, an IT employee. The return of the MDR could have a severe impact on spending across sectors, which has already taken a beating after demonetisation, and put further pressure on liquidity, say to experts like economist Seema Sharma from IIT-Delhi. Oil Ministry intervenes at the eleventh hour after fuel dealers threaten to decline card payments due to imposition of transaction charges by banks; decision deferred till January 13 to hold consultative meetings between all stakeholders Capping a day of intense confusion after petroleum dealers threatened to decline card payments, the government intervened and asked banks to defer the imposition of merchant transaction charges till January 13. Earlier, the banks had proposed to levy Merchant Discount Rates (MDR) on all card transactions at fuel stations starting Sunday midnight, causing panic among dealers. A final call would be taken after consultative meetings between banks, dealers and oil marketing companies. Interestingly, petroleum dealers did not have to pay MDR before demonetisation. The decision to impose MDR pushed all three oil marketing majors to write to the banks to defer the move. Considering the thrust given by the government for cashless transactions, imposition of MDR on fuel transactions will be a retrograde step, said a BPCL communique. The move, if implemented, would have resulted in dealers recording major losses on cashless transactions, said the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers and the Tamil Nadu Petroleum Dealers Association. Our net profit margin is only 0.5 per cent. We just cannot absorb MDR without slipping into losses, pointed out M Narayana Prasad, general secretary, CIPD. Nearly 40-50 per cent of all transactions at petrol pumps in Tamil Nadu are done through cards, says KP Murali, president of TNPDA. The situation is likely to be the same across the country, he adds. They were asking us to take losses on card transactions. We have supported the governments policy of pushing digital transactions and were one of the first sectors to boost digital transactions. After demonetisation, we also went through immense hardships. When something like this happens now, we feel betrayed, he said. However, he added that if dealers were not satisfied with the outcome of the meetings, they would go ahead with their plan to decline plastic money. The earlier announcement had also caused panic among consumers who are yet to recover from the cash crunch. Already there is a cash crunch and we have been surviving on plastic money. Now, where do we go for cash for fuel? Being an initiative of the government, it should ensure that we dont suffer, says Nitin Krishna, an IT employee. The return of the MDR could have a severe impact on spending across sectors, which has already taken a beating after demonetisation, and put further pressure on liquidity, say to experts like economist Seema Sharma from IIT-Delhi. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRINAGAR: Three General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) employees were killed in a militant attack on their camp along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. J&K DGP S P Vaid told Express that a group of militants fired on GREF employees in their camp at Battal Khour near LoC in Akhnoor sector early this morning. He said three GREF employees were killed in the attack. GREF is the parent cadre force of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which looks after the maintenance and construction of the border roads. Sources said a group of two to three militants attacked the GREF camp at about 01.35 am. They fired indiscriminately on the employees present in the camp, killing three GREF labourers. The GREF camp is located about two to three kms from the LoC. According to sources, immediately after the militant attack, army, police and paramilitary personnel reached the spot and launched an operation to track down the militants responsible for the attack. DGP Vaid said combing operation was going on. It is not clear yet whether the militants returned back or are hiding in the area. The combing operation and searches are going on, he said adding there has been no contact with the militants. Vaid said some ammunition and items have been recovered during the search operation. The security personnel have recovered a live grenade, RPG tube, UBGL rounds, 2 rucksacks, some magazines and some pouches during the search operation, he said. The DGP said they are trying to ascertain whether the militants have gone back or are still hiding there. Police and CRPF personnel are assisting the army in the search operation, he added. After the militant attack, high alert was sounded in entire Jammu region. The J&K Assembly is presently in session in Jammu and the main Republic Day function of the State will be held in the winter capital. A police officer said security personnel in Jammu region have been asked to maintain a tight vigil to foil any militant attack. Meanwhile, J&K Assembly, which is in session in Jammu the winter capital of the State, condemned the militant attack and expressed solidarity with the bereaved GREF labourers families. The members observed two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the militant attack on a GREF camp and conveyed her sympathies with the families of slain GREF workers. She underscored the need for working together to end the cycle of violence and bloodshed in the State. SRINAGAR: Three General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) employees were killed in a militant attack on their camp along the Line of Control (LoC) in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. J&K DGP S P Vaid told Express that a group of militants fired on GREF employees in their camp at Battal Khour near LoC in Akhnoor sector early this morning. He said three GREF employees were killed in the attack. GREF is the parent cadre force of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which looks after the maintenance and construction of the border roads. Sources said a group of two to three militants attacked the GREF camp at about 01.35 am. They fired indiscriminately on the employees present in the camp, killing three GREF labourers. The GREF camp is located about two to three kms from the LoC. According to sources, immediately after the militant attack, army, police and paramilitary personnel reached the spot and launched an operation to track down the militants responsible for the attack. DGP Vaid said combing operation was going on. It is not clear yet whether the militants returned back or are hiding in the area. The combing operation and searches are going on, he said adding there has been no contact with the militants. Vaid said some ammunition and items have been recovered during the search operation. The security personnel have recovered a live grenade, RPG tube, UBGL rounds, 2 rucksacks, some magazines and some pouches during the search operation, he said. The DGP said they are trying to ascertain whether the militants have gone back or are still hiding there. Police and CRPF personnel are assisting the army in the search operation, he added. After the militant attack, high alert was sounded in entire Jammu region. The J&K Assembly is presently in session in Jammu and the main Republic Day function of the State will be held in the winter capital. A police officer said security personnel in Jammu region have been asked to maintain a tight vigil to foil any militant attack. Meanwhile, J&K Assembly, which is in session in Jammu the winter capital of the State, condemned the militant attack and expressed solidarity with the bereaved GREF labourers families. The members observed two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed souls. Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also condemned the militant attack on a GREF camp and conveyed her sympathies with the families of slain GREF workers. She underscored the need for working together to end the cycle of violence and bloodshed in the State. Ritu Sharma By Express News Service BENGALURU: The migration from India to Gulf countries has a geographical spread no with the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have beaten Kerala in sending the most number of migrants to the Gulf Countries, as the numbers of emigrants from India registered 24 percent hike between 2013-15. Joint Secretary (Gulf) Mridul Kumar revealed this during a session on Emigration Check Required (ECR) Countries, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain. More people coming to Gulf are from North and West of India. There are 8.5 million members in ECR countries. The last 2 years have seen a 24 percent increase in Indian Emigrants and 90 percent of them have gone to the Gulf countries, Kumar said. The labour conditions of Indian workers in the Gulf countries have been grabbing headline with nearly 15,000 Indian workers being left in lurch as the Saudi Arabian firm folded up. The Ministry is now working on skill imparting programmes for the blue-collared workers heading to Gulf countries to avoid their exploitation. They have already started Indian Workers Resource Centre in Dubai and Sharjah. In India as well these centres have been opened in Gurgaon (in National Capital Region) along with four other cities. MEA plans to open more centres in Jeddah and Riyadh as well. Now, we have large number of emigrants from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu; and not only from Kerala, Kumar added. These emigrants are important for the Indian economy as they form 40 percent of the remittances sent to India. But the working conditions are tough with a restrictive visa-sponsorship system known as kafala in place. Under this migrant workers work with only a single employer for their stay, cannot change job or leave the country without permission from the employer. Keeping this in mind, MEA has urged the states in North India to set up institutions on the lines of Norka in Kerala that assist emigrants. The Ministry is also creating Model Work Contracts for these emigrants and encouraging them to go through e-migration route. BENGALURU: The migration from India to Gulf countries has a geographical spread no with the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar have beaten Kerala in sending the most number of migrants to the Gulf Countries, as the numbers of emigrants from India registered 24 percent hike between 2013-15. Joint Secretary (Gulf) Mridul Kumar revealed this during a session on Emigration Check Required (ECR) Countries, which includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Bahrain. More people coming to Gulf are from North and West of India. There are 8.5 million members in ECR countries. The last 2 years have seen a 24 percent increase in Indian Emigrants and 90 percent of them have gone to the Gulf countries, Kumar said. The labour conditions of Indian workers in the Gulf countries have been grabbing headline with nearly 15,000 Indian workers being left in lurch as the Saudi Arabian firm folded up. The Ministry is now working on skill imparting programmes for the blue-collared workers heading to Gulf countries to avoid their exploitation. They have already started Indian Workers Resource Centre in Dubai and Sharjah. In India as well these centres have been opened in Gurgaon (in National Capital Region) along with four other cities. MEA plans to open more centres in Jeddah and Riyadh as well. Now, we have large number of emigrants from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu; and not only from Kerala, Kumar added. These emigrants are important for the Indian economy as they form 40 percent of the remittances sent to India. But the working conditions are tough with a restrictive visa-sponsorship system known as kafala in place. Under this migrant workers work with only a single employer for their stay, cannot change job or leave the country without permission from the employer. Keeping this in mind, MEA has urged the states in North India to set up institutions on the lines of Norka in Kerala that assist emigrants. The Ministry is also creating Model Work Contracts for these emigrants and encouraging them to go through e-migration route. By Express News Service LUCKNOW: Even as Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh late on Monday evening sought to calm ruffled feathers announcing that Akhilesh Yadav will be the partys CM face, earlier in the day the fire of the internal feud in the party spread across Uttar Pradesh, with supporters of Akhilesh and father Mulayam engaged in shows of strength at different places. Senior SP leader and former minister Beni Prasad Verma, a Rajya Sabha member and close to Mulayam, shot off a letter to the state chief electoral officer complaining against one of Akhileshs loyalist ministers Arvind Singh Gope for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by spreading casteism in Barabanki. Gope is one among the three Akhilesh loyalists denied ticket by Mulayam. In fact, Benis son Rakesh Verma had replaced Gope in Barabanki as the party candidate. Another factional wrangle emerged when loyalists of dethroned SP state chief Shivpal Yadav was stopped from entering the party headquarters in the state capital by police. Meanwhile, according to some reports, Akhileshs supporters captured the partys newly built sprawling office building in the CMs hometown Etawah. In another development, Shivpal called a meeting of his loyalists at the party office in Lucknow where he accused expelled leader and Akhilesh supporter Ram Gopal Yadav of conniving against the leadership. Clarifying the stand of Mulayams faction on the symbol crisis, Shivpal said the Akhikesh faction was allegedly pitching for a motorcycle symbol. LUCKNOW: Even as Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh late on Monday evening sought to calm ruffled feathers announcing that Akhilesh Yadav will be the partys CM face, earlier in the day the fire of the internal feud in the party spread across Uttar Pradesh, with supporters of Akhilesh and father Mulayam engaged in shows of strength at different places. Senior SP leader and former minister Beni Prasad Verma, a Rajya Sabha member and close to Mulayam, shot off a letter to the state chief electoral officer complaining against one of Akhileshs loyalist ministers Arvind Singh Gope for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by spreading casteism in Barabanki. Gope is one among the three Akhilesh loyalists denied ticket by Mulayam. In fact, Benis son Rakesh Verma had replaced Gope in Barabanki as the party candidate. Another factional wrangle emerged when loyalists of dethroned SP state chief Shivpal Yadav was stopped from entering the party headquarters in the state capital by police. Meanwhile, according to some reports, Akhileshs supporters captured the partys newly built sprawling office building in the CMs hometown Etawah. In another development, Shivpal called a meeting of his loyalists at the party office in Lucknow where he accused expelled leader and Akhilesh supporter Ram Gopal Yadav of conniving against the leadership. Clarifying the stand of Mulayams faction on the symbol crisis, Shivpal said the Akhikesh faction was allegedly pitching for a motorcycle symbol. Suresh Sundaram By After years of impatient wait, the betaji of Tamil Nadu politics got his due with M K Stalins elevation as the DMKs working president. That he had to wait for so long despite being a dynast tells the tale of ambition and intrigue within the first family of the party. Stalin though didnt need a coup to grab power unlike his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav, who snatched the Samajwadi Partys reins from under the nose of his dad and party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. The DMK heir apparents promotion happened because of patriarch M Karunanidhis failing health and the tracheostomy procedure he underwent inserting a hole in the windpipe to help him with breathing. Had his dads health been better, Stalins wait could have extended even further. Tells you how generational shifts dont come easy in any party across the country, including the BJP. When the average age of the electorate came down over a decade ago, most parties started scouring for talent that would appeal to that age group. That was how Rahul came to be projected by Sonia Gandhi as the hot new face of the Congress. It is a different matter that he is still in the interning stage. In the BJP, Narendra Modi emerged big time and sent then icon L K Advani to an advisory position in the Margadarshak Mandal. Ditto Akhilesh Yadav, as he became the chief minister with a reluctant Mulayam forced to make way. In the DMK, Karunanidhi experimented with his sons, daughter and grandnephew Stalin, Alagiri, Kanimozhi and Dayanidhi Maran by pushing them up the power ladder. While Dayanidhi and Kanimozhi got tainted by the 2G spectrum scam, and Alagiri proved his incompetence as a Union minister, it was Stalin who showed he was a doer. Yet Karunanidhi hesitated to promote him, craftily playing on the rift in the parivar. That was how at the ripe old age of 91, he was the chief ministerial face of the DMK when the state went to the polls last year. It was Stalin who did the spadework by touring the state extensively, launching a blistering Namakku Naame (we for ourselves) campaign, making pit stops for photo ops at roadside eateries, driving tractors, kissing babies and naming them, and visiting temples to draw voters eyeballs. The DMK eventually lost the battle, but won as many as 89 seats, the highest-ever by an Opposition party in Tamil Nadu. Stalin was elected Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and offered to end the politics of acrimony with the AIADMK, which had not been attempted in the state for decades. He also broke new ground after becoming the working president by calling on Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at his office in the Secretariat. No such interaction had ever happened in the past. Stalins confidence in taking a new approach stemmed from his near-total grip on the party structure. To get to the current stage, he had to purge the rebels and co-opt other grumbling regional satraps who had pockets of influence like the partys principal secretary, Durai Murugan. At the general council meeting, Durai Murugan broke down as he borrowed a line from DMK founder C N Annadurai and addressed Stalin, saying: Thambi vaa, thalaimai yaerka vaa (Come younger brother, take over the leadership). We are ready to follow your command. That thambi line couldnt possibly have come straight from the heart till about a few years ago, since at that point Durai Murugan was sulking. He was also visibly upset in 2014 when Stalin denied his son a position in the Vellore district unit. They later made their peace, after which Durai Murugan could be spotted at Stalins elbow on all important occasions. But for Stalin, the biggest headache came from Alagiri, who earlier had the southern Tamil Nadu units of the party under his thumb and stoutly refused to accept his leadership. Stalin applied Zandu Balm by dismantling the rebellious units and packing them with loyalists. Evidence of the balm working came a few weeks ago, when Alagiri appeared to have declared truce and stayed silent in the run-up to the coronation. Stalin may have managed Alagiri, but he has his limitations. He is a hard worker but unlike Akhilesh, he is not charismatic. Nor is he a fiery orator. Karunanidhi is a master at managing contradictions; Stalins ability on that count is yet to be tested. Stalin also is not known to be cerebral but is certainly pragmatic. He was always wary of Vijayakant joining the DMK-led poll alliance at a time when Karunanidhi was ready to welcome him with open arms. That the DMDK ditched him showed Stalins savvy and how Karunanidhi was losing his touch. At a time when the ruling party is trying to address its political vacuum after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Stalin needs to ensure that he does not add to the void in the post-Karunanidhi phase. Therein lies the challenge. Suresh Sundaram Deputy Resident Editor, Tamil Nadu Email: ssuresh@newindianexpress.com After years of impatient wait, the betaji of Tamil Nadu politics got his due with M K Stalins elevation as the DMKs working president. That he had to wait for so long despite being a dynast tells the tale of ambition and intrigue within the first family of the party. Stalin though didnt need a coup to grab power unlike his Uttar Pradesh counterpart Akhilesh Yadav, who snatched the Samajwadi Partys reins from under the nose of his dad and party president Mulayam Singh Yadav. The DMK heir apparents promotion happened because of patriarch M Karunanidhis failing health and the tracheostomy procedure he underwent inserting a hole in the windpipe to help him with breathing. Had his dads health been better, Stalins wait could have extended even further. Tells you how generational shifts dont come easy in any party across the country, including the BJP. When the average age of the electorate came down over a decade ago, most parties started scouring for talent that would appeal to that age group. That was how Rahul came to be projected by Sonia Gandhi as the hot new face of the Congress. It is a different matter that he is still in the interning stage. In the BJP, Narendra Modi emerged big time and sent then icon L K Advani to an advisory position in the Margadarshak Mandal. Ditto Akhilesh Yadav, as he became the chief minister with a reluctant Mulayam forced to make way. In the DMK, Karunanidhi experimented with his sons, daughter and grandnephew Stalin, Alagiri, Kanimozhi and Dayanidhi Maran by pushing them up the power ladder. While Dayanidhi and Kanimozhi got tainted by the 2G spectrum scam, and Alagiri proved his incompetence as a Union minister, it was Stalin who showed he was a doer. Yet Karunanidhi hesitated to promote him, craftily playing on the rift in the parivar. That was how at the ripe old age of 91, he was the chief ministerial face of the DMK when the state went to the polls last year. It was Stalin who did the spadework by touring the state extensively, launching a blistering Namakku Naame (we for ourselves) campaign, making pit stops for photo ops at roadside eateries, driving tractors, kissing babies and naming them, and visiting temples to draw voters eyeballs. The DMK eventually lost the battle, but won as many as 89 seats, the highest-ever by an Opposition party in Tamil Nadu. Stalin was elected Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly and offered to end the politics of acrimony with the AIADMK, which had not been attempted in the state for decades. He also broke new ground after becoming the working president by calling on Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at his office in the Secretariat. No such interaction had ever happened in the past. Stalins confidence in taking a new approach stemmed from his near-total grip on the party structure. To get to the current stage, he had to purge the rebels and co-opt other grumbling regional satraps who had pockets of influence like the partys principal secretary, Durai Murugan. At the general council meeting, Durai Murugan broke down as he borrowed a line from DMK founder C N Annadurai and addressed Stalin, saying: Thambi vaa, thalaimai yaerka vaa (Come younger brother, take over the leadership). We are ready to follow your command. That thambi line couldnt possibly have come straight from the heart till about a few years ago, since at that point Durai Murugan was sulking. He was also visibly upset in 2014 when Stalin denied his son a position in the Vellore district unit. They later made their peace, after which Durai Murugan could be spotted at Stalins elbow on all important occasions. But for Stalin, the biggest headache came from Alagiri, who earlier had the southern Tamil Nadu units of the party under his thumb and stoutly refused to accept his leadership. Stalin applied Zandu Balm by dismantling the rebellious units and packing them with loyalists. Evidence of the balm working came a few weeks ago, when Alagiri appeared to have declared truce and stayed silent in the run-up to the coronation. Stalin may have managed Alagiri, but he has his limitations. He is a hard worker but unlike Akhilesh, he is not charismatic. Nor is he a fiery orator. Karunanidhi is a master at managing contradictions; Stalins ability on that count is yet to be tested. Stalin also is not known to be cerebral but is certainly pragmatic. He was always wary of Vijayakant joining the DMK-led poll alliance at a time when Karunanidhi was ready to welcome him with open arms. That the DMDK ditched him showed Stalins savvy and how Karunanidhi was losing his touch. At a time when the ruling party is trying to address its political vacuum after the demise of former chief minister J Jayalalithaa, Stalin needs to ensure that he does not add to the void in the post-Karunanidhi phase. Therein lies the challenge. Suresh Sundaram Deputy Resident Editor, Tamil Nadu Email: ssuresh@newindianexpress.com Avay Shukla By The difference between a chartered accountant and an auditor is that whereas the former looks for Cash in Hand the latter looks for Hand in Cash. And this precisely is what makes the auditor the bane of every DDO ( Drawing and Disbursing Officer, poor sod) in the government. Every once in a while the audit party descends on government offices like a biblical plague, armed with annual targets of audit paras and a tunnel vision that would do a mole proud. Your typical auditor is adept at looking through key holes, but as all of us who have done our share of peeping through key holes during our college days would testify, this kind of opticism (to coin a word) suffers from a loss of perspective and context: it may help one to focus on the female anatomy but it loses the larger picture. Audit parties also like to be well looked after and it is acknowledged in government circles that a well turned tandoori chicken is worth at least a dozen dropped audit paras. However, if the said avian has flown the coop, this is taken stern note of by the mole, and the resultant observations can be quite remarkable. Sometime in the 1940s, a British forester arrived at a remote forest rest house in upper Shimla district at the fag end of a severe winter. He noticed obvious signs of a bear (the area abounds in Himalayan black bears) which had spent the winter in the deserted rest house and, as the anecdotal and precise British are wont to do, recorded the following in the register: It appears that Mr Bruno has been staying here these winter months as there are signs of his presence all over the verandah and the grounds. When the accounts of the rest house were audited, the audit party noted that the Department had been extremely lax in allowing Mr Bruno to stay in the rest house without paying the room rent, and directed that the rent for the entire winter months be recovered from him, and in future no one should be permitted to stay there without obtaining a permit! The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department is still looking for the errant Mr Bruno to settle the rent. On a more recent occasion, an audit party was auditing the accounts of a small Municipal Committee in Chamba district. To lighten its onerous burden it desired that some refreshments be provided (at the expense of the committee, of course). Since the lamb which is being led to the slaughter has very few choices, some gulab jamuns were duly served (note that the mandatory chicken was missing). When this particular bill came up for scrutiny, audit pounced on it with a vengeance and demanded to know the reasons for this wasteful expenditure. The secretary of the committee, however, was equal to the task: he replied that the gulab jamuns had been purchased to feed stray dogs in order to poison them (this was before Mrs Maneka Gandhi discovered her true passion in life). Now, auditors are a resilient sub-set of homo sapiens and, though initially taken aback by this impertinent reply, they quickly bounced back with this counter punch: How many dogs were killed? Please furnish documentary proof in support thereof. The secretary, an experienced pugilist himself, delivered this upper cut: No dog appears to have died as it is reported that they have become immune to such gulab jamuns! Ouch! My favourite anecdote was told to me many years ago by the then director of the Delhi Zoo. Now, this zoo has a large number of peacocks and at one point of time their numbers grew to more than what it could handle. The director, quite sensibly in anyones opinion but that of audit, decided to sell the surplus birds. The process involved some minor expenditure which was duly reflected under the heading Retailing of peacocks. When audit saw this entry all its members emitted a collective Hallelujah for their tunnel vision had detected the mother of all audit paras. And what a para it was: Why was the retailing of peacocks necessary? What happened to their original tails? Has responsibility been fixed for the loss of the original tails? Has the quantum of loss been estimated? Were tenders invited for fixing (retailing) new tails on them? Is the quality of the new tails similar to the original tails? The Director sought an immediate transfer, thankful for his narrow escapehe confessed to me that he could not even imagine what would have happened if he had retailed a lion or a tiger! Acquiring the peculiar mentality of an auditor is no childs play: it requires years of arcane training at the Yarrows Academy in Shimla and many more years asking probing questions. Rome was not built in a day, nor was Mr Vinod Rais coal scam report prepared overnight; it was preceded by years of probing questions by him on aspects of government functioning: Why were three biscuits served at the meeting when the rules permitted only two? Why were tenders in newspapers (costing `20,000) not published before purchasing pens (costing `2000)? Why was expenditure on flavoured condoms (for birth control) booked under the Family Planning Programme head and not under Food for Work? Indeed, the auditor is a prime example of reverse evolution and even the Gods do not tangle with him as the following parable indicates. Two auditors died and arrived at the pearly gates. Just ahead of them were two clergymen but St. Peter motioned them aside and took the auditors into heaven at once. The clergymen protested: Why them ahead of us? Havent we done everything possible to spread the word of the Lord? Yes, said St. Peter, but these two guys have scared the hell out of more people than you ever did! Amen to that. Avay Shukla served in the IAS for 35 years and retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Email: avayshukla@gmail.com The difference between a chartered accountant and an auditor is that whereas the former looks for Cash in Hand the latter looks for Hand in Cash. And this precisely is what makes the auditor the bane of every DDO ( Drawing and Disbursing Officer, poor sod) in the government. Every once in a while the audit party descends on government offices like a biblical plague, armed with annual targets of audit paras and a tunnel vision that would do a mole proud. Your typical auditor is adept at looking through key holes, but as all of us who have done our share of peeping through key holes during our college days would testify, this kind of opticism (to coin a word) suffers from a loss of perspective and context: it may help one to focus on the female anatomy but it loses the larger picture. Audit parties also like to be well looked after and it is acknowledged in government circles that a well turned tandoori chicken is worth at least a dozen dropped audit paras. However, if the said avian has flown the coop, this is taken stern note of by the mole, and the resultant observations can be quite remarkable. Sometime in the 1940s, a British forester arrived at a remote forest rest house in upper Shimla district at the fag end of a severe winter. He noticed obvious signs of a bear (the area abounds in Himalayan black bears) which had spent the winter in the deserted rest house and, as the anecdotal and precise British are wont to do, recorded the following in the register: It appears that Mr Bruno has been staying here these winter months as there are signs of his presence all over the verandah and the grounds. When the accounts of the rest house were audited, the audit party noted that the Department had been extremely lax in allowing Mr Bruno to stay in the rest house without paying the room rent, and directed that the rent for the entire winter months be recovered from him, and in future no one should be permitted to stay there without obtaining a permit! The Himachal Pradesh Forest Department is still looking for the errant Mr Bruno to settle the rent. On a more recent occasion, an audit party was auditing the accounts of a small Municipal Committee in Chamba district. To lighten its onerous burden it desired that some refreshments be provided (at the expense of the committee, of course). Since the lamb which is being led to the slaughter has very few choices, some gulab jamuns were duly served (note that the mandatory chicken was missing). When this particular bill came up for scrutiny, audit pounced on it with a vengeance and demanded to know the reasons for this wasteful expenditure. The secretary of the committee, however, was equal to the task: he replied that the gulab jamuns had been purchased to feed stray dogs in order to poison them (this was before Mrs Maneka Gandhi discovered her true passion in life). Now, auditors are a resilient sub-set of homo sapiens and, though initially taken aback by this impertinent reply, they quickly bounced back with this counter punch: How many dogs were killed? Please furnish documentary proof in support thereof. The secretary, an experienced pugilist himself, delivered this upper cut: No dog appears to have died as it is reported that they have become immune to such gulab jamuns! Ouch! My favourite anecdote was told to me many years ago by the then director of the Delhi Zoo. Now, this zoo has a large number of peacocks and at one point of time their numbers grew to more than what it could handle. The director, quite sensibly in anyones opinion but that of audit, decided to sell the surplus birds. The process involved some minor expenditure which was duly reflected under the heading Retailing of peacocks. When audit saw this entry all its members emitted a collective Hallelujah for their tunnel vision had detected the mother of all audit paras. And what a para it was: Why was the retailing of peacocks necessary? What happened to their original tails? Has responsibility been fixed for the loss of the original tails? Has the quantum of loss been estimated? Were tenders invited for fixing (retailing) new tails on them? Is the quality of the new tails similar to the original tails? The Director sought an immediate transfer, thankful for his narrow escapehe confessed to me that he could not even imagine what would have happened if he had retailed a lion or a tiger! Acquiring the peculiar mentality of an auditor is no childs play: it requires years of arcane training at the Yarrows Academy in Shimla and many more years asking probing questions. Rome was not built in a day, nor was Mr Vinod Rais coal scam report prepared overnight; it was preceded by years of probing questions by him on aspects of government functioning: Why were three biscuits served at the meeting when the rules permitted only two? Why were tenders in newspapers (costing `20,000) not published before purchasing pens (costing `2000)? Why was expenditure on flavoured condoms (for birth control) booked under the Family Planning Programme head and not under Food for Work? Indeed, the auditor is a prime example of reverse evolution and even the Gods do not tangle with him as the following parable indicates. Two auditors died and arrived at the pearly gates. Just ahead of them were two clergymen but St. Peter motioned them aside and took the auditors into heaven at once. The clergymen protested: Why them ahead of us? Havent we done everything possible to spread the word of the Lord? Yes, said St. Peter, but these two guys have scared the hell out of more people than you ever did! Amen to that. Avay Shukla served in the IAS for 35 years and retired as Additional Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh Email: avayshukla@gmail.com With Japan recalling its ambassador to South Korea on Sunday, ties between the two countries have reached a new low. The move marks the latest development in the dispute over Japans wartime system of comfort women. Who were they? Comfort women Comfort women, a euphemism for sex slaves, refers to women mostly from Korea, China and other parts of Asia who were taken to Japanese military settlements during World War II, according to AFP 2,00,000 women believed to have been sexually enslaved by Japan during the war Diplomatic hurdle This issue has been troubling ties between Japan and its neighbours, especially South Korea and China. Japan recalled its envoy because Korean activists installed a comfort woman statue in front of Japans embassy after one of its ministers visited a war shrine In a bid to resolve the issue Japan at the end of 2015, announced it was offering a one-billion yen ($8.6 million) for survivors and an apology from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But, activists and survivors criticised the deal strongly, saying it does not hold Japan responsible for the crimes committed and called for a face-to-face apology from Abe I was put in a tiny room and made to sleep with about 10 to 20 soldiers a day. I was punched and beaten so much that my body was covered in bruises This deal has made us look like fools. It was agreed without consulting us. Not only has Abe not apologised, but he hasnt even tried to meet us With Japan recalling its ambassador to South Korea on Sunday, ties between the two countries have reached a new low. The move marks the latest development in the dispute over Japans wartime system of comfort women. Who were they? Comfort women Comfort women, a euphemism for sex slaves, refers to women mostly from Korea, China and other parts of Asia who were taken to Japanese military settlements during World War II, according to AFP 2,00,000 women believed to have been sexually enslaved by Japan during the war Diplomatic hurdle This issue has been troubling ties between Japan and its neighbours, especially South Korea and China. Japan recalled its envoy because Korean activists installed a comfort woman statue in front of Japans embassy after one of its ministers visited a war shrine In a bid to resolve the issue Japan at the end of 2015, announced it was offering a one-billion yen ($8.6 million) for survivors and an apology from Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. But, activists and survivors criticised the deal strongly, saying it does not hold Japan responsible for the crimes committed and called for a face-to-face apology from Abe I was put in a tiny room and made to sleep with about 10 to 20 soldiers a day. I was punched and beaten so much that my body was covered in bruises This deal has made us look like fools. It was agreed without consulting us. Not only has Abe not apologised, but he hasnt even tried to meet us By Express News Service RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM:Kapu patriarch Mudragada Padmanabham on Sunday, questioned Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over the delay in according BC status to the Kapus and warned him against testing the patience of persons of the Kapu community. How many years does the government require to fulfil its promise, he asked. In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Mudragada stated that Kapus will not remain mere spectators if the government tried to suppress their agitation. It is high time Kapus realise it is a do-or-die situation for them. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be defeated in the ensuing Assembly elections, if Naidu tries to cheat the Kapu community. If the government decides to suppress Kapus, the CM should be prepared to face defeat, he said. The Kapu leader further alleged that the Chief Minister was giving away lands acquired from farmers in the name of of development to his henchmen. Saying the Kapu community would proceed with its agitation in a phased manner as announced earlier, he asserted it was high time for the government to fulfil the just demands of the Kapu community as BCs, SCs and STs were extending their support to the cause. We are not taking away existing reservations from the communities, but only seeking additional reservation under BC quota, he said. Pointing out that the TDP came to power with Kapu votes, Mudragada wanted to know what more Naidu was expecting from the Kapu community to fulfil their just demand of inclusion of Kapus in the BC list. If the government is not inclined to give us our rights, we will take to the streets and fight for justice, he said. RAJAMAHENDRAVARAM:Kapu patriarch Mudragada Padmanabham on Sunday, questioned Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over the delay in according BC status to the Kapus and warned him against testing the patience of persons of the Kapu community. How many years does the government require to fulfil its promise, he asked. In an open letter to the Chief Minister, Mudragada stated that Kapus will not remain mere spectators if the government tried to suppress their agitation. It is high time Kapus realise it is a do-or-die situation for them. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) will be defeated in the ensuing Assembly elections, if Naidu tries to cheat the Kapu community. If the government decides to suppress Kapus, the CM should be prepared to face defeat, he said. The Kapu leader further alleged that the Chief Minister was giving away lands acquired from farmers in the name of of development to his henchmen. Saying the Kapu community would proceed with its agitation in a phased manner as announced earlier, he asserted it was high time for the government to fulfil the just demands of the Kapu community as BCs, SCs and STs were extending their support to the cause. We are not taking away existing reservations from the communities, but only seeking additional reservation under BC quota, he said. Pointing out that the TDP came to power with Kapu votes, Mudragada wanted to know what more Naidu was expecting from the Kapu community to fulfil their just demand of inclusion of Kapus in the BC list. If the government is not inclined to give us our rights, we will take to the streets and fight for justice, he said. By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Around 1,334 kg of ganja worth `1.34 crore was seized and one person arrested by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) near Benz Circle in Vijayawada on Saturday night. The DRI officials intercepted the mini van carrying the recreational drug, in a secret operation without even informing the local police, to ensure that the smugglers werent tipped off. According to DRI officials, a mini van was coming was heading towards Hyderabad via Vijayawada from Vizag. Acting on a tip off, a team of DRI officers from Hyderabad and Vijayawadas regional unit intercepted the vehicle near Benz Circle and found ganja packets which were hidden beneath huge loads of cabbage. DRI sources said the ganja was packed in 3 kg packs and small packets of around 20 were further packed into another big pack. Around 440 such big packets were found and seized along with van. The driver, T Srinivas Rao, a native of Serigalapalli near Palakole, was arrested along with ganja. A case was registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances(NDPS) Act. The stock was placed in a warehouse in Vijayawada and with the permission of the court, officials destroyed it on Sunday. VIJAYAWADA: Around 1,334 kg of ganja worth `1.34 crore was seized and one person arrested by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) near Benz Circle in Vijayawada on Saturday night. The DRI officials intercepted the mini van carrying the recreational drug, in a secret operation without even informing the local police, to ensure that the smugglers werent tipped off. According to DRI officials, a mini van was coming was heading towards Hyderabad via Vijayawada from Vizag. Acting on a tip off, a team of DRI officers from Hyderabad and Vijayawadas regional unit intercepted the vehicle near Benz Circle and found ganja packets which were hidden beneath huge loads of cabbage. DRI sources said the ganja was packed in 3 kg packs and small packets of around 20 were further packed into another big pack. Around 440 such big packets were found and seized along with van. The driver, T Srinivas Rao, a native of Serigalapalli near Palakole, was arrested along with ganja. A case was registered under Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances(NDPS) Act. The stock was placed in a warehouse in Vijayawada and with the permission of the court, officials destroyed it on Sunday. Ashwini M Sripad By Express News Service BENGALURU: ON your next trip to Hampi, a virtual guide could come in handy while visiting the monuments. Anand Babu C, an IIM-B graduate, developed a virtual guide which can soon be availed by tourists in Hampi. Anand, who founded Digitour Technologies, was in Bengaluru to take part in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017. I was born and raised in Hagaribommanahalli, a village near Hampi. As children, Hampi was the first choice for picnics. We used to visit often, but did not anything about the monuments, he said. Anand is a techie who has previously worked with Wipro and Accenture. A few years back, he started Digitour technologies. Impressed with his innovation, the state tourism department funded it under the Idea2POC scheme of the Karnataka Startup Policy. For the past two years, we have been doing research and developing the virtual guide and we have been successful, he said. Explaining how the virtual guide works, Anand said, We will provide a scratch card (for a nominal fee) and the number on the card should fed into your smartphone. This will take you on a virtual tour of the monument with information on each monument. The phone will act as a guide. The visitor can view the monument in real and see it virtually, he said. We also plan to provide virtual reality glasses. Anand has received a proposal from Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia where a similar venture is planned. Anand hopes to set up this feature across the country. BENGALURU: ON your next trip to Hampi, a virtual guide could come in handy while visiting the monuments. Anand Babu C, an IIM-B graduate, developed a virtual guide which can soon be availed by tourists in Hampi. Anand, who founded Digitour Technologies, was in Bengaluru to take part in Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2017. I was born and raised in Hagaribommanahalli, a village near Hampi. As children, Hampi was the first choice for picnics. We used to visit often, but did not anything about the monuments, he said. Anand is a techie who has previously worked with Wipro and Accenture. A few years back, he started Digitour technologies. Impressed with his innovation, the state tourism department funded it under the Idea2POC scheme of the Karnataka Startup Policy. For the past two years, we have been doing research and developing the virtual guide and we have been successful, he said. Explaining how the virtual guide works, Anand said, We will provide a scratch card (for a nominal fee) and the number on the card should fed into your smartphone. This will take you on a virtual tour of the monument with information on each monument. The phone will act as a guide. The visitor can view the monument in real and see it virtually, he said. We also plan to provide virtual reality glasses. Anand has received a proposal from Angkor Wat Temple in Cambodia where a similar venture is planned. Anand hopes to set up this feature across the country. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior IAS officers will meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday to convey their ire against the abuse of power by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). The day will also see the first-ever mass protest by Keralas top officers who will go on a casual leave. The decision to take the protest leave was taken by a meeting of the association on Saturday that observed that VACBs actions have affected the morale of civil service officers. The leave is to express our sadness, frustration and professional dissatisfaction and to show our solidarity with our aggrieved colleagues in allowing the present Vigilance Director to continue abusing his powers, according to a note by the association. According to the officers, Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas is misusing his position for vengeance and personal vendetta. The latest incident that irked the officers was the Vigilance decision to implicate Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Paul Antony as third accused in the nepotism case against former Industries Minister E P Jayarajan. There were reports that the Vigilance is collecting evidence against Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan and P H Kurien as well. A senior officer told Express that they were more worried about the governments silence that encourages the Vigilance Director to falsely implicate and defame officials of undisputable repute. As Paul Antony has not conducted any rule violation or fraud, except implementing the written instructions of the Minister, he will not be held guilty by the court. The Vigilance Director too knows this, but he wants to put Antony under a cloud, he said. It is learnt that at least 50 per cent of senior officers have placed leave requests with the Chief Secretary by Sunday evening. Officers who are attending to emergency duties of law and order, District Collectors and Sub-Collectors will work in public interest. THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Senior IAS officers will meet Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday to convey their ire against the abuse of power by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (VACB). The day will also see the first-ever mass protest by Keralas top officers who will go on a casual leave. The decision to take the protest leave was taken by a meeting of the association on Saturday that observed that VACBs actions have affected the morale of civil service officers. The leave is to express our sadness, frustration and professional dissatisfaction and to show our solidarity with our aggrieved colleagues in allowing the present Vigilance Director to continue abusing his powers, according to a note by the association. According to the officers, Vigilance Director Jacob Thomas is misusing his position for vengeance and personal vendetta. The latest incident that irked the officers was the Vigilance decision to implicate Additional Chief Secretary (Industries) Paul Antony as third accused in the nepotism case against former Industries Minister E P Jayarajan. There were reports that the Vigilance is collecting evidence against Health Secretary Rajeev Sadanandan and P H Kurien as well. A senior officer told Express that they were more worried about the governments silence that encourages the Vigilance Director to falsely implicate and defame officials of undisputable repute. As Paul Antony has not conducted any rule violation or fraud, except implementing the written instructions of the Minister, he will not be held guilty by the court. The Vigilance Director too knows this, but he wants to put Antony under a cloud, he said. It is learnt that at least 50 per cent of senior officers have placed leave requests with the Chief Secretary by Sunday evening. Officers who are attending to emergency duties of law and order, District Collectors and Sub-Collectors will work in public interest. By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHPURAM: IAS officers in Kerala called off their strike on Monday as chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a tough stand against the strike, expressing his strong displeasure at their move and continued to support Vigilance director Jacob Thomas. Following a meeting with the chief minister, the officers called off their strike which was announced to protest the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director's decision to implicate additional chief secretary Paul Antony as the third accused in an appointment scam. Pinarayi Vijayan informed the officers that the investigation will proceed, and that his government will not interfere in it. The probe will be free and impartial and the strike is viewed seriously by the government, he later told the media. It is only natural to react emotionally when there is an investigation, he said. Even in the past, such investigations have led to the suspension of top bureaucrats, Vijayan said. On the corruption charges against Jacob Thomas, the chief minister said that they were investigated earlier. On their part, the officers conveyed to the CM their concerns regarding the investigation. However, the call for mass strike on Monday was not a move against the government or an attempt to weaken it, they informed him. The Vigilance had implicated Paul Antony in a nepotism case involving E P Jayarajan, who was forced to step down as industries minister. On Saturday, they announced their plan to skip a day's work in protest against the ''victimisation'' of the IAS officers. Majority of the 60 IAS officers except the chief secretary, home secretary, officers on emergency duty including district collectors had planned to go on leave. THIRUVANANTHPURAM: IAS officers in Kerala called off their strike on Monday as chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan took a tough stand against the strike, expressing his strong displeasure at their move and continued to support Vigilance director Jacob Thomas. Following a meeting with the chief minister, the officers called off their strike which was announced to protest the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau director's decision to implicate additional chief secretary Paul Antony as the third accused in an appointment scam. Pinarayi Vijayan informed the officers that the investigation will proceed, and that his government will not interfere in it. The probe will be free and impartial and the strike is viewed seriously by the government, he later told the media. It is only natural to react emotionally when there is an investigation, he said. Even in the past, such investigations have led to the suspension of top bureaucrats, Vijayan said. On the corruption charges against Jacob Thomas, the chief minister said that they were investigated earlier. On their part, the officers conveyed to the CM their concerns regarding the investigation. However, the call for mass strike on Monday was not a move against the government or an attempt to weaken it, they informed him. The Vigilance had implicated Paul Antony in a nepotism case involving E P Jayarajan, who was forced to step down as industries minister. On Saturday, they announced their plan to skip a day's work in protest against the ''victimisation'' of the IAS officers. Majority of the 60 IAS officers except the chief secretary, home secretary, officers on emergency duty including district collectors had planned to go on leave. By Express News Service SABARIMALA: Governor Justice P Sathasivam said on Sunday that the Central Government would be urged to declare Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple as a national pilgrim centre. Inaugurating the Pampa Sangamam, the Governor said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajanth Singh with a proposal to accord the temple the national pilgrim centre status. The discussions with the Central Government would be centred around the key proposals submitted by the Travancore Devaswom Board to the Central Government, the Governor said. Justice Sathasivam pointed out that Sabarimala temple would be unique across the world in attracting people irrespective of their nationality, religion, caste and creed. The Governor said that development projects to be implemented at the hill shrine should be eco-friendly and environment-friendly. The Governor said he would invite Green Tribunal chairman Justice Swathantrakumar to visit Sabarimala for an on-the-spot assessment of the conditions here for taking up projects for the imporvement of basic facilities for the pilgrims. The Green Tribunal should not compare Sabarimala with other centres in the country for clearance for development projects, the Governor said. Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan urged the Central Government to give the green signal for projects to improve basic facilities for the pilgrims. The TDB has submitted a memorandum to the Centre and sought appointment with the Prime Minister and other Union Ministers, he said. Presiding over the function, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the State Government would implement a `500-crore programme for the overall development of Sabarimala. The pilgrims would receive the benefits of the new programme from the next season, the Minister said. PWD Minister G Sudhakaran said Sabarimala pilgrimage would be taken as the key for integrated development of the state. He said the revenue from entry tax on pilgrim vehicles from other states should be an eye-opener in this regard. He said development of 17 Sabarimala roads alone would not be enough for the pilgrimage and another 500 additional roads should also be included in development list. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, MP Anto Antony, and MLA Raju Abraham offered felicitations. SABARIMALA: Governor Justice P Sathasivam said on Sunday that the Central Government would be urged to declare Sabarimala Lord Ayyappa temple as a national pilgrim centre. Inaugurating the Pampa Sangamam, the Governor said he would meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajanth Singh with a proposal to accord the temple the national pilgrim centre status. The discussions with the Central Government would be centred around the key proposals submitted by the Travancore Devaswom Board to the Central Government, the Governor said. Justice Sathasivam pointed out that Sabarimala temple would be unique across the world in attracting people irrespective of their nationality, religion, caste and creed. The Governor said that development projects to be implemented at the hill shrine should be eco-friendly and environment-friendly. The Governor said he would invite Green Tribunal chairman Justice Swathantrakumar to visit Sabarimala for an on-the-spot assessment of the conditions here for taking up projects for the imporvement of basic facilities for the pilgrims. The Green Tribunal should not compare Sabarimala with other centres in the country for clearance for development projects, the Governor said. Travancore Devaswom Board president Prayar Gopalakrishnan urged the Central Government to give the green signal for projects to improve basic facilities for the pilgrims. The TDB has submitted a memorandum to the Centre and sought appointment with the Prime Minister and other Union Ministers, he said. Presiding over the function, Devaswom Minister Kadakampally Surendran said that the State Government would implement a `500-crore programme for the overall development of Sabarimala. The pilgrims would receive the benefits of the new programme from the next season, the Minister said. PWD Minister G Sudhakaran said Sabarimala pilgrimage would be taken as the key for integrated development of the state. He said the revenue from entry tax on pilgrim vehicles from other states should be an eye-opener in this regard. He said development of 17 Sabarimala roads alone would not be enough for the pilgrimage and another 500 additional roads should also be included in development list. Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala, MP Anto Antony, and MLA Raju Abraham offered felicitations. By Express News Service BALASORE: In a shocking incident, a group of RPF jawans allegedly assaulted a differently-abled man for stealing a cell phone from a passenger and dumped him at Balasore railway station before fleeing in a train. While there is no whereabouts of the victim since the incident that took place on January 5 morning, it came to fore after video clippings of the inhuman act went viral on the media drawing attention of Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu. Sources said three RPF constables pulled out the differently-abled person from Guwahati-Bangalore Express, beat him up mercilessly, kicked his abdomen, face and back before leaving him shouting for help at platform 3 of Blasore station. Though the incident happened in full pubic glare at around 7.30 am when people were busy getting off the train and boarding it, many chose to give it a miss while Parthasarathi Jena, a resident of Balasore town who was present at the platform video-graphed the entire act. I was taken aback at the terrible act of the RPF jawans. How can the constables give punishment to accused persons in such a manner? If he had stolen a mobile phone, they could have handed him over to the local RPF office. It was inhuman the way they treated this man who has lost one of his legs, said Jena. The local RPF officials, however, denied that the RPF constables shown in the video are from Balasore. They are passenger escorts. They must have gone in the same train. The victim is also not seen here after the incident, said an RPF official. On the other hand, Railway SP Sanjay Kaushal told mediapersons that the inspector-in-charge has been directed to trace the victim and register his complaints. The RPF constables will be identified and action will be taken against them if they are found guilty, he assured. Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the alleged incident and directed Director General (DG) of RPF to investigate it. Sources said the victim, who is yet to be identified, is an orphan who earns his livelihood by sweeping train bogies between Balasore and Bhadrak stations. BALASORE: In a shocking incident, a group of RPF jawans allegedly assaulted a differently-abled man for stealing a cell phone from a passenger and dumped him at Balasore railway station before fleeing in a train. While there is no whereabouts of the victim since the incident that took place on January 5 morning, it came to fore after video clippings of the inhuman act went viral on the media drawing attention of Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu. Sources said three RPF constables pulled out the differently-abled person from Guwahati-Bangalore Express, beat him up mercilessly, kicked his abdomen, face and back before leaving him shouting for help at platform 3 of Blasore station. Though the incident happened in full pubic glare at around 7.30 am when people were busy getting off the train and boarding it, many chose to give it a miss while Parthasarathi Jena, a resident of Balasore town who was present at the platform video-graphed the entire act. I was taken aback at the terrible act of the RPF jawans. How can the constables give punishment to accused persons in such a manner? If he had stolen a mobile phone, they could have handed him over to the local RPF office. It was inhuman the way they treated this man who has lost one of his legs, said Jena. The local RPF officials, however, denied that the RPF constables shown in the video are from Balasore. They are passenger escorts. They must have gone in the same train. The victim is also not seen here after the incident, said an RPF official. On the other hand, Railway SP Sanjay Kaushal told mediapersons that the inspector-in-charge has been directed to trace the victim and register his complaints. The RPF constables will be identified and action will be taken against them if they are found guilty, he assured. Meanwhile, Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the alleged incident and directed Director General (DG) of RPF to investigate it. Sources said the victim, who is yet to be identified, is an orphan who earns his livelihood by sweeping train bogies between Balasore and Bhadrak stations. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: Senior leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday met party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay who was arrested by the CBI in connection with Rose Valley Group scam last week. Even as the probe agency has been quizzing the MP about his links with the firm, TMC national secretary general Dr Partha Chatterjee, national general secretary Subrata Bakshi, senior leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Manish Gupta met him and took stock of his welfare. Since TMC has announced to hold a rally in the city on January 10, Bakshi and his team came in to oversee the arrangements. Meanwhile, the CBI has been seeking to elicit information from Bandopadhyay if he ever went to the Rose Valley office and attended any promotional meetings. While the MP is believed to have refuted the allegations, sources in the CBI said the agency has photographic as well as video evidence. The agency is also scanning the role of more leaders of TMC as well as CPM in the scam. The TMC MP would be produced before the court on Monday and CBI may seek his custody for fur t h e r questioning. BHUBANESWAR: Senior leaders of Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Sunday met party MP Sudip Bandopadhyay who was arrested by the CBI in connection with Rose Valley Group scam last week. Even as the probe agency has been quizzing the MP about his links with the firm, TMC national secretary general Dr Partha Chatterjee, national general secretary Subrata Bakshi, senior leaders Chandrima Bhattacharya and Manish Gupta met him and took stock of his welfare. Since TMC has announced to hold a rally in the city on January 10, Bakshi and his team came in to oversee the arrangements. Meanwhile, the CBI has been seeking to elicit information from Bandopadhyay if he ever went to the Rose Valley office and attended any promotional meetings. While the MP is believed to have refuted the allegations, sources in the CBI said the agency has photographic as well as video evidence. The agency is also scanning the role of more leaders of TMC as well as CPM in the scam. The TMC MP would be produced before the court on Monday and CBI may seek his custody for fur t h e r questioning. By AFP NIGERIA: Boko Haram killed at least five soldiers at a military base in northeast Nigeria, while suicide bombers killed three people in the key city of Maiduguri, the authorities said on Monday. The weekend attacks will again prompt questions about the extent to which the Islamic State group affiliate is a spent force, as Nigeria's government has claimed. There was no official claim of responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram, which has frequently hit checkpoints and security services with suicide bombers. Rebel fighters, whom the military said were ousted from their Sambisa Forest enclave in Borno state last month, first hit an army base in Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state, at dusk on Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, a wave of five suicide bombers targeted civilian vigilantes assisting the military with security in Maiduguri and elsewhere in the remote region. One senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the Buni Yadi assault led to an "intense battle". "We lost five soldiers in the attack, including a captain who was recently deployed to Buni Yadi," he said. "We are still trying to have a sense of the casualties on the part of the terrorists as their bodies are scattered in the bush." - 'Missing in action' - The Boko Haram gunmen are believed to be remnants of those flushed out of Sambisa as a result of a sustained military operation that began in April last year. The expulsion was described by Abuja as the final stages of the insurgency, which began in 2009 and has left at least 20,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless. President Muhammadu Buhari claimed in December 2015 the group was "technically" defeated but there has been no let-up in attacks, including across the border in Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Attacks on military bases were a regular feature of the fighting and used by Boko Haram to replenish weaponry. A spokesman for the Buni Yadi base, Lieutenant George Okupe, confirmed the attack and said it was "repelled". He added: "I cannot confirm any casualty for now. "All I can say is that some soldiers are missing in action." Buni Yadi, some 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, fell into the hands of Boko Haram in February 2014 after the militants attacked a boys' boarding school. At least 43 students were killed as they slept and the school was set ablaze. The militants sacked the town and remained in control until March last year until they were ousted. - Vigilantes targeted - On Sunday at about 10:30 pm (2130 GMT), two female suicide bombers killed two people in the Kaleri neighbourhood of Maiduguri, said Borno state police spokesman Victor Isuku. Civilian vigilante Babakura Kolo and local residents said the targets were the homes of militia members helping the military in the area. The first bomber was aged about 20 and killed both herself and the vigilante member's teenage daughter, who answered the door. The second female bomber was believed to be aged about 30 and killed the father of the vigilante, who was spending the night with his second wife, said resident Bura Kadiri. About the same time, three male suicide bombers exploded near a military checkpoint on the city limits, killing one vigilante on patrol, according to police. The trio, armed with Kalashnikovs assault rifles, "shot sporadically and attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri" through Muna Garage, said police spokesman Victor Isuku. "The IED (improvised explosive device) strapped to their bodies exploded, killing all of them, and a civilian JTF," he added, referring to civilian vigilantes known as the Joint Task Force. Muna Garage is home to a sprawling camp of makeshift tents and some 16,000 people displaced from their homes across the region because of the fighting. NIGERIA: Boko Haram killed at least five soldiers at a military base in northeast Nigeria, while suicide bombers killed three people in the key city of Maiduguri, the authorities said on Monday. The weekend attacks will again prompt questions about the extent to which the Islamic State group affiliate is a spent force, as Nigeria's government has claimed. There was no official claim of responsibility but the attacks bore the hallmark of Boko Haram, which has frequently hit checkpoints and security services with suicide bombers. Rebel fighters, whom the military said were ousted from their Sambisa Forest enclave in Borno state last month, first hit an army base in Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state, at dusk on Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, a wave of five suicide bombers targeted civilian vigilantes assisting the military with security in Maiduguri and elsewhere in the remote region. One senior officer, speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to talk to the media, said the Buni Yadi assault led to an "intense battle". "We lost five soldiers in the attack, including a captain who was recently deployed to Buni Yadi," he said. "We are still trying to have a sense of the casualties on the part of the terrorists as their bodies are scattered in the bush." - 'Missing in action' - The Boko Haram gunmen are believed to be remnants of those flushed out of Sambisa as a result of a sustained military operation that began in April last year. The expulsion was described by Abuja as the final stages of the insurgency, which began in 2009 and has left at least 20,000 people dead and made more than 2.6 million homeless. President Muhammadu Buhari claimed in December 2015 the group was "technically" defeated but there has been no let-up in attacks, including across the border in Niger, Chad and Cameroon. Attacks on military bases were a regular feature of the fighting and used by Boko Haram to replenish weaponry. A spokesman for the Buni Yadi base, Lieutenant George Okupe, confirmed the attack and said it was "repelled". He added: "I cannot confirm any casualty for now. "All I can say is that some soldiers are missing in action." Buni Yadi, some 65 kilometres (40 miles) from the Yobe state capital, Damaturu, fell into the hands of Boko Haram in February 2014 after the militants attacked a boys' boarding school. At least 43 students were killed as they slept and the school was set ablaze. The militants sacked the town and remained in control until March last year until they were ousted. - Vigilantes targeted - On Sunday at about 10:30 pm (2130 GMT), two female suicide bombers killed two people in the Kaleri neighbourhood of Maiduguri, said Borno state police spokesman Victor Isuku. Civilian vigilante Babakura Kolo and local residents said the targets were the homes of militia members helping the military in the area. The first bomber was aged about 20 and killed both herself and the vigilante member's teenage daughter, who answered the door. The second female bomber was believed to be aged about 30 and killed the father of the vigilante, who was spending the night with his second wife, said resident Bura Kadiri. About the same time, three male suicide bombers exploded near a military checkpoint on the city limits, killing one vigilante on patrol, according to police. The trio, armed with Kalashnikovs assault rifles, "shot sporadically and attempted to infiltrate Maiduguri" through Muna Garage, said police spokesman Victor Isuku. "The IED (improvised explosive device) strapped to their bodies exploded, killing all of them, and a civilian JTF," he added, referring to civilian vigilantes known as the Joint Task Force. Muna Garage is home to a sprawling camp of makeshift tents and some 16,000 people displaced from their homes across the region because of the fighting. By Associated Press FORT LAUDERDALE: The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader's capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, was Saddam's sole interrogator beginning in January 2004. In previous interviews, Piro has said Saddam did not know his true identity the Iraqi leader called him "Mr. George" and that he posed as a high-level envoy who answered directly to then-President George W. Bush. Now the 49-year-old Piro, a native of Beirut, Lebanon, fluent in Arabic and Assyrian, is in charge of the FBI investigation into the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that left five people dead and six wounded. Federal prosecutors have charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with airport violence and firearms offenses that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. In announcing the charges filed Saturday, Piro said his thoughts are with the victims and their families. "I want to ensure these families that law enforcement is working tirelessly in order to ensure justice is served," he said. Piro, an FBI agent since 1999, moved with his family from Lebanon to California's San Joaquin Valley as a teenager. After high school he enlisted in the Air Force, then became a police officer for a decade in Ceres, California, followed by a job as an investigator in the local prosecutor's office. Once he joined the FBI in Phoenix, Piro was one of only a handful of Arabic-speaking agents a group that suddenly was in great demand after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the subsequent U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2003, Piro was promoted to the FBI's Counterterrorism Division at headquarters in Washington, leading to his work as Saddam's interrogator. In later interviews, including a 2008 appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes" program, Piro said he met daily with Saddam in a windowless room and worked to gain his trust by becoming his only provider of necessities and such things as paper for Saddam to write poetry. Eventually, Piro said Saddam confirmed that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction prior to the U.S. invasion but might seek them in future to deter Iran and other threats. Saddam also denied any links to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, Piro has said. Saddam also liked to brag about how he escaped U.S. airstrikes and capture, according to Piro. "What he wanted to really illustrate is . . . how he was able to outsmart us," Piro told "60 Minutes." ''He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature." Saddam was later tried and executed by hanging in December 2006. Santiago, the airport shooting suspect, also served in Iraq in 2010 with the Puerto Rico National Guard as part of an engineering battalion, guard officials said. Santiago later served in the Army Reserves and Alaska National Guard. After Iraq, Piro moved on to top FBI counterterrorism jobs in Washington, including a White House position involving high-value detainee interrogation that works with various intelligence agencies. Since taking the top Miami FBI job, Piro has overseen work in more domestic areas such as health care fraud, identity theft and tax fraud, Ponzi schemes and mortgage fraud all areas where South Florida is among the nation's leaders. Bank robberies, violent street gangs, public corruption and smuggling of humans and drugs round out much of the work for the Miami office's roughly 1,000 agents and employees. Since Friday's shooting, Piro has been careful to say no evidence linking Santiago to terrorism has been found but such connections have also not been ruled out. "It's way too early in the investigation. We're looking over all of his social media, things like that. It's giving us a picture of the individual, but it's way too early for us to rule out anything," Piro said Saturday. "We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." FORT LAUDERDALE: The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader's capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, was Saddam's sole interrogator beginning in January 2004. In previous interviews, Piro has said Saddam did not know his true identity the Iraqi leader called him "Mr. George" and that he posed as a high-level envoy who answered directly to then-President George W. Bush. Now the 49-year-old Piro, a native of Beirut, Lebanon, fluent in Arabic and Assyrian, is in charge of the FBI investigation into the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that left five people dead and six wounded. Federal prosecutors have charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with airport violence and firearms offenses that could bring the death penalty if he is convicted. In announcing the charges filed Saturday, Piro said his thoughts are with the victims and their families. "I want to ensure these families that law enforcement is working tirelessly in order to ensure justice is served," he said. Piro, an FBI agent since 1999, moved with his family from Lebanon to California's San Joaquin Valley as a teenager. After high school he enlisted in the Air Force, then became a police officer for a decade in Ceres, California, followed by a job as an investigator in the local prosecutor's office. Once he joined the FBI in Phoenix, Piro was one of only a handful of Arabic-speaking agents a group that suddenly was in great demand after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the subsequent U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq. In 2003, Piro was promoted to the FBI's Counterterrorism Division at headquarters in Washington, leading to his work as Saddam's interrogator. In later interviews, including a 2008 appearance on CBS's "60 Minutes" program, Piro said he met daily with Saddam in a windowless room and worked to gain his trust by becoming his only provider of necessities and such things as paper for Saddam to write poetry. Eventually, Piro said Saddam confirmed that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction prior to the U.S. invasion but might seek them in future to deter Iran and other threats. Saddam also denied any links to al-Qaida and Osama bin Laden, Piro has said. Saddam also liked to brag about how he escaped U.S. airstrikes and capture, according to Piro. "What he wanted to really illustrate is . . . how he was able to outsmart us," Piro told "60 Minutes." ''He got rid of his normal vehicles. He got rid of the protective detail that he traveled with, really just to change his signature." Saddam was later tried and executed by hanging in December 2006. Santiago, the airport shooting suspect, also served in Iraq in 2010 with the Puerto Rico National Guard as part of an engineering battalion, guard officials said. Santiago later served in the Army Reserves and Alaska National Guard. After Iraq, Piro moved on to top FBI counterterrorism jobs in Washington, including a White House position involving high-value detainee interrogation that works with various intelligence agencies. Since taking the top Miami FBI job, Piro has overseen work in more domestic areas such as health care fraud, identity theft and tax fraud, Ponzi schemes and mortgage fraud all areas where South Florida is among the nation's leaders. Bank robberies, violent street gangs, public corruption and smuggling of humans and drugs round out much of the work for the Miami office's roughly 1,000 agents and employees. Since Friday's shooting, Piro has been careful to say no evidence linking Santiago to terrorism has been found but such connections have also not been ruled out. "It's way too early in the investigation. We're looking over all of his social media, things like that. It's giving us a picture of the individual, but it's way too early for us to rule out anything," Piro said Saturday. "We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." By ANI WASHINTON: Pakistan has urged the World Bank to resume the process of arbitration in its Indus water dispute with India despite the latters objection. Pakistan in its communications with the bank argued that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) can only be saved by arbitration, reports the Dawn. Islamabad said that it wants the bank to restart the arbitration process as much of the precious time has already been lost even if India disagrees with the suggestion. India had informed World Bank representative, Ian H. Solomon that Pakistans request for setting up a court of arbitration was not acceptable to New Delhi. Solomon was in India to hold the discussion on the water dispute.However, India asked the bank to appoint a neutral expert. 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. 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 then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin-Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, while Pakistan has the three western rivers- Indus, Chenab and 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. (ANI) WASHINTON: Pakistan has urged the World Bank to resume the process of arbitration in its Indus water dispute with India despite the latters objection. Pakistan in its communications with the bank argued that the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) can only be saved by arbitration, reports the Dawn. Islamabad said that it wants the bank to restart the arbitration process as much of the precious time has already been lost even if India disagrees with the suggestion. India had informed World Bank representative, Ian H. Solomon that Pakistans request for setting up a court of arbitration was not acceptable to New Delhi. Solomon was in India to hold the discussion on the water dispute.However, India asked the bank to appoint a neutral expert. 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. 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 then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and Pakistan President Ayub Khan gives India control over the three eastern rivers of the Indus basin-Beas, Ravi and Sutlej, while Pakistan has the three western rivers- Indus, Chenab and 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. (ANI) By Associated Press PRINCETON: West Virginia state police say officers fatally shot a man who threatened them with a knife. State police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous says in a news release that 25-year-old Daniel Scott Giberson of Bluefield was shot Saturday night. Baylous says troopers responding to a domestic disturbance in Princeton, about 90 miles south of Charleston, saw the suspect driving and a pursuit ensued. After Giberson crashed his vehicle, officers found him in the front seat with a knife to his throat. Baylous says after officers removed a passenger from his vehicle, Giberson got out and approached officers with the knife, telling them to shoot him. Baylous says in response to the threat to their lives, officers then shot him. The race of Giberson and the officers weren't known. Baylous didn't immediately respond to an email Sunday. PRINCETON: West Virginia state police say officers fatally shot a man who threatened them with a knife. State police spokesman Lt. Michael Baylous says in a news release that 25-year-old Daniel Scott Giberson of Bluefield was shot Saturday night. Baylous says troopers responding to a domestic disturbance in Princeton, about 90 miles south of Charleston, saw the suspect driving and a pursuit ensued. After Giberson crashed his vehicle, officers found him in the front seat with a knife to his throat. Baylous says after officers removed a passenger from his vehicle, Giberson got out and approached officers with the knife, telling them to shoot him. Baylous says in response to the threat to their lives, officers then shot him. The race of Giberson and the officers weren't known. Baylous didn't immediately respond to an email Sunday. By IANS WASHINGTON: Using data from NASA's NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array), a team of researchers has detected two hidden gas-enshrouded supermassive black holes located at the centres of nearby galaxies. Monster black holes sometimes lurk behind gas and dust, hiding from the gaze of most telescopes. But they give themselves away when material they feed on emits high-energy X-rays that NuSTAR mission recently identified. "These black holes are relatively close to the Milky Way, but they have remained hidden from us until now. They're like monsters hiding under your bed," said Ady Annuar, graduate student at Durham University in the United Kingdom. Both of these black holes are the central engines of what astronomers call "active galactic nuclei" - a class of extremely bright objects that includes quasars and blazars. "Just as we can't see the Sun on a cloudy day, we can't directly see how bright these active galactic nuclei really are because of all of the gas and dust surrounding the central engine," added Peter Boorman from University of Southampton. Boorman led the study of an active galaxy called IC 3639, which is 170 million light years away. Researchers analyzed NuSTAR data from this object and compared them with previous observations from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Japan-led Suzaku satellite. The findings from NuSTAR confirmed the nature of IC 3639 as an active galactic nucleus. More surprising is the spiral galaxy that Annuar focused on: NGC 1448. Annuar's study discovered that this galaxy also has a thick column of gas hiding the central black hole, which could be part of a doughnut-shaped region. "X-ray emission from NGC 1448, as seen by NuSTAR and Chandra, suggests for the first time that, as with IC 3639, there must be a thick layer of gas and dust hiding the active black hole in this galaxy from our line of sight," the team noted. Researchers also found that NGC 1448 has a large population of young (just five million year old) stars, suggesting that the galaxy produces new stars at the same time that its black hole feeds on gas and dust. The team presented the results at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Grapevine, Texas recently. WASHINGTON: Using data from NASA's NuSTAR (Nuclear Spectroscopic Telescope Array), a team of researchers has detected two hidden gas-enshrouded supermassive black holes located at the centres of nearby galaxies. Monster black holes sometimes lurk behind gas and dust, hiding from the gaze of most telescopes. But they give themselves away when material they feed on emits high-energy X-rays that NuSTAR mission recently identified. "These black holes are relatively close to the Milky Way, but they have remained hidden from us until now. They're like monsters hiding under your bed," said Ady Annuar, graduate student at Durham University in the United Kingdom. Both of these black holes are the central engines of what astronomers call "active galactic nuclei" - a class of extremely bright objects that includes quasars and blazars. "Just as we can't see the Sun on a cloudy day, we can't directly see how bright these active galactic nuclei really are because of all of the gas and dust surrounding the central engine," added Peter Boorman from University of Southampton. Boorman led the study of an active galaxy called IC 3639, which is 170 million light years away. Researchers analyzed NuSTAR data from this object and compared them with previous observations from NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory and the Japan-led Suzaku satellite. The findings from NuSTAR confirmed the nature of IC 3639 as an active galactic nucleus. More surprising is the spiral galaxy that Annuar focused on: NGC 1448. Annuar's study discovered that this galaxy also has a thick column of gas hiding the central black hole, which could be part of a doughnut-shaped region. "X-ray emission from NGC 1448, as seen by NuSTAR and Chandra, suggests for the first time that, as with IC 3639, there must be a thick layer of gas and dust hiding the active black hole in this galaxy from our line of sight," the team noted. Researchers also found that NGC 1448 has a large population of young (just five million year old) stars, suggesting that the galaxy produces new stars at the same time that its black hole feeds on gas and dust. The team presented the results at the American Astronomical Society meeting in Grapevine, Texas recently. P K Balachandran By Express News Service COLOMBO: The Tamil National alliance (TNA), which is the official Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament and the ruling party in the Northern Provincial Council, will continue to support the ongoing process to draft a new constitution for Sri Lanka despite internal dissensions. The TNA, which met twice last week, decided to accept leader R.Sampanthans advice that despite doubts about a getting a favorable outcome from the constitution-making process, the process should be supported because there is no alternative to it. The TNA leader thinks that the present Sirisena-Wickremesinghe dispensation is the only one which can deliver goods for the Tamils because the Sinhala opposition parties led by a resurgent and former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, are resolutely and uncompromisingly averse to any more devolution of power than what was given under the 13th Constitutional Amendment enacted in 1987. The Jamatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is fighting for equal rights but is wary about federalism and the expansion of ethnic enclaves. The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a strong voice within the government, is against any more devolution. However, Sampanthans plea for cooperation rested on the hope that the personal and explicit commitment of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe to promoting ethnic reconciliation through appropriate constitutional provisions would stay through the process and influence the final outcome. The TNA leadership believes that unlike the Rajapaksa regime, the current regime is pledged to implementing the September 2015 resolution of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which includes devolution of power. Given the part played by the international community in the political marginalisation of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and its defeat in January 2015, the TNA leadership believes that the present government will not totally disregard its commitments to the UNHRC. The TNAs leadership urges the Tamils not to attach primary importance to nomenclature such as federalism or unitary, but to go for the substance of devolution irrespective of the term used. It also wants the Tamils to realise that the Muslims, though Tamil-speaking, do not want the East to merge with the North because that will make them a smaller minority in the East than they are now. The TNA leadership had a tough time convincing its members to accept its line. Day after day, leaders across the Sinhala political spectrum are coming out with statements opposing the Tamil minoritys basic demands such as a federal constitution, enhanced devolution of power beyond the 13th Amendment, and the unification of the Northern and Eastern Provinces to form a single Tamil-speaking province. Prime Minister Wickremesinghes United National party (UNP) has not publicly committed itself one way or the other and its public pronouncements are restricted to reiterating the 2015 election manifesto which promised a new constitution to solve the ethnic question. As for President Sirisena, while he himself has been making the right noises, officials of his party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its alliance, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), have categorically stated that their organisations will not countenance anything more than better implementation of the existing 13th Amendment. They have rejected the TNAs plea for the merger of the North and East to form a single Tamil-speaking province. Explaining the TNA dissidents' stand, former MP and leader of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Suresh Premachandran, said that the TNA has the moral right to seek reciprocity from the government and the Sinhalas. The present government is in power because of the en masse electoral support of the Tamils. And when the Tamils have given up the goal of independence, have come down to demanding federalism and are even ready to eschew the use of the term federalism to respect the sensitivity of the Sinhalas, why do the Sinhalas insist that the constitution must explicitly say that it is a unitary one? Could we not meet halfway? he asked. Premachandran said that the TNA should use the India connection to pressurise the Sri Lankan government because the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 enjoins India to settle the Tamil question and underwrite it. When the North and East were demerged in 2006 violating the India-Sri Lanka Accord in spirit, no less than Dr.Manmohan Singh, the then Indian Prime Minister, told the TNA that all options were open to India. The TNA should capitalize on this and take a delegation to New Delhi to talk to the Indian leaders, Premachandran said. And if the Muslims of the East are opposed to the merger with the North, the Tamil areas of the East could be identified and merged with the North, he suggested, and warned that if there is no merger, the Tamils proportion in the East will keep dwindling. COLOMBO: The Tamil National alliance (TNA), which is the official Opposition in the Sri Lankan parliament and the ruling party in the Northern Provincial Council, will continue to support the ongoing process to draft a new constitution for Sri Lanka despite internal dissensions. The TNA, which met twice last week, decided to accept leader R.Sampanthans advice that despite doubts about a getting a favorable outcome from the constitution-making process, the process should be supported because there is no alternative to it. The TNA leader thinks that the present Sirisena-Wickremesinghe dispensation is the only one which can deliver goods for the Tamils because the Sinhala opposition parties led by a resurgent and former president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, are resolutely and uncompromisingly averse to any more devolution of power than what was given under the 13th Constitutional Amendment enacted in 1987. The Jamatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) is fighting for equal rights but is wary about federalism and the expansion of ethnic enclaves. The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), a strong voice within the government, is against any more devolution. However, Sampanthans plea for cooperation rested on the hope that the personal and explicit commitment of President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesighe to promoting ethnic reconciliation through appropriate constitutional provisions would stay through the process and influence the final outcome. The TNA leadership believes that unlike the Rajapaksa regime, the current regime is pledged to implementing the September 2015 resolution of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which includes devolution of power. Given the part played by the international community in the political marginalisation of the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime and its defeat in January 2015, the TNA leadership believes that the present government will not totally disregard its commitments to the UNHRC. The TNAs leadership urges the Tamils not to attach primary importance to nomenclature such as federalism or unitary, but to go for the substance of devolution irrespective of the term used. It also wants the Tamils to realise that the Muslims, though Tamil-speaking, do not want the East to merge with the North because that will make them a smaller minority in the East than they are now. The TNA leadership had a tough time convincing its members to accept its line. Day after day, leaders across the Sinhala political spectrum are coming out with statements opposing the Tamil minoritys basic demands such as a federal constitution, enhanced devolution of power beyond the 13th Amendment, and the unification of the Northern and Eastern Provinces to form a single Tamil-speaking province. Prime Minister Wickremesinghes United National party (UNP) has not publicly committed itself one way or the other and its public pronouncements are restricted to reiterating the 2015 election manifesto which promised a new constitution to solve the ethnic question. As for President Sirisena, while he himself has been making the right noises, officials of his party, Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) and its alliance, the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), have categorically stated that their organisations will not countenance anything more than better implementation of the existing 13th Amendment. They have rejected the TNAs plea for the merger of the North and East to form a single Tamil-speaking province. Explaining the TNA dissidents' stand, former MP and leader of the Eelam Peoples Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF), Suresh Premachandran, said that the TNA has the moral right to seek reciprocity from the government and the Sinhalas. The present government is in power because of the en masse electoral support of the Tamils. And when the Tamils have given up the goal of independence, have come down to demanding federalism and are even ready to eschew the use of the term federalism to respect the sensitivity of the Sinhalas, why do the Sinhalas insist that the constitution must explicitly say that it is a unitary one? Could we not meet halfway? he asked. Premachandran said that the TNA should use the India connection to pressurise the Sri Lankan government because the India-Sri Lanka Accord of 1987 enjoins India to settle the Tamil question and underwrite it. When the North and East were demerged in 2006 violating the India-Sri Lanka Accord in spirit, no less than Dr.Manmohan Singh, the then Indian Prime Minister, told the TNA that all options were open to India. The TNA should capitalize on this and take a delegation to New Delhi to talk to the Indian leaders, Premachandran said. And if the Muslims of the East are opposed to the merger with the North, the Tamil areas of the East could be identified and merged with the North, he suggested, and warned that if there is no merger, the Tamils proportion in the East will keep dwindling. By Associated Press NEW YORK: President-elect Donald Trump and his Cabinet picks are preparing to face public questioning over their business conflicts, their approach to Russia and other issues during a crucial week that will including a slew of confirmation hearings and Trump's first news conference in nearly three months. Trump is less than two weeks away from taking office, but is yet to lay out how he intends to disengage himself from his global business interests. Questions also remain about whether the President-elect will accept the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials that Russia meddled in the U.S. election to help him win the White House. Aides say he'll decide how to respond to their efforts after his inauguration. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said on Sunday that Trump indeed has accepted that Russia was responsible for the hacking, which targeted the Democratic National Committee and a top aide to former rival Hillary Clinton. "He's not denying that entities in Russia were behind this particular campaign," Priebus said in an appearance on a Sunday television news show. Intelligence officials allege that Moscow directed a series of hacks in order to help Trump win the White House in the race against Clinton. Trump has expressed skepticism about Russia's role and declined to say whether he agrees that the meddling was done on his behalf. He has also said improving relations with Russia would be a good thing and that only "stupid" people would disagree. "My suspicion is these hopes will be dashed pretty quickly," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "The Russians are clearly a big adversary. And they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election." An unclassified version of a report presented to Trump last week directly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a "clear preference" for Trump over Clinton. Trump and his allies have bristled at any implication that the meddling helped him win the election. He won the Electoral College vote with 306 votes, well over the 270 votes required to become president. The comments come ahead of a consequential week for Trump and his Cabinet picks. Beginning Tuesday, the Senate will hold its first confirmation hearings. Senators will scrutinise one of their own, Alabama's Jeff Sessions, who's been nominated to be attorney general, and also will have a hearing on Gen. John Kelly, Trump's choice for homeland security secretary. But Democrats complain the schedule is rushed. The government ethics office says it hasn't received even draft financial disclosure reports for some of the nominees set to appear before Congress this week. Many are wealthy businessmen who have never held public office. Trump's nominees, meanwhile, have been going through extensive preparation in the days leading up to the hearings. Transition officials said Sunday they've spent more than 70 hours participating in full-blown mock hearings, with volunteers playing the role of senators asking questions. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump is scheduled to hold a long-delayed news conference in New York his first since July. Among the topic he's expected to address: what will happen to his global business empire while he serves as president. Trump has pledged to step away from the Trump Organization during his time in office, but has yet to say specifically how he will do that. NEW YORK: President-elect Donald Trump and his Cabinet picks are preparing to face public questioning over their business conflicts, their approach to Russia and other issues during a crucial week that will including a slew of confirmation hearings and Trump's first news conference in nearly three months. Trump is less than two weeks away from taking office, but is yet to lay out how he intends to disengage himself from his global business interests. Questions also remain about whether the President-elect will accept the conclusion of U.S. intelligence officials that Russia meddled in the U.S. election to help him win the White House. Aides say he'll decide how to respond to their efforts after his inauguration. Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said on Sunday that Trump indeed has accepted that Russia was responsible for the hacking, which targeted the Democratic National Committee and a top aide to former rival Hillary Clinton. "He's not denying that entities in Russia were behind this particular campaign," Priebus said in an appearance on a Sunday television news show. Intelligence officials allege that Moscow directed a series of hacks in order to help Trump win the White House in the race against Clinton. Trump has expressed skepticism about Russia's role and declined to say whether he agrees that the meddling was done on his behalf. He has also said improving relations with Russia would be a good thing and that only "stupid" people would disagree. "My suspicion is these hopes will be dashed pretty quickly," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. "The Russians are clearly a big adversary. And they demonstrated it by trying to mess around in our election." An unclassified version of a report presented to Trump last week directly tied Russian President Vladimir Putin to election meddling and said that Moscow had a "clear preference" for Trump over Clinton. Trump and his allies have bristled at any implication that the meddling helped him win the election. He won the Electoral College vote with 306 votes, well over the 270 votes required to become president. The comments come ahead of a consequential week for Trump and his Cabinet picks. Beginning Tuesday, the Senate will hold its first confirmation hearings. Senators will scrutinise one of their own, Alabama's Jeff Sessions, who's been nominated to be attorney general, and also will have a hearing on Gen. John Kelly, Trump's choice for homeland security secretary. But Democrats complain the schedule is rushed. The government ethics office says it hasn't received even draft financial disclosure reports for some of the nominees set to appear before Congress this week. Many are wealthy businessmen who have never held public office. Trump's nominees, meanwhile, have been going through extensive preparation in the days leading up to the hearings. Transition officials said Sunday they've spent more than 70 hours participating in full-blown mock hearings, with volunteers playing the role of senators asking questions. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Trump is scheduled to hold a long-delayed news conference in New York his first since July. Among the topic he's expected to address: what will happen to his global business empire while he serves as president. Trump has pledged to step away from the Trump Organization during his time in office, but has yet to say specifically how he will do that. By PTI BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published today that he was prepared "to negotiate everything" at planned talks later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces' recapture of Aleppo last month. However, the upcoming talks, brokered by Ankara and Moscow, are still in doubt as Syrian opposition groups have yet to confirm their participation. Syrian activists meanwhile reported what appeared to be a US-led special forces raid on Islamic State militants in eastern Syria. Omar Abou Leila, who runs Deir Ezzor 24, said four helicopters landed in the desert between the IS-held cities of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa on Sunday. Commandos set up checkpoints and intercepted a vehicle carrying several Islamic State militants, killing all of them and flying off with the bodies, he said. "It's an operation that apparently targeted an important figure," Abou Leila told The Associated Press from Germany, where he is based. Deir Ezzor 24 is one of several locally staffed underground groups reporting from IS-held territory. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another activist-run group, said 25 militants were killed in the ambush. Local witnesses said at least some of the commandos spoke Arabic. There was no immediate comment from the US led coalition. In the northeastern province of Hassakeh, a car bomb exploded Monday night in the predominantly Kurdish town of Qamishli, wounding several people, including the driver of the vehicle, state TV, the Observatory and a local official said. Jwan Mohammed, a Kurdish official in Qamishli, said security forces detained the driver of the car, who lost his legs in the blast. He said the car blew up in a main square that is home to several security offices. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but IS had carried out suicide attacks in Kurdish areas in the past. Speaking to French reporters at his Damascus palace, Assad defended his troops' deadly bombardment of eastern Aleppo, saying the alternative would have been to leave the city's civilians to the mercy of "terrorists" a term the government uses for all rebels. Assad questioned the credibility of Syrian opposition groups backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, which make up the bulk of the armed and political opposition to his rule. "There's no limit to negotiations," Assad said, in remarks carried by Syrian state media. "But who is going to be there from the other side, we don't know yet. ... The viability of the conference depends on that." BEIRUT: Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published today that he was prepared "to negotiate everything" at planned talks later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces' recapture of Aleppo last month. However, the upcoming talks, brokered by Ankara and Moscow, are still in doubt as Syrian opposition groups have yet to confirm their participation. Syrian activists meanwhile reported what appeared to be a US-led special forces raid on Islamic State militants in eastern Syria. Omar Abou Leila, who runs Deir Ezzor 24, said four helicopters landed in the desert between the IS-held cities of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa on Sunday. Commandos set up checkpoints and intercepted a vehicle carrying several Islamic State militants, killing all of them and flying off with the bodies, he said. "It's an operation that apparently targeted an important figure," Abou Leila told The Associated Press from Germany, where he is based. Deir Ezzor 24 is one of several locally staffed underground groups reporting from IS-held territory. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another activist-run group, said 25 militants were killed in the ambush. Local witnesses said at least some of the commandos spoke Arabic. There was no immediate comment from the US led coalition. In the northeastern province of Hassakeh, a car bomb exploded Monday night in the predominantly Kurdish town of Qamishli, wounding several people, including the driver of the vehicle, state TV, the Observatory and a local official said. Jwan Mohammed, a Kurdish official in Qamishli, said security forces detained the driver of the car, who lost his legs in the blast. He said the car blew up in a main square that is home to several security offices. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but IS had carried out suicide attacks in Kurdish areas in the past. Speaking to French reporters at his Damascus palace, Assad defended his troops' deadly bombardment of eastern Aleppo, saying the alternative would have been to leave the city's civilians to the mercy of "terrorists" a term the government uses for all rebels. Assad questioned the credibility of Syrian opposition groups backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, which make up the bulk of the armed and political opposition to his rule. "There's no limit to negotiations," Assad said, in remarks carried by Syrian state media. "But who is going to be there from the other side, we don't know yet. ... The viability of the conference depends on that." By PTI WASHINGTON: US special operations troops carried out a "successful" raid in Syria against leaders of the Islamic State group in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, a Pentagon spokesman said today. The operation was "focused on ISIL leadership" and was conducted by a US special operations unit tasked with tracking down top jihadist operatives, Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. Davis said, however, that reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent monitor, that 25 jihadists had died in the raid were "grossly exaggerated." He said the raids were carried out by the "Expeditionary Targeting Force" (ETF), an elite unit deployed to Iraq. This kind of raid is aimed at eliminating jihadists as well as intelligence-gathering to conduct further operations, Davis said. According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed coalition of Arab and Kurdish forces, at least four helicopters, including Apache attack helicopters, were used in the operation. A commander of the SDF said the attack targeted vehicles driven by senior IS fighters coming from Raqa, killing several and capturing other. Davis denied that prisoners were taken, saying there was "no detention from this operation." A Syrian army official said military radars had detected the operation but could not identify the nationality of the aircraft. The United States has been leading a campaign against IS in Syria since September 2014. Deir Ezzor is Syria's second biggest province after Homs. Since early 2015, jihadists have besieged the provincial capital, also called Deir Ezzor, home to some 200,000 people. According to the Observatory, the raids killed 14 IS members traveling on a bus and 11 in a firefight when a water facility was targeted. WASHINGTON: US special operations troops carried out a "successful" raid in Syria against leaders of the Islamic State group in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, a Pentagon spokesman said today. The operation was "focused on ISIL leadership" and was conducted by a US special operations unit tasked with tracking down top jihadist operatives, Navy Captain Jeff Davis said. Davis said, however, that reports by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an independent monitor, that 25 jihadists had died in the raid were "grossly exaggerated." He said the raids were carried out by the "Expeditionary Targeting Force" (ETF), an elite unit deployed to Iraq. This kind of raid is aimed at eliminating jihadists as well as intelligence-gathering to conduct further operations, Davis said. According to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights and the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed coalition of Arab and Kurdish forces, at least four helicopters, including Apache attack helicopters, were used in the operation. A commander of the SDF said the attack targeted vehicles driven by senior IS fighters coming from Raqa, killing several and capturing other. Davis denied that prisoners were taken, saying there was "no detention from this operation." A Syrian army official said military radars had detected the operation but could not identify the nationality of the aircraft. The United States has been leading a campaign against IS in Syria since September 2014. Deir Ezzor is Syria's second biggest province after Homs. Since early 2015, jihadists have besieged the provincial capital, also called Deir Ezzor, home to some 200,000 people. According to the Observatory, the raids killed 14 IS members traveling on a bus and 11 in a firefight when a water facility was targeted. Sorry, that page not found! Please visit our Home Page for latest updates Tasaduq Hussain Mufti joins PDP Srinagar, Jan 7 : Bollywood cinematographer known for his work in movies like 'Omkara' and 'Kaminey', Tasaduq Hussain Mufti, son of late Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and borther of Mehbooba Mufti , formally joined the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) here on his father's first death anniversary. (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667567287 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 07 January 2017, 1667567287 173O212O198O32) He made the announcement during a function organized by Peoples Democratic Party in Srinagar to commemorate the death of his father and former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed.I will work for peace and prosperity of the state where the common man and the VIPs will play and walk together, Tasaduq Hussain Mufti told gathering of PDP leaders and workers at the Indoor Stadium led by his sister and Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.(Reporting by Saleem Iqbal Qadri, Image: Wikimedia Commons) Willing to join Congress, Samajwadi 'ganthbandhan' to defeat BJP: NCP Mumbai (Maharashtra) , Jan. 8 : Supporting the speculation of alliance between the Samajwadi Party and the Congress for the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Sunday said even they are also willing to join the 'ganthbandhan' to ensure defeat of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre. (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567289 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567289 173O212O198O32) NCP leader Majeed Memon said it is being heard that Congress is keen to join hands with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav's camp and added that the latter has emerged as the powerful centre and would probably be the chief ministerial face for the polls."The Congress joining them (Samajwadi Party) will certainly be making a very formidable, secular combination and we wish that the differences of number of seats to Congress may be from 60 to 120. Even we would support such a 'ganthbandhan' and we would also see if we can join them and support them to ensure defeat of BJP," NCP leader Majeed Memon told ANI.Reportedly, a meeting between Akhilesh and Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi has been fixed for January 9 and discussions on an alliance are on the cards.As of now, the Samajwadi Party is undergoing an internal crisis as both factions, one led-by Akhilesh and another led by his father Mulayam Singh Yadav, are at the Election Commission's office at New Delhi staking claim of the party's symbol 'cycle'At a party gathering in Lucknow, Akhilesh was named the Samajwadi Party's president, last week.He then pushed his father into retirement by declaring that he would function as patron and mentor of the party.Mulayam and his aides have insisted his faction is the legit Samajwadi Party. Telangana to formulate comprehensive plan for fisheries, sheep rearing Hyderabad (Telangana) , Jan. 8: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday has instructed concerned officers to formulate on a comprehensive plan for fisheries and sheep rearing. (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567289 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/andhra-pradesh-news.php (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567289 173O212O198O32) In a statement, the Chief Minister expressed his desire to restructure fish breeding centres and similarly, for the sheep rearing and supplying parallel in 30 districts of the State except in Hyderabad.The Chief Minister had chaired a high level review meeting on fisheries, sheep rearing and dairy development in the state at Pragathi Bhavan here on Saturday.Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that the officials concerned should work with commitment and dedication to implement successfully programmes like the fisheries development, sheep rearing and dairy development."To gain people's confidence over the government, the Chief Minister said the programmes of the government should be implemented without being indifferent. Successful implementation of these programme would eradicate poverty," Rao said.In order to implement several development programmes in the fisheries, there is a need for the establishment of a corporation or federation. He said castes such as Boya and Kuruma are also dependent on fisheries like the Gangaputra and Mudiraj communities.He said that in the entire state, there are about three to four lakh Yadav families who are living on sheep rearing and the government is ready to support them. He wanted the officials concerned to identify suitable lands on Krishna and Godavari River Basin to set up Colleges for Fisheries.Rao added that there is a need to form societies for the fish growers and sheep rearers and members from other communities which are also dependent on fisheries and sheep rearing should be made members.He added there will be more development in the growing and supply of fish in near future and the entire face of the fisheries in the state will change for the better.Since the government has plans to fill up more than 46,000 tanks in the state by getting water from irrigation projects, the Chief Minister said every tank in the state should become a breeding place for the fish. Efforts will be on to bring in all tanks under the fisheries department.The Chief Minister also spoke about the dairy development with the officials concerned. He wanted them to prepare a comprehensive plan so that the daily need of milk in the state should be augment from the sources within the state but not imported milk from other areas. The state should become self-sufficient in dairy products, he said.To instil confidence among the sheep rearers and fish growers, Rao wanted the Telangana cultural council to make short films, songs, CDs to create awareness among the beneficiaries. Israeli Minister of Agriculture returns to India New Delhi, Jan 8 :Israel's Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel will visit India Jan 9-12. (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567291 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 08 January 2017, 1667567291 173O212O198O32) During his visit, the Minister will take part in the inaugurations of Vibrant Gujarat and an Indo-Israeli Agricultural Project (IIAP) Center of Excellence in Kolar, Karnataka.In the course of his visit, the Minister will meet in Gujarat with PM Modi and CM of Gujarat Rupani, in Delhi with Minister of Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh and Minister of Water Resources, Smt. Uma Bharti, and in Mumbai with Minister of Agriculture of Maharashtra Fundkar.This is Minister Ariels second visit to India in under a year, hot on the heels of the visits by the President of Israel and the Israeli Minister for Science and Technology.Minister Ariel last visited India in April 2016 when Israel was a Partner Country in India Water Week.His visit was followed by a reciprocal visit of Federal Minister of Agriculture, Radha Mohan Singh, to Israel in September later that year.Israels participation in Vibrant Gujarat will also include a Country Seminar Jan 11, dedicated to doubling the farmers income via the Indo-Israeli agricultural cooperation alongside Indian counterparts in the IIAP and local farmers.Speaking on the upcoming visit by Minister Uri Ariel, Israels Ambassador to India, Daniel Carmonsaid, India and Israels relations today, marking the beginning of the 25th year of our diplomatic relations, are stronger and more visible than ever before. The second visit of the Minister of Agriculture within a year proves that Israel is committed to being Indias technological partner in agriculture, water and every other field of mutual interest.At the inauguration of the IIAP Center of Excellence for mangoes in Kolar, Karnataka, the minister will be accompanied by Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah, Minister of Agriculture Byre Gowda and Minister of Horticulture Mallikarjun.This center is the 13th to be inaugurated out of the 26 centers in the project. President Mukherjee to deliver valedictory address at Pravasi Bhartiya Divas convention Bengaluru (Karnataka) , Jan. 9 : President Pranab Mukherjee will visit Bengaluru today, where he will deliver the valedictory address at the 14th edition of the 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' Convention and confer the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567292 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567292 173O212O198O32) Prime Minister Narendra Modi yesterday inaugurated the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas'.He was accompanied by his Portugal counterpart Dr Antonio Costa, who is the Chief Guest of the event.Asserting that 'Pravasi Bharatiya Divas' is a celebration to mark the return to India of one of the greatest Pravasis Mahatma Gandhi, Prime Minister Modi yesterday said the Indians abroad are valued not just for their strength in numbers but are respected for the contributions they make.In his key note address at the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations, he said the Indian diaspora represents the best of Indian culture, ethos and values.The convention is an important platform for engagement of the Central and state governments with the Overseas Indian Community.Pravasi Bharatiya Divas has been held traditionally on January 9 every year to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi as a Pravasi from South Africa to India. Rwanda President to arrive on three-day visit to India New Delhi , Jan. 9 : President of Rwanda Paul Kagame will arrive in India today on a three-day visit. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567293 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567293 173O212O198O32) Kagame will arrive at Ahmedabad Airport following which he will proceed for a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Vibrant Gujarat Convention Centre.Kagame, accompanied by business officials, will hold official talks with Prime Minister Modi on January 9 in Gandhinagar.He will attend the Summit on January 10 scheduled to be held at Gandhinagar and will be addressing a National Business Seminar on Rwanda.Rwanda will also be participating in the Global Trade Show 2017.On January 11, he will then attend the National Seminar for Seminar for Investors. Taiwan's president landed in Houston Saturday in the southern state of Texas on her way to visit Central America. President Tsai Ing-wen will not be meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump or any of his officials, the transition team said, despite a surprise call between the two leaders last month. Tsai had not said who she might contact while in Houston for about a day on her way to Central America or in San Francisco for about the same length of time en route home later on. UAE: Swaraj comes in aid of Indian sailors in abandoned ships New Delhi, Jan 9 : Abandoned by their employer in leaking ships, at least 41 Indian sailors found support in form of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who stepped in to help them following a SOS. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567295 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567295 173O212O198O32) The incident took place in UAE.We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government, Swaraj tweeted.They have essential supplies of for next two weeks. We are helping in the settlement of their dues and release of the crew, she added.I have asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies, a subsequent tweet read.The sailors hail from different parts of India, Times of India reported.They are employees of four merchant ships in the Gulf. Sushma Swaraj urges people to tweet about their problems, promises action New Delhi, Jan 9 : External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has urged people to tweet about their problems to the concerned embassy while alerting her, promising help. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567295 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567295 173O212O198O32) Please tweet your problem to the concerned Indian Embassy/authority and endorse the same to @sushmaswaraj. I monitor their response to your tweets personally. In case of emergency pl mention #SOS, she said in a two-part tweet.Reacting to a report about 500 Indian workers seeking government help for repatriation from Iraq, the lawmaker said that the number is far less than whats reported in the media.I have received the report from Iraq. The number is not 500 but much less. We have repatriated 52 stranded Indian workers. We have requests from 4 more. All stranded workers should approach our Consulate in Erbil, she said.Sounding alert, Swaraj urged the Indian workers to not overstay or else theyll be incurring a hefty fine from Iraq.We request Indian workers not to overstay. The penalty is US$6000 in each case. Pl approach the Consulate for repatriation. @EI_Baghdad, she said.Breaking another news on Twitter, Swaraj said that her ministry has received reports about the death sentence of two Indian workers from Qatar government.The workers are both residents of Tamil Nadu, she added.I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu @IndEmbDoha, the tweet read.However, she said that the Indian government has applied for clemency for the two.We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard.@IndEmbDoha, Swarajs tweet added. Manmohan Singh releases Congress manifesto, promises better future for Punjab New Delhi , Jan. 9 : Former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh, who today released the Congress' manifesto for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, trained his guns on the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alliance for damaging the state's economy and said the grand old party under Captain Amarinder Singh's leadership will bring a better future. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567297 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567297 173O212O198O32) Hailing the Congress manifesto as a visionary document promising to shape a better future for Punjab, Dr Singh said Parkash Singh Badal-led government mismanaged the state and failed to harness its full potential."The people of Punjab need a better tomorrow. This election manifesto is a visionary document, which promises the people of Punjab that we will undo the damage done to the economy by the previous government in the last years. The government has not been able to harness the potential of the state," Dr Singh told the media here."I believe that Punjab is aiming for betterment under the leadership of Captain Amrinder Singh and the state will witness prosperity in agriculture, infrastructure, manufacturing, social services and the management of the polity as a whole. The fiscal management in Punjab under the Akal regime was mismanage in an manner which is unprecedented, Captain Sahab's government will undo all this damage and set a new path for a better tomorrow which will see that the people of Punjab will have the highest per capita income, better distribution of income, better employment prospects for the youth and better infrastructure and social structure development," he added.Meanwhile, Captain Amrinder laid thrust on development and emphasized that the Congress' manifesto is a reflection of desires of the people and will cater to all sections of the state."Our team visited every village, city and met the people of all walks of life to understand their problems and what they visualise. Our manifesto is very comprehensive and covers all facets of Punjab," he said.Punjab will also go for polls in a single-phase on February 4. The date of notification is January 11, the last date of nomination is January 18, the scrutiny of nomination will take place on January 19 and the withdrawal of candidature will take place on January 21.The term of the legislative assembly of Punjab will expire on March 18. Samajwadi Party feud : Mulayam Singh Yadav meets EC to stake claim over party symbol New Delhi, Jan 9 : : Samajwadi Party (SP) supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday visited the Election Commission (EC) office in New Delhi, to stake claim to party's poll symbol 'cycle' as the factional feud with son Akhilesh reached the boiling point. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567297 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/more-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567297 173O212O198O32) According to reports, Mulayam loyalists Shivpal Yadav and Amar Singh also visited the EC office along with the Netaji.The camp of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday had submitted an affidavit claiming the majority support of party leaders and making it a ground for possessing the cycle symbol.Ramgopal Yadav, one of Mulayams siblings, who leads the Akhilesh camp, had said that the relevant documents, brought in seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages, were submitted to the poll panel.The Election Commission had given both sides time till January 9 to submit proof of their legislative support.The Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven phases between 11 February and 8 March.On Sunday, Mulayam Singh Yadav asserted that he was still the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief, while Akhilesh Yadav would remain the UP Chief Minister.He also questioned the legality of the convention called by the Akhilesh Yadav camp which had declared Akhilesh the new party chief replacing the father.I am the national president of Samajwadi Party and Akhilesh Yadav is (only) the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. Shivpal Yadav is still the president of Samajwadi Partys Uttar Pradesh unit, Mulayam Singh said. LGBTQ film The Pink Mirror breaks the ice over Netflix Mumbai, Jan 9 : The much acclaimed and award winning drama film, 'The Pink Mirror' (Gulabi Aaina), the first Indian film to comprehensively focus on transsexuals in India, is now available on Netflix for audiences world over, including India. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567299 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/bollywood-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567299 173O212O198O32) Speaking about the film going live on Netflix, Sridhar Rangayan, the films director, said, For this film to be made, the odds were against us. However, today marks a momentous occasion where the film is opening up to the world on one of the best platforms. This is where the second journey of the film starts, and I am very curious to see what path it carves for itself. Thank-you FilmKaravan for digitally distributing our labour of love.The film is also live on iTunes, Amazon and GooglePlay worldwide, excluding India.{image_1}In India where homosexuality is still a taboo, The Pink Mirror (Gulabi Aaina), directed by filmmaker and gay activist Sridhar Rangayan depicts two Indian drag queens in a battle to woo a handsome hunk.In this battle of beauties, who will win? The campy and witty drag queens, or the shy and timid teenager? The film mixes typical Bollywood songs, dance and drama to explore other veiled issues related to the Indian gay community, including the ever-present threat of HIV/AIDS.Made in 2002, the film has been a festival favourite, having screened at over 70 international festivals and bagging top honors along the way. The film has also become an invaluable asset to university libraries worldwide as a resource material on queer Asian cinema and gender studies.The film is produced by Solaris Pictures, a production company dedicated to making and distributing LGBTQ films, whose latest film Breaking Free won the National Award for Best Editing (non-fiction) in 2016.Producer and dialogue writer Saagar Gupta said, Gulabi Aaina was conceived with a sincere intent to make people laugh with the drag queens rather than laughing at therm. It is truly an uplifting feeling that the film is now available on Netflix and people all over the world are laughing with our loving Shabbo and Bibbo, the two drag queens in the film.{image_2}The film stars (late) Edwin Fernandes and Ramesh Menon as two drag queens Shabbo and Bibbo, and Rishi Raj as the gay teenager Mandy. While Edwin Fernandes passed away last year, the other two lead actors are thrilled with this news.Ramesh Menon said: It was my first movie, the first time I faced a camera. It was a beautiful experience shooting for the first LGBT movie. I was disheartened as the censor did not pass the movie, though there was no vulgarity in the movie. It is a plain Bollywood style fun movie. It is one of the five movies banned in India. Im very happy that all those who missed the movie can watch it on Netflix now. I was surprised when friends in India and abroad called to say that they saw the movie after so many years!So honored that I was part of a film that was made with the intent of reaching out to all... something that is now truly possible through Netflix and other online movie platforms said Rishi Raj who is now a Stylist Fashion Choreographer.Parmesh Shahani, who has written about the film in his book Gay Bombay, said, Gulabi Aaina is one of the most significant LGBT films from India in the past 20 years. As Indias first film that dealt with the lives, desires, trials and tribulations of transsexuals, it offers us a glimpse into a formerly unseen universe. More than anything else it is a fabulous celebration - with song and dance and humour of the resilience and spirit of Indian queer lives. I cant recommend it enough. Mario Soares, Portugal's former president and the founder of the country's Socialist party, has died. He was 92. Portugal has declared three days of national mourning starting Monday. His funeral will be held Tuesday. In 1976, he became Portugal's first post-coup prime minister and helped guide his country from dictatorship to parliamentary democracy and a place in the European Union. In 1986, Soares became the country's first civilian president in 60 years. Nitish Kumar to chair meeting reviewing situation post demonetisation on Jan. 23 Patna (Bihar) , Jan. 9 : Bihar Chief Minister and Janata Dal (United) chief Nitish Kumar have called the party core committee meeting on January 23 here to discuss and analyze the situation post demonetisation. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567301 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567301 173O212O198O32) "Party supported the move of the central government because it considered note ban a step towards curbing black money and fighting corruption. The 50 days target of the central govt. of stabilizing things after the note ban is now over. The party will analyse the issue specially," said the statement issued by the party.Nitish has initially supported the Prime Minister's move to scrap the high-value currency of Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 500 currency notes and said that the initiative would bring some difficulties in the initial days, but people will benefit from it later.But later, he announced that he will hold a meeting with economists to discuss the merits and demerits of the move.The JD (U) General Secretary Pavan Varma said their party's stand is very clear from the beginning over demonetisation, adding that the meeting is just to review their position with regard to its efficacy and the goals of the move."Nitish Kumar had made the position of the JD (U) very clear. He has said that the JD (U) in an organised structural way will meet after December 31, after 50-days that was asked for by Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he implemented the demonetisation drive. We will meet to take stock of the situation and review our position with regard to efficacy and the goals of the demonetisation drive," Varma told ANI.He further added that a discussion will take place in a structured way through examination of the facts and discussion within the party to come out with the position of the party on the drive. Remain foremost emissaries of the unfolding Indian story, says President to Indian diaspora New Delhi, Jan 9 : President Pranab Mukherjee delivered the Valedictory Address at the 14th Edition of the Pravasi Bhartiya Divas Convention and conferred the Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Awards on Monday in Bengaluru. (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567303 173O212O198O32) https://www.newkerala.com/india-news.php (Posted on 09 January 2017, 1667567303 173O212O198O32) Speaking on the occasion, the President expressed hope that the Indian Diaspora spread across the world will remain foremost emissaries of the unfolding Indian story.He said as people exposed to the best of western technology and yet having their civilisational moorings in the ageless and eternal ethos of India, they are doubly blessed.The synergy of the west and the east that they represent, provides them with a unique position and opportunity that involves sharing knowledge between their home land and their adopted countries.While they showcase India to their host countries, they also bring along the cultural heritage of their adopted lands to India.To his mind, nothing could exemplify our belief of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam more than this.The President said as we continue to strive successfully in achieving our due and deserving place amongst the comity of nations, our ancient strengths in the realm of the sublime and the subtle should continue to remain in focus. Attention should be paid to the need for skill up-gradation of temporary migrants going abroad in search of employment.Establishing linkages between the Government of Indias skilling programmes and the skill gap that exists amongst the migrant workforce will go a long way in enhancing their employability as well as earnings.The President also flagged the concerns of women and girls in India marrying into NRI families.He said even as the government and its agencies deal with this issue, the concerns of this particular section can be most effectively addressed by the local Community Organisations.He called upon Indian Community Organisations abroad to continue to compliment the governments efforts in the above regard.The President released a compilation of Selected Speeches by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on foreign policy on the occasion.Image:twitter.com/RashtrapatiBhvn The daughter of President Park Geun-hye's longtime crony Choi Soon-sil will not return to Korea voluntarily to face questioning in the massive corruption scandal involving her mother and Park. Instead, the Korean ambassador to Denmark has asked Danish authorities to speed up the extradition of Chung Yoo-ra, who is believed to be a major beneficiary of the extortion racket her mother allegedly ran with the connivance of Cheong Wa Dae. Chung was arrested in the northern town of Aalborg on Jan. 1 and had earlier said she would return voluntarily if she could be investigated without detention and stay with her 19-month-old son. But the independent counsel investigating the scandal demurred. "We clearly explained to Danish authorities the need to extradite Chung quickly," a source on the independent counsel's team said. "We're going to go ahead regardless of what Chung wants." Danish prosecutors said they will interview Chung this week and reach a decision this month whether or not to extradite her." Mohammad Ahsan, a deputy director of Public Prosecutions, told reporters in Copenhagen on Saturday, "We will review the extradition request submitted by Korean prosecutors and interview her as early as this week." "It is our goal to reach a decision before the deadline of Chung's detention [Jan. 30]. If we do not reach a decision by that date, we will extend her detention period so that she cannot escape," he added. But Ahsan said if Chung fights extradition, it is difficult to forecast how long the process will take since she could continue to appeal any ruling that is disadvantageous to her. If her case is taken all the way up to Denmark's Supreme Court, it could take more than a year before she can be extradited to Korea. Football media poll: Rogers, Middletown move up ahead of postseason As we head into the opening week of the postseason, Aquidneck Island teams have to be feeling pretty good. Champaign, IL (61820) Today Cloudy and becoming windy. High near 75F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.. Tonight Windy with thunderstorms developing after midnight. Low 59F. Winds SSE at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Higher wind gusts possible. NOTICE: This Consumer Medicine Information (CMI) is intended for persons living in Australia. Sublingual Wafers desmopressin (as desmopressin acetate) Consumer Medicine Information What is in this leaflet This leaflet answers some common questions about NOCDURNA. It does not contain all the available information. It does not take the place of talking to your doctor or pharmacist. All medicines have risks and benefits. Your doctor has weighed the risks of you taking NOCDURNA against the benefits they expect it will have for you. If you have any concerns about taking this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Keep this leaflet with the medicine. You may need to read it again. What NOCDURNA is used for NOCDURNA contains the active ingredient desmopressin (as desmopressin acetate). Desmopressin is a synthetic version of vasopressin, a naturally occurring substance produced in the brain. Like vasopressin, NOCDURNA works in the kidney as an antidiuretic, which reduces the amount of urine that is produced. NOCDURNA is used to treat adults who need to get up to urinate at night (nocturia) at least two or more times, regardless of lifestyle changes (e.g. before bedtime drink only enough to satisfy thirst; and avoid alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages). Ask your doctor if you have any questions about why this medicine has been prescribed for you. Your doctor may have prescribed it for another reason. This medicine is not addictive. It is available only with a doctor's prescription. This medicine is not expected to affect your ability to drive a car or operate machinery. Before you take NOCDURNA When you must not take it Do not take NOCDURNA if you have an allergy to: any medicine containing desmopressin or any of the ingredients listed at the end of this leaflet. Some of the symptoms of an allergic reaction may include: shortness of breath , wheezing or difficulty breathing swelling of the face, lips, tongue or other parts of the body rash, itching or hives on the skin. Do not take this medicine if you: suffer from polydipsia (excessive thirst and increased fluid intake) or psychogenic polydipsia (psychologically caused increased thirst and increased fluid intake) where you are in the habit of drinking large amounts of fluid have cardiac insufficiency (heart failure in which the heart is not able to pump enough blood throughout the body resulting in shortness of breath, swelling of the feet or legs due to fluid build-up) have any disease requiring treatment with diuretics (water or fluid tablets) have moderately or severely reduced kidney function ( kidney disease where little or no urine is passed) have or have had hyponatraemia (low sodium level in the blood) have cognitive impairment (e.g. diagnosed dementia) have or have had or are at risk of having SIADH (hormone secretion disorder where there is an overproduction of a hormone causing fluid retention, resulting in weakness, tiredness or confusion) have a condition which causes excessive release of vasopressin from the brain have a condition which is associated with fluid or salt imbalance (abnormal electrolytes), such as nausea, eating disorders, chronic vomiting or diarrhoea, a condition of the adrenal glands (adrenal insufficiency). Do not breast-feed if you are taking this medicine. The active ingredient in NOCDURNA passes into breast milk. Therefore this medicine is not recommended while you are breast-feeding. Do not give this medicine to children. NOCDURNA is only for use in adults. Do not take this medicine after the expiry date printed on the pack or if the packaging is torn or shows signs of tampering. If it has expired or is damaged, return it to your pharmacist for disposal. If you are not sure whether you should start taking this medicine, talk to your doctor. Before you start to take it Before NOCDURNA treatment is started, lifestyle changes which may contribute to the production of excess urine at night should be considered. Discuss with your doctor what lifestyle changes may be appropriate for you to make (e.g. before bedtime drink only enough to satisfy thirst; and avoid alcohol and caffeine-containing beverages). NOCDURNA can cause low sodium levels (hyponatraemia) due to excessive fluid build-up in the body. It is important that your doctor checks your sodium levels before you start taking NOCDURNA. Tell your doctor if you have allergies to any other medicines, foods, preservatives or dyes. Tell your doctor if you: are over 65 years or you feel frail (see 'Things to be aware of'). have kidney disease have diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) have diabetes insipidus (a condition in which the pituitary does not produce antidiuretic hormone) have a known allergy to vasopressin have severe bladder dysfunction and problems urinating have liver disease have heart or blood vessel disease, high blood pressure (hypertension) have high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) have systemic infections or fever have cystic fibrosis. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant or are breast-feeding. NOCDURNA should only be given to a pregnant woman if the benefits of treatment outweigh the risks. Your doctor can discuss with you the risks and benefits involved. It is recommended that you do not breast-feed while taking NOCDURNA. If you have not told your doctor about any of the above, tell him/her before you start taking NOCDURNA. Taking other medicines Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are taking any other medicines, including any that you get without a prescription from your pharmacy, supermarket or health food shop. Some medicines and NOCDURNA may interfere with each other. It is especially important you tell your doctor if you are taking: tricyclic antidepressants, which are medicines used to treat e.g. depression (such as clomipramine, imipramine, desipramine) selective serotonine reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), which are medicines used to treat e.g. depression or anxiety (such as citalopram, paroxetine, sertraline) chlorpromazine, which is an anti-psychotic medicinal product used to treat e.g. schizophrenia diuretics (water or fluid tablets such as thiazides or loop diuretics e.g. frusemide or other types of diuretics) carbamazepine, which is used to treat e.g. bipolar disorder and epilepsy antidiabetic medicinal products used for type II diabetes (medicines in the sulfonylurea group), particularly chlorpropamide medicines used to treat high blood pressure and some other conditions (ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers e.g. enalapril, perindopril, irbesartan etc.) non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which are medicinal products used for the treatment of pain and inflammation (e.g. aspirin and ibuprofen) oxytocin, which is a medicinal product used in childbirth lithium, which is used to treat e.g. bipolar disorder loperamide, which is a medicinal product used for the treatment of diarrhoea. These medicines may be affected by NOCDURNA or may affect how well it works. They may also cause fluid build-up in the body and low sodium levels in the blood, which can make you unwell and is potentially serious. You may need different amounts of your medicines, or you may need to take different medicines. Your doctor and pharmacist have more information on medicines to be careful with or to avoid while taking this medicine. How to take NOCDURNA Follow all directions given to you by your doctor or pharmacist carefully. They may differ from the information contained in this leaflet. If you do not understand the instructions on the pack, ask your doctor or pharmacist for help. How to take it When it is time for your dose: 1.Completely remove the end tab of a blister strip by tearing along the perforations, starting from the corner with the hand symbol. 2.Now remove one blister from the strip by tearing along the perforations. 3.Remove the foil on each blister, starting at the corner with the printed arrow, by peeling off the foil in the direction of the arrow. Do not push the tablet through the foil. 4.Carefully take a tablet out of its blister. Place the tablet under the tongue and allow it to dissolve. Do not chew or swallow the tablet. 5.If a tablet breaks into more than two pieces while you are taking it out of its blister, do not take the broken pieces. Take a tablet from another blister. You must limit fluid intake to a minimum from 1 hour before taking NOCDURNA until 8 hours after taking NOCDURNA (see 'Things to be careful of'). If you experience any of the following symptoms the treatment should be stopped and your doctor contacted: headache, nausea/vomiting, weight gain and, in severe cases, convulsions (see "When you must not take it"). If you are restarting treatment with NOCDURNA, you must go back to following these fluid intake instructions. In addition, when you restart NOCDURNA, your doctor may again choose to closely monitor the sodium levels in your blood. Please read the package insert that comes with NOCDURNA prior to use. How much to take Women: 25 micrograms daily, one hour before bedtime. Men: 50 micrograms daily, one hour before bedtime NOCDURNA is placed under the tongue where it dissolves without the need for water. When to take it Take NOCDURNA sublingual wafer 1 hour before bedtime. NOCDURNA should not be taken with food, since the effect may be reduced. How long to take it Continue taking your medicine for as long as your doctor tells you. This medicine helps to control your condition, but does not cure it. It is important to keep taking your medicine. Treatment should only be interrupted or stopped on advice of your doctor. If you forget to take it Skip the missed dose. Do not take a double dose to make up for the forgotten dose. Continue taking the tablets as usual on the next day. If you are not sure what to do, ask your doctor or pharmacist. If you have trouble remembering to take your medicine, ask your pharmacist for some hints. If you take too much (overdose) Immediately telephone your doctor or the Poisons Information Centre (telephone 13 11 26) for advice, or go to Accident and Emergency at the nearest hospital, if you think that you or anyone else may have taken too much NOCDURNA. Do this even if there are no signs of discomfort or poisoning. You may need urgent medical attention. Symptoms of an overdose may include confusion, drowsiness, continuing headache, nausea or vomiting, rapid weight gain due to a build-up of water in the body, or in severe cases, convulsions. While you are using NOCDURNA Things you must do If you are about to be started on any new medicine, remind your doctor and pharmacist that you are taking NOCDURNA. Tell any other doctors, dentists, and pharmacists who treat you that you are taking this medicine. If you are going to have surgery, tell the surgeon or anaesthetist that you are taking this medicine. It may affect other medicines used during surgery. If you become pregnant while taking this medicine, tell your doctor immediately. If you are about to have any blood tests, tell your doctor that you are taking this medicine. It may interfere with the results of some tests. Keep all of your doctor's appointments so that your progress can be checked. Your doctor may do some tests before and after you start treatment with NOCDURNA to make sure that it is safe for you. Things you must not do Do not take NOCDURNA to treat any other complaints unless your doctor tells you to do so. Do not give your medicine to anyone else, even if they have the same condition as you. Do not stop taking your medicine or lower the dosage without checking with your doctor. If you stop taking it suddenly, your condition may worsen. Things to be careful of Restrict drinking fluids from one hour before taking NOCDURNA until at least eight hours after NOCDURNA administration. If you need to drink fluids over this period, drink no more than a few sips of water or other fluids. A high fluid intake over this period can increase the chance of fluid overload, which can make you feel unwell and is potentially serious. Remember to drink normally during the day. This is very important in order to prevent dehydration during daytime. Things to be aware of Before your doctor prescribes NOCDURNA for you, you may need to complete a bladder diary, which will involve measuring how much you drink and how much urine you produce over 2 days. This will help to determine whether your nocturia is caused by an overproduction of urine at night (nocturnal polyuria) or not. You may also be required to complete other tests to rule out other causes. Your doctor will also need to monitor the level of sodium in your blood before starting treatment, during the first week (4-8 days), one month after you start taking NOCDURNA, and then every 3-6 months or possibly when your other medications are changed or there is a change in your health. If your sodium levels are found to be too low, your doctor may advise that you stop taking NOCDURNA. Your doctor or pharmacist can give you more information concerning the above measures. Side effects Tell your doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible if you do not feel well while you are taking NOCDURNA. This medicine helps most people with nocturia, but it may have unwanted side effects in a few people. All medicines can have side effects. Sometimes they are serious, but most of the time they are not. You may need medical attention if you get some of the side effects. If you are over 65 years of age or you are female you may be at an increased risk of side effects. This risk is further increased if you are 75 years or older or if you feel frail. Do not be alarmed by the following lists of side effects. You may not experience any of them. Ask your doctor or pharmacist to answer any questions you may have. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice the following and it worries you: dry mouth. This is the most common side effect of your medicine. It is usually mild and short-lived. Tell your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any of the following: headache dizziness diarrhoea generally feeling unwell muscle cramps stomach (abdominal) pain or discomfort constipation. The above list includes serious side effects that may require medical attention. If any of the following happen, tell your doctor immediately or go to Accident and Emergency at your nearest hospital: nausea or vomiting rapid weight gain (which may be due to a build-up of water in the body) severe or prolonged headache confusion decreased consciousness weakness (fatigue) swelling of hands, ankles or feet (peripheral oedema) convulsions. The above list includes very serious side effects. You may need urgent medical attention or hospitalisation. These side effects are very rare. Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you notice anything that is making you feel unwell. Other side effects not listed above may also occur in some people. After using NOCDURNA Storage Keep NOCDURNA sublingual wafers in their original container in order to protect from moisture and light, until it is time to take them. If you store them out of the blister pack they may not keep well. Keep NOCDURNA sublingual wafers in a cool dry place where the temperature stays below 25C. Do not store NOCDURNA or any other medicine in the bathroom or near a sink. Do not leave it on a window sill or in the car. Heat and dampness can destroy some medicines. Keep it where children cannot reach it. A locked cupboard at least one-and-a-half metres above the ground is a good place to store medicines. Do not use this medicine after the expiry date which is stated on the carton and blister after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month. Disposal If your doctor tells you to stop taking this medicine or the expiry date has passed, ask your pharmacist what to do with any medicine that is left over. Product description What it looks like NOCDURNA 25 microgram sublingual (under the tongue) wafers are white, round wafers marked with 25 on one side. NOCDURNA 50 microgram sublingual (under the tongue) wafers are white, round wafers marked with 50 on one side. NOCDURNA comes in boxes of 10 or 30 sublingual wafers. Each carton contains 1 or 3 aluminium blister trays with 10 sublingual wafers per blister tray. Do not use this product if the packaging appears damaged in any way. Do not take the wafers if they appear different from the descriptions above or if they look different in any way. Ingredients NOCDURNA contains either 25 micrograms or 50 micrograms of desmopressin (desmopressin acetate) as the active ingredient, and the following inactive ingredients: gelatin mannitol citric acid. This medicine does not contain lactose, sucrose, gluten, tartrazine or any other azo dyes. Japan on Friday recalled its ambassador to Korea and the consul general in Busan in protest over a statue in honor of sex slavery victims that has been set up in front of the consulate. Tokyo also halted negotiations to extend a currency swap agreement. The moves come as Korea is effectively rudderless while President Park Geun-hye faces impeachment over a massive influence-peddling and corruption scandal, which has resulted in her suspension and Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-an being put nominally in charge. The statue, which honors victims of Japan's World War II campaign to draft Korean sex slaves for the Imperial Army, was set up by activists in front of the Japanese Consulate General in the southern port city. Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se summoned Ambassador Yasumasa Nagamine to protest, but the Japanese government apparently has no intention of backing off. Park reached a deal with Japan in 2015 in which Tokyo made a non-committal apology for the atrocity and paid indirect compensation to the victims, but many here felt that let Japan off the hook. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on a TV program on Sunday, "Japan has already paid 1 billion yen to fulfill its obligations. Therefore, Korea should show sincerity." Part of the deal was that a similar statue in front of the embassy in Seoul should be removed. "The 2015 deal should be implemented regardless of regime change," Abe added. By clicking "Allow All" you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyse site usage and support us in providing free open access scientific content. More info. Protecting consumers has long been a priority for the food industry, but modern times have changed the specific challenges producers and regulators face when it comes to food safety. Increasing globalization presents new opportunities for food fraud with the potential for billion-dollar payoffs. Logistic and legal hurdles can also limit the ability of regulators to inspect food and impose standards when it is traveling 1000s of miles and crossing multiple borders before reaching us. In the 21st century, consumers need to be protected from accidental contamination of food and drinks, but also from deliberate economically motivated food adulteration and even bioterrorism. Kozlik / Shutterstock.com As a result, international regulators are taking steps to face up to these challenges. The US FDA recently introduced its first regulation to oppose deliberate food adulteration, requiring large food manufacturers to be much more thorough in prevention. And the EU has implemented more stringent measures to overcome fish mislabeling a common practice that endangers consumer health and fishermens livelihoods. Pittcon 2022: March 6-10 Click here to learn more Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, LA USA But regulators cannot address issues in food safety by policy alone: advances in analytic technologies are helping them to combat these challenges. At Pittcon, taking place in Chicago from 5-9 March, 2017, we will hear about some of the latest advances allowing them to do just that. What Pittcon Can do for You Play What Pittcon Can do for You from AZoNetwork on Vimeo. Food adulteration As a product that consumers are willing to pay a premium for, olive oil has become one of the worlds most adulterated products. Products labeled olive oil are frequently diluted or substituted with other types of oils, such as hazelnut, sunflower or soybean. The problem is widespread: a recent study that tested five leading brands of extra-virgin olive oil sold in the USA found evidence of poor-quality or adulterated products in 73% of samples. Fortunately, technologies are emerging that can deliver rapid and cost-effective methods for testing olive oil. For example, a team from PerkinElmer, who will be presenting at Pittcon 2017, have shown that the AxION 2 time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer (MS) integrated with the companys AxION Direct Sample Analysis (DSA) system can be used to detect soybean oil contamination in olive oil samples by determining the relative quantities of fatty acids in oil samples within 30 seconds. Another product whose contents dont always match the label is honey. Honey can be adulterated in a number of ways, including diluting it with cheap sugar syrups or attempting to disguise its true geographic origin. Ksenya777 / Shutterstock.com Recent research has shown how NMR profiling can be used to detect fraud in honey samples, offering a sensitive and non-targeted way to pick up adulterants. Bruker, who will be presenting their devices at this years Pittcon exposition, have been involved in a project called the Honey Profiling Consortium. Using the companys FoodScreener platform, the project has brought together NMR data on 1000s of honey varieties and adulterated honeys to create a comprehensive database. Bruker offers remote data analysis of honey spectra, and will provide labs with automatically generated reports that will flag any violation of the product from its labeling. Beverage analysis As well as food, drinks are also subject to important regulation to protect consumer health. In particular, drinking water undergoes stringent routine testing for contamination and impurities in many countries. Ion chromatography is an ideal method for analyzing water samples as it can identify multiple components in one run from the same sample including at trace concentrations. A team from Metrohm, another exhibitor at Pittcon 2017, developed an ion chromatographic method that is able to detect chromate contamination in water at concentration of less than 0.02 g/L, a level well below that recommended by the EU and World Health Organization of 50 g/L. This ability to detect such low concentrations could become very important in future as it looks likely that acceptable chromate levels will be lowered by regulators. This has already happened in the state of California, which has set a chromate limit in drinking water to 10 g/L. Food safety advances at Pittcon 2017 At this years Pittcon, taking place in Chicago March 5-7 2017, you can hear about the latest developments to for combating current challenges in food safety. Solutions presented range from the use of RF-based sensors for monitoring food quality, Raman spectroscopy to detect pathogens, and NMR for verifying food authenticity. Pittcon 2022: March 6-10 Click here to learn more Ernest N. Morial Convention Center New Orleans, LA USA The conference will hear from the manufacturers who have been developing these new applications and technologies, as well as from the scientists and regulators who are putting them to use in the field. A team from GE will discuss the development of RF sensors for food quality sensing while Steven Zbylut of General Mills will highlight the advantages of Raman spectroscopy, a technique that has undergone substantial development in recent years. The conference will also hear from the FDA on the use of NMR spectroscopy in food analysis, as well as from the UK-government affiliate FERA Science Ltd, on how recent developments in DNA sequencing are being applied to detecting and tracking food pathogens. Furthermore, all of the major spectroscopy and analytic science companies will be in attendance at this years exposition, including PerkinElmer, Bruker, Renishaw, Metrohm and Wyatt Technology, making Pittcon an unmissable opportunity to see and hear the latest trends and advances in food analysis. To find out more about food safety analytics and whats on offer at Pittcon 2017, check out the free industry guide: Latest Advances in Food Safety, available to download from the Pittcon website. References Dalmia A, Perkins GL, 2013. Rapid measurement of olive oil adulteration with soybean oil with minimal sample preparation using DSA/TOF. Available at: http://www.perkinelmer.co.uk/lab-solutions/resources/docs/APP_Olive_Oil_Adult_with_Soybean_Oil.pdf Flynn D, 2016. Food Defense Rule designed to combat intentional adulteration. Available at: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/05/food-defense-rule-intended-to-combat-intentional-adulteration/#.V8ht3TWaBle Frankel EN, Mailer RJ, Wang SC, 2011. Evaluation of extra-virgin olive oil sold in California. Goodwin P, 2015. Tough measures on fish fraud are working, study says. Metrohm. Quality control in the food and beverage industry. Available at: http://partners.metrohm.com/GetDocument?action=get_dms_document&docid=692076 Schwarzinger S, Brauer F & Rosch P. Honey, what else? New Food 2015; 18 (6). Available at: https://www.bruker.com/fileadmin/user_upload/8-PDF-Docs/nf615_Bruker_bur.pdf US Food and Drug Administration. FSMA Final Rule for Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm378628.htm About Pittcon Pittcon is a registered trademark of The Pittsburgh Conference on Analytical Chemistry and Applied Spectroscopy, a Pennsylvania non-profit organization. Co-sponsored by the Spectroscopy Society of Pittsburgh and the Society for Analytical Chemists of Pittsburgh, Pittcon is the premier annual conference and exposition on laboratory science. Proceeds from Pittcon fund science education and outreach at all levels, kindergarten through adult. Pittcon donates more than a million dollars a year to provide financial and administrative support for various science outreach activities including science equipment grants, research grants, scholarships and internships for students, awards to teachers and professors, and grants to public science centers, libraries and museums. Visit pittcon.org for more information. Sponsored Content Policy: News-Medical.net publishes articles and related content that may be derived from sources where we have existing commercial relationships, provided such content adds value to the core editorial ethos of News-Medical.Net which is to educate and inform site visitors interested in medical research, science, medical devices and treatments. (Photo : Anjali Lama's Facebook page) (Photo : Anjali Lama's Facebook page) (Photo : Anjali Lama's Facebook page) Born Navin Waiba to a farming family in Nuwakot, Nepal, Anjali Lama is all set to break the gender stereotype and become the first transgender model to walk the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/Resort 2017.In 2003, after completing school and doing several odd jobs to pay for her own education, Lama moved to Kathmandu and it was there that she discovered her true identity as a transgender person.Later, a transgender group that she had once met at a nightclub, introduced her to Blue Diamond Society - an LGBT rights organisation in Kathmandu.This group later played a vital role in Lama's life, they helped her come out about her true identity."I came out in 2005, and it was a torturous experience. I don't want to repeat the cruel names I was called. When my family found out, they said I was dead to them. Only my mother kept contact, she gave me the strength to stand by my decision," said Lama to News18.com. "It's not easy being transgender in country like ours where awareness and acceptance is very low. You have face discrimination in school, within family and by the society. But when you know who you are and accept your sexuality and yourself completely, then there is no looking back. It is then that you move ahead with positive thoughts and beliefs," she added.While the journey from being discriminated in schools and by society to being accepted wasn't easy for Lama, she never gave up and strived hard to achieve her dreams. Despite backlash, with positive thoughts in her mind, Lama worked towards turning her dreams into reality.But being a model wasn't something she had in her mind always. It was her friends who supported and encouraged her to do something and move out of Nepal. "Honestly, during my school and college days this was never in mind but my friends used to tell me I have slim and good body structure so I should try this (modelling)," said Lama to News18.com.Motivated by her friends, Lama decided to pursue a career in modelling and took training at a local modelling agency. And although she was initially rejected in several auditions only for being who she was, Lama got her first major break in 2009 when a national magazine in Nepal - Voice of Women, featured her in a photo shoot on Kathmandu's transgender community.Her journey to the Lakme Fashion Week wasn't easy too.She auditioned for the prestigious fashion show in 2016 but was rejected. And it was only after she worked on herself, her walk, dressing, make-up, pose etc that she got through for the 2017 edition."Lakme Fashion Week is undoubtedly a great platform for me. It is an opportunity to learn and to establish a network in the industry. And although, this is my first international project, I hope to get many such international projects in future," said Lama.Even though transgender rights activist Laxmi Narayan Tripathi and three others participated in Lakme Fashion Week as showstoppers in 2016, Lama will be the first transgender model to have actually made it to the distinguished show by way of auditioning for it. Behind the centuries-old stone walls of a Benedictine monastery in northern France, monks are busy bringing a long-lost tradition back to life. Between prayer, Gregorian chants and spiritual reflection, they work on producing France's only truly monastic beer. "For me it's a major event, one of the most important since I began my career in 1973," said French beer expert Herve Marziou, who advised the monks as they resurrected the venerable trade at the Abbey of Saint-Wandrille. Nestled in the green heart of Normandy between Le Havre and Rouen, the monastery began selling a precursor of the beer in August before launching its definitive brew in early December. Now the beer -- sold to help restore the monastery cloisters -- is flowing steadily and receiving high marks in the craft beer market. "The feedback is good," said Marziou, 69. Some 25,000 half-litre (pint) bottles at 4.50 euros (dollars) each have already been sold at the abbey's shop, at other monasteries, online or through speciality stores. "This is the only beer currently produced in France by monks in their own monastery," the abbey proudly says on its website. The Saint-Wandrille monastery, founded in 649 and ravaged successively by Viking incursions, the wars of religion and the French Revolution, has been largely destroyed and rebuilt over the centuries. Monastic brewing in France enjoyed a heyday during the Middle Ages, but nearly disappeared after the revolution when many religious orders were dissolved. Some monks and nuns returned to private life, many eventually marrying, but others fled the country, taking their beer recipes with them. Monastic beers flourish among neighbouring countries, especially Belgium. But in recent memory France's only abbey beer brewed onsite by monks was that of the Sept-Fons abbey in central France, which stopped production in 1935. Benedictine monks are bound by Saint Benedict's sixth-century "Rule for Monasteries" that says: "To truly be a monk one must work with his hands." At Saint-Wandrille, monks produced beeswax furniture polish before launching a copying business in the 1970s -- which they dropped after failing to keep up with the technology. The monks cast about for another activity to raise money before seizing, in August 2014, on the idea of a return to brewing, recounts 29-year-old Brother Benoit, in charge of public relations. Two of the monastery's 30 monks took up the challenge, Brother Matthieu, 31, and 70-year-old Brother Christian, who sought out training at an agricultural high school in Douai, near the border with Belgium. Not too bitter Upon their return, they experimented using a brewing kit they were given by British friends during a trip by a group of Saint-Wandrille monks to Quarr Abbey, a Benedictine monastery on the Isle of Wight. They then formed a committee that came to an agreement on the desired taste -- bitter but not too bitter -- and colour, a caramel pitched between blond and amber. "They set themselves apart from Belgian beers that are slightly sweet, but less bitter than the beers typical of northern France," said Thierry Cauet, their trainer in Douai, adding that the taste would agree with drinkers in many parts of France. If the beer has an English taste, it is because the recipe includes four English hops varieties, grown in France -- "two bitter hops and two aromatic ones" -- said Brother Matthieu, who started out with no knowledge of brewing. At the end of 2015, the monks took the plunge, taking out a 750,000 euro bank loan to buy the necessary equipment. Their goal is to produce 80,000 litres a year from an operation that employs the two brewers plus packers and a sales force. The label declares an alcohol content of 6.5 percent -- it would have been hard to guarantee a figure of 6.49 percent in honour of the abbey's founding year. Battal: Three labourers working with General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) lost their lives after terrorists attacked the GREF camp in Akhnoor sector of Jammu and Kashmir early on Monday, police said. The attack took place at Battal area of Akhnoor sector close to the international border at 1:30 am, police added. The gunshots have subsided but the region has been cordoned off. The GREF is the parent cadre force of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that builds and maintains roads along the border in the country. The counter operation to neutralise the terrorists is underway and more details are awaited. A high alert has been sounded in the region. US President-Elect Donald Trump may appoint Ashley J. Tellis as ambassador to India, an American daily has claimed. The Washington Post quoted a source in Trumps transition team saying that Trump was close to selecting Tellis as ambassador to India. Tellis is currently a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace specializing in international security, defense, and Asian strategic issues. He has served in the US Department of State as a senior adviser to the under secretary of state for political affairs. He was also involved in negotiating the civil nuclear agreement with India. Earlier, Tellis served as a senior adviser to the ambassador at the US embassy in New Delhi. Prior to his government service, Tellis was a senior policy analyst at the RAND Corporation and professor of policy analysis at the RAND Graduate School. He is the author of Indias Emerging Nuclear Posture (RAND, 2001). The daily said the appointment was part of Trumps transition team effort for a policy pivot to Asia. As the team that will implement that policy takes shape, whats emerging is an approach that seeks to actualize the Obama administrations ambition of enhancing the U.S. presence in the region, the Washington Post said. Transition officials told the paper that Trumps administration will take a hawkish view of China, focus on bolstering regional alliances, a renewed interest in Taiwan, be skeptical of engagement with North Korea and bolster the US Navys fleet presence in the Pacific. Delhi: Sanitation workers stage massive protest against the Delhi Govt and Centre over salary issue pic.twitter.com/abtFpm700H ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 The indefinite strike by the sanitation workers of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation, which entered its fourth day on Monday, has left the trans-Yamuna region reeling under a garbage crisis, with waste dumped in the open in several areas, from Laxmi Nagar to Patparganj.Sanitation workers held a protest against the Delhi government at Laxmi Nagar metro station on Monday, causing a traffic jam.More than 7,000 tonnes of garbage has accumulated across east Delhi, as workers continue to strike over pending salaries. Several other EDMC employees, including doctors and teachers, have also not been paid for months now and have threatened to join the strike from mid-January.The BJP-ruled east corporation has blamed the Delhi government of withholding funds and not implementing reform policies to make MCDs more financially viable.Reacting to the crisis, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari said, It was bound to happen. EDMC is now divided in three parts and now the people are not getting paid so workers will face problem. Now, Arvind Kejriwal is playing politics over it. The Delhi Chief Minister should release the fund.Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had on Sunday hit out at the BJP-run civic bodies, accusing them of being saddled with "grave corruption", even as the AAP government announced a fresh fund of Rs 119 crore to the EDMC.In a press conference held at his official residence, the senior AAP leader claimed that "enough funds have been given to the municipal bodies, but one doesn't know where that money is being flushed out.""The MCD has been telling that Delhi government has not given them funds. So, I am presenting some of the figures in this regard. In 2012-13, Rs 399 crore was given as fund to EDMC, in 2013-14 Rs 416 crore and in 2014-15 it was Rs 441 crore."Then our government came, and 2015-16 we released Rs 702 crore under non-plan head, and in 2016-17 so far, we have released Rs 609 crore. Also, till 2015 these funds were released with Rs 60-70 crore of loan adjustment. But, we gave them (EDMC) the funds without such deductions. So, we want to ask, where did that money go," he said."Is there a corruption pipeline opened by the civic bodies, if these funds were not used," he alleged."Besides, we have, also released a fund of Rs 119 crore to the EDMC under the non-plan head, and it should duly be used for payment of salaries. The fund was released yesterday and it should reach the civic body soon," Sisodia told reporters.The APP-MCD politics heats up at a time when municipal polls are due this year, and Sisodia said, "People will teach them (BJP-led MCD) lessons in the elections. From three seats (in Delhi Assembly polls) they would be wiped out completely this time."The AAP leader also took the opportunity to reach out to the sanitation workers, saying, "They were being exploited by the MCD and that they should expose these civic bodies."Sisodia also said as per the recommendation of the 14th Finance Commission, "the civic bodies should get about Rs 3,552 crore from the Centre.(With PTI inputs) New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday said government was working to secure release of 41 Indian sailors stuck in merchant ships at Ajman in United Arab Emirates. Swaraj also said the Indian Embassy in UAE has been directed to ensure that the sailors get essential supplies, adding efforts are on for their release. As per reports, the 41 Indian sailors employed in four merchant ships in the UAE were stranded in four abandoned merchant ships at Ajman anchorage in UAE and that two of the vessels are leaking and faces the danger of sinking. The owner of the company has allegedly abandoned the sailors who are now struggling for survival. "We have contacted the Captains of the two vessels, Ship owners, port authorities and the Government. They have essential supplies for next two weeks. We are helping in the settlement of their dues and release of the crew. "I have asked the mission to ensure that Indian sailors do not suffer for want of essential supplies," Swaraj tweeted. The sailors are from Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Uttarakhand, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. On January 6, Swaraj, responding to tweets calling for rescuing the sailors, had promised to resolve the issue. When her attention was drawn to reports of 500 youths from Telangana being stranded in Iraq, Swaraj said the number is much less. She said all stranded Indians should approach Indian consulate in Erbil. "I have received the report from Iraq. The number is not 500 but much less. We have repatriated 52 stranded Indian workers. We have requests from 4 more. All stranded workers should approach our Consulate in Erbil. "We request Indian workers not to overstay. The penalty is US$6000 in each case. Please approach the Consulate for repatriation," she tweeted. I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu @IndEmbDoha /1 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard.@IndEmbDoha /2 Sushma Swaraj (@SushmaSwaraj) January 9, 2017 Government has decided to file a mercy petition on behalf of family members of two men from Tamil Nadu who were awarded death penalty by Qatar's Supreme Court for allegedly murdering a woman four years ago.External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who had sought a a report about the case from Indian envoy in Qatar two days ago, on Monday said the Embassy has requested Tamil Nadu government to help in filing mercy plea for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal."I have received report from Qatar reg death sentence for Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal both from Tamil Nadu."We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard," Swaraj tweeted.The court recently had rejected a plea by the Indian Embassy to overturn the death penalty awarded to the duo, both in their 40s, but commuted the life term awarded to the third accused, Sivakumar Arasan to 15 years jail term.While Subramaniam hails from Villupuram, Perumal is a resident of Virudhunagar in Tamil Nadu who had gone to the Gulf country for greener pastures.Congress MLA from Tamil Nadus Nanguneri constituency, H Vasanthakumar, had recently written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj, seeking their urgent intervention in saving Subramaniam and Perumal.The MLA requested Modi and Swaraj to take up the case with the Ruler of Qatar."If these Indian nationals were not released and send back to India safely, I will organise indefinite protest before the Qatar Embassy at Delhi and Qatar Consulate at Mumbai," he had said in the letter.The then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa last year had sanctioned Rs 9.5 lakh to take care of the expenses for filing the appeal in the Supreme Court. New Delhi: Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi on Monday reviewed the security arrangements in poll-bound Punjab. DGP and Chief Secretary of Punjab along with top officers of MHA were present in the meeting. A source said that the meeting discussed the possibility of Pakistans intelligence agency, ISI, inciting communal passion to disturb peace in the state. Desecration of religious texts and subsequent tension could be one of the methods used to disturb harmony, an officer in the know of the security review told CNN News18. Punjab was disturbed for almost six months after the desecration of the Guru Granth Sahib in Faridkot and other areas of Punjab. The Central Bureau of Investigation, which is investigating the case, has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for any information on the culprits, but has got no lead so far. In another such case in Malerkotla, Aam Aadmi Party MLA from Delhi, Naresh Yadav, was arrested on charges of sacrilege and conspiracy. A year after the terror attack on Pathankot airbase, the Union government does not want to take any chances and has asked the state administration to be alert. Paramilitary forces have also been put at the disposal of the state administration and the Election Commission. Some 1.95 million tourists arrived in Korea aboard cruise ships last year, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries said on Sunday. Some 1.2 million passengers entered at Jeju, 570,000 at Busan and 170,000 at Incheon, aside from crew, who numbered 700,000. This Sunday, the super glamorous #KareenaKapoor & fashion queen @sonamakapoor are going to set the Koffee couch on fire! #KoffeeWithKaran pic.twitter.com/c6nacIMPsy Star World (@StarWorldIndia) January 9, 2017 Sonam Kapoor has often landed in controversies and rubbed people the wrong way with her frank opinions. Perhaps that could be the reason that the actress appears to be guarded in the upcoming episode of Koffee With Karan where she shares the couch with Kareena Kapoor. Kareena, on the other hand, outshines Sonam with her witty answers and quick repartee to Karan's questions.Kareena, who was pregnant when the episode was shot, is seen taking jibes at Karan for being so visible on television. The actress also refused to comment on who is better between Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Pdukone. "They are both in Hollywood now." When she was asked what would she do if was stuck in an elevator with Deepika Padukone and Katrina Kaif, Bebo said, "I would kill myself."Sonam on the other hand refused to answer if she is indeed dating designer Anand Kabra and did not want to rate her contemporaries, "I think I am the best," said the actress.The promos promise for an exciting episode which will be aired next Sunday. New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday fixed for final hearing BJP leader Subramanian Swamy's plea challenging the constitutional validity of certain IPC provisions on hate speech and writing. "Let the matter be listed for final hearing. Law Commission report be also tagged along with the matter," a bench of justices Kurian Joseph and A M Khanwilkar said. The Centre had earlier termed as "not maintainable" and opposed Swamy's plea saying his petition was not a "writ petition but a personal interest litigation" as NBW has been already been issued against him with regard to the alleged hate speeches. Swamy had vehemently opposed the contention of Solicitor General and said his plea has already been considered by the previous bench headed by Justice Ranjan Gogoi which has agreed to examine the constitutional validity of 156(3) of IPC and he was not on the issue of bailable warrant. He had argued that his plea for quashing of NBW was already before the Gauhati High Court. The apex court was hearing Swamy's plea against the order of a trial court in Assam which issued an NBW against him for failing to appear before it on March 19, 2015 in a case of alleged hate speech. On July 2 the same year, the apex court had stayed the execution of the non-bailable warrant issued against him by the Assam court for allegedly delivering a hate speech at a university there. Swamy, who is facing a court case in Karimganj in Assam for allegedly delivering the inflammatory address at Kaziranga University, had sought relief from the apex court in the case. He has also challenged the constitutional validity of Section 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc, and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony) of the Indian Penal Code. New Delhi: As Uttar Pradesh heads to polls next month, a Jat outfit along with khap panchayats in communally sensitive western UP, have sounded the poll bugle against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). On Sunday, the Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (ABJASS), the organization that spearheaded the Jat reservation agitation in Haryana last year, held a Jat Sankalp Rally in Muzaffarnagar district and urged members of the community to vote for the strongest non-BJP candidate in their respective constituencies. While Jats make up only around 8-9% of the states population, their concentration in key assembly seats in western UP makes them an important voting bloc. Sundays rally was held in Muzaffarnagars Kharad village, which is also the native village of ABJASS national president Yashpal Malik. ABJASS has called on khap panchayats from all over the region. Speaking to News18, Malik said, After last years agitation, it is clear to us that the BJP does not have the Jat communitys best interests at heart. They only use us for political gains. They filed false cases against thousands of Jats and even used some of their party workers to unleash violence against us. Last year, after the agitation, I met Prime Minister Narendra Modi who assured us that reservations would be given to Jats but the government never fulfilled its promise. They will now learn that Jats across the country stand in solidarity with each other. If they oppress Jats in Haryana, their brothers in western UP will not stay silent. Jats here will vote against the BJP en mass, he added. Malik said western UP will hold the key in the upcoming assembly elections and claimed that Jats hold the swing vote in at least 125 constituencies here. In many seats, Muslims and Dalits are present in large numbers. These groups never vote for the BJP so they have been relying on Jats. They won the Jat vote in western UP by creating communal tension. If Jats abandon them, which they will, then BJP will not even win 10 seats in west UP, he said. The BJP, meanwhile, rejected the claim that it was anti-Jat. BJP MP from Baghpat and prominent Jat leader Satyapal Singh said, I understand the concerns that Malik sahib has. All their demands are valid and the government is working towards resolving them. However, it is inaccurate to say that we have betrayed Jats in any way. We must remember that when Jat reservations were first introduced, it was done under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. Even state governments that have introduced quotas have been BJP-ruled. We stand with all sections of society that have been left behind in the development process. Restrictions should be removed. Hardships being faced by millions due to #DeMonetisation. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 Trinamool Congress is organizing nationwide protest against Modi babus shameless flop-show #NoteBandi. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 Dharna being held over next 3 days(Mon,Tue,Wed) in Bengal, Bhubaneswar, Punjab, Kishanganj(Bihar), Manipur, Tripura, Assam, J'khand & Delhi. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged President Pranab Mukherjee to "save" the people of the country from the hardship caused by demonetisation and the resultant cash crisis, while claiming that the CBI was being used to victimise her party."I urge the President, who is the constitutional head of the country, that if some government through its arbitrary decisions takes the country to the brink of disaster, as the protector of the Constitution give protection to the people and save the people," the Trinamool Congress chief said."Famine has started. Indications of the beginning of the famine are coming. So save the people. If people don't survive then nothing will happen," she said while inaugurating the 'Mati Utsav' (Soil Festival) in Kolkata.Asking the common people to rise in protest, Banerjee said, "there will be some hardship, but someone has to bell the cat. Trinamool Congress will do that"."We will take care of all the hardship that may befall us owing to our protests," she said.Earlier in a series of tweets, she demanded lifting of the restrictions imposed from time to time by the Centre."Restrictions should be removed. Hardships being faced by millions due to #DeMonetisation", she said."Trinamool Congress is organising nationwide protest against Modi babu's shameless flop-show #NoteBandi," she wrote in another tweet.Banerjee claimed that her party and its leaders were being victimised for protesting against the demonetisation of high value notes and its fallout."They (BJP-led Centre) have turned the CBI into a Conspiracy Bureau of India," she said referring to the agency's arrest of TMC MPs Sudip Bandopadhyay and Tapas Pal in connection with the Rose Valley chit fund scam."We don't care about that. If he can, Modi babu may put all of us in jail, but we will not stop talking for the people," she added."Even if they take us from Bengal to Odisha, Delhi or Uttar Pradesh, it does not matter, every place is our country," Banerjee said."But when people react then where will Modibabu go?" she said.She said some small leaders are now talking big. These people will flee to America, London or Switzerland, but they will remain here. Amid the growing tension between the two factions in Samajwadi Party, the supremo, Mulayam singh Yadav, on Monday evening asserted that Akhilesh Yadav will be the next chief minister and that the Samajwadi Party is united.Earlier in the day, Mulayam had said there is no rift between him and his son Akhilesh after visiting the Election Commission office to stake claim to the partys cycle symbol.In an apparent reference to cousin Ram Gopal, Mulayam had said one person was provoking Akhilesh and creating problems within the party."There are some who have influenced my son (Akhilesh). I had a talk with him last night and also in the morning over the issue. There is no dispute between my son and me, Mulayam said."There is only a bit of dispute within the party, not much. Only one person is responsible for this. But that will be resolved soon," he added.Who is the villain in the Yadav family drama? While the Mulayam camp believes Ram Gopal Yadav is instigating Akhilesh, the UP CMs camp sees Amar Singh as the one causing mischief. (News18)Mulayam had met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi for nearly 40 minutes and was accompanied by brother Shivpal Yadav and loyalist Amar Singh.Mulayam is believed to have told the poll panel that the party national convention on January 1, where Akhilesh was elected the party chief, was "unconstitutional" and that the party's electoral symbol of 'cycle' should remain with his camp.Mulayam also contested the affidavits of party leaders submitted by the Akhilesh faction, alleging they were forged and asked the election watchdog to get them verified.The embattled party leader has also written to Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari informing him about the expulsion of Ram Gopal from the party and as leader of the party in the Upper House.He also urged Ansari to shift Ram Gopal's seat to the back benches following his expulsion from the party. As of now, he has been occupying one of the front benches near BSP supremo Mayawati's seat.There is no word as of now on whom Mulayam will appoint as the party's new leader in Rajya Sabha.Polls will be held in seven phases in Uttar Pradesh on February 11 (73 constituencies), February 15 (67), February 19 (69), February 23 (53), February 27 (52), March 3 (49) and March 8 (40).The announcement of poll schedule has hastened efforts by the two camps to bag the 'cycle' symbol. The side which has the support of majority (50 percent plus 1) MPs, MLAs, MLCs and delegates will gain an upper hand in the fight to control the party founded 25 years ago. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav is likely to meet his father and party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav at 10 am on Tuesday in Lucknow after the latter on Monday once again reposed his trust in his son. Speaking on the ongoing feud and Akhileshs second term as chief minister, Mulayam said, Samajwadi Party is not broken and it will not split. Akhilesh will become the CM of Uttar Pradesh after elections. Indirectly asking party men to sink differences, 78-year-old Mulayam said, SP is united and we will campaign as soon as possibleWe will campaign across UP. Earlier in the day, Mulayam had said there is no rift between him and his son Akhilesh after visiting the Election Commission office to stake claim to the partys cycle symbol. Rajya Sabha MP and SP leader Amar Singh on Monday also reiterated his stance that he is a well wisher of Akhilesh Yadav and there should be no controversy regarding the Z category security provided to him by the Centre. Meanwhile, Akhileshs uncle Shivpal Yadav has vowed to extend his support to Mulayam. Also read: Akhileshs Revolt is Late, But He Can Still Script a New Politics in UP Here is the recap of the day. Read all the Latest News , Breaking News , watch Top Videos and Live TV here. New Delhi: Not naming a Chief Ministerial candidate has its own advantages. Congress, for instance, as a matter of faith, never does it. In recent years, Shiela Dikshit, for purely tactical purposes, was a notable exception. Ambiguity at the top keeps all contenders and their supporters interested. The BJP on the contrary has been a firm believer in giving a tangible face to its election campaigns. The tradition started with Atal Bihari Vajpayees projection in 1996. And there have been occasions when the party has impressed upon its allies to project a CM candidate in states where the BJP is the junior partner. Since its victory in 2014 general elections, the party has, however, been a bit selective in adhering to this principle. Of the states that have gone to polls in the last 30 months Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand the leader of the legislative party has been nominated after elections. In all these provinces, anti-BJP forces were up against years of anti-incumbency and lacked a credible narrative. In states where the opposition had a strong CM contender, not giving a CM face proved counter-productive for the BJP. For instance, in Bihar. In Delhi, half measures like roping in Kiran Bedi just weeks ahead of the elections to fill in the leadership void failed miserably. BJP was quick to learn from the Bihar debacle to anoint Sarbananda Sonowal as CM face and win Assam a fair margin. In Uttar Pradesh a high stake election to name or not to name a CM candidate was the critical question which the BJP and its leadership mulled for a while. It all boiled down to two critical parameters. The first: Did the BJP have a state leader of the stature to match Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav? The only name which comes to mind is that of Rajnath Singh. The Union Home Minister is the only former BJP chief minister from Uttar Pradesh who is still in active politics. But then Rajnath is also the de facto number two in the pecking order after the Prime Minister in the Union Cabinet. Why would he want to go back to Uttar Pradesh at this stage of his political career? And if the BJP were to form a government in UP, wouldnt the current dispensation want to install a person of their choice in the most politically significant state in the country? Thus far it seems the party has decided not to project any leader in particular to lead the campaign. This means the BJP would be relying primarily on Prime Minister Narendra Modi for political mobilisation. But if elected to rule, there is no dearth of contenders for the top post if the BJP were to regain power in Uttar Pradesh after 14 years of vanvaas (exile). That brings us to the second factor: keep everyone happy and interested, and present a bouquet of core caste combination the party seeks to mobilise. Going by that logic, a few other names in the reckoning could be Manoj Sinha and Keshav Maurya. Manoj Sinha, the Union Telecom Minister and MP from Ghazipur in Poorvanchal, is considered close to BJP president Amit Shah. Sinha, a student leader from Banaras Hindu University, is from the upper caste, not a numerically dominant community. However, caste neutrality can at times be an asset. Keshav Maurya, the state BJP president, is an MP from Phulpur near Allahabad with a VHP background. He symbolises the BJPs attempts to mobilise non-Yadav OBC voters, especially the most-backward communities that have traditionally nestled around Mayawatis BSP. Maurya, however, lacks administrative experience. Of the remaining state leaders, Uma Bharti and Kalraj Mishra are the only ones apart from Rajnath and Maurya whose pictures dot the hoardings put up by the party across the state. Bharti, the mercurial sanyasin and the former Madhya Pradesh CM has had to shift base to Uttar Pradesh after a protracted tussle with current MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. Her heart, they say, is still in Madhya Pradesh. Kalraj Mishra, on the other hand, has legislative and executive experience both in Lucknow and Delhi. The Brahmin leader from Deoria is currently the only above-75 minister in the Union council. If Kalraj is well past the age bar set by the PM, then other Brahmin leaders in contention could be Mahesh Sharma from western UP. The Noida MP is currently the Culture Minister in the Union council. And last but not the least is the fiery Gorakhpur MP Mahant Adityanath. The head of the Gorakhnath Temple was also considered as the CM face. A section of the local RSS leadership backed the move. But caste configurations, especially in eastern UP, forced the BJP to abandon the idea and instead approach the elections under a collective state leadership. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's birthday on Sunday again passed without fanfare this year. The state media made no mention of the occasion but reported only that he visited a mundane silk factory. Last October, the North's official Korean Central News Agency said Kim's birthday in January would be celebrated with great pomp and circumstance. But after Kim apologized for "shortcomings" in his New Year's address and repositioned himself as a champion of ordinary people, the regime seems to have had a change of heart. Born in 1984, Kim turned 33 Sunday, according to the Unification Ministry database. Since he was chosen as his father Kim Jong-il's heir apparent in 2009, the Workers Party and security apparatus have celebrated his birthday quietly to ease into a full-fledged personality cult, but there have never been any public celebrations. "There needs to be a plausible myth about his birth to officially designate his birthday as a red-letter day," a source said. "Maybe it has something to do with his mother," who was no Kim senior's official wife and, as a Korean Japanese, is considered a second-class citizen threatening the purity myth that underlies the country's surface socialism. But state media hailed Kim on Saturday saying the North's "satellites will soar in the sky and move in the space along the unchangeable orbit of victory as the party center [code for the supreme leader] decides." The North marks 15 big anniversaries this year, including Kim Jong-il's 75th birthday (Feb. 16), Kim Il-sung's 105th birthday (April 15), and the 85th army anniversary (April 25), a ministry official said, raising the threat of provocations that have often attended these events. The first sign of rebellion had come in early August when Eshwarappa announced the formation of a Sangolli Rayanna brigade, a brigade/forum that promised programmes for SCs, STs and OBCs if the BJP comes to power in 2018. He thinks people are constantly scheming against him. Ideally, with the powers the party has give him, he should be exuding confidence, walk like an elephant. If he cant take party workers with him in anything he plans, how will he lead six crore Kannadigas, he added. Just in becoming a party president, if he has started behaving so arrogantly, imagine what would happen if he becomes chief minister? Thats why this brigade has the tacit support of many state and national leaders who dont want him to grow too big. Why else is it they many of them are silent including Union ministers? a party man said. The BJPs rank and file in Karnataka has been in a fix for the last four months, caught in a cold war between two heavyweights.The clash is between BS Yeddyurappa, state BJP president and former chief minister, and his former deputy KS Eshwarappa, the former Deputy CM, also an ex-state unit president and currently the Leader of the Opposition in the state council. It is a clash between one who has mass appeal and another who has caste credentials.It became very public two weeks ago when Yeddyurappa announced three drought-review teams to tour Karnataka, specifically leaving out Eshwarappa.Inclusion in a drought assessment tour is not some kind of (sic) cabinet berth. If he had included him in one of the three teams, it would have been no big deal. But no, he had to leave him out of the partys official teams to tour different districts. Now there are more people backing Eshwarappa, purely because Yeddyurappa is opposing him so much, said an aide of Eshwarappa.Sources told CNN News18 that the vision or mission of the brigade is quite unclear other than that it was perhaps being formed to spite Yeddyurappa who belongs to the influential Lingayat community.Eshwarappa is a leader of the Kuruba caste and has been attempting to lead a parallel movement for upliftment of Dalits and backward castes, akin to what Congress Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had attempted to do in 2005.The love for backward castes and Dalits also stems from recent caste surveys that hint at these castes forming the voting majority, as against what was believed before the dominant Lingayat and Vokkaliga castes are said to have become numerically weaker, though official data of the survey is yet to be released.Eshwarappas reaction to being left out of the drought-review teams was a muted I dont know. He added he has always accepted Yeddyurappa being projected as the chief ministerial candidate for Assembly 2018, what was left unsaid was: I dont know what hes afraid of.Even before August, there has been simmering discontent within the BJP when, after taking over as state unit president in April, Yeddyurappa brought in his own yes-men in all party committees including the district and taluk level ones. Several party workers who were stripped of their posts ran to Bengaluru to present their case but nothing changed. Anyone identified as being in the Ananth Kumar camp or the Eshwarappa camp or was affiliated to any leader who had questioned Yeddyurappa at any time was out.Those who dont dance to his tunes were peremptorily thrown out. For instance, I have always been a party worker, I worked for the greater interest of the party, and went by what the sitting president told me to do. I would have worked for him (Yeddyurappa) too, the same way. But he felt I may plant stories against him. Thats sad, someone with such a huge level of insecurity, how can he lead the party as a CM-face now? asks an ousted BJP man.D Venkatesh Murthy, a three-time corporator of the BJP who was mayor of Bengaluru during the BJP regime, wanted to be general secretary of the partys city unit. He didnt get that post and says he almost thought of quitting the party.There are many of us who wanted to quit the party because the work we have put in for the partys growth wasnt getting recognised. Then we all decided to the join the Sangolli Rayanna Brigade. We have convinced others too to stay on in the party. And help us in forwarding the cause of backward castes through this brigade, Murthy said. He is currently the general secretary of the brigade, and continues to be a member of the BJP.The brigade, he claims, has members not just belonging to OBC and dalit communities but a large number of others too. So far, the purpose has mostly been a show-of-strength exercise they have held rallies in Nandagad, and plan a big one in Kudalasangama in north Karnataka on January 26, the death anniversary Sangolli Rayanna, the 18th century warrior of the Kuruba community after whom the brigade is named.Eshwarappas aide claims thousands of supporters are attending their rallies, including over 15 bus-loads of supporters from Yeddyurappas Shikaripura constituency who went to the last one. Shikaripura alone is supposed to have over 32000 Kuruba voters, and Yeddyurappas son B Y Raghavendra won by a slim margin of just over 6,000 votes the last time around.The party had deputed Ram Lal, its national general secretary, to patch things up between the warring leaders but that meeting barely managed to postpone the brigades plans, not really put an end to them.Such dissent is neither good for the party or the state. And Eshwarappa is not the kind of person who would do anything to seriously affect the party. He too comes from the Sangh parivar and knows how important discipline is. This brigade hasnt converted into any big force that we need to worry about it, its merely an irritant. We are hoping things will sort themselves out eventually, said a Bengaluru MLA.Another MLA, on condition of anonymity, says Eshwarappa is nobody without his caste backing. In fact, he probably rose to the position of deputy CM only because of this. With all his supporters being sidelined within the party, Eshwarappa faced an existential question and perhaps floated the brigade to only keep himself relevant, the MLA said.Sources said that Yeddyurappa is rattled, which has emboldened the brigade. But the fact that a parallel force has not been dealt with strictly at the national level shows many are covertly supporting Eshwarappa in his mission to rein in possible dictatorial ambitions of Yeddyurappa. What else explains the fact that it has not been nipped in the bud, that no Union minister has wanted to intervene or get the national leadership to intervene? Accusing LinkedIn of flouting local laws that require internet firms to store data on citizens within the nations borders, the Russian authorities have asked Apple and Google to remove the professional networking site app from their online stores.Recently, a Russian court blocked the Microsoft-owned LinkedIn service for breaching the country's data protection rules.According to The New York Times, Apple has confirmed that it was asked to remove its LinkedIn app in Russia about a month ago."However, Google has not confirmed if it had removed LinkedIn in Russia but said that it adhered to Russian local laws," the report added.Meanwhile, LinkedIn responded that the company was "disappointed" with the decision by Russian regulators to block the service.Read more: Newly Launched BHIM App is Not Free; Here is Why? "It denies access to our members in Russia and the companies that use LinkedIn to grow their businesses," Nicole Leverich, a spokeswoman for LinkedIn, was quoted as saying.LinkedIn has several million users in Russia.Earlier this week, Apple removed the New York Times from its app store following a request from Chinese authorities claiming the app was in violation of regulations.Read more: Samsung Galaxy A Series (2017) Launched; All You Want to Know China is known for banning digital sites like Facebook and Google that it believes harm its national security or promote misinformation. The Wall Street Journal's Chinese-language site has been blocked since 2014. Could this be the Jet White iPhone 7? pic.twitter.com/pHoDiZ63ON Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) December 27, 2016 Rumours are hinting at Apple Inc's new jet white iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Apple's own brand - Beats had posted a photo that appeared to a jet white version of this year's flagship iPhone.The image has a pair of black Beats Studio wireless headphones placed beside the 'white' iPhone 7.Some reports, however, suggest that the picture features the silver iPhone 7 that looks washed out and nothing else.Rumour mills were abuzz in November when Mac Otakara - a Japanese blog - had claimed that Apple is likely to release a glossy jet white variant of iPhone 7. Also, in December, Sonny Dickson released a short video of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus rear casings done up in glossy white.Most likely, Apple will bring out a white version for a next-generation model, given the fact that this year's jet black version proved to be an instant hit.Apple iPhone 7 was launched in September 2016. The phone comes with a 4.7-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 750 pixels by 1334 pixels at a PPI of 326 pixels per inch. Watch @issahilkhattar & @shibanidandekar unveil the much awaited Lenovo P2 #Powerhouse on 11th January,12:30pm. Stay tuned for details! pic.twitter.com/pHpW8RRYL4 Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) January 8, 2017 With 3 days to go, are you ready to hold the power? Lenovo P2- the #Powerhouse is coming to keep you going. Unveiling on 11th Jan, 12:30pm pic.twitter.com/JP35JbHwcd Lenovo India (@Lenovo_in) January 8, 2017 Lenovo is geared up to release the P2 smartphone with a massive 5,100mAh battery on January 11 and the device will be available exclusively on e-Commerce site Flipkart.Read more: Jet White Apple iPhone to Release Soon? The company has confirmed the report by teasing the Lenovo P2 on its official Twitter handle with the latest one reading: "Watch @issahilkhattar & @shibanidandekar unveil the much awaited Lenovo P2 #Powerhouse on 11th January,12:30 pm. Stay tuned for details!."Also, it seems like Lenovo is going for an open sale with P2 smartphone on Flipkart as the portal's homepage is not asking users to register for buying the device. The Lenovo P2 was unveiled at the IFA 2016 in Berlin and the USP of the smartphone is its massive 5,100mAh battery which, the company claims, offers up to 78 hours of The Lenovo P2 was unveiled at the IFA 2016 in Berlin and the USP of the smartphone is its massive 5,100mAh battery which, the company claims, offers up to 78 hours of talktime on a single charge.The battery-centric phone enters India after Lenovo K6 Note was launched in 2016 end.Lenovo P2 has taken cue from the popular Vibe series and features a plastic back with a metal finish and frames on the sides. The device has a big 5.5-inch full HD Super AMOLED display (19201080 pixels).The smartphone packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at 2 GHz, which is coupled with 3GB/4GB RAM, while the storage space remains the same in both phones at 32GB, which can be further expanded to another 128 GB via a micro SD card. From Sudan to the Maldives to the Philippines, divers in search of inspiration can load up on ideas for their next underwater adventures, such as exploring shipwrecks all around the world. Here's a look at some of the historical relics divers can discover. Scapa Flow - Scotland The Orkney Islands are an archipelago in the Northern Isles of Scotland, where 74 ships from the German Navy's fleet were detained at the end of the First World War as they waited to learn what fate Allied forces decided for their future. However, the fleet's Rear Admiral decided to scuttle the ships to prevent them falling into the hands of the British Navy in 1919. The body of water known as Scapa Flow is one of the world's largest shipwreck graveyards. USAT Liberty - Bali, Indonesia Bali is one of the world's best-known diving destinations with welcoming waters for underwater explorers and a wealth of diving schools offering PADI (Professional Association of Diving Instructors) certification courses. It's also a great place for less experienced divers to try shipwreck exploration, as the seabed off the north-east of the island is the final resting place of USAT Liberty. Located just 25 meters from the shore, this US Army cargo ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine during the Second World War. It was intentionally beached at Tulamben after sustaining damage, but lava flow from the Mount Agung volcano pushed the wreck back into the sea in 1963. SS Thistlegorm - Egypt The wreck of this British Merchant Navy ship, carrying military equipment to troops during the Second World War, is a must-dive in the Suez Canal. Situated 30 meters underwater, the 126-meter long cargo ship remains almost entirely intact. It sunk after being bombed by the German air force in 1941, with the explosion of munitions in its holds ultimately sealing its fate. Divers exploring the wreck will see cargo such as a locomotive, an anti-aircraft gun, trucks, motorcycles and more. At least two dives are required to fully explore the wreckage. Hawaii - Pearl Harbor shipwrecks The consequences of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, an important US naval base during the Second World War, have created a hotspot for divers looking to explore history first hand. The wrecks from this major event in world history aren't easily accessible. However, the site is home to other war relics, such as the YO-257, a US Navy Yard Oiler that was scuttled off Hawaii to create an artificial reef. Chuuk Lagoon - Micronesia In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Micronesia is home to a huge underwater graveyard of Japanese shipwrecks from the country's large WW2 naval base in the region. The US Army attacked the fleet in 1944. Today, divers can explore several Japanese shipwrecks around the islands of Dublon, Eten, Fefan and Uman. Highlights include the Fujikawa Maru, which is covered in coral, and the Shinkoku Maru, where a sick bay and operating table are visible. Divers can also spot a submarine which, rather than being bombed, sunk when the crew forgot to close the hatches. Umbria - Sudan At Port Sudan in the Red Sea, the Umbria is considered one of the most stunning shipwrecks for divers, made famous by filmmaker Hans Haas and French naval officer and explorer Jacques Cousteau. The 153-meter long Italian vessel remains intact and can even be explored inside. Divers will easily identify the propeller of the ship, which was scuttled by its crew after being detained by British officers in 1940. The Umbria was, in fact, secretly carrying a shipment of bombs. Seoul: North Korea declared on Sunday it can test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location set by leader Kim Jong Un, saying a hostile U.S. policy is to blame for its arms development. Kim said on Jan. 1 that his nuclear-capable country was close to test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) "The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by the supreme headquarters of the DPRK," an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman was quoted as saying by the official KCNA news agency, using the acronym for the country's name. The North is formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Sunday that North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities and ballistic missile defense programs constitute a "serious threat" to the United States and that it was prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile launch or test. "We only would shoot them down ... if it was threatening, that is if it were coming toward our territory or the territory of our friends and allies," Carter said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" program. The United States said on Jan. 5 that North Korea had demonstrated a "qualitative" improvement in its nuclear and missile capabilities after an unprecedented level of tests last year. North Korea has been testing rocket engines and heat-shields for an ICBM while developing the technology to guide a missile after re-entry into the atmosphere following a lift-off, experts have said. While Pyongyang is close to a test, it is likely to take some years to perfect the weapon, according to the experts. (Full Story) Once fully developed, a North Korean ICBM could threaten the continental United States, which is around 9,000 km (5,500 miles) from the North. ICBMs have a minimum range of about 5,500 km (3,400 miles), but some are designed to travel 10,000 km (6,200 miles) or further. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump responded to Kim's comments on an ICBM test by declaring in a tweet last week that "It won't happen!" (Full Story) (Full Story) A U.S. State Department spokesman said last week that the United States does not believe that North Korea is capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on a ballistic missile. North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile tests. The sanctions were tightened last month after Pyongyang conducted its fifth and largest nuclear test on Sept. 9. "The U.S. is wholly to blame for pushing the DPRK to have developed ICBM as it has desperately resorted to anachronistic policy hostile toward the DPRK for decades to encroach upon its sovereignty and vital rights," KCNA quoted the spokesman as saying. "Anyone who wants to deal with the DPRK would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking after having clear understanding of it," the spokesman said, according to KCNA. Islamabad: Pakistan government is planning to revive controversial military courts set up for the speedy trial of hardcore terrorists as they played an extremely important role to combat extremism, two days after they were wound up. The government said on MOnday that it was consulting political parties for bringing back military courts. The decision to revive military courts was taken at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The military courts were set up in January 2015 after a Taliban attack on an army school killed 150 people, mostly children. Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, DG ISI Lt Gen Naveed Mukhtar, Advisor to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, National Security Advisor Nasser Khan Janjua and other senior officials attended the meeting. Radio Pakistan reported that the meeting emphasised that the military courts played an extremely important role at a very crucial juncture of one action against extremism and terrorism and translated the actions under operation Zarb-e-Azb to meaningful and tangible national gains. "The Federal Government has already initiated consultations for constitutional amendment to continue the military courts for a period which is agreed by all political parties represented in the Parliament," it further reported. The participants agreed that Pakistan would continue its efforts for attaining internal peace and play its due role for a peaceful region. The meeting also reiterated Pakistan?s clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as supplement its foreign policy initiatives. The meeting reviewed internal and regional security situation in detail with a view to further strengthen gains made through counter-terrorism operations. It resolved for continued efforts at all levels to achieve national policy objectives. The courts were given 275 cases during two-year and they sentenced 161 terrorists to death, whereas another 116 were given varying jail terms, mostly life sentences. Islamabad: Pakistan fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile on Monday, the countrys military said. The launch of the nuclear-capable Babur-3 missile, which has a range of 450 km and was fired from an undisclosed location in the Indian Ocean, is likely to heighten long-running tension between India and Pakistan. "Pakistan eyes this hallmark development as a step towards reinforcing the policy of credible minimum deterrence," the military's media wing said in a statement. A spokesman at the Indian defence ministry was not immediately available to comment on the Pakistani missile test. India successfully test-fired a nuclear-capable, submarine-launched missile in 2008 and tested a submarine-launched cruise missile in 2013. The Pakistani military said the Babur-3 missile was "capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a Credible Second Strike Capability, augmenting deterrence". An army spokesman later confirmed the language meant the missile was equipped to carry nuclear warheads. The Babur-3 is a sea-based variant of the ground-launched Babur-2 missile, which was tested in December. The military said the missile had features such as "underwater controlled propulsion and advanced guidance and navigation". Last year, Pakistan said it was "seriously concerned" by India's test of anti-ballistic missiles which media reports said could intercept incoming nuclear weapons. According to media reports, on May 15 India tested a locally designed Anti-Ballistic Missile system which could in theory intercept a nuclear-carrying ballistic missile. Washington: US Senator Ted Cruz met on Sunday with Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen, despite objections from Chinese diplomats. The Republican from Texas, who lost in the US primary elections to President-elect Donald Trump, said in a statement that the two discussed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations during the meeting in Houston. "Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike," Cruz said in a statement. Cruz went through with the meeting despite Chinese opposition: "Shortly before our meeting, the Houston congressional delegation received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with President Tsai, and to uphold the 'One China policy," the senator said. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," the Republican continued. "The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." The Taiwanese president was transiting in Houston this weekend en route to Central America, and is slated to return to Taipei after a stopover in San Francisco next weekend. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A phone call between Trump and Tsai in December, after the Republican businessman won the presidency, upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favor of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. Despite the snow and icy roads, more than 30 Lynchburg residents braved the elements to attend a call to action meeting at Diamond Hill Baptist Church Sunday evening. The summit acted as the kickoff to create an action plan aimed at ridding the community of poverty, removing the achievement gap in education and enhancing public safety by 2020, as well as an announcement for several events throughout the week in observation of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. said the Rev. James Coleman Jr., of Providence Transformation Church International. Among those in attendance were Vice Mayor Treney Tweedy and City Councilman Sterling Wilder as well as Ryant Washington, the Democratic candidate for Virginias 22nd Senate District and Virginia gubernatorial candidate . People arent looking about whether youre on the right or the left but whether youre helping them move up or down, said Perriello, who represented the 5th District in Congress from 2009 to 2010. We want to make sure whether youre in poverty or in the middle class, there are those opportunities to move another rung up. Virgil Wood, ormer Diamond Hill Baptist Church pastor and a friend of King, as well as Coleman, Owen Cardwell Jr. and the Rev. Carol B. Hutcherson Jr. gave impassioned speeches and called for action among community leaders. While calls to action have become frequent around Martin Luther King Day, Hutcherson said this one was different than in past years. Some of us are getting old and we need to see some things happen now rather than to wait, he said. Ten, 15 years ago, we may not have thought about it as much, but we are thinking about it now. I applaud all of those who are really interested in doing things in this community that are going to bring people together across the board, across the political spectrum, across the racial spectrum. Summit organizers today, Tuesday and Wednesday will host events at We do not want another year of that same old, same old, he said. In order to do that, King learned how to organize. And were organizing. And were not letting the weather stop us, were not letting anything stop us. Were going to bring this community together. National Security Adviser Kim Kwan-jin left for Washington on Sunday to meet with members of U.S. president-elect Donald Trump's team. Asked which officials he intends to meet, Kim said, "It has not been decided yet." That just about sums up the current situation in the Korean government. Meanwhile U.S. Ambassador Mark Lippert abruptly canceled his farewell press conference last week, suggesting that Trump's team are waiting until the political uncertainties ease in Seoul with the next presidential election. That means this limbo could drag on for months. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Sunday recalled his ambassador to Seoul and the consul general in Busan over a statue in honor of sex slavery victims that has been set up in front of the consulate. The feeling in Tokyo is that it violates a deal President Park Geun-hye struck with Abe whereby such statues would be removed from the immediate vicinity of Japanese diplomatic missions in return for indirect compensation and a noncommittal apology. The ambassador said his departure is "temporary," but it seems unlikely that there is any political will in the current rump administration here to do anything about it. Meanwhile China continues to pressure Seoul in several subtle and not-so-subtle ways over the planned stationing of a U.S. anti-missile battery here, but again a headless government is unable to deal effectively with the fallout. Seoul is also directionless when it comes to dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat. It typically takes six months after the launch of a new U.S. administration for new foreign policy objectives to be set in place, but the big picture becomes apparent much sooner. When Abe and Trump meet later this month, they can set all kinds of things in motion over which Seoul will have no influence at all. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will probably resort to more provocation to sound out Trump's reaction. Thae Yong-ho, the former No. 2 at the North Korean Embassy in London, warned that Pyongyang will continue provocations to prove that it is capable of hitting the continental U.S. with its missiles. The worst thing is that things are unlikely to improve even after the presidential election. Not a single presidential hopeful has stepped up to comment on the diplomatic situation. Not one of them has even offered to set up an inter-party consultative body to deal with this situation. The candidates are too busy making hay from the domestic political turmoil to spare a thought for the urgent diplomatic and security concerns of their country. A pair of white plastic flowers pays solemn tribute to a man whose identity remains unconfirmed nine years after his death on New Years Day. In place of a name for the deceased, a grave marker at Old City Cemetery simply reads Hispanic Male and lists the mans year of death of 2008. Police responded to the 800 block of Pierce Street in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2008, to find the body of a young man lying face down in the street. The cause of death was determined to be a single stab wound to the heart, according to a 2008 news release from the Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorneys office. The man had attended a New Years Eve party at a nearby home earlier that night, during which he had gotten into a fight. El Mariachis killer, Adolfo Valentin-Morales, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2008 and agreed to a 10-year prison sentence. Valentin-Morales was released from the custody of the Virginia Department of Corrections last year after serving a little less than eight years in Lunenburg Correctional Center for the slaying. In an email, Virginia Department of Corrections spokesman Greg Carter said offenders in the DOC systems may earn what is called good time, allowing sentences to be reduced for reasons that include behavior and participation in programs. Carter said he did not know the specifics of Valentin-Morales incarceration, but his good time release date was Sept. 21, 2016. Valentin-Morales was an undocumented immigrant at the time of his arrest. Carter declined to answer questions regarding Valentin-Morales nationality or immigration status, citing the requested information as part of Valentin-Morales confidential record of incarceration. A grand jury indictment named the deceased as Aberzai Lopez-Arellano, but aliases included Pedro Cruz Lopez, El Mariachi and Cowboy. Efforts to contact the mans family proved unsuccessful, such as an attempt by the Lynchburg Police Department to contact a possible relative in Washington state, who provided a different name and age for the presumed relative and was unable to provide a photograph. According to Lynchburg Commonwealths Attorney Michael Doucette, the mans fingerprints were not on file with the Federal Bureau of Investigation or the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. One witness involved with the investigation said El Mariachi may have been from the Mexican state of Puebla. For seven years, the unidentified body went unclaimed and was in the custody of the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke. In March 2015, the medical examiners office sent a letter to the Lynchburg Sheriffs Office requesting it make arrangements to dispose of the body. The remains of the person described in court documents as Unidentified Hispanic Male found its final resting place in the potters field section of Old City Cemetery in the spring of 2015. For Lynchburg artist, Karen Lisle, the deceased man was known as Cowboy. She did not know the man well and never knew his real name, but Cowboy lived near her in a house with about four other people. Cowboy played an acoustic guitar. Lisle recalled him saying that his favorite song was Feliz Navidad, which he played for Lisles household around 2007. He had a very nice voice, she said. On Tuesday, voters in the 22nd District of the Virginia Senate will head to the polls in a special election to select a replacement for former Sen. Tom Garrett. Garretts election last November to the House of Representatives from the Fifth Congressional District created the open seat for which three candidates are vying: Republican Mark Peake, Democrat Ryant Washington and independent Joseph Hines. The winner will take office Jan. 11 when the 2017 session of the General Assembly convenes in Richmond. The district stretches from Lynchburg to Goochland County in the outer suburbs of Richmond. Locally, it includes all of Amherst and Appomattox counties and about half of the City of Lynchburg. (The Lynchburg precincts that will be voting are as follows: Ward I Bedford Hills, First Presbyterian, Rivermont Presbyterian and First Christian; Ward II St. Pauls Episcopal, R.S. Payne, Jubilee Center and Fairview Christian; and Wards III and IV precincts that vote at the Public Library, Sandusky Middle and Memorial Christian.) Special elections, unfortunately, usually have lower turnouts than regularly scheduled ones. In this particular election, each vote will be even more important as control of the Virginia Senate is on the line. The Senate is currently divided 21 to 19, giving Republicans the advantage in makeup of committees and controlling the flow of legislation on the floor. If the Democrats pick up the Garrett seat, the body will be evenly split 20 to 20; Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam, a Democrat, would then cast the deciding vote that would give Democrats control of the chamber. Peake, the Republican, is a longtime resident of Lynchburg. An attorney, he has been active in local Republican Party politics for years, including a stint as chairman of the Lynchburg Republican Committee. Former Gov. Bob McDonnell named Peake to the Commonwealth Transportation Board, where he was a strong advocate for regional transportation needs. A small government conservative, he challenged Garrett for the party nomination in 2011, only to come up short in a multi-candidate primary. Democrat Washington is a former Virginia State Trooper. Serving in law enforcement since 1990, hes also been a sheriffs deputy in his native Fluvanna County, where he also served as sheriff for a number of years. Hes a past president of the Virginia Sheriffs Association and a former board member of the National Sheriffs Association. Hines, the independent in the race, is a native of Prince Edward County. Hes a small businessman with a civil engineering degree from N.C. State and an MBA from Duke University. Hes long been involved in local and regional economic development efforts in the Farmville and Prince Edward County part of the state. We urge residents of the 22nd District to take a few minutes Tuesday to head to the polls in this special election. There is much at stake, both in who our new senator will be and in which party will control the Virginia Senate. Vote: Its our duty and responsibility. State 'bathroom' bill a bad idea Virginia is for Lovers but not if theyre gay seems to be the way Del. Bob Marshall, R-Prince William, would like to describe our state. Marshall has prefiled the Physical Privacy Act, a bill requiring people to use the restroom, locker room or changing room that corresponds to the gender assigned at birth as opposed to the gender with which they identify. The law would apply to restrooms located in public schools, universities and government buildings. There are many reasons why this is a waste of time, but here are just a few. His bill seems to be a solution in search of a problem. Out of one side of his mouth, Del. Marshall says women need protection from men who claim to be women so they can walk into a ladies bathroom and attack them. Out of the other side of his mouth, he admits that this situation has never been reported in Virginia. His bill is probably unenforceable. Its difficult to imagine that Linkhorne Middle School or City Stadium, for example, will require people to show their birth certificates in order to gain admittance to a bathroom and hire bathroom monitors to check them. His bill is narrow-minded. Whats the big deal anyway? In many countries, mens public restrooms are maintained by women. On more than one occasion when Ive been travelling in Europe or Latin America, a female attendant has walked in while I was doing my business. In many countries public restrooms are not even labeled men or women. There are too many other reasons to list here why this is a waste of time. One can only conclude that the main reason to author such a bill is to foster an environment that is mean-spirited, intolerant and homophobic. Its an attempt to capitalize on the hostile mood created by the recent presidential election in order to further Del. Marshalls and the Republican Partys extreme agenda to limit personal liberties. Lets hope that this misguided legislation never makes it out of committee. TOM BROWN Lynchburg Nelson County distiller Denver Riggleman called for blunt force trauma to break up Richmonds business as usual in officially announcing his candidacy for governor Monday after publicly mulling the prospect for weeks. Riggleman seeks the Republican nomination against longtime national GOP strategist Ed Gillespie; state Sen. Frank Wagner, R-Virginia Beach; and Prince William County Supervisor Chairman Corey Stewart. On the Democratic side, Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam and former 5th Congressional District representative Tom Perriello are running. Riggleman, a former Air Force intelligence officer, defense contractor and owner of Silverback Distillery in Nelson County, said previously he was considering between running for governor and working for the federal government in cyber warfare defense. We have to get in the race, Riggleman said in a phone interview Monday evening. Riggleman said the balance tipped after a meeting with a lobbyist in Richmond last week regarding small business taxes related to liquor. He said I was simply collateral damage when it comes to taxation and business policies in Virginia, Riggleman said. He declined to provide the lobbyists name. A struggle during the 2016 General Assembly to peel back liquor regulation sparked his interest in state politics, he said in a previous interview. In a press release, Riggleman said I believe someone needs to use blunt force trauma to break up the good ole boy system in Richmond that, as Ronald Reagan said, takes from the needy to give to the greedy. Riggleman said he will still consult on cyber warfare defense up to the primary, but not if he wins the governorship. The official campaign kickoff is scheduled for Saturday at 11 a.m. at Silverback Distillery. Lynchburg Enterprise Zone workshop offered The office of Economic Development will be holding its annual enterprise zone workshop next month to share information for business owners on the benefits of the Enterprise Zone program. The Virginia Enterprise Zone program is a partnership between state and local governments to encourage private development and business in targeted areas of the city. The workshop will cover an overview of the program, how to qualify and the benefits of the program. Applications for the Grant Year 2016 are due April 1. The workshop will be held on at 5:30 pm Tuesday, Feb. 7 at the GTLC Transfer Center Conference Room at 800 Kemper Street. For more information: http://info.opportunitylynchburg.com/2017-enterprise-zone-workshop Margaret Carmel Group awarding scholarships to women interested in STEM Virginia high school students interested in careers in science, technology, engineering and math are being encouraged to write essays for a chance at winning a scholarship. The Virginia Council on Women will award at least five $5,000 scholarships to female high school students in their junior and senior years who want to go into STEM-related fields. The council launched the essay contest in 2012 and has awarded nearly $150,000 in scholarships. Gov. Terry McAuliffes office says the group will award a scholarship to at least one person in each of the five geographic regions across the state. Students must have at least a 2.5 GPA to be eligible. Applications are due Feb. 20, and winners will be notified in March. For more information: http://commonwealth.virginia.gov/council-on-women/stem-essay-contest-2017/ Associated Press Vision, Falcon, Black Widow, and 7 more Marvel characters you might not know date back to the '30s and '40s Marvel's Golden Age of the '30s and '40s had a much bigger influence on the modern Marvel Universe than you may realize Strike Is On Roget and other OWTU members and Petrotrin representatives met at the court after a meeting with Petrotrins management at the Labour Ministry earlier in the day. The court hearing was presided over by Industrial Court judge Albert Aberdeen. Roget said the union would call off the strike only if they got a favourable response from Finance Minister Colm Imbert. The judge has strongly advised parties, particularly the company (Petrotrin), that it makes good sense to settle the first period, have the strike called off and then we can enter into conciliation and discussions on the current matter before the court, that is for 2011- 2014. He said the company should get that out of the way completely and, on the basis of that, the union should call the strike off and then we can continue discussions with respect to the period 2014-2017. We felt we could accept such an advice and bring full settlement to this issue, but we are also observing the posturing of the Minister of Finance who is refusing an offer that says the Government does not have to put out one cent in respect of a back pay that would incur as a result of a wage settlement and also refusing the attempt by the union to bring about greater levels of efficiency and productivity which would pay over time that increase. Until we get some resolution on these issues the strike is on, he said. Roget said the strike that they were forced to enter in to would cost the Government and the company much more than what the settlement would be. When tomorrow comes and we did not have a settlement and we enter into strike arrangement, it is the Government that would be to blame because we have crunched our proposal, a most reasonable one, for which we are not getting a response. It seems that they are going down pell mell, without brakes and steering, that the last government went down, he said.. Chaguanas deputy mayor among passengers In a post on Facebook in Shazanas name read: Shazana Mohammed was feeling frustrated with Faaiq Mohammed in Mission Bay, Florida. Totally disgusted by Caribbean Airlines and the way they handled this Ft Lauderdale incident. They are not accommodating and willing to assist passengers to get home quickly. Total lack of information and communication. Furthermore no one at the airport has any information on where lost luggage can be found. Officials responsible for the collection of luggage are totally clueless as to where they are and when they can be picked up. This is so frustrating, read one of the posts. Since the tragedy the couple has been keeping family and friends updated via Facebook. On Friday, the deputy mayor wrote: All Praise due to Almighty God... My Family and I were evacuated safely at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport... todays event was the scariest we had to face... Shazana wrote: Scariest day of my life. Never thought Id have to drop to floor while gunshots echoed, cover my head then literally run for my life among hundreds of people. My life flashed before me. #grateful #thankyou- God Flights have since resumed out of the airport but it was reported that the terminal where the tragedy took place remain closed. Contacted yesterday by Newsday about comments posted by Shazana and shared by the Deputy Mayor, CALs Head Corporate Communications Dionne Ligoure said she was unable to comment. Ligoure said: I am not in a position to do so as I dont have the information but it is something I would have to look into.. The shooter, a former National Guard soldier from Alaska has since been charged with the crime and could face the death penalty if convicted. According to reports coming out of Fort Lauderdale, the attack on Friday sent panicked persons scampering out of the terminal and spilling onto the tarmac, baggage in hand. Others, reports stated hid in bathroom stalls or crouched behind cars or anything else they could find as police and paramedics rushed in to help the wounded and establish whether there were any other gunmen on the compound. Newsday spoke to Chaguanas Mayor Gopaul Boodhan who said he has been in contact with his colleague since the incident. Boodhan said: He told me of his experience. You know these are things you see in the movies you never know how you will react when you are actually there. He said he knew the Mohammeds were having challenges returning home because of the disruption in flights. TTs Defence Force prepares for gas strike Lieutenant Commander Kirk Jean-Baptiste, Public Affairs Officer of the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, said the Army was prepared to protect the assets of the company and to take over the business of Petrotrin. This is part of our mandate to protect the assets of the government both on land and maritime, he said, adding that the army is prepared and equipped to handle any crisis at the Petrotrin base. The Defence Force will be joining with the Petrotrin Estate Police and the TT Police service to maintain law and order in case of any unrest during the strike. Already 14 strike camps have been set up at six Petrotrins compounds. The OWTU has served the State-owned Company with notice of strike action, in light of an offer of 0-0-0 made on collective bargaining periods 2011-2014/15 and 2014-2017/18. Both parties entered a meeting around 10am yesterday, in a last ditch attempt to come to an agreement and avoid strike action on Monday. The Union has said should an offer of 10 percent be made on the bargaining periods, it will call off the industrial action. As of yesterday, there was no panic buying by motorists across Trinidad. Checks at several service station showed the usual traffic and no long lines. Trump: 'I'll Very, Very, Very Probably Do It Again' (Newser) A December traffic stop in Texas led to deputies discovering what they thought was nearly half a pound of methamphetamine. Houston 24-year-old Ross LeBeau was arrested and spent three days in jail ... at which time he was promptly released, and the case against him dismissed, because a forensic lab showed that the substance in question was not meth, but cat litter, KTRK reports. Just after the arrest, the Harris County Sheriff's Office had even put out a press release touting the fact that deputies may have kept kids from "from being introduced to drugs." The kitty litter was inside a sock; the odd combination of items was inside LeBeau's car because it supposedly helps keep windows from fogging up, he tells the station. Two field tests came back positive for meth before the lab test revealed the truth, and LeBeau and his attorney say something needs to change: "Ultimately it might be bad budget-cutting testing equipment they need to re-evaluate," the lawyer says. As for LeBeau, who says he lost work due to the accusations, he says he'd like an apology. In a statement, the sheriff's office says deputies found marijuana in the vehicle before spotting the sock, though it's unclear why LeBeau faced no charges over the pot, notes a post at LawNewz. (Flawed results from drug tests at traffic stops are actually a big problem nationwide.) (Newser) In what the New York Times calls a rebuke to Donald Trump, North Korea declared Sunday that it will launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from "anywhere determined by supreme headquarters." The statement from a Foreign Ministry spokesman to Pyongyang's official KCNA news agency follows Trump's assertion last week that the ICBM test "won't happen." There has been no response to Pyongyang's statement from Trump, though Defense Secretary Ash Carter told Meet the Press that the US considers North Korean missile development "a serious threat," and the US military is ready to shoot down anything launched by North Korea if it is "coming towards our territory or the territory of our friends and allies," the AP reports. Experts believe that Pyongyang's claim to be close to testing a missile capable of reaching the US is "feasible," though the country is probably years away from perfecting the weapon, Reuters reports. The US, which said last week that pressure and sanctions against the North will continue, "is wholly to blame for pushing the DPRK to have developed ICBM" because of its "anachronistic policy hostile toward the DPRK for decades," KCNA quoted the Foreign Ministry spokesman as saying. In what the AP describes as a suggestion Pyongyang is hoping for a change in policy under Trump, the spokesman also said: "Anyone who wants to deal with the DPRK would be well advised to secure a new way of thinking after having a clear understanding of it." (Read more North Korea stories.) (Newser) Kids in Georgia hoping the year's first winter snow would land them a Friday off took to Twitter on Thursday to plead their case, and they found themselves an able sparring partner in the form of the unnamed handler of @CherokeeSchools. That's the Twitter account for the Cherokee County School District, which claims more than 41,000 metro Atlanta students. The parry began Thursday evening as northern and central counties braced for up to 4 inches of snow, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Director of Public Information Barbara Jacoby explained the district's thinking to 11Alive, saying the "kids are all about roasting," even if Facebook-using adults don't get that. "We keep our Facebook page salt-free because we know it's not the same audience." Highlights: @Kasey_Cole14: @CherokeeSchools will you take my first born child in exchange for the cancellation of school. @CherokeeSchools: @Kasey_Cole14 Wow. I'm flattered, but not really looking for that kind of relationship right now. @scriv62: @CherokeeSchools I'll give you a dollar if you cancel school @CherokeeSchools: @scriv62 $1?? Who do you think I am, McDonalds? @juanitajaimess: @CherokeeSchools why are you ruining my life NUUUUUUUUUU @CherokeeSchools: I have the club for you: drama. It's so you. @_maddietrousse_: any chance u wanna cancel school tom @CherokeeSchools @CherokeeSchools: @_maddietrousse_ Current chance: 0.0000000%. Alas, school was on as usual on Friday, but the campaign persisted, picking up steam on Saturday as the snow fell, and after the governor declared a state emergency. Finally, early Sunday the kids got what they wanted: no school Monday . And the quips kept coming. After one student tweeted, "God Bless you. I will let you name my first born child after hearing this news," came this reply , "Cherokee Schools has a nice ring to it." (Also making waves on Twitter: President-elect Trump goes after Meryl Streep .) (Newser) The FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein alone for months after the former Iraqi leader's capture is now leading the investigation into the Florida airport shooting rampage blamed on an Iraq war veteran. George Piro, special agent in charge of the FBI's Miami field office, was Saddam's sole interrogator beginning in January 2004. In previous interviews, Piro has said Saddam did not know his true identity and that he posed as a high-level envoy who answered directly to George W. Bush. Piro said he met daily with Saddam in a windowless room and worked to gain his trust by becoming his only provider of necessities and such things as paper for Saddam to write poetry, the AP reports. Piro said Saddam eventually confirmed that Iraq did not have weapons of mass destruction prior to the US invasion, but that he might seek them in the future to deter Iran and other threats. Now Piro's in charge of the FBI investigation into the shooting at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport that left five people dead and six wounded. Federal prosecutors have charged Esteban Santiago, 26, with airport violence and firearms offenses that could bring the death penalty if he's convicted. NBC News reports the gun Santiago is believed to have used in Friday's shooting was taken away from him on Nov. 7 after he went to an Alaska FBI office to report a US intelligence agency was controlling his mind. Anchorage police removed the weapon from his car, and he was permitted to pick it up from them a month later. (Read more Esteban Santiago stories.) (Newser) Hundreds of homes were evacuated in northern Nevada and stranded motorists were pulled from cars stuck on flooded Northern California roads Sunday as thunderstorms arrived as part of a massive winter storm that could be the biggest to slam the region in more than a decade. Crews in California cleared trees and debris Sunday following mudslides caused by steady rain accompanying the system, the AP reports. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that in Calaveras County, the storm toppled the famous Pioneer Cabin tree, a giant sequoia with a "drive through" tunnel in its middle. In Nevada, emergency officials voluntarily evacuated a total of 400 homes affecting about 1,300 residents in a south Reno neighborhood Sunday afternoon as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow. In Northern California, toppled trees on Sunday crashed against cars and homes or blocked roads in the San Francisco Bay area, and officials rescued stranded motorists from cars stuck on flooded roads. All roads leading to Yosemite National Park's valley floor remained closed amid fears that the Merced River could overflow its banks and cause major flooding. "It's kind of surreal how empty the park is. There's nobody here," said a freelance photographer. Two major highways across the Sierra Nevada were partially closed because of mudslides, and officials warn that a second storm is expected to hit the already drenched area Monday night. (Read more extreme weather stories.) (Newser) Looks like police in France have finally caught up with the Kardashian robbers. Officials say 16 people have been arrested in connection with the Oct. 3 robbery at a Paris residence of Kim Kardashian West, who was tied up and locked in a bathroom by armed attackers who made off with an estimated $10 million in jewelry, the BBC reports. The New York Daily News reports that the suspects have not yet been charged, but they can be held for at least 96 hours under French law. Kardashian West, who recently spoke out about the terrifying experience for the first time, may be asked to identify the suspects in a lineup presented via video feed. (Read more Kim Kardashian stories.) (Newser) "The only reason I wouldn't go to some parts of New York is the real risk of meeting Donald Trump," Boris Johnson once saidbut that was 13 months ago, before he became Britain's top diplomat and Trump became president-elect. Johnson was in New York over the weekend for what officials say were "positive but frank" talks with top members of Trump's transition team, the BBC reports. Trump has met with United Kingdom Independence Party leader Nigel Farage at least three times since the election but this was the transition team's first face-to-face meeting with a British government minister. Johnson is due to meet congressional leaders including Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell on Monday. The Guardian notes that while Johnson strongly criticized Trump before the election, once accusing him of "betraying a quite stupefying ignorance," he changed his tune after the election, calling for an end to the "whinge-o-rama" over the president-elect. While Johnson was in New York, Prime Minister Theresa May spoke to Sky News, saying Trump's remarks about women were "unacceptable," but noting that he had apologized for them. "But the relationship that the UK has with the United States is about something much bigger than just the relationship between the two individuals as president and prime minister," she said. Hours earlier, Trump tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting May later this year, adding: "Britain, a longtime US ally, is very special!" (Read more Boris Johnson stories.) (Newser) Donald Trump may not be appearing on this season of The Apprentice, but that doesn't mean he's done with his trademark "You're fired." The president-elect did just that to Charlie Brotman, who, since Dwight Eisenhower's second inauguration in 1957, has served as the official announcer for the inaugural paradeand who was dumped via email on Thursday, CNN reports. The 89-year-old tells WJLA he was "heartbroken" and "destroyed" when he first got the message informing him he won't be taking the mic on Jan. 20. "No one's ever even said thank you in the whole 60 years," Brotman tells BuzzFeed. "I was expecting a pat on the back. Instead, I got a kick in the butt!" Taking his place will be Steve Ray, a freelance announcer and audio engineer in his late 50s who volunteered for Trump's campaign, the Daily Beast notes, and who's been known to share pro-Trump sentiments on social media. "We are thrilled for Steve Ray to be introducing a new generation of Americans to the grand traditions of the inaugural parade," an inaugural committee rep says, adding Brotman will be honored as "Announcer Chairman Emeritus." Brotman tells the Daily Beast he made some calls to find out why he was cut but never got a straight answer. "It's ageism," he says. "Maybe they're afraid I might drop dead at the mic." Still, he wishes Ray well. "I want [Ray] to do good," he says, per WJLA, adding to BuzzFeed that "if I were Trump I would do exactly what he's doing. If someone helped me, I'd want to help them." Ray notes to the Washington Post: "All of us think of Charlie as as much of the Washington landscape as any building. I'm not taking his place, I just happen to be the guy who's next." As Brotman weighs offers now coming in from media outlets, he says he still isn't sure if he'll attend the inauguration. (Read more inauguration stories.) (Newser) The Volkswagen executive who once was in charge of complying with US emissions regulations has been arrested by the FBI in connection with the company's emissions-cheating scandal, a person briefed on the matter said Monday. Oliver Schmidt, who was general manager of the engineering and environmental office for VW of America, was arrested over the weekend in the federal criminal investigation, reports the AP. Schmidt is the second VW employee to be arrested as the probe led by the US attorney's office in Detroit continues. The New York Times reported that he's expected to be arraigned Monday on a conspiracy charge in a federal courtroom in Detroit. Schmidt's bio for a 2012 auto industry conference said he was responsible for ensuring that vehicles built for sale within the United States and Canada comply with "past, present, and future air quality and fuel economy government standards in both countries." It says he served as the company's direct factory and government agency contact for emissions regulations. Volkswagen has admitted that it programmed diesel-powered vehicles to turn pollution controls on during tests and turn them off in real-world driving. The scandal has cost VW sales and has tarnished its brand worldwide. In Britain, meanwhile, thousands of VW buyers just filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, reports the Guardian. (Read more Volkswagen stories.) (Newser) Ted Cruz has joined his rival-turned-ally Donald Trump in tweaking China. The Texas senator met with Taiwan's president Sunday when she stopped in Houston on her way to Central America, reports the AP. Cruz made a point to show that he was defying the wishes of China in doing so, saying that he and other Texas lawmakers received a "curious letter" from the Chinese consulate asking that they avoid meeting Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in deference to the "One China" policy, reports the Guardian. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," Cruz said in a statement. The meeting probably wouldn't have generated much attention if not for the recent tensions between Trump and Beijing, with Reuters noting it's not unusual for US lawmakers to meet Taiwanese leaders when they're in the US. The discussions centered on "arms sales, diplomatic exchanges, and economic relations," said Cruz. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott also met with Tsai. China made clear again Monday that it's not pleased, with a foreign ministry spokesman saying that "we are firmly opposed to the Taiwan leader's engagement with US officials under the pretext of transit." And the state-run Global Times newspaper warned of "revenge" if Trump, who broke with protocol in accepting a phone call from Tsai after his election win, ditches the One China policy as president. (Read more Ted Cruz stories.) (Newser) Thunderstorms wreaked havoc throughout northern Nevada and California over the weekend, causing heavy rain, mudslides, and the demise of one of the region's most famous giant sequoias. The Pioneer Cabin tree, described by the Los Angeles Times as "one of Calaveras County's oldest residents," fell to the ground Sunday in Calaveras Big Trees State Park, bringing to an end one of the park's most famous attractions. A tunnel had been dug through its base sometime in the late 1870s or early 1880s; cars had even been allowed to drive through it at one point, though as of late only hikers could venture underneath the woodland giant. KSBW notes that although the exact reasons for the tree's demise aren't known, the trail surrounding the tree had been flooded, and the tree's root system didn't dive very deeponly about 2 to 4 feet into the ground. "This iconic tree enchanted many visitors," the Calaveras Big Trees Association said on its Facebook page, showing pictures of the fallen tree taken by park volunteer Jim Allday. "The storm was just too much for it." Allday's wife, Joan, tells KSBW the tree was "barely alive" before it fell and had been tilting to one side for a few years. (Read more extreme weather stories.) (Newser) In a maximum-security prison in Beeville, Texas, 37-year-old Edwin Debrow often dreams about running in the grasslike he was able to do before 1991, the year he turned 12 and shot and killed a cabbie named Curtis Edwards. Skip Hollandsworth dives into Debrow's story for Texas Monthly, noting the 40-year sentence that won't release Debrow until 2031, when he'll be 52 (he's been denied parole ever since he became eligible in 1999), and placing him at the center of a debate about children who commit violent crimes. "Is the public better served by putting them in adult prisons and keeping them off the streets for years and years?" Hollandsworth asks. "Or does the experience of incarceration only make them more disturbed and even more dangerous?" Texas has particularly heavy penalties for kid criminals: About 2,000 inmates currently in the state's prisons committed crimes before they were 17, with Debrow boasting the third-longest incarceration time of the bunch. Debrow was raised by a single mom with six siblings, surrounded by poverty, drugs, and violence, and though his teachers saw potential, Debrow joined a gang when he was 10. The night that changed his life came in September 1991, when an adult friend of his mother's asked Debrow to help him pull off a robbery. The two hailed a cab, and that's when Debrow shot Edwards. Hollandsworth follows Debrow through his stays in juvenile facilities (where he was once deemed "a born criminal who 'can't be fixed'") to his stint in the adult prison system. His reputation for violence continued until the day he decided "I was ready to make a change." He dove into books, got his GED, stayed away from prison gangsand started planning for his appeal, which he lost. He still looks forward to the day of his release. "Why can't people understand I'm not that 12-year-old boy anymore? Why can't I be given a second chance?" he asks. Click for Debrow's story in Texas Monthly, including how Edwards' mom feels about Debrow. (The story of a mentally ill prisoner in Massachusetts.) (Newser) You fly more than 100 miles for love. You get rejected. You fly another 100 miles. Another rejection. And another. That's the high-flying but futile sex life of the male pectoral sandpiper looking for love in northernmost Alaska, per a new study. Some males are more persistent than others, reports the AP, with one desperate guy logging more than 8,100 miles in two dozen different hook-up attempts over a frenetic four weeks. "They're definitely trying hard to flirt and court," says biologist Bart Kempenaers of the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology. "They are not particularly successful. Failed Don Juans mostly." Sandpipers migrate from South America to breeding grounds in the Arctic tundra in the summer. The males tend to be sex crazy during this time because females are only fertile for a few weeks. They flit all over the place, trying hard to seal the deal with loud throaty hoots. The problem for them is that females only mate once or twice a season. "Copulations are incredibly rare," Kempenaers says. "The males need to try and try and keep at it." Researchers tracked the activity of 100 male birds during a breeding season. It is "the most extreme example" of promiscuity in animals seen yet, says Kempenaers, who led the study published Monday in Nature. The males mostly forgo sleep as they embark on non-stop flights in search of a mate, getting by on snatches of shut-eye lasting several seconds at a time. The average bird flies about 110 miles between mating attempts. In a breeding season, the males log on average about 1,900 miles, a bit farther than Los Angeles to Chicago. Sandpipers can fly 40 hours non-stop around 37mph, but these long trips often end in rejection. Those that successfully mate don't have a role in raising the offspring, Kempenaers says. An Alaskan biologist says Arctic shorebirds are generally shrinking in population, adding that this study "will make me think differently about every pectoral sandpiper I see during the summer." (Read more ornithology stories.) (Newser) A massive manhunt was underway Monday in central Florida as authorities searched for a man accused of shooting and killing an Orlando police officer. At about 1pm, police had surrounded an apartment complex and were calling the suspect by name and demanding that he come out, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Earlier, the police department announced the death of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton on its official Twitter account. A short time later, authorities said at a press conference that a second law enforcement officer was killed in a vehicle accident while searching for the suspect in Clayton's killing. Her shooting occurred near a Walmart store in northwest Orlando earlier Monday. The suspect has been identified as Markeith Loyd, 41. Authorities said Loyd was previously a suspect in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend last December. "He should be considered armed and dangerous," Police Chief John Mina said at a press conference. "He will be brought to justice." Mina lauded Clayton, a 17-year veteran of the force as a "committed" officer and "a hero" who gave her life to the community she loves. The tweet said Clayton always had a smile and a high-five for every child she came across. Clayton was married and had two children. She died Monday at 7:40am, less than an hour after she was shot while on duty. (Read more manhunt stories.) Sorry! This content is not available in your region Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. New Delhi: The country's largest business process outsourcing firm Genpact and American networking giant Cisco have launched a global center of excellence in Jaipur as part of Cisco's Lighthouse City project, which is a global initiative to extend its smart cities initiative. The partnership is expected to enable Jaipur to access Ciscos global network and help the city benefit from economic and social transformation as the next phase of the Digital India programme begins. "Government leaders today increasingly recognise the importance of digitisation as the foundation for economic growth, job creation, and the development of a knowledgeable workforce" said John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco. He added that the Cisco lighthouse initiative in Jaipur will help the state develop an ecosystem of talent, entrepreneurship, and innovation to drive growth, generate jobs, diversify the economy, and support sustainable growth. As part of a Memorandum of Understanding among Genpact, Cisco, and the Government of Rajasthan, Genpact is using data gathered from Cisco's Smart+Connected Digital Platform (CDP), Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences, and Cisco Video Surveillance Manager Solutions to develop analytics-driven technology applications in the Center. These applications are designed to enhance the quality and performance of urban services, allow the government to engage effectively with its citizens, and provide real-time. New Delhi: Nokia may soon launch its own artificial intelligence assistant app called Viki in an effort to battle against smartphone giants like Samsung, LG and Apple. Once considered to be the leading player of the mobile business, Nokia was left behind in the ever increasing competitive mobile race was later bought over by Microsoft only to be sold again. According to a trademark application unearthed by Dutch blog GSMinfo, Nokias Viki will be joining a crowded field: Siri, Google Assistant, Cortana, Alexa and Samsungs rumoured AI assistant called Bixby. The trademark is for software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web digital assistants working with knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface, according to the paperwork. Google and Amazon are already fighting an intense battle to capture more devices with its assistant and hence Nokia will have a hard time getting to more consumers as it has entered the fray late. For all the Latest Business News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mandsaur : The Union government has accorded approval to establish a mega food park in Daloda tehsil of Madhya Pradeshs Mandsaur district. Ministry for Food Processing Industry of the Union government has given the approval to establish mega food parks in seven states of the country, including Madhya Pradesh, a Public Relations department official said on Monday. This is an important achievement which will render support in achieving the aim of doubling the income of farmers, he said, adding that around Rs 500 crore will be invested in the food park. The work to set up the mega food park will be carried out by Chetak Enterprises Company Limited. Several big companies like Dabur, Zandu Pharmaceuticals and Patanjali are likely to be linked to this project, he informed. Besides the farmers of Malwa region, those from Rajasthans districts situated adjoining the border of Madhya Pradesh will also be benefited by the project. Besides traditional crops, various horticulture products, spices and medicinal crops are cultivated on a large scale in Mandsaur district, he said. Also, the floriculture is being undertaken here on a large scale. The entire region will become industrially developed and employment opportunities will be generated after the establishment of the mega food park, he added. New Delhi: A man was murdered in Sadar Bazaar area of Delhi in a very bizarre manner. On Jan 7, late in the evening he was injected with poison while walking on road, owing to which he succumbed to death within 24 hours. The man has been identified as Ravi, who is cashier in a bank by profession. The police has arrested the culprit. The motive behind the murder is still unknown. In another incident on Sunday, a dismissed Merchant Navy stabbed his father to death, and injured a neighbour and a security guard, before setting another neighbour's house on fire, which left 10 cops critically hurt. New Delhi: Sanitation workers of East Delhi municipal Corporation on Monday held a massive protest against Delhi government and Centre over the issue of salary hike. Earlier people complained of garbage strewn on roads in Laxmi Nagar as sanitation workers continue with their strike. Lakmi Nagar is one of the busiest and congested areas of Delhi. Garbage is piling up since last week, not only is the smell a big problem but we also fear spread of diseases, said aA resident of Laxmi Nagar region of Delhi.A Delhi: Garbage strewn on roads in Laxmi Nagar as sanitation workers continue with their strike; residents complain of inconvenience. pic.twitter.com/wuOPofj8ED New Delhi: "La La Land", a nostalgic ode to classic Hollywood romances, took centre stage at the Golden Globes by winning awards in all the seven categories it was nominated in, including the top award of best musical or comedy at the ceremony, which saw stars take potshots at President-elect Donald Trump. "La La Land" director Damien Chazelle, solidified his chances at the Oscars, by taking home the trophies for best director and screenplay. The film's leading stars Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone predictably won the trophies for best actor and actress in a motion picture- musical or comedy. Gosling, in a heartfelt speech, thanked his partner, Eva Mendes, for supporting him during the film. "While I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I have ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother who is fighting cancer. If Eva had not taken all that on so I could have this experience, there would be surely someone else standing here today," he said. An emotional Stone thanked her mother, father and brother for being supportive throughout. Also Read:A 'La La Land' leads awards count at 74th Annual Golden Globes Awards "This is a film for dreamers. Hope and creativity are two of the most important things in the world and that's what this movie is about," Stone said, adding she shares this award with everyone who "had a door slammed at their face". "La La Land" also took the best original score award and best original song for a motion picture for 'City of Stars'. However, in a surprise move the other big award of the night went to "Moonlight", which pipped Dev Patel-starrer "Lion", "Manchester By The Sea", "Hacksaw Rridge" and "Hell or High Water". Isabelle Huppert pulled off an upset win in the best actress in a motion picture - drama for "Elle" over Amy Adams, Natalie Portman, Ruth Negga and Jessica Chastain. Her French movie "Elle" was named the best foreign film. Actor Casey Affleck won the best actor in a motion picture - drama for his moving performance in "Manchester By the Sea". In the best supporting actor and actress categories the trophies went to Aaron Taylor-Johnson of "Nocturnal Animals", who beat nominees like British-Indian Dev Patel "Lion", Mahershala Ali for "Moonlight", Jeff Bridges for "Hell or High Water" and Simon Helberg for "Florence Foster Jenkins". Viola Davis won the best supporting actress category for "Fences". The highlight of the evening, however, was Cecil B DeMille Award recipient Meryl Streep's passionate speech criticising President-elect. She said the "performance" that stood out this year did not belong to an actor but to Trump when he publicly mocked a disabled reporter. "There was nothing good about it, but it did its job. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still can't get it out my head because it wasn't in a movie, it was in real life. "That instinct to humiliate when it's modelled by someone in a public platform, it filters down into everyone's life because it gives permission for others to do the same."A For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Los Angeles: Director Damien Chazelles musical romance La La Land registered four early wins at the Golden Globes with its lead star Ryan Gosling bagging the best actor trophy in the musical or comedy category. The movie, which leads the nominees list with 7 nods, also saw Chazelle winning the best screenplay award. The Globes, which kickstart the Hollywood award season, began with host Jimmy Fallon doing a hilarious parody of the much-loved movie, about two aspiring artistes finding romance in Hollywood. The movie was soon won two Golden Globes back to back as it took the best original score award and was then named the winner of best original song for a motion picture. Gosling, in an heartfelt speech, thanked his partner, Eva Mendes, for supporting him during the film while she was pregnant with their second child and caring for her sick brother. This isnt the first time Ive been mistaken for Ryan Reynolds, he joked. Aaron Taylor-Johnson of Nocturnal Animals registered a surprise win in the best supporting actor category beating British-Indian star Dev Patel of Lion, Mahershala Ali for Moonlight, Jeff Bridges for Hell or High Water and Simon Helberg for Florence Foster Jenkins. Best supporting actress trophy went to Viola Davis for Fences. Tom Hiddleston won best actor, limited series or TV movie The Night Manager while his co-stars Olivia Colman and Hugh Laurie won in the best-supporting actress and actor categories, respectively. French film Elle, Isabelle Huppert, won the best foreign film. Zootopia was named the best-animated movie. Also Read: Priyanka Chopra owns Golden Globe red carpet with her Ralph Lauren gown For all the Latest Entertainment News, Hollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Mumbai: An average 67.36 per cent voter turnout was registered on Sunday for the fourth and final phase of elections to municipal councils in Nagpur and Gondia districts , according to the state election commission (SEC). The figure of 67.36 per cent voting is the primary figure and the SEC will issue the final figure after local returning officers complete their verification procedure, an official release said. The polling for the 244 seats in the 11 nagar parishads of the two districts came to an end at 5.30 PM. There were long queues in some polling stations, where booth level officers issued chits to the voters in the queue and completed the voting procedure, officials said. Nagpur district has nine nagar parishads, while Gondia has two where the voting took place. Meanwhile, violence was witnessed in Katol council in Nagpur district during polling today, following which local BJP MLA Ashish Deshmukh was booked for criminal intimidation. Police said Vidarbha Maza Party leader Charansingh Thakur has filed a complaint stating that Deshmukh broke mirror of his four-wheeler at Hetipeth Budhwari, around 2 kms from Katol police station. An offence has been registered against the MLA under various sections of IPC, including criminal intimidation, mischief and the act endangering life or personal safety of others, they added. There were 3,82,060 voters in these 11 bodies of whom 1,91,791 were male and 1,90,263 female. Six transgenders were also in the voting list, a SEC spokesperson said. Counting of votes will take place on Monday at 10 AM. As many as 1,190 candidates are in the fray for the 244 seats. Like previous elections, nagar parishad chairman will also be elected directly by the voters. This is the last of the four-phase local bodies polls which began from October 17, last year. There are a total 192 nagar parishads and 20 nagar panchayats in the state. The election was not held in two local bodies. At Shirala nagar parishad in Sangli, no nomination form was filed. At Vaijapur nagar parishad in Aurangabad, the election was suspended due to a legal matter. Since, the case is in court, the Election Commission decided to wait for its directives. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Varanasi: Scores of Samajwadi Party workers on Sunday performed a yagna at the famous Assi Ghat in Varanasi, praying for an end to the tug of war between Akhilesh Yadav and his uncle Shivpal with barely weeks left for the crucial assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh. The yagna was performed to cool down the heated infighting and to make Akhilesh chief minister again, the workers said. The party men also prayed for the long life of SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav.Prayers were offered for keeping away conspirators and rival parties and to foil their conspiracy of breaking the party. Also read | CM face new feud in Samajwadi battle? Azam Khan may be Mulayam's trump card against his son Akhilesh Yadav in UP polls For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The results of Common Admission Test (CAT) 2016 has been released by IIM Bangalore on Monday. The results has been released online. Candidates can check their results on the official website www.iimcat.ac.in. The test was conducted on December 4 in two sessions for admission to various management programmes of IIMs. After qualifying the written examination, the candidates would have to appear for group discussion and personal interview. The registrations for the Common Admission Test (CAT) to Indian Institutes of Management and other leading B-schools have shot up to a seven-year high, with 2,32,434 applications received for CAT 2016 as against 2,18,664 registrations for the test Steps to check CAT Exam results 2016 - 1) Log on to the official website: iimcat.ac.in 2) Click on the link CAT 2016 results on the homepage 3) Enter the details like registration number and date of birth; 4) Click on submit; 5) Check and download the result 6) Download the same and take a printout for further reference. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Odisha: CBI arrests Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Director BP Burma for receiving bribe CBI arrested Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Director BP Burma for receiving Rs 1 lakh bribe to pass a tender. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also seized 20 lakhs (in Rs 2000 notes) after raids at Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Director BP Burma's premises. According to reports, CBI on Sunday raided the official residence and office of BP Burma, Executive Director (Works) of Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). The CBI official got tipped off when they suspected a case of possession of disproportion asset (DA) case by RSP Executive Director. Burma was transferred to Bokaro Steel Plant, Jharkhand just two months ago. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: In view of the upcoming assembly elections in five states, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) 2017 Class X and Class XII examination have been postponed. The CBSE Class X and Class XII examination will now begin from March 9, the board said in a statement. The CBSE Class X and Class XII Board examinations are normally conducted in the first week of March each year, but have been delayed as the dates of the elections are clashing with the dates of the exams. "The annual examinations of class X and XII will be conducted by CBSE from 9th March 2017, in view of the state assembly elections being conducted in five states of Punjab, Goa, Manipur, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh," a statement released by the CBSE said. A total of 16.67 lakh candidates from 16,354 schools across the country will appear for Class X exam, while around 10.98 lakh candidates from 10,677 schools will sit for the Class XII exams. The CBSE said that the delay in examinations will provide more time to students for preparation. "The board has given careful consideration to the situation before postponing the exams by a week which will now allow the students to get more time for the preparation and ensure uninterrupted sequence of examinations," it said. "The board has made all possible efforts to maintain reasonable time gap between the major papers and also ensured that the students appearing for Joint Engineering Exam and upcoming National Eligibility cum Entrance Test complete the CBSE examinations ahead of these entrance exams," the CBSE said. After the Election Commission recently announced the dates for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in February and March, the UP Board examinations were also postponed. The UP Board examinations will now be held after March 11. The counting of votes will be held on March 11 for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. Voting for 403 assembly seats in Uttar Pradesh will be held in seven-phase election on February 11, 15, 19, 23 and 27 and March 4 and 8, Election Commission had announced. The Uttar Pradesh Examination Board had earlier announced the dates between February 18 and March 21 for Class 10 and Class 12 examinations. Later, the Election Commission deferred the dates after summoning the secondary education department authorities along with the officials last month. More than 60 lakh students will appear in the UP Board exams. About 34, 04,571 candidates have registered for Class 10 exams, while 26, 24,681 candidates have registered for Class 12 exams. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: The Congress hit top gear in poll bound Punjab on Monday as former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh released the party's manifesto for Punjab polls in New Delhi. Congress manifesto for Punjab was released by the former PM at party headquarters in New Delhi in the presence of top state leaders including Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh and Randeep Surjewala. Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday alleged that all Punjab Congress leaders are camping in Delhi for tickets. He also claimed that Delhi is running Punjab congress. Here are the excerpts from Capt Amarinder Singh's press conference: #We will pool land, purchased at market rates, which we will give to industries which guarantee jobs #We will reduce power tariff to industry from Rs 7.60 down to Rs 5.00 #Will will provide affordable electricity. If we want industry to come to Punjab then we have to give a level playing field #Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in 4 weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab #This will be overseen from Chief Minister's Office. Till jobs are available we will give Rs 2500 stipend to every youngster #Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in 4 weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab #This will be overseen from Chief Minister's Office. Till jobs are available we will give Rs 2500 stipend to every youngster #We have launched a programme, 'Har Ghar Mein Naukri', ie 55 lakh households in Punjab. We will monitor what jobs are needed #We included a Re 1 cess per bottle of alcohol, which directly serviced our requirement to provide for social commitments #We will manage this situation by thinking innovatively #This ordinarily should be the job of the GoI. We are committed with doing away with farmer debt #We will negotiate how we will service the debt & how we will repay the loan #Rural Debt in Punjab is Rs 67,000 cr. We are planning to take over debt of every farmer & negotiate with banks #Nevertheless, we have made a comprehensive manifesto. We have covered every facet of Punjab #Some funds like Mandi Board have been mortgaged for 7 yrs #We are taking over a deficit state. Govt is operating by selling land & mortgaging buildings, including old age homes #We are taking over a deficit state. Govt is operating by selling land & mortgaging buildings, including old age homes #After six months of preparation the Manifesto was prepared. This Draft was also seen by Dr Singh #The Manifesto has taken 6 months. The team led by Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited places across the State & all walks of life #The Manifesto is being launched in Chandigarh & 5 other cities in Punjab as well Here are the excerpts from Manmohan Singh's press conference in New Delhi- #Capt Amarinder's Govt will undo all this damage & set a new pathway for a better tomorrow which will see that people will have a higher per-capita Income, better distribution of Income, better employment prospects & better infrastructure #The fiscal situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP Govt has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented #This better tomorrow will see development of the State both in the Economy & management of the polity #I believe that Punjab is in for better times under the leadership of Capt Amarinder #Capt Amarinder's commitment to the cause of development of Punjab is unrivaled #In Capt Amarinder we have a leader who has a wealth of experience #Capt Amarinder Singh's leadership is badly needed at this time because in him we have a leader of great vision #It points to tremendous potential of the State in terms of Agriculture, Manufacturing, Services, Infrastructure, Social Services, in all these areas the present set up has not been able to make adequate use of the potential that exists in Punjab #This Election Manifesto is a forward looking visionary doc., which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the State Govt in the last ten years #The challenge before Punjab is to rise above all this din & recognise that the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow #Earlier also Punjab was a victim of terrorism. And it has inflicted great deal of damage on the economy & polity of Punjab #Election manifesto is visionary doc that promises to people of Punjab that we'll undo damage done by previous Govt in last 10 yrs #Punjab is a State with tremendous unexploited potential. This potential has not been exploited because of mismanagement On Tuesday, the Congress is also expecting the high profile joining of ex BJP leader Navjot Singh Sidhu, who is likely to contest assembly elections in the state. Various measures for the welfare of farmers, dalits and other sections of society are likely to be promised in the manifesto which the party has been working on for many months now. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ahmedabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the bhumi-poojanA ceremony forA redevelopmentA of Gandhinagar Railway Station. PM Modi will on Monday inaugurate country's first International Exchange being set up by the Bombay Stock Exchange in Gujarat's GIFT City near Gandhinagar. PM Modi is on aA two-day visit to Gujarat starting from Monday. He will also inaugurate the eighth edition of 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit' and a slew of other initiatives. He will attend theA opening of the four-day 'Vibrant Summit' on January 10 at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. The PM will also inaugurate 'Vibrant Gujarat Global Trade Show'. Here are the live updates: Gandhinagar: PM Narendra Modi at inauguration of Global trade show pic.twitter.com/Vx3kgXZ06c a ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 #Working to expand cargo. Have asked to reduce the weight of railway containers so as to increase productivity #Electrification of lines are being done. Worked on Bio-toilet very quickly. It is a step towards change #Railways is connected with every person. The poorest of the poor benefit a lot due to the Railways #This Govt has given priority to Railways, we want it to progress and help bring qualitative change in people's lives #PM Modi speaks at 'bhoomi poojan' of redevelopment of Gandhinagar railway station complexA Gujarat: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Ahmedabad pic.twitter.com/V3sEIKODz4 a ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 He will also inaugurate Nobel Prize Series exhibition in Ahmedabad, which will feature works of nine Nobel laureates from across the world. He will also attend the Roundatable meeting with all the invited Nobel Prize winners, including India-born Dr Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday took it to Twitter to announce that her party Trinamool Congress (TMC) will launch a nationwide protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's demonetisation move. Taking a jibe at PM Modi, she termed the notes ban move as a flop show and said that millions of people are facing hardship due to demonetisation. Trinamool Congress is organizing nationwide protest against Modi babus shameless flop-show, she tweeted. Restrictions should be removed. Hardships being faced by millions due to Demonetisation, she said. ALSO READ | Mamata Banerjee seeks PM Modi's ouster, moots a national govt headed by LK Advani She further said that the nationwide dharna will be held for three days in West Bengal, Bhubaneswar, Punjab, Kishanganj(Bihar), Manipur, Tripura, Assam, Jharkhand and Delhi. Trinamool Congress is organizing nationwide protest against Modi babus shameless flop-show #NoteBandi. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 Restrictions should be removed. Hardships being faced by millions due to #DeMonetisation. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 Dharna being held over next 3 days(Mon,Tue,Wed) in Bengal, Bhubaneswar, Punjab, Kishanganj(Bihar), Manipur, Tripura, Assam, J'khand & Delhi. Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 9, 2017 For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Ahmedabad: The 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be inaugurated on Tuesday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be held with many heads of states, top global businessmen and Indian CEOs and several business houses expected to participate in it. This time the state government expects to receive investment proposals of more than Rs 25 lakh crore from the at Summit, which was the brain child of Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. In the 8th edition of the summit held in January 2015, Rs 25 lakh crore investment proposals were received by the state government. Around 20 heads of state and ministers representing different governments across the world would attend the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Nisha Desai Biswal, an Indian-American serving as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central AsianAffairs in the United States Department of State will remain present along with large US business delegation. Also Read: Gujarat government to invite Nobel prize winners ahead of Vibrant Summit Other prominent dignitaries are - President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, PrimeMinister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, PM of Serbia, AleksandarVucic, Deputy PM of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin, first Deputy PMand Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Poland, PoitrGlinski. PM Modi will interact with some of the top state heads ahead of the formal inauguration of the Summit on Tuesday. This time, 12 nations have agreed to become partner countries for the event. They are - USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and UAE. Representatives of these countries will come with large business delegations. After the inauguration ceremony, Modi will attend CEO's conference in which top global and Indian industry leaders will participate. Out of these top 50 industry leaders, 25 will be fromIndia while the remaining will be from other countries, such as USA, Japan, France, UK, Netherlands and Taiwan among others, said Additional Chief Secretary (industries and mines) P K Taneja. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Jalandhar: AAPs Punjab in-charge Sanjay Singh on Sunday said the party will replicate its Delhi election campaign model by coming up with manifestos for every Assembly constituency in the poll-bound state. For the all-round development of Punjab, AAP will release poll manifestos for every Assembly constituency, he told media persons. Singh, who is here to speak with traders of different Assembly constituencies, said, Till now Congress leaders could not come up with its list of candidates for Punjab polls. This reflects the infighting within the party. He promised that if AAP comes to power in Punjab after the Assembly polls, it will give primacy to solving problems faced by traders in the state. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Asgar Ali, possibly the oldest first-time voter in India died in his family home on Sunday. Born in 1913, Ali held a rare record of sorts by being a resident of three nations. He achieved this unique mark last year when he opted for Indian citizenship following a historic bilateral land-exchange agreement and voted for the first time in Cooch Behar during the West Bengal Assembly elections. Ali had been a resident of East Pakistan, Bangladesh and, finally, India. It is notable that Ali was one of 9,776 residents of a Bangladeshi enclave in India, who opted for Indian citizenship last year. AHe died peacefully in his sleep at 5 am. He had not suffered and frankly, he was at peace after he was finally declared an Indian citizen, said Alis brother, Shah Jahan. Jahan told The Indian Express that a milestone that marked the territory as Bangladesh still stood in the middle of the fields that Ali and his family owned it is now obscured by the villages first pucca home. Ali had lived all his life at Madhya Mashaldanga, a part of East Pakistan and later a Bangladeshi enclave in Cooch Behar district of the northern part of West Bengal. It became a part of India after the implementation of the Land Boundary Agreement under which Bangladesh and India exchanged 162 adversely held enclaves on August 1, 2015. A total 14,864 residents of 51 Bangladeshi enclaves became Indian citizens. Naushar Ali Mian (50), Alis nephew, alleged that even though their one-bigha plot was fertile, they continued to be neglected by the state government. The state government had made a number of promises, from solar panels to free rice. But we didnt get any of these things. Moreover, the problems faced by us are compounded by the inherent dislike that people here have for us chhit bashinda (enclave residents), he said. 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. Here are the latest updates from the micro-blogging site in one scroll # 12:11 PM Leaving apart background of individual, a DIG rank officer has reached location to investigate the circumstances alleged in videos: BSF -ANI # 12:10 PM For such reasons, individual has served mostly in headquarters under supervision of dedicated superior officer: BSF - ANI # 12:09 PM He was habitual offender of absenteeism without permission, alcoholism, misbehaving with superior officers: BSF- ANI #12:07 PM Constable Tej Bahadur has a difficult past. From initial days of his career, he needed regular counselling: BSF -ANI # 11:38 PM Study links antacids in #pregnancy to asthma in kids: AFP # 11:03 PM I had to go for a cricket tournament on the 19th. Have complained to the Medinipur SP about threat: Sourav Ganguly - ANI #10:27 PM Iran began 3 days of mourning for ex-president Rafsanjani, pillar of Islamic revolution who became leading counterweight to hardliners: AFP #10:25 PM Seen a video regarding BSF jawan's plight. I have asked the HS to immediately seek a report from the BSF & take appropriate action: HM # 9:58 PM Florida airport shooting suspect to appear in federal court: Reuters India # 9:29 PM Bhubaneswar: Arrested TMC MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay's CBI remand extended by 4 days: ANI # 9:12 PM No question of the party splitting. The party is one and we will begin campaign shortly: Mulayam Singh Yadav - ANI # 9:11 PM Akhilesh Yadav will be the Chief Minister after the elections: Mulayam Singh Yadav- ANI # 8:58 PM Cash in unallotted & beimani lockers was seized from cooperative banks at places like Solapur, Pandharpur, Surat and Jaipur: IT sources- ANI # 8:57 PM In a cooperative bank in Jaipur, unrecorded cash worth 1.5 crore was found secreted away in an almirah in the bank: IT sources -ANI #8:56 PMA In Alwar cooperative bank was used to launder personal unaccounted cash of Rs 2cr by mgmt, directors cheated bank of 8cr: IT sources -ANI #8:51 PM Two dead and nine injured after being hit by a speeding truck in Punjab's Pathankot: ANI #8:45 PM Former pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli suspended from Twitter for harassing a journalist: AP #8:35 PM Vision in Sci& Tech is to make sure opportunity is available to all our youth. Training & preparedness should make youth employable: PM Modi-ANI #8:30 PM Our scientist will link our labs in cities. This will allow us to do more & better collaborative science: PM Narendra Modi: ANI #8:29 PM Flipkart restructured, elevates Binny Bansal as group CEO, Kalyan Krishnamurthy as Flipkart CEO: PTI # 8:22 PM Several cooperative banks found involved in laundering unaccounted cash at unprecedented scale post-November 8: IT sources on Demonetisation -ANI # 8:21PM Opportunities in science for the youth, India as a hub for research and innovation: PM Narendra Modi -ANI # 8:20 PM Disagree with report, seems it is fabricated: Air India on Bloomberg article 'Air India Ranked Third-Worst A Performing Airline In World: ANI #8:19 PMA Gandhinagar: PM Modi speaking at inauguration of Nobel prize series exhibition at Science City: ANI # 8:17 PM Former India captain Sourav Ganguly receives "threat letter" from anonymous source asking him not attend a programme in Medinipur: PTI #8:07 PM 16 arrested over Kardashian Paris robbery, based on #DNA found at the crime scene: AFP #7:39 PM PAN is mandatory for migration to GST: CBEC - ANI #7:38 PM Central Board of Excise & Customs (CBEC) has initiated migration of its existing Central Excise/Service Tax assessees to #GST: ANI #7:34 PM J&K govt to set up district-level SITs for time-bound probe into deaths that took place during 2016 Kashmir unrest: CM Mehboba Mufti - PTI #7:30 PM Himachal Pradesh CM Virbhadra Singh releases Rs 25 crores for restoration of roads, electricity and water in heavy snow affected areas: ANI # 7:25 PM 'La La Land' wins seven awards at Golden Globes: AFP #7:05 PM Combination of talent and technology, enabling Indian firms to compete on an equal footing with offshore financial centres: PM Modi -ANI #7:04 PM Bengaluru: US Assistant Secretary of State Nisha Biswal receives 'Pravasi Bharatiya Samman' from President Pranab Mukherjee: ANI #7:02PM U.S. Navy destroyer fires warning shots at Iranian vessels - U.S. officials - Reuters India # 7:01 PM Indians are at the forefront of IT and finance: PM Narendra Modi - ANI # 6:59 PM Delighted to be here at Gift City to inaugurate Indiaas first international stock exchange, that is the India International Exchange: PM -ANI # 6:49 PM Pakistan test fires "first submarine-launched nuclear-capable missile, Babur-3": Reuters India #6:43 PM Gandhinagar: PM Narendra Modi at inauguration of Global trade show: ANI Gandhinagar: PM Narendra Modi at inauguration of Global trade show pic.twitter.com/Vx3kgXZ06c a ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 # 6:39 PM A 31-year-old man from India arrested in Mexico's Guadalajara city for allegedly shooting an American diplomat -PTI # 6:36 PM Gandhinagar: PM Modi at inauguration of 'India International Exchange' at GIFT city: ANI #6:29 PM Concerns of Indian women marrying into NRI families can be effectively addressed by local community organisations abroad: President - PTI # 6:17 PM President PranabMukherjee expresses concern over plight of temporary migrants in Gulf region, south-east Asia; pitches for their skill upgrade - PTI # 6:00 PM Chinese Communist Party rules out 'independent' checks in graft fight - Reuters India #5:58 PM Bengaluru: President Pranab Mukherjee speaking at Pravasi Bharatiya Samman ceremony -ANI # 5:56 PM Gave careful consideration to situation before postponing exams by week which will allow students more time for preparation: #CBSE (ANI) #5:52 PM PM Narendra Modi inaugurated Global Trade Show in Gandhinagar: ANI # 5:51 PM We have sounded a security alert. Security tightened in Katra and other areas of the shrine: SSP Reasi Tahir Bhat Jammu and Kashmir - ANI # 5:49 PM CBSE class X and class XII exams to begin from March 9: PTI # 5:49 PM Got support from national & international personalities for Narmada Seva Yatra: Narottam Mishra, Minister of Water Resources, MP - ANI # 5:48 PM Meryl Streep, who attacked me last night at Golden Globes, is a Hillary flunky: #Donald Trump # 5:40 PM Akhnoor(J&K) attack: Four gun magazines, three grenades and two combat jackets recovered from the spot - ANI # 5:37 PM Reports (of him asking Dhoni to resign) are false, to step down as captain was solelyA MS Dhoni's decision: MSK Prasad, Chief Selector: ANI # 5:36 PM Railway gives 'Gati' and 'Pragati' to the nation: PM Modi # 5:25 PM Working to expand cargo. Have asked to reduce the weight of railway containers so as to increase productivity: PM Modi # 5:24 PMA Both factions of Samajwadi Party reach Election Commission # 5:23 PM We are focussing on state of the art technology and on the issue of railway safety: PM Modi # 5:21 PM Electrification of lines is being done. Worked on Bio-toilet very quickly. It is a step towards change: PM Modi # 5:20 PM Railways is connected with every person. The poorest of the poor benefit a lot due to the Railways: PM isModi # 5:18 PM This Govt has given priority to Railways, we want it to progress and help bring qualitative change in people's lives: PM Modi # 5:17 PM PM Narendra ModiA speaking at 'bhoomi poojan' of redevelopment of GandhinagarA railway station complex #5:14 PM Suicide truck hits Egypt security post in Sinai, killing 10 people; 22 wounded: AP #5:06 PM Iran to expand military spending, develop missiles - Reuters India #5:05 PM Russia 'tired' of 'amateurish' US hacking intel: Kremlin -AFP #4:59 PM BJP CEC meeting scheduled to take place on January 11 at 6:30 pm to finalise candidates for Punjab and Goa: ANI #4:54 PM Congress writes to EC, demands removal of PM Modi's posters from petrol pumps ahead of assembly elections in 5 states: ANI #4:53 PM Gujarat: PM Modi at 'bhoomi poojan' of redevelopment of Gandhinagar railway station complex pic.twitter.com/3tqIpZkauN a ANI (@ANI_news) January 9, 2017 PM Modi at 'bhoomi poojan' of redevelopment of Gandhinagar railway station complex -ANI #4:45 PM Pope tells women to feel free to breastfeed in church - AFP # 4:43 PM Ahmedabad: Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry RogozinA meets PM Narendra ModiA - ANI # 4:33 PM Ahmedabad: Deputy PM of Poland Mateusz Jakub Morawiecki meets PM Narendra Modi -ANI #4:13 PM They won't release me before the budget session gets over: TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay - ANI #4:12 PM CBI has arrested Executive Director (Works), #RourkelaSteelPlant & a representative of Kolkata-based private firm in A bribery of Rs 1 lakh -ANI #4:08 PM Sensex falls 32.68 points to end at 26,726.55; Nifty down 7.75 points to 8,236.05 -PTI # 4:06 PM 10 people die in Poland due to extremely cold weather - AFP #4:04 PM Himachal Pradesh: 562 roads still closed, 208 roads opened after heavy snowfall. Restoration work underway: HP Public Works Department #4:02 PM Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Russian deputy PM Vitaly Mutko meets PM Narendra Modi -ANI #4:00 PM 9 policemen killed, 14 injured as ISIS-linked suicide bombers ram explosives-laden truck into security checkpoint in Egypt -PTI # 3:07PM I have always acted like a bridge. There is fog but not darkness -Azam Khan -ANIA #3:03PM Now the ball is in Election Commission's Court and we will have to wait for its decision (on symbol issue): Azam Khan -ANIA #3:02PM I will not comment on Netaji's (Mulayam Singh) statements , says Ram Gopal Yadav .-News Nation #3:00PM We had come to the Election Commission to urge them to expedite the decision as nominations will start soon: Ram Gopal Yadav-ANIA #2:46PM Rajya Sabha chairman has received letter from Mulayam Singh Yadav intimating expulsion of Ram Gopal Yadav from SP ; will be duly examined.-ANI #2:40PM Kammanahalli molestation case: One more person arrested by Bengaluru police in connection with case. Total no of arrests made: 6. #2:30PM SC permits the Tamil Nadu State Govt to select certain new members of the public service commission - ANI #2:20PM Himachal Pradesh: Over 450 roads still closed across the state. More than 100 roads cleared after heavy snowfall. Normal life disrupted - ANI #02:09PM Maha CM Devendra Fadnavis announces activation of 500 WiFi Hotspots at various locations in Mumbai, says number to reach 1200 by 1 May 2017-ANI #02:09PM Govt to abide by guidelines issued in Feb'16 wherein it stated customers won't bear extra charges on digital transactions-Dharmendra Pradhan-ANI #02:03PM Tamil Nadu CM O.Panneerselvam writes to PM Modi urging him to consider promulgating an ordinance so that Jallikattu can be held on Pongal-ANI #02:01PM NGT asks MCD the reason for sanitation workers' strike, also instructs MCD to clear the garbage strewn on streets in East Delhi -ANI #02:01PM Earthquake of 5.0 magnitude felt in Swat district of Pakistan with epicentre at Afghanistan-Tajikistan Border Region (Source: Pak media)-ANIA #01:48PM Gujarat: PM Narendra Modi arrives in Ahmedabad-PTI #01:30PM Have registered a complaint with ECI against BSP Supremo for violation of SC's guidelines seeking votes in name of religion: Neeraj Saxena, BJP-ANIA #01:30PM There are evidences that show terrorism perpetrates from Pakistan's soil, it has isolated them: Jitendra Singh MoS PMO on Akhnoor attackA #01:29PM Jodhpur District Sessions Court to announce decision on Salman Khan's Arms Act Case on January 18. -ANIA #01:13PM TMC protests against demonetisationA in DelhiA #01:01PM Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh and Shivpal Singh Yadav reach Election Commission-PTIA #12:58PM Election manifesto is visionary doc that promises to ppl of Punjab that we'll undo damage done by previous Govt in last 10 yrs-Manmohan Singh-ANIA #12:55PM Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in 4 weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab: Capt Amarinder Singh, Cong-ANIA #12:52PM Panama Papers case: SC adjourns matter for 4 weeks after Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) sought more time to file reply-ANI #12:44PM 16 people arrested over Kim Kardashian Paris robbery-AFPA #12:40PM PIL seeking enquiry in Jayalalithaa's death: Apollo hospital says,"ready to submit all medical reports summary in sealed cover to Madras HC" -ANIA A #12:40PM Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh and Shivpal Singh Yadav reach Election Commission-ANI #12:38AM We're discussing the issue, have asked Secy DEA to discuss issue with banks, Petroleum Min is also in touch-FM on petrol pump transaction fee-ANI #12:36PM Delhi: Former PM Manmohan Singh releases Punjab Congress Manifesto for upcoming polls-ANIA #12:35PM For most States VAT collections have increased: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley-ANI #12:34PM Direct taxes for the first 3 quarters has moved up, indirect taxes significantly moved up: FM Arun Jaitley-ANIA #12:33AM Compared to November 2016, the growth of Indirect Tax in December 2016 is 12.8%: FM Jaitley-ANIA #12:31PM In December 2016 compared to last December, the customs has actually declined, it is - 6.3%: FM Jaitley-ANIA #12:30PM Central Excise increased 31.6% in December 2016 as compared to December 2015: FM Arun Jaitley-ANIA #12:28PM From April to Dec this year the increase in direct tax is 12.01% and indirect tax is 25 %, compared to last year : FM Jaitley-ANIA #12:28PM Overall increase in indirect taxes for the month of April to Dec '16 compared to same figures last year is 25%: FM Arun Jaitley-ANIA #12:22PM Delhi: Congress's women wing stage protest against demonetisation outside BJP Headquarters-ANI #12:06PM Delegation led by UP CM Akhilesh Yadav will meet Election Commission at 2:30 PM, today.-ANI #11:49AM Solar scam case: Former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy appeared before Bengaluru Civil Court, today.-ANI #11:48AM Solar scam case: Bengaluru Civil Court adjourns matter for Jan 9; asks former Kerala CM Oommen Chandy to be present for cross examination.-ANI #11:36AM AgustaWestland case: Delhi HC to hear CBI's plea against trial court's order granting bail to former IAF chief SP Tyagi on January 18.-ANI #11:35AM SC asks Centre to administer drugs for Tuberculosis on a daily basis,instead of once in 3 days to patients;seeks detailed response by Jan 31-ANI #11:30AM Kerala IAS officers withdraw their mass casual leave protest-ANI #11:22AM Questionnaires submitted by PAC members sent to RBI Guv & concerned officers like Finance Secy,Revenue Secy-KV Thomas-ANI #11:20AM After hearing the RBI Guv and concerned officers in the meeting, Committee will take appropriate decision: KV Thomas, PAC Chairman-ANIA #11:11AM Cauvery water dispute -SC orders TN&K'taka Govt to file list of witnesses within a week,details of witnesses affidavit within 4 wks-ANI #11:03AMA Shivpal Singh Yadav reaches SP Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence in Delhi-ANI #10:30AM Allahabad: EAM Sushma Swaraj responds to Ghana couple's tweet seeking visa extension for their daughter's cerebral palsy treatment-ANIA #10:03AM Actress Meryl Streep honored for lifetime achievement at Golden Globes, excoriates Trump.-AP #10:00AM CBI also seized Rs 20 lakhs (in Rs 2000 notes) after raids at Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Director BP Burma's premises -ANIA #09:54AM Odisha: CBI arrests Rourkela Steel Plant Executive Director BP Burma while receiving Rs 1 lakh bribe to pass a tender-ANI #09:41AM Chhattisgarh: 2 dead after a car rammed into a truck in Ambikapur city of Surguja district-ANIA #9:39AM Moonlight wins the Golden Globe for best movie, drama.-AP #9:19AM "La La Land" wins the Golden Globe for best movie, musical or comedy.-AP A #08:54AM Air India Flight 435 from Delhi, unable to land in Bhopal due to fog; flight diverted to Nagpur.-ANI #08:44AM DRI Goa unit intercepted a passenger who arrived at Goa Airport from Dubai & recovered 3 kg gold; passenger arrested.passenger arrested.-ANIA #08:30AM A The three persons killed in terror attack on GREF camp in Akhnoor (J&K), worked as labourers with GREF.-ANI -ANI #08:10AM TV series "Night Manager" and O.J. Simpson trial drama win Golden Globe Awards, along with FX comedy "Atlanta."-ANIA #07:57AM Moradabad: Police recover Rs 15 lakh from a car (Rs 10 lakh old in old currency& Rs 5 lakh in new currency);1 arrested;IT informed (8.1.2017)-ANIA #07:42AM My brother was coming home after closing our shop,he was shot on his thigh. We don't know who were those people: Uttam Nagar resident Delhi-ANI #07:40AM 4 injured in firing by unknown persons allegedly due to a gang war, in Delhi's Uttam Nagar East area last night; probe underway -ANI #07:10AM FLASH J&K: Three GREF personnel have lost their lives in attack on GREF camp in Akhnoor; area cordoned off. -ANI #07:07AM Expect Today: Mulayam Singh Yadav to visit the Election Commission today-ANI #07:05AM TopStory: PM Modi to start his 2-day visit to Gujarat; will inaugurate 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit & other initiatives-ANIA #07:02AM Delhi: 6 International and 7 domestic flights delayed due to fog -ANI #O7:02AM Delhi: 41 trains arriving late, 9 rescheduled, 3 cancelled due to fog. -ANI #07:00AM FLASH J&K: Gun shots heard near General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) camp in Akhnoor. More details awaited.-ANI For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: After veteran actress Meryl Streeps criticism at Golden Globes, US President-elect Donald Trump took to twitter to express his anger. Trump said that Meryl Streep is one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood. Trump defended the attack by saying that he never mocked a disabled reporter. "Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him "groveling" when he totally changed a 16-year-old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media," wrote Donald Trump on Twitter. Earlier, Meryl Streep, this year's Cecil B DeMille Award winner at Golden Globes, slammed US President-elect Donald Trump in a politically-charged speech, as she cited actors like Indian-origin Dev Patel to highlight Hollywood's rich diversity. Streep, an ardent supporter of Trump's rival Hillary Clinton, took the next President down in her scathing acceptance speech, without naming him and cautioned against powerful people using their position to "bully others". The 67-year-old actress echoed British actor Hugh Laurie's earlier comment about how the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is part of "the most vilified segments in American society right now", Streep said the association was made of -- Hollywood, foreigners and the press. (With PTI inputs) For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: A Border Security Force (BSF) Jawan has uploaded a series of videos on Facebook where he is seen criticizing the quality and inadequacy of food they get on their duty. For which he is blaming his senior officials for corruption. He has appealed users to share the video and help it reaching the Government of India. Since then the videos have gone viral. Posted in Jammu and Kashmir, BSF Jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav of 29th battalion has uploaded 4 videos on his Facebook profile where he is seen depicting the condition of BSF Jawans, mainly about the kind of food they are getting after their duty. In the first video, he is seen criticizing the type of dal (lentils) they get for lunch. In the video he is blaming his higher officials of selling the ration in the market. In the second video, he is seen narrating about the adverse condition in which they are performing their duty and still not getting adequate facilities. He also blamed his seniors of injustice and persecution. He also said that he don't want to blame any government but only want to spread this message to the citizens of the country. The Jawan also said that the government is providing all kind of support to them but their senior officials, with corrupt practices doesn't gives its benefits to the soldiers. He is also appealing to the government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to conduct a probe into the issue. For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. New Delhi: Samajwadi Party feud is likely to end on Monday as the Election Commission is expected to give a decision on the party symbol and title in favour of Akhilesh Yadav or Mulayam Singh Yadav. According to sources, Mulayam is confident that he will emerge as a winner in the battle of symbol. The Samajwadi Party founder and patriarch has not wavered from his plans to fight elections on all 403 seats, with or without Akhilesh, and to the void he may just introduce a new face for chief ministerial candidate Azam Khan. Party loyalist since early times, Khan can be Mulayams master stroke in elections as he can be the Muslim face of the party, and thus preserving the traditional vote bank of SP with Mulayam camp. Also read | CM face new feud in Samajwadi battle? Azam Khan may be Mulayam's trump card against his son Akhilesh Yadav in UP polls Here are the live updates: #I have always acted like a bridge. There is fog but not darkness: Azam Khan #Now the ball is in Election Commission's Court and we will have to wait for its decision (on symbol issue): Azam Khan #I will not comment on any statement by netaji (Mulayam): Ram Gopal Yadav #We had come to the Election Commission to urge them to expedite the decision as nominations will start soon: Ram Gopal Yadav #Mulayam asks Rajya Sabha chairman to remove Ram Gopal Yadav as SP parliamentary party leader #Election Commission will decide on the symbol: Mulayam Singh Yadav #Delhi: Ram Gopal Yadav and Naresh Agrawal arrive at Election Commission office #There is no problem between me and my son (Akhilesh Yadav): Mulayam Singh Yadav #There is some problem in the party, one person is behind this feud; sure that issues will be resolved: Mulayam Singh Yadav #Mulayam, Shivpal and Amar Singh visit Election Commission to claim 'cycle'; media address likely at 4PM #Mulayam, Shivpal reach Election Commission to claim 'cycle'; Amar Singh is with them #Delegation led by UP CM Akhilesh Yadav will meet Election Commission at 2:30 PM, today #Shivpal Yadav reaches Mulayam Singh Yadav's residence in Delhi, both will go to Election Commission office at 12:30pm #Akhilesh starts meeting with several ministers and MLAs to chalk out future strategy For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Yangon: At least 65,000 Rohingya have fled to Bangladesh from Myanmara third of them over the past week -- since the army launched a crackdown in the north of Rakhine state, the UN said on Monday. The figure marks a sharp escalation in the numbers fleeing a military campaign which rights groups say has been marred by abuses so severe they could amount to crimes against humanity. They also come the same day the UNs human rights envoy for Myanmar, Yanghee Lee, began a 12-day visit to probe violence in the countrys borderlands that will take her to the army-controlled area. Over the past week, 22,000 new arrivals were reported to have crossed the border from Rakhine state, the UNs relief agency said in its weekly report. As of 5 January, an estimated 65,000 people are residing in registered camps, makeshift settlements and host communities in Coxs Bazaar in southern Bangladesh, said the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The exodus of Rohingya from northern Rakhine began after Myanmars army launched clearance operations while searching for insurgents behind deadly raids on police border posts three months ago. Escapees from the persecuted Muslim minority in Bangladesh have given harrowing accounts of security forces committing mass rape, murder and arson. The stories have cast a pall over the young government of Aung San Suu Kyi, with mainly Muslim Malaysia being especially critical. Myanmars government has said the claims of abuse are fabricated and launched a special commission to investigate the allegations. Last week it presented its interim report denying accusations of genocide and religious persecution and saying there was insufficient evidence that troops had been committing rape. That judgement came days after a video emerged showing police beating Rohingya civilians, something the government said was an isolated incident after the officers were arrested. Today the UNs Lee began her own probe with a visit to Kachin state, where thousands have been displaced by fighting between ethnic rebels and the army. Lee, who has faced threats and demonstrations on previous visits over her comments on Myanmars treatment of the Rohingya, is due to visit Rakhine before leaving on January 20. Hardline Buddhist monk Wirathu caused outrage when he called her a whore in our country for criticising controversial legislation considered discriminatory to women and minorities. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Dhaka: Bangladesh authorities have seized a luxury Rolls-Royce brought into the country illegally for a former North Korean diplomat expelled for smuggling. Customs intelligence chief Moinul Khan said Han Son Ik intended to bring in the car without paying duty due to his diplomatic status and sell it on to a local buyer. Officials said the luxury car would have been liable for import duties of more than 800 percent had it been brought in legally. Han was first secretary of the North Korean embassy in Dhaka until he was expelled in August after being accused of smuggling more than a million cigarettes as well as electronics worth half a million dollars. We had intelligence that Han made a deal with a local buyer to bring the person a Rolls-Royce with Hans diplomatic immunity, therefore he attempted to evade customs tax, Khan told AFP. Han has been marked as a frequent offender.AFP was unable to contact the North Korean embassy for comment. In March 2015 a North Korean diplomat was forced to apologise after he was caught at Dhaka airport trying to smuggle nearly 27 kilograms (60 pounds) of gold worth $1.7 million into the country. A North Korean restaurant in Dhaka was shut down the same year after officials found it was selling wine and drugs such as Viagra without permission.In 2012 customs authorities imposed a 2.5-million taka fine after seizing illegal wines from another North Korean envoy. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. Washington: A 31-year-old man from India has been reported to shoot an American diplomat in Mexico's Guadalajara city over a possible visa row. The man has been arrested. The US diplomat was shot by a man wearing a black wig and a blue nurse uniform outside a shopping center's garage on Friday in Guadalajara, Mexico's second largest city. The suspect was arrested in a joint operation by the FBI, DEA and Jalisco state officials in Guadalajara's affluent Providencia neighbourhood early Sunday morning, reports said. A spokesperson at the Jalisco state prosecutor's office identified the suspect as a naturalised American from India named Zafar Zia, suggesting the shooting may have been related to a dispute over a visa, The Daily Beast reported. Zia, at the time of his arrest, had in his possession a .38-caliber pistol and a wig, it said. Authorities also seized a Honda Accord with California license plates and a wig that is believed to have been used at the time of the attempted murder. Zia had moved to Guadalajara in November from Phoenix and had been residing in the city since. The apparent motive for the attempted murder appears to have been a disagreement over an undisclosed visa process, media reports said. The FBI had offered USD 20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the shooter. Security footage recorded just prior to the shooting showed the victim validating his parking lot ticket while carrying a gym bag. Moments later, he is followed by a man wearing a nurse's uniform, it added. Hours after Zia's arrest, the attorney general's office and the foreign ministry in a joint statement said he would face justice in the US for the "sordid and cowardly" shooting. US Secretary of State John Kerry thanked the Mexican government for the swift and decisive arrest of the suspect. "On behalf of President Obama and the people of the US, I want to thank the Government of Mexico for their swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our Foreign Service Officer colleague," Kerry said in a statement. The consular official is now recovering in a hospital. For all the Latest World News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps. 'I just want to live': Jamaican migrant worker with cancer begs to stay in Nova Scotia A seasonal farm worker from Jamaica is fighting to remain in Nova Scotia to complete cancer treatment, saying it would be a death sentence for her to go home. Twitter Layoffs to Begin WebProNews Twitter Layoffs to Begin Twitter has notified employees that layoffs will soon begin, with notifications being sent via email. Twitter Layoffs... Dig at B.C. shopping mall reveals Indigenous artifacts, and evolution of archeology Time changes everything including the way archeology works. Some Quebec colleges say Ottawa denies 80 to 90 per cent of study permits from Africa Some Quebec junior colleges say 80 to 90 per cent of the international students they've accepted from Africa are being refused study permits by the federal... 'Freedom Convoy' leader Tamara Lich to be cross-examined at Emergencies Act inquiry Prominent "Freedom Convoy" organizer Tamara Lich is expected to continue her testimony today at the public inquiry into the federal government's use of the... 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Covid-19 hidden side-effect which experts dub 'a silent killer' Researchers have found the virus can make brain cells 'angry' and make some people more at risk of Parkinson's and Alzheimers Supreme Court set to rule on constitutionality of conditional sentencing rule The Supreme Court of Canada will rule today on the constitutionality of a law that prevented a judge from allowing an offender to avoid jail by imposing a... Primary care doctors should resume in-person visits to take pressure off ERs, experts say Many factors are contributing to the wait times in Ontarios emergency rooms, including staffing shortages, but some experts say ERs are seeing higher volumes... The U.S. did it. The EU might. Why Canada won't put Iran's revolutionary guard on its terrorist list Despite calls from the Conservative party, some activists and the Association of Families of Flight PS752 Victims, the government continues to rebuff calls to... Former Mountie tasked with protecting Trudeau may have leaked PM's schedule: police report A former member of Justin Trudeau's security team may have leaked the prime minister's schedule, according to an intelligence document tabled before the inquiry... Air Canada, WestJet launch legal battles to overturn orders to pay passengers compensation Air Canada and WestJet have both launched a legal battle to appeal separate Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) rulings where, in each case, the airline was... Russia weaponizes winter in war with Ukraine, Europe pledges aid President Zelensky spoke with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, and reported that the two discussed "all the challenges of winter." Paul Pelosi released from hospital a week after brutal attack The House speaker's husband had undergone surgery to repair a skull fracture and serious injuries to his right arm and hands. #attack #paulpelosi #surgery... In pictures: Inside Alvechurch country house with surprise in garage See inside Alvechurch country cottage with stunning views and something unexpected in games room Elon Musk to start Twitter layoffs within hours - and offices are closed Twitter employees will find out whether they're being laid off later today - one week after Elon Musk's takeover. What the papers say November 4 The papers are led by worsening economic predictions and rate rises. Leicestershire designated as kill zone by government-backed badger culling scheme to stop infectious cattle disease But The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs hopes develop a jab for cows in the future Convoy headed to Lethbridge, Alta., courthouse to support men charged in Coutts border blockade Police in Lethbridge, Alta., are bracing for a convoy set to arrive in the city Friday morning to support three of the men charged in connection with border... Aberdeen player took off rival fan's specks before punching him in the face Funso Ojo, now playing for English League One side Port Vale, was found guilty of pushing Donald Dewar and knocking his glasses off. Woman claiming to be Dundee police officer scams family of out thousands of pounds Ben Machin said his family discovered the house they had been renting for eight years was going up for sale and they had to quickly find somewhere else to live. Marks and Spencer shoppers rave over Christmas snack they 'need' The supermarket is known for its incredible festive offerings, and one item in particular has shoppers excited. Doctors agree with censored study that concludes unvaccinated children are healthier than vaccinated children The assertion that vaccines may cause systematic changes to childrens immune and nervous systems is accepted as a possibility by a large number of doctors, including many who consider themselves pro-vaccine. If you dont ask the right questions, you cant find the right answers, said Tommy Redwood, MD, an emergency room doctor in Atlanta, Georgia, with 26 years of medical experience. If you summarily dismiss the possibility that the increasing rates of childhood illnesses, including ADD, autism, asthma and other auto-immune disorders are connected to vaccines, you cant figure out if our childrens health problems are vaccine-related injuries. Redwood says he suspects that over-vaccination plays a role in the worsening health outcomes seen among children in recent decades. Chronic disease risk higher The most recent, peer-reviewed study was accepted for publication by the journal Frontiers in Public Health, according to Jennifer Margulis, PhD. The study was assigned a DOI number and the abstract published on the journals website. Several days later, all signs of the study vanished from the site without explanation Margulis is the author of Your Baby, Your Way and the co-author (with Dr. Paul Thomas, M.D.) of The Vaccine-Friendly Plan. According to Margulis, the abstract described a study comparing health outcomes of 660 fully vaccinated or fully unvaccinated children between the ages of 6 and 12 living in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Oregon. Information was collected via parental survey in 2012. The researchers found that while unvaccinated children were significantly more likely to get chickenpox and pertussis (whooping cough), they were significantly less likely to have allergies, ear infections, pneumonia, or central nervous system disorders (including autism) than the fully vaccinated children. Indeed, vaccinated children had twice the risk of chronic illness and four times the risk of autism, learning disabilities, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Vaccinated children who had been born prematurely were six times more likely to suffer from autism or other central nervous disorders than unvaccinated children. Several prior surveys of parents comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children have shown similar results. Doctors call for more research The reality of vaccine injury is obvious to many doctors, such as integrative physician Kelly Sutton MD of Fair Oaks, California. Sutton says she sees vaccine-injured patients every day. Its not a rational thing to think that we can just give an ever-increasing number of vaccines without causing damage, Sutton said. Theres a tipping point for many people in terms of the toxins that they can handle. Sutton says she regularly hears from parents who chose to leave younger children unvaccinated that the unvaccinated children in the same family have better health, social adjustment and academic performance than their vaccinated siblings. Bose Ravenel, MD, of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, used to scoff at the idea of a connection between vaccines and autism. But after examining the scientific data for himself, the 78-year-old doctor said he could no longer support the party line. There is clearly a relationship between vaccines and autism, Ravenel said. But to say that vaccines cause autism is an inaccurate, non-nuanced statement. At the same time, to say that vaccines dont cause autism is also inaccurate. In certain conditions, like with mitochondrial dysfunction, vaccines certainly can cause autism or contribute to it. Ravenel supports research into the risks of vaccines in order to find ways to improve their safety. Such perspectives are common among pro-vaccine doctors who are willing to examine the research without bias. A similar line is taken by neuroscientist Rene Anand of Ohio State University. Anand, who says vaccines have saved millions of lives, researches genetic susceptibility to brain disorders. And he rejects as scientifically inaccurate the claim that vaccines do not contribute to autism. The large numbers of parents who saw immune and cognitive function decline immediately after vaccination are indicative of something, Anand says. And that needs to be investigated. Sources: HealthImpactNews.com NaturalNews.com Submit a correction >> The mainstream media complains about fake news but as Trump coverage proves, it either creates it or falls for it ALL the time Facebook, Google and other media giants have pledged to root out fake news from now on, having allowed themselves to be convinced by the dishonest mainstream media that a bevy of Russia-planted propaganda in hundreds of legitimate alternative media sites during the recent presidential campaign are what led to the loss of their favored candidate, Hillary Clinton. That phony narrative has since been wholly discredited, but no matter: Facebook has announced it will partner with some shady fact-checker websites like Snopes.com and Politifact.com, as well as news media like ABC News and The Associated Pressall of whom have credibility issues themselvesin order to prevent fake news from showing up on their sites. Of course, all of this nonsense is really just an effort to make official their previous censoring of real media facts they simply do not agree with, because such truth doesnt fit their narratives, especially when it comes to their attempts at undermining and de-legitimizing the incoming President-elect Trump. In order to create a narrative and make it stick, you have to be able to shut out or shout down any competing information, no matter how factual it is, and that will require 1) outspending your competition; and 2) giving yourself the aura of legitimacy by surrounding yourself with so-called reliable sources. But the reality is, of course, that the mainstream media are the creators of false narratives and the perpetrators of fake news, not the alternative media, which has been consistently accurate in its reporting this campaign season. In fact, here is a list of made-up narratives and phony-baloney reporting this year by the mainstream press as it pertained to Trump, which could not help piling on and serving as an echo chamber for each discredited story: The Russians did it: One of the most recent examples is the Washington Posts claim that Russia, in a massive psyops operation, flooded hundreds of alternative news and information sites with fake newspropaganda aimed at helping Trump defeat Clinton. The paper relied on a single dubious source for its report, a shady, never-before-heard-of organization of experts who claimed to have some scientific data proving that Moscow was behind this effort. But as it was revealed in follow-up reporting by The Intercept and other news outlets, even rudimentary questioning by the Posts reporter and its editors would have discovered severe discrepancies with the organizationPropOrNotand the claims it was making. [T]he article is rife with obviously reckless and unproven allegations, and fundamentally shaped by shoddy, slothful journalistic tactics. It was not surprising to learn that, as BuzzFeeds Sheera Frenkel noted, a lot of reporters passed on this story. Its huge flaws are self-evident. But the Post gleefully ran with it and then promoted it aggressively, led by its Executive Editor Marty Baron. A Trump supporter burned down a black church: Late in the campaign a story broke claiming that a Trump supporter or supporters intentionally torched and burned down a black church in Mississippi. Following the initial report a number of mainstream media outletsall wanting to believe it was true because they already believed that Trump himself is a racistrushed to concur and summarily condemn the GOP nominee (as did Trumps rival, Clinton, who tweeted that this kind of hate has no place in Americawhich, of course, is true). What got the media hooked into this story is that the perpetrator(s) spray-painted, Vote Trump on the side of the burned out church. But lacking any evidence other than that very circumstantial phrase, the media went with the Trump supporters are obviously racists narrative anyway. The Atlantic, under the headline, A Black Church Burned in the Name of Trump, reported that the arson attack was being investigated as a hate crime, attempted to tie the incident to rising racism, and claimed that the motivation was for someone to leave a calling card about politics. Reliably Left-wing Vox went all out to pin the blame on Trump supporters. Victoria M. Massie wrote in her piece, Black churches have always been about more than spirituality. For generations, black churches have served as sources of refuge from and resistance to the racism pervading Americas Christian pulpits. Uh, okay. She further claimed that though the perpetrator(s) had yet to be identified, Trumps supporters were welcoming the confrontation with minorities, and that the burning was the latest symbol of some of the countrys worst fears about the spread of violence looming over this years presidential election (violence that, of course, was generated primarily by Left-wing Clinton supporters). Not to be outdone, the far-Left Southern Poverty Law Center, which has never met a Republican or a conservative it liked or thought highly of, immediately posted news of the incident on their Hate Watch site, though again, there wasnt one shred of evidence or proof that a Trump supporter was responsible. The group even claimed that the burning was an attempt at voter intimidation. And finally, The Daily Beast complained that even a burned down black church proves that a President Trump wouldnt condemn his own terrorists (yes, he used the T word). [W]hen it came to the burning of a black church in his own name, Trumps little fingers didnt touch his favorite means of reaching millions of supporters, Twitter. Instead, his campaign issued a boilerplate statement. Well, thats because in the end, as Breitbart news reported, a black member of that very churchAndrew McClintonwas arrested by police and is suspected of being responsible for torching it, all in an effort to feed the false narrative and stereotype created by the real purveyors of fake news that Trump and his supporters are racist. None of these media outlets or the SPLC has apologized or retracted their stories. The bisexual girl who was not being harassed by Trump supporters: Taylor Volk, a DeKalb University senior who has stated publicly she is bisexual, complained in November that she was singled out by a hateful note she said was taped to her door that read, Back to Hell, and #Trump. She also said she received a pair of anonymous emails that said essentially the same thing, so she went public about them on her Facebook page, Chicagos NBC affiliate reported. This is a countrywide epidemic all of a sudden, Volk said. The fact that somebody reached out to do this to her specifically is shocking, Kelsey Stevens, a North Park senior, added. I think those who have those feelings have been emboldened by this election. But after a short investigation of Volks claims, the universitys own president himself found them to be a hoax, as The Daily Wire reported. Again, no retraction. Phony slurs, attacks, on more college campuses: We know that Left-wing academics have convinced students they need safe spaces on campuses, becauseconservatives and Trump. So there have been no shortage of false complaints that racial and homophobic slurs have allegedly been committed by a host of Trump supporters. Except they havent been. As Campus Reform reported in mid-November, a young Muslim woman told school officials at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette that two white males wearing Donald Trump clothing assaulted her and stole her hijab. The ACLU of Louisiana is outraged at the news of a young Muslim woman being assaulted and robbed of her hijab in Lafayette yesterday morning, the organization said, adding that the report that her attackers also shouted slurs and wore Donald Trump clothing is especially troubling in light of Mr. Trumps frequent use of anti-Muslim rhetoric on the campaign trail. But it never happened. Within hours, university police determined the entire incident was a hoax. There have been other reports and other hoaxes as well, such as the student at Villanova University who claimed she was attacked by Trump supporters, but turns out she declined to press charges. Then again, some Left-wing academics are actually calling for Trump supporters to be expelled from their campuses, citing a plethora of stereotypical reasons while offering no evidence at all that they are making problems or threatening other students. There is no question that the recently-ended presidential campaign was one of the most contentious in recent history. But what is also true is that one nomineeTrumpwas savaged and lied about repeatedly by false reports that the discredited mainstream media leapt to cover, without checking sources, facts and details. J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for Natural News and News Target, as well as editor of The National Sentinel. Sources: TheIntercept.com Twitter.com TheAtlantic.com Vox.com TheDailyBeast.com NBCChicago.com DailyWire.com Philly.com CampusReform.org Submit a correction >> U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy is challenging Connecticut students to interpret what Martin Luther King Jr.s dream means to them. Dr. King taught us that full equality doesnt come without a fight, Murphy said in a prepared statement. I launched the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Essay Challenge this year because its clear, perhaps now more than ever before, that our work is not yet complete. On a beautiful day in 2012, thousands gathered to attend a political rally in Armenia's capital of Yerevan. The atmosphere was festive, with decorative clusters of white balloons floating like clouds over the heads of the crowd. It was beautiful. Until someone lit a cigarette. Instead of helium, the balloons had been filled with highly flammable hydrogen gas. The flame ignited the gas and started a chain reaction of explosions that resembled a giant fireball. The people in the crowd, many of them children, panicked as burning rubber rained down, sticking to their skin and setting their hair and clothes on fire. By the time the fires were extinguished, more than 140 people had suffered horrific burns. Related: Helping Others Is Your Most Valuable Offering Most of the victims healed, but many suffered painful, disfiguring scars that limited mobility. Hospitals in Armenia did not have the technology to help them. Quanta, an aesthetic laser company with a commitment to helping those most in need, learned of the tragedy and sent help. In October, a team of American doctors headed by Dr. R. Rox Anderson and leadership from Quanta Aesthetic Lasers (United States) and Quanta System (Italy) traveled to Armenia on a mission to donate a Quanta laser to the Arabkir Pediatric Hospital. They were going to train doctors there to use the technology. What is aesthetic laser technology? The first thing that comes to mind when you hear about cosmetic laser technology is probably tattoo removal, but advancements in the field have led to a far wider range of uses. Modern lasers are used to treat many different conditions, including repairing damaged skin, removing warts, body sculpting, treating varicose veins and hair and tattoo removal. When researchers at the Jaycee Burn Center in North Carolina followed the treatment and progress of 147 burn victims, they noted dramatic improvement in all patients. They theorize that innovative laser treatments may replace traditional methods of treatment and return far greater results. Related: How to Shift Your Mindset and Focus on Helping Others The life of a burn victim. Fire leaves terrible reminders on its victims -- thick, gnarled scars and discolored skin where grafts are taken to replace skin on the burned areas. There is no mistaking a burn victim. Fire is a life-altering event that happens all too often. Nancy Dohanos knows first-hand just how devastating fire can be. In 2009, a fire in her Ohio home left her badly burned, changing her life forever. Here's her story: My life changed in the blink of an eye. I woke from a nap to a small blaze of fire. I remember the heat on my hand as I tried to open the door. No luck. Before I could get out, fire was everywhere. I dashed into the bathroom. I remember wetting towels, climbing into the bathtub, and praying while thick, dark smoke filled the room. I spent the next three months in a coma. "I woke in a burn unit, bandaged head to toe, with no knowledge of what had happened. I was on heavy pain medications, and it took days to understand what had happened. Each day was filled with indescribable pain as the doctors and nurses worked to remove the burned skin and graft new skin over the burned areas. About 60 percent of my body was burned. "I still live in constant pain, and scarring covers most of my body. I've had a lot of surgery since. My heart goes out to the victims of this fire, because I know how hard it is to live after you've been burned. I used to swim 60 laps a day. I loved getting dressed up and going to dinner. Seven years has passed, and everything has changed now. But life goes on and so do I. "I sincerely hope the children in this story can be helped by laser treatment. Extensive scarring changes your life in ways most people can't imagine. Related: This 25-Year-Old Found Success When He Started Helping Others Succeed Corporate culture heroes. In a world overrun by news stories of corporate greed and malfeasance, it's refreshing to find a company that still values people over profits. "We believe that companies have an obligation to give back to those in need. We have seen first-hand the impact that our lasers can have on those who may otherwise not have access to the devices. The chance to take a Quanta laser to Armenia, train local doctors how to operate it, and then donate the device to the Arabkir Pediatric Hospital so it can bring healing for years to come -- that blesses us as much as it will the children of Armenia. -- Michael Sparks, CEO of Quanta Related: When Burn Victims Needed Help Most This Tech Company Stepped Up 7 Companies Empowering You to Give Gifts That Give Back 4 Psychological Triggers That Make People Like and Share Content Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Japan's ambassador to S.Korea returns over 'comfort woman' statue Japan,Politics, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS null Tokyo, Jan 9 (IANS) Japan's ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine returned to Tokyo on Monday over a controversial statue erected outside its consulate in Busan city, officials said. The Japanese government decided to temporarily recall him and another diplomat to protest the installation of the statue symbolising comfort women -- women who were forced to work as sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II, public broadcaster NHK reported. Nagamine told the media that it was extremely regrettable that the statue has been placed in front of the building. Japan is calling on South Korea to remove the statue, saying it runs counter to a 2015 bilateral agreement. The agreement says the countries will settle the issue of comfort women finally and irreversibly. However, South Korean officials have not announced any concrete measures to address the issue of the statue. A similar statue was also installed in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul. --IANS ksk/sac null Diaspora seeks more time to exchange old notes India,National,Politics,Diaspora,Business/Economy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Bengaluru, Jan 9 (IANS) The Diaspora comprising Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) has sought extension of the deadline to exchange or deposit the banned notes till December 31. "The deadline should be extended by six months till December 31 as all those having the banned notes will not come to India just to exchange or deposit them by June," Thomas Abraham, a NRI from Dubai, told IANS here. The government had on December 31 extended the deadline to June 30 for the diaspora to deposit or exchange the specified bank notes (old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000) after the November 8 demonetisation. Resident Indians travelling or living abroad temporarily have been given three months (up to March 31) to declare the banned notes they are carrying at airports on arrival before submitting them in designated Reserve Bank of India (RBI) offices across the country. "Though many of us may not hold huge amounts of the banned notes as we transact in local currency and the Indian rupee is not fully convertible, we should be given enough time to exchange them since most of us come to India once or twice in a year," Abraham said on the margins of the 14th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Another NRI from Oman said the government should allow the diaspora to deposit the banned notes at Indian embassies or high commissions and credit them in their bank accounts in case the deadline is not extendable after June 30. "The RBI or overseas branches of state-run banks like SBI (State Bank of India) should be advised to open counters at our embassies in all countries for depositing the banned notes whatever be their number as they are our hard-earned cash," said Gopalankutty Karnavar, a Muscat-based NRI from Kerala. Several overseas Indian delegates attending the three-day biennial jamboree said they normally keep or carry Rs 25,000-50,000 in cash when coming to India for contingencies despite having bank accounts and using debit/credit for payments or transactions. "We bring a few thousands of rupees with us whenever we fly to India for initial expenses at airports or food, local travel and purchases before converting dollars or other currencies," said Kanavar, a blue collar worker from Alappuzha in Kerala who heads the Malayli wing of the Indian social club in the Gulf country. The Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin also urged the government to extend the deadline to December 30, 2017, for exchanging or depositing the high denomination notes in RBI or SBI. Terming the note ban a welcome move, a majority of the diaspora said its implementation was, however, poor as their kith and kin were at the receiving end of the cash-crunch and the economic disruption. "If the high value notes were banned to fight black money, terror funding, fake currency and corruption, the move is laudable though it exposes the government's failure to curb the menace through its enforcing agencies," a US-based NRI told IANS on the condition of anonymity. Although Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday thanked the diaspora for supporting the note ban, many NRIs and IPOs said unlike their resident Indians they were not impacted by it as they don't transact in rupee, which is not fully convertible. "The sudden ban has taken us by surprise though not affected by it as the rupee is not used in our country and the value of our remittances is intact in our bank accounts," said James Mathew, an accountant in a private firm at Manama in Bahrain. --IANS fb/mr Syria government 'ready to negotiate on everything': Assad Syrian Arab Republic,Politics,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Damascus, Jan 9 (IANS) Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has said his government is ready to negotiate on "everything" in proposed peace talks with rebels later this month, Syrian news agency Sana reported on Monday. The talks, brokered by Russia and Turkey, are scheduled to take place in Kazakhstan before the end of January, but last week opposition groups said they had frozen the process in light of continued government strikes across the country. In an interview with the French media published by Sana news agency, Assad said it was not yet clear who would represent the opposition and no date had been set yet. The Syrian President accused the rebels of violating nationwide truce several times. Assad also defended the Army's push to recapture a rebel-held valley near Damascus where the main water supply to the capital had been turned off. Asked if he would be willing to step down as President -- a demand the rebels have insisted upon throughout the conflict, Assad said "Yes, but my position is related to the Constitution". "So, if they want to discuss this point, they have to discuss the Constitution, and it is not owned by the government or the President or by the opposition." The Syrian President said any constitutional matter must be put to a referendum, and it was up to the Syrian people to elect the President. Assad, in reference to the bombing of east Aleppo, called "every war bad". "Every war is about the killing and destruction. But how can you liberate the civilians in those (rebel-held) areas from the terrorists? Is it better to leave them under their oppression, where their fate is defined by those terrorists by beheading, by killing, by everything but not having a state? "...Is that the role of the state, just to keep and watch? You have to liberate, and this is the price some times (the death of civilians)," he said. Assad's position in the war has been significantly bolstered following the recapture of the northern city of Aleppo in December, which was the last rebel urban stronghold in the country. The UN has said the relentless Russian-backed bombardment of besieged rebel-controlled neighbourhoods, which appeared to target civilian infrastructure such as hospitals and bakeries, could amount to war crimes. Several rounds of talks brokered by the UN have so far failed to bring cessation to the almost six-year-long conflict. --IANS soni/dg IS ideology has reached Philippines, says Duterte Philippines,Politics,Defence/Security,Terrorism, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Manila, Jan 9 (IANS) The brutal and violent ideology of the Islamic State militant group has reached the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday. "The IS ideology is here to stay," Xinhua news agency quoted Duterte as saying. He said terrorist groups are using illegal drugs to fund their organisations on Mindanao island in southern Philippines. Philippine national police chief Ronald dela Rosa told the media on Monday that security forces were monitoring the possible presence of five to 10 foreign terrorists in the country. He said the authorities have received information that foreign terrorists were training in the Philippines before their deployment in Syria. Dela Rosa said a foreign man and his wife were killed in a police operation in Mindanao on Saturday. Abu Naila, the slain suspect, was a Sudanese national and member of jihadist group Ansar Al-Khilafa. Duterte confirmed on November 28 last that IS militants have connected with a Philippine Islamic group called Maute. The armed forces of the Philippines blamed Maute for a series of bombings and robberies in the southern part of the country, including a blast in Davao city last year in which 15 people were killed and 70 others injured. --IANS py/dg New York Life to invest Rs 121 cr in Max Ventures Tamil Nadu,National,Business/Economy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Chennai, Jan 9 (IANS) US-based New York Life Insurance Company's subsidiary will acquire 22.51 per cent stake in Max Ventures and Industries Ltd for Rs 121 crore at Rs 78 per share, the Indian company said on Monday. In a statement, Max Ventures said that subject to company shareholders' approval, a subsidiary of New York Life would acquire the stakes. The stake acquirer would also nominate its nominee on the board of Max Ventures. The Max Ventures board also proposed allotment of share warrants to promoters equal to 4.76 per cent stake of the post-issue share capital. These share warrants will be issued at Rs 78 per warrant aggregating to Rs 26.9 crore and will be convertible into equivalent equity shares within 18 months. Post conversion, the promoter group's stake in the company would be around 38.02 per cent. "Max has a long standing relationship with New York Life. The company was our first major partner when Max was reinvented as a service oriented company in 2001," Analjit Singh, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Max Group and Chairman of Max Ventures was quoted as saying in the statement. According to Sahil Vachani, Managing Director of Max Ventures, the funds coming into the company will be invested in manufacturing, real estate development and education, and will provide intellectual and financial capital to promising and proven early-stage organisations. New York Life and the Max Group have a longstanding association. In 2001, the two entities partnered to set up Max New York Life - one of India's largest private life insurance companies. In 2012, New York Life sold its 26 per cent stake in Max New York Life to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd., after which the life insurance company was renamed Max Life. --IANS vj/vd China slams US for hosting Taiwan President China,Politics,Diplomacy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Beijing, Jan 9 (IANS) China on Monday slammed the US for allowing Taiwan President Tsai Ing-Wen to meet American officials, warning Washington its ties with Beijing will be hit if it didn't stick to "One China Policy." China is opposed to the Taiwan leader's contact with US officials in any form, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency. The Taiwan President halted in the US on her way to Central America. "We urge the US and relevant people to stick to the One China policy and the three China-US joint communiques, and carefully handle issues related to Taiwan, in order not to harm China-US relations and cross-Strait peace and prosperity," Lu said Amid China's strong objections to Tsai's plan to visit the US, the first woman President of the self-governed island met Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Senator Ted Cruz. Taiwan is a breakaway island which China claims as its own and objects to any country keeping diplomatic ties with Taipei. Ties between US and China -- the world's two largest economies -- have been sliding after President-elect Donald J. Trump spoke to Tsai on the phone. No US President has spoken to Taiwan's head since 1979. The two countries have traded barbs ever since the Trump-Tsai telephonic talk. --IANS gsh/mr Portuguese PM should apologise for atrocities committed in Goa: MGP Goa,National,Politics, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Panaji, Jan 9 (IANS) The Portuguese Prime Minister should apologise for the atrocities committed on its former Goa colony and the consulate should be shifted out of the state, a former minister said on Monday. "He should first apologise to Goans first, for all the hardships and atrocities Portugal has committed in Goa while they were ruling," MGP's Chief Ministerial candidate and former PWD Minister Sudin Dhavalikar told reporters in Panaji. "The amount of destruction they also did while leaving Goa in 1961 by blowing up bridges and the mayhem they orchestrated is unforgivable," Dhavalikar said. His comments come a day before Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, who is of Goan origin, is scheduled to visit the state. Dhavalikar however said, that the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party would not protest against Costa's visit because "he is a son of the soil visiting his home state". The minister also said that the reason why Goans were seeking a Portuguese passport was because of the presence of the consulate in the state and demanded that it be shifted. "They are trying to lure our youth with the help of the consulate. It should be shifted out of Goa immediately," he said. Goa was one of Portugal's oldest colonies and was liberated by the Indian Army from colonial in 1961. After the liberation, all Goan natives were granted Indian citizenship by the union home ministry via a common notification. --IANS maya/ksk/vm Seoul warns against Pyongyang's threats of ballistic missile launch South Korea,Defence/Security,Diplomacy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Seoul, Jan 9 (IANS) South Korea on Monday warned against North Korea's possible launch of a long-range missile, saying it would bring stronger sanctions and pressure from the international community. North Korea will bring about pressure and sanctions if it launches an intercontinental ballistic missile, Xinhua news agency quoted Seoul's unification ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee as saying. The ministry's remarks comes after North Korea has announced to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile "anytime and anywhere". Pyongyang has also accused the US of spurring on its nuclear development programme, according to a Foreign Ministry spokesman, as cited by official news agency KCNA on Monday. While Jeong urged Pyongyang to return to the denuclearization path that would benefit North Korea itself, the communist nation said the missile programme was part of North Korea's response to the "increasingly perverse nuclear threat" posed by the US. According to the Seoul ministry, there has been no specific sign detected yet of North Korea's possible missile test-launches. South Korea's military said it was closely watching whether North Korea would test-launch its long-range missile. Defence Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun said Seoul's military was closely trailing and monitoring Pyongyang's possible launch of intercontinental missile such as KN-08 or its enhanced version KN-14. He said North Korea may use a variety of events to celebrate anniversaries scheduled for this year. Top North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said in his new year's speech that Pyongyang entered a final stage in preparations to test-launch a long-range ballistic rocket. The Defence Ministry spokesperson expressed regrets over the leader's remarks violating the UN Security Council resolutions, which prohibit the country from testing any ballistic missile technology. --IANS py/vm BMW 'absolutely committed' to new Mexican plant Germany,Politics,Business/Economy, Mon, 09 Jan 2017 IANS Berlin, Jan 9 (IANS) German luxury vehicle manufacturer BMW has said that it was "absolutely" committed to a new plant in Mexico despite US President-elect Donald Trump's hostility to imported cars, a media report said on Monday. BMW Sales and Marketing Director Ian Robertson told the BBC that the firm was "absolutely" committed its new plant in San Luis Potosi, which will make its 3 Series cars for sale across North America. He added that the company was investing $1 billion in its plant in South Carolina and pointed out that BMW was the biggest exporter of cars, in terms of value, from the US. "I don't think there's any discussion that BMW is not at home in the US. Yes we are building a plant in Mexico. Yes we built a plant in Brazil last year. Yes we are building plants in other parts of the world as our capacity increases. But that's part of a normal strategic manufacturing direction," Robertson said. Trump has threatened to impose a "border" tax on firms that make cars in Mexico for the US market. Last week, Trump criticised General Motors for building cars in Mexico for the US market. "General Motors is sending Mexican-made model of Chevy Cruze to US car dealers tax-free across border. Make in USA or pay big border tax!" he tweeted. He also threatened Toyota with a border tax if it went a head with a plant in Mexico. On Sunday Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announced a $1 billion plan to produce three Jeep models in the US, the BBC said. FCA will also move the production of a Ram pickup truck from Mexico to the US. --IANS ksk/vm CHICAGO, IL, Jan. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Boyd Group") today announced the January 6, 2017 opening of a collision repair location in Monroe, North Carolina. The location previously operated as Griffin Motors Collision Center and shares a location with an automobile dealership. Monroe is located about 25 miles southeast from Charlotte, the largest city in North Carolina. "We are pleased to add this location which will help us serve customers and our insurance partners in the southeast region of metropolitan Charlotte and complements our locations in the central, north and west areas of the city," said Tim O'Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group. "Additionally, this repair center being co-located with a car dealership gives us a prime opportunity to introduce dealership customers to our high level of quality and service." The Boyd Group is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. Interested collision repair center owners are asked to contact Kim Allen at the contact coordinates below for more information. About The Boyd Group Inc. The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Company"), directly and through subsidiaries, is one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centers in North America in terms of number of locations and sales. The Company operates locations in five Canadian provinces under the trade name Boyd Autobody & Glass (http://www.boydautobody.com), as well as in 20 U.S. states under the trade name Gerber Collision & Glass (http://www.gerbercollision.com). The Company uses newly acquired brand names during a transition period until acquired locations have been rebranded. The Company is also a major retail auto glass operator in the U.S. with locations across 31 U.S. states under the trade names Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority and Autoglassonly.com. The Company also operates a third party administrator, Gerber National Claims Services ("GNCS") that offers glass, emergency roadside and first notice of loss services. GNCS has approximately 5,500 affiliated glass provider locations and 4,600 affiliated emergency roadside services providers throughout the U.S. For more information on The Boyd Group Inc. or Boyd Group Income Fund, please visit our website at (http://www.boydgroup.com). SOURCE Gerber Collision & Glass For further information: Stephen Boyd, Vice President, Corporate Development, Tel: (204) 594-1776, [email protected]; Kim Allen, Director of Business Development, Tel: (847) 410-6003, [email protected] A DARPA-backed small business effort broke boundaries for long-endurance flight this month by launching a uniquely designed, combustion-powered unmanned aircraft that stayed aloft for more than two days and two nights. The flight was terminated several days ahead of schedule because of incoming weather. But the craftbuilt by Vanilla Aircraft of Falls Church, Virginialanded safely with more than half its fuel still onboard, suggesting it is capable of setting additional records for powered flight in its weight and power class and could ultimately offer important new capabilities to ground forces and others. Small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are an increasingly important means for military forcesespecially small dismounted unitsto bring extra communications or intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities to the field. Current designs, however, offer relatively limited range and flight endurance; additionally, their need for frequent refueling, specialized launch and recovery equipment, and regular maintenance often limit them to flying from fixed bases close to the front lines. Vanillas propeller-driven VA001 is designed to carry a 30-pound payload at 15,000 feet for up to 10 days without refueling. The VA001 started its historic flight on the morning of November 30, 2016 at New Mexico State Universitys Unmanned Air Systems Flight Test Center near Las Cruces International Airport. For nearly 56 hours, the plane flew at an altitude between 6,500 feet and 7,500 feet above sea level, averaging 57 knots before landing on the afternoon of December 2. The Vanilla Aircraft VA001, a small diesel-powered airplane under development through DARPA (left), flew for 56 hours recently over Las Cruces, New Mexico (right), setting a new world record for flight duration for its weight class. The airplane is designed to ultimately carry a 30-pound payload at 15,000 feet for up to 10 days without refueling. A representative from the National Aeronautic Associationthe organization that verifies and tracks flight-related world recordscertified the flight as achieving the world duration record for combustion-powered UAVs in the 50 kg-500 kg subclass (FAI Class U-1.c Group 1). Moreover, the flight was the fourth-longest for any unmanned airplane and the 11th-longest for an airplane of any type (manned or unmanned, solar or fuel-powered). This record-breaking flight demonstrated the feasibility of designing a low-cost UAV able to take off from one side of a continent, fly to the other, perform its duties for a week, and come backall on the same tank of fuel, said Jean-Charles Lede, DARPA program manager. This capability would help extend the footprint of small units by providing scalable, persistent UAV-based communications and ISR coverage without forward basing, thereby reducing personnel and operating costs. Were very pleased with what the Vanilla team has accomplished. SOURCES DARPA In 2011 Nextbigfuture projected a Mundane Singularity, where certain emerging technologies would start to have development and impact by Dec 2016. The biggest areas for disruption over the next 5 years are Neuromorphic chips, quantum computers, photonics, AI This will combine with robotics (self driving cars, transformed factories) and additive manufacturing to disrupt cities and industries. Big disruption over the next ten years is likely from a true space age via reusable rockets and robotics and additive manufacturing in space new materials (3D graphene, solid metallic hydrogen, high ZT thermoelectrics, possible room temperature superconductors) Supersmartphones, exoskeletons and wearable systems including power clothing could provide mobility for hundreds of millions of senior citizens True molecular nanotechnology could also emerge and disrupt over the next ten years More advanced nanotechnology could boost genetic engineering, advanced medicine, DNA nanotechnology and DNA nanomedicine 1. Pro-growth Policies. In 2011 NBF said to skip this theoretically achievable capability because it depended upon the 2012 and other elections and politics. This was correct in that pro-growth policies were not effectively implemented. World economic growth has slowed. 2. Energy Efficiency superconductors, thermoelectrics, improved grid Superconductors are about a $3.4 billion market. They continue to make technical improvements and product improvements. They have not had disruptive impact or growth. Phononic Devices makes thermoelectric cooling and refrigeration technology that uses solid-state semiconductor technology. They have a Dec 2016 valuation of $284 million. There has been the development of thermoelectric materials in paintable form There was the discovery (but not the commercialization) of a thermoelectric with a figure of merit over 7. The new thermoelectrics could have the potential for disruptive impact but probably around the 2026 timeframe. China currently has 17 UHV (Ultra High Voltage) transmission lines in operation or under construction Most of those lines are meant to connect to the massive hydro dams in the west of China. But many are riding to the rescue of that stranded wind and solar. China has proposed building out a $50 trillion Asia and Europe wide electrical grid by 2050 3. Energy Revolution Mass produced fission, fusion, and maybe cold fusion Chinas pebble bed reactor was delayed from 2015 but is nearing completion. Chinas HTR-PM (high temperature pebble bed nuclear reactor) project is squarely aimed at being a cost-effective solution that will virtually eliminate air pollution and CO2 production from selected units of Chinas large installed base of modern 600 MWe supercritical coal plants. It is a deployment program with the first of a kind commercial demonstration approaching construction completion and commercial operation by mid to late 2018. Major parts of the machinery will be able to be merged into the existing infrastructure. There is a proposal to construct two 600 MWe HTR plants each featuring three twin reactor and turbine units at Ruijin city in Chinas Jiangxi province passed a preliminary feasibility review in early 2015. The design of the Ruijin HTRs is based on the smaller Shidaowan demonstration HTR-PM. Construction of the Ruijin reactors is expected to start next year, with grid connection in 2021. Converting to nuclear power for just the burner could be done for 300-400 plants at the cost of about $1.2 billion for each that is about 600MW in size. This could be achievable by about 2040. There are many nuclear fusion projects but they have not achieved true breakeven and are not likely to commercialize in the next ten years. General Fusion targeting commercial reactor for 2025 and funding does not seem to be a problem. Tri-alpha Energy Raised about $140 million + Rusnano investment. Best funded of the smaller players Helion energy has raised about $20 million in recent years. They will need $200 million for its pilot plant stage. The LPP Fusion approach uses a device called a dense plasma focus (DPF) to burn aneutronic fusion fuels that make no radioactive waste, a combination LPP calls Focus Fusion. They are not well funded but continue to push ahead working to resolve technical issues. Nextbigfuture tracks all of the nuclear fusion projects Molten salt nuclear fission reactors are an area of active development. Canada-based Terrestrial Energy Inc (TEI) has designed the Integral MSR. This simplified MSR integrates the primary reactor components, including primary heat exchangers to secondary clean salt circuit, in a sealed and replaceable core vessel that has a projected life of seven years. These will have far less unburned fuel (aka nuclear waste). China is developing molten salt reactors as well. Both Terrestrial Energy and China should have operational reactors in the 2020s. Cold Fusion aka Low Energy Nuclear Reactions Rossi Energy Catalyzer continues to make claims. Blacklight Brilliant Light Power makes claims. 4. Additive manufacturing Additive manufacturing is about a $6 billion industry with 25% per year growth 5. Not so mundane neuromorphic chips, quantum computers, photonics, AI There are commercialized neuromorphic chips, quantum computers and photonic computers. Universal quantum computers could breakout over the next 5 years. Supercomputers are merging with AI work and Optalysis could make a multi-exaflop photonic computer by 2022. 6. Automated transportation (leading to robotic cars and planes) See robotics. 7. Urbanization MegaCities China is investing tens of billions to integrate several megacities (Yangtze Delta region around Shanghai, Jing-jin-ji around Beijing and the Pearl River Delta. 8. Urbanization Broad Group skyscrapers, Tata flat packed buildings Broad group did make about 30 some factory produced module construction buildings and even one that is about 60 stories tall. However, other skyscraper builders have blocked the SkyCity 200+ story building. 9. Robotics Robotics are being used for self driving cars. There are tests of self driving cars by Uber. Robotic are being used by Foxconn to create fully automated factories 60,000 Foxconn jobs were automated in early 2016 10. Hyperbroadband Gigabit internet and multi-gigabit internet has had some deployments in some cities. Widespread availability could be possible with new long duration drones, stratospheric balloons and massive new satellite networks. There is a chance and perhaps likelihood of such deployments over the next 5 years. There is also the likelihood of 5G and next generation wireless providing last mile gigabit internet. 11. Supermaterials There is new 3D versions of graphene. There is the possible of solid metallic hydrogen. 12. Improve medicine and public health See item 14. 13. Space Spacex is having large impact with lower cost launches. Nextbigfuture laid out a possible true space age emerging over the next ten years By 2027, we can have * highly efficient and low cost launch with fully reusable rockets * water ice mining from the moon and other resources from the asteroids * Robotic and teleoperated construction in orbits, moon and near earth asteroids * expandable space stations * construction of large telescope, solar power and other structures Critical space costs could drop by 100 to 1000 times. Lower cost reusable launches will greatly lower costs Water and other resources from the moon will lower costs Capabilities will ramp up and further lower costs. 14. Synthetic biology and recombineering There are many multi-billion companies developing genetic engineering medical treatments, iRNA treatments and other advanced biology approaches. 15. Sensors everywhere The Internet of things has not ramped up or had as much as previously predicted. 16. Education transformed and accelerated innovation Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) market size was projected to grow from USD 1.83 Billion in 2015 to USD 8.50 Billion by 2020. 17. Supersmartphones, exoskeletons and wearable systems Modular exoskeletons and power clothing could become affordable and effective means of providing mobility to tens of millions of seniors with mobility issues. Products are being released now and over the next few years. Video games like next generation nintendo games will likely drive widespread wearable system adoption. 18. Memristors and other significant computing and electronic improvements. HP memristors were delayed. Startup Knowm is selling memristor devices to improve artificial intelligence processing. Knowms memristor is a learning processor that works alongside existing CPUs rather than a stand-alone processor, and is geared toward sales to researchers rather than for commercial applications Assad says next stage in Syria war not easy From:chinadaily | 2017-01-09 09:46 Syrians receive UN relief aid in the town of Muadamiyeh, countryside of Damascus, capital of Syria, on Jan 7, 2017. The town of Muadamiyeh witnessed reconciliation between the government and the rebels last year, under which aid convoys must enter the town regularly. [Photo/Xinhua] DAMASCUS - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Sunday that the next stage of the Syria war after the liberation of Aleppo city won't be easy given the Western continuing support to terrorist groups, state news agency SANA reported."The Western powers as well as their tools and agents in the region are carrying on with supporting the terrorist organizations," Assad said.He also said recapturing the entire Aleppo city from rebel groups represents an "important station toward the victory in the war imposed in Syria."Assad's remarks came during his meeting with the visiting Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani."Syria, with the help from its friends, mainly Iran and Russia, is moving forward in doing whatever it takes to provide the suitable ground to find a solution, through which the Syrians could determine the future of their country without foreign intervention," he told Shamkhani.For his part, Shamkhani made it clear that his country will spare no effort to support Syria and frustrate any "terrorist scheme and its backers" since counter-terror is a "decisive issue not only for Syria but the entire regional countries."Iran, the main regional ally of the Syrian government, has recently strengthened its diplomatic engagements with Syria, as Alaeddin Boroujerdi, the chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security commission, visited Damascus last week, and Syrian foreign ministry officials visited Tehran in the same period.The diplomatic shuttling apparently aims at coordinating stances between the two countries ahead of the Russian-Turkish planned Syria peace talks in Astana later this month.During his latest visit to Syria, Boroujerdi said that Iran supports the upcoming Syria talks in Astana, which were expected to bring, for the first time, representatives from both the Syrian government and the rebels together, as previous failed talks in Geneva were only between the government and the exiled political opposition.Experts say high expectations are held for the new talks as the United States will not be part of the supervising team, as the Assad government is still deeming the Western support to the rebels as what is behind the ongoing conflict.On Sunday, Assad also met with a visiting French delegation including a number of French lawmakers and intellectuals.During the meeting Assad said that France's current policy is disconnected from the reality about the war in Syria.He stressed that the policy has helped inflame the situation through support to "terrorist organizations," which, he said, have become a threat, not only to Syria but the Western countries alike.The French delegation said what they have learnt about Syria contains a great deal of distortions to the truth.A day earlier, the French delegation arrived in Aleppo on an airplane, the first civilian plane to land at the Aleppo airport in four years.The rebels in the countryside of Aleppo fired several rockets on the airport after the delegation deplaned, causing a delay in their flight to Damascus. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday defended the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, on Monday defended the Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari.Kyari was alleged have enjoyed the High Commission to the United Kingdoms financial support with report claiming the Commission paid his medical bills.Speaking with State House correspondents at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Onyeama said the report was false.He said Kyari has not had any contact with the Commission since assumption of office as President Buharis Chief of Staff.The minister said: Because a lot of people do not bring libel cases against media houses, they think they can write whatever they like.The report was a blatant falsehood , really defamatory. As we all know, in most of these industrialized countries, if you want medical treatment, or hospital room reserved for you, they will require medical insurance of that country.If you do not have, they will require a deposit or a guarantee. Our embassies and high commissions around the world are there to assist Nigerians.All that happened in the case of the chief of Staff when he went to the UK for medical treatment was that before he arrived, the High Commission guaranteed that he will pay his hospital bills and that was all.A letter was written to the hospital that this person is a high official and we guarantee that he will settle his bill.On that basis, they reserved a hospital room for him and afterwards, he settled his bill. During the time he was in London, he never asked the Commission to even provide a car for him. He made his arrangements.It is extremely unfair that such defamatory article would have come out. It has no iota of truth in it.He had never made any contact with the UK for the one and a half years he has been in office. Int'l students paint patterns on umbrellas to greet Year of Rooster From:Xinhua | 2017-01-09 11:46 Photo taken on Jan. 8, 2017 shows oil-paper umbrellas painted by international students and volunteers in Liaocheng, east China's Shandong Province. Volunteers from the Academy of Arts of Liaocheng University and students from Jordan and Ethiopia on Sunday painted patterns involving rooster on oil-paper umbrellas to greet the upcoming Chinese lunar New Year of Rooster, which falls on Jan. 28 this year. (Xinhua/Zhao Yuguo) So much quicker to Kunming From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-01-06 11:13 Passengers at Hongqiao Railway Station celebrating before setting off on the maiden high-speed train journey from Shanghai to Kunming. Wang Rongjiang Nearly 540 passengers went on the first high-speed train from Shanghai to southwestern Yunnans Kunming City, departing from Hongqiao Railway Station at 8:55am yesterday. The high-speed service Shanghai-Kunming line 2,252 km in length traverses five provinces Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Hunan, Guizhou and Yunnan and cuts travel time between the two cities by two thirds, to 10 hours and 36 minutes compared with the regular train times. Kunming is known as Spring City thanks to its clement weather, and the newly connected Shanghai-Kunming high-speed railway has been nicknamed the most beautiful railway by Chinese online users, because of the spectacular scenery along the line. However, with the forthcoming Spring Festival travel rush, most passengers on yesterdays train were not tourists, but people wanting to get home early for festival reunions. Im going to take my granddaughter to home for the Spring Festival this time, said a man surnamed Liu, 65. We used to travel by the regular trains, which take about 30 hours from Shanghai to Kunming. You would have to stay two nights on the train. In the first State Council meeting on Jan 4, 2017, Premier Li Keqiang called for more efforts from all ministries to accelerate stable transformation toward new growth momentum, and promote prosperous development of primary, secondary and tertiary industries. Cultivation of new momentum and upgrade of traditional industries is an important way to promote economic restructuring and boost the real economy, said Premier Li. The Premier added that the government should make efforts to promote the supply-side reform and retire outdated and excessive capacity, while advancing upgrade of traditional industries, especially the real economy. He stressed that the new economy, business patterns, and momentum should support restructuring of traditional industries, especially the real economy, and help meet peoples rising consumption demands. The Premier said that consumption has triggered many revolutionary changes in history, and similarly, direct orders from todays online stores are driving the growth of a large number of manufacturing plants. Old and new growth momentums are inseparable. The new economy and momentum should not only generate new technologies and business patterns, but also promote the revitalization of traditional industries, said Premier Li. Currently, part of the real economy driven by traditional engines is not able to adapt to the market changes, so this is where the new momentum and economy have a role to play, he said. According to the Premier, the real economy is a concept relative to the virtual economy, covering primary, secondary and tertiary industries. As industries of the new economy, online stores and logistics are also part of the real economy, contributing to sales as well as production, said Premier Li, adding that development of the new economy and new momentum is not only building a new growth engine, but also upgrading the traditional industries. The Premier urged the leaders of ministries to be flexible in regulating new industries and business models, to ensure stable and coordinated economic transformation. Flexibility, said Premier Li, means the government should provide better services to enable new business patterns to drive the upgrades and development of traditional industries. While cutting outdated capacity, more efforts should be made to promote mass entrepreneurship and innovation, and lift traditional industries to a medium and high level based on strategies of Made in China 2025 and internet Plus, he said. The government should innovate administration, optimize services, and take effective measures to reduce burdens of enterprises, paving the way for the development of the real economy, said Premier Li. The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts. 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. He might be the favourite to replace Blake Green, but Storm superstar-in-the-making Cameron Munster says his switch to five-eighth is far from being finalised. Green's move to the Sea Eagles has opened the door for Munster to play in the halves, but the 22-year-old believes there is plenty of competition standing in his way. Munster has played all but one of his 44 first-grade games at fullback, but is no stranger to the halves having played there in the lower grades. "I've been training at five-eighth, a couple of other boys have been training there as well," he told Storm TV. "We've got a couple of good young talents coming through. We've got Brodie Croft, Scott Drinkwater. Jahrome Hughes is still injured at the moment but when he comes back he's a good talent as well. Curtis Scott is really training well this pre-season so we've got a couple of options. "That [number] six hasn't really been cemented yet. It'll depend on the trials and how well we go during pre-season." If Munster does move to the halves next season, Storm fans needn't worry about who will replace him at the back with star fullback Billy Slater on track to make his return after back-to-back season-ending shoulder injuries. [2016] Player Stats: Telstra Premiership: Cameron Munster Slater has played a key role at Storm pre-season training with experienced heads Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk and Jesse Bromwich on an extended break following Four Nations commitments, and his impact on the rest of the team has been telling. "He's had a couple of injuries the last couple of years, and I really feel for him. He's a really good bloke and an even better player," Munster said. "He's been training really well, and with him out there with his talk and his communication, just being around him makes you want to be a better player. "That is when everyone gets the best out of themselves, having guys like him, 'Coops' and 'Smithy' around." While Melbourne's 'big three' have traditionally led the way on and off the field through their unwavering professionalism, Munster said he was looking forward to becoming more of a leader in 2017. "Obviously losing Marika Koroibete and Blake Green and Kevin Proctor, they're massive shoes to fill," he said. "I guess us younger boys have got to step up a little bit now, and I guess that middle-age group like me and some of the other boys have got to step up this year and play a bit more consistently to show the younger boys and try to be a mentor for them." Video first featured at melbournestorm.com.au Northwest Indiana is known for making things: steel, gasoline, soap, turbine castings, lift trucks, robotic welding machines, car parts, cardboard boxes, lunch meat, you name it. But the Region has been getting as brainy as it is brawny. Long known as a center of heavy manufacturing, the Calumet Region is increasingly becoming an exporter of high-end knowledge. Advanced manufacturers such as Monosol, Fronius, Urschel Labs, Task Force Tips and Tri-State Industries focus more on innovation and intellectual property than just cranking out ton after ton of basic commodities. The ArcelorMittal Global R&D laboratory in East Chicago is an international leader in metals research, while Purdue University Northwests Center for Visualization and Simulation is spearheading a national consortium aimed at bringing the steel industry into the 21st century. And Merrillville-based Cimcor has spread its computer security software around the globe. International market lifts Cimcor Founded nearly 20 years ago, Cimcor develops security and compliance software branded as CimTrak, which allows users to monitor file integrity in real-time to track any changes. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, NASA, the U.S. Air Force and Cornell University. Right now we are selling in 16 different countries, Cimcor President and Chief Executive Officer Robert Johnson III said. We are doing that through a network of resellers and putting time and effort to sell in each market most effectively. Were partnering with key distributors in strategic markets. Cimcor first made the decision to expand internationally about six or seven years ago. Johnson, a member of the Purdue Calumet Alumni Association, wanted to diversify the client base. There wasnt a real reason to stay in the United States, he said. Our software will protect servers anywhere. Its just as effective in Europe or South America, and the need is there. Many of the companies Cimcor already did business with were international in scale, and already present in foreign markets the cybersecurity firm has since branched out into. The great thing about being a technology company is there arent the traditional boundaries, he said. There arent any boundaries other than artificial ones we set for ourselves. We approach the global market in a smart way, by leveraging partnerships and relationships. The company has local partners in each foreign country who know the native language and can work out any local problems. They cultivate long-term relationships in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Denmark, Poland and Brazil. Cimcor initially aimed to expand in China, but had trouble making the relationships needed to penetrate the market and has only a few customers there now. The firm has, however, seen its overall international business take off, to the point where foreign customers now account for about 40 percent of Cimcor's total revenue. The company has business opportunities whenever foreign governments impose new regulations that must be complied with, such as when Japan rolled out new banking rules known as J-Sox a few years ago. But its also had growth driven by the private sector, including when Visa, Mastercard and American Express partnered to devise new standards for retailers storing customers information so it wouldnt get hacked. If theyre not compliant with the PCI (payment card industry) security standards in an audit, they lose their ability to process credit card transactions, Johnson said. Globally, thats driven a lot of business for us. Cimcor hopes to continue to grow internationally and eyes established marketplaces with sophisticated economic systems and a lot of credit card transactions. The ideal market has a sophisticated regulatory environment, he said. Driving global steel innovation Over the last several years, ArcelorMittal Global R&D in East Chicago has labored to create new markets for the steel industry that built Northwest Indiana into what it is today. "We combine our resources here in East Chicago with those at our centers throughout the world to develop new steel products and solutions for our customers," General Manager Pinakin Chaubal said. "Generally, all of the practical experience gained globally is then applied to the region where the innovation will originally launch. The first requirement of the global marketplace is steadily increasing in the United States. So, East Chicago not only plays an important role in initial research and development of those new products, but also on the trials and implementation before it is cascaded to other regions." For example, changing consumer preferences and federal emissions mandates have led to a race to make motor vehicles lighter. By 2025, they have to be about twice as fuel-efficient as they are today. Automakers have looked at a number of ways to reduce weight, such as by incorporating more lighter metals like aluminum. The best-selling Ford F-150 for instance switched to an aluminum frame, making it about 700 pounds lighter. ArcelorMittal and other steelmakers have sought to preserve their market share in the face of such challenges. The auto industry makes up a huge chunk of their overall business, more than 27 percent according to the American Iron and Steel Institute. Researchers at the R&D center in East Chicago have been developing new grades of advanced high-strength steel, so structural crash protection can be provided but with less weight. They helped design a new high-strength steel door ring for the Honda Acura MDX that helps shave 123 pounds off the vehicles weight. "There is global collaboration in the development of third-generation advanced high strength steels for the automotive industry," Chaubal said. "But the first commercial launch of these new products will take place in the United States, so the East Chicago R&D facility plays a critical role in the testing and trials that take place both in the lab and at our U.S. facilities where they will be produced. Those learnings are then shared with Europe and other regions for implementation outside of North America." About 200 scientists and technicians in East Chicago test the durability, formability and other properties of new grades of steel. Buoyed by ArcelorMittals $227 million in annual spending on R&D, the researchers on the sprawling campus near Cline Avenue and Columbus Drive have come up with a steel bridge that wont corrode in 125 years, pipeline steels designed to prevent explosions, railroad oil tank cars that dont puncture, and highway safety barriers that would replace concrete with steel in densely populated areas. "Another example is the development of advanced steel grades for the energy market, for which there have been contributions made from our labs all over the globe," Chaubal said. "However, the implementation is here, so the work is now being led by East Chicago. While product is what everyone is most enthusiastic about, there is important work being done in the East Chicago lab to improve the reliability and efficiency of our processes." Simulating tomorrow's technology ArcelorMittal is a huge global company, in fact the worlds largest steelmaker by volume. But the Luxembourg-based steel and mining giant, which made 92.5 million tons of steel in 2015, doesnt operate the only research facility for the steel industry in Northwest Indiana. The Center for Innovation through Visualization and Simulation at Purdue University Northwests Hammond campus is leading a national steel consortium that seeks to devise manufacturing solutions for steelmakers across the country. A $480,000 federal grant seeded the initiative that seeks to make domestic steelmakers more efficient and thus more competitive in an increasingly cutthroat global marketplace. ArcelorMittal USA, U.S. Steel, Nucor, Steel Dynamics, Praxair, NIPSCO, Cliffs Natural Resources and other steel companies are backing the consortium. Researchers, who work in teams of three at PNWs Hammond campus, are tackling problems like how to get blast furnaces to be more energy-efficient. They work on general solutions for an industry that foresees sweeping changes such as more continuous operating in finishing lines and replacing coke with cleaner-burning natural gas in steelmaking. Initially, CIVS researchers have been studying ways to make improvements to blast furnaces, electric arc furnaces, reheating furnaces, ladles, casting and the primary coating process, Director Chenn Zhou said. Were looking at processes that will have an effect on the bottom line, productivity and quality, she said. The consortium should have a big impact for its members. Steelmakers recently gathered at the Hammond campus for an annual steel consortium meeting, so they could get an update. The goal is to get old-fashioned businesses to modernize, such as by using virtual employee training programs and simulations that could lead to a more efficient use of the raw materials used to forge iron. Its about innovative solutions, Zhou said. Were looking to transform the industry with more technology and data-driven intelligence. Technology is needed to ensure competitiveness for U.S. steel manufacturing in the world. Individual steelmakers could go it alone, but a unified approach will help tackle some of their biggest problems at a lower R&D cost. There are global challenges, Zhou said. If the industry works together on blast furnace performance, that will not only have application in Northwest Indiana but mean more productivity, more energy efficiency and fewer emissions everywhere. It will affect the bottom line, and save money. HAMMOND Two people were wounded in a shooting early Monday after leaving a Hessville bar, police said. A 22-year-old Olympia Fields woman and 27-year-old Chicago man visited Flick's Tap, 6400 Kennedy Ave., with another couple, Hammond police Lt. Richard Hoyda said. The victims and the other couple allegedly became targets of another group inside the bar, Hoyda said. At least one person from the rival group followed the couple out of the bar and shot at them as they attempted to leave in a silver Ford Fusion, Hoyda said. As the couple tried to escape, they apparently hit a light pole in the 2700 block of 165th Street, Hoyda said. The second couple, who also fled the bar, came upon the crash scene and drove the first couple to a local hospital for medical treatment, Hoyda said. Police arrived at 1:54 a.m. to investigate, but found no vehicles involved in a crash in the area. A short time later, police were notified of the shooting at Flick's. The man and woman's gunshot wounds were serious but not believed to be life-threatening, police said. The man who shot them might have been black and in his 20s, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call Sgt. Dan Bates at 219-852-2979. Callers may remain anonymous. LAPORTE A LaPorte County man exchanged nude pictures with scores of young girls he also tried luring to his home, police said. So far, there's no evidence any of the girls showed up at his residence, according to authorities, who said as many as 100 pictures of girls in various stages of undress and explicit poses were on his computer. Also recovered from his hard drive were improper conversations he allegedly had with girls from several states, police said. Sean McShane, 48, of Fish Lake, is charged in LaPorte Circuit Court with child solicitation and vicarious sexual gratification, both level 5 felonies, and possession of child pornography, a level 6 felony. According to court records, the LaPorte County Internet Crimes Against Children unit got involved Sept. 20 when contacted by authorities in Berrien County, Michigan, about a woman who discovered her 14-year old daughter had been chatting and sending pictures of herself to middle aged men on the family's living room computer. One of the men was identified as McShane, who investigators interviewed at his home. McShane said he had been chatting with 24 girls at a time and has been attracted to young girls for "3 to 5 years," court documents said. McShane offered to buy things for the girls and cook their favorite meals if they came over, but it appears none accepted his invitations, police said. McShane told police the girls were from "all over" in states including Ohio, North Carolina and Texas, and despite being told their young age he continued engaging in the conversations, according to court records. It's alleged McShane made his contacts in designated teen chat rooms. A Jan. 20 hearing is scheduled. McShane was being held Monday in the LaPorte County Jail on $15,000 bond. LAPORTE Several schools in LaPorte were under a lockdown Monday due to alleged threats from a 16-year old student. The lockdowns were lifted when the male student, after leaving the school, was taken into custody about one hour later and charged with two counts of intimidation, both level 5 felonies. According to police, the boy threatened a classmate about 9 a.m. at the Unity Building, a former parochial school on C Street where more assistance is offered to struggling students. LaPorte County Police Capt. Mike Kellems said what exactly the student threatened to do and whether there was any mention of a gun were still being investigated. "That's one of the things we're still looking into now," said Kellems, who noted the threats were taken seriously enough for staff members to contact school liaison officers. Lockdowns were ordered by police not only at the alternative education site but also across the street at Boston Middle School. LaPorte High School and Handley Elementary were also under a lockdown due to their proximity. Officers were outside the school buildings and scouring the area when the boy was found less than a half mile away in the 1400 block of Federal Avenue and taken to the LaPorte County Juvenile Services Center without incident. He was not in possession of any weapons, Kellems said. What led up to the alleged threats and if any staff members were targeted were also still being looked into according to police. "We first concentrated on trying to locate him and get him into custody. Now, they'll go back and start putting the case together, and that could take a little time," Kellems said. SCHERERVILLE U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville, told a public forum Sunday night the expansion of the South Shore commuter rail system is one of the keys to Northwest Indiana's economic future. "Young people in many instances do not stay. We need investments to change that." He said that includes Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District's applications for federal aid to add a second track between Gary and Michigan City to speed commutes to and from Chicago and extend its line south from Hammond to Dyer. Most Lake County communities are contributing to the local share of that cost, including the town of Schererville, which last year agreed to 10 percent of its share of the county economic development income tax. "These transformational investments are being made in Northwest Indiana to grow our economy and keep good paying jobs to our area. I will work to ensure they are approved at the federal level," Visclosky said. Visclosky added, "We are not making a sufficient investment in our economic infrastructure. About 16 percent of the major roads in Indiana are in poor condition and 1,944 bridges are deficient. "We need to make an investment and pay for it now and not borrow the money and past the cost into the next generation," he said, adding that more progress is needed in creating regional bus services. He spent much of his forum addressing future concerns regarding the proposed policies of President-elect Donald Trump and the incoming 115th Congress. "I will continue to work hard to find areas of commonality and agreements so we can move positive programs ahead. And when I think there are proposals that will be detrimental to the Northwest Indiana, to vigorously oppose them," he said. He also addressed Social Security, Medicare and job losses oversees. Visclosky said he opposes extending the retirement age or reducing benefits. He supports ending an income cap on paying Social Security taxes so highly paid executives pay a larger share of the revenue. He said he agrees to a review of the North American Free Trade Act and opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that he thinks puts American workers at a disadvantage with other nation's industries that don't have to deal with environmental restrictions and costs. He said he will oppose public works projects that don't ensure American products are used in their construction. LANSING An election board heard challenges Thursday to two candidates hoping to be on the ballot in April in Lansing. Patricia Leck unsuccessfully challenged the candidacy of Megan Roe because of the spelling of her address on her nomination papers. Peter Krilich challenged Mike Gaffneys candidacy for village president. Krilich objected to 51 of the 206 signatures Gaffney filed with his candidacy. Village Attorney Tim Lapp said 164 signatures are required for a name to be added to the ballot. No ruling was made on Krilichs objection. The village election board is Village President Norm Abbott, Clerk Donna Kooyenga and senior Village Trustee Terry Kapteyn. Roe, who was not present Thursday but was represented by attorney Matthew Welch, listed on her statement of candidacy an address on Bernardine Street. Leck objected because she said the streets proper name was Bernadine, without an r. Welch made a motion to dismiss Lecks objection based on the fact that, for the purpose of the hearing, the misspelling was a typo. Welch submitted several examples where the street is spelled Bernardine, including Roes drivers license, her utility bill, pictures of street signs and a printout from Google Maps. I think on all the bases, this matter should be dismissed and Megan Roe should appear on the April ballot, Welch said. Lapp told the board that because theres no argument that shes not a registered voter or does not live within the village, the ruling should be made on whether or not the spelling difference was done in an effort to be misleading. The board didnt dismiss the objection but did ultimately rule against Lecks challenge 3-0. It would be simply ludicrous for us to say (it was intentionally misleading), whether she writes it one way or writes it another way, Abbott said. She lives in Lansing. It would be wrong for us to remove it for the ballot. Lapp said the ruling is subject to judicial appeal. Leck could appeal to the Cook County Circuit Court and further to the Illinois Appellate Court. Krilich, a former Lansing public works employee and reserve police officer, believes some of Gaffneys signatures were not given in person, came from people who were not registered voters at the addresses listed, were given by signers who were not residents of Lansing or by individuals who signed more than one petition or signed Gaffneys petition multiple times. The board postponed its judgement on Krilichs objection. Lapp said the signatures will be sent to the Cook County clerks office for whats called a binder check. The county clerks office will go through the records for registered voters to compare with the signatures on the application. Once that check is completed, the results will be sent to Lansing and a ruling can be made. Lapp said the date of the binder check is not known but he said that he would inform both Gaffney and Krilich, who could each be present during the check. INDIANAPOLIS Republican Eric Holcomb launched his tenure as the state's 51st governor Monday with an optimistic view of Indiana's past and a realistic assessment of its current and future challenges. He called on Hoosiers to embrace the same pioneer spirit that flourished in its citizens when Indiana became the nation's 19th state in 1816 and continued over the decades to transform a wilderness into a leading hub for agriculture and manufacturing, whose products are today bought and sold the world over. "What all of these pioneers have in common are the same traits that have been part of our DNA for 200 years: self-reliance, grit, a can-do attitude, a sense of fairness and a spirit of generosity," Holcomb said. He observed that Hoosiers are inherently humble and prefer not to brag about themselves, but through hard work, utilizing their strengths, playing by the rules and getting the basics right, have built a state where the financial books not only are balanced there's also a $2 billion surplus. Holcomb said businesses of all kinds, from high tech to life sciences to orthopedics and hundreds more, have noticed, and Indiana no longer is just competing with its neighbors and coastal states: It's winning. "In fact, of the 50 industries the Brookings Institute says will drive growth in the 21st century, Indiana is a player in 45 of them," he said. "They're coming to Indiana now, because our costs of living and doing business are low and the quality of our workforce is high." At the same time, Holcomb said there still are plenty of Hoosiers who feel like they've been left behind. Instead of seeking gainful employment or a comprehensive education, many are turning to drugs to feel better about themselves. In addition, he noted that Indiana continues losing too many students educated at its world-class universities, leaving companies struggling to find workers with the skills needed to grow their businesses in the Hoosier state. Holcomb proclaimed that reversing those trends, by becoming the latest generation of pioneers to take Indiana "to the next level," will be his focus every day as governor: "To make Indiana a place where people thrive. Where they can get a good, fulfilling, well-paid job and a world-class education. Where our kids are well-taken care of. Where we have growing opportunities and the freedom to take advantage of them." The governor's 19-minute address was enthusiastically received by the estimated 2,000 Hoosiers in the Indiana Farmers Coliseum at the state fairgrounds, including U.S. Vice President-elect Mike Pence and former Govs. Mitch Daniels and Evan Bayh. Afterward, U.S. Sen. Joe Donnelly, D-Ind., said he's ready to work with Holcomb and will do everything he can to ensure Holcomb is successful as governor, because "when Indiana does well, all of our citizens do well." Republican LaPorte Mayor Blair Milo said she's also ready to help Holcomb advance his agenda to improve Indiana. "There's a lot of thought and dedication that has gone into all of those policies and initiatives, and it's going to be exciting to see them all go forward," Milo said. Holcomb was sworn in shortly after 10:30 a.m. Region time by Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush, who lived in Munster as a child. Rush also administered the oath of office to new Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, Attorney General Curtis Hill and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jennifer McCormick. All are Republicans who were overwhelmingly elected by Hoosiers at the Nov. 8 general election. One of Holcomb's first acts as governor was to officially appoint Republican Allen County Auditor Tera Klutz to complete the two years remaining in Crouch's term as state auditor. Klutz also took her oath of office as part of the inauguration ceremonies emceed by former Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman. LAPORTE The LaPorte County Drug Free Partnership will be offering a second naloxone training and distribution program on Jan. 21. Joseph Bunch, director of the partnership, said when the initial class hit its capacity of 110 people, the group, along with co-sponsor Overdose Lifeline Inc. decided to offer a second class, open to another 100 participants. The second class will be held from 3 to 5:30 p.m. Jan. 21 at LaPorte First United Methodist Church, 1225 Michigan Ave. Register for the class at dfp-naloxone-distribution-second-class.eventbrite.com. The idea for the program, Bunch said earlier, is putting the drug that counteracts opiates into the hands of those closest to the addict. Overdose Lifeline of Indianapolis is funding the event. The agency services the entire state through a grant from the Indiana attorney general's office. They've primarily trained and provided naloxone to emergency responders, but thanks to an extension of the grant, can now reach out to caregivers and community members. Bunch added the Indiana Department of Health issued an order July 1 that allows anyone to get a dose of naloxone from a local pharmacy without a prescription. The dosages may qualify to be paid for by some insurance companies. There is no cost for the program, but donations will be accepted. For more information, contact Bunch at lpclcc@gmail.com. MICHIGAN CITY The future is great for Northwest Indiana, particularly if the country continues to regulate the dumping of foreign steel and investments in transportation are made, said U.S. Rep. Pete Visclosky, D-Merrillville. Visclosky spoke Saturday at a town hall meeting in Michigan City with about 50 people in attendance at City Hall. He singled out the estimated $250 million to $270 million Double Track NWI project proposed for the South Shore commuter line as an example of how the Region can build a better economy by tapping into the Chicago market. The project would add a second track between Gary and Michigan City for the South Shore Line, decreasing travel times to Chicago. He pointed to a recent conversation he had with a fellow congressman from Indiana who said "we know that those four counties up there are the next great economic engine for the state," he said. Visclosky said the things already being done in Michigan City to stimulate the economy are working and would be enhanced with Double Track NWI. He said an application for federal dollars to supplement the cost was submitted in August for consideration in the president's 2019 budget. Being a Great Lakes state and potential to draw even more from a market the size of Chicago is an asset firmly recognized in Indianapolis and he congratulated Michigan City officials for the success they're having on making their community a higher quality place to be. "If we tie ourselves to that economy, there's not another quadrant in the state that has that city whose economy is larger than Sweden," Visclosky said. Visclosky said the need to rebuild the economy is evident since Northwest Indiana has more than 70,000 fewer younger residents than it did in 1970. Upgrading the South Shore Line and extending its service to communities like Valparaiso and Dyer will help restore that demographic by luring young professionals in Chicago to live in the Region. Protecting the steel industry and focusing on vocational education to give people the skills for higher-paying positions in the trades are among the other ingredients for a better future here, Visclosky said. He said some success on reducing the dumping of foreign steel from countries like China was achieved in 2016 and he vowed to push ahead with those efforts this year, he said. More investment in the state's infrastructure is also key and he cited statistics that revealed 16 percent of the roads and close to 2,000 bridges statewide need major work. "If we make these investments, we can have more quality jobs and get more young people to stay," he said. VALPARAISO A long-vacant lot along U.S. 30 is being eyed for another gas station and convenience store on the citys east side. Caseys General Store is planning to build at 2004 Morthland Drive, which sits at the southeast corner of U.S. 30 and Sturdy Road. Caseys appeared last month before the citys Site Review Committee and announced plans to build a 4,800 square foot service station with eight fuel islands, which will be covered by a canopy, said Jim Vilmain, a designer for Caseys General Store. Sam James, director of finance for Caseys General Store, said an opening date has not yet been set, but the company hopes to open the new store in 2017. A store of this size typically employs 20 to 25 people. Caseys General Stores is based in Ankeny, Iowa, and operates more than 1,900 stores in 14 states. Other locations in Northwest Indiana include Westville, Hebron and Dyer. James said 57 percent of the company's stores are towns with populations of 5,000 or less, but the Valparaiso site fit the store's criteria for traffic counts and traffic patterns. The addition of the store in Valparaiso is part of a company-wide expansion effort announced in December. Caseys goal for 2017 is to build or acquire 77 to 116 stores, replace 35 existing locations and complete 100 major remodels. James said the company recently completed construction of a second distribution center in Terre Haute and hopes to grow the brand in Indiana. The chain is known for its made-to-order pizzas and sandwiches along with made-in-the-store doughnuts, James said. The now empty site was once the location of the Manor Motel and the Holiday Inn motel. In 2012, representatives from White Castle pitched a plan for a free-standing restaurant and retail development on the site, but that plan never developed. One of the most valuable questions a parent can ask their child each night is, What did you learn in school today? It opens the door to some wonderful conversations conversations about books, conversations about current events, conversations about favorite subjects, or conversations about the struggles in school for both the parents and child. This can be a wonderful way to bond with children and to show them the importance of school. However, one very important thing that is being taught might not make it into the conversation. Thats because your child will not likely reply, I learned how to fail and not give up. But that is exactly what students are learning, and it is proving to be very powerful. The STEM lab in each of Valparaiso Community Schools eight elementary schools is one example of a place where students are learning to fail successfully. That sounds like an oxymoron, fail successfully, but it is precisely what is happening. Kindergarteners are being asked to build a house of toothpicks that can withstand the force of a leaf blower. First-, second- and third-graders are being asked to write working computer programs. Fourth- and fifth-graders are being instructed to design and build fully functional models of machines that can help zoo workers rescue a trapped animal. And in each case, the students fail. But the failure isnt negative. There are no tears, no hurt feelings and no one gives up. Instead, the children smile and keep working. They talk about what they learned and what they can do to improve. And thats failing successfully. From the start of the school year, the students have been learning that we, as humans, learn more from a failure than we do from a success. The kids have been learning that as long as they keep going, they havent really failed. Why is this so important? First, because these children are going to face hard tasks in school. They are going to be asked to sit and take tests that are difficult, and it is not OK for them to just give up. But more directly, it is important because we need to build resilience and teach children the life skill of perseverance. It is so easy to give up, or say, Im not good at that. It is hard to keep going, especially when we struggle. In life, not everyone wins every time. Not every attempt is a success. And we need our children, our future, to be strong enough to pick themselves up and keep going. So, the next time you ask a child, What did you learn in school today? see if they can also tell you about a time they failed successfully. Dr. Hussam Suradi keeps a lot of Northwest Indiana residents from having to travel to Chicago for health care. The interventional cardiologist has recently been expanding the cardiovascular service line at Munster Community Hospital and St. Mary Medical Center, offering procedures that were previously only available at university hospitals in Chicago. Suradi fixes things like heart valves that are too narrow, holes in the heart and atrial fibrillation with new technologies that allow the procedures to be done in a minimally invasive fashion. "For all these treatments, patients used to have to go to tertiary university centers in Chicago to have them performed," he said. "Now we're able to bring all this technology to Northwest Indiana." Suradi's recruitment to Community Healthcare System is part of a strategy by the hospital group, that mirrors its competitors in Northwest Indiana, to capture patients who have traditionally migrated to Chicago for care. Roughly 3,000 Northwest Indiana residents get inpatient care in Illinois every year, to the tune of $112 million annually, according to a 2014 study looking at the feasibility of an academic medical center in Northwest Indiana. Another estimate has put the total out-migration from the Region as high as $1 billion a year. Solutions being worked on State Rep. Charlie Brown, a Gary Democrat, helped secure the funding for that feasibility study, believing that constructing an academic medical center with a Level I trauma center would be the best way to keep health care dollars in the Region. But the final report recommended against the idea, saying Northwest Indiana had too many empty hospital beds, already. Instead, the study suggested local hospitals expand their trauma care and form a consortium to train medical residents in the Region. Methodist Hospitals Northlake Campus in Gary and Franciscan Health hospital in Crown Point have since been designated by the state as Level III trauma centers, allowing them to treat many traumatically injured patients who previously would have had to go to Illinois. And Pat Bankston, associate dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine at IU Northwest in Gary, has brought together a coalition of local hospitals and federally qualified health centers to bring as many as 165 medical residents to Northwest Indiana. Bankston and other advocates say such a program would enhance health care access and quality in the Region, helping to stem some of that out-migration. Even so, there will remain procedures that Region residents still have to go to Chicago or Indianapolis for, organ transplants being a prime example. Hospitals expand service lines When Franciscan Health, which has hospitals in Crown Point, Dyer, Hammond, Michigan City and Munster, underwent a restructuring in 2015, it focused on beefing up five service areas, in part to keep patients in the Region: oncology, orthopedic/neurosciences, cardiovascular, women and children, and behavioral health. The hospital system has identified, in order, oncology, orthopedics and cardiovascular as the areas where the most out-migration occurs, said Gene Diamond, senior vice president and chief operating officer of inpatient services for Franciscan Health. So Franciscan Health is developing an orthopedic center for excellence, featuring fellowship-trained, joint-replacement orthopedists and a complete rehabilitation program. It is building a new, $46 million cancer center in Munster that will provide diagnostics and treatments for a variety of cancers all in one place. And it is expanding access to behavioral health care. "It's hard to ignore the lure of the academic medical centers, when they loom over Northwest Indiana, are so close and in some cases are actually here in Northwest Indiana, exerting some gravitational pull on folks who live here," Diamond said. "Our hope is to raise the bar and make health care much better and compete very effectively with the academic medical centers in Chicago or Indianapolis." Diamond said that 25 percent to 30 percent of patients who get a diagnosis at Franciscan go elsewhere for treatment, a number he suspects is similar at other local hospital systems. But he asserts that the same quality of treatment can be found right here in the Region. And convenience is another factor. "It's a long drive to the academic medical centers, even the closest one," he said. "It's physically demanding to do that kind of traveling and stay there, recover there initially and recuperate there in between treatments. We think there's a great deal to be saved in terms of convenience, time, fatigue." Systems recruit specialists Meanwhile, Valparaiso-based Porter Healthcare System has been expanding its service offerings so residents can get health care locally as much as possible. That includes participating in a state pilot project to become a Level III neonatal intensive care unit; being the first hospital in Indiana to offer the Watchman device to treat atrial fibrillation; adding a high-risk pregnancy program; and opening a female cardiology unit. "One of the longstanding, great things about health care is people can get second opinions," said Steve Lunn, CEO of Porter Health Care System. "But what I think they'll find is we have great health care here, and we have really top-notch physicians in Northwest Indiana and really great facilities." Lunn said some local residents might perceive that certain Chicago medical centers provide better care because they're considered teaching hospitals. But, he said, once the Northwest Indiana medical residency program kicks off in the coming years, the participating Region hospitals will technically become teaching institutions as well. To keep more patients in the Region, Methodist Hospitals has in recent years added 3-D mammography, new radiation technology and a cardiac device that allows physicians to monitor heart patients remotely. The hospital system, with campuses in Gary and Merrillville, also has recruited interventional cardiologists, orthopedic spine surgeons and neurosurgeons to its staff. "Patients really want to be cared for in their community. They want to be close to home, where there is a sense of community," said Dr. Vincent Sevier, chief quality officer for Methodist Hospitals. "They want to know they can come to their local hospital to get top-notch care and great service. And if they're going to be in the hospital, they want their loved ones around to support them in their time of need." New surgeries arrive in Region Community Healthcare System's hospitals in Hobart and Munster have lately been reconfiguring and expanding their surgical areas to do more minimally invasive procedures. Besides the addition of Suradi, Munster Community Hospital recently brought in Dr. Demetrius Lopes, a brain surgeon from Rush University Medical Center, to perform complex procedures for the treatment of conditions such as strokes and aneurysms. "Many patients don't want to go to Chicago," Suradi said. "They don't want to drive there. They don't want to deal with traffic. It's too cold. Many patients refuse to go there to get treatment. So there is a huge need to provide these services in Northwest Indiana." If a patient has to go to Chicago for a procedure, she also has to go there for testing and follow-up appointments, so it all adds up to a lot of travel, away from family at that. And if the patient is on Indiana Medicaid, she has to get her care within the state, which means, for many procedures, Indianapolis. For that reason, Suradi said the hospital system plans to continually offer new cardiovascular services in the future, such as a pediatric cardiology program. "There's a huge need in this area," he said. "We've always been dependent on Chicago as, 'It's close by. Let's just send the patient there.' I think we're at the point where we need a center in Northwest Indiana that will take care of all these conditions, take care of all these patients." The Department of Education plans to close six schools for poor performance and partially close five others, the most schools to face restructuring since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office. NY1's Lindsey Christ filed the following report. Mayor Bill de Blasio entered office vowing to fix troubled schools rather than close them. But after spending three years and $400 million to improve the lowest-performing schools, his administration now plans to close or restructure nearly a dozen of them in June. Six will close outright, three others will disappear by merging into another school and two more will end middle school instruction. The schools are part of the mayor's renewal program, which gave 94 struggling schools extra resources to improve. But at one of the schools on the chopping block, a teacher is accusing the city of building shiny new facilities that students never used. "It was a school that was promised, as all renewal schools were promised, extra funds and three years to improve," said James Donahue, an English teacher at JHS 145. "They built a dance studio, they built a health clinic that were never opened, never allowed to use, never given to the students who were supposed to be benefiting from it." A city spokesperson says the health clinic is still awaiting final approval, and a community organization has begun offering dance lessons in the new studio. Overall, the statistics at the schools set for closure are grim. Take Middle School 584 in Crown Heights. Just 8 percent of students passed the state math test last spring. Students and staff have been fleeing. The school has had three principals in three years, and the student population has plunged to just 78 from 128. 90 percent of the teachers working at the school four years ago are not there today. The schools set to merge also have low enrollments, though teachers are more optimistic about the future. "I'm a dance teacher here, and it gives me a lot more access to a lot more students, so it's a good thing to merge two schools that were low population into one school that has a higher population," said Heidi McClure, a teacher at a school set to merge. When he was mayor, Michael Bloomberg shut 150 schools for poor performance, drawing fierce criticism from de Blasio. As mayor, de Blasio has now decided that some schools are beyond saving. The city is proposing the closure of six schools: J.H.S. 145 Arturo Toscanini in Councourse in the Bronx Leadership Institute in Crotona Park in the Bronx Monroe Academy for Visual Arts and Design in Bronx River M.S. 584 in Crown Heights, Brooklyn Essence School in East New York, Brooklyn J.H.S. 162 Lola Rodriguez de Tio in Mott Haven in the Bronx The city is also proposing three school consolidations: Consolidation of North Bronx School of Empowerment and The Young Scholars Academy of the Bronx, both in Williamsbridge Consolidation of Automotive High School and Frances Perkins Academy, both in Williamsburg, Brooklyn Consolidation of The Brooklyn Academy of Global Finance and Frederick Douglass Academy IV Secondary School, both in Bedford-Suyvesant, Brooklyn The city added that it is proposing the truncation of middle school grades (6-8) at P.S. 306 Ethan Allen and P.S. 165 Ida Posner. But whats up with Mr. Assange, who seems equally comfortable being a hero of the American left as he is being one of the American right, or even of Russian Putinists? What does he want, anyway? The answer has been in front of us all along. And the current imbroglio over Russia, WikiLeaks and their role in Mr. Trumps victory or, more to the point, Hillary Clintons loss might be viewed as the realization of the vision Mr. Assange had when he started WikiLeaks over a decade ago. Mr. Assange spelled it out in prescient terms in an essay he posted online in November of 2006, the year of WikiLeaks founding. He wrote it long before becoming the polarizing figure he is today, a cypherpunk folk hero with an outsize reputation for being messianic, impetuous and all too cavalier with the personal data that come his way. (Hes currently living in the Ecuadorean Embassy in London, where he was granted asylum from Swedish authorities who are investigating a rape accusation against him that he says is false and politically motivated.) Yet even his toughest critics acknowledge how clearly he saw the politically disruptive potential of technology, back when some of us were getting our first BlackBerries. The family drama Manchester by the Sea is nominated for six Academy Awards. Casey Affleck stars as a man who reluctantly returns to his Massachusetts hometown after his brother dies and his teenage nephew is left in his care. Heres what else you need to know about the movie ahead of the ceremony. Heres The New York Times review. Heres an interview with the writer and director Kenneth Lonergan. Here's an interview with the films star Mr. Affleck. Heres a report on some of the controversy Mr. Affleck has generated in Hollywood. Heres an excerpt from the screenplay. Dear Diary: At the time of Pearl Harbor, I was 8 and lived on the Upper West Side within walking distance of my public school on Amsterdam Avenue. Every day on the way to school and back, I passed my friend Tony. He had a pushcart with fruits and vegetables and a dangling scale. He would greet me with a wave of his hat, and I would smile and shout, Hello, Tony. I was a fan of radio adventure serials and listened to them every day after I got home from school. My favorite was Captain Midnight and the Secret Squadron. Defending America against its enemies, Captain Midnight appealed to my sense of patriotism. By sending in a dime and the inner seal from the chocolate drink that sponsored the show, I joined the Secret Squadron and received a membership manual, a description of the secret handshake and an adjustable code badge for deciphering a message at the end of each program. When Jeff Sessions was Alabamas attorney general, he supported the death sentence for a Ku Klux Klan member convicted of lynching a black teenager. Mr. Sessions, whose confirmation hearings for attorney general begin on Tuesday, points to this to rebut the charges of racism that have followed him for decades. Yet we learn more about Mr. Sessions legal mind-set from a look at the 40-plus death sentences he fought to uphold as Alabamas attorney general from 1995 to 1997. He worked to execute insane, mentally ill and intellectually disabled people, among others, who were convicted in trials riddled with instances of prosecutorial misconduct, racial discrimination and grossly inadequate defense lawyering. Mr. Sessions eager participation in an unjust Alabama capital system makes him a frightening prospective civil rights enforcer for the nation. Mr. Sessions secured the execution of Varnall Weeks, who believed he was God and would reign in heaven as a tortoise after his death. After the Supreme Court banned executions of insane people, Mr. Sessions persuaded a federal court to defer to an Alabama courts findings that Mr. Weeks was competent enough to be killed even though he met the dictionary generic definition of insanity. Mr. Sessions also pushed for the death penalty for Samuel Ivery, a black man convicted of decapitating a black woman. At his trial, Mr. Ivery claimed insanity and presented evidence that he was a paranoid schizophrenic and believed himself a ninja of God. The prosecutor countered during closing arguments that this is not another case of niggeritous, that is, racism. Mr. Ivery later argued that the slur tainted his conviction with racial bias, but the appellate court sided with Mr. Sessions in upholding his death sentence. Wealth and influence in the technology business have always been about gaining the upper hand in software or the machines that software ran on. Now data gathered in those immense pools of information that are at the heart of everything from artificial intelligence to online shopping recommendations is increasingly a focus of technology competition. And academics and some policy makers, especially in Europe, are considering whether big internet companies like Google and Facebook might use their data resources as a barrier to new entrants and innovation. In recent years, Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon and Microsoft have all been targets of tax evasion, privacy or antitrust investigations. But in the coming years, who controls what data could be the next worldwide regulatory focus as governments strain to understand and sometimes rein in American tech giants. The European Commission and the British House of Lords both issued reports last year on digital platform companies that highlighted the essential role that data collection, analysis and distribution play in creating and shaping markets. And the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development held a meeting in November to explore the subject, Big Data: Bringing Competition Policy to the Digital Era. The Present, which has been adapted by Andrew Upton (Ms. Blanchetts husband) and directed by John Crowley, is the Chekhov play that almost got away. Though the scholarship on its origins is uncertain, it appears that Chekhov began writing it as an 18-year-old student, and it exudes a youthful, passionate untidiness. Its manuscript, a whopper in length, wasnt published until nearly two decades after his death. An uncut version would take at least five hours; this one is three. The eminent playwrights Michael Frayn and David Hare, among others, have done their best to domesticate this shaggy behemoth. Mr. Frayn reconceived it as an elegant sex farce, under the title Wild Honey (seen briefly on Broadway in the mid-1980s), while Mr. Hares adaptation hewed closer to the more brooding, tragicomic template usually associated with Chekhov. That version is called Platonov, and I saw a fine production of it at Londons National Theater last summer. Directed by Jonathan Kent, it was set in the period in which it was written. And the vestiges of 19th-century decorum served as an appropriately chafing corset for the flabby plot. Mr. Upton drags the story out of the twilight of the czars and into the post-Communist morning after of the mid-1990s. As in the original script, its a period of profound uneasiness, when a nations future is murky and its citizens unsure of their roles. But despite the inclusion of several catch-up soliloquies on recent Russian history, its hard to comprehend what theyre reacting against here. Exit the robber barons (and the real aristocrats); enter the cold-eyed oligarchs and their murderous henchmen. Farewell, balalaikas; hello, the Clash. As for those without a fixed part in the new scheme of things, theyre the same old kvetchers of yore, doomed to circular philosophizing and self-destructive drinking. Chief among these is Mikhail Platonov (Mr. Roxburgh), a provincial schoolteacher of vaulting wit and unfulfilled aspirations. He knew Anna when she was the young trophy wife of a powerful general, now dead. Its at the generals summer dacha rendered with all the personality of an Ikea showroom by the shows designer, Alice Babidge that Anna has chosen to celebrate her birthday. MIAMI By the time Donald Robertson, a retired architect, arrived at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airports Terminal 1 on Friday afternoon, the mass shooting in Terminal 2, which left five people dead, had been over for at least an hour. The accused gunman, Esteban Santiago, was in police custody and the airport had largely returned to its normal rhythm passengers were noshing, charging their phones, watching television. Things were so sedate that Mr. Robertson did not even realize there had been a shooting. But as he made his way past the gate, Mr. Robertson looked up and saw a stampede of people, including what looked like law enforcement agents, racing toward him. It was tremendous, he said. It was like a herd reacting. Everyone around me was diving under chairs. A rumor about a possible second gunman had spread across the airport, via social media, news sites and word of mouth. People panicked and the airport was shut down, a turn of events that upended what had seemed like an orderly finale to a tragic afternoon. What followed that single rumor was a rush of terror for travelers and airport workers as they fled to the tarmac, were separated from loved ones, injured themselves in the tumult, hid in kitchens and storage rooms and hunkered down behind luggage trucks. Chaos and uncertainty unfolded over the next 12 hours. Through it all, travelers said, they were frustrated every step of the way by the dearth of information about whether they were safe, where to go once the airport was shut down and how they could retrieve the thousands of items 23,000 according to a tally by airport officials that were scattered across terminals. Family members say that Esteban Santiago, the suspect in the Fort Lauderdale airport shooting in which five people were killed, seemed troubled when he came back from military service in Iraq. His brother described him as more furious after his deployment in 2010 with a Puerto Rico National Guard unit. His aunt said that after coming home, Mr. Santiago lost his mind. After Mr. Santiagos arrest in the shooting, emerging details of his military service led some to blame the rampage on the war-torn mind of a veteran haunted by post-traumatic stress disorder, a common pattern when veterans are arrested in violent crimes. But experts not connected to Mr. Santiagos mental health treatment say it may be a mistake to blame PTSD. Mr. Santiago, who served for eight years in the National Guard and Army Reserve and saw combat in Iraq in 2010, exhibited symptoms that do not appear to fit the disorder, they say, and more closely resemble schizophrenia, a condition unrelated to military service. Mr. Santiagos family said he reported hearing voices and had other hallucinations, but said he was never given a diagnosis of PTSD. In November, he walked into an F.B.I. office in Alaska and told agents that his mind was being controlled by a United States intelligence agency. The delusions, the hallucinations are far more consistent with psychosis than PTSD, said Dr. Donald C. Goff, a psychiatrist at New York University and a leading expert on schizophrenia. So is the timing of the onset. WASHINGTON Advisers to President-elect Donald J. Trumps transition team, facing complaints from Democrats that they are trying to jam nominees through confirmation hearings, said on Sunday they were confident all the appointees would be approved by the Senate, perhaps even with Democratic support. Being the minority party, the Democrats would face long odds in trying to derail any of the nominations. They are, however, seeking to delay Republicans plans to open hearings on Tuesday until the nominees have completed F.B.I. background checks. Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, signaled on Sunday that he was unwilling to reschedule any confirmation hearings, which are set to begin with sessions for John F. Kelly, Mr. Trumps choice to be the secretary of Homeland Security, and for Senator Jeff Sessions of Alabama, the nominee to be attorney general. Five more hearings are scheduled for Wednesday. Mr. McConnell dismissed the Democrats complaints as sour grapes during an appearance on CBSs Face the Nation. Mr. Erdogan later spoke by phone with Vladimir V. Putin, the Russian president, who assured him that Russia had not been involved in the air attack, according to Turkish news reports. The improving ties between the two autocratic leaders opened the door to greater cooperation. The Turkish military spoke publicly about the Russian role in a Jan. 2 statement that noted that Russian warplanes had struck targets the previous day about five miles south of Al Bab. American officials, who asked not to be identified because they were discussing intelligence, said that Russian airstrikes in the Al Bab area began at the end of December, and that Russian aircraft were flying near Al Bab as recently as Friday. The effectiveness of the Russian air operations, which have mainly involved dropping dumb, or unguided, bombs, is unclear. As Turkeys casualties have mounted in the Al Bab operation, Turkish officials have complained about the lack of American air support and have even made veiled threats that Turkey might suspend allied combat flights against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria from its major base at Incirlik, which would be a major blow to the American-led air campaign. American officials suggested that the holdup in carrying out allied airstrikes in recent weeks was related to a Turkish decision to ban the Americans from flying reconnaissance drones in and around Al Bab to help identify and confirm targets, as well as bad weather. The Turkish military said that measure was needed to ensure that no potentially hostile aircraft flew over its troops, but it has hampered the United States ability to carry out airstrikes without endangering civilians. Operating without the benefit of precise intelligence, the United States recently engaged in what officials called a show of force operation in which American aircraft flew low over Al Bab and dropped flares. But last week, the Turks agreed that the United States could fly drones and other aircraft to gather intelligence, which paves the way for the American-led coalition to carry out airstrikes against the Islamic State in Al Bab, American officials said. The United States regards the Kurdish forces as some of the most effective fighters in the campaign against the Islamic State in Syria. But in deference to Turkish sensitivities, the Americans have declined to arm them directly. The Turks, however, regard them as nothing more than an arm of the Kurdistan Workers Party, an insurgent Kurdish group in Turkey and Iraq. The Turks have blamed the group for killing dozens of Turkish security forces in recent weeks. By any measure, the nascent cooperation between Russia and Turkey is a striking development. The situation was far different when Russian warplanes arrived at Latakia, Syria, in September 2015 to help the Assad government take on rebel groups, including some backed by the United States and Turkey. MEXICO CITY Mexican officials said on Sunday that they had arrested an American citizen in connection with the shooting of an American diplomat in Guadalajara, Mexicos second-largest city. The suspect, who was not identified, was seen on a security video stalking the diplomat, and then shooting him as he drove out of a parking lot on Friday evening. The arrest was announced by the prosecutor for the state of Jalisco. The suspect will be deported to the United States, according to a statement released by Mexicos Foreign Relations Ministry and the attorney generals office. The officials did not give any information on a possible motive. The diplomat, who is in stable condition, was identified by the local news media as Christopher Ashcraft. According to Mr. Ashcrafts LinkedIn account, he has been a consular officer in Guadalajara, the states capital, since March. Mr. Netanyahu has a combative relationship with much of the Israeli news media. In a Facebook post in 2015, Mr. Netanyahu accused Mr. Mozes of an orchestrated and ridiculous campaign of slander against him, his Likud Party and Israel Hayom. The attack came a day after lawyers filed a petition to ban Israel Hayom during that years election campaign, calling it a propaganda platform that is masquerading as a newspaper. The election was called after Mr. Netanyahu broke up his government coalition, partly to prevent the advancement of a bill to outlaw free newspapers like Israel Hayom. The meeting between Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Mozes in 2014 was recorded at Mr. Netanyahus request by his former chief of staff, Ari Harow, according to Channel 2. It surfaced during a separate police investigation of Mr. Harow on suspicion of financial irregularities. Fraud investigators questioned Mr. Netanyahu twice last week, with the police saying that he was asked about two cases. One, a possible graft case, involves the receipt of gifts from business executives, apparently including regular deliveries of expensive cigars and pink champagne from a Hollywood producer and longtime friend, Arnon Milchan. Mr. Netanyahus lawyer, Jacob Weinroth, said there was no speck of criminality in receiving cigars as a present from a friend. The police provided no details about the second case, saying only that a second suspect had been questioned presumably Mr. Mozes. Mr. Netanyahu told a meeting of his Likud Party ministers on Sunday that while he could not go into details, I know what this is about and I am telling you in full confidence: This will come to nothing because there is nothing. He has made a mantra of the phrase in recent weeks as he has denied any wrongdoing. Its unclear whether the passage was obliterated by Hamilton or by someone else like his son John Church Hamilton, who prepared a 19th-century edition of Hamiltons papers that suppressed some correspondence, Mr. Kiffer said. There is also a group of letters relating to the first of the 10 affairs of honor, or ritualistic negotiations over insults to ones reputation that did not result in an actual duel, that Hamilton is known to have been involved in. And there are seemingly banal documents that take on a foreboding quality in retrospect, like an anonymous memorandum, sent to one of Hamiltons brothers-in-law in June 1804, describing a recent town meeting in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Fierce arguments had broken out over whether, should a toast be called for President Thomas Jefferson at the towns Fourth of July celebrations, the vice president should also be toasted as such out of respect for the office, if not for the man himself. In the margin, someone has helpfully penciled in that vice presidents name: Aaron Burr. Hamiltons fatal duel with Burr a few weeks later may seem utterly senseless to us now. But it was fought, Ms. Freeman said, out of Hamiltons belief that he needed to preserve his honor so he could lead the country through what he foresaw as an impending crisis of American democracy. Todays partisans do not generally come to physical blows. But Ms. Freeman, whose recently completed book about violence in Congress in the decades before the Civil War will be published next year, said that Hamiltons papers offered a timely reminder that the hard-won norms of American democracy should not be taken for granted. People tend to assume the system percolates happily along, she said. But it sure wasnt percolating happily along here. This was a period where it could have collapsed at any second. Leading women from politics, the arts and other fields urged President-elect Donald Trump on Monday to support a new national womens museum in Washington that would be affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution. At a meeting in New York to give momentum to the idea, the group cited the report of a bipartisan Congressional commission in November that urged construction of the museum. Its tremendously important, said Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, who first proposed the project in the late 1990s. How can you empower women if they are not even recognized? The commission recommended a national museum dedicated to showcasing the historical experiences and impact of women in this country. It doesnt take long to realize that Taboo, the heavy-breathing new FX series set in Regency England, is going to be very ripe viewing. Rain on the moors, tubs of offal, bodies with coppers on the eyes, grave robbers, a funeral procession led by a dwarf were talking the whole dark-gothic playbook. And thats before we get to the half-sibling incest and the slave ship flashbacks and the Native American incantations. But the most self-consciously gloomy thing about Taboo, which begins its eight-episode run on Tuesday, is its star, Tom Hardy, who created the show with his father, Chips Hardy, and the writer and producer Steven Knight. (Mr. Knight worked with Tom Hardy on Peaky Blinders, another highly stylized British period piece.) As James Keziah Delaney, who returns to London from abroad to reclaim his family legacy, Mr. Hardy growls, rasps, glowers and, when Delaney is caught without an answer, makes a popping noise that resembles a grunt. Delaney represents a disruptive, democratic force in this melodrama of ideas. Its in his blood hes the son of a British merchant and an American Indian mother and its in the surly, barbaric manner he displays after sojourns in Africa and America, where hes assumed to have gone native (although Delaney also possesses a superspy-style competence thats at odds with the rest of the material). Its also right there in the plot: England and America are fighting the War of 1812, and Delaney has just inherited the title to a piece of land in Canada, coveted by both sides. He appears willing to play them off against each other, loyalty to the crown be damned. This aspect of the story is loosely based on real history, and the Nootka Sound that Delaney owns is a real place on Vancouver Island. It could be the basis for an absorbing story, and the best parts of Taboo in the first three episodes take place in the boardroom of the East India Company. There, Jonathan Pryce, as the companys chairman, presides in highly entertaining fashion over the gargoylish protectors of multinational privilege who want to get their hands on Nootka Sound, preferably over Delaneys dead body. Jane Harpers The Dry is set in a parched Australian farming community within a days drive of Melbourne. Its a region that hasnt seen rain in two years, and the novels main character, Aaron Falk, is jolted to see that a rushing river he remembers from his youth has all but disappeared. Ms. Harper is not one to drop a fact like that without using it later. She has jampacked her swift debut thriller with sneaky moves that the reader has to track with care. At 36, Falk has been a pariah in the town, Kiewarra, since his teenage years, when he was forced to leave town for reasons that are, of course, not initially shared with the reader. As The Dry opens, he is back for 18 hours, tops (or so he tells himself). The circumstances are suitably ghoulish for a book thats this much of a grabber: Falks onetime best friend, Luke Hadler, has apparently killed his wife and young son before turning his shotgun on himself. Only a baby girl too young to tell tales survived the familys slaughter. Falk grew up to be a federal agent in Melbourne. He has spent half his life putting his history behind him. The only reason he has returned is a letter from Lukes father that summoned him in no uncertain terms: You lied. Luke lied. Be at the funeral. So here we are, only on Page 7, trying to figure out what they had to lie about. Ms. Harper throws out so many teasing possibilities that its hard to believe this is her first novel. And even harder to believe that she learned to write fiction via a literary agencys online writing course. (She had already been a print journalist for more than a decade.) One trick the course clearly taught her was a basic of the crime genre: Make sure that nothing is what it looks like at first sight. People trying to solve the Hadler murder case and to deal with many other troubles that erupt in Kiewarra during Falks stay are reliably quick to jump to the wrong conclusions. HONG KONG McDonalds said on Monday that it would sell its businesses in mainland China and Hong Kong for $2.08 billion to Citic, a state-owned conglomerate, and the Carlyle Group, a private equity firm. The deal gives Citic and Carlyle franchise rights for 20 years. Citic and its investment arm, Citic Capital, will have a controlling stake of 52 percent, while Carlyle will take 28 percent. McDonalds will retain the remaining fifth of the company. China and Hong Kong represent an enormous growth opportunity for McDonalds, Steve Easterbrook, McDonalds chief executive, said in a news release. This new partnership will combine one of the worlds most powerful brands and our unparalleled quality standards with partners who have an unmatched understanding of the local markets. Mr. Easterbrook, who took over in 2015 and set about turning the company around, has seen it regain its financial footing recently, although growth has slowed. We should be careful about reading too much into the committee report as a complete reflection of Mr. Claytons views, even though he was the committees chairman at the time. Lawyers often keep their advocates hat in place when working on these projects. Deal lawyers dislike the uncertainty posed by the F.C.P.A. when a company with global operations is involved because of the potential that an instance of bribery could be uncovered that might derail the transaction. Mr. Clayton is not the only critic of the foreign bribery law who later came to enforce it. The current head of the Fraud Section in the Justice Department, which handles foreign bribery cases, was the lead author of the Chamber of Commerce report seeking to restrict its scope, yet the government has continued to pursue such cases. The S.E.C. has changed since 2009, when Mary L. Schapiro, who had a strong regulatory background, took over after disastrous revelations about the agencys failure to catch the Ponzi scheme operated by Bernard L. Madoff. Her successor in 2013, Mary Jo White, came into office promising an even more aggressive approach to enforcement, reflective of her background as the United States attorney in Manhattan, one of the premier offices pursuing financial crimes. Mr. Clayton has a far different mandate, so a key indicator of his approach to enforcement will be the appointment of a new director of the enforcement division, which has primary responsibility for investigating violations and litigating civil charges. Two of the last three enforcement directors were former federal prosecutors who cut their teeth under Ms. White. The S.E.C. has started to mimic the approach taken by the Justice Department by allowing deferred-prosecution agreements for cooperating companies and granting immunity to witnesses who can provide valuable information. Choosing someone with a background in criminal prosecution may signal that the aggressive approach to enforcement will continue. The enforcement division also gained much greater freedom under Ms. Schapiro to operate without supervision in 2009, one of the responses to the scandal caused by Mr. Madoffs fraud. Instead of having to get the five S.E.C. commissioners to sign off on a formal investigation, which allows subpoenaing documents and witnesses, now the director has that authority, allowing quicker development of investigations. This was a significant change from how the agency operated under the chairmanship of Christopher Cox, who left office in 2009 at a time when the agency was being criticized for a lack of supervision of Wall Street in the lead-up to the financial crisis. Mr. Clayton could reverse this by shifting the authority to approve investigations back to the full commission, which would have the effect of slowing them down and perhaps narrowing the scope of an inquiry. That would also allow the commissioners to focus enforcement efforts rather than let the S.E.C. staff set the agenda. The criminal investigation into Volkswagen has escalated, with the Federal Bureau of Investigation arresting Oliver Schmidt, who led the automakers regulatory compliance office in the United States from 2014 to March 2015. Mr. Schmidt faces charges of conspiracy to defraud the United States. In lawsuits filed against Volkswagen, he is accused of playing an important role in the companys efforts to conceal its emissions cheating from regulators. He was arrested on Saturday by investigators in Florida and is expected to be arraigned on Monday, according to a law enforcement official and a person familiar with the case. The arrest comes as the company is nearing a deal with the Justice Department to pay more than $2 billion to resolve a criminal investigation into its emissions cheating. Volkswagen, or one of its corporate entities, is expected to plead guilty as part of the deal. The D.T.C.C. project will not use Bitcoins blockchain. Instead it is building something similar to a blockchain, known as a distributed ledger, which multiple financial institutions can update and view at the same time. Unlike Bitcoins blockchain, the D.T.C.C. ledger will be open only to invited participants. Mr. Bodson said the basic promise of a distributed ledger is that it provides one version of the truth that everyone shares and everyone utilizes. The new ledger will replace an existing database, known as the Trade Information Warehouse, that records information about every credit default swap trade that comes through the D.T.C.C. Credit default swaps, which played a major role in the 2008 financial crisis, are essentially bets on the success of bonds. The D.T.C.C. oversaw about $11 trillion in credit default swaps trading last year, or 80 percent of all trades in the global market. Banks rely on the Trade Information Warehouse to determine when payments are due and what size they will be. Because the database will be edited in group fashion, the hope is that it will provide a more streamlined and reliable source of information. Mr. Bodson said that if the database was successful, the D.T.C.C. could use the technology to move money rather than just record information. Over the last few years, most banks have announced efforts to explore the potential utility of blockchain technology. This has gone to the highest levels, with some central banks talking about moving their own national currencies onto some sort of blockchain. DETROIT President-elect Donald J. Trump is not attending the countrys premier auto show here. But his vow to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico has changed the focus of the show from what new vehicles are on display to where they are made. More than anything, said Sergio Marchionne, the chief executive of Fiat Chrysler, the industry needed to know what was going to happen with the North American Free Trade Agreement, which allows for a free flow of trade between the United States and Mexico. We need a clear indication of how the U.S. administration plans to deal with Nafta, Mr. Marchionne said at the auto show. Were just waiting for clarity. Mr. Trump has made the auto industry a frequent target, attacking automakers for selling Mexican-made vehicles in the United States. In response, some automakers have somewhat changed their strategy. New technology also plays a role as huge airliners, with 400 or more seats, are eclipsed in popularity by aircraft of a more moderate size. Apart from a few large markets, large aircraft could only be flown when they had a feed of passengers from other markets that would then travel onwards to intercontinental destinations, said Floris de Haan, head of aviation practice for Ortec, a consulting firm based in the Netherlands. In the last five years, the companies manufacturing the two biggest airliners, the Boeing 747 and the Airbus A380, have introduced smaller, more fuel-efficient long- and medium-range airplanes that are just right for connecting smaller cities. The 20 percent increase in fuel efficiency on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner was critical to Norwegians decision to begin low-cost flights between gateways in the United States and Norway in 2013. The airline has configured the aircraft to carry 291 to 344 passengers. Mr. Kjos says his airline is now relying on delivery of four even smaller Boeing 737 Max aircraft, with 180 seats, to expand its route map. The Max, thats a single aisle that can fly on routes to secondary cities, Mr. Kjos said of the plane and others like it with 100 to 230 seats. You will see a lot of low fares and a new segment of people start flying. Airlines find more savings on the ground as well. Layover hotel rates for flight crews, landing fees and fuel prices are usually lower at smaller airports. For passengers, the costs of parking, car rentals and other travel services are usually less than at major airports. But the primary business of Express Scripts is as a pharmacy benefit manager, running the prescription drug benefits for insurers or large employers. Three companies Express Scripts, CVS and Optum, owned by UnitedHealth now handle 75 percent of all prescription claims, according to Mr. Feins report. Prime Aid and other independent pharmacies say that Express Scripts is unfairly wielding that market power to steer business to Accredo. Express Scripts patients typically cannot have their drugs covered by insurance if they use a pharmacy that is not in the network. Dr. Steve Miller, the chief medical officer for Express Scripts, denied that the company was unfairly cutting off independent pharmacies. He said less than a percent of all pharmacies in Express Scripts network are thrown out in any given year. But he acknowledged that the company had increased its oversight of pharmacies, especially after revelations about Philidor Rx Services, a mail-order pharmacy that was found to have undisclosed ties to the drug maker Valeant Pharmaceuticals International. In November, the former chief executive of Philidor and a former executive at Valeant were arrested on federal charges of violating anti-kickback laws, which they have denied. What it showed us is that our surveillance is not as good as we thought it was, Dr. Miller said. Prime Aid, which has been in business since 2006, had a good relationship with Express Scripts until August 2014, Ms. Shtindler said, eight months after the approval of Sovaldi and Viekira Pak, two high priced and highly anticipated hepatitis C drugs that cure patients of the disease. Prime Aids business spiked as patients lined up for the drug. At the time Prime Aid was removed from Express Scripts network, Ms. Shtindler said, it was processing millions of dollars in claims every day for Sovaldi. Ms. Shtindler said the reasons Express Scripts gave for terminating the contract were minor offenses. Prime Aid had failed to quickly cancel at least seven drug claims it submitted to Express Scripts out of thousands after customers failed to pick them up. Cannibalism exists among polar bears, spiders, tadpoles, chimpanzees, sharks and humans. Bill Schutt, a professor of biology at Long Island University and a researcher at the American Museum of Natural History, will discuss it at the museum, along with his new book, Cannibalism: A Perfectly Natural History, which will be published next month: Cannibalism lecture, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m., $15, $13.50 for those 65 and older and students, members free; Kaufman/Linder Theater, American Museum of Natural History, 77th Street between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue, amnh.org. This might be a case of great minds or chefs and restaurateurs thinking alike. Both La Sirena in Chelsea and Il Buco Alimentari e Vineria in NoHo have added tapas bars. At La Sirena, in the Maritime Hotel, Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich are converting the spacious bar area into Tapas Bar, which will offer Spanish-style small plates. Previously, the bar served drinks, and some snacks were available from a rolling cart. But now, the partners have tapped Anthony Sasso, the chef de cuisine at their Spanish restaurant, Casa Mono, to create the menu, which will feature patatas bravas, lamb ribs and such, and is meant to be a faster, cheaper option than dining in the main restaurant. They are also warming up the stark black-and-white space with accents of brass and chartreuse. The new space is to open on Wednesday. LONDON After having shown her clothes on the runways of Milan and Paris since 1982, Dame Vivienne Westwood made a dramatic return to the city that made her a fashion star for London Fashion Week Mens. Her latest show, a unisex affair on Monday with male and female models, closed the four-day event. The men tramped down the runway wearing a range of outfits, including sharp suits (wide lapels, flared pants) and billowing capes and tulle tutus. The women wore the same. And that, Ms. Westwood declared, was precisely the point. Unisex may sound like a joke, but, in fact, its all about styling and being able to dress however you like, Ms. Westwood, 75, said. Swapping clothes with your partner means you can buy less, choose well and really make them last. Carolina Herrera and Oscar de la Renta, two major American fashion houses, seem to have decided that dirty laundry is not the best look. For months, the companies had been engaged in an escalating legal battle over a young designers noncompete contract that culminated in Carolina Herrera filing suit against Oscar de la Renta in mid-December. Parties representing the two labels and Laura Kim, the creative director at the heart of the dispute, had been expected to appear in court on Tuesday to debate whether Ms. Kim must follow the stipulations of her contract with Carolina Herrera and refrain until April from becoming creative director at Oscar de la Renta. Instead, they have quietly settled the matter, and Ms. Kim, who had been briefly barred by a judge from working at Oscar de la Renta, is being allowed to continue developing the fall 2017 collection that will have its debut at New York Fashion Week next month. Federal prosecutors have enormous discretion over which cases to bring. Its not clear why a fight among county politicians would have interested them, absent the larger shift in the Black Belts racial dynamics. The night before the primary, Sessions stationed an F.B.I. agent outside the Perry County post office. The agent saw Albert and Evelyn Turner and a third activist, Spencer Hogue, mailing hundreds of absentee ballots. The F.B.I. opened the ballots and found 75 with candidate votes they suspected had been erased or re-marked. The government later lowered the number of disputed ballots to 27, but they still sparked a giant investigation. Ten F.B.I. agents fanned out, interviewing more than 1,000 residents about whether they could read or write, whether anyone helped them vote and whether they had altered their own ballots. The Black Belt includes 10 or so counties; the F.B.I. concentrated on the five in which black voters were making strides toward political ascendance. And in each of the five counties, the government targeted longtime black activists and political leaders figures like Turner. In October, as part of the investigation and before the general election, Sessionss office convened a federal grand jury more than 160 miles south, in Mobile, where the jury pool included more white people. Surrounded by F.B.I. agents and police with guns, about 20 black voters from Perry County, many older and some frail, were taken by bus to Mobile, where they were fingerprinted, photographed and questioned by the grand jury about their votes. This was the most degrading thing, the Rev. O.C. Dobynes, who accompanied the voters on the bus, told Congress a year later. To me, it was just simply saying, We are going to scare you into saying what we want you to say. Asked by a grand juror whether shed voted absentee for the first time in the September primary, a Perry County resident named Fannie Mae Williams answered: Uh-huh. First and last. Two other women told the grand jury they were done with voting, according to the book Lift Every Voice, by Lani Guinier, a professor at Harvard Law School. Albert and Evelyn Turner and Spencer Hogue were indicted in January 1985 on 29 counts, for mail fraud, conspiracy to commit voting fraud and voting more than once. Sessions and his assistants claimed the defendants filled out the disputed absentee ballots themselves. Each faced decades in prison. It was hell, remembers Evelyn Turner, now 80. (Her husband died in 2000.) We had always helped people with voting, for ages, and they trusted us. Why would you mess with someones ballot, if you knew it wasnt what they wanted? We werent fools. Hank Sanders organized a team that included defense lawyers from the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Southern Poverty Law Center, including Guinier. The Perry case attracted national attention in part because aspects of the prosecution appeared unprecedented. Sessions was the first federal prosecutor to pursue allegations of absentee-voter fraud in a strictly local election, James Liebman, one of the NAACP lawyers, testified to the Senate in 1986, and the first to bring the might of the federal government to bear over a relatively small number of ballots. Liebman also described evidence of absentee-voting irregularities, including altered ballots, on behalf of candidates, both black and white, who were primarily supported by white voters. But Sessions told the Senate that no evidence was presented to us at that time of fraud by whites, at least anything credible. Justice Department policy in the 1980s supported bringing election cases only when federal involvement is either necessary to vindicate paramount federal interests, or as a prosecutor of last resort to redress longstanding patterns of egregious electoral abuse. Yet the Public Integrity Section of Ronald Reagans Justice Department approved Sessionss case, saying it was not motivated by racial bias. Soon after the F.B.I. staked out the Perry County post office, the United States attorney general issued a statement that seemed related to Sessionss prosecution: Federal law prohibits political participants from intentionally seeking out the elderly, the socially disadvantaged or the illiterate for the purpose of subjugating their electoral will. When the Turners and Hogue went to trial, in June 1985, their supporters came in such numbers that entry to the courtroom in Selma required a ticket. Witness after witness among the 17 voters who testified said that while theyd received assistance from the Turners and Hogue to fill out their ballots, theyd done so willingly. The exceptions were members of a single family of six, who said their ballots were altered without their permission. I think she is one of the greatest actresses of a generation, Ms. Collins said of Ms. Streep. She has the right to say whatever she wants. And I think if you look at peoples faces in the audience, people went along with her. At the HBO party, Eddie Redmayne said he found Ms. Streeps speech incredibly emotional, but was so distracted by her presence in the audience while presenting the award for best musical or comedy that he almost forgot to read the nominees. He wouldnt say whether he thought Hollywood should take a page from Ms. Streep and speak out politically. The Bagger nabbed Bryan Cranston at the HBO party, too. Mr. Cranston, who has spoofed a Donald J. Trump presidency on Saturday Night Live, got a little misty just speaking about Ms. Streeps words. She was able to deliver an important message that resonated with all of us, with grace and dignity and no vitriol or hyperbole, he said, It was just beautifully delivered, to convey the anxiety that we are feeling, and the concern. In his speech, Mr. Cuomo thanked Mr. Schneiderman for his offices efforts in negotiating the settlement with Entergy. The agreement involves the withdrawal of the states challenges and is expected to clear the way for Entergy to renew the licenses with the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Mr. Mohl said Entergy intended to shut one of the reactors by April 2020 and the other by April 2021. (A third reactor at Indian Point, the first to operate there, was shut down in 1974.) But he said the company planned to seek renewals of the licenses until 2024 and 2025 in case the operator of the states power grid determined that the plant must keep running longer to ensure reliability. Mr. Mohl disputed any suggestion that Entergy had been pressured into agreeing to the shutdown, repeatedly asserting in an interview that the decision was made for economic reasons. We certainly respect the governor, he said later at a news conference. Hes entitled to say what he wants to say. We know what the facts are, and the facts are we made this decision based on the economics of the plant. Entergy, which is based in New Orleans, has been withdrawing from nuclear power generation in the North and focusing on its regulated utility business in the South. Mr. Mohl said the company would provide incentives to the workers at Indian Point to stay on through the shutdown. The company will offer displaced workers the chance to relocate to one of the companys other facilities. State officials said the impact on ratepayers would be negligible, adding that the governors office had estimated that, at most, the proposed shutdown would add $3 a month to electric bills in the New York City area. Utility customers in the city already pay rates that are higher than anywhere in the United States, except Hawaii. James T. Slevin, the president of Local 1-2 of the Utility Workers Union of America, which represents about 350 workers at Indian Point, said: Indian Point provides clean, affordable energy in abundance, which helps stabilize rates for ratepayers. New Yorkers are going to get hit hard in their pocketbooks when this shakes out. For Najairee Davis, high school was synonymous with bouts of anger and frustration. She had the hallway fights, suspensions and detention to prove it. Early in Ms. Daviss high school career, her father was incarcerated on manslaughter charges. I was just angry, Ms. Davis, 18, recalled. I wouldnt talk to anybody. I wasnt feeling good about anything. Academics were no longer a priority; she shut everyone out. And if pressed on anything, she said, she would pick fights with classmates. Ms. Davis got a bad reputation at school, and said it was not long before teachers simply assumed she was to blame for any confrontation. Everyone else went unpunished, she said. Her principal at Frederick Douglass Academy in West Harlem suggested she might benefit from transferring to a different school, one designed for students who struggle in more traditional education settings. Her boyfriend had attended such a school, and compared the experience to being surrounded by a supportive family. Presidential elections have consequences, and this one will affect New York City more than any in recent memory. This isnt a comment on the candidates or the nationwide political tone, but on the simple fact that the winner of this election, Donald J. Trump, lives in New York City. And not just in New York City, but on Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, home to one of the worlds densest concentrations of humanity and traffic bedlam. Fifth Avenues five lanes run past landmarks like the New York Public Library, the Empire State Building and Rockefeller Center, as well as numerous cathedrals of commerce, tourism and high-end retail. Because the avenue is such a popular destination, retail floor space there rents for $3,000 per square foot a year, the highest price in the world, more than double the cost of similar space along the Champs Elysees. It seems appropriate that gold is a popular color for building facades on Fifth. Fifth Avenue at 56th Street is the site of Mr. Trumps apartment in Trump Tower, which has rapidly turned into a fortress of Secret Service agents and heavily armed police officers surrounded by curious tourists, camera crews and protesters. They join the usual shoppers, workers and other pedestrians on what were already crowded sidewalks, and often spill into the street. This has significantly slowed traffic, and security concerns have forced the closing of side streets. While Mr. Trump has said he will move into the White House, his wife and youngest child plan to wait until at least the end of the school year. During the campaign, Mr. Trump was known for flying home late at night so that he could wake up in his own bed, and he has said that he plans to return to the city frequently. If he chooses to stay even part of the week in New York, Trump Tower will become a de facto presidential residence and seat of global power. (Ironically, that also happened to be the same day that a joint session of Congress performed its perfunctory duty of counting the Electoral College votes and verifying Trumps victory.) No sir, Mr. Trump, as is your wont, your assertions stretch well beyond your proof. An impact that cannot be measured is not the same as an impact that does not exist. The question isnt if but how much; not the existence of impact but the degree to which that impact was dispositive. The intelligence community did not say that the Russian hacking had no effect on the outcome of the election, but rather stated quite clearly: We did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. The U.S. Intelligence Community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyze U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion. You twist the truth like a string of yarn caught in a fan. But eventually, you and every citizen of this country must face the fact that you were not only elected but also installed, that your victory will be forever tangled up in the yellow tape of an international crime scene. No wonder then that you have systematically sought to denigrate all inquiry into this act of cyber warfare that the intelligence report called unprecedented. You have scorned our intelligence agencies you tweet intelligence in quotes the same way that we should eventually use quotes around the word president when it precedes your name and you have continued your assault on the press. On Friday, Trump told my colleague Michael Shear that the focus on the hacking amounted to a political witch hunt. Wrong again. Its a truth hunt. Furthermore, the only person subjected to a witch hunt in this election was named Hillary. To the Editor: Re Meryl Streeps Golden Globes Speech (nytimes.com, Jan. 9): I have not generally been an advocate of celebrities using award shows to make political statements, but given the threat to the character of our nation that we now face due to the nature and behavior of our incoming president, it was gratifying to see someone of the stature of Meryl Streep taking him to task for one example of his outrageous conduct, the mimicking of a reporter with a disability. Never content to let any perceived slight pass without engaging in a nuclear war of words, Mr. Trumps response to Ms. Streep was predictable. He sought to denigrate and diminish the acclaimed actress by characterizing her as one of the most over-rated in Hollywood and a Hillary flunky. He went on to assert that he did not mock someone with a disability, despite what we have seen with our own eyes. I do not imagine we will ever see tweets from our soon-to-be leader to address injustices in our country. Rather we can expect his undignified 140-characters-or-less means of communication to be engaged in simply to settle personal scores. To use his favorite words, Mr. Trump is a disaster. Sad. OREN SPIEGLER Upper St. Clair, Pa. To the Editor: When Meryl Streep won the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes on Sunday night, I dont recall seeing her political achievements in the video clip that preceded the presentation. Ms. Streep certainly deserved an award commemorating her stellar acting performances. To the Editor: In these last few weeks of infinite regret for many women that we are not going to see Hillary Clinton sworn in as president, Susan Chiras wise article What Women Lost (news analysis, Sunday Review, Jan. 1) will help us consider some of the lessons we learned. Ms. Chiras most basic question how can feminism broaden its message without losing its base is one we will be debating. It seemed that Mrs. Clintons issues were too small not to be swamped by Donald Trumps large, easy promises of economic prizes for everyone. But the picture of Mrs. Clinton as being trapped within womens issues doesnt work for me. Are a wanted birth, a safe childhood, a guaranteed education and equality of opportunity in the workplace not major goals in the United States? And today so very far from fulfillment. Its not about broadening the goals of feminism; it is about how to convince the public that rights for both women and men are our existing goal; and to convince it that government, when wisely administered and supported by all of us, can work productively. This article is part of the Opinion Today newsletter. You can sign up here to receive more briefings and a guide to the section daily in your inbox. The label of fiscal conservative used to mean something. It referred to people mostly Republicans whose top priority was the health of the federal governments balance sheet. They favored a small deficit, or no deficit at all. They generally preferred holding down the deficit through a small government, but they were also open to tax increases to bring down the deficit. The first President George Bush and President Dwight Eisenhower were both fiscal conservatives. Today, however, the original meaning of the label has been all but destroyed. Few if any current Republican leaders care deeply about the deficit. Their top priority is instead reducing taxes on the affluent. If they cant find budget cuts to match their tax cuts especially because many budget cuts are unpopular with voters todays top Republicans will instead cut taxes anyway and allow the deficit to grow. As Dick Cheney said, Reagan proved deficits dont matter. MADISON, Wis. At least three times in the past six months, state legislators have threatened to cut the budget of the University of Wisconsin at Madison for teaching about homosexuality, gender and race. As a faculty member who focuses on how public organizations are managed, I hear a great deal about the dangers of political correctness in higher education. Several of Wisconsins elected officials have joined the growing chorus of demands for better protections for free speech on campus, even as they fail to recognize how their own politicized approach to managing campuses poses a much more fundamental risk to free speech. For example, Steve Nass, a state senator from Whitewater, has urged university leaders not to give way to the political correctness crowd demanding safe spaces, safe words, universal apologies for hurt feelings, and speech/thought police. But last July, Senator Nass also sent a letter to university leaders to complain about an offensive essay assignment on gay mens sexual preferences. A few days ago he said that a university program that explored masculinity declares war on men after asking, Will we have the courage to reform the U.W. system in the 2017-19 biennial budget? Senator Nass is not alone. A state representative heading a committee that oversees higher education asked for the cancellation of a course that examined white identity called The Problem of Whiteness and the dismissal of its instructor. The representative, Dave Murphy, said the course was adding to the polarization of the races in our state. If the university stands with this professor, I dont know how the university can expect the taxpayers to stand with U.W.-Madison. Mr. Murphy also promised to direct his staff to screen courses in the humanities to make sure theres legitimate education going on. These examples show whats being left out of a narrative about a crisis of campus speech that is becoming widely accepted. In this story, there is a battle between the traditional values of free speech and identity politics, with tolerance for disagreement being erased by an insistence on recognizing micro-aggressions, safe spaces and trigger warnings. Controversial speakers are heckled or disinvited. Greetings Earthlings! This is your planet and its moon as seen from Mars, some 127 million miles away. This composite image, which was released by NASA on Friday, was created using a special camera aboard the agencys Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is a spacecraft orbiting about 180 miles above the red planet. The camera is called the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment. It provides scientists with detailed views of the Martian surface so they can better study geological features like its volcanoes and gullies, as well as scope out potential landing sites for future missions. Its the biggest telescope ever sent to another planet, said Alfred McEwen a planetary geologist at the University of Arizona and the principal investigator of HiRise. Dr. McEwen said that the image was taken while NASA researchers were trying to calibrate the camera. NASA knows precisely what color the moons near side is, so when it wants to calibrate HiRise, it points it at the moon and takes some images. NASA then analyzes the pictures and if the colors appear off it can correct the calibration. The moon is boring. It doesnt change, its relatively bland and it doesnt have all of these variations or changing clouds. Its a good calibration target, Dr. McEwen said. The Earth is a bad calibration target with all its variability like clouds and such, but it makes a pretty picture. The devices can be good adaptive strategies to navigate to unfamiliar places, Dr. Kelley said. However, it can be challenging to learn on our own if we rely too heavily on them. David R. Widman, a professor of psychology at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., said in an interview that paper maps, with their foldout pages, offer a better overview of where you are headed than the small screens of smartphones. He recalled that during a trip his family took from central Pennsylvania to Vermont, the GPS device never made it clear that they would have to cross Lake Champlain. The trip ended up taking 11 hours. The GPS is as likely to get you to where you want to go as it is to get you lost, he said. Take different routes to the same place Mr. Citrin said that when traffic is bad, he takes a different route even if it takes longer. As my mind begins to understand that option, I increase my awareness of how going in different directions helps me get to where I am going, he said. Figure out where north is Sue Barry, professor emeritus of biological sciences and neuroscience at Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley, Mass., said in an interview that her sense of direction was really quite pathetic. She understood what was at her point of origin and what was at her destination, but had no understanding of what was in between or how the two points related to each other. For the first time, you dont have to be a member of the armed forces to see Blueprint Specials, a jaunty foray into a little-known footnote in American military history. A series of musicals intended to boost morale and entertain the troops during World War II, these forgotten shows (only four survive) have now been resurrected by the theater company Waterwell. The production which combines elements of all of the extant shows is being presented in association with (and on the hangar deck of) the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, as part of the Under the Radar festival. The title derives from the fact that after all the elements of the shows had been created songs (by Pvt. Frank Loesser, among others), choreography (by Pvt. Jose Limon, ditto) and book and designs they were packaged together with instructions on how regular G.I.s could assemble and perform them. The kits were sent to companies unreached by traditional U.S.O. shows. The new production, directed and adapted by Tom Ridgely, retains this informal, lets-put-on-a-show air, with simple sets and a spirited cast that includes professional performers notably the Broadway veterans Laura Osnes and Will Swenson alongside former and current members of the military. (We only see whos who when the servicemen and women wear their uniforms during the curtain call, while the others take their bows in mufti.) Pet health insurance is also much less common. More than 90 percent of Americans now have health insurance, an industry that has been with us since before World War II. But only 1 percent of dogs and cats are insured for pet care, a relatively new product. (According to the North American Pet Health Insurance Association, the first pet health insurance policy in the United States was written for Lassie, the TV dog star, in 1982.) So the economists focus turned to the commonalities. Human and pet health care are both provided by experts doctors and veterinarians whove undergone lengthy and expensive training and occupational licensing. That expertise commands high salaries. It also gives them the authority to recommend treatments and tests, the need for which most consumers cannot independently judge. You trust your vet as you would trust your doctor to do what is best, especially when an emotional decision is being made. Both human and pet health care are accompanied by strong emotions, making it hard to rationally weigh the value of options. Moreover, the need for care, whether it is for a pet or a human, is difficult to predict and often urgent, again threatening our ability and willingness to shop for the best deals. Technology plays a role, too. Complex procedures, new pharmaceuticals and high-tech imaging, which drive human health care spending, are no longer uncommon in pet care, increasing those costs. Though routine veterinary visits might cost pet owners only a couple of hundred dollars per year, a serious condition can be very expensive. A dogs kidney transplant can run $25,000, and a cats cancer treatment can cost $10,000 or more. Even if such high costs are extremely rare, it is not as uncommon for a pet owner to encounter a $2,000 to $4,000 bill at some point, particularly near the end of a pets life. It makes you think that the emotional nature of the treatment decision may be important in explaining high and sometimes heroic end-of-life health care spending, Ms. Finkelstein said, whether on your dog or on your mother. If emotions are in fact driving the higher spending, will it hasten the trend toward more pet insurance? The pet health insurance industry is growing, with total premium volume up about 17 percent in each of the last two years. Its one of the fastest-growing employee benefits; Delta Air Lines, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, U.P.S. and Xerox now offer it. The Cornerstone of Our Family Image Olga Woltering, 84, always had a beaming smile, the pastor at the Roman Catholic church she attended in Marietta, Ga., said. Credit... Reuters Olga Woltering, 84, regularly attended Mass with her husband, Ralph, at The Catholic Church of the Transfiguration in Marietta, Ga. She worked in various ministries affiliated with the church, where she and her husband had been members since 1978. The normal expression on her face? A beaming smile, her church pastor said. Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, the pastor of the church, said there was a pall of sadness over his churchs 5 p.m. Mass on Saturday. The first pew on the left Mrs. Wolterings regular spot remained empty. He asked congregants to pray for the victims of the massacre, but to also to pray for people like the man accused of killing her, people who are walking in darkness. She was so joyful, Father Molina-Restrepo said of Mrs. Woltering on Sunday. Whenever you met her, she left you with this sense of joy and peace. She and her husband were married for 64 years and were setting out on a cruise to celebrate her husbands 90th birthday, he said. She was known as the church social butterfly who attended every dance. Good morning. (Want to get California Today by email? Heres the sign-up.) The rain is back, and it seems to be coming all at once. A band of dense, airborne moisture from the tropics known as an atmospheric river swirled into Northern California on Saturday and was expected to linger through Monday. In just 48 hours, the system dropped up to four inches of rain across much of the region, with as much as nine inches in the foothills and mountains, where warmer air meant snow fell only at the highest elevations. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. Looking frail and meek, Esteban Santiago, the man accused of fatally shooting five people and wounding six others at the airport in this South Florida city three days ago, made a brief appearance on Monday in a federal courtroom here and was assigned a public defender because he cannot afford a lawyer. Shackled, bearded and wearing a red jumpsuit, Mr. Santiago, 26, an Iraq war veteran who grew up in Puerto Rico, took several deep breaths and jiggled his legs nervously as he waited for the judge. Federal marshals towered over him when he stood. Speaking with a slight Spanish accent, Mr. Santiago told Magistrate Judge Alicia O. Valle that he had $5 or $10 in his checking account, owned no property and had not held a job since November. That was the same month that he walked into an F.B.I. office in Alaska carrying an ammunition clip leaving a pistol and his infant son in his car to complain about a C.I.A. plot against him. F.B.I. agents called the local police, who took him to a psychiatric center where he spent a few days. Before November, Mr. Santiago said he had spent nearly three years working security for Signal 88 in Anchorage, Alaska, where he earned $2,100 a month. He also spent about 10 years in the Army, where he earned $15,000 a year in his last three years of service. A police officer in Orlando, Fla., was shot and killed on Monday morning by a man wanted in the death of his pregnant former girlfriend, the authorities said. A manhunt was underway for the suspect. The officer, Master Sgt. Debra Clayton, 42, was shot near a Walmart after she approached Markeith Loyd, 41, who is suspected of killing his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Sade Dixon, in December, according to the Orlando Police Department and Orange County Sheriffs Office. The Orlando police chief, John W. Mina, describing the encounter with Sergeant Clayton, said at a news conference on Monday afternoon, As soon as she said, Stop, he basically opened fire on her. The suspect and the sergeant shot at each other, the police said, though the authorities said they did not believe that Mr. Loyd had been hit in the exchange. Sergeant Clayton died around 7:40 a.m. An Orange County sheriffs deputy spotted Mr. Loyd fleeing in Sergeant Claytons police vehicle, the authorities said. He pulled into an apartment complex, fired at the deputy who was not hurt and stole another vehicle, which was later found abandoned nearby, the police said. The Orlando Police Department family is heartbroken today, the department said on Twitter. It described Sergeant Clayton, a 17-year veteran of the force, as a hero who was deeply committed to the community and to police work. An Obama watchdog has changed his tune now that a Republican will be in the White House. President-elect Donald J. Trump, after an intelligence report concluded that Russia tried to help him get elected, is going after ... Meryl Streep. A Trump fib: You cant buy a dress in Washington for the inauguration. An Obama watchdogs new teeth: Postal reform Representative Jason Chaffetz, Republican of Utah and chairman of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said that his committee will still poke around in Hillary Clintons email issues in the new Congress, pointing out that new ones have emerged just this week for that State Department. I dont want this to linger, he said. Mr. Trump may or may not get scrutiny. Mr. Chaffetz said it is not his job or plan to be Mr. Trumps cheerleader, but that the six letters he has gotten from Democrats on the committee concerning Mr. Trump were silly because he isnt president yet. The president is exempt from most of these issues, Mr. Chaffetz added. His committee spent eight years dogging President Obama over scandals that included gunrunning at the Justice Department, the I.R.S.s slowdown of tax-exemption applications from Tea Party groups, Benghazi and, of course, the Clinton emails. WASHINGTON Two years ago, Gen. John F. Kelly, then head of the United States Southern Command, delivered a dire warning to Congress: The nation was not focusing on the security threat presented by the financial and operational relationship between terrorist networks and drug smuggling organizations. Terrorist organizations could seek to leverage those same smuggling routes to move operatives with intent to cause grave harm to our citizens or even bring weapons of mass destruction into the United States, General Kelly said. Now General Kelly, 66, is President-elect Donald J. Trumps choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, and his view of the threat to the southern border is likely to be the subject of questioning during his confirmation hearing on Tuesday. The department, with a budget of more than $40 billion and more than 240,000 workers, is responsible for border security, immigration control, responding to natural disasters, cybersecurity and screening passengers at airports, among other duties. WASHINGTON The Obama administration has blacklisted five Russians, including the governments chief public investigator, who is a close aide to President Vladimir V. Putin, for human rights abuses, laying down a marker for President-elect Donald J. Trump less than two weeks before he takes office with a vow to thaw relations with Russia. The sanctions, announced Monday by the Treasury Department, are not related to allegations of Russian hacking during the presidential election, according to a senior administration official. But they carry symbolic weight at a charged moment, as likely the last visible act the United States will take against Russia before power is transferred in Washington. The biggest name added to the list is that of Aleksandr I. Bastrykin, who reports directly to Mr. Putin and has carried out political investigations on his behalf. Mr. Bastrykin, officials said, was complicit in the case of Sergei L. Magnitsky, a lawyer who died in detention in murky circumstances in November 2009 and for whom the Magnitsky Act was named. WASHINGTON The Supreme Court on Monday seemed deeply skeptical of a Colorado law that makes it hard for criminal defendants whose convictions are overturned to get refunds of the fines and restitution they had been ordered to pay. The justices were helped by the forthright presentation of the states solicitor general, Frederick R. Yarger, who did not shy away from the more extreme implications of his argument. Money taken from defendants after valid convictions belongs to the state, he said. A Colorado law requires people cleared by the courts to file separate civil suits and prove their innocence with clear and convincing evidence in order to obtain reimbursement. But Mr. Yarger said the state was under no obligation to do even that much. He said the state was not only free to impose onerous procedures, but could also enact a law making exonerated defendants forfeit the money entirely. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked if the state could impose a $10,000 fine on everyone convicted of a crime and refuse to return the money if the convictions were later overturned. WASHINGTON On Dec. 6, Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked a half-dozen probing questions during the argument of a patent case involving Life Technologies, which makes genetic testing kits. Later that week, if the court followed its usual practices, he met in private with his colleagues to discuss the case and cast his vote. If he was in the majority, as he is most of the time, he assigned the majority opinion to himself or to another justice. On Wednesday, about a month after all of this, the Supreme Court announced that Chief Justice Roberts has concluded that he should not continue to participate in this case. He had discovered, the court said, that he owned 1,212 shares of the parent company of Life Technologies. Corporate relationships can be tangled, but this one was relatively straightforward, and it was disclosed on the second page of the petition seeking review in the case. Life Technologies Corporation is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., the petition said. The statement was repeated on the second page of the companys brief on the merits of the case. Thermo Fisher Scientific was among the chief justices larger holdings. According to his latest financial disclosure report, released in June, his shares were worth between $100,001 and $250,000. At Fridays closing price, the shares were worth about $178,000. WASHINGTON United States Special Operations forces carried out a ground raid that killed an Islamic State leader in eastern Syria on Sunday, the Pentagon said, underscoring how the military is using risky commando missions and not just airstrikes to battle the militants. A Defense Department spokesman, Capt. Jeff Davis, confirmed on Monday that the operation had occurred. But he dismissed a report by the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group based in London, that about 25 fighters had been killed in a two-hour raid in al-Kubar, a village in Deir al-Zour Province. Captain Davis said that figure overstated the casualties by orders of magnitude, but he declined to say how many militants had been killed. He said no fighters had been detained in the operation, which did not involve rescuing any hostages, contrary to what some news reports indicated earlier on Monday. A senior Defense Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss details of the operation, said the target of the raid was a midlevel Islamic State leader the American commandos were trying to capture and interrogate. But when the helicopter-borne commandos intercepted the vehicle carrying the leader, a firefight broke out and the suspect and another person in the car were killed. No Americans were injured. For those on the streets who have lost their jobs, have suffered from drug addiction, mental illness or disabilities crackdowns on homeless camps are seen as tantamount to punishing people for being poor. Activists and homeless residents like Mr. Russell are waging public campaigns and court fights against local laws that ban urban camping prohibitions that activists say are aimed at the homeless. The right to rest, they say, should be a new civil right for the homeless. Many wear buttons that ask, Move Along to Where? and are challenging misdemeanor citations and anti-camping ordinances, like Denvers, in court. They take away your means of survival, said Jerry Burton, who was ticketed the same day as Mr. Russell. In recent years, the Obama administration has offered the homeless and their advocates some support. In a 2015 statement of interest addressing a law in Boise, Idaho, the Justice Department warned that local laws criminalizing homelessness could violate the Constitutions protections against cruel and unusual punishment. And the Department of Housing and Urban Development has said it takes into consideration policies that criminalize homelessness when deciding which places should get competitive grants. Advocates for the homeless said those policies had strengthened their hand. They are now worried about how those measures and broader funding for homeless services might fare under President-elect Donald J. Trump, who ran as a law and order candidate. Image A group of homeless people making coffee at their camp outside Denver last week. Many homeless people in the area take shelter just beyond city limits to avoid the police. Credit... Nick Cote for The New York Times Were quite concerned, said Maria Foscarinis, the founder and executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, which estimated that half of American cities had some kind of anti-camping law. No sooner do you win the battle than 10 other cities pop up criminalizing homelessness, Ms. Foscarinis added. The idea was if you could get the federal government on your side, you have a much broader impact. Nationwide, the number of homeless people is declining, according to the most recent counts. But camps have become a particularly acute problem in the West, where soaring housing costs and a scarcity of subsidized apartments have pushed homelessness to the fore in booming towns like Seattle, Los Angeles, Denver and San Francisco. As new clusters of tents and sleeping bags pop up along river banks, on city sidewalks and in parks and gentrifying neighborhoods, they are exposing deep divisions about how cities should strike a balance between accommodation and enforcement. In Seattle, where violence has flared in a homeless camp known as the Jungle, beneath a freeway, there was a fierce response to a councilmans proposal to allow the citys 3,000 unsheltered homeless residents to camp in some parks and on undeveloped public land. For too long, the march organizers said, the womens rights movement focused on issues that were important to well-off white women, such as the ability to work outside the home and attain the same high-powered positions that men do. But minority women, they said, have had different priorities. Black women who have worked their whole lives as maids might care more about the minimum wage or police brutality than about seeing a woman in the White House. Undocumented immigrant women might care about abortion rights, they said, but not nearly as much as they worry about being deported. This brand of feminism frequently referred to as intersectionality asks white women to acknowledge that they have had it easier. It speaks candidly about the history of racism, even within the feminist movement itself. The organizers of the 1913 suffrage march on Washington asked black women to march at the back of the parade. The issue of race has followed the march from its inception. The day after the election, Bob Bland, a fashion designer in New York, floated the idea of a march in Washington on Facebook. Within hours, 3,000 people said they would join. Then a friend called to tell Ms. Bland that a woman in Hawaii with a similar page had collected pledges from 12,000 people. I thought, Wow, lets merge, Ms. Bland recalled. As the effort grew, a number of comments on Facebook implored Ms. Bland, who is white, to include minority women on the leadership team. Ms. Bland felt strongly that it was the right thing to do. Within three days of the election, Carmen Perez, a Hispanic activist working on juvenile justice, and Tamika D. Mallory, a gun control activist who is black, joined Ms. Bland. Gloria Steinem, honorary co-chairwoman of the march along with Harry Belafonte, lauded their approach. Sexism is always made worse by racism and vice versa, she said in an email. Ms. Steinem, who plans to participate in a town hall meeting during the march with Alicia Garza, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, said even contentious conversations about race were a good thing. Its about knowing each other, she wrote. Which is what movements and marches are for. But the tone of the discussion, particularly online, can become so raw that some would-be marchers feel they are no longer welcome. CAIRO Gunmen assaulted a police checkpoint in the Sinai Peninsula of Egypt on Monday, killing at least nine people and wounding 12, an Egyptian police spokesman said, and Islamic State militants were suspected to be behind it. The complex attack, which the police said involved rocket-propelled grenades and rifle fire as well as a failed attempt to ram the checkpoint with a truck bomb, was one of the largest in Sinai in recent months. The attack came a month after the bombing of a Cairo church that killed at least 28 worshipers. Islamist militants, most affiliated with the Islamic State, have been pressing a twin-pronged war in Egypt, attacking the security forces in remote Sinai while striking civilian and police targets in major cities. About 20 masked militants, some wearing military fatigues, were involved in Mondays assault in El Arish, the main town in northern Sinai, said Tarek Attiya, a police spokesman. Initially, some used rocket-propelled grenades, the police said. GOIANIA, Brazil On a recent visit to Goiania, a bustling city noted for its sway in Brazils farm belt, I didnt expect to stumble across Art Deco gems. But there they were, amid spacious parks, plazas and tree-lined avenues: a train station, a theater, a palace, some government buildings. Yet that grandeur from the 1930s when Goiania was founded as an example of forward-looking cosmopolitanism in Brazils hinterland has faded. Landmark buildings have been torn down to make way for nondescript towers, and graffiti envelops many structures. Image Motorists pass a gazebo in Goiania, which was founded as an outpost of cosmopolitanism in the 1930s. Credit... Simon Romero/The New York Times Some Brazilians write off Goiania, far from Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, as their version of Midwestern flyover country. But farming and ranching generates much of the countrys wealth and influences Brazilian culture these days, even if the region sometimes neglects its own complex and sophisticated history. HONG KONG With pollution levels receding in Beijing, parts of southern China, including Hong Kong, experienced dangerous levels of smog Monday as weather patterns pushed bad air into the region. The worsening conditions caused the Hong Kong government to warn of a very high health risk, particularly for the elderly, children and those with existing respiratory conditions. The level of PM2.5 pollution, the fine particulates that pose the greatest danger to health, exceeded 190 micrograms per cubic meter on Sunday in Hong Kong, and the high levels continued into Monday. The World Health Organization recommends daily exposure of no more than 25 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic meter, and levels above 150 are considered unhealthy. SEOUL, South Korea Less than a week after Donald J. Trump taunted North Korea over its ballistic missile capabilities, North Korea has said that it could conduct its first test of an intercontinental missile anytime and anywhere in a rebuke to the incoming president. Although North Korea has vowed to develop the ability to attack the United States with nuclear warheads and has tested missiles that can reach throughout the Korean Peninsula and its vicinity, it has never tested a long-range missile that could fly over the Pacific. In a New Years Day speech, Kim Jong-un, North Koreas leader, said his country had reached a final stage in preparing to test an intercontinental ballistic missile. That drew a Twitter post the next day from Mr. Trump that said, It wont happen! On Sunday, an unidentified spokesman of the North Korean Foreign Ministry told the Norths official Korean Central News Agency, The ICBM will be launched anytime and anywhere determined by our supreme leadership. For Ms. Tsai, it provided a potential opening with Mr. Trumps party. Taiwan has maintained relations with China hawks in the Republican Party over the past several administrations, said Ian Rowen, a postdoctoral fellow at Academia Sinica in Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Cruz is influential above and beyond many senators, given his performance in the last election campaign. It makes sense to add Cruz, whatever his relationship is going to be with the Trump administration. Echoing the defiant Twitter posts Mr. Trump issued after speaking with Ms. Tsai, Mr. Cruz bluntly refused to allow Beijing to set the terms of meetings between officials from the United States and Taiwan. The Peoples Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves, Mr. Cruz said. This is about the U.S. relationship with Taiwan, an ally we are legally bound to defend. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit. While American leaders have vowed to defend Taiwan from attack, the United States is not legally bound to do so, despite what Mr. Cruz said. While in Texas, Ms. Tsai also met with Gov. Greg Abbott, with whom she discussed energy, trade and commerce. Reducing Taiwans economic reliance on China has been a major focus for the Tsai administration, which took office in May. In the wake of the meetings, Lu Kang, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Beijing opposed any contact between Taiwans leader and anyone from the U.S. government, saying it threatens to hurt ties between Beijing and Washington. A Chinese-language statement about Ms. Tsais time in Houston, released by Taiwans presidential office, did not mention the meetings with Mr. Cruz or Mr. Abbott, focusing instead on her attendance at a banquet for overseas Taiwanese. SYDNEY, Australia Australias health minister has taken an abrupt leave of absence after purchasing an investment beachfront property while on a taxpayer-funded trip, prompting calls for her dismissal and the possibility of a cabinet reshuffle. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said on Monday that Sussan Ley, the minister for health, aged care and sport, would forgo her ministerial salary during an investigation into her use of publicly funded travel while on private business in Queensland. The move comes at a time of low approval ratings for the Turnbull government. I expect the highest standards from my ministers in all aspects of their conduct, and especially the expenditure of public money, Mr. Turnbull said in a statement on Monday, adding that Australians expected the government to review taxpayer-funded spending very thoroughly. The minister has agreed to stand aside without ministerial pay until an investigation is completed, he said. Ms. Ley also said that the Finance Department would review her travel records. LONDON Londoners struggled to maintain their poise on Monday after a 24-hour strike on the Underground forced the evacuations of subway stations, left buses dangerously crammed and made thousands of commuters walk for hours to get to and from work. The buses are now Mad Max-style death trucks, said Aaron Gillies, an author and comedy writer. People try to ride pigeons to work. No gaps are minded. Chaos. More than two million commuters were thought to be affected by the walkout, which came amid cold, rainy weather, a falling pound and new fears over Britains plans to exit the European Union. Two separate industrial actions at British Airways and Southern Railway are also expected this week. Pope Francis encouraged women attending Mass at the Sistine Chapel on Sunday to breast-feed in public, telling them they could calm their crying babies by nursing them just as the Virgin Mary nursed the baby Jesus. The comments, which were reported by Vatican Radio, came as the pontiff baptized 28 babies at the Vatican. When the infants began, one after the other, to cry the pope joked to their parents that Jesus first sermon was the sound of him wailing in the manger at Bethlehem. According to a Vatican Radio correspondent, Philippa Hitchen: As the sounds of crying grew louder, the pope joked that the concert had begun. The babies are crying, he said, because they are in an unfamiliar place, or because they had to get up early, or sometimes simply because they hear another child crying. Jesus did just the same, Pope Francis said, adding that he liked to think of Our Lords first sermon as his crying in the stable. And if your children are crying because they are hungry, the pope told the mothers present, then go ahead and feed them, just as Mary breast-fed Jesus. This is not the first time that the pope has supported a womans right to breast-feed in public or in the Sistine Chapel, an ornate room decorated by Michelangelo where popes are elected in closed-door conclaves. Two years ago, as he baptized 33 babies at the same ceremony, Pope Francis encouraged mothers to nurse their crying infants, using the Italian word for breast-feed, allattateli, according to Reuters. DUBLIN The top Catholic official in Northern Irelands power-sharing government abruptly resigned on Monday, plunging the territory into political uncertainty and adding to Britains complications as it plans to leave the European Union. The official, Martin McGuinness, stepped down as deputy first minister to protest what he called the mishandling of a program that subsidizes the use of renewable energy to heat buildings. Mr. McGuinness said he would not nominate a replacement, a decision that effectively sets off an election for the Northern Ireland Assembly, as it will end the current power-sharing agreement between Mr. McGuinnesss Catholic Sinn Fein party and the Democratic Unionist Party, which represents Protestants and is led by Arlene Foster, the first minister. Under the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, which brought an end to the decades-long sectarian strife known as the Troubles, Catholics and Protestants share governance of the region, along with the British government. TEHRAN The hunger strike, a pressure tactic of self-starvation used by political protesters around the world, is forcing Irans powerful judiciary to reconsider the conditions of at least one of its inmates after several started fasts that are leading to widespread support on social media. The exact number of hunger strikers in Iranian prisons is unclear, but according to human rights organizations and reports in local media outlets, seven inmates, sentenced for crimes against the state, have refused to eat for intervals ranging from several weeks to more than two months. Their backgrounds vary, but they include an antigovernment protester, a childrens rights activist, an ayatollah, a spiritual leader and a Lebanese computer technology specialist convicted of espionage. It is not possible to verify their conditions because of restrictions preventing foreign reporters from visiting Iranian prisons without permission. While some members of Irans Parliament have said on their social media accounts that they are investigating the reports, other officials have dismissed the hunger strikes as plots organized by foreign opposition groups. Conservative critics further argue that the extensive support for the hunger strikers seen on social media networks is an exaggeration created by automated messages. One of the inmates, Arash Sadeghi, stopped his strike last Tuesday, after the judiciary met his demand to temporarily release his imprisoned wife. She was transferred back to prison on Saturday, said the couples lawyer, Amir Raeesian. Refusing to eat to protest conditions in prison is illegal in Iran, but is not uncommon. However, the number of inmates now simultaneously fasting, in combination with a large social media campaign, is unusual in the country. It also providing a publicity platform for those in prison, Iranian analysts say. The success is clearly motivating others to join, said Nader Karimi Joni, a journalist close to the reformist factions in Iran. Two of the hunger strikers, Mr. Sadeghi and Ali Shariati, have been convicted of crimes against the state charges that by Western standards would make them political prisoners. They went for nearly 70 days without food, advocates say, surviving on water and salts. Mr. Sadeghi received a 15-year sentence last year for offenses like provoking protest gatherings, conniving with counterrevolutionaries against the system, making propaganda against the system, insulting Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and insulting the sharia, his lawyer, Mr. Raeesian, said. The system is an Iranian ideological term for the countrys political establishment: a coterie of clerics, commanders and revolutionary comrades. Mr. Sadeghis sentence is lengthy even by Iranian standards, and reflects what rights activists regard as a new trend in which relatively unknown offenders receive long sentences, often as a warning to others. He began his fast on Oct. 24 after his wife, Golrokh Ebrahimi-Iraee, started serving a six-year prison term for an unpublished story found on her private computer about a woman watching a film about a stoning and burning a Quran in anger afterward. She was convicted on blasphemy charges. Mr. Shariati, 30, is serving a five-year sentence for his involvement in a 2014 protest supporting the female victims of acid attacks. He is demanding to be released. Their ordeals have galvanized supporters to highlight the hunger strikes on messaging platforms, using hashtags like #savearash and #sosali. Both became worldwide trending topics on Twitter. The use of the hunger strike in Iran has in some ways put the government in an embarrassing position, as it exalted the Northern Ireland hunger strikers who once vexed the British. The embassy of Britain in Tehran is on Bobby Sands Street, renamed for the Provisional I.R.A. member who was imprisoned in Northern Ireland and died in 1981 after refusing to eat for 66 days. The Turkish Parliament began debating legislation on Monday that would effectively rewrite the Constitution, vastly expanding the powers of Turkeys president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and possibly allowing him to remain in power until 2029. Mr. Erdogan, the dominant figure in Turkish politics for 14 years, was prime minister from 2003 until 2014. That year, unable to seek another term in that office, he ran for president, vowing to strengthen the powers of what had largely been a ceremonial job. He won easily. The most dominant figure in Turkish politics since Ataturk, who created a modern secular republic out of the ruins of the Ottoman Empire, Mr. Erdogan has largely been able to exert his will. Since a failed coup attempt in July, he has used emergency powers to crack down on his opponents, suspending or dismissing tens of thousands of civil servants, police officers, academics and others. At least 260 people died in the coup attempt. Mr. Erdogans ruling Justice and Development Party, known by its Turkish initials A.K.P., and the Nationalist Party, which is nominally in opposition but supports the constitutional proposal, are believed to have more than enough votes at least 330 of 550 in the unicameral legislature to pass the changes. The package would then be submitted to a national referendum in the spring. The Constitution has not been amended since 2010. In-laws may be universally intimidating, but in some cultures, the deference paid them rises to a whole new level, at least linguistically. A geographically widespread practice known as avoidance speech, or mother-in-law languages, imposes strict rules on how one speaks or doesnt to the parents of a spouse, with daughters-in-law typically bearing the brunt of such limits. In parts of Africa, Australia and India, some societies restrict the words a person can say after marriage. Some cultures have even barred all direct communication with parents-in-law. Some married women who speak the Kambaata language of Ethiopia follow ballishsha, a rule that forbids them from using words that begin with the same syllable as the name of their father-in-law or mother-in-law. NYTimes.com no longer supports Internet Explorer 9 or earlier. Please upgrade your browser. In the sequel to the costliest-ever liability lawsuit against Orange County, a federal appellate court has affirmed that the county once again is not immune from liability for a 2000 incident in which a woman alleges that two social workers committed perjury to separate her from her mom when she was a young girl. The ruling issued Tuesday by a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is based on the same events that caused a jury to award Deanna Fogarty-Hardwick $9.6 million from Orange County in 2011 after she alleged that social workers used fabricated evidence to cause a court to remove her two daughters from her custody for six and a half years. Now, Fogarty-Hardwicks daughter, Preslie Hardwick, who was one of the two girls separated from her mom, also is suing the county. And while the appellate courts ruling does not address the merits of Hardwicks complaint, it suggests the county could be on the hook to pay out once again. No official with an IQ greater than room temperature in Alaska could claim that he or she did not know that the conduct at the center of this case violated both state and federal law, Judge Stephen Trott wrote in Tuesdays opinion. Perjury is a crime under both federal and California state law, as is the knowing submission of false evidence to a court. Because they are supported by the record as a whole, we construe the facts Preslie offers in support of her allegations in the light most favorable to her. Hardwicks allegations are the same as her mothers: that in February 2000, Orange County Social Services agents Marcie Vreeken and Helen Dwojak fabricated testimony that (Fogarty-Hardwick) had caused her daughters to skip a mandatory visit with their father, when in fact the problem was caused by a visitation monitor. Hardwick also alleges the social workers falsely advised the court that Fogarty-Hardwick had turned her daughters ages 6 and 9 at the time against their visitation monitor and that Fogarty-Hardwick had told her children that their father was trying to take them away from her. According to Tuesdays opinion, county attorneys argued that it was not clearly established in civil court at the time of the events in question that in situations such as Hardwicks, those involved had the right to be free from deliberately fabricated evidence. The court disagreed with that assertion. On Thursday, Preslie Hardwicks attorney Robert Powell said he would let the appellate court ruling simmer with the county over the weekend before submitting a seven-figure settlement offer next week. County attorneys declined to comment on whether they might recommend settling the case. It wasnt immediately known whether they would appeal the ruling. Orange County officials have maintained that its social workers never wronged Fogarty-Hardwick or her family. Neither employee was disciplined and Vreeken was later promoted to a position in which she trains other social workers. County records show Vreeken was still employed in 2015, when she earned $132,466 in total compensation. County Supervisor Todd Spitzer said that social workers often face difficult decisions when deciding when and whether to separate a child from their parents and that it was important for those employees to know that the county backs their decisions. Social workers have an immense responsibility to protect children, and Id much rather have a social worker err on the side of taking a child from the home than leave a kid where there might be suspected child abuse, Spitzer said. Its a delicate balance, and social workers needs to know that if they do that the county will back them up. In 2011, a jury awarded Fogarty-Hardwick $4.9 million in damages. The county appealed the case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to hear it. During that time, interest and additional attorney fees increased her total payout to $9.6 million. The county also incurred an additional $1 million for its own legal costs on the case. Contact the writer: 714-796-7960 or jgraham@scng.com One ugly byproduct of an improving job market can be an increase in workplace fatalities. Recently released data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the number of on-the-job deaths increased locally, statewide, and nationwide in 2015 as work opportunities grew especially in riskier industries, such as construction and transportation. The local hiring burst translated, in part, to worker deaths growing at a faster pace that the state and nation. Bosses in the four-county area added 183,000 workers in 2015, a 25 percent increase. Heres what my trusty spreadsheet told me about the trends. In Los Angeles and Orange counties: 96 workers died on the job in 2015, up 19 fatalities from 2014 an increase of 25 percent but also the fourth lowest tally since 2005. The L.A.-O.C. area, the nations second-largest job market, ranked the region third highest for 2015 among metro areas behind New York and Chicago. In Riverside and San Bernardino counties: 50 workers died on the job in 2015, up 10 fatalities from 2014 an increase of 25 percent and the highest since 2008. The Inland Empire ranked 11th nationwide. Note: 14 were killed in a terrorist shooting at a county-employee holiday party in San Bernardino in December 2015. Statewide: 388 workers died on the job in 2015. California, the nations largest job market, was second in worker deaths behind Texas. But on a per-worker basis, California was the fifth-safest state to work in. California fatalities were up 44 from 2014, an increase of 13 percent. But 2015 marked the fourth-lowest tally since 2005. Nationwide: 4,836 deaths, up 15. It was the highest count since 2007. The state-level data is more detailed and gives us clues to the reason behind the uptick: higher fatalities at workplaces in building trades, agriculture, and government. The good news is workplace deaths are down significantly from generations ago when more workers produced goods in dangerous settings and workplace safety wasnt as advanced or as widely practiced. That long-running pattern has helped employee deaths to trend lower, post-recession, despite the job markets rebound. Taking the long-term view, you find deaths at work in Los Angeles and Orange counties in 2010 to 2015 ran 25 percent below the 2005-2009 average. In Riverside-San Bernardino, deaths were off 21 percent in the same period. Statewide, the dip was 21 percent. Nationally, it was a 13 percent drop. The mix of jobs can change the patterns. Remember, many of the quickest-to-rehire industries in the economic recovery were indoors involving safer office or retail work. Meanwhile, hiring at more hazardous workplaces was mixed. Factory bosses struggled to keep staffing stable as construction sites only recently returned to growth mode. Still, the 2015 upswing should be eyed carefully. Was it a statistical blip, due in part to the somewhat random nature of many workplace accidents? Was it simply more workers doing dangerous jobs? Or was it a signal of new, broader workplace-safety troubles? Contact the writer: jlansner@scng.com LAKE FOREST Quick action by a gas station attendant and by firefighters prevented potential serious damage Sunday evening in a gas station fire on El Toro Road, authorities said. That could have been really bad, said Capt. Paul Holaday of the Orange County Fire Authority. Everybody did what they were supposed to. Holaday said it happened at around 7:40 p.m. when a 2004 Mercedes was traveling on El Toro Road and got cut off. The OCFA reported that the driver swerved and crashed into a fuel pump in the USA Gas station at El Toro Road and Swartz Drive. As the driver backed away, the pump caught fire and fuel from the pump splashed the underside of the Mercedes, sparking a small fire underneath the car, Holaday said. The gas station attendant shut off the pump, and a fire engine from OCFA Station 22 on nearby Paseo de Valencia was able to arrive quickly and extinguish the fire. Arriving firefighters found a small fuel fire on the ground and the cars underside on fire, Holaday said. If the pump had not been shut off quickly, the consequences could have been much worse, the OCFA said. The driver of the Mercedes, a 19-year-old man, was not identified. No injuries were reported. No information was available about damage to the car, damage to the pump or other details. Contact the writer: fswegles@scng.com or 949-492-5127 Candy giant Mars Inc., facing a slowdown in packaged food, is making a bigger bet on a booming industry: pet care. The maker of M&Ms and Snickers agreed to buy the animal-hospital chain VCA Inc. for about $7.7 billion Monday not including debt expanding on its existing veterinary-care business. Mars will pay $93 a share in cash, a 31 percent premium to VCAs closing price of $70.77 on Friday. The acquisition turns Mars into a dominant company in corporate-owned pet hospitals, an area thats exploded in recent years helped by Americans treating their pets more like family members. It also could help bolster Marss current pet brands, including Pedigree and Whiskas. At a time when human food isnt growing as quickly, the deal may make more sense for Mars than buying another snack business, said Ken Shea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. They see growth and they see diversity, he said. Why double down on food when its not growing that fast? The total value for the deal is about $9.1 billion, including $1.4 billion in outstanding debt. Shares of VCA, which trade under the ticker WOOF, surged as much as 29 percent to $91.03 on Monday after the transaction was announced. Closely held Mars had already been building out its pet business, including both food and hospital care. The company owns Banfield Pet Hospital and BluePearl Veterinary Partners, and its acquired pet-food brands from Procter & Gamble Co. VCA, meanwhile, operates almost 800 animal hospitals in the U.S. and Canada. The deal combines the top two veterinary hospital chains, but isnt expected to run into regulatory challenges because it would represent less than 10 percent of the North American market, according to a research note from Stifel Nicolaus & Co. The deeper push into the pet business by Mars comes as large packaged-food companies are struggling with flagging sales. Changing consumer tastes, particularly a desire for less processed foods, has made it difficult for the companies that have dominated grocery-store shelves. Efforts to reduce sugar intake have struck an additional blow to candy makers such as Mars. Thats added pressure to diversify their portfolios. Spending on pets has surged in the U.S., fueled by the humanization of dogs and cats. Americans spent $35 billion on veterinary care in 2015. VCA, a pioneer in the field, has grown by buying up hundreds of veterinary hospitals an approach thats now being adopted by rival companies. And with an expanding presence in animal hospitals, Mars will have an opportunity to use the facilities to sell more of its pet foods, according to Shea. Its a fast-growing industry and they obviously see an opportunity for that synergy, he said. Mars, based in McLean, Va., expects the VCA deal to be completed in the third quarter. Six end of the year restaurant closures include three pizza restaurants and an IHOP on Irvine Co. property. The pizza closures, which include the last SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza in Orange County, come after Round Table Pizza closed six locations last month. Are the numerous build-your-own pizza restaurants forcing traditional pizza chains to call it quits? Heres the latest: The last SPIN! Neapolitan Pizza in Orange County has closed. Signal Hill-based Hofman Hospitality Group, operators of Hofs Hut and Lucilles Smokehouse Bar B Que, launched the first franchise SPIN in 2013 in Orange. The SPIN! concept was founded in 2005 in Overland Park, Kansas. The Hofman Group had hoped to bring several out West, but the fast-casual pizza brand didnt appear to take off. Locations in Orange and Los Alamitos closed last year. The Hofman Group converted the Los Alamitos location to Mighty Kitchen, a full-service slider concept. The increasing competition in the designer pizza category in Huntington Beach contributed to the closure, Brad Hofman, company president, said in a statement. It is unfortunate that this did not work out for Hofman Hospitality Group. Through this process we learned that our strength is developing our own concepts such as Lucilles, Mighty Kitchen and Saint & Second. SPIN! is not the first fast-casual casualty by the Hofman group. In Orange, the company tested a fast-casual version of Lucilles called Lucilles Rib Shack in 2009. The counter-service concept didnt fly. A year later, the company converted it to a full-service Lucilles. It continues to operate in Orange near Christ Cathedral. Rubinos Pizza, a hangout for local high school students for years, has closed its restaurant at 27762 Santa Margarita Pkwy. in Mission Viejo. Though it is the original Rubinos in South County, the Rubino family no longer owns the restaurant, said Lori Rubino, whose father founded the location in 1987. The family sold it, and she did not know why the current owners, Paul and Virginia Vasilakos, closed it. Rubino said she continues to own and operate a Rubinos at 26012 Marguerite Pkwy. in Mission Viejo. The restaurant, which makes its pizza using her Italian grandmothers secret recipe, is in the same center as Pavilions. There are a few pizza places out there claiming they are us, but believe me they are not, Lori Rubino said. Pauls Pizza and Grill, also owned by the Paul and Virginia Vasilakos, recently closed in Rancho Santa Margarita. It opened in September at Plaza Antonio, owned by Westar Associates of Costa Mesa. It is unclear why it closed. We are not at liberty to discuss leases and specific situations regarding individual tenants. While we understand that the community may be disappointed to see a restaurant close, their success is dependent on sales and support from the community, Westar said in a statement about Pauls closure. The Panera Bread at The District in Tustin closed Jan. 1. A company representative did not provide the reason for the closure. Representatives for The District shopping center, which turns 10 years old this year, did not return a request for comment. Also closed at The District is Drinkbar Juicery. The juice bar, which continues to sell its products online, was one of the first tenants to open at the food hall more than two years ago. Its unclear what will replace it. The food hall, which was not fully occupied when it first opened, has struggled to gain the foot traffic necessary to support the stores. Many shops closed or pulled out of the project in the first year. Union Market operator Andrea Young confirmed the closure of Drinkbar but did not name a replacement. She confirmed the opening of Sweets Choice. The candy shop took over the space once occupied by a hand-crafted chocolate shop. The IHOP at the Market Place in Irvine has closed. The Irvine Co. said it will be replaced by Cha Chas Latin Kitchen, a gourmet Mexican restaurant with an outlet in downtown Brea. The second location is expected to open in May. Register staff writer Jon Lansner contributed to this report. Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a former president of Iran and a founder of the Islamic Republic, who navigated the opaque shoals of his countrys theocracy as one of its most enduring, wiliest and wealthiest leaders, died on Sunday in Tehran. He was 82. His death was announced by Irans state television. As his career seesawed through periods of revolutionary zeal and confrontation with powerful conservative rivals, he was portrayed as a Machiavellian and often ruthless player in the power struggles among Irans elite factions, protected by his close association with Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the revolutionary leader who overthrew the shah in 1979. Known as a pragmatist and centrist inclined toward economic liberalism and political authoritarianism, Rafsanjani was accused by critics of corruption in amassing his fortune and of a readiness for harsh tactics to deal with dissent at home and abroad. Argentina has accused Rafsanjani and other senior Iranian figures of complicity in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, in which 85 people died. In 1997, a German court concluded that the highest levels of Irans political leadership had ordered the killing five years earlier of four exiled Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Berlin. The events added weight to U.S. assertions that Iran was a sponsor of terrorism. Rafsanjani was president from 1989 to 1997. Yet many Western analysts believed that he sought a less confrontational relationship with the United States than other powerful figures in the Iranian hierarchy, for whom hostility toward Washington was a touchstone of ideological purity. Rafsanjani, for instance, was credited with suggesting that Death to America be dropped from the litany of slogans at Tehrans Friday prayers, a weekly moment of fervor in Irans political and religious calendar. In the closing stages of the Iran-Iraq war, which lasted from 1980 to 1988, Rafsanjani was appointed acting commander in chief of Iranian forces and was widely credited with persuading the leadership in Tehran to accept a U.N. resolution that ended the fighting. For much of his career, he maintained roles in parliament and on influential clerical panels, under the tutelage of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and then, less durably, of his successor, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Rafsanjanis clout declined sharply during the presidency of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, from 2005 to 2013. A populist conservative, Ahmadinejad had a strong following among poor Iranians, many of whom resented the affluence that endeared Rafsanjani to his wealthier compatriots. In 2013, Rafsanjani was disqualified from standing in presidential elections and swung his political weight behind a moderate, longtime associate, Hassan Rouhani, who won the vote and went on to bring many of Rafsanjanis supporters into his Cabinet and negotiate the nuclear agreement with the United States in 2015. But Rafsanjani, himself an ayatollah, clashed with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, over the extent to which Iran should modify its bellicose stance toward outsiders. In March, Rafsanjani wrote on Twitter that the world of tomorrow is one of negotiations, not the world of missiles. Khamenei responded: Enemies continue strengthening their military and missile sectors. How can anyone say the era of missiles has passed? Without identifying Rafsanjani by name, Khamenei said: People say that tomorrows world is a world of negotiations and not a world of missiles. If they say this thoughtlessly, it shows they are thoughtless. However, if this is intentional, then this is treachery. For all that, analysts in Tehran sensed that the pendulum was swinging toward the moderate camp, in which Rafsanjani played a defining role. Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani was born on Aug. 23, 1934, in the village of Bahraman near the town of Rafsanjan in Irans southeastern Kerman province. He was one of five sons and four daughters born to Mirza Ali Hashemi Bahramani, a prosperous pistachio farmer, and Mahbibi Safarian Hashemi. At 4, he left his home village to study theology in the Muslim holy city of Qom, Iran, where he became a disciple of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. By some accounts, at the time of his death, Rafsanjani was the last surviving member of an inner circle of Islamic revolutionaries active during Khomeinis exile from 1964 to 1979, fighting an often bloody cat-and-mouse contest with the notorious Savak secret police loyal to Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi. From 1963 to 1978, Rafsanjani was jailed five times for his opposition to the shah, but he remained in close contact with exiled clerics, including Khomeini, who was living in Najaf, Iraq. During that period, in 1962, he married Effat Marashi, whose family included several respected Shiite clerics. They had five children two daughters, Fatemeh and Faezeh, and three sons, Mohsen, Mehdi and Yaser. Information on survivors was not immediately available. In the turbulence after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned to Iran, Rafsanjani was elected to parliament, known as the Majlis, and became its speaker, serving in that position until 1989. In many accounts of the maneuvering after Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis death in 1989, Rafsanjani was credited with promoting Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as supreme leader, possibly in the mistaken belief that he would prove a pliant figure. Instead, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei built his own power base. But Rafsanjanis backroom dealings often trading on his close relationship with Khomeini earned him the nickname kingmaker. Rafsanjani was president from 1989 to 1997, facing the challenge of reconstruction after the eight-year war with Saddam Husseins Iraq. While his economic liberalism and privatization policies were popular among Irans entrepreneurial classes, many poor Iranians perceived no improvement in their plight. As president, Rafsanjani showed little tolerance of dissent. While he sought improved ties with the West, he insisted on Irans right to develop its nuclear program and did not lift a fatwa declared by Ayatollah Ali Khomeini that enjoined Muslims to kill writer Salman Rushdie. Moreover, critics asserted that the Rafsanjani presidency coincided with the spread of corruption and the infiltration by the hard-line Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps of important economic enterprises. By 2013, Rafsanjani was said to have built a family business empire that owned Irans second biggest airline, exercised a near monopoly on the lucrative pistachio trade and controlled the largest private university, Azad. The familys business interests also included real estate, construction and oil deals. In 2003, Forbes magazine said Rafsanjanis personal wealth exceeded $1 billion. His time as president left a bitter legacy for many Iranians who struggled to get by. In parliamentary elections, he fared badly and was awarded a seat only after the intervention of a high-powered clerical panel, prompting him to withdraw from the legislature. In 2005, Rafsanjani sought to run for the presidency again but lost in a runoff to Ahmadinejad, whose tenure until 2013 was marked by hard-line nuclear policies, increasingly strained ties with the West and a mounting catalog of economic sanctions over Tehrans efforts to expand its nuclear capability. In presidential elections in June 2009, Rafsanjani supported the moderate Mir Hussein Moussavi, who lost to Ahmadinejad. The outcome was widely disputed, and many Iranian protesters were detained or had died challenging the authorities in the streets. The protesters included Rafsanjanis youngest daughter, Faezeh, who had campaigned for womens rights and was arrested in large demonstrations against Ahmadinejads victory. In September 2009, Rafsanjani seemed to be sidelined when authorities barred him from addressing Friday prayers in Tehran on Quds Day, an annual display of solidarity with Palestinians. Rafsanjani had delivered the Quds Day sermon for almost 25 years, but the authorities in 2009 feared his address would provoke anti-government protests. Ahmadinejads second term was marked by mounting disputes with the United States and Israel over Tehrans nuclear ambitions and its advances in missile technology. In 2011, Iran sided with President Bashar Assad of Syria during the Arab Spring, along with the Hezbollah Shiite militia in Lebanon, setting Tehran against Assads Western adversaries, including the United States. In May 2013, Rafsanjani announced plans for a comeback, entering his name for presidential elections that June, calculating that, after the years of sanctions-driven decline under Ahmadinejad, Iranians would think that Rafsanjanis reputation as a pragmatist and modernizer would offset some of the opprobrium attached to his staggering wealth. At the time, he argued that Iran was in an economic danger zone because of Ahmadinejads amateurism. But he was disqualified by the Guardian Council, an electoral vetting body controlled by hard-liners. Rafsanjani had long served on another critical panel, the 88-member Assembly of Experts, which is charged with choosing a successor to the supreme leader. In 2016, Rafsanjani polled first in Tehrans voting for the Assembly of Experts, whose role had assumed greater importance since Khamenei, the supreme leader, was treated for prostate cancer in 2014. In the manner of Irans competing power centers, however, a hard-liner, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati, who was already the head of the Guardian Council, was elected by the Assembly of Experts as its chairman. The vote signaled new obstacles for the modest changes sought by Rouhani in running the Islamic Republic. In another controversy, in May 2016, Rafsanjani was drawn into a ferocious debate over a meeting between his activist daughter, Faezeh, and Fariba Kamalabadi, a leader of the Bahais, a minority religious group regarded by the clerical hierarchy as impure pagans. Rafsanjani showed little sympathy for his daughter, calling the Bahais heretics and saying publicly that his daughter had committed a wrong deed and should be ashamed of herself. WASHINGTON During nearly two decades in the Senate, Jeff Sessions had never endorsed anyone in a presidential primary. But last January, the Alabama Republican, afraid that his party was floundering, sent a five-point questionnaire to all its presidential contenders to determine who might deserve his support. Just one answered: Donald Trump. Sessions is in many ways Trumps antithesis: reedy-voiced, diminutive and mild-mannered, a devout Methodist and an Eagle Scout who will soon celebrate a golden wedding anniversary with his college sweetheart. His father ran a country store in the Deep South. And he is widely regarded as rigidly honest and inflexible on issues he considers matters of principle. Trump has meandered across the political spectrum; Sessions has been a deeply conservative Republican his entire life. But besides their age both are 70 Sessions shared one trait with Trump: He was an outsider, dismissed by much of the Republican Party as a fringe player on all but his signature issue, immigration. The two men unexpectedly bonded over their willingness to buck the establishment and the unlikely hope that lower-middle- and working-class voters would carry a billionaire to the White House. For Sessions, that alliance has paid off in a way few ever imagined. Rejected for a federal judgeship, passed over for a crucial Senate committee chairmanship and long considered too far right to attain a Cabinet post, he has defied the odds. Within days, he could be confirmed as attorney general of the United States. Sessions rock-ribbed conservatism was forged in the deep poverty and isolation of rural Alabama, sharpened during 16 years as a federal prosecutor and state attorney general and polished as a senator. After one of the most liberal periods in Justice Department history, Sessions is expected to execute an about-face on the Obama administrations policies of immigration, criminal justice and many critics fear civil rights. He argues that immigrants are siphoning billions in welfare payments, committing crimes and snatching jobs from Americans. He has questioned whether the Constitution guarantees citizenship to anyone born in the United States, as the 14th Amendment states, and has insisted the First Amendment doctrine of separation of church and state has been too broadly interpreted. He declared same-sex marriage an indisputable threat to U.S. culture. Overreaching by the Justice Departments Civil Rights Division, he has said, at times has led to civil wrongs. He favors stiff, mandatory penalties for drug offenses, believes that the government has grown soft on crime and objects to what he sees as unwarranted criticism of police behavior. To many Trump supporters, Sessions is a rare public servant with the backbone to enforce the nations laws strictly, regardless of political consequences. He has been the leader of this populist revolt against the political elite, Stephen Bannon, former head of Breitbart News Network who will be a senior White House adviser, said in February. Critics see Sessions as a throwback to a bygone South. On questions about voting, gays, and immigration, he has argued to narrow democracy, not broaden it, said Wayne Flynt, a politically progressive Alabama history professor. A strict code Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III grew up an only child on the ragged edge of Alabamas famous Black Belt in Hybart. The family lived in a one-story house with no driveway, a small concrete front stoop and a heating system consisting of a fireplace and space heaters. He learned thriftiness from his parents. Upon becoming a U.S. attorney in 1981, he had only $750 in the bank, records show. The environment fostered Sessions belief in frugality and self-reliance, bounded by a strict if much disputed code of what was and was not fair. To Alabama voters, weary of decades of Democratic scandals, Sessions seemed a breath of fresh air when he emerged on the political scene in 1994, after 12 years as the top federal prosecutor in Mobile. As the states attorney general, his first elective post, he slashed staff, pay, travel, cars and supplies. Republican leaders hoped he would come to the rescue of the former governor, Guy Hunt, who was removed from office after a 1993 ethics conviction. Instead, Sessions asked a federal appeals court to uphold the conviction. His record as Alabamas attorney general he served just two years before winning election to the Senate in 1996 showcases his fiercely conservative views. Sessions supported reviving chain gangs of volunteer inmates. He defeated a court order that would have directed more state money to schools in poor districts by arguing that a single judge had usurped management of the entire state school system. Alabama liked what it saw: Seeking his fourth term in 2014, Sessions was the only U.S. senator to run unopposed. But his rigid views and his willingness to buck Republican leadership isolated him in the Senate. A budget hawk, he was ready with his own spending plan when Republicans captured the Senate after the 2014 elections. But party leaders passed him over for chairmanship of the powerful Budget Committee, leaving him the longest-serving senator without a committee to lead. Former aides describe the decision as payback for Sessions relentless opposition to bipartisan efforts to ease immigration restrictions. Civil rights Sessions co-sponsored legislation awarding Alabamas civil rights marchers and Rosa Parks Congressional Gold Medals, but has expressed mixed views about the Justice Departments enforcement of civil rights. In the mid-1980s, he called the Voting Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination at the polls, an intrusive piece of legislation and said federal judges of that era can be criticized legally for exceeding jurisdiction. On balance, he said the law was necessary, and he voted with every other member of the Senate in 2006 to extend its provisions for another 25 years. But in 2013, after the Supreme Court invalidated one of the acts core provisions that required Justice Department approval to change election laws in places with histories of discrimination, he called it good news, I think, for the South. Sessions has accused the department of overstepping its authority by promoting minority rights that conservatives argue have no clear basis in law. There is a perception, not altogether unjustified, that this departments Civil Rights Division goes beyond fair and balanced treatment, but has an agenda, Sessions said last year. Thats been a troubling issue for a number of years, frankly. Critics fear such comments presage a rollback in civil rights enforcement. A defining issue No single topic energizes Sessions more than immigration. The issue has defined his Senate career and, along with trade, formed his link to Trump. Sessions supported a state law in Alabama that required public schools to verify the immigration status of students and their parents and made it a crime for immigrants to not carry their legal papers. The goal was to make every aspect of life for illegal immigrants so unbearable that they would deport themselves. Federal courts ultimately gutted the law. Sessions has for years heard claims that his views are rooted in a fear of foreigners. He has denied it. It is not xenophobic but our patriotic duty to defend the integrity of our borders and the rule of law, he said in 2014. When it became clear that, over his objections, the Senate would pass an immigration bill in 2013, Sessions helped rally conservative House members to defeat the bill and make sure it would not become law. As attorney general, Sessions would oversee the hiring of immigration judges and the operation of immigration courts. Though the Department of Homeland Security directly enforces immigration laws, the Justice Department is involved in helping set immigration legal policy and in prosecuting people who return to the country after being deported. Throughout the debate on comprehensive immigration reform, no one was more anti-immigrant than Jeff Sessions, said Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. A crucial test For all that is known about Sessions, one thing that is unclear is how he will measure up to what he has declared to be a crucial test of an attorney generals qualifications: the willingness to stand up to the president, who in this case plucked him from obscurity. Sessions did not support Attorney General Loretta Lynchs nomination because she stood behind President Barack Obamas authority to enact immigration policy through executive orders, which he called an abuse of presidential authority. The Justice Department can help the president achieve policy goals, he said, but must stand firm against overreaching. Now, as Trump embarks on a presidency in which he promises to remake Washington, it will fall to Sessions to decide if and when to say no. And his reputation for standing up to the powers that be, consequences be damned, may face its stiffest test yet. SACRAMENTO Gov. Jerry Brown will release a proposed state spending plan this week without knowing the answers to key questions that will have a massive effect on the states finances. Will California take a hit from new federal spending priorities under President-elect Donald Trump? How will the stock markets respond, affecting the incomes of wealthy taxpayers who provide a disproportionate share of state revenue? Depending on the answers, the budget proposal may be short-lived and substantially overhauled by the time Brown issues his required revision in May. Browns budget, which must be released by Tuesday under the state constitution, will lay the groundwork for the next six months of wrangling over how to allocate billions of dollars in state revenue. Budgets are always uncertain. They require the governor and Legislature to predict a year in the future how the economy will perform, decide how much tax revenue will be generated as a result, then decide how to divvy up the expected money. This year, however, is especially complicated due to Trumps election and the changes its expected to bring to the fiscal priorities in Washington. Republicans have vowed to repeal Obamacare, which provides $16 billion for the Medi-Cal low-income health plan, but its not clear when theyll do it, what theyll replace it with and how big the budget hit will be. Trump has said its a priority to cut federal funds for state or local governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. As the home to millions of immigrants living in the country illegally, Californias Democratic legislative leaders have taken an aggressive stance against assisting in deportations. U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, has previously pushed a federal budget that would significantly redesign the social safety net, affecting billions of dollars for state-run programs. With Republicans in control of the White House and Congress, those priorities are likely to get renewed life and closer scrutiny. I am clear that there will be change, said Sen. Holly Mitchell, a Los Angeles Democrat who chairs the Senate budget committee. I think its premature for us to assume what they will attack and how deeply they will attack it. The Democratic governor and his aides have said little in public about his budget plan but have repeatedly highlighted lower-than-expected state revenues along with the uncertainty posed by Trump, stock market performance and a potential recession. Brown is fond of repeating that Californias economic expansion has lasted far longer than the average for the post-World War II period and a slowdown is inevitable. We want to be careful not to overcommit the state to levels of spending that may not be sustainable over the long term, said H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for Browns Department of Finance. Given that tone, Brown seems likely to stick with the restrained approach hes long favored for new ongoing spending commitments, putting him at odds once again with Democratic lawmakers eager to beef up support for immigrants, schools, colleges and social services. Assembly Democrats released their own budget proposal late last year, pushing for $1 billion in new state spending even as they warn that Congress and the new president could significantly impact state revenue. Assemblyman Phil Ting, a San Francisco Democrat who heads the budget committee, said then that it would be reckless for lawmakers to hoard cash waiting on changes from Washington. He proposed new spending on things such as expanding the earned-income tax credit, mandatory full-day kindergarten and reducing college costs. We have a social safety net that we have slowly started to repair from the devastating cuts of 2008, Ting said Thursday. At this point were going to continue that. We want to make sure thats a priority. The nonpartisan legislative analyst, Mac Taylor, said in November that he projects the state will have a $2.8 billion surplus next year absent any new spending commitments. As part of his budget presentation, Brown will offer his own estimate. Taylors office said Thursday that uncertainty about federal policies will likely lead to murky revenue projections in the coming months. Some taxpayers are likely deferring capital gains while they wait to see if Trump and the GOP Congress cut tax rates. It may be at least April 2017 before we receive information that can begin to illuminate the extent of these effects, analysts wrote on the offices website. While musical favorite La La Land danced its way into the winners circle at the 74th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, taking all seven trophies it was nominated for, the night had its moments of drama in its acceptance speeches. It was also an evening for the young and Brits. Damien Chazelle, who will turn 32 later this month, won for directing, writing and producing best motion picture comedy or musical La La Land, a story about two aspiring artists an actress and a jazz pianist trying to make it in Los Angeles. He thanked the films other producer for being behind this utterly insane proposition. His two stars Emma Stone, 28, and Ryan Gosling, 36 were also winners. The small indie Moonlight, the story of a poor black man growing up gay, from director Barry Jenkins, 37, took home only one award, but it was a big one best movie drama. If youve seen this film, implored Jenkins, tell a friend, tell a friend, tell a friend. On the television side, 33-year-old Donald Glovers comedy Atlanta was named best comedy, and he won best actor in a comedy. However, it was Meryl Streep who stilled the crowd on a night that is usually known for its party atmosphere. The Hollywood legend, who the received of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a lifetime achievement honor, took her opportunity onstage to make a statement about the political climate. We are the most vilified segments of society Hollywood, foreigners, the press, she said, echoing words that Hugh Laurie had spoken earlier. She then pointed out how so many in film and television are not elite but come from small towns and poor or middle-class families. She then took President-elect Donald Trump to task for ridiculing a disabled person. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence invites violence, she told the crowd, who suddenly grew serious. Casey Affleck was named best actor in a film drama for playing a man who suddenly must care for his teenage nephew in Manchester by the Sea, while a stunned Isabelle Huppert won best actress for her role in Elle, which had won as best foreign-language film. Do not expect cinema to set up walls and borders, the French actress told the audience. Upon accepting her award, Stone thanks her amazing mom. I moved out here 13 years ago this week, she noted. This is a film for dreamers. Hope and creativity are the most important things in the world. Gosling won the battle of the Ryans, winning the best film actor in a musical or comedy. This wasnt the first time Ive been mistaken for Ryan Reynolds, he joked addressing the actor who had been nominated for Deadpool. The actor paid endearing tribute to his partner, actress Eva Mendes. As I was singing and dancing and having one of the best experiences Im ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother in his battle with cancer, he said. He then dedicated the award to Mendes late brother. Fences Viola Davis was named best supporting actress in a motion picture. She thanked Denzel Washington, who starred in and directed the adaptation of the August Wilson play and noted that her father was the original Troy, referring to the main character. You know what? He had a story and it deserved to be told and August Wilson did it. Tracee Ellis Ross got her first Globe as best actress in a TV comedy win as the mom on ABCs Black-ish. Debbie Allen was the last African-American to win in that category (1983 for Fame). This is for all the women of color and colorful people whose stories, ideas and thoughts arent always considered worthy or valid. When FXs freshman breakout hit Atlanta was named best TV comedy, the series creator, 33-year-old Donald Glover, seemed really surprised as he came on stage to accept the award. The series is set around the Georgia citys rap scene. I really want to thank Atlanta and all the black folks just for being alive and doing amazing things. Glover also won for best actor in a comedy. Netflixs The Crown took the throne as best TV drama. The series from Peter Morgan (The Queen) beat out HBOs juggernauts Game of Thrones and Westwood. Claire Foy, who plays the young Queen Elizabeth II, was something of a surprise winner as best actress in a TV drama. Im having an out of body experience, said the British actress. She then acknowledged the monarch as a women who has been at the center of the world for the past 63 years, and I think that the world could do with a few more women at the center of it. The Night Manager, based on a thriller by John le Carre about arms dealing, and its British stars had a good night. Tom Hiddleston took home the best actor in a limited series award. He dedicated the win to those who are battling arms dealing. Hugh Laurie, who has won a couple of times for his former role in House, was named best supporting TV actor. This must be a terrible mix-up, said the British actor said, looking at the statuette, then turned comically serious. Ill be able to say I won this at the last ever Golden Globes. I dont mean to be gloomy, but it does have the words Hollywood, foreign and press in the title. British actress Olivia Coleman, who wasnt there, was named best supporting TV actress for her role in the series. The first award surprisingly went to Aaron Taylor-Johnson as best supporting film actor. Most had picked Mahershala Ali from Moonlight or Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water. Instead, the gold went to the young British actor, 26, who played a drifter in Tom Fords Nocturnal Animals. Sarah Paulson repeated her Emmy win as best actress in a miniseries or TV Movie for her role in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. She again thanked the woman she portrayed, Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, as well as Ryan Murphy, who was behind the limited series on the trial that captivated America two decades ago. In no surprise, The People v. O.J. Simpson was also the Globes winning show in that category. Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton won as best actor in a TV drama for playing a down and out attorney in Amazons Goliath. The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon began the show with a song-and dance that parodied the musical scenes in La La Land, including the traffic-jam opening to the dreamy number City of Stars, which was changed the lyrics to Room full of stars, theyve been getting drunk since three. The routine that seemed more suited for an Oscar ceremony than the party atmosphere usually associated with the Globes. As widely speculated, mega rock band U2 will officially bring its The Joshua Tree 2017 tour to the Rose Bowl (1001 Rose Bowl Drive) in Pasadena on May 20 with special guests the Lumineers. The limited run of stadium dates will mark the 30th anniversary of the Irish rock bands highly successful fifth album which spawned hits such as With or Without You, Where the Streets Have No Name and I Still Havent Found What Im Looking For. U2s stadium jaunt follows its highly technical iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE arena tour in 2015 in support of its surprise-drop 13th studio album, Songs of Innocence. The Joshua Tree Tour kicks off on May 12 in Vancouver and then runs across the U.S., including U2s first-ever U.S. headlining appearance at a festival as the group is confirmed for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee this summer. Tickets are $35-$280 and will go on sale to the general public at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 800-745-3000 or Ticketmaster.com. Contact the writer: kfadroski@scng.com or @kelliskye on Twitter U.K. Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson met with some of Donald Trumps top advisers as Britain looks to build ties with the incoming administration ahead of the countrys withdrawal from the European Union. The sessions involved Trumps chief strategist, Steve Bannon, and the president-elects son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on Sunday evening before Johnson traveled to Washington to visit with congressional leaders. The talks were positive and frank and covered relations with Syria, Russia and China, the BBC reported, citing unidentified aides. Johnson arrived in the U.S. after Prime Minister Theresa May stressed the importance she places on forging links with the new administration as Britain seeks to expand trade and security co-operation after Brexit. In Washington on Monday he will meet with House Speaker Paul Ryan and a trio of senators Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ben Cardin of Maryland. The special relationship we have with the United States is an important relationship in terms of security and stability around the world, May said in an interview Sunday on Sky News. The conversations Ive had, I think were going to look to build on that relationship for the benefit of both the United States and the U.K. and I think thats something thats optimistic and positive for the U.K. for the future. Trump said hell meet May in the spring after she sent her two most senior aides on a secret trip to the U.S. in mid-December for talks with members of his team. May made critical comments about Trump before his election. I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring, Trump said on Twitter Saturday. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special! The latest from the annual North American International Auto Show in Detroit: Ford Motor Co. has confirmed the Ranger small pickup and Bronco SUV will be returning to the U.S. market. The Bronco was made between 1966 and 1996. Ford killed it when sales started slumping. But with low gas prices boosting SUV sales and the huge success of the Jeep brand, Ford will bring the 44 back in 2020. Ford still sells the Ranger outside the U.S., but stopped selling it here in 2011 when sales of smaller pickups were hurting. Now, pickups are back, and the Ranger will go on sale here in 2019. Both vehicles will be made at a plant outside Detroit. Fiat Chrysler The CEO of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says the auto industry will have to adapt to the tactics of President-elect Donald Trump. This is new territory for most of us. None of us have had a tweeting president before, Sergio Marchionne said during a round table with reporters at the Detroit auto show. Marchionne said his companys decision, announced Sunday, to invest $1 billion in two U.S. auto plants and create 2,000 jobs to build new Jeep vehicles was in the works for a while and wasnt influenced by Trump. Still, Trump took to Twitter Monday to congratulate the automaker. Trump has threatened to impose a border tax on vehicles made in Mexico and shipped to the U.S. in an effort to force companies to build cars in the U.S. Fiat Chrysler has been searching for a partner to build its small cars while it focused on making bigger vehicles like Jeeps. Marchionne said he needs more information on the tax before choosing a partner. I need clarity. I think we all need clarity, he said. President-elect Donald Trump is touting decisions by Fiat Chrysler and Ford Motor Co. to expand plants and create new jobs in the U.S., as the auto industry gathers for its annual show in Detroit. Fiat Chrysler said Sunday it will invest $1 billion in two U.S. factories to build three new Jeep vehicles, including a pickup truck. The expansion will create 2,000 new jobs. Ford last week scrapped plans to build a $1.6 billion small-car factory in Mexico, and said $700 million would go toward expanding a Michigan plant to build new electric and autonomous vehicles. Trump has criticized the industrys strategy of building cars in Mexico and then shipping them to the U.S. He has threatened a 35 percent border tax and said the cars should be built in the U.S. by American workers. On Monday, Trump tweeted its finally happening, and thanked Ford and Fiat Chrysler for the investments in the U.S. At the show, executives from General Motors and Volkswagen said they have no plans to change production plans despite the Trump border tax threat. Chevy Bolt The Chevy Bolt from General Motors has snagged the annual award for the top car in North America. Mark Reuss, GMs head of global product development, describes the Bolt as a moon shot. Reuss says the cars developers werent sure what kind of range and price they would end up with when they started the project, but everything turned out just right. The Bolt gets more than 200 miles per battery charge, which is more than the average American drives in a day, and sells for around $30,000 when a federal tax credit is included. The Honda Ridgeline was named truck of the year, while the Pacifica minivan from Fiat Chrysler won the award for as top utility vehicle, the first time an award was given separately for that category. Agricultural News Pig Farmers Shown to be Very Aware of and Complying with New Antibiotic Rules in Recent Survey U.S. pig farmers are not only well aware of new federal rules for on-farm antibiotic use, but already are complying. In a survey conducted by the National Pork Board in November, 95 percent of pig farmers surveyed said that they were ready to be fully compliant by the time the rules took effect on Jan. 1, 2017. "The pork industry worked toward the Jan. 1 implementation date for nearly two years. There was a concern that some producers would not make changes until after the date of implementation, but that does not seem to be the case," said Jan Archer, National Pork Board president and a pig farmer from Goldsboro, North Carolina. "Pig farmers are committed to the substantive changes regarding antibiotic use, and many discontinued using antibiotics for growth promotion years ago, while also reviewing swine medical treatment uses of antibiotics as well." One of the key changes to the new Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rules is that medically important antibiotics could no longer be used for growth promotion. Today, human medically important antibiotics can only be used to treat sick animals or to prevent disease and/or control it. Archer added that a key hurdle in complying with new FDA rules is ensuring that every pig farmer has a defined and ongoing client relationship with a veterinarian. That can be a challenge in remote areas of the country where the nearest veterinarian could be hundreds of miles away. Last month the Pork Checkoff announced a partnership with Global Vetlink of Ames, Iowa, to offer a veterinarian locator tool, which is available here. "Complying with the new rules is critical to maintaining consumer trust in the high quality and safety of pork produced in the U.S.," Archer said. "The two key elements are having an established veterinarian-client-patient relationship and ensuring that antibiotics are administered under the guidance of a veterinarian. To do so without veterinarian oversight is now illegal." In addition to information about antibiotic use changes, the National Pork Board's annual November survey was designed to take the pulse of U.S. pork production. The survey showed that for the seventh consecutive year, pork producer support for the Pork Checkoff increased and is now at a record 91 percent - up 1 percent from the 2015 survey. Meanwhile, opposition to the Checkoff remains at a record low 4 percent. These results are the most positive in the history of the survey. Other highlights included: - Right direction/wrong track: 76 percent of producers - a full three out of four - said that the industry is heading "in the right direction," improving from the previous year's score of 70 percent. Of those surveyed, 19 percent feel the industry is "on the wrong track." This improvement in optimism is encouraging despite the market supply pressure many are feeling with lower prices for pigs. - The biggest challenge facing producers is "too many rules/regulations." In previous years, the main challenge was viewed as "managing hog health and disease." That previously No. 1 concern fell to No. 4 this year, a significant drop. - Single most important request: Producers' No. 1 request of the Checkoff is to educate consumers on pork production and the industry. This was followed closely by advertising and promoting pork and opening new markets. "America's pig farmers understand that growing domestic and export demand for pork is critical, but it all starts with building trust," Archer said. "This survey bears out that it begins with educating consumers about how pigs are raised, pork's safety and its nutritional value." In response to specific questions about the National Pork Board's strategic plan implemented early in 2015, the awareness and importance of each goal remains strong. On a 10-point scale: - Build Consumer Trust rated a mean score of 8.91 (a decrease from 9.04 in 2015). - Grow Consumer Demand rated a mean score of 8.70 (an increase from 8.63 in 2015). - Drive Sustainable Production rated a mean score of 8.18 (an increase from 7.96 in 2015). "Clearly, the implementation of the strategic plan is aligned with the concerns, interests and thoughts of producers," Archer said. "Pig farmers tell us that their investment in the Pork Checkoff is at work, with 17 defined objectives directly supporting each of the three goals." This most recent national survey is based on phone interviews with 550 producers across the country. Source - National Pork Board WebReadyTM Powered by WireReady NSI Top Agricultural News Larry is wearing his prison browns. Hes sitting slouched on a hard chair inside this hard place. Hes talking softly to me, but his eyes keep drifting to something else, something that has improved the lives of guards at the Omaha Correctional Center, and the lives of prisoners like Larry, too. Its a dog, a newly arrived one named Azule, a boxer-and-bulldog mix who this afternoon is filled with sloppy, nervous canine energy. Azule prowls this meeting room inside Omahas medium-to-minimum-security prison. Azule jumps into the arms of other prisoners. Azule bounds and trots and whines and barks and licks. The whole time, Larrys eyes rarely leave the new dog, the dog that he and other prisoners will soon foster and ready for adoption outside these walls. Hes gonna need some work, boy, Larry says, smiling. Hes a strong one. Gonna need work. Larry Schneckloth is 62 years old. He has been in prison for 36 years, since he was convicted of kidnapping and rape. He will most likely be here until the day he dies. He has three reasons to get up in the morning and to spend his days steering clear of any trouble inside this prison. 1. The belief that he has changed as a person. 2. The outside chance of a commutation that would reduce his life sentence. 3. The dogs. Larry gets up in the morning for all three reasons, but especially for the dogs. He has personally fostered nearly 80 dogs for the Nebraska Humane Society since joining the Canine Compassion Program in 2008. He has quite possibly fostered more dogs than any other single person in Omaha. I grew up with dogs. I always had em, he says in a soft voice. Then all of a sudden, one day, we could have a dog in here. You are trusted with it. It becomes one thing that is normal for you. Something that you know, from before. Enter into the prison on the east edge of the city limits, pass through the metal detectors, and you will find the Canine Compassion Program something that seemingly helps every human and every beast that it touches. It is good for the dogs: Nearly 500 canines taken in by the Nebraska Humane Society in Omaha have been fostered by OCC prisoners in the past nine years. These dogs are often quickly socialized, sometimes nursed back to health and then adopted by Omahans who live outside the prisons walls. If it wasnt for OCC, a lot of these animals wouldnt get a second chance, says Kara Young, the Humane Societys foster care coordinator. They really are saving these dogs lives. It is good for the guards: They say the prison is a calmer place, and their days are therefore a little better, because of the dogs presence. The dogs bring brief moments of joy to what can be often joyless jobs. Having a dog in the unit breaks up the monotony, for us as well as the inmates, says Lynn Pozehl, the OCC administrator who runs the dog program inside the prison walls. And I cant even count how many staff members have adopted dogs from here. And it is good for the prisoners who sign up to foster dogs prisoners like Larry. They have to qualify for the program, pass an interview and stay out of trouble. If they do, on several occasions a year, a dog is delivered to the prison. It is their dog, until it isnt. My first dog was a little rat terrier, Larry says. I named her Zoomy. Because when I had her, she was always on the go. Once Larry started fostering dogs, he got used to a routine for him and mans best friend. He walks into the yard at 6:30 a.m., the minute his cell door is opened, so the dog can do its business. He hands off his dog to another prisoner (an alternate in the program) after breakfast, so he can go to his job as a supervisor in the prisons wood shop. He checks in on the dog quick after lunch. And then after he finishes work at 3:15 p.m., he and the dog are together for the rest of the afternoon and evening. At night, in his cell, Larry potty trains the dogs, or teaches them how to lay down and shake and roll over, or gives them a medicated bath if its been prescribed. He has fostered a dog for as short as one day and for as long as six months. He has fostered a 130-pound yellow Lab and a tiny miniature Chihuahua. He has fostered dogs who have been abused and neglected, helped to nurse them back to health. Hes been sad nearly every time the dog leaves. You dont want to admit it, but it brings tears to your eyes when they leave, he says. They are going out and getting adopted, and that does make it easier, but sometimes, you would like to keep them forever. Pozehl says many of the best dog handlers in the program are men serving life sentences. They are often older, and like Larry have been moved to this prison from a maximum-security penitentiary because of good behavior. Here, everyone calls Larry by a nickname: Grandpa. Here, when you sit with Larry, its easy to forget that he was once convicted of a heinous crime, because the 62-year-old sitting before you doesnt seem capable of harming a human, a dog or a fly. Some of them, by the time they get here, they have already changed quite a bit, Pozehl says. They have realized thats not the person they want to be anymore. And they also realize: This is it, for the rest of my life. And then they help care for these dogs, and it helps them along as they continue to change. It helps them to care for a thing other than themselves. Larry says he will keep living what he considers to be as good a life as he can lead in prison. He will keep hoping that his case again will be reviewed, the Parole Board convinced, his freedom granted. But absent that, he will keep taking care of any and all dogs that the Nebraska Humane Society brings to him. When his dog leaves, he will get someone to take a photo. And then he will put that photo next to the nearly 80 other photos he has in his cell. I know they are in good homes outside, and that helps, he says. I know they are free. LINCOLN Gov. Pete Ricketts wants to move oversight of Nebraskas veterans homes to the state Department of Veterans Affairs, saying the change would better assist those whove served in the military while tapping federal funds to help cover $1.4 million in expenses currently paid by the state. The governor urged Nebraska lawmakers on Monday to pass a bill that would transfer management of the states four veterans homes out of the state Department of Health and Human Services, where it has been since 1996. The Division of Veterans Homes operates residential centers in Bellevue, Norfolk, Grand Island and Scottsbluff, providing about 550 veterans and veterans spouses with services including assisted living and skilled nursing care. Merging the division with the Veterans Affairs Department just makes sense, the governor said Monday during a State Capitol press conference attended by more than 50 military veterans. What we hope to accomplish is to create a one-stop shop for all our veterans, Ricketts said. Officials with several veterans service groups applauded the concept. Beth Linn of Scottsbluff, commander of the American Legion of Nebraska, called such a change long overdue. This legislation puts the care and treatment of our veterans where it belongs, she said. John Hilgert, director of the Veterans Affairs Department, said he first heard the idea discussed back in the mid-1990s when he was a state senator from Omaha. It just never was made a priority until now, he added. Hilgert has long managed the homes, but putting them directly under the control of his department would allow $1.4 million currently spent from the states general fund to be covered by the federal government, he said. John McNally, deputy director of the state VA, said the funds come from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which pays for the care of some veterans. Currently, those funds go to HHS. The merger could help maximize those funds by allowing state veterans services officers to work more closely with veterans home employees on getting all claims filed and getting them handled promptly. A bill to authorize the merger will be introduced on the governors behalf by State Sen. John Murante of Gretna, who chairs the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee. He predicted the committee will be receptive to the proposal. None of the nearly 900 HHS employees who currently work in the homes will be laid off or required to reapply for their jobs if lawmakers adopt the change, Hilgert said. Ron Ingram of Papillion, who served as an Army medic in the Vietnam War and is a volunteer at the Eastern Nebraska Veterans Home in Bellevue, said he believes the change would better serve the states veterans. But Mike Marvin, executive director of the Nebraska Association of Public Employees, the largest state employee union, called the merger a mistake. He said Hilgert has been in charge while staff turnover at the homes has reached alarming proportions. According to the State Personnel Almanac, turnover among staff care technicians reached 94 percent in 2015. McNally responded by saying that Hilgert could re-evaluate all aspects of the homes if the merger goes through. He said the re-evaluation could include recommendations about employee pay levels. With 143,000 military veterans living in Nebraska, Hilgert said he expects that number of veterans who will someday reside in the states homes to increase. In related news, Hilgert said construction of the new veterans home in Kearney remains on schedule to open in the fall of 2018. The home will replace the one currently operating in Grand Island. Parents everywhere will eventually feel the pangs of an empty nest. Whether its the first time your child is going to daycare or school or theyre going off to college, the military or to move away for that first big job, the feelings are much the same: "Have I done enough to prepare them? What now? Will they be okay? Who am I without the children? AND I MISS them!" When I try to relate to these feelings, what comes to mind is the experience Brene Brown, an American scholar, author and public speaker, describes as foreboding joy the tendency we have to pull back when we experience joy and dress-rehearse tragedy by imagining all the terrible things that could happen to our children. Instead, she encourages, lean into the joy of what theyre doing and listen eagerly to the telling of it. And if there are tragic bridges to cross, cross them when you get to them. Our philosophy of raising children has evolved from raising to guiding. Now we see ourselves more as vessels through which these children came into the world and guides for them along the way. Each are most decidedly their own individuals and not merely younger versions of us. This has made parenting unbelievably more enjoyable and fun watching these humans emerge and explore and find their way under our watch. This lack of enmeshment has the added advantage of allowing us parents to explore our own interests independent of our children; so that when they do go to school, college, or move away we have plenty to accomplish and do on our own. Having been through a majority of these empty nest scenarios with our four children, I can tell you that you have prepared them as much as you can for what lies ahead. And that the knowledge and wisdom gained from doing things on their own cannot be replaced by anything youre capable of doing FOR them. So, the questions that help me get through the angst are: Are they safe? Are they happy? Do they know they are loved? If youve answered yes, then get on with the business of living wholeheartedly, all the while making time to listen to the stories of how your children are conquering their little corner of the world. Youll notice that when you can appreciate how your child is creating space for her or himself, you can also create space for you. What are some of the ways that you can begin to take care of yourself? It may be as simple as returning to a retired hobby, taking a daily walk or having a quiet meal with your partner or friend. Dont allow yourself more time than needed for the angst. Fill this newly created space with things that nurture you: check out a yoga class, try meditation or get a massage. As our kids grow, so can we! *** Julie is a psychotherapist and owner of Omaha Integrative Care. She specializes in working with stress-related conditions, teaching mindfulness and training in learning how to live and work from an integrative perspective. She and her husband, Tom, have two children ages 10 and 13 two dogs and two passions bringing an integrative perspective to health and wellness to as many people as possible and practicing living an integrated life to the best of their abilities. Wendy is a family nurse practitioner at Omaha Integrative Care specializing in an integrative approach to overall well-being. This involves guiding patients to learn to listen to the cues their bodies are giving them. She and her husband Rich have four children three of them grown and in their 20s and then one whos 11 and considers herself the bonus baby one grandchild, two dogs, a cat and a resolve to live their best lives through the chaos while theyre here. Fresh Thyme, which first opened here last summer, will add two more stores in west Omaha next month Fresh Thyme grocery stores will triple their footprints in Omaha with the Feb. 22 opening of two new stores focused on natural and organic foods. The west Omaha stores are part of the Chicago-area grocers push to expand quickly throughout the Midwest. The chain has 48 stores now, including one that opened last summer along West Maple Road and another in Lincoln. The company said it expects to have a total of 70 stores by the end of 2017. A Grand Island store could be in the works in 2018, and another is expected to be part of Omahas Crossroads redevelopment at 72nd and Dodge Streets. Fresh Thyme launched in 2014 and expects to surpass 5,000 employees this year and has passed $500 million in annual sales, Chief Executive Chris Sherrell said, although he declined to share specific sales numbers. (By comparison, Iowa-based competitor Hy-Vee has more than $9 billion in annual sales.) We have no reason to slow down anytime soon, Sherrell told The World-Herald. Fresh Thyme stores are organized with a focus on produce, meats and prepared foods, along with a vitamin and supplement department. The company is also expanding its private-label line to lower prices on grocery items like snacks, cereals and sauces. We want to show that you can eat healthy at affordable prices, Sherrell said. The stores have a smaller footprint than a typical supermarket and dont stock many of the biggest food manufacturers popular brands. We dont sell the Cokes and the Pepsis and the Doritos, Sherrell said. The new stores opening in February are at 132nd Street and West Center Road, and at 175th Street and West Center Road. The stores will face heavy competition from established retailers in both neighborhoods. The 175th Street location is within a half-mile of Target, Bakers, Walmart and Natural Grocers. Competitors closest to the 132nd Street location are Aldi, Family Fare, Bakers, Walmart and Target. Many of those competitors tout their own selections of natural and organic foods, but Sherrell said theres demand for another option. Certainly the conventional stores will sell some natural groceries, Sherrell said. People that are looking to make lifestyle changes, they want to do it in one place. Fresh Thyme is holding on-the-spot job interviews at the 132nd Street location from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Available positions include cashiers and employees in the meat, produce, food service, grocery and vitamin departments. Film photography faded so swiftly that some days it can be hard to recall a time before digital photos. Just two decades ago, Eastman Kodak was selling a billion rolls of film a year. Another giant of film was Polaroid a name that still had enough cultural cache in 2003 that most people knew what hip-hop duo OutKast meant when they sang, Shake it like a Polaroid picture. But Polaroid stopped making its instant cameras in 2007 and soon stopped making Polaroid film. In 2012, Eastman Kodak down to selling millions of film rolls filed for bankruptcy. The demise of the Rochester, New York-based company has become a popular business school case study. Kodak was forced to stop production of many of its film brands including in 2009 the iconic Kodachrome, the worlds first successful color film. The sister brand of Ektachrome had become a cultural touchstone, responsible for capturing many family moments in the countrys postwar boom. It inspired Paul Simon to implore in song, Mama, dont take my Kodachrome away. But technology caught up with film. And in 2010, photographers with their last rolls of Kodachrome film made rushed pilgrimages to Parsons, Kansas, home to the worlds last processor of a once ubiquitous film brand. Ektachrome, which first hit store shelves in 1946, is known first as a slide film. It was celebrated for its rich, distinctive look and for being particular about how it was exposed. Professional shooters, like those at National Geographic, swore by it. It really was the gold standard, said T.J. Mooney, product business manager for film capture at Kodak Alaris, one of the companies that emerged from Eastman Kodaks bankruptcy. Then in 2012, Kodak killed off Ektachrome the last of its chrome films, just another digital photography casualty. Last week, Kodak Alaris announced that it was reviving Ektachrome. The 35 mm film will be available later this year. The website Phoblographer called it a super shocking announcement. Photographers pros and amateurs took to Twitter to express their joy. My timeline has been filled with so many happy likes and retweets of #KODAK #ektachrome joy, one photographer tweeted. The company made the announcement at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas the annual tech fest that in many ways celebrates the very tools that killed off Ektachrome and Kodachrome and so many other films in the first place. Ektachrome will join a handful of other Kodak films that still exist Kodak Gold 200, Kodak Ultra Max 400 and a series of professional films, Mooney said. Kodak Alaris has enjoyed moderate growth in sales of its professional films, Mooney said. There is a market there. An off-shoot of Polaroid has re-emerged in recent years as a niche product. It seems that the digital revolution might not erase all that came before it. Another example of this comes from the music industry, which has been similarly rocked by technology. Vinyl records sales have seen slow, consistent growth for several years. Five years ago, vinyl records accounted for about 2 percent of physical music sales. In 2016, that number had risen to 11 percent, according to Nielsen. But what about the fate of Kodachrome the most famous and revered of the bunch? The company thought about it. Kodachrome will not be coming back, Mooney said. We took a look at it and decided Ektachrome was the better choice. Part of the reasoning was technical. Kodachrome is notoriously difficult to process. Not just any film processor can do it. You almost needed a Ph.D. in chemistry, Mooney said. That skill was lost when Kodachrome disappeared seven years ago. And some things just cant be replaced. A group of six Gretna High School students recently spent some time focusing on how to ensure the mental well-being of students. The students chose the project as part of DLR Groups Student Innovation Challenge, which was held at the recent state conference of the Nebraska Association of School Boards. For the challenge, the students were asked to choose and define a real-world problem and then develop a solution. They were supposed to choose a real-world problem that was meaningful to them, said Jason Larson, the HAL facilitator at Gretna High School. They chose to develop an app that students could use to do a variety of things. The app proposed by the team would allow a student to directly contact a counselor, contact other students to talk, or look up stress-relieving activities such as yoga. The students had about a week to define the problem, and then about a month to develop a solution, Larson said. The students enjoyed working on it. They really enjoyed the multidisciplinary approach to the challenge, Larson said. They also liked that they worked on something personal to them. At the state conference held in November, the team joined groups from Bennington, Elkhorn and Omaha Public Schools in the competition, which Omaha South ultimately won. At the conference, the teams were presented with a twist to the challenge, which was the occurrence of a solar flare, and each team then worked on another schools solution to accommodate the solar flares effects. The Gretna group was asked to resolve the twists effect on Benningtons project, which was to bring affordable, fast internet service to rural Nebraska. The teams each presented their problems and solutions to a group of some 70 school board members and administrators from across the state, and the audience scored each presentation to determine the winner of a $1,000 prize. After the end of the competition, the Gretna group talked briefly about going ahead and pursuing development of their app idea, Larson said, but the reality of the students schedules made it impossible for now. COUNCIL BLUFFS Teayanna Leytham wants to make the world a better place. The Thomas Jefferson High School senior has her sights set on improving air quality and she plans on using her computer science skills to do it. In a time when girls and women remain significantly underrepresented in fields like computer science and engineering, Leytham is one example of a student working to challenge the stigma that the field of computer science is male-dominated. I always really loved STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) throughout high school, Leytham said. Over the summer, I realized I wanted to have a job in science but I wasnt sure what that was going to be yet exactly. When she first started researching colleges to attend last summer, she discoverd that her degree of interest required her to take a computer science course. So she registered for introduction to computer science last semester. She was one of only three girls to take the class out of 28 students. Computer science has been and is still a male-dominated field, Jason Plourde, director of secondary education of the Council Bluffs schools said. In the Council Bluffs schools, we are striving to change that. One way to help fight the diversity imbalance in computer science classrooms in schools is to start talking to students sooner, Plourde added. The Council Bluffs school district currently offers courses called exploratories at the middle school level. As a result of having these courses in middle school, more girls are opting in to classes that were traditionally only offered at the high school and thus, male-dominated, Plourde said. T.J. computer science teacher Denise Hoag believes that by working to change the stereotype that computer science is boring could be another way to help snag the interest of girls like Leytham. I think at this age girls might not be as confident and theyre looking to take electives that their friends are taking instead of something that they might be interested in, Hoag said. If we change the misconception that computer science is boring then maybe more girls would be interested in taking it. Despite what some people might think of computer science its more than just sitting in a cubicle and programming in front of a computer screen, Hoag said. Its creative and can be used to help humanity and do some good in the world like make air quality better like Teayanna wants to do, she added. Leytham attributes part of her interest in computers and programming to her mom. My mom always got me into schooling, she said. She helped me with homework and Ive always really been into education and Im not sure if its the same for all girls, Leytham said she also thinks that by allowing girls to express their opinions more freely at a younger age could help push girls to choose computer science later in life. I feel like a lot of girls are feeling outnumbered and it makes them feel intimidated because boys might shut out their opinions, Leytham said. If we encourage girls at a young age that everyone can express their opinions then maybe theyll feel more comfortable on having their opinions heard and theyll pursue STEM more. Once Leytham graduates from high school in May, she plans on pursuing a double major in environmental engineering and chemical engineering. Even if she doesnt pursue computer science in college, Hoag said Leytham will continue to benefit from the skills she learned in the classroom. Any programming language that they take is going to help in whatever language they take in college because theyve already learned the basics, Hoag said. As far as non-computer science related skills theyre learning things like logical thinking and problem solving. Being a computer science teacher and a woman, Hoag is familiar with the gender gap in the field and shes always working to try and close the gap she sees in her classrooms today. Its because of her that theres now a technology summer program for middle school students that are girls to attend called Girls Rule. She also takes high school students who are girls to a STEM conference called The Road Less Traveled held at Iowa State University each year. Having a female role model as a teacher has been a positive step in the right direction, Plourde said. Mrs. Hoag came from the business world where she was a minority in the computer science field, and she can relate her experiences to her students. Hoag said other than the lack of girls in her classes, her classrooms are very diverse attracting all kinds of students with different backgrounds. She hopes by continuing to dismantle the idea that computer science is boring, more girls will eventually pursue it as a career. Get that message out that you can make the world a better place through computer science and it would tend to appeal to a more diverse student body, Hoag said. Arianna Follick showed a bit of frustration Sunday with her slow pace during a Metropolitan Community College robotics workshop, but she had good reason to be in a hurry. I want to build a robot so I can have the sister I always wished for, said the 6-year-old Omaha girl. This is really hard. Arianna, an only child, was one of five children signed up for four weekly robotics workshops at the Do Space near 72nd and Dodge Streets. Each class lasts three hours, giving the students 12 hours of practice programming robots. Walker Arce, a University of Nebraska at Omaha computer engineering student, helped the students develop the critical thinking needed to program robots. The task for the day was for each student to get a robot to follow a straight line, make a right-angle turn, follow another line and then retrace its steps. Joshua Follick worked on his laptop nearby as his daughter used a tape measure to record the distances her robot needed to travel on each leg of its journey. She then began to convert the distance in inches to the program language that a tiny computer could understand. Arianna had already been studying computer programming when her Girl Scout troop witnessed a robotics demonstration. She was hooked. She enjoyed (the demonstration) a lot, Follick said. Shes going to need these skills when she grows up. The future of manufacturing of everything is going to look a lot like this. Jobs will depend on how well you program your little robots. Teaching students programming at an early age is especially important for girls, Arce said. The studies of science, technology, engineering and math are key to the jobs of the future, he said. Studies show that if a young girl is going to be interested in STEM as a career, you have to teach them at an early age, Arce said. We are targeting younger groups to give (kids) opportunities later on. At age 11, Simon Sanchez of Omaha has been programming games on his laptop for five years. His father, Harold Sanchez, said the fifth-grader has been into robots for about two years and wants to enter the Nebraska Robotics Expo next month at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Thats why were here today, Sanchez said. My wife and I are both scientists, and we want him to be able to understand technology. How to use it. How to improve it. How to build and create. Simon and the other students were fairly quick to get their three-wheeled robots to negotiate the first line on the floor, but making the turns and retracing the lines came harder. There were sighs and some hanging of heads as the robots stalled or went off-line. Its challenging, Simon said. Its hard to find the exact number will make it turn all the way. After finally completing the task, the five students were rewarded with free time to send their robots hither and yon. They also were excited about next weeks project: drones. The writer, a distinguished scholar at the Indiana University School of Global and International Studies, represented Indiana in the U.S. House for 34 years. There are a lot of dire predictions about our representative democracy out there. Were just past a presidential election campaign in which candidates complained about a rigged political system. Now, commentators worry about the imminent failure of the American experiment. I dont agree with these predictions of calamity. Our representative democracy is not on the verge of collapse. But I do see stresses and tensions that should concern anyone who cares about our system of self-government. Our representative democracy has been remarkably stable and successful for over 200 years, but that is no guarantee it will survive and prosper. The mere fact that this nation is filled with so many citizens who have lost confidence in key institutions is worrisome. Gallup polling has found declines in public confidence over the past few decades in everything from the Supreme Court and Congress to the police and even the military. It shows a pervasive drop in public regard for the institutions that undergird American life. The reasons stem in part from a declining willingness among the people who inhabit those institutions to observe the norms of behavior that evoke public confidence. This is notable especially on Capitol Hill and in political life, where the parties seem to have abandoned fair play and taken to using institutions to maximize partisan advantage. In the Senate, the recent refusal even to hold hearings on the presidents nominee to the Supreme Court brought the lack of comity between branches to a new low. Politicians engage in a degree of partisanship that a few decades ago would have disqualified them in the eyes of the voting public. They attack opposing politicians patriotism, impugn their loyalty, accuse them of criminal activity, question the fairness of the election process itself with virtually no evidence and seek to undermine their effectiveness in office. Small wonder that elected officials legitimacy is increasingly called into question among the public at large. If politicians were willing to negotiate, compromise and search for remedies to the nations challenges, then our current dysfunctional inability to get things done would be less of a hallmark of these times. Yet too many politicians seem fine with dysfunction. They appear more interested in holding power than in using it to solve problems. They reject behavioral norms in a civil society for example, the New York political activist who wished President Barack Obama dead of mad cow disease. They sidestep accountability and transparency: tweeting their stances rather than facing hard questions, avoiding press conferences that would give reporters a chance to hold them to account, preferring public rallies to the give and take that allows the public to examine and scrutinize their stances. All of this poses real challenges to the system. So what might be done to restore public faith in its fairness, justness and decency? Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University, recently came out with a paper, What Americans Want from Government Reform, that reinforces the proposals many reformers have been pushing in recent years. His list of fixes that would enjoy support among ordinary Americans in both parties includes reducing the role of money in elections, boosting ethical constraints on elected officials, reducing waste and inefficiency, finding ways to increase the voices of ordinary citizens and ensuring that civil servants and political appointees are qualified and competent. Americans dont expect miracles. They just want the basic features of government to work. But making this happen is up to us. Politicians may be directly responsible for these problems, but you and I as voters allow them to get away with it. We voted them into office, kept them there and paid little attention to their shenanigans. The first words of the Constitution read, We the People, not We the Government. Its up to us to strive for a more perfect union and to be vigilant about these adverse tendencies that threaten to undermine our representative democracy. 3 GREF workers killed in terror strike at Akhnoor, J&K India oi-Vicky Srinagar, Jan 9: Three labourers of the General Reserve Engineering Force were killed in a terror attack at Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir on Monday. Terrorists struck at the GREF camp at the Batal village near the Line of control. A high alert has been sounded-off following the terror attack and the entire area has been cordoned off. The three workers were critically wounded after terrorists opened indiscriminate fire. Intelligence Bureau officials say that the terrorists had infiltrated into the area last night following which they launched the attack early Monday morning. The GREF camp is located 2 kilometres away from the LoC. Following this attack, all army camps have been put under high alert. Officials say that even police stations and other establishments have been put on high alert following the attack. OneIndia News 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Summit to commence tomorrow India oi-PTI Ahmedabad, Jan 9: The 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be inaugurated tomorrow by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be held on a mega scale this time with many head of states, top global and Indian CEOs and several business houses expected to participate in it. This time the state government expects to receive investment proposals of more than Rs 25 lakh crore from the at Summit, which was the brain child of Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. In the seventh addition of the summit held in January 2015, Rs 25 lakh crore investment proposals were received by the state government. Around 20 heads of state and ministers representing different governments across the world would attend the 8th edition of Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit. Nisha Desai Biswal, an Indian-American serving as Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs in the United States Department of State will remain present along with large US business delegation. Other prominent dignitaries are - President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta, President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, PM of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic, Deputy PM of Russia, Dmitry Rogozin, first Deputy PM and Minister of Culture and National Heritage, Poland, Poitr Glinski. PM Modi will interact with some of the top state heads ahead of the formal inauguration of the Summit tomorrow. This time, 12 nations have agreed to become partner countries for the event. They are - USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Denmark, France, Japan, The Netherlands, Poland, Singapore, Sweden and UAE. Representatives of these countries will come with large business delegations. After the inauguration ceremony, Modi will attend CEO's conference in which top global and Indian industry leaders will participate. Out of these top 50 industry leaders, 25 will be from India while the remaining will be from other countries, such as USA, Japan, France, UK, Netherlands and Taiwan among others, said Additional Chief Secretary (industries and mines) P K Taneja. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 11:30 [IST] Illegal telephone exchange case: It took just 2 mins for SC to tell Maran to face trial Aircel-Maxis: Order on framing of charges against Maran put off India oi-Vicky The special CBI court has defered orders on the issue of framing charges against Dayanidhi Maran in the Aircel-Maxis case. The court will decide on this issue on January 19. The framing of charges against former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran was put on hold after he challenged the same. The court heard at length arguments on whether the the CBI had made out a case to frame charges or not. On Friday the Supreme Court restrained Maxis from earning any revenue from Aircel-Maxis's 65 million mobile phone connections till further orders. The Supreme Court took strong exception to the fact that the owner of the Malaysian firm Axis, Ananda Krishnan had not honoured the summons issued by the court after the CBI had filed a chargesheet in the Aircel-Maxis scam. "You have to appear wherever you are and cannot run away after earning revenue," the Bench observed. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 11:15 [IST] Akhilesh faction frowns as Amar Singh gets Z-grade security cover India oi-Vicky Lucknow, Jan 9: As the Union Government provided Z-category security to Rajya Sabha MP, Amar Singh, a section within the Samajwadi Party cried foul. The SP faction led by Akhilesh Yadav said that this is a clear indicator that Singh is hand in glove with the Centre. [Also Read: UP Assembly election 2017: Have been wrongly accused, says Amar Singh] The Centre, however, rubbished these allegations and said that security is decided as per threat perception and not politics. The Akhilesh faction which has sought for the ouster of Singh from the party, however, said that there is no threat to the Rajya Sabha MP. They said that Singh is helping the BJP indirectly by engineering a split in the SP. A union home ministry official, however, clarified that Singh was a protectee under CISF cover between 2008 and 2016. The decision to provide him with Z-category security was taken after intelligence inputs suggested a threat to his life. There were several inputs that suggested that Singh's life was under threat and hence his security was upgraded, the home ministry official said. With his security being upgraded, Singh will now have at least 24 armed commandos of the CISF around him. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 8:34 [IST] Arun Jaitley: Overall increase in indirect tax collection from April to Dec 16 India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer New Delhi, Jan 9: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley while addressing media in Delhi said that since there has been a considerable debate as to the impact of currency squeeze in November and December, the revenue data become relevant. He said that the indirect taxes collected for the month of April to Dec '16 compared to same figures last year is up by 25%. Finance Minister was quick to add that the currency squeeze in November and December has failed to hit revenue mop up and from April to December this year the increase in direct tax is 12.01% compared to last year. With regards to central excise he said it increased 31.6% in December 2016 as compared to December 2015. Customs duty as per FM in December 2016 compared to last December, had declined by 6.3% and collection of indirect tax compared to November 2016 was up by 12.8% in December 2016. Jaitley also informed media that collection of direct taxes for the first three quarters had moved up while indirect taxes significantly moved up. He also added that for most States VAT collections have increased. When quizzed by edia on petrol pump transaction fee FM said, "We are discussing the issue and have asked Secretary DEA to discuss issue with banks. Petroleum Ministry is also in touch regarding this issue. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 14:46 [IST] UP: SP leader's car hit by truck, dragged for more than 500 meters in Mainpuri | VIDEO As SP stares at a split, it risks losing both Muslim and Yadav votes India oi-Vicky Lucknow, Jan 9: With the Samajwadi Party's family feud refusing to die down, there are all indications that the Muslim vote in Uttar Pradesh is heading for a split. The Muslim voters in Western UP are confused and do not know whom to vote. [Also Read: I am SP President, Akhilesh the CM, says Mulayam Singh] If the SP's family feud is not resolved then there is every chance of the Muslim vote splitting between the BSP, Congress and the two factions of the SP. The SP is also staring at the prospect of the Yadav votes splitting as well. The Yadav votes are likely to split between the Mulayam and Akhilesh factions as well. In this split, the BJP looks to be the gainer. During a recent rally in Lucknow, which was addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Party ensured that all prominent faces from the OBC were present. Several top SP leaders are hoping that there would be a truce. If this feud continues then the SP would lose heavily to the BSP and the BJP, senior leaders say. The BSP has already said that the Muslims should vote for them. BSP supremo Mayawati said that the Muslims should not waste their vote on the SP since the party is not united. Meanwhile, the fight within the SP remains unresolved. Mulayam Singh Yadav said on Sunday that he remains the party's boss. He said despite not having the numbers he is the chief of the SP while his son Akhilesh is the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh. All eyes meanwhile would be on the Election Commission of India which would take a final call on which faction gets to keep the party's symbol. OneIndia News Bizarre: Pakistani TV channel claims Modi, Doval murdered Om Puri India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Jan 9: Has Pakistan lost it? A television channel in Pakistan took things a bit too far to claim that the death of veteran actor Om Puri was plotted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. [Also Read: Veteran actor Om Puri passes away at 66] Pakistan's Bol TV claimed that Modi and Doval killed Om Puri, because he had spoken in favour of Pakistani artists. The channel does not stop at that. It went on to say that Doval had summoned Puri to his residence where he was beaten up badly. The host of the show screamed out loudly that he had accessed the post-mortem report of Puri, which indicated that the actor was murdered. Ironically, the host of the show spoke about the report which is yet not prepared. The host also goes on to say that next on Modi's target are Salman Khan and Fawad Khan. The anchor does not stop at that. The television anchor went on to state that Puri was the biggest threat to India's national security and hence was murdered. Just a word for this Pakistani channel. Just when we thought that Indian television was horrible, these guys from Pakistan changed that perception entirely. Way to go and thanks for stooping to a new low. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 6:48 [IST] Greeshma is accused of poisoning to death her 23-year-old male friend Sharon Raj after he refused to break up with her. 5-year-old dies after being attacked by pack of dogs in MP Centre gives nod to set up mega food park in Mandsaur India oi-PTI Bhopal, Jan 9: The Union government has accorded approval to establish a mega food park in Daloda tehsil of Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district. "Ministry for Food Processing Industry of the Union government has given the approval to establish mega food parks in seven states of the country, including Madhya Pradesh," a Public Relations department official said here today. "This is an important achievement which will render support in achieving the aim of doubling the income of farmers," he said, adding that around Rs 500 crore will be invested in the food park. "The work to set up the mega food park will be carried out by Chetak Enterprises Company Limited. Several big companies like Dabur, Zandu Pharmaceuticals and Patanjali are likely to be linked to this project," he informed. Besides the farmers of Malwa region, those from Rajasthan's districts situated adjoining the border of Madhya Pradesh will also be benefited by the project. Besides traditional crops, various horticulture products, spices and medicinal crops are cultivated on a large scale in Mandsaur district, he said. "Also, the floriculture is being undertaken here on a large scale. The entire region will become industrially developed and employment opportunities will be generated after the establishment of the mega food park," he added. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 15:14 [IST] Did former TN chief secretary influence Rs 520 crore tender? India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Prominent Chennai-based anti-corruption organisation Arappor Iyakkam has accused former chief secretary of Tamil Nadu Rama Mohan Rao of nepotism and misuse of office. In a complaint to the anti-corruption department of the CBI in Chennai, the organisation has accused the controversial IAS officer of misusing his office to pressurise the government to award a tender worth Rs 520 crore to a company that his son is associated with. In their complaint letter to the CBI, activists from the organisation have alleged that the then chief secretary of Tamil Nadu misused his office to extend the deadline for submission of the bid to favour Padmavathi hospitality and facilities management services. The said firm is alleged to be owned by Bhaskar Naidu who is an associate of Rama Mohan Rao's son, Vivek Papisetty. One of the attachments with the complaint shows how the last date for bid submission was extended one day before the deadline making way for Naidu's firm to make a submission. What are the allegations on Rama Mohan Rao? The complaint alleges that Rama Mohan Rao conspired with officials of Tamil Nadu Medical Supplies corporation to make the change from February 4 to February 16, 2016. It is also alleged that with absolutely no necessity, a corrigendum was issued and amendments were made to the eligibility criteria. One of the main change that was made to pave way for the entry of the successful bidder was to change the type of firms that could participate in the bid. Instead of only Public/ Private Ltd, the amendment included Partnership and Propriety ship concerns as well to compete. This paved the way for the entry of the successful bidder Padmavathi Hospitality and Facility Management Services to become eligible for bidding. Further, the 1 lakh floor space experience in any of the last five years was increased to 10 lakhs. The turnover of Rs 10 crore requirement in any of the last three years was increased to Rs 20 crores. The contract period from being two years was increased to three years with a clause that it could be extended to the fourth year as well based on mutual consent. Complainants allege that all these criteria have been changed to favour one partnership company, Padmavathi Hospitality and Facility Management Services. "The Tamil Nadu Tender Transparency rules 2000 mentions that a 1-month notice needs to be given for tenders of value above Rs 2 crores. However, as we can see in this tender, after amending the basic criteria of eligibility, the deadline has been extended only for 11 days. It was also found that one of the witnesses who signed in the above contract, P Srinivasa Rao is the brother of the former chief secretary Ram Mohan Rao, IAS. This further goes on to prove that this is a company run by Ram Mohan Rao's very close associates and relatives," said the complaint. The organisation has compiled documents as evidence for their allegations had have asked for a case to be registered against Rama Mohan Rao and his associates. They have also sought probe into the role of Tamil Nadu's health secretary J Radhakrishnan and minister C Vijaya Bhaskaran in the tender process. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 19:25 [IST] Voting for MCD elections in Delhi to be held on December 04, results on December 07 Garbage mess: MCD employees take to streets, Kejriwal blames BJP India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Jan 9: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday accused BJP Councillors of siphoning off funds meant for municipal employees in the capital. "BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their Councillors siphoned funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi's roads," the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted. Kejriwal's allegation came amid a strike by employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) which has led to pile up of garbage all across the area. People were seen raising slogans agaisnt the Delhi government. The Kejriwal-led Delhi government on the weekend transferred Rs 119 crore into the bank account of EDMC. BJP playing dirty politics wid Delhi. Their councillors siphoned funds meant 4 salaries of MCD employees n then throw garbage on Del roads https://t.co/4uVuXLjyMa Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) January 9, 2017 All the three wings of the Delhi municipal corporation are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The Delhi government also released a statement stating it had released Rs 609 crore in fiscal 2016-17 for municipal employees and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16. In contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not control Delhi, the amount allotted was much less, it said: Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13. Meanwhile, the NGT asks MCD the reason behind the sanitation workers' strike and also instructed MCD to clear the garbage strewn on streets in East Delhi. IANS In a first sitting judge of HC to argue in person before SC India oi-Anusha Justice C S Karnan of the Calcutta High Court will appear in person to argue his case before the Supreme Court. Justice Karnan had sought permission from the Supreme Court's registry to argue his own case regarding his transfer from the Madras to the Calcutta High Court. This is probably for the first time that a sitting judge of a high court would argue his own case. The matter has been listed for February 13 and would be heard by Justices Arun Mishra and Amitav Roy. Meanwhile, the Madras High Court has also told the SC that files pertaining to a dozen cases continue to be in the possession on Justice C S Karnan. The Supreme Court has allowed Justice Karnan to file his response in the case. In its submission, the Madras HC has also said that Justice C S Karnan has not vacated his government residence in Chennai which he was ideally supposed to vacate within a month of his transfer. Justice Karnan had opposed the Collegium's decision to transfer him from the Madras HC in February last year. He took up a suo moto case over his own transfer order. The SC was appraised of the same following which it had directed the Chief Justice of High Court not to assign any judicial work to Justice Karnan on account of his transfer. The SC had also said that all orders passed by Justice Karnan post his transfer order shall be stayed. Justice Karnan had then stayed the order inviting the wrath of the Chief Justice of India. In a letter addressed to the CJI, he had explained his conduct. OneIndia News For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 16:29 [IST] Mayawati re-elected as BSP chief; vows to never to stop or bend Apologise for sending anti-CAA protesters to jail: Mayawati to UP government In Mayawati's list for UP polls, there are 97 Muslim candidates India oi-Vicky Lucknow, Jan 9: Sending out a clear message, the Bahujan Samaj Party has picked 97 Muslims candidates to fight the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. BSP supremo Mayawati had given several indications that she would be targeting the Muslim votes as it would be divided, thanks to the ongoing feud in the Samajwadi Party. In the final list that has been released, Mayawati has picked 87 Dalits and 106 OBCs as well. The party released a list of 401 candidates. The Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh are very crucial as they constitute 20 per cent of the vote share. The Muslims play a deciding factor in the elections in the state. During the 2012 elections, the Muslims had voted for the SP in large numbers. Mayawati had said last week that the Muslims must not waste their votes on the SP as it is a divided house. Despite a Supreme Court ruling which stated that seeking vote in the name of caste,religion and language is unconstitutional, Mayawati went ahead and made the remark. OneIndia News Karnataka MLA's relatives thrash man for social media posts India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi A Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party MLA's relatives allegedly thrashed a man for social media posts against the legislator. Kagwad MLA and BJP leader Raju Kage's brother Shivanagonda Kage and daughter Trupti were caught on CCTV camera barging into the victim, Vivek Shetty's, residence and thrashing him and his family members on January 1. In a complaint to the police, Vivek has claimed that he was assaulted for criticising the MLA on his Facebook time line. Vivek is currently under treatment at a hospital with fractures and injuries. The CCTV footage recovered from Vivek Shetty's residence shows a gang of lathi wielding people led by the MLA's relatives barging into his house. While the actual attack in not recorded on CCTV, the MLA's relatives have been clearly captured. The local police are currently investigating the case. Vivek Shetty is said to be a former member of the BJP who was refused a ticket in the local body polls. He took to Facebook to criticise BJP and the local MLA. The police claim that the assault was a result of a derogatory message to the MLA's daughter, a charge that was vehemently denied by Vivek. OneIndia News Kejriwal urges voters to accept cash, Cong seeks apology India oi-PTI Panaji, Jan 9: Congress in Goa on Monday demanded apology from Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal for "insulting" the voters of the state by asking them to accept money offered by all political party, but vote for AAP. While addressing an election rally in Benaulim constituency on Saturday, Kejriwal had told voters, "If Congress or BJP candidates offer money, do not refuse it. Accept it as it is your own money and there is nothing wrong in getting it back. If they do not offer money, go to their offices and ask for it. But, when it comes to voting, press the button against the name of the AAP candidate." Congress spokesman in Goa, Trajano D'Mello, while addressing a press conference said, "Kejriwal's appeal to the people to take money from all political parties and vote for AAP is a clear case of inducing people to be corrupt. This is an insult to sensitive voters from Goa. Therefore, he should apologise to the people from the state." "I appeal to the Election Commission to take suo moto action, failing which I will study the legal implications and would not hesitate to file a formal complaint," he added. D'Mello said the Delhi Chief Minister has expressed his contempt for Goa, its people and its culture by stating that he would bring a Delhi model of governance in the coastal state. "Is it going to be a dengue-infected state, where while people are dying, the health minister does not feel it necessary to rush back to his territory to take control of the situation? Is it going to be a government, wherein the tax-payers' money will be diverted for advertisement in other states, just as crores of rupees of Delhi's tax-payers' money were spent on ads in other states, where the CAG has come down heavily," the Congress leader said. "The AAP claiming to provide 50,000 jobs and arrest corrupt Congress leaders only confirms and proves that it is the B team of the BJP. The strategy is being followed for the simple reason that these two issues were promised by the BJP in 2012 and had lured the Goan voters," D'Mello alleged. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 18:20 [IST] Explained: How FASTag-like technology will help you avoid queues at petrol pumps? Prisoners to be employed in petrol pumps to be set up by Kerala govt in jails No charges on petroleum dealers for card payments: Pradhan India oi-IANS By Ians English New Delhi, Jan 9: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday said there will be no additional charges on digital transactions made at petrol stations even as petroleum dealers threatened to stop accepting credit and debit cards after Friday. "Neither the customers nor petrol pumps will bear additional charges on digital transactions. The issue will be resolved," Pradhan told reporters in the national capital after meeting Finance Minister Arun Jaitley over the matter. "Regarding the issue, it is a business module between banks and oil marketing companies which they will resolve. Government will abide by guidelines issued in February 2016 wherein it stated customers won't bear extra charges on digital transactions," Pradhan said. The minister said the discussions between the petrol pump association and banks over card transaction charges does not affect consumers, since it focuses on sharing of the merchant discount rate charges between petrol pumps and banks, none of which will be passed on to consumers. The All India Petroleum Dealers Association on Sunday announced that it would not accept payments through credit and debit cards from Monday in protest against various banks' decision to levy additional transaction charge of up to one per cent on petrol pumps instead of on customers. On Monday, AIPDA said pumps across the country will continue to accept cards till Friday, as banks have deferred charging transaction fee till then. "Late on Sunday, banks communicated to us they will not levy the transaction fee on card payments till January 13. Accordingly, we have decided to continue accepting payments through cards till Friday," AIPDA West Bengal unit general secretary Saradindu Pal told IANS. West Bengal Petroleum Dealers Association President Tushar Kanti Sen said: "We took the decision very late on Sunday night because some banks communicated they would not levy transaction fee till January 13 but some did not." "We kept a close watch. Eventually, the Ministry requested us to defer the decision till January 13," he added. In a letter to Jaitley, AIPDA president Ajay Bansal said HDFC and other banks would start charging one per cent on all credit card transactions and between 0.25 and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from Monday. "The same will be debited to petroleum dealers' account and net transaction value will be credited to our account... This will lead to financial losses for the dealers," Bansal wrote. Jaitley on Monday said the Centre was discussing with all the stakeholders about the issue of levying transaction fee for payments through cards for selling and purchasing fuel. "We are trying to resolve the issue," he said. The AIPDA decision not to accept payments through cards came at a time when the Centre had directed state-run oil companies to offer a 0.75 per cent discount on price of petrol and diesel to consumers paying by cards or mobile wallets to encourage people to move towards digital payments. "This discount amount was supposed to be reimbursed to the dealers but is not being executed properly," Pal said. He said dealers have been working on a low margin and demanded raising the dealers' commission to 5 per cent from the existing 3 per cent taking petrol and diesel together. A Petroleum Ministry release subsequently clarified that there will be no additional levy on digital transaction at petrol stations even after Friday. "The Government had issued guidelines in February 2016 stating that the Merchant Discount Rate charge will not be passed on to the consumers and that the stakeholders will take appropriate steps to absorb the MDR charges," it said. IANS UP: Congress refuses to rule out alliance with SP UP elections: Here just for the money, quips candidate; sparks debate People will teach BJP lesson in UP polls: Jat leader India oi-PTI Muzaffarnagar, Jan 9: Jat Reservation Action Committee chief Yashpal Singh has appealed to the people of Uttar Pradesh to not vote for BJP in the Assembly elections in February, claiming that the party failed to failed to fulfil his community's quota demands. Singh made the remarks while addressing a rally here yesterday in which Jat leaders from leaders Haryana, Delhi, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Punjab and Rajasthan were present. He said that Jat voters will teach a lesson to BJP in the polls for not delivering on its promise in Haryana and the lives lost during the quota stir. The committee's Punjab chief claimed that the voters would take revenge of Haryana in the Assembly polls starting February 11. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 15:06 [IST] Now, Aadhaar is mandatory to for retired defence personnel to get pension Soon, one single card for all modes of public transport across the country RBI bars Mastercard from issuing new credit, debit and prepaid cards from July 22 Petrol pumps defer decision not to accept cards till Jan 13 India oi-Vicky New Delhi, Jan 9: Petrol pumps across the nation have postponed the decision to refuse accepting credit and debit cards. After threatening to stop accepting cards, the petrol pumps have now deferred the decision to January 13. [Also Read: Petrol pumps won't accept card payment from Monday: Dealers' association] The decision came after banks decided to defer charging fuel retailers a transaction fee till January 13. In a letter to the finance and petroleum ministries, the All India Petroleum Dealers Association said: "HDFC and other banks have informed us that they will charge 1% on all credit card transactions and 0.25% to 1% on all debit card transactions from January 9." Meanwhile, the petroleum ministry is trying to negotiate with the banks so that they postpone levying the transaction fee. Banks on Sunday evening deferred their decision to charge transaction fee of 1% on payments through cards at petrol pumps. The decision came in the wake of the AIPDA deciding to stop accepting payments through cards from midnight. OneIndia News Punjab assembly elections 2017: It's Captain v/s General in Patiala poll battle India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Former Army Chief General (Retd) J J Singh's entry into the Punjab assembly polls fray has raised the stakes for Congress in Patiala assembly constituency. With the Shiromani Akali Dal fielding General (retd) J J Singh as its candidate in Patiala, the poll constituency has turned into a battlefield of ex-servicemen. The Congress' state president, Captain Amarinder Singh, is also contesting from Patiala making it a battle between captain and general. Votes of Ex-servicemen and current armed forces personnel that was assumed to be completely in favour of Capt Amarinder Singh, is likely to be divided between both armymen turned politicians during this assembly poll. Capt Amarinder Singh has enjoyed support of ex-servicemen in terms of perception politics too which has been challenged this time around with Gen J J Singh's candidature. According to current data available with the election commission, there are 1,40,314 registered voters in the assembly constituencies. Out of this, cantonment area has close to 5000 votes and more than 6500 votes of those serving in the armed forces. Consolidated votes of ex-servicemen, servicemen and their families could be a deciding factor for victory. In the 2012 assembly polls, Congress represented by Capt Amarinder Singh won by a huge margin of 42,318 votes and SAD's Surjit Singh Kohli stood a distant second. This time around victory is unlikely to be a piece of cake for Capt Amarinder and the Congress. While many have criticised Gen J J Singh was choosing to play opponent to another ex-serviceman, many are happy with the fact that an alternate has been created. Instead of voting for one among them, servicemen in Patiala now have the option of choosing one of the two among them. OneIndia News Lack of development in J&K for decades was one of the reasons behind rise of terrorism: Rajnath Singh SP infighting 'a cause for concern', affecting UP: Rajnath India oi-PTI Ranchi, Jan 8: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh today said the infighting in Uttar Pradesh's ruling Samajwadi Party was "a cause for concern" as it affected the state. BJP did not feel happy in any quarrel in any family or any party and did not weigh any political benefit, he said. "Yes, it is definitely a cause for concern if the family is in the ruling dispensation," Singh said, adding quarrels in such times affect the state and that the lapses would be fulfilled after BJP forms the next government. He also described Prime Minister Narendra Modi's feat in the last two-and-a-half years as "unparalleled". "Narendra Modi is the most popular Prime Minister and his achievements in the last two-and-a-half years are unparalleled," Singh told reporters in reply to a query on a statement of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. To another question on the reported attacks on BJP party offices in West Bengal, Singh said in a healthy democracy, there should not be any violence. "I am not talking about one government, I am talking about all governments," he added. On demonetisation, the Union Minister said irrespective of any party in power, some decisions were taken in the interest of the state and the nation and that one should not see it through the prism of profit and loss. "The decision is taken in the interest of the people and in the interest of the nation," he said, adding it should not be made an election issue. The Union Home Minister praised Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das, saying he was doing "extremely well". PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 9:28 [IST] TN CM writes to PM, appeals for ordinance to allow Jallikattu India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu O Panneerselvam on Monday wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to promulgate an ordinance to allow the traditional bullfight, Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. In a three-page letter, O Panneerselvam has sought the centre's intervention to allow Jallikattu by promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments enabling the conduct of the sport. Panneerselvam has sought the ministry of environment and forests to denotify bulls as 'performing animals' and also the to amend section 11(3) of the prevention of cruelty to animals Act 1960. He has requested the ministry to introduce a new clause specifically exempting Jallikattu in addition to other exemption already provided in the act. His letter comes a day after youngsters in Chennai rallied in support of Jallikattu as a sport. Throughout his letter, O Panneerselvam attempted to appraise the 'cultural values associated with Jallikattu that is an integral part of Pongal festivities and that it is part of Tamil history dating back to 2,000 years.' J Jayalalithaa had in 2016 too had written to the union government to pass an ordinance allowing Jallikattu during Pongal celebrations. O Panneerselvam wrote to the PM walking on her path. OneIndia News TN seeks Rs 2,480 crore compensation from Karnataka India oi-Anusha By Anusha Ravi The Tamil Nadu government on Monday sought Rs 2,480 crore as compensation from Karnataka. In its submission to the Supreme Court, TN government claimed that the compensation was sought since Karnataka had failed to release Cauvery water as per SC orders. The court has given both states one week to file list of witnesses. Both governments have also been given four weeks time to submit details of witnesses in an affidavit to the Supreme court. The Supreme court earlier in January had asked for Karnataka to release 2,000 cusecs of water on a daily basis till final orders in the water sharing dispute. Karnataka however, claims that the water in KRS dam is nearing dead storage and it was impossible for the state to release water. Karnataka has already declared a drought situation in the state and had sought centre's relief. The union government had sanctioned drought relief of Rs 1,700 crore as against the Rs 4,700 relief that was sought. Tamil Nadu has seen a spate of farmer deaths owing to drought situation as well. Over 170 farmer deaths have been reported over the last two months. Tamil Nadu had even sought Andhra Pradesh's help in sharing the water of River Krishna to alleviate water crisis. OneIndia News Tourism: Know the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh, in 'small packages' India oi-PTI Bhopal, Jan 9: Madhya Pradesh State Tourism Development Corporation has come up with pocket size folders about 'places of interest' in the state's four prominent cities, to generate interest among the tourists. "MPSTDC has compiled a pocket size folder titled 'Bhopal in 48 hours' featuring the places to visit in the picturesque state capital. Similar folders are also prepared for Indore, Jabalpur and Gwalior cities of the state," a Public Relations department officer informed on Monday. He said several places in Bhopal can be visited in just 48 hours. "The Upper lake, Van Vihar, Tribal Museum, Bharat Bhavan, State Museum, Manav Sangrahalaya, Taj-ul- Masajid, Golghar, Sair Sapata, Shourya Smarak and places of historical importance can be visited to explore the beauty and heritage culture of Bhopal," he said. Information regarding famous food outlets has also been incorporated in the folder, he said. Similar folders have also been prepared with regard to the industrial city of Indore, cultural rich city Jabalpur and historical city Gwalior. "The information about historical Rajwada, Kaanch Mahal, Lal Bagh and Krishnapura Chhatri have been included in Indore's folder," the official said, adding that it also contains information on famous 56 shops at old Palasia and street food of Sarafa Bazaar near Rajwada. In a similar folder for Jabalpur, information has been included about the famous marble rocks at Dhuan Dhar (flow of water), Rani Durgawati Museum, Tilwara Ghat, Beohar Palace, Ghughua Fossil Park and other places of tourist interest. The folder related to Gwalior has information on famous forts, besides Sarod Ghar Museum, Jai Vilas Palace, old city in addition to depiction of Tansen Samaroh organised every year, the official said. A special mention has also been made about the delicious 'gajak' (dry sweet made of sesame seeds and groundnut) of Gwalior, which is relished during the winters, he added. PTI UP assembly election 2017: Amar Singh ki amar kahani in UP politics India oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Lucknow, Jan 9: The businessman-turned-politician Amar Singh hobnobs with equal elan with both the political and filmi families. The controversial politician, who is known for his statements, rather than his work, is Indian politics famous 'fixer'. As he has recently returned to politics after a brief hiatus, Singh is once again hogging the limelight for causing rift between Mulayam Singh Yadav and his son Akhilesh Yadav. Know more about him... Birth and education: The 60-year-old Samajwadi Party leader was born on January 27, 1956, in a Rajput family in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Singh got his law degree from St Xavier's College, Kolkata. Political and film career: The SP leader first made his dent in the national politics after he played a crucial role in helping the UPA-I government to remain in power in 2008, after the Communist Party of India withdrew its support over the proposed Nuclear Accord with the United States. It is said, Singh convinced SP supremo Mulayam to support the then Union Government. In 2010, Singh resigned as the general secretary of the SP. In the same year, he and his close-aide Jaya Prada were expelled from the SP. Afterwards, he floated his own party, Rashtriya Lok Manch, in 2011. Singh's party failed to win a single seat in the UP assembly elections 2012. Later, he joined the Rashtriya Lok Dal party in March 2014. In 2014, he contested the Lok Sabha polls from Fatehpur Sikri, UP. But he lost. However, the 'political survivor' made his comeback in the SP in 2016, after the ruling party of UP decided to renominate him to the Rajya Sabha. Not many know, Singh, who had earlier shared a close-relationship with the family of Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan has great interest in films. In fact, he had played a small role in the film, Hamara Dil Aapke Paas Hai. He will be next seen playing the role of a politician in the upcoming Bollywood flick, JD. Controversies: Like many other Indian politicians, Singh's list of controversies is also a long one. The 60-year-old politician was chargesheeted for offering bribes to three Bharatiya Janata Party Members of Parliament in 2008, under the Prevention of Corruption Act in 2011. He spent a brief period in judicial custody in 2011. In 2011, Singh again courted controversy when his name figured in a taped conversation with Bollywood actress Bipasha Basu. OneIndia News UP assembly election 2017: How the BJP may lose the elections and still come out strong India oi-Prathmesh The assertion that whoever holds court within the Uttar Pradesh assembly is of critical importance to the Indian polity is incontestable. All the shibboleths of power tell us so. My colleague Vicky Nanjappa wrote in his January 5 piece 'Nine out of India's 15 prime ministers have been from Uttar Pradesh. Prime Minister Narendra Modi who hails from Gujarat represents the Varanasi constituency which is in Uttar Pradesh. These statistics alone would tell how important UP is and why the elections in this state would be a referendum for any party.' A few more statistics should clear any lingering doubts. The state is the world's most populous sub-national entity; one of every six Indians is located in UP. The state sends 80 out of the 543 members of the lower house of the Indian Parliament. It boasts 30 of the Rajya Sabha's maximum 250 members, and we all know how desperate both the NDA and the Opposition parties are to wrest control of that space. The Uttar Pradesh assembly election is not merely important for the BJP's future in the Rajya Sabha but is also a test for its political efficacy in the aftermath of the Centre's demonetisation move. Since there is no way to gauge the potential success of the party in a yet-to-be-conducted election one is forced to look back the past and lessons gleaned thence. A Laevinic defeat The BJP saw two consecutive defeats in assembly polls in 2015, first in Delhi and then in Bihar. The Delhi results saw them run aground with many observers stating the Modi wave had finally broken. However, a closer look at the numbers shakes that notion. Delhi In the 2015 elections, the BJP may have lost its chance to run the Delhi assembly but its vote share remained almost intact. In the 2013 Delhi assembly polls, the BJP won 31 out of 68 contested seats. It's vote share was 33.07 per cent with 26,04,100 votes. The 2015 elections saw the BJP vote share almost intact. According to the Election Commission data, the BJP's vote share has reduced by about just one per cent, bringing it down to 32.1 per cent (27,79,810 votes). The Congress had won 8 out of 70 contested seats and received a vote share of 24.55 per cent (19,32,933 votes) in 2013 Delhi elections. But in 2015, all that changed. The Congress got a mere 9.8 per cent vote share with over 8.4 lakh votes; a loss of nearly 15 per cent of its past vote share. The Aam Aadmi Party was thus the inheritor of a vote share that traditionally belonged to the Congress party and had been split up amongst other smaller groups and independents. In the 2013 elections, the AAP won 28 seats out of 70 and got 29.49 per cent vote share with 23,22,330 votes. In 2015 elections, the AAP swept the elections with 67 seats and secured 54.3 per cent vote share. That was an addition of nearly 25 per cent to their previous election's vote share. A detailed result can be seen HERE. These numbers suggested that the BJP was a redoubtable opponent, something detractors assumed unimportant whilst taking into account its incumbency in the Centre. Bihar In Bihar again, as with Delhi, the BJP's chief opposition, the Nitish Kumar-led Grand Alliance, cornered the largest vote share of nearly 46 per cent as against the National Democratic Alliance's nearly 34 per cent. On single-party basis, however, the BJP managed a vote share of nearly 24.8 per cent -- higher than solo shares of 18.5 per cent for the RJD and 16.7 per cent of the JD-U. BJP also fought on the highest number of seats. BJP's NDA allies -- the Lok Jan Shakti Party and the Hindustani Awam Morcha-secular -- could manage only meagre vote shares of 4.8 per cent and 2.2 per cent, respectively. The Congress, which fought elections as part of the Grand Alliance, could manage a vote share of only about 6.7 per cent. The full result can be found HERE. Tamil Nadu If 2015 was bad for the BJP, 2016 held no kindness either. The 2016 Tamil Nadu assembly election saw the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ascendant, having increased its individual vote-share by 2.4 per cent since 2011, bringing it up to 40.8 per cent from the earlier 38.4 per cent. The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam also increased its individual vote-share by 9.2 per cent since 2011, going from 22.39 per cent to 31.6 per cent. However, the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam's vote share fell to a lowly 2.4 per cent from a considerable 7.8 per cent in 2011. Others, such as the Left parties and the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi also saw a fall in their already measly vote share. The Pattali Makkal Katchi barely managed to retain its vote share. Meanwhile, the BJP was a rare breed to see its share go up from 2.2 per cent to 2.8 per cent, a marginal increase of 0.6 per cent which the party claimed to be a victory. The state poll results can be viewed HERE. Kerala The same was true of Kerala, where the data reveals that the party went up to a 10.7 per cent share in 2016; the BJP had a vote share of 6.03 per cent during the 2011 assembly elections. Just to cite two examples, although it came in second in the Chathanur constituency, the BJP increased its votes from 2.07 lakhs in 2011 to 4.96 lakh votes. Similarly, the BJP vote in Thrissur went up from 1.34 lakhs to 3.36 lakhs, not an insignificant jump. West Bengal Armed with sparse political capital, the BJP still managed to bring up its vote share in West Bengal from a measly 4.06 per cent in the 2011 assembly polls to a substantive increase of 10.2 per cent. Although the party's vote share in the state fell from the 17.5 per cent in the 2014 general election, it still won three seats fighting on its own in the state. In the 2016 assembly polls the BJP garnered around 56 lakh votes, bringing the number up from 19.5 lakh in 2011. These statistics should makes the party's state leadership quite happy, considering the party had lost much of its steam since the 2014 general elections. The results can be seen HERE. History repeats itself... The 2012 Uttar Pradesh assembly election saw the BJP come down to holding a mere 15 per cent of total votes polled. This decrease was considerable when one looks at the party's offing of 32.51 per cent in 1996 assembly polls to 20.12 per cent in 2002 assembly polls to 16.97 per cent vote share in 2007 polls. The party, which won 47 seats in 2012, also lost four of the 51 seats it won in 2007, which itself was a drop down from its tally of 88 in the 2002. Endgame The BJP may have lost all of the aforesaid elections but a closer observer might add that their vote share reflect something else. At a time when the Congress seems to have lost in most states the BJP continues to enjoy its, in some cases considerable, vote share. Otto Von Bismarck, in an interview with the German newspaper Die Gartenlaube, had once remarked, 'Politics is the art of the possible, the attainable - the art of the next best'. Will the BJP make it big in Uttar Pradesh or, if not, will it manage to be 'next best'? Time will tell. OneIndia News British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson meets Trump team International oi-PTI New York, Jan 7: British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has met Donald Trump's close advisers and congressional leaders here in the first formal meeting between a UK minister and the President-elect's team. Johnson, a former mayor of London who had campaigned for Brexit, held talks with senior members of Trump's team on Sunday as part of building ties with the incoming US administration, Financial Times reported. He met Trump's inner team including chief strategist Steve Bannon and Jared Kushner, the President-elect's son-in-law. The talks covered foreign policy issues and will have helped prepare for May's visit to the White House which is expected next month, the report said. On Monday, Johnson will meet Congressional leaders in Washington, including Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Bob Corker and Senator Mitch McConnell. "Following the successful meeting last month between the prime minister's chiefs of staff and President-elect Donald Trump's team, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers to the President-elect and senior congressional leaders," a spokesman for Johnson's office said. "The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters," CNN reported. Johnson, a member of the UK's Conservative Party, may find Trump's team more in line with his views and style than that of US President Barack Obama. In the run-up to the November 8 US presidential elections, the British Foreign Secretary had defended Trump from criticism in Europe. Trump said earlier this weekend that Theresa May, who became British Prime Minister after the resignation of David Cameron in the wake of the Brexit vote, would visit him in the coming months. "I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special!" Trump has tweeted. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 16:03 [IST] Donald Trump and I are opposites: Barack Obama International oi-IANS By Ians English Washington, Jan 9: US President Barack Obama said his successor Donald Trump and he are "opposites in some ways" but admitted that both have a high degree of "confidence" in themselves. "It's probably a prerequisite for the job, or at least you have to have enough craziness to think that you can do the job," the president told ABC News on Sunday in an exclusive interview on "This Week", Efe news reported. Obama said he did not think Trump had devoted much time so far to worrying about the details of the presidency, but added his conversations with the president-elect have been "cordial" and the New York mogul has been open to his suggestions. "The main thing that I've tried to transmit is that there's a difference between governing and campaigning, so that what he has to appreciate is as soon as you walk into this office after you've been sworn in, you're now in charge of the largest organisation on earth," Obama said. The president went on to emphasise his view that one cannot run the presidency like a "family business", and he noted the importance of respecting the "institutions and the process to make good decisions because (the president is) inherently reliant on other folks". Finally, he acknowledged he had warned Trump about the impact of using Twitter, the mogul's favourite social media and the method by which he habitually communicates directly with his millions of followers. "I've said to him, and I think others have said to him that the day that he is the president of the US, there are world capitals and financial markets and people all around the world who take really seriously what he says, and in a way that's just not true before you're actually sworn in as president," Obama said. Trump will take office on January 20 at an official Washington inauguration ceremony. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 9:21 [IST] Italy's Meloni tries to distance herself from fascism In Europe, the bird will fly by our rules: EU commissioner on Twitter takeover EU condemns truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem International oi-IANS By Ians English Brussels, Jan 9: The European Union (EU) has condemned the truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem which killed four Israeli soldiers and injured 15 others. "The EU condemns the murder of these four young Israelis, as well as any praise or incitement for terrorist acts," a spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS), or the EU's diplomatic service, said in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported. "There can be no justification for such a crime," the spokesperson said, "the EU will continue to work with those who seek peace and denounce those who pursue violence and terror." Palestinian media identified the perpetrator as Fadi al-Qanbar from East Jerusalem's Jabel Mukaber neighbourhood. Israel's police spokeswoman Luba Samri said that the incident -- which took place in Armon Hanatziv, a popular promenade that overlooks East Jerusalem's Old City -- was a "terrorist attack," although the investigation has yet to be concluded. On Saturday, the assailant drove his truck into pedestrians, killing four soldiers, three of them women, and wounding 15 more, Samri said. The attack was one of the deadliest amidst a more than yearlong wave of violence. Last June, two gunmen killed four persons at a trendy recreation compound in Tel Aviv. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 9:09 [IST] Hong Kong: Pro-democracy lawmaker Nathan Law attacked at airport by pro-China protesters International oi-PTI Hong Kong, Jan 9: Hong Kong's youngest legislator Nathan Law was attacked by anti-independence protesters at the city's airport after flying back from a political forum in Taiwan. Law, 23, was met by a crowd of angry pro-Beijing demonstrators on Sunday in the arrivals hall, shouting, throwing liquid in his face and trying to hit him as police struggled to bundle him through. It came after Law and other high-profile Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, including Joshua Wong, had been greeted by protests in Taipei as they arrived for the forum on Saturday. The two-day event was aimed at linking democracy movements in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Law is one of a new wave of legislators, who supports the idea of self-determination for semi-autonomous Hong Kong -- a notion that has infuriated Beijing. At one point during the attack at Hong Kong airport on Sunday, television footage showed Law stumbling down a staircase after a water bottle was thrown at him. Protesters shouted: "Trip and die!" and one called Law a "traitor". They also held banners that read: "Get out of Hong Kong" and "Destroy Hong Kong independence". Two people were arrested, according to local media reports. Police were not able to immediately confirm any arrests. Law's political party Demosisto said he had been injured, but gave no further details on Monday. Once a taboo concept, the idea of independence for Hong Kong has gathered momentum since mass protests in 2014 failed to win political reform and fears have grown that Beijing is tightening its grip on the city. Two pro-independence lawmakers were last year barred from taking up their seats in the legislature. Law and three other pro-democracy lawmakers will face a court hearing in February that will also seek to disqualify them. The forum in Taipei was hosted by Taiwan's New Power Party, which is advocating for recognition of Taiwan as a nation. The Hong Kong activists' visit provoked a hostile reception from groups on the island who support reunification with China, over what they see as a joint independence movement. Even though Taiwan has been self-ruling since the end of a civil war on the mainland in 1949, China still sees it as part of its territory. Beijing has threatened to take action if Taiwan ever formally declares independence. PTI 'Indian origin' man arrested for shooting a US diplomat in Mexico International oi-IANS By Ians English New York, Jan 9: A man who may be of Indian origin has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a US consular official in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, according to reports in local media. Zafar Zia, the alleged assailant, was described in Mexican media as a 31-year-old American citizen of "Indian" or "Hindu" origin. Impacto el Diario newspaper's web site said that the Jalisco state prosecutor's confirmed his arrest on Sunday on its Twitter account. The shooting on Friday was not terrorism-related but was motivated by a visa issue, as per the victim's statement to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reported Cronica.com. Mexican media also reported that the Foreign Ministry said that Zia "will be expelled and repatriated to the United States of America where his legal status will be determined." US authorities have not as of Monday morning local time confirmed the arrested man's identity or that of the diplomat who was shot. Mexican media identified the victim as Deputy Consul Christopher Ashcraft. Impacto el Diario and El Mudo described Zia as being of "Hindu" origin, while the Cronica.com said he was "Indian." In Mexico sometimes "Hindu" and "Indian" used interchangeably as national identification, rather than religious. Cronica said that "according to unofficial information" from Mexican federal authorities, a .38 caliber pistol, a California-registered 2000 Honda Accord vehicle, and 16 packages with 336 grams of marijuana were seized when Zia was arrested from the Guadalajara's Providencia neighborhood. He was also carrying a wig he wore when he carried out the attack, Cronica added. Mexican media said that the he was arrested after police received a tip about where he was. The US government had offered a $20,000 reward for his arrest. Police said that Zia had arrived in Guadalajara from Phoenix in the US's Arizona state in November, according to Cronica. Zia allegedly shot the diplomat while he was driving out of a parking garage on his way to gym, according to media reports. IANS For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, January 10, 2017, 0:37 [IST] Irans former prez Rafsanjani no more International oi-Oneindia By Oneindia Staff Writer Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died Sunday after a decades-long career, significantly decreasing the reformers' chance to manoeuvre through Iran's political rigmarole. According to media reports the 82-year-old Rafsanjani had been hospitalised north of Tehran earlier on Sunday, where doctors attempted to resuscitate him for nearly an hour and a half before declaring him dead. Ayatollah Khamenei called Rafsanjani an "old friend and comrade" and said his loss is "difficult and life-decreasing." The government announced three days of mourning, and a funeral was expected to be held on Tuesday. Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 to 1997, a period of considerable political change in Iran. Rafsanjani was key in convincing Khomeini to accept a cease-fire after years of crippling stalemate with Iraq, while also cautiously allowing some wider socio-economic freedoms. Rafsanjani first met Khomeini in Qom in the 1950s and later became a key figure in the Islamic uprising that toppled the Shah regime in 1979. He also oversaw developments in Iran's nuclear program by negotiating deals with Russia to build an energy-producing reactor in Bushehr, which finally went into service in 2011. He came to power as in 1980 and served until 1989, when he was elected for the first of two four-year terms as president. During this time, Rafsanjani built his - often contradictory - political character: A supporter of free markets, a pragmatist in matters of international diplomacy and a merciless leader who showed pushed out all challenges to his authority. Rafsanjani took a dim view of state control of the economy, even in the turbulent years after the Islamic Revolution. He encouraged private businesses, the development of Tehran's stock market as a way to boost Iranian exports and the nation's infrastructure. But after years of decreasing political value, Rafsanjani came across an unexpected resurgence with the victory of a fellow moderate Hassan Rouhani in 2013; the victory gave him an insider's role in the administration which culminated in the 2015 nuclear pact. Some observers say Rafsanjani's stature as an ally of Khomeini's offered him political safety and was kept close as a potential mediator with the West in the stand-off over Iran's nuclear program. His had, however, his darker side. He was named by prosecutors as an Iranian official with links to the perpatrators of the 1994 bombing of a Jewish centre in Buenos Aires that killed 85 civilians. Some reformers in Iran accused him of involvement in the slaying of liberals and dissidents during his presidency - claims he denied and were left unpursued by authorities. "The title of Islamic Republic is not just a formality," he said in 2009 in the chaos after Ahmadinejad's re-election. "Rest assured, if one of those two aspects is damaged we will lose our revolution. If it loses its Islamic aspect, we will go astray. If it loses its republican aspect, (the Islamic Republic) will not be realised. Based on the reasons that I have offered, without people and their vote there would be no Islamic system." For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 13:24 [IST] Mexico arrests American in US consular official's shooting International oi-PTI Guadalajara, Jan 9: The suspect in the shooting of a US consular official in Mexico's western city of Guadalajara is an American who will be deported back to his country, officials have said. Hours after authorities announced the suspect's arrest, the attorney general's office and the foreign ministry issued a joint statement saying he would face justice in the United States for the "sordid and cowardly" shooting. The official was shot on Friday in a brazen attack by a man wearing a black wig and a blue nurse uniform outside a shopping center's garage in Mexico's second biggest city. Officials have not indicated the possible motive nor revealed the identities of the victim or the suspect. The suspect was arrested by Mexican authorities in "close collaboration" with the FBI and the US embassy, the joint statement said, without providing more details about the day or circumstances of the capture. The victim, who was hospitalised, was in stable condition, it said. A US government official told AFP the victim was a vice consul at the consulate in Guadalajara. Mexican authorities said he handled interviews of visa applicants. An official at the Jalisco state prosecutor's office told AFP on condition of anonymity that the suspect is 31 years old and of Indian origin. The FBI had offered USD 20,000 for information about the shooter's identity. The US consulate in Guadalajara posted surveillance camera footage showing the official, dressed in shorts and a sleeveless shirt, paying a parking ticket at an automated machine. The gunman is then seen following him. Another security camera shows the gunman later standing outside the garage. When the official's black car stops at the exit, the shooter raises his gun and opens fire. A bullet hole is seen on the windshield and the official opens his door before the footage ends. Jalisco's state attorney general, Eduardo Almaguer, described the shooting as a "direct attack" on Saturday. US Secretary of State John Kerry thanked the Mexican government for the "swift and decisive arrest of a suspect in the heinous attack against our Foreign Service Officer colleague." "The safety and security of US citizens and our diplomatic staff overseas are among our highest priorities," Kerry said in a statement, wishing the official a "speedy recovery." Friday's shooting prompted the US embassy to issue a security message on Saturday urging US citizens in Guadalajara to "restrict their movements outside their homes and places of work to those truly essential." "They should also take care not to fall into predictable patterns for those movements that are essential," the message continued. "They should vary the times and routes of their movements." Guadalajara and the rest of the state have been hit by violence perpetrated by the powerful Jalisco New Generation drug cartel in recent years. PTI For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Monday, January 9, 2017, 12:55 [IST] 2008-2022 One News Page Ltd. All rights reserved. One News is a registered trademark of One News Page Ltd. by Graham Pierrepoint Were barely into the third Star Wars trilogy, thanks to the hugely popular Force Awakens last year, and we know very little about Episode VIII which doesnt even have a title due to land in cinemas later this year. Its a very exciting time to be a fan of the Star Wars universe Rogue One satisfied many fan appetites during the gap between episodes, and with news of spin-offs and prequels having long since been on the cards, theres every reason to sit tight and be excited for what Disney has in store for the franchise in the years to come. The Week, however, poses a fairly and bizarrely common question will there be another saga beyond the ninth episode? Its hard to say some have suggested that creator George Lucas had originally intended for there two be twelve separate parts to the main saga, while he only oversaw six of them but who would the later movies center around? Would they feature an entirely new cast, or borrow from the beloved stock of old? It has to be said, one of the main reasons The Force Awakens (Episode VII) was so appealing lies in its seamless mixing of existing lore with new characters and old and its hoped that once the curtain falls on Episode IX, we will be just as comfortable with the likes of Finn, Rey, Poe and BB-8 as we always have been with Luke, Han, Leia and the droids. Rumors are circulating that the franchise could return to Darth Vaders training under Emperor Palpatine, as there is still a gap between Episodes III and IV rather uncatered for but by the time that Disney have worked their magic with various prequels and embellishments, there may be little of the past left to probe! Does this mean that the best route forward, if any, is to push with stories set in the far future? Its hard to say. Whats certain to say, however, is that fans will continue to flock to Star Wars movies, and that Disneys acquisition of the franchise continues to have been a very shrewd move and with Carrie Fisher (Leia) having recently passed away, the films will now take on a whole new poignancy particularly as Episodes VIII and IX were set to offer the character more screen time. Fisher, thankfully, finished filming her scenes for VIII but where IX stands without her, it is not currently known. Oneindia 14 Aug 2022 Gunshots were heard in the check-in concourse at a Canberra airport terminal on Sunday. Post the incident of firing, the airport.. Opalesque Industry Update - The Hedge Fund Standards Board (HFSB), the global standard-setting body for the alternative investment industry, has added George Long, Founder, Chairman & CIO of LIM Advisors and Danny Yong, Founding Partner and CIO of Dymon Asia Capital, to its APAC Committee. The HFSBs APAC Committee was established in June 2016 with APAC-based representatives from Albourne, CPPIB, Future Fund, GIC and PAG. The Committee directs the HFSBs activities in the Asia-Pacific region, including assisting with the HFSBs dialogue and relationships with regulators, managers and investors, and ensuring that Asia-Pacific regional and local issues and needs are addressed as the HFSB develops standards and guidance. In 2016 the HFSB saw strong growth in its Asia-Pacific Investor Chapter and manager Signatory membership, due in large part to the efforts of the APAC Committee. Over the past year, eight additional APAC-based managers committed to becoming signatories to the Standards: Dymon Capital Asia (Singapore), Graticule Asset Management (Singapore), Income Partners Asset Management (Hong Kong), LIM Advisors (Hong Kong), Nezu Asia Capital Management (Hong Kong), Rockhampton Management Ltd (Hong Kong), Springs Capital (Hong Kong) and Trustbridge Partners (Hong Kong). They join six APAC-based managers who already are HFSB signatories, bringing the total to 14 out of the more than 125 managers who are signatories. APAC-based investors who joined the HFSB Investor Chapter in 2016 include: CB PermaTrust Asset Management (China), New Zealand Superannuation Fund (New Zealand), Telstra Super (Australia) and Victorian Funds Management Corporation (Australia). Additionally, in April 2016, the HFSB established a Mutual Observer relationship with the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF), a global network of sovereign wealth funds which includes several of the largest in the Asia-Pacific region. Dame Amelia Fawcett, Chairman of the HFSB, said: We welcome Danny and George to our APAC Committee and are thrilled by how the Asia-Pacific alternative investment community has been embracing the Standards. We thank our APAC Committee members and the HFSBs many other supporters for working with their peers to increase understanding of how the Standards help both investors and managers by strengthening our industry. The fact that an increasing number of APAC-based managers are committed to meeting global standards is further evidence that the Asia-Pacific is becoming a major region in the alternative investment industry, complementing North America and Europe. Chris Gradel, Chairman of the APAC Committee, said: We appreciate Danny and George joining the APAC Committee. Their perspectives as leading managers active in Asia will be valuable in our mission to help APAC investors and managers understand the importance of the Standards, and also to ensure the HFSB standards are addressing local as well as global needs. As part of its increased activities in the APAC region, in 2016 the HFSB held institutional investor roundtables in Hong Kong, Melbourne, Shanghai, Singapore and Sydney that brought together over 250 representatives from APAC-based and global investors and alternative investment managers, to build a better dialogue on local and global industry issues. George Long is the Founder, Chairman and Chief Investment Officer of LIM Advisors Limited. His experience in the financial industry began in 1981. Before establishing LIM in 1995, Mr Long set up and ran Barclays Global Investors asset management business in Asia. While at Barclays, he served on the executive committee for Barclays Group Asia and the global investment committee in London. He was the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Society of Financial Analyst and served on the board of governors of the CFA Institute. He was also the founding chairman of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA) and served on AIMAs board in London. Danny Yong is the Chief Investment Officer and a founding partner of Dymon Asia Capital, and has over 20 years of experience trading FX, fixed income, and index futures in Asia. Prior to Dymon, he was a founding partner and Chief Investment Officer of Abax Global Capital, a hedge fund based in Hong Kong. During his career, Mr Yong was also a Managing Director at Citadel Investment Asia in Hong Kong, where he established and ran the Asia Macro trading business from late 2005 to early 2007 for the firm. In addition, he was Head of Trading for South East Asian Derivatives, Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange at Goldman Sachs where he spent six years in the Hong Kong and Tokyo offices. Mr Yong graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business (Banking and Finance) with Honors from the Nanyang Technological University of Singapore. The HFSB was formed in January 2008 as the standard-setting body for the alternative investment industry, bringing together managers and investors globally to help determine how the industry should operate. It is custodian of the Hedge Fund Standards, which create a framework of transparency, integrity and good governance for the industry, facilitate investor due diligence and complement public policy. The HFSB also provides practical guidance to investors and managers in areas such as fund governance, standardised transparency and risk reporting, and cyber security through its HFSB Toolbox. The HFSB is supported by more than 125 alternative investment managers with over $1 trillion in aggregate assets, and by more than 60 institutional investors investing over $600 billion in hedge funds. Reprinted from www.strategic-culture.org CIA Lobby Seal (Image by theglobalpanorama) Details DMCA Never has the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency so blatantly involved itself in an American election. However, the agency has a rich history of interfering in the elections of other nations, including Russia. The conclusions of an undisclosed CIA secret report on alleged Russian interference in the U.S. election has been summarily dismissed by the Director of National Intelligence, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and several retired U.S. intelligence officers as deeply flawed and a propaganda tool concocted by the highly-politicized CIA director John Brennan and his cronies. Brennan and his clique have upped the ante by claiming, without a shred of evidence, that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally directed the hacking of computer systems linked to the U.S. election. NBC News, which has a long history of cooperation with the CIA going back to the days of RCA/NBC chairman David Sarnoff and his close friend CIA director Allen Dulles, dutifully reported Brennan's outrageous claims as -news -. It is clear those former CIA officials who have lent credence to Brennan's report would not have done so unless they received clearance from Brennan and his CIA to go public with their unfounded charges against Russia. Those who have echoed Brennan's unfounded findings of election interference by Russia include former acting CIA director Michael Morell; former CIA and National Security Agency director Michael Hayden; former CIA director Leon Panetta; former CIA clandestine service agents Robert Baer; Evan McMullin -- a failed 2016 independent presidential candidate - and Glenn Carle. However, for every ex-spook Brennan pulls out of his hat to accuse President-elect Donald Trump of being a -Russian agent -, there are many more who have claimed that the CIA's -proof - of Russian interference in the 2016 election is pure malarkey. Brennan and his cabal of dark players know fully well that it is the CIA that has pioneered in the art and science of election manipulation. In 1996, it was Russia that bore the brunt of CIA election manipulation with its agents-of-influence in Moscow and other large cities, namely the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and George Soros's Open Society Institute and Foundation, engaged in political dirty tricks aimed at undermining the electoral chances of the Russian Communist Party presidential candidate Gennady Zyuganov. The CIA, Soros's operatives, and the NED printed and distributed fake campaign flyers claiming to have originated with the Zyuganov's campaign. The flyers advocated returning Russia to Stalinism and re-launching the Cold War against the West. The CIA and Soros dirty tricks operatives also announced to the press phony Zyuganov news conferences where no one showed up. The dirty tricks team also canceled reservations made by the Zyuganov campaign at hotels and public meeting halls. The CIA and their allies also helped to manipulate election returns and shaved votes from Zyuganov's total, particularly in Tatarstan and Bashkortostan. This helped the favored U.S. candidate, Boris Yeltsin, achieve a second-round victory of 54-to-40 percent over Zyuganov. In 2012, then-President Dmitry Medvedev said, -There is hardly any doubt who won [the '96 election]. It was not Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin -. The CIA has been at the election manipulation game since its inception in 1947. In February 1948, a formerly Top Secret CIA document spelled out the efforts to be taken by the United States and its ambassador in Rome, James Dunn, in preparation for the April 1948 Italian election. Wheat shipments were to be increased from the United States to Italy to prevent a reduction in bread rations just prior to the election. U.S. military equipment was to be sent to Italy in the event martial law had to be declared if the Italian Communist Party, which had been in a coalition government with the Christian Democrats since 1944, was successful at the polls. Assisting this military effort was the political indoctrination of many Italian military officers and non-commissioned officers at military schools in the United States. The CIA also directed a sharp stick at the Italian electorate, warning that Italians could not -combine the advantages of aid from the West with that of political safety and benefits from the Soviet Union -. The CIA was worried that if the Soviet Union returned control of the city of Trieste to Italy and renounced Italy's war reparations to the Soviet Union prior to the April election, the Italian Communist Party would reap the electoral benefits and be victorious. The CIA's political dirty tricks in Italy began in earnest when it covertly directed $1 million, contained mostly in -bags of money -, to Christian Democratic politicians led by Prime Minister Alcide de Gaspari. The CIA used its front newspapers in Italy to publish forged letters, allegedly written by Italian Communist Party leaders, in an attempt to embarrass them publicly. Similarly, the CIA attempted to blackmail Italian Socialist Party leaders who were part of a Popular Front coalition with the Communists. The blackmail eventually led to a split within the Socialist Party ranks between party leader Pietro Nenni and anti-Communist leader Giuseppe Saragat. The CIA's manipulation paid off when the Christian Democrats won 48.5 percent of the vote and formed a new government without Communist participation. When, in 1978, it appeared that the Christian Democrats, led by former Prime Minister Aldo Moro, were prepared to enact a -historic compromise - to share political power with the Italian Communist Party, the CIA instructed its agents-of-influence within Italy and the Vatican, the so-called -Gladio - network, to arrange for Moro's kidnapping and assassination and blame it on the leftist Italian Red Brigades. The CIA's psychological operation designed to blame radical Communists for Moro's death was successful when the Italian electorate voted overwhelmingly for a CIA-linked Christian Democratic faction opposed to any accommodation with the Communists. The CIA showed that it was not averse to political assassinations to achieve its electoral aims in other countries. The CIA's involvement by hook and by crook in the 1948 Italian election was repeated in numerous nations around the world. In 1964, the CIA ensured that the Chilean Popular Action Front (FRAP) Socialist presidential candidate Salvador Allende was defeated by the Christian Democratic leader Eduardo Frei. The CIA pumped $3 million into Frei's campaign, mainly to generate anti-Allende propaganda. Allende lost the race with 38.6 percent of the vote to Frei's 55.6 percent. In 1970, Allende won the presidential election with a slim 36.4 percent of the vote against the CIA-backed former president Jorge Alessandri. The CIA set about immediately to undermine Allende and on September 11, 1973, a CIA-backed military coup resulted in Allende's assassination. The one thing that separates the CIA from other intelligence agencies that seek to influence elections, is that the CIA's hands are always dripping with blood. The 1956 election in Ceylon (now known as Sri Lanka) saw an unpopular United National Party led by pro-Western Prime Minister John Kotelawala lose to the leftist Sri Lanka Freedom Party led by Solomon Bandaranaike. Although the Kotelawala government had received the largesse of CIA aid funneled through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, it was not enough to save it from defeat by Bandaranaike's socialists. The CIA merely set about the undermine Bandaranaike's government with the icing on the cake being the prime minister's assassination in 1959, allegedly by a Buddhist monk who hid a revolver underneath his robes prior to a meeting with the prime minister at his private residence. The assassin's two conspirators received life sentences, while the trigger puller, Somarama Thero, was baptized as a Christian two days before his hanging. The CIA's MK-Ultra psychological operations program had already mastered in the science of creating programmed assassins. Time and time again, the CIA has successfully engaged in election manipulation in parliamentary elections, presidential elections, popular referenda, and local and regional elections. The CIA is now directing its wealth of election chicanery toward the American electorate to discredit and undermine the legitimacy of the Trump presidency. For the sake of democracy everywhere, the CIA must be abolished. Tags: CIA FBI Chile Italy Russia Sri Lanka US Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Huston Smith, perhaps the world's leading expert on religions, passed away at the age of 97 on December 30th, 2016. I interviewed him in early summer 2004. Here's a reprint of the interview Politics and Religion; An Interview With Huston Smith an interview with the world's leading author on world religions discussing Jihad, the rapture, the Left Behind Series, and the use of religion to influence politics Interview by Rob Kall It's difficult to miss encountering Huston Smith if you do a search on world religions, if you go to college and get textbooks.... he's the one who wrote the books. So it was a great honor and pleasure to meet him and interview him at the first mythic journeys conference. Here's a more complete bio from his website hustonsmith.net Huston Smith is Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Syracuse University. For fifteen years he was Professor of Philosophy at M.I.T. and for a decade before that he taught at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently he has served as Visiting Professor of Religious Studies, University of California, Berkeley. Holder of twelve honorary degrees, Smith 's fourteen books include The World 's Religions which has sold over 2 million copies, and Why Religion Matter which won the Wilbur Award for the best book on religion published in 2001. In 1996 Bill Moyers devoted a 5-part PBS Special, The Wisdom of Faith with Huston Smith, to his life and work. His film documentaries on Hinduism, Tibetan Buddhism, and Sufism have all won International. awards, and The Journal of Ethnomusicology lauded his discovery of Tibetan multiphonic chanting as "an important landmark in the study of music." Rob: I publish a news and opinion website. What I wanted to talk to you about is the connection between religion and politics that 's happening now. Before I ask you any specific questions have you had any thoughts or observations on what 's going on with this. Huston Smith: I get asked that all the time since 9-11, so it 's uppermost in my mind. Let me lead into it with a true anecdote. One of my friends-- I 've been very blessed with the friends I 've had, is Saul Bellow, and I brought him to Syracuse University, where I was teaching, in the seventies and Saul Bellow is a big fish and Syracuse University is a kind of small puddle, so the press corps in Syracuse mounted a press conference with him. And since I was his host for his visit, I was there. The spokesperson for the press corps said, "Mr. Bellow, we 're all writers here. You 're a writer. What 's the difference between us?" And without batting an eye, Saul Bellow said, "Reporters are concerned with the news of the day, novellists, if they are worth their salt, are concerned with the news of eternity." Now that gives me a lead in for this, because when we 're talking about religion and politics we have to make a slight between between the news of eternity religion and the news of the day. By the news of eternity, that 's my short phrase for what the great founders of the religions taught and lived. Now let 's just take CHristianity. Jesus, the "price of peace" as he 's often referred to, taught that we should love even our enemies. And you can go just right down the line. I could put on my historian of religions cap and go through all the major religions and the founders all teach that in their own idiom. I 'll give one more example-- Islam-- because jihad is used so much to denigrate Muhammed and Muslims. But it 's not true that Muhammed himself or the Koran-- the Jihad-- this word which those who want to downplay and scurrilize the Muslim, used so often, literally, it means holy war. They pick up the war part. But they take it out of context because in the ten year skirmishes that Muhammed in Medina fled and escaped from Mecca because they wanted to do him in because of his message of justice, and so they were fighting for a toehold in history and they came back from one of these skirmishes and Muhammed said that "we have returned fromt he lesser holy war to face the greater holy war-- the battle that is the evil that is in the heart of every one of us. You wouldn't know that from reading the newspapers and so-on. So I 'll rest my case for this round by saying that in their founding revelation they all preach peace. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Signs of Madison's Tea Party: .Where is the birth certificate?. (Image by cometstarmoon) Details DMCA A prime example of that occurred just last week, when I -- in my guise as a humble seller of books -- came across what has to be the most eerily prescient work by someone I used to pillory on a regular basis. The person in question is none other than Jerome "Doctor Feelgood" Corsi -- one of the many so-called experts who hitched their wagon to the birther bull -- the sad and sorry notion that our all-too-soon-to-be-former President was not eligible to hold that office due to the circumstances of his birth. He wasn't the only one, of course. There were many of them -- many, many, many of them. At times it seemed like a week didn't go by when someone new was hustling alongside that poor, overworked bullock as it slowly plodded forward to an unknown destination, hoping to rope their ramshackle wagon to its back as well. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Paul Craig Roberts Website The ruling establishment has responded to Donald Trump's election by laying the groundwork to federalize, and thus control, future elections. Read Tyler Durden's report. The federal government does not have the constitutional authority to administer elections, only to set the date. The Obama regime's designation of elections as "critical infrastructure" seems to have no function other than to put in place a way to prevent voters from overthrowing an entrenched establishment, as the establishment fears the voters did when they elected Trump president. The distrubing question is: Why do it now after Trump's election? Could there be a plot to rescind Trump's election on the basis of the ongoing lies that Trump was elected not by the voters but by Russian interference? Federalization can be used to remove the states from the picture and prevent the states from challenging an establishment coup against the voters. US elections are decentralized in the hands of the states. There is no national network that would make hacking possible. The Department of Homeland Security can make suggestions to the states for improving the security of elections without declaring federal authority over the elections as "critical infrastructure." This is a disturbing development for which explanation and reason are lacking. Trump, if inaugurated, can overturn it or use it to ensure his reelection. Moreover, this last minute act of Obama is based on nothing but the false allegations of Russian interference. Despite the total absence of any evidence, the Obama regime continues to insist that the election was tainted by Russian interference, and the presstitutes repeat the lie as if it is true. For a media that ridicules "conspiracy theories," it is certainly hypocritical for the presstitutes to be hyping the Russian hacking conspiracy. What is the point of this lie to which the Obama regime and the presstitute media are committed? Is it merely to throw mud at Trump? Or is it to lay the foundation for a coup? Mike Pence, an admirer of Dick Cheney, is a strange choice for Trump's vice president. By making this choice, has Trump set himself up for removal? The Democratic Party Was Killed by The Clintons, Resurrected as Right Wing. We can turn it True Blue Again (Image by DonkeyHotey first two, public domain last) Details DMCA Take Back the Democratic Party; First article in a series If you were a Bernie Sanders supporter-- one of the 14 million plus-- then you're probably pretty disgusted with the current Democratic Party, the DNC and the leadership. I certainly feel that the leadership and most of the current elected officials are bad, ie., worse than worthless, a danger to Democracy and the constituents they are supposed to represent. Fortunately, there's a lot that can be done if the people who supported Bernie Sanders get together and work to make change happen. This is the first in a series of articles, so, consider it very incomplete, and I invite you to also write articles along these lines-- envisioning ways the Democratic party is problematic and ways to take it back with the intention of running it and candidates with visions along the lines Bernie Sanders described in his campaign. I've also created a Facebook Group Take Back The Democratic Party, to help coordinate efforts. I encourage you to join it. I attended a meeting, on a very snowy day, in downtown Philly, characterized as "Leadership Training for 'Our Revolution' Much of the discussion was about taking back the Democratic party and dealing with the mainstream media. I'll be covering dealing with the MSM in other articles. We discussed the need to go Bottom Up local in taking back the Democratic party-- that there are, hundreds of committee person slots open throughout the state of Pennsylvania. For many of these slots simply volunteering to fill them will be welcomed. Volunteer and you get the slot. Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). From Reader Supported News Trump secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson appears with Russian president Vladimir Putin. (Image by QZ) Details DMCA If in fact Russia acted to sway the U.S. presidential election, then yes that is without a doubt a very serious matter. The U.S. intelligence community reports at the center of the allegations are being met with a significant degree of skepticism by critics of the agencies authoring them. The CIA, FBI, NSA and DHS get paid to lie. Deceptions large and small are endemic to their day-to-day method. They defend such tactics as essential to doing their jobs and defending the nation. In addition, the documents placed in the public record by Edward Snowden contradicted categorically all assurances U.S. intelligence has given government watchdogs and the public for decades that their actions did not violate the Constitution. As a result the intelligence community now struggles for credibility at a moment when they seem most to need it. As the discussion turns to interference in the political affairs of a nation, any nation, including the United States, the U.S. is outrageously guilty of ruthlessly dominating the political affairs of other nations with the active support of the very intelligence agencies now sounding these alarms. There is just one problem and one thing that sets this situation apart: the scope and very public nature of these intelligence community disclosures are completely without precedent in the nation's history, and while the U.S. government and its intelligence arms may be too guilty to speak, the American people and the international community have the right and standing to know if the Russian government has influenced the American presidential election. There has been no point whatsoever in U.S. history when there has been unified public consensus by all U.S. intelligence players that anything even remotely like the hacking of a U.S. presidential election has taken place. Anyone who tells you that they "have seen this before" is misleading you or themselves, because it's never happened before. Moreover, these assertions come on the eve of the very individual whom the intelligence agencies allege benefited from the foreign interference being inaugurated as president of the United States. Clearly the intelligence agencies are sounding an alarm. To completely ignore that alarm invites catastrophe. The second point of objection to the Russian interference issue is, "So what? There is no proof that it affected the outcome of the election." True, there is no empirical or forensic evidence, in the public realm, to prove what voters were thinking when they cast their votes -- or did not cast them, as the case may be. It is, however, a red herring argument to begin with, because knowing what is in the mind of individual voters is an unachievable standard in any case. So that cannot be the fault of the intelligence agencies, however flawed they may be. There are, however, droves of circumstantial evidence. Consider Donald Trump's own words on the issue, in the final weeks of the campaign: "Boy, that Wikileaks has done a job on her, hasn't it?" "Wikileaks, I love Wikileaks. And I said write a couple of them down. Let's see. During a speech crooked Hillary Clinton, oh she's crooked folks. She's crooked as a 3-dollar bill. Okay here's one. Just came out -- lock her up is right." While that still doesn't prove that any individual voter's decision was affected by the email releases, it absolutely proves that Donald Trump was willing to encourage the leaks and happy to benefit from them. That makes him an active participant and an informed party to the action. The third argument is that the Russian election hacking issue is a distraction from the real problem, namely that the Democratic Party needs reform. Or that the Democrats should blame themselves, not the Russians. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). KKK (Image by Arete13) Details DMCA The 2016 election taught me a bitter truth I'd never known before. You might like to know it too, so come along. By percentages, Hillary Clinton's popular-vote margin over Donald Trump was the largest for a losing candidate since Samuel Tilden's quarter-million-plus margin over Rutherford Hayes in 1876. Unlike Trump, however, Hayes also trailed in the electoral vote. Since Hayes was behind by both measures, how then did he become president? The answer stunned me when I heard it for the first time on the Rachel Maddow Show a couple of days after November 8th. P.S. If you already knew this, I'm happy for you; I never knew it until I was 81 and two months. Excerpted from the book, A Masters Guide to the Way of the Warrior by Stefan H. Verstappen Better to have a gun and not need it, than to need a gun and not have one. Unknown While many martial-arts schools teach a variety of ancient weapons, which is an exciting if quaint pursuit, to live like a warrior in the modern age, and not a slave, you need to own a firearm. There are two arguments in favor of every warrior and every family owning a firearm. The first and most crucial reason is the fact that the state does not want you to have guns. This alone should be reason enough to get a gun. It is a little-known fact that the overwhelming majority of murders within a society are committed by the state. This is called Democide and in the last century, it is estimated that 174,000,000 to 262,000,000 citizens were murdered by their own governments. (1) Proof that an armed population is a deterrent to tyranny is the fact that all tyrannies have first sought to disarm their populations. A quick study of history shows that anytime the state wants to disarm its population they have sinister intentions. The list of governments disarming its population only to inflict mass murder and genocide goes back through 3000 years of history. It should be noted that an armed population does not imply a violent uprising against the government; actually, the opposite is true. Just having the means and conviction to resist violence, acts as a form of threat display behavior that prevents violence from occurring in the first place. The same holds true on a societal level. A country with a well-equipped and trained army is a deterrent to neighboring nations thinking about invading. Likewise, a heavily armed and trained civilian population is a deterrent to tyranny. Every dictator knows he can tax, and regulate and impose any number of oppressive measures on a population with little consequence. However, when it comes to shooting innocent people on the streets and in their homes, as dictators are always wont to do, then, those who have guns will fight back. Currently, most governments appear relatively benign and the people enjoy some freedoms, and so, the argument goes, there is no need for civilians to arm themselves. However, history again shows how quickly a seemingly benign government can be turned into a dictatorship. Being armed now is insurance against future dictators. The second reason every warrior and family needs to own a firearm is self-defense. Currently it is illegal in most western countries to defend oneself with any type of weapon, especially a firearm. While law-abiding citizens are denied access to the means of self-defense, even the lowest criminal street thug can easily get hold of a gun. Next Page 1 | 2 (Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher). Polyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) Market North America to Dominate the Market by 2021 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/global-polyurethane-dispersions-market-research-report https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/global-polyurethane-dispersions-market-research-report http://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, January 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Global Polyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) Market Research Report - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2014 - 2021Polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) are emerging water based coating materials that are made up of solvent based analogy. It is an aqueous and anionic dispersion of high molecular weight aliphatic polyester polyurethanes. Polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) are employed to prepare polyurethane applications that contain very low volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Properties like abrasion resistance, impact strength and low temperature flexibility are the dynamic forces leading to growing usage in many applications.Browse Full Report:Global polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) market is divided as water based and solvent based polyurethane dispersions categories based on their product type. It helps in manufacturing of low levels of organic compounds. These compounds are volatile and exhibit superior coating and excellent adhesion properties. Polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) are notably applied for wall paints, wood coatings, leather finishes, textiles finishes, plastics and metal coating, and high performance substrates, etc. However, it is a miniscule industry, but it has a huge potential to conquest the latexes and emulsions markets. Polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) as adhesives, are used widely on instrument panels, dashboards, interior door panels, gearshift levers, automotive seats, and others.Major demand for this market rises from the synthetic leather production industry. This segment has other primary applications such as natural leather finishing, textile finishing, automobiles, furniture and interiors, and other applications. Relevantly, our reports and company profiles specifies the key drivers that are impacting the demand in global polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) market.Owing to the stringent environmental regulations on solvent-based polyurethane dispersions (PUDs), the water based PUDs are gaining immense market growth. In the near future, solvent-based dispersions will be totally replaced by aqueous based dispersions a form of water-based material. For cost effectiveness, this material is blended with acrylic emulsions because of comparable properties, as MDI and TDI are expensive. As they have remarkable properties such as flexibility, corrosion resistance, weather stability, scratch resistance, easy cleaning, abrasion resistance, and tensile strength, they are profoundly used in industries like automotive, textile, leather, interior and exterior furniture, footwear and many other applications.Download Free Sample Report:Leading companies in this market are Bayer Material Science AG, BASF SE., Chemtura Corporation, Dow Chemical Company, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., and Cytec Industries Inc., etc. these companies are continuously making research to find effective and cheaper application of this material. Such market giants are enormously spending on the research and development to acquire the future market.CUSTOMIZATION OF REPORT:Clients can also buy company profiles for global polyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) market without buying full report.SEGMENTATIONS IN REPORT:Polyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) By Product Types: Water Based Polyurethane Dispersions Solvent Based Polyurethane DispersionsPolyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) By Applications: Synthetic Leather Production Natural Leather Finishing Textile Finishing Others (Including Adhesives And Coatings, Etc.)Polyurethane Dispersions (PUDs) By Geography: Asia Pacific North America Europe Latin America Middle East and AfricaAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite:Address: 3422 SW 15 Street, Suite #8942, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442, United States Trevett Cristo Announces Alan De Peters as Partner Trevett Cristo P.C., a NY-based law firm with expertise across a broad range of commercial and personal practice areas, is proud to announce Alan J. De Peters has been named Partner. De Peters is an accomplished trial lawyer practicing across Upstate New York and has substantial experience across a comprehensive range of practice areas, including insurance defense and coverage litigation, commercial litigation, personal injury and landlord and tenant law. I am proud to announce Alans partnership with the firm, says Louis Cristo, president of Trevett Cristo. His commitment to his clients, ambitious attitude and strong litigation skills continue to contribute to our growing success and future vision for the firm. With a long history in the construction industry, Alan has a unique perspective which has led him to develop a particular focus on litigating construction defect cases and those involving architectural and engineering claims. Known for putting clients needs and concerns first, De Peters ensures that every case is brought to resolution as quickly and economically as possible. De Peters received his J.D. from Quinnipiac University School of Law, Cum Laude, and his B.A. from Loyola University Maryland. Among his many professional associations, De Peters is a member of the Defense Research Institute and Liaison to the ADR Committee from the Young Lawyers Committee. He has been named a 2015 and 2016 Super Lawyer, Rising Star and was named an Associate Fellow in 2016 by the Litigation Counsel of America. Trevett Cristo P.C. is a general practice law firm headquartered in Rochester, NY. The firm focuses on a wide range of practice areas, including civil and criminal litigation, commercial law, residential and commercial real estate law, business transactional law, personal and family law, estate planning and labor and employment matters. For more information, visit www.trevettcristo.com . 252 Alexander Street, Rochester, NY 14607 This release was published on openPR. Permanent link to this press release: Copy Please set a link in the press area of your homepage to this press release on openPR. openPR disclaims liability for any content contained in this release. Airport Infrastructure Investment in India Worth $20 billion by 2020 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/airport-infrastructure-investment-in-india https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/airport-infrastructure-investment-in-india http://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, January 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Airport Infrastructure Investment in India (Infrastructure Investments, Projects, Airport, Airlines, & Associations) By Five Year Plans (12th Plan - 15th Plan): Trends & Forecast 2015-2020.The airport infrastructure investment in India is placed aggressively and it will reach $20 billion by 2020.Download Free Sample Report:Airport infrastructures are the part of economic development of the country. Airport transportation not only connects people, but also connects economies to the future development of global economy. The existence of airport infrastructure and associated ground infrastructure is an essential factor in the regional development. Aviation infrastructure needs to be developed to facilitate unconstrained growth of the aviation market. Many companies are looking to capitalize their investment into this emerging market.The Airport Infrastructure Market is a very competitive market, but has a lot of growth opportunities in India as it is set to become developed infrastructure in the next 10 years. The Airport Infrastructure total investment required is estimated to reach US$ 56,709.631 million by 2032 which includes Greenfield and Non-Greenfield Airport projects in India. Non-Greenfield airports hold a major share of 84.6% compared to Greenfield airports.Browse Full Report:Cities are separated by distance, but individual can easily travel between cities using various transportation. Nowadays, air travel for passenger has become more comfortable and cheaper due to growing tourism, increasing passengers and cargo traffic, and number of low cost carriers in India."The aviation industry is rapidly growing in India with increasing in number of visitors and Air traffic management. The passenger numbers are expected to triple over the next decade which will require massive investment in airport expansion and constructions.The Airport Infrastructure market is divided into Airports and Airlines. Again, the Airport market is analyzed by international airport, domestic airport and other operations. The Airlines segment contributes to majority of the market. The passenger and cargo traffic in India is expected to grow in next five years.For huge requirement of funds for the development of airport infrastructure and the financial constraints, the government has invited public private partnership model. With the rise in PPP projects in the next few years will be largely attributed to significant advantages such as better customer service, completion of projects on schedule and within budgets, reduced life-cycle maintenance costs, enhanced efficiency and cost savings including lower construction costs.Market DynamicsDrivers Public Private Partnership (PPP) Model Domestic, International and Cargo Traffic Increased Connecting Routes Across Countries Low Cost AirlinesRestraints Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Facilities Inadequate RunwaysOpportunities Development of New Airports Employment in the CountryAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite: Deccan Spice glad to Announce the New Location in Northern Virginia Chantilly, VA Deccan Spice Chantilly www.Deccanspice.com/Chantilly USA, January 06th 2017: Deccan Spice is an Authentic Indian Restaurant chain, announces the opening of our new location in Chantilly, VA. We started off in New Jersey, out food chain is scheduled to open new location in Chantilly, VA on Saturday, January 7th 2017.Deccan Spice originated in 2011 in Jersey City where it was only known as an Authentic Indian Cuisine that serves delicious Authentic Indian Food, and later Chicago, IL and San Francisco, CA have joined in the list of our locations a little while later promoting its legacy to a whole new level. In keeping with the tradition and its controlled taste loved by many, Deccan Spice on popular demand has decided to notch up a stone and open a new location in Chantilly, VA.Popularly known as the hub of Authentic Indian cuisine, Deccan Spice specializes in serving Authentic Indian Food that brings in the culture rich heritage reminding the guests of their food back home. It all started with the idea of serving Authentic Indian Cuisine, famous for its widely known dish Hyderabadi Biryanithat attracted people who came by enjoying the Indian flavour and happy at the end of their meal.While we speak a lot about ourselves, its not necessary for you to make time to come dine here with us. In times when making yourselves available becomes hard, we understand youre unable to make it to our restaurant and so, we recently introduced the Online Food Ordering portal where you get your favourite dish delivered to your work location or home. Your trust has helped us leverage our services in this diverse industry of food and beverage.Deccan Spice Chantilly comes with Two Banquet halls, that can accommodate up to 70-150 guests at a time. Unlike earlier times when we only served guests whod dine, we now have our services extended that includes Catering at your choice of location, hosting of the BirthdayParties,FirstBirthday, Wedding, Receptions, Baby Showers, Anna Prasana, Anniversaries, Corporate Meetings, Conferences, Proms, Mehendi, Baby 16 and a lot more at our banquet halls also.We like to brag about our strict usage of only quality and fresh ingredients to cook without changing a bit from the authentic recipe. Its not like where people of other cultures are not welcome, rather we like to cater to their appetite with their food cooked our style mixed with typical ingredients used by a common Indian household giving them a sense of Indian food and a different taste altogether.Residents of Virginia, might have travelled to other cities when they once dined in at Deccan Spice and loved how everything was prepared. Now, we are coming to your State to serve our Authentic Indian Food. Come by to celebrate the grand opening of our new location in Chantilly, VA.Speaking about the expansion of Deccan Spice in Chantilly, Mr. Govardhan Bobba, Founder of Deccan Spice said, We are glad to expanding and continuing our legacy of serving the delicious &Authentic Indian Food and trust our legacy continues in Chantilly, VA starting from 7th Jan 2017 with a special lunch buffet.We would be glad to welcome all food lovers for Grand Opening of Deccan Spice Chantilly, join us this Saturday, January 7th 2017 at the address below to Reminiscent of Your Time Back Home with our Authentic Indian Food.On Behalf of Deccan Spice, we look forward to serving you the mouth-watering taste of Authentic Indian Food in Chantilly. We are also glad to announce that well be coming soon to Castro Street - CA, Eddy Street - CA, New York, Florida & Maryland.Thanks again. Hope you all join and taste the authentic Indian Food.Deccan Spice on popular demand has decided to notch up a stone and open a new location in Chantilly, VA.Glad to serve you at:Deccan Spice14513-B, Lee Jackson Memorial Hwy,Chantilly, VA 20151.Contact-No: (703) 378-7778Email-ID: Chantilly@deccanspice.com Automotive Refinish Coatings Market to Reach US$ 11 Billion by 2021 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/automotive-refinish-coating-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/automotive-refinish-coating-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/ New York, January 06: Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Automotive Refinish Coatings Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2023The global automotive refinish coatings market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6 % during the forecast period (20152021) and would reach $11 billion by 2021.Download Free Sample Report:The Automotive vehicles need to be repaired at a frequency as there are damages caused due to external factors such as stones, damages due to accidents and other reasons. The market witnessed a vast growth in the last 5 to 6 years due to the increase in the number of the vehicle collisions and the inclination of the people to repair them.The key market players have adopted different strategies to boost the market. Acquisition and expansion are one of the best strategies to boost the market. Asia Pacific is the largest consumer of the automotive refinish market which accounts for more than 35% of the total consumption.The major driving factors Automotive Refinish Coating Markets are as follows: Increasing number of accidents, adoption of newer technologies and rising disposable income in the developing economies. Growing demand of recreational vehicles in the developed regions of North America and Europe.The restraints factors of Automotive Refinish coating market are as follows: Government regulations on the utilization of high volatile organic compounds (VOC) level coatings is increasing which may affect the growth of solvent-borne market.Browse Full Report:The Automotive Refinish Coating market is segmented based on Product type such as Primer Basecoat, Clearcoat, Activator, Filler & Putty, Others. The Automotive Refinish Coating market is segmented based on Technology as Solvent-borne Coatings, Water-borne Coatings, UV-cured Coatings. The Automotive Refinish Coating market is segmented based on Resin as Polyurethane, Alkyd, Acrylic, Others.The Automotive Refinish Coating market geographic segmentation covers various regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa. Each geography market is further segmented to provide market revenue for select countries such as the U.S., Canada, U.K. Germany, China, Japan, India, Brazil, and GCC countries.This report provides:1) An overview of the global Automotive Refinish Coating Market and related technologies.2) Analyses of global market trends and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2020.3) Identifications of new market opportunities and targeted promotional plans for Automotive Refinish Coating Market.4) Discussion of research and development, and the demand for new products and new applications.5) Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.REPORT SCOPE:The scope of the report includes a detailed study of global and regional markets for various types of Automotive Refinish Coating market with the reasons given for variations in the growth of the industry in certain regions.The report covers detailed competitive outlook including the market share and company profiles of the key participants operating in the global market. Key players profiled in the report include Axalta Coating Systems, BASF SE, Kansai Paint Co. Ltd., Mitsui Chemicals, PPG Industries, Inc., Nippon Paints, Sherwin Williams, 3M Co. and Matrix System Automotive Finishes. Company profile includes assign such as company summary, financial summary, business strategy and planning, SWOT analysis and current developments.The Top Companies Report is intended to provide our buyers with a snapshot of the industrys most influential players.Market segmentation of Automotive Refinish Coating Market:Market by Product Types Primer Basecoat Clearcoat Activator Filler & Putty OthersMarket by Technology1. Solvent-borne Coatings2. Water-borne Coatings3. UV-cured CoatingsMarket by Resin Polyurethane Alkyd Acrylic OthersMarket by Geography North America Europe Asia-Pacific LAMEAAbout MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite: Global Clean Label Ingredients Market Outlook 2015-2022 http://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/download-sample-14432 http://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/14432-clean-label-ingredients-market-report http://www.decisiondatabases.com/contact/buy-now-14432 www.decisiondatabases.com DecisionDatabases.com offers Clean Label Ingredients Market Research Report. This Report covers the complete Industry Outlook, Growth, Size, Share and Forecast Till 2022.Get Free Sample Copy @The report on global clean label ingredients market evaluates the growth trends of the industry through historical study and estimates future prospects based on comprehensive research. The report extensively provides the market share, growth, trends and forecasts for the period 2015-2022. The market size in terms of revenue (USD MN) is calculated for the study period along with the details of the factors affecting the market growth (drivers and restraints).A glimpse of the major drivers affecting this market is mentioned below:A. Drivers> Growing health issues due to artificial additivesB. Restraints> High price of ingredients, increase the price of productsFurthermore, the report quantifies the market share held by the major players of the industry and provides an in-depth view of the competitive landscape. This market is classified into different segments with detailed analysis of each with respect to geography for the study period 2015-2022.The comprehensive value chain analysis of the market will assist in attaining better product differentiation, along with detailed understanding of the core competency of each activity involved. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report aptly measures the potential value of the market providing business strategists with the latest growth opportunities.The report classifies the market into different segments based on type, form and application. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.The report also covers the complete competitive landscape of the worldwide market with company profiles of key players such as Archer Daniels Midland Company, Brisan, Cargill, Chr. Hansen A/S, Corbion N.V., E.I. Dupont De Nemours and Company, Groupe Limagrain, Ingredion Incorporated, Kerry Group PLC, Koninklijke DSM N.V., Sensient Technologies Corporation and Tate & Lyle PLC. A detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.For More Information about this Report:SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:1. By Type:> Natural colors> Natural flavors> Fruit & vegetable ingredients> Starch & sweeteners> Flours> Malt> Others2. By Form:> Dry> Liquid3. By Applications:> Beverages> Bakery> Dairy & frozen desserts> Prepared food/ready meals & processed foods> Cereals & snacks> Others4. By Geography:> North America (NA)> Europe (EU)> Asia Pacific (APAC)> Latin America (LA)> Middle East & Africa (MEA)Major table Of Contents:1. INTRODUCTION2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY3. MARKET ANALYSIS4. CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS MARKET ANALYSIS BY TYPE5. CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS MARKET ANALYSIS BY FORM6. CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS MARKET ANALYSIS BY APPLICATION7. CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS MARKET ANALYSIS BY GEOGRAPHY8. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE OF THE CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS COMPANIES9. COMPANY PROFILES OF THE CLEAN LABEL INGREDIENTS INDUSTRYPurchase Complete Global Clean Label Ingredients Market Research Report At:DecisionDatabases.com is a global business research reports provider, enriching decision makers and strategists with qualitative statistics. DecisionDatabases.com is proficient in providing syndicated research report, customized research reports, company profiles and industry databases across multiple domains.Our expert research analysts have been trained to map clients research requirements to the correct research resource leading to a distinctive edge over its competitors. We provide intellectual, precise and meaningful data at a lightning speed.3rd Floor,Fountain chambers,Nanabhai Lane,Fort, Mumbai - 1E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.comPhone: +91 99 28 237112Web: Gas Sensors Market Worth US$ 2500.00 Million by 2020 https://www.marketresearchengine.com/reportdetails/gas-sensors-market https://www.marketresearchengine.com/requestsample/gas-sensors-market https://marketresearchengine.com/ Florida, January 09 : Market Research Engine has published a new report titled as Gas Sensors Market by Application (Medical, Petrochemical, Automotive), by Technology (Electrochemical, Catalytic, Infrared) and by Geography - Global Industry Analysis and Forecast 2015 2020.Global Gas Sensors Market will Grow at a CAGR of more than 5% in the given forecast period and will cross US$ 2500.00 Million by 2020.Browse the full report here:A gas sensor is a device that detects the presence of gases in an area, often as part of a safety system. This type of equipment is used to detect a gas leak and interface withal control system so a process can be automatically shut down. Gas sensor devices have application across various sectors and some of the major applications of gas sensors are in process industries, automotive industry, building automation, industrial applications, medical applications, and others. These devices do continuous analysis and monitoring of gases in the area and alert on detection of gases in various end-user industries.This report on the global gas sensors market provides detail analysis of the market based on its major product segments, applications, and different regions for the period from 2015 to 2020. It also identifies the key trends that will define the future growth trajectory of the global gas sensors market.Download Free Sample Report:Some of the major end-user industries uses the gas sensors device including medical, building automation, domestic appliance, environmental applications, petrochemical & Oil industry, automotive & manufacture industry, industrial applications and others.The global gas analyzers, sensors and detectors market is moderately fragmented, where Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), ABB Ltd. (Switzerland), GE Measurement & Control(U.S.), Figaro Engineering Inc. (Japan),Gas Sensors Market Forecast, By Technology Electrochemical Technology Semiconductor Technology Solid-state /metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) Technology Photo-ionization Detectors Gas Sensing Technology Catalytic Technology Infrared TechnologyGas Sensors Market by Application: Medical Gas Sensors Petrochemical Gas Sensors Automotive Gas Sensors Industrial (Industrial Leak Detection And Process Control) Gas Sensors Building Automation and Domestic Appliances Gas SensorsGeographic Region Coverage North America Europe Asia Pacific Rest of the WorldKey Questions Answered in this Report: What was the market size in 2014 and what is the expected growth for 2015 to 2020. What are the key challenges for participation in this industry? Which were the highest performing regional markets in 2015? How will these markets perform in 2020? Which were the top performing end-use segments in 2015? How will this segment perform in 2020?About MarketResearchEngine.comMarket Research Engine is a global market research and consulting organization. We provide market intelligence in emerging healthcare technologies, niche technologies and markets. Our market analysis powered by rigorous methodology and quality metrics provide information and forecasts across emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models. Our deep focus on industry verticals and country reports help our clients to identify opportunities and develop business strategies.Media ContactCompany Name: Market Research EngineContact Person: John BayEmail: john@marketresearchengine.comPhone: +1-855-984-1862, +91-860-565-7204Country: United StatesWebsite: Product news... We are proud to give you an update of our products and services: News1: We added our newest LED light fittings to our webshop. You can oder through the webshop or you can use your shopping cart as an inquiry form - whatever is best for you. This is the direct link to the webshop page of the LED luminaires: https://www.quintex.eu/catalog/ex-material/led-light-fightings/ News 2: For all developers of Ex d devices: we put our Global Automotive Gasket & Seal Market 2017 - AB SKF, Dana Holding Corporatio , Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation. Automobile https://goo.gl/bv83oD https://goo.gl/XIeqJc https://goo.gl/8Vnvbq Major players in the global Automotive Gasket & Seal market :-AB SKFDana Holding CorporationFederal-Mogul Holdings CorporationFreudenberg Sealing Technologies Gmbh & Co. KgFlowserve CorporationSmiths Group PLCTrelleborg ABElringklinger AGDatwyler Holding Inc.Victor Gaskets India LimitedThis report provides detailed analysis of worldwide markets for Automotive Gasket & Seal from 2011-2015 and provides extensive market forecasts 2016-2021 by region/country and sub sectors. It covers the key technological and market trends in the Automotive Gasket & Seal market and further lays out an analysis of the factors influencing the supply/demand for Automotive Gasket & Seal, and the opportunities/challenges faced by industry participants. It also acts as an essential tool to companies active across the value chain and to the new entrants by enabling them to capitalize the opportunities and develop business strategies.Get Free Report Sample @Global Automotive Gasket & Seal Market Outlook 2016-2021, has been prepared based on the synthesis, analysis, and interpretation of information about the global Automotive Gasket & Seal market collected from specialized sources. The report covers key technological developments in the recent times and profiles leading players in the market and analyzes their key strategies. The competitive landscape section of the report provides a clear insight into the market share analysis of key industry players.Table of Contents1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Specification1.3 Classification1.4 Application1.5 Industry Policy and News Analysis1.6 Industry Overview2 Industry Chain Analysis2.1 Up Stream Industries Analysis2.1.1 Raw Material Analysis2.1.2 Equipment Analysis2.2 Manufacturing Analysis2.2.1 Manufacturing Process Analysis2.2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis2.2.3 Manufacturing Plants Distribution and Capacity/Production Analysis2.3 Down Stream Industries Analysis3 2011-2016 Global Market and Major Manufacturers Analysis3.1 2011-2016 Global Capacity, Production, Capacity Utilization Rate, Price, Revenue, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis3.2 2011-2016 Major Manufacturers Performance and Market Share4 2011-2016 Regional Market and Major Manufacturers Analysis4.1 2011-2016 Regional Market Performance and Market Share4.2 Europe Market4.2.1 2011-2016 Capacity, Production, Capacity Utilization Rate, Price, Revenue, Cost, Gross, Gross Margin Analysis4.2.2 2015 Major Manufacturers Performance and Market Share4.2.3 2011-2016 Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis4.3 North American Market4.3.1 2011-2016 Capacity, Production, Capacity Utilization Rate, Price, Revenue, Cost, Gross, Gross Margin AnalysisBrowse Complete Report Summary with TOC @Do inquiry before buying @The report provides separate comprehensive analytics for the North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Rest of World. In this sector, global competitive landscape and supply/demand pattern of Automotive Gasket & Seal industry has been provided.MarketInsights.Biz offer reports from top publishers and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemical and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.MarketInsights.Biz is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. MarketInsights.Biz also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.Markets,155 North Wacker Drive,Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606 InsightTELEPHONE:+17739042683 Global Superabsorbent Polymers Market will cross USD 8.02 Billion Mark by 2022 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1956 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/superabsorbent-polymers-market https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/ethylene-market Market Research Future published a half cooked research report on Superabsorbent Polymers Market. The global Superabsorbent Polymers market is expected to grow over the CAGR of more than 8.12 % during the period 2016 to 2022.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 100 market data tables and figures spread in 135 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Superabsorbent Polymers Market Information from 2016 to 2022"Market Highlights:Globally, the market for Superabsorbent polymers market is increasing due to various industries such as agriculture, mining, agriculture and others. The growing segment is agriculture due to increase in population and increased demand for food in developing countries are the key factors driving the demand for the m Superabsorbent polymers market.As per analysis, emerging economies like China, U.S and are increasing production with rise in use of Superabsorbent Polymers. APAC has seen as key market player in economy followed by North America, Europe and Row.Request a Sample Copy @Key Player of Superabsorbent Polymers Market: BASF SE Nippon Shokubai Co. Ltd. Evonik Industries AG SDP Global Co. Ltd. Formosa Plastics Corporation, KAO Corporation LG Chem Ltd. SDP Global Co. Ltd. Sumitomo Seika Chemicals Co. Ltd. Songwon Industrial Co. Ltd. Yixing Danson TechnologyRegional Analysis:Asia-Pacific is projected to be the largest market during the forecast periodGeographically, Asia-Pacific is expected to be the largest market for Superabsorbent Polymers accounting more than XX% of the total market. This share is contributed more towards growth of emerging economies, cheap labor cost in APAC and economical material used for production process.Browse full report @Scope of the study:The scope of the study categorizes the Superabsorbent Polymers market as type, and application.By Type Sodium polyacrylate Polyacrylamide copolymer OthersBy Application Health Care & Personal Care Agriculture Industry Mining &Petroleum OthersBrief TOC for Superabsorbent Polymers:1 Executive Summary2 Scope of The Report2.1 Market Definition2.2 Scope of The Study2.2.1 Research Objectives2.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations2.3 Markets Structure3 Market Research Methodology3.1 Research Process3.2 Secondary Research3.3 Primary Research3.4 Forecast Model4 Market Landscape4.1 Five Forces Analysis4.1.1 Threat of New Entrants4.1.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.1.3 Threat of substitutes4.1.4 Segment rivalry4.2 Value Chain/Supply Chain of Global Superabsorbent Polymers MarketContinueIntended Audience: Manufacturers and distributors of Superabsorbent Polymers. Suppliers and traders of Superabsorbent Polymers. Government, associations and industrial bodies. Investors and Trade experts. Consulting in chemical experts.Related Report:Global ethylene Market Information By use (Ethylbenzene, Ethylene dichloride, Ethylene oxide, Oligomersolefins/alcohols, Linear alpha-olefins and Linear primary alcohols) by consumption and by source (Hydrocarbon steam cracking,Refinery gases, Ethanol dehydration, Ethylene from coal, Ethylene from natural gas and Plant economics) - Forecast to 2027Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Wearable Medical Devices Market: Industry Analysis, Growth, Trend and Forecast to 2021 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/629 https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/hematuria-treatment-market Asia Pacific Wearable Medical Device Market including classification, application and industry chain overview; Then we deeply analyzed Asia Pacific growth forecast indicators by the as well as the regional market conditions that including the product price, profit, utilization, supply, demand and industry growth rate etc. In the end, the report introduced medical suction device market SWOT analysis, PEST analysis, market share analysis and competitive landscape, company profiles by analyzing the major players. It is a depth research study on Asia Pacific Wearable Medical Device Market.Request a Sample Copy @Brief TOC for Wearable Medical Device:1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of the Study1.2.1 Research Objectives1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.3 Market Structure2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research2.4 Forecast Model3 Report Excerpt4 Forecast Indicators4.1 Introduction4.2 Growth Drivers4.3 Growth Barriers4.4 Growth Opportunities4.5 Macroecnomical Indicators5 Market Analysis6 Asia Pacific Wearable Medical Device Market, By Type6.1 Diagnostic & Monitoring6.1.1 Sleep Monitoring6.1.1.1 Sleep Trackers6.1.1.2 Wrist Actigraphs6.1.1.3 Wearable Polysomnograph6.1.2 Fetal Monitors and Obstetric Devices6.1.3 Neuro-Monitoring Devices6.1.3.1 Electroencephalographs6.1.3.2 Electromyographs6.2 Sign Monitors6.2.1 Heart Rate Monitors6.2.2 Activity Monitors6.2.3 Electrocardiographs6.2.4 Pulse Oximeters6.2.5 Spirometers6.2.6 Blood Pressure Monitors6.2.7 Others6.3 Therapeutic Devices6.3.1 Pain Management Devices6.3.2 Glucose Monitoring Devices6.3.3 Respiratory Therapy Devices6.5 Rehabilitation Devices6.5.1 Accelerometers6.5.2 Sensing Devices6.5.3 Other Rehabilitation Devices6.6 Other Wearable DevicesContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Asia Pacific Wearable Medical Device Market chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.Related Report:Hematuria Treatment Market Information, by causes (kidney stones, urinary tract infection, urethritis, bladder cancer, others) by end users (hospital, clinic, research laboratories, others) by treatments (drugs, therapies, others) - Forecast to 2022Know more about this report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash AnandMarket Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com Recent Technology Advancement: Global Medical Sensors Market 2015 - 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/medical-sensors-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=407 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ A detailed qualitative analysis of the factors responsible for driving and restraining the growth of the global medical sensors market and future opportunities has been provided in the market overview section. This section of the report also provides market attractiveness analysis, epidemiology study, porters five forces analysis, supply and value chain analysis, average selling price analysis, regulatory framework and company market share analysis operating in the medical sensors market.The three leading players, Honeywell International, Inc., Danaher Corporation, and NXP Semiconductors, held a dominant share of ting the medical sensors market hold a collective share of 23.3% in the medical sensors market in 2014. A large customer base, impactful marketing strategies, and an unwavering focus on delivering top of the line products to consumers has helped these companies win the lions share in the global market.A TMR analyst reports, Strong research and development initiatives and strategic mergers and acquisitions to add value to the existing line of products will work in favor of the companies in the near future. While the larger global entities compete on a wider scale, regional markets are also teeming with local manufacturers, eroding the profitability of multinational firms, finds Transparency Market Research in a new study.Read Full Report:Medical Sensors to Aid Management of Chronic ConditionsA rise in the number of health conditions such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension are creating an exceptional demand for medical sensors. These reliable medical equipment have been pivotal in the area of disease management, thus saving lives and preventing further medical complications. The sale, usage, and adoption of medical sensors have been extraordinary due to the ever-increasing pool of geriatrics who need frequent or constant assistance with health monitoring.The TMR analyst reports, The acceleration of technological advancements has revolutionized methods of treating various diseases by blurring the lines between patients condition and assessment of medical data. As this becomes the way ahead for both companies and the patients, it will open up several growth opportunities for the adoption of medical sensors. The focus on developing medical sensors that are portable, wireless, compatible with smartphones, and based on microtechnology will also create several opportunities for the overall market.High Cost of Products Discourages SalesThe only factor hampering the growth of medical sensors market is the high cost of these products. As the average selling price of medical sensors is relatively high, it does impact the overall budgets of end users such as hospitals, physicians, nursing homes, and home healthcare providers. Owing to this, several potential buyers are getting discouraged, thereby creating a challenge for the overall market.Download exclusive Sample of this report:TMR report states that the opportunity in the global medical sensors market was worth US$10,000.0 mn in 2014. However, with a high prevalence of chronic diseases and the need to treat their efficiently is likely to push the opportunity of this market to US$18,741.3 mn by the end of 2023. Between the forecast period of 2015 and 2023, the market is likely to witness an upswing of 7.0% CAGR.Due to the increasing number of diabetics, the biosensors product segment is anticipated progress at an outstanding CAGR of 7.5% between 2015 and 2023. The demand for biosensors will also be propelled by the need of the patients to have portable diagnostic devices for efficiently managing their medical condition. Geographically, Asia Pacific will register the fastest CAGR in the forecast period of 8.2%.The review of the global medical sensors market is based on the findings of the research report published by Transparency Market Research titled, Medical Sensors Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 2023.The global Medical Sensors market is segmented as follows:Global Medical Sensors Market, by ProductsPressure SensorsTemperature SensorsImage SensorsAccelerometersBiosensorsFlow SensorsSQUID SensorsOthersGlobal Medical Sensors Market, by ApplicationsSurgicalDiagnosticTherapeuticMonitoringGlobal Medical Sensors Market, by End UsersHospitalPhysician officesNursing Home and Home HealthcareOthersGlobal Medical Sensors Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeUnited KingdomGermanyFranceRest of the EuropeAsia PacificAustraliaJapanChinaIndiaMalaysiaRest of the APACLatin America (LATAM)BrazilMexicoArgentinaRest of LATAMRest of the World (RoW)MENASouth AfricaRussiaRest of the WorldTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Breathable Films Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024 Breathable Films Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17825 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Breathable films, also known as micro-porous films, are semi-permeable films which allow the exchange of water vapor and gases, but prevent liquids or water to pass through. They are a three-dimensional matrix of long-chained molecules usually composed of acrylic latex, polyethylene, or polypropylene. These films are used in a wide range of end-user industries including building & construction, pharmaceuticals, medical, industrial, food packaging & processing, and personal care & hygiene. In food packaging, the film enables superior circulation of vital gases from the atmosphere keeping the food content fresh and also avoiding accumulation of pungent odors. In case of industrial applications, breathable films are employed to manufacture protective clothing for hazardous environments.The breathable films market is propelled by the personal care & hygiene industry, due to the growing awareness about hygiene and health in the general population. Their applications in this sector include the manufacturing of baby diapers, adult diapers, and sanitary napkins, these films are employed as back sheet to promote comfort and reduce skin rashes and infections. Thus, rising birth rates and aging population are key drivers of the breathable films market. The growing per capita GDP in developing countries and rising consumer spending on personal care products is also propelling the breathable films market. The burgeoning construction industry is also a propellant, with breathable films utilized as house wrap, roofing films, and wall coverings. Moreover, these films are also used to manufacture disposable clothing in the medical sector, and therefore the robust growth of health care facilities, especially in developed countries, motivates this market substantially.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights:Based on material, the breathable films market has been divided into the following categories: polyurethane, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, and others. Among these, polyethylene films are extensively popular in the market, primarily due to their high melt strength and ability to act as a better barrier against microbes and viruses. They also exhibit high chemical inertness and puncture resistance and are therefore used in band aids and dressings. However, other film varieties also offer different properties which suit specific applications. In terms of application, the market is split into the following segments: personal care & hygiene, health care & medical, food packaging, building & construction, industrial, and others. Personal care & hygiene is a prominent application among these. In case of medical applications, these films are used in the manufacture of medical garments, surgical robes & gowns, and gloves.Geographically, the market has been distributed over Asia Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific is a prominent market for breathable films due to the high birth rates and subsequent need for baby diapers in the region. Asia Pacific is likely to remain the principal consumer of breathable films over the forecast period, on account of the ever-increasing population and demand for breathable films in industrial applications. However on the other hand, North America and Europe has a large ageing population thus promoting the use of adult diaper. These regions are significant consumers with regards to health care and medical applications owing to the well-established facilities and infrastructure.Key manufacturers of breathable films include Mitsui Chemicals Incorporation, Clopay Plastic Products Company, Toray Industries Inc., RKW Group, Covestro, Fatra A.S., Nitto Denko Corporation, Arkema SA, rioplast Industrier AB, and Celanese Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: North America Womens Health Rehabilitation Products Market Revenue, by Product, 2016 - 2024 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/womens-health-rehabilitation-products-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=13022 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ This report on the womens health rehabilitation products market analyzes the current as well as future prospects of the market globally. Rehabilitation programs include exercise training, monitoring of body vitals, education about healthy habits, and various other activities that help a patient to retain her health. Rehabilitation services include occupational and physical therapy services that help patients to recover from acute or chronic injury or illness.As per a new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), no single company holds a clear lead in the global womens health rehabilitation products market. This renders the markets competitive landscape highly fragmented. The presence of many local players has intensified the competition further.TMR recommends companies to concentrate on increasing their research and development activities to introduce novel and cost-effective health rehabilitation products. Apart from product differentiation and innovation, the most prominent companies offering rehabilitation products, have expressed their keenness on acquiring local players to penetrate into emerging markets, thereby expanding their reach globally. GE Healthcare, Carolina Pelvic Health Center, Inc., and Carib Rehab Ltd. are key contributors in the market at present.Read Full Report:Demand for Rehabilitation Products to Treat Health Impairments in Women RisingHealth impairment caused by chronic ailments is a major factor causing non-productive life among women around the world. Rehabilitation programs including the monitoring of body vitals, healthy habits, exercise training, and other activities help patients in retaining their health. Demand for rehabilitation among women is thus rising, mainly due to the increasing incidence of diseases such as urinary incontinence, breast cancer, lymphedema, and pelvic pain.A lead TMR analyst says, The rise in geriatric population and changing lifestyle habits have made women around the world more prone to chronic ailments. The prevalence of the chronic ailments is only expected to rise in the forthcoming years, thereby accelerating demand for womens health rehabilitation products.The latest advancements in the healthcare sector have put rehabilitation as an indispensable medium of mitigating the surging risk of chronic diseases among women. Health rehabilitation services for women are thus designed to expedite faster recovery in them post prolonged illnesses.While developing countries earlier exhibited low acceptance for health rehabilitation, the rising awareness about the benefits it offers is expected to augur well for the market in the long run. Despite the positive growth prospects, high product pricing could hamper the markets growth across emerging regions to an extent. Nevertheless, with the increasing investment in health care, the future prospects for the market seem lucrative.Download exclusive Sample of this report:Demand for Womens Healthcare Rehabilitation Products Surges in North America and EuropeRegionally, North America and Europe accounted for the leading share in the sale of womens health rehabilitation products globally in 2015. The market in North America stood at US$1 bn in 2015 and is expected to reach US$1.5 bn in 2024, rising at a CAGR of 4.9% between 2016 and 2024. The rising number of road accidents in the recent past and increasing geriatric population have been accelerating demand for womens health rehabilitation products in these regions.However, during the forecast period, growth exhibited by the market for womens health rehabilitation products in Asia Pacific is expected to the fastest.By product, demand for treatment of urinary incontinence post prolonged illnesses is expected to rise at the highest CAGR during the forecast period.Surging at a CAGR of 5.0% between 2016 and 2024, the womens health rehabilitation products market is expected to reach US$4.2 bn by 2024. The market stood at a valuation of US$2.6 bn in 2015.This review is based on information published by Transparency Market Research in a report, titled Womens Health Rehabilitation Products Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2016 - 2024.The global womens health rehabilitation products market has been segmented as follows:Global Womens Health Rehabilitation Products Market, by ProductOrthopedicUrinary IncontinencePelvic PainPregnancy and Post-partumBreast CancerLymphedemaOsteoporosisGlobal Womens Health Rehabilitation Products Market, by GeographyNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaEuropeGermanyU.K.Rest of EuropeAsia PacificChinaJapanRest of Asia PacificRest of the WorldLatin AmericaMiddle East & AfricaTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Tungsten Silicide Powder Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2024 Tungsten Silicide Powder Market http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=17666 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/ Tungsten Silicide Powder Market: OverviewMetallic silicide are a kind of ceramic materials with outstanding heat resistance and oxidation resistance properties. Tungsten silicide, being an example of metallic silicide, exhibits the same properties. It is a gray crystalline solid. It is an important material as PVD target for semiconductor-related applications.Silicides play a vital role in the field of advanced technology. Thin films of metal silicide are integral to the integrated circuits of semiconductor and microelectronics devices, a superconductor and Schottky barrier used in infrared detection and Schottky contacts. Metallic silicides are usually produced via sputtering deposition of the metal on a high purity silicon wafer.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights:Tungsten Silicide Powder Market TrendsAbout 15% of silicides are refined to the purity level needed for electronic applications. High purity level plays an important role in optimum functioning of electronic applications. This is because requirements of microelectronics are high conductivity, thermal and structural stability, and ability to withstand harsh environmental conditions. Tungsten silicide is also used as a barrier layer between silicon and other metals.Tungsten Silicide Powder Market SegmentationBased on application, the tungsten silicide powder market can be segmented into integrated circuits, components, transistors, microelectronics, wafers for semiconductors, barrier layers, and photovoltaics.Tungsten Silicide Powder Market: Region-wise OutlookNorth America and Europe, followed by China and Japan in Asia Pacific, are the major regions of the tungsten silicide powder market. North America and Europe are expected to maintain their dominance in the tungsten silicide powder, considering the presence of large number of key players in these regions.Tungsten Silicide Powder Market: Key PlayersKey players operating in the tungsten silicide powder market include Japan New Metals Co. Ltd., ESPICorp Inc., Luoyang Tongrun Info Technology Co. Ltd., Stanford Advanced Materials, American Elements, and Materion Corporation.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Predictive Analytics Market Research Report 2025 -Market Size and Forecast |The Insight Partners http://www.theinsightpartners.com/reports/predictive-analytics-market http://www.theinsightpartners.com/sample/TIPTE100000160 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/inquiry/TIPTE100000160 http://www.theinsightpartners.com/discount/TIPTE100000160 Predictive analytics is the combined use of data, statistical algorithms, and various machine-learning techniques to identify the prospect of future outcomes based on historical data. Predictive analysis is set to revolutionize the way modern day businesses are done. Understanding customers requirement well before and accordingly be ready will benefit the organizations to offer value added services to the end-users. Prediction would enable businesses to be ready with the required needs of the customers beforehand. Forecasting customer needs and accordingly designing products gives any organization a competitive edge. The olden day method of businesses initially making a product on the basis of market research, then taking feedback from customers is to be totally replaced by this technology. Customer Delight has been widely recognized by businesses worldwide as a crucial factor in maintaining long term relationships with the customers.Browse market data tables and in-depth TOC of the Predictive Analytics Market to 2025 @In addition to customer delight, predictive analytics will enable companies to understand the requirements of the end-user, this will prove a differentiating factor for businesses. The rapid technological advancements, boom in artificial intelligence and high competition have led to the growth of this market. The other drivers for the rapid growth of predictive analysis markets include increased usage of Big Data and cloud by organizations and growing need for product differentiation driving introduction and adoption of new technologies.Additionally, with advent of Big Data, predictive analysis is expected to be adopted in Finance and Human Resources. Application of this technique in sales and marketing management, operations & supply chain management has significantly benefitted the companies. Realizing its benefits and potentials further it is expected to be used in other applications such as workforce management and risk management.Request Sample Copy @There are certain restraining factors for this market which are listed as complex analytical workflow and diversity of data models based on business needs. For predictive analysis to work successfully, it has a heap of challenges to overcome. Firstly, the pattern observed on which results are made cant always be uniform. Different business models follow different pattern. Understanding each pattern and accordingly predicting the result is one of the challenges. The task is to convert the inconsistency into a consistent result. Furthermore, data integrity poses a bigger challenge in implementation of this technology in different end-user verticals.The global predictive analysis market has been segmented by applications into network management, risk management, sales and marketing management, workforce management, operations and supply chain management. Business functions segment is further divided into, sales, operations, marketing, human resource and finance functions. In addition the global predictive analysis market has been further fragmented based on deployment models that are on-premise and on-demand models.Make an inquiry @Region wise, North America leads the predictive analysis market due to technological advancements in this region, followed by Europe and APAC, these regions have shown considerable growth with developing countries in these regions showing interests in these technologies. Major players in predictive analytics market offering services and solutions globally are SAS Institute, Teradata Corporation, Acxiom Corporation, SAP SE, Microsoft Corporation, IBM Corporation, Tableau Software Inc., Information Builders, Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO), and TIBCO Software Inc.Few Key Points from Table of ContentGlobal Predictive Analysis Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2025 Applications Network Management Risk Management Sales & Marketing Management Workforce Management Operations & Supply Chain ManagementGlobal Predictive Analysis Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2025 Business Functions Sales Operations Marketing Human Resource FinanceGlobal Predictive Analysis Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2025 Deployment Models On-premise On-demandGlobal Predictive Analysis Market Revenue and Forecasts to 2025 Geographical Analysis North America Europe Asia Pacific (APAC) Middle East & Africa (MEA) South America (SAM)Global Predictive Analysis Market, Key Company Profiles Included Key Facts, Business Description, Financial Overview, SWOT Analysis and Key Developments SAS Institute Teradata Corporation Acxiom Corporation SAP SE Microsoft Corporation IBM Corporation Tableau Software, Inc. Information Builders Fair Isaac Corporation(FICO) TIBCO Software, Inc.Inquire about discount on this report @About The Insight Partners:The Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.Contact Us:Call: +1-646-491-9876Email: sales@theinsightpartners.comThe Insight Partners is a one stop industry research provider of actionable intelligence. We help our clients in getting solutions to their research requirements through our syndicated and consulting research services. We are a specialist in Technology, Media, and Telecommunication industries.505, 6th floor, Amanora Township,Amanora Chambers, East Block,Kharadi Road, Hadapsar, Pune-411028 NEW RESEARCH:Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016 http://www.researchbeam.com/global-tomato-paste-research-report-2016-market/request-sample http://www.researchbeam.com/global-tomato-paste-research-report-2016-market/enquire-about-report http://www.researchbeam.com/ Research Beam added a report Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016Description:Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016:The Global Tomato Paste Market 2016 Industry Research Report is a comprehensive study of the recent market trends and consumption analysis in the global industry. The report provides an in-depth analysis for the historic period, 20112016 and the forecast period, 20162021. Market overview is offered on the basis of product overview and scope of Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016 Research in the Food and Beverage. Furthermore, the study covers a detailed segmentation in terms of types, applications, and regions.Download Sample Report @:Regional analysis for the Global Tomato Paste Market Research Report 2016 in the Food and Beverage Sector is provided based on revenue, sales, and growth rate. In addition, sales and market share for each segment are included for each region.Following regions are analyzed: North America Global China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaMajor manufacturers are analyzed in the report in terms of basic information, manufacturing base, product specifications, and business overview. Furthermore, comprehensive analysis of sales, revenue, price, and gross margin of each manufacturer is covered.Following manufacturers are analyzed: Heinz McCormick Del Monte Alce Nero ConAgra MARS Annalisa Simplot Australia Cerebos Limited Renfros. Barilla UTOPIAGet Enquire @Manufacturing cost analysis is offered based on raw material analysis and cost structure along with manufacturing process analysis. The research offers industry chain analysis in terms of upstream raw material sourcing and downstream buyers. Moreover, an extensive analysis of production, consumption, and revenue for each segment is offered for the forecast period.Data & statistics are provided with the help of tables and figures to help manufacturers, investors, and shareholders gain comprehensive understanding. Research conclusions are offered at the end of the report.Table of Contents:1 Tomato Paste Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Tomato Paste1.2 Tomato Paste Segment by Type2 Global Tomato Paste Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Tomato Paste Production and Share by Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)3 Global Tomato Paste Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2016)4 Global Tomato Paste Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2016)4.1 Global Tomato Paste Consumption by Regions (2011-2016)5 Global Tomato Paste Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Tomato Paste Market Analysis by Application7 Global Tomato Paste Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Tomato Paste Manufacturing Cost Analysis8.1 Tomato Paste Key Raw Materials Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis11.1 Technology Progress/Risk12 Global Tomato Paste Market Forecast (2016-2021)13 Research Findings and ConclusionAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb: In Thailand Competitor Overview Growth in the Telecom Market Between 2016-2021 Data Services to Spur Robust Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909448 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=909448 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/thailand-data-services-to-spur-robust-growth-in-the-telecom-market-between-2016-2021-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Telecommunications Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Telecommunications Market. It is entitled as Thailand: Data Services to Spur Robust Growth in the Telecom Market between 2016-2021.Request for Sample Report:In 2016, Thailand telecom market will generate total service revenue of $10.2bn (THB360.1bn), (or 2.6% of the nominal GDP), an increase of 1.7% over 2015. Mobile data services will be the key revenue contributing segment, accounting for 36.1% of the total service revenue in 2016. Operator focus on network expansion and service enhancement, and investment in advanced technologies such as VoLTE and VoWiFi, will be the major factors driving growth of mobile data services in Thailand over the forecast period.Key Findings- The overall telecom service revenue in Thailand is estimated to generate $10.2bn in 2016 and is estimated to decline at a CAGR of -0.2% during 2016-2021.- Mobile segment will account for 69.7% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.- The Thailand telecom market will be dominated by AIS Dtac and TrueCorp. AIS will remain the largest player in the telecom market through 2021. Operators focusing on expansion of 4G services, hence offering heavy discount on smartphones with data packages. Moreover the operators are stimulating the data usage through infotainments bundles.Make an Enquiry:SynopsisThailand: Data Services to Spur Robust Growth in the Telecom Market between 2016-2021' a new Country Intelligence Report, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Thailand today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Thailand compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Thailand.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Thailand 'telecommunication market.Browse Full Info with TOC:ReasonsToBuy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Thailand telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Thailand mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Thailand telecommunication market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Thailand.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Singapore Telecom Market Size and Growth Prospects in Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Market Research Hub http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909447 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=909447 http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/singapore-embracing-smart-nation-telcomedia-convergence-and-fixedmobile-competition-report.html http://www.marketresearchhub.com/ Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Telecommunications Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Telecommunications Market. It is entitled as Singapore: Embracing Smart Nation, Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Competition.Request for Sample Report:In 2016, Singapore's telecom services market will decline 1.7% over 2015. This is partly due to the substitution of fixed telephony services by mobile voice and OTT apps. Mobile data will remain the largest revenue contributing segment and the growth will be driven by telcos investments to enhance speeds and coverage. In addition, telcos are investigating new areas including 5G technology, smart city/IoT/M2M, cyber security, managed services, OTT video and data analytics to diversify their revenue streams.Key Findings- The overall telecom service revenue in Singapore is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 1.5% during 2016-2021.- Mobile revenue will account for 63.7% of the total telecom revenue in 2021.- The Singapore telecom market will be dominated by Singtel, Star Hub and M1. Operators will continue to invest on 4G coverage expansions and deployment of fiber-optic network to boost the data connectivity to support government's Smart Nation initiative.- The entry of new fixed and mobile operators will result in greater competition.- The country saw the merger of the telco and media regulators and operators are already offering converged telco/media services.Make an Enquiry:Synopsis"Singapore: Embracing Smart Nation, Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Competition" a new Country Intelligence Report , provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Singapore today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Singapore compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Singapore.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.- In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period.- Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Singapore's telecommunication market.Browse Full Info with TOC:ReasonsToBuy- This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Singapore telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies.- Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Singapore mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares.- With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality.- The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Singapore telecommunication market.- The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Singapore.Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: Cell Expansion Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2023 https://goo.gl/OtXc33 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/cell-expansion-market.html http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Cell expansion is defined as the production of daughter cells which arise originally from the single cell. Cell expansion is beneficial either therapeutically as drug screening tools or for core research purposes. Currently, cell expansion is majorly used for stem cells expansion which are transplanted in patients with blood cancer. Cell expansion also has a potential to be used in various diseases linked with genetic defects such as Parkinsons diseases or Alzheimers disease. The cell expansion market can be differentiated into various segments on the basis of type of cells used for expansion and by applications. On the basis of type of cells used for expansion, the cell expansion market has been differentiated into three classes which include:Human CellsAnimal CellsPlant CellsDownload exclusive Sample of this report:Human cells capture the major share of the cell expansion market on the basis of cell type. These cells are used for therapeutic applications for curing various types of cancers and genetic disorders. Human cells market could further be segmented into two classes which include stem cells and differentiated cells. Animal cell expansion on other hand is used for very less therapeutic applications however; plant cell expansion is currently under research activities for therapeutic applications. On the basis of applications, the cell expansion market has been classified as follows:Stem cell researchRegenerative drugsBiotechnology and biopharmaceuticalsClinical diagnosticsView exclusive Global strategic Business report :Stem cell research dominates the cell expansion factors. Extensive use of stem cells for therapeutic cancer and genetic diseases involves the extensive cell expansion procedure. Biotechnology and biopharmaceutical research also involves the cell expansion to a high extent. Recently, GE Healthcare has launched a cell expansion technology, Xuri W25 that is designed to develop T-cell and is used for performing T-cell therapies. Cell expansion based cellular regenerative medicines are used majorly for developing medicines for cardiovascular and neurological diseases.Geographically, cell expansion market is differentiated into four classes including North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest of the World (RoW). North America followed by Europe dominates the cell expansion market due to extensive research and development activities, well-defined infrastructure investment supporting facilities and large government funding towards stem cell research. As a part of the Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, the European Union funded four stem cell projects: HumEn, Neurostemcellrepair, PluriMes and ThymiStem. Similarly, in North America, Becton, Dickinson and Company granted a total of USD 100,000 worth of reagents used in research annually to 10 scientists for stem cell research. Increasing stem cell research activities has extended the use of cell expansion, hence driving the market. Asia Pacific is estimated as the most opportunistic market for cell expansion owing to the increasing drug discovery activities, development of healthcare and biotechnology infrastructure for various kinds of research and increase in outsourcing biotechnology processes in this region. For instance, the Government of India established a research institute specifically for drug development named Open Source Drug Discovery (OSDD), and invested USD 12 million for OSDD projects from 2008 to 2012. Perpetually increasing investments in drug discovery projects result in increased use of cell expansion, thus leading market growth.Some of the major players of cell expansion market include Danaher Corporation, Corning Incorporated, Merck Millipore, Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Terumo Corporation, Miltenyi Biotech, StemCell Technologies and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: Oxidative Stress Assay Market - Global Industry Analysis 2016 - 2023 http://tinyurl.com/z83n928 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/oxidative-stress-assay-market.html Oxidativestress isinitiated by the presence of a reactive oxygen species (ROS) which the cell fails to counterbalance and then it damages the biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, lipids and proteins. Oxidative stress has been associated with the aging process as well as various other disease states.It is an ongoingprocess between highly reactive radicals and the body system designed for mitigating their effects.Few diseases occur from a failure to counter these effects. Oxidative stress causes many pathophysiological disorders in the body and some of these include neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers disease and Parkinson's disease, cancers, fragile X syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, atherosclerosis, heart and blood vessel disorders, cardiovascular disease, inflammatory diseases and others.Oxidative stress assay is a method for detecting and screening markers of oxidative stress in cells. It is a great tool for analyzing and evaluating the capacity to counter the oxidative stress as it provides relevant biological information.Download exclusive Brochure of this report:Furthermore, progresses are made in the field of oxidative stress assay markets are technologically advanced equipment with updated technologies to produce high efficiency and accuracy in the testing of oxidative stress.Rapid growth in the pharmaceutical and biotechnological industry, robust trend of research and development, investments in the healthcare sectors, up gradation oftechnology such as content screening for drug discovery, and government subsidy for life science research are the prime growth drivers for oxidative stress assay market. However, there are fewhindrances in the growth of the market; these arelack of awareness, emerging technologies, increased cost of instruments and lack of qualified professionals.The oxidative stress assay market can be segmented as products, test types, technologies, end users and disease type.Product types of oxidative stress assay market are divided on the basis of consumables and instruments. Consumables arecategorized as kits and reagents, buffers and chemicals, microplates and antibodies and reagents. The consumables segment in the product type is largest inthe market and is expected to grow at the fastest rate in near future. The main reason for it are clinical advances and increased use incontract research organizations (CRO) and biotechnological industries.Browse Global strategic Business report:The test type can be divided as reactive oxygen species (ROS)-based assays and enzyme-based assays, antioxidant capacity assays.Based ontechnologies the market is divided as ELISA, chromatography and microscopy.Oxidative stress assay market can be broadly divided into disease types such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cancer and asthma.The end users for oxidative stress assay market are categorized as clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical companies, contract research organizations (CRO) and biotechnological companies.Geographically the market for oxidative stress assay market are divided as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the world.There are some major reasons, responsible for their dominance in this market are increasing number of aged population and high levels of public awareness and innovative technologies. North America and Europe are in the leading position in this market due to their highly advanced technology and infrastructure compared to the improving infrastructure in emerging regions. However, Asia Pacific is estimatedto grow in oxidative stress assay market in future for number of factors such as government initiatives, growing awareness and increased investment in healthcare sector.Some of the key players in the oxidative stress assay marketbased on pharmaceutical and biotechnological companies are Abcam Plc., BioVision, Inc., Cell Biolabs, Inc., Merck and Co., Inc., Oxford Biomedical Research, Promega Corporation,Sigma-Aldrich Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., while the leading clinical laboratories are Alliance Imaging, Inc., Array BioPharma Inc., Genoptix, Inc. and Quest Diagnostics.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Global cardboard VR glasses Market 2017 : Nagel Precision, Kadia, Rottler Engis, Electropneumatics, DEEPMAYA ENGINEERING, Pemamo Honing cardboard VR glasses market http://bit.ly/2jsWssb A market study based on the cardboard VR glasses market across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global cardboard VR glasses Market 2017. The research report analyzes the historical as well as present performance of the global cardboard VR glasses market, and makes predictions on the future status of cardboard VR glasses market on the basis of this analysis.The report studies the market for cardboard VR glasses across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in cardboard VR glasses market & dynamics of demand and supply of cardboard VR glasses into consideration.Get Sample Copy Of Report:Major Manufacturers Analysis of cardboard VR glasses -Nagel Precision IncKadiaDelapenaRottlerEngisElectropneumaticsDEEPMAYA ENGINEERINGOhio Tool WorksPemamo HoningGleasonThe ' cardboard VR glasses 'research study covers each and every aspect of the cardboard VR glasses market globally, which starts from the definition of the cardboard VR glasses market and develops towards cardboard VR glasses market segmentations. Further, every segment of the cardboard VR glasses market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the cardboard VR glasses market. The geographical segmentation of the cardboard VR glasses market has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the global market for cardboard VR glasses is determined by evaluating the various market participants, production capacity, cardboard VR glasses market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the cardboard VR glasses market worldwide.The global cardboard VR glasses market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, cardboard VR glasses production volume, data regarding demand and cardboard VR glasses supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for cardboard VR glasses across the globe.About Us :Business worldwide are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business worldwide, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Business WorldwideUnited States Global 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 Market 2017 : Labtec Sales, Maskless Lithography, DEEP SEA MOORING AS, VIKING SEATECH LTD 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market http://bit.ly/2iYwI6q A market study based on the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 Market 2017. The research report analyzes the historical as well as present performance of the global 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market, and makes predictions on the future status of 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market on the basis of this analysis.The report studies the market for 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market & dynamics of demand and supply of 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 into consideration.Get Sample Copy Of Report:Major Manufacturers Analysis of 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 -Labtec SalesMaskless LithographyDEEP SEA MOORING ASVIKING SEATECH LTD.The ' 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 'research study covers each and every aspect of the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market globally, which starts from the definition of the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market and develops towards 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market segmentations. Further, every segment of the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market. The geographical segmentation of the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the global market for 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 is determined by evaluating the various market participants, production capacity, 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market worldwide.The global 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 production volume, data regarding demand and 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for 3rd version VR BOX 3.0 across the globe.About Us :Business worldwide are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Business worldwide, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Business WorldwideUnited States North America Outbound Medical Tourism Services Market Anticipated to Register a CAGR of 25.5% Between 2016 and 2026 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-na-2158 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/askus/rep-na-2158 www.futuremarketinsights.com According to a new report published by Future Market Insights titled Outbound Medical Tourism Services Market: North America Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, the North America outbound medical tourism services market is expected to reach a market valuation of US$ 15.53 Bn by 2016 end and this is likely to increase to US$ 150.36 Bn by 2026.According to Future Market Insights, factors such as a large ageing baby boomer population, large uninsured population, and better technology and wider treatment options are expected to drive the revenue growth of the North America outbound medical tourism services market over the forecast period. Economic factors such as rising rate of health insurance premiums, high cost of medical treatments in the U.S., and parallel tourism with medical treatment are expected to boost the growth of the North America outbound medical tourism services market between 2016 and 2026. The other factors impacting the North America outbound medical tourism services market are long waiting time for specialist appointments in the U.S. and increasing preference for non-conventional treatment options. The demand for cosmetic correction procedures and dental treatments has been significantly high in the U.S. market in recent years, making North America the most lucrative regional market for outbound medical tourism services. According to the International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, the U.S. was the largest market for cosmetic procedures in 2015.Request Free Report Sample@Lack of effective follow-up care on returning home, rampant medical malpractices in medical tourism destinations, proliferation of superbugs in medical tourism destinations, problems associated with language barriers, and privacy concerns are some of the challenges anticipated to restrict revenue growth of the North America outbound medical tourism services market over the forecast period.Segmentation highlightsThe North America outbound medical tourism services market is segmented into the following therapeutic applications Cosmetic Surgery Treatment, Dental Treatment, Cardiovascular Treatment, Orthopaedic Treatment, Cancer Treatment, Fertility Treatment, Weight Loss Treatment, Spinal Surgery Treatment, Neurology Treatment, and Other General Treatment.The Cosmetic Surgery Treatment segment is estimated to be valued at US$ 3,760.9 Mn by 2016 endThe Cancer Treatment segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 22.0% over the forecast periodThe Orthopaedic Treatment segment is estimated to create absolute $ opportunity of US$ 1,658.9 Mn in 2017 over 2016Regional forecastThe North America outbound medical tourism services market is segmented into the two top countries of U.S and Canada. U.S. is projected to occupy a major share in the North America outbound medical tourism services market in terms of value. The U.S market is anticipated to be valued at US$ 14.98 Bn by the end of 2016. In terms of value, U.S. is expected to be the dominant regional market by 2026 end and is expected to register a CAGR of 25.7% over the forecast period. Canada is expected to have comparatively less market potential for outbound medical tourism services, registering a CAGR of 18.1% over the forecast period.Send An Enquiry@Vendor insightsThe report profiles some of the top companies operating in the North America outbound medical tourism services market. Leading market players featured in the report are Apollo Hospital Enterprise Limited, Bumrungrad International Hospital, KPJ Healthcare Berhad, Christus Muguerza Hospital, WorldMed Assist, Mednamaste, and Global Medical Tourism Inc. Major market players are adopting strategies such as market expansion and strategic alliances to maintain their market share. Some of these companies are also adopting strategies such as backward integration to support their core business of medical tourism. Companies are offering services such as insurance and financing for medical tourism and are looking to expand their global footprint by enhancing their foreign customer base.About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Egg and Egg Products Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-217 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-217 www.futuremarketinsights.com Products which are obtained from different blends and components of eggs and are ready for human consumption are known as egg products. Egg products can partly be complemented by additives or some other food products. They can be found in different forms such as concentrated, crystallized, deep-frozen, liquid, solid, and frozen with a shelf life of three weeks.About 70% of the eggs are mainly produce in the economies of China, India, U.S., Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil, and France. In which 36% of the eggs are produce in China and about 11% in Latin America. There are different types of eggs products available in the market which includes pasteurized liquid egg, pasteurized liquid yolk, pasteurized liquid white, dehydrated white, dehydrated egg, hardboiled egg, dehydrated yolk, and ready-cooked meals with egg as their main ingredient.Request Free Report Sample@As egg and egg products offers a source of protein to the consumers with the slightest environment impact is the major factor driving the growth of the market. Technology changes, government regulations are some of the factors contributing to the growth of the market. As the industry is continuously changing due to rising demand, increasing consumption and production of egg and egg products and technology advancement the market has huge growth opportunities in future. But, the insignificant growth in the international trade with some exceptions can act as a restraint for the market.Some of the key players of the market are Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., Land O'Lakes, Inc., Noble Foods Ltd, Tyson Foods, Inc., and Ningbo Jiangbei Dexi Foods Co. Ltd.Visit For TOC@About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Global Aluminum Alloy Wheels Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/report/global-aluminum-alloy-wheels-market-by-manufacturers-regions-type-and-application-forecast-to-2021 https://www.reportsworldwide.com/enquiry?report_id=3571 ReportsWorldwide has announced the addition of a new report title Global Aluminum Alloy Wheels Market by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application, Forecast to 2021 to its growing collection of premium market research reports.Aluminum Alloy Wheel is made by the aluminum alloy. The aluminum alloy wheel usually has better heat conduction and the weight is also lighter than the steel wheel. The aluminum alloy has relative smaller strength than the steel wheel, so it is applied in the passenger vehicle more than commercial vehicle.This report focuses on the Aluminum Alloy Wheels in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.To view a detailed description and Table of Contents please visit:Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report covers Borbet Ronal Wheels Enkei Wheels Superior Industries Alcoa Iochpe-Maxion Uniwheel Group Accuride YHI International Limited Topy Group CITIC Dicastal Lizhong Group Wanfeng Auto Kunshan Liufeng Zhejiang Jinfei Yueling Wheels Zhongnan Aluminum Wheels Anchi Aluminum Wheel Guangdong Dcenti Auto-PartsMarket Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers North America (USA, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy) Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia) South America, Middle East and AfricaMarket Segment by Type, covers Casting Forging OtherMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided into Passenger Vehicle Commercial VehicleTo Get Sample Copy of Report please visit @About ReportsWorldwide.comReportsWorldwide.com is a leading provider of global market intelligence reports and services. With research reports from top publishers, consulting and advisory firms, ReportsWorldwide.com offers instant online access to a growing database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, geographies and trends.Press Contact:Abigail CrastoSenior Vice President101, Arch StreetBoston, MA 02110USPhone +1 (617) 398-4994Fax +1 (617) 398-4995abigail@reportsworldwide.com ASEAN Hard Luxury Goods Market Segments, Opportunity, Growth and Forecast By End-use Industry 2014-2020 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-as-106 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-as-106 www.futuremarketinsights.com Luxury goods comprises of products such as accessories, footwear, apparel, watches and others which are quite expensive and target those consumers who belongs to premium class. The market for luxury goods consist of three types of end consumers, which includes kids lying between the age of 0-12 years, teenagers belonging to the age group of 13 to 19 years and the rest lies in adult group. Luxury goods market can also be segmented on the basis of application which includes soft luxury goods and hard luxury goods. Soft luxury goods includes designer apparel and leather goods such as hand bags and others, which is easily available for the customers in the hypermarket stores or directly operative outlet. Whereas hard luxury goods comprises of jewellery and premium watches. The hard luxury goods are offered to the consumers through premium class outlets, stores or sell out through internet.Thus the market for hard luxury product is also segmented on the basis of mode of distribution channel used for offering products to the consumers. The mode of Distribution channel is segmented into retail outlets, sell out through internet, companys brand outlet and others. Among all these distribution channel online retailing is expected to be most preferred mode for distribution in the forecasted period. This is due to consumer convenience preferences and availability of the products at lower price. Furthermore, the second most preferred mode is expected to be the companys brand retail outlets as they provide better offerings at less price.Request Free Report Sample@Globally, the demand of hard luxury goods are showing robust annual growth of 10% to 12%.North America and Europe is the highest contributor in the market share of hard luxury goods market. Increasing demand of accessories coupled with rising middle class disposable income has supported the growth of emerging markets in Asia-Pacific. It is expected to account for the fastest CAGR growth as compared to other regions. Among all the countries in Asia Pacific China is expected to be the most lucrative market followed by Japan. India is also expected to show a healthy growth in the forecasted period by registering a single digit CAGR growth. Whereas in ASEAN region Singapore is expected to be the most dominant market. The rising growth for hard luxury goods in Singapore is supported by the new entrants of jewellery brands and rising sales of watches. Rapid urbanization coupled with increasing disposable income in Thailand and Malaysia is predicted to boost the customer base and prominent contributor in the revenue of hard luxury good market in ASEAN region followed by Indonesia and Philippines.Expanding middle class income group coupled with the urge of consumers for premium class products are the key drivers for the market growth of hard luxury goods in ASEAN region. Moreover, wide varieties of product offerings in each segments and continuous innovation and product launch is also expected to influence the consumers of ASEAN region to fuel the market growth of hard luxury goods in the forecasted period.However, the market of hard luxury goods in ASEAN region possess some restraining factors. This includes the weak distribution channel and limited availability of the products. Furthermore, the consumers perceives these products as quite expensive and also it is considered as a premium class product and not an absolute necessity.Visit For TOC@The key international market players for hard luxury goods operating in ASEAN region includes Gianni Versace S.p.A., LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA, Compagnie Financiere Richemont SA, Prada S.p.A., Hermes International SCA, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A, Prada S.p.A, Ralph Lauren Corp, Christian Dior SE, Gucci, Rolex SA, Bottega Veneta, Louis Vuitton Malletier, Tod's S.p.A. and others.About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: US Industry Analysis Industrial Boilers Market Forecast - 2023 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=9131 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com The leading four players, Cleaver-Brooks, Inc., Fulton Boiler Works, Inc., and Hurst Boiler & Welding Company, Inc. collectively held a gigantic share of 75.8% share in the U.S. industrial boilers market in 2014. Transparency Market Research found that the fragmented competitive landscape is being driven by increasing strategic alliances and partnerships to gain stronger market presence. For instance, Cleaver-Brooks, Inc. acquired Holman Boiler Works and Affiliated Power Services in July 2014 to growing inorganically.Companies are also focused on achieving technological innovation and product differentiation. The lead author of this study says, Players are also set to expand in regions such as South America and Asia Pacific to strengthen their foothold and increase their market presence in lucrative emerging economies.Get PDF Brochure for more Professional and Technical industry insights :Industrial Boilers Gain Popularity due to Environmental NormsThe stringent regulations announced by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) regarding air toxic standards to limit emissions from various types of boilers is likely to trigger demand for new-age industrial boilers. Though there is no regulation governing the definite size of the industrial boilers to be used, end-user industries are aiming towards installing boilers that are highly energy-efficient. TMR expects that this shift will adversely affect coal-fired boilers and make way for natural gas boilers.The increasing prices of fuel will also lead to a demand for high-efficiency boilers as they drastically bring down fuel costs. Currently, fuel costs account for nearly 85% of the total operation cost of boilers. To cut down these expenditures and to optimize the usage of available resources, users are likely to upgrade their facilities will new boilers. Additionally, end-user industries such as food, paper, chemical, refinery, and metal will invest in efficient boilers due to the pressing need to cut back on carbon emissions.The high cost of equipment, installation, and the cost of operations are all creating a huge impediment for the growth of the industrial boilers market in the U.S. These costs still remain unaffordable to several end-user companies, which is dissuading them from making investments to upgrade their facilities. However, the stringent environmental norms will present profitable opportunities to the U.S. industrial boilers market to increase its revenues.Presence of End-user Industries Keeps East North Central Region Ahead in the RaceThe East North Central Region in the U.S. had the maximum installations of industrial boilers in 2014, accounting for about 30% of the overall market. In the foreseeable future, this region will be driven by robust industrial growth and the remarkable manufacturing output to lead the U.S. industrial boilers market. The presence of food, chemical, and metal companies in Illinois and Michigan will also boost this geographical segment. TMR expects that Michigan market will rise at a CAGR of 2.98% while the Illinois market will surge at 3.90% during the forecast period.The research report points out that the opportunity in the U.S. industrial boilers market will be worth US$515.22 mn by 2023. As of 2014, the market was valued at US$382.37 mn and is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.35% from 2015 to 2023.The review is based on the findings published in Transparency Market Researchs new report, titled Industrial Boilers Market - US Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023.Industrial Boilers Market - US Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023Key Takeaways:Environmental pressure to urges end-user industries to opt for energy-efficient boilersBooming industrialization steers adoption rate of industrial boilers at 3.35% CAGR between 2015 and 2023.Michigan and Illinois to play key role in driving industrial boiler sales in the East North Central part of the U.S.The U.S. industrial boilers market has been segmented as follows:U.S Industrial Boilers Market: By RegionSouth AtlanticWest North CentralWest South CentralPacific StatesMountain StatesNorth EastEast North CentralEast South CentralContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insights to decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, TMR employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207 Fluorite Market Shares, Strategies and Forecast Worldwide, 2015 to 2025 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/reports/sample/rep-gb-370 http://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-370 www.futuremarketinsights.com Fluorite, also known as fluorspar is a popular mineral that is available naturally in all colors of spectrum. It is the mineral form of calcium fluorite that belongs to the halide minerals. It is a visible mineral both in ultraviolet as well as visible light. Pure fluorite is colorless and the variations in the color are caused by impurities. The common colors of fluorite include purple, blue, yellow, green, and blue. Fluorite has an attractive cleavage habits and the cleavage, which is perfect and parallel to octahedral faces, can be peeled off in some cases to make a smooth crystal perfect octahedron. Fluorite is known to be one of the famous fluorescent minerals. The word fluorescent has arrived from fluorite mineral. Fluorite crystallizes in a cubic design. The major reserves for fluorite is found in China which accounts for around 24 million tons in inner Jiangxi, Mongolia, Hunan, Zhejiang and Fujian provinces. These reserves make about 80% of the national total of fluorite reserves. As China has introduced many measures to protect the fluorite reserves, the output for fluoride has remained steady.Fluorite generally has lapidary and ornamental uses. Fluorite can be drilled into jewelry, however it is not used as a semiprecious stone due to its relative softness. In industries, fluorite is usually used in the production of certain glasses and enamels and used as flux for smelting. Three different grades of fluorspar include acid, ceramic and metallurgical. The pure form of fluorite is used for manufacture of hydrofluoric acid, which acts as an intermediate source for most of the fine chemicals containing fluorine. Transparent fluorite lenses have low dispersion and so lenses that are manufactured using them have low dispersion and they exhibit very less chromatic aberration. This property of fluorite mineral makes it important in telescopes and microscopes.Request Free Report Sample@The major driving factors for fluorite market are the growing chemical industry and increasing use of fluorine in the glass industry. The chemical industry and glass industry accounts for the major share of the fluorine demand globally. The other market that has applications of fluorite includes the metallurgy and aluminum smelting industry among others.The key segments for fluorite market include North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and Rest of the World (RoW). Western Europe, China and the U.S. are said to be the major consumers of fluorite worldwide. Western Europe and the U.S account for major demand for acid fluorite that is used in the manufacture of hydrofluoric acid. The cement and glass industry in China generate the largest demand for fluorite and are expected to drive the market globally.Visit For TOC@The key companies profiled in the report include Centralfluor Industries Group and Zhejiang Wuyi Shenlong Flotation Co Ltd., Sinochem Lantian Co., Ltd, Inner Mongolia Xiang Zhen Mining Group Ltd., China Kings Resources Group Co., Ltd. DO-Fluoride and Zhejiang Yongtai Technology has started its expansion in the fluorite field. Multiple fluorite enterprises are focusing on strengthening the integration of downstream and upstream industry chain of fluorite reserves for avoiding price volatility and to achieve higher value for its products. Mexichem enterprise has large reserves of fluorite that produces fluoroelastomers and fluoropolymers for benefits. Minersa is said to be the second largest producer of fluorite with production capacity of 380 Kt/a. It has a fluorite-fluorine industrial chemical chain.About Us Future Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centers in the U.S. and India.Contact Us:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way,Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage,New York 10989,United StatesTel: +1-347-918-3531Fax: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite: Kazakhstan Midstream Oil and Gas Market Forecasts for Oil Storage, Pipelines, Underground Gas Storage and Gas Processing Outlook to 2021 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/analysis/909339 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/sample/sample/909339 http://www.marketresearchreports.biz/ "The Report Kazakhstan Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2021: Market Forecasts for Oil Storage, Pipelines, Underground Gas Storage and Gas Processing provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz""Kazakhstan Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2021: Market Forecasts for Oil Storage, Pipelines, Underground Gas Storage and Gas Processing" is a comprehensive report on midstream oil and gas industry in Kazakhstan. The report provides oil and natural gas production, consumption, exports and imports from 2000 to 2020. It also provides historic oil and gas reserves for the period 2000 to 2015. Further, the report provides details such as name, type, operational status and operator for all active and planned (new build) oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, gas storage facilities and gas processing plants in Kazakhstan till 2021. The report also offers recent developments, financial deals as well as latest contracts awarded in the countrys midstream sector.View Full Report at:Scope- Historic and forecast of oil data related to production, consumption, imports and exports for the period 2000-2020, and reserves for the period 2000-2015- Historic and forecast of natural gas data related to production, consumption, imports and exports for the period 2000-2020, and reserves for the period 2000-2015- Updated information related to all active and planned oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, underground gas storage and gas processing plants in the country, including operator and equity details- Key mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, private equity and initial public offerings in the countrys midstream oil and gas industry, where available- Latest developments, financial deals and awarded contracts related to midstream oil and gas industry in the countryDownload Sample Copy Of This Report at:Reasons to buy- Gain a strong understanding of the countrys energy sector and midstream oil and gas industry- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of production, reserves and capacity data- Assess your competitors major oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, underground gas storage and gas processing plants in the country- Analyze the latest developments, financial deals and awarded contracts related to the countrys midstream oil and gas industry- Understand the countrys financial deals landscape by analyzing how competitors are financed, and the mergers and partnerships that have shaped the marketTable of Contents1 Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 61.2 List of Figures 82 Introduction 92.1 What is This Report About? 92.2 Market Definition 93 Kazakhstan Energy Sector 123.1 Kazakhstan Energy Sector, Market Overview 123.2 Kazakhstan Energy Sector, Oil 133.2.1 Kazakhstan Oil, Overview 133.2.2 Kazakhstan Oil, Supply and Demand Balance 133.2.3 Kazakhstan Crude Oil, Regulatory Structure 193.3 Kazakhstan Energy Sector, Gas 203.3.1 Kazakhstan Gas, Overview 203.3.2 Kazakhstan Gas, Supply and Demand Balance 203.3.3 Kazakhstan Natural Gas, Regulatory Structure 264 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry 274.1 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Key Data 274.2 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Overview 274.3 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Storage Operations 274.3.1 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Total Storage Capacity 274.4 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity by Company 284.5 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity Share by Area 304.6 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Storage Capacity by Terminal 314.7 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Asset Details 324.7.1 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Active Asset Details 324.7.2 Kazakhstan Oil Storage Industry, Planned Asset Details 375 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry 395.1 Kazakhstan Oil Pipelines 395.1.1 Kazakhstan Oil Pipelines, Key Data 395.1.2 Kazakhstan Oil Pipelines, Overview 395.2 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Crude Oil Pipeline Length by Major Companies 395.3 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Crude Oil Pipelines 415.4 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Asset Details 425.4.1 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Active Asset Details 425.4.2 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Oil Pipelines Planned Asset Details 565.5 Kazakhstan Gas Pipelines 595.5.1 Kazakhstan Gas Pipelines, Key Data 595.5.2 Kazakhstan Gas Pipelines, Overview 595.6 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Natural Gas Pipeline Length by Major Companies 595.7 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Natural Gas Pipelines 615.8 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Asset Details 625.8.1 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Active Asset Details 625.8.2 Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry, Gas Pipelines Planned Asset Details 686 Kazakhstan Underground Gas Storage Industry 736.1 Kazakhstan Underground Gas Storage Industry, Key Data 73MarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. Nachiket90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz Mobile Biometrics Market :- Opportunities & Forecasts, 20162021 Projections & Estimations , Key Market Trends & Analysis http://www.researchbeam.com/mobile-biometrics-global-outlook-2016-2022-market/request-sample http://www.researchbeam.com/mobile-biometrics-global-outlook-2016-2022-market/purchase-enquiry http://www.researchbeam.com/mobile-biometrics-global-outlook-2016-2022-market/enquire-about-report http://www.researchbeam.com/ Research Beam added a report Mobile Biometrics - Global Market Outlook (2016-2022)According to Research Beam MRC, the Global Mobile Biometrics Market is expected to grow from $9.53 billion in 2015 to reach $52.61 billion by 2022 with a CAGR of 27.6%. Growth in usage of mobile devices and soaring mobile transactions are the major factors fuelling the market growth. Furthermore, increasing adoption in end user industries, rising e-commerce transactions are some of the key factors driving the market growth during the forecast period. However, data breaching and privacy issues are hampering the market growth.Download Sample Report @Fingerprint reader is commanding the single-factor authentication mode globally with the biggest market share and is expected to grow with a high CAGR during the forecast period. Growth is attributed to increasing adoption of fingerprint reader technology by various smartphone manufacturers. North America is anticipated to hold the largest share in global mobile biometrics market. Asia Pacific is likely to grow at a fastest rate during the forecast period.Some of the key players in global mobile biometrics market include 3M Cogent, Inc., Apple Inc, Applied Recognition, Inc.,., Bio-Key, Cognitec Systems GmbH, Eyeverify Inc., Fujitsu Ltd., Fulcrum Biometrics, LLC., Google, Honeywell International Inc., Imageware Systems, Inc., M2sys Technology, NEC Corporation, Neurotechnology, Nuance Communication, Inc., and Precise Biometrics AB.Request for Discount @Authentication Modes Covered: Single-Factor Authentication Facial Recognition Iris Recognition Fingerprint Recognition Vein Recognition Retina Scan System Voice Recognition Other Authentications Multi-Factor AuthenticationComponents Covered: Hardware Component Scanners Cameras Fingerprint Readers Other Hardware Components SoftwareEnd Users Covered: Government/Law Enforcement & Forensic Finance & Banking Consumer Electronics Travel & Immigration Military & Defense Healthcare Other End UsersApplications Covered: Access control Authentication Mobile paymentWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Market share analysis of the top industry players Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsEnquire about Report @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Mobile Biometrics Market, By Authentication Mode6 Global Mobile Biometrics Market, By Component7 Global Mobile Biometrics Market, By End User8 Global Mobile Biometrics Market, By Application9 Global Mobile Biometrics Market, By Geography10 Key Developments11 Company ProfilingAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb: Medical Pressure Transducers Market Trends & Forecast to 2021- Industry Analysis by Manufacturers, Regions, Type and Application http://www.absolutereports.com/10513516 http://www.absolutereports.com/enquiry/request-sample/10513516 http://www.absolutereports.com/purchase/10513516 www.absolutereports.com Medical Pressure Transducers Market report focuses on the major drivers and restraints for the key players. It also provides granular analysis of the market share, segmentation, revenue forecasts and geographic regions of the market. The Medical Pressure Transducers Market research report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Medical Pressure Transducers Industry.In depth analysis of Medical Pressure Transducers Market is a crucial thing for various stakeholders like investors, CEOs, traders, suppliers and others. The Medical Pressure Transducers Market research report is a resource, which provides technical and financial details of the industry.Browse more detail information about Medical Pressure Transducers Market at:To begin with, the report elaborates the Medical Pressure Transducers Market overview. Various definitions and classification of the industry, applications of the industry and chain structure are given. Present day status of the Medical Pressure Transducers Market in key regions is stated and industry policies and news are analysed.Next part of the Medical Pressure Transducers Market Industry analysis report speaks about the manufacturing process. The process is analysed thoroughly with respect three points, viz. raw material and equipment suppliers, various manufacturing associated costs (material cost, labour cost, etc.) and the actual process.Following are the key players covered in this Medical Pressure Transducers Market research report: Edwards Lifesciences Smiths Medical? Argon? ICU Medical Merit Medical Systems Biosenor International ANTMED? Utah Medical JUNKEN MEDICAL Ace MedicalNo. of Report Pages: 127Price of Report (Single User Licence): $ 3500Get a PDF Sample of Medical Pressure Transducers Market Report at:After the basic information, the Medical Pressure Transducers Market report sheds light on the production. Production plants, their capacities, global production and revenue are studied. Also, the Medical Pressure Transducers Market growth in various regions and R&D status are also covered.Following are Major Table of Content of Medical Pressure Transducers Industry: Medical Pressure Transducers Market Competition by Manufacturers Medical Pressure Transducers Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2011-2021) Medical Pressure Transducers Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Regions (2011-2021) Medical Pressure Transducers Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type Medical Pressure Transducers Market Analysis by Application Medical Pressure Transducers Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis Medical Pressure Transducers Manufacturing Cost Analysis Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers Medical Pressure Transducers Market Forecast (2016-2021)Purchase the Report Now @Further in the Medical Pressure Transducers Market Industry Analysis report, the Medical Pressure Transducers Market is examined for price, cost and gross. These three points are analysed for types, companies and regions. In continuation with this data sale price is for various types, applications and region is also included. The Medical Pressure Transducers Market for major regions is given. Additionally, type wise and application wise consumption figures are also given.Scope of the Medical Pressure Transducers Industry on the basis of region: North America Europe China Japan Southeast Asia IndiaWith the help of supply and consumption data, gap between these two is also explained.The research report has offered answers to several important questions related to the growth of the Medical Pressure Transducers market. Some of them are given below: Which product segment is projected to lead in the Medical Pressure Transducers market? What is the expected growth rate of the Medical Pressure Transducers market in the near future? Which region is anticipated to account for a massive share of the Medical Pressure Transducers market? What are the primary growth factors of the Medical Pressure Transducers market? What are the key restriction faced by the prominent players in the Medical Pressure Transducers market? Which latest developments are expected to provide lucrative growth opportunities in the coming years? How is the competitive landscape of the Medical Pressure Transducers market expected to grow?To provide information on competitive landscape, this report includes detailed profiles of Medical Pressure Transducers Market key players. For each player, product details, capacity, price, cost, gross and revenue numbers are given. Their contact information is provided for better understanding.In this Medical Pressure Transducers Market report analysis, traders and distributors analysis is given along with contact details. For material and equipment suppliers also, contact details are given. New investment feasibility analysis and Medical Pressure Transducers Market Industry growth is included in the report.About Absolute Reports:Absolute Reports is an upscale platform to help key personnel in the business world in strategizing and taking visionary decisions based on facts and figures derived from in depth market research. We are one of the top report resellers in the market, dedicated towards bringing an ingenious concoction of data parameters.Mr. Ameya PingaleyAbsolute ReportsSilverSpring Baner, PUne 411045+1-408 520 9750Email sales@absolutereports.com Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry Global Market Outlook - Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Assessment (2014-2022) http://www.researchbeam.com/soil-preparation-and-cultivation-machine-industry-global-outlook-trends-forecast-and-opportunity-assessment-2014-2022-market/request-sample http://www.researchbeam.com/soil-preparation-and-cultivation-machine-industry-global-outlook-trends-forecast-and-opportunity-assessment-2014-2022-market/purchase-enquiry http://www.researchbeam.com/soil-preparation-and-cultivation-machine-industry-global-outlook-trends-forecast-and-opportunity-assessment-2014-2022-market/enquire-about-report http://www.researchbeam.com/ Research Beam added a report Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry Global Market Outlook - Trends, Forecast, and Opportunity Assessment (2014-2022)According to Research Beam MRC, The Global Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry market is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 6.3% from 2014 to 2022. Reduction in energy price drives the market growth. However factors such as decrease in the farm net income is hampering the market growth. The recent trends in the market show that in developing countries such as India and Brazil, the adoption of the agriculture machinery is increasing at a significant rate. India, Senegal, Bolivia, China and the United States are considered as the highest potential markets in the upcoming years. Technological advancements in agricultural machinery such as driverless robots that can do simple spraying tasks are boosting the market growth.Download Sample Report @Google Earth, Global Positioning System (GPS), and Real time Kinematic are used to support the direction of tractors and other equipment, such as automatically open and close nozzles for spot spraying, and also register actions such as seeding rate, yield, moisture, fertilizer quantity, and time management of all the tasks. Slump in the agricultural production costs and increasing returns will lead end-users to invest more in agricultural production. Moreover, high returns allow farmers to invest in agricultural machinery for plowing and cultivation to maximize the output.Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry market is segmented by product and by geography. Depending on the various products, market is classified into cultivators and weeders, disc harrows, hoes and scarifiers, fertilizer distributors, manure spreaders, ploughs and rollers. Based on geography, market is segregated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. Significant mergers and acquisitions, collaborations, and joint ventures are the industry trends that are playing a major role for the market growth.The key players in Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry market include, AGCO, Kubota, John Deere, Claas, CNH Industrial, Mahindra & Mahindra, Minsk Tractor Works, JCB, Bucher Industries and Dawn Equipment.Request for Discount @What our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments Market share analysis of the top industry players Strategic recommendations for the new entrants Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations) Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsEnquire about Report @Table of Content1 Executive Summary2 Preface3 Market Trend Analysis4 Porters Five Force Analysis5 Global Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry Market, By Product6 Global Soil Preparation and Cultivation Machine Industry Market, By Geography7 Key Developments8 Company Profiling8.1 AGCO8.2 Kubota8.3 John Deere8.4 Claas8.5 CNH Industrial8.6 Mahindra & Mahindra8.7 Minsk Tractor Works8.8 JCB8.9 Bucher Industries8.10 Dawn EquipmentAbout Us:With the arsenal of different search reports, Research Beam helps you here to look and buy research reports that will be helpful to you and your organization. Our research reports have the capability and authenticity to support your organization for growth and consistency. With the window of opportunity getting open and shut at a speed of light, it has become very important to survive in the market and only the fittest and competent enough can do so. So, we try and provide with latest changes in the market that can suit your needs and help you take decision accordingly.Contact Us:5933 NE Win Severs Drive,#205, Portland, OR 97220United StatesU.S. & Canada Toll Free: + 1-800-910-6452International: + 1-503-894-6022UK: + 44-845-528-1300India: +91 20 66346070Fax: +1 (855) 550-5975Email: help@researchbeam.comWeb: COSEC DOOR FMX -Door Controller with Multispectral Fingerprint Sensor www.MatrixSecuSol.com COSEC DOOR FMX -Door Controller with Multispectral Fingerprint SensorFeatures: Multispectral Sensor with Live Fingerprint Detection Fingerprint and RFID Card Interactive GUI with 4.2 TFT Capacitive Touch Screen 5, 00,000 Transactions and 50,000 Users PoE, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, 3G/4GTarget Audience: Contact: MATRIX COMSEC394 GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara+91 93744 74302More@MatrixComSec.com MATRIX COMSECEstablished in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Telecom and Security solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. An innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization; Matrix is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like Video Surveillance solutions, Access Control, Time-Attendance, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, Terminals, Convergence solution, VoIP Gateways and GSM Gateways. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global foot-prints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products.MATRIX COMSECEstablished in 1991, Matrix is a leader in Telecom and Security solutions for modern businesses and enterprises. An innovative, technology driven and customer focused organization; Matrix is committed to keep pace with the revolutions in the telecom and security industries. With more than 40% of its human resources dedicated to the development of new products, Matrix has launched cutting-edge products like Video Surveillance solutions, Access Control, Time-Attendance, IP-PBX, Universal Gateways, Terminals, Convergence solution, VoIP Gateways and GSM Gateways. These solutions are feature-rich, reliable and conform to the international standards. Having global foot-prints in Asia, Europe, North America, South America and Africa through an extensive network of more than 500 channel partners, Matrix ensures that the products serve the needs of its customers faster and longer. Matrix has gained trust and admiration of customers representing the entire spectrum of industries. Matrix has won many international awards for its innovative products.Matrix Comsec394 GIDC, Makarpura, Vadodara Fuel Additives Market to Reach US$ 11.09 Billion in 2023 Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 20152023 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=706415 http://www.researchmoz.us/chemicals-market-reports-57.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Fuel Additives (Deposit Control Additives, Cetane Improvers, Antioxidants, Stability Improvers, Lubricity Improvers, Corrosion Inhibitors, Cold Flow Improvers, and Others) Market for Gasoline, Diesel, Aviation Fuels, and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023 " to it's Large Report database.The report analyzes and forecasts the fuel additives market on the global and regional level. The study provides historical data for 2014 along with the forecast from 2015 to 2023 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). The report provides a decisive view of the fuel additives market by segmenting it in terms of product, application, and region.This report provides detailed industry analysis of the fuel additives market. Industry analysis includes product information and applications that it serves along with its function. Fuel emission standards in some key regions and countries are also included to help understand the market dynamics. We have included detailed value chain analysis of the fuel additives market to provide a comprehensive view of the fuel additives market. The analysis of value chain includes information such as integration in the market, distribution channels, and end-user industries. The study also comprises drivers and restraints of the fuel additives market and their impact on demand during the forecast period. The report also analyzes the opportunities in the fuel additives market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through qualitative and quantitative information. These factors have been verified through primary and secondary resources.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The report includes Porters Five Forces Analysis that describes the competitiveness in the fuel additives market. The study comprises market attractiveness analysis, which has been benchmarked based on market size, compound annual growth rate (CAGR), general attractiveness, and company market share. We have also incorporated company market share analysis to provide detailed analysis of the market.The study provides a decisive view of the fuel additives market by segmenting it on the basis of product and application. Product and application segments have been analyzed based on current and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2015 to 2023 in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for fuel additives in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. It also includes demand for individual products and applications in major countries in the respective regions.The report provides detailed competitive outlook that includes profiles of Afton Chemical Corporation, Akzo Nobel N.V., Baker Hughes Incorporated, BASF SE, Chemtura Corporation, Evonik Industries AG, Huntsman Corporation LLC, Innospec, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), The Dow Chemical Company, The Lubrizol Corporation, and Total S.A. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, brand/product portfolio, financial overview, business strategy, and key/recent developments related to the market.Read All Chemicals Market Research Reports @Table of ContentChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report Description1.2 Report Scope1.3 Assumptions1.4 Market Segmentation1.5 Research methodologyChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Global Fuel Additives Market (Kilo Tons) (US$ Mn), 201420232.2 Global Fuel Additives Market: SnapshotChapter 3 Industry Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Product and Application Overview3.3 Emission Standards3.4 Value Chain Analysis3.5 Market Dynamics3.5.1 Driver 1 - Growing Awareness About Use of Fuel Additives Among Consumers3.5.2 Driver 2 - Rising Demand for Transportation Fuel Across all Regions3.5.3 Driver 3 - Stringent Environmental Regulations in Regions such as North America and Europe3.5.4 Driver 4 - Growing Penetration of Ultra-low-sulfur Diesel (ULSD) in Transportation Industry3.6 Restraints3.6.1 Restraints 1 - Availability of Alternative Fuels, High Price of Fuel Additives, and Absence of Regulations in Developing Economies3.7 Opportunity3.7.1 Opportunity 1 - Development of Fuel Additives Using Renewable Alternatives3.7.2. Opportunity 2 - Growing Demand For Transportation Fuel in Asia Pacific3.6 Porters Five Forces AnalysisAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: Global Failure Analysis Equipment Market to Expand at 8.8% CAGR from 2013 to 2019 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=1571 http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Failure analysis equipment market was valued at USD 4.08 billion in 2012, growing at a CAGR of 8.8% from 2013 to 2019. Rapid growth in nanotechnology coupled with growth in medical applications in the Asia Pacific region has fueled the growth of failure analysis equipment market. In addition, increased investments in research and education infrastructure are also propelling the growth of failure analysis equipment market.Request A Sample Of This Report:However, high cost of failure analysis equipment leads to low adoption rate of these, especially in the cost sensitive countries of Asia Pacific region. Thereby, hinders the growth of failure analysis equipment to an extent. On the other hand, growing innovative techniques such as super-resolution microscopy and correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) are excellent opportunities for the market which are expected to bolster the failure analysis equipment market in the years to come.In 2012, Asia Pacific was the largest revenue generator for the failure analysis equipment market. The dominance by Asia Pacific is due to large number of countries such as China, India, Japan, Taiwan and Australia among others investing heavily in research and development infrastructure, nanotechnology as well as medical technologies. Similarly, North America and Europe collectively accounted for over one-third of the market share, as these have been continually focusing on research and development and have been using failure analysis equipment for R&D purpose.Focused Ion Beam system (FIB) and Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) accounted for majority market share in 2012, owing to rapid usage of these equipments. However, Dual Beams systems (FIB/SEM) are expected to grow at the fastest pace in the years to come owing to the several advantages over a single-beam FIB system, especially for sample preparation and microscopy applications. Thus, Dual Beam systems (FIB/SEM) are expected to grow over the forecast period.%MCEPASTEBIN%Secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) accounted for majority market share in the year 2012 owing to several advantages such as the ability to identify elements present in very low concentration levels and the ability to identify all elements such as helium and hydrogen. Focused Ion Beam (FIB) techniques are used in applications such as die surface milling or cross-sectioning, high magnification microscopy and even material deposition. Thus, the usage in wide array of applications is expected to drive the FIB technology over the forecasted period from 2019.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite: 3PL Market grow at a CAGR of 7.59% in 2016-2019 in Brazil With Market Challenge, Driver, Trend, Key Vendors https://goo.gl/uihAQW Albany, New York, Jan 09,2017"3PL Market in Brazil 2016-2019" The Report covers current Market Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-3PL is a business process through which companies outsource their logistics and distribution functions to a service provider that specializes in handling logistics functions such as transportation, warehousing, and freight and forwarding. 3PL providers have expertise in managing and customizing their SCM as per the needs of the customers, including logistics, warehousing, cross-docking, packaging, and freight forwarding. They also provide strategic and operational value to many shippers across the globe. Shippers from various industries are outsourcing the logistics part of their operations to specialized 3PL players, thereby enabling them to focus on their core competencies.Get Sample Report With TOC @TechNavio's analysts forecast the 3PL market in Brazil to grow at a CAGR of 7.59 percent over the period 2016-2019.- Covered in this ReportThe 3PL market in Brazil provides data on the different segments of the market based on the services outsourced and the industry serviced. In terms of the type of logistics services outsourced, the 3PL market in Brazil can be classified into segments such as Transportation, Warehousing, Freight forwarding, and Value-added Services.TechNavio's report, 3PL Market in Brazil 2015-2019, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the landscape of the 3PL market in Brazil and its growth prospects in the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.- Key VendorsCeva Freight Management Do BrasilDB Schenker Do Brasil Transportes InternacionaisDeutsche Post Dhl Logistics BrasilKuehne + Nagel Servicos LogisticosNippon Express Do Brasil Transportes Internacionais- Other Prominent VendorsAgilityAmrica Latina LogsticaAPL LogisticsBDP InternationalBLG Logistics GroupDACHSERDamcoDC LogisticsDSVExpeditors InternationalFedEx Supply ChainHub GroupImperial LogisticsJ.B. HuntJSLKerry LogisticsLogwinMenlo Worldwide LogisticsNeovia Logistics ServicesPanalpinaPenske Logistics BrazilRyderSchneider LogisticsSDV logisticsSinotransUPSWincanton- Market DriverCost Reduction by Availing 3PL ServicesFor a full, detailed list, view our report- Market ChallengeInadequate Transportation InfrastructureFor a full, detailed list, view our report- Market TrendUsage for Multimodal LogisticsFor a full, detailed list, view our report- Key Questions Answered in this ReportWhat will the market size be in 2019 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?What are the market opportunities and threats faced by the key vendors?What are the strengths and weaknesses of the key vendors?ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074 Myanmar: 4G Investment and New Market Entrants to Boost Burgeoning Telecoms Market to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% during 2016-2021 http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909445 http://www.researchmoz.us/telecommunications-market-reports-95.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Myanmar: 4G Investment and New Market Entrants to Boost Burgeoning Telecoms Market. " to it's Large Report database.SummaryThe telecom services revenue is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% during 2016-2021, driven by growth in mobile and fixed data revenues. In the coming years, operators plan to invest in network infrastructure and expand 4G services. Vendors will have significant opportunities to support operators' 4G rollout initiatives.Key Findings- The overall telecom service revenue in Myanmar is estimated to generate $3.1bn in 2016 and will expand at a CAGR of 4.0% during 2016-2021, supported by data segment growth.- Mobile revenue will account for 94.9% of the total telecom revenue in 2021, with the mobile data segment expected to experience significant growth.- 3G will be the most adopted mobile technology through 2021. Its share in overall mobile subscriber base will further increase during 2016-2021, as 2G customers will increasingly migrate to 3G networks for faster data rates.- The top two operators, MPT and Telenor Myanmar will account for nearly 84.2% share of overall service revenue in 2016.- Operators in Myanmar are increasingly investing in 3G and 4G network expansion, as demand for data increases.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:SynopsisMyanmar: 4G Investment and New Market Entrants to Boost Burgeoning Telecoms Market, a new Country Intelligence Report , provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Myanmar today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, and mobile, as well as a review of key regulatory trends.The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following:- Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Myanmar compared with other countries in the region.- Economic, demographic and political context in Myanmar.- The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more.- A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets.- Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021.- The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months.Read All Telecommunications Market Research Reports @Table of ContentsExecutive summaryMarket and competitor overviewRegional contextEconomic, demographic and political contextRegulatory environmentDemand profileService evolutionCompetitive landscapeMajor market playersSegment analysisMobile servicesFixed servicesIdentifying opportunitiesOverall market opportunitiesList of TablesMyanmar telecom market size and growth prospects in a regional context, 2016ECountry indicatorsRegulatory structure and policyMajor telecommunications policy issuesMyanmar communications market revenue , 2014-2021, US$Segment revenue CAGRs, 2016-2021, US$Segment revenues 2014-2021Service revenue mix: voice, data & video, 2016, 2021Service revenue mix: fixed & mobile, 2016, 2021About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: Retail Banking Country Snapshot: Italy 2016 Industry Research Report Strategy with Market Sizing, Forecasts and Analysis http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909442 http://www.researchmoz.us/banking-market-reports-159.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Retail Banking Country Snapshot: Italy 2016 " to it's Large Report database.SummaryThe market for financial products in Italy is less concentrated than in other countries. With the exception of Intesa Sanpaolo and UniCredit, few providers have a significant market share. Across all products, the branch is still the key acquisition channel, although online is making inroads in the savings market. Mobile banking is still in its infancy, although a few providers are introducing mobile onboarding, and high smartphone ownership rates bode well for future adoption.Key Findings- Every one of the main current account providers in Italy barring ING has a negative NPS rating, with BNP Paribas and UniCredit the weakest performers.- Only around half the proportion of post-families use mobile on a weekly basis compared to other segments.- Consumers are concerned with being treated honestly by the brands they use, as well as using companies that have established track records.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:SynopsisRetail Banking Country Snapshot: Italy 2016 reviews the retail banking sector in Italy, with a particular focus on the current account, savings, mortgage, and personal loans markets. It includes both market-level data and insight from our global Retail Banking Insight Survey.The report offers insight into:- How consumers in Italy take out and use their financial products, and how this has changed in recent years.- Which providers dominate the current account, savings, mortgage, and loan markets, and what factors persuaded their customers to choose them.- The extent to which consumers are using online and mobile channels to research, take out, and use their financial products.Read All Banking Market Research Reports @Reasons To Buy- Future proof your strategy with market sizing, forecasts, and analysis of key developments currently affecting the Italian retail banking sector.- Target consumers with inside knowledge of their true behaviors and attitudes, with detailed analysis from our proprietary insight.- Learn about the impact new entrants and distribution channels will have on the market.Table of ContentsAttitudesCurrent accountsChannel useSavings accountsMortgagesPersonal loansBank infrastructure & regulationAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: India Diabetes Care Devices Market Outlook to 2022 - Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Delivery Industry Research Report http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909425 http://www.researchmoz.us/medical-equipments-market-reports-109.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://healthcare-research-report.blogspot.in/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " India Diabetes Care Devices Market Outlook to 2022 - Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Delivery " to it's Large Report database.India Diabetes Care Devices Market Outlook to 2022 - Glucose Monitoring and Insulin DeliverySummaryGlobalDatas new report, "India Diabetes Care Devices Market Outlook to 2022", provides key market data on the India Diabetes Care Devices market. The report provides value, in millions of US dollars and volume (in units) within market categories - Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Delivery.The report also provides company shares and distribution shares data for the market category, and global corporate-level profiles of the key market participants. Based on the availability of data for the particular category and country, information related to pipeline products, news and deals is available in the report.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:Extensive interviews are conducted with key opinion leaders (KOLs), physicians and industry experts to validate the market size, company share and distribution share data and analysis.Scope- Market size for Diabetes Care Devices market categories - Glucose Monitoring and Insulin Delivery.- Annualized market revenues (USD million) and volume (units) data for each of the market categories. Data is provided from 2008 to 2015 and forecast to 2022.- 2015 company shares and distribution shares data for Diabetes Care Devices market.- Global corporate-level profiles of key companies operating within the India Diabetes Care Devices market.- Key players covered include LifeScan Inc, Bayer HealthCare AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd and others.Read All Medical Equipments Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 51.2 List of Figures 62 Introduction 72.1 What Is This Report About? 72.2 Diabetes Care Devices Market Segmentation 72.3 Definitions of Markets Covered in the Report 83 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India 103.1 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Revenue ($m), 2008-2022 103.2 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Revenue Mix ($m), 2015 123.3 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Category Contribution by Revenue ($m), 2015 133.4 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Revenue ($m), 2008-2015 143.5 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Revenue ($m), 2015-2022 163.6 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Volume (Units), 2008-2022 183.7 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Volume (Units), 2008-2015 193.8 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Volume (Units), 2015-2022 213.9 Diabetes Care Devices Market, India, Company Share by Revenue ($m), 2015 234 Glucose Monitoring Market, India 254.1 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Revenue Mix ($m), 2015 254.2 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Segment Contribution (%), 2015 264.3 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Revenue ($m), 2008-2015 274.4 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Revenue ($m), 2015-2022 294.4.1 Blood Glucose Meters Market, India, Revenue ($m), by Segment, 2008-2015 314.4.2 Blood Glucose Meters Market, India, Revenue ($m), by Segment, 2015-2022 334.5 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Volume (Units), 2008-2015 354.6 Glucose Monitoring Market, India, Volume (Units), 2015-2022 374.6.1 Blood Glucose Meters Market, India, Volume (Units), by Segment, 2008-2015 394.6.2 Blood Glucose Meters Market, India, Volume (Units), by Segment, 2015-2022 41About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: In state of Gujarat, the liquor is totally banned and it is the first dry state of India. Now, according to the news by sources it is said that the liquor will be banned in Madhya Pradesh state too from 2 October 2017 onwards. In all the states where the ruling party is Bharatiya Janata party the ban on liquor is implementing and after Gujarat and Bihar, Madhya Pradesh will be the next alcohol free state. This is another big step by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government after the Demonetisation move. Also Read: Car belongs to UP Minister 'Om Prakash Singh' hit handcart, one died Arun Jaitley talks about 'Tax Collection' in a press conference Congress manifesto for Punjab released by Manmohan Singh Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in Bulgaria, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles http://www.researchmoz.us/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909292 http://www.researchmoz.us/power-market-reports-26.html http://bit.ly/1TBmnVG http://deep-research-report.blogspot.com/ ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in Bulgaria, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles " to it's Large Report database.Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in Bulgaria, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company ProfilesSummary"Solar Photovoltaic (PV) in Bulgaria, Market Outlook to 2030, Update 2016 - Capacity, Generation, Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE), Investment Trends, Regulations and Company Profiles is the latest report from GlobalData, the industry analysis specialists that offer comprehensive information and understanding of the Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market in Bulgaria.The report provides in depth analysis on global renewable power market and global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with forecasts up to 2030. The report analyzes the power market scenario in Bulgaria (includes conventional thermal, nuclear, large hydro and renewable energy sources) and provides future outlook with forecasts up to 2030. The research details renewable power market outlook in the country (includes hydro, small hydro, biopower and Solar Photovoltaic (PV)) and provides forecasts up to 2030.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The report highlights installed capacity and power generation trends from 2006 to 2030 in Bulgaria Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. A detailed coverage of renewable energy policy framework governing the market with specific policies pertaining to Solar Photovoltaic (PV) is provided in the report. The research also provides company snapshots of some of the major market participants.The report is built using data and information sourced from proprietary databases, secondary research and in-house analysis by GlobalDatas team of industry experts.ScopeThe report analyses global renewable power market, global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market, Bulgaria power market, Bulgaria renewable power market and Bulgaria Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market. The scope of the research includes -- A brief introduction on global carbon emissions and global primary energy consumption.- An overview on global renewable power market, highlighting installed capacity trends, generation trends and installed capacity split by various renewable power sources. The information is covered for the historical period 2006-2015 (unless specified) and forecast period 2015-2030.- Renewable power sources include wind (both onshore and offshore), Solar Photovoltaic (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP), small hydro power (SHP), biomass, biogas and geothermal.- Detailed overview of the global Solar Photovoltaic (PV) market with installed capacity and generation trends, installed capacity split by major Solar Photovoltaic (PV)power countries in 2015 and key owners information of various regions.Read All Power Market Research Reports @Table of Contents1 Table of Contents 21.1 List of Tables 51.2 List of Figures 62 Executive Summary 72.1 Government Support in Conjunction with Technology Development Driving Global Renewable Power Installations 72.2 Thermal Power is the Dominant Source in the Power Mix 72.3 Bulgaria Patronizes Fossil Fuels over Renewable Sources 83 Introduction 93.1 Carbon Emissions, Global, 2001-2015 93.2 Primary Energy Consumption, Global, 2001-2025 113.3 Solar PV, Global, Technology Definition and Classification 133.4 Report Guidance 144 Renewable Power Market, Global, 2006-2030 154.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Overview 154.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Installed Capacity, 2006-2030 164.2.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Cumulative Installed Capacity by Source Type, 2006-2030 164.2.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Cumulative Installed Capacity Split by Source Type, 2015 and. 2030 184.2.3 Renewable Power Market, Global, Comparison among Various Sources, Cumulative Installed Capacity, 2015 - 2030 204.3 Renewable Power Market, Global, Power Generation, 2006-2030 224.3.1 Renewable Power Market, Global, Power Generation by Source Type, 2006-2030 224.3.2 Renewable Power Market, Global, Power Generation, Source Comparison Based on Power Generation, 2015-2030 244.4 Renewable Power Market, Global, LCOE ComparisonAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Complete Research And Development History in Pharmaceutical and Healthcare with Pipeline Guide 2016 https://goo.gl/jbCaY6 Albany, New York, Jan 09,2017"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Pipeline Review, H2 2016" The Report covers current Market Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-Global Markets Direct's latest Pharmaceutical and Healthcare disease pipeline guide Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pipeline Review, H2 2016, provides an overview of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) pipeline landscape.Get Sample Report With TOC @Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common degenerative disease of the motor neuron system. The disorder is named for its underlying pathophysiology, with amyotrophy referring to the atrophy of muscle fibers, which are denervated as their corresponding anterior horn cells degenerate. Lateral sclerosis refers to the changes seen in the lateral columns of the spinal cord as upper motor neuron (UMN) axons in these areas degenerate and are replaced by fibrous astrocytes (gliosis). Symptoms include difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, head drop due to weakness of the neck muscles, muscle cramps, speech problems, such as a slow or abnormal speech pattern (slurring of words), voice changes, hoarseness, weight loss.Report HighlightsGlobal Markets Direct's Pharmaceutical and Healthcare latest pipeline guide Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Pipeline Review, H2 2016, provides comprehensive information on the therapeutics under development for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System), complete with analysis by stage of development, drug target, mechanism of action (MoA), route of administration (RoA) and molecule type. The guide covers the descriptive pharmacological action of the therapeutics, its complete research and development history and latest news and press releases.The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) pipeline guide also reviews of key players involved in therapeutic development for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and features dormant and discontinued projects. The guide covers therapeutics under Development by Companies /Universities /Institutes, the molecules developed by Companies in Pre-Registration, Filing rejected/Withdrawn, Phase III, Phase II, Phase I, IND/CTA Filed, Preclinical, Discovery and Unknown stages are 3, 1, 2, 23, 12, 2, 74, 25 and 1 respectively. Similarly, the Universities portfolio in Preclinical and Discovery stages comprises 42 and 9 molecules, respectively.Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.Scope- The pipeline guide provides a snapshot of the global therapeutic landscape of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System).- The pipeline guide reviews pipeline therapeutics for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) by companies and universities/research institutes based on information derived from company and industry-specific sources.- The pipeline guide covers pipeline products based on several stages of development ranging from pre-registration till discovery and undisclosed stages.- The pipeline guide features descriptive drug profiles for the pipeline products which comprise, product description, descriptive licensing and collaboration details, R&D brief, MoA & other developmental activities.- The pipeline guide reviews key companies involved in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) therapeutics and enlists all their major and minor projects.- The pipeline guide evaluates Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) therapeutics based on mechanism of action (MoA), drug target, route of administration (RoA) and molecule type.- The pipeline guide encapsulates all the dormant and discontinued pipeline projects.- The pipeline guide reviews latest news related to pipeline therapeutics for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System)Reasons to buy- Procure strategically important competitor information, analysis, and insights to formulate effective R&D strategies.- Recognize emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage.- Find and recognize significant and varied types of therapeutics under development for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System).- Classify potential new clients or partners in the target demographic.- Develop tactical initiatives by understanding the focus areas of leading companies.- Plan mergers and acquisitions meritoriously by identifying key players and its most promising pipeline therapeutics.- Formulate corrective measures for pipeline projects by understanding Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Central Nervous System) pipeline depth and focus of Indication therapeutics.- Develop and design in-licensing and out-licensing strategies by identifying prospective partners with the most attractive projects to enhance and expand business potential and scope.- Adjust the therapeutic portfolio by recognizing discontinued projects and understand from the know-how what drove them from pipeline.ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074 Environmental Monitoring Market worth 19.56 Billion by 2021 http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=216846315 The report "Environmental Monitoring Market by Product (Monitor (Fixed, Portable), Sensor (Analog, Digital), and Software), Sampling Method (Intermittent, Continuous, Active, Passive), Application (Particulate Matter, Air, Gas, Water, Soil, Noise) - Forecast to 2021", analyzes and studies the major market drivers, restraints, opportunities, and challenges in North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Rest of the world (RoW).This report studies the environmental monitoring market over the forecast period of 2016 to 2021. The market is expected to reach USD 19.56 Billion by 2021, growing at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period. Factors such as increasing number of government initiatives to control environmental pollution levels, increasing government funding for pollution control and monitoring, ongoing installations of environment monitoring stations, and growing initiatives for the development of environment-friendly industries are propelling the growth of the environmental monitoring market.Download PDF Brochure @On the basis of product, the global environmental monitoring market is divided into three major categories, namely, environmental monitors, environmental sensors, and environmental monitoring software. Environmental monitors are further categorized into fixed monitors and portable monitors. The environmental sensors segment is further divided on the basis of product architecture (analog sensors and digital sensors) and on basis of applications (temperature sensing, moisture detection, chemical detection, biological detection, particulate detection, and noise measurement). The environmental monitoring segment is expected to command the largest share in the global environmental monitoring market in 2016. This large market share can primarily be attributed to rising use of sensors for pollution monitoring, growing demand for water and air monitoring sensors in developing markets, and expansions in the installation base for environmental monitors.On the basis of sampling methods, the global environmental monitoring market is divided into four major categories, namely, intermittent monitoring, continuous monitoring, passive monitoring and active monitoring. The continuous monitoring segment is expected to command the largest share of the global environmental monitoring market in 2016. This large market share can be attributed to growing emphasis on the development of environment-friendly industries and rising levels of environmental pollution across major markets.North America is expected to be the largest regional segment in the global environmental monitoring market in 2016, followed by Europe. However, the Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at the highest CAGR from 2016 to 2021. Factors such as rapid industrialization in Asia-Pacific countries (such as China and India), implementation of increasingly stringent environmental regulation policies, and the growing need to comply with various environmental safety regulations are stimulating the growth of the environmental monitoring market in the Asia-Pacific region.As of 2015, Agilent Technologies, Inc. (U.S.), Danaher Corporation (U.S.), Honeywell International Inc. (U.S.), Siemens AG (Germany), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (U.S.), TE Connectivity Ltd. (Switzerland), General Electric Company (U.S.), Emerson Electric Co. (U.S.), Teledyne Technologies Inc. (U.S.), and Merck KGaA (Germany) are some of the key players operating in the global environmental monitoring market.The environment monitoring market is offering high growth opportunities to the market players. Rapid industrialization and urbanization has contributed significantly towards the deterioration of air, water, and soil quality levels over the decades. With several governments playing an active role in funding and initiating effective pollution control and monitoring programs, the global environmental monitoring market is expected to grow at a significant pace in the next five years.About MarketsandMarketsMarketsandMarkets 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.Contact:Mr. RohanMarkets and MarketsUNIT no 802, Tower no. 7, SEZMagarpatta city, HadapsarPune, Maharashtra 411013, India1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com CERATIZIT Group acquires German diamond tool manufacturer Becker Diamantwerkzeuge CERATIZIT Group acquires German diamond tool manufacturer Becker Diamantwerkzeuge The CERATIZIT Group has acquired the German company Becker Diamantwerkzeuge on January 9, 2017. Becker produces extremely wear resistant tools for the automotive, mechanical engineering, medical technology, and aerospace industries.CERATIZIT S.A., Mamer, Luxembourg (headquarters) and Becker Diamantwerkzeuge, Puchheim, Germany, January 9, 2017 - Becker tools are used when it comes to materials that are exotic and difficult to machine, such as aluminum, carbon fiber reinforced plastics or high alloy steel. In order to minimize the wear while machining, the cutting edges of the carbide tools are reinforced with diamonds or boron nitride.Becker Diamantwerkzeuge employs 70 people in Puchheim near Munich, Landsberg am Lech, and Idar-Oberstein. The transaction will not change anything for the companys customers and dealers. Alexander Becker, the former co-owner, will lead the company as Managing Director.Both companies have agreed not to disclose any financial details.For over 90 years, CERATIZIT has been a pioneer developing exceptional hard material products for cutting tools and wear protection. The family owned company, headquartered in Mamer, Luxembourg, develops and manufactures highly specialized tungsten carbide cutting tools, inserts and rods. The CERATIZIT Group is the market leader in several wear part application areas and develops successful new types of hard metal, cermet and ceramic grades used for instance in the wood and stone working industry.CERATIZIT S.A.101, Route de HolzemLU-8232 MamerLuxembourgT. +352 31 20 85-1F. +352 31 19 11E. info@ceratizit.com Love & Lilah - eCommerce Magento Site Launch Media Lounge team up with Love & Lilah, a wedding eCommerce store that brings together a great range of British wedding suppliers www.loveandlilah.com www.medialounge.co.uk At Media Lounge, we have created a brand new eCommerce site for Love & Lilah, a specialist wedding store that brings together a fabulous range of British wedding suppliers under one virtual roof. As Love & Lilah are a brand new business, we were tasked with building a hybrid Magento eCommerce marketplace and WordPress blog to represent all the elegance and beauty of a wedding alongside a frictionless user experience that allows customers to have a relaxing shopping experience to plan for their big day!You can view the new site here:Building a marketplace presents unique challenges and unique opportunities for an eCommerce agency and the whole Media Lounge team were excited to design and develop a site that could provide a fantastic front end experience for the customers, a simple process for the suppliers and an automated, intuitive back end for the Love & Lilah team. Everyone involved with the project is delighted with the outcome.The site was to be designed from scratch with an emphasis on brand and with user experience at the forefront of the project. The team at Love & Lilah asked us to remove any manual processes and automate as much as we could. With the introduction of numerous automation and personalisation functions we were able to provide a significant time saving for Love & Lilah from a logistic and management perspective, freeing them up to focus on their customers and suppliers. When designing the site, we wanted to create a fully responsive treatment that put the brand's product photography at its heart regardless of the device being used. Everything from small mobile screens to widescreen desktop monitors should appear just as beautifully and with fantastic clarity.The site has lots of great features which help to create an easy to navigate, stress free user experience. One of these is the introduction of an Advanced Search function where the user can begin searching for an item and it will intuitively show the most relevant results followed by the most popular while they type. This search feature means that customers can easily find items without having to navigate manually around the site and will let them discover similar items that might not have been part of their initial query. Alongside this, we developed an advanced navigation bar unique to this marketplace so customers can search for items by colour or by theme such as Traditional, Woodland, and Vintage Glamour. This feature makes it easier for the user to see all the specific wedding items as a group as opposed to having to find them individually.The Love & Lilah team wanted a way to inform their customers of all the latest trends and ideas from the brands that they stock so an Inspiration section was created for the site. This was incorporated into the WordPress powered blog area of the site and was split into four different sections: Shop The Look, Features, Seller Stories, and Press Office. Having a single area which can cover all these different aspects meant that the users could find out anything they wanted regarding weddings from one place. Like the rest of the site, it is simple and clean in design and easy to navigate but the 'Shop The Look' section is particularly impressive in transitioning beautifully and consultatively between research and shopping and (from an eCommerce agency perspective) between WordPress and Magento.The saved section we created from mining the extensive industry experience of the Love & Lilah team was created to allow users to collect their favourite items before deciding to make a purchase and the design is purposely in the style of the popular social media platforms were all so used to seeing.One more feature of the new Love & Lilah site that cant go unmentioned is the new, user friendly, one page, one step checkout that we have developed and perfected with the brilliant OneStepCheckout team. This is a checkout which is setting the standard for all eCommerce sites and the bespoke, streamlined page designed for this project creates a clean and frictionless path to purchase.About Media Lounge:We are an experienced Magento Development Company based in the UK providing Magento eCommerce development at an affordable price. Weve been working with Magento development since its release in 2008 and weve now built over 200 bespoke Magento websites.Were different from most Magento Developers because our team doesnt just include a Magento expert our whole team are proficient in every aspect of Magento. Our designers understand the functionality of Magento and how the design might impact the usability, our programmers understand how to get the most out of Magento for search engine optimisation and our support team are experts in how to ensure your business gets the most from your Magento website. We believe that Magento is the benchmark ecommerce solution so its the only ecommerce solution we offer.First Floor, 8-10 Christchurch RoadBournemouthDorsetBH1 3NAEngland By Richard Speer After months of contentious behind-the-scenes maneuvering, big changes are afoot at Disjecta Contemporary Art Center, one of Portland's most beloved arts nonprofits. On New Year's Eve, the organization's founder and executive director, Bryan Suereth, was officially dismissed by Disjecta's board of directors, following disputes over his leadership and an eleventh-hour attempt by supporters to keep him at the helm. On Jan. 5, days after Suereth's ousting, Cris Moss, director of the University of Oregon's White Box Gallery, was named his interim replacement. The turn of events is a major shakeup for Disjecta and potentially for the artistic ecosystem of the Pacific Northwest. 5 memorable shows During the 15-plus years Bryan Suereth headed Disjecta, the nonprofit mounted some of the most daring and engaging exhibitions in Portland's history. Here are five of the most memorable: "The Modern Zoo" (2003): A co-production of Disjecta and the now-defunct Portland Center for the Advancement of Culture, the fancifully named "Modern Zoo" gave more than 100 artists the run of the 100,000-square-foot Cathedral Park Place in the St. Johns neighborhood. Perhaps the show's most potent image was 's "Gummy Big Bang," a sculpture in which Gummy Bears appeared to explode from a seething central axis. With charm and imagination, the show encapsulated the kineticism of Portland's burgeoning early-2000s arts culture. "Haunted" (2006): During Disjecta's brief stint at the Templeton Building, just south of the Burnside Bridge, an arts collective called Blood Rainbow Family filled three floors with a phantasmagoria of sculpture, paintings, videos and photography. But the show's most effective works were its harrowingly surrealistic performance pieces. "Immaterialized" (2008): To inaugurate Disjecta's current space in the Kenton neighborhood, curator turned the world on end in his topsy-turvy commentary on the illusionism and altered reality of the mass-media age. 's piece de resistance was and ' life-sized replica of an Army tank, strung upside-down from the rafters. "Prison" (2012): At the invitation of Disjecta's first curator-in-residence, , New York-based artist managed the unlikely feat of turning Disjecta's soaring exhibition space into a claustrophobic gulag. By lining the walls with neon wallpaper in his signature geometric "prison" motifs, he created a metaphorical environment steeped in the paranoia of postmodern life. "Showers/Gutters/Pipes/ Channels..." (2015): 's tour de force, mounted with the input of curator-in-residence , could have been subtitled "WaterWorld." Deploying a staggering array of pipes, fountains and video projections, Coolquitt created an aqueous urban landscape that was part river, part sewer, part grotto. For many local art lovers, Suereth, 43, is Disjecta, in much the same way Carlos Kalmar is identified with the Oregon Symphony: a high-profile figure whose persona is practically inseparable from that of the organization. Bearded, barrel-chested and larger than life, Suereth bears passing resemblance to the iconic Paul Bunyan statue towering over Disjecta's block in North Portland's Kenton neighborhood. He built the organization from scratch in 2000, painting walls, sweeping floors and building platforms as he guided the arts venue through three locations: the first on Northeast Russell Street in what is now the Secret Society Ballroom; the second in the Templeton Building, just south of the Burnside Bridge; and finally in Kenton in a cavernous space that used to be a bowling alley. Gallery-goers grew accustomed to seeing Suereth's dog, Clyde, sauntering amid art installations, a fitting mascot for this onetime scrappy underdog of a cultural institution. (Today, a memorial plaque and a small park are dedicated to Clyde at Disjecta's Kenton headquarters.) During those early years, Suereth partnered on many projects with budding art impresarios Gavin Shettler (founder of the now-defunct Portland Art Center) and Paul Middendorf (founder of Gallery Homeland, now based in Houston). Suereth had a quirky charisma and a maverick's swagger. He could be confrontational. "Bryan always had a prickly personality," Shettler said. "I associate that with his grit and determination in opening a contemporary art center that was actually sustainable." Middendorf echoed the qualified praise: "Bryan was a coarse fellow -- it's difficult to run a nonprofit that long and not ruffle feathers -- but he could rally anyone, and he knew how to use unorthodox strategies to make projects happen." Arts blogger and critic Jeff Jahn concurred: "His temperament was like a nightclub operator, not the head of a cultural institution, but he did bring attitude and a personal passion missing from today's more careerist director and curator types." In 2004 Suereth converted Disjecta from a private venture into a nonprofit. From that point, he was the organization's executive director, beholden to a board of directors at whose pleasure he served. For this self-starter, accustomed to answering only to himself, the transition into bureaucratic realities wasn't always easy. Some found him a difficult collaborator. But his willful tenacity did not come without payoffs. Through elbow grease and a knack for strategic decisionmaking, he increased Disjecta's reputation and funding, initiated a curator-in-residence program, mounted an ongoing series of biennial exhibitions, and helped secure $170,000 in grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation between 2012 and 2015. Relations between Suereth and his board of directors could be strained. When former arts administrator Christine D'Arcy took over as board chair in 2014, Suereth said troubles began to simmer. "When Chris came in, we lost structure and guidance," he said, adding that the two had communication problems, personality conflicts and divergent leadership styles. "She can be very terse in her mode of communication. ... She's a systems-oriented, law-and-order type and I'm an impulsive but pragmatic rule-breaker." D'Arcy doesn't see it that way. "The situation at Disjecta is not the result of a personality conflict," she said, allowing that "there was friction between Bryan and some board members." She pointed to Suereth's job performance as the reason for his discharge. "The board conducted a performance review of Bryan in late 2015. He was credited for his transformational role as founder, but 100 percent of the board felt that stronger management skills were needed." Last summer, D'Arcy said, "another board member and I met with Bryan to discuss transitioning him from executive director to founding adviser, with a paid stipend for a period of a year. He did not wish to discuss that proposal." "There are things I could have done better," Suereth admitted. "I could have been more present at events in the community. There were times I didn't get along with our curators-in-residence. There were grant reports that weren't turned in on time. I told the board I was overworked and needed help, and was ignored." The board, he holds, was lax in donating and raising funds, leaving him understaffed and overtaxed. Tensions reached a boil last fall in the aftermath of the elaborate and logistically taxing Portland2016 biennial exhibition, with component shows spread throughout Oregon. Suereth faced criticism about the show from some participating artists and organizers. On Nov. 16, the board announced the impending termination of his 15-year run as executive director, effective New Year's Eve, the end of Disjecta's fiscal year. The day of the board's announcement, Suereth emailed supporters: "It seems surreal that my tenure could end so tersely, behind closed doors, and without community input. ... I've sacrificed immensely to build Disjecta, and I cannot distance myself from the feeling that it is being stolen from me." Over the coming weeks he lobbied to be kept on longer, to serve as a transition consultant, or to assume the lesser role of program director. The board wasn't interested. A month later, with 15 days left before his scheduled termination, a group of Suereth's supporters made a Hail Mary pass on his behalf -- among them architect Daniel Kaven, artist/educator Modou Dieng and real estate developers Mary Hanlon, David Gold and Ken Unkeles. They emailed the board, asking to join its ranks and pledging collectively to donate $50,000 per year for three years, and to raise an additional $150,000, if Suereth remained executive director. They were invited to a Dec. 20 board meeting to discuss that pledge. D'Arcy characterized the meeting as "an open and very frank discussion," adding that "no decisions were made at that meeting" and that the board has "not discussed the specifics of any financial pledge." Kaven, whose architecture firm was a Disjecta tenant in 2012 and 2013, was among the five Suereth supporters at the meeting. "We could not have been clearer in what we were offering them," he said. "They turned us down." What happens next? "I don't believe the organization will be able to function without Bryan's brain trust," Kaven said. "Visionaries can be controversial," arts activist Jane Schiffhauer said, "but Disjecta only exists to this day because Bryan made it happen, raised the bar and brought others along for the ride." D'Arcy pointed to Moss' appointment as interim director and other recent staffing decisions as positive moves. "Looking forward," she said, "we need a business plan that creates more earned revenue, maximizes fees from rentals and events, and brings more patrons to experience Disjecta's innovative and risk-taking exhibitions -- patrons who can ultimately become financial donors." A national search for a new executive director ends Jan. 16. The board hopes to have someone hired by March. Suereth himself seems by turns defiant and reflective: "Obviously I'm upset about this. I put my life into building this organization. I feel they've disrespected me and imperiled Disjecta in a way that didn't have to happen. "But I definitely have an inclination to stay involved in this community. I have an idea of starting an artist residency in the Gorge. I feel I still have an immense amount to give." --Richard Speer, for The Oregonian/OregonLive *** Disjecta Contemporary Art Center Where: 8371 N. Interstate Ave. Hours: Gallery hours, noon-5 p.m. Friday-Sunday, and by appointment. Information: disjecta.org or 503-286-9449. AX012_5E85_9.JPG Northeast Portland's Han Oak will host Oakland's Ramen Shop for a pop-up in support of the ACLU. (Stephanie Yao Long) It's a brand-new year, which means there's a brand-new line-up of events. This month, eat a little lighter at Aviary at its first-ever vegetarian wine dinner, slurp ramen from Oakland ramen-ya Ramen Shop in support of the American Civil Liberties Union, learn the nitty-gritty about wine and more. Here's a full calendar line-up for the month of January. See an event we missed? Drop us a line at sbakall@oregonian.com and we'll update. Ramen Shop pop-up at Han Oak Northeast Portland's Han Oak will host Oakland's Ramen Shop for a night of noodles in support of the American Civil Liberties Union on Jan. 16 and 17. Courses include smoked black cod and ikura salad and a choice of three ramens, hokkaido miso ramen with Dungeness crab, gyokai shoyu tonkotsu with chase or veggie shoyu-meyer lemon. All profits will benefit the civil liberties group. Tickets are limited. Time: Jan. 16 or 17 Details: $45/person, buy tickets online Vegetarian wine dinner at Aviary Aviary will host its first four-course vegetarian wine dinner at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18, featuring pairings from Anne Amie Vineyards. Courses include Japanese eggplant with tomato miso and silken tofu with butternut squash, persimmon and more. Time: Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. Details: $60/person, gratuity not included; call 503-287-2400 to reserve King Cake doughnut contest at The Waiting Room Northwest Portland's The Waiting Room is celebrating Mardi Gras season with a king cake doughnut contest every Friday from Jan. 6 - Feb. 3. Doughnuts will have hidden toy chickens stuffed inside with different prizes for each color, including dinner for four or a free half-bird of fried chicken. Guests can also enter via Instagram, posting a photo and tagging @twr.pdx. Photos that receive the most likes win. Doughnuts are available only for those who order dessert from the regular menu (doughnuts are complimentary). Time: Fridays from Jan. 6 - Feb. 3 Details: Guests must purchase dessert from regular menu to receive free doughnuts 20 course winter season dinner with Davenport and Fukami Fukami will host a dinner on Jan. 16 with Kurt Hielmen from Davenport. The 20-course menu is inspired by the winter season and will include sushi. Two seatings of eight people will be available at 5 and 8 p.m. Time: Jan. 16 at 5 or 8 p.m. Details: $135/person, call 971-279-2161 to reserve SE Wine Collective Tasting Group Portland's SE Wine Collective is starting a new monthly series, The Tasting Group, for those interested in learning the ins and outs of wine. Each month, the winery will host an intimate and in-depth tasting for 20 people. Each meeting will be between 60 and 90 minutes and will feature six to eight wines. Fees will vary between $15 and $30 per class (members get $5 off) and fees will be waived with the purchase of two bottles or more at the tasting. Time: Jan. 26, 6-7 p.m.; Feb. 23, 6-7 p.m.; March 16, 6-7 p.m.Details: $15-$25/person, 2425 S.E. 35th Place, call 503-208-2061 or email craig@sewinecollective.com for reservations. Chef dinner series at The Suttle Lodge From January through April, The Suttle Lodge will host a series of dinners in the main lodge with guest chefs from Portland and Central Oregon. The series kicks off with Rita You (Lucky Strike) for a Chinese New Year dinner at 6 p.m. on Jan. 28. Dinner, which includes dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, spicy dumplings and more, is $35/person. Beverages from Chehalem Wines and Elk Cove Vineyards are a la carte. Future chefs include T.R. McCrystal (The Cottonwood Cafe, Sisters), Nancye Benson (Milk Glass Mrkt), a Passover Seder from Bonnie Morales (Kachka) and more. Overnight lodging specials will be available for dinner guests. More info and tickets can be found online. Time: Various Details: thesuttlelodge.com/happenings, lodging specials for the nights of the dinner are available by emailing info@thesuttlelodge.com or calling 541-638-7001. January prix-fixe at Lincoln For the entire month of January, North Portland's Lincoln will offer a three-course prix-fixe on the entire menu for $30. Guests can choose an appetizer and entree, with the restaurant's chocolate fudge cake for dessert. Offer available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Time: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in January Details: $30 three-course prix-fixe on the entire menu Vitaly Paley-180 xurro collaboration Portland xurreria 180 continues its chef collaboration series with James Beard Award-winning chef Vitaly Paley for the month of January. This month, Paley's steopka (pronounced "stope-kah") dipping sauce, based on the cream layer in his grandmother's traditional Russian steopka, or sour cream cake, will be available. All proceeds from the dipping sauce will be donated to Friends of the Children, an organization pairing at-risk youth with professional mentors. Time: Jan. 1 - 31 Details: Steopka xurro dipping sauce, $2. -- Samantha Bakall sbakall@oregonian.com Follow @sambakall _RH17472 Oregon Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, speaking at the Oregon Leadership Summit. The Oregon Leadership Summit at the Oregon Convention Center, December 5, 2016 Beth Nakamura/Staff (LC-) Senate President Peter Courtney introduced a controversial bill Monday that would allow Oregon community colleges and public universities to voluntarily merge, a proposal that nobody in higher education circles was clamoring for but Courtney said could potentially mean big savings for cash-strapped students. The legislation would require schools to submit a joint proposal to the state's Higher Education Coordinating Commission outlining the details, timeline and potential cost-savings of the merger. Courtney, a Salem Democrat, said the opportunities for cost savings are obvious. "You have one president. You have one administration. You have serious savings," he said in an interview. It also would make it easier and cheaper for students to move between the two systems. The bill comes during a jam-packed Legislative session that will include calls from higher education leaders to dramatically increase state support for public education to offset rising pension and medical costs. Lawmakers also face a more than $1.7 billion revenue shortfall. Courtney knows it's an unpopular idea, calling it "an uphill fight" despite the voluntary nature of the bill. It's also not a new idea. "If you want to make a lot of enemies in a relatively short period of time, propose merging college campuses," said Tom Harnisch, director of state relations at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. Harnisch said states are increasingly turning to mergers or closing campuses as a way to cut costs. Georgia, in particular, has aggressively eyed mergers to save money. But mergers are complex, controversial and present a "minefield of political, legal and administrative issues," Harnisch said. Andrea Henderson, executive director of the Oregon Community College Association doesn't think having the option to merge is a bad idea but doesn't see administrative bloat as an issue at two-year schools. "We're so thin, I'm not sure there would be much cost-savings," she said. Courtney's interest in making it easier for community college students to transfer to universities is also laudable, she said. Dana Richardson, executive director of the Oregon Public Universities Council of Presidents, said the university leaders haven't taken a formal position on the bill. "He really is trying to get at some affordability issues for students," she said. It's never a bad thing to have the Senate president take an interest in higher education, Richardson said, and she called Courtney one of the most knowledgeable lawmakers on post-secondary issues in the Legislature. Oregon's seven public universities and 17 community colleges will ask lawmakers for a combined $184 million more than Gov. Kate Brown recommended in her budget, with the promise of raising tuition if they don't see significant increases. Courtney said that's a familiar tactic. Colleges will "always go there" and look at raising tuition rather than slashing salaries or other options. "We should be forced to discuss this and not turn away from it," he said of the merger bill. Courtney said merging would be a good option for Portland State and Portland Community College. Those two entities joining forces would create a school "unprecedented in the entire country." PSU and PCC issued a joint statement Monday afternoon saying Courtney hadn't directly approached the institutions. The schools already have a close-relationship, according to the statement. "Currently, more than 5,400 PSU students are PCC transfers, making up nearly one-third of PSU's total undergraduates. In addition, under the PSU-PCC joint admissions program, 3,592 PCC students are currently co-admitted to PSU, which enables them to seamlessly transfer their credits to PSU when they transfer." Courtney said he first debated the idea in 2006 with then-Western Oregon University President John Minahan, but it never made it to the Legislature. In the decade since, Oregon's public universities added independent governing boards, and costs continued to soar for smaller schools like Southern, Western and Eastern. Those schools are "fragile," he said. "The cost today of maintaining these things is astronomical. How are we going to keep them alive?" he said. So far, Courtney said he's been surprised at the lack of an emotional response from schools and lawmakers to the proposal. When he introduced the concept at the Legislature's December work days, he figured to be "tossed out the window in the street." But no one booed, Courtney said. Sen. Mark Hass (D-Beaverton), said at the December hearing mergers were a "good place to explore" to try and bring down costs. The Legislature convenes its 2017 session in February. -- Andrew Theen atheen@oregonian.com 503-294-4026 @andrewtheen 21192121-mmmain.jpg (Oregonian file photo) Oregon this month passed the latest marijuana milestone: the end of recreational sales at medical marijuana dispensaries. The big shift ends stopgap state permission for dispensaries to sell marijuana to anyone over 21 as regulators spent the past year and a half drafting rules for the new recreational market. The transition comes with other significant changes: Recreational consumers can now buy more marijuana flower and will pay lower sales taxes on pot. But they probably will find fewer places to buy marijuana - at least for a while -- as dispensaries make the switch. Though the state is still home to 300 dispensaries, that number is expected to continue to drop as medical-only shops migrate to the larger recreational industry. "Nobody is going to survive being medical only," said Brad Zusman, owner of Cannadaddy's, a recreational shop at 17020 S.E. Division Street in Portland. Business at his store shot up 15 to 20 percent last week -- a spike he attributes to an influx of customers who previously shopped at nearby dispensaries that don't yet have their recreational licenses through the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. The state received at least 70 new requests from dispensary owners who intend to quit the medical marijuana program, presumably to transfer into the recreational system. In Portland, which has its own licensing system for marijuana businesses, 41 recreational cannabis shops are up and running, said Victor Salinas, marijuana program coordinator for Portland. The city is awaiting payment on another 17 retail licenses; 32 more have been approved but the state hasn't yet signed off. Ultimately, the state expects to license about 400 recreational marijuana shops across Oregon, with dozens in Portland, raising concerns among regulators about market saturation. If production exceeds demand, as liquor commission officials fear, marijuana is likely to filter into the illicit market. Steve Marks, executive director of the liquor commission, said he's heard reports of legal marijuana leaking into the black market, but agency inspectors haven't found evidence of any manipulation of the system. "We have followed up and done investigations but the investigations haven't panned out," he said. Meanwhile, five state compliance officers headed into the field last week to ensure dispensaries are back to selling only to medical marijuana patients and their caregivers. The Oregon Health Authority, which oversees the dispensaries, hopes to make impromptu visits to each one by month's end, said Chris Westfall, compliance unit manager for the medical marijuana program. So far, the officers have inspected 46 dispensaries, officials said. Westfall said the agency is prepared for "high non-compliance," but had found only one dispensary in violation. Health authority officials on Monday wouldn't identify the establishment or the details of the violation, saying only that they plan to propose a civil penalty. Rule-breakers could net fines and the loss of their registration. Westfall said the agency plans to audit dispensaries at the end of the month to confirm their sales are limited to the medical market. "This is a big no-no," he said. Anthony Taylor, a longtime medical marijuana advocate, said the end of recreational sales at dispensaries is a grim but expected development for smaller medical marijuana producers who for the past year sold their products in the medical shops but can't afford to obtain a recreational producer license. He and other advocates fear medical growers will scale down their operations to avoid the hassle of record-keeping required of larger medical producers. They'll end up taking on fewer patients, he said, further weakening the state's once robust medical marijuana program and leaving behind people who depend on the drug. Though medical marijuana patients can shop tax-free at recreational stores, many had grown accustomed to informal arrangements with growers. Under the previous system, medical marijuana growers depended on amassing medical marijuana patients to legally justify high production since the state's system tied patient cards to plant limits. Those patients could count on free or cheap marijuana in return. But new medical marijuana rules mean growers don't need to take on as many patients, which Taylor says has left many in the cold. "They have gone from being exploited to being marginalized," he said. And as dispensaries continue to switch to the recreational market, he said medical growers have few legal outlets for their harvests. "It's going to go into the illicit market," he said. "There is no doubt about it." And while medical marijuana patients may feel pushed aside, recreational customers will see benefits of the latest changes to the market. Jan. 1 brought recreational consumers the ability to buy more marijuana flower -- under last year's rules recreational shoppers were limited to a quarter-ounce, compared to the ounce they can get now. They'll also pay lower sales taxes on marijuana: The state's 25 percent sales tax on marijuana was replaced this month with up to 20 percent in state and local taxes. Another Jan 1. change limits individual edible products at 5 milligrams of THC per serving; recreational consumers can buy a package with no more than 50 milligrams. Last year, a package of edibles was capped at 15 milligrams. Recreational retailers said while marijuana flower is plentiful, popular concentrates and edibles continue to be in short supply due a lag in licensing and tougher testing requirements, resulting in delays getting some products into the market. Many retailers predict the market will eventually settle down once supply issues are worked out and more processors are online. "These are really big challenges for the industry right now, particularly for small businesses," said Sam Heywood, an owner of Farma, a recreational shop on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. "But it's temporary and the story of Oregon cannabis is really, largely a positive one that I think we will get back to focusing on as we head into spring." -- Noelle Crombie 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie Democratic Party of Oregon election night 2016 Jeanne Atkins has again retired from government work, but not before sharing what she learned after serving nearly two years as Oregon's Secretary of State. (Mike Zacchino/Staff) Jeanne Atkins When Gov. Kate Brown first took office in February 2015, I had just retired and was looking forward to reading books and traveling. I offered my congratulations but also, rather casually, offered to help in any way I could. I ended up serving 22 months as the head of a 200-employee agency, with a bonus opportunity to serve as chief elections officer during the most contentious presidential race in history. I'm glad I did, and it was an honor to serve, but it taught me a few lessons nonetheless - some I'd like to share. Elections are changing. The internet can spread bad information faster than you can get accurate information out, and in a more reader-friendly way. The days are gone when an elections official can just stand by during campaign season and focus only on counting the ballots. They still need to pay attention to that central task, but educating the public about the process - and responding firmly and quickly to misinformation about the process - is now the responsibility of every state and local elections officer. I learned the hard way: Many hours after items were posted on Facebook and already viewed by hundreds of Oregonians. We were responding to fake stories of ballots with only one presidential candidate listed and real stories from another state about how a first class stamp wasn't enough to get a ballot to a county clerk. Not only do elections officials need to be prepared to act quickly, they need to learn to communicate more like the media that the electorate is actually reading. The state's auditors aren't a police force that should be sent to investigate every agency scandal. Auditors have the function of making state government transparent, reporting on the state of financial records and providing assessments of management performance. Their targets should be a broad range of state government programs. And their targets should be determined by auditors -- those with the professional credentials to make good auditing decisions -- not by politicians in the Legislature or elsewhere in Salem. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500 words or less to commentary@oregonlive.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. The Secretary of State's hotline can open a door to problems that should be reviewed by the Attorney General or other law enforcers. But auditors are a different breed. There are dozens of audits on the office's website that can be used to guide improvements in state government. If those recommendations could be implemented with support from the governor and the legislature, agencies could make real change and avoid getting themselves into trouble in the first place. Want public records to be accessible? Support ways to preserve them. The State Archives are a great resource for those looking for the state's history. If you haven't done a tour or attended an open house at the Archives building, you should. But the state archivist also provides important leadership for the effort to preserve and maintain our public records, old and new. The debate about access to public records will always be with us. But without the expertise of archivists to tell us how to make records live on, access will be meaningless. There are great people in state government. This is a terrible time to be a public employee. Political leadership is polarized and every action by a state agency is met with suspicion of bias. This is not something that's easy to manage for public servants who aren't political but are dependent on the policy and budget decisions of those who are. The system is designed that way, but it drags even the best work of state government into the political ring to either be bragged about or criticized - often with more "spin" than credibility. State employees need leadership and support, but they also need de-politicized feedback and a pat on the back now and again. Despite political divisions in our state, a lot of people at the secretary of state's office worked very hard to accomplish things for which I got a lot of credit. I want to thank them all for their good work and important service to the people of Oregon. And if you get a chance, I hope you thank them, too. Jeanne Atkins is the former secretary of state. She lives in Southwest Portland. CAIRO: At least 10 policemen were killed and 22 others injured when ISIS-linked suicide bombers rammed a garbage truck packed with explosives into an Egyptian security checkpoint, the latest attack in the restive North Sinai governorate on Monday evening. The attack in el-Masaeed district of Al-Arish city was carried out by members of Ansar Beit el-Maqdes, a Sinai-based militant group which pledged loyality to ISIS in 2014. However, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far. The terrorists used a garbage truck, which was stolen earlier from the municipality of el-Arish. The 22 persons injured include four civilians, police said. Reports said other civilians who live near the explosion site may have been killed, but there was no confirmed numbers. Also Read: Mexico investigators arrest the killer of US official Truck plunged into the promenade killing four in Jerusalem Car 'Bomb Blast' in Baghdad took 12 lives TRUMP22.JPG Donald Trump, on the campaign trail (AP Photo/File) By Barton Swaim What does President-elect Donald Trump really mean when he praises Russian President Vladimir Putin? No one knows yet; perhaps Trump doesn't even know. But it's curious, isn't it, that so many of his critics take his flattery to be genuine expressions of his attitude, when everything else about his speech and conduct suggests that he often does not mean what he says. That's not quite the same thing as saying he's a liar. If Trump is a liar, he is an unconventional one. His inventions and madcap exaggerations seem intended less to deceive than to scandalize and provoke. When he claimed in 2015, for example, that he had watched as "thousands and thousands" of Muslims cheered the news of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, he must have known that this was an easily refutable claim. He didn't care. Asked to support his statement on ABC's "This Week," he didn't cavil or lapse into an obfuscatory defense. He didn't insist, as an ordinary politician would have, that his words were taken out of context or that he meant something different from what was attributed to him. He simply reasserted the claim. "It did happen. I saw it. It was on television. I saw it." There was a lot of talk last year about the term "post-truth," Oxford Dictionaries' 2016 "international word of the year," made popular across the Anglophone world by the Brexit referendum in Britain and the U.S. presidential election. The latter event, particularly as embodied by Trump's campaign, was said to be uniquely bereft of respect for factual truth. Well, maybe; but surely we aren't prepared to say that American political culture pre-Trump was characterized by reverence for truth. Long before Trump got here, our political debates teemed with disinformation of every variety: gross hyperbole, calculated non sequiturs, culpable omissions, unfalsifiable accusations, deliberate vagueness, outright lies. It seems wrong to associate only Trump with this allegedly new era of untruth; thousands before him did their part. What makes Trump different is not that he treats the truth with contempt. What makes him different is that he does so openly, almost gleefully, as if he has discovered the phoniness of a myth that holds everyone else in check. That "myth" was a Protestant-evangelical ethic of honesty that defined American political culture from the Second Great Awakening of the 19th century to the Social Gospel of the early 20th century to the Billy Graham crusades of the 1960s and '70s. It was an effort, in one way or another, to make America a Protestant Christian society. Even in our permissive and morally pluralistic culture, the words "honesty" and "integrity" are still the most important terms in our political discourse. Almost every campaign speech and political ad will appeal somehow to the ideal of honesty; the candidate's words must match his or her actions; rhetoric must match conduct. We rarely appreciate how American this fixation on honesty is. Other political cultures are not similarly disposed. One example: No high-level married politician in the United States could get away with having an openly discussed relationship with a mistress while still living with his wife, as is frequently done in France. Such a relationship, in American terms, is living evidence that the politician's words are not always the same as his deeds. French voters accept this disjunction in their leaders; most American voters do not. Of course, plenty of American politicians have affairs, but our political culture demands that they pretend they do not and never have. That Protestant-evangelical ethic has become brittle in recent decades. Trump is the first, or the most important among the first, to snap it. He isn't preoccupied with maintaining a reputation for integrity. He likes to be thought of as honest, but only in the sense that he will say things others won't; he isn't afraid to misstate facts or manufacture his own facts or exaggerate them a hundredfold. He will call others liars and do so with abandon, but he doesn't get too exercised about others calling him a liar. He will say one thing today and another next week, and make only the meagerest effort to pretend he didn't contradict himself. If he wants to do an about-face, he just does one. Trump perceived, correctly in my view, that political rhetoric in the United States had become empty, a vast collection of platitudes and bogus phrases that no longer bore any real connection to the truth. Everyone else pretended to mean what they said when they didn't; Trump simply dropped the pretense. The result is a post-Christian political discourse of a distinctively American sort: blunt and self-assured and largely free of the obligation to express yourself with sincerity. The new post-Christian discourse uses words, not as vehicles to express thoughts and arguments, but as weapons - as instruments to wrong-foot adversaries and keep them guessing while you seize the advantage. I find it hard to lament the quickening demise of the old honesty-based political culture. It had become cheap and false. If Trump hadn't snapped it, somebody else would have. (c) 2017, The Washington Post Barton Swaim is author of "The Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics" and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post. Lead Testing Portland Public Schools officials covered a water fountain at Creston Elementary after elevated lead levels were found in various district schools. Lead is among the student safety issues that are planned to be addressed by a bond measure that's expected to go before voters in May. ( Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian ) Greg Meenahan The City Club of Portland recently put out a call for volunteers to sit on a research committee that will "study how well the school district managed its previous construction bond and recommend whether the Club should support or oppose this one." Whether the results of this inquiry prove positive or negative, how does it reduce the clear and present danger our children and teachers face in unsafe schools? Portland Public Schools' documented dangers include lead-tainted water and paint, radon, asbestos, earthquake vulnerabilities and worn stage rigging in school theaters and auditoriums. Many schools are unable to insure their buildings remain warm and dry. Many schools continue to present barriers for the disabled. For more than half a century, Portland's school buildings have been treated like a bank account. School boards have been forced to loot this account to preserve teachers and maintain education quality during hard times. When funding is restored, current needs are met, but the growing maintenance bill carries over and is multiplied. Every property owner knows that when you put off vital maintenance, the bill eventually comes due but costs far more than if the work had been done when needed. The district has 8.5 million square feet of facilities, yet last year there were only two painters on staff. I encourage City Club to create an additional committee that verifies the district has put forward the best estimate to get the job done. It is in the interest of the city to insure the bond, last publicly proposed for $750 million, will be enough to clear decades of deferred maintenance, insure the safety of teachers and students, and meet the basic square footage needs of the growing student population. The City Club could lean on the considerable experience of their membership to insure sufficient project management resources were allocated for a project of this size. After all, we don't hire our school administrators based on their construction expertise. Is the $750 million dollar estimate based on the needs assessment the district began in 2012? It likely reflects what leadership believes is the maximum number that can succeed at the ballot box. When an organization attempts too much with too little, there will be problems. This is an opportunity. Issues that affect "quality of life" are important to businesses that are dependent on the talents of highly educated workers. Highly educated workers value schools. Portland voters must overcome sticker shock and make the important investments to attract businesses that will power the engine of our future prosperity. Our children deserve it. Portland deserves it. Greg Meenahan lives in Newberg. SALEM -- Gov. Kate Brown was sworn in for the first time as Oregon's elected governor on Monday and outlined her agenda for the 2017 legislative session. In a speech that also served as Brown's State of the State address, she balanced aspirations for Oregon in the wake of Donald Trump's presidential victory against the hard reality of a looming partisan fight over state spending. Brown didn't name Trump but presented Oregon as a refuge from some of the racist and partisan rhetoric stirred by last year's election. She highlighted Oregon's work for equality and said "we can not and will not retreat." But the governor primarily focused on her policy goals and said she wants to reform Oregon's tax system to end the rollercoaster budgets the state has endured for longer than her 25 years in public office. Oregon faces an estimated shortfall of at least $1.7 billion, assuming the state maintains current services over the next two years. That's despite an economic rebound that Brown said has received "glowing" coverage in national media. "We now have two modern-day Oregon trails to choose from," said Brown, a 56-year-old Democrat who first assumed office in February 2015. One of those paths would continue "the endless process of slicing and squeezing, of diminishing our hopes and expectations, and shrinking our dreams of what it means to be an Oregonian," she said. The other trail follows former Gov. Tom McCall's advice to "not be guided by regionalism and factionalism," she said, but instead to "work in partnership, rather than partisanship." Neither tax reform nor another top challenge Brown invoked Monday -- the state's $22 billion unfunded pension liability -- is on the governor's official 2017 legislative agenda. Still, Brown insisted, she wants to work with lawmakers to address the state's public pension crisis. Specifically, Oregon must "ensure that no one can take advantage of the (pension) system," Brown said. Brown has previously called for restructuring the Oregon Treasury's investment management division to save fees paid to Wall Street. That idea, which has failed repeatedly in the Legislature, would save just $1 billion over 20 years, the Treasury has said. But when asked about other reform ideas at a news conference later Monday, Brown didn't offer any by name. "There are a number of options on the table that we are thoroughly examining," she said. This year, Brown's legislative agenda includes passing a transportation funding package that eluded her and legislative leaders for the last two years. She also wants to create a fund to improve high school graduation rates, pass gun control legislation and expand Oregon's Medicaid program to cover all children. Brown noted the happier circumstances of Monday's inauguration, compared to when she was first sworn into office two years ago after Gov. John Kitzhaber's resignation. Kitzhaber resigned in February 2015 amid state and federal influence-peddling investigations involving the private work of his fiancee, Cylvia Hayes. Kitzhaber has maintained he's innocent of wrongdoing. Now, Brown will serve out the remaining two years of what would have been his fourth term. Although former governors Ted Kulongoski and Barbara Roberts attended Brown's inauguration, Kitzhaber did not. Former Gov. Neil Goldschmidt, whose career crumbled after he admitted sexually abusing a teenage girl when he was Portland mayor, also was absent. All former governors were invited. Jim Moore, director of the Tom McCall Center for Policy Innovation at Pacific University, said Brown delivered "a good state of the state address" that "laid out policy ideas in a clear way," but the challenge for Brown will be finding ways to line up support from lawmakers. "It sets her up well, but it's really in the Legislature's court right now," Moore said. To that end, Brown made a point of reaching out to lawmakers who could provide crucial votes for her agenda in 2017. Because Democrats are just shy of holding the three-fifths supermajorities required to raise revenue, they need at least a couple of Republican votes in both the House and the Senate. Brown aimed for a bipartisan tone, bookending her speech with quotes from Republican governors McCall and Mark Hatfield. She complimented current legislative Republicans as well as independent-minded Democratic Sen. Betsy Johnson of Scappoose. The governor also acknowledged Oregon's rural areas have not shared equally in the "overnight and out of control" economic recovery centered in the Portland metropolitan area, a point frequently raised by legislative Republicans who largely represent those areas. "For families living in Columbia, Coos, Crook or any of our rural counties, we must burst open the doors of opportunity so that individuals can find good paying jobs right where they live," Brown said, before ticking off a list of ongoing economic development initiatives. She also pointed out the potential rural benefits in a transportation package, and highlighted a manufacturing initiative championed by Johnson, who sometimes votes with Republicans and could provide a crucial vote on transportation funding and revenue reform. Lawmakers' reactions to Brown's budget proposal last month illustrate the governor's challenge. Sen. Richard Devlin, D-Tualatin and co-chair of the budget writing committee, ruled out "flat funding" for universities as Brown had proposed. And Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, reiterated in an interview Friday that Brown's budget was not balanced because it relied on revenue proposals lawmakers have not approved. At Courtney's prodding, Devlin and budget committee co-chair Rep. Nancy Nathanson, D-Eugene, plan to release a proposed 2017-19 budget next week, earlier than in some previous sessions. Courtney said he hopes to wake people up to the need for "a bigger, a better budget" and "the fact that we're not going to get through this without some more revenue." Unlike Brown's budget proposal, which assumed the Legislature would pass tax increases, the legislative budget proposal will be based on the state's existing revenues. "The budget is unacceptable, that's what I'm hoping people will conclude," Courtney said. Courtney said there's a strong possibility lawmakers won't agree on a budget by the end of the regular session in July and will be forced to return for special sessions this summer. Asked later for a progress report on her push for revenue, Brown told reporters she would be "convening a couple of stakeholder groups to work through the various options." But she didn't say how those talks might go. "We will be having further discussions," she said, "and more formal conversations over the next few weeks." The Oregonian/OregonLive's Gordon Friedman contributed to this report. -- Hillary Borrud 503-294-4034; @hborrud GOP Senate candidate debate at Sheraton Airport Hotel Rep. Jason Conger of Bend, Portland pediatric neurosurgeon Monica Wehby, former Linn County GOP Chair Jo Rae Perkins and Mark Callahan, a Salem information technology consultant, participated in a 2014 debate moderated by talk show host Lars Larson. Emily Jan/Oregonian (Emily Jan) EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- Since 2009, Mark Callahan has waged an endless series of political campaigns. He's run, unsuccessfully, for the U.S. Senate (twice), Eugene-area seats in the state Legislature (three times), the Lane County Board of Commissioners, the Eugene School Board, the Mount Hood Community College Board and, in 2012, for president. Now, on the back of a shock victory in the Oregon Republican primary for U.S. Senate last year, the 39-year-old wants to be chairman of the Oregon GOP. Callahan, who lived in Eugene for years before more recently moving to Portland, announced in a Dec. 20 Facebook post that he will challenge current leader Bill Currier. If Callahan wins that internal party vote later this month, it would put a decidedly unconventional Republican at the helm. Callahan describes himself as a fiscal and constitutional conservative, and he has previously said he's a member of the tea party movement. But court records from a custody dispute between Callahan and his ex-wife, Sherri, in 2014 contain a surprising admission: That June, shortly after his first U.S. Senate campaign, Callahan was receiving food stamps. That federally funded benefit, formally called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, is designed for low-income residents. Many Republicans, including President-elect Donald Trump, paint the program as wasteful and ripe for fraud. Mark Callahan's party switches, bankruptcy and divorce roil Oregon GOP Senate race In the filings, Callahan didn't say when he started claiming the benefit, but the court filing in Marion County was made only a month after the 2014 primary election for U.S. Senate, where Callahan finished a distant third. During that campaign, Callahan poured $9,090 of his own money into his candidacy and loaned his campaign another $6,500, according to federal campaign finance records. That made him -- easily -- the top contributor to his campaign. Receiving public assistance while, or shortly after, funding one's political campaign is highly unusual and compromising for a candidate, some political observers and experts say. That's particularly the case for a GOP hopeful, given many Republicans' virulent criticism of safety-net programs. Reached by phone Thursday, Callahan declined to be interviewed. Via email, he acknowledged being on SNAP in 2014 "to provide food for my 2 young daughters and myself." "The amount of SNAP benefits I received after the primary election was very meager in comparison to others," he wrote. Callahan declined to answer questions about when he started receiving public assistance and if he is still on food stamps. Data about individual food stamp recipients is not a public record, so it's impossible to independently answer those questions. Eligibility for food stamps is based primarily on someone's current income -- provided they have less than $25,000 in "liquid assets," usually cash savings. Given that Callahan shared joint custody of his two daughters with his ex-wife at the time, he would have been eligible for food stamps if he was making less than $26,000 a year. In June 2014, Callahan was unemployed. In the court filing, he wrote that he was claiming unemployment benefits as well. That spring, Callahan requested to go part time at his network administrator job at a Portland technology company "to allow time for me to be active in my campaign for the U.S. Senate," he wrote. Callahan claimed that he was laid off on March 21, 2014 -- two months before the primary -- because "my employer stated that they needed a full-time person." According to his LinkedIn page, Callahan hasn't had a full-time job since. "Looking for my next opportunity," Callahan's page currently states. But Callahan said in an email that he has had part-time information technology jobs since March 2014, most of it "contractual and consulting work." "Income from this type of work is inconsistent," he wrote. "I look for any work, and jobs, so I can provide for my family the best way I can. With the economy being on the skids the last 8 years, times have been tough in terms of finding and keeping employed long term." A SNAP recipient with children can continue to claim the benefit indefinitely if their income stays below the eligibility threshold. It's rare for it to emerge publicly that a political candidate is receiving public assistance, not just in Oregon but nationally. Jim Moore, a politics professor at Pacific University in Forest Grove, couldn't remember a similar incident with a candidate in Oregon politics. "The (political) optics are awful," he said. "Basically it looks like somebody who is living off the public, while at the same time using their personal money to advance a public life." Paul Gronke, a politics professor at Reed College in Portland, agreed that the arrangement was "odd" and looks "bad." Gronke argued that, in theory, Callahan's personally funding his campaign could be compared to "investing money in a business venture or making a bad investment and needing to rely on public assistance." But, he added, American culture has "a long history of rejecting 'professional' politicians and a belief that amateurs can run government." And Americans "look quite negatively on anyone who has to rely on government assistance," Gronke said. That anti-public assistance attitude "is really quite uniquely American." After his 2014 primary defeat, Callahan continued to be very active in his political pursuits. He was a mostly unpaid spokesman for the campaign opposing Measure 88, which would have allowed some illegal immigrants to get Oregon drivers' licenses. In May 2015, Callahan ran for the Mount Hood Community College Board, finishing as runner-up. In 2016, he again ran for the U.S. Senate while also volunteering in Oregon on the presidential campaign of Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. Callahan again put his own money into his campaign. He contributed $2,700 directly and loaned his campaign $6,100. He later repaid himself $4,100 of that loan. In May, Callahan won the Republican primary, a shock to many political observers. One Republican state lawmaker, Bill Post of Keizer, attributed Callahan's win in part to the fact that, ahead of the vote, he was a constant presence at conservative-leaning events around the state. "Every time I turned around, there was Mark Callahan," Post said. "At a parade, at a fair, whatever. In Baker City, in Lincoln County, Lane County, Medford ... He was everywhere." In November, Callahan lost to incumbent U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, a Democrat, 57 percent to 33 percent. A month later, Callahan announced his plan to challenge Currier. In the message, he complained about party infighting and lack of support from the party establishment "for ALL Republican candidates" during the recent election cycle. Callahan raised only $27,000 from donors other than himself during his Senate race, and received no financial support from Oregon's Republican Party or its traditional big donors. "I figure I can either just talk, moan, groan, and complain about it, which will accomplish nothing, or actually take a proactive, and positive action to do something about it," Callahan wrote. The Oregon Republican Party's new chairman will be elected by local party officials from around the state on Jan. 28 in Salem. The chairman position has traditionally been an unpaid job. Meryl Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille Award at the Golden Globes Sunday night, and, in a speech aimed at President-elect Donald Trump, declared that "disrespect invites disrespect." The highlight of the speech was her moving reference to Trump mocking a disabled journalist months ago while on the campaign trail. Here's what Streep said: "[T]here was one performance this [past] year that stunned me. It sank its hook in my heart not because it was good. There was nothing good about it. But it was effective, and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart, and I saw it, and I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life." * Watch Streep's speech. Trump could have let it go. Streep, after all, is an actress, not the Senate minority leader or the president of China. But that would go against his principles. He has said many times that his approach to life is, if someone hits you, you hit back 10 times harder. And so he hit back at Streep, calling her overrated. He also insisted that he did not mock New York Times reporter Serge Kovaleski's disability; instead, he was imitating him "groveling." Below, you can watch video of Trump doing his imitation and judge for yourself. Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesn't know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes. She is a..... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never "mocked" a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him....... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 "groveling" when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 9, 2017 -- Douglas Perry Leave it to to steal the show. For about two hours, was a run-of-the-mill Hollywood self-congratulatory bash. was a so-so host. The awards were the usual mix of surprises and expected victories the Hollywood Foreign Press Association gives us every year. Then came the tribute to Streep, who was being presented with the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. delivered a heartfelt introduction. Clips spotlighted Streep's amazing career. Streep took the stage. And while we've all gotten used to seeing celebrities at award shows talking about social issues, Streep offered a speech that wouldn't have been out of place at a political convention. Instead of discussing her extraordinary body of work, Streep - whose voice was laryngitic and scratchy - launched into a defense of actors and artists, and a pointed attack on specifically condemning the president elect's imitation of a disabled reporter during the primary. As the celebrities in the audience sat silent and listening, Streep continued, saying that when a leader treats people with disrespect, it invites disrespect. She said the need for a "principled press" is greater than ever, and called for support of the Committee to Protect Journalists. Finally, Streep - who on Thursday had attended the memorial service for the late Carrie Fisher, and her mother, Debbie Reynolds - quoted Fisher: "As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia, said to me once, 'Take your broken heart, make it into art.'" As you'd expect from a consummate actor, Streep's delivery of her speech was dignified, powerful and passionate. Several of the celebrities in the room got to their feet to applaud. And, in our divided world, undoubtedly plenty of people watching at home thought Streep was another well-paid movie star inappropriately turning a showbiz party into a political platform. But if Streep wasn't able to single-handedly unite a fractured nation - even she's not that talented -- her seriousness of purpose had the effect of abruptly sucking the air out of the bouncy Golden Globes balloon. The show went on, as presenters gamely went through their paces. Actors, whose careers get a boost when they win awards, got emotional about being honored by the famously inconsequential members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. And, on Twitter, everybody wondered whether - and when -- Trump would take to the social media platform to bash Streep. Maybe it was fitting that the show itself felt split, with Streep's somber message uneasily bumping into the night's big winner, a movie called about following your showbiz dreams in L.A. But awkward juxtapositions are familiar territory for Golden Globe Awards shows, which blend hosts referring to how silly the Hollywood Foreign Press Association is with stars' exulting about how happy they are to win. Sunday's 74th Golden Globes show was just as mixed up as ever, what with Fallon's teleprompter problem, heartfelt acceptance speeches, horrible jokes for presenters and a tribute to Fisher and Reynolds that felt thrown in as an afterthought. Here are some highlights and lowlights of the night: Jimmy Fallon, the low-impact host: On the plus side, Fallon was a change from Ricky Gervais' tiresome snarky approach. But Fallon's barely adequate hosting made us miss his former "Saturday Night Live" colleagues, Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, in a big way. The show opened with a fast-paced video featuring Fallon and a gaggle of big names doing a number inspired by "La La Land." It was pleasant enough, with the "Stars - they're good sports!" cameos we've come to expect from Fallon's "Tonight Show." Evan Rachel Wood turned up in her "Westworld" costume, Kit Harington did a take-off on his Jon Snow-comes-back-to-life bit from "Game of Thrones," and so on. But then Fallon made his entrance, and he - and we - learned his teleprompter wasn't working. Fallon's not much of an improviser, obviously, since he kept repeating how this was already a "Golden Globe moment." If by that he meant an embarrassing fail, then yep, it was. It didn't get much better once the teleprompter worked. Not known for his cutting political humor, Fallon mentioned "Game of Thrones" fans wondering what if King Joffrey had lived, and that "in 12 days, we're going to find out." (It's a Trump joke, get it?) "Hidden Fences": It was bad enough when Jenna Bush Hager, doing NBC red carpet coverage, said Pharrell Williams was nominated for composing music for "Hidden Fences." Then Michael Keaton made the same mistake in the show. Folks, there are two movies here, both starring African Americans. "Fences" is the Denzel Washington-directed adaptation of August Wilson's play. "Hidden Figures" is about the contributions made by three African American women who worked at NASA. Cringe-worthy: Who thought it would be hilarious to have Sofia Vergara make a crude joke supposedly confusing "anal" and "anus" with "annual," or returning Goldie Hawn to her decades-old ditzy "Laugh-in" persona as she messed up announcing nominations? Those unpredictable Golden Globes: You can't accuse the Globes voters of going with the safe choices. Billy Bob Thornton winning best TV actor in a drama for "Goliath"? Who saw that coming? But others were nice surprises, including Tracee Ellis Ross winning TV lead comedy actress for "black-ish." And since it's the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, it's standard for shows not made in the U.S. to do well, as with "The Night Manager," which snagged wins for Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie, who took a swipe at Republicans in his acceptance speech, and accepted his award on "behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere." -- Kristi Turnquist kturnquist@oregonian.com 503-221-8227 @Kristiturnquist NEW DELHI: India is now actively discussing the possible sale of the indigenously developed Akash surface-to-air missile systems to Vietnam, even as the two countries steadily crank up their bilateral military ties with a watchful eye on a confrontational China in the Asia-Pacific region. With Beijing continuing to thwart New Delhi's bid to join the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group and get Jaish-e-Muhammed chief Masood Azhar designated a terrorist by the UN, while also stepping up its naval forays into the Indian Ocean Region, India is responding by fast-tracking military ties with countries in China's own backyard. The expanding "strategic and military partnership" with Japan and Vietnam, in particular, has emerged a major thrust area. Sources say the discussions under way with Vietnam on the Akash area defence missiles, which have an interception range of 25-km against hostile aircraft, helicopters and drones, come after India earlier offered BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles and Varunastra anti-submarine torpedoes to the country. India, of course, will also begin training Vietnamese fighter pilots on its Sukhoi-30MKI fighter jets from this year, much like it has been tutoring sailors from that country on the intricate art of operating Kilo-class submarines for the last three years. ALSO READ: The split in Samajwadi Party fortify, Mulayam and Ramgopal give opposite signals POST DEMONETISATION: Rs 4,807 cr black income detected, Rs 112 cr of new notes seized Monday 9 January 2017 4:19pm Infants sleeping in wahakura (flax bassinets) are relatively safe when compared with bassinets, a joint study between the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic has found. The researchers, led by Professor Barry Taylor and Dr David Tipene-Leach of the University of Otago, and Associate Professor Sally Baddock of Otago Polytechnic, concluded there were no significant differences in risk behaviours in wahakura compared to bassinets and there were other advantages, including an increase in sustained breastfeeding. The paper was recently published in leading scientific journal Pediatrics. The study finds evidence that wahakura are relatively safe and can be promoted as an alternative to infant-adult bed-sharing, say the researchers. The study was motivated by the concern that Maori and other indigenous populations have greater rates of sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI). This is likely due to the high prevalence of bed-sharing where there has been smoking in pregnancy a combination that is a major contributor to risk, Professor Taylor, who is also Head of the Dunedin School of Medicine, says. Both bed-sharing and smoking have proved difficult to change and thus the wahakura (flax bassinet) was developed as a culturally appropriate alternative to direct bed-sharing. Dr David Tipene-Leach says: The wahakura is promoted to provide a separate and safer sleep space for baby that can be used in the shared bed and therefore that allows the valued close proximity for mother and baby. While wahakura are used by many, to date there has been no direct evidence about their safety. Researchers recruited 200 predominantly Maori pregnant women from deprived areas of New Zealand as measured by the NZ Deprivation Index. They provided the women with either a wahakura or bassinet during pregnancy and then later compared the risks and benefits of infants sleeping in either device. They investigated breastfeeding, infant sleep position, the amount of infant head covering during sleep, the amount of bed-sharing (without the device), and maternal sleep and fatigue. Associate Professor Baddock says mothers were asked to sleep babies in either a bassinet or wahakura from birth. At one, three and six months mothers completed questionnaires about babies sleep and at one month infra-red video was used to record the babys overnight sleep. Overnight video of the babies sleeping in the devices identified no increase in head covering, prone/side sleep position or bed-sharing (without the device) in the wahakura group, either when analysed according to allocated device or when analysed according to the device baby slept in on the study night, she says. When the groups were compared according to allocated device there were no differences at one, three and six months in infant-adult direct bed-sharing, but at the six-month interview the wahakura group reported twice the level of full breastfeeding (22.5% vs 10.7%, p=0.04). Maternal sleep and fatigue were not significantly different between groups. The researchers concluded there were no significant differences in infant risk behaviours in wahakura compared to bassinets and there were other advantages, including an increase in sustained breastfeeding. This suggests wahakura are relatively safe and can be promoted as an alternative to infant-adult bed-sharing. Policies that encourage utilisation are therefore likely to be helpful in high risk populations. These findings will give comfort to health workers who will be able to confidently promote a device that encourages a form of bed-sharing that increases safety for infants, Dr Tipene-Leach says The Ministry of Health is currently developing a national Safe Sleep programme and this study provides much needed evidence about the wahakura. The study was funded by a grant from the Health Research Council of New Zealand and a University of Otago Research Grant. For more information, contact: Professor Barry Taylor Email: barry.taylor@otago.ac.nz Associate Professor Sally Baddock Email: sbaddock@op.ac.nz Dr David Tipene-Leach Email: dtipene@icloud.com Mid Michigan Community College employees and students recently created and donated over 25 blankets in support of children entering foster care. The blankets will be distributed by the Midland/Gladwin Division of the Department of Health & Human Services. Andi Ayers, DHHS community resource coordinator, asked Martha Budd, MMCC employee, to determine whether MMCC staff and students were interested in creating 15 blankets for displaced youth. The response was overwhelming, and the volunteers completed a total of 26 blankets for the cause and also contributed a cash donation. Following a difficult and challenging year for the law enforcement community, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette today thanked and recognized Michigans law enforcement officers as part of National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Our law enforcement officers occupy the fine line between good and evil, standing between us and those that wish to do harm to our families, Schuette said. The tragedies we saw this year in Michigan remind us in very plain language that our law enforcement officers face clear and growing dangers to keep us safe. When our police officers are at risk, we are all at risk. Schuette has called for an additional 1,000 law enforcement officers in Michigan to keep Michigan residents safe. The number of law enforcement officers in Michigan has dropped by 18 percent since 2001, falling from 22,500 to 18,500 officers. Law enforcement officer fatalities nationwide rose to their highest level in five years in 2016, with 135 officers killed in the line of duty. Six Michigan officers were killed in 2016, making Michigan the fifth deadliest state for law enforcement officers behind Texas (17), California (10), Louisiana (nine) and Georgia (eight). Detroit Police Officer Myron Jarrett, 40, was killed in a hit-and-run accident during a routine traffic stop. He was an eight-year veteran of the Detroit Police Department and was a father of four. Detroit Police Sgt. Kenneth Steil, 46, was shot in the shoulder area while pursuing a suspect who was believed to have already shot his father and been involved in carjackings. He was a 20-year veteran of the department and is survived by his wife and two boys, ages 3 and 5. Wayne State University Police Officer Collin Rose, 29, was shot in the head while investigating possible thefts of navigation systems from vehicles. Rose was engaged to be married. Roses killer is still unknown and there is a $32,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooter. Berrien County Bailiff Joseph Zangaro, 61, was head of security for the Berrien County Courthouse and was killed when a prisoner disarmed an officer and fired at bailiffs. Zangaro had worked in the Courthouse since May 2004. Zangaro was a retired Michigan State Police First Lieutenant and is survived by his wife, two daughters and grandchildren as well as his mother, sister and nephew. Berrien County Bailiff Ronald Kienzle, 63, was a bailiff at the Berrien County Courthouse and was killed when a prisoner disarmed an officer while entering a courtroom and fired at bailiffs. Kienzle had been with the Berrien County trial court since April 2005 after retiring as a sergeant from the Benton Charter Township Police Department. He previously served in the U.S. Army. Kienzle is survived by his two daughters and grandchildren. Branch County Deputy Mike Winter, 39, was a Branch County Deputy assigned to the sheriffs posse riding in the Quincy Memorial Day Parade when the horse bucked, causing Winter to fall to the ground, hitting his head. Winter had been a deputy with the sheriffs office and a member of the mounted patrol for five years and was a veteran of the U.S. Navy. Winter is survived by his wife and daughters. The Midland Police Department recently posted on its Facebook page that the department needs to hire a patrol officer. Midland is not alone when it comes to having to fill these types of vacancies. In fact, its become a nation-wide problem, as applicants for police positions were down 90 percent at one point in 2016. A recent story out of Baltimore said that citys police department is struggling to find qualified officers to work in the police department. There are more than 100 fewer Baltimore police officers than last year. The police union president calls the situation dire. You get in a crisis mode like were in right now with crime out of control and not enough uniformed officers on the street, Lt. Gene Ryan, president of the Baltimore City Fraternal Order of Police, told the Baltimore media. I would say its at a crisis point. Throughout the nation, this has been the trend. According to police administrators, the reasons for the shortage range from targeted attacks on police to candidates who cant pass stringent background checks and physical agility tests to shrinking benefits packages. The number of police officers on the streets in Michigan including municipal officers, county sheriffs deputies and tribal law enforcement authorities has been declining since 2001, when there were 22,488, to the current 18,399 as of Oct. 31, according to the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards. In Roseville in Macomb County, Police Chief James Berlin said hes having trouble finding high caliber applicants among the few who do show interest in law enforcement jobs. According to a story on Patch.com, a decade ago, he might receive 200 applications for two or three police job openings. Now, he gets 25 or so for two times the number of positions. That same story reported that Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has been trying to fill about 165 positions that have been vacant since about 2009, but a shortage in qualified applicants has meant relying on costly overtime to avoid coverage gaps. The situation is similar in Wayne County, where Sheriff Benny Napoleon has nearly 200 open positions. Were doing everything that we can afford to do at this time, but its still a challenge, Napoleon told The Detroit News of his agencys recruiting efforts. Shootings and other threats against law enforcement have made for a tough recruiting climate. Its a lot harder sell now, one law enforcement official told FoxNews.com. This is a very real phenomenon. Its sad to see that this is now the norm for most police departments. We hope that this trend will turn around quickly, and that more men and women will pursue a career in law enforcement. Those interested in the Midland opening can visit www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/careers for more information. Maine Sen. Susan Collins Should Always Be Remembered for Her Support of Racist Jeff Sessions By Dustin Rowles | Politics | January 9, 2017 | I talked last week about what a bad man Jeff Sessions is. He has a long and sordid history of standing against civil rights. If you need reminding, heres an explainer. If you need more reminding, heres a letter former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick wrote about Jeff Sessions. Sessions is also considered by many on both sides of the aisle in the Senate as a kind and patient man. This is the way of the South where no matter our politics our manners always come first. Among most Southerners, politeness is a virtue beyond any other. Knock on any strangers door in the Deep South no matter your skin color and most people are trusting and kind enough to invite you in, let you use their phone, and make you some iced tea and give you a few biscuits. Theyll even help you fix that flat. Face-to-face, theres no better place to be than the South. But that pleasantness is often though hardly always also very dishonest. Because those honeys and darlings and cups of coffee can often mask bigotry. Jeff Sessions has been masking his bigotry for years in the Senate. This kind and polite man was also one of the very first to back Trump, on the basis of Trumps statements with regard to the rapists and criminals crossing the border from Mexico. When a guy as a federal prosecutor tries to imprison black people for aiding elderly, poor black people trying to register to vote, you know exactly where his heart is. His confirmation hearing is tomorrow. This comes three decades after the Senate on a bi-partisan basis rejected his nomination for the federal bench. However, those hoping that Sessions nomination will be blocked again should probably give up that hope. The Democrats would need to peel off a couple of moderate Republicans. The most likely target: Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins. Sadly, its not going to happen. Not only is Collins vouching for Sessions who once said the KKK was cool with him until he found out they smoked pot but tomorrow, she is introducing him to the Senate. Collins is going to be Sessions champion. I say this mostly for my fellow Maine constituents: Remember this. Remember when she comes up for reelection again in 2020 that Susan Collins who refused to endorse Donald Trump stood by Jeff Sessions. When, as AG, Sessions looks the other way on voter suppression efforts, remember Susan Collins stood up for him. When, as AG, Sessions starts enforcing federal drug laws on marijuana users even in states where marijuana has been legalized, remember that Susan Collins stood next to him. Remember when Sessions creates an expedited process to deport thousands of out-of-status immigrants that Susan Collins gave this man a thumbs up. When Sessions looks the other way while cops beat and kill black men, remember Collins. For every civil right that Jeff Sessions deprives us of over the next four years, always remember Susan Collins. She couldve done something. She could have helped to prevent a racist from becoming the chief law enforcement officer of the land. She could have stood up for Civil Rights. Instead, she helped to enable a racist. Dustin is the founder and co-owner of Pajiba. You may email him here, follow him on Twitter, or listen to his weekly TV podcast, Podjiba. GOODFIELD A 22-year-old woman from Lowpint was killed in a single-vehicle crash early Monday morning near Goodfield. Sarah M. Blanchard was pronounced dead at 2:25 a.m. at the scene of the crash on Illinois 117 near the intersection of Woodford County Road 550 North, about 4 miles north of Goodfield, said Woodford County Coroner Tim Ruestman. She was driving north on Illinois 117 when she apparently lost control, slid off the pavement and struck a tree, Ruestman said in a news release. An autopsy indicated she died from traumatic brain injuries, Ruestman said. The accident remains under investigation by the Woodford County Sheriffs Department and the Woodford County coroners office. BLOOMINGTON A new fire station in northeast Bloomington tops a $17 million list of needs Fire Chief Brian Mohr will present Monday to the City Council. "The highest priority for me is getting that northeast station," Mohr said. "I know it's a difficult venture because we have to add staff to man it." Mohr wants the City Council to consider including the new fire station and renovation of several others in the city's proposed five-year capital improvements plan. He will present his list of proposed projects to the council when it meets at 7 p.m. Monday at City Hall. The city's proposed five-year capital improvement plan identifies $336.58 million in capital needs for all city departments, including $59.90 million with secured funding and $276.68 million without. The council, which has been hearing presentations from all of its department heads for weeks now, will not finalize the citywide plan until March. "We're looking at building a station, and I hate to even bring up the fact that we've got this station that was built out west on Six Points and it isn't staffed," added Mohr, referring to Station 5 at 2602 Six Points Road, which was built in 2008-09 at a cost of $3 million but has never been occupied because development expected out there never happened. "That is not where our need is for our community," said Mohr. "The need is in the northeast because we have excessive travel distance to much of that area." From Fire Station No. 6 at Central Illinois Regional Airport at 4040 E. Oakland Ave. and Fire Station No. 3 at 2301 E. Empire St. travel distance is more than six minutes and nearly eight minutes to some northeast locations, said Mohr. "If you're shooting for the six-minute response time (set by the National Fire Protection Association) you have to add in one minute for turnout (preparing to leave the fire station) and one minute for dispatching. So we're running upwards of 11 to 12 minutes to some of those locations." Planning includes spending $500,000 in the upcoming fiscal year to acquire land at a site not yet determined for the new fire station; $280,051 for architectural design fees in fiscal year 2020; and $2.5 million for construction in fiscal year 2021. "Our operational budget also would have to be increased in order to staff that station," Mohr said. "We would have to have all of that approved before we would construct such a facility." Mohr also wants funding to address the aging infrastructure and inadequate heating, ventilation and cooling systems at some of the city's five operating fire stations. "Two of our fire stations Headquarters Fire Station and Station No. 3 are 40 years old," said Mohr. "The systems are past the end of their usable life. "The buildings are not very well insulated so they are very costly to maintain and keep HVAC systems up and running." Station No. 3 would be the first to be modernized. The renovations would include adding gender-equitable showers and dormitories, which are amenities necessary for the department to have a more diverse workforce, said Mohr. The department currently does not have any female firefighters. In other action, the council will consider approving a 10-year agreement with the Bloomington-Normal Airport Authority for the city to provide, as it has since 1995, air rescue, firefighting and emergency medical service at Central Illinois Regional Airport. The city would lease airport-owned properties on which Fire Station No. 3, Fire Station No. 6 and a public works satellite facility are located. The agreement also provides airport funding for training costs and maintenance of equipment related to to city services provided at the airport. EUREKA When the Presidential Inaugural Parade steps off on Jan. 20, Eureka residents may see a familiar face on Pennsylvania Avenue other than Donald Trump. Col. Jason Garkey, a Eureka native, will be leading military units marching in the parade, as regimental commander of the Old Guard military ceremonial unit. Garkey is a Eureka High School graduate, whose parents are retired and now living in Florida. He entered the Army as an infantry officer after graduating from the United States Military Academy in 1993. Garkey said he always knew he wanted to be a career soldier. My father had a tremendous influence on my decision, he said. He was in Vietnam and I was always aware he had served. Garkey was drawn to and applied to West Point. He said his efforts as a student athlete and leader at Eureka High School helped win him an appointment. I got a lot of support from the high school, Garkey said. Getting the nomination from a congressman was the easy part. Garkey has a lot of respect for West Point. Attending school there broadened his general, military, and cultural education, he said, adding he enjoyed the diverse student population and the high expectations. It was a lot different than what I was used to growing up in Eureka, said Garkey, while noting that growing up in a small town also was beneficial to his education. I appreciate coming from a small town more and more every day, Garkey said. The military is a community in its own way. In a small town you develop trust in your neighbors, which is similar to the trust you develop in the military. Garkey considers himself lucky to have learned how that kind of trust can be beneficial in other situations. His first assignment after West Point was the United Nations Command Security Battalion-Joint Security Area in Panmunjom, Korea. After returning to the U.S. he got his first experience in the Old Guard serving as a platoon leader and executive officer in Charlie Company, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, with a related assignment as an aide-de-camp at Fort Meade, Md. The Old Guard is the oldest active-duty infantry unit in the Army, serving America since 1784. It is the Army's official ceremonial unit and escort to the president, and also provides security for Washington, D.C. during times of national emergency or civil disturbance. Garkey also served in Germany, then took command of the Honor Guard Company, 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment, The Old Guard, including during the state funeral for President Ronald Reagan. Garkey said he is proud of his hometown's connection to Reagan (who attended Eureka College) and hopes to visit the town for a class reunion in the future. You can be gone and when you come back, people talk to you like you never left, Garkey said. We come from a special town. Garkey continued his military education, served as a professor of military science at the University of Richmond and has served in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. His latest assignment brought him back to The Old Guard under President Obama; he will continue in that role under the new administration. I was extremely fortunate in getting promotions (going through the Old Guard), said Garkey. The unit received its unique name from Gen. Winfield Scott during a victory parade at Mexico City in 1847 following its performance in the Mexican War. Fifty campaign streamers attest to the 3rd Infantry's long history of service, which spans from the Battle of Fallen Timbers to World War II and Vietnam. Since World War II, The Old Guard has served as the official Army Honor Guard and escort to the president. In that capacity, soldiers are responsible for conducting military ceremonies at the White House, the Pentagon, national memorials and elsewhere in the nation's capital. They also maintain a 24-hour vigil at the Tomb of the Unknowns, provide military funeral escorts at Arlington National Cemetery and participate in parades at Fort Myer and Fort Lesley J. McNair. Its an absolutely amazing experience to represent America at functions, Garkey said. It is a tremendous privilege to stand next to the president, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and (other dignitaries). Garkey said the precise movements demanded in ceremonies and parades require constant practice by members to remain sharp. It is important to celebrate being American, Garkey said. Even though hes walked alongside many important and well-known dignitaries, Garkey said the most memorable events came when serving in honor guards for individuals in details, such as funerals at Arlington National Cemetery. You dont realize the impact you have on the families, Garkey said. You get to hear their stories, and when they tell us Thank you, it makes us feel awesome. It's already been a known fact that mental health can greatly affect one's overall well-being. Research emerged that loneliness in the elderly can affect their overall health and can lower their life expectancy. There are countless of reasons on how loneliness can negatively impact a person's mental health. One of which is the fact that a person's brain hormones easily associate loneliness with stress, which can manifest through an individual's physical well-being. "When you're lonely, brain hormones associated with stress, such as cortisol become active, which can cause depression," Bruce Rabin, MD, director of the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Healthy Lifestyle Program explained, as mentioned on Health. "In fact, for mild and moderate depression, social interaction is even more effective at alleviating symptoms than a prescription antidepressant." NPR then added that easing loneliness among old people can greatly boost their life expectancy as it keeps them healthy. It was mentioned that a study that was done in 2012 revealed that people who felt lonely in a group or alone, experienced depression. People who were lonely were also placed at a high risk or death and overall health deterioration. There are several reasons for loneliness but there are also ways to combat the feeling of isolation. Experts suggest it is important to maintain connections, especially with physical touches such as hugs and firm affirmations. Fighting loneliness may be a tough call, as it is barely considered a mental health issue but foundations and organizations have already worked their way in fighting the stigma. Dr. Charlotte Yeh, chief medical officer of AARP Services explained that loneliness is a huge issue, yet it is barely talked about or given attention. In terms of its effect on seniors, it is important to keep them company and make them feel valued, especially when they are part of the family. More than a year ago, a gay couple welcomed their twin baby boys who were born from a surrogate mother to the world. However, problems have occurred after the couple wanted to register the twin babies as their own as an Italian court ruled that the twin brothers are not brothers at all. The two men returned to Milan with their newborn babies but a clerk at the registry office refused to transcribe the birth certificates of the children. This became a legal impediment for the couple to register the twin babies as their legal children. The incident was a rare decision by a court as in the past, many cases concerning babies born to surrogates abroad since surrogacy is banned in Italy, Washington Post reported. Initially, a judge ruled against the couple for the case to prosper. However, the gay couple appealed and a new trial took place. The Italian court that heard them for the second time ruled that since the men used separate semen samples to fertilize the eggs, the twin babies can't be considered brothers. The gay couple could still register them as their own but it should be made separately. It was further explained that the babies are also not considered brothers even if they share the same biologic mother as she donated both the eggs to be fertilized. According to the New York Times, Italy has some of the strictest reproductive laws as surrogacy could only be availed by straight couples who are married or those who could prove that they are in a stable relationship. They also must use their own eggs and sperm. As for same-sex couples, marriage or adoption is still not available to them even if a civil partnership was introduced last year. In relation to the case, a stepchild adoption is also limited to straight couples so the gay couple cannot do anything about the ruling and cannot make the twin babies brothers. Meanwhile, the gay couple has not been identified by any media outlet to protect their privacy. The babies' names have not been revealed as well. A school principal, who got pregnant but is not yet married, said in a statement that she was demoted form her post because of the situation she was in. She also claimed that the officials told her they were worried about what parents would say about her pregnancy since she is not married. According to Daily Mail, the teacher was identified as Christine Castillo. She was moved to a teaching position for the 2015-2016 school year at La Canada Unified School District in California after the employees gave her negative evaluations. Castillo then decided to file a sex discrimination lawsuit against the district and she wants to be reinstated as the principal or have the superintendent of the district resign. The La Canada Unified School District Superintendent was identified as Wendy Sinnette. Castillo said that she told them she was expecting her first child in 2012. In her lawsuit, she also revealed that the district denied her doctor's recommendation for reduced hours then they conducted the evaluations. Sinnette reportedly told Castillo that the pregnancy was going to upset the parents and the staff of the school, saying she made it clear to the former principal what the job required. Castillo's attorney, Ben Meiselas, said the school district stating that being pregnant without having a husband is a scarlet letter on a woman is not a problem since it is no longer the 18th century. Meanwhile, this was not the first time that Castillo filed a complaint. She initially filed an internal complaint in April of 2015 and as per the results of the investigation, it was found that Sinnette and the former superintendent of human resources, Patricia Hager, were both concerned about the pregnancy of Castillo, sparking negative reactions in the community. In an interview with NBC, she said that she was excited to be pregnant and starting a family but she never thought it would compromise her job. She added, "The experience that I had there was so awful, and it was so debilitating, that it's important for me to say something about it." School board member Ellen Multari said that it is unfortunate that Castillo and her representatives are pursuing a legal strategy. They added the placement in the classroom had nothing to do with her pregnancy. Here is another case of someone getting fired because of being unmarried and pregnant. What do you think about this? Let us know in the comments below! An adoptive mother and her boyfriend have been charged in the death of a 14-year-old teenager, who was found last year. The teen's dismembered remains were discovered in October and authorities believe she was killed due to the couple's a rape-murder fantasy. The girl was from Pennsylvania and the first person charged was the boyfriend while the adoptive mother was charged hours after. According to ABC 7, the mother was identified as Sara Packer while the boyfriend was identified as Jacob Sullivan. The couple was charged with rape, murder and kidnapping. They have been also ordered to be held without bail. The girl was identified as Grace Packer and Bucks County District Attorney Matthew Weintraub said the couple had a rape-murder fantasy, which was described as gruesome, heinous and horrible fantasy. What was more appalling was the fact that the couple turned their fantasy into a reality. They noted that they have evidence to prove that it was a rape-murder fantasy shared by the two. Sullivan and Grace, who lived in Quaker Town, Pennsylvania, tried to kill themselves on Dec. 30 by drug overdose. They were, however, found by their relatives before they died. Sullivan then confessed to the crime when they were in the hospital, as per police report. Weintraub said that Sullivan also confessed to making everyone believe that Grace Packer was still alive in order to collect money from her identification. ABC News reported that Grace was taken to the attic of the home that the couple rented on July 8, where she was beaten and raped by Sullivan. Sarah watched the incident and later, Grace was poisoned, bound and gagged. Hours after, the couple returned to the home but found that she was still alive so Sullivan strangled her to death. They then used cat litter to mask the odor of the body and in October, they dismembered the body after feeling scared due to a police visit. The torso of the teenager was found by hunters in a Luzerne County park. With the help of K-9 teams, they found the arms and the legs of the teenager nearby. Sara was previously charged with child endangerment and obstruction. She gave conflicting statements regarding the whereabouts of her adopted daughter claiming that Grace ran away from home after they had an argument. Despite Grace being dead, Sarah still kept getting her daughter's monthly Social Security checks that amounted to $700. No court dates have been set for the couple yet. The investigation, on the other hand, is still ongoing. Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. Martin Luther, Bust in Three-Quarter View (1520), by Lucas Cranach the Elder (1472-1553) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] *** (1996) ***** Scripture seems to clearly refer to baptismal regeneration in Acts 2:38 (forgiveness of sins), 22:16 (wash away your sins), Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 6:11, Titus 3:5 (he saved us, . . . by the washing of regeneration), and other passages. For this reason, many prominent Protestant individuals and denominations have held to the position of baptismal regeneration, which is anathema to the Baptist / Presbyterian / Reformed branch of Protestantism the predominant evangelical outlook at present. We need look no further than Martin Luther himself, from whom all Protestants inherit their understanding of both sola Scriptura and faith alone (sola fide) as the prerequisites for salvation and justification. Luther largely agrees with the Catholic position on sacramental and regenerative infant baptism: Little children . . . are free in every way, secure and saved solely through the glory of their baptism . . . Through the prayer of the believing church which presents it, . . . the infant is changed, cleansed, and renewed by inpoured faith. Nor should I doubt that even a godless adult could be changed, in any of the sacraments, if the same church prayed for and presented him, as we read of the paralytic in the Gospel, who was healed through the faith of others (Mark 2:3-12). I should be ready to admit that in this sense the sacraments of the New Law are efficacious in conferring grace, not only to those who do not, but even to those who do most obstinately present an obstacle. (The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, 1520, from the translation of A. T. W. Steinhauser, Philadelphia: Fortress Press, revised edition, 1970, 197) Likewise, in his Large Catechism (1529), Luther writes: Expressed in the simplest form, the power, the effect, the benefit, the fruit and the purpose of baptism is to save. No one is baptized that he may become a prince, but, as the words declare [of Mark 16:16], that he may be saved. But to be saved, we know very well, is to be delivered from sin, death, and Satan, and to enter Christs kingdom and live forever with him . . . Through the Word, baptism receives the power to become the washing of regeneration, as St. Paul calls it in Titus 3:5 . . . Faith clings to the water and believes it to be baptism which effects pure salvation and life . . . When sin and conscience oppress us . . . you may say: It is a fact that I am baptized, but, being baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and obtain eternal life for both soul and body . . . Hence, no greater jewel can adorn our body or soul than baptism; for through it perfect holiness and salvation become accessible to us . . . (From edition by Augsburg Publishing House [Minneapolis], 1935, sections 223-224, 230, pages 162, 165) All the major Lutheran denominations hold to baptismal regeneration. According to Meads Handbook of Denominations (I have a 1970 ed.), Lutherans accept Luthers Small and Large Catechisms, both of which clearly teach baptismal regeneration. The Smalcald Articles were also written by Luther. The Formula of Concord, also accepted by most if not all Lutheran bodies, states in its Article XII, section on Erroneous Articles of the Schwenkfelders: We reject and condemn these errors . . .: 3. That the water of Baptism is not a means whereby the Lord God seals the adoption of sons and works regeneration. Mead writes about general Lutheran belief: Infants are baptized, and baptized persons are believed to receive the gift of regeneration from the Holy Ghost. (p. 129) Looking through the various Lutheran denominations, I see that the old American Lutheran Church (now part of the current ELCA) holds to the two catechisms, the Book of Concord, and the Smalcald Articles, as does the LCMS (the largest orthodox Lutheran group left, which hasnt sanctioned abortion and various liberal heterodox assumptions, etc.). I highly doubt that the Wisconsin Synod would believe any differently, being a very conservative group. Indeed, Mead says they are very close to LCMS theology. If a self-described Lutheran denies baptismal regeneration, then they are no representatives of Lutheranism, traditionally understood, but rather some nebulous entity which may still be called Lutheranism, but in actuality no longer is. Did cyberhacks hurt Clinton? Thats the title of an article in the Chicago Tribune which appears in the online LA Times with the headline, U.S. intelligence report doesnt say whether Russian hacking helped elect Donald Trump. The key points of the article: The new intelligence report concludes that Putin sought to help Trump win the presidency, but doesnt make any claims about whether the e-mail hacks and other Russian actions actually made the difference in enabling Trump to win the election. In fact, political analysts decline to state so definitively, either, but In [Clinton aides] view, the biggest problem was that voters conflated the flood of damaging emails from Russian hacks with mounting concerns about Clintons use of a private email account when she headed the State Department, adding to distrust and unease about her. Whats more, the report concludes that the Russian officials orchestrating the actions didnt think what they were doing was actually going to lead to a Trump victory, based on, for instance, Russia Today (RT) videos complaining of (expected) election fraud in Clintons favor. (The article doesnt directly state, but Ive read elsewhere, that the objective was to set Clinton up as having been illegitimately elected.) The cumulative impact of not just the DNC leaks and the Podesta e-mails, but also the twitter bots, the RT videos, the fake news videos, and so on, was to reinforce existing concerns about Clinton, that she was an untrustworthy Washington insider, that there was one set of rules for Hillary Clinton and another set of rules for everybody else. So what do you make of this? First question: did Russia interfere with the U.S. election? Well, OK, thats actually a somewhat incomplete question. Instead, a two-part question: did Russia interfere with the U.S. election in a way that calls into question the validity of the election? And did Russia interfere in a way that violates international norms? I dont know . . . I just cant get all that upset about any of this. It just seems too much par-for-the-course. I remember various claims back in the 80s that anti-nuke protest groups were being secretly funded by the Soviet Union (though Wikipedia says this was unfounded). Its like a GEICO commercial: if youre a (former) superpower being run by an authoritarian government looking to gain power, you manipulate elections in other countries. Its what you do. Besides which, remember when Wikileaks revealed that the U.S. was spying on Germany, and Merkel in particular? Various reports said something along the lines of, sure, she called in the ambassador for a dressing-down, but she knew that this is just routine, and every country spies on everyone else, even if theyre allies. If there were signs that the Russians, or any other foreign actor, had actually hacked into vote tallying systems, this would be a cause for serious concern. But for them to have hacked and phished to obtain information, and to have released the results, and to have engaged in a propaganda campaign? It feels, to me, absolutely expected. And to place the hacking in an overall context of twitter bots, and fake news, and the like well, thats conflating criminality with dirty tricks. Now, to be sure, we could wring our hands about ill-gotten information. Its like a jury being told to disregard testimony, I suppose. But is there any reason why voters should discard, in their deliberations, the information that the DNC helped Clinton, and that Clinton talked about being two-faced in her Wall Street speeches, while, at the same time, leaks that were critical of Donald Trump (that is, the old tax return, and the hot-mike recorded groping statements) were fair game just because in the former case there is significant circumstantial evidence that this came from a State actor? For that matter, remember when Palins e-mails were hacked by some joker who guessed at her password? It was treated as a joke, really: ha, ha, Palin is so stupid as to have had an easy-to-guess password on her gmail account. And recall that there were many people calling on individuals connected with The Apprentice to violate non-disclosure agreements to leak suspected on-tape proof of Trumps misbehavior, and even some urging IRS employees to pilfer and publicize Trump tax returns. For that matter, it seem to me that the anti-Clinton messages of these leaked e-mails would have, potentially, discouraged Sanders supporters and perhaps led some of them to vote for Jill Stein or stay home entirely. I have a hard time believing that these e-mails caused people to actually shift their votes to Trump. Now, I personally would prefer a system in which third parties could play a meaningful role in American politics (see, for instance, my Electoral College proposal), but as it is, its hard to make the argument the election was interfered with because unauthorized-but-true information caused voters to stay home or waste their votes especially when the larger factor keeping some voters, say in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, at home was the belief, based on polling at the time, that Trump had no chance, so that their action would have no effect on the election. image: from https://pixabay.com/en/hacking-hacker-computer-internet-1685092/ I was homeschooled in part because my parents were concerned about the quality of the local public schools. I grew up hearing that the U.S. was falling behind other countries in terms of academic achievement, and that our failing public school system was to blame. I grew up. I gritted my teeth and put my daughter in public school. I loved it. She loved it. She thrived. We moved to a new area, and again we put her in public school. Once again, I loved it, she loved it, and she thrived. And yet, I still hear people say that our public schools are failing. Interestingly, people tend to rate their local public schools highly while giving far lower ratings to the nations public schools as a whole: Nearly 50% of Americans rate their local public schools with an A or B while only 20% award the nations public schools as a whole an A or a B. This has been going on for over three decades. This suggests that something about Americans perceptions is out of whackthey are either overestimating the quality of their local public schools or underestimating the quality of public schools in the nation as a whole. Still, concerns about the schools in the United States being surpassed by other countries, particularly in math learning, are widespread and pervasive. And its true that there are countries that boast higher scores. But, as with many things in the realm of statistics, it is unwise to look at one number out of the context of a wide range of background factors. To see what I mean, check out this graph: I think about this graph every time someone starts talking about students in the United States being behind internationally. The numbers above are based on child poverty information from UNICEF. Based on this data, its no surprise that students in, say, Finland outperform students in the U.S.indeed, we would expect them to, because we know that child poverty correlates with lower test scores! Im not saying theres no merit in comparing different educational systems and trying to ascertain which systems work better than others and why. There absolutely is. Rather, I am simply exasperated with claims that U.S. schools are failing because our test scores lag behind those of countries with far lower levels of child poverty. Those who want to use countries test scores to argue that one educational system or the other is superior need to correct for factors like child poverty rates before doing soanything less is sloppy and irresponsible. Let me offer you another example. Look here (link and link): Notice anything? Compare the dark blue states in the lower map (higher than average scores) with the green or tan states in the above map (lower child poverty). Compare the light blue states in the lower map (lower than average scores) with the orange and red states in the above map (higher child poverty). Can you see the correlation? Here, let me graph it: Sure, theres some variation. Child poverty is not the only factor in play. Still, overall, high child poverty (the blue line) correlates with lower test scores (the red line), and as the child poverty rate goes down the test scores go up. Interesting, no? I am not saying that there isnt room for improvement. There is! Im concerned about schools that treat children as criminals, and schools with endemic funding problems or administrations that turn over every year. I would like to see schools do more to empower children, to encourage student learning far beyond the test or the textbook. I would like to see new innovations in mathematics education, and the expansion of makerspace programs that encourage innovation and invention. But I also see schools increasingly striving to do all of these things. Lets stop wringing our hands over dire prognostications that compare scores in overly simplistic ways. Instead of referring to our public schools as failing lets focus on encouraging innovation and on reducing child poverty. Improving childrens circumstancesand those of their parentswill give them more energy and mental space with which to learn and thrive. Im tired of the negative approach. Lets go positive instead. Lets give praise where praise is due, focus on the whole child, and imagine a future where every child will have the resources they need to stretch their wings. World Magazine has published a piece titled No Middle Ground. It is an excerpt from a book by Erick Erickson. It begins as follows: When the state of Indiana passed legislation to protect religious freedom in 2015, corporate America, which tends to worship a green god of its own, threatened to pull out of economic activity in Indiana. And the media ginned up a hypothetical case of discrimination. A reporter asked the owners of Memories Pizza, a family restaurant that does not even cater weddings, whether they would cater a same-sex wedding. When the owners said that to do so would violate their conscience, the media firestorm eruptedinspiring fake orders and death threats that forced Memories Pizza temporarily out of business. Governor Pence and the legislature quickly caved to the bullies on the Left and modified the legislation, and people of faith in Indiana found their religious liberties more at risk than ever. And we still did not have one case of actual discrimination to illustrate the rabid fears of discrimination against gay people. Memories Pizza may have jumped to the top of media attention, but evangelical publications like the one this is printed in actively encourage wedding providers to deny services to gay and lesbian couples and have covered numerous cases of discrimination against gay people, each time championing those who are doing the discriminating. Surely Erickson is not ignorant of that? This section is titled Live-and-Let-Live Legislation. I do not think that is how it works. As weve seen throughout this book, we need live-and-let-live legislation to protect religious liberty. For-profit businesses cant discriminate based on race, gender, or sexual orientation, but they do reserve the right not to provide goods and services for events or engage in acts that offend the conscience of the business owner. Wait wait wait wait wait. Those two things are contradictory. Businesses cant discriminate based on sexual orientationbut they do have the right to refuse to provide goods and services for events that offend their consciences. Such as gay weddings. But thats somehow not discrimination. Except that it absolutely and totally is. People should be free to live and work according to their faith without fear of being punished by government. That freedom of conscience is a basic human right that deserves protection under the law. Live-and-let-live legislation like RFRA simply ensures that religious liberty gets a fair hearing in court and protects every persons freedom from government intrusion, regardless of party, religion, race, orientation, or any other aspect of someones identity. Ive got news for you, bro. Sometimes government intrusion is necessary to protect the rights of various groups. Those who champion freedom from government intrusion tend to be those whose rights are not under threat from private individuals. Those with a long history and continuing presence of private discrimination tend to want government intrusion. Consider how school desegregation worked. Add to that that those talking about freedom from government intrusion are extremely selective when doing soconsider that in the 1970s conservatives in many locales banned gay people from working as teachers. Some freedom from government intrusion you got there. When Pence and Indiana Republicans went back and included a discrimination prohibition in RFRA, they essentially gutted it, leaving churches and believers in the state in a worse position than they were before. It was a complete cave-in in Indiana, brought about by outrage orchestrated by gay-marriage-friendly businesses and the media. In other words, when Pence et al. amended the legislation to prevent it from being used to justify discrimination against other groups, this change gutted the bill. Meaning, of course, that the entire purpose of the RFRA, according to Erickson, was to allow evangelical Christians to discriminate against gay and lesbian couples by refusing them services. Erickson describes the RFRA as live-and-let-live legislation. But how is refusing service to gay couples living and letting live? Wouldnt living and letting live involve saying I believe in traditional marriage and that wont change, but you disagree, no big deal, enjoy your cake? Isnt that the very definition of live and let live? Erickson isnt describing live and let live, hes describing live and discriminate. Marvin Olasky, Worlds edit0r-in-chief, offered this note in the intro: Its crucial takeaway concerning the battle to preserve religious liberty: There will be no middle ground. Many people would like to find middle ground. Many churches would like to find middle ground. But there will be none, because homosexuals and their culture war warriors on the Left are unwilling to have a middle ground. I do not think middle ground means what he thinks it does either. I have a Patreon! Please support my writing! Conservative Tehran MP to Judiciary: Review Case of Political Prisoner on Hunger Strike 01/09/17 Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran Wave of Hunger Strikes Highlights Prisoners' Plights Conservative member of Parliament Ali Motahari has publicly asked the Judiciary to review the case of ailing political prisoner Ali Shariati, who has been on hunger strike for more than two months in Evin Prison. The Tehran MP made the call after a 71-day hunger strike by imprisoned rights activist Arash Sadeghi resulted in the Judiciary agreeing to Sadeghi's request for a review of his imprisoned wife's case. "The release of Arash Sadeghi's wife and the end of his hunger strike and medical treatment shows that the Judiciary is paying better attention to realities in society and the need for proportionality between crime and punishment rulings," said the second deputy speaker of Parliament on January 4, 2017 via his Instagram page. "Currently, Mr. Ali Shariati, whose most important charge relates to his participation at a rally in front of Parliament to protest against acid attacks on women in Isfahan, has been on hunger strike for 65 days to protest his five-year prison sentence," he continued. "I hope the Judiciary will also take a look into this case and resolve it wisely so that it won't become an excuse for the enemies of the Islamic revolution to criticize us for human rights [violations]." On January 4, Shariati's mother Shayesteh-ol-Sadat Shahidi told the Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that her son has been under observation in the prison clinic for 42 days of the hunger strike he began on October 31, 2016: "Despite my son's dangerous physical condition, judicial officials have not yet paid any attention to his legitimate demands." "His blood pressure has severely dropped and when he talks on the phone, you can barely hear his broken voice. They even took away the flask he drank tea from," said Shahidi, referencing the mistreatment her son was being subjected to by prison authorities. Shariati, a long-time supporter of centrist President Hassan Rouhani who has been frequently interrogated by agents of the Intelligence Ministry and the Revolutionary Guards, is demanding a review of his five-year prison sentence for "acting against national security by participating in a protest against acid attacks (on women) in front of [Parliament] on October 22, 2014." Ongoing Hunger Strikes At least three other political prisoners are currently on hunger strike in Iran. Saeed Shirzad - Lips Sewn Shut Saeed Shirzad, who is serving a 5-year sentence in Rajaee Shahr Prison-known for its brutal living conditions-entered the 29th day of his hunger strike on January 4. The children's rights activist has sewn his lips shut and is demanding the end of prison policies that are causing the "slow death" of detainees. An informed source told the Campaign that if the authorities continue to ignore Shirzad's demands, he would also begin to refuse water on January 7. Police initially detained the Society for the Protection of Child Street Laborers member for 19 days in September 2012 for helping earthquake victims in the city of Ahar in East Azerbaijan Province. He was arrested a second time in June 2014 by the Intelligence Ministry and held in solitary confinement for two months in Evin Prison's Ward 209. In September 2015 he was sentenced to five years in prison for "assembly and collusion against national security" by Judge Abolqasem Salavati of Branch 15 of the Revolutionary Court. The Appeals Court has not yet issued a ruling for his appeal request. Nizar Zakka Nearly a month has passed since internet advocate Nizar Zakka, a Lebanese national with U.S. residency status, went on hunger strike in Evin Prison on December 8 to protest his 10-year sentence for national security charges. He has also been ordered to pay $4.2 million USD. The details of his case remain concealed from the public and the authorities have refused to provide court documents to his lawyers, according to his U.S.-based legal team. Zakka was arrested on September 15, 2015 during a visit to Tehran to attend the Tehran-based International Conference and Exhibition on Women in Sustainable Development, which he had been officially invited to by Rouhani's vice president. Ahmad Reza Jalali In her first public statement about her husband's case, the wife of Ahmad Reza Jalali told Radio Farda on January 5, 2016 that her husband-an Iranian doctor with residency status in Sweden who was imprisoned during a visit to Iran in June 2016-began a hunger strike that day. Vida Mehran-nia added that Jalali has been accused of national security charges, according to his lawyer, Mahmoud Alizadeh Tabatabaee, who regularly defends political prisoners in Iran. While very little information has been made public about his case, the Campaign was able to verify that Jalali has been accused of "collaborating with enemy states" This week Iranian Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi called on the head of Iran's Judiciary to resign for allowing numerous rights violations to occur under his watch. In an interview with the Campaign, Ebadi, who was Iran's first female judge before being forced to resign after the country's 1979 Islamic revolution, and who founded the Defenders of Human Rights Center (DHRC) in Iran in 2002 only to be forced into exile in 2009, said, "The system is broken and the final responsibility rests with its head...Mr. Larijani must accept his incompetence and resign." Death Of Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani Causes Anxiety For The Reformists 01/09/17 Source: Radio Zamaneh A pivotal politician in Iran's internal struggles for reform and the former president of the country, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani dies in Tajrish hospital after a heart attack. Hashemi was 82 years old. Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani: 25 August 1934 - January 8 2017 His brother, Mohammad Hashemi confirmed the news adding that at 18:30 on 8 Jan 2017, Hashemi suffered a heart attack and was taken to the hospital. Following Hashemi's death crowds of people moved to the hospital. Crowds also gathered outside of Jamaran complex, the former house of Ayatollah Khomeini, the founder of Islamic republic whose grandson, Hassan, is supporter of Hashemi. Photos of people in the streets of Tehran were published in social media and users expressed concern that they are seeing anti riot police in the streets of Tehran. A Revolutionary Turned Politician Hashemi started out as a revolutionary coming to power after the 1979 revolution. Hashemi, his sons and his greater family were proponents of free market economy in Iran. His economic policies, paved the infrastructure for Iran's current sphere of economic distress and accumulation of wealth by many government officials. Hashemi coming from a wealthy agriculturalist family, was a political prisoner during the Mohammad Reza Shah's reign in Iran. A key figure of the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran and a trusted ally of both Ayatollah Khomeini and Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hashemi played a supporting role in bringing the second leader of the Islamic Republic into power. Rafasanjani's son, Mehdi Hashemi with her sister Faezeh Mehdi was brought from prison to mourn on his father's body. Hashemi served as the president of Iran after Khomeini death from 1989 to 1997 under the supreme leadership of Ali Khamenei. The two men, Khamenei and Hashemi however grew apart after the reform movement became a political party in Iran in 1997. Hashemi was first attacked by the reform movement but later joined them favoring free market economy, cultural progress, dialogue with the West and global economic relations. In a statement following Hashemi's death, Khamenei calls him "an old friend" adding that: "in recent years those foul attempts to abuse and benefit from our differences in opinions could never tremble his [Hashemi's] deep affection for me." His death comes at a time that the current reformist government of Hassan Rohani is under pressure from hardliners for negotiations over Iran's nuclear ambitions with group p 5+1. Hardliners argue that Rohani administration made a bad deal. Hashemi has been a supporter and ally of Rohani's government and has served as a mediator, resolving the differences of the reformists with the hardliner factions and figures. A Notorious Planner of Terror Hashemi's name is associated with a number of controversial international events, including the Iran-Contra affair scandal during the Reagan administration in the United States, in which secret arms sales to Iran was facilitated to fund the Contras in Nicaragua. A number of terror plots outside of Iran against Islamic Republic enemies were conducted during Hashemi's presidency. Including the Mykonos restaurant assassinations in 1992 in which Iranian-Kurdish opposition leaders were assassinated at the Greek restaurant in Berlin, Germany. During the Mykonos assassination trials in Berlin, Hashemi's name was recorded in court proceedings as a key figure. He was later convicted of the assignations by the German court. Hashemi was a memoir writer; in his last volume of memoir published in Tehran, he acknowledges that Iranian officials including the minister of intelligence were involved with Shapour Bakhtiar's murder in Paris. Bakhtiar was as Iranian politician who served as the last Prime Minister of Iran under Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. During the reform area in Iran (1997-2005), Akbar Ganji, Iranian politician and former political prisoner, accused Hashemi of having a role in a series of murders conducted by IRI intelligence in which progressive Iranian intellectuals and opposition figures were targeted. From Centers of Power to the Power of People After serving two terms as president, Hashemi became the head of the Assembly of Experts in 2007. He was also the chairman of the Expediency Discernment Council of Iran; a non-electoral position. Hashemi was however after political limelight and electoral legitimacy. Despite having the two above positions of power, Hashemi was after elections, seeking position as a member of parliament and again as the president of the country. After the coming to power of Mohammad Khatami, Iran's reformist president from 3 August 1997 to 3 August 2005, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani received a blow from the reformist factions and reformist media: they portrayed him as the corrupt godfather of power in Iran. In the sixth parliamentary elections a group of reformist running for the parliament brought strong criticisms against Hashemi and he withdrew from participation in the Sixth Parliament. He also ran for the 2005 presidential election against Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, a hardliner candidate, and lost. Having lost his power games with the reformist he also lost his leverage with the hardliners and started to work his way through as a loner in Iranian politics but now becoming a vocal voice for progress and greater participation of people in real politics. In 2009 presidential election, Hashemi and his family stood with the people who opposed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency and argued that the elections were rigged. After the 2009 disputed election, Hashemi's voice for pragmatic politics, increase in political participation, importance of electoral bodies and his controversial idea about forming a supreme leadership council after the death of Khamenei, separated him from the current leader of Islamic republic. He was to play a great role in the fight for succession after Khamenei's death but he died before his old friend. Related Articles: Iranians Pay Last Respects To Former President Hashemi Rafsanjani Iran has begun three days of mourning for former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on January 8 of a heart attack at the age of 82. President Hassan Rohani and his administration on January 9 paid respects to Rafsanjani at northern Tehran's Jamaran prayer hall, where Rafsanjani's body was laid out. Death of Iran's Rafsanjani Removes Influential Voice Against Hard-Liners With the death of Ayatollah Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani on Sunday, Iran's political factions knew immediately that any space by reformers to maneuver had just significantly decreased. - Thomas Erdbrink, New York Times Iran Just Lost Its Most Influential Power-Broker. Now, Everything Could Change. The sudden passing of former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani could fundamentally redraw the political map in Iran -TIME Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani: Iran's evolving revolutionary Iran's former president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who died on Sunday, was a pivotal figure in the foundation of the Islamic republic in 1979 and he continued to shape it. -AFP mSecure password manager review TechRadar Pro Updated In our mSecure password manager review, we take an in-depth look at this password manager to help you decide if its the most secure way to handle your sensitive data. The billionaire head of Chinas biggest e-commerce retailer met with President-elect Donald Trump on Monday to promote his site by dangling the possibility of a million new U.S. jobs. Jack Ma met Trump in New York and the two talked U.S.-China trade and specifically small business. Ma promoted Alibaba as a platform through which U.S. small businesses could sell products to consumers in China and Southeast Asia. By doing that, up to a million new jobs could be created at a million small businesses, Alibaba said. Alibaba didnt commit to hiring new staff in the U.S. itself. We mainly talked about small business, and young people and selling American agricultural products to China, said Ma. He said he envisaged most of the jobs being created in the U.S. Midwest agricultural sector, and also mentioned garments, fruits, and wines as possible goods that could be successfully sold to Chinese consumers. Jack and I are going to do some great things, Trump said to reporters after the meeting without commenting further. Alibaba operates a hugely successful e-commerce site in China and has been expanding overseas to compete directly with Amazon through AliExpress. But it hasnt all been smooth sailing for the company. At the end of 2016, its Taobao marketplace, a consumer-to-consumer site much like eBay, was placed on the U.S. Trade Representatives list of notorious markets. These are online and offline market places that enable substantial copyright piracy and trademark counterfeiting. Taobao had been on the list previously but was taken off four years ago. Its return prompted the company to question whether the decision was based on the election of Trump and what was viewed as his anti-China trade stance. In recent weeks, Alibaba has announced a crackdown on counterfeit goods on its online marketplaces, including filing lawsuits against Taobao sellers. Hundreds fled homes as a massive winter storm packing heavy rain, damaging winds and lightning caused mudslides and widespread flooding in Northern California and Nevada. The Russian River in Californias Sonoma County and the Truckee River near Reno, Nevada, overflowed their banks late Sunday and officials said both waterways could stay at the flood stage for days. Forecasters warned a second storm is expected to hit the already drenched area Monday night. Schools were canceled in hard-hit Sonoma, where homes were evacuated, thousands were without power and many roads were unpassable. Fears of avalanches were growing in the northern Sierra Nevada as rain soaked the snowpack. Heavy downpours also moved into Southern California early Monday, where commuters were warned of flooding along Los Angeles-area highways and possible mudslides along hillsides scarred by wildfires. Crews across Northern California cleared trees and debris following mudslides caused by the steady rain accompanying the system that could dump 15 inches in the foothills of the Sierra and several feet of snow on the mountain tops before its expected to move east Monday. In Nevada, emergency officials voluntarily evacuated 400 homes affecting about 1,300 residents in a south Reno neighborhood Sunday afternoon as the Truckee River began to leave its banks and drainage ditches started to overflow south of U.S. Interstate 80. This is a serious flood situation, the National Weather Service said in a special flood statement late Sunday night. Flood warnings are expected along much of the Sierras eastern front and western Nevada into Tuesday No injuries had been reported, but high waters forced the closure of numerous area roads, a series of bridges in downtown Reno and a pair of Interstate 80 off-ramps in neighboring Sparks, where the worst flooding is expected to send several feet of water early Monday into an industrial area where 25,000 people work. Bob Elsen of Sparks said he saw plenty of wet weather in his former hometown of Bremerton, Washington, but he didnt expect it in Nevadas high desert where only 8 inches of precipitation falls annually on average. I dont think Ive seen this much rain since I moved here six years ago, Elsen said as he watched the Truckee Rivers waters rise. Its why I moved out of Washington to get away from this stuff. An avalanche also closed a portion of the Mount Rose Highway connecting Reno to Lake Tahoe for the second time in three days after more than 6 feet of snow fell atop the Sierra last week. Schools were ordered closed Monday throughout the Reno-Sparks area. Gov. Brian Sandoval who declared a state of emergency Saturday told all non-essential state employees to stay home Monday. All first responders are all hands on deck, Washoe County Emergency Manager Aaron Kenneston told reporters at a briefing in Reno on Sunday afternoon. The storm surge stretching all the way from Hawaii called an atmospheric river comes as California enters its sixth year of drought. Each drop of rain is welcomed, but officials said several big storms are needed to replenish depleted groundwater supplies. Toppled trees crashed against cars and homes or blocked roads in the San Francisco Bay Area, and officials rescued stranded motorists from cars stuck on flooded roads. A giant tree fell across the southbound lanes of Interstate 230 in Hillsborough, injuring one driver who couldnt break in time and drove into the tree. A woman was killed Saturday by a falling tree while she took a walk on a golf course. A well-known giant sequoia tree known for the huge tunnel carved through it that was once used by cars toppled in Calaveras Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County. The San Francisco Chronicle reported the historic Pioneer Cabin tree came down during heavy rains. In Californias famed wine country, the Napa River jumped its banks and flooded vineyards. Farther north, the U.S. 395 highway was temporarily closed in both directions in Mono County because of flooding and two major highways across the Sierra Nevada were partially closed because of mudslides. Interstate 80 Donner Lake and Highway 50 near Kyburz were blocked for a time by mud and debris. All roads leading to Yosemite National Parks valley floor remained closed amid fears that the Merced River could overflow its banks and cause major flooding. Relatively mild temperatures were driving up the snowline to above 9,000 feet throughout the Sierra Nevada, causing runoff in the lower elevations, where the ground is saturated. Forecasters said Sunday it was tracking pretty much as they expected. For forecasters whove been here a decade or more, this is one of the most impressive atmospheric setups that we have seen in a long time for potential flooding in the region, said Chris Smallcomb, a National Weather Service meteorologist in Reno. If you had to write a textbook on how to get a flood in the region, you would use a scenario just like this. This should be an interesting year to be a business journalist! Ill get to chronicle how a long-running but modest economic expansion meshes with President-elect Donald Trumps brash ideas about an overhaul of how America does business. The start of any new year also somehow requires personal reflection that morphs into a list of resolutions to guide one through the ups and downs of the coming 12 months. You know: Eat better, exercise more, save for the future and on and on. So, as a spin on the annual tradition, with a nod to the new administration, Ill help set the stage for the grand economic debates of 2017 with eight New Years resolutions for how to cover the evolving business climate. 1. Good momentum To me, the economic bar is set comparatively high, especially if you remember the last time the power changed at the White House in recessionary 2009. That means I must score future economic performance against a relatively strong baseline. True, the economic expansion hasnt helped everyone since the Great Recession. Is that the result of policy mistakes? Or is the spotty recovery simply the new normal of inconsistent growth? Trump claims the economy can grow much faster. That will be fun to watch. 2. Same yardsticks Economic critics of recent years have loudly complained about the veracity of various measuring tools used to track business climate performance. When the new president takes over, will those same complaints be voiced? Will alternative measurements be used to argue that the new regime is doing well? Ill be carefully monitoring many statistics and those voices that previously doubted the truth of the trend lines. 3. California focus My eyes are on California money. Yes, I live in the state and work for a newspaper with a local focus. But its not simple journalism business logic as to why its meaningful to watch Californias economy performance vs. the rest of the nations. This state is an expensive place to live and work. Its got high taxes and hefty regulations protecting workers, consumers and the environment. Its also been an economic recovery success story since the recession ended. California will provide an intriguing benchmark to the low-tax, low-regulation plans of Trump and his Republican Party. 4. Ignore doom Ill be wary of doom-and-gloomers, many of whom trade bonds for a living. Look, if the economy continues to be at least relatively strong it will mean interest rates will continue to rise. Thats a death knell for the value of bonds, which trade inversely to the direction of interest rates. So it serves bond traders well to talk down the economy. Bad news, sadly, sells bonds. 5. Pay raises Im thinking the size of local paychecks will be a better barometer for the economys next step than simply following job counts. Job creation has run at roughly the fastest pace weve seen since the turn of the century. But the big beef about the more plentiful employment opportunities is that many are in part-time spots or lower-paying occupations. But the local labor market is tight in many industries, and bosses have had to up pay scales to retain and/or attract workers. Will that continue? Will the need for more high-wage workers grow? 6. Fickle property The local economy has been blessed with a late but strong real estate revival. We know that the regions land game is a tricky and volatile one, so Im resolved to remember that real estates progress must be carefully monitored. Jobs and wealth created by property development and ownership enrich far more than just folks tied to real estate. So any stumble would be widely felt across the region. 7. Trade wars Ill track how Trumps potentially harsh trade talk impacts the many Southern California industries tied to importing and exporting goods and services. Maybe all sides of the trade debate can have civil renegotiations of existing trade deals. Probably not. And while certain industries and employment niches will benefit from retooled America First trade rules, Californias very-global economy is at risk. 8. Tourisms gift I wont let local business leaders look down on the leisure and hospitality industries. Its far too easy for folks to whine about the many consumer-facing service jobs created in the recovery, when much of that new work can be directly tied to the regions creation of numerous high-paying jobs. Weve got sun. Weve got theme parks. Weve got great climate and culture. That brings talent and tourists to town. Thats not bad! Contact the writer: jlansner@scng.com An Ontario man with an outstanding felony warrant was arrested late Saturday, Jan. 7, in San Bernardino, after fleeing a deputy first in a car and then on foot, according to a San Bernardino County sheriffs news release. About 11:30 p.m., a man later identified as Ernesto Flores, 26, was pulled over for an unspecified traffic stop near Pepper Tree Lane and 29th Street but sped away from the deputy, the news release states. The deputy chased Flores south through a residential neighborhood until Flores abruptly stopped the car, jumped out and ran away, the release states. However, the deputy caught him soon after. After discovering that the car was reported stolen out of Ontario and that Flores had an outstanding felony warrant for grand theft auto, the deputy arrested Flores on suspicion of possessing a stolen vehicle and for the outstanding warrant. Flores is being held at Central Detention Center, with bail set at $100,000, according to jail records. Skies in Southern California may have been pretty sunny Sunday, but dont be fooled: The storm thats been pounding Northern California will send some rain our way soon. Its the first of three systems lined up in the Pacific that will hit California this week. Rain is expected to reach northern Los Angeles County late Sunday, and should be falling in San Bernardino and Riverside counties by about 4 a.m. Monday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brett Albright. The storm will be weaker the farther south it goes. It is expected to produce one-quarter to one-half of an inch of rain in places like Los Angeles, Ontario, San Bernardino and Riverside; most of Orange County and southwest Riverside County should get more like one-tenth of an inch, Albright said. The Weather Service issued a flash-flood watch through Monday morning for recently burned areas of Southern California. A wind advisory also will be in effect from midnight to 10 p.m. Monday for the mountains and deserts of Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Some gusts in the mountains could reach 65 to 80 mph. Snow is possible at the peaks of some Southern California mountains. Albright said ski resorts could get snow at their highest-elevation runs, but at the base lodges, mostly rain is expected. Southern California will be receiving the tail end of a storm that was expected to dump several feet of snow in the high Sierra Nevada and up to 15 inches of rain in the foothills. Authorities were watching rising water levels of several rivers, including the Cosumnes, Truckee, American and Russian. Some Southern California authorities also were preparing for the possibility of flooding. The Riverside Fire Department planned to warn homeless people living in the Santa Ana River wash about the possibility of rising water levels, Battalion Chief Jeff DeLaurie said Sunday. Typically, he said, the Riverside Police Departments helicopter unit will fly over the wash and warn warn people over loud speaker. The Fire Department also was preparing its water rescue team for the incoming rain, DeLaurie said. The Los Angeles Police Departments northeast division typically will warn homeless people residing in the Los Angeles River wash that rain is coming, said Officer Norma Eisenman. Officers will also monitor the river to check if anyone is in danger. This storm system should clear out of Southern California by Monday night, Albright said, leaving behind a ripple of below-average temperatures to last throughout the week a steep drop from the 70s felt Sunday. Highs through Friday should be in the low to mid 60s in Los Angeles County, and in the mid-50s to low 60s in the Inland valleys. The second storm system is expected to move through Southern California on Wednesday afternoon. Rain totals likely wont be as significant as Mondays, Albright said. A third system is expected to hit Southern California on Thursday and Friday. However, that one is less defined on the Weather Services radar and thus a little more unpredictable, Albright said. Meteorologists arent yet sure what the system will bring, other than a few showers. While musical favorite La La Land danced its way into the winners circle at the 74th Golden Globe Awards on Sunday, taking all seven trophies it was nominated for, the night had its moments of drama in its acceptance speeches. It was also an evening for the young and Brits. Damien Chazelle, who will turn 32 later this month, won for directing, writing and producing best motion picture comedy or musical La La Land, a story about two aspiring artists an actress and a jazz pianist trying to make it in Los Angeles. He thanked the films other producer for being behind this utterly insane proposition. His two stars Emma Stone, 28, and Ryan Gosling, 36 were also winners. The small indie Moonlight, the story of a poor black man growing up gay, from director Barry Jenkins, 37, took home only one award, but it was a big one best movie drama. If youve seen this film, implored Jenkins, tell a friend, tell a friend, tell a friend. RELATED: List of Golden Globe Winners On the television side, 33-year-old Donald Glovers comedy Atlanta was named best comedy, and he won best actor in a comedy. However, it was Meryl Streep who stilled the crowd on a night that is usually known for its party atmosphere. The Hollywood legend, who the received of the Cecil B. DeMille Award, a lifetime achievement honor, took her opportunity onstage to make a statement about the political climate. We are the most vilified segments of society Hollywood, foreigners, the press, she said, echoing words that Hugh Laurie had spoken earlier. She then pointed out how so many in film and television are not elite but come from small towns and poor or middle-class families. She then took President-elect Donald Trump to task for ridiculing a disabled person. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence invites violence, she told the crowd, who suddenly grew serious. Casey Affleck was named best actor in a film drama for playing a man who suddenly must care for his teenage nephew in Manchester by the Sea, while a stunned Isabelle Huppert won best actress for her role in Elle, which had won as best foreign-language film. Do not expect cinema to set up walls and borders, the French actress told the audience. Upon accepting her award, Stone thanks her amazing mom. I moved out here 13 years ago this week, she noted. This is a film for dreamers. Hope and creativity are the most important things in the world. Gosling won the battle of the Ryans, winning the best film actor in a musical or comedy. This wasnt the first time Ive been mistaken for Ryan Reynolds, he joked addressing the actor who had been nominated for Deadpool. The actor paid endearing tribute to his partner, actress Eva Mendes. As I was singing and dancing and having one of the best experiences Im ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second and trying to help her brother in his battle with cancer, he said. He then dedicated the award to Mendes late brother. Fences Viola Davis was named best supporting actress in a motion picture. She thanked Denzel Washington, who starred in and directed the adaptation of the August Wilson play and noted that her father was the original Troy, referring to the main character. You know what? He had a story and it deserved to be told and August Wilson did it. Tracee Ellis Ross got her first Globe as best actress in a TV comedy win as the mom on ABCs Black-ish. Debbie Allen was the last African-American to win in that category (1983 for Fame). This is for all the women of color and colorful people whose stories, ideas and thoughts arent always considered worthy or valid. When FXs freshman breakout hit Atlanta was named best TV comedy, the series creator, 33-year-old Donald Glover, seemed really surprised as he came on stage to accept the award. The series is set around the Georgia citys rap scene. I really want to thank Atlanta and all the black folks just for being alive and doing amazing things. Glover also won for best actor in a comedy. Netflixs The Crown took the throne as best TV drama. The series from Peter Morgan (The Queen) beat out HBOs juggernauts Game of Thrones and Westwood. Claire Foy, who plays the young Queen Elizabeth II, was something of a surprise winner as best actress in a TV drama. Im having an out of body experience, said the British actress. She then acknowledged the monarch as a women who has been at the center of the world for the past 63 years, and I think that the world could do with a few more women at the center of it. The Night Manager, based on a thriller by John le Carre about arms dealing, and its British stars had a good night. Tom Hiddleston took home the best actor in a limited series award. He dedicated the win to those who are battling arms dealing. Hugh Laurie, who has won a couple of times for his former role in House, was named best supporting TV actor. This must be a terrible mix-up, said the British actor said, looking at the statuette, then turned comically serious. Ill be able to say I won this at the last ever Golden Globes. I dont mean to be gloomy, but it does have the words Hollywood, foreign and press in the title. British actress Olivia Coleman, who wasnt there, was named best supporting TV actress for her role in the series. The first award surprisingly went to Aaron Taylor-Johnson as best supporting film actor. Most had picked Mahershala Ali from Moonlight or Oscar-winner Jeff Bridges in Hell or High Water. Instead, the gold went to the young British actor, 26, who played a drifter in Tom Fords Nocturnal Animals. Sarah Paulson repeated her Emmy win as best actress in a miniseries or TV Movie for her role in The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story. She again thanked the woman she portrayed, Simpson prosecutor Marcia Clark, as well as Ryan Murphy, who was behind the limited series on the trial that captivated America two decades ago. In no surprise, The People v. O.J. Simpson was also the Globes winning show in that category. Meanwhile, Billy Bob Thornton won as best actor in a TV drama for playing a down and out attorney in Amazons Goliath. The Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon began the show with a song-and dance that parodied the musical scenes in La La Land, including the traffic-jam opening to the dreamy number City of Stars, which was changed the lyrics to Room full of stars, theyve been getting drunk since three. The routine that seemed more suited for an Oscar ceremony than the party atmosphere usually associated with the Globes. When event planner Emiliana Guereca learned of the Womens March on Washington, a rally demonstrating against the rhetoric behind Donald Trumps presidential election, it was second nature for her to help organize a similar rally for Southern California. It was also personal. Guereca comes from a Mexican immigrant family. Shes concerned about womens health and reproductive rights. A mother of two boys, shes raising her children to respect women. The election of Trump, who on tape was caught bragging about grabbing womens private parts and who has pledged to deport undocumented immigrants, threatens those values, she said. Guereca, of Los Angeles, secured the necessary city permits and created a Facebook invite for other women and men who were interested in joining a downtown Los Angeles womens rally. She found that others created similar Facebook invites, so she got in touch with those organizers. Out of that emerged the official Womens March Los Angeles. Its on Saturday, Jan. 21, the day after Trumps inauguration and Guereca expects it will attract about 40,000 people. Costs are expected to reach $100,000. Everybody has a different reason (for participating), Guereca said. Some people feel like they werent heard. Some people feel like their rights will be taken away. Not all women support this march. Linda Dorr, of Laguna Beach, is a member of the Moms for Trump group, and said she is not interested in attending. She is not one to rally for Planned Parenthood, she said, but she does support gun rights, and believes in personal responsibility. What Im interested in is preserving our constitutional republic, which is good and healthy for everyone, including women. She said Trumps comments on women just show that he was acting more like a celebrity, not a politician. Dorr also believes that his daughter, Ivanka Trump, will help women. But to Guereca, the march is a unifying moment. To say we want rights and justice for all for Black Lives Matter, for LGBT and immigrant rights. We need to be heard, Guereca said. The theme of the Los Angeles rally jibes with the Womens March on Washington, also to be held the day after Trumps inauguration. Its not a protest, organizers say, but an event to show solidarity with marginalized communities who feel threatened by the upcoming administration. And, yes, men are encouraged to attend. Its lured people from all over California. Women and men from Riverside, Orange, and Ventura counties are planning trips to make it out to Los Angeles. However, a number of more local marches with the same message are sprouting up. These events are welcoming to men and families and are being planned amid House Speaker Paul Ryans announcement Thursday, Jan. 5, that Republicans are planning to strip federal dollars for Planned Parenthood as part of the GOP effort to repeal the health care law. Ana Gonzalez and Nichole Ramirez, who both work for Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino counties, felt it necessary that Orange County have its own womens march. A lot of our organizers and a lot of our partners were saying, Lets find a way to get to LA, said Gonzalez, who works in public affairs for Planned Parenthood. We said, No We need something here, she said. Orange County doesnt do much. Were very quiet. We need something here to show solidarity. As of Friday, Jan. 6, Gonzalez said she expects about 1,700 people to attend the Womens March Orange County. I know a lot of people are fired up about the rhetoric that happened during the campaign, but very specific for us. Were currently under attack, and womens reproductive rights are under attack, Ramirez said. In Riverside, a womens march emerged after a number of people began gathering at Cellar Door Books to talk about the outcome of the presidential election. Connie Ransom, of Riverside, is helping organize the march and said organizers expect about 500 people to attend, although she said she wouldnt be surprised if 1,000 show up. Liz Harmer, of Riverside, also an organizer, attends the bookstore discussions and said many people were concerned about LGBT rights, environmental justice, hate crimes, and the status of young undocumented immigrants protected under an executive action from President Barack Obama. Basically, every human right, she said. Having Riversides own womens march was a way to show solidarity, Harmer said. Its meant to be positive, inclusive, and non-violent, she said. Contact the writer: 951-368-9462, amolina@scng.com, or on Twitter @alemolina Broadcast Journalist, Daasebre Agyei Dwamena, working for Kumasi-based radio Ashh FM, a pro-New Patriotic Party (NPP) radio station who has been reported missing since the December 7, 2016 general elections was found alive and brought to Kumasi last Saturday night. His appearance brought to a halt several rumours that he had been kidnapped by some detractors or that he had been used for rituals to guarantee the victory for the NPP or that he had just gone into hiding to become more popular when found. However, on Sunday morning at 1000 hours, the journalist publicly broke his silence when he stated on Ashh 101.1 FM, that he was neither kidnapped nor missing. He said he deliberately went into hiding to pray for the victory of the NPP from the day of the election (December 7, 2016) till the day of the swearing in (January 7, 2017) and that there was no need to make his intentions known then. He used the opportunity to thank all and sundry who joined in the search for him during the period. Call for his arrest While some members of the public have expressed disappointment in him for causing fear, panic and insecurity among the public, a section of his colleague media practitioners have called for his arrest for what they call "deliberate game plan". Sharing their views on some Whatsapp platforms, some media practitioners were of the view that his act was an affront to modern journalism practice and that he must be called to order. They however, suspected that management of the station (Ashh FM) had collaborated with him on the grounds of popularity and called on the police to interrogate him and investigate the matter thoroughly. Background Daasebre Agyei Dwamena, 54, on December 7, 2016 was scheduled to provide media coverage of the 2016 general election in the Bekwai Constituency where he used the opportunity to exercise his franchise at his home town, Akyeremade near Kokofu in the same constituency. He was said to have made a report from different polling stations that day but attempts by the radio station to contact him for polling station and collation centre results proved futile. Neither efforts by his employers nor family and friends to know his whereabouts were materialised of which formal complaint was lodged to the Police to mount a search for him. Family of the journalist reported the matter to the Kokofu Traditional Authority after which it made another report to Manhyia Palace through Baffuor Asabre Kwagyawsuo Arabic III, the Sumankwahene of Asantehene, Otumfuo Osei Tutu II. A bounty of GH 33, 000.00 was placed on him but the search for him came to naught till he personally informed his employers he was in Sunyani in the Brong Ahafo Region. During the period of the search, he was last seen on WhatsApp on Sunday, December 25 at 000:36 connoting that either he was hiding somewhere using his phone or a kidnapper was using his phone for some information. A media group, the Society of Adventists in Media, Ghana (SAM) of which Daasebre Dwamena is a member and his station Ashh FM, had early on, in separate occasions presented envelopes of an undisclosed amount to the family to help in the upkeep of the children of the journalist. Two media groups, The Press Foundation (TPF) and the Concerned Journalists of Ashanti also launched the "Operation Find Journalist Dead or Alive" and petitioned the Ashanti Regional Police Command to update the media and the public on police investigations of the missing journalist. Source: Graphic.com.gh 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. Featured Video Four persons, including the Central Regional Chairman of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP), Yakubu Yusif, are in the grip of the police for allegedly masterminding a robbery attack on the Founder of the GFP, Madam Akua Donkor. The other suspects include a personal driver of Madam Donkor, Banabas Kayase, 36; a member of the party, Opoku Agyemang, 52, and a suspected leader of a three-member robbery gang, Abdul Razak Shiabu, 29. Two other members of the gang, identified only as Nuamah (alias Lion) and Joe, who joined Shiabu to attack Madam Donkor on a motorbike, are currently on the run. It is said that the gang of three had been hired by Yusif, 23, and the other members of the GFP to attack Madam Donkor while she was leaving the country for the United States of America (USA) for holidays. The gang is said to have attacked Madam Donkor who was on board a vehicle on her way to a brothers house at Sowutuom, in Accra, before she left for the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) enroute to the USA. Gunpoint Briefing journalists in Accra, the Odorkor Divisional Police Commander, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr Francis Aboagye Nyarkor, said on December 30, 2016, the gang commanded Madam Donkor to hand over her handbag and her money at gun, point. When Madam Donkor refused to comply with the order, the gang is said to have dragged her out of the car with the help of her driver, after which they fled on their motorbike with the handbag and its content. The handbag, according to the police, contained an unspecified amount of United States dollars and local currency, Madam Akua Donkors passport, plane ticket to the US, credit cards and other documents. Driver suspected Immediately after the incident, Madam Akua Donkor, who claimed she saw the driver making telephone calls and telling the gang the routes he was using to Sowutuom, managed to arrest Kayase with the help of a good Samaritan and handed him over to the police. She said the driver at a point slowed down and started blinking the lights of the car and shortly afterwards, the three men on a motorbike crossed the car and asked me to give them my foreign currency and my bag. When she resisted, Madam Donkor said Kayase opened the door of the car and pushed her down as the gang members tried to pull her down and they took my bag. Madam Donkor told journalists that it was about 2:30 a.m. when the incident happened and showed injuries she sustained on her right elbow and fingers. Arrest After gathering intelligence, the police arrested the other three suspects separately and they led the police to retrieve the hand bag but the money, passport and cards could not be found. In the course of arresting Yusif, one of the police personnel was said to have fallen off a moving vehicle as the police gave Yusif a hot chase when he tried to escape in his car. The policeman whose name has been withheld by the police is currently responding to treatment for a dislocated shoulder bone at the Police Hospital in Accra. Later, it was also found out that the gun which the suspected robbers used was fake. The police believe the other two members of the gang are hiding at Abura Dunkwa in the Central Region or in Accra and asked the public to assist the police with information that can lead to their arrest. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video It is not clear who committed the act but Police sources in Togo say Ghanaian passports and voters ID cards were found on the bodies. The victims, who were beheaded and shot, are believed to be Bimoabas living around Bunkprugu and Chereponi in the Northern region. They were believed to be victims of modern Day slavery from Northern Ghana and were returning home after a yearlong toiling in farm fields of wealthy commercial farmers in Nigeria. There is a common practice in the two poverty-stricken districts where parents of teenagers are often tricked to enter a year agreement with some rich individuals from Nigeria, according to a resident of Saboba, Yaw Operator. The parents are promised good jobs and improved living condition for their wards before the teenagers are handed over to their new masters after an initial amount is paid, Starr News gathered. A former assemblyman for Wanjuga in the Northern region Kofi Kwadwo Daniel who visited the hospital where the victims were sent to in Togo, has told Starr News Eliasu Tanko that the bodies have been deposited at a morgue in Kara, a town in Togo. The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Chereponi Hajia Mary Naboku has confirmed the incident. The Togo Police, according to reports, are therefore asking Ghanaian residents living around Chereponi, Bunkprugu and Saboba to come to Kara to see if their relatives were involved. The development comes on the back of the swearing in of a new Ghanaian President, a ceremony which was attended by the Togolese leader Faure Gnassingbe on Saturday, January 7. In 2005, 44 Ghanaian travelers were murdered in The Gambia in a similar fashion, while the new President Nana Akufo-Addo was foreign affairs minister of Ghana. Source: classfmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Some macho men numbering about 200, claiming to be members of the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) Invisible Forces, on Monday morning thronged the premises of the Golden Jubilee terminal of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA), to demand their share of national security jobs. According to the heavily-built men who were dressed in black T-shirts with the inscription invisible forces, they were at the port to ensure they were given jobs as security guards at the Port since they have sacrificed a lot for the party. The Commander of the Tema West Invisible Forces, Ibrahim Iddrisu, said we are not at the terminal to take over the place, but rather to fight for our right to work because we have actually sacrificed for the party and we deserve to be acknowledged and given employment here at the Port. He said members of the invisible forces are the right people to be given employment at the Port considering the role they played as security guards during the NPP campaign. We are the right persons for the job because we were the same guys they used during the campaign and we will not allow anybody to come and enjoy from our sweat, he lamented As of the time Citi News got to the Golden Jubilee Terminal Monday morning, the police and port security had managed to convince the invisible forces out of the main Golden Jubilee terminal yard, and were rather standing at the entrance of the yard with some motorbikes parked around them. Mr. Iddrisu further explained that, on Saturday, they had information that some party executive members had issued letters to some party members to be employed at the Port without the knowledge of the Invisible Forces. It was on Saturday that we had information that some letters had been issued to some persons to work at the Port as security personnel without the knowledge of we the Invisible forces. So we decided to come here today to ensure they dont work. Mr. Iddrissu however noted that, they are sending a strong signal to the President that they would not allow non-members of the Invisible Forces to be recruited as security personnel in the Police, army or any institutions because they have suffered for the party. We are the ones who suffered for the party so if there is any recruitment to be done to the security services, we should be given the first priority, he said. Another member of the forces who gave his name as Ismail, threatened that, if the President and the party refuse to heed to our signal, we shall move to next stage and they wont be happy. Closed-door meeting with port management The Public Relations Manager for the Tema Port, Mrs. Joana Adda, when contacted, noted that the grievances expressed by the members of the invisible forces has nothing to do with GPHA, and assured the public to relax and have confidence in the Tema Port as its operations were going on smoothly. The Port public relations outfit together with the Tema Regional Police and the GPHA Security Manager and the leadership of the Invisible forces, were called into a closed-door meeting where they were made to understand the implications of their actions. Calm has since returned to the Golden Jubilee terminal, as the invisible forces moved out after the meeting with the management and the security officials. Source: citifmonline.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. Featured Video Founder and leader of the Ghana Freedom Party (GFP) is accusing the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) of discriminating against her. Madam Akua Donkor explained that, her name was taken out of the list of invitees to the swearing-in of President Nana Akufo-Addo because she did not champion their cause. I have been following up on my invitation for the past one week and a day to the event, I was told my name is not part of the invited guests she bemoaned. The presidential hopeful expressed shock at her exclusion at such a national event as a leader of a political party in Ghana. But, Akua Donkor said she is not surprised at the turn of events since the NPP while in opposition never invited her to any of their events. Source: adomonline.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. Featured Video There is controversy surrounding where Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will be residing. The official residence designated for vice presidents in Ghana is being occupied by former president John Mahama. He has served notice he wants to use it as his retirement home but that decision has not gone down well with some government officials. In a statement, Mahama said Dr. Bawumia is is expected to take up residence in the House known as Australia House, which was previously occupied by former Vice President Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur. Below are pictures of the said Australia House: Source: starr FM 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. Featured Video President Akufo-Addo has named Member of Parliament for Anyaa-Sowutuom, Shirley Ayorkor Botwe, as his Foreign Affairs Minister, pending approval by Parliament. If shes approved, she will become the 2nd woman to head that Ministry, after the previous NDC administration had Hanna Tetteh lead the Ministry. The President made the revelation while interacting with a Chinese delegation who paid a courtesy call on him at the Flagstaff House today [Monday]. While introducing some of his personnel to the Chinese delegation, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo said the lady there [Shirley Ayorkor Botwe] is the one Im wishing Parliament will approve as Foreign Minister. The President took over the administration of Ghana last Saturday, January 7, 2017. Although he is yet to announce his full ministerial list, he has already named his administrative staff. Last week, he named about 12 persons in all, with Akosua Frema Osei-Opare being his Chief of Staff, and Nana Bediatuo Asante as Akufo-Addos Secretary. About Shirley Ayorkor Botwe: Shirley was born in Accra on the 8th February 1963. Shirley holds an MA (Public Communication) University of Westminster in 2002. She also has an MA (Public Communication) University of Westminister, 2002; MBA (Project Management) University of Ghana which she received in 2004. She has been in Parliament since 2005. She has also served on some Parliamentary committees including, Gender and Children, Committee of Selection, Committee on Members Holding Offices of Profit Communications. Source: citifmonline.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. Featured Video Ghanas President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo would be unable to attend an ECOWAS mini-summit at The Gambia today. For this reason, he has designated his immediate predecessor, President Mahama to represent him at the summit. Before retiring from office, President Mahama had been instrumental in mediating the current political situation in The Gambia. In a statement signed and copied to Peacefmonline.com by the Acting Director of Communications of the Golden Jubilee House, Mr. Eugene Arhin, it noted that President Akufo- Addo is of the view that the continuing involvement of former President Mahama in the mediation process in the Gambia would assist the process. Full Statement Below PRESIDENT AKUFO-ADDO DESIGNATES FORMER PRESIDENT JOHN MAHAMA TO REPRESENT HIM AT ECOWAS MINI-SUMMIT ON GAMBIA. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has requested ECOWAS co-mediator on Gambia, former President John Mahama, to represent him at the ECOWAS Mini-summit to be hosted by the Mediator, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria in Abuja today, January 9, 2017. The President is of the view that the continuing involvement of former President Mahama in the mediation process in the Gambia would assist the process. Other leaders attending the mini-summit are the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments, H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of Liberia, and the Presidents of Senegal and Sierra Leone respectively. .signed. Eugene Arhin Ag. Director of Communications Source: Chris Joe Quaicoe/ email: [email protected] 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. Featured Video Gee its a great time for neoliberalism. The poor are getting fraudulent debt letters, the rich are getting massive tax cuts, and there are currently 670 large companies operating in Australia without contributing a cent to our extremely-lopsided taxation system. Unfortunately the increasingly brutal crackdown on entitlements such as living in a house and staying alive comes at an awkward time for our government, with Health Minister Sussan Ley forced to stand aside earlier today for using a taxpayer-funded trip to the Gold Coast to purchase a $795K investment property from a Liberal Party donor. Naturally, people have been up in arms since News Corp broke the story on Leys dodgy trip, but this kind of thing isnt exactly new. Youll recall that a casual, ill-advised helicopter trip ruined the career of one Bronwyn Bishop, and while her resignation as Speaker of the House in 2015 effectively quashed broader attention to parliamentary entitlements, it did lead to Bishop losing the support of her party and the preselection for her NSW seat in 2016. So naturally, when another poorly thought out trip ruins an MPs career, who are we, the media, gonna call? Sky News rolls out their entitlement scandal expert to comment on Ley: The pub test depends on which pub youre in pic.twitter.com/xEUen5EGMV Senator Lee Rhiannon (@leerhiannon) January 9, 2017 Speaking to Sky News, Bishop offered her thoughts on the current discourse around Leys misadventures, and boy howdy are they something: When I resigned, as Speaker of the House, I resigned because Tony Abbot asked me too But I know that my travel was arranged by my staff, as theyre paid to do, and I can only imagine Sussan Leys travel was arranged in exactly the same way. But I have no personal knowledge of that. Here, she actually brings up the (depressing) fact that neither she nor Ley technically acted outside the rules, and could probably have spoken about the broader structural problems that allows this kind of stuff to happen. But instead, she took the opportunity to attack socialists, because you apparently cant criticise a politicians use of taxpayer funds without also wanting to seize the means of production. She then compares socialists to alcoholics, simultaneously insulting both groups, and, finally, critics of Ley to Gods animal, the noble dog: But I do know that there are socialists out there who want to attack free enterprise and anyone who sticks up for it. And I know that socialists, like alcoholics, will blame anyone but themselves, and, whereas alcoholics can damage their own families, socialists can destroy the whole country. Now wouldnt it be reasonable if we allowed the two inquiries that have been established to come to their conclusions, and not have Sussan Ley being attacked by a pack of dogs? Captured below: someone questioning our parliamentary entitlement system. The hypocrisy here is gut-wrenching, and you could honestly write a book on the gall of someone sincerely comparing critics to socialists to alcoholics to, presumably hyperbolic and unfair, wild dogs. Give the full speech (monologue? rant?) a listen below, and see what you think. That feeling in your gut? The outrage? That is good, no matter what some truely entitled people out there might tell you. Source and photo: Sky News. At least 15 people have been arrested over the gunpoint robbery of Kim Kardashian in Paris last October. French police arrested the gang of career criminals thanks to DNA that one of the alleged perps left at the crime scene, the hyper-exclusive Hotel de Pourtales. After two weeks of surveillance, cops made the bust this morning, Paris time. The judge investigating the case may fly to New York in the next few days to speak with Kim personally. The arrests come after a new teaser for Keeping Up With The Kardashians was released, depicting Kim tearfully describing her traumatic experience. French authorities are rumoured to suspect that the robbery, in which armed and masked men tied Kim up and held her at gunpoint in her Paris hotel room while robbing her of $14 million worth of jewellery, could have been an inside job. Theyre investigating concerns that an employee at the hotel or someone in Kims team may have passed on information about her whereabouts to the criminal gang. Well update this story as it develops. Source: The Mirror. Photo: Antoine Gyori / Getty. Who doesnt love a nice, feel-good, quite literally fluffy story to round out a working Monday, huh? Especially one involving giant humans being very nice to tiny animals. The Metropolitan Fire Brigade in Melbourne fielded a distress call from the RSPCA at 11am this morning, after animal welfare officers attended the scene of a tense cat rescue in Keilor. Firefighters from the Sunshine Rescue Unit attended the scene and found a tiny, tiny, tiny little mate firmly stuck in the pipe at the bottom of a dumpster at Keilor Station. The little guy was quite dehydrated and in some distress, so a firefighter by the name of Brian Herbert comforted the kitty while a plan of attack was formulated. The cats head was poking out of the pipe, which was reportedly an opening smaller than the palm of the average giant firefighters hand. After successfully sedating the cat, which was a stray, crews used olive oil to slowly get the wee furry mate moving, and he was successfully pulled from the pipe. His condition was reportedly said to be pretty knackered, and thus he was taken to a nearby vet for a check-up. Officials also decided to dub the cat Brian, named after the man who helped calm the cat down during the rescue operation. GIANT FIREFIGHTER SAVES TINY KITTEN. LOOK AT ITS POOR LITTLE FACE. Naww mate. Its all well and good to get yourself into a bin, but and holy hell trust me on this youve gotta know your way out first. Source: MFB Media. Photos: MFB Media. As the Centrelink debacle continues and the government resolutely refuses to pause the tide of debt notices many of which describe debts that are not legitimate its understandable that people would be looking for blood. According to the Australian Lawyers Alliance, those issued with inaccurate debts may be able to sue Centrelink. This follows an announcement by the Commonwealth ombudsman that it had initiated an investigation of the program to determine whether its debt collection practices and crossmatching system with the Australian Tax Office was legitimate. Australian Lawyers Alliance spokesperson Greg Barnes told The Guardian that Centrelink owes its customers a duty of care which may well have been breached: It seems to me that theres been such a systemic failure in the way this has been put together that there is potentially an argument that [Centrelink] has breached its duty of care to its clients. If a person suffers a financial loss as a result of that, they may have a cause of action. It is expected that any review of the program be it by the ombudsman or independently will include as part of its focus those who paid an inaccurate debt without challenging it. These are the clients one would expect to have a significant claim that they have suffered a financial lost. Despite calls from the Opposition to suspend the debt collection, social services minister Christian Porter is still defending the program on behalf of his colleague Alan Tudge, who is on leave. He says the debts are fairly and legitimately calculated after a very staged and methodical process, despite strong evidence that this methodical program involves chucking a pretty wide net over welfare recipients past and present. Barns suggests that those who have been targeted with large debts may have individual cases against the government, whereas those targeted with smaller debts may have grounds for a class-action claim. Source: The Guardian. Photo: Getty Images. Martin Shkreli a.k.a. the douchebag CEO who hiked the price of a life-saving AIDS drug from $13.50 a pill to $750 overnight has been banned from Twitter after repeatedly harassing freelance journalist Lauren Duca. Duca has been a regular name in the media recently, after an essay she wrote for Teen Vogue titled Trump is Gaslighting America went viral. Shkreli, on the other hand, has been making headlines for paying $2 million for a rare Wu-Tang Album, having a tizz at a couple University of Sydney students, and quitting the rap game after getting scammed. Yet somehow, this bloke allegedly scored himself an invite to President Trumps inauguration (yknow, the same gig that no major celebrities are willing to attend huh. I guess some mysteries solve themselves). He decided to invite Duca via the ol DM slide, but she was extremely less-than-keen. I would rather eat my own organs pic.twitter.com/IgeCRZqk8w Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 5, 2017 In addition, he: updated his Twitter bio to add that he has a small crush on @laurenduca, changed his profile picture to a doctored photo of Duca and her husband with his v. v. punchable face on her husbands body, and updated his banner image to a beyond creepy (and frankly, unsophisticated) collage of photos of Duca, overlaid with lyrics from John Michael Montgomorys 1994 love balled, I Swear. Shreklis followers joined in, photoshopping creepy-as-shit images of Duca and himself. Duca told BuzzFeed News that Shkrelis harassment of her was an ongoing thing. He has been harassing me for a while. Its an ongoing thing. Hes been actively tweeting about dating me. I dont know if hes encouraging people to do this, but theres been a small contingent of trolls telling me to sleep with him but not that politely. Shkreli, on the other hand, defended his actions to The Verge as within the realms of normal behaviour (theyre not). He said he wouldnt consider them harassment, and that the photoshopped images were similar to what people make about Justin Bieber or any other celebrity. In dealing with this online bullshit, Duca went straight to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, who banned notorious troll Milo Yiannopoulos after his repeated harassment of Leslie Jones. Why is harassment an automatic career hazard for a woman receiving any amount of professional attention? Question for @jack & also society! https://t.co/ULI570zV9n Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 8, 2017 Within a few hours, Shreklis account went caput. Its not yet clear if this ban is permanent or not. However, the harassment continues Men are now emailing, earnestly asking how they are supposed to try and fuck me if this is how I respond to advances. A puzzle for the ages! Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 8, 2017 And now Im receiving threats that my nudes are going to be released. Here, trolls, let me save you some time: pic.twitter.com/RIpHO5bL2M Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 8, 2017 And this has been another fun episode of being a woman on the internet. Photo: Blab.im, Twitter. Welp, that didnt take long. Health Minister Sussan Ley has stood aide from her role without pay after she claimed taxpayer money on a trip to the Gold Coast, on which she purchased a $795K investment property. You know, as you do. Pressure had been mounting as News Corp papers revealed it was only one example of potentially questionable trips Ms Ley had taken on the taxpayers dime. Ley is standing aside for the duration of the investigation, but said that her decision to pre-emptively pay back some of the costs related to the trip was not an admission that [she had] broken the rules. In a statement, Malcolm Turnbull confirmed that Ley had agreed to stand aside without ministerial pay. STATEMENT from PM Turnbull: Ley to stand down pic.twitter.com/pEfqjGVZ8h Karen Barlow (@KJBar) January 8, 2017 This follows Leys statement yesterday, in which she apologised and promised to subject her claims to more scrutiny, but would not accept that she had acted improperly at least as far as the rules were concerned: Its not an admission that Ive broken the rules and Im very confident that the investigations will demonstrate that no rules were broken whatsoever. But I also recognise the pub test and that for people who live in my electorate, who work hard, this has a look that I dont understand those issues and in fact the opposite is the case. In hindsight, the character of my visit to the Gold Coast changed the moment I unexpectedly was the successful bidder at that auction. Whether it passes the fabled sniff test is another question entirely (hint: it does not). She followed with a press conference saying that it is not always appropriate for ministers to release their diaries. Mmm. Ill provide all info to the two independent investigations. Its not always appropriate for ministers to release all their diaries- Ley pic.twitter.com/TJZImPhiZu Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) January 8, 2017 Well keep you posted on this. For now, Arthur Sinodinos fills the role. He, in case you forgot, has also been embroiled in corruption allegations, after he claimed to have no idea of a $74,000 donation by a company he was deputy chairman of, to the NSW Liberal Party while he was treasurer. Fun, fun times. Source: Twitter / Sky News. Photo: Getty Images. Jimmy Fallon was certainly never going to ruffle any feathers at the Golden Globes. Definitely not to the point of previous hosts like Ricky Gervais or Amy Poehler & Tina Fey. In terms of award show hosts, hes pretty much a beige Volvo: safe as houses and bland as fuck. But hooley freakin dooley, Fallons opening monologue was a woeful effort even by Fallon hosts an award show standards. The problems began immediately, with Fallon walking on-stage to a broken teleprompter, leading to a few seconds of awkward fumbling and improv before the monitor was finally fixed, and we could get down to the real business of a few tepid Donald Trump jokes. #GoldenGlobes: Watch Jimmy Fallon ad-lib his opening monologue after the teleprompter malfunctions https://t.co/6xAQpyikLp pic.twitter.com/Gk3Q048kKA Hollywood Reporter (@THR) January 9, 2017 The knives have already come out for Fallons cruise ship-ass material, with the Trump gags in particular the subject of ire given Fallon jovially joked around with the PEOTUS when Trump was a guest on The Tonight Show earlier in the year. start of Globes, teleprompter goes down, Fallon sweats. Teleprompter returns, with 4 trump jokes. because you needed a prompter for that. GregGutfeld (@greggutfeld) January 9, 2017 Jimmy Fallon deserves every twitter roasting weve got. Fire cannons. Jody Avirgan (@jodyavirgan) January 9, 2017 Jimmy Fallon: *says joke about Donald Trump* Narrator: Ironically, it was Jimmy himself who helped Trump get elected. Ira Madison III (@ira) January 9, 2017 Zzzz. Took Fallon less than two mins to make an anti-Trump election joke. Numbers 2, 3 & 4 in first 8 mins. #GoldenGlobes Laura Ingraham (@IngrahamAngle) January 9, 2017 You dont get to make Trump jokes, Fallon. Stephen Falk (@stephenfalk) January 9, 2017 The next time someone says women arent funny, they can explain how mediocre Jimmy Fallon keeps getting jobs. Marisa (@babby_shrimp) January 9, 2017 Jimmy Fallon should get a Golden Globe for acting like he never promoted Trump. #goldenglobes Nicole Justice (@JusticeMack) January 9, 2017 Is Jimmy Fallon going to sing a song about normalizing racism? Alison Bennett (@bennettleigh) January 9, 2017 Shortly after the monologue we also got a Mariah Carey joke too, so if youre marking your cards up at home youre already halfway to Fallon Bingo. Old mates got a long night ahead of him. Photo: Christopher Polk, NBC/Getty. When Joe Jonas sung about wanting to eat cake by the ocean, chances are he didnt expect the Royal College of Surgeons of England to clap back. wen the red velvet on point But thats exactly what theyve gone and done. In an article titled Resolve to cut cake culture in your workplace in 2017, the UK-based charity has decried the rise of sweet treats in the office. The Faculty of Dental Surgery (FDS) is concerned that the workplace is now the main place where many people will eat sugar and that it is contributing to the obesity epidemic and poor oral health, a statement read. You may be familiar with this truly frightening epidemic. Someone goes and has a bloody birthday, so your manager buys a $2 mudcake from Woolies. Its effing delicious and a welcome 3:30pm treat. The next day, you have a new starter, so cupcakes are thrown into the office and subsequently down your chunthole. Heck, the day after that you might get a PR company sending you Krispy Kremes to promote a new film. Its true if you work in an corporate setting, cake may be the one sweet saviour of your otherwise torturous day. The fun police dentists, however, do not approve of this. Managers want to reward staff for their efforts, colleagues want to celebrate special occasions and workers want to bring back a gift from their holidays. While these sweet treats might be well meaning, they are also contributing to the current obesity epidemic and poor oral health. We need a culture change in offices and other workplaces that encourages healthy eating and helps workers avoid caving in to sweet temptations such as cakes, sweets and biscuits. If you find yourself consistently lured by the revolving door of sweet treaties, the RCS have a few tips on how to avoid the cake and not eat it too. 1. Pick a low sugar option. They reckon you should skip the biscuits and sweets and pick something low sugar. 2. Reduce portion sizes. Go for a slither instead of a slab. 3. Keep the sugar to lunchtime. Supposedly, if you have the treats at lunch, its better for your teeth than all throughout the day. 4. Develop a sugar schedule. If three people are having birthdays in one week, arrange a cake for Friday and celebrate the three of em all at once. 5. Locate the cake station out of sight. If theyre nearby and visible, youll be more likely to go over and peck. Alternatively? Source: Royal College of Surgeons. Photo: Matilda. Yonatan Nir knew that bringing 11 people with Down syndrome and their siblings on a trek through the Himalayas would not be easy. However, the Israeli filmmaker said he "could sense that something special will happen." That trip resulted in the documentary "My Hero Brother," which The Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival and Jewish Family Service of Greater Harrisburg will present at a special event starting at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 22, at the Jewish Community Center at 3301 N. Front St. The film will be screened at 6:30 p.m. Nir will also be present at the event, and attendees will be able to ask him questions after the screening. You can get tickets to the event for $10 at the door or through the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg's website. The trek documented in the film started October 2013 in Nanda Devi, India, Nir said. It took them two weeks to complete the journey, through which the siblings' "relationships got strong; they learned to appreciate their parents more; they found similar friends; (and) they became an inspiration for others." Together with the film and medical crews, a total of 26 people embarked on the trip together. It was a physically challenging shoot, as they only had two cameras to cover a large group that's spread out over a distance, Nir said. "It was difficult to anticipate what will happen, and we needed to continuously think about our story and create it day by day," he said. "We wrote the script on the move and had to decide on the main protagonists from a pretty large group." Nir was inspired to make the film after producer Enosh Cassel went on a similar three-week trip with his brother Hannan in 2011. Their journey was featured on Channel 2 in Israel, which led to other siblings reaching out to Cassel about their own experiences. This is not Nir's first film though. He previously co-directed "Dolphin Boy," which tells the story of an Arab teenager who recovers from a violent attack by swimming with dolphins in Eilat, Israel. Nir also directed and co-produced "Beyond the Boundaries" and "Cutting the Pain." Upon hearing that Nir was coming to premiere his film in the U.S., the committee for the Harrisburg Jewish Film Festival previewed "My Hero Brother" and reached out to him. "Everyone liked it and we felt that, while it might be a good choice for our festival in May, the opportunity to have Yonatan on hand to introduce and answer questions about it made it worth considering for a mid-winter, out-of festival special event," chairperson Julie Sherman said. The screening, however, is separate from the festival, which will be held from May 18 to 25, according to its website. The festival, according to its mission statement, is meant to screen films that "reflect contemporary and historical Jewish and Israeli experiences." "Public expressions of ethnic diversity -- particularly in arts and in cuisine -- can educate," she said. "They can entertain, and they can edify as well. They can help us to recognize our shared humanity even as they put our difference on display." The annual event has been around for 23 years, and it screens between 11 and 13 films, Sherman said. The festival has previously shown films from countries including Argentina, Canada, France, Germany and India among many others. About 1,200 people came to the festival last year, a 20 percent bump in attendance from the previous year, Sherman said. For more information about the film, visit "My Hero Brother's" website. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf tied on an apron earlier today, Jan. 9, at the 2017 Pa. Farm Show. The governor stepped aside from his usual schedule of meetings and Capitol protocol to cook on the Pa. Preferred Culinary Connection stage inside the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center in Harrisburg. Wolf was joined on stage by Governor's Residence executive chef Barry Crumlich. The two prepared a honey rosemary grilled rack of lamb with a cherry red wine jus, roasted root vegetable and butternut squash hash. Crumlich said he has prepared the dish on occasion for events and dinners held at the Governor's Residence in Harrisburg. In the video above, Wolf shares how he and his wife, Frances, divide kitchen duty at home as well as favorite dishes Crumlich prepares at the residence. The Pa. Preferred chef demonstrations are scheduled throughout the Farm Show and are held on a stage located in the complex's Main Hall. The full schedule can be found on the Pa. Preferred website. The Farm Show runs through Jan. 14 and is the largest indoor agricultural exhibition in the nation. In the meantime, if you would like to make the lamb dish at home, here is the recipe. Honey Rosemary Grilled Rack of Lamb with a Cherry Red Wine Jus, Roasted Root Vegetables and Butternut Squash Hash For the lamb: Ingredients: 1 lamb rack 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons minced rosemary 1/2 cup raw local honey Sea salt and crushed black pepper, to taste Instructions: Trim the excess fat from the lamb loin and rib bones. Place the remaining ingredients into a small mixing bowl and blend well. Place the rack of lamb into a zip lock bag and pour marinade over the lamb, making sure the lamb is completely coated. Marinated for 4 to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the lamb from the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before grilling. Place the rack of lamb on a medium-high preheated grill. Grill the lamb for 5 to 6 minutes, loin side down. Flip and grill for an additional 5 to 6 minutes. Remove the lamb from the grill, placing it on a baking tray. Finish in the oven at 350 degrees for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the lamb from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Cherry Red Wine Jus Ingredients: 1 bottle of dry PA red wine 2 cups sun-dried cherries 1 shallot, quartered 2 tablespoons arrowroot 1 tablespoon water Instructions: Place the bottle of red wine, shallot and 1 cup of cherries into a medium sauce pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes . Remove from the heat and place contents into a blender and puree until smooth. Strain the sauce through a mesh strainer. Place the strained sauce back into the sauce pan and add the remaining 1 cup of cherries. Simmer an additional 10 minutes. If a thicker sauce consistency is desired, tighten with the arrowroot and water mixture. Roasted Root Vegetable & Butternut Squash Hash Ingredients: 8 ounces carrots 8 ounces parsnips 8 ounces sweet potato 8 ounces russet potatoes 8 ounces butternut squash 3 tablespoons olive oil Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste 16 ounces chicken stock 2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme 2 tablespoons roasted garlic 2 tablespoons arrowroot 1 tablespoon water Instructions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel and dice vegetables to half-inch dice. Toss the vegetables with salt, pepper and olive oil. Place on baking tray and put in preheated oven. Roast for about 20 minutes or until tender and golden brown, stirring once midway through roasting. Place the chicken stock, with the thyme and roasted garlic, in a medium sauce pan and simmer over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and then tighten with arrowroot and water mixture. Simmer for additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss the roasted vegetables with the sauce. Plating: Place a serving of root vegetables into the center of a plate, arrange two double ribbed lamb chops over the root vegetable hash and drizzle the red wine cherry jus around the perimeter of the plate. North Korea Anniversary In this image made from video, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un delivers a speech during the ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of the country's ruling party in Pyongyang, Saturday, Oct. 10, 2015. (Associated Press) North Korea is claiming ability to hit mainland American targets with nuclear missiles, while also blaming the United States for causing it to accelerate it's nuclear program, CNN is reporting on Monday. Tensions over North Korea's nuclear abilities have increased since early this year when its leader, Kim Jong Un, said the country was close to testing an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching U.S. mainland targets. On Sunday, a North Korean leader issued a statement saying the "the U.S. is wholly to blame" for the development of North Korea's nuclear program, CNN reported. CNN further cited a statement from U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Meet the Press Sunday in which he called the statement a "serious treat" and said the U.S. will shoot down any missile aimed at the U.S. or an ally. However, the CNN report also quoted an international relations expert who said North Korea is clearly sending a message that gives President-elect Donald Trump room to back away from previous U.S. policies toward North Korea, and signaling the possibility of talks that will ease tension and the possibility of conflicts with the U.S. (PennLive archives) Travelers stuck at Harrisburg International Airport have the weather to blame for flight delays and cancelations. Scott Miller, a spokesman for Harrisburg International Airport, said he believes airlines made their decisions to cancel flights out of Harrisburg as a result of weather in cities like Atlanta and Charlotte. Several stranded at the airport have questioned whether a mass shooting that left five dead and eight injured at Fort Lauderdale International Airport in Florida, led to the delays. Miller noted that passengers are not always told why a flight is canceled, but reiterated that there is no direct impact from the aftermath of the shooting because there are no direct flights between the airports. He added that passengers going to Fort Lauderdale on Saturday could have departed from Harrisburg, wod would have gotten stuck in layover cities such as Charlotte or Atlanta that may have been impacted by the fallout. As of Sunday afternoon, Miller said there are some continuing delays, mostly from flights arriving from Chicago. Miller said flight delays from Chicago are common for this time of year. He added that diversions of flights from places like New York, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C. happen on a regular basis, especially during weather events, Miller said, noting that airlines make the ultimate decision as to whether a flight should be canceled or delayed. The fate of a Dauphin County boat launch that was closed after a kayaker died in a train collision will be debated Monday night at a Halifax Township supervisors meeting. The Fish and Boat Commission, which opened the launch more than 30 years ago, said they would not reopen it unless the township takes over the private road that leads to the launch. Township supervisors are considering the action and want public input at their next meeting, tonight (Jan. 9) at 7 p.m. at 102 Fisher Street. The township originally had intended to take over the road when it was being improved more than 30 years ago to provide public access to the launch. But for reasons that are still not fully known, the township never did. Transforming the road into a public road would likely be expensive and time-consuming, between regulatory approval, required improvements and ongoing maintenance. The project would have to go through hearings at the Public Utility Commission-- again. The project initially went through several PUC hearings in the late 1970s and early 1980s where engineers recommended flashing lights at the railroad crossing or cutting back trees for 1,000 feet in either direction from the access road. But the PUC process fell off the rails after the township refused to take over the road in 1984. No requirements or signage were ever enforced. As a private road, Susquehanna Trail Drive, and the railroad crossing that intersects it, were never subject to state or federal safety requirements or oversight that apply to public roads. Once the current situation became known-- after motorist Trisha Hoffman, 29, was killed leaving the boat launch on Sept. 5-- the commission determined it could not and/or should not continue to operate as a public access from Route 147 to the ramp, said Township Solicitor Bruce Warshawsky. Public comment on the situation is encouraged and welcomed at tonight's meeting, Warshawsky said. Public comment is the first item on the meeting agenda, he said.Railroad crossing where Dauphin County woman died: 'A perfect storm of undesirable factors' As Harrisburg Police Chief Thomas Carter watched from the back of the courtroom, a Dauphin County prosecutor on Monday told a jury the chief's nephew was murdered last year because "he picked a fight with the wrong guys." One of those guys is Glenn Walker III, Chief Deputy District Attorney Johnny Baer said. He is asking the jury to convict Walker 19, of first-degree murder and send him to prison for life. Walker is accused of shooting 36-year-old John Thomas Carter in the back during a fight at Green and Woodbine streets last Easter Eve. Chief Carter, dressed in civilian clothes, sat with relatives as Baer gave his opening statement in the trial. Members of Walker's family sat on the opposite side of the courtroom. Baer said it appears the murder was the result of a random dispute between strangers. "This started as nothing more than an exchange of dirty looks," he said. John Carter and several young men on the sidewalk made eye contact as John Carter rode by in a car driven by his fiancee, Baer said. He said John Carter then got out of the car and walked back to confront the men. John Carter' fiancee told investigators that he "didn't like it if you looked at him that way," Baer said. Footage from a surveillance camera on a nearby home captures John Carter fighting with another man, then running away as several men chase him, the prosecutor said. One of those men is Walker, he said. Baer said information from other witnesses places Walker at the murder scene. He said one witness, Norbell Lynch, told police that he saw Walker and another man, Shawn Thomas, shooting at the fleeing John Carter. Also, Baer said spent .45 caliber shell casings from the murder scene match other casings recovered after a December 2015 shooting incident outside Club 1400 at Third and Calder streets that resulted in no injuries. Walker is shown on video firing a pistol during that incident, the prosecutor said. "We see at least two shots on that video," he said. Chief Deputy Public Defender Paul Muller told the jurors that the prosecution case "is interesting, but incomplete." "There really is no one witness who can give you the whole story of what happened in this case," Muller said. He urged the jury to carefully gauge the credibility of the prosecution's witnesses. Muller conceded that Walker had a gun during the Club 1400 incident and that his client is too young to legally own a firearm. "Unfortunately, that is a situation that is more common than not in the City of Harrisburg," he said. Still, Muller said Walker wielded the gun during that incident only to protect his father, who was being beaten by another man with a tire iron. Judge Ellen Ceisler.png Judge Ellen Ceisler (Provided photo) Philadelphia County Judge Ellen Ceisler has announced she will run for a seat on Commonwealth Court this year. She has been a county judge since 2007. She is a former director of the Integrity and Accountability Office of the Philadelphia police, is a former prosecutor, was once an investigative producer for CBS News and was Director of Special Investigations for the city controller's office. Ceisler also consulted with the city school district on student disciplinary procedures. "I regard a seat on the Commonwealth Court as the culmination of all the knowledge and skills that I have gained in government and law over the past 30 years," she said. " I believe I have the experience, integrity, independence, and passion to effectively serve the citizens of Pennsylvania." Ceisler said she will run as a Democrat for one of the two Commonwealth Court seats that are open this year. That court handles appeals from county and state government agencies. janet diaz.jpg Janet Diaz poses for a picture with her husband at her campaign announcement Jan. 6. (Wesley Robinson) Aiming to provide a seat at the table for all Lancaster residents, Janet Diaz announced she is running for city council recently. "We need a government that looks like the people it serves ... that looks like its constituents," Diaz said. Diaz announced her candidacy for one of the four vacant city council seats Friday outside of Mailynn's Corner at 52 North Queen Street. Diaz works in administration for Lancaster General Health and is also the issues and policy chair for the Latino Democratic Caucus of Lancaster County. In her announcement speech outlining her personal history, Diaz recalled her aspirations to be U.S. president as a child. She said now is the time for her to enter into public service, following her childhood goals in her own community. Diaz touted her volunteering and activism as evidence she would fight for the people as a regular woman. She said she seeks an inclusive, transparent city government and expressed her desire to improve conditions for everyone in Lancaster, including homeless people. Pointing to her family's struggle with poverty, Diaz said the issues of homelessness, shelters and job training are extremely important to her. Additionally, Diaz pledged support for animals, referencing Libre the puppy and subsequent legislation proposed to punish animal abusers. Diaz's campaign manager, Lebanon City Councilman Cornell Wilson, said he's involved in Diaz's campaign to help his friend in her endeavor to fight in win the council seat. Because he has worked in local politics in Lebanon, Wilson hopes be a guiding force for the first-time candidate. Diaz plans to go on a listening tour across the city to hear what residents are looking for from the council and then plans to seek the requisite signatures to formally run for office. The aim is to get feedback and tap into her support network as the campaign progresses. Diaz said she knows others may decide to run for the open seats, but noted that she is confident she can win if opposed. She noted that the current political climate following the presidential election has spurred many to engage in the political process on the local level to protect their own communities. Noting what she said was the need for healing in the country and the power of dialogue, state Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, on Monday morning called on volunteers from across the region to get involved in the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service. Kim, chairwoman of the Central Pennsylvania Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service Steering Committee, a nonprofit organization, said the political divisiveness in the country necessitated that this year's service day have a particular focus. "This year the committee wanted to honor Dr. King's life by bringing people of different backgrounds and faiths together to remind ourselves how much we have in common. King envisioned ways for us to live together in peace and harmony. He believed our different faiths should be a uniting force that inspires us to serve." The annual day of service honors the legacy of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Members of the organization will assemble at 10 a.m., Monday, Jan. 16 at the Hadee Mosque in Harrisburg to launch the day's events. The opening ceremony will be attended by state Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera, Mayor Eric Papenfuse and other community leaders, including Momin Bhatti, who will represent Hadee Mosque. The opening ceremony will be marked by inter-faith conversations, which will be moderated by Asheq Fazlullah, executive committee member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, and will feature such participants as Rabbi Eric Cytryn of Beth El Temple and Pastor Dennis See of the Harrisburg Justice House of Prayer. Kim was joined at Monday's press conference by Yvonne Hollins, the executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Harrisburg. She said the organization would continue to call on the city's youth to honor King's legacy by volunteering. Kim noted that organizations were looking for volunteers. For information on how to get involved visit the www.centralpamlkday.org. Jonelle Eshbach.jpg Jonelle Eshbach (submitted) An attorney with experience prosecuting criminals at the state and county levels is running for York County district attorney. Jonelle Eshbach, a Republican from Dover Township, said she has the wide range of experience that the job requires. She began her legal career in York County as a judge's law clerk, and went on to work 12 years in the district attorney's office, prosecuting violent criminals. She went on to serve as a deputy attorney general, where she prosecuted capital murder, rape, public corruption and other high profile and complex cases. They included a death penalty case in the murder of a police officer and the prosecution of Jerry Sandusky. Eshbach said she will focus on protecting York County families by prosecuting drug dealers, especially those selling heroin and illegal prescription drugs, and also supports anti-drug education and treatment programs. She said she will also work to protect senior citizens by investigating those who prey on them, and also "protect our children and families from those who would use the Internet as a weapon against our children. And I am going to work with law enforcement and our schools to make sure that our schools are safe havens where children can learn free from violence." gettysburg.jpg Print showing Union troops advancing from the right during fighting at the battle of Gettysburg. The Civil War was the backdrop for one of the more brazen corruption cases in Pennsylvania history. (Library of Congress) Reporters note: This is the fifth in an occasional series of interesting bits of Pennsylvania's history based on the biographies of legislators. Last week we wrote about Henry Spackman, who served in the state Senate from 1840-1844 as a Jackson Democrat but left politics to become a priest. You can find the legislature's historical biographies here. This week, I'm writing about the life and times of James L. Graham, an immigrant's son who rose to political prominence -- and also served on the investigating committee of one of Pennsylvania's more notorious cases of corruption. State Senator James Graham. Graham was born in Pittsburgh in 1817, the son of an Irish immigrant who owned a butcher shop in the city. Graham was raised at his father's side, learning the butcher's trade before enrolling in the seminary and becoming an ordained Methodist-Episcopal minister in 1837. About 20 years later he joined the local bar and served as Allegheny County Sheriff before being elected to the state Senate in 1862. Per his official biography: A Republican, Graham had a 12-year Senate career, focusing on coal-industry labor reform, pro-temperance legislation, and progressive manufacturing bills. The senator supported a high tariff, backed adoption of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments, cast "aye" votes behind the 1866 Civil Rights Act, the Emancipation Proclamation, a resolution instructing the Pennsylvania congressional delegation to impeach and prosecute President Andrew Johnson during debate over the 1867 Reconstruction Acts, and Grant's 1869 Force Act. After his stint in the state Senate, Graham was elected to the state House in 1883 and became Speaker of the House in 1885, ultimately serving the lower chamber through 1890. He was also appointed as the a commissioner to the 1873 World's Fair in Vienna. Perhaps most intriguing, Graham also served as a member of the George O. Evans "Treasury Ring Scandal" investigating committee -- a particularly blatant case of political corruption which it seems today has largely been forgotten. The Evans scandal took place amid the backdrop of the Civil War, which had began in 1861. To pay for the war, the federal government had levied a tax on all of the states of the Union, with Pennsylvania responsible for remitting close to $2 billion. Title page of Joseph McClure's book "The Evans Embezzlement," printed in 1872. According to Joseph M. McClure, who had investigated Evan's actions and wrote a book in 1872 entitled "The Evans Embezzlement," the state paid a portion of the tax, but in turn had made counter-claims against the federal government for the costs of outfitting state troops who served in the war. Those conflicting claims -- which were more than the amount requested by the federal government -- were allowed to to remain unsettled until 1867, when Pennsylvania abruptly passed a resolution allowing for a 'special agent' to collect the claims levied against the federal government. In return for his services the agent would be paid no more than 10 percent of the money record. That agent (appointed by then Gov. John Geary) was George O. Evans, As an aside: According to an 1918 edition of Munsey's Magazine, in 1867, then-state Treasurer W. H. Kemble, wrote to an associate in Washington a letter of introduction for Evans (presumably to pave the way for Evans to pursue the state's claims against the federal government). In his letter, Kemble employed his Washington friend to treat Evans "as you would me. He understands addition, division and silence." This last bit, when it fell into the hands of a newspaper, became a byword for corruption in Kemble's office. (Kemble, according the article, would eventually be convicted of trying to bribe legislators and sentenced to prison). In the case of Evans, over the next four years he collected from the federal government in excess of $900,000 owed to the state as a result of war costs. However, somewhere between Washington D.C. and Harrisburg, it would seem that roughly $291,000 disappeared with no one the wiser. Eventually the entire house of cards came tumbling down when one of Evans' friends became suspicious, and demanded to be cut-in on the scheme. Per McClure, after a meeting with the Governor, "a sum of money was soon after received by this person. ... A portion of the money was paid a Philadelphia editor and office-holder, and another portion was promised to Harrisburg editor and office-holder." According to McClure, the Harrisburg editor never received his money, which led to the entire episode being aired in a Harrisburg newspaper editorial, which in turn resulted in a massive scandal that dominated newspapers across Pennsylvania. When confronted, Evans claimed the money as his 10 percent fee, calculated against $2.9 million he claimed he had 'secured' from the federal government. However, it would appear that Evans was engaged in some artistic bookkeeping -- namely that more than $2 million of the debt Evans 'secured' had, in fact, been forgiven years earlier (and not through Evans' actions). Pennsylvania Gov. John Geary. McClure was charged with investigating the entire incident for the state Attorney General's Office, and did so. However, in his book McClure claims he was later taken off the case because his investigation implicated the governor in Evans' scheme. Per McClure: "A state agent professes his guilt by flight. The Governor of a great state is charged with complicity in the agent's crime. A prominent editor and office holder is known to have received share of the spoils. A state officials bargained for, and was promised, a portion. An auditor and clerk in the Treasury Department in Washington are suspected of having been corruptly influenced." Evans was eventually arrested and charged with embezzlement. Although I could find no accounts of his trial or conviction, in 1874 a notice appeared in The New York Times in which Evans declared for bankruptcy. In his declaration, Evans claimed $199,415 in debts -- including the fines levied against him by the state. He also claimed more than $300,000 in losses -- about the amount he was accused of embezzling. Interestingly, among his claimed losses: $72,000 in 'patent investments.' According to The Times, the Philadelphia Bulletin opined thus on Evan's bankruptcy: "... no one believes that this $300,000 filched from the state was left to melt away into nothing in his hands. ... Will the true history of this nefarious transaction ever be known to the public? Evans, with a Spartan heroism which the world always admires, no matter what may be the cause in which it is exercised, has thus far sacrificed himself and kept the secret of his principals." If Evans ever broke his silence, I found no record of it. Instead, a year later and upon his death in 1875, The Wellsboro Agitator ran this notice: "George O. Evans, whose trial on a charge of fraud in the collection of State claims against the General Government recently made considerable sensation, died in West Philadelphia last Thursday week, aged 54. " Sixty-one years ago yesterday, five men lost their lives on a stretch of sand on the Curaray River in Ecuador. Had they not lost their lives, its unlikely youd know the names of Jim Elliot, Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming and Roger Youderian. Instead, their act of sacrifice to reach the Waodani Indians with the gospel resonated around the world and inspired future generations of missionaries. Growing up, this story was an intimate part of my life, yet I had no idea how far-reaching it was. You see, my father was among those inspired by the five martyrs, particularly Nate Saint. This led to life-long mission work. My parents joined Mission Aviation Fellowship (Nate Saints sending mission) and were assigned to work in Shell, Ecuador in 1978. They lived in Nate Saints jungle house, the place where the men and women prayed and pondered their mission to the Waodani for weeks before setting out, and where the wives anxiously gathered around the radio at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, 1956, hoping for word from their loved ones. In 1979, my parents brought me home from the hospital to that same Saint house. For the next 12 years, as I played on the hill outside the hangar, I saw Waodani women brought by airplane for treatment at the mission hospital, I watched as Waodani teenagers arrived by air to be discipled by church planters and I saw Bible translators, working on a Waodani translation of the New Testament, travel by plane to their communities. Two weeks ago, my family and I traveled back to Shell and stayed in that same Saint house, which is now a mini-museum, event space and guest house. It was encouraging to witness that the work that began after the five men lost their lives continues today. Two generations later, there is an established, Waodani-led church. They now have the New Testament in their language. The group has sent missionaries to reach other Waodani as well as neighboring indigenous groups. Several have attended Bible schools. Some family friends continue to aid the Waodani to develop job skills and provide discipleship. But today there are some concerning developments: a group of Waodani who rejected the gospel and live in isolation are threatening violence against the others again. This could trigger a return to the repeated revenge killings that nearly decimated the tribe 60 years ago. Will you pray for the young, Waodani church leaders who are opposed to this violence and who are encouraging their people to continue to follow Gods carvings? And pray that the Good News will reach the hearts of those threatening violence. The story of the five mens life and death is told in The Torchlighters: The Story of Jim Elliot. This childrens DVD also includes an adult-oriented documentary. Dory P and her husband both work for VOM. Dory grew up calling Nate Saints sister Aunt Rachel and Jim Elliots widow Aunt Betty. She didnt know they were celebrities in Christian circles until she attended Wheaton College, alma mater of three of the men killed. Boyne City Middle School to host viewing of new Rambler Fieldhouse From 3-5 p.m. Sunday, Boyne City Public Schools will welcome students and community members to an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony for the new facility. The origin of these asteroid populations is a mystery, and its solution would tell scientists much about the dynamics of the young solar system. Planetary scientists now believe that the orbits of the giant planets migrated in toward the sun and then out again soon after their formation. In the process, they scattered asteroids and comets hither and thither. Jupiters Lagrangian orbits may have been sticky gravitational traps that caught a diverse sample of bodies that originated from throughout the outer solar system to its fringes. Another theory suggests that the Trojans originated in the same region as Jupiter and followed it in its movements and are therefore samples of conditions where Jupiter formed. Either way and its possible that the present population represents a mixture of sources these bodies hold clues to conditions and processes from the infancy of our solar system. The most recent planetary decadal survey emphasized the importance of these bodies by prioritizing a mission to explore them. Trojan asteroids, at the boundary between the inner and outer solar system, are one of the keys to understanding solar system formation. Originally thought to have been captured from the outer parts of the asteroid belt, Trojan asteroids are proposed in new theories to have been captured instead from the Kuiper belt during a phase of extreme mixing of the small bodies of the solar system. In-depth study of these objects will provide the opportunity to understand the degree of mixing in the solar system and to determine the composition and physical characteristics of bodies that are among the most primitive in the solar system. The report listed three key questions related to the study of Trojan asteroids in context with other bodies throughout the outer solar system: What were the initial stages, conditions, and processes of solar system formation and the nature of the interstellar matter that was incorporated? Important objects for study: comets, asteroids, Trojans, and Kuiper belt objects. What governed the accretion, supply of water, chemistry, and internal differentiation of the inner planets and the evolution of their atmospheres, and what roles did bombardment by large projectiles play? Important objects for study: Mars, the Moon, Trojans, Venus, asteroids, and comets. What were the primordial sources of organic matter, and where does organic synthesis continue today? Important objects for study: comets, asteroids, Trojans, Kuiper belt objects, Enceladus, Europa, Mars, Titan, and Uranian satellites. The Lucy looks to the New Horizon Pluto mission for two of its instruments with near copies of that missions LORRI high resolution camera and the RALPH color camera and imaging spectrometer. The third instrument is a thermal emission spectrometer derived from an instrument on the OSIRIX-REx asteroid mission. Data from these instruments will provide information on the processes that shaped these worlds, their composition, and physical properties of the surface material such as the average size of particles. Tracking of the spacecrafts radio signal will provide information on each asteroids mass and therefore density which provides clues to their composition and to whether they are solid objects or rubble piles. The creativity behind the Lucy mission is that its proposers found a trajectory that over 12 years encounters seven asteroids (two in a binary system). The Lucy mission will encounter its targets using two large solar orbits that take it out to the orbit of Jupiter to encounter the Trojan swarms. In the first of these orbits, it will fly by a tiny main belt asteroid (DonaldJohanson, named after the paleontologist who led the team that found the Lucy fossil) and then four diverse asteroids in the Greek population. The next orbit takes it into the Trojan population for a single encounter with a binary asteroid system whose characteristics are similar to those of comets suggesting they may be refugees from the distant outer solar system. After this second long orbit, the spacecraft should have sufficient fuel for further encounters with main belt and Trojan asteroids in a third orbit if NASA approves funding for an extended mission. (Each of these extended orbits appear to take approximately six years, so any encounters from an extended mission seem likely to occur in the late 2030s.) The Lucy mission will study a variety of asteroids through brief, but intense flybys. It will be something like photographing boulders along the roadside while speeding by on a freeway for later analysis. The second Discovery mission selected, by comparison, will be like parking your car next to one especially intriguing boulder for a nearly yearlong examination. The single destination for the Psyche spacecraft will be the relatively large asteroid of the same name. This world is the largest of the rare (type M) metallic asteroids. Psyche could be unique remnant of a class of asteroids that formed so close to the sun that only metals could condense out of the early solar nebula and was later flung into the main belt of the asteroids. Or it could be the inner, metallic core of a once larger protoplanet that had its overlying layers of rock and possibly ice blasted off by impacts with other asteroids. Telescopic observations reveal that Psyches surface is 90% metallic and 10% silicate rock. The spacecrafts instruments should distinguish between these scenarios by measuring the composition in detail and looking at the arrangement of the silicate material. The missions principal investigator wrote me, If the silicate material is primarily high-magnesian pyroxene or olivine, then these silicates are likely the remnants of a crystallizing magma ocean, and indicate that Psyche started as a differentiated planetesimal and had its mantle stripped, validating the missions prime hypothesis for this body. If the silicates are all primitive chondritic material, then they were likely added as later impacts, and Psyche may have started life as a highly reduced metallic body without a significant silicate mantle, or, the nature of impact flux and its consequences are far more significant than our current models indicate. The numbers and shapes of craters on Psyches surface may help decipher that story. The spacecrafts gamma-ray and neutron spectrometer (derived from an instrument on the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter) will help determine the asteroids bulk elemental composition. Psyche the asteroid wont be an unchanged relic. Its original surface will have been battered by numerous impacts over the subsequent billions of years. The hydrated materials recently discovered on its surface with telescopic studies, for example, are likely to have been delivered by impacts of other asteroids. Its possible that by now, the body is a jumbled rubble pile. The cameras on the spacecraft (near copies of the cameras that the Mars 2020 rover will carry) will be tasked with taking the images that will allow geologists to reconstruct its history. By using filters tuned to specific wavelengths of visible and near-infrared light, the cameras images also will help map the surfaces fine-scale composition. Photo: American Alliance of Airport Police Officers The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) has released a statement about Friday's shooting at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport: The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is saddened by Friday's shooting at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. We extend our sympathies to the families and friends of the five people who were killed, those who have been injured, and all those affected by this horrible incident. This tragedy highlights that airports continue to be a top target for terrorists, bad actors who seek to cause harm, and the mentally ill. Whether it is the November 2013 shooting at Los Angeles International Airport, a machete-wielding man in the attack at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, or the numerous terrorist-related incidents that have occurred abroad, airports are a priority objective for those intent on inflicting chaos. This outrageous and awful incident reinforces the need for proactive airport security measures -- including our longstanding recommendation that an armed law enforcement officer is located within 300 feet of the TSA screening checkpoint at major airports. This area is an airport's busiest and most vulnerable chokepoint, yet most major airports do not have a dedicated, armed police officer near it to prevent threats from breaching this barrier. AAAPO commends Congress Members Elliot Engel (D-NY), Dan Donovan (R-NY), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Peter King (R-NY), Paul Cook (R-CA), Steve Israel (D-NY), Alan Lowenthal (D-CA), Leonard Lance (R-NJ), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), Bill Pascrell (D-NJ), Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Lee Zeldin (R-NY), Frank Pallone (D-NJ), David Scott (D-GA), Albio Sires (D-NJ), Grace Meng (D-CA) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) for supporting the Checkpoint Safety Act of 2016 (H.R. 5720), which would implement the 300-foot rule at major airports. We hope this bill finally passes in the 115th Congress. In light of the current incident, we recommend exploring measures to further secure additional areas of our airports and expand staffing. "Here we are again, with people unnecessarily being killed and injured at our airports. We have seen this too many times before and it needs to, and can, stop -- by putting into place practical protocols to secure our nation's airports," says Marshall McClain, co-founder of AAAPO and President of the Los Angeles Airport Peace Officers Association. "I cannot fathom what it will take for airport and policy leaders to get serious about security and implement this and ways to fortify airport security." About AAAPO The American Alliance of Airport Police Officers (AAAPO) is composed of rank-and-file airport police officers (including many dual police/aircraft rescue firefighters) who stand as the first line of defense against terrorist attacks, hijackings and other criminal activity at our nation's airports. We seek to promote security and safety for the traveling public, visitors and airport employees by highlighting best practices and identifying areas for improvement and proposed solutions for our nation's airport security deployment. AAAPO focuses on regulatory issues that promote our efforts to provide the most advanced and cutting-edge service innovations and security processes in our nation and the world. Our organization represents thousands of sworn law enforcement officers across the United States beholden only to this mission. We are unencumbered by neither political nor managerial constraints that would prevent us from promoting sound public safety policy. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print *The following is an opinion column by R Muse* It is almost certainly true that every law enforcement officer, public school teacher and parent experienced a guilty individuals attempt to distract attention from themselves and point out someone elses alleged infraction. Although it is true that Donald Trump is not a child or student even though he acts like one, he does display every sign of every career criminal law enforcement officials have to witness regularly. On Friday he exhibited why he does not belong anywhere near the halls of power, and not just because he is an incompetent know-nothing, but because he is a deceitful piece of work that can never be trusted. After the intelligence community (IC) revealed what any half-wit was already aware of for months; that Vladimir Putin ordered an attack on America to install his puppet Trump in the White House; and then that the Ruskies rejoiced that their spy-craft delivered the intended results, Trump did what every criminal does; raise a distraction and call for an investigation into an entirely unrelated entity. Trump took to his official press outlet, the Twitter, to attack the media for reporting what every American and their favorite pet already knew; Moscow celebrated when their candidate won the White House. Trump said via Tweet that: I am asking the chairs of the House and Senate committees to investigate top secret intelligence shared with NBC prior to me seeing it. Who gave them this report and why? Politics! Now, there are plenty of lies in deceitful Dons Tweet, but there is the little issue of where an alleged incoming presidents focus of attention is after an attack on America for his benefit. After just being officially briefed (he already knew) that a hostile foreign power committed an act of war against America on Trumps behalf, instead of calling the chairs of the House and Senate committees (which ones?) to investigate the attack on America, he wants to pursue members of the press. That aspect of Trumps remark wasnt lost on House Representative Adam Schiff (D-CA) who responded to dumb Donnie with a Tweet of his own. Mr. Schiff asked comrade Trump: Of all issues implicated by Russian active measures, this is what you want to investigate? This is your top priority for intel committees? In a word, yes. First, dunce Donnie isnt informed enough to cite intel committees; he probably thinks there is just one committee for each chamber. But of course calling to investigate the media instead of the Russians is his top priority for a couple of reasons beyond the treasonous giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Besides creating a distraction, he is signaling to his rabid supporters that it isnt his campaign or the Russians that need to be investigated by Congress, it is the media for daring to be the media and report the truth. It is yet another demonstration that one of his intents as White House occupant is using the federal government to intimidate and censor the press. Typically though, Trump got the facts all wrong in assailing NBC for reporting the obvious; Russia celebrated its victory over American democracy. As noted over at Huffington Post, that story from NBC News actually quoted an unnamed intelligence official confirming the Russians were rejoicing post-election. And, it was a detail first reported by The Washington Post, not NBC News. The unnamed intelligence official also described the findings of a multi-agency report that laid out the case that the Russians stole, then released, a mountain of emails for the purpose of helping Trump by damaging the Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. It is worth reiterating that none of the released intelligence reports was revelatory after being in the news for months. One thing is certain; Donald J. Trump certainly knew the dirty details of the story because the Russians admitted being in contact with the Trump campaign during and after the election. At HuffPo they wondered why the Trump singled out NBC News when WaPo originally released the story. The answer is simple; Trump acolytes watch NBC News far more than they read the Washington Post. Trumps minions certainly heard the reports that the Russians celebrated his win because they watch network news; Trump knows it and shifted the blame to poor NBC for reporting what everyone already knew were facts. What is lost on this story is Trumps insinuation that the intelligence community is feeding the media top-secret intelligence in the name of politics. That is patently false and the IC should be even more inflamed at their incoming boss than one could have previously thought possible. Oh, it is true over at the FBI there is an alt-right contingent that aided and abetted Trumps ascension to a place he doesnt belong, but there are 16 other agencies in the IC that are not politically motivated for Russia. No American should be surprised that a corrupt human being like Trump would go full-on criminal and attempt to distract the nation from the real and present danger of an attack on America, or lie to substantiate his assertions; it is what criminals do. Hrafnkell Haraldsson reported yesterday that Rachel Maddow was stunned at Trump lying about a report that was publicly available. Ms. Maddow remarked on Trumps blatant lies and said, I have to say I dont get weirded out by a lot of stuff in the news but this puts a shiver down my spine. Everything Trump says and does should send shivers down decent Americans spines; that is the normal response to a monster. However, what is worrisome is that Trump is still demeaning the intelligence community. If thats not enough he is calling on the Congress to investigate the press over a true and accurate report that was common knowledge among the general population. All Americans should be terrified of a man who will go to any length, including attacking the press and IC, to protect his Russian masters which is Donald J. Trump giving aid and comfort to the enemy and why there is a threat of treason already hanging over his presidency. Facebook Twitter Pinterest Email Print Incoming White House adviser Kellyanne Conway is busy trying to silence Meryl Streep by accusing her of inciting peoples worst instincts in her Golden Globe speech, during which Streep asked people to join the Committee to Protect Journalists and never actually spoke President-elect Donald Trumps name. On Fox And Friends Monday morning, Conway spun wild, Im concerned that someone with a platform like Meryl Streeps is inciting peoples worst instincts. .@KellyannePolls: I'm concerned that somebody with a platform like Meryl Streep's is inciting people's worst instincts pic.twitter.com/QjITaedKnV FOX & friends (@foxandfriends) January 9, 2017 What is inciting peoples worst instincts you ask? Is Conway referring to suggesting the winner be shot, perhaps, like Donald Trump did, because that truly would be horrible. Shame on Meryl Streep! Oh, wait, Meryl Streep didnt even say Trumps name and she sure as heck didnt incite violence or even suggest anything remotely like a worst instinct (what is worse than suggesting someone be murdered?), unlike Donald Trump. Left out of all of this is the reason Streep suggested people join the Committee to Protect Journalists, which is more important than Donald Trumps feelings. Meryl Streep is guilty, according to Conway, of not supporting Donald Trump even though she doesnt like that he won. She sounds like 2014. The election is over. She lost. Everybody in that audience, with very few exceptions, was of a single, myopic mind as to how they wanted the election to go and how they expected the election to go. They lost and I really wish she would have stood up last night and said Look, I didnt like the election results, but hes our president and were going to support him. Thus, if you dont fall into line, youre guilty of inciting peoples worst instincts. (Please do not apply this standard to Birther Donald Trump.) Thats quite a charge to level against a citizen from a soon-to-be White House adviser. But not unexpected, as Conway took to CNNs New Day to shame the press for taking Donald Trump at his word, Do you always want to go by whats come out of (Trumps) mouth rather than look at whats in his heart? In other words, Donald Trump isnt accountable for what he says. He is accountable for what Conway claims is in his heart, even when that is in direct opposition to how he acts and what he says. However, standards are higher for Meryl Streep. She isnt allowed to disagree with Donald Trump or call for people to do dangerous things like join the Committee to Protect Journalists, because this is seen as inciting worst instincts by Conway. Although Im sure plenty of people will not agree with Conway that not approving of Donald Trump mocking a disabled reporter is a worst instinct. Hint: The worst instinct is mocking the reporter, from a position of privilege and power. Basically, Donald Trump is such a baby that he cant be held accountable for what he says from the biggest platform in the world, and hes so thin-skinned that Americans arent allowed to even disagree with him without being charged with inciting worst instincts. Because to Trump, disagreeing with him is so painful that it FEELS like worst instincts to him. Trump is a very special snowflake, people. Only positive comments, thanks! Watchdog and Public Service reporter Thad Moore is a reporter on The Post and Couriers Watchdog and Public Service team and a graduate of the University of South Carolina. To share tips securely, reach Moore via ProtonMail at thadmoore@protonmail.com or on Signal at 843-214-6576. 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 With the legislative session underway, area school superintendents are hoping lawmakers will respond to their concerns. At the top of the list for Rochester Public Schools: special education funding. The Rochester district is one of many education groups hoping the Legislature will confront a longstanding unfunded mandate. The state has a list of required special education regulations and programming it doesn't fund. Groups such as the Association of Metro School Districts, an organization that the Rochester district and Superintendent Michael Munoz are part of, and the Minnesota School Board Association are pushing for change because of the impact special ed programming has on district budgets. When state and federal funding for state mandates doesn't match local costs, districts must pull from their general funds to finance it. In Rochester, for the 2015-16 school year, that meant pulling an additional $15.6 million out of the general fund to spend on special education, Munoz said. Total special education costs for the district are $44.2 million. ADVERTISEMENT For districts statewide, unfunded mandates for special ed totaled $543 million in 2015, according to the Minnesota Department of Education. And special education costs continue to rise. To be clear, Munoz said, Rochester and other districts aren't opposed to the regulations. But they do object that the state requires these things without providing funding for them. "We just want to make them aware that some of these additional mandates have financial ramifications," he said. Long ago, the federal government promised to cover 40 percent of a special education cross-subsidy, but funding to that level never materialized, Munoz said. In Minnesota, the mandates go far beyond what the federal government, and many other states, require. There are at least 19 additional statutory provisions and rules in Minnesota that impose a requirement not required under federal law, according to a 2013 evaluation of special education by the Office of the Legislative Auditor . That's not a bad thing, said Karla Bollesen, director of student services in Rochester, but it can burden districts, requiring lots of extra paperwork, which takes away from prep and time spent teaching. "When you have all this extra stuff you have to do, it's harder for that teacher who really wants to teach kids," Munoz said. "You're spending a lot of time doing paperwork and things that keep you from serving students, and that's not why they got into education." ADVERTISEMENT And with a statewide teacher shortage, Bollesen said, that's concerning, because special education jobs are a notoriously "hard to fill." In 2012, legislators raised concerns about special education costs and the burden on education funds and commissioned the legislative auditor to look into the issue. The office of the Legislative Auditor stepped in to review special education funding in 2013, making recommendations to identify cost controls and streamline paperwork requirements. But it remains an issue. Sen. Carla Nelson, R-Rochester, a former special education teacher in Rochester and chairwoman of the E-12 finance committee, said the committee will generate a report on all the unfunded mandates related to special education to evaluate their impact. "Any type of unfunded mandates put extreme pressure on on our local units of government, whether it's school districts, or a city, or a county, and then of course the taxpayers are on the hook for that," she said. While it's unclear how special ed programming could be financed, boosting overall funding districts receive, or targeting the money specifically at special education are possibilities, Nelson said. But generally, districts want the option of "more local control, with less strings," she added. ADVERTISEMENT Rochester district officials said the district has done what it can to keep up with rising costs, including hiring additional staff to do "third-party billing." For students who have a disability service, the district is able to bill their insurance companies to cover certain services and positions, such as speech and language pathologists, for the services they provide. That helped mitigate that gap by $1.8 million in 2015-16, RPS said, but it's not something all districts work to take advantage. "We've kind of gone above and beyond to try to help with that gap, and there's just no more we can do, but to ask the state to step up a little bit and help us out with that," Munoz said. School board Chairwoman Julie Workman represents the Rochester district in the Minnesota School Board Association and said that as the group was talking about their legislative agenda, they took a vote on whether to present this concern to the Legislature. To give you an idea of how important it is to the people throughout the state of Minnesota, that resolution passed with 116 votes to four, she said. "It's not just Rochester." ST. PAUL Of the 80 bills introduced so far in the Minnesota House, nearly a third of them came from one lawmaker Rep. Duane Quam. The Byron Republican introduced 27 bills on Thursday, the first day lawmakers could introduce bill. Quam said he has another couple dozen ready to go. Why draft so many bills? "Having a background as a scientist/engineer, I tend to look at problems and issues and look for solutions," Quam said. Since being elected to the House in 2010, Quam has developed a reputation as one of the most prolific bill drafters in the Legislature. During the previous two-year session, Quam chief-authored 69 bills, the fourth highest number for a House member. ADVERTISEMENT The conservative lawmaker doesn't shy away from controversial subjects. Quam's bill introductions last week include one that would prohibit criminal or civil penalties from being levied against individuals or organizations that refuse to allow their facilities or property to be used for activities that violate their religious beliefs. That could include business owners declining to allow a same-sex couple to be married on their property. "There's a long history of the government saying we're not going to force a person to do something against their strongly held religious beliefs. And the bill is meant to have a discussion," he said. Bills are about 'conversation' Another would require public school students to use the locker room, changing room or shower that corresponds with their biological gender at birth. Both this bill and the religious exemption bill face fierce opposition from LGBTQ groups that argue they would legalize discrimination. Quam remains undeterred. "I'm not afraid to broach difficult topics. Just because an issue may be uncomfortable to discuss doesn't mean it doesn't need to be discussed. And even if a bill is not passed and become law, having that conversation and that public discourse I think helps all sides," he said. It's unclear how much appetite Senate Republicans will have for bills dealing with social issues this session, given their razor-thin majority of 34 to 33. Deputy Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, said he expects Republicans will be focused on issues like health care and transportation this session. "My stance is we should focus on those issues and not on the social issues," Miller said. "Again, any legislator can introduce any bills of their choosing and that's their decision, but I do not think you'll see a focus on social issues in the Senate." ADVERTISEMENT Bills stake out positions Quam's bills cover a wide range of topics. One measure would make election judges' party affiliation public. Another bill would require that would require local authorities to honor detainer requests issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for up to 48 hours. Even if the odds seem stacked against a bill becoming law, that doesn't mean you don't try, according to former Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum. "Sometimes if you just introduce a bill even if it doesn't go through the process it does give you a statement. It gives you a position to stake out that this is the type of person I am and this is the type of state I want," he said. Sviggum said he is not surprised that the Byron lawmaker is among the top House members for drafting bills. "I know Duane quite well. I campaigned with him in the past. He's a very thoughtful, studious type of person. That's my impression of him," he said. Quam said more than half of his bills are developed after conversations with constituents. Others come from lobbyists seeking a change in the law. And then there are the bills inspired by simply getting out in the district. For instance, Quam authored a bill requiring the Minnesota Department of Transportation to inventory its property and determine its saleability after noticing vacant right-of-way land near intersections. That bill became law. Many of the bills introduced by Quam this session are retreads from previous years. He said at least one of his bills has become law every year. ADVERTISEMENT Time to limit 'infinite' filings? Not all lawmakers think it's a good idea for legislators to introduce dozens and dozens of bills. Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, believes it's time to consider limiting the number of bills Minnesota lawmakers can introduce in a session. Last session, more than 4,000 bills were introduced. Every time a bill is introduced, a staff person has to spend time drafting the proposal. "When you are looking at a part-time Legislature that can only meet 120 days in session over two years, you just simply can't have an infinite number of items dumped into that," he said. Quam said his bills are about generating discussion and looking for solutions. He does not do it to get attention. In the past, he said he has voluntarily stepped aside and let other members take his bill. "I enjoy solutions and I like to be active in trying to fix things. I'm not the first one to rush in front of a TV camera." MINNEAPOLIS A federal agency that's reviewing a Minnesota police department after the fatal shooting of Philando Castile is kicking off its work with a series of listening sessions designed to give citizens a chance to express concerns and offer suggestions. Representatives from the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services will be gathering community input in the three cities served by the St. Anthony Police Department this week. Here are some details: Why a review? Castile, who was black, was killed July 6 during a traffic stop in the St. Paul suburb of Falcon Heights. The shooting's gruesome aftermath was streamed live on Facebook by Castile's girlfriend, who was in the car along with her young daughter. Prosecutors said the 32-year-old elementary school cafeteria worker was shot by St. Anthony police officer Jeronimo Yanez after he told Yanez he was armed and had a license to carry a weapon. Yanez, who is Latino, has been charged with second-degree manslaughter and other counts. Prosecutors said he acted unreasonably and was not justified in using deadly force. Yanez's attorneys have asked that the charges be dismissed, and said Castile never told Yanez he had a permit to carry. ADVERTISEMENT Castile's family has said he was profiled because of his race, and his death renewed concerns about how law enforcement officers interact with minorities. His death prompted numerous protests, including public outcry at city council meetings in St. Anthony and Falcon Heights, where citizens demanded police department changes. What will the sessions entail? A listening session will be held in each city the St. Anthony Police Department serves, with the first on Monday night in Falcon Heights. Sessions will be held Tuesday in St. Anthony and Wednesday in Lauderdale. Ronald Davis, director of the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, said the listening sessions give his representatives a chance to hear the community something he called "critically important" before his office gets deep into the review process. Davis said the community might share something that will expand the review's scope. The Police Department is not invited, he said. "We want to hear from the community," he said, later adding: "We would encourage community members to come out and share their input. There is no voice too small, too loud, and I think all of them are welcome." What happens next? ADVERTISEMENT During the course of the review, Davis' office will assess the Police Department in many areas, including interactions with the public, traffic stops and hiring practices. Davis has said the review will include an assessment of thousands of pages of documents, police ride-alongs and interviews before recommendations are made to improve service and build trust. After issuing an initial report, the office will work with St. Anthony to help implement changes. The review is different from investigations by the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, which result in consent decrees and mandated reforms. Davis said his office's reviews are done by request, and departments can decide if they want to implement recommendations. St. Anthony is the 16th police department to undergo this this type of voluntary review, and with 23 officers it is the smallest. Davis said the hope is that recommendations made here will serve as a model for small police departments across the country. Changes already in the works Castile's shooting prompted the city of St. Anthony to take a closer look at possible racial bias within the Police Department. Arrest data analyzed by The Associated Press in the days after Castile's death showed St. Anthony police disproportionately arrested African-Americans. Census data shows just 7 percent of residents in St. Anthony, Lauderdale and Falcon Heights are black, but black people account for roughly 38 percent of arrests since 2011. In September, the department announced it was taking steps to enhance its data collection, including noting details such as a person's gender, race and whether a search was conducted during a traffic stop. Police Chief Jon Mangseth said at the time that the changes build on the department's commitment to be transparent and accountable. ADVERTISEMENT In addition, the city has expressed interest in forming a task force to look into possible racial bias. When the federal review was announced last month, Mangseth said his department welcomed the process and is committed to making necessary reforms. Some community members weren't impressed, saying the department was only doing what was necessary to improve its image. A months-old federal law that gives U.S. citizens priority over non-U.S. citizens in the granting of public housing assistance faces a test in Guam as applicants began registering Monday. The Guam Housing and Urban Renewal Authority opened its online registration system for Guam's first Section 8 lottery Monday morning. Section 8 is a federally funded program that awards rent vouchers, and in some cases subsidy for power or water bill payments, for those who qualify. Its also the first time GHURA opened its wait list since the enactment in July last year of the U.S. Citizenship Preference for Housing Opportunities through Modernization Act of 2016. Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. Error! There was an error processing your request. Priority for U.S. citizens, nationals That law, according to GHURA, states: U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals shall have priority over non-U.S., and citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia. GHURA Executive Director Mike Duenas said families will be randomly selected for slots on the wait list, but for the actual selection of which household gets housing assistance first, U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals will have priority. During the previous openings of GHURAs wait list, applicants formed long lines that stretched over a few blocks past the GHURA office in Sinajana. This time, the high traffic of applicants was seen online. Computers at GHURA's Sinajana office failed to properly load the online portal for about an hour into the 8 a.m. portal opening. After that, the portal began to function and local residents were able to register for the lottery at the GHURA office. Other applicants were able to use several computers at the Sinajana Mayors Office adjacent to GHURA to register to avoid the line at GHURA. Duenas said the technical problems that applicants were facing probably had to do with the high online traffic for the registration. "The site may be overloaded by the initial rush," he said, "but the vendor had anticipated this so we hope everything will even out by (Monday) afternoon." The lottery portal will be open until Friday, Jan. 13 at 5 p.m. GHURA officials, including the Section 8 administrator, Norma San Nicolas, stressed that applicants need not worry about registering early as the selection process for this Section 8 wait list is randomized and does not take registration time into consideration when generating the list of 1,800 registrants. Duenas said the agency decided to implement a lottery system to mirror what other housing agencies are doing in the states, as well as to reduce the burden on residents who previously would line up for hours, or even days, in lines extending from the Sinajana office to the St. Fidelis Friary in Agana Heights. One local resident, Dorothy Siren, said this was the second time she had applied for the Section 8 program. Previously, she showed up the night before to secure her place in a line that already extended well past GHURAs office. 'Food, chairs and sleeping bags' I remember my friend told me to line up early, she said. When I got there, she was number four in line and there were people with food, chairs and sleeping bags. Annie Rosario, who was accompanied by her two adult daughters, said she needs housing assistance to accommodate the needs of her son, who has a disability. Rosario said she didn't apply last time because she didn't really need it, but said she really needs it now. They just got back from the Philippines for an extensive medical operation for her son's heart condition, she said. The Washington Post has published a piece by James Kirchick called How Trump got his party to love Vladmir Putin. The title is ridiculous. Republicans dont love Putin, and Kirchicks article provides no evidence that they do. In fact, although Trump takes too soft a line on the Russian leader, there is no basis for saying that he loves, or even likes, Putin. The article itself is also over-the-top in places. For example, Kirchick says that in Donald Trump, the GOP nominated the most pro-Russian U.S. presidential candidate since Henry Wallace, whose 1948 bid on the Progressive Party ticket was largely run by communists. Even if this statement were true, it would be a cheap shot. Trump is nothing like Henry Wallace when it comes to Russia. Wallace is truly a red herring. But is Kirchicks claim true? In 2012, Barack Obama ridiculed Mitt Romneys view that Russia poses a major geopolitical threat to the U.S. When he thought the mic was off, Obama told Russias president that he could be more accommodating after the election. But Obama had already been plenty accommodating, having launched his Russian reset and scuttled plans for a missile defense in eastern/central Europe. Did the Washington Post invite Kirchick or some other Russia hawk to write an opinion piece about Obama loving Russia. If so, I missed it. During his campaign, Trump was basically agnostic as to whether Russia poses a geopolitical threat. He claimed (apparently falsely) that he doesnt know Putin, and he said it would be great if we got along with him so the U.S. and Russia could work together to defeat ISIS. As distressing as this nonchalance and/or naivety towards an evil regime is, it seems no worse than Obamas 2012 campaign utterances (on and off mic) on the subject of Russia. And Trumps position certainly does not reflect love for Putin. As for Republicans, Kirchick bases the claim that they are pro-Putin on the comments of a few talking heads (e.g., Sean Hannity and Newt Gingrich) and outliers (David Keene and Dana Rohrabacher), plus a poll showing that 37 percent of Republicans have a favorable view of Putin (up from 10 percent in 2014 after he annexed Crimea). The poll shows that Republicans do not like Putin. The focus on Hannity and company obscures the fact that congressional Republicans remain anti-Putin. Kirchick credits only Senators McCain, Graham, and Rubio as holding out against the good will towards Putin thats allegedly engulfing the GOP. But at the hearing last week on Russian hacking, most Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee had nothing good to say about Putin. Only Thom Tillis appeared to break ranks. Kirchick says that McCain and Graham, under pressure from Majority Leader McConnell, have backed down from their push to establish a select committee to investigate Russian election interference. But the decision not to form a select committee is reasonable and reflects no softness towards Putin. The Senate, via its Armed Services Committee, has already held a hearing and other congressional committees may follow suit. The intelligence committee has weighed in with a report. The hacking story has prominently featured in the news for weeks. What purpose, then, would a select committee serve? Theres only so much that can be said about this subject. Kirchick is right to express concern regarding what Trumps policy towards Russia will be. However, Kirchicks indictment of the Republican party is not justified, and even his attack on Trump goes too far. Unlike President Obama, Trump has made no concessions to Russia; nor, as far as we know, has he promised to make any. And there is good reason to believe that if Trump tilts pro-Putin, he will face intense criticism from the party establishment. CORRECTION: Sen. Tillis office writes to say that at the Armed Services Committee hearing, the Senator did not say anything remotely positive about Putin. This is true. Like his colleagues, Tillis did not have anything good to say about the Russian leader. To the extent that Tillis broke ranks, as I put it, he did so to argue that the U.S. has interfered in more elections than Russia. Making this point, whatever one thinks of it, did not constitute praise of Putin, and I should not have written my post in a way that indicated otherwise. I wrote here, here and here about the Obama administrations two reports that purport to show that the DNCs email system was penetrated by Russian intelligence. (For reasons about which we can only speculate, they dont talk about the intrusion into the email account of Hillary Clintons campaign manager, John Podesta.) I concluded that those reports completely failed to make the case that the Russians were behind the DNC hack. The administrations reports are so lacking in technical information that I think my assessment is non-controversial. Moreover, the fact that the Washington Post was briefed on last weeks report by the CIA, FBI and NSA before President-Elect Donald Trump demonstrates that the reports purpose was wholly political. It was just one more effort by President Obama and his minions to undermine the Trump administration before it gets off the ground. That doesnt answer the question, of course, of who did penetrate Debbie Wasserman-Schultzs and John Podestas accounts. While the administrations reports are useless, there is technical support for the claim that Russians believed to be associated with that countrys intelligence apparatus were involved. As I understand it, no one can say this definitively, but some experts say that the footprints left by the party or parties who accessed the accounts through a crude spearfishing strategy reflected, in a number of ways, the M.O. of a couple of known Russian hacking groups. Perhaps the most significant such assessment comes from the company that was hired by the DNC to investigate that intrusion, CrowdStrike: CrowdStrike Services Inc., our Incident Response group, was called by the Democratic National Committee (DNC), the formal governing body for the US Democratic Party, to respond to a suspected breach. We deployed our IR team and technology and immediately identified two sophisticated adversaries on the network COZY BEAR and FANCY BEAR. Weve had lots of experience with both of these actors attempting to target our customers in the past and know them well. CrowdStrikes post goes on to supply quite a bit of technical detail, but it never actually says what features of the attack allowed them to immediately identify COZY BEAR and FANCY BEAR. COZY BEAR and FANCY BEAR are also known in the business as APT 29 and APT 28, respectively. CrowdStrike adds this interesting note: COZY BEAR (also referred to in some industry reports as CozyDuke or APT 29) is the adversary group that last year successfully infiltrated the unclassified networks of the White House, State Department, and US Joint Chiefs of Staff. They are wrong about the yearthe intrusion that shut down the White House and State Department computer systems occurred in the fall of 2014but it is interesting to see that connection drawn. The Obama administration said, once the midterm election was safely over, that the Russian government had been behind the White House and State Department hacksintrusions far more significant than the Wasserman-Schultz and Podesta accounts. Other experts agree that the DNC and Podesta hacks were most likely perpetrated by the Russians. A group called Secure Works writes: The Hillary Clinton email leak was the center of the latest scandal in the news caused by Threat Group-4127[1] (TG-4127). SecureWorks Counter Threat Unit (CTU) researchers track the activities of Threat Group-4127, which targets governments, military, and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Components of TG-4127 operations have been reported under the names APT28, Sofacy, Sednit, and Pawn Storm. CTU researchers assess with moderate confidence that the group is operating from the Russian Federation and is gathering intelligence on behalf of the Russian government. Here, too, there is much technical detail at the link. You can read it for yourself and draw what conclusions you will. Whether Putins government was responsible for the Wasserman Schultz and Podesta penetrations is not critical, given that at worst, the exposure of those emails merely provided voters with accurate information and, in any event, had little impact on the presidential campaign. At least three far more important points have emerged from this controversy: 1) The FBI, CIA and NSA are now on record for the fact that the Soviet and Russian governments have carried out propaganda and false front campaigns for decades, trying to influence American politics. The nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s, in which Barack Obama participated, is a great example of a Soviet front operation. This is something conservatives have been saying for a long time, which led me to ask the FBI, CIA and NSA: Where were you when we needed you? 2) The Russians and Chinese have carried out relentless cyber warfare against the United States for years, illegally accessing computerized information, including but not limited to emails, from the White House, the State Department, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and many corporations and other entities. The Obama administration has been typically supine, failing to respond to these attacks on the U.S. Only when he thought political hay could be made did Obama belatedly swing into action. Well, thats an overstatementObama hasnt actually done anything, beyond trying to undermine his successor. But Donald Trump has promised to give cyber warfare a high priority during the early days of his administration. Lets hope he does so. 3) This controversy highlights Hillary Clintons extreme negligence in circumventing the State Departments security arrangements, flawed as those arrangements might have been. It is impossible to understand how anyone with even the most primitive understanding of internet security could think it makes sense to set up a completely unsecured server in her home, and use it to transact State Department business. Thank goodness Hillary Clinton will never again hold high office! If one hypothesized that President Obamas object in entering into the JCPOA was to block Iran from acquiring a nuclear arsenal, one might conclude that the man is madder than King George III in the Regency Crisis. Indeed, so it seems, more evidence emerges every day to support the hypothesis. You begin to think you might be on to something. In the alternative, one might hypothesize that President Obama seeks to facilitate and finance Irans acquisition of a nuclear arsenal, and to protect its program from disruption until such team as Iran seeks to go for it forthrightly. In this case, although one shrinks from the conclusion, Obamas actions appear rationally calculated to achieve their objective. Todays news brings us additional evidence in the form of the AP exclusive reporting that Iran is to obtain a massive batch of natural uranium from Russia with the blessing of President Obama. The AP reports: Two senior diplomats said the transfer recently agreed by the U.S. and five other world powers that negotiated the nuclear deal with Iran foresees delivery of 116 metric tons (nearly 130 tons) of natural uranium. U.N. Security Council approval is needed but a formality, considering five of those powers are permanent Security Council members, they said. The AP helpfully explains: Uranium can be enriched to levels ranging from reactor fuel or medical and research purposes to the core of an atomic bomb. Iran says it has no interest in such weapons and its activities are being closely monitored under the nuclear pact to make sure they remain peaceful. Tehran already got a similar amount of natural uranium in 2015 as part of negotiations leading up to the nuclear deal, in a swap for enriched uranium it sent to Russia. But the new shipment will be the first such consignment since the deal came into force a year ago. The AP adds this for those of us trying to sort out the madness or not of King Barry: The natural uranium agreement comes at a sensitive time. With the incoming U.S. administration and many U.S. lawmakers already skeptical of how effective the nuclear deal is in keeping Irans nuclear program peaceful over the long term, they might view it as further evidence that Tehran is being given too many concessions. The diplomats said any natural uranium transferred to Iran after the deal came into effect would be under strict surveillance by the U.N.s International Atomic Energy Agency for 25 years after implementation of the deal. Let me add: for 25 years after implementation of the deal or until such time as Iran chooses to pull the plug on the phony baloney JCPOA. Back to the diplomats speaking to the AP: They said Tehran has not said what it would do with the uranium but could choose to store it or turn it into low-enriched uranium and then export it for use as reactor fuel. Despite present restrictions on its enrichment program, the amount of natural uranium is significant should Iran decide to keep it in storage, considering its potential uses once some limits on Tehrans nuclear activities start to expire in less than a decade. Here the AP goes outside Obamas circle of love for informed comment: David Albright, whose Institute of Science and International Security often briefs U.S. lawmakers on Irans nuclear program, says the shipment could be enriched to enough weapons-grade uranium for more than 10 simple nuclear bombs, depending on the efficiency of the enrichment process and the design of the nuclear weapon. Omri Ceren adds these comments by email (footnotes omitted): The 2015 nuclear deal obligated Iran to keep no more than 130 metric tonnes of heavy water, a material used in the production of weapons-grade plutonium. But the Iranians have continued to produce heavy water, and they exceeded the cap in February and November. The violations functionally blackmailing the Obama administration: either someone would purchase the excess heavy water, allowing Iran to literally profit from violating the deal, or the Iranians would go into formal noncompliance, endangering the deal. After the Iranians violated the deal in February the Obama administration purchased the excess heavy water for $8.6 million. After they violated the deal in November State Department spokesperson Toner refused to call the overproduction a violation Im not going to use the V word necessarily in this case and the Iranians eventually found someone else to purchase the excess. The Associated Press just revealed that in addition to getting millions of dollars, the Iranians are also getting 116 metric tons of uranium in exchange for their heavy water. Thats enough for more than 10 nuclear bombs. The Obama administration has approved those terms [reported in the AP story] There are no diplomatic or technical reasons Iran needs to sell excess heavy water to avoid violating the deal: the Iranians could 1st, stop producing heavy water or 2nd, dump the excess in a river, since its just water. Obama officials have separately suggested that Iranian over-production is a win-win because there are shortages in the global market, but: there are no shortages, even if there were the Iranians are substandard suppliers, and using the Iranians may create actual shortages by kneecapping the existing legitimate suppliers. We report, you decide. Ive been reading a lot of Roger Scrutons work lately (long article to come), and was struck by one of his typically acute summary statements about todays academic left in Fools, Frauds, and Firebrands, which is that they make fury respectable, and gobbledegook the mark of academic success. This came to mind in coming across this story in The Telegraph today: University students demand philosophers such as Plato and Kant are removed from syllabus because they are white Students at a prestigious London university are demanding that figures such as Plato, Descartes and Immanuel Kant should be largely dropped from the curriculum because they are white. School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS)s student union is insisting that when studying philosophy the majority of philosophers on our courses should be from Africa and Asia. They say it is part of wider campaign to decolonise the university, as the seek to address the structural and epistemological legacy of colonialism. . . Sir Roger Scruton, the philosopher, said the demands suggest ignorance. You cant rule out a whole area of intellectual endeavour without having investigated it and clearly they havent investigated what they mean by white philosophy, he told The Mail on Sunday. If they think there is a colonial context from which Kants Critique of Pure Reason arose, I would like to hear it. Of course, last I checked, most of the intellectual heroes of the left are white. Does the desired expulsion of white philosophers extend to Marx, Marcuse, Horkheimer, Adorno, Lukacs, and Foucault? If so Id almost be willing to go along with this idea. And if theyre not being dumped, why not? If pigment is the source of error. . . P.S. The Daily Mail headline is more fun: JOHN adds: This is so pathetically stupid that it doesnt really deserve a response. I take it that these people claim to be studying philosophy, right? So that means they need to study philosophers. What we call philosophy is a Western invention. I remember when Paul and I were taking a Greek philosophy class from Professor Duggan at Dartmouth. At one point in a lecture, he referred to Western philosophy, then paused and said: as if there were any other kind. If you dont want to study Plato, Aristotle, Aquinas, Descartes, Spinoza, Locke, Kant, Schopenhauer, Wittgenstein, fine. Dont. But then dont pretend that you are studying philosophy. Maiduguri, Borno state capital, was last night rocked by multiple blasts as two suspected Boko Haram suicide bombers made yet another futile attempt to assault residents near a popular motor park. Only the two male bombers died. One of the suicide bombers detonated his device at Gariki near Muna Park. The second attacker was shot dead by soldiers before his explosive device went off. Police and officials of the Civilian-JTF confirmed the blasts. Police Public Relations Officer, Victor Isuku, wrote on WhatsApp that preliminary information available is that the explosion occurred at Gariki Muna, which I understand is at the outskirts of town. But details will follow soonest. A leader of the Civilian-JTF, Danbatta Bello, said, The situation has been put under (control) since last night. They were two suicide bombers, who came around Muna, one of them detonated his self; but no one except him was killed. But the second one was shot dead and the explosives on him later detonated. Muna Garage has since October, 2016 been attacked seven times by Boko Haram suicide bombers, who succeeded in killing some residents. The park, mostly used by haulage trucks and by travelers heading for the border areas, is located along the Maiduguri-Gamboru-Ngala Road. The park is also not far from the home of a local government chairman who was last week arrested, and is still detained by the military for alleged harbouring a suspected Boko Haram kingpin in his home. Share this: Twitter Facebook The Nigeria Police on Monday said all the members of a kidnap gang that abducted a former minister of state for foreign affairs, Bagudu Hirse, have been arrested. In a statement by its spokespersons, Don Awunah, the police said the gang which operates mainly in Kaduna and other neighbouring states, was arrested based on intelligence gathered and surveillance which led to the arrest of Dominic Nwakpa, the gangs leader on January 1, 2017. Mr. Hirse was kidnapped in Kaduna on November 20, 2016 and regained his on November 26, 2016, five days after he was kidnapped. PREMIUM TIMES reported Mr. Hirses kidnap, although his guest and nephew to President Muhammadu Buhari, Mamman Daura, was believed to be the target. Mr. Awunah explained that other members of the 7-man gang which includes a dismissed police officer were subsequently arrested at their various hideouts. All the suspects were paraded by the police. The police gave the names of the suspects to include Dominic Nwakpa (gang leader), Ifeanyi Chukwu (2nd in command of the gang) and Balat Paul (gang driver). Others are Ibrahim Samuel; Jatau Peter, a dismissed police officer; Clinton Abere; and Afini Paul, younger sister to the driver of the gang and also owner of the house where kidnapped victims were kept. Mr. Awunah said the police recovered firearms, ammunition, military and police uniforms and two operational vehicles from the kidnappers. The Police said the suspects volunteered confessional statements admitting they kidnapped Mr. Hirse and collected ransom before he was released. The same gang confessed to the kidnap of Dr. Abdulmalik Durunguwa and his wife in their residence at different intervals in Kaduna. Ransom was also collected by the gang from the family of the victims before they were released. A Member of Kaduna State House of Assembly Hon. Ibrahim Samaila was also kidnapped by the gang on 26/8/2016 at Abakpa area of Kaduna State and undisclosed ransom money was collected by the gang before his release, the police said. Mr. Awunah said one of the suspects, Mr. Abere, was trailed and arrested in a hotel in Lagos after jumping out of the window of his hotel room on sighting police officers. Mr. Abere is currently receiving treatment at a police hospital from injury he sustained while trying to evade arrest, he said The spokesperson said all seven suspects have admitted their roles in the crimes and will be arraigned in court at the end of investigation. Share this: Twitter Facebook Witnesses in Kaleri suburb of Maiduguri, Borno State, where two female suicide bombers attacked and killed two persons on Sunday, said the attackers hugged the victims first before the bombs went off. Sources in the community, said the suicide bombers knocked on several doors begging for hot food or a place to sleep due to the extreme cold weather. One of the sources who did not want to be quoted for her own safety, said, They came to knock on my door at about 10p.m. And when I asked who was at the gate, a female voice said she was an IDP and that she needed shelter for the night because the outside was very cold. My daughter wanted to go and open the gate; but I had to stop her because it was an odd time for such visit and request. She said the unwelcomed visitor moved on to other houses and kept on knocking on doors. Some minutes later, we heard a female voice and some screaming asking to be let go, then suddenly we heard a deafening explosion, she said. It was much later that we realised that it was the daughter of one of our neighbours that was hugged by the woman pretending to be IDP after the girl had opened the door for her. The second explosion in Kaleri occurred minutes later when a man, head of a household, was said to have fallen for the deceit of the Boko Haram female suicide bomber, who immediately hugged him as soon as he opened his gate to attend to her. The doors and roofs of the attacked houses were all blown off due to the impact of the blasts. Maiduguri residents are currently agitated by Boko Harams changing tactics. Thousands of teachers in public primary and Junior Secondary Schools in Kwara say they have embarked on fasting and prayer to ensure payment of their six months salary arrears by state government. The Deputy Chairman of the state chapter of the Nigeria Union of Teachers, NUT, Toyin Salihu, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in llorin on Monday. Mr. Salihu, who also the Principal of Sheikh AbdulKadir College, llorin, said that the teachers action was for Gods intervention for the payment of their salary arrears. He said that though the fasting and prayers were voluntary for both Christians and Muslim teachers, it would continue until God accepts their request. The NUT Deputy Chairman said that the government had commenced full monthly payment for the teachers salary, but that they were yet to receive their six months salary arrears. Salihu said that the unpaid six months arrears had added to the untold hardship being experienced by the teachers and their relations. Efforts by NAN to speak with the Commissioner for Finance, Ademola Banu, on the issue proved abortive. A NAN correspondent sent text message to Mr. Banu and visited his office, for his comment on the issue but he did not respond. Normal academic activities were, however, in progress in some of the primary and junior secondary schools visited in some parts of llorin, the state capital. Teachers in public primary and junior secondary schools embarked on strike in 2016 over unpaid several months of salaries. (NAN) Share this: Twitter Facebook #PM-trapped miners PM urges utmost efforts to rescue 2 trapped miners Prime Minister Han Duck-soo on Friday called for utmost efforts to rescue two miners trapped underground for 10 days. They have been isolated in a vertical shaft about 190 mete... President Andrzej Duda (photo by Andrzej Hrechorowicz /KPRP) Polish President Andrzej Duda's 2017 foreign policy goals include the implementation of Warsaw's NATO summit decisions, EU-NATO cooperation, Poland's non-permanent membership of the UN Security Council and strengthening regional cooperation. As regards Poland's relations with the new US administration, President Duda "wants to see increased activity of the Polish diplomacy to ensure that (...) the Polish relations with the new administration become sufficiently intensive to secure talks between the two heads of state," presidential aide Krzysztof Szczerski has told PAP. At his annual meeting with the diplomatic corps accredited in Poland on Wednesday, President Duda will present the key guidelines of his foreign activity plan for 2017, which he endorsed on January 5. Krzysztof Szczerski noted that the president's foreign activities this year will focus on two axes: security and Poland's foreign relations and international position. As regards security, the president would like to see the implementation of the NATO summit decisions "in the full scope, i.e. not only military presence on the eastern flank, but also political decisions, including cooperation with NATO partners in the East, including Ukraine, and the North - Finland and Sweden," Krzysztof Szczerski stressed. The president is planning to attend this year's NATO summit in Brussels, according to the presidential aide. President Duda would also like to see tighter EU-NATO cooperation, as declared during the 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw, without duplicating the roles of the two global players and without competing with each other, Krzyszof Szczerski added. Andrzej Duda will also continue to promote Poland's candidacy as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for 2018-2019. President Duda's upcoming visit to Israel and Palestine is a way of expressing Poland's interest in global security problems, minister Szczerski noted. The second activity axis, i.e. strengthening international relations, will include three elements: regional cooperation, cooperation with European countries and global activities, Szczerski explained. In regional cooperation context, the president wants to see a stronger Visegrad Group and further promotion of the Three Seas concept, i.e. cooperation between countries located at the Adriatic, Baltic and Black seas. The Polish and Croatian presidents have invited the Three Seas country leaders to a summit in Warsaw in July, Szczerski noted. A meeting of the leaders of NATO's eastern flank countries is also planned in Poland this year, the official went on. The president also aims to maintain "positive dynamics in Polish-German relations" and hopes that France will host the next Weimar Triangle summit in 2017. This year, the president plans a number of foreign visits aimed to promote the Polish economy, according to Krzysztof Szczerski. (PAP) SEBASTIAN MANISCALCO WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT? BORGATAS EVENT CENTER // 7 P.M. AND 10:30 P.M. FRIDAY, JAN. 13, SATURDAY, JAN. 14 AND SUNDAY, JAN. 15 WHO IS HE: Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco left the Chicago suburbs for sunny California in the early 2000s determined to make it as a stand-up. After several years of waiting tables and doing comedy in small rooms he broke through with a Comedy Central special and a 20-city tour. Vince Vaughn selected Maniscalco to be one of the four featured comics in the film Vince Vaughns Wild West Comedy Show and since that time he has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Conan. His Showtime special Why Would you Do That? was released in 2016. WHAT TO EXPECT: 43-year old Sebastian Maniscalcos career has been steadily on the rise for over a decade. His current tour titled, Why Would You Do That? features the comic at his peak, utilizing his slow-paced, deliberate delivery and great set ups. The gist of Maniscalcos comedy revolves around everyday events, peoples odd behavior and astute observations. He takes over Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa this weekend with six performances over the course of three evenings. Those in attendance are in for a night of pure hysterics. WHATS NEW: Maniscalco will appear in the films Nut Job 2, The House and Cruise. SHOW INFO: Tickets are $59, $69 and $79. Gina Maguires grandfather began coming around more frequently after his wife and Maguires grandmother, Herta Rose Heidel, died more than 10 years ago. During their visits at Maguires home in Barnegat, she began scribbling down his stories of growing up poor in Brooklyn, the atrocities of World War II, and how he fell in love with a German girl. Years later, Maguire, a Stockton University adjunct professor and program assistant at the Center on Successful Aging, was at the schools Holocaust center for the Echos of Reflections, event listening to others talk about how important it was to preserve such history. Then, she had an epiphany. I sort of clicked thats my grandfather. I had all these stories and wanted to do something with it, but all I had was a pile of loose-leaf paper, she said. Thats when I talk to Maryann. Maryann McLoughlin is an assistant supervisor for Stockton Universitys Sara and Sam Schoffer Holocaust Resource Center, as well as the director of the Writing as Witness Project, which is supported by the center. Since its inception in 2004, the project has helped capture the stories of Holocaust survivors, soldiers, and rescuers, among others. Together, with Macguire writing and McLoughlin editing, they are putting forth their latest book about Maguires grandfather titled, It was Fate A War, A Massacre, A Romance: The World War II Memoirs of Nick Venturella. The book, which is in its final editing phase, is slated for release this summer. The book I would almost call it a dramedy there are points in it that are very, very funny and theres points of it that are devastating. But it all ends well, it ends happily, Maguire said. Using a combination of interviews with Maguire, letters, photographs, newspapers and other mementos Venturella held onto, the book spans the years from his early life growing up poor in Brooklyn, to his service, his eventual marriage to Heidel and his death in 2008. Venturella tried to enlist at the age of 18 but was rejected twice. Undeterred, Maguires grandfather simply removed the stamp declaring him unfit for service to enlist. Not long after, he landed on the beaches of France; he recalled to Maguire in one of their talks that he first mistook the sand as clay because the beach was soaked with blood. The book captures Venturellas letters home to his family and his attempt to shield them from the horrors he witnessed in the aftermath of the Gardelegen Massacre. In 1945, when Nazi forces knew the American soldiers were closing in on them, they forced over 1,000 people from the Dora-Mittelbau concentration camp into a large barn. The barn was doused with gasoline and set on fire; those who attempted to escape were shot. A then 19-year-old Venturella and his battalion helped bury those who perished in the farm while rescuing others. Maguire also interviewed some of her grandfathers army mates, who said they were haunted by the smell. Her grandfather couldnt forget it either. Maguire recalled how thoughtful he would become when she brought up the Gardelegen Massacre and how he would lean back in his chair, remembering, drumming his fingers together. When he did talk about these things, you could see when the stories were bothering him, she said. The adjunct professor, who has a 19-year-old son of her own, said writing about what her grandfather witnessed at that age was emotional. Although Venturellas story is one of fighting in the war, its also about falling in love as well and fighting to bring his young bride back to America. The first process was to prove my grandmother wasnt a Nazi, she said. That wasnt that hard to prove because her father had been imprisoned for speaking out against Hitler. Venturella went through an arduous process to marry Heidel, but through all his hard work, he was able to bring his wife and toddler, Maguires father, home to the U.S. in 1948. But Maguire said Heidel was tenacious too. When faced with the thought of never seeing her family in Germany again, she taught herself how to make jewelry and saved up enough money to bring her entire family home. After that, Maguire said, the family went every other year for a month at a time, a tradition that extended down to her great-grandchildren. One of the hardest parts of putting her grandfathers story hasnt just been the emotional journey, but the secret shes been keeping. I havent told my family about it, Maguire said of the book. I want to surprise them with the book. They know I have the stories, they know I have the letters, the memorabilia but thats all they know. Its hard not to say something because I spend a lot of time with my family. Venturellas tenacity, and love for his wife, is sure to resonate with readers as well, said McLoughlin. We have World War II stories, but they dont include this kind of romance, which I think is very special and will be touching to readers too, she said. Atlantic County will present its annual Community Spirit Awards on Friday to four local residents for working to improve the lives of others. The county will recognize Bill and Tammy Schmincke of Egg Harbor Township, who run an organization called Stop the Heroin, and Kelsey and Kim Jackson, owners of Kelseys and Kims Southern Cafe and Kelseys restaurant in Atlantic City. The ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. at the Atlantic County Office Building at 1333 Atlantic Ave. in Atlantic City. The awards are meant to commemorate the life of Martin Luther King Jr. It is my privilege to present our Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Community Spirit awards to the Schminckes and the Jacksons, four compassionate individuals who are making a difference in our communities by sharing the gifts of their experiences for the betterment of all, county Executive Dennis Levinson said in a statement. ACUA holiday drive raised 26,000 pounds of food EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP Atlantic County residents donated more than 26,000 pounds of food last The Schminckes founded Stop the Heroin after their 26-year-old son, Steven, died of an overdose in March. The organization aims to educate the community and raise awareness of the heroin epidemic that contributed to the nearly 1,600 drug-related deaths in New Jersey in 2015. The organization also raises money to help people transition to sober living after rehabilitation. The Schminckes opened a sober-living home in Pleasantville last month called Stevens Place. Kelsey and Kim Jacksons two restaurants in Atlantic City provide culinary internships to local students and have been featured on Guy Fieris Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network. The Jacksons also raise money for culinary scholarships and assist charities such as Sister Jeans Kitchen, the Atlantic City Rescue Mission and Atlantic County Youth Advocate programs. South Jersey fire officials want to keep local families from having their homes damaged by fire for the rest of this winter. House fires Saturday damaged two unoccupied bedrooms on the third floor of a house on the beach block of Plymouth Place in Ocean City and destroyed a home on Revere Way in Galloway Township. Fighting Saturdays fire in Galloway was hard because of the high winds, freezing temperatures, falling snow and 7 inches of snow already on the ground, Fire Chief Rick Smith said. Thats the worst you can get, everything going against you, Smith said. The snow and the road conditions delayed the volunteer firefighters arrival at the scene, Smith said. The situation was so bad that three fire companies fought the blaze. More wood stoves and fireplaces are used during the winter than any other time of year. One homeowner put ashes in a plastic can on the back porch. The ashes burned through the plastic and started a fire on the outside of the house, Smith said. When its an open, burning fireplace, make sure its out, Smith said. David Buzby, the Atlantic County fire marshal, said homeowners have to keep their chimneys clear and watch where they place portable heaters. There were 23,100 chimney or fireplace fires in 2013 with 10 related fatalities nationwide, according to the state Department of Community Affairs. The resulting property loss was $109 million. A couple things homeowners can do to prevent fires this winter is to make sure they have smoke detectors in the basement, attic and outside of the living areas of the home, said Pleasantville Fire Official Deron Smith. Carbon monoxide detectors also are important, Smith said. We also want to encourage people that when they have smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in their homes, they have to check them. We always recommend that when you have the changes in time (daylight savings) to go and check the batteries in your smoke detector and carbon monoxide, if they are not electric, to make sure they are in working condition, Smith said. The structure fires happen most frequently between November and April, according to the states Department of Community Affairs Division of Fire Safety. It is always a very busy time for fire departments around Thanksgiving and Christmas, said Capt. Joseph Maguire of the Brigantine Fire Department. Capt. Thomas Higgins, of the Pleasantville Fire Department, said one of the basic fundamentals of fire prevention that people have to do is make sure they are not leaving candles or kerosene heaters unattended. Manufacturer instructions should be followed on all devices, and heating appliances have to be properly serviced, Higgins said. One out of five home-fire deaths were caused by heating equipment, and playing with the heat source and candles had the highest rates of injuries per 1,000 fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association. ATLANTIC CITY Two state lawmakers have expressed concerns about possible deep cuts to the citys Fire Department to the man leading a state takeover of the resort, according to a letter obtained by The Press of Atlantic City. Sen. Jim Whelan and Assemblyman Vince Mazzeo wrote Friday to former U.S. Sen. Jeffrey Chiesa about the state seeking to cut 101 firefighters and what they called a lack of information about potential early retirement buyouts. Whelan and Mazzeo, both D-Atlantic, said 101 fewer firefighters could lead to the closing of three to four fire companies and at least an entire fire station. A contender for closing could be Fire Station No. 6 at South Annapolis Avenue, which is two blocks away from the soon-to-be built Stockton University campus, they wrote. We must be cognizant of public safety concerns related to a depleted and understaffed public safety department, they wrote. Whelan and Mazzeo were both sponsors of the so-called takeover law, which gave the state vast decision-making powers over the citys dire finances. They also advocated for early retirement incentives to be included in the law as a way to avoid layoffs. In their letter, they asked to know where the city and state stand with the implementation of the ERI program. Both of us fought hard to get ERIs as a part of the intervention legislation as a way to reduce the citys workforce without making significant slashes to departments in which their employees are collectively bargained, they wrote. IAFF Local 198, the citys firefighters union, estimates 49 of 54 eligible potential retirees would take the buyouts, according to the letter. That would bring the departments manpower from 226 to 177 and cut the departments budget from $33.3 million to $24.6 million, both of which would be in line with what a governors advisory report considered right-sized, the letter said. Cutting 101 firefighters would bring manpower down to 125 firefighters. The letter said the state is considering cuts by Feb. 1. Whelan and Mazzeo noted 84 of the 101 firefighters the state is considering cutting are already paid for by a federal grant. Laying off one firefighter could put the citys eligibility for the grant at risk, they said. Officials estimate the ERI program could save the city $7.6 million annually. The city has annual budget deficits of about $100 million and about $500 million in total debt. The citys tax base dropped from $20.5 billion in 2010 to $6.6 billion today. Bail reform is fairer, more cost-effective Regarding the Dec.21 story, Bail reform law to decrease jail population comes at a high cost: Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Diane Ruberton is right about individuals sitting in jail for months because they cant post $100 or $200 bail on cases that end up with probation. In fact, a 2013 report by the Drug Policy Alliance found that almost 40 percent of the 15,000 people held in New Jersey jails awaiting trial are there solely because they cannot afford bail. More than 800 individuals are held for the inability to pay $500 or less. On average, individuals are detained for one year awaiting trial. And while Atlantic County officials are rightfully concerned about how taxpayer dollars are spent, they must also be transparent about how taxpayer dollars have been used to support an unsafe, unfair and unjust criminal justice system for decades a system in which people with resources, regardless of their risk to public safety, could pay their way out of jail while people without resources, who pose no risk to public safety, have been forced to languish behind bars while awaiting trial. It costs around $100 a day to detain someone in a New Jersey jail upwards of $30,000 a year to hold someone who cannot afford a $500 bail. It only costs $7 a day to supervise an individual in the community. Bail reform will create a fairer, safer and more cost-effective system that counties throughout the state should be embracing. Alexandra Staropoli Trenton Policy Manager, New Jersey Drug Policy Alliance Region should be proud of Conway achievements All of South Jersey should be proud of one of its own, Kellyanne Conway, who will now be counselor to the president. Through hard work, dedication, unique ability and plain old-fashioned chutzpah, Conway will now be a key adviser to President Donald J. Trump in his efforts to make America great again. She broke the glass ceiling in being the first female to manage a successful presidential campaign, which in and of itself was a tremendous achievement. As the areas favorite daughter, who earned this tremendous honor, everyone should wish this South Jersey native the best of luck on this most important role. Tom Levin Woodbine Popular vote would equalize all voters Regarding the Dec. 26 letter, Electoral College assures all states are heard: The Electoral College system does not assure that all states are heard. The current system assures that only battleground states are heard, those few states on which the presidential election turns: North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin and a few others. Thats where all the campaign money is spent, and thats where the candidates spend their time. You would not expect to see them in New Jersey. By amending the Constitution to provide direct election of the president, every voter in every state would be just as important as every other voter, and the election would truly become a national election. Dick Colby Egg Harbor City The alliance will result in the sequencing of 45,000 genomes from volunteer participants across Ireland to seek novel insights into the biological processes that underlie complex disease. AbbVie will use the research database developed by GMI to identify new molecular approaches for therapeutic drug discovery and development as well as to develop companion diagnostics. The alliance builds on AbbVie's substantial existing presence in Ireland, which includes more than 600 employees and investments of more than $130 million since 2013. "Genomics is transforming the way we understand some of the world's most devastating diseases and enabling the discovery of new approaches that have the potential to deliver much greater benefit to patients," said Jim Sullivan, Ph.D., vice president, pharmaceutical discovery, AbbVie. "This alliance is an important part of our research strategy and complements our significant footprint here in Ireland." Daniel Crowley, acting CEO of GMI, commented: "This partnership validates the vision that created Genomics Medicine Ireland. With AbbVie and WuXi NextCODE we will leverage our deep expertise in life sciences and the unique characteristics of the Irish population to discover critical insights into disease, disease progression, and therapeutic response. The resulting therapies to cure and prevent these diseases will benefit patients both here in Ireland and around the world." "We are very proud to be a part of delivering this pathbreaking effort," said Hannes Smarason, COO of WuXi NextCODE. "As the leading infrastructure provider for population precision medicine projects around the world, we are committed to bringing WuXi NextCODE technology and expertise to this significant endeavor." About AbbVie AbbVie is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. The company's mission is to use its expertise, dedicated people and unique approach to innovation to develop and market advanced therapies that address some of the world's most complex and serious diseases. Together with its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pharmacyclics, AbbVie employs more than 28,000 people worldwide and markets medicines in more than 170 countries. For further information on the company and its people, portfolio and commitments, please visit www.abbvie.com. Follow @abbvie on Twitter or view careers on our Facebook or LinkedIn page. Forward-Looking Statements Some statements in this news release may be forward-looking statements for purposes of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project" and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. AbbVie cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, challenges to intellectual property, competition from other products, difficulties inherent in the research and development process, adverse litigation or government action, and changes to laws and regulations applicable to our industry. About Genomics Medicine Ireland Founded in 2015, Genomics Medicine Ireland (GMI) is an Irish life-sciences company leading large-scale, population-based genome research studies on the island of Ireland examining the relationship between genetics, health and disease. It is building a preeminent disease-specific database of population genomics. GMI works in collaboration with clinicians, patients, academic researchers and global biotech and pharmaceutical sectors to discover pathways to new treatments and new diagnostics for people both here in Ireland and around the world. GMI's partners include investors ARCH Venture Partners, Polaris Partners, GV (formerly Google Ventures), the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, and corporate partner Amgen and its subsidiary deCODE genetics. Collectively, they bring multi-decade experience in disease genomics to GMI. www.genomicsmed.ie About WuXi NextCODE WuXi NextCODE is a fully integrated global contract genomics organization. With offices in Shanghai; Kendall Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Reykjavik, Iceland, we offer comprehensive services that enable population, precision medicine, diagnostics and wellness initiatives and enterprises to use the genome to improve health around the world. Our capabilities span study design, sequencing, secondary analysis, storage, and interpretation and scalable analytics all backed by the most proven and widely used technology for organizing, mining and sharing genome sequence data. We are also applying the same capabilities to advance a growing range of sequence-based tests and scans in China. WuXi NextCODE is a subsidiary of WuXi AppTec. Visit us on the web at wuxinextcode.com. Contacts: Genomics Medicine Ireland AbbVie WuXi NextCODE Celine Crawford Adelle Infante Edward Farmer, PhD MKC Communications Adelle.infante@abbvie.com efarmer@wuxinextcode.com celine@mkc.ie 847.938.8745 +1 781 775 6206 +353 1 703 8600 Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/266982/wuxinextcode__leading_genomics_01.jpg Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/454977/WuXi_NextCODE_abbvie.jpg Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/454978/WuXi_GMI.jpg Related Links http://wuxinextcode.com SOURCE WuXi NextCODE "Arterys is committed to broadly accelerate the transformation of data-driven medicine through advanced cloud medical imaging analytics applications while always protecting patient data privacy," said Fabien Beckers, Arterys CEO. "Today's approval signifies a major regulatory milestone. This application demonstrates the power of deep learning combined with cloud supercomputation to aid physicians in interpreting medical images - eliminating tedious manual tasks carried out on a workstation by accurately automating those processes." Video - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455184/Arterys.mp4 The Arterys Cardio DLTM application is vendor agnostic and was developed using data from several thousand cardiac cases. The software produces editable automated contours, providing precise and consistent ventricular function in seconds. The trained deep learning algorithm was validated as producing results within an expected error range comparable to that of an experienced clinical annotator. This clearance enables Arterys to make use of its unique clinical annotation platform, which collects ground-truth data every time a user views a study on Arterys.com. In the future, the deep learning model can be optimized as new data is collected from all global users. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455183/Arterys_Cardio_DLTM.jpg Both the FDA clearance and CE Mark expands on the recently 510(k) cleared 4D Flow post-processing software features that provide comprehensive anatomy and blood flow visualization and quantification within and around the heart in a simple manner. About Arterys, Inc. Arterys, a pioneer in cloud-based medical imaging analytics software, is committed to accelerate the transformation of data driven medicine. The company's medical imaging analytics platform leverages the power of cloud computation and deep learning to support automated post-processing, diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. Starting with cardiac MRI, Arterys now plans to leverage its platform to create other imaging applications to make medical imaging services a whole more automated, quantitative, and useful. Follow Arterys on Twitter at@ArterysInc Contact: info@arterys.com Media Contact: Giana Gregga Finn Partners 312-329-3910 giana.gregga@finnpartners.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161102/435322LOGO SOURCE Arterys LAUSANNE, Switzerland, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Triptorelin is the first 6-month formulation treatment registered in the EU for CPP Debiopharm International SA (Debiopharm - http://www.debiopharm.com), a Swiss-based company, part of Debiopharm Group, today announced that triptorelin 6-month formulation (Decapeptyl and Pamorelin 22.5 mg) received approval for the treatment of central precocious puberty (CPP) in 22 European countries where the 6-month formulation has already been registered for the treatment of prostate cancer. Triptorelin is the first 6-month GnRH agonist formulation approved for the treatment of CPP. Developed by Debiopharm, the product is manufactured in Switzerland by Debiopharm Research & Manufacturing SA and licensed for distribution under exclusive rights to Ipsen for Europe and other parts of the world. "We are extremely pleased to make the triptorelin 6-month formulation available for this pediatric population in need of more treatment options", said Eija Lundstrom, Medical Director, Debiopharm International SA. "The further reduced injection frequency will increase the comfort for children with CPP, allowing them to benefit from an established safe and effective treatment and so with only two injections per year." About Central Precocious Puberty (CPP) GnRH-dependent CPP is defined by pubertal development occurring before the age of 8 years in girls and 9 years in boys. It is characterized by early pubertal changes such as breast development and start of menses in girls and increased testicular and penile growth in boys, appearance of pubic hair, as well as acceleration of growth velocity and bone maturation and tall stature during childhood, which often results in reduced adult height due to premature fusion of the growth plates. Reliable epidemiological data on CPP worldwide are not available. The condition is a rare disease occurring in about 1 out of every 5,000 to 10,000 children. Central precocious puberty is more common in girls than in boys, with a female: male ratio estimated to be between 3:1 and 23:1. About Triptorelin Triptorelin is a synthetic decapeptide agonist analogue that was first registered in France in 1986 and is currently marketed in more than 80 countries in various indications including CPP. Numerous published studies over more than 30 years involving large series of children around the world have reported efficacy and safety results with different triptorelin 1- and 3-month formulations consistent with those of other approved GnRH agonists in this indication. None of these studies has revealed any safety issues. About Debiopharm International SA Debiopharm Group is a Swiss-headquartered global biopharmaceutical group of five companies active in drug development, GMP manufacturing of proprietary drugs, diagnostics tools and investment management. Debiopharm International SA is focused on the development of prescription drugs that target unmet medical needs. The company in-licenses and develops promising drug candidates. The products are commercialized by pharmaceutical out-licensing partners to give access to the largest number of patients worldwide. For more information, please visit http://www.debiopharm.com We are on Twitter. Follow us @DebiopharmNews at http://twitter.com/DebiopharmNews Debiopharm International SA Contact Christelle Tur Communication Coordinator christelle.tur@debiopharm.com Tel: +41-(0)21-321-01-11 SOURCE Debiopharm International SA LONDON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EY has awarded US$1m to the 2016 winners of its global program, Better begins with you, which recognizes outstanding EY people and teams who have found inspiring and impactful ways to bring the organization's purpose building a better working world to life. Mark A. Weinberger, EY Global Chairman and CEO, says: "Our Better begins with you program celebrates some of the very best people and teams we have at EY. They are the people who bring our purpose of building a better working world to life in the most inspiring ways." EY employees worldwide nominate colleagues for a Better begins with you award. Five global winners in four categories will receive US$1m among them to further develop the initiatives for which they are being recognized, allowing them to have an even greater impact and continue to further the EY purpose through the work they do. There are two winners in the "Strengthening our communities" category, who will split the US$250,000 investment. Strengthening our communities: The German Diversity Charter refugee support team in the German member organization, for bringing together businesses, government bodies and social groups to help refugees integrate with the workforce and rebuild their new lives in Germany . And: Lee Ann Kline, US, for founding a not-for-profit program that prepares and inspires young women and underserved minorities of all genders to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers through paid internships, mentorships and scholarships. The German Diversity Charter refugee support team in the German member organization, for bringing together businesses, government bodies and social groups to help refugees integrate with the workforce and rebuild their new lives in . And: Lee Ann Kline, US, for founding a not-for-profit program that prepares and inspires young women and underserved minorities of all genders to pursue science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers through paid internships, mentorships and scholarships. Driving exceptional client service : The pan-Asean Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) team, for supporting EY teams across the world on a major global transaction and, in the effort, transforming the EY relationship with the client in the Region using EY as a significant advisor throughout Asia . The pan-Asean Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) team, for supporting EY teams across the world on a major global transaction and, in the effort, transforming the EY relationship with the client in the Region using EY as a significant advisor throughout . Developing outstanding leaders and teams: Thomas Zhou, Financial Services Organization (FSO), in the Hong Kong member firm, for bringing in new talent to build out the Asia-Pacific FSO Cybersecurity team and leading the team to successfully execute the largest-ever EY cyber deal in Asia . Thomas Zhou, Financial Services Organization (FSO), in the member firm, for bringing in new talent to build out the Asia-Pacific FSO Cybersecurity team and leading the team to successfully execute the largest-ever EY cyber deal in . Pursuing innovation: Danny Dang, Tax, US, for creating an efficient and reliable reporting tool for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) team in the US, which has improved profitability and freed up EY people to focus more on their clients' immediate needs. Nancy Altobello, EY Global Vice Chair Talent, says: "We see purpose as a journey, and to make it real, it needs to be something that our people believe in and embody with our clients every day. The Better begins with you program not only inspires our people about the impact their work has on the world, but also recognizes the individuals and teams who are exceptional examples of our commitment to building a better working world." More than 50 Better begins with you global finalists and leadership from across EY met in Rome on 12 December, 2016 for an inspirational daytime celebration, including a private tour of the Vatican and hands-on cooking class, as well as an evening gala dinner where the five winners were announced. Notes to Editors About EY EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities. EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com. This news release has been issued by EYGM Limited, a member of the global EY organization that also does not provide any services to clients. Kailyn Smigelski EY Global Media Relations +1 973 715 3624 kailyn.smigelski@ey.com Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160620/381362LOGO Related Links http://www.ey.com SOURCE EY SAN FRANCISCO, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global folic acid market is expected to reach USD 666.2 million by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Growing consumption of vitamin B9 as a source of an essential supplement during pregnancy by women that minimizes the risk of congenital disabilities in infants is anticipated to augment the market demand in the coming years. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 ) Folic acid is required for the metabolism of specific biochemical reactions and cell division in the body. It plays a significant role in the development of the nervous system in the growing fetus. Moreover, it is involved in the formation of red blood cells, supporting the normal development of the neural tube in the fetus. Market drivers include the increasing demand from pharmaceutical and nutraceuticals industry for manufacturing instant folate-rich food products owing to its health benefits. Improved medical facilities, increasing disposable income and adoption of social programs by the government to encourage healthcare initiatives have led to growing demand folic acid products. Pharmaceuticals dominated the market in 2015, followed by nutraceuticals. Asia Pacific dominated the folic acid market in 2015 due to the high production of the raw material in emerging economies such as China, which is a primary manufacturer of the vitamins globally. Companies such as BASF SE, Zydus Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Medicamen Biotech Ltd., Jiangxi Tianxin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., Koninklijke DSM N.V., and Emcure Pharmaceuticals Ltd. have implemented acquisition and expansion business strategies to increase their geographical presence. Few global players have invested in R&D amenities to discover advanced and innovative folic products with higher efficacy rate and ease of use. Browse full research report with TOC on "Folic Acid Market Analysis By Application (Food & Beverages, Pharmaceuticals, Nutraceuticals), By Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, MEA, CSA), Trends & Dynamics, Competitive Landscape And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/folic-acid-market Further key findings from the report suggest: The global folic acid market demand was over 1.68 kilo tons in 2015 and is expected to grow at an estimated CAGR of 3.5% from 2016 to 2025 Pharmaceuticals dominated the folic acid market with a market share of in 2015. It is used to manufacture vitamin B9 medicines which are prescribed mainly to pregnant women resulting in healthy growth & development of infants. Asia Pacific is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 3.9% on account of the growing demand for medicines and multivitamin products in China , India , and Japan . is projected to grow at the highest CAGR of 3.9% on account of the growing demand for medicines and multivitamin products in , , and . Key companies in the folic acid industry include BASF SE, Zydus Pharmaceuticals Ltd., Medicamen Biotech Ltd., Jiangxi Tianxin Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd., and Koninklijke DSM N.V. among others. Global players have partnered with the folate suppliers for the easy availability of the high-quality raw materials at economical price range. Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Chocolate Market- http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/chocolate-market Liquorice Shellac Market- http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/liquorice-shellac-market Gourmet Salt Market- http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/gourmet-salt-market Grand View Research has segmented the global folic acid market on the basis application, and region: Folic Acid Application Outlook (Volume, Metric Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Food & beverages Pharmaceuticals Nutraceuticals Others Folic Acid Market Regional Outlook (Volume, Metric Tons; Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Europe Germany UK France Italy Spain Asia Pacific China India Japan Australia Middle East & Africa Central & South America Read Our Blogs - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blog/folic-acid-market-size-share-trends About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. DUBLIN, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Oncology Startups 2017" report to their offering. Oncology Startups 2017, is the first unique attempt to provide highly precise and updated information on newly established cancer drug developing companies and enables their early identification. The Report illuminates Top 500 cancer drug developers established during 2010-2016, and without any doubt is one of the world's largest focused data coverage on Active Drug Developers working with numerous methodologies to target cancer. Oncology Startups 2017, is unique in many aspects as it for the first time provides cancer startups ranking, based on individual company's overall score on five major parameters- venture funding, key management, technology, deals & partnerships and cancer focused pipeline. The report, also provides quick infographics and final intelligence to keep information on fingertips. Key Highlights: - Startups Focused - Highly focused, includes only startups involved directly in Cancer Drug Discovery & established on and after 2010. - Worldwide Geographic Coverage - Covers Top 500 startups from 28 countries, developing 628 cancer targeting therapies. - Top 500 Ranking -For better, quicker and focused actionable intelligence on startups. - Vast ImmunoOncology Coverage - Special Coverage, Infographics & Intelligence on 225 Top Emerging Immunooncology Startups. - Technology / Drug Pipeline - Details on Individual Startup's proprietary Technologies with its Active Cancer Pipeline and University / Institutes Collaborations. - Strategic Moves & Advantages- Quickly Identify the key strategic moves a startup is taking to be more innovative, also identify its strategic advantages, that will boost its growth going forward. - Venture Funding / Partnering - Monitor Individual Startup's Various Funding Rounds (Private / Govt. ). Its current Partnering Status with CROs / Research Institutes / Big Pharma. - Key Management Contacts - Big Time Saver - Key Management Details / Contacts / e-mails / LinkedIn ... all at one place Finally, the report is based on selecting Top 500 Active Oncology Drug Developers, selected from over 700+ companies established during the duration. Also, report covers only active cancer targeting (treatment) companies excluding Merged, Dormant or Simply Idea based companies. The report does not includes cancer diagnostic and cancer pain management companies. Oncology Startups 2017, will help various organizations working on cancer research, to supercharge with lots of new decision making information and jumpstart their current partnering/marketing efforts. Key Topics Covered: List of Top 500 Oncology Startup (Drug Developer) Companies Section A :- Oncology Startups 2017 - Top 500 Active Drug Developers' Summary Section B :- Oncology Startups 2017 - Venture Funding & Big Pharma Partnering & Deals with Startups Section C :- Oncology Startups 2017 - Top 500 Companies Profiles Appendix A: Country Wise List of Top 500 Oncology Startup Companies Appendix B: Complete 628 Molecules List, along with their Developer's Name Companies Mentioned - AADI, LLC - AB Initio Biotherapeutics, Inc. - ABBA Therapeutics AG - Accuronix Therapeutics, Inc. - Acerta Pharma B.V - ADC Therapeutics Sarl - Adgero Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. - Adheren, Inc. - Adicet Bio, Inc. - - AdiuTide Pharmaceuticals GmbH - Aeglea BioTherapeutics Holdings LLC - Affilogic - Agalimmune Ltd. - Agilvax, Inc. - AiVita Biomedical, Inc. - Akshaya Bio Inc. - Alexo Therapeutics, Inc. - Alissa Pharma LLC - Allomek Therapeutics LLC - AlloOnc Corporation - Amal Therapeutics S.A. - Amcure GmbH - Amphivena Therapeutics, Inc. - Andarix Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - Annam Pharma, Inc. and many more. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/l8rb38/oncology_startups Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets SAN FRANCISCO, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The global matting agents market is anticipated to reach USD 1.05 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. The growth of global paints and coatings industry coupled with its usage in industrial and architectural applications is expected to fuel the market growth over the forecast period. (Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150105/723757 ) Matting agents alter the surface properties of an application, resulting in diffusion of incident light. These phenomena result in gloss reduction thus causing matting effect. They are available in various forms such as powders, dispersions, compounds and blends thus facilitating their easy usage. The additives impart an authentic look to the surface. Furthermore, they can exhibit properties such as scratch, weathering, and water resistance to the coatings. Such inherent advantages are expected to result in market growth globally. Strong demand for industrial applications in emerging countries such as China and India is expected to benefit the overall market growth. Silica-based products occupied a major market share in 2015. Companies have developed products which can be used in conjunction with organic type such as waxes, to enhance the product performance. Major market participants are maintaining modern laboratories to carry out R&D activities for product development. Also, efforts are being taken by companies in the development of technical partnerships with its customers. Browse full research report with TOC on "Matting Agents Market Analysis By Product (Organic (Waxes, Thermoplastics), Inorganic (Silica)), By Application (Industrial coatings, Wood Coatings, Leather Coatings, Architectural Coatings), And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/matting-agents-market Further Key Findings from the Study Suggest: Matting agents have little effect on rheology, viscosity, and elasticity, provides good haptic properties and imparts a smooth feel to the surface. Thus these advantages are expected to contribute to a rise in market demand. Demand from powder coating formulation is expected to witness the highest estimated CAGR of 6.0% from 2016 to 2025. This formulation type is witnessing a demand rise due to its cost effectiveness thus benefitting the market growth for matting agents. Architectural coatings application segment dominated the market in 2015 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 5.5% from 2016 to 2025. In terms of volume, Asia Pacific region had the highest penetration in 2015.Increasing industrialization in the region is expected to contribute significantly to the global matting agents market demand. region had the highest penetration in 2015.Increasing industrialization in the region is expected to contribute significantly to the global matting agents market demand. Major industry participants include PPG, Deuteron, W.R. Grace & Co., Huber Engineered Materials, and Evonik Industries among others Browse related reports by Grand View Research: Anti-Reflective Coatings Market- http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/anti-reflective-coatings-market Asphalt Additives Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/asphalt-additives-market Flame Resistant Fabric Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/flame-resistant-fabric-market Indium Tin Oxide Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/indium-tin-oxide-market Grand View Research has segmented the matting agents market on the basis of product, formulation, application and region: Matting Agents Product Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Organic Waxes Thermoplastics Inorganic Silica Others Matting Agents Formulation Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Waterborne Solventborne Powder UV Others Matting Agents Application Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Industrial coatings metals papers plastics printing inks Others wood coatings Leather coatings Architectural coatings Others Regional Outlook (Volume, Kilo Tons, Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S Canada Mexico Europe Germany UK France Asia Pacific China India Middle East and Africa Central & South America Read Our Blogs - Matting Agents Market Outlook: The end of glossy days About Grand View Research Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare. Contact: Sherry James Corporate Sales Specialist, USA Grand View Research, Inc Phone: 1-415-349-0058 Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519 Email: sales@grandviewresearch.com Web: www.grandviewresearch.com SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc. NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- National Response Corporation ("NRC"), a portfolio company of an investment affiliate of J.F. Lehman & Company, announced today the completion of the acquisition of Water Truck Services, Inc. ("WTS"). NRC is a leading global provider of specialty environmental, emergency response and industrial services. Headquartered in Great River, NY, with regional offices throughout the U.S. and internationally, NRC has more than 1,200 employees globally. WTS is a leading provider of waste management and environmental services in the Pacific Northwest. The company is headquartered in Sherwood, OR. Paul Taveira, CEO of NRC, commented, "WTS signifies the latest strategic addition to NRC's unique environmental services offering and strengthens our capabilities in the Pacific Northwest. We are very happy to welcome the WTS team to NRC and look forward to continuing to grow our business in this region." "NRC continues to demonstrate strong growth by expanding its specialized service offering since our acquisition in 2012. WTS is another successful step in executing this element of NRC's strategy," said Alex Harman, Partner at J.F. Lehman & Company. About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc. Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the defense, aerospace and maritime sectors. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, DC. For more information about J.F. Lehman & Company, please visit www.jflpartners.com. Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/349934/j_f__lehman___company_logo.jpg Related Links http://www.jflpartners.com SOURCE J.F. Lehman & Company BIG STORY signals CGTN's commitment to high quality global news and current affairs content. The China Global Television Network broadcasts daily through cable and satellite and through an increasing digital media presence from production centers in Beijing, Washington D.C., and Nairobi. BIG STORY showcases films acquired from all across the globe and commissions ground breaking documentaries from top film directors. In its first weeks on air, BIG STORY will take viewers to Afghanistan. In its television debut, "Tell Spring Not to Come This Year" portrays Afghan National Army's war against the Taliban in gripping fashion. Directed and beautifully photographed by Saeed Taji Farouky and Michael McEvoy, the film focuses on Afghan foot soldiers engaged in the nation's struggle now that most American and NATO forces have departed. It garnered the Panorama Audience Choice Award at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival. BIG STORY is also the home of the television premiere of a highly moving profile of an elderly couple in Shanghai battling the ravages of Alzheimer's disease. "Please Remember Me" highlights dramatically the issue of senile dementia which impacts nine million people in China and 45 million worldwide. The film brings together love, the struggle to provide healthcare, and the need to preserve memories of a lifetime. Directed by Qing Zhao and Produced by Du Feng, the film won three Awards last year at the Guangzhou Documentary Film Festival. In addition to cable and satellite, BIG STORY and all of CGTN's wide array of news and current affairs programming may be screened on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVV5pj7Pvsc BIG STORY documentaries can be seen Fridays at 5 pm Eastern US Time, 10 pm in the United Kingdom. On Saturdays at 8pm Eastern US Time, and on Sundays at 9 pm Beijing time. Reviewers seeking more information and online previews of any of remarkable new BIG STORY films should contact media.inquiries@cgtnamerica.com BIG STORY, a production of the China Global Television Network. Photo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455143/China_Global_Television_Network_BIG_STORY.jpg Video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ADPtjd9oRU&feature=youtu.be SOURCE China Global Television Network MANCHESTER, England, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanford DeLand is delighted to announce that following FCA approval it is launching a new fund, the CFP SDL Free Spirit Fund (Free Spirit Fund), which will be managed by Rosemary Banyard who joined the team in October 2016. The investment objective of the Free Spirit Fund is to seek to achieve real growth* in capital and income over the long term of more than 2%. When fully invested, the portfolio will contain between 25 and 40 holdings. The Free Spirit Fund will invest mainly in a portfolio of UK equities listed on the LSE or quoted on AIM/ISDX and may also invest in other transferable securities, money market instruments, units and/or Shares in other collective investment schemes, deposits, warrants, cash and near cash. Investment Director, Rosemary Banyard commented "This is a very exciting time for the team and we are looking forward to following on from the success of the CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund**. "The Free Spirit Fund investment focus will be to invest in businesses at valuations which offer the potential for long term appreciation in income and capital value.We will be looking for businesses that have a clear and sustainable competitive advantage, which are difficult to replicate, thereby erecting a barrier to new entrants and generating superior returns on operating assets. In addition, these companies are likely to possess sound finances and experienced management teams focused on the creation of long term value for shareholders." Keith Ashworth-Lord, Managing Director at SDL and Manager of the CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund added: "I am delighted that we are launching the Free Spirit Fund under the guidance of a highly-experienced investment professional. Both Rosemary and I, over many years in the investment arena, have had the privilege to build very successful investment portfolios separately. Together, our financial and analytical skills can innovate and introduce new investment products such as the Free Spirit Fund, which will complement SDL's highly successful UK Buffettology product already in the market." The initial launch period will run until 10 January 2017 with shares priced at 100 pence. There is no initial entry charge; on-going charges taken from the fund over the first year are estimated to be c.1.68%. TO ACCESS THE Prospectus, Key Investor Information Document, and Application Forms please visit our website at http://www.sanford-deland.com. To find out more on the Team and the Company, click on this link http://www.sanford-deland.com/17/in-the-press Further enquiries to Sanford DeLand Asset Management Ltd Tel: +44 (0) 161 233 8696 Notes: **The CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund has since its formation demonstrably outperformed the UK Stock market, receiving top ratings and collecting several industry awards. Since launch in 2011 it has returned 116.7% against the benchmark index of 48.9% and sector average performance of 51.2%, placing it 8th out of 239 funds in its peer group. Current funds under management in the CFP SDL UK Buffettology Fund are 84m. * ie. defined as the UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) +2% per annum on average and long term means over a minimum investment horizon of five years. The Fund is authorised in the United Kingdom and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Castlefield Fund Partners Limited is authorised in the United Kingdom and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Past performance is not a guide to future returns, the value and income derived from your assets may go down as well as up. SOURCE Sanford DeLand Asset Management Limited Opus Recruitment Solutions has partnered with Recruiter.com to build recruitment infrastructure and sourcing capacity FARMINGTON, Connecticut, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recruiter.com, an online recruiting platform, today announced a partnership with Opus Recruitment Solutions, a leading global recruitment firm, with over one hundred million dollars in recruiting revenue. The partnership is projected to bring over 150 million dollars' worth of available specialized search fees to the Recruiter.com platform. The partners will also leverage each other's staff and technology infrastructure for mutual success. "Opus is a fast growing, dynamic recruiting firm that represents the best that the industry has to offer, both in their internal culture and in their recruiting strategies," said Michael Woloshin, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer of Recruiter.com. "We are proud to welcome Opus Recruitment Solutions to the Elite Partner Program and look forward to helping drive placement success for their clients on a global scale." Darren Ryemill, CEO of Opus Professional Services Group, noted entrepreneur, and recipient of the Sunday Times' Best Leader award for 2015 & 2016, drove the partnership with Recruiter.com. About the partnership, Mr. Ryemill said, "Recruiter.com's innovative platform helps increase recruiting support for our open jobs and ultimately helps secure the best talent for our valued clients. As a forward-looking recruitment firm, we strive to stay on the leading edge of sourcing initiatives - Recruiter.com's program fit the bill." Through the partnership, Opus Recruitment Solutions can directly integrate into Recruiter.com's Job Market technology platform. Their jobs will be distributed to a large network of recruiters, and matched directly to recruiters with specific areas of expertise and industry understanding. Recruiter.com sources qualified candidates from users of the Job Market platform, and submits them to Opus for their review. Opus Recruitment Solutions has also been designated a member of Recruiter.com's "Elite Partner Program" or REPP. Overall, the partnership supplies a wealth of sourcing talent for hard to fill and specialized positions. Recruiter.com users benefit through access to a high volume of fee based searches from very high quality recruiting firms such as Opus. The jobs will be live on Recruiter.com's Job Market platform through an automated integration in Q1, 2017. About Opus Professional Services Group Founded in 2008 as Opus Recruitment Solutions, the Opus Professional Services Group has since grown at an unprecedented rate. In eight short years, Opus has already expanded to six offices worldwide in Bristol, London, Sydney, Amsterdam, New York and Los Angeles with further international offices planned in 2016. The Opus Professional Services Group is a parent company of several different recruitment service offerings across multiple industries; Opus Recruitment Solutions, Baltimore Consulting, McLean Ross, Hinton Spencer, Addocura, Talentcubed, Recruitment Investor, Technology Noise, Colston Consulting, Mensio Consulting, Avion and JDR Energy International. Opus is committed to delivering excellence and innovation to the recruitment industry. From inception, they have been committed to "a new way" of recruitment. Opus provides an exemplary service to clients and pride themselves on the quality of the candidates they work with, focusing on the top 10-20% of the market place. As the youngest business to ever be featured on the Sunday Times "Best Companies" list for two consecutive years, and featuring on the Virgin FastTrack 100 for four years, Opus prides itself on its ability to create an award-winning company culture as well as continuing to innovate within the recruitment industry. Visit http://www.opuspsg.com/ About Recruiter.com Recruiter.com, Inc. is an online global recruiting service that offers an industry-leading job market technology platform. With a highly engaged membership base, Recruiter.com works with hundreds of clients and employers and manages a social media following of more than 2.8 million people and over 15 Million page views. Recruiter.com was voted Top Tech Company to Watch in 2014 by the Connecticut Technology Council, cited as one of the Top 35 Most Influential Career Sites in 2014 by Forbes and listed by Inc. as one of the 9 Best Websites for Finding Top Talent. The career, HR, and recruiting experts of Recruiter.com have been cited and featured in hundreds of sites and publications, including: Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, Forbes, Mashable, Business Insider, Inc., Fox Small Business, Time, The Next Web, Yahoo Small Business, US News, Business2Community, Bloomberg and SmartBrief. Visit https://www.recruiter.com or follow Recruiter on Twitter @RecruiterDotCom. This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com Related Links https://www.recruiter.com SOURCE Recruiter.com DUBLIN, Jan 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Qatar Sanitary Ware Market By Product Type (Water Closets & Cisterns, Basins, Urinals, Bathtubs & Others), By Application (Residential Vs. Commercial), By Organized Vs. Unorganized, Competition Forecast and Opportunities, 2011-2021" report to their offering. The sanitary ware market in Qatar is projected to grow at a CAGR of over 9% during 2016-2021 Qatar sanitary ware market is expected to grow at a robust pace over the next five years. Moreover, with rising environmental concerns, consumers in Qatar are increasingly opting for eco-friendly sanitary ware and bathroom fitting products, which can save up to 20% of total water consumption as compared to traditional products. Consequently, sanitary ware products such as low water consuming flushing systems and infrared controls, sensor taps and showers are witnessing increasing market traction in Qatar sanitary ware market. Major market players involved in selling their products through various distribution channels, including exclusive company showrooms, wholesalers, multi-brand retail outlets, etc. are rigorously investing in the Qatar sanitary ware market to capitalize on emerging market opportunities. Growth in the market is anticipated on account of increasing hygiene consciousness, growing hospitality sector and growing inclination towards lifestyle oriented products. Segment-wise, Water Closets & Cisterns is the most dominant segment in the country due to its high demand from residential and commercial sector. Region-wise, Eastern Region dominated the country's sanitary ware market in 2015, and its dominance is anticipated to continue during the forecast period as well. Few of the leading players operating in the country's sanitary ware market include RAK Ceramics, Toto Ltd., Kludi GmbH & Co. KG, Jaquar and HEWI, among others. "Qatar Sanitary Ware Market discusses the following aspects of sanitary ware market in Qatar: Qatar Sanitary Ware Market Size, Share & Forecast Segmental Analysis By Product Type (Water Closets & Cisterns, Basins, Urinals, Bathtubs & Others), By Application (Residential Vs. Commercial), By Organized Vs. Unorganized Policy and Regulatory Landscape Changing Market Trends & Emerging Opportunities Competitive Landscape & Strategic Recommendations Market Trends & Developments Increasing Demand for Water Efficient Products Growing Use of Aesthetics and Luxury Products Product Innovations Commercial Sector - An Emerging Market for Sanitary Ware Growing Popularity of Innovative Shower Panels Key Topics Covered: 1. Product Overview 2. Research Methodology 3. Analyst View 4. Global Sanitary Ware Market Overview 5. Qatar Sanitary Ware Market Outlook 6. Qatar Water Closets and Cisterns Market Outlook 7. Qatar Basins Market Outlook 8. Qatar Urinals Market Outlook 9. Qatar Bathtubs Market Outlook 10. Qatar Other Sanitary Ware Market Outlook 11. Import-Export Dynamics 12. Market Dynamics 13. Market Trends & Developments 14. Policy & Regulatory Landscape 15. Qatar Economic Profile 16. Competitive Landscape 17. Strategic Recommendations Companies Mentioned Bocchi Geberit International AG HEWI Heinrich Wilke GmbH Jaquar Middle East Kludi GmbH & Co. KG Parryware RAK Ceramics Salco Qatar Toto Ltd. United International Company For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/z3gds5/qatar_sanitary Media Contact: Research and Markets Laura Wood, Senior Manager press@researchandmarkets.com For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com SOURCE Research and Markets GOODWOOD, England, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Second highest sales in the marque's 113-year history. 4,011 motor cars delivered to customers in 2016, an increase of 6% on 2015. Record performances in all global regions, with exception of Middle East . . The Americas retains top region. Record results in several individual markets, including USA , Japan , UK and Germany . , , UK and . Successful new product launches: Dawn, Wraith Black Badge and Ghost Black Badge. Record results for Bespoke personalisation division. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai highest selling dealership globally. 100 new jobs created at the Home of Rolls-Royce. Apprenticeship Programme celebrates 10 th anniversary with record intake. anniversary with record intake. Significant expansion of Technology and Logistics Centre announced. Major investment in Goodwood manufacturing plant in readiness for new models. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars has today announced its second highest ever annual sales result in the marque's 113-year history, up 6% on its 2015 results. A total of 4,011 cars were delivered to customers in more than 50 countries, affirming the brand's strength and resilience in a year of challenging market conditions for luxury goods worldwide. (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/454950/Rolls_Royce.jpg ) Torsten Muller-Otvos, CEO, said, "This remarkable result emphatically affirms the global appeal of the very finest British luxury goods to the world's most discerning patrons. Rolls-Royce is a true Great British manufacturing success story, one driven by the hard work and ingenuity of the men and women employed at our Centre of Luxury Excellence in Goodwood, West Sussex. We are deeply committed to a long term, sustainable, successful growth strategy and this result, amidst a backdrop of global uncertainty, affirms this approach. 2016 has proven the perfect year to sign off the successful first chapter of the renaissance of Rolls-Royce. Success for Rolls-Royce is success for Great Britain and we reaffirm our commitment to maintaining the Home of Rolls-Royce in the UK." The company recorded its highest-ever sales in key global markets including the Americas (up 12%), Europe (up 28%) and Asia Pacific (up 5%). A number of individual markets also exceeded previous records, notably Japan (up 51%), Germany (up 30%), the UK - the marque's home market - (up 26%), China (up 23%) and the USA (up 10%). The only major region where conditions remained difficult was the Middle East where consumer demand for all luxury goods was dampened by economic and political uncertainty. However, despite these challenging market conditions, the Middle East ended the year as the third largest market in 2016, while Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Dubai earned the accolade of the highest selling dealership globally. As part of its commitment to long-term sustainable growth, Rolls-Royce announced six new dealerships during 2016, bringing the global dealership network to 136. New launches included the Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Studio in South Korea and an innovative boutique-style concept in Dubai. Models Sustained global demand for Rolls-Royce's fine products was driven by the continued success of the Wraith and Ghost families, which were further enhanced in 2016 with the introduction of their new Black Badge variants. Another major contributor was Dawn drophead which entered full production with the strongest pre-order book ever achieved by a new Rolls-Royce model. 2016 was also the final year of production for the seventh-generation Phantom, with its successor due in late 2018. Phantom retained its status as both the company's pinnacle flagship product and the "best car in the world", with customers eager to secure final Bespoke commissions to complete their collections, and own a landmark piece of Rolls-Royce history. Bespoke A highlight of the year was the successful completion of the largest single commission ever undertaken by Rolls-Royce: a fleet of 30 Extended Wheelbase Phantoms exclusively designed and handcrafted for THE 13 hotel in Macau. The first car was handed over to luxury entrepreneur Stephen Hung, Joint Chairman of THE 13 Holdings Limited, at the 2016 Geneva International Motor Show. Commissions like this reaffirm Rolls-Royce's status as the only truly Bespoke house in the automotive world. Indeed, almost as significant as the sales figures themselves is the continued growth and strength of Rolls-Royce's Bespoke offering. One of the marque's founding beliefs is that true luxury is deeply personal, and accordingly Rolls-Royce continues to invest heavily in its Bespoke capabilities and craftsmanship. Virtually every Phantom, Ghost, Wraith and Dawn produced in 2016 contained specially-commissioned and unique Bespoke design elements, reaffirming Rolls-Royce as the world's only truly handcrafted luxury motor car. This position was further reinforced through its latest Bespoke Collections, which in 2016 included the Phantom Zenith Collection and 'Dawn - Inspired by Fashion', as well as unique creations such as Ghost Eternal Love, Nautical Dawn, 'Dusk to Dawn' and Phantom Wisdom. The Bespoke Wraith Luggage Collection and Picnic Hamper for the Phantom Zenith Collection also garnered critical acclaim and strong commissions worldwide. Future Growth The new Rolls-Royce Technology and Logistics Centre (TLC) at Bognor Regis opened, on schedule, in January 2016. This purpose-built 30,000m2 facility, close to the manufacturing plant at Goodwood, was built from the outset with the potential for future expansion and the buildings will be extended in 2017 by almost 10,000m2 to meet growing demand and in readiness for future models. The expansion will give the TLC the same overall footprint as the Home of Rolls-Royce, more than doubling the scale of the company's facilities since its launch in 2003. Throughout 2016, significant building and expansion work also continued at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood. The company invested heavily in a new single-line manufacturing system that is central to its long-term production strategy. Testing of an all-new proprietary aluminium space-frame architecture, which will underpin every new Rolls-Royce model built on the new single line from early 2018, is now approaching completion. The growth in production facilities was matched by the creation of over 100 new jobs at the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood in 2016. The company now employs over 1,700 people, representing a remarkable increase approaching 500% on the original team of 350 who worked to create the first Phantom in 2003. Rolls-Royce also demonstrated its long-term commitment to supporting future talent with a record intake on its industry-leading Apprenticeship Programme, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2016. More than 50 young people are currently learning skilled trades at the Home of Rolls-Royce, with similar recruitment levels planned for 2017. Record numbers of graduates and interns also joined the company during 2016. The success of Rolls-Royce is based upon an intimate understanding of luxury customers' requirements. This was echoed in the success of the marque's Provenance (pre-owned) and Financial Services programmes which both enjoyed exceptional results in 2016. These tailored solutions reflect the way in which many of today's patrons of luxury seek to invest in fine objects. In closing, Muller-Otvos said, "We are deeply proud of the achievements of our historic brand over the past years. Rolls-Royce continues to surge forward in a confident and sustainable manner. Our business model, which is rooted in our unique and detailed understanding of the multifaceted world of luxury, is producing growth at just the right pace for a truly rare and exclusive brand. This is what our customers demand of us and this is what we will continue to deliver." Notes to editors: You can find all our press releases and press kits, as well as a wide selection of high resolution, downloadable photographs and video footage at our media website, PressClub. You can also find the communications team at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars on Twitter and Instagram (RollsRoyceMedia). Press contacts: Global Corporate Communications Andrew Ball - +44-(0)1243-384064 andrew.ball@rolls-roycemotorcars.com UK and Western Europe James Warren - +44-(0)1243-384578 james.i.warren@rolls-roycemotorcars.com SOURCE Rolls-Royce OSTERSUND, Sweden, Jan 09, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with Entra to build the world's northernmost energy-positive office building in Trondheim, Norway. The contract is worth NOK 370M, about SEK 390M, which will be included in the order bookings for Skanska Norway for the first quarter in 2017. Powerhouse Brattrkaia will be located on one of Trondheim's most attractive sites. Architecture and aesthetic expression is steered by the sun as an energy source and the mantra "form follows environment". The result is an entirely new architectural expression, which hopefully will arouse and inspire innovation. The building will comprise 15,700 square meters of office space, of which Skanska will lease 2,300 square meters. In addition to this, 2,500 square meters of underground parking will be built. The building will achieve BREEAM NOR Outstanding, the highest rating in environmental certification system. It will be the first new office building in Norway, which produces more energy than it consumes, and must under the Powerhouse definition produce more clean and renewable energy than needed for construction, production and transportation of building materials, operation over a life cycle of 60 years and finally disposal. Optimal use of sun and sea water for heating and cooling, as well as an extremely low energy consumption, is required to fulfill the requirements. Skanska is the general contractor for the project. The construction will start in April 2017 and the office building will be completed in February 2019. Skanska Norway focuses on construction and civil engineering operations. The unit has approximately 4,000 employees. In 2015, Skanska Norway reported revenue of about SEK 12 billion. In Norway, Skanska is also active in development of residential, commercial properties and public private partnerships (PPP) projects. CONTACT: For further information please contact: Pal P Syse, Communications Director Skanska Norway Tel +47-98-21-00-01 Andreas Joons, Press Officer Skanska AB Tel +46 (0)10-449-04-94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10-448-88-99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com http://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-builds-energy-positive-office-building-in-trondheim--norway--for-nok-370m--about-sek-390m,c2161620 The following files are available for download: http://mb.cision.com/Main/95/2161620/611599.pdf 170109 NO office building http://news.cision.com/skanska/i/170109-no-powerhouse-brattorkaia-cred-snohetta,c2051425 170109 NO Powerhouse Brattrkaia Cred Snhetta Related Links http://www.skanska.com SOURCE Skanska Natural Gas Prices Resilient as BBL Contracts Expire LONDON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- UK day-ahead wholesale electricity prices fell 21% on average last month but remain 41% up year-on-year, S&P Global Platts data show. UK natural gas prices proved more resilient, down just 3% month-on-month to end-December and still 36% higher year-on-year. Mild temperatures, strong wind generation and smooth-running conventional power plants depressed power prices in December, even if the risk premium from earlier French nuclear outages meant levels remained high in a year-on-year comparison. Healthy supply margins were also reflected in the lack of any capacity shortfall warnings from National Grid, after it issued three such notices in October and early November. "The UK saw half hourly wind power production hit a new high early December, which weighed on spot power prices, while the country continued to remain a net exporter of power to France," said Anuradha Ramanathan, European power editor, S&P Global Platts. Into the New Year, however, and a colder, calmer weather outlook saw UK day-ahead baseload prices heading up over 53/MWh January 4. Platts UK Day-Ahead Power and Gas Assessments Dec-16 Nov-16 MoM change Nov-15 YoY change UK power (/MWh) Day-ahead average 48.46 61.42 -21% 37.62 41% UK gas (pence/therm) Day-ahead average 46.325 47.727 -3% 35.56 36% Source: S&P Global Platts Resilience in the gas price, meanwhile, was in part due to expiry of long-term contracts on the BBL gas pipeline between the UK and the Netherlands. This pushed up booking costs and caused daily flows on the line to drop from 42 million cu m/d November 30 to 19 million cu m/d December 1. Volumes on the line are yet to recover. "The cost of booking new capacity has lifted the BBL up the supply stack, well beyond the IUK pipeline to Belgium, medium-range storage, Rough storage and, potentially, even some LNG supplies," said Vesa Ahoniemi, Senior Pricing Specialist, European Gas Markets, S&P Global Platts. The rising cost of supply flexibility had little impact on the first half of December due to mild weather, but a gas price rally at the end of the year indicated renewed upward potential in the market. "The flexibility issue is likely to return in Q1 2017, as storage stocks both in the UK and Northwest Europe have fallen at a high rate in Q4 2016 and Europe's LNG outlook remains uncertain," Ahoniemi said. For more information on electric power or the methodology used by Platts in its power assessments, visit the S&P Global Platts website www.platts.com. About S&P Global Platts At S&P Global Platts, we provide the insights; you make better informed trading and business decisions with confidence. We're the leading independent provider of information and benchmark prices for the commodities and energy markets. Customers in over 150 countries look to our expertise in news, pricing and analytics to deliver greater transparency and efficiency to markets. S&P Global Platts coverage includes oil and gas, power, petrochemicals, metals, agriculture and shipping. S&P Global Platts is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for companies, governments and individuals to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.platts.com. Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160510/365785LOGO Related Links http://www.platts.com SOURCE S&P Global Platts Acquires Pacific Safety Products Inc., Aegis Engineering Limited and LBA International Limited Strengthens International Footprint and Enhances Core Capabilities JACKSONVILLE, Florida, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Safariland Group ("Safariland" or the "Company"), a leading global provider of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, today announced that it has completed the acquisitions of Pacific Safety Products Inc. ("PSP"), Aegis Engineering Limited ("Aegis") and LBA International Limited ("LBA"), industry leaders in the design and production of high-performance protective apparel for defense and law enforcement. These acquisitions significantly expand Safariland's international footprint along with enhanced design, manufacturing and distribution capabilities in the body armor and tactical equipment markets. Scott O'Brien, Safariland's President, said, "We are very excited about these recent acquisitions, which will enable Safariland to expand further into Canada, Europe, the UK and the Middle East. By joining The Safariland Group family of brands, each of these newly acquired businesses will now have greater access to capital. In turn, these companies will allow us to better serve existing and new customers with increased product diversification. Additionally, our customers will benefit from additional R&D capabilities to develop innovative, technologically advanced products. We look forward to working with these associates to strengthen our mission of 'Together, We Save Lives'." Safariland acquired all of the outstanding common shares of PSP through Med-Eng Holdings ULC, its indirect Canadian wholly owned subsidiary. Total cash consideration for the acquisition of PSP was approximately CAD $15.4 million. Financial terms of the Aegis and LBA transactions were not disclosed. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Arnprior, Canada, PSP is an established industry leader in the production, distribution and sale of high-performance and high-quality safety products for the defense and security markets. Products include body armor, ballistic blankets, tactical clothing and protective products against chemical and biological hazards. PSP is the largest body armor manufacturer in Canada, directly supplying the Canadian Department of National Defense, Canadian federal government agencies and major Canadian law enforcement organizations. Safariland's acquisition includes PSP's U.S. subsidiary, GH Armor Systems Inc. ("GHA"), which is headquartered in Dover, Tennessee. With its 90,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, GHA produces a comprehensive suite of advanced armor solutions, ballistics, carriers, tactical equipment, hard armor and corrections products. Founded in 1990, and headquartered in the UK, Aegis is a globally recognized designer and manufacturer of personal protective apparel and equipment, including body armor, ballistic helmets, shields, blankets and rifle plates. Aegis operates with cutting-edge technologies and brings a team of highly skilled and experienced associates, including a best-in-class technical design team, to Safariland. Founded in 1976, and also headquartered in the UK, LBA is a leading global provider of protective equipment, including hard armor plates and ballistic helmets to law enforcement officers, and like Aegis, benefits from a long track record of innovation through significant R&D investment. These acquisitions are additional successful milestones in The Safariland Group's strategy to provide entry into new markets with high-quality products. By adding PSP, Aegis and LBA to the Company's list of more than 25 recognized brands, The Safariland Group has strengthened its position as a leading global provider of safety and survivability equipment. Select new Safariland Group products ranging from body armor to body worn cameras and duty gear will be on display at The Safariland Group booth, #12762, throughout SHOT Show 2017, from January 17-20. For more information about The Safariland Group, please visit www.Safariland.com. About The Safariland Group The Safariland Group is a leading global provider of a broad range of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets. The Safariland Group offers a number of recognized brand names in these markets including Safariland, Med-Eng, ABA, Second Chance, VIEVU, Mustang Survival, Bianchi, Break Free, PROTECH Tactical, Defense Technology, Hatch, Monadnock, Identicator and NIK. The Safariland Group's mission, 'Together, We Save Lives.', is inherent in the lifesaving and protective products it delivers. The Safariland Group is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The Safariland Group is a trade name of Safariland, LLC. Media and Investor Relations Inquiries Jonathan Keehner / Tim Ragones / Aura Reinhard Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher (212) 355-4449 SOURCE The Safariland Group LONDON, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Transalis, one of the UK's largest independent EDI service providers and digital supply chain experts, today announced they have been awarded a place on the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) PEPPOL (Pan-European Public Procurement Online) access point framework. Transalis enables NHS providers and suppliers with seamless transfer of NHS business documents, such as orders and invoices, over the PEPPOL Transport Infrastructure. Having established a certified PEPPOL access point, Transalis supports NHS business processes, and will assist in delivering large expected cost savings to NHS procurement. PEPPOL ensures interoperability in public procurement, starting with the NHS, by using a standard format for electronic business documents and the transmission of those documents between parties. For existing service providers to the NHS, looking to expand their own capabilities and customer reach, Transalis has long-standing partnership experience being the service providers' service provider. Within the UK, reports suggest over 50% of public sector business documents, such as Purchase Orders and Invoices, are delivered as a PDF and require time-consuming manual data entry into in-house systems. Without PEPPOL and the GS1 standardisation delivered via certified access points, such as Transalis, suppliers trading with the UK public sector may be inundated with numerous different formats of business documents, increasing the time spent with data entry and delaying the ordering, delivery and invoicing process. Aniello Sabatino, Transalis Joint Managing Director, says "Transalis have been leading the retail industry, supporting GS1, in Integration Brokerage (EDI) for the past decade and we are excited to now see the UK public sector adopting PEPPOL standards to deliver significant and sustainable cost savings to the NHS. Even if parties' own systems won't yet support the new messaging standards in full, our solution will take whatever data formats and convert these 'on the fly' to PEPPOL standards. For your trading partners, and to help with the rollout to smaller entities, our PEPPOL enabled portal and paper-to-digital solutions will allow web-based document processing to the required standard, also. Our job is to bring you PEPPOL compliance at any stage during your transition as you implement the NHS eProcurement strategy, regardless of capability, current systems or size of your organisation." Through the competitive tender process and regular benchmarking, the CCS ensures the UK public sector, and in this case, the NHS, have access to the most competitive deals. All suppliers on the framework agreement are carefully evaluated during the tender process, and pre-agreed terms and conditions offer NHS customers sound contractual safeguards. Choose Transalis as your certified PEPPOL Access Point: http://www.transalis.com/peppol-compliance About Transalis Ltd Transalis provides a global digital platform that drives business growth, through cloud managed services. Transalis solutions offer total supply chain digital enablement while optimising existing technology. Based in the UK, Transalis services a digital community of over 10,000 users internationally across Retail, Manufacturing, Distribution, Logistics, FMCG, Health and Beauty and the Public Sector, including AS Watson, Pret a Manger, Argos, and The Hut Group. Our secure and highly scalable solutions support growing volumes of over 40 million documents and electronic invoices worth over 3 billion annually. For more information, http://www.transalis.com About The Crown Commercial Service The Crown Commercial Service (CCS) acts on behalf of the Crown to drive savings for the taxpayer and improve the quality of commercial and procurement activity. CCS's vision is to deliver value for the nation through outstanding commercial capability and quality customer service. Its procurement arrangements can be used by central government departments and organisations across the public sector including local government, health, education, not-for-profit and devolved administrations. For more information, please contact Michelle Soper-Dyer, +44(0)845-123-3746, msoperdyer@transalis.com SOURCE Transalis LONDON, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Two of Europe's best tailor-made travel companies join forces to build the leading, premium, tailor-made tour operator in the English-speaking world Highlights Voyageurs du Monde acquires 60% of Original Travel, one of the UK's fastest growing bespoke travel companies Voyageurs du Monde, listed on Euronext ( Paris ), is the leading tailor-made travel company in France with a market share of 40%, and a significant international network ), is the leading tailor-made travel company in with a market share of 40%, and a significant international network Original Travel and its existing management team will become Voyageurs du Monde's partner and platform for organic and acquisitive growth in the English-speaking world Original Travel's already excellent customer service will be further enhanced by accessing Voyageurs du Monde's range of high-touch client services Introduction Voyageurs du Monde, France's leading tailor-made travel company, is pleased to announce it has made a significant strategic investment in acquiring a 60% stake in Original Travel, one of the UK's fastest growing bespoke travel companies. The acquisition follows a 12-month review of the UK market by Voyageurs du Monde, as it sought an investment opportunity to further expand its international operations into key English-speaking markets. Original Travel and its existing management team will become Voyageurs du Monde's partner and platform for organic and acquisitive growth in the English-speaking world. Original Travel has experienced uninterrupted growth since its establishment in 2003. In contrast to the bespoke travel sector, which only recently returned to pre-recession levels, multi-award winning Original Travel has achieved six times revenue growth since 2007. In 2016 revenue grew more than 20% to 15m, and its English-speaking client base outside the UK has more than doubled in the last year. Post Voyageurs du Monde's investment, Original Travel will build on this growth both organically and through acquisition in key English-speaking markets. Voyageurs du Monde S.A. is listed on the Euronext (ALVOYAGEURS DU MONDE) and is currently trading around its all-time high, with a market capitalisation of c.260m. In 2015 the company reported revenue of 362m and EBITDA of 21m. Voyageurs du Monde is majority owned by its management team, Alain Capestan, Jean Francois Rial, Lionel Habasque, Frederic Moulin and Loic Minvielle. Original Travel was founded in 2003 by Nick Newbury, Tom Barber and Alastair Poulain with the aim of combining the personal insights and exceptional knowledge of highly experienced travel consultants to create memorable holidays and experiences. Today, Original Travel's team of 50 has travelled to over 160 countries on fact finding missions and created nearly 50,000 bespoke itineraries. These range from Big Short Breaks through to lengthy sabbaticals, such as an 18-month long grand tour of the globe which wove together 92 itineraries, including learning to photograph snow leopards in Ladakh and diving South Africa's famous Sardine Run. Transaction details Voyageurs du Monde has acquired a 60% stake in Original Travel by acquiring the shares of all non-employee shareholders in Original Travel, including those held by private equity company Hotbed. The remaining 40% interest will continue to be held by Original Travel's existing management team, which includes two of Original Travel's founders, Nick Newbury and Tom Barber, along with Neill Ghosh, Director of Sales and Service. Customer benefits Original Travel will be adding further to its "Life is in the Detail" proposition over the coming weeks, building on the services offered by Voyageurs du Monde: for example, Original Travel will have access to Voyageurs du Monde's team of English-speaking concierges, which are located locally across the entirety of its international network. The Concierge service will give Original Travel's clients another local helping hand to further enhance their holidays, in addition to the UK-based office assistance and 24/7 emergency service it currently offers alongside its on-the-ground teams in each of its destinations. Original Travel's relationship with Voyageurs du Monde has already inspired the launch of its latest customer service proposition, further improving on Original Travel's already high service levels. Management Original Travel's brand, operational management and team structure will continue unchanged. The Board of Directors of Original Travel will change however, and will be: Nick Newbury, Chief Executive Officer; Tom Barber, Chief Product Officer; Neill Ghosh, Director of Sales and Service; Alain Capestan, MD, Voyageurs du Monde Group; and Jean-Francois Rial, CEO Voyageurs du Monde. Commenting on the acquisition, Jean Francois Rial, CEO of Voyageurs du Monde, said: "We are very excited about our investment in Original Travel. We have been hugely impressed by their market-leading client service levels, their innovative product and 14-year unbroken growth profile. We believe the Original Travel management team are the best placed team in the UK to help us develop the leading bespoke travel company in the English-speaking world." Nick Newbury, CEO, Original Travel, said: "Voyageurs du Monde is a phenomenally successful business and we were flattered to have been approached. Voyageurs du Monde's international ambitions, highly innovative approach to client service, product and technology will be transformational for the development of Original Travel and our team. Our clients can rest assured that it will very much be business as usual and they will continue to receive the high levels of service and innovative product that they have come to expect from Original Travel. Partnering with a business that shares our ethos is a hugely significant development as we embark on the next step of our corporate growth." About Voyageurs du Monde (http://www.voyageursdumonde.com): Voyageurs du Monde is the leading specialist in bespoke and adventure travel in France. Voyageurs du Monde's strong performance since its inception has been built through a combination of organic and external growth. It has a strong track record in acquiring, integrating and growing add-on brands and organisations both in France and internationally. Voyageurs du Monde owns hotels in South Africa, Brazil, Morocco and owns and operates a boat on the Nile in Egypt, an old steam-boat, "The Steamship Sudan", built at the end of the 19th century by Thomas Cook. In France, Voyageurs du Monde also operates high-end travel bookshops and travel luggage stores. Voyageurs du Monde was established in 1979 and is headquartered in central Paris. The company has 1,049 employees and comprises 12 brands including http://www.voyageursdumonde.fr, http://www.comptoir.fr, http://www.terdav.com, http://www.nomade-aventure.com, http://www.allibert-trekking.com, http://www.uniktour.com . About Original Travel (http://www.originaltravel.co.uk): Original Travel is one of the UK's fastest growing bespoke travel companies, offering tailor-made holidays to 95 countries worldwide. Since its launch in 2003, the multi-award winning company has firmly established itself as 'one to watch' in the travel industry, experiencing uninterrupted growth since 2003. While the bespoke travel sector has only just returned to its pre-recession levels, multi-award winning Original Travel has achieved six times revenue growth since 2007. The Original Travel team have created just under 50,000 itineraries for clients since 2003 including for some extremely high profile clients. Unlike many companies in the sector, Original Travel also has a bespoke inbound operation welcoming clients from all over the world to the UK. Also unique to Original Travel is its specialist team of divers - Original Diving - who pride themselves on combining the best dive destinations with the best accommodation across the globe. Original Travel believes it is the small details that make a holiday; whether that's knowing where to find the finest spot for sleeping under the stars in Botswana's Makgadikgadi Pans; or the best place to catch the kite-surfing wind in North East Brazil. The Original Travel team are experts in honeymoons, experience-filled adventures, discreet luxury travel, safaris, private property rentals, family holidays, small group tours and diving, but above all they believe that life is in the detail. Original Travel now has 50 employees and moved to new offices in Putney, London, in November 2016. SOURCE Voyageurs du Monde and Original Travel CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, the 17th of January, at 8:00am, 99 Cents Only Stores will kick off the grand opening celebration of its new Palm Springs store by selling 32" Flat Screen LCD TVs for only 99 cents to the first nine customers in line! 99 Cents Only Stores is excited to be opening a new store in Palm Springs and wants to spread the excitement by offering amazing deals! To celebrate this new store, the next 99 customers in line on the 17th may purchase a scooter for only 99 cents! The following 99 customers can purchase a coffee maker for only 99 cents! The next 99 customers can buy a digital camera for just 99 cents! Additionally, for the next three days, the new Palm Springs store will continue to offer many extraordinary grand opening specials including blenders for only 99 cents for the first 99 in line on Wednesday, January 18th! The new Palm Springs store is located at 102 S Sunrise Way and will feature a perishable food department, including produce, dairy and frozen foods. To view the Palm Springs Grand Opening flyer, click here. About 99 Cents Only Stores Founded in 1982, 99 Cents Only Stores is the leading operator of extreme value stores in California and the Southwestern United States. The Company currently operates 393 stores located in California, Texas, Arizona & Nevada. 99 Cents Only Stores offers a broad assortment of name brand and other attractively priced merchandise and compelling seasonal product offerings. Media Contact: Desiree Anderson, (213) 393-5736 or [email protected] SOURCE 99 Cents Only Stores Related Links http://www.99only.com LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To provide insight into the healthcare policy proposals that Americans may expect in the coming year, national non-profit Transamerica Center for Health Studies (TCHS) has compiled four of the most prominent proposed reforms or statements from President-elect Donald Trump and lawmakers, along with key implications for consumers and states. 1. President-elect Donald Trump's Healthcare Reform Statement The president-elect's healthcare reform statement suggests a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) with a focus on patient-centered health care. He calls for the repeal of the individual mandate that requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a tax penalty, and supports allowing insurers to sell insurance plans across state lines and the creation of high-risk pools for those with pre-existing medical conditions. The statement also expresses support for Medicaid innovation. "The ACA is still the law of the land, but once president-elect Trump takes office things could quickly change," said Hector De La Torre, executive director of Transamerica Center for Health Studies. "As an example, the incoming administration will likely peel back the ACA's Medicaid expansion, so consumers who rely on this program should pay attention to imminent changes." 2. Empowering Patients First Act of 2015 Representative (and new Health and Human Services Secretary) Tom Price H.R. 2300, Empowering Patients First Act seeks to: Repeal the ACA and the individual mandate and tax penalty for the uninsured Replace current subsidies to purchase a health plan through an Exchange with tax credits of $1,200 for adults and $900 per child for adults and per child Replace guaranteed issue for individuals with pre-existing conditions with a continuous coverage provision that would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions provided that the individual remained continuously insured for the previous 18 months Allow health insurers to sell plans across state lines Create refundable tax credits for health insurance premiums and HSA contributions, while raising the annual HSA contribution limit and placing a limit on an employer's contribution to health coverage that can be excluded from the employee's taxable income Partially fund re-insurance for state high-risk pools for those with serious medical conditions Repeal Medicaid expansion up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and return to 100 percent of FPL; change funding from adjusted amounts per recipient to block grants to states The Act avoided mention of Essential Health Benefits requirement and allowing young adults under 26 years old to stay on their parent's health plan "As the incoming Health and Human Services Secretary under the Trump administration, Rep. Tom Price will be heavily involved in shaping the future of health care for Americans," said De La Torre. "Under a proposal like this, Americans with income levels above traditional Medicaid rates and below the ACA expansion rate are most at risk for losing their Medicaid coverage in the coming months." 3. Patients' Choice Act of 2009 House Speaker Paul Ryan H.R.2520, Patients' Choice Act seeks to: Repeal the ACA and the individual mandate and tax penalty for the uninsured Replace current subsidies to purchase a health plan through an Exchange with tax incentives of $2,900 per individual or $5,700 per family for those who remain insured from plan year to plan year per individual or per family for those who remain insured from plan year to plan year Create new State Health Insurance Exchanges and allow participants to pay premiums with Health Savings Account (HSA) funds without a tax penalty Replace guaranteed issue for individuals with pre-existing conditions with a continuous coverage provision that would prohibit insurers from denying coverage to individuals with pre-existing conditions provided that the individual remained continuously insured for the previous 18 months Allow health insurers to sell plans across state lines Create state-based high-risk pools for those with serious medical conditions Repeal Medicaid expansion up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) and return to 100 percent of FPL; change funding from adjusted amounts per recipient to fixed per capita block grants to states The Act avoided mention of the Essential Health Benefits requirement and allowing young adults under 26 years old to stay on their parent's health plan "A move toward House Speaker Paul Ryan's proposed Patients' Choice Act of 2009 would be felt most by the 9.4 million people who currently receive premium subsidies through Healthcare.gov exchanges," said De La Torre. "If the new administration eliminates these subsidies, millions of Americans could find their health insurance premiums doubling or even tripling in the near future." 4. Patient Freedom Act of 2015 Senator Bill Cassidy S. 1531, Patient Freedom Act Under the Patient Freedom Act, states could do any of the following: (1) continue implementing the ACA; (2) repeal the core of ACA except to prohibit lifetime or annual limits on health insurance benefits and require coverage of dependents up to 26 years old; (3) or the second option plus implementation of a health savings account (HSA) deposit system. This Act would seek to: Repeal the individual mandate to buy coverage Require states to provide default high-deductible health insurance through a health plan with prescription drug coverage, an adequate provider network, HSA eligibility and childhood immunizations without co-pays Replace current subsidies to purchase a health plan through an Exchange with tax credits of $2,500 for adults and $1,500 per child for adults and per child Require states using HSA deposit systems to provide funds into individual HSAs for health-related costs, including premiums Require no essential health benefits and implement state by state minimum coverage standards Replace guaranteed issue for individuals with pre-existing conditions with a continuous coverage provision mandating that insurers cover individuals with pre-existing conditions, provided that the individual remained continuously insured for the previous 18 months. If continuous coverage is stopped, individual must pay a penalty for each month without coverage up to the date of renewed coverage Allow states to keep their current Exchange or replace it with a state plan Create state-based high-risk pools for those with serious medical conditions Offer optional Medicaid expansion for states "If the new administration were to adopt key provisions of Senator Bill Cassidy's proposed Patient Freedom Act of 2015, states would be given more flexibility and the onus would be on them to provide health care insurance options to residents and to work with residing businesses," said De La Torre. ABOUT THE TRANSAMERICA CENTER FOR HEALTH STUDIES Transamerica Center for Health Studies (TCHS) a division of the Transamerica Institute, is focused on empowering consumers and employers to achieve the best value and protection from their health coverage, as well as the best outcomes in their personal health and wellness. TCHS engages with the American public through national surveys, its website, research findings and consumer guidance. TCHS also collaborates with healthcare experts and organizations that are equally focused on health coverage and personal health and wellness. The Transamerica Institute is a nonprofit, private foundation funded by contributions from Transamerica Life Insurance Company and its affiliates, as well as unaffiliated third parties. None of the contributors are major medical insurers. Contact: Katie Fitzpatrick 952-346-6011 [email protected]om Available Topic Expert(s): For information on the listed expert(s), click appropriate link. Hector De La Torre - http://www.profnetconnect.com/hectordelatorre SOURCE Transamerica Center for Health Studies BARCELONA, Spain, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Anaconda BioMed S.L., a pre-clinical stage medical device company focused on the development of the next generation of neuro-thrombectomy systems for the treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS), announced the appointment of Mr. Giovanni Leo, MS to join its Advisory Board (AB). "It is a pleasure to have Mr. Leo joining our Advisory Board, bringing his broad understanding in the development of medical devices, as well as his experience as a top executive" said Anaconda BioMed S.L. CEO, Dr. Ofir Arad. "With Mr. Leo on Anaconda BioMed's board I expect to advance faster towards a successful commercialization of ANCD BRAIN, the 3rd generation thrombectomy device." Mr. Leo is VP at the R&D Department of St Jude Medical since the acquisition of Endosense in 2013, which he co-founded to develop a novel technology for the catheter ablation treatment of cardiac arrhythmias. Prior to Endosense, Mr. Leo was the director of the Geneva offices for Acrostak Corp., a Boston-Scientific funded medical device company. Mr. Leo earned an Executive MBA in Management and Corporate Finance from the HEC of Lausanne, following a degree in management engineering from the Politecnico of Milano, Italy. "Anaconda Biomed is one of the fastest moving medical companies I have worked with. The combination of a strong market need and needle point company focus makes Anaconda Biomed a strong potential candidate in the neurovascular market," said Mr. Giovanni Leo. "I am thrilled to join the Advisory Board and I look forward to reaching commercialization". About Anaconda BioMed, S.L. Anaconda BioMed S.L. (www.anaconda.bio), headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, is among the world's most innovative early stage medical technology companies. The company was founded by Dr. Ofir Arad and Dr. Marc Ribo in 2015, and is developing the ANCD BRAIN, a novel 3rd Generation Stented Aspiration Thrombectomy System for the treatment of Acute Ischemic Stroke (AIS). Every 2 seconds someone in the world is undergoing a stroke. Every 10 seconds someone in the world dies from a stroke. In the USA, there are about 690,000 annual incidences of AIS. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on Anaconda BioMed S.L.'s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release. Each of these forward-looking statements involves risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from these forward-looking statements. Contact: Uri Fligil +34-936-397-710 [email protected] SOURCE Anaconda BioMed, S.L. Related Links http://www.anaconda.bio DUBAI, UAE, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- - The average Arab citizen reads around 17 books and 35 hours per year The results of the Arab Reading Index, released during the Knowledge Summit in December 2016 in Dubai, revealed that, on average, the Arab citizen reads around 17 books and 35 hours per year. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455114/MBRF_Logo.jpg ) The Index - launched by the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) - aimed to shed light on the realities of reading in the Arab world. It dispelled widespread inaccurate statistics, which placed reading levels in the region much lower than they really are. The results of the survey state that the Arab reader reads, on average, 11 Arabic books and 6 foreign-language ones every year - be it within schools and universities or outside. Similarly, the results showed that the 35 hours of reading spent by the average Arab reader are divided into 20 hours in academic institutions and 15 hours outside of them. Moreover, 16 hours are spent reading print material and 19 are spent on electronic platforms. Canvassing 148,000 people in all 22 Arab countries, the Index revealed that the UAE leads the GCC in terms of reading (scoring 82%) with 51 hours of reading and 24 books per person on average, followed by Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain (64%, 63%, and 58%, respectively). Meanwhile, Lebanon took the overall top spot scoring 90%, the average Lebanese reader spends 59 hours a year reading 29 books. Lebanon was followed by Jordan with 71%, Palestine with 54% (39 hours and 18 books per year), and Syria with 39% (33 hours and 13 books). Wrapping up the rankings for the Levant and Iraq region, Iraq scored 36% with 27 hours and 14 books per year for every citizen on average. For Northeast Africa, Egypt led the pack with 89% (64 hours and 27 books per individual per year), followed by Sudan with 43% (33 hours and 14 books), and Libya with 23% (18 hours and 10 books). Morocco, meanwhile, led the Maghreb region countries with a score of 87% (57 hours and 27 books), followed by Tunisia with 70% (47 hours and 22 books), and Algeria with 51% (36 hours and 17 books). Furthermore, the survey explored readers' preferences when it comes to print publications, where 28.05% of readers expressed an interest in books, followed by 20.55% for novels, 20.21% for specialised magazines, 17.06% for newspapers, and 14.12% for comic books. As for electronic reading platforms, 23.52% of readers showed preference for social media outlets, while 23.02% preferred news websites. Moreover, 21.02% read e-books, 21.02% read digital magazines, while 9.35% read blogs and 7.78% prefer professional networks. The Index is the first of its kind in the region; it is a scientific and standardised tool that tracks knowledge-focused initiatives in the Arab World and measures their impact on society in order to assign quantifiable numerical data to the process of cultural development in the region. SOURCE Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF) "Min is a very well respected and knowledgeable leader in healthcare design," said Bill Scrantom, Arup's Americas Region Healthcare Leader. "His technical expertise and experience with integrated design teams is a perfect complement to our culture, and is just what the growing Texas healthcare marketplace needs." "The most exciting part of this new opportunity at Arup is the ability to significantly impact the healthcare design community while making a positive contribution to my hometown," said Kim. "Utilizing Arup's large network of interdisciplinary specialists, I look forward to continuing to bring trusted, expert advice to our clients while pushing the boundaries of what is possible in designing the modern healing environment." Kim comes to Arup from Affiliated Engineers, where he was Director of Operations and Healthcare Leader. Prior to that, he worked at Smith Seckman Reid and Syska Hennessy Group. His past projects include the LEED Silver-certified CHI St. Luke's Health at Springwoods Village; the Baylor College of Medicine The Eye Institute; and the Williams P. Clements Jr. University Hospital at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, where collaboration between the owner, design team, and construction team resulted in employing efficient speed-to-market strategies, including pre-fabricated and modular construction. He is a member of the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the Houston Area Association of Healthcare Engineers (HAAHE). Arup's healthcare portfolio includes the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Central Hospital project, as well as the Calgary Cancer Center in Canada and the Dublin Children's Hospital. About Arup The preeminent provider of engineering, consulting, planning, design, and technical specialist services in the built environment, Arup aims to do the best quality work across diverse specialties to deliver value to its clients and achieve a positive impact on our world. The firm opened its first US office over 30 years ago and now employs 1,400 people in the Americas. Since its founding in 1946, members of Arup have developed transformative ways of working with its clients. The firm's unique version of employee-ownership promotes long-term thinking and significant investment in research and innovation for the benefit of its clients. For additional information, visit Arup's website at www.arup.com and the online magazine of Arup in the Americas at doggerel.arup.com. Contact: Tami Hausman [email protected] 646.742.1700 Contact: Rebecca Maloney [email protected] 617.412.6632 SOURCE Arup Related Links http://www.arup.com "Moe will be a terrific asset to the Arup healthcare team," said Bill Scrantom, Arup's Americas Region Healthcare Leader. "He has particularly strong expertise in campus master planning and integrating new technological solutions to support strategic goals. His focus on improving efficiency will support our continuing work to develop sustainable, resilient, and responsive healthcare design solutions." "I've always been inspired by the opportunities found in new technologies," said Goudarzi. "Knowing that efficiency is a continuing trend in the healthcare sector, I am eager to leverage Arup's diverse, integrated resources to develop innovative design solutions for our clients that are energy efficient, yet still wholly focused on patient wellbeing." Goudarzi joins Arup from Affiliated Engineers, where he was Project Manager/Lead Mechanical Engineer. Previously, he was with SmithGroup JJR. Working with Banner Healthcare systems, he helped develop templates for energy efficiency and air quality control in health centers; his projects include Dignity Health at the St. Joseph's Hospital Medical Center and the Scottsdale Outpatient Surgery Center in Arizona. Goudarzi is a member of the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE); the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE); and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Arup's healthcare portfolio includes the Kaiser Permanente San Diego Central Hospital project, as well as the Calgary Cancer Center in Canada and the Dublin Children's Hospital. About Arup The preeminent provider of engineering, consulting, planning, design and technical specialist services in the built environment, Arup aims to do the best quality work across diverse specialties to deliver value to its clients and achieve a positive impact on our world. The firm opened its first US office over 30 years ago and now employs 1,400 people in the Americas. Since its founding in 1946, members of Arup have developed transformative ways of working with its clients. The firm's unique version of employee-ownership promotes long-term thinking and significant investment in research and innovation for the benefit of its clients. For additional information, visit Arup's website at www.arup.com and the online magazine of Arup in the Americas at doggerel.arup.com. Contact: Tami Hausman [email protected] 646.742.1700 Contact: Rebecca Maloney [email protected] 617.412.6632 SOURCE Arup Related Links http://www.arup.com HONG KONG, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Ascentage Pharma, a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on apoptosis-targeted oncology drug discovery and development, today announced the completion of its Series B financing of RMB 500 million (equal to approximately $72 million). The financing was led by Future Industry Investment Fund ("FIIF"), a private equity fund managed by the State Development & Investment Corporation Fund Management Corporation Limited ("SDIC"), and was joined by new investors including Shiyu Capital, Hidragon Capital and Founder KIP Capital, along with the existing investors Yuanming Capital, Oriza Venture Fund and Efung Capital. China Renaissance acted as exclusive financial advisor for Ascentage. On December 22, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Investigational New Drug (IND) approval to APG-1252, a novel Bcl-2/Bcl-x L inhibitor which is discovered and developed by Ascentage, for the treatment of cancers including Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC). APG-1252 is a small molecule drug that helps restore programmed cell death process (apoptosis) through selective inhibition of Bcl-2 family members Bcl-2 and Bcl-x L . Rationally designed to avoid the commonly seen on-target toxicity in platelets when Bcl-x L gets inhibited, APG-1252 is of best-in-class potential. The pre-clinical data shows that the compound remains strong anti-tumor potency while exhibiting minimal toxicity in platelets. The proceeds of financing will provide strong support for Ascentage to further accelerate its pipeline of novel small molecules that target apoptosis pathways in clinical development. Protein-Protein Interactions (PPIs) have long been known by their vital importance in regulating biological systems and development of disease states. Using small molecule drugs to directly disrupt PPIs is relatively rare in comparison to other drug classes due to the complexity and challenge in drug design. Ascentage team has been committed to this cutting-edge field for the past years with a vision of conquering the "undruggable" targets. The research efforts and valuable insight on these targets have been translated into a rich pipeline of eight novel small molecules with six currently in clinical development for addressing the unmet medical needs in oncology and hepatitis B. Furthermore, Ascentage is partnering with UNITY Biotechnology, a San Francisco-based biotechnology company creating therapeutics that prevent, halt, or reverse numerous diseases of aging, on developing ground-breaking senolytic treatments for age-related diseases. This collaboration will further enhance the therapeutic potential of Ascentage's compounds. Simon Dazhong Lu, Managing Director of SDIC Fund Management, commented on the financing round: "We are highly attracted by Ascentage's unique technology platform and strong capabilities in novel drug development. We hope that Ascentage will soon deliver breakthrough therapeutics for patients worldwide." Dajun Yang, MD, Ph.D., Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ascentage, said: "we are pleased by the overwhelming interest that we received in this round of financing led by SDIC. We believe that this is an endorsement of our PPIs-targeting technology, our novel apoptosis-inducing therapies, as well as our vision of building a world-leading biopharmaceutical company. The capital raised will be invaluable in enabling us to progress the clinical development of our pipeline especially in the United States and to accelerate our manufacturing site construction in Suzhou. We look forward to working closely with all our investors to continue the rapid advancement of developing novel drugs." About Ascentage Pharma Ascentage Pharma is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, dedicated to discovery and development of "first-in-class" and "best-in-class" small-molecule targeted therapeutics for addressing unmet medical needs in cancers, hepatitis B and age-related diseases. Ascentage has world-leading proprietary Protein-Protein Interaction drug discovery technologies and holds over 80 international patents. Ascentage currently has six small molecule drugs in phase I-II trials in US, Australia and China and additional programs in preclinical stages. The established R&D pipeline of Ascentage includes the inhibitors to a number of key proteins, including IAP, Bcl-2/Bcl-x L and MDM2-p53, that regulate a tumor cell's programmed cell death program; 2nd and/or 3rd generation of kinase inhibitors that overcome mutant resistance in cancer therapy; and inhibitors of epigenetics. For more information, please visit www.ascentagepharma.com. About SDIC Established in July 2009, SDIC Fund Management Corporation Limited is an independent, professional private equity company. It currently manages and advises more than RMB 50 billion of capital for a wide range of institutional investors including financial institutions, social security funds, and state-owned and private capital. SDIC Fund Management Corporation Limited is one of the largest professional private equity fund managers in China. CONTACT: Dajun Yang, MD, Ph.D., Chairman and CEO of Ascentage, [email protected] SOURCE Ascentage Pharma Related Links http://www.ascentagepharma.com AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Epicor Software Corporation, a global provider of industry-specific enterprise software to promote business growth, today announced that manufacturers of automotive replacement parts continue to report significant gains in new-parts data timeliness as a result of the company's expanded "Net Adds" data publishing capability. The Net Adds tool enables Epicor to publish new part numbers and other time-sensitive file changes in the industry-leading Epicor PartExpert eCatalog without revalidating entire data sets. Epicor is now publishing a vast majority of manufacturer-supplied new-parts files within five days of receipt. "Nothing makes our alarms go off faster than if our new data is not in the Epicor catalog, and Net Adds has completely changed this. We have seen tremendous improvements in timeliness." - Duane Meadows, Senior Catalog Manager, DENSO Products and Services Americas "Net Adds has helped us tremendously in making sure accurate parts data is available in the market when we're ready to launch new products," said Duane Meadows, senior catalog manager for DENSO Products and Services Americas, Inc., manufacturer of air conditioning, rotating electrical, engine management, ignition, and other components. "Nothing makes our alarms go off faster than if our new data is not in the Epicor catalog, and Net Adds has completely changed this. We have seen tremendous improvements in timeliness." In addition to dramatically accelerating the data validation and publishing cycle for industry manufacturers, Epicor now offers free weekly, automated eCatalog downloads for the thousands of aftermarket distributors, jobbers and other customers who rely on the PartExpert eCatalog. The Dynamic Updates service automatically refreshes the user's eCatalog data set with the latest Net Adds, ensuring faster access to part numbers and other information necessary to research and sell thousands of additional products. "We've seen a night-and-day improvement in data turnaround and delivery time," said Tim Oldiges, product manager for KYB Americas Corporation, manufacturer of ride control products for the North American aftermarket. "Epicor's assessment reporting is also extremely detailed and helpful, which enables us to identify and address any data issues much more quickly." The Net Adds and Dynamic Updates tools are just the latest in a continuing series of value-added enhancements to Epicor eCatalog products and services. The PartExpert eCatalog, which includes more than 12 million unique part numbers from over 2,000 manufacturers, is published in several formats each month to address the requirements of virtually every popular aftermarket business software platform. In addition, the Epicor replacement parts database is embedded in automotive shop management platforms, B2B eCommerce portals and wholesaler and retailer eStores. It has been estimated that more than 70 percent of all North American automotive aftermarket transactions are facilitated through Epicor-validated parts data and related content and connectivity solutions. "From the very beginning of eCataloging in the aftermarket, Epicor has been considered the industry's de facto standard, and we take that role and responsibility very seriously," said Scott Thompson, vice president, automotive, analytics, and content, Epicor Software. "That's why we don't simply redistribute supplier data without extensive validation and other value-added services that help ensure that the ultimate customer gets the right answer and the right part the first time. Net Adds and Dynamic Updates software preserve our longstanding accuracy and usability advantage while addressing the ever increasing velocity of the aftermarket supply chain." To learn more about the Epicor Net Adds publishing capability, Dynamic Updates feature, and Epicor PartExpert eCatalog products and services, please call Epicor toll-free at 888.463.4700, or email [email protected]. About Epicor Solutions for the Automotive Aftermarket For nearly 40 years, Epicor aftermarket solutions have helped empower motor vehicle parts and service providers through world-class technologies that drive sales, profits and customer loyalty. Epicor products and services for the aftermarket include parts data and related eCatalog content; industry analytics and category management solutions; enterprise software; B2B and B2C eCommerce solutions; and business optimization tools. Visit the Epicor Automotive Aftermarket solution hub to learn more. About Epicor Software Corporation Epicor Software Corporation drives business growth. We provide flexible, industry-specific software designed around the needs of our manufacturing, distribution, retail, and service industry customers. More than 40 years of experience with our customers' unique business processes and operational requirements are built into every solutionin the cloud, hosted, or on premises. With this deep understanding of your industry, Epicor solutions manage complexity, increase efficiency, and free up resources so you can focus on growth. For more information, connect with Epicor or visit www.epicor.com. Epicor, the Epicor logo, PartExpert, Net Adds, and Dynamic Updates are trademarks of Epicor Software Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. The product and service offerings depicted in this document are produced by Epicor Software Corporation. Contact: Lindsay Ortega Drew Shippy Senior Specialist, Public Relations Pinnacle Communication Group, Inc. Epicor Software Corporation (on behalf of Epicor) +1 952 417 5022 +1 330 688 3500 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Epicor Software Corporation Related Links http://www.epicor.com PARSIPPANY, N.J., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- All-Clad Metalcrafters, LLC, the undisputed cookware choice of top restaurant chefs and serious home cooks, is thrilled to relaunch its All-Clad LTD cookware line at Williams Sonoma. Originally launched 35 years ago, the LTD is best known for its thick conductive aluminum body that heats quickly and retains heat while the stainless steel interior browns and sears to perfection. All-Clad is dedicated to meeting the needs of their customers and in commitment to a loyal following that has clamored for the collection's return, the brand is proud to be re-introducing LTD. "All-Clad prides itself on crafting cookware with the best technology for professional chefs and enthusiastic home cooks," said Greg Cairo, President of Groupe SEB USA. "LTD has a cult following with a countless number of fans hoping for its return, so we couldn't be more excited to re-introduce this beloved cookware set to consumers looking to take their cooking skills to the next level." All-Clad LTD is handcrafted in the USA and boasts exceptional cooking performance. Constructed of 18/10 stainless steel interior, thick aluminum core and sleek charcoal-colored hard anodized aluminum exterior, the collection also features flared edges for drip-free pouring and easy handling with large and comfortable stainless steel handles. Each piece of cookware includes flat stainless steel lids and the capacity etched on the base. The new version is now dishwasher safe and includes updated easy-grip handles. Key benefits of All-Clad LTD: Fast heat-up and exceptionally even heat for excellence in searing, browning and deglazing A durable and low maintenance hard anodized exterior which is scratch and stain resistant Newly designed contoured stainless steel handles provide a comfortable and secure grip Dishwasher safe for easy clean up "All-Clad LTD cookware was a customer and employee favorite and after many years of requests we worked with All-Clad to bring it back, better than ever," said Janet Hayes, President of Williams Sonoma. "It's returning by popular demand and no one innovates quite like All-Clad. This reintroduction will make current LTD customers happy since they can now add to their collections, and provides us with an opportunity to share it with an entirely new customer base." Prior to the relaunch, Williams Sonoma contacted previous LTD loyalists to spread the news of the cookware's return. One Williams Sonoma customer Stacey Withal commented, "After years of use, my All-Clad LTD collection has lasted better than any other cookware I have owned." The LTD collection's superior performance has also captured the attention of award-winning chefs, including Gavin Kaysen, Chef/Owner of Spoon & Stable in Minneapolis, MN. Chef Kaysen shared, "All-Clad LTD will be an important part of my new restaurant opening, so I could not be more thrilled that it's back." All-Clad LTD includes nine individual pieces, 8", 10" and 12" Fry Pans, 3 Qt. and 6 Qt. Saute Pans, 2 Qt. and 3 Qt. Sauce Pots, 4 Qt. Soup Pot, and 8 Qt. Stock Pot and is also available in a 10-piece set. All of the products are dishwasher, oven and broiler (up to 600F) safe. The cookware set is compatible with all stovetops, excluding induction. The All-Clad LTD collection is available exclusively at Williams Sonoma retail stores throughout the U.S. and Canada and online at williams-sonoma.com; prices range from $140.00 -$899.95. For additional information about this latest release from All-Clad, please contact 5W Public Relations or visit All-Clad.com. About All-Clad All-Clad is the undisputed cookware choice of top restaurant chefs and serious home cooks. Born in the United States steel age in 1967 as Clad Metals, All-Clad originally specialized in formulating bonded metals for a variety of industries. Since it was established as All-Clad Metalcrafters in 1971, every piece of its bonded cookware has been handcrafted through a revolutionary process, using a proprietary recipe of metals to provide the best cooking performance. Today, All-Clad's signature cookware continues to be proudly handcrafted by American artisans in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, with American-made steel the same way it was four decades ago. No detail is overlooked in crafting All-Clad cookware, and that is what makes it a true original. All-Clad Metalcrafters offers several collections of bonded cookware, kitchen tools, electrics, and gourmet accessories. All-Clad can be found in specialty cookware and department stores in the United States and Canada. For more information, visit All-Clad.com. About Williams Sonoma Since its founding by Chuck Williams in 1956, the Williams Sonoma brand has been bringing people together around food. A member of Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (NYSE: WSM) portfolio of brands, Williams Sonoma is a leading specialty retailer of high-quality products for the kitchen and home, providing world-class service and an engaging customer experience. Products include cookware, cooks' tools, cutlery, electrics, bakeware, food, tabletop and bar, outdoor, cookbooks, as well as furniture, lighting and decorative accessories. Each store offers cooking demonstrations and tastings conducted by expert culinary staff. Williams Sonoma Cooking Schools, located in select locations in the U.S. and Australia, host hands-on classes led by professional chefs. A comprehensive gift registry program for weddings and other special events is available in stores and online. On williams-sonoma.com and the Williams Sonoma blog, Taste, customers can find recipes, tips, and techniques that help them create delicious meals and wonderful memories. Williams Sonoma is also part of an active community on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+ and YouTube. SOURCE All-Clad Metalcrafters, LLC SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of the West Wealth Management Group today announced that it has recruited three new Market Leaders to support its growing business in Northern California & the Northwest driven by strong client demand in the region. Whitney Rohrer is market leader for San Francisco; Neil O'Keeffe is market leader for Palo Alto; and Chuck Wong is market leader for San Jose. Reporting to Cheryl Farley, regional manager, the new market leaders are responsible for leading teams in the delivery of private client services to affluent and high-net-worth individuals. "We are extremely pleased to attract such talented and experienced wealth management professionals to our team as our world class wealth management business continues to grow in northern California," said Cheryl Farley. "The depth of experience and proven leadership capabilities from Chuck, Neil and Whitney will continue to drive our delivery of wealth management advisory services to help our clients address their priorities." Rohrer has held multiple positions at other major financial institutions, most recently serving as an affluent segment leader. Rohrer began her career in financial services as a financial advisor in 2005. She has a Bachelor's degree in International Business and Italian from Georgetown University. She also attended Universita Bocconi in Milan, Italy where she studied International Business. O'Keeffe has more than a decade of wealth management experience during which he has assisted families, business owners and foundations to meet their personal and financial objectives. He holds a Master's in Business Administration and Marketing, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science, both from the University of Illinois. O'Keeffe earned the Accredited Wealth Management Advisor designation from the College of Financial Planning. Wong has more than 12 years of management experience in the financial services industry, most recently serving as vice president, market sales manager at a major U.S. banking firm. Prior to that, he was a vice president at a global bank. Wong received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Berkeley. About Bank of the West Wealth Management Bank of the West Wealth Management provides wealth planning, investment management*, personal banking, philanthropy, and trust and fiduciary services. The group is part of BNP Paribas' global wealth management business of more than 6,600 professionals present in three hubs in Europe, Asia and the US with more than $11.4 billion** in assets under management in the United States and 341 billion ($383 billion) in assets under management globally as of September 30, 2016. About Bank of the West Bank of the West is a regional financial services company headquartered in San Francisco with $82.6 billion in assets as of September 30, 2016. Founded in 1874, Bank of the West provides a wide range of personal, commercial, wealth management and international banking services through more than 600 branches and offices in 23 states and digital channels. Bank of the West is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, which has a presence in 75 countries with more than 189,000 employees. To learn more about Bank of the West, visit About Us. *Securities and variable annuities are offered through BancWest Investment Services, a registered broker/dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC , and SEC Registered Investment Adviser . Financial Advisors are Registered Representatives of BancWest Investment Services. Fixed annuities/insurance products are offered through BancWest Insurance Agency in California, (License #0C52321) and through BancWest Investment Services, Inc. in AZ, CO, IA, ID, KS, MN, MO, ND, NE, NM, NV, OK, OR, SD, UT, WA, WI, WY, HI, Guam and CNMI. Bank of the West and its various affiliates and subsidiaries are not tax or legal advisors. BancWest Investment Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bank of the West. Bank of the West is a wholly owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas. Bank of the West and its various affiliates and subsidiaries are not tax or legal advisors. **Assets under management refers to assets under administration, management, advisement, and on deposit, including assets with our affiliate BancWest Investment Services ("BancWest") as of September 30, 2016. Deposit and loan products offered by Bank of the West, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. In South Dakota, Bank of the West operates under the name Bank of the West California. Bank of the West Wealth Management offers products and services through Bank of the West and its various affiliates and subsidiaries. Investment and Insurance products: NOT FDIC INSURED NOT BANK GUARANTEED MAY LOSE VALUE NOT A DEPOSIT NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY https://twitter.com/BankoftheWest https://www.facebook.com/BankoftheWest/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bank-of-the-west https://blog.bankofthewest.com/ SOURCE Bank of the West Wealth Management Group TUCSON, Ariz., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BeachFleischman PC, one of Arizona's largest locally-owned CPA firms, is proud to announce the promotions of Susan A. Armstrong, Jon Bickerton, and Eric B. Maneval to shareholder, effective January 1, 2017. Susan A. Armstrong, CPA is a Tax Shareholder and a member of the firm's Real Estate Segment Team. She has 19 years of public accounting experience and manages numerous partnership, individual and corporate client engagements. Susan specializes in tax planning, consulting and compliance for commercial and residential real estate clients, including investors, brokers, developers and management companies. She has performed many of the firm's 1031 exchange engagements. Susan is very active in trade and community groups and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants and Tucson Tax Study Group. She also is a board member with the Commercial Real Estate Women (Tucson), USAFA Arizona Parents Club and Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. Susan is a graduate of the University of Arizona and has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Finance. Jon Bickerton, CPA is a Tax Shareholder and a member of the firm's Science & Manufacturing, and Cost Segregation Segment Teams. He has over 10 years of public accounting experience managing many of the firm's privately-held and not-for-profit tax engagements. Jon specializes in helping companies claim federal and state tax credits and incentives, including the research and development tax credit. He also advises real property owners on taking advantage of special engineering-based tax savings techniques such as cost segregation and Section 179D. Jon is a subject matter leader keeping clients updated on the latest tangible property regulations. He is involved with many trade and community groups and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants, Tucson Tax Study Group and Tucson Young Tax Professionals. He is also the finance chair for Pusch Ridge Christian Academy. Jon is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting and Finance. Eric B. Maneval, CPA is an Accounting and Assurance Shareholder and a member of the firm's Not-for-Profit, and Science & Manufacturing Segment Teams. He has 13 years of public accounting experience managing audit and review engagements. Eric specializes in helping his not-for-profit, governmental, healthcare, and manufacturing clients achieve compliance and improve accountability, and he advises on industry-specific issues impacting their operations and mission. Eric also oversees some of the firm's employee benefit plan audits and audits under the Uniform Guidance 2 CFR Part 200 (Super Circular). He is involved with several trade and community groups including the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Arizona Society of Certified Public Accountants. He is also a member of the Rotary Club of Tucson Sunrise. Eric is a graduate of the University of Arizona and holds a Master of Accounting and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, Accounting and Finance. About BeachFleischman PC BeachFleischman PC is one of Arizona's largest locally-owned CPA firms and a Top 200 largest CPA firm in the United States. BeachFleischman provides accounting, assurance, tax and advisory services to businesses (U.S. and foreign-based), organizations, and individuals. The firm serves clients doing business domestically and internationally and specializes in a variety of practice areas, including healthcare, construction, real estate, manufacturing, hospitality, high-tech, not-for-profit and service businesses. Offices are in Tucson, AZ (headquarters) and Phoenix, AZ. Visit www.beachfleischman.com for more information. Media Contact: Eric Majchrzak, Chief Marketing Officer BeachFleischman PC [email protected] SOURCE BeachFleischman PC Related Links https://beachfleischman.com CHICAGO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL) celebrated its 80th anniversary in 2016 by rallying employees to volunteer and give back to our local communities. Now BCBSIL is honoring the best of our volunteer best - Caitlin Urbain is the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois 2016 Volunteer of the Year. In three years at the health insurer, Caitlin has distinguished herself as an outstanding volunteer leader and advocate within the company and the broader community. Caitlin is a process design consultant at BCBSIL's Chicago Office and focuses much of her volunteer efforts on advocating for people with disabilities. She serves as Vice Chair for In-Abled, an employee organization that champions inclusion for people with disabilities, as well as the needs and concerns of caregivers. Caitlin previously served two years as the In-Abled Community Chair. She also has managed BCBSIL's participation in the Disability Pride Parade, organized volunteers for Misericordia's Candy Days and Family Fest and volunteered with Chicago Cares, Tutormate, Special Olympics, the American Heart Association and as a mentor to high school students. "I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve my community," says Caitlin. "I enjoy connecting with others both volunteers and those that we support." Caitlin grew up in the Chicago suburb of Western Springs, and began her advocacy for those with disabilities while attending the University of Notre Dame. "During college, I was an intern at Misericordia, a non-profit which supports people with developmental disabilities and at Little Friends Krejci Academy, a school for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder," says Urbain. "These experiences sparked my passion for advocating for people with disabilities." "Caitlin's passion for giving back is contagious and she's a great representative of our employees' commitment to volunteering," says Maurice Smith, President of BCBSIL. "Our mission is to stand with our members in sickness and in health. By getting out and being involved in the community we're able to impact our members' health and better understand their needs. It's just the right thing to do." BCBSIL awarded Caitlin with $1,000 to donate to a non-profit of her choice and she elected to donate the stipend to Access Living, an organization that aims to help Chicagoans with disabilities live fully-engaged and self-directed lives. "Caitlin's work with the Access Living Young Professionals Council has been a great addition to Access Living," says Gary Arnold, Public Affairs Manager for Access Living. "With the support of Caitlin's leadership, she and the Young Professionals Council have delivered messages about disability awareness, disability rights and disability pride to new audiences that Access Living has been unable to reach before now." Caitlin is pursuing a Master's in Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago. "I am honored to be named Volunteer of the Year. I truly enjoy volunteering and have gained so much from it over the years. My time spent volunteering has influenced my passions and goals." SOURCE Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Related Links http://www.bcbsil.com LOS ANGELES, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (TMBI) has hired Brand Sense Partners to represent several brands within their portfolio as their licensing agency including Taste of Home, Reader's Digest, Country, Country Woman and Farm & Ranch Living. TMBI is an iconic, multiplatform media company, with brands and products that range widely and offer expertly-curated family, food, health, home improvement, finance and humor content across several platforms. Brand Sense Partners has been tapped as the acting agent on behalf of TMBI to expand its reach by enabling consumers to experience their favorite brands through an array of exciting licensed products. BSP will focus on licensing cookware and small home appliances for TMBI's leading food brand, Taste of Home, aligning with its food, cooking and entertaining content. Taste of Home offers a cross-platform, interactive exchange of engaging information on food, cooking and entertaining, and a is pioneer in user-generated content, each year publishing 3,000 of the best recipes submitted by home cooks across North America. Recognized by 99% of American adults, Reader's Digest simplifies and enriches consumers' lives by curating the most interesting true stories, expertly selected advice on health, home, family, food and finance, and family-friendly humor. Reader's Digest is a read of lasting value and importance an oasis from snark, celebrity hype and pessimism offering content that is real, optimistic, authentic, inspiring and actionable. Other TMBI brands that have entered into the licensing agreement include: Country, which celebrates the breathtaking beauty and enduring values of the American countryside, as seen through the stories and cameras of its audience; Country Woman reflects the many roles and interests of its readers through profiles of women who share their passion for life, family and community through cooking, crafts and a dedication to home; and Farm & Ranch Living, which shares practical entrepreneurial advice, insightful diaries kept by farm family, and inspirational stories that capture the tradition and everyday life of those who love nature and earn a living of the land. "We look forward to working with Brand Sense Partners to create a successful licensing program for select Trusted Media Brands products," said Bonnie Kintzer, Trusted Media Brands Chief Executive Officer. "Developing this platform offers another avenue by which we will connect with our audiences in a new and meaningful way." "We are excited to be partnering with TMBI, one of the leading and most established media companies with one of the most recognizable portfolios in the marketplace. We look forward to spreading the brand message of these publications while still upholding the stellar reputation that Trusted Media Brands has created." Monica Hallinan, President Brand Sense Partners About Trusted Media Brands, Inc. Trusted Media Brands, Inc. (formerly known as The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.), is a visionary, brand-driven multiplatform media company whose portfolio of iconic properties and products include Taste of Home, the world's largest circulation food media brand; Reader's Digest, a curated collection of real, inspiring and optimistic content; Country, a publication that connects audiences passionate about the community, spirit and beauty of the country; Country Woman, a celebration of women who share values and a passion for life, family and community through cooking, crafts and a dedication to home; and Farm & Ranch Living, a publication which shares stories, tips and photos that capture the tradition and everyday life of those who love nature and earn a living of the land. Founded in 1922 by DeWitt Wallace as The Reader's Digest Association, Inc., one of the first user-generated content publishers, Trusted Media Brands, Inc. is headquartered in New York City. For more information, visit TMBI.com. About Brand Sense Partners: Headquartered in Los Angeles, Brand Sense Partners is a pioneering agency with a holistic approach to branding, design, licensing, business development and experiential marketing working with many leading brands in the global marketplace by offering a suite of services which connect the dots between vision, voice, product and experience. (www.bsp.com) SOURCE Brand Sense Partners Related Links http://www.bsp.com As a board member at Flashpoint, Hannigan will leverage his industry expertise and entrepreneurial acumen to strategically guide and enhance Flashpoint's mission of delivering BRI to more organizations across the enterprise. The company's rapidly accelerating revenue growth throughout 2016 is indicative of the market's rapid adoption of BRI. Hannigan's passion for driving growth and innovationparticularly in the security sectormade his decision to join Flashpoint an easy one. "Flashpoint's combination of technology, intelligence analyst expertise and data derived from the Deep & Dark Web delivers impressive insights to customers about emerging threats, adversaries' methods and active breaches," said Hannigan. "Flashpoint will disrupt the threat intelligence market with its pre-emptive insights and Business Risk Intelligence strategy. I am thrilled to support the upward momentum from Flashpoint's stellar 2016 performance." Currently, Hannigan serves as a venture partner for Polaris Partners as well as a board member for BitSight Technologies. During his previous tenure as general manager of IBM Security, Hannigan catapulted revenue to nearly $2B, established IBM Security as the first-ranked enterprise security provider in the world and oversaw five acquisitions. Previously as CEO of Q1 Labs, Hannigan was instrumental in creating the security intelligence segment, cementing Q1 Labs as the market leader and executing the sale of Q1 Labs to IBM. "We are honored to welcome someone of Brendan's caliber and experience to the team," said CEO and Co-Founder Josh Lefkowitz at Flashpoint. "I'm confident that his impressive track record of leading and developing enterprise security teams will prove invaluable in driving not only Flashpoint's growth but the market's adoption of Business Risk Intelligence." For more information on Flashpoint's 2016 successes and the growing influence of Business Risk Intelligence, read this blog post from CEO and co-founder Josh Lefkowitz. About Flashpoint Flashpoint delivers Business Risk Intelligence (BRI) to empower business units and functions across organizations to make better decisions and mitigate risk. The company's unique Deep & Dark Web data, expertise and technology enable our customers to glean intelligence that informs risk and protects their ability to operate. Fortune 500 and government customers utilize Flashpoint's intelligence across the enterprise, including bolstering cybersecurity, confronting fraud, detecting insider threats, enhancing physical security, assessing M&A opportunities, and addressing vendor risk and supply chain integrity. For corporations with limited experience availing themselves of Deep & Dark Web intelligence, Flashpoint has tailored offerings that deliver comprehensive reporting and monitoring on their behalf. Flashpoint is backed by Greycroft Partners, TechOperators, K2 Intelligence, Jump Capital, Leaders Fund, Bloomberg Beta, and Cisco Investments. For more information, visit www.flashpoint-intel.com or follow us on Twitter at @FlashpointIntel. SOURCE Flashpoint Related Links http://www.flashpoint-intel.com ST. LOUIS, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bunge North America, the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), announced it plans to take steps to improve the productivity of its leading soybean processing footprint in the Eastern United States. The plan includes building Bunge's first new processing plant in the U.S. in fifteen years. Locations in Ohio and Indiana are under final consideration for the new facility. "As we evaluate the long-term demand for soy products, we see the need to improve our asset footprint in the Eastern U.S., a key market," said Tim Gallagher, executive vice president, Oilseed Value Chain, Bunge North America. "A state-of-the-art facility in the Eastern Corn Belt that incorporates the latest productivity, safety and sustainability features combined with an increase in overall efficiency of our existing footprint will ensure Bunge can serve growing demand in the Southeastern U.S. feed and export markets." Once site selection is complete, Bunge will have to obtain necessary approvals to move forward with the project which would be expected to go on line by the end of 2019. About Bunge North America Bunge North America (www.bungenorthamerica.com), the North American operating arm of Bunge Limited (NYSE: BG), is a vertically integrated food and feed ingredient company, supplying raw and processed agricultural commodities and specialized food ingredients to a wide range of customers in the animal feed, food processor, foodservice and bakery industries. With headquarters in St. Louis, Missouri, Bunge North America and its subsidiaries operate grain elevators, oilseed processing plants, edible oil refineries and packaging facilities, and corn, wheat and rice mills in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. About Bunge Limited Bunge Limited (www.bunge.com, NYSE: BG) is a leading global agribusiness and food company operating in over 40 countries with approximately 35,000 employees. Bunge buys, sells, stores and transports oilseeds and grains to serve customers worldwide; processes oilseeds to make protein meal for animal feed and edible oil products for commercial customers and consumers; produces sugar and ethanol from sugarcane; mills wheat, corn and rice to make ingredients used by food companies; and sells fertilizer in South America. Founded in 1818, the company is headquartered in White Plains, New York. Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains both historical and forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts, but rather reflect our current expectations and projections about our future results, performance, prospects and opportunities. We have tried to identify these forward-looking statements by using words including "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "intend," "estimate," "continue" and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results, performance, prospects or opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. The following important factors, among others, could affect our business and financial performance: industry conditions, including fluctuations in supply, demand and prices for agricultural commodities and other raw materials and products used in our business; fluctuations in energy and freight costs and competitive developments in our industries; the effects of weather conditions and the outbreak of crop and animal disease on our business; global and regional agricultural, economic, financial and commodities market, political, social and health conditions; the outcome of pending regulatory and legal proceedings; our ability to complete, integrate and benefit from acquisitions, dispositions, joint ventures and strategic alliances; our ability to achieve the efficiencies, savings and other benefits anticipated from our cost reduction, margin improvement and other business optimization initiatives; changes in government policies, laws and regulations affecting our business, including agricultural and trade policies, tax regulations and biofuels legislation; and other factors affecting our business generally. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release, and except as otherwise required by federal securities law, we do not have any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. SOURCE Bunge North America Related Links http://www.bungenorthamerica.com CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CarGurus, a leading car shopping site, today released its first-ever Year in Review Used Car Shopper Interest Study analyzing car shopper search trends for 2016. CarGurus analysts looked at the 900 million used car searches conducted by its 21 million unique monthly users in 2016 and identified the most sought after makes and models, and the year over year shifts in interest for each. When comparing 2016's top ten most searched cars, pickup trucks like the Ford F-150, Chevrolet Silverado and Toyota Tacoma saw the largest search increases when compared to last year. Even though sedans like the Honda Accord and BMW 3 Series may have been among the most searched for cars, each saw shoppers' interest fade when compared to 2015. The ten most-searched used cars in 2016 are below, accompanied by their year-over-year percentage change: Car Model 2015-16 Percentage Interest Change 1. Ford Mustang -3.2% 2. Ford F-150 10.8% 3. Jeep Wrangler 5.1% 4. Chevrolet Silverado 12.4% 5. Chevrolet Corvette -2.1% 6. Chevrolet Camaro 4.4% 7. Toyota Tacoma 6.9% 8. Honda Accord -2.1% 9. BMW 3 Series -4.4% 10. Dodge Charger 2.4% Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota were the top three most sought after used car brands in 2016. However, GMC's almost 6% increase in searches year-over-year gives it the biggest percentage gain among the top ten car makers. On the other hand, Nissan stayed among the most searched brands, but saw a material 8% decline in search interest versus a year ago. The ten most searched car brands in 2016 are below, accompanied by their year-over-year percentage change: Car Brand 2015-16 Percentage Change 1. Chevrolet 2.4% 2. Ford 3.9% 3. Toyota 2.3% 4. BMW 0.3% 5. Honda -2.9% 6. Dodge 0.6% 7. Mercedes-Benz 1.3% 8. Nissan -8.3% 9. Jeep 3.9% 10. GMC 5.8% "It comes as no surprise to see the car manufacturers with the most popular pickup trucks sit atop our list of most popular used car brands for 2016, while the manufacturers without those types of vehicles in their lineup saw shoppers' interest decrease," said Lisa Rosenberg, Data Analyst at CarGurus. "Over the past four years, the strong demand in pickup trucks has helped that category retain its value extremely well when compared to the rest of the used auto market, and it is likely that this trend should continue in 2017." Methodology CarGurus analyzed over 1.5 billion used car searches from 2015 and 2016 to identify trends in used car shopping. About CarGurus Founded in 2006 by Langley Steinert, co-founder of TripAdvisor, CarGurus is a leading online automotive shopping destination focused on bringing transparency and efficiency to the car research and shopping experience. The site uses technology and market data analysis to help millions of automotive shoppers search for cars and quickly identify the best deals from top-rated dealers in their local area. Today, the site serves 21 million unique monthly users and more than 19,000 car dealerships with more than 5 million car listings, and it ranks #1 among car shopping websites in the U.S. by daily unique visitor traffic and mobile visitors as measured by ComScore Media Metrix. CarGurus also has sites in the U.K. and Canada. SOURCE CarGurus Related Links http://www.cargurus.com WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An area adjacent to the North Branch of the Chicago River has been selected as the study site in the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) 15th annual ULI Hines Student Competition. The ideas competition based in reality with certain details changed for the purposes of the challenge provides both full- and part-time graduate-level student teams the opportunity to devise a comprehensive design and development program for parts of a real, large-scale site. The team with the winning proposal will receive $50,000; the winner will be announced in early April. This year's competition is based on a hypothetical situation related to the actual 2016 announcement by Mayor Rahm Emanuel that the Chicago Department of Fleet and Facility Management will be relocating their headquarters from the site near Goose Island. The competition's challenge for students involves an investment group, known as the Windy Crew Investors (WCI), which has assets in the study area next to North Branch. This investment group is seeking a master developer to create a successful bid for building a mixed-use sustainable area that benefits from adjacent synergies in the vacant property near Goose Island. Playing the role of the potential master developer, student teams must the evaluate the benefits and financial possibilities of buying the Fleet Management and Facility site, and potentially combining it with certain parcels to redevelop or sell as one comprehensive development site. The competition, which starts today, is designed to simulate an actual urban planning and development scenario. The competition allows each team of five students 15 days to design and submit a master-plan proposal that includes presentation boards with drawings, site plans, tables, and market-feasible financial data. Embodying the complex nature of an actual urban planning and development scenario, student teams must be multidisciplinary and reflect at least three different urban design and development disciplines. Though based on a hypothetical situation, the 2017 Hines Student Competition reflects many real-life initiatives and concerns of Chicago. Mayor Emanuel's administration has taken a proactive approach, including encouraging corporations to locate downtown and catalyze economic development in some of the city's struggling inner-city neighborhoods. However, obvious challenges remain in connecting downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, including improving transit efficiencies, adapting to the city's changing employment base, and improving how community designs work with adjacent properties This year, applications were submitted by 130 teams representing nearly 60 universities in the United States and Canada. Teams participating in the competition must submit proposals that illustrate innovative approaches to five general elements: 1) planning context and analysis, 2) a master land use plan, 3) urban design, 4) site-specific illustrations of new development, and 5) development schedule and finances. Participants have received project briefing materials, including a comprehensive statement of the challenge, background information on the site, market information, relevant existing design proposals, site maps and photos, and other details, along with a list of materials required for team presentations. The competition is designed as an exercise; there is no intention that the students' plans will be implemented as part of any revitalization of the site. Project proposals must be submitted to ULI headquarters by January 23, 2017. A jury will review all proposals in compliance with the deadline and select four finalist teams and several honorable mentions. The finalists and honorable mentions will be announced in late February. During the final phase of the competition in March, the student finalist teams will have the opportunity to expand their original schemes and provide more detail for their plans. During this time, one member of each finalist team will receive an all-expenses-paid site tour of the Chicago site (though other team members may also join the tour). Information obtained during this site visit can then be used by the finalist teams in revising their presentations prior to the final presentation in April. During the April finale event, finalist team members will present their schemes in-person to the competition jury during a public forum in Chicago. A $50,000 prize will be awarded to the winning team, with $5,000 of the total going to the school. Each of the remaining three finalist teams will receive $10,000. The Hines Student Competition is part of an ongoing ULI effort to raise interest among young people in creating better communities and improving development patterns, as well as increase awareness of the need for interdisciplinary solutions to development and design challenges. The competition is strategically structured to encourage cooperation and teamwork necessary talents in the planning, design, and development of sustainable communities among future land use professionals and allied professions, such as architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, historic preservation, engineering, real estate development, finance, psychology, and law. It is open to graduate students who are pursuing real estaterelated studies at universities in the United States and Canada, including programs in real estate development, urban planning, urban design, architecture, and landscape architecture. Jurors for the competition represent a strategic mix of land use experts, including developers, brokers, architects, urban designers, landscape architects, urban planners, and policy officials, among others. The competition has been funded through an endowment from Gerald D. Hines, chairman of the global Hines real estate organization and a recipient of the ULI J.C. Nichols Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development. A legend in the land use industry, Hines is widely known as a leader who pioneered the use of high-quality planning and architecture as a marketable feature of development in office, residential, and mixed-use projects. Since the first competition was held in 2003, more than 7,500 students have participated. For more information on the ULI Hines Student Competition, visit uli.org/hines. About the Urban Land Institute The Urban Land Institute is a nonprofit education and research institute supported by its members. Its mission is to provide leadership in the responsible use of land and in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide. Established in 1936, the institute has nearly 40,000 members worldwide representing all aspects of land use and development disciplines. For more information, please visit uli.org or follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. SOURCE Urban Land Institute Related Links http://www.uli.org Regarding media focus and industrial appraisal, Chinese products that are competitive in technology and innovative design, have covered an incredible market share globally. Taihuoniao technology Co., Ltd. is the innovative incubator platform in China. Startups incubated by Taihuoniao will get one-stop assistance in product definition, investment, hardware quality control, user experience optimization, marketing promotion and sales channels construction, with which we can take full control of the whole industry chain, and make the creative ecosystem perfect. As you can see, some brands reveal in the list is from Taihuoniao. From up in the sky to under the water, smart ROV FiFish can swim freely under the sea Now it is easy to have a robot film you swim in the water or to direct a documentary about diving. FiFish is one of the important Sponsor project from taihuoniao, technology the world's first smart underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV), which won the CES 2017 Innovation Award for Drones. The product has several independent technologies, including its underwater propulsion system, underwater camera and lighting system, control system, the telecommunication gear for underwater remote control and real-time display system above water. It can transmit high-resolution images from underwater. With a VR device, a user can totally immerse himself in the zero gravity of underwater. The key technologies of FiFish and the leading and innovative hydro-mechanic exterior design, interactive experience design, the robot gesture control and 1-inch big target optical lens that create an excellent 4k real-time video effect are the prime reasons for winning the award. Chinese Search Giant Baidu and Ainemo Inc. Introduce the AI Powered Family Robot "Little Fish" (Xiaoyu Zaijia) is powered by DuerOS, Baidu's AI assistant platform. It takes the user experience to the next level with the addition of a screen that can show visual aids for more engaging user interactions and assistance. Users may interact with "Little Fish" through voice conversations to enjoy music, explore news, get answers, request on-demand services, manage calendars, control home appliances, make video calls and more. Unlike other AI assistants, "Little Fish" features a large screen, which opens up the ability to video chat and stream visual content directly from the device. Optimized smart kitchen details: JUISIR- 90 seconds to make juice and save you from machine cleaning It's easy to drink juice but it's a headache to clean the juicer. However, a smart kitchen can release wives from heavy house chores. JUISIR, a cold pressing juicer, has a higher juice yield than its counterparts and it preserves more of the nutrition and enzymes in fruits and vegetables as no heat is generated. The exclusive disposable or recycled plastic bags used with the machine is a special design feature to help users avoid direct contact of fruits and vegetables with the machine as a way to guarantee hygiene and safety and save the trouble of cleaning the machine. The 8-ton pressure inside the machine makes sure the juice is extracted to the greatest extent. Put fruit in the JUISIR and wait for 90 seconds; you'll have a perfect glass of juice. JUISIR will be launched on Kickstarter on January 12, 2017. AI technology makes studying more fun: "The One" smart piano The ONE Smart Piano connects to mobile device to shorten the piano learning process from months to minutes, making it fun and affordable for everyone to play. It is the first-ever Apple MFi Certified smart piano that teaches you how to play in an easy and fun way. It seamlessly integrates with LED-guided keys, sheet music, video tutorials, and music games so even a beginner can learn to play songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" in minutes and classic songs like "Fur Elise" in days. Imagination is the dominator: Has a new trend in VR devices come? Want to feel the existence of someone in another place? A VR device will make it come true. Deepoon VR, a Chinese VR and internet company has world-leading PC-end and mobile terminals and covers 68% of the domestic market. Deepoon VR AIO has been recognized as the best VR AIO so far and it can be paired to the M-Polaris mobile inter-space positioning system. When paired with a high-end massage chair, the VR helmet can give you the experience of being massaged while surrounded by beauty. The new generation of PC VR helmet, the Deepoon E3, combined with the world's first binocular laser positioning interactive solution. Simpler transportation tool: Fastwheel's Partannimal is the new way Are you always 10 minutes late no matter how fast you run on the way between subway and bus? Scooters and monocycles have become popular among college students and other young people because they are portable and less likely to be stolen. Nanjing Fastwheel Technology focuses on short-distance transportation and has brought not only the most popular electric scooter - F0, but also published five new products on CES 2017 Expo. There are two types of electric scooters which are upgraded F0-Q and new design FA, and their types of electric four-wheel skateboard which named Serpent series-W/E/C. W means wind, E represent elegant, C means cute. There are more and more different types product Fastwheel invent to match all kinds needs on short-distance transportation. Either you like high technical products or daily normal products, you have a perfect choose. Unicorn full carbon fiber road bike , latest Unicorn high-end model debut. "Unicorn "is a full carbon fiber road bike that combines great comfort, excellent controllability, leading lightweight characteristics and aesthetics design. This series contains three models, namely Unicorn Di2, Unicorn Pro and Unicorn X. It is equipped with a new carbon fiber layering technology, VCS, built-in power meter, Speed Force Androidintelligent control and other cutting-edge technologies, making Unicorn an unprecedentedly excellent. Its body only weighs 870g frame, the accuracy rate of Speed power meter reaches 99%. 3D MagicPan , The "3D pancake machine & machine arm" high-tech brings a delicious experience. "3D MagicPan" is China's first 3D pancake printer. The machine takes in the "ink" that is composed of flour, eggs, water and other raw materials and print pancake with all kinds of pattern within 1-5 minutes. In China, "3D MagicPan" achieves the transformation of cutting-edge technology and civil productivity for the first time. With the use of 3D printing technology, it can print delicious pancakes with a variety of patterns, to meet the growing personalized demand of young people. It is an epoch-making product in China's food industry that successfully uses 3D technology to combine delicious food and fun for the first time. Due to the innovation of the project, it has been widely reported by CCTV, NHK and other well-known domestic media. It also attracts great attention from the vendors and receives orders from them. The significance of a new technology lies in acquiring a better living experience. CES not only showcases cutting-edge hardware technology, but also its original attempt of human-orientation and life evolution. Consumers around the world are now attaching more importance to product details and user experience and this may be a good opportunity for Chinese brands to stand out. SOURCE Taihuoniao BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Clio Holdings, LLC ("Clio") has announced its continued investment in the countertop supply industry through the acquisition of Rochester, NY based Solid Surfaces, Inc. ("Solid Surfaces") (www.solidsurfacesny.com). The acquisition pushes Clio's revenue to $80 million with over 500 employees in 11 locations. Clio was founded in June 2016 by investment firm, Oakland Standard Co., LLC ("Oakland Standard"). Mitch Makowski founded Solid Surfaces over 30 years ago with a circular saw in the back of his truck. Today, with locations in Buffalo and Rochester, the company is the largest fabricator and installer of quartz, granite, and solid surface countertops in upstate New York. Accredited by the Marble Institute of America and as a member of The Artisan Group, Solid Surfaces is known for having the best quality of product and installation in the area. "Mitch and Mark Makowski built an impressive business, and we're proud to have Solid Surfaces join the Clio team as the base for growth in the Northeast," said Bryan Tolles, Partner of Oakland Standard and founder of Clio. "I want to thank our partners, O2 Investment Partners and Tecum Capital, who have continued to provided invaluable support as we develop Clio into one of the largest and most successful businesses in the countertop supply and fabrication industry." Clio (www.clioholdings.com) was formed to partner leading regional countertop suppliers and fabricators together providing the capital and operational expertise to upgrade, differentiate and professionalize this highly fragmented industry. Following the acquisition of Solid Surfaces, Clio has a nine state footprint serving a full spectrum within the countertop industry, from new homebuilders and commercial contractors to kitchen/bath dealers and home improvement centers. Clio is actively seeking new opportunities in major metro areas across the United States. Additional inquiries should be directed towards Bryan Tolles ([email protected]) or Evan Schultz ([email protected]). SOURCE Oakland Standard Co., LLC PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CloudCar today has announced a $15 million minority investment in the company from Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's largest automotive company. In addition to the investment, Jaguar Land Rover will adopt its next-generation cloud services platform. CloudCar, based in Palo Alto, California, is a world-leading developer of connected driver experiences. With machine-learning capabilities tied to various sensors in the car, its cloud services platform allows car manufacturers to use its capability including improved voice-activated applications and personalisation - while still maintaining their brand identity and retaining ownership of data. Executive Director of Corporate Strategy for Jaguar Land Rover, Hanno Kirner said, "This represents an important step in developing connected car technology. CloudCar has been working with premium manufacturers on some of the most exciting opportunities and challenges in the fields of machine learning and infotainment. This investment is integral to Jaguar Land Rover's vehicle technology programme: but the programme also presents an invaluable opportunity for other automotive manufacturers to get involved. The eventual need to integrate into the car hundreds of driver-focused global cloud services and content means this platform is an excellent example where cooperation between OEMs can improve outcomes for customers, as well as reducing costs." CEO of CloudCar, Philipp Popov said, "We are excited to deepen our relationship with Jaguar Land Rover and we also look forward to other manufacturers benefitting from our recent progress." CloudCar will launch their next generation platform with JLR's first fully electric model, Jaguar I-PACE. ABOUT CLOUDCAR INC. CloudCar provides the most powerful platform for building next generation connected vehicle experiences. Our cloud based services and content is constantly evolving, ensuring an ever-green experience to your customers. The CloudCar platform is distinct in that it offers the OEM: a driver-centric intuitive experience, control of data, rapid deployment of services, and expansion to new geographic regions without requiring firmware updates. CloudCar is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information go to www.cloudcar.com SOURCE CloudCar Inc. Related Links http://www.cloudcar.com BOSTON and PARIS, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CMC Consulting Group (www.cmc-co.net), a leading international healthcare and life sciences advisory firm, is now Alira Health (www.alirahealth.com), the result of a carefully planned growth to significantly expand the company's footprint in the healthcare space. "We changed the name to a word that did not exist," said Gabriele Brambilla, CEO of Alira Health. "It speaks to what we have become a company unlike any other in healthcare." Since its founding in 1999, the company has focused its efforts on providing comprehensive consulting services to companies seeking to enter and grow in the healthcare sector. Alira Health is now poised to expand on those services by conducting innovative research on behalf of its clients. This was made possible by the construction of an on-site Drug and Device Discovery Laboratory in the company's office in Framingham, a Boston suburb. In addition, Alira Health is investing in a brand-new business incubator to open soon. "We have always known that the growth of our business would require us to change our name," said Benjamin Chambon, COO of Alira Health. "The fact that this need came so quickly is attributed to the success of our world-class team of experts." Alira Health is the only advisory firm to offer this unique portfolio of strategy, execution and innovation services to lead clients through the spectrum of clinical and go-to-market challenges from product development to global expansion. About Alira Health Founded in 1999, Alira Health is an international firm with offices in six locations across the United States and Europe in Boston, San Francisco, Munich, Paris, Milan and Barcelona. Alira Health provides integrated strategy, execution and innovation services to help businesses bring pharma, medical technology and healthcare IT to market. The company's team is composed of consultants, bankers, doctors and scientists who help clients maximize investment, market, and clinical opportunities through every phase of the business and product life cycle. SOURCE CMC Consulting Group Related Links http://www.cmc-co.net TANEYTOWN, Md., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Three of the country's leading cooling equipment manufacturersEVAPCO, Inc.; Baltimore Aircoil Company (BAC); and SPX Cooling Technologiesare partnering with High Performing Buildings magazine to host a supplier webinar titled "Mitigating the Risk of Legionella Bacteria." This webinarwhich will be broadcast live, free of charge, on January 10, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. ETwill provide interested parties information about recent Legionnaires' disease outbreaks with a focus on "outside the building" approaches to Legionella bacteria prevention. Reports of waterborne illnesses are increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Legionnaires' disease infects more than 5,000 people each year in the United States and has a mortality rate of approximately 10 percent. Unfortunately, Legionella is only one of the many threats that live in a pipe's biofilm throughout our public water supply and distribution systems. Currently, building owners are being targeted to manage all risks of waterborne illnesses. Understanding where bacteria such as Legionella colonize, how it enters the water supply system, and the risks it poses to home and building owners as a result, is the basis for any prevention plan. This webinar will focus on and provide information for each of these related topics: The increasing threat of waterborne illnesses and its impact on building owners. Lessons learned from recent Legionella outbreaks. outbreaks. The public water supply system and how it can affect building owners. Seven steps of Legionella risk mitigation. risk mitigation. Three steps of risk mitigation that a building owner's actions will directly impact. ASHRAE-188 Standard and CDC Building Water Management Toolkit. If you are interested in participating, please register to receive up-to-date information and details about the webinar at http://bit.ly/2hrGsSB (link is case-sensitive so please enter exactly as written). CONTACT: Greg Gordon, (516) 829-8374, [email protected] SOURCE EVAPCO; Baltimore Aircoil Company; SPX Cooling Technologies (Photo:http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/455035/PRNE___Salt_of_the_Earth_Image.jpg ) (Logo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161013/428328LOGO ) "We are excited to have David join our team," says Dovik Tal, CEO for Salt of the Earth. "His extensive experience, especially at the nexus of food and health, is a significant addition of capabilities that will drive the growth of our Mediterranean Umami business around the world." Hart has more than 12 years of international experience in food, functional food and health ingredients markets. He has held commercial positions in the industry since 2004, including at multinationals LycoRed and Frutarom. In his most recent position, he served as Vice President of Marketing at Qualitas Health; responsible for the creation of global sales and marketing infrastructure for Almega PL, an award-winning, plant-based omega-3 ingredient. Hart holds an M.Sc. in Agricultural and Resource Economics from University of California, Davis. "Mediterranean Umami is an 'on-trend' sodium-reduction solution for the food industry, and a great example of Israeli innovation," notes Hart. "In addition to its outstanding organoleptic properties, Mediterranean Umami is an all-natural ingredient that enables a clean label in food products. Given regulatory requirements in many countries, food manufacturers are searching for technologies to effectively reduce sodium and enhance umami flavor. It is an honor to join one of the pioneers of the Israeli food industry, and I look forward to contributing to the success of Mediterranean Umami and Salt of the Earth." The World Health Organization has issued guidelines for reducing salt intake to less than 5 grams/day (less than 2,000 mg sodium / day), from the current levels of 9-12 grams/day. Per the WHO, reducing salt intake has been identified as one of the most cost-effective measures countries can take to improve population health outcomes as salt intake of less than 5 grams/day for adults helps to reduce blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and coronary heart attack. The governments of the UK, Israel and the US are among those who have issued regulations regarding sodium-reduction in foods. Given this public health need and regulatory trend, Salt of the Earth has invested significantly in technologies for sodium reduction. About Salt of the Earth With innovation and quality as its driving principles, Salt of the Earth has been producing sustainable sea salt solutions for the global food industry since 1922. Salt of the Earth's customers span more than 30 countries on 5 continents. The company controls and tracks sustainable salt resources and works to promote balanced salt consumption through innovative sodium reduction solutions. Company Contact: Salt of the Earth Ms. Revital Ben Shachar Global Marketing Director Tel: +972-4-9549531 E-mail: [email protected] http://www.saltoftheearthltd.com Press Contact: NutriPR Ms. Liat Simha Tel: +972-9-9742893 E-mail: [email protected] Twitter: @LiatSimha http://www.nutripr.com SOURCE Salt of the Earth Ltd. LAGUNA BEACH, Calif., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- DeCaro Auctions International, one of the largest luxury real estate auction companies in existence, announced the "Truly Absolute" auction of a stunning Laguna Beach, California property, set to take place on Saturday, January 28 at 11 am Pacific Time. The renowned estate, recently listed for sale for $19,495,000 and is located in the exclusive gated community of Smithcliffs and boasts six bedrooms, nine bathrooms, approximately 10,112 square-feet of luxury living space and an oceanfront guest house. What's even better? 33 Smithcliffs is situated on a spectacular double oceanfront lot with a rare 112 ft of frontage. The coastal property overlooking the Pacific Ocean will be sold by "Absolute Auction" to the highest bidder without reserve, with the auction taking place in cooperation with Tim Smith of The Smith Group of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage. DeCaro team members will be on-site every Saturday and Sunday from 1-4pm until the auction. Final preview is Friday, January 27. Private appointments are also available. To view the oceanfront estate, call (800) 332-3767. "Dramatically situated at 33 Smithcliffs Road in Laguna Beach, this oceanfront estate, offering a foray into a sophisticated luxury lifestyle, is second to none," said Daniel DeCaro, president, auctioneer and licensed real estate broker behind DeCaro Auctions International. "Our representatives have been describing this jaw-dropping property as 'Palm Springs resort life meets Laguna Beach coastal luxury,' routinely citing this unmatched custom villa's strategic perching on a half-acre oceanfront lot in the exclusive enclave of Smithcliffs. "Meticulously designed by award-winning architect Brion Jeannette, this estate fulfills every desire and ensures that no need goes unmet we wouldn't stake the DeCaro reputation on it otherwise." The open floor plan of the main level of the estate at 33 Smithcliffs Road includes a stately office unlike any other, according to DeCaro Auctions representatives, in addition to a grand gourmet kitchen, elegant family room and coveted main floor master retreat. Other rooms throughout the gorgeous living space include a game room, sophisticated formal dining room, aforementioned oceanfront guest house with separate entry and kitchenette and five secondary bedrooms with en-suite baths. The resort-style exterior boasts an inviting pool, spa and waterfall surrounded by an expansive stone patio, offering a plethora of space for sun worshipping, while tropical landscaping provides seclusion and beckons prospective owners to indulge in their own personal paradise. Related Images image1.jpg image2.jpg image3.jpg image4.jpg Related Links DeCaro Auctions International 33 SmithCliffs Listing Related Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW9cTlbeJdA This content was issued through the press release distribution service at Newswire.com. For more info visit: http://www.newswire.com/. SOURCE DeCaro Auctions International Related Links http://www.decaroauctions.com "At Great American Cookies, the only resolution we believe in is to eat more delicious cookies," said David Kaiser, Executive Vice President, Great American Cookies. "No one should ever deprive themselves of the joy a fresh-baked cookie can bring so join us on January 17 and treat yourself!" For more information and store locations, visit our website www.greatamericancookies.com, follow Great American Cookies national Twitter handle, @Gr8AmCookies, or become a fan of the brand on Facebook www.facebook.com/greatamericancookies. *While supplies last. Limit one per customer during day of promotion. Counts vary by store. Valid only at participating U.S. stores. Great American Cookies is managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group. About Great American Cookies www.greatamericancookies.com Founded in 1977 on the strength of an old family chocolate chip Cookie recipe, Great American Cookies has set the standard for gourmet Cookie sales in a fun, celebratory environment. For over 35 years, Great American Cookies has maintained the heritage and integrity of its products by producing proprietary Cookie dough exclusively from its plant in Atlanta. Great American Cookies is known for its signature Cookie Cakes, trademark flavors and menu of delectable products baked fresh in store. Great American Cookies currently operates in mall-based locations across the United States, as well as internationally in Bahrain, Guam, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. About Global Franchise Group, LLC www.globalfranchise.com Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a mission of championing franchise brands and the people who build them. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes five primary quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies, Hot Dog on a Stick, Marble Slab Creamery, MaggieMoo's Ice Cream & Treatery, and Pretzelmaker. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is a portfolio company of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, an independent investment firm, with approximately $7 billion of capital under management and substantial franchise management experience. SOURCE Great American Cookies Related Links http://www.greatamericancookies.com Dr. Palmer most recently served as the Chief Medical Officer for NantHealth. Prior to his time there he served as Senior Vice President, Medical Affairs and Commercial Development at Foundation Medicine, where he helped launch the FoundationOne assay. Earlier in his career, Palmer served as the Chief of Medical Oncology at Mercy Health System, Sacramento and head of its Oncology Service Line. Prior to that he was as an Associate Professor of Medicine at University of California Davis Cancer Center. He earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University, his medical degree from Stanford University School of Medicine and his masters of public health from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. "I am excited to join Tempus, a company that understands the importance of a comprehensive solution for people battling cancer," said Dr. Palmer. "Based on my decades of experience in what physicians need, it is clear Tempus has amassed the technology, talent and resources that will allow physicians to make data-driven decisions for their patients." Tempus has recruited a world-class team of accomplished geneticists, computational biologists, data scientists and software engineers who have developed the software and analytic tools that form the foundation of an operating system to battle cancer. The company provides sequencing and analysis for top academic centers, hospital systems, associations, and healthcare providers. About Tempus: Tempus is a technology company that is building the world's largest library of molecular and clinical data and an operating system to make that data accessible and useful. We enable physicians to deliver personalized cancer care for patients through our interactive analytical and machine learning platform. We provide genomic sequencing services and analyze molecular and therapeutic data to empower physicians to make real-time, data-driven decisions. Our goal is for each patient to benefit from the treatment of others who came before by providing physicians with tools that learn as we gather more data. For more information, visit tempus.com and follow us on Facebook (Tempus Labs) and Twitter (@TempusLabs). For more information on Eric Lefkofsky, visit lefkofsky.com. SOURCE Tempus Related Links http://www.tempus.com TSX-V: ELY VANCOUVER, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. ("Ely Gold" or the "Company") (TSX-V: ELY, OTC: ELYGF) is pleased to announce its wholly-owned subsidiary, Nevada Select Royalty, Inc. ("Nevada Select") has executed a purchase agreement (the "Agreement") for the sale of its 100% owned Isabella property located in Mineral County, Nevada to Walker Lane Minerals Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Resource Corporation (NYSE MKT: GORO) (collectively "Gold Resource") for US$460,000. Nevada Select will retain a net smelter royalty ("NSR") of 2.5% on the property. The claims, which were acquired by Nevada Select through staking in September 2016, will consolidate and eliminate many mine claim gaps along Gold Resource's Isabella Pearl mineralized trend. Closing of the Agreement (the "Closing") has received Securities Exchange Commission approval and is expected early this week. Terms of the Agreement include: a total sale price of US$460,000 to be paid, at Closing, as follows: - US$100,000 cash; - US$60,000 cash as a one-time advance royalty payment; - US$300,000 in Gold Resource restricted common stock, which equated to 59,642 shares issued at the closing price on January 6, 2017 of $5.03 per share; to be paid, at Closing, as follows: - cash; - cash as a one-time advance royalty payment; - in Gold Resource restricted common stock, which equated to 59,642 shares issued at the closing price on of per share; Nevada Select will retain a 2.5% NSR on 153 unpatented mining claims; Gold Resource will receive Isabella property deeds at Closing, and will own 100% of all 153 claims. Terms of the NSR retained by Nevada Select include: a 2.5% NSR on 153 unpatented claims; Gold Resource has the option to buy-down 0.5% of the NSR for US$500,000 ; ; The NSR will include a 2-mile area of interest ("AOI") on claims not already held by Gold Resource in their Isabella Pearl property package; The AOI royalty will be 2% and Gold Resource can buy-down 1% for US$1,000,000 . The Isabella property covers an area of approximately 2700 acres consisting of 153 unpatented mining claims in central Nevada's Walker Lane Mineral Belt. The claims are all contiguous to Gold Resource's 341 Isabella Pearl claims which they acquired in August of 2016 from an unrelated party. Gold Resource has retained several engineering firms out of Reno Nevada for additional engineering work, and is finalizing the Company's in-house mine scheduling/capital expenditure requirement estimates for the project and the resubmittal of the Environmental Assessment (EA) to the BLM for a mining operations permit at Isabella Pearl. Trey Wasser, President and CEO of Ely Gold stated, "We are extremely pleased to complete our second transaction with Gold Resource and we hope to continue this partnership as they expand their Nevada operations. The Isabella claims were staked in September 2016 by Nevada Select. This transaction allows Gold Resource to consolidate properties along a very exciting mineralized trend in Nevada. The Isabella property adds an extremely valuable asset to our royalty portfolio" About Ely Gold Ely Gold is focused on developing recurring cash flow streams through the acquisition, consolidation, enhancement, and resale of highly prospective, un-encumbered North American precious metals properties. Ely's property development efforts maximize each property's potential for acquisition, while reserving significant royalty interests. Additional information about Ely Gold is available at the Company's website, at www.elygoldinc.com Stephen Kenwood, P. Geo, is director of the Company and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. Mr. Kenwood has reviewed and approved the technical information in this press release. On Behalf of the Board of Directors Trey Wasser, President & CEO Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains statements concerning Ely Gold and Mineral's acquisition, development, and marketing of North American precious metal resource properties and the Company's intent to sell or option portfolio properties, while reserving any royalties. Such forward-looking statements or information are based on a number of assumptions, which may prove to be incorrect. Although Ely Gold and Minerals' believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because the Company can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the Company and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks associated with geological, geometrical and geophysical interpretation and analysis, the ability of the Company to obtain financing, equipment, supplies and qualified personnel necessary to carry on exploration, exploitation or acquisition of properties and the general risks and uncertainties involved in mineral exploration and analysis. The forward-looking statements or information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Ely Gold & Minerals Inc. Related Links http://www.elygoldandminerals.com/ SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EPIC Insurance Brokers & Consultants, a retail property, casualty brokerage and employee benefits consultant, announced today that Melissa Delaney has joined the firm as a senior vice president in their Private Client Solutions Specialty Group. Delaney will be responsible for client relations, management and production for EPIC's Northeast Region Private Client Solutions team. She will be based in the firm's New York City office and report to Craig de Gruchy, Managing Principal of EPIC. "We are very excited to have a professional of Melissa's caliber join our group," said Craig de Gruchy. "Her background and experience, personal risk management expertise and leadership skills will materially contribute to EPIC's Northeast Region Private Client Solutions team." Delaney joins EPIC from HUB International, where she served as team leader in their Private Client Services division and was responsible for developing and maintaining risk management and personal insurance solutions for high-net-worth individuals and families. Prior to this, Delaney was an assistant vice president responsible for business development and sales at Gallagher Bollinger Insurance. Delaney began her insurance career as a Customer Service Representative for Chubb & Son. Delaney is a graduate of Seton Hall University in South Orange, New Jersey, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and Communications. She is a licensed property and casualty producer in both New York and New Jersey. Melissa Delaney can be reached at: EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants 295 Madison Avenue 38th Floor, New York, NY 10017 [email protected] 646-455-9561 About EPIC: EPIC is a unique and innovative retail property and casualty and employee benefits insurance brokerage and consulting firm. EPIC has created a values-based, client-focused culture that attracts and retains top talent, fosters employee satisfaction and loyalty and sustains a high level of customer service excellence. EPIC team members have consistently recognized their company as a "Best Place to Work" in multiple regions and as a "Best Place to Work in the Insurance Industry" nationally. EPIC now has more than 850 team members operating from offices across the U.S., providing Property Casualty, Employee Benefits, Specialty Programs and Private Client solutions to more than 13,000 clients. With more than $250 million in revenues, EPIC ranks among the top 20 retail insurance brokers in the United States. Supported by the Carlyle Group, the company continues to expand organically and through strategic acquisitions across the country. For additional information, please visit http://www.epicbrokers.com/. *LOGO for media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/16-0308-epic-insurance-300dpi.jpg This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants Related Links http://www.epicbrokers.com WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael S. Dry, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and most recently the Deputy Chief of its Criminal Division, has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the firm's Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense practice. Based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, Dry's practice will focus on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, government investigations, civil regulatory enforcement matters and complex commercial litigation. "Mike has an outstanding reputation as a fraud and corruption prosecutor in the greater Washington, D.C. region and nationally," V&E Chairman Mark Kelly said. "He brings more than a decade of experience and insight from the Department of Justice, making him a natural fit for our robust Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice." V&E Government Investigations practice group leader Craig Margolis noted that Dry's addition emphasizes the firm's commitment to the continued growth of its Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice. "Mike is an outstanding trial lawyer whose talents and experience will deepen and broaden our existing base of exceptional practitioners in this field," Margolis said. "We are pleased to welcome Mike to the firm." Dry began his career as a federal prosecutor in 2004 with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He held a number of leadership positions within the office, including having served as a Senior Litigation Counsel, head of the Financial Fraud Task Force and ultimately as Deputy Criminal Chief, with supervisory authority over approximately 100 criminal prosecutors. As first chair prosecutor, Dry handled a number of federal jury trials, including most recently the high-profile trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. Among his other notable trials, Dry successfully prosecuted the chief executive officer of Costa Rican reinsurance company Provident Capital Indemnity, Ltd., who sold more than $500 million of fraudulent financial guarantee bonds in more than a dozen countries. Dry also first chaired jury trials against two executives in a Texas-based hedge fund that sold over $100 million in fraudulent securities to more than 800 investors nationwide. Over the course of his career as a prosecutor, Dry coordinated parallel investigations and worked closely with the full panoply of federal regulatory and enforcement agencies. Dry also investigated and prosecuted cases involving the theft of trade secrets. Located in Northern Virginia's technology corridor, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia handles a high volume of trade secrets enforcement matters. Notably, Dry secured a deferred prosecution agreement with a South Korean chemical company accused of attempting to steal trade secrets from a U.S.-based competitor. The settlement included a multi-million dollar criminal penalty and implementation of a robust corporate compliance program. "In the crowded legal marketplace of D.C. where virtually every national and international firm has a presence," Dry said, "V&E stands out as offering a strong global platform backed by top-notch professionals and an atmosphere of collegiality that is ideal for starting the next phase of my career. I'm looking forward to contributing to V&E's growing Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice." Dry graduated from William and Mary Law School in 2002 and also holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska (1997) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville (1990). Prior to entering law school Dry served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years. "Mike is joining an incredibly strong team of attorneys and we have every confidence in his ability to succeed at V&E," said Craig Seebald, managing partner of V&E's Washington, D.C., office. V&E's Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense practice is among the world's best, receiving recognition nationally and internationally in Chambers USA (2016), Legal 500 U.S. (2016) and as a member of the Global Investigations Review 100 (2016). The firm represents corporations, audit committees, boards, and executives in high stakes investigations and litigation, including matters involving criminal and civil antitrust investigations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, securities, health care, and criminal and civil theft of trade secrets. Celebrating its 100th year, Vinson & Elkins LLP is an international law firm with approximately 700 lawyers across 16 offices worldwide. For more information, please contact Jeremy Heallen at +1.713.758.2079. 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500 Houston, TX 77002-6760 +1.713.758.2222 www.velaw.com This communication may be considered advertising under law regulating the use of e-mail. This communication is provided by Vinson & Elkins LLP for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended, nor should it be construed, as legal advice. SOURCE Vinson & Elkins LLP Related Links http://www.velaw.com BELLEVUE, Wash., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Icertis, the leading provider of enterprise contract management in the cloud, today announced the appointment of Chris Barone as Vice President of Commercial Sales for North America. Chris brings more than a dozen years of sales leadership experience, having built and managed high performance sales teams at Xerox and DocuSign. At Icertis, Chris will spearhead development of the company's fast-growing commercial sales division, outlining strategy and processes for organizations in need of a best-of-breed contract lifecycle management solution. "As a company, we are experiencing tremendous demand for our solutions, and Chris brings the caliber of leadership and execution we need to act quickly and to bring the Icertis Contract Management (ICM) platform to an even larger stable of customers throughout North America," said Samir Bodas, CEO and cofounder of Icertis. "With a proven track record of closing high volume deals for fast-growth companies, Chris will be a tremendous asset to Icertis." Chris started his sales career at Xerox as National Sales Account Manager, where he was responsible for sales to retail and banking customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. From there, he transitioned into a sales management role, overseeing Xerox Major Accounts Sales in Western Washington, before becoming Global Account General Manager responsible for Xerox's global relationship with Microsoft. Prior to joining Icertis, Chris held several sales management positions at DocuSign, including his most recent appointment as Regional Vice President of Midmarket Commercial Sales. "DocuSign and Icertis have a long-standing partnership, and through that I've had the opportunity to witness the impressive growth and adoption of Icertis' platform from a front row seat," said Chris. "The digital transformation taking place within the enterprise is unprecedented, fueled by the need to operate more efficiently while meeting mounting compliance and regulatory concerns. Icertis is in an incredibly exciting position and I look forward to the opportunity to execute on the company's vision of making ICM the platform of choice for every enterprise." For more information on the ICM platform, click here. About Icertis Icertis is the leading provider of contract lifecycle management in the cloud. Icertis Contract Management (ICM) is an innovative, easy-to-use platform that is highly configurable and continually adapts to complex business needs. Today, ICM is used to manage 2+ million contracts, by 750,000+ users, in 90+ countries and 40+ languages. With its intelligent workflow and built-in analytics, ICM provides ongoing contractual insights and best-of-breed contract management. ICM enables customers to increase compliance, improve governance, mitigate risk and enhance user productivity, thereby maximizing ROI and accelerating time to value across the global enterprise. For more information, visit www.icertis.com. Icertis Media Contact: Bailey Fox Barokas Public Relations for Icertis [email protected] 206-264-8220 SOURCE Icertis Related Links http://www.icertis.com OKMULGEE, Okla., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- In the aftermath of the tragedies within the Okmulgee community over the holidays, the Okmulgee School District has invited Terry Thoren to address the Okmulgee student body on Tuesday at 9:00am at the Okmulgee High School Auditorium. Terry Thoren was the former CEO of Klasky Csupo, Inc., the company that produced the Rugrats, The Wild Thornberrys and Rocket Power for Nickelodeon. He is now the CEO of Wonder Media, whose flagship product, Wonder Media Story Maker, has had transformational effects on students within Okmulgee School District since its implementation this summer. Renee Dove, Superintendent of Okmulgee School District, says that, "Mr. Thoren was originally scheduled to travel from Hollywood, California to personally train 25 elementary school teachers on the implementation of the Institute for Habits of Mind's Instructional Animations. But when I realized how magical it would be for the students to hear a message about how such habits like "Managing Impulsivity," "Persisting," "Listening with Understanding and Empathy" and "Applying Past Knowledge to New Situations" would help them find ways to be in control of their own lives, I asked him to present to the entire student body." Thoren dedicated his career to producing character-education content for any child - especially those with literacy skills at risk. Schools use Story Maker to provide an authentic experience in which students write scripts, edit their work, and produce an animation for public consumption. Thoren's mission is to provide educators and parents with animation solutions that engage children in the classroom the same way they are entertained outside of the classroom. Students are so engaged with Story Maker that they do not want the school day to end. Thoren recollects a student saying, "I forgot to take time out to eat or use the restroom I was so excited about making an animation." Why are kids getting so excited to learn? Story Maker transforms classrooms into animation studios where students assemble teams to take on roles in creative, technical, and managerial functions. In addition to literacy, participation in a Story Maker project develops 21st century skills including collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, and problem solving. Using animated characters to create a genuine product for a real audience is a research-based education approach which uniquely appeals to students and, most importantly, ignites a hunger for knowledge that is unique in the classroom. Upon accepting to speak to the Okmulgee student body Thoren says, "the irony of this situation is that, in the beginning, we produced the 16 Habits of Mind animation series with the intent to teach young children the skills necessary to manage the social issues arising in this unstable world we live in today. The vision was to help avoid the very tragedies that have shaken this community." The hope is that the Story Maker, with the 16 Habits of Mind, will give the district tools to address these key issues. Press Contact: Alyson Dutch, 310.456.7151, [email protected] SOURCE Wonder Media JERUSALEM, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Most of the civilized world is unaware that after the terrible night of Kristallnacht in Germany and the beginning of clear persecution of Jews at the beginning of World War II, hundreds of residents of Manila, in the Philippines, took to the streets to protest. Philippine President Manuel Luis Quezon immediately took action and issued an official declaration condemning the Nazis, declaring that his country will distribute visas to Jewish immigrants. Against all odds, he succeeded in issuing 10,000 visas to European Jewry. Friends of Zion Museum expresses gratitude to the Philippine People for standing with the Jewish people during World War II. Ilan Scolnik from the Friends of Zion Museum with H.E. Ambassador Nathaniel Imperial of the Philippines. President Quezon did not stop there and initiated the establishment of housing for Jewish immigrants, finding employment solutions, and even requisitioning farmland from his estate for their use. In addition, he established the first synagogue in Manila, "Temple Emil." The Friends of Zion Museum in the heart of Israel's capital, Jerusalem, commemorates and tells the heroic story of those people who stood with the Jewish people and helped it during the previous generations, during the darkest periods in history. On Tuesday, January 3, 2017, Ilan Scolnik from the Friends of Zion Museum met with H.E. Ambassador Nathaniel Imperial of the Philippines at the Embassy to mark the immense contribution of the Philippine people to the Jewish people and to the State of Israel, during the Second World War and up to the present day. The two discussed the importance of combating BDS and fighting anti-Semitism in the Global area. The Ambassador recorded a special message to be broadcast on social media in English and Pilipino calling for people around the world to stand with Israel and combat anti-Semitism. He emphasized the importance of continuing the legacy President Quezon began during World War II. The FOZ Museum is one of the newest attractions in the very heart of Jerusalem inviting visitors from all over the world to experience the courageous stories of Christians who have supported the Jewish people and the State of Israel in the last 200 years. Among the inspiring heroes presented are US President Harry Truman, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, Pastor George Bush, Major-General Orde Wingate and Righteous Among the Nations Irena Sendler, Oskar Schindler, Raoul Wallenberg, and the Ten Boom family, who risked their lives to save Jews persecuted throughout the world, as well as many others who, through their faith, have forged an everlasting bond between Jewish and Christian people. Magnificently told, the FOZ Museum uses groundbreaking technology, allowing visitors to experience the unfolding story as though stepping back in time. Exhibits employ a wide range of integrated and interactive technologies, from 3D presentations and giant touch screens to video mapping projections on unique sculptures and complex roto scope animations that transform live-action video footage into a painted media. The FOZ Museum opened in Jerusalem in 2015 with the vision of serving as a bridge, enabling people from around the world to join the scores of people throughout history who have supported the people, the promise and State of Israel. Friends of Zion Museum, 20 Yosef Rivlin Street, Jerusalem. A reservation is recommended for museum visits: website: www.fozmuseum.com, email: [email protected], or phone: +972-2-532-9400. For further information: Hofit Shalev, PR360, [email protected], +972505877044 SOURCE Friends of Zion Related Links http://www.fozmuseum.com DUBLIN, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Neurology Startups 2017" report to their offering. Neurology Startups 2017, is highly innovative and precise report designed to identify and capture the outlook of early stage neurology drug developers companies present in 24 countries worldwide. The report provides complete landscape on Top 250 Neurology Drug Developing startups established during 2010-2016, and without any doubt is one of the world's largest focused data coverage on Active Neurology Drug Developers. Neurology Startups 2017, is unique in many aspects as it for the first time provides neurology startups ranking, based on individual company's overall score on five major parameters- venture funding, key management, technology, deals & partnerships and cancer focused pipeline. The report, also provides quick infographics and final intelligence to keep information on fingertips. Key highlights: - Top 250 Ranking -For better, quicker and focused actionable intelligence on startups. - Startups Focused - Highly focused, includes only startups involved directly in Neurology Drug Discovery; established on and after 2010. - Worldwide Geographic Coverage - Covers Top 250 startups from 24 countries, developing 317 neurological disorder targeting therapies. - Technology / Drug Pipeline - Details on Individual Startup's proprietary Technologies with its Active Neurology Disorders focused Pipeline and University / Institutes Collaborations. - Strategic Moves & Advantages- Quickly Identify the key strategic moves a startup is taking to be more innovative and its strategic advantages to boost its growth going forward. - Venture Funding / Partnering - Monitor Individual Startup's Various Funding Rounds (Private / Govt.), and its current Partnering Status with CROs / Research Institutes / Big Pharma. - Key Management Contacts - Big Time Saver - Key Management Details / Contacts / e-mails / LinkedIn ... all at one place Key Topics Covered: Section A: Neurology Startups 2017 - Top 250 Active Drug Developers' Summary - Infographics & Intelligence. - Infographics - Quantitative Estimation of Neurology Startups present in U.S.A vs. Europe vs. Asia vs. Canada vs. Rest of the World (established between Jan 2010 to Sep 2016). - Infographics - Distribution of Top 250 Neurology Startups, on the basis of Year of Establishment. To explore the emergence of Neurology Drug Discovery and Development. - Infographics - Country specific Distribution of Neurology Startups having Active Neurology Drug Development Program in Europe and Asia Region. To identify best and emerging countries, for promoting neurology startups. - Infographics - U.S State region specific Distribution of Neurology Startups having Active Neurology Drug Development Program in U.S.A. To explore the Top Neurology startups supporting States in United States. - Infographics - - Venture Funding in Neurology Startups in past three years (2014, 2015, 2016(uptill Sep 2016), in various A/B/C/D Funding Rounds. To quantitatively estimate the trends of Venture Funding in Neurology Startups. - Infographics - Country specific Startups securing Venture Funding in Past 3 years. To quantitatively explore the Neurology Supporting countries/regions. - Intelligence - Rank wise List of Top 250 Neurology Startups. Key Paramaters for Rank Score - Technology, Funding, Deals, Management & Pipeline. - Intelligence - Top 20 Innovative Game Changer Neurology Startups. Capable of changing tomorrow's Neurology Drug Discovery & Development. - Intelligence - Stem Cell Therapy Focused Neurology Startups. - Intelligence - Gene Therapy Focused Neurology Startups . - Intelligence - Neurology Startups Venture Funding-2016. - Intelligence - Neurology Startups Venture Funding - 2015. - Intelligence - Neurology Startups Venture Funding - 2014. - Intelligence - Key Venture Capital Investors in Neurology Startups and their Investment Portfolio. - Intelligence - Key Neurology Startups supported by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Section B: Neurology Startups 2017 - Top 250 Companies Profiles. A to Z Alphabetical Profiles of Active Neurology Startup Companies (250 Companies) founded between Individual company Pages includes: Company Profile, Company Rank, Key technology platform, Venture Funding Rounds, Neurology centred Deals & Partnership, Collaborations and Business Insights. Neurology Drug Pipeline -Drugs name, its targets, with details of its development for various indications for cancer cure, FDA/EMEA Orphan drug status. Management Profile -Address, Contact number, e-mail, Key Management / Decision Maker (CXOs) name and designation, with individual Linked ID and contact emails. Appendix A: Country Wise List of Top 250 Neurology Startup Companies. Appendix B: Complete 317 Molecules List, along with their Developer's Name. Companies Mentioned - 1st Order Pharmaceuticals, Inc. - 4D Molecular Therapeutics LLC - Abeona Therapeutics, Inc. - Abide therapeutics, LLC - Achelios Therapeutics, Inc. - Acticor Biotech - ADispell, Inc. - ADRx, Inc. - Affilogic - Agilis Biotherapeutics, LLC - Akashi Therapeutics, Inc. - Akron Molecules AG - Akston Biosciences Corporation - Alcyone Lifesciences, Inc. - Alector LLC - Alfa Rhythm Ltd. - Algiax Pharmaceuticals GmbH - Algomedix, Inc. - Alkahest, Inc. - AlphaSyx Therapeutics, Inc. - Alzheon, Inc. - Alzinova AB - Amal Therapeutics S.A. - Amarit Biosciences, Inc. - AMO Pharma Ltd. - Amorsa Therapeutics, Inc. - Amylon LLC - Amylyx Pharmaceutical Corp and more. For more information about this report visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/qq86zt/neurology Media Contact: Laura Wood, Senior Manager [email protected] For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470 For U.S./CAN Toll Free Call +1-800-526-8630 For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900 U.S. Fax: 646-607-1907 Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716 SOURCE Research and Markets Related Links http://www.researchandmarkets.com PRINCETON, New Jersey and CHENNAI, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Indium Software, a global independent software testing services company, today announced the launch of iSAFE 3.5, the next generation of its test automation solution. The key features in Indium's iSAFE include built-in-analytics, cloud readiness, DevOps readiness, database independent testing and next generation of visual dashboards. The backstory - birth of iSAFE In 2011, when renowned Silicon Valley venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote his seminal essay titled 'Software is eating the world' for a leading daily, he was referring to how every industry in this world will be disrupted by software. He was, of course, referring to how several sectors from agriculture and life sciences to manufacturing and retail were turning to software, web and mobile applications to help improve their processes, efficiency and even core operations. One key result of this 'software-ized' world, is the need for constant product updates, fixes and launch of newer versions. Indium Software, as a leading independent testing services company, saw the opportunity to develop test automation frameworks, keeping in mind reduced time-to-market and highly efficient product development lifecycles. In today's world, product managers and technology leaders are hoping their Quality Assurance (QA) teams are ready to implement rapid testing processes and that's where iSAFE (Indium's Software Automation Framework Enhanced) fits in. iSAFE has been designed to be tool agnostic; meaning it works across various test automation tools including QTP/UFT, LeanFT, Selenium/Appium, SilkTest, TestComplete, Genie, and Ranorex. In addition to iSAFE, Indium Software has developed multiple frameworks - iMOBI for mobile app test automation, iAVA for security testing using Indium's Anti-Vulnerability Assessment Framework and iFACT for easy browser compatibility testing. Indium's approach to automation Testing requires an understanding of not just the tool itself, but know-how about the users it is targeted for, and the purpose for which a particular tool is used. A pre-scripted, automated tool can often be rigid and limiting. The results will throw up a collection of bugs, but there would be no way for a QA tester to differentiate between the critical and non-critical ones. The product team at iSAFE put together a list of common testing challenges, hoping to solve each of them with our test automation framework. A chaotic process will increase test costs and time While maximum test coverage in minimum time was crucial, the best automation process would be able to differentiate between critical and non-critical bugs Maintenance of test scripts for multiple browsers and operating systems was a challenge Testing process, often, had to be stopped on finding bugs in the critical path Even with test automation, customization and portability were crucial Indium Software has been entrenched in the world of software testing since 1999. As an independent vendor, the company has had the experience of using multiple test tools in a variety of contexts and serving customers from a cross-section of industries, including technology, retail, gaming, banking, healthcare, life sciences and education sectors. It is this experience that was brought to the fore while building the next-generation of iSAFE. We believe some of the key differentiations of using iSAFE are the following: Higher reusability of test scripts; reduced time for script maintenance Run compatibility tests in parallel, thus reducing test time Uninterrupted test process, even on failure Reduced dependency of technically skilled resources A wonderfully designed dashboard for reporting of test results that are contextual and meaningful for taking key decisions Perform database and API test automation Last but not the least - ensure a better quality software This new version of iSAFE (version 3.5) includes the following key features: cloud readiness to help clients run testing processes over the cloud, DevOps testing approach to ensure continuous improvement and delivery, visual dashboards with enhanced reporting, next generation of memory utilization reports and reports to spot cause-and-effect. Over the years, Indium Software has developed a proven approach to stay at the forefront of software development methodologies, a key aspect necessary to build better testing frameworks. At Indium, the belief is: As "software eats the world", it is important to ensure that it is "high-quality software" that is doing the job. About Indium Software At Indium Software, we've been entrenched in the world of software testing since 1999. We've built a team of 450+ software and test professionals in our offices in Chennai, Bengaluru, New Jersey, Sunnyvale, London and Kuala Lumpur. The core of Indium's objective to servicing our global customers can be explained with this simple line: "We're small enough to care, large enough to deliver." We are a preferred testing vendor for enterprise and ISV customers ranging from Fortune 100 to 5000 companies and small to medium enterprises. Till date, we've served over 250 clients in the U.S., and Rest of the World. Contact Information For more information on iSAFE or any of Indium Software's IP accelerators, click here Media Contact Details: Madhumita Prabhakar Growth Mechanics [email protected] SOURCE Indium Software "James possesses a successful track record in nonprofit management, entrepreneurship and higher education, and has an indefatigable commitment to inclusion and community development that uniquely qualifies him for this position," said INROADS President and CEO, Forest T. Harper. Tolliver brings a diverse background creating inclusion and fund development programs. He successfully implemented new divisions with the Boy Scouts of America, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Queens University of Charlotte and the National GEM Consortium. Most recently, Tolliver served as Founder and President of Organizational Solutions & Consulting (OS&C), a consulting firm focused on providing affordable consultative services for churches, entrepreneurs, nonprofits and small businesses. "With nearly 20 years of nonprofit leadership, surpassing $250 million in nonprofit and higher education charitable giving, James is well-positioned to drive INROADS' two-pronged approach of fund development and program development," said Barron M. Witherspoon, Sr., chairman of the National Board of Directors and Vice President of Corporate Industry Affairs for The Procter & Gamble Company. "INROADS has transformed the lives of more than 150,000 students with the support of over 1,000 lifetime corporate partnerships," said James Tolliver, INROADS' CDO. "We measure our success by our alumni people who, because of those partnerships, are shaping and leading companies and communities globally. As CDO, my priority will be to further INROADS' mission by expanding and enhancing such partnerships, both existing and new." About INROADS Founded in 1970, INROADS develops and places talented underserved youth in business and industry, preparing them for corporate and community leadership that effects community renewal and social change and elevates economic status and quality of life. Throughout its history, INROADS has placed students in over 127,000 paid internships with over 1,000 corporate partners. Currently, INROADS serves nearly 1,500 interns, 90 high school students and 230 corporate clients. To learn more, visit www.INROADS.org. SOURCE INROADS Inc. Related Links http://www.inroads.org BURLINGTON, Mass., Jan. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- inVentiv Health, a global professional services organization designed to help the biopharmaceutical industry accelerate the delivery of much-needed therapies to market, will moderate two panels during this year's Biotech Showcase. Panels will spotlight patient-centered trial design and technology innovations that have the potential to improve the development and delivery of medicines. Biotech Showcase runs parallel to the J.P. Morgan Healthcare conference in San Francisco. Both real-world evidence and digital medicine have the ability to impact the industry's most pressing challenge, to accelerate the delivery of therapies to patients most in need. inVentiv Health shares unique perspectives on these topics based on the company's purpose-built business model, combining a leading Clinical Research Organization (CRO) with the industry's first Contract Commercial Organization (CCO). "At inVentiv we have a broad overview across clinical to commercial from lab to life. This comprehensive approach gives us the ability to address complex industry challenges by designing integrated solutions," said Michael Bell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of inVentiv Health. "By bringing together clinical and commercial experts, we can enhance clinical trial design and launch strategies to optimize market access." The Real-World Evidence Panel will be hosted by David Thompson Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Real-World Evidence Consulting, inVentiv Health. Thompson is an economist with nearly 30 years of experience in the health economics arena. He also has served for the past ten years as Editor-in-Chief for Value & Outcomes Spotlight, a health economics publication devoted to policy and methodologic issues in real-world evidence generation. Lita Sands, Managing Director of Digital Transformation, inVentiv Health, will host the Digital Medicine Panel. Sands has more than 20 years of experience in digital and multi-channel marketing, counseling both biopharma and professional service organizations. Her expertise includes leveraging digital engagement and advanced analytics. Panel Details The Real-World Evidence Revolution: Finding Value and Relevance Through the Stakeholder Perspective [Mon, Jan 9, 12:00 p.m. 1:45 p.m. PST, Hilton Union Square, San Francisco] This session will discuss how real-world insights from patients and other stakeholders can lead to better drug development, improved patient compliance and ultimately better outcomes. The panel will be moderated by David Thompson. Panel participants include: Wade Ackerman , Partner, Covington & Burling LLP , Partner, Covington & Burling LLP Ted Haack , VP, LatticePoint Consulting , VP, LatticePoint Consulting Jamie Heywood , Co-Founder and Chairman, PatientsLikeMe , Co-Founder and Chairman, PatientsLikeMe Philippe Lopes-Fernandes , Senior Vice President, Global Head, Business Development and Alliance Management, EMD Serono , Senior Vice President, Global Head, Business Development and Alliance Management, EMD Serono Steve Wooding , Head, Global Commercial Strategy Organization, the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson Digital Medicine: Where Are We Now? [Tue, Jan 10, 4:00 p.m. 4:55 p.m. PST, Parc 55, San Francisco] This panel will highlight today's hottest technologies in the digital medicine space designed to improve disease management, adherence and patient engagement. The panel will be moderated by Lita Sands. Panel participants include: Deborah Kilpatrick , CEO, Evidation Health , CEO, Evidation Health Corey McCann , CEO, Pear Therapeutics , CEO, Pear Therapeutics Aaron Nelson , General Partner, dRx Capital , General Partner, dRx Capital Kal Patel , Senior Vice President, Digital Health, Flex About inVentiv Health inVentiv Health is a global professional services organization designed to help the biopharmaceutical industry accelerate the delivery of much-needed therapies to market. Our combined Clinical Research Organization (CRO) and Contract Commercial Organization (CCO) offer a differentiated suite of services, processes and integrated solutions that improve client performance. With more than 15,000 employees and the ability to support clients in 90 countries, our global scale and deep therapeutic expertise enable inVentiv to help clients successfully navigate an increasingly complex environment. For more information, visit inVentivHealth.com. Contact: Danielle DeForge inVentiv Health 202 210 5992 [email protected] SOURCE inVentiv Health Related Links http://www.inventivhealth.com NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- J.F. Lehman & Company, a leading middle-market private equity firm focused on the defense, aerospace and maritime sectors, is pleased to announce the promotion of William J. Hanenberg from Vice President to Principal. "Will has played key roles in many J.F. Lehman transactions during his nine years at the firm," said Louis N. Mintz, Partner. "His accomplishments are many, and his work has added significant value to our portfolio companies." Mr. Hanenberg currently serves as a director of American Scaffold Inc. and Ravn Air Group and is actively involved in the firm's investment in National Response Corporation. "Will has provided important leadership in organizing the firm's longstanding support of charities supporting veterans and their families. He has shown great commitment to multifaceted participation in our industries," said Stephen L. Brooks, Partner. Mr. Hanenberg joined the firm in 2008 as an Associate and has been promoted four times. Prior to joining J.F. Lehman, he was an investment banking analyst in the Global Industrials Group at Banc of America Securities where he worked extensively in the Aerospace & Defense end-markets. Mr. Hanenberg earned a B.S. in economics from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Columbia University's Graduate School of Business. About J.F. Lehman & Company, Inc. Founded in 1992, J.F. Lehman & Company is a leading middle-market private equity firm focused exclusively on the defense, aerospace and maritime sectors. The firm has offices in New York and Washington, D.C. For more information about J.F. Lehman & Company, please visit www.jflpartners.com. SOURCE J.F. Lehman & Company Related Links http://www.jflpartners.com NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC, New York State and the New York Genome Center today announced a collaboration to launch a new JLABS in New York City. Called JLABS @ NYC, the 30,000-square foot facility will be located at the New York Genome Center (NYGC) in SoHo and will open in 2018. The project is receiving $17 million in New York State funding. The site will be open to biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer health companies. A QuickFire Challenge seeking companies working in these areas, particularly startups working on cross-sector solutions to prevent, intercept or cure diseases, will be launched by Johnson & Johnson Innovation, with the winner(s) eligible for one year of residency at JLABS @ NYC. "The ever-evolving life science sector is discovering solutions to the most pressing problems of our time, helping to cure disease and save lives around the world," said Governor Cuomo. "New York is poised to be a global leader in this industry, and the new, vital incubator JLABS will be the catalyst that pushes our state into the forefront of this exciting field. I look forward to working with Johnson & Johnson and the New York Genome Center to build momentum in the life science industry and establish New York as the home of discoveries that will drive the economy and create a better future for all." "The New York Genome Center is excited to be a partner with Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Governor Cuomo and New York State in bringing JLABS to New York," said NYGC President and COO Cheryl A. Moore. "JLABS' support of talented scientists in New York as they take their innovative ideas to market aligns with our mission of fostering intellectually vibrant collaborations that advance the development of new treatments, therapies and therapeutics against human disease. This initiative would not have been possible without the leadership of the Partnership for New York City and the Partnership Fund for New York City. We are grateful for the commitment of all of our business and academic partners to enhance the life sciences infrastructure in New York." Johnson & Johnson Innovation seeks to find the best science and technology, no matter where it is located, to solve the greatest unmet medical and healthcare needs of our time. JLABS, in addition to offering emerging life science companies modular lab units, office space, shared core laboratory equipment and business facilities, will link the entrepreneurs of New York with the full breadth of Johnson & Johnson Innovation, including opportunities for funding, third-party services, educational events and R&D experts from medical technology, consumer healthcare product and Janssen pharmaceutical teams. In addition to providing access to scientific, industry and capital funding experts from across the industry, JLABS @ NYC will also follow the same no-strings attached approach currently in operation in San Diego; San Francisco; South San Francisco; Boston; Lowell, MA; Houston; and Toronto. "Expanding the JLABS model to New York City, home to world-class academic and medical institutions, furthers Johnson & Johnson Innovation's commitment to providing resources that catalyze and foster the growth of life science ecosystems around the world," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. "Our hope is that JLABS @ NYC will provide a resource-rich environment for innovators throughout the New York region where today's ideas can become healthcare products that truly impact patient's lives." JLABS facilities have incubated more than 200 companies to date and are currently home to over 140 companies advancing biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and digital health programs. To date, a total of 33 collaborations have been formed between companies residing at JLABS and the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. "Home to more than 100 research foundations and nine medical centers, New York City has the foundational elements for a thriving biomedical ecosystem, yet lack of infrastructure and commercialization support has been a roadblock for entrepreneurs in the life sciences in the greater New York region," said Melinda Richter, Head, JLABS. "By providing healthcare startups with the laboratories, equipment, expertise, tools and capabilities that they need to build and grow their companies, we believe JLABS @ NYC will fill a key gap in resources and remove a barrier to growth for the region's life science innovation ecosystem, providing well-paying jobs and allowing potentially transformative solutions for patients to advance." Applications to join JLABS @ NYC and other JLABS sites are currently being accepted from biotech, pharmaceutical, medical device, consumer and digital health companies. About the New York Genome Center The New York Genome Center (NYGC) is an independent nonprofit at the forefront of transforming biomedical research and clinical care. Affiliated with renowned academic, medical and industry leaders across the City and region, NYGC focuses on translating genomic research into clinical solutions for serious diseases. Its member organizations and partners are united in this unprecedented collaboration of technology, science and medicine, harnessing the power of innovation and discoveries to improve people's lives. Member institutions include: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, Cornell University/Weill Cornell Medicine, Hospital for Special Surgery, The Jackson Laboratory, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York Presbyterian Hospital, The New York Stem Cell Foundation, New York University, Northwell Health (formerly North Shore-LIJ), Princeton University, The Rockefeller University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Stony Brook University and IBM. About Johnson & Johnson Innovation Johnson & Johnson Innovation LLC focuses on accelerating all stages of innovation worldwide and forming collaborations between entrepreneurs and Johnson & Johnson's global healthcare businesses. Johnson & Johnson Innovation provides scientists, entrepreneurs and emerging companies with one-stop access to science and technology experts who can facilitate collaborations across the pharmaceutical, medical device and consumer companies of Johnson & Johnson. Under the Johnson & Johnson Innovation umbrella of businesses, we connect with innovators through our regional Innovation Centers; Johnson & Johnson Innovation | JLABS; Johnson & Johnson Innovation JJDC, Inc.; JLINX; and our business development teams to create customized deals and novel collaborations that speed development of innovations to solve unmet needs in patients. JLABS provides the laboratories, expertise, education, tools and resources needed to help life science startups thrive, all with no strings attached. A Johnson & Johnson Innovation Center for Device Innovation at the Texas Medical Center (CDI @ TMC) has been established to accelerate the development of medical devices. For more information about Johnson & Johnson Innovation, please visit: www.jnjinnovation.com. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Innovation Related Links http://www.jnjinnovation.com SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, ACSIA Partners, a national long-term care insurance agency based in Kirkland, Wash., will join the fight against Alzheimer's disease. As part of its three-day annual conference, the company will host a fundraiser on behalf of the Alzheimer's Association, which seeks a cure for the debilitating disease. The gala event, on January 14, will be held at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel. The company has hundreds of agents nationwide, all invited to the conference. Those attending the gala will don purple capes as "Wizards of Alzheimer's" to highlight the need to "kill the wicked witch." Media representatives are welcome. Last year, the company raised thousands of dollars for the Alzheimer's Association. "We aim to raise thousands again this year," says Denise Gott, CEO. Why the company's interest in Alzheimer's? "It's simple," says Gott. "The disease has become a leading reason care is needed." About one in four long-term care insurance claims are due to Alzheimer's, according to the Society of Actuaries. Alzheimer's or another form of dementia afflicts one in nine Americans age 65 and older, and one in three age 85 and older, according to the Alzheimer's Association. "It's a real threat to most families," says Gott. "At some point Alzheimer's sufferers may need help eating, moving around, or going to the bathroom. Unless their loved ones are prepared to help them do such things, they need savings or insurance to hire professionals. Our mission is to educate Americans about their options." "Eventually," Gott adds, "we'd like to knock the disease stone dead. In the meantime, we can help people live better lives in spite of it." ACSIA Partners LLC -- http://www.acsiapartners.com -- is one of America's largest and most experienced long-term care insurance agencies serving all states. The company is also a co-founder and sponsor of the "3in4 Need More" campaign, which encourages Americans to form a long-term care plan. *Image for Media: Send2Press.com/mediaboom/17-0109-alz-wizard-300dpi.jpg *Image Caption: "Wizards of Alzheimer's" logo. This release was issued through Send2Press, a unit of Neotrope. For more information, visit Send2Press Newswire at https://www.Send2Press.com SOURCE ACSIA Partners LLC Related Links http://www.acsiapartners.com DALLAS, Jan. 8, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Having the reputation of a must-go destination for those who are certain to launch a new business in the IT sector, the city of Austin has been the nation's fastest growing dream locations for tech startups for several consecutive years. As of now, Austin is home to more than 147 companies securing almost $1 billion in funding just in 2015. Along with fresh entrepreneurs, giants like Amazon, Google, and Facebook have also opened offices in town. Having a vision of upscale, ecologically-minded, yet affordable, homes for the burgeoning new professional class, Marcus Hiles and his company, Western Rim Property Services have built more than 15,000 residential units throughout Texas. "It's really an ideal combination of factors behind the tech boom," said Marcus Hiles. "Texas, of course, is a very business friendly state with zero personal income and corporate taxes. Besides economic incentives, Austin is also renowned for its culture and art, relaxed healthy lifestyle and great weather. Additionally, the University of Texas at Austin brings in many talented young people from all over the world who make the city their home." Austin is overall proving to be a city of innovators and risk-takers. According to the data released by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, roughly 555 out of every 100,000 adults in the Austin region became entrepreneurs in any given month during the past five years, on average. Marcus Hiles, Fort Worth founder of Western Rim Property Services, has worked steadily to become a leader in Texas real estate. With a dedication to building quality residences that include advanced eco-friendly technology and natural landscaping techniques to create high value, yet still affordable, homes throughout the greater areas of Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, New Braunfels, Austin, and San Antonio. Always seeking to give back to the community, Hiles has spearheaded a number of charitable ventures around the Dallas area including school support, children's hospitals and a number of low-income meal programs. 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 - New Luxury Apartments in Frisco, TX - YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmsJNbfOh-g SOURCE Marcus Hiles Related Links http://www.marcushiles-news.com "Everyday Elevated" episodes will be posted weekly for five weeks; 60-second versions will be posted to Cooking Panda's Facebook page , and longer, 3-5 minute versions will be posted to CookingPanda.com. The first episode, "Thai Green Curry & Shrimp Pizza," was released on both platforms today. "I am pumped about this series," says Chef Sharone. "We are taking fun food that everyone knows, loves and gets excited about, and bringing it to a level of elevation and sophistication that is still very approachable." Cooking Panda is a multi-platform online food publication under the banner of Los Angeles-based digital media company Render Media. With 12 million social fans and millions of monthly visitors to CookingPanda.com, Cooking Panda is the fastest-growing online food publication today. It is also the most engaged food publisher on Facebook; fans of the page engage (like, comment, share) with the content at a much higher rate than any other page in the food and recipe space. "Series such as 'Everyday Elevated' really mark a turning point for Cooking Panda in terms of the direction our content is headed," says Render Media CRO Ross Cimino. "We have gotten to know our audience intimately and have learned what really works for them talent partnerships are the next step to getting fans even more engaged with the content that we're producing. We want to compliment our overhead recipe videos by incorporating engaging personalities like Sharone to get our fans even more excited about food and the diverse content that Cooking Panda can offer. We are thrilled to partner with Sharone on this series." About Cooking Panda: Cooking Panda is a social-first, multi-platform digital publication producing creative food and recipe content that connects with and excites an audience of millions. In just one year, Cooking Panda has grown from 600,000 fans to over 12 million, has produced the most viral cooking video of the year, and has attracted reputable branded content partners. Fans of the page routinely like, share and comment on the content, giving Cooking Panda the distinction of being the Internet's most engaged food publication. About Sharone Hakman: Sharone Hakman is a highly acclaimed chef (both on-screen and off) and owner of a gourmet sauce company, named Hak's. From his debut on Fox's Masterchef to countless appearances as a judge, host, chef and TV personality on the food network and many other major networks, he remains a dedicated family man and active lifestyle enthusiast. Sharone puts as much love into his food as he does into his zest for life with his insatiable appetite for adventure and creativity. SOURCE Render Media Related Links http://www.rndr.com Acquires additional common shares in Apicore WINNIPEG, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Medicure Inc. ("Medicure" or the "Company") (TSXV:MPH, OTC:MCUJF), a leading Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce that it has provided a secured loan in the amount of US$9.8 million to Apicore Inc. ("Apicore") allowing for the repayment of Apicore's existing debt with Knight Therapeutics Inc. (TSX: GUD) and Sanders Morris Harris Inc. The loan bears interest at 12% per annum, matures on December 30, 2020 and is secured by a charge over the U.S. assets of Apicore. Funding to provide this loan was previously obtained from Crown Capital Fund IV, LP, an investment fund managed by Crown Capital Partners Inc. ("Crown") (TSX:CRN), in which Crown holds a 40% interest, and the Ontario Pension Board, a limited partner in Crown's funds, as previously announced on November 18, 2016. The loan constitutes a "related party transaction" under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 ("MI 61-101") Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transactions and absent available exemptions would trigger the requirement for a formal valuation and minority shareholder approval of the transaction. The Company has relied on the exemptions from these requirements contained in Sections 5.5(a) and 5.7(a) of MI 61-101 on the basis that the fair market value pertaining to the transaction does not exceed 25% of the Company's market capitalization, calculated in accordance with MI 61-101. A material change report in respect of the loan will be filed as required, but was not filed 21 days in advance of the closing of the loan due to the Company's desire to complete the loan as quickly as possible. The loan was approved by the Board of Directors of the Company. Additionally, Medicure has acquired an additional 112,500 Class E common shares of Apicore, representing approximately 1% of Apicore, for US$549,000 from a former employee of Apicore and former members of Apicore's Board of Directors. These shares were issued as a result of the exercise of stock options held in Apicore by these individuals and purchased by Medicure at a pre specified price in accordance with Apicore's stock option plan and Medicure's option rights. Medicure currently owns approximately 61% of Apicore on a fully diluted basis and continues to hold option rights until July 3, 2017 to acquire additional shares in Apicore. About Apicore Apicore is a private, New Jersey based developer and manufacturer of specialty Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients ("APIs") and pharmaceuticals, including over 15 Abbreviated New Drug Applications ("ANDAs"), one of which, is partnered with Medicure. Apicore manufactures over 100 different API's, including over 35 for which Drug Master Files have been submitted to the FDA and 12 that are approved for commercial sale in the U.S. by customers of Apicore. Apicore specializes in the manufacture of difficult to synthesize, high value and other niche API's for many U.S. and international generic and branded pharmaceutical companies. Apicore has 2 FDA-approved facilities. In the U.S., the Somerset, New Jersey facility can produce a few grams up to 200 kg volumes and in India, the Vadodara, Gujarat facility can produce a few kilograms up to 60 metric tons yearly. Both facilities are equipped with state-of-the-art analytical and research capabilities. For more information, please visit Apicore online at www.apicore.com. About Medicure Medicure is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the U.S. hospital market. The primary focus of the Company and its subsidiaries is the marketing and distribution of AGGRASTAT (tirofiban HCl) for non-ST elevation acute coronary syndrome in the United States, where it is sold through the Company's U.S. subsidiary, Medicure Pharma, Inc. For more information on Medicure please visit www.medicure.com. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Medicure Inc. Related Links http://www.medicure.com/ NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Report Details Now: Why is the Military Leasing important right now?As part of the broader Military Leasing market space, there are massive revenue streams within the unmanned systems submarket to tap into. This report shows you where these business opportunities are. Due to a myriad of real and perceived threats, never before have government and private enterprise been so concerned with protecting their business assets and infrastructure from accidental and increasingly deliberate attack. The potential security contracts at stake are enormous and your company needs to be part of this. What are the Military Leasing market prospects?Visiongain's definitive new report assesses that the Military Leasing market will reach $8,977m in 2016. The performance of the industry is forecast to accelerate over the next decade. Visiongain's timely 167 page report reveals how best to compete in this lucrative market space and maximize your company's potential. Read on to discover how this report can help you develop your business. This report addresses the pertinent issues: - Where are the most lucrative military leasing market prospects? - Who are the leading military leasing companies and what does the competitive landscape look like? - What are the regional, technical and regulatory barriers to market entry? - What are the technological issues and roadmap driving the military leasing market? - Why is the military leasing market prospering and how can you fully exploit this? - When will the military leasing market fully mature and why? Research and analysis highlights - Independent, impartial and objective analysis - 185 tables, charts and graphs illustrating the Military Leasing market prospects - Global Military Leasing market forecast and analysis 2016-2026 - Tables of major military leasing contracts & programmes - Five Military Leasing submarket forecasts by application covering the period 2016-2026 - Naval Vessels - Manned Aircraft - Ground Platforms - Unmanned Systems - Other - Eight leading national Military Leasing market forecasts from 2016-2026 - Australia - Canada - France - Germany - Israel - Japan - UK - US - RoW - Profiles of 10 leading companies, involved with Military Leasing with key financial metrics and analysis - A.P. MollerMaersk Group - Airbus Group SE - AirTanker - Babcock International Group plc - Chantier Davie Canada Inc. - General Dynamics Corporation - Inmarsat plc - Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) - Thales Group - VT Group - SWOT and PEST market analysis And there's more. -Here's How this report will benefit you: - You have almost certainly an excess of conflicting and yet unclear information you want one definitive report to base your business decisions upon this visiongain report provides that clarity - Our insightful report speaks to your needs for reliable market data, objective impartial analysis and immediate clear conclusions to allow you to formulate clear decisive business strategies - You need the information now in an easily digestible form this is where this visiongain reports excels - Forecasts give you a crucial advantage. That knowledge of the future outlook is central to your strategic decision making. - Knowledge is vital to you and your business. You need every piece of evidence to inform your crucial investment decisions let visiongain give you that clear advantage - Without this vital report, you risk falling behind your competitors Who should read this report? - Anyone within the Military Leasing value chain. - Defence 'primes' - Defence & engineering contractors - Tier1, Tier 2 and 3 companies - Civilian security companies - Unmanned systems manufacturers - R&D staff - Technologists - CEO's - COO's - CIO's - Business development managers - Suppliers - Marketing managers - Investors - Banks - Government agencies Don't miss out on this business advantage This information is not available elsewhere. With our report you are less likely to fall behind in knowledge or miss opportunity. See how you could benefit your research, analyses, and decisions. Also see how you can save time and receive recognition for commercial insight. Visiongain's study is for everybody needing commercial analyses for the Military Leasing market and leading companies. You will find data, trends and predictions. Buy our report today Military Leasing Market Report 2016-2026: Global Analysis & Forecasts for Naval Vessels (Destroyers, Tankers, Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) & Other), Manned Aircraft (Fighters, Bombers, Logistics, Carriers, Refuelling & Other.), Ground Platforms (Combat, Transportation, Logistics, Communications Platforms & Other), Unmanned Systems (UAVs, UGVs, UMVs) & Other Markets: Opportunities for Leading Defence & Civilian Companies Providing Turnkey Solutions & Managed Services. Please order our report now. Read the full report: http://www.reportlinker.com/p04194706-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 Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links http://www.reportlinker.com DETROIT, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- At the opening ceremony of the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit today, Klaus Rosenfeld, CEO of Schaeffler AG, confirmed the supplier's commitment to the North American market. Schaeffler is developing and producing innovative technologies in North America that are tailor-made for the mobility of tomorrow for this market. "Our strategy 'Mobility for Tomorrow' targets the important future opportunities we see for Schaeffler in E-Mobility, including many in the North American market," said Rosenfeld. "And we are responding to these with a range of solutions, from purely electric drives for urban vehicles to powertrain and chassis concepts for SUVs and light duty vehicles." From small self-driving vehicles for megacities to extremely efficient drives for the SUVs and pick-ups preferred in rural areas, it is a real balancing act when developing new vehicle and drive concepts. Automotive manufacturers must also consider the trend toward digital networking into consideration. Mobility supplier, Schaeffler, is presenting technical solutions for these requirements at NAIAS, including a hybrid module for light duty vehicles, which make up approximately 60 percent of all new registrations in the United States. In order to meet the high comfort demands from its customers, Schaeffler has combined the electric motor with an integral hydrodynamic converter. Development of a production version of the module is already underway for a U.S. automotive manufacturer. Other items on display at the show include an electric wheel hub drive which allows small, maneuverable self-driving taxis to be built for the urban environment. "We think there is a real opportunity for electric drives in the North American market," said Matthias Zink, CEO Automotive, and member of the management board of Schaeffler. "However, the internal combustion engine will continue to dominate over the next few years." Schaeffler is therefore also working on solutions that will improve the efficiency and performance of conventional drives. The supplier sees mild 48 volt hybrid systems, which can be integrated into vehicle powertrains without making significant alterations to the vehicle or drive architecture, as a particularly attractive option. "For vehicles with an internal combustion engine, a 48 volt drive improves the performance while reducing emissions at very low additional cost," said Zink. Schaeffler has been active in the North American automotive market since 1964 and established its first production facility in South Carolina in 1969. Schaeffler currently employs close to 10,000 people in North America. Engineers are currently working on innovative mobility solutions at four Schaeffler development centers in Troy, Mich., Fort Mill, S.C., Wooster, Ohio and Puebla, Mexico. In May 2016, Schaeffler announced investments of approximately $84 million in its U.S. locations, accounting for nearly 400 new jobs. "Schaeffler is contributing to helping the North American automotive industry respond to the major challenges the future holds," said Marc McGrath, Schaeffler's president of automotive for the Americas. "Our automaker customers are looking for innovative ways to meet the increasing demands of the evolving auto industry. Schaeffler's recent investments in local infrastructure and expertise will enable us to develop solutions for next generation vehicle architectures and innovations to address our customers' needs." About Schaeffler The Schaeffler Group is one of the world's leading integrated automotive and industrial suppliers. The company stands for the highest quality, outstanding technology, and strong innovative ability. The Schaeffler Group makes a decisive contribution to "Mobility for tomorrow" with high-precision components and systems in engine, transmission, and chassis applications as well as rolling and plain bearing solutions for a large number of industrial applications. The technology company generated sales of approximately 13.2 billion euros in 2015. With around 85,000 employees, Schaeffler is one of the world's largest companies in family ownership. It has a worldwide network of manufacturing locations, research and development facilities, and sales companies at approximately 170 locations in over 50 countries. Follow us on Twitter @schaefflergroup to get all of our latest press releases and news. SOURCE Schaeffler FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has published the NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide sheets for Brain Cancer Gliomasthe first in a series of patient education resources focused on Brain Cancer. Published by NCCN through support of the NCCN Foundation, and, in part through funding from NCCN Foundation's Team Pound the Pavement for Patients, these resources inform patients about their disease and the treatment options available to them. "Access to new, easy-to-understand treatment information for patients with Brain Cancer empowers these patients to make informed decisions about their care. We are excited to present the new NCCN Guidelines for Patients Gliomas and look forward to publication of the entire Brain Cancer Series," said Marcie R. Reeder, MPH, Executive Director, NCCN Foundation. Support from NCCN Foundation's Team Pound the Pavement for Patients was donated in honor of Melanie Moletzsky, an employee of NCCN who was diagnosed with Anaplastic Astrocytomaa type of Gliomain 2015. During her time in treatmentnearly two yearsMs. Moletzsky learned a lot about living with brain cancer and the side effects of the disease and its treatment. She shares her insights in the new NCCN Guidelines for Patients: Brain Cancer Gliomas. These resources are available free of charge on NCCN.org/patients, as well as on the free NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer mobile app, available for Android and iOS devices. NCCN plans to publish additional patient resources focusing on other forms of Brain Cancer in the future. "NCCN Foundation is incredibly grateful to Melanie for sharing her survivorship story, as well as her insight for patients who are living with brain cancer. Her experience indeed will be inspiring for others and complements the invaluable guidance provided by NCCN's expert physicians," said Ms. Reeder. NCCN Guidelines for Patients, patient-friendly translations of the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology (NCCN Guidelines), are easy-to-understand resources based on the same clinical practice guidelines used by health care professionals around the world to determine the best way to treat a patient with cancer. Each resource features unbiased expert guidance from the nation's leading cancer centers designed to help people living with cancer talk with their physicians about the best treatment options for their disease. NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide sheetsone-page summaries of key points in the patient guidelinesare written in plain language and include patient-friendly elements, such as questions to ask your doctor, a glossary of terms, and medical illustrations of anatomy, tests, and treatment. NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide sheets DO NOT replace the expertise and clinical judgment of the clinician. NCCN currently offers NCCN Guidelines for Patients for the following: Brain, Breast, Colon, Esophageal, Kidney, Non-Small Cell Lung, Ovarian, Pancreatic, Prostate, and Stomach Cancers; Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia; Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer; Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia; Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia; Hodgkin Lymphoma; Lung Cancer Screening; Malignant Pleural Mesothelioma; Melanoma; Multiple Myeloma; Nausea and Vomiting; Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas; and Soft Tissue Sarcoma. The NCCN Guidelines for Patients and NCCN Quick Guide sheets for Brain Cancer Gliomas are available to download for free from NCCN.org/patients and on the NCCN Patient Guides for Cancer mobile app. About NCCN Foundation NCCN Foundation was founded by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) to empower people with cancer and advance oncology innovation. NCCN Foundation supports people with cancer and their caregivers at every step of their treatment journey by delivering unbiased expert guidance from the world's leading cancer experts through the library of NCCN Guidelines for Patients and other patient education resources. NCCN Foundation is also committed to advancing cancer treatment by funding the nation's promising young investigators at the forefront of cancer research, initiating momentum in their careers and furthering the betterment of patients through their groundbreaking innovations. For more information about NCCN Foundation, visit NCCNFoundation.org. About the National Comprehensive Cancer Network The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN), a not-for-profit alliance of 27 of the world's leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research, and education, is dedicated to improving the quality, effectiveness, and efficiency of cancer care so that patients can live better lives. Through the leadership and expertise of clinical professionals at NCCN Member Institutions, NCCN develops resources that present valuable information to the numerous stakeholders in the health care delivery system. As the arbiter of high-quality cancer care, NCCN promotes the importance of continuous quality improvement and recognizes the significance of creating clinical practice guidelines appropriate for use by patients, clinicians, and other health care decision-makers. The NCCN Member Institutions are: Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, Omaha, NE; Case Comprehensive Cancer Center/University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and Cleveland Clinic Taussig Cancer Institute, Cleveland, OH; City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Los Angeles, CA; Dana-Farber/Brigham and Women's Cancer Center | Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, Boston, MA; Duke Cancer Institute, Durham, NC; Fox Chase Cancer Center, Philadelphia, PA; Huntsman Cancer Institute at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT; Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center/Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, Seattle, WA; The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD; Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, Chicago, IL; Mayo Clinic Cancer Center, Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ, Jacksonville, FL, and Rochester, MN; Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY; Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL; The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center - James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute, Columbus, OH; Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY; Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO; St. Jude Children's Research Hospital/The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford, CA; University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL; UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center, La Jolla, CA; UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, San Francisco, CA; University of Colorado Cancer Center, Aurora, CO; University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ann Arbor, MI; The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX; University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, Madison, WI; Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Nashville, TN; and Yale Cancer Center/Smilow Cancer Hospital, New Haven, CT. Clinicians, visit NCCN.org. Patients and caregivers, visit NCCN.org/patients. Media, visit NCCN.org/news. Media Contact: Katie Kiley Brown, NCCN 215-690-0238 [email protected] SOURCE National Comprehensive Cancer Network Related Links http://www.nccn.org HOUSTON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nobilis Health Corp. (NYSE MKT: HLTH) ("Nobilis" or the "Company") announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Hamilton Vein Center, a provider of clinical and surgical procedures for vascular disease. The acquisition adds four locations in the Houston area, one location in San Antonio and one location in Austin. San Antonio and Austin are new markets for Nobilis. Hamilton Vein Center has approximately 19,000 in-network patient encounters per year. Upon closing, the Hamilton Vein Center business will increase Nobilis' in-network patient volume mix to over 50%. "This acquisition continues our strategy of adding substantial in-network revenues to the Nobilis business model. With significantly larger in-network targets in our acquisition pipeline we are positioned to effect material change throughout 2017," stated Harry Fleming, Chief Executive Officer. In addition, Hamilton Vein Center founder, Carlos R. Hamilton III, M.D., will join Nobilis as Medical Director of Interventional Radiology in the Houston market overseeing vascular operations and development. Dr. Hamilton has built a premier, multi-regional vascular brand based on his eminent reputation as a clinician and innovator in these markets. The company will acquire Hamilton for approximately $13.25 million, comprised of $8.25 million in cash and $5 million in the form of a convertible note. The note is convertible to cash or stock at the Company's election, and is payable in two equal installments over a two-year period. In addition to operational, sales, and marketing efficiencies, Hamilton Vein Center affords Nobilis a network of clinical locations in desirable areas of growth and a chassis on which the company can continue to grow its directto-consumer vascular brand, Clarity. Hamilton Vein Center also adds a network of referring physicians with whom Nobilis can develop new relationships and expand patient acquisition opportunities. These synergies will generate additional surgical case volume and revenue for the Nobilis system. The merged system will drive favorable patient outcomes and enhance the overall patient experience. "We are pleased to announce this agreement to acquire Hamilton Vein Center. Dr. Hamilton and his team have developed one of the largest vascular practices in Houston by delivering quality patient care with exceptional outcomes, making Hamilton Vein Center a great strategic and financial fit with our existing business," said Kenneth Efird, President of Nobilis. "Through this transaction we will expand our vascular brand, Clarity, into two new markets in Texas, and continue the trend of expanding the proportion of our business derived from in-network cases." "We are excited to join Nobilis Health and become an important component of the growth of the Clarity brand," remarked Dr. Hamilton. "We look forward to expanding our business into other Nobilis markets and contributing to the further success of the company's vascular business." About Nobilis Health Corp. Nobilis (www.NobilisHealth.com) is a full-service healthcare development and management company, with 24 locations in seven states, including 4 hospitals, 10 ASCs and 10 clinics. In addition, Nobilis partners with another 38 facilities across the country. Marketing seven independent brands, Nobilis deploys a unique patient acquisition strategy driven by proprietary direct-to-consumer marketing technology, focusing on a specified set of procedures that are performed at our centers by local physicians. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Canadian and United States securities laws, including the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts and may be identified by the use of words such as "may," "believe," "will," "expect," "project," "estimate," "anticipate," "plan" or "continue." These forward-looking statements are based on current plans and expectations and are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other factors which could significantly affect current plans and expectations and our future financial condition and results. These factors, which could cause actual results, performance and achievements to differ materially from those anticipated, include, but are not limited to our ability to successfully maintain effective internal controls over financial reporting; our ability to implement our business strategy, manage the growth in our business, and integrate acquired businesses; the risk of litigation and investigations, and liability claims for damages and other expenses not covered by insurance; the risk that payments from third-party payers, including government healthcare programs, may decrease or not increase as costs increase; adverse developments affecting the medical practices of our physician limited partners; our ability to maintain favorable relations with our physician limited partners; our ability to grow revenues by increasing case and procedure volume while maintaining profitability at the Nobilis Facilities; failure to timely or accurately bill for services; our ability to compete for physician partners, patients and strategic relationships; the risk of changes in patient volume and patient mix; the risk that laws and regulations that regulate payments for medical services made by government healthcare programs could cause our revenues to decrease; the risk that contracts are cancelled or not renewed or that we are not able to enter into additional contracts under terms that are acceptable to us; and the risk of potential decreases in our reimbursement rates. The foregoing are significant factors we think could cause our actual results to differ materially from expected results. However, there could be additional factors besides those listed herein that also could affect us in an adverse manner. We have not undertaken any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All of our forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are made or, if a date is specified, as of such date. Subject to a mandatory requirements of applicable law, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to provide any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement to reflect any change in our expectations or any changes in events, conditions, circumstances or information on which the forward-looking statement is based. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing factors and in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015, filed on March 15, 2016, as updated by other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Contact Information: Kolin Ozonian Vice President, Corporate Development [email protected] 713-355-8614 SOURCE Nobilis Health Corp. Related Links http://www.nobilishealth.com SEATTLE, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Nonprofit Northwest Kidney Centers is celebrating its 55th anniversary as the world's first dialysis organization. The 8th largest dialysis provider in the United States, Northwest Kidney Centers is a leader in patient care, education and research. The organization reached into its archives to assemble a collection of oral histories from people it has touched over the years. The short videos are posted on Northwest Kidney Centers' website to commemorate the anniversary. On Jan. 8, 1962, in a basement clinic on Seattle's Capitol Hill, businessman John Myers settled under the covers for the night. He was careful not to disturb a small device implanted in his arm. It helped connect him to a machine that would cleanse his blood as he slept. Repeated dialysis treatment was the only way Myers could stay alive with chronic kidney failure, a certain killer before the new innovation. The three-bed clinic was called the Seattle Artificial Kidney Center. It has grown to become Northwest Kidney Centers. Significant steps in Northwest Kidney Centers' creation and development have changed the face of care for kidney disease in the United States and worldwide. The organization grappled with limited supply and overwhelming demand for dialysis by having a committee of community members allocate treatment. A 1962 Life magazine article about the patient selection process spurred the modern field of bioethics. magazine article about the patient selection process spurred the modern field of bioethics. In the early 1970s, the dialysis provider worked with powerful senators who persuaded Congress to extend Medicare coverage to all Americans on dialysis. In 1967 the Seattle Artificial Kidney Center launched the first home hemodialysis program. Compared to other dialysis providers today, Northwest Kidney Centers still serves a larger proportion of patients who do their own dialysis at home. In the 1980s Northwest Kidney Centers was the site of the first human trials of the anti-anemia drug Epogen, and it opened the country's first retail pharmacy specializing in medications for kidney patients. In 2008 Northwest Kidney Centers formed a collaboration with UW Medicine to create the Kidney Research Institute, now a powerhouse with hundreds of papers published and more than 60 clinical studies underway. In 2012, Northwest Kidney Centers opened a dialysis museum that attracts visitors from around the world. Last year Northwest Kidney Centers held 623 free class sessions to educate community members about how to avoid kidney disease or live better while coping with it. Today Northwest Kidney Centers serves nearly 1,700 patients in 15 dialysis clinics, nine hospitals and patient homes. In total, the organization provides more than 250,000 dialysis treatments annually. With a staff of 650, Northwest Kidney Centers is the largest dialysis provider in Washington's King and Clallam counties. It treats 78 percent of the people in its service area who require dialysis. "As we celebrate Northwest Kidney Centers' 55 years of service, we thank all those who have trusted us to provide health care for them and we honor the leaders who preceded us," said Joyce F. Jackson, president and chief executive. "We are determined that coming decades will see breakthroughs in optimizing health, independence and quality of life for our patients, and for people with kidney disease across the country and around the world." Northwest Kidney Centers is a regional, not-for-profit provider of kidney dialysis and transplant support services, public health education and research into the causes and treatments of chronic kidney disease. Founded in Seattle in 1962, it was the world's first dialysis organization. Now ranked as the 8th largest dialysis provider in the United States, it is known for high quality services, deep community connections and generous donor support. CONTACT: Cynthia Flash 425-603-9520 [email protected] SOURCE Northwest Kidney Centers Related Links https://www.nwkidney.org NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One Equity Partners, a middle market private equity firm, today announced that it has signed a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Anvil International ("Anvil"), a leading North American manufacturer of high quality pipe fittings and system components, from Mueller Water Products (NYSE: MWA). Headquartered in Exeter, N.H., Anvil manufactures a comprehensive range of pipe couplings, steel fittings, hangers, channel connections, strut fittings and customized components used in plumbing, mechanical, HVAC, industrial, fire protection, commercial, mining, and oil field infrastructure, and offers related onsite consulting services. The company, which has been operating for more than 150 years, sells Anvil, Beck, Gruvlok, Merit, Catawissa and other branded metal piping products through a network of more than 1,000 distributors in over 4,000 locations in North America. "Anvil has been the industry leading manufacturer of pipe fittings in North America, and we look forward to building on the business' market position and strong manufacturing capabilities," said JB Cherry, Senior Managing Director at One Equity Partners. "This transaction is reflective of our strategy in identifying attractive investment opportunities through carve-outs where we can accelerate further growth with strategic acquisitions that build significant scale." Anvil's wide range of grooved, cast and forged pipe fittings, struts, valves, and other metal connecting parts are produced at seven manufacturing plants located in Pennsylvania, Texas, Rhode Island, Tennessee and Alabama. Along with its extensive distributor network, the company also operates six distribution centers and sources its products globally. "Anvil will benefit from One Equity Partners' significant industrial specialty distribution and sector expertise," said Patrick M. Donovan, President and CEO of Anvil International. "We are excited to partner with One Equity Partners as we take Anvil through the next phase of growth to build upon our market leading position and serve our long-standing customers in the U.S. and globally." Andrew Oliver, Managing Director at One Equity Partners, added: "The North American pipe fittings and components systems industry is a large and highly fragmented market with attractive characteristics. Anvil will serve as an excellent platform to apply our strategy using transformative combinations to build market-leading companies." About One Equity Partners One Equity Partners is a middle-market private equity firm focused on the industrial, healthcare, and technology sectors in North America and Europe. The firm builds market-leading companies by identifying and executing transformative business combinations. One Equity is a trusted partner with a differentiated investment process, a broad and senior team, and an extensive track record generating long-term value for its partners. Since 2001, the firm has invested in more than 140 transactions worldwide. One Equity, founded in 2001, spun out of JP Morgan in 2015. The firm has offices in New York and Chicago, and an advisory office in Frankfurt. For more information, please visit www.oneequity.com. About Anvil International Anvil International is one of the largest and most complete manufacturers of pipe fittings, pipe hangers and piping support systems in the world. For more than 150 years, Anvil has provided the highestquality pipe products and services with integrity and dedication to superior customer service. The company offers expertise and product solutions for a wide range of applications, from plumbing and mechanical, HVAC, industrial and fire protection, to mining and oil and gas. Anvil offers products and services worldwide. Its manufacturing facilities are located in Pennsylvania (ISO 9001:2008 certified), Tennessee (ISO 9001:2008 certified), Texas (ISO 9001:2008 certified) and Rhode Island (ISO 9001:2008 certified). Anvil is a subsidiary of Mueller Water Products Inc. (NYSE: MWA). For more information, please contact Anvil's corporate offices at 6034182800, 2 Holland Way, Exeter, NH 03038, or visit anvilintl.com. SOURCE One Equity Partners Related Links http://www.oneequity.com (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/454925/Maria_Carell_Pharmalink.jpg ) Ms. Carell has an extensive background in operating, acquiring and developing healthcare and life science companies. She has previously held the position as CEO of Exeltis USA Inc., the branded division of pharmaceutical company Chemo Group, which she joined in 2014. Prior to this she was President of Meda US and Executive Vice President of Meda North America & South Pacific at Meda Inc. Before joining Meda, she served as President and CEO of Q-Med AB, a global medical device company, which was acquired by Galderma in 2011 for approx. $1 billion. Prior to Q-Med, Ms Carell worked as General Manager at Actavis Pharmaceuticals in the Nordic region. She has also served in several Business Development, Sales and Marketing roles for organizations ranging in size from small entrepreneurial to large cap global (Novartis, Johnson & Johnson). Ms. Carell has also held several board assignments as Board Member and as Chair of the Board in both public and private life science and health care provider companies. Ms Carell said: "I am pleased to be joining the Board of Pharmalink at this exciting time. As a private company, Pharmalink is in the rare position of having positive Phase 2 clinical trial data on its wholly owned lead candidate, Nefecon, which has shown promising results in patients with IgA nephropathy, a progressive inflammatory kidney disease. With Phase 3 trials in preparation, including recent senior appointments that add further clinical, regulatory and manufacturing expertise to strengthen the management team, I am looking forward to bringing my experience to the team." Johan Haggblad, Managing Director of Pharmalink, said: "We are delighted to welcome Maria as Chair and confident that her extensive domestic and international experience and a proven track record within the industry will be of great value to Pharmalink as we advance Nefecon towards and through Phase 3 trials." *Image available on request Notes to Editors About IgA Nephropathy IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common form of glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the kidney glomeruli). The disease is characterized by deposits, predominantly containing polymeric IgA antibody, in the kidney that cause inflammation and renal damage. IgAN can occur at any age, but the clinical onset is commonly during the second or third decades of life. It has been estimated that up to 40% of patients with IgAN progress to renal failure, often referred to as end-stage renal disease (ESRD) within 5-30 years following diagnosis. This patient population is estimated to at least 200,000 in major markets. Patients suffering renal failure require dialysis or kidney transplantation. IgAN accounts for 10% of renal transplants among patients with primary glomerulonephritis in the US and between 7-20% of patients in Europe and Australia in long-term dialysis and renal transplantation programs. About Nefecon Nefecon is a treatment for patients with primary IgA nephropathy (IgAN) at risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Nefecon has successfully completed a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 2b study in more than 150 IgAN patients at risk of developing ESRD, under standardized rigorous blood pressure control with an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI) and/or angiotensin II receptor I blocker (ARB). Full data and analysis of the NEFIGAN trial is expected to be published in a peer-review journal. A Phase 3 registration trial is being planned to begin in 2017. Nefecon is an oral formulation of a locally-acting and potent corticosteroid, budesonide, that down-regulates the disease process in the kidney through suppression of the gastrointestinal immune system thus exploiting the pivotal role the gastrointestinal tract plays in the overall immune response. Promising results indicate that treatment with Nefecon may provide clinical benefits to IgAN patients at risk of progressing to ESRD, and provide an alternative to dialysis and transplantation. Nefecon has received orphan drug designation by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). About Pharmalink AB Pharmalink is a specialty pharma company developing high value products for patients with significant unmet medical needs. With a highly experienced, dynamic management team, Pharmalink draws on its extensive experience of pharmaceutical development and marketing to efficiently identify and progress valuable and de-risked products. Visit http://www.pharmalink.se for further information. For further information, please contact: Pharmalink AB: Johan Haggblad, Managing Director, +46-(0)70-668-0644 Email: [email protected] Anders Hultman, Chief Financial Officer, +46-(0)76-629-6990 Email: [email protected] http://www.pharmalink.se Citigate Dewe Rogerson (for Pharmalink): Mark Swallow/Pip Batty, +44-(0)7903-737703 / +44-(0)20-7282-2948 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Pharmalink AB BALTIMORE, Jan.9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Profectus BioSciences, Inc., a clinical-stage company developing novel vaccines for the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases and the treatment of cancer, and the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), announced today the results of a preclinical study demonstrating that its bivalent VesiculoVax-vectored Chikungunya/Zika virus vaccine protected animals after exposure to Chikungunya virus (ChikV) or Zika virus (ZikV). In this study a single dose of the bivalent VesiculoVax-vectored ChikV/ZikV vaccine protected 100% of A129 IFNR-/- mice from lethal chikungunya virus infection after exposure to the virus. In addition, a single dose of the bivalent VesiculoVax-vectored ChikV/ZikV vaccine protected these same mice from disease and weight loss after exposure to the Zika virus. The bivalent VesiculoVax-vectored ChikV/ZikV vaccine is a mixture of the company's and UTMB's patented Isfahan virus (ISFV) vectors that have been engineered for safe use in humans. One ISFV vector in the mixture expresses the E2-E1 surface protein of ChikV, and the second vector expresses the prM/E gene of ZikV. "Profectus is pleased to announce these results, which are an important step in the development of a prophylactic vaccine that will rapidly confer protection against ChikV and ZikV infection with a single administration," said John H. Eldridge, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer of Profectus. "With the recent demonstration that the mosquito host can simultaneously carry both viruses, it is clear that a single vaccine to protect against both diseases provides a significant advantage in cost and efficiency of administration. This study demonstrates the preclinical efficacy of our attenuated VesiculoVax-vectored ChikV/ZikV vaccine in a highly sensitive animal model. We have initiated the first steps in the manufacture and release of our VesiculoVax-vectored ChikV/ZikV vaccine and are planning rapid clinical evaluation." About the Chikungunya Virus In the December 2015 WHO Workshop on Prioritization of Pathogens, ChikV was designated as "serious," requiring action by WHO to promote R&D as soon as possible. ChikV is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus that belongs to the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. ChikV is transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus; predominantly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Nonhuman primates (NHP) and humans are likely the main virus reservoirs, and anthroponotic (human-to-vector-to-human) transmission occurs during outbreaks of the disease. ChikV often causes large outbreaks with high attack rates, affecting one-third to three-quarters of the population in areas where the virus is circulating. Outbreaks of ChikV disease have occurred in Africa, Asia, Europe, and islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. In late 2013, the first locally acquired cases of ChikV were reported in the Americas on islands in the Caribbean. Since that time, ChikV has continued to spread in the Americas, with cases reported throughout the Caribbean and in several North, Central, and South American countries. Clinically, 3%28% of people infected with ChikV will remain asymptomatic. For people who develop symptomatic illness, the incubation period is typically 3-7 days (range, 112 days). Disease is most often characterized by sudden onset of high fever [temperature typically >102F (39C)] and joint pain. Other symptoms may include headache, myalgia, arthritis, conjunctivitis, nausea, vomiting, or a maculopapular rash. Fevers typically last from several days up to one week and can be biphasic. Joint symptoms are often severe involving multiple joints with bilateral symmetry and can result in debilitating disease lasting for months. Currently, no specific antiviral treatment, preventative drug, or vaccine is available to combat ChikV infection and disease progression. About the Zika Virus ZikV is a member of the Flavivirus family that was first isolated from a febrile sentinel rhesus monkey in Uganda in 1947. Like ChikV, ZikV is also transmitted to humans via the bite of an infected mosquito from the Aedes genus; predominantly Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. In January 2016, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued travel guidance on affected countries, including the use of enhanced precautions and guidelines for pregnant women, including considering postponing travel. Primary ZikV infection is often mild in adults, with only a small percentage of those infected presenting as clinically symptomatic. Diagnosis is complicated by clinical similarity and geographic overlap with dengue and chikungunya infection. However, ZikV infection is associated with serious neurological complications. Adults may present with Guillain-Barre syndrome, and children born to mothers infected during pregnancy may suffer from severe underdevelopment of the brain (pediatric microcephaly). ZikV can be transmitted from men and women to their sexual partners. About Profectus VesiculoVax Vaccines Profectus has developed the highly immunogenic VesiculoVax vaccine delivery system for emerging infectious disease indications where the rapid induction of neutralizing antibodies is needed to protect against the viruses that cause hemorrhagic fevers (Ebola, Marburg, and Lassa); encephalitic disease (Venezuelan, Eastern, and Western equine encephalitis); arthralgic disease (ChikV); and neurologic disease (ZikV). The Profectus VesiculoVax vaccine delivery technology is based on seminal discoveries made in the laboratory of Dr. John Rose and patented by Yale University. Building on these discoveries, Profectus scientists introduced multiple non-reversible genetic modifications into the prototype that synergistically attenuate the virus and provide vectors that are safe for human use. To extend the VesiculoVax platform, Profectus is conducting collaborative studies with scientists at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) that have identified additional vesiculoviruses with utility as vaccine vectors. The resulting VesiculoVax platform consists of a family of non-cross reactive vaccine vectors that are constructed and attenuated so they do not cause illness in animal or humans using methods exemplified with rVSV. Profectus has demonstrated the safety and immunogenicity of its VesiculoVax-vectored vaccines against HIV and Ebola in multiple human clinical trials. About UTMB Health Texas' first academic health center opened its doors in 1891 and today has three campuses, four health sciences schools, three institutes for advanced study, a research enterprise that includes one of only two national laboratories dedicated to the safe study of infectious threats to human health, a Level 1 Trauma Center and a health system offering a full range of primary and specialized medical services throughout Galveston County and the Texas Gulf Coast region. UTMB Health is a part of the University of Texas System and a member of the Texas Medical Center. For more information, please visit www.utmb.edu. About Profectus BioSciences Profectus BioSciences is a clinical-stage company developing preventive and therapeutic vaccines for infectious diseases and oncolytic vaccines for cancer immunotherapy. Profectus vaccines are based on the company's proprietary VesiculoVax and DNA vaccine delivery platforms. Used alone, first-in-class VesiculoVax-vectored vaccines lead to rapid expansion of B cells to provide protection against emerging infectious diseases of public health and biodefense importance such as Ebola, Marburg, Chikungunya, and the Equine Encephalitis viruses. When used as a boost after priming the immune system with best-in-class pDNA vaccines, VesiculoVax-vectored vaccines lead to the expansion of primed T cells into effector cells that are uniquely suited to killing virally infected cells and cancers. Current programs using the Prime/Boost System of Vaccines (PBS Vax) strategy include hepatitis B virus (HBV), human papilloma virus (HPV), herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Partners and collaborators include Vyriad, the Galveston National Laboratory at UTMB, Yale University, the Institute of Human Virology, the Center for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Immunology, the National Cancer Institute, the NIH Division of AIDS, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, the HIV Vaccines Trials Network, and the AIDS Clinical Trials Group. Profectus has been funded by Cross Atlantic Capital Partners ("XACP") of Radnor, Pennsylvania. XACP's primary investor is the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS). For more information, please visit www.profectusbiosciences.com. Contact: Mary Moynihan M2Friend Biocommunications (802) 951-9600 [email protected] SOURCE Profectus BioSciences, Inc. Related Links http://www.profectusbiosciences.com ROCKVILLE, Md., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (OTCQB: RGRX) ("the Company" or "RegeneRx"), a clinical-stage drug development company focused on tissue protection, repair and regeneration, today announced that it has received a Notice of Acceptance for a patent from the Australian Patent Office for the use of Thymosin beta 4 (T4), the active pharmaceutical ingredient in the RegeneRx's proprietary drug candidate, RGN-352, to myelinate damaged neurons or axons (brain nerve cells). Myelination is a process of forming a myelin sheath around a nerve to allow nerve impulses to move more efficiently and is vitally important to healthy central nervous system functioning. The research supporting this patent was conducted by Dr. Michael Chopp's research team at the Henry Ford Hospital System in Detroit, MI and has been published in numerous neurological scientific journals. The patent expiry is March 26, 2030, not including any potential extensions. "This patent continues to expand the scope of potential use of RGN-352, our systemic formulation of T4, in patients with neural injury and disease. The remyelination properties of T4 found by Dr. Chopp and his team in their animal models suggests considerable potential for the use of T4 in major disorders such as multiple sclerosis, as well as any other condition or disease that is associated with demyelination," stated J.J. Finkelstein, RegeneRx's president and chief executive officer. About RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. (www.regenerx.com) RegeneRx is focused on the development of novel therapeutic peptides, including Thymosin beta 4 (T4) and its constituent fragments, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration. RegeneRx currently has three drug candidates in clinical development for ophthalmic, cardiac and dermal indications, three active strategic licensing agreements in the U.S., China, and Pan Asia (Korea, Japan, and Australia, among others), and has patents and patent applications covering its products in many countries throughout the world. RGN-259, the Company's T4-based ophthalmic drug candidate, has been designated an orphan drug in the U.S. for the treatment of neurotrophic keratopathy (NK). In March 2016, RegeneRx, through its U.S joint venture, ReGenTree LLC, completed a 317-patient Phase 2b/3 clinical trial in patients with dry eye syndrome (DES). The dry eye trial results were announced in May 2016 and ReGenTree has subsequently begun enrollment in a second Phase 3 DES trial in approximately ~500 patients. The Company is simultaneously conducting a 46-patient Phase 3 clinical trial in patients with NK. RGN-259 is also being developed in patients with dry eye syndrome in Asia through RegeneRx's two Asian partnerships. RGN-352, the Company's T4-based injectable formulation, is a Phase 2-ready drug candidate designed to be administered systemically to prevent and repair cardiac damage resulting from heart attacks and central nervous system tissue damage associated disorders such as multiple sclerosis and traumatic injuries such as stroke. For additional information about RegeneRx please visit www.regenerx.com. Forward-Looking Statements Any statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements made under the provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that any notices or patents issued by any government patent authority in any country, or licenses held by the Company, or patent applications filed by the Company, including this most recent Notice of Acceptance in Australia, or any current or future clinical trials will result in approved products or future value. Please view these and other risks described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including those identified in the "Risk Factors" section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015, and subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, as well as other filings it makes with the SEC. Any forward-looking statements in this press release represent the Company's views only as of the date of this release and should not be relied upon as representing its views as of any subsequent date. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update this information, as a result of future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. SOURCE RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Related Links http://www.regenerx.com YOKNEAM, Israel, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Saguna Networks, the Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) pioneer that makes mobile broadband faster, simpler and more agile with virtualized software solutions, announced it is collaborating with Wind River to validate the Saguna Open-RAN MEC solution operating on Wind River Titanium Server as the carrier grade platform. Titanium Server is a commercial-ready, ultrareliable NFV infrastructure software platform that enables service providers to deploy virtualized services faster, at lower cost, and with guaranteed uptime. By validating and pre-integrating their hardware and software offerings with Titanium Server, companies can deliver optimized solutions for service providers and telecom equipment manufacturers (TEMs) deploying infrastructure based on NFV. Service providers and TEMs can confidently select validated hardware and software products knowing that they are pre-validated with Titanium Server and ready for deployment in live networks. Companies perform their testing and validation process as part of the Wind River Titanium Cloud ecosystem program dedicated to accelerating the deployment of solutions for NFV. Through the collaboration of industry-leading software and hardware companies, the Titanium Cloud ecosystem helps ensure the availability of interoperable standard products optimized for NFV deployment with Titanium Server to help accelerate time-to-market for service providers and TEMs. Saguna Open-RAN is a MEC platform that creates an open ecosystem inside the Radio Access Network (RAN); in close proximity to mobile users. Based on the ETSI MEC standard, the platform helps mobile operators monetize new IoT, augmented-reality content and enterprise services. Saguna Open-RAN features fully-virtualized, scalable architecture adding value to 4G networks and beyond to 5G and HetNets. "In the past year, Mobile Edge Computing has been picking up momentum in trials and proof-of-concepts (PoC) worldwide. Saguna is dedicated to accelerating adoption and mass-market deployment of MEC by helping to build an extensive ecosystem of pre-integrated MEC solutions." Said Randy Cook, VP Sales and Business Development at Saguna "Our work with Wind River brings together the MEC platform and underlying NFV infrastructure needed for large-scale MEC projects. "Mobile Edge Computing is an emerging standard that extends the virtualized infrastructure into the mobile Radio Access Network (RAN). To deploy MEC in their networks, Service Providers and TEMs are looking for validated and market-ready solutions," said Charlie Ashton, senior director of business development for networking solutions at Wind River. "With validation through our Titanium Cloud program, we are collaborating with leaders like Saguna to create optimized, interoperable solutions. The Carrier Grade NFV infrastructure provided by the Titanium Server for MEC enables service providers to quickly and effectively deploy revenue generating MEC services in their network." To see the Saguna and Wind River collaboration in action, a web seminar titled "Innovation and Efficiency for Next Generation Access and Edge" with Saguna, Wind River and Dell EMC will be conducted on January 13 at 10am Pacific. To register or view the seminar replay, visit https://www.sdxcentral.com/event/next-generation-access/. Titanium Server is a carrier grade NFV infrastructure software solution that is designed to meet the stringent "always on" requirements of the telecom industry. With Titanium Server as the NFV infrastructure software foundation, the telecom industry can take full advantage of rapid service deployment while ensuring the Carrier Grade uptime and strict reliability mandated by telecom networks. Titanium Server is based on open software standards including Linux, real-time Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM), carrier grade plugins for OpenStack, Data Plane Development Kit (DPDK), and accelerated virtual switching, all optimized for Intel Architecture-based platforms. About Saguna Saguna Networks, a pioneer of Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), makes mobile broadband faster, simpler and more economical with smart virtualized software solutions. Based on the ETSI MEC standard, the Saguna Open-RAN platform enables mobile operators to quickly and effectively deploy new revenue generating services. The Mobile Edge Computing platform has fully virtualized software architecture providing cost effective scalability and flexibility. For more information, please contact us at [email protected], follow us @sagunanet or visit our website http://www.saguna.net. Contacts: Tally Netzer Saguna +972-4-6753700 [email protected] SOURCE Saguna SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced that Mark Hawkins, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, will participate in the following meetings hosted by J.P. Morgan Securities in London, England. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 : Group investor meeting at 4:30 a.m. (PST) / 12:30 p.m. (GMT) . : Group investor meeting at / . Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 : Group investor meeting at 12:00 a.m. (PST) / 8:00 a.m. (GMT) . Audiocasts will be available on Salesforce's website at www.salesforce.com/investor. About Salesforce Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com. SOURCE Salesforce Related Links http://www.salesforce.com FAIRFAX, Va., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salient CRGT, Inc., a leading provider of Agile software development, data analytics, mobility, cyber security, and infrastructure solutions, today announced that GSA Federal Acquisition Service, Assisted Acquisition, in support of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), has awarded Salient CRGT a Blanket Purchase Agreement (BPA). The BPA has a one-year base, with two possible one-year options, with a potential total value of $45 million. This award provides for Integration and Modification of Commercial Off-the-Shelf Non-Developmental Items (COTS NDI), Project Management, Integrated Technology Services, Hardware/Software Furnishing/Technical Installation & Support, Local Distribution, Infrastructure Upgrade, IT Systems Engineering and Implementation, and Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Support both national and internationally. DoD is charged to study special operations requirements and techniques to ensure interoperability and equipment standardization; plan and conduct special operations exercises and training; develop joint special operations tactics; and execute special operations missions worldwide. Salient CRGT has a 10-year history of superlative quality of work to the national security community in all aspects of developing, planning, executing, and delivering DoD information systems, services, and equipment. "Our decade of success delivering rapid response services to various offices of DoD has prepared us to help our customer successfully execute its mission, regardless of the complexity of the requirements," said Brad Antle, CEO of Salient CRGT. "The contract represents the continuation of our partnership that will enable us to directly apply our latest technologies and innovations to support this critical national and international mission." About Salient CRGT Salient CRGT provides Agile software development, data analytics, mobility, cyber security and infrastructure solutions. We support these core capabilities with full lifecycle IT services and trainingto help our customers meet critical goals for pivotal missions. We are purpose built for IT transformation supporting federal civilian, defense, homeland, and intelligence agencies, as well as Fortune 1000 companies. We use the most innovative talent delivery model in the industry, scientifically providing exactly the right people for the customers' most pressing requirements. Salient CRGT has earned a record of success with integration and operations of largescale, highvolume solutions. On September 15, 2015, Salient and CRGT announced closing of the merger transactions visit newsroom. For additional information on Salient and CRGT, visit www.salientcrgt.com .@Salient_CRGT Awarded $45M DoD Services and Equipment BPA http://bit.ly/1MGSz5l SOURCE Salient CRGT, Inc. Related Links http://www.salientcrgt.com "Our creation of a new division that unites these key areas globally under Maarten's talented leadership is yet more progress on Sotheby's strategy to serve clients and provide value for shareholders," said Tad Smith Sotheby's CEO." Maarten ten Holder added, "I am thrilled to step into this crucial role leading the new Luxury & Lifestyle division. Each of these businesses operates in a market even larger than the art market, and I am excited to lead our strategic effort to fashion our talented teams into a stronger foundation for Sotheby's growth." Maarten ten Holder began his career at Sotheby's in Amsterdam. Early on, Maarten played an integral role in many large-scale country house sales across Europe and helped to organize Sotheby's first auction in France in 1999. He took on the role of Deputy Managing Director of Sotheby's Italy in 2002, before moving to New York in 2006 as Managing Director of Sotheby's North & South America. During his tenure in New York, and more recently in London, Maarten oversaw some of the most high profile auctions in recent memory, including the sale of Edvard Munch's The Scream, the collection of Mrs. Paul Mellon, property from the personal collection of Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire, and the personal collection of David Bowie. Additionally, he was involved in numerous major sales of jewelry including the collections of Mrs. Charles Wrightsman and Mrs. Estee Lauder & Mrs. Evelyn H. Lauder, as well as the recent $175 million record-breaking sale of jewelry in Geneva. Maarten's involvement with car auctions began in 2005 with Sotheby's landmark sale of cars and related memorabilia at Ferrari's legendary premises in Maranello, Italy. This past November, he was an auctioneer for the RM Sotheby's sale of The Duemila Ruote sale in Milan the largest automobile collection sale ever staged in Europe. An accomplished auctioneer, Maarten regularly conducts sales in all of Sotheby's major international selling locations in five different languages. FOR MORE NEWS FROM SOTHEBY'S News & Video: http://www.sothebys.com/en/news-video.html Twitter: www.twitter.com/sothebys Instagram: www.instagram.com/sothebys Facebook: www.facebook.com/sothebys Snapchat ID: sothebys YouTube: www.youtube.com/SothebysTV Weibo: www.weibo.com/sothebyshongkong WeChat ID: sothebyshongkong Sotheby's has been uniting collectors with world-class works of art since 1744. Sotheby's became the first international auction house when it expanded from London to New York (1955), the first to conduct sales in Hong Kong (1973), India (1992) and France (2001), and the first international fine art auction house in China (2012). Today, Sotheby's presents auctions in 10 different salesrooms, including New York, London, Hong Kong and Paris, and Sotheby's BidNow program allows visitors to view all auctions live online and place bids from anywhere in the world. Sotheby's offers collectors the resources of Sotheby's Financial Services, the world's only full-service art financing company, as well as the collection advisory services of its subsidiary, Art Agency, Partners. Sotheby's presents private sale opportunities in more than 70 categories, including S|2, the gallery arm of Sotheby's Global Fine Art Division, and two retail businesses, Sotheby's Diamonds and Sotheby's Wine. Sotheby's has a global network of 80 offices in 40 countries and is the oldest company listed on the New York Stock Exchange (BID). *Estimates do not include buyer's premium. Prices achieved include the hammer price plus buyer's premium and are net of any fees paid to the purchaser where the purchaser provided an irrevocable bid. Images are available upon request Browse sale catalogues, view original content, stream live auctions and more at www.sothebys.com, and through Sotheby's apps for iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple TV and Amazon Fire New York | +1 212 606 7176 | Lauren Gioia | [email protected] | Dan Abernethy | [email protected] London | +44 207 293 6000 | Mitzi Mina | [email protected] | Sarah Rustin | [email protected] SOURCE Sotheby's Related Links http://www.sothebys.com NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) announced it has finalized the sale of Quant House SAS (QuantHouse) to a company owned by Pierre Feligioni, one of QuantHouse's original founders. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. About S&P Global Market Intelligence At S&P Global Market Intelligence, we know that not all information is importantsome of it is vital. Accurate, deep and insightful. We integrate financial and industry data, research and news into tools that help track performance, generate alpha, identify investment ideas, understand competitive and industry dynamics, perform valuation and assess credit risk. Investment professionals, government agencies, corporations and universities globally can gain the intelligence essential to making business and financial decisions with conviction. S&P Global Market Intelligence is a division of S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI), which provides essential intelligence for individuals, companies and governments to make decisions with confidence. For more information, visit www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence. SOURCE S&P Global Market Intelligence Related Links http://www.spglobal.com/marketintelligence According to the Ethnologue research project, there are currently 897 million Mandarin Chinese speakers in the world across 14 primary countries. After several centuries of the West leading the global economy, China is on course to outpace its western neighbors. Already the second largest economy in the world, China has powerful economic ties to such global powerhouses as the United States, Japan, Germany, and Russia. As the business world has realized the growing importance of China in the global economy, a growing number of students of all ages are interested in gaining proficiency in the Mandarin Chinese language. According to CCTA America, in 2010 alone, 750,000 people from around the world took the Official Chinese Proficiency Test with the goal of becoming one of the millions now speaking the world's most popular language. "China is the second biggest powerhouse country in the world," said Gao. "A growing number of American companies are partnering with Chinese-based businesses. The ability to effectively communicate using Mandarin Chinese is becoming a growing requirement in the global economy, and St. John's Military School is well-positioning its cadets to excel in this new global workforce." Not only is St. John's Military School's new Mandarin Chinese curriculum preparing cadets for future success in business and international politics, it's helping to create an environment where the school's international students feel welcomed and understood. With an emphasis on recruiting international students, St. John's Military School's Mandarin Chinese classes are fostering an appreciation of Chinese culture and helping to form friendships between Chinese and American students. Read on>>> http://bit.ly/2ePOB5w Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161202/445190 Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160317/345436LOGO SOURCE St. John's Military School Related Links http://www.sjms.org PETACH TIKVA, Israel, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Stockton STK specializes in the development and marketing of botanical based biopesticides, today announced that its Timorex Gold biofungicide obtained registration from the Ministry of Agriculture People's Republic of China for the control of fungal plant diseases on Powdery Mildew (Sphaerotheca macularis) of strawberries and Early Blight (Alternaria solani) of tomato. Stockton has pioneered plant extract biopesticides, with its flagship biofungicide, Timorex Gold used in conventional spraying programs for sustainable crop production. In China, Timorex Gold presents a true alternative for the tomato and strawberry producers, as this natural fungicide enables chemical load reduction and is a highly effective resistance management tool. Timorex Gold not only showed equal control of most diseases on many crops when joint spray program with conventional fungicides also can improve quality of fruits and vegetables. "China approval is an important milestone for Timorex Gold we project a big future in this market," stated Guy Elitzur, CEO of Stockton. "This is a significant confirmation of our product's platform, paving the way for the flow of our new and innovative products and for sustainable crop protection." Agriculture is a vital industry in China, employing over 300 million farmers and the second-largest economy in the world, growing rapidly, around 26% shares, in the Asia-Pacific biopesticides market. Timorex Gold registration approval in China will be a very helpful tool to support Chinese government agenda to reduce chemical pesticide and chemical fertilizer application policy. "Our registration in China is extremely important for our Timorex Gold. We anticipate a great commercial future for our product in this significant market," concluded Guy Elitzur. About the Stockton STK Stockton STK specializes in the development and marketing of botanical-based biopesticides. Its core focus is on the incorporation of these biopesticides into integrated agriculture spraying programs that use conventional chemical products, thus creating a balanced, cleaner and sustainable agricultural environment. Stockton is a global company established in 1994 and has an active R&D Center for the development of future natural products for crop protection. Its unique research and development center in Israel invests substantial resources in developing 'green' products. Stockton has a variety of products adapted to different agro ecological areas, biological parameters and regulatory guidelines. Stockton's flagship product Timorex Gold is used to control a broad spectrum of diseases in diverse crops. The product demonstrates an efficacy equivalent to chemical fungicides and is suitable to be used in conventional and organic agriculture. Timorex Gold is registered and sold in over 30 countries. Contact: For more information, please visit our website: http://www.stockton-ag.com or contact Judy Jamuy at: +972-52-7599242 or [email protected] . SOURCE Stockton LONDON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- "Increasing demand for technical ceramics in medical end-use industry is a prime factor for the growth of the technical ceramics market" The global technical ceramics market size (20162021) is estimated to reach USD 8.49 billion by 2021 at a CAGR of 6.43%. The demand for technical ceramics is increasing due to its increased usage in the manufacturing of medical devices and implants that are used for bone and tooth replacements. With the growing electronics & semiconductor industry, the increased demand for high temperature stability, low thermal expansion, and robust products drives the market for technical ceramics. "Electronics & semiconductor: the largest end-use industry of technical ceramics" Technical ceramics are used in various end-use industries such as electronics & semiconductor, automotive, energy & power, industrial, medical, military & defense, and others. In 2015, the electronics & semiconductor segment accounted for the largest market share among all the applications, in terms of value as well as volume, followed by automotive, energy & power, and industrial industries. Among all the applications, medical end-use industry is estimated to register the highest CAGR between 2016 and 2021, in terms of value as well as volume. "Rising demand for technical ceramics from the developing markets of Asia-Pacific is the major driver for the technical ceramics market" In 2015, Asia-Pacific is estimated to account for the largest market share, in terms of value as well as volume, and is estimated to remain the market leader during the forecast period. High industrial growth resulted in an increased demand for technical ceramics in different applications such as in the electronics & semiconductor and medical industries. This growth is further supported by the growing military & defense industry in Asia-Pacific due to the increased governmental investments in the defense sector. China accounted for the largest market share in this region due to the increased demand for military & defense equipment over the last 23 years. Other emerging economies, such as India and Brazil, are the markets which are projected to grow rapidly. In the process of determining and verifying the market size for several segments and subsegments gathered through secondary research, extensive primary interviews were conducted. The breakdown of primary interviews is given below. - By Company Type - Tier 1 - 33%, Tier 2 60%, and Others - 7% - By Designation - C level - 56%, Director level - 33%, and Others - 11% - By Region - North America - 13%, Europe - 47%, Asia-Pacific - 20%, the Middle East & Africa - 13%, and South America - 7% The key companies profiled in this market research report are CeramTec GmbH (Germany), Kyocera Corporation (Japan), Morgan Advanced Materials (U.K.), Saint-Gobain Ceramic Materials (U.S.), McDanel Advanced Ceramic Technologies (U.S.), Ceradyne, Inc. (3M Company) (U.S.), Rauschert Steinbach GmbH (Germany), Dyson Technical Ceramics Limited (U.K.), Superior Technical Ceramics (U.S.), NGK Spark Plug Co., Ltd. (Japan), and other local players. The report will help the market leaders/new entrants in this market in the following ways: 1. This report segments the technical ceramics market comprehensively and provides the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall market and the subsegments across the different verticals and regions. 2. It will help stakeholders to understand the pulse of the market and provide them information on key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. 3. It will help stakeholders to understand the competitors and gain more insights to better their position in the business. The competitive landscape section includes new product developments, partnerships, and mergers & acquisitions. Download the full report: https://www.reportbuyer.com/product/4010946/ 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 SOURCE ReportBuyer Related Links http://www.reportbuyer.com HUNT VALLEY, Md., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Textron Systems Support Solutions, a Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT) business, announced today that it has been awarded a $206 million contract from the U.S. Army for Shadow Tactical Aircraft System (TUAS) Contractor Logistics Support (CLS). CLS efforts include Systems Sustainment Management, Engineering Support, Contractor Logistics Support Management, Field Service Operations, Depot Material Repair and Management and Post Productions Software Support. This contract will continue Textron Systems Support Solutions' long-standing support for the 117 Shadow systems that have been fielded and deployed by the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, Army National Guard, U.S. Special Operations Command and the Australian Defense Forces. "Support Solutions has been the chosen CLS contractor for the U.S. Army's CLS contract since 2005, and we are proud to continue supporting their Shadow systems throughout this past decade," says Support Solutions Senior Vice President & General Manager Ryan Hazlett. "This contract also supports the U.S. Army's Shadow v2 block upgrade program, under which Textron Systems acts as an end-to-end solution provider." With more than one million flight hours, the Shadow TUAS delivers proven performance for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications relay and laser designation. The Shadow v2 is an all-digital, modern system, optimized for new multi-mission, single-sortie profiles and manned-unmanned teaming. The Shadow v2 also includes a high-bandwidth, encrypted data link that enables the aircraft to carry payloads ranging from high-definition video to secure control for prosecution missions. The Army is currently teaming the Shadow v2 system with its Apache helicopter fleet for scouting missions within its combat aviation brigades. The Shadow TUAS also is utilized by militaries in Australia, Italy and Sweden. Support Solutions has decades of experience in training military personnel and ensuring system readiness for its customers. Its field service representatives are actively deployed and work alongside customers to prepare for mission success. Support Solutions provides end-to-end product support, training and services for an array of Textron and third-party assets. Period of performance began on Nov. 1, 2016 and is expected to continue through 2018. About Textron Systems Textron Systems' businesses develop and integrate products, services and support for aerospace and defense customers, as well as civil and commercial customers including those in law enforcement, security, border patrol and critical infrastructure protection around the globe. Harnessing agility and a broad base of expertise, Textron Systems' innovative businesses design, manufacture, field and support comprehensive solutions that expand customer capabilities and deliver value. Textron Systems consists of its Advanced Information Solutions, Electronic Systems, Geospatial Solutions, Lycoming Engines, Marine & Land Systems, Support Solutions, TRU Simulation + Training, Unmanned Systems and Weapon & Sensor Systems businesses. More information is available at www.textronsystems.com. About Textron Inc Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands such as Bell Helicopter, Cessna, Beechcraft, Hawker, Jacobsen, Kautex, Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Greenlee, Bad Boy Off Road, Textron Systems, and TRU Simulation + Training. For more information visit: www.textron.com. Certain statements in this press release may project revenues or describe strategies, goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them. These statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Media Contact: Ashlyn Brodeur Textron Systems (978) 657-2020 [email protected] SOURCE Textron Systems Corporation Related Links http://www.textronsystems.com SAO PAULO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberje The Brazilian Association for Business Communication published the November/December edition of BRpr at the end of 2016. The newsletter is an initiative of the association to showcase the good practices developed in the area of Communication in Brazil, in dialogue with the international community. Edition #7 has articles on Fundacom, the international foundation of Ibero-American communication associations, which began its activities in November. Among the entity's activities are the organization of Cibecom a communications conference that will take place in March in Miami, and the Fundacom International Awards, which recognizes best communication practices in the Portuguese and Spanish languages. Other highlights are the digital activities of GE, whose YouTube channel is geared toward innovation and the challenge that the SAP technology multinational company is proposing to Brazilian university students. About Aberje - Aberje The Brazilian Association for Business Communication, is the main domestic reference in the production and distribution of Communication and Relationship knowledge and practices. Founded in 1967, Aberje is a non-profit professional and scientific organization whose main objective is to improve communication at companies and institutions, and to instill respect for the role of the communicator. Its pillars of activity are Advocacy, Content, Education and Career. Aberje's activities goes beyond Brazilian borders, as it has relationship and exchange projects with countries that include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, India, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and it is positioning itself as the Brazilian Business Communication Think Tank. To receive the BRpr newsletter, register here. Contact information: Tato Carbonaro Public Affairs and International Relations +55 11 5727-9090 [email protected] SOURCE Aberje BRYAN, Ohio, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The L.E. Smith Company, the nation's largest single location fabricator of laminate countertops, is pleased to introduce a unique Quartz countertop offering & simultaneously, a web-based Quartz quoting tool named SQUAD. Both investments support the evolving business needs of their broad client base, and exemplify L.E. Smith's passion for bringing meaningful value to both the construction and kitchen and bath industries. Remodeled Kitchen The new Quartz countertop offering is unique to these industries because clients are not charged for offal. "Clients are amazed and ecstatic when I share that they are only charged for the material that they use. They are all accustomed to having to pay for full sheets and additional square footage. This program eliminates that issue for them," stated Brian Smith, Owner and Director of Sales. Smith also shared that the variety and quantity of "in stock" colors from known brands Viatera, Hanstone, Silestone, Wilsonart Quartz, and TruQuartz is unique to the industry. The program boasts 40+ colors (with more coming,) a fast lead time (just 2-3 weeks from sign-off,) and most impressive: the ability to quote countertop projects online. To offer quoting in real time, L.E. Smith developed a web-based technology solution named SQUAD. SQUAD allows clients to independently quote a Quartz kitchen, bathroom, or multi-unit project in minutes and with confidence. SQUAD houses quotes in a client library, and long term, will allow clients to quote and order for all projects and in all surfaces. SQUAD will also house online training, industry resources, and sales analytics. When asked about the unique name, Laura Juarez, CEO and President of L.E. Smith indicated that, "We liked the name SQUAD because it really conveys who we are to our clients. We're their SQUAD, working for them 24-7. We have their back, and we're always striving to bring them the products and technology that they need to succeed." The L.E. Smith Company is a third generation, family-owned, premium quality surface fabricator and distributor. With over six decades of service to the construction, cabinetry, millwork and retail industries, The L.E. Smith Company consistently brings clients trend-forward, high-quality products, and shares proven business techniques enabling clients to differentiate themselves from fierce competition. Committed to lean manufacturing and forestry conservation, L.E. Smith integrates KAIZEN throughout its business practices and has worked to receive and maintain FSC certification. More L.E. Smith information is available at www.lesmith.com. Contact: Amy Miller Director of Business Development The L.E. Smith Company 888-537-6484 [email protected] Read more news from The L.E. Smith Company. SOURCE The L.E. Smith Company Related Links http://www.lesmith.com Acquires Pacific Safety Products Inc., Aegis Engineering Limited and LBA International Limited Strengthens International Footprint and Enhances Core Capabilities JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Safariland Group ("Safariland" or the "Company"), a leading global provider of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets, today announced that it has completed the acquisitions of Pacific Safety Products Inc. ("PSP"), Aegis Engineering Limited ("Aegis") and LBA International Limited ("LBA"), industry leaders in the design and production of high-performance protective apparel for defense and law enforcement. These acquisitions significantly expand Safariland's international footprint along with enhanced design, manufacturing and distribution capabilities in the body armor and tactical equipment markets. Scott O'Brien, Safariland's President, said, "We are very excited about these recent acquisitions, which will enable Safariland to expand further into Canada, Europe, the UK and the Middle East. By joining The Safariland Group family of brands, each of these newly acquired businesses will now have greater access to capital. In turn, these companies will allow us to better serve existing and new customers with increased product diversification. Additionally, our customers will benefit from additional R&D capabilities to develop innovative, technologically advanced products. We look forward to working with these associates to strengthen our mission of 'Together, We Save Lives'." Safariland acquired all of the outstanding common shares of PSP through Med-Eng Holdings ULC, its indirect Canadian wholly owned subsidiary. Total cash consideration for the acquisition of PSP was approximately CAD $15.4 million. Financial terms of the Aegis and LBA transactions were not disclosed. Founded in 1984 and headquartered in Arnprior, Canada, PSP is an established industry leader in the production, distribution and sale of high-performance and high-quality safety products for the defense and security markets. Products include body armor, ballistic blankets, tactical clothing and protective products against chemical and biological hazards. PSP is the largest body armor manufacturer in Canada, directly supplying the Canadian Department of National Defense, Canadian federal government agencies and major Canadian law enforcement organizations. Safariland's acquisition includes PSP's U.S. subsidiary, GH Armor Systems Inc. ("GHA"), which is headquartered in Dover, Tennessee. With its 90,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility, GHA produces a comprehensive suite of advanced armor solutions, ballistics, carriers, tactical equipment, hard armor and corrections products. Founded in 1990, and headquartered in the UK, Aegis is a globally recognized designer and manufacturer of personal protective apparel and equipment, including body armor, ballistic helmets, shields, blankets and rifle plates. Aegis operates with cutting-edge technologies and brings a team of highly skilled and experienced associates, including a best-in-class technical design team, to Safariland. Founded in 1976, and also headquartered in the UK, LBA is a leading global provider of protective equipment, including hard armor plates and ballistic helmets to law enforcement officers, and like Aegis, benefits from a long track record of innovation through significant R&D investment. These acquisitions are additional successful milestones in The Safariland Group's strategy to provide entry into new markets with high-quality products. By adding PSP, Aegis and LBA to the Company's list of more than 25 recognized brands, The Safariland Group has strengthened its position as a leading global provider of safety and survivability equipment. Select new Safariland Group products ranging from body armor to body worn cameras and duty gear will be on display at The Safariland Group booth, #12762, throughout SHOT Show 2017, from January 17-20. For more information about The Safariland Group, please visit www.Safariland.com. About The Safariland Group The Safariland Group is a leading global provider of a broad range of safety and survivability products designed for the public safety, military, professional and outdoor markets. The Safariland Group offers a number of recognized brand names in these markets including Safariland, Med-Eng, ABA, Second Chance, VIEVU, Mustang Survival, Bianchi, Break Free, PROTECH Tactical, Defense Technology, Hatch, Monadnock, Identicator and NIK. The Safariland Group's mission, 'Together, We Save Lives.', is inherent in the lifesaving and protective products it delivers. The Safariland Group is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. The Safariland Group is a trade name of Safariland, LLC. Media and Investor Relations Inquiries Jonathan Keehner / Tim Ragones / Aura Reinhard Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher (212) 355-4449 SOURCE The Safariland Group "Tiffany's success in San Francisco development, land planning, and project management, along with her in-depth experience in managing mixed-use, urban revitalization projects, and public-private partnerships, will help us to expand our Bay Area business base," said Alexa Arena, Executive General Manager, Development, West Coast for the Americas Development business. "Tiffany's and Lendlease's work and values align perfectly. We are thrilled that she is joining us." Since 2011, Ms. Bohee has served as Executive Director for the City of San Francisco's Office of Community Investment & Infrastructure (OCII), the successor agency to the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency. In this role, she was responsible for the economic and physical development of the new Transbay, Mission Bay and Hunters Point Shipyard neighborhoods, which collectively provide for over 22,000 new housing units, including the development of approximately 7,000 affordable units, and 14 million square feet of new commercial space. Ms. Bohee joined Lendlease because of its visionary global experience and resources available to the Bay Area development team. "Lendlease has a tangible track record of success in Northern California and worldwide. It's inspiring to join a company whose global leadership in sustainable building practices, public-private partnership and prioritizing people in its development endeavors is a core company value," said Ms. Bohee. Globally, Lendlease is a fully integrated property management company with expertise in development, construction and investment management. Lendlease has a development pipeline of $44.9 billion, with the capability and scale to deliver large, long term, complex projects. The company has an impressive track record of innovation. Lendlease is a pioneer in building next-generation office space delivering among the first activity-based work environments worldwide. It is committed to pushing the envelope on sustainability with projects that move beyond LEED certification to net-zero standards. Lendlease is also a pioneer in construction technologies providing building material solutions through its cross-laminated timber business. Over the last three years, Lendlease has made meaningful progress in bringing its full platform to the United States, combining its global expertise with local talent, and is currently delivering urban regeneration projects in New York, Boston, Chicago, and throughout California. Bohee's move brings formidable expertise to Lendlease's Northern California development team. In addition to leading OCII, Ms. Bohee served with the Mayor's Office of Economic and Workforce Development for five years as Project Director for the Hunters Point Shipyard/Candlestick Point development. During six years with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency, she also served as Development Specialist on multiple development projects and Assistant Project Manager on the Mission Bay and Rincon Point/South Beach projects. Ms. Bohee earned a Bachelor of Arts in Politics at Princeton University. About Lendlease Lendlease is a leading international property and infrastructure group. Listed on the Australian Securities Exchange and with circa 12,000 (June 2016) employees worldwide, Lendlease's capabilities span the property value chain. The Americas region, headquartered in New York, offers core capabilities in development, construction, communities and investment management services. Our expertise covers multiple sectors including arts & culture, aviation, commercial, education, energy, government, healthcare, hotels & resorts, industrial, life science, military communities, mixed-use, multi-site, residential, senior living, telecommunications, transportation and urban regeneration. We are committed to operating Incident & Injury Free wherever we have a presence, safely creating innovative and sustainable property solutions while forging partnerships and delivering maximum benefits to clients, investors and communities. www.lendlease.com For additional information, contact: Mary Costello Head of Corporate Affairs 212 592 6946 [email protected] Peter Bartelme Profile Strategies 415 664 1503 [email protected] SOURCE Lendlease WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- One of the longest running False Claims Act (FCA) cases in the history of that law came to an abrupt end today after 18 years and 136 days when the United States Supreme Court rejected the relator's petition for a writ of certiorari. Earlier, on September 19, 2016, the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) declined to file a petition for a writ of certiorari to seek Supreme Court review of an adverse decision (against the government and in favor of Moving Water Industries (MWI) by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (D.C. Circuit), effectively ending their pursuit of the case against MWI. On November 21, 2016 DoJ filed an opposition brief in the Supreme Court which concluded by arguing that "The [relator's] petition for a writ of certiorari should be denied". On November 24, 2015, the D.C. Circuit issued a unanimous opinion in the case of U.S. ex rel. Purcell v. MWI Corporation, 807 F.3d 281 (D.C. Cir. 2015), reversing a judgment of liability on two FCA counts against MWI and remanding the case with instructions to the District Court to enter judgment for MWI. The D.C. Circuit decisively held that there can be no FCA violation where the law or regulation at issue is ambiguous, where defendant's interpretation of the language is reasonable, and where the agency at issue (the Export-Import Bank of the United States or "Ex-Im") failed to issue any authoritative or official guidance to warn the defendant away from a different interpretation, however reasonable. On June 21, 2016, the Court denied DoJ's petition for rehearing as well as its petition for rehearing en banc, and on August 18, 2016, the District Court entered judgment for MWI Corporation, effectively exonerating it from any wrongdoing. The Government's case against MWI began on August 27, 1998, when a former MWI employee filed a complaint under seal in Washington, DC, under the qui tam (whistleblower) provisions of the FCA. The allegations in the complaint related to eight Ex-Im-financed sales by MWI to seven Nigerian states, which sales began in 1990 with all shipments completed by 1995. Grand jury proceedings then commenced into possible violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, but those proceedings concluded in early 2002 with no indictment. At that time, the former employee's civil FCA complaint was unsealed and DoJ elected to intervene, seeking treble statutory damages amounting to $222.9 million. DoJ knew at that time that: (i) the $74.3 million Export-Import Bank loans had been repaid in full by the Government of Nigeria and (ii) the United States Government had actually received $33.7 million in interest and fees on the transactions. The issue at trial, which did not commence until November 2013, ultimately centered around the meaning of the term "regular commission," a term that had never been defined (and still to this day has not been defined) by Ex-Im. The Government alleged that by certifying that it had not paid commissions other than "regular commissions" on required Supplier's Certificates that Ex-Im required MWI to execute and, at the same time, failing to disclose its agent's commission, MWI made false statements and submitted false claims under the FCA. In connection with pre-trial proceedings (over a decade following the events at issue), DoJ lawyers proffered for the very first time several new and differing interpretations of the meaning of "regular commission" and asserted that MWI should have been bound by one of them despite the fact that those definitions did not exist at the time the shipments and certifications in question were actually made. MWI, on the other hand, claimed that it interpreted the term straightforwardly and that, by paying its regular and exclusive agent in Nigeria the same commission on the transactions in question that it had paid him on past sales for over a decade before that, the commissions at issue were "regular commissions" and thus MWI was not required to disclose them on the Supplier's Certificates it provided to Ex-Im. On November 25, 2013, after a lengthy trial before the District Court, MWI was found liable for violating the FCA with a $7.5 million verdict in damages which, after statutory trebling, amounted to a total judgment of $22.5 million plus any penalties. In a post-trial decision rendered on February 10, 2014, the District Court offset the damages to zero ($0) based on the undisputed fact that the loans backed by Ex-Im ($74.3 million) had been re-paid in full by Nigeria, along with $33.7 million in interest and fees. The District Court, however, assessed mandatory statutory civil penalties against MWI amounting to $580,000. DoJ appealed the offset of the damages and MWI cross-appealed the judgment of liability. As a result of the D.C. Circuit's decision, the District Court's judgment of liability and fees against MWI were reversed. MWI was represented at trial and on appeal by lead counsel Robert Rhoad of Shepard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP and by co-lead counsel Brian Tully McLaughlin as well as Charlotte Gillingham and Richard L. Beizer of Crowell & Moring LLP. The National Association of Manufacturers submitted an Amicus brief to the D.C. Circuit on MWI's behalf. SOURCE Moving Water Industries Related Links http://www.mwicorp.com WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Valley National Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NYSE:VLY), announced today the promotion of Dianne M. Grenz to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banking Officer. Ms. Grenz joined Valley National Bank in 1995 and has held a number of prominent senior leadership positions over her tenure. She was promoted to Executive Vice President in 2014. As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Consumer Banking Officer, Dianne is responsible for directing Valley's Retail Deposit strategy, including product development and distribution channel optimization. In addition, she manages the Bank's marketing communication strategy and public relations in conjunction with the Bank's business line managers. The Bank's 24/7 Customer Service Center reports to Dianne as does the direct marketing and sales of Valley's Cash Value Line of Credit business. "Dianne has demonstrated herself to be a proven leader and key Executive, performing an integral role in driving Valley's consumer banking strategy and culture," remarked Gerald H. Lipkin, Valley National Bank Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Dianne is engaged with the Board and seamlessly executes strategic initiatives. We are proud to recognize her accomplishments and know that she will excel in her new position." Ms. Grenz graduated from Centenary College, Summa Cum Laude, with a degree in Marketing and Management and received her Executive MBA in Marketing and Management from the Business School of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. Dianne has been involved in many philanthropic organizations as well as serving as a Board Member for both NJ Bankers Association and CUMAC. She also serves as a volunteer for many organizations such as Make-A-Wish NJ, Hospice NJ, NJ Bankers Women in Banking, Cure Breast Cancer Foundation, Paterson Habitat for Humanity and the Rutgers TeamUp Program. She can be reached at 973-305-4005 or by email at [email protected]. About Valley Valley National Bancorp is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey with over $22 billion in assets. Its principal subsidiary, Valley National Bank, currently operates 209 branch locations serving northern and central New Jersey, the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island, and Florida. Valley National Bank is one of the largest commercial banks headquartered in New Jersey and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest in product innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable staff with a high priority on friendly customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information about Valley National Bank and its products and services, please visit www.valleynationalbank.com or call our 24/7 Customer Service Center at 800-522-4100. SOURCE Valley National Bancorp WAYNE, N.J., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Valley National Bank, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NYSE: VLY), announced today the promotion of Thomas Iadanza to Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. Mr. Iadanza joined Valley National Bank in 2012 through the acquisition of State Bank of Long Island. Mr. Iadanza had served as Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer of Valley's Commercial and Consumer Lending Divisions. As Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer, Mr. Iadanza will be responsible for Commercial Lending, Commercial Real Estate Lending, Consumer Lending, and Credit Underwriting encompassing all of Valley's markets in New Jersey, New York and Florida. "Tom is an accomplished leader who has earned the confidence and respect of the Board of Directors and his colleagues at Valley," remarked Gerald H. Lipkin, Valley National Bank Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Tom has put his imprint on the organization and has lifted our competitive capacity in commercial lending across our footprint. We are proud to recognize his accomplishments and invaluable contributions by promoting him to our Senior Executive Management Team." Mr. Iadanza received a Bachelor's Degree in accounting from St. John's University. He can be reached at 973-305-4039 or by email at [email protected]. About Valley Valley National Bancorp is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey with over $22 billion in assets. Its principal subsidiary, Valley National Bank, currently operates 209 branch locations serving 31 counties throughout northern and central New Jersey, the New York City boroughs of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and Long Island and Florida. Valley National Bank is one of the largest commercial banks headquartered in New Jersey and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest in product innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable staff with a high priority on friendly customer service 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. For more information about Valley National Bank and its products and services, please visit www.valleynationalbank.com or call our 24/7 Customer Service Center at 800-522-4100. SOURCE Valley National Bancorp Related Links https://www.valleynationalbank.com PHOENIX, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Vertical Harvest Hydroponics of Alaska is the American Farm Bureau Federation's Entrepreneur of the Year. Team leads Linda Janes and Dan Perpich won AFBF's Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge by beating three other teams from across the nation. Janes and Perpich took home a total of $30,000, including $15,000 from sponsor Farm Bureau Bank, to produce hydroponic vegetables housed in 40' insulated shipping containers. Levrack of Nebraska won the People's Choice award and an additional $10,000. Levrack produces efficient storage systems for farm shops. Ryan Stauffer, Austin Stauffer and Peter Miller were team leads for Levrack. Windcall Manufacturing of Nebraska and Grow Bioplastics of Tennessee were the other two finalists. The four finalists each received $15,000 in October for advancing in the competition. "Innovation and entrepreneurship have always been essential ingredients in the success of America's farmers and ranchers," said AFBF President Zippy Duvall. "From the adoption of new business models and the development of new tools and services, to unique adaptations of technology in agriculture, our industry is driven by people with vision who are willing to step forward with fresh ideas." "As a provider of financial services to rural America, Farm Bureau Bank understands the economic potential of rural communities," said William Hileman, president and CEO. "We are proud to help sponsor the Farm Bureau Challenge. This competition is a great way to highlight the vibrant entrepreneurial spirit of rural America." The challenge provides opportunities to showcase businesses being developed in rural America and has a focus on food and agriculture. The top teams were selected by 40 judges with expertise in business, finance and entrepreneurship. Six other semi-finalists in the competition were awarded $10,000 each in October, thanks to the generous sponsorship of Farm Credit Council. "Entrepreneurs whether on the farm or in the community are the lifeblood of the rural economy," said Todd Van Hoose, CEO, Farm Credit Council. "That's why we're excited to partner again with the Farm Bureau for the third annual Rural Entrepreneurship Challenge. This competition recognizes and awards the best and brightest start-ups focused on supporting rural communities and agriculture. We look forward to following the progress of these talented individuals and wish them the best." A video download to accompany this release is available at http://www.fb.org/newsroom/vertical-harvest-hydroponics-of-alaska-honored-as-farm-bureau-entrepreneur. SOURCE American Farm Bureau Federation Related Links http://www.fb.org BETHESDA, Md., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Walker & Dunlop, Inc. (NYSE: WD) announced today that Rob Coleman has joined Walker & Dunlop Investment Sales (WDIS) as Senior Vice President. Based out of the Company's Raleigh, North Carolina office, Mr. Coleman is responsible for the marketing and sale of multifamily assets across the southeast, with a focus on the North Carolina and South Carolina markets. Walker & Dunlop Executive Vice President, Greg Engler, stated, "We are thrilled to start off 2017 with an incredible addition to the WDIS team in Rob Coleman. Rob has developed an impressive client base and reputation due to his successful track record of executing investment sales transactions in the Carolinas. We welcome him on board and look forward to his contributions to our growing investment sales platform." Prior to joining Walker & Dunlop, Mr. Coleman served as Vice President of Operations at Bell Partners Inc. He was responsible for the management and operational success of nearly 15 thousand units across southeastern markets. During his tenure, Mr. Coleman oversaw the acquisition and sale of more than $2 billion dollars in multifamily assets. Mr. Coleman previously worked in the Development and Management Divisions at Trammell Crow Residential where he developed multifamily assets in North Carolina and South Carolina. About Walker & Dunlop Walker & Dunlop (NYSE: WD), headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, is one of the largest commercial real estate finance companies in the United States providing financing and investment sales to owners of multifamily and commercial properties. Walker & Dunlop, which is included in the S&P SmallCap 600 Index, has over 500 professionals in over 25 offices across the nation with an unyielding commitment to client satisfaction. Phone 301.215.5500 7501 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1200E Bethesda, Maryland 20814 SOURCE Walker & Dunlop, Inc. Related Links http://www.walkerdunlop.com BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation experts will share their insights on the future of appliance design and how connectivity and the Internet of Things will change consumers' daily lives at the fourth annual Design & Construction Week (DCW). The world's leading manufacturer of major home appliances will also showcase many of its innovative, award-winning products in several locations at DCW, which is the co-location of the National Association for Home Builders' International Builders Show (IBS) and the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The show, which brings together more than 80,000 design and construction professionals, is the largest annual gathering of the residential design and construction industry. DCW takes place in Orlando, Fla. from Jan. 10-12, 2017. "We're looking forward to sharing the expertise of our connectivity and design teams with our builder partners at Design & Construction Week," said Bob Bergeth, general manager of Contract Builder Sales at Whirlpool Corporation. "Our company's drive for consumer-focused innovation is unparalleled, which is reflected in the wide variety of appliances we will feature at the show." Two Whirlpool Corporation experts Christopher Kelson and Jason Tippetts will be on hand to discuss the future of home appliances. Christopher Kelson is Global Product Manager, Connected Home at Whirlpool Corporation. He will provide insights about the Internet of Things (IoT), connected appliances and consumer products. "The best technology allows us to be more human," Kelson said. "Connectivity will allow us to personalize the in-home experience for our customers, allowing them to care for their families better, faster and smarter. Those insights are what drive our innovations." Jason Tippetts, Global Brands Design Manager, has led several design initiatives at Whirlpool Corporation in the last nine years and will discuss appliance trends for 2017 and beyond. "Our Global Consumer Design team has studied the cultures, behaviors and needs of diverse consumers, and we aim to bring those unique emotional and personal connections to life through design," he said. In addition to featuring products in four homes in the Show Village neighborhood, Whirlpool Corporation is also showcasing Whirlpool brand products in the Organized Living booth (KBIS booth W5952), the Virginia Tech FutureHAUS (KBIS booth S588), Jenn-Air brand products in Miralis (KBIS booth S5105) and will be a featured sponsor of the Production Builders Executive Club, located in the West Hall. Featured products include: Jenn-Air 30" Single Wall Oven with V2 Vertical Dual-Fan Convection System (Miralis booth): The latest Jenn-Air 30" Connected Wall Ovens feature wireless connectivity and a fully functioning application for IOS and Android devices. The app gives users control of the oven's functions and performance from their smartphones and tablets, including cooking innovations. (Miralis booth): The latest Jenn-Air 30" Connected Wall Ovens feature wireless connectivity and a fully functioning application for IOS and Android devices. The app gives users control of the oven's functions and performance from their smartphones and tablets, including cooking innovations. Jenn-Air 36" Fully Integrated Built-In Bottom-Freezer Refrigerator (Miralis booth): Featuring the brand's signature Obsidian interior , contents are dramatically illuminated against a sophisticated deep charcoal that offers a compelling contrast to traditional white interiors. This bottom-freezer refrigerator creates a fully flush, fully integrated design that blends into custom cabinetry. (Miralis booth): Featuring the , contents are dramatically illuminated against a sophisticated deep charcoal that offers a compelling contrast to traditional white interiors. This bottom-freezer refrigerator creates a fully flush, fully integrated design that blends into custom cabinetry. Whirlpool 36-inch Wide French Door Refrigerator with Infinity Slide Shelves (Nest Home): Featuring integration with Nest Learning Thermostat, this connected French door refrigerator allows users to care for their families and homes from their phone or tablet, thanks to remote control and other intuitive features of the CareSync system. Families entertaining at home can also activate Party Mode to trigger faster ice production and lower temperatures to anticipate loss of coolness with frequent opening and closing. This fridge offers the most shelf space in the industry 3 and received Innovation Awards in the Home Appliances and Smart Home categories at CES 2016. (Nest Home): Featuring integration with Nest Learning Thermostat, this connected French door refrigerator allows users to care for their families and homes from their phone or tablet, thanks to remote control and other intuitive features of the CareSync system. Families entertaining at home can also activate Party Mode to trigger faster ice production and lower temperatures to anticipate loss of coolness with frequent opening and closing. This fridge offers the most shelf space in the industry and received Innovation Awards in the Home Appliances and Smart Home categories at CES 2016. Whirlpool 4.2 cu. ft. Front Load Washer with Closet-Depth Fit 4 (Nest Home, Organized Living Booth) : A shallower depth provides a space-saving design, allowing flexible installation options. This front load washer, along with the HybridCare Heat Pump Dryer , received an International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 Innovation Award. (Nest Home, Organized Living Booth) A shallower depth provides a space-saving design, allowing flexible installation options. This front load washer, along with the , received an International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2016 Innovation Award. KitchenAid 44 dBA Dishwasher with Window and Lighted Interior (Ultimate Kitchen): This new, beautifully designed dishwasher features a tinted exterior window with chrome-inlaid frame and lighted interior that illuminates dishes upon completion of the washing cycle. It is ENERGY STAR qualified and offers a quiet performance sound of 44dBa thanks to a built-in sound insulation system. This system includes sound-dampening components that contribute to a quiet home environment, ideal for an open floor plan. (Ultimate Kitchen): This new, beautifully designed dishwasher features a tinted exterior window with chrome-inlaid frame and lighted interior that illuminates dishes upon completion of the washing cycle. It is ENERGY STAR qualified and offers a quiet performance sound of 44dBa thanks to a built-in sound insulation system. This system includes sound-dampening components that contribute to a quiet home environment, ideal for an open floor plan. Maytag 36-inch Wide Counter Depth French Door (55-Plus Home): This refrigerator offers classic Maytag dependability and is as hardworking as it is good looking. Featuring Maytag Fingerprint Resistant Stainless Steel, this smudge-resistant suite of appliances can handle daily wear and tear and are easy to clean, so smears don't stick around. This French door refrigerator also features BrightSeries LED Lighting, engineered to cast a brighter, whiter light inside. For more information, attendees can visit Whirlpool Corporation at booth P4 in the Outdoor Exhibits area, located outside behind the West Building of the Orange County Convention Center. ABOUT WHIRLPOOL CORPORATION Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 97,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2015. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp. 1 Requires Wifi and account creation. App features and functionality subject to change. Subject to Terms of Use at: www.jennair.com/connect. Data rates may apply. 2 Requires Wifi and account creation. App features and functionality subject to change. Subject to Terms of Use at: www.whirlpool.com/connect. Data rates may apply. 3 Among leading French door bottom mount refrigerator brands. 4 Designed to fit a 33" depth. Contact: Lauren Neuman [email protected] SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation Related Links http://www.whirlpool.com/ AUSTIN, Texas, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- WGU Texas has named Martin Winchester as the newest member of the nonprofit online university's advisory board. Winchester is Deputy Commissioner of Educator Support at the Texas Education Agency (TEA) in Austin. He will serve with 10 additional WGU Texas board members consisting of educators, industry leaders and representatives from corporations and foundations. In his role with the TEA, Winchester oversees the agency's work on Educator Preparation Programs, Testing and Certification, Educator Misconduct Investigations, and statewide professional development initiatives aimed at recruiting, supporting and retaining teachers. "It's a privilege to be able to share my perspectives and real-world education experience in improving student outcomes," said Winchester. "I'm fortunate to serve with a diverse group of distinguished board members from across the state as we help the university continue to prepare students for successful careers once they graduate." An educator with more than two decades of experience, Winchester taught at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district. For three years, he served as the Chief Schools Officer of IDEA Public Schools overseeing the recruitment, selection, training and supervision of the district's principals and curriculum team. "As WGU Texas continues to grow and develop, we appreciate the expertise and guidance provided by our advisory board," said WGU Texas Chancellor Veronica Vargas Stidvent. "We're excited to have Martin's viewpoint on the board with his wide and varied experience as a teacher and as a dynamic leader in education." Winchester is a former National Board Certified Teacher and holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of Minnesota and the University of Texas-Pan American. He also holds a principal certification from the State of Texas, as well as teacher certifications in English Language Arts, English as a Second Language and Social Studies Composite. About WGU Texas WGU Texas is an online, nonprofit, competency-based university established to expand Texans' access to higher education throughout the state. Formed through a partnership between the state of Texas and nationally-recognized Western Governors University, WGU Texas is open to all qualified Texas residents. The university offers more than 50 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the high-demand career fields of business, K-12 teacher education, information technology, and health professions, including nursing. Degrees are granted under the accreditation of Western Governors University, which is accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Teachers College programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).* Learn more at texas.wgu.edu or call 1-877-214-7011. *Western Governors University offers nursing programs that are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 5380, Washington, DC 20036, 202-877-6791). WGU Texas News Contact for media inquiries: Kathy Koza, PR Manager 512.225.6644 or 214.674.8057 (c) [email protected] Follow WGU Texas: http://www.facebook.com/WGUTexas http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university http://twitter.com/wgutexas Contact for enrollment information: 877.214.7011 texas.wgu.edu SOURCE WGU Texas Related Links http://texas.wgu.edu If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here New Delhi, Jan 5 : Book lovers who are looking forward to meeting authors from Pakistan or reading books written by them might be a little disappointed, as this time only one distributor from across the border will be attending the 44th edition of the World Book Fair. "We didn't get any application from Pakistani authors or publishers and we don't invite any specific author or publisher unless it is the Guest of Honour country. We give platform only to those who apply," Rita Chowdhary, Director of World Book Fair told IANS. This year, about 20 countries along with their delegates will be participating in the fortnight-long World Book Fair, which begins on January 7. Held at Pragati Maidan, the book fair, which is one of the largest among Afro-Asian countries, is set to host more than 2,500 stalls. The organisers mentioned that the special emphasis has been put on European countries like France and Germany this year, who will talk about markets, trends and collaborations in a session and will showcase their book market scenario at the event. "We are highlighting the Indian diaspora in the European countries as well as focusing on making the translated works of these nations available in the book fair," Baldeo Bhai Sharma, Director of National Book Trust (NBT) told IANS at the event. A special photography exhibition has also been organised by the Cultural Department of China and documentary films will be screened to commemorate the 400th death anniversary of Shakespeare. Keeping in mind the issue of demonetisation, the organisers mentioned that almost all the stalls have installed card swiping machines. About six ATM machines and one mobile ATM van have also been stationed at the venue. FAQs: Venue: Pragati Maidan. Tickets: Adults - Rs 30, children below 12 years - Rs 20. Entry free for school children. Ticket availability: Apart from venue, the book fair tickets will be available at 50 Metro stations. Timings: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. Mumbai, Jan 7 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan has mourned the death of veteran actor and theatre personality Om Puri, saying may he remain with his "ever infectious smile". The 66-year-old actor was found dead at his residence on Friday morning. He suffered a cardiac attack. "Om Puri, if in soul you be, may you remain with your ever infectious smile," Amitabh wrote on his blog. The 74-year-old thespian also shared that "death, that darkest moment of humanity". "Took away another soul into its boundless fold and left us all in disbelief," he added. Big B called Om "a friend, an affable loving colleague and a dynamic talent". Amitabh, along with his son and actor Abhishek, attended the actor's cremation, which took place at the Oshiwara Eletrical crematorium, here. He said that the only thing that he could do is to hold his "friend's son in an embrace and transfer strength to him in his young world." "'Be strong'.. is all I can muster ... what else can I say .. what else can anyone say .. they that have lost personally and in relation, shall bear the end, with greater sorrow .. who knows," Amitabh added. The last rites of Om Puri were carried out by his son Ishaan in the presence of his divorced wife Nandita Puri and close friends Ashoke Pandit and Anupam Kher as well as iconic filmmakers like Ketan Mehta, Prakash Jha and Govind Nihlani, actors Shabana Azmi, Shakti Kapoor, Randeep Hooda, Manoj Bajpayee and Ranbir Shorey, Farhan Akhtar and veterans Gulzar, Javed Akhtar and Sonu Nigam. Chennai, Jan 7 : With drinking water scarcity here, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam on Saturday requested his Andhra Pradesh counterpart N. Chandrababu Naidu to release Krishna river water. In a letter to Naidu, Panneerselvam said: "I write seeking your urgent personal intervention for the release of Krishna water to meet the drinking water supply to Chennai City which is facing an acute shortage in the reservoirs." Panneerselvam said Chennai and Tamil Nadu are primarily dependent on the North-East monsoon for the bulk of rainfall. "This year (2016), the North-East monsoon has been highly deficient in Tamil Nadu. Rainfall in Chennai City is deficient by nearly 57 per cent," Panneerselvam said. "The water level in Chennai City's drinking water reservoirs is very low and the meagre storage currently available needs to be augmented to meet the drinking water supply requirements of Chennai City over the next few months," he added. According to Panneerselvam, Chennai is critically dependent on the release of Krishna water in order to manage the difficult situation this year. "I am given to understand that as on 5.1.2017, Kandaleru Reservoir has a storage of 13.53 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft.). Therefore, Andhra Pradesh appears to be in a position to release water from Kandaleru Reservoir for Chennai City," Panneerselvam told Naidu. In 1983 Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh signed an agreement whereby annually 12 TMC ft. (excluding evaporation loss) of water from Kandaleru Reservoir in Andhra would be realised at the Tamil Nadu border to meet the drinking water needs of Chennai. Normally, 8 TMC ft. of water is to be supplied between July to October and another 4 TMC ft. from January to April. "However, a quantum of only 0.99 TMC ft. has been released at the Tamil Nadu border in the period from October to December, 2016," Panneerselvam pointed out to Naidu. New Delhi, Jan 8 : Several domestic airlines on Sunday confirmed that they will approach the aviation regulator to voice their concern over the committee recently constituted by it to look into on-time performance (OTP) parameters. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has set up a committee, headed by Director General B.S. Bhullar, to probe possible discrepancies in on-time data performance of airlines. The committee will submit the corrected data by the end of February. According to industry sources, senior officials of SpiceJet and Jet Airways will meet the DGCA chief on Tuesday to voice their concern. Both SpiceJet and Jet Airways have been recording the best OTPs. New Delhi, Jan 8 : Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Sunday announced that the government had approved an advance sum of Rs 119 crore to East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) after its employees went on strike for non-payment of salaries. Alleging the EDMC was wasting the money in corruption, he urged the corporation to "strictly" use the amount to pay the pending salaries of its employees. "This amount of Rs 119 crore was actually meant to be released only after the finalisation of the Revised Estimates a month later. But the government decided to transfer it in advance given the non-payment of salaries to the sanitation workers by the East MCD," said Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio. He added that the Delhi government provided almost double the amount under the non-planned head to the East MCD for financial year 2015-16 in comparison to previous years. "The EDMC received Rs 399 crore in 2012-2013, Rs 416 crore in 2013-2014 and Rs 441 crore in 2014-2015 from the Delhi government. We increased the amount to Rs 702 crore in 2015-2016 and have already released Rs 609 crore in this financial year (2016-2017). "Despite this significant increase in the allocated funds, why are the employees not being paid the salaries. If they were managing in Rs 300-400 crore earlier, how is it possible that they are not able to manage in Rs 700 crore. Where is the money going?" he asked, and claimed that the MCDs have become "centres of financial mismanagement". More than 25,000 municipal employees of the East Delhi Municipal Corporation went on a strike on Thursday over non-payment of salaries for last two months, bringing the services to a standstill. Sisodia said the MCD had committed a contempt of court by disobeying the Delhi High Court order that salaries to all its employees, including sanitation workers, should be paid by 7th of every month. He added that it was "criminal negligence" on the part of East MCD not to pay the salaries of its employees for two months and causing inconvenience to the residents by not doing its mandatory duty of maintaining cleanliness. This is the third continuous year, when the municipal workers have gone on a strike due to non-payment of salaries. Mexico City, Jan 9 : A man suspected of shooting and wounding a US consular agent in Mexico's Guadalajara city has been arrested, Mexican officials said. The state prosecutor's office (FGE) said on Twitter on Sunday that "Special Forces of the FGE arrested the consular agent's attacker," and handed him over to the federal Attorney General's Office (PGR), Xinhua news agency reported. According to local media, the man arrested is a 31-year-old US citizen of Indian descent named Zafar Zia, who has been living in Guadalajara since November. As part of the arrest, the daily Reforma reported, officials also seized a .38-caliber pistol, small amounts of marijuana and a Honda with California license plates. The motive for the shooting was a disagreement over a visa procedure, the daily said, though officials have yet to confirm any details. The consular agent was shot on Friday as he was driving out of a building in the city's central Vallarta Norte district. Video footage released on Saturday by the US embassy in Mexico showed the suspect waiting on the sidewalk for the agent to leave the building in his car before firing from a few meters away, and breaking a window. Following the attack, US officials offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect, who appears in the video wearing hospital-style blue scrubs, a wig and sunglasses. Brussels, Jan 9 : The European Union (EU) has condemned the truck-ramming attack in Jerusalem which killed four Israeli soldiers and injured 15 others. "The EU condemns the murder of these four young Israelis, as well as any praise or incitement for terrorist acts," a spokesperson of the European External Action Service (EEAS), or the EU's diplomatic service, said in a statement on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported. "There can be no justification for such a crime," the spokesperson said, "the EU will continue to work with those who seek peace and denounce those who pursue violence and terror." Palestinian media identified the perpetrator as Fadi al-Qanbar from East Jerusalem's Jabel Mukaber neighbourhood. Israel's police spokeswoman Luba Samri said that the incident -- which took place in Armon Hanatziv, a popular promenade that overlooks East Jerusalem's Old City -- was a "terrorist attack," although the investigation has yet to be concluded. On Saturday, the assailant drove his truck into pedestrians, killing four soldiers, three of them women, and wounding 15 more, Samri said. The attack was one of the deadliest amidst a more than yearlong wave of violence. Last June, two gunmen killed four persons at a trendy recreation compound in Tel Aviv. Los Angles, Jan 9 : Popular animated comedy-adventure film "Zootopia" won the Best Animated Feature Film at the 74th Golden Globe Awards. Co-directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore, the film was nominated alongside "Kubo and the Two Strings", "Moana", "My Life as a Zucchini" and "Sing". "We wanted "Zootopia" to be a film for kids, but also for adults, that talked about diversity," said Howard while accepting the award. Produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios, the film details the unlikely partnership between a rabbit police officer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a conspiracy which involves the disappearance of predator inhabitants of a mammalian metropolis. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the Golden Globes 2017 is taking place at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California. Washington, Jan 9 : UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is in the US to hold a series of meetings with President-elect Donald Trump's closest advisers and Congressional leaders. "Following the successful meeting last month between the Prime Minister's (Theresa May) chiefs of staff and President-elect Donald Trump's team, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers and senior congressional leaders," a spokesman for Johnson's office said before his arrival in New York on Sunday. "The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters," CNN reported citing the spokesman as saying. According to the BBC, Johnson has already met Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kuchner, and Steve Bannon, the US president-elect's strategist. It was the first formal face-to-face meeting between members of the incoming US administration and a British minister. On Monday, Johnson will be in the capital, Washington D.C., to meet key congressional leaders. Johnson's visit comes hours after Trump tweeted he is "very much" looking forward to meeting May. "I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the spring. Britain, a longtime US ally, is very special!" he tweeted. Mumbai, Jan 9 : Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was given an award by the US Embassy in appreciation for his invaluable contributions to the US-India partnership on tuberculosis, an official said here on Monday. The award was presented on January 8 by US Ambassador to India Richard R. Verma to the legendary actor who is also a tuberculosis survivor and brand ambassador for the initiative. Speaking on a live video-chat with Facebook users, the two discussed the US Embassy's collaboration to end tuberculosis in India and the US-India partnership among other issues. "I thank Mr. Bachchan for his dedication to support the cause and for sharing his story as a tuberculosis survivor to reduce the stigma associated with tuberculosis," Verma acknowledged. He added that more lives can be saved and ease the burden the disease places on families, communities, corporations and India, referring to the high incidence of tuberculosis-related deaths in the country. "It is inspiring that India and the US are natural partners with a long history of collaboration on tuberculosis prevention, treatment, research and cure and I hope to continue to do my bit in this partnership to end tuberculosis in India," Amitabh reciprocated. Verma and Amitabh first collaborated to work on tuberculosis during an event here two years ago on September 10 and it soon grew into a common passion around the cause of eradicating tuberculosis. In March 2016, Amitabh attended a reception at the US Embassy in New Delhi as tuberculosis brand ambassador and a survivor of the disease. London, Jan 9 : Thousands of Volkswagen car owners in the UK are seeking compensation from the German automobile manufacturer following the emissions rigging scandal. Lawyers, headed by the firm Harcus Sinclair, are applying for a group litigation order in the High Court later this month, the BBC reported on Monday. Harcus Sinclair said it was basing its estimate of the level of compensation owners could get on the 5,000 pounds (about $6,000) per owner awarded in Spain and the $8-10,000 awarded in the US. "The key allegation is that the affected cars should not have been certified as fit for sale because it is alleged that they produced higher levels of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions than the rules allowed," it said in a statement. "It is also alleged that the affected vehicles only passed official emissions test because their engines were fitted with a 'defeat device' which reduces nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide emissions under test conditions." The firm has announced its application for a group litigation order and has called on Volkswagen owners to join the legal action. If the High Court gives the action the go-ahead then a pre-trial hearing will follow and then the trial itself in about 18 months, the BBC added. Volkswagen has admitted using software to cheat emissions tests leading to a recall of millions of cars worldwide. There are 1.2 million diesel engine cars affected in the UK, including Volkswagen, Audi, Seat and Skoda models. New Delhi, Jan 9 : Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday said there were no differences between him and his son and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav. After meeting Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, Mulayam Singh told the media, in an apparent reference to Ram Gopal Yadav, that "one person" was creating problems in the party. "There are some who have influenced my son (Akhilesh). I had a talk with him last night and also in the morning with him over the issue. There is no dispute between my son and me. "There is only a bit of dispute within the party, not much. Only one person is responsible for this. But that will be resolved soon," he added. Mulayam Singh, who is staking claim over the party symbol 'cycle', met Zaidi for nearly 40 minutes. He was accompanied by loyalists Amar Singh as well as brother Shivpal Yadav. On Sunday, Mulayam Singh had said he remained the party President and that Akhilesh Yadav was just the Chief Minister. The comment followed the Akhilesh faction's decision of January 1 to replace Mulayam Singh with the Chief Minister as the Samajwadi Party head. Since then, both factions of the party have petitioned the Election Commission to claim its symbol 'cycle' ahead of assembly elections in the state. Later on Monday, Akhilesh confidant Ram Gopal Yadav too held talks with the poll panel. "We came to the Election Commission to urge them to a taken a decision on the party symbol as soon as possible because nominations (for the assembly polls) will start soon (January 17)," he told the media. He refused a comment on Mulayam Singh's insistence of not having any differences with Akhilesh Yadav. Earlier, Devendra Upadhyay, a lawyer representing Akhilesh Yadav, said Mulayam Singh had yet again refused to accept a copy of the reply filed by Ram Gopal Yadav vis-a-vis the election symbol. "The Election Commission had directed that before filing the reply with them we should provide a copy to Mulayam Singh. I tried to give him a copy but he refused," Upadhyay told the media. Geneva, Jan 9 : Leaders of ethnically-divided Cyprus met in Geneva on Monday for peace talks intended to reach a deal in the context of the UN-led negotiations for reunifying the island, the media reported. The talks between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Turkish Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci will be held for three days, the BBC reported. The talks would subsequently broaden on Thursday to include other nations with a stake in the strategically-placed island. The UN envoy in Geneva said both the leaders "really want to make this work". Cyprus has been split since Turkish troops invaded in 1974, following an Athens-inspired coup by Greek Cypriots seeking union with Greece. The northern third of the island is inhabited by Turkish Cypriots and the southern two-thirds by Greek Cypriots. The aim is to create some kind of united but federal Cyprus where power is shared between the two communities. Previous attempts at reunifying the island have failed. Both leaders said they are committed to achieving a deal and acknowledged that there are key issues that still need to be thrashed out. But if they make progress, leaders from the three countries that currently guarantee Cyprus's security -- Britain, Greece and Turkey -- will join the talks, said the report. New UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who is expected to attend the conference in Geneva on Thursday, has described the talks as a "historic opportunity" for a breakthrough. UN envoy Espen Barth Eide said the two leaders still had some obstacles, but had "demonstrated a degree of will and leadership that we haven't seen for a very, very long time in Cyprus. The neighbours, including Greece and Turkey, seem to be willing to be helpful, maybe even more this time than before". Talks have already been going on for some 19 months and significant stumbling blocks remain. Any deal reached in Geneva would also have to backed by both communities in separate referendums later this year. An earlier UN reunification was backed in 2004 by a majority of Turkish Cypriots but overwhelmingly rejected by Greek Cypriots. Chennai, Jan 9 : Indian actress Amyra Dastur, who has shared screen space with international megastar Jackie Chan in upcoming multilingual action-comedy "Kung Fu Yoga", said she taught him a few bad words in Hindi. "He's probably the most humble superstar you can come across. He's like a fireball of energy and working with him was so inspiring," Amyra said here on Monday. She was speaking at the first edition of India Today Conclave South. "He's someone who cares so much about people around him. Even on sets, he insists everybody had lunch and dinner together," she said. Recalling a funny incident while filming, Amyra said: "I remember teaching him a few bad words in Hindi. I taught him a bad word for 'Namaste', and when he wished Sonu Sood, we all had a good laugh." Directed by Stanley Tong, "Kung Fu Yoga" is slated for release on February 7 in India. Kolkata/New Delhi, Jan 9 : Flaying the Centre over demonetisation, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a three-day countrywide protest demanding removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "save the country". Terming as "flop show" Modi's November 8 decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, Trinamool supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee said the party will hold demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital. "Trinamool Congress is organising nationwide protest against Modi Babu's shameless flop-show," Banerjee said in Kolkata. Banerjee, who has been demanding a rollback of demonetisation, also called for removal of restrictions on the withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs. Holding placards with slogan "Modi Hatao Desh Bachao" (remove Modi, save the country), some 35 Trinamool MPs demonstrated in the national capital calling for setting up of a "National Government" at the Centre. "Even after two months of the draconian decision, countless people across the country continue to suffer, while over a 100 people have lost their lives. "Modi's removal is a must to save the country. A National Government should be formed at the Centre," Trinamool MP Sultan Ahmed said. Banerjee on January 6 called for President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention to "save the country" and mooted a National Government headed by BJP veteran L.K. Advani or Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. New Delhi, Jan 9 : As people are still struggling to manage the shortage of cash, the ongoing World Book Fair here is witnessing a rise in payment through mobile banking and debit/ credit cards. Most of the major book stalls like Penguin, Oxford, and Bloomsbury have installed card swiping machine while some of the stalls who could not manage to acquire a machine in time are using Paytm to help customers with payment facilities. "We knew that people will not be able to carry much of cash so we had to get swipping machines. Many customers are also opting for Paytm, so sale of books till now has been normal," Shinjini Jain of FingerPrints publishing house told IANS. However, the recent demonetisation has lead to a major dip in the sales of small scale publishers and book store owners who are not into card swiping or digital payment methods. "The demonetisation is indeed affecting our sale as people do not have sufficient cash. We did apply for the machine but have not received yet," Maqbool Khan from Bikaner's Vagyadi Prakashan told IANS. "The first question that buyers are asking after coming to the stall is whether we have card machine or not. Since we do not have a machine, customers are turning away," said Kiran Lingwal from Lifi Publication. "The market is down by 25 per cent this year compared to last year. Even after having card swiping machine and Paytm, the sales did not see a rise yet. Despite a Sunday crowd, we managed to sell limited books," said Saji Pappacha from National Book Stall. Even for customers, not having enough cash all the time or unavailability of ATMs is creating a little trouble. Sri Kumar, an Advocate by profession said: "I had to come out of a book store because I did not had sufficient cash and I still could not find the ATM here. I will either have to abandon the hope of getting the book or come some other day." According to the organisers, there are six ATM machines and one mobile ATM van stationed at the venue. Organised at Pragati Maidan, the 44th edition of World Book Fair will continue till January 15. New Delhi, Jan 9 : A court here on Monday fixed January 17 for delivering order on the issue of framing charges in Aircel-Maxis deal case against former Communications Minister Dayanidhi Maran and others. Special Judge O.P. Saini postponed the order, saying that it was not ready till now as documents are voluminous in nature. The court will also pronounce its order on the bail plea of Dayanidhi Maran, his brother Kalanithi Maran and other accused in the Aircel-Maxis case on the next date of hearing. The Central Bureau of Investigation has charge-sheeted Maran, his brother and businessman Kalanithi Maran, Chennai-based firm Sun Direct TV, Malaysian businessman T.A. Ananda Krishnan, his aide Augustus Ralph Marshall and the two accused firms -- Maxis Communications Berhad of Malaysia and Astro All Asia Networks. The charge sheet alleged that Dayanidhi Maran used his influence to help Krishnan buy Aircel by coercing its owner Sivasankaran to part with his stake. It was alleged by Sivasankaran that Dayanidhi Maran favoured the Maxis Group in the takeover of his company. In return, he alleged, the company made investments through Astro Network in a company stated to be owned by the Maran family. The charge sheet was filed under Section 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and other relevant provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act. In the other case, the Enforcement Directorate has chargesheeted Maran brothers, Kalanithi's wife Kavery Kalanithi and South Asia FM Ltd (SAFL) Managing Director K. Shanmugam and two companies -- SAFL and Sun Direct TV Pvt Ltd (SDTPL) -- for laundering Rs 742.58 crore. Chennai, Jan 9 : US-based New York Life Insurance Company's subsidiary will acquire 22.51 per cent stake in Max Ventures and Industries Ltd for Rs 121 crore at Rs 78 per share, the Indian company said on Monday. In a statement, Max Ventures said that subject to company shareholders' approval, a subsidiary of New York Life would acquire the stakes. The stake acquirer would also nominate its nominee on the board of Max Ventures. The Max Ventures board also proposed allotment of share warrants to promoters equal to 4.76 per cent stake of the post-issue share capital. These share warrants will be issued at Rs 78 per warrant aggregating to Rs 26.9 crore and will be convertible into equivalent equity shares within 18 months. Post conversion, the promoter group's stake in the company would be around 38.02 per cent. "Max has a long standing relationship with New York Life. The company was our first major partner when Max was reinvented as a service oriented company in 2001," Analjit Singh, Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Max Group and Chairman of Max Ventures was quoted as saying in the statement. According to Sahil Vachani, Managing Director of Max Ventures, the funds coming into the company will be invested in manufacturing, real estate development and education, and will provide intellectual and financial capital to promising and proven early-stage organisations. New York Life and the Max Group have a longstanding association. In 2001, the two entities partnered to set up Max New York Life - one of India's largest private life insurance companies. In 2012, New York Life sold its 26 per cent stake in Max New York Life to Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Co. Ltd., after which the life insurance company was renamed Max Life. Washington, Jan 9 : A US Navy ship fired warning shots at Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz, a US official said on Monday. Iranian vessels on Sunday approached a US Navy ship at high speed near the strait in five separate instances, CNN quoted the official as saying. The USS Mahan tried to tell the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard boats to stop via radio communication, but the vessels didn't respond to the request, prompting the destroyer to fire three warning flares, said the official. In addition, a Navy helicopter dropped a smoke float. The Iranian boats approached to within 900 yards of the Mahan, which had been escorting two US ships, according to reports. In recent days, Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps has conducted an annual exercise in the strait simulating manoeuvres necessary to shut down the entrance to the Persian Gulf. The incident is the latest tense encounter between the two countries in and over waters near Iran over the past few months. These brushes have included Iranian rocket launches, drones flying over US vessels and the capture of US sailors. New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Special Cell of Delhi Police on Monday claimed to have busted an inter-state gang of illegal arms traffickers and arrested two gang members here for selling weapons to criminals in several states in the country. The accused, identified as Praveen Chaudhary, 25 and his associate, Amar Singh, 35 -- both natives of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh -- were arrested on Friday after they came to Mathura Road here to give a fresh consignment of 18 weapons to their contact. According to police, they laid a trap after receiving secret information about the gang members coming to South Delhi to supply illegal firearms. Police teams saw Chaudhary and Singh coming from Faridabad to Mathura Road in a car at around 8.30 p.m. and signalled them to stop, but they sped away. "Police chased them and later intercepted them with 18 sophisticated weapons and 25 magazines," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Special Cell Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said. During interrogation, they told police that they worked for one Dinesh Sardar in Madhya Pradesh and were involved in manufacturing and smuggling of sophisticated firearms to local goons and criminals in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi-NCR and other parts of the country. "Chaudhary told police that he had earlier been sentenced to jail for several years on murder charges. After being released from jail, he joined Sardar, a Madhya Pradesh firearms supplier and manufacturer, to earn money in good amounts," the DCP said. Vijayawada, Jan 9 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday assured Andhra Pradesh that his ministry will look into the demand for funds to set upa training unit of elite anti-Maoist force Greyhounds. He also promised that the some companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be sent to the state after the ensuing assembly elections in five states. Singh said his ministry would also consider the demand for sanctioning a unit of Rapid Action Force (RAF) for the state. The Home Minister was responding to the demands made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new campus of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at Kondapavuluru in Krishna district. The campus coming up on 50 acres of land will house the NDRF's 10th battalion, which is responsible for providing response during disasters in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka Praising the role played by Greyhounds in countering left-wing extremism, Rajnath Singh said all efforts would be made to ensure that the force is strengthened in Andhra Pradesh, like in the neighbouring Telangana state. Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act provides for Rs 850 crore to Rs 1,095 crore for Greyhound training centre and urged the centre to sanction the funds. He demanded one battalion of CRPF to face the left-wing extremist activities in the state. The Chief Minister also urged Singh to sanction setting up of one unit of RAF in Visakhapatnam. He said the state had already allotted 60 acres of land in Visakhapatnam for this purpose. Stating that activities of the Islamic State terror outfit are slowly spreading, he said RAF unit would go a long way in controlling them. Rajnath Singh agreed that there is need for more infrastructure for NDRF. He said the demands to increase number of NDRF battalions were under consideration. He said in a short span of 10 years NDRF had emerged as the lead agency in disaster management and won the confidence of people. The Home Minister said the whole country was proud of NDRF as they were the first to be seen in action in times of disasters. He called for further improving the pro-active and pre-emptive strategy of NDRF. Singh said the NDRF won international acclaim by participating in rescue and relief works in quake-hit Nepal and Japan. Union Minister for Urban Development Venkaiah Naidu thanked the home ministry for sanctioning the NDRF battalion, saying this was required here as the state is prone to natural disasters like cyclones and floods. New Delhi, Jan 9 : A court here on Monday allowed Rs 2.83 lakh in demonetised notes, seized from a suspected Islamic State (IS) member by the NIA, to be converted into new currency notes. National Investigation Agency Special Court Judge Amar Nath directed Chief Investigating Officer to exchange the scrapped old currency notes with the new notes with certain conditions. Suspected IS activist Syed Mujahid's counsel M.S. Khan moved the plea before the special court seeking release of Rs 2.83 lakh in cash, which was recovered by the NIA during investigation. Advocate Khan told the court that the amount was the business proceeds as well as the savings of the parents of the accused, which was earned through legitimate sources. He, therefore, requested the court to allow conversion of the amount into the new currency notes to avoid the money going a waste as scraps of paper. The NIA did not oppose the plea and requested the court to keep the photocopy or scanned copies of the old currency notes on record before depositing the money in the treasury account maintained by the probe agency. "I allow this application with the direction to the Chief Investigating officer to keep the amount in the shape of Fixed Deposit Receipt (FDR) in the name of the court after changing the same from old currency to new currency in the wake of demonetisation initially for the period of one year, which shall be extended automatically on attaining maturity till further orders of the court," the judge said. During the investigation, the NIA seized old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 denomination notes amounting to Rs 5,42,000 from the possession of three accused -- Mujahid, Nafees Khan and Mudabir Siekh. In January 2016, the agency had arrested 14 suspects, including Mujahid, in raids at 12 locations in six cities in various states. The NIA alleged that they were involved in a conspiracy and were planning with other associates and handlers of the IS to motivate Indian youths to join them and that the identity and role of such associates are being ascertained. The agency said the accused were also encouraging Indian youths to join the IS. All of them have been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on a plea seeking direction to frame an effective law to prevent torture and inhuman treatment of prisoners in custody. A bench of the Chief Justice J.S. Khehar, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice L. Nageswara Rao sought response from Registrar General of NHRC. The court's order came on a PIL filed by former Union Law Minister and senior advocate Ashwani Kumar, who has sought directions to empower agencies like NHRC with the necessary enforcement capabilities and mechanism for implementation of its orders and directions. The court also appointed activist and senior lawyer, Colin Gonsalves, as an amicus curiae in the matter. Kumar also referred to 90 per cent physically disabled and wheelchair-bound Delhi University Professor G.N. Saibaba, who was allegedly brutalised by police in Nagpur Jail. The lawyer said that torture meted out to thousands of prisoners in custody "shocks the constitutional conscience". Despite being a signatory to the United Nations' Convention Against Torture, 1997, India has not ratified the convention so far since ratification requires an enabling legislation to reflect the definition and punishment for torture, he added. Visakhapatnam, Jan 9 : A pilot project using cloud technology by Microsoft and ICRISAT in Andhra Pradesh has increased the groundnut crop yield, it was announced at the 20th National Conference on e-Governance here on Monday. Launched in June last year, the pilot, based on Intelligent Cloud, involves a new sowing application for farmers combined with a personalised village advisory dashboard and results show a 30 percent higher average in yield per hectare. The sowing app was developed to help farmers achieve optimal harvests by advising on the best time to sow depending on weather conditions, soil and other indicators. The pilot under a partnership between the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Microsoft, and Andhra Pradesh government was implemented in Devanakonda in Kurnool district and the advisory applied only to the groundnut crop. ICRISAT adopted Microsoft Cortana Intelligence Suite including Machine Learning (ability of computers to learn without being specifically programmed) and Power BI or Business Intelligence, to empower farmers and government officials with technology, and promote digital farming practices in the state, said a Microsoft official. The Personalised Village Advisory Dashboard has been especially developed to enable officials to better manage programs of scale. Using powerful BI tools, this dashboard provides important insights around soil health, fertiliser recommendations, and seven-day weather forecasts derived from the world's best available weather observations systems and global forecast models. This data is then downscaled for the highest possible accuracy at the village level, to transform how small holder farmers tackle climate change to drive effective decision-making for their crops. "This result is proof of the efficiencies that cloud technology can bring and thereby help farmers economically by improving agricultural productivity," said Anil Bhansali, Managing Director, Microsoft India. "The applicability of the Intelligent Cloud is a significant start for digital agriculture and we hope more governments and stakeholders come forward to reap benefits of this innovation," he added. New Delhi, Jan 9 : Confusion prevailed over the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) employees' strike on Monday with the Delhi government saying the strike has been called off while various sanitation workers' associations maintaining it was still on. Even as the Delhi government released Rs 119 crore to the East DMC, the striking sanitation workers on Monday dumped piles of refuse taken out of drains and garbage on city roads over non-payment of gtheir salaries for the last two months. Late evening on Monday, Delhi government officials claimed that the sanitation workers have called off their strike. "The EDMC commissioner told Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia that the strike has been called off," a government official told IANS after Sisodia's meeting with the EDMC commissioner. However, MCD Swachhta Karamchari Union President Sanjay Gehlot said the sanitation workers won't resume work till the money is credited to their bank accounts. "We have been told that the government has released funds to the EDMC. But we don't care about the paper work. We will resume work only when the salaries are credited to our accounts," Gehlot said. "The strike is still going on and we will be joined by teachers, nursing staff of MCD hospitals and others tomorrow when we will hold a demonstration," he added. Akhil Bharatiya Mazdoor Congress President Rajendra Mewati also maintained that the strike of sanitation employees was still on. He said that sanitation workers will disrupt any move by the government to remove garbage from the city streets. Delhi Commission for Safai Karamcharis Chairman Sant Lal Chawaria appealed to the sanitation employees to return to work as the government has released funds for the salaries. The 'safai karamcharis' have been on strike since Friday to protest non-payment of their salaries for the past two months. The Delhi government on Saturday approved payment of Rs 119 crore to the EDMC and the sum was transferred to the corporation's bank account on Monday, a Delhi government official said. On Monday, Sisodia held a series of meetings with sanitation workers, Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs), the EDMC Mayor and the Municipal Commissioner over the strike. He made an appeal to the agitated EDMC employees to resume work as the government has released funds for their salaries. He also offered that the Delhi government will remove the piled up garbage from the streets with the help of Public Works Department (PWD) if RWAs assist the government. Earlier in the day, the workers of the EDMC burnt an effigy of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at their corporation headquarters in Shahdara. Kejriwal accused BJP Councillors of siphoning off funds meant for municipal employees in the capital. "(The) BJP playing dirty politics with Delhi. Their councillors siphoned funds meant for salaries of MCD employees and then throw garbage on Delhi's roads," the Aam Aadmi Party leader tweeted. "More funds, than were due this year, have been given to MCD. (The) BJP siphoned it off or diverted it rather than paying salaries," he added. All the three Delhi Municipal Corporations are controlled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said that the Kejriwal government was responsible for the sanitation crisis. He said that Kejriwal government had given only Rs 609 crore to the EDMC even as the civic body had raised a revenue of around Rs 800 crore, making a total corpus of Rs 1,400 crore. "The annual salary bill alone of EDMC is Rs 1,600 crore... It can be imagined how the civic body is running its primary sanitation, health or educational services, let alone other works," he said. Sisodia said that ever since the AAP came to power, the Delhi government had been giving Rs 600-700 crore to the EDMC per year compared to Rs 300-400 crore during the erstwhile Congress government and the President's Rule. "MCDs are being paid twice as much amount compared to earlier. MCDs have no explanation where this money is going. They are exploiting the sanitation workers," Sisodia said after meeting sanitation workers. The Delhi government also released a statement that it had released Rs 609 crore in fiscal 2016-17 for municipal employees and Rs 702 crore in 2015-16. According to the statement, in contrast, earlier, when the AAP did not rule in Delhi, the amount allotted was much less -- Rs 441 crore in 2014-15, Rs 416 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 399 crore in 2012-13. Leader of Opposition in the Delhi assembly Vijender Gupta dismissed Sisodia's charges against the municipal corporations and called them "baseless and misleading". "The government has failed to fulfil its obligations and is now diverting attention from real issues," he said. Gupta also demanded that the Delhi Government must make permanent system for payment to the MCDs so that all the three municipal corporations could make timely payments to their employees. Delhi Congress chief Ajay Maken said it was unfortunate that the sanitation workers had to go on strike for the fifth time in the last two years since the AAP came to power. Kolkata/New Delhi, Jan 9 : Upping the ante against BJP-led central government over demonetisation and "vendetta politics", the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a three-day countrywide protest demanding removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Trinamool staged demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital, denouncing Modi's November 8 decision of spiking Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes. "Trinamool is organising nationwide protest against Modi Babu's shameless flop-show (demonetisation)," Banerjee, the West Bengal Chief Minister said in Kolkata. While her MPs in Delhi demonstrated sloganeering "Modi Hatao Desh Bachao" (remove Modi, save the country), Banerjee, addressing an event in Bengal, said the situation in the country was "worse than Emergency" under Modi. Besides the note ban, she took on Modi over the arrests of two Trinamool MPs and dubbed the CBI as the "Conspiracy Bureau of Investigation". "I haven't seen such a vengeful government in my life. They have started a Conspiracy Bureau of Investigation," said Banerjee in Bengal's Burdwan district. "Modi may arrest all of us ... and build prisons throughout the country. We do not care," she said, referring to the arrests of her party Lok Sabha members Tapas Paul and Sudip Bandyopadhyay for their alleged complicity in a chit fund scam. Banerjee, who has been at the forefront in opposing the note-ban, insisted "vendetta politics" cannot deter Trinamool from talking about the common man's miseries. "After two months of demonetisation, the common man keeps suffering. Farmers are suffering, daily wagers are starving, while he (Modi) and his aides are having a gala time," she said. "The current situation is worse than the Emergency. Two months of Modi's note ban has spelt doom for the people. Bengal has lost revenue worth Rs 5,500 crore in two months," she said and urged President Pranab Mukherjee to intervene and "save the country". In Kolkata, Trinamool MLAs and activists held demonstration outside the Reserve Bank of India and the CGO Complex which houses the regional offices of the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate. Demonstrating in Delhi, some 34 Trinamool MPs called for setting up of a "National Government". "Even after two months of the draconian decision, countless people across the country continue to suffer, while over a 100 people have lost their lives. Modi's removal is a must to save the country. A National Government should be formed at the Centre," said Trinamool MP Sultan Ahmed said. Banerjee on January 6 called for the President Mukherjee's intervention and mooted a National Government headed by BJP veteran L.K. Advani or Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. "The pressure tactics and vendetta politics cannot deter us. Our fight against demonetisation and Centre's conspiracy will continue," former Union Minister Saugata Roy said at the Delhi. Meanwhile, Bandyopadhyay, whose custody was extended on the day, by a court in Odisha, said: "They won't release me before the budget session gets over." Bhubaneswar, Jan 9 : A special CBI court here on Monday extended, by four days, the agency remand of arrested Trinamool Congress MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay for further interrogation into the Rose Valley chit fund scam. The Central Bureau of Investigation would take the TMC MP on remand for the second time. Bandyopadhyay was on Monday produced before the Special Chief Judicial Magistrate court, designated as the CBI court, after the expiry of his six-day remand. The court granted four day remand against the agency's demand for eight days. The Trinamool MP was arrested from Kolkata for his alleged connections with Rose Valley Group which cheated the people to the tune of about Rs 17,000 crore in different states, including Odisha and West Bengal. Bandyopadhyay, who is the party leader in Lok Sabha, said that BJP-led NDA government would not release him as his party is opposing the demonetisation move. "They won't release me before the budget session gets over," said Bandyopadhyay while he was being produced before the court. His wife and Bengal legislator Nayna said her husband is under Modi custody, not CBI custody. Another Trinamool MP Tapas Pal, arrested in connection with the same scam, is in jail after his bail plea was rejected. Earlier on Monday, the activists of Trinamool staged a demonstration in front of the CBI office here opposing the arrest of the party's MPs. Meanwhile, CBI on Monday issued a notice to Balasore MP Rabindra Jena, who belongs to the state's ruling Biju Janata Dal, asking him to appear before it on January 12 in connection with the Seashore Group chit fund scam, said agency sources. Mumbai, Jan 9 : Sources close to Tata Sons' ousted Chairman Cyrus Mistry on Monday said that "a full and fitting reply" will be given to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) on the "counter-allegations" made by the holding company of the industrial conglomerate. The development comes after Tata Sons filed an over 200-page affidavit with the NCLT, rebutting charges levied against it by the investment companies of Mistry. Currently, the NCLT in Mumbai is hearing the petition filed by Mistry's investment companies. "It is but natural that Tata Sons and its directors and the trustees of Tata Trusts would deny allegations and level counter-allegations," sources close to Mistry said. "The petitioners and Cyrus Mistry will indeed file their rejoinder on all facts and issues that are involved in the proceedings. A full and fitting reply will be filed within applicable deadlines." The affidavit, among other things, alleged that Mistry had under-performed as the Chairman of Tata Sons, which led to a decline in dividend payments to Tata Trusts. Further, the affidavit pointed out that the Board of Tata Sons had lost confidence in Mistry. Earlier, Tata Sons had been served with a petition filed before the NCLT by Mistry's investment companies under Sections 241 and 242 of the Companies Act. On December 22, Tata Sons said the NCLT has not granted any interim relief to its ousted chairman. On its part, Tata Sons also served legal notice to Mistry, alleging breach of confidentiality and passing on sensitive information to his family-controlled companies. However, no damages were sought. The holding company of the industrial conglomerate had filed a petition before the NCLT for alleged "breach of confidentiality obligation by a Director". Mistry, who still remains a Director on the board of the holding arm of the $100 billion-plus group, was asked to desist from such alleged actions. Tata Sons' board ousted Mistry on October 24 and appointed Ratan Tata as interim Chairman. Tata Trusts hold 66 per cent stake in the holding company of the Tata Group, whereas Mistry's family holds over 18 per cent interest. New York, Jan 9 : A man who may be of Indian origin has been arrested in connection with the shooting of a US consular official in the Mexican city of Guadalajara, according to reports in local media there. Zafar Zia, the alleged assailant, was described in Mexican media as a 31-year-old American citizen of "Indian" or "Hindu" origin. Impacto el Diario newspaper's web site said that the Jalisco state prosecutor's confirmed his arrestAon Sunday on its Twitter account. The shooting on Friday was not terrorism-related but was motivated by a visa issue, as per the victim's statement to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), reported Cronica.com. Mexican media also reported that the Foreign Ministry said that Zia "will be expelled and repatriated to the United States of America where his legal status will be determined." US authorities have not as of Monday morning local time confirmed the arrested man's identity or that of the diplomat who was shot. Mexican media identified the victim as Deputy Consul Christopher Ashcraft. Impacto el Diario and El Mudo described Zia as being of "Hindu" origin, while the Cronica.com said he was "Indian." In Mexico sometimes "Hindu" and "Indian" used interchangeably as national identification, rather than religious. Cronica said that "according to unofficial information" from Mexican federal authorities, a .38 caliber pistol, a California-registered 2000 Honda Accord vehicle, and 16 packages with 336 grammes of marijuana were seized when Zia was arrested from the Guadalajara's Providencia neighborhood. He was also carrying a wig he wore when he carried out the attack, Cronica added. Mexican media said that the he was arrested after police received a tip about where he was. The US government had offered a $20,000 reward for his arrest. Police said that Zia had arrived in Guadalajara from Phoenix in the US's Arizona state in November, according to Cronica. Zia allegedly shot the diplomat while he was driving out of a parking garage on his way to gym, according to media reports. New Delhi, Jan 9 : The Congress on Monday approached the Election Commission to demand that photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi should be removed from hoardings at public places and petrol vends ahead of the assembly polls in five states. The objection was raised by party Secretary and its legal and human rights department head K.C. Mittal, who said that such hoardings put up by various state and private oil companies, popularising distribution of cooking gas, could not be permitted when Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in operation. The Election Commission recently announced dates of assembly polls in fives states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur, beginning on February 4. "The hoardings, posters, banners of the central government with the photographs of the Prime Minister at any place within the election-bound states cannot continue, since it is in violation of the MCC and will interfere with free and fair elections," said the complaint. "It is requested that the Commission may please order removal of all such hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the petrol pumps and any other place in these states along with other posters, banners of the central government or central bodies in the form of any advertisement by them," it added. Noting that the poll panel has ordered removal of the posters, banners and advertisements in these states issued by the state government with the photograph of the Chief Minister or any other persons, Mittal in his complaint said a similar thing should be done in the case of the Prime Minister's photo or office-bearers of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Kolkata, Jan 9 : Two days after issuing a 'fatwa' against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a Kolkata cleric on Monday threatened to slit the throat of Pakistan-born author and political commentator Tarek Fatah, with whom he appeared on a television programme. "Your throat will also be slit," Syed Mohammad Nurur Rahman Barkati, the Shahi Imam of Kolkata's Tipu Sultan Mosque, told Fatah while responding angrily to the latter's statement that India has come a long way from the medieval practices when people's throats were slit. Both Barkati and Fatah were part of a discussion programme on a private news channel where the cleric viciously attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of spreading communalism and ruining the life of common people through the demonetisation move. He verbally attacked Fatah, who opposed the cleric's decision of issuing 'fatwa' against the Prime Minister and offered a cash prize. After the show, Fatah demanded the Muslim cleric's arrest by the Kolkata Police for threatening him. "Kolkata Mullah threatens me on live TV. Will Kolkata Police arrest him?" he said in Twitter. Barkati on Saturday issued a 'fatwa' against the Prime Minister, accusing him of 'bluffing' people through demonetisation, evoking a sharp reaction from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which demanded his arrest. He also announced a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh to whoever executes the 'fatwa'. The West Bengal unit of the BJP lodged a police complaint against the cleric on Sunday, demanding his immediate arrest. Gandhinagar, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Polish Deputy Prime Minister Piotr Glinski here on Monday and reviewed bilateral relations as the latter expressed willingness to work with India in the areas of coal mining and green technology. Glinski is heading the Polish delegation to Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit in Ahmedabad. According to sources, there was a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. "PM Modi recognised the world class Polish expertise in waste, solid and waste water management and said it could be very useful in our smart cities project. Modi also invited Polish participation in the coal mining sector where India had opened up for FDI. He also appreciated Polish support for India's membership of MTCR and NSG," said informed sources. "The Polish Deputy Prime Minister observed that deep ties had existed between Poland and Gujarat since World War II. He also said Poland wanted to work with India especially in coal mining, green technology and recognizing this opportunity he had come with a large business delegation," said the sources. Glinski also invited Modi to visit Poland at an early date. He also said Poland looked forward to cooperation with India in effecting UN reforms. Recalling the long-standing relationship between India and Poland, Modi said that Poland was the first country to extend help when Gujarat faced an earthquake. "Modi said that rules for import of Polish apples had changed, trade had gone up by 22 per cent, and Indian companies had invested more than $2 billion in Poland," said the source. "Modi also said Poland could be a very attractive location for shooting of Bollywood movies. He said India would support Polish plans to push forward air connectivity. The e-Visa scheme would benefit visitors from Poland," the source added. New Delhi, Jan 9 : Four youth were injured members of another group opened fire on them as a dispute over money turned violent, police said Monday, adding one of the assailants has been arrested. Police said the incident took place late on Sunday in a slum in Uttam Nagar area of west Delhi. "The victims identified as Akram, 28, Sajid, 28, Sushil,34 and Devender, 35, all residents of JJ Cluster in Uttam Nagar, were admitted to Deen Dayal Upadhyay hospital with gunshot wounds. Three of them have been discharged on Monday afternoon, while one is still admitted for a surgery," Deputy Commissioner of Police Surender Kumar told IANS. The victims were also involved in some criminal activities and ran gambling rackets. They had a dispute concerning an amount of Rs 1.25 lakh with Lamba and his associates, who fired after the four after they refused to give him the money. "We have identified the accused persons involved in the crime. The teams are looking for them at their hideouts," Kumar said, adding one has been held. Gandhinagar, Jan 9 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed bilateral issues, especially the strategic partnership nwith Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dimitry Rogozin, said informed sources. Modi met Rogozin, who is leading a strong Russian contingent to 'Vibrant Gujarat' on the eve of the summit's start. "Both leaders discussed various areas of the India-Russia strategic partnership including Rosneft's investment in the Vadinar refinery, cooperation in the automobile sector, discussions on cooperation between Astrakhan region and its sister State of Gujarat, and the proposed visit of the Russian Industry Minister to Delhi in March," said a source. The two sides also discussed continuing progress in the civil nuclear energy sector. Modi offered condolences on the dastardly killing of the Russian Ambassador to Turkey and loss of lives in the recent air crash of a Russian plane. Rogozin reiterated President Valdimir Putin's invitation for Modi to visit Russia in 2017, which Modi accepted with pleasure, the source added. He observed that the bilateral India-Russia Summit and the BRICS meeting in Goa were very successful and the Russian leadership was fully committed to further strengthening the strategic partnership with India. According to the source, Modi observed that the 70-year-old bilateral relationship was on an upward trajectory, aided by his frequent meetings with President Putin. He welcomed increasing Russian investment in various states of India. "Specifically in the context of Gujarat, Prime Minister said that India and Russia should strengthen cooperation in the areas of diamond cutting and polishing, dairy production, and the automobile sector," he added. The 8th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit will be held here January 10-13 with the central focus of "Sustainable Economic and Social Development". Mumbai, Jan 10 : After a police report that said the reason of the death of veteran actor Om Puri was "unknown", film personality and host Annu Kapoor said it would be meaningless to draw a conclusion on the basis of rumours. At the prayer meeting on Monday, the 60-year-old actor said, "There are some people in media who always create this kind of theory. I think our police are quite efficient to solve any high-profile tragic incident. They are doing their job and soon it will be clear to all. Until then, it will be meaningless to draw a conclusion on the basis of rumours." The Padma Shri awardee and National award-winning actor Om Puri died due to a heart attack on January 6. The preliminary post-mortem report of the deceased actor stated the cause of death as "unknown". Based on this, the police registered an accidental death report and even interrogated Puri's domestic help and driver. However, Kapoor negated any chance of foul play and said, "We don't have any doubt about his death in our mind. If somebody has they should convey." In 1991, Puri parted ways eight months after he married Annu Kapoor's sister Seema Kapoor. Two years later, he got married to Nandita Puri and they have a son Ishaan. "We are still in grief. My sister is suffering in pain from many years. Despite him (Om Puri) being so fragile physically, she looked after him. She never left him alone. She is sinking in grief. So we don't have time to think about the theories," Kapoor stated. The Vicky Donor actor continued, "We are straightforward people and dedicated to the art and the country. We are not high profile people that politicians would pay a visit to us. But my sister is genuine and this is her biggest loss." "Currently my priority is to take care of my sister who has suffered the most in this incident. May god give her strength to bear the pain," he said. Titrator Excellence T9: Modularity combined with titration efficiency and trustworthy results. METTLER TOLEDO solutions for the wine industry allow professionals to ensure that their wines meet their quality standards. Join METTLER TOLEDO at the largest wine and grape trade show of its kind in North America. Thousands of wine and grape industry professionals from all over the world will attend the upcoming Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. Created by ASEV and CAWG, and built with the joint input of growers, vintners, and allied industry members, the Unified Symposium serves as a clearinghouse of information important to wine and grape industry professionals. As a solutions provider for the wine industry, METTLER TOLEDO will exhibit several instruments at the Unified Wine & Grape Symposium. Wine making has a long tradition, and good wine needs care and extensive control. METTLER TOLEDO solutions for the wine industry allow professionals to ensure that their wines meet their quality standards. METTLER TOLEDO plans to feature the following analytical instrumentation: XPE Analytical Balances MS Precision Balances SevenExcellence pH Meter FiveGo pH Meter T9 Excellence Titrator Inmotion Autosamplers Compact G20 Titrator Portable Density Meter Refracto 30GS Make sure to visit METTLER TOLEDO at booth #1406. Registration and Information This tradeshow will be on January 24-26, 2017, at the Sacramento Convention Center in Sacramento, CA. Learn more about METTLER TOLEDO's attendance at Unified Wine & Grape Symposium 2017. About METTLER TOLEDO METTLER TOLEDO is a leading global manufacturer of precision instruments. The Company is the worlds largest manufacturer and marketer of weighing instruments for use in laboratory, industrial and food retailing applications. The Company also holds top-three market positions in several related analytical instruments markets and is a leading provider of automated chemistry systems used in drug and chemical compound discovery and development. Additional information about METTLER TOLEDO can be found at http://www.mt.com/lab. We chose Intacct over NetSuite because it's cloud-based, has features that aligned well with our business needs, and is endorsed by the AICPA. AcctTwo, a leading consulting firm and provider of cloud-based ERP and BPaaS solutions, announced that the firm will implement Intacct for Netchex, a comprehensive, web-based suite of payroll, human resource, and benefit administrative services backed by dedicated support specialists. Netchex's rare combination of comprehensive solutions, dedicated support, and flexible offerings helps businesses easily manage employee information and simplify their entire payroll process. After a rigorous software evaluation, Netchex chose Intacct over other cloud (and on-premises) solutions as the best fit to meet the needs of the business. Business Challenges Faced by Netchex: As Netchex grew, the finance team began to reach the limitations of QuickBooks Enterprise to run a growing, complex business. The company needed an accounting system that could manage multiple entities and inter-company transactions. Netchex needed an ERP that could integrate with Salesforce as well as their own proprietary software. Reasons for Selecting Intacct: Intacct provides Netchex with a cloud-based, scalable, affordable solution that can handle the company's multi-entity needs. Intacct's best-in-class approach, API integration capabilities, and Platinum status as a Salesforce integration partner means that Netchex can integrate Intacct with their other business systems, eliminating unnecessary effort and minimizing errors in their sales and accounting processes. Highlighted Comments from Netchex CFO: "We chose Intacct over NetSuite because it's cloud-based, has features that aligned well with our business needs, and is endorsed by the AICPA," said Louis Dubuc, Chief Financial Officer at Netchex. "The AcctTwo team picked up on our business needs and the nuances of our line of work quickly. We perform payroll services for many clients, and have some unique transactions. AcctTwo caught on quickly and gave good advice. They were very well organized, kept us on track, followed up well, and their communication was excellent." Additional resources: Visit Netchex on the web Visit accttwo.com Follow the AcctTwo Blog About AcctTwo: AcctTwo is a leading consulting firm and reseller of cloud-based accounting and ERP software. Our sophisticated systems solve the issues growing middle market companies face today. AcctTwo also provides Business-Process-as-a-Service solutions, allowing clients to focus on the core competencies of their business. We provide the people, processes, technology, and office facilities to perform these functions, while allowing clients to collaborate interactively through an on-line portal. AcctTwo has offices in Houston and Dallas, Texas. For more information, please visit http://www.accttwo.com or call 713-744-8400. Contacts: Peter Wagner Director of Marketing AcctTwo Cell: 512.415.6846 Email: pwagner(at)accttwo.com Chris Wailes VP, National Media Relations Pierpont Communications Direct: 713.627.2223 Email: cwailes(at)piercom.com Dermatology Associates is pleased to announce that it recently completed the acquisitions of Advanced Dermatologic Surgery in Houston, Dr. Bryan Townsend in Austin, and Dermatology and Laser Center of Fort Worth, TX. Dermatology Associates is a dermatology-focused physician services and management organization backed by private equity firm ABRY Partners. Advanced Dermatologic Surgery is located in the heart of the museum district in downtown Houston, TX. The practice is led by two highly-skilled, board-certified and fellowship-trained Mohs surgeons. Dr. Ryan Ahern earned his medical degree and Masters of Public Health from Tulane University School of Public Health in New Orleans, and was named to the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society. He completed his dermatology residency at Tulane University and his Procedural Dermatology fellowship at Cooper University Hospital in New Jersey. Dr. Mark Price attended the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston where he was elected into Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society as a third-year medical student. After graduating with honors, he completed his dermatology residency at Baylor College of Medicine as well as a fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery, Cutaneous Oncology and Laser Surgery at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City, MO. Dr. Bryan Townsend is board certified and a fellowship trained Mohs surgeon who has been in private practice in Austin since 1998. Dr. Townsend earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School in Houston and completed his dermatology residency at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. Townsend concluded his training with a fellowship in Mohs Micrographic Surgery at Louisiana State University Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr. William Cothern has practiced dermatology in Texas for more than 20 years, and founded the Dermatology and Laser Center of Fort Worth, TX in 1993. Dr. Cothern earned his medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center / Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine. In addition to his medical practice, he is Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and is actively involved in the Fort Worth Dermatological Society. Headquartered in Dallas, TX, Dermatology Associates provides comprehensive practice management services to 75 board-certified dermatologists across 50 locations in Texas, Kansas and Missouri. Dermatology Associates is focused solely on supporting providers so that they can focus exclusively on delivering high-quality, medically-focused care to patients. By leveraging the benefits of a broad, group platform, Dermatology Associates physicians are able to maintain professional autonomy while the business aspects of practice management are handled by its team of experts. These additions continue Dermatology Associates momentum of successfully partnering with high-quality, board-certified dermatologists, and further strengthen its leadership position in Texas. If you would like more information about Dermatology Associates, or if you have any questions regarding any of these practices, please contact one of the team members listed below: Dermatology Associates Geoff Wayne Chief Executive Officer Geoff(at)dermatologyassociates(dot)com Scott Wells Chief Development Officer SWells(at)dermatologyassociates(dot)com Brent Ohlsen Director of Corporate Development BOhlsen(at)dermatologyassociates(dot)com KloudScript, Inc., a community led specialty pharmacy care network, announces specialty pharmacy accreditation through the Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA) with its pharmacy partner, Gateway Pharmacy of North Dakota. Gateway is the second pharmacy partner of KloudScript to jointly receive CPPA accreditation in 2016. Gateway Pharmacy has been a cornerstone in Bismarck, Mandan and surrounding communities since 1989, when Mr. Mark Aurit, a pharmacist, opened his first of four locations. Since Gateway Pharmacy has been around for a quarter century, our name is well known throughout the community, said Aurits daughter, Briana Fluhrer, PharmD. My father has always strived to offer value-adding services for all our pharmacies. Having a specialty care program with KloudScript seemed like the very logical next step. Gateway Pharmacy partnered with KloudScript in October of 2015 and has seen significant growth in their specialty business. Fluhrer explains that: With KloudScript, we have the guidance and knowledge from people with a lot of experience in the specialty industry. All of this enables us to provide excellent customer service and care to patients in our community. In October of this year, KloudScript announced their first joint CPPA accreditation with its founding pharmacy partner, Docs Pharmacy of Illinois. This milestone marked the first time a specialty-at-retail service provider and pharmacy provider have jointly received this industry-leading accreditation. CPPAs accreditation of the partnership between KloudScript and its partners is a recognition of their commitment to quality and that KloudScripts specialty pharmacy service model is aligned with the goals of improving outcomes and lowering health care costs, said CPPA Chairman, Paul Abramowitz, Pharm.D., FASHP. Fluhrer hopes that becoming CPPA accredited in partnership with KloudScript will have a positive impact on Gateways specialty business. CPPA accreditation is confirmation we are doing things right for our patients as pharmacists and as a business. And it enables Gateway to remain a preferred pharmacy for a major payor in North Dakota. We are committed to ensuring that our patients are able to be served locally for all their prescriptions and not by mail order specialty pharmacies, said Fluhrer. Dr. Rinku Patel, Founder and CEO of KloudScript Inc, anticipates more network pharmacy partners to achieve the CPPA accreditation in 2017. Having many accredited pharmacy partners in our network raises the bar for quality and performance of our specialty at retail care model. KloudScript pharmacy partners provide care to patients locally; while KloudScript provides the necessary hub support services. KloudScripts technology solution also enables the consistency in operations and clinical care protocols, while capturing the data necessary to track trends and reporting which is important to payors. As more KloudScript pharmacy partners achieve joint accreditation with us to demonstrate the quality of our specialty at retail service model, we hope to partner with specialty pharmaceutical manufacturers to expand access to the limited distribution medications for our network pharmacies and the patients they service. About KloudScript KloudScript is a community-led specialty pharmacy network. KloudScript partners with community retail pharmacies nationwide and collaborate with pharmaceutical manufacturers, payors and prescribers to make specialty medications available locally for patients. Headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois, KloudScripts health technology platform, hub support services, and national network of community retail pharmacy partners enable patients to have a single, local pharmacy home for medications and personalized care. Learn more about our growing community-led specialty pharmacy network at http://www.kloudscript.com. About Gateway Pharmacy Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy is owned and operated by Mark and Susan Aurit. Mark felt that his customers could be better served, Mark decided to open a pharmacy of his own. In 1989, Gateway Pharmacy was born. More than 20 years later Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy has grown to 4 locations, all conveniently located just inside Dans Supermarket. Gateway Health Mart Pharmacy provides a wide variety of services to its customers, including free mail out and delivery service, competitively priced prescriptions with individualized counseling, an in-house compounding lab, adult immunizations, an array of health screenings and more. To learn more about Gateway Pharmacy go to http://www.gatewaypharmacy.com. About CPPA The Center for Pharmacy Practice Accreditation (CPPA) is a nonprofit organization established in 2012 through a partnership of the American Pharmacists Association (APhA), the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy (NABP), and the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) to recognize pharmacy practices for providing patient care services that improve health outcomes and contribute to lower healthcare costs. The CPPA mission, unique among accreditors, is to raise the level of pharmacy-delivered patient care services through accreditation and, thus, serve the public health. These three organizations saw a need to establish standards to meet the publics need for specific, predictable, and measurable pharmacist clinical services across the medication use continuum. We are proud to be able to open these training sessions to the broader community. Its right in line with our mission to enrich and enhance the lives of children and families by providing education. Registration to nonprofit KVC Nebraskas Resource Family Conference trainings have now been made available to foster families outside of the KVC network. The Resource Family Conference (RFC), which will take place March 31 April 1 in Lincoln, Nebraska is a unique training opportunity for foster and adoptive families who are caring for children who are temporarily in foster care due to neglect, abuse or other family challenges. The April 1 trainings that have previously been exclusive to only KVC foster parents will now be open to all foster parents across the state of Nebraska. We are proud to be able to open these training sessions to the broader community. Its right in line with our mission to enrich and enhance the lives of children and families by providing education. Meaning all families. This education will help children and families across all of Nebraska, said KVC Nebraska President Jodie Austin. The 2017 KVC Nebraska RFC gives area foster families a chance to learn the latest in parental skills, receive training and meet other families to grow a supportive network. This years keynote speaker will be Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, a pediatrician specializing in adolescent medicine at The Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and author of numerous published works in which he advocates for parents critical role in raising resilient children and teens. Last year, KVC Nebraska supported 1,000 children in foster families, provided intensive in-home family support to 710 children and adults, and facilitated 58 childrens adoptions. KVCs trauma-informed behavioral healthcare and child welfare services are recognized internationally. Resource families, another term for foster and adoptive parents, will learn about topics such as ways to keep youth safe in a digital world, honoring a childs personal and family history as well as youth behavioral and mental health awareness. Registration opens February 1. Learn more at kvcnebraska.org/rfc. ### About KVC Nebraska KVC Nebraska is a nonprofit child welfare and behavioral healthcare organization that provides foster care, home-based support for people with disabilities, and intensive in-home services to keep families safely together. As the largest child placing agency in the state, KVC recruits, trains, licenses and supports foster families to care for 1,000 children and adolescents each year. KVC staff provide ongoing support to families including 24/7 crisis support, continuing education programs, mentoring coordination, community support groups, and educational programs and publications. KVC Nebraska is accredited by The Joint Commission, considered the gold standard in healthcare. The organization is a subsidiary of KVC Health Systems, which touches the lives of over 60,000 children and families each year. Due to KVCs leadership in the use of evidence-based research, the Annie E. Casey Foundation has endorsed KVC as a national best-practice organization in child welfare. Learn more at http://www.kvcnebraska.org. Co-founder Pete Luciano expressed his enthusiasm: Lisa's comprehensive HR background makes her the perfect candidate to spearhead this initiative." Balance Point, regional provider of custom payroll, time management, and human resources solutions announced today that Lisa Salcido will join the company as Director of Human Resources. Her hire comes at a time when the company is preparing to roll out its new high-touch HR support service, BPHR. Lisa is an accomplished Human Resources professional with experience in managing HR strategy, employee relations, performance management, compensation/benefits design, and full life-cycle recruitment. In her last position as Human Resources Manager for a business solutions consulting firm, Lisa led a team who was responsible for all HR-related activities for 450+ employees. In her new role at Balance Point, Lisa will be instrumental in the development of BPHR. She will be responsible for ensuring clients' compliance, while helping them discover the benefits of taking a strategic approach to HR. About Balance Point: Established in 2003, Balance Point provides custom payroll, time management, and human resources solutions to small- and mid-sized businesses throughout the New Jersey and New York areas. The companys commitment to putting the client first is evident in their approach to customer service and in their pursuit of new technology and services to address their clients growing needs. Lauren Patz, Head Distiller at Spirit Works Distillery. California grain-to-glass craft spirits pioneer Spirit Works Distillery announces the promotion of Production Manager/Distiller, Lauren Patz, to Head Distiller. With the elevation of Patz into production and distilling leadership, Ashby Marshall, Distillery Co-Founder and former Head Distiller, is shifting to a new role as Brand Director, responsible for leading the overall brand vision, direction and voice of the Distillery as it continues to grow and evolve. Since her arrival on the Spirit Works Distillery team in 2014 as Tasting Room Manager and Apprentice Distiller, Patz has been on a quick trajectory toward a leading role at the helm of the Distillery floor. This past year began with a promotion for Patz from Apprentice Distiller to Production Manager and Distiller, rounding out the talented all-female distilling team lead by mentor and Distillery Co-Founder, Marshall. A St. Helena, CA native and the daughter of respected Napa winery owners, Patz grew up with a keen understanding of flavor and palate tasting grapes off the vines and testing brix with her parents at an early age. After graduating from Bates College with a double major in Japanese and Classical Medieval Studies and returning from a year abroad in Japan, Patz put her keen palate to use as a tour docent and private pairings expert for San Francisco-based TCHO Chocolate. It was a chocolate and bourbon pairing that solidified her path to the spirits world, opening a new realm of understanding about flavor possibility in whiskey, how to taste spirits properly and appreciation for the emerging craft distilling industry. A chance opening at Spirit Works as the tasting room manager enabled her to engage her expertise in consumer education while learning production on the distillery floor. We cant speak highly enough of Lauren and how deserving she is of this promotion to Head Distiller, stated Timo Marshall, Spirit Works Proprietor and Co-Founder with his wife, Ashby Marshall. Shes been an incredibly talented apprentice from day one. She not only has an exceptional palate for distillation and the passion to present consumers with simply the highest quality spirits made, she is incredibly creative, innovative and forward-thinking constantly looking for ways to experiment with new ingredients and techniques and expand our portfolio offerings. Marshall added, This is such an exciting time for the Distillery. Shifting Lauren into the distilling leadership role allows Ashby to get back to her strategic marketing and branding roots as our Brand Director. She is intricately tied to the legacy of our brand - knowing our company, our spirits and our team inside and out and from the ground up. There is no one better suited to lead our Spirit Works brand to the next chapter. A year of growth: 2016 was an incredibly busy one for Spirit Works. A few highlights: Tasting Room Sales: The Distillery expanded their tasting room to accommodate onsite sales and expanded offerings allowed by the passing of California legislation AB1295, which allows state distillery tasting rooms to sell three bottles of spirits per customer, a first for the industry in California. Special edition, limited releases: The shift in regulations inspired the Spirit Works team to launch an ongoing series of tasting room-only, limited releases and experimental batches available only onsite, including a first Navy Strength Gin (114 proof, 57% ABV,$42 SRP); and a Cask Wheat Whiskey, a single barrel of 100% Wheat Whiskey aged for 2 years and 4 months in brand new, full char, 53-gallon American White Oak (118 proof, 59% ABV, $79). Spirits Club: New rules have also allowed the Distillery to launch a one-of-a-kind, three-tiered Spirits Club, offering quarterly pick up (due to state law), including special limited releases. What lies ahead? As the new creative force behind the still, Patz already has a number of projects underway, including experimenting with unique and heritage grains and exclusive bottlings. This is a dream come true for me. I am incredibly excited to be kicking off the new year in this role, said Patz. I have learned from the best here with Ashby as a mentor and inspiration. Im looking forward to digging in and continuing to put Spirit Works on the map as a producer of the highest quality, most innovative, handcrafted spirits. About Spirit Works Founded in the heart of Sonoma County, California in 2012 by husband and wife team Timo and Ashby Marshall, Spirit Works Distillery is a spirits producer which handcrafts artisan Vodka, Gin, Sloe Gin, Barrel Gin, Navy Strength Gin, Straight Wheat and Straight Rye Whiskey onsite using the grain-to-glass method, allowing the Distillery to create a truly premium product. With an all-female distilling team, lead by Lauren Patz, Spirit Works is one of few distilleries in the United States (and around the world) with an all-female production team. I am extremely excited to join ranks with the team at PCS. I feel confident that my desire for excellence fits in perfectly with the quality of deliverables consistently produced for their clients. Proven Compliance Solutions Inc. (PCS), industry recognized for its excellence in North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC) Reliability Standards Compliance Consulting Services, is pleased to announce the addition of Rick Terrill, P.E., strengthening its industry experience and operational expertise. Rick is a Registered Professional Engineer and holds a Master of Business Administration from Amber University, Texas and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Oklahoma. Rick comes to PCS as an accomplished compliance and regulatory executive with extensive expertise in engineering, operations, regulatory support, training/development, compliance management, audits, reporting, and ethics. As the past Director of Compliance and Director of Regulatory and Market Support for Luminant, Rick carries a proven track record of success in initiating, implementing and leading a fleet-wide state and federal regulatory compliance program. He is experienced in all aspects of reliability compliance for generation assets. Rick is recognized as a skilled communicator able to converse effectively with craft employees, technical professionals, managers, senior executives and regulators. As part of his duties with Luminant, Rick monitored NERC and ERCOT regulatory activities, developed and maintained professional interfaces with regulatory agencies, and actively participated in ERCOT protocols and the requirements development process. He also interfaced activities between generation and the commercial group. Rick represented the company as the NERC registered ballot body member to vote on NERC standards, and received, managed and responded to NERC alerts. He initiated, developed and implemented complete ERCOT, NERC, PUCT, FERC, and TRE compliance program and market interface activities for 17,000 megawatts of generation, including coal, nuclear, combined cycle and gas steam generation units. When asked about joining PCS, Rick stated, I am extremely excited to join ranks with the team at PCS. They were my absolute choice, having worked in the industry alongside members of this team, I feel confident that my desire for excellence fits in perfectly with the quality of deliverables consistently produced for their clients. I look forward to supporting companies in their compliance efforts, including their preparation for audits and ongoing compliance activities. Again, I couldn't think of a better team to join than PCS. Francis Esselman, PCS Vice President, is extremely pleased with Ricks decision to join the team. Rick brings a tremendous amount of operations and compliance experience to PCS and is highly respected among industry peers for his participation and active leadership role with NERC and TRE/ERCOT. We are very excited to have Rick assist PCS clients with their security and NERC compliance objectives. PCS NERC Compliance Consulting Services has an unsurpassed track record in Regional Audit success. Whether your need for support is in the area of Operations and Planning Standards or Critical Infrastructure Protection Standards for your Utility, Generation Facility, Solar Facility or Wind Facility, PCS provides the technical expertise and program management support you desire. PCS delivers compliance interpretations based on extensive auditing experience, coupled with programs and processes that provide you confidence in the compliance status of your organization. For information on how PCS can support your organizations NERC Reliability Standards compliance needs, please contact Dale Zahn at (262) 436-4116 or visit our website at http://www.provencompliance.com. Leader Bank is pleased to announce that John Willis, formerly of Mortgage Master/Loan Depot, has joined Leader Bank as a Senior Loan Officer with Leader Banks South Boston Mortgage Team. Johns career in mortgage lending spans twenty years, and his commitment to providing his customers with the highest quality loan assistance has earned him a glowing reputation. He has served thousands of clients throughout the years and is known for his high level of customer service and repeat client base that has grown with him over the years. I pride myself in being a true professional who you know you can trust to take care of your financing needs now and in the future, John said. I am looking forward to providing this high quality customer service in my new role at Leader Bank. John joined Leader Bank in December 2016 as a Senior Loan Officer, after holding the same position at Mortgage Master/Loan Depot since December 1996. John has regularly been recognized by Scotsman Guide as being in the top 200 loan originators in the country in dollar volume since 2009. At Leader Bank, I found the perfect fit for myself and my customers, John continued, a bank with the lowest rates, largest array of products, and a reputation for exceptional service to make borrowing easy for my clients. We are very pleased that John has chosen to join the Leader Bank team, said Sushil Tuli, President and CEO of Leader Bank. I have no doubt that Johns experience, along with his reputation for superior customer service, will make him an excellent addition to the residential lending department. John is well known in the mortgage industry as a top producer and highly respected by both his clients and his peers. Leader Bank is thrilled to welcome John aboard and excited to see what his knowledge and reputation will do when paired with the banks common sense approach to lending, a wide range of products, and competitive rates. About Leader Bank With assets over $1 billion, Leader Bank, N.A. is a nationally chartered bank founded in 2002 with seven full-service branches in Arlington, Belmont, Boston, Burlington and Cambridge. Leader Bank offers a full range of personal and business banking products including free personal and business checking accounts, commercial and residential lending products, home equity lines of credit, deposit products with highly competitive rates and free online banking and bill payment services. Visit Leader Banks website at http://www.leaderbank.com or any one of the Banks convenient branch locations for more information. Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender, NMLS #449250. Galaxy.com Domain Name available for Acquisition It's increasingly rare that a domain name like Galaxy.com, which requires virtually no further investment to qualify as a brand name, comes to market...particularly at such a low pricepoint. - Andrew Rosener, Media Options CEO Media Options S.A. (MediaOptions.com), a leading broker of premium domain names with over 18 years of experience in the industry, announced today that "Galaxy.com" has been listed exclusively for sale with their firm. "Galaxy.com" is a high-profile, iconic name with tremendous brand potential. It is highly marketable and offers a unique branding opportunity to capitalize on a universally recognized symbol of power and depth. The current owner of the domain name is LOGIKA Corporation, based in Chicago, Illinois. LOGIKA is a leading provider of customized Internet search solutions using proprietary custom web-searching technology. Launched in January of 1994, EINet Galaxy was the first searchable directory on the Internet [1]. On June 1st of 2001, LOGIKA acquired the assets of Galaxy.com, LLC [2], adding a rich history and tradition to the technology portfolio, via Galaxy's recognized status as the Internet's original searchable directory. LOGIKA, fifteen years later, has now determined that this unique asset is no longer core to its web-searching technology. It is therefore making this rare and valuable domain name available via esteemed premium domain broker Media Options, S.A.. Andrew Rosener, CEO of Media Options, explained, "It's increasingly rare that a domain name like Galaxy.com, which requires virtually no further investment to qualify as a brand name, comes to market, particularly at such a low pricepoint. About MediaOptions.com: Established in 2007, Media Options is an industry-leading domain name broker that offers Domain Names As A Service, helping companies, big & small, acquire and sell premium domain name assets. Media Options, based in Panama City, Panama, specializes in premium domain name brokerage as well as discreet and professional domain acquisitions. About LOGIKA Corporation: LOGIKA Corporation, based in Chicago, Illinois, is a leading provider of customized Internet search solutions using our custom web-searching technology. LOGIKA Corporation was formed in the spring of 1997. It is currently a privately held organization. LOGIKA designs efficient and effective search systems that benefit the web community. 1. http://www.galaxy.com/static/history.htm 2. http://www.logika.net/corporate.html Aeroseal duct sealing used in Dubai's Building By Daman project From the Daman Building Skyscraper in Dubai to the state-of-the-art Arzanah Medical Complex in Abu Dhabi, aeroseal technology has already proven to be a project saver for some of the most prestigious construction projects in the Middle East. Aeroseal LLC, sole owner and licensee of aeroseal duct sealing technology, today announced Doby Verrolec as the companys representative in the Middle Easts gulf region. In this role, Doby Verrolec will promote and facilitate the use of aeroseal technology for use in new construction and HVAC retrofit projects throughout all Arab States of the Persian Gulf (excluding Iraq). As the leading manufacturer and supplier of high-quality ductwork components and installation systems for much of the Middle East, Doby Verrolec has built a reputation as the regions most trusted experts in duct system performance. Their strong relationships with building contractors operating within the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) provides a significant opportunity to extoll the benefits of using aeroseal technology to increase HVAC system efficiency and reduce labor costs associated with installing and repairing ductwork. When it comes to ductwork expertise, no other company operating in the GCC is as respected and trusted as Doby Verrolec, said Neal Walsh, senior vice president of Aeroseal LLCs commercial business unit. They understand the unique benefits that aeroseal duct sealing brings to the table and their recommendation provides invaluable credibility. As Aeroseals GCC representative, Doby Verrolec will also ensure that regional Aeroseal dealers receive the supplies and support theyll need to succeed in this growing market. From the Daman Building Skyscraper in Dubai to the state-of-the-art Arzanah Medical Complex in Abu Dhabi, aeroseal technology has already proven to be a project saver for some of the most prestigious construction projects in the Middle East, said Malcolm Moss, managing director at Doby Verrolec. We look forward to promoting this new technology as well as supporting all of the service providers that are helping ensure the successful adoption of aeroseal across the Middle East. About Aeroseal Technology Developed at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, aeroseal technology works from the inside of the ductwork to seal leaks. Unlike traditional manual sealing, this inside/out approach makes it easy to access the entire duct system. The computerized aeroseal process provides real time results, ensuring that the job is effectively accomplished the first time. A final printout report provides an official record certifying the concluding leakage rate of the duct system. More information can be found at http://www.aeroseal.com. About Doby Verrolec Doby Verrolec is the largest UK manufacturer of ductwork jointing systems & components. With a Middle East presence that began in 1999, the companys Middle East facility is located in the Hamriyah Free Zone, Sharjah, UAE. Doby Verrolec is part of the global manufacturing group, Heitkamp & Thumann, market leaders in the production of high precision parts. For more information, visit http://www.dobyverrolec.com. Phillips-Medisize, a global leader in outsource design, development and technology-driven manufacturing, plans to grow significantly in the Menomonie area. The company is in the process of building an 80,000 square foot, state-of-the-art facility at its Menomonie campus. This facility is estimated to employ more than 100 people within the next three to five years. This facility will add to our manufacturing capacity to produce fully assembled and packaged drug delivery devices, commented Matt Jennings, CEO and President of Phillips-Medisize, a Molex company. We are proud of our leading-edge manufacturing campus in Menomonie and remain dedicated to investing in our people and facilities in the area. This is the third expansion to our Menomonie campus this year. In anticipation of the new growth in Menomonie, Phillips-Medisize, and its local staffing partner Staff Management | SMX, invite job seekers who want to become part of the future Phillips-Medisize team to apply for current opportunities at the existing Menomonie facilities. Staff Management | SMX is looking forward to the completion of Phillips-Medisizes newest facility so we can continue to connect members of the Menomonie community with work, said Jonathan Means, President of Staff Management | SMX. "We are continuously impressed with the hard work and dedication of our Phillips-Medisize associates. Applications to work at Phillips-Medisize are now being accepted for all shifts. Responsibilities of current and upcoming positions will involve a variety of production, inspection, packaging and press operation duties. To apply in person, applicants should bring two forms of ID to the Dunn County Job Center at 401 Technology Drive in Menomonie and can contact Staff Management | SMX at 715-232-4789 with any questions. Job seekers can also visit http://www.apply.smjobs.com and use job code 7K7S to apply. About Staff Management | SMX Staff Management | SMX, a TrueBlue company, is a recognized leader in innovative workforce management solutions that provide best talent, drive compliance, deliver tangible savings and yield sustainable value. As part of TrueBlue, Staff Management | SMX is the largest industrial staffing provider in the U.S. and is part of the Staffing Industry Analysts list of largest global staffing providers. Learn more about Staff Management | SMX at staffmanagement.com. About Phillips-Medisize: Phillips-Medisize is a leading global outsource provider of design and manufacturing services to the drug delivery and combination products, consumable diagnostics and medical device, and specialty commercial markets. The company has annual sales of over $700 million with 80% of the total revenue coming from drug delivery, medical device, primary pharmaceutical packaging and diagnostic products such as: disposable insulin pens, glucose meters, specialty inhalation drug delivery devices, single use surgical devices and consumable diagnostic components. Phillips-Medisize Corporation features a list of blue chip medical device, pharmaceutical and specialty commercial customers. The company partners with its customers to provide design and development services which accelerate speed to market of innovative products and then works with its customers to deploy advanced automated assembly and quality control technologies which reduce manufacturing cost while improving quality. The companys core advantage is the knowledge of its people to integrate design, molding, and automation to drive low cost and high quality manufacturing solutions. J.A. King, Precision Measurement Solutions We are excited for the opportunity to open a laboratory in such a rich and diverse industrial region The addition of this new facility significantly enhances J.A. Kings measurement and calibration service offering for the state of Alabama and throughout the region. J.A. King has entered Alabama in a big way, said John King, CEO of J.A. King. In October of 2016, we acquired B & C Instruments in Huntsville and were now delighted to be opening our Birmingham lab. The Birmingham area has many industrial companies who require the precision measurement services that J.A. King provides. From very minute to truly massive, we can measure and calibrate just about anything to a very high degree of accuracy, added King. The new lab, located in Bessemer, will provide ISO accredited calibration and new instrument sales to companies in the life sciences, automotive and energy industries, among others. Everyone at J.A. King works incredibly hard to deliver world-class customer service and technical expertise to our customers. We look forward to partnering with the companies in north-central Alabama to provide a single source measurement solution, said King. About J.A. King Founded in 1939, J.A. King is a third-generation family owned business and is currently the fifth largest third party calibration company in the USA. In 2016, J.A. King was also awarded Frost and Sullivans Growth Excellence Leadership award for high levels of customer satisfaction in calibration and repair services. For more information, please visit http://www.jaking.com I encourage my nursing colleagues to use this open call for abstracts as an opportunity [...] to demonstrate that physical health and mental health are not only related, but that mental health is the jumping off point for whole health." The APNA 31st Annual Conference program will deliver more than 100 varied continuing education sessions and 200 poster presentations to the1600+ RNs and APRNs who are projected to attend. APNA is soliciting proposals or both podium and poster presentations in order to build a high caliber continuing education program that spans psychiatric-mental health nursing administration, education, practice, research, and more. This years theme, Whole Health Begins with Mental Health, highlights the foundational role that mental health plays in promoting overall wellness. As research demonstrates and awareness grows of the relationship between mental health and whole health, many health organizations have initiated programs and initiatives focused on improving access, care, and treatment for those with mental and substance use disorders and the prevention of these disorders, says Kris A. McLoughlin, DNP, APRN, PMHCNS-BC, CADC-II, FAAN. Nurses have played pivotal parts in the conception and implementation of many of these programs. I encourage my nursing colleagues to use this open call for abstracts as an opportunity to push the concept even further - to demonstrate that physical health and mental health are not only related, but that mental health is the jumping off point for whole health. Through this open call for abstracts and a peer review process, the conference will offer a platform for psychiatric-mental health nurses to publicize and discuss innovative developments in practice and administration, original research, and updates on clinical topics. All Advanced Practice Nurses, RNs, and other health care professionals are invited to submit abstracts to be considered for presentation at this years conference, October 18-21, 2017 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. All submissions must be completed online by March 6, 2017 at 11:59pm Eastern Time. Suggested topics for abstract submissions include but are not limited to: Addictions / Substance Use Health Care Administration Advanced Practice Nursing Child and Adolescent Mental Health Complimentary & Alternative Therapy Continuing Nursing Education Cultural Issues in Health Care Emergency/Disaster Preparedness Emergency Departments eTools / Electronic Health Records Forensic Graduate Nursing Education Inpatient Care Integrated Physical & Mental Health Care Leadership LGBT Issues Mens Health Military Mental Health / Issues Related to Returning Service Members Older Adults Outpatient Care Pharmacology / Prescribing Private Practice Psychotherapy Recovery Nursing Research RN-PMH Practice Safety Undergraduate Nursing Education Violence Prevention Womens Health All complete submissions will undergo peer review by the APNA Scholarly Review Committee. Those selected for presentation at the conference will provide continuing nursing education contact hours. Presentations may be made available online following the conference, published in the Journal of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and more, offering presenters an enduring presence and broad exposure. Several options are also available to organizations interested in participating in the APNA 31st Annual Conference, including industry-sponsored symposium, sponsorship and advertising opportunities, promotional product theaters, and exhibits in the Exhibit Hall. Visit http://www.apna.org/AnnualConference for more information. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is a national professional membership organization committed to the specialty practice of psychiatric-mental health nursing and wellness promotion, prevention of mental health problems and the care and treatment of persons with psychiatric disorders. APNAs membership is inclusive of all psychiatric mental health registered nurses including associate degree, baccalaureate, advanced practice (comprised of clinical nurse specialists and psychiatric nurse practitioners), and nurse scientists and academicians (PhD). APNA serves as a resource for psychiatric mental health nurses to engage in networking, education, and the dissemination of research. The American Psychiatric Nurses Association is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Centers Commission on Accreditation. A film produced by Mode Project for the McCormick School of Engineering at Northwestern University which explores the schools unique whole-brain approach to engineering, has received international recognition. The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) named A Different Way of Thinking a gold award winner of its 2016 Circle of Excellence awards program. Designed to engage an audience of prospective students and faculty, alumni, donors, partners and more, the film embraces the complexity of the engineering schools mission, and aims to appeal to those who welcome that complexity, rather than taking a simpler approach designed for broader -- but less targeted -- appeal. It doesnt look like every other college promo video, said Kyle Delaney, Northwestern Engineerings Executive Director of Strategic Initiatives and Marketing, about the fast-paced 90-second assault on the senses reminiscent of an action-packed movie trailer. And thats exactly what we wanted. The CASE judges agreed: By mixing authentic voices almost symphonically with great visuals, they delivered what they set out to do: create a video that stands out from the pack. Colleges and universities, explains Mode Project Creative Director Colin Carter, are more brand-focused than ever, because they see the value in telling a story thats meaningful, authentic and different. But telling a story thats different means looking at your communications goals in a different way, and unlike the larger higher education consultancies that have been stamping out similar-looking films for colleges across the country, were able to apply a problem-solving approach that many schools havent considered before. A panel of experts selected Northwesterns entry in the recruitment video / short video category from among 57 entries. View the film here: https://vimeo.com/147746943 About Mode Project: Mode Project creates meaningful content to help brands, institutions and causes achieve their communications goals. The Mode team offers concept development and creative services for broadcast and digital media, including production, design, animation, editorial and finishing. Visit http://www.modeproject.com for more info. USHEALTH Group, Inc. announced that it has been named as one of the winners in the prestigious One Planet Awards as Company of the Year in the category of Accounting, Banking, Financial and Insurance. The coveted One Planet Awards is a global premier awards program honoring business and professional excellence in every industry from around the world. Organizations from all over the world are eligible to submit nominations including public and private, for-profit and non-profit, largest to smallest and new start-ups. USHEALTH Group, Inc. is an insurance holding company based in Ft. Worth, Texas focused on providing innovative health coverage for self-employed individuals and small business owners. The company has experienced unprecedented success, growth and profitability marketing its proprietary line of insurance products in the highly competitive individual health insurance market. Its an honor for USHEALTH to be named a winner by One Planet Awards for this esteemed industry and peer recognition, said the companys President and CEO, Troy McQuagge. This award is a testament to USHEALTHs commitment to solving the healthcare affordability problem for our customers by providing them with innovative coverage that can grow as their healthcare needs grow. About the One Planet Awards One Planet Awards recognizes companies for their business and professional excellence. The One Planet Awards honors are currently conferred in categories in sections which include executives, teams, new products and services, PR, Marketing, and Corporate Communications, and organizations from all over the world. Learn more about the One Planet Awards at http://www.oneplanetawards.com and participate. About USHEALTH Group, Inc. USHEALTH Group, Inc. is an insurance holding company based in Ft. Worth, Texas focused on providing innovative health coverage for self-employed individuals and small business owners. The goal of USHEALTH is to combine the talents of its employees and agents to market competitive and profitable insurance products, while providing superior customer service in every aspect of the companys operations. ATP Science, an Australian-based company focused on creating nutritional and wellness products to enhance peoples everyday lives, announced it will be attending the upcoming January ECRM Trade Show in Hilton Head, SC. ATP Science is known for its large range of supplements that keep the body functioning at its peak performance by providing some extremely important nutrients. At this trade show, ATP will display these products and information about them to conference attendees, while also having the chance to get a good look at the current state of the nutritional and health product industry in talking to other attendees. We are eager to get to South Carolina and set up at the ECRM Trade Show, said Jeff Doidge, one of the owners of ATP Science. This is a great chance for our company to continue to spread our brands footprint while also getting to learn more from some leaders in our industry. It should be a great trade show for us. ATP was founded with the belief that everyone deserves to be able to live a happy and healthy life, and that people should be able to see the results of their hard work and time investment. It accomplishes this through its line of supplements, which target specific functions and nutrients in the body. For example, ATPs Multi Food supplement takes vitamins and minerals from organic, natural sources to allow their nutrients to be more easily absorbed into the body. Its ingredients include guava leaves and fruit, lemon peel, moringa, rice extract and concentrate, holy basil and additional ingredients. Another product, Alpha Venus, is a supplement specifically made for women to help balance out their hormones thereby allowing them to get the best results out of their workout. Its going to be great to have the chance to speak to real people about the benefits of our products and the tremendous amount of scientific research we have put into creating them, said Doidge. For more information about ATP Science, visit http://www.atpscience.com. Carii, the award-winning enterprise collaboration and communication platform for creating public and private social networks, announced today that it has received an AOTMP Mobility Award at the 2017 International CES trade show in Las Vegas. Carii was selected as a winner for the Director's Award category, along with tech titans Microsoft and Apple. Carii is a complete end to end digital eco-system platform for creating complex social networks of internal and external communities with integrated functionality for communication, collaboration and content. Carii makes managing communication more efficient and streamlined and is engineered to make sharing, chatting, and collaborating as easy as opening the app on your smartphone. Cariis most popular product is its white label version that can be branded by an organization with its own URL, providing data ownership in a private, secure environment. The AOTMP annual awards program, which has been in place since 2002, represents the most innovative, state-of-the-art mobile and wireless products and solutions in todays market. The 2017 Mobility Awards program included 65 awards in 16 different categories ranging from SmartPhones to Internet of Things (IoT) technology, selected by members of the press and analysts who cover mobile and wireless products and services. Carii represents those companies who excel among their peers and truly showcase the best in mobile and IoT, said J. Gerry Purdy, Ph.D., Principal Analyst, Mobile and Wireless at AOTMP. Carii continues to innovate and deliver the next generation of collaboration and community, providing its customers with a superior multidimensional platform. Added Denise Hayman-Loa, CEO, Carii: We are truly honored and humbled to receive this prestigious award, especially alongside technology leaders, such as Microsoft and Apple. This award highlights the fact that Carii's customers enjoy a complete digital eco-system, facilitating social and Chat style communications -- one to one, private groups, community to community, communities to multiple communities, public or private. The recognition follows Cariis recent accolades, including Aragon Research Hot Vendor in Social Collaboration and Work, V3 Technology Awards 2016 Finalist for Best Mobile App for Business. About AOTMP AOTMP is a global leader providing telecom management best practices and industry standards for organizations and the vendors who support them. Using information and data points from thousands of telecom environments worldwide, AOTMP solutions help enterprises drive performance, efficiency and productivity while significantly reducing costs; and help telecom vendors provide a new level of value to their customers. AOTMPs patented Efficiency First Framework methodology brings balance to the telecom management ecosystem, resulting in vendors positively impacting the telecom environment and the telecom environment being better leveraged to drive business results. AOTMPs clients represent $24+ billion in annual telecom spend and include 100+ of the Fortune 500, small and medium businesses, public sector organizations and industry suppliers. For more information, visit aotmp.com About Carii Founded in 2013, award-winning Carii connects communities and leverages collaboration to create a completely new, mobile-enabled sharing platform, helping businesses and organizations reduce complexity to simplicity. Reach your customers, your fans, your partners, your team and gather them together in to a trusted, vibrant community. Located in Media, Penn. with offices in Indonesia, Carii is in the new heart of the networking community. Please join the Carii conversation at http://www.carii.com. PR Contact: Brenda Christensen Stellar Public Relations brenda.christensen(at)stellar-pr.com 818.307.9942 James Auwarter, Instructor at SAE Institute Chicago, is one of two instructors who worked on 2017 GRAMMY-nominated projects. To be successful in this industry you have to be passionate about every project you work on, have enduring patience, and treat every artist with kindness. Two SAE Institute Audio Technology instructors projects have been nominated for 2017 GRAMMY Awards in the Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music category. SAE Institute Chicago instructor James Auwarter is credited for his engineering work on Hezekiah Walkers track Better from the album Azusa The Next Generation 2 Better, which has been nominated for Best Gospel Performance/Song. The album was recorded at the legendary Avatar Studios in New York. Additionally, SAE Institute Nashville instructor Matt Leigh is credited for his work as an engineer on Natalie Grant's 'Kings of the World' from the Be One album, which has been nominated for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song. GRAMMY-Award winning engineer, James 'Studio James' Auwarter is an adjunct instructor at SAE Institute Chicago, where he teaches an Advanced Signal Flow course that focuses on engineering in large professional studio environments. A recording/mixing/mastering engineer, James' accomplishments include one GRAMMY Award and 31 credited GRAMMY nominations. His career spans a wide variety of musical genres including Hip-Hop, R&B/Soul, Rap, Rock, Jazz, Classical and Gospel. James client list of notable artists include Kanye West, Yo-Yo Ma, Kirk Franklin, Jenifer Hudson, Kurt Elling, Bob Mintzer, Adam Levine (Maroon 5), Tom Higgenson (Plain White Tees), Donald Lawrence, Hezekiah Walker, Rihanna, Fred Hammond, Bobby Jones, Anthony Hamilton, John Legend, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Lupe Fiasco, and Mavis Staples. James recently opened Coda Room Audio, a new studio in Chicago where he has already produced a Billboard #1-charting album, mastering Daniel Weatherspoon's jazz record The Langley Park Project. James work has appeared on four platinum-selling albums and six gold albums. Matt Leigh serves on the Advisory Technology Council at SAE Institute Nashville, where he is also an instructor teaching courses in Music Production Skills, Digital Audio Theory, Recording Studio Techniques, Music Theory, and Pro Tools Software, including hands-on demonstrations for multi-track recording, editing, and mixing techniques. His diverse notable clients include Natalie Grant, Violet & The Undercurrents, Sister Sadie, and El Gun Legro. He is currently working on releasing debut records for country artist, Sheridan Gates, and pop artist, Dani King. Natalie Grants track is Matt Leighs first GRAMMY-nominated project. "This is a really big deal and an honor to have a project you worked on receive a GRAMMY nomination" says Leigh. "To be successful in this industry you have to be passionate about every project you work on, have enduring patience, and treat every artist with kindness." Matt is also the Studio Manager and Head Engineer at The Tracking Room. These nominations for the 59th Annual GRAMMY Awards further distinguishes SAE Institute as one of Americas premier providers of creative media education, proven by the achievements of its talented, industry experienced faculty. About SAE Institute SAE Institute provides aspiring creative media professionals with a foundation of practical theory and valuable hands-on training in their chosen areas of concentration. Under the guidance of industry-experienced faculty, students gain the essential experience they need for entry-level jobs in the creative media industry. Students are supported in their job searches by SAEs international network of alumni, many of whom are leaders in the music, film, game arts, and live performance arenas. SAE Institute offers programs in Audio Technology in seven US campuses, along with a Music Business program at select locations, all fully accredited and focused on preparing students for employment upon graduation. Bachelors Degree programs in Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art & Design, Interactive Audio, and Sound Arts are available at SAE Institute San Jose and SAE Expression College in the San Francisco Bay Area, formerly Expression College. SAE Institute Group, Inc. is a part of Navitas LTD. Learn more at usa.sae.edu. About Navitas Navitas is an Australian global education leader, providing pre-university and university programs, English language courses, migrant education and settlement services, creative media education, student recruitment, professional development, and corporate training services to more than 80,000 students across a network of over 120 colleges and campuses in 31 countries. Learn more at Navitas.com. Liiquidware Labs Stratusphere UX For NVIDIA GRID vGPU Monitoring Stratusphere UX with NVIDIA GRID vGPU Monitoring means IT can support critical phases of desktop[s] -- John Fanelli, VP, NVIDIA GRID. Liquidware Labs, a leader in desktop transformation solutions, today announced the general availability of Stratusphere UX 5.8.6 with a number of new features, including new virtual GPU (vGPU) metrics as well as dashboard enhancements, greater security and more. The company is demonstrating the software at Citrix Summit 2016 Anaheim this week at Booth 408. Stratusphere UX continues to lower the barrier of entry for the diagnostics and monitoring of end-user workloads, said David Bieneman, CEO, Liquidware Labs. The solutions ability to focus on all users, machines and applications, while defining a quantitative metric for user experience, is the defining aspect of Stratusphere. And now, with more granular vGPU metrics and enhanced dashboard views, Stratusphere UX offers greater capabilities in support of trending, optimizing and diagnosing the challenges faced in next generation end-user workspaces. Stratusphere UX is the solution of choice for administrators, platform architects, solution and managed cloud providers who wish to prioritize user experience in the platform, architecture and ongoing management of end user workspaces. Unlike traditional infrastructure and performance monitoring solutions, Stratusphere UX focuses visibility on the user experience; making it possible to focus on the user and prioritize all aspects of platform operations, management and troubleshooting. When delivering end-user workspaces, user experience monitoring is just as, if not, more important than infrastructure monitoring for IT to consider, commented Robert Young, Research Director, IDC, IT Service Management and Client Virtualization Software. The inclusion of virtual GPU visibility and metrics in this latest release of Stratusphere UX from Liquidware Labs is indicative of their understanding of the insight requirements demanded in todays complex desktop environment. With this release of Stratusphere UX 5.8.6, Liquidware Labs has exposed additional layers of graphics and greater GPU visibility through its support for NVIDIA GRID. Stratusphere UX 5.8.6 with NVIDIA GRID vGPU Monitoring means enterprise IT teams can support critical phases of the desktop, such as assessment, deployment and operations, says John Fanelli, vice president of NVIDIA GRID. Stratuspheres presentation of NVIDIA GRID vGPU metrics brings improved configurability, manageability, rightsizing and, ultimately, greater return on investment to the monitoring of server-based end-user workloads. The following updates and feature enhancements included in version 5.8.6 of Stratusphere UX are: Greater vGPU Visibility Stratusphere UX now supports NVIDIA GRID enterprise software, critical for the management, optimization, monitoring and troubleshooting of graphics-related challenges in end-user workloads. Specific metrics and information include details on GPU encode, GPU decode and frame buffer. Dashboard Enhancements These newly organized and enhanced Advanced Mode Dashboards greatly increase the depth of visibility in Stratusphere; particularly for the Monitoring use case. The increased visibility to end-user metrics significantly lowers the barrier of entry; making important operational tasks easier and more accessible. New Advanced Mode Dashboards views include Overview (high level view), Compare Trend (three timeframe view) and Top Consumers (top resource consumers). API Security The Stratusphere API has provided headless access to Stratusphere UX metrics and information for some time. With version 5.8.6, greater user ID and password-based security is now the default behavior for Stratusphere API access, making access to important user-centric metrics and information easier, yet more secure. Availability and Pricing Stratusphere UX is currently available for general availability. Pricing is USD $39 per named user as a standalone product, or as a component of the Liquidware Labs Essentials Suite at USD $79. About Liquidware Labs Liquidware Labs provides industry leading platform-agnostic desktop solutions for hybrid Windows desktop environments including Citrix XenApp/XenDesktop, VMware Horizon View, and physical Microsoft Windows PCs. Stratusphere FIT and Stratusphere UX products deliver visibility into desktop environments and support assessment, design, monitoring and diagnostics (Health Checks). ProfileUnity provides just in time delivery of User Profiles, application and user rights management and context-aware policies. ProfileUnitys FlexApp feature delivers advanced Application Layering. Flex-IO supports IOPS acceleration in virtual desktop environments. The solutions are available in an extremely cost-effectively priced bundle called Liquidware Labs Essentials. Liquidware Labs products are Citrix Ready, VMware-certified, and are available through a global network of partners. Visit http://www.liquidwarelabs.com for further information. -###- Media contact: Jane Rimmer | jane(at)hiviz-marketing(dot)com | +44 7710 633488 A Spanish man and Polish woman are starting the new year as the first two Europeans to restore their hearing with a cochlear implant system from Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Today in Bialystok, Poland, doctors will activate Nurotrons Venus Cochlear Implant System in a 54-year-old woman suffering from progressive hearing loss. Nurotrons system is an effective solution for both children and adults who suffer from severe and profound hearing loss. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, a cochlear implant replaces the function of a damaged inner ear, providing sound signals to the brain. Marek Rogowski, doctor of medicine and professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Medical University of Bialystok, performed the surgery at the University Clinical Hospital in Poland. Andrzej Sieskiewicz, doctor of medicine and assistant professor in the department, assisted. In Spain, the Nurotron system is helping a 47-year-old man who suffered from rapidly progressing bilateral hearing loss. By December of 2015, he had complete hearing loss. In November, Francesc Roca-Ribas, doctor of medicine, performed the surgery to implant the Nurotron system at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol in Badalona, Spain. Dr. Roca-Ribass cochlear implant team, with assistance from Nurotrons expert, activated the system in late December to restore the patients hearing. The European implants extend Nurotrons worldwide growth, says Chu Li, CEO of the company. Doctors now have performed surgeries with the Venus Cochlear Implant System in nine countries on three continents: Bolivia, China, Colombia, India, Peru, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Venezuela. Nurotrons entry into Europe continues to address the demand for safe, reliable cochlear implants around the world. Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (http://en.nurotron.com) Nurotron Biotechnology is a medical device company that designs, develops and markets cochlear implant systems. The companys flagship system is the Venus Cochlear Implant System, a safe, reliable and effective solution for children and adults suffering from severe and profound hearing loss. The global leader in cochlear implant technology maintains its research and development center in Irvine, Calif., and manufacturing facilities in China. Founded in 2006, Nurotron is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Tammy Karr, Clickstop Cares board member Parents faced with how they will put a gift under the tree or how they are going to put food on the table they now have relief knowing they found a solution. Clickstop Cares, with support from Clickstop employees and the community, continued its holiday tradition of providing gifts, food, and basic necessities to families in need. As part of its Operation Holly Jolly Christmas last month, the nonprofit organization adopted a record 15 families totaling 75 individuals - from Benton, Buchanan, and Linn counties. Clickstop Cares, created and managed by employees of Clickstop, works closely with area schools and agencies to find those who could use assistance. This is the eighth year Clickstop has participated in the Christmas program. Company owners Tim and Nicole Guenther initiated the effort about five years prior to that, working on their own before enlisting help from coworkers. Each of the families supplied a wish list with requests ranging from kids toys to clothes and bedding, and a budget was allotted per family based on the number of members. Clickstop employees then teamed up to go shopping, supplementing their collections with new and gently used clothing, winter coats, shoes, boots, and more from the Clickstop Cares Closet. Wrapped packages were delivered to parents for distributing on Christmas Day. I am so humbled by the generosity of my fellow Clickstoppers, said Tammy Karr, Clickstop Cares board member. They really stepped up and helped families in need. In addition, a food drive competition within the company gathered 565 food items and 118 toiletries to divvy up among the families. Dubbed a Food Fight, Clickstop departments earned one point per food item, while they could add household cleaning supplies, paper products, or toiletries to others boxes to take away points. The 15-member manufacturing team won with 320 items, an average of 21.3 items per person. About 170 canned goods from that event went to the Mobile Food Pantry in Vinton. According to Karr, many kids dont get enough to eat during holiday breaks from school. Parents faced with how they will put a gift under the tree or how they are going to put food on the table they now have relief knowing they found a solution, Karr said. In 2014, Feeding America identified an overall food insecurity rate of 11 percent in Benton County. Children considered food insecure came in at 18 percent, which represents 1,150 kids. When our employees are willing and able to donate, I am reminded of the true spirit of giving and why what we are doing is so important, Karr said. To learn about volunteer and donation opportunities, visit the Clickstop Cares Facebook page, call 1-888-794-1413 or email Cares(at)ClickstopCares(dot)org. About Clickstop Cares Clickstop Cares is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created and managed by Clickstop Inc. employee volunteers, with additional support from surrounding communities. Clickstop is the parent company of several brands based in Urbana, Iowa. Its focus on great workplace culture has landed the company multiple work environment-focused awards including two first-place achievements as the Coolest Place to Work, along with being named one of Iowas Top Workplaces by The Des Moines Register for four consecutive years. Clickstop serves diverse markets that include the moving and cargo control industry, energy-efficient insulation products, fasteners and home organizing solutions. For more information, visit Clickstop.com. CSG appreciates the opportunity to be a part of this discussion as we all work together to develop solutions to the issues currently facing our industry. CSG Government Solutions, a national leader in government program modernization, today announced Shannon Barnes will be speaking at the Transportation Research Board (TRB) 96th Annual Meeting held January 912 in Washington, D.C. Ms. Barnes, a Principal in CSGs Program Modernization Practice, will be leading the session Connected and Autonomous Vehicles: What Transportation Organizations Need to Know, focused on preparing for a shift to autonomous vehicles. Ms. Barnes is an active member of TRB and currently serves as chair of the Information Systems and Technology Committee. The TRB Annual Meeting brings together thousands of transportation professionals from around the world to share insights on program policy, administration, ongoing research efforts, and best practices, says Patti Garofalo, Director of CSGs Program Modernization Practice. CSG appreciates the opportunity to be a part of this discussion as we all work together to develop solutions to the issues currently facing our industry. CSG Government Solutions continues to increase its presence across the United States. The company deploys highly experienced teams and innovative methods, knowledge, and tools to help governments modernize complex program enterprises. CSG clients include 43 state governments, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Labor, and large municipal governments. Contact: Patti Garofalo Director, Program Modernization Practice CSG Government Solutions 180 N. Stetson Ave Suite 3200 Chicago, IL 60601 Office: 312.444.2760 Fax: 312.938.2191 pgarofalo(at)csgdelivers(dot)com About CSG Government Solutions: CSG Government Solutions is a leading government operations consulting firm focused on helping states modernize critical program enterprises. Our highly experienced teams and industry-leading Centers of Excellence help governments leverage innovative technology and processes to meet the challenges of administering complex programs. Founded in 1997, CSG has established itself as a trusted adviser to government agencies across the U.S. For more information, visit http://www.csgdelivers.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Allegro Development Corporation, a leading provider of commodity management software, today announced that Tokyo Gas, the largest natural gas utility in Japan and the primary provider of natural gas to metropolitan Tokyo and the Kanto region, has chosen Allegro to manage its trading operations in the Japanese electricity market. Tokyo Gas, which was founded in 1885, provides a wide range of services, including city gas production, supply and sales, gas appliances, energy services and electricity supply. Before choosing Allegro's software, Tokyo Gas had been looking for a commodity trading and risk management system that would be easy to use and enable the company to streamline its power trading operations, while retaining the flexibility to keep pace with business developments. "In the Allegro platform, we have found an innovative, sophisticated and adaptable system to meet our needs in the power trading market. Operational agility and risk management are of significant importance for Tokyo Gas and key to sustaining our competitive advantage," said Hirofumi Sato, General Manager of the company's Power Business Planning Department. "We are convinced that Allegro's technological innovation will help us to achieve our business goals, and we look forward to working with the company. We're confident that, as our requirements change, Allegro will be capable of changing with us and extending our system as needed." Tokyo Gas determined that Allegro will help it to strengthen and expand its electric power business, which is one of its key priorities. The company has a goal to increase its electricity sales volume from about 10 billion kilowatt-hours in 2013 to around 30 billion kWh in 2020. Through leveraging Allegro, Tokyo Gas will gain: A solution for end-to-end management of its integrated trading and risk management processes A flexible partner and CTRM software provider that will work within the parameters of the company's culture, particularly around implementation A premier solution and implementation methodology to accommodate business development and growth in the future "Allegro proved to Tokyo Gas that we have the most comprehensive power electricity trading functionality in the industry," said Jonathan English, Managing Director, EMEA and APAC, at Allegro. This win further demonstrates Allegro's ability to develop and implement trading and risk management solutions that meet the needs of the Japanese energy market." About Allegro Allegro develops and markets integrated commodity management software providing position visibility, risk management, comprehensive controls and regulatory compliance. Allegro customers manage commodities from production to consumption, including oil and gas production, petroleum refining, agriculture and forestry, mining, chemicals, metals, food, transportation, commercial and utility sectors. Allegro software is tailored to the specific needs of each commodity, with a comprehensive set of features and functions to support profitable decisions. Allegro is headquartered in Dallas, with offices in Calgary, Dubai, Houston, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, London, Singapore and Zurich, along with a global network of partners. About Tokyo Gas Tokyo Gas Co., Ltd. founded in 1885, is the primary provider of natural gas for metropolitan Tokyo and the Kanto region. The company's sales in fiscal 2015 totaled nearly 1,885 billion yen, equivalent to around $16.5 billion at current exchange rates. Experienced entrepreneurs and venture capitalists among the 20,000 expected attendance at SPIE Photonics West 2017 will have a new opportunity this year to present and hear business pitches. SPIE is providing an important gathering place for entrepreneurs to connect personally with potential investors. SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is organizing a new lunchtime forum for experienced entrepreneurs to present to investors during Photonics West, January 31 in San Francisco. After the 90-second pitches are presented, lunch will be served with time for one-to-one conversation. SPIE has long focused on the needs of entrepreneurs, through the SPIE Startup Challenge, Prism Awards for best new products, and the largest product launch venue at Photonics West. The Photonics Fast Pitch Lunch fills the gap by providing an efficient opportunity for experienced entrepreneurs to meet with investors, said Peter Hallett, SPIE Director of Marketing and Industry Relations. As the leading international society for optical engineers and entrepreneurs, SPIE continually looks for ways to support the growth of our industry. The Photonics Fast Pitch Lunch is supported by the French Tech Hub. The top French companies in photonics come to Photonics West, so this is a great place for us to bring executives, mentors, and investors together for introductions and face-to-face dialog, said Marie Frochen, Senior Program Manager, French Tech Hub San Francisco. This new event fits our mission of accelerating French tech company growth in the USA. I am excited to see this inaugural Fast Pitch Lunch at Photonics West, where innovations can turn into profit, said Andrea Belz, Vice Dean for Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship, USC Viterbi School of Engineering. SPIE is providing an important gathering place for entrepreneurs to connect personally with potential investors. SPIE partnered with USC Viterbi in creating the Fast Pitch Lunch to help bridge the gap between pre-revenue ideas and market leadership. The Photonics West Fast Pitch Lunch is a forum, not a competition with cash prizes. Entrepreneurs give rapid-fire, 90-second verbal presentations without slides introducing their business concepts to potential investors, analysts, and mentors. Following the presentations, the room will be available for further one-to-one conversations. Investors, analysts, and entrepreneurs interested in attending should send an introductory email to innovation(at)spie(dot)org for details. SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, is an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering and technology. SPIE Photonics West is the largest conference and exhibition for the technology and applications of optics and photonics, with 1370 exhibitors and 20,000 attendees. Our collaboration with Butler and Span allows us to provide the total package of the process space (POD) and outer building structure. G-CON Manufacturing, Butler Manufacturing and Span Construction and Engineering today announced a non-exclusive collaboration to combine efforts in providing POD solutions and the facilities able to house them for pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical customers who require cleanroom flexibility, mobility and rapid deployment inside a greenfield facility. The collaboration brings together three industry leaders in their respective fields with unique capabilities to provide customers with more options for their cleanroom projects. The companies will also serve customers who require cleanroom capacity, but do not have an existing facility, as well as those who reside where existing facilities are not available, not cost effective, or are insufficient for pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical development and production. In our industry, were seeing a paradigm shift away from capital intensive facilities to rapidly deployable and flexible infrastructures. Our collaboration with Butler and Span allows us to provide the total package of the process space (POD) and outer building structure, said Sid Backstrom, Executive Director of Business Management for G-CON. While PODs can be delivered and integrated into a variety of brownfield sites, many times customers locations require greenfield sites. This new partnership can now fill that need through a combined offering thats cost effective, faster, energy-efficient, and flexible. G-CON is the innovator of PODs autonomous cleanroom technology. It has built these PODs since 2009 to solve customer needs, including fill-finish, vaccines, cell and gene therapy, and oral solid dosage. Span, an industry leader in commercial and industrial construction, has built over 150 million square feet of steel buildings since its inception in 1979. Butler Manufacturing is a building-solutions company providing the design, manufacture, and marketing of building systems for commercial construction. Design-build solutions from Butler eliminate third parties to streamline construction and further condense construction schedules. Butler structural and roof systems integrate with metal, tilt-up, masonry, glass, or precast concrete walls. Butler Manufacturing is proud to be part of this unrivaled solution for the pharmaceutical industry, added David Blink, Butler Global Corporate Accounts Manager. By assisting G-CON and Span in this venture, were able to deliver a level of capability that did not exist before. Customers can work with G-CON to POD-ify their process, i.e. design a POD or POD cluster for their specific purposes, while also working with Butler and Span to build a facility that will host and supply utilities to the POD(s). We are pleased to be a part of this partnership and to provide the pharmaceutical industry with the best service, especially for such an innovative concept, noted Chris Calafiore, Business Development Manager for SPAN. After working with SPAN for over 20 years, I am confident that we provide the very best personal and superior service regardless of the project type and location. I am excited for the opportunity to build relationships with these new clients, get to know their building needs, and bring success to their companies. The SPAN team is ready to exceed expectations and we look forward to the great things on the horizon. About Butler Manufacturing Butler Manufacturing provides a comprehensive combination of design-build construction solutions and innovative building technology to the nonresidential market. Every Butler building is backed by unrivaled research and testing, ensuring that Butler building systems perform to the highest standards. Through a network of more than 1,400 Butler Builder dealers worldwide and corporate account services, Butler addresses the demand for environmentally friendly and energy-efficient design in commercial and industrial buildings. Butler is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, and is a division of BlueScope Buildings North America, Inc. For more information, visit http://www.butlermfg.com. About G-CON G-CON Manufacturing designs, builds and installs prefabricated, autonomous cleanroom PODs. G-CONs cleanroom POD portfolio encompasses a variety of different dimensions and purposes, from laboratory environments to personalized medicine and production process platforms. The POD cleanroom units surpass traditional cleanroom structures by virtue of their scalability, mobility and the possibility of repurposing the PODs once the production process reaches its lifecycle end. For more information, please visit the G-CONs website at http://www.gconbio.com. About Span Span Construction is a commercial/industrial construction firm committed to providing personal service and establishing long-lasting client relationships. Our business model is clear-cut providing industry-leading construction and engineering, always with an eye on establishing partnerships and creating highly efficient structures. This formula is how weve built over 150 million square feet of steel buildings since our start in 1979. The Span team has a total commitment to providing personal service and creating long-lasting client relationships. This is why the majority of our clients worldwide are repeat customers. The Sylvia Riddle: a gripping unforgettable tale of a heroic knight on the most sacred of quests to rescue the maiden from the jaws of the beast and bring peace to the land. The Sylvia Riddle is the creation of published author, Robert J. Coombs, Viet Nam veteran and Chicago native, who lives in Orlando, FL. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Robert J. Coombss new book is an epic poem set in medieval Scotland. The story maintains a Christian theme throughout as good battles evil. As the story develops, a hero emerges. He learns that the beautiful Princess Sylvia MacBee has been hexed by an evil wizard (Satan). The hex requires that Sylvia cannot marry unless her suitor successfully answers a riddle. An incorrect answer to the riddle has a fatal consequence. Eighty men have died attempting to answer the riddle, and there are no more suitors in Realm MacBee willing to risk death. As the story unfolds, the hero, Knight Jude MacPhitt also learns that not only must he answer the marital riddle to save Sylvia from marrying Grooson, Satans horrific son, but he must answer an additional riddle for each of the seven deadly sins, and his woeful journey will take him to the depths of Hell. View a synopsis of The Sylvia Riddle on YouTube. Consumers can purchase The Sylvia Riddle at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, Kobo or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about The Sylvia Riddle, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Needless to say, weve known how remarkable Interactive Ink Technology and Nebo are for quite some time. Nebo is truly an unprecedented notetaking application that combines the benefits of handwriting with the power and productivity of digital computing. MyScript, a pioneering market leader in accurate, high-performance handwriting recognition and digital ink management technology, is proud to announce that Nebo has been named the winner of the 2017 Mobile Apps Showdown competition. The competition showcases the best of the latest breed of 2016s apps, and highlights the innovation and ingenuity of todays mobile app developers. Nebo is a breakthrough notetaking application that leverages the power of MyScripts Interactive Ink technology, and makes handwritten digital document creation both seamless and highly productive. Our MyScript team is ecstatic to have won the Mobile Apps Showdown with our advanced note taking app, Nebo, said Denis Manceau, vice president of product management at MyScript. Needless to say, weve known how remarkable Interactive Ink Technology and Nebo are for quite some time. Nebo is truly an unprecedented notetaking application that combines the benefits of handwriting with the power and productivity of digital computing. With Nebo, you never have to retype your notes. Currently available on the Windows and Apple App stores, and soon arriving on Google Play, Nebo enables users with active pens to write and edit their handwritten notes in real-time. Nebo, gives users the ability to easily manipulate text using an active pen and immediately convert it into digital form. Written input can be formatted using titles, paragraphs and bullet lists. Formats, including layout colors and styles, are preserved when rendered into digital documents. Diagrams such as org charts, flowcharts, mind maps and more, editable equations, freeform sketches and annotated pictures can also be included into the notes content. Nebo is device independent, allowing flexibility and responsiveness to digital ink based on device size and screen orientation. Collaboration is enabled by exporting to Microsoft Word or as an email. The Mobile Apps Showdown is an annual competition presented by CES and Living in Digital Times. The winner of the contests is decided through a multi-round series of eliminations. First, a panel of judges narrowed down the many contest submissions to the top finalists. These finalists then competed in an online voting elimination round. The final apps also faced-off live on the big stage at CES on Jan. 7 with voting by the audience. About MyScript MyScript is the acknowledged market leader in accurate, high-performance handwriting recognition and digital ink management technology. MyScript technology combines digital ink management with easy searching of handwritten text, as well as the accurate recognition of complex mathematical equations, geometric shapes and music notation. MyScript solutions are available on all leading desktop and mobile operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS, Linux, iOS and Android. With nearly 100 languages supported and a truly international team, MyScript serves customers worldwide from its headquarters in Nantes, France, and regional offices located in China, Japan, Korea and the U.S. For further information, please visit myscript.com. ### MyScript is a registered trademark, registered in the US and other countries. All the other trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Apple and Mac OS are registered trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. iOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the U.S. and other countries and is used under license. Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries. Android is a trademark of Google Inc. Kate Roy, CIC "Kate's combination of marketing expertise and in-depth insurance experience is rare, resulting in a greater ability to communicate The Gaudreau Groups mission to a broad audience in a unique and effective way." -Jules Gaudreau, President The Gaudreau Group Insurance and Financial Services Agency of Wilbraham, MA recently welcomed back to their team Kate Roy, Director of Marketing. In her new role, Roy helps communicate the firms mission: We help our clients Discover, Protect, and Enhance the people, places and things that are important to them. Working closely with The Gaudreau Groups Strategy Advisors, Account Managers and their President, Jules Gaudreau, Roy delivers communications that help current and prospective clients understand the benefits of working with The Gaudreau Group. As a Certified Insurance Counselor, Roy has a deep understanding of the insurance industry and worked for several years in the Personal Insurance business, both for a large national carrier and for several agencies. Were excited to have Kate back on our team. Her combination of marketing expertise and in-depth insurance experience is rare, resulting in a greater ability to communicate The Gaudreau Groups mission to a broad audience in a unique and effective way, says Gaudreau. A graduate of Springfield Technical Community Colleges Teleproduction Technology program, Roy has experience in several different media channels. She was featured on roughnotes.com, the online presence of Rough Notes magazine, for her expertise on Digital Marketing in the insurance agency world. She is also a graduate of the Springfield Leadership Institute, has volunteered with the East of the River Five Town Chamber of Commerce (ERC5) and Minnechaug Regional High Schools Career Readiness collaboration, and is a current contributor to the Westfield Education to Business Alliance. Roy was with The Gaudreau Group previously from 2008-2014 in customer services and administrative roles. Prior to her years in the insurance industry, Roy was a videographer and editor for a local NBC TV affiliate. Founded in 1921 and headquartered in Wilbraham, Massachusetts, The Gaudreau Group insures over 6,000 businesses and families in 14 states with combined annual premiums of over $100 million. Global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP has added Barrett Wilson-Murphy and Erin Moody as associates to its Boston Corporate & Securities Practice. Wilson-Murphy focuses his practice on finance, representing major commercial and investment banks and hedge funds as lenders and agents. His experience extends to asset-based and acquisition financings involving multiple syndicated credit facilities and contemporaneous placement of publicly or privately placed senior or subordinated debt. He received his J.D. from Boston College Law School, and a B.A. in Political Science from Trinity College. Moody concentrates her practice on all aspects of corporate law, including mergers and acquisitions, venture capital, entity formation, and corporate governance. She drafts agreements, including stock subscription, service provider, licensing and consulting agreements, and assists with due diligence review for strategic transactions and affiliations. She received her J.D. from Boston College Law School, and a B.A. from Boston College. Terence P. McCourt, Managing Shareholder of Greenberg Traurigs Boston office, said, We continue to grow the Boston office in key areas of law to meet client needs. Barrett and Erin are strong additions to our Corporate Group, and we look forward to working with them to deliver the exceptional and timely legal services that our clients have come to expect from the firm. About Greenberg Traurigs Boston Office Established in 1999, Greenberg Traurigs Boston office is home to 70 attorneys practicing in the areas of corporate, emerging technology, energy, governmental affairs, intellectual property, labor and employment, life sciences and medical technology, litigation, public finance, real estate, and securities. An important contributor to the firm's international platform, the Boston office includes a team of nationally recognized attorneys with both public and private sector experience. The team offers clients the value of decades of legal experience and hands-on knowledge of the local business community, supported by the firm's vast network of global resources. About Greenberg Traurig, LLP Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, multi-practice law firm with approximately 2,000 attorneys serving clients from 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The firm is No. 1 on the 2015 Law360 Most Charitable Firms list, second largest in the U.S. on the 2016 Law360 400, Top 20 on the 2015 Am Law Global 100, and among the 2016 BTI Brand Elite. More information at: http://www.gtlaw.com. Were thrilled that all the hard work, dedication and fantastic collaboration that went into creating HelloJetBlue has led to it being chosen as a top intranet for 2017." -Nick Grant, Imarc CEO The Nielsen Norman Group (NN/g) announced today the worlds top 10 intranets of 2017, which includes HelloJetBlue, a recent collaboration between Imarc and JetBlue. NN/g selected the winning intranets based on the success of the evolution from previous intranets with new-age technology to offer seamless tools across organizations. Supporting a very strong, positive company culture, HelloJetBlue offers a combination of resources, tools, and news packaged in a friendly, imaginative way. The intranet keeps JetBlues employees, known as crewmembers, motivated and firmly grounded, even while soaring above the clouds," -Jakob Nielsen, usability expert and principal of Nielsen Norman Group. HelloJetBlue is a vital part of the airlines internal brand and engagement efforts, serving as a dynamic hub for the JetBlue team that now spans 22 countries. Imarc played a key role in reimagining a 15-year-old intranet by shifting the focus from department-based usability to crewmember needs. To design the intranet uniquely for its users, Imarc attended the airlines two-day new hire orientation at JetBlue University. Surveying 2,300 crewmembers in various roles throughout the company helped Imarc better understand a diversity of user needs that ultimately informed the design. In designing a new HelloJetBlue, we wanted to tap into our fun value and playful brand voice while at the same time living up to the personal, helpful and simple experience that we are known for by customers and crewmembers alike. -Kate McMillan, JetBlue Communications Manager Imarc jumped at the chance to work with such an iconic brand and incorporate its stylish aesthetic and human qualities to the intranet. Throughout the project, the Imarc team utilized its customized approach to focus on design, development and creative; with the goal of delivering an experience that would draw crewmembers in and help keep them engaged. Whether using a tablet in flight or a Citrix system at the airport, every crewmember has access to a seamless user experience. Imarc developed HelloJetBlue on a custom Content Management System (CMS), increasing administrative efficiency for JetBlues corporate communications team and providing site-wide content control. The intranet continues to perform well, with more than 1,500 posts per year and 50,000 visits per day. The custom CMS supports the ability to scale the portal as JetBlue continues to grow. Were thrilled that all the hard work, dedication and fantastic collaboration that went into creating HelloJetBlue has led to it being chosen as a top intranet for 2017. To win such a prestigious award is an honor and being in NN/g 2017 Intranet Design Annual makes this project that much more special. -Nick Grant, CEO of Imarc To learn more about the HelloJetBlue redesign, visit http://www.imarc.com/work/jetblue. About Imarc Imarc (http://www.imarc.com) is an adaptive, full-service digital agency with a strong focus on web, mobile and custom application solutions. Since 1997, the agencys team of experienced engineers, UX engineers, designers, strategists and business and marketing experts has been helping over 300 clients do business better. The award-winning, 28-person, nationwide agency has sustained steady growth since its inception and is proud of its many long-term client relationships across different industries. Today Imarc continues to be a premier digital agency that attracts top talent and creates smart solutions for forward-thinking brands. For more information, contact Imarc at hello(at)imarc(dot)com. About Nielsen Norman Group Nielsen Norman Group (http://www.nngroup.com) in an evidence-based user experience research, training and consulting firm that advises companies on how to improve the bottom line through human-centered design of products and services. NN/g principals Jakob Nielsen, Don Norman and Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini are world-renowned user experience experts who were advocating human-centered design and usability long before it became popular to do so. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, NN/g evaluates interfaces of all kinds and guides the critical design decisions that make websites, applications, intranets and products achieve their full potential for businesses and their users. About JetBlue JetBlue is New York's Hometown Airline, and a leading carrier in Boston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood, Los Angeles (Long Beach), Orlando, and San Juan. JetBlue carries more than 35 million customers a year to 100 cities in the U.S., Caribbean, and Latin America with an average of 925 daily flights. For more information please visit http://www.jetblue.com. This new structure will allow us to offer a single carrier solution to our public sector brokers and insureds, from primary P&C to multi-million dollar alternative risk programs. Euclid Public Sector today announced a change in the issuing carrier for its primary public sector business. Beginning May 1, 2017, they will be writing on behalf of Hudson Insurance Group, whose companies are rated A (Excellent) by A.M. Best, Financial Size Category XV. Euclid already underwrites its Public Sector Alternative Risk insurance and reinsurance business on behalf of Hudson. The change announced today means all Public Sector offerings for Euclid will now be written on Hudson paper. Euclid Public Sector Underwriters is a program administrator specializing in primary property, casualty and professional liability products for the public sector. Under its new facility, Euclid will continue to offer property, inland marine, crime, general liability, auto liability and physical damage, public officials, school board legal, employment practices, law enforcement liability, emergency dispatchers and firefighters liability for the public sector, including cities, counties, townships, boroughs, special districts, non-rail transit authorities, K-12 school districts as well as junior/community colleges, and other publicly funded agencies. Chris Golonka and Jim Marquis are principals in Euclid Public Sector. Chris and Jim each have over thirty years of experience in the insurance industry, with over forty years combined underwriting exclusively for the public sector. We are thrilled to be working with Hudson Insurance Group on whose behalf we currently underwrite our public sector alternative risk business, said Chris Golonka, Managing Principal. This new structure will allow us to offer a single carrier solution to our public sector brokers and insureds, from primary P&C to multi-million dollar alternative risk programs. Combining our public sector programs with one carrier is an exciting next step for our plan for growth and expansion throughout the US, said John N. Colis, President and CEO of Euclid. With strong expertise from over sixteen years in this space, we have built an excellent, service-oriented team and are poised for continued success. ## About Euclid Euclid Program Managers is a family of program administrators for specialty property/casualty insurance programs operating under the names Euclid Public Sector, Euclid Public Sector Alternative Risk, LLC, Euclid A&E, Euclid Specialty Managers, LLC, Euclid Executive Liability Managers, LLC, Euclid Financial Institution Underwriters, LLC, Euclid Transactional, LLC and Enviant. For information on Euclid Program Managers, visit http://www.euclidprograms.com. Underwriting inquiries for Euclid Public Sector can be directed to Chris Golonka at 630.238.2703 or cgolonka(at)euclidps(dot)com. New Jersey-native Caine Casket has released the official video to his atmospheric single Billows ahead of his forthcoming EP, NineNights. Co-directed by Godfred Sedano and Caine, the rising emcee channels 90s nostalgia while showcasing his genre-defying sound. The moody visuals take us back in time with throwback cultural and musical influences, complete with mixtapes, turntable and a drum pad. Using muted tones and VHS filters, Caine creates an analog world in his bedroom as he attempts to tune out what he calls distractions from the cloud. This is an intimate reflection of my creative process. The bedroom represents the walls of my mind as I find my way through these social clouds surrounding us, said Caine. In this digital age, its hard to remove ourselves from the noise just to get a glimpse of who we actually are. Billows is about rising above those clouds -- whether online or off. Produced by D. Sanders & Raava, Billows is as much a creative statement as it is a showcase of Caines avant garde hip-hop meets progressive soul sound. His lyrical prowess has already been listed as one to watch by Village Voice, which took note of his "soothing melodies and heaven-like metaphors". Watch the video here for Billows here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fo5QJfp5Uro For more information, visit cainecasket.com and follow Caine Casket at @CaineCasket on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Please direct all media inquiries to media[at]kladegroup[dot]com. ##30## About Caine Casket Sonic and visual artist Caine Casket has fast become one to watch. After his debut effort, "New Jerusalem", the 22-year-old was praised for his melancholy mid-tempo verses with feelsy vocal-harmony hooks. He has also earned a reputation as an adept hip-hop artist and producer for his signature avante garde hip-hop meets progressive soul sound which combines abstract lyricism, grainy sonic textures and an array of cross-genre influences. Born and raised in New Jersey with Liberian roots, Caine says finding music helped him find his purpose - and now he is creating musical landscapes to help others find theirs. At times, when Im in the universe of my own mind, I feel like Im not a person. I just want this music so no one ever feels like that. COO Jos Zamzow talks about Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification. Chinese pig farms are focusing on cutting-edge technology and feed formulas for swine. An Iowa company is anticipating increased sales in China, thanks to the Idaho governors recent trade mission to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Urbandales Catalyst, which manufactures custom animal feed, was represented on the trade mission by its parent company, Idaho-based Dynamite Marketing. As a result of a previous trade mission in 2013, Catalysts OCM Global became the first feed additive approved for sale in China in 40 years. OCM Global is a non-medicated proprietary blend of minerals that has been credited with digestive support in swine, dairy cattle and poultry for many years. China is the worlds largest producer of pork with more than 460 million pigs. This is about seven times the number in the United States, the second-largest producer in the world, according to factsandfigures.com. The average hog farm in China has more than 8,000 head, according to Modern Farmer magazine. Chinese pig farms are focusing on cutting-edge technology and feed formulas for swine, said Jos Zamzow, Dynamite chief operating office. Our products have a long track record of improving growth in swine, and the large Chinese farms are eager to buy it. The Chinese pork industry is going to be a major factor as we create additional products for swine. The trade mission to China was a huge success for Catalyst! he added. The Idaho governors staff set up great meetings with new potential customers for our animal feed and supplements, helped us arrange to meet with our current customers, and even helped with the logistics. To top it all off, we got to have Idaho Gov. C. L. Butch Otter sit in on a meeting with one of our customers. His friendly, likable demeanor and tremendous experience really sealed the deal. Our recent mission to China was one of the best weve had, Gov. Otter said. The interest we received in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou was a reflection of the great products and services we were promoting, along with the tremendous market potential that remains in China. Catalyst holds the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification, which is awarded by the American Feed Industry Association to less than 8 percent of the nations almost 6,000 feed mills. OCM Global works by supporting nutrient digestibility and maximizing feed intake in swine and other livestock, resulting in uninterrupted performance and growth. More than 2 million pounds are sold each year. Catalyst, formerly known as Pharm-Tech, provides provides custom formulation and manufacturing services for worldwide customers in the livestock, poultry, pet, wildlife and aquaculture industries. Its full line of more than100 items includes feed and related products for animals of all sizes. Dynamite Marketing is based in Meridian, Idaho, and is the parent company of Catalyst. Dynamite has been producing animal feed and related products for virtually all living creatures for four generations. Additional information about Catalyst is available by calling (515) 254-1290. Additional information about Dynamite is available by calling (800) 697-7434. Conventus to Host Live Webinar on MACRAs Quality Payment Program for Medical Practices Conventus, New Jerseys premier professional liability insurer formed by and governed through an alliance of independent physicians, will host a live webinar, MACRA What You Need to Know to Prepare. This educational event, presented by Carolyn Hoitela, Director of Practice Management at Conventus, will give physicians and practice administrators in New Jersey a stronger understanding of the Quality Payment Programs key requirements and how to prepare for the upcoming changes. The webinar is scheduled for 12:00 PM 1:00 PM ET on January 25, 2017. With MACRAs Quality Payment Program starting to take effect in 2017, its critical to have a plan in place to ease the transition to this new payment model system and protect future reimbursement. Attendees of the live webinar will learn key criteria to help navigate the programs requirements, tips for becoming MIPS ready, and how to stay ahead of the curve for the upcoming reporting year. Topics Covered: Key Quality Payment Program concepts and program alignment between Meaningful Use, PQRS, and Value Modifier MIPS measures and reporting requirements How to prepare for upcoming payment program changes Q&A about the Quality Payment Program Thirteen years ago when Conventus was formed to address a medical professional liability insurance crisis in New Jersey, the focus was solely on helping physicians succeed and that fundamental concept has only grown stronger over the years. To register for the webinar, visit http://www.conventusnj.com/webinars/quality-payment-program.aspx. About Conventus Inter-Insurance Exchange As New Jerseys premier professional liability insurer formed by and governed through an alliance of physicians, Conventus is devoted to serving the best interests of independent physician practices. Conventus members and their staff enjoy exclusive access to insurance products and highly personalized services, gaining the practical knowledge and expert resources they need to improve practice performance, better serve their patients, and remain independent. The Conventus team prides itself on being forward lookers and solution partners whose sole purpose is to help independent physician practices thrive in todays rapidly changing healthcare environment. Learn more at http://www.conventusnj.com. Follow Conventus on Twitter @ConventusNJ and LinkedIn at Conventus Inter-Insurance Exchange Thousands of our customers are in Europe, and it was only natural for us to begin to roll out our hosting services with the launch of our shared hosting in Amsterdam, said Kaumil Patel, Chief Operating Officer of GreenGeeks GreenGeeks, a leader in providing green energy web hosting solutions, has announced that it has launched its shared hosting services in Europe with its Amsterdam Data Center location. This European data center is the first of several planned expansions into Europe and Asian markets in addition to three existing locations already established in North America. Thousands of our customers are in Europe, and it was only natural for us to begin to roll out our hosting services with the launch of our shared hosting in Amsterdam, said Kaumil Patel, Chief Operating Officer of GreenGeeks. A data center in Europe allows customers from this continent to enjoy local hosting benefits such as privacy laws, lower latency for faster page loads and search engine optimization. Giving our customers the ability to host locally is what sets us apart from some of the other web hosting providers in our space. added Patel. GreenGeeks says that customers who visit its website from countries in Europe, Africa, and Asia will automatically be selected to be provisioned in the Amsterdam data center and will enjoy upgraded and enhanced shared hosting services. Customers from these regions who wish to be provisioned in North America can still do so when placing the order. More information about shared hosting in Europe can be found at https://www.greengeeks.com/web-hosting/ About GreenGeeks Founded in 2008 by Trey Gardner, GreenGeeks delivers an industry-leading source for carbon-offset Shared, Reseller, VPS, Dedicated Servers and Managed WordPress Hosting services. Since its founding, GreenGeeks has been featured in prestigious lists such as Incs 5000 fastest growing companies in America for four consecutive years. This is aside from the many awards GreenGeeks has received for their green, eco-friendly hosting solutions. For more information, visit http://www.greengeeks.com. Keith David shared Stewarts enthusiasm. We at the Task Force Dagger Foundation are pleased to partner with ACRES and work together to research, find, and provide solutions to issues faced by many of our service members, veterans, and their families." Task Force Dagger Foundation (TFD) Managing Director, Keith David, and the Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) President and CEO, Greg Koski announced today that their non-profit charitable organizations have established a strategic alliance to address the grave health challenges impacting Americas elite special operations forces and their families through application of ACRES systems-based approaches to accelerate research and advance integrated care. Task Force Dagger, drawn from units of the United States Special Operations Command USSOCOM, was the designation of the Special Forces elements that conducted the initial invasion of Afghanistan following the terrorist attack on the United States on September 11th, 2001. Founded in 2009, the Task Force Dagger Foundation provides assistance not covered by the Military, DOD, VA, or their insurance to wounded, ill, or injured US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) members and their families, responding to urgent needs and providing next-generation health solutions for issues facing our service members, particularly in the areas of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS), and environmental exposures. To date, Task Force Dagger Foundation has supported the US Special Operations Command with approximately $3.4M in support to over 1,600 families. The Foundations Special Operations Forces (SOF) Health Initiatives Program takes a comprehensive systems biology approach known as Functional Medicine including advanced functional diagnostic health assessments such as biochemical and metabolic analysis, neuroendocrine testing, genetic testing and extensive diagnostic testing for occupational and environmental exposures such as heavy metals and other deployment related exposures. The SOF Health Initiatives Program offers a comprehensive patient-centric systems approach to resolving health complaints and creates an environment conducive to healing and recovery based on each individuals biochemical individuality and genetic uniqueness. Under their alliance agreement, ACRES, a multi-stakeholder collaborative committed to accelerating clinical research and medicines development in the public interest, will apply the integrated systems model developed for the Moonshot on Cancer to the functional medicine paradigm adopted by the Task Force Dagger Foundation. The SOF Health Initiatives Program has teamed up with multiple organizations such as the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine, EXOS, Millennium Health TBI, The Brain Treatment Center (USC), CERESCAN, InLight Wellness and the Elk Institute to offer a complete start to finish program that merges and optimizes health and wellness. ACRES Chief Technology Officer and Board member, Bob Stewart, and Geoffrey Dardia, Founding Director of the SOF Health Initiatives Program, masterminded the creation of the strategic alliance. ACRES people-focused, technology- supported model is based upon a coalition of major academic, government and private-sector organizations across the healthcare, clinical research and the medicines development domains. It is ideally suited and immediately applicable to the needs and goals of the Task Force Dagger Foundations SOF Health Initiatives and will help our special forces who sacrifice so much for us all. We are thrilled to be involved in this effort, said Stewart. Keith David shared Stewarts enthusiasm. We at the Task Force Dagger Foundation are pleased to partner with ACRES and work together to research, find, and provide solutions to issues faced by many of our service members, veterans, and their families. Our service members and their families are affected by the environmental and occupational hazards they encounter every day in the defense of our country. We must find the root causes of the illnesses, treat patients, and not merely manage diseases. We look forward to working with ACRES to be part of the solution for our brave warriors their families and collaboratively spread these solutions to all. Task Force Dagger Foundation (TFD) The Task Force Dagger Foundation (TFD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that supports the US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). Established July 2009, TFD works hard to fill the gaps in coverage that exist and serve where needed. For more information please contact Keith David at Keith(dot)david(at)taskforcedagger(dot)org. Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) The Alliance for Clinical Research Excellence and Safety (ACRES) is a non-profit alliance working in the public interest. Bringing together stakeholders spanning the clinical research ecosystem to build an open, integrated global system based in principles of Accountable Research, ACRES adapts lessons from industries successfully implementing principles of systems and safety engineering, such as transportation, communications and information technology. For more information, please contact Mary F. Tobin, PhD, Special Advisor to the President and CEO at mtobin(at)acresglobal(dot)net. For all of these reasons, we give LegalZoom our highest rating among providers of LLC Formation services in 2017. TopConsumerReviews.com recently gave a best-in-class 5 star rating to LegalZoom, a leader among online services for LLC Formation. With all of the changes happening in todays economy, many individuals are creating their own businesses rather than working for someone else. When creating a business, one of the most important decisions to make is how to organize the company. Many people choose to register their business as an LLC. This process can be complicated for those who are unfamiliar with the legal requirements, so finding a service to help with LLC formation is a must. Fortunately, there are a number of reputable online companies that can help new business owners create their LLC, ensuring that all of the legal requirements are met and all of the documentation is handled effectively. LegalZoom is a top choice for virtually every kind of legal documentation, and their options for forming an LLC are affordable and trustworthy, explained Brian Dolezal of TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC. With three main options to choose from, business owners can find the right package to meet their needs. Best of all, LegalZoom backs all of their LLC Formation services with a 100% satisfaction guarantee, including a personal review of every document prior to submission. For all of these reasons, we give LegalZoom our highest rating among providers of LLC Formation services in 2016. To find out more about LegalZoom and other providers of LLC Formation services, including reviews and comparison rankings, please visit the LLC Formation category of TopConsumerReviews.com at http://www.topconsumerreviews.com/forming-an-llc/. About Legal Zoom Cofounded in 2001 by attorney Robert Shapiro, LegalZoom offers a cost-effective, convenient way to address most common legal needs. LegalZoom provides a wide range of documents such as Patents, Trademarks, Powers of Attorney, Living Wills and traditional Wills, Incorporation, Living Trusts, LLC Formation, Small Claims, Divorce, and many more. However, customers should be aware that LegalZoom does not provide legal advice or counsel, as it is not an actual law firm. About TopConsumerReviews.com TopConsumerReviews.com, LLC is a leading provider of independent reviews and rankings of hundreds of consumer products and services. From LLC Formation to Company Incorporation and Business Phone Systems, TopConsumerReviews.com delivers in-depth product evaluations in order to make purchasing decisions easier. Dynamic growth like ours can actually cause more harm than good in some cases. But at RKL, we're taking a measured and balanced approach so that were able to maintain the same high level of customer service and support no matter how big we get. Past News Releases RSS RKL eSolutions Named AP Automation... RKL eSolutions Nominated for... RKL eSolutions Expands Software... RKL eSolutions, a Sage authorized partner and IT consulting firm, has been named one of Bob Scotts VAR Stars for 2016. The latest in a string of noteworthy achievements for the growing company, RKL is recognized among other technology providers for accomplishments in the financial software field. While business growth is considered, industry leadership and innovation are also major factors in award determination. Walter Goodfield, RKL eSolutions VP of Sales & Marketing, says VAR Star recognition is just another indication of the success of the companys overall market strategy. Dynamic growth like ours a more than 30 percent increase in annual revenue in the last couple of years can actually cause more harm than good if a company lacks a vision and strategy to pull it off. Many software resellers sacrifice something, often customer service, to achieve that kind of expansion. Not at RKL eSolutions. We take a measured and balanced approach to growth so that were able to maintain the same high level of customer service and support no matter how big we get. Part of the RKL strategy called for taking advantage of what the company saw as an opportunity after Sage made statements indicating that they might be backing away from Sage 500. RKL began stocking up on resources for that product, where they already had a very significant footprint, including acquisition of the Sage 500 practice of Information Systems Management in 2013. Goodfield says, Sage 500 is stable and our customers are happy with our stated commitment to support VB6 from Microsoft and the no forced migration strategy from Sage. The idea of specializing also led the company to begin focusing on industry-specific technology solutions for companies in chemicals, food and beverage, instrumentation and controls, discrete manufacturing, and more. This industry focus also led them to acquire Massachusetts-based Baesis and its JobOps manufacturing software practice. RKL has enjoyed booming growth over the last two years, with a projected $15 million in revenue for 2016, up from about $12.3 million in 2015. Goodfield points out that most of the increase is from new customers as well as their installed user base. He explains, The acquisitions have helped us expand the region we serve beyond Central Pennsylvania, while industry specialization has helped us generate significantly higher returns on our marketing and referral activities. All things considered, our strategy has put us on a growth trajectory that is a win for RKL, our vendors, and most of all, the customers we serve. About RKL eSolutions, LLC RKL eSolutions offers customized IT services to businesses in a wide variety of industries. As an authorized Sage provider, they implement and support Sage X3, Sage 100, and Sage 500 ERP solutions. As a Microsoft partner, they also provide sales, installation and mentoring on products like Windows, Hyper-V, Exchange, Active Directory, SQL Server, SharePoint, Terminal Services, Cisco, and VMware. Visit http://www.rklesolutions.com to learn more. Vocaly Home & Business Mobile Phone System App The team we have put together is truly a super talent of entrepreneurial and industry experts. I am looking forward to our full launch in February - Evin Hunt, Co-Founder & CTO There is a new phenomenon occurring in the telecommunications industry; visualized phone systems that run from a smartphone app. The telecom industry continues to excel and reinvent itself, making life easier for startups and entrepreneurs. This new type of phone service will level the playing field for home, small and mobile business owners looking to gain an edge on their competition. Long gone are the days of needing to spend thousands of dollars on a business phone system or needing to have a technical background. All one needs is a smartphone and $20.00. In early September, three experienced and seasoned Telecom executives joined forces to bring a virtual phone system app to the business community. Having run successful companies in the telecommunications industry, these three entrepreneurs have the right pedigree to provide such a service. Vocaly, is preparing for a soft launch of their service in early January targeting businesses and entrepreneurs of all types. They have a full launch date set for early February. "The team we have put together is truly a super talent of entrepreneurial and industry experts. I am looking forward to our full launch in February" - Evin Hunt Vocaly was created as a mobile first business communications app that would address the following gaps in the home, small and mobile business communities: #1: Most phone service providers have their customers adopt their business models, instead of molding their services to fit the customers needs. It is important to the Vocaly team they place the customer's business first, not theirs. They designed their mobile phone system app around the mobile business and mobile workforce to do just that. #2: Most providers are living in the world of desk phones and physical phone systems, instead of leveraging the recent explosion of mobile phones and their mobility. Vocaly has developed a strategy around putting mobile phones first. This unique strategy allows startups and entrepreneurs to have big phone system features on their mobile smartphones. #3: Most providers are not paying attention to the small guy; home-based and small businesses, the startup community and the mobile workforce. Instead of casting a wide net over all small businesses,Vocaly is focusing their efforts on specific business niches. *Outdoor services (landscaper, lawn care, tree arbors, etc.) *Cosmetology services (home hair stylist, manicurist, massage therapists, etc.) *Professional business services (attorney, bookkeeper, financial planner, tax preparation, etc.) *Home health care (non-medical home care, medical home care, social services, etc.) *Real estate agencies *Home services (handyman, painters, HVAC, child care, etc.) *Any business run from a personal mobile phone! The Vocaly mobile phone system allows you to easily create a customized phone or voicemail system by using a unique drag-drop call flow builder. The best part is, no hardware or additional services are required, the app is everything you need. If you or someone you know is looking for a way to make extra money, Vocaly offers white label reseller and agent services, providing a lucrative monthly recurring revenue stream. During their soft launch, Vocaly is asking for your help! Come join their service for free and help them test their amazing service! Simply visit their site for a Free 14-Day Trial. You will receive 14-days of free service and help them change the way businesses communicates. Vocaly guarantees it, or you can cancel your free trial at no cost. Cookies What are cookies ? How do we use cookies? How to control cookies? Managing cookies in your browser see what cookies you have got and delete them on an individual basis block third party cookies block cookies from particular sites block all cookies from being set delete all cookies when you close your browser X A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the site.Website use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google") to help analyse the use of this website. For this purpose, Google Analytics uses"cookies", which are text files placed on your computer.The information generated by the cookies about your use of this website - standard internet log information (including your IP address) and visitor behaviour information in an anonymous form - will be transmitted to and stored by Google including on servers in the United States. Google will anonymize the information sent by removing the last octet of your IP address prior to its storage.According to Google Analytics terms of service, Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website and compiling reports on website activity.We not use, and not allow any third party to use the statistical analytics tool to track or to collect any personally identifiable information of visitors to this site. 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You can delete all cookies that are already on your computer and you can set most browsers to prevent them from being placed.Most browsers allow you to:If you chose to delete cookies, you should be aware that any preferences will be lost. Also, if you block cookies completely many websites (including ours) will not work properly and webcasts will not work at all. For these reasons, we do not recommend turning cookies off when using our webcasting services. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Retired astronaut Buzz Aldrin will be focused on learning when he visits Purdue University to speak at this years Indiana STEM Education Conference. The annual conference runs from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday (Jan. 12) in Stewart Center. This is the second year for the event, sponsored by Purdues College of Education, the Center for Advancing the Teaching and Learning of STEM (CATALYST), the Indiana Department of Education and the Indiana Commission for Higher Education. Attendance to Aldrins speech and the STEM conference is by registration only. Aldrins speech is scheduled to open the daylong event. The second man to walk on the moon will discuss his commitment to STEM education, his STEM education-focused foundation ShareSpace and his work advocating expeditions to Mars. Carla C. Johnson, associate dean for engagement and global partnerships in the College of Education, said interest in this years event has been overwhelming. We are honored to have Buzz Aldrin as our distinguished guest combined with a slate of more than 80 engaging STEM education presentations, said Johnson, chair of the conference. This combination is an outstanding opportunity for educators across Indiana and beyond to engage in professional growth and share the great work they are doing in STEM. Indiana has increased momentum in K-12 STEM education over the past few years, and this event is designed to capitalize on the knowledge and experiences that have been generated to continue moving Indiana forward. The conference workshops and presentations are split into three strands: K-12 STEM practice, STEM education research and STEM resources. There will be several schools from across the state presenting on their approaches to implementing STEM in their curriculum, Johnson said. A number of faculty from Purdue will be sharing their work in integrated STEM education. Attendance, which is by registration only, has grown in the Indiana STEM Education Conferences second year. Coordinators, surprised by 600 attendees in 2016, received more than 250 additional sign-ups for this years event. About Education Purdues College of Education meets the challenges of educating 21st century learners by discovering what works in education. The college prepares highly qualified educators and conducts research that informs how teachers teach and students learn. With a focus on integrated P-12 STEM education and a commitment to social justice and diversity, graduates are prepared to be leaders in education, business and society. Writer: Brian L. Huchel, 765-494-2084, bhuchel@purdue.edu Source: Carla C. Johnson, 765-494-0780, carlacjohnson@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: Media are welcome to cover Aldrins speech and the conference, however he will not be available for questions or interviews before or following his speech. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. Researchers at Purdue University have determined the high-resolution structure of immature Zika virus, a step toward better understanding how the virus infects host cells and spreads. Zika belongs to a family of viruses called flaviviruses, which includes dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis and tick-borne encephalitic viruses. Although only the mature forms of flaviviruses are considered infectious, the virus population secreted from host cells is a mixture of mature, partially mature and immature virus particles. It is, therefore, probable that the immature form of Zika also plays a role in virus infection and spread, said Michael Rossmann, Purdues Hanley Distinguished Professor of Biological Sciences. The research team was led by Rossmann, with Richard Kuhn, both professors in Purdues Department of Biological Sciences, as well as postdoctoral research associate Vidya Mangala Prasad. Findings are detailed in a research paper appearing online Monday (Jan. 9) in the journal Nature Structural & Molecular Biology and it will be published in a future print issue of the journal. I think these findings open the door to begin to explore the assembly process of the virus, said Kuhn, director of the Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology and Infectious Disease (PI4D). We see clear differences between the structure of the immature virus and the mature virus. Not only are there differences in the outer structure, but the inner core must also undergo some significant changes during maturation. We need to study what these changes are and why they occur. Rossmann and Kuhn also led a team that last year determined the structure of the mature Zika virus. Research into a viruss structure provides insights important to the development of effective antiviral treatments and vaccines. The researchers used a technique called cryo-electron microscopy to reconstruct the immature viruss structure at 9 Angstroms resolution, or about a thousand times better resolution than would be possible with a conventional light microscope. The genome of the virus is housed inside a protective envelope that includes a lipid membrane, an envelope protein, a precursor membrane protein and a capsid protein. The Purdue researchers are the first to learn the position of the capsid protein in the immature virus, which plays the critical role of recognizing the viruss genetic material and acts as a chaperone to guide these RNA strands into the virus for assembly. The envelope protein is essential for the viruss binding, attachment and fusion to host cells during the infection process. The membrane protein cleaves from the mature virus as it is released from the host to infect other cells. A map of the immature viruss structure revealed details about the proteins, showing that the envelope and precursor membrane proteins are arranged in 60 spike-like features on the viruss surface, whereas the capsid protein is located on the internal side of the lipid membrane. The structure differs from the mature Zika virus in that the membrane protein in the mature virus is covered by the envelope protein. Both proteins exist on the surface of the immature version of the virus. Findings also show differences between the immature Zika virus and immature versions of other flaviviruses. Notably, it contains a partially ordered capsid protein shell that is less prominent in other immature flaviviruses. The Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease, has been associated with a birth defect called microcephaly that causes brain damage and an abnormally small head in babies born to mothers infected during pregnancy. The virus also has been associated with the autoimmune disease Guillain-Barre syndrome, which can lead to temporary paralysis. The current Zika epidemic started in Brazil in 2015. However, the residues that are responsible for the Zikas pathogenicity are largely unknown, Rossmann said. The structure of the virus is likely to play a major role in the disease. Rossmann and Kuhn have studied flaviviruses for about 15 years and were the first to map the structure of any flavivirus, starting with the dengue virus in 2002 and West Nile in 2003. The Nature Structural & Molecular Biology paper was authored by Mangala Prasad; staff scientist Andrew S. Miller; assistant research scientist Thomas Klose; former doctoral student Devika Sirohi; laboratory manager Geeta Buda; Wen Jiang, a professor of biological sciences and chemistry; Kuhn; and Rossmann. The research was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Writer: Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu Sources: Richard Kuhn 765-494-1164, kuhnr@purdue.edu Michael Rossmann 765-494-4911, mr@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: A copy of the research paper is available from the Nature Press Office at press@nature.com or from Emil Venere, 765-494-4709, venere@purdue.edu ABSTRACT Structure of the immature Zika virus at 9 A resolution Vidya Mangala Prasad, Andrew S. Miller, Thomas Klose, Devika Sirohi, Geeta Buda, Wen Jiang, Richard J. Kuhn and Michael G. Rossmann Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University Correspondence should be addressed to >G>RF, (mr@purdue.edu) or R.J.K (kuhnr@purdue.edu) The current Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic is characterized by severe pathogenicity in both children and adults. Sequence changes in ZIKV since its first isolation are apparent when pre-epidemic strains are compared with those causing the current epidemic. However, the residues that are responsible for ZIKV pathogenicity are largely unknown. Here we report the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structure of the immature ZIKV at 9-A resolution. The cryo-EM map was fitted with the crystal structures of the precursor membrane and envelope glycoproteins and was known to be similar to the structures of other known immature flaviviruses. However, the immature ZIKV contains a partially ordered capsid protein shell that is less prominent in other immature flaviviruses. Furthermore, six amino acids near the interface between pr domains at the top of the spikes were found to be different between the pre-epidemic and epidemic ZIKV, possibly influencing the composition and structure of the resulting viruses. ROCK ISLAND -- JanCom Technologies, Inc., a technology consulting firm based in Austin, Texas, has been acquired by IMEG Corp. IMEG Corp. was created in 2015 through a merger of KJWW Engineering Consultants and TTG Engineering. Details of the JanCom acquisition were not disclosed. Established in 1997, JanCom Technologies designs, and documents, IT infrastructure, structured cabling, audiovisual and critical power systems for a variety of building types and markets. Working primarily as consultants to the architectural community, it provides professional design services that result in cost-effective and manageable construction of technology systems within the built environment. The merger with JanCom expands IMEG Corps already strong technology group, said Paul VanDuyne, president and CEO of IMEG, headquartered in Rock Island. It also provides us with a presence for more easily providing technology design and services in the Texas market and across the globe. JanComs technical ability and high-quality design make the merger a perfect fit. John Jankowski, co-founder and president of JanCom, said the merger provides his firm with the benefits of belonging to a longstanding, forward-thinking organization that puts clients first. IMEG, like JanCom, has a great reputation for delivering high-quality design to its clients, he said. Being part of a larger organization also provides us with expanded resources for serving existing and future clients. JanCom will continue to operate under its existing brand as a division of IMEG Corp.. Its Texas and Georgia offices becoming the 33rd and 34th locations for IMEG. Its employees expand IMEGs technology group to 60 team members. EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (AP) An 80-year prison sentence has been handed a southern Illinois man who pleaded guilty to child pornography and predatory criminal sexual assault. David J. Von Bergen of Godfrey was arrested in September 2014 when police served a search warrant on his home. Police say Von Bergen was downloading child pornography on his computer at the time of his arrest. Authorities say a search of the computer turned up two videos made by the 36-year-old Von Bergen depicting sexual acts between him and two sisters, ages 7 and 8. Madison County Circuit Judge Neil Schroeder on Friday sentenced Von Bergen to 25 years on each of the two counts of predatory criminal sexual assault. Von Bergen received 15 years for each of the child pornography charges. Von Bergen must serve 57 years before he is eligible for parole. The locomotives have a maximum speed of 150km/h and have been adapted to operate in humid as well as well as dry and dusty climates. The order from Nigeria follows previous locomotive orders for CRRC Dalian in South Africa, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Congo, Angola, and Ethiopia. Meanwhile, on January 3, the two locomotives that CRRC Zhuzhou Locomotive is supplying to Serbia left China. The 7MW locomotives are designed to meet European TSIs and have a top speed of 140km/h. CRRC Zhuzhou signed a contract with Nikola Tesla Thermal Power Plant, based in Belgrade, for the two units in March 2016. The Serbian power plant has an annual coal transport capacity of 25 million tonnes. For the latest on fleet orders around the world, subscribe to IRJ Pro. The second phase of the citys inaugural metro line follows the initial section of the line from Xiayangchun to Sanchajie, which began trial operation in May. Line 1 now runs for 24.9km serving 21 stations, operating from 06.30 until 22.30 seven days a week. Construction on the line began in April 2011 and the stations have been designed to reflect Fuzhous 2200-year culture and history with walls featuring carvings or murals of famous locations such as the Hualin Temple. The lines 28 Type B metro trains supplied by CRRC Tangshan also feature local cultural elements in their design. The trains accommodate up to 1460 passengers, 256 of them seated. A second east-west line between Yangli and Suyang which will intersect with Nanmendou station is currently under construction. In December 2015, the National Development and Reform Commission, China's top economic planning authority, approved a construction plan for the Yuan 65.4bn ($US 9.9bn) second phase of the metro, which will extend the system to 147.5km by 2021. Ultimately Fuzhou plans to construct a 338.1km nine-line network with 215 stations including 26 interchanges with the aim of increasing rail's share of public transport trips in the city to 30%. For more information on metro rail projects, subscribe to IRJ Pro. https://www.railjournal.com/index.php/asia/fuzhou-opens-first-metro-line.html http://www.irjpro.com Welcome to Railway Gazette. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. By continuing to browse this site you are agreeing to our use of these cookies. You can learn more about the cookies we use here. OK Analysts are predicting that 2017 will see intense negotiations between pay-TV operators and free-to-air (FTA) networks in Brazil with the gradual analogue TV switch-off. As the countrys largest cities start changing over to DTT, FTA networks will increase their efforts to reach carriage agreements with pay-TV operators.Nowadays, free-to-air analogue signals are mandatorily carried by operators. With the analogue switch-off, the must-carry disappears, and the process becomes a free negotiation between FTA and pay-TV operators, meaning that pay-TV wont have to carry FTA networks if a commercial agreement is not reached, says Samuel Possebon in an analysis reported by TelaViva The analogue TV signal has already been switched off in Brazils capital , Brasilia, and 2017 will see the countrys largest cities Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and other regional capitals follow suit.According to the analyst, the first tough battle is to be fought in Sao Paulo, where some of the FTA networks Rede Record, Rede TV and SBT are already asking for more time to negotiate the carriage agreement with pay-TV operators, even trying to delay the scheduled switch-off (September 2017).Its highly probable that some pay-TV operators will stop carrying FTA signals in the digital cities during the year, said the analysis note. This could be due to the lack of a commercial agreement between both partners or because pay-TV operators might intend to test their subscribers reactions. Russian court extends detention for defendant in Karelia lake tragedy case MOSCOW, January 9 (RAPSI) The Petrozavodsk District Court has extended the detention of Elena Reshetova, the director of Syamozero Park Hotel camp involved in a criminal case over an accident at a local lake that resulted in the deaths of 14 children, until April 19, RIA Novosti reported on Monday. Reshetova, along with her deputy, Vadim Vinogradov, and the camps instructor, Valery Krupodershikov, were charged with rendering of services in violation of safety protocol which accidentally lead two or more people to death. They were also charged with leaving people in danger. According to investigators, on June 18, children and instructors of the childrens camp Park-Hotel Syamozero were sailing on a raft and two canoes over the lake Syamozero in Karelia. 47 children were accompanied by 4 adults (Vinogradov, Krupodershchikov, Regina Ivanova and Lyudmila Vasilyeva) who did not take gathering storm into account. Storm made sailing extremely dangerous: a raft with children and two adults washed up near one of the islands while both canoes were capsized, leaving passengers in the open waters. Only some managed to swim across to the shore. 14 children drowned. Other children survived and were evacuated. Investigators allege that Reshetova, Vinogradov and Krupodershikov deliberately refused to notify local emergency services about the accident to prevent negative reaction of society from ruining camps reputation and inflicting losses. Defendants in the case are believed to abandon children in water during the storm. On August 10, the Commercial Court of the Republic of Karelia fined infamous Park-Hotel Syamozero 200,000 rubles ($3,000). The court thus granted a lawsuit lodged by the republican Health Ministry demanding to hold the camp administratively liable. According to court records, the ministrys lawsuit was conditioned by licensing violation committed by the defendant. The United States and the Republic of Korea have enjoyed a close relationship on the research, development, and deployment of peaceful nuclear energy since the dawn of the nuclear era. In 1956, the two nations signed a Nuclear Cooperation Agreement on the Non-Military Uses of Nuclear Energy. Two years later, a research reactor was built using U.S. fuel under President Dwight Eisenhowers Atoms for Peace Program. In the ensuing decades, the nuclear alliance between the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) has grown steadily and produced economic, safety, technological, and nonproliferation benefits for both countries. Today, the ROK is a country of more than 50 million people with an advanced economy that is the eighth most energy intensive in the world. The nation has 25 operating nuclear facilities the sixth largest nuclear reactor fleet in the world which it relies on for one-third of its electricity generation. The Republic of Koreas experience with nuclear energy has made it an international leader in the development and manufacture of commercial nuclear technology with domestic vendors and manufacturers capable of fulfilling almost any civilian nuclear order. The country also has a sophisticated nuclear energy research and development program. The ROKs robust nuclear industry provides an important counterbalance to China, which is rapidly expanding its own expertise in the nuclear field, including their own reactor design for the global market and a colossal nuclear manufacturing capability. If left unchecked, China could quickly become the global leader in commercial nuclear technology a development that would enhance Beijings political influence at U.S. expense. The decline of the U.S. civil nuclear sector and Japans shift away from nuclear energy on the heels of the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi accident make the Republic of Koreas leadership in the nuclear sector all the more important. A closer partnership with the U. S. would further bolster research into advanced nuclear energy, promote U.S.-ROK nuclear technology exports, and enhance the political influence of both countries in global nonproliferation and safety. It would also allow the ROK to reduce its growing stockpile of spent nuclear fuel. The countrys size and population density offer limited options for disposing of spent fuel, increasing its reliance on interim dry cask storage. Existing reactor sites are projected to run out of spent fuel storage capacity by 2024. To address the growing challenge, Seoul is seeking approval from the United States to recycle spent fuel to reduce waste and generate fuel for next-generation fast reactors under development. While the ROKs pursuit of advanced fuel cycle capabilities is controversial in nonproliferation circles, transparency and deployment of advanced technologies can ensure the continued peaceful use of nuclear power consistent with existing non-proliferation treaties. Enhanced bilateral cooperation would also promote safer nuclear power through the development of more secure reactor designs. If the United States wishes to counterbalance a likely Chinese monopoly on civil nuclear technology exports and what that could mean for geopolitics, Washington must take steps now to expand its existing civilian nuclear alliances. Given Japans post-Fukushima struggles, the United States should place its largest bet on the ROK, a country with shared common values and strategic interests. With more than 50 years of peaceful nuclear energy cooperation and friendship, Washington should demonstrate that close bond by considering requests from Seoul to expand the terms of bilateral cooperation in civilian nuclear energy. With the decline of its own domestic civil nuclear program, the United States needs Seouls strategic vision and prowess to help maintain an influential voice in global nonproliferation and nuclear safety matters. Property details: INVESTMENT PROPERTYDEMING, LUNA COUNTY, NEW MEXICOI own a nice 1 acre lot near Deming, New Mexico with close access to Interstate 10. This land is in an excellent location down the road from Las Cruces, New Mexico and El Paso, Texas. Tucson, Arizona is a 3-hour drive west on I-10. Local pick up for this sale is not necessary despite it saying so in the shipping instructions.TERMSI am selling the lot for $3,200 (monthly payments accepted). There is no minimum which must be met on the bid. The bid... 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Price: $ 8,999 Seller State of Residence: NEW YORK (NY) Property Address: 122 N Franklin st State/Province: Pennsylvania City: Shamokin Number of Bedrooms: 6 Number of Bathrooms: 3 Property Type: House Sale Type: Existing Home For Sale by: Owner Zip/Postal Code: 17872 Location: 112**, Brooklyn, New York You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 17872 Property details: Description of Property: 614 Ridgeland Ave, Michigan City, Indiana 46360 Parcel ID: 46-01-27-302-011.000-022 Legal Description: 42-01-27-302-011 RIDGELAND LT 12 BLK 33 County: LaPorte, Indiana Videohttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDASNeoeG1k Selling "As-is". Buyer has to do his/her own inspection. Seller never been inside the property. Property was obtained in tax foreclose action. Single Family large house in Michigan City (famous tourist destination) next to Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore an... Price: $ 2,925 Seller State of Residence: Illinois Property Address: 614 Ridgeland Ave State/Province: Indiana City: MIchigan City Number of Bedrooms: 2 Number of Bathrooms: 1 Property Type: House Sale Type: Existing Homes Setting: Urban, City Zip/Postal Code: 46360 Location: 463**, Michigan City, Indiana You will be redirected to eBay Nearby 46360 Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale Buy real estate. Find a great selection of commercial real estate, manufactured homes, timeshares and more for Sale in US and Canada. Search Real Estate , We're sorry, this article is not currently available Approximately 43 million Americans have student loan debt, and they will typically have to pay off that debt for a minimum of 10 years after their graduation, a number that will spike even more if the student wishes to pursue graduate, medical or law school. Here, UGA students give their opinion on the topic. It is no secret that celebrities are often idolized, made into these superhuman creatures with the power to change the world. We rely on witty tweets from singers and interviews with actors to make a change in the world, even outside of the realm of entertainment. Several of the thousands who lined up Jan. 7, 2017, for tickets to President Barack Obama's farewell speech, to be held Jan. 10 in Chicago, share their thoughts on what the presidency meant to them. (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune) (Chris Sweda/Chicago Tribune/Chicago Tribune) While President Barack Obama's farewell address was intended to be a free event for those hoping to hear his final oration as commander in chief, there appears to be no shortage of people looking to make a profit from the historic occasion. Obama, a former U.S. senator turned two-term president, will deliver his last presidential speech Tuesday evening at Chicago's McCormick Place. Free tickets were available on a first-come, first-served basis Saturday morning, prompting several thousand people to withstand single-digit temperatures to wait in line for tickets. By 7 a.m., Chicago police officials were warning hopefuls not already in line not to bother. The crowds had grown so large that all of the available tickets would be scooped up. Advertisement By Sunday, advertisements to auction dozens of the elusive tickets had sprouted up on secondary market websites like eBay and Craigslist asking for as much as $5,000 apiece. Left unclear, however, was whether those tickets were legitimate or could be legally sold. Advertisement Steve Bernas, Better Business Bureau of Chicago and Northern Illinois president, strongly warned against buying tickets. Whether its tickets to a Cubs game or the musical "Hamilton," there are invariably reports of counterfeit tickets and other hoaxes, he said. "Stay away from anyone selling these tickets," he said. "You don't know who these people are. It's different buying a couch on Craigslist. You can see the couch. ... There's no way to verify these tickets." Though there were no complaints of fraud related to the Obama farewell as of Sunday, Bernas said generally people won't know they've been scammed until ushers stop them at the door. Bernas said it was unlikely police would pursue scalpers. "Someone is always looking to make a profit on a situation, disaster or calamity," Bernas said. "I guarantee someone will be turned away on Tuesday." Bernas also cautioned those who plan on attending the event against sharing pictures of tickets on social media. Scammers, he said, might be able to duplicate them as a result. Images of the tickets posted in some ads appeared to match those that people snagged Saturday. Those same images also had fine print clearly saying the tickets were "not for sale or re-sale." Spokespeople for the White House and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, which owns and operates McCormick Place, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. John Holden, 55, of Edgewater, booked a hotel near McCormick Place in anticipation of the ticket release. While standing in line for 21/2 hours to get his ticket, he remembers officials telling the crowd that the tickets were not for resale, but he didn't note any precautions to ensure that resales didn't take place. Advertisement "I've been to rock concerts where there was more security to make sure precious tickets weren't resold," Holden said. "That's a little discouraging. I don't think the president would like to see this turn into a money-making opportunity." Some Craigslist users were not thrilled about the attempt to scalp tickets. One user wrote a post in which he referred to the sellers as "absolute garbage." "You're gonna go wait in line, get free tickets for an event that was meant for the people, then put up those tickets for sale, gouging people for their money to hear one last speech by Obama," the commenter wrote. "Meanwhile people that woke up early waited in line in 5 (degree) weather to get tickets had to hear after 45 mins or more of waiting, 'sorry folks tickets are all gone', due in part to (expletive) such as yourself." Linda Spice and her two daughters, who left their home in Milwaukee at 4:45 a.m. Saturday only to go home empty-handed, had another proposition for resellers on Craigslist: "I will give you for these tickets exactly what you paid for them: zero." Spice, whose family saw Obama twice in 2012 when he visited Milwaukee, expressed disappointment over losing out on the noteworthy moment to those who only hope to hawk the tickets for cash. "I get it," Spice said in an email to the Tribune. "They can potentially make a quick and very large buck. Truthfully, though, I was angry to see the tickets being sold. For our family, this was not just an event that would allow my children to witness history but one in which, as we look toward a new administration, would provide them hope." Advertisement Daywatch Weekdays Start each day with Chicago Tribune editors' top story picks, delivered to your inbox. > The resale of tickets isn't specifically mentioned in details regarding the event, according to the White House website. It says the event will be accessible by all members of the public but asked attendees to arrive early to allot time to pass through "airport-like" security. In a statement last week, Obama said he hoped his final remarks would be "a chance to say thank you for this amazing journey, to celebrate the ways you've changed this country for the better these past eight years, and to offer some thoughts on where we all go from here." For Holden, who attended Obama's 2009 inaugural address, he said he hopes to witness the closure of a proud and "unlikely" chapter during which Chicagoans were able to see one of their own in the White House. "It's been a challenging eight years," Holden said. "But we're expecting much more than a fond farewell. I think it'll be more of a call to action and how to continue." The address will be broadcast live online at www.wh.gov/Farewell or on www.Facebook.com/WhiteHouse. tbriscoe@chicagotribune.com Advertisement Twitter @_tonybriscoe Terming demonetisation as a historic and brave step, he said, black money constitutes 80-85 per cent of the economy and Modiji has taken bold step to solve the issue Hailing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for demonetising Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 currency notes, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, on Monday, said printing of Rs 2,000 currency notes should also be stopped in future. "The adverse effect of high denomination currency is evident as the fake currency in the denomination of Rs 2,000 notes has arrived (in the market). The bigger value note has the same problem for which Modiji has scrapped the other ones," Ramdev told reporters in Raipur. "Fake currency note in high denomination is convenient for printing, transportation and difficult to trace...I feel the printing of Rs 2,000 note should be stopped in future," he added. "In future, wherever there will be strong need, cash should be used otherwise we should move towards a cashless economy. As we move ahead toward digital transaction it will ensure transparency and accountability in the economy," Ramdev added. The Yoga guru further said he has full faith in the prime minister, saying he is enacting good policies for empowering the county. "The prime minister is making strong efforts for the betterment of the country. But we can't be dependent only on politician or political party to bring 'Achhe din' (good days). I have already said that both the government and the society will have to work together to make the country rosperous and bring good days," he added. Terming demonetisation as a historic and brave step, he said, black money constitutes 80-85 per cent of the economy and Modiji has taken bold step to solve the issue. "Besides liquidity, black money is in land, gold, mining, health, politics education and many more sectors. Modiji will take measures step by step to flush out black money from our economy, he said. "The black money which is stashed abroad is not in the country's internal economy. But the way Modiji has taken step to remove black money from the internal economy, he will also not hesitate in bringing the black money from abroad," he said when asked about BJP's promise to bring black money stashed in foreign banks. Ramdev arrived in Chhattisgarh to take part in three-day "Yoga Shivir" starting from Tuesday in Bhilai city of Durg district. Photograph: PTI Photo As in the past, it is up to the merchants to decide if they will bear the burden of the charge or bill it to the customers. Subhomoy Bhattacharjee reports. Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com The government on Sunday said charges on cards that had been waived till the end of December cannot be extended further without impacting the health of banks. "The issue will have to be discussed with the RBI (the Reserve Bank of India), which has asked for time till March 31 to sort it out," said a source in the government. Till then the charges, known as Merchant Discount Rate or MDR, will remain. Petrol pump dealers or anyone else who accept a card payment for a sale of goods or services pays a fee known as the MDR. The fee is shared between the bank which issued the card and the bank through whose gateway the payment is made. It is up to the merchants to decide if they should carry the charge on themselves to attract more footfalls or bill it to the customers. The RBI had in 2012 decided that while credit card holders will continue to pay an MDR of 2 per cent on all transactions, the ecosystem for debit cards needed to be tweaked. It had, accordingly, cut the MDR on debit cards. For transactions till Rs 2,000, the rate was slashed to 0.75 per cent and 1 per cent for transactions above that. The world of e-commerce changed drastically on November 8. As cash dried up, the government asked for a full waiver of MDR charges -- the catch was it was only till December 31. From January 1, as the RBI has advised, MDR on debit cards returned but at a lower fee. For transactions up to Rs 1,000 it is 0.25 per cent of the value of the sale; for up to Rs 2,000 it will be 0.5 per cent. It is up to the banks to decide if they would remain satisfied with the same rates for sales of above Rs 2,000 or revert to 1 per cent as earlier. The issue was discussed by the finance ministry over the weekend. It has been decided to let the charges continue, as there is no mechanism with the government to defray the cost to them. "It will be like a subsidy if we do so now," the source said. Incidentally, the payments platforms as of now do not charge a commission on e-wallets. But, as a Paytm advertisement noted, the charges will be free only till the end of January, when its payments bank opens its doors for business. The charges will be zero for business done through the bank, Paytm notes. The implication is for routing money through other banks, there could be costs. The RBI circular consequently notes it plans to assess these charges; "In the intervening period, the Reserve Bank of India will review the framework for charges for electronic payment transactions, in consultation with the stakeholders." If anyone is targeting Sasikala or the AIADMK, then they should be looking elsewhere, not at Deepa for leading a revolt successfully, says N Sathiya Moorthy. After sending confusing and at times contradicting signals through the first month of then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaas death, her niece Deepa Jayakumar Ganesh seems to be preparing for the long haul on the political front. Thirty-three-year-old Deepa is definitely targeting Jayas one-time live-in confidant, V K Sasikala, who has since been made the ruling AIADMK general secretary -- but has maintained strategic, if not stoic silence, over the party-government in Tamil Nadu, of Chief Minister O Panneerselvam. Through the past week, she has been appearing on the balcony of her T Nagar residence in one of the busiest middle-class localities in the city, and is waving to the waiting crowds once a day in the evening, and addressing them, too. They are all said to be AIADMK cadres from different part of the state and belong to different age groups. Local media reports, citing individuals spotted in the crowd, have claimed that they are all AIADMK cadres, disgruntled by Sasikalas ascension to the party throne. Addressing them at around 5.30 in the evenings for two or three days in a row, Deepa, in her halting Tamil, though not as bad as Sasikala in her 25-minute TV appearance while taking over the party reins, repeated the questions that those cadres and a section of the media has been asking for weeks and months now. In her brief and at times disjointed speeches, Deepa, daughter of Jayalalithas pre-deceased older brother Jayakumar, has been flagging suspicions about the circumstances under which her aunt had died, and the way in which the party elected Sasikala as AIADMK general secretary. In the days immediately after Jayas death and those around the time Sasikala was elected party chief, Deepa had focussed entirely on how she was not allowed to meet with her dear aunt, when she was alive or was hospitalised. She even distanced herself from cadre-claims asking her to lead them, and dissociated from wall-posters with her picture, worded in the same vein. Not anymore. Over the weekend, Deepa hinted to the audience outside her home about the possibility of her floating a forum/movement to take forward Jayas mission. She has indicated a start-up on January 17, birth centenary of AIADMK founder M G Ramachandran, or MGR, the political mentor of Jayalalithaa. In between, seemingly separate groups have launched a Deepa Peravai or forum in Chennai, and another has already launched an MGR-Jaya ADMK party in the western turmeric town of Erode, with Deepa as their leader. Incidentally, its also in Erode that the first pro-Deepa posters began appearing, post-Jaya. The Erode party-makers have already given their outfit a black-white-and red flag, but with MGR and Jaya pictures in the middle. Its a takeoff from the AIADMK flag of the same colours, but with parent DMK founder, C N Annadurai in the middle. Like the Two Leaves symbol for the AIADMK, the founders of the new party have given themselves a two roses symbol. The party decision does not seem to have Deepas acceptance or approval, but neither has she distanced herself from the same, as was the case with early wall-posters carrying her picture. A student of journalism who has since returned from the US, Deepa has also shifted gears from talking about aththai (fathers sister) and their personal equations or lack of it, to the universal and ubiquitous Amma, or mother, as the party and the rest had referred to Jaya. But will it all help Deepa take on Sasikala, or take over the AIADMK, as detractors of Sasikala, both within and outside the party, seem to believe or wanting to believe. For starters, the Sasikala-led AIADMK already has almost all general council members unanimously electing her the party chief and popularising her reverential address Chinna Amma, deriving from the Jaya-given status as soul-sister once. The AIADMK is also possibly the only political party in the country, where founder MGR insisted that the party leader be elected by the cadres through a direct election. No such election ever took place, as MGR, Jaya and even the formers nominees in his time like veterans V R Nedunchezhiyan and S Ragavanandam, did not face any contest. Obviously aware of the possibilities, AIADMK local leaders are believed to have launched a quiet signature campaign in their areas involving the primary party members under their care, backing the general council decision on Sasikalas unanimous election. Should a situation arise where the general council decision and Sasis election/selection are challenged before the Election Commission or in a court, then the verifiable signatures of the AIADMKs 1.5-crore primary members, or those of a majority of them, might be produced for authentication. More important and equally legal and logical questions arise on the possibilities of Deepa upstaging Sasikala as AIADMK leader. Some social media inputs have penned a likely picture if the Supreme Court were to convict Sasikala and two of her kin in the wealth case where Jayalalithaa was the prime-accused. Some argue that the SC Bench, which reserved the verdict six months ago, could dismiss the prosecuting Karnataka states appeal against the high court acquittal on merit, but not because A-1, who alone is a public servant among the four accused, was dead, for the case under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA)to be rendered infructuous. However, the argument also goes that any SC-ordered conviction of Sasikala might come in the way of her becoming chief minister, replacing incumbent Panneerselvam, but not lead to her automatic removal as party chief. In a related development, if it could be called so, local media reports have indicated that CM Panneer might hoist the national flag and take the salute on the occasion of Republic Day this year, as acting governor C Vidyasagar Rao might be doing the honours in Maharashtra, which is his primary post. With media speculation continuing that Sasikala might be made CM before that, the question arises if she would be doing the R-Day honours on the sands of the Marina, in the place of OPS. As for as the AIADMK leadership is concerned, the basic question arises if Deepa, for instance, is a primary member of the AIADMK at present, for her to be elected or selected party chief even if a vacancy were to arise. The big question before Deepa as a political leader (party or no party) would relate to the possibility of AIADMK cadres shunning MGR-Jayas Two Leaves symbol, even if they have had reservations over the change or guard, or even on Jayas death. Deepa resembles Jaya at first look, yes. Jaya too was as halting in her early public speeches from the AIADMK platforms. So has been Sasikala, since taking over. Despite her 30-plus years association with Jaya, her voice had not been heard in public, not certainly by the party cadre. Compared even to Sasikala, who was managing all of Jayas affairs, including party matters, Deepa is still a political non-starter. In comparison, Jaya had been AIADMK propaganda secretary for about a decade before stepping into MGRs shoes after his death. That Sasi and Co was controlling the party machinery, often instructing AIADMK ministers in the state and the Centre, on affairs of the government, does not require much proof, either. Deepa does not have any direct links to the second-line party leadership at any level, or to the cadres, at any time in the past. If comparisons may have to be made between Sasikala and Deepa just now, it should take back to the Janaki-Jaya faction feud between MGRs widow and political heir-apparent. Jaya might not be a veteran politician or an AIADMK leader at the time. But between the two contenders for the party post, she had some years of experience, exposure and relative acceptance level. Janaki MGR, another of MGRs filmi heroines like Jaya decades later, had political experience of less than a week when the late leaders one-time aides, disapproving of Jayas popularity and acceptance levels, propped her up. Like all props Janaki had to fall by the political wayside after her faction came a cropper in the post-MGR assembly polls that the rival DMK won after 13 long years in 1989. Janki retired from politics at the same speed she entered while those that propped up her either surrendered to Jaya on her terms, or retired into political oblivion. That way, if anyone is aiming at targeting the Sasikala leadership of the AIADMK, or the AIADMK as a party, then they should be looking elsewhere, not at Deepa for leading a revolt successfully. That anyone or someone is already in the party and has to be, so, too, whether or not he, she or they want to come out, or oppose Sasikala, is another matter altogether -- considering that she is possibly the only unifying force after Jaya. Whoever it is, its not going to happen without MGR-Jayas Two Leaves symbol for starters, however charismatic and convincing that he or she might be, or become one day. The question would then arise if a political vacuum could be created if the Two Leaves symbol gets frozen, as was the case in 1989 polls, and the cadre base evaporates? Again, Deepa may not be the candidate to help do so, as whoever has to do it has to challenge the leadership from within the party and not outside. Image: A file photograph of Deepa. N Sathiya Moorthy, veteran journalist and political analyst, is Director, Observer Research Foundation, Chennai Chapter. 'Chinese pressure on Taiwan is unlikely to ease till Beijing feels that stability is being restored in the Sino-US relationship,' says former RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade. IMAGE: Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen exits the Omni Houston Hotel, Houston, Texas, during a 'transit stop' en route to Central America, January 7, 2017. Photograph: James Nielsen/Reuters Taiwan has come into focus at this juncture when US foreign policy in the Trump administration is yet to become clear and there is uncertainty about the future trend of Sino-US relations. US President-elect Donald Trump's unprecedented telephone conversation with President Tsai Ing-wen -- which broke with 40 years of ambiguity retained by successive US administrations -- and his subsequent tweets virtually questioning the 'one China policy' have particularly introduced additional tension in Sino-US relations. The earlier anticipation in Beijing of doing a deal with Trump has given way to nervousness. Against this backdrop China's attention will definitely be focussed on President Tsai's 4-nation tour (January 7 to 13) to Central America and her two transit stopovers in the US. Her predecessors have undertaken similar tours, usually soon after assuming office, but on this occasion the circumstances surrounding the visit are different. As soon as Taiwan released the itinerary of Tsai's tour to Central America, Beijing predictably protested to Washington and urged the US administration not to allow Tsai and her 90-member delegation to stop over in Houston and San Francisco -- on January 7 and 13 respectively -- as that could damage Sino-US relations. Unconfirmed reports suggest that some members of the US Congress could meet the 90-member Taiwan delegation accompanying the Taiwanese president and that the US President-elect might take advantage of his not yet having been sworn in to office to meet Tsai. The developments have provoked Beijing to publicly threaten that it might favour a reunification with Taiwan which may not be peaceful. In an article in December 2016 explaining China's view of the international environment and reflective of the hardline foreign policy followed by Beijing since late 2007, Liu Xuejun and Liu Jun, two academics at China's Institute of International Studies at Yunnan university, mentioned China's relations with Taiwan. They blamed the United States for continuously interfering in cross-Strait relations and observed that Taiwan's independence movement is among China's, and possibly the world's, tensest geopolitical situations. China, the article added, had reversed the trend of detente since Tsai's election and 'China is now preparing for a final solution by non-peaceful means, which is the last resort China would prefer to turn to.' The warning, intended not only for Taipei but equally for the US, was a follow-up to the other tough measures initiated by Beijing to pressure Taiwan since Democratic Progressive Party leader Tsai's victory in Taiwan's presidential elections. Also, on December 25, the State-owned Global Times objected to US President Obama signing the 'Fiscal Year 2017 National Defence Authorisation Act,' which for the first time authorises higher-level exchanges between US civilian officials above the level of US sssistant secretary of defence and active duty US military officers and their Taiwan counterparts. Saying such a step undermines confidence and reiterating China's determination to effect reunification with Taiwan, the Global Times called for military pressure on Taiwan. It described the severance of diplomatic ties by Sao Tome and Principe with Taiwan as the first step to discipline 'Taiwan independence', adding that now perhaps military action is required to 'shock and awe' these forces. The articles echo the thinking publicised in an article in the Beijing-owned Wen Wei Bo in September 2013 and entitled 'The Six wars that China must fight in 50 Years.' The article listed a war with Taiwan as the first and claimed it was planned for between 2020 and 2025! It is likely China could try to mar Tsai's visit to Taiwan's four allies in Central America -- the Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador, including by luring other countries into snapping ties with Taipei. An article in the Taipei Times on January 7, quoted Taiwan's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Javier Hou as informing legislators of the possibility of further 'defections.' Javier Hou acknowledged that officials were on alert with regard to 'an unspecified ally.' Saying that a former director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Douglas Paal, had raised the possibility, the newspaper said reports have for long indicated that the Honduras could switch ties to China. Observing that uncertainty is most in Nicaragua's relationship with Taiwan, it disclosed that though Tsai is scheduled to attend the inauguration ceremony on January 10 of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega as he commences a third term, Taiwanese diplomats in Managua were 'having difficulty' contacting Nicaraguan officials to organise details. It noted that no meeting with Ortega was indicated in the official agenda released on January 4, and the only firm arrangements on the schedule are for visits to Taiwanese factories. Chinese pressure on Taiwan is unlikely to ease till Beijing feels that stability is being restored in the Sino-US relationship. Maintaining such pressure also helps China flex military muscle in the South China Sea to further its claims. Meanwhile, in the midst of this uncertainty, Tsai Ing-wen can be expected to continue to calibrate her actions. Jayadeva Ranade, former additional secretary in the Cabinet secretariat, Government of India, is President of the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy. 'There is no question of any division whatsoever in the party.' 'Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, there is no doubt about that,' Mulayam tells ANI. In a move signifying a possible end to the prolonged family feud once and for all, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Yadav on Monday asserted that Akhilesh Yadav is the face of the party for the next chief minister of the state, adding that the party stands united. Speaking to ANI in Lucknow, Mulayam stated that the SP is united and will soon set out to campaign across the state as one. "For the benefit of the entire state, our party stands united. There is no question of any division whatsoever in the party and we will begin campaigning soon. Akhilesh will be the next chief minister, there is no doubt about that," he said. The development can be seen as an olive branch extended towards Akhilesh's camp by Mulayam, as both the sides had taken the fight all the way to the Election Commission over the party symbol. The ruling SP is in the middle of an intense power struggle with Mulayam and his brother Shivpal Yadav on one side and Mulayam's son, Akhilesh, and cousin Ramgopal Yadav on the other. In a bid to buttress claim over the 'cycle' symbol, the Akhilesh Yadav-led camp represented by Ram Gopal Yadav had on Saturday submitted an affidavit mentioning that Samajwadi Party leaders are supporting the Uttar Pradesh chief minister. Ramgopal Yadav said the relevant documents, brought in "seven cartons with more than 1.5 lakh pages", were submitted to the Election Commission to assert Akhilesh's right over the party's name and symbol. He said that he submitted affidavits of 4,716 delegates of the total 5,731, indicating overwhelming support for Akhilesh. The Election Commission had given both sides time till Monday to submit proof of their legislative support. However, if the Election Commission cannot reach any decision before January 17, then the party symbol might be frozen and two different symbols would be provide to both factions for contesting the assembly elections. The assembly elections in the most populous and politically significant state in India will be held in seven phases beginning February 11. In a major twist to the Bengaluru molestation case in which a burqa-clad woman was attacked, investigations revealed that the complainant woman and the accused, who is married to her sister for the last six years, were in love with each other and planned the incident to force her parents to give consent to their marriage, thinking that no other man would ask for her hand after the incident. Irshad Khan, the accused, allegedly planned the incident after the CCTV footage of a sexual assault in Bengaluru grabbed eyeballs on national television last week. Irshad allegedly staged the incident in front of a shop which had a CCTV camera, police said. He then approached the police with his sister-in-law, the victim, on Friday with a complaint alleging molestation by an unidentified person. The accused was in love with his sister-in-law for three years and planned the incident after the girls family began looking for a groom for her, police said. Irshad staged the incident hoping that the marriage plans would be stalled over such an incident, police said. Irshad denied his involvement in the incident during questioning, but he broke down when presented with evidence, police said. We have arrested Irshad under charges of criminal conspiracy. We will contemplate booking the victim for perjury based on evidence, Hemanth Nimbalkar, Additional Commissioner of Police (east) was quoted as saying. In a shocking incident, a 37-year-old dismissed merchant navy sailor allegedly killed his father, attacked his neighbour and then tried to take his own life by setting off an LPG cylinder, which left 11 policemen injured, in east Delhis Madhu Vihar area on Sunday. R P Matta, a retired financial sector employee, who recently came back from Canada, was stabbed to death by his son Rahul around 2.15 pm, police said. Rahul was carrying a sharp-edged weapon and reached outside Ajanta Apartments and asked the security personnel to open the gate, but when they refused, he entered into an argument with them, they added. A few residents of the complex reached there and Rajinder Matta was also informed. After a heated argument that involved an attempt by Rahul to even attack the guards, Rahul managed to go upstairs to his fathers flat and slit his throat and stabbed him multiple times killing him on the spot, police said. One of their neighbours, Renu Bansal, 51, came to the spot but she was also attacked by Rahul, who was in a fit of rage, they added. Rahuls mother wasnt present at home at the time of the incident. Rahul entered the home of their one of the neighbours V K Sharma. We received a call around 2.31 pm and a police team reached the spot. Rahul, in an attempt to escape, reached VK Sharmas house and locked himself inside the kitchen and opened the LPG connection, said a senior police officer. Policemen managed to break open the door but seeing them, Rahul lit a matchstick setting off an explosion. Eleven policemen were injured in the fire that broke out. Among those injured, four sub-inspectors sustained 30-40 per cent burn injuries, whereas two assistant sub-inspectors sustained 25 per cent burns. Rahul Matta sustained burn injuries as well, he said. R P Mata, a retired financial sector employee, had recently come back from Canada and was staying with wife. He had disowned his son Rahul from his property, who has a criminal background and was arrested last year for molesting a woman in East Delhi. Rahul was allegedly in a relationship with a woman and his father didnt approve of it. He had asked his son to leave his home and had even not given him a share in the will, police said. He also asked security guards of his society not to let his son enter the housing complex. He had even lodged a complaint against his son at Madhu Vihar police station. Rahul has a younger brother who stays in the United States. Out of power in Punjab for 10 years, Congress on Monday promised a host of freebies like farm loan waiver and free power, smart phones, textbooks and doles to unemployed youth in the election manifesto for the state released on Monday. Releasing the manifesto, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh charged the Akali-Bharatiya Janata Party government with misusing governance in the last 10 years and said Captain Amarinder Singhs leadership is badly needed in the state to exploit the states tremendous potential. The challenge before Punjab is to rise above all this din and recognise that the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow. This election manifesto is a forward looking visionary document, which promises the people that we will undo the damage done to the Punjab economy by the state government in the last 10 years, he said. Hailing Amarinder, Manmohan said he is a leader of great vision who has a wealth of experience and commitment to the cause of development in Punjab. He said Punjabs fiscal situation has been bad under the Akalis as the state has inflicted great damage on the economy and polity of Punjab being a victim of terrorism. Amarinders government will undo all this damage and set a new pathway for a better tomorrow which will see that people will have. A higher per-capita Income, better distribution of income, better employment prospects and better infrastructure, Manmohan Singh said. The manifesto promises loan waiver and free power to farmers, wiping out of drug trade within a month, stipend of Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth, free smart mobile phones to youth and free textbooks to all children. Amarinder Singh announced that the state would generate as many as 25 lakh jobs within the next five years so as to provide employment to all youth in the state. He also promised a crackdown on drugs and corruption, and bring a new industrial policy within 90 days, besides promising an end to VIP culture, bring sweeping economic reforms and total transparency in governance. He also promised free houses to homeless Dalits/SCs/OBCs and one job in every family. He lamented that the growth rate of Punjab was down at 5.6 per cent, against the national average of 7.3 per cent, and that the state has slid from number one position to number 19 under the Akalis. We are in a very bad shape, he said. On the contentious SYLCanal issue, he insisted there was no additional water in Punjab and that when the assembly will be convened a law will be passed for not sharing any of the states waters. We are not for not giving. But, we dont have it (to share), he said when asked about it. Asked specifically if Amarinder was the chief ministerial candidate, AICC Secretary in-charge Asha Kumari said, He is officially president, who is leading the party in the polls. Manmohan said Amarinder Singhs commitment to the cause of development of Punjab is unrivalled. I believe that Punjab is in for better times under the leadership of Amarinder. This better tomorrow will see development of state both in economy and management of polity. The fiscal situation in Punjab under the SAD-BJP government has been mismanaged in a manner which is unprecedented, he said. The manifesto promises to redeem Punjabs lost honour and to restore its rightful place and announced to free the state and its people from the shackles of Badal government on the states resources, which it alleged has been marked by widespread corruption, lawlessness, mafia rule and nepotism. The manifesto also vowed to bring in total transparency in governance as well as all financial and political systems through innovative initiatives and out-of-the-box measures. The manifesto is being launched in Chandigarh and five other cities in Punjab as well. Amarinder said the manifesto has taken six months and the team led by former deputy chief minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal visited places across the state and met people of all walks of life and got inputs from former Prime Minister Singh. We will be taking over a deficit state. Government is operating by selling land and mortgaging buildings, including old age homes. Some funds like Mandi Board have been mortgaged for seven years. Nevertheless, we have made a comprehensive manifesto. We have covered every facet of Punjab. Rural debt in Punjab is Rs 67,000 crore. We are planning to take over debt of every farmer and negotiate with banks. We will negotiate how we will service the debt and how we will repay the loan. This ordinarily should be the job of the government of India. We are committed with doing away with farm debt. We will manage this situation by thinking innovatively, he said. Noting that this is his last election, Amarinder said, For 47 years, I have been in politics and this is my last election. I am not going to fight again. People know that what I say, I fulfil. Amarinder said the party has included a Re 1 cess per bottle of alcohol, which directly serviced our requirement to provide for social commitments. Talking about the programme of providing jobs in every family, he said, We will monitor what jobs are needed. This will be overseen from the chief ministers office. Till jobs are available we will give Rs 2500 stipend to every youngster. Drugs is the first thing we will attack and in four weeks we will end this drug menace in Punjab. Announcing other measures, he said, We will provide affordable electricity. If we want industry to come to Punjab then we have to give a level playing field. We will reduce power tariff to industry from Rs 7.60 down to Rs 5.00. We will pool land, purchased at market rates, which we will give to industries which guarantee jobs. Amarinder dismissed suggestions that his promise to provide jobs to all unemployed in the state was like the Rs 15-lakh in all accounts promise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. People know what I promise, I do fulfil them, he said. A crackdown on drugs and a series of wide-ranging new legislations to control important administrative and legal functions, time-bound steps to bolster employment and revive agriculture and industry, ending of VVIP culture, bringing the marginalised and minorities back into the societal mainstream, are the key highlights of the 120-page manifesto The manifesto also addressed in detail, issues concerning government employees, education institutions and teachers, healthcare system and the media. The manifesto includes a 10page chargesheet against the Badal regime, exposing the alleged Loot, Boot & Shoot policy of the SAD-BJP government that also lists out the multiple failures of the Akali misrule of past 10 years. The chargesheet is led by a section on Family First the family comes first while the state goes to dumps and underlines Why its imperative for the people of Punjab to rid themselves of a decade of SAD-BJP misrule. Image: Former PM Manmohan Singh and Congress Punjab chief ministerial candidate Amarinder Singh release the party's manifesto. Photograph: @INCIndia/Twitter Three civilians working as labourers were killed on Monday in a pre-dawn terror attack by militants on a General Engineering Reserve Force camp near the Line of Control in Akhnoor sector of Jammu. Two or more militants attacked the General Engineering Reserve Force camp around 1 am near LoC in Battal village, sources said. Militants likely infiltrated from across the border to carry out the terror attack, sources said. In the attack, three civilians were killed, they said, adding that the victims were working as labourers with GREF. Troops along with the police have cordoned off the area and a counter operation has started, they said. A senior police officer said all routes to the area have been plugged and the operation is in full swing. A Yashwant Sinha-led civil society panel has suggested "improving" the human rights situation in Jammu and Kashmir and initiating talks with all stakeholders including separatist groups like Hurriyat Conference. The Concerned Citizen Group had made another set of recommendations after their second visit to the Kashmir Valley last month -- that included urgent psychological counselling for minor detainees. The panel had first visited the Valley in October after which it had recommended an immediate ban on use of pellet guns by security forces. The Centre has distanced itself from the panel, led by the Bharatiya Janata Party leader, which also comprises former chief information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah and Programme Director of Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation Sushobha Barve. In the fresh set of recommendations compiled after their visit to the Kashmir Valley last month, the panel said there is a need for improving "the human rights situation in Kashmir and encourage more humane attitude by the security forces with the public". The panel went to Budgam, Shopian, Anantnag and Baramulla towns and met representatives of the minority Shia and Sikh communities and political leaders like former chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Independent MLA Abdul Rashid alias 'Rashid Engineer' and Congress leader Saifuddin Soz. "Urgent psychological counselling to be provided to minors being released from detentions. We suggest that a plan for counselling is put in place for this; based on the experience of similar efforts in 2010," the panel recommended. While keeping talks between India and Pakistan out of its purview because it was "contingent upon several other issues", the panel reminded the BJP-PDP coalition government of its commitment for holding talks with all the stakeholders including the Hurriyat. "We recommend that such a multi-dimensional dialogue is initiated at the earliest. As for an India-Pakistan dialogue, it is contingent upon several other issues," it said. On the economic front, it recommended that government agencies designed to promote tourism, industry and agriculture production should look for disinvestment and private investments, through design of suitable projects and finance, should be promoted. The panel also recommended allowing of assemblies and meetings of people for holding discussions on subjects that are of concern to the common Kashmiris and for free expression or ideas and views. Highlighting that "all the Commissioners of the J&K State Information Commission have retired and are not yet replaced", the panel suggested such issues should be addressed as it advocated "resuscitating democratic linkages between the government and the citizenry". IMAGE: BJP leader Yashwant Sinha interacts with Syed Ali Shah Geelani. Photograph: PTI photo The Night Manager was undoubtedly one of the best shows of 2016 and last night, its lead Tom Hiddleston, justifiably secured himself the award for Best Actor in a Mini-Series. However it was his speech that left many perplexed as the actor ended up telling a long anecdote about his time in South Sudan that sounded akin to somebody rambling on about their Gap Year. ("Did I ever tell you guys about my time in South Sudan? Ya, South Sudan.") Anyways, the moral of the story was something along the lines of how watching The Night Manager helped the Medecins Sans Frontieres/Doctors Without Borders get through a shelling attack. Because you see, it's the actors of this world that are the real heroes, you guys. The reaction from the audience is the best part though, with the poor Stranger Things kids looking bored out of their tree, while Christian Slater and Vince Vaughn's faces are priceless. We get that his intentions were noble, but self praise is no praise, Hiddleston. UN condemns deadly ambush that leaves one 'blue helmet' dead in Central African Republic Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 7 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN condemns deadly ambush that leaves one 'blue helmet' dead in Central African Republic, 7 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734c0440d.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 7 January 2017 - The Security Council has strongly condemned the ambush by unknown attackers late last week against a convoy of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in Bokayai, in the northwest part of the country, in which one Bangladeshi peacekeeper was killed. In a press statement, the members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved family of the peacekeeper killed, the Government of Bangladesh and MINUSCA, and extended their sympathies to the Government of the Central African Republic (CAR). Strongly condemning all attacks and provocations against MINUSCA by armed groups a similar deadly ambush on a convoy in the south-eastern part of the country killed two blue helmets from Morocco and wounded two others just a day before the most recent incident the Security Council underlined that attacks targeting peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and reminded all parties of their obligations under international humanitarian law. Council members also called on CAR authorities to swiftly investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice. They stressed that those responsible for the attack shall be held accountable. According to MINUSCA, which also strongly condemned the attack, the Bangladeshi 'blue helmet' was killed on Thursday in Bokayai, 25 kilomretres (about 16 miles) southwest of Bocaranga, in Ouham-Pende Prefecture. The Mission said that its peacekeepers on patrol were returning from the town of Koui when they were attacked by about 50 assailants. The peacekeepers responded to the attack. Condemning this attack as well as aggressions and provocations against its peacekeepers, MINUSCA underlined, once again, that attacks targeting peacekeepers are unacceptable and may constitute a war crime. Clashes between the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel coalition and anti-Balaka militia, which are mostly Christian, plunged the country of 4.5 million people into civil conflict in 2013. Despite significant progress and successful elections, CAR has remained in the grip of instability and sporadic unrest. In December 2016, the Mission supported a new dialogue between 11 of the 14 armed groups, as part of an ongoing effort to disarm the factions. Syrian refugees in Lebanon face economic hardship and food shortages joint UN agency study Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Syrian refugees in Lebanon face economic hardship and food shortages joint UN agency study, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734c3b40e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 6 January 2017 - A joint United Nations agency study has revealed that Syrian refugees in Lebanon remain highly vulnerable and that despite living there for years, their economic situation continues to be difficult, leaving more than a third food insecure. "Syrian refugees are barely coping," Amin Awad, Director of the Middle Eastern and North Africa bureau of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said today. "They remain extremely vulnerable and dependent on aid from the international community. Without continued support, their situation would be appalling." The study, conducted by UNHCR, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the World Food Programme (WFP) analyzes the situation of some 1.5 million Syrians living in Lebanon. It is the fourth of its kind and includes detailed data from visits to more than 4,500 Syrian refugee households in 26 districts throughout the country. The report found that families have exhausted their resources and are now taking on harmful or asset-depleting coping mechanisms just to survive. Since 2015, there has been a 12 per cent increase in the number of families who are moderately to severely food insecure. 71 per cent live below the poverty line and more than half of families have 5 or more people living together. AUDIO: Lisa Abou Khaled, UNHCR spokesperson in Lebanon, outlining the findings of the study. Yet, thanks to $1 billion in aid received as of November 2016, agencies were able to halt a sharper decline into poverty that was witnessed in 2014 and 2015. It also prevented further deterioration in health, education, shelter, water, hygiene, solid waste, and energy conditions. However, that $1billion is only half of the target request from a joint UN, government, and inter-agency appeal for Syrian refugees in Lebanon. Lebanon is the second largest host to Syrian refugees after Turkey. Refugees live in some 2,125 communities and locations in urban and rural areas around the country, with 71 per cent living in residential buildings, 12 per cent in non-residential homes, and 17 per cent in informal settlements. The agencies also report that 42 per cent of households are experiencing one or more of the following: overcrowding, dangerous structural conditions and urgently needed repairs, and no toilet. Lack of water access in Damascus is creating risks for children, UN warns Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, Lack of water access in Damascus is creating risks for children, UN warns, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734c8c1d9.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 6 January 2017 - Following two weeks with no access to running water for millions of people in and around Damascus due to ongoing fighting near the Syrian capital, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) today raised the alarm over a potential increase in diarrheal diseases among children. While private distributors are providing water, Christophe Boulierac, a spokesperson for UNICEF, told reporters at the regular bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva that he is worried about quality and price of those supplies. Residents have been able to access water for up to two hours every three or four days through water rationing. But many have turned to private distributors, where neither price nor quality are regulated, prompting concerns about the risk of water-borne diseases among children. In many areas, families are paying up to $12 for only 1,000 litres of water. UNICEF also reported that children are taking on the burden of water collection for their families and that most children had walked at least half an hour to collect water from the nearest mosque or public water point. They waited in line for up to two hours in freezing temperatures. So far, UNICEF and its partners have rehabilitated and equipped 120 wells in and around Damascus in order to provide a third of residents' daily water needs. As of 22 December, those wells were the only source of water for the entire city. Following the cuts, UNICEF also provided generators and fuel in order to increase water production for 3.5 million people. This past week, daily water trucking resumed for 50 schools in Damascus to reach up to 30,000 children. On 4 January 2017, children at Ibn Hazm School in Syria's capital Damascus have water for the first time in almost two weeks, after UNICEF started emergency trucking to 50 schools in the area. Photo: UNICEF/Muhannad Al- Asadi However, these solutions are only temporary and UNICEF and its partners are ready to support repair work to damaged sources and networks as soon as access is granted. The agency emphasized that all parties to the conflict must meet their obligations under international humanitarian law and protect all civilian infrastructure, including water facilities. Mr. Boulierac reported that the area's two primary water sources - in Wadi Barada - are natural springs and have been affected by fighting, but he was unable to immediately provide further details about access or the process to arrange deliveries. A spokesperson for the World Health Organization (WHO), Tarik Jasarevic, added that once teams had access to public water utilities, it would take a minimum of four days to complete repairs, possibly longer depending on the nature of the damage. He also noted that some people are using water sources near the river within Damascus, and that that water has yet to be tested for bacterial safety. 2016 deadliest year ever for migrants crossing Mediterranean UN agency Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, 2016 deadliest year ever for migrants crossing Mediterranean UN agency, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734ca840e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 6 January 2017 - More migrants were killed crossing the Mediterranean Sea to Europe in 2016 than ever before, according to the United Nations migration agency in the region. At least 363,348 people crossed the sea mostly to Italy and Greece but 5,079 additional people were either killed or are missing. The UN International Organization for Migration (IOM) released its preliminary figures today, but they are expected to increase with the addition of fatalities from December. The probable addition of several hundred more fatalities recorded in 2016 only deepens the tragedy, said IOM Director General William Lacy Swing. He added that Europe's frustration with a seemingly endless cycle of migrant rescue followed by reports of shipwrecks and more drownings will continue unless Governments throughout the region find a way to manage migration comprehensively. Mr. Swing called for finding creative means to permit safe, legal and secure migration which could be done through work visas, family reunification or temporary protected status. Instead of doubling down on tactics that don't work, let's use this New Year to try something that's actually new, he stressed. Meanwhile, IOM today carried out its first aid training courses in Libya with rescuers involving migrant lifesaving operation in the Mediterranean Sea. The training, which is part of the Sea and Desert Migration Management for Libyan Authorities to Rescue Migrants (SEA DEMM), was funded by the European Union. UN rights expert to assess potential abuses in northern Myanmar Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, UN rights expert to assess potential abuses in northern Myanmar, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734ccb40e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 6 January 2017 - An independent United Nations expert will assess the human rights situation in Myanmar starting next week, it was announced, following increasing concerns about civilians in Kachin State and the escalating violence in Rakhine State. The events of the last few months have shown that the international community must remain vigilant in monitoring the human rights situation there, said Yanghee Lee, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the country. The 12-day visit, at the invitation of the Government, will include meetings political and community leaders, civil society, as well as victims of human rights violations and members of the international community. Starting on 9 January, this will be Ms. Lee's fifth visit to Myanmar. She plans to visit Myitkyina, Hpakant and Laiza in Kachin State, where civilians are caught in fighting between the Myanmar army and an armed group. The escalation in fighting in Kachin and Shan, with its inevitable negative impact on the situation of civilians, is causing some disquiet regarding the direction that the new Government is taking in its first year of administration, Ms. Lee said. She will also gather information in Sittwe, Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine State, as well as Nay Pyi Taw and Yangon. Last month, the top UN human rights official, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said that he was deeply disappointed by a lack of access to some of the worst areas in northern Rakhine, particularly given numerous alarming allegations of rights violations, including killings, rapes and the burning of homes belonging to the Rohingya minority group. A report from the visit will be presented in March to the UN Human Rights Council, the largest body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system. Ms. Lee's position is honorary and she does not receive a salary for her work. As temperatures drop, asylum-seekers on Greek islands need to be moved to mainland UN agency Publisher UN News Service Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as UN News Service, As temperatures drop, asylum-seekers on Greek islands need to be moved to mainland UN agency, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734d1c40e.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 6 January 2017 - Drawing attention to situation of hundreds of asylum-seekers on the Greek Aegean islands, facing further vulnerability as temperatures are expected to drop in the coming days, the United Nations refugee agency underlined the urgent need to accelerate their transfer to the mainland. According to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), transfers of asylum-seekers from the islands to the mainland are allowed only after people have completed a registration process or in cases of particular vulnerability. "Slowness in registration or identifying vulnerable individuals and, previously, a shortage of suitable spaces on the mainland have been factors delaying moves," Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for UNHCR told the media at a regular bi-weekly briefing in Geneva today. "Among other things this has contributed to serious overcrowding of facilities built for far fewer people, and increased protection risks," he added. The situation is particularly concerning on the islands of Samos, Chios and Lesvos. The UN agency and its partners have distributed thermal blankets, sleeping bags, winter protection kits and heating fuel, installed electric heaters and insulation, and set up heated Rubb halls - large, relocatable tent-like structures often used in situations of emergency. It is clear that people would be better off on the mainland and should be moved there more quickly and in larger numbers "[However] it's clear that people would be better off on the mainland and should be moved there more quickly and in larger numbers," noted the UNHCR spokesperson. He further explained that over the Christmas to New Year period in 2016, the agency completed winter preparations for all sites assigned to it by Greek authorities and is finishing additional infrastructure upgrades elsewhere. In total it has created some 21,000 accommodation places in apartments, with host families, or in other buildings. 700 places have been also found for unaccompanied children in dedicated structures. Urgency of relocating asylum-seekers to other countries Also at the briefing today, the UN refugee agency reminded European Union (EU) countries of the continued need to help resolve the situation in Greece through relocating asylum-seekers to other countries. It noted that as of 4 January, only 7,760 asylum-seekers had left Greece or were scheduled to leave under the EU Relocation Mechanism agreed in late 2015. "This represents around 12 per cent of the 66,400 agreed and is unacceptably low," said Mr. Edwards, adding: "UNHCR appeals to EU Member states to respect their previous commitments and offer additional spaces without further delay." Nigeria: 1000 days since Chibok girls abduction, government must redouble efforts to secure freedom of all abductees Publisher Amnesty International Publication Date 8 January 2017 Cite as Amnesty International, Nigeria: 1000 days since Chibok girls abduction, government must redouble efforts to secure freedom of all abductees, 8 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58734d6c4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. One thousand days after the chilling abduction of 276 school girls in Chibok, the Nigerian government must redouble its efforts to ensure the release of the girls, and all other victims of mass abduction, said Amnesty International. The organization is calling on Boko Haram to put an end to the girls' suffering and immediately release them and all other civilians they are currently holding. "This terrible anniversary is a chilling reminder not just of the tragic disappearance of the Chibok school girls, but also all other individuals - many of whom are also children - who remain captive in Boko Haram's hideouts across the country. These abductions and other attacks on civilians, many of which constitute war crimes, must stop," said Makmid Kamara, Acting Country Director for Amnesty International Nigeria. "While the Nigerian government is making considerable efforts to recover the 195 Chibok girls still in Boko Haram's custody, we are concerned that victims of less well publicised mass abductions have not benefited from comparable efforts to secure their release." Amnesty International has documented at least 41 other cases of mass abductions by Boko Haram since 2014. Many of the attacks committed by the group, including deliberate killing of civilians, rape, destruction of homes, bombing of places of worship, markets and other civilian structures, constitute war crimes and those responsible should be brought to justice in fair trials without recourse to the death penalty. Amnesty International recognises the resilience and determination of the Bring Back Our Girls (BBOG) campaigners in Nigeria in getting the plight of the Chibok girls on the world's agenda and for keeping up the pressure on the government by continuing to demand the release of all the girls. Their persistence is notable at a time when the civic space for peaceful protests and gatherings in Nigeria is rapidly shrinking. "The people of Nigeria, and indeed the world, are remembering the 1000th day after the Chibok abduction primarily because of the relentless work of Bring Back Our Girls. We hope that the energy of this formidable campaign will be replicated in demands for justice and accountability for crimes committed by all parties to the current conflict in north eastern Nigeria," said Makmid Kamara. "The Nigerian government should also dramatically step up its efforts to ensure the safe release of abductees and provide proper psychological and medical support to those who have already been rescued, released or have escaped captivity." BACKGROUND Since 2009, Boko Haram has been carrying out a violent campaign against civilians in north eastern Nigeria through acts of almost daily killings, bombings, abductions and looting. Towns and villages have been pillaged. Schools, churches, mosques and other public buildings have been attacked and destroyed. Boko Haram is brutally mistreating civilians trapped in areas under its control and has disrupted the provision of health, education and other public services. Amnesty International's research shows that Boko Haram has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity with impunity. In April 2014 Boko Haram fighters kidnapped 276 girls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Chibok. Abductions are a consistent part of Boko Haram's attacks and on 14 April 2015, Amnesty International released a comprehensive report which documented 38 cases of abduction by Boko Haram. Since April 2015, thousands of women, men and children who were abducted by Boko Haram have escaped or been rescued. Copyright notice: Copyright Amnesty International Ethiopia: Exit controls at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, including screening procedures for those departing on international flights; treatment of members of opposition parties at the airport (February 2011-December 2013) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 2 January 2017 Citation / Document Symbol ETH104707.E Related Document(s) Ethiopie : information sur les controles de sortie a l'aeroport international de Bole a Addis-Abeba, y compris les procedures de controle pour les personnes partant a bord de vols internationaux; le traitement reserve aux membres des partis d'opposition a l'aeroport (fevrier 2011-decembre 2013) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ethiopia: Exit controls at Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa, including screening procedures for those departing on international flights; treatment of members of opposition parties at the airport (February 2011-December 2013), 2 January 2017, ETH104707.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587364024.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Information on exit controls at Bole International Airport and the treatment of members of opposition groups at the airport was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. However, the following information may be of interest. 1. Bole International Airport The website of Ethiopian Airlines states the following about departures from Bole International Airport: To ensure maximum safety, all passengers are required to show their ticket and passport at the Security Check-Point before they enter the Terminal building. All other visitors are required to pay a fee of [Ethiopian] Birr 3/- [about C$ 0.17 (XE 19 Dec. 2013)] at the booths located in the parking lots and need to show identification cards at the Security Guard Post. There is a designated visitors waiting area beyond which they are not allowed to pass. All who enter the airport building whether passengers or visitors need to pass through security screen. (Ethiopian Airlines n.d.) The US Department of State's international travel website provides the following information on departures from Ethiopia: Non-residents departing Ethiopia may carry a maximum of 3000 USD (or its equivalent), unless they can produce a customs declaration, bank slip showing the purchase of foreign currency, or letter confirming that they were paid by an embassy or foreign organization in Ethiopia. Residents of Ethiopia must produce a bank slip showing the purchase of foreign currency, or customs declaration that is not more than 45 days old, in order to carry any foreign currency out of Ethiopia. Any traveler entering or exiting Ethiopia may carry a maximum of 200 Ethiopian Birr on their person or in their luggage. ... Travelers found violating any of the above customs rules have been detained at the airport and in some cases have been sentenced to prison terms of three months or more. ... Important Note: The Government of Ethiopia rarely informs the Embassy of arrested or detained U.S. citizens, even those detained at the airport by immigration or customs authorities. In some instances, U.S. citizens have been detained for weeks or even months without Embassy notification. (US 2 July 2013) 2. Freedom of Exit According to the US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012, Ethiopian law allows citizens freedom of movement within the country and the right to travel abroad, emigrate, and repatriate, but the government "restricted some of these rights in practice" (19 Apr. 2013, 18). Sources report that, in October 2013, the government banned citizens from travelling abroad for employment because of reported "abuses" of Ethiopian workers in foreign countries (BBC 24 Oct. 2013; VOA 25 Oct. 2013). The ban was to remain in place until the issues had been addressed (ibid.; BBC 24 Oct. 2013). 3. Treatment of Opposition Members Attempting to Leave the Country In a 19 December 2013 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, the Chairman of the Andinet North American Association of Support Organizations (ANAASO), an American organization that is affiliated with the Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) [an opposition party in Ethiopia] (ANAASO 6 July 2012), provided the following information: The authorities in Ethiopia generally "encourage" high level or well-known opposition leaders to leave the country and continue their political activities abroad. However, low level opposition members whose treatment would not attract outside attention are at risk of being detained, jailed or killed in Ethiopia. Generally, most opposition members who wish to leave the country travel first to Kenya by bus or other means of ground transportation, to avoid being apprehended at the airport, and fly out of Kenya. The Ethiopian authorities have an extensive security network and monitors opposition members, even low level ones at the village level. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Andinet North America Association of Support Organizations (ANAASO). 19 December 2013. Telephone interview with the Chairman. Andinet North America Association of Support Organizations (ANAASO). 6 July 2012. Telephone Interview with the Chairman. British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). 24 October 2013. "Ethiopia Bans Citizens from Travelling Abroad for Work." [Accessed 19 Dec. 2013] Ethiopian Airlines. N.d. "Check-in." [Accessed 19 Dec. 2013] United States (US). 2 July 2013. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs. "Ethiopia Country Specific Information." [Accessed 16 Dec. 2013] United States (US). 19 April 2013. Department of State. "Ethiopia." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2012. [Accessed 16 Dec. 2013] Voice of America (VOA). 25 October 2013. "Ethiopia Bans Travel Abroad for Employment." [Accessed 19 Dec. 2013] XE. 19 December 2013. "XE Currency Converter." [Accessed 19 Dec. 2013] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Attempts to contact representatives of Andinet Washington and Unity Toronto and a professor at California State University (San Bernadino) specializing in Ethiopian politics were unsuccessful. Internet sites, including: Addis Voice; Canada - travel.gc.ca; Ethiopia - Embassies in Washington and Ottawa, Main Department of Immigration and Nationality Affairs, Revenues and Customs Authority; Ethiopia Daily; Ethiopian Airports Enterprise; EthiopianCNN.com; Ethiopian News; Ethiopian Reporter; Freedom House; International Air Transport Association; United Kingdom - Border and Immigration Agency; United Nations - Human Rights Council; Unity for Democracy and Justice Party Ethiopia. Brazil: The rights and duties of permanent residents, including the rights and duties of individuals who have a permanent visa, such as professors, researchers, highly-skilled technicians and foreign scientists; procedure to obtain or renew a residency permit; grounds for losing permanent residence (2014-May 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 25 May 2016 Citation / Document Symbol BRA105515.FE Related Document(s) Bresil : information sur les droits et obligations des residents permanents, y compris sur les droits et obligations de ceux qui detiennent un visa permanent a titre de professeur, de chercheur, de technicien de pointe ou de scientifique; marche a suivre pour obtenir ou renouveler un permis de residence; motifs de perte de residence permanente (2014-mai 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Brazil: The rights and duties of permanent residents, including the rights and duties of individuals who have a permanent visa, such as professors, researchers, highly-skilled technicians and foreign scientists; procedure to obtain or renew a residency permit; grounds for losing permanent residence (2014-May 2016), 25 May 2016, BRA105515.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587369304.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Permanent Visa Law No. 6.815 of 19 August 1980, which "defines the legal status of aliens in Brazil" and is attached to this Response, establishes that "[a] permanent visa shall be awarded to an alien who intends to live permanently in Brazil" (Brazil 1980, Introduction and Art. 16). According to a document on immigration legislation in Brazil, on the website of the Undersecretariat of Foreign Service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil, published by EMDOC, a company that provides consultation services for immigration issues in Brazil, "although [the permanent visa] is called 'permanent', it is usually granted with a period of validity" (EMDOC Oct. 2009, 195, 232). In compliance with Article 18 of Law No. 6.815, "[t]he award of a permanent visa may be conditional, for a period of no more than five (5) years, unto the exercise of a determined activity []" (Brazil 1980). According to a report on migration between Brazil and Europe, prepared by the National Immigration Council (Conselho Nacional de Imigracao - CNIg) of Brazil and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD [1]), "the permanent resident, even if highly qualified, is in reality a temporary resident who may only do his/her job in the company which he/she was hired to work for, at least during the first mandate" (Brazil and ICMPD 2013, 75). Similarly, EMDOC highlights that the holder of a permanent visa is bound, during the initial five-year period, to the corporation responsible for applying for the visa; after that, "the foreigner becomes free to exert any labour activity in Brazil, provided [they] compl[y] with the Brazilian laws" (EMDOC Oct. 2009, 233). For example, according to that same source, if, during the first five years, the visa holder returns to their country of origin, the corporation is required to inform the Brazilian authorities and request that the visa be cancelled (ibid.). According to EMDOC, a holder of a permanent visa may not obtain a travel document for an undetermined period before this [five-year] period has lapsed (ibid., 232). Similarly, it is written in the CNIg and ICMPD report, with no further details, that some permanent resident visas are subject to confirmation after five years (Brazil and ICMPD 2013, 71-72). The website of the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal states that a permanent visa (VIPER) can be issued in the following cases: "[f]amily reunion; [] [r]etirement; [w]orkers" (Brazil n.d.a). The same webpage adds that the following cases belong to "Other permanent visa subcategories": Professors, researchers, highly-skilled technicians and foreign scientists intending to pursue activities in a public or private educational or research institution for a period exceeding two years; Investors; Administrator, manager, director or corporate executives coming to Brazil to represent civil society, business group or economic conglomerate; Foreigners who come to represent in Brazil [a] financial institution or a like headquarters abroad; Foreigners taking up a position of director, manager or administrator of a non-profit corporate entity governed by private law. (ibid.) Sources state that the permanent visa for professors, researchers and scientists [as well as technicians (EMDOC Oct. 2009, 233)] is governed by Normative Resolution No. 01 of 29 April 1997 (EMDOC Oct. 2009, 233; Brazil and ICMPD 2013, 75). Article 01 of that resolution states that "a temporary or definitive visa may be authorized to alien professors, high-level technicians or researchers and scientists who intend to perform activities in privately or state-owned teaching , or scientific and technological research entities [] for a term in excess of two years" (Brazil 1997, Art. 01). 2. Procedure to Obtain a Permanent Visa Article 02 of Normative Resolution No. 01 of 29 April 1997 establishes that "[t]he application request for either the temporary or the definitive visa shall be submitted with the Ministry of Labor, by the applicant entity" (ibid., Art. 02). The website of the Consulate of Brazil in Montreal states that the permanent visa for professors, researchers, highly-skilled technicians and scientists belongs to one of the permanent visa subcategories, the applications from which must be made directly through the General Coordination of Immigration (Coordenacao Geral de Imigracao, CGIg) of the Ministry of Labour (Ministerio do Trabalho e Emprego, MTE) or through the CNIg by the inviting entity (ibid. n.d.a). Once the CGIg or the CNIg has sent their approval to the Consulate, the applicant must submit their visa application and include the following documents: Passport (valid for at least 6 months) Visa request form receipt (RER). This receipt, which must be printed out and signed, is generated after the applicant complete[s] an online visa request form. 2x2 inch[] photo of the face against a white or off-white background (professionally taken); [] Police clearance certificate issued by RCMP or local police (non-fingerprint type). (ibid.) 3. Loss and Renewal of Permanent Visa Article 30 of Law. No. 6.815 of 19 August 1980 states that the holder of a permanent visa "shall be obliged to register with the Ministry of Justice within thirty days as of his/her entry" (ibid. 1980, Art. 30). The Law states that "an alien's registration shall be cancelled if": the alien is awarded Brazilian nationality; the alien's expulsion has been ordered; the alien requests his/her definitive departure from the Brazilian territory, and expressly waives the right of return as provided in article 51; the alien absents himself/herself from Brazil for a period exceeding the one mentioned in article 51 [two years]; in case of visa transformation as provided in article 42; the alien violates article 18, article 37, [para.] 02, or 99 to 101; and the alien is a temporary resident or a political refugee nearing the expiration of his/her stay in the Brazilian territory (ibid., Art. 49). The section "[l]oss and recovery of the permanent resident status" on the website of the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal states that "[f]oreigners will lose their permanent resident status in Brazil if absent from the national territory for a period exceeding two years" (ibid. n.d.a). Similarly, the website of the Consulate of Brazil in Vancouver states that, if the holder of the visa "leaves the country for more than two years in a row, the visa will expire, the ID for foreigner[s] (RNE) will automatically be revoked and the person will have to re-apply for a new permanent visa" (ibid. n.d.b). However, according to the website of the Consulate General of Brazil in Montreal, [t]he Consular Authority may grant a new VIPER to a foreigner who once lived in Brazil as a permanent resident and then left in order to pursue or complete: University studies (undergraduate or graduate level); Professional training; Research activity at an institution recognized by the Brazilian Ministry of Science and Technology; Professional activity for the Brazilian government. (ibid. n.d.a) The application should be submitted directly to the Consular Office which has jurisdiction over the applicant's place of residence. The following documents are required: Proof of the activities developed abroad; Official proof of the prior permanent residence status in Brazil until the start date of the activities abroad; Certificate of absence of criminal record (Police clearance certificate (non-fingerprint name check) from RCMP or local police department for applicants)[,] and other documents required by the Consular Office. (ibid.) 4. Rights and Duties of Permanent Residents The Brazilian Federal Constitution states the following: [translation] Art. 5. All persons are equal before the law; without any distinction whatsoever, Brazilians and foreigners residing in the country being ensured of inviolability of the right to life, to liberty, to equality and to property, []. Art. 6. Education, health, work, leisure, security, social security, protection of motherhood and childhood, and assistance to the destitute, are social rights, as set forth by this Constitution. (ibid. 1988) The CNIg and ICMPD report states that Article 6 of the Constitution guarantees the right to healthcare and education with no distinction between Brazilians and immigrants (Brazil and ICMPD 2013, 63). In addition, EMDOC states that, "[i]n all categories of permanent visas, it is possible for the foreigner to bring his/her dependents to Brazil" (EMDOC Oct. 2009, 232). According to the CNIg and ICMPD report, the Constitution also contains some restrictions to the rights of foreigners, and among "the most important" are the prohibition of military service and vote [] and the veto to some important public office positions (Brazil and ICMPD 2013, 63). The rights and duties of foreigners are also listed in Title X of Law No. 6.815 of 19 August 1980, which is attached to this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] ICMPD, whose headquarters are located in Vienna, is an international organization with 15 Member States that was created [ICMPD website] "to provide expertise and services [] on migration and asylum issues" (ICMPD 11 Dec. 2015, 1). References Brazil. 1997. Normative Resolution No. 01, of April 29, 1997. In EMDOC. October 2009. Daniela Lima, Idalmir Correia da Luz, Rene Ramos and Samantha Machado Mendes Sampaio. The Foreign National in Brazil. Legislation and Comments. Edited by Joao Marques da Fonseca Neto. Fourth edition. [Accessed 17 May 2016] Brazil. 1988 (amended in 1996). Constitution de la Republique federative du Bresil. Translated by Jacques Villemain and Jean Francois Cleaver. [Accessed 19 May 2016] Brazil. 1980 (amended in 1981). Law No. 6.815 of August 19, 1980. In EMDOC. October 2009. Daniela Lima, Idalmir Correia da Luz, Rene Ramos and Samantha Machado Mendes Sampaio. The Foreign National in Brazil Legislation and Comments. Edited by Joao Marques da Fonseca Neto. Fourth edition. [Accessed 17 May 2016] Brazil. N.d.a. Consulate General in Montreal. "Permanent Visa (VIPER)". [Accessed 24 May 2016] Brazil. N.d.b. Consulate General in Vancouver. "Permanent Visa (VIPER)". [Accessed 17 May 2016] Brazil and International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). 2013. Brazil - Europe Migration. The Situation of Brazilian Immigrants in Spain and Portugal, and Portuguese and Spanish Immigrants in Brazil: Legal Aspects and Experiences. By Claudia Finotelli, Diego Acosta, Duval Magalhaes Fernandes, Joao Peixoto, Luisa Belchior, Maria da Consolacao Gomes de Castro, Silvana Pena Knup and Thais Franca da Silva. [Accessed 17 May 2016] EMDOC. October 2009. Daniela Lima, Idalmir Correia da Luz, Rene Ramos and Samantha Machado Mendes Sampaio. The Foreign National in Brazil: Legislation and Comments. Edited by Joao Marques da Fonseca Neto. Fourth edition. [Accessed 17 May 2016] International Centre for Migration Policy Development (ICMPD). 11 December 2015. Mission in Bruxelles. "ICMPD se presente". [Accessed 17 May 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Brazil - embassy in Ottawa, consulates in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Internet sites, including: Brazil - ministry of foreign affairs, ministry of labour and employment; ecoi.net; France - embassy of Brazil; International Migration Institute, Oxford University; International Organization for Migration; Organization of American States - Migrations at the OAS; United Kingdom - embassy of Brazil, Home Office; United Nations - Refworld; United States - embassy of Brazil, Library of Congress. Attachment Brazil. 1980 (amended in 1981). Law No. 6.815 of August 19, 1980. In EMDOC. October 2009. Daniela Lima, Idalmir Correia da Luz, Rene Ramos and Samantha Machado Mendes Sampaio. The Foreign National in Brazil Legislation and Comments. Edited by Joao Marques da Fonseca Neto. Fourth edition. [Accessed 17 May 2016] Brazil: Situation and treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection, and support services (2012-April 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 5 April 2016 Citation / Document Symbol BRA105487.E Related Document(s) Bresil : information sur la situation des minorites sexuelles et le traitement qui leur est reserve, y compris les lois, la protection offerte par l'Etat et les services de soutien (2012-avril 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Brazil: Situation and treatment of sexual minorities, including legislation, state protection, and support services (2012-April 2016), 5 April 2016, BRA105487.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736b5f4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Situation and Treatment of Sexual Minorities According to sources, homosexuality is legal in Brazil (The Globe and Mail 22 Jun. 2014; Pink News 2 Dec. 2007) and has been since 1823 (ibid.). Sources state that in 2013 the National Council of Justices passed a resolution mandating all notary publics to register same-sex marriages (CNN 15 May 2013; Human Rights Watch 2016, 134; The New York Times 14 May 2013). The New York Times reports that notary publics certify and carry out marriage ceremonies in Brazil, but that "many have refused to comply for gay couples, a resistance that has been backed by some of the regional judges who oversee them" (ibid.). The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014 states that social discrimination, especially against transgendered persons, "remained a problem" and violence against LGBT persons "remained a serious concern" (US 25 June 2015, 28). Freedom House similarly indicates that "[a]lthough Brazil has a largely tolerant society, violence against members of the LGBT community continued during 2014" (Freedom House 2015). Newsweek, a global weekly news magazine and website (Newsweek n.d.), reports that while Brazil is known for "its huge gay pride parades it also has one of the highest levels of violence towards [LGBT] people in the world" (11 May 2015). According to a news bulletin by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), homophobic and transphobic violence "remains rampant in Brazil" (UN 13 Feb. 2014). According to a 2013 survey by the Pew Research Center, a US-based "nonpartisan fact tank" that conducts opinion polling, demographic and content analysis research (Pew Research Center n.d.), 60 percent of respondents in Brazil agreed that "society should accept homosexuality," and 36 percent disagreed (ibid. 4 June 2013, 1). A 2014 study on legislation recognizing same-sex marriage in the Americas conducted by the Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP), an academic institution at Vanderbilt University that carries out "surveys of public opinion in the Americas" (LAPOP n.d.), 45.5 percent of respondents in Brazil supported same-sex marriage (Maldonado 2 June 2015, 1). 1.1 Violence Against LGBT Persons According to sources, in 2012 there were 315 (US 25 June 2015, 29) or 310 LGBT persons murdered in Brazil (Brazil 26 Jan. 2015). A 2014 report published by Micro Rainbow, an international NGO whose mission is "to create tools, programmes, and policy recommendations that enable LGBTI people to step out of poverty" (n.d.), cites data collected from both the Brazilian government and the Human Rights Helpline, Disque 100 (Disk 100) [1] in Brazil as stating that in 2012, there were "3,084 reports of 9,982 violations" against LGBT persons recorded by the helpline (Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 24). The majority of the violations were cases of "psychological violence and discrimination"; physical violence, including murder, was the second most prevalent human rights violation documented by the helpline (ibid.). According to a document submitted by the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN in Geneva to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, of the violations reported to the helpline in 2012, 82.2 percent were related to "psychological violence," 72.01 percent "impl[ied] some kind of open discrimination, such as denial of access to public spaces and other forms of segregation," and 32.68 percent reported physical violence (Brazil 26 Jan. 2015, 5). Citing data collected by Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB), a non-profit LGBT human rights organisation based in the city of Salvador (GGB n.d.), the Micro Rainbow International report indicates that in 2013, 338 LGBT persons were murdered, 56 percent of which were gay men, 37 percent were transgender, 5 percent were lesbian, and 1 percent were bisexual (Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 26). According to its 2014 report, GGB states that in 2014 there were 326 deaths of LGBT persons reported, including 9 suicides (GGB 13 Jan. 2015). Of the 326 dead, "163 were gay, 134 were [transgender], 14 were lesbian, 3 were bisexual, 7 were known as t-lovers, or transvestite-lovers" and 7 were heterosexual men "who were mistaken to be gay or because they found themselves in homoerotic circumstances and/or spaces" (ibid.). The same report further states that 50 of the murders happened in Sao Paulo state and 30 in Minas Gerais state, "however, in relative terms the states of Paraiba and Piaui and their respective capitals represent the highest risk level to be violently killed as an LGBT individual" (ibid.). According to the 2014 GGB report, of those LGBT people killed, 107 were shot, 105 stabbed, 49 were killed by "beating, clubbing and stoning, 24 by hanging and suffocation"; there were also reported "cases of poisoning, charring, [and] intentional hit and run," and "in many cases torture was applied prior to carrying out the killings" (ibid.). Human Rights Watch states that in the first half of 2015, the Brazilian Human Rights Ombudsman's Office received "522 complaints of violence and discrimination" against LGBT persons (Human Rights Watch 2016, 134). The Rio Times reports that between January and April of 2015, 356 complaints of violations of LGBT persons were reported to the Disque 100 (Dial 100) hotline (The Rio Times 18 May 2015). Further information on violence against LGBT persons, including statistics for the second half of 2015 and early 2016, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. State Protection 2.1 Anti-Discrimination Legislation According to sources, there are no hate crime laws in Brazil (Latin Times 20 Apr. 2015; Global Post 13 Apr. 2012; Refugee Studies Centre Apr. 2013) that address homophobia (ibid.; Global Post 13 Apr. 2012). Sources further state that there is no federal law that prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation (Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 23; The Rio Times 18 May 2015; Doctoral candidate 24 Mar. 2016). Country Reports states, however, that "several states and municipalities have administrative regulations that prohibit such discrimination and provide for equal access to government services" (US 25 June 2015, 28). A 2013 article by the Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA) [2] similarly states that rights afforded to LGBT citizens in Brazil "largely stem from local and state-based legislation and judicial decisions" (AS/COA 16 May 2013). The same source explains that in 1989, the states of Mato Grosso and Sergipe approved constitutions that protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation. Bahia was the first state to pass anti-discrimination legislation to protect LGBT rights when the capital city of Salvador passed such a law in 1997. Dozens of cities and states across the country followed suit in the early 2000s, banning discrimination of gays and, in some cases, transsexuals. (ibid.) According to a 2015 report on LGBT rights in Latin America and the Caribbean prepared by Dr. Javier Corrales, the Dwight W. Morrow 1895 Professor of Political Science at Amherst College, the following states have anti-discrimination provisions for LGBT persons: Bahia, Rio de Janeiro, Federal District, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Paraiba, Piaui, Alagoas, Para, Amapa, Golas, Mato Grosso do Sul, Maranhao, Parana, Pernambuco, Sergipe, and Tocantins (Corrales 2015, 2, 19). In 2012, Forbes reported that in "several" states, including "Bahia, the Federal District, Minas Gerais, Paraiba, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Sao Paulo," employment discrimination on the "basis of sexual orientation is prohibited" (Forbes 25 May 2012). In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a doctoral candidate at the University of Campinas, specializing in the "collective identities in the Brazilian LGBT movement," stated that while some states have anti-discrimination laws, "they are not criminal (as only the Federal level can legislate criminal law in Brazil)" and that in Sao Paulo, for example, the law "cannot be used against individuals," only institutions and corporations (Doctoral candidate 24 Mar. 2016). The same source indicated that, should the company or organisation be found guilty of discrimination, "they have to pay a fee to the local government, and theoretically, the fee must be used to fight against homophobia in the state" (ibid.). Sources state that conservative religious factions in congress have blocked the advancement of LGBT rights in Brazil at the Federal level (The New York Times 14 May 2013; Los Angeles Times 22 Mar. 2015; Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 23). According to sources, a conservative pastor known for having made homophobic remarks, was elected president of the Human Rights and Minorities' Commission of the Chamber of Deputies in 2013 (ibid.; The New York Times 14 May 2013; Mountian Mar. 2014, 8). 2.2 Implementation of Anti-Discrimination Legislation Information on the implementation of anti-discrimination legislation at the state or local level was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. According to the report from the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, in 2013 the "National System to Fight Violence Against LGBT People and to Promote LGBT Rights came into force" (Brazil 26 Jan. 2015, 3). According to the same source, the purpose of the system is to encourage "the creation of regional councils for supervision, regional plans and regional executive bodies that will coordinate efforts to prevent violence and punish perpetrators" (ibid.). The "core" of the National System "consists of a national network of councils on LGBT rights" composed of government and civil society representatives (ibid.). Further information, including the work and effectiveness of the regional councils, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2.3 Police Response According to the 2014 Micro Rainbow International report, LGBT persons do not always report crimes to law enforcement officials due to fears of exposure or re-victimization by the police (Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 24). The 2014 GGB report states that the actual number of deaths of LGBT persons in Brazil "must certainly exceed the estimates" provided in the report, as "in more recent years police officers and police inspectors have been increasingly and blatantly ruling out the possibility of homophobia being a factor in many of these killings" (GGB 13 Jan. 2015). Newsweek further indicates that violence against LGBT persons is compounded by a "police force that lets such violence happen with impunity, even on occasion within its own ranks" (Newsweek 11 May 2015). The same source reports on a case where a young man living on the outskirts of Sao Paulo was stabbed in the neck by his neighbour, allegedly for being gay; the police charged the neighbour with "grievous bodily harm," and "declined to bring the more serious charge of attempted homicide against his assailant" (ibid.). Corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Country Reports 2014 states that in April 2014, Rio de Janeiro's state-run program "'Rio without Homophobia'" provided training on LGBT rights to 430 civil police officers in Rio (US 25 June 2015, 29). According to the report from the Permanent Mission of Brazil to the UN, the Brazilian government has cooperated with "States and municipalities to provide training and capacity building to security forces to deal with [homophobia] and transphobia" (Brazil 26 Jan. 2015, 3). 3. Support Services Information on support services available to LGBT persons in Brazil was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Without providing further detail, Country Reports 2014 indicates that there are two centers in Sao Paulo city, with a third under construction, that support "'victims of homophobia'" (US 25 June 2015, 29). The centers provide social support while informing "victims of their rights under the law" (ibid.). According to the 2014 report by GGB, there are "more than 300 active Brazilian LGBT" NGOs (GGB 13 Jan. 2015). The website of the Brazilian Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transvestite and Transsexual Association (Associacao Brasileira de Lesbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais, ABGLT) states that it is the "largest" LGBT network in Latin America, and that its national network in Brazil consists of "203 organisations," of which 141 are LGBT groups and the "remaining 62 are 'collaborating' organisations involved with human rights and AIDS" support (ABGLT n.d.). The same source indicates that its work focuses on monitoring federal government programs, combating AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases, advocating for pro-LGBT legislation and budgets, and capacity building for legal professionals on LGBT issues (ibid.). According to the doctoral candidate, there are "some" support services, such as LGBT centres that offer psychological and social support, though such services were described by the source as "very poor" and are known to operate under "precarious" conditions (24 Mar. 2016). The source further noted that there are a few of these centres active in all five regions of Brazil, however they are "far from being able to serve" the needs of their LGBT communities (ibid.). This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Notes [1] According to the Rio Times, Disque 100 [also Disk 100 (Micro Rainbow International June 2014, 24)] (Dial 100) is a "confidential national hotline" which takes complaints on human rights violations and is operated by the Human Rights Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil (The Rio Times 18 May 2015). [2] The AS is a "forum dedicated to education, debate, and dialogue in the Americas" and the COA is an "international business organization" dedicated to "economic and social development, open markets, rule of law, and democracy throughout the Western Hemisphere" (AS/COA n.d.). References Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA).16 May 2013. Rachel Glikhouse and Mark Keller. "Explainer: LGBT Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] Americas Society/Council of the Americas (AS/COA). N.d. "About AS/COA." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] Associacao Brasileira de Lesbicas, Gays, Bissexuais, Travestis e Transexuais (ABGLT). N.d. "ABGLT." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] Brazil. 26 January 2015. Permanent Mission of Brazil to the United Nations Office in Geneva. Correspondence to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on violence and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. No. 31/2015. [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016] Cable News Network (CNN). 15 May 2013. Marilia Brocchetto. "Brazilian Judicial Council: Notaries Must Recognize Same-sex Marriage." [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016] Corrales, Javier. [2015]. LGBT Rights and Representation in Latin America and the Caribbean: The Influence of Structure, Movements, Institutions, and Culture. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016] Doctoral candidate, University of Campinas. 24 March 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate. Forbes. 25 May 2012. Kenneth Rapoza. "Brazil Close to Outlawing Discrimination Against Gays." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] Freedom House. 2015. "Brazil." Freedom in the World 2015. [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] Global Post. 13 April 2012. Alex Pearlman. "Rights Group: One Gay Brazilian Murdered per Day." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] The Globe and Mail. 22 June 2014. Matthew Sherwood. "Canada: a Safer Haven for LGBT Refugees." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB). 13 January 2015. Grupo Gay da Bahia's Annual Report / 2014: LGBT Persons Killed in Brazil. [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] Grupo Gay da Bahia (GGB). N.d. "What is the GGB." [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] Human Rights Watch. 2016. "Brazil." World Report 2016: Events of 2015. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016] Latin American Public Opinion Project (LAPOP). N.d. Vanderbilt University. "LAPOP." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] Latin Times. 20 April 2015. Cedar Attanasio. "420 Day in Brazil: Why LGBT Rights are a Focus of Weed Celebration." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] Los Angeles Times. 22 March 2015. Vincent Bevins. "Homophobic Attacks Increase in Seemingly Gay-Friendly Brazil." [Accessed 18 Feb. 2016] Maldonado, Arturo. 2 June 2015. LAPOP, Vanderbilt University. AmericasBarometer Topical Brief: Same-Sex Marriage Resonates Most Strongly with Young People in the Americas. [Accessed 15 Mar. 2016] Micro Rainbow International. June 2014. LGBT People Living in Poverty in Rio de Janeiro. [Accessed 16 Mar. 2016] Micro Rainbow International. N.d. "Vision & Mission." [Accessed 24 Mar. 2016] Mountian, Ilana. March 2014. Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex. A Critical Analysis of Public Policies on Education and LGBT Rights in Brazil. [Accessed 17 Mar. 2016] Newsweek. 11 May 2015. Oscar Lopez. "Behind Brazil's Gay Pride Parades, a Struggle with Homophobic Violence." [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] Newsweek. N.d. "About Newsweek." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] The New York Times. 14 May 2013. Simon Romero. "Brazilian Court Council Removes a Barrier to Same-sex Marriage." [Accessed 17 Mar. 2016] Pew Research Center. 4 June 2013. The Global Divide on Homosexuality: Greater Acceptance in More Secular and Affluent Countries. [Accessed 17 Mar. 2016] Pew Research Center. N.d. "About Pew Research Center." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] Pink News. 2 December 2007. "Brazilian President Calls National LGBT Conference." [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] Refugee Studies Centre. April 2013. Henrique Rabello de Carvalho. "LGBTI Refugees: the Brazilian Case." Forced Migration Review. Issue 42. [Accessed 30 Mar. 2016] The Rio Times. 18 May 2015. Chesney Hearst. "International Day Against Homophobia Raises Issues in Brazil." Accessed 18 Mar. 2016] United Nations (UN). 4 May 2015. United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. Discrimination and Violence Against Individuals Based on their Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. A/HRC/29/23. [Accessed 18 Mar. 2016] United Nations (UN).13 February 2014. United Nations Development Programme. Angela Pires. "Transgender Visibility: The 'AIDS Tche' Initiative in Brazil." [Accessed 23 Mar. 2016] United States (US). 25 June 2015. Department of State. "Brazil." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2014. [Accessed 17 Mar. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Centro Latino-Americano em Sexualidade e Direitos Humanos; Lawyer, member of LGBTI Rights Commission of the Brazilian Bar Association; Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Sao Paulo; Professor, Center for Gender Studies, University of Campinas. Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; ARC International; Centro Latino-Americano em Sexualidade e Direitos Humanos; ecoi.net; Factiva; Gay Star News; GLADD; Global Gayz; ILGA; LGBTQ Nation; OutRight International; United Nations - Refworld; United States - The Law Library of Congress. Argentina: Details surrounding the murder of Yanina Mendoza, including investigations, arrests, and judicial procedures Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 9 December 2016 Citation / Document Symbol ARG105705.E Related Document(s) Argentine : information sur le meurtre de Yanina Mendoza, y compris sur l'enquete realisee, les arrestations effectuees et les procedures judiciaires entreprises Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Details surrounding the murder of Yanina Mendoza, including investigations, arrests, and judicial procedures, 9 December 2016, ARG105705.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736d814.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Details of the Murder and Motives Sources report that Yanina Mendoza was killed on the evening of 14 May 2016 in the Yofre neighbourhood [city of Cordoba] at the intersection of Altolaguirre and Cochabamba streets (La Voz del Interior 16 May 2016; Noticias Terra 15 May 2016). According to sources, two people riding a motorcycle approached her to steal her cellphone but she put up resistance and was shot twice; one bullet impacted her head (ibid.; Cadena 3 15 May 2016) and the other her hand (Noticias Terra 15 May 2016; Dia a Dia 17 May 2016). La Voz del Interior, a newspaper based in Cordoba, cites a police officer as stating that Mendoza was shot at several times and two bullets made contact with her (La Voz del Interior 16 May 2016). According to the police officer, [translation] "'[the assassin] shot to kill'" (ibid.). La Voz del Interior also quotes judicial sources with knowledge of the investigation as indicating that authorities "are not totally convinced that the motive of the murder was a street robbery [gone wrong] carried out by thieves on a motorcycle" (ibid.). The same source reports that authorities were not ruling other hypotheses, including a targeted attack; law enforcement officials reportedly collected information on a street drug dealer who was riding a motorcycle in the area shortly before the murder who was asking around for a woman named "'Yanina'" (ibid.). Corroborating and additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Cadena 3, a radio station based in Cordoba, reports that Mendoza was not employed at the time of her murder as she was ongoing an oncological treatment (15 May 2016). 2. Investigation and Arrests Sources report that shortly after the murder, a 17 year-old boy who was riding a motorcycle and was in possession of a .22 caliber pistol, was detained by authorities (La Voz del Interior 16 May 2016; Noticias Terra 15 May 2016) after a police chase (ibid.; Cadena 3 15 May 2016). According to La Voz del Interior, even though the boy was initially detained in connection with the murder, judicial sources indicated that [translation] "'for now' the boy does not have a concrete link with the murder," though he will remain in custody and will be charged with "illegal possession of a firearm" (16 May 2016). Sources indicate that Daniel Paredes was arrested for the possession of Mendoza's cellphone SIM card (ibid. 30 May 2016; Dia a Dia 30 May 2016). Without referring to Paredes by name, Cadena 3 reports that the suspect was detained in the week that followed the murder (Cadena 3 23 May 2016). According to La Voz del Interior, Paredes is suspected of "'activating'" Mendoza's cellphone after she was murdered (30 May 2016). Sources report that he was charged with "aggravated concealment" (encubrimeinto agravado) (Cadena 3 23 May 2016; Dia a Dia 30 May 2016). On 30 May 2016, sources state that Enzo Cortez was detained (ibid.; La Voz del Interior 30 May 2016) and charged with homicide (ibid.). La Voz del Interior reports that the police's Homicide Department detained the 21 year-old on 27 May 2016 in the Yapeyu neighbourhood (La Voz del Interior 31 May 2016). The same source indicates that authorities reportedly have identified the other person who participated in the murder (ibid.). Additional and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 3. Judicial Procedures Information on judicial procedures following the murder of Yanina Mendoza could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. References Cadena 3. 23 May 2016. Francisco Centeno. "Un detenido por el crimen de Yanina Mendoza en Cordoba." [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016] Cadena 3. 15 May 2016. Carlos Castro Torres. "Asesinaron a una mujer para robarle el celular en Cordoba." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016] Dia a Dia. 30 May 2016. "Creen que detuvieron al asesino de Yanina Mendoza." [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016] Dia a Dia. 17 May 2016. "Vecinos marcharon pidiendo justicia por Yanina Mendoza." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016] La Voz del Interior. 31 May 2016. "Preso por el asalto mortal a una madre." [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016] La Voz del Interior. 30 May 2016. "Hay un detenido por el crimen de Yanina Mendoza." [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016] La Voz del Interior. 16 May 2016. "Sin pistas de los asesinos de Yanina." [Accessed 21 Nov. 2016] Noticias Terra. 15 May 2016. "Mataron de un tiro en la cabeza a una mujer para robarle el celular en Cordoba." [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: BBC; Clarin; CNN; Cordoba - Fiscalia de Estado, Ministerio Publico Fiscal, Policia, Portal Oficial; Cronica; El Show de la Manana; Factiva; La Casa del Encuentro; La Nacion; La Prensa; Observatorio Provincial de Violencia contra las Mujeres; Universidad Nacional de Cordoba - Cba24n. Argentina: Whether the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundacion Cumelcan) is under investigation for economic fraud, including details on the official complaint and judiciary process; whether an investigation is taking place to determine if employees were threatened or persecuted following the fraud investigation, including details of the investigation (2015-December 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 8 December 2016 Citation / Document Symbol ARG105704.E Related Document(s) Argentine : information indiquant si la Fondation Cumelcan (Fundacion Cumelcan) fait l'objet d'une enquete pour fraude economique, y compris les details relatifs a la plainte officielle et au processus judiciaire; si une enquete est en cours afin d'etablir si des employes ont ete menaces ou persecutes a la suite de l'enquete pour fraude, y compris les details relatifs a l'enquete (2015-decembre 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Whether the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundacion Cumelcan) is under investigation for economic fraud, including details on the official complaint and judiciary process; whether an investigation is taking place to determine if employees were threatened or persecuted following the fraud investigation, including details of the investigation (2015-December 2016), 8 December 2016, ARG105704.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736e204.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa Information on the Cumelcan Foundation (Fundacion Cumelcan) was scarce among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. The official gazette of the Province of Cordoba indicates that CUMELCAN S.R.L. [Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada] (CUMELCAN Ltd.) was created in 2005 by Elizabeth Liliana Silveira and Silvia Gabriela Alvarez in the city of Cordoba (Cordoba 22 Feb. 2006). The same source states that the organization's objectives include the [translation] "creation, organization, operation and/or administration" of educational institutions and centres for people with disabilities; as well as providing seminars and training on, and publishing printing material related to, the areas of education and rehabilitation of people with disabilities (ibid.). According to sources, CUMELCAN S.R.L. is located at Mogroviejo 7760, Barrio Villa 9 de Julio, Cordoba City, Province of Cordoba (ibid.; UNC 11 July 2016). An 11 July 2016 document produced by the National University of Cordoba (Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, UNC) outlines an agreement between the university's Faculty of Psychology and CUMELCAN S.R.L. for training undergraduate psychology students (ibid.). Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. In an article published in clickug [1], Pablo Perez, an [translation] "independent journalist, specializing in money laundering," indicates that Fundacion Cumelcan was created by Liliana Elizabeth Silveira in 2005 (Perez 10 Apr. 2016). Perez provides the following information: "Fundacion Cumelcan" (Foundation Cumelcan) or Centro Educativo Terapeutico Cumelcan (Cumelcan Therapeutic Educational Centre) has received funding from the Argentinian government. Fundacion Cumelcan "has been the perfect place for the movement of capital of political origins" and there is a complaint against the foundation for overpricing, "exorbitant" salaries paid to its employees, and money laundering. Investigators have been trying to determine if some of the organization's "collaborators" have been threatened or persecuted after, according to the family that filed the complaint, one of Fundacion Cumelcan's collaborators, Yanina Mendoza, "was murdered in suspicious circumstances shortly after she manifested the intention of leaving the foundation" (Perez 10 Apr. 2016). Additional and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on the author of the article, Pablo Perez, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] According to its website, clickug is "a platform for promoting and selling products and services online from companies, professionals and individuals" (clickug n.d.a). Another webpage by clickug indicates that people can post "unlimited news" for "free" (ibid.). A copy of the editorial guidelines to publish in clickug is attached to this Response. References clickug. N.d.a. "clickug." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016] clickug. N.d.b. "Publish Your Blog Posts and Press Releases Free!" [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016] Cordoba. 22 February 2006. "Cumelcan SRL." Boletin Oficial de la Provincia de Cordoba. Year XCIV, Issue CDXCIII, No. 16. [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016] Perez, Pablo. 10 April 2016 (updated 17 September 2016). clickug. "Usan entidades de uso social para lavado de dinero y persecusion de opositores." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016] Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. 11 July 2016. Facultad de Psicologia. Resolucion No. 1242. [Accessed 25 Nov. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: Agencia EFE; Argentina - Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, Policia Federal; BBC; Cadena 3; Camara de Comercio de Cordoba; Clarin; CNN; Cordoba - Fiscalia de Estado, Ministerio Publico Fiscal, Policia, Portal Oficial; crunchbase; Dia a Dia; Factiva; La Nacion; La Prensa; La Voz del Interior; Noticias Terra; Observatorio Provincial de Violencia contra las Mujeres; PR Newswire; Universidad Nacional de Cordoba - Cba24n. Attachment clickug. N.d. "Editorial Guidelines." [Accessed 28 Nov. 2016] Argentina: Criminality, including the situation in Cordoba; measures taken by authorities and effectiveness; state protection offered to victims and witnesses of crime, including effectiveness (2015-December 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 19 December 2016 Citation / Document Symbol ARG105703.E Related Document(s) Argentine : information sur la criminalite, y compris sur la situation a Cordoba; les mesures prises par les autorites et leur efficacite; la protection offerte par l'Etat aux victimes et aux temoins d'actes criminels, y compris son efficacite (2015-decembre 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Criminality, including the situation in Cordoba; measures taken by authorities and effectiveness; state protection offered to victims and witnesses of crime, including effectiveness (2015-December 2016), 19 December 2016, ARG105703.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736ee80.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Overview According to the 2016 Crime and Safety Report by the Overseas Security Advisory Council of the US Department of State, crime in Argentina is "a serious problem [and] [s]treet crime in the larger cities (greater Buenos Aires, Rosario and Mendoza) is a constant problem for residents and visitors alike. Criminals are often well-dressed, and crime can occur anytime during the day at any location" (US 7 Mar. 2016). The report also indicates that crimes are regularly committed by "'motochorros'" (thieves on motorcycles) and that "'express kidnappings' have been increasingly reported" (ibid.). Cordoba-based news channel cba24n quotes the former Minister of Security of the province of Cordoba in April 2014 as saying that the type of crime most frequent in the city of Cordoba is street crime, with 48 percent of the total number of crimes (cba24n 27 Apr. 2014). The former Minister also indicated that motochorros are responsible for 37.4 percent of the street crime which, according to her calculations, represent 55,000 crimes committed by motochorros per year, or 125 per day (ibid.). She further indicated that women between 18 and 30 years old are the most common victims of motochorros (ibid.). Sources report that, according to Argentina's Ministry of Communications, around 5,000 cellphones are stolen in Argentina per day (Telam 26 July 2016; Clarin 26 July 2016), up 14 percent (ibid.) or 15 percent from 2014 (Telam 26 July 2016). A 2016 report produced by the Argentinean Ministry of Security (Ministerio de Seguridad) provides the following statistics of crimes committed during 2015 and, in parenthesis, the rates per 100,000 inhabitants: First-degree murders: 2,837 victims nationwide (6.6), 136 of them in the province of Cordoba (3.8). The province with the highest rate was Santa Fe (12.2) with 413 victims, and the lowest was Catamarca (1.8) with 7. Personal injuries: 189,830 victims nationwide (440), 9,541 of them in the province of Cordoba (267). The province with the highest rate was Mendoza (1,240) with 23,383 victims, and the lowest was Misiones (134) with 1,595. Rape: 3,746 victims nationwide (8.7), 261 of them in the province of Cordoba (7.3). The province with the highest rate was Salta (27.5) with 367 victims, and the lowest was Entre Rios (3.3) with 44. Threats: 193,944 cases nationwide (450), 13,656 of them in the province of Cordoba (383). The province with the highest rate was Catamarca (1,351) with 5,363 cases, and the lowest was La Rioja (84) with 310. Robberies: 443,033 cases nationwide (1,027), 63,906 of them in the province of Cordoba (1,791). The province with the highest rate was Neuquen (2,188) with 13,558 cases, and the lowest was La Rioja (417) with 1,533 (Argentina 25 Apr. 2016, 3-6). The same report indicates that authorities registered 9,416 cases of aggravated robbery nationwide (21.8), 80 of them in the province of Cordoba; and 271,921 cases of theft (630.4), 24,762 of them in the province of Cordoba (ibid. 13-18). 2. State Protection and Effectiveness The US Department of State's Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015 indicates that [t]he federal police generally have jurisdiction for maintaining law and order in the federal capital and for federal crimes in the provinces. All federal police forces fall under the authority of the Ministry of Security. Each province, including the city of Buenos Aires, also has its own police force that responds to a provincial (or municipal) security ministry or secretariat. Individual forces varied considerably in their effectiveness and respect for human rights. (US 13 Apr. 2016, 4) The UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) dataset on police personal at the national level indicates that Argentina had 341,627 police officers in 2014, which represents a rate of 794.9 officers per 100,000 inhabitants (UN n.d.). The same source indicates that, for the same year, Uruguay had 24,241 police officers (708.9 per 100,000 inhabitants) and Canada had 68,896 (193.6 per 100,000 inhabitants) (ibid.). According to the Citizen's Security Observatory (Observatorio de Seguridad Ciudadana, OSC), an NGO that produces statistical information on crime in the province of Cordoba (OSC n.d.a), in 2013 the province of Cordoba had a rate of 579 police officers per 100,000 inhabitants (ibid. n.d.b). A report produced by the High Court of Justice (Tribunal Superior de Justicia) of the province of Cordoba indicates that during 2015, 51,629 criminal cases [1] were lodged with the Investigating Prosecutor's Offices (Fiscalias de Instruccion) in the province of Cordoba (Cordoba [2015], 2), which represents a rate of 1,447 cases per 100,000 inhabitants for the province (ibid., 69). Out of the 51,629 cases, 6,580 went to trial, 6,029 were [translation] "archived," and 4,961 were dismissed (ibid., 27). Out of the 4,961 dismissed, 2,706 were due to the expiration of the time limit for prosecution, 257 that were non-imputable, and 1,998 [translation] "for other reasons" (ibid., 11). The report further indicates that out of the 6,580 cases that went to trial, the courts reached 3,001 decisions as follows: final conviction: 580 cases; judgement of acquittal: 63 cases; plea bargaining: 757; dismissal due to expiration of time limit by the prosecution: 734; dismissal due to non-imputable: 6; dismissal due to "other reasons": 415; and "non-specified" decisions: 446 (ibid., 56). 2.1 Protection Programs The website of the High Court of Justice of the province of Cordoba indicates that the Office for Citizen's Assistance (Oficina de Atencion Ciudadana) provides, since 2010, information on the judicial entity where a person needs to go and advises him or her of the requirements to proceed with any particular judicial case (Cordoba n.d.). The same source indicates that the Office for Citizen's Assistance is opened from Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. (ibid.). Additional information on the Office for Citizen's Assistance could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. On 16 November 2016, sources reported that the Chamber of Deputies of Argentina unanimously approved a law for the protection of victims of crimes (Infobae 16 Nov. 2016; Telam 16 Nov. 2016). The law establishes the creation of protection centres that would have physicians, social workers, psychologists and lawyers to provide assistance to victims of crime (ibid.; Infobae 16 Nov. 2016). Sources indicate that the law must be approved by the Senate in order to take effect (ibid.; Telam 16 Nov. 2016). Additional information on the law could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Additional information on protection programs could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Note [1] The statistics provided in the report do not include offenses, youth criminal justice cases, writs of amparo, habeas corpus, or those carried out by judges responsible for procedural safeguards (Cordoba [2015], 2). References Argentina. 25 April 2016. Ministerio de Seguridad de la Nacion. Informe del Sistema Nacional de Informacion Criminal (SNIC): Ano 2015. [Accessed 6 Dec. 2016] cba24n. 27 April 2014. "Proporcionalmente, Cordoba es la provincia con mas policias." [Accessed 6 Dec. 2016] Clarin. 26 July 2016. "Crece el robo de celulares: hay al menos 5.000 casos por dia." [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016] Cordoba. [2015]. Tribunal Superior de Justicia. Fuero penal: datos estadisticos de 2015. Relevamiento realizado en el periodo del 1 de enero de 2015 al 31 de diciembre de 2015. [Accessed 6 Dec. 2016] Cordoba. N.d. Poder Judicial. "Atencion ciudadana." [Accessed 29 Nov. 2016] Infobae. 16 November 2016. "La Camara de Diputados aprobo el Regiman de Proteccion a las Victimas de Delitos." [Accessed 30 Nov. 2016] Observatorio de Seguridad Ciudadana (OSC). N.d.a. "Que es el observatorio de seguridad ciudadana?" [Accessed 8 Dec. 2016] Observatorio de Seguridad Ciudadana (OSC). N.d.b. "Efectivos policiales. Argentina." [Accessed 8 Dec. 2016] Telam, Agencia de Noticias Oficial de la Republica Argentina.16 November 2016. "Media sancion al proyecto para el Regimen de Proteccion a las Victimas de Delitos." [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016] Telam, Agencia de Noticias Oficial de la Republica Argentina. 26 July 2016. "En Argentina se roban 5.000 celulares por dia y esto genera un mercado ilegal millonario." [Accessed 6 Dec. 2016] United Nations (UN). N.d. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Data Portal. "Total Police Personnel at the National Level." [Accessed 8 Dec. 2016] United States (US). 13 April 2016. Department of State. "Argentina." Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2015. [Accessed 12 Dec. 2016] United States (US). 7 March 2016. Department of State, Overseas Security Advisory Council (OSAC). Argentina 2016 Crime and Safety Report. [Accessed 6 Dec. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Internet sites, including: Amnesty International; Argentina - Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, Ministerio Publico Fiscal, Policia Federal; British Broadcasting Corporation; Cadena 3; Cable News Network; Cordoba - Fiscalia de Estado, Ministerio Publico Fiscal, Policia, Portal Oficial; Cronica; El Show de la Manana; Factiva; Freedom House; Human Rights Watch; Insight Crime; IRIN; Jane's Intelligence Review; La Casa del Encuentro; La Nacion; La Prensa; La Voz del Interior; Observatorio Provincial de Violencia contra las Mujeres; UN - Refworld, ReliefWeb; US - Central Intelligence Agency, Embassy in Buenos Aires. Argentina: Requirements and procedures for lodging a criminal complaint with the police in Cordoba, including documents received by the complainant; whether the complaint file is accessible to the complainant, including procedure to obtain a copy of the file (2015-December 2016) Publisher Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Publication Date 15 December 2016 Citation / Document Symbol ARG105702.E Related Document(s) Argentine : information sur les exigences et les procedures relatives au depot d'une plainte de nature criminelle aupres de la police a Cordoba, y compris sur les documents remis au plaignant; information indiquant si le plaignant peut acceder au dossier de plainte, y compris la marche a suivre pour obtenir une copie du dossier (2015-decembre 2016) Cite as Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Argentina: Requirements and procedures for lodging a criminal complaint with the police in Cordoba, including documents received by the complainant; whether the complaint file is accessible to the complainant, including procedure to obtain a copy of the file (2015-December 2016), 15 December 2016, ARG105702.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58736fba4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa 1. Procedures to Report a Crime The website of the Public Attorney's Office (Ministerio Publico Fiscal, MPF) of the province of Cordoba indicates that a person can report a crime in person or by writing with the Investigating Prosecutor's Offices (Fiscalias de Instruccion) [1] or the Judicial Units (Unidades Judiciales) [2] (Cordoba n.d.a). A report can also be submitted on-line at the MPF's website, but only for the crimes of theft and damage of private property; when the identity of the perpetrator is unknown, the complainant must go to the nearest Judicial Unit within 72 hours of filing the online report to [translation] "complete and formalize" it (ibid.). An individual filing a police report must provide an identity document and "all the documentation or evidence available to him or her related to the crime being reported" (ibid.). The website of the MPF also indicates that for drug-related crimes, the person filing the report can remain anonymous (ibid.). Once a crime is reported, the complainant cannot retract or withdraw the complaint and the investigation will run its course (ibid.). Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. 2. Accessibility of the Complaint File Once a crime is reported, the complainant receives a document that evidences the filing of the police report (Cordoba n.d.a). The complainant can show this document at the office where he or she lodged the police report to inquire about the status of the investigation and to obtain information on which judicial office is in charge of the investigation (ibid.). Additional information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. Information on how to obtain a copy of a police report could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response. This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request. Notes [1] Investigating Prosecutor's Offices are responsible for undertaking, with the assistance of the judicial police and under the oversight of a supervisory judge (Juez de Garantias), the preliminary investigation of crimes by collecting evidence in order to either substantiate or dismiss an accusation (Cordoba n.d.b). Investigating Prosecutor's Offices are located throughout the province of Cordoba and are opened from Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (ibid. n.d.a). The Investigating Prosecutor's Office also has the following Specialized Investigating Prosecutor's Offices (Fiscalias de Instruccion Especializadas): drug trafficking, financial and anti-corruption, family violence, and crimes motivated on sexual orientation (ibid. n.d.c). [2] The Judicial Units, through the Assistant Prosecutors (Ayudantes Fiscales), are responsible for carrying out the first stages of the investigation with the assistance of MFP judicial police officers (Secretarios de Actuaciones) (Cordoba n.d.d). The Judicial Units are accessible to the public 24 hours a day, year-round (ibid.). The website of the MPF indicates that there are 22 Judicial Units located in the city of Cordoba (ibid. n.d.e) and 26 in the rest of the province of Cordoba (ibid. n.d.f). References Cordoba. N.d.a. Ministerio Publico Fiscal. "Preguntas frecuentes." [Accessed 29 Nov. 2016] Cordoba. N.d.b. Ministerio Publico Fiscal . "Fiscalias de Instruccion." [Accessed 29 Nov. 2016] Cordoba. N.d.c. Ministerio Publico Fiscal. "Fiscalias Especiales." [Accessed 29 Nov. 2016] Cordoba. N.d.d. Ministerio Publico Fiscal. "Que son las Unidades Judiciales?" [Accessed 29 Nov. 2016] Cordoba. N.d.e. Ministerio Publico Fiscal. "Unidades Judiciales Capital." [Accessed 5 Dec. 2016] Cordoba. N.d.f. Ministerio Publico Fiscal. "Unidades Judiciales del interior." [Accessed 5 Dec. 2016] Additional Sources Consulted Oral sources: Clinica Juridica, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba; Colegio de Abogados de Cordoba; Cordoba - Ministerio Publico Fiscal, Policia; two criminal lawyers based in Cordoba. Internet sites, including: Agencia EFE; Argentina - Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos, Policia Federal; BBC; Cadena 3; Clarin; CNN; Colegio de Abogados de Cordoba; Cordoba - Fiscalia de Estado, Policia, Portal Oficial; Dia a Dia; Factiva; La Nacion; La Prensa; La Voz del Interior; Noticias Terra; Observatorio Provincial de Violencia contra las Mujeres; Universidad Nacional de Cordoba - cba24n, Clinica Juridica. Title Fourth Report submitted by Slovenia pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 6 January 2017) Publication Date 6 January 2017 Country Slovenia Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/IV(2017)001 Other Languages / Attachments Slovenian Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Fourth Report submitted by Slovenia pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 6 January 2017), 6 January 2017, ACFC/SR/IV(2017)001, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587377a64.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Title Fourth Report submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 22 December 2016) Publication Date 22 December 2016 Country Bosnia and Herzegovina Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/IV(2016)007 Other Languages / Attachments Bosnian Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Fourth Report submitted by Bosnia and Herzegovina pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 22 December 2016), 22 December 2016, ACFC/SR/IV(2016)007, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873787a4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Title Fourth Report submitted by the Russian Federation pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 20 December 2016) Publication Date 20 December 2016 Country Russian Federation Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/IV(2016)006 Other Languages / Attachments Russian Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Fourth Report submitted by the Russian Federation pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 20 December 2016), 20 December 2016, ACFC/SR/IV(2016)006, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587379614.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Title Third Report submitted by Latvia pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 6 December 2016) Publication Date 6 December 2016 Country Latvia Citation / Document Symbol ACFC/SR/III(2016)001 Other Languages / Attachments Lativian Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Third Report submitted by Latvia pursuant to Article 25, paragraph 2 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (Received on 6 December 2016), 6 December 2016, ACFC/SR/III(2016)001, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58737a3d4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Title Comments of the Government of Finland on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Finland (received on 6 October 2016) Publication Date 6 October 2016 Country Finland Citation / Document Symbol GVT/COM/IV(2016)005 Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Comments of the Government of Finland on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Finland (received on 6 October 2016), 6 October 2016, GVT/COM/IV(2016)005, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58738cc04.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Turkmenistan: Religious freedom survey, January 2017 Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley & John Kinahan Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Turkmenistan: Religious freedom survey, January 2017, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58738ed74.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Freedom of religion and belief, with interlinked freedoms such as expression, association, and assembly, continues to be seriously restricted in Turkmenistan. Forum 18's survey analysis documents the regime's many freedom of religion and belief violations imposed as part of a policy to control society. Freedom of religion and belief is, along with other intrinsically linked rights such as the freedoms of expression, association, and assembly, seriously restricted in Turkmenistan. President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov's regime imposes these human rights restrictions as an intentional systemic policy to control every aspect of society. He has ruled since December 2006 without the legitimacy of a free and fair election, like his similarly unelected predecessor. Serious systematic violations of freedom of religion or belief Forum 18 has documented include: - the passing of laws flagrantly violating the regime's international human rights obligations; - a ban on all exercise of freedom of religion and belief without state permission; - arbitrary denials of legal status to those communities which choose to seek it; - MSS secret police informer recruitment inside belief communities; - "legal" and extra-legal restrictions imposed on communities with legal status; - lack of fair trials and due legal process; - torture of people exercising their freedom of religion and belief, including prisoners of conscience and relatives of those complaining to the UN Human Rights Committee; - prisoners of conscience jailed for exercising freedom of religion and belief; - denials of prisoners' freedom of religion and belief, including the torture of Muslims wishing to attend a prison mosque; - punishing conscientious objectors to compulsory military service, with complete denial of this manifestation of freedom of religion and belief; - denials of freedom of religion and belief to conscripts doing compulsory military service; - state control of religious leaders and communities, including state appointment of all Islamic leaders; - coercion by officials against non-Muslims to attempt to force them to convert to Islam; - severe restrictions on religious education, including banning women from studying academic theology in the country; - severe obstacles to having a place of worship, including the arbitrary demolition of many mosques and other places of worship; - severe restrictions on haj pilgrimage numbers, an exit blacklist for active religious believers, harassment of students exercising freedom of religion and belief abroad; - almost no contact with foreign co-believers being permitted; - and censorship of religious literature and other material. No rule of law Geographically, Turkmenistan is the second largest country in Central Asia. It is mostly desert and has the smallest population with over 5 million people. Around 85 per cent are ethnic Turkmens (regarded as being of Muslim background), with the rest being made up of around 5 per cent ethnic Uzbeks (likewise regarded as being of Muslim background), and smaller percentages of Slavs (mainly Russians and Ukrainians, many of Russian Orthodox or other Christian background), Kazakhs, Tatars, Armenians, Azeris and others. Turkmenistan is a state without the rule of law, where human rights enshrined in the Constitution - including freedom of religion and belief - do not exist in practice. Strict restrictions on this freedom parallel similar restrictions on political, media, trade union, and other non-governmental activity. Many people live in poverty, despite regime income of billions of US Dollars a year from natural gas extracted while ignoring environmental protection. Human rights defenders such as the Turkmen Initiative for Human Rights, Crude Accountability, and Global Witness have documented the absence of regime accountability or transparency about what happens to this vast income. Many thousands of people have left the country to work in Turkey, Russia and other countries. Creating fear is apparently an integral part of the regime's overall policy to impose state control of society, not least through the interlocking nature of the regime's human rights violations flagrantly violating legally-binding international human rights obligations, such as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Torture by officials with state complicity leads to a climate of impunity for officials and the absence of the rule of law, where unjust trials with flagrant breaches of due process are normal. "Legal" repression President Berdymukhamedov signed a new Constitution into law on 14 September 2016. It ignored recommendations to protect freedom of religion and belief and other human rights made in a July legal review of the proposed Constitution by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). "Under international human rights law," the OSCE review noted, "religious or belief communities should not be obliged to acquire legal personality if they do not wish to do so; the enjoyment of the right to freedom of religion or belief must not depend on whether a group has sought and acquired legal personality status." On 12 April 2016 a new Religion Law replaced the 2003 Religion Law. President Berdymukhamedov first announced the new Religion Law to the Mejlis (Parliament) on 12 January 2016, claiming a "need" for a new Law sparked by a worldwide rise in alleged terrorism and "religious extremism". He did not state why the regime wanted to increase its repression and so promote support for violence. The draft was prepared and "unanimously" adopted in secret on 26 March 2016. The Religion Law changes, similarly to the new Constitution, totally ignore the recommendations of a detailed 2010 OSCE legal review of the 2003 Religion Law. This called for many changes to bring the Law into line with international human rights standards and obligations, including an end to state control, the ban on unregistered religious activity, and the ban on conscientious objection to military service. Religion Law Article 16 states: "The activity of unregistered religious organisations on the territory of Turkmenistan is forbidden." Unregistered religious activity is punished under Article 76 of the 2014 Administrative Code ("Violation of the Religion Law"). Part 1 punishes "violation of the procedure established by law for conducted religious rites and rituals, the carrying out of charitable or other activity, as well as the production, import, export and distribution of literature and other materials of religious content and objects of religious significance" with a fine on individuals of 1 to 2 base units, on officials of 2 to 5 base units and on legal organisations of 5 to 10 base units (each base unit is 100 Manats). Article 76, Part 7 specifies that a repeat offence within one year will lead to fines of up to 10 base units (1,000 Manats) and the "administrative halting" of a legal organisation's activity for up to six months. Further punishments are outlined in Administrative Code Article 77, Part 1 ("Refusal to register a religious group or organisation with the state agency by founders or leaders, as well as leadership of the activity of liquidated or halted religious organisations"), Part 2 ("Failing to publicise that a religious organisation has been liquidated or banned"), and Part 4 ("Receipt by religious organisations, including those without state registration, or their members or participants of financial, material or other help from physical or legal persons of foreign states in violation of the procedure for registering such help established in law"). These provisions appear to be infrequently used, mainly against Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses. Fines are up to 10 base units (1,000 Manats) for individuals or up to 100 base units for organisations. Article 13 of the Religion Law restricts leaders of registered religious communities to citizens of Turkmenistan who have received an undefined "appropriate religious education". The same Article requires approval from the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations if an individual is named to lead a religious organisation with an undefined "spiritual centre" outside Turkmenistan. Religious organisations need Commission approval for links with foreign religious organisations, including for participation in pilgrimages abroad. Article 13 also requires at least 50 currently resident adult citizens to found a religious organisation and apply to register with the Justice Ministry. (Previously, only 5 founders were needed.) Article 16 of the Law requires all 50 founders of a religious community to submit their full names, addresses, dates of birth with the registration application. Under Article 17, the Justice Ministry must respond to a registration application within one month (three if an "expert" analysis is required from the Commission) and give any refusal in writing with reasons. Article 18 notes that registration denials can be challenged in court. Administrative Code Article 76, Part 5 punishes "carrying out by a religious organisation of activity not envisaged by its statute, as well as violating the procedure established in law for instructing children in religious belief" with a fine on officials of up to 4 base units (400 Manats) and on legal organisations of up to 10 base units (1,000 Manats). This means that a religious community which conducts any activity not specifically listed in its statute could be fined up to 1,000 Manats. Registration denials The Commission for Work with Religious Organisations and Expert Analysis of Resources Containing Religious Information, Published and Printed Production has to approve registration applications, which are then handed to the Justice Ministry. They must be approved by the Justice Minister, the First Deputies of the Justice Minister, the Foreign Minister, the General Prosecutor, the Ministry of State Security (MSS) secret police, the Interior Minister, and the Deputy Head of the State Service for Registering Foreign Citizens. Any of these bodies can reject applications, and in practice registration is rarely granted to any community. Non-Muslim communities led by ethnic Turkmens, or which conduct activities in the Turkmen language, have never been permitted. Registration denials are often arbitrary. The predecessor body to the Commission included members from the Russian Orthodox and state-controlled Muslim communities, who denied other communities registration. Religious communities are generally told that their applications contain "grammatical mistakes" or other "errors". One religious community was told that the reason for the rejection was that its leader is blind, while another was rejected because its leader is female. Registration applications can be met with official hostility towards those who sign them and their relatives. In September 2013 police in Mary summoned for interrogation Pastor Ilmurad Nurliev (a former prisoner of conscience jailed for his faith), his wife Maya's relatives, and all those they could find of those who had signed the unregistered Protestant Church's 2007 registration application. Officers took their fingerprints and photos, forced them to write statements and subjected them to threats and insults. One police officer threatened to "tear off" the head of a relative if she adopted "their faith". The Pastor was told: "it was because of people like us that Syria is facing conflict". "Who is threatening him? We simply need to know more about him", an officer of Mary police Criminal Investigation Department claimed to Forum 18. The 2016 Religion Law required registered religious communities to bring their statutes into line with the Law. These changes needed to be approved by the Justice Ministry. Full re-registration of all registered religious communities is due to follow when the Justice Ministry has prepared a "model statute" that all religious communities will need to use. Article 32 of the Religion Law allows Justice Ministry officials to attend any religious event held by a registered religious community, and question community members and leaders about any aspect of the community's activities. If communities obtain registration, they must then be entered on the Register of Legal Entities, which requires the entry to be renewed by the religious community every three years. Communities also have to allow state officials to attend any meeting they wish to, read any document the community produces, and check the community's accounting and banking of donations on a weekly basis. If a community receives two official warnings about "violations" of a law or regulations, their registration can be removed so rendering them illegal. Officials also use registration applications to impose extra-legal requirements, such as a compulsory unwritten requirement to collaborate with the MSS secret police. Some Shia Muslim communities and the Armenian Apostolic Church are among those known to Forum 18 to have had applications rejected, or to have decided that they should not apply because of the legal and extra-legal restrictions imposed. A number of Protestant communities and Jehovah's Witnesses are known to Forum 18 to be still trying - and still failing - to gain legal status. Many religious communities have stopped applying for registration, and have decided to operate quietly without formal legal status. MSS secret police informer recruitment Local MSS secret police officers regularly summon Muslim and Orthodox clerics and leading members of other registered and unregistered communities to report on activity within their communities or demand reports in writing. Some believers have told Forum 18 that the MSS secret police also runs agents in each Muslim and Orthodox community. In addition to these agents, other believers are regularly interviewed by MSS secret police officers and forced to reveal details of the community's religious life. The MSS secret police and local ordinary police also try to recruit agents in unregistered religious groups. Registration restrictions The Religion Law contains no mechanism for granting legal status to branches of religious organisations in other geographic locations. Registered communities can in practice give permission for local branches to meet, which requires notification to the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations in Ashgabad and the local administration, the police, and MSS secret police. This means that a branch can in practice meet, but formally the main registered branch must approve in writing anything a branch in another area tries to do. Officials have frequently used this as an excuse to raid and harass religious believers, even when the main branch of the community has given written permission for their religious activities. For example, on 20 February 2016 members of the Greater Grace Church congregations in Ashgabad and Mary visited the town of Tejen to talk to local people about their faith. An officer of the State Service for Security Protection of Healthy Society (the former Anti-Drugs Police) in civilian clothes and police detained church members for questioning for several hours and they had religious literature, phones and money taken from them. On 29 February they were fined 500 Manats (then about 1,200 Norwegian Kroner, 125 Euros or 140 US Dollars at the inflated official exchange rate) for having "illegal" religious literature, apparently under Administrative Code Article 76, Part 3. This punishes distribution of religious materials inciting hatred or promoting "religious extremism, separatism or fundamentalism". Unregistered and registered religious communities face regular raids by MSS secret police officers, backed up by ordinary police officers (especially from the 6th Department, which notionally counters terrorism and organised crime), officials of the local administration, and local religious affairs officials, who work closely together in suppressing and punishing all unregistered religious activity. During one such raid on 29 April 2014 on members of Mary's registered Baptist Church, the home owner noted: "We explained that Turkmenistan's Constitution allows us to believe and to meet, and speaks of freedom of religious profession. But they [officials] asked us to show them such a law, as if it didn't exist." Religious believers - especially Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses - have been fired from their jobs or evicted from their homes because of their faith. Their children have also been threatened with expulsion from schools, as noted below. Trials are often marked by lack of due legal process and other illegalities, including the planting of evidence and refusal to accept evidence of illegal actions by the authorities. Commission for Work with Religious Organisations The Commission for Work with Religious Organisations and Expert Analysis of Resources Containing Religious Information, Published and Printed Production replaced the former Gengesh (Council) for Religious Affairs in summer 2015. However, it appears to have retained many of the same personnel and remains in the same offices next to Ashgabad's Ertogrul gazy (Turkish) Mosque. The Religion Law gives the Commission wide powers to restrict freedom of religion and belief. It organises religious "expert" analyses of literature, recommends to the Justice Ministry whether to approve or not approve religious communities' registration applications, approves or rejects the appointment of religious leaders by religious organisations with a headquarters outside the country, and presents to the Cabinet of Ministers "proposals to create religious educational institutions to train clergy and religious personnel needed by religious organisations". Local hyakimliks (administrations) have the power to grant or not grant permission for religious rituals to be held outside registered places of worship under Religion Law Article 11. They must also agree with the Commission in Ashgabad any application to build a place of worship in their area and decide where, if approved, it should be built. Although regional imams no longer automatically lead regional branches of the Commission, imams are still appointed by the state. They still participate in repression of the exercise of freedom of religion and belief of both Muslims (for example numbers allowed on the haj pilgrimage) and followers of faiths other than their own (for example pressure on people to change their beliefs). Applications for permission to build places of worship, register a community, invite foreigners, or import religious literature must go direct to the Commission in Ashgabad. But most such applications have long been unsuccessful. How many communities? The government told the United Nations (UN) Committee Against Torture on 22 November 2016 that 130 religious communities had state registration. 101 of the 130 were Sunni Muslim, five Shia Muslim, 13 Russian Orthodox and 11 of other faiths. The authorities had earlier identified the five registered Shia Muslim communities as: the Imam Riza community (Ashgabad); the Shikhalov community (Bagir village in Ahal Region); the Hezreti Ali community (Turkmenbashi [Turkmenbashy, formerly Krasnovodsk]); the Huseini community (Turkmenabad); and the Muhamed Resulalla community (Iolatan District of Mary Region). The 11 registered non-Muslim and non-Russian Orthodox communities include one Catholic, one Hare Krishna, one Baha'i, one Baptist, one Pentecostal, one Greater Grace, one Seventh-day Adventist and one New Apostolic community. These figures have not been independently verified, and it is unknown if the religious communities the government claims as registered include any of the Muslim communities whose mosques have been destroyed in recent years. The most recent such demolition was of the Sunni Aksa Mosque in Ashgabad, bulldozed in April 2016. The Russian Orthodox Church would like to set up a fully-fledged diocese in Turkmenistan "This was raised officially by [Moscow Patriarchate] Metropolitan Kirill when he visited Ashgabad in 2008, before he became Patriarch. But it hasn't yet happened", a lay Orthodox Christian from the country, who wished to remain anonymous for fear of state reprisals, told Forum 18. One religious community with state registration since 2005 - the Pentecostal Light of the East Church in Dashoguz - has been unable to meet for worship since early 2015. Church members have faced raids, religious literature confiscations and threats to its members. During a November 2013 raid on a home where a singing rehearsal for the following Sunday's worship meeting was happening, officials stated: "singing about God here is banned". The Church was also threatened with loss of state registration, so making it illegal. A state religious affairs official who is also an imam told Church Pastor Yuri Rozmetov that Christianity "is wrong", and tried to pressure him to become a Muslim. Torture The UN Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which Turkmenistan acceded to on 25 June 1999, defines torture as: "any act by which severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, is intentionally inflicted on a person for such purposes as obtaining from him or a third person information or a confession, punishing him for an act he or a third person has committed or is suspected of having committed, or intimidating or coercing him or a third person, or for any reason based on discrimination of any kind, when such pain or suffering is inflicted by or at the instigation of or with the consent or acquiescence of a public official or other person acting in an official capacity". Under Article 6 of the Convention Turkmenistan is obliged to arrest any person suspected on good grounds of having committed torture. Under Article 4 Turkmenistan is obliged to try them under criminal law which makes "these offences punishable by appropriate penalties which take into account their grave nature". No official is known to have ever been arrested for torture. Such torture has occasionally included the forcible injection of unknown drugs. In July 2014 ethnic Uzbek Jehovah's Witness Mansur Masharipov's home in the northern city of Dashoguz was raided by six Police officers, only two of them in uniform. After his flat was searched he was grabbed from behind by the neck, "choking him so he could not breathe, and then dragged him into a waiting vehicle". Once in the vehicle, the officers "began to beat him repeatedly on his head and on his body above his kidneys". He was then taken to Dashoguz City Police Station, where he was again tortured and police openly discussed what pretext they would use to justify placing him in detention. After being threatened with rape, he was taken to the local Drug Rehabilitation Centre where he was injected four times. His arms and legs became paralysed and he vomited throughout that evening and the following day. He also began to suffer a high fever and severe headaches. On 18 August 2016 the 32-year-old Masharipov was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, for allegedly assaulting a police officer in July 2014. He denied these charges. No officials responsible for torturing him are known to have been arrested. Torture has also been used to intimidate those protesting at freedom of religion and belief violations. After complaints by 10 Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors to military service to the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Committee, in January 2013 about 30 police officers raided the lead complainant's family home in Dashoguz. Six people were taken to a police station. According to their statements seen by Forum 18, all six were beaten and tortured, one of them severely. One detainee was threatened with being raped on a table in the police station. Three were then fined. Torture continues. Jehovah's Witness Emirjan Jumanazarov was on 16 March 2015 sentenced to 15 days' imprisonment. He was then "beaten, kicked and subjected to obscene insults by law enforcement officials," fellow Jehovah's Witnesses told Forum 18. He was also threatened with torture by electrocution. Officers forced him to sign a statement that he had been detained for an identification check because he had "aimlessly strolled about the streets". He was then given another 15 days' imprisonment for "disorderly conduct". It was claimed that while "preaching the teachings of an unregistered religious organisation" he had "insulted" an officer who had stopped him. Former prisoners have stated that torture is frequently used against long-term prisoners. Prisoners branded as "Wahhabis" (used by officials to mean any devout Muslim they dislike) are given harsh treatment and are often confined in special sections of prisons. Many are held in a closed section of the isolated top-security prison at Ovadan-Depe (Picturesque Hill) in the Karakum desert 70 kms (45 miles) north of Ashgabad. This has a closed section for political prisoners serving harsh sentences, with general regime prisoners also being in the prison for manual labour, including in the kitchens. In August 2014 Alternative Turkmenistan News noted that, like political prisoners held in the desert prison, "Wahhabis" are banned from receiving visits from relatives or exchanging correspondence with the outside world. In February 2015 Muslim prisoners convicted of alleged "Wahhabism" were subjected to brutal beatings in Seydi Labour Camp, sources who asked not to be identified told Forum 18. One man suffered a broken hand, while another suffered a broken rib and damage to his lung. Former prisoners of conscience - who all served their sentences at the Seydi Labour Camp - state that solitary confinement and violent torture by guards is routine within the Camp. An individual who saw Muslim prisoner of conscience Bahram Saparov (jailed in 2013 for leading a Sunni Muslim group) in the isolated top-security Ovadan-Depe Prison in late 2014 - the last time he is known to have been alive - barely recognised him. "Bahram's face - and the faces of the other prisoners in the block - were unrecognisable because of the beatings," one source told Forum 18. "Officers in uniform came weekly from Ashgabad in helmets and riot gear and beat the prisoners." The regime has repeatedly failed to answer or given incomplete answers to repeated UN Committee Against Torture (CAT) questions about torture cases, including questions put in the context of the CAT's November 2016 examination of Turkmenistan's record. Prisoners of conscience jailed for exercising freedom of religion and belief Protestants and Jehovah's Witnesses have often been jailed as short-term prisoners of conscience for periods of up to 15 days. For example, a total of 14 Jehovah's Witnesses were short-term prisoners of conscience between February and May 2015. Many prisoners are tortured, as noted above. Prisoner of conscience Bahram Hemdemov was arrested during a March 2015 raid on his home, after which he was tortured. He is serving a four year prison term from 19 May 2015 on charges of allegedly inciting religious hatred, which he strongly denies, but his real "crime" seems to have been hosting a meeting for worship. All Hemdemov's attempts to overturn his sentence on appeal have failed. The Supreme Court in August 2015 denied his appeal because Hemdemov "propagates the religious beliefs of Jehovah's Witnesses". An unknown number of long-term Muslim prisoners of conscience are jailed for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief. The nature of Turkmenistan's "justice system", in which the planting of evidence and torture by the authorities is often credibly claimed, makes it unlikely that the authorities - or anyone else - knows what exactly these prisoners did, or how many may simply be "guilty" of being devout Muslims who exercised their right to freedom of religion and belief. One example of a Muslim jailed for exercising their right to freedom of religion or belief is 34-year-old prisoner of conscience Saparov. Married with three children, he led a Hanafi Sunni Muslim community in the eastern city of Turkmenabad [Turkmenabat] (formerly Charjew) in Lebap Region until his imprisonment in March 2013. As noted above, he has been tortured in jail. Saparov organised meetings in homes from 2007 to study the five pillars of Islam and the attitude of Islam to the family and neighbours. Up to 10 young people initially joined the group, which later grew to about 60 people in two groups. In 2008 and 2009, MSS officers frequently interrogated them individually, torturing some of the group. The police and MSS secret police arrested Saparov and about 20 others on 9 March 2013 and all were convicted at a mass, closed trial in May 2013. After his conviction, Saparov was initially imprisoned at the labour camp in Tejen, south-east of Ashgabad. He was transferred to the top-security Ovadan-Depe Prison in October 2014, where he was last seen alive in that year. In November 2016, the government claimed to the UN Committee Against Torture that prisoner of conscience Saparov was in three separate closed trials while already imprisoned given concurrent 15-year jail sentences. The government delegation claimed that Saparov's relatives have been able to hand in 55 food parcels for him, but did not mention any meetings with relatives. Human rights defenders have told Forum 18 that while the authorities may have accepted some food parcels for Saparov in Ashgabad since his transfer to Ovadan-Depe, there is no guarantee that they were handed on to him. They point out that all alleged "Wahhabi" prisoners in Ovadan-Depe, who are held separately from other prisoners, are denied all visits and all communication with the outside world. Many prisoners sent there have not been heard of for many years and may have died there, possibly under torture. Human rights defenders note that prisoners in ordinary labour camps, such as Tejen where Saparov was originally held, can receive visits and food parcels, though prison staff often demand bribes for this. The disappearance of over 100 prisoners jailed for a variety of reasons from the early 1990s onwards, with their families being unable to find out whether they are alive or dead since their imprisonment, has been documented by the human rights defenders' campaign Prove They Are Alive! One Muslim reportedly imprisoned for exercising freedom of religion or belief who died in labour camp near Turkmenabad in 2013 was Atageldi aga. He was imam of an unregistered Sunni Muslim mosque in the Khitrovka district of Ashgabad, someone familiar with his work told Forum 18 in 2016. His body was never returned to relatives for a funeral. The Imam was arrested in September 2008 soon after an armed clash between a local gang and security forces. The individual insisted the Imam had not been involved in the gang. Prisoners' severely limited freedom of religion and belief The UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners, known as the Mandela Rules (A/C.3/70/L.3), require governments to respect the freedom of religion and belief and other human rights of prisoners. Turkmenistan routinely ignores them. Article 10 of the 2011 Criminal Procedural Code claims to guarantee prisoners freedom of religion and belief, including: prisoners in lower security designated labour camps to visit (presumably registered) places of worship in the place the camp is located in; prisoners in all harsher jail categories being allowed to invite clergy of registered religious organisations; and prisoners being able to perform religious rites in prison premises, and have religious literature. The general regime Seydi Labour Camp has its own prison mosque, but prisoners are afraid to attend. "The mosque is open to any prisoner, but Muslim prisoners won't go for fear of being branded a 'Wahhabi'," a former prisoner told Forum 18 in 2016. "At Friday prayers there are usually only about 4 or 5 people." The former prisoner added that the prison library has no religious literature. Non-Muslim prisoners also appear not to have access to religious literature, or be able to meet for worship. Apart from the prison mosque, no other provision appears to exist for prisoners to exercise their freedom of religion and belief in Seydi Labour Camp, or in any other of Turkmenistan's prisons. Conscientious objectors Turkmenistan imposes compulsory military service on young men, with no alternative civilian service. Article 58 of the 2016 Constitution describes defence as a "sacred duty" of everyone and states that military service is compulsory for men. Military service is between the ages of 18 and 27 and is generally two years. A proposed Alternative Service Law was reportedly drafted in 2013, but officials have been unable to tell Forum 18 if and when it might be adopted. Turkmenistan has repeatedly rejected UN Human Rights Committee calls for the country to allow conscientious objection to military service, along with other manifestations of freedom of religion and belief. In 2015 the UN Human Rights Committee ruled that the rights of imprisoned Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors had been violated by their imprisonment and torture during their imprisonment. But Turkmenistan has failed to, as the Human Rights Committee required, expunge their criminal records, offered recompense, or acted to prevent similar future violations. In July 2016 the Human Rights Committee found that Turkmenistan violated the rights of five further Jehovah's Witness conscientious objectors under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). These decisions bring to nine the number of such findings by the Committee against Turkmenistan in conscientious objection-related cases. Ambassador Atageldi Haljanov of Turkmenistan's Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva told a November 2016 hearing before the UN Committee Against Torture: "Unfortunately there are citizens in our society who refuse their constitutional duty towards their homeland," he told the Committee. He also claimed that before bringing to court individuals who refuse military service on grounds of conscience, "complex measures are undertaken by a range of organisations in Turkmenistan, including youth organisations, local authorities, parents and elders to explain to them their constitutional duty". A full review of the country's record by the Human Rights Committee is due to take place in Geneva in March 2017. Criminal Code Article 219, Part 1 punishes refusal to serve in the armed forces in peacetime with a maximum penalty of two years' imprisonment or two years' corrective labour. The 2016 Religion Law, among other restrictions, stated in Article 7 that: "No one has the right on grounds of their religious convictions to refuse to fulfil obligations established by the Constitution and laws of Turkmenistan". This appears to be a reference to compulsory military service. Young Jehovah's Witnesses are routinely severely punished for conscientious objection to military service, and insist they would be willing to do an alternative genuinely non-military service were it to be introduced. Male Jehovah's Witnesses of conscription age who have not served in the military can be arrested at any time. As of January 2017, no-one is known to be imprisoned for conscientious objection alone. However, 11 conscientious objectors are known to have been sentenced to corrective labour for between one and two years since October 2014. They live at home under restrictions, the state confiscating 20 per cent of their wages. They were convicted under Criminal Code Article 219, Part 1. Among those recently given correctional labour sentences are: Akmurad Nurjanov in December 2014; Timur Baltayev in January 2015; Serdar Hemdemov in April 2015; Kerven Kakabayev in December 2015; and Dayanch Jumayev in February 2016. Merdan Ochanov, Konstantin Sivkov, Ruslan Rahmetulov, Sanjarbek Saburov and Artur Yangibayev all received two-year suspended sentences between February and August 2016. The 20-year-old Serdar Hemdemov, who is from the eastern city of Turkmenabad [Turkmenabat] (formerly Charjew), was also in March 2015 given two consecutive 15-day prison terms after police raided a meeting for worship in the family home. During both his 15-day terms of imprisonment, he was placed in isolation and severely tortured by the police by being kicked and beaten with plastic bottles filled with water. As noted above, his father Bahram is a prisoner of conscience on a four-year jail sentence from May 2015. No military freedom of religion and belief Despite the alleged partial guarantees in the Law on the Status and Social Protection of Servicemen, "no religion is allowed in the army at all" members of different religious communities told Forum 18 in 2016. "You can't have a Koran, Bible or other religious literature and you can't conduct prayers visibly," one noted. Conscripts often have no leave during their entire two year service, which means they cannot attend meetings for worship, a member of one religious community noted to Forum 18. One young member of a registered non-Muslim religious community was insulted by officers on grounds of his religious faith in 2015. However, after complaints from the young man's parents such insults stopped, those familiar with the case told Forum 18. State control of Muslims' exercise of freedom of religion and belief Islam, because it has the largest number of followers, is the community the government is most interested in controlling. The Sunni Muftiate (Muslim Spiritual Administration) is under tight government control. The government names the Chief Mufti. The Muftiate appoints all imams down to the district level, but the MSS secret police has the decisive input. This is based on information collected by the MSS on a candidate's ancestry (they must be at least mostly ethnic Turkmen), relatives, political views and activity. Ethnic Uzbeks cannot become imams in the north. No-one whose ethnicity is mainly non-Turkmen is thought to hold any Muslim religious office anywhere higher than the small district mullah level. Those with a positive MSS secret police recommendation "will only be approved if they are 'clean'" a Muslim told Forum 18. Mullahs - who perform rituals related to births, circumcisions, marriages and deaths in a small district of about 100 families - are appointed by district imams, after the MSS secret police has checked them. Sermons by imams at Friday prayers are used to convey state messages, with the authorities "recommending" to imams topics they should and should not cover. The prayers conclude with a short prayer for the President. "Some Muslims are offended by this, others not," a Muslim in the country told Forum 18. Muslim young men in some regions are barred by the state from wearing beards, and women are banned from wearing a hijab (headscarf). One Dashoguz Muslim told Forum 18 that local police summon bearded young men for "preventative talks", which include instructions to shave off their beards. Although Sunni Islam is allowed to operate within tight limits, the practice of Shia Islam is obstructed. This is mainly professed by the ethnic Azeri and Iranian groups in the west of the country, who are commonly seen as more devout than ethnic Turkmens. Official intolerance of Shia Islam includes refusal to allow Shia rituals among people permitted to make the haj pilgrimage. As noted below, the authorities also impose severe restrictions on the numbers of Muslims permitted to make the obligatory haj pilgrimage to Mecca. State control of other belief communities' exercise of freedom of religion and belief Control of followers of non-Muslim beliefs is mainly formally imposed via the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations and Expert Analysis of Resources Containing Religious Information, Published and Printed Production, as noted above. Also, permission from the Justice Ministry is required to acquire a place of worship, publish or acquire religious literature, or to invite foreign guests. Such permission is rarely granted and, if it is, is frequently accompanied by unwritten demands, such as cooperation with the MSS secret police. The exercise of freedom of religion of belief without state permission is banned, as noted above. Whether or not a community is registered, raids on their meetings and members frequently happen, as noted above. Officials continue to pressure non-Muslims to change their beliefs. In February 2015 Narmurad Mominov, a Protestant leader from Galkynysh in Lebap Region, was fined two weeks' average local wages after police raided a home, local Protestants told Forum 18. Many of those present were held until the early hours of the morning, while some were pressured to renounce or change their faith. One who did so was told to "repent" publicly in the mosque. Officials also bully non-Muslim schoolchildren and their parents and guardians, frequently at public meetings. The children of Protestants and their parents were subjected to apparently increased official public bullying in 2014-15 in schools, as well as pressure to sign statements renouncing their faith. Protestant teachers have been fired from their jobs. In February 2016 MSS secret police officers warned Protestants not to hold summer camps for children. Ethnic Turkmen Protestants have frequently told Forum 18 that they are summoned before their village or settlement, accused of betraying their "ancestral faith", and pressured to renounce Christianity. Religious education severely restricted Formal religious education - apart from small scale basic education in some mosques and Russian Orthodox churches - is almost totally banned. Religious communities cannot arrange lectures, courses or extended study and training programs, such as setting up degree or diploma courses. The only exception to the ban is a small Muslim Theological Section in the History Faculty of Magtymguly Turkmen State University in Ashgabad, which trains imams. The number of students is restricted, and foreign teaching staff are banned. All candidates need the approval of the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations and, more importantly, the MSS secret police, Muslims told Forum 18. Women are prohibited from studying in the Theological Section, and therefore from studying academic theology - Muslim or otherwise - within Turkmenistan. Muslims are not allowed to travel abroad for religious education. However, Russian Orthodox men are allowed to study for the priesthood outside the country, as are male and female choir-leaders. No-one else can get the necessary state permission to study religious subjects abroad. Those who do study abroad have to conceal this from the state, otherwise they risk being prevented from leaving the country. On return, their foreign religious qualifications are not recognised by the state. It is unclear why the state largely exempts the Russian Orthodox Church from the restrictions that affect every other faith. Other religious communities have been harassed for trying to give their members less formal religious education. Officials are also hostile to religious children's activities. For example, in February 2016 MSS secret police questioned the Pastor of Mary's registered Baptist Church at the town's central mosque for about 90 minutes. They told him they knew all about the children's camps the Church had held in 2013, 2014 and 2015. The MSS secret police officers then demanded that the Pastor write and sign a statement that he had violated the law. However, despite threats the Pastor refused to write and sign any statement. The MSS warned him that if the Church conducts a summer camp for children in 2016, "it would be a different conversation". Church members saw this as a threat. Restrictions on having a place of worship Even registered communities often cannot freely maintain public places of worship. As one Turkmen Protestant from a region far from the capital put it to Forum 18, "You cannot build, buy, or securely rent such property, let alone put up a notice outside saying 'This is a place of worship.'" The Protestant added that "the government likes to be able to say to outsiders 'We have registration' and show them communities in Ashgabad. But people don't look at what we experience in places away from the capital, where we have no hope of registration. Without freedom to meet for worship, it is impossible to claim that we have freedom of religion and belief." Many communities cannot gather all their members together. Some have told Forum 18 they can only meet in small groups for fear of police and MSS secret police raids. They have told Forum 18 that "telephone law" prevails: the owner of a venue who agrees to rent to a religious organisation soon cancels the arrangement, apparently after receiving a telephone warning from officials. Some registered religious communities have had to move their place of worship more than 12 times a year. Meeting for worship outside state-approved venues - such as in homes - is dangerous and can lead to raids and fines, especially in locations close to Turkmenistan's borders with Uzbekistan and Iran. In April 2016, the authorities in Ashgabad bulldozed the Sunni Muslim Aksa Mosque with no prior consultation and apparently without compensation. Demolition workers justified the demolition by telling local people that "this mosque has been built without any kind of permission", Radio Free Europe reported. This was the eighth of 14 mosques in the city to have been destroyed in recent years, as have mosques in other parts of the country. Christian churches and Hare Krishna temples were also earlier destroyed or confiscated in the capital and elsewhere, with no compensation. The government has a general policy of not compensating almost all individuals and groups when it at short notice demolishes their homes and confiscates their property. Building or regaining places of worship is almost impossible. Article 22 of the Religion Law allows religious communities to own property, but Article 11 requires approval to build any place of worship from the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations and from the local administration. But religious communities without an existing place of worship find it almost impossible to build or acquire a place of worship. This can make it impossible for meetings for worship or other purposes to be held, as noted above in relation to the registered Light of the East Church in Dashoguz which has not met since early 2015. Article 23 of the Religion Law guarantees religious organisations priority over other entities in regaining former places of worship (presumably those confiscated in the Soviet period). It requires government bodies to respond to such applications in writing within one month. But despite repeated attempts, the Armenian Apostolic Church has not regained its former church in Turkmenbashi, confiscated during the Soviet period and partially destroyed in the mid-2000s. President Berdymukhamedov's November 2012 promise to return what remains of the church for restoration and reopening for worship has not been fulfilled. No fundamental changes have occurred in the process of reactivating closed churches in Turkmenistan, the Moscow-based Armenian Diocese told Forum 18 in November 2016. Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill also complained in February 2015 about difficulties his Church has faced recovering places of worship confiscated in the Soviet period, stating that requests were not answered. New mosques are apparently only built by presidential order, and the use of state funds violates the separation of religion from the state required by the Constitution. When such new mosques are built, President Berdymukhamedov often attends amid massive official publicity, as happened when a new mosque was opened in the northern city of Dashoguz on 30 October 2015. Turkmenistan's Chief Mufti, as well as all the Regional Muftis, were required to be present. Officials have never explained why the President can order places of worship to be built, but religious communities themselves cannot. Severe haj restrictions, exit blacklist Turkmenistan's 2012 Migration Law states in Article 24: "Every citizen of Turkmenistan has the right to leave Turkmenistan and enter Turkmenistan. A citizen of Turkmenistan cannot be deprived of the right to leave Turkmenistan or enter Turkmenistan." But Article 30 allows "temporary" restrictions, including for those awaiting criminal trial, under police supervision, in possession of state secrets, or whose exit "contradicts Turkmenistan's national security interests", which are not defined. Known active religious believers are among many people the government prevents from travelling abroad, in addition to the restrictions on study abroad. The quota granted by the Saudi authorities is reported to be 5,000, but the government only allows much lower numbers of pilgrims. In 2014 the government sought and received approval from the Saudi Arabian authorities for 650 Muslims (including MSS secret police and other officials) to travel on the haj. Muslims in one of the country's six administrative divisions have to wait up to 11 years to reach the top of the haj waiting list, an official of Balkan Region Religious Affairs office told Forum 18. He said that 21 pilgrims from his Region were selected to travel in 2014, the same number as in 2013. Going on the haj appears to entail obligations including supporting government policy at public meetings. Freedom of movement restrictions are also applied to non-haj travellers. Many active religious believers are among those on an exit blacklist. An official confirmed to Forum 18 that it is maintained by the Migration Service, on behalf of the Interior Ministry and the MSS secret police. Officials rarely explain to those they have barred from leaving why this happened. Some who have tried to establish the reasons were told verbally: "You know the reason". They have told Forum 18 that they think the bans were imposed to punish them for exercising freedom of religion and belief. Active religious believers who have not been prevented from leaving are subject to close scrutiny on departure or re-entry. Several people have told Forum 18 that known religious believers who are allowed to travel abroad have their activity in religious communities noted in a computerised database accessible to border guards at departure points. The obstacles to travel abroad make it difficult for religious believers to meet their fellow believers in other countries, or to take part in international religious pilgrimages and gatherings. This is part of an apparent government policy to isolate religious believers from their co-believers abroad. In 2013 Turkmen students studying in Ukraine and Belarus were pressured not to attend non-Muslim religious communities, an attache of Turkmenistan's Embassy in Ukraine's capital Kiev, Charymurad Atahanov, stating: "there are concrete facts as well as photographs of the participation of Turkmen students in various religious sects 'of another faith'. But you are Muslims - think about your future, we are obliged to send all these complaints to Ashgabad and discussions are underway with directors of higher educational establishments about expelling such students," Alternative Turkmenistan News reported. In January 2013, Turkmenistan's Foreign Ministry ordered embassies in Ukraine and Belarus to hold "prophylactic discussions" with students. Almost no foreigners allowed The government also imposes an almost total ban on visits from foreign fellow-believers. Many communities have tried to invite fellow-believers from abroad for many years without success. Visas to Turkmenistan for those suspected of wanting to visit for religious purposes are often refused. Those who do manage to obtain visas and enter the country risk deportation if they are discovered visiting religious communities. Only registered religious communities have the right to apply to invite foreigners for religious purposes, though such applications are rarely successful. Any one registered community can generally only invite one foreigner or small group of foreigners (such as a husband and wife) per year, religious community members told Forum 18. "There is always a time limit," one community member explained. "A guest is usually allowed to stay for three days, maximum five days, never more." At least two Protestant communities were able to have such brief visits in 2016. Other registered Protestant churches, as well as the Baha'i and Hare Krishna communities have also been able to have short, rare visits by foreign citizens. The state-controlled Muftiate - the only form of the majority religion Islam permitted - appears only to invite foreigners on very rare occasions. Islamic communities outside the framework of the Muftiate are not allowed to exist, and therefore (like Jehovah's Witnesses and many Protestant churches) cannot invite foreign citizens. The few foreigners allowed to work with their fellow-believers can be arbitrarily expelled. Russian Orthodox priest Fr Grigory Bochurov, a Russian citizen who was from 2012 Secretary of the local Patriarchal Deanery and senior priest of Ashgabad's St Nikolai Church, was forced to leave in spring 2015 with no reason being given. Censorship The state imposes a de facto ban on most religious publications, and the authorities routinely confiscate religious literature from residents and from people entering or leaving Turkmenistan. Very little literature is produced, making it almost impossible for believers to acquire copies of the Koran, Bible or other religious works in any language. Under Article 26 of the Religion Law, a registered religious organisation requires a religious studies "expert" analysis by the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations before it can import or distribute religious literature or other materials. These "analyses" are not published. Article 26 states that individuals and religious communities can "acquire, produce and use" religious literature, but is silent on whether individuals can import, publish, print or distribute religious literature. One of the few religious communities which can sell religious literature openly is the Russian Orthodox Church, which has kiosks at several of its churches. But all the literature it sells needs to be stamped as approved by the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations. Registered Christian churches have been unable to register a Bible Society which could openly promote and sell Christian scriptures. Anyone who violates the state-imposed censorship of religious literature is liable to be fined under the wide-ranging Administrative Code Article 76, Part 1 (see above). Searches for and confiscations of "illegal" religious literature remain a constant threat. The authorities routinely confiscate religious literature, CDs, and DVDs found by police or the MSS secret police during raids on religious meetings in homes, as noted above. Occasionally these items are later returned, though often only after great efforts and pressure from the owners, who risk further punishment for return requests - for example threats of torture or having the government supply of free electricity and salt (which everyone is entitled to). No religious literature may be published in Turkmenistan or imported into the country without permission from the Commission for Work with Religious Organisations. Each title and the number of copies must be specifically approved. Postal authorities hold all religious literature received from abroad, releasing it only with written Commission approval. Although the customs declaration for every traveller arriving in Turkmenistan contains no specific question on religious literature, officials routinely ask travellers if they have religious literature. Baggage is usually checked by three officers, one from the customs, one from the military, and one official in civilian clothes thought to be from the MSS secret police. Turkmen citizens say the MSS official checks for religious literature and materials. Customs officers sometimes allow travellers returning to the country to bring in a small quantity of religious literature for personal use. Anything more than a small quantity of books or other material is confiscated, irrespective of whether or not the person is a Turkmen citizen. But even small quantities of literature for personal use only are at risk of confiscation. For example, a Protestant returning to the country had religious literature - including a personal Bible - confiscated at Ashgabad Airport in late 2015. Four Muslim books were confiscated there in June 2016 from a returning traveller. As well as books and CDs, bracelets with religious inscriptions of any kind - including Islamic texts - have been confiscated. Government censorship of the internet and communications - including emails, calls and mobile phone text messages - makes users wary of being open about any exercise of freedom of religion and belief. Computers and mobile phones are often confiscated - particularly at Ashgabad airport or in raids - and scrutinised for their content. For example, a Protestant outside Ashgabad was fined 200 Manats after electronic religious texts were found on a relative in August 2014. Police and local administration officials detained and questioned the relative about the texts for some hours. Fear of openly discussing human rights violations Some religious communities are afraid to discuss human rights violations, fearing it will make their situation worse, or harm attempts to gain legal status. Religious believers and communities are for good reason reluctant to publicly discuss the use of torture, including rape threats against both women and men by officials. Impunity Criminal Code Article 154 bans "obstructing the legal activity of religious organisations or conducting of religious rituals, provided this does not violate social order or infringe on the rights, freedoms or legal interests of citizens". Yet no instance is known of officials being punished for breaking this law, or being arrested and tried for torture. When challenged about the legality of their actions, the officials concerned are often ignorant of the relevant parts of the country's Constitution and published laws. Officials routinely deny that human rights violations take place, or - as with conscientious objectors - appear proud of such violations. Government claims of "reform" to foreigners have so far been without demonstrable concrete meaning for Turkmenistan's people. Without fundamental changes in the attitudes and actions of officials - especially genuine independently verifiable implementation of the state's politically and legally binding human rights commitments and obligations - Turkmenistan will remain a place where fundamental human rights are violated with impunity. (END) For a personal commentary by a Protestant within Turkmenistan, on the fiction - despite government claims - of religious freedom in the country, and how religious communities and the international community should respond to this, see http://www.forum18.org/ Archive.php?article_id=728 . For a personal commentary by another Turkmen Protestant, arguing that "without freedom to meet for worship it is impossible to claim that we have freedom of religion and belief," see http://www.forum18.org/ Archive.php?article_id=1128 . More reports on freedom of thought, conscience and belief in Turkmenistan can be found at http://www.forum18.org/ Archive.php?query=&religion=all&country=32 . Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)11 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by San Marino Publisher Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers Publication Date 14 September 2016 Citation / Document Symbol CM/ResCMN(2016)11 Cite as Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers, Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)11 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by San Marino, 14 September 2016, CM/ResCMN(2016)11, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587393a64.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Comments (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 14 September 2016 at the 1264th meeting of the Ministers Deputies) Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (hereinafter referred to as "the Framework Convention"), Having regard to Resolution Res(97)10 of 17 September 1997 setting out rules adopted by the Committee of Ministers on the monitoring arrangements under Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention; Having regard to the voting rule adopted in the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10;[1] Having regard to the instrument of ratification submitted by San Marino on 5 December 1996; Recalling that the Government of San Marino transmitted its state report in respect of the fourth monitoring cycle under the Framework Convention on 11 March 2015; Having examined the Advisory Committee's fourth opinion adopted on 20 November 2015; Adopts the following conclusions in respect of San Marino: The authorities are invited to take account of the observations and recommendations contained in Sections I and II of the Advisory Committee's fourth opinion. In particular, they should take the following measures to improve further the implementation of the Framework Convention: Recommendations: - Pursue an open and comprehensive approach towards the integration of society by strengthening legislative, administrative and other measures aimed at the promotion of tolerance and intercultural respect among the majority population; increase awareness-raising activities to avert potential racial discrimination and intolerance. - Amend the current legislative framework to provide comprehensive protection from all forms of discrimination, as well as civil and administrative remedies; step up awareness-raising among the public at large on the existing legal framework; establish an independent body to monitor racism and discrimination. [1] In the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10 on 17 September 1997, the Committee of Ministers also adopted the following rule: "Decisions pursuant to Articles 24.1 and 25.2 of the Framework Convention shall be considered to be adopted if two-thirds of the representatives of the Contracting Parties casting a vote, including a majority of the representatives of the Contracting Parties entitled to sit on the Committee of Ministers, vote in favour". Title Comments of the Government of Hungary on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Hungary (received on 12 September 2016) Publication Date 12 September 2016 Country Hungary Citation / Document Symbol GVT/COM/IV(2016)004 Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Comments of the Government of Hungary on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Hungary (received on 12 September 2016), 12 September 2016, GVT/COM/IV(2016)004, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587395964.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Title Comments of the Government of Italy on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Italy Publication Date 12 July 2016 Citation / Document Symbol GVT/COM/IV(2016)002 Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Comments of the Government of Italy on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Italy, 12 July 2016, GVT/COM/IV(2016)002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587396a34.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)9 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Lithuania Publisher Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers Publication Date 6 July 2016 Citation / Document Symbol CM/ResCMN(2016)9 Cite as Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers, Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)9 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Lithuania, 6 July 2016, CM/ResCMN(2016)9, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587397e94.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Comments (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 6 July 2016 at the 1262nd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies) Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (hereinafter referred to as "the Framework Convention"), Having regard to Resolution Res(97)10 of 17 September 1997 setting out rules adopted by the Committee of Ministers on the monitoring arrangements under Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention; Having regard to the voting rule adopted in the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10;[1] Having regard to the instrument of ratification submitted by Lithuania on 23 March 2000; Recalling that the Government of Lithuania transmitted its State report in respect of the third monitoring cycle under the Framework Convention on 21 September 2011; Having examined the Advisory Committee's third opinion on Lithuania adopted on 28 November 2013, as well as the written comments of the Government of the Lithuania received on 10 October 2014; Having also taken note of comments by other governments, 1. Adopts the following conclusions in respect of Lithuania: a) Positive developments Lithuania continues an overall inclusive approach towards the scope of application of the Framework Convention. The census in 2011 provided valuable information on the population, including as regards employment and education levels, and is overall considered as having been conducted in line with international standards. A draft Law on National Minorities has been prepared by a working group, chaired by the Vice Minister of Culture, which included minority representatives and comprehensively consulted most relevant stakeholders. The draft is viewed overall as a balanced document that, if adopted, would strengthen the protection of minority rights in Lithuania, including as regards the language rights of persons belonging to national minorities. The scope of the Law on Equal Treatment has been broadened to include new grounds of discrimination and the burden of proof with regard to such allegations was shifted. Amendments to the Criminal Code in 2009 expressly establish racial motivation behind a crime as an aggravating circumstance. Considerable efforts have been made to raise awareness in law enforcement and prosecution servicers as well as among society at large on the available legal remedies in cases of discrimination and inter-ethnic or racially-motivated hostility. A training programme to enhance intercultural competences in the police was approved in 2013 and is ongoing. The Inspector of Journalists Ethics continues to actively monitor all media reporting and performs quasi-judicial functions, issuing warnings to publishers or institutions in cases where hatred is incited. The available budget for projects aimed at the preservation and development of minority cultures was increased in the fiscal year of 2014 and efforts are being made to effectively consult national minorities in the allocation of funding. The government decided in late 2014 to re-establish the Department of National Minorities. As of July 2015, it shall be responsible for all analysis, strategy, programmes and projects related to issues pertaining to national minorities. In consultation with national minority representatives, the Lithuanian authorities reviewed the adequacy of the public broadcasting in the languages of national minorities for existing needs. As a result, two new regular TV news broadcasts in the Russian language were launched by the national public broadcaster LRT at the end of 2014. This development has contributed to the general duration of programmes broadcast in minority languages. A draft Law on the Official Spelling of Names has been prepared and introduced in parliament, which allows for the additional entry of names in minority language alphabets and spelling in identity documents, thereby giving effect to a 2009 Constitutional Court decision. The new Law on Education entered into force in July 2011, increasing the role of the State language in minority language schools to promote the integration of persons belonging to national minorities in higher education and the labour market. Considerable efforts have been made to provide additional training to minority language school teachers to cope with the changes. A transition period of eight years has been introduced for the implementation of the reform and an expert group is regularly evaluating progress in schools to ensure that school administration and teachers are obtaining adequate support. Minority representatives continue to be well represented in Lithuanian politics and one minority political party has joined the government coalition in 2012. The Council of National Minorities functions as the main consultation mechanism for national minorities, including the numerically smaller ones. It meets regularly and provides advice mainly to the Ministry of Culture, which is reported to listen effectively to the concerns that are brought to its attention. According to census figures, access to the labour market overall is not affected by ethnic background but rather by regional differences. Preparations for the development of a new Action Plan for Roma Integration 2015-2020 are ongoing, in consultation with Roma representatives. b) Issues of concern Since the 1989 Law on National Minorities was declared null and void in January 2010, there has been no coherent legal framework for the protection of rights of persons belonging to national minorities. The Law on the State Language, which imposes the exclusive use of Lithuanian in all official correspondence and on all topography, continues to prevent in particular the enjoyment of language rights in line with the Framework Convention. Political and public debates on minority rights are often instrumentalised for political purposes and demonstrate a lack of understanding of minority rights, which creates an unfavourable environment for the rapid adoption of the recently prepared draft Law on National Minorities as well as the draft legislation related to the official spelling of names. Despite persistent reports of discrimination experienced by persons belonging to minority groups, such as the Roma, there are few cases raised with the Equal Treatment Ombudsperson as knowledge of and trust in the institution among minority representatives is reportedly still limited. As the Advisory Committee noted in connection with Article 6 of the Framework Convention, open displays of hostility against minorities are not always appropriately condemned by the authorities. Despite an increase in hate crime, as in other member States, particularly on the Internet, the number of cases recorded remains low which, among other things, points to a lack of trust and a continued lack of relevant awareness and expertise within law enforcement and prosecution bodies. Following a budget decrease in 2009, funds for the preservation and development of minority cultures are reportedly insufficient in particular for numerically smaller minorities, and support for minority language print and broadcast media has also diminished. Available broadcasts in minority languages had decreased after the reduction of the budget at the end of 2009, although it is reported that since 2014 efforts have been made to solve this issue and this should be subject to monitoring by the Advisory Committee. The education reform has prompted significant controversy among minority communities. A too hasty implementation could negatively affect the quality of teaching in minority language schools. Teachers and school administrations require continued and targeted support and training to ensure that the focus on promoting the State language in the education system does not disadvantage students of minority language schools in their general access to and participation in education. There should have been more flexibility in the implementation of the reform with a view to ensuring that the quality of education at minority language schools generally did not suffer as a result of a disproportionate focus on the promotion of the State language. More efforts are also needed to promote knowledge of and appreciation for minority cultures in schools, and to advance the teaching of multiple perspectives in history. The discontinuation in 2009 of the specialised government structure responsible for minority protection issues and the transfer of functions to the smaller Division of National Minority Affairs in the Ministry of Culture resulted in a reduction in staff and available budget and has been viewed by minority representatives as having significantly reduced their influence on relevant decision-making. The socio-economic integration of Roma continues to be inadequate, notably in Kirtimai settlement in Vilnius, where illiteracy levels among the population are particularly high and housing remains sub-standard. A comprehensive strategy addressing all relevant issues, including education, health, housing and employment, and co-ordinated with all involved actors is urgently required to sustainably promote the effective equality of Roma. 2. Adopts the following recommendations in respect of Lithuania: In addition to the measures to be taken to implement the detailed recommendations contained in sections I and II of the opinion of the Advisory Committee, the authorities are invited to take the following measures to improve further the implementation of the Framework Convention: Issues for immediate action:[2] - adopt without delay and in close consultation with minority representatives a coherent legal framework for the protection of rights of persons belonging to national minorities, in particular regarding language rights in line with Articles 10 and 11 of the Framework Convention; - ensure that minority language schools are adequately prepared and resourced to implement effectively the education reform without negatively affecting the overall quality of education; - develop and implement a comprehensive strategy, involving all relevant actors and in close consultation with Roma representatives, to combat the continuing discrimination and social exclusion of Roma in all spheres of public life. Other recommendations:2 - develop, in close consultation with all involved actors, a comprehensive strategy for the promotion of full and effective equality of persons belonging to national minorities based on regularly collected and disaggregated data on their access to rights; - enhance the available support for the preservation and development of minority cultures and media and ensure that minority representatives are closely involved in the development, implementation, and evaluation of projects, as well as in the allocation of funding; - increase efforts to adequately train law enforcement and prosecution bodies in the effective identification and sanctioning of cases of alleged discrimination and ethnically-based hostility, including hate crime; raise the awareness among society of available legal remedies, including the enhanced mandate of the Equal Treatment Ombudsperson; - enhance efforts to promote respect and intercultural understanding among pupils in schools and increase support for multilingual teaching methodologies that bring together students from different language backgrounds; - increase efforts to promote equal access to quality education for Roma in mainstream schools, including through the enhanced employment of Roma mediators; - ensure that the views and concerns of minorities, including the numerically smaller ones, are effectively taken into account by all relevant government bodies in decision-making processes that affect them; - actively promote the socio-economic integration of Roma, notably in Kirtimai settlement, through adequate solutions to the continued concerns with regard to their housing situation as well as their access to employment, health and social services. 3. Invites the Government of Lithuania, in accordance with Resolution Res(97)10: a. to continue the dialogue in progress with the Advisory Committee; b. to keep the Advisory Committee regularly informed of the measures it has taken in response to the conclusions and recommendations set out in sections 1 and 2 above. [1] In the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10 on 17 September 1997, the Committee of Ministers also adopted the following rule: "Decisions pursuant to Articles 24.1 and 25.2 of the Framework Convention shall be considered to be adopted if two-thirds of the representatives of the Contracting Parties casting a vote, including a majority of the representatives of the Contracting Parties entitled to sit on the Committee of Ministers, vote in favour". [2]The recommendations below are listed in the order of the corresponding articles of the Framework Convention. Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)10 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Spain Publisher Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers Publication Date 6 July 2016 Cite as Council of Europe: Committee of Ministers, Resolution CM/ResCMN(2016)10 on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by Spain, 6 July 2016, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873985a4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Comments (Adopted by the Committee of Ministers on 6 July 2016 at the 1262nd meeting of the Ministers' Deputies) Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The Committee of Ministers, under the terms of Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities (hereinafter referred to as "the Framework Convention"); Having regard to Resolution Res(97)10 of 17 September 1997 setting out rules adopted by the Committee of Ministers on the monitoring arrangements under Articles 24 to 26 of the Framework Convention; Having regard to the voting rule adopted in the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10;[1] Having regard to the instrument of ratification submitted by Spain on 1 September 1995; Recalling that the Government of Spain transmitted its State report in respect of the fourth monitoring cycle under the Framework Convention on 4 March 2014; Having examined the Advisory Committee's fourth opinion adopted on 3 December 2014; Having also taken note of comments by the Government of Spain and other governments; 1. Adopts the following recommendations in respect of Spain: The authorities are invited to take account of the observations and recommendations contained in Sections I and II of the Advisory Committee's fourth opinion. In particular, they should take the following measures to improve further the implementation of the Framework Convention: Issues for immediate action:[2] - continue to ensure that programmes to promote the full and effective equality of Roma include clear targets and well-defined actions and benefit from adequate, earmarked funding, and ensure that the impact of such programmes is effectively monitored, in consultation with representatives of the Roma; - step up efforts to combat all forms of racism and intolerance; and ensure that all alleged cases of hate speech, including those committed on the Internet as well as in the print and audiovisual media, are investigated, prosecuted and sanctioned on the basis of the recent reform of the Criminal Code which includes provisions to better prosecute hate speech and violence; - ensure that austerity measures taken in the context of the economic crisis, including in the fields of education, housing and health, do not disproportionately impact, directly or indirectly, on Roma; Further recommendations:2 - ensure that the Council for the Elimination of Racial and Ethnic Discrimination carries out its task with independence, in accordance with Law 15/2014 on the Reform of the Administration, continue to fund and support the Network of Assistance to Victims of Discrimination and consider the future adoption of additional comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation; - continue efforts to raise awareness among groups most frequently targeted by discrimination and hate crimes of the avenues of redress available to them; - continue to provide support to the Institute of Roma Culture as well as to other projects and programmes aimed at preserving and promoting Roma culture, including the Romani and Calo languages, to the extent that demand for this exists; - continue to implement measures to train members of police forces to work effectively in a diverse society and to prevent ethnic profiling; - continue efforts to improve the integration and achievements of Roma pupils in schools, so that the concentration of Roma children in schools located in disadvantaged areas does not hamper their access to adequate education; - take effective steps within the education system to increase the knowledge and awareness of all children about Roma identity and culture as an integral part of Spanish culture; - continue supporting and take measures to increase the effectiveness of the State Council for the Roma People, engage in meaningful dialogue and promote wherever appropriate the establishment of effective consultative bodies between the authorities at local and regional levels and the Roma. 2. Invites the Government of Spain, in accordance with Resolution Res(97)10: a. to continue the dialogue in progress with the Advisory Committee; b. to keep the Advisory Committee regularly informed of the measures it has taken in response to the conclusions and recommendations set out in sections 1 and 2 above. [1] In the context of adopting Resolution Res(97)10 on 17 September 1997, the Committee of Ministers also adopted the following rule: "Decisions pursuant to Articles 24.1 and 25.2 of the Framework Convention shall be considered to be adopted if two-thirds of the representatives of the Contracting Parties casting a vote, including a majority of the representatives of the Contracting Parties entitled to sit on the Committee of Ministers, vote in favour". [2] The recommendations below are listed in the order of the corresponding articles of the Framework Convention. Title Comments of the Government of the Czech Republic on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by the Czech Republic (received on 28 June 2016) Publication Date 28 June 2016 Country Czech Republic Citation / Document Symbol GVT/COM/IV(2016)002 Cite as Council of Europe: Secretariat of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, Comments of the Government of the Czech Republic on the Fourth Opinion of the Advisory Committee on the implementation of the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities by the Czech Republic (received on 28 June 2016), 28 June 2016, GVT/COM/IV(2016)002, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/587399814.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups Publisher Human Rights Watch Publication Date 9 January 2017 Cite as Human Rights Watch, Russia: Government vs. Rights Groups, 9 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/58739afc4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. For the past four years, the Kremlin has sought to stigmatize criticism or alternative views of government policy as disloyal, foreign-sponsored, or even traitorous. It is part of a sweeping crackdown to silence critical voices that has included new legal restrictions on the internet, on freedom of expression, on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people, and on other fundamental freedoms. Association of NGOs in Defense of Voters' Rights "Golos" (Moscow) June 5, 2014 Regional Public Association in Defense of Democratic Rights and Freedoms "Golos" (Moscow) June 5, 2014 Center for Social Policy and Gender Studies (Saratov) June 5, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) Women of Don (Rostov region) June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended February 29, 2016) Kostroma Center for Support of Public Initiatives (Kostroma) June 5, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended June 19, 2015) Interregional Human Rights Association "Agora" (Kazan) July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down December 29, 2016) Regional public organization "Ecozaschita! Womens' Council" (Kaliningrad) July 21, 2014 Public Verdict Foundation (Moscow) July 21, 2014 Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Moscow) July 21, 2014 Lawyers for Constitutional Rights and Freedoms / JURIX (Moscow) July 21, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 26, 2015) Soldiers' Mothers (Saint Petersburg) August 28, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 23, 2015) Freedom of Information Foundation / Institute for Information Freedom Development August 28, 2014 PIR Center September 3, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended February 24, 2016) Association "Partnership for Development" (Saratov) October 2, 2014 (the organization was shut down November 6, 2015) "News Agency MEMO.RU" (Moscow) November 20, 2014 Regional Press Institute (St. Petersburg) November 20, 2014 Moscow School of Civic Education December 9, 2014 Rakurs, Arkhangelsk regional non-governmental LGBT organization December 15, 2014 All-Russian movement "For Human Rights" December 22, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 30, 2015) Human Rights Center (Kaliningrad) December 25, 2014 Krasnodar Regional Social Organization of University Alumni December 25, 2014 ("foreign agent" status was suspended April 22, 2016) Regional social organization "Public Commission for Academic Sakharov's Heritage Preservation" December 25, 2014 Resource Human Rights Center (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down November 3, 2015) Regional Public Organization "Man and the Law" (Republic of Mari El) December 30, 2014 Center for Social Development "Vozrozhdeniye" (Pskov) December 30, 2014 Public Human Rights Organization "Civil Control" (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 The League of Women Voters (St. Petersburg) December 30, 2014 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) Free Press Support Foundation December 30, 2014 Interregional Non-Governmental Organization "The Committee Against Torture" January 16, 2015 (the organization was shut down September 13, 2016) Educational Center "Memorial" (Sverdlov region) January 16, 2015 Autonomous non-profit human rights organization "Youth Center for Consulting and Training" January 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended July 22, 2015) "Information Bureau of the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg" January 20, 2015 Jewish regional branch of the Russian public organization "Municipal Academy" January 26, 2015 (the organization was shut down May 22, 2015) The noncommercial partnership "Press Development Institute - Siberia" January 30, 2015 Center for social, psychological and legal help to victims of discrimination and homophobia "Maximum" (Murmansk) February 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down October 28, 2015) Interregional public fund for civil society development "Golos-Povolzhye" (Samara) February 6, 2015 Interregional charity organization "Siberian Environmental Center" (Novosibirsk) February 12, 2015 Center for Civic Analysis and Independent Research / GRANI (Perm) February 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended June 19, 2015) Municipal public organization "Samara Center for Gender Studies" (Samara) February 16, 2015 Regional Fund "Center for Defense of Mass Media Rights" (Voronezh) February 26, 2015 Regional Charitable Social Foundation "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) March 6, 2015 Regional Ecological Social Movement "For nature" (Chelyabinsk) March 6, 2015 Humanist Youth Movement (Murmansk) March 13, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 25, 2015) Regional Social Organization for Contribution to Harmonization of Interethnic Relations "Azerbaijan" March 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended July 22, 2016) Regional Social Environmental Organization "Bellona-Murmansk" March 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down October 16, 2015) "Educational Center for Environment and Security" (Samara) March 20, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 8, 2015) Foundation "Migration XXI Century" March 27, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended November 25, 2016) Eco-logika (Rostov) April 3, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended March 30, 2016) Transparency International Russia - April 7, 2015 Social Environmental Organization "Planeta Nadezhd" April 15, 2015 Foundation for Consumers' Rights Defense (Novosibirsk) April 17, 2015 (the organization was shut down May 12, 2016) Civil Assistance Committee April 20, 2015 Foundation 19/29 - Foundation for Support of Investigative Journalism April 24, 2015 Commemorative Centre of History of Political Repressions "Perm - 36" April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 18, 2016) Women's League (Kaliningrad ) April 29, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 16, 2015) Legal Expert Partnership "Soyuz " May 7, 2015 (the organization was shut down 25 August 2015) Center for Development of Non-Commerical Organizations May 13, 2015 Club of Accountants and Auditors of Non-Commercial Organizations May 13, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended March 30, 2016) Informational Bureau of the Council of Ministers of Northern Countries (Kaliningrad) May 13, 2015 Sutyajnik (Yekaterinburg) May 15, 2015 Human Rights Academy (Yekaterinburg) May 15, 2015 Ecological Center "Dront" (Nizhny Novgorod) May 22, 2015 The non-profit organization "Liberal Mission" Scientific Foundation of Theoretical and Applied Research May 25, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 11, 2015) The non-profit Dynasty Foundation May 25, 2015 Union of Employers (Tula region) May 28, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 13, 2016) Youth organization "Nuori Karjala/Young Karelia" June 19, 2015 (the organization was shut down March 25, 2016) Siberian Center for Support of Social Initiatives June 19, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Interregional Social Foundation for Peace in the South and in the Northern Caucasus June 19, 2015 Informational Center "Free Inform" June 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 21, 2016) Center for Independent Sociological Studies (St. Petersburg) June 22, 2015 Regional Organization for Population and Development June 23, 2015 Geblerov Ecological Societ (Barnaul) June 23, 2015 Association "Legal Basis" (Yekaterinburg) July 3, 2015 Interregional Non-governmental Organization "Northern Environmental Coalition" (Petrozavodsk) July 8, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 1, 2015) Komi Human Rights Commission "Memorial" (Syktyvkar) July 21, 2015 Altai Regional Public Fund for 21st Century Altai (Barnaul) July 22, 2015 (the organization was shut down March 28, 2016) Interregional Public Foundation for Civil Society Development "GOLOS-Ural" (Chelyabinsk region) July 22, 2015 SREDA Foundation July 28, 2015 Non-governmental environmental organization "Green World" (Nizhny Novgorod) July 29, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 28, 2016) Civic Action Foundation (Perm) August 5, 2015 Alliance of Funds of Local Communities of the Perm territory August 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended October 26, 2016) Kabardino-Balkaria Human Rights Center regional branch of the "For Human Rights" All-Russian movement (Nalchik) August 18, 2015 (the organization was shut down November 6, 2015) The Human Rights Center of the Chechen Republic (Grozny) August 21, 2015 Interregional Social Ecological Foundation "ISAR-Siberia" (Novosibirsk) August 26, 2015 Perm Regional Human Rights Center (Perm) September 3, 2015 Siberia's lifeline (Novosibirsk) September 3, 2015 Golos Foundation in Support of Democracy September 4, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 21, 2016) Jewish Cultural Center "Hesed-Teshuva" (Ryazan) September 11, 2015 ("foreign agent" status was suspended December 13, 2016) Sakhalin Environment Watch (Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk) September 18, 2015 Yasavey Manzara Information and Research Center (Naryan-Mar) September 23, 2015 (the organization was shut down June 15, 2016) Consumer Rights and Environment Protection Association "Princip" (Moscow region) October 5, 2015 Far East Center for the Development of Civil Initiatives and Social Partnership (Vladivostok) October 13, 2015 Russian Research Center for Human Rights October 20, 2015 Women of the Don (Rostov region) October 27, 2015 Friends of the Siberian Forests (Krasnoyarsk) October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 6, 2016) Photography Club "Sobytiye" (Omsk) October 28, 2015 (the organization was shut down December 16, 2015) Research and Information Center "Memorial" (St. Petersburg) November 6, 2015 Baikal Environmental Wave (Irkutsk) November 10, 2015 (the organization was shut down August 1, 2016) Glasnost Defense Foundation November 19, 2015 Human Rights Institute November 20, 2015 Center for Support of Indigenous Peoples of the North November 27, 2015 Green World (Leningrad region) December 2, 2015 Mashr (Republic of Ingushetia) December 8, 2015 Woman's World (Kaliningrad) December 11, 2015 Panorama Information and Research Center (Moscow) December 18, 2015 Dauria Ecological Center (Chita) December 30, 2015 (the organization was shut down September 1, 2016) Yekaterinburg Memorial Society (Yekaterinburg) December 30, 2015 Bureau of Public Investigations (Nizhny Novgorod) January 14, 2016 Committee for the Prevention of Torture (Orenburg) January 14, 2016 Institute of Forecasting and Resolving of Political Conflicts (Nizhny Novgorod) January 22, 2016 Ryazan Historical, Educational and Human Rights Center "Memorial" (Ryazan) February 1, 2016 Society of Assistance to Social Protection of Citizens "Peterburgskaya EGIDA" (Saint Petersburg) February 2, 2016 (the organization was shut down April 26, 2016) Center for Health and Social Support "SIBALT" (Omsk) February 15, 2016 Chelyabinsk Regional Organ of Public Independent Action "Ural Human Rights Group" (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Women of Eurasia (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Ural Democratic Foundation (Chelyabinsk) February 15, 2016 Legal and Social Support Charitable Foundation "Sphere" (Saint Petersburg) March 1, 2016 Centre for Civic Education and Human Rights (Perm) March 3, 2016 The International Development Fund for Indigenous Peoples of the North, Siberia and the Far East of the Russian Federation "Batani" (Moscow) March 11, 2016 Center for Social and Labor Rights (Moscow) March 21, 2016 Arkhar (Gorno-Altaysk) April 5, 2016 (the organization was shut down October 6, 2016) Publishing House "Valentin Manuylov" April 15, 2016 Tengri School of Soul ecology (Altay) - May 17, 2016 Hanse Buero / Information Bureau of Schleswig-Holstein in Kaliningrad (Kaliningrad) - May 24, 2016 (the organization was shut down December 30, 2016) Krasnoyarsk Regional Public Organization Agency of public initiatives (Krasnoyarsk) - May 27, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Saratov Regional Public Organization "Socium" (Engels) - May 30, 2016 Perm regional non-governmental organization "Perm Civil Chamber" (Perm) - June 9, 2016 ("foreign agent" status was suspended September 21, 2016) Regional non-governmental organization Integration center "Migration and Law" (Moscow) - June 16, 2016 Non-Profit Partnership "ESVERO" (Moscow) - June 22, 2016 Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice (Moscow) - June 29, 2016 Altai regional sport and patriotic youth public organization "Arctica" (Biysk) - July 6, 2016 Autonomous non-governmental organization "Free Word" (Pskov) - July 13, 2016 The Institute of Economic Analysis (Moscow) - July 22, 2016 Penza regional youth civic organization for prevention of negative phenomena among youth "Panacea" (Kuznetsk) - August 15, 2016 (the organization was shut down December 8, 2016) Samara regional, civic organization "American alumni club" (Samara) - August 26, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit organization "Publishing house 'Park Gagarina'" (Samara) - August 31, 2016 Levada Analytical Center (Moscow) - September 5, 2016 Environmental Watch on North Caucasus (Maikop) - September 13, 2016 Autonomous non-for-profit human rights organization "Draftee's school" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 Foundation for support of civil freedoms "Legal mission" (Chelyabinsk) - September 21, 2016 International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Moscow) - October 4, 2016 Sverdlovsk regional non-profit foundation "Health Era" (Ekaterinburg) - October 11, 2016 Chapaevsk non-profit organization "Chapaevsk city medical personnel association" (Chapaevsk) - October 21, 2016 Regional charity foundation "Samarskaya gubernia" (Samara) - November 2, 2016 Non-profit partnership "Internet Community" (Samara) - December 13, 2016 Autonomous non-profit organization for social support "Project April" (Tolyatti) - December 19, 2016 ANNA Centre for the prevention of violence (Moscow) - December 26, 2016 Southern Human Rights Centre (Sochi) - December 26, 2016 Sverdlovsk branch of the International Historical, Educational, Human Rights And Charitable Society Memorial (Ekaterinburg) - December 29, 2016 SOVA Center for Information and Analysis (Moscow) - December 30, 2016 And the four NGOs which registered voluntarily: Non-commercial Partnership "Supporting Competition in the CIS Countries" June 27, 2013 "The Union of Young Political Scientists", KarachayCherkess Republican Youth Social Organization December 15, 2014 Regional Social Movement "Novgorod Women's Parliament" (Veliky Novgorod) March 6, 2015 Center of Independent Researchers of the Altai Republic June 10, 2015 Leader of at least 1 NGO faces criminal charges personally: Women of Don (Rostov region) - criminal proceeding is in process. Chair Valentina Cherevatenko faces up to two years in prison for "malicious evasion of the duty to file the documents required for inclusion in the register of nonprofit organizations performing the functions of a foreign agent." Copyright notice: Copyright, Human Rights Watch Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 'Growing hopelessness' grips 'forgotten' Somali refugees, warns UNHCR Publisher UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Author Alex Court Publication Date 9 January 2017 Cite as UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), 'Growing hopelessness' grips 'forgotten' Somali refugees, warns UNHCR, 9 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873a1b54.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Nearly one million Somalis in refugee camps in the Horn of Africa and the surrounding region face growing hopelessness as their displacement drags on for decades and donors become fatigued, a senior representative with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has warned. "There is a growing sense of hopelessness in the camps, because people are feeling forgotten," said Mohamed Abdi Affey, UNHCR's Special Envoy on the Somali refugee situation. The Somali refugee situation, now in its third decade, is among the most protracted in the world, with a third generation of refugees being born in exile. Nearly one million Somalis are displaced in the near region, and a further 1.1 million are displaced within Somalia itself. Affey was speaking in Geneva after going to Somalia and visiting refugee camps in Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, where 905,060 Somali refugees live in a drawn out exile, some since the 1990s. Last month, he visited Yemen, where he witnessed the increasingly desperate conditions facing refugees in the war-torn country. The Special Envoy said donor attention was drawn to other emergencies including Syria and South Sudan. "There's dwindling attention because of the fact that it is protracted. The world is focused elsewhere, forgetting a very critical population," he said. "Meanwhile hunger is growing, meanwhile frustration is growing, meanwhile desperation is setting in and people are becoming angry." As the situation draws on for decades, Affey said that refugees in the camps faced challenges ranging from dwindling food rations as a drought builds in East Africa to limited access to education and skills training, particularly for the youth. "Refugees should be skilled enough, trained to prepare them for an eventual return so that they can participate in the reconstruction of their country. So that they don't go back after 30 years, without skills, within the camps we must create these conditions and possibilities." Since UNHCR started supporting voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya in 2014, a total of 39,316 have returned to their country. While acknowledging that security and socio-economic conditions in many parts of Somalia are not right for large-scale returns, Affey appealed to the international community to redouble efforts to bring stability to the country which has seen nearly two-and-a-half decades of armed conflict. "There has been some real progress in Somalia over the past few months, including the successful organization of elections inside the country. What's needed now is to build up infrastructures across the country so refugees do not suffer when they go back," said Affey, who previously served as the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister in Kenya. To rally international support for Somali refugees, UNHCR is backing a regional summit which will be led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa in March 2017. It aims to identify lasting solutions for Somali refugees. "Nobody wants to be a refugee for ever," said Affey. "A regional solution is the most viable solution for the Somali situation." A regional response will include providing continued protection to 262,000 Somali refugees in Dadaab refugee camp complex in north-east Kenya which has been hosting people fleeing violence in neighbouring Somalia for more than two decades. Following the Government of Kenya's decision in 2016 to close Dadaab Camp, UNHCR presented a plan of action at the meeting of the Tripartite Commission - comprising Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR - and an agreement was reached with the Kenyan government to delay the closure. UNHCR reiterated its continued commitment to supporting the Kenyan government in its protection of Somali refugees while exploring options for durable solutions to end the refugees' protracted displacement, including voluntary repatriation to Somalia. Two years after Charlie, cartoonists are still persecuted Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Two years after Charlie, cartoonists are still persecuted, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873a3fe4.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. On the eve of the second anniversary of the Charlie Hebdo massacre, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Cartooning for Peace and other cartoonist associations pay tribute to all press cartoonists who defend media freedom by means of their cartoons. How you wield a pencil can still lead to violent reprisals.Only too often, cartoonists pay a high price for their irony and impertinence. The threats they receive are barometers of free speech, acting as indicators of the state of democracy in times of trouble. It is hard to say whether cartoonists are more exposed since the attack that killed 12 people at Charlie Hebdo in Paris on 7 January 2015. But they continue to be subjected to political, religious and economic pressure, to censorship, dismissal, death threats, judicial harassment, violence and, in the worst cases, even murder. As a profession, they are clearly threatened. "Since the Charlie tragedy, many cartoonists have lived under constant political, religious and economic pressure, and pressure from non-state groups as well," RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire said. "Accusations of offending religion are too often used as a tool of political censorship. It is essential to remember that international law protects cartoonists because it safeguards the right to express and disseminate opinions that may offend, shock or disturb." Cartooning for Peace president Plantu (Jean Plantureux) said: "Many cartoonists bear witness, in their battles and in the harassment and threats they receive, to the importance they assign to their efforts to raise awareness. Since the Charlie terrorist attacks, other tragic events have confirmed that, more than ever, we need to pursue our fight for freedom, one that is also waged with the pencil." RSF, Cartooning for Peace and the other press cartoonist associations have compiled the following profiles of cartoonists who have been dismissed, arrested, imprisoned or threatened because of their cartoons. The chosen cartoonists are Zunar, who has been hounded by the Malaysian authorities for years and is be tried at the end of January; Tahar Djehiche, an Algerian cartoonist who was given a jail sentence for insulting President Bouteflika; Musa Kart, the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet's well-known cartoonist, who is now in jail; and Rayma Suprani, who was fired from the Venezuelan newspaper El Universal over her cartoons about the government and now lives in exile in the United States. Sometimes just reposting a cartoon can lead to prosecution and imprisonment. This is what happened to Tunisian blogger Jabeur Mejri, who was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison in 2012 in connection with his Facebook posts. ZUNAR (Malaysia) Zulkifli Anwar Ulhaque, the cartoonist better known as Zunar, is a symbol of the fight for freedom of expression in Malaysia and the government's bugbear. Because of his cartoons denouncing the corruption in all layers of Malaysian society, he has been subjected to various kinds of persecution for nearly a decade including repeated detention, arrests of assistants and supporters, a travel ban, the closure of his website, the confiscation of his cartoons and a ban on his cartoon books. When the opening of a Zunar exhibition was disrupted by his critics in November, the police intervened, confiscated the cartoons and ended up taking him into custody. In December, he was arrested again when he organized a sale of his books to compensate for the financial loss resulting from the exhibition's cancellation. As a result, he is now being investigated as a threat to parliamentary democracy. He is already facing up to 43 years in prison on nine counts of violating the Sedition Act, which violates freedom of expression by making it easy to prosecute journalists and cartoonists for supposedly "seditious" content. The pretext for Zunar's prosecution was nine tweets critical of the government. His trial has been postponed twice in the past two years and is now due to start on 24 January. Last year he received the Cartooning for Peace Prize for his courage and determination. Zunar (Malaysia) - Cartooning for Peace RAYMA (Venezuela) Rayma Suprani is a Venezuela cartoonist who worked for nearly 20 years for the Caracas-based daily El Universal. Her cartoons criticized poverty, the lack of social justice and abuse of power under President Hugo Chavez, and under his successors after Chavez died in office in 2013. She had often been subjected to threats and pressure but in September 2014 she went "too far" in one of her cartoons. It portrayed public healthcare in Venezuela which has been undermined by the crisis in the petrodollar economy as an electrocardiogram that began with Chavez's well-known signature and then flatlined. She was immediately fired by El Universal, which had just been acquired by someone more sympathetic to the Chavista government. Deprived of her source of income, she fled to the United States, where she continues to use her pencil to fight for freedom of expression. Rayma (Venezuela) - Cartooning for Peace MUSA KART (Turkey) During the wave of arrests that followed last July's failed coup in Turkey, the police detained a dozen employees of the leading opposition newspaper Cumhuriyet on 31 October. They included editor Murat Sabuncu, the newspaper's lawyer, and its well-known cartoonist, Musa Kart. The head of the Istanbul prosecutor's office said they were suspected of committing crimes on behalf of the Gulen movement (which is accused by the government of orchestrating the coup attempt). "For years I have tried to transcribe what we live through in this country in the form of caricatures and today it seems that I have entered one of them," Kart said at the time. "What explanations will they give to the rest of the world? I have been taken into police custody because I drew cartoons!" Musa Kart (Turkey) - Cartooning for Peace TAHAR DJEHICHE (Algeria) The Algerian cartoonist Tahar Djehiche posted a cartoon on social networks in April 2015 showing President Abdelaziz Bouteflika being buried under the sand of In Salah, a Saharan region where the population has been protesting against the use of fracking to produce shale gas. His aim was to draw attention to the environmental dangers of shale gas production by this means in Algeria, but he was charged with insulting the president and "inciting a mob." He was acquitted in May 2015, but was convicted on appeal the following November and was sentenced to six months in prison and a fine of 500,000 dinars. Many international organizations have condemned this absurd and incomprehensible decision, especially as it is still not known who was responsible for the appeal. Tahar Djehiche (Algeria) - Cartooning for Peace JABEUR MEJRI (Tunisia) A 29-year-old Tunisian blogger, Jabeur Mejri was prosecuted in March 2012 for posting cartoons and satirical texts on social networks at a time of continuing tension just over a year after President Ben Ali's removal, when anything to do with religion was extremely sensitive. The cartoons, in particular, were deemed to have insulted Islam. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison and a fine of 1,200 dinars on charges of disrupting public order, causing wrong to others, and violating morality. He was strongly defended by human rights groups, which regarded him as one of the first prisoners of conscience since the fall of the Ben Ali regime. After two years in prison, he was finally pardoned by President Moncef Marzouki and was released in March 2014. He was arrested again the following month on a charge of insulting an official. After a second pardon in October 2014, he left Tunisia. Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017 Publisher Reporters Without Borders Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as Reporters Without Borders, Press freedom violations recounted in real time January 2017, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873a4f34.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. 06.01.2016 - Woman journalist freed on completing one-year jail term Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has learned that Rihaneh Tabatabai, a journalist who has worked for several reformist newspapers, was released yesterday on completing a one-year jail term on charges of endangering national security and anti-government publicity. She was arrested on 12 January 2016 to begin serving the sentence, which was originally imposed in November 2014 and was confirmed by a Tehran appeal court a year later. The sentence also includes two-year ban on political and journalistic activity in the media and online following her release. In all, Tabatabai has been jailed four times since 2010 in connection with her journalistic activities. -------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2016) -------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January -December 2015) ------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2014) ---------------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time ( January-December 2013) ---------------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2012) ---------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-December 2011) ----- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (July-December 2010) -------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (January-July 2010) --------- Press freedom violations recounted in real time (June-December 2009) Ban of the ITEKA League: Another blow to Burundian civil society Publisher International Federation for Human Rights Publication Date 6 January 2017 Cite as International Federation for Human Rights, Ban of the ITEKA League: Another blow to Burundian civil society, 6 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873a6334.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. The decision to ban the ITEKA League, an FIDH member organisation, from the list of NGOs authorized to work in Burundi is absurd and disastrous, declared the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (FIDH-OMCT). The Observatory condemns this new blow to Burundian civil society and urges the authorities to end their endless harassment campaign and suppression of human rights defenders. On 3 January 2017, Burundian authorities announced their decision to ban the ITEKA League from the list of NGOs authorized to operate in the country on December 21, 2016. According to the Minister of the Interior, Pascal Barandagiye, ITEKA had "tarnished the image of the country and sought to divide the Burundian society." "This is an obvious retaliation. On the contrary, by banning the oldest human rights defense organization from Burundi, the image of the country is tarnished, the same way it is when it draws the attention of the international community to the abuses that are being committed there,", stated Dimitris Christopoulos, FIDH President. "By completely silencing highly reputable NGOs for their human rights activities, the Burundian Government is trying to further isolate the people of Burundi, who continue to suffer the worst violations," added Gerald Staberock, Secretary General of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT). The decision to ban ITEKA was taken after the 15 November 2016 publication of a joint ITEKA-FIDH report entitled Repression and Genocidal Dynamics in Burundi which denounced the widespread violations of human rights that have been recorded in the country since the beginning of the crisis in April 2015. FIDH together with ITEKA had also launched a campaign called #StopThisMovie to increase public awareness of the crisis and the risk of genocide in Burundi. In December 2016, ITEKA published several investigative reports on the prosecution of the most serious crimes committed in Burundi: murders, abductions, forced disappearances, torture, rape, and large-scale detentions; accusing Burundi's highest state authorities for these violations. The ITEKA League had already been provisionally suspended since 24 October 2016 for "disturbing public order and State security." Four other organisations were also affected: SOS-Torture/Burundi, that works in the field with OMCT, the Coalition de la societe civile pour le monitoring electorale (Civil society coalition for monitoring the elections - COSOME), the Coalition burundaise pour la CPI (Burundian Coalition for the ICC - CB-CPI) and the Union Burundaise des Journalistes (Burundi Journalists Union - UBJ). During this same time period, the following five organisations were permanently banned from the list of authorized NGOs: the Forum pour le Renforcement de la Societe Civile (FORSC), the Forum pour la Conscience et le Developpement (FOCODE), Christians Against Torture (ACAT), Burundian Association for the Protection of Human Rights of Prisoners and Detainees (APRODH) and the Reseau des citoyens probes (Network of concerned citizens- RCP). The decision to ban ITEKA was taken when the National Assembly had adopted, on the 28th and 23rd of December 2016, two draft laws that established tighter control of the actions of domestic and international NGOs. The first law requires that local NGOs must obtain permission from the Minister of the Interior for any and all activities and channel all international funding through the central bank. The second law requires foreign NGOs to abide by the priorities defined by the Government of Burundi. Kazakhstan: Five more Sunni Muslim "missionaries" imprisoned Publisher Forum 18 Author Felix Corley Publication Date 9 January 2017 Cite as Forum 18, Kazakhstan: Five more Sunni Muslim "missionaries" imprisoned, 9 January 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5873ae264.html [accessed 4 November 2022] Disclaimer This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. Five Sunni Muslims in Almaty Region - arrested by the KNB secret police in July 2016 were imprisoned in late December for up to 3 years for alleged membership of the banned Tabligh Jamaat missionary movement. 46 Muslims have been sentenced since December 2014. A look back on all of our reporting of the Delphi murders since 2017 A Chinese engineer works on a section of pipeline at an offshore oil engineering company in Qingdao, eastern China's Shandong Province, Nov. 1, 2016. The prolonged slump in world energy prices has produced a mix of benefits and looming risks for China, according to recent reports. The relative abundance of energy that followed the development of shale oil and gas in the United States has helped to ease energy security concerns in China and other Asian nations, according to studies published last month by the Seattle-based National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR). But low energy prices have also forced cuts in investment and domestic oil output by high-cost producers like China, raising the risk that supplies could tighten again, the studies said. The result could be excessive dependence on low-cost producers in volatile regions like the Middle East. "Hence, anxieties over energy insecurity in Asia could return soon as oil markets tighten over the next several years. Recent history suggests that this adjustment could be very sharp and destabilizing," warned the report, "Asia's Energy Security Amid Global Market Change." The series of studies was prepared before the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) agreed on Nov. 30 to cut oil production by 1.2 million barrels per day starting on Jan. 1. The OPEC plan was followed by an agreement among non-OPEC nations to reduce daily production by an additional 558,000 barrels in coming months to support higher prices. World oil prices have responded so far with a moderate rise of about U.S. $10 (69.2 yuan) per barrel, or about 22 percent. This seems unlikely to be the sharp adjustment that the studies suggest could still be ahead, particularly since producers like Russia have been wary of encouraging U.S. production by setting price targets too high. Last week, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in an annual report that the United States could become a net energy exporter by 2026, thanks largely to increased supplies of natural gas. The back and forth battles over prices and production have already had significant effects on Chinese and other Asian energy markets with strategic implications, according to the NBR report. U.S. development of shale oil has "helped trigger the steepest, longest-lasting price collapse in the history of the oil trade," said one of the studies by Antoine Halff, director of global oil markets research at Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy. Between June 2014 and last January, benchmark Brent crude prices fell by over 75 percent from U.S. $115 (795 yuan) to U.S. $26 (180 yuan) per barrel, the study said. A mixed blessing Low prices have been a mixed blessing for China. The slump has sidelined the country's high-cost production, dragging down domestic oil output below 4 million barrels per day and making China more dependent on imports. At the same time, it has allowed China to follow the advice of the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA) to build up its strategic petroleum reserves at an affordable cost, leaving it less vulnerable to disruptions and external shocks. Halff noted an unusual effect of the price collapse. Ordinarily, low oil prices have a stimulus effect on economic growth, but not so for most Asian nations during the prolonged downturn for the exporting countries. "Economic trouble in oil producers has triggered contagion effects across the world," the study said. "In sum, as the world's largest oil-importing region, Asia would normally be expected to be the prime beneficiary of low prices, but so far the impact has been mixed at best." Low prices have decimated the economies of countries from Russia to the Middle East, weakening demand for China's exports and helping to forestall recovery from the global recession. China's economic growth rates have declined steadily throughout the period of the oil price drop. The cause-and-effect relationship is a bit of a chicken-and-egg proposition since China's weaker economic growth removed one of the few props for world oil demand that had kept prices up. Another study in the series argued that although low oil prices have not produced higher economic growth rates across most of Asia, they have at least provided some economic boost. Reduced prices "at a minimum relieved Asian economies of stresses and created important economic opportunities," wrote Meghan O'Sullivan, professor of international affairs at Harvard Kennedy School. Without unconventional oil production in the United States, "China would have needed to allocate hundreds of billions more dollars to crude oil imports in 2014 and 2015," O'Sullivan said. The study cited one industry estimate that China's cost savings could have been as high as U.S. $354 billion (2.4 trillion yuan). O'Sullivan noted geopolitical effects of the price slump that go beyond economic pressures. Low oil and gas prices have undermined Russia's "pivot to Asia" strategy. Moscow has sought to forge closer links to China and other Asian markets based on both pipeline projects and exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG). "The prospects for these same projects, however, look much less promising in an environment of low energy prices, particularly at a time when Russia is struggling to gain access to capital," O'Sullivan said. China's Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli (L) and Russia's President Vladimir Putin (R) attend a ceremony marking the welding of the first link of the 'Power of Siberia' main gas pipeline near the village of Us Khatyn outside the remote eastern Siberian city of Yakutsk, Russia, Sept. 1, 2014. Credit: RIA Novosti/AFP Power of Siberia pipeline The reference is a reminder that Russia never received the U.S. $25 billion (173 billion yuan) in advance payments that it expected to get from China under a landmark gas pipeline deal announced in May 2014. Without China's financing, Russia's work on the "Power of Siberia" pipeline project has proceeded slowly and has reportedly been subject to repeated delays. Russian gas monopoly Gazprom has so far built 445 kilometers (276 miles) or about 11 percent of the pipeline, CEO Alexei Miller said at a year-end briefing, according to Interfax. The project was originally scheduled to start deliveries to China in 2018. A secondary effect of plentiful petroleum is that it has reduced energy security risks for U.S. allies in Europe and Asia in imposing sanctions on Russia for the annexation of Crimea and the war in Ukraine, the study suggested. Lower forecasts for Chinese gas demand have undercut Russia's attempts to play off markets in Europe and Asia against each other, it said. "Russia's vision that energy could be the cornerstone of a strategic partnership among equals is no longer realistic. At best, energy will be a transactional component of a highly unequal relationship in which Beijing holds nearly all the cards," said the study. O'Sullivan sees the relative abundance of energy as a force that has transformed China's foreign policy goals under its "going out" strategy, initially aimed at securing energy resources but now broadened with the "One Belt, One Road" (OBOR) initiative to expand investment abroad. Instead of fixating on energy sources, China has promoted "industrial capacity cooperation" in developing countries in an attempt to export the infrastructure for entire manufacturing segments overseas. The study said that "arguably, the purpose of these efforts is focused equally on extending Chinese influence and exporting excess Chinese capacity as on delivering energy resources to China." One notable aspect of the changes in world energy markets is that China's concerns about depending on imported petroleum have lessened although its reliance has grown. In 2006, China's cabinet-level State Council issued a white paper on national defense, warning of mounting risks for "energy resources, finance, information and international shipping routes." China reached the threshold of 50-percent dependence on foreign oil for the first time in 2008 after its import share rose sharply from about one-third in 2003. Since then, China's import dependence has climbed to about 65 percent, but the official warnings about the risks have publicly ceased. Increasing risks for Asia O'Sullivan's study says the risks are rising for Asia as reliance on oil from the Middle East grows. "The Middle East is likely to be an even more volatile region in the face of medium- to long-term low oil prices," the study said. While China's public concerns may be muted, its growing confidence coincides with its military buildup, particularly with naval power that could help to guard its import routes from the Middle East. David Bachman, a China scholar and professor of international studies at the University of Washington, finds the silence on energy security curious but he does not believe that abundance has played a major role in easing tensions. "The reasons for tensions are quite numerous, and energy may be part of it, but it doesn't seem to be one of the real drivers," Bachman said. "There are plenty of other reasons why China is trying to appear confident and not worried about things when there are plenty of indications that it's worried about a lot of things," he said. "Some of this, I think, is designed to keep things quiet back in China by not raising them as issues," Bachman said. Britain's Queen Elizabeth arrives to attend a service at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham, Britain January 8, 2017. [Photo/IC] SANDRINGHAM - Britain's Queen Elizabeth made her first public appearance since before Christmas on Sunday as she recovered from a heavy cold that caused the 90-year-old monarch to miss Christmas and New Year church services. The queen, wearing a vibrant blue coat and hat, arrived with her husband Prince Philip, 95, at St Mary Magdalene church in Sandringham in eastern England, where she traditionally spends the festive period on her country estate. The trip to Sandringham was delayed by a day because both the queen and Philip were laid low by heavy colds, Buckingham Palace had said. Her illness caused her to miss the Christmas Day service for the first time in decades, disappointing a crowd of well-wishers who had turned out to see the royal family. The queen, who is the symbolic head of the Church of England, also missed the New Year service a week later. The palace said she was still recuperating. She resumed official duties on Wednesday when she gave an honour to a member of her staff in a private ceremony. After more than six decades on the throne, the queen has cut back on international tours but still regularly performs official duties around Britain. The palace said last month she would step down as patron of several charities and other organisations to reduce her workload. In 1979, Beijing agreed to allow the Dalai Lama to send a series of small delegations to Tibet. Compared with the situation under Mao Zedong's iron curtain, this relatively open attitude was received with admiration by the rest of the world. But it also shed light on Beijing's ignorance of the actual situation in Tibet. Completely intoxicated after years of absorbing its own propaganda about the situation in Tibet and believing that the Tibetans had undergone earth-shattering political change, they thought that the Dalai Lama's delegation would be seriously impressed with what it saw. The most ridiculous thing of all was that Tibetan officials in Tibet held meeting to urge organizations at all levels to persuade local people not to throw stones or spit on the Dalai Lama's delegation because of their hatred of the "old society." In the event, Beijing was publicly humiliated. The leader of the first delegation to Tibet, the Dalai Lama's elder brother, Lobsang Samten, was welcomed by tens of thousands of Tibetans wherever he went. People gathered around his tour group, shedding tears of happiness, kneeling on the ground, and prostrating themselves. Many of them were crying in grief and pain in front of the delegation, telling them how they had suffered under the rule of the Chinese Communist Party. The delegation saw the truth about Tibet: the total destruction of Tibetan religion and culture. They saw that the people lived in poverty and destitution, virtually in the dark ages, and that in some places conditions were even worse than during the reign of the Dalai Lama. Stunned Beijing was stunned by what transpired. How did the party, which had always proclaimed itself the representative of the people, explain its distance from that people? So the authorities adopted a series of measures to restrict the freedom of the delegation, hoping to avoid a repeat of the first incident. They also tightened control over the Tibetan people and cut off their contact with the visiting delegations when the next groups continued their visits to Tibet. The delegation took various countermeasures to try to break the blockade, openly expressed its dissatisfaction, and exposed the government's behavior to the world via the Western media. During this stage of the interactions, tensions continued to worsen, until Beijing ultimately accused the delegation of inciting Tibetans to rebel against China and stopped all subsequent visits. Such were the thorny issues confronting the Chinese Communist Party as it opened up to the outside world. It wanted to open itself up to the rest of the world, and yet true openness was never a possibility. This episode also explains why it is that China has received far more public condemnation over its Tibet policy since the Deng Xiaoping era [since 1979] than under Mao Zedong, when it was completely closed to the outside world. Nobody could enter Tibet then, not Westerners, not the Dalai Lama, nobody. There was nothing to see. There were no real-time news reports of hot spots to attract public attention, only our darkest imaginings of what Tibetans must be suffering. By the time Deng took power, foreigners were able to visit Tibet, which was progress of a sort. Except that concrete and damning evidence of what the Communist Party did in Tibet was exposed, sparking widespread public condemnation. Restrictions, revolt Faced with such a situation, and accustomed to being able to control the media, the Communist Party reacted, as it always has, by imposing restrictions and releasing evidence intended to counter the criticism in the Western media. There was much development in Tibetan society during the 1980s, but at the same time there was an increase in dissent and revolt. In September 1987, Lhasa saw its first public demonstration since 1959. The communist regime sent in the police and the People's Liberation Army to crack down on a wave of protests, firing at the crowds and suppressing the protests, in an episode of bloodshed that shocked the world. The government then imposed martial law on Lhasa that lasted 14 months until 1989, marking the failure of Deng's Tibet policy. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Over the past five years, I cannot help but feel a bit strange when reading North Korean newspapers. Kim Jong Un inherited power in December 2011 and soon afterwards he, in fact, initiated reformist policies which are remarkably similar to what China had in the early 1980s, in the first years of Deng Xiaopings rule. However, in spite of all similarities, there is one curious difference: the North Korean media has not acknowledged that the country is reforming itself (with a measure of success, by the way). If one reads North Korean newspapers, it is impossible to escape the impression that the country remains the same stronghold of the Stalinist state socialism it used to be in the days of Kim Il Sung, the grandfather of the current leader. While little is actually left from the Soviet-style state socialism in the present-day North Korea, the North Korean newspapers and broadcasters are still talking about the socialist system, and seldom, if ever, mention the tremendous economic changes and the existence of the private economy. It looks bizarre, but, if we have a better look at the problems of the North Korean leadership, this silence is not strange at all. From the standpoint of Kim Jong Un and his advisers, the countrys economic development is important indeed, but it is more important to make sure that the country remains politically stable, with the Kim family and other hereditary elite groups staying at the top, no matter what happens with the economy. The necessary condition for maintaining stability is to ensure that the minds of the North Korean populace will not harbor dangerous, potentially dissenting ideas. The best way to achieve this goal is, of course, to constantly monitor the populace and, if necessary, punish those who show the slightest signs of discontent. This is the task of police and security forces. However, surveillance and police control is not enough: It is also very important to ensure that populace remains secluded from dangerous information and subversive ideas. If ordinary people become suspicious of the state ideology, it will be much more difficult to control them. This is why the North Korean leadership is trying to pretend that there is no change, let alone reform, in the country. If the North Koreans find out that there has been a change in their ideology, this might jeopardize ideological control. Indeed, Kim Jong Uns grandfather Kim Il Sung, as well as his father Kim Jong Il, both considered semi-divine creatures officially, once praised Soviet-style state socialism and, in the 1980s and 1990s, accused the Chinese reformist leadership of treason. If Kim Jong Un admits that now he is doing what the Chinese did in the 1980s, it would put his power under threat. Euphemism for reform needed This is the reason why the North Korean media remains silent about the ongoing reform. This is politically understandable, but, in the long run, these policies are quite problematic. Market economies and societies based on them are very complex structures, where one cannot solve all daily problems in a secret or informal way, through contacts and connections, and lengthy personal negotiations. To make sure things function properly, such a society needs courts, clearly written and enforceable laws, a system of private contracts and many other similar things. As soon as North Korea abandoned its anachronistic, Soviet-style state socialist economy, like China did in the 1980s, its economy began to improve palpably, and this is good news. However, the market economy is inevitably wrought by internal conflicts and contradictions. For example, what if a company does not keep its promise and does not pay for delivery, or ships substandard items? In the market economy, there is a great number of arbitration institutions, including the courts of law, which can solve such problems. However, these arbitration agencies can only function if the existence of the private economy is admitted, and proper laws and regulations are introduced. The North Korean leadership has no choice but to shift to a market economy and they seemingly understand this. Of course, while doing reforms they are not going to use the dangerous "R word," but, after all, you do not have to say ideologically suspicious words, like "reform" or "market." You can find nice-sounding euphemisms, like economic improvement measures or our style socialism. However, some kind of recognition is vital. Without admitting that things are really changing, it will be impossible to create an environment to sustain such change and make most of it. An unidentified farmer points to an area near the border of Cambodia and Vietnam where he says he was forced off his land, Jan. 8, 2017. Vietnamese authorities, some carrying arms, have suddenly begun preventing Cambodian citizens from cultivating family farms that lie along the border between the two nations, local residents tell RFAs Khmer Service. While the family plots straddle the border between the two countries, Cambodian residents tell RFA they have been farming them for years without interference. Although the border marker was placed inside my plot of land, I could still farm it in the past, but now they dont allow me to do that, Keo Sanea told RFA on Monday. Keo Sanea said the Cambodian and Vietnamese authorities placed border marker 198 about 20 meters inside the three-hectare plot of land that makes up her familys farm in 2009, but that the two countries had agreed to allow families to farm the land that historically crossed the border. That is until 2017, when Vietnamese authorities this month prohibited her from cultivating the land on Vietnams side of the border near the Svay Rieng provinces Kok Tek village. Keo Sanea is not the only Cambodian resident who said that Vietnamese authorities were forcing her to quit the cross-border cultivation. A Seng Mao village farmer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told RFA that about 20 armed Vietnamese border guards stopped her family from farming and cultivating on their rice paddies and confiscated their harvest. The farmer said her family has been cultivating and farming rice on their plots of land since 1992 without interference from the Vietnamese. Nowadays, I worry that perhaps I cannot get my land back, because the border line already cut off my land, one farmer told RFA. I lost my land left from my ancestors Another said that the family had been farming the same land for generations. I lost my land left from my ancestors, said that farmer, who also spoke on condition of anonymity. This place is my rice paddy. On January 8, more than 30 Cambodian youth border activists accompanied by local residents visited the border between markers 147 and 148, located near Svay Rieng provinces Thnar Thnung commune. There, at least 10 Cambodian families said they lost rice paddies ranging in size from 2 to 7 hectares to Vietnam. Both the residents and border activists said that existing maps of the area show that Cambodian territory bulged into Vietnam, but the border demarcated bilaterally by Cambodia and Vietnam runs in a straight line. Cambodian landowners told RFA they have seen Vietnamese authorities stop Cambodian residents from farming, prompting officials from both sides into talks. After the negotiations, Vietnamese authorities asked the farmers to suspend their cultivation until after the Cambodian national elections in 2018. Var Kim Hong, who heads Cambodias border affairs committee, told RFA that residents are allowed to cultivate cross-border plots of land according to their past practices. I have yet to receive any news regarding this issue from the Svay Reang working group, he said. Border politics Kim Sok, a social development and political observer active on border issues, told RFA that Vietnam often makes small border incursions. They placed border markers, dug ponds, constructed buildings inside Cambodia, he said. And there was no strong reaction, so they grabbed the land and banned Cambodian residents from cultivating on their own plots. The border issue has been a potent political issue for both Hun Sens Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) and the opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party as the CNRP has criticized Prime Minister Hun Sen for allegedly giving territory to Vietnam, and Hun Sen has retaliated by jailing politicians who have attacked him on the issue. Vietnam and Cambodia have had a fraught relationship for centuries, but the animosity with Hun Sen dates from the 1979-89 Vietnamese occupation that ended the murderous rule of the Khmer Rouge. Hun Sen was appointed prime minister during that period when Hanoi had control over Cambodia. As Cambodian foreign minister and then prime minister, Hun Sen played an important role in the 1991 Paris Peace Talks that brokered peace among Cambodias warring factions. The border dispute has also vexed Vietnam as the two countries have been working to complete demarcation of the border for more than two decades. In November, however, Hun Sen and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed ask the government of France, the former colonial ruler of Cambodia and Vietnam, for assistance in finally settling the long-festering dispute. Reported by Savi Khorn and Chhin Uon for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. Black Monday protestors restart their demonstrations after the government fails to release imprisoned activists and an election commission official, Jan. 9, 2017. Cambodias Black Monday protest campaign restarted this week after it was put on hold for two weeks as it appeared the government was preparing to release jailed activists and an election commission official. When the release of the Kem Sokha Five and land-rights activist Tep Vanny failed to materialize, Black Monday organizers resumed their protests on Jan. 9. Activists wearing black have demonstrated for 36 Mondays in an effort to win the release of four human rights workers and an election official who were jailed on charges widely seen as attempts to muzzle the political opponents of Prime Minister Hun Sen and the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP). Lim Mony, Nay Vanda, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan, all workers for ADHOC (the Cambodian Human Rights and Development Association), and National Election Commission (NEC) deputy secretary-general Ny Chakrya were arrested in April. They are accused of attempting to pay hush money to opposition leader Kem Sokhas purported mistress in the governments wide-ranging probe into the alleged affair. Kem Sokha received a royal pardon in December at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen for charged related to the government investigation. His pardon and that of a local Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) official raised hope that the others would go free. That hope appeared to be dashed, however, when negotiations broke down after Kem Sokha refused to make a statement endorsed by the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) denouncing anyone who made derogatory statements related to the paternity of Hun Sens eldest son, sources have told RFA. In addition, the Black Monday protestors hoped to free Tep Vanny, who was convicted on Sept. 19 of insulting and obstructing public officials and was sentenced to six months in prison in relation to a protest in November 2011 near Hun Sens residence. Tep Vanny gained prominence as an activist fighting the Boeung Kak lake land grab, when some 3,500 families were evicted from the neighborhood surrounding the urban lake in Phnom Penh. Her attorney was absent from the courtroom in what some human rights organizations called an abuse of her right to a fair trial. The lake was filled with sand to make way for a development project with close ties to Hun Sen and the CPP. Seizure of land for developmentoften without due process or fair compensation for displaced residents is a major cause of protests in Cambodia and other authoritarian Asian countries, including China and Laos. Hun Sen and other officials have condemned the protests as a color revolution. Over the years, Hun Sen has repeatedly inveighed against color revolutions, named after a series of popular movements that used passive resistance to topple governments in countries of the former Soviet Union during the 2000s. Reported by Samnang Rann for RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Sovannarith Keo. Written in English by Brooks Boliek. A string of mishaps at Chinese nuclear power plants last year has raised concerns about the safety of the rapidly growing industry, especially given the country's overall industrial safety record, experts told RFA. By 2020, China will be the second-biggest producer of nuclear power after France, with 35 generators currently in operation and 21 more in the pipeline. But last October, the National Nuclear Safety Administration (CNNSA) made public 16 safety failures that occurred in China's nuclear plants in 2016, all involving mistakes made by staff members, official media reported. A total of 16 errors and incidents took place at eight nuclear power stations, including Ningde, Yangjiang, Fangchenggang, and Tianwanhe, the Global Times newspaper, which has close ties to the ruling Chinese Communist Party, reported. Six incidents involved staff members breaching operational guidelines, and four were caused by a lack of internal communication, it said. More worryingly, six were caused by staff members "pressing the wrong buttons," the report said. While none of the errors is believed to have resulted in leakage of radioactive material, nor posed any threat to the public, the report comes against the backdrop of a litany of industrial accidents and public health and safety disasters in recent years. Links to political culture Experts say China's poor public safety record has roots that are system-wide and closely linked to the country's political culture, meaning that a more serious accident could happen in future. In a commentary published in Communist Party mouthpiece the People's Daily on Nov. 14, Beijing University nuclear expert Wang Jing said that part of the problem stems from the fact that officials in the nuclear safety inspection department are lower in rank than the officials in the state-owned nuclear enterprises whom they are supposed to be inspecting. Former nuclear power plant engineer Liang Taiping said the relatively high incidence of man-made incidents in China's nuclear industry is a product of the political system. "The system that operates in China at the moment ... has created a whole layer of trained technical staff who are under huge amounts of pressure," Liang said. "[This means that] not many people want to train in the technical professions; they all want to be party officials, so accidents and malfunctions are more likely," he said. "Also, the people who really get the work done are paid much less than the officials and managers who don't get things done," Liang said. "I worked in that industry for seven years, and the front-line technicians worked incredibly hard, and they're very dissatisfied," he said. Liang said China is only now beginning to emerge from a culture of absolute secrecy around its nuclear power industry. "All nuclear industry enterprises were designated secret ... and so nobody would dare to speak freely or publicly about anything," Liang said. "Nuclear power plants have a very high security clearance, and they have to go through a high-level vetting procedure annually," he said. Transparency concerns Jiang Ming, who has previous experience of China's nuclear industry, agreed that transparency is also an issue, as China has traditionally treated any information about its nuclear power stations as highly confidential. "This sort of operation generally takes place behind closed doors, as far as the rest of the world is concerned," Jiang told RFA in a recent interview. "The only reason the National Nuclear Safety Administration has published these figures is international pressure operating behind the scenes," Jiang said. "And it's not just nuclear power plants; look at the [2015] Tianjin explosion, what a huge cover-up had gone on there." "Most people who understand safety and risk management would have known about this, but was it ever made public? That's just the way the system works." Jiang said managers and local leaders are likely to turn a blind eye when corners are cut, as long as the bottom line looks good. "If they do take responsibility and start dealing with the issues, they just run into even bigger networks of vested interests," he said. China has formal risk assessment and safety procedures to cover every possible incident or accident, he said. But he said that the overall attitude to health and safety seems to be that such procedures are just for show; and that such laxity is commonplace across the entire workforce. "These risk assessments and contingency plans are formed according to unified guidelines issued by the International Atomic Energy Agency," Jiang said. "But I have been in Chinese companies where they are just things ... that you stick on the wall." Offshore floating plant The concerns come as China began building an offshore floating nuclear power plant destined for disputed waters in the South China Sea. China has officially begun construction of its first offshore nuclear power plant, a demonstration project that will employ a homegrown small modular reactor, according to the industry website Power. State-run China General Nuclear Power announced the project at a Nov. 4 news conference, calling it a "top priority" for the company. The plant is an integral part of China's "strong marine power strategy," and will power oilfield exploration operations in the Bohai Sea, as well as deep-water oil and gas development in the South China Sea, it said. "An offshore small modular reactor adopting a decentralized energy system could be a good solution for providing a steady supply of energy on islands, in coastal or far offshore areas," the company said in a statement. Floating reactors will power offshore oil and gas drilling, as well as "island development," as well as providing electricity for desalination plants, the English-language state-run China Daily reported. Reported by Wong Siu-san for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated by Luisetta Mudie. Four women from the herding community in Inner Mongolia's New Barag Right Banner show signed petition to the government over unpaid grazing subsidies, Jan. 9, 2017. Police in Chinese-ruled Inner Mongolia arrested four herdsmen on Monday for their role in an organized online petition by 500 herdsmen over promised but unpaid subsidies for stopping grazing on protected land, local activists told RFAs Mandarin Service. "Yesterday police began to talk to local herdsmen to check who made the post on the Internet. Four people were taken away for jointly posting the online letter calling for protests; one of them is a breast-feeding woman, said an activist in Hulun Buir in Inner Mongolias New Barag Right Banner. Consequently, a lot of herdsmen went to the police station to demand the release of the four but police used pepper spray to disperse them. They said the spray was toxic and made them suffer miserably. Someone lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital by an ambulance, said the activist, speaking on condition of anonymity. The activist said the herdsmen were legally entitled to subsidies to cover losses associated for setting aside pastureland to shield it from grazing in Inner Mongolias grasslands, which are under environmental stress from desertification and pollution from Chinese mining and other resource extraction activities. The fate of the four detained organizers was unclear and there was no immediate comment from the local government. Police were afraid of the potential spread of protests, therefore released the protesting herdsmen. But I am not sure if the originally detained four have been freed or not, said the activist. Police intimidated the protesters; they always do this in our area. Last year when local protests happened, police monitored herdsmen closely to prevent the news from being leaked. Ethnic Mongolians, who make up almost 20 percent of Inner Mongolia's population of 23 million, increasingly complain of widespread environmental destruction and unfair development policies in the region. Clashes between Chinese state-backed mining or forestry companies and herding communities are common in the region, which borders the independent country of Mongolia. Reported by Xin Lin for RFAs Mandarin Service. Translated by Chen Ping. Written in English by Paul Eckert. In his New Year speech North Korean leader Kim Jong Un shocked the world by threatening to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), declaring that its in the final stages of ICBM launch. At the same time he reaffirmed his determination to beef up North Koreas nuclear capabilities in a clear defiance of the continuing tough UN sanctions for its several nuclear tests. Some Korea analysts regard Kims ICBM threat as his intent to force Washington to negotiate on Pyongyangs terms. Changsop Pyon of RFAs Korean Service asked diplomat-turned-scholar David Straub about the implications of Kim Jong Uns calculated statement on the possible ICBM launch and US-DPRK relations this year. Former chief of Korea Desk at the State Department 2002-2004, Mr. Straub served as associate director of the Korea Program at the Walter H. Shorenstein Asia Pacific Research Center of Stanford University until recently after retiring as a Senior Foreign Service Officer in 2006. RFA: In his New Year speech, Kim Jong Un didn't specify anything about US-DPRK relations this year, with the new Trump administration set to start on Jan. 20. Do you think he wants to wait until the Trump administration comes up with its NK policy review or he will continue to do what he has done before, namely test another nuclear device or long-range missile to challenge the Trump administration? We can only make educated guesses about North Koreas tactical moves, such as the timing of nuclear and missile tests. We dont have reliable, real-time intelligence about North Korean leaders intentions. I believe that North Korean leaders tested a nuclear devicetheir secondin 2009 soon after President Obama was inaugurated because they observed that President Bush softened his policy toward them in 2006 after their first nuclear test. The North Koreans apparently thought that President Obamas reaction to a second nuclear test would be similar, that is, that he would become more willing to negotiate on North Koreas terms. In fact, the opposite happened. The second test convinced the Obama administration that North Koreas leaders were not prepared to negotiate about ending their nuclear weapons program. The Obama administrations reaction probably surprised the North Koreans. So what do the North Koreans think President Trumps reaction would be to a new nuclear test? We just dont know. And since President Trump himself probably doesnt know how he would respond, I think that the North Koreans have a lot of serious risk assessments to do before they decide how to proceed. This new and increased uncertainty coming from the White House should make them hesitant about testing again. But whether they will or wont test soon after Mr. Trump becomes presidentwe just dont know. RFA: In the speech Kim Jong Un mentioned that North Korea was in the final stages of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch, sparking off negative reactions around the world. Do you believe he made that remark with the new Trump administration in mind? If so, what kind of message was he trying to convey? Kim Jong Un undoubtedly made his remark about being close to test launching an ICBM with the Trump administration in mind, although he almost certainly also had other aims, such as making himself appear strong and decisive to his domestic audience. His remark was consistent with the now decade-long record of North Koreas leaders clearly signaling their intent to become an internationally accepted nuclear weapons state. I believe that the North Koreans want to use a credible threat of being able to nuke the United States to force Washington to negotiate on their terms. Those terms include the United States accepting them as a nuclear weapons state, lifting sanctions, and ending the United States alliance with South Korea. North Koreas strategic goal of making the United States itself feel threatened is why the North Koreans announce in advance their nuclear and missile intentions and even exaggerate their capabilities. As they proceeded along this path, especially for the past decade, the United States did not use force to try to stop them, so now the North Koreans seem to believe that the United States never will. In other words, the North Koreans may no longer fear the United States and therefore Kim feels free to make such statements publicly. RFA: As you know, the US and S. Korea conduct their annual joint military exercises in March. Don't you think Kim Jong Un might use the joint military exercises as a pretext to justify military provocations like another nuclear or missile test? Yes, I think thats quite possible. The North Koreans aim to be accepted internationally as a legitimate nuclear weapons state. One of the ways they seek to do that is by portraying themselves as a victim of American nuclear and other threats. They say that they must have nuclear weapons to defend themselves, even though it has consistently been their side attacking ours militarily, and not the other way around, from the Korean War in 1950 to as recently their artillery shelling of a South Korean island in 2010. Thus, their propaganda always portrays the annual U.S.-South Korean military exercises as a prelude to war. They demand an end to those defensive exercises, but they dont mention their own annual military exercises. The North Koreans long-term effort to demonize the U.S.-South Korean military exercises is consistent with their grand strategic aim of undermining and eventually bringing about an end to the U.S.-South Korea alliance. RFA: If Kim Jong Un goes ahead with an ICBM test, how would the Trump administration react? Is there any possibility for the Trump administration to take military action, in addition to additional economic sanctions? No one, including probably President-elect Trump himself, knows how he would react to a North Korean ICBM test. But in response to Kim Jung Uns announcement that his country is in the last stage of preparations for an ICBM launch, President-elect Trump tweeted, It wont happen. I dont think that a Tweet like that is enough to frighten the North Koreans into not conducting further tests. And if they do so after he is inauguratedand testing is something that sooner or later the North Koreans are virtually certain to doPresident Trump has put himself under great pressure to respond very forcefully. Already, even before his inauguration, he has alienated China, so it will be difficult for President Trump to get China to cooperate with him on a very strong response. That may mean that President Trump will feel he must rely on the U.S. military. In that case, would he order the military to intercept a North Korean missile? Or would Mr. Trump order a preemptive strike against a North Korean missile on the launch pad? Would North Korea respond with attacks against South Korea? Right now probably no one, including North Korea and President-elect Trump, knows the answers to such questions. RFA: In the speech Kim Jong Un reaffirmed his determination to strengthen North Korea's nuclear capabilities. Given Kim's intransigent attitude, what do you think about the fate of the troubled 6-Party talks and the denuclearization efforts by US and its allies? There have been no Six Party Talks since 2008 at the end of the Bush administration. From the U.S. perspective, the Six Party Talks were all about reaching a negotiated end to North Koreas nuclear weapons program. When North Korean leaders words and deeds made it clear to the Obama administration that they were not willing even to consider giving up nuclear weapons, the Obama administration declined to return to Six Party Talks. The Obama administration did try bilateral negotiations with the North Koreans and reached a nuclear and missile test freeze agreement in early 2012, the so-called Leap Day deal, but the North Koreans spectacularly violated it almost immediately by conducting a rocket launch. Well have to wait and see what kind of North Korea policy the Trump administration develops, but its hard to believe that the United States will ever agree to negotiate with North Korea on Pyongyangs termsthat is, accepting North Korea as a nuclear weapons state and gutting the U.S.-South Korea alliance. RFA: Former high-ranking NK diplomat Thae Yong Ho told the S. Korean press recently that Kim Jong Un would never give up North Koreas nuclear programs even if he were rewarded with ten trillion Korean won (US $8.31 billion). What do you think is the best way to tackle NK's nuclear issue? The international community must never accept North Korea as a nuclear weapons state. That would be the beginning of the end of the global nonproliferation regime. On the other hand, I dont believe that the United States should attack North Korea preemptively, because I dont believe that North Korean leaders are crazy enough to attack the United States with nuclear weapons. Instead, the Trump administration should put North Korea at the top of its agenda, bolster defenses against it, and massively strengthen sanctions pressures, including through tighter sanctions implementation. As a careful reading of Kim Jung Uns New Years speech indicates, Kim Jong Un is under great psychological pressure to make the nuclear threat succeed in getting the United States to negotiate on his terms. Otherwise, the economic chasm between North and South will just keep growing, as Mr. Thae noted in his press conference, and that is a strategic disaster for Kim Jong Un. The Trump administration must make Kim finally realize that his nuclear threats will never work and that, indeed, they will only make his situation more difficult. Reported by Changsop Pyon for RFA's Korean Service. Religious observances and prayers held to coincide with a major Buddhist gathering in India are spreading in Tibetan areas of China in open defiance of authorities warnings not to take part, sources in the region say. Chinese authorities have called the Kalachakra teachings being led this month by exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama illegal and have threatened punishment for Tibetans spreading news of the event or organizing local ceremonies in support. Residents of at least one Tibetan-populated county in Sichuan have been gathering in small groups to pray and to listen to the Dalai Lamas teachings on the internet, though, a local source told RFAs Tibetan Service. Tibetans living near Gyarong Trochu Thukje Chenpo, a sacred place in Barkham [in Chinese, Maerkang], have been participating in large-scale meritorious activities, including saving animals lives, during the period of the Kalachakra teachings, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. They have also shared videos of the Dalai Lamas teachings over social media, translating them from the [Dalai Lamas] Central Tibetan dialect to the local dialect so that people can understand, the source said. Several hundred elders have also gathered to recite mantras and say other prayers, he said. Activities supporting the Kalachakra are also under way in Tibetan-populated counties in neighboring Qinghai, with residents defying official warnings by fasting, praying privately in their homes, and freeing animals destined for slaughter, Tibetan sources told RFA this week. Monasteries warned With preliminary teachings already under way in Bodh Gaya, India, Chinese officials and police went on Jan. 3 to Tibetan monasteries in Gansu provinces Machu (Maqu) county to warn the monasteries management committees against involvement in related events, another source told RFA. They also said that monastery managers should monitor the behavior of the monks, warning them that they would be held responsible for any breaches of proper conduct. Machu residents who had been detained following region-wide Tibetan protests in 2008, and who were later released to their homes, were also directed to report to county authorities between Nov. 1, 2016, and Jan. 1, 2017, RFAs source said, also speaking on condition he not be named. When they arrived, officials warned them against viewing photos or videos of the Dalai Lamas Kalachakra teachings in India, the source said. Officials also warned them not to induce others to listen to the teachings or share them through social media. They were told that anyone caught doing these things would be detained and face severe punishment, he said. Families threatened Kalachakra, which means Wheel of Time, is a ritual that prepares devotees to be reborn in Shambhala, a celestial kingdom which, it is said, will vanquish the forces of evil in a future cosmic battle. The ceremony and teachings are often conducted outside Tibet by the Dalai Lama, who is widely reviled by Chinese leaders as a splittist seeking to separate Tibet, which was invaded by Communist China in 1950, from Beijings control. In a bid to reduce attendance at this years ceremony, Chinese officials moved beginning in November to confiscate the passports of Tibetans authorized to travel abroad, at the same time ordering Tibetans already present in India and Nepal to return home. Many had been told their families would be harmed if they failed to go back, sources told RFA in earlier reports. Reported by Kunsang Tenzin for RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney. Russia launched more kamikaze drones on infrastructure and civilian targets in southeastern Ukraine, officials said on November 4, as extensive damage to the power grid left millions of Ukrainians without electricity, prompting President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to accuse Moscow of "energy terrorism." Live Briefing: Russia's Invasion Of Ukraine RFE/RL's Live Briefing gives you all of the latest developments on Russia's ongoing invasion, Kyiv's counteroffensive, Western military aid, global reaction, and the plight of civilians. For all of RFE/RL's coverage of the war, click here. Valentyn Reznichenko, the governor of the Dnipropetrovskov region, said the Ukrainian military destroyed eight Iranian Shahed-136 "kamikaze" drones in the region's southern Nikopol district. "Our air defense did a great job this night. Eight enemy Shaheds downed," Reznichenko wrote on Telegram. It was the second day in a row that Nikopol was targeted by Russian drones. Reznichenko said Russian troops also pounded four settlements in the same district -- Myrivska, Chervonogrigorivska, Marganetska, and Nikopolska -- with Grad rockets and artillery fire, damaging a gas pipeline and a power line and destroying residential buildings. Russian troops regularly bombard the Dnipropetrovsk region, one of Ukraine's steelmaking hubs, with various types of weapons. Moscow denies its attacks on civilians in Ukraine. Zelenskiy said in his nightly video address on November 3 that millions of Ukrainians were temporarily without power due to the Russian attacks. "Tonight, about 4.5 million consumers have been temporarily disconnected from energy consumption," Zelenskiy said. "The very fact that Russia is resorting to energy terrorism shows the weakness of our enemy. They cannot beat Ukraine on the battlefield, so they try to break our people this way." Russia has been targeting Ukrainian energy infrastructure and other civilian buildings with missile, drone, and artillery attacks for several weeks amid a Ukrainian counteroffensive that has driven Russian troops out of the northeast and pushed them back in the east and southeast. Over the past days, however, despite heavy fighting, there has been no significant change on the ground on the eastern and southern Ukraine fronts, with preparations building for a fight over the southern city of Kherson. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry accused Moscow of forcibly deporting Ukrainian citizens from Kherson to Russia. "The Russian occupation administration has begun mass forced relocation of residents of the left bank [of the Dnieper River] of the Kherson regionto the territory of the temporarily occupied Crimea or the Russian Federation," the ministry said in a statement on November 3. Similar deportations are also being carried out by Russia in the Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk regions, as well as in Crimea, the ministry said. Russia in September proclaimed to have seized the partially occupied Ukrainian regions of Kherson, Zaporizhzhya, Luhansk, and Donetsk following referendums condemned by Kyiv and the West as shams. Volodymyr Saldo, the Russia-appointed head of Kherson, announced on October 31 an expansion of what Russia has called the evacuation of Ukrainian citizens. Saldo said he was moving people further into the region or to Russia because of the risks of a "massive missile attack." Just three days earlier, the Russian-installed officials announced that the evacuation process in Kherson region had ended. Kyiv reiterated on November 3 that it saw the move as a "deportation." It also said reports continue to circulate about the alleged mining of the Nova Kakhovska hydroelectric power plant by Russian troops. Zelenskiy previously said that Ukraine suspects Russia has mined the dam and units of the power plant on the Dnieper River, and that if it were blown up, more than 80 settlements, including Kherson, would be in danger of flooding. The Foreign Ministry statement also accused Russian troops of looting industrial, cultural, educational, and medical institutions, as well as private houses and apartments. Russian forces also removed roadblocks in Kherson. The head of the Kherson regional military administration, Yaroslav Yanushevich, believes that they did this to create the illusion that Russian forces have left the city. WATCH: Near Bakhmut in Ukraine's Donetsk region, Ukrainian forces often rely on artillery from the 1970s and '80s. The front line there is one of the most hotly contested areas. The soldiers say that although the Soviet-era weaponry is old, it is still very effective. It was also reported that the Russian flag was removed from the Kherson regional administration building. The head of the joint coordination press center of the Defense Forces of Southern Ukraine, Natalya Humenyuk, said that this could be a provocation. The loss of Kherson, which Russian troops captured in March in the early days of the war, would signal a significant retreat. U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, asked to comment on the battlefield situation in southern Ukraine, said he believes Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region have the capacity to retake the territory on the west side of the Dnieper River and Kherson city from Russian troops. With reporting by Reuters A Bosnian military regiment has been caught in an ethnically charged tug-of-war over how to regard that Balkan country's recent history and what that means for its increasingly fractured present. The 3rd Infantry Regiment's attendance at a public ceremony in Banja Luka is at the heart of a dispute between Bosnia's central authorities in Sarajevo and the government of Republika Srpska, the predominantly Serbian entity that along with the Muslim-Croat federation composes Bosnia. Tensions have been rising since November 2015, when the Bosnian Constitutional Court ruled that any official commemoration of January 9 as Republika Srpska statehood day was unconstitutional; they have been stoked nearly continuously ever since as Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik insisted on holding a referendum on the issue -- also declared illegal. The fact that the army has become embroiled in the standoff further raises the stakes between Banja Luka and Sarajevo. On January 8, wreaths were laid at a memorial for soldiers of Republika Srpska who lost their lives in the 1992-95 war that followed Bosnia-Herzegovina's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia. At the same event, the current president of the three-member Bosnian Presidency, Mladen Ivanic, used -- some would say misused -- his position to order the 3rd Infantry Regiment to attend the statehood-day ceremony the following day in Banja Luka. So on January 9, the regiment took part in a short ceremony on Banja Luka's main square and reported to Ivanic before withdrawing and avoiding participation in the parade. It might seem simple enough. But this is the Balkans, where few things are ever as simple as they appear. Polarized Memories The unification of the Bosnian armed forces in 2006 -- effectively amalgamating what had been two warring sides only a decade before -- has been one of the success stories of post-Dayton Bosnia. Troops who had spent almost four years shooting at one another came together to form a unified military structure. Since then, several ethnically mixed Bosnian units have served in international missions. Both Bosnian entities -- Republika Srpska and the Muslim-Croat federation -- are entitled to use military regiments in public ceremonies. However, January 9 is a day that evokes highly polarized memories. It not only coincides with an Orthodox religious holiday, but also marks the day when a group of renegade Bosnian Serb politicians -- many of them later convicted of war crimes -- proposed the division of the country along ethnic lines in a move that paved the way to war. Because that date is seen as discriminatory against other ethnic groups, mainly minority Croats and Muslims who also live in Republika Srpska, the Bosnian Constitutional Court demanded that Republika Srpska pick another day to mark its foundation. Republika Srpska President Dodik nevertheless ignored the court and organized a referendum on the issue -- presumably so the choice of January 9 could be presented as the will of the people -- throwing down the gauntlet to the authorities in Sarajevo. The Bosnian Defense Ministry initially approved the use of the regiment in the events on January 8 but not its participation in the parade of January 9. However, the ministry issued a total ban on the use of Bosnian military forces in either event following a statement from NATO headquarters in Sarajevo. Brigadier General Giselle Wilz, NATO Headquarters commander, rejected the use of any part of Bosnia's armed forces in the Banja Luka celebrations. NATO Headquarters made it clear that the presence of even a single Bosnian soldier in Banja Luka on January 9 would constitute a violation of the Bosnian Constitution as well as the Dayton accords, which all of the country's soldiers have sworn to respect. Yet despite the looming threat of disciplinary proceedings and discharge, Dodik had urged the soldiers to attend, saying, "We will celebrate Republika Srpska statehood day, and I am convinced that the members of the 3rd Infantry Regiment will be present at Krajina Square, which no one has a right to deny them, and Republika Srpska stands behind their decision [to attend.]." Dodik's closest ally, Prime Minister Zeljka Cvijanovic, has questioned why NATO's pronouncement should worry anyone in Bosnia, given that the country is neither a member nor a prospective member of the alliance. The NATO mission in Bosnia is to assist with defense reforms, and its role is defined within the Dayton peace deal. 'At The Point Of A Sword' Republika Srpska as it exists today -- an autonomous entity within Bosnia -- was formally established and recognized internationally only with the advent of the Dayton accords, signed in December 1995. What took place on January 9, 1992 -- and which Dodik appears intent on celebrating today -- was an illegal proclamation by a so-called republic of Bosnian Serbs with Radovan Karadzic as its first president. Speaking at the time, Karadzic vowed that no one would separate Bosnia from Yugoslavia and that Pale -- which would serve as his wartime headquarters, 20 kilometers north of Sarajevo -- would forever be part of Yugoslavia. After years in hiding, Karadzic was extradited to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague in July 2008. Last year, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including genocide. Another prominent speaker at that notorious 1992 gathering was Radoslav Brdjanin. Brdjanin advised Muslims and Croats to form their own breakaway assemblies and abandon the Bosnian parliament, as Bosnian Serbs had just done. Of the Muslims, he also said: "They are so blinded by their desire to have their own state that they would have it even if it only stretched as far as Trebevic Mountain [near Sarajevo]. They do not want to stay in a common state that extends to Moscow." Brdjanin was sentenced to 32 years in prison for crimes committed during the war, and is serving his sentence in Denmark. The January 1992 meeting, which took place at the Sarajevo Holiday Inn hotel, is also remembered for the threatening language used by Biljana Plavsic, a member of the Serbian Democratic Party who would become a leader of the self-proclaimed, pro-Belgrade Serb Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She said at the time: "All those trying to get international recognition for Bosnia and Herzegovina should know that no state is made at a negotiating table. States are made at the point of a sword." Plavsic was indicted to the ICTY in 2001. There, she agreed a plea bargain under which she became the only Bosnian Serb official to have admitted guilt for war crimes. She was sentenced to 11 years in prison. Plavsic was released in 2009 after serving two-thirds of her sentence. The declaration of January 9, 1992, was thus a crucial and dramatic step toward the bloody conflict that began less than three months later in Sarajevo. It is a symbolically charged date that marked a prelude to war and the ethnic cleansing that followed. Over the past 15 months, it has also turned into a cause for which Dodik has chosen to challenge the authority of the Bosnian Constitutional Court -- and which some have chosen to celebrate in Banja Luka. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. People in China's smog-hit northern cities are buying an unprecedented number of air-pollution-blocking masks and a British-made product is becoming a hit among well-informed buyers. A cyclist wears a Respro face mask. [China Daily] A massive number of face masks are available in the nation, including basic surgical masks, industrial face masks and reusable masks. However, critics point out that not all of them are effective in blocking out harmful particles. Respro, a British-made brand, is among companies that are making a name for themselves in China because of their filter quality, functionality, style and originality. The Respro mask was first sold in China about 10 years ago, primarily targeting expatriates living in the country. However, the company's sales rocketed in 2013 when the air quality index went well above 500 PM2.5 in some parts of the country. Respro recorded a 500 percent rise in revenue that year and has since enjoyed a steady growth in sales of around 10 percent a year. Lukas Thibaut, a Brit who has been living in Beijing for more than four years, said he started using Respro masks because they performed well in tests. "I wanted a face mask that would be suitable for doing outdoor sports, so I ordered the ResproSportsta, which has extra-large valves to improve exhalation," he said. Occasionally, Thibaut also uses the white, industrial face masks, which can be easily found in most convenience stores and are much cheaper, but he finds them uncomfortable to wear. "They also don't look as cool as my ResproSportsta," he said. Henry Cole, chief executive of Respro, said the material in most Respro masks was first produced by the UK defense establishment in the 1980s and was used to protect troops under the threat of nuclear and biological warfare. Gary Fuller, senior lecturer in air quality measurement at King's College London, told China Daily: "Tests conducted in Beijing in 2009 found that the high-quality masks that are used to protect people working in factories can also help to reduce exposure to ambient air pollution." Fan Chung, professor of respiratory medicine in Imperial College London, believes that the most effective masks available to reduce particle exposure are those that are labeled N95. They are able to filter 95 percent of airborne particles of greater than 0.3 micron, including the PM2.5 particles prevalent in the smog in China that are small enough to penetrate the lungs. He said: "More expensive mask will have an exhaust valve to improve comfort while wearing the masks. Inexpensive cloth masks can be used but these are much less efficient in getting rid of small particles." Chung said the long-term solution to the problem of environmental pollution is to reduce and suppress the sources of pollution, but this will take time to achieve, even with the best efforts available at all levels. Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has signed a decree allowing citizens of 80 countries to stay in the country for up to five days without a visa. The Belarusian presidential website says the decree was signed on January 9. It says citizens of European Union-member states, the United States, Japan, Brazil, Indonesia, and 48 other countries are eligible. Citizens of China, Honduras, Haiti, Gambia, India, Lebanon, Namibia, Samoa, and Vietnam, must have multiple valid visas from other European countries to be eligible under the decree. The visa exemption will not work for foreigners arriving in Belarus from Russia because no passport control points exist for individuals arriving from the Russian Federation. The decree is due to come into force a month after it is published in official Belarusian state-run media. Bosnian Serbs have marked a controversial "statehood day" holiday over the objections of Bosnia-Herzegovina's government, which says the holiday promotes separatism. Republika Srpska President Milorad Dodik, the head of the Bosnian Serb entity, said in Banja Luka on January 9 that the holiday celebrated the fact that "Republika Srpska has managed to survive under almost impossible conditions." The holiday marks the 25th anniversary of the region's 1992 declaration of independence, which ignited the 1992-95 Bosnian war. The festivities include a police parade in Republika Srpska's capital, Banja Luka. Although Bosnia's federal government refused to allow Bosnian Serb troops in Bosnia's national army to participate in the event, one regiment did appear at the celebration and presented itself to Mladen Ivanic, the Bosnian Serb member of Bosnia's tripartite Presidency. The nationalist president of neighboring Serbia, Tomislav Nikolic, also participated in the events, as did Serbian Orthodox Patriarch Irinej and several Belgrade government ministers. Serbian Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, who is spearheading his countrys bid to join the European Union, did not attend the events. Vucic said on January 5 that Serbia insisted on "protecting the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina" in order "to maintain peace and stability." Dodik, in an interview with neighboring Serbia's state RTS television, said Bosnia was "a useless state." He described it as "a failed international project" and "a monster that does not function." Dodik Defies Court In September, Bosnian Serbs voted overwhelmingly to maintain the holiday on January 9 in a referendum that led to the most heated debate between Bosnian Muslim and Bosnian Serb officials since the end of the war. Most Bosniaks and Croats opposed the referendum out of fear that Republika Srpska could be preparing to secede, destroying the delicate federal structure put in place after the war. Bosnia's Constitutional Court had canceled the vote, ruling that the holiday is illegal because it discriminates against non-Serbs. However, Dodik held the referendum despite that ruling as well as considerable pressure from the United States and the European Union. "No one can make people's feelings disappear, or prevent us from celebrating on January 9. It's completely legitimate," Dodik said on January 6. With reporting by AFP For years, Chechen Republic head Ramzan Kadyrov has been pressuring the Russian leadership to cede to Chechnya the state-owned company Chechenneftekhimprom, which controls oil-sector infrastructure, including oil wells and two refineries. In late December 2015, Russian President Vladimir Putin finally gave the green light for the handover. But one year later, federal Minister for the North Caucasus Lev Kuznetsov has told journalists the details have still not been finalized. Kuznetsov also divulged that the state oil company Rosneft has postponed indefinitely plans for the construction, in line with an agreement signed with the Chechen government in 2010, of an oil refinery in Chechnya with an annual capacity of 1 million tons. Oil extraction in Chechnya in 2014 was less than half that amount. Following Russia's decision in November 2016 to duplicate OPEC's decision to cut back on oil production, and with crude prices predicted to rise only slightly in 2017, it is understandable that Chechnya's oil sector is not currently a priority for the cash-strapped Russian government. Other players, however, are apparently willing to invest billions of dollars in reviving it. Chechenneftekhimprom is owned by Russia's state property agency Rosgosimushchestvo. Its fixed assets were valued in 2014 at 2 billion rubles ($33.58 million). At present, it is managed by Rosneft. It does not engage in prospecting or extraction. Those are the preserve of the Rosneft subsidiary Grozneftegaz, which leases some of Chechenneftekhimprom's assets, including an unspecified number of its 1,113 oil and gas wells. Optimizing Assets Kadyrov's stated rationale for demanding ownership of Chechenneftekhimprom was that Rosneft does not make optimum use of its assets, including a tract of land that the Chechen authorities want to use for the construction of a factory to manufacture lithium-ion batteries under an agreement signed in December 2014 with the South Korean company KOKAM. The Chechen leadership also hoped to restart oil production at some wells that had been mothballed. Chechenneftekhimprom was initially scheduled for privatization by the end of 2016, which would have created obstacles to that project. That is presumably why Kadyrov asked Putin in late 2015 to expedite the handover of the company. In June 2016, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev duly removed Chechenneftkhimprom from the list of state-owned companies to be privatized before the end of the year. But Rosgosimushchestvo and the Chechen leadership have apparently not been able to reach an agreement even on the composition of the joint working group that was to draw up an inventory of Chechenneftekhimprom's assets, let alone on how those assets were to be divided between Rosneft and the Chechen government. The daily Kommersant reported in late June that Rosgosimushchestvo had proposed that Chechenneftekhimprom should cede to it those of its assets that Grozneftegaz currently leases, which would then become the property of Rosneftegaz, and keep the remainder. The fees from those leases make up the lion's share of Chechenneftekhimprom's revenue. Alternative Proposals Two months later, Rosneft came up with two alternative counterproposals "with the aim of securing the necessary balance of interests between the [Russian Federation], the Chechen Republic, and Rosneft." The first, according to the Russian daily Kommersant, envisaged Rosneft retaining all Chechenneftekhimprom's assets except for a plot of land it would make available for construction of the lithium-ion battery plant. The second was that Rosneft would end its involvement in Chechnya completely, handing over all Chechenneftekhimprom's fixed assets and selling Grozneftegaz and that company's assets "at the market value as determined by an international appraiser" either to the Chechen government or another prospective investor. Kommersant subsequently reported on September 22 that the federal Economy Ministry favored Rusneft's second option and has formally asked Chechnya if it wants to purchase Grozneftegaz and all other Rosneft assets in Chechnya. At that juncture, it was anticipated that the deal could be completed by year's end. But Kuznetsov said in late December that Rosneft has not yet made the final decision. Trump's Former Partner Meanwhile, the privately owned company Grozneft, which was registered in the spring of 2016 with the aim of attracting investment in Chechnya, signed a letter of intent in November 2016 with the Canadian oil company Genoil "to develop and construct upgrading and energy projects in Russia and Chechnya." Genoil CEO David Lifschultz is a former business partner of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. The chairman of Grozneft's board of directors is Andrey Gusak, who was involved in Chechnya's oil industry in the early 2000s. Gusak told the Russian newspaper Vedomosti that the first such project will focus on reviving oil extraction in Chechnya, and the subsequent construction of a refinery with an annual capacity of between 3 and 6 million tons, for which Genoil reportedly plans to raise $15 billion from a consortium of Chinese companies.The output will be exported to China; how is as yet unclear. As noted above, Chechnya's current oil production is less than half a million tons; estimates of untapped reserves range from 8.36 million tons to 70 million tons. Skeptical Analysts According to the letter of intent, "the Russian Government and the Ministry of Fuel and Energy of the Russian Federation, as well as other required ministries and departments will give their full support to this project to ensure timely completion. The project will be listed in a trade agreement, pact or cooperation agreement between Russia and China." Russian and Chechen analysts, including Shamil Beno of Avanti Business Solutions, have voiced skepticism, however, given the huge sums cited. Moreover, implementation of the agreement will presumably be contingent on Rosneft finally selling to Grozneft the rights to extract oil in Chechnya currently owned by Grozneftegaz. Alternatively, it is conceivable that the signing of the letter of intent was orchestrated by the Chechen leadership with the aim of forcing the Russian government to expedite either the handover of Chechenneftekhimprom and/or construction by Rosneft of a new refinery. Kadyrov has said more than once that if Rosneft fails to do so, Chechnya will find other investors. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect the views of RFE/RL. The commander of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Hossein Salami, warned protesters that October 29 would be their last day of taking to the streets. "Do not come to the streets! Today is the last day of the riots," Salami was quoted as saying by state media. Iran has been gripped by protests triggered by the death of a 22-year-old woman, Mahsa Amini, in the custody of Tehrans morality police. Since Aminis death on September 16, thousands have been demonstrating across the country against the clerical establishment. Protests were reported on October 29 at several universities across the country where students chanted, Death to the dictator, and, Woman, life, freedom. Iran has blamed its foreign enemies and their agents for the unrest. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) posted videos on Twitter showing protests at several universities. One of the protests showed people holding hands in a large circle and chanting: "If we don't unite, we will be killed one by one." HRANA said 272 protesters had been killed in the unrest as of October 28, including 39 minors. Some 34 members of the security force have also been killed and nearly 14,000 people have been arrested, it said. The Oslo-based group Iran Human Rights also posted a video of a protest at a university campus and said that in the city of Arak state security forces fired tear gas as mourners gathered for the funeral of Mehrshad Shahidinejad, a young aspiring chef who reportedly was killed after being arrested during a protest. The IRGC warning on October 29 came as the United Nations expressed "increasing concern" about reports of deaths in the antiestablishment protests in Iran. "We condemn all incidents that have resulted in death or serious injury to protesters and reiterate that security forces must avoid all unnecessary or disproportionate use of force against peaceful protesters, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in New York on October 28. Those responsible must be held to account, he said, adding that the UN was urging Tehran to address the legitimate grievances of the population, including with respect to womens rights. The United Nations urged the Iranian government in Tehran to respect human rights, noting that the crisis can and should be brought under control through dialogue. In a separate statement, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also expressed concern about "rising fatalities and injuries" to protesters in Iran. "Its essential that unfettered access to health care is provided to those in need, [including] the appropriate use of medical vehicles, facilities & the ability of health workers to help patients," WHO chief Tedros said on Twitter on October 28. Protesters clashed again with security forces on October 28 in Zahedan, a city in southeastern Iran were dozens of people were killed in clashes four weeks ago during anti-government protests. Activists posted videos on social media showing protesters in the city calling for the death of "dictator" Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and against the Basij militia, which has played a major role in a crackdown on the demonstrations. The United States and Albania will hold an informal UN Security Council gathering on November 3 that will focus on the protests in Iran, according to a note outlining the event seen by Reuters. Iranian Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi and Iranian-born actress and activist Nazanin Boniadi are set to address the gathering. "The meeting will highlight the ongoing repression of women and girls and members of religious and ethnic minority groups in Iran," the note said. "It will identify opportunities to promote credible, independent investigations into the Iranian government's human rights violations and abuses." Javaid Rehman, the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Iran, is also due to address the meeting, which can be attended by other UN member states and rights groups. "The meeting will underscore ongoing unlawful use of force against protesters and the Iranian regime's pursuit of human rights defenders and dissidents abroad to abduct or assassinate them in contravention of international law," read the note about the planned meeting. With reporting by Reuters, AFP, and dpa The head of Kazakhstan's Unified Pension Fund and the director of the fund's financial department have been arrested on corruption charges. The district court in Almaty said on January 9 that Unified Pension Fund chief Ruslan Erdenaev and the head of the fund's financial operations, Musa Bakhtov, had been placed in pretrial detention for two months on charges of embezzlement. Along with Erdenaev and Bakhtov, the chief executive officers of two private mineral extraction firms in Kazakhstan also have been arrested in the case and placed in pretrial detention for two months. They are Baqytzhan Kenzhebaev from the firm AlatauMunaiAltyn and Azat Naizagarin from the Buzgul Aurum company. Kazakhstan's Committee for National Security has said that it launched an investigation on December 21 into the alleged illegal investment by the Unified Pension Fund of 5 billion tenges -- more than $14.8 million-- into the activities of the AlatauMunaiAltyn and Buzgul Aurum companies. The Unified Pension Fund is Kazakhstan's main state-run pension fund for workers in both the state and private sectors. Based on reporting by KazTAG and Kazinform Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov has asked the country's conservative leader and former prime minister, Nikola Gruevski, to form a new government based on the results of elections that were held in December. Under Macedonia's constitution, January 9 was the last day for Ivanov to deliver the mandate. The 46-year-old Gruevski now has until January 29 to submit a program and proposed cabinet members to parliament. Gruevski, who headed the government from 2006 until January 2016, is the leader of the conservative VMRO-DPMNE party, which has 51 deputies in the 120-seat parliament. The opposition Social Democrats have 49 seats. The remaining 20 seats are divided among parties representing the country's ethnic Albanian minority, and Gruevski will have to seek to form a coalition with at least one of them. Gruevski's former coalition partner and longtime ally, the ethnic Albanian Democratic Union for Integration (BDI), won 10 seats in parliament -- enough to form a majority coalition with the VMRO-DPMNE. An ethnic Albanian party called the Besa Movement won five seats, while the Alliance for Albanians secured three seats, and the Democratic Party of Albanians won two. With reporting by Reuters LONDON - Millions of Londoners struggled to work on Monday at the start of a week of travel chaos which sees rail networks brought to a standstill by a series of strikes. A woman stands next to the closed entrance to the Underground station at Waterloo during a strike by members of two unions in protest at ticket office closures and reduced staffing levels, in London, Britain January 9, 2017. [Photo/Agencies] Commuters used cars, boats, bicycles and heaving buses to cope with a 24-hour walkout by underground station staff that left the majority of "Tube" stops in central London closed and no services operating from mainline stations such as Victoria, Kings Cross and Waterloo. Huge queues began building up outside stations while many major roads in the city were gridlocked. "I'm giving up on even trying," said software developer Rajiv Perseedoss, 30, who was trying to get to work in central London from Canary Wharf in the east of the city. "I'm not a Tube worker, I don't know about their conditions, but whatever it is, they can't take it out on everybody." Monday's walkout on the Tube, which carries up to 4.8 million passengers a day, begins a week of industrial action which will hit rail and air passengers, and there are warnings the problems could spread across the country. Train drivers on Southern Rail are striking on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, bringing all rail services used by hundreds of thousands of passengers from the south coast and Gatwick Airport to London to a halt. Southern commuters have already suffered months of delays, cancellations and walkouts in Britain's worse rail disruption in decades, due to a row over whose role it should be to open and close doors on the trains. The Sunday Times newspaper said the dispute could spread to services in central and northern England as other operators look to bring in driver-only trains. British Airways staff will also begin a strike for two days over pay on Tuesday, although the impact of the walkout is likely to be limited. President Barack Obama says he has "underestimated" the impact misinformation and hacking can have on democracies, after intelligence agencies concluded that Russia's president ordered a hacking campaign that aimed to influence the U.S. presidential election. In an interview with ABC News broadcast on January 8, Obama said he did not think he had underestimated Russian President Vladimir Putin. "But I think that I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation, for cyberhacking, and so forth to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating," he added. "And so part of the reason that I ordered this report was not simply to relitigate what happened over the last several months, but rather to make sure that we understand this is something that Putin has been doing for quite some time in Europe, initially in the former satellite states where there are a lot of Russian speakers, but increasingly in Western democracies." The comments come after a U.S. intelligence report concluded that Putin "ordered" a campaign of hacking and media manipulation aimed at influencing the November 8 election. The report released on January 6 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence said the effort sought to help President-elect Donald Trump, a Republican, by discrediting his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton. Russia's Embassy in London called the report a "a pathetic attempt at tainting Americans' vote by innuendo couched in Intel new-speak." The reports findings reinforced earlier assessments that hackers backed by Russia's government had intruded on computer servers of U.S. political parties. The reports release followed a briefing that Trump, who takes office on January 20, received from top intelligence officials on January 6. After the briefing, Trump issued a statement saying he had asked his staff to develop a plan in his first 90 days in office to "aggressively combat and stop cyberattacks." He also said he had "tremendous respect" for the work of the intelligence agencies. Trump has repeatedly dismissed claims that Moscow meddled in the election on his behalf, saying that those charges are the product of his political opponents trying to undermine his election victory. But Trumps incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, told Fox News on January 8 that the president-elect "is not denying that entities in Russia were behind a hacking campaign that targeted the Democratic National Committee and a top aide to Clinton. Another Trump adviser, Kellyanne Conway, rejected any notion Russia may have affected the election. "Any attempt, any aspiration to influence our elections failed," she told CNN on January 8. Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged Trump to punish Russia for trying to interfere in the election. "He's going to be the defender of the free world here pretty soon," Graham, a frequent Trump critic, said in an interview with NBC broadcast on January 8. ''All I'm asking him is to acknowledge that Russia interfered, and push back. It could be Iran next time. It could be China." Trump repeated on January 7 past statements about wanting to work with Moscow. "Having a good relationship with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing. Only 'stupid' people, or fools, would think that it is bad!" Trump wrote on Twitter. In the interview with ABC, Obama also said he had talked to his successor about having confidence in the intelligence community. "There are going to be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working," he said. Obama said he had also advised Trump not to attempt to run the White House "the way you would manage a family business." He said Trump must "respect" U.S. institutions and warned that there was a difference between governing and campaigning. "There are world capitals and financial markets and people all around the world who take really seriously what he says," the president said. With reporting by AFP, Reuters, and dpa Pakistan has test-fired its first submarine-launched cruise missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead and giving the country a credible second strike capability, the Pakistani military says. The military said in a statement on January 9 that the missile was fired from the Indian Ocean and hit its target. The Babur Cruise-3 missile has a range of 450 kilometers and can fly low to evade radar and air defenses, the statement said. An army spokesman confirmed to news agencies that the missile was equipped to carry nuclear warheads. Pakistan and its neighbor and archrival India have been developing missiles of varying ranges since they conducted nuclear tests in May 1998. They have fought three wars since independence from Britain in 1947. Last year, Islamabad expressed "serious concern" over India's test of antiballistic missiles that media reports said could intercept incoming nuclear weapons. Media reports said that on May 15 India tested an antiballistic missile system, which could in theory intercept a ballistic missile. Based on reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters The death toll resulting from dozens of people drinking poisonous bath lotion in Siberia's Irkutsk region since December 17 has risen to at least 76. Russian regional health officials said on January 9 that three other people are still hospitalized after reportedly poisoning themselves by drinking the poisonous bath lotion despite warning labels on the product saying it is not for internal consumption. Russia's Investigative Committee said the bath lotion contained methyl wood alcohol -- which can be fatal if consumed -- rather than the ethyl grain alcohol contained in alcoholic beverages. The Investigative Committee said 22 people suspected of selling the lotion had been detained since the wave of deaths began. It said eight were later charged, and nine were placed under house arrest, while five others were ordered not to leave the region while investigations continue. On December 21, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the government to introduce tougher laws by July 2017 on the production and sale of perfumes, lotions, and household cleaners that contain any type of alcohol. Putin also called for tighter controls on human and veterinary medicines. Poisonings with surrogate alcohol are common in Russia, where people sometimes drink substances with alcohol that are cheaper than alcoholic beverages. Based on reporting on Interfax and TASS VIDEO REPORTS Will Russian President Vladimir Putin move closer to his goal of undermining the liberal world order in 2017, or will he overplay his hand? After three years of conflict, volunteer medics are still evacuating the wounded in private cars -- and are demanding the Ukrainian army provide more front-line ambulances. Demonstrators in Pristina held a protest against France's detention of former Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, who is being held in custody pending an extradition request from Serbia on alleged war crimes. In the heart of St. Petersburg, Russia's cultural capital and its most beautiful city, a communal apartment that survives from the Soviet period is a bleak place where residents do what they must to survive. OTHER NEWS Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov called a U.S. report alleging Russian hacking in the U.S. presidential elections unprofessional and a witch-hunt lacking any evidence of Russian involvement, and expressed hope for a sober approach and dialogue. (in Russian) A Russian political activist serving a 2 1/2-year sentence for participating in illegal demonstrations has been located after not being heard from for more than one month. Russian state-controlled gas giant Gazprom said it was pumping record volumes to Europe amid unusually cold temperatures. According to the United Nations, about 1,700 Russians aged 15 to 19 commit suicide each year. But the current law on protecting children from harmful information may not be a solution. Ukrainian biathlon athletes will start the new Olympic season with old equipment due to the European Unions embargo on arms sales, and Ukrainian legislation that overlooks the distinction between weapons intended for military and sport. (in Ukrainian) Bosnian Serbs are set to hold a deeply divisive "statehood day" holiday on January 9 to mark the 25th anniversary of the declaration of an independent "Serb Republic" that ignited the Bosnian war. Turkish police have identified the alleged New Year's Eve nightclub attacker in Istanbul as a citizen of Uzbekistan named Abdulkadir Masharipov. Turkmenistan began the New Year by placing new restrictions on bank withdrawals by private entrepreneurs, lowering the limit from $10,000 previously to the equivalent of $1,000 in manat, the local currency. (in Russian) In an interview with RFE/RL, exiled businessman Maxim Freidzon said Putin has been deeply affiliated, psychologically and organizationally, with the underworld since his St. Petersburg times...Everything he is doing in the international arena nowadays is the behavior of an average hard criminal. (over 120k views on Russian Service website) More than 35 prominent Iranian-Americans have called on U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to preserve a nuclear deal with Iran and choose "diplomacy over sanctions and war." Former Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov has said he may form a Ukrainian "government-in-exile" after a December Moscow court ruling held that the collapse of his government in early 2014 was the result of an illegal coup. Speaking in Moscow on January 9, Azarov said it would be necessary to form a government-in-exile if the Ukrainian people "demand an alternative." He also said the Ukraine Salvation Committee that he heads is planning to file cases in unspecified "international courts" asking for them to follow the lead of the Moscow court's ruling. Azarov was Ukraine's prime minister from March 11, 2010, until January 27, 2014, under former President Viktor Yanukovych. Yanukovych, Azarov, and other pro-Russian Ukrainian officials fled to Russia in February 2014 after months of mass protests in Kyiv and other parts of Ukraine by demonstrators who were angered by Yanukovych's refusal to sign an Association Agreement with the European Union. Azarov is now wanted in Ukraine on suspicion of corruption and abuse of office. Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax TASHKENT -- Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyaev has harshly criticized the country's prosecutors, calling on them to treat ordinary citizens and entrepreneurs properly. At the meeting with Uzbekistan's prosecutors on January 7 -- a day before Prosecutors Day -- Mirziyaev called on the prosecutors to "get rid of" the Soviet-era "image of a punitive officials" and to become "defenders" of citizens' rights and interests. Mirziyaev also said that all prosecutors will be evaluated by a system under which each prosecutor will be rated on a regular basis by local officials and citizens. Mirziyaev was elected Uzbekistan's president on December 4. He had been serving as interim president since the death of President Islam Karimov was announced in early September. Mirziyaev has since taken steps to open up the tightly controlled country in a bid to improve its economic prospects and to boost communication between authorities and citizens. Whole Foods Market announced nearly three years ago that it was going to be an anchor tenant in The Sauer Center, a proposed mixed-use development planned for West Broad Street near Hermitage Road. Officials of the Texas-based natural and organics grocery chain have not said much about the 40,000-square-foot store since that May 2014 announcement. By policy, we dont make any comments on stores that are in development, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods said recently in an email. The Whole Foods website still has a Richmond store on a list of nearly 90 stores in development. The Sauer Center project is being developed by Sauer Properties Inc., a division of C.F. Sauer, the Richmond-based global food manufacturer which has its corporate offices and manufacturing operations next to the property planned for the development. The company closed the Pleasants Hardware flagship store in February as part of plans to make that site available for the Sauer Center project. C.F. Sauer, which had owned the Pleasants chain since 1989, sold the seven other area Pleasants stores to Virginia Beach-based Taylors Do It Centers in February. Demolition of the Pleasants store at 2024 W. Broad St. was slated to begin last spring so construction could begin on the Whole Foods store. The vacant store is still standing. Officials with C.F. Sauer Co. and Sauer Properties and leasing agents have not responded to inquiries about the project. Mark A. Olinger, Richmonds planning director, said Friday that the department had not received any recent submissions regarding the proposed project. Since making the 2014 announcement about a possible Richmond store, Whole Foods Market launched a new grocery store concept called 365 by Whole Foods for more price-conscious shoppers. Described as being more millennial-friendly, the stores are smaller and have less variety, but the prices are competitive with value-priced stores like Trader Joes and Aldi. The chain of more than 400 stores has its closest store in West Broad Village in the Short Pump area of western Henrico County. Handyman franchisee expands territory Sometimes you just cant do it yourself. Those little projects around the house replacing an electrical outlet, installing a ceiling fan are beyond your skill set. Thats when you call in a handyman. The Richmond area has a lot of companies that offer a range of skilled tradesmen for hire, including the Handyman Matters franchise operated by Michele Deane. Deane, who has owned a Handyman Matters franchise serving South Richmond since June 2014, recently purchased rights to a larger territory. Weve just expanded our services to include the West End, now servicing homeowners and commercial businesses from Colonial Heights to Short Pump, Deane said. Deane said she acquired the additional territory in November from another franchise operator. Her service area encompasses close to 200,000 homes. Deane worked for 29 years in the corporate world, including stints at Circuit City before it closed, and Capital One, which she left after about 13 years. Her workers include a mix of staff employees and subcontractor specialists. People can hire by the job or they can hire a handyman for a half-day or full day to take care of multiple jobs. Then we have other jobs that are projects. We will give a customer a fixed price, Deane said. We will be ramping up with more craftsmen as the weather gets warmer to accommodate the new territory. For information on choosing a handyman, go to the Better Business Bureau of Central Virginia website at www.bbb.org/richmond. To check the licensing of any regulated skilled tradesmen, go to www.dpor.virginia.gov. Design Consign moving next door to smaller space Furniture and home accessories consignment shop Design Consign at 11001 A Midlothian Turnpike is moving next door to space that was formerly occupied by a Mexican restaurant. All items that have been at the store longer than 120 days must be picked up by Saturday unless other arrangements have been made, according to owner Jan DeBaugh. The stores new space, at 11001 B Midlothian Turnpike, is smaller. We are going to a more intimate space, DeBaugh said. Items not picked up by Saturday will be donated to charity on Jan. 21, DeBaugh said. The store will begin accepting new items for consignment on Feb. 1. Westhampton Pastry Shop considering a second site Brothers George A. Oley III and Mark Oley, who rescued the Westhampton Pastry Shop from crumbling when they bought it last August, are considering a second bakery location in Westbury Shopping Center on Three Chopt Road. Their new venture would occupy space that The Mixing Bowl Bakery recently vacated when it moved to a new location at 8540 Patterson Ave. in the Beverly Hills Shopping Center. The new Mixing Bowl location opens Tuesday. At this point, the project looks like its definitely going to go through, Mark Oley said of a second location. We are just trying to put all the pieces together at this point. Oley said the concept at this point would be centered around a bakery but could include additional food services. It could be a bakery, obviously. But we may add some other pieces to it. We could have pizza. We could have ice cream. We could have some other things. ... It may be an arcade of things that we put together, he said. He did not have a time frame for opening the second location but said meetings are scheduled for later this week to firm up details. Oley said Westhampton Pastry Shop at Patterson and Libbie avenues is doing well. It was 1943 and I was 12 years old. My three brothers had gone off to war. We lived in the country on Midlothian Turnpike, which was not much more than a county road at that time. My dad was a supervisor at Reynolds Metals Co. They were working 24 hours a day on defense work. For some reason my dad decided he wanted to raise chickens. I dont mean a dozen chickens. I mean hundreds. But with work demanding nearly all of his waking hours, who was to raise the chickens? Thats right, me. I fed them, watered them, cleaned the chicken houses. And almost every Saturday, I would go out to the yard and ask for a volunteer to be our Sunday dinner. My mom would tell me if it was for frying or baking. If we had company coming, it meant two chickens. Then they had to be plucked and cleaned. I didnt enjoy sending my chickens to that great chicken house in the sky, but it had to be done. Well, thats what I told the chickens just before the hatchet came down. For all my hard work, my parents decided that I would enjoy a pony to care for. His name was Bay. I had to ride bareback since I didnt have a saddle. I had a paper route, 8 miles both ways, and was trying to save enough money for a used saddle. I remember very well that day when I decided to take Bay for a ride in the field behind our house. Things were going well, then all of a sudden, Bays ears stood straight up and he began a fast gallop across the field. This was not good because I had not mastered the art of horsemanship. I could hardly stay on when he was standing still. My first reaction was to grab Bay around his neck and hold on. I yelled whoa, stop and some other things I had heard cowboys tell their horses in the movies, but Bay was on a mission and was picking up speed. By this time, I had slipped off his back and was all the way under his neck with my arms and legs wrapped around it. As you may know, the area around a ponys mouth is soft. Thank goodness for that because with every step Bay took, his mouth would come down and hit me in the face. I think that several times my nose actually went into his nostril. I considered just letting go and dropping to the ground, but I decided against it. Finally, Bay came to a stop. I loosened my grip on his neck and stepped away, thinking he might start running again. Bay was standing like a statue, ears up and looking straight ahead. I turned to see what he was so interested in that he almost killed me. Well, there she was, standing on the other side of a fence. A thing of beauty. She was white with a tan marking and the most beautiful large eyes you could imagine. Yes, a thing of beauty, that is, if you were a bull. It was Bertie, Ms. Meeks old milk cow. She stood there chewing her cud and giving Bay a look that said, Dont get any ideas, big boy. Bay, bless his disappointed heart, had a look that said, Honey, you dont know what you missed. Bay and I walked back home with our heads hanging low his, because he was disappointed; mine, because I was embarrassed that my pony had fallen in love with an old milk cow named Bertie. Joe Slay arranged a news conference at the Richmond Childrens Museum in November 1991 back when the museum was housed in the old Navy Hill School near the Richmond Coliseum and announced, This is the first day of a war. Such a pronouncement might strike some as hyperbole but not to Slay, a Richmond public relations executive, whose 5-year-old son, Andrew, had been diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare and often fatal genetic disease affecting muscle strength and movement. This was the battle of his life. There was no cure for spinal muscular atrophy, and scientists still simply were trying to understand it. So Slay and his wife, Martha, formed an organization they called Andrews Buddies to raise money to help researchers. Their first goal was to raise $100,000 to purchase a DNA sequencer, so scientists could try to identify the faulty gene behind the disorder. Back then, the notion of a treatment was only a dream. But sometimes dreams come true. Just before Christmas, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to treat patients with spinal muscular atrophy. So much has happened, Slay said recently. I dont think any of us gave ourselves the freedom to think in our lifetime there would be any kind of treatment. It was always, Well, maybe But here we are. Its miraculous. This is not the top of the mountain, but it is a lovely scenic overlook. The drug, Nusinersen, which will be sold by Biogen under the brand name Spinraza, is incredibly expensive hundreds of thousands of dollars to cover the cost of multiple treatments per year. But based on clinical trials when injected into the fluid surrounding the spinal cord, the drug has the potential of increasing strength in some patients and halting the progression of the disease in others. Finally, families who have been longing desperately for a breakthrough have this drug to give them hope. There are discussions going on now with insurance companies, Slay said. I think there are good intentions all around, but itll take smart, good people to figure it out so that this can be brought to as many families as possible. There are issues to sort through, but its very exciting. Its quite a moment. The FDA approval wasnt a total surprise to the Slays, who have been aware of the clinical trials and knew federal approval was likely though perhaps not this quickly, as it turned out the FDA had fast-tracked the process. The Slays also were familiar with the drug itself since, in a way, they were there at the beginning. Andrews Buddies provided funding for Dr. Adrian Krainer in 2000, which helped his lab begin work on spinal muscular atrophy. Krainer, an authority on a cellular process called RNA splicing who is a professor at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Long Island, N.Y., had attended a workshop in 1999 where he became interested in focusing on spinal muscular atrophy. However, to begin work specifically on (spinal muscular atrophy), I needed some dedicated funding, and thats exactly what Andrews Buddies seed funding enabled, Krainer wrote in an email. They strongly encouraged me, and when I submitted an application they were extremely quick in arranging funding for it. That early work, said Krainer, who has become a regular at Andrews Buddies/FightSMA meetings, led to the development in collaboration with Ionis Pharmaceuticals of Nusinersen. Connecting the dots between Andrews Buddies/FightSMA and the creation of the new drug is precisely what Dr. Robert Leshner did on the other side of the continent in San Diego when he heard the news about the FDA approval. Now retired, Leshner is the pediatric neurologist who during his tenure at Virginia Commonwealth University diagnosed Andrew Slay before he was 2 years old and has remained close with the Slays and other families associated with FightSMA. I called Leshner and asked how soon after hearing the news did he think of the Slays. Within a half-second, he said. Its testimony to how a handful of very dedicated people can really make an incredible impact, said Leshner, who marveled at the way Andrews Buddies/FightSMA has been able to raise money, promote research and continue to move forward through all these years. I think the significance of that cant be overestimated. The Slays did things for the right reasons: no concept of self-importance, just an incredible passion for bringing together the brightest and the best to come up with answers. All the answers arent here yet, but theres been a giant step taken. Leshner said he considers himself blessed that he was here for this moment to see a dream realized. Andrews Buddies/FightSMA remains an all-volunteer, parent-led nonprofit. In a quarter-century, it has raised millions of dollars and has financed research at dozens of universities and research institutions around the world. Slay is quick to point out that many hands across the country have been involved in the effort: Lots of families and lots of organizations can feel good about this, and were one of them, he said. He also hastens to say the FDA news unleashed a torrent of emotions, not all of them tending toward pure joy. Weve lost a lot of kids, he said. I asked Slay if deep down, behind his brave face and throughout his familys relentless efforts, he truly thought he would see a treatment for spinal muscular atrophy in his lifetime. Ive never known quite what to think, he said. Youre always hopeful. But years go by, and you sort of adjust your sights. Sometimes it felt like it was going slowly, but its really been incredibly fast, all things considered. Its a nice accomplishment that weve all gotten to this place. And then theres this: The Slays son, Andrew, now is 30, living in Richmond and managing an investment fund. Hes doing great, and hes very keen on this, Joe Slay said of the new drug treatment. Hes interested in exploring it. Sunday was not a day to run out of firewood if youre depending on it to heat your home. With temperatures that had plunged to an overnight low of 4 degrees and the same expected Monday morning Project WARM made sure that four Richmond-area families had firewood on Sunday to heat their homes, in addition to eight homes that volunteers delivered to on Friday before the winter storm. There are a lot of needs in Richmond this is one way we can help, said Greg Blouch, who delivered wood with his daughter Lauren, 18, a senior at Douglas Freeman High School, to Sam Coleman, 64, a retiree in South Richmond. Coleman has an electric furnace in his home on Erich Court It will do it, but it cant do it, he said of its performance but burns wood in a stove 24/7 to keep the house warm. With the first snowfall done by Saturday afternoon and widespread progress in clearing roads by Sunday afternoon, the biggest concern now is extreme, single-digit temperatures that threaten to overload electricity lines and turn roadways into patches of black ice for early commuters. People are going to have to use extreme caution in the early morning and overnight, warned Henrico County Manager John A. Vithoulkas, who said Sunday afternoon that primary and secondary roads maintained by the county are in pretty good shape. The story is the same in Richmond, which had worked on clearing 80 percent of city streets by noon on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the storm dropped about 8 inches of snow on the area. City crews and contractors were continuing to clear neighborhood streets, but Richmond officials cautioned that melted snow on the streets would refreeze overnight, as did state transportation officials responsible for maintaining roads in Chesterfield and Hanover counties, and other outlying counties. We anticipate some refreezing as temperatures drop overnight, said Jessica Cowardin, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Transportation, who said icy roads Monday morning are a big concern of ours. For Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, the winter storm provided an opportunity to show his commitment to improving basic city services his first week in office. The difference is we prioritized the neighborhoods, said Jim Nolan, the mayors press secretary. You always have to deal with your primary and secondary roads, but we didnt want to neglect the neighborhoods. Richmond City Hall and the Henrico County administration will be open Monday for business, although Vithoulkas State of the County address scheduled for 7 a.m. Monday was postponed because of concerns about icy roads. Hanover County planned to open county offices Monday, though County Administrator Cecil R. Rhu Harris said Sunday evening that he hadnt decided when. Chesterfield County officials said Sunday evening that county government, including libraries and landfills, would open at 10:30 a.m. Monday but courts would be closed. However, public schools throughout the region will be closed Monday. A Richmond School Board work session was moved from Monday to Thursday evening. Roads have been treacherous since the storm began late Friday. From midnight on Friday night to 6 p.m. Sunday, Virginia State Police responded to 772 traffic crashes, including one that closed northbound Interstate 295 in eastern Henrico for hours on Sunday. Another crash early Sunday afternoon on southbound I-95 in Sussex County also caused a long traffic delay. State police also aided 1,234 disabled vehicles and responded to 3,928 calls for service. Police reported one fatal crash related to the weather. Ryan S. Spencer, 40, of Rochelle in Madison County, died at University of Virginia Medical Center from injuries he suffered shortly after noon on Saturday, when his 2010 Cadillac SRX spun out of control on Preddy Creek Road in Greene County, struck a parked vehicle, ran off the road and overturned into a creek. The vehicle Spencer struck had spun out of control on the same curve earlier, run off the road and into the creek, state police said. The driver and passenger of the first crash were transported to U.Va. Medical Center with minor injuries. The snowfall primarily affected a swath of Virginia from Hampton Roads through the Richmond region, but the cold has blanketed the state with temperatures that fell into low single digits overnight but never rose beyond 23 degrees in Richmond during the day. The low of 4 degrees around 4 a.m. Sunday was well above the record minus 8 degrees set on Jan. 8, 1942. But the forecast low Monday, again 4 degrees, was expected to be a little closer to the record of 1 degree, set in 1940. After a low in the teens on Tuesday morning, temperatures are expected to reach 40 degrees later in the day. After we get to Tuesday, well be out of the extreme cold, said Alec Butner, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Wakefield. In the meantime, Richmond will continue to operate an emergency shelter that housed more than 100 people overnight on Saturday and more than 80 the next day. The Henrico Sheriffs Department plans to take people without shelter into its lobby, and Vithoulkas said deputies are on alert to be on the lookout for anyone in need of these services. The Richmond region was generally spared widespread power outages during the storm, compared with Hampton Roads with about 260 Dominion Virginia Power customers without electricity in early afternoon, compared with more than 6,400 in Virginia Beach alone. By Sunday evening, the utility still had about 250 customers without power in Richmond, compared with about 900 in Virginia Beach, 500 in Chesapeake and fewer than 3,000 statewide. Elsewhere in the region, about 200 customers were without power in Henrico and about 80 in Chesterfield. The biggest trouble spot in Richmond was the Stratford Hills neighborhood in South Side, where 244 customers lost electricity at 11 a.m. on Sunday. Dominion worked to restore power into the evening after reducing the number of customers affected to about 200 earlier in the day. The problem was again caused by extreme cold, which drove up electricity demand and overloaded distribution equipment, in this case a fuse in overhead power lines. But while power outages exposed residents to the cold, others without financial resources rely on other ways to stay warm, which is where Project WARM plays its part. I know some people who dont even have an electric furnace, and they depend strictly on wood, said Blouch, a Henrico resident who has volunteered with his daughter to deliver firewood for seven years. The initiative began in 1976 when founder Lou Wilson heard a television news report about a woman burning clothes to keep her children warm. Wilson, a U.S. Navy veteran, began cutting, splitting and delivering wood with friends to needy families in the Richmond area. About 12 years later, he founded WARM Wood Association for Richmond Metro in cooperation with the Richmond Division of Urban Forestry, The Salvation Army of Richmond, and the Tuckahoe and Richmond Jaycees. Wilson died in May 2014, but the deliveries havent stopped. His wife, Mary Ann Wilson, helped deliver firewood on Friday to eight families in the region. This winter, Project WARM volunteers have delivered 12 to 15 cords of wood in the past seven weeks, according to Steve Allen, a volunteer since 1990 who coordinates the deliveries now. Allen made one of the deliveries on Sunday to a man in the East End who was about out of wood. Lauren Blouch began helping her father with firewood deliveries when she was in sixth grade. It really helps to put everything in perspective for me, she said. Former Richmond mayoral contender Jack Berry is planning a return to public service as interim assistant city manager of the financially troubled city of Petersburg, officials said Monday. Berry, who was mum about his future plans after finishing second to Levar Stoney in November, did not immediately respond to an interview request. He has signed on to a three-month, $30,000 contract without benefits, according to a city spokesman. Those close to the situation say it makes sense that Berry would lend his services to the beleaguered city administration, which is staffed with more than half a dozen interim directors and short-term workers with a Washington-based consulting group. The firms founder, Robert Bobb, was Berrys boss as city manager of Richmond, where Berry served as budget director and deputy city manager. He also spent six years as county manager of Hanover County before accepting leadership of Richmond Renaissance, the predecessor of Venture Richmond. Berry resigned his post at Venture Richmond last April before joining a crowded field of candidates to replace outgoing Mayor Dwight C. Jones. He came in second place in the most expensive Richmond mayoral contest in history, campaign finance data show. It was Berrys experience at Venture Richmond promoting economic development in the citys downtown and producing the Richmond Folk Festival, Friday Cheers and Dominion Riverrock that impressed Petersburg Mayor Samuel Parham. Parham said Monday that he had yet to speak with Berry but expected that he would focus on promoting Petersburg and boosting economic development. The ink is still wet on the contract, Parham said. We have never had (Berrys) type of leadership in Petersburg, and I am looking forward to the city benefiting from his experience. Clay Hamner, a contracted spokesman for Petersburg, said Berry was approached last week and said yes on Monday. Whether Berry will stay on is up in the air right now, Hamner said. The previous assistant city manager made $140,000 annually and received benefits, Hamner said. The city is currently recruiting an executive search firm to help fill more than half a dozen critical roles at City Hall. Employee turnover has been high in the wake of a fiscal crackdown precipitated by years of unbalanced budgets. Petersburg began the fiscal year July 1 about $19 million in arrears and $12 million over budget. The City Council voted to slash employee pay, cut money from schools and cancel a popular youth supper program to make up the difference. But those moves did not yield the savings anticipated this summer, officials with the Robert Bobb Group warned the council last week. Today, the citys governing body begins the hunt for more savings while planning for another grueling fiscal year. Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney has raised at least $45,000 over the past two weeks through a new political action committee, One Richmond, according to campaign finance reports filed with the state. One Richmond is currently focused on supporting various activities surrounding Mayor Stoneys inauguration, the PACs director, Mike Doerr, said. After the inauguration, the PAC will promote candidates and causes that are important to advancing Mayor Stoneys agenda on building a better City Hall, fighting crime and poverty, and advancing public education in Richmond. Under state campaign finance law, the committee wont have to file a full disclosure of its finances until April, but three of its donations triggered the states interim reporting requirements because of their size: $25,000 from Altria; $10,000 from the Richmond Association of Realtors political action committee; and $10,000 from G. Gilmer Minor, the former chairman of Owens & Minor. Minor was a supporter of Stoney during the campaign, donating $20,000, according to the Virginia Public Access Project, which tracks money in Virginia politics. Altria did not donate directly to any candidates during the mayoral race, but the companys CEO, Martin J. Barrington, donated $5,000 to Jack Berrys campaign, according to VPAP. Altrias donation to Stoney is five times larger than any prior donation it has made to a candidate for local office, according to VPAP. A spokesman for the company, Steve Callahan, said Altria wanted to support Stoneys inaugural celebration. As a corporate citizen in Richmond with thousands of employees in the area, we wanted to support the start of the new administration, he said. The Richmond Association of Realtors, which was a strong backer of Berry during the campaign, said its donation was likely the first of several. Initially, we contributed to help sponsor the inaugural activities, but we fully anticipate we will continue to contribute to the mayors PAC throughout his term in office, said the groups CEO, Laura Lafayette. The Realtors donated in excess of $25,000 to Berry over the course of his campaign. Lafayette said she met with Stoney last week. Investigators are looking into a shooting that happened Sunday afternoon in Richmond. Richmond police Capt. Emmett Williams said that when units arrived at the 2600 block of Harold Avenue, they found a man shot several times. The units were responding to a call made at 3 p.m. January 10, 2017 Why Did Obama, Kerry and the U.N. Think Its OK to Attack Israel (Again)? Dear Friend of FLAME: I dont know about you, but sometimes the world is so consistentlyand so outrageouslylopsided against Israel, I start feeling that anti-Israel (and anti-Semitic) behavior by the worlds players is somehow normal. It certainly is usual. Thank goodness the U.S. House of Representatives reminded us that there are some just and honorable people in this world. In an overwhelmingly bipartisan 342-80 vote , the House resolved to oppose the anti-Israel U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which President Obama allowed to pass several weeks ago by having the U.S. abstain. The House Resolution also puts the body on record standing against any further U.N. resolutions that impose or presume solutions to the Israel-Palestinian conflict before the two parties agree to them through negotiations. Of course, Congress had already communicated that sentiment to the President, who ignored it perfunctorily. The astounding disconnect afflicting Obama and Secretary of State Kerry is that they blame Israeland its settlementsfor the lack of a peace agreement with the Palestinians. On the other hand, nearly all Congressional members and prominent Middle East negotiators conclude that the Palestinians are the roadblock and that settlements are a mere asterisk to be dealt with in negotiations. Clearly Mssrs. Obama and Kerry refuse to connect the dots that lucidly show why an Israel-Palestinian peace is currently impossible for four glaring reasons: 1. The Palestinians refuse to accept the presence of a Jewish state and refuse to give up the right for up to 5 million ancestors of Arab refugees (from 1947) to return to a landIsraelmost have never set foot in. Such an influx of Arabs would de facto eliminate Israels Jewish majority . . . and effectively the Jewish state. 2. There is no unified Palestinian government that can agree to peace with Israel, since the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank, run by Mahmoud Abbas, is irreconcilably separated from the terrorist Hamas militants who rule Gaza and openly vow to destroy the State of Israel. 3. Mahmoud Abbas, now almost 82 years old , in the 11th year of a four-year presidency and increasingly unpopular among his people, has groomed no successor to his reign, guaranteeing political chaos will ensue when he dies or becomes unable to serve. 4. The Palestinians steadfastly refuse to negotiate peace with Israel, despite all efforts of Mr. Kerry and Israels acquiescing in 2010 to a 10-month moratorium on settlement building. With all these compelling reasonsand many moreexplaining why peace is impossible due to Palestinian recalcitrance and dysfunction, why do Obama and Kerry and so many nations at the U.N. continue to beat up on and blame Israel? To get an answer, I encourage you to read the concise article below by the brilliant classicist and historian with the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, Victor Davis Hanson. Mr. Hanson provides an emperor-has-no-clothes explanation for the disproportionate hate Israel receives in the world. Most importantly, this article will prepare you to explain to others why, in the face of all the unconscionable terrorism, torture and slaughter that people suffer globally, the worlds nations choose obsessively to condemn Israels building of houses in a part of its ancestral homeland. Finally, I hope youll also quickly review the P.S. immediately below, which describes FLAMEs current hasbarah campaign to expose the Palestinians funding of Islamic terrorists using U.S. taxpayer dollars. Best regards, Jim Sinkinson President, Facts and Logic About the Middle East (FLAME) P.S. Did you know: By subsidizing the corrupt Palestinian Authority (P.A.) with aid of some $400 million taxpayer dollars a year, the U.S. is also funding the P.A.s program of paying salaries to Palestinian terrorists who have killed innocent Americans and Israelis? In order to make Americansespecially college and university studentsaware of this Palestinian practice of rewarding jihadi assailants and murderers with U.S. funds, FLAME has just begun publishing a new position paper: U.S. Funds Palestinian Terrorism This paid editorial is appearing in magazines and newspapers, including college newspapers, with a combined readership of some 10 million people. In addition, it is being sent to every member of the U.S. Congress and President Obama and President-elect Trump. If you agree that this kind of public relations effort on Israel's behalf is critical, I urge you to support us. Remember: FLAME's powerful ability to influence public opinionand U.S. support of Israelcomes from individuals like you, one by one. I hope you'll consider giving a donation now, as you're ablewith $500, $250, $100, or even $18. (Remember, your donation to FLAME is tax deductible.) To donate online, just go to donate now. Now more than ever we need your support to ensure that the American people and the U.S. Congress end our support of blatantly anti-Semitic, global jihadist organizations. As of today, more than 15,000 Israel supporters receive the FLAME Hotline at no charge every week. If youre not yet a subscriber, wont you join us in receiving these timely updates, so you can more effectively tell the truth about Israel ? Just go to free subscription. Why the sudden hatred of Israel? The Jewish state is a stand-in for Jews in a revival of anti-Semitism By Victor Hanson Davis, Washington Times, January 4, 2017 Secretary of State John Kerry, echoing other policymakers in the Obama administration, blasted Israel last week in a 70-minute rant about its supposedly self-destructive policies. Why does the worldincluding now the United Statessingle out liberal and lawful Israel but refrain from chastising truly illiberal countries? Mr. Kerry has never sermonized for so long about his plan to solve the Syrian crisis that has led to some 500,000 deaths or the vast migrant crisis that has nearly wrecked the European Union. No one in this administration has shown as much anger about the many thousands who have been killed and jailed in the Castro brothers Cuba, much less about the current Stone Age conditions in Venezuela or the nightmarish government of President Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, an ally nation. President Obama did not champion the cause of the oppressed during the Green Revolution of 2009 in Iran. Did Mr. Kerry and Mr. Obama become so outraged after Russia occupied South Ossetia, Crimea and eastern Ukraine? Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power was never so impassioned over the borders of Chinese-occupied Tibet, or over Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. In terms of harkening back to the Palestinian refugee crisis that started in the late 1940s, no one talks today in similar fashion about the Jews who survived the Holocaust and walked home, only to find that their houses in Eastern Europe were gone or occupied by others. Much less do we recall the 11 million German civilians who were ethnically cleansed from Eastern Europe in 1945 by the Soviets and their imposed Communist governments. Certainly, there are not still refugee camps outside Dresden for those persons displaced from East Prussia 70 years ago. More recently, few nations at the U.N. faulted the Kuwaiti government for the expulsion of 200,000 Palestinians after the liberation of Kuwait by coalition forces in 1991. Yet on nearly every issuefrom settlements to human rights to the status of womenU.N. members who routinely violate human rights target a liberal Israel. When Mr. Obama entered office, among his first acts were to give an interview with the Saudi-owned news outlet Al Arabiya championing his outreach to the mostly non-democratic Islamic world and to blast democratic Israel on settlements. Partly, the reason for such inordinate criticism of Israel is sheer cowardice. If Israel had 100 million people and was geographically large, the world would not so readily play the bully. Instead, the United Nations and Europe would likely leave it alonejust as they give a pass to human rights offenders such as Pakistan and Indonesia. If Israel were as big as Iran, and Iran as small as Israel, then the Obama administration would have not reached out to Iran, and would have left Israel alone. Israels supposed Western friends sort out Israels enemies by their relative natural resources, geography and populationand conclude that supporting Israel is a bad deal in cost-benefit terms. Still, about 40 percent of the worlds oil is sold by Persian Gulf nations. Influential nations in Europe and China continue to count on oil imports from the Middle Eastand make political adjustments accordingly. Partly, anti-Israel rhetoric is due to herd politics. The Palestiniansilliberal and reactionary on cherished Western issues like gender equality, homosexuality, religious tolerance and diversityhave grafted their cause to the popular campus agendas of race/class/gender victimization. Western nations in general do not worry much about assorted non-Western crimes such as genocides, mass cleansings or politically induced famines. Instead, they prefer sermons to other Westerners as a sort of virtue-signaling, without any worries over offending politically correct groups. Partly, the piling on Israel is due to American leverage over Israel as a recipient of U.S. aid. As a benefactor, the Obama administration expects that Israel must match U.S. generosity with obeisance. Yet the U.S. rarely gives similar how dare you lectures to less liberal recipients of American aid, such as the Palestinians for their lack of free elections. Partly, the cause of global hostility toward Israel is jealousy. If Israel were mired in Venezuela-like chaos, few nations would care. Instead, the image of a proud, successful, Westernized nation as an atoll in a sea of self-inflicted misery is grating to many. And the astounding success of Israel bothers so many failed states that the entire world takes notice. But partly, the source of anti-Israelism is ancient anti-Semitism. If Israelis were Egyptians administering Gaza or Jordanians running the West Bank (as during the 1960s), no one would care. The worlds problem is that Israelis are Jews. Thus, Israel earns negative scrutiny that is never extended commensurately to others. Mr. Obama and his diplomatic team should have known all this. Perhaps they do, but they simply do not care. HOME SUBSCRIBE DONATE PR FOR ISRAEL HOTLINE ARCHIVE ABOUT CONTACT US THIS MONTH'S AD APPEARED IN PUBLICATIONS REACHING 10 MILLION READERS IF YOU SUPPORT PUBLISHING FLAME'S BOLD PR MESSAGES, PLEASE HELP US!! FLAME is the only organization that defends Israel with paid editorial hasbarah messages placed in media nationwide every month: The dire threats from Iran, Hamas and Hizbollah, the injustice of BDS, Palestinian anti-Semitism and more. If you support a bold voice that tells the truth about Israel in American media, please donate now. FLAME'S WEEKLY HOTLINE E-NEWSLETTER FLAME's Hotline e-newsletter keeps you up to date on the most important pro-Israel advocacy issues and features our choice of the week's most informative and thought-provoking article on Israel and the Middle East. If you only subscribe to one pro-Israel news service, make it the FLAME Hotline. After more than four decades of political history and histrionics the General Assembly Building has reached its final chapter. The building a patchwork of four structures now riddled with asbestos, mold and other hazards will host its final session of the Virginia General Assembly beginning Wednesday. With the exception of a historic facade facing Capitol Square, the building will be demolished later this year to make way for a new home for the legislature, its agencies and the visiting public. I get to take the first sledgehammer to it, joked Senate Clerk Susan C. Schaar, who is overseeing the project with her counterpart, House Clerk G. Paul Nardo. The replacement of the building is part of an estimated $300 million project that also will include construction of a parking deck on the opposite corner of North Ninth and East Broad streets and the renovation of Old City Hall facing Capitol Square. The project was delayed almost a year because of political skirmishes between legislators and Gov. Terry McAuliffe, who did not want to finance it in 2014 until the assembly approved expansion of health insurance coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act. The governor eventually allowed planning of the project to begin in 2015, but the project was briefly caught up in another political showdown over a multibillion-dollar bond package last year. While the General Assembly Building still has its defenders and admirers, legislative leaders describe the structure as a health and safety hazard to the public, as well as the hundreds of state employees who work there year-round. If it was a private building, the fire department would have closed it, said state Sen. Frank M. Ruff Jr., R-Mecklenburg. There was no understanding how dangerous it is. Legislators intend to preserve the historic facade of a bank constructed in 1912, the oldest of four structures built through 1965 and then combined in 1976 to house the General Assembly and legislative agencies that had been in the old Hotel Richmond on the other side of North Ninth Street. Were hopeful well be able to integrate the facade into the new building, said House Appropriations Chairman S. Chris Jones, R-Suffolk. Preservationists welcomed the states plan to save the facade, as well as provide for offices, if not retail space, at the street level of the new parking deck. Its just a critical spot for the city and Capitol Square, said Trip Pollard, director of the land and community program of the Southern Environmental Law Center, one of four preservation organizations that have lobbied for the changes to the original state plan for the project to better incorporate it into its historic urban setting. The project will be the linchpin of a major overhaul of the buildings that surround the Virginia Capitol, which reopened in 2007 after restoration and a major expansion. The state already has restored the Hotel Richmond, now known as the Ninth Street Office Building and home of the Office of the Attorney General, which moved last summer from the Pocahontas Building on the south side of the square. The Virginia Lottery also moved out of the Pocahontas Building, between Bank Street and East Main Street, at the end of last year, clearing the way for crews to begin demolishing interior walls and renovating the building to accommodate the legislature and its full-time agencies, with the exception of the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission. JLARC, the legislatures watchdog agency, will move to leased space in the SunTrust Building on East Main Street, while the Pocahontas Building will house the Division of Legislative Automated Services, the Division of Legislative Services, the House Appropriations and Senate Finance committees, as well as the House and Senate clerks staffs. The news media also will have space in the temporary quarters, as well as in the new General Assembly Building. The assemblys food services operation will not be replicated at the Pocahontas Building, but legislative agencies staff 225 to 250 people will use the SunTrust cafeteria, which Schaar said will be operated by Meriwethers, the current operator of a cafe in the Capitol. When the Capitol was closed for renovations, the assembly simply moved the Senate and House chambers to the former Library of Virginia, now known as the Patrick Henry Building and home to the governors office. The Capitol was a much easier project, said Schaar, who oversaw it. It didnt involve as many people. In contrast, the General Assembly project will involve 140 legislators and their staffs, and the creation of committee meeting rooms for each chamber at the Pocahontas Building, as well as one large meeting room for the money committees. The legislature also will use meeting rooms in the underground annex of the Capitol for committee meetings. Now we have to execute the move down the hill, Nardo said. The move will not begin until after the assembly completes its session in late February and the reconvened, or veto, session in April. The goal will be to complete the move over the summer what Nardo called the hiatus between Memorial Day and Labor Day so that the Division of Legislative Services is prepared to begin drafting bills for members next fall. The details of the new building have not been decided, but the clerks say it will be designed to better accommodate the public, which visits by the thousands during legislative sessions to participate in the lawmaking process, as well as the needs of part-time legislators and full-time agency staffs. I think people are excited about a building that is actually designed for the legislative process, Schaar said. In contrast, the current building poses practical problems in addition to the health and safety concerns outlined in a consultants report that warned four years ago that the state could be forced to shut the building down suddenly especially if asbestos infiltrated the heating, ventilation and cooling system. Subcommittee meeting rooms are few and cramped. Pillars block views in committee rooms, which also are too small for the largest crowds. The cafeteria is on the sixth floor, requiring an elevator ride, if one is available on busy days, unless people want to climb a narrow staircase. One side of the building is too hot, and the other too cold. What were building is going to be a much more functional building with adequate public space, said Jones, the appropriations chairman. The schedule for the project puts demolition of the building first, followed by construction of the new building and parking garage and then the renovation of Old City Hall. All of the work is expected to be completed by 2021, so the General Assembly can move into its new home after that years legislative sessions. In addition to the return of the legislative agencies, the plan calls for Virginia Capitol Police to move into the new building from the agencys current quarters in the Washington Office Building. Elizabeth S. Kostelny, CEO of Preservation Virginia, said it is important for the replacement for the General Assembly Building to have the quality, character and scale of the existing buildings because this is a gateway into the Capitol Square area. Its a lovely oasis right there in the middle of the city, Kostelny said of the Capitol Square complex. It also reflects our values as Virginians as to how the square is maintained and designed. Nardo said the project, as well as the renovation of the Capitol and other buildings around the square, shows that the General Assembly is taking their stewardship seriously. Editor's note: Two numbers in the following column - based on data reported in Old Dominion Universitys State of the Commonwealth Report - need updating. Virginias economy actually grew at 2 percent in 2015, according to revised estimates, ranking the state as tied for 18th place in economic growth 2014-2015 among the 50 states, rather than 33rd place, as reported. Virginia is in an economic slump. Old Dominion University recently released its State of the Commonwealth Report, showing that Virginias economy grew at only 1.4 percent in 2015. This ranks us 33rd in terms of economic growth among the 50 states. It was also the fourth straight year our real economic growth has been below 2 percent. Reversing this trend should be at the top of the General Assemblys to-do list in 2017. A massive amount of regulations, mandates and good old-fashioned red tape is holding our economy back. There are many examples of regulation run amok. Take, for instance, occupational licensing: essentially government-mandated permission slips for dozens of jobs. The Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation website lists 45 broad occupation categories for which the state requires licenses. One business in Virginia that faces burdensome regulations is the popular blow dry bars. These salons dont use any chemicals or cut hair they just blow dry it. Yet the state requires a blow dry stylist to have a cosmetology license, which includes up to 1,500 hours of training before taking written and practical exams. There are other costs: The average tuition at an accredited cosmetology school in Virginia is $14,887. When all is said and done, a blow dry stylist will have a license in a profession that earns a national average of roughly $20,000 a year. Reducing red tape in the state can make it easier for businesses and entrepreneurs to start new endeavors and expand existing ones. Theres proof of that in the food truck industry, which was once beset by restrictions prohibiting food trucks from selling on roads owned by the commonwealth. The issue was resolved in 2015 when Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed a bill authorizing food trucks to operate on Virginia-owned streets, so long as they followed local ordinances and obtained permission from the appropriate stakeholders. Local bed and breakfasts overcame their own regulatory hurdles. Guests were allowed to consume privately purchased alcohol in their rented rooms, but it was unclear whether Virginias liquor laws permitted consuming beverages in shared spaces such as the living room or porch. To make matters worse, the original rule was interpreted and enforced differently across Virginia. The General Assembly passed a clarification in 2015, after a bed and breakfast in York County applied for an ABC liquor license. These are the types of efforts our state lawmakers need to continue making to boost Virginias struggling economy, but there is much more that needs to be addressed. Fortunately, two lawmakers in the House of Delegates already have some ideas to reduce regulation in Virginia. Dels. Michael Webert and Nick Freitas drafted legislation that takes a commonsense approach to cut the red tape Virginias small businesses face. The Red Tape Reduction Act (HB1564) proposes for every new regulatory requirement a law or an agency creates, agency officials would have to identify at least two other regulatory requirements that could be eliminated. The act calls for agencies to total the number of requirements imposed through regulations. After establishing a baseline, agencies are tasked with reducing overall regulatory requirements by 35 percent. Once that threshold is met, agency officials must eliminate one regulatory requirement for every new requirement. The legislations goal is a zero-net increase in state regulatory requirements, eventually leading to an overall reduction in state regulation. Webert and Freitas got the idea from British Columbia, Canada, where the province has been purging regulations since 2001. Poor economic performance drove British Columbias decision to reduce red tape. Between 1994 and 2001, before the initiative, the provinces economic growth was 1.9 percent lower than the Canadian average. Following the implementation of the initiative, the provinces economic growth jolted to 1.1 percent above the Canadian average between 2002 and 2006. As the General Assembly looks for ways to encourage economic growth in the commonwealth, the Red Tape Reduction Act is a great start. Reducing, not implementing, regulation should be standard practice in Virginia. In turn, more Virginians will achieve success and make our state a great place to live. *** Suggestions for cutting red tape and regulatory requirements may be submitted at https://cutredtapevirginia.com. Feb. 20 is deadline to enter STEM essays for contest RICHMOND Gov. Terry McAuliffes office has set Feb. 20 as the deadline for the annual STEM Essay Contest. The contest, in its sixth year, was established by the Virginia Council on Women for female students who plan to pursue STEM careers in college. Applicants must be a junior or senior in high school and hold at least a 2.5 GPA. The council will award at least five $5,000 scholarships. Essays will be judged by a panel of council members and individuals who hold a degree in or work in STEM fields. Winners will be notified by March 27. The scholarship awards will be presented at a reception at Virginias Executive Mansion in the spring. Applications and guidelines are available at http://tinyurl.com/zzespxx. Engineering dean will be first NAI fellow from VCU RICHMOND Barbara D. Boyan, dean of the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Engineering, will be inducted as a 2016 National Academy of Inventors fellow. The NAIs selection committee elected Boyan to the rank of fellow because she has demonstrated a highly prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development and the welfare of society, wrote NAI President Paul R. Sanberg in a letter announcing Boyans election. Boyan holds 22 U.S. patents and multiple international patents. Her inventions focus on innovative ways to treat musculoskeletal defects by harnessing the bodys own regenerative potential. Notable examples include a micro-nanoscale surface technology for dental and spine implants, as well as a biodegradable implant for regenerating bone and cartilage. Boyan, who will become the first NAI fellow from VCU, is also a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She is a past president of the Orthopedic Device Panel of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the author of more than 460 peer-reviewed papers, reviews and book chapters. Boyan will be inducted April 6 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston. Henrico will hold job fair in hopes of hiring bus drivers HENRICO Henrico County Public Schools is looking for full-time and substitute bus drivers and will hold a job fair Tuesday. Representatives from the districts Human Resources and Pupil Transportation departments will meet at the Varina Area Library branch of the county library with anyone interested in the position. Candidates must be at least 21 years old; have a high school diploma or equivalent; have a valid Virginia drivers license; obtain a CDL instructional permit or hold a CDL Class B permit with endorsements in transporting passengers, school bus and air brakes; pass a physical and drug test; and have no felony convictions. The job fair is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Applicants are encouraged to apply online in advance at www.henricoschools.us/careers. A Place for All Conservatives to Speak Their Mind. BEDFORD When one of Central Virginias most closely watched criminal trials in years opens later this month in Bedford County, so will an old legal can of worms: how the often confusing case law on Virginias death penalty affects the sentencing if jurors return a guilty verdict. Prosecutors want the option kept on the table to put Lloyd Lee Michael Welch Jr. to death if he is convicted in the murders of Sheila and Katherine Lyon, two young sisters who disappeared en route to a Maryland shopping mall in 1975. But the legal defense for Welch, a former carnival worker with ties to Bedford County, cried foul in legal papers filed months ahead of the trial. First his lawyers called for Virginias death penalty to be declared unconstitutional. His attorneys also said even if it stands, the punishment cannot be used on Welch due to the legal status of the death penalty in Virginia at the time the alleged crimes were committed. Welch, 60, faces two charges of first-degree murder in a trial scheduled to begin April 18 in Bedford County Circuit Court. He is accused of abducting the sisters on or around March 25, 1975 and eventually killing them and disposing of their bodies in Bedford County. The bodies have never been found. Welch also was indicted in December on an unrelated charge of rape involving a 6-year-old girl in northern Virginia in 1996. That indictment charged him with rape, aggravated sexual battery, indecent liberties and object sexual penetration. While he faces prosecution in Prince William County on those charges, the murder charges are still pending in Central Virginia. Lawyers in Bedford County have spent hours in recent months making arguments before Judge James Updike , who will preside over the April trial, on pre-trial motions affecting the proceedings. Welchs lawyer in the murder case who filed the motion to strike the death penalty, Aaron Houchens, of Moneta, did not return a call seeking comment. The judge already has ruled out declaring the death penalty unconstitutional, but signaled he would consider a motion saying it could not be used in the Welch case. Both sides will argue over Supreme Court rulings and Virginia case law on capital punishment, reviving hotly contested legal issues. At its core the defense says the death penalty was unconstitutional throughout the United States at the time of the alleged offenses. They pointed in court papers to a 1972 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Furman v. Georgia, and a later state decision, Huggins v. Commonwealth, which applied the high court decision to the state statute. Due to these decisions, Virginias death penalty statute from March to April 1975 when the alleged offenses took place was unconstitutional, they argued. Virginia later in 1975 amended state law to align it with the court decisions, reinstating the death penalty, but that was effective after the alleged crimes, they said. Using it retroactively, Welchs lawyers argued, would be unconstitutional ex post facto law. Based on the legal status of Virginias death penalty at the time of the Lyon sisters vanishing, the maximum penalty the defendant is eligible to receive is life imprisonment if convicted, Welchs attorneys said in their motion to strike the death penalty. Responding in court filings, the commonwealth argued the statute which outlawed the crime was still in place and enforceable at the time of the alleged offenses. Calling up their own case law, prosecutors cited two cases regarding the death penalty in which courts upheld the punishment. Jewelry holding Ringo, founded in 1993 in Ekaterinburg is one of the leaders in the Russian jewelry market, having an extensive customer base, a modern integrated manufacturing facility comprising all the cycles of jewelry making, from generating creative concepts and designs to their technological implementation, backed by a wide network of signature boutiques. The company has a certificate of the Russian Jewelry Trade Club awarded to the "Industry Movement Leader" for high quality and modern design and many diplomas received at large industry and international exhibitions. The Ringo brand is represented in all major cities of Russia and abroad. It is one of the ten best jewelry brands in Russia, having at its disposal some well recognizable designer-made collections, like the "Russian Princess," "Lotus," "Stars," or "Million." Nadezhda Yalunina, the holdings Creative Director answers the questions from Rough&Polished, telling about how her company manages to keep abreast of things, about the brands latest collections, urgent problems and plans for the future. At the last JUNWEX Jewelry Show your collections impressed both exhibitors and visitors - in particular, the organizers highlighted your presentation of the Moon Blossom Necklace worth 30 million rubles. The Moon Blossom Necklace-and-Collar is a striking achievement of our designer Anna Vaganova, and it was effectively presented by Vera Biryukova, a free callisthenics star. It took one year and a half to make it. The transformer-collar is of unusual shape and has lots of fixed stones, which are able to move and then catch your eye producing special light radiance. It is graced with flowers made of precious stones and diamond dew drops. Jewelry demand fell by 15-20% this year. But your business seems to be looking well. What kind of measures do you take to weather out the downturn? Jewelry holding Ringo is operating under the same conditions as the rest of the jewelry community in Russia. Of course, as any other market stakeholders, we are facing financial difficulties. But we have already lived through so many downturns just take for example the 1990s - that it seems we cannot develop our business under greenhouse conditions. And we have so many vaccinations done, that we have an excellent immunity. To solve the problems, which are arising all the time, we resort to management measures, including cost-cutting. We have become more selective while seeking partners - from suppliers of precious stones and metals to exhibition organizers and stand developers. Your holding company has its own design studio. How much does this contribute to attract customers? We do pay special attention to the creative component of our business and jewelry craftsmanship. Our design studio brings together art designers, 3D modelers and jewelry designers, all of them being graduates of the leading educational institutions located in Ekaterinburg and in other parts of Russia. They visit global jewelry forums, they improve their professional level while training in Italy, France and other countries and they monitor the latest jewelry fashion trends. It is also important that our production facilities involve a full production cycle, so it is possible to trace the quality from beginning to end. We employ more than 300 professional craftsmen, who are using the most modern equipment and processing platform for designing and manufacturing jewelry, including rhodium plating, ruthenium plating, satin finishing, roll printing, sandblasting - not to mention the classic methods, such as filigree or diamond dusting. What are the important tasks now facing the jewelry business community? As you know, the jewelry industry in our country is one of a few unsubsidized industries. Even in this difficult recession time, Russian jewelers continue to develop the rich traditions of the Russian jewelry art and achieve international success, winning first prizes at international exhibitions. But despite this partial success, most jewelry companies have a hard time, as many of them are experiencing financial pressure and some even ceased to exist. Russia-based companies are prevented from entering global markets on full scale due to lack of support from the state. This business has always developed without any government policy. But it is so specific and requires large capital investments (as it is completely tied to raw materials) for a long term to pay back. Meanwhile, gold prices in the market are going up, while diamonds are growing in price even faster - and all the associated purchases are borne by the jewelry manufacturer. That said, it should be noted that the shortest time needed to produce a jewelry piece is at least one month, and we must also keep it in mind that it takes then from six months to a year to sell it. The jewelers money is "frozen" for several months. It is clear that the jewelry business cannot be elevated to the rank of a national project, because in general it is interesting to a narrow segment of people. And we produce goods, which are far from being called essentials, for they are luxury. Nevertheless, the jewelry business exists in the countries where it is first of all supported by the state and where it is practiced for a long time - in Italy, Thailand or India. If the Russian jewelry industry will continue to develop on its own account, it will not be easy for our goods to become competitive in the global market. But what about the export-oriented strategy pursued by the jewelry industry? The country's leadership has recently become more inclined to dialogue with jewelry industry stakeholders and the recent decisions taken by the government confirm this. Reaching out to export markets is in the first place a new growth point for any company. The search for new markets in the current economic situation allows companies to save and even, if their work is competent, increase their profit. Do you plan to expand your international clientele? Our company is in the third year of proactive search for new overseas buyers, while deepening its ties with the existing foreign customers. Outside of Russia, our jewelry can be purchased in Kazakhstan, Estonia and Belarus. Every year we take part in the world's largest jewelry exhibitions in Basel, Hong Kong and Dubai. Last year, our jewelry pieces were shown in Beijing. Ringo is often using diamonds, despite the downturn. Is it cost-effective, taking into account that many jewelers are in fact switching over to cheaper materials. Is it difficult to buy diamonds nowadays? Each time, while creating a new jewelry piece or a new collection, Ringo remains true to its motto: "We are creating a new diamond design." Over 23 years, despite the crisis situations in the economy, we turn to experienced gemologists to select high-quality diamonds for us to maintain smooth operation of the holdings jewelry production. The Russian system of gem assessment differs from the international system. When some people say that diamonds having higher characteristics are priced cheaper in Moscow than Ringos low-end goods, what does it means? It explicitly means that such diamonds were brought here avoiding official channels, by way of shadow market schemes or pure speculation. Meanwhile, only a few companies are engaged in real production, first of all, unaided and, secondly, here in Russia, and you may count their number by the fingers of your hand. Foreign jewelers generally believe that it is impossible to work using only diamonds, which have high characteristics, but consumers in Russia want the best diamonds - and get them. Since diamonds outside Russia are assessed using different standards, they are also processed differently. Scientists have proved that the ideal diamond cut has 57 facets and only in this case the diamond begins to produce "fire". But how does a foreign craftsman work? Having a gray and slightly transparent one-carat stone on his hands, he knows that if he makes of it a diamond weighing 0.9 carats, he will certainly be paid more money. Therefore, while cutting it he does not comply with the geometric standards to keep the stone mass intact. And our craftsmen work in compliance with all the pertinent technical and geometric standards. Therefore, they get a polished diamond weighing 0.5 carats out of a rough diamond weighing one carat, while the remainder is used to manufacture small-size diamonds or just discarded as waste. Therefore, Russian diamonds are considered to have higher clarity. What kind of diamonds are you using? In our products, we use diamonds of high-quality cut (to accept such stones for jewelry production we proceed from the All-Russia State Standards and Technical Requirements). We also resort to certification in case of large-size diamonds, including the GIA certification. In addition to the classic colors and cuts we use fancy cuts, as for example, the Asher-cut diamond in the Faith Ring belonging to the jewelry triad of "Faith. Hope. Love." Could you share your plans for the future? We will continue to please our customers with new collections and maintain our jewelry lines appealing to our customers. In addition, we are looking forward to take part in Russian and international exhibitions, presentations and other events. I have always viewed the jewelry business to be the longest and toughest way of earning money, but my idea is that we create jewelry that will remain after us. Galina Semyonova for Rough&Polished After the Indian government allowed diamonds and a few more products for trading on exchange platform the country about three months ago, the Indian Commodity Exchange Ltd (ICEX) is in the final stages of launching diamond contracts that will allow even individuals to trade in diamonds. The final approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is expected soon and a formal launch is likely by March. Investors will be able to choose from three different monthly contracts for diamonds weighing 0.30-0.49 carats, 0.50-0.69 carats and 1-1.09 carats. ICEX, the Reliance Capital-promoted exchange, which has MMTC, Indiabulls Housing Finance and IDFC as major shareholders, has also tied up with International Institute of Diamond Grading and Research (IIDGR), a 100 per cent subsidiary of De Beers, for grading and packing of the diamonds. Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished Three robbers broke into a jewelry wholesaler's shop in New York shortly after the New Year to steal around $6 million in gems. The suspects have not been apprehended yet. Police said the thieves without doubt planned the heist to coincide with the first minutes of New Year's Day. The thieves entered through a freight entrance to the sixth floor business and then used a hammer and crow bar to break a lock to get into a room containing four safes, reports said. They took diamond-set and 18K gold bracelets, earrings and necklaces from two of the safes which were either open or to which the burglars knew the combination. They put the jewelry in backpacks and made their getaway. Theodor Lisovoy, Rough&Polished, Moscow Lawsuits filed against Volkswagen by the states of New York and Massachusetts accuse Schmidt of playing a key role in Volkswagens efforts to conceal its emissions cheating from US regulators. Volkswagen declined to comment on the reported arrest. Schmidt is expected to be brought before court in Detroit on Monday. A similar action was taken in June 2016 in South Korea: the Seoul District Court issued an arrest warrant for a director at Volkswagen Korea on charges of violating local environment laws and fabrication of documents. Volkswagen admitted that software to cheat on diesel emissions tests was installed in some 11 million vehicles worldwide, triggering investigations in countries including U.S. and South Korea. In reality, the vehicles emitted up to 40 times the legally allowable pollution levels. The emissions- cheating big scandal affected the Volkswagens company reputation in the world. VW officials are not attending this years Detroit auto show, which is taking place this week. CTA The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) has received a commitment of approximately $1.07 billion in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportations (USDOT) Federal Transit Administration (FTA) to support phase one of its Red and Purple Modernization Project. The grant funding will enable the CTA to reconstruct a section of the rail lines on the citys north side and boost capacity on one of the CTAS busiest corridors. For the past eight years, the Obama Administration has been committed to investing in transportation infrastructure projects that will help more Americans access jobs and new opportunities, said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. Thats why we are proud to support the Red and Purple Modernization Project, which will bring better transit service to thousands of Chicagoans who take the train to work, school and other destinations throughout the region. The project scope entails track improvements to be made north of the Belmont Station to ease congestion at a connection point for the Red, Purple and Brown lines. The CTA also plans to rebuild and expand four stations to address current and projected demand, in addition to completing upgrades to the power, track and signal systems. The transit authority will also purchase 32 new railcars. FTA is awarding highly competitive grant funds for this project because there is a clear need for transit improvements in this busy, crowded corridor, said FTA Acting Administrator Carolyn Flowers. When completed, this project will make a big difference for CTA riders with increased service, less crowding aboard trains, and better waiting conditions at larger reconstructed stations. Flowers made the announcement to commit the funds during a Jan. 9 ceremony along with Senator Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, CTA representatives and additional local officials. This historic funding agreement for the Red and Purple Lines is great news for CTA customers, because we can now move forward with one of the biggest modernization projects in CTA history and follow through with our promise to reduce crowding and increase station accessibility, said CTA President Dorval R. Carter, Jr. I thank Sen. Durbin and our Congressional leaders, Mayor Emanuel and the City Council, Acting FTA Administrator Carolyn Flowers and the countless others for their vision and support of this project. The USDOT is providing approximately $1.07 billion toward the projects total cost of $2.067 billion. Federal funds being used include a core capacity construction grant agreement for $956.61 million through the FTAs Capital Investment Grant (CIG) Program, and approximately $116 million through the Departments Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program. The CIG funds will be allocated throughout a period of nine years on an annual payment schedule, which will also be subject to Congressional approval during the yearly appropriations process. Industrial production and foreign trade figures from Germany and unemployment from euro area are due on Monday, headlining a busy day for the European economic news. At 2.00 am ET, Destatis is slated to issue Germany's industrial production and foreign trade data for November. Industrial production is forecast to rise 0.7 percent on month in November following a 0.3 percent rise in October. Germany's exports are expected to gain 0.5 percent on a monthly basis, the same pace of growth as seen in October. In the meantime, industrial output figures are due from the Turkish Statistical Institute. Economists forecast production to grow 3.6 percent annually in November. At 2.30 am ET, the Bank of France publishes sentiment data. The corresponding index is seen unchanged at 101 in December. At 3.00 am ET, Hungary's preliminary foreign trade data is due. The trade surplus is seen falling to EUR 830 million in November from EUR 903 million in October. At 3.15 am ET, Switzerland's retail sales data for November is due. Sales had fallen 0.5 percent in October. At 3.30 am ET, U.K. Halifax house price data is due. Economists forecast prices to climb 0.3 percent on month in December after rising 0.2 percent in November. At 4.30 am ET, Eurozone Sentix investor sentiment data is due. The indicator is expected to improve to 12 in January from 10 in December. At 5.00 am ET, Eurostat is scheduled to issue unemployment data for November. The euro area jobless rate is seen unchanged at 9.8 in November. 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. Finland's foreign trade deficit decreased in November from a year ago, as exports grew faster than imports, preliminary figures from Finland Customs Office showed Monday. The trade deficit fell to EUR 150 million in November from EUR 240 million in the corresponding month last year. The value of exports climbed 4.0 percent year-over-year in November and imports rose by 2.0 percent. Shipments to EU countries remained at the previous year's level in November, while those to non-EU countries surged by 9.0 percent. During the first eleven months of the year, total trade deficit of the country was EUR 2.3 billion versus a shortfall of EUR 351 million in the same period of 2015. 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. Taiwan's exports grew for the third straight month in December, and at a faster-than-expected pace, figures from the Ministry of Finance showed Monday. Exports rose markedly by 14.0 percent year-over-year in December, faster than the 12.1 percent gain in November. That was also above the 10.2 percent spike expected by economists. Shipments of parts of electronic products jumped 24.3 percent annually in December and those of base metals and articles of base metal increased by 15.5 percent. Imports climbed 13.2 percent in December from a year ago, exceeding economists forecast for a growth of 10.2 percent. In November, imports had risen only 3.0 percent. As a result, the visible trade surplus rose to $4.86 billion in December from $4.12 billion in the corresponding month last year. The expected surplus for the month was $4.35 billion. 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. Eurozone economic sentiment rose more-than-expected in January to its highest level since the middle of 2015, driven by better assessments on the current situation and economic outlook, survey results from Sentix showed Monday. The economic sentiment index for Eurozone climbed to 18.2 from 10 in December, well above the 12 reading economists had predicted. The latest score was the highest since August 2015. The current situation index rose to 16.5 from 8.3, marking its highest level since July 2011. The expectations index increased to 20 from 11.8. Investors were also upgraded their view on Germany, and the index climbed to 33.1 from 27.8. The current situation index rose to a 5-year high of 52.5. The expectations measure also increased to 15.3. "The Eurozone's economic indices finally align with the already positive development of the indices of other world regions," the think tank said. "The "Trump Effect" on the global , however, is not the trigger of the current economy recovery. Moreover, it is just an accelerator within an ongoing process." Sentix expects more economic upside potential for Eastern Europe and Austria due to its strong ties with the east of Europe. "The region benefits from repeated announcements by president-elect Trump to establish a mutually beneficial relationship between the two countries," Sentix said. "Investors start to dream of an end of the US imposed sanctions on the Russian economy." The US economy sustained its strong growth momentum in January and the economic sentiment index hit its second all-time high in a row. The current situation index rose to its highest level since May 2006, though expectations eased slightly. Consequently, the Global Aggregate Index jumped to a 9-year high. 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. Latvia's foreign trade deficit increased marginally in November from a year ago, figures from the Central Statistical Bureau showed Monday. The trade deficit rose to EUR 122.1 million in November from EUR 120.7 million in the corresponding month last year. However, it was below the shortfall of EUR 132.9 million in October. Exports climbed 3.4 percent year-over-year in November and imports went up by 3.2 percent. Shipments of pharmaceutical products expanded 24.3 percent annually in November, while those of electrical machinery and equipment fell by 13.2 percent. On a monthly basis, both exports and imports dropped by 0.1 percent and 1.1 percent, respectively in November. In November, the main export partners in trade with EU countries were Lithuania, Estonia, Germany and the United Kingdom. Imports also largely came from Lithuania, Germany, Poland and Estonia. 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. Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TKPYY.PK) and ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (ARIA) announced a definitive agreement under which Takeda will acquire all of the outstanding shares in ARIAD for $24.00 per share in cash, or an enterprise value of approximately $5.2 billion. Sarissa Capital, the holder of 6.6% of ARIAD's common shares, as well as each of the members of ARIAD's Board, have agreed to tender their shares to Takeda pursuant to the offer. The transaction will be funded by up to $4.0 billion of new debt and the remainder from existing cash. The transaction has no impact on Takeda's dividend policy. Takeda Pharma said the acquisition of ARIAD brings two innovative targeted therapies that will enhance the company's existing oncology portfolio. Brigatinib, an investigational drug product, has the potential to add a differentiated, global therapy in a genetically-defined subpopulation of non-small cell lung cancer. The addition of Iclusig will broaden Takeda's hematology franchise to include chronic myeloid leukemia and a subset of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Takeda Pharma said, at the current stage, it expects minimal impact on underlying revenue and underlying core earnings. It is expected that the acquisition of ARIAD will be accretive to Takeda's underlying core earnings by fiscal 2018 and broadly neutral in fiscal 2017. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Polaris Industries Inc. (PII) said it will immediately begin winding down its Victory Motorcycles brand and related operations. Polaris will assist dealers in liquidating existing inventories while continuing to supply parts for a period of 10 years, along with providing service and warranty coverage to Victory dealers and owners. The company noted that today's does not affect any other Polaris units. According to Polaris, several factors influenced its announcement. The company noted that Victory has struggled to establish the market share it needed to succeed and be profitable. The competitive pressures of a challenging motorcycle market have increased the headwinds for the brand. Given the significant additional investments required for Victory to launch new global platforms that meet changing consumer preferences, and considering the strong performance as well as growth potential of Indian Motorcycle, the decision to more narrowly focus Polaris' energy and investments became quite clear. Polaris said it remains committed to maintaining its presence in the Spirit Lake, Iowa community with Indian Motorcycle production and in the Huntsville, Alabama community with its Slingshot production. The company added that any one-time costs associated with supporting Victory dealers in selling their remaining inventory, the disposal of factory inventory, tooling, and other physical assets, and the cancellation of various supplier arrangements will be recorded in the 2017 income statement in respective sales, gross profit and operation expense. These costs will be excluded from Polaris' provided 2017 sales and earnings guidance on an adjusted basis. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Ariad Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ARIA) announced Monday morning that it has agreed to be acquired by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company for $24.00 per share in cash, or approximately $5.2 billion. Ariad Pharmaceuticals has gapped open sharply higher this morning and is now up 10.04 at $23.78 on the highest volume of the year. The stock has leaped to a new high for the year. For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com Business News Oil minister meets UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen SANA'A, Jan. 09 (Saba) - Minister of Oil and Minerals Thyab Bin Ma'eili has met with the UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen Jamie McGoldrick. At the meeting which held on Sunday, the minister and the UN official discussed the humanitarian situation in the capital Sana'a. They reviewed the damage which occurred on oil and gas sectors by the US- Saudi aggression warplanes' airstrikes and the blockade on the country, causing negatively repercussions on the lives of citizens and national economy. The meeting touched upon measures and plans of the ministry so as to ease the suffering of the citizens. They also discussed aspects of cooperation and coordination between the oil ministry and the United Nations to provide oil and gas derivatives and to ensure the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all areas in Yemen. The minister stressed the role of the United Nations in a joint action to neutralize the oil sector as being linking to the lives of citizens and their daily requirements. He noted the efforts played by the Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen and the nature of the situation in Yemen which needs more assistance. McGoldrick praised the ministry efforts to provide as much as possible of the oil derivatives to people, pointing out the role of the ministry in providing the needs of the Yemeni people of the petroleum products and supplement the national economy. AA/HA Saba Facebook Facebook Twitter Twitter Whatsapp Whatsapp Telegram Telegram Email Email Print Print [09/January/2017] Petrol pumps across the country will continue to accept credit and debit cards till Friday, an AIPDA official said on Monday. The All India Petroleum Dealers Association's decided to revise its earlier announcement after consulting with the Petroleum Ministry, as banks also deferred charging transaction fee up to one per cent on card payments. On Sunday, the association had announced that they would not accept payments through credit and debit cards from Monday in protest against the additional charge levied on such transactions. "The AIPDA on Sunday decided to stop accepting payment through credit and debit cards till the decision to levy these additional charges are reversed. "Late on Sunday, banks communicated to us they will not levy the transaction fee on card payments till January 13. Accordingly, we have decided to continue accepting payments through cards till Friday," AIPDA's West Bengal unit's General Secretary Saradindu Pal told IANS. West Bengal Petroleum Dealers' Association (a unit of AIPDA) President Tushar Kanti Sen said: "We took the decision very late on Sunday night because some banks communicated that they would not levy transaction fee till January 13 but some did not. "We kept a close watch. Eventually, the Ministry requested us to defer the decision till January 13." In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, AIPDA President Ajay Bansal wrote that the HDFC and other banks would start charging one per cent on all credit card transactions, and between 0.25 and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from Monday. "The same will be debited to petroleum dealers' account and net transaction value will be credited to our account... This will lead to financial losses for the dealers," Bansal wrote. However, he had added, if any bank is not charging additional MDR and corresponds the same to the association, the petrol pumps having Point of Sale (POS) devices of those banks would keep accepting cards. "If banks start levying fees, it will cause squeezing of dealers' margin," Pal said. AIPDA's decision for not accepting payments through cards came at a time when the Centre had directed state-run oil companies to offer a 0.75 per cent discount on the price of petrol and diesel to consumers paying by cards or mobile wallets to encourage people towards digital payments. "This discount amount was supposed to be reimbursed to the dealers, but is not being executed properly," Pal said. He said dealers have been working on a low margin and demanded raising the dealers' commission to five per cent from the existing rate of three per cent taking petrol and diesel together. A high alert was sounded in Jammu on Monday after terrorists killed three labourers of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) near the international border (IB). Terrorists had attacked a GREF camp around 2 a.m. in Battal area in Akhnoor sector of the IB, a police officer said. "Three labourers working for GREF were killed in the terror attack," he added. Reports from the area said the terrorists, whose exact number was not known, managed to escape after the attack. Police have started searching inside and around the camp, he added. However, the attackers were yet to be traced, he said. High alert was sounded in Jammu district in general and in Khour tehsil in particular. The GREF is the parent cadre force of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) that builds and maintains border roads in the country. This was the first terror attack in Jammu in 2017. The last terror attack took place on November 29, 2016 when terrorists wearing police uniforms attacked an army camp in Nagrota area of Jammu. Seven soldiers, including two officers, were killed in Nagrota terror attack. Terrorists had also attacked a Border Security Force camp in Samba district the same day. Congress President Sonia Gandhi's son-in-law Robert Vadra on Monday attacked the Centre for lack of management after the petrol pumps across the country threatened to stop accepting payments through credit or debit cards. Vadra said there was lack of coordination between banks and the government. "The government seems to have reached its levels of desperation to overcome the initial blunder it created through the unplanned and unthought process of demonetisation," Vadra said on Facebook. "First government offered sops to push people to use debit or credit cards, and when people started using more of cashless means, now lack of coordination with banks and their policies is forcing petrol pump owners to adopt these drastic steps," he said. Vadra's remarks come amid the threats from the All India Petroleum Dealers Association to stop accepting credit or debit cards from Monday in protest against additional charge of upto 1 per cent on card transactions. "What was the whole meaning to offer 0.75 per cent discount and then banks start charging MDR (merchant discount rate) 1 per cent from petrol pumps?" he asked. "I dont see any rational, do you?" Vadra questioned. Tension prevails in Manipur's Tengoupal district bordering Myanmar following the discovery of the bullet-ridden bodies of two kidnapped tribals on Sunday, police said. The victims were identified as S. Mate, chieftain of Gomlon village and another villager S. Haokip. Police said that both of them had been abducted by armed persons on Friday night from their respective houses and were untraceable despite a manhunt launched to rescue them. There has been no claim of responsibility from any armed group. The killings come during a 48-hour general strike called by the Kuki Students' Organisation in the Chandel and Tengoupal districts in protest against the government failure to nab those gunmen who had tried to kill two office bearers of the organisation some days back. There was no untoward incident during the strike. However normal life was thrown out of gear and the legal border trade affected. Meanwhile women activists staged a sit-in protest in Imphal West district on Sunday to protest the bomb attack on some Central Reserve Police Force personnel on Saturday night that left two troopers injured. T. Sanahabi, president of the Nupi Yaipha Lup said: "There is a school nearby and the street is a busy one and many civilians could have been killed and injured. We urge the unidentified persons not to repeat it in an overcrowded place." Police have not made any arrest in the attack, for which no underground organisation has claimed responsibility so far. Iran's former President and leading reformer Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died of heart disease on Sunday, local media reported. He was 82. Rafsanjani, was hospitalised on Sunday due to a heart attack, but the medication attempts were not successful, Xinhua news agency reported. Born in August 1934 in Iran's Bahreman, Rafsanjani was an influential politician, religious scholar and the confidant of Ayatollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran. A man suspected of shooting and wounding a US consular agent in Mexico's Guadalajara city has been arrested, Mexican officials said. The state prosecutor's office (FGE) said on Twitter on Sunday that "Special Forces of the FGE arrested the consular agent's attacker," and handed him over to the federal Attorney General's Office (PGR), Xinhua news agency reported. According to local media, the man arrested is a 31-year-old US citizen of Indian descent named Zafar Zia, who has been living in Guadalajara since November. As part of the arrest, the daily Reforma reported, officials also seized a .38-caliber pistol, small amounts of marijuana and a Honda with California license plates. The motive for the shooting was a disagreement over a visa procedure, the daily said, though officials have yet to confirm any details. The consular agent was shot on Friday as he was driving out of a building in the city's central Vallarta Norte district. Video footage released on Saturday by the US embassy in Mexico showed the suspect waiting on the sidewalk for the agent to leave the building in his car before firing from a few meters away, and breaking a window. Following the attack, US officials offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the identification of the suspect, who appears in the video wearing hospital-style blue scrubs, a wig and sunglasses. Salina Central's Katelyn Rupe sets new course record in 5A state win Sophomore Katelyn Rupe came in first and set the new course record at Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence last weekend. Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do. Ask Taase Epati, and he will be happy to tell you about this. Aged 46, Taase is originally from the village of Lefagaoalii Savaii, but he is now staying with his wife, Ioana Anitelea and their three children at the village of Levi. He is a carpenter. Taase said he didnt have much time growing up and he is also not the richest person today. However, he told the Village Voice that he works hard each and every day to provide for his family and children. Nothing in this life is easy, he said. Whether you work in the office, plantation or whatever, the main key to anything you do in life is to continue to work hard and persevere. We all have our good and bad days, sometimes we get to a point where we just want to drop everything and give up. But Ive learnt over the years that you are responsible for your own well-being and the well-being of your loved ones. So if you give up easily, your family will suffer as well. Hard work is very important. Sometimes you also need to make a lot of sacrifices in life in order for you to do your best. Sometimes when we come across challenges, the only option we think of is to give up. But if you love what you do and if you put your family first, nothing will ever stop you from doing your best. Reflecting back on his childhood days, Taase said a lot has changed over the years. When I was young, everything was simple back then. I mean the lifestyle was simple. I used to hold .50 cents back then and felt like I was a millionaire. Every time I tell these stories to my children they laugh and think that I am telling them lies. But thats just proof that things have changed over the years. Back in the days, whenever a family owned a car, they were considered the richest family in the village. Even if the car was a second hand car and not a new one. But nowadays, almost every family in Samoa owns a car. We have a lot of new developments in Samoa as well, and thats a good thing because it is helping make everything easier for families in Samoa. Moreover, he reiterated that all the work that he does is for the benefit of their family. I work as a carpenter and also on the plantation. Like I said before, hard work and persevering are very important in this life. I always say to my children that if they want to own a lot of things in this life, they have to work hard and keep improving day by day. I also try my best to show them that if you want something, you have to earn it. And that is why I work on my plantation even if I get tired from working. My wife also works as well, and she helps out with our expenses. My main dream is to work hard now and sacrifice a lot so I can provide for my children. I want them to have a better education so that they can have better futures as well. I know one day our efforts and sacrifices will be worth it. Although many people have been critical about the behaviour of young people in Samoa, David Peni from the village of Vaitele-Uta begs to differ. David Peni strongly asserts that the young population have been getting a bad rap by just a few. We are all different in our own ways, he says. As a youth, I am quite sad about how the behaviour of others paints a bad picture for all of us. Just because a few are causing troubles in town and starting up fights, people are now pointing fingers at us and say that we are all the same. He went on to say that youths play a very important role within families, villages, and communities. We are the future of our families. We help our families out here and there with chores; some of us go to school and work. The future of our families and communities depend upon us. According to David, the reason why some youths end up in the streets causing trouble is the result of not spending enough time with their parents. If we spend more time with our parents and families, then we will understand more about how to live our lives and we will learn a lot of things from them. They know better than us and they have more experience than us. Moreover, David said the most important thing the youths should do is to obey and listen to their parents. We should always listen to their advice and do what they tell us to do. If we become rebellious and hang out with the wrong people, we will end up doing all the wrong things. Having a strong relationship with God is another thing David believes the youths should aspire to. Go to church and be a part of the youth groups in your villages. That will direct you to the right path. For me, I love going to church because God blessed me with a beautiful talent and that is to be a pianist. The National Tourism Excellence Award for 2017 went to the Sea Breeze Resort on Saturday night Held at the Taumeasina Island Resort, the inaugural event is the initiative by the Samoa Tourism Authority to recognise the outstanding performances of tourism and hospitality businesses across the country. The National Tourism Excellence award which was sponsored by Digicel Samoa was one of the two awards that went to the resort; the other being the Best Accommodation Award sponsored by the Bank of the South Pacific. In an interview with the owner of the resort, Chris Booth said the award took him by surprise. I came tonight with the thought that Im going to have an early night, he said. Im very excited because I told my wife Wendy that Id be home early but not anymore because the boys and girls at Sea Breeze are probably jumping out of their skins. Its going to be a long night because you dont just get these things without being dedicated and doing the work and getting up every day and doing your best. Last year Sea Breeze Resort also won the 23rd World Travel Award which was held in Danang, Vietnam as the Samoas Leading Hotel and Mr. Booth said he cant be any prouder. It makes people understand that the harder you work, the luckier you get, he said. Some people think this is easy but we have a team of 30 boys and girls at Sea Breeze and every one of them comes to work ready to do their job. Most of them are young and never had jobs before and thats the point I have made in my speech. I honestly cant think of a better industry for boys and girls to get into. As for keeping up the standard, Mr. Booth said its all about hard work. Its just like you get up every day and do your best, he said. [And] look forward for the next one to do your best because Im front of the house and I stand at the desk and talk to the guests as they go in and out. My greatest reward is the tourists shaking my hand and thanking me and the boys and girls for their very good holiday. When my wife and I go away for a holiday this is how we want to feel. [And] so from that experience thats what we want to give to all our guests because they have saved up all year for a holiday. [And] when they are leaving in their cars and crying tears and waving goodbye that is our greatest reward. So tonight these two awards are for my staff. A top intellectual from Siusega is living proof that Samoan women can do anything. In an industry dominated by men all over the world, Aurora Elisaia-Vaai, is training to become the first fully qualified female Brew Master in Samoa. When she achieves this, she could possibly become the only woman in the job in the Pacific region. The 33-year-old mother, who works for Taula Beverages Co. Ltd, is excited about the challenge. Its exciting but also scary in a way because theres a lot to be expected of you especially being a woman, she told the Samoa Observer yesterday. Its exciting because its somewhere females have never gone before here in Samoa. But the role is not something the daughter of Vaosa Epa and Aliioaiga Feturi Elisaia, who is a Scientist by profession, had always wanted. Asked how it all started, she said it came about as a result of a happy coincidence meeting with the Chairman of the Ah Liki Investment Group, Taimalie Charlie Westerlund, almost two years ago. It all started when I used to teach at N.U.S, she said. I think it was by chance getting a job here because Taimalie Charlie was looking for someone who had a background in Science. I used to tutor his son so then he asked me if I was interested in coming over to the Brewery, and I said actually I dont even drink beer, I drink spirits. Reluctant at first, she initially accepted the offer from Taimalie. And the rest as they say is history. At the Taula factory, days can be long. So we start the day at five in the morning, she says. We start of our first mash in and it usually finishes around 5:30am. In-between, I take samples and do a lot of paper work. The paperwork is really just to track the ingredients were using, making sure that we actually know how much is being made and how much we need to order. Everything has to be shipped in because we are so far away from everyone. Its a long day working in the brewery industry; sometimes Im here by 5am and home by 8pm. The production sometimes goes seven days a week. Although shes happy working at Taula breweries, Mrs. Vaai said that she never saw herself in a brewery industry until that fateful meeting with Taimalie. If someone told me a few years back that this was what I was going to do in the future, I wouldve had a good laugh because I never saw myself here at Taula, she said. So if he had never approached me I probably wouldnt have ended up in Taula, or even in the brewery industry. Working at Taula has not only been a great experience for Mrs. Vaai, but it has also been an excellent opportunity for her to get some practical work done. Its been great because its the most practical Science Ive had, its very hands on, she said. I thought you just have to come and mix up a couple of things but you really have to have a firm understanding of Physics and Chemistry. It has also made use of my bio background as well because you have to be able to coax the best out of your ingredients. Rather than just being theoretical about it, its being practical because Im also learning about plumbing, electrical properties, and engineering. So its been a lot of practical, and then theres also a lot of reading. Mrs. Vaai says her role kind of makes you feel like youre half magician and half mad scientist. Because you have to get the best of your malt, yeast and temperatures. Looking at the future, Mrs. Vaai said she is working hard to ensure Taula becomes Samoas favourite beer. In Germany and Europe, the beers are really tasty, Ive come across fruit beers and I couldnt believe it, she said. They have it for breakfast even, Im not advocating for breakfast but you can have a really good tasty product. For beer lovers, that is certainly something to look forward to. An electric fault is suspected to have started a fire inside the Peace Chapel Church at Vaimea on Saturday. Although the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority arrived quickly to prevent the fire from totally destroying the building, the incident meant the Church had to make alternative plans for their Sunday services. A F.E.S.A official who is not authorised to speak to the media said they are investigating the cause of the fire. We believe the fire started from inside the building, said the source. We believe its an electrical fault that caused the fire. There were small things that were damaged by the fire but luckily we arrived at the scene early. It couldve gotten worse but thankfully nobody got hurt. We are still finalising the reports in regards to the incident. Pastor Samoa Unoi of the Peace Chapel confirmed the fire. He told the Samoa Observer he believes it was an electrical fault. We are still waiting for the final report from the Fire Services, he said. But the incident came as a shock to us on Saturday night because nobody was here during the incident. The only thing that we are thankful for is that nobody got hurt. We thank God that only some parts of the building were destroyed but the actual place is still standing. When one journey ends, another one begins. That is precisely the case for 17-year-old Ketesemane Molia Taioalo who is more than ready to embark on a new journey. Ketesemane is one of the fortunate Foundation students who have been awarded scholarships to further their studies overseas. He is off to Australia to study for a Bachelor in Environmental Science. Ketesemane is the youngest son of Molia and Lilian Taioalos three children. He hails from the villages of Salelologa, Matatufu and Lalomanu. Speaking to the Samoa Observer, Ketesemane admits that like anything in life, getting to where he is right now was no smooth ride. Well any journey to success would not be complete without hardships and difficulties, and such was the case for mine, he said. Fortunately, my God was with me all the way and I wouldnt be here without Him. N.U.S. life is not easy especially if your goals include securing a scholarship. You have to work really hard and being smart alone isnt enough. It is indeed difficult but prayers and fasting is what got me through and to where I am today. Also, not forgetting the constant biblical and personal advices and encouragement from my parents as well as words of encouragement from my brother and sister, which helped me, push through during times when I wanted to give up or just slacked off. Ketesemane said securing a scholarship was a dream come true. Growing up, I would often hear about students getting scholarships to study overseas and I always found it impressive and cool. Back then, the thought that I myself will one day fight for that scholarship never crossed my mind. Honestly, starting form 6, I began to dream of studying overseas, particularly in Australia. Now, that I am going, the thought is still surreal and I would often be surprised myself every time someone mentions it. And where does he draw his inspiration? I guess its that understanding that if you want to make it in todays world, to go places and make your family proud you need a good education. So I try to do my best in school, hoping that someday I also may also be successful and that I too can make my family proud, for the Glory of the Lord. Also, I have always been inspired by people in my family, especially those who have been successful in their studies or workplace. If I may, one particular relative who has inspired me a lot is my late uncle, Police commissioner Lilomaiava Fou Taioalo. With little tertiary education, he managed to work his way to the very top and became Police Commissioner. His determination and his hard work have not only inspired me but many others in my family, to do our best in our chosen careers. Asked about his plans for the future and for the next chapter of his academic life, Ketesemane said, I am excited about this new season in my life. It will be totally different and strange and especially being away from home and families. But I am also excited to see what God has in store for me when I leave. Already I have seen Him move through this scholarship because honestly, to get an all-paid-for education in a prestigious tertiary institution abroad is a true blessing. There will be tears come the day I leave, but because God is with me, I will not fear. Looking ahead, after Uni, I will return to Samoa not only to work but also to make a difference in our nation in the chosen field. However, I would also like to get a higher education after a few years of work experience, later, if God allows it, I also plan to work abroad. And what is his dream job for the future? I have always wanted to be a lawyer but due to certain circumstances this would have to be on hold for now. However, in Samoa and all throughout the world, I saw the need in the field of environmental science as well as sustainability and after much prayers and thought I decided to pursue this. Ketesemane has one sister, Miracle Talaole Taioalo and one brother, Tupe Elia Taioalo. He enjoys playing musical instrument (guitar and piano), playing rugby and volleyball and especially spending time with family. A 65-year-old father of Vini fou and his 3-year-old daughter were held in the Police interview room for almost three hours yesterday. Eti Sapolu went with his daughter Malu Sapolu to the Police station inquiring about a matter he was asked to give evidence towards. However, when he arrived he was told he will be held at the station. I went there about a matter about a witness at around 10am but when I got there I was told I am charged for damaging property belonging to my sister, Mr. Sapolu told the Samoa Observer. The police then told me I couldnt leave the station and will be held at the interview room with my three year old daughter, saying my daughter was too young to be placed in the cell with me. We stayed there and I asked them what were the charges and if I can be released. According to Mr. Sapolu he was told he was charged for damaging the property of his sister at Vini fou. The siblings live on their parents estate that they share in Vini Fou. Mr. Sapolu said it was going up to 3 hours he was kept in the room with his daughter who was now fast asleep that he asked to be released. He said he had told the police officers that they could not hold his 3 year old daughter captive for three months. I couldnt leave my daughter at home, I look after her now that her mother has left, said the father. I was beginning to be worry that when she wakes up she will become hungry and there was no food in the room. So I told the policeman they cannot keep us there especially my 3 year old daughter for that longshe has nothing to do with it and shouldnt have to be kept in the room like that. It was not possible to get a comment from Police Spokesperson, Sua Muliaga Tiumalu yesterday. Foreigner is not yet cold as ice after four decades, a fact that has inspired the latest edition of this veteran English-American band to showcase its hot-blooded hits coast-to-coast this summer. The Foreigner 40th Anniversary Tour will kick off July 11 in Syracuse, N.Y., and conclude Sept. 9 in Auburn, WA. The itinerary includes four California dates, beginning with an Aug. 26 San Diego show at Sleep Train Amphitheatre and an Aug. 30 concert at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. All of the dates and cities appear below, along with ticket information. The tour will also feature Cheap Trick and Jason Bonhams Led Zeppelin Experience, although Bonham and his band will not perform at any of the California shows or at the concluding tour date in Washington.. Advertisement I never could have imagined when I set out to create Foreigner forty years ago, that wed still be touring around the world and performing the music we love all these years later, lead guitarist and band co-founder Mick Jones said in a statement released Monday morning. I cant express the gratitude I feel when fans share stories of how our songs have been woven into their milestones and memories over the years, Jones, 72, continued. This summer we are going to celebrate these songs, and I cant imagine a better group of friends to share this monumental tour with, than Cheap Trick and Jason Bonham who are sure to make it a true tribute to the everlasting power of rock and roll. In a separate interview with Billboard, Jones disclosed that three former Foreigner members Lou Gramm, Ian McDonald and Al Greenwood will perform on select dates. Theyre not on the whole tour, but there will be some appearances, Jones told Billboard. Its the right time to do this. Im looking forward to that and well see how it goes, and Im sure itll go down well. Should this transpire, it will be the first tour in memory by a major rock act in which the bands original lead singer in this case, Gramm shares, or alternates, vocal duties with the bands current lead singer, Kelly Hansen. The key word in the above sentence is should. In a post on his Twitter page Monday, Gramm wrote: I have not been asked to join any part of the summer 40th Foreigner anniversary tour. With or without any former members coming back into the fold, the tour will follow with the May 5 release of a new Foreigner compilation album on Rhino Records. Entitled 40 Forty Hits From Forty Years, the album will include two new songs, album also features two new songs, The Flame Still Burns, and Give My Life For Love. The latter was written by Jones, who is the sole original member of Foreigner still in the band, Tickets for the tour go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at livenation.com. Tickets for the San Diego show are priced at $29.95-$99.95, plus service charges. Foreigner 40th Anniversary Tour dates Tue Jul 11 Syracuse, NY Lakeview Amphitheater Thu Jul 13 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion Fri Jul 14 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center for the Arts Sat Jul 15 Hershey, PA Giant Center Mon Jul 17 Boston, MA Blue Hills Bank Pavilion Tue Jul 18 Saratoga Springs, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center Thu Jul 20 Wantagh, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater Fri Jul 21 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center Sat Jul 22 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center Tue Jul 25 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live Wed Jul 26 Virginia Beach, VA Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach Fri Jul 28 Nashville, TN Ascend Amphitheater Sun Jul 30 Pelham, AL Oak Mountain Amphitheatre Tue Aug 01 West Palm Beach, FL Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre Wed Aug 02 Tampa, FL MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre Sat Aug 05 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pavilion Sun Aug 06 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek Amphitheater Tue Aug 08 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center Wed Aug 09 Chicago, IL Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island Fri Aug 11 Clarkston, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre Sat Aug 12 Burgettstown, PA KeyBank Pavilion Sun Aug 13 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center Tue Aug 15 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theatre Wed Aug 16 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheater - St. Louis Sat Aug 19 Woodlands, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Sun Aug 20 Austin, TX austin360 Amphitheater Wed Aug 23 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater Thu Aug 24 Phoenix, AZ Ak-Chin Pavilion Sat Aug 26 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheatre Tue Aug 29 Chula Vista, CA*** Sleep Train Amphitheatre Wed Aug 30 Los Angeles, CA*** Greek Theatre Fri Sep 01 Marysville, CA*** Toyota Amphitheater Sat Sep 02 Mountain View, CA*** Shoreline Amphitheatre Mon Sep 04 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre Fri Sep 08 Ridgefield, WA Sunlight Supply Amphitheater Sat Sep 09 Auburn, WA*** White River Amphitheatre *** Jason Bonhams Led Zeppelin Experience not performing on these dates Twitter @georgevarga george.varga@sduniontribune.com Green Day, the Bay Area punk band that was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2015, has announced its North American 2017 Revolution Radio summer tour with Catfish and The Bottlemen. The six-week trek kicks off Aug. 1 in Auburn, Wash., and concludes Sept. 13 in San Diego at Sleep Train Amphitheatre. All of the tour dates appear below. This will mark the second San Diego concert by Green Day of 2017 the bands Revolution Radio spring tour concludes with an April 8 date at Valley View Casino Center. It is difficult to recall the last time an act performed at San Diegos largest outdoor and indoor concert venues in the same year, let alone just five months apart. Advertisement The San Diego date is one of only two California summer stops announced Monday. The other is Aug. 5 in Oakland, Green Days hometown. The tour takes its name from the bands newest album, the critically acclaimed Revolution Radio. Tickets for all tour dates go on sale Friday at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at livenation.com and by phone (800) 745-3000. Online pre-sale tickets will go on sale Tuesday at 10 a.m. to members of Green Days fan club, Idiot Nation. Tickets for the San Diego concert are priced from $30 to $80.95 each, plus service charges. Green Day Revolution Radio summer tour dates 8/1 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre* 8/2 Portland, OR Moda Center* 8/5 Oakland, CA Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum* 8/7 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre* 8/9 Englewood, CO Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre* 8/11 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center* 8/12 Omaha, NE CenturyLink Center* 8/14 Maryland Heights, MO Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre* 8/16 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center* 8/18 Toronto, ON Budweiser Stage* 8/20 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center* 8/21 Cuyahoga Falls, OH Blossom Music Center* 8/26 Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center* 8/28 Mansfield, MA Xfinity Center* 8/29 Hartford, CT The XFINITY Theatre* 8/31 Camden, NJ BB&T Pavilion* 9/1 Raleigh, NC Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek* 9/3 West Palm Beach, FL Perfect Vodka Amphitheatre* 9/5 Tampa, FL MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre* 9/6 Orange Beach, AL The Wharf Amphitheater* 9/8 San Antonio, TX AT&T Center* 9/9 Austin, TX Austin360 Amphitheater* 9/11 Albuquerque, NM Isleta Amphitheater* 9/13 Chula Vista, CA Sleep Train Amphitheatre* * dates featuring Catfish and The Bottlemen Twitter @georgevarga george.varga@sduniontribune.com President Obama insisted in an interview that aired Sunday he did not underestimate Russian President Vladimir Putin when he dismissed Mitt Romneys 2012 campaign assessment that the country was the top U.S. geopolitical foe. But Obama acknowledged he may have misjudged Russias ability to tamper in the American electoral process. I underestimated the degree to which, in this new information age, it is possible for misinformation, for cyberhacking and so forth, to have an impact on our open societies, our open systems, to insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating, he said on ABCs This Week. The comments in the taped interview came as debate over a joint intelligence report on Russias effort to help President-elect Donald Trump in the 2016 election continued to rage. Trump and his aides have tried to downplay the reports findings and would not commit on Sunday to punishing Russia further for the activities than Obama has. Advertisement That is something that the president-elect, when he is sworn in in less than two weeks, Chuck, will have to decide along with his security and intelligence team, Kellyanne Conway, who served as Trumps campaign manager, told Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press. I do think some people are scratching their heads as to why President Obama took action and punished Russia and Russian operatives before the report was completed, before others had the information. Obama announced a raft of punishments in late December, including sanctions and orders for a few dozen Russian intelligence operatives to leave the U.S., well after after U.S. investigators had concluded that Russia intended to meddle in 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. Obama was given a report Thursday from the CIA, FBI and National Security Agency saying that Putin ordered agents to interfere in the election and ultimately sought to aid Trumps rise. The president-elect was shown the same report Friday, before a declassified version was made public. In another interview on CNN, Conway referred to alleged attacks from Russia, contradicting the conclusions from the U.S. intelligence community that the evidence of such attacks was clear. The report did not weigh in on whether those attacks succeeded, something that is difficult to gauge given the multitude of issues and controversies that arose during the election, the closeness of the election results and Clintons failure to connect with white working-class voters who swung the outcome. Trump and his aides have pounced on the lack of definitive findings on whether the attacks affected the election outcome, even though Trump spoke frequently during the campaign about email leaks to WikiLeaks that have been linked to the Russians. We didnt need WikiLeaks to convince the American people that they didnt like her, didnt trust her, didnt find her to be honest, Conway said. As Obama leaves office, the dispute is not likely to go away. Many in Trumps own party have called for continued investigation and retaliation against Russia. Obamas defense secretary, Ashton Carter, said on Sunday that he agreed more was needed. The steps that have been taken so far probably represent a beginning and not the end a floor, not the ceiling, Carter said on Meet the Press. Obviously, being up to the next administration and the next Congress to take those steps. But I suppose, I believe, there will be more, there probably should be more. Still, Carter did not call for a complete chill in relations with Russia. He noted that even in the Cold War, the two countries found common ground on some issues. We do have to have what Ill call a strong but also a balanced approach to Russia, he said. noah.bierman@latimes.com @noahbierman ALSO: U.S. intelligence report says Putin targeted presidential election to harm Hillary Clintons chances Only Russias top officials could have authorized campaign data thefts, U.S. intelligence officials testify Donald Trump, citing Julian Assange, again mocks intelligence officials case for Russian hacking The Friday night scene at Wendlandt would be pretty typical for most brewpubs in San Diego these days: a dimly-lit bar overflowing with craft beer enthusiasts drinking hoppy IPAs, creamy oatmeal stouts and complex pale ales. Except that Cerveceria Wendlandt isnt in San Diego. Its 85 miles south, on Ensenadas main tourist strip, in the heart of Tecate and Corona country, next to a Starbucks. Even though its Thanksgiving weekend, the lively pub is filled with locals, with barely a traditional Mexican lager or an American tourist in sight. One of the locals is 35-year-old Mayra Garcia, who became a Wendlandt regular shortly after moving to Ensenada from Mexico City. I drank Pacifico and Corona because thats about all I ever knew about beer, said Garcia, between sips of a Foca Parlante Oatmeal Stout. But once I tasted the flavors in these beers, I was immediately hooked. When he bought the bar three years ago, Eugenio Romero Wendlandt never dreamed anyone, except maybe a few friends, could ever get hooked on anything but light, fizzy beers. In fact, when he took over what was then an abandoned bar on Boulevard Costero, Wendlandt never considered opening a brewery. I wanted to fix it up and lease the space, he said. That was my business plan. But his plan started to unravel when he moved his 20-gallon home-brewing operation into the bar during the remodel. Id brew in the morning and drink my beers at night with my friends, he said. Then we began inviting more people to the bar because we wanted to finish the batches of beer so we could experiment with new flavors and styles. After a few months, I started selling it. Thats when the idea of a brewery came to me. Still, there were no guarantees that anyone beyond Wendlandts circle of friends would go for hoppy, West Coast style beers. In 2011, there were only a handful of microbreweries in Baja and none had much of a following. We kind of took a gamble, said Wendlandt, 31, who was introduced to craft beer during his days at San Diego State. We didnt do any market studies on this. I was scared, so I carried a lot of commercial Mexican beers, some imported and my beers. But I realized from the beginning that most of my sales were craft beers. Within a year, Wendlandt realized he needed more brewing capacity to keep up with growing demand, so he purchased a warehouse along the Pacific Ocean just north of Ensenada. The brewery is producing about 150 gallons of beer a week, and even that isnt enough to satiate his growing fan base. The oatmeal stout (5.4 percent ABV) is Wendlandts biggest seller, followed closely by Vaquita Marina Pale Ale (5.2 percent) and Vera Niega American Wheat (4.4 percent). The aggressively hopped Perro Del Mar IPA (7.5 percent) is on par with any of the top San Diego IPAs. San Diego brews the best IPAs in the world, Wendlandt said. So naturally Im influenced by that style, which features an abundance of hops. Though his beers are brewed in Mexico, he gets his hops and malt from the Pacific Northwest and his yeast from San Diego. We get everything but the water from the U.S., he said. Wendlandt also honed his craft in the U.S., taking a brewing course through UC Davis at Sudwerk Brewery a few years ago. But last year Wendlandt decided he needed to spend some more time managing his downtown restaurant and his brewery, so he handed over the brewing operations to Ben Matz, who had worked at Stone and Pizza Port, two of San Diegos iconic breweries. As craft beer slowly becomes more accepted in Ensenada, Wendlandt is beginning to sell his beer in bottles to restaurants and bars. Wendlandts beers are also growing in popularity throughout Mexico. At the countrys largest beer festival in Mexico City, the pale won a bronze, the IPA earned silver and the stout was awarded a gold medal. Wendlandt, however, is far from the only brewery in Ensenada taking home awards and introducing locals to quality artisanal beer. The Old Mission brewery recently won best new brewery at the Mexico City festival. Agua Mala, located north of Ensenada along the coast, is brewing everything from amber ales to Belgian Whites to pilsners. In all, there are some 40 breweries in Baja, compared with nearly 100 in San Diego. Jorge Chavez, another Wendlandt regular, knows the craft beer movement will never come close to matching San Diego in quality or quantity. Hes just happy it finally crossed the border. Were still a little under the radar, he said. But were starting to catch up down here. Garcia, the stout drinker, sees the craft beer movement as a positive change for Ensenada. Its brings, new flavors, a new culture and new jobs. Every Navy ship that floats must be ready to fight in new ways. The services fleet needs longer-range rockets, stronger counter-missile measures and more sophisticated sensors if it wants to better survive the enemys first punch and return the favor. Instead of clumping together in armadas led by aircraft carriers, the ships must spread out, making it harder for foes to detect and bombard them. Braving hostile fire, quickly mending battle-damaged vessels and engaging opponents from multiple positions across vast swaths of ocean these changes require a doctrinal shift and fresh ways of training future generations of tacticians. Advertisement Those and other key strategic shifts are expected to be the focus of Vice Adm. Tom Rowdens long-anticipated Surface Navy Today address Tuesday. Hes scheduled to talk about distributive lethality, the services wide-ranging blueprint for waging future wars. Rowden, commander of the San Diego-based Naval Surface Forces, is slated to deliver his speech at the Surface Navy Associations annual gathering in Crystal City, Virginia. His talk will certainly draw the attention of congressional staffers, high-ranking Pentagon officials, defense-industry leaders and many of the surface warfare communitys most respected active-duty and retired members. There have been hints about the burgeoning doctrine; it was sketched out in a 2015 edition of the U.S. Naval Institutes periodical Proceedings, for example. Now, Rowden is primed to make a strong pitch for its prominence in an era of rising rivals and more austere American defense budgets. Ive been thinking about this for five years, Rowden told The San Diego Union-Tribune shortly before he left for Washington, D.C., last week. It began while he was on the staff of former Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan William Jon Greenert. Rowden and other brass were searching for a way to describe what changes the Navy needs to maintain maritime superiority across the globe. Youve got to get everyone on that rope, tugging in the same direction across the force, Rowden said. The distributed lethality concept is catching on not only with captains in the surface fleet destroyers, cruisers and smaller warships that during the past seven decades have often been used to protect aircraft carriers. The paradigm of putting enemy forces at risk across longer ranges of territory and in unpredictable places is also increasingly embraced by the Navys top aviation and underwater strategists. Were all in the same business and its all about supporting each other, Vice Adm. Nora Tyson, commander of the San Diego-based Third Fleet, said aboard the supercarrier Carl Vinson on Thursday as it began a deployment to the Western Pacific. The air community of the Navy, the surface community, the submarine community, the information warfare community everybody is as synchronized as weve ever been in history. Distributive lethality, as (Vice) Adm. Rowden talks about it, is just one example of that synergy: All people working together to meet any mission, no matter what it might be. Carrier Strike Group One commander Rear Adm. James Kilby, widely considered one of the surface Navys wiliest tacticians, said hes going to increasingly test the components of distributed lethality at sea. In April, hes slated to add two surface warships to his task force in the Western Pacific. Kilby said hes already pushing my leadership to think about that differently using destroyers and other vessels to run scouting missions, employ probing tactics and other things we havent necessarily been thinking about. Although Rowden works with the Navy and Congress to find the right weapons, planes, unmanned aircraft and ships to flesh out distributive lethality, he said new gadgets arent always whats most important. Its really easy to say, More money solves everything. But its not that, he said. Rowden ticked off a list of weapons that could help to fully flesh out the lethality concept including missiles with longer ranges and more effective abilities to sink attack submarines but said he also needs smart, agile and experimental-minded commanders like Kilby to stretch the boundaries of where we can go and do. Large sea exercises, some involving other U.S. military branches and the forces of allied nations, also will expand American capabilities. While distributed lethality emphasizes greater versatility, resilience and firepower, Rowden said the end goal is deterrence. Its about those potential enemies looking at the United States of America, our Navy and other forces, and saying, Today is not the day. Navys Third Fleet returns to World War II roots To a pair of the worlds top maritime strategists professors Toshi Yoshihara and James Holmes of the Naval War College in Rhode Island Rowden, Tyson and Kilby are executing a good game plan against potential enemies such as Russia and Iran, but that everyone must understand the real competitor at sea is China. Chinese shores now bristle with long-range rockets and Beijing is rapidly developing mines, super-silent submarines, stealth attack aircraft and a blue-water navy to square off against the Americans in Chinas backyard as tensions rise over disputed territorial claims in the South China Sea. Yoshihara noted that Chinas navy has deployed anti-ship missile systems that fly farther than Americas workhorse Harpoons. He said the United States Tomahawk subsonic cruise missile could be converted into more of a naval weapon to work alongside the Standard Missile-6 and the Naval Strike System being developed by allies in Norway. But he stressed that ultimately, the Navy needs to have dedicated long-range, supersonic, anti-ship missiles in our inventory soon. Holmes called Americas missile shortcomings real and severe. And while he praises Rowdens call for more big-time military exercises at sea, he said they must not detract from the larger project of developing longer-range weaponry that lets us strike at the same time, if not before, our adversaries do. We stopped bolstering our weapons reach after the Cold War while new antagonists harnessed the logic of standoff combat, Holmes said. As a result, Chinese forces can pound away at our forces long before (we) close the distance to return fire. We will be purely defensive while trying to close the distance, and the adversary will do significant perhaps prohibitive damage during that time. Yoshihara added that Americas Navy let some skills atrophy while we were mired in the two wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. In fact, the battles against Imperial Japan in World War II near the Philippines were the last time American surface ships exchanged fire against a peer competitor. The idea that we should rest easy because the Chinese havent fought a war since 1979 is a soothing but misleading narrative. The reality is that in the area of a peer-to-peer fight at sea, both sides will be relatively untested. 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 Most Americans may not know, but a small part of the Air Force is focused on precision and stealth from the air but also at ground level. In late 2001, combat controllers operating with Army Rangers seized an airfield in Kandahar, Afghanistan, before a Marine Corps force from Camp Pendleton arrived. Two years later, controllers crossed the vast Iraq desert to mark targets ahead of the 2003 Iraq invasion. In the years since, airmen highly trained in special operations have guided strike fighters and bombers onto targets, set up radio links for high-profile raids and fought alongside other military commandos. Its not just combat they do. About 350 airmen and a half-dozen MC-130P airplanes were ordered from a training exercise in South Korea back to Japan, which was devastated by an earthquake and tsunami in 2011. They quickly opened and cleared airfields and runways, set up refueling points and got air traffic control up and running for the larger relief effort. Advertisement The Air Force Special Operations Command perhaps may be the lesser known of the militarys special operations forces. The Air Force special operations force, which falls under the U.S. Special Operations Command, has six core missions: special tactics; specialized air mobility; precision strike; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; aviation foreign internal defense; and joint air command and control. The airmen actually, there about 17,000 men and womenusually integrate with and support other military forces, including Navy SEALs and Marines. Their jobs are varied. They carry commandos into hot zones and fly heavily armed gunships that provide cover for U.S. troops and friendly forces on the ground and rain death on enemy positions and weaponry. They operate high-tech spy craft and systems and collect intelligence. They train foreign aviation units to do specialized missions. They recover downed pilots deep behind enemy lines. But most of the public knows little of their work. Take a look at the shelves in a bookstore, and few books tout the work and stories of the Air Forces special operations community. A lot of people generally, I think, dont know we exist, said Capt. Victoria Porto, an Air Force Special Operations Command spokeswoman. We are the quiet professionals, and wed like to stay that way. AFSOC, as its known, represents just over one-fourth of the militarys special operations forceand much of that capability came into existence just in the past 14 years. The 9/11 attacks and subsequent combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq prompted expansion of the nations military units capable of doing special operations types of missions. The Air Force has seen its component grow by 60 percent. Now, after nearly 15 years at war, the Air Force special operations community is pressed to modernize its force with new technologies, replace aging aircraft worn and tired, and ensure combat-experienced battlefield airmen are healthy and ready to go. The force will have to address its part of providing specialized forces that can do unconventional missions driven by growing global instability and threats. Those are some of the priorities of the top Air Commando, Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, commander of the Air Force Special Operations Command, based at Hurlburt Field, Fla. We will optimize our force structure and identify next-generation AFSOC capabilities to keep us at the tip of the spear, Heithold said, in comments provided by AFSOC public affairs. The command is revamping how it trains airmen, getting them more time in simulators and more realistic training to prepare them for the tough, rough environments of many special operations. AFSOC has been in constant combat for 14 years, and it is critical we provide our airmen with the most modern and capable platforms to accomplish the mission anytime, anyplace, Heithold said. By optimizing our existing force structure and enhancing our core combat capability and capacity, we are building AFSOC for decades to come. A key modernization program is putting more firepower on its new gunships. Ive up-gunned (the AC-130J) because I want it to be a bomb truck with guns, said Heithold, a veteran master C-130 navigator. Itll drop Small Diameter Bombs, laser-guided bombs, Hellfire (missiles), and it will have a deep magazine of 105 and 30 millimeter (rounds). It will be able to do what we do best, which is danger-close close air support. Danger close, within meters. It will be the ultimate battle plane. Behind enemy lines For all its advanced aircraft, high-speed communications and high-tech hardware, the core of the Air Forces special operations force, officials note, is the human. The Air Force command refers to every officer and enlisted airman They are Heitholds highest priority. We will develop our Air Commandos by increasing effectiveness and efficiency in our training. Our training should be the very best we can afford and the most intense we can provide. Our training should be realistic and focused and not simply just in time, he said. After expanding by 60 percent since 2001, the Air Force Special Operations Command is at a relative steady state. The command has more than 19,500 people, including 14,000 active-duty airmen, more than 1,300Air Force Reserve and nearly 1,600 Air National Guard, said command spokeswoman Erica Vega. The community can expect very little growth beyond current levels. The 2,500-member Special Tactics community includes about 1,000 Special Tactics operators, said 1st Lt. Katrina J. Cheesman, a Special Tactics public affairs adviser with the 24th Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, the sole wing dedicated to special tactics. They include combat controllers and pararescuemen, as well as Special Tactics officers who lead combat search and rescue, personnel recovery, battlefield trauma and fire support missions. The tip of the spear, so to speak, is the force of Special Tactics airmen. These operators often embed with Navy SEALs, Army Green Berets and Rangers and provide specialized capabilities, ranging from combat air support to medical aid and personnel recovery. An air-to-ground tactical force, Special Tactics airmen essentially are the Air Forces ground special forces. Officials equate them as their most important weapons system. Like other special operations forces, battlefield airmen rarely are in the public eye. Weve got lots of amazing airmen in Special Tactics who consider their brave actions during intense danger as just doing their job, Cheesman said. Its dangerous duty. On average, since 9/11, a Special Tactics airman is killed or wounded about every five weeks, according to the Air Force. Still, they have a storied history of heroism and going above and beyond the call of duty. Seven Special Tactics airmen have received the highest service combat award, the Air Force Cross, according to the service. Special Tactics airmen have received 32 Silver Stars, more than 650 Bronze Stars and hundreds of Bronze Stars for valor and hundreds of Purple Heart medals. One of those heroic Air Commandos is a local veteran. Tech Sgt. Robert Gutierrez Jr. dismissed a near-fatal chest wound during a wild four-hour battle, instead fighting back and calling for suppressive fire from U.S. aircraft as he bled out five pints of blood. His nighttime raid force of Army Special Forces hunting for a senior-level Taliban official had come under intense attack from heavy machine guns and rifles. Gutierrez, a combat controller with the 21st Special Tactics Squadron, received the Air Force Cross. He recounted details of the Oct. 5, 2009, incident in a 2011 article in The San Diego Union-Tribune. I didnt do anything extra that anyone else wouldnt have done, the National City native said at the time. Any one of my controllers, any one of my buddies would have done the same thing. The former SDG&E meter reader, who enlisted right after the 9/11 attacks, didnt seek out any recognition. But the Air Force named him one of its 2010 outstanding airmen and gave him the medal in 2011. Despite the severe wounds, he directed heavy firepower from A-10 Thunderbolt jets, taking breaks on the radio so a medic could reinflate his collapsed lung. One of the pilots later called him calm, cool and collected during the strafing runs that sent rounds exploding just 30 feet away. Gutierrez kept his composure and focus throughout, and even asked for his own medical evacuation. My mind said, I understand you are hurt, but you have to get these things done, he recalled. Gutierrez, who endured multiple surgeries for his injuries but recovered to full duty, remains on active-duty and was not available for an interview, Cheesman said. Who they are Combat controllers like Gutierrez are, in the Air Forces own words, one-man air traffic controllers. Equipped with advanced radios, digital communications and surveillance equipment, the combat control specialists, who wear a black patch stating CCT, direct air traffic as well as bombs and give locations of enemy forces to pilots and commanders. Numbering about 1,500, these specialists operate in hostile areas or friendly regions and can deploy as part of multi-service joint forces. Their lineage dates back to the scouts of Army Pathfinders of World War II, who marked targets for aircraft and objective areas with lights, flares or smoke. Their mottoFirst Therereflects their presence, rarely publicly acknowledged, with the initial special operations forces that go deep into hostile land. Combat controllers marked targets for the initial barrage of airstrikes into Iraq during Desert Storm that cleared the way for ground forces in the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Some train as a Joint Terminal Air Controller, network specialists and close-air support experts who embed and work with Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, Special Forces A teams and other special mission units, the latter of which include SEAL Team 6 and Delta Force. Along with the lingo of other services, they are well-versed in U.S. and foreign aircraft, including Army helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes. The other key Special Tactics airman is the Pararescueman. With a motto of So Others May Live and a maroon beret that symbolizes blood and duty, these PJs, as they are known, do combat search and rescue and personnel recovery. They often deploy with SEALs or Green Berets on dangerous missions. Their lineage dates back to 1943,when 20 people, including CBS correspondent Eric Sevareid, bailed out from a C- 46Commando transport plane before it crashed into a mountain near the China-Burma border, killing the flight officer still aboard. An officer and two medics volunteered to help and were dropped by parachute into the site, where they treated the 20 survivors before all were recovered a month later, according to the Air Force. Pararescuemen are experts in battlefield and emergency medicine and combat tactics, and train to operate in a range of environments. They can parachute from high altitudes, dive into the sea, climb rocky cliffs, ski across frozen land and fire a cache of weapons skills they might need to rescue someone in danger or in a hostile place. The training for combat controllers and pararescuemen is among the militarys toughest. The average attrition rate is 80 percentthats 20 making it out of a class of 100 and is on par with the Navys Basic Underwater Demolition/ SEAL training, Cheesman said. Because of the nature of their work and depth of specialized training, most pararescuemen spend their career in the special operations force, but some also serve with rescue wings in the conventional Air Force or Air National Guard. They are rare within the Air Force special operations community, however. The percentage of (special operations) specific career fields transitioning to the conventional Air Force is small, about 1 percent, said Vega, the Special Operations Command spokeswoman. But among Special Tactics airmen and special operations-trained aircrew, the majority remain in their specialized jobs. A lesser-known group in the Special Tactics community are special operations weather teams. Their role is critical, as bad weather can throw a wrench into a well-planned military mission. The Special Operations Weather Team specialist isnt just your average meteorologist. These Weather Warriors use high-tech satellite technology and equipment, including small weather balloons. They are as trained in combat skills and survival as their special operations teams they support in training and overseas missions and can find themselves deep in hostile territory. They date back to 1947, when the newly formed Air Force adopted the idea of trained Army weather observers known as guerrilla weathermen who relayed weather and meteorological reports. High-tech force looks to modernize For all the specialized training these airmen get, the Air Force wants to keep up with rapid changes in technology that are making obsolete their existing training systems used to prepare the force for real missions, including simulators for pilots and aircrews designed to make training more realistic. Simulators are cheaper than (real) flight training and allow us to train aircrews in emergency or stressful situations we could never replicate on an actual flight, Vega said. Using simulators more means a pilot or aircrew member can take to the air for real, and likely spend more time at home rather than traveling to aerial ranges far from their home station, officials said. Right now, a typical aircrew member does 30 percent of flight training in the simulator, although CV-22 Osprey crews do 40 percent, she said. The goal, though, is to up that, to 40 percent overall, with 50 percent for the Osprey. The command also will develop new course software that appeals to younger airmen more accustomed to learn using high-tech mobile systems. We are well into an effort to create and launch a cloud-based training enterprise system that will provide courseware design (and) development capability and course availability and records anytime, anywhere, she said. The commands active duty and reserve component flying units operate fixed and rotary- wing aircraft, a veritable alphanumeric soup: CV-22B, AC-130, C-130, EC-130, MC-130, MQ-1,MQ-9, U-28A, C-145A, C-146A and PC-12. The force, however, is in the process of thinning its aviation inventory by 2025 by consolidating into newer platforms. These include several upgrades to its perhaps most famous aircraft, the C-130 aerial gunship, the innovative CV-22 tilt-rotor that combines the combat advantage of helicopter flexibility and airplane speed, and spy or unmanned surveillance planes. The service will replace 37 older AC-130H Spectre,AC-130U Spooky andAC-130WStinger II gunships with 37 AC-130J Ghostriders. The aircraft will get an advanced suite of sensors and precision weapons designed to give commanders a wider choice of options and meet future requirements, Vega said. The upgrades to the AC-130J fleet are continuing. The service also will replace 57 older MC- 130Es and MC-130Hs aircraft with a homogenous fleet of 57 MC-130Js that, like theAC-130J gunship, represent a leap in capability as it can fly higher, faster, farther, and carry more cargo than any of the legacy aircraft, Vega said. The MC-130J, nicknamed Commando II, will be equipped with terrain-following radar and advanced survivability modifications over the next several years. The V-22 Osprey that crashed into the Arabian Sea last year was doomed on take-off because it was accidentally started in maintenance mode, Marine Corps investigators concluded. Despite a routine hover initially over ship deck, the errant mission system selection and a design flaw in the tiltrotor aircraft, since corrected, deprived the engines of enough flight power. Cpl. Jordan Spears, a crew chief who bailed out and was lost at sea after the Osprey hit the water on Oct. 1, 2014, was the first American killed in action during Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State group of militants in Iraq and Syria. During more than 10 minutes struggling at the controls as the Osprey dipped in and out of the water, the pilots dumped most of their fuel. They were able to fly the disabled aircraft back to the amphibious assault ship Makin Island for a safe landing. But the MV-22B, which was submerged about four feet at one point in corrosive saltwater, required replacement engines and other parts costing more than $1.5 million. Advertisement The Marine command investigation also cited the pilots and crew for not strictly following start-up procedures that could have prevented the deadly mishap, a lack of warning to them about newly discovered hazards of flying the Osprey in maintenance mode, and the potential fatigue of the sergeant who unintentionally initiated the wrong system setting, according to the report obtained by The San Diego Union-Tribune through a Freedom of Information Act request. In its most heartrending passages, the 183-page document details the bravery of the Osprey pilots who refused to abandon their ailing airship, the tragic last moments before Spears sank under the weight of his bullet-proof armor, a life preserver that wouldnt inflate, and the fruitless search for his body. CRASH The aircraft from Marine Medium Tiltrotor Squadron (VMM) 163, an Osprey unit based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, was third in a group of five sent to reinforce the U.S. embassy in Iraq. The senior crew chief assigned to Choctaw 3 (names are redacted from the public report) woke that afternoon feeling very excited about the mission. The sergeant was also a new father his wife had given birth to their third child two weeks earlier. After five weeks on the night shift he wasnt as rejuvenated as usual after the required amount of crew rest, but his anticipation for the important flight masked any fatigue. As he had done countless times before, the sergeant referred to a pocket checklist from the flight manual to start the aircraft, using his peripheral vision to punch in the mission system setting. Unbeknownst to him and the rest of the Osprey crew, the Marine Corps had discovered a dangerous anomaly earlier that year in the relatively new hybrid aircraft, which was fielded in 2007 after a total redesign sparked by two crashes that killed 23 Marines. Since then, the Corps has touted its safety record among rotor aircraft. The MV-22 tiltrotor made by Bell/Boeing takes off like a helicopter and flies like an airplane, after its huge wingtip nacelles and prop-rotors tilt forward. When started in maintenance mode, the exhaust deflector that protects the avionics from overheating remained on, reducing engine power by about 20 percent. Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 at Marine Corps headquarters issued a hazard report about the issue in April 2014. But the crew of the Osprey that crashed in October had not been briefed on it by their squadron or Naval Air Systems Command. The aircraft controls didnt warn them they were about to take off in maintenance mode, nor did their flight manuals explain the dangers. After starting the engines, the pilots thought it odd that both hung up for about 15 seconds before spooling normally. They also discussed the fact that the exhaust deflector was set to ON instead of AUTO as usual. But the aircraft seemed fine otherwise, so they assumed a harmless software update was to blame. Just before 5 p.m. local time, the co-pilot lifted the aircraft into a 15-foot hover. As the Osprey slid left over the edge of the deck, it plunged toward the sea. Power! Power! Power! the senior crew chief cried, joining calls from the flight commander sitting in the right pilot seat and the ships control tower. Its all in! the co-pilot replied. He adjusted the nacelles and nose to level the Osprey and steer it away from the ship as they descended. Brace for impact, he announced. The 70-foot drop from deck-level slammed Cpl. Spears flat. We are ingesting saltwater and we will continue to lose power to salt incrustation, the sergeant onboard advised. I think we need to leave this aircraft, the flight commander said. The crew chiefs were ordered to ditch. They slipped into the water out the back ramp without employing the life raft. They didnt have time before the aircraft sank, the sergeant thought. The pilots remained at the controls in whiteout conditions, downwash whipping the sea around them. Instead of blowing the cockpit doors and bailing out themselves, they fought to pull the Osprey out of the water. The engines were still somewhat working and I wasnt ready to give the aircraft up yet. We had ensured the safety of the aircrew but I wanted to see if we could still save it, the major flying the Osprey recalled. After a suggestion from a Marine captain in the ship tower, the Osprey crew dumped several thousand pounds of fuel to lighten its load. It immediately began to lift out of the water, but still couldnt take flight. After settling back into the water five times, the co-pilot used a max gross takeoff adjustment lowering the nacelles. On the sixth attempt, they flew into the air. Against suggestions to switch to airplane mode and head for land 20-minutes away, the Osprey returned straight to the ship, with the flight commander at the controls since the co-pilot couldnt see through his salted windscreen. The MV-22 settled on deck while dumping more fuel. After an emergency engine shut-down before hot exhaust could ignite the fuel they sprayed on deck, the pilots quickly exited the aircraft as a crash fire crew anxiously approached. One crew chief had been rescued from the water, they were told. The other was missing. DROWNING Cpl. Spears had flashed him a thumbs up before the sergeant slid into the water. It wasnt like training in the pool. The weight of his body armor immediately dragged him under. After five attempts, the sergeant finally inflated one lobe of his life preserver. Spears, meanwhile, was struggling to keep his head above the water slicked with fuel. The sergeant swam to him and pulled up on a strap on Spears vest. I got you, buddy, he said, but the sergeant was unable to hold his head free of the water. Spears kept yanking his inflator beads, but nothing happened. The sergeant handed over his breathing canister, since Spears was mostly underwater. By then they were both exhausted. Spears pushed away from the sergeant and attempted to manually inflate the life preserver. Each time he tried, he dipped below the surface, then reemerged gulping for air. The third time, he didnt come up. The sergeant swam over and dug his head into the water. Spears! he yelled. I saw more bubbles surface a couple feet in front of where I was. I started to panic and looked around as if someone was going to magically save the day, he recalled. After floating for what seemed like forever with fuel-soaked waves hitting him, an H-60 helicopter circled overhead. When the sergeant saw the snorkel of a rescue swimmer, he knew it would be alright. Are you injured? she asked, before helping him into the cable hoist. As they ascended into the helicopter, he felt faint. The other crew chief was Jordan Spears. Jordan Spears went under Hes my corporal, he repeatedly told the search crew. The rescue swimmer gave him water and juice to wash the fuel from his mouth. I sat looking out the window, looking at the water for my friend as we circled the area, he said. Despite an extensive search and rescue effort and tremendous team effort, with contributions from Fifth Fleet, Combined Task Force 51 and several ships and aircraft using sophisticated equipment to hunt for Spears and the locator beacon he was wearing, the lost Marine could not be found. They searched all night and the next day before Spears was declared dead. Navy divers continued looking for his body for two more weeks, to no avail. CHANGES As recommended by the commanding officer of the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit to which they were assigned, the Osprey crew was subjected to administrative action, said Capt. Craig Thomas, a spokesman for the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, declining to provide details. While I do not believe that the crew was willfully negligent in executing their duties leading up to this mishap, I do believe strict adherence to (naval operating) procedures and checklists could have prevented this mishap, the 11th MEU commanding officer wrote, in response to the command investigation findings. He also targeted the design of the aircraft made by a Bell and Boeing joint-project, and oversights by naval air safety officials, saying: It is inexplicable that an aircraft systems design would allow a crew to take an aircraft flying with a potential degradation in engine power of 20 percent without providing a caution or warning alerting them of the situation. This poor design, and the fact there is no documentation to warn the crew of this design in (naval operating procedures) is a contributing factor to this mishap. Bell and Boeing each declined to comment and referred questions to the military. The Marine Corps and Naval Air Systems Command took swift action to adjust the aircraft and its flight manuals. A week after the crash, an order to revise the manuals in pen and ink was issued. Within two weeks, a naval message warned the entire MV-22 community about operating the aircraft in maintenance mode. In January, a fleet-wide MV-22 software update was implemented. With this update, full power is available in the event an aircraft takes off when in (maintenance) configuration, said Col. Dan Robinson, V-22 Program Manager. SPEARS Spears died at age 21 on his first deployment. He had talked about becoming a Marine since he was a boy of eight, though none had served in his family. Fellow Marines held a memorial for their fallen comrade while still deployed at sea, and a celebration of his life after their return. It was a tragedy for us to lose Cpl. Spears and we took the time to grieve the loss of our Marine, (to) remember the Marine and man he was, while concurrently ensuring we had the right mindset to meet our responsibilities in theater, Col. Matthew Trollinger, 11th MEU commanding officer, said in a statement after his death. They carried on, he said, as professionals determined to accomplish their mission, in the belief that their comrade was not lost, but still with them in spirit. A tombstone marks the empty grave where relatives pay their respects. Thanks to donations collected nationwide, a black granite memorial is also being erected to Spears and other post-9/11 War on Terror veterans in a park near his high school alma mater in Sellersburg, Indiana. Spears parents say they are grateful that Osprey safety improved so quickly after his death, so that other families will not have to endure their loss. The commanding officer said he had never seen it happen so fast, said Greg Spears, the father. The Marine Corps has been very, very supportive of us in our time of tragedy, he added. We are just overwhelmed by the way they really do take care of their own. Condolence letters sent from strangers across the country were another comfort. Cosette Spears, Jordans mother, had to buy a filing cabinet to store them all. She wrote more than 100 response cards. Every day is hard. Its still hard. Some days you dont think youre going to get through it and you go to the mailbox and get those cards of encouragement and appreciation for what your son did, people saying they are thinking and praying for you, it makes a great difference, she said. Two Huntington Beach police officers fatally shot a dog Sunday night while other officers were trying to arrest the animals owner, who witnesses said had hit cars and assaulted a man in a Sunset Beach neighborhood. Its really too bad, Huntington Beach Police Chief Robert Handy said. Nobody wants to shoot a dog. About 10 p.m., a resident notified police that a man had threatened to cut another mans throat, Handy said. Advertisement Police searched the neighborhood for about 30 minutes and couldnt find the suspect. About 11:22 p.m., two people reported the same suspect was throwing patio furniture and hitting vehicles in the 16000 block of 14th Street, Handy said. At least one car window or mirror had been broken, the chief said. The suspect had also punched a man in the face and body and used the dog to try to attack the man, Handy said. When officers arrived, they saw Kenneth McFadden, 53, with his German shepherd and tried to talk to him, but he was disruptive and uncooperative, police said. McFadden was intoxicated and one of his hands was bleeding, Handy said. As officers talked to McFadden, he reached for his waistband several times, Handy said. He told officers he had a shotgun, although police never saw one, the chief said. One of the officers then used a Taser on McFadden, and he fell to the ground, Handy said. As officers took McFadden into custody, his dog bit one of the officers on the leg, he said. Two other officers then shot the dog, who died at the scene, the police chief said. Handy said the officers had requested animal control assistance and tried to corral the dog. But the animal posed a safety risk to officers and the community, he said. The officer who was bitten suffered puncture wounds and was taken to a hospital. McFadden was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, assault on an officer, resisting arrest and vandalism, Handy said. veronica.rocha@latimes.com For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter. ALSO Central Coast storm leads to flooding, a water rescue and a wet commute in L.A. Orlando police officer fatally shot; deputy dies in crash during manhunt for suspect Florida airport shooting suspect makes initial court appearance UPDATES: 4:10 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Police Chief Robert Handy. This article was originally published at 10:55 a.m. Poway special education teacher Megan Gross is one of four finalists for National Teacher of the Year, an honor that could make her an ambassador for her profession, and an advocate for welcoming developmentally disabled students into mainstream classes. On Monday, when the finalists were announced, Gross said she was shocked but thrilled. Its really weird to get such an incredible award, but its also an opportunity, she said. Advertisement The Teacher of the Year program, run by the Council of Chief State School Officers, recognizes exceptional teachers nationwide and involves them in state and national discussions about school policy. We are proud to celebrate teachers who are helping children to stay in school, graduate on time and achieve better futures, said Angela Harrell, a senior vice president for Voya Financial, Inc, which sponsors the competition. Gross and three other finalists were selected from among 56 teachers representing each U.S. state, the U.S. extra-state territories, the District of Columbia, and the Department of Defense Education, the organization announced Monday. To make that cut, the teachers competed at the school, district, county and state levels, elaborating their philosophies and approaches to education in a series of essays. Gross, 36, has taught special education for nine years and spent the past four years teaching an autism spectrum disorder special day class at Del Norte High School. She also co-authored a book about incorporating disabled students into general education classes with their peers, called The Inclusion Toolbox. Too often we focus on the disability, and we focus on the label, and we dont focus on the capability, she said Monday. Grosss students spend part of their day in her classroom for individualized help with reading, vocational and life skills. The rest of the time they join other seniors in classes such as history or science, she said. To help them learn 12th grade academic standards, she said, I can scaffold it, break it apart like a ladder. My seniors are in a civics course. We have to break it down a little more. Instead of learning the nitty-gritty details about the three branches of government, they learn that there are three branches of government. Gross also plans hands-on activities aligned with their lessons. On display in her classroom are paper cranes that students folded after reading Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes, a book about a Hiroshima girl who contracted leukemia after the atomic bombing of the city. Shes a nice teacher, student Brendan Togni, 16, said of Gross. She is a great teacher. Besides their reading, the students have recently discussed relationships with family in friends, and worked on self-advocacy skills. It means being brave, Togni said of that lesson. It means telling people what you need. Principal Greg Mizel said Grosss approach to special education fits perfectly with the schools goal of making each student feel at home. When we hired her, it was on purpose, he said. We were very intentional from the beginning about creating a school culture of safety, support and a sense of belonging. Mainstream students have embraced that approach, Mizel said. In physical education classes they often make a point of selecting special ed peers for partners, he said, and Togni was selected for the homecoming court. Gross said she developed an interest in special education while she was an undergraduate at UC Davis, and worked for families of children with developmental disabilities. After graduation, she worked at a group home for a dozen disabled adults, assisting with daily tasks including recreation, grocery shopping and cooking. The adults she supervised were the hardest workers she had ever seen, she said, and she looked back fondly on their school experiences. Thats when I knew I had to become a teacher, she said. Gross earned credentials for teaching students with disabilities and worked for school districts in Northern California for six years before starting her job in Poway. Last year she helped her students make a difference when she organized a Socktober drive to collect socks, hats and other items for a district program that provides those items to families in need. In 2015, she was named a district teacher of the year. Then last fall, she was named both a San Diego County Teacher of the Year and California Teacher of the Year. After a series of interviews, the selection committee will name one of the four finalists as 2017 National Teacher of the Year later this spring. The other three finalists are Sydney Chaffee, a ninth-grade humanities teacher from Massachusetts who developed a theater project on justice and injustice, Chris Gleason, an instrumental music teacher and band director from Wisconsin, and Athanasia Kyriakakos, an international artist and teacher from Maryland. The winner will take a leave of absence from classroom duty and spend the year traveling the country to represent educators and advocate on behalf of teachers and students. Each year since 1952, the President of the United States has met with the National Teacher of the Year in a White House ceremony in the spring, the organization stated. Gross said shes excited about the possibility of speaking out for schools, although she acknowledges that as a mom of two young children, ages 2 and 6, it may be logistically challenging. Mizel said that Gross would offer an important message if she is selected. I think this is a critical time to be reminded of the beauty of being inclusive, he said. Off-roading in the Imperial Sand Dunes is wild exhilaration. Down a slope of gorgeous desert, whipping back up into the sun onto a golden hill. One wrong maneuver and a 50-foot sandbank threatens to roll the speeding vehicle. None of this fazes 9-year-old Claire Gilles, whos taking in the scenery as her father, Bob, expertly navigates a series of winding dunes. Sitting shotgun is her mother, Nicole, one of the regions biggest advocates for off-roading. Its such a great family environment, said Nicole Gilles, executive director of the American Sand Association, a nonprofit that advocates for off-roading at hallowed places like this one, which is the subject of long-running litigation with environmentalists. I cant ever imagine this going away, the 45-year-old said. View the photo gallery: Off-roading at the Imperial Sand Dunes Its New Years Eve and the Gilles family has gathered with around 100,000 other people for the weekend at the dunes often referred to as Glamis, after the nearby community in Imperial County. Tens of thousands of RVs, pickups and off-road machines cover the landscape. Colorful, high-horsepower vehicles called sand rails line the dunes as riders congregate, watching others blast by on dirt bikes, quads and popular off-road vehicles called side-by-sides. About 40 miles long and an average of five miles wide, the federally managed site constitutes the largest expanse of dunes in North America. Roughly 127,000 acres are open for off-roading, while some 35,000 acres are set aside as wilderness and protected areas. A group of off-roaders stand next to a fire as they watch other off-roaders ride at Oldsmobile Hill on Friday night at the Imperial Sand Dunes. Hayne Palmour IV San Diego Union-Tribune (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) Off-roading and camping in the desert are a way of life for tens of thousands of people in Southern California and Arizona who also regularly camp at Glamis over Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Presidents Day. The dunes draw approximately a million people every year, with visitors driving an average of 300 miles to get there. I just like the family atmosphere and having a lot of fun in the dunes, said Bob Gilles, 50, who lives with his family in Brawley. He works at a gold mine and is a skilled mechanic who has off-roaded in the dunes since he was 6 years old. In the past, the largely blue-collar crowds massing at these dunes have garnered a reputation as dangerously rowdy. Many in the off-road community admit there was a time when fights, drunken driving and even theft were the norm. In response, the Bureau of Land Management, which controls the area, increased its presence. On busy holiday weekends, the agency now partners with the Imperial County Sheriffs Department, the U.S. Border Patrol and emergency medical providers in the region. Theyve successfully cleaned the place up an awful lot, said Ed Stovin, president of the San Diego Off-Road Coalition. There was a time when people were afraid to go to the dunes because it was considered a lawless place. There were people shooting guns. While an estimated 80 percent of off-roaders dont have a college degree, about 30 percent make more than $100,000 a year, according to a 2006 study by the Bureau of Land Management. Contractors and small business owners make up the core of this interest group, which the bureau describes as being more than 80 percent white and 70 percent male. For many of the Imperial Sand Dunes visitors, this is a way of life worthy enough to consume a sizable portion of their discretionary income. An average off-road vehicle costs anywhere between $20,000 and $80,000. Then theres the expense of an RV, as well as a truck and trailer to transport the off-road vehicle. As the sun went down on the final day of 2015, thousands converged for an evening ritual called the drags, where riders can show off their tricked-out and high-powered sand rails. Two long rows of vehicles lined up along a flat expanse of desert as drivers blasted down between the onlookers and popped wheelies front tires in the air and rooster tails of sand blasting from the rear wheels. Standing next to his friends Jeep, Rick Wipf drank a beer and took in the sight. The 41-year-old resident of Carlsbad has come to Glamis for the past 15 years. Its insane, he said, explaining his experience with off-roading. The adrenaline rush is insane. Its exactly like a roller coaster, except there are no guarantees whats on the other side [of a dune]. Wipf and his friend rolled in their Jeep earlier that day while pounding through the sand. Its scary as hell, he said. Its very dangerous. People underestimate how things can go wrong very fast. Injured riders, often evacuated by helicopter, arent an uncommon site. Also common are the flashing lights of a law-enforcement truck pulling over violators. However, the biggest threat to the off-road community might not come from tickets or broken bones. Brandishing lawsuits, environmental activists have long demonized the sport as unnecessary and destructive to natural habitat. Its a very damaging and dangerous activity, said Lisa Belenky, a senior attorney with the Center for Biological Diversity based in Tucson, Ariz. If you look at the areas with recreation, there is no co-existence with the plants and animals. It really runs counter to all the things were trying to do with climate change, global warming, reducing our [fossil fuel] use, she added. Its almost the complete opposite. Many in the off-roading community have felt unfairly targeted, arguing that they too are trying to enjoy backcountry landscapes. Traditional values in California or activities like hunting or off-roading have existed for years and somewhere along the line became politically incorrect, said Amy Granat, executive director of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association. If you get kids started, they not only learn the value of being outdoors, but they [also] learn the value of taking care of the land, she added. Lake Elsinore resident Les McDonlad gets his son Dane McDonlad, 7, ready to ride as the boys mother, Melanie McDonald, looks on at the Imperial Sand Dunes on New Years Day. / photo by Hayne Palmour IV * U-T Off-road aficionados also point to the economic benefits. Neighboring towns such as Brawley, El Centro and Yuma, Ariz. pull in millions of dollars during the busy season from mechanic work, gasoline sales, grocery receipts and the like. There would be a lot of revenue lost, Bob Gilles said. With all these people that use these motor homes and toys and everything too, it would be a big hit. Off-roading in the Imperial Sand Dunes Until 2014, tens of thousands of acres in the Imperial Sand Dunes had been closed to off-roading because of a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups. While much of that land has since been reopened, the dispute continues in federal court over how best to protect wildlife habitat and certain species in the area, most notably the federally threatened desert plant Peirsons milk-vetch. For the most part, the Bureau of Land Management has sided with the off-road community. Were not saying theres no impact from off-highway vehicle riding, said Neil Hamada, a spokesman for the bureaus El Centro Field Office. But our mission as an agency is conservation and still providing recreation. When you have goals like that, not everyones going to be happy all of the time. Back at the Gilles camp, a ring of RVs, trucks and off-road vehicles encircled a roaring fire. Close by, children played and adults swapped stories about the day. Like more than 70 percent of visitors at the dunes by the bureaus estimates this camps inhabitants are a mix of friends and family. Warmed by the fire and some apple-flavored moonshine, several generations of off-roaders listened to contemporary country music as they chatted away. Each year, Southern California resident Mike Reber brings his wife and kids to the desert, where they meet up with his parents from Arizona. Now in his 16th year of off-roading, Reber said hes teaching his 6-year-old to ride. We really go into it, said the 41-year-old, sitting contentedly in the glow of the fire. We bought quads and weve got kids now and theyve got quads. My kids are different here, he added. I bring them out here and pull them away from the social [media] network. Its cool to see the kids be who they really are. Asked what it would mean if the dunes were closed to off-road vehicles, Escondido resident Robert Hancock, 54, said: I would be hurt deeply. This is our main place to go and camp and enjoy the outdoors. We go other places, but this is our main playground. With the children falling asleep, the adults prepared the Glamis ritual of Christmas tree-burning. Fireworks exploded in the night sky as the camp watched about half a dozen trees go up in flames to celebrate the new year. How often these days can you get the kids around the fire hanging out with the parents and the grandparents, having fun and having conversations, as opposed to being on their iPads and stuff like that? Nicole Gilles said. A Missouri congressman is demanding criminal charges against Rep. Duncan Hunter who yanked a students controversial painting off the U.S. Capitol walls Friday, according to the Washington Post. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., said his staff met Monday with members of the Capitol Police to press theft charges against Hunter, R-Alpine, who removed the painting Friday and delivered it to Clays office as he left a Republican conference meeting where the artwork was discussed. He had no right to take that picture down, Clay told the Post Monday just off the House floor. Its thievery. Advertisement The painting, by a recent high school graduate from Clays district, depicts a scene of civil unrest inspired by the 2014 events in Ferguson, Mo., and other recent protests against police led by African Americans. Several figures are depicted as animals, and some pro-police activists have said the rendering evokes derogatory images of police as pigs. It is part of a national art competition, one of 435 artworks chosen by local panels of artists to hang in the underground tunnel between the Capitol and the Cannon House Office Building. Some Republican lawmakers have called for the painting to be taken down in recent weeks, but Hunter took matters into his own hands Friday. Clay is planning to rehang the painting Tuesday morning, joined by members of the Congressional Black Caucus and other sympathetic lawmakers. He emotionally defended the right of the young artist, David Pulphus, to hang his art in the Capitol to reporters Monday. Pulphuss family, Clay said, is full of police officers, so they have respect for police officers. He just doesnt have respect for police who use the cover of a blue uniform to do animalistic things to people. These are his impressions. Those are his feelings. Thats how he formed his opinion, and he expressed it in his art. So whats wrong with that? Clay continued. Any black parent would tell you that they have to have this conversation with their children about police and how to act around them, so thats the conversation we need to be having here. Not about taking some kids picture off the wall it should be about, how do we change these attitudes and improve the relationships between police and the black community? Hunters top aide brushed off Clays threats of prosecution Monday. Hunter has high regard from Congressman Clay, and this is nothing personal, said Joe Kasper, his chief of staff. But were less than zero percent worried about this whatsoever. A Capitol Police spokeswoman did not immediately return a request for comment Monday on whether the matter remains under investigation. Clay said the police who met with his staff were befuddled and gave no clear indication of how they would proceed: They are trying to figure out what theyre going to do. Rep. Cedric L. Richmond, D-La., chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said lawmakers had a simple request for Hunters treatment: We want him to get whatever charge a private citizen would get if they walked into the Capitol and took down a painting. Kasper said that thats misrepresenting the issue significantly, and compared the Capitol with the Wild West. He referred to a 2006 incident in which then-Rep. Cynthia McKinney was accused of striking a police officer who did not recognize her as a member of Congress and stopped her after she talked past a security checkpoint. You understand the latitude members are given around the U.S. Capitol complex, Kasper said. Hes trying to make a point that this was a form of expression, and rightfully so, but so is taking it down. Original online story by Gary Warth of the Union-Tribune: A controversial painting that depicts police officers as animals is expected to be reinstalled on a congressional wall just days after Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, personally removed it. Rep. William Lacy Clay, D-Mo., invited members of the Congressional Black Caucus to join him this morning to put back the painting that won an art competition he sponsored. In a statement issued before he was scheduled to re-install the painting, Clay called the issue a manufactured controversy. A panel in Clays district selected the painting as the regions first-place winner in the 2016 national Congressional Art Competition. It was created by David Pulphus when he was a senior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School in St. Louis. The painting had hung in the Cannon House Office Building tunnel to the U.S. Capitol but was removed by Hunter on Friday after complaints from law officials, conservative bloggers and other members of Congress. The move to reinstall the painting was first reported by Politico. It is just pathetic that some Republican members and alt-right media types, who constantly refer to themselves as constitutional conservatives, dont think that same document protects the fundamental free speech rights of my 18-year old constituent, Clay said about the painting, which Pulphus called Untitled #1. The painting depicts a clash between police and protesters on the street. One gun-wielding officer has a head that resembles a boar one San Diego sheriff union official called it a warthog while other officers heads appear to be a horse and a dog. One protester appears to be a panther or wolf. Pulphus could not be reached for comment Friday or Monday. The painting was considered offensive by several members of Congress and law enforcement organizations, including the Peace Officers Research Association of California. In a letter to Clay, the association wrote that the painting glorifies protesters moving down an urban street holding signs that read Stop Killing and Racism Kills while police officers are depicted as gun-toting pigs standing in the way of justice. Clay, however, said not all law enforcement members found the painting offensive, and noted that St. Louis Police Chief Samuel Dotson discussed the issue at a public event with him last week. He reminded the audience that I have been a strong supporter of law enforcement throughout my three decades of public service, Clay said. Clays office did not participate in the judging, but the congressman did hold a reception for Pulphus and released a statement calling the painting a colorful landscape of symbolic characters representing social injustice, the tragic events in Ferguson, Missouri, and the lingering elements of inequality in modern American society. Clays district includes Ferguson, where riots broke out in 2014 after a white police officer shot and killed Michael Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black man. Following a meeting of House Republicans on Friday where the painting again was discussed, Hunter personally took it off the wall and dropped it off at Clays office. Hunters Chief of Staff Joe Kasper said Monday that the congressman has no plans to take the painting down again if it is reinstalled by Clay. Hunters intent was to make the strongest possible statement in support of law enforcement and the outpouring of support has been amazing, Kasper wrote in an email. But he took it down with the idea that as easy as it unscrewed from the wall, it can go back up. Hes got no plans to take it down again and engage in some back and forth. But theres enough attention on the issue now, Kasper continued. The artist expressed himself, as did Clay for giving the artwork his approval. And Hunter expressed himself, by taking it down and returning it. At least for a few days, Americas police officers and law enforcement were able to take satisfaction in knowing they were no longer being openly insulted within the walls of the U.S. Capitol. Clay reiterated that he did not judge the painting, but supports the artist and freedom of expression. I do not agree or disagree with this painting, he said. But I will fight to defend this young mans right to express himself because his artwork is true for him and he is entitled to that protection under the law. Clay called the painting a provocative, symbolic representation of the great anger, pain, frustration and deep deficit in trust for local law enforcement that many young African Americas feel in their hearts. So the larger, much more fundamental question iswhy does this young artist feel that way? he said. And what can we do as leaders of a compassionate and just nation to remedy that? RELATED gary.warth@sduniontribune.com Twitter: @GaryWarthUT 760-529-4939 A woman was killed and a man critically injured in a double stabbing in Clairemont Sunday night, police said. Officers were called out to Ashford Street near Cullen Street about 9:30 p.m. They found the first victim, a 26-year-old man, bleeding in an alley. He was hospitalized with a potentially life-threatening stab wound, San Diego police Lt. Mike Holden said. Advertisement The second victim, a 22-year-old woman, was in an apartment in the Village Woods complex, Holden said. She had been stabbed several times and was declared dead before she could be taken to a hospital. Both victims have been identified, but their names wont be released until family members have been notified. Police did not say what may have motivated the attack. Witnesses said a potential suspect was seen leaving the area in a black Hyundai with paper plates. Anyone with information about the incident was asked to call detectives at (619) 531-2293 or Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477. Twitter: @LAWinkley (619) 293-1546 lyndsay.winkley@sduniontribune.com The California Public Utilities Commission has rejected a request by owners of the failed San Onofre nuclear plant to delay negotiations with consumer advocates to re-assign $4.7 billion in premature closure costs. In a joint letter last month, Southern California Edison and minority owner San Diego Gas & Electric Co. asked to put off settlement talks because they expect a resolution to a years-old arbitration case against Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, which built the generator that caused the 2012 plant failure. State utility regulators said there is no reason to put off the discussions, which under a December commission order must begin later this month. Advertisement The motion to extend the dates for the all-party meet-and-confers is denied, as the utilities have not based their request on any change that would warrant an extension, Administrative Law Judge Darcie Houck wrote. The commission last month ordered settlement talks to begin in January. Regulators last year decided to reopen their 2014 approval of a deal to assign 70 percent of the closure costs to ratepayers rather than company shareholders. The initial deal was criticized as unfair to Edison and SDG&E customers after The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that a framework for the deal was set at an undisclosed meeting in Warsaw, Poland, in 2013 between the commission president and a utility executive. The San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was shut down in 2012, less than a year after newly installed Mitsubishi steam generators leaked radiation. The plant was closed permanently in 2013 and Edison sued Mitsubishi. The contract between Mitsubishi and Edison limited damages to $138 million, but the utility reportedly is seeking as much as $7 billion. A decision is expected by the end of March. Under terms of the initial agreement, ratepayers will recover 50 percent of whatever money is collected in arbitration. Edison and SDG&E argued that the new round of settlement talks should be put off until the Mitsubishi case is resolved because the recovery could affect negotiations. Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35 jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald A Superior Court judge has granted a request from a lieutenant suing the San Diego Police Department to order the department to hand over personnel records of a captain and subordinate officer whose conduct factors in the case. Judge Joel R. Wohlfeil ruled that he would examine Capt. Brian Ahearns and Officer Ken Kriess personnel files in chambers, then decide whether they are pertinent to allegations by Lt. Natalie Stone that she was retaliated against after reporting police misconduct. The court finds that plaintiff has shown good cause for the court to review the records, Wohlfeil wrote in the ruling on Friday. The court will conduct the inspection in camera and condition the release of information, if any, on the entry of a protective order. Advertisement Attorney Dan Gilleon is seeking the documents as part of a lawsuit he filed in 2015 on behalf of Stone, who claimed she was retaliated against after reporting misconduct by Ahearn. Among other things, the suit alleges, Stone was demoted and denied promotions after reporting that Ahearn bullied her while she was assigned to his command at the departments training division. Ahearn was prone to loud outbursts, yelling, pounding his hands and fists on the desk and flailing hand gestures, according to Stones complaint. Sworn testimony in the case from Kries and Ahearn is at odds, with Kries saying he was shocked and embarrassed after the captain pushed him in the chest at the training center in 2015. The captain said, also under the penalty of perjury, that he and Kries were demonstrating grabbing techniques but at no time did I attempt to harmfully or unlawfully touch Kries in an offensive, angry or rude manner. The Stone case is one of two retaliation lawsuits against San Diego police officials. The other claim, filed by Detective Dana Hoover in 2014, also includes allegations of perjury against a police official. She alleges she was retaliated against after sending an email about false statements another detective made about a police line-up during a murder trial almost three years ago. Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35 jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald An Ocean Beach woman on vacation in Rosarito got caught up in the gas price protests roiling Baja and said she was accosted by a Mexican police officer who took her phone and broke her car keys, leaving her without a way to leave the country. Brittany Hobson, 25, was visiting the tourist beach town along with her 72-year-old grandmother and 7-year-old daughter. They were staying in a home on Benito Juarez, not far from the regions main gas storage facility. Protests had been going on there for days, and Hobson said they had wanted to come home on Saturday but did not, due to the unrest at the border. Brittany Hobson of Ocean Beach was caught up in gas price protests Saturday night in Rosarito. (Alejandro Tamayo/The San Diego Union-Tribune ) Advertisement Hobson said she left the house about sunset Saturday night and headed to a market for some vegetables. The street was blocked by people holding signs so she parked and walked about a block to the store. She said things seemed fairly calm and she was not too concerned, but when she walked out of the market she heard what sounded like a firecracker going off and all the protesters had started to run. Hobson said she started to run, too, but lagged behind because she was wearing flip flops. Then she got out her her phone to call her grandmother and thats when she was grabbed from behind by the hair by an officer clad in riot gear. He told me to look at the ground and get on my knees, she said. He then took her phone and stepped on her car keys which had dropped, breaking the fob. Hobson said she repeatedly tried to explain that she was not involved in the demonstrations but her protests fell on deaf ears. At one point the officer who grabbed her told that if she did not shut up she was going to go to jail. Her hands were tied behind her back with zip ties and she was put in a police van where two men and two women were being held. One of the men had a large gash on his head and was bleeding profusely, Hobson said. As she continued to cry and beg to be let go, she caught the eye of one officer who pulled her out of the van just before the door closed. He asked her some questions and then set her free after telling her that he never wanted to see her face around there again. She asked about her phone and was told to file a report. Shaken and terrified, Hobson made it back to her rental house where she and her family have been holed up ever since. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, Hobson said. On Monday, she was still trying to decide what to do. She said she was afraid to go to police but would go if one of her neighbors goes with her. Hobson said she doubts she will find her phone, however, as the officer who took it never even asked her name. Then there is the matter of the car key. Hobson said the businesses on the main drag were closed so she was not yet sure what she was going to do about getting that fixed. She had rented the home where they were staying until Wednesday. The last few days, it just kind of seems unreal being caught up in the middle of a Third World riot, Hobson said. She said all she and her family want to do now is come home. Im going to rejoice when I cross the border once and for all, she said. 619-293-1710 debbi.baker@sduniontribune.com twitter.com/Debbi_Baker On Tuesday, members of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors will consider changing the formula that calculates their base pay, which would effectively give themselves two raises adding up to 12.5 percent over the next year. This would increase their annual salaries from $153,290 to $172,451. [UPDATE: The supervisors voted 4-1 for the increase Tuesday, with new supervisor Kristin Gaspar opposed.] The proposal was approved on the first of two readings last month on the strength of votes by four termed-out Republican supervisors: Dianne Jacob, Ron Roberts, Bill Horn and Greg Cox. Given that their pensions are based on their final pay, these four arent just on the brink of giving themselves huge pay raises for their remaining years as supervisor. Theyre on the brink of giving themselves huge pay raises for the rest of their lives. Advertisement This is a matter of public concern because it will prompt county employee unions to demand similar pay raises in labor negotiations. But it will also provide a moment of clarity going forward about how county residents should remember their long-serving supervisors all of whom depict themselves as tightfisted allies of taxpayers. Jacob, the longest-serving supervisor, won her board seat in 1992 and was re-elected two months ago to her seventh term representing East County. She prides herself on her central role in improving county fire protection, her environmentalism and her work on behalf of the elderly, including launching the innovative Alzheimers Project. If she votes Tuesday to spike her pension, potentially by hundreds of thousands of dollars, she wont be remembered for her hard work. Jacob will be remembered as a civic arsonist. Roberts won his board seat in 1994 and was re-elected in 2014 to his sixth term representing a large chunk of the city of San Diego. He prides himself on his role in helping strengthen and diversify the regional economy, improving public safety and protecting the environment, and has served since 1995 as a member of the California Air Resources Board, an agency that has been a global trend-setter in fighting pollution. If he votes Tuesday to spike his pension, potentially by hundreds of thousands of dollars, he wont be remembered for his hard work. Roberts will be remembered for his self-serving greed. Horn won his board seat in 1994 as well and was re-elected in 2014 to his sixth term representing much of North County. He prides himself on his role in keeping the countys bond rating high by fighting unnecessary and unjustified spending and in promoting business growth by opposing excessive government regulation. If he votes Tuesday to spike his pension, potentially by hundreds of thousands of dollars, he wont be remembered for his hard work. Horn will be remembered for his revolting hypocrisy. Cox was appointed to his board seat in 1995 and was re-elected in 2016 to his sixth full term representing much of South County. He prides himself on his role in improving county services, bringing major new amenities to his district and fighting to protect the environment, serving as a California Coastal Commission board member since 2013. If he votes Tuesday to spike his pension, potentially by hundreds of thousands of dollars, he wont be remembered for his hard work. Cox will be remembered as a pig at the public trough. The choice is theirs: Do they want to destroy their reputations? County residents will soon find out. Twitter: @sdutIdeas Facebook: UTOpinion Del Norte High teacher Megan Gross is a 2017 National Teacher of the Year finalist. It is amazing and surreal, Gross said after it was officially announced on Monday that she is among four finalists to be honored this spring when the national contest winner is named in Washington, D.C. Gross said she has known she was a finalist since last month, but the news had to be kept secret until contest officials made the formal announcement. She has been a special education teacher at Del Norte High for the past four years, working with students in the campus Autism Spectrum Disorders program. Her work has focused on helping her students integrate into the campus community and learn the communication and life skills they need to enter college or work force after graduation. Im very excited for Megan and for her platform, which is based on inclusion, said Del Norte High Principal Greg Mizel. Im excited for Del Norte and for Poway Unified School District. Its really good. He said the 4S Ranch campus was founded on the concept of including everyone and making all students and staff members feel like Del Norte is their home due to the safety, support and belonging they would feel at the campus. That meant embracing the campus diversity and celebrating what everyone has to offer, including students in the special education program. Gross has worked hard to make sure they are fully integrated into the Del Norte community. Mizel called Gross an educator in perfect alignment with the schools goals of creating community and inclusion for all. The national winner will spend the next year traveling across the U.S. to represent educators and advocate on behalf of teachers and students, according to a press release. The four finalists embody the character, knowledge, skills and passion of exemplary teaching, according to a statement from the national contests selection committee. Each of the finalists empower students to own their own learning inside and outside of the classroom. The skills of these teachers transcend the classroom, as they also demonstrate the ability to engage with their peers, parents, community members and policy makers. Last fall, after being selected to represent her campus and the Poway Unified School District, Gross was named a 2016-17 San Diego County Teacher of the Year and later a California Teacher of the Year. Gross said she does not perceive herself as a teacher to be celebrated because I work with amazing, incredible colleagues. She added, Im incredibly excited to be representing Del Norte, San Diego County and California. She added that her speaking engagements before educators and others as the state winner are being scheduled to have as minimal impact as possible on her students, arranged to limit the time she is taken out of the classroom for these other duties. The other national finalists are a ninth grade humanities teacher from Massachusetts, a middle school instrumental music teacher and band director from Wisconsin plus a Maryland teacher who has her students partner with a theater company. Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News A hometown boy now an internationally known businessman, a couple that creates community beauty, a red-hot enterprise, and two dedicated community volunteers are among those being honored by the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce March 1. Through its member nominations, the Santa Paula Chamber of Commerce is honored to award the recipients for excellence, service to the community and their many contributions towards making Santa Paula a great place to live, work and play, said Chamber Board Chair Marilyn Appleby. Harold Edwards, President/CEO of Limoneira Co., has been selected Citizen of the Year for his multi-faceted, unwavering support of Santa Paula. Also to be honored at the evening award dinner to be held at the Community Center are Sam Edwards Lifetime Achievement Award honorees Dianne and Dudley Davis, who founded the local American in Bloom chapter dedicated to beautifying Santa Paula with flowers and landscaping that brought national recognition to the city. ?Large Business of the Year is the Bank of the Sierra and ?Small Business of the Year is Red Hot Foods Mfg. - Santa Paula Salsa Company, both supporters of the citys economic vitality as well as community boosters and volunteers. The Non-Profit of the Year is Blanchard Community Library, also honored last year by Latino Town Hall for its revitalized contributions to literature, art, literacy and children/youth programs. By Peggy Kelly Santa Paula News On December 16th 2016, Ventura County Clerk Recorder Mark Lunn administered the Oath of Office to District 3 Supervisor-elect Kelly Long at the County Government Center, Hall of Administration. The Ceremonial Swearing-In of Supervisors Kelly Long, Steve Bennett, and John Zaragoza will be administered by Presiding Judge Patricia Murphy of the Superior Courts, State of California, County of Ventura at the January 10th Board of Supervisors Ventura County regular meeting. This meeting will begin at 8:30 am and will be held at the County Government Center, Hall of Administration, Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at 800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009. The public is welcome to attend. I am looking forward to working with County offices on behalf of Ventura County and for our constituents. Supervisor Kathy Long has well represented the Third District and Ventura County for the past 20 years and will be truly missed. says Supervisor Kelly Long. Electing me as your Supervisor for the Third District means you have entrusted me with a great responsibility. This is something I do not take lightly and I will not back down when it comes to serving your interests. I value your support and welcome your input to continue the success of our district and Ventura County. Supervisor Kelly Long is very proud to inform all her respected colleagues that her staff has been appointed. Please join me in welcoming: * Paul Grossgold as Chief of Staff * Martin Hernandez as Field Representative * Matt Guthrie as Field Representative Colorado Springs, CO -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/09/2017 -- Western Fireplace Supply, a renowned fireplace company, offers gas fire pit inserts in Colorado. These inserts help homeowners create a cost-effective, convenient, and clean source of heat. Their gas fireplace inserts are from world-renowned brands such as Heat & Glo, Fireplace Xtrordinair, and Lopi. These gas fireplace inserts are easy to install, and will transform any smelly, drafty, smoky old wood burning fireplace into a beautiful source of warmth. Customers who would like to see these gas fire pit inserts in action can visit one of the company's Colorado fireplace showrooms in Avon, Colorado Springs, or Fort Collins. All of these gas fire pit inserts are manufactured employing the latest technology, and are quality-tested against multiple standards to ensure that product quality isn't compromised. Available in a metal box or ceramic box, these gas fireplace inserts feature new aluminum liners, making them easy to be used with the existing chimney of the old fireplace. Besides providing gas fire pit inserts in Colorado, Western Fireplace Supply also provides wood burning fireplace inserts and pellet burning fireplace inserts. They also assign trained specialists to every customer. These specialists meet their clients at the site, propose solutions, generate quotes, and partner with them throughout their project. A representative of Western Fireplace Supply talked more about their gas fire pit inserts, "Are you tired of sending all of your heat up the chimney rather than into the room? Are you frustrated by having cold air come down your chimney and into your home when you are not using your fireplace? You are not alone and we have the solution! A gas fireplace insert converts your drafty, inefficient fireplace into exactly what you had hoped it would be...an efficient, convenient, clean burning source of heat." About Western Fireplace Supply Since 1983, Western Fireplace Supply has helped more people find heating solutions for their homes than any other fireplace store in Colorado Springs or in Colorado. Visit any of their Colorado fireplace showrooms in Avon, Colorado Springs or Ft. Collins to see today's remarkable new fireplace and stove technology. They also offer the finest outdoor furniture, fire pits, premium barbecue grills, even complete outdoor kitchens to help buyers make the most of Colorado's delightful summers. Everything they sell is of the highest-quality, from the nation's most respected manufacturers. To find out more, please visit: http://www.westernfireplace.com/ Contact Details: Avon Showroom Colorado Fireplace & Fireplace Supplies Western Fireplace Supply 910 Nottingham Road Avon, CO 81620 970-827-9623 Colorado Springs Showroom Colorado Fireplace & Fireplace Supplies Western Fireplace Supply 1685 Paonia Street Colorado Springs, CO 80915 719-591-0020 Fort Collins Showroom Colorado Fireplace & Fireplace Supplies Western Fireplace Supply 1408 Riverside Ave. Ft. Collins, CO 80524 970-498-9679 Springfield, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/09/2017 -- Orthogen, developers and distributors of the revolutionary dental products NanoGen and DentoGen have begun selling their dental bone graft materials in yet another international market. Orthogen's products have now received the approval from Drug Controller General of India for distribution in India, one of the most populous countries in the World. With Indian approval in place, NanoGen and DentoGen are now sold in a dozen countries including The United Kingdom, Ukraine, Egypt, Hong Kong, Israel, Peru, Turkey, The United States and many others. Considered one of the best dental bone graft available, Orthogen's products are widely accredited by top oral surgeons and dentists for both their efficacy and ease of use. The Head of Periodontology at the Government Dental College in Chandigarh, India recently endorsed NanoGen, speaking to its "great results" when treating infrabony defects. India marks another major market in which the company will sell their products, sure to make the difference in more than a few individual's dental care. The announcement for the sales of NanoGen and DentoGen in another market comes on the heels of the revitalized online store which now features new prices on Orthogen's most popular products. Dental surgeons and instructors are encouraged to visit the recently updated online store to see the company's new prices. To learn more about Orthogen, read testimonials from the international community or to read about their research and development, interested parties are encouraged to visit the website at http://www.orthogencorp.com/. About Orthogen, LLC Originally a division of BioLok International, which is now merged with BioHorizons, Orthogen, LLC was established in 2007 to develop and market next generation bone-grafting products for orthopedic and dental applications. Dr. Sachin Mamidwar serves as CEO of the company whereas Dr. Harold Alexander, previously Director of Orthopedic research at the Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, serves as the Chairman of the Board. Orthogen offers various products including DentoGen, NanoGen, collagen membranes, related instruments and sutures for dental applications. To inquire about the company's products and technologies, please call 1-877-336-8643. Stockholm, Sweden -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/09/2017 -- SegwayStockholmAirwheel.Se makes a bold move in Scandinavia's touristic market by advancing its all-in-one Stockholm city tours on Airwheel segways. At segwaystockholmairwheel.se interested visitors may read all about the offer. The segway guided tours are available to children, teenagers, adults and seniors alike. Participants can view all the main places of interest within the Swedish capital. The offer is recommended to first timers, but also to returning visitors wishing to experience the city in a new, different and dynamic way. The Stockholm travel agency partnered up with Airwheel, the brand known for its simple, elegant and efficient self balancing electric scooters. The devices are electrically powered and do not reach high speeds. Tourists are required to wear safety helmets, which will be provided before the tour begins. Segways or self balancing scooters represent a form of sustainable travel which is 100% non-polluting. Participants will be asked to respect the speed limits imposed in the city. Segway tours are a fast and at the same time safe way to view the city. There are various starting times throughout the day. The revolutionary transport method is not only engaging and fun, but also makes city tours much quicker and more comfortable than regular walking tours. Visitors may thus save their energy for upcoming activities. SegwayStockholmairwheel.Se is providing all the needed details at the following page: visitstockholm.com/en/seedo/events/segway-stockholm-airwheel. The organizer is counting close to 40 attractions per tour and an average of 10 km, with customer safety as the organizer's highest priority. Tours are available for groups of maximum 7 people. The Swedish company is also known for its free walking tours for Oslo and Stockholm, as well as its private tours, focused on historical landmarks, Viking heritage, arts and culture, as well as seasonal attractions e.g. winter and Christmas. About Stockholm Travel Agency AB Stockholm Travel Agency AB is a Swedish tourism company founded in 2010, providing affordable services to Scandinavia visitors. The segway city tours represent one of its numerous projects. For additional information on the tours, call +46 764 22 65 49 or visit segwaystockholmairwheel.se Contact: John Mayer Segway Stockholm Airwheel info@segwaystockholmairwheel.se http://segwaystockholmairwheel.se/ Stockholm, Sweden +46764226549 The high-ranking officials from 70 countries of the world will gather in France on Jan. 15 for a conference regarding a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rabbis from Israel have conceived this as the fulfillment of the Biblical prophecy that was foretold thousands of years ago. Breaking Israel News reports that this two-state solution is an effort to force Israel to accept the said agreement. In Psalms 83: 5-6 (The Israel Bible), it says, "They have said: 'Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Yisrael may be no more in remembrance.' For they have consulted together with one consent; against Thee do they make a covenant." Rabbi Avraham Arieh Trugman, the director of Ohr Chadash Torah Institute, said that everyone knows already what the purpose of the conference is. It will be an all-out hate fest against Israel. He further said that what is interesting is that it is not just one or two enemies with a specific grudge, like the Arabs or the Nazis but rather 70 nations, which in Torah terms means all the nations. Meanwhile, Rabbi Shimon Apisdorf, a prominent Jewish educator and bestselling author, upon seeing 70 nations written in the headlines had caught his attention. He said that there is no question that the aspect of specifically 70 nations gathering is significant, the point being Israel is not one of them. He emphasized that this event is no doubt the fulfillment of the prophecies in the end days -- that all the nations will come out against Israel. Then, he cited the Book of Numbers 23:9. Times of Israel reports that neither Israel nor the Palestinians will be present at the meeting. On the other hand, both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas will be invited for the briefing after the meeting. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said that he hoped that the meeting would relaunch the peace process and reaffirm the necessity of having two states. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected a French proposal earlier this month to meet President Abbas in Paris. Up to now, one of the challenges in the field of medicine is to find cure for AIDS. Fortunately, scientists were able to make a tiny implantable drug pump to somehow prevent the spread of the disease. Bill Gates is willing to fund this, spending $140 million. To support the development of this tiny implantable drug pump, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing $140 million. It is believed to help prevent the people in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere from being infected with HIV. However, the disease has no cure yet. The tiny implantable drug pump stops the HIV, which is the virus that causes AIDS. Through the strategy called pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), people who are at very high risk for the HIV disease can have an HIV medicine to lessen the chances of infection. According to Quartz, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that "PrEP can stop HIV from taking hold and spreading throughout your body. It is highly effective for preventing HIV if used as prescribed, but it is much less effective when not taken consistently." A dose of PrEP daily can lessen the risk of contracting HIV 90 percent from sex. Thus, for the patients to take the drug every day is critical for preventing HIV effectively. In line with this, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is investing $140 million in hopes of addressing the issue. The money would help the Intarcia Therapeutics, which is a Boston-based biopharmaceutical company, to develop the tiny implantable drug pump. The pump will be merged with the Intarcia's Medici Drug Delivery system. With this, it would ensure the patients to be consistent with the treatment. As follows, the matchstick-size mini-pump is embedded in the skin under the dermal layer. The trained physicians will handle the procedure. The pump can work six or 12 months supply of the drug. The CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Sue Desmond-Hellmann, said, "There's a vital need for an HIV/AIDS intervention that allows those at risk to incorporate prevention more easily into their daily lives." The cash is part of the $1.5 billion fund created by the Gates Foundation to invest in technologies developed by the private sectors that help the foundation's mission. Executive Director of AVAC, which is a global HIV advocacy that is supported by the Gates Foundation, Mitchell Warren said that, "This is one of the most exciting years ever in HIV prevention," according to FOX News. The astronomers and scientists are aiming to find extraterrestrial life on other planets. To speed up their research, new methods have been developed. Currently, two different groups of astronomers are examining a method that would do atmospheric studies of Proxima b and other possibly habitable planets using ground-based telescopes. These will be probably in operation in the 2020s, according to Space.com. The scientists discovered Proxima b, which evidence suggests that it could have the right conditions to support life. They are on the verge now of finding extraterrestrial life on this planet. Matteo Brogi, a Hubble fellow at the University of Colorado, described the next-generation ground-based telescopes that will study the atmosphere and feature of Proxima b. The new method could have applied to other planets too that are rocky just like Proxima b and orbit in the habitable zone of cool stars also referred to as red dwarfs. Brogi said that the frequency of small planets around small stars is extremely high -- on average, there are about 2.5 planets per star. He further said that regarding habitable planets around small stars, there should be a frequency of close to 30 percent, so every three stars should have a habitable planet. Yahoo reports that there are two processes involved in the new method. These include the high-resolution spectroscopy, which is the study of light. This could identify the components that are visible in the atmosphere of Proxima b. The second technique is the "direct imaging," which is used by the astronomers to locate a planet and the star it orbits. Once the planet is located, the team proposes using the Doppler method, in which it will separate the planet's light from the star's light. The high-resolution spectroscopy will aid them in determining what a planet is composed of without the interference of the light coming from the star. This combination of techniques is now in the process of development and in thorough tuning and shaping. Once this is developed fully, scientists could save enough time in searching for life on other planets. Among these, SapuraKencana Subsea Services was awarded a contract for the provision of underwater services for Petronas Carigali. SapKencana said in a stock market announcement that the scope of work consisted of underwater services together with vessels, air and saturation diving, remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and other related underwater services, including inspection, maintenance and repair. The work to support Petronas' E&P unit at its underwater facilities located offshore Peninsular Malaysia is for a two-year period and will be on a call-out basis. Geotechnical services unit SapuraKencana GeoSciences was also awarded a contract by Petronas Carigali for the provision of soil investigation services at both its Peninsular Malaysia operation and Sarawak/Sabah operation area. The contract is for one year with an optional one-year extension. Transportation and Installation (T&I) contracts to SapuraKencana TL Offshore include one by Hyundai Heavy Industries for the provision of offshore installation work of the BNCPP-B jacket, foundation piles and bridge structure between BNCPP-B to BNG-B for a project in East Malaysia and scheduled to commence in the first quarter of 2017. The other was awarded by Repsol Oil & Gas Malaysia for the provision of transportation and installation of pipeline, substructure and topside for the Bunga Pakma Development Project. The 12-month contract is for transportation and installation of Bunga Pakma, a wellhead riser platform which includes jacket, piles, topside, wet gas pipeline and subsea composite cable. In the drilling segment, SapuraKencana Drilling was awarded a contract by Brunei Shell Petroleum for the provision of its Tender Assist Drilling Rig SKD Alliance for a firm period of five yeas with a five-year optional extension. The contract is scheduled to commence in April 2018. In the letter addressed to - Martin Schulz, President of the European Parliament, Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, and Donald Tusk President of the European Council Lim cautioned against including ships in the EU-ETS. I am concerned that a final decision to extend the EU-ETS to shipping emissions would not only be premature but would seriously impact on the work of IMO to address GHG emissions from international shipping. Inclusion of emissions from ships in the EU-ETS significantly risks undermining efforts on a global level," Lim said in the letter. In December the European Parliament Environment Committee voted to include shipping in the EU-ETS by 2023 if there is no global agreement under IMO for operation by 2021. In October last year the IMO adopted mandatory, global system, for collecting data on ships fuel-oil consumption part of a three step approach to decide if further measures were necessary to reduce GHG emissions. It also has a roadmap for developing a comprehensive strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, with a view to being adopted in 2018. Lim noted these measures had been agreed by member states of the IMO, including EU member states, and said they demonstrated both the UN bodys leadership and role and also the only body that can achieve the necessary political cooperation of all governments. Such political cooperation is important to ensure that all countries act together to ensure that no one is left behind, he said in the letter. The IMO has long campaigned against unilateral regulation by individual states or regional groupings. Lim said that, in his view, unilateral or regional action that conflicts with or undermines actions that have been carefully considered and deliberated by the global community at IMO threatens world-wide confidence in the consistent, uniform system of regulation developed by IMO. Shipowner representative bodies such as the European Community Shipowners Association (ESCA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the Danish Shipowners Association (DSA) have all warned against the inclusion of shipping in the EU-ETS. But not all parts of the industry are in agreement and the Port of Rotterdam described the IMOs plans on GHG as not challenging enough and called on the European Parliament to put pressure on the IMO. Anyone who's ever visited Rome, Paris, Istanbul or Boston knows that part of the charm of these cities is their winding streets, their quaint shops, restaurants and cafes densely packed along narrow roads. Cities would never be laid out like this today. "It's one the most fascinating things about city planning," Geoff Boeing told Seeker. "We explicitly outlaw making the kinds of cities that we all fetishize as tourists." Boeing, a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley, is studying urban planning and as part of his research is looking for new ways to characterize street networks, to measure them and to draw some conclusions about how they perform. To that end, he created a data visualization tool that depicts one square mile of a city's street network and also gives him the ability to compare those squares. At a glance, even a novice "cartophile" can see which cities are best for walking and which cities were made for driving. Each map is a window into the history of a city's layout, Boeing said. "It tells us a lot about the design paradigm of when it was built." Did it evolve from the bottom up, like Rome or Tunis, and self-organize as the population expanded? Or was it designed from the top down, like Irvine, Calif., to accommodate modern life and the ubiquity of automobiles? Boeing calls his visualization tool OSMnx - "OSM" stands for OpenStreetMap, a free wiki of maps from around the world, and "nx" stands for NetworkX, which is a computer software package for the creation, manipulation and study of complex networks. With the tool, Boeing can download any city map in the world and, in addition to analyzing data about physical characteristics of the streets, create the black-and-white grids that show one square mile at a time. RELATED: NYC Street View Map Travels Back in Time He was inspired to create the data visualization tool after reading the book Great Streets written and illustrated by Allan Jacobs, a Professor of City and Regional Planning also at UC Berkeley. In this book, Jacobs meticulously hand draws 50 one square-mile maps of cities from around the world. As in Jacobs hand drawings, Boeing's computer-generated illustrations, the city's texture is apparent. Compare Portland, founded in 1851, to Irvine, incorporated in 1971. Both are made up of a grid structure with streets mainly at right angles. But the size of those individual grids is obviously different. Portland's blocks are small, just 200 feet square. Although the reason behind the size is not known - the Portland Bureau of Transportation says it could have been designed that way to increase the number of highly valued corner lots - the outcome is a highly walkable city. Portland has capitalized on that and back in 1994, it became the first city in the United States to undertake a comprehensive Pedestrian Master Plan. "It's very easy to move through that fine-grained mesh and gets to points quickly on foot," Boeing said. Irvine tells a different story. "It wasn't designed for getting anywhere on foot," he said. "It was designed in the middle to later part of the 20th century for the automobile exclusively." People don't walk there. RELATED: Top 10 Google Map Adventures of 2015: Photos The car-centric design is a sign of contemporary times that's still trending. "There are cities in the Middle East or China that are very new that are being built from scratch, and what you tend see is late 20th-century America on steroids." It's a philosophy that could be short-sighted for the future. Self-driving cars and ride-sharing services available through apps like Uber and Lyft could remove a large percentage of vehicles on city streets. Just last week, MIT published a study related to this idea, finding that carpooling could cut the number of taxis in New York City from 14,000 to a mere 3,000. Although it's hard to predict how urban planners will design cities to accommodate the evolution of mobility, a data visualization tool like Boeing's could help people see in an instant how a city could function and help them get closer to what they want from a city. Will they want a city that's rational and car-friendly like Irvine? Or will they want a city that's more pedestrian-oriented like Rome or Paris? "It helps shift the conversation by demonstrating to people that density isn't necessarily bad," Boeing said. WATCH VIDEO: How Cars of the Future Will Keep Us Safe At high magnification, the structure of silk-tougher-than-steel-1822242055.html">silk proteins from a special South African spider resemble dumbbells. It's an appropriate shape given how strong the fibers are. This particular kind of silk doesn't contract in water, either, unlike the fibers from other spiders. That's a crucial property considering that one day a material produced efficiently in the lab from these proteins could be inside your body, healing it. "I think that our fiber has a good potential to become like a scaffold to guide nerve regeneration. We are looking mainly at spinal cord injuries for the moment, but also peripheral nerve damage," Anna Rising, an assistant professor of translational medicine at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences and the Karolinska Institutet, told me. She and her colleague Jan Johansson combined a silk gene from the South African spider Euprosthenops australis with DNA from a Chinese spider called Araneus ventricosus. They used bacteria to produce new hybrid silk proteins, turned them into a highly concentrated solution and extruded the solution through a spinning device they created to mimic a spider gland. The resulting fiber is stronger and more efficient than most other artificial lab-produced versions, and about a third as strong as real spider silk. Their results were published today in the journal Nature Chemical Biology. An ornery bird with a proportionately tiny head and gangly legs would seem like an unusual source for medical treatments, but Stu Greenberg, spokesperson for OstriGen, explained that ostriches are built to last. The U.S. Army and one of the world's leading hospitals, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) in Boston, have already shown keen interest in the startup, and for good reason. Ostriches could lead to treatments for Ebola, MERS, Zika and Clostridium difficile, which is now the single leading cause of hospital-acquired bacterial infection. The trend could soon sweep across the United States and beyond now that a Waltham, Mass.-based biotech startup, appropriately named OstriGen Inc. , plans to market ostrich-made antibodies to the masses. Ostrich antibodies are so sought after for their health-promoting properties in Japan that people inhale them through face masks, absorb them through skin lotions and sprays and even ingest them in soy sauce. "Ostriches date back to the Mesozoic period, about 23 million years ago, and possibly even to the Campanian Stage of the Cretaceous Period, 70 to 80 million years ago," Greenberg told Seeker. "Through that long a period, powerful immune response will be developed through natural selection." One of the startup's primary researchers, Yasuhiro Tsukamoto of Kyoto Prefectural University, has been working with the big birds for years. In a patent titled "Method for production of antibody using ostrich," Tsukamoto explained that conventional animals used for the production of antibodies include mice, rats, sheep and goats. Since these animals are mammals like humans, however, it can be challenging to produce the needed antibodies, even if these animals are immunized against a human molecule-such as a protein-that relates to a certain disease. Birds turn out to be better for the process. In fact, most flu vaccines originate from chicken eggs. Live viruses are injected into eggs, where they grow after incubation. Chemicals are then used to deactivate the viruses, which are mixed with other strains. The weakened flu viruses then make up the vaccine, triggering our bodies to produce antibodies and immune cells, safeguarding us from the particular flu strains. Tsukamoto takes this process a step further, by allowing the birds to produce an antibody against the viral agent. As for why he prefers to work with ostriches instead of chickens, he explained that "the chicken has very little blood." Ostriches, which can weigh up to 250 pounds, provide a great medical canvas to work with, especially considering their powerful immune systems. There appears to be no harmful side effects or other health risks associated with exposure, or even ingestion, of such antibodies. "Antibodies are large molecules that interact only with an antigen target such as proteins unique to viruses, bacteria and allergens," Greenberg said. "When you eat a chicken egg, you are ingesting antibodies that were put in the yolk to protect chicks." Another perk associated with ostrich antibodies is that they are resistant to human stomach acids, which is not the case with mammal-sourced antibodies. "Antibodies are large molecules that interact only with an antigen target such as proteins unique to viruses, bacteria and allergens," Greenberg said. "When you eat a chicken egg, you are ingesting antibodies that were put in the yolk to protect chicks." As with all things that sound too good to be true, there are problems to consider. Chief among those is the fact that ostriches-even with their highly developed immune systems-can succumb to highly contagious flu viruses. A Preventative Veterinary Medicine paper published in June of last year, for example, describes a horrific avian influenza outbreak in South Africa that affected 42 ostrich farms. South Africa produces 80 percent of all ostrich products in the world, from eggs to ostrich steaks. "The outbreak was controlled using depopulation of infected farms, resulting in the direct loss of ten percent of the country's domestic ostrich population," wrote lead author Lesley van Helden of Western Cape Veterinary Services and colleagues. If ostriches have such great immune systems, then you wonder why they can be so vulnerable to such illnesses. Press Release January 9, 2017 De Lima calls for Senate probe on BI bribery scandal Sen. Leila M. de Lima today called for a Senate inquiry into the alleged bribery attempt by Chinese businessman Jack Lam to some immigration officials in exchange for the release of some of the 1,316 Chinese workers at his casino in Pampanga. De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 258 urging the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to inquire in aid of legislation into the circumstances and facts surrounding the bribery scandal that has plagued the Bureau of Immigration (BI). The BI officials were reported to have received five paper bags allegedly containing P10 million each, or a total of P50 million, from Lam's middleman, former police officer Wally Sombero, at the City of Dreams hotel and casino in Paranaque City, which activity was caught on CCTV. Aguirre himself admitted that he was offered the amount of P100 million a month by Chinese gambling magnate Jack Lam in exchange for the protection by Aguirre of his gambling interests in the Philippines. "If indeed Lam, through his middleman Wally Sombero, attempted to bribe Aguirre, why didn't the latter effect right then and there, a warrantless arrest of Sombero, the latter being in flagrante delicto, and thereafter promptly move to prevent Lam's departure or escape from the country?," she said. "Simply put, there are too many nagging questions that necessitate a deeper independent probe by the Senate. We cannot just entrust such investigation to DOJ/NBI which are both under Aguirre's control. It's like entrusting a wolf to guard the sheep," she added. Further to Secretary Aguirre's categorical admission that he was offered P100 million a month, the Senator from Bicol said: "This seeming lackluster response of the Justice Secretary on a bribery attempt on his person leaves much to be desired in terms of the need for the government to urgently take jurisdiction over the person of Jack Lam by effecting his arrest." "This failure in law enforcement and immediate prosecution of Jack Lam and his cohorts has led the public to speculate on the real story behind this incident," she added in her resolution. According to De Lima, Aguirre's lukewarm action on Lam's criminal offense is suspicious and worrisome, considering that Aguirre is the top prosecutorial officer of the government. Based on news reports, Lam had successfully evaded government arrest by immediately leaving the Philippines after he reportedly bribed BI officials in the amount of P50 million. Mindful that Aguirre and the two embattled BI officials belong to the President's same fraternity, the San Beda-based Lex Talionis Fraternity, De Lima also regarded President Duterte's attitude towards them as a "kid's glove treatment." "(This) bribery scandal raises issues on the seriousness and/or capability of the government to enforce its anti-corruption laws in situations where those involved are personal friends of the appointing authority," she said. Several fraternity brothers of the President have been appointed in high government positions since he assumed power, aside from Aguirre, BI Commissioners Michael Robles and Al Argosino. "This is the first time that a corruption scandal involving the President's fraternity brothers has been exposed to the public. Duterte has promised that all officials who get involved in corruption will be killed," De Lima said. The former justice secretary said she believes that anti-corruption laws should be revised and updated to deal with such cases of favoritism where those involved in corruption turn out to be fraternity brothers of the disciplining and appointing authority. "There is a need to review and update our anti-corruption laws to more effectively respond to situations where suspect public officials have a personal relationship to the appointing authority and the chief executor of the nation's laws," she said. The proposed Senate investigation should pave the way for enhancing the principle of command responsibility in bribery and corruption cases by penalizing negligence in the enforcement of laws on bribery and corruption, especially the negligence of top investigation and prosecution officers, in an apparent reference to Aguirre and his alleged inaction against Robles and Argosino, and also on Lam. Press Release January 9, 2017 Excerpts of Media Interviews with SP Pimentel at the meeting between members of the Philippine Senate and visiting members of the France Southeast Asia Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group Conference Q: On possible shift in Senate leadership SPKP: The Senate is a collegial body. I don't think that there will be 100% happiness with each member. Ok na yun. Even in a grade school class of 40, everybody doesn't get 100 with each report card. Ganoon na man iyon eh. It's a petty matter that is not of account. Basta ako I look at the non-petty and important things. The leadership of the Senate must have the support of 13 senators at any given time. If there is a new senator who will have the support of at least 13 senators, then he should lead the Senate. Ok lang po yun. Q: On rumors of 'pork barrel' returning in 2017 budget SPKP: I've been reading the press releases made to the public by Senator Panfilo Lacson as reported by the media. I think we have disagreements as to the technical definition of what is 'pork barrel' which has been declared unconstitutional as a practice by the Supreme Court. The essence, the non-bending part of the Supreme Court is that the act, which is unconstitutional, is the involvement of legislators in implementing the budget, in making the budget complete after the budget law has been enacted. In this particular case, the legislator helps in the budget process, but it can be implemented after the enactment of the budget law without the legislator's intervention, then that is no more and no longer the act declared unconstitutional. So we have perhaps a basic difference in our description or definition of what constitutes a 'return' to the pork barrel system. Q: On reported complaints by senators mentioned by Senator JV Ejercito SPKP: I have seen the interview and he said some, if not most of the grumblings are petty matters, so if these are petty let us not talk about them. If the word 'petty' is used we should not pursue it. Q: Are you not concerned? SPKP: Basta the important principle in the Senate is that whoever has the support of at least 13 senators should lead the Senate. Q: Wala pa po bang nagexpress sa inyo na unhappy sila? SPKP: Wala, as far as I know, nobody is unhappy. Q: Sir sa latest Pulse Asia survey isa pa rin kayo sa mataas ang trust rating. SPKP: Ako po ay nagpapasalamat, ako po ay natutuwa, even if wala po akong conscious efforts to promote myself, the Filipino people are still appreciative of what I have done in the Senate. We will just continue to do what I believe that we have to do. Wala nang artificially boosting your popularity. We just do the right things. I am confident that you do the right things in behalf of the people, they will appreciate it and this will be seen in the surveys. Q: So as far as you are concerned, there is no pork barrel? SPKP: Yes. The law can be implemented without waiting for inputs, communication, letters, prompts from lawmakers. It is a self-executing law. Hindi kino-control ng lawmakers. Yun yung masama doon, you pass a law and yet you somehow enjoy an indirect influence in the implementation of the law by preventing the implementation of some parts of the law without your consent. Bawal po yun kasi lawmakers kami. Once the law leaves our hands, it should be self-executing already. Q: On the Leni-leaks. SPKP: Actually it has not bothered me to the point that I have not even read the reports about Leni-leaks. Nababasa ko lang yung headlines. Q: But tama lang na i-investigate ng Palasyo kung totoo? SPKP: Siguro ganoon din ang attitude ng Executive and once in the Executive maybe we can agree with it na all reports, all rumors about destabilization or threats to the administration should be investigated and seriously treated pero that is their attitude so I will not blame them for that, I will not criticize them for that. Q: On the Paris Agreement SPKP: Ganito kasi yan. Before the President himself ratifies the treaty, he consults several departments affected by the treaty. I think they number 23 agencies and departments for their certificate of concurrence. The report I have received is that 22 already submitted agreeing to the Paris Agreement. Only one is being awaited, so once that agency submits, it will now be up to the President himself to ratify and he will now submit it for concurrency to ratify. Ang pakiramdam namin sa Senado, we need 16 votes to concur, and I think we have the sixteen. Q: There is information that the President went to China for cancer treatment. Should the President reveal his medical condition to the public? SPKP: Not reveal because of this article, I have not even read the article, but I think the President has revealed in fact people make fun of him now because he even revealed the medication that he takes. He has been very honest about his physical condition, he is 71 years old, sabi niya, talk to your relative who is 71 years old, interview that relative, ano yung aches and pains nung taong yun, ganun din ang aches and pains niya. Plus the fact that he has met a motorcycle accident which affected a nerve on his neck, so situation po yun ng ating Presidente. Let us not revive the issue of his health just because somebody writes about it. Q: Totoo po ba yun? SPKP: Hindi. Alam mo kung totoo yun, sinabi na ng Presidente yun. Si President, walang tinatago lalo na sa kanyang katawan at sa kanyang state of health, bakit niya ikahihiya yun? Let us believe the President when he says that he has the aches and pains of an ordinary 71 year old Filipino male, plus the fact that there is something wrong with a nerve on his neck because of the motorcycle accident. On whether there will be a caucus on legislative matters. SPKP: On Wednesday. Q: When will the Senate ratify the Paris Agreement? SPKP: The projected timetable is by middle of this year, it will be submitted to the Senate for concurrence. That is the information received by the delegation from the executive branch. Give us six months, we'll have that ratified. A man was found dead Monday morning after police discovered his car submerged in a creek in Novato, officials said. The crash occurred about 8:30 a.m. on the 5000 block of Novato Boulevard, near Hicks Valley and just east of Point Reyes, said Officer Ron Simmons of the California Highway Patrol. Battered by high winds, scaffolding at two construction sites in San Francisco collapsed Sunday afternoon in one case, closing several blocks of Market Street near the Civic Center plaza. In the first collapse, scaffolding materials fell about 2 p.m. from the top of a seven-story building on Seventh Street between Market and McAllister streets. Concerned more of it could fall, San Francisco police officers closed surrounding streets to pedestrians and vehicles. Ive seen Trumps face be white, red and orange, says Dan St. Paul. Is he the new Homeland Security advisory system? And then David Gardner, whod spent two weeks binge-watching Game of Thrones from the beginning of the series, says he was shocked to see the headline in The Chronicle one day last week: Hodor will help fend off Trump. (Alas, it was just Eric Holder and my blurry eyes, he realized.) And D. Marc Capobianco suggests that the new commander-in-chief be referred to as Trump Dong Un. So the Trump lines, jokes, wisecracks, insults and observations keep pouring in, with many Americans who were part of the majority that voted for the other candidate turning to wordplay as an alternative to beating their heads against a wall. Were getting in shape to fight Trump, is the overheard Scott Mattoon sent from his Pilates class at the Berkeley YMCA. I can see that this is going to be a four-year-long slog unless theres an impeachment. So today Im going to try to burn off as forest firefighters set backfires in hopes of slowing the main one one avenue for wisecracks. At the post office at 20th and Geary, Adda Dada spotted Charles Neal wearing a T-shirt hed bought at the Strand Book Store in New York: Make America Read Again. A worthy sentiment, of course, but just a bit outside of the mainstream, which I am trying my damnedest to dam, of rhymes for the original Make America Great Again. So here it goes: Make America 8 again (discount sugary sodas for third-graders), make America straight again (the vice president insists), bait again (abolish fishing regulations), plait again (Afros banned), wait again (abstinence until marriage), date again (no harm in looking around) and mate again (I do may be repeated an infinite number of times), rate again (assigning of numerical values to womens appearance), late again (remove funding from Planned Parenthood), pate again (what me? bald?) and hate again (no explanation necessary). Is there anyone else whos turned off by Oprah Winfrey making the talk show rounds promoting Food, Health and Happiness, her new book, while her ads for Weight Watchers bookend the interviews? (I think she looks good with glasses, though.) Oprah, youre supposed to be our moral compass ... and honestly, we dont care whether youre large or small. Matt Levin of the California newsletter CalMatters reports: More white men named Jim are in the California Legislature than black and Asian-American women combined. Streets of San Francisco: Add the name of Chris and two unidentified passersby to the city honor roll. Connie Christoff of Boulder, Colo., wrote to S.F. Travel to say she and her husband were on their way to the airport with four pieces of luggage in their rented car when they stopped to walk along the Embarcadero. Their walk was interrupted by a call from the police saying their rental car had been broken into but the break-in had been witnessed by two men (one a retired police officer), who chased the thieves and caused them to drop three of the bags. The next day, after flying out of San Francisco, they were contacted by Chris, whod found the fourth bag abandoned when the thieves found nothing in it they wanted and subsequently returned it to them by UPS. Christoff wrote that she is basking in warm memories of angels who helped retrieve the bags, and this story was sent by S.F. Travel, which promotes tourism in the city. I dunno. Seems to me the ideal is to travel in a place where cars are left alone. When she got off work at midnight on New Years Eve, bartender Kristi Higgins of Maxs Opera Cafe started walking down Van Ness Avenue to meet some friends at Benders. Overjoyed to see two cabs parked in front of the War Memorial building, she ran up to the first and knocked on the window. It was empty. When she ran to the second, reports Diedra OMerde, up from the back seat popped two heads. She was so startled she turned to leave, but they laughed, blushed, and explained they were a cabbie couple sharing a New Years kiss. The woman ran back to her own cab and drove Higgins home. Leah Garchik is open for business in San Francisco, (415) 777-8426. Email: lgarchik@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @leahgarchik Public Eavesdropping Im freaked out about rent. I sort of have a job, but I dont do anything and I dont get paid. On this day, a new Democratic mayor took charge and a new Democratic president took a stand. The Chronicles front page from Jan. 9, 1964, covers President Lyndon B. Johnsons first State of the Union Address and the swearing-in of San Francisco Mayor John Shelley. In Washington, D.C., the man who succeeded John F. Kennedy made a bold statement about helping the poor. President Johnson yesterday declared war on poverty and called on America to join him in the attack, the story read. In his first State of the Union message, Mr. Johnson also announced a surprise cut in spending and ordered a sharp cutback in the production of enriched uranium for nuclear weapons. In San Francisco, a new leader took his spot atop the city hierarchy. John Francis Shelley, 58, who once drove a bread truck in San Francisco, became the 33rd mayor of the city at 12:46 p.m. yesterday, the story read. It took California Chief Justice Phil Gibson a full two minutes to read the lengthy oath of office. Johnsons War on Poverty would be a hallmark of his presidency, and its legacy remains today in the form of the Jobs Corps, the federal food stamp program, Medicare and Medicaid, and other programs. Shelley became the first Democratic mayor of San Francisco in 50 years. No Republican has held the seat since. 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 is a yearlong project 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 Just for fun during the presidential campaign, President Obamas longtime former speechwriter Jon Favreau and three other Obama White House veterans Jon Lovett, Dan Pfeiffer and San Franciscan Tommy Vietor produced a podcast series called Keepin it 1600. Snarky, fiercely partisan and insightful, the California production blew up, with 400,000 listens to its mournful, self-flagellating, we-got-it-wrong day-after-the election episode. Donald Trumps election didnt just surprise the mid-30s politicos, it made them rethink their next step and the role of the political punditry they often mocked. For days after the election, Vietor said people asked him, online and in person, What should I be doing now? And I was frustrated that I didnt have a good answer for them. On Monday, they will reveal their corner of what progressives are calling the resistance to Trump. Their next gig revolves around a simple credo: less punditry and more advocacy. Theyre leaving their West Coast consulting gigs to bootstrap a new venture, a media company called Crooked Media its a nod to Trumps sobriquet for the press. Their new podcast, Pod Save America, premieres Monday just in time for the East Coast afternoon commute. Its an early sign that at least a few leading progressives with Beltway pedigrees get the fact that dejected liberals want to do something like be part of a resistance instead of just fret about the political and policy changes Trump might wreak. We want to help, the golden-voiced Favreau said. As we look back at the podcast, if we want to be self-critical, it was too much punditry and prediction. We talked about what just happened instead of what should happen. Mike Kepka/By Mike Kepka/special to the Chronicle It is also an early media response from Democrats on how Trump schooled them during their campaign. As Vietor said, Trump demonstrated that if youre solely filtering your message through the media, youve already lost. He has Breitbart and Twitter, and hell just swamp you. We need to do a better job of connecting directly and activating people. The three admit that Trumps victory imbued them with a new dose of humility after the glory of Obamas groundbreaking 2008 campaign and first term. Favreau, whom Obama called his mind reader for his ability to craft sweeping speeches in the presidents voice, was on Times 100 Most Influential People in the World list in 2009. Lovett, who left the speech-writing team after three years, went to Hollywood, where he was co-producer of the short-lived sitcom 1600 Penn and wrote for Aaron Sorkins HBO show Newsroom. And Vietor departed the White House with Favreau after Obamas first term for a lucrative consulting career. The Washington Post/The Washington Post/Getty Images A fourth Keepin It 1600 and Obama White House alum, Pfeiffer, will also appear on the new podcast, but hes keeping his day job at GoFundMe instead of joining Crooked Media. The group is now looking to do something different, something with more meaning and impact. Lovett, who peppers the podcast with one-liners and perhaps the worst fake Russian accent this side of Boris Badenov, said learning how listeners responded to their day-after the election episode when we were despondent, but open, honest and vulnerable and talked about all the things we got wrong moved him. Theres many horrible, horrible things to come out of Trumps victory, Lovett said. But if theres one kind of response thats been kind of inspiring, its that people have started knitting themselves together. Theyre reaching out to hear new ideas. Starting new ideas. Listening. The past few weeks have helped him and his colleagues to be humble about our ability to change things and be less worried about being predictors and more worried about being in the moment. As Vietor said: I personally was too glib and too snarky, and I needed a dose of humility. I think it was good for me. How that humility translates into a media company is a work in progress. The name Pod Save America is sly admission that a podcast wont save the nation. But its a place to start. But this incarnation, which will be produced in Los Angeles, wont be filled with their usual buddies-on-barstools political banter. Instead, theyll bring in a variety of new voices. Artists, technologists, comedians, activists, students people on the front lines of thinking differently in a Trump-led world. And yes, Favreau assures, it will keep its fun tone. Being in California where much of the intellectual and grassroots firepower of the resistance seems to be amassing is a natural fit in the same way that the 2007-08 Obama campaign chose to headquarter in Chicago and not Washington, D.C. The best ideas are going to come from outside Washington, Vietor said. Its good to remove yourself from the D.C. bubble. Theres really talented people everywhere who want to be involved, and we can help channel that energy. Next, they want to recruit a stable of other podcasters, start live-streaming video shows and include online written content as well as call attention to the best journalism from elsewhere. Eventually, they want Crooked Media to be the place where young people instinctively turn to get their political news. Theyve talked with venture funders and, with their Obama and private-sector consulting connections, cash shouldnt be tough to find, but for now they are self-funding and accepting advertising. That way, We can throw whatever s up against the wall and see what sticks without having to worry about click-bait, Vietor said. I havent been as excited about anything Ive done since I left the White House. Of course, they have in their back pocket the ultimate click-bait: a soon-to-be ex-president with some time on his hands. Favreau and Vietor spent last weekend in Washington with other Obama veterans at a reunion and farewell gathering. No doubt an open invitation was offered. If he wanted to talk to us, Vietor said, that would be the greatest thing to happen to us. Joe Garofoli is The San Francisco Chronicles senior political writer. Email: jgarofoli@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @joegarofoli Pod Save America Download the podcast: https://art19.com/shows/pod-save-america Depending on whos talking, the presidents move to create a national monument was either a big-government land grab or protecting nature against money-grubbing corporations. Fortunately, with the power of the Antiquities Act, presidents dont have to consider politics. So with a squiggle of his pen, Teddy Roosevelt protected the Grand Canyon. Nearly every U.S. president from Roosevelt on has used the Antiquities Act of 1906 to preserve sites of historical and cultural significance, and, politics aside, President Obama has used it more than any of his predecessors. (Already, however, there are rumblings about the next administration undoing one or more of the latest national monuments which has never been done.) Depending on how you count it, Obama in eight years has designated or expanded U.S. national monuments on land and sea to the tune of 757,578 square miles, Politico reported, an area about 4.6 times the size of California. Recognizing that not all national monuments (as opposed to national parks) are easily accessible, nor do they usually have a ranger station and picnic grounds, heres a partial list of Obamas monuments large and small that you can visit. Belmont-Paul Womens Equality National Monument, Washington, D.C. The site: A 200-year-old federal-style brick house that in 1929 the National Womens Party purchased and used for most of the 20th century as a headquarters for the womens suffrage movement, the effort to pass the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution, and other womens rights issues. Designated: April 12, 2016; 0.34 acres. To do: Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, with guided tours typically at 9:30 and 11 a.m., 2 and 3:30 p.m. Vitals: 144 Constitution Ave. NE (next to the Hart Senate Office Building the entrance for the museum and gift shop are on Second Street), www.nps.gov/bepa/. Note: Its not far from the Capitol South and Union stations on Metro. Admission: free San Juan Islands National Monument, Washington The site: Nearly 1,000 acres of land on more than 450 islands and islets of the San Juan Islands archipelago. The monument is a trove of scientific and historic treasures, according to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, a refuge for an array of wildlife, and a classroom for generations of Americans. Designated: March 25, 2013; 970 acres. To do: From the Anacortes Ferry Terminal, take a ferry to specific islands, including Lopez Island and its forests, grasslands, wetlands and secluded beach; or to Patos Island, a remote 200-acre island where the 1893 lighthouse still stands near the northwestern-most point in the lower 48 states. Vitals: The office is at 37 Washburn Place on Lopez Island; tourism information at www.visitsanjuans.com. Admission: free. Pam LeBlanc /TNS Organ Mountains-Desert Peaks National Monument, New Mexico The site: A set of four protected areas around Las Cruces, N.M. Organ Mountains, Desert Peaks, Potrillo Mountains and Dona Ana Mountains that include significant prehistoric, historic, geologic, and biologic resources of scientific interest, according the Bureau of Land Management. The landscape includes 9,000-foot peaks, slot canyons, wildlife, and a volcanic cluster of cinder cones and lava flows. Designated: May 21, 2014; 496,330 acres. To do: There are trails and roads that access portions of the four areas, including the Kilbourne Hole Volcanic Crater National Natural Landmark, Soledad Canyon and the adjacent Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Vitals: Las Cruces District Office of the BLM, 1800 Marquess St., Las Cruces, (575) 525-4300. Dripping Springs Natural Area is open year-round for day use; the visitors center is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Aguirre Spring Campground is open for overnight stays year-round, although the entrance gate is closed at night and non-camping visitors must leave by 10 p.m. Chimney Rock Interpretive Association Chimney Rock National Monument, Colorado The site: The remnants of Chacoan pueblo settlements dating back to the Pueblo II period (A.D. 900-1150), including pit houses, great kivas and great houses. The site, originally designed based on astronomical alignments, is littered with ruins that have survived in large part because of the remote location in San Juan National Forest. Designated: Sept. 21, 2012; 4,726 acres. To do: To protect the ruins, the only access is through guided walking tours, held from May 15 to Sept. 30. The tours a guided tour and a Kiva audio tour involve driving up steep, winding gravel roads and walking with modest elevation gain to 7,600 feet. Tours cost $12 ($5 for children ages 5-12) and are first come, first served; no reservations are required. Vitals: The monument is in southern Colorado, about 40 miles east of Durango. The entrance gate is at 3179 State Highway 151, Chimney Rock, Colo., (970) 883-5359, www.chimneyrockco.org. Brad Branan/TNS Bears Ears National Monument, Utah The site: Along with Gold Butte in Nevada, this is President Obamas newest national monument, an area that he said in his statement includes abundant rock art, archaeological sites, and lands considered sacred by Native American tribes. The sites, some of which features landscapes similar to neighboring Canyonlands National Park, will be managed by the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and a coalition of tribes including Navajo, Hopi, Uintah and Ouray Ute, Ute Mountain Ute and Zuni tribes. It is said to include tens of thousands of archaeological sites. Designated: Dec. 28, 2016; 1.35 million acres. To do: The newly protected site has been open to public use for decades too much so, probably, considering the damage to archaeological sites and theft of ancient cultural artifacts. While the area will continue to be open for public use, the priority will be protection and use by tribal members, so it might be a while (based on the size of the monument and number of important sites) before there is staffing and infrastructure for tours, campgrounds or hiking trails. In the meantime, the Bears Ears Coalition (www.bearsearscoalition.org) and the Friends of Cedar Mesa (www.friendsofcedarmesa.org) have resources and maps, as well as tips for respectful exploration of the cultural sites. Vitals: The monument borders Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Canyonlands National Park on the west; the northern tip is a few miles from Moab. The National Park Service doesnt have info online yet for Bears Ears, but look up Natural Bridges National Monument (www.nps.gov/nabr/), which is inside the newly designated Bears Ears. Spud Hilton is the editor of Travel. Email: shilton@sfchronicle.com Twitter and Instagram: @spudhilton. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Raging floods and rain Sunday forced Sonoma County officials to close three school districts at the start of the week. Forestville Union School District, Harmony Union School District, Geyserville Unified School District, Guerneville School District, Monte Rio Union, Alexander Valley Union in Healdsburg, and Geyserville Unified will be closed Monday, said Jamie Hansen, spokeswoman for the Sonoma County Office of Education. The problem for the Forestville school is that its lunch food supplier cant make its way up the roads to the campus, said Steven Herrington, county superintendent of schools. At Harmony in Occidental, a power outage was the cause for the shutdown, he said. We always have one or two cancellations every year, Herrington said. There could be additional school closures Monday in the county, among the areas hit hardest by the storm, he added. Transportation coordinators, who supervise bus drivers, will do a preliminary road check around 5 a.m. Monday to make sure all the routes are safe to drive on, Herrington said. From there, school officials will decide if any additional campuses should be closed. Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov Despite the storm that raged outside BART stations and to rains on Sunday, a dedicated group of pranksters took to public transportation without pants. For the annual "No Pants Subway Ride," participants are encouraged to head to local subway stations to ride the train in their underwear. San Francisco has long observed the "holiday" started by Improv Everywhere. Local event co-organizer Jay Zalowitz noted a lower turnout than previous years, guessing there was anywhere from 50 to 100 people who attended. "The weather definitely affected outcome, which is ironic considering this is an indoor event when you think about it," Zalowitz said as he walked among the pantsless crowd outside of Bloomingdale's on Mission Street. The group had met at the Embarcadero BART station and disembarked at Powell Street, to the delight (and confusion) of those waiting for their train. The event attracted both locals and those new to the city looking for some fun. Wladimir Gramacho, from Brazil, said he was told about the event at one of his classes and wanted to see what the activity was all about. "I wanted to taste the local culture and have fun on a rainy Sunday," Gramacho said. "I'm studying English and one of the activity coordinators told us that on Sunday there would be this mob happening." A pantsless skateboarder weaved his way between others in the group at the Powell Street BART station and the group made its way through the Westfield San Francisco Centre on the way to the afterparty. Zalowitz explained the concept behind the outing, calling it an "amusing experience." "This is not an exhibitionist thing, to be very clear," Zalowitz said. "This is a spontaneous delight and meant to bring enjoyment out of people's day. We ran into some soldiers on the way back from Oakland airport and you should have seen the smile this brought to their faces and that alone makes something like this worth it." The event was started in 2001 by New York City-based prank collective Improv Everywhere and has since spread to other metropolitan areas, including New York, Boston, Prague and Berlin. "Hilariously, this normally takes place in very cold conditions in New York and it's even more ridiculous (weather-wise) out there," Zalowitz added. "This is normally a very great weekend in San Francisco and attendance was actually ironically down because of the rain, but everyone who's here is having a really good time and really want to be here." Alyssa Pereira and the Associated Press contributed to this report. A mudslide slammed into a car and scattered coastal redwood trees and debris across Highway 1 in Big Sur Monday morning. The vehicle was significantly damaged, but there were no injuries, according emergency responders. The slide occurred about 9 a.m. just south of the Fernwood Resort, in an area that burned in the Soberanes Fire, which started in July and charred more than 132,000 acres before containment three months later. The issue is that anything, anything in a burn scar has the potential for a debris flow, said John De Luca, California State Parks sector superintendent. Thats always the concern after a fire. But in Big Sur that seems to be the concern in the winter period. The slide, which knocked down power lines, completely blocked the highway and there was no estimate on when the roadway would be reopened, De Luca said. Casey Wood, 47, driving a septic tank truck, was on his way to a waste treatment plant overburdened by the storm, but was stopped at the slide. I need to be there sooner than later, but what can you do, he said. When it rains here, it rains a lot. Rain continued to fall in the area Monday morning, raising concerns that more of the hillside would give way. Soupy mud oozed down from adjacent areas and emergency workers were evacuating the immediate area. This is pretty typical of what everyone is worried about, De Luca said. James Wolfenden, 74, lives on Ranch Rico Road south of Monday's landslide. He was heading north to town on foot and climbed through the tangled redwood branches and mud that blocked the road. This landslide is significant, but not as bad as I've seen them, he said. Wolfenden said he's lived in Big Sur for 45 years, and while the fires and floods have been bad at times, hell only evacuate at gunpoint. There should have been a sign reading road to Big Sur closed last night, he said, speaking about when the heaviest rains fell and the Big Sur River surged over its banks in places. This is a constant threat, Wolfenden said, pointing to the scooped-out hillside where several scorched trees still teetered. This is what people that live here deal with. Over at Saint Francis of the Redwoods church north of Fernwood, 44-year-old Dean Cordrey and his 18-year-old son, Fred, had come in from the Carmel Valley to see the flood damage. The two walked across a burnt log to a newly formed island that was once the river bank and a favorite fishing spot. I's pretty amazing," Dean Cordrey said. I don't think Ive seen it like this since I was a kid. Over at Big Sur Campground and Cabins, Robert Burson and Julio Hernandez cleaned up debris as they trudged through the mud at several washed-out campsites. One small tent-cabin survived the powerful waters that rushed through the area because Hernendez tied a thick rope to it. We had a tree come rushing by here that was over 100 feet long, Burson said. We lost three fire pits. Nearby, Joe Demarco, 72, and his wife, Lorie, were inspecting their recreational vehicle, and noted that water had come within inches of the front door. Their porch and steps were submerged as the heaviest rains fell Sunday and the river raced by. The couple sought shelter on higher ground as the water got close. Even though more rain was forecast to drench the area, and possibly flood their home, the two were not concerned. We dont get nervous, Lorie Demarco said. We have a lot of faith in God we're OK. Downed power lines, car crashes, debris and flooding affected other Northern California highways Monday morning, but other roads reopened as crews worked to contain the damage from the weekend storm. The morning commute turned out to be a headache for motorists in almost any direction with emergency road closures impacting major thoroughfares: In Pacifica, Highway 1 was closed to northbound traffic at Reina Del Mar Avenue due to a mudslide, but transportation crews set up a detour through the area. In the Santa Cruz mountains, Highway 17 was closed near the Highway 1 junction due to a downed tree and power lines. Drivers were advised to use other routes. In Scotts Valley at Sugarload Road, one lane of the southbound highway was closed. Also in Scotts Valley, a landslide closed all northbound lanes at West Vine Hill Road. In the Sierra, Highway 80 remained closed due to mudslides and downed power lines. It was closed from Colfax (Placer County) to the Nevada state line. The westbound connector to Highway 20 was also closed due to flooding and damage from the mudslide. The westbound connector reopened about 11 a.m. Monday from Truckee over Donner Summit and lanes from the Nevada State Line was expected to reopen by about 11:30 a.m. The eastbound connector reopened around 10 a.m. Monday. Drivers taking alternate routes to bypass the closed highway were advised to steer clear as multiple cars were stuck on Henness Pass Road above Dog Valley, the Washoe County Sheriffs Office tweeted. Also in the Sierra, Highway 50 near Kyburz was reopened Monday morning after a mudslide broke loose Sunday evening. In Los Gatos, all lanes of Highway 35 between Bear Creek and Black roads were closed in both directions. They were set to reopen by 9 a.m. In Gilroy, all lanes of Highway 152 between Watsonville and Pole Line roads were closed in both directions. They were set to reopen by 9 a.m. In Fremont, all lanes of Highway 84 between Mission Boulevard and Kilkare Road were closed in both directions due to flooding. The lanes were set to reopen by 8:30 a.m. In Sonoma County, Highway 121 was closed at the Highway 12 junction due to flooding. Also in Sonoma County, Highway 1 was closed to southbound traffic for about a mile after Valley Ford due to flooding. Evan Sernoffsky, Kimberly Veklerov and Jill Tucker are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: kveklerov@sfchronicle.com; esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com; jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov @jilltucker @evansernoffsky Garrett Roth / National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest If you happened by Lake Clementine near Auburn on Sunday, you might find it hard to believe California is still in a drought. The rain-swollen lake could not contain the rising waters from a series of storms. They cascaded over the North Fork Dam in an awesome display of aquatic force. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Certain novels shock you awake, blotting out external noise, making you thankful you lived long enough to have found them. I first read British author David Constantines debut novel, The Life-Writer, while traveling in England, after its initial release there. The book struck me like a gong: I rationed readings so theyd last the trip. A second reading of the American edition, a year later, proves even richer. Constantine is also a poet and translator. It shows. Around the time of this novels British release, a story from his admired collection In Another Country had just been made into a much-praised film (45 Years, starring Tom Courtenay and Charlotte Rampling). I bought that collection, and found straightaway that Constantines prose is of a piece: quiet, urgent, dense, stripped of ego and ornament, giving off a kind of muted radiance. The Life-Writer, however, stands apart. I cant recall any prior work sinking such a long needle of insight into the readers heart just two sentences in: I dont call that living when all you think about is staying alive. Those words are a dying mans Eric Swinton, retired teacher and linguist to his distraught younger wife, Katrin, a scholarly biographer, trying to help her accept the inevitable. Agonized, she passionately tries nonetheless to ease his passage. Eric appears to be a calm, thoughtful soul with whom we feel lucky to get any time. But his death launches this novels journey: an investigation into his past, which (despite her near-paralyzing grief) Katrin resolves to write. So much beauty, wisdom and (rigorously unsentimental) love are packed into these pages, ones overwhelmed. The earliest portion alone, chronicling Erics and Katrins last weeks together, makes you shake your head in wonder. They were not waiting; at least, it did not feel like that; they were attending, and not upon an approaching and imminent thing but on where and who they were and what they were doing in the present tense. Eric sets Katrin on her quest by suddenly struggling to describe to her a trip to France he and best friend Daniel undertook as students. The boys hitchhiked separately, flush with the freedom and excitement of the open road. (Much of this book is steeped in matchless descriptions of English and French countryside, byways and seasons.) Erics exalted by the memory. His face was hectic, as if ... through age and sickness ... with a brutal strength delight was breaking out. Think of me then, Katrin, never forget me then ... Though Eric doesnt survive to complete the tale, [h]is unfinished narrative at deaths door was unprecedented, and Katrin seizes her mission: to reconstruct and write what happened. What she desires to do is what she has to do. Through letters and conversations with the intuitive, kind, caring Daniel, Katrin tracks Erics first, headlong, Elvira Madigan-like affair with Monique, a winsome French artist. (Like enchanted children, Daniel notes.) That romance drives the accounts trajectory, but is not its sum. The magic of this novel is that Erics story full of strangeness, beauty, wretchedness, awe becomes Katrins and ours, brilliantly embodying specifics but also a vaster vision of what it means to live, to obey lifes chief command: become the one you are! Readers will be drawn in as if by undertow, sensing something tremendous bearing down, pushing to break through. (The now is splitting open and into it seeps, trickles, pours the country he ... called back then.) Though grief and loss (an absence as alive as the years of presence were) are foremost on this novels mind, so are friendship, art, language and translation, illness and wellness (You will always be ill and well, in a continuously shifting mixture), loneliness and connection (note the novels final three words), the chastening mystery of the natural world, the sustaining rewards of an interior life, how the past shapes the present, being and becoming. Katrin comes to her knowledge the hard way, as do we: through fierce attention and compassion. The novels magnificent payload, reverberating in final pages like a series of thunderclaps, feels profoundly earned. [I]ts ... the love of the beautiful earth and the making of an answering beauty in art and in deeds, observes Daniel, ... so that men and women will live lives fit to be looked at. ... That seems a project worth working for in the time allowed. The Life-Writers imagery is rapturously beautiful. Some of it will never leave you. At the novels outset, a certain crimson pouch filled with three dozen small thin silver coins pours its contents in a glistening slither from one pair of hands into another, like a shoal of flashing fish ... with a tinkling. Later theyre poured again: a passed grail. The images genius is its electrifying sensuality, even while it evokes a far larger, glittering comprehension. So good it all was, so good, Eric says at the beginning. Yes. It is. Joan Franks new novel, All the News I Need, won the 2016 Juniper Prize for Fiction; it will be published early this year. Email: books@sfchronicle.com The Life-Writer By David Constantine (Biblioasis; 240 pages; $14.95 paperback) This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Two San Jose police officers were justified in shooting and killing a 29-year-old slaying suspect in 2015 after he threatened them with a gun, the Santa Clara County district attorneys office said Monday. An investigation by the district attorneys office concluded that the two officers, Michael Jeffrey and Vidal Fonseca, both veterans of the San Jose Police Department, rightfully fired at the suspect to protect themselves. Matthew Castillo of San Jose was shot and killed on Aug. 16, 2015, three days after surveillance footage showed him and two other men killing a 38-year-old man at an office complex on Lundy Avenue in San Jose. The San Jose Police Departments Covert Response Unit found Castillo at the Capitol Inn Motel in San Jose and followed him to a laundromat on the 3100 block of Senter Road, prosecutors said. When Jeffrey, Fonseca and a third officer attempted to arrest Castillo, he started to walk away, then whipped out a loaded silver semiautomatic handgun from his waistband and pointed it at Jeffrey, prosecutors said. Jeffrey and Fonseca both fired rifles at Castillo. After being shot, Castillo fell to the ground with his back to the officers and his hands near his waist, the district attorneys report says, adding that Castillo ignored police orders to show his hands. Castillo then started to raise his gun in Jeffreys direction for a second time, prosecutors said. Jeffrey fired back a final time, killing Castillo, prosecutors said. Taking the totality of the evidence, it appears that Matthew Castillo had no intention on being arrested, even if it meant his death at the hands of the police, wrote Deputy District Attorney Lance Daugherty, author of the 26-page report. Officer (Michael) Jeffrey and Officer (Vidal) Fonseca were left with no choice but to shoot Castillo. Jeffrey has worked for the San Jose Police Department for 15 years. He was assigned to the departments Covert Response Unit. Fonseca has been an officer with the department for 9 years. He had been working in the Covert Response Unit for a year and a half when the incident occurred. Castillo, Richard Jacquez, 40, and Duane Aguero, 43, are suspected of shooting Christopher Maxwell Wrenn to death during a robbery, said Sgt. Enrique Garcia, a spokesman for the San Jose Police Department. The suspects were armed with a handgun, a Tec-9-style assault weapon and a third undisclosed weapon when they terrorized Wrenn after a horrific encounter inside the complex in the citys Berryessa neighborhood, Garcia said in 2015. Police officers also fatally shot Jacquez after a brief car and foot chase and cited public safety concerns for their use of deadly force. The district attorneys office is still reviewing the case involving the death of Jacquez, city officials said Monday. Sarah Ravani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: sravani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SarRavani For one, it's manufacturing all of its sensors. John Krafcik, the CEO of Waymo--the self-driving project that recently spun out to become a business under Alphabet--made it abundantly clear Sunday just how serious the company is about bringing autonomous vehicles to market. A day before the North American International Auto Show kicked off in Detroit, Krafcik provided more than just a first look at its self-driving Chrysler Pacifica minivan. The company technically took the wraps off its autonomous minivans in December. But this is the first time Waymo is providing details about its business model, the technology inside the vehicle, and its timeline for testing on public roads. These are the five biggest takeaways from Krafciks keynote. Waymo Is Manufacturing All of the Hardware for Its Self-Driving System This is more than notable. Its the most important news to come out of Krafciks keynote. The company is manufacturing the entire suite of sensors on its self-driving cars, which includes the vision system, radars, and light detection and ranging radar known as LiDAR. Its not just unusual; its unprecedented. It was the eminently-quotable computer scientist Alan Kay who said, people who are really serious about software should make their own hardware. And later on companies like and Google with its Pixel phones took it as their mantra to create technology that would change the way we work and how we connect, Krafcik said. Well at Waymo, were serious about creating fully self-driving cars that can help millions of people. And to do that we have to oversee both the self-driving software and the self-driving hardware. The company is shooting for Level 4 autonomy, a designation by the SAE that means the car takes over all of the driving in certain conditions. For example, it could drive fully autonomously in a certain geographic location such as a specific route in city center, or only in certain weather conditions. Story continues Waymos move is a departure from automakers and other tech companies that are racing to deploy autonomous cars. Instead of partnering with a number of other companies--something automakers have been doing--Waymo believes the only way to achieve Level 4 autonomy is to do everything in-house. Krafcik said its new vision system, which is designed to take and read a high resolution picture of the world, can handle more complex situations. Waymos system has vision modules using multiple sensors, and an additional forward-facing super high resolution multi-sensor module that provides a 360-degree view. This allows the system to detect small objects, even in the dark or in harsh sunlight or glare. Waymo also produced a new radar system that has a continuous 360-degree view, so it can track objects and vehicles usually hidden from the human eye, Krafcik said. Waymo Developed Two New Categories of LiDAR LiDAR measures distance using laser light to generate highly accurate 3D map of the world around the car. Waymos team of engineers developed two new categories of LiDAR: a short range and a long range LiDAR. This means Waymo self-driving cars now have three LiDAR. The company has been using medium-range LiDAR, which is located on top of the car, since the early days of its project. This is a rate of redundancy that is unmatched in the industry right now. Waymo Has Slashed the Cost of Self-Driving Tech The companys self-driving cars are equipped with cameras, radars, and LiDAR. LiDAR is expensive; its one of the most costly components of self-driving vehicles. Its one reason why many believe self-driving cars will too expensive for individual consumers and will instead be launched as a service long before theyre available for purchase. A single top-of-the-range LiDAR costs more than $75,000, according to Waymo. Companies like Velodyne, which the Google self-driving project used until 2012, have been working on lowering the cost and size of the technology. Waymos engineers have brought the cost of LiDAR down by more than 90%. Krafcik says the company plans to push those costs even lower as it looks to scale its business. This is critical as we look to commercialize self-driving technology, Krafcik said. Waymo Has Made a Four-Fold Improvement on Its Self-Driving Software In 2015, the companys test drivers disengaged--a jargon term that means they had to take manual control of the vehicle because the software failed or for safety reasons--at a rate of 0.8 times per 1,000 miles in California. The rate in California has fallen, even as the company increases it test miles, to 0.2 disengages per thousand. Waymo didnt provide data on disengagements in other states like Arizona or Washington where it tests self-driving cars. Any company issued a testing permit from the California DMV must submit an annual report detailing disengagements. Self-Driving Minivans Will Be on Public Roads by the End of January The minivans will be in Arizona and California by the end of the month, Krafcik said. Get Data Sheet, Fortune's technology newsletter. Waymo is adding 100 of these self-driving minivans to its fleet, as part of a collaboration announced in May with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles--the first time the tech company has worked directly with an automaker to create its autonomous vehicles. Krafcik has said he sees Waymos self-driving car technology being used in an array of applications from personal vehicles and ride-sharing to logistics and solving so-called last-mile problems for public transport. In December, just a week after spinning out of Googles moonshot factory X, Waymo announced it is in formal talks to integrate Honda vehicles with autonomous technology. The companies described this as a technical collaboration that would allow both companies to learn about how to best integrate Waymos self-driving sensors, software, and computing platform into Honda vehicles. Honda could provide Waymo with vehicles that have been modified to accommodate its self-driving technology. These vehicles would join Waymos existing fleet, which has test vehicles in Mountain View, Calif., Chandler, Ariz., Austin, and Kirkland, Wash. See original article on Fortune.com More from Fortune.com ORLANDO An Orlando police sergeant was shot and killed Monday after approaching a suspect wanted for questioning in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend. A second law enforcement officer was killed in a motorcycle crash during the massive manhunt for the suspect. More than a dozen schools were placed in lockdown during the manhunt, and authorities offered a $60,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Markeith Loyd, the 41-year-old wanted in the killing of Master Sgt. Debra Clayton. Officers and deputies focused their manhunt on an apartment complex in northwest Orlando, and dozens of residences were searched. Residents who were evacuated from their homes sat on a sidewalk along a street with heavily armed officers and deputies. Clayton, 42, was killed outside a Walmart store in Orlando early Monday, and Orange County Sheriffs Office Deputy First Class Norman Lewis was killed in a crash while responding to the search for Loyd. Authorities said Loyd previously was a suspect in the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend in December. He should be considered armed and dangerous, said police Chief John Mina. Orange County Sheriff Jerry Demings said deputies had been searching unsuccessfully for Loyd for several weeks and believe he was receiving help from someone. Demings urged Loyd to turn himself in peacefully. If we have to go in after him, then that jeopardizes and puts at risk the safety of law enforcement officers ... and we cannot control what happens in that situation, Demings said. Mina lauded Clayton, a 17-year veteran of the force as a committed officer and a hero who gave her life to the community she loves. The Orlando Police Department said in a tweet that Clayton always had a smile and a high five for every child she came across. She was married and had a college-aged son. While at the Walmart Monday morning, Clayton was tipped off by someone that Loyd was in the area. When she approached him, he fired multiple shots, Mina said. Deputy Lewis was killed more than two hours after the shooting when a van collided with his motorcycle as he responded to the manhunt. Demings described the 35-year-old as a gentle giant who joining the agency 11 years ago. Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., under contract with its affiliate Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security GmbH, will provide the TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode radar for the U.S. Coast Guard's ninth National Security Cutter (NSC). Since its introduction in 1995, the radar became a global sales leader with more units being sold than any radar in its class. In the U.S. market, it is in the U.S. Navy inventory aboard Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships and in the Coast Guard inventory aboard all NSCs, as well as at the service's shore-based training center in Petaluma, Calif. Click here for high-resolution version HERNDON, VA--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., under contract with its affiliate Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security GmbH, will provide the TRS-3D Baseline D multi-mode radar (MMR) for the U.S. Coast Guard's ninth National Security Cutter (NSC). The TRS-3D Baseline D, designated AN/SPS-75, utilizes gallium nitride (GaN) technology to deliver traditional TRS-3D robust performance while improving reliability and options for future development. Airbus TRS-3D radars have been aboard every NSC since the program's inception. "The AN/SPS-75 is the right choice to meet Coast Guard requirements for a multi-mode radar," said Mike Cosentino, President of Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. "It is currently meeting operational requirements and is consistent with Coast Guard investments in training infrastructure ashore, as well as with their existing sustainment program." The contract to provide the AN/SPS-75 MMR is with Lockheed Martin, with whom Airbus has worked to provide radars for all prior NSCs. Lockheed Martin's intimate knowledge and experience with AN/SPS-75 technology enabled them to successfully integrate the radar with all systems required by the NSC program, and that experience carries forward into the current contract. Since its introduction in 1995, the radar became a global sales leader with more units being sold than any radar in its class. In the U.S. market, it is in the U.S. Navy inventory aboard Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ships and in the Coast Guard inventory aboard all NSCs, as well as at the service's shore-based training center in Petaluma, Calif. Its design has matured over the years to meet evolving customer requirements and keep pace with advances in technology. Employing state of the art GaN technology, the TRS-3D is a three-dimensional, multi-mode naval radar for air and surface surveillance, target acquisition, self-defense, gunfire support and aircraft control. It automatically detects and tracks all types of air and sea targets, alleviating crew workload requirements. Life cycle affordability is further enhanced by the reliability of the AN/SPS-75's solid-state system design, keeping maintenance costs low and further contributing to lower lifecycle costs. Story continues To learn more about the TRS-3D multi-mode naval radar system, visit Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., at the 2017 Surface Navy Association's National Symposium in Arlington, Va., Jan. 10 to 12, and find more information online here. About Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. Airbus Defense and Space, Inc., headquartered in Herndon, Va., offers a broad array of advanced solutions to meet U.S. military and commercial requirements, including fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, homeland security systems, public safety communications, defense electronics and avionics, and threat detection systems. Airbus Defense and Space, Inc. is a division of Airbus Group, Inc., the U.S.-based operation of Airbus Group, a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. About Airbus Group, Inc. Airbus Group, Inc. is the U.S.-based operation of Airbus Group, a global leader in aeronautics, space and related services. Airbus Group contributes more than $16.5 billion to the U.S. economy annually and supports over 250,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers. About Airbus DS Electronics and Border Security (EBS), future HENSOLDT Airbus DS EBS is the new sensor house, a leading global provider of premium electronics in the areas of protection, reconnaissance and surveillance. The company equips armed forces and security organisations around the world on the basis of a 100-year tradition and experience gained from renowned technological predecessors such as Dasa, Aerospatiale-Matra, Telefunken, Dornier and Zeiss. EBS employs some 4,000 employees generating revenues of approximately EUR 1 billion per year. EBS is a 100% subsidiary of Airbus Defence and Space. Airbus Group has signed a share purchase agreement with the investment company KKR in order to transfer ownership of initially 74.9% of the EBS shares to KKR. The agreement is subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approvals and employee consultation, and is expected to be put into effect in the first quarter of 2017. Thereafter, the company will appear under the brand name HENSOLDT following the tradition of a German pioneer of sensor technology whose name stands for the combination of excellence, innovation and efficiency. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3096819 Jack Ma, the founder and chairman of Alibaba Group, met with President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower on Monday. Ma and Trump met with reporters briefly after the meeting and said they discussed plans to create 1 million US jobs by allowing small and medium-size businesses to sell to China through the companys platforms. $BABA wants to create US jobs by helping US small businesses and farmers sell to Chinas 300 million-strong middle class, a tweet from Alibaba said. We had a great meeting. Trump told reporters, describing Ma as a great, great entrepreneur, one of the best in the world. He loves this country, Trump continued, and he loves China. Ma told reporters at Trump Tower that the two discussed allowing US products such as garments, wine, and fruit to be sold on the platform. Additionally, Ma said the discussion included talk on the need for China and US to improve their relationship. Trump has repeatedly attacked China for its economic policies and accused the country of stealing jobs from the US. Trump has also said he may raise tariffs on Chinese goods sold in the US. Alibaba has been planning to expand more aggressively into the US. The company has expanded its New York City US headquarters and has been making a push for international participation in its signature Singles Day sale. Alibaba also tweeted pictures of Ma walking to meet Trump and waiting inside Trump Tower. The meeting comes just a few weeks after Trump met with another Asian technology powerhouse, CEO Masayoshi Son of SoftBank. At that meeting, Trump took credit for a previously announced investment by a fund run by Son and said the fund would help to create 50,000 jobs. Alibaba stock rallied on news of the meeting, and it was up just over 1.26% as of 12:20 p.m. ET. It had been trading in the red up until the announcement. Watch Trump remarks to reporters: Moments Ago: President-elect Trump says his meeting with Alibabas Jack Ma was great and they discussed jobs. pic.twitter.com/JuJXoqHjJf CNBC Now (@CNBCnow) January 9, 2017 Story continues MrTopStep Group https://mrtopstep.com Questions: info@mrtopstep.com Follow Us On Facebook and Twitter For More Intra-Day Market Updates! https://www.facebook.com/mrtopstep https://twitter.com/MrTopStep (@MrTopStep) Dont Forget To Subscribe To Our YouTube Channel! Sign Up Here: http://www.youtube.com/mrtopstepgroup MINSK, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Belarus will allow visa-free entry for citizens of 80 countries, including the United States and members of the European Union, for visits of up to five days, according to a presidential decree signed on Monday. The decree comes as the former Soviet republic is seeking to improve its image in the West and rely less on ally Russia. The relaxed visa rules will apply to visitors who arrive in Belarus by airplane. They will come into force a month after their official publication. Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, who once described himself as the "last dictator in Europe", helped improve his image in the West by acting as an intermediary during the Ukraine conflict. The EU imposed economic sanctions on Russia over that conflict in 2014. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany later signed a peace deal on the Ukraine conflict in Minsk, the Belarussian capital. (Reporting by Andrei Makhovsky; Writing by Alexander Winning; Editing by Tom Heneghan) By Paul Kilby NEW YORK, Jan 9 (IFR) - Brazilian state-owned oil company Petrobras announced a new bond sale on Monday as it seeks to finance a debt tender. The company is approaching accounts with five and 10-year bonds at initial price thoughts of 6.5% area and 7.75% area, respectively. The deal is set to price later on Monday. Bradesco, Citigroup, HSBC, Itau and Morgan Stanley are acting as leads. (Reporting by Paul Kilby; Editing by Marc Carnegie) By Deepak Chopra, MD, Menas Kafatos, PhD, The most widely accepted notions about the universe are central to how we view reality. One striking example links birth and death. In the age of faith, religion existed to reassure believers about a higher plane of reality. On this plane, the everyday experience of birth and death was negated. Souls were immortal aspects of being human. Depending on your particular religion, the soul either went to Heaven, if one were good, after death or existed perpetually in a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. Ironically, science has stuck to these possible scenarios with the universe, even though what science is supposedly famous for is its defeat of religion, or to be more specific, its defeat of metaphysics and the whole notion of a higher plane. If you look closely, the way the universe was born in the big bang and will one day, presumably die, is pure metaphysics. In fact, the big bang and expansion of the universe was first proposed by Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian Roman Catholic priest, who was an astronomer and professor of physics at the Catholic University of Leuven. In fact, many have pointed out to the agreement of the big bang view with Biblical accounts in the book of Genesis. Unwittingly, the general public that accepts a casual idea about the universe being born and dying is actually adopting a metaphysical position about human birth and death, not simple, unvarnished, provable facts. In our book, You Are the Universe, we cover this topic in great detail, but here's a thumbnail sketch of our argument. If you ask a simple question like "What came before the big bang?" you are posing a paradox. "Before" and "after" have a meaning only in time, and linear time at that. There is no evidence of any kind that time existed before the big bang. Moreover, what we typically think of as time--the tick tock on a clock face--depends on having a human nervous system. Einstein broke free of this model, where we think we intuitively know what time is, when he introduced the concepts in his theories of relativity. In those theories, the speeding up or slowing down of time depends on the frames of references of observers. Time is not universal. For example, a moving observers time slows down as seen by a stationary observer. Slowing down of time also occurs when an observer is falling towards a black hole, as seen by a distant observer. The effect is still there, but tiny, in all gravitational fields, including the Earth's gravity. The relativity of time depended upon a new theory, and if we stand back, we discover that all views of time are human constructs. If time seems linear, that's because we humans have modeled it that way in accord with our nervous system. It is just as viable to construct other models of time. For example, your body obeys natural rhythms in accord with the planetary, lunar, and solar cycles. The very notion of "time passing" fits with the firing of neurons in the brain, which have a beginning, middle, and end. If you drop every model, something surprising happens. They are not needed. For example, you can view your daily life as occurring entirely in the present moment. The present moment is not a clock phenomenon. Clocks measure intervals--seconds, minutes, hours--while the present moment has no interval. It's always here, endlessly renewing itself, unmeasurable, and fleeting. Because the instant you try to capture it, it's gone. This implies that the "now" is actually outside time. It can be defined either as instantaneous or eternal. Both are valid as verbal descriptions but in the end invalid, since the vocabulary of time doesn't apply to the timeless. The same is true of the big bang or the potential end of the universe. Time doesn't begin or end in an absolute way. It is a convenient way of using words. Time is simply a concept that fits various physical models. But its origin is as much in metaphysics as in physics. When someone believes he will die and go to Heaven for eternity, the typical, casual definition of "eternity" is a long, long time. But that's not true, because whatever is eternal must be outside time. Ultimately, the only participation we can have in time, outside time, or with a dimension of inconceivable time, occurs in our consciousness. Whatever we can experience determines the nature of time. It is just as true to say that the big bang is occurring right now as to date it back to 13.8 billion years, because only when we think about the event do we draw the big bang into the world of human experience, and thinking happens in the now. None of these conclusions are speculative--quantum physics and cosmology deal with them--and cosmologists and quantum physicists argue over them--every day. Without settling the vexing questions of "What came before the big bang?" "Where did time originate?" and "What is the timeless like?" we only want to point out that time has no meaning outside a specific frame of reference. There is no "real" time, only models of time constructed in human awareness. Once we realize this simple fact, the capacity to move beyond all models, to truly lose our fear of death, come alive. The spiritual concept that we were never born and will never die then becomes viable, too. Deepak Chopra MD, FACP, founder of The Chopra Foundation and co-founder of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation, and is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Metabolism. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, Clinical Professor UCSD Medical School, researcher, Neurology and Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. The World Post and The Huffington Post global internet survey ranked Chopra #17 influential thinker in the world and #1 in Medicine. Chopra is the author of more than 85 books translated into over 43 languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. His latest books are You Are the Universe co-authored with Menas Kafatos, PhD, and Quantum Healing (Revised and Updated): Exploring the Frontiers of Mind/Body Medicine. discoveringyourcosmicself.com Menas C. Kafatos is the Fletcher Jones Endowed Professor of Computational Physics, at Chapman University. He is a quantum physicist, cosmologist, and climate impacts researcher and works extensively on consciousness. He holds seminars and workshops for individuals, health and mental professionals, practitioners of contemplative traditions, and corporations on the natural laws that apply everywhere and are the foundations of the universe, for well-being and success. His doctoral thesis advisor was the renowned M.I.T. professor Philip Morrison who studied under J. Robert Oppenheimer. He has authored 315+ articles, is author or editor of 15 books, including The Conscious Universe (Springer), Looking In, Seeing Out (Theosophical Publishing House), and is co-author with Deepak Chopra of the forthcoming book, You Are the Universe (Harmony). He maintains a Huffington Post blog. You can learn more at http://www.menaskafatos.com This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate The San Francisco Board of Supervisors has four new supervisors, but one thing hasnt changed: London Breed will be its president. Breed was unanimously re-elected Monday as six new and returning supervisors were sworn in for four-year terms. The new supervisors are Sandra Lee Fewer in District One, Jeff Sheehy in District Eight, Hillary Ronen in District Nine and Ahsha Safai in District 11. Returning for new terms are Aaron Peskin in District Three, Breed in District Five and Norman Yee in District Seven. The supervisors were technically sworn in on Sunday during individual ceremonies the City Charter says the supervisors must be sworn in on Jan. 8 and Mondays event at City Hall amounted to a ceremonial crowning. The audience that packed the board chambers was mostly family and friends, but included outgoing supervisors, former state Sen. Mark Leno and former Mayor Willie Brown. Many of the supervisors talked about their commitment to standing by San Franciscos liberal values during the administration of President-elect Donald Trump, including protecting the immigrant community. Not only in this moment in history can we maintain the status quo, we can advance the cause of our people, Ronen said. Breed was widely expected to be re-elected board president, and Mondays vote was without drama. Supervisor Malia Cohen described Breed as hardworking, committed, smart and sassy. Peskin said Breed was someone who could bridge the ideological divisions among the supervisors. Breeds most moving remarks often come when she talks about her childhood and what it means to have succeeded, and that was the case again on Monday. I am not supposed to be here. This isnt how my story was supposed to turn out. Not for the girl born into public housing with a grandmother raising three kids on $900 a month, she said. The world destined me for drugs or teenage motherhood or jail, but San Francisco had other plans. Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @emilytgreen YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK A rock slide blocked Highway 140 into Yosemite National Park on Monday after heavy rains caused the Merced River to jump its banks and flood the picturesque valley. Still, Yosemite Valley was set to reopen to visitors Tuesday morning after a four-day evacuation with or without access from the two-lane highway. Campgrounds were scheduled to open Tuesday evening, with commercial lodgings and services slated to open Wednesday. Park guests were warned to be careful returning after floodwaters topped a bridge, inundated a tent camp at Half Dome Village and washed over roadways. The pounding rain caused minimal damage to park facilities and infrastructure but prompted numerous rock slides, the biggest of which dropped car-sized boulders onto Highway 140, also known as El Portal Road, near the parks border gate. Both lanes of traffic are closed, said Jamie Richards, a Yosemite spokeswoman, who could give no estimate on when the roadway would re-open. There are big boulders that came down. A rockfall also blocked Highway 120, meaning the two major routes in and out of Yosemite were blocked for several hours, but Richards said park crews managed to clear that road Monday morning. She said evacuated employees were to be allowed to return Monday afternoon. A skeleton crew of 80 workers spent the weekend monitoring the swollen Merced, which finally went over the 10-foot flood stage Monday, reaching 12.7 feet at 4 a.m. The river was originally predicted to rise about 13 feet above flood stage, but the forecast was downgraded over the weekend despite a steady soaking. The river flooded virtually every meadow in the valley and washed over Swinging Bridge, which was strewn with logs and other debris. Standing water, mud, sticks and rocks covered portions of Northside and Southside drives, the main roads that circle Yosemite Valley, after the water receded. Water lapped against more than a dozen tent cabins at Half Dome Village, formerly called Curry Village, but nobody was staying in the tents at the time and there was no reported damage. Richards said water infiltrated the park sewer system, and some power utilities were damaged, but that other than the rock slide on Highway 140, No major park resources have been impacted. At this point in time, she said, we are very pleased that no significant infrastructure damage has been noted and we are happy to be reopening to the public. It was a far cry from the New Years Day inundation of 1997, the worst flooding in Yosemite in more than 40 years. Power lines, sewers, bridges and roads were washed out. And more than 2,000 employees and visitors were trapped for two days during the flood, which caused $176 million in damage. In some ways, Yosemite came to life during the latest storm, which created hundreds of new waterfalls along the soaring cliffs. On Monday, Yosemite Falls was a foaming, thundering cascade of white water, its roar echoing through the valley. Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @pfimrite Lionel Cironneau/Associated Press PARIS French police arrested 17 people Monday in the October theft of more than $10 million worth of jewelry from Kim Kardashian West, who was tied up and locked in a bathroom after armed robbers forced their way into her rented Paris apartment. Authorities said police seized weapons and a large amount of cash in multiple raids that took placed starting around 6 a.m. in different locations in the Paris region and the south of France. The suspects ranged in age from 23 to 72, and included several known for prior robberies and other crimes, according to a police document. TEHRAN Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a wily political survivor and multimillionaire mogul who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died Sunday, state TV reported. He was 82. President Rafsanjani was taken to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition before state television broke into programming to announce his death. His mix of sly wit and reputation for cunning moves both in politics and business earned him a host of nicknames such as Akbar Shah, or Great King, during a life that touched every major event in Iranian affairs since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. He was a steady leader in the turbulent years following the overthrow of the U.S.-backed shah, a veteran warrior in the countrys internal political battles and a covert go-between in intrigue such as the Iran-Contra arms deals in the 1980s. He also was handed an unexpected political resurgence in his later years. The surprise presidential election in 2013 of his political ally, Hassan Rouhani, gave the former president an insider role in reform-minded efforts that included Rouhanis push for direct nuclear talks with Washington. World powers and Iran ultimately struck a deal to limit the countrys nuclear enrichment in exchange for the lifting of some economic sanctions. While President Rafsanjani was blocked from the 2013 ballot by Irans election overseers presumably worried about boosting his already wide-ranging influence the former leader embraced Rouhanis success. Now I can easily die since people are able to decide their fate by themselves, he reportedly said in March. He was a close aide of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini and served as president from 1989 to 1997 during a period of significant changes in Iran. At the time, the country was struggling to rebuild its economy after a devastating 1980-88 war with Iraq. President Rafsanjani, who was born in 1934 in the village of Bahraman in southeastern Irans pistachio-growing region of Rafsanjan, is survived by his wife, Effat Marashi, and five children. MEXICO CITY Mexican prosecutors said Sunday that they have detained a U.S. citizen as the main suspect in the shooting of an official at the U.S. consulate in the western city of Guadalajara. A U.S. citizen was identified and detained for his presumed involvement in the case. This person will be deported to the United States, to determine his legal situation, the federal Attorney Generals Office said. The office expressed its deep dismay at this cowardly attack and said the victim remained hospitalized in stable condition. Authorities did not comment on a possible motive for the attack. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry issued a statement thanking Mexico for the quick arrest. The U.S. Embassy has not identified the official who was shot in his car Friday in Guadalajara. Local media identified him as Christopher Ashcraft, whose profile on social networking sites listed him as a consular officer in Guadalajara since 2016. The FBI had offered a $20,000 reward for information on the attacker, and surveillance cameras photos of him had been widely circulated. Jalisco state is dominated by the violent Jalisco New Generation cartel, but there was no immediate evidence of any cartel link to the attack. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City urged citizens to limit their movements in the Guadalajara area. They should also take care not to fall into predictable patterns for those movements that are essential, the statement said. They should vary the times and routes of their movements. It was unclear if that was a reference to the apparent stalking of the U.S. consular employee by the gunman. Surveillance video of the attack shows the gunman following the official in a parking garage. The attacker waits for him to exit the parking garage in his vehicle and fires a round into the cars windshield. (Adds quotes from BRF executive) SAO PAULO, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Brazilian food processor BRF SA and Qatar's sovereign wealth fund agreed to buy the operations of Turkish poultry producer Banvit in a joint venture, BRF said in a securities filing on Monday. BRF said it would take a 60 percent stake in the venture and the Qatar Investment Authority will take 40 percent in a deal that calculates Banvit's enterprise value at $470 million. "It's a valuation we consider attractive," BRF Vice President for Finance and Investor Relations Alexandre Borges, said in an interview. The deal is part of BRF's move into the halal market, with Banvit being integrated into OneFoods, a BRF subsidiary dedicated to halal food that began operations last week. The first phase of the deal involves acquiring 79.5 percent of Turkish market leader Banvit, followed by a tender offer for the rest of the company. "We can use our own cash, we've got the cash for that, or we could use a different alternative," Borges said, explaining that the money could be raised through OneFoods. (Reporting by Paula Laier, writing by Brad Haynes; editing by Alistair Bell and Grant McCool) BELGRADE, Serbia Blizzards and dangerously low temperatures persisted in parts of Europe on Sunday, prompting Pope Francis to draw attention to the homeless suffering in freezing weather. In Serbia, aid workers scrambled to help hundreds of migrants sleeping rough in parks and makeshift shelters. The extreme winter weather that has gripped Europe in the past days has caused more than a dozen deaths, left villages cut off, caused power and water outages, frozen rivers and lakes, grounded flights and led to road accidents. Serbias authorities on Sunday banned river traffic on its stretch of the Danube one of Europes main rivers because of ice and strong wind. Two men died of cold in Poland on Saturday, bringing the nations death toll from winter weather to 55 since Nov. 1, authorities said Sunday. Temperatures dropped to minus 22 degrees in the mountains of southern Poland. In Italy, eight deaths were blamed on the cold, including a man who died in the basement of an unused building in Milan, and another on a street flanking Florences Arno River. Francis asked God to warm our hearts so well help the homeless. In Belgrade, the capital of Serbia, several hundred men, mostly from Afghanistan and Pakistan, remained in an abandoned customs warehouse by the citys bus station, where aid organizations distributed heaters, blankets, clothes and food in an attempt to keep them warm. We are all working together to help these people, Mirjana Milenkovski, a spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency, said. While most of the several thousand migrants in Serbia have stayed in the Balkan countrys asylum centers, hundreds have refused to do so, looking for ways to move on toward western Europe. In neighboring Bulgaria, police said two men from Iraq and a Somali woman died from cold in the mountains near Turkey as they tried to make their way toward Europe. German federal police said Sunday they picked up 19 migrants including five children at a highway stop in Bavaria who were suffering from hypothermia after their driver disappeared and left them on the back of an unheated a truck for hours in the freezing cold. Black ice across northern and western Germany has caused countless accidents and injuries firefighters in the city of Hamburg said Sunday they were called to weather-related accidents 415 times during the weekend. BEIRUT Syrian President Bashar Assad said in remarks published Monday that he was prepared to negotiate everything at planned talks later this month in Kazakhstan, seeking to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces recapture of Aleppo last month. However, the upcoming talks, brokered by Ankara and Moscow, are still in doubt as Syrian opposition groups have yet to confirm their participation. Syrian activists, meanwhile, reported what appeared to be a U.S.-led special forces raid on Islamic State militants in eastern Syria. Omar Abou Leila, who runs Deir Ezzor 24, said four helicopters landed in the desert between the Islamic State-held cities of Deir el-Zour and Raqqa on Sunday. Commandos set up checkpoints and intercepted a vehicle carrying several Islamic State militants, killing all of them and flying off with the bodies, he said. Its an operation that apparently targeted an important figure, Abou Leila said from Germany, where he is based. Deir Ezzor 24 is one of several locally staffed underground groups reporting from Islamic State-held territory. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, another activist-run group, said 25 militants were killed in the ambush. Local witnesses said at least some of the commandos spoke Arabic. There was no immediate comment from the U.S.-led coalition. Speaking to French reporters at his Damascus palace, Assad defended his troops deadly bombardment of eastern Aleppo, saying the alternative would have been to leave the citys civilians to the mercy of terrorists a term the government uses for all rebels. Once Syrias largest city and industrial hub, Aleppo has been devastated by nearly six years of war. Assad questioned the credibility of Syrian opposition groups backed by the West and Saudi Arabia, which make up the bulk of the armed and political opposition to his rule. Theres no limit to negotiations, Assad said, in remarks carried by Syrian state media. But who is going to be there from the other side, we dont know yet. ... The viability of the conference depends on that. Past Syrian peace talks have run aground on the question of Assads future and whether he is to continue as president, with the opposition insisting his departure is a precondition for any reforms. Assad said the matter could only be resolved through a constitutional referendum. If they want to discuss this point, they need to discuss the Constitution. You need a referendum for every (constitutional amendment). This is one of the points that could be discussed in the meeting in Kazakhstan, he said. The talks are scheduled to begin in the Kazakh capital of Astana on Jan. 23. They follow a lengthy rapprochement between Russia, a key backer of Assad, and Turkey, a main sponsor of the opposition, that culminated in a cease-fire agreement that came into force on Dec. 30, but which has already started to erode. Russian officials have suggested the U.S. could be invited to the talks at a later date. The Obama administration has been at odds with Russia over how to resolve Syrias conflict. Incoming President Donald Trump has indicated he might distance the U.S. from Syrias rebels, bringing Washington in closer alignment with Moscow. A one-sentence provision in state law is emboldening at least one agency to keep public information from seeing the light of day. All officials have to do is accuse someone of having a political agenda. For more than a year, retired Interstate Stream Commission director Norman Gaume has wanted to know how much water farmers and others currently draw from the Gila River. That's where the state plans to build a controversial new project that would divert more water from the river. Specifically, he wondered if water users are using the maximum amount of water they're already allotted from the river. Norm Gaume, right, has been fighting for greater transparency in the state's decisions on water in the Gila River (SFR File Photo) In December, Gaume filed a public records request to look at ISC reports that show how much water is diverted from and used along the Gila and its tributaries each year. He wanted to see if the on-the-ground data supports assertions by his former agency that farmers were already using all the water they couldand still needed more. The ISC, a public body, includes nine members who are appointed by the governor. The ISC also employs staff members such as hydrologists, engineers, attorneys and water experts. While looking through the bound 2015 report at the ISC's office in Santa Fe late last year, Gaume read through its printed Excel spreadsheet tables. According to him, those tables contained the information he had been seeking for the past year but had been unable to findin part because he was having a hard time "making sense of voluminous ISC public records produced as hard copies." Gaume asked for an unlocked copy of the Excel spreadsheet. With an unlocked copyinstead of a locked copy or a PDFusers can examine the formulas and original data that is used to reach conclusions or achieve results. In its response to his request, the ISC categorized the spreadsheet as a "database." In order to inspect that database, the public records custodian, paralegal and attorney each told Gaume he'd have to sign the agency's database agreement. That agreement prohibits the requester from making copies or providing the database to anyone without the ISC's written approval. It also says the database can't be used for any "political or commercial purpose" without the agency's approval. The state statute under which Gaume requested the documents, known as the Inspection of Public Records Act (IPRA), says that the "use of state agency databases for commercial, political or solicitation purposes is restricted." Breaching the signed agreement carries criminal penalties. Gaume proposed making changes to the three-page agreement the ISC wanted him to sign. Rather than not providing copies of the ISC's spreadsheet to anyone, he wrote that he would list the names of those with whom he was sharing it. He also added a note that "advocacy use" of the database was not "political." According to Gaume, the agency refused his suggestions. The ISC did not respond to a request for comment or information for this story. Because state offices were closed Friday, we will update this story if the agency responds within 24 hours of publication. For Gaume, it was a familiar scenario. Since 2014, he has been an outspoken critic of his former agency and has opposed the state's plans to build a diversion on the Gila River. "Twice before the ISC has refused to give me a spreadsheet," Gaume said last week. Both times, he was trying to see how staff had achieved the results presented to the commission and the public. In both those earlier instances, once he finally had unlocked versions of the spreadsheets, he revealed problems with the state's plans on the Gila. Gila diversion In the next few months, the state is supposed to start studying the environmental impacts the proposed Gila River diversion might have. Thanks to a water trade passed by Congress in 2004, the state of New Mexico had 10 years to decide how it would use federal money to meet water needs in four rural counties in southwestern New Mexico. The state could pursue efficiency and restoration projects, or receive a larger subsidy and build a diversion on the Gila River. In November 2014, the Interstate Stream Commission voted to pursue the more expensive option, the diversion. Since then, the ISC and a newly formed group, the New Mexico Central Arizona Project Entity, have struggled to come up with solid plans. Numerous costly proposals have been floated, including some that Gaume and others criticized for including "fatally flawed" design and engineering plans. The state has yet to explain who will use water from the diversion, how much users will pay for the water, or how much water the river can actually yield, especially as the region continues to warm. Meanwhile, New Mexico continues to spend millions of dollars of the federal subsidy on contractors, attorneys and studies. The politics of advocacy According to New Mexico Foundation on Open Government executive director Peter St. Cyr, requiring someone to sign a release saying a database won't be used for "political purposes" is a violation of that person's civil rights under the First Amendment. "The fact is that a citizen can redress their government anytime they want," he said. "Those are fundamental rights we have as citizens in a democracy." He added that the agreement to not use information for political reasons seems to show public officials don't want to be scrutinized. In the case of Gaume's most recent request for a spreadsheet, St. Cyr noted that similar issues have come up in the pastand been resolved. "We shouldn't have to continue to fight these battles over and over and over again," he said. "Government employees should always comply with New Mexico's sunshine laws and provide documents on request, rather than looking for ways to shield them from the public." Susan Boe, a retired attorney who preceded St. Cyr as executive director of NMFOG, spent much of her tenure at the government transparency group trying to get the ISC to release documents. Last week, she recalled the agency's resistance to releasing spreadsheets to Gaume in the past. In late 2014, for instance, Gaume had requested an unlocked spreadsheet related to the flows of the Gila River. When the agency wouldn't release it, NMFOG filed a "mirror request" for the same spreadsheet. Boe said she was invited to the ISC office in Santa Fe, where staff projected information onto a screen but wouldn't unlock the data. To receive the unlocked spreadsheet, Boe would have to sign the agreement barring her from sharing it. She refused. Eventually, the ISC posted the unlocked spreadsheet on its website. When Gaume and other analysts identified and corrected errors in it, they learned that the Gila River doesn't yield as much water as the ISC previously said. They found that New Mexico's "new" legal water rights granted by Congress in 200414,000 acre feet per yearexceed what the river can actually yield. Boe finds two things about the disclosure agreement particularly troublesome. "In the case of the ISC, we've got them in recording and on paper, two years ago, saying 'We know you're going to use this for political purposes," she said. "Well, I couldn't tell you if [Gaume is] a Democrat or a Republican, but if 'political' means 'against the Gila River diversion,' that's very problematic." She also doesn't think the prohibition on using the data for "political purposes" is constitutionalespecially if an agency does not refer to political parties, but is instead identifying someone as having an opinion contrary to the agency's official line. "The second thing is we don't believe that an Excel spreadsheet is a 'database,'" Boe said. Boe noted that the agency didn't release the unlocked spreadsheet until after ISC staff had presented faulty data to the commission and the public. "By releasing it at a pretty late date, it precluded people who are experts in these flowcharts from looking at them and raising the necessary red flags," she said. NM Political Report reached out to the New Mexico Office of the Attorney General, seeking an interview with one of its experts on IPRA compliance. That office, currently headed by Attorney General Hector Balderas, is charged with enforcing compliance with IPRA and the state's Open Meetings Act. That interview was canceled minutes before it was set to occur. But in an email, spokesman James Hallinan wrote that Balderas's office has not received any complaints, from Gaume or anyone else, regarding the database provision of IPRA or its applications. Were the office to receive any such complaint, Hallinan wrote, it would be reviewed. This story was published by New Mexico Political Report. Santa Fe Reporter The New Zealand dollar remained below 70 US cents in trading on Monday, with dealers suggesting the local currency would likely trade between 67 and 72 US cents over the coming months, well below the levels achieved in 2016. The kiwi was trading at 69.57 US cents at 5 pm in Wellington on Monday, down slightly from 69.60 at 8 am this morning and 69.58 US cents on Friday in New York. US non-farm payrolls published on Friday showed average wages rising at their fastest pace since 2010, adding to a theme of quick rate hikes by the US Federal Reserve, strengthing the greenback and sending the local currency down below 70 cents again. It had risen to a three-week high in thin trading during the first days of the New Year. The trade-weighted index dropped to 77.31 from 77.61 on Friday. Michael Johnston, senior trader at HiFX in Auckland said the decline in the value of the kiwi would be driven by the continued strength of the US dollar. "In the medium-term, we believe the US dollar will show form and the kiwi/US cross will trade in an at least a 5 cent range, struggling to get above 72 cents, dropping down to 66/67 cents. If dairy prices started to soften more, and you had to start to factor in a Reserve Bank of NZ rate cut, then you could see below 65 cents." ManufacturingNZ and ExportNZ said earlier on Monday that they expected to benefit from a weaker currency this year, but warned of concerns over trade protectionism policies that have been espoused by the incoming US President, Donald Trump. The kiwi posted its 2016 peak in September, reaching 74.49 US cents. It spent most of the second half of the year between 70 and 74 US cents. Trading was quiet on Monday, partly due to a public holiday in Japan. However, the NZ dollar did move significantly lower against the Australian dollar, falling to 95.17 Australian cents from 95.62 cents on Friday. Johnston said that reflected a rise in the value of the Australian dollar against the greenback, and he expected the Kiwi to decline further against its trans-Tasman counterpart, although it was unlikely to be a dramatic drop. The local currency rose against the British pound to 56.82 pence from 56.59 pence at the end of last week. It dipped against the Euro, trading at 66.09 euro cents, from 66.24 cents on Friday. It rose against the Yen, buying 81.68 Japanese Yen from 81.20 yen. It fell against the Chinese Yuan, buying 4.8231 Yuan compared to 4.8453 Yuan before the weekend. New Zealand two-year swap rate rose 2 basis points to 2.38 percent, while the ten-year swap rate rose 6 basis points to 3.43 percent. BusinessDesk.co.nz Comments from our readers No comments yet Add your comment: Your name: Your email: Not displayed to the public Comment: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Anti-spam verification: Type the text you see in the image into the field below. You are asked to do this in order to verify that this enquiry is not being performed by an automated process. Related News: SKC - ADDITIONAL US PRIVATE PLACEMENT FUNDING SECURED Spark New Zealand Limited's Annual Meeting Results 2022 Fonterra Australia settles class action proceedings PFI - Q3 Dividend, Development and Divestment Update November 4th Morning Report FPH to announce half year results on 29 November 2022 ATM - FDA approval to supply infant milk formula to United States Steel & Tube - Adopts ESG World Platform BGP - 3rd Quarter Sales to 30 October 2022 GEO - Quarterly Operating Update InvestorPlace This is the second time I get to write about safe stocks to buy and hold. I liked the list I put together in October (and have positions in a couple), but Im happy to have a second bite at the apple and give this list a revision. Thats because there are more than seven safe stocks, and more than one way to think about them. One tried-and-true method is to look for best-in-class stocks. Long-term investments should consider buying the best and forgetting the rest. Sure theres a place for a spe NEW DELHI: A team of the US-based iPhone maker Apple will meet a group of senior officials from ministries, including IT and finance, on January 25 to discuss its demands for setting up a manufacturing unit in the country. Officials from departments of commerce, industrial policy and promotion (DIPP), revenue, environment and forest, electronics and information technology (DeITY) will take part in the deliberations. In a communication to the government, the Cupertino-based technology major has asked for several tax and other incentives, including long-term duty exemptions, to enter the manufacturing sector in India. However, the sources said the technology major should set up the manufacturing unit in India without seeking additional support. As many as 42 companies are making mobile phones in India, including Chinese firm Huawei and Xiaomi, and no firm has approached the government for any additional incentives. Currently, the government provides support by way of benefits under the Modified Special Incentive Package Scheme (MSIPS) to boost electronic manufacturing. The scheme offers financial incentives to offset disability and attract investments in the electronics hardware segment. It also gives subsidy for investments in special economic zones, among other benefits. Apples products are manufactured in six countries, including Korea, Japan and the US. Earlier, the finance ministry in May had rejected relaxing the 30 per cent domestic sourcing norms as sought by the iPhone and iPad maker as a pre-condition of bringing in FDI to set up single-brand retail stores in the country. The company had sought exemption on the ground that it makes state-of-the-art and cutting-edge technology products for which local sourcing is not possible. The government had also turned down the firms proposal to import refurbished phones and sell them in India. The company sells its products through Apple-owned retail stores in countries like China, Germany, the US, the UK and France, among others. It has no wholly-owned store in India and sells its products through distributors such as Redington and Ingram Micro. The government has announced incentives to promote electronic manufacturing in India and reduce the import bill. Read Also: Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Kicks Off In Bengaluru Nasscom To Counter H1-B Visa Bill JAIPUR: In its bid to accelerate the digital transformation of Rajasthan, global networking giant Cisco on Monday announced a slew of initiatives, including video-enabled digital classrooms in women colleges in the state to cover 10,000 women students over the next one year. Towards this goal, Cisco and the Rajasthan government signed a Statement of Intent (SoI) to support and advance women working in the technology sector and the expansion of its Jaipur Lighthouse City programme. In collaboration with the State Institute of Education Management And Training (SIEMAT), Cisco has deployed virtual classrooms across 12 institutes in the state to provide 50,000 man-hours of training through digital classrooms. "The digital classroom solutions through SIEMAT, the Cisco Networking Academy courses in 25 government ITIs and networking of ITIs in the divisional headquarters are efforts that make us all proud," Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje told reporters here. The digital classrooms will facilitate training and development of IT skills for women and help build a pool of highly-skilled professionals. "We are going to give our girls a good deal. This is not about caste or religion but about development, smart cities and brain power," Raje added. As Cisco Lighthouse City, Jaipur has collaborated with the company on several key initiatives for sustainable urban digitisation and development in the past. In the first phase of the Lighthouse City programme, smart lighting, connected transportation, waste management and control centre will be integrated on the Cisco smart-connected digital platform. "Digitisation opens up unprecedented opportunities. With Cisco's new initiatives, we are proud to strengthen our collaboration with the government of Rajasthan to realise its Digital Rajasthan vision," stated John Chambers, Executive Chairman, Cisco. "We are on the forefront of what we call digital world. When there is any innovation, there are some bumps," Chambers added. Cisco's water management solutions will offer near real-time visibility across the state's water assets through Internet of Things (IoT) water sensors that transmit information on water levels and flows. "We believe the digital classrooms in women colleges will expand employment options to help advance their careers and be a training ground for the next generation of women leaders," added Dinesh Malkani, President, Cisco India and SAARC. Read Also: India, Portugal Sign Agreements In Defence, Agriculture, Sports Modi Asks Diaspora To First Develop India HYDERABAD: The Centre would shortly launch an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs, a senior official in the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) said on Saturday. "It will be an exclusive scheme for women entrepreneurs. We have not yet finalised the contours (of the scheme). Hopefully, we will launch it before the end of the financial year," B H Anil Kumar, a Joint Secretary in the Ministry, told reporters here. Earlier, he launched myloanassocham.Com, a portal, industry body ASSOCHAM said, that provides MSMEsonline access to funds at an affordable rate from a mix of banks and financial institutions. Kumar said the figures that the MSME sector contributes eight per cent to the country's GDP, 45 per cent of the manufacturing output and 40 per cent of the exports are based on survey reports of 2007. Those survey reports have been extrapolated. It's a random survey, and it's not clear how much of that figure is based on hardcore data, according to him. In this background, the Ministry is in the process of creating an MSME data bank based on which it can project the actual requirements of the sector, he said and asked these enterprises to register themselves. Reserve Bank of India, Kumar said, has issued guidelines for creation of committees for revival and rehabilitation of MSMEs which are facing stress. Banks are in the process of setting them up at State levels. Noting that 90 per cent of MSMEs in India are either based on proprietorship or partnership model, Kumar pitched for they putting in place a corporate structure so that an enterprise "does not die when entrepreneur passes away". Read Also: Global Software Giants From India In 5-10 Years: Pichai Samsung Sets Up "Smart Class" In 373 Navodaya Schools MUMBAI: In a bid to counter the bill for H1-B visas which has been re-introduced in the US Congress after a failed attempt in July last year, Nasscom will highlight the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions, a top official said. "The US government's statistics said there is shortage of skilled workers. It is question of demand and supply. The current bill and many other such legislative measures are applied on a discriminatory basis. "We continue to share our perceptions about the skill shortages that exist, the kind of contribution the IT industry has made to corporate America. We share our deep concern at the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions," Nasscom's President R. Chandrashekhar told BTVi in an interview. The bill proposes a minimum pay of $100,000 annually to every employee taken to US under the H1-B visa which is an over 66 per cent increase from the current average. He said the bill was a statement of intention at this point of time. "We have to see what route it takes. It does not immediately mean that anything is going to happen in a hurry," said Chandrashekhar. The competitiveness of the industry arises from the value proposition of India, he said. "In the past, there has been reluctance in the US Congress to deal with such issues relating to immigration on a piecemeal basis in preference for a more comprehensive bill which covers all the aspects of immigration," he said. Read Also: India Gets First Regular-Season Live Facebook Game Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Kicks Off In Bengaluru WASHINGTON: Eminent Indian-Americans from across America are gearing to celebrate inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the US with a presidential ball along with other Asian American community on January 19. The only presidential inaugural ball of its kind, among others, would also felicitate Indian-Americans who have been nominated by Trump to key positions in his administration. Prominent among them being South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, who has been nominated to the position of US Ambassador to the United Nations, which is a Cabinet level post. "Asian Pacific American Presidential Inaugural Gala 2017" being organised by Trump-Pence Asian Pacific American Advisory Committee (APAAC) and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans has several top Indian-Americans on its leadership team, including Puneet Ahuwalia from Virginia, K V Kumar from California, Shalabh Kumar from Illinois, and Harry Walia from Florida. "The Asian Pacific American Gala is defining statement of our nations diverse strength and huge intellectual capital amongst the Asian American Communities. Indian-Americans should be leading the Presidential inaugural celebration as we have the most to benefit with strong US-India relations," Puneet Ahluwalia, Finance Chairman of the gala, told PTI. "We are leading in numerous fields and it is time we lead in mainstream political activities," he said. The presidential inaugural gala will be held in the historic ball room of Mayflower hotel on the eve of Trump's swearing in on January 20. "The Asian American Gala as part of President Trump's Inaugural symbolises the success achieved by Indian and Asian Americans," said Vivek Lall, who has been a leading US corporate figure working with many governments globally. "Under the Trump Presidency we can foresee a stronger America with enhanced substantial partnerships in trade and active diplomacy across the globe," he said, asserting that US-India cooperation will further deepen on multiple fronts during the incoming administration. In a statement, APAAC and the National Committee of Asian American Republicans said the inaugural ball will include celebration with prominent dignitaries and presidential appointees. 70-year-old Trump, Vice president-elect Mike Pence, House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Marco Rubio, incoming White House Chief of Staff, Reince Priebus have been invited to the event. The event among other things would include performances from Asian Pacific American communities proudly sharing their rich cultures, a media release said. "This will be an excellent event that features our national Asian Pacific American leaders who have worked so hard to elect and represent Trump," said Eddie Baza Calvo, Governor of Guam and APAAC co-chair said. Read Also: Michelle Obama Selects Indian-American Girl For Education Campaign Trump's First Press Conference Since Election Victory On January 11 Source: PTI STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Concord teen, charged in two armed muggings and a burglary last year, could spend up to 10 years behind bars under a robbery plea. Koby Mangin, 17, of the 300 block of Hanover Avenue, pleaded guilty last week in state Supreme Court, St. George, to first-degree robbery to satisfy all charges stemming from the Feb. 18, 2016 incidents. It was the top count against him. According to a criminal complaint and an indictment, Mangin and two others accosted a victim around 2:55 a.m. on Targee Street and Palma Drive on the Clifton-Concord border. The defendant displayed a gun, and he and his cohorts punched the victim in the face and rifled through his pockets, said court documents. The victim, who was injured during the encounter, handed over his cell phone, headphones and cash to the defendants and an unidentified accomplice, said court records. In a separate episode, Mangin threatened another person with a gun and snatched two cell phones, an iPad, a wallet and cash, the indictment said. That victim was also injured, said the indictment. In addition, Mangin was accused of illegally entering an apartment on the 200 block of Park Hill Avenue, Clifton, at gunpoint, and robbing cash, a debit card and an ID card from a third victim, the indictment said. He was charged with multiple counts of robbery and burglary for the three episodes. In exchange for his plea, Mangin will be sentenced Feb. 8 to no less than six years in prison and no more than 10 years behind bars, said prosecutors. He's also subject to five years' post-release supervision. Maria Guastella represents Mangin. Andrew Cuomo Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers one of his State of the State address in New York's 1 World Trade Center building. New York state must stand as an alternative to the policies and pronouncements of President-elect Donald Trump and show the nation progressive achievements, racial and religious tolerance and that big investments in education and infrastructure can create a dynamic economy that works for all, Cuomo said Monday. (Associated Press) ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York state will stand as an alternative to the policies and pronouncements of President-elect Donald Trump and show the nation that progressive achievements, racial and religious tolerance and investments in education and infrastructure can create a dynamic economy that works for all, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday. Cuomo, a Democrat, did not mention the Republican president-elect by name in his State of the State address at Manhattan's World Trade Center, but the state must find ways to connect with middle-class workers and others whose economic and political angst propelled Trump to the White House. "We all heard the roar on Election Day, and we must respond," Cuomo said. "The nation once again looks to New York to find the way up.... We will hold the torch high to light the way." Cuomo's answer: big investments in education, including free state tuition for middle-class students; infrastructure projects such as an overhauled Kennedy Airport and a new Tappan Zee Bridge; subsidies for high-tech industries like the life sciences; and a government that works to reduce taxes and regulations to stay competitive. Cuomo has been mentioned as a possible presidential contender in 2020. He has said he is focused on running for a third term in 2018, but Monday's speech was crafted with a national audience in mind. Cuomo spoke of the anger of a middle class that feels squeezed economically and forgotten by political elites. "Misdirected, that anger can be destructive. It can scapegoat and it can demonize. It can spread fear of those that are different," he said. "New York knows that our progressive principals of acceptance and diversity are not the enemy of the middle class, and that middle-class success is not the enemy of our progressive beliefs." OTHER PROPOSALS Other proposals from Cuomo this year include an expansion of ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft into upstate cities such as Buffalo, Syracuse and Rochester; an expanded child care tax credit; and significant changes to the state's cumbersome and outdated voting rules. He also called for the end of a state practice of prosecuting and imprisoning 16- and 17-year-old defendants as adults, the creation of a legal defense fund for immigrants facing deportation, funding for a new hate crimes task force and the passage of the Dream Act, which would extend financial aid to students in the country illegally. FIRST OF 6 ADDRESSES Monday's speech was the first of six addresses planned for locations around the state this week. Another speech was planned for Monday afternoon in Buffalo. Additional events are scheduled for Long Island, Westchester County, Syracuse and Albany later in the week. Governors traditionally deliver the address to lawmakers in the state Capitol, but Cuomo's administration said this year's approach is an effort to communicate directly with New Yorkers. Top lawmakers are skipping the speeches in a sign of the tense relationship between lawmakers and Cuomo. Many lawmakers blame the governor for killing their first pay raise in 18 years last month. Republican Senate Leader John Flanagan, R-Long Island, called on Cuomo to move past the speeches and get to work. "The last thing hardworking, middle-class New Yorkers need right now is flashy press releases, lofty pronouncements or more broken promises," he said. Screen Shot 2017-01-09 at 3.37.01 PM.png Several police units remained on Ellie Court Saturday night to investigate after infant Dameen Mohammed was taken to NYU Lutheran Medical Center Satreday morning, unconscious and unresponsive, police said. (Staten Island Advance/Shane DiMaio) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- As the medical examiner's office investigates the death of a 7-month-old baby from Staten Island, the NYPD confirmed there are no records of police responding to a complaint at the child's New Springville address in recent years. Dameen Mohammed was unresponsive when he was brought to NYU Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn by his mother, however, the medical examiner's office had yet to determine the time or cause of death as of Monday, police said. Police were summoned to investigate a report of possible child neglect, the NYPD said. The child's 25-year-old mother crossed the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to Brooklyn in the hours that led up to the mother and grandmother taking the baby to the hospital, police said. Investigators on Saturday night canvased the Elie Court home where the mother cared for the baby. Police and members of the Administration for Children's Services are investigating. "We are saddened by this troubling news and are investigating the circumstances leading to this fatality, along with the NYPD," said an ACS spokesperson. nyc_sat_map.png Staten Island Technical High School is represented by the blue dot on Staten Island. (Photo courtesy of Nicholas Usoff) Tufts University senior Nicholas Usoff, who grew up in Boston, created a heat map of SAT scores in New York City public high schools. (Facebook) STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. --Nicholas Usoff has never been to Staten Island, and he has only visited New York City as a tourist. But the born-and-bred Bostonian said he's heard a lot of buzz about the city's eight elite specialized public high schools, including Staten Island Technical High School in New Dorp. "I heard a lot about the special high schools in New York and how they do well on the SAT," he told the Advance. So when Usoff -- a senior and computer science major at Tufts University in Medford, Mass. -- had some downtime after the holidays, he decided to see if students at the city's specialized public high schools do better on the college entrance exam than their peers at the city's public high schools. The result was a heat map depicting SAT scores throughout the city. "The data came from the city Department of Education. Each school with SAT data was assigned a circle with a radius corresponding to the number of students who took the SAT, and a color associated with the average SAT score for those students," he said. Usoff posted his heat map on reddit, where it took off with a number of Staten Island Tech students, parents and graduates offering comments. (He's since changed the map's colors to red and blue for those who have a hard time differentiating between red and green.) "I didn't expect it to do so well," he said. It turns out what Usoff heard about the specialized high schools doing well on the SAT exam was accurate. The blue areas on the map, he said, all correspond with locations of specialized high schools throughout the city -- the Bronx High School of Science, the Brooklyn Latin School, Brooklyn Technical High School, the High School for Mathematics, Science and Engineering at the City College of New York, the High School of American Studies at Lehman College, Queens High School for the Sciences at York College, Stuyvesant High School and Staten Island Tech. Tech, which has consistently ranked among the top schools in the nation, was represented by the lone blue dot on Staten Island. "The biggest takeaway was just how much of an outlier Staten Island Tech was," he said. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Instagram star and professional photographer Ruddy Roye headlined a "Sunday Salon" session at the Alice Austen House in Rosebank on Sunday evening. Curator of the museum, TIME Magazine's Paul Moakley, hosted the conversation with Brooklyn-based Roye who is described as a "photographer with a conscience." The talk included how Roye uses portraiture and social media to convey a variety of issues including race and economic disparity. Roye also talked about his history as a professional photographer, and how he used the power of Instagram -- where his page has more than 269,000 followers -- to share photos that express deep meanings about our society. "I got into photography because I wanted to tell stories," Roye said. Roye's portfolio of photographs led him to work for media organizations including Newsweek and the Associated Press. After taking photographs for 15 years, Roye was TIME Magazine's pick for Instagram Photographer of 2016. "What has always remained constant is me with a camera shooting every day," he said, when explaining hard times he had trying to find work. "That has never changed. If I went out with my portfolio, I always made sure that my hands were free. My portfolio had a case strapped around my shoulder and I was out on the street and I shot every day." Michael Bisignano, Westerleigh, heard about the session and was intrigued. Bisignano has a passion for photography, specifically street photography, which is Roye's most recent and showcased work on Instagram. "I love street photography," Bisignano said. "There's a cool energy in each specific place. There's always something to capture." Two students studying to be journalists traveled from Harlem to attended the event. Pia Peterson and her friend, Emily Ulbricht, heard about Roye when Peterson took a photography course in August last summer. Her professor raved about Roye's work and Peterson has been following Roye ever since. "I'm really excited to hear about his photography," Peterson said. "He does so many portraits that are really beautiful. His photos make me really happy." Traveling from Connecticut, Jean Paul Vellotti came to Staten Island to rekindle his friendship with Roye. Vellotti met Roye when the two were photographing in the same location in Manhattan in 2001. For more information or to see more of Ruddy Roye's work, you can visit his website at ruddyroye.com. For more on the Sunday Salon session with Roye, check out the Alice Austen Museum's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/aliceaustenhousemuseum/. Page Content Minister of Justice Raphael Boasman travelled to Aruba this weekend to participate in the Justitiele Vierpartij Overleg (JVO) Judicial Four Party Consultation on January 10th. The consultation is held twice a year on one of the countries of the Kingdom (St. Maarten, Aruba, Curacao, Holland). Boasman said the meeting is crucial for the continued strengthening of the maintenance of law enforcement and evaluation of kingdom laws as they relate to the justice sector. Among the topic up for discussion are (but not limited to) the police organization in general, regulation pertaining to the protection and privacy of DNA profiles, evaluation of regulation of migrants, the penitentiary system, and combating human trafficking. To see improvement in any of these areas, the Minister stressed, proper cooperation between the four countries is vital. These discussions are not always easy, he said, but they are important in realizing where we want to be in terms of the justice system, he said. As for whats important for St. Maarten at the consultation, the Minister said all topics are important and St. Maarten will make its contribution, however, he said one thing must be clear: All of us want to address the crime situation on St. Maarten and prevent any escalation. But in doing so we have to be careful not to label St. Maarten as a haven for criminals or criminal activities. This hurts our country and discourages the people who want to come here. On top of that, it may encourage people who we dont want, to come here as well. We need to tone down the rhetoric from within our Ministry as well. The level of cooperation between the countries, through sharing of information and otherwise, should increase not just on paper but in action. We must assist each other when and where needed and we must avoid getting into squabbles about who is in control. We should be able to help each other not fight each other, the Minister said. Dakar (AFP) - Lawyers acting for Chad's former president Hissene Habre launched an appeal Monday against his life sentence for war crimes and crimes against humanity, after a conviction hailed as a landmark for Africa. The Extraordinary African Chambers, a body created by Senegal and the African Union (AU), sentenced Habre in May to life behind bars, an unprecedented ruling seen as a blow to the impunity long enjoyed by repressive rulers. Opening the appeal Monday, lawyer Mbaye Sene told the court the judgement should be thrown out as there was "not a shred of proof for the guilt of president Habre". Habre, 74, who ruled Chad from 1982 to 1990, refuses to recognise the court's authority but his court-appointed lawyers are undertaking an appeal on his behalf, which will resume Tuesday. The president of the appeal court Wafi Ougadeye said its deliberations would continue without Habre's presence after a defence team request. Ougadeye said Habre had replied to a letter from the court with the assertion that he did recognise its authority and therefore "was not able to receive any document issued by it." One of Habre's most high-profile campaigning victims, Souleymane Guengueng, told AFP he had "no doubt the judgement will be upheld." "One cannot violate international law with impunity," said Guengueng, who spent two years in detention in the hands of Habre's notorious Documentation and Security Directorate (DDS), Chad's secret police. The verdict will be final. If his conviction is upheld, Habre will serve his sentence in Senegal or in another AU country. The hearing is expected to last several days, with the final decision expected by April 30. - 'Verdict that gave hope' - The May verdict brought closure for relatives of up to 40,000 people killed and many more kidnapped, raped or tortured during Habre's time as president. "The trial of Hissene Habre last year was the result of a tireless battle by thousands of victims and their relatives to ensure justice for crimes under international law committed in Chad between 1982 and 1990," said Gaetan Mootoo, West Africa researcher at Amnesty International. Story continues "It gave hope to others around the world that it is possible to end impunity even where it is most entrenched," he said in a statement ahead of the appeal. In July, Habre was further ordered to pay up to 30,000 euros ($33,000) to each victim who suffered rape, arbitrary detention and imprisonment during his rule, as well as to their relatives. The trial set a global precedent as the first time a country had prosecuted the former leader of another nation for rights abuses, said US lawyer Reed Brody, who has worked with the victims of the Habre regime since 1999. "The appeals court now needs to make sure that a system is put in place so that Habre's assets can be located, seized and transferred to his victims to compensate them for what they have suffered," he said in a statement last week. Known as a skilled desert fighter and often dressed in combat fatigues to fit the role, Habre fled to Senegal after his 1990 ouster by Chad's current President Idriss Deby. For more than 20 years, the former dictator lived freely in an upmarket Dakar suburb with his wife and children. By clicking Agree, you consent to Slates Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and the use of technologies such as cookies by Slate and our partners to deliver relevant advertising on our iOS app to personalize content and perform site analytics. Please see our Privacy Policy for more information about our use of data, your rights, and how to withdraw consent. Agree For many, the opposition to the switch may come down to simple economics. Digital Radio Norway has estimated that 7.9 million radio sets will be affected by the FM switch and that only 20 percent of private cars have DAB radio systems. An adapter to switch an FM car radio to a DAB system may cost $174.70, according to Reuters. In neighboring Bulgaria, police said two men from Iraq and a Somali woman died from cold in the mountains near Turkey as they tried to make their way toward Europe. Many in the Belgrade warehouse were sick after few days in extreme cold, aid workers said. Best Canadian Blog 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 About Kate Why this blog? Until this moment I have been forced to listen while media and politicians alike have told me "what Canadians think". In all that time they never once asked. This is just the voice of an ordinary Canadian yelling back at the radio - "You don't speak for me." (goes to a private mailserver in Europe) I can't answer or use every tip, but all are appreciated! Katewerk Art Support SDA I am not a registered charity. I cannot issue tax receipts. Reconnaissance Man Economics for the Disinterested Montrose County "I enjoyed these poems immensely." - William Peter Blatty, author of The Exorcist Ages 7 and up, ideal for adults and kids to read together! Want lies? Hire a regular consultant. Want truth? Hire an asshole. Historical Evidence Concerning Climate Change Social Conservativism In an age of Revolution Weather Shop Click to inquire about rates. Dow Jones What They Say About SDA "Smalldeadanimals doesn't speak for the people of Saskatchewan" Former Sask Premier Lorne Calvert "I got so much traffic after your post my web host asked me to buy a larger traffic allowance." Dr.Ross McKitrick Holy hell, woman. When you send someone traffic, you send someone TRAFFIC. My hosting provider thought I was being DDoSed. - Sean McCormick "The New York Times link to me yesterday [...] generated one-fifth of the traffic I normally get from a link from Small Dead Animals." Kathy Shaidle "Thank you for your link. A wave of your Canadian readers came to my blog! Really impressive." Juan Giner - INNOVATION International Media Consulting Group I got links from the Weekly Standard, Hot Air and Instapundit yesterday - but SDA was running at least equal to those in visitors clicking through to my blog. Jeff Dobbs "You may be a nasty right winger, but you're not nasty all the time!" Warren Kinsella "Go back to collecting your welfare livelihood."Michael E. Zilkowsky Intelliweather Seismic Map Comments Policy Read this Best Of SDA Hide The Decline The Bottle Genie (ClimateGate links) You Might Be A Liberal Uncrossing The Line Bob Fife: Knuckledragger A Modest Proposal (NP) Settled Science Series Y2Kyoto Series SDA: Reader Occupation Survey Brett Lamb Sheltered Workshop Flakes On A Plane All Your Weather Are Belong To Us Song Of The Sled The Raise A Flag Debacle (Now on Youtube!) (.mwv Video) Abuse Ruins Life Of Girl Trudeaupiate Kleptocrat Jeans Child Labour I Concede Small Dead Feminist Protein Hoser: THK Interview The Werewolf Extinction Dear Laura (VRWC) We Wait Blogging The Oscars Jackson Converts To Islam Just Shut The HELL Up Manipulating Condi Gay Equality Rights Laws are for the Peasantry; [Andrew Scheer, MP for Regina -Qu'Appelle] has written a letter to Mary Dawson, Parliament's Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner asking for an investigation of Prime Minister Trudeau's vacation on a private island in the Bahamas. "The Prime Minister of Canada must be held to the highest standard, which is why I have called for this investigation," said Scheer. "As a former Speaker of the House of Commons, I take the rules that MPs must follow very seriously. We need to know if it is appropriate for Trudeau to accept gifts from someone whose foundation receives funds from the Government of Canada." Prime Minister Trudeau accepted a gift from His Royal Highness the Aga Khan of a vacation for his whole family on the privately-owned Bell Island. The Aga Khan Foundation, has been the beneficiary of tens of millions of dollars in government contributions to international development projects, in addition to 30 million dollars from the Government of Canada for the Foundation's Ottawa headquarters. Section 14.1 of the Conflict of Interest Act is very clear. "Neither a Member nor any member of a Member's family shall accept, directly or indirectly, any gift or other benefit, except compensation authorized by law, that might reasonably be seen to have been given to influence the Member in the exercise of a duty or function of his or her office." They may be a long way from the tropics, but hidden in Queanbeyan is a company that's all about coconut oil, and helping poor communities along the way. Niulife, pronounced 'new life', was started by husband and wife team Dan and Maureen Etherington. Queanbeyan locals Maureen Etherington and her husband Dan in the Niulife factory. Credit:Elesa Kurtz The two originally met at university in South Africa and lived around the world, before settling in Canberra with their three sons in 1972 when Dan was offered a job at the ANU. At the university, Dan taught agricultural development economics, a field that included a lot of international travel. Shayne Elliott has pushed the ANZ to the top of the major bank league tables in his first year as chief executive. The total returns for ANZ shareholders for the year to December 31 were 15.7 per cent, well ahead of the other big four banks, the regional banks and the ASX200 accumulation index, this chart from Morgan Stanley shows. "ANZ is our preferred major bank," write Morgan Stanley analysts in a note to clients. "While it faces several revenue headwinds, it's less vulnerable than peers to margin pressure in Australia and we remain confident that the cost-out story can mitigate risk to earnings." National Australia Bank mistakenly sent the bank account details of 60,000 customers to an email address controlled by a domain name squatter and owner of adult websites. Fairfax Media understands David Weissenberg, who owns domain names through his company Real Assets Limited, received the data when it was wrongly emailed to nab.com, a domain name he controls. The data breach occurred in 2012 but was first revealed by the bank last month. It affected NAB's migrant banking customers customers migrating to Australia who had recently opened NAB bank accounts. NAB has written to customers notifying them that an email confirming their account had been established was also sent in error to an incorrect email address. The information that was wrongly shared includes customer names, addresses, email addresses, BSB and account numbers. It was a good year for grog sales. Revenue at alcohol giants Treasury Wine Estates and Carlton & United Breweries grew by 19.1 per cent and 15.7 per cent last year. The growth catapulted the two into Australia's top 10 food and drink companies for 2016, as compiled by researchers IBISWorld and trade publication Food & Drink Business. In the process, they knocked out Nestle (the maker of Kit Kat chocolate bars, Maggi noodles, and Uncle Tobys cereal) and breadmaker George Weston Foods, which owns Tip Top and Burgen brands. Treasury Wine Estates (whose brands include Penfolds) came in at No. 9, and CUB at No. 10. They were joined in the top 10 by Japanese alcohol giant Kirin, which makes beer brands Hahn, Boag's and XXXX, as well as dairy brands such as Pura. While Kirin came in at No. 3, its sales declined 5.7 per cent year on year to $4.8 billion. Shares in Michael Hill International gained 2.8 per cent after the jeweller said same-store sales grew 2.5 per cent in December despite "choppy" macro conditions and higher than usual competitor discounting in Australia and Canada. Same-store sales, a measure that excludes new stores, improved 0.3 per cent to $176.4 million in Australia during a "bumpy" six months to December 31. The Brisbane-based company has 329 stores Michael Hill and Emma & Roe stores across Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US. Credit:Peter Stoop They grew 7.4 per cent to $C53.5 million ($55.2 million) in Canada, but fell 1.5 per cent to $NZ66.9 million ($63.7 million) in its second biggest market, New Zealand. The US business, where same-store sales dived 8.8 per cent to $US6.5 million ($8.9 million), would "require some extra focus", the company said. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has lived in the Ecuadorian embassy in London for more than four years. Credit:AP Assange's public support among the left collapsed last year when he launched a determined and prolonged assault on Hillary Clinton, whom he saw as a personal threat and as emblematic of a US empire that he loathes. While espousing a philosophy of "radical transparency" in the interests of true democracy, Assange's leaks against Clinton were designed and timed to tilt a free election. The dumps of stolen material began and were dribbled out at critical moments throughout the year. That last dump was signalled by Roger Stone, a key Trump agent, before it had taken place. Julian Assange lives at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. Credit:Getty Images Throughout the year the WikiLeaks Twitter feed looked like a rogue Republican campaign tool. In one ugly but not atypical example WikiLeaks tweeted a poll asking if readers believed "Hillary Clinton's collapse on Saturday, prior coughing fits & unusual facial & body movements" were best explained by "allergies & personality", "Parkinson's", "MS", or "Head injury complications". As Assange's attacks wore on US intelligence agencies continued their investigation into the hacking. They now collectively believe the data was stolen by Russia and disseminated with the intention of benefiting the Trump campaign. In a demonstration of the strength of political tribalism over national interest, the right-wing love affair with Assange grew with each leak. Last week Assange came full circle, sitting down for a long interview with Sean Hannity, an advisor to Trump who in his nightly program veers hardest to the right on Fox News. Hannity lobbed soft balls to Assange, adding little, if anything to the public record. The two agreed fiercely over the perfidy of the mainstream media, Clinton and the Obama administration. Again Assange was given the opportunity to dismiss allegations that Russia was his source. "Can you say to the American people, unequivocally ... a thousand per cent, that you did not get it from Russia, or anyone associated with Russia?" Hannity asked. "Yes. We can say, we have said, repeatedly that over the last two months that our source is not the Russian government and it is not a state party." How Assange knows this is not clear, given that he insists that WikiLeaks systems make it impossible for anyone to trace the source of submitted material. Nor is it clear why Trump or the patriot Hannity would chose to believe Assange over the entirety of the American security apparatus. "I believe every word he says, to be perfectly honest," Hannity later said of the interview. As evidence that the American agencies are either wrong or lying about Assange, his supporters point to the intelligence failures leading up the invasion of Iraq. Fair point, but there is a significant difference here. The greatest failing of US agencies before the war was not in the gathering of intelligence, but in defending that intelligence before an executive determined to manipulate it. On the night of Friday, October 29, 1982, Michael Chamberlain in a frenzy of thought, tossed and turned all night in a bed in Darwin, after his wife Lindy was taken to Berrimah Jail to begin her life sentence for the murder of daughter Azaria. Over and over again, in that jumble of confused thoughts, came the questions: What sentence would he get? What would happen to sons Aidan and Reagan? What would happen to his unborn child? It was a night in hell. Sentence on Chamberlain was to be pronounced the following Monday. But the Northern Territory judge, James Muirhead, who had given Lindy her mandatory sentence, agreed with the Chamberlains' counsel it would more humane to pronounce sentence the following morning. When the moment came, Chamberlain stood in the dock like a man waiting to be shot. Muirhead sentenced him to 18 months jail for being an accessory after the fact to murder, then suspended it. When it dawned on him he was not going to jail, Michael Chamberlain broke down and cried uncontrollably. The trauma was still just beginning. And what a trauma it was! A family's life torn apart by a chance event, a dingo sneaking into the family tent at Uluru on the night of August 17, 1980, and seizing 10-week-old Azaria, then the parents charged over it. Justice Muirhead, seeing through the cacophony of claim and counter-claim over the previous six weeks, privately believed in the couple's innocence and had no qualms about releasing Michael. For Michael Chamberlain, who died in Gosford Hospital on Monday evening as the result of complications from acute leukaemia, it was going to be a grim and bitter fight. The appeals to the Federal and High Court would fail. He would suffer ignominy, abuse, even assaults. He would shuttle to and from Darwin some 30 times to visit Lindy, incarcerated for more than three years, and his marriage would break up. There would be victory, total exoneration against the sometimes fierce resistance of the NT Government. In many ways, the final triumph, even in the light of generous compensation, was a pyrrhic victory. Michael Leigh Chamberlain was born on February 27, 1944, in Christchurch, New Zealand, eldest son of a World War II airman, Ivan Chamberlain and Greta. His great-grandfather, William Chamberlain, had built one of the local Methodist churches. Michael was raised on a farm south of Christchurch and acquired an early love of the outdoors. He went to Lincoln High School, Christchurch, and while he was there his mother, formerly a Baptist, joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Franca Bopf Curl Curl Perhaps the next big infrastructure project in Australia should be to build a bigger trough. Peter Bennett Currabubula I'm sure that if the judiciary accepted an "error of judgment" plea from every miscreant that came before it we would not have to worry about our rising prison populations. Perhaps the time has come to have a Centrelink style inquiry into all of our members of parliament starting with the federal MPs. As there are only 226 of them it wouldn't take long or would it? Bob Arnold Berry Another politician saying sorry and paying back money after they were caught out. Why are they so incapable of just doing the right thing in the first place? Tony De Lyall Bulli I agree, John Butcher (Letters, January 9), there are bigger and more important issues facing the country than MPs' travel entitlements. However, why should "passing the pub test" be the sliding standard used to assess the fairness and extent of MP entitlements, when Centrelink recipients are being held to open, transparent and extremely rigorous measures? Politicians pass numerous pieces of legislation on big and small issues during parliamentary sittings, and this is one issue that will continue to fester until it is reformed. Judith Moore East Maitland Greedy, greedy, greedy ... David Reid Artarmon So Sussan Ley is standing down as Health Minister until there is another distraction only to be replaced by Arthur Sinodinos who stood down in 2014 during a corruption inquiry. I guess it won't be long until we see Jamie Briggs again. Todd Hillsley Homebush Malcolm Turnbull should announce that all politicians when caught rorting the public purse will be forgiven if they admit it was an inappropriate decision and pay the money back. Except Peter Slipper. Anthony Healy Willoughby East Here's an alternative to that question with the known answer: "Is the Pope Catholic?". "Are our parliamentarians first-class users?" Bernadette Scadden Earlwood The Australian taxpayer is very fortunate that Sussan Ley's tastes in travel are not those of former speaker Bronwyn Bishop. On Minister Ley's many trips to the Gold Coast, travel by helicopter would have been a far more costly exercise. We at least can be grateful for small mercies. Bernard Moylan Watsons Bay Minister Ley has put the suss back into Sussan. Les Shearman Darlington The Sussan Ley episode is yet another example, if one was needed, of why the federal government will never touch negative gearing for house purchases. Alan Parkinson Weetangera (ACT) Buck up, Malcolm Turnbull, things could be worse at the beginning of 2017 imagine if you had appointed Sussan Ley as minister responsible for Centrelink. Sue Dyer Downer (ACT) Buying a house should be about more than just profit Unfortunately, we have given way too much media space to economists and economic journalists to distort our perspective on the "value" of home ownership ("House hunting and the art of time travel", January 9). Enough of this silliness. You don't need a time-machine, just some common sense. Purchasing a place to live isn't about investing to make money. Buying a house is about creating a home, about making a social investment in your family and ultimately in our society. We purchased our home in 1985, worked hard, and paid off the mortgage over 25 years. Our stable home environment has raised three outstanding young adults who are now making their own valuable contributions to our society. It doesn't matter how much our home might be "worth" in a real estate agent's window it is not for sale, and is not going to be for sale. It is our home, not a hustle. With our long-term investment in home and family now secure, we are able stop by our local cafe and order smashed avocado with crumbled feta on five-grain toasted bread with a clear conscience. Warren McCullough Kiama Time to value education as investment, not commodity The Australasian College Broadway will not be the last private for-profit vocational education and training college to close its doors ("Australasian College Broadway: Teenagers left 'devastated' by collapse and in thousands of dollars of debt", smh.com.au, January 9). We have a virtual absence of Commonwealth government policy on the future of vocational education and training (VET). The replacement of the scandal-ridden VET FEE-HELP loans, which Australasian College Broadway relied on as virtually its sole business model, with the new VET Student Loans program, does not go the core of the problem: an unbalanced system created by the marketisation/privatisation of VET. Both the Australian schools sector and higher education sector are coherent compared to VET. Not coincidentally, neither of those two educational sectors have a 67 per cent private for-profit "market penetration" the way that the VET sector has (3 million of 4.5 million VET students in 2015). It's time to return to quality education over a so-called "efficient" private market, which turned out not to be so "efficient" after all, relying on unsustainable government subsidies. It's time to value education as an investment and not as a commodity. Don Perlgut chief executive, Community Colleges Australia, Sydney Debt collection debacle In the Centrelink automated debt recovery program, there is a presumption of guilt ("Centrelink farce must end: Shorten", January 9). Even when people like Caleb Dawson prove their "innocence", their proof is still not being accepted, and the matter is handed over to debt collectors. It is hardly surprising that $300 million has been raised, because most people in Dawson's position will not have the persistence or resilience which he has shown to date. Bill Shorten is correct. The Prime Minister must intervene. Today. Paul Parramore Sawtell Refugee disgrace Donald Trump "will do everything in his power" to halt the refugee deal between Australia and the US, according to a hardline Texan congressman ("Donald Trump will stop Australia-US refugee deal: US congressman Brian Babin", January 9). Yet another epic fail from the do-nothing ditherers of the Turnbull government. I predict that on April 26, the first anniversary of the PNG Supreme Court's ruling that the Manus Island Centre is illegal, all the wretched people currently on Manus and Nauru will still languish there. Except, of course, those who self-immolate or die of medical neglect in the meantime. Just how long does this disgrace to our nation have to continue? Steve Cornelius Brookvale Housing demand Instead of a problematic attempt by NSW to boost housing supply by watering down already lax planning laws, it would be much easier and effective for the federal government to reduce demand by amending tax laws to make housing less attractive to investors ("Planning overhaul to boost housing supply", January 9). Greg McCarry Epping Trying to solve the housing mess without considering rising demand is like trying to bail a sinking boat without bothering to fix the leak. Increasing the supply is equivalent to trying to bail faster but maintaining record high immigration intakes will ensure the boat keeps sinking. Kris Spike Castle Hill Nippers are rippers In an extraordinary holiday season of drownings, being critical of a water safety program certainly does qualify Helen Pitt as un-Australian ("Why I hate the Nippers", January 9). I live in a beach suburb and love to see the Nippers splashing in the water, exercising and learning responsibility for others. They overcome fears and the girls learn they can be equal to the boys. Many progress to be lifesavers, giving up countless hours in voluntary work. I am a senior with no ties to the Nippers or lifesaving clubs but I much prefer to see the kids surf the waves than surfing the net. Gavin Williamson Narrabeen Adjusting to Trump's Russian bromance Remember the good old days when Pat Boone declared he would rather see his daughters shot than living in a Communist America, when it was better to be "dead than red" and Joseph McCarthy terrorised liberal America and ruined the lives of suspected communists ("Why Russia isn't quite the bad guy we've all been led to believe", January 9)? Today Tom Switzer and Donald Trump tell us the Russians are just misunderstood. Will we next have John Howard telling us Saddam Hussein was not such a bad chap after all? Nola Tucker Kiama Tom Switzer, I am quite happy to own up to being, "Russiaphobic". I think it goes back to the 1940s when Russia began forcibly deporting around 300,000 Baltic citizens to eastern extremes and subjected them to inhumane conditions, while ensuring that those left behind had no rights to self-determination. Ray Kalinauskas Enmore It is 2017 and Tom Switzer's article takes us back to the menacing days of 1939. His claim that Russia "is protecting legitimate security interests in the Baltics and the Middle East and its objectives are limited" mirrors Joseph Stalin and Vyacheslav Molotov's terminology in September 1939 of "spheres of influence" and "mutual assistance". Stalin carried out his limited objectives by occupation. Russia has a long rap sheet of protecting legitimate interests that all too often are located in other countries. Oskar Lapa Kurrajong MP's response good example for Morrison Keith Hardie and James Prior (Letters, January 9) complain their letters to Scott Morrison are never answered. They should move to the northern beaches. I recently received a two-page letter from our local member, Rob Stokes, in answer to my letter published in the local paper. Judy Burer Palm Beach English knew his maths Another fond memory of Jon English (Letters, January 9). I taught Jon mathematics in year 12 at Cabramatta High. I was being inspected for a promotion and before the lesson Jon approached me and told me he had fixed things up. Those students who put their right hands up would know the answer while those with their left hands up would not. I got my promotion. Ivan Hincks Darling Point A bury awkward moment Peter Cowan (Letters, January 9) a mourner's phone went off loudly at a funeral I once attended, and he struggled to locate the off button. Unfortunately, the ringtone was James Brown's I Feel Good. Lloyd Swanton Wentworth Falls NSW Health has issued an air pollution alert as Sydney prepares to swelter through another summer day, warning that an increased level of ozone in the atmosphere is likely to affect residents with respiratory problems. Sydney's air quality is forecast to be poor on Tuesday, when the mercury is expected to hit a top of 31 degrees in the city and 37 degrees in the western suburbs. The situation gets worse heading out to rural areas, and NSW residents have been warned to brace for an extended period of scorching weather as a hot air mass settles over the state. Health Minister Sussan Ley travelled to the Gold Coast twice at taxpayer expense for lavish New Year celebrations hosted by a multimillionaire political donor whose company has won major contracts from the Coalition government. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced on Monday that Ms Ley would be stood aside while her use of entitlements is probed by the head of his department, Martin Parkinson. A defiant Ms Ley insisted she had not broken any rules and would soon return to her ministerial duties when the investigation was complete. "I have nothing to hide," Ms Ley said of the investigation. "I have not broken any of the rules." SBS News reported on Monday evening that four ministers - Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, Attorney-General George Brandis, Communications Minister Mitch Fifield and Education Minister Simon Birmingham - charged taxpayers almost $7000 to attend Mr Turnbull's exclusive harbourside New Year's Eve reception in 2015. And News Corp reported that Ms Ley had used a taxpayer-funded trip to look at a property on the Gold Coast months before she bought a luxury apartment on impulse. When it comes to the employment and training sector, the names do not get any bigger than Sarina Russo. But many people may not have heard of the Queenslander until she was revealed on Monday as the "prominent Gold Coast businesswoman" who invited Health Minister Sussan Ley for two New Year's Eve events at the popular destination, for which taxpayers footed the travel bill. Ms Russo, known as the job queen, is one of Australia's richest women, worth more than $100 million thanks to her highly successful training and job placement companies. The active Twitter and Instagram user has been a generous donor to both sides of politics. Russo-linked companies have given more than $100,000 to the Coalition and about $50,000 to Labor since 2000. There is a certain predictability to the way scandals play out in Canberra. If a government MP is up to their neck in it, a gleeful opposition will wheel out a shadow minister to make appalled noises about those awful Tories or lefties circling the trough. But the major parties stop short of suggesting any real changes to the way MPs are held to account because they are equally likely to be sprung by it. The usual players are sticking to the script as Sussan Ley steps aside as health minister pending an investigation into her taxpayer-funded travel. The "big pharma bro" best known for increasing the price of a lifesaving drug from from $US13.50 ($18.50) to $US750 ($1028) a tablet has been banned from Twitter after repeatedly harassing a Teen Vogue writer. Martin Shkreli, founder of Turing Pharmaceuticals, made headlines in September 2015 when he increased the price of anti-malarial drug Daraprim by 5000 per cent, prompting Hillary Clinton to accuse him of "price gouging" and multiple news outlets to refer to him as the "most hated man in America". Martin Shkreli was called before a congressional committee last year to explain why he bought the rights to an older drug and raised the price. Credit:AP But the vocal Trump supporter is in the news again, after his repeated harassment of a female journalist saw his Twitter account suspended on Sunday. Shkreli first started engaging with Teen Vogue weekend editor Lauren Duca on the social media site after she accused Trump of "gaslighting America" in an opinion piece published on December 10. Every Sunday they descend: pink fluoro-clad Nippers like swarms of flies across our beaches. It's not just them, it's their surf patrol parents and their four-wheel-drive vehicles making it impossible to park on the Sabbath day that annoy me. Call me un-Australian happily but Nippers drive me crazy. For those of us who like the daily ritual of swimming or surfing, there's the ever-present danger of a collision with an errant young surf lifesaver not watching where they are going. Aren't they adorable? Yet Helen Pitt is not afraid to admit she is no fan of Nippers. Credit:James Alcock Yes, I know they are out there learning how to protect us when times are tough and swells are rough. It's just the sanctimonious, self-righteous attitude of surf club members and their offspring that bothers me. They think they own the ocean. I'm inclined to agree with the anonymous writer in The Lone Hand, the sister publication to The Bulletin also founded by J.F. Archibald, who in 1910 observed: "The lifesavers represent the very highest class. They are the samurais, the oligarchs, the elite. They strut the beaches with superiority that is insolent, yet at the same time, tolerant ... of lesser breeds a gladiator class, envied by all the men, adored by all the women." I am one woman who does not adore them. It's not just their bronze medallioned superiority out in the water, but their takeover of the beach with sprinting races, running for flags in Darwinian-style survival-of-the- fittest contests. Where's the respectful sharing of our beaches like bike riders and car drivers on some of Sydney's roads? The fact that he was only 11 years of age didn't deter Alex Henderson from hatching a plan to launch his own online business. The young surfer recently launched an online paddle boarding retail business, called Watercooledsup.com.au, with the support of his father. And he's already clocked up a few sales. As a recent graduate of Lemonade Stand The Business School for Kids, he felt empowered to put his learnings into action. He's one of 600 children to complete the two-day holiday program across the country. The student of Melbourne's Oakleigh South Primary School student believes he'll succeed because his marketing includes a growing library of video reviews published on YouTube made with his father. He's also selling his products at a cheaper price point. Approaching image stock sites such as Getty is another effective gateway for monetising photographs "if you have a lot of generic images you think are good enough to get some money from". Stock sites also provide an opportunity for commission or royalty gains. In Callan's experience many niche photographers can successfully promote themselves online. "A lot of amateur photographers who specialise, for example, in a particular field such as surfing or the beach ... [create] their own photographing website where they can sell their prints." Before licensing images a photographer must first find a willing buyer. Approaching news organisations is one option, but not always the most effective. Callan's first piece of advice is to look for work similar to yours and find out how it is being sold. A reasonable price for a licence will depend on the nature of the agreement. "Exclusives will of course mean you can charge more for the content," Callan says, "but you may make more revenue by keeping the licence non-exclusive (i.e. licensing multiple organisations) as this keeps the audience larger." When it comes to selling the rights to use photographs to news outlets, Callan warns photographers to manage their expectations. "We [Fairfax] have people contacting us wanting thousands of dollars for an image," he says. But unless the image is truly unique, it is unlikely that a news outlet will shell out hundreds of dollars to use it. In addition, rights holders may be asked to surrender or transfer their copyright entirely. Photographers will often attempt to sell a photo for a single use only, but from Callan's perspective buyers will want to own it and retain the freedom to do more with the image. However, Callan advises photographers to "avoid perpetual licensing and instead offer time periods by months or years". In addition, a surrender or transfer of copyright (i.e. an assignment of copyright) is a complete transfer of rights in the photograph and this should only be agreed if the right price is negotiated. Sealing the deal Once you have agreed on the commercial details, including the price and the other dimensions of the licence, you will need to document these details in an agreement between yourself and the licensee. A written, signed document is the best way to do this. If that is not possible, it is best to outline these terms in an email and obtain confirmation back from the licensee with billing information. A man has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after he was stabbed in Sydney's west on Monday. Emergency services were called to the intersection of White Avenue and June Street in Bankstown just before 8pm. They found a 20-year-old man with a stab wound to his stomach. Paramedics treated the man before he was taken to Liverpool Hospital in an ambulance. He remained in a critical but stable condition on Monday night, police said. NSW Transport officials have dismissed claims free Wi-Fi on Sydney Buses will become a data mining exercise, invading the privacy of passengers. Greens transport spokeswoman Dr Mehreen Faruqi accused the state government of failing to disclose privacy issues with the CATCH technology to be used as part of the Wi-Fi trial. The State Transit Authority has rejected claims a free wi-fi trial on buses will threaten the privacy of passengers. Credit:James Alcock Advertising giant APN Outdoor will provide internet service to 50 buses involved in the trial using its CATCH technology and smartphone app. A State Transit Authority spokeswoman said passengers using the free Wi-Fi would only be asked to provide personal information on an "opt in" basis. An Ipswich man has been charged after a woman was sexually assaulted in her home on Sunday morning. Police will allege the 46-year-old man entered a home at Brassall and sexually assaulted a young woman who had been sleeping, just before 9am. A woman was sexually assaulted in her Ipswich home on Sunday. Credit:Glenn Hunt The man fled from the address and was arrested a short time later. He has been charged with a string of offences including sexual assault, assault occasioning bodily harm and torture. A man has been remanded in custody after facing court over the violent sexual attack of a woman in her home west of Brisbane. The 46-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, allegedly broke into the woman's home in the Ipswich suburb of Brassall around 9am on Sunday and assaulted her before fleeing. He did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday, to reappear for committal mention on February 1. AAP EDISON, NJ--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - BuildSourced, a technology company revolutionizing industrial asset tracking and analytics, today announced the recent appointment of Michael Cook as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Cook reports in to Austin Conti, Chief Executive Officer and Co-founder, BuildSourced. In this new role, Cook will be responsible for leading all aspects of fortifying BuildSourced's innovation leadership in the physical asset management market, and shaping the Company's technology vision and future product roadmap. Cook will also collaborate with the Company's fast-growing customer base to help support their business outcomes through the use of innovative technologies in physical asset management. "Our enhanced leadership team is uniquely positioned to build on our momentum as we launch into 2017," said Conti. "Mike has a rich background driving innovation, with deep experience across a wide range of software, hardware and cloud technologies. I'm excited that he's joining BuildSourced and his strategic and technical vision will help us deliver the most advanced physical asset management solutions to our customers." A prolific inventor who holds 20 technology patents with an additional ten patents pending, Cook has more than 20 years of technology experience building consumer facing and back office software products. Cook joins BuildSourced from Comcast Communications where he spent 12 years in various roles within the Office of the CTO, and then the Technology and Product organization where he most recently served as Vice President of Technology. During this time, he pioneered within Comcast low power, long range, business-to-business (B2B) Internet of Things (IoT) service offerings; he led the initiative to reduce energy utilized by Set Top Boxes (STBs) by over 50% over four years; he built Comcast's first talking guide implementation, enabling the blind to interact with Comcast's STBs; and he developed a cloud based streaming technology integrated into Comcast's X1 Set Top Boxes. Story continues Cook previously served as Executive Director of Software Development at Telcordia and subsequently served as Vice President of Product Management and Software Development at SAIC. He holds a B.A. degree in Business from Gettysburg College and a Master of Information Technology-MIS from Harvard University. About BuildSourced BuildSourced is an innovative technology company that provides industrial asset tracking and analytics for increased control and maximum efficiency of physical assets. Industrial clients in logistics, construction, transportation and utilities rely on products, solutions and services from BuildSourced in the areas of physical asset management and location intelligence. BuildSourced's online public marketplace enables members to buy, sell rent or share their equipment and materials, creating a virtual shared economy for businesses across industries. For additional information visit BuildSourced at www.buildsourced.com. Connect with BuildSourced on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3096586 A man and woman were rushed to hospital after a home invasion in West End on Monday. Police say a group of men entered a Bank Street residence and attacked a man, 39, and woman, 28, about 3.30pm. Police were investigating after a home invasion in the inner-city suburb of West End. Credit:Glenn Hunt The group then fled the residence in a vehicle. The man and woman were transported to Brisbane hospital with the man in a serious condition. Two men charged in relation to a shooting on the Gold Coast in which a man received facial wounds will remain in custody after opting not to apply for bail. A man was driven to hospital with gunshot wounds to his face at 4am on Saturday, following an incident outside an Ashmore home. Two men, aged 21 and 22, are facing a number of charges, including intending to cause grievous bodily harm, but did not apply for bail and will return to Southport Magistrates Court on January 31. AAP RSPCA Queensland are searching for a dog that was last seen running across a highway south-west of Ipswich with it's mouth taped shut. A number of truck drivers spotted the dog running along the Cunningham Highway in the past few days and had reported it to RSPCA Queensland after concerns were held the dog could die of dehydration. A number of truck drivers had called into the RSPCA letting them know about the muzzled dog. Credit:Sasha Woolley RSPCA Queensland Inspector Laurie Stageman said the dog was described as a "very skinny" German shepherd. "If it's mouth is taped it won't be able to eat, and drinking would also be very, very difficult," he said. Greed, fear of legal action, and widespread commercial influences are contributing to a costly global trend towards unnecessary and potentially harmful medicine, experts say. An international group of leading doctors and academics say up to one-third of many medical procedures are now being done unnecessarily, causing physical, psychological and financial harm that could threaten the viability of healthcare systems. One in five knee replacement operations are likely to be unnecessary, researchers say. Credit:Gabriele Charotte A landmark report in The Lancet medical journal said more needed to be done to address inappropriate medicine, which includes deliberate over-servicing by doctors for their own financial gain. The researchers said about one in five knee replacements done after an arthroscopy to examine the joint in Australia were unnecessary, and that up to 70 per cent of operations to remove a woman's uterus (hysterectomy) in the US were inappropriate. An out-of-control blaze with flames up to six metres high in Upper Swan on Monday morning has been downgraded to a 'watch and act.' The blaze started near the far eastern end of Copley Road about 7pm on Sunday. Just after 12pm Monday, DFES downgraded the fire threat to 'watch and act.' As of 6pm Monday, the fire was contained but not controlled. The watch and act warning applies for people in an area bounded from the intersection of Warbrook Road and Great Northern Highway, east to the Avon River, Wooroloo Brook, south to Connemara Drive East, west to Campersic Road, Camargue Drive, the Swan River and the intersection of Great Northern Highway and West Swan Road and east of Great Northern Highway, in Upper Swan and Brigadoon. Ghana has long been one of Africa's bright spots, politically speaking. It is stable, if not prosperous, and has seen peaceful transitions of power since it became a democracy in 1992. And Saturday, Ghanaians gathered in Independence Square in the capital, Accra, to witness another: the inauguration of Nana Akufo-Addo as the country's fifth elected president. But the moment of pride was tarnished, though it may not have been immediately obvious to those in attendance. Akufo-Addo had lifted lines in his 30-minute speech word for word from the inaugural addresses of two US presidents. The first came from George W. Bush's speech in 2001. "I ask you to be citizens: citizens, not spectators; citizens, not subjects; responsible citizens building your communities and our nation. Let us work until the work is done," he said - or, well, they both said. And then came a line straight from Bill Clinton's 1993 speech, substituting Ghanains for Americans: "Though our challenges are fearsome, so are our strengths. Ghanaians have ever been a restless, questing, hopeful people. And we must bring to our task today the vision and will of those who came before us." Jakarta: Indonesia's foreign ministry says President Joko Widodo hopes to visit Australia in the first three months of this year in an indication the furore over offensive material at an Australian army base has not damaged the wider bilateral relationship. "We are still trying to find a date suitable for both leaders there is a strong commitment from both sides to meet in the first quarter of this year," Foreign Ministry spokesman Arrmanatha Nasir told Fairfax Media. President Joko Widodo says he hopes to visit Australia within three months, having postponed his last scheduled visit in November. Credit:AP President Jokowi, as he is popularly known, postponed his state visit to Australia last year after a rally in November calling for Jakarta's Christian governor to be jailed for alleged blasphemy ended in violence. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said Australia would always warmly welcome a visit. "President Widodo has indicated his desire to visit and officials are actively working to find mutually convenient dates to reschedule the visit postponed in late 2016," he said. Belfast: Northern Ireland Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has resigned over his power-sharing partner's handling of a controversial energy scheme, a move likely to collapse the region's government and trigger an election. The surprise resignation comes weeks before the British government is due to trigger the process of leaving the European Union, a decision that has divided Northern Ireland, which has Britain's only land border with the EU. McGuinness' Irish nationalist Sinn Fein party had urged pro-British First Minister Arlene Foster of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) to step aside over a botched scheme that could cost the province hundreds of millions of pounds. "The First Minister has refused to stand aside. Therefore it is with deep regret and reluctance that I am tendering my resignation as deputy First Minister," McGuinness said in a statement. Washington: Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the most influential figures in Iran since the Islamic revolution and a driving force for moderation, has died at the age of 82 after suffering an apparent heart attack, state media reported on Sunday. Though his power had waned since serving two terms as president from 1989 to 1997, Rafsanjani retained significant clout on the Assembly of Experts that will choose a successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who is 77 and has been treated for prostate cancer. Former Iranian president Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, pictured in 2015, died of a suspected heart attack. Credit:AP Rafsanjani's absence could also have an impact on presidential elections in May, when the pragmatic President Hassan Rouhani will seek re-election. Rouhani, a protege of Rafsanjani, reportedly rushed to the hospital in Tehran where Rafsanjani was taken on Sunday morning. He was later seen leaving the hospital in tears. Moscow: Allegations that Russia tried to influence the US election in favour of Donald Trump amount to a witch-hunt, the Kremlin said on Monday, in its first reaction to the release of a US intelligence report on the alleged Russian operation. The report alleged that Russian President Vladimir Putin directed a cyber campaign aimed at helping Mr Trump beat his rival Hillary Clinton in the race for the White House. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said no new evidence had been produced to show that Russian officials was involved. "We are observing a serious fatigue with these accusations," Mr Peskov told reporters on a conference call. Washington: The state-run Chinese tabloid Global Times warned US President-elect Donald Trump that China would take "take revenge" if he reneged on the one-China policy, only hours after Taiwan's president made a controversial stopover in Houston. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met senior US Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston on Sunday en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Beijing had asked Washington not to allow Tsai to enter the United States and that she not have any formal government meetings under the one China policy. A photograph tweeted by Texas Governor Greg Abbott shows him meeting Tsai, with a small table between them adorned with the US, Texas and Taiwanese flags. Tsai also met Texas Senator Ted Cruz. For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser PHILIPSBURG:--- With the help of over 100 members, Be The Change Foundation donates to different organizations, foundations, and associations on a month-to-month basis through its Spotlight Project Program. The Foundation is pleased and proud to announce their support of the K1 Britannia Work, Training and Social Development (WTSD) Program with a donation of USD $1950.00 that was raised during the months of November and December 2016. The Work, Training, and Social Development Program is a 6-month program put together by K1 Britannia that provides 11 foster teenagers and 5 teenagers under probationary measures, aged 16 to 18, with work placements, educational and practical training courses, work-ready workshops and volunteer placements with social organizations in order to improve their employability once they leave the foster care or juvenile judicial system at the age of 18. The first phase of the project has already begun with a total of 17 participants. The participants have been involved in pre-employment workshops and GED mock exams to prepare for their diploma. They also participate in weekly study groups and various volunteering efforts. Be The Change is proud to be able to support K1 Britannias much-needed social program which is actively advocating for a better situation for our islands youth. Be The Change is able to offer this support thanks to the donations we receive from our members and others in the community. Please visit our webpage at bethechangesxm.com to learn how you too can become a member of and help us help such worthwhile organizations such as K1 Britannia. For more information about K1 Britannia visit them at k1britanniafoundation.org or contact them via Facebook Claim: Scientists have determined a date in January is statistically the most depressing day of the year. Rating: About this rating False Advertisment: You needn't be an expert in psychology to pinpoint January as one of the least enjoyable months of the year: the excitement of the holidays has concluded while related bills begin rolling in, the coming of a new year is for many people a reminder of passing time that prompts sad reflections about missed opportunities and accomplishments, no extended breaks from school or work are in the offing, and in many parts of the northern hemisphere the weather is unpleasant if not downright dangerous. It's often cold and drab out, with summer a distant memory nearly half a year away. But is any date on the calendar in January statistically the most depressing day of the year? Social media users have frequently posted about "Blue Monday," a term assigned to any number of specific days in January (typically the third monday of the month). Rumors abound that a particular date (typically a Monday) has been deemed by scientists or researchers to be the most depressing of the entire year, with a number of factors influencing the calculation of this bummer of a date. Going by popular lore, you might believe we scarcely can control our level of contentment on that day given all the mathematical reasons for us to be well and truly miserable. The concept of a "Blue Monday" took root in 2005. In that year, a press release detailed a purported formula that calculated factors including weather, debt, time elapsed since Christmas, and unsuccessful New Year's resolutions. When those factors were combined and the "sadness" algorithm applied to them, 24 January 2005 was identified as the single most depressing of the year. Almost immediately the claim was regarded by many as a shaky one because the cited factors were clearly vague and nearly impossible to quantify, and because of the dubious impetus behind the "formula." The calculations were attributed to a Dr. Cliff Arnall of the University of Cardiff in Wales, who explained: "Following the initial thrill of New Year's celebrations and changing over a new leaf, reality starts to sink in," Arnall said. "The realization coincides with the dark clouds rolling in and the obligation to pay off Christmas credit card bills." The formula was devised to help a travel company "analyze when people book holidays and holiday trends," said Alex Kennedy, spokesperson for Porter Novelli, a London-based PR agency. It seems that people are most likely to buy a ticket to paradise when they feel like hell. "People feel bleak when they have nothing planned, but once they book a holiday they have a goal, they work toward having time off and a relaxing period," Kennedy said. If that sounded a bit like a paid placement by a public relations firm working on behalf of a travel company to increase vacation sales, it's because the "research" was exactly that. By 2006, Blue Monday's roots in public relations had been fully exposed via others working in scientific fields who'd been offered the same financial opportunity as Arnall (who was a part-time tutor for night students at the time): In fact it's not surprising that these equations are so stupid, because they come from the PR companies almost fully-formed and ready to have your name attached to them. I know that because I have received an avalanche of insider stories Watergate it isn't including one from an academic in psychology who was offered money by Porter Novelli PR agency to put his name to the very same Sky Travel equation story that Arnall sold his to. In amongst their aggressive pitch they described how the story would go. "Blue Monday January Blues Day is Officially Announced: The 26th of January is the most depressing day in the calendar for the majority of Brits as measured by a simple mathematical formula developed on behalf of Sky Travel. "By taking into account various factors such as avg temperature (C), days since last pay (P), days until next bank holiday (B), avg hours of daylight (D) and number of nights in during mth (N), we create a formula such as C(P+B) N+D. This formula allows us to work out the day with the highest 'depression factor' which you can then use as a focus for making things better, booking your holiday etc ..." This is almost exactly as it was when Arnall revealed his important work to the world. Arnall later followed up with a corresponding "happiest day of the year" formula, sponsored by the Wall's ice cream company. In the intervening years, journalists and mental health professionals have taken Arnall to task for minimizing the issue of clinical depression. He later commented on his involvement with PR-as-science, amusingly objecting to other people's fabricating information to promote a claim: Despite criticism of his decision to accept money from PR firms, he insisted he had no regrets; in the past five years, he has earned a total 1,650 for identifying the two dates. "There was one comment that I had bought a really big house out of the proceeds," he said. "People just make this stuff up." He added: "I was originally asked to come up with what I thought was the best day to book a summer holiday but when I started thinking about the motives for booking a holiday, reflecting on what thousands had told me during stress management or happiness workshops, there were these factors that pointed to the third Monday in January as being particularly depressing ... but it is not particularly helpful to put that out there and say 'there you are' ... it is almost a self-fulfilling prophecy that it is the most depressing day." While the initial Blue Monday PR campaign has long since concluded, the belief any one day in January is particularly or significantly the most depressing took on a life of its own. Not surprisingly, the claim has been repeatedly recycled by other companies seeking to promote goods or services in the post-holiday winter period. And as social media became increasingly influential, the rumor evolved from a formula based on circumstances to an analysis of words used in tweets: Blue Monday was originally identified in 2005 by academic Cliff Arnall, who thought it fell on the last full week of January. He calculated the date using a variety of factors including weather conditions, debt levels, failed New Year's resolutions and the number of days that had elapsed since the end of the Christmas holidays. But over the past three years, researchers analysed more than 2 million tweets posted by Britons in January looking for negative language and phrases indicating a drop in mood. They found that today, there will be nearly five times the average number of tweets relating to guilt, as people abandon their promises to pursue a healthier lifestyle. In 2014, the Blue Monday story was reincarnated and harnessed by "researchers" linked with (among other interests) an alcohol company, law firms, and a bottled water brand. In short, the specifics behind claims about January's hosting the most depressing day of the year have shifted, but the idea both originated with and is mainly advanced by marketers and public relations firms. No studies or evidence have proved any one calendar date is more gloomy than any others, and the formula linked with the calculation of such a date has no real scientific basis. Critics have noted that assigning arbitrary or transient causes (such as the arrival bills or the end of Christmas vacation) to clinical depression could adversely impact its sufferers by tacitly suggesting the condition is treatable through methods as simple as booking a vacation or buying a drink. ICT Investment Trends in Utilities Enterprise Through Priorities and Vendor Satisfaction Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the ICT Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the ICT Market. It is entitled as ICT investment trends in utilities: Enterprise ICT spending patterns through to the end of 2016. Request for Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=455581 ICT aids utility companies by providing digital technologies that offer opportunities for transformation. ICT systems play a critical role in reducing risks, and improving efficiency of utility companies. Kables report shows that ICT led digital technologies are creating industrial revolution within utilities. With an increased focus on improving their customer experience, utility companies are embracing the disruptive technologies of cloud and mobility Key Findings Utility companies are looking to increase their investments in software and services in 2015, compared to 2014, to evolve their services at par with the industrialized nature of global economy. While utility companies are investing in business intelligence solutions to analyze large volumes of operational data and improve their responsiveness in the evolving industry, mobility investments are aimed at enhancing their real-time operations and to streamline their business processes. As customer services form the core of their operations, utility companies are focusing on call center and customer relationship management services to cut costs and meet the increasing customer expectations. Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=455581 Synopsis ICT investment trends in utilities presents the findings from a survey of 135 utility companies regarding their Information and Communications Technology (ICT) investment trends. The survey investigates how utility companies currently allocate their ICT budgets across the core areas of enterprise ICT expenditure: hardware, software, IT services, communications, and consulting. The report illustrates the core technologies banks are investing in, including business intelligence, security products, and mobility. Understand the approach adopted by utility companies to purchase technology and get a better insight into ICT vendors and services providers when pitching their solutions to utility companies. The report focuses on utility companies ICT expenditure trends for specific business areas and technologies, identifying the top three IT projects, and understanding the business challenges faced by organizations. In particular, it provides an in-depth analysis of the following: How ICT budgets are set to change in 2015 in terms of their overall size Allocation across the core elements of IT spend, including hardware, software, services, communications, and consulting Distribution of ICT money in areas such as the networks, applications, service desk, and data centers Which ICT functions utility companies are interested in outsourcing Utility companies investment priorities based on their budget allocations across core technology categories such as business intelligence, security products, and mobility. Factors that are influencing utility companies investments in each technology category How utility companies IT budgets are currently allocated across various segments within a technology category Utility companies distribution of their ICT budget across various segments within a technology category Business and IT objectives that utility companies are looking to achieve through their IT investment strategies Factors that are influencing utility companies decisions to select an ICT provider Browse Full Info with TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/ict-investment-trends-in-utilities-enterprise-ict-spending-patterns-through-to-the-end-of-2016-report.html Reasons To Buy Understand how the utility companies ICT landscape is set to change in 2015 to prioritize your target market Comprehend how ICT money are being allocated by utility companies in specific geographies and size bands to improve your market penetration Make effective business decisions by recognizing the opportunities within each of the core areas of ICT spend (hardware, software, IT services, telecommunications, and consulting) Realign your sales initiatives by understanding the current strategic objectives of utility companies Enhance your market segmentation with the included, detailed breakdown of opportunities within selected technology categories (business intelligence, security products, and mobility) Prioritize your focus areas by understanding which factors are influencing utility companies decisions when selecting an ICT provider Understand the changes in customers priorities and identify the business and IT objectives that utility companies are looking to achieve through their ICT investment strategies. In Thailand Competitor Overview Growth in the Telecom Market Between 2016-2021 Data Services to Spur Robust Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Telecommunications Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Telecommunications Market. It is entitled as Thailand: Data Services to Spur Robust Growth in the Telecom Market between 2016-2021. Request for Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909448 In 2016, Thailand telecom market will generate total service revenue of $10.2bn (THB360.1bn), (or 2.6% of the nominal GDP), an increase of 1.7% over 2015. Mobile data services will be the key revenue contributing segment, accounting for 36.1% of the total service revenue in 2016. Operator focus on network expansion and service enhancement, and investment in advanced technologies such as VoLTE and VoWiFi, will be the major factors driving growth of mobile data services in Thailand over the forecast period. Key Findings The overall telecom service revenue in Thailand is estimated to generate $10.2bn in 2016 and is estimated to decline at a CAGR of -0.2% during 2016-2021. Mobile segment will account for 69.7% of the total telecom revenue in 2021. The Thailand telecom market will be dominated by AIS Dtac and TrueCorp. AIS will remain the largest player in the telecom market through 2021. Operators focusing on expansion of 4G services, hence offering heavy discount on smartphones with data packages. Moreover the operators are stimulating the data usage through infotainments bundles. Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=909448 Synopsis Thailand: Data Services to Spur Robust Growth in the Telecom Market between 2016-2021 a new Country Intelligence Report, provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Thailand today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends. The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following: Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Thailand compared with other countries in the region. Economic, demographic and political context in Thailand. The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more. A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data. Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021. The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months. In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period. Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Thailand telecommunication market. Browse Full Info with TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/thailand-data-services-to-spur-robust-growth-in-the-telecom-market-between-2016-2021-report.html ReasonsToBuy This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Thailand telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies. Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Thailand mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares. With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality. The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Thailand telecommunication market. The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Thailand. Myanmar Telecom Market 4G Investment Size and Growth Prospects to Boost Burgeoning Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Telecommunications Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the ICT Market. It is entitled as Myanmar: 4G Investment and New Market Entrants to Boost Burgeoning Telecoms Market.. Request for Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909445 The telecom services revenue is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 4.0% during 2016-2021, driven by growth in mobile and fixed data revenues. In the coming years, operators plan to invest in network infrastructure and expand 4G services. Vendors will have significant opportunities to support operators 4G rollout initiatives. Key Findings The overall telecom service revenue in Myanmar is estimated to generate $3.1bn in 2016 and will expand at a CAGR of 4.0% during 2016-2021, supported by data segment growth. Mobile revenue will account for 94.9% of the total telecom revenue in 2021, with the mobile data segment expected to experience significant growth. 3G will be the most adopted mobile technology through 2021. Its share in overall mobile subscriber base will further increase during 2016-2021, as 2G customers will increasingly migrate to 3G networks for faster data rates. The top two operators, MPT and Telenor Myanmar will account for nearly 84.2% share of overall service revenue in 2016. Operators in Myanmar are increasingly investing in 3G and 4G network expansion, as demand for data increases. Synopsis Myanmar: 4G Investment and New Market Entrants to Boost Burgeoning Telecoms Market, a new Country Intelligence Report , provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Myanmar today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband, and mobile, as well as a review of key regulatory trends. Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=909445 The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following: Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Myanmar compared with other countries in the region. Economic, demographic and political context in Myanmar. The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more. A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data markets. Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice, data and video from 2016 to 2021. The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months. In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice, and mobile data services: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period. Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Myanmars telecommunications markets. Browse Full Info with TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/myanmar-4g-investment-and-new-market-entrants-to-boost-burgeoning-telecoms-market-report.html ReasonsToBuy This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Myanmars telecommunications markets, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies. Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Myanmars mobile communications, fixed telephony, broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares. With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality. The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Myanmars telecommunications markets. The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Myanmar. Singapore Telecom Market Size and Growth Prospects in Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Albany, New York, January 09, 2017: The latest report focusing on the Telecommunications Market has been recently added to the online database of Market Research Hubs repository. The report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the Telecommunications Market. It is entitled as Singapore: Embracing Smart Nation, Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Competition. Request for Sample Report: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=S&repid=909447 In 2016, Singapores telecom services market will decline 1.7% over 2015. This is partly due to the substitution of fixed telephony services by mobile voice and OTT apps. Mobile data will remain the largest revenue contributing segment and the growth will be driven by telcos investments to enhance speeds and coverage. In addition, telcos are investigating new areas including 5G technology, smart city/IoT/M2M, cyber security, managed services, OTT video and data analytics to diversify their revenue streams. Key Findings The overall telecom service revenue in Singapore is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 1.5% during 2016-2021. Mobile revenue will account for 63.7% of the total telecom revenue in 2021. The Singapore telecom market will be dominated by Singtel, Star Hub and M1. Operators will continue to invest on 4G coverage expansions and deployment of fiber-optic network to boost the data connectivity to support governments Smart Nation initiative. The entry of new fixed and mobile operators will result in greater competition. The country saw the merger of the telco and media regulators and operators are already offering converged telco/media services. Make an Enquiry: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/enquiry.php?type=enquiry&repid=909447 Synopsis Singapore: Embracing Smart Nation, Telco/Media Convergence and Fixed/Mobile Competition a new Country Intelligence Report , provides an executive-level overview of the telecommunications market in Singapore today, with detailed forecasts of key indicators up to 2021. Published annually, the report provides detailed analysis of the near-term opportunities, competitive dynamics and evolution of demand by service type and technology/platform across the fixed telephony, broadband and mobile sectors, as well as a review of key regulatory trends. The Country Intelligence Report provides in-depth analysis of the following: Regional context: telecom market size and trends in Singapore compared with other countries in the region. Economic, demographic and political context in Singapore. The regulatory environment and trends: a review of the regulatory setting and agenda for the next 18-24 months as well as relevant developments pertaining to spectrum licensing, national broadband plans, number portability and more. A demand profile: analysis as well as historical figures and forecasts of service revenue from the fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data. Service evolution: a look at changes in the breakdown of overall revenue between the fixed and mobile sectors and between voice and data from 2016 to 2021. The competitive landscape: an examination of key trends in competition and in the performance, revenue market shares and expected moves of service providers over the next 18-24 months. In-depth sector analysis of fixed telephony, broadband, mobile voice and mobile data: a quantitative analysis of service adoption trends by network technology and by operator, as well as of average revenue per line/subscription and service revenue through the end of the forecast period. Main opportunities: this section details the near-term opportunities for operators, vendors and investors in Singapores telecommunication market. Browse Full Info with TOC: http://www.marketresearchhub.com/report/singapore-embracing-smart-nation-telcomedia-convergence-and-fixedmobile-competition-report.html ReasonsToBuy This Country Intelligence Report offers a thorough, forward-looking analysis of Singapore telecommunication market, service providers and key opportunities in a concise format to help executives build proactive and profitable growth strategies. Accompanying Forecast products, the report examines the assumptions and drivers behind ongoing and upcoming trends in Singapore mobile communications, fixed telephony and broadband markets, including the evolution of service provider market shares. With more than 20 charts and tables, the report is designed for an executive-level audience, boasting presentation quality. The report provides an easily digestible market assessment for decision-makers built around in-depth information gathered from local market players, which enables executives to quickly get up to speed with the current and emerging trends in Singapore telecommunication market. The broad perspective of the report coupled with comprehensive, actionable detail will help operators, equipment vendors and other telecom industry players succeed in the challenging telecommunications market in Singapore. LONDON, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Germany's benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose to a three-week high on Monday, with yields across the euro area edging higher as investors braced for a deluge of new bond supply this week. Investors often push bond prices lower to make way for new supply and January tends to be one of the busiest months of the year for bond sales. The Netherlands, Austria, Germany and Italy are all scheduled to hold auctions this week. The German 10-year Bund yield rose to 0.323 percent in early trade, up 2 basis points on the day and its highest level in three weeks. (Reporting by Dhara Ranasinghe; Editing by Andrew Heavens) Welcome to SwanseaOnline - your home for the best news, sports and what's on coverage of the city. Never miss a Swansea story with our daily newsletter Sign up to comment on our stories here Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Swansea City news | Ospreys news | InYourArea (Image credit: Hagai Perets; real images of Mars and Ganymede and an artists image of a planet courtesy of NASA were used in the picture construction) An artistic depiction of a collision between two planetary bodies that will form a new moon, while a pre-existing moon already orbits the proto-Earth Earth's moon may be the product of many small moonlets that merged after multiple objects as big as Mars collided with Earth, leaving disks of planetary debris orbiting the planet, a new study suggests. This idea that multiple impacts led to the moon's birth challenges the most prevalent theory of lunar formation, which suggests that one giant impact led to the formation of the moon. The new, multiple-impact hypothesis suggests that about 20 moon- to Mars-size objects struck the Earth, flinging debris from the planet into orbit. There, the debris formed disks around the Earth that looked somewhat like Saturn's rings. Over centuries, debris in several disks accreted to form moonlets that migrated farther and farther from the Earth due to tidal interactions. Eventually, the moonlets settled at a distance known as the Hill radius, coalescing to form one big moon. [How the Moon Formed: 5 Wild Lunar Theories] This graphic illustrates how the moon may have formed after multiple collisions on Earth. Moon- to Mars-sized impactors strike the Earth and leave a disk of debris orbiting the planet. The debris forms "moonlets" and migrate farther away from the Earth due to a tidal interaction, but eventually settle at a distance known as the Hill radius. Here, the moonlets merge to eventually form the moon. (Image credit: Raluca Rufu, et al. / Nature Geoscience) This process isn't too far off from the "Giant Impact Hypothesis," which states that a planet-size rock named Theia struck the Earth, leaving behind a jet of debris that went on to form the moon. But there's one problem with this theory: it doesn't provide a good explanation for the strong similarity between the composition of the moon and the Earth. "The multiple-impact scenario is a more natural way of explaining the formation of the moon," Raluca Rufu, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel and lead author of the study, told Space.com. "In the early stages of the solar system, impacts were very abundant; therefore, it is more natural that several common impactors formed the moon, rather than one special one. In a giant impact scenario, the object that struck the Earth would have needed an Earth-like composition to create a moon that is made of the same materials as Earth. If the impactor were composed of different stuff than Earth, the moon would not be so Earth-like in composition. [How the Moon Evolved: A Photo Timeline] Authors of the new study, which was published today (Jan. 9) in the journal Nature Geoscience (opens in new tab), performed several numerical simulations of moon-forming processes and determined that a multiple-impact scenario better explains the moon's Earthly composition. "Moreover, the composition similarity between the Earth and the moon in the giant impact cannot be explained without using a special Earth-like impactor," Rufu added. "However, if multiple of bodies contribute to the final moon, their chemical signatures can even out, therefore the traces of the various impacts will be masked." Rufu also said that no existing evidence points more strongly to a single-impact hypothesis, though some studies have found that it is possible to reproduce the moon's composition with a single impact if it strikes with enough angular momentum. Such an impact "will excavate more Earth material; hence the final moon composition is similar to Earth," she said. "After the impact, the Earth-moon system has to lose the excess angular momentum." "To match both compositional and angular momentum constraints, the single giant-impact hypothesis requires such a specific type of collision that the moon's formation becomes an uncomfortably improbable coincidence," Gareth Collins, a planetary scientist at Imperial College London who studies impacts throughout the solar system, wrote in an accompanying Nature News & Views article (opens in new tab). Collins wrote that the study revives "the hitherto largely discarded scenario that a series of smaller and more common impacts, rather than a single giant punch, formed the moon." Rufu and her colleagues are not the first to propose a multiple-impact scenario. Another paper published in 1989 raised that possibility, but "no further work was done on the subject," Rufu said. "This paper is first to provide extensive calculations that we hope will stimulate others to reexamine the issue." Further research into the multiple-impact hypothesis is already underway. One of Rufu's collaborators, physicist Hagai Perets of the Technion Israel Institute of Technology, is already working to find out the efficiency of moonlet mergers. Rufu and her adviser also plan to study the moonlet-merging process "to understand the mixing of the moonlets inside the final moon." Email Hanneke Weitering at hweitering@space.com or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. GRAPEVINE, Texas The 2017 total solar eclipse, which will be visible across the contiguous United States, will be a scientific marvel and a potentially life-changing experience for people who view it. But experts warn that it will also be a logistical nightmare. The eclipse was a hot topic of discussion Dec. 3 through Dec. 8 at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society. One session at the meeting focused on some of the science that can be done only during an eclipse. During a plenary session talk, NASA heliophysicist C. Alex Young encouraged the scientists at the meeting to spread the word to people who might not be aware that the eclipse will be taking place in the U.S this year. "Every single person that I've talked to [who has seen a total eclipse] has said it is a life-changing event," Young said during his plenary talk. "This is so much more than a scientific opportunity. This is a human event." ['Great American Total Solar Eclipse' of 2017: A Photo Guide] But a panel of eclipse experts who spoke to members of the news media also warned that the eclipse will likely create a logistical nightmare. The areas of the country where the eclipse will reach totality (meaning the sun will be entirely covered by the moon) are expected to be congested with people trying to get a glimpse of the incredible sight. Federal agencies, including NASA, are bracing for the event. This NASA map of the United States shows the entire path of totality for the August 21, 2017 total solar eclipse. (Image credit: NASA/Goddard/SVS/Ernie Wright) A unique science event It's a miraculous cosmic coincidence that the sun and moon appear to be almost the same size in Earth's sky. The size similarity of the two bodies means that during a total solar eclipse, the central body of the sun is blocked by the moon. When the eclipse reaches totality, it seems as though the world has suddenly changed from day to night, with a fast drop in temperature. With the light from the sun's main body obscured, it's possible for the naked eye to see the sun's corona, a region of intensely hot gas surrounding the main body that is typically overwhelmed by the light from the main body. To eclipse viewers, the corona appears as silvery streaks in the sky. An instrument called a coronagraph is used to study the sun's corona (and to search for planets around distant stars), and it mimics the moon during a solar eclipse: A telescope or camera looks at the sun, and a coronagraph is placed over the central body of the sun to block the light. It's easy to see these coronagraphs at work in images taken by NASA's Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) and the Solar and Terrestrial Relations Observatory (STEREO) twin spacecraft. And yet, humans can't make a coronagraph that gets as close to the edge of the sun as the moon does during an eclipse, Young said during his talk. (The reason for this has to do with "the optics" of the instruments, he said.) That means scientists can't see as much of the corona using those state-of-the-art instruments as they can during a natural eclipse. NASA has multiple experiments it will be supporting to collect data during the 2017 eclipse to take advantage of this opportunity. Other safety concerns The only time it is safe to look directly at the sun is during a total solar eclipse, during totality, when the central body is completely obscured. (Check out this Space.com infographic to learn more about how to view the sun safely.) In addition to eye-safety concerns around the event, Young told the media that federal agencies are concerned about safety in the region of totality. "There's going to be traffic like we've never seen," Angela Speck, a professor of astronomy at the University of Columbia in Missouri and head of the AAS 2017 eclipse task force, at the media briefing. The eclipse's path of totality (the region where the total eclipse will be visible) extends from Oregon all the way to South Carolina, and is 70 miles wide (112 kilometers). "Basically every single person in U.S. is within a long day's drive [of the path of totality], and there are 88 million people that live within 200 miles, which is a few hours' drive," she said. If clouds appear over the path of totality as the eclipse approaches, people will most likely try to (quickly) drive to areas with clearer skies, which will create more traffic problems. And there are concerns that go along with any large crowd of people standing outside in the middle of summer: If people get heatstroke or become dehydrated, will there be emergency services available. Where will those people eat, and will there be restroom facilities? These are issues that Speck said her task force is trying to address. Despite the logistical mayhem that will likely accompany the eclipse, Speck agreed with Young and said the science community should try to get the word out to members of the general public who may not know the event is happening. Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that a coronagraph is in place on NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO). GRAPEVINE, Texas A new presidential administration always brings changes for the U.S. space science and spaceflight communities. So what does the current transition period reveal about how the new administration will handle science and space? A panel of space policy experts here at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society gathered to discuss the possibilities. During the panel session, the speakers focused on the state of the presidential transition, including the arrival of a "landing team" at NASA that is helping the agency move over to the new administration. The panel also covered what space policies President-elect Trump might support, as well as how members of the science community can best get involved in the political processes that affect them. The space science and spaceflight communities both receive significant amounts of funding from the federal government, primarily from NASA, the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Department of Energy (DOE). The president is typically responsible for appointing the top leaders to those agencies (although Congress must confirm those appointments). The president also proposes a national budget that includes allocated funds for those agencies, and he or she can influence major programs within agencies like NASA, as was the case with President Obama and the ill-fated human spaceflight program, Constellation. [The Future of Space: Top Issues Facing President-Elect Donald Trump] Here are some of the topics the panel speakers covered. Building trust The Trump transition team has sent "landing teams" to some government agencies, including NASA and the DOE "to provide guidance to people higher up in the transition team," said Jeff Foust, a senior writer at SpaceNews (which is syndicated by Space.com), who spoke at the session. The landing teams also "identify issues that [the transition team] needs to address near-term issues or issues that can be held off toward the longer term so that [the transition team] can prioritize accordingly," Foust said, but noted that the landing team members are not filling official roles and cannot set policies for those agencies. NASA received a "rather large" landing team of eight people, all of whom have worked for or with the agency in some capacity, Foust said. That means the current staff members at the agency "can skip the 'NASA 101' lesson and dive right into a lot of the details" of various programs, he said. In addition, some of the landing team members have experience in commercial space endeavors. The NASA landing team is being led by Chris Shank, who worked for NASA from 2005 to 2009, and worked for House Science Committee Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Texas) up until December 2016. "So [Shank] has got both experience with NASA as a bureaucracy and as an agency," Rick Mertens, associate director for the Office of Federal Relations for the Texas A&M University System, said during the session at AAS. Mertens added that, in his opinion, the landing teams are also responsible for sowing trust between the staff members at the agency and the new administration. "When you have a president elect [and] a new administration that's coming in with significantly different policies than the previous one, there's going to be a great deal of distrust, I believe," Mertens said. "And it's a challenge, or it can be a challenge, to earn that trust in the 73 days that you have to put together all the transitions." The NASA landing team also includes former NASA astronaut Sandra Magnus, who flew to space three times (her most recent trip was in July 2011) and spent 4.5 months on the International Space Station. She has been executive director of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics since 2012. Also on the team is Steve Cook, who was in charge of the Ares 1 and Ares 5 rocket programs at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. President Obama canceled the Areas program, but the rocket designs were folded into the heavy-lift rocket that NASA is currently building, called the Space Launch System (SLS). Cook left NASA in 2009 to work for Dynetics, a private aeronautics company in Huntsville. Foust cautioned against inferring anything about the Trump administration's preferences on NASA policies or programs based on the opinions of the landing-team members; in the past, some of the team members have publicly expressed strong opinions about particular NASA programs or policies. "Just because you see someone [is] on the landing team doesn't necessarily mean that he or she is there because the administration wants to go in a particular direction," Foust said. "That formal landing-team process will be wrapping up in a couple of weeks, even though some [of the landing team members] may stay on board just temporarily in critical point positions." No landing team has been assigned to the NSF, which the panelists said has left them feeling even more unsure about the administration's plans for that agency. Leadership positions Foust said the most common question he's been asked recently is, "Who will be the next NASA administrator?" President Barack Obama meets with Apollo 11 astronauts Michael Collins, seated left, Buzz Aldrin, Carol Armstrong, widow of Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden, and Patricia Pat Falcone, OSTP Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs, far right, Tuesday, July 22, 2014, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, during the 45th anniversary week of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. (Image credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls) "The short answer is I don't know," Foust said. What's more, it could be months before the Trump administration makes a selection as was the case with the Obama administration's nomination of former NASA astronaut Charlie Bolden and it may then take additional months before the Senate confirms that nominee. Bolden will step down from the position before February, and until a new administrator is appointed, NASA Associate Administrator Robert Lightfoot will stand in as acting administrator. The new president will also nominate a deputy administrator, a role currently filled by MIT aeronautics engineer Dava Newman, who will also step down. The director of the NSF is appointed on a six-year cycle, and the current director, France Cordova, was appointed in 2014. Cordova has not announced plans to step down from that position. The new administration has nominated former Texas Gov. Rick Perry to lead the DOE. That agency invests in many astrophysics-related projects, mainly those with a nuclear physics or high-energy physics focus, such as the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope and the camera for the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. "The DOE's a very interesting agency," said Mertens. "It's not necessarily an energy policy agency, although there are certainly energy policy pieces to it. There's a great deal of nuclear policy associated with it, and it has a very strong science base to it as well. Gov. Perry doesn't necessarily have a background in those components of it, so [his nomination] is a little bit different than the pick for the DOE secretary in the past, where they've been scientists." President-elect Trump has not nominated anyone to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The leader of that office is frequently referred to as the president's science advisor. Mertens said he has heard rumors that Trump won't appoint anyone to the position. "That remains to be seen," Mertens said. "But it can be a very critical position, not only in helping set policy in the science area for the next president, but [also in having] someone that is a point person to explain [to the president] how they're handling science within the administration." Mertens said John Marburger, science adviser to President George W. Bush, was a "very vocal point person" who was able to explain to the president the administration's policies affecting things like stem cell research and other "flash points," (topics that incite strong public opinion and/or deeply impact the scientific community). "My guess is there will be similar 'flash points' in this administration," Marburger said. "And having someone who can be your point person to explain those things, to my mind, would be good for the next administration to have. Who that person will be, if they select someone, will be a good indicator [of] where this administration is in terms of science." [Playing the Space Trump Card: Relaunching a National Space Council] Policies, budgets and the future of Earth science The president is responsible for submitting a proposed budget to Congress, which then reviews the budget, makes adjustments and ultimately votes on a final budget. (The most recent Congress, however, failed to pass a budget, which means the country is now working on an extension of the fiscal year 2016 budget.) Overall, Foust said, it's unlikely that the new administration will spell major changes for astronomy, astrophysics or most of the related disciplines. Artist's rendering of NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory (OCO)-2, a NASA Earth science missions launched in 2014. (Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech) "In the short term, I don't expect to see major changes, particularly for the areas like astrophysics [and] planetary science. ... These are not high-profile issues," Foust said. He added that there are no "driving concerns" related to federally funded astronomy and astrophysics programs. "Given that, for example, [the James Web Space Telescope] is making good progress [and the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope] is getting up to speed, [the big programs] don't have a lot of red flags associated with them that say [to the new administration], 'Hey, this needs immediate attention.'" Foust said he thinks the fiscal year 2019 budget will be the first federal budget "that will have a serious imprint of the new administration on NASA, on the NSF, on other agencies, simply because it's going to be the one [the administration has] had time to devote the most attention to." Mertens said he expected a "tight" funding situation for all federally funded research, and that research programs focusing on climate change science, Earth science and renewable energy "are going to be looked at very closely" by the new administration, and by the Republican-controlled senate. The possibility that the Trump administration and the Republican-controlled Congress will try to eliminate or reduce NASA's Earth science program has been in the air for years (in the case of Congress) and months (in the case of Trump's campaign). In an op-ed for SpaceNews published on Oct. 19, Robert S. Walker and Peter Navarro, who acted as advisors to the Trump campaign, said that "NASA should be focused primarily on deep-space activities rather than Earth-centric work that is better handled by other agencies." Republican senators, including Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), chairman of the Senate space subcommittee, have questioned NASA's emphasis on Earth science. In 2015, Rep. Smith sponsored a bill that would have shifted money away from NASA's Earth science program. The agency has defended its Earth science program to Congress. Members of the space science community who are concerned about the future of NASA's Earth science program should perhaps follow the advice of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" "don't panic!", said Mark Mozena, who worked on issues relating to science and technology in the office of Congressman Mike Honda (D-Calif.) up until the end of Honda's term earlier this month. Mozena said the science community should certainly be wary of any attempt to remove Earth science from NASA and pass that work to another agency (most likely the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration). "That would be a wolf in sheep's clothing," Mozena said. "I strongly recommend you all interpret that as equal to a cut in Earth science, because putting those programs into NOAA would be a death sentence long term. NOAA does not have the ability to support it, and the money would not necessarily come with it." But such a large change to NASA's program would take time and would not come from a single executive order. Instead, it would likely first arise in the legislature through an appropriations committee, Mozena said. He cautioned against the type of action that could "create the problem we're afraid of. "We definitely don't need to be writing op-eds about '[how Republicans are] anti-Earth science' or 'They're attacking Earth science.'" he said. "I think we need to be vigilant, we need to pay attention, we need to be ready as a community to stand strong with Earth science." Congress and timing Mozena emphasized the importance of timing when scientists reach out to Congress to discuss issues relevant to the space community. "If you show up in August to talk about budget priorities with your member of Congress, that's lovely, but it's too late," he said. "So you should figure out when would be the best time to be coming to the Hill. That's your leverage arm, and it's very important to be on time." The best time for a scientist to contact a representative can depend on what exactly the scientist is trying to influence, such as a budget item or a piece of legislation. Many science member societies including the AAS, have staff members who can help scientists figure out when to contact a particular representative on a particular issue. An artist's impression of the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket, currently being constructed by NASA. (Image credit: NASA) The other panelists also emphasized that the space community should remember that members of Congress will influence science agencies perhaps more deeply than the president does. The Senate Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for drafting budgets for agencies including NASA, is staffed by senators with interests in particular NASA missions, Mozena said. "Senator [Richard] Shelby [R-Alabama] is very interested in big rockets. So the SLS is not going anywhere if senator Shelby has a heartbeat," he said. "Senator Culberson out of Texas, he is very interested in planetary science, so we're going to [Jupiter's moon] Europa. So with the transition process, keep in mind it involves the very real priorities of the already-existing, already-known Republican congressmen." Mertens echoed that point, adding that considering the heavy role Congress will play in determining outcomes, "there might be more status quo than you might think." Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. Astronomers are using the Hubble Space Telescope to study the clouds of material along the paths of the Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft through interstellar space. Astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope have gotten their best looks yet at the mysterious interstellar clouds surrounding the solar system, a new study finds. These observations could shed light on the challenges that future interstellar missions dispatched to the nearest stars might face, the researchers said. In 2012, NASA's Voyager 1 probe crossed the so-called heliopause the giant bubble of electrically charged particles and magnetic fields surrounding the sun and, in the process, became the first spacecraft to enter interstellar space. Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, launched in 1977, giving the world some of its first good looks at Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune and the moons of these planets. [Photos from NASA's Voyager 1 and 2 Probes] NASA notes that Voyager 1 and 2 are currently zipping through space at roughly 38,000 mph (61,000 km/h). Voyager 1 is about 12.8 billion miles (20.6 billion kilometers) from Earth, making it the farthest human-made object ever built. In about 40,000 years, it will pass within 1.6 light-years of the star Gliese 445, in the constellation Camelopardalis, the agency says. Voyager 2 hasn't entered interstellar space yet; it's about 10.5 billion miles (17 billion km) from Earth, NASA says. In 40,000 years, the probe will pass within 1.7 light-years of the star Ross 248, the agency says. The two Voyager spacecraft remain in contact with Earth through NASA's Deep Space Network of telecommunications links. The probes are still collecting data that scientists can analyze to learn more about the interstellar medium the clouds of gas and dust that lie between the stars. The interstellar medium holds the building blocks of stars and planets, and is replenished when stars and planets die. In the future, the $100 million Breakthrough Starshot project, unveiled in 2016, aims to launch tiny spacecraft to the nearest star system to the sun, Alpha Centauri. It consists of three stars: Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B and a small red dwarf named Proxima Centauri. Recently, astronomers discovered that Proxima Centauri hosts a small, potentially habitable rocky planet, raising scientists' hopes that Starshot might be able to send probes to an alien world in our lifetimes. These new projects and discoveries make any data that the two Voyager spacecraft gather on the interstellar medium potentially key for exploration, the researchers said. "It's important for us to be aware of what kinds of objects are present beyond our solar system, since we are now beginning to think about potential interstellar space missions, such as Breakthrough Starshot," said study lead author Julia Zachary, an undergraduate astronomy student at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut. To learn more about the interstellar medium, Zachary and her colleagues examined data that NASA's Hubble Space Telescope collected regarding the same interstellar gas and dust that Voyager 1 and 2 are currently analyzing. In this artist's conception, NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft has a bird's-eye view of the solar system. The circles represent the orbits of the major outer planets: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, and G. Bacon (STScI)) "An analogy we like to use is that of Google Maps," Zachary told Space.com. "If the Voyager spacecraft are the Google Maps cars going around neighborhoods, taking pictures and giving you the street view, then Hubble provides the overview." Until 2015, Hubble had not gazed at any nearby stars lying along the paths of the Voyager spacecraft. The scientists used Hubble to analyze the light from these stars to learn more about the interstellar clouds the radiation passed through. The scientists discovered at least two interstellar clouds along Voyager 2's path, and one or two interstellar clouds along Voyager 1's path. They were also able to measure the density of electrons in the clouds along Voyager 2's path, and found that one had a greater electron density than the other. "We think the difference in electron density perhaps indicates a difference in composition of overall density of the clouds," Zachary said. In addition, the researchers successfully detected a broad range of elements in the interstellar medium, such as electrically charged ions of magnesium, iron, carbon and manganese. They also detected neutrally charged oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen. All in all, "we think the Voyager spacecraft are moving into a very rich and complex interstellar environment," Zachary said. Zachary and her colleagues Seth Redfield, an associate professor in the Wesleyan University Department of Astronomy; and Jeffrey Linsky, a research professor in the University of Colorado Boulder Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, detailed their findings Jan. 6 at the 229th American Astronomical Society meeting in Grapevine, Texas. Follow Charles Q. Choi on Twitter @cqchoi. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com. The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement obama military On Sunday, a poll from Military Times and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families displayed the thoughts and sentiments of active-duty military troops about President Barack Obama as he ends his eight years as commander in chief. The results showed that US service members have an overwhelmingly negative view of Obama or a neutral view at best. Overall, 60.3% of Marines, 53% of the Army, 49.6% of the Air Force, and 45.9% of the Navy said they disapproved of Obama a plurality in each case. Enlisted soldiers and Marines were more likely than officers to disapprove of Obama, by about 4 percentage points. In total, 29.1% of soldiers said they had a very unfavorable view of Obama's leadership, and 18% said they held a very favorable view. The poll elicited responses from 1,664 participants. The responses were weighted to better reflect the entire military, according to the poll. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points. Obama sought to reduce the role of the military during his presidency, with drawdowns in Iraq and Afghanistan and a decrease in the overall size of the force. Troops interviewed by Military Times said those steps possibly made the US less safe, as the last few years of Obama's presidency have seen the rise of ISIS in Iraq and a resurgence of Taliban aggression in Afghanistan. NOW WATCH: A survival expert reveals what to put in your 'go-bag' in case disaster strikes More From Business Insider Handled at the Top But Selmayr seldom relies on standard decision-making channels, a tendency that European Transport Commissioner Violeta Bulc recently found herself confronted with. Bulc learned from a newspaper report that the Commission had unexpectedly reached an agreement with German Transport Minister Dobrindt on the autobahn toll. The negotiations were handled at the very top. An agency with 33,000 employees requires firm leadership, of course. But many officials and some commissioners complain that Selmayr is particularly cavalier when it comes to pushing through his agenda. "Early on, we thought his boorish approach would just last for the first six months and then abate," says one person who has had to suffer under Selmayr. "But it kept going." Some have simply quit in frustration, such as the cabinet head of Valdis Dombrovskis, the commissioner responsible for the euro. The man, from Finland, no longer wanted to watch as the rules of the Stability and Growth Pact were constantly reinterpreted by the newly political Commission for countries like France, Spain and Portugal. For Selmayr, though, such things are not out of the ordinary. He and his boss Juncker entered office intending to reform Europe and their Commission made it a goal to focus on larger problems rather than pestering European citizens with petty specifications. Recently, though, it is the larger issues where things have been going wrong: the refugee crisis has divided Europe and the British are leaving the bloc. But such setbacks have not induced a more reflective approach from Selmayr. On the contrary, he is wont to see the positive sides to Brexit, even if he would never say so openly. Didn't London always stand in the way of a joint defense policy? The door to Selmayr's office suddenly opens and Juncker strides in without knocking. The Commission president had just finished an appearance before journalists with the Ukrainian president. "Good press conference Jean-Claude," Selmayr says. If Selmayr is the most powerful bureaucrat in EU history, one reason is the fact that Juncker has given him such a long leash. Juncker is not the kind of hands-off president that many have accused him of being, but he is happy to leave those issues to his cabinet head in which he has no great interest. 'Someone Who Is Tough' Recently, for example, when the conservative floor leader in German parliament visited Juncker, he was unable to answer questions about the planned registration program for travelers to the EU. According to meeting participants, Selmayr discreetly handed his boss a note with the requisite information. Juncker is amazed by Selmayr's enthusiasm for work, often mixing in a bit of sarcasm with his public praise. "My sympathies, ma'am," he jokingly told Selmayr's wife at the end of 2015 when the three of them appeared together on a panel in Passau. Selmayr's climb began where many a Brussels career has ended: as an aide to European Parliament veteran Elmar Brok. After serving the German parliamentarian, Selmayr transferred to the Commission, where he was responsible for press relations for then-Media Commissioner Viviane Reding before becoming her cabinet head. When Juncker became the lead candidate for the conservatives in 2014 European elections, but nobody knew how to organize a Europe-wide campaign, Brok advised Juncker to give Selmayr a try. "You'll need somebody who is tough," he said. It was a perfect situation for Selmayr: uncharted political waters, very few cumbersome regulations and little time for qualms. After his victory, Juncker made Selmayr his cabinet head. But Selmayr's leadership style began generating problems even before the new Commission had taken office. Prior to future Budget Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom's hearing in parliament, Selmayr redacted negative comments about TTIP from her statement. Unfortunately, though, he was found out because the changes could be reconstructed in the Word document -- and the impression was given that Malmstrom was not allowed to say what she thought. Another example of Selmayr's heavy hand came in December 2015 when he was attempting to convince EU member states of the benefits of the refugee deal hammered out between the EU and Turkey. There were, he wrote, "first encouraging indications" that the deal was proving a success. He attached a chart to the message to illustrate that the number of arriving refugees had plunged substantially -- but the chart was inaccurate, as was later revealed. Even when commenting on heads of government Selmayr has displayed no dearth of self-confidence. In late June, he was standing in the European Council newsroom surrounded by journalists. The British had just voted in favor of Brexit a few days prior and then-British Prime Minister David Cameron was on his way back to London. One journalist asked Selmayr if Cameron had been given a parting gift. "He got a warm meal," Selmayr answered wryly. "That's more than enough." Empty Threats Within EU member states, Selmayr's self-importance has won him many enemies. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble was initially supportive, even meeting with Juncker and Selmayr at Berlin's Kaffee Einstein immediately following the 2014 elections to toast their success. But the relationship has cooled significantly since then. Schauble believes it was a mistake for Selmayr and Juncker to do everything possible to keep Greece in the euro zone in the summer of 2015. The pair likewise offered significant assistance to Greece's then-Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis, who was new to the Brussels stage, when it came to formulating complicated applications to his EU creditors. When the papers from Athens, composed with their help, finally arrived in Brussels late in the night, Selmayr gushed on Twitter: "New Greek proposal received by @JunckerEU, @Lagarde, @ecb. Good basis for progress at tomorrow's EuroSummit." Schauble, who would like to have seen Greece leave the euro, grumbled that bureaucrats do not have the authority to make such comments publicly. Schauble is now considering how to rein in the power of Juncker and his top aide Selmayr. His position is that the Commission is welcome to conduct politics, but it should then be forced to relinquish tasks such as enforcing the bloc's competition policies. He says that a political Commission can no longer be a neutral arbiter of EU treaties. Thus far, such threats have been largely empty, as Selmayr well knows. To modify European treaties, all EU member states must grant their approval. And his policies have granted Selmayr sufficient popularity among southern EU member states that he can afford a certain amount of insouciance. The door to Selmayr's office swings open once again and a coworker hands him a brief note reminding him that his scheduled talk with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is imminent. Selmayr hands the note back. The telephone call, he says, should be taken by someone else. Mindy Grossman has worked for some the biggest companies out there: Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, Nike. In 2006, she took the helm at the then-floundering Home Shopping Network, relaunching the brand two years later. Fast-forward to the present day, and HSNi (HSNI) now boasts almost 7,000 employees and has become a $4 billion multichannel-retailer that reaches nearly 100 million households. When she began at HSN, Grossman was its eighth CEO in 10 years. She credits her ability to turn the company around to boosting employee morale, thoroughly understanding the business and what was broken, and dramatically shifting the company culture. One of the first things Grossman did was clean house, and she drew that inspiration from an unlikely source, she recently told CNBC. "I'd just moved to St. Petersburg from New York City and remembered that when [former New York City mayor] Rudy Giuliani became mayor, one of the first things he did was get rid of all the graffiti." That led her to make an unusual decision: replacing every chair on HSN's campus with a new Aeron office chair. That, Grossman explained, "was my way of getting rid of graffiti. It was a symbolic gesture of a new beginning and a catalyst for the work we did to reposition the brand." Under Grossman, HSN expanded to become a multiplatform business that broadened beyond its television origins, and is now an online and mobile retail powerhouse. In a 2014 interview with Stanford Business School, the CEO explained she made a series of dramatic business decisions motivated by the idea that "if you don't disrupt yourself, you will be disrupted by someone else." That gambit appears to have paid off. "When I first started at HSN, I knew that retailers would have to be poised to take advantage of technology and the rapidly changing ways in which people shop," she told CNBC. "It was one of the things that drew me to the company." HSN's transformation came not a moment too soon, as consumers increasingly flock online for shopping deals. This season, mobile devices dominate the market, with 51 percent of consumers purchasing something through their cellphones. More than one-third of shoppers report that 100 percent of their purchases were on sale. Story continues Throughout her long and successful career, Grossman said she never felt as if her gender counted against her, and she wants to ensure that all women feel the same. She believes in a woman's intuition and tells her mentees to follow their instincts even if that means leaving their job for a role where their gifts will be more appreciated. "I firmly believe in the old adage 'Actions speak louder than words.' This means proactively seeking women for roles within boards, identifying opportunities for diversity within teams and finding ways to use your platform to mentor women and then encourage them to do the same," Grossman said. "Women must do a better job of supporting each other. However, real change will happen when both men and women unite to demand diversity," she added. Grossman also works to empower women through HSN Cares and American Dreams, offering guidance and support to first-time entrepreneurs to help increase their chances of success. Her advice to entrepreneurs is, "Believe in yourself. People may doubt your decisions or question the risks that you take, but nothing will prove more important than the [transformative] power of believing in yourself." Grossman also cited the need for a trustworthy team and a supportive network. "It's OK to not have all the answers, and in fact, the more extraordinary people you are able to surround yourself with, the better you will become." Correction: This story was updated to reflect that Mindy Grossman is the CEO of HSNi. SPIEGEL: Security alone though doesn't create jobs. Chahed: That's why we have new laws that make investments easier. There's public-private cooperation, perks for investors and expedited approval procedures. We have 3,000 foreign companies here -- with their presence, they are showing their confidence in the country. SPIEGEL: The German government supported Tunisia with 290 million euros in development aid in 2016. Is that enough? Chahed: European governments shouldn't just think of numbers when it comes to aid to Tunisia. As a young democracy, we can become a strategic partner for Europe. There is no other country that can offer such a positive model for developing nations. Tunisia is also protecting Europe's borders by securing the border to Libya. Chaos prevails over there, Islamic State (IS) is on the rampage, there are various other jihadi groups, militants and tons of weapons. Some 95 percent of all refugees who reach Italy travel through Libya, but only few pass through Tunisia. Europe should take that into account. SPIEGEL: What do you mean by that? Chahed: For example: Tunisia has never had a strong army despite the dangers posed by our geographical location. We are, however, nevertheless forced to purchase equipment for the military at international market prices because no government provides us with discounts. We have to justify these expenditures to the International Monetary Fund because they have an impact on our deficit. We then lack money for development expenditures like infrastructure, for example. SPIEGEL: You took office in August and your cabinet is calling itself the National Unity Government because it is backed by several parties and several groups of society. Won't that make governing more difficult? Chahed: I do not want to say that it is easy. But all the groups have signed the so-called Karthago Document and, by doing so, have committed to undertake economic reforms in particular. It's a clear mandate that I will fulfill. In recent years, we have also developed a kind of "New Deal." Considerable debate is taking place here between trade unions, parties and civil society groups. Without this dialogue, we would not have fared as well in weathering the crises of recent years. And all are unanimous that reforms are decisive for our future and the fight against terrorism. SPIEGEL: In mid-February, a meeting is planned between you and Chancellor Merkel in Berlin, one that will likely also address the issue of perpetrator Anis Amri. There's resentment in Germany over the fact that the terrorist would have been deported -- if only your country had issued the necessary documents. Chahed: We were not slow on this case. We adhered to the normal procedures and carried out our work correctly. SPIEGEL: Could it be that you are under pressure domestically not to repatriate such men? Just a few days ago, a protest took place here in Tunis opposing the repatriation of terror suspects. Chahed: You have to keep two things separated. There are illegal immigrants from Tunisia who are living in Germany even though they aren't allowed to. Anis Amri was for us such a case. Because in Tunisia, he was at most a petty criminal but not a terrorist. Like so many others, he first radicalized during his time in Europe, in Italy. The situation is different in cases of terrorists who are fighting abroad or committing attacks. Many people here are indeed protesting against the return of such jihadis. My answer to this is unequivocal: Since 2015, we have had anti-terror laws in order to imprison returning extremists. Every jihadi who has fought for IS in Syria or in Iraq will be immediately arrested upon his return. Many other countries in Europe also fear the return of these well-trained fighters because they could destabilize their countries. SPIEGEL: But you first have to capture the terrorists and then prove the crimes they have committed. Chahed: We have all the information about these Tunisians, we know their identities and we update our findings constantly, in cooperation with the authorities in other countries. We unfortunately have a lot of experience in the fight against Islamist terrorists -- it's not a phenomenon we are just discovering now. SPIEGEL: Your confidence in this regard is a bit surprising. Terrorism experts can't even agree on how many Tunisians have joined up with Islamic State. The numbers vary between 2,000 and 7,000 men. Chahed: The exact number is 2,929. Many of them have since died. SPIEGEL: How do you know that? Chahed: Tunisia is a small country. We have 11 million residents. It sticks out here when someone disappears for a longer period of time. Our officials then dig deeper within the person's circles in order to find out the whereabouts of the person who has gone underground. We have procedures for doing that. SPIEGEL: In Germany, there is a debate over whether Tunisia can be considered a safe country of origin. Are minorities and members of the opposition safe in your country? Chahed: Yes, there is no state-organized persecution of such people. SPIEGEL: At 41, you are the youngest prime minister Tunisia has ever had. But you are also the seventh head of government since the Arab spring. How long will you be able to maintain power? Chahed: The reason behind the frequent changes was the instability we had to combat after the dictatorship. But now our stability is improving. I am optimistic when it comes to Tunisia's future. London, Jan 8, 2017 (SPS) - Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW) denounced Saturday the transport, by a European ship, of fishing products from the Sahrawi territory to Europe, two weeks after the decision of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) banning the implementation of the trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Morocco on Western Sahara. The non-governmental organization affirmed, in a publication on its website, that after two weeks of the decision affirming that Western Saharas natural resources cannot be part of the agreement between Rabat and Brussels, a European ship carried fish oil from Western Sahara waters, dispatched probably to France. Last Thursday, the ship Key Bey entered Western Sahara waters, after waiting the whole day for the green light outside al-Aaiun port, the ship entered the port on Friday. WSRW claims to know the ship in question which carried along with other ships, for years, fish oil from Western Sahara to Europe. Key Bey will be the first ship to defy the decision of December 21 of CJEU, denounced WSRW which underlined that the same ship carried in September 2016 cargo from Western Sahara to Europe. (SPS) 062/090/700 Contributed photo / Contributed photo Altice could end carriage of WFSB Channel 3 on its Optimum TV service in Connecticut, with station owner Meredith Corp. and Altice having yet to reach agreement on a new contract to replace one that expires on January 13. WFSB has its production studios in Hartford and is one of two CBS affiliates Altice carries in Connecticut along with WCBS-2 broadcast from New York City. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD A national recreation company is bouncing into Stamford. Get Air, a national chain of trampoline parks, plans to open its first Connecticut venue in the first quarter of this year in the River Bend Center office park in the citys Springdale section. The company has signed a long-term lease to occupy 22,000 square feet in building 11, which includes 29-foot ceilings. We continue to be well-suited for a variety of tenants and uses and look forward to Get Air joining our campus, property manager Jonathan Turner said in a statement. Get Airs other tri-state region parks are located in Cheektowaga and Cicero in New York state and Freehold, N.J. A message left for Get Air was not immediately returned. Newmark Grubb Knight Frank Senior Managing Director Tim Rorick and Director Brad Soules led the leasing deal on behalf of the propertys owner, River Bend Center LLC. This propertys immense flexibility made it a great fit for Get Air, Rorick said in a statement. Located next to the Noroton River and a tributary pond, River Bend Center covers 40 acres. Its tenant roster includes firms in media, financial-data services, medical research and development, disaster recovery, manufacturing, the University of Bridgeports graduate program center and The Advocate. Bleachers, a Stamford-based live-streaming media company, is scheduled to move into building 2 in the River Bend complex within the next three months. River Bend Center features a conference room that can hold up to 200 people, an auditorium and a number of meeting rooms. The office center also includes a cafeteria, 1,457 parking spaces and several walking trails. Town & Country Magazine has released its picks for the top 50 bachelors of 2017. The list of the world's most eligible men is a mix of politicians, businessmen and celebrities. For those looking to snag one of these eligible bachelors, the magazine provides the most-likely place to find them as well as a caveat for each of them, so there are no ugly surprises. STAMFORD Seven students at the Academy of Information Technology & Engineering have designed a drone and formed a small company as part of an annual high school competition. The company, Aires Agricultural Aviation, provides agricultural services using drone and sensor technologies. The project includes a management structure with several specializations and a marketing plan. The Real World Design Challenge asks students every year to address a challenge that confronts the nation's leading industries. The AITE students are Gianluca Canessa, Maurice Fajardo Polo, Marcel Koszkul, Richard Marroquin, Justin Tat, Peter Vibert and Aaron Wood. They are working under the direction of AITE math teacher, Vin Urbanowski, and guidance from Pratt & Whitney engineer mentors. Were proud of our students for participating in this competition, AITE Principal Tina Rivera said in a news release. We always welcome opportunities to work with Connecticuts technology companies to bring real-world perspective into our school while helping us nurture the next generation of talent. The students are also learning to analyze real-world problems like available technologies and government regulations, as well as costs for development, operations and marketing. Like real-world engineers, they must justify their decisions through calculations and rational analysis, according to the school news release. Their presentation will be evaluated on its business case for the proposed companys profitability over five years and the level of success for each of four drone missions. The state winners will be announced Jan. 23 and will be invited to compete at the national round. Each member of the team that wins the national competition receives a $50,000 Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University scholarship. noliveira@hearstmediact.com SUGAR LAND, TX--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas) -- Industrial Info is pleased to be presenting a complimentary online webinar focusing on the Middle East industrial sector. The webinar will be held Wednesday, January 11, 2017, at 9 a.m. Gulf Standard Time (January 10, 11 p.m. Central Standard Time). Join Industrial Info's industry experts as they discuss what's currently driving industrial spending in the Middle East and what to expect in the future. Our experts will seek to answer several questions, including: What does the next 24 months present for planned capital project spending? Is spending in midstream Refining and Chemical Processing investments expected to trend higher? With the prospect of potential higher crude prices, how will oil and gas project activity trend? How is the region responding to power demand growth and what fuel types are seeing investments moving forward? The webinar is entirely complimentary and participants will receive a link for "on demand" viewing. Make sure to RSVP today! Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. Follow IIR on: Facebook - Twitter - LinkedIn. For more information on our coverage, send inquiries to info@industrialinfo.com or visit us online at http://www.industrialinfo.com. NORWALK Norwalk Community College recently learned that it has been named as a White House Healthy Campus and will be recognized at a White House event on Friday, Jan. 13. First Lady Michelle Obama will offer remarks at the event. Representing NCC at the event will be President David L. Levinson, Ph.D.; Paul Gallo, director of exercise science and wellness; and Kimberly Bryant-Smith, a member of NCCs Wellness Committee. The White House Healthy Campus Challenge aims to engage college and university campuses, and in particular community college campuses, across the country in publicizing Affordable Care Act health insurance open enrollment efforts. NCC satisfied the necessary challenge criteria by holding in-person enrollment activities with Access Health CT on campus, distribution of Access Health CT brochures, emails to students and NCC employees reminding them about open enrollment, open enrollment communications on the colleges Facebook site, and an email to NCC alumni. NCC will be recognized with a certificate signed by President Obama during Healthy Campus Challenge Day. NCC is one of 350 colleges and universities across the U.S. who joined the challenge. Adam Berry | Getty Images This time last year, a report commissioned by New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio found that ride-hailing companies such as Uber and Lyft were not the cause of a traffic increase in the city. The study cost $2 million to conduct and ultimately did not recommend putting a cap on for-hire vehicles at that point in time, which drew a protracted fight between de Blasio and Uber to a close, at least for the time being. But in 2017, it appears Uber wants to provide more solutions than headaches for lawmakers with the rollout of Movement, a website that will make its traffic data available to anyone. In this Jan. 5, 2017, photo, the home of Dan Zhong is seen in Livingston, N.J. Zhong, a businessman imprisoned on charges that he forced immigrant laborers to do construction at Chinese diplomatic facilities in the U.S. wants permission to turn his New Jersey home into a private jail where he can comfortably await trial. (AP Photo/Mel Evans) NEW YORK (AP) Dan Zhong's two-story home in Livingston, New Jersey, is unremarkable by suburban standards, but the businessman's lawyers have told a judge he is willing to pay $144,000 per month to turn the place into a private jail where he can comfortably await trial on charges he exploited immigrant Chinese laborers. His proposal is the latest example of wealthy people facing potentially long prison terms who have asked to finance their own, extravagant house arrests, highlighting inequities between them and defendants of lesser means who languish behind bars and spawning a cottage industry of former federal agents and police officers working as private guards. Zhong, 47, a former Chinese diplomat and legal U.S. resident, is accused of forcing immigrants to work on construction projects at Chinese diplomatic facilities in the U.S. For now, he is a prisoner at the fortress-like Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn. But he has resources other prisoners don't. His uncle is a Chinese billionaire, Wang Wenliang, who has drawn scrutiny over his large donations to American political campaigns and nonprofits like the Clinton Foundation. Hiring a security firm to ensure Zhong doesn't flee the property "is a very, very expensive proposition," defense attorney Thomas Fitzpatrick said at a hearing late last year. "His family in China is willing to spend that money to get him out of the MDC." Prosecutors so far have won the fight to deny Zhong house arrest in the form of $10 million bail in part by arguing that his finances are too murky. On Monday, a judge again rejected his bail bid; his lawyers said they'll appeal. If a court eventually approves the proposal, Zhong would join a short but notable list of loaded defendants who turned their New York-area homes into a gilded cage. Ponzi scheme mastermind Bernard Madoff was released on $10 million bail and allowed to live in his $7 million Manhattan apartment before he was sentenced to a 150-year prison term in 2009. Story continues Former International Monetary Fund leader Dominique Strauss-Kahn posted $5 million bail so he could stay, under guard, in his Manhattan townhouse in 2011 until charges accusing him of sexually assaulting a hotel maid were dropped. More recently, a judge released Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng on $50 million bail so he could live in his $4 million Manhattan apartment, under 24-hour watch by two $200-per-hour security guards, while awaiting trial in a bribery case involving the United Nations. Other judges have been less hospitable. Last year, U.S. District Judge Richard Berman denied a $50 million private-jail bail bid by gold trader Reza Zarrab, who is charged with violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. Berman called it "unreasonable because it helps to foster inequity and unequal treatment in favor of a very small cohort of criminal defendants who are extremely wealthy." Another federal judge in Brooklyn, Nicholas Garaufis, grew disdainful last year when Jacob "Kobi" Alexander, a former technology firm CEO who spent 10 years on the lam in Africa, unsuccessfully sought release on $25 million bail in a securities fraud case. "Spare me. I wasn't born yesterday," the judge said. A letter from Guidepost Solutions, a firm headed by former federal prosecutors, lays out the strict conditions for guarding Zhong, including installing alarms, sensors and cameras at his home and instructing his guards to take cellphones from any visitors and even use "reasonable force" to keep him from fleeing. But prosecutors in the U.N. bribery case have questioned Guidepost's resolve in their contract to secure Ng. In court papers, they complained the defendant was visited by a masseuse 16 times and was allowed to pick up meals at his favorite restaurant in Chinatown. Before his arrest, Zhong ran a business affiliated with China Rilin Construction Group, owned by his uncle, Wenliang Wang. Wang has made large donations to Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe. One of his companies, based in New Jersey, gave $70,000 to the Democrat's gubernatorial campaign and $50,000 to his inaugural committee in 2013, according to campaign finance records. Rilin also gave at least $1 million to the Clinton Foundation, according to the foundation. McAuliffe's dealings with Wang touched off a federal probe that the governor's lawyer has said found no wrongdoing. Wang also was among dozens of members of China's legislature expelled last year in a vote-buying scandal. In a past ruling denying Zhang bail, Magistrate Judge Ramon Reyes suggested that in dealing with the super-rich, even bails in the tens of millions that could be forfeited to the government don't dampen the incentive to flee. "The relatives in China have a lot of money at their disposal," he said. "A $10 million bond? They'd probably laugh it off, right?" T he boss of one of the UKs biggest housebuilders, Bovis Homes, paid the price for a shock Christmas profit warning today after he was ousted by the board. David Ritchie, who has led the 1.1 billion builder for eight years, is stepping down immediately as chief executive. He will stay with the company until the end of next month to help hand the business over to interim boss and current finance director Earl Sibley. Doubts over Ritchies position are understood to have come to a head in recent days culminating in a board meeting at which he offered his resignation to chairman Ian Tyler, who accepted. Ritchie, who earned 1.54 million in 2015, is understood to have received a payoff and has no other job to go to. His abrupt departure comes against the backdrop of a housebuilding industry which has so far largely shrugged off the effects of last years Brexit vote and uncertainty around the 2015 general election. But in a climate where the Governments Help to Buy deposit scheme is also supporting buyers and mortgage rates are at record lows, Bovis has suffered its own issues. In late December the firm warned of slower than expected production across its sites, resulting in the delayed sale of 180 largely built homes due to complete in 2016. That followed problems in 2015 with planning delays to sites as well as rising subcontractor costs, which squeezed its margins. Analysts also reported cultural issues within Bovis. Shore Capitals Robin Hardy said: We have long been concerned that there was something structurally wrong at Bovis and that for reasons which were not wholly clear from the outside Bovis was struggling to keep hold of key resources necessary to execute its growth plans. It has long been suspected there were cultural issues that ran right to the top of the organisation and that the business was less able to function freely and take best advantage of market conditions because of too much control. Ritchie said: I believe now is the right time for someone new to lead the group into its next phase of development. Shares rose 16.5p to 827.5p. The companys history can be traced back to 1885 when Charles William Bovis founded a general building business. Bovis Homes was set up in 1965, becoming the UKs second-largest housebuilder in the early Seventies before floating in 1997 and severing links with the old construction arm. The firm, headquartered in Kent, has more than 1200 employees. T he historic London-founded perfume house Atkinsons is to return to Mayfair for the first time in 67 years with its only UK stand-alone store, the Evening Standard can reveal. The firm, whose customers have included Napoleon and King George IV, has just signed a lease to open at the Burlington Arcade in April. It will join retailers such La Perla and Chanel. Atkinsons was founded in 1799 by James Atkinson who headed to London from Cumberland with recipes he had concocted for toiletries and fragrances, along with bears grease balm and a real bear. The brand famed for its bear mascot went on to become the official perfumer to the Royal Court of England. From 1832 it was based at 24 Old Bond Street, before leaving in 1950 when trade slumped after the war. The brand was re-launched in 2013 by new owner Italys Perfume Holding, and its 150 Oud Save the King scents are stocked in Harrods, Selfridges and overseas department stores. It also sells shaving creams and candles. A company spokesman said: Since the re-launch we have regained strong positioning in the fragrance market, with strong sales in 2016. We are ready to have our own flagship again. Peter Mace, head of London retail at agent Cushman & Wakefield, which advised on the deal, said: It is great testament that retailers such as Atkinsons are willing to invest in London despite political uncertainty. Cushman and Wakefield is aware of at least 30 high-end companies looking to open stores in the capital in 2017. A ldi wants you to believe that its breakneck sales growth isnt going off the boil. After a bunch of stories in recent days speculating that it was, the supermarket issued a statement this morning trumpeting year-on-year sales growth of more than 15% in December. So there. Thats us told. Really? While theyre better than the industry had expected, todays trading numbers are like those discounted bags of Christmas satsumas still lurking in the shops: great value until you delve deeper and find half are squidgy. British supermarkets like Tesco report whats known as like-for-like growth figures when talking about their sales. That strips out takings from newly opened shops, giving a more realistic picture of underlying trading. Aldi refuses, only offering up total sales. This omission is glaring considering that last year it opened 70 new stores, increasing its total by more than 11%. Suddenly, that 15% total growth looks rather less impressive. Furthermore, you have to wonder how much profit all these new stores are actually making. As fund manager Aurora, a buyer of Morrisons and Tesco shares, points out, Aldis latest accounts showed an 800 million increase in sales for 2015 but a 5 million fall in operating profit. As they say, turnover is vanity, profit is sanity. Aldi and Lidl still struggle to gain top-three market share status in regions like Bristol, where theyve been trading for 20 years. The discounters are clearly phenomenal grocery machines. But Tesco, Morrisons and Sainsburys long ago woke up to the need to compete and are fighting back with similar prices, bigger ranges and a more pleasant environment for shoppers. If Aldi wants to prove Im wrong, the solution is simple: give us some audited like-for-like sales figures like its competitors do. Fun from the son Phew, what a scorcher! A good old boardroom bust-up erupts between former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzies son and directors at his YouTube video-maker Brave Bison. Ashley MacKenzie today resigned as chief executive after clashing with the board. Its all rather odd, since Ashley only arrived a year ago and has made progress turning the thing around. I hear he wanted to prepare the business for a sale, while his board wanted to reverse another company into it. But neither side will comment, leaving shareholders none the wiser. What happens next? Thats up to fund manager Neil Woodford and his old shop Invesco, which each hold 20% of the shares. With no chief executive, and Ashley and Kelvin together holding 8%, this show clearly aint over yet. A luxury holiday company which started life in a Battersea bedroom in 2003 has been sold to a French travel giant, netting dozens of its backers a new year windfall. Original Travel, co-founded by former City worker Nick Newbury and travel writer Tom Barber, has sold a 60% stake to Voyageurs du Monde, the 255 million (219 million) French travel firm. The deal will see 40 of the firms backers, including friends and family of the founders, and private equity firm Connection Capital sell their stake for an undisclosed sum. Newbury, Barber and sales director Neill Ghosh will retain 40%. We were keen to get the right partner for the next stage of development and getting a trade-focused luxury player around the boardroom table for our next push creates a significant point of difference for us, said Newbury. The business creates bespoke holidays for between 4000 and 5000 clients a year. It counts A-listers among its customers and once helped to set up an exclusion zone around a holiday island for an unnamed celebrity couple to maintain their privacy. N ow that Britains rail safety watchdog has conclusively declared driver-only trains safe, it is time for the Mayor to say if he supports their introduction on Southern routes into the capital. Next week members of the Aslef union will stage yet more strike action in its campaign against their use. This will cause further untold misery for hundreds of thousands of people who rely on these services every day Now that the unions argument has been rejected by HM Inspector of Railways and the Office of Road and Rail, shouldnt the Mayor say which side of the fence he sits on and what his views are on this now discredited union campaign. Cllr Ravi Govindia, leader of Wandsworth council I wonder if railways inspector Ian Prosser realises that on driver-only trains its left to passengers to keep fellow travellers safe helping elderly, disabled and blind people off the train, lending a hand with prams and small children, and pulling doors open to free trapped bags and clothes. Just before Christmas I had to jam my foot in the door of a grossly overcrowded train at Clapham Junction so that more than a dozen passengers could get off the train and the rest of us could board. The driver couldnt see the back of the train from the far end of the notoriously curved Platform 15 and repeatedly tried to close the doors. Had he succeeded, people could easily have been injured. Eventually, after hearing my shouts, a member of platform staff realised what was happening but had no means of telling the driver to stop pushing the door-close button. I am no cheerleader for the rail unions but I fear that naive civil servants and greedy train company managers may be putting safety at risk on our understaffed self-help railway. Stephen Spark Higher education Bill will be a major setback for Londons universities London has four institutions in the top 40 of the worlds best universities and its higher education institutions account for 6 billion a year in revenue, supporting about 150,000 jobs. It is therefore with dismay that we view the Governments new Higher Education and Research Bill making its way through the House of Lords. The Bill risks undermining everything we have built up in London. The Government proposes an untested process for measuring the quality of university teaching provision, whereby a set number of universities would be awarded gold, silver or bronze status. If some London universities fail to achieve gold, why would students apply to them? As academics who work in universities in London, we urge members of the Lords to work towards basic amendments to this potentially disastrous legislation and for people to make concerns known to their MP. Sean Wallis, UCL, Dr Lee Jones, Queen Mary, University of London, and 183 others. See the full list at standard.co.uk/universities Airport fumes are affecting children If it was not so serious, I would have laughed at Dr Penny Woods of the British Lung Foundations letter regarding toxic air pollution near schools [Letters, January 5]. We have no chance for change as long as it seems that the priority of London City Airport and Newham council is the generation of wealth and funding over the health of our children. Drew Road Primary School was demolished to make way for the only airport in London, and a new one was built on the green on Drew Road. The centre of the runway is 238 metres from the centre of the schools playground, and the taste of aviation fumes is horrendous when the aircraft take off from the west. If it is eventually proved that the life expectancy of these primary school children was affected by London City Airport, it will be too late. Silvertown and North Woolwich residents will continue to have no respite from the obnoxious fumes, not to mention the incredible noise levels. I am outside the 54dcb noise contour but yesterday, with the north wind, the 2.40pm Geneva flight registered 73.2dcb outside my house. David Conroy There is protection for all in Section 40 In her article (Karen Bradley needs to stand up to this threat to the press, Comment, January 3), Melanie McDonagh claims that if Section 40 were approved by the Culture Secretary it would mean that if a newspaper refuses to register with the state-approved regulatory body, Impress, it will be compelled to pay the costs of anyone bringing a libel action against it, whether or not it is at fault. This is wrong and misleading. In fact it means that if a newspaper joins a recognised regulator, then that newspaper would not be compelled to pay the costs of anyone bringing a libel action against them, even if the newspaper was at fault. This is why Section 40 is supported by distinguished investigative reporters such as Nick Davies and Sir Harold Evans. All newspapers have to do is join a recognised regulator. This benefit is offered to the press because a recognised regulator is one that is approved by an independent Royal Charter body (not by the state, as Ms McDonagh claims) as being effective and genuinely independent of both industry and government control, which the press industrys own creature, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, is patently not. Crucially, the regulator would offer a low-cost alternative, namely arbitration, to expensive court proceedings for libel and privacy claimants. The flip side of this which Ms McDonagh seems to suggest is the only side is that if a newspaper is not a member of a recognised regulator and therefore forces a libel claimant into expensive court proceedings, it will then be liable to pay the costs of that action regardless of fault. The point is that if a newspaper which has the power to wreck the reputation or privacy of its target forces a person without deep pockets and well-paid lawyers into court instead of arbitration, then the newspaper should pay for the luxury, to ensure that the potential victim is able to access justice. If you agree that press regulation should be reformed, as the Leveson Inquiry suggested, and that corruption in the media and in the police should be exposed in Levesons second phase, you can tell the Government at our website, hackinginquiry.org. Dr Evan Harris, joint executive director, Hacked Off Campaign for a free and accountable press Since first appearing on the arm of Prince William over a decade ago, Kate Middleton has found her sartorial decisions under close scrutiny. Having moved on from the preppy, country-girl sense of style that she favoured during her university years at St Andrews, the Duchess of Cambridge has stepped seamlessly into the position of a modern day fashion icon. From state banquets to official engagements, Kate always looks timeless and elegant. She continues to strike the balance between giving a nod to established, well-regarded global fashion brands - including Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and Michael Kors - and supporting slightly lesser-known British talents such as Matthew Williamson, Catherine Walker and Preen by Thornton Bregazzi. Kate is also known for working high-street items into her wardrobe - she never can get enough of L.K Bennett - but also has opted for the likes of Jigsaw, that secret Ghost dress while in Pakistan, and even a pair of 24 New Look heels. Kate's 37th birthday highlights So far this year there's been her newly-lightened hair which she's worn in its usual bouncy blow-dry and debuted on Princess Charlotte's first day of school, and her traditional selection of shawar kameez which she modelled throughout her time in Pakistan, but through it all, it's fair to say that she managed to pull it off with effortless grace and style. Ian Vogler/Daily Mirror Undeniably the duchess's favourite designer continues to be the brand responsible for her wedding dress in 2011, Alexander McQueen. From creating a bespoke gown for a state banquet to a pastel pink ensemble for the Queen's garden party, the British brand has been responsible for many of Kate's most memorable ensembles so far this year. In McQueen for the state banquet (Getty Images ) / Getty Images Nearly ten years since Kate was welcomed into the royal family, the latter half of this year has also seen the 37-year-old in the throes of a style revolution, from culottes to Parisian cool-girl brands. T he working lives of Londoners will feature in a new exhibition shedding light on trades from politics to circus performance. Photographs, prints and sketches drawn from the London Metropolitan Archives will go on show with images of famous faces, including Charles Dickens, alongside dozens of unknown Londoners. Laurence Ward, the City of London Corporations head of Digital Services at LMA, said the exhibition was a chance to show a treasure trove of pictures. He said: Visitors will come face-to-face with servants, performers, famous statesmen, nurses, and even a 15th-century City Alderman. Some of the individuals are well known, while others have been recorded purely because of how their work benefited Londoners. The Londoners runs from February 6 to July 5 at the archives in Northampton Road EC1, free admission. Visit standard.co.uk/arts for the latest news and reviews from Londons arts scene Follow Going Out on Facebook and on Twitter @ESgoingout T he Evening Standard has teamed up with The Princes Trust to launch a young London entrepreneur into business. Four talented Londoners aged between 18 and 25 will try to sell their ideas to a Dragons Den-style panel including lastminute.com co-founder Brent Hoberman at our Young Progress Makers event this month. The winner will receive advertising worth 50,000 with ESI Media (Evening Standard & Independent). They will also benefit from one-on-one mentoring from panel members and 12 months free working space from The Office Group whose CEO, Charlie Green, is one of the judges. Paul Brown, communications director at The Princes Trust which is helping to draw up the shortlist, said the event offers a chance to boost a fledgling business. He said: Weve been helping young people to set up in business for over 30 years and, since then, weve supported 85,000 young entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground. The Princes Trust provides access to finance for young people who might struggle to get support elsewhere, and our volunteer mentors work with young people for up to three years. We thought the Young Progress Makers event was a brilliant opportunity to give the winning business a real kick-start. Young entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of Londons economy and need all the support they can get. It is just one part of the event being held in partnership with The Roundhouse, at the venue in Chalk Farm. Designers, entrepreneurs, tech innovators, public figures and politicians including Mayor Sadiq Khan will give talks, take part in workshops, contribute to panel discussions and be available for mentoring. They will be seeking solutions to the challenges facing 18- to 25-year-olds in London. Demis Hassabis, whose Artificial Intelligence research firm was bought by Google in a multi-million pound deal, will discuss how AI is changing the world of work. Comedian and actor Humza Arshad will give an insight into how his YouTube videos have won him millions of fans, and Joe Murphy and Joe Robertson, founders of the Good Chance theatre in the Calais Jungle refugee camp, will talk about how drama can help bring social change. Supa Academys Bejay Mulenga will take part in panel discussion Be Your Own Boss Jewellery consultant Beanie Major, who set up In Detail, Jusnah Gadi, of the Young Music Boss website, and Supa Academys Bejay Mulenga will take part in panel discussion Be Your Own Boss. Roundhouse poet Anita Barton-Williams will perform, while minister and ex-Facebook and Google executive Baroness Shields will talk about internet safety. Young Progress Makers is on January 25. More details at: standard.co.uk/ypm. Buy tickets for the event at: roundhouse.org.uk/ypm. #ESYPM C hiles leafy capital has stayed under the radar for visitors to South Americas main cities. Overlooked in favour of sensual Buenos Aires or chaotic Lima, even its spectacular location at the foot of the snow-capped Andes has done little to put it on the map. But Santiago has just come into sharper focus, thanks to a new non-stop British Airways route connecting it with Heathrow. Theres plenty in the city to admire: handsome colonial buildings, gleaming high rises that nod to its economic might, as well as parks, grand tree-lined boulevards, pretty patio restaurants and lively nightlife. The city is a puzzle of 32 comunas, or neighbourhoods, each with its own flair; there are haunting reminders of the Pinochet regime, an emerging street-art movement and exciting chefs revamping the food scene. Add one of the worlds most beautiful mountain backdrops and the fact that this southern hemisphere city is revelling in the height of summer as the UK shivers and theres no better time to visit. Where to stay The bohemian district of Lastarria has sprung to life in recent years. Centrally located, graced with elegant, early 20th-century buildings and narrow lanes, its now packed with restaurants and boutique hotels. One of the newest kids on the block is Hotel Magnolia (00 56 2 2664 4043; hotelmagnolia.cl), a design hotel set in a neo-Gothic 1920s building, all stained glass windows and heavy wooden doors juxtaposed with industrial-chic suspended metal staircases. Its rooftop bar is perfect for a sundowner. Double rooms from US$220 (175), B&B. Hotel Magnolia Where to eat and drink A new generation of chefs is drawing on the bountiful produce grown in the sun-blushed valleys around Santiago, as well as experimenting with native ingredients once used by the indigenous Mapuche. For a relaxed, traditional lunch, head to the La Vega (lavegacentral.com) food market to stroll among the stalls selling Latin American fruits you may never have heard of, from sweet chirimoya to maqui berries. Just next door, La Vega Chica is a neighbouring market set up with casual food stalls serving lunch. Friendly eatery Eben Ezer offers pastel de choclo, a meat and chicken pie topped with mashed corn, liberally sprinkled with merken, a powdered smoked chilli pepper used by the Mapuche, which has been rediscovered in recent years and become a Chilean favourite once again. Market forces: Pueblito de Los Dominicos / Alamy No stay in the city would be complete without sampling some of the vintages that have put Chile on the new world wine map. Head to Bocanariz (00 56 2 2638 9893; bocanariz.cl) in the historic area of Lastarria to revel in the extensive wine list; ask the waiters at this wine bar and restaurant for tips on little-known vineyards such as Matetic, a biodynamic winery that produces great syrah. In Bellavista, the restaurant Peumayen (peumayenchile.cl) celebrates, in its own words, ancestral food. Here you will traverse the length of Chile in one meal. Opt for the tasting menu, about 35,000 pesos (42), to sample monkey-puzzle tree nuts, black sea snails in an algae sauce and milcao a potato pancake stuffed with braised oxtail from the island of Chiloe. Another eatery reinventing Santiagos food scene is Restaurante 040 (00 56 2 2732 9214; 040.cl). Spanish chef Sergio Barroso has taken the tapas concept and turned it into a 12-course tasting menu celebrating the best Chilean ingredients with a twist. Think hake churros served with parmesan dipping sauce, sea urchin with crispy chicken skin and sweet paella with saffron and marshmallow, all for 30,000 pesos (35) per person. Once youve had your fill, head through a secret door to speakeasy-style rooftop bar Room 09 for similarly inventive cocktails. Try wine at Bocanariz Where to shop Santiaguinos are big fans of the glitzy shopping centre and youll find them dotted throughout the city. At Parque Arauco (00 56 6 0050 0011; parquearauco.cl) youll recognise a lot of the brands but keep an eye out for Peruvian outfit Kuna (00 51 54 60 3000; kuna.com.pe) selling elegant scarves, shawls and throws made from soft alpaca wool. Beyond the malls, head to Pueblito De Los Dominicos (00 56 22 8969 841; culturallascondes.cl), a village of white adobe buildings selling food, jewellery, souvenirs, fabrics and paintings. What to do and see Santiago is saturated with art museums and creative spaces but there is one unlike any other. The Museo de la Solidaridad Salvador Allende (00 56 689 8761; mssa.cl) was created during the socialist leaders presidency and works were donated by supporters including Miro and Picasso. Details British Airways (ba.com) runs the only non-stop flights to Santiago from the UK, departing from Heathrow. Return flights start at 948. chile.travel A former prison librarian who called himself 007 as he bought a gun on the Dark Web has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Dwain Osborne, 26, scoured black market websites before ordering a Glock 19mm pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition to be delivered to his home in Penge. He bought a new laptop and downloaded high-tech software to mask his identity as he carried out the illicit deal, giving himself the codename 'Curious Cat 007'. However, Osborne, a 22,000-a-year librarian at Brixton prison and a volunteer Met special constable, ordered the gun and bullets from an undercover agent in the US. His home was raided by the National Crime Agency, who found 17.5g of cocaine and evidence of burgeoning drug dealing operation. It also emerged Osborne had researched the notorious murder of 11-year-old Liverpool schoolboy Rhys Jones, looked up how to make a gun in a 3D printer, and also searched for "how to buy a kilo of cocaine in Peru". Jailing him for seven-and-a-half years, Judge Christopher Moss QC said the motive for Osborne buying a gun remains unclear. "I think you are genuinely remorseful for what you have done but what you did was extremely serious", he told him. "I don't find it was your intention to provide firearms to the criminal underworld - I simply don't know what your motive was." Osborne ordered the pistol online in October 2015, sending a message on a website called Black Market Reloaded asking: "I was looking for a gun, preferably 9mm with ammo available." He told the undercover agent: "The Glock 19mm on your listing looks good, can I please order that along with 100 rounds of 9mm if available." Osborne paid in BitCoins and arranged for the firearm to be disguised as a digital radio when it was shipped to him. However, the undercover agent tipped off the NCA who swooped shortly after the package containing the dummy gun had arrived at Osborne's home. He had hurriedly opened the package when it arrived, but threw the contents out of the window when he realised he had been rumbled. Osborne also had a memory card containing details of all the inmates at Brixton Prison on it, but he said this was part of his work as a librarian. At an earlier hearing, Osborne said he had bought the gun in a "moment of madness", claiming he had been pressured into it by two unnamed men. "We have someone who apparently goes completely off the rails, ordering a 9mm pistol and 100 rounds of ammunition and says it's a moment of madness", said his barrister John Blandford. Osborne pleaded guilty to attempted possession of a firearm with intent to endanger life, attempted possession of ammunition with intent to endanger life, attempted purchase of a firearm, attempted purchase of ammunition, possession of false identity documents, possession of class B drugs, and possession of class A drugs with intent to supply. P olice are hunting as man who allegedly sexually assaulted a young woman on a late night train from central London. The woman, aged in her 20s, was attacked by a man who sat next to her and made sexual comments before touching her inappropriately, police said. Officers said he grabbed her hand and prevented her from leaving the train but she was able to escape when it stopped at Erith, south-east London. Police believe the suspect left the train at the same stop and that a member of the public had tried to intervene when he saw his behaviour. CCTV: Police want to speak to this man in connection with a sexual assault / British Transport Police British Transport Police released a CCTV image of a man they want to speak to in connection with the assault on board the 10.57pm Southeastern service from Cannon Street to Erith on Wednesday, December 7. Investigating officer PC Greg Fulton, said: Unwanted sexual or intimidating behaviour such as this is inexcusable and we are working hard to trace the person responsible. During the journey, a member of the public became aware of this mans behaviour and stepped in to assist. Were you this man? Please get in touch as you could also help us investigate. As part of our investigation, we would be very keen to speak with the man in the CCTV image. I think he has vital information that could help us, if you know him, contact us as soon as possible. Anyone with any information is asked to contact BTP by sending a text to 61016 or by calling 0800 40 50 40 quoting reference 229 of 09/01/2016 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. A teenager was rushed to hospital in a suspected stabbing just yards from where a student was knifed to death less than two months ago. The 19-year-old was left with cuts to his face and stomach after he was attacked in Northolt Road, near South Harrow Tube station on Sunday night. Witnesses told the Standard blood-stained materials were left strewn on the street outside a chicken shop and off-licence which had been taped off by police. Paramedics said they were called to reports of a stabbing, although police were unable to confirm if a blade had been used. The youth was rushed to hospital but has since been discharged. No arrests have been made. Emergency response: Police and ambulance crews at the scene in Northolt Road / Elgee Faure A police spokeswoman said: Police were called at 9.48pm by London Ambulance Service to reports of an assault in Northolt Road, South Harrow, on Sunday 8 January. On arrival they found a 19-year-old man with cuts to his face, and later a stomach wound. He was taken to hospital, treated, and subsequently discharged. A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said paramedics were called to Northolt Road at 9.45pm to reports of a possible stabbing. She said the man was treated at the scene and rushed to hospital as a priority. The attack took place near where Hussein Ahmed was allegedly murdered after he was dragged off his bike by an armed gang and stabbed in the chest. Three teenagers have been charged with murder and appeared at Willesden Youth Court on December. J eremy Hunt today rejected suggestions of a humanitarian crisis in the NHS but admitted there were very serious problems in some hospitals. London doctors have told of patients waiting on trolleys for more than 24 hours due to a shortage of beds. Figures last week showed that North Middlesex and Whittington hospitals ran out of beds after Christmas, and many other trusts in the capital were down to single figures. Today Health Secretary Mr Hunt denied claims from the British Red Cross of a humanitarian crisis, but admitted hospital beds had been shut before alternative community services had been opened. He told the BBC he had been told by hospital managers that the vast majority of hospitals are actually coping slightly better this year than last year. The Standard can reveal that bosses at London North West Healthcare NHS Trust last Thursday pleaded with staff at Northwick Park and Ealing hospitals to discharge an extra 30 per cent of patients - more than ever before - to free up beds. A memo from medical director Dr Charles Cayley, and chief executive Dame Jacqueline Docherty said: We will be seeking support to identify the least acute patients who can be discharged on Thursday and Friday to prepare us for the weekend. We will need to balance the risk between planned discharges and those risks faced by patients who are not currently able to access the emergency care they need. It is absolutely essential we carry this out to make sure our hospitals remain safe. Campaigners said it was scandalous to make patients go home early. But a trust spokesman said it came close to the target of 130 discharges from Northwick Park and 65 from Ealing after staff rose to the challenge. Meanwhile, an investigation was underway today into a five-hour computer crash early on New Years Day at London Ambulance Service, during which one patient died while control staff had to resort to pen and paper to take down 999 calls. The London head of NHS Improvement, Steve Russell, visited the LASs Bow control room yesterday. It was the second time in two months that the system crashed. LAS director of operations Paul Woodrow, said: We are taking this incident very seriously and have now launched a full external investigation into the circumstances of what happened and any impact on our patients. As part of our investigation we have identified a patient who sadly died during the time of the computer issues where we would like to look more closely at whether this was potentially a contributory factor. A disabled BBC journalist was stranded on a plane at Gatwick Airport when wheelchair assistance workers failed to show up. Frank Gardner OBE, the BBCs security correspondent, is partly paralysed and unable to get around without a wheelchair. On Sunday, he tweeted a photograph of himself alone on an easyJet plane after his fellow passengers had already left and were on their way home. He said: Once more stuck on empty plane at Gatwick Airport after all passengers off and heading home as special assistance have failed to turn up. The 55-year-old blasted Gatwick service partner OCS who are responsible for disability access at the airport but also blamed easyJet for not using an airbridge which had been placed just metres from the plane. It took half an hour of continuously ringing OCS for him to be helped off the plane. The furious correspondent branded the long wait "inexcusable" on Twitter. Mr Gardner said on Twitter that Gatwick Airport, easyJet and OCS had all responded to his complaint and were now investigating. An easyJet spokeswoman said: EasyJet is sorry that Mr Gardner was delayed around 30 minutes upon arrival at London Gatwick last night, cabin crew remained with him during the delay. "We have taken this up with OCS who are the special assistance provider to all airlines at London Gatwick airport and are in contact with Mr Gardner about his experience. Mr Gardner was shot multiple times by Al-Qaeda in 2004 during a brutal attack Saudi Arabia. The bullets missed his vital organs but he suffered damage to his spinal nerves, leaving him partially paralysed. The Standard has contacted OCS and Gatwick Airport for a comment. A motorcyclist is fighting for life after a crash on a busy road in south-west London. The man, in his 60s, was rushed to hospital by air ambulance after the accident, which also involved a car, in Roehampton Lane on Monday morning. It is the second serious crash to happen on the same stretch of road in the last six months. A spokesman for the Met Police said: He was taken to a south London hospital by Londons Air Ambulance in a critical condition. Next of kin have not been informed. There have been no arrests at this time and enquiries continue. The crash happened at about 9.20am and the driver of the car stopped at the scene, police said. A police cordon was put in place, with buses 72, 265 and 493 currently on diversion. In August, a motorcyclist died after a collision with a car on the same stretch of road, not far from Queen Marys Hospital. A 2.5million Grand Tier box is up for sale at the Royal Albert Hall for the first time in almost a decade. The offer has been described as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to own an important part of the London landmark. The 12-seat box is situated on the Grand Tier near the Royal Box, meaning its owner could be able to watch spectacles next to the monarchy. Luxury property agents Harrods Estates expect the box to fetch in excess of 2.5 million and believe it will likely go to a British investor. The Royal Albert Hall is one of the UKs most famous concert halls hosting performances of classical music, opera and ballet as well as rock concerts and film screenings. It has a capacity of 5,272 seats, of which around 1,300 are privately owned by individuals and businesses. In purchasing the box the owner will be made a member of the Corporation of the Halls of Arts and Science, an honour granted to those who put up the original capital to fund the building in the 1860s. The box has approximately 849 years remaining on the lease. Nicholas Shaw, Sales Manager of Harrods Estates Kensington said: This Grand Tier box at the Royal Albert Hall is a real generational purchase, and is the first of its kind that is available to buy for almost a decade. "The box is ideal for entertaining, with its 12 seats, and provides enviable views over the main stage and auditorium. "We have witnessed these boxes sell previously to the true lovers of the arts and this time should be no different. I anticipate this will sell to a British investor. B oris Johnson has held talks with senior members of Donald Trumps team during a surprise visit to New York. The Foreign Secretary met Mr Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and Steve Bannon, the president-elects chief strategist. It was the first formal meeting between members of the incoming US administration and a UK minister. On Monday Mr Johnson will travel to Washington DC to meet key Republican congressional leaders. But he will not be meeting his future counterpart Rex Tillerson as protocol dictates that cannot happen until the businessman is confirmed as secretary of state. The Foreign Secretary's visit followed talks between the Trump camp and Theresa May's closest advisers Nick Timothy and Fiona Hill. Mr Trump has tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting the Prime Minister in Washington in the spring, describing long-time US ally Britain as "very special". Donald Trump: Theresa May is expected to meet Mr Trump in the spring / AP A date for the meeting is yet to be revealed, but it is expected to come within weeks of Mr Trump's inauguration on January 20. Mrs May said: "I have had two very good, positive conversations with Donald Trump already - I think we are going to look to build on that relationship for the benefit of both the US and the UK. "I think that is something that is optimistic and positive for the UK for the future." But on Sunday in an interview with Sky News Mrs May made it clear that she thought Mr Trumps comments about groping women were "unacceptable". She added: "But the relationship that the UK has with the United States is about something much bigger than just the relationship between the two individuals as president and prime minister. "That's important, but actually we have a long-standing special relationship with the United States. "It's based on shared values and it is a relationship where, actually in the UK, we feel we can say to the US if we disagree with something that they are doing." A Foreign Office spokesman said Mr Johnsons visit followed a successful meeting last month between the Prime Minister's chiefs of staff and Mr Trump's team. "The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters," the spokesman said. Additional reporting by Press Association T he pound fell to a two-month low today after Theresa May added to fears that Britain is heading towards a hard Brexit. Sterling was down to below $1.22 early this morning, its lowest level since 31 October. It dropped by more than one per cent today after the Prime Minister told Sky News Sophy Ridge on Sunday in her first TV interview of 2017 that the Government would not seek to keep bits of EU membership. Mrs May instead stressed she aimed to clinch a really good, ambitious trade deal with the EU after Britain departs. But her comments were interpreted as signalling a shift towards a hard Brexit. Financial experts also believe the Pound could lose more of its value in coming months. The selling pressures on the Pound will certainly stay until more details are revealed, said Ipek Ozkardeskaya, senior market analyst at London Capital Group. Lee Hardman, currency analyst at Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG), stressed: The uncertainty and fear of harder Brexit are expected to remain heavy weights on the Pound. But he added that the scope for further Pound weakness is more limited now given it has already adjusted sharply lower in recent years. The Pound was also down against the euro by more than one cent to just above 1.15 euros this morning. Many of the gloomy warnings of severe economic blows after the June 23 vote to quit the EU have yet to materialise. But uncertainty over the UKs future relationship with the union lingers. Shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer said: The Prime Minister had the opportunity yesterday to clarify the Governments Brexit negotiating strategy and to reassure businesses about the approach she is taking. She failed on both counts. Labour has always been clear that we need a Brexit deal that puts jobs and the economy first. Mrs May has pledged to trigger Article 50 by the end of March to start the two-year process of quitting the EU. As Britain seeks to strengthen its global ties for a post-Brexit world, including with new trade deals, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson was on the second day of a visit to the US. He was due to meet Congressional leaders in Washington including Speaker Paul Ryan, Senator Bob Corker and Senator Mitch McConnell, having held talks yesterday in New York with Donald Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and the president-elects chief strategist Steve Bannon. Mr Johnson was not due to meet his future opposite number Rex Tillerson as his appointment process as Secretary of State has yet to be completed. M ore than 180 top academics from Londons leading higher education institutions today united to warn that government reforms risk undermining the capitals great universities. Changes to the way universities are organised and assessed would damage Londons stature and deter students, particularly those from overseas, from choosing to study here, they claim. The attack comes on the day the Higher Education and Research Bill, piloted by minister Jo Johnson, goes into committee stage in the House of Lords, where it faces a rough ride from peers. Some 185 London academics from institutions including Imperial College London, the LSE, UCL and Kingston University set out their concerns in a letter to the Evening Standard, in which they warned: The Bill risks undermining everything we have recently built up in London. London, they said, is a global education powerhouse with four of the worlds top 40 universities, earning 6 billion annually and supporting 150,000 jobs. Among criticisms of the Bill are that it will threaten the ancient freedoms of existing universities and allow new institutions without long track records to award degrees. Baroness Wolf, the Sir Roy Griffiths Professor of public sector management at Kings College London, said plans for a gold, silver and bronze award would be skewed against London because it would draw heavily on whether students were satisfied with their experience. She said: Any survey of the student experience will find that large universities in big cities do less well than campus universities or small cosy colleges. Students have a mass of reasons to come to top London universities; but they wont have the same student lifestyle, the tight year groups, the student societies on their doorsteps. London is expensive, students and academics are scattered. Other countries, like Holland, report the same thing big city universities get lower ratings. Sean Wallis, an academic at UCL who helped to organise the letter, said: If the UK higher education sector was in crisis, Jo Johnsons Bill would have merit. "On the contrary, its one of Britains few world-leading industries, mostly because governments of every stripe have recognised that universities flourish when they are free from political interference. The Governments proposals would damage the entire sector and London in particular. A Department for Education spokesman said: We want more young people to have the opportunity to access a high-quality university education, and the measures proposed in the Higher Education and Research Bill are critical to making this possible. The Bill will protect and enshrine the autonomy and academic freedom of Higher Education institutions in law. And it puts students at the heart of the system, with the Office for Students making universities rightly more accountable to their students so they get the best value for money. The new Teaching Excellence Framework will drive up the standards of teaching by assessing universities on key metrics including drop-out rates, progression to highly skilled employment and student feedback as well as an explicit criterion that rewards rigour and stretch in teaching. There is no quota on the number of universities that can be awarded the highest rating of Gold and almost all English universities, including those in the Russell Group, have confirmed that they intend to take part in the second year. "Since the introduction of the Bill last May, we have been listening carefully to the views of students, universities, academics and parliamentarians and have tabled amendments to the Bill based on their feedback." N etwork Rail has been forced to pay 800,000 after a track worker was left with life-changing injuries when he was hit by a train on the London to Brighton line. The man was thrown down an embankment close to Redhill, Surrey after the train ploughed into him at 80mph, the Office of Rail and Road said. He was leading a maintenance team of 12 people working to fix cracks in the track, with lookouts in place to protect the group, during the incident in June 2014. At about the time a warning was given about the oncoming train, the team leader began to walk along the side of the line with his back to the train and was hit. Network Rail pleaded guilty to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act. The work on the main line between Brighton and London was inadequately planned and managed, placing track workers in unnecessary danger, Guildford Crown Court heard on Monday. An investigation found that the works were scheduled while fast, frequent trains continued to run, in an area with a narrow, steep embankment. The court heard the work could have been carried out at night when no trains were running. ORR principal inspector Tom Wake said: "This incident shows that although Britain's railways are the safest in Europe, we can never be complacent. "In 2014, Network Rail's planning of track maintenance work near Redhill fell below legal standards, placing workers in unnecessary danger and causing an employee to suffer life-changing injuries." Network Rail's managing director for the South East, John Halsall, said the organisation's thoughts were with the track worker and his family "as the consequences of this accident continue to affect their lives". He added: "Safety is our absolute priority and it is clear that we fell short in this instance. "We have made several changes to the way we work following this incident, including banning working while trains are running on this particular stretch of railway." The ORR said it would continue to monitor Network Rail and "will not hesitate to step in if needed". F rench police have arrested at least 15 people after reality TV star Kim Kardashian was robbed at gunpoint in a Paris apartment. The 36-year-old was asleep in her luxury flat in October when a gang of raiders broke in and held a gun to her, police said. She was then locked in a bathroom with her hands tied together. Police said around 9million worth of jewellery was swiped during the robbery. On Monday, local media reported at least 15 people had been arrested in connection with the raid. The breakthrough in the investigation comes as Ms Kardashian broke her silence on the robbery for the first time for an upcoming series of her reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. She is seen telling her sisters Khloe and Kourtney her thoughts at the time of the ordeal. She said: They're going to shoot me in the back. There's no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it." Speaking at the time of the multimillion pound raid, sources said the gang involved were highly organised and that a great deal of planning had been carried out. Ms Kardashian was visiting the city for Paris fashion week and her movements were well documented on social media. Her husband Kanye West was told about the robbery halfway through a performance at the Meadow Music and Art Festival, New York, and immediately cancelled his set. P ope Francis encouraged women to breastfeed their children during a baptism ceremony at the Sistine Chapel on Sunday. The Pope, who baptised 28 children, told mothers to go ahead and breastfeed in the Vatican City church. He said: The ceremony is a little long, someones crying because hes hungry. Thats the way it is. You mothers, go ahead and breastfeed, without fear. "Just like the Virgin Mary nursed Jesus. Pope Francis baptised 28 babies on Sunday in a ceremony at the Sistine Chapel / AFP/Getty Images During the ceremony commemorating the baptism of Jesus, the Pope formally welcomed the babies into the Catholic Church. 5 big moments in the life of Pope Francis He has previously voiced his support for breastfeeding, which benefits babies by providing optimal nutrition and boosting their immune system. However, breastfeeding in public is still discouraged in many countries around the world. VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - Lithium Americas Corp. ("Lithium Americas" or the "Company"), (LAC.TO)(LACDF) is pleased to announce that Dr. David Deak, Chief Technical Officer and President of the Company's subsidiary Lithium Nevada Corp., will be the keynote speaker on Wednesday, January 25, 2017 at the Cormark Securities 2017 Battery Value Chain Conference held in Toronto, Canada. The presentation will be available on Lithium Americas' website at www.lithiumamericas.com. About Lithium Americas Lithium Americas is developing the Cauchari-Olaroz Lithium Project, located in Jujuy Province, Argentina, and the Lithium Nevada project (formerly Kings Valley project) in Nevada, USA, with the intent to become a major supplier of lithium products. In addition, Lithium Americas is a supplier of rheology modifiers for oil-based drilling fluids, coatings, and specialty chemicals. R yan Gosling made an emotional speech about his 'sweetheart' Eva Mendes following the death of her brother, saying that he couldnt have won a Golden Globe without her. The Hollywood A-lister paid tribute to his other half as he collected the award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy during Sunday nights ceremony. The famously private actor, who rarely speaks out about his personal life, credited Mendes for keeping the family together while he filmed La La Land. I would like to try to thank one person properly and say while I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I've ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer, he told the audience. If she hadn't have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So sweetheart, thank you. Mendes gave birth to the couples second daughter, Amada, in April last year, the same week that her brother lost his battle with cancer. Golden Globe Awards 2017 - In pictures 1 /49 Golden Globe Awards 2017 - In pictures Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Reuters Tom Hiddleston Reuters Claire Foy holds the award for Best Performance by an Actress In A Television Series - Drama for her role in "The Crown" Reuters Jimmy Fallon at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Paul Drinkwater/NBC Ryan Reynolds and Andrew Garfield embrace Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Reuters Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Reuters Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Cast and crew of "La La Land" AP Nicole Kidman and Reese Witherspoon Getty Images Viola Davis, winner of Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for 'Fences' Getty Images Sofia Vergara Getty Images Sienna Miller, Ben Affleck and Zoe Saldana Getty Images Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain AP Brad Pitt gets an ovation before introducing a clip from Moonlight. NBC Felicity Jones and Diego Luna Getty Images Meryl Streep poses in the press room with the Cecil B. DeMille award at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Viola Davis (L), winner of Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for 'Fences,' poses in the press room while actors Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel look on during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards Getty Images Timothy Elephant and Drew Barrymore Getty Images The cast and crew of "Moonlight" pose in press room with the award for best motion picture - drama at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards Invision/AP Billy Bob Thornton accepts the award for Best Actor in a TV Series - Drama for his role in "Goliath" Getty Images Brie Larson Reuters Aaron Taylor-Johnson holds the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture for his role in "Nocturnal Animals" Reuters Kristen Bell and Cuba Gooding Jr AP Isabelle Huppert accepting the award for best actress in a motion picture drama for her role in "Elle" AP Hugh Laurie accepts the award for Best Supporting Actor in a Series/Limited Series/TV Movie for his role in "The Night Manager" during the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards Getty Images Casey Affleck accepts the award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for his role in "Manchester by the Sea" Getty Images Naomi Campbell and Matt Bomer AP Tracee Ellis Ross, winner of Best Performance in a Television Series - Musical or Comedy for 'Black-ish', Getty Images Emma Stone and Ryan Reynolds Getty Images Leonardo DiCaprio presents Reuters Matt Damon at the 74th Annual Golden Globe Awards AP Sylvester Stallone and Carl Weathers AP Paul Verhoeven accepting the award for best foreign film for "Elle, AP Sunny Pawar and Dev Patel AP Ryan Gosling poses in the press room with the award for best performance by an actor in a motion picture - musical or comedy for "La La Land" at the 74th annual Golden Globe Awards Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP Just days after the actress welcomed the new addition to her family, she laid to rest brother Juan Carlos, who died at the age of 53. La La Land was the big winner of the night during the 2017 Golden Globes, sweeping the floor by winning in every category it was nominated in. The Damien Chazelle-directed musical made history by winning seven awards the most won by any single film in the ceremonys history. H ugh Laurie dedicated his Golden Globe award to psychopathic billionaires everywhere in a speech mocking Donald Trump. The British actor made a dig at the President-elect as he picked up an award for his role in The Night Manager, saying that he expected it to be the final Globes since it was organised by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. I won at the last ever Golden Globes, Laurie told the crowd during Sunday nights ceremony. I dont mean to be gloomy, its just that it has the words Hollywood, foreign and press in the title. I just dont know what I think to some Republicans even the word association is slightly sketchy. The former House star finished his speech by saying: I accept this award on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere. Golden Globes in 90 seconds: La La Land wins big and British success stories Laurie wasnt the only award winner to take aim at Trump during the star-studded ceremony. Meryl Streeps acceptance speech was lauded as the best of the evening after she called out Trump for mocking a disabled New York Times reporter last year. There was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks in my heart. Not because it was good; there was nothing good about it. But it was effective and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh, and show their teeth, she said. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it, and I still cant get it out of my head, because it wasnt in a movie. It was real life. She continued: And this instinct to humiliate, when its modelled by someone in the public platform, by someone powerful, it filters down into everybodys life, because it kinda gives permission for other people to do the same thing. Disrespect invites disrespect, violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others we all lose. I ts that time of year again: when payday seems a lifetime away, when the Dry January brigade are already sniffing Tipp-Ex fumes in desperation and thank God when Irish actress Jessie Buckley is giving the stand-out performance in a bar-raising new BBC One period drama. Last January she was Princess Marya Bolkonskaya in the impassioned adaptation of Tolstoy's War and Peace. "Oh God! The crier! The religion-obsessed one!" Buckley says now with a laugh and a cringe. "I must shake that!" That isn't really a fair assessment of the quiet poise with which she invested the tricky role, but if typecasting is the worry, then this year's must-see will sort that out. FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Taboo - Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow / FX Networks / Robert Viglasky In Taboo, Buckley plays a very different sort of 19th-century heroine, actress and adventuress Lorna Bow. "She's such a force and she's got such strength and intelligence," says Buckley. "She's like a Lauren Bacall of the 1800s." The Gothic-tinged, hard-edged drama should already be occupying the top spot on your 2017 TV watchlist because alongside Buckley it stars Tom Hardy at his most Hardy-esque. He plays a brooding prodigal son with a dislike for authority and a wide lexicon of grunts to draw on whenever he finds himself confronting it. This performance should be no surprise, given that Hardy also co-wrote the series with Stephen "Peaky Blinders" Knight and his father Chips Hardy. The supporting cast is worth getting excited about too: Jonathan Pryce plays a scheming representative of the East India Company, House of Cards' Michael Kelley is an American spy, Mark Gatiss is the dissolute Prince Regent and a heavily tattooed Stephen Graham almost menaces Hardy off the screen. The real-life Tom is "a big teddy bear", according to Buckley. Taboo- Trailer - BBC One "He loves his dogs and, y'know, he's intense about his work, but that's because he cares about it." She does though admit to being intimidated the first time they met at his house in Richmond, where she'd been invited to an informal audition. "You try to con yourself into feeling OK, when inside your heart's racing. But he was so nice. He was having boiled eggs with his wife and his dogs were running around. We just read through the scenes a few times and then they offered it to me." Taboo - the cast of BBC's period drama with Tom Hardy 1 /12 Taboo - the cast of BBC's period drama with Tom Hardy Taboo The BBC's dark thriller is unlike any period drama you've seen before FX Networks Tom Hardy as James Delaney FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Jonathan Pryce as Sir Stuart Strange FX Networks / Olly Robinson Oona Chaplin as Zilpha Geary FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Jessie Buckley as Lorna Bow FX Networks / Robert Viglasky David Hayman as Brace FX Networks / Olly Robinson Jefferson Hall as Thorne Geary FX Networks / Robert Viglasky Franka Potente as Helga Scott Free Prods Michael Kelly as Dr. Dumbarton FX Networks / Robert Viglasky That's a much simpler audition process than the 10-week one Buckley endured at the beginning of her career. She entered I'd Do Anything, the 2008 reality TV competition to find a Nancy for the West End revival of Oliver! and eventually came second. It's hard to reconcile this Jessie Buckley a self-assured, exciting new acting talent with that one, a wide-eyed 17-year-old, all Annie curls and earnest enthusiasm, who you can find in old YouTube clips. "Oh God, it feels like 100 years ago! I think there was a time when I looked back and was like [she cringes] but now I feel proud. Jessie Buckley at the Cafe Royal Hotel, Westminster / Daniel Hambury/Stella Pictures I was so innocent about what that programme was. Which was probably why I got so far But yeah, no regrets. It brought me over to London and singing is a part of who I am." Buckley grew up in Killarney, County Kerry, the eldest of five siblings, in a house without a television set. Music was an important part of her life from childhood and Buckley still sings with her jazz band any chance that she gets. Instead of name-dropping her contemporaries she sprinkles her conversation with admiring references to Judy Garland and other stars of Hollywood's Golden Age of musicals. So while her career may have taken a turn towards hip and edgy with an upcoming role in indie thriller Beast it's clear that Buckley will never stop loving a good old-fashioned showstopper. And she doesn't care who knows it. "I was saying this morning that I'd do a musical again if it was interesting. Never say never. I love singing." The secret of her success might be how she shrugs off snobbery and simply refuses to acknowledge any barriers between her and her goals. "I think if you work hard then you don't have to worry about anybody's preconception of what you were before," she says. It's an outlook she shares with her Taboo character, who sets out to secure a living for herself regardless of society's disapproval of her professional ambitions. "I like a challenge and I don't ever really feel aware of those things. I get asked a lot about being a woman within the industry and how difficult it is and, yeah, it is but it's difficult for everybody I'm not a 'burn-your-bra' feminist. Jessie Buckley at the Cafe Royal Hotel, Westminster / Daniel Hambury/Stella The people who are inspiring and strong for me are the ones who acknowledge vulnerabilities." Lately she's been reading Grayson Perry's The Descent of Man and it's reminded her of what she's felt instinctively since she was a schoolgirl playing the male roles in her class's theatre productions: there are no gender restrictions on empathy. "Even for posh boys as well, it's hard for them, because they're typecast and don't get to play some other interesting roles." Perhaps the particular posh boy she's thinking of here is privately educated Cambridge graduate James Norton, who she describes as "brilliant" with a loved-up smile. Norton is the star of Grantchester and Happy Valley and has been her boyfriend since they met on the set of War and Peace (he played her character's brother). He's also in the frame to be the next James Bond. Does Buckley think he'd make a good 007? "I think I'd make a good James Bond I'm joking. No, it's not my call. That's up to him." Maybe that's a joke, but maybe it shouldn't be. If anyone has the determination to overcome an audience's long-standing assumptions, Buckley does. She lets slip occasional insights into the sacrifices she's made along the way to follow her calling. "I had to be an adult very quickly and didn't have any friends. I didn't go down the pub and hang out. I went away to a music school when I was 12 and then I came over here when I was 17." But fundamentally Jessie Buckley is not a whinger. Her optimism could light a path through even this gloomiest of months. And, of course, a great new BBC drama with innovative writing and a world-class cast is always something to look forward to. Taboo airs on BBC One on Saturdays Here are some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today. McDonalds (MCD) is selling 20-year rights for 80% of its business in China and Hong Kong to investors led by state-owned Chinese conglomerate CITIC and The Carlyle Group. The deal is valued at about $2.1 billion. McDonalds has more than 2,400 restaurants in China and about 240 in Hong Kong. The new partnership plans to add 1,500 stores over the next five years. Surgical Affiliates (SCAI) shares were sharply higher in early trading. UnitedHealth (UNH) is buying the outpatient surgery chain for $2.3 billion in cash and stock. The deal will help United Health expand its footprint by growing its roster of clinics and doctors. Merrimack Pharmaceuticals (MACK) shares surged this morning. The pharma company is selling some of its key cancer drugs to French drugmaker Ipsen for up to $1 billion. The deal will give Merrimack the resources to fund the development of other cancer treatments. Separately, the company said it would slash about 80% of its workforce, or about 320 jobs. VCA (WOOF) shares are howling this morning. Privately-held Mars is buying the pet health care company in a deal valued at around $7.7 billion, or $93 a share. Thats a 31% premium for the company based on Fridays closing price of $70.77. The deal will help Mars expand its pet care business, which includes Banfield Pet Hospital and brands such as Iams and Natura. Fiat Chrysler (FCAU) announced it will invest $1 billion to upgrade plants in Ohio and Michigan, creating 2,000 new jobs. The news comes after Ford (F) scrapped plans to build a plant in Mexico and said it will invest $700 million in a factory in Michigan instead. All this, as the auto industry deals with criticism from Donald Trumpand his threats of slapping tariffs on cars made in Mexico. 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"ANM will issue an update of the previous warning - Code Yellow for extreme cold weather this morning, and this implies the area of Bucharest entering a Code Orange warning for extreme cold weather from today. This Code Orange warning will be issued at 10:00. It implies for the Capital a temperature, today, of around minus 11 degrees, while tonight the maximum intensity of the negative temperatures of this cold streak will be felt and I'm referring here to a thermal minimum of around minus 20 to minus 18 centigrade. (...) Tomorrow, the Code Orange warning for persistent extreme cold weather in the Capital will remain in force," the ANM representative stated on Monday at the meeting to discuss winter measures convoked by the Bucharest Mayor. agerpres. The South Grand Community Improvement District is touting the publication of a recently completed history of the South Grand Boulevard neighborhood. The Landmarks Association of Saint Louis, specifically executive director Andrew Weil and Josh Burbridge, penned the 29-page history, which looks at the historic thoroughfare from north of Arsenal Street to Utah Street. Rachel Witt, executive director of the improvement district, said their work "truly depicts the evolution of the district today." A couple of interesting tidbits that the study reveals: Wyoming Barber Shop, which opened in 1906 and remains at 3192 South Grand, is the oldest business on the street. The first Asian restaurant, Oriental Kitchen, opened in 1935 at 3189 South Grand. An order of chop suey that served four people cost 95 cents. The oldest home is Beauvais Manor, South Grand and Magnolia, built in 1867 for Rene Beauvais. It became a home for indigent women in the 1880s. It's now a residence for seniors. The full history of South Grand, its buildings and the neighborhood can be found at www.southgrand.org. ST. LOUIS COUNTY A Flordell Hills man was charged Monday with assault in what police called an accidental shooting of his 14-year-old nephew at the Sugar Pines apartments in north St. Louis County. Jordon L. Henderson, 20, of the 7000 block of Roslyn Drive, was charged with second-degree assault. His first name is spelled Jordan in some records. He was jailed on a $50,000 cash-only bail. The shooting was about 7:45 p.m. Sunday in the 3500 block of Sugar Crest Drive. Charges say Henderson "playfully pointed a handgun at victim and pulled the trigger multiple times without the gun going off." At one point while pulling the trigger, however, the gun fired and the boy was hit once in the abdomen. The boy, identified in court documents by initials D.H., was taken to a hospital and is expected to survive. Authorities initially said he was 13 but now say he is 14. Charges say Henderson admitted shooting his nephew. ST. LOUIS A Hazelwood man was charged over the weekend in a deadly stabbing last month at an apartment in the city's Dogtown neighborhood. Sterl McDaniel, 35, of the 400 block of Elm Grove Lane, was charged with first-degree murder, first-degree assault, burglary, two counts of armed criminal action and evidence tampering. According to charges, McDaniel entered an apartment in the 1000 block of Art Hill Place about 4:45 p.m. Dec. 30 and attacked Jonathan DeTurk, 36, and a 25-year-old woman. DeTurk was found dead with multiple stab wounds. The woman was found outside the building with minor puncture wounds. She survived. Court documents identify her as Andrea Simmons. McDaniel "admitted that he had had a relationship with Jonathan DeTurk, and went to DeTurk's residence armed with a knife because he was angry with him over personal matters, and then admitted to stabbing victim multiple times," homicide Detective Amy Funk said in court documents. DNA tests on blood at the crime revealed the presence of McDaniel and the victims, charges say. The evidence tampering charge was filed because McDaniel hid DeTurk's cellphone "with the purpose to impair its availability in the investigation." The apartment building is just south of the Turtle Playground sculpture park in Forest Park. McDaniel was jailed at the St. Louis Justice Center without bail. Missouri court records show no criminal convictions for McDaniel. The logo of Mondelez International is pictured at the company's building in Zurich November 14, 2012. REUTERS/Michael Buholzer By Jonathan Stempel (Reuters) - Mondelez International Inc (MDLZ.O) agreed to pay $13 million to settle U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission charges that its Cadbury unit violated a federal anti-bribery law through efforts to expand a chocolate plant in Baddi, India. In a statement on Monday, Mondelez said it was pleased to reach the civil settlement, in which it neither admitted nor denied wrongdoing. The accord resolves charges that Mondelez violated the internal controls and books-and-records provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. According to the SEC, Cadbury India paid a local businessman $90,666 in 2010 to work with government officials in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh and obtain licenses and approvals to add capacity at the Baddi plant, which was built in 2005. The SEC said Cadbury India's books and records did not accurately reflect the nature of the businessman's services, for which it received five invoices but had no written contract. It also said Cadbury India lacked FCPA adequate compliance controls to ensure how the payments were used. Mondelez ended its relationship with the businessman in October 2010, the SEC said. An SEC subpoena was issued four months later. The settlement also reflected Deerfield, Illinois-based Mondelez's "extensive" remedial actions, including a review of Cadbury India's relationships with third parties, the SEC said. Mondelez, known at the time as Kraft Foods, bought Cadbury in February 2010. Some of the company's other products are Halls cough drops, Milka and Toblerone chocolate, Oreo cookies, Philadelphia cream cheese and Ritz and Triscuit crackers. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler) JEFFERSON CITY In Eric Greitens first official act as Missouris 56th governor, the Republican newcomer signed an order barring employees under his control from accepting freebies from lobbyists. It isnt a new concept, or even one that may be judicially enforceable, based on a 2002 court ruling. But it highlighted what the political newcomer said on the campaign trail when he pledged to end politics as usual. On a day normally reserved for the pomp and circumstance of the swearing-in ceremonies of five statewide officers, the newly minted 42-year-old chief executive said his action will ensure his administration is distanced from the wining and dining that has become commonplace during the legislative session. We promised that we were going to clean up the culture of corruption in Jefferson City. As governor, I will always hold myself and my team to the highest possible standard, Greitens said. His order, which also bans political appointees within the governors office from working as lobbyists during his tenure, is considered by the Missouri court system as more of a directive than an enforceable law. Despite that, the order notes that punishment could include being fired. The signing came minutes after Greitens and four other Republicans were sworn into office on the south steps of the Capitol under cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-30s. Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon, who did not run for re-election because of term limits, viewed the proceedings from a nearby seat in front of thousands of onlookers. Greitens, Lt. Gov. Mike Parson, Treasurer Eric Schmitt, Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft and Attorney General Josh Hawley each have four-year terms ahead of them. Greitens, a former Navy SEAL, took the oath with his hand on a Bible that once belonged to a World War I soldier. As part of the military overtones of the day, a B-2 bomber flew overhead, followed by a 19-gun artillery salute and a review by Greitens of National Guard troops on the north side of the Capitol. The ceremony ushered in an era of Republican dominance in the executive and legislative branch and signaled the start of a push by GOP leaders to chart a pro-business course for the next four years. In a 10-minute-long inaugural speech, Greitens promised his administration wouldnt back down because of political pressure or political correctness. He acknowledged big fights ahead for big things but also shared a message of unity. Yet even as we fight for our convictions, we resolve that the greatest conviction is to love our neighbors as ourselves, he said. He also doubled down on his outsider status. This is the peoples house, Greitens said. And to those who would trouble this house for their own selfish and sinful gain, hear me now: I answer to the people. I come as an outsider, to do the peoples work. Jim Matush, 60, a founding partner in a wealth management firm in St. Louis, made the two-hour drive to the Capitol for the events with a group of more than 20. Matush said he first met Greitens almost 10 years ago and has followed his work with his charity, the Mission Continues, ever since. The impact (of Greitens in office) for business owners and the economy will be huge, Matush said. Hell cut through red tape. Hell simplify and create a much more business-savvy type of government that doesnt demonize businesses but actually lifts them up. Shehzad Khan, 52, of Hazelwood, said he is excited because Greitens is not a career politician. Im excited to see him starting on ethics reform and especially law and order. What happened in Ferguson and Berkeley was not positive for Missouri, Khan said while waiting in a receiving line at the Governors Mansion. The long-awaited day came after a week in which Greitens toured the state, thanking people who helped him win his first-ever bid for office. In the evening, legislators, statewide officers and their families were introduced to a crowd in the Capitol rotunda as part of the traditional inaugural ball. Greitens and his wife, Sheena, led the statewide officers in the Missouri Waltz before Boonville native and country music star Sara Evans launched into Missing Missouri, Suds In The Bucket and I Could Not Ask For More. Greitens beat Democratic Attorney General Chris Koster in a campaign that was heavy on imagery but lighter on specifics. His top priorities are boosting education, defending law enforcement, creating jobs and improving the culture of the capital city. An administration can render a check, Greitens said. But no amount of money given by a government can ever provide the meaning, strength and dignity that comes from a good-paying job. Republicans who control the Legislature appear ready to try to oblige the new governor on issues such as making Missouri a right to work state and enacting a lobbyist gift ban. As a signal of their eagerness, committees in the House have scheduled an early round of hearings in an attempt to get legislation to the governors desk before the end of the month. House Speaker Todd Richardson had already promised that that ban will be the first piece of legislation out of his chamber in the 2017 legislative session. The Senate is more likely to be a roadblock to the sweeping ethics reform Greitens has called for. Democrats, meanwhile, suggested Missouri could be in for a rough ride under GOP control. Editorial: Greitens: "Bureaucracy is the wrong place to look if youre seeking compassion' Even before Eric Greitens was sworn in as Missouri's new governor came news that the state's budget is $500 million out of whack. House Minority Whip Kip Kendrick said a litany of anti-union proposals, changes to education policy and reforms to the legal system will be fought by his party. Greitens also will face a potentially volatile budget situation as revenues have come in slower than projected, said Kendrick, D-Columbia . Theres not much more fat in the budget left to cut, Kendrick said. Republican U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt told the Post-Dispatch hes excited about having Republicans in control in his home state and in Washington . We now have a governor and a president who will be working with a Legislature of their own party. Neither at the national level or Missouri have we had that for quite a while now, Blunt said. I think there are great opportunities for our state. Ashcroft, the son of former U.S. Sen. John Ashcroft, spent the first hours of his new job hosting an open house at his new office. He said his wife and mother made cookies and brownies for visitors. * Morgan Stanley owns 33.3 pct stake in China securities JV * UBS holds about 25 pct stake in China securities JV * Morgan Stanley awaiting regulator's approval for stake hike * UBS exec says stake hike to result in more revenue for bank (Adds UBS executive's comments on China securities business) By Sumeet Chatterjee and Elzio Barreto HONG KONG, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Morgan Stanley and UBS Group AG are set to raise their stakes in separate Chinese securities joint ventures to 49 percent, people with direct knowledge of the moves said, betting on strong deals momentum in the world's second-largest economy. China allowed foreign banks to boost holdings in securities joint ventures to a maximum 49 percent in 2012 from the previous cap of a third to help modernise its capital markets. However, foreign investments banks did not raise their stakes as most of the securities joint ventures in China were small or struggling to break even due to sluggish onshore deals. But the prospect of China soon allowing global banks to own majority stakes in securities joint ventures and growing volumes of equity issuance and trading businesses have motivated some foreign banks to explore raising their holdings. "The China securities market is ripe for growth, and foreign investment banks will look to put more money there when it comes to boosting revenue. It's a long-term bet," said Benjamin Quinlan, CEO of consultancy Quinlan & Associates. Morgan Stanley and its Chinese partner, Huaxin Securities, have agreed to a proposal to raise the U.S. investment bank's stake in their joint venture to 49 percent from 33.3 percent, two people with knowledge of the plan said. This is awaiting approval from the Chinese securities regulator, one of the sources said. UBS, which registered its Chinese securities joint venture in 2006, is in talks to hike its stake in UBS Securities to 49 percent from 25 percent, two separate sources said. One of the sources said UBS expected the process to be completed later this year. Story continues All the sources declined to be named as the details of the plans were not public yet. A Morgan Stanley spokesman declined to comment. News of the stake hikes was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. UBS China Country Head and President Eugene Qian confirmed the bank was working to raise its stake in its Chinese securities joint venture, subject to regulatory approval. "If we can make a significant increase in the percentage stake we hold, it will result in more attributable revenue and earnings to the group," Qian told Reuters, without providing any further details. GROWING DEALS Morgan Stanley Huaxin Securities' offering includes underwriting and sponsoring of stocks and bonds. UBS China securities joint venture businesses include fixed income, equity underwriting and financial advisory. Morgan Stanley China securities joint venture posted a net profit of 30 million yuan ($4.33 million) in 2015, data on the website of the Securities Association of China shows, compared with a loss of 470,000 yuan in 2014. The net profit at UBS China securities joint venture in 2015 was 296 million yuan, versus 118 million yuan a year ago. Reuters reported last year that Credit Suisse was also planning to boost its stake in Chinese securities joint venture to 49 percent. The foreign banks' bigger push in China comes at a time when a pickup in onshore equity and bond issuance is helping the nation's home-grown investment banks to grab a bigger share of the fee pool. Equity capital market deals in Shanghai rose 2.8 percent in 2016, while volumes at Shenzhen's SME board and its tech-heavy ChiNext board surged by 74 percent and 64 percent, respectively, buoyed by follow-on share sales, Thomson Reuters data showed. ($1 = 6.9327 Chinese yuan renminbi) (Reporting by Sumeet Chatterjee, Elzio Barreto and Julie Zhu, additional reporting by Engen Tham; Editing by Stephen Coates and Himani Sarkar) I took my children into the voting booth with me and later my grandchildren so they could learn the procedure and why it is so important. I maintain that La Aurora is an underrated cigar maker. Headed by Guillermo Leon and Jose Blanco, La Aurora doesnt chase trends, but seems to produce solid, tasty smokes year after year, with Preferidos and Cien Anos as classic examples. Speaking of years, this year La Aurorathe oldest Dominican cigar companycelebrates its 107th anniversary. Like so many cigar companies, its celebrating with a new cigar. We had defined our goal early on, said Leon, La Aurora VP, and that was to bring the smokers a medium-bodied, richly flavored smoke with a fair amount of spice at a very attractive price. Leon and Blanco created the La Aurora 107 blend with an Ecuadorian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and a combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan filler tobaccos. The Robusto (4.5 x 50) retails for $6.50. Other sizes of the cigar, due out only in brick and mortar cigar shops, are a Toro (5.5 x 54) and a Belicoso (6.25 x 52). The Ecuadorian wrapper is oily and rough with plenty of veins. The cigar is slightly spongy to the touch but even throughout. Upon clipping the head, an easy draw is apparent which is maintained throughout the short robusto. Upon lighting, I find a hint of bitterness in the first few puffs, which soon gives way to toasty flavors with a hint of spice. Theres also a nice bit of sweetness that I commonly associate with maduro smokes. The 107 is medium-bodied and balanced. As it evolves, a burnt chary flavor emerges, along with more woody spices, and even a hint of Bordeaux-like wine notes. Construction is flawless with a solid ash and even burn producing thick, lush smoke. Im always a big believer in the idea that smoking slowly brings out the best in a cigar, and that is especially true in the La Aurora 107. When smoked too quickly, the 107 develops a slight bitterness. However, with enough patience (by limiting the 107 to no more than two draws per minute) it can be a smooth, subtle smoke. So while you may have to work at it, the La Aurora 107 has a lot to offer. Given some aging time I think it might turn out even better. Even so, right now the La Aurora 107 Robusto earns a rating of three and a half stogies out of five. [To read more StogieGuys.com cigar reviews, please click here.] Patrick S photo credit: Stogie Guys A STRATFORD-UPON-AVON company has admitted a string of health and safety offences following the death of one of its workers and is facing a fine of as much as 2million. Mark Seward, aged 49, died from serious head injuries he suffered in an incident at AGD Equipment on Masons Road on 27th May, 2015, when a pressurised cylinder he was testing exploded. And on Tuesday, 3rd January, at Nuneaton Magistrates Court, the company admitted three charges related to breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was warned it could be fined around 2million when sentenced at Warwick Crown Court later this month. AGD Equipment is a family-owned company thatrents and services construction equipment. It has a turnover in excess of 13million. Full story in the Herald of Thursday, 5th January, 2016. CLICK HERE to buy an e-edition A GROUP of Slimming World Consultants from Stratford-upon-Avon has got the magic touch when it comes to weight loss this New Year, according to TV presenter Stephen Mulhern. The team, who run Slimming World groups across Stratford, was delighted to get a chance to cuddle up to Stephen when he presented the annual Slimming World Awards. He co-hosted Decembers event with the organisations founder and chair Margaret Miles-Bramwell OBE. The group from Stratford was Laura Schofield, Sarah Jones, Faye Fox and Sarah Evans Laura said meeting Britains Got More Talent host Stephen was a wonderful way to round off a great 12 months. We couldnt be prouder of our members. Theyve lost fantastic amounts of weight throughout 2016, with many of them making their weight loss dreams come true by hitting their target weight, improving their health and confidence, and more. Its so rewarding to see people being able to do things that they didnt think possible before losing weight, whether thats having more energy and confidence, wearing smaller clothes, taking up new hobbies, reducing medication or doing more with their family and friends. Stephen said: So many slimmers talked about how their weight loss has allowed them to start really living and be the people that they always dreamed of being, so the people who run the groups are clearly very important. Fords expansion to an auto and mobility company gains momentum today, as the company unveils the new F-150 pickup, announces the return of the Ranger pickup in North America and Bronco globally, and presents its vision for the City of Tomorrow. Fords news at the North American International Auto Show including expansion of its Chariot ride-sharing service to eight cities underscores the companys drive to strengthen its core automotive business while aggressively expanding in growing mobility services. This year, the expansion of our business as an auto and mobility company moves into even higher gear, said Mark Fields, president and CEO. Were introducing even more new vehicles and technologies to make life better for millions of people in the near term, plus were presenting a vision and partnering with cities to move more people even more efficiently in the future. Todays news follows other announcements about Fords business expansion: Adding 13 new electrified vehicles and investing $4.5 billion in the next five years, including a hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang, two pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles, a Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, a fully electric small SUV with an estimated range of at least 300 miles and a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle with no steering wheel, gas or brake pedal in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. and investing $4.5 billion in the next five years, including a hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang, two pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles, a Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, a fully electric small SUV with an estimated range of at least 300 miles and with no steering wheel, gas or brake pedal in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. The debut of its next-generation Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle , the next step in Fords plan to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle in 2021. , the next step in Fords plan to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle in 2021. The creation of a City Solutions team to work with major global cities to help solve congestion issues and help people move more easily, today and in the future. Ranger and Bronco Return Ford is bringing back the Ranger midsize pickup truck to its North American vehicle lineup in 2019 and Bronco midsize SUV to its global vehicle portfolio in 2020. Both vehicles will be manufactured at Fords Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Weve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive, said Joe Hinrichs, Fords president of The Americas. Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup thats Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city. City of Tomorrow Beyond vehicles, Ford is working with cities around the world to help address growing mobility challenges in urban environments, including gridlock and air pollution. Fords City Solutions team the only one of its kind in the auto industry is working with cities around the world to propose, pilot and develop mobility solutions. The team also is beginning to collaborate with Bloomberg Philanthropies and its global coalition of mayors. This is an issue that goes far beyond congestion. It is one that represents a massive challenge to mankind, one that affects our well-being and access to health care, clean drinking water, food, a safe place to live and even the ability to find work, said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. By solving the mobility challenge, we have the chance to create a better world for future generations. Its both an exciting opportunity and a big responsibility. Ford today presented its vision for the City of Tomorrow. Fords City of Tomorrow looks at how near-term mobility advancements including autonomous and electric vehicles, ride-sharing and ride-hailing and connected vehicles interact with urban infrastructure and create a transportation ecosystem. For example, Ford is imagining a world in which reconfigurable roads fluidly respond to commuter needs and traffic flow. Bikes and drones provide last-mile solutions for both people and goods. The Future: Near Term Within the next five years, Ford expects autonomous vehicles will be introduced in cities around the world. This includes Fords first fully autonomous vehicles in 2021. At the same time, the company expects continued growth in electrified vehicles with global EV industry offerings eventually outnumbering gasoline-powered offering in the next 15 years. Shared modes of transportation will continue to gain popularity, such as the Fords Chariot app-based, crowd-sourced ride sharing service, which is expanding globally. Chariot, which currently operates in San Francisco and Austin, Texas, is growing its operations to eight cities this year, including at least one city outside of the U.S. In Fords vision of the near-term future, connected communications between vehicles and infrastructure also will grow: Vehicles will be capable of connecting with other vehicles and cities transportation operating systems. Ford alone will equip 20 million cars globally with built-in modems in the next five years. As these vehicles and other connected vehicles are introduced into cities around the world, cities themselves will change. Large-scale innovations likely, including wireless charging and enhanced connectivity. These changes could give city transportation managers all-new operating systems, which allow them to manage multiple aspects of their city transportation system centrally, including traffic flow and vehicle emissions. The Future: Long Term Further out, Ford sees the City of Tomorrow with significant concentrations of autonomous vehicles, most of which will be electrified. Mass transit will improve for the largest cities with new technologies like advanced high-speed public transit. Other innovations could include: Drones that will play many roles. For example, they could be quickly deployed to survey and map the hardest-hit areas following earthquakes, tsunamis or other major disasters Advanced transportation operating systems that more robustly and seamlessly integrate data from all aspects of the ecosystem. This includes vehicles, bikes, drones and mass transit as well as street lights, parking meters and charging infrastructure Large-scale implementation of advanced technologies for flexible traffic management coupled with autonomous vehicles eliminating traffic jams, reducing emissions and bringing traffic accidents to nearly zero Converting road space into green space and parks, allowing for higher quality of life and healthier communities For more than 100 years, Ford has been part of the community and the trusted source for automotive transportation, Fields said. Now, we want to work with communities to offer even more transportation choices and solutions for people for decades to come. City of Tomorrow Symposium As part the North American International Auto Show, Ford is hosting a symposium on the City of Tomorrow at Detroits Joe Louis Arena. Together with partners TED, The New York Times and VICE Media, Ford has created sessions with thought leaders, mayors and prominent leaders to discuss the mobility challenges, opportunities and emerging solutions that will shape the City of Tomorrow. Information about the sessions can be found here. WASHINGTON (Reuters) - AAI Corp, a unit of Textron Inc (NYSE: TXT), was awarded a $475 million U.S. defense contract for mid-endurance unmanned aircraft systems intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance services at multiple locations worldwide, the Pentagon said on Monday. (Reporting by Eric Beech; Editing by Eric Walsh) NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc., a biotechnology company that focuses on developing accurate and cost-effective blood-based screening tests for the early detection of cancer, today announced the addition of Mr. Haywood D. Cochrane to its Board of Directors. Mr. Cochrane will transition from his current position as member of Acuamark Diagnostics Advisory Board. Mr. Cochrane is a seasoned industry executive with over 30 years of healthcare, laboratory and diagnostics industry experience in executive and senior management positions. Currently, Mr. Cochrane serves as a Director of Corium, Inc., and is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees at the University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill. Mr. Cochrane states: I am truly delighted to join Bernard, Michael and Francis and their outstanding Board as we continue to build on this great technology to commercialize a unique and cost-effective diagnostic tool in the large and critical area of early-stage cancer detection. Previously, Mr. Cochrane served as Chief Executive Officer of CHD Meridian, Inc., which became the largest provider of integrated, on-site corporate healthcare management solutions in the United States (now part of Walgreens). Mr. Cochrane also served as the President and CEO of Allied Clinical Laboratories (acquired by NHL). Also, he was EVP, CFO and Treasurer at Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp); Earlier, he was COO at Biomedical Reference Labs and COO at Roche Biomedical Labs. Mr. Cochrane has had a variety of public and private company Board roles, and - amongst others - served as Director at American Esoteric Labs, Ameripath and Unilab Corporation. Dr. Bernard Peperstraete, CEO of Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc. comments: "After working with Haywood on our Advisory Board, we are very excited to welcome him to our Board of Directors. He brings a wealth of strategic and transactional knowledge in the healthcare management and diagnostics industry. Mr. Michael Gargano, Chairman of the Board of Acuamark Diagnostics, further adds: We are pleased that Haywood has chosen to join Acuamark Diagnostics Board of Directors. Haywood is a respected pioneer and leader in the diagnostics industry. About Acuamark Diagnostics Inc. Acuamark Diagnostics is a biotechnology company focused on developing screening tests for blood-based early detection of cancer. Acuamark Diagnostics' technology allows for highly accurate screening of blood to detect cancer markers at the early cancer stages, before the cancer becomes untreatable. Backed by a highly experienced team, it is Acuamark Diagnostics mission to contribute to the global battle against cancer by detecting and attacking cancer through high-precision, early detection. For more information, please visit www.acuamarkdx.com, or contact us at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170108005001/en/ Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc. Bernard Peperstraete, MD Chief Executive Officer [email protected] Source: Acuamark Diagnostics, Inc. Provider of universal dispensing systems and food safety solutions for the foodservice and hygiene markets SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Carlisle Companies Incorporated (NYSE: CSL) today announced the acquisition of San Jamar, Inc., a leading provider of universal dispensing systems and food safety products for foodservice and hygiene applications. With annual sales of approximately $87 million and 120 employees, San Jamar is based in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where it designs and distributes dispensers for paper towels, tissue, soap and air purification as well as personal and food safety products for commercial and institutional foodservice customers. The company has excellent brand recognition, well-entrenched sales channels and maintains leading positions in several hygienic and food management and safety product categories. The business will operate as a separate unit within Carlisle FoodService Products, a provider of professional-grade products for the restaurant, healthcare and janitorial sectors, including foodservice permanentware, table coverings, cookware, displayware, catering equipment and meal delivery systems. D. Christian Chris Koch, Carlisles President and Chief Executive Officer, said: San Jamar is an excellent fit within Carlisle FoodService Products. We were presented with a unique opportunity to acquire San Jamar, a business that has been on our target list for many years with a coveted brand within the foodservice industry. San Jamar offers Carlisle FoodService Products innovative new products, opportunities to expand Carlisles presence in San Jamars complementary sales channels and a history of profitable growth. In addition, Carlisle can provide new outlets for San Jamar products and contribute to San Jamars continuous improvement through the Carlisle Operating System. This acquisition combined with the improved operating performance at Carlisle FoodService Products will make the business more valuable to Carlisle, our shareholders and our customers. We are very pleased to welcome the San Jamar team to Carlisle. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally use words such as expect, foresee, anticipate, believe, project, should, estimate, will, plans, forecast and similar expressions, and reflect our expectations concerning the future. The Company cannot give any assurance that the results forecasted in any forward-looking statement will actually be achieved. Future results could differ materially from those expressed, due to the impact of changes in various factors including, but not limited to risks related to the Companys integration of the acquired business, whether and when the Company will be able to realize the expected financial results and accretive effect of the transaction; and how customers, competitors, suppliers and employees will react to the transaction. Actual results may differ materially from the Companys expectations due to changes in global economic, business, competitive, market and regulatory factors. More detailed information about these factors is contained in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements. About Carlisle Companies Incorporated Carlisle Companies Incorporated is a diversified global company with a portfolio of businesses focused on the manufacture and distribution of highly engineered products for both original equipment and aftermarket channels. Carlisles markets include: commercial roofing, energy, agriculture, mining, construction, aerospace, defense, foodservice, healthcare, sanitary maintenance, transportation, industrial, protective coating and auto refinishing. Leveraging the Carlisle Operating System (COS) and an entrepreneurial spirit to drive continuous improvement, Carlisles worldwide team of employees generated $3.5 billion in net sales in 2015. Learn more about Carlisle at www.carlisle.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006423/en/ Carlisle Companies Incorporated Steven J. Ford, 480-781-5000 Vice President & Chief Financial Officer www.carlisle.com Source: Carlisle Companies Incorporated IRVINE, Calif., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Episerver, a leading provider of a single platform to smartly manage digital content, commerce and marketing in the cloud, today announced that Mel Robbins and The Passing Zone will complete the lineup of keynote speakers and performers, including Scott Hanselman of MicrosoftTM and Episerver's James Norwood, at Episerver Ascend 2017. The conference, which runs from February 26 to March 1, 2017 at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas TM, and is sponsored by global partner Microsoft and 25 other Episerver partners, will feature nearly 100 sessions across six comprehensive persona-based tracks, including hands-on labs, customer-led presentations, and product and industry expert discussions. With a focus on marketing, commerce and personalization, the conference's program caters to business leaders, developers, digital marketers, content and commerce professionals at all levels. Mel Robbins, a Gracie Award-winning television host, motivational speaker, author and on-air CNN commentator, completes the keynote lineup. She is known for creating "The 5 Second Rule" and for delivering the popular TEDx Talk "How to Stop Screwing Yourself Over." Robbin's' keynote address, titled "The 5 Second Rule -- Achieve Breakthrough Performance in Your Career and Life," will explore the titular motivational concept she created and popularized, guiding attendees to act, defeat doubt and achieve their goals. The company also revealed today that the Passing Zone, an American comedy-juggling duo comprising Jon Wee and Owen Morse, will perform, showcasing the power of partnership, innovation, collaboration and execution. The famous duo has appeared on NBC's "America's Got Talent" twice and on "Royal Variety Performance" where they performed for the British Royal Family. They have also performed at the White House. Robbins and The Passing Zone complete a diverse keynote lineup including the already announced Scott Hanselman, principal program manager at Microsoft, who is one of Microsoft's most popular bloggers and web developer personalities, and Episerver's own James Norwood, chief marketing officer and executive vice president of strategy. Additionally, the company announced the panelists for Tuesday's "Customer, Partner and Analyst Q&A" will include Anjali Yakkundi, senior analyst for ebusiness and channel strategy at Forrester TM Research, and Bernardine Wu, founder and CEO of FitForCommerce TM, a consulting business that helps online retailers develop digital strategies and grow their e-commerce operations. The all woman panel builds on Episerver's "Digital Ninety-Nines" campaign which features female leaders in digital innovation, and will be chaired by Episerver's Head of Worldwide Marketing, Jessica Fardin. "We are excited and honored to have such a talented, knowledgeable and inspirational group of speakers at this year's event," said James Norwood. "This year's speakers truly embody the idea of personalized engagement at the core of the Ascend conference. No matter who you are -- whether an executive, a developer, a content or commerce professional or a marketer -- you are sure to walk away from this year's conference not only more knowledgeable about digital strategy but also more inspired and more empowered to act." The conference kicks off on Sunday, February 26 with a comprehensive and expanded "Partner Day," and a series of in-depth customer education and training sessions including: Episerver Certified Developer (ECD) training on the latest version of Episerver's products Hands-on introduction to developing innovative websites on the latest version of Episerver's products Class on targeting, measuring and optimizing website content with business user functionality Registration for the conference is now open. For more information about the conference or to register, visit www.episerver.com/ascend. All third-party trademarks cited are the property of their respective owners, and are used only for reference purposes. About EpiserverEpiserver connects digital commerce and digital marketing to help organizations create unique digital experiences for their customers, with measurable business results. The Episerver Digital Experience Cloud combines content, commerce, multi-channel marketing, and predictive analytics in a single platform to work full-circle for businesses online from intelligent real-time personalization and lead-generation through to conversion and repeat business with unprecedented ease-of-use. Sitting at the center of the digital experience ecosystem, Episerver empowers digital leaders to embrace disruptive, transformational strategies to deliver standout experiences for their customers everywhere they engage. Founded in 1994, Episerver has offices in Australia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK and the USA. For more information, visit www.episerver.com. Rachel TeittSr. Manager, Analyst and Public Relations, Episerver+1 614 817 1846 [email protected] Jennifer MulliganSr. Account Executive, Walker Sands+1 312 648 6005 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/episerver-unveils-complete-lineup-for-ascend-2017-300387855.html SOURCE Episerver URBANDALE, Iowa (PRWEB) January 09, 2017 An Iowa company is anticipating increased sales in China, thanks to the Idaho governor's recent trade mission to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Urbandale's Catalyst, which manufactures custom animal feed, was represented on the trade mission by its parent company, Idaho-based Dynamite Marketing. As a result of a previous trade mission in 2013, Catalyst's OCM" Global became the first feed additive approved for sale in China in 40 years. OCM " Global is a non-medicated proprietary blend of minerals that has been credited with digestive support in swine, dairy cattle and poultry for many years. China is the world's largest producer of pork with more than 460 million pigs. This is about seven times the number in the United States, the second-largest producer in the world, according to factsandfigures.com. The average hog farm in China has more than 8,000 head, according to Modern Farmer magazine. "Chinese pig farms are focusing on cutting-edge technology and feed formulas for swine," said Jos Zamzow, Dynamite chief operating office. "Our products have a long track record of improving growth in swine, and the large Chinese farms are eager to buy it. The Chinese pork industry is going to be a major factor as we create additional products for swine. "The trade mission to China was a huge success for Catalyst!" he added. "The Idaho governor's staff set up great meetings with new potential customers for our animal feed and supplements, helped us arrange to meet with our current customers, and even helped with the logistics. To top it all off, we got to have Idaho Gov. C. L. 'Butch' Otter sit in on a meeting with one of our customers. His friendly, likable demeanor and tremendous experience really sealed the deal." "Our recent mission to China was one of the best we've had," Gov. Otter said. "The interest we received in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou was a reflection of the great products and services we were promoting, along with the tremendous market potential that remains in China." Catalyst holds the Safe Feed/Safe Food Certification, which is awarded by the American Feed Industry Association to less than 8 percent of the nation's almost 6,000 feed mills. OCM Global works by supporting nutrient digestibility and maximizing feed intake in swine and other livestock, resulting in uninterrupted performance and growth. More than 2 million pounds are sold each year. Catalyst, formerly known as Pharm-Tech, provides provides custom formulation and manufacturing services for worldwide customers in the livestock, poultry, pet, wildlife and aquaculture industries. Its full line of more than100 items includes feed and related products for animals of all sizes. Dynamite Marketing is based in Meridian, Idaho, and is the parent company of Catalyst. Dynamite has been producing animal feed and related products for virtually all living creatures for four generations. Additional information about Catalyst is available by calling (515) 254-1290. Additional information about Dynamite is available by calling (800) 697-7434. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017customswinefeed/01Chinasales/prweb13963916.htm WASHINGTON, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- While municipal bonds will continue to be the central option for how local infrastructure in financed, local governments are using a combination of traditional and alternative approaches to finance their public infrastructure investments. According to a new white paper, "Infrastructure Financing: A Guide for Local Government Managers," issued by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), alternative financing sources, properly selected and managed, can complement traditional sources to meet infrastructure needs. Tapping these sources not only leverages new resources, but also can make it possible to complete certain projects more quickly. Local governments across the United States are facing a serious infrastructure deficit and are exploring new ways to finance needed expansions, upgrades, and repairs. Despite the fact that eroding infrastructure is seen as one of the most urgent issues facing the country, in 2012, infrastructure funding was at its lowest percentage of total local government expenditures in more than 50 years. Prepared by Drs. Can Chen of Florida International University and John R. Bartle of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the white paper explores how local governments are addressing the challenge of bridging infrastructure financing gaps. In this context, they: Describe the full range of infrastructure financing methods currently in use, Document emerging methods in local infrastructure financing, Illustrate cases where local governments have explored alternative methods of infrastructure financing, and Offer recommendations for local government managers who are considering the use of alternative infrastructure financing options. To download a copy of "Infrastructure Financing: A Guide for Local Government Managers," click here. About ICMAICMA, the International City/County Management Association advances professional local government management worldwide. ICMA's mission is to create excellence in local governance by developing and advancing professional management to create sustainable communities that improve lives worldwide. ICMA provides member support; publications; data and information; peer and results-oriented assistance; and training and professional development to roughly 11,000 city, town, and county experts and other individuals and organizations throughout the world. The management decisions made by ICMA's members affect millions of individuals living in thousands of communities, from small villages and towns to large metropolitan areas. About GFOAThe Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), founded in 1906, represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association's more than 18,000 members are federal, state/provincial, and local finance officials deeply involved in planning, financing, and implementing thousands of governmental operations in each of their jurisdictions. GFOA's mission is to promote excellence in state and local government financial management. GFOA has accepted the leadership challenge of public finance. To meet the many needs of its members, the organization provides best practice guidance, consulting, networking opportunities, publications including books, e-books, and periodicals, recognition programs, research, and training opportunities for those in the profession. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/local-governments-turn-to-creative-methods-to-bridge-infrastructure-financing-gaps-300387953.html SOURCE ICMA TORONTO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Mainstreet Health Investments Inc. (TSX: HLP.U) (the "Company") announces that Mr. Scott White has been appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer. Prior to his appointment, Mr. White served as the President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations and overall strategy. "I am honored to be appointed to the position of CEO and I am excited to continue to move the company forward," said Scott White. "We have an amazing team and an exceptional company. We are prepared to move forward rapidly and continue to execute on our strategy and mission." "I am thrilled that Scott has accepted the role of CEO," said Zeke Turner, Chairman of the Board. "Continuity is incredibly important to the long term success of a company. This is exactly the reason you build a deep bench of talent on the roster. This is a great day for Mainstreet Health Investments and our shareholders. I know Scott will do a great job in this new role and I look forward to working closely with him." Before serving in his current role with the Company, Mr. White was executive vice president of investments at Mainstreet Property Group ("Mainstreet") and an executive vice president with HealthLease Properties Real Estate Investment Trust ("HealthLease"). Prior to joining Mainstreet and HealthLease, Mr. White spent over 15 years on Wall Street. Mr. White served as a senior vice president in the private funds group of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. His career experience also includes a tenure as director and head of deal management at Citigroup's alternatives distribution group. Before focusing his career on alternative assets, Mr. White was part of the healthcare group at Citi's Investment Bank, working with clients in the healthcare sector on M&A and capital raising assignments. He began his career in public accounting as an auditor for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Mr. White earned a bachelor's degree with highest honors in political science and journalism from Rutgers University. He received his master's in business administration from Rutgers Graduate School of Management and his law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He is a certified public accountant, is admitted to the bars of New York and New Jersey, and holds securities industry FINRA licenses Series 7, 24 and 63. About Mainstreet Health Investments Inc. Mainstreet Health Investments Inc. is a North American health care real estate company with a growing portfolio of high quality properties located in the United States and Canada. Our properties are operated by best-in-class health care providers under long-term, triple net leases. Our mission is to create long-term shareholder value while providing an investment opportunity that matters. For more information, visit www.mainstreethealthinvestments.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mainstreet-health-investments-inc-announces-appointment-of-scott-white-as-ceo-300388198.html SOURCE Mainstreet Health Investments Inc. HANGZHOU, China (PRWEB) January 09, 2017 A Spanish man and Polish woman are starting the new year as the first two Europeans to restore their hearing with a cochlear implant system from Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd. Today in Bialystok, Poland, doctors will activate Nurotron's Venus Cochlear Implant System in a 54-year-old woman suffering from progressive hearing loss. Nurotron's system is an effective solution for both children and adults who suffer from severe and profound hearing loss. Unlike hearing aids, which make sounds louder, a cochlear implant replaces the function of a damaged inner ear, providing sound signals to the brain. Marek Rogowski, doctor of medicine and professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at Medical University of Bialystok, performed the surgery at the University Clinical Hospital in Poland. Andrzej Sieskiewicz, doctor of medicine and assistant professor in the department, assisted. In Spain, the Nurotron system is helping a 47-year-old man who suffered from rapidly progressing bilateral hearing loss. By December of 2015, he had complete hearing loss. In November, Francesc Roca-Ribas, doctor of medicine, performed the surgery to implant the Nurotron system at Hospital Universitari Germans Trias I Pujol in Badalona, Spain. Dr. Roca-Ribas's cochlear implant team, with assistance from Nurotron's expert, activated the system in late December to restore the patient's hearing. The European implants extend Nurotron's worldwide growth, says Chu Li, CEO of the company. Doctors now have performed surgeries with the Venus Cochlear Implant System in nine countries on three continents: Bolivia, China, Colombia, India, Peru, Poland, Spain, Turkey and Venezuela. "Nurotron's entry into Europe continues to address the demand for safe, reliable cochlear implants around the world." Nurotron Biotechnology Co., Ltd. (http://en.nurotron.com) Nurotron Biotechnology is a medical device company that designs, develops and markets cochlear implant systems. The company's flagship system is the Venus Cochlear Implant System, a safe, reliable and effective solution for children and adults suffering from severe and profound hearing loss. The global leader in cochlear implant technology maintains its research and development center in Irvine, Calif., and manufacturing facilities in China. Founded in 2006, Nurotron is headquartered in Hangzhou, China. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/01/prweb13965209.htm HONG KONG, Jan 9, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited ("Comba Telecom" or "the Group," Hong Kong stock code: 2342), a global leading wireless solutions provider, has announced that during December 2016, Chairman Mr. Tony TL Fok, Vice Chairman and President Mr. Zhang Yue Jun, Group CFO Mr. Ken Chang and Special Assistant to the President Mr. Wu Jiang Cheng from the senior management team visited the Laos People's Democratic Republic ("Laos") and met with Mr. Thansamay Kommasith, the Lao Minister of Posts and Telecommunications. Previously, the Group has announced in September 2016 that it would acquire from the Government of Laos a 51% interest in ETL Public Company Ltd ("ETL"), a telecom operator. The purpose of the visit was to deepen the understanding in the relevant policies and guidance from the government of Laos, discuss the development plan and set up the new core management team of ETL. During the meeting, Mr. Thansamay Kommasith expressed high regards for the Group's investment in the ETL project and conveyed keen expectations on the future development. He also presented the latest developments and blueprint of the telecommunication industry in Laos. Mr. Fok introduced the business and product strengths of the Group, and revealed that the Group would apply its advanced networking technology to invest and promote advancement of ETL's network, thereby bringing benefits to the Lao people by providing high-quality, content-rich and cost-effective telecom services and achieving a win-win situation as its end. In addition, Mr. Zhang shared how the investment, building and optimization of the ETL network can enhance business models. Mr. Thansamay Kommasith and the Group also discussed and exchanged ideas on specific projects and government needs. The meeting lasted more than two hours and was concluded successfully with an exchange of souvenirs as a prelude to successful cooperation. After the meeting, the senior management team visited the headquarters of ETL and greeted and met its management team. They also visited the main departments and server rooms which enhanced their understanding of ETL's operations while building good relationships with the new management and laying foundations for cooperation in the future. About Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Limited As one of the leading wireless solution providers in the world, Comba Telecom is primarily engaged in the R&D and manufacturing of wireless products including RRU, antennas and base station subsystems and wireless transmission and access systems. The Group also provides complete turnkey solutions and services to its global customers. Headquartered in Hong Kong, Comba Telecom's global operations include manufacturing bases in China, R&D centers in China and the USA and more than 40 offices worldwide. Comba Telecom has been included into several indexes including the MSCI China Small Cap Index, Hang Seng Composite Index (Information Technology Industry Index, MidCap & SmallCap Index and SmallCap Index), Hang Seng Global Composite Index, Hang Seng Internet & Information Technology Index, as well as Hang Seng Corporate Sustainability Benchmark Index. For further information, please visit: www.comba-telecom.com. Contact: Strategic Financial Relations (China) Limited Ms. Serine Li Tel: (852) 2864 4835 Ms. Janice Au Tel: (852) 2864 4874 Ms. Mina Pang Tel: (852) 2864 4830 Ms. Angel Li Tel: (852) 2114 4954 Ms. Olivia Wong Tel: (852) 2114 4965 Email: [email protected] Fax: (852) 2527 1271 Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. Fort Dodge, IA (PRWEB) January 09, 2017 SCHOOL CHOICE for the State of Iowa is a webinar presentation on the potential creation of Educational Savings Accounts (ESA's). The webinars will be hosted at St. Edmond Catholic School in the Msgr. Kelly Auditorium on Monday, January 10th at 12:00 pm and then again on Thursday, January 12th at 6:30 pm. The community is invited to attend. ESA's in the State of Iowa would empower parents by giving them the ability to take an active role in deciding educational options for their children, reduce income inequality when it comes to education and allow the use of secure funds for accredited schools only. Implementing this program provides opportunities for families in Iowa to choose the school that their child is educated in including private schools. There is a movement to pass the "Education Savings Accounts (ESA's) " for those that would like to choose how their tax dollars are spent in education. The Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education will be presenting the 30 minute webinars that provide a refresher on the legislative process, discuss plans for upcoming legislative sessions and describe specific ways individuals can actively promote the effort in the community. Attending the webinar on Thursday, January 12th will be Senator Tim Kraayenbrink. Senator Kraayenbrink will be available to answer legislative questions that are directed on how this would apply to public and private education institutions along with listening to the comments and feedback from those residing in his district. "St. Edmond Catholic School is pleased to host the webinar for our community," states President Mary Gibb. "The webinar and discussion will help to inform the community about public-policy decisions that affect access to the variety of educational options available to Iowa parents." For additional information on the upcoming webinars and academic programs at St. Edmond Catholic School, please call 515-576-5182 or email President Mary Gibb at gibbm(at)st-edmond(dot)com. St. Edmond Catholic School is located at 2220 4th Avenue North, Fort Dodge, IA. Everyone is invited to visit http://www.st-edmond.pvt.k12.ia.us/ and following them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/STEDMONDFORTDODGE2017/01/prweb13965281.htm Phoenix Contact E-Mobility to preview high power charging (HPC) system at inaugural NAIAS AutoMobili-D MIDDLETOWN, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Visitors to the first-ever AutoMobili-D at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) can get a preview of the high power charging (HPC) system at the Phoenix Contact E-Mobility booth (#24). Phoenix Contact is one of the companies leading the development of the CCS plus standard, which will give electric vehicles a 60-mile charge in just five minutes. AutoMobili-D runs from January 8 through 12 in the Cobo Centers Atrium and Planet M Hall. More than 120 companies will showcase the latest innovations in five key mobility areas: Autonomous Driving, Connected Car Technologies, E-Mobility, Mobility Services, and Urban Mobility. Phoenix Contact E-Mobility is honored to be a part of the inaugural AutoMobili-D during the NAIAS. The exciting changes in our industry including vehicle electrification and autonomous driving provide numerous opportunities in the growth of the infrastructure, continued leadership, and ongoing renaissance of the Motor City, said Vince Carioti, Director E-Mobility North America. As the market for electric vehicles grows in North America and around the world, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility will take a leadership role in the growth of the industry and development of new technologies. Phoenix Contact offers an extensive range of electronic components for charging stations and the charging infrastructure, as well as charging inlets for electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. By doing so, Phoenix Contact is in the unique position to perfectly match the requirements of the automotive industry with the demand of the quickly developing charging infrastructure network, said Oliver Stockl, Executive Vice President of Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, Germany. Jack Nehlig, president of Phoenix Contact USA, said, Thanks to Phoenix Contacts rich history of connection technology and deep technological experience in complex power applications, we have the expertise to support the manufacture of electric vehicles and the infrastructure they require. AutoMobili-D is the perfect venue to showcase our e-mobility solutions. In 2013, Phoenix Contact founded Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, in Schieder-Schwalenberg, Germany, to address the emerging electric mobility industry. In November 2016, Carioti was named as Director E-Mobility North America. In this role, he directs the companys e-mobility efforts in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, while cooperating with the Phoenix Contact USA sales subsidiary for local sales and technical support. The e-mobility business is based at Phoenix Contacts Customer and Technology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The 27,000-square-foot building is home to Phoenix Contacts software development and has a strategic focus on the automotive industry. Phoenix Contacts decision to locate the epicenter of its e-mobility North America operations in the Ann Arbor region is another proof point of our appeal to global innovators in this emerging space, said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. Ann Arbor is a mobility capital that offers the resources and research that are driving the industry forward. Its exciting that Phoenix Contact is choosing to invest here, and be part of the growing number of businesses here that are our automotive future. About Phoenix Contact Phoenix Contact develops and manufactures industrial electrical and electronic technology products that power, protect, connect and automate systems and equipment for a wide range of industries. Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Blomberg, Germany, operates 50 international subsidiaries, including Phoenix Contact USA in Middletown, Pa. For more information about Phoenix Contact or its products, visit http://www.phoenixcontact.com, or call technical service at 800-322-3225, e-mail [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005728/en/ Phoenix Contact Inc. Molly McGowan, 717-944-1300, ext. 3721 Media Services Supervisor Fax: 717-944-1625 [email protected] Source: Phoenix Contact Inc. By Nick Carey DETROIT (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (NYSE: FCAU) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said on Monday that if tariffs set in a Trump administration on vehicles made in Mexico and imported to the United States are too high, the company may end Mexican production. It's possible, if the economic terms imposed by the U.S. administration on anything that comes into the United States that, if theyre sufficiently large that it would make the production of anything in Mexico uneconomical," said Marchionne. "We would have to withdraw. It is quite possible. Marchionne, as have most of his counterpart automotive CEOs, said he wants to wait to see what is proposed. He also said that FCA is prepared to respond to whatever policies are set in a Trump administration. Lets find out what happens as a result of President-elect Trump coming in and how he views imports," said Marchionne. Marchionne said that the entire Mexican automotive industry could be imperiled. "The reality is the Mexican automotive industry has now for a number of years now been tooled-up to try and deal with the U.S. market. If the U.S. market were not to be there, the reasons for its existence are on the line, Marchionne said. The United States is the second-largest automobile market, behind China. Mexico accounts for a fifth of all vehicle production in North America and has attracted more than $24 billion in auto investment since 2010, according to the Ann Arbor-based Center for Automotive Research. For now, he said, FCA and the wider industry has to delay making any production changes in Mexico. "It puts everything back on the back burner for the time being, Marchionne said. "I need clarity ... were not the only ones who need clarity. Earlier on Monday, in a Twitter message, Trump thanked Fiat Chrysler and Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) for announcements made in the past week of investments in U.S. Midwest plants. Marchionne said that he has not spoken with Trump or anyone on the presidential transition team. Trump takes office Jan. 20. The 64-year-old Marchionne said it would be "very, very costly and uncertain to repurpose Mexican production for export to other markets other than the United States. (Reporting by Nick Carey in Detroit and Stephen Jewkes in Milan; Editing by Nick Zieminski) A Ford logo is seen on a car during a press preview at the 2013 New York International Auto Show in New York, March 28, 2013. REUTERS/Mike Segar DETROIT (Reuters) - Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F) will return to its U.S. model lineup the Bronco, a truck-like SUV, and the midsize pickup truck Ranger, the company said on Monday at the Detroit auto show. Both new products will be made at the Michigan Assembly Plant outside Detroit, where the Focus compact sedan is made. Ford had previously said the Focus would be made at a plant in Mexico. Both models are part of Ford's response to the growing attraction of U.S. consumers toward SUVs and pickup trucks and away from sedans. (Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama) barack obama It may seem as if President Barack Obama and President-elect Donald Trump couldn't be more different from each other, but Obama says the two have at least one thing in common. "He is somebody who is not lacking in confidence," Obama said in an interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News aired Sunday. "It's probably a prerequisite for the job. Or at least you have to have enough craziness to think you can do the job." But in the wide-ranging interview, Obama suggested Trump's confidence could harm his decision-making ability if it prevented the incoming president from "sweating the details" of policy. "That can be both a strength and a weakness," Obama said. "I think it depends on how he approaches it. If it gives him fresh eyes, then that can be valuable. But it also requires you knowing what you don't know and putting in place people who do have the kind of experience and background and knowledge that can inform good decision-making." "If you don't have good people and you don't have a good process, and you don't have at some level the basic reverence for this office and understanding of the incredible responsibilities and obligations, then I think you can get into trouble," Obama added. Obama may have been referring in part to his meeting with Trump at the White House shortly after Trump's election in November. After the meeting, reports emerged that the businessman was surprised by the scope of the presidency, prompting Obama to say he would work more closely with the president-elect throughout the transition of power. Trump has also dismissed reports from top US intelligence officials that Russia interfered with the election, acknowledging last month that he didn't regularly attend the daily intelligence briefings presidents traditionally hold. That's the wrong attitude toward experts, Obama said. "As much as I can dive into a briefing book and really work to master various subjects that come before my desk, I'm still not an expert on a huge amount of the stuff that we work on," he said. "But I do make sure that I've got people who are experts that are helping me make the best decisions possible." Story continues Watch the ABC News interview here NOW WATCH: Here's how Jesus Christ is depicted in Islam More From Business Insider Beppe Grillo, the founder of the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, talks during a march in support of the 'No' vote in the upcoming constitutional reform referendum in Rome, Italy November 26, 2016. REUTERS/Remo Casilli/File Photo - RTSUVBR By Crispian Balmer ROME (Reuters) - Italy's maverick 5-Star Movement should cut ties with the anti-European Union UK Independence Party (UKIP) and consider hooking up with the Liberals in the European Parliament, 5-Star founder Beppe Grillo said on Sunday. If the surprise switch goes ahead, it would see 5-Star enter mainstream European politics and move away from the anti-system fringes, a shift that might reassure other EU capitals that have grown uneasy about its rising popularity. Writing on his blog, Grillo said his party was in talks with the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) and asked 5-Star members to back the initiative in an online ballot. ALDE is headed by former Belgian prime minister Guy Verhofstadt. He is a keen European federalist and his strong, pro-EU views would seem at odds with the eurosceptic 5-Star, which has previously ridiculed the liberal leader. Grillo said he had also approached the Greens about a possible tie-up, but was rebuffed, adding ALDE was the only group willing to discuss an accord with his movement. The anti-establishment 5-Star won 17 seats in the last European election in 2014 and linked up with Nigel Farage's UKIP, which had 22 seats, to form the so-called Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) party. But Grillo said the two parties had only voted together around 20 percent of the time over the past 2-1/2 years. He added that UKIP had achieved its political goal when Britain voted last year to leave the European Union. "To stay in EFDD would mean we would face the next 2-1/2 years without a common policy objective," Grillo wrote. UKIP's Farage said he did not think 5-Star would survive long with the liberals. "In political terms it would be completely illogical for 5-Star to join the most euro fanatic group in the European Parliament," he said in a statement. Some 5-Star politicians also denounced the unexpected proposal, while Grillo's opponents lambasted his strategic shift, saying he was looking to join the pro-EU establishment. "What a pity. (5-Star) is moving from the barricades to the comfy seats," said Matteo Salvini, the leader of the anti-euro Northern League, which is Italy's third largest party. 5-Star was founded in 2009 and has risen rapidly to become Italy's main opposition party. It does not fit into any clearly defined political ideology, focusing its energies primarily on denouncing corruption and political wrongdoing. It has repeatedly called for a referendum on Italy leaving the euro single currency, and has criticized EU policy making, but says it does not want Italy to abandon the European Union. Grillo said it was important for 5-Star to be part of an EU parliamentary group because that would give it greater visibility and influence. "Refusing to belong to a political group would mean ... not being able to work," he wrote. He added that by forging an alliance with Verhofstadt, ALDE would become the third largest group in the EU parliament. "This means that in many cases we would hold the balance of power." (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Additional reporting by Alastair Macdonald and Francesco Guarascio in Brussels; Editing by Mark Potter and Alison Williams) Singapore's Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen speaks at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Manama Dialogue Regional Security Summit in Manama, Bahrain December 10, 2016. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed By Marius Zaharia and Fathin Ungku SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's defence minister on Monday said the nine armoured vehicles seized in Hong Kong could not be detained or confiscated, but that he welcomed Hong Kong's pledge for the dispute to be handled in line with its laws. Hong Kong customs seized the troop carriers in November as they were being shipped to Singapore from Taiwan after military exercises on the island that Beijing regards as a breakaway province, sparking tension between Singapore and China. Beijing, which regained sovereignty over the former British colony of Hong Kong in 1997, then warned countries against maintaining military ties with Taiwan. The vehicles were Singapore property, said Singapore Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, answering questions in parliament. "They are protected by sovereign immunity even though they were being shipped by commercial carriers. They are immune from any measures of constraint abroad. They cannot legally be detained or confiscated by other countries," he said. Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong had written to Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying to request their return, Ng added. The response was that an investigation would take some time and that Hong Kong would handle the matter in accordance with its laws, Ng said. "Singapore welcomes this response," he said. Hong Kong authorities confirmed the letter and their response, and said investigations were continuing. At a regular briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters that Beijing hoped "all relevant countries, including Singapore, first, can conscientiously abide by the one China principle. "Second, we hope the Singapore side can conscientiously abide by Hong Kong's laws," he added. Singapore could take legal action in Hong Kong courts based on the principle of sovereign immunity of military assets, said a senior lawyer specialising in marine claims. "I dont see why it should be a big exercise to get the vehicles back," said the lawyer based in Hong Kong, who asked not to be identified, because the subject is a sensitive one. The seizure came amid mounting regional uncertainty and signs of tension between China and Singapore, which has deepened its security relationship with the United States over the last year and remains concerned over Beijing's assertive territorial stance in the South China Sea. Singapore and Taiwan have a military relationship dating to the 1970s, involving the use of Taiwan for Singapore infantry training. Beijing has grudgingly tolerated this agreement since re-establishing diplomatic ties in the 1990s with Singapore, which recognises Beijing's "one China" policy that says Taiwan is part of its territory. But China has repeatedly warned Singapore to stay out of the South China Sea dispute, where its claims overlap with those of Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. Singapore has no claims in the South China Sea, but the open economy of Southeast Asia's biggest port depends on free navigation in the area. Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, also speaking in parliament, reiterated Singapore's support for China. "We must welcome a rising China, a stronger China, an economically more integrated China and we have to focus on the opportunities, while at the same time recognising that there will be issues to resolve from time to time," he said. China has claimed sovereignty over Taiwan since 1949, when Mao Zedong's Communist forces won the Chinese civil war and Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists fled to the island. Beijing has vowed to bring Taiwan under its rule, by force if necessary. (Additional reporting by Keith Wallis in SINGAPORE, Greg Torode in HONG KONG and Michael Martina in BEIJING; Editing by Nick Macfie) Ivory Coast Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan smiles after the annoucement of the new government at the presidential palace in Abidjan January 12, 2016. REUTERS/Luc Gnago By Ange Aboa ABIDJAN (Reuters) - Ivory Coast President Alassane Ouattara dismissed the heads of the army, police and gendarmes on Monday after a two-day military mutiny that spread unrest across the West African nation, according to a presidency statement. Prime Minister Daniel Kablan Duncan also resigned and dissolved the government, a move that had been expected after elections last month but which was delayed two days by the weekend uprising. Disgruntled soldiers demanding the payment of bonuses and wage increases began their revolt on Friday, seizing control of Bouake, the second largest city, before troops in military camps in cities and towns across the country joined the mutiny. Army chief General Soumaila Bakayoko - the former military head of a 2002-2011 rebellion, who has become increasingly unpopular with many troops - was replaced by his second in command, General Sekou Toure, the presidency statement said. Gervais Kouakou Kouassi, superior commander of the National Gendarmerie, and Director General of the National Police Bredou M'Bia were also replaced by their deputies with immediate effect, according to the statement, read on national television. The uprising of mainly former rebels now integrated into the army was the second such army mutiny in less than three years. As happened in the first uprising, the government conceded to the low-ranking soldiers' demands and agreed to pay bonuses likely to cost state coffers tens of millions of dollars. Defence Minister Alain-Richard Donwahi was briefly trapped inside the house in Bouake where negotiations took place on Saturday after some mutineers opened fire outside, having initially rejected the timetable for bonus payments. "I assure you that the president of the republic understands you. He is a man of his word," Donwahi said on Monday in a televised address aimed at the disgruntled soldiers. He said he planned to return to Bouake on Friday to meet again with the mutinous troops. UNSTABLE MILITARY PUTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY AT RISK Years of conflict and a failure to reform the army, cobbled together from rival rebel groups and government soldiers, have left it hobbled by divisions. Ivory Coast, French-speaking West Africa's largest economy and world's biggest cocoa producer, emerged from a 2002-2011 political crisis as one of the continent's rising economic stars. But Ouattara's failure to rein in an ill-disciplined, factionalised army could threaten that recovery. Duncan, the outgoing premier, had been expected to stand down on Saturday but held off after the army mutiny erupted. "I have tendered my resignation and that of the government," he said after a meeting with Ouattara. The president retained his majority in the Dec. 18 parliamentary vote. However, Ivorian legislative elections are usually followed by a change of government as a matter of procedure. Ouattara was expected to name a new prime minister in the coming days. Earlier, Guillaume Soro was re-elected as president of the National Assembly with 95 percent of the votes cast by deputies. Soro led a rebellion that controlled the northern half of the country for nearly a decade starting in 2002. He later served as prime minister between 2007 and 2012. The government's dissolution paves the way for the implementation of measures contained in a new constitution. Ouattara signed the new charter, which had been approved by referendum, into law in November, casting it as the way to ensure peace is maintained in Ivory Coast. It modifies clauses in the old constitution that lay behind the conflict, especially concerning nationality requirements for presidential candidates. (Additional reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; writing by Tim Cocks and Joe Bavier; editing by Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Mark Heinrich) VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuania, at the front line of growing tension between the West and Russia, barred construction of a data center last year over concerns it could be infiltrated by Russian intelligence, a Lithuanian security official said on Monday. He said the government acted on concerns about plans by Arcus Novus, the Lithuanian-registered construction firm, to develop a data center to be rented out to businesses for cloud computer operations. "We warned the government that, once the data center is connected by fiber-optic cable to Russia, it could be linked by the (Russian) Federal Security Service to its radio electronic reconnaissance network," a spokesman for Darius Jauniskis, Lithuania's counter-intelligence chief, said. "The government acted on that information," he said. Arcus Novus is now suing the government in an effort to overturn the decision, according to Vidmantas Tomkus, the company's CEO and a minority shareholder. "It's a bit laughable to claim that a 'hostile' data center would be connected to Russian security services, as Lithuania is already connected to Russia through fiber-optic cables, as is the rest of the world," said Tomkus. Fears for cyber security are growing in the three small Baltic republics - all European Union members - bordering Russia, their former Soviet overlord. Russian computer hackers are seen as the greatest threat to Lithuanian national security, its counter-intelligence agency said in a report last year. Leaders of other Western countries including the United States and Germany have also voiced concern about state-backed Russian hackers trying to undermine democratic institutions. The Kremlin has denied any link with reported hacking incidents. The Lithuanian cyber security chief told Reuters earlier that three cases of Russian spyware had been discovered in government computers since 2015, and there had been 20 attempts to infect them in 2016. A 2014 law allows the Lithuanian government to block any investment in energy, transport, information technology and finance that it finds threatening to its national security. The State Security Department said that it advised the government to block four such investments in 2015, including a proposed expansion at Vilnius airport by a Lithuanian businessman who is also developing an airport near Moscow. (Reporting by Andrius Sytas; editing by Mark Heinrich) FILE PHOTO - U.S. Secretary of Defence Ash Carter attends a press conference with Britain's Defence Secretary Michael Fallon at the Foreign Office in London, December 15, 2016. REUTERS/Hannah McKay WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea's nuclear weapons capabilities and ballistic missile defense programs constitute a "serious threat" to the United States, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said on Sunday. The United States is prepared to shoot down a North Korean missile launch or test "if it were coming towards our territory or the territory of our friends and allies," Carter said during an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press." (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Dustin Volz in Washington; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe) Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness pauses before speaking to media at Stormont Castle as he arrives to greet Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos who is on a state visit to Belfast, Northern Ireland November 3, 2016. REUTERS/Clo By Amanda Ferguson BELFAST (Reuters) - Northern Ireland's deputy leader, Martin McGuinness, resigned on Monday in protest at First Minister Arlene Foster's handling of a controversial green-energy scheme, a move likely to trigger an election in the British province. The collapse of the relationship between Irish nationalist leader McGuinness and Foster, a pro-British unionist, risks paralysing the region's response to Britain's planned exit from the European Union as London prepares to trigger divorce talks. McGuinness also raised the prospect of a lengthy renegotiation of the terms of power-sharing, part of the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement, saying there would be "no return to the status quo" after an election. "Sinn Fein will not tolerate the arrogance of Arlene Foster and the DUP (Democratic Unionist Party). We now need an election to allow the people to make their own judgment," he said. The 1998 deal ended three decades of violence between mainly Catholic Irish nationalists seeking a united Ireland and Protestant pro-British unionists who wanted the North to remain part of the United Kingdom. While the violence, which killed over 3,600, has subsided, the two sides of the sectarian divide have consistently strained at the confines of their power-sharing arrangement. 'CASH FOR ASH' McGuinness said in a statement that he was quitting because Foster had repeatedly refused to step aside for the duration of an inquiry into the botched "cash for ash" scheme, which she established when she was enterprise minister. The scheme aimed to encourage businesses to burn wood pellets rather than fossil fuels. The failure to put a cap on the rebate, worth 1.60 pounds for every 1 pound spent, could cost Northern Ireland up to 490 million pounds, Sinn Fein says. Foster says she closed it down as soon as the potential abuse was recognized. But Sinn Fein said this was just the latest example of Foster's DUP failing to treat Sinn Fein with "equality and respect" in recent months. Sinn Fein, which campaigned for the UK to stay in the European Union, says Foster has failed to properly represent the 56 percent of Northern Ireland voters who voted "Remain". Foster, who campaigned to quit the EU, said she must instead respect the opinion of the 52 percent of UK voters who wanted to leave. CHECKPOINTS AHEAD? Northern Ireland is widely seen as the part of the UK most exposed to Brexit because of the prospect that checkpoints will be reinstated on its land border with the Irish Republic. But while Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has vocally defended her nation's interests with regard to Brexit negotiations, the government in Belfast has been relatively quiet. McGuinness said Sinn Fein would not nominate anyone to fill his role, which will cause the power-sharing government to collapse after seven days. It would then be up to London's Northern Ireland secretary, James Brokenshire, to propose a date for the election. Foster said in a statement that she was disappointed by McGuinness's action, which was "not principled". It was not clear if McGuinness, who has recently taken a break from some of his duties because of an undisclosed illness, would lead Sinn Fein into the election. He told journalists he would say at a later date whether or not he would be well enough to stand, but said his health had nothing to do with his decision to step down. ($1 = 0.8222 pounds) (Reporting by Amanda Ferguson, writing by Conor Humphries and Padraic Halpin; Editing by Kevin Liffey) Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chaired a high level meeting on Pakistans foreign relations at PM House, today. The meeting reviewed internal and regional security situation in detail with a view to further strengthen the gains made through counter-terrorism operations. The participants reiterated Pakistans clear-cut policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and extremism to accomplish internal peace as well as supplement its foreign policy initiatives. The meeting resolved for continued efforts at all levels to achieve national policy objectives. The meeting emphasized that the Military Courts have played an extremely important role at a very crucial juncture of one action against extremism and terrorism and translated the actions under operation Zarb-e-Azab to meaningful and tangible national gains. The Federal Government has already initiated consultations for constitutional amendment to continue the Military Courts for a period which is agreed by all political parties represented in the Parliament. The participants agreed that Pakistan would continue its efforts for attaining internal peace and play its due role for a peaceful region. The meeting was attended by Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Lt. Gen. Naveed Mukhtar, DG ISI, Advisor to PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz, Special Assistant to PM Tariq Fatemi, National Security Advisor Lt. Gen. (R) Nasser Khan Janjua, Secretary to Prime Minister and other senior officials. A Swedish startup has hit upon an ideal mode of transport suitable for busy city centers in the form of a three-wheeled, bright yellow, tiny and battery-powered vehicle they have named podtaxi, which evoke the same feeling as riding a tuk-tuk which plies in many Asian cities. Designed in Sweden, the taxipod can run for around 45 miles before needing a charge. Bzzt, the peer-to-peer Swedish transportation startup, first launched podtaxi service in Gothenburg during spring 2015 in collaboration with Chalmers University of Technology, has already launched the service in busy Gothenburg, the second biggest city in Sweden. Bzzt has already notched up thousands of successful short trips by delighted customers ranging from students, tourists to professionals who needed take a short hop right to their destination. Faster than a bike, cheaper than a taxi - and completely emission free!.. this is how the founders describe the service that their podtaxi provides. Bzzt, the peer-to-peer Swedish transportation startup, first launched the taxipod service in Gothenburg during spring 2015. (Shutterstock) Customers looking for an easy transport within the city, can book through bzzt.se and pay by credit card. Our goal is to reduce the number of kilometers by car and make life easier for individuals and companies, says Sven Wolf, CEO of Bzzt. Combating air pollution One of main motivations behind the service is not just speed, but to improve the air quality in urban centers. A recent report says that nine out of 10 people across the world lives in places where air quality levels exceed WHO limits. Air pollution is also linked to cardiovascular diseases, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and lung cancer, and also increases the risks for acute respiratory infections. Bzzt, encouraged by the initial success, is raising money through an investment company to buy a fleet of 50 tuk tuks ready for rolling out more podtaxis into service for their planned launch in Stockholm in April 2017. French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault began a four-day visit to India with a meeting Sunday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bolster the strategic partnership between the two countries. Ayrault held talks for 45 minutes with the Hindu nationalist leader in the southern hi-tech hub of Bangalore, where he will stay until Monday evening. The number one objective (of this trip) is to stress the strategic partnership and move it into a higher gear, the minister told AFP afterwards. The visit is part of a series of meetings between Indian and French leaders. President Francois Hollande has visited India twice during his five-year term, in 2013 and 2016. Modi, who took office in 2014, has twice visited France. Ayrault and Modi discussed in particular collaboration in the defence sector, a few months after the sale of 36 French Rafale fighters to India for about eight billion euros ($8.4 billion). Asked about the possibility of future arms deals with India, which has become the worlds largest weapons importer as it tries to modernise its arsenal, the minister said Modi was ready to examine everything. India is a huge country, which has a very important need to ensure its security against all the challenges it faces, said Ayrault. The minister will on Tuesday visit the western state of Gujarat, where Modi was chief minister for over a decade, accompanied by a delegation of about 100 representatives of French companies. Annual trade between France and India is worth some eight billion euros, a figure that has grown markedly since 2000. British author Dinah Jefferies will not attend FGLF View(s): British author Dinah Jefferies was suddenly taken ill on Wednesday January 4 evening and will not be attending the Fairway Galle Literary Festival. In her keen desire to attend the FGLF, she held off cancelling in the hope her doctors would still permit her to travel. Unfortunately, by Thursday night, her doctors, after careful consultation advised her not to fly for the next two weeks. She sends her deep regrets about having to cancel. In light of this, the Festival announces that her In Conversation session scheduled for 2 p.m. on Thursday January 12 will be cancelled, as well as her Private Affair on Saturday January 14 at 12:30 p.m. However, the dinner she was to co-host with poet Kate Tempest on Friday January 13 at 8 p.m. at Tamarind Hill will go ahead. Tempests album was recently nominated for the prestigious Mercury Music Prize and was winner of the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. She is a rising star on the music and spoken word scene. Anyone wanting to exchange tickets should email tickets.fglf@gmail.com Lasantha memorial service at graveside View(s): The eighth anniversary of the assassination of The Sunday Leader Founder Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge, which falls today (January 8). It will be marked with a service at his graveside. Family, friends, former colleagues and others, including those from political and diplomatic circles, will gather at the General cemetery, Borella at 9 a.m.to mark the anniversary and remember Lasantha Wickramatunge and his work as a journalist, political commentator and editor. Jan 9 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories from selected Canadian newspapers. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy. THE GLOBE AND MAIL ** Canada's domestic spy service has been trying to figure out ways of obtaining "bulk data" to better feed the holdings of its secretive analytics centre, newly released records show. https://tgam.ca/2iuVzva ** Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's most trusted lieutenants have held talks with top advisers to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in an attempt to avert a costly trade war between the neighbouring nations. https://tgam.ca/2iUKPt0 NATIONAL POST ** Health Canada is investigating Calgary-based Slimwell - which has clinics in Calgary and Markham, Ontario, and promises mail-order service far beyond - for false and misleading advertising of a prescription drug. http://bit.ly/2iv29BU ** The fentanyl-fuelled opioid crisis which affected British Columbia is moving east, and the mayor of Toronto hopes a united and rapid response will help save lives in Canada's most populous city. http://bit.ly/2iuU7ZW (Compiled by Bhanu Pratap in Bengaluru) The Australian-first Aerostructures Innovation Research Hub (AIR Hub) will bring together the best of Victorias aerospace research, design and manufacturing leaders to work with industry on the next generation of air mobility. Syracuse, NY -- A Syracuse man who may have been coerced into admitting to a homicide is now eyeing a trial for the same crime. Spencer Williams gets a second chance after an appeals court tossed his guilty plea in the May 2013 death of his roommate, Jermaine Hayward. Williams pleaded guilty in October 2013 before having a change of heart. He later filed an appeal to his own plea, leading to the reversal. A five-judge appeals court in Rochester ruled that Onondaga County Court Judge Thomas J. Miller had improperly told Williams that if he was convicted of manslaughter after trial, he would get no better than 25 years in prison. In fact, that was the maximum punishment Williams could have received, but he could have been sentenced to less. (Though Miller would have been the judge to determine sentence after trial.) In any case, the appeals court ruled Miller's comments could have improperly impacted Williams' decision to plead guilty. So Williams headed back to Miller's courtroom today with a homicide charge still hanging over his head. It's not exactly clear what Williams' defense will be if he goes to trial. Miller has said that the case is not a "whodunit" -- there were only two people there at the time of the homicide and Williams apparently confessed to police. But Williams appeared hesitant to plead guilty at the time -- taking an extra day to listen to judge before deciding to plea the first time. Williams had claimed self-defense before his first guilty plea, but prosecutor Michael Kasmarek said at the time that the victim's seven stab wounds and Williams' previous criminal record did not point to that being the case. It's undisputed that the victim, Hayward, woke Williams up wanting to fight. That's when Williams retaliated with the knife, Kasmarek has said. Williams had faced the chance of up to life in prison had he not pleaded guilty the first time. Now, he could take his chances at trial. A new set of plea negotiations are continuing, but Miller set a trial date for April 10. In this Dec. 14, 2015, file photo, Peter Mayhew arrives at the world premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Heads up "Star Wars" fans: The man behind everybody's favorite Wookiee, Chewbacca, is coming to a comic con in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Peter Mayhew has been donning the Chewbacca suit and mask since "Star Wars" first premiered in 1977, and he's been a fan favorite ever since. Now he's making a special appearance at the Niagara Falls Comic Con, which runs June 2 to 4 at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Ont. That's just a quick jump across the Canadian border for Western New York residents, and a worthwhile day-trip (~2.5-5 hours) for "Star Wars" fans elsewhere in Upstate NY. "We couldn't be more excited to land one of the more well known characters from the movie franchise," Chris Dabrowski, promoter for NFCC, told The Buffalo News. "This will be a real treat for 'Star Wars' fans of the original and new movies." Mayhew has appeared as Chewbacca in five of the eight live action "Star Wars" movies, and recently finished filming "Star Wars: Episode VIII" with co-stars Mark Hamill, Daisy Ridley, Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Adam Driver and the late Carrie Fisher. Mayhew mourned the loss of Fisher in the last days of 2016 with his co-stars. There are no words for this loss. Carrie was the brightest light in every room she entered. I will miss her dearly. pic.twitter.com/GgIeYGeMt9 Peter Mayhew (@TheWookieeRoars) December 27, 2016 The Niagara Falls Comic Con has an impressive lineup of guests this year, including Seth Gilliam (Father Gabriel on "The Walking Dead"), Barbara Eden ("I Dream of Jeannie"), Caleb McLaughlin ("Stranger Things") and other stars, plus a slate of professional wrestlers who are scheduled to appear. You can see a full list on the convention's website. The convention will also feature gaming tournaments, life size movie props and plenty of vendors for fans of everything sci-fi, comic and gaming related. Tickets range from $25-$36.95 for an adult, and cost $11.95 for kids. Discounted multi-day passes are available and all tickets can be purchased on nfcomiccon.com. Cancercenter.jpg Dr. John McCabe at the opening of the Upstate Cancer Center. (Ellen Blalock) Steven M. Scott SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Steven M. Scott, a hospital administrator with more than 30 years of experience in academic medicine, has been been named interim chief executive officer of Upstate University Hospital to replace Dr. John McCabe who is stepping down. Scott most recently worked as vice president and chief operating officer of Georgia Regents Medical Center, a 478-bed hospital in Augusta, Georgia. Upstate announced that a national search for a permanent CEO will begin immediately. McCabe, 63, of Cazenovia, has been at Upstate 30 years. He was named CEO and vice president for clinical affairs in 2009. He used to run Upstate's emergency department and is a professor of emergency medicine. He received his medical degree from Upstate in 1979. As CEO he oversaw the acquisition of Community General Hospital, the opening of the Golisano Children's Hospital, the hospital's East Tower expansion and the opening of the Upstate Cancer Center. Upstate said McCabe, who will step down Jan. 17, will remain in Central New York and pursue professional and personal interests. The change in leadership was announced by Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena, who took over as president of Upstate Medical University last year. Scott has served in administrative roles at Oregon Health and Science University, Wishard Health Services in Indianapolis, University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, Columbia University and Montefiore Medical Ceter in New York City. He has a master of public health degree in health care administration from the University of Pittsburgh. "His success and experience in academic medicine will serve the university, our patients and students well," Laraque-Arena said in a prepared statement. Contact James T. Mulder anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-470-2245 Adam Gold, Guy's Grocery Games Syracuse's Adam Gold, far right, owner of Funk-N-Waffles, competes on the Food Network TV show "Guy's Grocery Games" with Guy Fieri. Gold's band Sophistafunk performs the theme song. (Food Network) Adam Gold is back on the Food Network, five years after his original Syracuse restaurant Funk 'N Waffles first appeared on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives." Gold competed against three other "Triple D" chefs to compete in "Triple G" -- a.k.a. "Guy's Grocery Games" -- on Sunday night. The reality TV competition, hosted by Fieri, pits four chefs against each other in three elimination challenges testing their culinary skills as they pick up food items in the aisles of a grocery store for a chance to win $20,000. Wearing a colorful hat and purple Funk 'N Waffles shirt, Gold represented New York state with a "FUNKMASTER" license plate on his shopping cart. Gold's funk band Sophistafunk recently contributed the song "Triple G Invasion" as the theme for the new season of "Guy's Grocery Games." Fieri, who had Sophistafunk play his birthday party in 2013, called the group his "favorite band" when he shared the music video last month featuring Gold, Jack Brown and Emanuel Washington perform the catchy tune atop grocery store checkout counters. But did that help Gold become Fieri's favorite chef? (Note: Spoilers ahead.) Gold competed Sunday against Jon Taub, owner of Bub & Pop's sandwich shop in Washington, D.C.; Marcus Christiana-Beniger, who owns The Little Jewel of New Orleans in L.A.; and Zane Caplansky, whose Toronto deli is popular for knishes and beef bacon doughnuts. In the first round, "Flip This Dish," contestants had to turn apple pie into dinner. "What am I going to do now?" an overwhelmed Gold asked. But he easily advanced after mixing chicken and waffles (of course) with apples, cinnamon, vanilla ice cream and pie crust. Christiana-Beniger was the first to be sent home when he didn't do anything to the ice cream he mixed with pork chops. Taub was sent home in the next round after making two different sliders, including a dry beef version with mac and cheese. "They have to be great," one judge said despite praising the lamb slider. "If not, they're both bad." In the final round, Fieri asked Gold and Caplansky to create a Fried Feast from the Midwest for the Regional Road Trip game. "Is there a cuisine for the Midwest?" Gold asks, before deciding on chicken-fried steak. Gold told the judges he had never made the dish before, but still impressed them with the steak. Ultimately, however, he was eliminated for making the gravy too watery while Caplansky nailed a fish fry of beer-battered halibut with smashed fingerling potatoes. Caplanksy ended up winning $16,000 in the final shopping spree, donating his prize to the No Kid Hungry charity. He goes on to compete in the "Triple G: Triple D" finale against other finalists for a chance to win more prize money. But don't stress about Gold. His band's song will still play on the show, and he told Fieri that a third Funk 'N Waffles location is in the works after finding success on the Syracuse University Hill and in downtown Syracuse. 21296937-mmmain A New York City-based developer has proposed tearing down the Manlius Car Wash at 240 W. Seneca St. in the village of Manlius to make room for an apartment complex. (Elizabeth Doran | edoran@syracuse.com) MANLIUS, NY - A group of residents who live near a proposed two-story apartment building complex next to the Limestone Commons shopping plaza in Manlius are urging officials to reject the plan. Neighbors who live in the Meadow Stream neighborhood, which is next to the site of the proposed apartments, say they are worried about flooding, decreased property values, quality of life and spot zoning. More than 85 residents have signed a petition opposing the proposed apartments, which would be built on the site of the Manlius Car Wash at 240 W. Seneca St. in the village of Manlius. Meadow Stream residents believe their neighborhood will suffer if the proposal is approved, said Art Shedd, a resident speaking for the group. "We are worried about flooding, and that this building would exacerbate the flooding problems we've had in the past,'' he said. Shedd said some of the property is in a100-year floodplain. Manlius village officials are expected to vote on the proposal Tuesday night. Ellish Realty LLC, which has offices in New York City, wants to subdivide the 5.48-acre parcel next to the plaza into two lots, and convert one from commercial to residential multi-use, according to the proposal. The car wash would be torn down to make way for the apartment building, which would have 14 units. The footprint for the apartments would be about 7,500 square feet, according to the proposal. The L-shaped complex would have three attached buildings, with 25 parking spaces. Access to the apartments would be through the existing shopping center. Shedd said the storm and sewers are old and have been compromised due to development around Limestone Creek's west branch, and that has increased area the severity and frequency of flooding in the Meadow Street neighborhood. Also, Shedd said apartments will drive down their property values, and also allow a clear view from the complex into the backyards' of neighbors' homes. An easement between the lot slated for the complex and Brookhill Drive North would allow easy access into the Meadow Stream neighborhood, which could create a security risk, Shedd said. MSG Seabron Kuiwait 2012 Master Sgt. Rudolph E. Seabron (Provided photo) LATHAM, NY - An Oneida County man who was a soldier and the father of three was killed over the weekend in a fatal hit-and-run near Albany, police said. New York Army National Guard Master Sgt. Rudolph E. Seabron, 57, of Rome died when he was hit by a vehicle on Watervliet-Shaker Road under the I-87 overpass in Latham, according Colonie police. Seabron served in the state guard's 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, which is headquartered at the New York State Armory in Latham. He was at the armory for a weekend drill, police said. Seabron joined the New York Army National Guard in 1996 after serving in the Marine Corps. He served in Iraq in 2004, Afganistan in 2008 and Kuwait in 2012. An Army National Guard Casualty Assistance Team is working with the family. Colonie police said car parts recovered indicate that the vehicle that hit Seabron may be a newer Mazda, possibly a Mazda 6 with significant front end damage. Police are asking anyone with information contact the Colonie Police Department Traffic Safety Unit at 783-2744. EDINBURG, N.Y. -- A 37-year-old man has died after he crashed his snowmobile on a frozen lake in Upstate New York in an accident similar to one that claimed the life of another man earlier in the week. Jonathan J. Cooper was killed at about 8:10 p.m. Saturday in Edinburg in Saratoga County when he struck a rock sticking out of the ice on Great Sacandaga Lake, state police told The Post-Star of Glens Falls. The Edinburgh man and was thrown from the snowmobile, police said. State police in Mayfield and town fire officials attempted to save him but were unsuccessful. On New Year's Day, a 35-year-old man was killed when his snowmobile struck a rock on Cossayuna Lake in Washington County. This is a news report from last week on that earlier accident: Did the Golden Globe Awards forget the in memoriam segment? No. In fact, the awards show -- dubbed "Hollywood's biggest party of the year" -- has never done much to honor stars who died, leaving the burden to the Grammys, Oscars and other award shows. Golden Globes producer Barry Adelman said over the weekend, though, that after an especially painful 2016 the show would "acknowledge" some celebrity deaths from the past year. "We've always kept the show as a celebration and as a party, and yet we realize this is a special circumstance -- certainly with the recent passings of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds," Adelman told Variety. "So we're going to acknowledge it, but we're still in discussion with exactly how we're going to do that." Indeed, the Hollywood Foreign Press Association paid tribute to Fisher and Reynolds on Sunday night with a video reel introduced by Globes host Jimmy Fallon. Footage showed the "Star Wars" actress and her mother, set to the silver screen legend singing "You Made Me Love You." No other stars were honored during the telecast, despite a year that saw the losses of big names like Prince, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, Florence Henderson, Garry Marshall, Alan Thicke, George Michael, Patty Duke and Gene Wilder. E! News points out, however, that the Golden Globes did put together an in memoriam slideshow online. The homepage of goldenglobes.com features images of Prince, Bowie, Thicke, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Muhammad Ali and "Star Trek" actor Anton Yelchin. "So many friends and colleagues took their leave last year that 2016 may be remembered as the cruelest year in Hollywood. And so many were part of the extended Golden Globes family," the Globes' website says. "It began with David Bowie who passed away all too soon on the day of the the 73rd Golden Globes and ended with Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds. Here is a remembrance." Five Brits came away from this years Golden Globes with awards for acting. Three of the five are Cambridge graduates, and all three won their awards for roles in the BBCs The Night Manager. Olivia Colman (Homerton, 1994) and Hugh Laurie (Selwyn, 1980) won awards for best supporting actor/actress, while Tom Hiddleston (Pembroke, 2002) was named as Best Actor in a limited series or TV movie. The other two British actors commended for their achievements in the ceremony were Claire Foy for her starring role in Netflixs The Crown and Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who won Best Performance by a supporting actor for his role in the movie, Nocturnal Animals. Colman was unable to attend the event, but Hiddleston and Laurie both used their acceptance speeches as platforms to make a statement. Laurie went down the comedic route, first saying "this is obviously a terrible mix-up", before accepting his award "on behalf of psychopathic billionaires everywhere". Hiddleston instead chose to speak about poverty in South Sudan and dedicate his award to UNICEF and the work they are doing there. The mini-series for which these actors were commended was itself written by Oxbridge graduates. The Night Manager, which the eponymous series was based on, was written by Oxford graduate John le Carre in 1993, and was adapted for screen by Cantab David Farr. HMD Global Oy - the company that now licenses Nokia phones - unveiled the new Nokia 6 Android handset heralding the legendary Finnish brand's return to the mobile devices game. Flaunting a 6000 series aluminum unibody shell, currently China-only midrange model Nokia 6 is equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display protected by 2.5D curved scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass touchscreen, a 16 MegaPixel autofocus rear camera with phase detection autofocus and f/2.0 aperture, 8 MP f/2.0 front cam for selfies, non-removable 3,000 mAh battery pack, 4G LTE support, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, dual amplifiers and Dolby Atmos audio enhancement technology. At its heart, this release runs its Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit 1.4 GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, has 4GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, and comes with a sizable 64GB of internal storage. Supplementary Reading: Nokia 6 2017 Android Smartphone Nokia 6 has an SRP of 1,699 CNY or around Php 12,150 with current conversion and before taxes During its heydays, Nokia was a true tech titan; Holding the 'top handset vendor' title for more than a decade and leaving all of competitors in the dust. But since its epic downfall following the 'burning platform' brouhaha of 2009 and Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia's mobile devices business, the smartphone industry landscape has changed dramatically On Sunday - January 8, 2017,- the company that now licenses Nokia phones - unveiled the newAndroid handset heralding the legendary Finnish brand's return to the mobile devices game.Flaunting a 6000 series aluminum unibody shell,Nokia 6 is equipped with a 5.5-inch Full HD IPS display protected by 2.5D curved scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass touchscreen, a 16 MegaPixel autofocus rear camera with phase detection autofocus and f/2.0 aperture, 8 MP f/2.0 front cam for selfies, non-removable 3,000 mAh battery pack, 4G LTE support, Dual SIM Dual Standby capability, dual amplifiers and Dolby Atmos audio enhancement technology.At its heart, this release runs its Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a 64-Bit 1.4 GHz Octa Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor, has 4GB of RAM for smooth multitasking, and comes with a sizable 64GB of internal storage.During its heydays, Nokia was a true tech titan; Holding the 'top handset vendor' title for more than a decade and leaving all of competitors in the dust. I asked my readers and friends on Facebook if they think other smartphone companies should be worried about Nokia brand's resurgence almost all of us used Nokia phones back then! There's no surprise [if a big] group of people [would] buy the Nokia 6! it is the first time that the newly released Nokia-branded phone will be built by Foxconn's FIH Mobile Division and headed by HMD Global Oy. Build quality will be a consideration and will surely be compared to older Nokia phones built in-house by Nokia as a benchmark Nokia has its unique charm and that charm cannot be found anywhere else Other brands should be worried if Nokia made something that will be a crowd pleaser specially if users will be introduced to a new innovation This is a Nokia smartphone, however this is not Nokia's smartphone. HMD Global Oy is just using their brand name. It's like Motorola. You still see Moto smartphones but Lenovo is pulling the strings I can still consider going back to Nokia if the specs are good and the price is right. It's too late. Unless they come up with something new. Yes, [other brands should be worried] if and only if the people's expectations - based on their previous experience as Nokia phone owners - will be satisfied by HMD If Nokia would be able to compete with other tech giants, why not go for Nokia again? [Nokia as a company has] something to prove it's not that big of a deal now since other brands are already sprouting like a mushrooms The image of Nokia as a maker of tough phones that survive everyday use] has been passed down to [the new generation of consumers] [Nokia's competitors will] just have to focus on the design and development of their future flagship releases, and improve their marketing strategies Well, here's what I have to say about Nokia Brand's return: "There's certainly enough value left in Nokia's image as a maker of durable handsets with great imaging capabilities. Consumers who saw Nokia at its strongest (back in the 2000's) still remember the brand's legend and as pointed out by some of you, even the younger generation is aware of Nokia's achievements in the past. However, HMD would do well not to rely on Nokia's branding alone to be successful. If Nokia were to regain global sales leadership, they will have to come up with devices that truly lead the industry in terms of design, build, specs, features, and innovations. They'll have to give all that to consumers all while making sure that their products are priced very competitively. That's the challenge for HMD Global Oy. Unless they can do that, I don't think they'll be able to pose a serious threat to other smartphone makers -- not in today's mobile industry." With those facts in mind,Here are some of the best answers:"The tech giant of Finland is back! Should other brands be worried? Yes, becauseNokia [was] norm of phones back then! Not to mention that Nokia [phones have some of the] the best cameras in the world! With that Carl Zeiss Lens/Optics, [new Nokia phones can attract consumers who choose handsets based on camera quality.]" -"For me, I think it is quite early to say [if] other OEMs should be worried [about] Nokia's comeback. [After all,]. If the new Nokia-branded phones will surpass the previous Nokia phones' quality and ease of use and will give something special about the phone, I think, other OEMs should be worried to the newly released Nokia-branded phone." -"Yes all brands must be worried because. [Back then,] Nokia died because someone killed it. [Now that Nokia is reborn, I don't think they'll make the same mistakes. This comeback is a great way to correct errors of the past." -because Nokia as we know it, never ceases to impress their loyal users. As the HMD's site explains, they made a phone that is made from user's demands and needs without sacrificing some features that the user really needs. But who knows if Nokia has something up on it's sleeve to cope up with the vast number of iOs and Samsung users." -. I'd rather wait for the real Nokia." -"Nokia is now the darkhorse for all mobile devices. They can beat Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, Huawei, and even Apple itself. However, problem will be the design as Microsoft bought the design patents outright but will license Nokias 30,000 utility patents patents for 10 years." -My fellow bloggersandhave similar opinions: "Based on Nokia 6 - same design as others, same features, same specs, nothing spectacular. People will probably be curious, but it's not enough to win loyalty.". [New Nokia-branded phones should have] long battery life, great camera with Carl Zeiss lens, great UI [that's different from competing devices], great ecosystem, and something really unique that differs Nokia from all other phones. [HMD also has to handle Nokia's branding properly.] -"If [HMD] will release reasonably priced devices with good specs then, yeah, they might skyrocket to the top again. I have an LG V20 now, I am excited on as to what Samsung will release and I am wondering if I should give Asus a chance 'coz the Zenfone AR is really promising.Besides, Nokia was known to build quality devices." -"Yes, other brands should be worried, because Nokia is one of the pioneers in mobile technology.." -"In my opinion, Mark, Nokia's comeback is a celebration because the legendary brand has risen from the dead! Butjust to join the Android bandwagon." -"They should because Nokia is a legend that comes back to life after a decade of sleep. [." -"I guess [other brands have] nothing to worry about.." Everyone's favorite internet villain, Martin Shkreli, has found himself in trouble again. This time, the former Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO has been removed from Twitter after continually harassing journalist Lauren Duca. The incident began when Shkreli started posting tweets about dating Duca. He later sent her a direct message, asking if she would accompany him to Donald Trump's inauguration. The married freelance writer, whose Teen Vogue feature on how the President-elect is "gaslighting America" was a big hit last month, refused the invitation. "I would rather eat my own organs," was her response to the Pharma Bro, who she has never met. "Well, start with your heart," replied Shkreli, "what a cold you know what!" I would rather eat my own organs pic.twitter.com/IgeCRZqk8w --- Lauren Duca (@laurenduca) January 5, 2017 Shkreli - who gained infamy in 2015 after he raised the price of an old anti-infective drug by more than 5000 percent - then changed his Twitter banner to a collage of photos featuring Duca. It included the words, "For Better or Worse, Til Death do Us Part, I'll Love You With Every Single Beat of my Heart." He also updated his profile picture to show an image of Duca and her spouse, but with Shkreli's face photoshopped over the top of her husband's head. Shkreli also changed his Twitter bio to inform everyone that he has "a small crush on @laurenduca," and posted a tweet stating that he had bought the domain name "marrymelauren.com." The actions prompted Duca to ask Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey how such things were allowed. "I don't know how this could possibly be allowed because this is an act of targeted harassment," wrote Duca. "I know Twitter is struggling to figure out what makes the most sense [regarding user guidelines]... but this is an entire profile dedicated to upsetting me." A few hours later, Shkreli's account was suspended. "The Twitter Rules prohibit targeted harassment, and we will take action on accounts violating those policies," said a company spokesperson. Shkreli has also been "temporarily suspended" from Periscope for allegedly harassing and trying to contact Duca on the Twitter-owned platform. As was the case with Breitbart tech editor Milo Yiannopoulos's suspension, the banning has led some to question Twitter's commitment to "free speech." Shkreli himself remains unrepentant, saying he would stop if Duca directly asked him to. After several months of delay as it dealt with the Galaxy Note 7 backlash, Samsung finally unveiled its latest Chromebooks at CES 2017: the Chromebook Pro and Chromebook Plus. The Chromebook brand is known for its simplicity and minimalism, and its user base consists mainly of schools and enterprises. Although they don't have the flashier specs that other brands might have, Chromebooks are exceptional in their own right. But with the release of the latest Chromebooks from Samsung, Google is hoping to capitalize on a more mainstream release to reach out to a wider market. Alanna Cotton, Samsung's VP of product marketing, said that the company wants to "pair a sleek design with supreme flexibility, encouraging users to experience more with Google Play and Android apps, while continuing to provide simplicity, top-rated security and shareability inherent in Chromebooks." The two Samsung Chromebooks are hybrid computing devices that can work as a laptop or tablet. Because of their stylus support and ability to switch between different modes, the two newest Chromebooks are often compared to Microsoft's Surface Pro 4 and Apple's iPad Pro. In our previous review, we compared Samsung's Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro with the Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book. Now, we'll look at how the two Chromebooks fare against the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Appearance / Weight The Samsung Chromebook Pro and Plus are crafted with an all-metal chassis, with both weighing in at 2.5 pounds. At 1.57 pounds, however, the iPad Pro is obviously the lighter option. Display And Resolution The Samsung Chromebooks have a 12.3-inch display made of Gorilla Glass 3. However, the 2,400 x 1,600 display resolution for both Chromebooks is simply no match to the iPad Pro, which has a 12.9-inch Retina display that has a 2,732 x 2,048 resolution. That's equivalent to 5.6 million pixels. The iPad Pro's screen is also anti-reflective and fingerprint-resistant. Processor The Chromebook Plus and Chromebook Pro are basically the same thing except for their processors: the Plus model has ARM processor, while the Pro version uses an Intel Core m3 chip. On the other hand, the iPad Pro runs on a 64-bit A9X 2.26 GHz dual core processor. Memory And Storage Samsung's Chromebook offers 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage. The iPad Pro offers the same memory, but you can choose between its 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB models. Price At $449, the Samsung Chromebook Plus is definitely the cheapest among the three options. Samsung is yet to announce its pricing for the Pro version, but it should cost more because of the advanced processor. Compared to the Samsung Chromebook Plus, the iPad Pro is a whole lot more expensive, with its prices starting at $799. Since the Chromebooks have just been launched, it remains to be seen how well they perform when compared against the iPad Pro. But their cheaper price point should be an attractive selling point for those looking for a secondary computing device that they can use to multitask or carry around. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nope, Amazon isn't at CES 2017 in any formal capacity, but it appears the company is everywhere thanks to Alexa, the voice assistant that powers Amazon's range of smart home speakers. Alexa has been extremely popular after the wildly successful launch of Amazon Echo and Dot last year. Since opening up Alexa to third-party applications, it has been placed in a lot of products we've seen on the floor at this year's CES, the most extensive annual consumer electronics trade show in Las Vegas. With competition coming up from the likes of Google Home and Apple HomeKit, Amazon is now getting the voice activated software into as many hardware products and expand its ecosystem as much as possible, to secure its leading position in the market. Unveiled At CES 2017: Products That Incorporate Alexa Here are some of the companies that unveiled their products with Alexa's voice recognition technology at CES 2017: LG: The South Korean tech company put Alexa in a refrigerator called the InstaView Door-in-Door, which has a 29-inch touchscreen that allows people to view what is inside the fridge, and warns if products are about to expire. LG also created the Hub Robot, which uses Alexa to complete household tasks. Westinghouse, Element, and Seiki: TongFang Global, the Chinese powerhouse, is coming up with 4K ultra HD smart TVs that make use of Amazon Fire TV software under its sub-brands: Westinghouse, Element, and Seiki. Lenovo: The company came up with its own smart assistant speaker, which is essentially an Amazon Echo clone but with better audio. Mattel: The toy company that produces Barbie has also come up with an Alexa clone; this time, its name is Aristotle. The A.I. comes equipped with features designed to help parents raise their children. Bixi: The gesture control company is making its second-generation portable puck that has Alexa in it. GE: The C by GE Lamp is an internet-connected desk lamp that has a circular LED tube. You can command the lamp to dim the lights, or ask it to set the light to wake you up. Whirlpool: Whirlpool will be producing its range of smart home appliances washers, dryers, refrigerators, and ovens with Alexa, so you can control them with your own voice. Samsung: The Samsung POWERbot VR7000 is a gadget for the truly lazy. This robot vacuum can be operated using your own voice. Ford: The car manufacturing company will be using Alexa so that car owners can order their car to warm up or unlock before getting in. Drivers can also request to turn on lights or adjust the thermostat at home even from inside their vehicles. Alexa's dominance at CES 2017 is a perfect example of a shifting tide in technology where the Internet of Things is becoming the norm rather than the exception, and where software is being valued and appreciated over hardware. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. While the auto industry has been recently preoccupied with electric vehicles, Kia has outed a more mainstream car that revealed its sportier ambition at the North American International Auto Show. This vehicle is the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger, which looks delightfully out of place in the current stable of the South Korean automaker. Enthusiasts first got an inkling of the Stinger several years ago when Kia showcased a rear-wheel driven GT concept car at 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. More than five years on, we now have the production version in our midst and it is due to hit showrooms in the latter part of this year. At this stage, it is bound to be one of the most notable rides showcased in recent international auto shows. Unprecedented Kia Design When the spotlight shined on the Kia Stinger, there was a palpable buzz on account of the sleek and muscular design. Its fastback-style will hold its own when set side by side competing cars such as the BMW 4 Gran Coupe and the Audi A5 Sportback. The striking looks could be attributed to the fact that it has been designed in Germany, counting the likes of Albert Biermann, former top engineer for BMW M, in its production team. "I think for the Kia brand, the Stinger is like a special event," Biermann said. "Because nobody expects such a car, not just the way it looks but also the way it drives. It's a whole different animal." Kia Stinger Under The Hood The hubbub at the event has grown even louder as the Stinger's tech credentials have been revealed one by one. For starters, the base model will be rocking a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, capable of 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet torque. The higher-end variant is outfitted with better performing power train: 3.3-liter V-6 twin-turbo engine that could manage 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet torque. The engines are reportedly still under development but the expectation is that they could zoom from 0 to 62 miles in 5.1 seconds. To contextualize its power, Kia officials tout that the Stinger can be considered a gran turismo sedan, stressing how it is the most dynamic car the company has ever built. Kia also stated that the Stinger holds key competitive edge over potential rivals. For example, the vehicle's wheelbase has more length than Audi A4, Lexus IS or the GS, BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe, and the Mercedes CLS1. It is also wider and offers larger cargo space. Dream Car Based on its confident look, power, and technology, the Stinger is clearly a game-changer for Kia. Indeed, the company claims that it can underpin a shift in the way the company's brand will be perceived today and in the future. "Unlike any Kia that has come before it, the Stinger really is a dream car for us, and here today in Detroit, that dream is now a reality after years of commitment and hard work from a passionate group of designers, engineers and executives around the world," Orth Hedrick, vice president at Kia Motors America said in a news release. "From its GT concept-car origins to the years of tuning and refining on the legendary Nurburgring circuit, no detail was too small to be obsessed over, and the result is simply stunning." The Stinger is also expected to contribute in sustaining Kia's strong performance in the U.S. auto market last year, when it claimed a 3.5 percent sales growth. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The worlds largest reef almost died at the start of the Last Interglacial period some 129,000 to 121,000 years ago, a new analysis has found. Rapidly rising seas resulting from melting glaciers as well as polar ice sheet nearly wiped out the reef during that time, according to University of Sydney researchers. These findings may offer a peak into the future of the embattled reef, which has suffered a catastrophic coral bleaching event last year. Not A Far Cry From Last Interglacial The reef proved to be resilient enough with the eventual, growth of shallow reef once the sea level rise stabilized during that time. But today, this isnt the only challenge for the World Heritage site, which is also facing survival pressures involving rising sea temperatures, pesticide run-off, and dredging from mining works. This provides the first snapshot of this paleo-reef against a background of rapid environmental change, including possible mass ice-sheet collapse, said Dr. Belinda Dechnik, lead author of the study. Sea levels and temperatures were much higher during the Last Interglacial than they were right now, but todays world could be headed in the same direction if carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) remain unchecked. Coupled with official climate change predictions and with the lack of enhancements in reef management and human impacts, these sea-level issues could drown the reef for good, warned Dechnik, who highlighted the need to increase the reefs resilience. To probe the ancient reef layers conditions, the team analyzed 1970s samples and 2015 cored samples taken directly from the reef site. Likening the reef to a sponge cake, the team said that the modern reef found today is the last layer while the ancient one is the second-last layer, which has come so close to drowning due to major environmental impacts. While not as drastic as the ancient one, future sea level increases from climate change could also prove just as significant, or as tall as 6 meters (19.6 feet). The findings were discussed in the journal Global and Planetary Change. Coral Reef Struggle A team from the University of Miami also recently released a coral reef study, combining climate models with different scenarios including the Paris climate agreements outcomes in order to estimate the fate of the reefs in the coming century. Their discovery: reefs around the world will start to experience bleaching every year in 2043 on average. They warned that this will lead to major changes in the reef ecosystems function, as well as massively reduce their capacity to provide fisheries, coastal protection, and other crucial goods and services to humans. Ongoing observations on the damage to the Great Barrier Reef reveal dire results, specifically 67 percent of those along the northern regions already dying in the past nine months alone. Year 2016 saw the worst documented coral bleaching to the reef, with climate change seen as the most likely culprit for a great portion of the destruction. But its not just coral bleaching, but also intense ocean acidity and physical damage that are all leaving the famed reef struggling to survive. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Nikkei, one of Japan's top newspapers, tells markets and investors to expect the Nintendo Switch to sell for JPY 25,000, or around $215 when converted to U.S. currency at the present exchange rate. However, even if the prediction proves accurate, discrepancies in international pricing would probably affect the actual price point of the console when it lands on U.S. shores. By contrast, Nintendo's erstwhile home console, the Wii U, sold for $299 at launch in the U.S. against the original price of JPY 26,250 in Japan. The latter figure actually cost more, however, since the Yen was strong at the time. With that in mind, the Switch could retail for $250 in the United States, a price point which agrees with previous rumors and speculation. Nintendo Switch Event Even if Nikkei's (translated) prediction gives an idea on how the Switch could cost once it reaches stateside, it still pays to be wary of any rumors, which the console itself has garnered numerous of, in varying degrees of purported legitimacy. Anyhow, the Switch-focused event isn't too far now. On Jan. 12, Nintendo is poised to highlight essential metrics performance, graphical capability, etc. and launch games for the console. To properly showcase it, Nintendo is also set to bring Switch units to several U.S. cities as part of a preview tour, ramping up hype as the console slowly hikes up to its scheduled release. Other Nintendo Switch Rumors Just-published FCC filings have also shed more light the Switch's basic rig information, such its Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capabilities. The console could also be designed with a non-removable battery, a configuration which could spell cumbersome battery-related repairs for the system. A fairly recent EuroGamer report has also hinted at how powerful the system could be, publishing alleged graphical performance results that have polarized the console's anticipants. At a clock speed of 307.2 MHz when in portable mode, and at a maximum clock speed of 768 MHz when nestled in its dock, power-hungry gamers have naturally balked at the system's long-term success with the speculative figures in mind, if it aims to compete with Microsoft and Sony. In terms of other rumors, the console is also slated to support GameCube emulation, with three games having been already ported and tested to run on the console successfully. These GameCube titles are Super Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Animal Crossing could also be ported to the system as well. For launch games, rumors are already suggesting Skyrim, a new 3D Mario game in the vein of Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario 64, and Mario and Raving Rabbids crossover. Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, mired by inconsistent release schedules, could also be added to the Switch's launch games lineup after all, if reports are to be believed. We'll know more when Jan. 12 rolls around. The Switch will hit shelves March 17. What do you think of the Switch's price point? Are you holding off on a decision until official specs are revealed? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below! 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Tech buffs all around the world have eagerly been waiting for Samsung's Galaxy Tab S3, the successor of the Galaxy Tab S2, to debut for a while now. The impending tablet from Samsung was expected to be launched in 2016. However, its unveiling at the IFA 2016 never took place. Reports have suggested that the problems Samsung encountered due to its Galaxy Note 7 fiasco may have forced the company to delay the Galaxy Tab S3's arrival. It is widely believed that the Galaxy Note 7's global recall was one the reasons behind the company delaying the launch of the Android-powered tablet and pushing it to early 2017 instead. However, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as the Galaxy Tab S3's arrival is around the corner. The Samsung tablet has just received Bluetooth certification which gives a hint that it could release soon. The Bluetooth Special Interest Group website lists a Samsung Electronics device with the certification ID WFA6921 bearing the model number SM-T825, which is believed to be the Galaxy Tab S3. The LTE variant of the Galaxy Tab S3 sporting the same model number SM-T825 also received its Wi-Fi certification from the WiFi Alliance on Jan. 6. To top it off, the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 has already received the green signal from the Federal Communications Commission, as any device which will be sold in the United States is required to obtain an FCC certification. Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 Rumored Specs At this point, information regarding the specifications of the tablet is scarce. However, rumors and leaks hint that, like the Galaxy Tab S2, the Galaxy S3 could also come in two variants the 8-inch screen and 9.7-inch options. Under the hood, Samsung could house either its own Exynos 8890 or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 820 processor. The upcoming tablet may also house 3 GB of RAM similar to its predecessor. Rumors also hint at the possibility of the Galaxy Tab S3 being made available in a 32 GB storage option, with an option to expand the onboard storage further via a microSD card (up to 128 GB). Consumers, however, would be hoping that Samsung makes available 64 GB and 128 GB storage models as well. The Samsung tablet is expected to sport an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel secondary snapper. The 8-inch variant of the tablet is expected to house a 4,000mAh battery, whereas the 9.7-inch model could be powered by a bigger 5,870mAh battery. While previous rumors hinted that the tablet will come with Android Marshmallow out of the box, consumers would be hoping that Samsung makes up for the delay by pre-loading the Galaxy Tab S3 with Android 7.0 Nougat. A tweet from noted leakster Evan Blass divulged that the Galaxy Tab S3 could come in three colors of white, gold, and black, and could resemble its predecessor Galaxy Tab S2. Reveal Date Samsung is widely expected to take the wraps off the Galaxy Tab S3 tablet at the Mobile World Congress 2017, which is going to take place in Barcelona next month. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. India is all set to receive its first iPhone manufacturing plant, as Apple reportedly intends to start production of iPhones from a Bengaluru-based plant from April 2017. The iPhone 8 will allegedly be manufactured here, which will reportedly lower its price. Apple had been in talks with the Indian government for quite some time now. CEO Tim Cook's visit to India and his subsequent meeting with the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has only added fuel to the fire. Even though the prospect of an India-manufactured iPhone seems exciting, Apple has hinted that it initially, it will start producing only a couple of gadgets and gradually increase the range. Apple bears more than 12 percent manufacturing and production costs as import and excise duties on iPhones. With the phone being manufactured in India, these costs may be eliminated. With the manufacturing costs going down, it follows logic that Apple will pass this on to its consumers and, therefore, the iPhone could possibly cost much less. According to reports, even though Apple is keen to start production in India, the Indian government is not yielding to the company's request of special subsidies. Union Trade minister, Nirmala Sitharaman has said that the government would not be granting Apple any special tax incentives. This statement has been made keeping in mind that India already provides reasonable subsidies to smartphone manufacturers. No other smartphone company receives tax incentives, as Apple is demanding. Sitharaman has also said that if Apple gets tax incentives, then the other manufacturers will get the same, on grounds of fairness of policy. Apple manufacturer Wistron has already started building a manufacturing plant in Peenya, Bengaluru. Another Apple manufacturer, Foxconn already has its units in India. Apple boasts a substantial share in the Indian smartphone market and setting up a manufacturing plant in India would help Apple cement its position further. According to IHS, it costs Apple $236 to produce a 16 GB iPhone 6s Plus. For its 64 GB variant, the company shells out an additional $17 but the consumer pays $100 more. It costs Apple $16 more for upgraded components in the iPhone 6s Plus when compared to the older-gen iPhone 6 Plus. To add to Apple's woes, the iPhone is more expensive in some countries due to taxes and shipping costs. If the iPhone is manufactured in India, the production cost could possibly come down and, therefore, benefit consumers in other countries as well. The dream of a cheap, pocket-friendly iPhone may soon be realized if the Indian government gives Apple the green signal to start its production in the country. As the talks continue, people will wait with bated breath for the much-awaited announcement which may give consumers a reason to celebrate. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Assistant is Google's clever, voice-activated companion, with the operative phrase being voice-activated, that is, unless for those who use Allo, which actually features a typing input aside from voice commands. The Pixel and the Pixel XL, Google's self-branded flagships, and Google's Amazon Echo rival Home, come with Assistant, but it receives commands via voice-only, presumably to champion the hands-free, no-frills nature of the smart artificial intelligence-backed assistant. That could soon change, however, as hinted by a code on the Google app's 6.10 beta. Keyboard Input For Google Assistant A dig-through of the Android search app's beta has revealed a code which suggests users could potentially refrain from barking orders to Assistant should they wish, and opt for a typing input instead, with the same informed results. Immediate benefits include not being worried over anyone within earshot hearing your personal queries, or bumbling through false voice command pick-ups, which could become fodder for hilarity. More importantly, though, the support for keyboard input could pave the way for Google to implement chat bots, which are AI-powered companions anyone can start a conversation with. The great thing about chat bots as opposed to traditional AI voice assistants are their apparent integration of personality. They seem more like friends one can talk to instead of robotic, dispirited personas. This, if partnered with a sterling AI, could spell a widespread and comfortable adoption of AI-powered virtual assistants as the upshot. As further proof of the potential features, previous teardowns of the Android Wear app brought out code snippets that alluded to the fact that Google might also port Assistant to its smartwatch OS. New code found in the Google app seems to bolster this idea. Not much can be combed apart from these, save for new settings for the Android Wear app. Could Android Wear device soon be the next home of Assistant? It's hard to say for now. Possible Google Assistant Gestures? Scouring through the code also hinted at possible gestures for the search app. References to "search gestures" pepper the beta, which could potentially suggest non-touch initialization of Google Assistant. For example, swiping down on the screen might activate the search app, among other possibilities. Android Police, responsible for the dig-through, also suggested that these alleged implementations to Google Assistant could arrive soon via a server-side or an entire app update. Bear in mind that Google might still throw the idea to the bin before ever releasing any of it. That said, the new features are logical improvements to the virtual assistant, and barring them from ever seeing the light of day could be seen an unwise choice from Google. Since its release, there's been clamor to bring over Google Assistant to non-Pixel phones running Nougat and not just Pixel, and there's no clear reason why Google is keeping it on proprietary lockdown for now. There is, however, a clever workaround to this, so users don't have to be up in arms for long. Do you have Google's self-branded flagships? Will you prefer written input over voice commands for Google Assistant? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below! 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Even as unsuspecting travelers at Florida's Fort Lauderdale Airport were witnessing the first round of the horrifying attacks, they had to grapple with a situation that created further panic rumors of shooting by a second gunman. As Tech Times reported on Jan. 8, a MacBook Pro saved the life of a traveler who had been shot at by the gunman identified as Esteban Santiago. The gunman pulled out the gun from his checked-in baggage and started shooting randomly at passengers who were busy collecting their bags from the luggage counter. The shooting rampage, which left five people dead and several injured, was a nightmare for many who survived the ordeal with sheer luck. Santiago surrendered as he had had no other option. Amidst all the chaos and trauma, survivors reminiscence how several of them were being treated as suspects. They were falling short of water and food supplies. These severe conditions were simply adding on to the whole distress. Rumor Creates Panic A huge panic had set in at the Florida airport as people kept running helter-skelter in search of safety, seeking refuge from Santiago who kept firing incessantly. Passengers were left alarmed after the first attack and a rumor started floating that there was a second gunman on the loose. This rumor spread through news sites, social media, and word of mouth through the airport creating havoc and panic as travelers worried for their safety. The airport was shut down and the rumor was sufficient to make both travelers and airport staff flee to the tarmac. In the process, people got separated from their family and friends and ended up getting injured. People even hid in the storage and kitchen and crouched behind luggage trucks to shield themselves from any attack. How the rumor of the second gunman started is not known. Several passengers have shared that they heard what they thought to be gunshots in Terminal 3. Sheriff Israel of Broward County disclosed that someone apparently saw a bloodied person and assumed a second gunman was to blame. The Sheriff does not recollect how much time the authorities took to affirm that no second gunman was involved. The authorities discredited the rumor within 30 minutes to 45 minutes of it beginning to spread. "I made a decision to clear the airport.I worked with our SWAT team and other SWAT teams to clear the entire airport and the parking garage to make sure we didn't have any other active shooter. It was a voluminous undertaking and we did it, as horrific and horrible as this scene was," the Sheriff revealed. He asserted that the misinformation of an active shooter disturbed the team's plan of evacuating the airport on time by arranging for the buses that would have arrived within 30 minutes. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. HMD Global has unveiled the much-awaited Nokia 6 smartphone which marks the return of the Nokia brand to the smartphone market. Now, it seems that the company is looking to throw the gauntlet to the likes of Siri, Cortana and Alexa with the arrival of Viki - its very own AI-powered assistant. Nokia has reportedly applied for a trademark for the name Viki in the EU. The trademark filing from Nokia was first spotted by the folks at GSMInfo. The filing suggests that Nokia is looking to develop its very own virtual assistant, which could be along the lines of Microsoft's Cortana and Apple's Siri. The trademark filed by Nokia describes Viki as a "software for the creation and monitoring of mobile and web assistants working with digital knowledge and combining all data sources into a single chat and voice-based interface." Nokia is the only one looking at developing its own virtual assistant as Samsung too is said to have a personal assistant dubbed Bixby in the works. With its very own virtual assistant, Nokia would possibly look to embed Viki in impending smartphones that are manufactured in partnership with Finland-based HMD Global. The arrival of personal assistant that is embedded in upcoming Nokia-branded smartphones would take things up a notch. Whether Viki will have an edge over Siri, Cortana and Amazon's Alexa (which will reportedly be integrated into Huawei's new flagship smartphone) remains to be seen. Siri for example is integrated with many features such as announcing the names and numbers of the caller, booking a cab ride through ride hailing services Uber or Lyft, placing Whatsapp calls and retrieving photographs with ease. Nokia's Viki has got its work cut out if it wants to give Apple sleepless nights. Viki's biggest rival, however, is expected to be the Google Assistant. Personal assistants integrate a different set of interactions, where a user does not have to touch or pick up the phone. The Google Assistant nails the brief and offers seamless control over the smartphone. Siri and Cortana are quite limited in their interaction by comparison. What Functions Will Viki Integrate? The trademark description notes that Viki is Nokia's very own voice-activated assistant and it could be baked into the OS of HMD Global's upcoming Nokia-branded phones. However, this is mere speculation and a possibility exists that Viki could be related to some other project on which Nokia is working currently. The trademark filing does not detail the capabilities of Viki and, therefore, it is not known what functionalities it will be capable of. For now, Nokia fans will need to remain content with the information that it has a new and exciting software in the pipeline. 2022 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Lenovo To Launch P2 With 5,100 mAh Battery On Jan 11 | TechTree.com Lenovo has finally announced the launch of its much awaited P2 smartphone in India, exclusively available on Flipkart, on Jan 11. In-fact recently, the Chinese smartphone maker sent out a tweet teasing the smartphone, and made an announcement that the P6 would be coming soon to India. And now, here it is. The company once again tweeted as - With 3 days to go, are you ready to hold the power? Lenovo P2- the #Powerhouse is coming to keep you going. Unveiling on 11th Jan, 12:30pm. As we already know, the smartphone comes with a massive 5,100 mAh battery which seems to be the highlighted feature over here, while other features include a 5.5 inch FHD Super AMOLED display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor clocked at 2 GHz, 3 or 4 GB RAM, 32 GB internal storage, and a 13 MP camera sensor on the rear along with a 5 MP shooter on the front. The smartphone also features a fingerprint sensor on the front home button and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS. Having said this, we still have no clue about the price tag, the smartphone is expected to carry. However, it is worth noting that the P1 was priced at Rs 15,999 when it was launched earlier in India. TAGS: Lenovo The issue is an ancient, insecure and essential part of the internet called Border Gateway Protocol. Its a method service providers use to exchange and distribute routing information the instructions that point you to the web server youre looking for. Using the BGP incorrectly can cause widespread havoc as was seen during in 2008, when Pakistan accidentally blocked YouTube causing widespread Internet outage throughout the world. Similarly, Turkey once filtered the majority of traffic from Amazon, Microsoft, CNN and other sites through its own servers causing the Internet to go awry. Iran also tried to ban porn using similar tactics. Irans premier Internet watchdog was apparently acting on the instructions of government to block porn access to Iranian citizen. However, in its zeal to spoof the DNS of porn websites caused mayhem across Hong Kong, Russia, and other Eastern European countries. Irans networks are a major routing center for the region, and its easy for malicious or false BGP data to spread from Irans sources. Though the issue was pinpointed and resolved quickly, it once again points to the fragility of our Internet infrastructure and its inability to resurrect itself when such protocols are misused. AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS--(Marketwired - Jan 9, 2017) - Smart technology recruitment firm StartMonday Technology Corp. (CSE: JOB) (XFRA: JOB) (the "Company" or "StartMonday") is very pleased to announce several recent strategic activities aimed at positioning the Company for rapid growth. StartMonday believes in thinking and acting globally. The Company has committed to this core value by investing in the world's largest employment market. Accordingly, StartMonday has been registered for business in the USA and is in the process of setting up a divisional presence and employing local staff. Along with 2 European sales specialists recently hired and based in the UK, the US office will also initially host 2 regional sales managers, with both groups led by Chief Sales Officer, Bryan Miller. Members of StartMonday's growing sales team were selected for their extensive experience within solution-based consultative environments, and bring deep industry contacts in the Company's chosen verticals. Given that StartMonday is targeting large businesses with Enterprise solutions with significant process changes that influence brands as forward-looking employers, StartMonday opted for senior sales people with the proven knowledge and ability to grow key prospects into global agreements. Company management looks forward to later this week when the entire team will meet in Amsterdam for a weeklong sales summit to align the team's efforts for sales success. In related news, the Company's technology team is pushing a platform-wide Applicant Tracking Software (ATS) update across the network. This major update supports StartMonday's clients' broader needs to track videos through a full recruitment cycle all the way to a job hire. The software also further allows clients to store documents, make notes, and collaborate with colleagues seamlessly. Company co-founder and CEO Ray Gibson comments, "The new year is upon us and moving ahead at a furious pace already. We all look forward to meeting with our sales team later this week, and I'm delighted to report that several team members have already booked a number of sales calls. My initial conversations with the team lead me to believe that we are going to have a great time exchanging ideas and channeling what is already a palpable sense of enthusiasm. I'd also like to thank the tech team for their recent progress, as we expect the ATS upgrade to be greatly appreciated in the field. Thanks again to everyone for all the support as it's this continued drive that allows us to deliver success for each other, our partners, our clients and our shareholders alike." Story continues About StartMonday (CSE: JOB) (XFRA: JOB) StartMonday helps employers select better candidates, faster, with the power of 15-second video introductions. StartMonday's video-led mobile and web applications deliver a better impression of personality and customer skills, ultimately helping employers decide which candidates they should talk to first - making the process much more efficient. StartMonday is focused on becoming recognized as an innovative and trusted brand for job recruitment. The Company is dedicated to building powerful tools for the Mobile Generation. The mission is to make recruiting, and work itself, an amazing experience for everyone. For more information please visit www.startmonday.com. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Ray Gibson" CEO & Director CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMER STATEMENT: The Canadian Securities Exchange has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of the content of this news release. This news release contains forward-looking statements relating to the completion of the listing of the Company's shares on the Canadian Securities Exchange and other statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements are often identified by terms such as "will", "may", "should", "anticipate", "expects" and similar expressions. All statements other than statements of historical fact, included in this release are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the failure to satisfy the conditions of the Canadian Securities Exchange and other risks detailed from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Such information, although considered reasonable by management at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect and actual results may differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The forward- looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company will update or revise publicly any of the included forward-looking statements as expressly required by applicable law. The new law provide legal conditions for a long-term peace policy, allowing the current and future administrations to establish and implement agreements in favor of peace. | Read More * Rebels say they will respond to government truce violations * Assad says army will take back key area near Damascus * Assad says he is ready to discuss "everything" at Astana talks (Adds rebel shelling of Idlib villages, government shelling of Wadi Barada) By Tom Perry BEIRUT, Jan 9 (Reuters) - A Syrian truce brokered by Russia and Turkey was under growing strain on Monday as rebels vowed to respond to government violations and President Bashar al-Assad said the army would retake an important rebel-held area near Damascus. Assad, in comments to French media, also said his government was ready to negotiate on "everything" at peace talks his Russian allies hope to convene in Kazakhstan, including his own position within the framework of the Syrian constitution. But he indicated any new constitution must be put to a referendum and it was up to Syrians to elect their president. His opponents have insisted throughout nearly six years of war that he must leave power under any future peace deal. But since Russia joined the war on his side in late 2015, his government's position on the battlefield has strengthened dramatically, giving him greater leverage now than at any time since the war's earliest days. The ceasefire which came into effect on Dec. 30 aims to pave the way for the new peace talks which Russia hopes to convene with Turkish and Iranian support. But no date has been set for the talks and the warring sides have accused each other of truce violations. The Moscow-led effort to revive diplomacy, without the participation of the United States, has emerged with Assad buoyed by the defeat of rebels in Aleppo, and as ties thaw between Russia and Turkey, long one of the rebels' main backers. Ankara, now seemingly more worried by growing Kurdish sway in Syria than toppling Assad, supports the diplomatic push. The latest fighting has been especially intense near Damascus where the army and allied militia are trying to capture a rebel-held area that includes the main water source supplying Damascus. It was bombed out of service more than two weeks ago. Story continues Assad blamed truce violations on the insurgents, and said the army must "prevent terrorists from using the water to throttle the capital". He said it was the army's job to recapture the Wadi Barada area, which he said had been occupied by a jihadist group not covered by the ceasefire. Rebels deny the area is in jihadist hands. The United Nations has said 5.5 million people have had little or no running water for more than two weeks in Damascus. It blamed "deliberate targeting" for destroying the pumping station, without saying by whom. Rebels accuse the government. Talks between the government and rebels aimed at allowing repairs to the pumping station failed at the weekend, and heavy air strikes were reported in the area on Sunday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, reported clashes in Wadi Barada on Monday and said government forces shelled several towns there. In Idlib province in the north, a military media unit run by Damascus's ally Hezbollah said rebel shelling killed two people in the pro-government villages of al-Foua and Kefraya. "WE WILL NOT REMAIN SILENT" The spokesman for one of the rebel groups that signed the ceasefire said rebel leaders had concluded they could not continue abiding the truce in what he described as a "unilateral way", and they would respond to attacks by the other side. "Even if the agreement continues within what has been agreed on, they have the full right to respond to breaches wherever they are," Mamoun Haj Musa, spokesman for the Free Syrian Army-affiliated Suqur al Sham rebel group, told Reuters. Writing on Twitter, the head of another rebel group said rebels had agreed to the truce to spare Syrian blood. But with violence continuing, "we will not remain silent" wrote Mohamad al-Mansour, head of Jaish al-Nasr. President-elect Donald Trump has indicated he may cut U.S. support for rebel groups, a move that would further strengthen the position of Assad, who has consolidated his rule around the major cities of western Syria and the coast. Last month his forces captured all of Aleppo, the eastern half of which had been in rebel hands since 2012. Swathes of Syria still remain out of his control, including the Islamic State-controlled eastern province of Deir al-Zor, large areas of northern Syria held by a Kurdish militia, and pockets of rebel-held territory in the west. Asked if the government planned to recapture the Islamic State-held city of Raqqa, Assad said it was the Syrian army's role to liberate "every inch" of Syrian land. "But the question is related to when, and our priorities. This is a military matter linked to military planning and priorities." he added. The United States is backing an alliance of militias including the Kurdish YPG in a campaign aimed ultimately at recapturing Raqqa city. TALKS CAN'T SUCCEED WITHOUT CEASEFIRE - OPPOSITION Russia, Turkey and Iran, the three foreign powers involved in the latest peace drive, plan to divide Syria into informal zones of influence under an outline deal they reached, sources told Reuters in Moscow last month. But such a deal would still need buy-in from Assad, his opponents and, eventually, the Gulf states and Washington. Rebel groups fighting under the "Free Syrian Army" banner have already frozen any discussion of their possible participation in the Astana talks. The Syrian government dismisses opposition groups backed by Assad's enemies as foreign creations. In his comments to the French media, Assad asked: "Who will be (in Astana) from the other side? We do not yet know. Will it be a real Syrian opposition?" Riad Nassan Agha, a member of the main Syrian opposition umbrella group, the Riyadh-backed High Negotiations Committee, said he had not heard of anyone being invited to the Astana talks yet. "Syrians do not yet feel that there is a ceasefire. The battles are continuing: the attack on Wadi Barada, on (rural) western Aleppo, on Idlib, on the Ghouta (suburban area near) Damascus, Deraa," he said. The Astana talks "cannot succeed unless the ceasefire is implemented", he added. (Additional reporting by Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, and Ellen Francis in Beirut; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Andrew Heavens, Toby Chopra and Peter Graff) 280 million-year-old fossil reveals origins of chimaeroid fishes by Staff Writers Chicago IL (SPX) Jan 06, 2017 This is a video interview with Michael Coates about the Dwykaselachus fossil. Image courtesy University of Chicago. For a larger version of this image please go here High-definition CT scans of the fossilized skull of a 280 million-year-old fish reveal the origin of chimaeras, a group of cartilaginous fish related to sharks. Analysis of the brain case of Dwykaselachus oosthuizeni, a shark-like fossil from South Africa, shows telltale structures of the brain, major cranial nerves, nostrils and inner ear belonging to modern-day chimaeras. This discovery, published early online in Nature on Jan. 4, allows scientists to firmly anchor chimaeroids - the last major surviving vertebrate group to be properly situated on the tree of life - in evolutionary history, and sheds light on the early development of these fish as they diverged from their deep, shared ancestry with sharks. "Chimaeroids belong somewhere close to the sharks and rays, but there's always been uncertainty when you search deeper in time for their evolutionary branching point," said Michael Coates, PhD, professor of organismal biology and anatomy at the University of Chicago, who led the study. "Chimaeras are unusual throughout the long span of their fossil record," Coates said. "Because of this, it's been difficult to understand how they got to be the way they are in the first place. This discovery sheds new light not only on the early evolution of shark-like fishes, but also on jawed vertebrates as a whole." Chimaeras include about 50 living species, known in various parts of the world as ratfish, rabbit fish, ghost sharks, St. Joseph sharks or elephant sharks. They represent one of four fundamental divisions of modern vertebrate biodiversity. With large eyes and tooth plates adapted for grinding prey, these deep-water dwelling fish are far from the bloodthirsty killer sharks of Hollywood. For more than 100 years, they have fascinated biologists. "There are few of the marine animals that on account of structure and relationships to other forms living and extinct have as great interest for zoologists and palaeontologists as the Chimaeroids," wrote Harvard naturalist Samuel Garman in 1904. More than a century later, the relationship between chimaeras, the earliest sharks, and other early jawed fishes in the fossil record continues to puzzle paleontologists. Chimaeras - named for their similarities to a mythical creature described by Homer as "lion-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle" - are unusual. Their anatomy comprises features reminiscent of sharks, ray-finned fishes and tetrapods, and their form is shaped by hardened bits of cartilage rather than bone. Because they are found in deep water, they were long considered rare. But as scientists gained the technology to explore more of the ocean, they are now known to be widespread, but their numbers remain uncertain. After a 2014 study detailing their extremely slow-evolving genomes was published in Nature, interest in chimaeras blossomed. Of all living vertebrates with jaws, chimaeras seemed to offer the best promise of finding an archive of information about conditions close to the last common ancestor of humans and a Great White. Like sharks, also reliant on cartilage, chimaeras rarely fossilize. The few known early chimaera fossils closely resemble their living descendants. Until now, the chimaeroid evolutionary record consisted mostly of isolated specimens of their characteristic hyper-mineralized tooth plates. The Dwykaselachus fossil resolves this issue. It was originally discovered by amateur paleontologist and farmer Roy Oosthuizen when he split open a nodule of rock on his farm in South Africa in the 1980s. An initial description named it based on material visible at the broken surface of the nodule. It was carefully archived in the South African Museum in Cape Town, where its splendor awaited technology able to unwrap its long-shrouded secrets. In 2013, when the University of the Witwatersrand Evolutionary Studies Institute obtained a micro CT scanner, Dr. Robert Gess, a South African Centre of Excellence in Palaeosciences partner and co-author of this study, began scanning Devonian shark fossils while he was based at the Rhodes University Geology Department. Coates encouraged him to investigate Dwykaselachus. At the surface, Dwykaselachus appeared to be a symmoriid shark, a bizarre group of 300+ million-year-old sharks, known for their unusual dorsal fin spines, some resembling boom-like prongs and others surreal ironing boards. CT scans showed that the Dwykaselachus skull was remarkably intact, one of a very few that had not been crushed during fossilization. The scans also provide an unprecedented view of the interior of the brain case. "When I saw it for the first time, I was stunned," Coates said. "The specimen is remarkable." The images, one reviewer commented, are "almost dripping with data." They show a series of telltale anatomical structures that mark the specimen as an early chimaera, not a shark. The braincase preserves details about the brain shape, the paths of major cranial nerves and the anatomy of the inner ear. All of which indicate that Dwyka belongs to modern-day chimaeras. The scans reveal clues about how these fish began to diverge from their common ancestry with sharks. A large extinction of vertebrates at the end of the Devonian period, about 360 million years ago, gave rise to an explosion of cartilaginous fishes. Instead of what became modern-day sharks, Coates said, revelations from this study indicate that "much of this new biodiversity was, instead, early chimaeras." "We can now say that the first radiation of cartilaginous fishes after the end Devonian extinction was chimaeras, in abundance." Coates said. "It's the inverse of what we've got today, where sharks are far more common." Research paper: "A symmoriiform chondrichthyan braincase and the origin of chimaeroid fishes" Syrian President Bashar al-Assad speaks to reporters on January 9, a day after after meeting with French lawmakers in Damascus (AFP Photo/) Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has vowed to retake an area that supplies Damascus with water and rejected any negotiations on his departure at upcoming talks in Kazakhstan. Millions of people have been without water for weeks after fighting damaged key infrastructure in the Wadi Barada region outside Damascus that is the main water source for the capital. The government says former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, known previously as Al-Nusra Front, is present in Wadi Barada, and blames rebels there for cutting water to Damascus since December 22. "The role of the Syrian Army is to liberate that area in order to prevent those terrorists from using that water in order to suffocate the capital," Assad told French media in an interview aired Monday. Assad's forces have been battling rebels in Wadi Barada for weeks and the fighting has continued despite the start on December 30 of a nationwide ceasefire brokered by Russia and Turkey. Assad said the ceasefire was being "breached on a daily basis" and mainly around Damascus "because the terrorists occupy the main source of water" in Wadi Barada. He said "more than five million civilians have been deprived of water for the last three weeks" as a result of the fighting. The United Nations says 5.5 million people in and around Damascus are without water. Assad said that Fateh al-Sham is "occupying" the Wadi Barada region, 15 kilometres (10 miles) northwest of the capital. But rebels deny that the jihadists are in the area and say the water supply was severed after government strikes hit pumping facilities. Assad also insisted that the ceasefire does not include Fateh al-Sham or its formidable rival, the Islamic State group. On Monday, regime forces and fighters from Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah clashed with rebels and some Fateh Al-Sham jihadists in the Wadi Barada area, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. Story continues - Russia 'serious' about talks - On Sunday, two civilians were killed by regime fire and the area was hit by a dozen regime air raids after the failure of negotiations to repair the water plant at Ain al-Fijeh, the Britain-based monitor said. Assad also rejected any negotiations towards his departure from power at talks set to be held in late January in Kazakhstan's capital Astana. "My position is related to the constitution, and the constitution is very clear about the mechanism in which you can bring a president or get rid of a president," he said. "So, if they (the opposition) want to discuss this point, they have to discuss the constitution, and the constitution is not owned by the government or the president or by the opposition. "It should be owned by the Syrian people, so you need a referendum," he said. The Astana talks, organised by regime allies Russia and Iran and rebel backer Turkey, aim to pave the way towards an end to a nearly six-year war that has killed 310,000 people and displaced millions. Assad has said Syrian forces are on their way to victory after they recaptured the northern city of Aleppo on December 22 with support from Moscow and Tehran. Opposition negotiator Basma Khodmani said: "This time the Russians are serious and determined. They want to get out of the conflict. They have gone as far as it was in their interest to go on the military front." "They can't obtain a total victory as it would take years. They now want a political solution and this Astana meeting to be credible." Since it started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011, Syria's uprising has evolved into a complex war involving many players. On Sunday, commandos from the US-led coalition battling IS raided a village held by the jihadists in eastern Syria, the Observatory and the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said. The Observatory said at least 25 jihadists were killed in the two-hour raid on the village of Al-Kubar in the oil-rich province of Deir Ezzor. Tension between property rights and flood control has created a fissure in Central, where the city planner has been let go under disputed circumstances and the head of the Planning and Zoning Commission has resigned in frustration. Paul Burns said he quit his post heading the Planning Commission after the City Council against the commission's recommendation voted to relax certain ordinances to allow more people to build homes in flood plains. Council members contend the changes were minor. They say they are meant to empower property owners to divide small rural plots so they can be left to multiple heirs, such as parents who want to split a 4-acre tract between a daughter's family and a son's. In Central, rural property below the so-called 100-year floodplain is designated as "conservation land," and Burns estimates that it accounts for about a third of the city. Normally, rural lots must be a minimum of one acre, but conservation lots had to be at least three acres, meaning fewer people could build there. In November, the City Council voted to change the rule, allowing owners to subdivide properties of less than six acres into multiple one-acre plots. The three-acre rule was a "cornerstone" of Central's master plan for development, Burns said. "I thought it was an extremely wise and prudent thing to do," he added. Changing the ordinance is "making people more susceptible to flooding," the former planning commission chairman said. "It was very, very wrong. ... I didn't want to be part of it," he said. Others have countered his assessment. "I really don't see it being some crucial impact to the flood plain," City Councilman and professional engineer Jason Ellis said. "At the end of the day I felt like we returned rights back to property owners ... to turn land over to their kin." Council members explored whether they could restrict the code so subdivided land could only be transferred to family, but the city's lawyer advised against such a rule, Ellis said. There are still controls in place though, Ellis and Mayor Jr. Shelton said. Under the existing law, property can only be subdivided once, and plots 6 acres and larger are still required to stick to the 3-acre minimum. Additionally, new houses still have to be built to the base flood elevation. "This is not a situation where someone's going to grab a bunch of land and build a bunch of subdivisions," Shelton said. Councilman Wayne Messina sees the issue one of inheritance and property rights, not of flood control. "Sometimes laws end up hurting honest people," preventing them from dividing up land among their heirs, he said. Messina said the council's action had nothing to do with conservation space. "Soothsayers ... are using this thing of 'The sky is falling'" as an excuse to oppose the change, he said. 'Rebuilding with Resilence' theme of Baton Rouge area planning group It will take efforts large and small to begin flood-proofing the Baton Rouge area, an archit Burns worries the new change is opening the door to developers and unsafe residential subdivisions. He noted that this marks the second time Central leaders have pulled back from expert advice. When the master plan for Central was being drawn up, engineers and planners counseled the government to allow no more than one lot for every twelve acres. The city thought it was too restrictive and settled on 3 acres as a compromise but have now retreated again, Burns said. He said the community has a responsibility to try to control development in its boundaries and to try to keep catastrophic events like August's flood from happening. Instead, Burns said, "Basically this council just threw out all that money (paid to advisers), all that deliberation out the window, and said 'We know better.'" Council members pointed to other changing flood control measures. Messina said building standards have increased in the decades he's lived in Central. Building owners now have to construct to the level of flooding the federal government expects has a one percent chance of occurring each year, though the requirement is the minimum required of communities that participate in the national flood insurance program. Central leaders have also pushed to have less land classified as being at high-risk for flooding, allowing homeowners to forgo flood insurance. Federal authorities approved the new, less restrictive maps, which Ellis said shows the area is less susceptible to floods than had been thought. "Some of these conservation areas really shouldn't be conservation areas because the flood maps have changed," he said. Further, plans for new construction still have to go up for review, Ellis added. Burns sees problems with the rule change at both an individual and community level. Building in a conservation area will expose more people to flood risk, he said, so taxpayers have to help pay to rebuild their houses afterward through measures like FEMA assistance. And by building on formerly undeveloped ground, new structures will displace water during a flood, pushing it onto neighbors. "It's not in the city's interest; it's not in the individual's interest" to develop conservation land, he said. Woodrow Muhammad, who served until recently as the city's defacto planning director, said the city must be careful to shepherd through environmentally-sensitive development that properly addresses flood mitigation a "balancing act." "I think the master plan took account of that. I think the master plan should be respected," he said. Muhammad said he recently was informed by his company's human resources staff that his job had been eliminated. Technically, Muhammad worked for the Institute for Building Technology and Safety, the private company under contract with Central to provide city services. Muhammad said the company told him he was being let go at their client's request, a claim city leaders have denied. "I was not involved in the firing or restructuring or whatever," Shelton said. Messina said Muhammad's claim that city officials had something to do with his dismissal was "absolutely false. ... The municipality of Central had nothing to do with that." Ellis added that "we don't make personnel decisions for them." David Ratcliff, IBTS's program director, said the mayor and council had nothing to do with the decision and that Muhammad was a casualty of restructuring designed to provide better and more efficient service. Muhammad said he doesn't buy the reorganization claim. "That was not the case. That is not accurate," Muhammad said. When asked if the city was pursuing unsafe development, he was diplomatic. "I think there was a lack of understanding," he said in an initial phone interview before being called away without a chance to elaborate on specifics. In a follow-up text, he said that if terminating his position was for the good of the city and its flood recovery, he would support it, and that he had been counseled not to comment further. Editor's note: This story was changed after publication to remove the incorrect information that the Planning Commission's recommendation on building in flood plains was unanimous. The panel that oversees public colleges and universities statewide is considering the idea of permanently trimming TOPS by giving less money to freshman and sophomores and increasing the required course load. Under the recommendations released Monday by the staff of the state Board of Regents, college freshmen would be eligible for 80 percent of their total tuition costs from the Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. Sophomores could get 90 percent, while juniors and seniors would be eligible for 100 percent of the merit aid, which is based on modest academic requirements. The new rules would take effect for the freshman class of 2018. In addition, students would have to earn 30 credit hours per academic year to keep TOPS, up from 24 credit hours under current rules. The changes would have to win approval from the Legislature to take effect. Regents officials noted that under today's rules students cannot earn enough credit hours in four years to get a diploma, which typically requires 120 hours. The TOPS changes are part of a 44-page set of draft recommendations developed in response to a 2016 law sponsored by state Sen. Sharon Hewitt, R-Slidell. Higher education leaders promise 'bold' changes, which could include mergers, closures Higher education leaders with the Board of Regents promised they would deliver a plan of "bo "I love the idea of scaling back TOPS and rewarding those students who have already demonstrated that they can be successful at the university level," Hewitt said after the meeting. The study is aimed at coming up with ways to make higher education more efficient amid budget cuts that total $700 million in the past seven years. Richard Lipsey, chairman of the board of regents, emphasized that proposed changes to TOPS and other areas are merely the initial conclusions of the regents' staff. "Please keep in mind that this is a working draft," Lipsey said. Officials will collect feedback from college and university officials and others before final action on the report Feb. 22. Any suggestions would then go to the Legislature, which begins its 2017 regular session on April 10. The TOPS changes are aimed at sustaining the program, which was cut for the first time by lawmakers last year amid state financial problems. About 50,000 students are having to come up with 60 percent of tuition costs for the spring semester, which was previously paid in full by the state. LSU students have to find $2,172, plus fees and those at Southern University have to cover $1,447. Students at University of Louisiana at Lafayette will need $1,573, and Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond will have to come with $1,700. TOPS has long paid for the full tuition for students who earn a 2.5 grade point average in high school, including required courses, and at least a a 20 on the ACT, a test of college readiness. The state spent $2.6 billion for TOPS between 1999-2016, according to the report. State spending for TOPS has shot up 391 percent because of tuition hikes up 212 percent and the increase in the number of students who qualified 103 percent. Backers contend TOPS helps keep top-flight students in the state, and encourages high school students to meet higher academic standards than previously. Some critics argue that academic rules need to be toughened. Others say the state should spend more on need-based college assistance. If the Legislature declines to change how TOPS is allocated, the assistance should be turned into a flat grant regardless of where students attend school, according to the study. That would allow students and families to make college decisions based on available assistance, since a TOPS package for a student at a two-year college would take care of more expenses than for a student at LSU. Hewitt said that, under last year's TOPS reductions, rising seniors who had demonstrated academic proficiency for three years "all of a sudden were underfunded." "So I think there should be some weighting to the higher level students and maybe less weighting to those that are just beginning until they have an opportunity to demonstrate they are serious about going to college," she said. "I like it, and I think it is something that would resonate with many of my colleagues," Hewitt said. A similar proposal went nowhere during the 2016 legislative session, as have most other bills to change TOPS. The lawmaker told the board some of her colleagues were skeptical on whether the Board of Regents would recommend major changes. "I think that you have a tremendous framework," Hewitt said. "We have an opportunity to do things differently." While state aid for TOPS used to rise yearly, a new state law requires the Legislature to authorize such increases in the future. The 2016-17 assistance is the base for such hikes. The study said the base should be changed to what TOPS students received in 2015-16 since that was the last year before the program was cut. While a special panel named by Gov. John Bel Edwards has called for $700 million a year in tax and fee hikes for work on the state's roads and bridges, there are three key questions on whether any such plan will become reality. How much the governor will recommend to the 2017 Legislature is still to be decided, and it could be considerably less than $700 million. Second, the next round of state government budget problems will play a big role, and it remains to be seen how much transportation can expect amid repeated cuts for colleges and universities, health care and other state services. Finally, whether a $700 million tax and fee hike can win legislative support is unknown, especially in the all-important House Ways and Means Committee. Bid to boost transportation aid by $700 million per year wins final approval A plan to raise taxes and fees by $700 million per year for roads and bridges won final appr The governor's 18-member task force, including legislative leaders, stopped short of spelling out a specific plan to raise the money. But the final report, released Friday, said state gas taxes offer "the most reliable, proven and meaningful source of funding for transportation," while fees and other sources can also play a role. Motorists now pay 38.4 cents per gallon in taxes, including 20 cents in state taxes. Relying on the gas tax alone to raise $700 million per year would require a hike of about 23 cents, more than double the current rate. Asked for a comment on the task force report, the governor issued a statement that said he is "very pleased with its work and recommendations." "Our transportation challenges did not occur overnight and neither will our solutions," he said. "Our fiscal stability, economic competitiveness and quality of life are at stake in the upcoming session, and I look forward to working with House and Senate members to develop and enact sustainable, nonpartisan solutions for multimodal transportation in Louisiana," Edwards said. The governor could recommend a smaller plan than the one suggested by the task force, and $350 million per year is seen as the minimum needed to make significant road and bridge improvements. However, there are signs the Legislature has concerns about a major tax hike, even if lawmakers agree that road and bridge problems demand attention. If Edwards submits a major plan, the key showdown likely would be in the House Ways and Means Committee, which votes on all revenue-raising measures. Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans, chairman of the panel, said that while infrastructure is a priority, "I'm reluctant to embrace a mere tax increase as the solution." "We need to come up with the right revenue source, with the right system," Abramson said in an email. He said he has not seen the full recommendations of the task force. Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, a member of the governor's panel, said Abramson's committee would play a huge role in the fate of any transportation plan. "I just think that anything that is going to happen going forward is going to be a product of what comes out of Ways and Means," Cortez said. "It has to get out of Ways and Means to get any legs." Backers say a $700 million per year increase in transportation spending would allow the state to trim its $13.1 billion backlog of needed work and accelerate work on a separate $16 billion list of mega-projects. The latter list includes a new bridge across the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge, south of the current one. "I think there is interest to do something on transportation," said Shawn Wilson, co-chairman of the task force and secretary of the state Department of Transportation and Development. "The question is how significantly will it impact the discussion, given all the other budget issues dealt with during the session," Wilson said. The Legislature convenes on April 10. The House Transportation Committee would be another key stop in the legislative process for any road and bridge overhaul. Rep. Kenny Havard, R-St. Francisville, chairman of the panel, has long had concerns about a big hike in the gasoline tax. "I just think with gas prices going up every day, we are going to be really hard pressed to convince our colleagues that 23 cents is politically feasible," Havard said. "I know for sure that if we put it up for a vote of the people, they will vote it down as well." In its final report, the task force said Louisiana's infrastructure construction spending is the lowest of any state in the South. Much of what motorists see and will see stems from special funding, like $100 million in federal grants DOTD landed last year that will finance lane changes near the "new" Mississippi River bridge in Baton Rouge. The upcoming debate will mix state finances, politics and conflicting demands from taxpayers. "There are a lot of moving parts," Cortez said. This file photo shows rapper Corey Miller, who once went by the stage name of C-Murder, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, file) Richard Reed asks to be spared jail time after pleading guilty in bizarre Chimes incident Richard Reed, brother of ex-DA Walter Reed, asks to be spared jail time after pleading guilty in bizarre Chimes incident Optimism that the surge in commodity prices may help lift government revenues and reduce the budget deficit has been pulled up short by a steep fall in spot coking coal prices since the start of the new year. Spot coking coal prices for top-quality Australian coking coal sold abroad fell $US25 a tonne to $US222 at the start of January, according to the latest issue of McCloskey Fax, an industry newsletter, with the price of good-quality Australian steaming coal down $US6 a tonne to $US86.70. The lower spot market prices are expected to weigh on quarterly contract prices when they are set later in the March quarter. The decline in spot prices reflected both a seasonal lull in China and a lack of interest from India. Sussan Ley can thank prime ministerial timidity and the requirement for natural justice for having to stand down as the Minister for Health pending an investigation of taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast rather than being sacked outright. Ms Ley has admitted that her travel claim for a side trip from Brisbane to the Gold Coast in May 2015 during which she bought an apartment for $800,000 "did not meet the high standards he [Malcolm Turnbull] expects of ministers". She's promised to reimburse taxpayers for the travel and accommodation costs of this trip, as well two others to the Gold Coast in 2014-15. Ms Ley has made at least 20 taxpayer-funded trips to the Gold Coast since becoming health minister in September 2013, some of them accompanied by her husband, who runs a business there. On May 9, 2015, she travelled to Brisbane for a cancer drug announcement, then flew to the Gold Coast to meet patients regarding access to new medicines. It was decided Ms Ley would overnight at the Gold Coast instead of travelling back to Albury (in her electorate) and then returning to Canberra the next day. Such contingency planning is routine for politicians travelling on parliamentary or ministerial/electoral business. Official business concluded, Ms Ley later attended a property auction where she made a winning bid for a two-bedroom apartment. A blurring of the official and the personal is a normal consequence of business travel, and buying an apartment while on a taxpayer-funded business is arguably nothing out of the ordinary and certainly not an egregious infringement of ethical standards. However, Ms Ley's defence of the apartment purchase as "not planned or anticipated" drew cynicism, if not by outright disbelief, from sections of the media. She further damaged her credibility by refusing to give details of her meeting with patients. That politicians are granted some leeway with respect to their travel entitlements is reasonable given their need to travel extensively within their electorates, and, if they're ministers, to journey around Australia. Time and again, however, politicians have shown themselves to be less than scrupulous in ensuring the legitimacy and accuracy of their claims, inevitably bringing them (and the institution of parliament) into disrespect. Renho Murata, Japan Renho, as she is known, is the leader of Japans largest opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). She is the first woman to hold that office, and is notable also for her mixed parentage: her father is Taiwanese while her mother is Japanese. Prior to entering politics in 2004 she was a journalist, coming to prominence as the news anchor for one of the major broadcasters. She was elected leader of the DPJ in September 2016 and has a considerable challenge in front of her. Although Japan has been an electoral democracy since 1947, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has had a virtual monopoly on government. In the current LDP leader, Shinzo Abe, she faces one of the strongest and most effective political leaders in post-war Japanese history. For some, Renho is the face of a changing Japan. Her mixed parentage still a rarity in the country and gender give her distinct electoral appeal. Others see in her difference a weakness on which conservatives can seize to stymie DPJ ambitions. There was considerable criticism relating to her nationality in the lead-up to her election in September, which gives a sense of the potential volatility of the issue. In more concrete terms, the DPJ continues to lack a unifying policy vision or ideological purpose beyond the desire to push the LDP from government. Renhos challenge in 2017 is to develop a coherent policy platform that can unify the DPJ, and which can be used to contest the LDPs electoral dominance. Given Abes ongoing problems with economic reform and his ambitions for controversial constitutional change, she has much with which to work. Mmusi Maimane. Credit:Herman Verwey Mmusi Maimane, South Africa Often compared to Barack Obama due to his charismatic presence and oratorical skills, Maimane is the first black South African to lead the Democratic Alliance (DA), the major opposition party. The 36-year-old has led the DA since May 2015. The election of a young man born in Soweto demonstrated not only that the party had broadened its base beyond its traditional constituency of liberal white South Africans, but that it was a political force to serve the interests of South Africa as a whole. Maimanes central political message is to deliver on a post-racial vision of South Africa. As yet it is not clear whether this will have enough resonance in a country that, in more than two decades since apartheids demise, has grown sceptical about that visions reality. Since coming to power in 1994, the African National Congress (ANC) has been the dominant force in South African politics. Under President Jacob Zuma, however, its popularity has declined precipitously. Corruption appears to have become endemic, the economy has stalled South Africa is no longer Africas largest economy and inequality has increased. Under Maimane the DA had its best-ever result in the August 2016 municipal elections. It significantly increased its share of the vote, directly at the expense of the ANC. In 2017, Maimane must consolidate that advantage as the DA positions itself to challenge for national power in the 2019 national elections. Cory Booker. Credit:AP Cory Booker, United States In hindsight it was obvious. Hillary Clinton was a weak candidate whose establishment credentials alongside her decades in the public limelight added further baggage. These problems were not offset by a cautious and dull pick for her running mate. One name overlooked for the role was the junior senator from New Jersey, Cory Booker. But his is one of the first names people mention as possible Democratic contenders to take on Donald Trump in 2020. Booker began political life as a Newark City councillor in 1998 and became mayor in 2006. He was elected to the US Senate in 2013 to fill a vacancy, then won the ordinary election in November 2014. Politically, Booker represents the Democratic Partys pragmatic centre. He is animated by social issues but capable of working effectively both with Republicans and big business. Beyond his ability to mobilise African-American voters, Booker also has the capacity to bring together progressive and more centrist tendencies in the US electorate. Given the tenor of the incoming Trump administration, this will put him in good stead for any potential 2020 bid. Nicola Sturgeon. Credit:Getty Images Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland It may appear odd to identify as a person to watch in 2017 a political figure who came to prominence on the back of the losing campaign in the 2014 Scottish referendum. But Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is one of Britains most capable and strongly supported political leaders. More importantly, the June 2016 Brexit vote undermined one of the crucial reasons Scotland chose to remain in Britain, and has dealt Sturgeon an interesting and potentially advantageous hand. Like many left-of-centre British politicians she was politicised by the Thatcher government, joining the Scottish National Party (SNP) in 1986, aged 16. She entered the Scottish parliament in 1999, following its establishment. As deputy leader she played a prominent and effective role before succeeding Alex Salmond in the top job in November 2014. The 2015 UK general election confirmed her place as a leading figure in British politics. Her strong performance in the televised election debates boosted her national profile. Success at the ballot box confirmed her instincts as leader: the SNP trounced Labour, traditionally the dominant force in Scotland, winning 56 of 59 Scottish seats. The SNPs nationalist focus, its scepticism about unfettered globalisation and its strong social welfare programs give it a useful platform in the current political climate. Scottish independence remains an emotive force for political mobilisation. Amid the furore about her taxpayer-funded travel to the Gold Coast, Sussan Ley declared "the team comes first" when explaining on Monday why she has had to stand aside as Minister for Health, Aged Care and Sport. Perhaps Ms Ley intended to display loyalty to her Coalition colleagues, as she also claimed the controversy surrounding her 27 flights in and out of the Gold Coast over recent years had become a "distraction" for the government. Sussan Ley says she has nothing to hide. Credit:Mark Jesser But whatever her intention, these odd remarks only served to betray a misplaced sense of priority. If anything, the team that Ms Ley should be most concerned about is the one her former leader Tony Abbott used to invoke with such zeal Team Australia. Politicians love to lecture the public about how carefully taxpayer dollars must be spent, usually when stripping the budget of welfare programs. We've had a fair dose of sanctimony in recent weeks about the importance of prudent management of public finances as the government has sought to justify using an automated system to slug people for debts to Centrelink not actually incurred. A $2 million federal grant to a trades training school associated with former Family First senator Bob Day is under investigation by the Auditor-General. The Australian National Audit Office confirmed on Monday it would investigate the effectiveness of the $1.84 million grant to North East Vocational College, in suburban Adelaide, after Mr Day lobbied a string of ministers for the cash to fund his pet project "student builders". A report due in April will consider if the Education and Training Department established the program in accordance with federal government grants rules and guidelines. Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus sought an investigation into the grant last year, coming as the High Court considers Mr Day's eligibility to stand for the Senate over an apparent financial interest in the building that housed his Adelaide electorate office. When Sussan Ley said sorry to Malcolm Turnbull, it wasn't for failing to meet the high standards he demands when it comes to slugging the taxpayer for personal expenses. Nor was it for bringing his government that ended last year behind in the polls into disrepute, just as a new year begins. No, as the Health Minister explained it on Monday, three days after the story of her Gold Coast apartment purchase broke, she apologised because the story had caused a "distraction" from the government's agenda. Not once in her media conference at Albury did she say sorry to the public for not just one, but a number of errors of judgment when it comes to spending their money. (Adds Fiat Chrysler comments) By David Shepardson DETROIT, Jan 9 (Reuters) - President-elect Donald Trump praised Ford Motor Co and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Monday for announcing new investments in the United States after he made U.S. auto production a key part of his campaign. Ford announced last week it would abandon plans to build a $1.6 billion plant in Mexico and would invest $700 million in a Michigan plant over four years, while Fiat Chrysler said Sunday it will invest $1 billion and add 2,000 jobs at plants in Ohio and Michigan to build new SUVs and pickup trucks. Both companies have said they made the decision for business reasons and not because of pressure from Trump, but praised the president-elect for seeking to improve the climate for businesses to operate in the United States. Fiat Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne said at the Detroit auto show on Monday that the decision had been in the works for a long time and was "coincidental" to Trump's tweet last week criticizing the company. "We didn't twist ourselves into a pretzel (to make this decision)... It wasn't a preemptive strike against a tweet," Marchionne said during a roundtable discussion. Marchionne was asked about tariffs that Trump has threatened to impose on vehicles imported to the United States from Mexico and elsewhere and he said that Fiat Chrysler will live with any new rules. However, he added that it was "quite possible" that heavy tariffs on Mexican imports could force the company to close Mexican plants. Trump, a real estate developer who takes office on Jan. 20, has repeatedly singled out companies in the auto sector and other industries for not doing more to keep jobs in the United States. Trump, a Republican, also criticized Toyota Motor Corp last week for shifting production of its Corolla from Canada to Mexico. The company has said there is no impact on U.S. employment as a result of the change. "It's finally happening - Fiat Chrysler just announced plans to invest $1BILLION in Michigan and Ohio plants, adding 2000 jobs," Trump said in a tweet on Monday. In a follow up tweet, he added: "Ford said last week that it will expand in Michigan and U.S. instead of building a BILLION dollar plant in Mexico. Thank you Ford & Fiat C(hrysler)." Ford announced on Monday it will build the Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup at its Wayne assembly plant but will shift production of its Ford Focus car. Because of low demand, it will shift the Focus to an existing Mexican factory, rather than to a new factory as was announced in April. (Reporting by Susan Heavey in Washington and David Shepardson in Detroit; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Frances Kerry) My wife is 58 and plans to retire from full-time work at the end of 2017. As I am five years' younger, I want to join my wife in retirement by the end of 2020, or when we have reached our superannuation target of $1.6 million combined, which we are likely to reach by late 2020. Our plans are based on the following assumptions. Superannuation $1.6 million, no housing debt, annual living expenses at 2016 rates of $78,500, allowing for CPI or 3 per cent a year and investment return of 7 per cent annually. I have also allowed for $100,000 towards replacing both our cars during retirement and a reduction in living expenses of $15,000 at age 76, when my wife will be 81, to reflect a slowing down in lifestyle. These assumptions result in us running out of money when I am 85 and my wife is 91. However, I note that you often use 5 per cent return on investment to determine income whereas I have used 7 per cent. To achieve our retirement goals using 5 per cent would require a starting balance of $2.1m, which I am confident we could attain if I was to continue working until I was 60. However I have a high stress job and am keen to retire whenever finances allow. My question is whether or not you feel 7 per cent is appropriate to use for these calculations also if our assumptions are valid. G.M. Different strokes for different folks, as they used to say! I use an admittedly conservative 5 per cent that allows for potential financial crises. You don't have to retire to go on holidays to distant places like Montenegro. For example, the 10-year average return for 69 super funds investing solely in Australian Share Funds, to the end of October, is 4.78 per cent compound, according to research from Superratings Ltd. For the 112 "default" options measured, mostly balanced funds, the mean is 5.13 per cent compound over 10 years, which, of course, includes the global financial crisis. You might find your retirement age at 60 is a little young if you plan to maintain your high level of expenditure. Also, by 2020, the "transfer balance cap" of $1.6 million, which is subject to indexation, though in units of $100,000, will hopefully have risen. Keep working and take your wife on distant four-week holidays each year. You cannot have too much in savings for retirement. Michael Chamberlain, who fought a long and bitter battle for justice after his baby daughter was snatched by a dingo at Uluru in 1980, has died. The 72-year-old died in Gosford Hospital on Monday evening as the result of complications from acute leukaemia, a long-term friend told Fairfax Media. Stuart Tipple, who was his friend and solicitor for decades, said on Monday that Dr Chamberlain had gone into a coma on Sunday night. Proposed changes to the state's planning laws have received a mixed reception among developers, planners and representatives from local government. Planning Minister Rob Stokes on Monday released a string of suggested amendments to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act, which determines the manner and conditions in which housing and other developments are built. The provisions are far less dramatic than those included in a 2013 attempt to rewrite the planning laws a situation that has pleased some, but disappointed others. The Planning Institute of Australia's NSW president, Jenny Rudolph, said she would have preferred Mr Stokes to "come up with a completely new act". A two-year-old boy has been flown to hospital in Sydney after being pulled from a swimming pool on the NSW South Coast on Monday. Paramedics were called to Btu Road at Nowra Hill shortly after midday after the toddler was "immersed in water for a short period", a NSW Ambulance spokesman said. A man has died after being pulled from the water in distress at Ocean Beach, near Umina on the Central Coast. The boy's relatives performed CPR on him before he was taken by ambulance to Shoalhaven Hospital. He was then transferred by helicopter to Sydney Children's Hospital at Randwick. The hospital was unable to give an update on his condition on Monday afternoon. An Ashgrove man accused of savagely raping a 20-year-old woman in South Brisbane in 2011 will front Brisbane's Magistrates Court on Tuesday morning and apply for bail. The man was one of two men arrested by detectives on December 28, 2016, after a review by Queensland's Sex Crimes Unit of the rape on April 15, 2011. The scene of the alleged rape at South Brisbane in 2011. Credit:Tony Moore The 32-year-old man from Ashgrove was arrested in northern New South Wales and extradited back to Queensland by detectives after Christmas. He appeared briefly in Lismore Magistrates Court before being returned by detectives to Queensland where he was charged with three counts of rape, two charges of sexual assault and one charge of deprivation of liberty. Balinese spice mix (bumbu). Credit:Jacqui Taffel Despite envy-inducing photo shoots, the pair still often find themselves working intensely, flitting the globe as they manage the rapidly growing business. A huge challenge has been getting product shipped into Indonesia. On one occasion, four pairs of sample sunglasses got stuck in Jakarta, with $1000 demanded. Stevenson refused, but luckily they arrived two weeks later. Over the past year, the couple has spent about a third of the year in Brisbane, where the company is set up, a third in Bali, and a third in the US set to become their biggest market. Their sunglasses, made in China, are stocked in more than 100 stores and 12 countries. "Sometimes you feel like you're a little bit of a spinning top. It does take time to kind of settle back into each little compartment of your life," says Stevenson. However she always finds it relaxing returning to Bali. "At the moment that's our lives and I think it's a bit mad, but it's also really fun and exciting at the same time." Date night Bali has long been a hotbed for entrepreneurial Aussies, including Perth's Simon Ward. A few years ago, during an all-inclusive holiday to Nusa Dua with his young family, he and wife Gael decided to have a "date night". They hired a car, visiting some of the island's best restaurants. "It was more like a booze fest than a food fest but we ate a little on the way," says Ward. When they talked of their night out by the hotel pool, their fellow guests were full of enthusiasm for the idea, as were family and friends back home. The seed for Bali Food Safari, which began in 2013, was born. The business takes visitors on mystery tours of high-end restaurants in Seminyak, Ubud and Jimbaran. Bali Food Safari was built on the back of $50,000 that Ward's late father left him. "My wife and I decided that we'd follow the dream and when the money was gone we'd decide what we were going to do then," says the 41-year-old. "We've now been [living] here for two-and-a-half years and the business has been operating for three. We sold our house in Australia after 12 months we're all in." There have been the usual challenges most Bali business owners face: adjusting to a different pace of work life, and finding staff that can work during the island's many religious ceremonies. However Ward got one particularly lucky kick early on when a contact he'd met through charity work helped organise a Today Tonight crew to feature one of their tours. One small catch: Ward hadn't actually run a paid tour yet, and hadn't signed up all the restaurants. There was also confusion about the date of filming. But everything came together, and the response was instant. "I was watching my phone going ping, ping, ping, as orders came in during the airing and then after the airing," says Ward. They were soon running 45 tours a month, which has risen to up to 130. Cultural fit Meanwhile, in the surf town of Canggu, Melbourne's Josh Young has found success with his gym and fitness retreat, Bali Fit, which he opened with a French business partner last year. It's grown to include accommodation, a yoga studio and cafe. In his former life, Josh was working in sales at Channel 9, trying to pay off his mortgage, when he and his ex-wife decided to take a year off and go travelling. Along the way, he teamed up with a London friend who was making men's shirts, and set up Australian distribution. "From that I literally drove around the country for a month with a range of shirts on a rack in the boot of the car." It earned Young "a really nice little salary," enabling him to work for short spurts, then spend the rest of the year having fun in Bali. It also showed him there was an alternative to the corporate world. The idea for Bali Fit came when Young escaped Bali's wet season and went on a fitness retreat in Thailand. Entrepreneur and community leader Ben Cowen has died in a paragliding accident while on holiday with his family in Fairhaven on the Surf Coast. Mr Cowen, the youngest child of former governor-general Sir Zelman Cowen, crashed after being caught in strong winds about 2.30pm on Sunday. The 50-year-old was treated by paramedics for critical head and leg injuries but died at the scene. Mr Cowen had been on holiday with his wife and their children a 14-year-old son and twin 12-year-old daughters at the Great Ocean Road beach town, where they own property. The disgraced Catholic priest has been charged with multiple offences against a number of alleged victims from across Victoria. Ridsdale, 82, will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court next Friday for a mention hearing as part of an investigation by Victoria Police's Sano Taskforce. Gerald Ridsdale outside court with George Pell in 1993. Credit:Geoff Ampt Notorious paedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale is set to front court on fresh child-sex charges. Charges include rape, buggery and unlawful and indecent assault of children between the 1960s and 1980s, when he was a priest in the Ballarat diocese. A number of Ridsdale's alleged victims are understood to have come forward to Victoria Police in the wake of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The taskforce was set up to probe allegations arising from the royal commission. Ridsdale was ordained as a priest at St Patrick's Cathedral in Ballarat in 1961. He went on to work as a priest at parishes in communities including Ballarat, Horsham, Edenhope, Mortlake, Inglewood and Warrnambool until the late 1980s. Five men have been arrested in Melbourne's west after authorities uncovered up to 300 kilograms of pseudoephedrine hidden in washing powder boxes. Pseudoephedrine is often found in cold and flu tablets and is a key ingredient in the production of methamphetamine. Police seized 300 kilograms of the precursor drug pseudoephedrine. Credit:Jason South The raid is expected to stop more than $200 million worth of methamphetamine from reaching the streets. Police believe the drugs arrived at Port Melbourne hidden amongst 900 boxes of washing powder in a container from Vietnam on December 9, 2016. A woman charged with murder over the death of a man fatally hit by a car outside a kindergarten has appeared in court sporting a blackened eye. Jessie Donker, 29, stared straight ahead and did not say anything during her appearance in Melbourne Magistrates Court on Monday, following the death of Richard Powell, who is believed to have been her partner, in Sunbury on Sunday morning. SES workers attend the scene in Sunbury. Credit:Patrick Herve Ms Donker had a bruise under her right eye. The court heard she had previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Trump at an Oct. 12 rally in Lakeland, Fla., where he urged his audience to read WikiLeaks reports. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images) President-elect Donald Trump said that emails obtained through Russian hacks of the Democratic National Committee and Hillary Clinton campaign and published by WikiLeaks had absolutely no effect on the outcome of the U.S. election. But during the month leading up to the Nov. 8 presidential election, Trump talked about WikiLeaks and those emails at least 164 times, according to an analysis by ThinkProgress, the Washington-based progressive think tank and news organization. Trump spoke about the WikiLeaks emails at least 164 times from Oct. 10 to Election Day, saying the word WikiLeaks 124 times, ThinkProgress noted. That means, on average, Trump discussed WikiLeaks more than five times per day. During a three-day span in October, for example, Trump professed his love for WikiLeaks at his rallies, marveling at his ability to broadcast the leaked material and directing his supporters to read it on the whistleblower website for themselves. One of the big advantages of me having a rather large microphone, Trump said at a rally in Ocala, Fla., on Oct. 12, meaning a lot of people are listening, is that I can talk about WikiLeaks, and we are live. Its amazing. Boom, boom, boom. Ill tell you, this WikiLeaks stuff is unbelievable, he said a few hours later at a rally in nearby Lakeland. It tells you the inner heart you gotta read it. Since his victory over Clinton, Trump has repeatedly questioned the assessment by U.S. intelligence officials that Russia was behind the leaks, which the CIA concluded were directed by Russian President Vladimir Putin to steer the election in Trumps favor. Trump leaves One World Trade Center following a meeting in New York City on Friday. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters) On Friday, after being briefed by intelligence agencies on the cyberattacks against the United States, Trump released a statement denying that the hacks had influenced the election and suggesting that the DNC did not have the kinds of strong hacking defenses employed by its Republican counterpart. While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful, his statement read. Story continues Related: Trump suggests he sides with Assange over CIA on Russian hacking Trump did not say, however, whether he thought Russia was behind the hacks. On Sunday, Reince Priebus, Trumps incoming chief of staff, said the president-elect now agrees with the assessment that Russia engaged in cyberattacks aimed at disrupting the presidential election and that actions may be taken. But some former intelligence officials fear Trumps public questioning of their conclusions has already done damage. In an op-ed published Saturday by the New York Times, Michael Morell, former acting director of the CIA, said he expects a wave of resignations in the wake of Trumps crusade against the intelligence community. In particular, Morell said, Trumps suggestion that the CIA manufactured its Russia analysis to undercut him effectively accusing the agencys officers of being dishonorable was a gut punch. The community campaign continues. Credit:Rethink the Link Lawyers for Save Beeliar Wetlands argued in court on Friday that the state had not complied, having purchased two properties in Lake Clifton that were severely degraded and inadequate. "The court has established that the proponent doesn't have to provide any real evidence the offset condition has been met," Conservation Council of WA director Piers Verstegen said . "There has been strong evidence provided that it has not been met; but the condition has been written in such a way that it can't be enforced. "State Environment Minister [Albert Jacob] and Premier [Colin Barnett] have said this project has strict environmental conditions. But if the conditions don't have to be met how can the public place faith in them?" The case to be heard in some months' time will test whether ministerial conditions requiring environmental offsets are enforceable, and who is responsible for enforcing them. As such it has far-reaching implications for future development in Perth, with environmental offsets being a common condition imposed on developers proposing works on the Swan Coastal Plain. Mr Verstegen said the state argued it would cost too much to hold up the project while the case was heard but this did not hold weight. "If Labor is elected in March the contracts will be cancelled anyway," he said. "Right now the best thing the state could do to save money is to suspend the works until after the election. "The judge remarked the federal minister does have the power to put in place a stop work order if he believes the conditions are not being met. "We are now calling on the federal minister to put in place a stop work order while this matter can be investigated properly. "This goes to the credibility of the conditions the minister has himself provided for this project. If he is not prepared to enforce his own conditions they are not worth the paper they are written on we may as well tear up the conditions on any project on the strength of the message that sends to all developers." The result is in a way an echo of a previous result in the group's Supreme Court challenge against state environmental approvals. The judge in that case found that WA environmental law does not compel the Environmental Protection Authority to abide by its own policies when approving projects. "These decisions are wake-up calls in terms of the strength of our environmental law they are not functioning to prevent destruction of the environment but to enable it," Mr Verstegen said. "The court might be unable to hold this state government to account but the community will." Greens MLC Lynn released a statement following the decision saying Main Roads WA's offset plan was fundamentally flawed. "The concept of offsets whereby the Government supposedly justifies destroying one area of high value wetlands or bushland by purchasing another natural area somewhere else is dubious in itself and in practice is even worse," she said. She said the two offsets purchased for Roe 8 were surveyed for their environmental values a year after the environmental approvals were issued. They were both also covered by a petroleum exploration lease. While the areas purchased appear to have some environmental values, they are a long way from the city which is a factor from the point of view of both the humans and the wildlife that currently benefit from using the Beeliar Wetlands. "It is precisely in our cities that we should be protecting rare areas of thriving bushland and wetlands. "No one has been fooled that the offsets system is preserving our environment: it's just a back-door to allow the Government to destroy bushland and wetlands that they know full well they should not." State Environment Minister Albert Jacob welcomed the decision. "The state government is confident that the condition has been satisfied and will continue to vigorously defend the case in the Federal Court and oppose any permanent injunction," he said. "Under the Commonwealth conditions, Main Roads WA is required to purchase 523 hectares of black cockatoo habitat to offset the loss of 78 hectares of the total 97.8 hectares that will be cleared for Roe 8. "The state government is providing 624 hectares of offset land containing black cockatoo habitat, equal to one-and-a-half times the size of Kings Park ... Main Roads WA is required to fund the management of the property to maintain the quality of the habitat for at least 20 years. "This Liberal-led Government is committed to the extension of Roe Highway. It will take tens of thousands of trucks off suburban streets in the southern suburbs and will drastically improve road safety and traffic flow." A spokesman for Federal Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg said the conditions recommended by his department were conditions to protect matters of national environmental significance. Police have charged a 15-year-old boy over the fire at Melville Primary School on Friday night which caused an estimated $200,000 damage. The blaze started at about 7.25pm at the school located on Curtis Road. Police were looking for a group of teenagers following a fire at Melville Primary School on Friday night. Credit:Helene Lembetsos/6PR Arson Squad detectives commenced an investigation into the cause of the fire and following information received from members of the public, arrested a 15-year-old boy. It will be alleged a group of five juveniles, four boys and one girl aged between 15 and 17, gained entry into the school grounds. Toyota Turns Detroit Auto Show Focus to Helping the Community By Donating Winter Boots and Socks to Women and Children In Need LEARN MORE: 2017 NAIAS (Detroit Auto Show) Press Pass Coverage DETROIT - January 9, 2017: As temperatures fluctuate this winter in Michigan, one thing for sure is snowy, icy and even cold rainy days are here through March and warm winter boots and socks are a "must have" in Michigan. To protect families from the cold, on Saturday, January 7, 2017, Toyota Motor North America through its "Toyota Walk In My Boots" community outreach project and the North American International Auto Show activities, for the sixth year, stepped in to help area homeless and low-income families by providing new insulated winter boots and socks to more than 150 participants of The Salvation Army Harbor Light and Booth Family Shelter of Detroit, a homeless shelter for primarily women and single mothers and their children. Without adequate clothing, often low-income families and people experiencing homelessness have a much higher risk than the general population of developing exposure-related conditions such as hypothermia and frostbite. "With the need greater than ever because of the cold winter months, we are blessed to have support from good corporate citizens like Toyota, who are 'Doing the Most Good' by raising awareness of our mission to feed, shelter and clothe those who are less fortunate," said Captain Jamie Winkler, director, The Salvation Army Eastern Harbor Light System. The Salvation Army Detroit Harbor Light/Booth Family Shelter located in Detroit provides residents with emergency shelter for up to 90 days for single women and single mothers and their children who have become victims of unfortunate life circumstances such as house fire, job loss, foreclosure or domestic violence. Through the shelter they can receive emergency assistance, case management and pastoral care and worship and special services such as utility assistance, down payment assistance toward first month's rent, food and clothing assistance. "At Toyota, we want to build more than just great cars and trucks," said Alva Mason, director, Multicultural Dealer Relations and Business Strategy, Toyota Motor North America. "We want to help build great communities; and in times like these, we must remember to help one another. We want the work that is being done at The Salvation Army Harbor Light/Booth Family Shelter to continue for years to come. And, we hope that our donation of winter boots and socks to the families will help to enrich their livesone step at a time." While many programs offer winter coat giveaways, a person's feet are often left vulnerable to freezing temperatures and even frostbite. The timing of the winter boots and socks giveaway was a comfort to many as freezing temperatures hit Michigan this week. Greg Jackson, owner, Prestige Warren Toyota encouraged the families to "don't be discouraged by where you are right now." While Ronnie McNeir of The Four Tops told them to "keep your eye on the prize" as he sung a rendition of "Family Reunion." McNeir also donated Black Vinyl winter coats to some of the boys at the shelter. Munson Steed, publisher of Rolling Out, and author of his new children's book, "Little Professor Skye Favorite Things," personally signed his book for all the children at the event. It was a joyous morning as Toyota brought a ray of sunshine and warmth to the families. Toyota also donated $15,000 to The Salvation Army Harbor Light/Booth Family Shelter enabling them to continue to provide refuge for children and families in times of crisis. They also treated the families to a "Thanksgiving-style" buffet luncheon by Unique Food Management. In its sixth year, through this program, Toyota has donated over 1,000 pairs of winter boots and contributed more than $80,000 in cash just in Detroit alone. The project has also been held in Chicago, Washington DC and, Baltimore, Maryland. Toyota partners with philanthropic organizations across the country, with a focus on education, safety and the environment. As part of this commitment, we share the company's extensive know-how garnered from building great cars and trucks to help community organizations and other nonprofits expand their ability to do good. For more information about Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com. Ford Reveals New F-150; Bronco is Back; All-New Ranger Coming to North America; Company Presents Vision for City of Tomorrow DETROITFords expansion to an auto and mobility company gains momentum today, as the company unveils the new F-150 pickup, announces the return of the Ranger pickup in North America and Bronco globally, and presents its vision for the City of Tomorrow. Fords news at the North American International Auto Show including expansion of its Chariot ride-sharing service to eight cities underscores the companys drive to strengthen its core automotive business while aggressively expanding in growing mobility services. This year, the expansion of our business as an auto and mobility company moves into even higher gear, said Mark Fields, president and CEO. Were introducing even more new vehicles and technologies to make life better for millions of people in the near term, plus were presenting a vision and partnering with cities to move more people even more efficiently in the future. Todays news follows other announcements about Fords business expansion: Adding 13 new electrified vehicles and investing $4.5 billion in the next five years, including a hybrid versions of the F-150 and Mustang, two pursuit-rated hybrid police vehicles, a Transit Custom plug-in hybrid, a fully electric small SUV with an estimated range of at least 300 miles and a high-volume, fully autonomous SAE level 4-capable vehicle with no steering wheel, gas or brake pedal in commercial operation in 2021 in a ride-hailing or ride-sharing service. The debut of its next-generation Fusion Hybrid autonomous development vehicle, the next step in Fords plan to deliver a fully autonomous vehicle in 2021. The creation of a City Solutions team to work with major global cities to help solve congestion issues and help people move more easily, today and in the future. Ranger and Bronco Return Ford is bringing back the Ranger midsize pickup truck to its North American vehicle lineup in 2019 and Bronco midsize SUV to its global vehicle portfolio in 2020. Both vehicles will be manufactured at Fords Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. Weve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive, said Joe Hinrichs, Fords president of The Americas. Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup thats Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city. City of Tomorrow Beyond vehicles, Ford is working with cities around the world to help address growing mobility challenges in urban environments, including gridlock and air pollution. Fords City Solutions team the only one of its kind in the auto industry is working with cities around the world to propose, pilot and develop mobility solutions. The team also is beginning to collaborate with Bloomberg Philanthropies and its global coalition of mayors. This is an issue that goes far beyond congestion. It is one that represents a massive challenge to mankind, one that affects our well-being and access to health care, clean drinking water, food, a safe place to live and even the ability to find work, said Bill Ford, executive chairman, Ford Motor Company. By solving the mobility challenge, we have the chance to create a better world for future generations. Its both an exciting opportunity and a big responsibility. Ford today presented its vision for the City of Tomorrow. Fords City of Tomorrow looks at how near-term mobility advancements including autonomous and electric vehicles, ride-sharing and ride-hailing and connected vehicles interact with urban infrastructure and create a transportation ecosystem. For example, Ford is imagining a world in which reconfigurable roads fluidly respond to commuter needs and traffic flow. Bikes and drones provide last-mile solutions for both people and goods. The Future: Near Term Within the next five years, Ford expects autonomous vehicles will be introduced in cities around the world. This includes Fords first fully autonomous vehicles in 2021. At the same time, the company expects continued growth in electrified vehicles with global EV industry offerings eventually outnumbering gasoline-powered offering in the next 15 years. Shared modes of transportation will continue to gain popularity, such as the Fords Chariot app-based, crowd-sourced ride sharing service, which is expanding globally. Chariot, which currently operates in San Francisco and Austin, Texas, is growing its operations to eight cities this year, including at least one city outside of the U.S. In Fords vision of the near-term future, connected communications between vehicles and infrastructure also will grow: Vehicles will be capable of connecting with other vehicles and cities transportation operating systems. Ford alone will equip 20 million cars globally with built-in modems in the next five years. As these vehicles and other connected vehicles are introduced into cities around the world, cities themselves will change. Large-scale innovations likely, including wireless charging and enhanced connectivity. These changes could give city transportation managers all-new operating systems, which allow them to manage multiple aspects of their city transportation system centrally, including traffic flow and vehicle emissions. The Future: Long Term Further out, Ford sees the City of Tomorrow with significant concentrations of autonomous vehicles, most of which will be electrified. Mass transit will improve for the largest cities with new technologies like advanced high-speed public transit. Other innovations could include: Drones that will play many roles. For example, they could be quickly deployed to survey and map the hardest-hit areas following earthquakes, tsunamis or other major disasters Advanced transportation operating systems that more robustly and seamlessly integrate data from all aspects of the ecosystem. This includes vehicles, bikes, drones and mass transit as well as street lights, parking meters and charging infrastructure Large-scale implementation of advanced technologies for flexible traffic management coupled with autonomous vehicles eliminating traffic jams, reducing emissions and bringing traffic accidents to nearly zero Converting road space into green space and parks, allowing for higher quality of life and healthier communities For more than 100 years, Ford has been part of the community and the trusted source for automotive transportation, Fields said. Now, we want to work with communities to offer even more transportation choices and solutions for people for decades to come. City of Tomorrow Symposium As part the North American International Auto Show, Ford is hosting a symposium on the City of Tomorrow at Detroits Joe Louis Arena. Together with partners TED, The New York Times and VICE Media, Ford has created sessions with thought leaders, mayors and prominent leaders to discuss the mobility challenges, opportunities and emerging solutions that will shape the City of Tomorrow. Information about the sessions can be found here. About Ford Motor Company Ford Motor Company is a global automotive and mobility company based in Dearborn, Michigan. With about 203,000 employees and 62 plants worldwide, the companys core business includes designing, manufacturing, marketing and servicing a full line of Ford cars, trucks and SUVs, as well as Lincoln luxury vehicles. To expand its business model, Ford is aggressively pursuing emerging opportunities with investments in electrification, autonomy and mobility. Ford provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford and its products and services, please visit www.corporate.ford.com. By Louis Jacobson and Linda Qiu President-elect Donald Trump has suggested the U.S. intelligence community found no evidence of foreign influence on the 2016 election, but thats a misleading description of what the evidence shows. Trump was briefed Friday on the probe into allegations of Russian influence, including possible connections to electronic hacking and public releases of private communications by senior Democrats. A declassified version of the report found that Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered an influence campaign in 2016 aimed at the U.S. presidential election. Russias goals were to undermine public faith in the U.S. democratic process, denigrate (Trumps opponent, Hillary) Clinton, and harm her electability and potential presidency. Following the intelligence briefing, Trumps office released a statement. After noting the constructive meeting and the tremendous respect he had for the intelligence communitys work, Trump said: While Russia, China, other countries, outside groups and people are consistently trying to break through the cyber infrastructure of our governmental institutions, businesses and organizations including the Democrat (sic) National Committee, there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election including the fact that there was no tampering whatsoever with voting machines. There were attempts to hack the Republican National Committee, but the RNC had strong hacking defenses and the hackers were unsuccessful. The phrase that caught our eye was there was absolutely no effect on the outcome of the election. Thats a pretty definitive statement. And Trump echoed that argument in a Jan. 7 tweet: Intelligence stated very strongly there was absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results. Voting machines not touched! The argument that there was no impact of any kind on the election outcome is not backed up by the intelligence communitys report. The report specifically stated it didnt look at that question. Trumps statement rates Mostly False. Heres what the report actually said: We did not make an assessment of the impact that Russian activities had on the outcome of the 2016 election. The U.S. Intelligence Community is charged with monitoring and assessing the intentions, capabilities, and actions of foreign actors; it does not analyze U.S. political processes or U.S. public opinion. So if the Trump campaign is using the intelligence communitys report to back up its assertion that there was no Russian influence on the outcome, its doing so without justification. When we contacted the Trump transition media office, we did not receive a response. Heres our review of the publicly available evidence. Ballot counts The Trump camp has a point on one issue: Despite some concern among security experts going into the election that Russia might hack into state and local vote-counting systems and tamper with the tallies, the intelligence communitys report found that any such efforts by Russia were not successful in changing any votes. The report says that while Russian intelligence obtained and maintained access to elements of multiple U.S. state or local electoral boards, the Department of Homeland Security assesses that the types of systems Russian actors targeted or compromised were not involved in vote tallying. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA), the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, conceded that point in an interview with the PBS NewsHour on Jan. 6. It is true there is no evidence that the tampering with voter machines or tampering with voter registrations or any of like that affected the counting of the votes. Thats true, Schiff told PBSs Judy Woodruff. Some observers might be concerned that Russia did manage to breach at least some election authorities computer networks, and they might also be concerned that Russia and Putin, according to the report, tried to influence the election, even if its less clear whether they succeeded. Still, Trump has a point that Russia didnt change votes electronically. Ballot tampering vs. other types of Russian influence Members of the Trump camp have portrayed the reports clean bill of health on the question of Russian ballot-tampering as proof that Russia had no impact at all on the election. For instance, on the Jan. 8 edition of CNNs State of the Union, incoming White House counselor Kellyanne Conway told Jake Tapper that if you read the full report, they make very clear, [Director of National Intelligence James] Clapper in his testimony [to the Senate Armed Services Committee] made very clear on Thursday under oath that that any attempt, any aspiration to influence our elections failed. They were not successful in doing that. On Fox News Sunday, incoming White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus echoed Conways invocation of Clappers testimony, saying Clapper had testified to the Senate panel that there is no evidence in the report that any of this changed the outcome of the election. Neither assertion is accurate. First, a lack of ballot tampering does not equal a lack of Russian influence on the election. Conway and Priebus essentially defined ballot-rigging as the only way an election can be influenced, when in reality the intelligence report primarily addresses other ways Russia tried to influence the election. The Russian effort blended, in the reports words, covert intelligence operationssuch as cyber activitywith overt efforts by Russian Government agencies, state-funded media, third-party intermediaries, and paid social media users or trolls. And second, Clapper in his testimony never said that any attempt, any aspiration to influence our elections failed (as Conway put it) or that there is no evidence in the report that any of this changed the outcome of the election (as Priebus put it). Clappers most direct remark at the Senate hearing on this issue came in this exchange with the panels chairman, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ): McCain: So really, what were talking about, is if they succeeded in changing the results of an election, of which none of us believe they were, that would have to constitute an attack on the United States of America because of the effects, if they had succeeded, would you agree with that? Clapper: First, we cannot saythey did not change any vote tallies oror anything of that sort. McCain: Yeah, Im just talking about Clapper: And we have nowe have no way of gauging the impact thatcertainly the intelligence community cant gauge the impact it had on the choices the electorate made. Theres no way for us to gauge that. Subsequently in the hearing, Clapper arguably went even further in a response to questioning by Sen. Angus King (I-ME). King, referring to his work with Baltic states that have been grappling with Russian influence in elections for several years, said, The best defense is for our public to know whats going on, so they can take it with a grain of salt Thats why I think public hearings like this and the public discussion of this issue is so important, because were not going to be able to prevent this altogether. But we need to have our people understand that when theyre being manipulated. Would you agree with that conclusion? Clapper responded, Absolutely. Thats why I feel so strongly about the statement in October, referencing his own statement during the campaign that the Russian government had been engaged in efforts intended to interfere with the U.S. election process. How credible is the argument that Russia influenced the election in some fashion? Schiff is one of many Democratic officials who believe that other types of Russian efforts may have had an impact on an election that ultimately hinged on fewer than 100,000 votes cumulatively in three statesMichigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. In his PBS interview, Schiff specifically referred to the hacking and release to websites such as WikiLeaks of personal emails written and received by Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta and other top Democratsreleases that Trump prominently featured during the campaign. The daily dumping of information that was damaging to Secretary Clinton and helpful to Donald Trump was hugely consequential, Schiff said. But is it possible to move beyond a gut feeling and prove that Russia influenced enough voters to change the elections outcome? Not really, say political scientists. A campaign as large-scale as a presidential race is buffeted by so many factors that its essentially impossible to know for sure that any given factor played a role in determining who won. The presidential election, with its national constituency, is decided by multiple, interrelated causes, all of which were necessary but not sufficient, said Kyle Saunders, a Colorado State University political scientist. Referring to such factors as the candidates personalities and messages as well as the general political environment, Saunders said that no one determinate cause can be offered as the explanation, and doing so is a fools errand. Saunders agreed that one doesnt have to believe that hacking did affect the election to say comfortably that Trump is wrong to say it absolutely didnt affect the electiontheres simply no way of knowing either way with any certainty that something affected the outcome. He added that while a reasonable case can be made that the hacking did help Trump, thats informed speculationnot certaintyand said theres no way to know how big a factor it may have been compared to other factors. It is difficult to argue that the barrage of damaging information released almost exclusively about Clinton and Democrats did no harm or did not create an atmosphere in which voters questioned her judgment or credibility or dampen support for her candidacy, said Costas Panagopoulos, a Fordham University political scientist. That said, Panagopoulos added, in truth, there is no way to know with certainty what the causal impact of Russian involvement was on the outcome of the 2016 election. Cory Booker on Senate confirmations Another topic on the Sunday shows was the presidential transition and vetting Trumps nominees. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) suggested on CBSs Face the Nation that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell once advocated for a thorough vetting of President Barack Obamas Cabinet nominees but now seems to have a different standard. The Republican-controlled Senate will hold several confirmation hearings for the week of Jan. 10, frustrating Democrats like Booker who say the jam-packed schedule was a move to deflect public attention from Trumps more controversial nominees. But back in 2009, Mitch McConnell was the person thats saying, Hey, we should have all the ethics information in before we do the hearings. I just was reviewing his letter this morning, Booker said Jan. 8, emphasizing that rigorous review is perhaps more important for Trumps nominees given their wealth, international business ties, and potential conflicts of interest. Is Booker right that McConnell advocated for complete ethical review for Obamas appointees before holding confirmation hearings? Bookers claim is accurate, though it may be a bit premature to accuse McConnell of hypocrisy. It rates Mostly True. The confirmation process All Cabinet-level positions as well as scores of senior-level personnel for executive branch agencies must be confirmed by the Senate. (Those who dont have to be confirmed are positions that solely advise the president.) First, the president or president-elect selects, vets, and submits nominations to the appropriate Senate committees. Then the committees typically hold investigations (using information provided by the White House and their own research) and hearings (for public debate over the nomination). Finally, after review, they report the nominations to the full Senate for a vote on the floor. According to the Congressional Research Service, the clearance stage includes submitting financial disclosure forms, completing background checks, and signing ethics agreements that identify and outline ways to mitigate conflicts of interest, reviewed and certified by the Office of Government Ethics. This typically occurs before the nominations are submitted to the Senate. The rules for confirmation vary by committee. All review a nominees biographical resume and some set of disclosure forms. Some also consult FBI background checks. Again, this information gathering often happens before a hearing but is more often required before a vote. In a letter released by Senate Democrats, the director of the independent Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, expressed concern that several of Trumps nominees with scheduled hearings have yet to complete the ethics review process as of Jan. 6, 2017. I am not aware of any occasion in the four decades since OGE was established when the Senate held a confirmation hearing before the nominee had completed the ethics review, Shaub wrote. In fact, OGE has not received even the initial draft financial disclosure reports for some of the nominees scheduled for hearings. Out of the Trump picks with confirmation hearings scheduled, ethics forms have been submitted for attorney general nominee Sen. Jeff Sessions, secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, defense secretary nominee James Mattis, and transportation secretary nominee Elaine Chao, according to the Associated Press. Its unclear if forms have been submitted for CIA director nominee Rep. Mike Pompeo, homeland security secretary nominee Gen. John Kelly, and housing secretary nominee Ben Carson. Forms have not been submitted for education secretary nominee Betsy DeVos or commerce secretary Wilbur Ross. McConnells letter Experts agreed with Bookers characterization of McConnells letter , sent to then-Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid dated Feb. 12, 2009. Prior to considering any time agreements on the floor on any nominee, McConnell wrote, ranking members expect eight ethical standards to be met. Among them: a completed FBI background check, a completed Office of Government Ethics letter, completed financial disclosure statements (and tax returns where they apply), and a completed committee questionnaire submitted to the respective Senate committees prior to a hearing being noticed. In laymans terms, McConnell not only required for completion of disclosures but also review prior to floor consideration, said Wayne Steger, a political science professor at DePaul University and the author of A Citizens Guide to Presidential Nominations. The ethics review process had to be complete before he would agree to set aside the right to filibuster nominations, said Steven Smith, a political science professor at Washington University in St. Louis and expert on Senate procedure. Bookers office also referred us to a 2009 Roll Call article on McConnells letter. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on Thursday threatened to filibuster any of President Barack Obamas executive branch nominations if they do not meet what he deemed a series of standards for installment, the article reads (full version here). McConnells office, meanwhile, argued that Booker mischaracterized the letter. McConnells communications director, David Popp, pointed out that by the time McConnell sent the letter on Feb. 12, the Senate had already held hearings for everyone Obama nominated. This is accurate, and all but one of the 13 nominees were confirmed before Feb. 12. If you read the letter, it simply calls for continuing the best practices and precedents of the Senateit does not ask for new preconditions the way Sen. Booker and other Democrats are now doing, such as calling for the tax returns of all nominees, rather than only in those committees that regularly request returns, he said. Appearing right before Booker on Face the Nation, McConnell dismissed concerns from Democrats as sour grapes disguised as little procedural complaints and emphasized the need to get Trumps national security team up and running on Day 1. He suggested his ethical standards hadnt changed and said there is still time to comply. After all, we are still in the process of getting the papers in. I think at least five of the nominees have all of their papers in, he said. The real thing is the vote on the floor, and we want to have all of the records in, all of the papers completed before they are actually confirmed on the Senate floor. Read more fact-checks at PunditFact.com. Reza Haghighat Nejad, Iran Wire The passing today of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, president of Iran from 1989 to 1997 and a key figure from the 1979 Islamic Revolution, will have earthshattering consequences not only for Iranian reformists and moderates but also Irans immediate political future. At the time of his death, Rafsanjani was president of the Expediency Council, an influential advisory body to the Supreme Leader. Reformist elements in the council have now lost a powerful protector. But this is the least of the inevitable impact of Rafsanjanis passing. For the past ten years, within the upper echelons of power, Rafsanjani was the main protective shield for Iranian reformists and other similar factions currently out of power. His fearlessness in confronting hardliners and even the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, with skillful use of the media to do so, created a balance in Iranian politics between moderates and hardline principlists largely loyal to Khamenei. The loss of Rafsanjani now causes an overwhelming vacuum that will upset the balance of power between hardliners and more moderate groups in the Islamic Republic. President Hassan Rouhanis reformist government will be the first to suffer from the fallout. With presidential elections later this yearjust like the difficult days after the nuclear agreement was signed, which saw hardliners condemn the dealRouhani will need political support for his reelection. But with Rafsanjani gone, and no other reformist benefactor of his stature, Rouhani will be forced to fight hordes of hardliners and principlists on his own. The death of Rafsanjani will also affect upcoming elections for Tehrans City Council. Rafsanjanis circle, and especially his son, Mohsen Hashemi, had high hopes for these elections. Mohsen Hashemi was looking to become the mayor of Tehran. But without the presence of the father, the fortunes of the Rafsanjani clan will now decline. They are not like Khomeinis clan who have remained preeminent in politics and religion by relying on his name and his stature. On the contrary, their days of hardship have just begun. Dead Political Dreams But beyond all this, Rafsanjanis death is also the death of many reformists dreams; dreams like constitutional amendments to transform the supreme leadership into a council, rather than a one-man office, or increasing the supervisory powers of the Assembly of Experts over the Supreme Leader. These dreams date back even to Khomeinis time. But now it is too late for any of them to become real. Rafsanjani was also the center of gravity for a group of politicians who not only helped reformists but had succeeded in convincing some principlists such as Ali Akbar Nategh Nouri, Ali Akbar Velayati and the Speaker of Parliament, Ali Larijanito support Rouhanis government. The chance of further alliances between reformists and principlists is much reduced. Rafsanjani could not act as a political horse traderfor example, he could not prevent reformist candidates from being disqualifiedbut his role in guiding reformist politicians was a crucial one and, up to a point, he was able to influence Khamenei by preventing him from making one-sided decisions. Hardliners now have a chance to completely surround the Supreme Leader and block moderate influences. Rafsanjani played politics the way it was played during the time of Ayatollah Khomeinior at least, that is what he wanted you to believebut with his death the so-called Imams Line, key figures from the beginning of the Revolution, who were close to Khomeiniis near its end. A New Political Landscape Rafsanjanis passing also ends a key source of opposition to many conservative hardliners in Iranian politics who are mostly associated Khamenei. They include former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, former head of the judiciary Mohammad Yazdi, the spiritual leader of Iranian hardliners Mohamamad Taghi Mesbah Yazdi and the Supreme Leader himself. It remains to be seen if anyone will be able to replace Rafsanjani as the main opponent of these prominent hardliners. Despite all this, losing Rafsanjani is also an opportunity for Rouhani. The president can now come out from Rafsanjanis shadow and seek to fill the void left by his death. Rafsanjani had high hopes for Rouhani and the president is still the most promising of Rafsanjanis disciples in Iranian politics. But now Rouhani must pass the test of fighting for reelection against hardliners emboldened by the loss of his mentor. He has few other allies. Former reformist president Mohammad Khatami has been forced out of politics it is illegal for Iranian media to even mention his name and reformist leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi are still under house arrest after the 2009 presidential election protests. It falls on Rouhani to become the new godfather of reformists and moderates. This mission is even more challenging than winning the election or defending the nuclear agreement. Rouhani must not only protect Rafsanjanis political legacy. He must also prevent the Rafsanjani coalition from falling apart without it, no moderate will be able to influence public opinion or make new political deals. Rouhanis first term has president has not shown any great success in this work. But perhaps that was because he was still under Rafsanjanis shadow. What is certain is this: with the death of Rafsanjani, Irans politics has entered a new era. This article appeared originally on IranWire. In a series of dramatic early-morning raids, French police have arrested 16 people suspected to be connected to the robbery of Kim Kardashian, three months after she was bound, gagged, and robbed by a masked gang in a brutal Paris attack. Kim was fleeced of millions of dollars worth of jewels in the terrifying episode in Paris in October, which was the biggest robbery of an individual in France for more than 20 years. A number of the suspects are reported by The Guardian to be well-known to detectives for armed robbery and were picked up across France. While most were grabbed in the Paris region, there were also arrests in Normandy and the Riviera. French news website thelocal.fr reports that police swooped in following the discovery of DNA at the luxury residence where Kardashian was tied up and robbed. The site quotes a source as saying: One of the DNA samples matched an individual known to police for robbery and criminal offenses, who is considered a major thug. Police said the robbers were a "mixed bunch" mainly in their 50s with the oldest thought to be 72 years old, according to Le Figaro. Le Point described the men as; "veteran guys from the housing estates and people from the travelling community". Kardashian, who has 50 million followers on Twitter and 90 million on Instagram, was staying at a luxury apartment while attending Paris fashion week when she was robbed by the gang, who wore police uniforms and fled the scene on bicycles. Kardashian has spoken about the robbery in a promo clip for the upcoming season of E!s Keeping Up With the Kardashians, which premieres in March. The reality-TV star is shown in tears recalling the incident to sisters Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian, saying she was thinking, Theyre gonna shoot me in the back. There is no way out. It makes me so upset to think about it. She is also shown reacting to news of Kanye Wests breakdown in November. Kardashian returned to social media last week, posting pictures of her family on Instagram. The star was alone at the time of the raid as her German bodyguard, Pascal Duvier, was out at a club with her sisters. Senate Democrats dont have the power to block any of Donald Trumps Cabinet nominees on their own given they control only 48 seats. But heres one thing they not only can do but must do: use the confirmation hearings as a platform to prevent the whitewashing of Trumps sexism, racism, and bigotry. How can they do this? Simple. Ask each and every nominee under oath and in front of the national media if they agree with the vile crap Trump spewed during his campaign. Look, I dont care how much Mitch McConnell complains that in 2009 the Senate Republicans were deferential to then President-elect Obamas Cabinet nominees. Trump is not Obama. In fact Trump is not George W. Bush nor any other modern day presidentRepublican or Democrat. Trump is uniqueand not in a good way. Trump is a man who trafficked in hate. He literally began his campaign by demonizing Latinos with false claims that Mexico is sending rapists. From there he served up a buffet of rancid red meat to his base including demonizing Muslims, mocking a disabled reporter, and defending his white supporters beating up a Black Lives Matter protester. And maybe the worst thing Trump didif its possible to rank his vilenesswas in the closing days of the campaign when he publicly shamed victims of sexual assault. Thats when Trump called the numerous women liars who had courageously come forward to reveal how Trump had reportedly sexually assaulted each of them. Trump even vowed, to the applause of his rabid supporters, All of these liars will be sued after the election is over. (To date, Trump has filed zero lawsuits against these so-called liars.) But thankfully the Senate Democrats have a golden opportunity with the upcoming confirmation hearings to ensure that Trumps history of hate is not buried. In fact theres no better place to do this than at the hearings of Trumps two most visible nominees scheduled for this week: attorney general nominee Senator Jeff Sessions and secretary of State nominee Rex Tillerson. Now Im not suggesting that the Democratic senators ignore asking questions to probe each nominees personal fitness to serve in the Cabinet. For example in the case of the stunningly horrific Sessions, the senators must address his history of racist comments such as reportedly calling a white civil rights lawyer a race traitor and smearing the NAACP as un-American for trying, as he put it, to force civil rights down the throats of people who were trying to put problems behind them. And Sessions must be called out for voting against reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act in 2012 and his opposition to the Matthew Shepard Act that extended federal hate crimes protections to those attacked for their sexual orientation or gender identity. But in addition to questions individually tailored to each person, each and every nomineafter they raise their right hand swearing to tell the truthshould be asked if they agree or disagree with Trumps hateful comments. Here are few sample questions Id like the Senate Democrats to put to the nominees: 1. Do you agree with Donald Trump shaming victims of sexual assault by publicly calling numerous women liars who came forward to report being sexually assaulted by him? 2. Do you believe that the disabled in America should be belittled and mocked in the way Donald Trump publicly ridiculed a disabled reporter during the campaign? 3. Do you support Donald Trumps statement that a black protester who was called a monkey and the n-word by Trumps white supporters when they were beating him should have been roughed up? 4. Do you believe that Mexico is actually sending rapists to America and if you do, how exactly is the government of Mexico accomplishing that? 5. Do you think Islam hates us as Donald Trump declared during the campaign, or do you view this as an irresponsible comment that stokes the flames of hate against an American minority group? You get the idea. Now if the nominees tell us they agree with Trumps bigoted crap, it could cause some Republican senatorsespecially in swing statesto vote against them. Since Republicans control only 52 Senate seats it would just take three to decide to oppose the nominee to stop that nominee, assuming Democrats are united. But if the nominee tells us he rejects each and every hateful comment by Trump, then the question must be asked on national TV: Why would you serve in an administration headed by a man who has exhibited such despicable conduct? Sure, they will likely give us some BS answer like they are serving America not Trump but who are they kidding?! They are agreeing to serve in a highly visible position in the Trump administration headed by Donald J. Trump. And by doing so they are validating his bigotry and sexism unless they publicly denounce it and him. My hope is that the Democratic senators also ask each nomine about their view of Steve Bannonthe former head of the alt-right publication Brietbart.com whom Trump named as his chief strategist. Since Bannon doesnt have to be confirmed, the Senate Democrats wont have a chance to question him. But the senators can ask each nominee for their opinion about being in an administration with Bannon, a man who transformed Brietbart.com into a platform for white supremacy that also provided a home for vile anti-Muslim bigots to write countless articles demonizing Muslims. As long as Trump is President, the hate he spewed to win the White House must neither be forgotten nor whitewashed. And now the senate Democrats have an opportunity to do just that with the nation watching. Heres hoping they rise to the challenge. With just 10 days to go until Donald Trumps inauguration, even the president-elects biggest media boosters are starting to tire of his incessant Twitter habit. Remarkably, it wasnt Trumps decision to label Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer head clown, or even his bizarre tweets attacking Arnold Schwarzeneggers ratings on a reality show he still produces that made people suggest it might be time for him to give Twitter a rest. Instead, it was his overnight screed against the overrated Meryl Streep. After Streep used her lifetime achievement award acceptance speech at Sunday nights Golden Globes to denounce Trump for mocking a disabled reporter and called on Hollywood to band together in support of a free and open press, the president-elect did exactly what everyone expected him to and woke up early to fire back on Twitter. Meryl Streep, one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood, doesnt know me but attacked last night at the Golden Globes, he tweeted. She is a Hillary flunky who lost big. For the 100th time, I never mocked a disabled reporter (would never do that) but simply showed him grovelling when he totally changed a 16 year old story that he had written in order to make me look bad. Just more very dishonest media! More than anything else, Trump did a great job supplying some prime Monday morning material for the dishonest media he claims to abhor so deeply. The great Streep-Trump feud of 2017 led every morning television program, from The View to Morning Joe. The only surprise was that the hosts of those two shows agreed. Hes such a baby. Of course, shes no Scott Baio, Ill admit that. But that is his response, The Views Joy Behar said of Trumps overrated comment. He is supposed to be the president of the free world. Hes not there to go tit-for-tat over every little slight that goes through his thin skin. Shes overrated and she can back it up, Whoopi Goldberg added of Streep. You cant say the same, she told Trump. Meanwhile, on Morning Joe, host Joe Scarborough, who has been an on-and-off Trump supporter over the past year, had one message for the president-elect as Inauguration Day approaches: Stop tweeting! Stop tweeting about Meryl Streep, he continued. Stop putting words into the mouths of intel agencies. Im serious, someone around him needs to tell him, give it a rest. Start preparing for your inauguration. Stop being so thin-skinned. Those words not only sounded like they could have come from Joy Behar or Whoopi Goldberg, but also echoed Vice President Joe Bidens message to Trump before the Streep-related meltdown: Grow up. Finally, while Fox & Friends happily gave Kellyanne Conway a platform to demonize Streep, even the reliably right-wing Stuart Varney on Fox Business could not bring himself to defend Trump over this one Monday morning. How does name-calling make America great again? Varneys guest Elizabeth MacDonald asked after they read his tweets aloud. Doesnt that undercut Mr. Trumps agenda by responding in ways like this? I mean, he demeans himself. You cannot expect people to climb on board with agenda when your judgment is so poor in making attacks like that. I got it and I think youre right, Varney agreed, without hesitation. To paraphrase Omar from The Wire, Come at the queen, you best not miss. Trump just whiffed. With Donald Trumps cabinet picks gearing up for Senate confirmation hearings, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer admitted last week that he wishes Democrats had not effectively blown up the filibuster in 2013, and along with it, any real chance his party might have had to block any of Trumps cabinet picks today. But there is a silver lining for liberals. Because behind the 2013 decision to use the nuclear option and change the filibuster rules lies in the result they got at the timethree Obama appointees to the D.C. Circuit, formally known as the U.S. Court of Appeals District of Columbia Circuit. As the court that hears the majority of challenges to the regulations of federal agencies, the D.C. Circuit will likely be the final word on many of the challenges to Obama administration policies from the past and Trump administration policies in the future. To legal experts, that makes the D.C. Circuit the second most important court in the country, just behind the Supreme Court. For many Democrats, that was a hill that was worth dying on. Do we wish the filibuster was still in place? Yes, a senior Democratic aide said. But we got a lot of federal judges through, including the three on the D.C. Circuit, and thats huge. After seven years without filling a vacancy on the D.C. Circuit, Obama saw four of his nominees approved by the Senate in rapid succession in 2013, including three whom Republicans were filibustering indefinitely. The additions of Patricia Millett, Nina Pillard, and Robert Wilkins, along with Judge Sri Srinavassan who had been confirmed earlier in the year, changed the composition of the D.C. Circuit from an even four-to-four split among Democratic and Republican appointees to a seven-to-four Democratic advantage. It does matter a great deal whether Democratic or Republican president have nominated the judges, said Aaron Saiger, a professor at Fordham University's School of Law who clerked for D.C. Circuit Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg. Getting those four judges on the D.C. Circuit was extremely important for the Obama administration. In addition to its outsized importance, Saiger said the D.C. Circuit has also included some of the most famous judges in the country among its ranks. Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Ruth Bader Ginsberg all sat on the court. So did Ken Starr, Antonin Scalia, and Warren Berger. And Judge Merrick Garland is back on the D.C. Circuit now that any hope of a Democratic presidential administration is off the table. Not only has it produced famous judges, the D.C. Circuit has heard many high-profile cases, most recently a challenge to the Dakota Access Oil Pipeline against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a pending challenge to contraceptive coverage for employees under Obamacare, and an argument from the state of West Virginia against the EPA over the Obama administrations Clean Power Plan. Elliot Mincberg, a Senior Fellow with People for the American Way, said that many of the current administrations highest profile cases have been upheld since the Senate confirmed the three additional Obama nominees in 2013. There is no question that the Obama administration has done substantially better since he was able to appoint judges to the D.C. Circuit, including the ones that were broken through as a result of the nuclear option, Mincberg said. Certainly the en banc decisions (which included all 11 members of the court) have been progressive since the Democrats have held the majority. To Mincbergs point, since 2013, the D.C. Circuit has upheld the Obama administrations rules on FCC net neutrality, EPAs climate change regulations, the individual insurance mandate under Obamacare and the constitutionality of President Obamas executive actions on immigration. A different federal court struck down the same immigration measure, so the D.C. Circuit is not the only place for an agency review. But it remains the most likely place to hear a challenge to Obama regulations now and, crucially to Democrats, will become the most likely court to review challenges to Trump administration agency regulations in the future. The D.C. Circuit will continue to be extremely important under a Trump administration, Mincberg said. It could well be a check, just as they have sometimes been a check on Obama when they feel like he has done something improper. Mincberg couldnt say which Trump actions might be the most likely to get challenged in court, but it seems clear the D.C. Circuit will have more than enough work on its docket. Theres no question that if a President Trump does what Candidate Trump promised to do, there will be major challenges to administration rules and its likely there will be court challenges of one sort or another, he said. And many of those challenges with go through the D.C. Circuit, where the seven-to-four split, including four Obama appointees, makes some Democrats think the decision to use the nuclear option years ago might have been worth it in the end. On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will become the 45th president of the United States. Along with the nations nuclear codes, he will be gifted presidential powers that have been vastly increased by Barack Obama. Thanks a lot, liberals. Its all well and good that Joe Biden is now lecturing us that the worst sin of all is the abuse of power, but where the hell was heand where were youfor the past eight years, when the president was starting wars without Congressional authorization, passing major legislation with zero votes from the opposing party, and ruling almost exclusively through executive orders and actions? Mostly exhorting Obama to act unilaterally and without Congress on terrorism, immigration, guns, and whatever because you couldnt dream of a day when an unrestrained billionaire reality-TV celebrity would wield those same powers toward very different ends. Hell, in the early months of Obamas presidency, The New York Timess Thomas Friedman held up Chinas one-party autocracy as the model to emulate. Theres an old libertarian saw that holds any government powerful enough to give you everything is also powerful enough to take everything away. The same is even more true for the president, the single most-powerful actor in the government. Faced with recalcitrant Republicans and flagging public support, champions of Obamas policy agenda voiced few qualms about a power grab that created an imperial presidency on steroids. Were not just going to be waiting for legislation, Obama crowed in 2014, proclaiming a year of action. Ive got a pen and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions. Consider his willingness to wage war. As The Cato Institutes Gene Healy writes in the latest issue of Reason, Obama didnt just commit the U.S. military to action in Libya without any sort of Congressional authorization, he did so after campaigning on the statement that the president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation. But when it came time under the War Powers Act to either seek retroactive buy-in from Congress or pull out, Obama simply asked around the executive branch until he found a State Department lawyer who, unlike his attorney general and others, said dropping bombs on Libya didnt require authorization. If and when Donald Trump makes good on his promise to bomb the shit out of ISISand god knows who elsewithout even getting token approval from Congress, well know where he got the idea. Ditto for secret kill lists and drone strikes in countries with whom were not at war. And still, Obama has the temerity to counsel the president-elect not to overdo it with executive orders and actions, telling NPR recently that going through the legislative process is always better in part because its harder to undo. Unless, of course, actually working to build consensus keeps you from getting what you want. In fact, it is vastly easier to undo unilateral action, as Obama himself could tell you. His executive expansion of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shielded the deportation of about 3.6 million young illegal immigrants, ended up in court, where it lost. His abuse of recess appointments, which can only be made when Congress is out of session, also ended up in court, with the Supremes ruling 9-0 against three appointments he made to the National Labor Relations Board. Live by the pen, die by the pen. Newt Gingrich, who haunts Fox News like Banquos ghost haunting a Golden Corral buffet, estimates that Trump will repeal 60 to 70 percent of Obamas legacy by simply vetoing out all of the various executive orders that Obama used because he couldnt get anything through Congress. The Trump administration is already promising to repeal various aspects of Obamacare via executive action within hours of being sworn in, according to spokesman Sean Spicer and Vice President-elect Mike Pence. Although Obamacare was passed as legislation, its more vulnerable than most laws because it was muscled through Congress back when the Democrats had a filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. That may well have been the only way that Obamacare would have ever become law, but it also means that there isnt broad-based support for the plan, in Congress or among voters (in fact, Obamacare has never had majority support from voters). Where other major lawssuch as the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the creation of Medicare, and The Patriot Acthad significant bipartisan support, Obamacare is virtually alone in being a one-party affair. As my colleague Peter Suderman argues, that not only makes the design of the law more insular and thus less likely to succeed, it means everyone will run for the lifeboats the second the ship starts taking on water. But, but, but, I can hear you saying, the Republicans pledged from the outset that their main priority was to make Obama a one-term president, as Mitch McConnell said in 2010. Waiting for the Republicans to act on immigration is pointless! right? Or on guns, overtime pay, air and water regulations, or anything else. He had to act unilaterally. That may all be true, but it doesnt change the fact that Obama Rex presents the worst-possible presidential precedent for his successor, a man who enters office with seemingly no ability to check his own ego, limits, and tweets. What, if anything, can be done, especially since you can already hear Republicans and conservatives who castigated Obamas power grab starting to whistle a different tune. A first step is to acknowledge what all of usliberal, conservative, and libertarian alikehave known in our heart of hearts for the entirety of the 21st century: The president, whether named George W. Bush or Barack Obama, has amassed too much power. The second step is to get serious not about short-term partisan gain but about first principles, especially the idea that a commitment to limited government means just that. No one in America really wants to live in a country where the government has first claim on your life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness. We need to recognize that means the president doesnt actually have vast and ever-increasing powers, even when our guy is in power. In recommitting to principles over party, liberals and Democrats will find allies among libertarians skeeved out by Trumps proclamations about sealing the nations borders, slapping massive tariffs on companies that dare to move where labor is cheaper, and reinstating the indiscriminate torture of suspected terrorists. And they will find allies among small-government Republicans such as Sens. Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Jeff Flake and Reps. Justin Amash and Thomas Massie, all of whom want Congress to do what its supposed to do: pass budgets and laws that get sent to the presidents desk. In Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of Americas Founding Dcoument, Utahs Lee makes exactly that case. A government, Lee told me in an interview last year, that is big enough and powerful enough to spy on you, to lie to you, to target you, is a government that we ought not have in the first place. Thats more than enough common ground to start a real conversation about whittling the imperial presidency down to size once and for all, and not just for the next four or eight years. Roughly two-thirds of the way through Sunday nights Golden Globes, Meryl Streep gave a speech. She talked about Hollywood, foreigners, and the press, and our need to embrace and empower them all. She remembered her heartbreak when Donald Trump mocked a disabled reporter: Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence invites violence. Her voice was weathered, tired, and impassioned. She made a plea to Hollywood, quoting her friend, Carrie Fisher: Take your broken heart, make it into art. She took a moment that was meant to celebrate herself and she used it to say something more: about the power of art, the power of feeling thingseven angerand the power of using our voices. To make a plea for empathy. Thats why shows like these matter. Thats why speeches by the likes of Streep, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Viola Davis were so rousing, so beautiful, and so necessary. And thats why so much of the night was so damn frustrating. As so many people on stage Sunday nightbe it the record seven winners from La La Land or even the wildly self-congratulating Tom Hiddlestonexpressed, the artists are ready and waiting to matter, to do work that matters, and tell stories that matter. But the industry still needs to let them. This is the Golden Globes. It is an award show and, as has become more legend with each passing year, a huge drunken party. Trophies are handed out to pretty peoplein addition to La La Land, this years big winners included FXs Atlanta and its star Donald Glover, Netflixs The Crown and its star Claire Foy, the cast of The Night Manager, The People vs. O.J. Simpson, Manchester by the Seas Casey Affleck, and Best Drama victor Moonlight. Many of the decisions were baffling, as they are every year. Nocturnal Animals star Aaron Taylor-Johnson won Best Supporting Actor over Moonlights Mahershala Ali, the presumed future Oscar winner, and La La Land won an award for its screenplay over Kenneth Lonergans far superior Manchester by the Sea script, for example. Really, it doesnt matter who wins. The Hollywood Foreign Press is a rather bogus organization more known for fraternizing with celebrities than their discerning taste. Theres no overlap with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, so its not even any kind of barometer for the Oscars. Viola Davis sort of shaded them as a farce in her Best Supporting Actress acceptance speech for Fences, feigning exasperation that it took so long to win: I took all the pictures, went to the luncheon Theres a sense of randomness to it allJulia Louis-Dreyfus has five Emmys for Veep, but not one Golden Globethat merits a scoffing that ranges from laughing at their kookiness to being angry that theyve grown into such a spectacularly bloated and falsely important night in the industry. But, echoing a point Meryl Streep made, the show has value.It is a televised opportunity to create stars and tell stories, and you want that opportunity to go to the people you like and the artists who deserve them. You want Tracee Ellis Ross, the first black woman to win Best Actress in a Comedy since Debbie Allen in 1982, to be able to tell the room: This is for all the womenwomen of color, and colorful peoplewhose stories, ideas, thoughts, are not always considered worthy and valid and important. I want you to know that I see you, we see you. You want her to have the platform to encourage the industry to show the magic and the beauty and the sameness of the story and stories that are outside where the industry usually looks. You want Viola Davis to be able to talk about her father who, similar to Fences Troy, only had a fifth-grade education and worked doggedly to support himself at a time and place that made that nearly impossible: But you know what? He had a story and it deserved to be told, and August Wilson told it. And you hope that they will be supported by a telecast that dares to have some class, which this years ceremony seemed to have none of. You get a once-in-a-generation cultural moment like Streeps speecha stern and somber state of the union address, of sortsfor Hollywood and its responsibility, not to mention our own. And moments later, Jimmy Fallon jumps around the stage as hip-hop music blares performing a spoof of Insane in the Brain using Jessica Chastain and Eddie Redmaynes names instead. Nobility followed up by antics. Why, in a year that Hollywood fervently pushed itself to make strides in representation, opportunity, and dignity when it comes to non-white performers, creators, and stories, would you have Sofia Vergara come out on stage and do another tired bit about not being able to speak English properly, crack some jokes about anal sex, and then awkwardly introduce the next presenters: Sylvester Stallones children. Im still stuck on the image of Isabelle Huppert clutching her trophy for Best Actress, for her performance in the French film Elle, passionately acknowledging the artists in the room from all corners of the globe and vowing, Dont expect cinema to set up walls and bordersonly for the theme song to Rocky to loudly kick in seconds later leaving her startled and disoriented on stage. Meaningfulness literally drowned out by bombast. Or what about the optics of Sylvester Stallone, arguably Trumps most famous (open) supporter, who partied with the president-elect at Mar-a-Lago on New Years Eve, presenting the Best Drama award to Moonlight, an aching work about black gay male identity and how the systems and norms our country has in place contribute to a struggle for acceptance? Award shows should have silliness. They should have grand moments, like a sporadic-seeming Rocky tribute, and levity and bits. But they should also have a pulse and a narrative and a directionand the wisdom, most of all, to read a room. Given the sheer number of tone-deaf moments, this award show failed in that regard. It opened with an homage to La La Land that was stuffed with celebrity cameos, joy, and a palpable love for cinema. It was wonderful. It also included an elongated, dated homophobic gag about Jimmy Fallon dancing with Justin Timberlake. Get it? Its funny because theyre guys, dancing together. That a joke like that would read offensive, or at least lame, shouldnt have escaped the shows writers. It probably didnt. They made it anyway. It echoes a general problem with the entire industry: an awareness of the need to do better, but a lethargy when it comes to actually doing it. Its why the night needed a talking to from Meryl Streep, the greatest of them all. For Petes sake, it was a night that began with a Bush confusing movies starring black actors. Yes, the Jenna Bush doesnt care about black movies jokes abounded after the former first daughter and current NBC correspondent confused Hidden Figures and Fences, calling it Hidden Fences, suddenly making Ryan Seacrest and Giuliana Rancic seem like master artists with their Golden Globes red-carpet coverage. Michael Keaton made the same gaffe. In a night where one of the most powerful phrases was I see you, that the slip-up happened twice reflected the sad truth: The opposite is true. But Bush's mistake was, in truth, a fitting start for a ceremony that seemed to miss the point. The first major celebrity event following Trumps election, it was an opportunity to be important, to address whats going on in the world and not accept it, to declare that things are not going to be business as usual. Thats why its so annoying that they tried to throw the same old party. Sure, Fallon made his Donald Trump jokes in his opening monologue. They were pretty funny. But lets not forget that the Tonight Show host refused the responsibility to hold the president-elect accountable for his actions and positions during his campaign, instead choosing to be complicit in anointing him a fun-and-friendly guyharmless, evenwith a noogie and some chummy banter. Fallon is usually great at hosting these things. But as the night wore on and the tone became more impassioned, his frenetic antics seemed increasingly out of place. And as La La Land continued to win every single award, so, too, did its intended message. Best Actress winner Emma Stone gave a lovely tribute to the dreamers, the ones with stories to tell who have been told no, and encouraged them to keep trying to make their voices heard. But as more and more La La victors gushed about the huge gamble the production company took in allowing the filmmakers to create this original musical, Twitter, at least began to roll its eyes. A white Harvard grad wanted to make a new musical about white people discovering jazz and it somehow got made! Insane, joked comedian Nicole Silverberg. Who said there couldnt be a musical? Who do they speak of? mocked writer Lindsey Weber. It was likely not the easiest sell theres ever been, but this is a movie about Los Angeles starring its two most famous white actors. On a night that was defined by tone-deafness and poor optics, maybe dial back the gushing about how hard it was to get that story made in front of the creatives behind Moonlight, Fences, Atlanta, Insecure, Hidden Figures, and black-ishpeople of color trying to tell stories of color with no guarantee that there will be an audience or critics or an industry out there willing to receive it, let alone appreciate it. In her speech, Meryl Streep quoted Tommy Lee Jones: We have to remind each other of the privilege and the responsibility of the act of empathy. We should all be very proud of the work Hollywood honors here tonight. We should be. Maybe soon we will be. With Donald Trump about to enter the White House, they just dont feel like keepin it 1600 anymore. Just before Christmas, former Obama administration staffers Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, and Tommy Vietor recorded what would become the final episode of their popular 2016 campaign podcast Keepin It 1600 for Bill Simmons The Ringer network. Today, they are back with a new podcastPod Save Americaand this time it is under the banner of their new company, the pointedly titled Crooked Media. Along with former Obama communications director Dan Pfeiffer, who will appear weekly on Pod Save America but does not have a stake in Crooked Media, the Keepin It 1600 guys were a vital voice on the left leading up to the election. But like so many others, they did not see the election of Donald Trump coming and consistently urged listeners not to bed-wet over the slim possibility that Hillary Clinton could lose. They have some regrets. Looking back at the podcasts initial run, Favreau says, One thing we wished we had done slightly differentlyin addition to political analysis and punditry and all that good stuffwe wish we had done a little more advocacy, encouraged more participation and activism and used it as a platform to lift up all of the young progressives voices that are out there. Calling from Los Angeles, Favreau, a sometime Daily Beast contributor, says he and the two other guys were spending their Sunday running around like crazy realizing that we decided to launch a media company. If Hillary Clinton had won the election, like we all wrongly prognosticated, I think all of us would have been content to keep doing this as a hobby, Vietor, who served as a spokesperson for Obama, adds. But that night changed things for a lot of people, us included. I woke up feeling like sitting on the sidelines wasnt an option anymore. I wanted to be part of whatever is going to happen over the next four years to preserve the things we fought for at the White House. Vietor is moving from San Francisco to Los Angeles for the project and, along with Favreau, will hand over control of Fenway Strategies, the speechwriting company they started a few years back, to existing staff, who will run day-to-day operations. Beyond the new podcast, they want to build out the company to include additional podcasts, streaming video, and written content. So far, they have not taken any outside funding and are building the platforms entirely on their own. We are coming into this with a lot of humility and an understanding that theres a lot we dont know, Vietor says. Despite their collective experience at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, none of the three guys say they were on track to go work in a Hillary Clinton administration had she been elected. I would have been inclined to feel comfortable that Obamas legacy and the things we worked on were safe, Vietor says. Its not helpful or practical or accurate to think that the only way you can be engaged in politics is by living in Washington. In fact, the most important work is going to happen outside of that city. Had things turned out differently, Favreau says, Wed probably still be at The Ringer and wed be doing podcasts as a part-time job as we all were in 2016. Trump winning changed everything. It was a wake-up call. It was also the event that precipitated their split from Bill Simmons, who scored a major coup when he helped them launch Keepin It 1600 in March of last year, giving his new site an important voice in the 2016 election. The Ringers great, but we need to have the freedom to make this our own, Lovett says of the move. And Bill thought that made sense, too, Favreau hastens to add, saying Simmons encouraged them to strike out on their own once they decided to move in a more activist, less journalistic direction. For us, politics is not a passive thing that you consume, he says. It has to be active. You cant just scroll through Twitter, you actually have to do something. They are very aware, as Vietor puts it, that Trump is going to be able to swamp you every time with a single tweet. So, they have decided to take a page out of his playbook and try to reach voters directly without filtering their message through a larger media lens. The intimate nature of podcasts and Facebook Live allow for this direct connection. In the same way President Obama fears watching his legacy get upended, they see in a Trump presidency the likely reversal of the policies they spent the past eight years communicating to the American people. And just as Obama may no longer be content to go relax on a beach in Hawaii, they felt it would be an abdication of responsibility to merely comment on the news in their spare time. Favreau, whos been helping out with the creation of Obamas new foundation from afar, does not expect the media to be the presidents primary focus after he leaves office, as some reports have suggested. Nor will he be joining their effort directly. He did just send over his CV and it looks great, Lovett, who worked on Hillary Clintons 2008 campaign before joining the Obama White House, jokes of his former boss. He doesnt have any direct media experience, but hes interacted with a lot of reporters. I think he gets the medium. I dont think they have any media plans in place right now, Favreau says, on a more serious note. But the overall mission of the foundation, which is to get people involved in civic life and get people engaged in politics, I think we would very much like to be the media company version of that. So its certainly inspired by a lot of what Obama has talked about in terms of the media over the last several months. The most popular episode of Keepin It 1600 was the one that went up the morning after Hillary almost won, as Lovett puts it, wryly. That was a real test for us, which was to be open and vulnerable and honest and sincere. And talk about the future and our own anxieties and concerns and hopes, he continues. It was the moment we realized we wanted to be doing something more than what we had been doing before the election. Deciding to call their venture Crooked Media was the result of 10,000 text messages back and forth between the three of us, Vietor says of the tongue-in-cheek moniker. We take this work very seriously, we take the issues very seriously. We dont take ourselves seriously. It is their attempt to take back a phrase that Trump used to smear the press during his campaignand will no doubt continue to wield as a weapon against his critics once in office. One lesson from Donald Trump is, name things after something Donald Trump says and youll get attention, Favreau adds, laughing. We didnt want to send a message that were starting this company only in opposition to Donald Trump. Its much bigger than that. But I think that Trump obviously looms large for us and everyone else right now. Were doing this because we care about these issues and we care about talking about these issues in a way that would perhaps bother somebody like Donald Trump, Lovett says. And maybe earn the name Crooked Media from him. In the battle between Donald Trump and the media, we are firmly on the side of the media, Favreau insists. He rejects the type of news analysis that hides behind the veneer of objectivity saying, were always going to be Obama guys, were very open and honest about that. But that doesnt mean they cant have open and honest conversations with people who have different views. As for what listeners can expect from Pod Save America, Favreau says he hopes they can pierce the bubble that separates left from right in America by engaging in casual, long-form conversations in a podcast setting, as opposed to the type of cable news shout-fests that were a staple of the election cycle. We are not going to have people on who have been known to just lie constantly all the time, he says, but if you have opposing views, I want to have those conversations. We have a hard ban on devious morons, Lovett adds, laughing. Would that standard apply to someone like Kellyanne Conway, for example? He just sighs and says, Shes so busy! Informed that she will be on with Seth Meyers show this week, he jokes, Maybe shell say something true. A California woman accused of impersonating her ex-boyfriends new wife in Craigslist rape-fantasy ads has been exonerated, after spending nearly four months in jail for a crime she never committed, authorities say. Orange County prosecutors say 30-year-old Michelle Hadley was framed. Now theyve charged the wife who falsely accused her with a slew of felonies, including 22 counts of falsely reporting a crime to Anaheim police. Angela Maria Diaz, 31, faces kidnapping, false-imprisonment, and forgery charges in connection to the elaborate setup. She was also charged with one count of perjury for lying in a petition for a restraining order against Hadley. Diaz was arrested in Phoenix last week and will be extradited to California, prosecutors said Monday. If convicted, she faces as much as 12 years and eight months in a state prison, and 11 years in a county jail. Its often said that true life is stranger than fiction. The facts of this case make that statement spot-on, District Attorney Tony Rackauckas told reporters. When a person whos committed a crime gets arrested and charged, thats a bad day. But when someone whos innocent gets arrested and charged with a crime, thats not just a bad day. Its a nightmare. This is the tale of a woman who faced such a nightmare, Rackauckas said. Hadley was first arrested in June 2016, when police accused her of violating a restraining order obtained by Diaz, who also goes by the name Angela Connell. Back then, Hadley was released on $100,000 bail. But cops cuffed Hadley again in July, after police claimed she was posing as Diaz in Craigslist ads soliciting rape fantasies. She was held on $1 million bond. But authorities would soon learn that Diaz was sending herself the threatening emails, which included links to graphic images of dead and decapitated human beings, as well as aborted fetuses, Rackauckas said. Hadley was finally released from jail in October, when prosecutors were already reexamining Diazs accusations. The convoluted Gone Girl-style drama made national news, with Hadleys mugshot plastered across the web. At the time, she faced life in prison for charges including six felony counts of attempted forcible rape. Prosecutors had claimed Hadley repeatedly sent threats to Diaz, who was identified only as Jane Doe and as the pregnant new wife of Hadleys former fiance, a deputy U.S. Marshal whom authorities have not named. During Mondays press conference, Rackauckas said Hadley is an innocent victim of a diabolical scheme. This is a very detailed case. I wanted to make sure, however, that Ms. Hadley is cleared in every possible wayin the courtroom and in the court of public opinion. It should be clear in the media and in cyberspace, he said. Rackauckas identified Hadleys ex only as John Doe, and said there is no evidence that he was involved in Diazs plot. Diaz and John Doe were married in February 2016. Hadley dated John Doe from August 2013 to August 2015, investigators said. Still, Rackauckas did not provide a motive in Diazs alleged frame-up. I dont think we have a clear statement of what her motive might be, the DA said, before adding, You have a love triangle. Maybe a [desire] to put the dagger into the older relationship, but all thats just speculation at this time. Diaz faces a host of other frightening accusations, including faking a pregnancy with John Doe, prosecutors say. Police say Diaz altered a paycheck to give herself an extra $2,000 in April 2016. She also allegedly faked a cervical-cancer diagnosis, pretended to be an attorney, forged doctors notes, and impersonated two of John Does ex-girlfriends over email. According to prosecutors, Diaz sent emails to herself to make it appear Hadley was the author of the messages. She allegedly used Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) and third-party proxy servers to avoid detection, authorities say. From June 1 to July 13, 2016, Diaz allegedly made false reports with police, claiming Hadley threatened her and the life of her unborn child. (A spokeswoman for the district attorneys office said authorities do not believe Diaz was ever pregnant with John Does child.) An MBA student at Chapman University, Hadley was accused of providing men responding to the Craigslist ad with Diazs photos and details of her daily routine. Hadley was also accused to telling them to have forcible sexual intercourse with [Diaz], even if she screamed or resisted, the district attorney claimed at the time. Now the DA says Diaz posted the ads herself, luring at least two men to her residence and calling 911. Cops intercepted the men intending to participate in the rape fantasiesincidents that appeared to bolster Diazs ruse. Anaheim police also noted a visibly distraught Diaz had redness on her neck and breast area when she claimed a man tried to rape her, Rackauckas said. The police did a very thorough investigation, Deputy District Attorney Richard Zimmer told The Daily Beast in July of last year. What was presented to us we have enough evidence to prove this case to a jury beyond a reasonable doubt. This case just shows some of the dangers of social media and the online world we live in now, Zimmer added. Diazs story began to fall apart after Hadleys defense attorney, Michael Guisti, worked closely with authorities to reinvestigate the source of the messages. They learned Diaz was sending herself emails from her hubbys condo, her cellphone, and her fathers home in Arizona, Rackauckas said. Guisti said Hadley is relieved by the dismissal of charges against her. She was going about her business, getting her MBA, when all of a sudden this literally came out of the blue, he told reporters Monday. Hadley has been living at home since her release from jail and laying low, Guisti said. Meanwhile, Michael Hadley had always declared his daughters innocence. Last year, he told The Daily Beast that he believed Michelles 38-year-old former flame was sabotaging her and accused Anaheim detectives of shoddy policework. He said the ex-boyfriend was seeking revenge because his daughter filed a lawsuit to boot him from their condominium. The marshal knows her email address, Michael Hadley said in a July phone interview. They were going to get married. They got the condo and everything else and it all fell apart. Hadley scoffed at portrayals of his daughter as vindictively jealous of her former beaus new relationship. What theyre saying is totally contrary to whats going on, Hadley told The Daily Beast. My daughter could [not] care less. The ex-fiance filed for a restraining order against Hadley in September 2015. His petition included a series of wacky emails that Hadley allegedly sent him, and that included biblical references and accusations of sexual assault. She frequently tells me I fucking hate you and insults my manhood and sexuality, he wrote in the document. He added, most of our arguments end with [Hadley] self-medicating with an entire bottle of wine. One September 2015 message, which carried the subject line Gone Girl, included the rant: You know exactly how God, the Word of God, the Spirit of God are involved with the condo. We both do. Your end will come, and you will relinquish the keys to the earth, Hadley allegedly wrote. Her ex-boyfriend replied, I am not sure how God, the Bible, or again, my childhood, has any relevance to the condo and mortgage. In June 2016, Diaz requested a restraining order against Hadley. Ms. Hadley has been emailing me for over one week, repeatedly threatening my life, my marriage, my safety, and slandering my husband, she wrote in her filing. Diaz accused Hadley of using over six different email addresses to harass her. I am now fearful of leaving my home, have had to delete my online presence, and am incredibly emotionally distressed, Diaz wrote. I am fearful of being raped, attacked, killed. I have had to completely uproot my life, including missing work at a new job to quash this issue, she added. The tone and tenor of these emails escalates and there seems no sign of stopping. Diaz attached a collection of biblical-themed missives, which she claimed Hadley sent her via LinkedIn under the pseudonym Jason Ray. There are legends that Adam had a wife before Eve who was named Lilith, but this is not found in the Bible, one May 2016 message began. YOU ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT YOU ARE THE EVE TO HIM MICHELLE WAS THE TRUTHHIS LILLITH [sic] BUT SHE AND THE OTHER WOMEN WOULD NOT SUBMIT TO HIS CONTROLLING WAYS, the email continued. Days later, another phony email warned Diaz that her new husband is using you for everything. Dont you see this? the message stated. He is obsessed with me, I am his treasure princess, you are nothing. Moving manufacturing where the labor is cheap isn't sustainable but consistently innovating is, Under Armour (NYSE: UAA)CEO Kevin Plank said in a speech recently. Shoe manufacturing has largely moved abroad to Asia from Europe and the U.S., a function of inexpensive labor in those countries, Plank told an audience at technology tradeshow CES in Las Vegas on Friday. Now, however, consumers are increasingly demanding locally-sourced goods, making manufacturing in the Americas a more attractive bet, he added. "We should be bringing jobs back, not just to America, but tightening supply chains all over the world," Plank said. "We have the ability to do it better. It's time for all of us to make an investment." Plank recalled different ways he's measured the success of Under Armour, But he also said a successful business "means jobs. It means the better welfare of people." Instead of depending on cheap labor, Plank said that Under Armour hopes to invest more in Baltimore, where the company is headquartered. Last year, the company said it would add 1,000 jobs to a facility there, as part of Plank's commitment to be Baltimore's "new front porch." "We cannot muscle our way to the next chapter," Plank said. "We need to be thinking ... leveraging technology to make footwear manufacturing better." Plank' star-studded speech, featuring Arianna Huffington and Michael Phelps, comes amid tension between president-elect Donald Trump and business leaders who manufacture overseas. Trump has called out individual companies that are moving manufacturing overseas, but higher labor costs and lagging robotics have challenged domestic job creation. Plank said Under Armour is hoping to streamline its local manufacturing through technology. He said the company is investing in a "math house" to build a robust data analysis center, and has even introduced technology hardware and connected shoes "just to show it was possible." Story continues "What are we going to do if Apple and Samsung start making apparel and footwear? How are we thinking ahead of that curve?" the CEO asked. "Anything that makes sense to have a chip in it, it should.we expect to build it first," Plank said, adding: "We've always been a technology company, not any one of us can afford not to be." More From CNBC Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu Contact: Dr. Brent Auvermann, 806-677-5600, b-auvermann@tamu.edu AMARILLO Dr. Brent Auvermann has been selected as the new center director at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Amarillo, following the retirement of longtime director Dr. John Sweeten. Auvermann is a professor in Texas A&M Universitys department of biological and agricultural engineering, with a dual-appointment in both the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and Texas A&M AgriLife Research. He will begin his new duties Feb. 1. Dr. Auvermann is recognized by his colleagues, commodity leaders, state and federal agencies, and livestock producers for his subject matter expertise and common-sense approach to solving complex issues, said Dr. Craig Nessler, AgriLife Research director in College Station, in making the announcement. We are confident his leadership abilities will continue to build our Amarillo centers role of importance not only to the Panhandle but to the entire state, as the faculty there strive to meet the needs of our clientele in the areas of agriculture and human health and well-being, Nessler said. Im thrilled about the next stage of my Aggie career, Auvermann said. I love the Panhandle, I love the people here and I love agricultural research. My wife, Jennifer, and I are so grateful for this opportunity. Auvermann earned his bachelors and masters degrees from Texas A&M and his doctorate at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. He joined the AgriLife faculty in Amarillo in 1995. He is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in environmental systems engineering applied to concentrated animal feeding operations. He has published research on air pollution emissions and abatement, nutrient management, evaluating biofuel feedstocks, carcass disposal and agricultural water use. Since 2002, a primary focus of his research has been continuous monitoring of cattle feedlot dust. He has collected one of the worlds largest data repositories from in-field continuous monitoring of dust from commercial cattle feedlots. Auvermann has been requested to speak at conferences throughout North America and serves as a research partner with faculty/scientists in Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, Arkansas, Colorado, California, Minnesota, New Mexico and Alberta, Canada. Since 2008, he has served on the national Extension team that produced the web-based National Air Quality Site Assessment Tool for beef, dairy, swine and poultry operations, funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service. As a result of his expertise in mitigation techniques for controlling dust from cattle feedlot surfaces, he was the primary technical advisor to USDANRCS engineers in Texas during the design and implementation of the Atmospheric Resource Quality Management initiative for cattle feedlot under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Auvermann also led a multistate Extension and research team that provided a detailed technical review of dairy environmental regulations proposed by the New Mexico Water Quality Conservation Commission and the New Mexico Environment Department. In 2008-2009, he served as the primary technical advisor to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and the Pinal County Air Quality Control District during the design of a Beneficial Management Practices standard for open-lot cattle feedlots and dairies. He co-moderated a 2010 national workshop for standardized reporting of air emissions from livestock and poultry operations, jointly sponsored by the EPA and the USDA Task Force on Agricultural Air Quality. He also served on the USDA National Working Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Livestock and Poultry. In 2012, he was named to an EPA Science Advisory Board expert panel to review the agencys methodology for estimating air emissions from animal feeding operations. Auvermann is an award-winning researcher. He was a member of the air quality team that won the 2009 Vice Chancellors Award in Excellence for Research. In 2010, as a team member, he received the Governors Texas Environmental Excellence Award-Agriculture from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. He was a member of a team of engineers and scientists that won the National Excellence in Multistate Research Award from a USDA Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy, and he was recognized by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers as the G.B. Gunlogson Countryside Engineering Award winner for 2013. -30- "I think it's time to change my farming system", said my client. "A switch from dairy to rice paddies." Looking at his sodden fields, it wasn't hard to imagine. When you work with farmers, conversations about the weather are inevitable. Their livelihoods are intrinsically linked to the climate, and very often they and their animals are at the mercy of the elements. As a consultant I work with long-term financial projections and business plans. In light of rising global temperatures it would be foolish to overlook the impact that climate change may have on my dairy farming clients in the dampness of West Wales. The last decade has seen record-setting wet years for Britain, and the risk of flooding and the problems associated with sodden ground look likely to be an increasing challenge for farmers. The Environment Agency state that precipitation in the West of the country is expected to increase by up to 33%, a significant rise for an area that already experiences some of the highest rainfall in the UK. When the fields are wet it becomes difficult to conserve forage for winter consumption. So in the future may bring problems with lack of good-quality silage, resulting in lower milk yields and poorer cow health. Another problem on the horizon: the South of England, source of much of the straw that is used to feed and bed Welsh dairy herds, is expected to see drier, hotter weather. This too could negatively impact crop production, putting further pressure on cow nutrition. Good news as well as bad Conversely warmer weather, if coupled with sufficient dry periods and if access to fields is not limited, could lengthen the grazing season for grass-fed animals. This would aid sustainable agricultural practices and lower the cost of feeding concentrate feed. And that could be very helpful if there were shortages of imported feed due to desertification and drought overseas. Warmer weather could also improve grass growth in upland areas, allowing these parts to be grazed with a mixture of species rather than just sheep. This would promote a more diverse range of flora and fauna - provided of course that species variety has not already been lost to climatic stress. But warmer weather may bring problems too. The bluetongue virus first entered the UK in the mid-2000s. Although its spread cannot wholly be attributed to climate change, warmer weather could certainly have played a role in the proliferation of its Culicoides midge vector. Its emergence is significant because it heralds an age where more and more previously exotic diseases could become endemic in the UK cattle herd. Vector-borne diseases are the obvious risk when considering that climate change could extend suitable habitats for various biting insects. It is also worth considering that warm, wet conditions are perfect for other already common pathogens and pests. The consequences of climate change could increase fly numbers, increasing the incidence rate of summer mastitis and fly-strike. Earlier this month, the Indonesian government made a decision which was hailed as a major step forward in the fight against climate change. President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo's administration issued a long-awaited revision to regulations designed to protect the nation's fragile peatlands. The Washington Post said the move "could help prevent wildfires" and with it stop "billions of tonnes of carbon emissions" entering the atmosphere. And the news was a welcome relief to the tens of millions of people forced to breathe the smoke from peat fires which follow the clearing and draining of peatland. There were an estimated 100,000 premature deaths resulting across three countries from last year's devastating Indonesian peat and forest fires. But others are yet to be convinced. Jokowi's promise has been undermined by perplexing compromises based on industry-sponsored science. Simply put, the new regulations won't fulfil the President's stated goals - or those of the Paris agreement. The 'ban' that will allow the peatland destruction to continue Existing plantation licenses for peatland cultivation remain valid under the new regulations, meaning that commercial exploitation can presumably continue for the 30-plus years that land use permits remain valid - with the potential for extensions up to roughly a century. What's more, the regulations place only a temporary moratorium on new peat development, lasting a maximum of around two years. That's also the longest time allowed before the government must complete its planned 'peat zoning' process, which will separate areas to be protected from those that can be drained for plantations. The regulations require just 30% of each peat system to be zoned for protection, along with any further area in which the peat has a thickness of over 3m. Adopting the industry-supported 'eko-hidro' model, this 30% is to be located over the slightly raised 'dome' of thicker peat which occurs in the centre of many peat systems. The remaining area is to be zoned for production, where clearing and drainage are permitted. This model has been soundly rejected by peat scientists and Indonesian environmental groups alike. The whole peat dome is hydrologically connected, so draining the perimeter will inevitably result in the collapse of the centre in any case. Wetlands International has likened this policy to "allowing smoking in the left side of a plane and forbidding it on the right side". The Delegate Assembly of the Modern Language Association has rejected a proposed academic boycott of Israel by a vote of 113-79. The New York Times reports: The M.L.A.s departing president, the philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah, has remained neutral during his term, but he said after the vote that he was strongly opposed to all cultural boycotts. "Governments do terrible things all the time," he said. "Our own government does terrible things. But that's not a reason for people not to visit American institutions and talk to American scholars." In a separate vote, the Delegate Assembly more narrowly approved a resolution opposing the academic boycott of Israel because it contradicts the MLAs purpose to promote teaching and research on language and literature and therefore may curtail debates with representatives of Israeli universities, such as faculty members, department chairs and deans, thereby blocking possible dialogue and general scholarly exchange. If the anti-boycott resolution is approved by the MLA's Executive Council, it will then be submitted to the organization's full membership for a vote. In a related development, the council of the American Historical Association also rejected an anti-Israel resolution (for the third time in the last three years). Tickets still are available for the 15th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Breakfast, set for Monday, Jan. 16, from 8-10 a.m. at the Pigg River Community Center in Rocky Mount. This years keynote speaker is attorney Charles L. Becton, who was judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals from 1981 to 1990. Becton, a native of Morehead City, N.C., is former president of the North Carolina Bar Association the first African-American male to hold that post. He received his Bachelors degree from Howard University in 1966, his Juris Doctor from Duke University School of Law in 1969 and his master of laws degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1986. Becton has been included in The Best Lawyers of America since 1993, and is a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers of America, The American Board of Trial Attorneys and the International Society of Barristers. He is currently the RJR Nabisco Endowed Chair at North Carolina Central School of Law where he teaches rhetoric and advocacy. New to this years breakfast is a speaker for youth in grades six through 12. Will Smith of Roanoke will talk with youth about crime prevention, responsibility and the importance of having dreams like those of King. Born and raised in Mississippi, Smith is the president of the Hearing the Melodie Foundation, a non-profit offering financial assistance for continued education to organ transplant recipients and organ donors, or those in need of organ transplants. Smith is the author of You Were Born to Win. He is the captain of the Western Virginia Regional Jail and serves as a motivational speaker and mentor. Smith is married with four children. My mission is to inspire and aspire, before I retire, he said. Mistress of Ceremonies for this years breakfast is Franklin County High School Administrator Anitra Holland. The Rev. Thomas Woods, pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church, will give the invocation before welcoming remarks from musician Pierre Taylor. The Rev. David Taylor, pastor of Trinity Episcopal Church will offer a prayer before breakfast is served. Miss Pigg River Kazia Crump, a junior at Franklin County High School, will introduce the keynote speaker, and music will be provided by FCHS Junior McKenna Hamrick and Collinsville Postmaster Pamela France. Recognition of guests and presentations will be given by Mary Helm, Glenna Moore and Josephine Edwards, followed by closing remarks from Holland. The Rev. Frank Toney, pastor of Interfaith Fellowship Church, will give the benediction. The theme of this years breakfast is living in a changing world. The breakfast is sponsored annually by the MLK Breakfast Club. Club members include William and Mary Helm, Bettye Buckingham, Josephine Edwards, Florella Johnson, and Larry and Glenna Moore. Coordinating the ushers is Beatrice Preston. Proceeds from last years breakfast were shared by the Franklin County YMCA, STEP Inc. and the Franklin County Rescue Squad. The Pigg River Community Center is located at 2410 South Main St. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $5 for students, and will be sold in advance with RSVP no later than Jan. 12. There will be no tickets sold at the door. To purchase tickets, call (540) 483-9635, (540) 483-7151, (540) 483-9469, (540) 483-8862 or (540) 420-3826. A snow date for the event has been set for Saturday, Jan. 21. A survey assessing the broadband needs of Franklin County citizens is now available for completion and county officials are encouraging all citizens to participate. We really want people to fill out the survey, said Steve Thomas, director of IT for Franklin County. Its going to help us get them what they need and justify doing what we need to do to get it. The county has partnered with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) to conduct the survey, which will collect information from citizens regarding their internet usage, current service, access and needs. The survey is the initial step in CITs Broadband Path, a six-step process that leverages CITs experience and Virginias Broadband Toolkit to develop a tailor-made strategic plan and seek out private sector partners that will help meet the countys specific goals. It is important to understand how the citizens are leveraging the internet and where there is a need for expanded or improved service so the county can take steps to meet those needs and ensure its citizens have the best possible quality of life, said Sandie Terry, CITs vice president of broadband. We know there are certain areas with gaps in coverage, said Franklin Countys Chief Operations Analyst Chuck Kirby. And these are the areas we really need to hear from. Some of those areas include pockets of Ferrum, Callaway, Boones Mill, Smith Mountain Lake and Snow Creek, he said. As an example, Snow Creek Elementary children have been observed on the porch of the school doing their homework in the heat because that was the only way they could access the internet, Thomas said. Being without broadband internet can also potentially affect a persons employment or health, he added, as some employers are requiring employees to have access to broadband. Access to internet has also become crucial for the elderly as more and more retirees are moving into the area, Kirby said. Thomas recently attended a presentation in Danville that demonstrated how the internet would expand access to homebound medicine. A doctor could service five times the number of patients, having all their records and stats at his disposal, Thomas said. Through broadband, using the patients digital device, a doctor would be able to see that a patient has strep throat, for example, and call in a prescription right then and there, eliminating the need to travel or sit in a waiting room with other sick patients. This would improve quality of life and allow people to live at home and be healthier and independent longer, Kirby added. Smart homes are also on the rise. With broadband and internet access, devices like Amazon Echo are able to assist homeowners with a variety of independent living. The six-page survey contains 38 questions that are broken down into categories including how residents connect to the internet and how they use it once they are connected. The survey is open for responses until Feb. 28. It is now available online at FCBroadbandNeeds.org. It is also being mailed to households for those with no access, or unreliable internet. To request a paper survey, call (540) 483-3030. Paper surveys also are available at The Franklin Center, the Essig Center, Franklin County Public Library, Franklin County Parks and Recreation and at the government center. Only one survey per household should be completed. This is the way of the future, Kirby said. The divide between the haves and the have-nots is in large part due to who has access to high speed internet and who doesnt. This survey is the foundation on which future decisions will be built. The more people to fill this survey out, the more solid data that we have to support our decisions as far as the type of infrastructure needed, where the infrastructure would possibly be placed, and optimal partnerships. Our goal is to figure out how we can improve access and reliability to the citizens of Franklin County at the best value, he added. Whatever it takes to make that happen, we are open to it. For questions or comments about the broadband needs assessment, email info@franklincountyva.gov with the word Broadband in the subject line. Around Burlington: When doctors and lawyers squared off on a diamond FINEST KIND CLINIC AND FISHMARKET.... Discussing medicine, culture, and the joys of cooking Pansit. This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate STAMFORD Since 2001, First County Bank has directed some $7.5 million toward a major undertaking. It has not made a single dollar from the venture, but bank officials consider it one of their best investments. Following a record year of giving, the First County Bank Foundation commands a pivotal role in the Stamford-based financial institutions operations. Bank executives describe the foundation as a crucial link to clients and local nonprofits and a major influence on the banks identity. Sixteen years ago, our directors thought it would be a nice idea to establish a foundation to provide a dividend back to the community, First County CEO and Chairman Reyno Giallongo Jr., who also serves as the foundations president, said in an interview last week. Over time, that nice thing to do really turned into the cornerstone of everything that the bank is doing. The foundation supports nonprofits that are based in or deliver services in the southwestern Connecticut cities and towns where First County runs branches. That network extends from Greenwich to Westport. First Countys assets entirely fund the foundation. In 2016, the foundation disbursed some $615,000 in grants and $15,000 in college scholarships the most it has given in a year. Since its inception, it has awarded 2,160 grants totaling $7.5 million. Its giving focuses on children and families, affordable housing and economic development. Kathleen Bordelon, executive director of SilverSource, a Stamford-based nonprofit that serves local senior citizens, cited First Countys support as vital to her organization. The foundation funded the purchase of a vehicle for the Ride to Wellness program, which provides more than 6,000 rides each year for seniors to travel to and from medical appointments. More Information For more information on the First County Bank Foundation, visit https://www.firstcountybank.com/first-county-bank-foundation-inc The foundation accepts grant applications between January and March. See More Collapse The greatest benefit really goes to our clients who take advantage of our services, Bordelon said. I would say that we have a working partnership with the First County Bank Foundation that helps us to help others. On average, older people using our Ride To Wellness service will save about $800 a yearwhich might be as much as a months rent and be allocated for food or prescriptions. Among its latest initiatives, the foundation last year launched its FirstClass Grants program for K-6 teachers in local public schools. We had seen a need in that age range in the local schools to fund some of the more innovative programs that the school boards dont necessarily fund, Giallongo said. The foundation has sought to develop close relationships with the leaders and clients of the nonprofits that it supports. First County officials make in-person presentations of every grant they give. We deliver each grant, which gives us an opportunity to see the nonprofit in their own space and be able to engage with them and with their constituents, said Karen Kelly, the banks chief marketing officer and the foundations vice president. Its good to have that face time to see where our dollars are going, what are their challenges and how we can help them. The foundations support of nonprofits permeates First Countys operations, executives said. First County sponsors many events for nonprofits that it supports. Many of its employees serve on local nonprofit boards. Even when were talking to a business client, the foundation inevitably comes up because its so prominent in the community, Kelly said. Its something that is part of our DNA. If you work here or if youre a potential employee, you have to have that in your bones and blood to want to be involved in the community. Alongside Giallongo and Kelly, two other bank employees, Corporate Secretary Jennifer DaSilva and Chief Financial Officer Ronald Holbert, respectively serve as the foundations secretary and treasurer. Those officers dedicate significant time to the nonprofit. Kelly estimates that about 40 percent to 50 percent of her work relates to the foundation. Its a considerable amount of time, Kelly said. But its enjoyable and very rewarding time, so its not something that youre counting. pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; twitter: @paulschott Treehouse / Contributed photo Comic Pete Dominick who hosts daily discussions on both Sirius and XM called Stand Up! with Pete Dominick, which regularly features some of the biggest names in politics and journalism is doing a stand-up gig at the Treehouse Comedy Club in Wesport on Saturday, Jan.14. The Huffington Post recently called Stand Up! truly the best political talk show on the air today, while the Hollywood Reporter listed Dominick in an article featuring personalities to watch in talk radio. Even before birth, premature babies may display alterations in the circuitry of their developing brains, according to a first-of-its kind research study by Yale School of Medicine researchers and their colleagues at the National Institutes of Health and Wayne State University in Michigan. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports, a Nature Publishing Group Journal. According to the authors, 10 percent to 11 percent of American babies are premature. This new study suggest that factors contributing to early birth might also impact the brains development in the womb, leading to significant neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and cerebral palsy. In the study, Yale School of Medicine researchers Dr. Laura Ment, Dustin Scheinost, and R. Todd Constable collaborated closely with principal investigator Moriah Thomason of Wayne State University, and Dr. Roberto Romero, chief of the Perinatology Research Branch and Program Director for Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine of NICHD/NIH. The research team used fetal resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to measure brain connectivity in utero in 32 human fetuses with normal brain anatomy, 14 of which were subsequently delivered preterm (between 24 and 35 weeks). Patients were studied at Wayne State and Scheinost, assistant professor in the Magnetic Resonance Research Center at Yale School of Medicine, spearheaded the analysis using novel functional magnetic resonance imaging strategies to detect differences in neural networks between study groups. The team found that systems-level neural connectivity was weaker in fetuses that would subsequently be born preterm. The findings were localized in left-hemisphere, pre-language regions of the brain. It was striking to see brain differences associated with preterm birth many weeks before the infants were prematurely-born, said Scheinost in a news release. Preterm infants are known to have brain changes in language regions, and we were particularly surprised that the fetal differences we detected were in these same language regions. The teams future research will focus on potential causes of prematurity, such as infection and inflammation, to determine whether and how those conditions influence brain development in utero. They also will follow the study participants children to establish long-term outcomes. Enrollment has become the main focus of attention for higher education administrators. For private institutions enrollment is the major source of their funding. And due to diminished support from states, it has also become the major source of financial support for most public colleges and universities. This dependence on tuition wasnt always so great for public institutions, but is the result of a process that has been called the privatization of public higher education. Two reports that got little attention when published recently were the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education, known as Wiche. This group released its new projections of high-school graduates in all 50 states through 2031-32. After years of increases in the overall number of graduates, the commissions report says, "the U.S. is headed into a period of stagnation," in which colleges can no longer rely on growth. This report projects growth in the South and West, and a continuing drop in the Midwest and Northeast. It also projects the nations high-school graduates becoming more diverse; with the number of white graduates decreasing sharply while the number of Hispanic graduates grows substantially. The other report was the Term Enrollment estimates for Fall 2016 by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, also known just as the Clearinghouse. The major finding in that study is that in fall of 2016, the overall enrollments in U.S. Colleges and Universities decreased by 1.4 percent when compared with the previous fall. This decrease was on top of a 1.7 percent decrease for fall of 2015 and a 1.3 decrease for fall of 2014. And the decrease was not uniform among different types of institutions. Enrollments among four-year for-profit institutions decreased by 14.5 percent, and for two-year public institutions the decrease was 2.6 percent. Four-year, private non-profit institutions decreased by 0.6 percent. Enrollments among four-year public institutions increased slightly by 0.2 percent. Taken as a whole, public sector enrollment (2-year and 4-year combined) declined by 1.0 percent this fall semester. Among the states most affected by this decline were New Mexico (-6.3 percent), West Virginia (-5.1 percent), Hawaii and Montana (-4.4 percent), Florida and Kentucky (-4.3 percent), and Illinois (-4 percent). These are states that have been affected, in one way or another, by a combination of lower numbers of local high school graduates and lower financial support by their states. The few bright spots in this picture are New Hampshire (+11 percent) and Utah (+8.7 percent). Both states have seen an increase of their populations with the case of Utah being spectacular: between 2010 and 2015 the population increased by 8.4 percent. When it comes to enrollment declines by discipline, we encounter a few surprises. The ones most affected by declines are personal and culinary services (-17.8 percent), engineering technologies and engineering-related fields (-14.5 percent) and legal professions and studies (-10.9 percent). The few ones with significant increases are science technologies/technicians (+15.9 percent), liberal arts and sciences, general studies and humanities, including undeclared students (+4.7 percent), engineering (+4 percent) and natural resources and conservation (+2.5 percent). These numbers are telling us several things. The first and more important one is that there are fewer and fewer people going to college overall. That is particularly true in states where the number of high school graduates is declining and/or the state is giving less and less support to public higher education. One way many colleges and universities have tried to deal with these declines is by encouraging an increase in the number of international students who not only help to keep up headcount, but also pay full out-of-state tuition, meaning that they are bringing more money into the college coffers than in-state students. The problem here is two-fold and has serious implications. The first one is that many public institutions still resist changing their strategies to attract more diverse students in order not to rattle legislators who are not necessarily sympathetic to such efforts. The second problem is that changes in demographics have to do with multiple factors of which the economy is the most salient, but not the only one. Sates that invest fewer dollars in economic development have historically seen a decline in their economic activities. This decline, in turn, attracts fewer people into the state. When it comes to immigration, the year after the 9/11 attacks we saw a 25 percent decline in the number of international students enrolled in U.S. colleges and universities. Now that we are living in an environment of anti-immigration and xenophobic rhetoric, we can expect an even larger decline in the number of international students applying to study in the U.S., particularly those whose ethnicity or religion have been specific targets of that rhetoric. In the meantime, countries such as Canada and Australia are preparing to absorb those international students that will not come to the U.S. Although a decline in the enrollment of for-profit institutions is a good sign since most of them provide a substandard education and are the major culprits in the increase of student debt nationwide, the fact the public sector as a whole declined by 1 percent is an indication that worse things are yet to come. The increases in the enrollments in the sciences and in the liberal arts is interesting because to become a scientist was never heralded as a traditional profession like law or engineering for people to get well-paid jobs. And the liberal arts have been subjected to a barrage of unfounded criticisms as to their value from both the right and the left within the political spectrum. In study after study it has been demonstrated that institutions of higher education are engines of economic development. When states legislatures and governors decide to provide less support for them they are committing economic suicide. And that is done on the basis of ideological commitment and political expediency. They are making poor states even poorer while mortgaging the future by attracting fewer private enterprises that need an educated population to function in those states. Dr. Aldemaro Romero Jr. is a writer and college professor with leadership experience in higher education. He can be contacted through his website at: http://www.aromerojr.net. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Rasman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 14:57 2125 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0ba3a4a3 3 Opinion Education,#education,English,learning,bilingual-education Free In the age of multilingualism, can we say that one English language speaker is better than the other? Is there any one true definition of a good language speaker? More importantly, how should we teach English to our students? Language is not static. Who would have thought a thousand years ago that Latin would be barely spoken today? Who would have predicted that English would dominate? Predicting the future of a language is as hard as predicting the future of politics. Who knows whether in the near future, most people in the world will end up speaking Chinese, or Arabic, or Spanish? There are complex factors that can affect the dynamic change of a language, but one certainty is that any language is politically constructed. We are made to think that a certain language exclusively belongs to a certain nation. We are made to think that the language that we speak is ours, thus, we are easily irritated if we hear people mispronounce particular words, make grammatical mistakes, or speak in strange and undesirable accents. That is why every nation creates their version of standardized language, the most proper language that must be spoken by the society. It is called Received Pronunciation (RP), people often call it BBC English or Queens English or Oxford English. Does it work? It does, at least for some time. Will it last? It depends. It depends on the power of the nation that imposes the language on others. English is a language that was particularly imposed on the rest of the world, mainly in British colonies. Since then, there has been tremendous development in terms of its varieties. With the growing number of speakers of English abandoning standardized English, it seems that the English language no longer belongs (if it has ever belonged) to the Anglo-Saxons, but it has become the collectively property of diverse ethnicities in almost all countries. UK has now become more multilingual, with roughly 300 languages spoken in schools in London. People can communicate through various languages, mixed languages, without having any trouble. Based on the latest research from Pew Research Center, Arabic is the fastest growing language in the country, with a total of 1.1 million speakers and Spanish follows in second place. Then, the question is why do we still teach our students that there are only two varieties of English accents: British and American? Why cant we be proud of our Javanese, Sundanese, Bataknese, or other local accents? This failure to embrace the multilingual turn in language education could withdraw our students participation in the classroom. The classroom setting is the place where language contact usually happens, particularly between local language or national language and foreign or second language. Although multilingualism has become a global phenomenon, schools are usually the place where languages are contested. Li Wei (University College London) and Ofelia Garcia (New York State University), prominent experts in bilingualism, argue that it is in EFL or ESL contexts where language separation is imposed, by othering the languages of those who spoke them within the nation. The practice of so-called code-switching is, then, perceived as a linguistic deficiency. The use of home languages is considered the contamination of the learning of second/foreign languages. The problem of this language separation is closely related to monolingual bias. This bias includes labeling students as deficient because they do not achieve a native-like standard. The concept of English language learners is in itself problematic since those who learn a language already have their first language. Thus, the outcome of learning is multilingual competence, rather than monolingual competence. Also, the fact that it is impossible to have native-like competence mean that the label of learners will continue to adhere to them no matter how effectively they communicate in English. Therefore, Garcia proposes the term emerging bilinguals rather than learners and multilingual competence instead of monolingual competence. It focuses on language use by the students, how they creatively use their full repertoire to make meaning. The mismatch between the more superdiverse world where multilingualism is the norm and the monolingual bias that is still prevalent in educational settings is an ongoing challenge in the field of language education. Failure to address this issue will risk, in particular, the language development of students and, in general, the notion of more inclusive schools. True, some of our schools already have students who draw on multiple codes (Javanese, Indonesian, English) to finish the task, but this is not due to our awareness that English has the same status as Indonesian or other local languages, but it is a sign that English language has a higher status that they do not want to use it unless they are already proficient. Thus, the end goal to have native-like proficiency which is rooted in monolingual bias is still apparent in our classroom and perhaps deeply rooted in students beliefs. Therefore, it is important for us to be more aware of this bias and let our students know that their accent is acceptable. We have to make sure that our students do not set unrealistic goals but also, at the same time, do not discourage them from improving their intelligibility in speaking the language. This is not about lowering expectations. This is about raising them in every last one of our learners. *** The writer holds a Master of Arts in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), School of Education, The University of Birmingham, UK. Alumnus of LPDP Scholarship. --------------- We are looking for information, opinions, and in-depth analysis from experts or scholars in a variety of fields. We choose articles based on facts or opinions about general news, as well as quality analysis and commentary about Indonesia or international events. Send your piece to community@jakpost.com. For more information click here. Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Duncan Graham (The Jakarta Post) Magelang, Central Java Mon, January 9, 2017 16:26 2125 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0ba43c22 4 People artist,Painter,Java-island,New-Zealand,#artist,#painter,#painting,painting,#NewZealand Free Artist John van der Sterren doesnt shrink from the challenges of Javas landscapes. I have the itch, he says and flexes his fingers. No arthritis, though hes 78 and spent his early childhood deprived of all essential nutrients in a tropical concentration camp. The awful experience scarred in other ways. I get depressed, he adds, but art is also therapy. Perseverance is very important for an artist. Deep down I know the urge comes from up there. He points to the sky, but claims not to be conventionally religious. Im not so prolific now, maybe 60 paintings a year compared with more than 200 at my peak. But I cant keep away from the studio. The studio is a splendid purpose-built building set among the rice paddies of Central Java. Its called Villa Sikepan (named after a nearby village) and sits over a disused sugar-cane rail line and stone overpass known as the Bridge of the White Tiger. Locals claim to have seen this mythical beast so tend to keep clear. Villa Sikepan: John van der Sterrens residence and studio(johnvandersterren.com/John van der Sterren) (Read also: Visiting the luxurious but not elitist Le Grand Musee du Parfum in Paris) The three-level home stands alongside a rushing creek, one of hundreds that irrigates the Kedu Plain, the fertile farmlands between the Progo and Elo Rivers just seven degrees below the Equator. It would be difficult to find a greater contrast with New Zealand, which accepted the young Sterren and his Dutch parents as refugees. Theyd survived more than three years of harsh internment during the Japanese occupation of the then Dutch East Indies. About 100,000 non-Asian prisoners filled the camps where the death rate was up to 30 percent. When the gates were opened after Japan lost the war, attacks by vengeful mobs fat with hatred for the former colonialists took more lives. The family was offered repatriation to Holland or safety in the South Pacific nation. They spent two months in Invercargill, one of the worlds most southerly cities. Their only child was eight. It was the most marvellous time, said the artist. We were made to feel so welcome. Back in Indonesia, the returned Dutch refused to recognize Sukarnos declaration of independence and so began a guerrilla war. This only ended in 1949 when the colonialists accepted the new post-war reality of surging nationalism. During the four-year conflict, the Dutch briefly gained some mastery over the revolutionaries so the family returned to Indonesia. But they rapidly realised the old days were over and so headed back to NZ, this time settling in the capital Wellington. At school, Sterren was good at cartooning and keen on music, eventually becoming a cello player with a string quartet. But art didnt pay in the NZ of the 1960s. Youd be eating dog food to survive, said Sterren So he worked with an advertising company for the next quarter century. Along the way he got married and had two daughters, and pushed Indonesia aside. Art stayed a weekend pastime but became more serious when he met landscape painter Cedric Savage. Java's landscape by John van der Sterren(johnvandersterren.com/John van der Sterren) (Read also: Relax with Mt. Fuji: Nostalgic pictures can lend elegance to bathing at home) He never taught me, but he did encourage me and that is so important, said Sterren. He once looked at one of my works that I thought rather good. It had a clear blue sky. Cedric picked up a brush and painted a horizontal line through the sky. In one stroke he changed everything. Then, his company offered to send him to Indonesia to help open a new office. The memories were brutal but the assignment was attractive and Javas beguiling colors beckoned. He met French art dealer Didier Hamel in Jakarta who challenged him to take his talent seriously. In 1991, the Kiwi walked out of his day job and into the unknown. Two years later, his first exhibition exceeded expectations. Commissions to paint the Presidential Palace and portraits of the prominent followed, for the man has eclectic talents, shifting from close-up to wide screen with ease. Some of his earlier figures have a Vincent van Gogh intensity. His landscapes are easy on the eye and getting starker as he ages. Looking back it was the right time to turn fulltime, Sterren said. Before the economic crash of 1998, Chinese businessmen were enthusiastic buyers, competing among themselves for new works. The iconic Borobudur Temple by John van der Sterren(johnvandersterren.com/John van der Sterren) (Read also: 'cen.sor': The hidden beauty) After trying other locations he settled near Mendut, a 9th century Buddhist monument related to the nearby Borobudur Temple complex, the World Heritage Site that draws millions of tourists. Once free of office routines, Sterren toured the archipelago drawing just about everything, including the shrines and temples that remain from the Buddhist and Hindu eras that preceded Islam. He has also painted his way across much of Asia. Hamel, who has written two books about his client, describes him as one of the most famous landscape artists living and working in the Far East. Sterrens own books include sketches of old buildings in Surabaya and Jakarta. Though the area is rich in artists, he seldom joins their discussions, arguing that as a foreigner he should not compete with locals. Some are graduates of the prestigious Indonesian Arts Institute in nearby Yogyakarta, the center of Javanese culture. Ive never been to art school so Im not in that scene, he said. Besides, I dont like too much natter. He is also critical of current fads for abstract and surrealist art: Who wants to hang a black superman sitting on the toilet picture in their bedroom? To be successful you need to have talent, a good dealer, great friends and lots of luck. Ive had all those, particularly being accepted in NZ and becoming a citizen. I return now and again. But I still find those greens difficult. A drawing by John van der Sterren(johnvandersterren.com/John van der Sterren) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jember Mon, January 9, 2017 12:02 2125 9b519824cb3263083aedb70a0ba31b9d 4 People teacher,Literature,LiteracyRate,literacy,#literacy,children Free Long before the government launched Indonesias Reading Movement in 2015, retired teacher Iman Suligi established foundation Indonesia Membaca (Indonesia Reading) in Jember, East Java, with the same mission: eliminating illiteracy. When former culture and education minister Anies Baswedan launched the national movement in Jember on Dec. 19 last year, Iman felt proud because he had initiated a similar movement some decades ago. Through this foundation, we want to develop peoples passion for reading and writing to expand their horizon as well as to improve their quality of life, Iman said. Back then, Anies said the number of illiterate people in Jember decreased from 180,000 in 2014 to 45,000 in 2015. Despite the great improvement, the figure was larger than that of other cities in East Java. According to the ministry, the number of illiterate people in the country decreased from 14.9 million people in 2005 to 5.6 million in 2015, including 1.4 million in East Java. Indonesia is ranked second-lowest of 61 measurable countries for its literate behavior characteristics according to Central Connecticut State Universitys recent study. Meanwhile, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that only one out of 1,000 Indonesians is passionate about reading. Iman admitted that poor reading habits were still a serious problem in Jember, home to 2.3 million people. That is why he will strive to improve the quality of education in the city. In 1983, the 66-year-old man opened a public library in Jember and in 2009, he transformed it into a reading park named Kampoeng Batja (Reading Village). While finding a public library is relatively easy in the city, attracting visitors is another challenge. With the help of 11 volunteers, Iman makes various attractive programs, such as an archery practice activity, to attract potential readers to his reading park. This effort has been fruitful. (Read also: Struggling with stress? Consider exercising, study says) In 2014, former education minister M. Nuh awarded Kampoeng Batja as a creative reading park. On a recent afternoon, despite the hard rain, a number of children visited his park to practice archery. Iman taught them with great patience to fire arrows from a bow in the backyard. They would burst into laughter every time their shots missed the target. This sport is good to train their [ability to] focus and to improve their upper body strength, said the grandfather of 11. After the archery session, they moved to a library-style living room where books were neatly arranged in bookshelves. Each of them took different books and then read them either on the floor or in a nearby gazebo. Iman also utilizes social media to attract people to develop their writing skills. On his Facebook account, for example, he has a project called Puisi Keroyokan (Collaborative Poetry) to attract his followers to work together to create poems. On his wall, he posts poetry themes and then asks his friends to alternately write at least two sentences related to it in a comments column. He then collects and combines their works to form a collaborative poem. Now, there are more than 70 collaborative poems since 2010 and they have been published in two books, namely Kaleidoskop [Kaleidoscope] and Jendela Hati [Window of the Heart], he said. Iman works passionately when it comes to spreading the love for reading books. In early 1990, he ran a mobile library, riding a motorcycle to visit one home after another to facilitate people who wanted to read books. Before the era of social media, he teamed up with state-owned postal company Pos Indonesia to boost childrens writing habits. In 1995, for example, his foundation held an Indonesian writing competition titled Menulis Surat untuk Walikota (Writing a Letter to the Mayor) to attract children to express what they wanted from the Jember administration by writing it in warkat pos (postcard-like paper). The idea to use warkat pos popped up when he observed that the item was hard to sell at that time. At a post office, its number reached 3,000 sheets and they were unsold, he said. One of the children, Iman recalled, asked for a playground in alun-alun (town square) in front of the city hall. He was over the moon after the mayor granted that wish shortly after the competition. Iman also runs the Sudut Batja (Reading Corner) program to develop childrens reading habits. In the program, he provides a free package comprising books, a bookshelf and a carpet. Literacy activists, students who want to have a home library and schools or communities can contact him if they want to get the package. He will later verify whether they qualify for the free package. Since June, we have given out four packages. We will send another four soon, he said. Iman says he donates his books because he has more than enough in his library, which shelves 3,500 books, ranging from textbooks, comics and novels to pop-up books. I think the interest in reading books is high, but the problem lies in the access to get them, said Iman, who dreams of transforming his library into a literacy museum. Danish writer Katrine May Hansen, who visited Kampoeng Batja in September, commended Iman for his contributions in advancing education in the country for 38 years. Iman is a very sweet and considerate man. He does a lot for local culture, especially for children. I do believe that education and curiosity are the keys to make peace in the world and he really contributes to this movement in a very positive way, she said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Youkyung Lee (Associated Press) Seoul Mon, January 9, 2017 Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday that its profits in the last quarter of 2016 surged 50 percent to the highest level in more than three years, despite the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco. Analysts had expected Samsung's profits to see big gains thanks to its mainstay semiconductor business, but the result surpassed even the most optimistic forecast. The semiconductor division cashed in on strong demand and a tight supply for microchips during the September-December period, likely contributing to more than half of its quarterly earnings. In its earnings preview, Samsung said it posted 9.2 trillion won ($7.8 billion) in operating profit, up from 6.1 trillion won a year earlier. It was the biggest quarterly income since the third quarter of 2013. (Read also: Samsung to begin Galaxy S8 mass production in March) Analysts polled by FactSet expected a figure of 8 trillion won. Sales fell 1 percent to 53 trillion won ($44.9 billion). The company did not give net profit or breakdown figures for its businesses, which are due later this month. For the full year, the South Korean tech giant saw a 10 percent gain in its annual income, its best result in three years. The result is a bright spot for the tech giant that reeled from multiple product recalls last year, including a popular smartphone and a washing machine. The stellar financial results come as Samsung faces an investigation linking it to South Korea's biggest influence-peddling scandal that led to the impeachment of President Park Geun-hye. Samsung has already postponed its annual personnel reshuffle, usually announced in December, due to the scandal that has rocked South Korea. (Read also: South Korea's president denies all charges) Samsung Group faces allegations that Samsung Electronics and its affiliated companies paid money to foundations and a company controlled by Park's long-time friend Choi Soon-sil in order to get the government's backing in a controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates related to Samsung's father-to-son leadership succession. The head of the national pension fund who allegedly pushed the fund to support the merger was arrested last month by prosecutors investigating the scandal. Samsung executives including the ailing chairman's son Lee Jae-yong will soon be summoned by investigators, according to local media. Lee had earlier denied the company had sought any favors, but admitted that it was "inappropriate" but "inevitable" to send money to Choi's company in Germany. The public is still in the dark about why Galaxy Note 7 smartphones overheated and caught fire last year, which prompted two recalls and eventual discontinuation of the flagship product. Tim Baxter, chief operating officer at Samsung's U.S. business, told reporters at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday that Samsung will share the root cause of the Galaxy Note 7 fire "very soon." Samsung has been investigating the phone for more than three months. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Bantargebang Police in Bekasi, West Java, arrested 26 teenagers while allegedly readying themselves for a fight on Sunday. The police seized from the youths several sharp weapons in their possession. "We arrested them for carrying sharp weapons, including two swords, three sickles, nine machetes, and a blade," said Bekasi Police spokesperson Adj. Comr. Erna Ruswing as quoted by Antara on Sunday. The arrest was made following a joint patrol involving police and military personnel of crime-prone areas on Jl. Raya Siliwangi, Cileungsi, and Bantargebang. The teenagers were later released after stating they would not repeat their actions, Erna said. "They are mostly students. We will summon their parents and teachers to inform them about the case," she said. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 The Banda Aceh search and rescue (SAR) team has deployed personnel to locate the whereabouts of two foreign tourists, who reportedly went missing late last year on the regions remote islets. Banda Aceh SAR head Suyatno was quoted by Antara as saying that his team were verifying reports that the tourists had been spotted on islets in Aceh Singkil regency. Suyatno said the search efforts for the tourists, Yvan Ghislain Nico Meers, 36, a Belgian national, and Lina Kall, 31, a German national, had begun last Friday involving personnel from the Navy and police. Simeulue SAR coordinator Rahmad Kenedy added that his personnel had checked seven islets in the area where the tourists were spotted. "Our team are still validating information garnered from our sources in the field," he said. The tourists reportedly entered Indonesia from Malaysia on Dec. 24. There is no available record of the pair having exited the country. They should have been in Frankfurt, Germany, on Jan. 1. (dmr) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anton Hermansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 East Java government-owned lender Bank Jatim is aiming for 8.17 percent loan growth in 2017 by focusing on infrastructure and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in East Java, said Bank Jatim president director R. Soeroso on Monday. The bank has disbursed loans to finance nine road and three port projects in East Java, he said, adding that infrastructure loans will have a multiplier effect on the SME sector, because it will open access to the remote area. Soeroso said the bank would focus its business on East Java this year. Last year, we focused on expansion outside East Java, but in 2017 we will focus on the province," Soeroso said at the press conference in Jakarta on Monday. (Read also: Bank Jatim struggling to handle troubled loans) In 2016, he said, loans had grown 4.45 percent to Rp 29.68 trillion (US$2.22 billion), as the bank had high non-performing loans (NPL) that soared to 4.77 percent, from 4.29 percent in 2015. He also said the bank had set an 8 percent growth in third-party funds this year. Bank Jatims director of agribusiness and sharia, Tony Sudjiaryanto, added that the third-party fund growth would be contributed by the branchless banking program Laku Pandai, which launched in November. The program aims to attract 120,000 new customers in 2017. "We already signed a memorandum of understanding [MoU] with Nahdlatul Ulama [NU] for Laku Pandai, in East Java they have around 4.4 million members," Tony said. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Bambang Muryanto (The Jakarta Post) Yogyakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 The Bantul regency administration in Yogyakarta decided on Monday to replace the Catholic district head of Pajangan, Yulius Suharta, after protests from Pajangan district residents. The residents of Pajangan district are mostly Muslims. Bantul Regent Suharsono said the decision was made after a meeting with figures from Pajangan district and the Bantul Council on Monday. In the meeting, most party factions on the Bantul Council agreed to replace Yulius with a Muslim. Were moving him to Bambanglipuro district, where the number of non-Muslims is higher, Suharsono said after the meeting. He said the protests from the residents were related to an incident where a Muslim group, Indonesian Jihad Forum (FJI), protested the unveiling of a new, large statue of Jesus, called Patung Wajah Kerahiman, at Yakobus Alfeus Church in Pajangan in October last year. The regent said the residents were still emotional because the ceremony for the statue involved Muslim women. In October, a picture of the women, all wearing hijabs and posing with the statue, went viral. Humans can err, or make mistakes, the regent said, referring to his decision to appoint Yulius for the Pajangan post. He said Yulius would be replaced next month. A Pajangan community figure, Temu Panggih Raharjo, said Yulius appointment was not suitable with the psychological condition of the residents after the case of the Jesus statue in the Yakobus Alfeus Church. Yulius said he was ready to take up the new post. He was installed in Pajangan on Dec. 30. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Beijing Mon, January 9, 2017 A Chinese state media outlet reported Monday that three alleged assailants wanted in relation with a 2015 terrorist incident have been killed in the country's far northwest. The official Communist Party-run news portal Tianshan Net said the three were killed by authorities in the Xinjiang region on Sunday after resisting arrest. The report said they were wanted in connection with an incident on April 22, 2015, but gave no details. Last month, state media reports said three knife-wielding assailants attacked staff at a Communist Party office in Xinjiang and set off an explosive device, killing two and injuring three. The attackers were then shot dead by police. Authorities have blamed the attacks on radicals among the mostly Muslim, Turkic-speaking Uighur ethnic minority seeking independence from Beijing. Xinjiang has been smothered in heavy security since deadly riots in 2009 that pitted Uighurs against ethnic Han Chinese migrants. Those measures were tightened further following a wave of attacks in Xinjiang and other parts of China blamed on Uighur separatists. In November 2015, police killed 28 people who authorities said had killed 11 civilians and five police officers at a remote coal mine in Xinjiang controlled by members of China's Han majority. Beijing's critics say the violence in Xinjiang is prompted by government policies that have marginalized Uighurs in their native region. Some Uighurs are also believed to have been radicalized by extremist jihadi ideologies that have spread from Central Asia to the Middle East. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Beijing Mon, January 9, 2017 China has reiterated its opposition to any contacts between U.S. officials and Taiwan's government following a meeting Sunday between Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and Gov. Greg Abbott and the self-governing island's President Tsai Ing-wen. Cruz and Abbot met with Tsai while she was passing through Houston on her way to a visit to Taiwan's Central American allies. (Read also: Trump's Taiwan call, tweets point to flashpoints with China) At a news briefing in Beijing on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said China was firmly opposed to any contact between Taiwan's leader and "anyone from the US government." Such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing, Lu said. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has been ratcheting up the diplomatic pressure on the independence-leaning Tsai since her election last year. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9 2017 E-commerce and financial technology (fintech) players are expected to consolidate their position to strengthen their businesses this year in capturing the booming sectors, as the government and regulators lay out plans and rules for the sectors. Singapore-based platform Lazada, whose Indonesian operations proved to be successful last year after capturing regional areas in the archipelago as it extended its free shipping service outside of Jakarta, considered its integrated services, which also included an in-house logistics arm, as its competitive advantage. I think like in every other market, the [e-commerce industry] will have consolidation. E-commerce will grow faster, but in the end there will be fewer players, Lazada Indonesia co-CEO Florian Holm said recently. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 The first debate among the three gubernatorial candidate pairs in the Jakarta election will explore nearly all problems facing Jakarta's residents, the Jakarta regional election commission (KPU Jakarta) said Monday. The debate, which will kick off on Friday, will present each candidate several specific issues, such as social and economic problems, environment, education and security issues facing the city, KPU Jakarta commissioner Dahlia Umar told The Jakarta Post. The moderator will specifically ask each candidate about these issues, Dahlia said, adding that the preparation is nearly complete including the debate prompts. (Read also: Debate skills needed to lead Jakarta: Experts) The Friday debate will be the first official debate among the candidates after previous debates hosted by private television stations failed to bring all three candidate pairs together, explained Dahlia. She said the three gubernatorial candidate pairs had agreed to attend the debate, adding that there would be a punishment for any pair who does not show up. She added that the debate would also be the first time all the candidates deliver solutions for the problems in Jakarta, which have not been discussed much since the start of the election campaign in November due to mounting sectarian issues. Dahlia said the KPU Jakarta had communicated with the Jakarta Police to secure the first debate, which will see many of the candidates supporters in attendance. (dan) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 The government has reaped Rp 15 trillion (US$1.1 billion) from the latest government debt paper auction, held last Tuesday, according to a press release issued on Monday. The government saw Rp 36.9 trillion worth of incoming bids for five series of bonds, with maturities ranging from 2017 to 2036. However, only three series were awarded by the government, namely SPN03170404 (new issuance), SPN12180104 (new issuance) and FR0059 (reopening), with maturity in 2017, 2018 and 2027, respectively. (Read also: Government will issue debt papers with shorter tenors) Their awarded weighted yields ranged from 5.93 percent to 7.8 percent per annum. The government plans to issue more than Rp 358 trillion worth of sovereign debt papers (SBN) in the period of January to July this year. That amount is equal to 60 percent of the government's total annual gross issuance target, which has been set at Rp 597.03 trillion in this years state budget. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9 2017 The government has stepped up its supervisory measures to help boost infrastructure spending at the regional level in a push to accelerate economic growth. Under the 2017 State Budget Law, all regional administrations are required to earmark at least 25 percent of their budget to build infrastructure, with optimal disbursement seen as the key to help Southeast Asias biggest economy expand by 5.1 percent this year. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9 2017 A team from the Disaster Victim Investigation department of the Bhayangkara Police Hospital has identified all 24 passengers known to have been killed during the explosion and burning of the Zahro Express ferry in Muara Angke waters in North Jakarta. All victims have been brought home by their relatives, hospital spokesperson Sr. Comr. Luh Ike Kristiani said as quoted by Antara news agency on Saturday. Ike said that the last two identified victims were Afriana and Eti Kurniati. They had been identified based on their teeth and DNA samples, Ike added. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Prima Wirayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9 2017 The Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX) is struggling to encourage companies to go public, with the low number of initial public offerings (IPO) in the last two years blamed on a relatively complicated listing process. The IDX saw only 16 companies go public in 2016, far below the 35 new issuers targeted by the bourse. In 2015, only 15 firms held IPOs, the lowest figure since 2009, when 13 new companies listed shares on the bourse. The IDX and the Financial Services Authority (OJK), which supervises the stock market, are working on several measures from the relaxation of regulations to an information campaign to boost the number of IPOs in 2017. IDX president director Tito Sulistio has visited several ministers to discuss the matter. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login TheJakartaPost Please Update your browser Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below. Just click on the icons to get to the download page. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 The government has decided to allow imports of 1.5 million tons of raw sugar to meet domestic demand in the first half of the year. Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said 11 companies had been appointed to import the commodity, adding that it was not yet known when the sugar would arrive in Indonesia. He said his ministry would change the distribution of sugar to prevent oversupplies in the market. Enggar said one of the requirements for firms to import raw sugar was to demonstrate a commitment to develop sugarcane plantations. (Read also: Indonesia must work harder to stop food imports: Jokowi) The regulation to develop sugarcane had existed for a long time, and the government would monitor the commitment of each company, he added. The government will always remind the companies to show their commitment. If they fail to meet their commitment, we will not allow them to import raw sugar, said the minister, as reported by kontan.com. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 State-owned construction company PT Adhi Karya needs around Rp 7 trillion (US$523.36 million) in funding to achieve its development target on the light rail transit (LRT) project in 2017. Adhi Karya CEO Budiharto said the funds were expected to come from bond sales, loans from state-owned banks and the state budget. Rp7 trillion is needed this year. Rp 2 trillion is expected from bond sales, while Rp 5 trillion will come from the loan of a state-owned bank syndicate and the state budget, said Budiharto, as reported by tempo.co on Monday. (Read also: Jakarta preps alternative routes during LRT construction) The company had so far spent Rp 2.5 trillion on the LRT project, he added. Adhi Karya estimates that the total cost of the Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Bekasi LRT project will reach Rp 23 trillion, but the company is still waiting for a consulting company to calculate the final cost figure. Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said his ministry was also waiting for the calculation of the projects contract value. The value of the contract will be decided by a consultant. We do not know whether we can negotiate or not, but we will use the figure from the consultant, he said, adding that the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) would evaluate any disbursements for the project. Adhi Karyas contribution to the LRT project includes a 14.5-kilometer stretch from Cibubur to Cawang (17 percent), 17.5 km from East Bekasi to Cawang (12 percent) and 10.5 km from Cawang to Dukuh Atas (2 percent). (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Privately owned mobile operator PT Hutchison 3 Indonesia has launched a start-up incubator project, which aims to develop local start-ups and encourage more youths to become entrepreneurs. Under the Kejar #Ambisiku project, four start-ups from three Indonesian cities were handpicked from 225 candidates to undergo a Boot Camp this week hosted by the operator. They will also take part in a two-year mentorship program. The company is not looking to profit from the project as the objective is to reshape the chosen start-ups in terms of their business plans, said 3s human resources director Wahyudin Adikusumah. (Read also: Online grocery service lets customers collect items in offline store) Digital technology today is capable of making networking and marketing easier. However, this is not the case yet as it seems it is not enough to push youth to start their own businesses, he said on Monday. Wahyudin added that according to the government, entrepreneurs made up less than 2 percent of the population in 2016. Hopefully with a program like #Ambisiku, more youths will choose to become entrepreneurs and become more aware of how digital technologies can help them succeed. What were promoting are the benefits of being your own boss and working under your own terms, he said. Up to 18 million millenials on social media and 11,000 people participated in the #Ambisiku Road show in Yogyakarta, Makassar and Bandung, which is set to be one of 3s top programs this year. (bbn) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Immigration officials arrested nine Nepalese citizens on Sunday night during a law enforcement operation against foreigners without proper stay permits in the South Sulawesi capital of Makassar. They found nine Nepalese in a house in the Puri Mas Permai housing complex in Barombong subdistrict, Tamalate district. The immigration office, led by Gindo Ginting, accused the nine of lacking valid immigration documents. (Read also: Bali immigration office thwarts people smuggling attempt) They are being held in Makassar Police, tribunnews.com reported. Police will handle the legal matters. Afterward, they will be sent to us, Gindo said on Monday. He added that the nine Nepalese had been in Makassar for about a week. The nine suspects are between 27 and 35 years of age. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Margareth S. Aritonang (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Defending military training given to members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) through the Bela Negara (State Defense) program, House Deputy Speaker Fadli Zon slammed critics who were questioning the program and FPIs participation in it. The politician from the Gerindra Party also criticized the militarys decision to strip Lebak military commander Lt. Col. Czi Ubaidillah of his post for recruiting the FPI in Banten to take the training recently, calling the decision regrettable. I think [the decision] needs not to be that dramatic, Fadli told the press on Monday. All citizens of this country are equal. Everyone has the right to take part in Bela Negara [training] and so does every mass organization. The more people participate in the training to defend the state regardless of their backgrounds the better, as long as they are committed to the NKRI [the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia]. I think it will give a positive vibe to the country. Thus we must continue developing [the Bela Negara training], Fadli added. The Indonesian Military made the decision to strip Czi of his command in response to a public outcry after news of the training went viral following an Instagram post by @dpp_fpi of several photographs of the session. The Instagram account @dpp_fpi has also posted photographs of similar training in Madura, East Java. The TNI has yet to issue an official statement on the matter. (evi) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Nasser Karimi (Associated Press) Tehran Mon, January 9, 2017 Iran's former President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died Sunday after a decades-long career in the ruling elite, where his moderate views were not always welcome but his cunning guided him through revolution, war and the country's turbulent politics. The political survivor's life spanned the trials of Iran's modern history, from serving as a close aide to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini during the 1979 Islamic Revolution to acting as a go-between in the Iran-Contra deal. He helped found Iran's contested nuclear program, but later backed the accord with world powers to limit it in exchange for sanctions relief. Rafsanjani, who showed ruthlessness while in power but later pushed for reforms, died Sunday after suffering a heart attack, state media reported. He was 82. Iranian media said he was hospitalized north of Tehran earlier Sunday, where doctors performed CPR in vain for nearly an hour and a half before declaring him dead. A female state newscaster's voice quivered as she read the news. Rafsanjani, "after a life full of restless efforts in the path of Islam and revolution, had departed for lofty heaven," she said. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called Rafsanjani an "old friend and comrade" and said his loss is "difficult and life-decreasing." The government announced three days of mourning, and a funeral was expected to be held on Tuesday. Rafsanjani served as president from 1989 to 1997, during a period of significant changes in Iran. At the time, the country was struggling to rebuild its economy after a devastating 1980s war with Iraq, while also cautiously allowing some wider freedoms, as seen in Iran's highly regarded film and media industry. He also oversaw key developments in Iran's nuclear program by negotiating deals with Russia to build an energy-producing reactor in Bushehr, which finally went into service in 2011 after long delays. Behind the scenes, he directed the secret purchase of technology and equipment from Pakistan and elsewhere. In an interview published in October, Rafsanjani acknowledged the 1980-1988 war with Iraq, which killed some 1 million people, led Iran to consider seeking nuclear weapons. "Our basic doctrine was always for a peaceful nuclear application, but it never left our mind that if one day we should be threatened and it was imperative, we should be able to go down the other path," he said. "But we never went." The cleric managed to remain within Iran's ruling theocracy after leaving office, but an attempt to return to the presidency in 2005 was dashed by the electoral victory of the more hard-line Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rafsanjani was later branded a dissenter by many conservatives for his harsh criticism of the crackdown that followed Ahmadinejad's re-election in 2009. But after years of waning influence, Rafsanjani was handed an unexpected political resurgence with the 2013 victory of a fellow moderate, Hassan Rouhani, giving him an insider role in efforts that would culminate in the 2015 nuclear agreement. Some analysts believe Rafsanjani was kept within the ruling fold as a potential mediator with America and its allies in the standoff over Iran's nuclear program. His past stature as a trusted Khomeini ally also offered him political protection. Rafsanjani was a top commander in the war with Iraq and played a key role in convincing Khomeini to accept a cease-fire after years of crippling stalemate. His image, however, also had darker undertones. He was named by prosecutors in Argentina among Iranian officials suspected of links to a 1994 bombing of a Jewish center in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people. Some Iranian reformers accused him of involvement in the slaying of liberals and dissidents during his presidency charges that he denied and that were never pursued by Iranian authorities. "The title of Islamic Republic is not just a formality," he said in 2009 in the chaos after Ahmadinejad's re-election. "Rest assured, if one of those two aspects is damaged we will lose our revolution. If it loses its Islamic aspect, we will go astray. If it loses its republican aspect, [the Islamic Republic] will not be realized. Based on the reasons that I have offered, without people and their vote there would be no Islamic system." Rafsanjani a portly man with only sparse and wispy chin hairs in contrast to the full beards worn by most Islamic clerics in Iran first met Khomeini in the Shiite seminaries of Qom in the 1950s and later became a key figure in the Islamic uprising that toppled the US-backed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in 1979. He was elected as head of Iran's parliament in 1980 and served until 1989, when he was elected for the first of two four-year terms as president. Here, Rafsanjani began to build his multilayered and sometimes contradictory political nature: A supporter of free enterprise, a relative pragmatist toward foreign affairs and an unforgiving leader who showed no mercy to any challenges to his authority. Rafsanjani took a dim view of state control of the economy, even in the turbulent years after the Islamic Revolution, and he encouraged private businesses, development of Tehran's stock market and ways to boost Iranian exports. He built roads and connected villages to electrical, telephone and water networks for the first time, earning the title of Commander of Reconstruction by his supporters. There were certain self-interests at play as well. Rafsanjani was assumed to be the head of a family-run pistachio business, which grew to become one of Iran's largest exporters and provided the financial foundation for a business empire that would eventually include construction companies, an auto assembly plant, vast real estate holdings and a private airline. In 2003, he was listed among Iran's "millionaire mullahs" by Forbes magazine. His economic policies won him praise from Iran's elite and merchant classes, but brought bitterness from struggling workers seeking greater state handouts. Rafsanjani also faced warnings from the ruling theocracy about pushing too far. None of his reforms dared to undercut the vast power of the Revolutionary Guard which Rafsanjani briefly commanded, and which controls every key defense and strategic program. Rafsanjani's complex legacy also was shaped by the times. He took over the presidency in a critical time of transition just after the death of Khomeini. He tried to make overtures for better ties with the US after the American-led invasion of Kuwait in 1991 to drive out Iraqi forces, arguing that Iran paid too high a price for its diplomatic freeze with Washington. But he could not overcome opposition from Iranian hard-liners and failed to win the backing of Khomeini's successor as supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, for bold foreign policy moves. He also angered the West by strengthening Iran's ties to armed groups such as Lebanon's Hezbollah. "One of the wrong things we did, in the revolutionary atmosphere, was constantly to make enemies," he said in a 1987 interview. "We pushed those who could have been neutral into hostility." Rafsanjani was born in 1934 in the village of Bahraman in southeastern Iran's pistachio-growing region of Rafsanjan. He was jailed for several years under the shah. He then helped organize the network of mullahs that became Khomeini's revolutionary underground. In 1965, he is reputed to have provided the handgun for the assassination of Iran's prime minister, Hassan Ali Mansoor. Only months after the revolution, Rafsanjani was shot once in the stomach by gunmen from one of the groups vying for power amid the political turmoil. He was not seriously wounded and neither was his wife, who jumped in front to shield him from the attack. "Great men of history do not die," Khomeini said in announcing that Rafsanjani had survived. During the 1980s, he used his links with Lebanese Shiite extremists to help secure the release of Western hostages in Lebanon and was a key middleman identified as "Raf" in Pentagon documents in the secret Iran-Contra dealings to funnel US arms to Iran in exchange for money used to fund Nicaraguan rebels. Although Rafsanjani was seen by Washington as a potential ice breaker, his views were far from solidly pro-Western and displayed conflicted positions. Shortly after becoming president in 1989, he hinted that Palestinians should kill Westerners to retaliate for Israeli actions in the occupied territories. "It is not hard to kill Americans or Frenchmen," he said. In February 1994, Rafsanjani survived a second assassination attempt. A lone gunman fired at him as he was speaking to mark the 15th anniversary of the revolution. Unhurt and unshaken, Rafsanjani calmed a crowd of thousands and continued his speech. The Iran-Contra fallout is an often-told tale about the dangers of crossing Rafsanjani. After word was leaked to a Beirut magazine about Rafsanjani's involvement, he ordered the arrest of the source, a senior adviser to the ruling clerics named Mehdi Hashemi, for treason and other charges. Hashemi and others were executed in September 1987. Later, however, he was dismayed at the brutal crackdown against opposition groups and others claiming Ahmadinejad won re-election in June 2009 through vote rigging sanctioned by the ruling theocracy. Khamenei decided to throw his backing behind Ahmadinejad, effectively snubbing Rafsanjani and his complaints. Later, Rafsanjani fell short on efforts to mobilize enough moderate clerics in the Assembly of Experts the only group with the power to dismiss the supreme leader to force possible concessions from Khamenei on the postelection clampdowns. Rafsanjani was forced out of the post in 2011, but remained as head of the Expediency Council, an advisory body that mediates disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council, a watchdog group controlled by hard-line clerics. However, his family did not escape so easily. In January 2012, a court sentenced Rafsanjani's daughter, Faezeh Hashemi, to six months in prison on charges of criticizing the ruling system. A court in 2015 sentenced his younger son, Mahdi, to a 10-year prison term over embezzlement and security charges. Rafsanjani is survived by his wife, Effat Marashi, and five children. On Sunday night, Rouhani and others visited the hospital to see Rafsanjani one final time before his body was taken to a mosque ahead of burial. "He was a revolutionary and freedom-seeking cleric who stuck up for the peoples' votes," said Saeed Karimi, a supporter outside the hospital. "It is such a pity that the nation has lost a political leader and guide." ___ Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell and Adam Schreck in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report. Biographical material in this story was written by former AP staffer Brian Murphy. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Liza Yosephine (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9 2017 Twenty-five-year-old Dessy Boen was excited to try her first spicy instant noodle dish featuring 25 chilies at the Warung Indomie Abang Adek in Tomang, West Jakarta, on Sunday afternoon. Always on the lookout for hot dishes, Dessy said she had first heard about the place from a vlog post online, but even as a self-described big fan of spicy food, she admitted that she was scared to try the restaurants most popular sauce, garuk (scratch) level hotness, which uses 50 chili pieces for one Indomie instant noodle packet. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dylan Amirio (The Jakarta Post) Mon, January 9 2017 The Cooperatives and Small and Medium Enterprises Ministry is focusing its efforts in 2017 on the revitalization of pasar rakyat (peoples markets) as well as allocating more funds to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to help develop the backbone of the nations economy. This year the ministry will resume its pasar rakyat revitalization efforts, targeting 51 markets across 24 provinces, with a particular focus on border areas in Papua, North Kalimantan and East Nusa Tenggara. The ministrys production and marketing deputy I Wayan Dipta explained that the revitalization efforts would be carried out because many of the market areas that housed vendors were either decrepit or in disrepair. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Farida Susanty (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 State airport operator Angkasa Pura (AP) II hopes to facilitate the arrival of more foreign tourists by expanding its 13 airports across the country this year. The firm expects to open new terminals at its airports, which includes Husein Sastranegara International Airport in Bandung, West Java; Depati Amir Airport in Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung; Silangit Airport in Siborong-borong, North Sumatra; and Supadio International Airport in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. AP II is looking to maximize the use of its newly built Terminal 3 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Tangerang, Banten, as well. (Read also: Airport operator AP II posts 24 percent rise in revenue) Our new modern terminals champion the uniqueness of each respective area. AP II is optimistic in seeing 4 million foreign visitors [in the areas with new terminals], an increase from 3.4 million visitors from last year, AP II corporate secretary Agus Haryadi said in an official statement on Monday. Depati Amir Airport will be the first to launch a new terminal, scheduled for Jan. 11, that will be able to welcome 1.5 million passengers annually. The expansion of Silangit Airport aims to support the tourism of the scenic Lake Toba area, which is one emerging destination being developed by the government. The government aims to welcome 15 million foreign visitors this year, an increase from 12 million foreign tourists targeted in 2016. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Suzan Fraser (Associated Press) Ankara Mon, January 9, 2017 Turkey's parliament is kicking off a debate Monday on a set of draft constitutional amendments that would hand Recep Tayyip Erdogan's largely ceremonial presidency sweeping executive powers, and the possibility of serving two more five-year terms. Erdogan, who has dominated Turkish politics for 14 years, has long been pushing for greater political powers to the presidency, arguing that a strong leadership will help Turkey grow. The main opposition party fears that if approved, the reforms will concentrate too much power in Erdogan's hands, turn the country into a system akin to a dictatorship and move Turkey away from democracy and its anchor in the West. "They are trying to turn the democratic parliamentary regime into a totalitarian regime," said main opposition leader Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Debate on the proposals is expected to last two weeks. The reforms must clear two rounds of balloting in the general assembly, gaining at least 330 of the 550 votes. If passed, the government will submit the package to a referendum for a final approval possibly in the spring. The ruling party, founded by Erdogan, is 14 votes short of the required 330 but has secured the backing of the country's nationalist party. The changes would make the president the head of the executive, allow him to appoint the government, retain ties with his party, propose budgets and declare states of emergency. They would also allow Erdogan to serve a further two terms, ending in 2029. Other proposed amendments would increase the number of seats in the 550-member parliament to 600, reduce the minimum age of legislators from 25 to 18 and set parliamentary and presidential elections on the same day. The debate comes at a difficult time for the country which has been rocked by a wave of bombings, renewed conflict with Kurdish rebels in the southeast, a military offensive in Syria and a failed coup attempt. The botched July 15 coup set the stage for a sweeping purge of state institutions that has alarmed rights groups and Western governments. The government says the strong presidential system will reduce instability. "They ask, why are you keeping yourselves occupied with constitutional amendments [when] there is terrorism?" Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said last week. "Look, it's today that we have the greatest need for a constitutional reform." Critics say the changes would allow Erdogan to rule with limited checks and balances. Erdogan is already accused overstepping the limits of presidential powers as set by the constitution, ruling behind the scenes and ignoring laws that require him to be neutral. Erdogan argues that the fact that he was elected by the people directly and not through parliament as previous presidents were gives him greater authority. The draft amendments were approved following 10 days of tense debate that at times resulted in altercations between the ruling party and main opposition party members on the committee. Debate in the general assembly is expected to be equally tense. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jon Gambrell (Associated Press) Dubai Mon, January 9, 2017 Reactions from around the world to the death of former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, who suffered a heart attack Sunday at the age of 82. BAHRAIN The foreign minister of the tiny island nation, which long has accused Iran of meddling in its internal affairs, simply said "God bless" Rafsanjani in a post on Twitter. A separate condolence from King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to Iran said he was "praying to almighty God for his soul to rest in peace and inspire Iran's president, its people and his family." (Read also: Rafsanjani, Iran leader whose life mirrored nation's, dies) IRANIAN EXILED OPPOSITION Maryam Rajavi, the leader of the political arm of the Iranian opposition group Mujahedeen-e-Khalq, said in a statement she hoped the Islamic Republic would fall apart with Rafsanjani's passing. "With the death of Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, one of the two pillars and key to the equilibrium of the religious fascism ruling Iran has collapsed and the regime in its entirety is approaching overthrow," she said. The group, known by the acronym MEK, was listed as a terrorist organization by the State Department for years over its killing of Americans. It says it renounced violence in 2001. SAUDI ARABIA Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia, which is Shiite power Iran's greatest regional rival, noticeably did not immediately send condolences over Rafsanjani's death. One of its state-run television channels aired an interview with an MEK official that linked Rafsanjani to the mass execution of thousands of prisoners at the end of the country's bloody war with Iraq in 1988. KUWAIT Kuwait's ruling emir, Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah, sent condolences over Rafsanjani, saying he "prayed to Allah the almighty to bestow blessings on the deceased." QATAR Tiny Qatar, which shares a massive offshore natural gas field with Iran, sent condolences from ruling emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani over Rafsanjani's death. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES The seven-sheikhdom federation home to Dubai, which has a large ethnic Persian population, sent condolences from its leaders to Iran over Rafsanjani's death. Emirati Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, who is among the most-vocal Gulf officials in criticizing Iran, said on Twitter that Rafsanjani was "one of the voices of political realism and moderation in Iran." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Will Hickey (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 10 2017 Indonesias economic growth is projected at 5.2 percent for 2017. In a world of slowing and easing economies, even with the Trump bump of post-election United States investment euphoria, this may be wishful thinking. Bank Indonesia Governor Agus Martowardojo, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, and the chairman of the Financial Service Authority (OJK) Muliaman Hadad are faithfully following the North-South, IMF/World Bank roadmap put in front of them, whereby, much of the growth is expected to come from domestic consumption, but that may not materialize as expected. Exports still loom large in the total picture, and if oil and commodity prices do not significantly turn upward, soon Indonesia could be left wanting. Some new ideas are in order, namely policies to promote development. Not a rehash of the same old high regulation, poor infrastructure problems, in the same old areas. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 10, 2017 Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and President Joko Jokowi Widodo are widely expected to discuss the issue of reviving a decline in trade between the two countries in a meeting scheduled for Sunday. Total exports and imports from the two nations have declined steadily by a total of 41 percent to US$31.27 billion in 2015 from $53.14 billion in 2011, according to data from Trade Map of International Trade Center. Shipments of Indonesian products to Japan plunged 46.5 percent during the period, outpacing the 33 percent drop in the countrys overall exports. Such a drastic drop has triggered the government, business players and economists to call for measures to revive trade between the two countries, especially with the Indonesian-Japan Economic Partnership (IJEPA) being under utilized despite having existed since 2008. Trade between the two countries can still improve despite slow recovery in the global economy. Im optimistic theres still room for us to boost exports, including to Japan. We both have complimenting products, Trade Ministry director general for international trade negotiations Iman Pambagyo said, adding that a general review of IJEPA is likely among the topics of concern. Indonesia plans to ask Japan to lower tariff barriers for its agriculture and fisheries shipments, which currently stand at more than 10 percent, he added. Meanwhile, Japan may discuss settlement of Indonesias failure to lower its import tariff on cars from Japan, which as stipulated in IJEPA, Indonesia had agreed to cut its 45 percent tariff on some 3,000 cc Japanese passenger cars to 20 percent by the start of 2015. The Sunday meeting, which will likely take place in the Bogor Presidential Palace, will also include discussions about infrastructure and investment, the two areas in which Japan is strengthening its grip in Indonesia. Japans government officials and business players, as well as Indonesias Coordinating Maritime Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan will join in the meeting, according to information from the Japanese Embassy. Japans investment in Indonesia, the second largest foreign investor in the country, steadily rose from $1.5 billion in 2011 to $2.9 billion in the first six months of 2016 equal to the total amount throughout 2015. The Asian powerhouse has set sights on multi-billion dollar projects that include the development of gas-rich Masela block, Patimban Port in West Java, as well as the Jakarta-Surabaya high speed railway. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) advisor Yamazaki Norio said he was personally optimistic that Japans robust investment in Indonesia would lead to recovery in trade between the two countries. Japans investment is expected to reach record highs at more than $5 billion in 2016, dominated by investment from chemical and steel firms, even higher than $4.7 billion in 2013. With that much investment, raw and supporting materials from Japan should increase, he told The Jakarta Post. Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) AsiaPacific Committee chairman Bernardino Vega said shipments of Indonesian products could be improved by focusing on improving exports of value-added products, something for which the Japanese are keen. There was deindustrialization in the past government so we depended too much on commodities and forgot about processed products, he said over the phone on Monday. Industrialization is the solution to this declining trade. Business groups from both countries formed an Indonesia-Japan Business Matching Support Desk (IJ-BMSD) last year, an online platform through which small and medium enterprises (SOEs) from both countries can exchange information and strategy about market access and production technology to boost trade. University of Indonesia economist Fithra Faisal Hastiadi said local businesspeople should utilize facilities offered under IJEPA as today only 30 percent of the clauses in the trade deal have been utilized. The government needs to make sure businesspeople, especially at the small and medium levels, know about the trade deal and benefits, as well as how to improve their competitiveness in Japans market, he said. Fithra lashed out at the causes behind the declining trade, which include the decline in commodity prices, global demand slowdown, as well as Indonesias commitment to diversify markets and the trend of Japanese investments. Now the Trade Ministry is not only focusing on main markets like Japan, China and the United States but also ASEAN countries markets, he said. Intensifying partnerships with China has also affected Japan-Indonesia trade. The seventeenth paragraph of this article has been corrected after we mistakenly identified Fithra Faisal Hastiadi as Center of Reform on Economics (CORE) economist. We apologize for the error. - Editor Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Grace D. Amianti (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 10 2017 Despite its enormous potential, Indonesia has yet to play a significant role in the Southeast Asian single market as its companies are still focused on domestic expansion, an investment bank says. Ten countries in the region established the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) last year, opening up their borders for free movement of people between themselves as the next step to reducing trade barriers. Singapore-based Citicorp Investment Bank Ltd. managing director and head of ASEAN and Singapore Treasury and Trade Solutions, Melvyn Low, said that the regional market could be an excellent testing ground for Indonesian companies before they expanded their wings in a wider market. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Agnes Anya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, January 10 2017 In his article Dont Just Do something, Talk, eccentric Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek writes: we often talk about doing something instead of actually doing it but sometimes we do things in order to avoid talking and thinking about them. That quotation may sum up gubernatorial candidate Anies Baswedans criticism of his opponent, incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Ahok Tjahaja Purnama and, also, Anies former boss, President Joko Jokowi Widodo. Anies once served as a minister in Jokowis Cabinet. to Read Full Story SUBSCRIBE NOW Starting from IDR 55,500/month Unlimited access to our web and app content e-Post daily digital newspaper No advertisements, no interruptions Privileged access to our events and programs Subscription to our newsletters We accept Register to read 3 premium articles for free Already subscribed? login Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Kasamakorn Chanwanpen, Supalak Ganjanakhundee (The Nation/ANN) Bangkok Mon, January 9, 2017 While most Thai analysts expect no major impact from the juntas decision to delay the general election, international scholars have warned that foreign investors might lose confidence in the regime as Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, head of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), often failed to keep his word. The postponement of the general election will certainly have a negative impact on international confidence in the Prayuth administration, said Yasuhito Asami of the Department of Global Politics at Hosei University in Tokyo. Foreign investors have different views on whether holding the general election at the end of this year or next year will have a positive or negative influence on the Thai economy in the short term, Asami added. Regardless, many of them will consider the Prayuth administration untrustworthy, he said. General Prayuth has been breaking many of the promises he made. If he fails to hold a general election as he promised again, international investors will find it difficult to trust him to pursue other policies as he promised. International investors like predictability and hate uncertainty, he said. However, he added that the negative impact of the delay of the election would not be great, if the election is held in the early half of 2018. Most foreign investors understand that the royal succession is such an important event for Thais that it affects the government road map to democracy somewhat, said Asami, who has studied Thai affairs for many years and speaks fluent Thai. But if the election is postponed beyond mid-2018, it will seriously damage international investors confidence in Thailand and they will divert their investments to other countries, the Japanese scholar said. The economy has faced a slowdown since 2014 due to the international economic situation and the domestic management of the economy. While many are worried pushing the election back to next year will have repercussions for the economy, local economists remain optimistic. Teerana Bhongmakapat, a former economics lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, said the delay would not inflict any major impact on the economy, and that any effects from the change to the road map will depend largely on the reasons behind it. If it is for the best results of the organic law writing, investors would understand and so the postponement could have a positive impact, Teerana said. But if it is about not finishing the laws in time, investors could view the government as having a hidden agenda in delaying the election and so it might yield a negative impact. The economist, however, added that the key was stability, rather than the election. Investors could accept anything so long as there was stability in the country, he said. Pairoj Wongwipanon, former dean of Chulalongkorn Universitys Faculty of Economics, shares a similar viewpoint, saying that the business sector might not be serious about the election. Those who know Thailand will not look at any change in the administration. They look more at the governments performance and policies, he said. In the first week of the year, when the road map was supposed to be in its final stage, the junta revealed that the related legislation might not be completed in time to allow an election this year. And after redoing the maths, it said it could be 20 months before the poll could be carried out. It insists, however, that everything is following the road map. While the road map might be slightly different from the so-called 6-4-6-4 roadmap the junta said it followed two years ago, some political critics expressed understanding towards the situation. Trakoon Meechai, a former political science lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, and Suriyasai Katasila, deputy dean at Rangsit Universitys College of Social Innovation, said they understood the reasons for the change and anticipated people in general would also accept it as a necessity. The delay would not cause political tension, Trakoon said. The situations facing the country, such as the legislation related to the road map and the royal cremation, make the deferment explainable, he said. Politicians will not complain because it would be difficult to campaign in an election anyway when people are still mourning, he said. The delay should make the situation better as political parties have more time to prepare for the election and adapt to the new rules before the election, he added. However Sunai Phasuk, senior researcher on Thailand at Human Rights Watchs Asia division, and Sirote Klampaiboon, an independent scholar, warned the government of the Kingdoms reputation being possibly tarnished and of a backlash for breaking its promise regarding the election. Though the circumstances for the delay are understandable, Thailand in the eyes of the international community remains a country governed by a coup regime, Sunai said. With such a regime, the country is viewed as suffering arbitrary repression and abuse especially in the human rights area, he said. Human rights advocate Sunai expected there to be pressure on the government from the international community. As the government had made promises to foreigners about the election but failed to keep its word, Sunai said its credibility would inevitably be undermined. However, he said what was more important than the election was the political environment prior to it. When the countrys foreign friends tolerated the election delay, they expressed the importance of the atmosphere that should be fostered under future democratic rule, Sunai said. Sirote said frustration would grow among those people who had been silently tolerant in the belief that the election would happen. In the big picture, certainty in politics now lies in the road map. But then, it just keeps changing, resulting in uncertainty he said. And as the road maps significance is the scheme for the return of a civilian rule and it gets endlessly extended, the question now is whether or not we will ever have a civilian government. This article appeared on The Nation newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jim Gomez and Bullit Marquez (Associated Press) Manila Mon, January 9, 2017 A massive crowd of mostly barefoot Filipino Roman Catholic devotees on Monday joined an annual procession of a centuries-old statue of Jesus Christ held under tight security due to fears of a possible attack following the killing of a suspected Islamic extremist leader. The US and British embassies asked their citizens to take precautions, and the police warned that local Muslim militants trying to align themselves with the Islamic State group may try to attack the procession of the wooden Black Nazarene with a cross along Manila's streets. National police chief Ronald Dela Rosa says authorities have not monitored any specific threat but warned that followers of a Muslim extremist leader killed in a clash with police last week may retaliate by attacking the procession. Mohammad Jaafar Maguid, leader of a small but violent Islamic group called Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines, died in a gunbattle Thursday in Sarangani province in the country's south. Three of his companions were captured. On Saturday, a suspect linked to Maguid's group and a Filipina were killed when they allegedly tried to lob a grenade at policemen Saturday to evade arrest in Sarangani. Maguid's group has been linked to a failed plot to bomb Rizal Park and the nearby US Embassy in Manila in November. Authorities have imposed a gun ban, prohibited drones and backpacks, and jammed cellphone signals along the vicinity of the procession, which was guarded by thousands of police and troops. Despite the fears and heavy security, police said about 470,000 people gathered overnight to be able to touch the lifesize statue at the Rizal Park then joined the start of the raucous procession at daybreak. It was not possible to confirm the crowd estimate. Devotees jostled around a carriage carrying the statue and threw small towels at volunteers on the carriage to wipe parts of the cross and the statue in the belief that the Nazarene's mystical powers to cure ailments and provide good health and fortune will rub off on them. Benjamin Tayzon, a 64-year-old businessman, brought some of his children and grandchildren, to one of Asia's largest religious gatherings, although he lost two toes in 1990 when the wheels of the carriage carrying the Black Nazarene ran over his left foot. The accident, he said, may have been God's way of telling him that he has committed too many sins. "It's a remembrance, like a tattoo that can never be erased," Tayzon told The Associated Press as he walked barefoot, carrying a small replica of the statue on his head. The lifesize statue, crowned with thorns and bearing a cross, is believed to have been brought from Mexico to Manila on a galleon in 1606 by Spanish missionaries. The ship that carried it caught fire, but the charred statue survived. Some believe the statue's survival from fires and earthquakes through the centuries, and intense bombings during World War II, is a testament to its mystical powers. The spectacle reflects the country's unique brand of Catholicism, which includes folk superstitions, in Asia's largest Catholic nation. Dozens of Filipinos have themselves nailed to crosses on Good Friday in another tradition to emulate Christ's suffering that draws huge crowds each year. ___ AP Video Journalist Joeal Calupitan contributed to this report. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hrvoje Hranjski (Associated Press) Bangkok Mon, January 9, 2017 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: CHINA MAKES WAVES WITH AIRCRAFT CARRIER China says it was routine combat drills, yet the deployment of the aircraft carrier Liaoning's battle group in the Western Pacific and into the South China Sea has made neighbors jittery about Beijing flexing its muscles. The Defense Ministry says J-15 fighter jets and sea-borne helicopters practiced takeoffs and landings on the carrier's deck in "complex hydrological and meteorological conditions in the South China Sea." It says a cold front posed some challenges but the drills provided important experience in the building of combat capability of the country's largest warship. China's first and only carrier, which was commissioned in 2012 and declared combat ready in November, for the first time sailed into the Western Pacific through the Miyako Strait south of Okinawa, then passed through the Bashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines as it entered the South China Sea. Japanese and Taiwanese surveillance aircraft and ships closely monitored its progress. "These latest drills provide our first insights into how China will likely be using their aircraft carrier in the near future. Rather than extended power projection in far-off waters, the Chinese appear more likely to use the carrier, at least initially, as a demonstration of regional muscle - sending a message that they are willing to back up talk, policy, or rhetoric with a show of strength," Eric Wertheim, author of Combat Fleets of the World, told the US Naval Institute News. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying says the Liaoning should enjoy rights in accordance with freedom of navigation as set by international law. However, Japanese officials accompanying Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his trip to Hawaii for talks with President Barack Obama said the two leaders affirmed that movements by the Chinese carrier "warrant close attention from mid-term and long-term perspectives." Fox News reported this was the first time since World War II that no US aircraft carrier was at sea anywhere in the world. The USS Carl Vinson battle group began deploying in the Western Pacific last week and will relieve the USS Ronald Reagan as the only carrier in the Asia-Pacific region based at Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan. "We have a presence in the South China Sea and the Asia-Pacific, significant presence at all times," said Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook. "And it would not be unusual for us to have an aircraft carrier or any other kind of ship in that part of the world." DUTERTE DANGLES ARBITRATION RULING BEFORE CHINA Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, who has warmed up to Beijing away from the country's traditional reliance on the US, says he will bring up an international arbitration ruling that invalidated most of China's claims in the South China Sea if Beijing starts extracting oil or gas from the disputed waters. At the same time, the Philippines is studying the possibility of joint exploration of resources with China, according to the Philippine ambassador to Beijing, Jose Santiago "Chito" Santa Romana. Asked under what circumstances he would insist on the July tribunal ruling that China refuses to recognize, Duterte replied: "When the minerals are already being siphoned out." If that happens, he said, he will tell China: "I thought we're friends? We share economic bounties ... so how about us? I have this title, so what do you think? Don't you think we should talk now?" Duterte has previously said he would set aside the arbitration ruling as he seeks to mend ties with China. He also criticized Washington, telling CNN Philippines that if China's construction of islands in the disputed waters was a serious concern, then the United States should have led the way and stopped it "right at the beginning, when the first spade of soil was tossed out to the area that was being reclaimed." "Why raise an issue putting the countries into distress or under stress when you are not going to do anything, when it is you who have the arms?" he said. GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY IN FULL SWING A flurry of goodwill visits by ships and submarines has marked the new year in the South China Sea. In the Philippines, two Russian warships docked in Manila for a five-day visit in a showcase by Moscow to demonstrate what it can offer to a traditional US ally. Rear Adm. Eduard Mikhailov, deputy commander of Russia's Pacific Fleet, said anyone can choose how to cooperate with the US or Russia. "But from our side, we can help you in every way that you need." "We are sure that in the future we'll have exercises with you. Maybe, just maneuvering or maybe use of combat systems and so on," he told reporters. Meanwhile, three Japanese warships led by the destroyer JS Inazuma visited Subic Bay, a former US naval base near Manila. Also, Malaysia hosted two submarines from China in Sabah state facing the South China Sea. The Royal Malaysian Navy said the visits by the CNS Chang Xing Dao and the CNS Chang Cheng are part of regular navy-to-navy interactions. The Diplomat reported that last year Malaysia and China began annual military exercises and China secured access to the port of Kota Kinabalu following a visit by Chinese navy commander Adm. Wu Shengli. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Associated Press) Canberra Mon, January 9, 2017 Timor Leste plans to negotiate a larger share of the oil and gas wealth in the seabed between the impoverished Southeast Asian nation and Australia by restarting talks on a maritime boundary. East Timor and Australia said in a joint statement on Monday that the tiny half-island country plans to give its wealthy neighbor three months' notice that a bilateral treaty on sharing Timor Sea oil and gas will be terminated. That 2006 treaty also suspended negotiations on a maritime boundary for 50 years. Deakin University expert on Southeast Asia Damien Kingsbury says that by reverting to a 2002 treaty, Timor Leste hopes to restart negotiations and persuade Australia to accept a boundary midway between the countries. Australia maintains that the border should extend beyond it large continental shelf. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jin Kiyokawa (The Japan News/Asia News Network) Japan Mon, January 9, 2017 Miki Kawahara of Koganei, Tokyo, visited a new restaurant with her children and parents-in-law. Kawahara, 45, was filled with nostalgia, as the restaurant serves dishes based on Sekai Meisaku Gekijo (World Masterpiece Theater), a popular TV anime series that mainly presented adaptations of classic novels for children. I particularly liked Dog of Flanders, said Kawahara. My children know the anime because I have a plate with the characters on it at home. My mother-in-law also said she has fond memories of the anime. I was right to bring them all here. Named Sekai Meisaku Gekijo Fan Fun Kitchen, the restaurant opened on Nov. 23. It is located in the Ario Hashimoto shopping center in Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture, as the facility attracts many families. Nippon Animation Co., which produced the anime series, has a studio in nearby Tama, Tokyo. The restaurant is the first of its kind based on the series aired from 1975 to 2009. (Read also: Dog cafe in Kyoto exclusively for pugs and humans) A photo posted by Fan Fun Kitchen (@ff.kitchen) on Nov 22, 2016 at 2:16am PST An increasing number of restaurants and cafes have opened with menus and shop designs depicting the world of popular anime and manga and their characters. The business seems to have been bolstered by peoples love for the characters, combined with gourmet food culture and the practice of posting photos on social media. At the entrance of Sekai Meisaku Gekijo Fan Fun Kitchen, a wooden monument based on the anime series Rascal welcomes visitors. The wall is decorated with drawings by anime artists. There is also a private room designed after the home of Anne in Anne of Green Gables. Its menu includes various attractive items, such as French toast with an image of Rascal and a hamburger with Annes favorite jam.I hope the restaurant will make former fans [of the series] remember the anime, said Yasuyo Asano, manager of the license business department of Nippon Animation. Asano also said the restaurant is intended to increase fans of the series, following the companys successful Rascal stamps sold on the online Line Store. Character-themed dining facilities have a long history at places like Tokyo Disneyland and other theme parks. Recently, independent shops have opened one after another, particularly ones based on Snoopy of Peanuts. A photo posted by Fan Fun Kitchen (@ff.kitchen) on Nov 24, 2016 at 12:36am PST Independent shops on the rise The Peanuts Cafe was opened in Nakameguro, Tokyo, in 2015, the year marking the 65th anniversary of the serialization of the U.S. comic strip. The shop has a sophisticated atmosphere and is so popular that customers have to make reservations. In addition, Snoopy Cha-ya, a Japanese-style cafe, has opened an outlet for three consecutive years since 2014 in Yufu, Oita Prefecture; Ise, Mie Prefecture; and Kyoto. As their menus are different, some fans visit all of them. (Read also: Relax with Mt. Fuji: Nostalgic pictures can lend elegance to bathing at home) A photo posted by vivi_natan (@vivi_natan) on Sep 22, 2016 at 7:49pm PDT Some character-themed cafes are opened for limited periods of time to promote new films and game software, such as Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan) and Pokemon. Others operate on a permanent basis, such as the moomin Bakery & Cafe and Kitaro Chaya, which have both enjoyed popularity for years. Moomin frequently depicts the Moomin family dining. Our cafe strives to feature Finnish food, as that country is where Moomin came from. We also put a lot of emphasis on expressing the world of the work, said a spokesman for the moomin cafe operating at the Tokyo Dome City LaQua. Its popular seven-layer pancakes are based on Moominmammas specialty dish in Moomin. Gundam Cafe in Akihabara, Tokyo, attracts many repeat customers because the cafe, which is based on the ongoing anime Kido Senshi Gundam (Mobile Suit Gundam), sometimes renews its menu and refurbishes its interior when a new anime series starts. The cafe usually attracts more men than women. But recently, 80 percent of its customers have been women, as the new series currently being broadcast is popular with women. Many customers take photos of visually appealing dishes at our cafe to post them on social media, a staff member said. While such character cafes are usually located in large cities, Miffy Cafe Kamaishi is in Kamaishi, Iwate Prefecture. It was opened in a municipal facility in December 2015 as the nations only permanent shop based on the eponymous rabbit character from the Netherlands. It is a project supported by the Netherlands Embassy in Tokyo, launched after the area was severely affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Cafe owner Nobuyuki Owada said: Customers come as far as from Hokkaido and Kyushu on weekends. Our cafe is becoming a tourist spot in the city. Were subject to severe checks by the copyright holder, but Im confident our dishes have appealing homemade touches and taste good. A photo posted by (@daidai_kokoko) on Dec 16, 2016 at 7:22am PST This article appeared on The Japan News newspaper website, which is a member of Asia News Network and a media partner of The Jakarta Post Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, has been recognized as the world's most on-time airport in 2016 by UK-based air travel intelligence company OAG. According to OAG's research, Juanda International falls in the large airport category, as the airport welcomes 10-20 million passengers per year with an average on-time performance (OTP) of 90.30 percent. OTP refers to arrivals and departures within 15 minutes of the scheduled times. Moreover, news agency Antara reported that Honolulu International Airport in the US state of Hawaii ranked second with an average OTP of 87.53 percent, while Salt Lake International Airport in Utah, US, ranked third with a score of 87.2 percent. (Read also: Surakarta airport considered healthiest airport) In addition to being the world's most on-time airport, Juanda International Airport ranked third in the OAG Punctuality League 2016. In this category, Birmingham International Airport in the UK was named the world's most punctual airport with an average OTP of 91.28 percent, followed by Newcastle International Airport with 90.94 percent. The OAG Punctuality League was based on 54 million flight records in 2016, which divided airports and airlines' performance into several categories. State-owned airport operator Angkasa Pura I director Danang S. Baskoro said he hoped Juanda's achievement would motivate other airports in the nation to improve their on-time performance. (jes/kes) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Cinar Kiper & Dusan Stojanovic (Associated Press) Istanbul Mon, January 9, 2017 The once bustling Grand Bazaar in Istanbul is astonishingly quiet. The shops and restaurants in the city's trendy Istiklal Street are all but empty of foreign customers and the hotels in the upscale Nisantasi district are nearly deserted. Turkey's economy is suffering in the face of a string of extremist attacks including the nightclub massacre of New Year's revelers, most of them foreigners and uncertainty following the failed coup in July against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that saw more than 270 people killed. Tourism, a key component of the economy as well as a substantial foreign currency earner, has taken a hit not least because Russian visitors have stayed away in the wake of a diplomatic spat over Turkey's downing of a Russian warplane in November 2015. (Read also: Public areas of airports seen as most vulnerable to attack) "2016 was a lost year for Turkish tourism," said Cetin Gurcun, secretary general of Turkey's travel agency association, TURSAB. "It is impossible for Turkey to give up on tourism, but the most important priority of the sector is security," Gurcun added. "The first thing a tourist looks for when choosing a destination is peace and safety. Only then do they research service quality and price." There was a time when tourism in Turkey was red hot, climbing from 10.5 million visitors in 2000 to 36.2 million people in 2015, making it the sixth-most visited destination in the world. The sector earned $31.5 billion in 2015. But that all came to a halt last year, with a 30 percent drop in visitors, from 34.8 million in the January-November period in 2015 to a little over 24 million for the same period in 2016. Yasemin Pirinccioglu, general manager of the VIP Event travel agency, said that foreigners who had visited before were still returning. "But the people who are planning to come for the first time to Turkey, they're postponing their trips," she said. Natalia Dubaltsava from war-ravaged eastern Ukraine is among those who come to Istanbul regularly. "We make trips here anyway," she said. "There is unrest in the world. It's a fact. People say the same about our city, Dnepropetrovsk. We are close to the front line, but it is calm there. Life is life. We decided to go anyway." Because of the economic downturn, the Turkish Lira hit a record low in the first week of 2017, trading around 3.60 per U.S. dollar. Analysts expect it to weaken further in coming months. (Read also: Turkish PM visits Iraq amid spat over unauthorized troops) While the weaker currency could have some beneficial economic effects making it cheaper to visit or invest in Turkey and helping the country's exports the drop makes the country poorer overall and less able to pay its debts. The security concerns are obvious in the economic data. In the third quarter of last year, the drop in tourism was the main cause for a 7 percent year-on-year decrease in the sale of goods and services. Consumer spending and investment have also plummeted since the summer. Istanbul, the country's most popular tourist destination for foreigners, has been the biggest target for extremists. Ten German tourists were killed in a suicide attack in the heart of Istanbul's historic district on January 12, 2016. Other attacks in Istanbul include one in the central Beyoglu neighborhood in March, as well as at the city's main airport in June, where dozens died. Hundreds of people eager to wave goodbye to a tumultuous 2016 gathered at the popular Reina nightclub in Istanbul for New Year's celebrations only to become the first victims of 2017 when an Islamic State gunman stormed the premises and killed 39 people, mostly foreigners. One statistic stood out in the wake of the tragedy most of the victims were from the Middle East. "Before, there were a lot of customers from America and Europe," said the club co-owner, Mehmet Kocarslan said. "Once the Westerners decreased, Middle Easterners became a majority." "2016 was a very unfortunate year for Turkey," added Kocarslan, who said he was contemplating closing the club after the massacre. "There hasn't been a hardship our country didn't encounter." (Read also: Blast in Syrian town on Turkish border kills nearly 50) In the sprawling Grand Bazaar officially the first ever roofed shopping mall when it was built in the 15th century vendors stood in front of their jewelry, clothing and souvenir shops, desperately looking for foreign customers. "Business is quite different than before," shop owner Muslim Besenk said. "There are bombs going off everywhere, why should tourists come? Only Arabs come. The rest cannot come and it's not certain that they will." Basel Trablesei, a tourist from Lebanon, did not seem worried by the security in Istanbul despite the nightclub attack. "What happened here happens anywhere in the world, so this is something we can't avoid," he said. "I tell everyone to come to Istanbul." Pinar Kartal Timer, general manager of Istanbul's historic Pera Palas hotel in the lively Beyoglu neighborhood, said the rise in tourists from the Middle East was because of Turkey's greater ties to the region. "It's because already the strategy of the Turkish government has been to make a rapprochement with Middle Eastern countries," she said, referring to the conservative leadership that has shifted from its pro-Western policies. Barcin Yinanc, a columnist at the English-language Daily News, said that all the strategic advantages Turkey offered in the mid-2000s have now turned against it. "Ironically, all the triggers that helped Turkey fly high in the global market in the mid-2000s safety, security, stability and predictability have now become big barriers," she wrote. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Mon, January 9, 2017 Surabaya now has a government-initiated mathematics learning house. Mayor Tri Risma Rismaharini inaugurated Rumah Matematika (House of Mathematics), a learning venue that will cater to elementary and junior high school students in Surabaya, East Java, Thursday. Whenever I visit, they always look anxious when they're about to have mathematic tests. They say that it is because the subject is hard. Many of them received a mark below 6, Risma said in the opening ceremony at Balai Pemuda building, as quoted by Antara. She said the learning house, which is located in the Balai Pemuda building, was built because many students had the wrong perception of mathematics, that math is a scary and difficult subject. I believe that the students can actually do math well but are hampered by their fear, she remarked. (Read also: Two female Bandung students conquer Vinson Massif peak) Risma stated that in the house, mathematics prowess would not be judged only by scores. The subject will be promoted as something fun and relevant to daily life. Students should know that mathematics is not only something in textbooks, it is also applicable in daily life, she said, noting that there are tendencies to separate the two things. Mathematics will be taught by volunteers in the house from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., continuing with a second session from 4-5.30 p.m. Students can register at the Balai Pemuda building to study at the House of Mathematics and discuss their preferred schedule. Martadi, chairman of Surabayas education council has expressed appreciation for the Surabaya city governments initiative. From the test data, it is known that the [students] mathematic ability is still low. It is not only in Surabaya, but also in Indonesia, he said. That is why I think that this house is important, he added, hopeful that the House of Mathematics will help students who have problems with mathematics. (mas/asw) Recently, due to President Obamas ill-conceived abstention of UNSC resolution 2334 to condemn Israeli settlements in the disputed post 1967 territories, there has been a feverish focus around the paralyzed peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. The unwanted attention and subsequent conversation has been concentrated on what Israel has done wrong, what she should be doing, and how the peace negotiations should be handled. While respected experts and pundits alike have offered their insight on the never ending conflict, I want to shed light on what I feel is a critically important component of the conversation that has been glaringly missing: history. The international community and in particular members of the Security Council in their pursuit to identify the root caucus of the conflict, have failed to learn the lessons of history. They have what one might call, convenient amnesia. What the experts seem to have forgotten is the historic and enduring peace between Israel and Egypt, negotiated between by the late Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and the late Prime Minister of Israel Menachem Begin, came about as a result of Sadats bold declaration to his own people and to the Arab world that he is ready to recognize Israel and seek peace with her. Sadat made what was once deemed an unthinkable proposition and issued a presidential declaration of peace with the Jewish State, in the shadow of the Yom Kippur War. His message preceded the actual commencement of direct negotiations and was the exact opposite of an internationally imposed solution. Unfortunately, no one is talking about Sadat today. In the midst of the frustrating gridlocked peace process between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, why isnt anyone looking back at the most successful and lasting peace process negotiated the Middle-East has ever known? So, why do I bring this subject up? Well, one of the greatest advantages of working as a public policy consultant on Capitol Hill is that you get the chance to meet some very interesting and influential people. On my most recent trip to the Hill, I had the good fortune of engaging in a conversation President-Elect Donald Trumps Secretary of State designee Rex Tillerson. During the brief time I was able to speak with him, I seized the rare moment to stress to him that this lack of focus and understanding of history and its application and relevance to the conflict today is a missed opportunity. I humbly suggested to him that he might want to consider the following: President Anwar Sadat was a champion of peace and a pioneer of diplomacy one of the greatest visionaries the world has seen. He became the first Arab leader to officially recognize Israel as a nation-state, facing public backlash from radical groups. Sadat was indispensable to establishing lasting peace between Israel and Egypt by courageously expelling hostilities towards Israel and successfully negotiating a peace treaty at the Camp David Accords along with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. However, what was most remarkable about Sadats diplomacy was his decision to travel to Israel before commencing negotiations. He addressed the Knesset on November 19, 1977 and spoke about his views on how to achieve comprehensive peace to the Arab-Israeli conflict, courageously announcing: I have come to you so that together we might build a durable peace based on justice, to avoid the shedding of one single drop of blood from an Arab or an Israeli. It is for this reason that I have proclaimed my readiness to go to the farthest corner of the world. Throughout the peace process, Sadat was well aware of the controversy to which his actions would lead, but held onto his ideals and pushed for peace anyway ultimately paying with his life. I believe that the lasting success of the Camp David Accords Treaty is due to the bold and courageous first move Sadat took by visiting Israel before the negotiations started. It was an important symbolic action that generated the goodwill which successfully contributed to the treatys success. This quality is what is lacking in todays peace process. We do not have the Anwar Sadat of our time someone willing to boldly pursue peace, despite the risks or controversy. The conversation should be about working towards building comprehensive peace, rather than practicing absenteeism and abstentionism. Only when this happens can there be lasting change. Mr. Tillerson graciously listened, as I imagined a potential Secretary of State would, I wished him well and we parted ways. Ezra Friedlander is the CEO of The Friedlander Group, a public policy consulting firm based in NYC and Washington, DC. He can followed on twitter @ezrafriedlander. For more information, go to www.TheFriedlanderGroup.com The Lithuanian government has announced plans to build a new convention center over the Old Jewish Cemetery of Vilna. Although the Vilna Gaons remains were removed from the Old Jewish Cemetery, the remains of hundreds, perhaps thousands of Jews are still buried in the Old Jewish cemetery. These were some of the greatest rabbis, Jewish martyrs, and pious women through the centuries, including R. Moshe Rivkes (d. 1671-2), author of the Beer Ha-Golah on the Shulchan Aruch; the Ger Zedek of Vilna (d. 1749), whose remains were not removed from the Old Jewish cemetery (despite claims otherwise); Traina, the mother of the Vilna Gaon; and his wives Chana and Git el. Virtually every Jew who died in Vilna before the year 1831 was, in fact, buried in the Old Jewish Cemetery. The petition does not call for the Lithuanian government to cancel plans for building a new convention center (funded largely by the EU). It simply asks that it be built at a different location in Vilnius which can easily be done. A wonderful Vilna resident, Ruta Bloshtein, a shomer Shabbos woman who bakes challah for members of the Vilna kehillah every week, has taken upon herself the responsibility of spearheading this write-in campaign. She started some three weeks ago and has about 250 signatories so far. She needs at least 1000 signatures; if she doesnt get them it will be a Chillul Ha-Shem even beyond the destruction of the Jewish cemetery itself. It will be a signal to the Lithuanian government that Jews neither care nor count. If she gets 3000 signatures, the political authorities will have little choice but to take the petition into account before making any hasty decision. She needs and deserves our help. The two key Rabbonim in Lithuania today, Rabbi Krelin (Chief Rabbi of Lithuania) and Rabbi Krinsky (head of Chabad) are among the first 250 signatories. It seems to me this is a case of meis mitzvah. Please click on the link below, fill out the electronic form and sign your name. Please forward this message to others so they can also participate in this mitzvah. It is not a time to stand idly by. With prayers for success in our cause, Shnayer Leiman https://www.change.org/p/hon- dalia-grybauskaite-please- move-new-vilnius-convention- center-project-away-from-the- old-jewish-cemetery [TLS Press Release] On Friday, Assemblywoman Yuh-Line Niou announced the appointment of Mauricio Pazmino as her chief of staff. Last week, Niou was sworn in as representative in the 65th Assembly District, which includes the Lower East Side. Pazmino is currently on the staff of State Sen. Daniel Squadron, who also represents the neighborhood, so hes familiar with the community. Squadron has one of Nious earliest and strongest supporters in her bid to fill the seat held by Sheldon Silver since the 1970s. In a statement, Niou said, Mauricios knowledge of the district, along with his history of advocating for constituents across lower Manhattan is critical as I begin to fulfill the peoples work. Pazmino, a first-generation immigrant fluent in Spanish, graduated from CUNY Hunter College. In other news from Nious office, shes inviting constituents to attend her inauguration on Jan. 19. See the invitation below. Save The Metrograph independent cinema has teamed up with film critic Molly Haskell for an all-35mm series of Steven Spielbergs films. They include: Empire of the Sun, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, Minority Report, Catch Me If You Can and The Lost World: Jurassic Park. This coming Saturday at 2:30 p.m., Haskell will introduce Empire of the Sun and sign copies of her new book, Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films. Saturday, Jan. 14, 2:30 p.m., Metrograph, 7 Ludlow St.. $15, website. Reserve your tickets and pick your seat in advance! The boundary-pushing American Realness Festival ends its week-long run at the Abrons Arts Center tomorrow (Tuesday) night. Among the closing performances: Mx. Oops /Wendell Cooper, a multimedia ritual using sound, meditation, urban dance, video projection and rap. Tuesday, Jan. 10, 8:30 p.m.. 460 Grand St., $20, website. This is your last week to catch Pipilotti Rist: Pixel Forest at the New Museum. The exhibition from the Swiss artist and pioneer in multimedia installations is a dreamlike voyage spread across three floors of the museum. The show closes on Sunday. The New Museum is open Tuesday-Wednesday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. 235 Bowery, $18, website. The Lonely Heartstring Band, an up-and-coming bluegrass group, mixes original songs with classics by Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, Pete Seeger and The Beatles. The band will be at Rockwood Music Hall Fri., Jan. 13, at 8:30 p.m.; 196 Allen St., $10, website. In observation of Martin Luther King Day a week from today, the Museum at Eldridge Street will be hosting a special family program. There will be a reading of Kobi Yamadas book, What Do You Do With An Idea?. Visitors will also be able to make art and listen to Martin Luther King, Jr.s speech, I Have a Dream. Monday, Jan. 16, 1-2:30 p.m., 12 Eldridge St., free, reservations required, website. The opening to John Bergers most famous written work, the 1972 book Ways of Seeing , offered not just an idea but also an invitation to see and know the world differently: The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled, he wrote. who died on January 2 Berger,at the age of 90, has had a profound influence on the popular understanding of art and the visual image. He was also a vibrant example of the public intellectual, using his position to speak out against social injustices and to lend his support to artists and activists across the world. Bergers approach to art came most directly into the public eye in four-part BBC TV series, Ways of Seeing in 1972, produced by Mike Dibb and which preceded the book. Yet his style of blending Marxist sensibility and art theory with attention to small gestures, scenes and personal stories developed much earlier, in essays for the independent, weekly magazine New Stateman (between 1951 and 1961) and also in his first novel A Painter of Our Time , published in 1958. The BBC programmes brought to life and democratised scholarly ideas and texts through dramatic, often witty, visual techniques that raised searching questions about how images from European oil painting to photography and modern advertising inform and seep into everyday life and help constitute its inequities. What do we see? How are we seen? Might we see differently? wrote recently Bergers theoretical legacy, the Indian academic Rashmi Doraiswamy, is in situating the look in the context of political otherness. Bergers idea that looking is a political act, perhaps even a historically constructed process such that where and when we see something will affect what we see comes across most powerfully in the second episode of Ways of Seeing which focused on the male gaze. Here Berger showed the continuities between post-Renaissance European paintings of women and imagery from latter-day posters and girly magazines, by juxtaposing the different images showing how they similarly rendered women as objects. Berger argued that this continuity constrained how certain forms of femininity are understood, and therefore the terms on which women are able to live their lives. He identified a splitting of the European womans consciousness, in which she: has to survey everything she is and everything she does because how she appears to others, and ultimately how she appears to men, is of crucial importance for what is normally thought of as the success of her life. How we see Anne Michaels , Historical context, scale, and how we see were recurring themes in Bergers writing, films, performance and in his collaborative photographic essays with Jean Mohr Tereza Stehlikova and others. Verso books Bergers essays and books on the photograph worry at the political ambiguity of meaning in an image. He taught us that photographs always need language, and require a narrative of some sort, to make sense. A Seventh Man He also took care to differentiate how our reaction to photographs of loved ones depends on our relationship to the person portrayed. In, a collaborative book with Jean Mohr on Turkish migrant workers to Germany in the 1970s, he put it simply: A photograph of a boy in the rain, a boy unknown to you or me. Seen in the darkroom when making the print or seen in this book when reading it, the image conjures up the vivid presence of the unknown boy. To his father it would define the boys absence. Under the skin Because he had been a painter, Berger was always a visual thinker and writer. In conversation with the novelist Michael Ondaatje he remarked that the capabilities of cinematographic editing had influenced his writing. He identified cinemas ability to move from expansive vistas to close-up shots as that to which he most related and aspired. Certainly Bergers work is infused with a sensitivity to how long views the narratives of history come alive only with the addition of close-up stories of human relationships, that retell the narrative but from a different angle. For instance, writing about Frida Kahlos compulsion to paint on smooth skin-like surfaces, Berger suggested that it was Kahlos pain and disability (she had spina bifida and had gone through treatments following a bad road accident) that made her aware of the skin of everything alive - trees, fruit, water, birds, and naturally, other women and men. The character in Ondaatjes novel, In the Skin of a Lion, to whom he gave the name Caravaggio, was partly inspired by Bergers essay on the painter . In that essay, Berger wrote of a feeling of complicity with the Renaissance Italian artist Caravaggio, the painter of life who does not depict the world for others: his vision is one that he shares with it. Bergers writerly inclinations and sensitivities seem to echo something of the overall intensity, the lack of proper distance for which Caravaggio was so criticised and which Berger so admired. This intensity was not a simple theatricality, nor a search for something truer to life, but a philosophical stance springing from his pursuit of equality. He gave us permission to dwell on those aspects of our research or our lives that capture us intensely, and to trust that sensitivity. His was an affirmative politics in this sense. It started with a trust in ones intuitions, along with the imperative to open these up to explore ourselves as situated within wider social and historical processes. Reflecting on his written work, Berger wrote in the recent Penguin collection Confabulations What has prompted me to write over the years is the hunch that something needs to be told and that, if I dont try to tell it, it risks not being told. He knew very well that writing has its limitations. By itself, writing cannot rebalance the inequities of the present or establish new ways of seeing. Yet he wrote with hope. He showed us in his work and by example other possibilities for living a life that was committed to criticising inequality, while celebrating the beauty in the world, giving attention to its colour, rhythm and joyous surprises. We remain endowed and indebted to him. Manny Gutierrez has become Maybellines first ever male ambassador, starring in a campaign for the make-up brands new mascara. The 25-year-old, who has three million followers on Instagram and more than two million on YouTube, features in the advert for the Maybellines latest product Big Shot Mascara by Colossal alongside fellow beauty vlogger Shayla Mitchell. Gigi Hadid and Jourdan Dunn are among the famous faces who have previously starred in Maybellines campaigns. Gutierrez is part of a new wave of beauty boys of Instagram male make-up artists who experiment with eye-catching and elaborate looks and post the results on social media. He already has a Makeup Geek eye shadow palette and an Ofra lip range named after him. Gutierrez also appears to be challenging Maybellines well-known catchphrase: Maybe shes born with it, maybe its Maybelline. Maybe HE'S born with it Manny MUA (@MannyMua733) January 5, 2017 This comes after James Charles, a 17-year-old make-up artist from New York, was chosen last year by CoverGirl to be its first-ever male spokesperson. US make-up brand Anastasia Beverly Hills has also enlisted men to star in its makeup campaigns in the past. The first flagship Hollywood awards night of 2017 kicked off with a record-breaking seven wins for Damien Chazelles La La Land. Whilst the BAFTA and Oscar camps are still yet to even announce their nominations grid, the famously defunct Golden Globes kicked the official awards season off in style with plenty of expected winners, and a few surprises last night. Unsurprisingly La La Land won every award it was nominated for, with the equally celebrated Moonlight nabbing the big prize for drama, heating up the Oscar race somewhat. Nothing for Amy Adams or Arrival felt a little strange (especially considering Denis Villeneuve wasnt even so much as nominated, but Jonah Hill was for War Dogs), and it mightve been a nice surprise if Laikas animated dark horse Kubo and the Two Strings finally pulled the rug out from under Disneys anthropomorphised feet, but alas. Whilst Meryl Streeps super political Trump-takedown pretty much stunned and owned the ceremony overall, if you tuned in specifically to hear of the nights key winners in film, weve totally got you covered. Check below for the full list: 74TH ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBE WINNERS (FILM) BEST MOTION PICTURE: DRAMA - Moonlight BEST MOTION PICTURE: COMEDY/MUSICAL - La La Land BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE: DRAMA - Casey Affleck (Manchester By the Sea) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE: DRAMA - Isabelle Huppert (Elle) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE: COMEDY/MUSICAL - Ryan Gosling (La La Land) BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE: COMEDY/MUSICAL - Emma Stone (La La Land) BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) BEST PERFORMANCE BY A SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE - Viola Davis (Fences) BEST DIRECTOR - Damien Chazelle (La La Land) BEST SCREENPLAY - Damien Chazelle (La La Land) BEST ANIMATED FILM - Zootopia BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM - Elle BEST ORIGINAL SCORE - Justin Hurwitz (La La Land) BEST ORIGINAL SONG - City of Stars (La La Land) Ah, porn. Few words come with as many pre-loaded connotations and assumptions the promise of titillation, the thrill of taboo, the inherent air of seediness. Think poverty porn food porn porn-porn The term has cropped up with increasing regularity in the last few years. The ruins of Chernobyl, the Holocaust, Detroits urban decay, and even abandoned amusement parks have become havens for ruin photographers. The Cambridge Introduction to Postmodernism Robert Smithsons In his recent book(2015), US theorist Brian McHale claims that artistwork acts as a precursor to ruin porn. He argues that the photographic documentation of ruin: A Tour of the Monuments of Passaic arguably begins with Smithsons deadpan photographs of modern industrial wastelands in his conceptual-art project, New Jersey. This, he argues, has since proliferated into an abundant photographic record of urban decay and ruin in the wake of the deindustrialisation of North American Rust Belt cities. These ruins, he notes, are self-inflicted, rather than the result of warfare and international conflict, as with 9/11. The fascination with Detroits urban decay is the direct result of economic failure, specifically the downturn of the motor industry in the 1970s. articles photographic essays online galleries Its ruins have since been the subject of much obsession, including numerousand urban explorers social media platforms The allure of ruin remains prominent in tourism and popular culture, including abandoned amusement parks such as Sydneys Magic Kingdom park, Germanys Cold War-era Spreepark, and Japans Takakanonuma Greenland in the Fukushima district. Photographers who capture these sites have a name:, and many keep diaries of their discoveries on These images represent not only economic failure, but ideological failure, representing a break with modernised conceptions of cultural innocence and everyday enjoyment. argued that The term ruin porn has been met with great criticism for its exploitative nature and use in trivialising the causes of destruction and urban decay. In 2013, art critic Richard B. Woodward Ruin Porn is a phrase so immature and gawky it isnt sure how seriously to take itself. Like its linguistic relatives animal porn, shoe porn, food porn, real estate porn, and fill-in-the-blank porn, its a smirking neologism that may or may not aspire to be a social critique. Ruin Lust This celebration of ruin and destruction was evidenced in the 2014 exhibitionat Londons Tate Gallery, which featured art works from the seventeenth century to today, all of which engaged in imagery of ruin, war, or apocalypse. There were photographs of decayed Nazi bunkers and artist JMW Turners sketches of decayed abbeys. The exhibition sought to chronicle societys continued obsession with the ruin within the inevitable narrative of decay. stated that While giving the exhibition a good review, Jonathan Jones at The Guardianthe term lust was essentially misleading: So many things vanish. Yet ruins remain in the landscape, reassuring the mind that death might not be the end. Is it lust to linger in those places? The joy this exhibition insists on may in reality be more of a sweet sorrow. wrote In 2013, Kate Abbey-Lambertz of the Huffington Post Some have expressed frustration at the way decline is glamorized or exploited its called ruin porn for a reason rather than seen as part of the citys larger ills. While some think iconic buildings should be preserved for their historical significance, others [see] them as eyesores, havens for crime or obstacles to the citys renewal. Pietromassimo Pasqui writes in her recent book Criticisms of ruin porn stem from the suggestion that these photographs are bereft of any sort of socio-economic context regarding their cause and aftermath, and are dismissive of the broader failures of modern economic life. Yet as Dora ApelBeautiful Terrible Ruins: Detroit and the Anxiety of Decline (2015): Even if we take the term ruin porn at face value and see the objective of ruin imagery as the production of pleasure or arousal, to condemn the massive proliferation of ruin images on this basis leads to no new insight or knowledge. The more productive questions are how ruins images please, move, or arouse and what purpose this serves. For Apel, part of the allure of these sites and the deindustrial sublime stems from the act of tempering the anxiety of decline. Jones, moreover, notes that our fascination is more to do with the concept of time. his 2013 book Indeed, ruin sites provide something of a realistic glimpse into post-apocalyptic life for humanity, and hence provoke our engagement with ruin while we are still alive. Toronto-based academic Tong Lam, inAbandoned Futures: A Journey to the Posthuman World, argues: in a way, we are already post-apocalyptic. Ruins appear to confront societys faith in anthropological endurance. Decaying buildings signify the inevitable process of history, to which we, too, will eventually succumb. Essentially, ruin porn is a kind of time travel to the future within the present. wrote in his 2014 paper As US academic Jason McGrathApocalypse, or, the Logic of Late Anthropocene Ruins: The posthuman gaze at modernist ruins reminds us that, no matter how many new objects we produce, consume, and discard, those objects will in many cases far outlive us and the purposes to which we put them. Dispatches from Dystopia: Histories of Places Not Yet Forgotten But the discrepancy between melancholic fascination with ruins and actual arousal ought to be made clear. Kate Brown, in her book(2015), shrewdly distinguishes between ruin porn and what she calls rustalgia. Noting that there are those who find beauty in decay but also danger for those who inhabit it, she argues, in a similar manner to Jones: Some will be fascinated from the outside, producing more ruin porn. Others will speak in mournful tones of what is lost, what I call rustalgia. As opposed to ruin porn, rustalgia can help show how sketchy is the longstanding faith in the necessity of perpetual economic growth. For certain people, ruin remains a concept, not a reality. While ruin porn greatly trivialises the social and psychological implications of decay, it can be understood more broadly as something of an antidote to the bleak reality of inevitable, complete destruction, something more depressing than beautiful. On the the NHS (John Stillwell/PA) Not correct for May to say NHS always faces these winter problems: Labour rescued the NHS, the Tories have plunged it in to crisis #Ridge Labour Press Team (@labourpress) January 8, 2017 On Brexit (John Stillwell/PA) Soft Brexit supporters won't find much to like in Theresa May's #ridge interview. Sounds like we're on track for a pretty clean break Sebastian Payne (@SebastianEPayne) January 8, 2017 On Donald Trump (John Stillwell/PA) I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the Spring. Britain, a longtime U.S. ally, is very special! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2017 Theresa May is answering so many questions without answering any questions at all. #Ridge Matthew Hackett (@MattHackett19) January 8, 2017 Theresa May is currently delivering a masterclass in saying lots of words while saying absolutely nothing whatsoever #Ridge Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) January 8, 2017 . The PM was asked questions on a variety of topics, so here are all the important things we gleaned from the one-on-one.May rejected claims of the humanitarian crisis the British Red Cross says plagues the health system, but she does acknowledge there are huge pressures on the NHS. She told Ridge: Yes there are significant pressures, but we recognise those pressures. We asked the NHS a while back to set out what it needed over the next five years in terms of its plan for the future and the funding that it would need. They did that, we gave them that funding, in fact we gave them more funding than they required. So funding is now at record levels for the NHS, more money has been going in. She noted the UKs ageing population as a particular concern, which is why she says it is important that it is the NHS that has produced its five-year plan and is now putting that plan into practice.Labour has called for May or Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt to make an emergency statement on the NHS when Parliament returns on Monday.Brexit was understandably high on Ridges agenda, and when discussing the EU May denied any muddled thinking on the part of the Government. The PM insisted she will be able to secure control over immigration to the UK as well as favourable trading terms with the EU during Brexit negotiations, saying: Its wrong to look at this as just a binary issue as to either you have control of immigration or you have a good trade deal.May said: Often people talk in terms as if somehow we are leaving the EU but we still want to kind of keep bits of membership of the EU. We are leaving. We are coming out. We are not going to be a member of the EU any longer. She said that the aim was to take control of the UKs borders and laws: But of course we still want the best possible deal for us, companies to be able to trade, UK companies to be able to trade in and operate within the European Union and also European companies to be able to trade with the UK and operate within the UK. May said she was concentrating on not the means to the end but what the outcome is as she looks ahead to negotiating Brexit.As the president-elect had recently tweeted that he was looking forward to meeting May, Ridge asked the PM a bit more about her thoughts on Trumps comments regarding women not only as a leader, but as a woman. May said Trumps comments from a 2005 recording about grabbing women by the genitals were unacceptable, but added the relationship the UK has with the US is something much bigger than the relationship between the President and PM.Even though all these topics were covered, many people were unsure that there was actually anything to be learned from this particular interview.May said that she will be setting out her plans for triggering Article 50 more in the coming weeks, so well have to wait a bit longer for some more details on that hot topic. If you could re-live one day of travel in your life, which would it be, and why? I was recently asked this question by an old friend, and it piqued my curiosity. A single day. I thought back through all my travel experiences. How could I possibly pick one day? There were so many notable ones, but which one stood out of the crowd? I realised that this was such a simple question, but by asking it you can learn so much about a person, and in turn, get a glimpse into the power of travel to inspire, educate, and transform. Ive started asking all of my friends this question, even strangers, and the responses have been heart-warming, inspiring, and entertaining. Here are six responses (including my own) to encourage your wanderlust this year. "I did Camp America last summer and I had one particularly testing week while I was at a camp in Virginia. I was tired and homesick when one evening the kids asked if we could go down to the lake to look at the stars. There was nothing I wanted less, but I agreed anyway. "When we got to the lake we laid down on a bridge that went over it. The stars were breath-taking. We were in the middle of nowhere, with no lights to distract from the stars, so they were incredibly bright, almost mesmerising. One of the little girls took my hand, looked at me, and said, This is a moment I know I will never forget. "It was times like these that made my Camp America experience so unforgettable; knowing youre making experiences not just for yourself, but for the people around you as well." - Lucy "Many years ago my family and I went on a camping tour of Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory, Australia. I remember getting in and out of the tour van, stopping in locations that all sort of blur together in a haze of heat, and the sweet relief of the air conditioning in between. I was reading the Lioness Quartet series of books for the first time and I had them all with me. Bookworm that I am, when I wasnt in the van I was itching to go back and find out what happened next, and when I was getting out of the van I was excited to see where we were going, whether it was giant termite mounds or one of an almost endless trail of billabongs. Some of them had crocodiles. Some of them we could swim in. One day we actually swam near crocodiles. It felt a bit like I was in my own story, the perfect blend of literary adventure with the real-life kind!" - Abigail "If I could relive one day of travel it would be, undoubtedly, my only full day in Prague. We had arrived late the night before as part of an Interrail trip and, in all honesty, Prague had only ever been a stop-over between Berlin and Budapest on a month long, 11-city tour of Europe. "I remember heading to our hostel in the dark of night and not thinking much of the city at all, only to then wake up to what stands today as the most beautiful place I have ever seen. "We were lucky enough to stay in a great hostel in the center of Prague, situated two-minute walk from the Charles bridge, and from there we could explore the historic town. "The bridge speaks for itself, with its series of statues that alone would be captivating, but together a 15th century masterpiece. From there we headed to the water (having become obsessed with boat tours during our fleeting city visits). "Truly, though, the city was best explored on foot. Every street presents another picture-perfect scene, every tourist spot postcard-ready. Prague stands alone as the very best of the best for a European city break for me, but it would be criminal to discuss it without mentioning how much cheaper it is than its other capital-counterparts. Two words: 50p pints." - Ria "When I look back at the places I have travelled to, there are many moments in which I would like to re-live. I think there are many reasons why, mainly the impact they have made on my life and the decisions they have influenced, especially in my graphic design career. "Probably the one that has made the most impact, and the day I would like to re-live most, would be my very first day on a long trip to Denver, Colorado. That first day arriving in Colorado, the complete immersion in a new environment and culture, made me want to expand my horizons, both personally and physically, and do something amazing. I think it was on that day that I truly realised my life doesnt have to be dictated by anyone but me." - Tom "Without a doubt the travel day I would want to relive the most was the 27th October, 2016. I was in Venice travelling on my own, and the mist that had been resting over the island since I arrived two days earlier had finally lifted. "I took a ferry to Burano island, enjoying my first taste of Italian sun. The town of Burano, with its famous colourful homes, was stunning in the beautiful weather. I wandered the streets and after circling the island I came to a wooden bridge by the docks. Nobody was headed in that direction so I followed my curiosity and explored the fields on the other side. A tall tower caught my eye and when I arrived at its base I found I had stumbled across a beautiful vineyard, turning golden in the Italian autumn and dancing in the breeze. I was the only one there. In that moment I felt so free, I let go of every negative thought. I knew then that travel was what I needed to do to fulfill my dreams nothing beats that feeling!" - Lottie And the writer's own story... The day of travel I would like to re-live the most would be the day I hiked the Grand Canyon, during a five-month road trip across the US. My travelling companion and I had talked to a ranger the day before to ask get advice on a hike; he recommended that we do what he called a relatively challenging, but easily manageable day hike. We started off the next morning at 3am so we could see the sun rise. It was absolutely stunning, and because we started so early we had the whole trail to ourselves. The hike down Kaibab and along the canyon on tonto was long but not difficult - our spirits were up and we were absorbed in the scenery around us. We reached the bright angel trail earlier than expected, and after a quick lunch we started the long trek upward. The ranger had told us it would take twice as long to get up as it did to get down, so we were prepared for a trek, but we didnt realise what was in store for us. It was on our way up, talking to fellow hikers, that we found out 3 things. 1. Wed hiked three quarters of the way down the canyon, not half 2. Just the hike from where we met the Bright Angel trail to the top was a journey that took most people an entire day (whereas wed already hiked eight or so miles) 3. The hike we would complete was around 12-15 miles, not nine. It was very good we didnt see that ranger again. The ascent was endless, and after almost three hours of pushing upwards we made it to the top, so exhausted and in pain that we felt physically ill. The next morning I woke up, and to this day I have never been in so much pain, I felt like I had the flu and had been hit by a truck at the same time, every small movement was painful. You are probably thinking that this sounds like the worst day ever, but it was the exact opposite. To this day it is the most challenging thing I have ever done, both mentally and physically, and despite all the pain I loved it because it showed me how strong I really am. I loved it equally because I was surrounded by the most breath-taking scenery I have ever experienced. I have never been so in awe of nature. I will always remember the beauty and overwhelming magnitude, walking down into the canyon at sunrise, the cliffs a startling red against the glow of the sky, or the amazing silence when we were standing in the valley, surrounded by tall cacti, the canyon walls looming high above us, colossal as giants. That is without a doubt, the most incredible day of travel in my life (so far). I would love to hear your favourite day of travel, so feel free to comment! Unfortunately, The Content Is Not Here You have arrived at this page because the page or post you were looking for no longer exists. Please check our main navigation pages for other content: Home Page Death of British woman on Phukets Muay Thai street confirmed as suicide PHUKET: Police have today (Jan 9) confirmed that the death of the 26-year-old British woman found dead in a room on Phukets famed Muay Thai street, Soi Ta-iad in Chalong on Saturday morning (Jan 7) was caused by suicide. deathsuicidepolice By Yutthawat Lekmak Monday 9 January 2017, 12:24PM Police question people outside the room where the body of Ms Brown was found. Photo: Phuket Raumjai Rescue Foundation On Saturday morning, Lt Somkiet Sarasit, an inspector from Chalong Police Station, told The Phuket News that he had received information that a British woman had been found dead earlier that morning when her partner discovered her body. However, at that time he was dealing with another incident but said that he would deal with the death as soon as he become available. (See story here.) Today, Lt Somkiet confirmed to The Phuket News that CCTV footage showed that the woman, 26-year-old Abigail Louise Brown from Plymouth, England, returned alone to her room on Soi Ta-iad at 3:20am on Saturday morning. Some three hours later, at 6:20am, her boyfriend, who police declined to name, returned to the room to find Ms Brown hanged from the door of the room by a bedsheet. Lt Somkiet said, The autopsy report from Vachira Phuket Hospital states that there were no traces of assault on Ms Browns body. The only injuries found were around her neck, and that these coincide with her being hanged by the bedsheet, he said. He also said that Ms Browns relatives had been informed of the death and that her body was being flown back to the United Kingdom on Thursday (Jan 12). Or investigation into this incident is now closed, he said. Italian teens arrested, charged with insulting national flag PHUKET: Two Italian teenagers have been arrested and charged with desecrating Thailands national flag after they were caught on video pulling down flags hung from awnings in central Krabi while being drunk. culturecrimealcoholpolicetourism By Bangkok Post Monday 9 January 2017, 05:23PM The footage from a closed-circuit camera shows one of the tourists pulling down a Thai national flag in front of a shophouse on Soi Maharaj 4, Muang Krabi district, on Saturday (Jan 7). Photo: via Bangkok Post Officers from Muang Krabi Police Station, accompanied by immigration and tourist police, arrested the men identified only as Tobias, 20, and Ian, 18, this morning (Jan 9) according to Thai media. They were apprehended at a guesthouse on Soi Maharaj 2 in Pak Nam subdistrict, just two sois from where the incident took place. During interrogation, the two tourists allegedly admitted to being the men on the videos, saying the incident happened after they left a pub. They were very drunk and could not remember what they had done. The Italian tourists performed a wai and apologised to Krabi residents and the Thai public for what happened. We were really very drunk, we like the Thai people and we like the Thai culture, Tobias told local media. We didnt know about the [flag protection] law. And we just want to say we're really very sorry. Lt Khunsawai Khunno, Deputy Investigation Chief at Muang Krabi Police Station, said the men were initially charged with colluding to damage other peoples property and desecrating the national flag. The incident occurred in front of shophouses decorated with national flags on Soi Maharaj 4 at 3:30am on Saturday (Jan 7). Ian was filmed pulling on a hanging flag and Tobias ripped down four more flags including the one grabbed by his friend who looked on, laughing. Tobias later pushed two flower pots while walking away. Under the Thai criminal law, anyone found guilty of desecrating flags or state symbols is subject to a jail term not exceeding two years and a fine up to B4,000 or both. The Thai Flag Act also stipulates penalties a six-month prison term and a B1,000 fine for such actions. Read original story here. Little respite for ravaged Central, South SOUTH: Thirteen provinces in the lower Central region and the South have been warned to brace for more possible flash floods as heavy rain is forecast over the next day or so, according to the Meteorological Department. disastersmilitarymarineweather By Bangkok Post Monday 9 January 2017, 09:24AM Surat Thani residents forced from their homes sleep outside a Lotus mini-mart, which provided flood victims with free food. Photo: Post Today Outbreaks of heavy to very heavy rain are forecast for the 13 provinces from today (Jan 9) until tomorrow (Jan 10) as an active low pressure cell over the Andaman Sea and the west coast of the South moves north slowly into the Gulf of Martaban and Myanmar, according to the weather bureau. The 13 provinces are Phetchaburi and Prachuap Khiri Khan in the lower Central region, and Chumphon, Surat Thani, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Phatthalung, Songkhla, Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun in the South. People should be prepared for severe weather conditions and possible flash floods caused by forest run-off from now until tomorrow, and should closely follow weather forecast updates. A strong northeast monsoon still prevails over the Gulf of Thailand and the South, causing waves of up to 2-3 metres high in the Gulf and Andaman Sea. All vessels should proceed with caution, and small boats should remain ashore for the next few days. According to the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department, the floods have ravaged 10 provinces in the region since the New Year, with the situation starting to ease in Yala and Ranong. More than 958,000 people have been affected, with 19 people killed and one missing. In Songkhla, fourteen of the 16 districts of the southern provinces have been declared flood disaster areas. Only Na Thawi and Thepha districts were spared the designation. The air force deployed a C-130 military transport aircraft to carry relief items, essentials, food, drinking water and flat-bottomed boats to Wing 56 based in Songkhla where they were distributed to flood victims, particularly in Nakhon Sri Thammarats Cha-uat district which is among the areas hardest hit by floods. In Nakhon Sri Thammarat, while floodwater levels remained high in some districts on the outskirts such as Cha-uat, Chian Yai, Chalerm Prakiat, Phra Phom, Tham Phannara, Nop Phi Tham, and Sichon flood levels began to recede in the provincial municipality, with road surfaces becoming visible. The main roads in central Nakhon Sri Thammarat Ratchadamnoen and Pattanakarn Khukwang roads were opened to all types of vehicles, though some communities were still submerged in 50-centimetre-high water. Government agencies and private companies yesterday (Jan 8) set up kitchens at several locations and cooked food for flood victims. Rawadee Hotel in Muang district of Nakhon Sri Thammarat has also provided free accommodation for flood victims. Capt Apichart Tinnaluck, head of a water-propelling operation unit based in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, said huge waves forced the navys giant dock landing ship, HTMS Angthong, to dock at a port of Songkhla, instead of a port at Nakhon Sri Thammarats Pak Panang district as originally planned. From Songkhla, a total of 50 water-propelling boats were unloaded from the ship and carried on trucks to Nakhon Sri Thammarats Hua Sai and Pak Panang districts to support the draining of floodwater to the sea. Each boat has the capacity of propelling 24 cubic metres of water per minute, Capt Apichart added. In Trang, Governor Siripat Pattakul alerted flood-prone areas along the Banthat mountain range in Muang, Huai Yot, Na Yong, Yan Ta Khao, Palian districts, and those living on islands and near high hills, of possible forest run-off and mudslides as heavy rain had continued unabated in the province. While flooding in most areas in Trang began to recede, floods remained high in areas along the banks of the Trang River as they took in water from upstream locations. In Chumphon, Watjana Watjanakupt, head of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office, said the flood situation in Lang Suan district was still critical, with flood levels as high as one metre in low-lying areas, which was affecting local morale. At this stage, cooked food is the most essential for flood victims, she said, adding that more than 47,000 people in Chumphon have been affected. Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said yesterday that the Interior Ministry has contacted the Comptroller-Generals Department to quickly allocate an additional budget of B50 million each to the flooded southern provinces. Read original story here. Phuket Governor calls for more donations to help flood victims in the South PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan today repeated his call for residents and businesses across the island to donate items to help those in need in the flood-stricken provinces across Southern Thailand. weatherdisasterscharity By Yutthawat Lekmak Monday 9 January 2017, 05:43PM Phuket Governor Chockchai Dejamornthan (centre, right) is on hand in person to say thank you for donations of relief supplies for flood victims across Southern Thailand. Photo: PR Dept The first shipment of flood-relief items were dispatched from Phuket to Nakhon Sri Thammarat on Saturday (Jan 7). The items included rice, dried food, drinking water and medicines to be distributed to flood victims throughout Southern Thailand, Gov Chockchai told The Phuket News today (Jan 9). Thank you to everyone for coming together to help the flood victims. So far we have received donations of flood-relief items with a total value of about B300,000, as well as B18,900 baht in cash, but we need more Gov Chockchai said. Most of the people in the flood-stricken areas have no clean water, and with no electricity they have no way of cooking, so they need canned foods. These foods must must be in convenient packaging and easy to open, he said. Among the items suggested for donations are rice, canned fish, dried food, drinking water, sanitary towels, flashlights, medicines, mosquito repellent, dish-washing liquid, toilet paper, among other daily necessities. The flood-relief donations centre at Phuket Provincial Hall is open to receive donations from 8:30am to 10pm. Donations may also be made at any local administration office (OrBorTor or municipality) or District Office on the island, said Chatchai Pormlert, Director of the Phuket office Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket). The main donations centre at Provincial Hall will remain open every day until further notice, he added. Together, we can mobilise our assistance to the best of our ability to help people who have suffered and we can overcome this crisis together, Mr Chatchai said. The flood-relief donations centre at Phuket Provincial Hall can be contacted by calling 076-354 875 (Thai-speaker recommended). We value your privacy. Focus Taiwan (CNA) uses tracking technologies to provide better reading experiences, but it also respects readers' privacy. Click here to find out more about Focus Taiwan's privacy policy. When you close this window, it means you agree with this policy. 212 center lane construction begins, project to be done mid-November Westbound Highway 212 traffic will temporarily be single lane so center turn lane pavement can be set. Left turns will be restricted. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Monday blamed Pakistan and the separatists leaders for inciting violence and planning conspiracies in the Kashmir Valley. While replying to a debate in the state assembly on last year's unrest in the Valley, Mehbooba said: "When issues like Kashmiri Pandit Colony and Sainik Colony did not work, the killing of Burhan Wani was used to trigger unrest." Mehbooba said: "Pakistan and the separatists derailed the dialogue process by shutting doors on the all-party delegation because they had made preparations for the Valley unrest in advance." Defending the security forces' handling of the situation, the Chief Minister said: "When a mob attacks a police station with petrol bombs, stones and axes, it becomes difficult to exercise restraint." She also announced compensation of Rs. Five lakh to every family that lost a member to firing by security forces and a government job for those blinded by pellets during the unrest which lasted nearly five months. The Chief Minister also promised punishment to those guilty of using excessive force. The five-month-long unrest, which sparked off after the killing of militant leader Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, left more than 100 persons dead. She said the death of a college lecturer and an ATM guard during the unrest would be probed. The security forces were blamed for the killing of the ATM guard in Srinagar and the lecturer in Pulwama district. Around 1947 when the British were leaving India and Angami Zapu Phizo was contemplating on questioning the concept of Indian nationhood and raise the banner of an independent Naga nation, he approached Major R Khathing, popularly known as Major Bob Khathing, and broached the subject. Khathing asked Phizo if he was contemplating a concept encompassing the entire Northeastern region. Phizo replied No and added that the primary concern was for the Nagas only. Khathing then told him that he was sorry that he could not go along with him on the Nagas-only policy. Khathing, like the NSCN chief Th Muivah, was born in Ukhrul, Manipur and belonged to the Tangkhul tribe. While Phizo went into the bush later on, Khathing went on to become a minister in the interim government that ruled Manipur between 1947 and 1949 when it was made to merge with India. Khathing then went on to liberate Tawang for India from the Tibetan authorities in 1952, ultimately retiring as Indias ambassador to Burma. The Khathing cue for a unified Northeastern region struggle was later picked up by SS Khaplang, the man who now heads the NSCN(K). RK Sanayaima of the United National Liberation Front and Ulfas Paresh Barua came some 50 years down the line. Chronologically speaking, the Nagas have missed two important historical buses. The first was in 1953 when Prime Minister Nehru, accompanied by then Burmese Premier U Nu, visited Kohima. That was the time the Nagas ought to have impressed upon Nehru to have the Hukong Valley in Burma and what is termed as eastern Nagaland, merge with the Naga Hills district of Assam. There was a strong possibility that U Nu could have agreed, for Nehru had just given up all Indian claims on the Kabaw Valley in Burma, that earlier belonged to Manipur. The then Assamese deputy commissioner of the Naga Hills, did not allow a Naga delegation to meet Nehru to submit a memorandum. In protest, the spectators started leaving the meeting Nehru was addressing. After that incident Nehru never visited the Naga Hills, even after it attained statehood in 1963. They missed the second bus in 1963. That was when Nagaland became the 16th state. That was the time when they should have bargained with Delhi to also include Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur for, after all, the Tuensang area of then North East Frontier Agency (now Arunachal Pradesh) was being amalgamated with the Naga Hills district of Assam. Nothing much would have happened in Manipur save for a satyagraha led by the late Moirang Koireng and perhaps a lathi charge or there would have been some casualties. The matter would have rested there. But the next year, in 1964, the United National Liberation Front was formed. It had a Kuki as its chairman, a Naga as vice-chairman and a Meitei as its general secretary. And the UNLF took up arms to liberate Manipur from the Indian occupational forces and this included areas which, Muivah and company are today claiming to be part of greater Nagalim. Therein lies the problem and it has been further compounded by the fact that the Imphal valley saw the emergence of groups like the PLA, Prepak, KCP and the KYKL by the late 1970s. Later, all of them, fought for the liberation of Manipur, including the Naga-inhabited areas. Although these groups entered into urban guerrilla warfare, they were equally apt at making the hills their hunting ground, once the preserve of the Naga insurgents. It is said that when Muivah was studying in Gauhati University he once befriended a Meitei Brahmin academic who would not permit him to step inside his house. I believe that was the moment when he started hating the Meitei commnity. Little does Muivah realise that all the Meitei Hindus are still subjected to the same sacred and profane of the Meitei/Manipuri Brahmins stance, where social relations with the non-Brahmin Meiteis are concerned. I recollect that my father, who by virtue of being the first engineering graduate of Manipur, had held a very high position in society, but when he hosted a community feast at home, his driver would sit ahead of him because he happened to be a Brahmin by birth. Last year I met two important Nagas of Manipur. One hailed from Ukhrul and was an academic before becoming a minister and the other was a cabinet minister in numerous ministries in Manipur. To the second one, who hailed from Senapati district, I asked Tell me what wrong have the Meiteis have done to the Nagas so as to blame them for all the ills of the community. And as a former PWD minister you know that there exists a Tribal Sub-Plan in the planning documents of the state and also that all contract works in the Naga areas were only given to the Nagas. He laughed and said, If we dont blame the Meiteis for our plight what else can we tell them while asking for votes. To the academic-turned-politician, I recollected how during my tenure as a member of the State Human Rights Commission, I had toured Ukhrul and registered over 20 cases in two days all relating to cases of non-completion of school buildings, road constructions abandoned half-way and, dispensary buildings left incomplete. And while issuing notices to the state authorities over these issues relating to Right to Education, Healthcare, good communication, sanitation and safe drinking water, we had specifically asked them to include the names of the contractors concerned to whom these tasks were initially handed over to. Then, I told him that all the contractors turned out to be local Tangkhuls who had made their fast bucks and left the area to settle down in Imphal. When I asked how could the Tangkhuls blame the Meiteis for not doing development work in their areas, he parried the question and gave an almost academic answer stating that Yes it is true that of late some middle-class Naga tribals have been exploiting the ordinary tribals of the area. He remained silent on the need to blame the Meiteis for it. I also recollect what the maverick W Nipamacha Singh, who as chief minister of the state, had once told a delegation of the United Naga Council in his office chamber, You know that our Maharajah Gambheer Singh had conquered Thibomei (Manipuri for Kohima) but Manipur is now not claiming Kohima, then why should you want parts of Manipur to be included in Nagaland? And he walked out of the meeting. Now coming to the present crisis caused by the more than two month-old economic blockade imposed by the UNC. It is a group about whom Chief Minister Ibobi Singh had written to the Union Home Minister stating that they are a frontal organisation of the NSCN(I-M) and that he should rein them in via Camp Hebron in Dimapur where NSCN(I-M) leaders stay. North Block has not done anything to that effect, hoping the people of the state turn their angst against Ibobi and his Congress government, or in case the matter goes out of hand, use it as a proxy to impose Presidents Rule. All with the objective of installing a BJP-led government after the assembly elections on 4 and 8 March. But all the calculations at Delhi seem to be going haywire. A journalist colleague from Kohima told me that he thought Ibobi was in the ICU but the physicians at Camp Hebron have managed to revive him and is now back on his feet. The UNC, or for that matter the NSCN(I-M), should have realised that Ibobi was scheduled to announce the creation of a Kuki-dominated Sadar Hills District on 1 November the day on which the blockade began but he did not. It was only in mid-November when Ibobis helicopter came under fire at Ukhrul and prevented him from inaugurating a hospital there, that he made up his mind to create a Sadar Hills District, now named Kangpokpi, and Jiribam. The UNC had initially opposed its creation and that is the raison detre for the economic blockade but he also added five other new districts, obviously keeping in mind the forthcoming polls. What the Centre failed to gauge was the fact that it was Ibobis act of blocking Muivah from entering Manipur in 2010 that had returned him to power in the 2012 assembly polls. And ever since 2001 when the NDA government extended the Nagaland ceasefire to Manipurs four hill districts after the Bangkok Agreement with the NSCN(I-M) following which the assembly and several other buildings were torched and in which 18 protesters were killed Muivah has been a persona non grata in Manipur at least to the Meiteis. And, the moment Ibobi appears to be opposing Muivah, his popularity takes an upward swing. And the Centre seems to have overlooked the presence of the Kukis, the other major tribe of Manipur, whom Muivah had attempted to wipe off the face of the state through his ethnic cleansing pogrom, killing over 1,000, injuring many and uprooting hundreds of villages between 1992 an 1994. And the Nagas in the three new districts of Kamjong, Tengnoupal and Noney are definitely going to vote for the Congress and so are the other new districts. Ibobi seems poised for a historic comeback for the fourth term. And with the UNC refusing to lift the ongoing blockade until their leaders Gaidon Kamei and information secretary SK Stephen, are released from custody, Ibobi Singhs dream of the blockade continuing till the elections may come true. For if he now signs for their unconditional release, he will be committing political hara-kiri. (The writer is the Imphal-based special representative of The Statesman) The duty of a judge is to sustain judicial balance and not to cause trauma to adjudication process, the Supreme Court has ruled while setting aside an order of the Hyderabad High Court directing the police not to arrest three accused in a riots case. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra also said courts should oust "unscrupulous litigants" from invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the court at the drop of a hat to file an application for quashing of an FIR or investigation. The court allowed an appeal filed by the Telangana government in which it had said that whether the high court, while refusing to exercise its inherent powers under Section 482 of CrPC, can restrain the probe agency from arresting the accused persons during the course of probe. The bench also comprising Justice Amitava Roy said that while entertaining petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution or Section 482 of CrPC, a high court should exercise "judicial restraint". "It is the duty of a judge to sustain the judicial balance and not to think of an order which can cause trauma to the process of adjudication. It should be borne in mind that the culture of adjudication is stabilised when intellectual discipline is maintained and further when such discipline constantly keeps guard on the mind," the bench said. "The courts should oust and obstruct unscrupulous litigants from invoking the inherent jurisdiction of the court at the drop of a hat to file an application for quashing of launching an FIR or investigation and then seek relief by an interim order. It is the obligation of the court to keep such unprincipled and unethical litigants at bay," the court said. "What needs to be stated here is that the states where Section 438 CrPC has not been deleted and kept on the statute book, the high court should be well advised that while entertaining petitions under Article 226 of the Constitution or Section 482 CrPC, exercise judicial restraint," it said. The end of December saw India undertake a successful launch of the nuclear-capable Agni V missile, with an expected range of over 5,000 kilometres. The missile achieved its objective and landed off Australian waters. The present launch was from a canister, rather than a mobile launcher, for which it is being designed, implying more test launches are due, prior to its final induction into service. Almost simultaneous was the final test launch of the 4,000 km range Agni IV missile. This is set for induction into service. These launches have already become a sore issue in the immediate neighbourhood. Adverse comments on the launch have flowed from China and Pakistan, which is but natural. Though the missile can reach as far as central Europe, there has been no criticism from western nations. The test has put India on a platform which few nations have been able to achieve and that too at a marginal cost. It has altered the dynamics of the region and has immense strategic implications, mainly in the Asian region. The DRDO should be complimented for having achieved this milestone. China, other than claiming that such a test has impacted security of the region, also pulled out a leaf from an almost defunct UN resolution on limitation of missile ranges which nations could develop. It went further and threatened that if the world community does not restrict Indias growing missile programme, it would not sit idle, but support Pakistan to obtain parity. This was indication enough of Chinas desperate desire to counter Indias growing military power, by bolstering Pakistan, thus compelling India to always consider a two-front war as a reality. The Chinese criticism was a result of losing an advantage which it always held over India. For decades, China refused to resolve the border dispute, knowing it held all the aces. The offensive strike corps is still years away from being effective and even once raised would only threaten limited parts of Tibet. After all, the Indian economy is still one fifth of China and the defence budget is way below. India only has the potential to defend its borders against Chinese transgressions. Till the construction of strategic border roads, which is woefully behind schedule, there would always be avenues open for the Chinese to transgress. The Indian Air Force does possess a technical advantage over the Chinese in terms of employability due to terrain configuration, though not in numbers. To further enhance its capability, the air force has planned to induct the first Rafale squadron in the North East, and is also in the process of deploying a Hercules C 130 squadron there. The Indian Navy holds an edge at present but it may not for long, as China is rapidly developing its naval power. Yet confrontations with the Chinese would remain localised and be land-based. China possessed nuclear capability to target most Indian cities, while India in retaliation could not target the Chinese mainland. Hence, it was disadvantaged. The development of the Agni IV and V has upset this critical balance. All major cities of China are now within Indian missile range, eliminating Chinese superiority. Also, Agni V would be launcher-based, implying it can be moved, deployed and then employed, maintaining surprise and avoiding detection. Chinese nuclear missiles, on the other hand, are silo-based, hence immobile and can be engaged, prior to launch. The presence of a Chinese nuclear submarine in Karachi port last week was an indicator of Chinese attempts to display its proximity to Pakistan and indicate opening of a new front in the Arabian Sea against India. It would in time commence deployment of naval vessels in Gwadar. It has also leased the Hambantota port in Sri Lanka for 99 years. Therefore, clearly India requires strategic deterrence. India was quick to counter Chinese objections, stating that its strategic capabilities are not targeted against any specific nation. Both India and China have a no first use declared nuclear policy, which implies that neither nation would be the first to launch nuclear weapons. Recent comments by the defence minister on the need to re-visit the nuclear doctrine and re-consider the no first use policy would create doubt in Chinese minds. For Pakistan, it is simply a case of sour grapes. In strategic terms, this development means nothing to them. The entire country was already within Indias existing nuclear missiles range. There is, however, a feeling of having fallen behind India in missile technology, which the nation is unwilling to accept. It would therefore seek equity with India, with Chinese assistance. Simultaneously, it would support Chinese claims and cry hoarse on this development impacting security and stability in the subcontinent. India, like always, would ignore Pak objections. Interestingly, no other nation in the subcontinent has commented on the Indian test. The world order is changing. Indias proximity with the US and Japan would remain to counter Chinese hegemony. It was for this reason that the Japanese press hailed Indias achievement. India always sought closer interaction with China, especially since the present government came to power, but China openly indicated its preference by blocking Indias entry into the NSG and employing its veto to prevent declaring Masood Azhar an international terrorist. It is unlikely to even accept Indias entry into the UN Security Council. Its proximity to Pakistan grows by the day, as the CPEC becomes a reality. India already has the military capability to limit Chinese misadventures, but lacked nuclear deterrence. It is evident that irrespective of any military parity or near parity with China, the future would continue to have China and Pakistan colluding against India. Thus, to ensure security of the nation and ward away supposed Chinese threats, we must possess a viable strategic missile capability. The writer is a retired Major General of the Indian Army. The most fashionable word after Brexit and Trump's triumph in 2016 as US President-elect was post-truth, roughly defined as the cherry-picking of data to support emotive politics. If there is no truth or objective facts, because all media is subject to manipulation, then are we living in Alt-Future, an alternative future where there are no truths, only selective lies? The Nazi propaganda chief Goebbels was reputed to have said that if you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. Allow me to be brutally honest objective truths are theoretical fictions truth, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder, just as history is written by the victors. We have grown up in the age of science, in which there are theoretically, immutable laws of nature, which we can test or repeatedly test to verify. But human behavior is always changing, just as time moves forward, so that observations about human nature do not conform to laws of nature. There is always an element of uncertainty, which means that truths about human behavior, especially its predictability, is always subjective, never fully objective. We are living in an post-truth age, because the newly elected leader of the United States, the dominant global economy, is quite economical with his facts, opinions and policies, which are clearly not what we are used to under past US leaders. If the new victor starts re-writing history, then will Trump's post-truth become the New Normal for alternative futures? Mr. Trump was elected, because his electoral supporters are so fed up with the conventional wisdom that if the sane does not work, try the insane. The established newspapers and television, including Hillary Clinton, were so concerned with the inconsistencies of Mr. Trump with known facts that they spent all the time attacking him. They failed to recognize that a large part of the electorate were already not listening they wanted a change from the present. Living in an Information Age, where we are bombarded by massive doses of information in 247 real-time, most of us have difficulty discerning fact from fiction. The events of the last decade, revealed through WikiLeaks and Snowden, have shown that fact is often more spectacular than fiction. These facts are unfolding before our very eyes how the Russian ambassador can be assassinated before TV cameras, how terrorists can shoot up Christmas festivities. It is therefore not surprising that we are easily fooled by small lies, white lies and big lies. How should we cope in this age of post-truths? To answer this, we need to understand what is considered to be truth. Ancient philosophers like Aristotle and Aquinas basically argue that truth is what corresponds to facts. But modern philosophers like Bertrand Russell reject this because truth then becomes ideal, which may not correspond with facts. Some facts are believable or verifiable, whereas lies can be proven to be false. Note that if my experience was such that a lie worked for me, I may not believe a fact even if it is shown to me. Human beings love to delude themselves inconvenient truths are covered up by convenient lies. The issue of truth or falsehood lies at the heart of human behavior, because everyday we have to make decisions on whether to cooperate or not cooperate humans work with each other through the process of exchange, trade or bargaining based on the available information that each has. Software specialists and management consultants today recommend that we deal with information overload through Big Data, using sophisticated computer programs to analyse all sorts of data. That itself is not strictly fact. The old adage garbage in, garbage out remains true if Big Data is fed lots of faulty data, you can get misleading or even wrong results. All you have achieved is to pay lots more to get more rubbish conclusions the only justification that since it was very expensive, the result must be very good. This is another case of what psychologists call cognitive dissonance, when individuals feel discomfort being confronted with contradictory beliefs or facts. The Nobel Laureate Thomas Schelling (1921-2016) who only just passed away last month, was awarded his prize for his work on improving understanding of conflict and cooperation through game-theory analysis. His seminal work The Strategy of Conflict (1960) was very influential in social theory because he moved away from the idealist work of game theory on social co-operation towards the more realistic work of conflicts. In other words, life is not just about giving rewards for good behaviour, but actual and credible threats that enforces good behaviour. Post-truths are alteration of facts to induce social behaviour in line with what those in charge want. The left-leaning liberals push for soft incentives like rewards and subsidies, whereas the right-leaning hard-liners push for hard incentives like punishment, law-enforcement and walls to protect against immigrants and outsiders. What we can assess from known facts is that society has moved far more right, in which conflict and possible war is an outcome to solve problems for the US. It is by no means clear that the existing institutions of checks and balance within the US can stop this trend becoming reality. This means that life has become much more complicated for everyone, especially in Asia, because we can be sure that there will be more bashing of China, Iran or whoever that disagrees with the Trump Administration. We are using the language of computers more and more to communicate with each other. Post-truths can easily become Alt-facts, Shift-news or Ctrl-data information on our keyboard or screens that someone wants us to consider as truths. What do we normally do when we get into such messy computer situations? We press Ctrl+Alt+Del and go for Reset. Be prepared for Alt-Futures of greater uncertainty. The writer, a former Central banker, comments on global issues from an Asian perspective. Any dying man would be a doctors special concern. But this one was very special for my uncle. He sat close to the gasping man and whispered, I am the one you sent for. He had just taken out the two bullets the police had used to take the man down and knew the damage was extensive and irreparable. All he could do now was to help reduce his pain and find out why he had specifically asked for him. He knew the man as Ram, but almost certainly that wasnt his real name. Three years ago some farmers had found Ram at the edge of their field, dying of bullet wounds, and had carried him to uncles clinic in the country. He was 68, a country doctor who had become a legend in his lifetime and drew patients from over twenty villages in eastern India. A large man, with silver hair and a walrus moustache, he was the calmest of listeners and gentlest of healers. He treated many of his poor patients free and I marveled to see his eyes mist when women or children spoke of their pain. Ram had said that he had been robbed and then shot by hoodlums. He teetered on the verge of death for weeks before he recovered. Because he now walked with a limp and could not return to his work as a day labourer, my uncle hired him as a domestic. The children liked him, and he became a part of the family. One day he disappeared, about as suddenly as he had originally appeared. My uncle missed him, but when others commented on Rams ingratitude in leaving without a word, he said, We dont know why he left so suddenly. So lets not guess. We shouldnt judge until we know. A shattering blow came in less than a month. Ram, it turned out, was no day labourer. He led a notorious gang of outlaws and had been shot, not by hoodlums, but by the police in a violent encounter. Worse, when he had left, he had stolen my uncles hunting rifle, using his position as a trusted domestic. Since rejoining his gang, Ram had shot and killed two policemen with the gun. Now my uncle was implicated, because the police presumed that he had allowed the misuse of his gun or at least been negligent in its safekeeping. After grilling him for three days in the district court, the authorities let my uncle go but cancelled his gun license. The public humiliation was his worst punishment. Now, after more than two years, a police car had fetched him to the bedside of a dying man who did not want any doctor but my uncle. Ram said, Doctor, you saved my life once. In return, I stole from you. He paused, and added, Please forgive me if you can. Those were his last words. The writer is a Washington-based international development advisor and had worked with the World Bank. He can be reached at [email protected] A century has passed since Dr BR Ambedkar (1891-1956) wrote a perceptive article on caste. It is shameful that the original of this article remained unnoticed in academic discourses on caste. The distinguished French anthropologist Louis Dumont (1911-1998) in his book, Homo Hierachicus (1966), viewed caste as the typical expression of the Indian mind and culture in which hierarchy and inequality were deemed to be natural. This ran counter to the modern western notion of equality and democracy. The anti-Dumont scholars like the American anthropologist Mckim Marriott gave more emphasis on the local and regional variations in caste perceptions. In the 1950s, the noted Indian sociologist, MN Srinivas, propounded a theory of social mobility within the caste system through a process which he termed Sanskritization. Earlier, the famous Bengali anthropologist who was at one time the personal secretary of Mahatma Gandhi proposed a theory of Hindu Method of Tribal Absorption. The Marxist scholars, on the other hand, viewed the caste system as a kind of class formation. An interesting feature of these discourses is the absence of the contributions of one of the most original thinkers on the caste system. He was none other than Ambedkar, who was not only a scholar but was also one of the greatest policy makers of Independent India. His views on caste were also neglected in the anthropology and sociology curricula in Indian universities and colleges. Ambedkar is still a nobody in the anthropology syllabi in the midst of his 125th centenary grandstanding all over the country. The students of anthropology, sociology, history and political science are familiar with such distinguished brains as Louis Dumont, HH Risely, JH Hutton, LSS OMalley, GS Ghurye, DD Kosambi, Nirmal Kumar Bose, Ramkrishna Mukherjee, MN Srinivas, Surajit Sinha, Andre Beteille, Rajni Kothari, Mckim Marriott, Ronald Inden, Bernard Cohn, Nicholas Dirks, and Romila Thapar but not about BR Ambedkar. He has been regarded only as a leader of the Dalits and one of those who framed the Constitution. However, he was not given the status of a scholar in the discourses conducted by social scientists. GS Ghurye, who had introduced the discipline of sociology, in his famous book Caste and Class in India (1957) mentioned the name of Ambedkar only once on page 226 and that too as 'the leader of the Scheduled Castes although he discussed the importance of endogamy (marriage within a social group) in analysing the cast system, which was first pointed out by Ambedkar in his 1916 essay. Neither Indian nor Western anthropologists nor for that matter social scientists gave academic importance to Ambedkars views on caste. Ironically, he remained an untouchable to the higher castes and European discourses on caste in India. As early as 1916, he had made a novel attempt to explain the caste system in a presentation at an anthropology seminar convened by Dr Alexander Goldenweizer (1880-1940) at Columbia University on 9 May 1916. Ambedkar was then 25 and a doctoral student. His paper was titled Castes in India: Their Mechanism, Genesis and Development. It was a pure and detached academic exercise on the nature of the caste system in India and there was no comment on the personal experiences of the writer. The text of this paper was first printed in: Indian Antiquary Vol. XLI (May 1917) and then long after in Vol. I of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar: Writings and Speeches (1979), edited by Vasant Moon and published by the education department of the Government of Maharastra, It was an erudite presentation on the existing anthropological and sociological literature on caste. The style was as lucid as it was argumentative. In the first part of the paper, Ambedkar dealt with the works of four famous scholars like Emile Senart (1847-1928), John Nesfield (1836-1919), SV Ketkar (1884-1937) and HH Risley (1851-1911) and without being biased towards these well-known authorities, he pointed out the shortcomings of all these scholars in understanding the essential feature of the caste system. But his method of criticism was quite interesting. While criticising the authorities, Ambedkar noted the positive aspects of their contributions. It is important to review these definitions. Viewed separately, the definitions of three of the writers include too much or too little: they are neither complete nor correct. They have missed the central point in the dynamics of the caste system. Their shortcoming lies in trying to define caste as an isolated unit by itself, and not as a group within, and with a definite relationship with the system of caste as a whole. Yet collectively all of them are complementary to one another, each emphasizing what has been obscured in the other. [Ambedkar (1917): 1979:7]. Looking at caste as a system in which each jati is part of the whole was definitely a step forward in social and cultural anthropology as early as 1917 and Ambedkar was not ready to accept caste as a system of division of labour which minimised competition among occupational groups. For him the system is a division among the labouring classes rather than division of labour. A closer reading of this article reveals that Ambedkar used the Morganian social evolutionary methodology to approach the basic principle behind the caste system. He observed that marriage outside ones own immediate kin-group ~ represented through clan exogamy ~ was the fundamental and universal feature of human society and in India the state of tribal exogamy has survived whereas in the modern world there is no such system. To quote from the original, with the evolution of history exogamy has lost its efficacy, and barring the nearest blood-kin, there is usually no social bar that restricts the choice of the bride or groom. But in India, the law of exogamy is a positive injunction even today. Society still clings onto the clan system, even though there are no clans. This is evident in the law of matrimony which centres around the principle of exogamy. Not that Sapindas (blood-kin) cannot marry, but a marriage within the same gotra is regarded as sacrilege. This is the logical foundation on which Ambedkar advanced his arguments to elucidate the caste system. He cogently argued that since in India exogamy was the stronger rule, endogamy has been an alien concept in the country. Then how was the caste system so entrenched in India? The manner in which Ambedkar addressed this anomaly is the most interesting part of the original paper. Before going into the details I would quote him again: Nothing is therefore more important for you to remember than the fact that endogamy is foreign to the people of India. The various gotras are and have been exogamous: so are the other groups with totemic organisation. It is no exaggeration to say that with the people of India, exogamy is a creed and none dare infringe it, so much so that, in spite of the endogamy of the castes within them, exogamy is strictly observed and that there are more rigorous penalties for violating exogamy than there are for violating endogamyConsequently in the final analysis creation of castes, so far as India is concerned, means the superposition of endogamy on exogamy. Additionally, Ambedkar explained that since the Brahmins and the Kshatriyas were the most privileged classes, they began to enclose themselves to safeguard their privileges. Later, other groups also emulated the higher classes and the system spread over regions. The writer is retired Professor, Dept of Anthropology, Vidyasagar University Series: Taboo Director: Kristoffer Nyholm Cast: Tom Hardy, Oona Chaplin, Jonathan Pryce, Leo Bill, Richard Dixon, Michael Kelly and David Hayman Taboo, a miniseries co-created by Tom Hardy, has been creating quite a flutter among historians for its overly negative portrayal of the East India Company (EIC). With an impressive pilot episode, it raises expectations. Tom Hardy plays the lead as James Keziah Delaney, a long-lost son who returns to London from Africa just in time for his fathers funeral and a shipping tycoon who was at odds with the EIC because of his land purchases in what is now the United States of America. Set in the 19th century, at a time when the British Empire was at its absolute height and the EIC was ravaging in far corners of the mapped world, Taboos location and plot points are certainly intriguing. With generous amount of profanities and hints at barbaric rituals (hints for now, we may get to see them soon), Hardys brainchild is certainly not for the faint of heart. Sir Stuart Strange(Jonathan Pryce) heads the EIC, and his chilling almost puppet-master like persona makes him the perfect protagonist against Hardys impulsive James Delaney. The Crown (Or is it the EIC? The lines are blurred) are eyeing the Delaneys properties and with a half-sister (Ooona Chaplin) and her covetous husband (Jefferson Hall) thrown in the mix,the stakes are high and a taut tone has been set. One episode is not enough to whet ones appetite, as James alleged desecration in Africa are only shown through brief flashbacks, making him the biggest mystery. To add to that, his shady equation with his half-sister makes for a space indeed worth watching out for. Danger lurks around every corner for James, with no shortage of people to stab him in the back. It would be interesting to see if he can find some allies rather than going alone Dark Knight style ( he even has his own butler!). With the fledgling Unites States growing in power and at war with Her Majestys Crown, one hopes more historical phenomenon are woven into the story as the series progresses. Revealing just a few tasty tidbits from the past of the major characters, Taboo has all the makings of a great miniseries and after Shovels and Keys, one feels the horizon is bloody and brilliant. Senior aides to Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have met recently with top advisers to US President-elect Donald Trump, the government said on Monday, reportedly with the aim of averting a trade war. A spokesman for Trudeau confirmed that the prime minister's principal secretary Gerald Butts and chief of staff Katie Telford have met several times in Washington with Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, and Stephen Bannon, his chief strategist. The Globe and Mail, which first reported the talks, described them as a "bridge-building" exercise and charm offencive that seeks to protect Canada from the impact of protectionist policies espoused by the incoming administration. "This is big stuff we are trying to navigate here," a senior Canadian official was quoted as saying. "We can't lose sight of the fact that the country has faced difficult times with the Americans in the past and we have dealt with it." During the election campaign, Trump vowed to renegotiate or "terminate" the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement, which binds Mexico, the United States and Canada in a largely tariff-free trade bloc. Trump blames NAFTA as well as China for the loss of US manufacturing jobs. Trump's fire has been directed primarily at Mexico but NAFTA has also been the source of US-Canada trade disputes. UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is in the US to hold a series of meetings with President-elect Donald Trump's closest advisers and Congressional leaders. "Following the successful meeting last month between the Prime Minister's (Theresa May) chiefs of staff and President-elect Donald Trump's team, Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson is undertaking a short visit to the US for meetings with close advisers and senior congressional leaders," a spokesman for Johnson's office said before his arrival in New York on Sunday. "The discussions will be focused on UK-US relations and other foreign policy matters," CNN reported citing the spokesman as saying. According to the BBC, Johnson has already met Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kuchner, and Steve Bannon, the US president-elect's strategist. It was the first formal face-to-face meeting between members of the incoming US administration and a British minister. On Monday, Johnson will be in the capital, Washington D.C., to meet key congressional leaders. Johnson's visit comes hours after Trump tweeted he is "very much" looking forward to meeting May. "I look very much forward to meeting Prime Minister Theresa May in Washington in the spring. Britain, a longtime US ally, is very special!" he tweeted. US Senator Ted Cruz met Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-Wen, despite objections from Chinese diplomats. The Republican from Texas, who lost in the US primary elections to President-elect Donald Trump, said in a statement on Sunday that the two discussed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations during the meeting in Houston. "Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike," Cruz said in a statement. Cruz went through with the meeting despite Chinese opposition: "Shortly before our meeting, the Houston congressional delegation received a curious letter from the Chinese consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with President Tsai, and to uphold the 'One China policy," the senator said. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," the Republican continued. "The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." The Taiwanese president was transiting in Houston this weekend en route to Central America, and is slated to return to Taipei after a stopover in San Francisco next weekend. Beijing has asked Washington to bar Tsai from flying through US airspace. A phone call between Trump and Tsai in December, after the Republican businessman won the presidency, upended decades of diplomatic precedent in which Washington has effectively ignored Taipei in favor of Beijing, which considers Taiwan a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold. Trump himself appeared to have ruled out meeting Tsai this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet anybody until he takes office January 20. People watch a statue symbolizing women forced into wartime Japanese military brothels in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Jan. 8, 2017. A South Korean Buddhist monk is in critical condition after setting himself on fire to protest the country's settlement with Japan on compensation for wartime sex slaves, officials said Sunday. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon) Job Title: Resource Mobilization Officer Organisation: Uganda Cancer Fund (UCF) Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda Reports to: Finance & Administration Manager About US: Uganda Cancer Fund (UCF) is a non-profit Non-Governmental Organization whose vision is a Uganda where everybody accesses high quality cancer information, care and support services. Our mission is to reduce the prevalence of cancer and cancer deaths through supporting mass cancer awareness campaigns, cancer screening, cancer care at facility and home, funding hospital cancer screening equipment, cancer drugs, and cancer research. Job Summary: The Resource Mobilization Officer will develop and implement UCF Resource Mobilization Strategy Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities: Keenly review and implementation of UCF Resource Mobilization Strategy; Proactively seek funding opportunities from institutional donors in Uganda and globally; Conduct donor mapping and build strong pipeline of opportunities for major institutional donors; Build, initiate and strengthen relationships with donors at the National, Regional and International levels and lead in programmes that will facilitate this; Research and analyze donor calls for funding applications including expressions of interest and requests for proposals; Offer technical support and advice on grant proposal development to the programme team members; Raise an agreed grant target from institutional donors and bilateral donors; Capacity building of staff and partners to improve quality of project design and quality of proposals; Develop innovative approaches in mobilizing non-financial resources locally and internationally; and develop a strategy for obtaining this regularly; Ensure coordinated management of proposal development processes and submission of high quality funding applications in a timely manner; Effectively link donor interests with the organizations Strategic and Programmatic priorities; Build strong partnerships with other development partners, agencies and networks for future consortia formations. Experience: Qualifications, Skills andExperience: The ideal candidate should hold a University degree in Economics, Project Planning, Social sciences or related development field with demonstrated evidence of securing funding from major institutional donors, and other funding agencies. A Masters degree in a related development field is an added advantage; At least five years of relevant professional experience in a related field and in non-profit resource mobilization; Excellent track record in fundraising and resource mobilization at local, regional and international levels; Proven computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft software including MS Word processing, Power point presentation, Excel spreadsheets, e-mail and web-based research; Proven skills in effectively working, coordinating and negotiating with local institutions and organizations, donors, embassies, and other development partners; Excellent networking and partnership building skills with experience in networking with local and international NGOs, CSOs, donors, Ministry-level partners, and other organizations; Extensive knowledge of various donor requirements and proven ability to develop and write winning grants proposals; Extensive knowledge in Programme planning, design development and management; Proven ability in grant management reporting; Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team environment; Dynamic, self-motivated and ability to work independently; Team builder and player. The ideal candidate should possess a very good command of written and spoken English; How to Apply: All suitably qualified and interested candidates should send a letter of interest, updated CV, copies of your transcripts and two professional referees to The Executive Director, Uganda Cancer Fund to: fundforcancer@gmail.com Deadline: 12th January, 2017 Petrol pumps across the nation will stop accepting credit and debit cards from Monday in protest against additional charge of upto 1 per cent on card transactions, the All India Petroleum Dealers Association (AIPDA) said on Sunday. In a letter to Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, AIPDA President Ajay Bansal wrote that the HDFC and other banks will start charging 1 per cent on all credit card transactions, and between 0.25 and 1 per cent on all debit card transactions from Monday. "The same will be debited to petroleum dealers' account and net transaction value will be credited to our account... This will lead to financial loses for the dealers," Bansal wrote. He said that the AIPDA has decided to stop accepting payment through credit and debit cards till the decision to levy these additional charges are reversed. However, he added, if any bank is not charging additional MDR and corresponds the same to the association, the petrol pumps having Point of Sale (POS) devices of those banks will keep accepting cards. AIPDA West Bengal unit's General Secretary Saradindu Pal told IANS: "If banks start levying fees, it will cause squeezing of dealers' margin." AIPDA's decision comes at a time when the centre had directed state-run oil companies to offer a 0.75 percent discount on the price of petrol and diesel to consumers paying by cards or mobile wallets to encourage people towards digital payments. "This discount amount was supposed to be reimbursed to the dealers, but is not being executed properly," Pal said. He said dealers have been working on a low margin and demanded raising the dealers' commission to 5 percent from the existing rate of 3 percent taking petrol and diesel together. My parents experienced the anguish of leaving their small town of Gujarat. Kanu Desai and Lata Desai left India, but India never left them. This award is a celebration of that journey and a reaffirmation of that connection. The most famous Pravasi, Mahatma Gandhi tried to make a change to the lives of his people and in the process changed the world, said Nisha Desai Biswal, assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia in the United States Department of State, during her acceptance speech at the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman 2017, on behalf of all the 30 awardees from across 23 countries. Biswal traced the journey of the Indian diaspora on foreign lands, their struggle to establish themselves in a new land and their strife to retain the emotional and cultural ties with India. Expressing hope of deepening ties between the diaspora and their families back in India, she recalled how the emigrants were accused of betraying their motherland by their own people. The diaspora faced many challenges. Finally, they stopped hiding and started sharing. The result of such struggles has placed the diaspora as leaders in public life. Indian-Americans are omnipresent, be it as CEOs of Mastercard or Google, they have blended with the rich American tapestry. The Indo-American ties is a defining partnership of the 21st century and has been put to test in the recent times. But our shared values have established deeper ties, said Biswal. Sharing her experience as the first Indian-American to hold the top, Biswal said, Often I am asked how I prioritise between my home country and the country of my citizenship. But the best part was the interests of both countries have been common. Our shared values of freedom, democracy, tolerance and pluralism are enshrined in our laws and in our soul, and I define us as nations and people. The Indo-American ties were strengthened decades back even as a young Obama and a young Modi travelled across to understand the shared values. President Pranab Mukherjee who delivered the valedictory speech after conferring the awards expressed concern over the plight of temporary migrants in the Gulf regionSouth East Asiaand pitched for upgradation of their skill. He also felt that concerns of Indian women marrying into NRI families can be effectively addressed by local community organisations. The president also released a book of select speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi between 2014-15 outside India outlining a new vision of India's foreign policy and its place in the world. "One of the largest community of expatriates, amounting to about 31.7 millions, the Pravasi Bhartiya stands out for his innate ability to assimilate and yet maintains his identity. He remains as foremost emissaries of the unfolding Indian story," said Mukherjee. Portugal Prime Minister Antonio Luis Santos da Costa, UK Minister of State for International Development Preeti Patel are also among the awardees. The Central Bureau of Investigation gave permission to a group of Trinamool Congress leaders to meet an arrested party MP drawing criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party. According to insiders, the leaders met Sudip Bandyopadhyay, who was arrested in a chit fund scam, and asked him not to worry about the case. Bandyopadhyay reportedly told them to continue their tirade. The BJP cried foul over the probe agency's decision. Leaders should not have been given permission to meet an accused booked under non-bailable sections without approval of the court, BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said. Sinha said he had a talk with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on this. I requested the prime minister that the ongoing journey of Trinamool leaders to jail should not stop, Sinha said. However, the Trinamool team, led by party secretary general Partha Chatterjee, did not meet another accused Tapas Paul, who, according to sources, revealed much information to the investigating agency in connection with the case. Paul, a former hero of Bengali cinema, had reportedly gave insight to the crime linking Rose Valley boss Gautam Kundu with Tollywood, and revealed the names of actors, who were in touch with Kundu. A day before he was produced in court, Paul had told media that what he would reveal would be nothing but explosion. Investigators in Kolkata said, We have found some valid document about Rose Valley's link with Saradha group. Both were working in tandem and with clear planning shared to each other. CBI has lined up to interrogate as many as a dozen of political leaders, social activists and actors from Tollyganj. Dakshin Vrindavan Gaushala in Nurani in Palakkad is the largest gaushala in Kerala Ashwin Sampatkumars love for cows has no limits. A staunch devotee of Lord Krishna, Ashwin was attached to cows from his toddler days. Krishna is worshipped best while looking after cows, he says. My great-grandfather had around 200 cows in his estate, says Ashwin, 27, who, with the help of a few trustees, manages the Dakshin Vrindavan Gaushala in Nurani in Palakkad, Kerala. It is the largest gaushala in the state. Ashwin and his team rescue cows and bulls from slaughter houses in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and bring them to the gaushala in Palakkad. It is an extremely risky operation. More than rescuing the cows, the post rescue operation and taking care of cows till their natural death are the most challenging part, says Ashwin. Ashwins gaushala is situated in 10 acres and has 100 cows and bulls. We have four full-time workers, a supervisor and a manager, says Ashwin. Ashwin, who is a postgraduate first rank holder in criminal law, says that cows and bulls undergo immense torture while being transported to slaughter houses. I have seen chilli and tobacco being inserted into their eyes and reproductive organs. At a time when there is talk of cow vigilantism tearing apart Indias social structure, there are also instances of cow lovers being threatened and attacked. A few months ago, 60 CPI(M) workers allegedly marched to Ashwins gaushala with arms and sticks, and asked him to abandon the cows and close the gaushala. When he refused, they threatened him with dire consequences. Says Ashwin, We called the police after the mob left. The police warned a few party workers and told them not to meddle with us. But as soon as the police left, the mob came back and threatened us once again. Ashwin says that protection of cows, for him, is not a charity but a social responsibility Union Minister of State for Agriculture S.S. Ahluwalia has lashed out at the CPI(M) workers for threatening Ashwin and his team, This is not acceptable, says Ahluwalia to THE WEEK. Gaushalas are constructed throughout the country under Article 48 of the Constitution. It is the duty of the Kerala government to take steps to improve the breeding of cows and bulls in the state and prevent them from being slaughtered. It should take action against the culprits in this case and let the Dakshin Vrindavan Gaushala function peacefully. Ashwin says that protection of cows, for him, is not a charity but a social responsibility. CPI(M) leader and Palakkad MP M.B. Rajesh says that he is not aware of any such gaushala in Palakkad district. Says Rajesh to THE WEEK, The BJP has a strong presence in Palakkad district. There are so many stray cows and bulls roaming in Palakkad town. People can protect these cows. We have no problems with it. Rajesh, as the president of the youth wing of the CPI(M), had organised a nationwide beef festival in 2015 after the Maharashtra government banned sale and consumption of beef in the state. The lovers of the saffron party in Kerala have targeted me constantly for my stand on beef, says Rajesh. Says Ashwin, This is pathetic. The MP should be knowing about the gaushala. I dont understand why he is speaking like this. I am here purely as a cow lover. I should not be associated with the BJP. A few days ago, a cow gave birth to a calf at a slaughter house in Pathanamthitta district of Kerala. It was saved after people came to know about it. Now, I am bringing the cow and the calf to my gaushala. Both would be looked after well, says Ashwin. Ashwin has plans to open up another gaushala in Kengeri near Bengaluru. Most of the cows we rescue are from Karnataka. A gaushala near Bengaluru would help us, says Ashwin. Deviating from his earlier stand, Samajwadi Party patriarch, Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday admitted that there was some crisis in the party. One person is responsible for this, said Mulayam in an apparent reference to his cousin and party leader Ramgopal Yadav, the main architect of the coup, through which the former chief minister was toppled from the post of national president. Mulayam admitted this in Delhi after meeting the Election Commission officials, and said that he and his son (Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav) would settle the issue. In yet another interesting development, Mulayam has reportedly written a letter to the chairman of the Rajya Sabha urging him to remove Ramgopal Yadav from the post of leader of parliamentary party in the upper house. Mulayam met the poll panel to stake the claim of partys original symbolbicycle. The acerbity between Mulayam and Ramgopal Yadav reached its zenith after the national convention held in Lucknow on January 1. Another important player in this family feud is Mulayams younger brother Shivpal Yadav, who is also against Ramgoapal Yadav. Mulayam is making last minute efforts to tighten his grip over the party. Earlier on Sunday, he unexpectedly reached the party office in Lucknow and told the SP workers to start preparation for the polls. As the workers shouted slogans, Mulayam emphatically told them, Dont indulge in slogan shouting, go and prepare for polls. Everything thing will be OK in the party. I am the president. State-run Chinese tabloid Global Times sounded a warning to US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday only hours after Taiwan's president transited Houston, saying China would seek to "take revenge" should Trump renege on the One-China policy. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen met senior US Republican lawmakers during her stopover in Houston en route to Central America, where she will visit Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala and El Salvador. Beijing had asked Washington not to allow Tsai to enter the United States and that she not have any formal government meetings under the one China policy. "Sticking to (the one China) principle is not a capricious request by China upon US presidents, but an obligation of US presidents to maintain China-US relations and respect the existing order of the Asia-Pacific," said the Global Times editorial. The influential tabloid is published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily. Trump triggered protests from Beijing last month by accepting a congratulatory telephone call from Tsai and questioning Washington's long-standing position that Taiwan is part of one China. He has said he will not meet with Tsai. The Global Times said Beijing did not need to feel grateful to Trump for not meeting Tsai, but added: "If Trump reneges on the One-China policy after taking office, the Chinese people will demand the government to take revenge. There is no room for bargaining." China is deeply suspicious of Tsai, who it thinks wants to push for the formal independence of Taiwan, a self-governing island that Beijing regards as a renegade province, ineligible for state-to-state relations Tsai will travel through the United States again on her way back from Latin America on January13 with a stopover in San Francisco, according to her presidential office. The second stop over will occur before Trump's inauguration on January 20. The Global Times, whose stance does not equate with government policy, also targeted Tsai in the editorial, saying the mainland would likely impose further military pressure on Taiwan, warning that "Tsai needs to face the consequences for every provocative step she takes" "The mainland should mobilise all possible measures to squeeze Taiwan's diplomacy as well as deal a heavy blow to Taiwan's economy," it said. "It should also impose military pressure on Taiwan and push it to the edge of being reunified by force, so as to effectively affect the approval rating of the Tsai administration." Former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani died on Sunday at the age of 82, a big blow to moderates and reformists deprived now of their most influential supporter in the Islamic establishment. He had been described as "a pillar of the Islamic revolution". His pragmatic policieseconomic liberalisation, better relations with the West and empowering elected bodiesappealed to many Iranians but were despised by hardliners. Few have wielded such influence in modern Iran but since 2009 Rafsanjani and his family faced political isolation over their support for the opposition movement which lost a disputed election that year to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Rafsanjani headed the Expediency Council, a body which is intended to resolve disputes between the parliament and the Guardian Council. He was also a member of the Assembly of Experts, the clerical body that selects the supreme leader, Iran's most powerful figure. His absence from that debate, whenever it happens, means the chances of a pragmatist emerging as the next supreme leader are reduced. His death ahead of May's presidential elections is a blow to moderate president Hassan Rouhani who allied himself with Rafsanjani to win the 2013 election and went on to resolve Iran's long standoff with the West on the nuclear programme. "The soul of the great man of the Revolution, symbol of patience and resistance has gone to Heaven," Rouhani tweeted. Abbas Milani, director of the Iranian Studies program at Stanford University, said his death could not have come at a worse time, as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office. "With what is happening in the US and the possible instability that is going to come in US policy you needed a voice of reason and pragmatism that had some heft to it. He was that voice." "Losing that voice is going to make it more likely that any mishap or miscalculation by the Trump team will beget a more unreasonable, more radical, more potentially destructive response by the Iranian regime," he added. Trump had said during his campaign for the White House that he would scrap Iran's pact with world powersunder which Tehran agreed to curb its nuclear program in return for lifted sanctions describing it as "the worst deal ever negotiated". He also said he would not "rip up" the nuclear deal, but that he would "police that contract so tough they dont have a chance." A US State Department official on Sunday described Rafsanjani as a "prominent figure" throughout the history of the Islamic Republic of Iran. "We send our condolences to his family and loved ones," the official said in a statement. Rafsanjani's body was taken to Jamaran prayer hall, the famous residence of the founder of the Islamic Republic Ayatollah Rohullah Khomeini, where many politicians and religious figures gathered to pay their last respects. A crowd also gathered outside the hospital in northern Tehran where Rafsanjani was first taken. "Ayatollah Hashemi Rafsanjani was taken to hospital after a heart attack and more than an hour long efforts by doctors to revive him were not successful," deputy health minister Mohammad Aghajani was quoted as saying by state broadcaster IRIB. Reformist His belief that reforms would help prolong Iran's Islamic governance contrasted with those of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who fears such changes could hasten its demise. Voicing his condolences, Khamenei said that political differences never overshadowed his nearly 60 years of friendship with Rafsanjani. "Attempts by wicked people who tried to take advantage of our differences of opinion never affected his deep personal warmth towards me," Khamenei said in a statement. Rafsanjani's funeral will be held in Tehran on Tuesday. Iran has announced three days of mourning including a public holiday on Tuesday, for Rafsanjani, who was president from 1989 to 1997. Rafsanjani championed improved relations with Gulf Arab states, was known to have good ties with senior Saudi officials and was seen as a key figure who could have resolved rising tensions between the regional rivals in coming years. Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, whose country has tense relations with Iran, voiced condolences on Twitter over Rafsanjani's death. Pakistan on Monday fired its first submarine-launched nuclear-capable cruise missile with a 450 km range in an apparent show of force vis-a-vis nuclear neighbour India. "Pakistan eyes this hallmark development as a step towards reinforcing policy of credible minimum deterrence," said General Mahmood Hayat, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Terming it a major scientific milestone, Gen Hayat said: "It is manifestation of the strategy of measured response to nuclear strategies and postures being adopted in Pakistan's neighbourhood." The Army said in a statement: "Babur-III Submarine-Launched Cruise Missile in land-attack mode, is capable of delivering various types of payloads and will provide Pakistan with a credible second strike capability, augmenting deterrence." The latest test, in the Indian Ocean, came days after India tested its indigenously developed intercontinental surface-to-surface nuclear-capable ballistic missile Agni V. Babur-III is a sea-based variant of Ground Launched Cruise Missile (GLCM) Babur-II, which was successfully tested in December 2016. The missile incorporates state of the art technologies including underwater controlled propulsion and advanced guidance and navigation features, duly augmented by Global Navigation, Terrain and Scene Matching Systems. The missile features terrain hugging and sea skimming flight capabilities to evade hostile radars and air defences, in addition to certain stealth technologies, in an emerging regional ballistic missile defence environment. The test was witnessed by the country's top military leadership. President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and the three services chiefs congratulated the team involved in the project. Donald Trump passed blame freely during his presidential race. He blamed China for monetary fraud, Mexico for sending criminals and drug pushers across the border, NATO countries and other allies such as Japan and Saudi Arabia for making the United States pay their military bills. In the thick of his venom-spewing campaign, India stood out as perhaps the only country for which he proclaimed love, famously saying that Hindus and the Indian community would find a true friend in the White House if he was elected. He went ahead to condemn terror strikes in India, even though he once merged two attacks into one and made it the Parliament attack in Mumbai. He may have muddled up cities, but there was no question about the clarity of his sentiment. In the 13 minutes that he addressed a gathering organised by the Republic Hindu Coalition in New Jersey in October, he made it seem that once he entered the White House, the US and India would become BFFs (best friends forever, to the uninitiated). Come January 20, and its time to see how his Indian romance will unfold. Wooing India, however, is not as simple as dispatching family members to attend Hindu rituals in temples in the US or mouthing sweet nothings. In fact, it may also not always be so much about Trumps direct dealings with India as it may be about how he chooses to waltz with Russia, whether he slays dragons in China and if at all he sends Pakistan to Coventry. Trump, as everyone likes to say, is tabula rasa, and its rather difficult tracing a trajectory for his proposed plans. If anything, his actions as president elect have sent confusing signals. He has named China critic Peter Navarro as his trade adviser and Terry Branstad, a good friend of Chinese President Xi Jinping, as ambassador to China. Going by his other appointments, it becomes obvious that in areas which matter, his team is more knowledgable about Pakistan than India. Cosmetically, there are appointments of people of Indian origin. An early one was Nikki Haley, governor of South Carolina, as US ambassador to the United Nations. But Trump, having recently tweeted that the UN is a club for people to get together, talk and have a good time, is clearly critical of the organisation itself. Does he have hopes of Haley being changemaker on his behalf, or was it just one more seat that he needed to fill? A US president has to fill around 4,000 political appointments when he takes over. Other Indian Americans in his team are Indra Nooyi, chief executive officer of PepsiCo, in his Strategic and Policy Forum and Seema Verma as head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Hot pursuit: Hafiz Saeed (wearing glasses and skull cap), founder of Lashkar-e-Taiba, at a public meeting in Islamabad. Trump is likely to adopt a harsh stance against terrorist groups | Reuters On the other hand, key members of his strategic team are intimately acquainted with Pakistan. Defence Secretary [nominee] James Mattis was commander in chief of the central command (its area of activity includes Pakistan and Afghanistan) and actually lavished praise on Pakistan, says Lalit Mansingh, former Indian ambassador to the US. Trumps National Security Adviser [nominee] Mike Flynn shared defence intelligence on Afghanistan with Pakistan on two occasions. This administration has better knowledge of Pakistan. And despite his election claims (bolstered with some heavy duty campaign funding by the Indian diaspora) Trump, say experts, is neither anti- nor pro-India. It is in his worldview that India will find possibilities and challenges, rather than in his India specific view. The core of Trumps ideology is that Islamic terror is the biggest threat to the US, indeed all of the Christian world, Mansingh says. His outreach to Russia is not just because of his personal equation with Putin, but because Russia is also Christian. He feels he shares common outlook with India, especially with the present government, on Islamic terror. Yet, Im not optimistic about what pressure he will put on Pakistan. His belief may not extend to regions he is not interested in. He has agreed to keep some troops in Afghanistan but doesnt seem to want to put pressure on Pakistan to the level of destabilising it. So Pakistan might carry on without attracting sanctions. He has already had a friendly conversation with [Pak Prime Minister] Nawaz Sharif, says Mansingh. Although observers warn that these are early days and that his foreign policy may not be the same as his campaign rhetoric, there is a good chance India could gain from his worldview. Russia, for instance, has moved into a bear hug with China and is even making friendly overtures to Pakistan, a development that crinkles up worry lines on Indias brow. Worse, at outings like BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) meets, Russia is increasingly appearing as the junior partner to China. Obama saw Russia as part of the problem in Syria and the Middle East. If Trump can prise Russia away from the Chinese embrace, it will open up breathing space for India in the near neighbourhood, says Ashok Malik, distinguished fellow at Observer Research Foundation, a Delhi-based think tank. Good US-Russia ties will benefit India, but will Europe allow the friendship to blossom? And what about the arms lobby? Trumps China outlook so far is a blinkered one, concerned mainly with the Asian giant taking away business and manufacturing from the US. He hasnt shown much interest in the dragons rising military might in Asia, a continent far away from his homeland. His accepting congratulations from Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen irked Beijing, which said the move upset the one-China policy the US and China had maintained for decades. Trump has also left open-ended the possibility of meeting Ing-wen when she transits through the US for a trip starting on January 7 to friendly Latin American countries. Beijing, however, is reacting with restraint; it blamed Taiwan more than Trump, but then it did capture an American underwater drone, notes Mansingh. Of course, if Trump manages to somehow keep China on the edge, it would help counter Chinese military outreach in the region, according to Alka Acharya, director of the Institute of Chinese Studies, Delhi. Democratic partys Hillary Clinton had a baggage with regard to China, she had spoken about her position on Tibet. Lets give Trump some time and not pre-judge, she says. Warm vibes: Trumps close personal ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin could have a major impact on American foreign policy | Reuters Trump has also indicated less military engagement in the Middle East. If that actually happens, it will again indirectly benefit India. The regime destabilisation that US interventions brought about in Iraq and Libya, for instance, had ripple effects on India, which has cultural, trade and economic ties to the region. What Trump does understand about India is its economic potential for trade as well as being a job creator in the US. Trumps largest business interests outside the US are in India. Even as he plans to wrap up his active role in these businesses, he understands the economic importance of the growing market here. The India-US military trade, too, is surging. Westinghouse has submitted a proposal to set up six nuclear plants in Andhra Pradesh. Noting the newfound closeness in our partnership, US Ambassador to India Richard Verma says over a million Indians travelled on business and tourist visas to the US last year, and 1.2 million Americans visited India. Both were record numbers. The number of Indian students studying in the US is 1,66,000, showing a 20 per cent rise from the previous year. Trump is the first US president in living memory to openly speak against the liberal trading order. He has, in effect, killed the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which gives India breathing space as it was outside the TPP. Yet, anti-guest worker policies and moves to disincentivise outsourcing and keep jobs at home will hurt India even though his main target is China, says Malik. His emphasis on economic protectionism and stance on climate change pose problems especially since India has invested so much in the Paris Agreement. Indications are that Trump will lean towards Saudi Arabia and put pressure on Iran, which is now Indias leading oil supplier, reverting to post-1979 Republican positions, says Malik. This could be an irritant for India, especially now that the Chabahar port in Iran is likely to come up. But New Delhi has played the balancing act before, he says. Economically, too, he believes that India should prioritise integration with Asia through mechanisms like the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership. The US is not the be-all end-all of Indian trade negotiation, says Malik. India has less to worry about Trumps presidency than other countries, but that doesnt call for complacence. New Delhi is optimistic that under Trump the future of India-US ties will be even brighter than in the immediate past as Minister of State for External Affairs M.J. Akbar puts it. The relationship has bipartisan support and is driven by the will of the people on both sides. The foreign secretary and the national security adviser have had interactions with the Trump team. I am confident that the defence partnership and strategic complementarity will drive equations to great levels, says Akbar. There are strands to indicate that he will be definitely more different from other presidents, so we should be ready for some dynamic instability. We need to ensure that we are adroit enough to sort out the issues as they develop, says Acharya. The theory that your enemys enemies are your friends is flawed. What if the enemies conspire against you tomorrow? We need to make ourselves robust enough to respond to the dynamics of the day. Patnaik's close aides say that to understand him, one has to understand his empathy By Pratul Sharma/Photos Sanjay Ahlawat [PHOTOS IN EXTENDED ARTICLE] A delegation of the Rabbinical Congress for Peace (RCP) met with former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee in Jerusalem to thank him for his strong and unwavering support of the Land of Israel, the settlement movement and for his strong opposition to the so-called two-state solution and discussed what the future holds for the new relationship between Israel and the incoming Trump administration. Rabbi Joseph Gerlitzky, Chairman of the RCP presented Mr. Huckabee the Halachic Ruling signed by 400 prominent rabbis of Israel forbidding the surrender of land to the Arabs based on an explicit ruling in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 329 because it will lead to bloodshed, instability in the region and loss of life. Gov. Huckabee emphasized that it is important to get the message across to the world that Israel is a very special place. G-ds hand is upon it and we must be mindful, respectful and never be bashful about saying to the world that G-ds hand is upon Israel. No one in Israel should ever be afraid to boldly proclaim that the foundation of this country is not its politics but its faith. Without its faith it would not stand, with its faith no one can ever stand against her. The idea of a two-state solution is a diplomatic fantasy and its never going to happen and we need to stop talking about it because all it has done is waste time and money of diplomats who have traveled all over the Middle East and beyond trying to pretend that they were doing something that they are not doing. We have to abandon this policy. Mr. Huckabee said that he was surprised to hear that there are Israeli officials who think that the two-state solution is in Israels interest when in fact its absurd and irrational nonsense. It will only increase instability in the region. There are 57 Muslim nations in the world that occupy 100,000 times the land mass that Israel does which is a tiny piece of land the size of NJ. If you want a two-state solution find some Arab Muslim country that would want to welcome the Palestinians. Gov. Huckabee promised the rabbis that he will do everything to make sure that the new Trump administration will follow up on all its promises pertaining to Israel and its undivided capital Jerusalem. Towards the end Huckabee quipped It is indeed a miracle to see that 400 rabbis all agreed to sign on one Torah verdict. The rabbis responded that this is a clear ruling in the Jewish Code of Law that no one contests namely that the sanctity of life supersedes everything and therefore Israel dare not give up an inch of land to enemies bent on its destruction. Also participating in the meeting were Rabbi Avrohom Shmuel Lewin, Executive Director of the RCP, Rabbi Sholom Gold, a leading rabbi in Har Nof and Rabbi Yaakov Shapira, the head of Yeshiva Merkaz Harav. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) For the third year in a row (2014, 2015 & 2016), Tel Aviv is the #1 Aliyah destination, concluding 2016 with an additional 2900 immigrants who chose to make Tel Aviv their new home in Israel. In the past year, Israel welcomed some 27,000 immigrants, according to a report by the Jewish Agency for Israel and the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption. 11% of the new immigrants chose to settle in Tel Aviv, the Nonstop City. The report also showed that most of the immigrants who arrived in Tel Aviv hail from Russia (715), France (526) and the United States (252). Immigration to Tel Aviv has come to be characterized by youth; approximately 9,500 of the new immigrants are between the ages of 18 and 35, joining a third of Tel Avivs population that is of the same age sector. Tel Aviv embodies many of the things these young professionals are looking for when they come to Israel. On top of Tel Avivs attractive beaches, nightlife and culinary scene, the Startup City is also home to 1,450 early stage startups, the highest amount of startups per capita. That constitutes 28 startups per square kilometer and 1 startup for every 290 residents. 2,400 of the Olim have a background in high-tech and engineering, a perfect match while the Tel Aviv startup scene is looking to scale-up to international markets, providing plenty of jobs for International immigrants. The Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality supports the Aliyah and absorption of new immigrants by offering them unique career benefits, including workshops covering important topics such as job search, resume writing and entrepreneurship, offered in 3 languages. All activities are done in cooperation with the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption. The Mayor of Tel Aviv-Yafo, Ron Huldai explains, Absorption and Aliyah is an important asset for Tel Aviv-Yafo, and I am proud that the support that this city is providing to immigrants, proved itself over the years. We feel honored and welcome the immigrants, who chose to make Tel Aviv their new home and contribute by making this city more interesting, diverse and cosmopolitan. Shlomo Maslawi, Chairman of the Immigration and Absorption Committee: I am proud to be standing at the head of a municipal system determined to integrate immigrants effectively into the Tel Aviv-Yafo society. These new immigrants contribute immensely to the diversity of the local culture and economy. I would like to thank our partners at the Ministry of Aliyah and Immigrant Absorption who are working with us in order to make sure these new immigrants feel at home in Tel Aviv-Yafo. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Dan and Janice Kovacs and their two children were passing through airport security when the gunfire erupted. They were shoeless with wallets, passports and carry-on items chugging along a conveyer belt when they sprang into the mass of people running to safety. Now theyre among stranded travelers at Fort Lauderdale trying to recover what the airport director says are 25,000 pieces of luggage, cellphones and other belongings separated from their owners during Fridays shooting rampage. We have no IDs, we have no passports, no money, Janice, 39, said Saturday afternoon, wearing sandals borrowed from a brother-in-law. We just had to leave our stuff and run. All our stuff is being processed. We might not even get that until Monday. I have an 11-year-old who is freaking out. This has been traumatic for her, she said. The shooting Friday afternoon, which killed five people and wounded six, also stranded about 12,000 outgoing and incoming travelers, many returning from cruises or arriving ahead of the usual Saturday departures of the massive ships based in the tourism hubs Port Everglades terminal. Some travelers were kept on planes for more than seven hours while police put the airport on lockdown; others scrambled to protected corners or were hustled out onto the tarmac. The Kovacs, on the way home to Vancouver, British Columbia, after a Caribbean cruise, went out onto that rough surface barefoot. The Florida Highway Patrol sent computer-equipped buses to the airport Saturday afternoon to issue temporary ID cards to help travelers get out of state and even abroad. We are doing what we can to help, Sgt. Mark Wysocki said. Sydney Rivera, a 21-year-old Purdue University student, received a temporary Florida identification card that is nearly identical to the states drivers license. On Friday, she had been about to board a flight home to Indianapolis in another terminal when people scattered over false fears of a second shooter. This will make it a lot easier to get through security, Rivera said as she rushed to finally catch a flight. Gov. Rick Scott said cruise ship companies were asked to accept travelers with provisional IDs. Once authorities began allowing travelers to depart the airport Friday evening, buses took thousands of them to the cruise terminal. Airport spokesman Greg Meyer said most bags wont be available until Monday. The airport hired an outside firm to collect discarded bags and sort them by where they were found so they can be identified by their owners. Those with lost luggage were told to call a toll-free number. But there were exceptions as airport officials scrambled to work with individuals. Jessie Khalastchi, a 21-year-old college student from London, left her carry-on bag and laptop that contained a paper for school when she fled the gunfire. She was reunited with her belongings Saturday afternoon, just in time to catch a flight out of Miami. The Kovacs also received some of their luggage late Saturday but were still waiting for their IDs, cellphones, passports and wallets. Richard Lanbry, his wife and 15-year-old daughter were about to board a plane home for Montreal when the shooting began. Amid the commotion, he was separated from the other two and frantically searched for them for about an hour. I was pushed down, my wife was pushed down too. It was violent people screaming, people crying, old and young. It was very scary, said the 61-year-old, who was vacationing in Pompano Beach. On top of that, they now have no luggage, no keys to their home and no coats or sweaters to wear once they arrive in chilly Montreal, only the T-shirts they we wearing the day before. Larry and Joy Edwards were about to board their flight home to Columbus, Ohio, after a Caribbean cruise. They ran out the skyway and down stairs onto the tarmac, where they were told to drop their carry-on bags and dash out to the runway. They eventually were taken to a hangar and bused to Port Everglades. Thats where they spent most of the night. The Red Cross came. They gave us food and blankets and pillows. Everybody did what they could, Joy Edwards said. At 4:30 a.m., they were bused to a Miami motel. They had come back to the airport in an unsuccessful attempt to retrieve their luggage, which contained their passports, medicine and other essentials. Larry Edwards, a retired electric lineman, said they wont be able to get home until Monday and pointed to the clothes they had put on Friday morning. All we have is this and our smelly selves, he said. (AP) Terrorist Amjad Iduan, who was convicted of the murder of Danny Gonen HYD was sentenced to two life sentences. Gonen was shot dead near a spring not far from Yishuv Dolev in the Binyamin Regional Council area of the Shomron in 2015. Adjad was imprisoned in Israel in the past for his terrorist acts and released, now to be imprisoned again. In the sentencing, the court recommended that he not be released against at a future date. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem) Palestinian President Abbas on Friday warned US President-elect Donald Trump that moving the American embassy to Jerusalem would be crossing a red line and could jeopardize peace prospects. Any statement or position that disrupts or changes the status of Jerusalem is a red line which we will not accept, he said in a speech, a transcript of which was published by the official Palestinian news agency Wafa. Trump has said he plans to move the embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Abbas said that if the embassy was moved the peace process in the Middle East, and even peace in the world, will be in severe trouble. Ynet reports that Abbas sent Presdient-elect trump a letter informing him of the dangers entailed in moving the American embassy to Jerusalem. Abbas asked Trump to refrain from taking the step which he had promised throughout his presidential campaign, describing it as destructive for the peace process, counterproductive to the two-state solution and to the stability of the region. In addition, Abbas sent a letter to European heads of state, to China, to the secretary-general of the Arab League and to Russia urging them to take measures to prevent the move. (AP / YWN World Headquarters NYC) Four persons were murdered and about 15 wounded in the Armon HaNatziv ramming attack that occurred on Sunday, 10 Teves 5777. Some of the wounded remain in serious/stable condition in Shaare Zedek and Hadassah Ein Kerem Hospitals, sedated and intubated as a result of the trauma they sustained. Others are in less serious condition in both hospitals. Among the visitors arriving at the hospitals on Monday were Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Health Minister Yaakov Litzman. (YWN Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Media Resource Group) The following is via Breaking911.com: Children are currently being evacuated from the Alper JCC school in southwest Miami-Dade after reports of a possible explosive device. The incident occurred at around 11 a.m. at the school at 11155 SW 112th Ave. Officials confirmed that the students have been evacuated as a precaution. Miami Beach police said they were also called to the JCC at 4221 Pine Tree in response to a bomb threat. The threats were phoned in before 10:45 a.m. and JCC employees contacted authorities. Police said the Miami Beach JCC only handles before school care and after school care, and only a handful of people were inside at the time of the call. K-9 units checked the building to make sure it was safe. (Source: Breaking911.com) Once again, thanks to social media and an irresponsible person behind a keyboard, panic was spread through the Flatbush Midwood Jewish community. On Monday afternoon, an unverified and totally anonymous Twitter account tweeted that the NYPD had arrested a person on Avenue M and East 18 Street and the man had explosives on him and was threatening to kill Jews. There is no truth to any of this whatsoever. YWN has spoken to multiple high-ranking brass in the NYPD and have confirmed that the following is exactly what happened. Flatbush Shomrim and NYPD had been following what appeared to be an emotionally disturbed man for around 45 minutes until he was stopped by police at Avenue M and East 18 Street. While being questioned by the officers, the man seemed delirious and a decision was made to have FDNY-EMS transport him to Coney Island Hospital for a psychiatric evaluation. There was never any explosives on his possession, nor any threats ever made against anyone of any ethnicity. In addition to being taken to a hospital, the NYPD Counterterrorism Division did a full workup on the mans identity. There is no reason for any concern, or any reason to believe that this man is any danger to the community. Police added that the only danger to the community are irresponsible people on social media who caused people to panic for no reason whatsoever. Its a good thing that people remain vigilant, and if you see something, say something. (Charles Gross YWN) The long-serving boss of one of Britain's biggest builders has been ousted following a shock Christmas profits warning. David Ritchie, who joined Bovis Homes in 1998 and took over as chief executive in 2008, stepped down in a move that took the industry by surprise. The abrupt departure of the 47-year-old came less than two weeks after the company warned that annual profits would be lower than previously expected because it failed to complete the sale of 180 new homes before the end of the year. Stepping down: David Ritchie joined Bovis Homes in 1998 and took over as chief executive in 2008 The update sparked fears that the housing market was running out of steam. But just days later rival builder Persimmon reported a stonking end to the year suggesting the problems at Bovis were not being mirrored elsewhere in the industry. Investors are also understood to have become frustrated with the performance of Bovis shares in recent months under Ritchie. Shares across the sector dived around 40 per cent in the aftermath of the Brexit vote amid fears the economy and the housing market were heading for a fall. But while rivals Barratt Developments, Bellway and Persimmon have seen shares rise more than 50 per cent since their post-referendum lows and Redrow more than 60 per cent Bovis shares are up around 30 per cent. 'Bovis has tended to be the laggard in terms of valuations,' said one City source. 'While the company has done well investors are frustrated that the shares have underperformed the sector.' Doubts over Ritchie's position are understood to have come to a head at a monthly board meeting in the past few days. Ritchie, who was paid 1.5million in 2015 as his 550,000 basic salary was topped up with bonuses, perks and other awards, offered his resignation to chairman Ian Tyler over the weekend. He will stay on at the company until the end of February to help hand the business over to interim chief executive and current finance director Earl Sibley. Ian Taylor, pictured with wife Tina, withdrew his name from consideration for an honour You cannot get much closer to Buckingham Palace than the glass and steel headquarters of oil giant Vitol. But even though its office overlooks Her Majesty's main residence, boss Ian Taylor will not be visiting any time soon. As one of the biggest private financial backers of David Cameron's Remain campaign donating 350,000 Taylor had expected to be invited over the road to the Palace to receive a knighthood. Then the knives came out. The history of Vitol's operations in some of the world's nastiest neighbourhoods were laid bare again: it had been fined 13million in 2007 after admitting illicit payments to the Iraqi state oil company, and in 2012 had traded oil with Iran after EU sanctions had been put in place. Taylor, 60, pre-empted an embarrassing row and withdrew his name from consideration for an honour. For weeks he was angry, upset at being put through the wringer. No stranger to controversy in 2011 he was named as a guest at a private dinner with the then prime minister, and in 2013 had donated 500,000 to the Better Together campaign in the Scottish referendum he was frustrated at not being given the chance to explain how Vitol actually worked. He'd also wanted to explain how he was committed to Britain through, among other things, the rescue of the iconic Harris Tweed weaving industry. In the months that have passed, however, the wiry, cherub-faced mogul, who has an estimated 175million fortune, has calmed down. When we meet he declares the lost knighthood as 'not important'. 'There was a lot of nonsense being written,' he says. 'Bluntly my wife Tina hates publicity and the honour was becoming a major distraction,' adds the businessman. But surely she was disappointed in not becoming Lady Taylor? Taylor replies: 'To be honest she wants to lead a normal life where she can walk around and not have anybody approach her. She's got lots of things she likes to do. So no is the answer.' Some resentment still lingers though, particularly about how he was picked on during the referendum. 'We didn't break any Iranian sanctions,' he insists. 'We had a subsidiary in the Middle East which brought a cargo of fuel oil which originated from Iran. 'The Americans imposed tougher rules. Once we realised the mistake, we didn't buy any more.' T AYLOR felt singled out. It's a fact of the work Vitol does transporting and refining oil that it involves working in what can be nasty environments. Vitol has been dubbed the biggest company you've never heard of. The last published accounts for the 2014 financial year show the company had a turnover of 240billion. It is the type of sales figures that big corporations such as Volkswagen and Tesco can only dream of. The company makes its money largely by trading and moving crude oil around six million barrels a day, some 6 per cent of global supply. Opera lover who saved Harris Tweed Name: Ian Taylor, 56, chief executive, Vitol. Married to Tina. They have four children ages 15 to 28, two boys, two girls Education: King's Macclesfield. Studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford Daily Routine: He has porridge for breakfast then travels to work on Southern Rail which he brands 'a disgrace'. He'll arrive at the office at 7.45am. His day is a combination of internal and external meetings and spends a lot of time meeting people. On the day of this interview he was seeing a Kurdish and a Namibian delegation, then that evening was heading off to a meeting of oil cartel Opec Other businesses: He owns restaurants in Wimbledon and rescued Harris Tweed Favourite things: He's reading Greenspan by Sebastian Mallaby and is fond of political biographies. He's a big fan of the film The Shawshank Redemption and is chairman of the Royal Opera House: 'I love the performing arts'. He is the originator of the Schools' Matinees there, which brings kids to productions of ballet and opera. 'Bluntly, I pay for them,' he jokes Part of its success has been thanks to its readiness to do business in corners of the world from which others would run a mile. That's probably why Vitol is still largely unknown in Britain. It is run as a partnership, the same corporate structure as used by the big audit firms, and its accounts are published in Rotterdam, the city where it was founded 50 years ago. Even though Taylor works mainly out of his London office, the group's headquarters are in the Dutch city, which is the largest cargo port in Europe. The importance of Rotterdam to the company is signalled by the huge photo of Vitol's glistening state-of-the-art refining plant in the foyer of the offices. With 40 offices round the world, Taylor has a vested interest in the free movement of labour to the UK, not least because he also owns a couple of small restaurants near Wimbledon in south-west London, close to where he lives. When he moved there several years ago he was disappointed that in such a well-to-do London suburb there were so few decent independent eateries. So he decided to open his own. It demonstrates how Taylor is a pragmatist reflected in his changing views on Brexit. 'We are still going to be an important financial centre, we are going to be a welcoming place and we are not going to turn in on ourselves,' he says. This attitude is one that makes him stand out from many of his peers. Unlike some devoted Remainers in the City, he has also moved on and is determined to make Brexit work for his business empire and the country. But he worries about freedom of movement of labour after Brexit. 'It's going to have to be a very good visa system and flexible visa system. 'I've a lot of faith in the quality of our civil servants. But I'm a bit worried that it gets too bureaucratic. 'Some governments are a little dismissive and disparaging of Britain at present. There's no doubt about it.' He's also become distinctly philosophical. 'Even if the EU club is falling apart, and it may well fall apart, I always felt it was the right thing to be at the table. 'Trying to make the kind of Europe that I think we probably all believe in. 'A free market economically, not a political union,' he says. 'I felt we were beginning to win that battle.' Taylor has spoken in the past of his typical British working-class childhood: he spent part of his youth in Manchester thanks to his father's job as a manager at British chemicals giant ICI. His family is Scottish, but he was educated in Macclesfield. After joining Shell the firm sent him around the world, and he spent time in Venezuela and met his wife Tina before moving to Singapore. He joined Vitol from Shell in 1985 and rose to chief executive. He is one of 350 partners, each of whom has 'equity' in the enterprise. As a British and Scottish patriot one of the things Taylor is most proud of is his rescue of the Harris Tweed industry which he says he did for his 'grandfather and father'. He is full of praise for the crofters and weavers working there. Taylor notes: 'It's tough, very hard-core in the winter.' But typically where Taylor tries to do the right thing, others have found criticism, suggesting he has been unduly ruthless in restoring the brand to health and making it profitable again. 'It's doing fabulously, and I am delighted with it,' he says. All the money goes back into a business which employs 100 people and Taylor says he takes no salary or a bonus. Not that this came up in last June's referendum. The fact that his involvement in referendum politics led to his reputation being besmirched clearly rankles. Women's fashion brand Hobbs, a favourite of the Duchess of Cambridge, is being put up for sale. The owners of the upmarket retailer want to offload it after more than a decade of ownership, it is understood. Private equity group 3i, which also owns Go Outdoors, is close to hiring investment bank NM Rothschild to handle the auction, according to reports. Fit for a princess: Hobbs is one of The Duchess of Cambridge's favourite fashion brands It will be the second time 3i has attempted to recoup some of its investment in Hobbs. It tried to sell the business in 2013 but the tough trading made it clear a turnaround was needed. Hobbs was founded in Hampstead in 1981 by husband and wife team Yoram and Marilyn Anselm. The couple retired to France in 2002 when Hobbs was bought out by its management, before being snapped up by 3i in 2004. It now has 140 stores across the UK and Ireland, and has become popular with the Duchess of Cambridge and her sister Pippa Middleton. However it has experienced a turbulent few years. Current chief executive Meg Lustman, the former Warehouse boss, was brought in to lead a turnaround in July 2014. It came after chairman Phil Wrigley, who also joined in January 2014 from New Look, launched a strategic review. The best of British: Hobbs was founded in London, Hampstead in 1981 But despite this 3i is expected to make a loss on its investment. Hobbs made a 1.4m profit on a turnover of 104.4m in the year to January 2016. TREVOR KAVANAGH Tough Theresa May will beat tinpot tyrants and EU leaders will see it was a mistake to freeze her out at summit He deserves an apology after the Bank of England compared its scandalously inaccurate Brexit predictions with his weather forecasts. Fish was doing his best. The Bank and others knew they were making it up. Scaremongering historian Niall Ferguson trashed his reputation just to help David Cameron and George Osborne. But worst of all, Bank of England chief Mark Carney disgracefully spread fear and alarm with false warnings of a slump. He should have been in lockstep with Sir Ivan Rogers, who had the sense to resign before he was sacked. POOR Michael Fish.He deserves an apology after the Bank of England compared its scandalously inaccurate Brexit predictions with his weather forecasts.Fish was doing his best.The Bank and others knew they were making it up.Scaremongering historian Niall Ferguson trashed his reputation just to help David Cameron and George Osborne.But worst of all, Bank of England chief Mark Carney disgracefully spread fear and alarm with false warnings of a slump.He should have been in lockstep with Sir Ivan Rogers, who had the sense to resign before he was sacked. By TREVOR KAVANAGH, Sun ColumnistThe Sun9th January 2017Everyone agrees. Downing Street is in a muddle. Theresa May does not listen and certainly doesnt tell.There is no Brexit plan. We are heading for a car crash in Brussels.At least one of these charges against our Prime Minister is true and it explains all the rest. Silence is Theresa Mays trademark and the reason for her stupendous success.Silence leaves a gap for unwary critics to fill sometimes at suicidal cost, as ratty ex-EU envoy Sir Ivan Rogers found last week.Mrs May has made her remarkable career out of being underestimated. Her quiet watchfulness wrong-footed rivals and enemies and catapulted her over their political corpses to the very top.So they should be careful before accusing the PM of muddled thinking over Brexit.The idea that she has no plan is for the birds. She just hasnt finished putting this multi-dimensional jigsaw puzzle together yet.She has spent the past seven months including Christmas while everyone else was on holiday poring over the detail.As she told Skys Sophy Ridge yesterday, this is a huge and complex task which will permanently affect Britains fortunes and hers for better or worse.Our thinking on this is not muddled at all, said Mrs May. It was important for us to take some time and look at the issues.The work has set out very clearly how complex this is but also how important it is to approach it in the right way.She did not offer any clues. But nobody who knows Theresa May should imagine she will trigger Article 50 in March without knowing exactly how she will proceed next.Indeed, those who need to watch their step are the puffed-up place-men who have made such a comfortable career out of EU wheeler-dealing.Right now, they are smiling smugly and assume they are holding all the aces.But this Prime Minister has a record for delivering home truths and leaving her critics looking foolish.Theresa May was the first to warn the Tories they were seen as the Nasty Party.As Home Secretary she silenced jeering police bullies, denouncing their culture of racism and misconduct and turning police corruption into a long-overdue criminal offence.Theresa May says she will fight for a red, white and blue BrexitMost of all, she confounded the entire Tory high command by starting as a Remainer and ending up as leader of the Brexit-means-Brexit party.These bombshells came out of a clear blue sky. They serve as an object lesson for EU chiefs aiming to make her life hell.Brussels wants Britain to suffer. We must be humiliated in order to stop others dashing for the exit.The last thing they want is a flourishing economy on their western flank showing what its like to be free.But nor do they want to blow their own brains out. Britain has plenty of bargaining power. We are a demonstrable economic success while they are a ghastly failure. We have created a jobs miracle while they have condemned millions to the scrapheap.We have the best armed forces in Nato and unrivalled intelligence services.Mrs May will not make explicit threats or draw lines in the sand, but these facts speak for themselves.I am optimistic and ambitious, she said. Anybody who looks at the question of free movement and trade as a zero sum game is approaching it the wrong way.We are leaving the EU. We are not leaving Europe.So it would be astonishing if she let tinpot tyrant Jean-Claude Juncker dictate terms. It was a huge diplomatic error for Mrs Mays fellow EU leaders to freeze her out at her first summit.She will be around long after many of the other PMs and presidents are forgotten.By this time next year we will know exactly what shes made of.With some of her EU colleagues risking election defeat, she will be one of their most senior players, soon to be saying farewell for Britain.At a guess, it will be those leaden-footed Eurocrats who are in a muddle, not Britain. EZULWINI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the embattled Ezulwini Town Board Vusumutiwendvodza Matsebula has said he does not like to be bullied. Matsebula made this statement during his appearance before the commission of inquiry last week. The CEO said this when asked by the commissioners to describe the type of relationship that he had with the organisations councillors. At first he mentioned that he was not comfortable with condemning any acts by the council as it was going to kill the working relationship. He mentioned that both the councillors and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development were pivotal in his continued stay at the organisation, which is why he tried to be as good as possible when working with them. However, he emphasised that there were instances where he felt like he was being bullied due to the fact that he was a young man leading such a big parastatal. Because I am the leader of the organisation, there are those that think that they can treat me badly as they know that I have a duty to respect everyone but I do not want to be bullied. I will not allow someone to bully me just because they arrived at the organisation way before I came, he said. On the allegations that he used bad language with members of staff the CEO mentioned that there was nothing wrong with him issuing a warning that he was going to fire those who were not doing their jobs. As a leader, there are times when you have to be tough to ensure that you get the job done. I find it funny that people want me to use nice words yet we are all here to work, the CEO said. MBABANE For what could be sweet melody to the ears of Swaziland consumers, SEC has resumed power generation in the country following the recently received rainfall. SEC is an acronym for the Swaziland Electricity Company. Following the recently experienced drought situation in the SADC region, SEC stopped electricity generation at all generating points. The Acting Managing Director (MD) of SEC, Meshack Kunene, said they used water to generate electricity in the country and due to water shortages, all their power generation equipment were at a standstill. SEC Corporate Communications Manager Sifiso Dhlamini said they could state that Luphohlo Dam is one metre away from overflowing. As a result, we are now generating at Ezulwini Hydro Power station using water from Luphohlo even after our normal peak hours, said Dhlamini. He added that as much as they were reserving the water from Luphohlo Dam for the high season which is the June, July and August period, their generation was solemnly for maintaining the water levels. We continue to import a large share of our electricity from neighbouring countries. We, therefore, encourage customers to continue using electricity wisely to avoid an excessive increase in demand that may result to load-shedding, he said. The corporate communications manager added that unfortunately, they were not at liberty to disclose the agreements entered into between the Swaziland Water Services Corporation (SWSC) and SEC on the use of water from Luphohlo Dam. He was responding to the question whether SWSC would have to abandon its water sourcing project from Luphohlo Dam as Hawane Dam, where the company originally sourced water, was also speedily recovering in terms of water levels. MBABANE Following an outbreak of typhoid fever in Zimbabwe, the Ministry of Health has advised Swazis to take serious precautions due to the fact that a number of them reside in that country. Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry of Health Dr Simon Zwane said the disease was highly contagious. Typhoid fever is an acute illness associated with fever caused by the Salmonella typhi bacteria. It can also be caused by Salmonella paratyphi, a related bacterium that usually causes a less severe illness. The bacteria are deposited in water or food by a human carrier and are then spread to other people in the area. Due to this reason, in a few days, the disease could be spread in many places, said Dr Zwane. The PS said the ministry was very worried following the outbreak of the disease and he said Zimbabwe was not too far from the country, thus the disease could easily be spread into the country. Apart from Swazis who reside in Zimbabwe, Zwane said people travelled a lot in recent days which is why they urged the nation to take extra precautionary measures to prevent themselves from contracting the virus. People travel as they embark on business trips, others travel for vacations while a number of Swazis live in that country, he said. The PS also highlighted that in order for Swazis to ensure that they protect themselves from contracting the virus, they must ensure that they maintain good hygiene. Swazis, just like we have been preaching in the past, must make sure that they wash their hands before eating, he said. Dr Zwane said they further advised the nation to avoid eating processed foods and to ensure that fresh food, especially vegetables and fruits, are clean. Ezra's quite the piece of work. How would he even notice someone's tweet about this and why would he care? I suggest some Doctor out there get him a medical pot prescription to calm him down...........I took my seven-year-old son to see Justin Trudeau on Monday night. One of my hopes as a parent is that my son takes an interest in politics as a way to help him understand why things are how they are in his city, province, country, and planet. I want him to become an engaged and informed citizen and to understand the role he can play if hes not happy with the direction things are going.So we stood in the cold for more than an hour in a line that snaked the entire way around the Dartmouth Sportsplex. I hate the cold and wanted to bail but it was a rare educational opportunity for Oliver. While we stood there, rubbing our mittened hands together, hundreds of teachers walked by us carrying picket signs. He recognized his teacher from last year and they waved at each other.He asked me why they were protesting and I explained how it connected to the current work-to-rule campaign. Then we saw teenagers with bandanas over their mouths holding signs that opposed pipeline construction. I explained that many people are against the decisions prime ministers make and peaceful protest is a protected part of living in a democracy. People are allowed to disagree, loudly, without risking going to jail. That spawned a lot more questions on his part.I wanted to remember the night. I was so impressed by his questions and his desire to wait in the cold. So I got the woman standing behind us to take a photo. Then I did something I almost never do. I tweeted it. Normally, my Twitter account is for professional tweets only. But I decided to put this one out there:Along with being Olivers mom, Im also a journalism instructor at the Nova Scotia Community College. In fact, several of my students were at the event covering it for class. But the fact that I took my son to see the prime minister called my journalistic credibility into question for Ezra Levant, former Sun News Network pundit and current commentator for conservative news site Rebel Media.Levant retweeted my photo with the caption Journalism Instructor in quotation marks then pinned it to his feed for his 94-thousand followers. The implication Im guessing is that I couldnt possibly have journalistic integrity if I took my child to a Liberal event. I must be a Liberal supporter. I must be biased. The trolls saw red meat and fought each other to feast on it first. Finally warm inside the arena, my Twitter account started blowing up with mostly anonymous users calling me a child abuser, a bad mother, and a bitch. Hundreds of them. Theyre still coming.I responded to Levant with the following: (see tweets at link)Then I stopped responding and it was hard. I was being attacked for my politics, my professionalism, and my parenting by people who dont know a thing about any of them.Thats how trolling works of course and it wasnt as bad as it could have been. No one threatened to rape or murder me as so often happens to women online.But it made me think a lot about the Oxford dictionarys newest word: post-truth.Somehow, what was actually going on in that photo didnt matter at all. The fact was that as a mother I wanted my child to see the democratically-elected leader of our country answer questions by both supporters and opponents without a script. As a journalist and journalism instructor, holding those in power to account is a fundamental part of the job. In the town hall setting ordinary people, non-journalists, had the same opportunity to hold Justin Trudeau to account. What a thing for a child to witness.But never mind the truth. To the trolls, and to Levant, that photo was an example of liberal bias in the media and of a bad mother forcing her child to risk frostbite so he could get indoctrinated by socialist propaganda. Sigh.Some of my students have asked me why journalism and the pursuit of truth even matters if weve truly entered an era of post-truth. My response is that it matters now more than ever, that pursing truth is still an essential service in a democracy and that holding those in power to account has never been so important.If we give in to fiction instead of fact, and vitriol instead of verification, we all lose because well all be less-informed when it comes to making important decisions about our lives. Thats something that as both a journalism instructor and as a mom, Im working hard to prevent. The late Thobile Fakudze who was the Personal Assistant to the SEC general manager for Finance and Customer Service. (Coutrtesy pics) MBABANE Swaziland Electricity Companys (SEC) personal assistant to the general manager for Finance and Customer Service ended her life on Saturday evening. Thobile Fakudze, who was also a socialite in Mbabane, resided at Makholokholo in her rented flat and her parental home is near Bahai. Her friends and relatives were found at her parental home to offer their condolences after 5pm yesterday. Information gathered is that Fakudze was found in her house after 6pm and she had taken two weevil tablets. Some of her friends say she wrote a message to her mother through WhatsApp and informed her that she was going to end her life. Truth She sent her mother a message and told her that she would leave the door unlocked. There are a lot of talks as to why she ended her life from the different people she had surrounded herself with. The truth is only known by her true friends and her family, an acquaintance stated. Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager Sifiso Dhlamini stated that they had received news of the passing of one of their employees. Dhlamini went on to state that they were still to meet with the executive on the next move about the passing and decide when they would go to the family to offer their condolences. For now all we can say is we are saddened by the news we received but some of the executive members have not been formally informed. We cannot issue a formal statement about the passing of Fakudze. We are also still to meet with her family as a company. All that we can say for now is our deepest condolences go out to her family and friends and may the Lord be with them during this trying time, he said. PIGGS PEAK Mystery surrounds the demise of a nurse, Silvia Mhlanga-Dlamini, who was found dead inside her vehicle. Her lifeless body was on the passenger seat of the vehicle while the drivers door was still open. It is also alleged the vehicles engine was running at the time the body was discovered in the vehicle. Her clothes are also said to have appeared muddy, giving an impression of some struggle prior to her death. A frantic call was made to the police at around midnight on Saturday but by the time the police arrived, the woman, who is said to be about 50 years old, had already died. It is alleged the nurse may also have called a friend for help and police were also eventually informed. It is still not clear what exactly caused the death of the woman though the police are not ruling out anything, including foul play. Dlamini was described as very caring nurse based at the Maguga Clinic. She was also said to be a worshiper at the Jesus Calls Worship Centre which is situated near her house at The Glen Township. Songs of worship from the Jesus Calls Worship Centre could be heard in the distance yesterday as friends and relatives began to gather at her house seeking answers concerning her death. Dlamini is said to have stayed around The Glen Town Ship and the incident allegedly happened around midnight. It is alleged there were no visible wounds on her body. The police, however, have not ruled out the possibility that she may have been attacked, such as through stranglulation. They have also not ruled out the possibility that an ailment could have caused her death. then gets found out and tries to delete his online conversation about it. this kids is what happens. what happened here. what will happen again. and the press, FBI and others are complicit.Hillary R. Clinton's server was about as secure as a sieve holding water...When the counterintelligence folks have to inform well over 1000 government and administration officials for preservation of evidence demands; the proposition that the Russians hacked the election is laughable.Hillary and the Obama-Nation left the government barn doors wide open for the entire world to see. Guccifer 2.0 suggested as much when he found at least 10 IP addresses from around the world helping themselves to Hillary's broadcast government news.When Combetta is advertising Clinton's IP address who needs Russians you just invited the whole world!?!moreobvious non-guru is obvious. When Palestinian Fuad Abu Khaled fled Syria\s war in 2013, he sought refuge among his own, looking for solidarity among Palestinian refugees based in Lebanon\s Shatila camp. But instead he found a community already struggling to get by and sometimes resentful of new arrivals who are testing the limited resources of the UN agency dedicated to helping Palestinian refugees. "Despite the fact he\s Palestinian and I\m Palestinian, I\m Syrian and he\s from Lebanon," said Abu Khaled, who fled the Yarmuk camp in Damascus with his family after fighting began there. "He sees you as coming to take his place, exploit him, take his daily rations," he told AFP at the camp in southern Beirut notorious for violence in the past. Abu Khaled is one of at least 31,000 Palestinians who have taken refuge in Lebanon since Syria\s conflict began in March 2011, part of a larger influx of some one million refugees from Syria. And Lebanon was already home to about 450,000 Palestinian refugees, mostly the descendants of those who fled their homes when the state of Israel was created in 1948, or during subsequent conflicts. Seated on a thin mattress in the one-bedroomed flat he shares with his wife and eight children, Abu Khaled said he simply couldn\t make ends meet. Fighting in Syria destroyed the 52-year-old\s grocery shop, and the aid he receives from the UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA and other charity groups has proved insufficient. "I think if the situation continues like this the people could explode," he said. In another part of the camp, Najah Awad sits in a modest room where she has lived with her three children since fleeing Yarmuk in 2013. In the beginning "they welcomed us. But not any more," she said. "Now they see us as taking their jobs, taking their livelihoods." UNRWA Syria\s director Matthias Schmale acknowledged the struggles faced by Palestinian refugees from Syria, as well as those in Lebanon hosting them. "The longer this displacement from Syria lasts and the more pressures grow on UNRWA and indeed the host population of Palestine refugees from Lebanon, I think we cannot rule out tensions," he said in English. But he stressed Palestinian refugees in Lebanon had displayed impressive generosity under difficult circumstances, sharing resources and in some cases even hosting Syrian Palestinians. "It takes a lot of solidarity if you yourself live below the poverty line," he told AFP. Some five million Palestinian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, the West Bank and Gaza are registered to receive help from UNRWA, which was created after Israel\s creation. The organisation is frequently underfunded, but has come under new pressure with the conflict in Syria, where some 410,000 Palestinians now depend entirely on UNRWA handouts. In response, the agency launched a $410 million (390 million euro) emergency funding appeal on Monday. For Palestinians in Lebanon, including those coming from Syria, the hardships are exacerbated by tight restrictions on their ability to work. Abu Khaled is breeding canaries, hoping to sell the noisy chicks squeaking in a cage in his living room for up to $30 (28 euros) each. His wife is still recovering from a hernia operation. While UNRWA paid half the hospital bill, he struggled to raise the rest of the money. Some 90 percent of Palestinian refugees from Syria in Lebanon live under the poverty line, a 2016 study by UNRWA and the American University in Beirut found. Nine percent cannot meet even their basic food requirements. Najwa Hazeneh, a Palestinian from Yarmuk who works with charities in the camp, said some families have only 50 percent of their needs. "They might cover that by going into debt, and usually they go without lots of things. Some people go without medical treatment. The mother becomes the doctor of the family. Sometimes they go without certain foods." Abu Khaled said he knew people struggling to meet their most basic needs. "It\s a catastrophe for those forced to flee. A family in a good situation gets two meals a day. An average one gets one. I know some that get none," he said. Despite the hardships, Mohammed Abu Ali of Fatah al-Intifada, one of several Palestinian armed factions that control Shatila camp, said Lebanese Palestinians were committed to helping their brethren. "We share everything. We can\t have them being in the dark while we have electricity, or them not having water while we do," he said, sitting in military fatigues under a Palestinian flag at his office. "We hope UNRWA sees that they need to help us both." 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. Former Fire Captain In California Accused Of Embezzling Nearly $300K From Union A former fire captain in Lodi, California has been accused of embezzling $297K from local fire fighter's union where he had served as tr... Federal Authorities Investigating Possible $2.6 Million Embezzlement In Oklahoma From the High Plains / Midwest Journal on 1/8/17: The Oklahoma Beef Council has confirmed that federal authorities are investigating a ... Michigan Woman Sentenced In $2 Million Credit Union Embezzlement Case From the Detroit Free Press on 1/4/17: She gambled, bought a Mercedes and big motor home, took luxury vacations. Now, a Westland woman... Illinois Woman Charged With Embezzling $370K From Assisted Living Facility Another shameless example of brazen fraud involving a bookkeeper willing to fleece her employer with no apparent concern about the consequen... This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate Colonie A New York Army National Guard master sergeant was killed in a hit-and-run Sunday while in town for weekend training, Colonie police said Monday. Town police identified the dead man as 57-year-old Rudolph E. Seabron of Rome, Oneida County. The father of three was a member of the 42nd Combat Aviation Brigade, based at the state Armory on Old Niskayuna Road in Latham at the New York National Guard headquarters. Police said they are looking for a damaged 2013 to 2016 model Mazda CX-5. They do not know the color. After finding car parts at the crash site Sunday, investigators realized the motorist they had thought struck and killed Seabron in the pre-dawn hours was likely the second person to come upon the scene. Colonie police initially put out a statement Sunday that said a man, who was found dead on Watervliet Shaker Road, might have been lying in the roadway after leaving a nearby bar when he was accidentally hit. After interviewing the driver who struck Seabron, police said neither speed nor alcohol was a factor in the accident. Hours later, police put out a second statement saying that while investigating the scene under the Northway Exit 5 overpass they found car parts that belonged to a different vehicle. Police said they are now looking for a Mazda sports utility vehicle with front end damage. They suspect that car hit Seabron and left the scene. Seabron joined the New York Army National Guard in 1996 after serving in the Marine Corps. He served in Iraq in 2004, Afghanistan in 2008 and Kuwait in 2012, police said. An Army National Guard Casualty Assistance Team is working with his family. During the course of the investigation, police were led to the Philly Bar & Grill at 622 Watervliet Shaker Road, which they believe Seabron left around 3:15 a.m. Sunday. A little more than an hour later, at 4:40 a.m., police received a call from the driver who said he thought he had struck a person. On Sunday morning, multiple police vehicles and investigators were on the scene placing evidence markers. Watervliet Shaker Road at Exit 5 was closed all Sunday morning before reopening around noon. Police ask anyone who might have information about the accident to call the Colonie Police Traffic Safety Division at 783-2744. Lauren Stanforth contributed. emasters@timesunion.com 518-454-5467 @emilysmasters SARATOGA SPRINGS A 65-year-old Glens Falls man who allegedly wielded an improvised "zip gun" while refusing to leave a popular coffee house was arrested, Saratoga Springs police said. Timothy B. Roycewicz went into Uncommon Grounds on Broadway on Friday around 12:49 p.m., Lt. Robert Jillson, police spokesman, said. When Roycewicz showed the zip gun, he was asked to leave by an employee. When he refused, police were called and he was arrested, Jillson said. The proposed cabinet of President-elect Donald Trump with its billionaires and millionaires reveals a "political democracy within an economic plutocracy." It comes at a time when we have the prospect of a fourth Industrial Revolution, an age of automation, artificial intelligence and robotics. It also brings back memories of how I got to know about Louis Kelso, who wanted to make a capitalist out of every American. In the 1970s, I was a bill-drafter in the state Legislature. One of the Assemblymen I drafted for was Dan Haley, who was a Democrat from the Republican North Country. Haley was a supporter of the ideas of Kelso, who co-wrote with Mortimer Adler the "Capitalist Manifesto." Its main idea was to spread America's wealth through a plan of Employee Stock Ownership Plans known as ESOPs. Haley had me drafting some ESOP laws, and Congress endorsed Kelso's brainchild, making it a national law. Economic conditions for the poor and middle class are worse today than when I learned about Kelso. In his book, he wrote that the concentration of wealth in the United States, which was in the top 5 percent about 50 years ago, is as great as Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels found in Europe when they wrote "The Communist Manifesto." Now wealth is concentrated in the top 1 percent of the population. According to Kelso, those with wealth "can't spend enough. They only spend for it for the wrong thing: accumulating more excess." Therefore, the 99 percent of the population depends to a greater or lesser extent on redistribution. Kelso believes "the wars and war production have been an indispensable part of making this plutocratic economy work." Kelso's answer was a national economic policy combining full employment with capital ownership. He invented the first ESOP in 1956, when the employees of Peninsula Newspapers bought out the company founders. Congress enacted a tax policy for ESOPs called the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). It attracted both Democratic and Republican leaders. Kelso was interviewed by Bill Moyers in 1990 and Moyers said at that time that, "I know as a reporter that there's a widespread perception in the country that something is fundamentally and dangerously wrong with our economic structure. Our debt has tripled in the last 10 years, there are 32 million people living in poverty, 12 million of those live with less than $5,000 a year. It's harder and harder for even two spouses in the same family to do for their children what one spouse did with one. ..." Many corporations like Avis, Proctor & Gamble, JCPenney and Anheuser-Busch have tried ESOPs. Some plans have worked and others haven't, for various reasons, but by the end of the 1980s an estimated 10 million workers belonged to ESOPs. Moyers made the point that he had seen one team of management after another subvert Kelso's idea to protect their interests. They would share the stock, but not democracy; they would not share participation with employees who own stock through ESOPs. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and features with our afternoon newsletter. The conversation between Moyers and Kelso ended with Moyers saying capitalizing the middle- and lower-class workers won't work, because "the capitalist is a tiger." Kelso responds by saying, "he is not the only tiger in the jungle, and the hungry tigers are going to beat the greedy tigers every time, especially when they outnumber them 95 to 5." We have seen the contest between the greedy wealthy and the declining middle and lower class go on for decades, and the election of Trump is an example of the power of the wealthy to control our democracy. The sad thing is that we don't look behind the screen, so that a plurality of the voters know what needs to be done to have the political democracy act to even the odds. Paul M. Bray's email is secsunday@aol.com. Two Fremont residents have filed an amended complaint to their lawsuit against the City of Fremont contesting the blighting of farmland for the Costco-Lincoln Premium Poultry chicken processing plant. Lincoln-based attorney, Greg Barton of Barton Law, who represents plaintiffs James Jaksha and Pamela Allen, filed the amended complaint with the Nebraska District Court of the Sixth Judicial District on Friday. On Monday, City of Fremont issued its own statement. The amended complaint filed late last week by Plaintiff Jaksha appears to simply be a routine and updated filing to include recent actions by the city, said Fremont City Attorney Paul Payne. The city is confident in the propriety of the actions it has taken related to this project, and the filing does not change any of the citys plans going forward with the project. On Dec. 27, the Fremont City Council unanimously voted 8-0 to amend the South Fremont Industrial Redevelopment plan in regard to the proposed Costco Poultry Complex. Plans submitted to the Fremont Planning Department indicate the processing plant, proposed on 400 acres southeast of the city, would grow from 250,000 square feet to 360,000 square feet. An associated hatchery would grow from 75,000 square feet to 85,000. Plans also call for a 32,000-square-foot feed mill. The expansions would increase the projected cost of the facility from $180 million to $275 million. Its a December surprise that we should have expected, said Randy Ruppert, leader of a citizens group called Nebraska Communities United. The staff report from the meeting contained a map from June 2016 that shows a large expansion of buildings that was not part of the public process to promote this project last summer. Based on the new cost, the development would be eligible for more than $18.3 million in tax-increment financing (TIF), almost $5 million more than originally projected. A Fremont city staff report states that the new estimate of tax base added to Fremont and Dodge County increases from $63 million to $93 million based on the new cost. An NCU news release decried the plant expansion and an increase in TIF money for the project. Its simple. They want more, Ruppert said in Mondays release. And this community would be foolish to think its the last time. Since the lawsuit is against the City of Fremont and the citys Community Development Agency, Lincoln Premium Poultry did not have statement regarding it. The lawsuit doesnt involve us so we cant comment on that, said Walt Shafer, project manager. Shafer did, however, talk about the companys plans. The process moves forward, Shafer said. Were going to continue to move forward with our due diligence, finalizing the engineering process, signing up growers and getting all the permits finalized for final submission to Costco for approval. Everything is moving forward. Rupert said on Monday that the citizens group plans will proceed with its plans. Well continue to work on the legal end of this and were also working on bringing the awareness to the citizens of eastern Nebraska of the environmental issues that these plants bring with them, he said. One of the most important missions at Tinker Air Force Base is providing combat power to the warfighter. The F-4 Phantom II began sustainment here in July of 1970. The Air Force Reserves 507th Tactical Fighter Group, now the 507th Air Refueling Wing based here, flew this MiG Killer until they switched to F-16 Fighting Falcons in 1988. At first, U.S. Air Force pilots did not highly regard the F-4 as it was not a superior plane to the enemys MiG-21. Improvements were needed, and the Air Force decided the Oklahoma City Air Materiel Area should be the team to do it thus the arrival of the F-4 Phantom II to Tinker AFB. Team Tinker has always given the U.S military warriors the tools they need to win, and a good example of that superior air power came during Operation Bolo. Operation Bolo, on Jan. 2, 1967, was born within the context of Operation Rolling Thunder which went on from March 2, 1965 until Nov. 1, 1968. Operation Rolling Thunder was the most intense air to ground battle waged during the Cold War period and was fought during the Conflict in Southeast Asia in Vietnam. During the last months of 1966 the MiG-21s of the Vietnam People's Air Force (deployed in the 921st Fighter Regiment) became very active and were successfully intercepting the F-105 Thunderchiefs or "Thuds" formations of the USAF which were flying missions for Rolling Thunder. The number of F-105 supersonic fighter-bomber planes lost to the MiGs worried the U.S., so the Air Force decided to make an important effort to neutralize the MiG threat: the effort known as Operation Bolo. The idea and planning of this operation was the masterpiece of a living legend among the U.S. F-4 Phantom pilots in South East Asia, Col. Robin Olds. He was a P-38/P-51 Ace during WWII, credited with 12 kills against the German Luftwaffe in 1944 and 1945, and now - at 44 years old - he was the commanding officer of the 8th Tactical Fighter Wing. He was an old-fashioned fighter pilot: impulsive, rough, hard-drinking, but a natural leader and an intuitive tactician. It was said the sign over his door read, "Peace Is Not Our Profession," in mocking reference to Strategic Air Command's motto. Colonel Olds vice commander was Col. Daniel "Chappie" James who went on to be the Air Force's first black general and the first black four star general in any American military service. In those less-inhibited times, the men of the 8th TFW openly referred to this great duo as Blackman and Robin. Colonel Olds realized that the F-105 and F-4 formations used the same approaches, time after time, and the SIGINT analysts in Hanoi became expert in identifying the more vulnerable F-105s from the F-4s from their radio frequencies and call signs. Colonel Olds decided to fly a large F-4 formation using the same routes, altitude, and call signs as the F-105s hoping the MiG-21s would be guided towards them expecting to find slower Thunderchiefs, and when they realized the truth it would be too late. To further convince the enemy, the wing modified its aircraft to carry electronic countermeasures pods previously used only on the F-105s. The operational plan was presented to Gen. William Momyer, the Seventh Air Force commander, Dec. 22, 1966. General Momyer approved the plan, which was assigned the code name Bolo after the cane-cutting machete which doubled as a Filipino martial arts weapon. Sharp and deadly, the Filipino bolo does not appear to be a weapon until the opponent is drawn in too close to evade. This was the intent of the plan - to draw the MiGs into the Phantoms' kill-zone and strike while the VPAF were still expecting to find the less-dangerous F-105s. The D-Day of Bolo was Jan. 2, 1967. Colonel Olds presented the plan to his pilots as being one where they would be wolves in sheep's clothing. His last words to them were, "alright you Wolf Pack, let's go get'em." The attack was an unprecedented success and was the most successful aerial battle of the war. Flying with call signs derived from American cars of the period; Ford, Rambler, and (inevitably for the CO's flight) Olds, the 8th TFW caught them completely by surprise. Assistance was given by the 366th TFW who were covering possible MiG withdrawal routes. Between seven and nine enemy MiG-21s were shot down that day depending on who did the counting. The VPAF was grounded for several months for fear of losing all their planes while teaching their pilots updated tactics. Bob Hope while on tour referred to the 8th TFW as the "greatest distributor of MiG parts in the world." And the 8th TFW has been known as the Wolf Pack ever since. The final flight of the F-4 Phantom II, one of the most versatile weapon platforms in the history of the Air Force, was on Dec. 21, 2016, at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. Katie Johnson, assistant director at T-Free Kidz Center, in Titusville, enjoys reading to (from left) Daxton Beck, Sydney Bergman, and Lily Faller in one of the centers classrooms. The center, located on state Route 27, opened its doors five years ago. Security Feature January 09, 2017 Tips for Fighting Against Ransomware By Special Guest Gunjan Tripathi , Digital Marketing Executive, Cheap SSL Shop Most business activities are now fully dependent on network and server connections. Large data pertaining to the business should be secured at every stage, whether it is on the server or on the hard drives of the organization. Hackers are now able to make money by blocking access to secured data from the organizations personnel using ransomware attacks. The hackers demand money from the organization for access to their own secured information from the server. In this type of attack, the hacker is safe and will likely not get caught for the illegal act. Ransomware and its Success Stories: Ransomware is malware that is downloaded to the computer without the users knowledge. This malware comes in the form of a program termed as MAAS (Malware as a Service). The hackers distribute this program by using various forms like a word file, javascript, etc. This program gets downloaded when an employee clicks a malicious email that is found in their inbox. The email will look professional and the name of the file will also look relevant to the companys activities. The employee clicks the download link without knowing the danger the organization has to face after this downloaded action. This file gets installed once downloaded without the knowledge of the employee, and it performs unexpected actions to the company's systems, such as: Gets the individual public key to access the server with the help of this employees computer. Encrypts all the files located on the local disk as well as on the server. Erases all the backup files and also attacks the operating system of the computer. Immediately displays on the screen the ransom amount to be paid in order to decrypt all the files related to the organization. The malware is programmed in such a way that the data can only be decrypted when a hacker wants to, and they usually only do so after receiving the ransom amount. Here, the hacking can be done via email. Another method of ransomware attack is targeting websites. The hackers use an exploit kit to spoil the security of the website. When the individual users browse the website, the program automatically starts downloading to their computer without their acknowledge. The hackers always target popular websites where the security is more generic. Ransomware attacks are successful because of: The employees lack of awareness about the security level in the organization. A weak firewall, antivirus, etc. The overall security level of data may also be generic thanks to a lack of strong encryption tools. Backups of data were not maintained properly in the organization. Permission to access particular data should be predefined and only the authorized person should be able to access data. Effectively Training Employees: This type of attack is made possible because of employee flaws. Thus, training employees about security is the only solution to get rid of this type of attack. An effective security awareness program can help businesses stay away from unwanted downage caused by employees. Every individual should be aware of these attacks to safeguard data. The organization should also take steps to inculcate personal responsibility to each and every employee to avoid such attacks. The company should provide a checklist to all employees to verify all the security software in their system they work on. Every system in the organization should be automated for updating security software in a routine manner. Training the employees not only saves the organization from hackers but also helps the individuals protect themselves from such hacking activities. The organization should train employees to follow the steps below to increase the security level of data. Train employees to backup their files regularly. Make them aware about the security features which are built into the software they work with often. Instruct them not to enable macro documents, as it can be harmful. Request that they keep their login credentials secure. Conduct training programs regularly for employees about recent attacks and discuss the measures to be followed immediately in those cases. Train them to use Microsoft (News - Alert) Office Wiewer, which enables them to look at a file before actually opening it. Create awareness regarding the files that could pertain to the organization. If they encounter a malicious file, then they should ignore it. If they open a link theyre unfamiliar with, and it turns out to be malicious, all the computers connected to the server will be at risk. Steps to Protect against Ransomware Attacks: Use Crypto guard technology to safeguard against the modification of data. The server will immediately sense the ransomware and prevent it from encrypting files. Moreover, it alerts the computer user quickly, before the data can be hacked. Anti spam technology can be implemented in order to get rid of unnecessary emails entering the employees inbox. Cloud sandboxing protects the Web gateway from being infected by these types of malware. Server whitelisting and the lockdown method can be adopted in order to protect the server from malicious activities. Updating the firewall and antivirus periodically enables a high level of security. Effective training must be given to the employee in order to utilize the above discussed technology efficiently. In Conclusion Ransomware attacks are a major threat to businesses, as they deplete data quickly. This problem has led to the search for alternative security measures in order to protect the data. Organizations can prepare by deploying the proper tools to protect the server from malicious activities. Employees should also be educated about any and all advanced technology in order to overcome the hackers activities. Taking precautionary steps is the only solution to get rid of these types of attacks. About the Author Gunjan Tripathi is the Digital Marketing Executive of the Cheap SSL Shop Globally SSL certificate reseller of Comodo. He has in-depth knowledge and an understanding of cybersecurity. He writes articles related to Big Data Protection, Cloud Security, BYOB Security, Internet Of Things (IOT), Mobile Security etc. to create awareness and share knowledge. Edited by Edited by Alicia Young More Security News A.M. Best to Host Discussion on Best's Credit Rating Methodology Changes, Rating Process at Latin America Seminar in Panama City A.M. Best will host a seminar on Thursday, February 9, at the Bristol Hotel Panama in Panama City. At this event, A.M. Best analysts will discuss forthcoming changes to Best's Credit Rating Methodology (BCRM) and the Best's Capital Adequacy Ratio (BCAR) model. In addition, the analysts will discuss and demonstrate how they determine A.M. Best's ratings with an in-depth, mock demonstration of the rating process. Additional insight into the principles that guide rating analysis will also be provided. Early registration is recommended, but not required. To attend, email Midori Honda (News - Alert) at [email protected]. For more details visit http://www.ambest.com/conferences/panama17/index.html. A.M. Best provides Financial Strength, Long- and Short-Term Issuer Credit and Long- and Short-Term Issue Credit Ratings for insurers worldwide. Visitors to http://www.ambest.com/ratings can learn about Best's Credit Ratings and read criteria reports explaining the rating process. A.M. Best is the world's oldest and most authoritative insurance rating and information source. For more information, visit www.ambest.com. Copyright 2017 by A.M. Best Company, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005122/en/ [January 08, 2017] Asian Banks Continue to Utilise SWIFT's Sanctions Screening Service MUMBAI, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 10 Nepalese banks will utilise SWIFT's Sanctions Screening service to support their sanctions compliance. The 10 banks will join the nearly 600 firms currently using the service, which was launched in 2012 as the first solution in SWIFT's financial crime compliance portfolio. The success of the offering validates SWIFT's vision that compliance services are most efficiently and effectively delivered via a hosted utility model. "The growing adoption of Sanctions Screening serves as further proof of the need for shared, community-developed solutions to today's compliance challenges," said Kiran Shetty, Head of India and subcontinents, SWIFT. "Providing standardised solutions for the benefit of the financial community is at SWIFT's core, and it translates into increased efficiency, reduced risk and lower maintenance costs for our customers." Sanctions Screening is a hosted utility service that screens financial transactions in real-time against more than 30 up-to-date lists of sanctioned individuals and entities from all the major regulatory bodies, including OFAC, the United Nations, and the European Union. All structured message types can be screened, including FIN, ISO 20022, SEPA, FedWire and other non-SWIFT messages. Matches, o "hits," are identified immediately and highlighted for further action. The service is designed for the needs of small to mid-size financial institutions as well as corporations, high-volume payments businesses and central banks. Since its launch in 2012, SWIFT's Sanctions Screening service has been adopted by customers in more than 140 countries, including entire banking communities in Ghana and Nigeria. There are also 20 central banks using the service. "SWIFT is a valued and trusted partner in our sanctions compliance efforts," says Ashoke SJB Rana, Chief Executive Officer, Himalayan Bank Limited. "Using Sanctions Screening helps us focus on core parts of our business while actively ensuring we are meeting our sanctions compliance obligations, reducing manpower and costs." "SWIFT Sanctions Screening is very well tailored to the compliance needs, thanks to SWIFT's reliability and outstanding customer service. It is definitely one of the most efficient tools we have come across," said Vishal Rauniyar, Head of Compliance and Operations Risk, Kumari Bank Limited. "SWIFT Sanctions Screening is easy to implement and user friendly," says Pramod Dahal, Head Compliance, NMB Bank Limited. "It is a vital component for the financial sector and has added value to AML programmes." About SWIFT's financial crime compliance services portfolio SWIFT's Compliance Services unit manages a growing portfolio of financial crime compliance services in the areas of sanctions, Know Your Customer (KYC) and Anti-Money Laundering (AML). The portfolio includes Sanctions Screening and Sanctions Testing services, Compliance Analytics and The KYC Registry. For more information, visit www.swift.com/complianceservices. About SWIFT SWIFT is a global member-owned cooperative and the world's leading provider of secure financial messaging services. We provide our community with a platform for messaging, standards for communicating and we offer products and services to facilitate access and integration; identification, analysis and financial crime compliance. Our messaging platform, products and services connect more than 11,000 banking and securities organisations, market infrastructures and corporate customers in more than 200 countries and territories, enabling them to communicate securely and exchange standardised financial messages in a reliable way. As their trusted provider, we facilitate global and local financial flows, support trade and commerce all around the world; we relentlessly pursue operational excellence and continually seek ways to lower costs, reduce risks and eliminate operational inefficiencies. Headquartered in Belgium, SWIFT's international governance and oversight reinforces the neutral, global character of its cooperative structure. SWIFT's global office network ensures an active presence in all the major financial centres. For more information, visit www.swift.com or follow us on Twitter: @swiftcommunity and LinkedIn: SWIFT Contacts: Queena Kwan +852-2107-8441 [email protected] Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20160127/8521600559Logo [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] The EV charging system of tomorrow Visitors to the first-ever AutoMobili-D at the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) can get a preview of the high power charging (HPC) system at the Phoenix Contact E-Mobility booth (#24). Phoenix Contact (News - Alert) is one of the companies leading the development of the CCS plus standard, which will give electric vehicles a 60-mile charge in just five minutes. AutoMobili-D runs from January 8 through 12 in the Cobo Center's Atrium and Planet M Hall. More than 120 companies will showcase the latest innovations in five key mobility areas: Autonomous Driving, Connected Car Technologies, E-Mobility, Mobility Services, and Urban Mobility. "Phoenix Contact E-Mobility is honored to be a part of the inaugural AutoMobili-D during the NAIAS. The exciting changes in our industry - including vehicle electrification and autonomous driving - provide numerous opportunities in the growth of the infrastructure, continued leadership, and ongoing renaissance of the Motor City," said Vince Carioti, Director E-Mobility North America. "As the market for electric vehicles grows in North America and around the world, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility will take a leadership role in the growth of the industry and development of new technologies." Phoenix Contact offers an extensive range of electronic components for charging stations and thecharging infrastructure, as well as charging inlets for electric and plug-in-hybrid vehicles. "By doing so, Phoenix Contact is in the unique position to perfectly match the requirements of the automotive industry with the demand of the quickly developing charging infrastructure network," said Oliver Stockl, Executive Vice President of Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, Germany. Jack Nehlig, president of Phoenix Contact USA, said, "Thanks to Phoenix Contact's rich history of connection technology and deep technological experience in complex power applications, we have the expertise to support the manufacture of electric vehicles and the infrastructure they require. AutoMobili-D is the perfect venue to showcase our e-mobility solutions." In 2013, Phoenix Contact founded Phoenix Contact E-Mobility GmbH, in Schieder-Schwalenberg, Germany, to address the emerging electric mobility industry. In November 2016, Carioti was named as Director E-Mobility North America. In this role, he directs the company's e-mobility efforts in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, while cooperating with the Phoenix Contact USA sales subsidiary for local sales and technical support. The e-mobility business is based at Phoenix Contact's Customer and Technology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich. The 27,000-square-foot building is home to Phoenix Contact's software development and has a strategic focus on the automotive industry. "Phoenix Contact's decision to locate the epicenter of its e-mobility North America operations in the Ann Arbor region is another proof point of our appeal to global innovators in this emerging space," said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor SPARK. "Ann Arbor is a mobility capital that offers the resources and research that are driving the industry forward. It's exciting that Phoenix Contact is choosing to invest here, and be part of the growing number of businesses here that are our automotive future." About Phoenix Contact Phoenix Contact develops and manufactures industrial electrical and electronic technology products that power, protect, connect and automate systems and equipment for a wide range of industries. Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co. KG, Blomberg, Germany, operates 50 international subsidiaries, including Phoenix Contact USA in Middletown, Pa. For more information about Phoenix Contact or its products, visit http://www.phoenixcontact.com, or call technical service at 800-322-3225, e-mail [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005728/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Patient Monitoring and Assistance Robots - Market Drivers and Forecast From Technavio Technavio analysts forecast the global patient monitoring and assistance robots market to grow at a CAGR of more than 30% during the forecast period, according to their latest report. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005492/en/ Technavio has published a new report on the global patient monitoring and assistance robots market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire) The research study covers the present scenario and growth prospects of the global patient monitoring and assistance robots market for 2017-2021. The study considered revenue generated from handicap assistance robots, autonomous mobile transport robots, daily care robots, and telepresence robots to determine the market size. Handicap assistance robots like robotic wheelchairs and parts are the most popular product segment in the market. It is expected to show maximum growth in developed countries in the Americas and Europe due to advances in technology and support from respective governments. Key vendors in this segment are Cyberdyne and ReWalk, who are focused majorly on robotic solutions for wheelchairs with advanced sensors and manipulators for better navigation and control. Global patient monitoring and assistance robots market is expected to show explosive growth through the forecast period and record a USD 2,621.5 million by 2021. The Americas comprise the biggest segment of this market, occupying more than 45% of the total shares. Request a sample report: http://www.technavio.com/request-a-sample?report=55535 Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Technavio analysts highlight the following four factors that are contributing to the growth of the global patient monitoring and assistance robots market: Shortage of workforce in the healthcare sector Support from governments of developed countries Increase in number of people with disabilities Miniaturization of sensors Shortage of workforce in the healthcare sector The shortage of a permanent workforce in the healthcare sector is one of the key driving factors of the healthcare robotics market. Individual specialty hospitals, healthcare establishments in rural and remote areas, are in critical need of nurses. Smart robots programmed with basic instructions are being increasingly utilized in place of human professionals to make up for this shortage. "These robots can perform important activities such as comforting of patients by talking to them, motivating patients, and development plans for patients. To assure that workforce shortages do not affect the quality of services delivered to patients, it is expected that more hospitals and healthcare facilities will leverage the technological improvements in robotics to provide quality healthcare," says Bharath Kaniappan, one of the lead analysts at Technavio for robotics research. Support from governments of developed countries Healthcare robots are expensive, and a single handicap robot can range anywhere from USD 20,000 to USD 98,000. Most clinics take these robots on long-term lease due to the benefits like quicker recovery times and assistance in a permanent disability that they provide. Governments in developed countries like the US and countries in EU are supporting these hospitals and clinics by providing funds and reimbursement options. In the US, end-users of handicap assistance robots like private rehabilitation centers and teaching hospitals receive reimbursements for these devices to enhance the quality of healthcare provided in these centers. In countries like Germany, the UK, and Sweden, third-party players like insurance companies provide financial benefits to physically challenged people to help them secure the robotic assistants. These factors are expected to aid the growth of this market space significantly. Increase in number of people with disabilities "With the improvement in healthcare facilities and hospitals, there is an increase in investment in assistance robots that can process sensory information and help perform daily activities that help physically challenged people and older adults. With the emergence of healthcare robotics, physicians improve the efficiency of the care they deliver and restore lost mobility in patients," says Bharath. The changing lifestyles of individuals are resulting in higher incidences of ambulatory disabilities. This has created an increased demand for technologies that can help patients, particularly those with issues relating to mobility. These robots can help hospital staffs by relieving medical personnel from routine activities, which decrease the time available for various other responsibilities. In this scenario, the patient monitoring and human assistance robots market is expected to see high growth. Miniaturization of sensors Miniaturization is a trend that is sweeping the sensors market, and it is creating a direct impact on patient monitoring and assistance robotics. This miniaturization has led to a reduction in costs of sensors and in turn of robots, which has enabled innovations in mechatronic components and increased the prevalence of information and communications technology (ICT). Therefore, the growth in the sensor market and the availability of highly advanced application-specific sensors may fuel more R&D activities in autonomous mobile transport robots and is expected to improve the growth of patient monitoring and assistance robots market. Browse Related Reports: Global Multiparameter Patient Monitoring Equipment Market 2016-2020 Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Testing Market 2016-2020 Global Diagnostic Wearable Medical Devices Market 2016-2020 Become a Technavio Insights member and access all three of these reports for a fraction of their original cost. As a Technavio Insights member, you will have immediate access to new reports as they're published in addition to all 6,000+ existing reports covering segments like automation. This subscription nets you thousands in savings, while staying connected to Technavio's constant transforming research library, helping you make informed business decisions more efficiently. About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. The company develops over 2000 pieces of research every year, covering more than 500 technologies across 80 countries. Technavio has about 300 analysts globally who specialize in customized consulting and business research assignments across the latest leading edge technologies. Technavio analysts employ primary as well as secondary research techniques to ascertain the size and vendor landscape in a range of markets. Analysts obtain information using a combination of bottom-up and top-down approaches, besides using in-house market modeling tools and proprietary databases. They corroborate this data with the data obtained from various market participants and stakeholders across the value chain, including vendors, service providers, distributors, re-sellers, and end-users. If you are interested in more information, please contact our media team at [email protected]. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005492/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Quanterix' Momentum Fuels Vision for the Future of Precision Health Quanterix Corporation, a company digitizing biomarker analysis to advance the science of precision health, today announced significant milestones that are shaping the future of the company's technology, driving global expansion of its customer and partner portfolio, and fueling research that advances the science of precision health. Driven by a $46 million capital raise in 2016 with a post-money valuation of over $200M, Quanterix has made material progress in commercializing its disruptive digital biomarker platform. Key to the rapid global adoption was increasing its application reach by doubling the number of assays available in 2016, including 31 new assay kits focused on several therapeutic areas, such as oncology, neurology, cardiology, infectious disease and inflammation. Oncology, inflammation and neurology will remain a key focus for menu expansion in 2017. Quanterix continues to experience rapid growth, with a 60 percent increase in revenue this past year, and a 300 percent increase over the past three years. In 2016, the company's consumables revenue increased by 70 percent and its Simoa Accelerator Lab services grew by over 100 percent. In 2017, Quanterix will launch a new benchtop reader to complement its floor standing instrument and will introduce several updates to its current instruments to enhance research versatility and drug discovery innovation and pre-clinical and clinical development. "Our rapid growth, coupled with the addition of several seasoned veterans to our management team and over 90 third-party scientific publications, highlights our progress in Research markets," said Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO and Executive Chairman, Quanterix. "We look forward to continuing this momentum in Research markets as we reconfigure and reinvigorate our compelling diagnostics opportunity in 2017." At the helm of Quanterix, Hrusovsky was recently named the 2017 Healthcare Innovation All-Star by The Boston Business Journal as a result of his leadership and industry vision. Hrusovsky teamed up with leading authorities in medicine to form the Powering Precision Health (PPH) Summit, dedicated to transforming today's healthcare into tomorrow's precision health paradigm of early detection and disease prevention. The Summit attracted top innovators in medicine, including leading physicians, researchers, scientists, innovators, investors, policymakers and patient advocates. The inaugural Summit was held this past Fall, and representatives from Pfizer, Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Merck, Biogen, Dana-Farber, Boston Children's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Foundation Medicine, Boston University, Harvard, NFL, Susan Komen Foundation and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) participated with numerous presentations leveraging Quanterix' technology. Quanterix was the lead sponsor of the event. About Quanterix Quanterix is a company that's digitizing biomarker analysis to advance the science of precision health. The company's digital health solution, Simoa, is changing the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. In doing so, Quanterix enables much earlier disease detection, better prognoses and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for applications in a majority of therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. The company was established in 2007 and is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006410/en/ [January 09, 2017] Signpost's Powerful AI Feature Disrupts MarTech NEW YORK, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Signpost, artificial intelligence that turns prospects into promoters for consumer brands, today announced the official launch of its latest advancement in Mia's capabilities, Suggested Campaignsa feature so innovative, the company refreshed their brand. Now through Suggested Campaigns Signpost's AI, Mia, can make real-time recommendations for marketing campaigns that will boost revenue. Drawing on millions of data points from nearly 10 percent of the US population, Mia knows which marketing emails and text messages businesses should be sending to their contacts. When Mia's identified a smart opportunity to market to their prospects, she will prompt the business to either send the email she's created, or edit it. With one click of a button, Mia will send the campaign at the optimal time to drive more business. "Local businesses lack the time, money and expertise to continually expand their marketing efforts, but we're here to help them bring their products and services to more customers. We envision a world of thriving local businesses, both large and small, that have smart, relevant and lasting connections with their customers," said Stuar Wall, founder and CEO, Signpost. "Our latest feature, Suggested Campaigns, helps businesses grow and strengthen their local customer base through insight-driven communications and guarantees revenue by creating meaningful customer relationships." On the heels of debuting this new feature, Signpost decided to relaunch their brand. "We updated the entire ethos and tone of the brand based on the evolution of our product. Our color palette and design now includes circular dimensions which are representative of a customer lifecycle. In addition we refreshed our logo. Previously, our Signpost wordmark was in all caps, but the new wordmark is a bit more understatedthis aligns with our product visionwe think the best AI technologies get out of the way, not complicate the process," said Wall. How it Works Signpost's artificial intelligence, Mia, automatically collects customer data such as email, phone, and purchase information to create a perfect customer record. She stays connected with customers and prospects to drive reviews and revenue. Built on a massive data set, Mia compounds her learnings over time to deliver authentic, dynamic and 1:1 communications that drive specific customer actions which directly translates into measurable revenue growth. With a return on investment of 4,300 percent, email marketing remains one of the most effective marketing tactics for businesses, but manually managing email campaigns can be time consuming for businesses. It takes the average local business owner 45 minutes to create a new marketing campaign. Through "Suggested Campaigns", Mia takes the time and effort out of that process. About Signpost With over 7,000 customers, Signpost's Mia is the future of communication for businesses with consumers. Powered by automated data collection and email marketing, Mia's artificial intelligence drives reviews up by 1.8 stars and revenue up by 10%. As one of Forbes' "Most Promising Companies" Signpost prides itself on a nearly perfect customer retention rate thanks to an industry-leading product. Contact: Mary McGuire SHIFT Communications Phone: (646) 756-3709 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/signposts-powerful-ai-feature-disrupts-martech-300387707.html SOURCE Signpost [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Ulmer Makes Key Health Care Hire, Adding Veteran Attorney Anne Strassfeld Ulmer & Berne LLP is pleased to announce the addition of veteran health care attorney Anne Strassfeld as Counsel in its Cleveland office. Strassfeld brings more than two decades of experience providing legal counsel to health care clients as both outside and in-house counsel. She has served in executive leadership and senior counsel positions with large, integrated healthcare systems, including major private and public academic medical centers. This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005963/en/ Anne Strassfeld, Counsel, Ulmer & Berne LLP (Photo: Business Wire) This marks a return to Ulmer for Strassfeld, who spent eight years with the firm (1994-2002), first as an associate and later as a partner. She most recently served as Associate Special Advisor to the Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at the University of Virginia. Prior to that she was the first General Counsel in the 133-year history of Kansas City, Mo.-based Saint Luke's Health System. Strassfeld's experience also includes stints as Associate General Counsel at Cleveland's University Hospitals Health System, and a senior counsel at the Cleveland Clinic. "Anne's health care pedigree combines high-level client advocacy at several of the nation's premier law firms with experience helping to run the legal departments of major health systems," said Scott Kadish, Ulmer's managing partner. "It's a rare skill-set that we know will serve our clients exceptionally well. We are thrilled to welcome Anne back to the firm." Strassfeld focuses her practice on advising health care industry clients on a full range of issues, with emphasis on strategic responses to health care reform initiatives. Her experience includes strategic business transactions including acquisitions, mergers, affiliations and joint ventures, business planning, fraud and abuse laws and regulations, corporate compliance, complex contracts, hospital/physician relations, physician employment, medical staff and peer review matters, accreditation, managed care, corporate governance, tax-exempt organizations and a broad range of other matters of interest to health care clients. With a career evenly divided between law firm and in-house counsel practice, and volunteer service as Board Chair of a federally qualified health center, Strassfeld's informed perspective on the challenges health care clients face enables her to provide counsel that incorporates a 360-degree view of the industry landscape. Strassfeld earned her B.A. from Wesleyan University and her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law. Ulmer's health care lawyers work as a team to ensure that their clients achieve their overarching business objectives while simultaneously complying with the vast and continuously changing federal and state health care regulations. The firm represents a wide-variety of health care clients, including hospitals, health systems, single and multi-specialty physician groups, emergency and hospitalist staffing companies, billing companies, preferred provider organizations, management services organizations, physician hospital organizations, clinics, nursing homes, pharmaceutical and durable medical equipment suppliers and other entities in the health care field. About Ulmer At Ulmer, the focus is on exceeding client expectations and delivering superior, customized legal solutions for an exceptional value. From offices in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Boca Raton, the firm's attorneys serve as counselors and partners to a wide range of sophisticated clients to help them solve their complex challenges and achieve their goals. For more information, please visit Ulmer.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005963/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Valmie (VMRI) Shareholder Letter Reports Significant Progress in 2016 and Reveals Vision for the Months Ahead Valmie Resources Inc. (OTCBB:VMRI), an emerging high-tech company focusing on the rapid commercialization of leading edge unmanned aerial system (UAS) technologies and solutions, delivers the following letter to its shareholders. To our shareholders, partners, associates and employees: Valmie experienced rapid growth in 2016, setting the stage for a tremendous future. Our team accomplished a lot last year, and we are energized and enthusiastic about the coming months. Valmie's business viewpoint involves the firm belief that innovation drives profitability, especially for growth-stage organizations entering emerging industries. This belief continues to guide the company as it cultivates partnerships, and develops leading edge consumer-oriented products primed for rapid commercialization. This thought process will continue to move Valmie forward. Here, we share the milestones achieved during the past year and our vision for growth. 2016 Milestones In February, Valmie announced that it secured a sought-after 333 Exemption to commercially operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Valmie's aircraft now have permission to fly in the national airspace to conduct aerial data collection for agricultural applications, search and rescue operations, power line and pipeline inspections, infrastructure surveying, and aerial imaging. As part of its aggressive expansion campaign, Valmie entered into a partnership with AeroLift eXpress. AeroLift is an elite unmanned transportation service that focuses on the oil and gas industry and is based upon military-grade vehicles and systems. Following a highly successful debut in May at the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) in Houston, AeroLift initiated a series of seminars to increase awareness about the latest technology available in unmanned commercial systems, and to present its service capabilities. The AeroLift team has dedicated time to spreading the word about the game-changing approaches using UAV technology in Lagos, Nigeria; Monterrey, Mexico; the Texas Rio Grande Valley; Trinidad and Tobago; and back at their corporate headquarters in Houston's energy corridor. In the meantime, Vertitek, Valmie's initial acquisition, has also been in full growth mode. Vertitek develops fully customized and integrated platforms that meet a variety of commercial requirements. Vertitek established a new division this year, Vertitek Racing, which specializes in fabricating and selling racing frames for the competitive drone racing industry. Vertitek Racing's original product, Model LDE 180, is one of the smallest, lightest and most durable drone racing frames in the industry, and has become popular among some of the fastest race pilots in the country. As a result of that highly succesful venture, Vertitek Racing now has its team of sponsored pilots that are promoting the Vertitek brand. One of the Vertitek team members qualified for the U.S. Drone Nationals, the first-ever such event to be nationally televised live on ESPN (News - Alert). The race took place August 5 through 7. In September, Vertitek added two more FPV (First Person View) pilots to its drone racing team. This two-person crew participates in freestyle competitions and allows the team to compete on a broader level, further establishing Vertitek as a serious player in this exciting field. In October, Vertitek Racing rolled out three new racing frame products as part of its plan to enhance its Engineering and Services Department, which will enable total in-house fabrication of commercial grade UAV products. Valmie continued expanding its footprint into the drone racing field by becoming the major sponsor of a MultiGP Masters of Endurance race in Loranger, Louisiana. In addition to competing in the race, Vertitek provided its popular racing frames as prizes for the participating racing teams. Vertitek capped off its growth surge by relocating to larger headquarters. Vertitek's new center of operations, located in Lake Charles, Louisiana, opened in October and houses Vertitek's expanded fabrication facility featuring the most modern technologies. This component will support 100% in-house design and production of prototypes for large-scale commercial drones. During the past months, Valmie has been meeting with major university representatives in the U.S. and Mexico to explore collaboration with students and faculty members on portions of its upcoming UAS projects. Valmie expects these projects to ultimately benefit not only the UAS industry but also academia, by adding technology and innovative solutions. Valmie's Vision for the Months Ahead Valmie's accomplishments in 2016 paint a bright picture of commercial viability and we expect the momentum to continue in the months ahead. We remain passionate about our mission, the exciting opportunities in the sector and the difference that can be achieved through disruptive technologies. As we continue to progress from development stage to full commercialization, Valmie is poised to become a premier provider of products and services to commercial clients worldwide. We plan to achieve this through a disciplined execution of management's accelerated growth and acquisition strategy - focused on adding world-class talent and market-disruptive technologies to Valmie's portfolio. On that note, stay tuned; in the next few days Valmie will announce a significant addition to our group. This entity will bring further performance-driven professional expertise to our team. As always, we will keep shareholders aware of our progress through periodic media releases and through our website, http://valmie.com. Our team is hard at work doing an extraordinary job for you and we see an unprecedented amount of opportunity in the unmanned aerial sector for 2017 and for the long term. Although we still have a lot of hard work ahead, our products are generating excitement and we couldn't be more enthused and optimistic about the road ahead. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information provided in this press release constitutes forward-looking statements. The words "anticipate", "expect", "project", "estimate", "forecast" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be incorrect. Actual results achieved during the forecast period will vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. You can find a discussion of those risks and uncertainties in our EDGAR securities filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Such factors include, but are not limited to: general economic, market and business conditions; fluctuations in the technology market; the results of product development and the result of our efforts to develop strategic relationships, partnerships and potential acquisitions that are in line with our business model; outcome of partnership negotiations; the uncertainty of market estimates; changes in environmental and other regulations; risks associated with retail operations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. There is no representation by Valmie Resources that actual results achieved during the forecast period will be the same in whole or in part as those forecast. Except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Valmie Resources assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements made herein or otherwise, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005045/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Xplornet, Canada's Leading Rural Broadband Service Provider, Acquires YourLink Acquisition will accelerate Xplornet's ongoing expansion in Saskatchewan WOODSTOCK, NB, Jan. 9, 2017 /CNW/ - Xplornet Communications Inc., Canada's leading rural broadband service provider, is pleased to announce the acquisition from Vecima Networks Inc. of all YourLink Internet services operations in Saskatchewan. YourLink is Saskatchewan's leading provider of high-speed wireless Internet to rural and remote communities. YourLink will continue to operate and deliver its high quality services in Saskatchewan while integrating operations into Xplornet regional and national delivery teams. "We are delighted to welcome YourLink customers to the Xplornet family," said Mr. Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet. "This acquisition will increase our fixed wireless broadband footprint in Saskatchewan and support Xplornet's mission to make affordable, fast and reliable broadbandInternet services available to rural Canadians." YourLink has built a strong business that is complementary to Xplornet's expanding operations. In recent years, Xplornet has achieved significant growth to become Canada's largest rural-focused Internet service provider. Xplornet plans to further expand its network with the continued extension of its LTE coverage and the launch of two new satellites offering Internet download speeds not previously seen in many parts of rural Canada. "The Internet is changing, and Canadians want more from their Internet service. They want faster speeds and higher data plans so they can do more of what they love online," said Allison Lenehan, President and CEO of Xplornet. "We believe this transaction will allow us to provide even more value for YourLink customers, and we look forward to serving them as new Xplornet customers in the years ahead." About Xplornet Communications Inc. Headquartered in Woodstock, New Brunswick, Xplornet Communications Inc. is Canada's leading rural broadband provider. We believe everyone should have access to the transformative benefits of broadband, so we make our service available everywhere in Canada, including the hard to reach places. We overcome the challenges of Canada's vast geography through our deployment of Canada's first national 4G network, which leverages both fixed-wireless towers on the ground and next-generation satellites in space. Our customers live in the farthest reaches of the country and just outside of major urban centres, and through our coast-to-coast network of local dealers we connect them to all that the Internet offers. Xplornet is high-speed Internet for all of Canada. SOURCE Xplornet Communications Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 08, 2017] Love Matching Principles Applied to Job Search: HR Tech Startup Blonk Wants to Humanize Digital Recruiting and Transform Recruitment Experience Through Intuitive and Motivation Driven App SINGAPORE, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blonk today launches a mobile job matching app to help the right talents and hiring managers find each other directly across geographies with easy swipes. The prevailing recruitment and job search paradigm is flawed. Blonk simplifies and accelerates the talent and job hunt by prioritizing fit and human connections between motivated parties. The app offers an intuitive mobile experience powered by learning algorithm. Simple, straightforward and mobile, the app matches talents with truly relevant positions and helps companies reach highly relevant candidates at the right moment, wherever they may be. By rethinking the way job seekers and hiring managers find and engage each other, Blonk is transforming the recruiting and mobile job search experience. "We started Blonk because we felt that deeply the recruiting industry was facing the most important transformation phase of its history. Digitalization has just started to impact the recruitment world and much more remains to happen. Today, despite multiple new tools, HR leaders, hiring managers and candidates feel that hiring processes still remain too long, complex, and often with frustrating outcomes. We want to play an active role in shaping the future recruiting industry," said Vincent Maillard, Co-Founder & CEO. "The behavior of job seekers evolves with the multiplication and sophistication of sourcing channels. A significant trend is towards discovery versus search, especially amongst the new generation -- Millennials and iGen. Best talents now expect to discover attractive projects and working environments thanks to new digital tools. Blonk is built to meet this new demand. Today, having witnessed the growth of new breed mbile-first apps in California and Paris, we see real opportunities for Blonk to take off in Asia." Delivering an Emotionally Compelling User Experience Digital recruiting is the modern way to hire and build relationships with your best talents. Blonk is designed to make each digital interaction count. Matching expectations is the first objective of the app. Blonk's application process focuses on both candidates' and employers' motivation and generates meaningful connections through a powerful learning algorithm. Only motivated candidates and hiring leaders can match and chat. The instant chat connection is one of the most efficient way to start the relationship anywhere, anytime. Blonk enables direct match between hiring managers and candidates to validate common interests and fit in the first instance. By offering an intuitive and straightforward digital experience, the app makes it easy for corporate recruiters to involve the hiring managers in one of their most important tasks -- recruiting. By prioritizing human interactions at a very early stage, Blonk helps validate the fit between both decision makers before pursuing further the relationship. This new way of recruiting is becoming the precondition for attracting best talents, accelerating hiring processes and building a positive employer brand in the job market. Reach Passive Candidates the Way They Liked to Be Found "Passive candidates can only be approached with timely and relevant job offers. They don't look for jobs but they look at jobs. Even the most passive candidate will be open to an interesting project. However, passive candidates need confidentiality in order to engage into any process. Blonk offers a qualitative browsing experience in full confidentiality if required. We help companies uncover hidden talents," said Lynn Tan, Co-Founder. Love Matching Principles Applied to Job Search Love matching trends have always inspired the recruitment market. With Blonk, candidates can swipe and like jobs anywhere anytime. When there is mutual like; they can chat directly with interested hiring managers and then set up meetings. Recruiters can access a selected pool of skilled professionals, and invest their time assessing candidates -- not sourcing them. Even in the job market, you can find each other in a few swipes. About Blonk: Blonk is a mobile job search application where the right talents and hiring leaders can find each other across geographies in a few swipes. A pioneer in the mobile-first job search space when it was created in Silicon Valley at the end of 2014, Blonk is now focusing its development in Asia. Today, Blonk is an intuitive and motivation driven job matching platform that learns user preferences as they swipe. Blonk helps job seekers find their dream jobs and companies reach top talents wherever, whenever. Blonk is transforming the recruitment experience. With Blonk, recruitment is easier than ever. Talents can love their job search. Blonk app is available on iOS and Android. Visit our website: www.blonk.co. Media contacts: Lynn Tan Blonk +65 8222 2942 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 08, 2017] GLG Welcomes Stephan Bosshart and Eddie Kong to Asia-Pacific Leadership Team HONG KONG, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GLG (Gerson Lehrman Group, Inc.) today announced that Stephan Bosshart and Eddie Kong have joined GLG's APAC Leadership team. GLG is the world's leading platform for professional learning and expertise, providing clients across industries and the world with the targeted connections they need to learn, make decisions, and grow. GLG has been doing business in Asia for more than ten years and has expanded to ten offices across APAC. Stephan Bosshart joins GLG as Managing Director and Head of China. Prior to GLG, Bosshart was Managing Director at Standard Chartered Bank, where he oversaw Commercial Banking in Eastern China. Earlier in his career, Bosshart (fluent in Mandarin and written Chinese) was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, serving financial services clients across Greater China. Eddie Kong joins GLG as Managing Director and Head of Operations, APAC. Most recently, Kong served as Chief Operating Officer at Babylon Education, where he managed and developed new schools in Hong Kong. From 2013 to 2016, Kong was the Head of Operations Development at The Kowloon Motor Bus Company. Kong spent several years at McKinsey & Co. after beginning his career at Cathay Pacific Airways. Bosshart and Kong will jon GLG's APAC leadership, alongside Evan Auyang, Head of Asia-Pacific and Managing Director; Matthew Creedon, Managing Director for Business Development; and Mark Blick, Managing Director for Research. Auyang joined GLG in March 2016, bringing with him more than 20 years of experience at the highest levels of international business in Asia - especially in his native Greater China. Creedon joined GLG in New York City in 2004, where he developed and led two research practice areas before moving to Hong Kong in 2007 to scale the operation across the region. Blick has been a leader in GLG's Asia-Pacific team since 2008, joining to lead the Energy and Industrials practice. "GLG's mission in the Asia-Pacific is to transform the way the world's top professionals share expertise and learn, and we're committed to investing in and developing the very best local talent to help us deliver on our mission," said Evan Auyang, Head of Asia-Pacific and Managing Director at GLG. GLG was founded in 1998 to serve professionals who needed perspective that couldn't be found in one-size-fits-all industry reports. It began connecting its clients with smart people who had firsthand expertise or operational experience. Today, GLG serves the world's leading investors, entrepreneurs, corporations, consulting firms, nonprofits, and startups. Its teaching members include 500,000 policy specialists, academics, engineers, former C-level managers, and professional leaders. GLG is scaling one-to-one learning, pairing its members thousands of times a week, around the world. About GLG / Gerson Lehrman Group GLG is the world's leading platform for professional learning. Business leaders, investors, consultants, social entrepreneurs, and other top professionals rely on GLG to learn in short- and long-term engagements from more than 500,000 members and other experts. Clients partner with GLG to address their most complex strategic challenges, make better business decisions, and advance their careers through conversations, mentorships, small group convenings, surveys, and other interactionsall within a rigorous compliance framework. Global, technology-driven, and nimble, GLG's approximately 1,300 employees work in 22 offices in 12 countries. For more information visit www.GLG.it. Contact: Chloe Sarnoff / GLG [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] PLATTSMOUTH A former Plattsmouth resident will spend five years on probation for selling methamphetamine on three separate occasions in 2015. Joshua S. Cuthill, 27, appeared in Cass County District Court on Monday morning for a sentencing hearing. Cuthill, who now lives in Omaha, pled guilty to a Class II felony charge of distribution of controlled substance-methamphetamine late last year. Deputy County Attorney Steven Sunde told the court the state pressed charges after Cuthill sold methamphetamine to a confidential informant. Cuthill delivered the drug to the confidential informant three times over a period of weeks in 2015. Each of the purchases took place in Cass County. Sunde said Cuthill had been involved in similar criminal activity in the past. Cuthill pled guilty in 2012 to a Class III felony charge of attempted manufacture of controlled substance-methamphetamine. He was originally placed on probation but saw that revoked after he tested positive multiple times for banned substances such as alcohol and marijuana. Former District Court Judge Jeffrey Funke then sentenced Cuthill to a term of 18-36 months in state prison. Sunde asked the court on Monday to send Cuthill to prison again. He said Cuthill admitted to probation officials during the pre-sentence investigation process that he has continued to use marijuana. Sunde said Cuthill had been unemployed for the past two years and had not held a full-time job longer than four months. Sunde also said he believed Cuthills actions had a negative influence on other people. Sunde referenced a defendant who was in court earlier in the morning for a hearing on drug possession charges. This is a person who sells his poison to people such as the gentleman who was just in here, Sunde said. He will ask for probation, but I would ask the court to issue a statutory sentence instead. I believe probation will only encourage Mr. Cuthill to continue selling his poison to people. Defense attorney Michael Ziskey asked the court for a probation sentence. He said his client had become more mature over the past year and was willing to comply with all probation terms. He also said Cuthill had a strong support system of family and friends in the area. District Court Judge Michael Smith said he had considered sending Cuthill to prison. He said he decided to order a probation sentence to give Cuthill an opportunity to rehabilitate himself through treatment. Smith ordered Cuthill to serve 60 months on probation. Cuthill must complete chemical dependency and psychological evaluations within 30 days and pay all court costs by June 1. He will also be required to complete 200 hours of community service by Dec. 31, 2017. Cuthill must abstain from all alcohol and drugs and obtain his GED during the five-year term. He will also follow terms of a Specialized Substance Abuse Supervision (SSAS) probation program. The SSAS program includes more stringent requirements than regular probation. Smith warned Cuthill about the importance of taking probation seriously. A Class II felony carries a maximum prison sentence of 50 years. Smith said he would likely send Cuthill to the Nebraska Department of Corrections if there were probation violations. Mr. Cuthill, you have to follow all of the terms of probation, Smith said. If not, youre facing a possibility of 50 years in prison. [January 08, 2017] The 7th edition of Aberje's international newsletter talks about GE's international communication foundation and its digital activities SAO PAULO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberje The Brazilian Association for Business Communication published the November/December edition of BRpr at the end of 2016. The newsletter is an initiative of the association to showcase the good practices developed in the area of Communication in Brazil, in dialogue with the international community. Edition #7 has articles on Fundacom, the international foundation of Ibero-American communication associations, which began its activities in November. Among the entity's activities are the organization of Cibecom a communications conference that will take place in March in Miami, and the Fundacom International Awards, which recognizes best communication practices in the Portuguese and Spanish languages. Other highlights are thedigital activities of GE, whose YouTube channel is geared toward innovation and the challenge that the SAP technology multinational company is proposing to Brazilian university students. About Aberje - Aberje The Brazilian Association for Business Communication, is the main domestic reference in the production and distribution of Communication and Relationship knowledge and practices. Founded in 1967, Aberje is a non-profit professional and scientific organization whose main objective is to improve communication at companies and institutions, and to instill respect for the role of the communicator. Its pillars of activity are Advocacy, Content, Education and Career. Aberje's activities goes beyond Brazilian borders, as it has relationship and exchange projects with countries that include the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, India, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Peru, and it is positioning itself as the Brazilian Business Communication Think Tank. To receive the BRpr newsletter, register here. Contact information: Tato Carbonaro Public Affairs and International Relations +55 11 5727-9090 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 08, 2017] Tealium Announces Strategic Partnership with POSSIBLE APAC SINGAPORE, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tealium, the leader in universal customer data solutions and enterprise tag management, today announced a strategic partnership with POSSIBLE APAC, a WPP digital creative agency. The partnership represents tremendous opportunities, as POSSIBLE's leadership in digital strategy and Tealium's industry-leading Universal Data Hub will assist global businesses in unlocking the power of customer data, creating more meaningful and relevant customer experiences. This partnership will enable businesses to understand customer behavior better and build personalized, real-time digital experiences. "Many brands and government bodies today have a plan to execute their digital-transformation strategy but truly, the real opportunity here with technology is the data transformation story. Brands we work with understand the importance of being able to treat their customers as a single profile across their many touchpoints, and to do so in rea time. Tealium's Universal Data Hub Solutions with their ability to stitch together offline, online, and application-specific data will allow POSSIBLE to deliver highly-targeted and responsive campaigns across Asia Pacific." --Paul Soon, CEO POSSIBLE APAC. "In our interactions with customers across Asia Pacific, we see the increasing focus on being data-driven in campaigns and customer interactions. POSSIBLE APAC leads in its focus on a robust data-centric digital strategy. This partnership will allow us to help deliver the power of real-time insight and action to POSSIBLE's broad scope of customers." --Andy Clark, GM Asia Pacific, Tealium. About POSSIBLE POSSIBLE is a creative agency that cares about results. They back up every idea with real-world insights to create work that makes a difference--and a measurable impact. With more than 1,500 employees around the globe, POSSIBLE brings results-driven digital solutions to some of the world's most dynamic brands, including Microsoft, Procter & Gamble, AT&T, Shell, and the Coca-Cola Company. POSSIBLE is a WPP digital agency. Visit www.possible.com. About Tealium Tealium is revolutionizing today's digital businesses with a universal approach to managing the ever-increasing flows of customer data, spanning web, mobile, offline, and IoT. With the power to unify customer data from a single source of truth, combined with a turnkey integration-ecosystem supporting more than 1,000 vendors and technologies, Tealium's Universal Data Hub (UDH) enables organizations to gain real-time, actionable insights and create richer, more personalized digital experiences. More than 700 global businesses worldwide trust Tealium to power their data strategies and data governance practices. Visit www.tealium.com. Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170109/8521700124LOGO [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 08, 2017] China Mobile Hong Kong 4G Data Roaming Coverage Ranks No.1 in Hong Kong HONG KONG, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- China Mobile Hong Kong ("CMHK" or "the Company") today announced that the Company has ranked first* in the number of 4G data roaming coverage destinations among all the mobile network operators in Hong Kong, offering one-stop communication services in more than 100 destinations worldwide, allowing customers to stay in touch with business partners, friends and relatives via voice call, text message and data roaming services anytime. Mr. Sean Lee, Director and Chief Executive Officer of CMHK, said: "CMHK is dedicated to continually expanding our international roaming services for enhanced customer experience. Through close collaboration with our roaming partners, we have been striving to provide customers with products and services of maximum advantages. We are extremely happy to become the first local mobile network operator having achieved the most extensive coverage of 4G data roaming with seamless connectivity. I strongly believe that with our ongoing 4.5G network development and optimization, we will be able to substantially enhance the overall mobile communication experience and services for our customers." Leveraging its robust network advantages, CMHK has firmly established a leadership in the China-Hong Kong cross-border market earlier. In facing increasing customer demands and fierce competition in the industry, CMHK will continue to be motivated by improved customer recognition, as well as to seek for higher quality global network and overseas interconnected communication solutions. CMHK has been proactively promoting international roaming services, and allied with 480 roaming partners to offer roaming service that covers more than 250 countries worldwide. CMHK is well poised to become a leading global communications expert in the high-speed data era, bringing customers comprehensive, seamless connectivity and communication services of multiple regions around the globe. *The 4G data roaming service coverage is measured against a designated list of destinations, please visit the China mobile Hong Kong website for details. The data was retrieved from the public information available at the official websites of local mobile operators as of 28th December, 2016. China Mobile Hong Kong 4G Data Roaming Coverage List Americas Europe Asia Pacific Middle East/Africa 1. USA 1. Switzerland 1. Philippines 1. Saudi Arabia 2. Hawaii 2. Liechtenstein 2. Singapore 2. Canary Island 3. Puerto Rico 3. Russia 3. South Korea 3. Ceuta 4. US Virgin Island 4. Italy 4. Mainland China 4. Melilla 5. Canada 5. Sicily 5. Japan 5. Qatar 6. Brazil 6. Sardinia 6. Taiwan 6. South Africa 7. Honduras 7. San Marino 7. Sri Lanka 7. Mauritius 8. Argentina 8. Vatican City 8. Thailand 8. UAE 9. Uruguay 9. UK 9. Macau 9. Oman 10. Paraguay 10. Northern Ireland 10. Australia 10. Morocco 11. Jamaica 11. Orkney Islands 11. New Zealand 11. Gotland 12. Antigua 12. Shetland Islands 12. Malaysia 12. Oland 13. Barbuda 13. Germany 13. Cambodia 13. Kenya 14. Turks & Caicos 14. Spain 14. Pakistan 15. Barbados 15. Balearic Islands 15. Myanmar 16. Bermuda 16. Cabrera 16. Mongolia 17. British Virgin Islands 17. Formentera 17. Armenia 18. Cayman Islands 18. Ibiza 19. Haiti 19. Mallorca 20. Guatemala 20. Menorca 21. Dominican Republic 21. Ireland 22. Netherlands 23. West Frisian Islands 24. Zeeland 25. Moldova 26. France 27. Corsica 28. Monaco 29. Romania 30. Czech Republic 31. Hungary 32. Poland 33. Belgium 34. Iceland 35. Finland 36. Alands 37. Estonia 38. Jersey 39. Channel Islands 40. Denmark 41. Bornholm 42. Langeland 43. Tasinge 44. Norway 45. Lofoten Islands 46. Vesteralen 47. Sweden 48. Kazakhstan 49. Malta 50. Bulgaria About China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited ("CMHK") is the wholly-owned subsidiary of China Mobile Limited (HKEx: 941) (NYSE: CHL), which ranks 55 on the Fortune Global 500. CMHK was incepted in January 1997 and was the first mobile network operator to launch PCS services in Hong Kong. CMHK's 4G LTE service covers two major standards LTE FDD and TD-LTE, and launched the world's first converged commercial LTE network in 2012 and in November 2016, CMHK has successfully launched 4.5G mobile network. The Company offers innovative and comprehensive communications services, including voice, data, IDD and international roaming through 4G LTE, 3GHSPA, GPRS, EDGE and other technologies. In 2016, CMHK became the first mobile operator* to provide 4G network coverage in 16 tunnels throughout Hong Kong. CMHK is committed to extending its business in the multimedia value-added services market. In 2012, the Company launched UTV mobile TV service. In 2013, CMHK launched Mobius e-book service, innovative and simple mechanism 4G Pro tariff plan and 2cm (2nd exchange market), the first-ever data trading platform in the market, making data more valuable than ever. With the strong support of its parent company China Mobile, CMHK has launched a series of cross-border mobile services for customers travelling between Hong Kong, China and around the world. Its '1-Card-Multi-Number' (1CMN), Multi-SIM data sharing, Data Roaming Zone and BlackBerry service plans are especially welcomed by frequent travelers. In May 2014, CMHK became the first service provider in Hong Kong to provide 4G data roaming service in Mainland China, creating a new era for cross-border mobile services. To align with parent company's new brand launch, the Company launched a new corporate logo and commercial brand "and!" in December 2013. "and" not only means "connection and "communication", but also denotes the notion of pursuing "A New Dream" -- the first three letters form the acronym of the new brand slogan. China Mobile Hong Kong will continue to provide innovative and customized services in a hope to build "a new dream" with customers. The Company has been named as a "Caring Company" since 2002, and a recognized merchant under the "Quality Tourism Service" scheme since 2004. For more information, please visit: www.hk.chinamobile.com. *According to the "Test Report on Mobile Networks in Hong Kong Tunnels Available for Customer Use" (as of 26th May, 2016). [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Three Reasons for TYC's 20 -Year Partnership on Automotive Lights HONG KONG, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TYC Brother Industrial Co., Ltd. is one of the world's top manufacturers of car, motorcycle, truck, and bus lights. It supplies OEM and after-market (AM) automotive lights for different applications, as well as other collision parts, all around the world. Seeking to help customers satisfy all of their purchasing requirements in one place, TYC has acquired a variety of certifications from TUV Rheinland. These include such strict quality certifications as the eMark and Thatcham (U.K.), which has allowed TYC to set a benchmark for automotive lights that competitors have struggled to surpass. TYC and TUV Rheinland have worked together for many years, especially on ECE homologation for automotive lights. The year of 2016 marked the 30th year of TUV's presence in Taiwan, and was also the 30th anniversary of TYC as well. The two companies have worked together for 20 years out of their 30-year history, and have gone through many different challenges together during this time. TYC products and parts are sold all around the world. The two companies have therefore been comrades in arms for many battles, be it the development of new products orvisits by state officials. The most memorable event from this longstanding partnership was the Netherlands Ministry of Transportation's first audit of TYC, three years ago. "The Netherlands Ministry of Transportation (E4 RDW) came to the TYC factory three years ago to conduct the first-ever Conformity of Production (COP) audit. We asked TUV Rheinland to assist us with advance spot checks, accompanying the auditors and responding to auditor issues. We eventually received approval for 2 years. This left us with a very strong impression of TUV Rheinland's professionalism in lighting certification and quality systems," says Ben Lin, R&D Director at TYC. The most challenging part of automotive lighting development and design is the light configuration and environmental testing. Automotive lights designed for snow use have different lighting configurations and environmental tests from those intended for normal road use. Lin has known Jerry Wu, TUV Rheinland's technical expert, for years and believes that TUV Rheinland's long history of professional automotive lighting testing capability, along with its familiarity to interpret regulations, means that lighting that has passed TUV Rheinland testing is trusted by customers. This in turn has helped pave the way for TYC's business growth. Inside the TYC sample room is a bewildering array of automotive lights, for everything from motor scooters to cars. Records indicate that TYC has developed more than 10,000 lighting products to date. For lights that will be used by international heavy motorcycle brands such as BMW, Ducati, MV, and Triumph, says Lin, "We use TUV Rheinland certification because it is accepted by most European customers. This has helped TYC achieve major breakthroughs in the OEM export market for heavy motorcycles. OEM export sales now amount to hundreds of millions of dollars each year." If one's wife and kids represent a person's family, then company colleagues represent a partnership. Lin notes the following in regard to the long-term cooperation between TYC and TUV Rheinland: "TUV personnel's commitment to excellence means that TYC has continued to improve the safety and quality of its products. The mission of TYC is to provide the best, safest, and most competitive car and motorcycle parts. As we both embrace the pursuit of excellence, we are now like buddies who have total faith in each other." The link below sets forth the three reasons given by Lin for the enduring TUV/TYC partnership, which has lasted for more than 20 years: "Enthusiastic service, professional certification, and international credibility." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lw4jFOj9gg Photo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170109/8521700121 Logo - http://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20150602/8521503584LOGO Simon Hung Tel: +852-2192-1948 Email: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Selftrade Sponsors Master Investor Show 2017 LONDON, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading online investment platform Selftrade is the latest company to partner with the UK's premier investment event. On Saturday 25th March, London's Business Design Centre will host the Master Investor Show 2017, welcoming private investors to connect with CEOs and founders of exhibiting companies. Selftrade, part of the Equiniti Group, will use the event to showcase their award-winning investment platform to thousands of investor delegates. [Image: https://masterinvestor.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SelftradeMI-800x475.jpg] Selftrade is one of the UK's largest online investment platforms with around 130,000 investors holding 4.2 billion in assets. Its parent company, Equiniti, currently safeguards 20 billion of customer assets. Selftrade has built-up a strong reputation amongst private investors and with Master Investor's audience of independent minded investors, the sponsorship is a natural fit for both parties. Swen Lorenz, Master Investor CEO: "Selftrade is part of a growing number of companies that recognises the value of our event for companies looking to connect to a high quality audience of UK-based private investors. We are delighted to have one of the country's leading online investment platforms at our flagship event. Mark Taylor, CEO of Selftrade: "We are delighted topartner with Master Investor for this year's show. With 2017 looking like it will be a volatile year for investors we look forward to introducing our experts to a wide range of investors to share insight and discuss key considerations for the year ahead." This year's Master Investor Show is something of a milestone celebration, marking the 15th anniversary of the annual event. Last year's show saw a record 4,500 delegates in attendance and exhibitor spaces and speaking slots selling out in advance. Selftrade is the fifth sponsor secured for Master Investor Show 2017, with Fidelity International, Seven Investment Management, Northland Capital Partners Limited and London South East also confirmed. To reserve your place for Master Investor Show 2017 visit: http://www.masterinvestor.co.uk/show About Master Investor Ltd. Master Investor Ltd. is an investment media and events company that delivers independent, financial commentary and analysis to UK private investors and traders. Master Investor Ltd. is backed by Jim Mellon, the well-known financier. It is privately held with offices in London and the Isle of Man. About Selftrade and Equiniti Selftrade is an online investment and share dealing platform which gives access to an extensive range of shares and investment products and is a go-to resource for people looking to understand, plan and make investment decisions. Since we started over ten years ago we have built a reputation for operating on the basis of open, transparent pricing. We offer an extensive choice of investments, with our customers benefiting from over 8,000 shares, Exchange Traded Funds, bonds, funds, investment trusts and other assets spanning both UK and international markets, all available within a Selftrade dealing account, ISA and SIPP. Selftrade was acquired by Equiniti 2 years ago. Equiniti keeps things running smoothly behind the scenes and provides sophisticated technology, administration, processing and payments services to well-known brands and public sector organisations in the UK Our services are delivered by 3,500 employees across 29 office locations, enabling us to offer solutions that are flexible, adaptable and scalable. We are acknowledged leaders in the pension services market and in the share registration market, where our clients include around half the FTSE 100. Our mission is to make the complex simple. Website: http://www.masterinvestor.co.uk Social media: http://www.facebook.com/masterinvestor http://www.twitter.com/masterinvestor Media enquiries: [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Alzamend Neuro Announces TV Icon Willie Aames as International Spokesperson SALT LAKE CITY, Jan. 09, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alzamend Neuro, Inc. (Alzamend or the Company) announced today Willie Aames will serve as its International Spokesperson while joining the team as Creative Advisor. The Company stated that with its recent launch of its Regulation A+ Tier II Offering online at www.AlzamendRegA.com, it looks forward to the many contributions, inspiration and leadership that Aames will provide. With the Companys campaign targeted to raise $50MM in new equity capital in less than a full year and able to take investment immediately, the addition of Aames is strategic and notable. On December 8, 2016, the Company was notified by the SEC that it had qualified its Form 1-A Application allowing the Company to move forward with the Offering which will leverage the key component of the Reg. A+ Tier II rules which allow for the solicitation of the general public as well as traditional investors and financial institutions. Alzamend Neuro - Dr Albert Upton PhD Profile Photo 01062017 Alzamend Neuro - Willie Aames Profile Headshot 01062017 Photos accompanying this announcement are available at //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/570b7dcd-e68a-4b5d-b771-da9ca5557598 //www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e32a3791-ca51-4ce6-9fc3-0f263fac686a A video accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKl0FtY3AXA Although Willie Aames has starred in over 22 network series, Aames is best known worldwide for playing the iconic Tommy Bradford on the 1970s television series "Eight Is Enough" and Scott Baios heartwarming wingman Buddy Lembeck" on the 1980s television hit series Charles in Charge. Aames also went on to star in 6 feature films. During the 1990s and through 2008 Aames developed his marketing skills making a name for himself as an award-winning, platinum-selling writer, producer and director. During this time, Aames successfully developed strategies, scripts and marketing plans for a myriad of companies including Fortune 500 titans Sprint, Northwest Airlines, Marion Labs and Helzberg Diamonds, a Berkshire Hathaway company. Aames also served as executive vice president of Pamplin Communications where he successfully developed several children's shows that became "sell through product" for Sony Wonder, Walmart and Toys"R"Us distribution channels. During the mid-2000s, Aames endured a series of personal setbacks including a personal bankruptcy that left him homeless but became known and revered for his perseverance and resilience. Determined to overcome and learn from his experiences, Aames again made headlines when he became a licensed financial advisor appearing on NBCs Today Show." What I experienced I wouldnt wish on anyone, the actor stated, but once I survived it, I was determined to make a difference in the lives of others. In talking of the extreme circumstances, he explained: Those years changed my entire perspective about everything, my world perspective, and my life, its meaning and what my contributions should be. His success and triumph was celebrated and documented on Oprah Winfreys popular hit, Where are they Now? Aames family has a long history with Alzheimers. His paternal grandfather was Dr. Albert Upton, PhD, an acclaimed professor, author and the Dean of the English department and the Head of Russian Literature for Whittier College in Southern California. Dr. Upton pioneered the concept that the IQ of a college freshman could be raised by teaching a course in semantics. The course and the accompanying book were titled Design for Thinking which is still in use at Whittier College. Aames spent his early adulthood watching this brilliant educator, who literally wrote the book on thinking, slowly succumb to Alzheimers. Aames grandmother Alleen, who was brilliant in her own right as a biochemist, also passed away due to Alzheimers. Armed with his personal experiences in losing two significant family members to AD, Aames has noted his personal quest to effect change and progress while making a difference in others lives. Aames expressed an unyielding commitment to use all of his talents for the development and success of Alzamend Neuro and to raise awareness of AD. I believe that any step forward in the fight against Alzheimers is a good step, and I can think of no endeavor more worthy to undertake than to help take positive steps towards ending what has been called the most feared disease. The Company recommends any investors to read its Form 1-A Offering Statement and other public reports and financial statements that may be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission for further information. All public filings, financial statements, management profiles and other Company information are available on the Companys web site. The Companys web domain is www.Alzamend.com and its Regulation A+ Tier II Offering web domain is www.AlzamendRegA.com. About Alzamend Neuro, Inc. Alzamend Neuro, Inc. is a Delaware corporation doing business in the State of Utah. The mission of Alzamend Neuro is to support the full product development life cycle of treatment and cures for Alzheimers driven by the belief that strong support of research is the foundation for true innovation. The Company is providing current hope though the commercialization of existing patented intellectual property and know-how while simultaneously funding future hope through advance research and development. As its first step in its vision, Alzamend Neuro, has licensed a patented mutant peptide for use in immunotherapy from the University of South Florida. It is one of the Companys strategic goals to support the continuing research by the team at the USF Health Byrd Alzheimers Institute and to develop and commercialize their results into meaningful solutions. From his familys personal experience with 6 relatives having been afflicted with AD, Mr. Milton Todd Ault, III, the Companys Founder and Chairman, diligently studied the status of treatments and the landscape of medical technology. Mr. Ault selected the Byrd Institute and its formative intellectual property and formed the Company. With over twenty-five years of experience on Wall Street buying and selling companies as an activist driven by his relentless passion for business and technology, Mr. Aults efforts have culminated in a commitment to depart from the traditional while forging ahead with an innovative yet disruptive path to financing the commercialization and the discovery of future solutions. Forward-looking Statements Certain statements in this news release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of Rule 175 under the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and those statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those rules. All statements, other than statements of fact, included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The Company cautions that these forward-looking statements are further qualified by other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any statements in this release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Investor Inquiries: E-Mail: [email protected] Company Website: www.Alzamend.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Domino Soda Fountain in Chile Selects PAR Technology's PixelPoint Point-of-Sale Software for All Locations ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a leading global provider of point-of-sale (POS) and food safety solutions to the restaurant industry and a wholly owned subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PAR), announced today that Domino Soda Fountain based in Santiago, Chile has selected PAR PixelPoint POS Solution for all 45 of their locations. Domino was founded in 1952 and named after a traditional token game the founding family used to play together. With a premise to never betray the principle of offering only the best quality in both their products and service, Domino has continued to expand over the years and has remained one of the top quick service restaurants in Chile. Domino was previously using their own developed proprietary system that did not adhere to the new Chilean restaurant guidelines and was looking for a world-class, innovative solution with corporate control, flexibility, and necessary customization. Domino also needed a solution that could integrate with a customer loyalty program, streamline electronic payments, and help improve business efficiencies and reporting. "We made an exhaustive analysis of all the solutions in th market and concluded that PAR PixelPoint best achieved the requirements to manage chains with multiple stores and formats," said Gonzalo Arriagada, Finance and Administration Manager, Domino. "The flexibility of the PAR PixelPoint software allows for fast implementation in a variety of business models and allows the consolidation of data in all stores, giving access to different metrics for proactive decision making." Since the deployment of PAR PixelPoint, Domino has experienced improved customer service, a considerable decrease in order errors, increased productivity levels, and overall better business efficiency. "We are pleased that Domino has chosen PAR PixelPoint as their solution provider," said Anthony Moussouri, SVP Global Sales, ParTech, Inc. "PixelPoint is an innovative international solution that will allow Domino to modernize their business and create a better customer experience." ABOUT DOMINO SODA FOUNTAIN Domino Soda Fountain is a family origin company. Domino was founded in 1952 with the opening of the first store located in Agustinas 1016 (downtown Santiago), giving rise to the taste traditions that we offer today. With 60 years of continuous operation and significant growth, Domino has established itself as one of the most renown fast food businesses in Chile. ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION PAR Technology Corporation's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PAR. PAR's Hospitality segment has been a leading provider of restaurant and retail technology for more than 30 years. PAR offers technology solutions for the full spectrum of restaurant operations, from large chain and independent table service restaurants to international quick service chains. Products from PAR also can be found in retailers, cinemas, cruise lines, stadiums and food service companies. PAR's Government Business is a leader in providing computer-based system design, engineering and technical services to the Department of Defense and various federal agencies. For more information, visit https://www.partech.com/ or connect with PAR on Facebook and Twitter. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005403/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] FSB Tech Predicts Triple Digit Growth for 2017 LONDON, January 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- David McDowell, CEO of betting software provider FSB Tech, unlike many, had a great 2016: "It was very much our breakthrough year and it has paved the way for an even stronger 2017." FSB Tech started 2016 running 4 sportsbooks and now that's up to 14 sportsbooks with 6 more being rolled out. In 2016, the company also unveiled their move to a private cloud hosting infrastructure and released a full suite of casino and live dealer games in partnership with Realistic Games, Microgaming and Evolution. For the stat-lovers: In Q4 2015, FSB processed 80,000 bets on their platform, and in Q4 2016 that rose to over 4,500,000 transactions with peak traffic volumes exceeding 60,000 bets per day. However, McDowell is confdent 2017 will cement the company as a leading provider to the industry and, crucially, not just in the ultra-competitive European market but branching out into Africa and the gambling superpower of Asia. "We have established our position as a top quality supplier in the UK and Irish markets, and in 2017 we are launching our retail solutions into Asia and at the same time rolling out more mobile solutions across Africa." McDowell sees FSB's advantage in the fact the modern technology platform was built by seasoned gaming industry tech specialists and experienced traders working together in the same office. "We have developed the most efficient trading tools in the market today, and have now proven the scalability of our platform as well. In an industry where data and regulatory costs are going up, FSB are delivering technology solutions that help drive the operational costs down." As for 2017? McDowell confirms: "There is so much opportunity in the market today, and given the huge investment into our platform, both in terms of automation and scalability, I am confident the upward curve will continue while maintaining a strong service to existing customers." Come and see us at The International Casino Exhibition Stand: S2-355 ExCel 7-9 February, 2017 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] SGT Announces that NOAA has Awarded the Company a $45M Three Year Contract GREENBELT, Md., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- SGT, Inc., a leading provider of IT, Engineering, Operations and Science services today announced the award of the National Mesonet Program Contract in support of the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The National Mesonet Program Contract fulfills a requirement for purchase of meteorological observational data derived from non-federal observing networks. These observations support the Nation's meteorological, hydrologic and related environmental observing capabilities to enable significantly improved prediction of high-impact, local-scale weather events. The full and open competitive procurement resulted in a 3 year, $45M contract to SGT. "The National Mesonet Program, begun in 2009 with a small number of networks located mostly in the south-central United States, has now grown to more than three dozen networks operated by the states and the private sector, including twenty-thousand observig platforms covering all 50 states," said Dr. Curtis Marshall, the National Weather Service's National Mesonet Program Manager. "They provide a tremendously valuable source of data, including observations from surface and subsurface platforms, vertical profilers, and aircraft, for improving NWS warning and forecast operations." Teaming exclusively with SGT will be Earth Networks, Weather Telematics, WeatherFlow, Synoptic Data Corporation, Sonoma Technology Incorporated, Panasonic Avionics Corporation and the University of Oklahoma. "We are thrilled that NOAA has awarded the National Mesonet Program Contract to us," noted CEO, Dr. Kam Ghaffarian. "SGT remains fully committed to partnering with NOAA and supporting the important mission and objectives in the years ahead." SGT provides technology solutions and services to the United States government for space programs, national security and civilian operations. For more than 20 years, our dedicated staff of nearly 2,500 employees has delivered high-value engineering, mission operations, IT and science solutions that yield high-performing and cost-effective government programs. Contact: Shelley Johnson Phone: 301.489.1108 Email: [email protected] http://www.sgt-inc.com To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sgt-announces-that-noaa-has-awarded-the-company-a-45m-three-year-contract-300387674.html SOURCE SGT, Inc. [January 09, 2017] Nielsen Norman Group Names the World's 10 Best Intranets for 2017 and Reveals This Year's Best Practices in Intranet Design It's always been a goal for new intranet designs to unify disparate systems, for example bringing together multiple intranets or breaking down silos in a single intranet. Although hardly an easy endeavor, each of this year's winning intranets prioritized the consolidation of systems as a way to offer high-quality business applications in a single location for the benefit of all employees, according to usability expert Jakob Nielsen whose user-experience research firm Nielsen Norman Group today announced the winners of its 17th annual Intranet Design contest. This year's winning intranet design teams and their intranets are featured in detail in Nielsen Norman Group's new 483-page report Intranet Design Annual 2017: The Year's 10 Best Intranets, which is now available on the company's website. "It's often a challenge for intranet designers to determine what should be integrated into the intranet and what should simply be linked to from the intranet. There are advantages to each, and this year's top intranet design teams dedicated significant resources to making these determinations, with one, IBM (News - Alert), developing a set of criteria to help drive its decisions," said Nielsen, principal of Nielsen Norman Group. The advantages of creating content and tools that are integrated into the intranet include giving intranet teams more control over what is offered and making it easier to provide a consistent user experience across all tasks and features. Having the intranet serve in some cases as a portal to other enterprise solutions offers the ongoing expertise of third-party vendors to maintain and iterate their tools, and enables the intranet to leverage solutions already in use by many employees. Implementing these and other winning design strategies are the world's 10 best intranets for 2017 (in alphabetical order): Bank of America , NA (US), a financial institution offering banking, investing, asset management, and financial and risk management products and services , NA (US), a financial institution offering banking, investing, asset management, and financial and risk management products and services Encana Corporation (Canada), a leading North American energy producer (Canada), a leading North American energy producer Goldcor, Inc. (Canada), one of the world's fastest-growing senior gold producers (Canada), one of the world's fastest-growing senior gold producers Goodwill Industries International, Inc. (US), a nonprofit social enterprise with a retail infrastructure that funds career services (US), a nonprofit social enterprise with a retail infrastructure that funds career services IBM Corporation (US), a technology, consulting, and research organization (US), a technology, consulting, and research organization JetBlue (US), the fifth largest airline in the US (US), the fifth largest airline in the US Kerry Group plc (Ireland), provides taste and nutrition technologies and functional ingredients and actives for the global food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries (Ireland), provides taste and nutrition technologies and functional ingredients and actives for the global food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries Latvian Railway : State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas dzelzcels" (Latvia), a holding company with six subsidiaries providing railway infrastructure, transportation, construction, repair, and security services : State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas dzelzcels" (Latvia), a holding company with six subsidiaries providing railway infrastructure, transportation, construction, repair, and security services Santander Group (Spain), a Spanish banking group that serves more than 100 million customers (Spain), a Spanish banking group that serves more than 100 million customers Tourism New Zealand (New Zealand), the organization responsible for marketing New Zealand to the world as a tourist destination Other trends and information included in this year's NN/g Design Annual include: Truly Responsive, Finally - Most intranet teams have been slow to go truly responsive with their designs, in part because of security and technology reasons. In fact, most companies still don't even allow employees to access the intranet remotely on a computer, much less a mobile device. This year's winning intranets succeeded in bringing the importance of mobile to the fore, overcoming barriers from IT, management and design to make their organizations' content available on mobile for all employees. Graphic-First Approach - Images and illustrations are used in a restrained way on this year's best intranets. Whereas in the past, images might have been liberally used to fill blank spaces, now they seem to drive the page content. Designers and content authors are taking a thoughtful, disciplined -- perhaps even "graphic first" -- approach to using graphics. Personalized Elements Are Still Strong - All of this year's best intranets provide a homepage or dashboard-like page that is personalized to each employee, and which the employee can customize if they want. These pages are like control centers that employees can scan to find everything from their tasks to news they want to read. Nielsen Norman Group's "Intranet Design Annual 2017: The Year's 10 Best Intranets," co-authored by Kara Pernice, Amy Schade and Patty Caya is available to download for $248 from the Nielsen Norman Group website at http://www.nngroup.com/reports/intranet-design-annual/ About Nielsen Norman Group Nielsen Norman Group (http://www.nngroup.com) in an evidence-based user experience research, training and consulting firm that advises companies on how to improve the bottom line through human-centered design of products and services. NN/g principals Jakob Nielsen, Don Norman and Bruce "Tog" Tognazzini are world-renowned user experience experts who were advocating human-centered design and usability long before it became popular to do so. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Silicon Valley, NN/g evaluates interfaces of all kinds and guides the critical design decisions that make websites, applications, intranets and products achieve their full potential for businesses and their users. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005356/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] PLATTSMOUTH An Omaha man will spend time in Cass County Jail for refusing to take a breath test after he was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving in Plattsmouth. Todd J. Besch, 43, appeared in Cass County District Court on Monday morning for a sentencing hearing. Besch pled guilty to a Class I misdemeanor of refusal to submit to a breath test-second offense late last year. He accepted a plea deal with prosecutors shortly before a scheduled bench trial. Plattsmouth police arrested Besch at the intersection of Highway 75 and Oakhill Road in Plattsmouth on Jan. 5. The plea deal reduced one of the original charges from a third-offense level. Besch had previously been convicted of charges involving either driving under the influence of alcohol or refusal to submit to a breath test in June 2003 and August 2010. Deputy County Attorney Richard Fedde told the court he did not feel Besch was a suitable candidate for probation. He asked District Court Judge Michael Smith to suspend Beschs drivers license for 15 years. He also asked the court to prevent Besch from obtaining an ignition interlock permit for seven years. Defense attorney Julie Bear told the court her client had obtained a chemical dependency evaluation and completed an inpatient treatment program prior to the sentencing hearing. She said Besch requested a jail sentence because he was currently homeless. She said Besch realized it would be challenging to successfully complete a potential probation sentence. Smith ordered Besch to serve a term of 180 days in Cass County Jail. Besch will pay a mandatory $1,000 fine and all court costs after he completes his jail term. He will also have his drivers license suspended for 15 years. Smith said Besch could apply for an ignition interlock permit after 45 days. [January 09, 2017] Empire Acquires AmeriWater from SUEZ Empire, a private investment firm, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of AmeriWater, LLC from SUEZ North America, Inc, on December 30, 2016. The acquisition was made through Empire's institutional fund, EIH Capital Partners, LP. Financial terms were not disclosed. AmeriWater (www.ameriwater.com) is a premier provider of water treatment solutions for dialysis, healthcare and industrial applications. Established in 1995, AmeriWater is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio with regional distributors across the Western Hemisphere. "We are pleased to partner with such a well-respected market leader and are prepared to provide the AmeriWater team with the support and resource required for them to achieve impactful growth," said David F. Alfonso, executive chairman of Empire. Evan Yellin, Managing Director of EC Mergers & Acquisitions, added, "This was one of several transactions our firm completed with Empire this year. As usual, it was a pleasure to work with the Empire team. AmeriWater is a truly great business, and there were several eager and qualified suitors. We were certain SUEZ had made the correct choice in moving forward with Empire. In our global M&A practice, we interact with numerous strategic acquirers and financial sponsors, and we were more than confident Empire would move quickly and efficiently to close the transaction. AmeriWater now has a great opportunity and a strong partner to support them in the next stage of its development. We look forward to watching that unfold." Empire engaged McDermott Will & Emery LLP and Lockton Companies as its advisors for the transaction. EC Mergers & Acquisitions acted as the exclusive sell-side advisor. About Empire Empire is a private investment firm which acquires controlling interests in mature, lower middle-market businesses. For more information, please visit www.empireih.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109005836/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Raising Awareness about School Choice at the State Board for Charter Schools Board Meeting The public is invited to raise awareness about school choice at the Arizona State Board for Charter Schools board meeting 9 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10. The meeting will be held at the State Board for Charter Schools offices located at 1616 W. Adams St, Suite 170 in Phoenix. The board will celebrate the quality of all schooling options from charter schools to traditional public schools, magnet, online, private, and home schooling, in recognition of National School Choice Week, which will take place Jan. 22-28, 2017. "The State Board for Charter Schools would like to celebrate many outstanding educational options we are privileged to enjoy in Arizona," said Kathy Senseman, board president. "Our mission is to improve the public education landscape in Arizona by sponsoring charter schools that provide quality educationalchoices. It is our honor to recognize the upcoming School Choice Week and do our part to promote strong successful school choices for students and parents in Arizona." For more information, contact Johanna Medina, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs, at [email protected] or (602) 364-3084. As a nonpartisan, nonpolitical public awareness effort, National School Choice Week shines a positive spotlight on effective education options for students, families, and communities around the country. For more information, visit www.schoolchoiceweek.com, or visit www.facebook.com/schoolchoiceweek. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006050/en/ [January 09, 2017] At NADA, Dealer-FX to Reveal How Auto Dealership Service Departments Use ONE Platform to Create an Excellent Customer Experience, Shorter Cycle Times, Better Capacity Utilization and Improved Performance Metrics TORONTO and ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Dealer-FX, the leading customer experience management platform for dealers and OEMs, said dealers using ONE Platform, its mobile service technology suite, report more engaged customers who spend more dollars with them across their entire ownership experience. ONE Platform is comprised of seven hardware and software components which together manage the entire service experience, from initial Connection through Scheduling, curbside Check-In, Inspection, mobile Check-Out and Retention marketing. An intuitive set of dealer-facing tools, Total Service Management gives dealership employees real-time visibility into the whole process, so they can easily plan, adjust and communicate both internally and externally to ensure expectations are properly set and met. ONE Platform optimizes dealership workflow and efficiency by improving capacity management and cycle time. By benchmarking dealer operations, ONE Platform enables dealership employees and management to continuously improve customer satisfaction and dealer profitability. Dealers report ONE Platform helps them drive meaningful improvements in key metrics, including: 24% increase in parts and service 21% increase in number of repair orders $75 increase in dollars per VIN increase in dollars per VIN $295 increase from appointment to final RO increase from appointment to final RO 3x improvement in rtention Gary Kalk . "OEMs and their dealers using Dealer-FX report the kind of performance results that leave no doubt about ONE Platform's ability to increase service lane volume, repair order dollars and customer retention," Kalk said. "In a world of heightened consumer expectations, churning ROs doesn't lead to long-term business success. Instead you need tools and processes that build consumer trust, which translates into highly profitable long-term relationships," he said. A preferred vendor of Fiat Chrysler, Nissan, Audi and other global automakers, Dealer-FX will demonstrate ONE Platform and its relevance to modern dealer service trends at booth #2360 at the NADA convention in New Orleans, January 27-29th. About Dealer-FX Dealer-FX is transforming how millions of consumers interact with automotive brands and their retailers. Our customer experience management platform uses advanced data analysis and mobile applications to deliver convenience, transparency and trust to consumers, and increased efficiency, profitability, retention and brand loyalty to OEMs and dealers. The ONE Solution Platform comprises seven components which together manage the entire service experience from initial contact through drive-off and to next visit. It delivers the best dealer service experience available. Dealer-FX is the exclusive or preferred service technology provider for several OEMs in the US and Canada, and has more than 2,000 dealership customers. Dealer-FX is based in Toronto and maintains an office in Rochester Hills, MI. For more information please visit dealer-fx.com, or connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Media Contact: Maurice Benatar Director, Marketing 416.493.0039 x206 MOBILE: 416.788.9239 [email protected] To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/at-nada-dealer-fx-to-reveal-how-auto-dealership-service-departments-use-one-platform-to-create-an-excellent-customer-experience-shorter-cycle-times-better-capacity-utilization-and-improved-performance-metrics-300387911.html SOURCE Dealer-FX [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Quanterix Announces Significant Advancements to Strategic Partnership with bioMerieux Quanterix Corporation, a company digitizing biomarker analysis to advance the science of precision health, today announced it signed a new license agreement with long-term partner, bioMerieux, to provide expanded flexibility for both parties to commercialize products within their respective fields. Under this new agreement, Quanterix will have broader licensing rights within the IVD protein field, therefore both companies will have the ability to develop instruments for commercialization in the IVD space. Quanterix can further license its Simoa technology, as well as go-to-market directly with a new Point-of-Care device or Lab Developed Test. Widespread access to Simoa's superior sensitivity and fully automated capabilities will provide researchers with the ability to quickly and more accurately detect injury and disease, improving treatment and prognose in the future. Within the frame of this agreement, bioMerieux retains the rights to develop the technology focusing on its strategic priorities. The terms of this agreement incorporates a one-time milestone payment in addition to royalties based on commercial sales. "This agreement with bioMerieux provides new avenues for our partnership to accelerate value creation in IVD while providing Quanterix freedom to augment the IVD opportunity with compelling growth potential in Laboratory Developed Test (LDT) and Point-of-Care (POC) fields," said Kevin Hrusovsky, CEO and Executive Chairman, Quanterix. "Our new relationship with bioMerieux better enables the world to benefit from Quanterix' 'game-changing' digital biomarker innovations for revolutionizing healthcare through the achievement of precision health." To learn more about Quanterix, Hrusovsky will be presenting at the 35th Annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco on January 9, 2017 at 4:30 p.m. PT (7:30 p.m. ET). A live webcast of the presentation will be available on www.quanterix.com. About Quanterix Quanterix is a company that's digitizing biomarker analysis to advance the science of precision health. The company's digital health solution, Simoa, is changing the way in which healthcare is provided today by giving researchers the ability to closely examine the continuum from health to disease. In doing so, Quanterix enables much earlier disease detection, better prognoses and enhanced treatment methods to improve the quality of life and longevity of the population for generations to come. The technology is currently being used for applications in a majority of therapeutic areas, including oncology, neurology, cardiology, inflammation and infectious disease. The company was established in 2007 and is located in Lexington, Massachusetts. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170109006172/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [January 09, 2017] Salesforce CFO and Executive Vice President to Participate in Upcoming Investor Events SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, today announced that Mark Hawkins, Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President, will participate in the following meetings hosted by J.P. Morgan Securities in London, England. Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2017 : Group investor meeting at 4:30 a.m. (PST) / 12:30 p.m. (GMT) . : Group investor meeting at / . Thursday, Jan. 12, 2017 : Group investor meeting at 12:00 a.m. (PST) / 8:00 a.m. (GMT) . Audiocasts will be available on Salesforce's website at www.salesforce.com/investor. About Salesforce Salesforce, the Customer Success Platform and world's #1 CRM company, empowers companies to connect with their customers in a whole new way. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information about Salesforce, visit: www.salesforce.com. To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/salesforce-cfo-and-executive-vice-president-to-participate-in-upcoming-investor-events-300387923.html SOURCE Salesforce The Samsung Galaxy S8 is a very good value because of its captivating infinity display, strong performance and long battery life for under $500. Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test . The Galaxy S8 has been around for a couple of years, but it's still a strong choice for those looking for flagship-level design and solid performance for under $500. The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ boast 5.8- and 6.2-inch infinity displays, which go from edge to edge, and these handsets feature Qualcomms relatively zippy Snapdragon 835 processor for speedy performance. Were still not fans of the fingerprint sensors location. But when you add in excellent battery life and improvements to a camera that was already very good, you have two winning handsets with the Galaxy S8 and S8+. See our best phones list for all of our top picks. Galaxy S8 price and release date The Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+ were released in April of 2017. You can now get the Galaxy S8 starting at $499 with 64GB of storage. The larger Galaxy S8+ isn't as readily available, but it retails for about $589. However, we've seen this phone for as low as $364 on Amazon (opens in new tab). You may want to keep an eye out for Black Friday deals and Cyber Monday deals to see if these phones get discounted during the holiday season. Design: It feels like the future The Galaxy S8 exemplifies a nearly bezel-free phone done right. Samsung didnt just take away the bezels on this phone; it crafted a space-age work of art with a new infinity display that stretches from edge to edge. The Galaxy S8 not only has a slightly bigger screen-to-body ratio than LGs phone but also looks sleeker because of the way the Gorilla Glass curves toward the edges on the front and back. Other Android phones look like blah, flat slabs by comparison. The S8 is also thinner and narrower than the G6. The screen on the S8 is 5.8 inches, versus 6.2 inches on the S8+. But other than the difference in display size, the S8 and S8+ have the same design. Overall, we prefer the bigger screen on the S8+, but if you have small hands, youll likely find yourself repositioning the phone in your hand to reach certain buttons, including the home button, which is now a virtual button instead of a physical key. The button worked well in our testing, providing solid haptic feedback. Its flanked by the Recent Apps and Back buttons. Whats remarkable about the Galaxy S8 is how much more screen real estate it gives you compared with the S7, while still offering a compact and lightweight design. The S8s 5.8-inch screen is housed in a 5.5-ounce, 2.7-inch-wide chassis, whereas the 5.1-inch S7 weighed 5.4 ounces and had the same width. The S8 is taller, but its still easy to use with one hand. With its 6.2-inch screen, the 6.1-ounce S8+ is heftier than the 5.5-ounce, 5.5-inch S7 Edge. But the S8+ makes the iPhone 8 Plus (6.2 x 3.1 x 0.29 inches, 7.13 ounces) look positively bloated. Plus, unlike the latest iPhones, the S8 and S8+ have headphone jacks. No matter which size you choose, it wont be long before you see fingerprint smudges on the back of the phone. The smudges were especially prominent on the midnight black version of the S8 and S8+, but you can also choose the lighter orchid gray or arctic silver, which dont show smudges as easily. Galaxy S8 Galaxy S8+ Price From $499 From $589 Display (Pixels) 5.8 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED 6.2 inches (2960 x 1440) Super AMOLED Camera (Back) 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture 12 MP, f /1.7 aperture Camera (Front) 8 MP, f/ 1.7 aperture 8 MP, f/1.7 aperture Biometric Scanning Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader Facial recognition, iris scanner, fingerprint reader CPU Snapdragon 835 Snapdragon 835 RAM 4GB 4GB Storage 64GB 64GB microSD up to 256GB up to 256GB Battery 3,000 mAh 3,500 mAh Battery Life (4G) 10:39 11:04 Size 5.9 x 2.7 x 0.3 inches 6.3 x 2.9 x 0.3 inches Weight 5.5 ounces 6.1 ounces Colors Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Midnight Black, Orchid Gray, Arctic Silver Android Version 7.0 Nougat 7.0 Nougat Charging USB Type-C USB Type-C Wireless Charging WPC and PMA WPC and PMA About that fingerprint sensor We were worried that the fingerprint sensors placement right next to the camera on the back of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ might be a problem. And it was, initially. Because the sensor is fairly narrow, its difficult to target it without looking. We got used to it after a couple of days, but we still wish it were below the lens. If you dont want to reach around the S8 to unlock your phone, you can choose from a couple of other biometric options that Samsung gives you. Theres facial recognition, as well as iris scanning. Iris scanning unlocks your phone faster and even works in the dark, but it doesnt work in direct sunlight; your eyes need to be fully open, so squinting isnt an option. The facial recognition is not only slower but also had trouble in direct sunlight and doesnt work in the dark. Our advice? Use the iris scanning everywhere except in the sun, and when there is bright light, just use the fingerprint scanner. Display: The perfect screen is here Apple is bringing an OLED screen to the iPhone X, but you have to pay a grand for the privilege. Sporting a resolution of 2960 x 1440 pixels, both the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8+ turned in nearly perfect scores on our tests, offering a very bright picture, amazingly vivid colors and near-perfect color accuracy. The extra-wide 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with some apps, but overall, we like how immersive the experience is when watching video and playing games. When watching the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi trailer, we could make out every wrinkle in Reys hands as she seemed to levitate the rocks around her with the Force, as well as every rising ring of smoke around Kylo Rens smoldering mask. As the camera panned around to the island where Luke was training Rey, it was hard not to be impressed by the golden sunshine that reflected off the water, as well as the lush, green foliage dotting the mountains. The S8 backed up our experience by reproducing a superb 183 percent of the sRGB color gamut. That blows away the LG G6s 134 percent, but the AMOLED screen on the Google Pixel scored an even higher 191 percent. (However, when you turn on Adaptive Display mode on the Galaxy S8, it can reach as high as 255 percent.) If youre looking for accurate color, the S8 can deliver that, too. In its AMOLED photo mode, the display notched a Delta-E score of 0.28 (0 is perfect). The LG G6 was closest, at 1.01, but the Pixel XL was way behind, with 5.88. Like the LG G6, the Galaxy S8s screen is HDR certified, which means you can enjoy a wider range of colors and better contrast on videos that support the standard. Amazon, Netflix and YouTube offer a growing variety of HDR-ready movies and shows. The 18.5:9 aspect ratio doesnt work well with every app. For instance, in Super Mario Run, we noticed unsightly bars above and below the game. But Samsungs own apps are optimized, and you can fill the screen by pushing a button while watching YouTube and Netflix, even if the video looks a bit stretched out. Since our initial review, some users complained about a red tint appearing on their S8 screens, but Samsung has released a fix. Audio: Poppin For a small speaker, the Galaxy S8 pumps out pretty sweet sound. When we listened to Justin Timberlakes Cant Stop the Feeling, on this phone, the lyrics were clearer, and the volume was louder, than the same track on the LG G6. The latter handset sounded slightly muffled by comparison. However, you dont get stereo sound from the Galaxy S8 as you do from the HTC U Ultra. The S8's Snapdragon 835 muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market. Performance: A handheld powerhouse The Galaxy S8 goes boldly forward into a new era of speed, thanks to Qualcomm's Snapdragon 835 system on a chip (at least in the U.S.; in other regions, the S8 will have Samsung's Exynos 8895 chip). The S8 also comes with a healthy 4GB of memory, 64GB of storage (twice the amount you get from base models of the LG G6 and the Google Pixel) and microSD card expansion for people who need even more space. When you put it all together, the S8's muscle blitzes every other Android phone on the market, but it falls short of the iPhone 8's A11 Bionic chip. The S8 almost always feels exceedingly snappy, no matter if you're vaulting over Goombas in Super Mario Run or mowing down aliens in N.O.V.A. Legacy. We didnt experience any lag when using multiwindow mode for chatting with friends while streaming video on YouTube. If you pay close attention, you may notice that some of the transitions when switching between apps aren't 100 percent smooth, but that seems mostly cosmetic. In terms of benchmark performance, the Galaxy S8s multicore score of 6,295 in the Geekbench 4 overall performance test was more than 50 percent higher than that of its closest Android competitor, the Snapdragon 821-powered Google Pixel XL (4,146). However, the iPhone 8 scored above 10,000 on this test. The Galaxy S8's graphics power was also quite impressive, as it hit 36,508 on 3DMark's Ice Storm Unlimited test. Other Android adversaries, like the LG G6 (29,611) and the Google Pixel XL (28,182), were farther behind. But the iPhone 8 scored a much higher 64,532. New for the S8 is Samsung's Device Management tab, which is best accessed by swiping in from the Edge tab. It offers a quick look at the status of your device, including battery status, power mode (optimized, performance, game or entertainment), available storage and your current memory usage. There's even an optimization button that cleans up any lingering apps and clears your cache, which is a handy tool for people who go weeks or months without actually turning off their devices. Cameras: Better on both the front and back When we first found out that the S8's 12-megapixel rear camera is ostensibly the same as the one on last year's S7, we were a bit disappointed. But that rush of emotion was a bit premature, because under the hood, Samsung made some important software enhancements. And then you toss in a new, higher-resolution, 8-MP front cam, and you get a phone that produces noticeably better pictures no matter which shooter you're using. The most important tweak comes in the form of Samsung's new multi-image photo processing, which mimics the operation of the Google Pixel's HDR+ mode by taking multiple pictures when you press the shutter, selecting the best one, and enhancing that image with extra details and info from the remaining two pics. When we took both the S8+ and a Pixel XL out for some side-by-side testing, it was clear that Samsung's adjustments have had a pretty positive effect. At a nearby farmer's market, the S8 captured a crate full of apples with better contrast, richer colors and better details than the Pixel XL. And when I continued down the street, the S8+ topped the Pixel XL again when I snapped a pic of some flowers, this time offering better white balance than Google's phone, as evidenced by the greenish hue on the white flower's petals. But it wasn't a clean sweep for the S8+. When I really tried to push both cameras to the limit by shooting a backlit scene pointing straight at the sun, the Pixel XL stunned us with a shot featuring big, bold colors and sharp details, even though there was some serious lens flare going on. Inside, in pretty much ideal conditions, the S8+ and the Pixel XL were again neck and neck. The one difference is that the Pixel's cool color tone brought out the green in the pistachio macaroon, while the pic from the S8 sported a more neutral white balance, which led to a more pleasing overall photo. Finally, at a local bar with even less light to work with, both the Pixel XL and the Galaxy S8 impressed us with photos that were brighter than the scenes in real life. Small differences included less blown-out highlights in the S8's pic, which was countered by more detail in the darker areas of the scene in the Pixel's photo. When it comes to tweaking your photos or changing modes, Samsung has added new Snapchat-like filters that let you decorate faces with various animal masks, hats and other silly emojis. But if that doesn't strike your fancy, the camera also comes with modes for shooting panoramas, food, slow-mo and more. And as with all good camera apps, there's also a Pro mode that lets you adjust settings manually. As for selfies, the S8 and S8+ sport new 8-MP cams with a wide-angle lens, which makes it easy to snap you and all your besties at once. However, compared with the Pixel XL's 8-MP camera, the S8's selfies can sometimes be a little lacking. We compared photos shot by the S8 and the Pixel XL outside on a sunny day. The Pixel XL's photo had an extra level of sharpness and detail we didn't get from the S8+. Our face looked a little too smooth and perfect on the Samsung, to the point where we were wondering whether Beauty Mode was kicking in even when we had it set to 0. The Galaxy S8s camera can shoot 4K video at 30 frames per second and slow-mo video at up to 240 frames per second at 720p. (In comparison, the LG G6 shoots at just 60 fps in slow-mo.) To test the Galaxy S8s video quality, we shot some footage of a pond with fish swimming about in 4K. The S8s footage looked crisper and more vibrant than what the iPhone 7 Plus captured, even if the colors looked a bit oversaturated. However, when we put both phones on a mount to test image stabilization, the iPhone 7s video looked smoother; we saw a bit of stuttering in the S8s footage as we walked up a grassy hill. For a hallmark feature on a flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now. Bixby: Still a work in progress The Galaxy S8 introduces a new personal assistant, Bixby, to take on the likes of Apple's Siri and Microsoft's Cortana. And for a hallmark feature on Samsung's flagship phone, Bixby feels pretty half-baked right now, even after Samsung has rolled out voice controls to its virtual assistant. The main difference between Bixby and other digital assistants is that it lets you use voice commands to control your phone in lieu of tapping the screen, which can save you time and energy. You can also use Bixby to tell you the weather or look up the definition of quixotic, but its real purpose is giving you a whole new way to control your phone. For instance, you can ask Bixby to show you emails from a specific person by name, and it will slickly pull up all your conversations in just a couple seconds. That's way faster than tapping to open the email app, hitting search and then typing in that person's name. Bixby can also understand complex commands with contextual language, so you can do things like ask Bixby to post the last photo you took to Instagram and add a caption, all with one command. You can also change almost any setting on the S8 using your voice, which is often much faster than trying to dig through a modern phone's increasingly complex array of menus and tabs. Or at least, that's how things should work. The big problem is that Bixby's voice-command functionality, while now available, was pretty erratic when we tested it. Sometimes Bixby will fail to understand your language at all, while other times, Bixby will get confused and try to open the wrong app or adjust incorrect settings. But every once in a while Bixby will get everything right and you won't even be able to tell that its voice commands are still a work in progress. Currently, simple commands have the best success rate. MORE: 11 Coolest Things Bixby Voice Can Do on the Galaxy S8 As of August 22, Samsung announced that the Bixby voice command feature is now available in more than 200 countries and territories, though you'll still need to use either English or Korean to make it work. Support for additional languages, as well as more third party apps, is in the works. Then there's Bixby Vision, which leverages the S8's camera along with object recognition to identify items in the world. We found this worked pretty well when we pointed the S8 at various household items, such as shampoos, snacks and aluminum foil. It also works for books. After pointing the Galaxy S8's camera at any object, we could check prices online on Amazon. Say you're at the liquor store and want to know the rating of that wine or what food to pair it with. Bixby has also partnered with Vivino to identify that bottle and spit back information. However, at a wine store in New York, the feature was more miss than hit, as it seemed to have trouble with the bright lights. At home, however, Bixby identified three wines correctly, though we were greeted with a home server error. Bixby's other talents include the ability to set reminders and a Bixby Home tool with a card-based interface that shows you your schedule, what's trending on Facebook, the weather, news and other info. All told, Bixby is a frustrating mix of success and failures, though there is a lot of potential should Samsung work out all the kinks. Thankfully, though, you can turn to the Google Assistant, which also comes preloaded on the S8. Software: Feature-rich but accessible Running Android 7.0 Nougat, the Galaxy S8 still has a skin on top of Android, but its fairly intuitive, and Samsungs minimalist, line-drawn icons are easy to understand. We like that you dont have to tap a button to see all of your apps from the home screen; just swipe down from the middle of the screen, and then swipe left to see more apps. If you swipe down from the very top of the screen from wherever you are, youll see your notifications and Samsungs quick-settings shortcuts. Finally, swiping in from the left provides access to Edge screen shortcuts, such as a customizable list of apps, a device maintenance screen (for battery, choosing performance mode, etc.) and a Smart Select tool for selecting an area of the screen and sharing it or pinning it to the top of your display. Youll also find a ton of advanced features. The ones at the top of our list include a one-handed mode that you can activate by tapping the home button three times to shrink the screen, as well as the ability to quickly launch the camera by pressing the power key twice. At least on the T-Mobile S8 we tested, there was minimal bloatware. T-Mobile included just five of its own apps: Device Unlock, T-Mobile, T-Mobile Name ID, T-Mobile TV and Visual Voicemail. Accessories: Way beyond Gear VR The Galaxy S8 works with the new Gear VR for those who want to experience virtual-reality games and content, but thats not the only interesting accessory. The new DeX ($149) is a dock that lets you use the S8 and S8+ as a mini PC. The dock can connect to a full-size monitor via its HDMI port, as well as a keyboard and mouse via Bluetooth. It also has an Ethernet jack and a USB port. Out of the box, the Samsung Connect app will let you access and control various Samsung-branded smart home gear. For instance, you can start your Samsung robot vacuum ($549) or peek inside your Samsung Family Hub fridge (about $2,900) to see what you need from the store while youre out. But youll get a lot more possibilities if you buy Samsung's $169 Samsung Connect Home a combination mesh Wi-Fi router and SmartThings hub that will let you control other items, such as Philips Hue lights and Netgears Arlo security camera. Samsung offers a slew of other accessories, including an LED View cover for always having the time in view, a wireless charging stand and more. Check out our roundup of the Best Galaxy S8 accessories and Galaxy S8 cases. Battery Life One concern about a phone with this much screen is how that extra real estate might impact battery life. The Galaxy S8+ has a slightly smaller battery than last years S7 Edge (3,500 mAh versus 3,600 mAh), and yet the S8+ improved almost 1 hour, to 11 hours and 4 minutes, on the Tom's Guide Battery Test (continuous web surfing on 4G LTE using T-Mobile's network). The standard Galaxy S8s 3,000-mAh battery endured for 10:39 on the same test, improving on the Galaxy S7's (8:47) time by nearly 2 hours. We obtained these results with the phones resolutions set to their max 2960 x 1440 pixels. They come with the less demanding 2220 x 1080 setting on by default. MORE: Smartphones with the Longest Battery Life Compared to the Galaxy S8+, the Pixel XL's battery life was just a bit longer, at 11:11. The iPhone 8 Plus hit 11:16, while the smaller iPhone 8 lasted 9:54. LG G6 finished way behind, with a time of just 8:39. On top of that, the S8 has battery smarts that let it learn about your usage patterns to help extend its longevity even further. And when you need to juice the phone back up, you can take advantage of the S8s fast-charging capabilities via its included USB Type-C cable or use one of Samsung's slick wireless chargers (available separately). Bottom Line Its clear that, with the Galaxy S8 and S8+, Samsung set out to create more than a phone. Its trying to build a more Apple-like ecosystem, with devices ranging from the Gear VR and the DeX dock to the new Samsung Connect app for controlling smart home gear and the Bixby assistant. Its also evident that Samsung hasnt yet reached that goal, as Bixbys voice features can be hit or miss. But even with that shortcoming, the Galaxy S8 still beats the Android competition while surpassing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in terms of design, display quality and features. The iPhones are better, though, when it comes to sheer speed and their cameras. Some shoppers will prefer a newer Android phone in the same price range, like the $479 Pixel 3a XL, but overall the Galaxy S8 and S8+ remain good values for those who prefer Samsung handsets. Credit: Jeremy Lips/Tom's Guide; Comparisons: Samuel Rutherford/Tom's Guide. The Detroit Institute of Arts is using Google's Project Tango for augmented reality (AR) features at some of its exhibits. Visitors will now be able to pull out their phones to examine skeletons, view restored versions of ancient tablets, and interact with Mesopotamian cylinder seals, among other things. Tango is Google's effort to popularize AR. The platform doesn't rely on a cumbersome headset or complicated setup--all it requires is a smartphone. The only problem is that Tango-compatible phones aren't exactly common. Lenovo introduced the first device to support the platform in November 2016, and the next Tango-ready device will be the dual-purpose Asus ZenFone AR, which isn't expected to make its debut until the second quarter of 2017. That's likely to change, though, and when it does Tango users will have plenty of AR experiences available to them. Google had 35 apps ready for the platform's launch in November--that number is likely to grow as organizations like the Detroit Institute of Arts experiment with AR. It doesn't matter that few people can enjoy the interactive exhibits today; what matters is the belief that AR could soon be as common as the phones in our pockets. Until then, Google said the Detroit Institute of Arts would offer Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro at its front desk to visitors interested in the AR exhibits. That's a smart move for everyone involved: Tango gets more exposure to people who might never have been interested in AR otherwise, the Detroit Institute of Arts has something new to offer with its exhibits, and consumers get to glimpse at the future without spending a couple of hundred bucks on a smartphone. The Detroit Institute of Arts won't be the only museum embracing AR. "This is just the beginning of how youll be able to use Tango in museums to see more, hear more, and learn more," Tango senior product manager Justin Quimby said in a blog post. "Stay tuned as we bring Tango to even more museums around the world." It turns out the company already did, kinda, when it demoed a similar app during Mobile World Congress in February 2016. That app was called GuidiGO. It allowed people to use a tablet equipped with Project Tango at the Museu Nacional DArt De Catalunya in Barcelona to view information about paintings and view a dotted line on the floor indicating where they should head next. The Detroit Institute of Arts teamed up with GuidiGO to create its own app, Lumin, with the features described above. (A people-finding app called Glympse was also demoed at the museum.) Google can't force manufacturers to support Tango, but it can encourage projects like the Detroit Institute of Arts' to drum up consumer interest while the world waits to see if the AR platform will catch on. What's not to like about using AR to make a museum's exhibits just a little bit more interesting? When you think of Ryan Gosling, romantic ideal for millions of women around the world, do you imagine the wah-driven funk of sex-obsessed Californian Red Hot Chili Peppers? You dont? Well, thats all about to change, with the news that RHCP and Ryan Gosling will share the screen in Terrence Malicks forthcoming feature film, Song to Song. Gosling stars alongside Natalie Portman, Rooney Mara and Michael Fassbender (he is a little more RHCP, to be honest) in the film, which is a musically-themed flick that was shot at Austin City Limits in 2012. The IndieWire blurb reads: In this modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, two entangled couples struggling songwriters Faye (Mara) and BV (Gosling), and music mogul Cook (Fassbender) and the waitress whom he ensnares (Portman) chase success through a rock n roll landscape of seduction and betrayal. So, no, you wont be seeing Flea emote, unless its with a bass slung down around his kneecaps, and the Chilis are but one band included in the film, which will also feature Florence and the Machine, Patti Smith, and Iggy Pop. Song to Song will be out in the US this March no word on an Aussie release date yet. Its safe to say that music media has changed a lot in recent years, and its tough for music publications out there especially those who work in print. You may have noticed a smaller range of music mags littering the shelves of your supermarket as they compete for shelf space against the swathe of pop-culture rags that continually force Kimye to make and break up for our supposed amusement. Even decades-old stalwarts arent immune, as was realised by the 30-year-old magazine Metal Hammer and its stablemates Classic Rock and Prog when they were shuttered in December, The Guardian reports, causing over 70 staff across the publications to lose their jobs with no severance pay right before Christmas. But, like all good Christmas stories, this one has somewhat of a happy ending, as U.K. metal outfit Orange Goblin leapt to the rescue, throwing a fundraising gig and launching a crowdfunding effort that raised over 70,000 (around 115,000 bucks in Aussie money) for the beleaguered staff. Plenty of money came pouring in not only from fans and readers across the world, but also acts including Avenged Sevenfold, Tesseracts, Black Stone Cherry, Asking Alexandra and former Gallows frontman Frank Carter, the latter auctioning off some memorabilia for the cause. Rather than just helping out some music journos in a tough spot, however, the outpouring of support may have made even bigger waves. Following the strong turnout from their audiences, the mags have now been re-purchased by former owners Future Publishing, who currently run titles like Guitarist and T3 bringing them back to life in the final hour. The long-standing Metal Hammer had been kicking since 1986, while Classic Rock launched in 1998 and Prog started in 2009. Future Publishing originally sold the titles to fellow publishers TeamRock for 10.2m in 2013, The Guardian states, but with the new owners falling into administration in December, Future have been able to reacquire all three for a mere 800,000. Its not celebrations all-round however, as only a small number of staff are believed to have been offered guaranteed jobs following the move, although more may be able to negotiate new roles in the transition. While it may not be the ideal ending to the story for everyone involved, its encouraging to see bands and fans kicking up noise to help out some passionate music journos, and to see a 30-year-old publication fly the metal flag a little longer. Feature image via Metal Hammer MORE THAN "COMMUNITY OUTREACH" IT'S CLEAR THAT COLDER WEATHER HAS A STRONGER CORRELATION TO LOWER HOMICIDE COUNTS IN KANSAS CITY THAN ANY OTHER FACTOR!!! - A Kansas City pastor caused a social media uproar by sharing a tragic scene with his flock. - MLK celebration started in Kansas City this weekend. - Wild times continue across the state line: Chase ends when suspect vehicle rams police cruiser in quiet KCK neighborhood - Show-Me Classy Final Statement - Jay Nixon: Serving as your governor has been a tremendous honor . . . That's not much progress over the past few years but it's important to stay optimistic at the outset of a new year.Accordingly . . .The Winter of 2014 hosted a historic homicide drop and was. Sadly, it's not gonna last according toAnd rather than. . . We'd rather share four more topics to consider tonight . . .And this is as good of a place as any for a pause this Sunday night with hopefully more for the morning update . . . Since these are the bestselling novels of all time, you will not find any non-fiction, religious, or political books, like The Holy Quran, The King James Bible, and Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. If we were to include them, they would be the top three in the order that they are listed. We chose to exclude those books because people had a spiritual or political reason to buy them. Would these books have become mega bestsellers without religious or political pressure? Who knows, but it is a major influential factor, so they have been left off the list. Instead, these are all fictional stories that were written by a single person who sprung the idea from their head. 10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown: 80+ Million On this list, you will find some of the greatest books that showcase some of the most esteemed authors to ever live. And then theres The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. This book that has its own Wikipedia page dedicated solely to peoples criticism of it, ranging from its historical and religious inaccuracies to its poor literary quality. Despite this, some people must have liked it because 80 million copies have been sold since it was published in 2003, and the series its a part of has inspired not one, but three disappointing movies from Tom Hanks and Ron Howard. The book starts off with a murder in the Louvre in Paris, and Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is called to the scene because the victim, the curator of the museum, wrote a coded message in blood. Soon, Langdon and cryptologist Sophie Neveu Abraham are following clues to uncover a secret that has been protected for over 2,000 years. Since there are 80 million copies out there, then there is probably a good chance you know that the secret is Jesus Christ had children with Mary Magdalene. If you didnt, well, at least now you dont have to read The Da Vinci Code and you can pick a better book to spend your time reading. 9. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis: 85+ Million Irish-born Clive Staples Lewis went to Oxford University and specialized in literature and philosophy. After school, he was given a teaching position with Magdalen College, which is a part of Oxford. While there, he joined the literary discussion group, the Inklings, which included another author on this list, who wrote the book in our #6 spot. Lewis was a prolific writer, but he is best known today for his seven-book series The Chronicles of Narnia. The most famous book and introduction to the series, and the bestselling book of the series, is The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, which was published in 1950. The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe takes place in 1940 and tells the tale of four English siblings who are sent to the English countryside because of the Blitz. While there, they discover a magical wardrobe that is a gateway to another world, Narnia, which is full of talking animals and magical creatures. When the children arrive, the world is in perpetual winter because the White Witch has cast a spell to keep Narnia frozen. To help their friends in Narnia, the children must work together to defeat the White Witch and break her spell. At first, the critics didnt love The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe, but readers did. Its estimated that over 100 million copies of it have been sold. The other books in the series were also bestsellers, but none of them reached the levels of the first book. 8. Dream of the Red Chamber by Cao Xueqin: 100+ Million One of Chinas greatest novels is Dream of the Red Chamber, or The Story of the Stone, which was written by Cao Xueqin, a writer and painter who was homeless and drank too much. He wrote the book in chapters during the 1750s and he exchanged the chapters with friends and family, often for food or some wine. He died in his 40s in 1763. A collection of the chapters formed into a novel wasnt published until 1791. However, even today, it is debated what the true version of the story is. There have been alternate endings that have survived and even completely different manuscripts have popped up. Today, there is an academic field solely dedicated to studying the variations of Dream of the Red Chamber called Redology. Often compared to Gone With the Wind, Dream of the Red Chamber is a sprawling saga about the decline of a wealthy family and it is full of astute observations about life in 18th century China. Its a massive book, the English edition is over 2,500 pages long, and there are over 400 characters and several different story lines. One of the most famous storylines involves a man named Jia Baoyu, who is in love with one of his cousins, but he is forced to marry a different cousin and this leads to a terrible tragedy. The book was a massive hit in China, especially after a TV version was released in 1987, and it is believed that over 100 million copies of the book have been sold. 7. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: 100+ Million Arguably the most famous crime writer of all time is Agatha Christie, who is also considered the bestselling author to ever live. In total, she wrote 66 novels and 14 short story collections and she supposedly sold 200 billion of them; which is 28 books for every single person on Earth. Her bestselling novel of all time is And Then There Were None, which has a plot line that is so famous that youve probably seen dozens of variations of it in movies and television shows. In the book (which had a really, really unfortunate original title), 10 strangers are lured to an island under false pretenses. The only thing that all of them have in common is that they were all somehow involved in the death of another person, but managed to avoid punishment. Then at dinner, they are accused of their crimes and told that throughout the night, they would be killed one-by-one. Sure enough, the characters start to die in a manner that resembles the lines in the nursery rhyme Ten Little Indians, which is where the novel gets its name, because the last line of the rhyme is And then there were none. The killer and how they performed the murders is then revealed in a post script. The book, which is considered to be Christies masterpiece, has sold over 100 million copies to date. 6. The Hobbit by J.R. Tolkien: 100+ Million While he was a professor of linguistics at Oxford University, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was grading some papers when he suddenly wrote a line about a creature called a hobbit. From that line grew the book The Hobbit, which was published in 1937. At first, The Hobbit was considered a childrens book. However, that view continued to evolve with the publication of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in 1954 and 1955 and this expanded its audience. The Hobbit has never been out of print and got a resurgence when the Peter Jackson Tolkien movies were released. In total, its estimated that over 100 million copies of The Hobbit have been sold. Of course, The Lord of the Rings trilogy is also a mega-bestseller. According to Forbes, over 150 million copies of the trilogy, which includes single books and all three in a single collection, have been sold. 5. Harry Potter and Philosophers Stone by J.K. Rowling: 107+ Million The story of Joanne Rowling, better known as J.K., is almost as Cinderella-esque as the protagonist of her blockbuster franchise, Harry Potter. Rowling was a single mother living on welfare in Edinburgh, Scotland, and she typed the original manuscript on a typewriter; meaning that if she changed one paragraph, she had to change anything that followed it. When she finished the manuscript in 1995, she looked around for a publisher, but was rejected by a dozen of them. One of the big problems with The Philosophers Stone (which is called The Sorcerers Stone in the United States) is that it was twice as long as the average childrens novel. The winds of fate changed for Rowling when the chairman of a small publishing house called Bloomsbury let his 8-year-old niece, Alice, read the first chapter of the book. After she did, she demanded that he give her the rest of the book. Bloomsbury agreed to publish the book and gave Rowling a $2,400 advance. They also told her to get a day job because people didnt make a living from writing childrens books. Today, Rowling is worth about $910 million (she was a billionaire, but dropped off of Forbes billionaire list in 2012, because of charitable donations and Britains high tax rates), and it all stemmed from that book that couldnt find a publisher and no one thought would be successful. That first book in the series has sold over 107 million copies as of 2010. The rest of the books in the Harry Potter series were also smash hits and it is considered the biggest book franchise of all time. As of 2013, before the release of The Cursed Child and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, there were 450 million Harry Potter books in print. 4. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery: 140+ Million Antoine de Saint-Exupery was a French aristocrat, writer, and pilot. After the Fall of France, Saint-Exupery went into exile and ended up in New York City, where he continued to write. In the second half of 1942, he wrote and illustrated his magnum opus, The Little Prince. The novella was published in 1943 in North America, even though it was originally written in French because Saint-Exupery spoke English poorly. It wouldnt be published in France until 1946, an event that Saint-Exupery wouldnt live to see. In 1943, he joined the Free French Air Force and in 1944, he disappeared while doing a reconnaissance mission over Germany. His ID bracelet was found 50 years later in a fishermans net off the coast of Marseilles, but his body has never been found. The Little Prince looks like a childrens book, but it actually has a lot of keen observations and insights regarding human nature and relationships. The book is about a pilot who crashes in the Sahara desert and meets a young boy with curly blond hair. The boy tells the pilot that hes a prince that fell from a small planet called Asteroid 325, however on Earth we call it Asteroid B-612. The Prince left his home after he fell in love with a rose and he caught her in a lie, so he is traveling across the universe to cure his loneliness. While the story and the pictures are a bit simplistic, the complexity of the emotional impact has resonated with readers for decades. It has been translated into 250 languages and two million copies are sold every year. Altogether, its estimated that 140 million copies of The Little Prince has been sold since 1943. 3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho: 150+ Million Famed Brazilian writer Paulo Coelhos beloved novel The Alchemist was published in 1988, and it is about Santiago, a young Spanish boy who has a dream that urges him to go to Egypt. Before he sets out, he learns about the Personal Legend, which is something that someone always wanted to do with their life. If someone decides to follow their own Personal Legend, then the universe will try to help them. And the universe is a very powerful ally. If the universe will bend to help a person on their Personal Legend, then its possible to do the impossible, like alchemy, which is the process of turning lead into gold. The book and its message of following ones dreams has made it a favorite of many famous people. Pharrell Williams gets choked up when he talks about the book, while Will Smith thinks of himself as a metaphorical alchemist. If you know anything about Oprah, you shouldnt be surprised that Oprah loves it. She suggested it to Madonna, who said that it was life changing. Of course, non-famous people also love The Alchemist as well, quite a few of them in fact. In under 30-years, 150 million copies of The Alchemist have been sold. 2. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens: 200+ Million Charles Dickens was born into a poor family in England in 1812. When he was just 12-years-old, his dad was put into prison over debt and Dickens had to drop out and work in a run-down factory labeling cans. He was able to go back to school when he was 15, but only for a short time before he was forced to drop out again to work as an office boy to help out his family. A year later, Dickens started working as a freelance reporter. He also became a notable cartoonist who published under the name Boz. His work as a writer and cartoonist eventually led to his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, which was published in 1837. 22-years later, Dickens published the book that would go on to be his bestselling and arguably his greatest piece of work, A Tale a Two Cities. The book takes place before and during the French Revolution and is set both in England and France. It follows over a dozen characters, both peasants and aristocrats. Its a rich and complex book that has been a bestseller since it was published in weekly installments from April 30 to November 29, 1859. While it is impossible to figure out the exact number of copies that have been sold in the 150 years since it was released, most estimates put the sales figure at around 200 million copies. 1. Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra: 500+ million Miguel de Cervantes Saavedras Don Quixote does have a huge advantage over the other books on this list; mainly its centuries older than all of them. Don Quixote is considered the first modern novel and was published in 1605. It follows the adventures of Alonso Quixano, an elderly man who lives in La Mancha, Spain. As he loses his sanity, he reads books about chivalry and decides to become a knight. He declares himself Don Quixote de La Mancha and sets out on his old horse, Rocinante, with his loyal assistant at his side, Sancho Panza, to right wrongs and dish out justice. However, nothing goes right from the start and he gets into a bunch of hilarious adventures. The book was an instant hit when it was released and it was reprinted six times in its first year, but Cervantes didnt profit much from it and died poor in 1616. After his death, the popularity of the novel continued to flourish and the book is still popular today. In 2005, which was the 400th anniversary of the original publication, 10 publishing houses released a version of the book. One version from the Royal Spanish Academy sold out their entire stock of 600,000 copies in two months in Spain and Latin America. To get an estimate of how many copies of Don Quixote have been sold since 1605, the website Lovereading.co.uk, calculated how many editions and how many translations classic novels have gone through. By their estimates, Don Quixote has been translated into 25 languages and there have been 963 editions, which calculates to over 500 million copies. Robert Grimminck is a Canadian freelance writer. You can friend him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter, follow him on Pinterest or visit his website, or his true crime YouTube channel. Other Articles you Might Like Hopes of a rapid resumption of talks between the Greek government and its creditors on the completion of the second review of the Greek bailout program are fading, a European Commission source said. The Greek governments failed handling of negotiations in December of 2016 raise serious concerns about a smooth process of talks for the second review, the source added. In order for the heads of the institutions to return to Athens and engage in a new series of talks an agreement at the January 12 EuroWorking Group meeting is necessary. The same source believes the prospect of Greeces creditors coming to Athens and restarting talks in the immediate future is highly unlikely, as the possibility of reaching a deal on January 12 is quite remote. He continued by stressing that according to the current plan, there were no provisions made for the program moving forward without the involvement of IMF, a process that would require time and effort on behalf of all the parties involved. He also pointed out that the Greek governments stance in December rattled the trust built between the country and its lenders, setting back the whole process. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report The conclusion of the second programme review and the participation of Greece in the ECB quantitative easing programme are the government's targets The conclusion of the second programme review and the participation of Greece in the ECB quantitative easing programme are the government's targets, government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos on Monday said in an interview with Skai TV. "A Euro Working Group (EWG) has been scheduled for January 12," he stated and stressed that the government seeks the acceleration of the procedure for the restoration of trust in the Greek economy. "Elections are not in the agenda," Tzanakopoulos reiterated adding that the government is working for the conclusion of the Greek programme review, the participation in the ECB quantitative easing programme in the first quarter of 2017 (...) so that the country exits the crisis. On the Cyprus issue, he said that the conditions are not the best possible right now and added: "Greece's position on the issue of security has been clearly expressed. We insist on the abolition of guarantees and the withdrawal of Turkish occupation troops." Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report UN Secretary General Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide has said We are now at the moment of truth, during an afternoon press briefing on the progress of Cyprus talks in Geneva UN Secretary General Special Adviser Espen Barth Eide has said We are now at the moment of truth, during an afternoon press briefing on the progress of Cyprus talks in Geneva. Following the first round of meetings on Monday, Eide said that the talks are fully owned and led by the Cypriots and there is no kind of UN arbitration, and there will not be. He added that a sign of progress in the Cyprus problem could also be helpful for other conflicts in the world. Asked about the security and guarantees chapter, Eide said: We are not in the business of arbitrating this chapter and we will not be. The UN Special Adviser has also noted that he has spent much of his own time in Athens and Ankara discussing the issue, and that there will be some shuttle diplomacy on the matter but no arbitration. EU ROLE IN THE CONFERENCE Regarding the EU role in the conference on Cyprus, Eide has said that the EU would be there as an observer and that the participants in the conference will be the two Cypriot sides and the guarantor powers (Greece, Turkey, and the UK). But since we decided that a united Cyprus will be part of the European Union, they will also be present and helpful, he added. He said that when advice and input is needed the EU will be invited into the conference. As of right now there are conversations between us and the guarantor powers, he said, adding that the guarantor powers are also discussing the issue amongst themselves. Eide said that at the conference on Cyprus the guarantor powers will be present at the highest or second highest level. Asked about the treaty of guarantee, the UN Special Adviser said that legally the treaty is still in effect, and that for it to be changed the parties that were signatories must change it. UN SEC GEN ENGAGED ALMOST DAILY Eide has said that the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has had almost daily exchanges on the Cyprus issue. MAPS Asked about the presentation of maps on January 11, Eide said that this has been an agreed modality between the two sides, but that he could not say much more on the issue. MORNINGS DISCUSSIONS Eide said that property was the main issue discussed on Monday morning, and that it is a large and complicated chapter. He said that all side have been stuck on some issues and that those issues need to be solved. Eide added that small working groups have been set up to find mutually agreeable outcomes on the matter, and that both side would come back to the matter. Anastasiades and Akinci were welcomed at the Palais des Nations at 8.45am (Geneva Time) today by Michael Moller, Director General at the UN Geneva office, along with UN Special Advisor on Cyprus, Espen Barth Eide. Todays afternoon meeting is expected to take place from 5:30 to 8pm. On Monday evening both sides delegations will also attend a dinner hosted by the Swiss government at the Intercontinental Hotel where Anastasiades and his delegation are staying. The dinner is expected to begin at 8:30pm. On January 12, when the crucial Conference on Cyprus with the islands guarantor powers and other relevant parties will take place, will see the day begin with a meeting between Anastasiades, Akinci and UN chief Antonio Guterres at 10:30am. The Conference is scheduled to begin at 11am. BACKGROUND Anastasiades and Akinci decided last December to resume their Swiss-based talks on January 9, 2017. On January 11, they are expected to present their respective maps on the territorial chapter. On January 12, the Conference on Cyprus will be convened with guarantor powers (Greece, the UK, Turkey) and other relevant parties. Anastasiades and Akinci have been engaged in UN-led talks since May 2015 aiming to reunify the island under a federal roof, following Turkeys 1974 invasion and illegal occupation on the island. SigmaLive English will be following events in Geneva as they unfold. Read more here. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report Universal Electro-Engineering (Uneeco), the leading manufacturer and supplier of electronic communications and safety equipment in Bahrain, will be taking part in the upcoming Gulf Industry Fair 2017 (GIF). The Northern Gulfs leading annual industrial expo, GIF will be held from February 7 to 9 at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa Bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, said the event organisers Hilal Conferences and Exhibitions (HCE). Uneeco is a specialist in medium and low-voltage electrical power protection as well as providing security system solutions, high-tech equipment and services. The prime division of Uneeco Group of Companies represents a number of prestigious and world-renowned manufacturers in the field of electrical, electronics, communication and security equipments, products and services. On the upcoming event, Abdulrahman Juma, the chairman of Uneeco, said: "Gulf Industry Fair 2017 is a major asset to our companys marketing platform. Its reputation is based on its commitment to highlighting Bahrains industrial achievements not only within the country but as exporters to international markets." Uneeco is currently Bahrains representative of international brands such as Schneider Electric, The Saudi Transformers, Al-Ahleia Switchgear, Raychem, Socomec, Stahl, Cembre, El Measure, Eaton, L&T Switchgear, Rishabh, Danfoss, Fuji Electric and Sharp. Group COO Jayshankar said: "At Gulf Industry Fair 2017 we will be displaying our exclusive range of electronic security and communication solutions by demonstrating the business and technology advantages of each system." Welcoming the participation, Jubran Abdulrahman, the managing director of HCE, said: "Uneeco's presence at GIF is praised by industrial specialists who visit the show. Its group of companies plays a pivotal role in Bahrains industrial infrastructure." "Their presence underpins the Made on Bahrain and Made in the GCC campaigns that we run to show the industrial manufacturing and service delivering capabilities available in the GCC and Bahrain. We are always honoured to have their presence at the show," stated Abdulrahman. Gulf Industry Fair 2017 is sponsored by the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) in association with Noga and Aluminium Bahrain (Alba). Naffco will be supporting the Fire and Safety products sector of the event. Supporting organisations for GIF 2017 includes AHK Saudi Arabia, Indias PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the German Saudi Arabian Liaison for Economic Affairs , the Saudi British Economic Offset Programme and Bahrain Industrial Association.-TradeArabia News Service 2017 is here and it looks as we need passport and visa ready for the best getaways and vacations of the year. Get ready to explore the beauty of continents as you move in America through the Europe to understand history, in Asia to enjoy the beaches and be amazed at nature as you move along the continent. We have been on our marks and set through 2016, in 2017 its time to go with the guide on best cities to go to throughout the year. According to Cnn, New Zealand culture, food and wine keep visitors coming in always. Take a trip to the North Island, Marlborough and for nature lovers, Queen Charlotte's truck is best for hiking meanwhile lodging at Bay of many coves. The sites you get to see depends on the month you visit. Canada celebrating its 150th anniversary and 350th for Montreal makes the best place to visit. Having best accommodations at park Hyatt and Fairmont, enjoy nature as you visit le fillet and Marconi during summer. Having the ability to amaze you throughout the year, Finland a country of natural and beautiful scenes which never tires to view. Reported by Hapersbazaar, despite not hitting the top lists of touring areas, Portugal is a great destination marked with beautiful nature, culture and food all which a traveler desires for. Depending on your intent fall and springs are best times to be in Portugal and lodge at the six senses Douro valley. India a country filled with a great sense of culture, religion, and tradition, have a chance to visit the business city Delhi and Agra the wonder city. The lTC hotels will provide the best lodging and visit during Diwali in October and mid-march. Rwanda the home of thousand hills, is best known for nature and the beautiful scenery. The volcanic national park and the gorillas also attract attention. Visit between spring and winter for the clear view of gorillas and lodging at the Nyungwe forest Lodge. Serving various attraction, Israel is the best place to go for its nature, culture and religion. Take a tour of temples and cities while lodging at the city of King David during months of March through May. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Tech companies and personalities tie up with Bill Gates' recently renovated resort as the world's richest man seemed to be an influential magnet to other top tech management to hold seminars, talks, and conferences. According to its press release, the Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, is nearing completion and will become a five-star luxury resort and will fully debut this winter holiday, while "providing an elevated oceanfront paradise tailored to modern meeting-goers and groups." On December 13, 2013, Cascade Investment LLC of Gates purchased the resort and an adjacent land for $200million. The management said, "The enhancements will bring fresh and innovative spaces to the Resort's already magical landscape, ideal for beachfront meetings, weddings, and private events, along with active experiences for groups including AntiGravity fitness and aerial yoga classes." Cascade's Investment Chief Investment Officer Michael Larson noted, "We are a significant investor in Mexico and hold a long-term positive view on the country and its economy. This is an outstanding property asset." And apparently, Gates is not the first tech personality to eye the region. Punta Mita disclosed that top management from Yahoo, Qualcom, Apple, Siebel Systems, Amazon, and British Telecom have expressed their interest in the resort that rests at Banderas Bay. For half a decade, MITA Ventures sees Mexico as the technology connection of Latin America to Silicon Valley. The company holds an exclusive invite-only networking event of Silicon Valley and Latin America to 'tech investors, entrepreneurs, executives and policy makers.' Known as MITA Tech Talks, the group would like to create a close alliance between Silicon Valley and Mexico's startup communities and to establish Mexico as an innovation bridge between Latin America and more developed markets. "We believe that Mexico, as a country, will benefit greatly from an economy led by tech innovation," they wrote. MITA Tech Talks is slated on February 12 to 14 to discuss challenges and opportunities that will occur in US-Mexico tech alliances under the Trump presidency. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 It could just be Hollywood's CGI and post-processing that makes certain locations in the world amazing and whether it is the latter, the storyline or the actors, Hollywood sells the country, the culture and its location heavily with each movie. The travel industry had long noticed this fact and so has governments who had created sponsored tourism campaigns around scheduled Hollywood films. According to CNN Travel, many movies have managed to influence travelers to head to alternative travel locations. "Lord of The Rings" and its fantasy settings had helped New Zealand travel agencies find ways to use the film and showcase the locations where the movie's main characters walked and where the film's scenic shots were made. The news website also highlighted Ang Lee's contribution to Indian tourism in 2012 with "Life of Pi" and how the Indian Ministry of Tourism used the movie to build a campaign based around the movie's shooting locations. The news website also cited La Trobe University Australia's Associate Professor of Tourism Sue Beeton. The researcher cited that "film-induced tourism" actually made up 5 percent of visitors to New Zealand, Italy and Sweden. According to the Deccan Chronicle, Disney's "Frozen" had helped boost Norway's tourism. Shown in the movie's behind-the-scenes documentary, Disney's "Frozen" team journeyed in a vacation in Norway to gain inspiration for Arendelle. The "Harry Potter" franchise has also helped boost tourism in Britain's parks and old castles; even rides in King's Cross Station had become plentiful with the establishment of a simple sign that pointed to the hidden platform exhibited in the movie. Many governments are taking advantage of film tourism. South Korea's Korea Tourism Organization is looking to help film productions worldwide create films in their country by using scouts looking for filming companies in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. German Film Tourism Consultant Stefan Roesch, movies featuring crime and other "bad" things such as drugs and extreme violence are not necessarily negative for film tourism spots. Roesch said there is a special "emotional connection that tourists have when visiting a place made special because of a film." See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The primeval city in the north of the country is a charming mix of delicate temples and French regal buildings. Here is an itinerary on how to explore Luang Prabang, Laos in style budget and style. In the morning, visit The Royal Palace constructed by French colonialists between 1904 and 09. The palace is a fusion of Lao and French architecture, hallmarked by a three-headed elephant under a parasol which is the royal symbol of Laos. The throne room gleams with mosaic emerald palms, lapis lazuli elephants, silver rivers, and golden robes. In addition, check out the royal cars display with the royal logo entrenched in car doors and number plates. Go to the Wat Mai palace, still in Luang Prabang, which was built in 1788. The place is popular for its magnificent bas-relief work, golden stenciling of its assembly hall, and for the ritual cleansing of the Phra Bang in the course of Lao New Year. Tread along the main Sisavangvong peninsula road, bending into the left-hand backstreet for a drink at the Luang Prabang Artisans Cafe. Moreover, see local communities with spruced up designs rented by foreigners. Towards the end of the peninsula, you can find the Hotel Villa Santi and the Three Nagas Hotel, with its antique Citroen and Mercedes cars parked outside. You can dine at L'Elephant Vert in Luang Prabang, with its living cuisine set meals serving tomato carpaccio and coriander and mustard mousse. In addition, you can visit the small Cafe Toui where friendly Toui serves souisi pa, and a twist on the Cuban mojito, a cojito, prepared with Lao basil, lemongrass, and Malibu rum. For a serene take on Luang Prabang, The Guardian recommends the new and chic Bounmi cruise along the Mekong with expat Adele Frigon. After sunset, graze around the town's night market trying grilled chicken or fish on bamboo skewers, a bowl of noodle soup, and sweets made from coconut. You can also feast on tilapia ceviche at Tangor. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Would you like to travel the world for free? Except for your phone bill, would you like to not worry about any travel expenses such as airplane fares, hotel accommodations, food and such? You can! But here's the catch: You have to be the nanny of 3 small children. American couple Derek and M'Kenzie Tillotson, a family based in Utah, are currently looking for a nanny that they can take to their around-the-world trip. They have 3 small children with them-Porter, Beckett and Baby Wren--, so they need a need a nanny that can help them take care of their kids. Salary would be around US$1200-1500. They posted a video describing their ad, where they elaborated the qualifications they need for a nanny. "We're looking for someone who will love our kids as much as we do, even when they're acting like this," Mrs Tillotson said in the video, showing her 3 children running and screeching around the house. They also need a nanny that has a background in education, because he/she will be helping the Tillotsons in homeschooling the children while they're traveling abroad. Applicants are also reminded that they also have to help in other house chores, but needn't worry about doing so much work. "You'll be an honorary member of the family and will be treated with respect and be able to voice your opinion," the Tillotsons said. "You will have one to two days off each week, depending on our travel schedule, to explore and have your own adventures." "Both Derek and I will be working, usually from home, so we will be there to chip in as we can. But we will rely on you primarily to do the homeschooling. Schooling will be five days a week for a few hours, preferably after breakfast. This way, the rest of the day is free for us to go out and explore." Deadline for the submission of applications was actually first stated to be in late January, but since the video went viral and had garnered over 7.4 million views on Facebook, the cute family decided to stop receiving applications because of the overwhelming amount they received. The family is expected to start their trip on July, plotting their trip from the US to Iceland, to other countries in Europe, and then to the Pacific Islands to Asia. The trip would take a year, but the nanny will get a time off during Christmas, where she will be able to spend the holidays with his/her family. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 One of the oldest cities in the US, New Orleans is a wonderful place for tourists to explore. Because it was first established as the capital of the French colony in Louisiana, their culture is mixed with French and other European elements, mostly seen in their architecture and people's way of living. Now, New Orleans is famous for being the location for the esteemed Mardi Gras festival. But aside from that, did you know that New Orleans is also a good spot for foodies and food travelers? Here are some of their food specialties you should not miss: Chargrilled Oysters. In the southern states of the US, eating raw oysters are common in every cuisine, but New Orleans made a twist by chargrilling it over open flame, and adding it with their special mixture of breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese, and melted butter. Drago's in Fat City, New Orleans is where this dish originated. So make sure you do a stopover when you decide to travel in the city. Souffle Potatoes. In Arnaud's, a famous restaurant in New Orleans that still offers traditional French Creole Menu, this dish is found. It's hard to get a taste of this sumptuous dish anywhere else in the US, because these perfectly good, air-puffed, pillowy fried potatoes are inherently NOLAn. Partner it with a French 75 or Brandy Custa, and it will be very hard for you to leave the restaurant. Po' Boys. Another New Orleans specialty, Po' Boys were first invented in 1929 to feed the streetcar workers striking in the city. This dish is made by layering seafood such as crispy shrimp or gravy-dripping roasted meat onto an untoasted French Bread, dressed with greens with pickles and mayonnaise. Now, Po' Boys joints are found in almost every corner of the city, but the one restaurant that stands out is Johnny's Po' Boys, a family-owned food joint that's been serving delectable Po' Boys since the 1950's. Turtle Bolognese. Yep, you heard it right. Instead of beef, NOLAns prefer their Bolognese cooked with turtle, a dish perfected by Chef Justin Devillier. If you want to try something exotic but still wants to have your taste buds dance with delight then this is the dish for you. Cooked with al dente pasta, bucatini, sherry, parsley, and fried soft-boiled egg, you wouldn't notice that you're actually eating a turtle! This dish can be bought in La Petite Grocery (Uptown). Beignets. When it comes to pastry, this is New Orleans' signature dish. Traditionally eaten during breakfast, a beignet is fried dough with yeast, and dusted with powdered sugar on top. It's not that special, but it's part of the NOLAn history. It was first brought into the city by French Immigrants who became the first European settlers in the city. It tastes just like a doughnut, but more compact and bite-sized. It is also best partnered with coffee. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 When traveling to Thailand, the main purpose of many tourists is to visit the mainland to experience the culture and taste traditional cuisine it offers. In any way you want it, the islands offers only the best of both. For many tourists or visitors, a trip to the capital of thailand which is Bangkok with an island visit or two thereafter is the ideal balance of experience though it might not be just as satisfying as completing everything while your in the Island. For the islands to visit in Thailand there are a lot although some are over populated with tourists that you really can't see and experience the real beauty of the land, there are still a lot of islands that are silent enough to relax and ready for exploration that will make you feel one with the island or should i say paradise. Here are some of best Thailand Islands that you would definitely love. Ko Phayam. This island is a bit quiet than other Islands in the country. Here you can enjoy and chill with your family or friends in this beautiful island. According to News.com.au, expect virgin beaches, enjoyable walks through the forest, simple beach bungalows and a handful of high end resorts. An overnight bus from Bangkok to Ranong is the best way to get to the ferry terminal. Ko Bulon Lae. If you want to get away from the crowd of tourists then this is the island for you to pick. The island is full of butterflies and bats, huge monitor lizards crossing your path, a real nice beach and colorful corals underneath it. Eat in simple restaurants and sleep in a bungalow on the beach. Ko Bulon Lae is just a small island, and it will take you atleast 15 minutes to walk around. It's close to busy Ko Lipe and the nearest airports are Krabi and Phuket. Ko Kho Khao. This is a huge island with long golden beaches all over, mangroves everywhere and grassy sand flats as well. You can ride elephants into the surf and rent motorbikes which is kind of fun, though it's all about the beach, the bungalows and the resort style lifestyle that makes it one of the best island in Thailand. Here families more often take a vacation or a trip in the island than tourist or backpackers. The nearest airport is Phuket which is just a few kilometers a away making it a good destination for tourist who want to get the island experience in a snap. Ko Phra Thong. This island is very close to the mainland yet its not that crowded as the other beaches near the coast. Ko Phra Thong is partly surrounded by mangrove forests and features a wide range of savannah type grasslands in its center. According to The Telegraph, the island is also populated by deer, wild cats, hornbills, sea eagles, otters and snakes, if your into wildlife then this is the place for you to explore. Shallow coral reefs off the coast are worth a try and to explore. There is a dive center on the island where you can have lessons on how to scuba dive and all. Two villages grace Ko Phra Tong's coast, both populated by indigenous sea nomads or what they call Moken. The near-by, jungle covered Ko Ra Island is mountainous and unpopulated and part of a national park where you can explore if your an adventure junkie. Camping and day trips are possible in the area. Moo Ko Surin National Park. This small archipelago in the Andaman sea is close to the Burmese border. The Islets are covered in evergreen forest populated by monkeys, birds, giant crabs and monitor lizards, while the surrounding coral reefs are one of the best in Thailand with regular sightings of turtles and reef sharks as well. Visitors can join snorkling trips to the reefs. For more about the best places to go in Thailand stay tuned to Travelers Today. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Excited for a visit to the world's most secretive country? Before you hop on the plane and travel to North Korea, here are a few reminders about the top t things you can bring and can not bring on your journey. What To Bring: Travel Documents Remember to pack the original travel documents such as insurance policy, hotel reservations, and connecting flights. Also, make copies of the said documents and pack them in different storages just in you lost your original documents. What To Bring: Cash Make sure you bring cash as your international credit card is no good in North Korea. It's better if you carry currency such as Euros, Renminbi, or the US Dollars since foreigners are not allowed to use Korean won in North Korea. Also, there are no ATM's in the country. What To Bring: Camera Yes, you can take photos in North Korea. While you only snap pictures on designated spots within the country, you can nonetheless take home photos of your favorite moments in your trip. What To Bring: Travel Adapter North Korea utilizes a 220-Volt supply and plugs types A and F. If you don't want to pack your travel adapter, universal adapters are available at the airports. What To Bring: Comfortable Clothing & Snacks There are no norms on dress codes in North Korea if you are a tourist. However, there are some places where jeans, shorts, sandals, and cut-offs are not permitted. So bring decent but comfortable clothing just to be sure. Also, snacks are allowed especially with those long bus rides in between your exploring. What Not To Bring: Books Who's Subject Is North Korea Digital and print materials on North and South Korea are banned in North Korea. So if you purchased a travel guide on North Korea, leave them at home or risk them being confiscated at customs. What Not To Bring: Religious Materials For Distribution It is illegal to recruit or attempt to convert people in North Korea to certain religions, such as Christianity. So bringing a Bible on your trip is a big no-no. What Not To Bring: GPS Devices While mobile phones and cameras equipped with GPS are permitted within North Korea, stand-alone GPS devices are not allowed in the country. In any case, there is no Internet access in the country. What Not To Bring: Clothing With Political Statements This brings us back to packing comfortable clothing. While tourists can wear shirts with political slogans, it is proper to only polite to wear decent clothing that doesn't offend the locals. Armed with these top 5 tips on what to bring and not to bring in the world's most secretive country, your travel escapade will be more enjoyable and hassle free. Remember that hang ups in the airport or in the customs are more stressful than leaving things behind. Did we miss something? Tell us by joining our conversation! See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Itching to travel this 2017? If you haven't been able to get a time off last 2016 because of work or other responsibilities, then make sure you won't do that again this year. There are many beautiful places in the world that you have yet to explore, and since travelling has become a very popular excursion, then don't miss out yourself. Here are some of the best travel destinations you should discover this year: New Zealand. Aside from the being the place where The Lord of the Rings is filmed, New Zealand has so much more to offer to all kinds of travelers. Their food and quaint culture is to die for, and they make some of the world's most delicious wines. If you have time to spare, go here during the spring and set on their exhilarating wine trail. You can drive on your own or set a tour starting from Napier to North Island, to crossing the Cook Straight and then to Picton, and then finally passing through the famous Marlborough Sounds and then ending in Blenheim. Papua New Guinea. Save up and join the locals in Papua New Guinea in celebrating their annual Mask festival in July! It's a fun, culture-rich festival that usually lasts 4 days, full of cultural dancing and other activities that honor the tribes living in East New Britain. Aside from that, Papua New Guinea is home to world-class scuba diving spots, beautiful mountains, jungles and coast, and several WWII heritage. Rwanda. If you crave for a travel experience purely made of natural wonders, then include Rwanda in your travel bucket list. It is known as then "Land of a Thousand hills", and you'll never get enough of its picturesque landscapes and natural attractions. Luxurious Safari tours are the main tourist excursion to be done here, with its diverse wildlife you can get up close to Africa's animal species you only see on Discovery Channel or National Geographic. Stay in nature-friendly lodges with magnificent views and excellent food, and you'll have a trip of a lifetime. French Polynesia. There are other pristine paradises in the French Polynesia group of Islands aside from Bora Bora and Moorea. These places are known to be expensive to go to, so why not travel to other less-known but equally beautiful islands such as Rangiroa in the Tuamoto Islands, or the Marquesas? If you're still looking for a magical tropical trip full of endless adventures, then these places will deliver them for you. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 The Clement Palo Alto, which opened in March 2016, celebrates love and romance for its first Valentine's Weekend with a special package featuring a variety of amenities. (TRAVPR.COM) USA - January 9th, 2017 - Palo Alto, CA, January 09, 2017 The Clement Palo Alto, which opened in March 2016, celebrates love and romance for its first Valentine's Weekend with a special package featuring a variety of amenities. The luxury all-inclusive hotel that boasts 23 spacious and richly appointed one-bedroom suites, starts your weekend off in style with Welcome Amenities that include early check-in, champagne with cotton candy and flowers. That evening, guests will be treated to a specially created three-course candle-lit dinner paired with fine wines. After dinner, you can toast each other under a gorgeous full moon at the hotel's cozy rooftop pool deck with fire pits. Keep in mind that the full moon rises on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 11. The morning after your romantic night, savor a full breakfast with mimosas or Bellinis delivered to your room. Then luxuriate some more because you have a late check-out that day! To make your romantic weekend complete, you can also book a relaxing and rejuvenating spa treatment with our partners at nearby LaBelle Day Spa & Salon for an additional cost. Rates for this special Valentine's Weekend start at $429 per night available Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 10-12. Please call one of our staff member at (650) 322-7111 to book this special package. About The Clement Palo Alto The Clement Palo Alto opened its doors March 2016 and is one of the most innovative, personalized and unique luxury hotels in the country. With 23 spacious and richly appointed one-bedroom suites, The Clement Palo Alto sets a new standard for personalized luxury accommodations in a contemporary residential-style atmosphere. While unparalleled service is key to any great luxury hotel, The Clement Palo Alto takes its impeccable service to another level with an all-inclusive concept, including personalized concierge services, breakfast, lunch and dinner in an on-premise location of the guest's choice. All wine, beer and cocktails, in-room mini-refrigerator (stocked with the guest's favorites), and fully-stocked Guest Pantry available around the clock, are just a few of the amenities included in this all-inclusive experience. In fact, The Clement Palo Alto is more than all-inclusive, it is all-exclusive, catering exclusively to the guest's personal tastes and desires. The Clement Palo Alto is ideally located across from Stanford University and next to downtown Palo Alto, with its award-winning restaurants, world-class shopping and upscale spas. It is just 45 minutes south of San Francisco and only 30 minutes north of San Jose, not only making it convenient, but easily accessible to the world-famous sights and myriad activities of both cities. Overall, The Clement Palo Alto offers a unique, one-of-a-kind 6-star experience in the heart of Silicon Valley with unparalleled personal service, all-inclusive luxury and privacy in a warm, inviting and luxurious residential environment. The Clement Hotel 711 El Camino Real Palo Alto, California 94301 650.322.7111 www.theclementpaloalto.com Contact: Marci Bracco Cain Chatterbox PR Salinas, CA 93901 (831) 747-7455 http://www.theclementpaloalto.com ### Starting 9 January 2017, European Council on Tourism and Trade, had begun to officially register countries and cities candidatures for WORLD BEST TOURIST DESTINATION for countries and WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM for cities desirous to become international hubs for tourism. (TRAVPR.COM) BELGIUM - January 9th, 2017 - The 2017 WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM and WORLD BEST TOURIST DESTINATION competition started with an International Food Festival highlighting food as an intricate part of tourism promotion and experience. 56 countries and cities attended the event, hosted at European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT) headquarter, and presented their candidature for World Tourism Awards. The ECTT Awards for tourism and cultural achievements are the annual celebration that awards the best in tourism industry crowning, since 2006, the countries and nations excellence and investment in the tourism sector, putting under the world limelight the exceptional leadership and nation prowess, in the framework of WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM and WORLD BEST TOURIST DESTINATION AWARD, and the category of FAVORITE CULTURAL DESTINATION and marking out outstanding cultural and investment tourism projects. Starting their creation from 2006, the European Council on Tourism and Trade (ECTT) Awards have recognised nations and peoples strides for their innovative and determined tourism initiatives. The contribution of the nations and leaders receiving world tourism and travel prizes is in line with ECTT guidelines for World Capital of Culture and Tourism and World Best Tourist Destination Award. For the tenth consecutive year, the ECTT-European Council on Tourism and Trade Awards will recognize the tourism potentials of the most attractive tourist and cultural destinations. President Dr. Anton Caragea and European Council on Tourism and Trade President Office staff had given the starting signal for what is internationally known as Nobel`s or Oscar`s of tourism: the WORLD BEST TOURIST DESTINATION and WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM competitions. This event has taken place on January 2, 2016 and has marked the opening of the international contests for WORLD BEST TOURISM DESTINATION AWARD and WORLD CAPITAL OF CULTURE AND TOURISM for 2017. Held under the patronage of the European Council on Tourism and Trade, the World Best Tourist Destination Tourism Festival is an element of novelty in the world cultural space, consisting in a series of projects meant to promote the cultural diversity of the countries that outlined candidatures to World Best Tourist Destination, under the Open Your Culture to The World slogan. The inauguration ceremony, started with the message of the European Council on Tourism and Trade President, who highlighted the potential of the world culture, and the contribution of such public and cultural diplomacy initiatives to the dialogue between cultures, between generations, between the diplomatic community and civil society. World Tourism, Travel and Cultural Awards Festival presented 56 countries candidatures for World Best Tourism Destination and World Capital of Culture and Tourism in 2017. President Dr. Anton Caragea expressed satisfaction that the World Best Tourism Destination-Embassy Festival takes place concurrently with the New Year 2017 ceremonies and announced 2017 as the YEAR OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DEVELOPMENT AND NATURAL AREAS PROTECTION by this way marking lavishly the start of World Best Tourist Destination/World Capital of Culture and Tourism competitions. he celebration continued with a presentation of national dishes and culinary traditions and hospitality and folk costumes, presenting the participants with a unique opportunity to taste and enjoy the world food as part of tourism development of today. Many ambassadors present on the venue to uphold their countries candidature`s emphasize the importance of food as a bridge toward friendship and understanding. There is only a culture of understanding and friendship around food, stated president Anton Caragea opening the food section of WORLD TOURISM AWARDS. World Best Tourism Destination -Tourism Festival will continue until 10 January 2017, having a diverse agenda and over 50 embassies, cultural institutes and international organizations as participants, representing 6 continent`s. ### Tours in Abu Dhabi has recently announced to provide exciting offers for the New Year. Tours in Abu Dhabi is all set to make the most out of it in this new year by providing 15% discount on Dhow Cruise Abu Dhabi and several other huge offers. (TRAVPR.COM) ABU DHABI - January 9th, 2017 - Tours in Abu Dhabi is one of the leading travel organizers for visiting the Middle East. Apart from offering high quality travel services for Dubai and Abu Dhabi, with some of the best choices and attractions to explore from, this tour operator is also providing huge new year packages and offers. There are a lot of different tour packages that the tour operator offers for sightseeing and dining out, which you can now avail for much lower prices, as part of the New Year celebration. You can avail 15% discount on the popular Dhow cruise Abu Dhabi as part of the New Year offer. While going to Abu Dhabi, enjoy the large spread of luxurious and delicious buffet lunch and dinner on a conventional double decker wooden Dhow. Appreciate the stunning sights of Abu Dhabi in all its magnificence while on-board the cruise. The Dhow is a conventional vessel which was utilized by dealers and merchants on the waters of the Gulf. The same customary vessel comes outfitted with all the cutting-edge enhancements which are vital for the sightseers. To avail the offers, click here - http://www.toursinabudhabi.com/tour-package-type/dhow/ As far as exceptional service is concerned, tours in Abu Dhabi is the best, as observed by the reviews the tour operator has received. They cover all the major Abu Dhabi attractions in their very well planned and even all around composed visit packages that will help you take advantage of the visit. If you are planning a desert safari Abu Dhabi is the place for you and if that place is your destination then, they wager, nobody can make it more paramount for you except for them. The desert safari, the amazing adrenaline pumping water sports, the legacy town and the exhibition halls are all sitting tight for you to explore while they sit tight for you to begin your trip with them. They give good quality food and luxury hotel rooms planned as per your financial plan on different Abu Dhabi tours package with offers that will save a little money. They have the notoriety of serving their clients tastefully which likewise makes them one of the perfect choices by numerous sightseers. You can even visit Ferrari World, the planets first ever Ferrari themed amusement park in Abu Dhabi at an offer price, by availing the New Year offer package to visit Abu Dhabi. Or go on a 4x4 desert safari in the evening and have dinner at the desert camp, stay the night enjoying the belly dance by performers, decorate your hands with henna designs or chat up an Emirati, all in a discounted price. You can even avail cheap hotel room rates in this New Year offer, which might otherwise cost you a good amount of money in the luxurious restaurants of Abu Dhabi. Complete your package with a visit to the Yas island and the Sky Tower, all at discounted rates, with the latest launch of New Year offers by Tours in Abu Dhabi travel organizer. Take in the breath taking panoramic views of the palm-lined Corniche, listen to the commentary, and jump on and off at any of the 23 stops to visit must-sees, for example, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque and the Heritage Village. A van to stimulation pressed Yas Island Abu Dhabi and complain free section to the Marina Mall Sky Tower and different attractions are incorporated. Abu Dhabi, a dynamic city with rich culture, contrast and colour has something to offer each visitor. Likewise discover low value travel packages and travel bargains for various famous sights of Abu Dhabi. Make the most of this Abu Dhabi travel offer and have an experience of a lifetime. ### With Cuba opening up to people all over the world, including the United States, most people immediately think of Havana, a couple of beaches and SCUBA opportunities. This mindset sees the colonial town of Trinidad, sandwiched between the Escambray mountain range and the Caribbean coast, often overlooked. And here in lies the colonial charm that saw it designated a UNESCO heritage site in 1988, more than 450 years since the town was founded by Diego Velazquez de Cueller and soon became a major source for Cubas sugar cane production. Once you arrive in Trinidad, youll quickly notice how sleepy the little town is, but dont get fooled at night things heat up a bit, but that happens at a slow pace. While the vintage cars of Havana do exist, Trinidad has quite the scene and those that own these beautiful vehicles take pride in them. People dont generally travel to Cuba for the food and Trinidad is no exception. But you will certainly find paladars, or private homes that serve lunch and dinner inside a colonial home that could equally blow you away or leave you wanting, based on your luck. You meal may blow away the surroundings or vice versa, but regardless youll eat and experience life in Trinidad. When youve finished dinner head toward Plaza Mayor, where around 10:30 p.m., the street becomes a surreal dance party of elderly men with cigars and ridiculously beautiful woman that will insist you join them in the impromptu dance of the calle. Finish the night at Disco Ayala, where in order to get down youll need to literally go down into a cave that hosts the citys best club. Our Correspondent Jaipur, January 9 With the opening of Network Operation Centre (NOC) here today, Pink City of Jaipur becomes the first city in the country and South Asia to monitor and operate smart city infrastructure using a single digital network. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, Cisco Executive Chairman John T. Chambers and Genpact CEO Tiger Tyagarajan inaugurated the NOC with a tag of Global Centre for Excellence. The NOC will integrate all recently developed digital infrastructure such as intelligence kiosks, wireless broadband, sensor-based dustbins smart streetlight, parking and apps. She said application of advanced digital technology will benefit Jaipur in its efforts in economic and social progress through an enhanced citizen experience. The pact with Cisco and Genpact will enable Jaipur to become a city of the future, she said. Chambers said: Our commitment with the Cisco Lighthouse initiative in Jaipur is to help the state develop an ecosystem of talent, entrepreneurship and innovation to drive growth, generate jobs, diversify the economy and support sustainable growth. Panchkula, January 8 A 19-year-old boy has been arrested on a charge of raping a six-year-old girl, who lived in his neighbourhood in a slum at Sector 26 here. Hari Om is alleged to have raped his neighbour last night when her parents were not at home. A complaint was registered at the women police station yesterday by the victims father after which Hari Om was arrested under the POCSO Act. He has been sent to 14-day judicial custody. TNS Ramkrishan Upadhyay Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 8 With dealers failing to shift to the new car bazaar sites at Hallo Majra, the Municipal Corporation has decided not to allow them to carry out their business from the existing car bazaar at Sector 7, Chandigarh. The enforcement staff of the MC did not allow the car bazaar to function today, which left customers, who came from neighbouring states to buy old cars, in the lurch. The staff also confiscated two cars parked at the sites. While the MC staff did not allow the dealers to carry out their business from the car bazaar, some dealers clandestinely sold cars at the rear side of the showrooms. The dealers did not respond to an advertisement for the auction of the sites at Hallo Majra, which was scheduled for January 4. The MC has earmarked 50 sites at Hallo Majra for 502 cars. The decision to shift the car bazaar was taken on the directions of the High Court on a petition filed by owners of showrooms at Sector 7, who contended that the car bazaar, held every Sunday in the parking space in front of the showrooms, was adversely affecting their business. After the High Court directions, the MC had decided to shift the Sunday car bazaar from Sector 7 to Hallo Majra. The car dealers opposed the decision. Gulshan Kumar, president of the Car Dealers Association, said the sites at Hallo Majra were not fit for the car bazaar. He said there were no facilities for the dealers at the new sites. He said, What will happen to the families who were earning their livelihood from the business, which has been affected by the decision? People from neighboring states come to by old vehicles at the car bazaar, which had been running for over 30 years. Around 2,000 vehicles are put up for sale at the market every Sunday. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 8 The body of a 43-year-old property dealer from Panchkula was found under mysterious circumstances in a forest area opposite Kalagram in Mani Majra today. The body did not have any injury marks. The cause of the death is yet to be ascertained. The police said the victim had been identified as Vikrant Sharma, a resident of Sector 16, Panchkula. The body was found lying in the forest area by a man, who had gone to answer natures call. The police were informed, who visited the spot. The victim was taken to GMSH-16, where he was declared brought dead. Satish Kumar, DSP (East), said they had ruled out any foul play behind the death. Foam was oozing out of the victims mouth and there were no injury marks on the body, said Inspector Harminderjeet Singh, SHO of the Mani Majra police station. The police recovered the victims wallet and a mobile phone from his clothes. His family was informed about the incident by the police. Police investigation has revealed that the victim had left home for Sector 35 in a cab after which he came to Mani Majra in the evening. The victim did not return home. The body has been kept at the mortuary for a postmortem. Inquest proceedings have been initiated by the police at the Mani Majra police station. Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 8 A leading realtor, Ranjit Singh Gill, of the famous Gillco Valley Group is the candidate of the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) from Kharar for the coming Punjab Assembly poll. Soon after SAD president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal put a stamp on Gills name this evening, partys old warhorse and former MLA Ujjagar Singh Badali felt offended and called a workers meeting to discuss the future course of action. I have called a meeting of party workers in the area to discuss the matter, the sexagenarian Akali leader told The Tribune over the phone. Neither denying nor admitting that he would raise a banner of revolt against the party candidate, Badali said, It will all depend on the workerswhatever they say, I will do accordingly. Badali, who had for the first time become MLA on the SAD ticket from Morinda (now scrapped) in 2007 by defeating the then two-time Congress minister and sitting MLA Jagmohan Singh Kang after biting the dust twice in 2002 and 1997, was lobbying hard for nominating his daughter Paramjit Kaur from Kharar this time. It was after the SAD supremo had long time back made it clear to Badali that the party would like to field some young and new face from Kharar in 2017. However, Badalis efforts to get the ticket for his daughter, who is the Kharar Zila Parishad chairperson, turned futile. SAD nominee Gill admitted that the animosity of Badali and other party leaders in the area was a political problem, but sounded confident of tackling it. No doubt it is a political problem, but with the help of the party high command, I will be able to take everybody along, Gill told The Tribune over the phone. A graduate, 52-year-old Gill is a native of Majri Jattan village in Ropar. Having earned a big name in the real estate sector since 2002, Gill had served as sarpanch of his native village from 1992 to 1997 and remained a member of the Ropar Block Samitti from 1993 to 1998. After developing Gillco Valley in Kharar as his first flagship independent township, Gill, who had shifted base from Majri Jattan to Mohali in 2000 before settling down in Chandigarh in 2014, has so far delivered 15 major real estate projects while his four projects are still in the pipeline. It is a payback time from me. As this area has given me a lot, now I would like to serve the local residents, said Gill, adding that development would be his main agenda. Congress seat In 2012, Congress nominee Jagmohan Singh Kang had defeated Badali by a margin of 6,779 votes. Kang had polled 49,451 votes while Badali got 42,672 votes. Triangular contest This time, the SAD was the last to announce its candidate from Kharar unlike 2012 when Badali was among the first 48 party nominees declared in December 2011. Now, it will be a triangular contest in Kharar between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) nominee and veteran journalist Kanwar Sandhu, Congress sitting MLA Jagmohan Singh Kang and SADs Gill. Sushma Ramachandran GOOGLE CEO Sundar Pichais call to Indian students to look beyond bookish knowledge reminds us that winning exams is not the only route to success. The soft-spoken head of one of the worlds largest companies is surely a role model for all Indians who aspire for global success. But he has warned that neither IITs nor other institutions are a guarantee for success and American style creativity needs to be given more importance than the mere bookish knowledge of the Indian education system. Pichais visit is timely as it highlights the critical role of the Internet in pushing digital payments and promoting business development. It comes in the midst of the disruption created by demonetisation which has hurt small and medium businesses in a big way. Many small businesses relied heavily on cash while the wholesale to retail chain has also involved cash in many sectors. The aim is now to shift gradually to e-transactions. Playing its role as promoter of business through the Internet, Google has now launched a much-needed digital training initiative as well as a free website builder to assist new businesses. Unless businesses have the right skills and tools to digitise, it will not be possible either for entrepreneurs to enter the start up arena or for existing business to adapt to the new technology. The Google chief executive has also rightly emphasised that India actually has better infrastructure to go for digital than many other countries. One of the arguments made against the drive to go digital is that even developed countries are able to go up to only 60 per cent in digital transactions, so India is not likely to achieve even that percentage. On the contrary, emerging economies have been able to leapfrog technologies in a way that the developed world has not been able to do. For example, the range and variety of mobile phones available for use in Asian economies is vastly greater than those in developed countries where Apple dominates the market. Similarly, call costs are much lower in India than in the West. It is thus conceivable that in the drive to go digital, India could achieve more than developed economies. At the same time, the problem of the digital divide has to be tackled effectively. Though mobile phone owners are growing at an exponential rate, total smartphones are 300 million out of a population of 1.3 billion. One of the solutions, according to Pichai, is to bring smartphone prices down to an affordable level of Rs 2,000 for the common man. It is ultimately through the mobile smartphone that electronic transactions can take place. But till such time as this is achieved, apps are being developed for feature phones to enable work to be done even through these devices. It has to be recognised, however, that the process of going digital is not going to be done in a day, a week or even a month. It is likely going to take a few years. But if it were not for the push being made now, it would have taken much longer to achieve the goal of becoming a primarily cashless society. One of the drivers fuelling this push, is the keenness of youth to become aligned to new technology. The spate of startups that have made India one of the nurseries for such ventures is testament to the enthusiasm of young people to opt for business based on the Internet. The only difference between startups in India and in the US is the value of venture capital being poured into them, as much less is being given here than abroad. Otherwise, there is no lack of creativity and innovation in these ventures. This brings us to the quality of Internet service in the country. Though it is not of the best, it is improving rapidly. Interestingly, global companies like Google are adapting to the slower Internet speeds in this country by making their products usable in Indian conditions. As for the banking infrastructure for digital payments, it has been ramped up now with the introduction of the Unified Payment Interface (UPI). This is a payment system that allows money to be transferred between any two bank accounts using a smartphone. The value of UPI transactions surged to Rs 700 crore in December from only Rs 90 crore in November. Volumes increased to two million, six times higher than earlier. Still, this is only a minuscule share of non-cash transactions by volume and value. For instance, one e-commerce company carried out Rs 1,400 crore worth of transactions in a single day during a big sale. Similarly, 6 lakh rail tickets are sold online daily. So, the potential is enormous for making better use of this infrastructure in the future. The role of the Internet in business has grown not just for startup ventures but even for the traditional brick and mortar concerns. Unless brands are adequately represented in cyberspace, there is little scope for reaching out to the vast youth market. Social media like Facebook and Instagram have, in fact, become a way of connecting with more closely with consumers. The general perception is that complaints put on social media sites of companies get an immediate response rather than going through the traditional channels. A bad review on a Facebook page means millions of people can see it which is bad for business and hence good for consumers. Pichais visit has thus put a focus on the growing impact of the Internet on business in terms of improving revenues and brand equity. It also highlights the importance of India as a market for Internet giants. Mobile penetration in the population has not reached optimal levels as in developed countries and there is ample space for growth. In addition, the youthfulness of this market means there is great receptivity to the new technology products being churned out by these companies. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the next frontier for them. In India, however, AI is still a far cry. It is in the area of the digital divide that one must look for help from these multinationals. This chasm between the digital haves and have-nots needs to be bridged as quickly as possible otherwise none of the efforts to move towards e-transactions would have any impact. Rajmohan Gandhi IN early 1965, before the war that year with Pakistan and well before Tashkent, I obtained an appointment with Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. It was wintertime, and the Prime Minister was receiving callers under the sun, in the open. While he listened to someone, others waited for their turn. No screen blocked the Prime Minister from those waiting. As his conversation with those ahead of me extended beyond the time given to me, I did something I should not have done. I fidgeted. Though Shastriji was absorbed with callers several yards away, he noticed my restiveness and signalled that my turn would come soon. There was no need for him to notice my impatience. But Lal Bahadur Shastri was a sensitive Prime Minister, sensitive to the feelings of fellow-citizens, sensitive even to the reaction of a 29-year-old who should have conducted himself more maturely. Vision for India Is it any wonder that the people of India found in him a Prime Minister attentive to their situation? Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri did not merely share a birthday; they shared a vision for India. They saw an India where Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims and other communities have equal rights, where different communities love each other if possible, respect each other if possible, and forgive each other if possible. If love, respect and forgiveness are difficult, at least in the vision of Gandhi and Shastri they co-exist peacefully with each other and accept each other's freedom of thought and belief. A man close to the Pakistani power centre told me in Lahore three years ago that the state there was willing to confront its extremists operationally but not ideologically. It would oppose terrorism and violence, but not the ideology of radical Islam. No wonder radical Islam continues to flourish there. Pakistan's example prods us to confront extremism in India both ideologically and operationally. Two things must be uncompromisingly rejected by society and the state. One is the idea that because of its size or supposed superiority one religious group should get the upper hand over other groups. The other is the idea that people can or should be compelled to alter their beliefs. Pakistan has often surrendered to these notions. It is a mistake the people of India must never make. India cannot accept coercion or zabardasti by anyone in any direction. Rejection of inequality and coercion is the cornerstone of the philosophy with which we must confront the ideologies of racial, religious or caste supremacy. We must also frontally reject any idea that one or two individuals may be above the requirements of democracy that India will flourish under one person's strong rule, free from the scrutiny or advice of ministerial colleagues, Parliament, the media and the judiciary. We must reject that idea even when presented in the name of the poor and the honest. A great majority of Indians, whether nationalists, patriots, secularists, liberals or Marxists, accept the core principle of manavta or insaniyat, the recognition that at bottom human beings, whatever their external labels, are the same. But insaniyat needs a practical component. Lal Bahadur Shastri, creator of the inspired concept, Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, would ask us, Are you bothered about your next-door neighbour? How can India be happy, united or strong if neighbours do not care for one another, communities do not bother about neighbouring communities, states don't bother about neighboring states, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu do not show concern for each other, and Punjab and Haryana likewise? Today, Shastriji would say, Jai Kisan, Jai Jawan, and Jai Insaan! Remember Gandhi's famous talisman, offered in August 1947? If, he said, you are in a dilemma on the next step to take, think of how your step would affect the neediest person who have known. When you focus on that person, your dilemma, your self-concern, would vanish. We may not be able always to go that far. But promoting mutual care for one another, neighbour to neighbour, is a practical yet powerful component of the ideology of insaniyat, an ideology which will stand up to, and God willing overcome, the ideology of polarisation, hate and authoritarianism. Love of country is demonstrated not when you demand that your neighbour rises instantly to his full height when the anthem is played; it is demonstrated when you encourage citizens to care for one another and when you get the government to protect the people all the people, none excluded. Lal Bahadur Shastri would tell us that the highest patriotism is to unite your people, to heal wounds, build bridges, inspire people to be mutually caring. I have been a student of history. Looking at our country's story, whether in a remote or recent past, whether in old undivided Punjab or in southern India, I have found in general that we the people of India have opinions about neighbours, at times sharply negative opinions, but not knowledge about them. Clever politicians know what to say to the people, but democracy demands that a leader listens, learns, takes questions, and answers them. When the people are polarised, they too must take to listening to one another, to members of another community or another persuasion, so that knowledge is gained and opinion is corrected. I can hear Lal Bahadur Shastri saying to today's politicians: Go to the people, listen to them, take instructions from them. They are your masters. If they are angry with you or their neighbours, talking out freely will help them overcome their angers and disappointments. Citizens not subjects Leaders too must be spoken to, Shastri would tell us. The Indian people are citizens of a republic, not subjects of a monarch. Central to insaniyat is individual liberty. As long as I am not acting violently, as long as I am not inciting hate between communities, I must have the full freedom to express my views and advocate my views, in words, in song, in plays, in films, on the media. Without liberty there is no creativity, without creativity life is a skeleton, without liberty and creativity society is merely a heap of bones and flesh. This mass may march in formation; it may shout slogans in unison; but it will be soul-less; it will be a machine. India's people may seem chaotic at times. Yet their freedom to sing and dance their own disorderly course forward is what gives India its standing in the world. (Adapted from the 23rd Lal Bahadur Shastri Memorial Lecture on "Society, the State and Democratic Rights: Questions before the People of India.", delivered by the writer in Delhi on January 9.) The writer is a historian dividing his time between India and the United States. Parveen Arora Tribune News Service Karnal, January 9 Nearly 29 government primary schools in the district are on the verge of closure due to poor enrolment of students. Sources said that 35 schools with less than 25 students in the current academic session were identified. Of these schools, six had already been closed, while the remaining schools were on the brink of closure, they said. The sources said of the 29 schools, two were in the Karnal block, eight in Indri block, seven in Nilokheri, six in Assandh, two in Gharaunda and four in Nissing block. Seven schools located at Rukanpur, Nalvi Khurd, Galib Kheri, Rajgarh, Nabiyabad, Ramgarh and Indergarh were merged with other schools following poor strength of the students last year, they said. A teacher said that the education standard in the government schools was at its low and even government teachers do not send their children to the government schools. District Elementary Education Officer (DEEO) Saroj Gur said that the government had asked them about the schools with less number of students. Following the instructions, they had identified some schools, she said. Managements had been asked to increase their strength otherwise these schools would be shut down and students would be shifted to nearby schools, she added. Bijendra Ahlawat Tribune News Service Faridabad, January 9 Only a handful organisations came forward to install rooftop solar power plant prior to the deadline of December 31 fixed by the state government for setting up of rooftop solar energy plant by industry or institutional sector. The Faridabad Industries Association (FIA) has demanded extension of the deadline by a year. The state government, which had unveiled the solar power plant scheme in August 2015, had warned of action like disconnection of power supply to industrial, commercial and institutional units, which failed to go for solar energy plant by December 31, 2016. It has now renewed its appeal to the industry to adopt the solar project scheme immediately. During a meeting with the FIA here recently, Ankur Gupta, Principal Secretary, Department of Renewable Energy, asked industrialists to get rooftop solar plants installed in the minimum possible time to avail of the benefit available under the project. While the FIA representatives asked for revision of the deadline up to December 31 this year, Gupta was non-committal. He, however, said rooftop solar energy plant could help the industry to tide over the crisis related to power cuts and bills. He said the government was ready to buy back the additional solar power from the consumers through net metering system. According to sources in the department, the state government is in no mood to punish or impose penalty on those who have failed to install solar power plant so far and has decided to adopt a liberal stand on it as the industry sector has assured full cooperation. According to PC Sharma, the project officer in the department, during the past a year and a half, solar power units have either been installed on or sanctioned for 105 establishments. The city has over 2,500 medium or big units at present. While the installed capacity varies from 25 kW to 500 kW, the government provides subsidy up to 30 per cent of the total cost of the plant or Rs 25,000 per kW, whichever is lower. While the plant capacity sanctioned per unit is around five per cent of the total power load, it is claimed that consumers in the categories of domestic, institutional and social organisations are eligible for the subsidy benefit. Samaan Lateef Tribune News Service Srinagar, January 9 Jammu and Kashmir has registered a significant decline in the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) from 34 to 26 in the last year. The national average of the IMR is 37. This achievement has been witnessed for the first time in the history of J&K. The IMR in the state has declined from 34 to 26 which is way ahead of the national average of 37, reads an official statement issued by Mohan Singh, mission director, National Health Mission (NHM). The details have been revealed by the latest Sample Registration Survey (SRS) conducted by the Registrar General of India. J&K has been ranked sixth amongst the 21 bigger states in the country for bringing down the IMR. The IMR is one of the most important and sensitive health indicators which shows the number of deaths of children up to one year of age per 1,000 live births. The IMR had created public outcry in Kashmir in 2011 when the Valleys lone children hospital GB Pant witnessed the death of 895 children, including 475 neonates, out of 4,274 admitted patients. The highest number of deaths 105 occurred in March 2012 followed by 85 in April, 68 in January and 66 in February in the same year. However, since then, the authorities are on a path to overhaul the healthcare facilities in the hospital, which recorded an IMR of 15 out of 443 in March last year. Figures speak it all. The neonatal death rate has tremendously gone down in the past three years, Srinagar Municipality Corporation health officer Shafqat Khan told The Tribune. Khan has been instrumental in bringing down the mortality rate at GB Pant during his tenure as its medical superintendent from July 2015 to July 2016. The neonatal death rate had come down drastically from 105 out of 403 in March 2012 to 15 out of 443 in March last year during Khans tenure. With a view to reduce the IMR in the state, the mission director, NHM, made concerted efforts to provide safe delivery and quality maternal and newborn care in government health institutions, Mohan Singh said. He also said that doctors and paramedics were being regularly trained in various skills for providing quality services in maternal and child health which had, in turn, brought a decline in the IMR. Jammu, January 9 Special Investigation Teams (SITs) will be set up for time-bound probe into deaths that took place during the unrest in Kashmir Valley last summer, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti announced on Monday. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) The state government will also resume the process of reviewing the cases of those held under the Public Safety Act (PSA), she told the Legislative Assembly here. "I want to tell you, we will constitute Special Investigation Teams (SIT) at district-level which will have to give time-bound reports. And if there is a need for anything further, we will go ahead," Mehbooba said while responding to opposition demand for a judicial probe into the deaths during mob control by security personnel during the 5-month unrest. She was replying to a discussion on the Kashmir situation under Adjournment Motion moved by the opposition members. The state government had earlier told the Assembly that 76 civilians, besides two policemen, were killed during the unrest that erupted after Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani was killed in an encounter with security forces on July 8 last year. 2,690 cases had been registered in connection with stone pelting incidents, 16 cases in weapon looting and snatching in Kashmir and 463 people had been detained under the PSA, the government had said. The Chief Minister said six people had lost vision in their both eyes whereas 20 others were left with a damaged eye during the unrest. Over 100 people had an eye injury. "Over 4,500 personnel of police and security forces were also injured while safeguarding the life and property of the people," Mehbooba said. With regard to demand for rehabilitation of families of those who lost their lives, she said, "They are our own children and we have to ensure their rehabilitation. We have kept an amount of Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia as compensation for the next of the kin in case of deaths. "In any such extreme case, the government is committed to provide jobs to the next of the kin to these families and the children who have lost eyesight, our government is ready to provide jobs to their family members." Those having permanent disability will get Rs 75,000. Mehbooba said, "I was told in New Delhi, including by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, that the government will ensure free education to them (who lost support system) in top schools on the pattern of Doon school so that they can stand on their feet and need not depend on anybody." She appealed to the Opposition to help her "heal" the wounds of the people. PTI Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone-starrer musical comedy La La Land clinched as many as seven honours at the 74th Golden Globe Awards, where celebrities, including the legendary actress Meryl Streep took a dig at President-elect Donald Trump. Popular Indian actress Priyanka Chopra made a glittering debut at the gala as a presenter. Hosted by Jimmy Fallon, the awards show organised by Hollywood Foreign Press Association took place at The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, US, on Sunday night. Directed by Damien Chazelle, La La Land follows a romantic relationship between a dedicated jazz musician, Sebastian (Gosling), and an aspiring actress, Mia (Stone), who are struggling to make ends meet in Los Angeles. They cross paths and embark on a romantic relationship while exploring the joy and pain of pursuing their dreams. The film won in categories like Best Motion Picture Musical or Comedy, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Stone), Best Director Motion Picture (Chazelle), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy (Gosling), Best Screenplay, Best Original Score Motion Picture and Best Original Song Motion Picture. Actress Meryl Streep was honoured with the Cecil B. DeMille Award and she was applauded for her bold speech where she slammed Donald Trump. While Moonlight won the Best Motion Picture Drama award, actors Cassey Affleck and Isabelle Huppert took home the award for Best Actor and Actress in Motion Picture Drama, for their roles in Manchester By The Sea and Elle, respectively. The Best Supporting Role Male and Female Awards were given to actors Aaron Taylor-Johnson (Nocturnal Animals) and Viola Davis (Fences). Zootopia was declared as the winner for Best Motion Picture Animated. IANS B-Town praises Streep Bollywood celebrities like Anurag Kashyap, Gauri Shinde and Hansal Mehta have lauded Hollywood Meryl Streeps speech in which she slammed US President-elect Donald Trump. Anurag Kashyap tweeted: We in our film industry dont even need to give a speech like Meryl Streep... If we just start standing up with those who actually speak up. Filmmaker Gauri Shinde said: Lets copy their grace, their guts, not their films. Meryl Streep the real true hero, the star. Golden Globes. Actress Neha Dhupia tweeted: All hail the queen...When Meryl Streep talks...Hollywood the foreigners the press and the world shuts up and listens! Golden Globes. Composer Vishal Dadlani wrote: I wish we had someone with the courage to feel so deeply, and speak so openly and clearly, here as well. Thank you, Meryl Streep. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta hailed her as a goddess. Deepika dazzles Deepika Padukones stylist Shaleena Nathani shared a sneak peek of how Deepika will be slaying at the after-party of Golden Globe Awards. This came as a surprise to one and all as there was no news on Deepika being a part of the awards function. Shaleena shared a picture of Deepika on her Instagram and wrote, So, excited to have been a part of thisFeel so so so proud @deepikapadukone at the Instyle party #goldenglobes2017. Sporting a striking yellow Ralph Lauren off-shoulder ensemble complemented with her wavy tresses, Deepika looked beautiful and classy! Tribute time While hosting the 74th Golden Globe Awards ceremony, comedian Jimmy Fallon stopped the show to pay a tribute to late actresses, mother-daughter Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds by showcasing clips of some of their memorable roles. This past year we lost so many legends and icons, but a few weeks ago, we lost a mother and a daughter within just a couple of days. It was a terrible loss that we all felt, Fallon said. IANS Surprise package The award show also witnessed a surprise entry by actor Brad Pitt, who is currently fighting for the custody of their six children Honours list Films Best Drama: Moonlight Best Comedy Or Musical: La La Land Best Actor, Drama: Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea Best Actress, Drama: Isabelle Huppert, Elle Best Actor, Comedy Or Musical: Ryan Gosling, La La Land Best Actress, Comedy Or Musical: Emma Stone, La La Land Best Director: Damien Chazelle, La La Land Best Supporting Actor: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nocturnal Animals Best Supporting Actress: Viola Davis, Fences Best Animated Film: Zootopia Best Original Song: City of Stars, La La Land Best Foreign Language Film: Elle France Television Jasmine Singh I am their mother, and they are still my kids, Dr Madhu Chopra smiles softly as she talks about the changing roles that she has been playing to her daughter (and son), who is a global icon know! The message is loud and clear, nobody messes with mom, right? Dr Chopra nods with a soft smile, Yes. Sitting by her side is her son, Siddharth Chopra, co-producer of their debut production, Punjabi film, Sarvann. Siddarth, like a Sarvann puttar, watches patiently, as his mother, who is one of the co-producers, takes us through the entire process of making of Sarvann, and about her daughter, Priyanka Chopra who has done her more than proud. Last year, I had to fly to meet her pretty often, five times a year to be precise, because Priyanka gets homesick and I had to be there for her, the considerate mother adds. Besides being there for her kids all the time, Dr Chopra is also handling the production side of the various regional films that their production house, Purple Pebble Pictures, are producing. We will also be making three regional children films with stories coming from Goa, Sikkim and other regions. The idea of our production house is to promote regional films and regional talent. And we turn the chapter to Punjab. While we were discussing about the regional films, Priyanka suggested that we should make a Punjabi film as well. Thats when we started searching for a script, we wanted something from Punjab, rooted in Punjab. Karan Guliani (director Sarvann) approached us with a story...rest, everything eventually fell into place. Like a thorough professional, Dr Chopra did not take things on face value, she researched about the actor who the director had suggested. . I read up on Amrinder Gill, I saw Angrej, later Bambukat and I realised that Amrinder looks very convincing in reel and real life. This compliment does bring a smile on the actors face. Amrinder plays the lead role in Sarvann. He has a negative shade as well. With everyone waiting for Priyanka Chopras Punjabi release, it could be a pressure situation for the actor? Not at all, I have learnt to deal with hits and flops. But Sarvann is a special film; it gave me a chance to do a role I havent attempted before, he says. There is another pretty woman in the house who hasnt attempted a role like the one she is playing in SarvannSimi Chahal. The actress doesnt want to hide her excitement. I am so glad that I was approached for this role, she adds looking at the director, Karan Guliani, who is happy with the way the film has panned out. Its Karans debut film as a director, but he is sure that they have made the right choices . With the entire team looking forward to the films release on January 13, Dr Chopra is troubled thinking about, whether the audience of Punjab will accept the subject of Sarvann. It is a well-made film, lets see how it works. British-Indian actor Dev Patel may have lost a chance to win at the Golden Globes, but the actor said he was proud to represent India on a global scale through his film Lion. The canvas (of the movie) is bursting with humanity, really. There is a sense of pride that I can go there and represent the country on an international scale, Patel said on the red carpet event when asked about his experience of shooting in India. The 26-year-old actor was accompanied by films young star Sunny Pawar, whom the interviewers mistakenly called Patels brother! Sunny plays the young Saroo Brierley, while Patel is in the grown-up version in the Garth Davis-directed movie about a man searching for his birth mother in India. PTI After having a gala time celebrating New Years Eve in India, Global icon Priyanka Chopra has her work mode on. The workoholic actress, who is in New York, has already begun shooting the second half of ABCs thriller series Quantico 2. PeeCee took to her Instagram account to give us a glimpse of her working snow day as she posted a picture of herself enjoying snowfall in between busy schedule. P Lal THE rasta roko agitation had been announced for April 4, 1983, by the political party in the Opposition then, as part of its dharma yudha morcha. The district administration had strict instructions from the government to foil the attempt of blockade of roads and to ensure that traffic kept moving. As DSP, Gurdaspur, I had to ensure that the orders were implemented in letter and spirit. Elaborate police arrangements had been put in place, including the deployment of force at strategic locations, reinforced by highway patrols. However, by 8 am, a huge crowd from towns and villages had occupied the road crossings and squatted there, blocking traffic in the entire district. While I was deliberating over the situation, news started trickling in on the wireless network that the protesters had blocked almost all roads in the state and there was hardly any movement of traffic anywhere. That gave me a sense of relief! It appeared that things had settled down that way for the day. Then, at about 2 pm, as I sat down for lunch, there was a buzz on the telephone. The DIG, on the other end, instructed me that the roads must be opened to traffic at all cost. He wanted compliance within half an hour. Also, force, including firing, could be resorted to, if required. Probably, he had orders from the higher-ups. Leaving lunch, I rushed to the Deputy Commissioners residence for seeking orders from him to the magistrates for the use of force. How many people would have to be killed to ensure that the roads are clear? he asked. I dont know, I replied, teargas and lathi-charge may prove effective. Look, he said, its already 2.30 pm, and by the time we swing into action, it would be an hour more. In any case, the agitators would leave by 4 pm. Even if we clear the roads in our district, and others do in theirs, by resorting to bloodshed, which fool would take out his vehicle in such a situation? I saw the point. But reminded him of the compliance report which had been demanded of me. Forget it, tell your telephone operator to say you are in the field. We are field officers and we have to take our decisions. We sat together, sipping cups of tea, till news started coming in even before 4 pm that the protesters had begun to leave. Within a short time, the roads were clear but there was hardly any traffic. And then came the news on the wireless network that there had been police firing in Amritsar, Kapurthala (Phagwara) and Sangrur districts, in which 21 persons had been killed. I was saved of the bloodshed due to the sagacity of the Deputy Commissioner, Gurdev Singh. Whenever I meet him even now, mostly in the Punjab Raj Bhawan on the occasions of Republic Day and Independence Day, we reminisce the happenings of that day. New Delhi, January 9 The Indian Government will petition for mercy for two Indian death row prisoners who were found guilty of murder in Qatar. Alagappa Subramaniam and Chelladurai Perumal two men from Tamil Nadu have been held guilty by Qatars highest court of having murdered a woman four years ago. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has asked for a report from the Indian envoy to the Arab nation. "We have to file mercy petition on behalf of their family members. Our Embassy has requested Govt of Tamil Nadu in this regard," Swaraj tweeted. The court recently turned down an appeal by the embassy against the sentence, but had commuted the death sentence given to the third suspect, Sivakumar Arasan, to a jail term for 15 years. A Congress MLA from Tamil Nadu, H Vasanthakumar, recently wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Swaraj for their intervention and warned of an indefinite protest at Qatars embassy in Delhi and its consulate in Mumbai. Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa had sanctioned Rs 9.5 lakh last year to cover the expenses of an appeal against the sentence in Qatars Supreme Court. PTI Hundreds of flights from Istanbul airports and city ferry lines have been canceled and delayed due to heavy snowfall in what Istanbul Mayor Kadir Topbas described as the heaviest snow in seven years. Turkish Airlines announced the cancelation of 227 scheduled domestic and international flights from its hub Ataturk Airport and Sabiha Gokcen Airport on the Asian side and low-cost carrier Pegasus Airlines canceled a total of 74 domestic and international flights on January 9. Turkish Airlines had already canceled more than 600 domestic and international flights from Istanbul and Pegasus Airlines had canceled 228 flights over the past three days. Istanbuls Bosphorus strait and the Dardanelles strait further south are closing and then opening frequently to transit shipping as the visibility lessens and improves. About 6,000 of Turkish Airlines passengers were transferred to hotels on Friday evening due to the cancellations and 20,000 meals were distributed to those stranded at the airport. Meteorological officials said they expected snowfall to continue sporadically through Jan. 11, especially in the afternoon hours to the night, creating an additional snow sheet of five centimeters on the southern shores and around 15 centimeters in the central and northern areas. Source: Hurriyet, AA Kolkata/New Delhi, January 9 Flaying the Centre over demonetisation, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress on Monday launched a three-day countrywide protest demanding removal of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to "save the country". Terming as "flop show" Modi's November 8 decision of invalidating old banknotes Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 notes, the Trinamool chief, West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee, said the party would hold demonstrations in Odisha, Punjab, Bihar, Manipur, Tripura, Assam and Jharkhand, besides West Bengal and the national capital. "Trinamool Congress is organising nationwide protest against Modi Babu's shameless flop-show," Banerjee said in Kolkata. Banerjee, who has been demanding a rollback of demonetisation, also called for removal of restrictions on the withdrawal of cash from banks and ATMs. Holding placards that read Modi Hatao Desh Bachao" (remove Modi, save the country), some 35 Trinamool MPs demonstrated in the national capital calling for setting up of a "National Government' at the Centre. "Even after two months of the draconian decision, countless people across the country continue to suffer, while over a 100 people have lost their lives. "Modi's removal is necessary to save the country. A National Government should be formed at the Centre," Trinamool MP Sultan Ahmed said. Banerjee on January 6 called for President Pranab Mukherjee's intervention to "save the country" and mooted a National Government headed by BJP veteran LK Advani or Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley or Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. IANS Yash Goyal Jaipur, January 9 A local court in Jodhpur on Monday fixed January 18 for pronouncing the verdict in the Arms Act case against Salman Khan and asked the actor to be present on that date. Chief Judicial Magistrate Dalpat Singh Rajpurohit fixed the date after the final arguments from both the sides were completed today. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) A case was registered against Khan under the Arms Act in October 1988 for alleged use and possession of arms without a valid license during alleged poaching of blackbucks, a protected animal under the Wildlife Protection Act, at village Kankani near Jodhpur. The case was filed by the Jodhpur Forest Department. Final arguments of the case had started on December 9 last year. If convicted, Khan could face imprisonment for seven years. Nabha, January 9 The family of 23-year-old Sarabjit Singh, who was murdered allegedly by a group of Indians at Dherynia village in Cyprus last week, has approached the Patiala MP and Union Minister for External Affairs seeking help in bringing the body to his native Pahardpur village here. Sarabjit and his three roommates were attacked by another group of Indian students on January 4 night. Sarabjit succumbed to his injuries and one of his roommates was reported to be in a coma. The victims family has got in touch with the Patiala MP and written to the Union Minister, seeking their help. TNS Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 9 Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday released the Congress manifesto for Punjab and hailed state unit chief Amarinder Singh as someone whose leadership a financially-strained Punjab needed. Blaming 10 years of Akali-BJP rule for the current economic mess in Punjab, Singh described the state manifesto of Congress as a forward-looking, visionary document that will help put the state back on track. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) Releasing the manifesto in the presence of Amarinder Singh, Ambika Soni and AICC Punjab in charge Asha Kumari here, the former prime minister said: Punjab is a state with potential, but this potential was not utilised in the last 10 years. The people of Punjab need a better tomorrow in terms of agriculture and manufacturing. Captain sahabs leadership is badly needed by the state. I sincerely believe that under the leadership of Capt Amrinder Singh, we will undo the damage done to Punjab in 10 years. People of the state will have higher per capita income and better infrastructure and agriculture growth. Former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh gave details of the manifesto, which promises to hit at drug cartelswithin four weeks of government installation, ending VIP culture, one job per family, waiver of Rs 67,000 crore farm loans, houses to the homeless and free education for weaker section girls from KG to PhD. Read: Cong manifesto sacred promise to people, vision document: Manpreet We took six months to prepare the manifesto. We have gone through villages and reached out to the people. In Punjab we have Rs 5 crore deficit in budget. To tide over all this we have come with programmes for people from every walk of life. Rural debts are Rs 67 000 crore.We will negotiate with the banks so farmers dont have to pay, Amarinder Singh said. He referred to Congress Ghar Ghar main Naukri plan to target 90 lakh new voters this time in the age group 18-35 years. The Congress has also promised Rs 2,500 stipend to unemployed youth registered in the state till they get jobs. We will stop drugs in four weeks time, create an industrial pool, offer 33 pc reservation for women in government and contractual jobs, Amarinder Singh said adding that he will keep all the promises. He also mentioned the creation of Guardians of Governance department in the CMO and ex-servicemen will be overseeing progress of schemes for veterans. Among other sops Congress offered to end 10 year exile in Punjab is free smart phones for students. Manmohan on demonetisation Demonetisation will have an impact on the elections of Punjab. I said in Parliament that it would adversely affect GDP growth. New data shows GDP down from 7.6 per cent to 7.1 per cent. Demonetisation will deeply harm GDP growth, the former prime minister said. Highlights: No travel for CM in state helicopter No state banquet to anyone, except foreign dignitaries One job for every household Total elimination of political interference in police functioning Commission of inquiry to find false cases registered against political activist during last 10 years Police and political nexuses would be broken Free insurance for police Third-party audit of expenditure in last three years Teachers for teaching only, no other duty Free textbooks to all students, books would be available online also 200 scholarships for bright students to study abroad under the Partap Kairon scholarship scheme Electricity tariff for industry pegged at Rs 5 for five years Freight subsidy for industrial products No advance tax, no imprisonment for traders in tax cases 33 per cent reservation in all housing schemes 50 per cent jobs to Punjab residents in industry Old-age pension Rs 1,500 per month Public sector thermal plants will be run at optimum level, re-negotiation with private thermal plants on electricity rates New ministry for retired defence personnel Free education for girls from Class 1 till PhD Special security scheme for media State kitchen to provide meal at Rs 5 per head Ending VIP culture: Abolishing red beacon lights except on emergency vehicles, 90% cut in security personnel for politicians and officials, 2-year ban on foreign travel except where mandatory, medical insurance to reduce financial burden on government. Punjab river water for people of the state only: No new canal construction, including SYL, to be allowed. Zero tolerance for drug business Employment generation: Shaheed Bhagat Singh Employment Generation scheme for youth, unemployment allowance of Rs 2,500 per month till job provided to those registered with the bureaus. Agriculture & Allied Occupations:Farm loan waiver, free power to farmers, increase in crop compensation, crop insurance. Simran Sodhi Tribune News Service New Delhi, January 9 Canadas Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Amarjeet Sohi who is currently in India heading a business delegation to the Vibrant Gujarat Summit, spoke to The Tribune in an interview on Monday. Sohi, who was born in Sangrur, said the upcoming election in the state is being keenly observed by the Indian community in Canada as it is interested in the well being of the country they left behind. He added that there was a strong tradition in watching what goes on back home. Sohi is one of the four Sikhs who have been inducted into the Canadian Cabinet by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. In 1988, Sohi was detained in Gaya, Bihar, under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA). He spent a total of 21 months in jail before being released after pressure from Amnesty International and the Canadian Intelligence Services who vouched that he posed no threat. Today, Sohi is reluctant to delve too much into the past but after an affirmation of his love for India, he said, I love India. I was born in this country. What happened then was a reflection of wide spread violation of human rights at that time and every society evolves and every society learns from the past. All societies continue to evolve. Sohi is more comfortable talking about the present and when asked for his message to the youth of this country, especially Punjab who look up to him as a role model, he said, I am so proud to be part of the Canadian community. When I left India and moved to Canada, I was welcomed by a very diverse population which allowed me to be who I am. He emphasised Canadas commitment to pluralism and added that it was that made Canada strong. Sohi admits to encountering racism and discrimination when he first moved to Canada but his advice and message is a positive one. We have strong human rights legislation in place. Our commitment to a charter of rights and freedom gives protection to individuals who do face discrimination. There is a pathway available for them to seek justice. But Canadian society has also evolved, we are a very diverse community now, we have people from all over the world. That has helped to lessen racism and discrimination in Canada. The minister who will be meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the coming days looks at the bilateral relationship as a one of strength and said, As Indo-Canadians we can offer shared values of democracy, of human rights and social justice and by working together we can facilitate trade and investment. The ministers pitch at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit is for Canadian companies to invest in India and for Indian companies to invest in Canada. Sohi doesnt give out the dates when the Canadian Prime Minister is scheduled to visit India but emphasised that the two leaders have already met and that Prime Minister Trudeau was eager to visit. Sohi spent a few days in Punjab meeting his family, his extended family still lives here as does his sister. The minister has pursued theatre from his youth and even now he has managed to keep his interest alive. The way I see it, the role of politics is to advance your society, to make your society a better place and I see theatre the same way. He pointed out that many issues like poverty, violence and gender discrimination could de discussed through the medium of theatre. It has a lot of potential to increase peoples engagements with each other. Jupinderjit Singh & Praful Chander Nagpal Tribune News Service Chandigarh, January 8 Four Akali supporters were injured and a police Gypsy damaged when the cavalcade of Punjab Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal was stoned near Kandhwala Hazir Khan village in his constituency, Jalalabad, late this evening. Sukhbir escaped unhurt. The official vehicle of SP (Special Branch), Amarjit Singh Motwani, was damaged. A case has been registered against 20 persons. The incident has raised security concerns ahead of the February 4 Assembly elections. Home Secretary KBS Sidhu, while seeking a report on the incident, warned: No one will be allowed to create a law and order problem during the election process. (Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd) In the past few days, at least three Akali leaders Rajya Sabha member Balwinder Singh Bhunder, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Sikander Maluka and MLA Ravinder Singh Brahmpura have faced hostile crowds. Before the poll code came into force, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwals cavalcade too was attacked. Ketan Baliram Patil, SSP, Fazilka, said just as Sukhbir finished addressing a rally in the village, some persons sought a meeting with him. Owing to paucity of time, he could not meet all of them. Some of them started throwing stones at the cavalcade, but we took charge of the situation. Charan Singh, chairman of the local market committee, claimed a group of disgruntled youths wanted to meet the Deputy CM. I took along a few of them. It seems that was not enough. As soon as the Deputy CM left, the youths picked up stones being used to lay a road and flung these at the cavalcade. Blaming AAP, he claimed Bhagwant Mann had been provoking voters to target the Akalis. Sukhjinder Singh, chairman, Arniawala Block Samiti, named a few local AAP workers. Among the injured was former sarpanch of Mammukhera village Parminder Singh. IN the current issue of the Wealth of India (Madras) Professor B. Mukherjee, M.A., F.R.E.S., discusses the suitability of the tariff to India, if it is also intended to be a source of revenue. The question of tariff is one of extreme difficulty everywhere, and has perplexed statesmen in countries which are wealthier and more resourceful than India. There is not, therefore, even the shadow of a doubt that in India its consideration requires that utmost care, and the advantages expected from the tariff should not in the end prove illusory or even unsubstantial as compared with the extent of hardship likely to be caused to consumers. Professor Mukherjee argues on the assumption that tariff systems begin with the all important need of revenue. Jotirmay Thapliyal Tribune News Service Dehradun, January 9 Doiwala was one of the biggest Assembly constituencies of the state when the maiden Assembly elections took place in 2002. It has, since then, undergone a sea change in the past one decade. After the latest delimitation that followed the 2012 Assembly elections, some areas of this constituency have now become part of Rajpur and Raipur Assembly seats. The region has witnessed speedy development as a an expanding Dehradun is enveloping Doiwala and surrounding regions. The Doiwala constituency has 1.15 lakh voters. The Congress has sitting MLA from this seat with the partys stalwart Hira Singh Bisht winning the bypoll in 2014, defeating BJPs Trivendra Singh Rawat by a staggering margin of 6,512 votes. It was a big victory for the Congress as it came after the Lok Sabha 2014 debacle for the party. Earlier in 2012, th eBJPs Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank (former Chief Minister) defeated Bisht by a margin of 1,272 votes. Nishank polled 23,448 votes while Bisht got 22,176 votes. But, with Nishank subsequently winning the Haridwar Lok Sabha seat in 2014 parliamentary elections, a bypoll was necessitated, thus giving Bisht a chance to bag a win. In the maiden Assembly poll in 2002, BJPs Trivendra Singh Rawat defeated Virendra Mohan Uniyal by margin of more than 1,500 votes. Trivendra Singh Rawat retained the position in 2007 against the same rival. But in 2012 after delimitation, he did not contest from Dowiala seat and shifted to Raipur and lost. Doiwala certainly has a history of interesting elections wherein rebels from the Congress as well as the BJP have played spoilsport time and again. BJP leader Umesh Sharma, the then Congress rebel contested from Doiwala as independent in 2002 and 2007 Assembly elections, causing much damage to Congress candidate Virendra Mohan Uniyal. Similarly, young Congress leader SP Singh was instrumental in the defeat of Hira Singh Bisht in 2012 as he managed to bag nearly 10,000 votes. It was only after the Congress high command in the state managed to persuade SP Singh not to contest as independent in the Doiwala bypoll in 2014, Hira Singh Bisht managed to win this seat. SP Singh has even now made his intentions clear of contesting 2017 Assembly election form Doiwala. For the Congress, allocation of ticket for the Doiwala Assembly seat for 2017 poll will not be an easy task. Sitting MLA Hira Singh Bisht and SP Singh are hopeful of ticket. There are unconfirmed reports that Hira Singh Bisht may contest from Raipur from where sitting Congress MLA Umesh Sharma Kau defected to the BJP some time back. Similar situation is there before the BJP. Though former minister Trivendra Singh Rawat, who is considered close to BJP national president Amit Shah, is expected to get the ticket again, local leaders like Jitendra Singh Negi and Digambar Singh are also vying for ticket. Sources say they can go to any extent to contest the elections. Bisht says, Despite getting a short tenure after my election in the 2014 bypoll, I succeeded in strengthening the road network in the Doiwala Assembly segment. Several potable water schemes have been brought here recently. Political analyst Jay Singh Rawat, however, asserts that the outcome of the Doiwala Assembly will certain depend as to who gets the ticket from which side. It is too early to comment until the ticket allocation by the BJP and the Congress is finalised. But one thing is certain that sabotage can take place in this constituency as there are a number of aspirants from both sides, he adds. The Doiwala Assembly constituency has a major population of Garhwalis with a considerable number of Muslims. Some villages are dominated by the Sikh community. Jerusalem, January 8 A Palestinian rammed his truck into a group of Israeli soldiers on a popular promenade in Jerusalem on Sunday, killing four of them in an attack which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said had likely been inspired by Islamic State. It was the deadliest Palestinian attack in Jerusalem in months and targeted officer cadets as they disembarked from a bus that brought them to the Armon Hanatziv promenade which has a panoramic view of the walled Old City. The military said an officer and three officer cadets were killed and that 17 others were injured. The police said three of the dead were women. Police identified the truck driver as a Palestinian from Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem and said he was shot dead. His uncle, Abu Ali, named him as Fadi Ahmad Hamdan Qunbor, 28, a father of four from the Jabel Mukabar neighbourhood. The Israeli military regularly takes soldiers on educational tours of Jerusalem, including the Armon Hanatziv vantage point. Netanyahu visited the scene and said he convened a forum of senior ministers to discuss Israel's response. "We know the identity of the attacker. According to all the signs he is a supporter of Islamic State," the prime minister said. Roni Alsheich, the national police chief, said he could not rule out that the driver had been motivated by a truck ramming attack in a Berlin Christmas market that killed 12 persons last month. It is difficult to get into the head of every individual to determine what prompted him, but there is no doubt that these things do have an effect, Alsheich said. Actions inspired by Islamic State in Israel, the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem have been rare and only a few dozen Arab Israelis and Palestinians are known to have declared their sympathy with the group. Reuters Tehran, January 8 Former Iranian President Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, a wily political survivor and multimillionaire mogul who remained among the ruling elite despite moderate views, died today, state TV reported. He was 82. Iranian media reported earlier today that he was taken to a hospital north of Tehran because of a heart condition. State television broke into programming to announce his death. Rafsanjani's mix of sly wit and reputation for cunning moves both in politics and business earned him a host of nicknames such as Akbar Shah, or Great King, during a life that touched every major event in Iranian affairs since before the 1979 Islamic Revolution. His presence whether directly or through back channels was felt in many forms. He was a steady leader in Irans turbulent years after overthrowing the US-backed shah, a veteran warrior in the country's internal political battles and a covert go-between in intrigue such as the Iran-Contra arms deals in the 1980s. He also was handed an unexpected political resurgence in his later years. The surprise presidential election in 2013 of Rafsanjanis political soul mate, Hassan Rouhani, gave the ex-President an insider role in reform-minded efforts that included Rouhanis push for direct nuclear talks with the US. Rouhani's victory was also another example of Rafsanjanis remarkable political luck. Rafsanjani was blocked from the ballot by poll overseers presumably worried about boosting his influence. But, in the end, many liberals turned to Rouhani as an indirect vote for Rafsanjani. It came after years of dwindling influence. Another presidential comeback bid was snuffed out by Mahmoud Ahmadinejads victory in 2005 polls, which left Rafsanjani and his clan as critics of Ahmadinejad. AP A roundup of legislative and Capitol news items of interest for Monday, Jan. 9, 2017: HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Gov. Terry Branstad has proclaimed January Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention month. He highlighted the work of the Network Against Human Trafficking www.iowanaht.org/ for the past 10 years. He also noted he signed bipartisan legislation to create the Office to Combat Human Trafficking in the Iowa Department of Public Safety. The office was the result of repeated legislative actions to create stronger enforcement laws that punish human trafficking. "When the network began 10 years ago, human trafficking was not recognized as a problem in Iowa. Thankfully, that has now changed and the response by Iowa communities and government agencies has greatly increased," said George Belitsos, chairman of the Network Against Human Trafficking board. He thanked the governor and his wife, Chris Branstad, and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds for their work to "put a spotlight on this horrible crime" and encouraged Iowans to learn more about trafficking, become aware that it is happening and to report suspicious activity. If you see something, say something." SENATE BILLS FILED: The GOP-run Iowa Senate is off and running with nine bills already filed for consideration this session. All 29 Republicans signed on to sponsor Senate File 1, which seeks to require job impact statements for state administrative rules, and Senate File 2 -- a bill to establish a state family planning services program. Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, filed his bill to ban and remove traffic cameras as enforcement tools (SF 3), while Democrats Matt McCoy of Des Moines offered a bill giving adoptive parents employment assistance (SF 4) and Herman Quirmbach of Ames introduced five bills that included a proposal to raise the legal age for possessing tobacco products to 21. NEW PENITENTIARY WARDEN: Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he has confidence Patti Wachtendorf will do a good job as the first female warden at the Iowa State Penitentiary in Fort Madison. "I think she's very well-qualified to be the warden at our maximum-security prison," Branstad told reporters at his weekly news conference on Monday. "I wish her the very best." Jerry Bartruff, director of the state Department of Corrections, appointed Wachtendorf to replace Nick Ludwick who is retiring as ISP warden. Wachtendorf currently is the warden of the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women in Mitchellville, a position she has held since 2009. Sheryl Dahm, currently the warden of the Clarinda Correctional Facility, was appointed warden of the women's prison. Wachtendorf began her career with the Department of Corrections in 1983 at the penitentiary in Fort Madison as a correctional officer, investigator, counselor and treatment services director. Houston/Beijing, January 9 Texas Senator Ted Cruz and Governor Greg Abbott have met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen in Houston to discuss ties and furthering economic cooperation between our two nations, infuriating Beijing which warned against undermining China-US relations by such actions. This is the second time Republicans are angering China within a month. Chinese officials had voiced their strong objection to Donald Trump speaking to Taiwans President Tsai Ing-wen in early December, which Beijing said breached diplomatic protocol. Cruz and Abbott, both senior leaders from US President-elect Donald Trumps Republican Party, met Tsai, despite prior warning by China against any US leaders or officials meeting the Taiwanese leader, who was passing through Houston on her way to Central America. Beijing considers Taiwan to be a breakaway province to be brought back within its fold, by force if necessary. China is opposed to any official contact between foreign governments with the leaders of the self-governing island. Cruz said during his meeting with Tsai, they discussed our mutual opportunity to upgrade the stature of our bilateral relations in a talk that addressed arms sales, diplomatic exchanges and economic relations. Furthering economic cooperation between our two nations must be a priority; increased access to Taiwanese markets will benefit Texas farmers, ranchers and small business owners alike, Cruz, who had lost to Trump in the Republican primary elections, said in a statement. The US-Taiwan relationship is not on the negotiating table. It is bound in statute and founded on common interests. I look forward to working with President Tsai to strengthen our partnership, he added. A separate statement from Abbott said he and Tsai discussed energy, trade relations and commercial ties between Taiwan and Texas. He said they talked about how our two economies can expand upon our already prosperous trade partnership. Senator Cruz said shortly before his meeting with Tsai, the Houston congressional delegation had received a curious letter from the Chinese Consulate asking members of Congress not to meet with Tsai and to uphold the one-China policy. This is the second time Republicans are angering China within a month. Chinese officials had voiced their strong objection to Trump speaking to Tsai in early December, which Beijing said breached diplomatic protocol. Trump had rattled China when he questioned a US policy that since 1979 has recognised Beijing as Chinas government and maintains only unofficial ties with Taiwan. Meanwhile, in Beijing, China today reaffirmed its opposition to any contacts between US officials and Taiwans government. Reuters "The Peoples Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves. The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." Ted Cruz, Republican senator "Such contacts threaten to disturb and undermine relations between Washington and Beijing and Washington must abides by the One-China policy and prudently handle Taiwan-related issues." Lu Kang, Foreign Ministry spokesman Container ship at the Port of Long Beach. Photo: Jim Park Did you know a trucking entrepreneur invented the modern shipping container? A dockworker from the 1950s would not recognize a modern cargo port, where huge gantries move steel boxes full of cargo from all over the world between ships, trains, and trucks. As part of a series on powerful dockworkers' unions -- because containers would mean fewer jobs (although it also would make loading ships safer; In a large port, someone would be killed every few weeks.) When I recently interviewed Andrew McAfee, an MIT scientist who studies how technological progress changes business, the economy, and society, about the future of autonomous trucks, he pointed to the automation at ports as an example of how the march of technology continues to mean the loss of jobs in some areas and the gain of jobs in others. Other obstacles? Trucking companies, shipping companies, and ports couldn't agree on a standard size. And separate sets of U.S. regulations kept tight control on how much shipping and trucking companies could charge. "The man who navigated this maze of hazards, and who can fairly be described as the inventor of the modern shipping container system, was called Malcom McLean," notes the BBC article. A trucking entrepreneur, "He knew plenty about trucks, plenty about playing the system, and all there was to know about saving money.... As Marc Levinson explains in his book, The Box, McLean not only saw the potential of a shipping container that would fit neatly onto a flat bed truck, he also had the skills and the risk-taking attitude needed to make it happen." In the 1950s, McLean exploited a regulatory loophole to gain control of both a trucking company and a shipping company, and when dockers went on strike, he retrofit old ships to new container specifications. As the World Shipping Council reports, "On 26 April 1956, Malcom McLean's converted World War II tanker, the Ideal X, made its maiden voyage from Port Newark to Houston in the USA. It had a reinforced deck carrying 58 metal container boxes as well as 15,000 tons of bulk petroleum. By the time the container ship docked at the Port of Houston six days later, the company was already taking orders to ship goods back to Port Newark in containers. McLean's enterprise later became known as Sea-Land Services, a company whose ships carried cargo-laden truck trailers between Northern and Southern ports in the USA." But the real breakthrough came in the last 1960s, says the BBC, when McLean convinced the U.S. military that container shipping was a far faster way to get equipment to Vietnam. The "backhaul?" Goods from Japan. Trans-Pacific trade began in earnest. One transformation McLean couldn't navigate, however, was deregulation in the early 1980s. As reported in HDT's 1998 book "100 Years of Trucking," McLean's eponymous North Carolina-based trucking company was one of the first to fold in the new highly competitive era. However, Sea-Land Services was eventually split into three entitities, according to Wikipedia, and the international container shipping business today is part of the Maersk Group. DES MOINES In 1999, Iowans thought they heard Gov. Terry Branstads final Condition of the State address. Now, 18 years later, as the longest-serving governor in U.S. history, it appears Tuesdays address to a joint convention of the 87th Iowa General Assembly will mark his farewell message as the states chief executive with expectations he will become U.S. ambassador to China in the coming months. Branstad, 70, who served as governor from 1983-99 and again from 2011 to the present, said he expects to deliver a speech that both looks forward and backward as he charts the opportunities facing the state and remembers past challenges like the farm crisis of the 1980s. The theme of my speech is going to be smaller, smarter government, Branstad said in a recent interview. He readily says the idea is not original because it has been a long-term favorite of Rep. Walt Rogers, R-Cedar Falls, who has beat the drum repeatedly for government doing less but better. Rogers said he gladly shared the phrase for the governors speech, saying Its been my mantra and desire since I got down here, so if we can get everyone moving that way I think it would be great. The governor said his speech will be well-rehearsed and a little sentimental, along with highlighting communities -- Bloomfield being one -- that have battled back from adversity to achieve productive results with hard work and thoughtful action. Branstad said he is preparing for the session that opened Monday with anticipation 2017 could be a historic year with Republicans joining him at the helm of state government with control of both legislative houses for the first time in two decades. Im very excited. Im very optimistic, the governor said. We have some tough decisions to make right up front. The first order of business has got to be to do some de-appropriations of fiscal 2017 to bring the budget back into balance. Trimming roughly $100 million in spending through June 30 will require reductions of up to 4 percent for some budget areas, he said Monday. But he has placed K-12 schools, local government tax credits and Medicaid funding off limits and prefers employee layoffs over furloughs in making long-term changes to government. He also plans to offer a full two-year budget for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 that includes up to 2 percent more funding for K-12 schools. Disposal well operators in 2016 put about 23 percent less saltwater into Oklahomas deepest geologic formation within the earthquake zone compared to a year ago, according to year-end data from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission. Those volumes are likely to continue the two-year downward trend in 2017. State regulators are developing a new directive with further wastewater restrictions in light of the states latest magnitude-5.0 quake, which struck near Cushing in early November and caused significant damage. We expect to announce it before the end of the month, said Matt Skinner, OCC spokesman. (Oklahoma Geological Survey) is working on gathering the latest data we need to firm up everything. Skinner said the 2016 volume data is mostly complete, with only a few companies lagging behind on reporting their latest data. The frequency of earthquakes also remains on the decline. There were 623 quakes of 3.0 or greater in 2016, a 31 percent reduction from 2015s record of 903, according to OGS data. The root cause of Oklahomas man-made seismicity is pressure generated by vast volumes of saltwater from oil and natural gas production injected into the Arbuckle formation. The earthquake zone is a 15,000-square-mile area of interest in central and northwestern Oklahoma in which the vast majority of the states quakes occur. The industrys peak annual injection volumes happened in 2014, followed by 2015s record number of quakes. A December 2015 study by Kyle Murray, an OGS hydrologist, identified a 181 percent rise in saltwater injected into the Arbuckle from 2009 through 2014. Scientific studies find that there is a several month lag between saltwater volume cutbacks and drops in the number of quakes. Murrays study isnt an apples-to-apples comparison to the OCCs figures in 2015 and 2016, which are cited above, because his study looked at volumes statewide, not just in the earthquake area of interest. Two OCC directives in the spring helped drive down wastewater volumes by more than a million barrels a day under the 2014 record output, or about 40 percent. The two were the latest in a series of actions that evolved from local restrictions to widespread regulations. The magnitude-5.8 quake that struck near Pawnee in early September Oklahomas record prompted more volume cutbacks in that area for 35 wells. Another 32 were to cease operating indefinitely. The Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates wells only in Osage County, also imposed similar restrictions on disposal wells closest to Pawnees epicenter. OKLAHOMA CITY Lawmakers have filed a variety of bills for the upcoming session on topics ranging from the carrying of firearms to the removal of vaccination exemptions. Lawmakers return to the Capitol on Feb. 6. Sen. Ervin Yen, R-Oklahoma City, has a filed a bill to remove two of the three exemptions to mandatory vaccinations. His measure, Senate Bill 83, would allow a child to be exempt from vaccinations only if a doctor says the physical condition of the child is such that immunization would endanger the life or health of the child. The measure is expected to face an uphill battle. This will be an annual bill, I promise, until we pass it, said Yen, a medical doctor. This is a no-brainer to me, but apparently not to my Senate colleagues. Critics say the decision should be left to the parents, some of whom fear vaccinations can lead to other illnesses. The state currently has exemptions for personal or religious reasons. Lawmakers also have filed a number of measures dealing with firearms. Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, has filed Senate Bill 66, which would allow those with a valid handgun license to carry a weapon in the Capitol. Dahm is also the author of Senate Bill 65, which would prohibit a public officer or their employees from using public money to advocate for or promote gun control. Dahm could not be reached for comment. Sen. Paul Scott, R-Duncan, has filed Senate Bill 79, which would prohibit those who are not in the country legally from possessing a firearm. Sen. Josh Brecheen, R-Coalgate, is the author of Senate Bill 6 that would allow certain officials to carry a firearm anywhere in the state if they have certain training. It would apply to: governor; lieutenant governor; state auditor and inspector; secretary of state; attorney general; treasurer; superintendent of public instruction; labor commissioner; corporation commissioners; U.S. House and Senate members; and U.S. attorneys and U.S. assistant attorneys. Sen. Rob Standridge, R-Norman, is the author of Senate Bill 31 that would prevent former state employees from becoming a lobbyist or getting paid for lobbying for at least two years after the end of their public service. Standridge said he may modify the measure to apply to those who had influence over contracts or were involved in funding issues. Standridge said he didnt think it was appropriate for state employees who were intricately involved in funding or contact with the private sector to leave state employment and go work for those entities. Meanwhile, Sen. Ron Sharp, R-Shawnee, has a bill that would let individuals send and receive text messages while driving if it is done over a hands-free device. The measure is Senate Bill 44. The measure also would ban the use of a cellular device while the car is in motion, but allow for the use of hands-free devices. You just cant have it in your hand while the car is in motion, Sharp said. Sharp said the measure is needed to bolster a recent state law that banned texting while driving. Sen. Wayne Shaw, R-Grove, is the author of Senate Bill 73, which would call for the revocation of a persons drivers license if they are driving a boat while intoxicated. If someone owns a $50,000 boat, a $1,000 fine is probably not a big deal, Shaw said. Twitter: @bhoberock A Princes Town homeowner says he believes a water leak is to blame for a landslip affecting their home. He tells our reporter Cindy Raghubar-Teekersingh that his investigations reveal that it' a WASA leak, and although he's made numerous reports to the authority, they continue to ignore his complaints. DES MOINES The most important numbers representing Iowas 87th General Assembly, which meets Monday for the first time, are 29 and 59. Those are the numbers of Republicans in the 50-member Iowa Senate and the 100-member Iowa House, representing majorities on both sides of the Capitol. Add a Republican governor and the GOP has the potential to be a Grand Old Party, indeed. But there are many other numbers that give us a glimpse into the makeup of the Iowa Legislature and its 149 members. (For now. A 150th will be added with a special election to fill a vacant House seat in Davenport.) Take 14, for example: There are 14 first-time members of both the Senate and House who will be sworn in this week (to likely increase to 15 after the special election). Here are more numbers that describe the makeup of Iowas 87th General Assembly: 1 The number of independent members. Sen. David Johnson of Ocheyedan withdrew from the Republican Party in protest of then-presidential candidate and now President-elect Donald Trump. Johnson was in the middle of his fourth four-year term and not on the ballot for re-election in November. 23 The age, as of the 2017 sessions first day, of the Legislatures youngest member, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, a Republican from Orange City. The youngest Senate member is 32-year-old Jake Chapman of Adel. 87 The age, as of the 2017 sessions first day, of the Legislatures oldest member, Rep. Clel Baudler, a Republican from Greenfield. The oldest Senate member is 83-year-old Wally Horn of Cedar Rapids. 54, 56 The respective average age of members of the Iowa Senate and House. 46 The number of grandparents in the Iowa Legislature, roughly a third of all members. 6 The number of women in the Iowa Senate, five of whom are Democrats. Sen. Amy Sinclair of Allerton is the only Republican woman in the Senate. The group 50-50 in 2020, which is working to have equal gender representation in the Iowa Legislature by 2020, has a lot of work to do in the next two elections: Including the House, women make up just 22 percent of the Legislature. 0 Minority members in the Senate. There are just five minority members in the House, meaning that although minorities comprise 13 percent of Iowas population, according to Census figures, they account for just 3 percent of its law-making body. All five minority members of the Legislature are black, and all are Democrats. 29 The number of farmers in the Legislature. The most-represented professional background is business/professional, with 66 members, or 44 percent. In both chambers, the top four professions are business/professional, farmer, retired and educator. 126 The number of members with a college degree. Thats 84 percent of all members. And 49 have advanced degrees. 26 The number of members who were not born in Iowa. The members born outside Iowas borders hail from 13 different states. Five were born in Minnesota and four each in Illinois and Missouri. Hi, my name is Scott C. Waring and I wrote a few books and am currently a ESL School Owner in Taiwan. I have had my own UFO sighting up close and personal, but that's how it works right? A non believer becomes a believer when they experience their first sighting. You witnessed it, your perceptual field changes, so now you need to share it. I created this site to help the UFO community get a little bit organized. I noticed that there was a lot of chaos when searching for UFO sighting reports, so I hope this site helps. I wanted to support those eyewitnesses who have tried to tell others about what they have seen, yet were laughed at by even closest of friends. More and more each day the governments of the world leak bits and pieces of UFO information to the public. They have a trickle down theory in hopes of slowly getting citizens use to the idea that we are not alone in universe and never have been. The truth is being leaked drop by drop until one day we look around and find ourselves neck high in it. The discovery of alien species in existence is the most monumental scientific event in human history, suppression of that information is a crime against humanity. About me: I live in Taiwan. I OWN MY OWN ENGLISH SCHOOL, AND ONCE HAD 5 SCHOOLS. Am Former USAF at SAC base (flight line). Age: 42 Educ: BA in Elem ed. Masters in Counseling ed. I had two UFO sightings, (30+bus size orbs) in military and in 2012 personally saw the UFO over Taipei 101 building on New Years Day (and recored it). Many Thanks to our Advertisers When choosing between competing products and services, please consider our advertisers, who help support Brand New. UNHCR Special Envoy Mohamed Abdi Affey (standing) listens to a Somali refugee in Dadaab, Kenya, who has opted to return home under a voluntary repatriation programme. UNHCR/Modesta Ndubi GENEVA Nearly one million Somalis in refugee camps in the Horn of Africa and the surrounding region face growing hopelessness as their displacement drags on for decades and donors become fatigued, a senior representative with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, has warned. There is a growing sense of hopelessness in the camps, because people are feeling forgotten, said Mohamed Abdi Affey, UNHCRs Special Envoy on the Somali refugee situation. The Somali refugee situation, now in its third decade, is among the most protracted in the world, with a third generation of refugees being born in exile. Nearly one million Somalis are displaced in the near region, and a further 1.1 million are displaced within Somalia itself. Affey was speaking in Geneva after going to Somalia and visiting refugee camps in Djibouti, Kenya, Ethiopia and Uganda, where 905,060 Somali refugees live in a drawn out exile, some since the 1990s. Last month, he visited Yemen, where he witnessed the increasingly desperate conditions facing refugees in the war-torn country. "Desperation is setting in and people are becoming angry. The Special Envoy said donor attention was drawn to other emergencies including Syria and South Sudan. Theres dwindling attention because of the fact that it is protracted. The world is focused elsewhere, forgetting a very critical population, he said. Meanwhile hunger is growing, meanwhile frustration is growing, meanwhile desperation is setting in and people are becoming angry. As the situation draws on for decades, Affey said that refugees in the camps faced challenges ranging from dwindling food rations as a drought builds in East Africa to limited access to education and skills training, particularly for the youth. Refugees should be skilled enough, trained to prepare them for an eventual return so that they can participate in the reconstruction of their country. So that they dont go back after 30 years, without skills, within the camps we must create these conditions and possibilities. After spending six years in Dadaab, Somali refugee Amal has decided to return to Somalia with her three-year-old twins Fawzan and Furad. UNHCR/Assadullah Nasrullah Since UNHCR started supporting voluntary return of Somali refugees in Kenya in 2014, a total of 39,316 have returned to their country. While acknowledging that security and socio-economic conditions in many parts of Somalia are not right for large-scale returns, Affey appealed to the international community to redouble efforts to bring stability to the country which has seen nearly two-and-a-half decades of armed conflict. There has been some real progress in Somalia over the past few months, including the successful organization of elections inside the country. Whats needed now is to build up infrastructures across the country so refugees do not suffer when they go back, said Affey, who previously served as the Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister in Kenya. Nobody wants to be a refugee for ever, To rally international support for Somali refugees, UNHCR is backing a regional summit which will be led by the Intergovernmental Authority on Development in Eastern Africa in March 2017. It aims to identify lasting solutions for Somali refugees. Nobody wants to be a refugee for ever, said Affey. A regional solution is the most viable solution for the Somali situation. A regional response will include providing continued protection to 262,000 Somali refugees in Dadaab refugee camp complex in north-east Kenya which has been hosting people fleeing violence in neighbouring Somalia for more than two decades. Following the Government of Kenyas decision in 2016 to close Dadaab Camp, UNHCR presented a plan of action at the meeting of the Tripartite Commission - comprising Kenya, Somalia and UNHCR - and an agreement was reached with the Kenyan government to delay the closure. UNHCR reiterated its continued commitment to supporting the Kenyan government in its protection of Somali refugees while exploring options for durable solutions to end the refugees protracted displacement, including voluntary repatriation to Somalia. SUMNER -- A Davenport man is dead and another person is injured after an apparent home invasion shooting in Sumner. The Bremer County Sheriff's Office on Sunday identified Steven Anthony, 46, of Davenport as the person killed in the incident late Friday. The name of the injured person, who was transported to Community Memorial Hospital in Sumner, was not being released. Sheriff's officials said they believed releasing the names of those present during the incident could jeopardize the investigation and pose a danger to the safety of those individuals. Deputies responded to reported shooting about 10:55 p.m. Friday at 1359 Whitetail Ave. "The preliminary indication is that the death appears to be the result of a home invasion," Sheriff Dan Pickett said in a news release. The Bremer County Sheriff's Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Safety and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Persons with any information related to the incident are asked to call the sheriff's office at 352-5400, option 3. CEDAR RAPIDS They admit they lost the election, but representatives of more than 30 progressive organizations made clear at the Statehouse on Monday that they arent going away. Instead, representatives of public employee unions, womens health care providers, LGBTQ rights and environmental groups had a message for the GOP majority in the Iowa Legislature: Progressives "are fighting back against the legislative attacks we know are coming," said Connie Ryan of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa. After the election in which Iowans gave Republicans control of the Iowa House and Senate and governors office for the first time since the 1997-98 session, progressives began to hear the conservative agenda loud and clear and what that shift would really mean for everyday Iowans, she said. Iowa conservatives have long been champing at the bit to take us backwards and destroy the civil rights of people who are LGBTQ, weaken public education, undermine worker rights, block access to reproductive health care for women, erase any commonsense gun laws that promote public safety, suppress the rights of voters who disagree with them and much more, Ryan said. The election both national and state -- has left many Americans alienated and fearing for their futures, said Erin Davison Rippey of Planned Parenthood of the Heartland. In Iowa, our state has shifted from a fair and balanced state government to one that is controlled by right-wing extremists eager to enact a dangerous agenda that threatens the health, safety and livelihood of so many Iowans, she said. Nathan Blake of the Latino rights group LULAC and the Asian & Latino Coalition called GOP-proposed voter ID legislation an all-out assault on the fundamental right to vote and a 21st Century poll tax. "The Defenders" is currently filming and a look into the cast, villain and teaser trailer reveal what fans can expect in the latest Marvel-Netflix offering. Moreover, Marvel fans are clamoring for Moon Knight's inclusion in the Defender's lineup or better yet, a standalone show in the Marvel TV Universe. "The Defenders" is slated for a release at the end of the year, following the six-month cycle of Marvel-Netflix shows. "Iron Fist" will debut on March, which puts "The Defenders" air date to the last quarter of 2017. Nonetheless, a rundown of what is known so far is listed below for fans eager to know more about the newest addition to the Marvel-Netflix TV universe. "The Defenders" Story "The Defenders" is all about four young heroes who must grapple with their own challenges and learn that they are stronger when fighting as a team. Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist will team up to save New York City from various threats, foremost of which is an impending apocalypse. "The Defenders" Cast Charlie Cox as Daredevil, Krysten Ritter as Jessica Jones, Mike Colter as Luke Cage and Finn Jones as Iron Fist will star in "The Defenders" along with other characters from their individual shows. The following supporting actors will reprise their roles in the latest Marvel-Netflix show, namely, Elden Hensen (Foggy Nelson), Simone Missick (Misty Knight), Elodie Yung (Elektra), Deborah Ann Woll (Karen Page) and Scott Glenn (Stick). "The Defenders" Confirmed Villain Executive producer and head of Marvel Television Jeph Loeb announced in last summer's San Diego Comic Con that Sigourney Weaver will play the newest villain for "The Defenders." This announcement met with great applause from the fans and Weaver herself expressed her elation to be part of the team, Den of Geek has learned. "The Defenders" Teaser Trailer Also in SDCC, "The Defenders" teaser trailer was previewed to show fans a glimpse of the four heroes working together. There is also the added bonus of a voiceover from fan-favorite, Stick, and aptly chosen Nirvana song to go with it. "The Defenders" Plus Moon Knight Marvel fans are speculating if Moon Knight can be introduced in "The Defenders" lineup after "Guardians of the Galaxy" director James Gunn tweeted a great idea for the character as being more at home in the small screen. Fans are hoping that Marvel will further expand the Marvel-Netflix TV Universe by having a standalone show featuring Moon Knight from the Marvel comics, Comicbook reported. Oprah Winfrey is no doubt one of the most powerful women in the world today in terms of influence and money. Decades ago, however, she was the opposite. In fact, her beginnings looked like she was bound to failure. But she refused to fold in and rose to become one of the most influential women of our time. Here are some of her practical tips how to reach your dreams. Be excellent Oprah Winfrey lives and breathes excellence even during the worst times of her life, even in the midst of prejudice. In fact, she said that excellence is the best weapon against sexism and racism. When everybody thought it was impossible for her to become a talk show host, she proved them all by becoming the number one daytime talk show in the United States. She did this by being excellent which is evident in every episode of her show. Turn negatives to positives She had a lot of misfortunes which could make another person cower in insecurity, even towards mental deterioration. She was a victim of rape, a recipient of racism and sexism, and extremely poor. She took responsibility for herself and turned all these negative things into something positive. Be grateful more often A lot of people do not think that gratefulness is an important element of success but Winfrey thinks otherwise. Most of all, she stresses to be thankful to those people who are under you, those regular people. Winfrey showed that gratefulness when she gave her staff and their families (a total of more than 1,000 people) a Hawaiian vacation. In turn, her employees are happy, loyal, and also excellent. Moreover, being grateful makes you much happier and according to research, happiness makes you feel more successful. Last Friday, Michelle Obama gave her final speech as First Lady of the United States of America and recognized this year's School Counsellor of the Year. The American School Counselor Association chose the School Counselor of the Year from school counsellors from all 50 states. This year's awardee, reported by Time, is Terri Tchorzynski, 37, from the Calhoun Area Career Center in Battle Creek, Michigan. The recognition is given to the school counsellor who exhibited leadership skills and have made contributions to student achievement by implementing creative and effective counseling programs. In 2015, the first lady began the annual tradition of recognizing school counsellors as part of her Reach Higher initiative, a move to encourage young people to pursue higher education after high school. Mrs. Obama promised to champion this cause even after they have left the White House. Ms. Tchorzynski, mother of 2 and a former high school English teacher has been a high school counsellor for 7 years. She recognizes the important role school counsellors have from her own experience and is in awe of the recognition she received. Terri said she just loves her job and does her best to do it well everyday. Jill Cook, assistant director of the American School Counselor Association said that Terri Tchorzynski have done great work in the Calhoun Area Career Center that helps high school students focus on their next steps in education considering their career preferences. Ms. Cook cited an example of Terri Tchorzynski's exemplary contribution to the lives of students with one of the emergency medical technician (EMT) graduated of the Calhoun Area Career Center who is now planning to pursue medicine after Terri arranged job-shadowing programs at one of the local hospitals. Assistant director Cook also noted the importance of destigmatizing technical education as an alternative to a 4-year college degree, noting it is equally important. Both President Obama and the first lady emphasized the value of technical education. According to the White House, Mrs. Obama will giver her speech in the East Room. Also speaking in the event are: Education Secretary John B. King Jr., former Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Friday Night Light's actress Connie Britton, 2016 School Counselor of the Year Katherine Pastor, and First-Generation Baltimore Founder Verlando Brown. Recently, Mitt Romney, a Republican and the former governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, said that Betsy DeVos is capable of being the next secretary of Education and leading the education system of the United States of America. Mitt Romney was excited that someone like Betsy Devos who has the capability, dedication and absence of financial bias is going to take a look at the state of the education system in American schools. He believes that she can make positive changes. The former Republican nominee for president said that Betsy DeVos will need a fresh set of eyes to look at the education establishment, instead of applying the same old techniques, as reported by The Salt Lake Tribune. He hopes that the defenders of the system will work with her. When President-elect Donald Trump tapped Betsy DeVos to serve as the next Department of Education secretary, back in November, there were a lot of questions raised regarding his choice. His nominee was deemed as a controversial decision by the education community, as reported by CNN. DeVos is a supporter of charter schools and school voucher programs. She is also known to have opposed Common Core. These are factors that teachers unions oppose but are praised by supporters of school choice. While there are those that opposed Donald Trump's choice, Mitt Romney stands by Trump's decision. Romney voiced support for her effort to challenge the status quo. Romney describes Betsy Devos as a highly successful entrepreneur and has the best interest of the nation's children. In 2016, DeVos initially donated to Jeb Bush and Carly Fiorina before supporting Marco Rubio. In March 2016, she called Donald Trump an interloper and said that he does not represent the Republican Party. In November, she was nominated by Trump to be the next United States Secretary of Education. DeVos felt honored to work with him and make America great again Check out this CNN video below of Trump choosing Nikki Haley and Betsy DeVos: Barred from studying in her state's public universities for her undocumented status, a student from Georgia went to Ivy League Universities instead - and was accepted. Nineteen-year-old Valentina Garcia Gonzalez, who was recently accepted into Dartmouth College this past fall, told the Business Insider that her journey to higher education wasn't that easy for her simply because she "didn't have a piece of paper" - referring to legal documents. Born in Uruguay, Garcia Gonzalez illegally entered the U.S. with her parents in 2002, back when she was only 6 years old. She then lived in her new home for the next 14 years, growing with friends and classmates, going to the same schools together, and even enjoying the same pop-culture references. Garcia Gonzalez did well in her studies at Berkmar High School in Lilburn, Georgia, being accepted into gifted classes and taking more than two dozen Advanced Placement (AP) courses. Yet despite her good performance, Georgia's best public universities won't let her in because of two policies placed against undocumented students: Policy 4.1.6 prohibits undocumented applicants from applying to Georgia's top five public universities, namely the University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia College and State University, Georgia Regents University, and Georgia Institute of Technology; and Policy 4.3.4 prohibits giving in-state tuition to undocumented students. Both policies were instituted by the Georgia Board of Regents in 2011. Garcia Gonzalez, who performed well in her studies, lost her confidence because of these barriers, asking if her being undocumented equates to being "less of a student" and being "unworthy of higher education." She lost hope in gaining acceptance at universities, and thought community college was her only option. Thankfully, she found help in the form of Freedom U, an organization that describes itself as a modern-day "freedom school" for undocumented students, giving them college-level classes, financial-aid assistance, and leadership development classes. Freedom U pushed Garcia Gonzalez into applying at selective schools. After applying at nine different universities, Garcia Gonzalez was accepted at Dartmouth College, and is considering studying neuroepidemiology. And despite the opposition she receives because of her undocumented status, she remains steady in her pursuit of college education, even considering running for student government. A student union from a university in London has urged the school to remove white philosophers from the curriculum. This is a call for diversity to represent the institution's focus on Asia and Africa. The Independent reported that students at the University of London's School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) made the demand as part of its "educational priorities" for this year. This was among the many suggestions to "address the structural and epistemological legacy of colonialism" in the school as part of their efforts to "decolonize" the group. Black British Academics founder Dr. Deborah Gabriel said that a "culturally democratic curriculum" should be taught at all universities, regardless of the students' ethnic background. She described the current teaching as being "eurocentric." However, she did explain that decolonizing should lead to not studying about white philosophers. She clarified that several scholars also engage in anti-racist teaching. In their official website, SOAS outlined several educational priorities that they propose for 2017. Aside from their "Decolonizing SOAS" campaign, the student union also wants to widen the scope of scholarships for refugees, with the campaign named "Education beyond Borders." Moreover, they are proposing for lectures to be recorded and made available online especially for disabled students. They also talked about the attainment gap and suggested ways to improve on the issue. They want to develop the infrastructure that is needed for a strategy to lessen the attainment gap. They also urge the University of London to acknowledge and address institutional racism. In addition, they want the school to create an inclusive learning and teaching environment. Another proposal is about providing more support for working class students so that they can still get higher education even if they can't afford one. The student union wants the school to engage in the local community to make sure that "knowledge production is more widely accessible." Lastly, they also address the improvement of treatment of mental health. They asked for other assessment alternatives and to create more peer support networks so that students can help each other. Physics students at U.K. school University of Leicester revealed in a study that a zombie apocalypse may result to the extinction of the human race. Moreover, the pandemic cause everyone to be undead in less than a year. According to Phys.org, the University of Leicester students presented their discovery in a series of short articles, entitled "Zombie infections: epidemiology, treatment, and prevention," which were published for the "Journal of Physics Special Topics." It is a student-run journal which is intended to give students experience in writing, editing, publishing and reviewing scientific papers. They used a basic epidemiological model, named the SIR model, which refers to how a disease spreads throughout a population. It divided the population to three categories: the susceptible population (S), the zombie population (Z) and the dead population (D), which can also be used to describe those who recovered from the disease. With the assumption of a 90 percent chance of infecting victims and that a zombie can find one person per day, it was found that there would just be about 270 human survivors by the hundredth day of the outbreak. This figure would be outnumbered by a million to one by zombies. CNET noted that this would make it roughly twice as infectious as the black death. The students found that the average life-cycle of a zombie would start from being susceptible to actually becoming one of the undead. Afterwards, it's a matter of time before a zombie dies or is killed or recovers from the disease. In the first study, the students did not consider the natural birth and death rates as factors. Apparently, this data was rendered negligible because of the short time frame. The students did a follow-up study, though. They used the same SIR model but introduced new parameters such as the rate of zombie deaths and birth rates of people who manage to have children during the specified time. The team also considered how survivors would also learn how to fight back against zombies. This way, there is a decrease in the likelihood of infection. With the advancement of technology, we have become more connected with each other. Yet the current estimates say only 40 percent of the global population is connected to the Internet. That is why more and more innovations are being created to bring the Internet even to the places which are very difficult to access. Here are some of the new Internet technologies that will revolutionize how we connect with each other in the distant future. Light Fidelity or Li-Fi Oledcomm, a French startup company introduced Li-Fi last year during the Mobile World Congress. As opposed to Wi-Fi, Li-Fi is based on LED, specifically, it uses the flicker rate of LED lamps, which are much faster than the radio waves used in Wi-Fi connections. However, since it uses the power of light, it cannot pass through walls like the radio waves. Its biggest advantages are security and speed because it is confined at a specific place. Solar-Powered Drone Routers Mark Zuckerberg dreams of connecting the world using solar-powered drones equipped with internet technology. His Connectivity Lab is developing such technology. They began tests for the first phase when they launched Aquila, a solar-powered drone with a wing span as big as the Boeing 747. The test flight lasted 93 minutes which is faster than the team's projected 66 minutes. Satellite "Routers" If Facebook is looking into solar-powered drones to bring the Internet to the world, Samsung is proposing a network of 4,600 satellites to connect all of us globally. These satellites have the capacity to send out 1 zettabyte a month. In case you have no idea how much a zettabyte is, that is 1 trillion gigabytes. MegaMIMO 2.0 The MegaMIMO is MIT's breakthrough technology for a faster Internet connection. According to the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab at MIT, the MegaMIMO is 330 times faster than the regular Internet connection we have now. Waterloo police officers found a 30-year-old Waterloo woman bound at 56 Zuma St. at 3:20 p.m. Saturday. She reported she was being held against her will. No arrests had been made by mid-day Sunday and the incident remains under investigation. No other details about the incident were being released Sunday. January 9 2017 The University of Glasgow has elected to support a 1bn campus masterplan which will see the institution expand over the site of the existing Western Infirmary at a pre-determination hearing.Submitted plans call for the creation of a variety of research and academic buildings and crucially paves the way for a range of complementary facilities to be built alongside buildings for university use; including a hotel, housing and retail, scotching concern about their impact on Byres Road and the city centre.A report prepared by planning officers read: The proposed mixed-use university campus, which moves away from a single, land-use allocation to include a range of supporting uses in addition to mainstream University uses, will contribute to the vitality of the area through the day and evening and allow the campus to integrate with the surrounding area.The proposal is design-led and will result in the redevelopment of a large brownfield site and secure the future of the listed buildings thereon. It is considered that the supporting commercial uses will enhance the vitality of the proposed campus and help integrate it with its surrounds in accordance good place making.A masterplan prepared by 7N Architects calls for development to be spread across nine separate blocks ranging up to a potential 10 storeys in height fronting Argyle Street.The council will determine whether to approve the planning application at a meeting on 16 February. I revere that long line of expert seamen who by their devotion to duty and sacrifice of self have made it possible for me to be a member of a service honored and respected, in peace and in war, throughout the world. Creed of the United States Coast Guardsman The passage above taken from the Coast Guardsman's Creed reflects the sort of actions taken by a long forgotten cutterman and his crew over 200 years ago during the War of 1812. On June 18, 1812, President James Madison signed a declaration of war against Great Britain, officially starting the War of 1812. That same day, Treasury Secretary Albert Gallatin sent a circular to the customs collector at Newport, Rhode Island, with the sentence: Sir, I hasten to inform you that War was this day declared against Great Britain. Two months before Madison signed the declaration, Newport shipbuilder Benjamin Marble had signed a contract and received $1 to start building a revenue cutter to be named Vigilant. On August 21, the Newport customs collector paid Marble the balance of $8,499 for completing the new topsail schooner-rigged cutter. Similar to other cutters of the day, she measured 60 feet on deck, 19 feet wide and drew nearly 10 feet. Vigilant displaced 65 tons and had a coppered hull for less drag and added speed. For armament, she carried muskets, cutlasses and flintlock pistols, and a main armament of six cannon mounted on gun carriages with three guns to each side of the cutter. The Vigilant was the third Revenue Cutter Service vessel to bear the name and she carried a crew of 17, including Master John Cahoone (left - 1829 portrait). Born in 1757, Cahoone came from a prominent shipping family located in Newport. A man of decisiveness, command presence and initiative, he was a recognized leader in Newport and senior to local naval hero Oliver Hazard Perry. On Jan. 25, 1812, at the age of 55, Cahoone had received a revenue cutter master's commission from the State of Rhode Island. Like Perry, he would earn fame in combat during the War of 1812. At the start of the war, the U.S. faced the Royal Navy's 600 ships with 16 U.S. Navy ships, 14 revenue cutters, and a fleet of small Navy gunboats. Navy warships and American privateers battled British ships on the high seas; however, America's domestic naval force of revenue cutters, and gunboats had to defend the East Coast against a close blockade by the Royal Navy. Cutters protected coastal shipping and had to fight Royal Navy warships and barges deployed for shallow water operations. Revenue cutters also fought British privateers hovering off east coast ports to prey on coasters and small craft. The engagement between Vigilant and British privateer Dart stands as probably the most impressive engagement between a cutter and a privateer during the war. It pitted Vigilant against the 47-ton sloop Dart, formerly the American merchantman Actress captured by the British and converted into a privateer. Dart held certain advantages over the war's armed merchantmen and revenue cutters. Like most privateers, it carried a large crew necessary for manning its guns, boarding vessels and sailing home captured prize vessels. Its crew of 25 included Capt. James Ross and his officers and men from Saint John, New Brunswick. Like most privateers, Dart boasted greater firepower than any ship its size. The heavily armed raider carried one 12-pound and two 9-pound carronades, guns that could kill resistant ship crews like huge shotguns. It also carried two long-barreled 6-pound cannon that could pierce wooden hulls, four smaller swivel guns, and small arms of muskets, flintlock pistols and cutlasses. Dart began its second privateering cruise in July 1813. By the end of the summer, the crew had robbed or captured nearly a dozen American coasters. In early October 1813, Dart took up station near the mouth of Narragansett Bay to take American coasters down-bound from Maine and Massachusetts to New York. On Monday, October 4, lookouts in the hills above Newport observed Dart stopping merchantmen and coasters off the Rhode Island coast. The observers notified local authorities and, according to the newspapers, Capt. John Cahoone, commanding the Revenue Cutter Vigilant, immediately made preparations to go out and capture this daring marauder. Cahoone also conscripted an extra 25 men with muskets from the naval militia to supplement his small crew. At 4:00 p.m. on the October 4, Vigilant set sail from Newport in search of the enemy cruiser. By 10:00 p.m. on a clear moonlit night, Cahoone spotted Dart near the east end of Block Island and the chase was on. With her copper bottom and topsail schooner rig, Vigilant proved the swifter of the two ships. Once they came within range of their deck guns, the opposing vessels exchanged cannon fire. On small warships of about 60 feet, the gun crews had to fight from an exposed position. Unlike larger warships, there were no covered gun decks. Consequently, crews either fought from the main deck behind flimsy wooden bulwarks, or took cover below decksthere was no other way. It was during this exchange of cannon fire that one of Vigilant's round shots killed Dart's first officer. U.S. Cutter Vigilant attacks and captures the enemy British privateer Dart off the shores of Block Island, Rhode Island on October 4, 1813. (U.S. Coast Guard courtesy photo) After trading cannon fire with Dart, Cahoone knew he was outgunned by the privateer. Rather than risk severe damage from Dart's guns, he decided to close within small arms range of the privateer. He sailed closer to Dart and ordered his men and the naval militiamen to loose a fusillade of musket fire at Dart, which wounded still more of the privateers. Next, Cahoone steered the cutter alongside the enemy vessel so his men could climb onto the enemy ship. Cahoone's boarding party made the deck of the privateer, but it suffered two wounded members and one lost overboard and drowned. The Americans finally drove the British defenders below decks and captured the Dart. Of this fight, the newspaper Columbian Patriot would write, Captain Cahoone, with the volunteers under his command, deserve the highest credit for the spirit and promptitude with which this affair was conducted . . . After the battle, Cahoone selected a prize crew and assigned them to sail the Dart and its prisoners in consort with Vigilant. The revenue cutter and its prize vessel sailed into Newport Harbor at 2:00 a.m., Tuesday morning. The Columbian Patriot reported, . . . it is of the utmost importance, as it is probable she [Dart] would, but for this, have been almost a constant visitor during the ensuing season, when the mischief she would have done is incalculable. Back in Newport, Cahoone sent the British prisoners to Navy officials for incarceration. After sunrise the next day, Cahoone fired a cannon salute to celebrate the victory. Meanwhile his crew exchanged Vigilant's inferior weapons for those found onboard Dart, including its cannon and cutlasses. Dart would not be the last vessel taken by Vigilant during the war; however, it was the last enemy vessel taken in combat by a revenue cutter through the use of boarding. Photograph of living history interpreters in vintage-style revenue cutter uniforms during the War of 1812. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Walter Shinn) Cahoone and his crew remained active for the remainder of the war. On October 26, Vigilant captured a British prize schooner that carried a cargo of wood and sought the shelter of Newport Harbor after a storm had damaged its sails and rigging. The British crew escaped in the ship's boat, but later surrendered to authorities in Connecticut. On June 4, 1814, Vigilant towed into Newport the damaged brig Little Francis, bound from St. Barts to New England with molasses and sugar. The merchant vessel had been run aground and set on fire by a Royal Navy brig. In early August 1814, peace negotiations began in Europe and, on Christmas Eve, 1814, representatives of the United States and Great Britain negotiated the peace treaty. On Feb. 11, 1815, a Royal Navy sloop delivered the treaty to New York and the president signed it five days later. President Madison's signature had started the conflict and it ended it as well. After the War of 1812, Vigilant remained in service for nearly 30 years, an incredible lifespan for a wooden sailing ship. During this time, the crews enforced federal laws and assisted vessels in distress. In 1817 and 1818, Vigilant pursued and captured the armed brigs B and Belle Corunnes, respectively. The ships had set sail from New England with foreign crews to engage in piracy in the Caribbean. The Revenue Cutter Service finally decommissioned and sold Vigilant in 1842. Vigilant was the third of 10 cutters to bear the name Vigilant, which holds the record for the number of Coast Guard cutters to bear the same name. Cahoone and his heroic crew proved over 200 years ago the value of cutters in a combat role. In September 1836, after serving for over 20 years, he died at the age of 79 and was laid to rest in Newport's common burial ground. He was one of the longest serving cutter captains in the early history of the U.S. Coast Guard and the Service named a medium endurance cutter for him 100 years after his death. Cahoone and his men were a few of the many brave cuttermen of the long blue line who have gone in harm's way to defend the nation in time of war. By William H. Thiesen, Atlantic Area Historian, USCG Provided through Coast Guard Copyright 2016 Comment on this article MASON CITY Crews working on the Alliant gas line project along North Pierce Avenue should resume work Monday after being pulled this week because of frigid temperatures. Crews are still working on North Pierce Avenue, north of Highway 122, with First Street Northwest remaining closed. Alliant Energy spokesman Justin Foss said the project remains delayed due to two issues. First, Foss said, the gas project was delayed when the crew hit granite while drilling, slowing progress. Second, Foss said, one of the bores was not done properly and needed to be redone on North Pierce Avenue. Were hoping to be able to put the pipe in the next two to three weeks, Foss said. Our first goal with this project is to do it safely and accurately. Alliant plans to cease work on Jan. 31 due to the significant setbacks and resume in the spring. We will open up First Street at the time, Foss said. Alliant project delays frustrate Mason City neighborhood MASON CITY Residents along North Pierce Avenue in Mason City are frustrated as the constru The project requires some streets along North Pierce Avenue to be closed during construction for equipment and work. First Street Northwest, a route into downtown Mason City that is closed where it intersects North Pierce, will reopen by Feb. 1 after Alliant stops construction on Jan. 31. Once we go into that shut down, well have laid 8,000 feet of pipe, which is about 80 percent, Foss said. Alliant originally expected First Street Northwest to be open in early November, then pushed the opening date to the end of 2016. Foss previously said First Street Northwest is a unique portion of the entire project because of the many utility lines through that area. The room that we have to work with underground is narrower than initially anticipated, Foss said. Foss said First Street Northwest would be closed for a couple of days in the spring to replace the winter concrete mix with a stronger, permanent mixture. On Aug. 2, Alliant sent a letter to let residents along North Pierce Avenue know that they might have restricted accesses to their driveways during construction. Residents were sent another letter from the project manager this week explaining the delays and providing a revised timeline. Its a big project and we're working in tight areas, Foss said. So far, weve been able to do it safely. Though frozen ground and frost have not delayed the project, extremely low temperatures have. Foss said Alliant understands concerns and appreciates residents patience through the project. Weve met and spoke with customers, Foss said. We understand that were in peoples front yards. Many housing projects, both landed properties and condominiums, were developed in this area, which includes districts 2, 9, Thu Duc and a part of Binh Thanh.- Photo vtv4.vtv.vn Many housing projects, both landed properties and condominiums, were developed in this area, which includes districts 2, 9, Thu Duc and a part of Binh Thanh. The area has become a veritable construction site with a raft of developments like Sala, The Sun Avenue, Lakeview City and Cantavil An Phu. A report released on Wednesday by property consultant CBRE said 41 per cent of apartment developments were in the east. The figures were 34 per cent for the south, 7 per cent for the north and 11 per cent for the west. In terms of districts, 2 and 9 accounted for 11 per cent each, the company said. Their rates of successful transactions were high -- 73 per cent for District 9 and 70 per cent for District 2. A report by Thoi Bao Kinh Te Viet Nam (Vietnam Economic Times) newspaper said land prices had shot up in the east last year, increasing by 51 per cent in District 9 and 34 per cent in Thu Duc. Analysts attributed the easts rising popularity to its convenient transportation in the form of the under-construction metro route No1, widening of the Ha Noi Highway, the HCM City Long Thanh Dau Giay Expressway and the upcoming Long Thanh Airport. Duong Thuy Dung, director of research and consulting at CBRE, told Viet Nam News that the east is also a gateway to the city with easy access to other provinces like Binh Duong and vacation spots like Vung Tau and Phan Thiet. As a gateway it would also benefit from many support policies from the authorities, she said. An executive at a giant property developer, who asked not to be named, told Viet Nam News that "it makes eminent sense to develop properties in the east". He pointed out that the Thu Thiem New Urban Area was being developed there. "Water pipes and telecom and electric cables are all underground here," he said. His company had already handed over units in some housing projects and received good feedback from buyers, who said they enjoyed the convenience offered by the area, he added. Temple of Literature is dedicated to worshiping Confucius, which is a popular practice in many Asian countries, such as China, Vietnam, Korea and Japan. In Vietnam, apart from the most well-known Temple of Literature in Hanoi, some other cities also constructed their own Temple of Literature. The south-facing monument was built in 1908 during the reign of King Gia Long, on the top of the hill. Over the years afterwards, the temple has gone through several major restoration works. The remaining complex consists of about 50 architectural works, the biggest of which is the worshiping hall of Confucius. Outside at the main gate of the Temple, by the riverside, there are four tall and majestic pillars. There is a large sign hung high above, with the words Dao Tai Luong Gian (The principles of the world) and Trac Viet Thien Co (Higher than ever before) written. After going past the gate, there are several small houses where kings and mandarins would stop by to prepare their outfits before going inside to attend the ceremony. At the front are two rows of 32 preserved steles bearing the names of 239 successful candidates in National Examinations organized through the Nguyen Dynasty. Although the monument was damaged during the war as French troops once used it as a barracks, the main temple and steles still remain. Today, people visiting the Temple of Literature can see a unique symbol of Vietnam's educational system during feudal times. The construction of the temple as well as the placement of the doctors' steles shows everlasting respect to the countrys talented people and traditions of culture and education. Tourists visiting Thien Mu Pagoda can spend more time coming to this site, which is on the same road. People can travel by car, motorbike or bike as well. Admission is free and theres hardly anyone who looks after the site. A sign displaying tube strike information is displayed near the entrance of Leicester Square underground station in central London. (AFP/Justin TALLIS) The walk out started at 6.00pm on Sunday (2.00am Singapore time Monday) and sees the majority of stations within central London shut, while underground services were expected to be severely reduced across the network. Riders take up to 4.8 million trips on the tube network every day and the strike will put huge pressure on other means of transport such as the bus and rail network. Transport for London (TFL), the local government body responsible for the transport system in the capital, said normal services were expected to resume by Tuesday morning. Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union decided to go ahead with the walk-out after failing to reach an agreement over the closure of ticket offices and staffing reductions. The RMT said nearly 900 jobs have been axed and promises by London Underground for new hires did not go far enough. "London Underground has not put forward acceptable proposals to address the staffing and safety issues," RMT general secretary Mick Cash said in a message to union members. London Mayor Sadiq Khan called for the cancellation of the strike, the latest in a series of walk outs since 2014 over the dispute. "This strike is going to be a huge inconvenience to commuters, tourists and TfL staff. There is already a good deal that will ensure station safety and staffing levels across the tube network," he said in a Facebook post. British Prime Minister Theresa May took office on July 14. (AFP/Oli Scarff) "The referendum vote was a vote for us to ... bring control into our immigration system. I'm clear that is part of what we need to deliver," she told Sky News in an interview. "We will be able to have control over our borders, of our laws." German leader Angela Merkel has warned Britain will not be able to remain in the EU's single market while "cherry picking" the terms - including over the free movement of labour - and May on Sunday appeared to suggest she would be willing to quit the trade zone. "Often people talk in terms of, somehow we're leaving the EU but we still want to keep bits of membership of the EU," she said. "We're leaving, we're coming out, we're not going to be a member of the EU any longer." May has come under increasing pressure to reveal more detailed plans about her Brexit strategy, and promised to do so during a series of speeches in "the coming weeks". "When people voted in the referendum on the 23rd of June, they voted to leave the European Union, but they also voted for change and this year, 2017, is the year in which we start to make that happen," she told Sky News. 'NOT MUDDLED AT ALL' The prime minister, who took power after David Cameron resigned in the wake of the Brexit vote, stressed that Britain could still secure favourable access for businesses trading within the EU, although critics warn that negotiations will be fraught and complex. "We will be working to get the best possible deal in the trading relationship with the EU," she said. She also rejected last week's parting shot delivered by Ivan Rogers, Britain's outgoing top EU ambassador, that the government didn't have a clear plan. May said her "thinking on this isn't muddled at all" and accused the previous administration of not preparing a strategy in case of Brexit. May has vowed to activate Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty, triggering a two-year period in which Britain will negotiate its departure from the EU, by the end of March. If no deal is reached, Britain will automatically leave the EU's institutions, with reciprocal tariffs likely placed on businesses in the UK and the EU. A market of ethnic minority people in the north of Vietnam Markets in Vietnam offer beautiful cultural specificities. In the countryside, they constitute a place for goods exchanges and community activities, forming part of the local customs. In the past, each village had one small market and each district has a larger periodic market. Lu or Lua market in Minh Nong commune, northern Phu Tho province meets on the 3rd, 8th, 13th, 18th, and 23rd every lunar month. During these days, the market is more crowded and sells more goods. Local farmers sell their home-made or home-grown products. "The Lu market has existed for a long time. Previously, our commune was called Ke Lu or Ke Gac, now Minh Nong. Rice is the main commodity here. We also sell vegetables, tea, and other essentials. The market is divided by types of goods on sale", Le Thi Dac, a Minh Nong local, told VOV. In the northern mountain region, market sessions are also the community festivals, where locals dress up and come to meet their friends after buying and selling. Market sessions in the mountainous region look colourful with brocade clothes on sale and worn by local ethnic minority people as well as a variety of goods. In Ha Giang province, the markets meet every week minus one day, which means, if it meets on Sunday this week, in the following week, it will meet on Saturday and so on. Meanwhile, district markets often meet on Sunday with young ladies in traditional multicoloured dresses, an umbrella in hand and a papoose on the back. Young men bring with them poultry, pigs and oxen. Mountain markets attract a lot of tourists. In the south, the Mekong Delta is distinguished by its floating markets, like Ca Mau floating market in Ca Mau province, Cai Be in Tien Giang and Phong Dien and Cai Rang in Can Tho. Floating markets are closely associated with southerners life. Both buyers and sellers go to the market by boat. Cai Rang market in Can Tho is an example. The market works all day, but is most busy in the morning, around nine or ten o'clock. The boats gather on the watercourse and trade all kinds of agricultural, food and beverage products. The exchanges are made without bargaining. Sellers are local people who sell products of their orchards. Ngo Van Truong, tourists from Hanoi, said: "It is very interesting to go to the floating market where you can explore the lives of the people in the Mekong Delta. They are quite different from those in northern Vietnam. This is my first visit to the market. Its fun. SUMNER A man shot to death Friday night at a rural Bremer County home was trying to break into the house, authorities say. Bremer County sheriffs deputies and paramedics found Steven Anthony, 46, of Davenport, dead and another person hurt at home in rural Sumner. Bremer County Sheriff Dan Pickett said Anthony was suspected of being an intruder in the home. The identity of the injured person and other people at the Sumner address during the incident hasnt been disclosed. The Bremer County Sheriffs Office is being assisted in the investigation by the Iowa Department of Public Safety and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation. Persons with any information related to the incident are asked to call Bremer County sheriff's deputies at 319-352-5400, option 3. -- Jeff Reinitz, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier Alexa may be listening, but will she tell on you? Dr. Jill Waibel shows her patient, Kim Phuc Phan Thi, a Popsicle stick that she used the Lumenis Ultra Pulse Laser on. The demonstration was used to show the procedure that Waibel has used on Kim Phuc, 53. Michael Downing, LAPD Deputy Chief Counter-Terrorism, center, holds a news conference with members of law enforcement and the Muslim community after a series of letters threatening violence against Muslims, in Los Angeles on Nov. 28. OSAGE | A Mason City nurse authorities say stole powerful painkillers from patients in two North Iowa health-care facilities faces criminal charges. Keri Lea Martinez, 33, was charged with four felony counts of prohibited acts, two misdemeanor counts of tampering with records and one misdemeanor count of fifth-degree theft. Martinez, who is free on bond, wasn't immediately available for comment Monday afternoon. She's accused of taking Oxycodone pills from a resident at Osage Rehab twice in July, once by swiping a single pill from a delivery and once by creating a narcotics log that falsely reported the patient had two pills left when there should have been 16 pills, according to court documents. Martinez also is accused of taking Tramadol from a resident of Good Samaritan Society in St. Ansgar from Nov. 11-17 and replacing it with Tylenol. Investigators say she took Hydrocodone twice in November from the Good Samaritan Society patient, then signed documents indicating she had given it to the patient when she kept it for herself, according to court documents. Oxycodone, Hydrocodone and Tramadol are powerful painkillers. Representatives from Osage Rehab and Good Samaritan Society in St. Ansgar had no comment. The investigation was conducted by the Iowa Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. -- Molly Montag and founder behind Viva Fashion, where she shares the latest in fashion, travel and lifestyle. She's been featured in numerous media outlets including The Today Show, The New York Times, People Magazine, Univision's Despierta America and Telemundo to name a few. She's also a remarried widow and mommy, living each day to the fullest. You can learn more about her . Carmen Ordonez is a TV host for 'ION Style' on ION Television, spokesperson, on-air lifestyle expert Cambodias senior election body has alleged that the national voter list, posted online last week, was hacked by an individual or group based overseas. Hang Puthea, National Election Committee (NEC) spokesman, said the hack had occurred after the list was posted online on January 3. The hacker or hackers succeeded in freezing access to the site, he added. Even though the problem is solved and it did not cause any errors in the voter list, the NEC and other authorities will trace the hackers and send them to court, he said. The hack was orchestrated from overseas and it could have disrupted the process of searching. The important files were stored properly and securely with expert assistance, he added. Koul Panha, executive director of the Committee for Free and Fair Elections in Cambodia, criticized the ease with which the system was breached. The hacking issue has not been clearly discussed previously and now the website was hacked, he said. The NEC should cooperate with experts, internally and externally, on how to prevent future hacks. It will not affect the result of the election since the process of counting is done manually. Commune elections are scheduled for June 4, followed by a general election in 2018. The leaders of Cambodias top political parties are set to meet for the first time in more than a year in an attempt to end a prolonged period of tension. The meeting was agreed to by Interior Minister Sar Kheng after a request was submitted to the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party by Cambodia National Rescue Party deputy leader Kem Sokha. Kheng responded by promising a meeting after January 11. Sok Eysan, a CPP spokesman, said the topics under discussion at the meeting would depend on the opposition. However, he added that discussion of ongoing court cases against rights workers and opposition members would be off the table. Some cases are still at the appeal court, some are at the Supreme Court. So I think the meeting between the majority and minority leaders cannot [solve the problem] ... because its an interference in judicial work, he said. Four local rights workers and an election official were detained on corruption charges last April. They have been held in pre-trial detention since then, which is widely believed to be politically motivated. Sam Rainsy, CNRP president, along with more than 10 party officials and activists have also been jailed in separate cases. Yim Sovann, CNRP spokesman, declined to give specifics about the meeting. I cannot go into much detail, but whatever we will try to find solutions to the political problems that we see, he said. Meetings between the two parties were suspended in October 2015 after two CNRP lawmakers were beaten outside parliament by attackers linked to the ruling party. Ou Virak, founding president of the Future Forum, a think tank, said it was unlikely the court cases would be discussed. Their release is a separate story and from what I can see, they will be released, because the political situation is relaxing. But [the releases] would not relate to the meeting, he said. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Sunday's truck attack in Jerusalem on the terrorist group Islamic State. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in the attack - one male and three female. Last year, a truck attack killed 86 people celebrating French Bastille Day in Nice, and a similar attack killed 12 people at a Christmas market in Berlin. Islamic State has claimed both of those attacks, but has yet to respond to the Jerusalem attack (watch for updates). VOA's Zlatica Hoke has more. Two Pakistani research groups have noted a significant drop in militant violence in the country last year but say that for the trend to continue, authorities need to fight sectarian and anti-Indian extremists based in the most populous Punjab province. The two Islamabad-based groups credited the military for the drop, specifically military operations in the lawless tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, in the chaotic port city of Karachi and the sparsely populated Baluchistan province. The Center for Research and Security Studies says there was a 45 percent drop violence-related deaths last year, compared to the year before. The Pakistan Institute for Peace Studies, which tallies violent incidents, registered a 28 percent drop in attacks in 2016, compared to 2015. The findings, based on the groups' records, were released over the weekend. It hardly comes as a surprise to anyone that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump would be the brunt of jokes and barbs at the annual Golden Globe awards ceremony Sunday in Beverly Hills. His conservative style, anti-immigrant outlook and anti-media views on what America should look like to "make it great again" are ample fodder for jokes at Trump's expense by the entertainment industry. The president-elect has been the source of jokes almost nightly for Golden Globes emcee Jimmy Fallon on his regular gig as the host of NBC-TV's The Tonight Show. The Globes is "one of the few places where America still honors the popular vote," Fallon said Sunday, a reference to the nearly three million more votes that Hillary Clinton received over Trump in the U.S. presidential election. Clinton, however, did not receive the presidential nod from the electoral college, a system critics say is outdated and needs to be either revised or thrown out. Fallon also joked about Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia's meddling into the presidential election, possibly swaying voters towards Trump. "Of course the ballots for tonight's Golden Globes were carefully tabulated by the accounting firm Ernst and Young and Putin," Fallon said. Director Byron Howard whose film Zootopia won the Golden Globe for best animated film said his movie was aimed at adults "about embracing diversity, even though there are people in the world who want to divide us using fear." British actor Hugh Laurie, upon accepting his Golden Globe for best supporting actor for the TV series The Night Manager, said Sunday's Golden Globes might be "the last ever Golden Globes" because "it has the words 'Hollywood,' 'foreign' and 'press' in the title. . . To some Republicans even the word 'association' is slightly sketchy." What did surprise the audience Sunday night, however, was Meryl Streep. The popular American actress received the Cecil B. DeMille award for lifetime achievement. After a heartfelt introduction by her friend and fellow actress Viola Davis, Streep took to the stage with a voice that was barely louder than a whisper. She said "I've lost my voice in screaming and lamentation this weekend. And I have lost my mind sometime earlier this year." She went on. "There was one performance this year that stunned me. It sank its hooks into my heart. Not because it was good. There was nothing good about it. But it was effective and it did its job. It made its intended audience laugh and show their teeth. It was that moment when the person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter. Someone he outranked in privilege, power and the capacity to fight back. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still can't get it out of my head because it wasn't in a movie. It was real life." Streep was referring to a Trump campaign speech in which he famously mocked a disabled New York Times reporter. Trump rebuked Streep on Twitter Monday, describing her as "one of the most over-rated actresses in Hollywood" and a "Hillary flunky." The president-elect also said, "For the 100th time, I never 'mocked' a disabled reporter," despite the video that has been repeatedly aired of him mocking the reporter. "Disrespect invites disrespect," Streep said. "Violence incites violence. And when the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose." Streep then spoke on the need for a "principled press to hold power to account, to call them on the carpet for every outrage." She said, "That's why our founders enshrined the press and its freedoms in our Constitution." She asked that "the famously well-heeled foreign press and all of us in our community to join me in supporting the Committee to Protect Journalists, because we're going to need them going forward, and they'll need us to safeguard the truth." Earlier Monday morning, The New York Times reported that Trump said he had not seen the Golden Globes or Streep's remarks, but was "not surprised" that "liberal movie people" had attacked him. For full list of Golden Globe winners click here In Photos: Golden Globes 2017 Soldiers say the fight for Mosul has gained steam in recent days, with operations crossing a part of the strategic Tigris river, according to Iraqi Counter Terrorism Services. But as civilians flee car bombs and mortars in recently re-captured areas, it appears that what Iraqi and coalition forces hope will be the last phase against Islamic State militants here, may be the most gruesome. VOAs Heather Murdock has more from Mosul. British lawmakers are debating legislation similar to the Magnitsky Act in the United States, which allows courts to impose visa bans and asset freezes on Russian officials allegedly involved in the 2009 death of lawyer Sergei Magnitsky. The U.S. Act has since been widened to include anyone accused of human rights abuses. Pressure is now growing for other European countries to follow suit. Lawyer Sergei Magnitsky died in a Moscow jail in 2009 after spending almost a year behind bars without facing trial. He had been charged with conspiracy, but his supporters say he was targeted by the Russian state after uncovering a $230 million fraud by senior officials, using subsidiaries of the investment fund Hermitage Capital. An independent investigation concluded he had been tortured by eight prison guards on the day of his death. No one has been convicted. Hermitage Capital CEO Bill Browder fought successfully to have the Magnitsky Act signed into U.S. law, targeting those involved in the fraud and in Sergei Magnitskys death. Now, Browder is fighting to have similar legislation adopted in Britain, and told VOA he is optimistic. All the indications are that we have an extremely robust group of cross-party support from all the major parties, he said. Browder says Moscows actions in Ukraine and Syria are helping his cause. The behavior of Russia in the last two years has become so egregious that it has become possible even to convince the executive branch that this is the right thing to do," Browder said. The proposal for a British Magnitsky law is being debated as an amendment to a wider piece of legislation called the Criminal Finances Bill. Andrew Foxall is head of the Russia program at analyst group the Henry Jackson Society. What it seeks to do is broaden out the scope of Magnitsky-related legislation to take in a far more global context, he said. Anyone could seek an asset freeze under the proposed legislation, making it a powerful tool, says Browder. Private parties, NGOs, can got to the court with pro-bono lawyers and can go after bad guys and get a court designation completely irrespective of the government. London is a favorite second-home for many oligarchs from Russia and former Soviet states, some of whom are accused of rights abuses and corruption. The National Crime Agency suggests that well in excess of 100 billion pounds ($123 billion) annually of corrupt money flows through the UK, said Foxall. Lawmakers are due to vote on the amendment in the coming weeks. Supporters hope its passing could pressure the European Union to adopt similar laws. Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are meeting in hopes of wrapping up a deal to reunite the island of Cyprus, which has been divided for more than four decades. Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974 following a failed coup by Greek Cypriots who sought a union with Greece. A peace deal to reunite the Mediterranean island has remained elusive, despite numerous efforts over the years. Espen Barth Eide, the U.N. special adviser of the secretary-general on Cyprus , says he is hopeful this time will be different. While some issues remain outstanding, he says he believes the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders are committed to resolving them. Talks moving in right direction Eide says the talks are moving in the right direction and the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities would be wise to make the most of this opportunity. You cannot take for granted that frozen conflicts remain frozen forever if you do not try to deal with them when you can, Eide said. So, I believe that ... this whole process, these last 19 months and the coming days and maybe weeks, is a moment of opportunity that it would be very unwise to miss because I do not know, you do not know, nobody knows what will happen next, but it is not necessarily a good thing." Few stumbling blocks remain Eide says the Greek and Turkish Cypriot delegations will be working hard to overcome the remaining stumbling blocks. If significant progress is made, he says an international conference will be convened Thursday to try to put the finishing touches on a reunification pact. He says Turkey and Greece will be represented at the highest level. In the lead up to the conference, he says the leaders have told him they will be watching the negotiations closely to make sure that all or most of the issues blocking the way to a final settlement have been overcome. "They are not interested in being party to discussions that should and will be left to the Cypriots, Eide said. So, there is a relationship between these two things." EU invited to observe talks Britain, which is a guarantor of Cyprus's security along with Turkey and Greece, will be present. The European Union has been invited as an observer. Outstanding issues include those of governance or power-sharing between the Greek and Turkish Cypriot communities in a future federal state, the return of or compensation for properties abandoned by the Greek Cypriots in 1974, and guarantees of security for the Turkish Cypriots after Turkish soldiers leave the island. ROCKFORD | A man who woke up a Rockford residents by stealing their pickup and driving it through a closed garage door early Monday faces criminal charges. Clay Kalvig, 28, of Klemme, was charged with felony first-degree theft, third-degree burglary and second-degree criminal mischief. Cerro Gordo sheriff's deputies say residents of the 22000 mile of 220th Street in rural Rockford was awakened about 1:45 a.m. by loud noises in their garage. Investigators believe that noise was the sound of Clay Kalvig driving the resident's 2002 Chevrolet K2500 pickup through a closed garage door. A state trooper found the truck, and Kalvig, about two hours later in a ditch at 170th Street and Balsam Avenue, said Cerro Gordo County Sheriff Kevin Pals. Kalvig, who surrendered without incident, wouldn't say why he drove the truck through the closed garage door, Pals said. He and the alleged victims did not know each other. Kalvig didn't tell deputies if the truck was his main target. He remained held Monday morning at the Cerro Gordo County Jail. -- Molly Montag Bosnian Serbs are celebrating a contentious holiday in defiance of the country's other ethnic groups, its constitutional court and the international community. The Jan. 9 holiday commemorates the date in 1992 when Bosnian Serbs declared the creation of their own state in Bosnia, igniting the country's devastating four-year war. Bosnian Serb police officers, firefighters and folklore groups paraded through the streets of Banja Luka, the de-facto capital of the Serb-run part of the country. Although Serb leaders insisted that Monday's celebrations would be a secular holiday, they participated in religious ceremonies in the city's main church. That was broadcast live on local television, along with interviews with Bosnian Serb war-time military and political leaders who had been sentenced for crimes against humanity by a U.N war crimes court. During the war that killed 100,000 people and turned half of the country's population into refugees, Muslim Bosniaks and Catholic Croats were persecuted and almost completely expelled from Republika Srpska territory. After the war, Republika Srpska became a semi-autonomous region of Bosnia. Bosniaks and Croats who returned there view the holiday as a celebration of their expulsion. holiday was banned last year by Bosnia's top court. It ruled that the date, which falls on a Serb Christian Orthodox religious holiday, discriminated against the country's other ethnic groups. The continued celebration was repeatedly condemned by the top European Union and the U.S diplomats in Bosnia who urged Bosnian Serbs to stop defying the country's top court. South Korean officials say they believe Pyongyang's latest threat to test an intercontinental missile is intended to set the stage for future relations with the incoming U.S. administration of President-elect Donald Trump. By maintaining its position to continue firing (missiles) and provocations, (North Korea) intends to bring a change of attitude in the U.S.," said South Korean Unification Ministry spokesman Jeong Joon-hee, speaking a day after North Korea declared it could test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile at any time from any location. The claim was reported Sunday by North Korea's official KCNA news agency, quoting an unnamed Foreign Ministry spokesman. Jeong suggested that Pyongyang issued the threat in hopes of forcing the Trump administration to engage North Korea on its own terms. He said the goal was to "shift responsibility (to the U.S.) when North Korea fires (a missile) in future. North Korea first threatened last week to test an intercontinental ballistic missile that could strike the United States, prompting Trump to tweet, "It will not happen." The incoming president left open what he might do to stop it, prompting speculation about a possible U.S. military strike against a North Korean launch site. Chung Sung-yoon, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, said an early test of the Trump team's resolve could backfire on North Korea. If Korea fires an ICBM before the Trump administration has developed a security strategy for Northeast Asia, it could lead to a much tougher U.S. policy, he said. The South Korean Defense Ministry called the Norths talk of an ICBM test regrettable and said there would be consequences in terms of international sanctions. If North Korea ignores our warning and launches an ICBM, it will face more strong and thorough sanctions and pressure from South Korea as well as from the international community, said spokesman Moon Sang-kyun. In Washington, U.S. Secretary of Defense Ash Carter said Sunday that the United States would be willing and able to shoot down the missile if it crossed over the territory of the U.S. or its allies. "If it were coming-if it were threatening to us, yes. That is, if it's predicted impact or one of our friends or allies, yes, we would shoot it down," Carter said on the NBC television program Meet The Press. Development A long range ICBM test would not be an unprecedented technological feat for North Korea. It has already conducted four satellite launches using its Taepodong-2 missiles as rockets. The Norths space program has been widely denounced as a hostile pretense to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile technologies that are banned by United Nations resolutions. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has made clear in the last year his governments ambition to achieve a credible nuclear deterrence. Increasing international sanctions imposed have failed to deter the North from intensifying its development efforts with two nuclear tests and 24 missile launches in the last year. Last week, U.S. Deputy Secretary Of State Antony Blinken said of the Norths nuclear program that with every passing day, the threat does get more acute. North Korea is believed to have the ability to strike nearby South Korea and Japan with a nuclear weapon. But there remain questions over the Norths ability to reach the U.S. mainland. Although Pyongyang claims it has successfully miniaturized a nuclear device to fit on the head of a long-range missile, it has not demonstrated that capability. Nor has it yet tested the missile's re-entry capability needed to reach a specific target while withstanding extremes of temperature and vibration. An ICBM test would be the next step in the development process. China Neither Beijing nor Tokyo offered any strong official reaction on Monday to the ICBM warnings coming out of Pyongyang and Washington. Last week Trump criticized China in a tweet for not doing more to rein in the North Korea nuclear threat. Although North Korea is dependent on China for 90 percent of its trade, Beijing has been reluctant to apply strong economic pressure on its ally for fear it would lead to increased instability on its border and a stronger U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula. Chinas Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang last week defended his countrys efforts to peacefully resolve the nuclear issue and urged the incoming Trump administration to avoid remarks and actions to escalate the situation. Japan Tokyo this week seems more focused on a flare-up in tensions with Seoul over a "comfort woman" statue that was placed in front of the Japanese consulate in the South Korean city of Busan. On Monday, the Japanese ambassador and consul general to South Korea were called home in protest. The two countries reached a bilateral agreement in December of 2015 to resolve the contentious issue over the Korean women, who were forced to work as prostitutes in Japanese military brothels during World War II. In the settlement, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe issued an agreed-upon apology and Japan donated $8 million to support the surviving comfort women. South Korea also agreed to try to facilitate Japans request to remove a comfort woman statue erected across from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. Seoul contends the statues fall outside the agreement as they belong to private organizations and not to the state, but Tokyo sees them as violations of the spirit of the agreement. Human rights groups in Pakistan are demanding that authorities immediately find four missing social media activists who have been critical of the government's counter-extremism efforts. Relatives say that Salman Haider, a poet and activist, disappeared on Friday. His wife received a text message on her cell phone to go and collect Haider's car from a roadside on the outskirts of the capital, Islamabad. An independent watchdog group, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, or HRCP, identified the others as Waqas Goraya, Asim Saeed and Ahmed Raza Naseer. They also vanished last week. The men ran popular social media accounts. No group has claimed responsibility for the disappearances and it was not known whether they are linked. The Interior Ministry Monday ordered police to urgently determine the whereabouts of the four men. The activists are known for airing their views, sometime critical of authority, extremism and intolerance, on social media, HRCP noted in a statement issued Monday, saying it was unable to determine the actors behind the disappearances. "But Pakistan has never been a particularly safe country for rights activists. Many have been killed, injured, abducted and threatened for their work. Unfortunately, these actions have not always come from non-state quarters," the watchdog group said. The opposition Pakistan Peoples Party has demanded that parliament seek answers from the government on the disappearances, calling them a planned and coordinated crackdown to silence voices critical of state policies. Pakistani rights groups and activists have announced countrywide protests to press authorities to find the men quickly. Pakistani state intelligence agencies are often accused of illegally detaining people in the name of fighting terrorism and in some cases people have spent years in detention, with relatives not knowing the fate of their loved ones. Human rights groups have approached the country's supreme court in recent years seeking its intervention to recover disappeared people. The legal pressure prompted authorities to release scores of detainees to rejoin their families. Iraqi leaders say they doubt their forces will oust Islamic State fighters from Mosul the terror groups last major urban stronghold in Iraq before Easter, despite a spurt of progress in recent days that saw the troops reach the Tigris River for the first time in the battle for the city. The jihadists have not only mounted stubborn resistance, but expanded attacks elsewhere in the country from a wave of suicide bombings in the suburbs of Baghdad and southern Iraq to launching disconcerting raids in Anbar and Salahuddin, provinces that fell to government forces weeks ago. On January 2, IS fighters overran a police station in Samarra, holding it for several hours. They also have been threatening the Mosul-to-Baghdad highway. The attacks are clearly aimed at distracting Iraqi security forces. That so far hasnt happened, and Iraqi forces' advances in the city marked a significant moment in the 12-week fight to recapture Mosul. WATCH: Related video report by Heather Murdock Gen. Abdal-Amir al-Lami, Iraqi deputy chief of staff for operations, announced Sunday that security forces seized the eastern end of one of the Tigris River bridges linking the two sides of the city. He says Iraqi soldiers are consolidating their hold on the riverside Beladiyat district. North of Beladiyat, Iraqi forces made another breakthrough toward the Tigris in the Muthana neighborhood close to the ancient Assyrian ruins of Nineveh. Iraqi army spokesmen say IS harassed Iraqi troops as the forces punched their way to the Tigris, with drones dropping grenades on them. IS resistance is "showing signs of collapse" in east Mosul, Brett McGurk, the senior U.S. official in the counter-IS coalition, said in a tweet Sunday. The recalibration of Iraqi units undertaken during a two-week lull in fighting that ended on December 29 partly explains the progress made in recent days, say analysts. One causal factor was clearly the concentration of all available ISF forces [Iraqi security forces] in east Mosul, achieved by closing down ancillary assaults north and southwest of the city, said Michael Knights of the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a research institution. Iraqi forces are now more concentrated for what he describes in an analysis for the institute as a reinvigorated push. Iraqi forces are benefiting also from the battlefield presence of coalition special forces. They have been advising and helping to coordinate more accurate artillery and air support. The Coalition and ISF introduced new accelerants that revived the push, including advisers embedded at a lower level and increased ISF deployments, allowing the ISF to make significant gains in eastern Mosul from December 29 to January 3, 2017, according to Emily Anagnostos of the Institute for the Study of War, another Washington-based research group. She does, however, warn that the number of civilian casualties could grow if the Iraqis rely more on increased coalition airstrikes to counter IS, rather than door-to-door operations. This raises the risk of civilian casualties but can stave off further attrition, Anagnostos says. Iraqi units are now present in 35 of 47 neighborhoods in the eastern half of Mosul. Even so, that leaves the 29 heavily populated districts of west Mosul so far untouched by ground battles. Knights predicts east Mosul may be cleared of IS fighters late this month, at the earliest, but that the battle for west Mosul will go well into the second quarter of the year. If the fight drags on, there are likely to to be growing calls for the Iran-trained Shiite militias to be called in to help, say analysts. Shiite politicians led by Iraqs former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki, whose sectarian policies are blamed by some for the rise of the Islamic State group, are arguing that the militias, known as the Hashd al-Shaabi, or popular mobilization forces (PMF), should be used in the battle to oust the jihadists from Mosul. The Shiite militias are mainly west of the city and Iraqs prime minister, Haider al-Abadi pledged, before the campaign to retake Mosul was launched, that they would not be used in the fighting inside the mainly Sunni Arab city. In late November, al-Abadis supporters in Iraq's parliament voted to put the PMF on the government payroll and incorporate the militias in the national armed forces, ostensibly subordinated to the Iraqi military hierarchy. Rights groups have accused the PMF of atrocities, torture and forced displacements of Sunnis. On Saturday, Iraqi military officials confirmed that one of the Shiite militias, Harakat al-Nujaba, stopped a group of U.S. military trainers from entering base in Diyala province, northeast of Baghdad. They said the group blocked the trainers because of the lack of prior coordination. Hashim al-Musawi, a spokesman for Harakat al-Nujaba, told a local news agency the Americans are not welcome, not wanted at all. He added, The American forces always put red lines. They prevent anyone, any party or any force of Hashd al-Shaabi from entering fronts that they hold We will deal with them in kind. After the November law passed officially incorporating the PMF into the national army, U.S. and Western military advisers started to train some Shi'ite fighters from militias considered not to be taking orders from Iran. Last month, Gen. Stephen Townsend, who commands coalition forces in Iraq, described Hashd al-Shaabi as remarkably disciplined and said the United States was going to try to shape the law that legalized the Shiite force. Lithuania, at the front line of growing tension between the West and Russia, barred construction of a data center last year over concerns it could be infiltrated by Russian intelligence, a Lithuanian security official said on Monday. He said the government acted on concerns about plans by Arcus Novus, the Lithuanian-registered construction firm, to develop a data center to be rented out to businesses for cloud computer operations. We warned the government that, once the data center is connected by fiber-optic cable to Russia, it could be linked by the [Russian] Federal Security Service to its radio electronic reconnaissance network, a spokesman for Darius Jauniskis, Lithuania's counter-intelligence chief, said. The government acted on that information, he said. Arcus Novus is now suing the government in an effort to overturn the decision, according to Vidmantas Tomkus, the company's CEO and a minority shareholder. It's a bit laughable to claim that a hostile data center would be connected to Russian security services, as Lithuania is already connected to Russia through fiber-optic cables, as is the rest of the world, said Tomkus. Fears for cyber security are growing in the three small Baltic republics all European Union members bordering Russia, their former Soviet overlord. Russian computer hackers are seen as the greatest threat to Lithuanian national security, its counter-intelligence agency said in a report last year. Leaders of other Western countries including the United States and Germany have also voiced concern about state-backed Russian hackers trying to undermine democratic institutions. The Kremlin has denied any link with reported hacking incidents. The Lithuanian cyber security chief told Reuters earlier that three cases of Russian spyware had been discovered in government computers since 2015, and there had been 20 attempts to infect them in 2016. A 2014 law allows the Lithuanian government to block any investment in energy, transport, information technology and finance that it finds threatening to its national security. The State Security Department said that it advised the government to block four such investments in 2015, including a proposed expansion at Vilnius airport by a Lithuanian businessman who is also developing an airport near Moscow. Fast-food giant McDonald's is selling a controlling stake in its mainland China and Hong Kong business, a deal worth more than $2 billion. The companies involved in the transaction announced the sale Monday. Chinese state-owned Citic and Citic Capital will acquire 52 percent of the business, while The Carlyle Group, a U.S.-based private equity firm will own 28 percent, leaving McDonald's with a 20 percent interest. McDonald's said in a statement the formation of the partnership and company will act as the master franchisee responsible for McDonald's business in China and Hong Kong for 20 years. McDonald's says the partnership will use its "combined expertise and resources" to accelerate growth in new restaurant openings and improve sales performance in existing restaurants. The company says it intends to add over 1,500 restaurants in China and Hong Kong over the next five years. China, McDonald's says, has a working population that is larger than the U.S. and Europe combined, but China's middle-class spending level is "a small fraction of those in more developed countries." As disposable incomes rise, however, people in the region are expected to "spend more on leisure and dining out." At the end of 2016, McDonald's had more than 2,400 restaurants in mainland China, employing over 120,000 staff and serving more than one billion customers annually. The fast food giant has more than 240 restaurants in Hong Kong. McDonald's has more than 36,000 locations worldwide. There could be some dramatic changes to the night sky if astronomers are correct in their observations. They say it may be possible to see a binary star in the Cygnus constellation merge and explode in 2022, creating a red nova. The binary star is about 1,800 light-years away in the Cygnus constellation, so what astronomers are observing now happened about 1,800 years ago. They are making a present day prediction about what may be seen in 2022 based on those observations. The announcement was made Friday by Lawrence Molnar, professor at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, his students, and fellow astronomers from Apache Point Observatory (APO), New Mexico, and the University of Wyoming at the 229th meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Grapevine, Texas. It is a one-in-a-million chance that you can predict an explosion. It has never been done before, Molnar said. The binary system, called KIC 9832227, has long been studied, but in 2013, astronomers noticed a change in its brightness. Upon closer inspection, Molnar and his team discovered the stars were getting closer to one another. The astronomers then compared that data to an observed creation of a red nova from the binary V1309 Scorpii, which led them to conclude a red nova might be about to form at KIC 9832227. Bottom line is we really think our merging star hypothesis should be taken seriously right now, and we should be using the next few years to study this intensely so that if it does blow up we will know what led to that explosion, Molnar said. If the new red nova does materialize, it will be visible in Cygnus in the prominent formation called the Northern Cross. The project is significant not only because of the scientific results, but also because it is likely to capture the imagination of people on the street. If the prediction is correct, then for the first time in history, parents will be able to point to a dark spot in the sky and say, Watch, kids, theres a star hiding in there, but soon its going to light up," Matt Walhout, dean for research and scholarship at Calvin College, said. Dozens of Asian, Afghan and Pakistani migrants, some with children, are camping out in makeshift tents in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius (minus 4 Fahrenheit) on Serbia's northern border, waiting their turn to try to enter Hungary. They are among 7,000 migrants from Asia and the Middle East stranded in Serbia. Refugee camps are packed and only women and children are likely to be let into them, leaving the men to seek shelter where they can - in abandoned warehouses in central Belgrade, or the fields just south of the border. By one reckoning, those in the tents are the lucky ones - those who are near the front of an unofficial refugee-administered queue to submit an asylum application at one of only two recognized crossing points Horgos and Tompa. But in the current, brutal cold snap, they pay a high price. Their rickety teepees, lined with blankets, are heated only with campfire embers brought inside at nightfall. Many of the children who crawl outside at first light are wearing only thin sweaters and slippers. "People are suffering, and get a lot of respiratory infections," said Milana Radosavljevic, a physician from Doctors Without Borders. All this to be one of the lucky few allowed to submit a Hungarian asylum application in tiny container offices set up for the purpose at Horgos and Tompa, in the hope of then being admitted to a Transit Zone, and eventually becoming one of the 10 refugees a day allowed to enter Hungary from each post. "It used to be 15 people every day," said Ali Reza, a young Pakistani. "Families say there is too much waiting in Serbia, six or seven months." Not welcome Hungary has made clear that it does not welcome migrants; Prime Minister Viktor Orban has fortified the border, an external frontier of the European Union, with a razor wire fence, and thousands of police and soldiers patrol the area with heat-sensitive cameras and helicopters. But still the migrants come. Around 1,500 are sheltering in abandoned warehouses in Belgrade. In one, hundreds of men, mainly Afghans, sleep on the concrete floor, relying for warmth on burning plastic garbage that gives off choking black smoke. "It's so, so cold - we need these fires," said Salim Shinuari, 22, from Afghanistan. "Humanitarian workers give us food, but it's cold inside." Authorities say most of Serbia's estimated 7,000 migrants are from Afghanistan, Iraq or Syria. Hungary registered 30,000 asylum applications last year, according to the government, of which fewer than half were accepted. In addition, nearly 20,000 gave up on the tortuous official process and tried to enter illegally. Burhan Zadran, 30, from Afghanistan, said most of the men in Belgrade travel to the border once or twice a week to try to cross. But getting into Hungary is not enough anyone caught within eight km (five miles) of the frontier is sent back. "I crossed the border illegally, because the wait was too much in the Pancevo camp - five months," said Kashif Raza, a Pakistani with scars on his face. "I was all alone without water, without food, in the countryside, for six days," he said. "After that I had to eat something ... I went to the road and surrendered to the police." Russia and the Philippines are considering joint naval exercises, a link that would advance Manilas move toward a multi-country foreign policy and bulk up its military while giving both sides a chance to stand up to the United States. Moscow sent a destroyer and a naval oil tanker to a port in Manila last week for a five-day goodwill visit, and the two sides are looking to expand defense cooperation, media outlets in the Philippines say. Some observers expect Russia to offer military sales, good for commerce as well as the Philippine goal of improving defense. As far as Duterte is concerned, hes a big fan of Putin and he wants to build relations with Putin, said Eduardo Araral, associate professor at the National University of Singapores public policy school. He wants to buy arms from Russia. The Philippines needs to build up its military and it doesnt want to be too dependent on the United States. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has said since taking office in June that he wants to be less dependent on former colonizer the United States and have deeper relations with China, Japan and Russia. Duterte visited China and Japan in October, winning nods from both to help the relatively poor Southeast Asian country with aid and investment. The arrival of two ships from Russia, which operates the worlds second most powerful military, in Manila follows Dutertes upbeat meeting in November with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a regional summit in Peru. He told Putin then about his effort to distance his country from the United States. Duterte has used coarse language to allege that U.S. influence extends too far into his country. Manila and Washington have observed a mutual defense treaty since 1951, worked together on resisting Muslim rebels in the Philippine south and jointly patrolled Manilas contested claims to the South China Sea. But Washington irritated Duterte last year with criticism of his governments suspected extrajudicial killings in the campaign to control illegal drugs. The Soviet Union was the chief U.S. Cold War foe, and todays Russia often opposes U.S. involvement in the Middle East. The Philippines had little contact with Russia before Dutertes time because of its historic U.S. alliance. Last month the U.S. government ordered 35 Russian diplomats to leave the United States and closed two Russian compounds over what it described as malicious internet activities to influence the November 8 American elections. "Russia's helping the Philippines is a shot across America's bow, as Moscow's letting us know it can operate in what has long been considered U.S.-friendly territory, said Sean King, senior vice president with the New York political consultancy Park Strategies. It's hard to say how far the cooperation can, or will, go but its symbolism cannot be overstated. Dutertes spokesman said Thursday he saw the Russian ship visit as a chance to strengthen naval relations, Philippine media reported. The eventual signing of a Philippine-Russian memorandum of understanding could allow for military exchanges, joint exercises and student visits, the spokesman was quoted saying. Any sales of Russian weaponry would probably lack human rights conditions, Araral said, whereas the United States may require that arms from American defense contractors not be used in the anti-drug campaign. Stronger ties with the Philippines would help Russia sell weapons to the Asian country, Araral said. Russia has the worlds second strongest military after the United States, according to the database GlobalFirePower.com, while the Philippines ranks 51st. The country of about 7,100 islands has no destroyers or submarines, the database says. Russia operates 15 destroyers and 60 subs. Russia is also seen as wanting more influence elsewhere in Asia, though not enough to cause friction with regional military heavyweights such as China, Vietnam or Indonesia. Russia is trying to create a Eurasian arc stretching from Byelorussia to Southeast Asia, said Fabrizio Bozzato, an associate researcher specialized in international affairs at Tamkang University in Taiwan. So establishing a partnership with the Philippines would be conducive or instrumental to its own Asia Pacific grand plan, he said. Secondly, by creating a military cooperation with the Philippines, Moscow will further decouple the Philippines from the U.S. Pope Francis condemned militant Islamist violence as "homicidal madness" on Monday and said leaders should improve social conditions that serve as fertile ground for fundamentalism and radicalization. Before diplomats from more than 180 countries, he also forcefully restated a call to ban nuclear weapons, saying experiments by North Korea to build long-range missiles risked setting off a new nuclear arms race. Francis, delivering the annual papal "state of the world" address, also spoke of the need to defend European unification and for greater unity in facing climate change. The Argentine-born pontiff, 80, reserved his toughest words of condemnation for the wave of "fundamentalist-inspired terrorism" in 2016, listing attacks by Islamist militants in Europe, Africa, Asia and the United States. "Sadly, we are conscious that even today, religious experience, rather than fostering openness to others, can be used at times as a pretext for rejection, marginalization and violence," he said in the Vatican's Sala Regia. "We are dealing with a homicidal madness which misuses God's name in order to disseminate death, in a play for domination and power. Hence I appeal to all religious authorities to join in reaffirming unequivocally that one can never kill in God's name," he said. Francis said religiously inspired violence "is the fruit of a profound spiritual poverty, and often is linked to significant social poverty. It can only be fully defeated with the joint contribution of religious and political leaders." He urged government leaders to enact "suitable social policies aimed at combating poverty" and invest in education and culture. Francis restated his call for a total nuclear weapons ban, saying North Korea's threats to test an intercontinental ballistic missile were "particularly disturbing". He said they "could destabilize the entire region and raise troubling questions for the entire international community about the risk of a new nuclear arms race." Francis called for an end to the arms trade, adding that easy access to weapons, "even those of small caliber," aggravates conflicts and fosters insecurity and fear. Building peace also meant respecting the environment, he said, backing the landmark 2015 global deal struck in Paris, and hoping that tackling climate change "will meet with increased cooperation on the part of all". His stand on climate change has put him in direct conflict with U.S. president-elect Donald Trump, who said during the campaign that it was a hoax perpetrated by China and threatened to rip up the deal signed by President Barack Obama. Since winning the election, Trump has said he will keep an "open mind" about the deal. CHARLES CITY -- Susan Sue James, 68, of Charles City, died Friday, Jan. 6, 2017, at the University of Iowa Hospital in Iowa City. As per Sues request, her family will hold a private graveside service for Sue at a later date. In lieu of flowers memorials may be directed to P.A.W.S. Humane Society in Charles City, which Sue has supported since its beginnings. Hauser Funeral Home, Charles City, is in charge of local arrangements. Pope Francis urged Europe on Monday to rediscover its true identity as the continent copes with refugee waves, Britain's exit from the EU and the "homicidal madness" of religious-inspired violence. Francis devoted his annual foreign policy speech to promoting peace at a time of mass migrations, economic stagnation and violent extremism across the globe. He praised several European nations for taking in refugees and urged others to provide them with a "dignified welcome'' while also fighting poverty and other social ills that can fuel religious fundamentalism. Speaking to ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Francis urged Europe to rediscover its founding ideals as it marks the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, one of the key agreements leading to the creation of the European Union. "Europe as a whole is experiencing a decisive moment in its history, one which it is called to rediscover its proper identity," Francis said. "This requires recovering its roots in order to shape its future." He called for the creation of a new European humanism to update the very concept of Europe as a unified community of shared common values that was born from the ashes of World War II. "In response to currents of divisiveness, it is all the more urgent to update `the idea of Europe' so as to give birth to a new humanism based on the capacity to integrate, dialogue and generate that which made the Old Continent great," he said. Overall, he once again denounced violence committed in God's name as "homicidal madness'' and the fruit of a "spiritual poverty'' often borne of material poverty. He urged religious leaders to preach God's message of love and peace, and political leaders to ensure economic opportunities for young people. Governments, he said, must not only protect their own citizens but "ensure that conditions do not exist that can serve as fertile terrain for the spread of forms of fundamentalism." On specific global flashpoints, Francis - appealed for serious negotiations to end the conflict in Syria - warned that North Korea's nuclear tests were destabilizing the entire region while raising questions about "the risk of a new nuclear arms race" - and called for trust, dialogue and "courageous gestures" in Venezuela's political negotiations. Russia has rejected U.S. intelligence claims that it interfered in the presidential election won by Donald Trump, and a spokesman says proposed legislation threatening U.S. sanctions are an attempt to further harm relations between the two countries. Reuters reports Senators John McCain, Ben Cardin and Robert Menendez were preparing to introduce a bill to impose "comprehensive" sanctions. Dmitry Peskov said the move is a continuation of attempts to exclude dialogue. The spokesman said Monday the allegations against Russia are "substantiated with nothing" and "amateurish." The U.S. intelligence community said Friday it had "high confidence" that Russian President Vladimir Putin personally ordered a campaign to undermine the democratic presidential electoral process in the United States. U.S. officials said Russian efforts were intended to undercut the election chances of Democrat Hillary Clinton and help Trump, the Republican candidate. Peskov said Russia is "categorically denying any implication" it was responsible for the hacking of thousands of emails from the computer of Clinton campaign chief John Podesta and their release through the document-leaking group WikiLeaks. The steady disclosure of the emails in the month before the election revealed at-times embarrassing efforts by Democratic officials to help Clinton defeat Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders for the party's presidential nomination. "We still don't know what data is really being used by those who present such unfounded accusations," the Kremlin spokesman said. The United States released a declassified version of its findings that was half the length of the classified report intelligence officials presented first to Obama on Thursday and a day later to President-elect Trump. Meeting planned The Kremlin spokesman said that once Trump is inaugurated in Washington work would begin on finding a date for a first meeting between the U.S. and Russian leaders. White House spokesman Josh Earnest defended the intelligence report Monday, saying the fact that the nation's intelligence agencies have expressed high confidence in the conclusions shows how comprehensive the evidence is. "I think the report is actually consistent with what the administration and national security and intelligence officials have been saying for months," Earnest told reporters. "The analysis that was put forward by the CIA, by the FBI and the NSA makes clear Russia's culpability for these actions. It makes clear what Russia's intent was." Trump's incoming chief of staff, Reince Priebus, said Sunday that the president-elect is "not denying entities in Russia are behind these particular hackings." But Trump, in a string of Twitter comments over the weekend, said "gross negligence by the Democratic National Committee allowed hacking to take place. Only reason the hacking of the poorly defended DNC is discussed is that the loss by the Dems was so big that they are totally embarrassed!" Trump tweeted, "Intelligence stated very strongly there was absolutely no evidence that hacking affected the election results. Voting machines not touched!" Trump won the November election in a stunning upset and assumes power January 20 as President Barack Obama leaves office after eight years as the American leader. Moscow's response to the U.S. report came a day after Obama said in an interview with ABC News that he ordered the intelligence assessment "to make sure that we understand this is something that Putin has been doing for quite some time in Europe, initially in the former satellite states where there are a lot of Russian speakers, but increasingly in Western democracies." Obama said he did not underestimate Putin, but acknowledged underestimating how much it is possible for misinformation and hacking to impact open societies and "insinuate themselves into our democratic practices in ways that I think are accelerating." Cyber security Obama said more time and resources need to be used on cyber security, and that he hopes the situation is not seen in a partisan way. "One of the things that I am concerned about is the degree to which we've seen a lot of commentary lately where there were, there are Republicans or pundits or cable commentators who seemed to have more confidence in Vladimir Putin than fellow Americans because those fellow Americans were Democrats," he said. "That cannot be." The U.S. intelligence report made no assessment whether the leaks changed the outcome of the election, which Trump won in the Electoral College, where state-by-state results throughout the country decide its presidential winner, rather than the popular vote, where Clinton prevailed over Trump by nearly three million votes. Obama has had one face-to-face meeting with Trump, shortly after the election, and has talked with him several times. He said Sunday they have spoken about trust in the U.S. intelligence agencies. "When I talked to him about our intelligence agencies, what I've said to him is that there are going to be times where you've got raw intelligence that comes in and in my experience, over eight years, the intelligence community is pretty good about saying, 'Look, we can't say for certain what this means." But Obama added, "There are going to be times where the only way you can make a good decision is if you have confidence that the process is working. And the people that you put in charge are giving you their very best assessments." Obama said he also has talked to Trump about his penchant for tweeting an array of taunts and messages on Twitter. "I've said to him, and I think others have said to him that the day that he is the president of the United States, there are world capitals and financial markets and people all around the world who take really seriously what he says, and in a way that's just not true before you're actually sworn in as president," Obama said. Republican U.S. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell is telling Democrats to "grow up" and not put up any roadblocks to conformation hearings for President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet picks. At least seven Trump Cabinet nominees are expected to appear before Senate committees this week. They include secretary of state nominee Rex Tillerson, attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, and would-be education secretary Betsy DeVos. After meeting with the president-elect at Trump Tower in New York Monday, McConnell expressed confidence that cabinet nominees will be approved before the inauguration. WATCH: McConnell on his meeting with Trump Some of Trump's Cabinet choices, including Tillerson and DeVos, are billionaires with vast financial holdings. And some Democrats say they have not been fully vetted. McConnell appeared on CBS television's "Face the Nation" Sunday and accused the Democrats of sour grapes over the presidential election. "All of these little procedural complaints are related to their frustrations at having not only lost the White House, but having lost the Senate. I understand that, but we need to sort of grow up here and get past that," McConnell told the broadcast. He pointed out that Republicans gave speedy approval to many of President Barack Obama's nominees in 2009 even though they were "wildly liberal." But it is not just Democratic lawmakers who are concerned about a lack of disclosure by some Trump nominees. The head of the independent and non-partisan U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Walter Shaub, said in a letter to Democratic leaders last week that not all of the nominees scheduled for hearings have completed the required ethics review process or initial draft financial disclosure reports. "I am not aware of any occasion in the four decades since OGE was established when the Senate held a confirmation hearing before the nominee had completed the ethics review process," Shaub wrote. He said the hearings schedule has created "undue pressure" on his staff to rush through these reviews, leaving some nominees with unknown or unresolved ethics issues. The law requires Cabinet nominees to get OGE certification of their financial disclosure reports before a hearing can be held. "As long as I remain director, OGE's staff and agency ethics officials will not succumb to pressure to cut corners and ignore conflicts of interest," Shaub said. Trump Chief of Staff Rance Priebus told Fox News Sunday the transition team has no thought of delaying confirmation hearings. He said the Democrats and the OGE have "all the details they need" and that the process has to move faster. Severe winter weather is making life miserable for millions along the northern Pacific coast and the Northwest. As much as two centimeters of rain per hour fell on parts of northern California Sunday. Areas of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range can expect more than two meters of snow. While drought stricken California needs the moisture and the mountain snowpack, the storm could lead to floods, avalanches and mudslides. To the north, the cities of Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington were under ice storm warnings Sunday night. Authorities cautioned residents to expect downed power lines and dangerous travel conditions. Meteorologists are forecasting another strong storm for the region on Tuesday, while a front moving from the eastern Pacific is expected to team with Arctic cold to trigger a "significant winter storm" in the upper Midwest and Great Lakes Tuesday. Meanwhile, parts of North Carolina can expect below well-below freezing temperatures Monday for just the 15th time in 113 years of record-keeping in the southern state. But North Carolina residents may want to keep their T-shirts and short pants within easy reach. Temperatures in the 20s Celsius are forecast by the end of the week. Parts of the East Coast and central U.S. also can expect much higher than normal temperatures for this time of year. The suspect gunman who carried out last Friday's deadly shooting at a Florida airport made his first court appearance Monday. Esteban Santiago was charged Saturday with an act of violence at an international airport resulting in death. If convicted of the charge, Santiago could face the death penalty or possibly life in prison for the attack that killed five people. As authorities continue to look for a motive behind the assault, Santiago's relatives say he was mentally traumatized by his 11 months of fighting in the U.S. war in Iraq. "Not everyone has the same reaction when they return from war," his brother, Bryan Santiago, told CNN. "Some are better, and some, not so much." According to their mother, Esteban Santiago, now 26, said that he was significantly affected when he saw a bomb explode next to two of his friends while he served in Iraq during most of 2010 and early 2011. Bryan Santiago also said his brother requested psychological help but received little assistance late last year after walking into a local Federal Bureau of Investigation office in Anchorage, Alaska in an agitated state. He made incoherent statements and told agents he had been hearing voices directing him to join the terrorist group Islamic State. Santiago was carrying a pistol magazine loaded with bullets at the time, but said he had left his gun in his vehicle. As is their practice, the FBI agents took his weapon. Mental issues Santiago was taken for a mental health evaluation and investigated, but authorities found no wrongdoing. They returned his gun to him in December, but it is not clear if that pistol was used in the airport shootings, in which Santiago is accused of killing five people and wounding another six. "How is it possible that the federal government knows, they hospitalize him for only four days, and then give him his weapon back?" Bryan Santiago said. His uncle, Hernan Rivera, said, "Only thing I could tell you was when he came out of Iraq, he wasn't feeling too good." U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter told NBC's "Meet the Press" show on Sunday that the country has not done enough to help veterans traumatized by war when they return home. "We keep learning more about how to deal with this kind of illness," Carter said. "We're gonna learn more and we have to do more absolutely." He described post-traumatic stress disorder as "the so-called invisible wounds of war ... something we do take seriously and we have to take seriously." Terrorism not ruled out But FBI officials have not ruled out a terrorism connection and say they do not know what motivated the shooter's barrage of gunfire in a baggage claim area at the Fort Lauderdale international airport. The gunman retrieved his weapon from checked luggage after a flight from Alaska. Lead FBI investigator George Piro said Saturday, "We have not identified any triggers that would have caused this attack. We're pursuing all angles on what prompted him to carry out this horrific attack." Piro is the FBI agent who interrogated Saddam Hussein after the former Iraqi leader was captured by U.S. forces in 2003. On Saturday, officials said at a news conference that Santiago traveled "specifically" to Fort Lauderdale to carry out the attack but do not know why he targeted the Florida city, a prime tourist destination. Authorities questioned him for several hours, until early Saturday, and said he was cooperating with investigators. The United States says it carried out a "successful" raid against Islamic State fighters in eastern Syria, focused on IS leadership. A Pentagon spokesman, Navy Captain Jeff Davis, said Monday that the operation was carried out in Deir Ezzor province by a U.S. special forces unit tasked with tracking down Islamic State leaders in Syria and Iraq. He did not say who the targets were, but said a lot of intelligence was gathered during the operation. Death toll exaggerated The spokesman said reports by the monitoring group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights that 25 Islamic fighters were killed in the operation were exaggerated. He did not say how many people were killed. The oil-rich region of Deir Ezzor is largely under the control of Islamic State militants and the United States has previously carried out airstrikes and other military action in the region. The U.S. special forces unit, called the expeditionary task force, has intensified drone strikes and raids in Syria in recent months against Islamic State leaders. Successful raids against Islamic State Special forces have carried out several high profile raids against Islamic State militants including an operation in Syria in May 2015 that killed IS commander Abu Sayyaf and an October, 2015 raid in Hawijah, Iraq, that freed 70 hostages held by IS. A Delta Force soldier, 39-year-old Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler, was killed during that mission. The raid on Abu Sayyaf also provided a treasure trove of intelligence materials that led to several operations targeting Islamic State's financial network. China said Monday it opposes any contact between Taiwanese leaders and U.S. officials, a day after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen met with U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and Texas Governor Greg Abbott. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told reporters that China is against activities that "interfere with and damage China-U.S. relations." The meeting happened in Houston where Tsai stopped on her way to Central America. Cruz said shortly before the talks took place, the Houston congressional delegation received what he called a "curious" letter from the Chinese consulate asking them not to go forward with the meeting. "The People's Republic of China needs to understand that in America we make decisions about meeting with visitors for ourselves," Cruz said in a statement. "The Chinese do not give us veto power over those with whom they meet. We will continue to meet with anyone, including the Taiwanese, as we see fit." The senator said the substance of the talks included boosting economic cooperation, and that increased access to Taiwan would help farmers, ranchers and small business owners in his state. Abbott mentioned in his own statement the prospects of more trade involving natural gas and cooperation on the development of medical facilities. President-elect Donald Trump drew criticism from China when he spoke by phone with Tsai shortly after he was elected in November. Since 1979, the U.S. has recognized China's official position that Taiwan is part of China. Trump later questioned why the U.S. should be bound by that policy unless China makes trade concessions. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman responded by saying the one-China policy is the foundation of U.S.-China relations and urged Trump to "understand the seriousness." Trump ruled out meeting with Tsai during this trip, saying it is "a little bit inappropriate" to meet with anyone before he takes office on January 20. In one of his last missions as U.S. secretary of state, John Kerry will join world leaders from 70 other countries at a January 15 conference in Paris, attempting to salvage a two-state solution that many analysts believe is beyond saving. Neither Israel nor the Palestinians will attend, but there are reports the Palestinians may present a new peace plan on the sidelines. In a similar conference in Paris last June, officials divided into working groups to explore ways to lure the parties back to peace talks. They will present their findings at next weeks meeting. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his supporters in Washington are uneasy about the meeting, which comes in the wake of U.N. Security Council Resolution 2334, which demands an end to Israeli settlements which it calls a flagrant violation under international law. The United States has vetoed dozens of similar resolutions in the past, but this time abstained from voting, allowing the resolution to pass. Kerry explained the action in a speech December 28. We cannot properly defend and protect Israel if we allow a viable two-state solution to be destroyed before our own eyes, he said. The resolution also calls for states to distinguish, in their relevant dealings, between the territory of the State of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967. Israel worries this could lend momentum to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions [BDS] movement or trigger a full blown investigation of the settlements by the criminal court in The Hague. BDS refers to a political movement aimed at putting economic pressure on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territory. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to condemn Resolution 2334, in part, said Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce (R-CA), to head off any more moves the Obama administration might have in the next few days. Shortly after the resolution passed, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump tweeted, As to the U.N., things will be different after Jan. 20th. His choice for ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, supports the Israeli settlements and has said he opposes the two-state solution. The Netanyahu government and its supporters in Washington still worry that during his remaining days in office, U.S. President Barack Obama might formally declare a Palestinian state or support a French resolution in the Security Council declaring two states and redefining borders. Ron Kampeas, Washington bureau chief for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, thinks it highly unlikely. The Obama administration has pretty much said that it's said what its had to say by allowing the U.N. Security Council vote to go through, Kampeas said. Sure, they have five days to try and do something before Donald Trump is inaugurated; but, the mechanics of coming up with a resolution, convening the Security Council, getting it through, drafting it, making sure it looks okay? I just dont see it happening. New Palestinian plan? Citing an anonymous source inside the PLO, Israeli diplomat and Peres Center for Peace founder Uri Savir wrote that pragmatic PLO officials have developed a plan for a new interim agreement that would establish a transitional Palestinian state until negotiations on permanent status can be launched a year from now. The Oslo II Accord divided the West Bank into three administrative areas, Areas A, B and C. Area A falls under total Palestinian control. Area B falls under Palestinian civil authority and shared Palestinian and Israeli security control. Area C, representing about 60 percent of the West Bank, is controlled by Israel and is the area where settlers are located. The plan, detailed on the Al-Monitor news site last week, would give Palestinians sovereignty over all of Areas A and B in the West Bank, along with 20 percent of Area C, currently under full Israeli control and home to around 350,000 Israeli settlers. The plan would freeze all future settlement building in Area C; current settlers would be allowed to remain, but live under Palestinian law. This initiative - if its real - looks like an attempt to capitalize on the UNSC resolution and to put together something that could get primarily European support for another attempt at a two-state solution, said Michele Dunne, director of the Middle East program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Because this is right where we are right now, this question of whether there will be any further attempts at brokering a two-state solution. I have no sense that anyone in the Israeli government would be interested in this proposal, Dunne said, and the Palestinians are disunified, so even if the current Palestinian Authority leadership were to accept an initiative like this, many in Israel and elsewhere would say, Well, the Palestinian Authority doesnt represent that many people anyway. In the end, says Dunne, the proposal sounds like an attempt to keep the two-state solution alive. Because a lot of people are saying its just over for the two-state solution, she said, "and if the Palestinian cause doesnt go away, then the whole thing relentlessly moves toward a one-state struggle." Savir suggests the plan is an alternative to a third intifada, a possible reaction to the expected change in U.S. positions by the Donald Trump administration. Lawyer and former PLO legal adviser Diana Buttu said that while sporadic acts of violence are inevitable under occupation, Palestinians have other tools for achieving their goals. Thats where the brilliance of all of these other measures comes in, such as the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, she said. Such as trying to get Israel to be held accountable legally and internationally. Venezuela's opposition-led Congress on Monday approved a resolution declaring that President Nicolas Maduro had "abandoned his post," a symbolic move unlikely to break a year-long stalemate between the executive and the legislature. The opposition won a sweeping majority in 2015 elections as a result of anger over the country's deep economic crisis, but has been hamstrung by a hostile Supreme Court that has shot down nearly every measure it has approved. The court last year ordered Congress to halt a political trial of Maduro meant to declare him responsible for the country's crisis, and the president has dismissed the legislature's moves against him as unconstitutional. "The most important thing is that [this measure] demands an electoral solution to Venezuela's crisis, so that the people can express themselves through the vote," Congress President Julio Borges said following the vote to approve it. The opposition in 2016 spent months organizing to seek a recall referendum on Maduro's rule, but that effort was effectively scuttled by electoral authorities that the opposition accuses of supporting the ruling Socialist Party. Maduro's critics blame him for triple-digit inflation, Soviet-style product shortages and snaking grocery store lines that stretch for blocks. Maduro, a former union leader and ex bus driver, says he is the victim of an "economic war" led by his political adversaries with the support of Washington. "President Maduro has not resigned and he will not resign," Socialist Party Vice President Diosdado Cabello said at a news conference before the vote. "He has not abandoned his post, and we have not recognized nor will we recognize a disobedient legislature." Congress opened a year ago to great fanfare among Maduro's adversaries amid hopes the opposition majority would be able to revamp the country's decaying, state-led economic system. But the situation has instead devolved into a political stalemate as economic difficulties have become steadily more extreme. Maduro's term in office ends in 2019. In Nigeria, the trial of Biafran separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu will resume Tuesday, but the judge has ordered the proceedings to continue in secret, sparking further controversy. When Nnamdi Kanu was arrested by secret police in Lagos in October 2015, nobody dreamed the affair would go on this long. He has been granted bail once, rearrested once and then remained in custody since then, despite court orders to release him. Now there is another twist. In December, Justice Binta Nyako granted the prosecutions application asking the Kanu trial be held in secret. The charges against the Biafran separatist leader include criminal conspiracy and treason. Protests in the southeast related to his detention have killed dozens of people, according to local rights groups. Amnesty International said in November the military has sought to squash the movement, killing at least 150 pro-Biafra activists since August 2015. Police and security forces dispute that version of events, and have accused demonstrators of attacking them. Witness protection The state argues that witnesses in this trial need to be shielded from intimidation and violence. Kanus lawyer, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, rejects the thought. They have the security to protect their witnesses," said Ejiofor. Why are they afraid? We are also talking about the fundamental human rights of the defendants who are being falsely accused. So we want to see the people coming to give evidence against them eyeball to eyeball. There should be no form of shielding. It is totally unacceptable to us and we cannot take it. Kanu was the head of Radio Biafra, a banned independent station that advocated for the restoration of the Republic of Biafra. Talk of Biafra can strike a sensitive chord in Nigeria. The issue dates back to 1967 when Igbo separatists seceded. By the end of a civil war three years later, as many as two million people are believed to have been killed, many from starvation. Despite this painful past, the issue of self-determination for the southeast has experienced a resurgence, though the movement denies any connection to violence. This is an intellectual fight," noted Emma Powerful, the spokesperson for the Indigenous People of Biafra. "We are not going to carry any arms. And God has been there for us. We are not going to be violent. It is going to be an intellectual war. We must go. Either Biafra or death! President Muhammadu Buhari, who fought on the government side in the Biafran war, has ruled out independence for the region. In a statement in December, he called on activists to have a rethink. If convicted, Kanu could face the death penalty. The U.S. commander of international forces in Afghanistan undertook a rare trip to neighboring Pakistan's North Waziristan border district that until recently was condemned as the "epicenter" of global terrorism. The Pakistan military said Monday its local commanders briefed General John Nicholson of NATO's Resolute Support mission (RSM) on counterterrorism operations and post-conflict social development underway in the area near the Afghan border. "Visitors were taken to Miranshah bazaar where they saw the development work being undertaken by the Pakistan army. General John Nicholson appreciated successful operations conducted by Pakistan army," according the official statement. Pakistan's military chief, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, accompanied the visiting American general. The tribal territory, which borders Afghanistan, used to be a hub of local and international terrorists linked to groups, including al-Qaida, the Taliban and the Haqqani Network, and a staging ground for cross-border insurgent attacks. Until recently, the area was the scene of frequent U.S. drone strikes against suspected militant hideouts, killing scores of them. But the Pakistan military says the Waziristan district has been mostly cleared of insurgents since it undertook a massive ground and air offensive in June 2014, destroying terrorist communication and bomb-making infrastructure there, and killing more than 3,500 militants. The crackdown has led to a significant reduction in terrorist attacks in Pakistan. But Afghan officials allege the operations have spared militants active on their side of the border, charges Islamabad denies as politically motivated. Genera Nicholson also discussed border security matters with Bajwa before traveling to the Waziristan district, the army statement said. Bajwa emphasized the need for putting in place a "bilateral border security mechanism" between Pakistan and Afghanistan and called for the NATO mission to play its "important role" in making it possible, it added. "The visiting dignitary acknowledged the requirement of bilateral border security coordination," it added. Pakistan shares a 2,600-kilometer largely pours border with Afghanistan and has lately stepped up measures to boost security on a frontier Kabul has long refused to acknowledge as an international boundary. A U.S. Navy ship fired three warnings shots at Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, Pentagon spokesman Capt. Jeff Davis said. Four Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps attack craft vessels were traveling right at the USS Mahan in the Strait of Hormuz at a "very high rate of speed, a defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told VOA earlier Monday. The crew identified themselves as part of the U.S. Navy, and repeated multiple times that the ships needed to turn away or the crew would be forced to use a defensive measure, the official said. Capt. Davis said the USS Mahan crew issued used audible sirens and issued radio warnings. This was an unsafe and unprofessional interaction, Davis said, and thats due to the fact that they were approaching with a high level of speed with weapons manned and disregarding repeated warnings. When the Iranian boats did not respond to radio requests to slow down, the USS Mahan fired shots with a .50 caliber machine gun. As soon as the crew fired off warning shots, the small Iranian boats stopped and the U.S. ships proceeded on their route, the defense official said. The Iranian boats came within about 825 meters of the USS Mahan, according to Davis. The Navy destroyer was escorting the USS Makin Island, an amphibious ship, and the USNS Walter S. Diehl, a supply ship, during the time of the incident. The Navy destroyer was escorting the USS Makin Island, an amphibious ship, and the USNS Walter S. Diehl, an oil supply ship, during the time of the incident. A defense official told VOA the U.S. encourages Iran and all nations to operate in accordance with internationally recognized maritime laws, standards and norms. Our commanding officers are obligated to act in self-defense. Such unsafe and unprofessional interactions with IRGCN vessels create a risk of escalation and are entirely preventable with proper seamanship, the official said. The presidents of Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Liberia will visit Gambian President Yahya Jammeh on Wednesday in a second attempt to press him to hand over power, Nigeria's foreign minister Geoffrey Onyeama said on Monday. Jammeh, in power since a 1994 coup, lost a Dec. 1 election to businessman Adama Barrow, but the authoritarian leader has contested the results in a move condemned at home and abroad. An ECOWAS delegation led by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf visited Gambia in December but failed to persuade Jammeh to step down. The West African bloc has since said it would take all necessary steps to uphold the result of the election and had put troops on standby. Jammeh called the move "a declaration of war." "They resolved that three presidents will visit Jammeh on Wednesday to press him again to hand over [power]. They are the presidents of Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone," Onyeama said after a one-day ECOWAS summit in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. The former president of Ghana, John Mahama, would also attend along with representatives of the United Nations and African Union. The crisis in Gambia needed to be resolved "step by step" in line with the country's constitution, Onyeama said, adding that ECOWAS was concerned about the closure of radio stations by authorities and arrests since the vote. Gambian authorities shut a fourth popular radio station late on Sunday, staff said on Monday, further strangling opposition voices amid a post-election clampdown. Jammeh initially conceded defeat in the poll, which was seen as a triumph for democracy in the country of 1.8 million. But a week later he filed a petition with the Supreme Court due to irregularities in the vote count, drawing condemnation from local opponents and foreign powers. It is not clear how the case will be heard before Jan. 18, when Jammeh's mandate will run out. Judges from Nigeria and Sierra Leone who were expected to preside over the case did not arrive in court on Monday as expected. Adama Barrow has said his inauguration will go ahead regardless of the Supreme Court case. Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari said his government is not resting in its efforts to find the remaining Chibok girls that are still held captive by the militant group Boko Haram. Marking the 1,000th day of the girls' abduction, President Buhari wrote on Twitter Sunday that, I am hopeful that soon, Chibok community, Nigeria, and, indeed, the world, will welcome the remaining girls back home. President Buhari also commended the country's security agencies for their role in rescuing some of the girls. I salute our security agencies whose efforts have resulted in the return of some of the girls, as well as thousands of other captives. I also salute all who have been in the vanguards of the quest to the recovery of the girls, nationally and internationally, he said. An activist group campaigning for the return of the girls, Bring Back Our Girls, started one week of activities to mark the 1,000 days of the girls' abduction. In his interview with the Hausa Service, the public relations officer of the group Dr. Eman Shehu said, in addition to major cities in Nigeria, events will be held in other cities around the world including New York and Washington. Last week, Nigerian soldiers found one of the lost Chibok girls. An army spokesman said that a girl identified as one of the 200 kidnapped from the northeastern town of Chibok in April, 2014 was found Thursday, wandering in the forest near Boko Haram's territory. The mass kidnapping nearly three years ago drew international outrage, but despite the attention, few of the girls have been heard from since. In October, the government negotiated the release of more than 20 girls, and several others have escaped. Most remain missing. Zimbabweans living in South Africa have urged their relatives back home, who are planning to return to South Africa by using illegal entry points along the Limpopo River, to stop risking their lives. This follows reports police reports in Limpopo province in South Africa that some Zimbabweans have died and several others rescued while trying to cross the flooded river, which is also full of crocodiles. South African authorities are believed to have retrieved several bodies from the river and rescued some individuals that were later handed over to the Immigration Department for deportation. Limpopo provincial spokesperson, Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo, told journalists that some of the people who drowned have been positively identified as Zimbabwean citizens. Brigadier Mojalifa said they drowned while attempting to cross the Limpopo River after visiting their families and friends in Zimbabwe during the festive season. He said there is an increase in the number of people who are drowning along the river while trying to illegally cross the border. Zimbabweans living in South Africa, including artiste Nombeko Khahlela, have urged their colleagues to stop crossing the flooded Limpopo River saying many people are losing their lives in an attempt to sneak into South Africa. Its so painful to parents back home to be told that their son or daughter has drowned while attempting to cross the Limpopo. Many lives are being lost and some bodies are never found. I wish to advise my fellow citizens to stop this. Try to get some proper documents and use the normal channels if you want to come to South Africa. Her sentiments were echoed by Nomaqhawe Moyo and Carnicious Nkala, who noted that it is now a bit easy to get a Zimbabwean passport and therefore those people intending to work in South Africa should get proper documents instead of crossing the flooded Limpopo River. Zimbabwes ailing economy is forcing thousands of locals, especially young people, to leave the country in search of green pastures. The Zimbabwean government says the countrys unemployment rate stands at 10.7% but independent economists have put the figure at just over 90%, noting that vending doesnt qualify to be some kind of full-time work. We accept many different kinds of announcements. Just click on the button below and submit a form. Go to forms Visual-effects artists now work in every aspect of the moviemaking process. It used to be all about fixing mistakes and imperfections. Now the process is truly a new kind of Photoshop for Hollywood, sometimes making actors and actresses look completely different. The work is stunning. Produced by Adam Banicki. Photo: NBCUniversal Media If the Golden Globes are any indication, 2017 promises to keep you on your toes. La La Land took home the most hardware, sweeping all seven categories it was nominated in and setting a record for the most wins by a film ever at the awards. On the drama side, Moonlight took Best Picture, but. surprisingly, Mahershala Ali, who has dominated the awards season thus far, lost out to Aaron Taylor-Johnson for Nocturnal Animals. TV kept it more interesting, with wins for Atlanta, Tracee Ellis Ross, and a curiously dominant The Night Manager. Meanwhile, there was a touching tribute to Meryl Streep by way of Viola Davis, and a measly one to Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds by way of Final Cut. So without anymore painful rapping, lets get to it. HIGH: Tracee Ellis Rosss history-making win for Best Actress in a Comedy. Well, mama, now your daughter has a Golden Globe, too. Tracee Ellis Ross won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Comedy/Musical in a stacked category including Issa Rae, Gina Rodriguez, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Rachel Bloom, becoming the first black woman to win since Debbie Allen did back in 1983 for Fame. Moreover, this means that Tracee Ellis Ross is a Golden Globe winner, just like her mom, who won 44 years prior. LOW: The teleprompter fail. Things got off to a rocky start when the teleprompter failed to work at the beginning of the show. But it was really Jimmy Fallon who completely malfunctioned when he had to fill the time without a script, literally resorting to tripping over his own feet to kill time. If only he could trip his way out of a comedy career? HIGH: The resurrection of Barb. Sure, this was technically in the cold open and not during the ceremony itself, but who could possibly resist Stranger Things beloved Barb emerging from the water as triumphant and acrobatic as a mermaid? Barb lives. WHOA: Aaron Taylor-Johnson beating Mahershala Ali. There are a couple takeaways from Aaron Taylor-Johnsons bonkers win over Mahershala Ali for Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture a category Ali has owned for the entirety of awards season so far. One, the Golden Globes are hopelessly contrarian and dont matter at all, and Ali will have his just desserts when he lifts an Oscar toward the sky. And two, Taylor-Johnsons victory should be celebrated because he was good as hell in Nocturnal Animals. At least we know how the HFPA stands on mutton chops. HIGH: Questlove DJing the ceremony Hollywood award shows arent particularly known for their hip and modern music choices instead commonly utilizing a live orchestra so Quests funky DJ stylings provided a major breath of fresh air. Name another ceremony where you can find intro music that seamlessly blends DJ Kool, the Hamilton soundtrack, and the Talking Heads. Trick question. You cant. and Julia Louis-Dreyfus pretending to be Questlove for a hot second. LOW: Sofia Vergaras anus jokes. After getting ogled like a human trophy at the Emmys back in 2014, Vergaras back to make some very bad anus jokes. And this time its to introduce Sylvester Stallones daughters Sophia, Sistine, and Scarlet who are sharing the title of Miss Golden Globe. Vergara really needs to ask award-show writers to give her some better material. HIGH: Donald Glover shouting out Migos Donald Glover shouted out Migos onstage, and then backstage, he called them the Beatles of this generation; onstage he thanked the Atlanta rap trio just because while accepting the award for Best Comedy for Atlanta. Paul McCartney has never known such glory. oh, and Keith Stanfields impromptu stage dance. Iconic. WHOA: All The Night Manager wins. This is obviously a terrible mixup, Hugh Laurie said when he was awarded the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in a Limited Series for The Night Manager. But the wins didnt stop there for the John le Carre adaptation: Olivia Colman and Tom Hiddleston would both win Golden Globes for the show. So get to watching The Night Manager: The HFPA commands you! HIGH: Hugh Lauries self-deprecating speech about himself and Donald Trump. One great thing about Hugh Lauries win: The man can give an off-the-cuff speech when he needs to. Breaking out his classic Laurien charm, he mused about how this would be the last ever Globes. I dont mean to be gloomy. Its just it has the words Hollywood, foreign, and press in the title, he joked. I also think to some Republicans even the word association is slightly sketchy. Fair points. LOW: Tom Hiddleston bringing a speech about human rights in Sudan back to himself. Meanwhile, Lauries co-star Tom Hiddleston didnt do quite as well. Hiddleston spent the majority of his speech telling an anecdote about his humanitarian work in south Sudan. While youd think that he would simply give attention to the human-rights violations taking place, Hiddleston brought it back to himself by letting us all know that aid workers found hope in binge-watching The Night Manager. So there you have it: As bad as things get in Sudan, at least some people can watch prestige TV. HIGH: Sunny Pawar being swept into the arms of Dev Patel. Here was the nights and youre pregnant moment. LOW: That movie Hidden Fences. As far as we know, Patient Zero was Jenna Bush, who asked Pharrell on the red carpet about his stunning work on the awards contender Hidden Fences. Of course, no such film exists, and this was a mashup of two films starring black people, Hidden Figures and Fences. But it didnt stop there! Michael Keaton made the same flub when announcing Octavia Spencer as a nominee for Hidden Fences. HIGH: Kristen Wiig is a Golden Globespresenting all-star. Why isnt Kristen Wiig hosting these awards shows, youre no doubt thinking. Her bit with Will Ferrell at the 2013 ceremony was the most memorable moment of the broadcast, and this year, her turn at the podium with Steve Carell was the evenings best bit of comedy, as the two shared the personal traumas they associate with animated movies. Carell summoned tears on command talking about Fantasia night while Wiig looked back on the heartbreak of seeing Bambi the same day she lost three family dogs and her grandpa. Just give them the podium all night long in 2018. LOW: The Carrie FisherDebbie Reynolds tribute. These two were a legendary mother-daughter pair who brought brilliant vivacity to Hollywood in their own respective ways. What a shame, then, that a tribute to their memory had to come in the form of a too-short montage. Carrie Fisher was more iconic at her own funeral. HIGH: Ryan Goslings tribute to Eva Mendes. When he won a Globe for La La Land, Hollywoods ur-Ryan used his time to thank his partner, Eva Mendes, for not only taking caring of their child while he worked on the film, but doing so while pregnant with their second, all as her brother was dying of cancer. He dedicated the award to her brother, Juan Carlos Mendez, and basically, to women, for doing everything. This was peak feminist Ryan Gosling. WHOA: Isabelle Huppert winning Best Actress for Elle. Sure, Isabelle Huppert may be one of the greatest living actresses, but Paul Verhoevens unsettling French thriller Elle didnt necessarily seem like a crowd-pleaser. Nevertheless, Huppert pulled out a win, beating out Natalie Portmans work on Jackie. Maybe she is going mainstream after all. HIGH: The Crown reigns. It came, it saw, it conquered Hollywood. Long live Queen Claire Foy: May her reign at Netflix, though not long (only one more season, sigh), be ever this true. LOW: Jimmy Fallon rapping. Many of Fallons lines fell into the structure of this thing reminds me of something that sounds like the structure of a joke, which meant there were a whole lot of not-quite-there rap bits. The lowest came when Fallon introduced Eddie Redmayne and Jessica Chastain with an Insane in the Membrane joke. We get it! HIGH: All of Viola Daviss speeches. Two facts Viola Davis confirmed tonight: She knows how to give a damn good acceptance speech, and she also knows how to make some damn good collard greens. Davis delivered her introduction to Streep (where she brought up their cooking-related squabbles) and her acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress in Fences (not Hidden Fences) with signature graciousness, gravity, and humor. Everybody else, take notes. HIGH: Queen Streeps speech. When Meryl Streep accepted the Cecil B. DeMille award, she used her speech to take down what she considered 2016s most detestable performance: Donald Trumps. The person asking to sit in the most respected seat in our country imitated a disabled reporter, someone he outranked in privilege, power, and the capacity to fight back, she said. It kind of broke my heart when I saw it. I still cant get it out of my head because it wasnt in a movie. It was real life. Streep thanked the HFPA for honoring her, but reminded the room that acting is a privilege and that great art (and journalism) shouldnt cower to bullying. Streep finished with a piece of advice from Carrie Fisher: As my friend, the dear departed Princess Leia said to me once, Take your broken heart, make it into art. Photo: NBC/Getty Images After an impressive introduction by her Doubt co-star Viola Davis, Meryl Streeps searing anti-Trump speech during the Golden Globes was met with a standing ovation and much acclaim. Despite the president-elects unsurprising dismissive response, Streep devotees both in and out of Hollywood praised her powerful anti-bullying stance. Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence, Streep said, accepting the Globes career achievement award. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose. Below, some of the best pro-Meryl messages: The definition of class Fully sobbing. This is what a leader of truth, compassion and freedom for all looks like. Thank you #MerylStreep We are so blessed to be inspired by this incredible, remarkable woman. Her speech tonight was truly magnificent. I am forever in awe and so deeply moved. Congratulations and thank you #merylstreep #goldenglobes Quoting my favourite #MerylStreep from last night. When u have a broken heart...turn it into art. You are astounding! #fangirl pic.twitter.com/gPmoprWLLg PRIYANKA (@priyankachopra) January 9, 2017 The whole country's reaction when comedian @realDonaldTrump calls Meryl Streep an overrated actress pic.twitter.com/fgPtHeGOIE Amber Tamblyn (@ambertamblyn) January 9, 2017 This country needs more matriarchs like Meryl Streep. Truth to power, with compassion and authority. rosanne cash (@rosannecash) January 9, 2017 meryl streep my aunty Amine (@heyamine) January 9, 2017 I HAVE NEVER LOVED MERYL MORE. BRAVO. WELL SAID. Emmy Rossum (@emmyrossum) January 9, 2017 A true inspiration. Meryl, you beautiful soul. Thank you for using your voice to empower. #GoldenGlobes Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) January 9, 2017 Photo: Variance Films Director Damien Chazelle burst onto the scene at the tender young age of 29, when Whiplash, a jazz film shot like a war movie or a war movie set in a jazz school won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, then rode that wave all the way to three Oscars, including a nomination for Best Picture. Now, at 31, hes the youngest Best Director winner in the history of the Golden Globes and poised to potentially accomplish that same feat at the Oscars, although by then hell have reached the Methuselah-esqe age of 32. Considering Chazelles age, it seems as though his two accomplished pictures should be enough. But in fact, Whiplash wasnt Chazelles first feature-length film. In 2009, Guy and Madeline on a Park Bench, a movie that he shot mostly while he was an undergraduate at Harvard, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, marking the then-24-year-old filmmakers debut. Guy and Madeline is the work of an artist Damien Chazelle you want to know better, Wesley Morris wrote in 2010, but he couldnt have imagined that wed get to know him this well, this quickly. Heres what you should know about Guy and Madeline, which is available for rental on iTunes. Its about a couple sort of. The two protagonists are Guy, a jazz trumpeter, and Madeline, a grad student, both of whom live in Boston. But their relationship essentially begins and ends in the first few minutes of the film, with no dialogue and scarcely any explanation. That brief scene also comprises most of the movies plot: The rest follows Guy as he dates another woman, plays music, and wonders if he should get back together with Madeline; and Madeline as she gets a job, considers moving to New York, and meets an older man. Many of Chazelles cinematic interests pop up here: As in Whiplash and La La Land, Guy struggles to balance his romantic relationships with his musical career, and he attempts to reconcile the way that his beloved jazz clashes and contradicts with the modern world. The ambiguity around Guy and Madelines relationship, as well as the montage that covers its course, will later be echoed in the City of Stars scene in La La Land and the movies climactic sequence of Mia and Sebastians alternate-reality romance. Its also a musical but a very different one than La La Land. While Chazelle told me in 2014 that his influences for Guy and Madeline included MGM musicals, Guy and Madelines aesthetic, tone, and scale is far from the CinemaScope anamorphic 1950s1960s of La La Land, and has even less in common with the New Hollywood hyperstylization of Whiplash. Guy and Madeline is more a melange, the kind of grab-everything effort that comes from ace students who have influences spilling out their ears: Chazelle has referenced everything from experimental musical shorts from the 20s and 30s to Chantal Akerman and Jacques Rivette. But it does have a few more heavily choreographed scenes that presage La La Land, including a song-and-dance number in a restaurant, though the low fidelity of the film prevents the kind of Jacques Tatistyle richness that Chazelle would go for later on in his career. The influences are more varied than just musicals. If I had to give an elevator pitch for Guy and Madeline, Id describe it as the visual look of John Cassavetes circa Faces applied to the world of John Cassavetes circa Shadows, with the same approach to character and dialogue as the mumblecore leaders Joe Swanberg and Andrew Bujalski. The French New Wave is an obvious influence, if only formally; Guy and Madeline lacks the vivacious energy and obsession with genre of Jean-Luc Godard or Francois Truffaut, as well as the social commentary. If youve quit on Breathless because you think nothing happens, well, first of all, finish watching Breathless, but second, really nothing happens in Guy and Madeline it makes Breathless or Shoot the Piano Player look like The Avengers. The music is also by Justin Hurwitz. The man who would become Chazelles primary collaborator to date is already present here, composing the films soundtrack for the Bratislava Symphony Orchestra. Guy and Madeline mixes live performances featuring trumpet, drums, tap-dancing, and more with scenes in which the actors start singing over a soundtrack, isolated from the rest of the world. Its meant to feel naturalistic, and in that way it differs greatly from the fantasias of La La Land. But while Hurwitz worked on the film, Chazelles other main man, editor Tom Cross who won an Oscar for his work on Whiplash, and is favored to repeat with La La Land is absent, with Chazelle co-editing with W.A.W. Parker. (Chazelle also shot the movie himself.) It features non-actors and was shot on a shoestring budget. Guy and Madeline cost $60,000, most of which Chazelle says was spent on the 16mm film he shot it on; he made the movie without permits and used non-actors for the lead roles. Jason Palmer, who plays Guy, was a promising young trumpet player whom Chazelle saw in a jazz club; Desiree Garcia, who plays Madeline, is now, I think, a professor of film at Arizona State University. During the filmmaking process, which took two years, Chazelle was constantly running out of money, necessitating a nonstop fundraising process from friends, family, and himself, and Chazelle told me that 50 rolls of film were sitting in a Harvard basement waiting for the money that could be used to edit them. Its cast is highly diverse. La La Land has taken some heat for featuring two white leads in a movie about a black art form, jazz; the fact that one of them fancies himself a savior of said art form doesnt help. In that way, Guy and Madeline is a very different story: the three actors with the most screen time are black, Latino, and Asian. But where race forms the backbone of Cassavetess jazz-scene movie Shadows, which was a massively groundbreaking piece of narrative art in 1959, the multiculturalism of Guy and Madeline is accepted as a matter of course it may be evocative of Shadows, but its a film of a far different era (and sensibility). Chazelle appears in a brief onscreen role. As far as I know, your only available glimpse of Damien Chazelle, actor, comes in Guy and Madeline, where he teaches Madeline to play the drums. Make of that what you will. Photo: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images While Vice President-elect Mike Pence was greeted by the sounds of freedom (scattered booing) at Hamilton back in November, the audience of The Color Purple reacted quite differently to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. During the final performance of the Broadway musical, HRC, her husband Bill Clinton and their daughter Chelsea were greeted with an ovation from the crowd and several rounds of cheering. According to the New York Times, the clapping erupted again after the show when actress Patrice Covington pointed to Clinton during the the casts farewell speech. Theres a lot of really awesome famous and notable people here today, Covington told the crowd. Im not going to call all of them out I know you already know them. When the Broadway star looked over to Clinton many yelled enthusiastic words of encouragement. This was a rare appearance from the former Democratic presidential candidate, who has spent the months since the election mostly sticking to the woods near her house in Chappaqua, New York, and popping up on Instagram in small bookstores. Sundays matinee of The Color Purple was the final chance for her, and the world, to see this production on Broadway. Other celebrities in attendance included Jonathan Groff, Leslie Odom Jr., and Debra Messing. On the streets after the show, however, none received as much attention as the Clintons. Audience member Jordan Serpone told told the Times, I was having every emotion Ive tried to get rid of over the past few weeks. He continued, She shouldnt be here. She should be planning her cabinet. Photo: James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images French police have detained 16 people in connection to last Octobers armed robbery of Kim Kardashian. The group is being held for questioning over the early morning incident, during which Kim was held at gunpoint in her hotel room as attackers escaped with an estimated $10 million in valuables. A spokesman for the Paris Prosecutor told CNN that the suspects were picked up in Paris, Raincy, and Vincenne early Monday morning. Kim most recently addressed the crime in a promo for Keeping Up With the Kardashians, revealing that she was terrified the masked men would shoot her in the back. L-R: Isabella Gomez and Rita Moreno in One Day at a Time. Photo: Michael Yarish / Netflix Theres something important to be said not just for the types of stories we see, and the characters we see portraying them, but also for the way those stories are told. The fact that Netflixs Latino reboot of Norman Lears One Day at a Time is a familiar, comfortable, rhythmically and visually recognizable multi-camera sitcom is going to do some particular things to your brain as you watch it. Ah, you will think, as you settle into the vibe of its saturated colors and studio-audience laughter, I know what this is. You will expect the pattern of its humor, you will nod with recognition when the kooky landlord makes an entrance, and you will chuckle knowingly when the wacky grandmother says something in a funny accent. In its narrative contours and deep in its DNA, One Day at a Time is not a fancy modern update of the Lear original it leans heavily on the shape of the original, complete with the stagelike apartment set and its centrally placed sofa. In this sense, One Day at a Time feels similar to a few other TV projects over the past several years, especially shows like The Carmichael Show or The Ranch. Each of those shows is a deliberate effort to use the sitcom frame as an entry to certain points of view for The Ranch, the sitcoms rhythms make rural white agricultural life look less alien, and they give specificity to the real financial strain of being a farmer. On The Carmichael Show, the sitcoms pattern of stereotypical characterizations (protagonist, partner, joker, stick-in-the-mud, nitwit, smart aleck) becomes scaffolding for Socratic dialogue about issues of the day. There are also shows like Black-ish, where some of the more staid formal pieces of the sitcom have been shed in favor of newer structures, but the deep DNA of the family confronting and exemplifying social realities is still there. One Day at a Time is like those examples, but if anything, it feels even more like a throwback. And its the multi-cam sitcom structure that launches One Day at a Time out of solid new show territory and into something that feels especially pointed toward this moment in American life. A multi-cam sitcom, especially one set in someones house like One Day at a Time, always has that sense that youre looking into a mirror. On one side of the screen, theres a sofa in the soundstages living room, surrounded by what were being told is a typical American home. On the other side of the screen, your sofa, and your home. (Oh sure, youre watching the show on your phone now while you ride the subway to work, but deep in our TV-watching Ur-memory, we know thats the implication.) The form itself assumes an equality with the audience, with all its visual setup and all of its trope-y structure meant to reflect your own static mundanity back at you. Normal home, normal dopey landlord, normal family structure, normal American problems. Its not format alone that makes One Day at a Time feel particularly sharp it helps that the people who populate the show are rounded, fully formed, carefully built individuals. They have concerns and backstories that drive the story, so when the series dives into After School Special territory, those narratives are grounded in what we already know about these people, what they care about, where they come from. A huge piece of the shows success, of course, is due to remarkably strong acting and writing. Justina Machado and Rita Moreno are so good, bringing a tricky, smart balance to the shows carefully calibrated tone. When Machados role as the mother requires her to carry many of the more serious, dramatic beats, Morenos ebullient Cuban grandmother often steps up as the comic relief. But theyre equally comfortable switching roles, which keeps both of them from calcifying into predictability. And the show is funny, with that amazing, almost effortless silliness that seems like it should be so easy and is nearly impossible. Morenos Lydia making breakfast for the family is the best, funniest thing youll see all week. But what allows the One Day at a Time reboot to fire on all cylinders is how it marries structure and content how it takes our unquestioned assumption of sitcom humanism within this format and sketches it in with these specific details. Like the original, the Netflix version is about a single mother struggling to raise her adolescent kids. The similarities more or less end there. Here, that mother is Latina, an Afghanistan war vet, a nurse who experiences misogyny at work, and a woman whos honest with her family about their financial stress. She is proud of her Cuban heritage, she struggles to balance her mothers ideas of traditional femininity with her daughters desire to rebel against them, she needs a new car, and she needs the VA to get her an appointment with a chiropractor for her busted shoulder. A surprising amount of dialogue is in Spanish; there are no subtitles. This, One Day at a Time argues, is what real America looks like, and it does so by using a television storytelling form used to tell real American stories since the days of Mary Kay and Johnny and The Dick Van Dyke Show. Theres a long history of using that basic sitcom assumption of normalcy as a jumping-off point to expand the audiences concept of normal. Its a history thats defined by Norman Lear, One Day at a Times original creator, but by also shows like Roseanne, The Cosby Show, and Will & Grace. Wed lost that thread a little for the past few decades, and our appetite for sitcom conventions needed to be jolted with new conventions, like the painful awkwardness of The Office, the narrative trickery of How I Met Your Mother, or people we could laugh at rather than with. Right now, as we all look for what is and what is not real America, and blame those who cannot see our version of reality, and blame ourselves for our own isolation right now is the perfect time for a show that takes its nonwhite, immigrant, queer, hardworking, quinceanera-throwing characters fundamental humanity for granted, and assumes its audience will do the same. Thanks to the ever-isolating media bubbles we live in, it seems unlikely One Day at a Time will reach a large-enough audience to be a real political force, but even still, its the perfect time for a show that models empathy and compassion, and does so with humor. There are other ways to do this kind of humanizing, political work a multi-cam sitcom is hardly the only storytelling form that can present marginalized characters with empathy and respect. (Indeed, One Day at a Times closest TV cousin may be Jane the Virgin, which takes its structural inspiration from telenovelas.) But a sitcom, particularly one as welcoming and friendly as this one, has the added benefit of letting its audience feel safe. We are operating within known spaces. The familiar, reassuring resolution of each episode always blinks on the horizon, so we know that even when things get uncomfortable, everything will work out all right in the end. That multi-cam happy ending is a political comment in its own right. For this Cuban-American single mother who struggles with money and issues of identity and just trying to access her veterans benefits, the structure of her story promises us things can be okay. Its a remarkable, easily forgotten, vitally important message, brought to us by the magic of a studio audience, ample jokes, and the soothing intimacy of an old-school TV form. If you found yourself watching Dr. Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas and wondered, What is Jim Carrey up to now? Well, if you asked that on December 31 (dont worry too much about this strange holiday timeline), then the answer was singing onstage with Alice Cooper. During the shock rockers annual New Years Eve benefit concert in Maui, Hawaii, Carrey crashed the stage wearing a shirt befitting the 50th state and the dark eye makeup Cooper made famous. The duo rocked out to two of the music legends most famous songs, No More Mr. Nice Guy and Schools Out. Cooper is pretty well-versed in performing with movie stars Johnny Depp is a part of the same supergroup Hollywood Vampires that he toured with last year. Cate Blanchett and Richard Roxburgh in Chekhovs The Present. Photo: Joan Marcus If there were a Tony award for best supporting undergarment, it would surely go this season to Cate Blanchetts bra, which gets the biggest laugh of the evening in Andrew Uptons sour-funny The Present. This may come as a surprise to those who know that the play, opening tonight at the Barrymore, is based on an unfinished early work by Anton Chekhov. Corsets would seem to be the thing for a story originally set among the feckless, fading gentry of pre-revolutionary Russia; maintaining the right silhouette while going morally and literally bankrupt is a hallmark of the glamorous heroines of The Seagull, Uncle Vanya, and The Cherry Orchard. But Upton, who is Blanchetts husband, has relocated the tale to the mid-1990s, as the dregs of the former Communist elite scramble for position in the post-Glasnost era, at the dawn of the kleptocracy. For them, and especially for Anna, whom Blanchett plays quite brilliantly as a wasp trapped in a bottle, boredom and dread are full-time careers. And so at a party celebrating her 40th birthday, while listening to the desultory speeches and inane reminiscing of her dozen guests, Anna distractedly reaches into her dress and dislodges that bra, dumping it on the floor beside her. If only she could get out of her skin as quickly! Alas, she is fated to spend her life itching with anxiety about how she will survive. The young widow of a Soviet general, she has been left with a large estate but no means of maintaining it; her long game is to marry one of two stuffy older men, both at the party, who have the cash to buy up the leases on the propertys valuable mines. Her short game, while waiting for that plan to hatch, is to do anything, from meddling disastrously in her friends affairs to leveling the party pavilion with dynamite, to gin up some kind of excitement in her life. This, minus the dynamite, is more or less in the original. But theres a reason Chekhov put aside the ungainly play in his early 20s and never came back to it. (As written, it would run to seven hours; this adaptation runs to three.) One of the problems Chekhov does not seem to have been able to resolve, nor can Upton, is who the play is really about. Scholars called the untitled manuscript Platonov after a schoolteacher character who is Annas old friend and, presumably, former beau; yet as central as he is in the story, heedlessly seducing four women he has no intention of (or capacity for) loving, he is the kind of figure Chekhov eventually ennobled with better philosophy and demoted to second banana. (See, for instance, Astrov in Uncle Vanya.) Lacking real stature, this would-be Byron a man remarkable only for his magnetic self-loathing leaves a hole at the center of the story however it is adapted. (Michael Frayns version, called Wild Honey, starred Ian McKellen as a similarly overstretched Platonov in 1984.) And so, despite Richard Roxburghs completely convincing and even swashbuckling take on the role in The Present, all eyes naturally swerve to the lady undoing her underwear. They might have done that anyway; Blanchett has the movie-star charisma that makes you want to know at all times what shes thinking, and the stage transparency that provides the information at a glance. She also looks great in Alice Babidges costumes, something that cannot be said for the other characters, who are pinned to that ugly time by their spot-on period outfits. Platonovs dumpy wife gets a hideous flouncy frock; Annas loser stepson, Sergei, nearly her own age, wears faded high-waisted jeans with a belt. (The pathos of those characters is beautifully sketched by Susan Prior and Chris Ryan.) Still, this is not one of those revamps in which informal clothing of a period in living memory (or a punkish soundtrack like the one used here) nullifies the atmosphere of social restriction from which the drama arises. Upton makes a fairly successful case that the moneyed thugs and proto-Putins among whom the Annas and Platonovs must shift are a sufficient countervailing force to their inchoate desire for freedom. In what will no doubt become a hallmark of Chekhov production for the next few years, we even get a taste of Trumpism, as when Osip, one of the rich mens henchman, blames his unsavory behavior on those who do not stop him: OSIP: Is it my fault people are gutless these days? Stupid, and deliberately, deliberately stupid. PLATONOV: We are standing and staring at our bloody hands in the mirror and somehow, by some trick of the mind we displace the guilt. I just didnt think our generation would sink so low. But if the politics of this Platonov revamp are apt enough, the drama still founders on the plays inability to link them convincingly to the nearly farcical social comedy of individuals at loose ends. Partly this is because the production, directed somewhat bumpily by John Crowley, keeps the politics at bay for too long while it focuses on the radiating damage an empty man can cause at great removes, like a storm surge. We do not really understand the stakes until its too late, which may be accurate for the characters but undermines the audience. Chekhovs famous dramaturgical dictum one must never place a loaded rifle on the stage if it isnt going to go off is meticulously observed here; the Generals old pistol is all but spotlit throughout. But however much damage it finally causes, it isnt enough to turn The Present, which operates best as a comedy, into the tragedy it seems to wish it were. It would take Chekhov another 20 years to figure out how to make the two things into one. The Present is at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre through March 19. Geneva, Switzerland, 9 January 2017 - Addex Therapeutics (SIX: ADXN), announced today that ADX71441, a positive allosteric modulator (PAM) of the gamma-aminobutyric acid subtype B (GABAB) receptor demonstrated statistically significant efficacy in a highly translational preclinical model of chronic osteoarthritis pain. ADX71441 and celecoxib, a COX-2 selective nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug were studied in the monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) model of chronic osteoarthritis pain for their anti-hyperalgesic effects. ADX71441 at doses of 0.3, 1, 3, and 15 mg/kg orally administered showed statistically significant efficacy 21 days post MIA administration. At 15 mg/kg the effect is similar to that observed with 30 mg/kg of celecoxib (P<0.01). The study also demonstrated that ADX71943, a more peripherally restricted GABAB PAM compound, was more effective at early stages, presumably when the osteoarthritis pain is at a more inflammatory phase. While ADX71441, the more centrally active compound, was more effective at later stages, presumably when the osteoarthritis pain is at a more chronic neuropathic phase. Details of these data were published in European Journal of Pharmacology (Kalinichev et al, December 2016; available online). "The efficacy demonstrated by ADX71441 in this chronic pain model, comparable to that obtained with the gold standard celecoxib, strongly supports the use of ADX71441 to treat chronic neuropathic pain," said Robert Lutjens, Head of Discovery at Addex. "ADX71441 has completed preclinical development and is scheduled to start Phase 1 this year." "This recent publication in the European Journal of Pharmacology is a further demonstration of the quality of the science at Addex," said Tim Dyer, CEO of Addex. "While we focus on advancing ADX71441 in Phase 1 for addiction, we continue to profile other GABAB PAM compounds in multiple indications, including CMT1A neuropathy and pain." GABAB receptor is clinically & commercially validated. Generic GABAB receptor agonist, baclofen, is marketed for spasticity and some spinal cord injuries, and French health authorities have approved its use for the treatment of alcoholism. Baclofen is also used off label for a number of other indications including overactive bladder (OAB), but its utility is limited due to variety of side effects and rapid clearance, requiring frequent administration of higher doses. ADX71441 is a potent selective positive allosteric modulator (PAM) which potentiates GABA responses at the GABAB receptor. ADX71441 is a novel, first-in-class, oral, small molecule that demonstrated excellent preclinical efficacy and tolerability in rodent models of pain, anxiety, OAB, alcohol use disorders, nicotine dependence and in a non-human primate model of cocaine use disorder. ADX71441 has also proven efficacy in a genetic model of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A disease (CMT1A). ADX71441 has a different molecular mechanism from the generic drug baclofen in that it is a positive allosteric modulator, rather than an orthosteric agonist at the GABAB receptor, with a longer half-life, suitable for once daily administration. ADX71441 only acts when the natural ligand (GABA) activates the receptor, therefore respecting the physiological cycle of activation. It has been proposed that PAMs produce less adverse effects and lead to less tolerance than direct agonists. Addex Therapeutics (www.addextherapeutics.com) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, orally available, small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders. Allosteric modulators are an emerging class of small molecule drugs which have the potential to be more specific and confer significant therapeutic advantages over conventional "orthosteric" small molecule or biological drugs. Addex's allosteric modulator drug discovery platform targets receptors and other proteins that are recognized as essential for therapeutic intervention - the Addex pipeline was generated from this pioneering allosteric modulator drug discovery platform. Addex's lead drug candidate, dipraglurant (mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator or NAM) has successfully completed a phase 2A POC in Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), and is being prepared to enter registration trials for PD-LID with support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). In parallel, dipraglurant's therapeutic use in dystonia is being investigated with support from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). Addex's second clinical program, ADX71149 (mGluR2 positive allosteric modulator or PAM) is being developed in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc for epilepsy. In addition, ADX71441 (GABAB receptor PAM) has received regulatory approval to start Phase 1 and is being investigated for its therapeutic use in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Type 1A disease (CMT1A), cocaine and alcohol use disorder and nicotine dependence. Discovery programs include mGluR4PAM for neurodegenerative diseases, mGluR7NAM for psychosomatic disorders and TrkBPAM for neurodegenerative disorders which are being advanced in collaboration with the Universities of Lausanne and Geneva under the Swiss CTI grant program; and mGluR3PAM which is being advanced in collaboration with Pierre Fabre Pharmaceuticals. Contact: Tim Dyer Chief Executive Officer Addex Therapeutics Telephone: +41 22 884 15 61 Email: PR@addextherapeutics.com Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements: This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Addex Therapeutics Ltd. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.#uwcnf avalanche off of Elk Point, just north of Sundance ski area & south Aspen Grove Video credits Matthew Turley & Terri Keeler. pic.twitter.com/M8P0wEB9Zo UintaWasatchCacheNF (@UWCNF) January 9, 2017